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doc-0 | KEPPEL Offshore & Marine's two wholly-owned subsidiaries have won contracts worth a combined value of about S$130 million from two repeat customers.
KEPPEL Offshore & Marine's two wholly-owned subsidiaries have won contracts worth a combined value of about S$130 million from two repeat customers.
Keppel FELS Brasil's BrasFELS shipyard has secured hull carry-over work for the floating production, storage and offloading vessel, P-69 from a consortium led by Petrobras.
This latest award to BrasFELS represents an extension to the initial work on the FPSO topsides contracted to the yard.
Separately, Keppel Shipyard has won a contract from Sofec for the fabrication of a turret mooring system for a newbuild floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) vessel bound for Mozambique's giant Coral gas field. Fabrication is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2018 with delivery of the turret components expected in the first quarter of 2020.
sentifi.com Market voices on:
Keppel O&M chief executive Chris Ong said that winning contracts from these repeat customers is "a testament" to the yard group's proven track record and expertise "in a comprehensive range of services and proprietary technology for production assets". |
doc-1 | A U.S. University has been forced to provide free tampons to male students as part of an anti-cissexist program.
According to liberals, cissexism is the prejudice or discrimination against transgender people – which includes the “offensive” assumption that biologically male persons do not have female body parts.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison launched the program this April, claiming it is offensive to assume that male students don’t have vaginas.
“Menstrual products will be available in all of the bathrooms of the Red Gym so that they are available to any student who might need them, ” Steve Wagoner, a spokesman for the school said.
Dailycaller.com reports:
The women’s bathrooms in Helen C. White Hall and Sterling Hall are stocked with feminine hygiene products, while The Red Gym will also have tampons and pads in the women’s, men’s and gender neutral bathrooms.
Student Rep. Katrina Morrison proposed the program, telling people that having to buy tampons was “an unnecessary burden” and that access to feminine hygiene products is vital.
“It’s definitely a deficit and an unnecessary burden for [anyone] to have to go and purchase menstrual products,” Morrison explained.
“Having them be free and readily available in campus buildings is definitely a necessity.”
Other colleges are providing tampons in men’s bathroom because of transgender students.
Brown University made tampons available to both men and women in their bathrooms.
“We wanted to set a tone of trans-inclusivity, and not forget that they’re an important part of the population,” student body president Viet Nguyen explained in September to Newsweek. |
doc-2 | Relations between Russia and the UK have plunged further into the deep freeze after a prominent British Kremlin critic was arrested in Spain.
Financier Bill Browder was held in Madrid on Wednesday apparently under a Russian arrest warrant over allegations of fraud.
The self-professed “number one enemy” of Vladimir Putin was released around two hours after he was taken by officers to a station in the Spanish capital.
He had travelled to Madrid to speak to a prosecutor who is gathering evidence about the Russian mafia.
Conservative MP Sir Peter Bottomley called his detention “absurd”, while Foreign Affairs Committee member Bob Seely said Moscow was “upping the ante” in going after its critics abroad.
Mr Browder, a US-born British national, claimed this was the sixth time Russia had “abused Interpol” in pursuing him.
He has been a thorn in the side of the Russian authorities for more than a decade after he tried to expose the “looting” of his investments in the country by corrupt officials.
In 2009, Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer he hired to investigate what had happened to his money, died in Russian custody.
Following his death, anti-corruption laws were introduced in a raft of countries including the United States and Canada.
The UK is also staging a crackdown on Russian criminal money dubbed the McMafia laws.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Twitter after Mr Browder’s release: “Just spoken to Bill Browder – very glad that he has now been released. Moscow should concentrate on bringing those responsible for the murder of #Magnitsky to justice.”
Detailing the events on social media, Mr Browder wrote: “Urgent: Just was arrested by Spanish police in Madrid on a Russian Interpol arrest warrant. Going to the police station right now.”
This was followed by a photograph from the back of the police car, with the words: “In the back of the Spanish police car going to the station on the Russian arrest warrant. They won’t tell me which station.”
Mr Browder then posted a picture of a document linked to his arrest, detailing his legal rights and saying that he had been detained on allegations of fraud.
He said after his release: “Good news. Spanish National Police just released me after Interpol General Secretary in Lyon advised them not to honor the new Russian Interpol Red Notice. This is the 6th time that Russia has abused Interpol in my case.”
He said he had travelled to Madrid “to give evidence to senior Spanish anti Russian mafia prosecutor Jose Grinda about the huge amount of money from the Magnitsky case that flowed to Spain. Now that I’m released my mission carries on”.
Sir Peter told the Press Association: “It is absurd that a person with British nationality who has been exposing the brutal and fatal treatment of Sergei Magnitsky should be arrested at the request of the Russians.
“The Russian ambassador should be summoned to explain why it is that his country fails to prosecute the murderers of Magnitsky and instead has been for years trying to arrest Bill Browder, who is campaigning for justice and against corruption in Russia.”
Tory MP Mr Seely said: “The Kremlin’s attempts to go after its critics does not seem to have been diminished by the Skripal poisoning case in Britain. If anything, Moscow seems to be upping the ante.
“We have the World Cup in barely two weeks. You would have thought that the Russian state would wish to avoid controversy. The willingness of the Kremlin to antagonise and challenge – whether it is poisoning in the UK, murder in Kiev (of journalist Arkady Babchenko), or the use of the law in Spain – seems to be undiminished.”
In March, Mr Browder told the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee that he believes the Russian government wants him dead.
He also had links with Russian millionaire Alexander Perepilichnyy, who collapsed and died while jogging near his home in Weybridge, Surrey, in 2012 in mysterious circumstances.
Mr Perepilichnyy had been helping Mr Browder’s Hermitage Capital Investment expose a 230 million US dollar (£142 million in November 2012) money-laundering operation.
Copy by Press Association
Photo by Juan Medina from Reuters |
doc-3 | |
San Benito, TX/ 2018: Business is affected by a variety of factor and is susceptible to unexpected risks. So, it becomes essential to protect yourself financially from any uncertainties both natural & manmade to which your business is exposed to. Keeping in mind the needs of business owners, Smith- Reagan Insurance Agency provides a number of business insurance policies & plans to their clients in San Benito, TX.
They provides customized insurance plans to meet the needs & requirements of their clients. The team of experts at the agency work with leading insurance companies & compare different policies & coverages in order to provide the best plan to their clients.
Types Of Business Insurance Policies Offered:
They offer a variety of coverages to minimize your loss in case of an uncertain event. It includes options such as –
• Commercial Property – It protects the property which has been insured by business from risks such as theft, fire etc. Apart from the structure of the building, it also provides for loss of office furnishings & inventory.
• Workers Compensation – If an employee injures themselves while performing their business operations then this coverage provides for the medical expenses and lost wages of that employee.
• General Liability – This coverage policy covers any legal claims which arise due to company’s fault.
• Commercial Auto – Under this insurance type, the insurance agency provides coverages for all vehicles owned by the business.
• Business Package – It is a policy that generally protects medium to large firms from risk such as fire, theft, accidental damage etc.
Why Choose Them?
• Comprehensive insurance policies
• Friendly & helpful agents
• Affordable plans
• Prompt services
Other Types Of Insurance Offered:
• Auto Insurance
• Property Insurance
• Life & Health Insurance
For more information about the business insurance provided by Smith-Reagan Insurance Agency, you can call at (956) 399 – 1353 or visit 148 N. Sam Houston Blvd, San Benito, TX 78586. You can also log on to their website http://sra-ins.com/ to request for a free quote. |
doc-4 | LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Another man accused of assaulting protesters at a Donald Trump campaign rally in Louisville last year has countersued the president, saying he was following Trump’s urging to remove them.
Matthew Heimbach is being sued over his alleged actions at the March 1, 2016, rally. In a counter claim filed Monday in federal court, Heimbach says he was relying “on Trump’s authority to order disruptive persons removed,” according to WDRB-TV (bit.ly/2onwCE9).
In his court filing, Heimbach said he “relied on Trump’s authority to have disruptive persons removed and that Trump was legally within his rights to have other attendees assist in defending their constitutional rights against ‘protesters.'”
Another defendant at the rally, Alvin Bamberger, filed a counter claim on Friday, saying that he acted on Trump’s “urging and inspiration.”
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Three people who claim they were assaulted at the Trump rally filed a lawsuit last year against Trump, his campaign, Heimbach and Bamberger. They say they were shoved and punched by audience members at Trump’s command. Video widely broadcast during the campaign showed Trump pointing at protesters and repeating the words “get them out.”
Trump’s attorneys responded in a court filing Friday that Trump is immune as president from such suits. They also say the protesters waived their right to sue by buying tickets to the event, and they deny that Trump was urging the crowd to take action by repeatedly saying, “get them out of here.”
A federal judge declined Trump’s preliminary request to dismiss the lawsuit, ruling on April 1 that there’s ample evidence that could be seen as supporting allegations that the protesters’ injuries were a “direct and proximate result” of Trump’s actions. The judge also noted that the Supreme Court has ruled out constitutional protections for speech that incites violence. |
doc-5 | GARDENA — Documentary filmmaker Jackie Baird-Bunker will present “Japan’s Winter Wildlife” at a meeting of the Greater L.A. Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League on Sunday, June 25, at 2 p.m. at Merit Park Recreation Hall, 58 Merit Park Dr. (off 158th Street, near Pacific Square) in Gardena.
During the winter a few years ago, Baird-Bunker filmed Japanese snow monkeys in the Japanese Alps and various animals on Hokkaido – hundreds of Japanese cranes and whooper swans, Steller’s sea eagles, sika deer, red fox and others.
All are welcome. For information, contact Louise at (310) 327-3169 or [email protected] |
doc-6 | HENDERSON, NV – June 15, 2017 -Retro Manufacturing, the industry leader in audio solutions for the classic restoration market, is now shipping their newest radio offering: Wonderbar™.
RetroSound®’s Wonderbar™ radio is designed to work with classic GM vehicles originally equipped with a Wonderbar radio. Wonderbar™ is SiriusXM-Ready™ and connects to the SiriusXM SXV300 Connect Vehicle Tuner (sold separately, subscription required) without the need for special adapters. Wonderbar™ is a full-featured radio, with Made-For-iPod®/iPhone® compatibility and built-in Bluetooth® for hands-free calling and wireless audio streaming. A powerful 25 watts RMS x 4 channel amplifier is built in, and RCA pre-outs – plus subwoofer output – are provided for adding external amplifiers.
Wonderbar™ has a 32,000 color display to customize it to your vehicle’s interior. Two USB inputs for iPod/iPhone or USB flash drives and two standard auxiliary inputs provide plenty of flexibility. Wonderbar™ also features a fully-functional Wonder Bar that seeks to the next or previous station or MP3 track. Officially-licensed Chevrolet screen protectors that mimic the look of the original analogue radio dial are available separately. Wonderbar™ has a suggested retail of $419.99 and is available now.
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doc-7 | By Mae Anderson, The Associated Press
Amazon’s latest perk … free delivery to your car.
The Seattle company on Tuesday began offering delivery in 37 cities to Amazon Prime members who own newer General Motors or Volvo vehicles.
The company will expand the number of locations as well as eligible vehicle makes and models going forward.
Amazon has steadily expanded its reach into places long considered no-go zones for most people outside of the immediate family, starting with smart speakers in the home that await voice commands to come to life.
Last year, Amazon launched Amazon Key which lets those who with a Wi-Fi-connected lock to unlock their front doors so that packages could be left inside. Earlier this year, the company acquired Ring, which makes Wi-Fi-connected cameras and doorbells.
The in-car delivery service is available to members of Amazon Prime whose cars are parked in publicly accessible areas, such as on the street in front of an apartment building, at a workplace parking lot, or in a driveway. Amazon won’t deliver to a private parking garage or other places where access to a vehicle is not readily available. Packages are placed in the vehicle’s trunk or out of plain sight.
Deliveries are available right now to Prime members with 2015 year or newer Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac vehicles with GM’s OnStar connected-car service, and those with a 2015 or newer Volvo vehicle with an active Volvo On Call account.
A quick search at Amazon’s Key In Car site showed the delivery is available in the Orange ZIP code of 92866 if you drive a 2018 Chevy Silverado. The site requires users enter ZIP and car type before proceeding. Another search in Torrance ZIP 90248 worked for a 2018 Volvo Cross Country. Same for Riverside ZIP 92501 for Chevy Cruze owners.
Customers must download the Amazon Key app to which they can link a connected car.
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Amazon Makes Hiring Push in Riyadh After Saudi Prince’s Visit On the day a package is scheduled for delivery, customers can use the Amazon Key app to confirm that their car is parked in a place where a delivery can be made.
The app also provides notifications with an expected 4-hour delivery window and notifies customers when the package is on its way and when it’s been delivered. Customers can track when their car was unlocked and relocked through the app, where they can also rate the experience.
“Receiving a package securely and reliably in your car, without you having to be there, is something we think many people will appreciate,” said Atif Rafiq, chief digital officer at Volvo Cars. “This mix of car and commerce is starting the next wave of innovation and we intend to be at the forefront.”
To check eligibility and to sign up for Amazon Key In-Car, visit amazon.com/keyincar. |
doc-8 | MANISTEE — The council chambers at City Hall were packed with concerned citizens on Monday night at the Manistee City Council meeting, which upheld plenty of discussion on an […]
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SALEM TWP. — The Susquehanna Steam Electric Station nuclear power plant has a new senior resident inspector.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which oversees commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials, named Laura Micewski to the position Feb. 6. She joins NRC resident inspector Travis Daun at the site operated by Talen Energy Corp.
Each U.S. commercial nuclear plant site has at least two NRC resident inspectors who monitor the facility and conduct inspections.
Micewski was most recently a reactor operations engineer in the NRC’s Office of New Reactors. She joined the NRC as a project engineer in 2009 after 14 years as a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy. She earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.
— Bill Wellock |
doc-10 | Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, has through the Bill and Melinda Gates’ polio vaccination programme succeeded in almost eradicating the crippling polio disease in Nigeria.
This programme and others have been of great help in tackling some serious health problems in Africa.
However, a constant evaluation of the global social impact of these interventions is necessary to avoid throwing valuable money at the problems without commensurate benefits.
According to research findings, a Nigerian child is likely to die from malaria, diarrhoea, water-borne diseases or malnutrition before the age of five. In essence, of what profit is the vaccination or any other intervention, if the child eventually dies from other preventable causes?
This is where the challenge of priority comes into play. Malaria and water-borne diseases account for over 80 per cent of infant mortalities in Nigeria, which is about 200,000 preventable deaths a year.
The stakeholders which include the WHO, UNICEF, government and other philanthropic organisations should tackle the other deadly diseases simultaneously, beginning with malaria, which is the greatest killer, followed by water-borne diseases without which the other interventions would be futile.
The malaria eradication project should therefore top the list of both government and philanthropic organisations. Unfortunately, the anti-malaria campaigns have so far achieved limited success because the root cause of the problem is not being addressed.
Mosquitoes are everywhere outside the home environment, which ab initio renders the mosquito net distribution scheme ineffective and a sheer waste of resources.
The cost of treating malaria is unaffordable by most people, which leads to ineffective treatment and drug resistant malaria parasites.
Some decades ago, malaria was endemic and a major cause of mortality in most developing countries. To curb this menace, an extensive mosquito control programme was undertaken with DDT and other pest control chemicals to eradicate mosquitoes in their habitats.
This application was discarded because of the harmful effects on the environment, and an alternative method was developed which targeted the reproductive cycle of the female anopheles mosquito at the larvae stage, such that young mosquitoes are not produced, thereby leading to the gradual extinction of the colony.
Brazil, and many other South American and Caribbean countries have used this simple, non-toxic method to curb malaria.
The bacillus thuregensis spaericus (BTS) and BTI, cultured bacteria feed on mosquito larvae in swamps, stagnant waters and other breeding grounds thus preventing them from transforming into the flying insect, and the result in the gradual depletion of the mosquito population.
The second method is the introduction of sterilised male mosquitoes into the wild in malaria endemic areas. The sterile males with the loss of the ability to fertilise the female eggs result in the depopulation of the colony.
Incidentally, the BTS was discovered at Nigeria’s Institute of Trypanosomiasis in Kaduna during the research to control tsetse flies and sleeping sickness in Nigeria. The BTI was, on the other hand, discovered at the Negev desert in Israel to control mosquitoes and farm pests.
. Vietnam, Cuba, India, China have developed the two methods and exported the technology worldwide to fight malaria.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria through its Trade and Investment Department in 2005 brought to Nigeria a medical technical team from Cuba to join the fight against malaria with the BTS and BTI larvicides technology.
The project took off with great enthusiasm and expectations. The Rivers State Government brought in some containers of the bacillus with plans to build the production plant in Nigeria. Other state governments also showed interest, unfortunately, the project eventually collapsed and the Cuban team had to leave after 10 years of wasted efforts and time.
In the past 10 years, over two million people must have died from malaria and over half a billion US dollar spent on drugs and man-hour work losses as a result of malaria attacks.
The philanthropic organisations should in this regard take greater interest in the anti-malaria war, and other projects such as rural water schemes which would have direct impact on the communities. Such projects would strengthen public confidence in the polio eradication scheme which has been resisted in some communities due to ignorance.
The Nigerian government should through the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs revive the mosquito control programme with the two methods mentioned above which is the most cost effective and efficient way of defeating the malaria scourge.
Ambassador Rasheed Akinkuolie was the Director of Trade and Investments, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja [email protected]
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doc-11 | Cruel bully or modern-day Wyatt Earp? Sheriff's mixed legacy
PHOENIX (AP) — The full-throated bravado that made Sheriff Joe Arpaio a household name in debates over illegal immigration and the treatment of jail inmates was missing as he started his last news conference in a law enforcement career that spanned a half-century.
After being charged with a crime and booted from office by voters, the 84-year-old Arpaio looked tired and dispirited as he defended his investigation of President Barack Obama's birth certificate — a debunked controversy that critics say Arpaio exploited to raise funds from his supporters.
The sheriff mispronounced several words as he attacked the birth record of the president he blames for his political demise. The media-savvy lawman ended the news conference by uncharacteristically declining to mix it up with reporters about the credibility of the five-year Obama investigation by his volunteer posse.
FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2016, file photo, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio listens to a video presentation of the findings from a five-year investigation into the authenticity of President Barack Obama's birth certificate during a news conference in Phoenix. Arpaio has left office with a mixed legacy on immigration, jails and other key issues. Critics accused him of being a publicity-driven bully who treated powerless people harshly because it was popular with voters. His supporters counter that he¿s a standup guy who did what the public wanted and was the only local police official in Arizona to move against illegal immigration. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
He told his 75 supporters in the room that the investigation wasn't about whether Obama was born in the U.S. and instead focused on a claim that the birth certificate was fraudulent.
"This is tough for me to say — believe me, all of you media know me," Arpaio said. "Sometimes I get diarrhea of the mouth. But I am going to tell you, we are not going to answer any questions. There is more sensitive information that we have regarding this matter, and I am not going into it."
The investigation was another questionable tactic in Arpaio's 24-year tenure as the sheriff of metro Phoenix that ended Sunday and was also marked by traffic patrols and business raids that targeted immigrants; decisions to house jail inmates in tents, dress them in pink underwear and make them work on chain gangs; round up dead-beat parents; and arrest animal abusers.
Arpaio's critics say he was a bully who was driven by a hunger for publicity and who treated powerless people harshly because it was popular with voters.
Attorney Mike Manning, who filed several lawsuits against the sheriff over in-custody deaths, said the lawman will be remembered for bringing a "culture of cruelty" to his jails.
Arpaio stepped over the line when he treated inmates awaiting trial as if they were hardened criminals, even though the Constitution prohibits punishing people before they are convicted of crimes, Manning said.
"He wanted those jails to punish and hurt those detainees," Manning said.
Supporters counter that Arpaio is a standup guy who did what the public wanted and was the only local police official to do something about illegal immigration.
Tom Morrissey, a retired chief U.S. marshal who has been a friend of Arpaio for more than two decades, believes history will be kind to the sheriff.
"He will be celebrated and remembered 100 years from now, like Wyatt Earp was," Morrissey said, referring to the Old West sheriff credited with taming Tombstone.
Arpaio took big chances in using jail tents and dressing inmates in pink underwear and was correct in taking on illegal immigration a decade ago when voters demanded action and state lawmakers passed laws to confront the problem, Morrissey said. But in doing so, he said, Arpaio was unfairly portrayed as anti-Latino.
"Believe me, there is a lot of support for him in the legal Latino community, but it just didn't get played that way," Morrissey said.
Lydia Guzman, a Latino civil rights advocate who helped organize volunteers to video-record encounters between officers and motorists during the immigration patrols, said Arpaio turned his back on the Hispanic community by caving in to public pressure to crack down on illegal immigration.
"Joe is a politician and has to get re-elected, so he did what he had to do to get himself elected," Guzman said.
Arpaio, through a spokesman, declined a request to speak about his legacy.
"I built a reputation in this world," Arpaio said in an interview days after his defeat in November. "Everyone knows who the sheriff is. That's one advantage. I've worked hard in this life."
State Sen. John Kavanagh, an Arpaio friend and proponent of tough crackdowns on illegal immigration, said the lawman gained popularity because he created a law-and-order persona that connected with voters.
"He wasn't afraid to speak his mind, even if it was politically incorrect," Kavanagh said. "He was an elected sheriff — he didn't have to worry about a town council firing him. He could be straight up with people, and he was."
That base of devoted supporters and impressive fundraising helped Arpaio get elected to six terms.
Now, he is leaving office after being charged with a crime himself — misdemeanor contempt-of-court for prolonging his immigration patrols against the orders of a federal judge. Arpaio has acknowledged the contempt violation but says it wasn't intentional. He could face up to six months in jail if convicted.
In recent years, Arpaio's reputation for being tough on criminals was undermined by his failure to adequately investigate more than 400 cases alleging sex crimes, including dozens of child molestation reports.
Arpaio did investigate a number of county officials and judges who were at odds with him in political and legal disputes. But the investigations eventually collapsed, and county taxpayers had to pay $8.7 million in lawsuits filed by people who said they were investigated on trumped-up allegations.
In all, the sheriff's office racked up $130 million in taxpayer-funded legal costs during the tenure of Arpaio, who was trounced in the November election by Paul Penzone, a little-known retired Phoenix police sergeant.
___
Follow Jacques Billeaud at twitter.com/jacquesbilleaud. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/jacques-billeaud. |
doc-12 | Clear Fork, WV WVVA-TV James Monroe will have to make another long road trip this Friday. The Mavericks are in the middle of a 4 game road swing, but they are getting better with each mile gained on the road. |
doc-13 | Some British lawmakers have given Asma Assad an ultimatum: Stop supporting your husband’s “murderous” regime or risk losing your U.K. citizenship.
Syria’s British-born first lady has come under fire for using social media to prop up Bashar Assad’s regime, as the U.S. and its allies accuse the Syrian dictator of using chemical weapons on his own people in an April 4 attack.
Members of Britain’s Liberal Democrats party sent a letter Sunday to the Home Office calling for Asma’s citizenship to be revoked, according to The Telegraph, which obtained a copy of the letter.
“If Asma continues defending the Assad regime’s murderous actions, the onus will be on the UK Government to deprive her of her citizenship or demonstrate that her actions are not seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the United Kingdom,” the letter read.
The party is also calling for a debate in the House of Commons this week, as members of Parliament return to work following the Easter recess.
Tom Brake, the party’s foreign affairs spokesman, told the newspaper, “…the British Government could say to Asma al-Assad: ‘Either stop using your position to defend barbaric acts or be stripped of your citizenship.'”
In an interview with the Times of London, Nadhim Zahawi, a conservative member of Parliament who sits on the Commons foreign affairs committee, echoed Brake’s sentiments, saying: “The time has come where we go after Assad in every which way, including people like Mrs. Assad, who is very much part of the propaganda machine that is committing war crimes.”
Amber Rudd, the U.K. Home Secretary, has the power to revoke Asma’s citizenship under the British Nationality Act if she decides such a move would be “conducive to the public good,” the Telegraph reported. Asma Assad, 41, is a British-Syrian dual citizen who grew up in London.
On April 4, warplanes dropped a chemical nerve agent over the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province, killing at least 80 people, according to U.S. intelligence. Shocking footage of the aftermath shows civilians — many of them children – convulsing and foaming at the mouth from what U.S. authorities said was exposure to sarin gas.
Two days later, the U.S. carried out its first direct military action against the regime, launching 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Shayrat airfield base from which U.S. officials believe the chemical attack had been launched.
On Thursday, Assad called the April 4 chemical attack in Syria a “fabrication” by the U.S. and its western allies. His comments to French news agency AFP came a week after his wife issued a statement of her own.
“The presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic affirms that what America has done is an irresponsible act that only reflects a short-sightedness, a narrow horizon, a political and military blindness to reality, and a naive pursuit of a frenzied false propaganda campaign that fueled the regime’s arrogance,” she wrote in Arabic on an Instagram account bearing her name.
Asma’s social media posts have depicted her as a humanitarian, adorned with photos of the first lady reading to children and embracing the family of a Syrian who was killed in the nation’s civil war – all with the affectionate hashtag #WeLoveYouAsma.
The photos are a stark contrast to the ones on news channels showing Syrian children lying dead in the streets after choking on poison gas that the U.S. and its allies said was unleashed by her dictator husband. |
doc-14 | ANNADALE, Staten Island –– Police say a man is fighting for his life after he was stabbed during a house party on Staten Island.
It happened at 270 Koch Blvd. around 11 p.m. Monday.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found a man with multiple stab wounds to the back and chest, police said. The victim was taken to a hospital where he is in critical condition.
Cops say it occurred at a house party with a “large number” of young people.
This is a developing story; check back for updates and get the PIX11 News app to stay informed all day. |
doc-15 | Obituary Guest Book Be the first to share your memories or express your condolences in the Guest Book for Maree Stella Keprios. View Sign
MAREE STELLA
KEPRIOS
LAKELAND - Maree Stella Keprios, 77, passed away April 14, 2017.
Mrs. Keprios was born in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada on February 15, 1940. She moved to Lakeland 37 years ago from Georgia.
After being a homemaker and raising her children, Mrs. Keprios returned to school and earned a degree as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). She worked as a CNA at Lakeland Nursing & Rehab., formerly known as Palm Terrace, for 13 years before retiring. She enjoyed gardening, going to the beach and spending time with her grandchildren and family.
Mrs. Keprios is survived by her husband of 47 years, John Keprios; son, Kris (Stacey) Keprios; daughters, Sandy (Ed) Rust and Cheryl Daugherty; and six grandchildren.
Services will be conducted privately by the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to in Stella's honor .
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doc-16 | .40 federal, 44 state varsities paralysed; Unijos yet to comply
•Education Minister still studying situation
•We‘re in solidarity with ASUU, but…—NANS
By Dayo Adesulu, Ola Ajayi, Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Joseph Erunke, Amaka Abayomi, Marie-Therese Nanlong & Kelechukwu Iruoma
LAGOS—Academic programmes in all public universities in the country were, yesterday, truncated, following an indefinite strike called by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
This came as parents and students, especially final year students, yesterday, expressed frustrations that the strike might prolong their stay in the university.
About 40 federal and 44 state universities in the country, would be affected by the fresh strike which took effect, yesterday.
ASUU’s leadership insisted that the strike was total, comprehensive and indefinite and also threatened to sanction any institution that would defy the strike order to conduct lectures, examinations or any nocturnal meetings for the period the action would last.
The strike followed the outcome of the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting held by ASUU’s leadership and state chairmen on Saturday in the FCT, Abuja.
The meeting culminated in the official announcement of the strike at the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Abuja, yesterday.
Speaking while declaring the indefinite strike at a press conference, National President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said the action became necessary due to breach of the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, for the 2009 FG/ASUU Agreement on financing of state universities; breach of conditions of service; refusal of government to honour the Earned Academic Allowance, EAA, and re-negotiation of the agreement.
Ogunyemi said the 2009 agreement revolved around conditions of service, funding, university autonomy and academic freedom, all of which government had been lackadaisical in implementing.
The Federal Government is believed to owe universities over N880 billion in intervention fund as a fallout of a NEEDS Assessment report.
Also on the list of the union’s demands are government’s foot-dragging over ‘funds for the revitalisation of public universities, non-release of Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO) operational licence, non-payment of earned academic allowances, payment of fractions/non-payment of salaries, retired professors and their salaries and university staff schools.
2013 MoU with FG
In the 2013 MoU entered with ASUU, the Federal Government agreed to make funds available for the revitalization of the university system, amounting to N1.3 trillion in six years, based on yearly release of N220billion. This was to have started with N200 billion in 2013.
There was also an agreement to open a dedicated revitalization account with the CBN to warehouse the fund, including setting up a central monitoring committee to monitor the implementation of the revitalization of the universities.
ASUU also accused government of reneging on payment of outstanding balance of the Earned Academic Allowances after verification of the payment made from the initial N30 billion, among others.
The union said: “Consequently, based on a nationwide consultation with our members, an emergency meeting of the NEC of ASUU rose on Saturday, August 12, 2017, with a resolution to embark on an indefinite strike.
“The nationwide action is total and comprehensive. During the strike, there shall be no teaching, no examination and no attendance of statutory meetings of any kind in any of our branches.”
It will be recalled at a recent public function, where the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Abdulrasheed Abubakar, met with bursars of universities across the country, he stated categorically that university administrators should jettison clamours for full autonomy as the Federal Government would never concede to such demand.
He explained that in view of the fact that public universities relied on government for subventions to operate, granting them autonomy would be tantamount to throwing away its regulatory rights, especially in checking financial excesses in the institutions.
Efforts made to get the reaction of the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, did not yield any results but one of the aides in the office said the ministry was still studying the reasons for the strike.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who serves as the bridge between unions and the Federal Government, refused to pick his calls and also failed to reply text messages sent to his GSM for his reaction.
We ‘re in solidarity with ASUU but —NANS
Reacting to the indefinite strike, president of National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS, Comrade Chinonso Obasi, said the students body was in solidarity with ASUU but noted that the timing was wrong.
Obasi said that in view of the economic situation in the country, ASUU should have tarried a while instead of embarking on strike immediately, adding that university lecturers had always ignored the students when taking decisions.
He said: “Their demands are right because the welfare of the lecturers is very paramount. The lecturers cannot lecture the students well if they are not properly taken care of.
“Our disappointment is that we as students, go to bed only to wake up to hear that there is an industrial action. If ASUU wants to go on strike, they should, at least, carry the student leaders along; we are their children and they are our parents.
“Their welfare is our concern. But each time, they just take decision without giving considerations to the people who they are lecturing. What if we come with our agitation that they are not even qualified to be our lecturers? So, I feel there should be a relationship between the student leaders and ASUU.”
Strike stalls UI postgraduate students’ exam
At University of Ibadan, many postgraduate students of Faculty of Social Sciences and others whose examinations were fixed for, yesterday, were disappointed as lecturers began the indefinite strike.
The strike shocked the authorities, students and some lecturers who just got hint of the strike yesterday morning.
Though, there was uncertainty about the commencement of the strike in the morning, information about it spread at noon and paralysed academic activities in the school.
UNIJOS yet to comply to directives
The University of Jos chapter of ASUU was yet to comply with the directive at press time. A member of ASUU in the institution, who did not want to be named said: “As at today (yesterday), we are still working but we have a meeting tomorrow (today). It is at that meeting that we will discuss and agree on when to join the strike.
“Right now, some students are writing their exams and some even have papers tomorrow, we will decide as a body and it is not in my place to pre-empt what will happen at the meeting.
‘’It is really sad if we have to toe this line, but government should do the needful and relieve us of the burden of having to take this hard decision.”
Parents, students lament
A parent, Mrs. Dorcas Ilumuonya, whose daughter is a 200 Level student of Psychology, lamented the situation.
She said: “This is very disheartening, when one is thinking about the future of the children and counting when they will graduate, another indefinite strike will delay them and cause stress on the students and untold hardship on the parents.
“I am pleading that if there is anything that the federal government, ASUU and other stakeholders can do to avert this calamity, it should be done quickly so that we do not go back to the past inglorious days in the education sub-sector.”
However, a student of the University of Jos, Nathan Mangut, who said he had a paper to write today, said: “We have been hearing about this in the university in those days, but we thought by now, things would have changed.
‘’A situation where one spends donkey years for a four-year course should have been over by now but it is sad that it is still the same old story.
“I pray UniJos should pity us and allow us complete the semester since we have already written over 70% of our papers. Some people are in their first semester, while some are in second. If our local branch here should see reasons to allow us round off our respective semesters before joining the strike, it would be okay.’’
In his reaction, Dr. John Ugwuanyi, a lecturer from University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said though the national body had declared an indefinite strike, they had not received further information from the local body in UNN.
He said: “The major cause of the strike is underfunding of universities by the federal government. It has to do with the non-implementation of the 2009 agreement. ASUU demands have not been met.”
A parent, Mrs. Osaretin Akhigbe, said: “No strikes are welcome at this time, especially in the education sector. Government should urgently look into their demands.
‘’Besides, that sector is in a bad shape and needs total overhauling and any action that would further deteriorate the already deplorable state is far from welcome.’’
Another parent, who declined to have his name in print, said: “Why wouldn’t the union members go on strike when our President has been away for over three months? I doubt if any reasonable decision can be reached or taken in Mr. President’s absence.”
For Miss Tare Adefe, the issue remains the same and the solutions never seem to be achieved.
She said: “The average Nigerian has become so abused by the conditions we find ourselves. We just seem to turn deaf ears to events and occurrences as they unfold.
“The country is in crisis. Daily, we hear of the fight against corruption and the unimaginable amounts of money being retrieved from persons who were supposed to serve the people but ended up serving themselves and their pockets.
“These recovered loots could have solved a number of issues in various sectors of the economy but we never hear anything afterwards.
“It’s a sad situation we find ourselves in and truth be told, there is hardly any faith left in this country we call our own.’’
Miracle Ndubuisi, a 300 level student of Chukwuemeka Odimegwu University, said: “The strike will affect students a lot, especially those currently in final year. ASUU might be suffering a lot in the hands of the government but they should please consider the academic progress of students and call off the strike.”
Another concerned student, Joseph Oso, said: “The news simply will affect educational activities that should be carried out. The strike will bring about fear in the minds of students, thereby delaying academic works, examination and other academic activities. I urge the federal government to comply with the demands of ASUU so as to allow students go back to school and continue their academic activities.”
The 2009 agreement
The agreement included details such as the breakdown of lecturers’ salary structure, staff loans, pension, overtime, and moderation of examinations.
Part of the agreement dwelt on funding of universities where both parties agreed that universities should get, at least, N1.5 trillion between 2009 and 2011 while state universities, within the same period, should receive N3.6 million per student.
The agreement also stated that the re-negotiation committee should ensure that, at least, 26 per cent of Nigeria’s annual budget is allocated to education, and that half of that allocation should go to universities.
The agreement also asked that the 2004 Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Act, and the National University Commission Act 2004, be amended.
Text of the suggested amendment bills – including suggestion for amendment of the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act 2004 – were provided in the agreement.
The agreement was signed by Bolanle Babalakin, the then chairman of Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Federal Universities; Gamaliel Onosode, chairman of the re-negotiation committee; and Ukachukwu Awuzie, the then president of ASUU.
The agreement demanded heavy financial commitment from the government and was an adaptation of an earlier agreement reached in 2001.
It is unclear how much of the agreement had been implemented by the government but the then Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, Anyim Pius Anyim, after one of the failed negotiations, said most of the issues contained in the 2009 agreement had been fully met except for the earned allowances estimated at N92 billion.
“Some of the issues which bothered on amendment of pensionable retirement age of academics in the professorial cadre, consolidated peculiar allowances (CONPUAA)- exclusively for university teaching staff, National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, setting up of budget monitoring committee in all public universities have been fully implemented,” he had disclosed.
Promise fulfilled
N200 billion paid out of one trillion; N300 billion of the Public Universities Revitalization (Needs Assessment) fund released.
Key outstanding issues include payment of fractions/non-payment of salaries; non-payment of earned academic allowances. EAA; non-release of operational license of NUPEMCO; non-implementation of the provisions of the 2014 Pension Reform Act, with respect to retired professors and their salaries; removal of universities staff schools from funding by government; and funds for the revitalisation of public universities. (Implementation Assessment Report). |
doc-17 | President Maithripala Sirisena presented service pension benefit letters to the retired differently abled War Heroes who volunteered to retire before completing their 12 year mandatory service period at the Presidential Secretariat, yesterday (14).
The pension benefits were given to 2,261 tri forces personnel and to 136 police officers and marking the event the President symbolically presented the pension benefit letters to 150 war heroes.
Differently abled War Heroes who volunteered to retire before their due retirement day were not entitled to pension benefits till today and no government in power drew their attention to this issue.
Though it is contradictory to grant this service pension to the disabled war heroes who had not been in the service for 12 years, the President paying his special attention on this issue, and after receiving the Cabinet approval in this regard decided to provide this service pension for the first time in the history.
State Minister of Defence , Ruwan Wijewardene, Secretary to the Minister of Law & Order, Mr. Jagath P Wijeweera, the Chief of Defence Staff , Air Chief Marshal Kolitha Gunathilaka, the Commander of the Sri Lankan Army , Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva, the Air Force Commander, Air Marshal Kapila Jayampathi and senior members of the security forces participated in this event.
(President’s Media) |
doc-18 | The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is currently seeking applicants for its Natural Resource Volunteer Program in the Humboldt area.
Motivated individuals with an ability and willingness to convey conservation principles to the public are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be confident and capable of speaking with the public one-on-one and in group settings. They must also be able to work independently and as a team member to complete tasks. Assignments will be in field, office and classroom environments.
“Our volunteers provide invaluable support to numerous CDFW staff, including biologists, wildlife officers and administrative employees,” said CDFW NRVP Coordinator Lt. Liz Gregory. “These are non-sworn, volunteer positions, without law enforcement authority, but their contributions to our daily workload are meaningful and help keep our operations running smoothly.”
NRVP positions are unpaid and require a service commitment of 16 hours per month. Duties may include responding to human/wildlife conflict calls, representing CDFW at community outreach events, working on CDFW lands, disseminating useful information to the public, instructing at NRVP academies and other assignments to assist staff as needed.
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, possess a California driver license and produce a California Department of Motor Vehicle driver’s report. The selection process includes an initial screening, application review, oral interview and a background check, including a Live Scan fingerprint clearance.
Successful applicants will receive 40 hours of conservation training at the NRVP academy from Aug. 6 to 10. Volunteers will then work with a trained mentor to implement their newly acquired skills during a six-month probationary period.
For more information and to download an application, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/explore/volunteering/nrvp. Applications must be postmarked no later than June 4. For more information, contact Lt. Gregory at 916-358-2939. |
doc-19 | The lastest album by bluegrass-meets-jam rock outfit Greensky Bluegrass is 2016’s “Shouted, Written Down & Quoted.” Dylan Langille
Greensky Bluegrass When: 7 p.m. Feb. 7. Where: House of Blues, 308 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Tickets: $24 in advance, $29 day of show. Info: ticketmaster.com.
When you’re a member of an improvisational-friendly bluegrass rock act with jam-band tendencies, anything is possible.
Just ask Greensky Bluegrass banjoist Mike Bont, who remembers a memorable Cleveland gig nearly a decade ago. However, the crux of his story isn’t about the concert, as much as it is the after-party of sorts.
“There was one gig we played with Railroad (Earth) at the House of Blues,” said Bont, calling from New York City. “We were staying at the hotel next to the Hard Rock. They kicked us out of the lobby of the hotel because we had a late-night picking session with all of the guys from Railroad.
“So we went to a roof of a parking garage and were playing until the wee hours. It was pretty awesome. The best thing about it: We were like drinking beer, playing tunes, shooting the (expletive). Like, doing normal kind of stuff.”
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There’s really nothing normal about Greensky Bluegrass, which formed around the turn of the century when the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack awoke America and the world to Americana.
The Michigan group garnered national attention by winning the 2006 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Contest and never looked back.
“I think we still have some pretty good momentum doing what we do,” Bont said. “I see our crowd continue to grow, people continuing to really like our music and people are continuing to be turned on to our music by their friends. I think there might be a resurgence of bluegrass music in the future.”
The outfit is working on the follow-up release to its 2016 album, “Shouted, Written Down & Quoted.” However, Bont said the band isn’t ready to play any of the new material yet on its tour, which comes to the Rock Hall City for a show Feb. 7 at the House of Blues.
Instead, he said the quintet has been pulling out some obscure covers, including Chris Jacob’s “Bone Digger” and The Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin’.” Bont did stress the unreleased tunes have a definitive Greensky vibe, which is band parlance for anything goes. That also means there will be plenty of banjo.
“What I think is unique about it is you have this very percussive sound to it, like you’re playing a snare drum or a drum kit, but you also have all of these melodic notes like you’re playing a piano,” Bont said.
“The role that I serve in my band is more of like I’m playing a percussive-snare-drum-piano part as opposed to like straight-up bluegrass banjo, which is completely different from a lot of stuff we do in our band.”
Considering the group’s history in Cleveland and the fact there are several parking garages located around the House of Blues, any chance the Greensky Bluegrass members make an appearance for an after-party jam?
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Bont laughed. “It might be a little too cold this time around. But you never know — maybe if the weather improves.”
Greensky Bluegrass
When: 7 p.m. Feb. 7.
Where: House of Blues, 308 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.
Tickets: $24 in advance, $29 day of show.
Info: ticketmaster.com.
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doc-20 | TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Austin Appleby threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns, helping No. 20 Florida end a two-game losing streak with a 30-3 rout of No. 21 Iowa in the Outback Bowl on Monday.
Mark Thompson scored on an 85-yard pass play in the first half and Appleby, a graduate transfer who spent the past four seasons at Purdue, tossed a 6-yard TD pass to DeAndre Goolsby to break the game open late in the third quarter. Chauncey Gardner, Jr., returned the first of his two fourth-quarter interceptions 58 yards for a 24-3 lead.
Florida (9-4) rebounded from lopsided losses to archrival Florida State and No. 1 Alabama, scoring more points on Iowa (8-5) than the Hawkeyes allowed to Michigan, Illinois and Nebraska combined while ending the regular season on a three-game winning streak.
Iowa’s C.J. Beathard led an early field goal drive, and managed to get his team close to the end zone on two other occasions. Florida’s defense stiffened both times, stopping the Hawkeyes on downs at the Gator 3 in the second quarter and forcing them to settle for a 30-yard field goal that sailed wide right midway through the third quarter.
Appleby, who actually began his career at Purdue against Iowa, shrugged off throwing interceptions on Florida’s first two drives of the day to finish 14 of 25 passing.
Akrum Wadley ran for 115 yards, giving Iowa a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in the same season for the first time. The junior finished with 1,081, and LeShun Daniels wound up with 1,058 after gaining 45 Monday.
THE TAKEAWAY
Florida: The Gators could be looking at having to replace at least three stalwarts on defense — tackle Caleb Brantley and cornerbacks Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson — who are expected to leave school early to enter the NFL draft. Linebacker Alex Anzalone and defensive back Duke Dawson also are considering turning pro.
Iowa: Like Florida’s Tabor and Wilson, cornerback Desmond King is a likely high NFL draft pick. He won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back as a junior and was just as good this year, though opponents’ reluctance to throw his way — three interceptions this season vs. eight in 2015 — may have hurt his chances to win the award again as a senior. The Hawkeyes will also lose quarterback C.J. Beathard, who finished his career 21-7 as a starter.
TURNING POINT
Beathard directed the best drive of the game by either team, moving Iowa from its own 36 to inside the Florida 10 with help from runs of 27 yards by Akrum Wadley and 11 yards by LeShun Daniels, plus an 18-yard pass to tight end George Kittle on third-and-14 from the Gators 28. Three plays later, Beathard dropped back to throw before scrambling for a 6-yard gain near the goal line. The Hawkeyes thought he scored, but officials ruled him down at the 1. Daniels was dropped for a 2-yard loss on fourth down. Florida snapped the 3-3 tie less than six minutes later, when Thompson scored on the longest reception and TD in Outback Bowl history.
UP NEXT
Florida: Opens next season Sept. 2 against Michigan in Arlington, Texas.
Iowa: Wyoming visits Iowa City for season opener on Sept. 2.
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doc-21 | Analysts at FSDH Research have forecasted that inflation rate for the month of November will further slip to 15.84 percent from 15.91 percent recorded in October.
In its Inflation Watch report released last week, FSDH Research explained that the expected marginal decline in the inflation rate was premised on a slower increase in the food and non-food divisions, compared with the previous month.
The October inflation rate was the ninth consecutive month of decrease in the headline inflation in 2017. Based on the data release calendar on the website of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the stats office will release the inflation rate for the month of November 2017 on December 19, 2017.
The monthly Food Price Index (FPI) from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that the Index averaged 175.8 points. This is 0.46 percent lower than the revised value for October 2017, but 2.26 percent higher than the November 2016 figure.
According to the FAO, the sharp fall in the price of dairy products largely offset the increases recorded in the prices of sugar and vegetable oil. The FAO Dairy Price Index recorded the highest drop, dropping by 4.92 percent from October 2017. The FAO Meat Price Index was marginally down by 0.09 percent largely unchanged from the revised October value.
The FAO Sugar Price Index was up 4.53 percent, the highest level recorded in the last three months. The increase was supported by declining exports from Brazil.
The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index was up by 1.24 percent. The rise in the Index mainly reflects higher prices for soy, rapeseed and sunflower oils. The FAO Cereal Price Index was up by 0.29 percent in November 2017 as a result of the increase in the prices of wheat and maize.
“Our analysis indicates that the value of the Naira depreciated at both the inter-bank and parallel markets. The Naira lost by 0.07 percent and 0.28 percent to close at $/N306.00 and $/N363.50 at both the inter-bank and parallel markets respectively.
“The drop in the international prices of food moderated the effect of the depreciation in the value of Naira on local prices.
The prices of most of the food items we monitored in November 2017 moderated downwards, while a few items recorded price appreciation. The movement in the prices of food items during the month resulted in 0.8 percent increase in our Food and Non-Alcoholic Index to 258.03 points.
“Our Food and Non-Alcoholic Index increased by 20.15 percent from 214.76 points in November 2016.
“We also noticed increase in the prices of Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels divisions between October 2017 and November 2017.
“Our model indicates that the general price movement in the consumer goods and services in November 2017 increased the Composite Consumer Price Index (CCPI) to 244.81 points, representing a month-on-month increase of 0.73 percent.
“We estimate that the increase in the CCPI in November 2017 would produce an inflation rate of 15.84 percent lower than the 15.91 percent recorded in October 2017,” the report said. |
doc-22 | It appears that the Jacksonville Jaguars could be without wide receiver Marqise Lee for Sunday’s game, who was listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report today with a rib injury. Center Brandon Linder, wide receiver Jaelen Strong and safety Jarrod Wilson were also listed as questionable, while linebacker Lerentee McCray was the lone player ruled out.
As for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it appears the team will be predominantly healthy with the exception of offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert, who missed Friday’s practice and has been listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game.
The full injury report for both teams are as follows:
Jaguars injury report
Full participants:
QB Blake Bortles (right wrist)
CB Jalen Ramsey (ankle)
RB Leonard Fournette (ankle)
FB Tommy Bohanon (knee)
LB Donald Payne (hamstring)
OG A.J. Cann (hand)
DT Malik Jackson (groin)
Limited participants:
Marqise Lee (ribs)
WR Jaelen Strong (hamstring)
C Brandon Linder (illness)
S Jarrod Wilson (shoulder)
Non-participants:
LB Lerentee McCray
Pittsburgh Steelers injury report
Full participants:
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James Harrison (illness)
Mike Mitchell (hamstring)
LB Bud Dupree (shoulder)
LB Ryan Shazier (shoulder)
TE Jesse James (shoulder)
S Sean Davis (ankle)
OL Ramon Foster (thumb)
QB Ben Roethlisberger (non-injury)
DL Stephon Tuitt (biceps)
Those who missed Wednesday’s practice: |
doc-23 | It’s only February, but it’s hard to imagine that Hallmark fans will ever be more excited for a new movie than they are for “My Secret Valentine.” The flick premieres Saturday night as part of the network’s Countdown to Valentine’s Day event, but that’s not the overly-exciting detail, the cast is.
Lacey Chabert and Andrew Walker have been sweetening the Hallmark Channel with their romance films for years, but never together. Until now. The two favorites are co-starring for the first time, making this new film extra special.
What are the two going to get up to in this first movie of theirs together? Let’s take a look.
When Chloe (Chabert), who manages a Portland bistro, is offered the opportunity to oversee another place too, she heads off to her family winery to think it over. When she arrives, her dad Truman Grange (Peter MacNeill) reveals he’s going to retire after the Valentine’s Day Wine Festival. Keeping the revelations coming, he tells Chloe that he might sell the winery to Stratosphere Beverages in New York.
“Shocked, Chloe wants to make sure their winery is run like a home not a business, so she’s determined to be there when her dad talks to the Stratosphere rep,” the synopsis reveals. “Still upset later that night, she goes to a mom-and-pop grocery to ‘stress snack’ and meets a cute guy ‘hunger snacking.’ Bonding over a mutual love of popcorn and chocolate, they part ways, unaware they’ll meet again very soon.”
Photo: Crown Media/Elly Dassas
The next day, Chloe meets the rep and he’s none other than Seth Anderson (Walker), the guy she met before. Though she enjoyed chatting with him at the store, Chloe still sees him as the enemy. The two can’t stop bantering, so Chloe heads to the family cabin when the tenant asks for repairs. Chloe had already been to the cabin earlier, though, and had placed a note assuring that things would be fixed, since she knew things had been neglected there since her mom died.
When she goes to reassure the tenant in person, Chloe finds he’s replaced her note with one of his own, saying he’d like to help, which he signed “Handyman.” She writes one back and signs it “In Need of Repairs.”
“Over the next few days Handyman and In Need of Repairs flirt, and while he works on fixing things, including her mom’s clock, she stocks his fridge,” the synopsis continues. “Meanwhile, Seth turns up the charm to win Chloe over. Proving he’s not just a city guy, he rattles off tree names, then showing her he’s got a blue collar under his white one, he prunes vines and stacks barrels.”
The two put their issues aside when he helps her sell wine to a difficult restaurant owner. Unfortunately, during a picnic celebration, the Chloe and Seth fight again when he begins to give a sales pitch unwittingly. Upset, she runs to write Handyman another note, asking him how handle jerks. After his sweet response, she suggest they meet.
“Walking into the Tavern together, Seth and Chloe still have no clue their rendezvous is with each other until she orders a specific wine,” the synopsis shares. “Figuring it out, Seth pretends to be her wingman while she waits for her secret date, entertaining her, even when Handyman fails to show.”
Eventually, the day arrives when the contracts are to be sighed and Truman tells Seth that he’ll give his decision soon and that he should enjoy the Valentine’s Festival in the meantime with Chloe. The two have a great time at the event, even sharing a victory kiss, but Chloe’s happiness is short-lived when she later tells her dad she wants to run the winery and he tells her that it’s too late. She heads off to Handyman for comfort, but when she sees the torn contract, she realizes Seth was her secret crush this whole time.
Can she catch him before he leaves? Will they have a future in the wine business together?
See what happens when “My Secret Valentine” debuts on the Hallmark Channel on Saturday at 9 p.m. EST. |
doc-24 | Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, on Saturday dismissed the NFL's suggestion that passage of a so-called bathroom bill that targets the transgender community threatens Texas' chances of hosting another Super Bowl.
The bill, titled the “Privacy Protection Act,” bars transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice in many buildings, blocks local non-discrimination ordinances that protect transgender people in public accommodations, and prohibits local municipalities from considering such protections when awarding contracts.
“If a proposal that is discriminatory or inconsistent with our values were to become law there, that would certainly be a factor considered when thinking about awarding future events,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in answering a question about Texas' proposed bill.
Abbot responded in a tweet: “NFL decision makers also benched Tom Brady last season. It ended with NFL handing the Super Bowl trophy to Brady.”
Houston played host to last week's Super Bowl. The city also played host in 1974 and 2004. Dallas hosted Super Bowl XLV in 2011. |
doc-25 | The first season of 13 Reasons Why was often a tough, disturbing viewing experience, and for most of the show's core characters, the events at Liberty High proved incredibly traumatic. Hannah Baker's suicide, the toxic school environment that drove her to it, and the tapes she left behind all had a profound impact, and it sounds like season two won't gloss over the aftermath.
"This season particularly is a lot about recovery," Dylan Minnette (who played Clay Jensen) told Entertainment Tonight, per Refinery29, adding that the season will pick up a few months after season one. So, who exactly is going to be recovering, and from what? The finale left Alex's fate up in the air after an apparent suicide attempt, while Jessica was beginning to come to terms with being raped by Bryce, and Hannah's parents were channelling their grief into a lawsuit against the high school.
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If you want to try to dig deeper into Minnette's comment, you could guess that it's confirmation that Alex survives—which makes sense, since yet another season focused on a different student's suicide could be a tough sell, particularly in light of the controversy surrounding the first season's portrayal.
We also know that season two will involve Hannah in flashbacks, will introduce several new characters, and will explore "the way we raise boys up into men, and the way we treat girls and women in our culture," according to the showrunner, Brian Yorkey. And it'll reach Netflix sometime in 2018, so we probably only have another year or so of endless speculation to endure.
Suicide is preventable. Readers who are affected by the issues raised in 13 Reasons Why are encouraged to contact the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255. |
doc-26 | The family of a pensioner who died after he mistakenly drank a bottle of hand sanitiser that was attached to his bed has agreed an out-of-court settlement.
John Haughey was said to have been in a "confused" state when he drank a full 535ml bottle of Purell hand sanitiser at Hull Royal Infirmary in September 2015.
It was said during a hearing that the 76-year-old consumed the equivalent of a litre of gin as the substance contained 75% alcohol.
Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust had admitted it had failed to reach the standard of care but say they have now taken "robust action".
His family reportedly received a five-figure settlement after a medical negligence claim was admitted by the trust.
Haughey was being treated at the hospital following a chest infection and becoming confused and forgetful at home.
But five days later he was admitted he consumed the liquid and developed bronchopneumonia due to acute alcohol poisoning with a legal investigation finding that staff failed to act appropriately after the incident.
Haughey's daughter, Diane Atkin criticised hospital bosses when talking to the Hull Daily Mail.
She said: "What hurt us more though was the fact that we were shown no respect and my father suffered from such poor care. He went into hospital for his safety, rapidly went downhill and never came out.
"We asked questions afterwards but never got answers. It was only when we had the inquest that the NHS were forced to answer questions by the coroner and we started to find out what went wrong.
"Before that we just hit a brick wall."
At the inquest into his death it was heard that experts should have assumed that he could become unconscious after consuming that much alcohol.
Mike Wright, executive chief nurse for Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said:"Whilst acknowledging that the standard of care provided did not meet that which the trust strives to achieve, we hope Mr Haughey's family take comfort from knowing that subsequent actions taken by the trust have been robust, and that the coroner is satisfied that those actions will prevent similar incidents."
The Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust has now introduced lockable wall mounted dispensers and issued staff with personal mini bottles of hand wash. |
doc-27 | Cornell community members will have the opportunity to use telescopes and detect microwave background radiation on the Arts Quad at Our Place in Space on May 1.
Our Place in Space, an event featuring activities, demonstrations and projects, will engage Cornellians on topics related to space exploration and climate change.
Emma Vedock-Gross ’20, the event organizer, said the inspiration for the event came from her experiences working on the design and outreach team of the Cornell Astronomical Society, an undergraduate student organization that “conducts public viewing nights at Fuertes Observatory,” according to the group’s website.
As a member of the outreach team, Vedock-Gross taught about space and Earth at local schools and in the Ithaca community, and she felt that there weren’t enough opportunities for Cornell undergraduate and graduates students to join in the conversations about space.
Driven by a desire to increase engagement on campus, Vedock-Gross hopes Our Place in Space will provide a channel for “organizations who may not have a way to share their passions … to share [their] projects, ideas with the Cornell community.”
The event, which runs from 8-11 p.m., is planned in partnership with eight other organizations that “will be presenting their projects, research, and art exploring the connection between Earth and space,” according to Vedock-Gross.
“Hands-on activities will include everything from telescopes and Magic Planet demonstrations to lego challenges and microwave background radiation detection by a satellite dish,” she added.
Vedock-Gross said the winning artworks from the Luminescent Space Art Contest, a cross-disciplinary contest focused on ideas of space discovery and light, will also be on display at the event. She hopes attendees who come across the pieces will come to appreciate the value of art as an “incredible place” to convey the “intersection of different issues.”
Vedock-Gross said Our Place in Space is a part of People’s Climate Week, which she defines as “the result of collaboration between a huge variety of organizations in order to amplify the fight against climate change here at Cornell … so that we are all encouraged and inspired to do our part to create a sustainable future.”
She said Our Place in Space is partnering with People’s Climate Week because everyone involved in the event is passionate about “this intersection between space science research with climate issues.”
“We are fascinated by what we have been able to learn about our planet as a result of space exploration, and the ways that space exploration has inspired climate research,” she said.
According to Vedock-Gross, Our Place in Space is also organized in conjunction with Arts Quad Camp Out, an event featuring free camping supplies, raffles, glow sticks and entertainment to fundraise for Ithaca Welcomes Refugees and Sustainable Tompkins’ Youth Climate Challenge, according to its Facebook event page.
“Our goal in partnering with People’s Climate Week and the Arts Quad Camp-Out was to help bring together all of these different organizations in support of a common cause,” Vedock-Gross told The Sun. “We hope that the activities and displays that we showcase can provide a global context for climate change as well as engage the community with these issues.” |
doc-28 | PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenians showed to the world a great model of soft power and today they are demonstrating unity in remembering the victims of the first Genocide of 20th century, Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan said in a Facebook post on Tuesday, April 24.
On Tuesday, Armenians worldwide are commemorating the 103rd anniversary of the Genocide which began in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and continued until 1923. Some three dozen countries, hundreds of local government bodies and international organizations have so far recognized the killings of 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as Genocide. Turkey denies to this day.
"It is time to internationally recognize this crime against humanity and to empower modern society’s commitment to prevent the repetition of such atrocities," the Arsenal playmaker said.
"Our gratitude to dozen of countries that have recognized the Armenian Genocide." |
doc-29 | Latest from the Storm Prediction Center: A tornado watch will be issued by 4 p.m. across portions of the mid-South. A few strong tornadoes are possible in addition to large hail.
Clouds are breaking up across central Alabama, which is not good news. Temperatures have soared into the 70s and dewpoints are climbing through the 60s. The dewpoint is up to 69 at Tuscaloosa and 64 at Birmingham.
A little upper-level disturbance is passing eastward along the I-20 corridor. It triggered a severe thunderstorm warning for northeastern Jefferson County a little earlier.
Instability values have climbed to more than 1,500 joules/kg over all but northeast Alabama.
There is very strong bulk wind shear, allowing storms to organize quickly. Lapse rates are over 6.5 C/km, allowing for strong updrafts to form quickly.
Significant hail parameters are high, meaning hail over 2 inches is possible.
Helicity values are beginning to come up over the western half of central Alabama, already over 150 m2/s2 approaching 200 m2/s2 in many spots in the counties bordering the Mississippi state line.
Significant tornado parameters are over 1 over the western two-thirds of the state now, with values over 2 in almost all areas west of I-65.
A tornado warning was in effect until 2 p.m. for parts of Colbert County in northwest Alabama. That storm has weakened.
All signs point to a significant threat of severe weather continuing through the afternoon. Any storms that form this afternoon will rotate and become severe quickly. They will have hail and lightning as well, and could produce damaging winds.
There will be an increased tornado threat as low-level shear values rise over the state through the late afternoon and evening.
For frequent, area-specific weather updates, visit AlabamaWx. |
doc-30 | PRESTONSBURG – The Big Sandy College Educational Foundation, Inc. and Big Sandy Community and Technical College (BSCTC) will host the annual William G. Duke Golf Scramble on Thursday, May 11 at the StoneCrest Golf Course.
This year’s event is presented by Fairway Outdoor Advertising, Hutch Auto Group, Berkeley Energy, Booth Energy, Kentucky Power, ICC Global Hosting and the Kentucky Coal Academy.
Teams ($400 for a four-person scramble format) and hole sponsors ($250) are currently being sought. Participants will have breakfast and lunch provided thanks to our food sponsors Tutor’s Biscuit World of Pikeville and Texas Roadhouse. Walter’s Auto Group is providing a 2017 Cadillac XT5 luxury package for a hole-in-one winner, and Appalachian Wireless is the outing’s awards sponsor.
“We could not do this without the generous support of our sponsors,” said Joshua Ball, director of strategic communications at BSCTC. “This year’s outing is stacking up to be one of the best, and you won’t golf for a better cause.”
This year’s proceeds will benefit the Big Sandy College Educational Foundation, Inc. The foundation plays a critical role in the progression of BSCTC and the success of its students. The foundation operates to support students, faculty and community endeavors by raising and managing funds, encouraging endowments and supporting college objectives.
To learn more about the Big Sandy College Educational Foundation, Inc. or this year’s William G. Duke Golf Scramble, contact Kelli Ayers at (606) 886-7358 or email [email protected] |
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doc-32 | I have had a home in Nicaragua for many years. Nicaragua is currently restive, and its civil instability started — as such movements often do — on college campuses. Nicaraguan students are demanding civil liberties. They are being shot in response. Yet here in Canada, the organized left on college campuses resist essential civil liberties. How did we come to this point?
Our campuses have become unrecognizable. Tenure and academic liberty were devised to promote vigorous debate without fear of reprisal. Today, there is no such security or liberty. Students demand the right to be “protected” from uncomfortable views. They ask for “safe zones“ and “trigger warnings“ before being exposed to anything challenging their respective orthodoxies. College culture is informed by a cult of identity politics in which individuals are seen as part of a collective identity rather than as individuals. Caucasian students in particular are asked to “check their white privilege” and expiate for their inherent presumed (or at least purported) collective guilt. Antipodal — often conservative — epistemologies and presentations are often shouted down by screams, occupiers, the boycott or ban of groups or individuals, the setting off of fire alarms.
It is in this context that Lindsay Shepherd is suing her inquisitors at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario. The very environment in which she worked cultivated a worldview that both targeted her and rejected the basic precepts of free academic discourse. Her crime? Shepherd has been pilloried for showing a short public television video of Jordan Peterson, an academic from the University of Toronto, debating another scholar. As a result, she was called on to the carpet by her own professor, her department chair and Wilfrid Laurier’s director of gender equity for an inquisition during which she was browbeaten and Dr. Peterson was compared to Adolf Hitler. (They still do teach students about Hitler, I hope.) Although public outcry caused the university to apologize, her mistreatment continues. Some apology. The political correctness movement that informed Shephard’s subjugation has migrated to many workplaces and HR departments. It has led to inaccurate conceptions in a number of spheres and disproportionately grown the third party “harassment investigation” industry – leading to practices and protocols that vastly exceed what the law actually demands.
Legally, whether in the workplace or on campus, not every negative encounter or unpleasant exchange amounts to prohibited harassment. The ironic result of this movement is the tolerance of behaviour that once wouldn’t have been tolerated and the discipline of employees for conduct that is not disciplinable.
Simply, contrary to current common belief, every complaint need not be investigated. It has to reach a level of materiality, and the test is not subjective – nor altered by the beliefs of the complainant. Poorly performing employees need not be coddled. Demanding accountability and excellence, refusing inferior work, or chastising an employee for failures and the creation of exposure does not constitute legal harassment. Performance management is not harassment. Accepted norms are partly a function of the context and the environment. To take an extreme, we see hockey coaches between periods screaming angrily, sometimes profanely, at their players. No one looks askance. Managers are people and thus have different styles. Being brusque or even rude (although ill-advised and unpleasant), is not a violation of Occupational Health and Safety law. Even current employment legislation dealing with harassment and bullying makes exceptions for appropriate discipline.
Similarly, despite the protective legislation imposed by recent governments, stress is not a disability, and stress leave need not be provided unless it rises to the level of an actual medically qualified disabling condition.
We all have employees who look for excuses not to attend work, particularly around summer weekends. If that is being abused, it need not be tolerated. If it is, your other employees will resent you and may stretch out their own weekends. |
doc-33 | Meet the weed workforce: Marijuana jobs set to triple in next decade
By 2021, Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics predict that cannabis job creation in California will explode to 99,000 people, making it more than three times the size of the marijuana workforce of Colorado. Meanwhile, Michigan will overtake Washington, and Florida and Massachusetts will overtake Oregon. | AP file photo
Rod McClelland used to be a barber. Then, he trained to be a glass cutter. But he never would have guessed where his cutting skills would take him next.
“I went from cutting hair, to cutting glass, to cutting buds,” he says.
McClelland, 42, trims marijuana flowers full time in Desert Hot Springs, a California town that has fully embraced the legal pot industry. And he’s one of thousands of people employed by cannabis businesses today in the United States.
When McClelland told his old barbershop buddies in Long Beach about his new scissor slinging gig, they had one big question.
“They were like, ‘How can I get into the business?’” he said.
The number of people employed by the cannabis industry is set to triple to 630,000 by the year 2025, by one estimate. These workers are entry-level hires like McClelland, trying out the marijuana business for the first time. They’re experienced growers who oversee hundreds of plants at a time. And they’re chefs concocting pot-infused candies and pastries.
That’s to say nothing of the thousands of workers who depend on the pot industry for their livelihoods even if they never touch the plant, like security guards who watch over pot shops and lawyers who have built a practice around the legal trade.
Marijuana proponents believe pot businesses can employ and retrain workers who are being laid off as the nation’s manufacturing and retail employment shrinks. Unions like the Teamsters see the marijuana industry as a promising source of new recruits.
The job numbers seem poised for even more growth after President Trump signaled his approval of the industry, easing fears of a federal crackdown. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, widely seen as a cannabis opponent, in January rescinded Obama-era policies protecting marijuana companies that operate legally under state law. But on April 13, a Republican senator said Trump assured him the federal government will respect state law on pot.
Legal weed, job creator
You can already find a job in the marijuana business in about half of all U.S. states. And the industry is growing across the country.
By 2021, Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics predict that cannabis job creation in California will explode to 99,000 people, making it more than three times the size of the marijuana workforce of Colorado. Meanwhile, Michigan will overtake Washington, and Florida and Massachusetts will overtake Oregon.
Those numbers actually understate how many people are employed thanks to legal weed. Like any other business, pot companies need financial expertise, legal counsel, real estate advice and myriad other professional services.
That’s an opportunity that John Dillinger, a former IRS auditor turned marijuana CPA in California, has used to grow a pot-adjacent private practice.
Over the past eight years, the 59-year-old accountant has catered to cannabis customers, a sphere he says that some CPAs avoid. Today, 20% of his clients are in the pot business.
“One of the local clients that contacted me was just so excited to find a CPA that would work with them,” he said.
But there’s an even bigger impact, analysts like to argue.
People in states where medical or adult-use cannabis is legal can also thank the pot business for boosting demand for local goods and services in their city – spurring more developers to hire construction workers and more coffee shops to bring on baristas.
Combining all three groups – direct jobs like budtending, indirect jobs like accounting and induced jobs like construction – Arcview/BDS counted more than 170,000 jobs in the U.S. in 2017 that wouldn’t exist if not for the cannabis industry.
Meet the weed workforce
The typical employee at a marijuana company is young, white and male, with at least some college education.
That’s according to recent research at Colorado State University, which surveyed 214 cannabis workers in Colorado.
Those findings, at least as far as age and gender are concerned, jibe with what one Denver human resources firm has observed in the cannabis industry, too. The company Faces HCM recruits workers and runs HR for cannabis companies.
Co-founders Caela Bintner and Chris Cassesse say they see all kinds of people working in the pot business, from young people starting out their careers as budtenders to Baby Boomers with advanced degrees switching from Big Pharma to marijuana.
Rolling back marijuana
For now, Trump has signaled that he’ll respect state laws legalizing pot.
But if the Trump administration should reverse itself again, the results would be striking.
Counting folks who don’t work directly in the industry, if the whole industry disappeared tomorrow, 170,000 jobs would dry up. That’s the equivalent of every agriculture job in the state of Colorado disappearing.
Here’s another way to understand what’s at stake: Look at California. In that state, there are almost twice as many people making aircraft parts as there are workers in the cannabis industry today.
But assuming there’s no federal crackdown, cannabis is almost certain to overtake those aircraft parts manufacturing jobs by 2021, when the marijuana business will employ nearly 100,000 people in the state, according to Arcview and BDS Analytics.
The last time there were that many aircraft parts workers in California was 1998.
Of course, it’s hard to imagine that the federal government could or would wipe out the legal marijuana industry completely.
“They would have thousands of arrests that they’d have to make,” said Dale Gieringer, Director of marijuana advocacy group Cal NORML. “It would be a huge project for them to undertake.”
Sure, federal agencies could stir up chaos by arresting business owners, he added, pushing some legitimate businesses underground. But a full crackdown?
“It’s not going to happen,” Gieringer said. “The polling is really bad.”
Legal weed is taking off quickly not just in spite of federal prohibition, but also because of it, says BDS Analytics principal analyst Tom Adams.
“My economist really blew my mind when we started talking about it,” Adams said.
The reason is simple: The drug can’t cross state lines legally, which limits competition.
In other words, an edible cooked up by a chef in Portland, Maine, doesn’t have to compete for shelf space with a chocolate bar concocted in Portland, Ore. You can’t grow marijuana in Palm Springs, Calif., and ship it to be sold in Palm Beach, Fla.
Instead, marijuana companies have to manage an entire supply chain in one state, from seed to sale.
And they have no choice but to hire local. |
doc-34 | OTTAWA — Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould has asked for an independent review of an extradition that resulted in Ottawa professor Hassan Diab spending three years in a French jail, only to be suddenly released.
The external review — which has not started — is in addition to an internal “lessons learned” examination already underway, a spokesman for Wilson-Raybould said Wednesday.
French authorities suspected Diab, 64, was involved in the 1980 bombing of a Paris synagogue that killed four people and injured dozens of others, an accusation he has denied.
The sociology professor and his supporters have been urging the federal government to hold a full public inquiry into the case and to reform the Extradition Act to ensure individual rights are respected.
In a letter Tuesday to Amnesty International Canada and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, Wilson-Raybould said Diab was afforded “all of the procedural safeguards” under the Extradition Act and that his charter rights were considered during court proceedings.
“Nonetheless, due to the three-year-period that Dr. Diab spent in custody in France, I have been reflecting carefully on this case,” said her letter, made available to the The Canadian Press by the two rights organizations.
“As you know, Department of Justice Canada officials have undertaken a ‘lessons learned’ review of the Diab extradition proceedings. I have also asked for an independent external review of this matter.”
Josh Paterson, executive director of the B.C. association, said Wednesday he is seeking answers from the minister about the independent review, including whether the findings will be made public.
“Who will be or has been appointed? What is the scope of the review? Will they have the power to require the department to co-operate with them?”
Amnesty’s Alex Neve welcomed the minister’s intention but he called for a thorough public inquiry that probes the conduct of Canadian officials, to be led by a respected judge with access to documents and powers to compel testimony.
The inquiry must ensure Diab’s full involvement and allow for input from parties concerned with Canada’s extradition system, Neve added.
No other information about the external review was immediately available from Wilson-Raybould’s office.
The RCMP arrested Diab, a Canadian of Lebanese descent, in November 2008 in response to a request by France.
In June 2011, Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Maranger committed Diab for extradition despite acknowledging the case against him was weak.
The following year, then-justice minister Rob Nicholson signed an extradition order surrendering Diab to France.
The Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the decisions of the lower court and the minister, and the Supreme Court of Canada declined to review the matter.
Diab’s supporters have long argued he was in Beirut — not Paris — when the attack took place and that his fingerprints, palm prints, physical description and age did not match those of the suspect identified in 1980.
In November 2014, Diab was sent to France, where he was held in solitary confinement up to 22 hours a day.
In January, French judges dismissed the allegations against Diab and ordered his immediate release.
Diab is back in Canada with his wife and children. However, French prosecuting authorities have appealed his release, and a decision is expected July 6.
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said she and the prime minister had advocated “very energetically” for Diab’s return to Canada.
“I think that it is very important for there to be an external review of why he was sent from Canada in the first place and let me point out it was the previous Harper government which made those decisions.”
— With a file from Terry Pedwell
— Follow @JimBronskill on Twitter
Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press |
doc-35 | Police say three people were killed in a two-vehicle crash on Long Island Monday afternoon.According to Suffolk County Police, Dominick Lopez was driving his 1995 red Honda Civic south on Station Road in Medford at about 4:25 p.m. when Lopez apparently lost control of his vehicle, crossing the double yellow line and colliding with a northbound 2016 Nissan Pathfinder.Lopez, 20, of Shirley, and his passenger, Derek Buffa, 23, of Mastic Beach, were ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.A rear seat passenger in the Nissan, Aida Cardenas, 67, of, Selden, was pronounced dead at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center.The driver of the Pathfinder, a 41-year-old-man, and his 33-year-old wife, both of Bellport, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.The couple's 11-year-old son and 1-year-old-son were also treated for non-life-threatening injuries. |
doc-36 | Israel will not negotiate with hundreds of Palestinian prisoners who launched a hunger strike to press for better conditions, a government minister said Tuesday, adding that the organizer of the protest has been placed in solitary confinement.
If sustained, the strike led by Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian leader jailed during the second Palestinian uprising, would be the largest in recent years.
It could heighten Israeli-Palestinian tensions at a time of renewed U.S. attempts to restart stalled peace negotiations. Israeli rule over the West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured during the 1967 war and claimed by the Palestinians as part of a future state, reaches the half-century mark in June.
The Palestinian prisoners seek better conditions, including more contact with relatives, and an end to Israel's practice of detentions without trials.
Israeli officials said some 1,100 prisoners joined the strike Monday.
Palestinian officials and activists put the number of hunger strikers at 1,300 and 1,500, respectively, saying it is difficult to get updates from inside the prisons.
They said some 6,500 Palestinians are currently in Israeli lockups. Israel calls them security prisoners — held for offenses ranging from stone throwing and membership in outlawed groups to carrying out attacks that killed or wounded Israelis. Several hundred are being detained without charges.
Barghouti, the strike leader, is a prominent figure in the Fatah movement of Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Polls suggest that Barghouti, 58, is the most popular choice among Palestinians to succeed the 82-year-old Abbas.
Barghouti, a leader of the 2000 Palestinian uprising, is serving five life terms after being convicted by an Israeli court of directing two shooting attacks and a bombing that killed five people, including three Israelis. Barghouti, who disputed the court's jurisdiction and didn't mount a defense, has been in prison since 2002.
In an opinion piece published this week in The New York Times, Barghouti alleged that Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israel "have suffered from torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, and medical negligence." He said he organized the hunger strike to fight back, after exhausting all other options.
Israeli Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan said Tuesday that he believes the strike is politically motivated and that the prisoners have no legitimate complaints.
"These are terrorists and incarcerated murderers who are getting exactly what the international law requires," he told Israel's Army Radio. "My policy is that you can't negotiate with prisoners such as these... There is no reason to give them additional conditions in addition to what they already receive."
He said Israel has established field hospitals outside the prisons to respond to any immediate medical needs.
Erdan said Barghouti was transferred to another prison in northern Israel and was placed in solitary confinement.
"It doesn't have to do with publishing the article [in the New York Times] but rather that he is instigating mutiny and leading the hunger strike and that is a severe violation of the rules of the prison,'' he said.
Issa Qarakeh, a Palestinian government official dealing with prisoners, said most of those who joined the hunger strike were Fatah supporters. He said about 170 prisoners from Fatah rivals Hamas and Islamic Jihad also participated. |
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MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle incorrectly claimed Monday that right-wing extremists are responsible for “three times more deaths” than Islamic extremists.
“Between 2001 and now, we have seen three times more deaths caused by right-wing extremists than Islamic terrorists,” Ruhle stated during her show.
Assuming Ruhle was referencing a widely-cited report by the Government Accountability Office, Ruhle’s statement was not only misleading, but just plain wrong.
The GAO report found that between September 12, 2001 and December 31, 2016 there were 23 fatal attacks carried out by Islamic terrorists that caused 119 deaths. In the same time period, right-wing extremists carried out 62 fatal attacks that caused 106 deaths.
Read more |
doc-38 | Femi Fani-Kayode, former minister of aviation has reacted to the arrest and manhandling of Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye on Tuesday.
Senator Melaye is said to be in the intensive care unit of Zankli hospital opposite the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Mabushi in Abuja.
This was after he allegedly jumped off from a police van after he refused to move him to Kogi state.
Reacting, Fani-Kayode writing on his Twitter page blamed President Muhammadu Buhari for Dino’s arrest.
The former minister said the case of the embattled senator was an example of what happens to those who oppose Buhari.
He wrote “This is @dino_melaye. He was one of those that fought @GEJonathan and supported @MBuhari. He is being wheeled into a hospital after jumping off a SARS vehicle that was conveying him to Kogi state to face criminal charges.
“This is what Buhari does to his friends for opposing him.” |
doc-39 | On Monday, LaMelo Ball and LiAngelo Ball, the younger brothers of Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball, turned professional and agreed to contracts with Lithuanian first division basketball club Prienu Vytautas, first reported by ESPN.
Nineteen-year-old LiAngelo Ball recently gave up his UCLA scholarship after a shoplifting incident in China left him, along with two teammates, suspended from the team indefinitely. The incident occurred during the team's preseason tour in China and caused an international media frenzy, including multiple tweets from the President of the United States directed at the father of the family, LaVar Ball.
In addition, President Donald Trump claimed to have spoken to his Chinese counterpart and publicly asked for gratitude for helping in the release of the three basketball players involved, which included LiAngelo Ball. While the players thanked the president for his efforts, LaVar Ball refused to offer any gratitude, and that led to angry tweets from the president and a prime time CNN appearance for LaVar Ball.
LaVar subsequently went on to announce that LiAngelo Ball would not be returning to UCLA, and UCLA coach Steve Alford released a statement acknowledging the decision by LiAngelo and his family. Even before the indefinite suspension, LiAngelo Ball did not figure to play heavy minutes for the Bruins.
Lakers Practice: Lonzo Ball Calf Injury, Turnovers
At Tuesday's Los Angeles Lakers practice, Lakers coach Luke Walton spoke about turnovers and his rookie point guard Lonzo Ball. Ball also talked about his calf tightness. Recorded in El Segundo, California (Shahan Ahmed) (Published Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017)
Prior to the media attention over the shop lifting incident, LaVar Ball had already pulled his youngest son, LaMelo Ball, out of Chino Hills High School. On Monday, the 16-year-old LaMelo Ball turned professional as a basketball player and gave up his future commitment to UCLA and his amateur status in the process. Considering he already had a signature shoe, LaMelo Ball's eligibility would have forced the NCAA to ask tough questions in a couple years, but the decision to go to Europe solved the potential headache for college basketball administrators.
While the practice of athletes turning professional as minors is common in Europe, the practice is literally and figuratively foreign to American sports culture. With the exception of a standout soccer player like US Mens National Team star Christian Pulisic, underage American athletes almost never turn professional and move to Europe.
In terms of basketball players, the practice of sending an underage player to develop in Europe is unheard of and would normally make little sense when considering the end goal is to play in the NBA, which is based primarily in the United States, with one team in Canada.
It's not about the money for the Ball Brothers. They have a passion to play Basketball and to experience playing as pros was the Goal. They have accomplished this mission and are excited to be playing on the same team to top it off. The Big Baller way! pic.twitter.com/QOu6QCtMdf — Big Baller Brand (@bigballerbrand) December 12, 2017
"They are excited to be playing on the same team," a tweet from the Official Big Baller Brand account confirmed the early report from ESPN. The tweet also showed both brothers signing their professional contracts.
LiAngelo Ball can enter into the 2018 NBA Draft, but the general consensus is that the middle brother in the family has almost no shot of hearing his name called among the 60 players selected to join the NBA annually. As such, the move to Europe did not come as a shock for the ephemeral UCLA Bruin.
LaMelo Ball would not be draft eligible until 2020, so his decision to give up his amateur status and play in Europe for the next three seasons is unexpected. If all goes according to plan for the youngest of the brothers, he would hear his name called at age 18 and play his first NBA game at age 19. While the decision to send LaMelo Ball abroad may not work out, it is also undoubtedly revolutionary.
More than likely, the desire to keep the two siblings together and guarantee playing time for the two teenagers played into why the family chose Prienu Vytautasi, which is based in a Lithuanian city with a population of fewer than 10,000 people.
The City of Los Angeles counts nearly four million residents based on the 2016 Census, and to underscore the dramatic shift in backdrops, Pauley Pavilion, where UCLA plays its home games, holds over 12,000 people.
The Balls' new home arena holds a total of 1,700 seats, with 500 of those reserved for sponsors according to ESPN. Tickets cost 5 Euros, though that price could jump if the Balls attract the same level of fans in Lituania as they do in New York or Los Angeles.
"It's not about money for the Ball Brothers," that same Big Baller Brand tweet read.
Johnatan Givony of Draft Express offered further perspective on the financial implications when he shared that salaries for players at the level the Balls would be playing would not exceed $500 per month.
Possibly, LaVar, LiAngelo and LaMelo chose to play in Lithuania because the country's name starts with the letter "L". More likely, the decision to join the fledgling club in Eastern Europe has to do with guaranteeing playing time and keeping the siblings together.
ESPN reported that the two Ball brothers are meant to move to Europe in early January. |
doc-40 | Made in China 2025's Affect on US & Mexican Immigrant Talks Fight Against ICE
On this episode of The Critical Hour, with Dr. Wilmer Leon, we discuss the “Made in China 2025 Initiative” and where it will leave the US. Also, an immigrant-rights activist faces her second deportation hearing at Seattle Immigration Court while fighting for the rights of other migrants against I.C.E. Hear about her struggle.
Caleb Maupin — Journalist and political analyst who focuses his coverage on US foreign policy and the global system of monopoly capitalism and imperialism. He has appeared on Russia Today, PressTV, Telesur, and other major networks.
Maru Mora-Villalpando — Nationally known immigrant-rights activist and co-founder of the Latinx organization Mijente and a community organizer with Northwest Detention Center Resistance.
We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com |
doc-41 | Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) and Iraqi army members gather on the outskirts of Hawija, Iraq October 4, 2017 - REUTERS
Iraqi forces have declared northern Iraq clear of Islamic State after retaking the city of Hawija, one of the jihadist group’s last remaining strongholds in the country.
Announcing the liberation, Haider al-Abadi, Iraq’s prime minister, called it a "victory not just for Iraq but for the whole world."
Iraqi forces have driven Isil from nearly all the cities and towns it seized in the summer of 2014, including the country's second largest city, Mosul, which was liberated in July.
The extremists now control just a wedge of territory straddling the Iraq-Syria border and a cluster of towns further south in Anbar province.
View photos Civilians make their way through endangered areas filled with mines and bomb traps to get to safety in Peshmerga controlled areas in Kirkuk, Iraq Credit: Anadolu More
"We should chase this terrorist organisation everywhere," Mr Abadi said. "This is a very dangerous organisation that works for spreading instability."
Iraqi officials often declare victory before the fighting has completely ended, and the troops in and around Hawija were likely still clearing mines and booby traps, and flushing out remaining militants.
Iraq launched an offensive on September 21 to dislodge Isil from Hawija, where up to 78,000 people were estimated to had been trapped.
View photos Fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation units), backing the Iraqi forces, stand in front of a mural depicting the emblem of the Islamic State (Isil) group as troops advance through Hawija Credit: AFP More
Unlike the battle for Mosul, Isil’s defence melted away quickly in the face of an Iraqi army advance.
Hundreds of fighters surrendered to Kurdish forces in recent weeks after being pushed out of the city by Iraqi troops and allied militias. Footage showed groups of unkempt, dishevelled men handcuffed and kneeling on the ground.
Hawija has long been a bastion for jihadist groups.
View photos Dozens of suspected Isil fighters surrender after the northern Iraqi city of Hawija is stormed yb Iraqi forces More |
doc-42 | Germany have grabbed a 2-1 lead over Australia in their Davis Cup first-round tie in Brisbane, with Matthew Ebden and John Peers losing Saturday's doubles rubber in five sets.
Germany sprang a late change, replacing Peter Gojowczyk with Jan-Lennard Struff but it was doubles partner Tim Puetz who proved the difference in the crucial 6-4 6-7 (1-7) 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 win at Pat Rafter Arena.
World No.14 Nick Kyrgios and rookie Alex de Minaur need to win Sunday's reverse singles rubbers for Australia to move through to April's quarter-finals. |
doc-43 | Under Armour (NYSE:UAA) shares traded up 0.65% during most recent session. Wall Street analysts covering the stock are projecting that the stock will reach $13.75 within the next 52-weeks. The mean target projections are based on 26 opinions. Since analyst price targets calculations are subjective, there often can be wide range of targets from various analysts.
Having a look in a broader way analysts from brokerage firms on the street with an extensive view have high price target of Under Armour (NYSE:UAA) at $32.6 and with a conformist view have low price target of $8 while the stock’s latest closing price was $13.95. This is the consensus price target based on the analysts polled by Thomson Reuters’ First Call, the average is taken from the individual analysts which provided targets and are short term projections for the 12 months.
The ABR is the calculated average of the actual recommendations (strong buy, hold, sell etc.) made by the brokerage firms for the given stock. Currently shares of Under Armour (NYSE:UAA) have an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 3.47 number of Recs in ABR is 32 however the company’s industry rank by ABR is out of 265. Industries are ranked based on the average broker recommendation of each company belong to this industry. A low number means that brokers and analysts expect that the industry outperform the market.
Outperform is an analyst recommendation which means that a stock is expected to do slightly better than the market return. Outperform is also known as “moderate-buy” or “over-weight” or “accumulate”. Whereas Underperform can also be taken in with “moderate sell” or “under-weight” or “weak-hold”.
For Under Armour (NYSE:UAA) out of the analyst recommendations 3 analysts recommend stock a Buy, 2 rate the stock Outperform, 14 analysts recommend to Hold the stock, 8 rate Underperform and 2 analysts recommend the stock a Sell.
The Average True Range (ATR) is an indicator that measures volatility, it was developed by J. Welles Wilder. Typically, the Average True range (ATR) is based on 14 periods and can be calculated on an intra-day, daily, weekly or monthly basis. Because there must be a beginning, the first TR value is simply the High minus the Low, and the first 14-day ATR is the average of the daily TR values for the last 14 days. Under Armour (NYSE:UAA)’s ATR-14 is at 0.57, while its weekly volatility is at 3.00% and monthly volatility is at 3.96%. A stock experiencing a high level of volatility has a higher ATR, and a low volatility stock has a lower ATR. The ATR may be used by market technicians to enter and exit trades, and it is a useful tool to add to a trading system. It was created to allow traders to more accurately measure the daily volatility of an asset by using simple calculations. The indicator does not indicate the price direction, rather used primarily to measure volatility caused by gaps and limit up or down moves. The ATR is fairly simple to calculate and only needs historical price data.
RSI is an extremely popular momentum indicator, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) also developed by J. Welles Wilder, is a momentum oscillator that measures the speed and change of price movements. RSI value of Under Armour (NYSE:UAA) is 43.69. RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Traditionally, and according to Wilder, RSI is considered overbought when above 70 and oversold when below 30. Signals can also be generated by looking for divergences, failure swings, and centerline crossovers. RSI can also be used to identify the general trend. The default time frame for comparing up periods to down periods is 14, as in 14 trading days.
Shares of Under Armour (NYSE:UAA) has a market capitalization of $5.87 Billion and its number of outstanding shares are 420.56 Million. During previous trade 3.85 Million shares of Under Armour (NYSE:UAA) exchanged hands whereas on average almost 6.56 Million shares has been traded. |
doc-44 | Earlier this year, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal was targeted with a nerve agent. (File)
Two people have been hospitalised in a critical condition for exposure to an "unknown substance" in the same British city where former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a nerve agent earlier this year, officials said Wednesday.
British police declared a "major incident" after the couple, a man and a woman in their 40s, were discovered unconscious at a house in a quiet, newly-built area in the village of Amesbury.
The village is near the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge and around 12 kilometres (eight miles) from Salisbury, where Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found slumped on a bench in March in an incident that sparked a bitter diplomatic crisis with Russia.
The two patients "are both currently receiving treatment for suspected exposure to an unknown substance at Salisbury District Hospital," police said in a statement.
"They are both in a critical condition," the statement said.
The hospital is the same one where the Skripals were treated.
The pair were discovered on Saturday, June 30 and police said they initially suspected that they had fallen ill after using "heroin or crack cocaine from a contaminated batch of drugs."
"However, further testing is now ongoing to establish the substance which led to these patients becoming ill and we are keeping an open mind as to the circumstances surrounding this incident," they said.
"Such A Quiet Place"
Security cordons have been set up around the areas where the two people went before they fell ill and security has been boosted in both Amesbury and Salisbury.
A Public Health England (PHE) spokesman said "it is not believed that there is a significant health risk to the wider public."
"This will be continually assessed as further information becomes known," he said.
Local resident Natalie Smyth, 27, told AFP she saw fire engines and ambulances arrive at the house on Saturday.
"They shut the road. They said it was a chemical incident and then that it was drug-related. It is so strange, it is such a quiet place," she said, adding that she had seen emergency services personnel wearing protective suits.
Robert Yuill, a local councillor, said he had seen five ambulances outside the house on Saturday.
But he said the emergency services reaction to the incident was "far less intense" than after the Skripal poisoning.
Police "Containing Any Risk"
A Baptist church in Amesbury, which held a party that the two attended on Saturday, was one of the areas that was cordoned off.
"We understand this may well be the last event this couple went to in public," church secretary Roy Collins told reporters.
"We are all quite puzzled and shocked -- naturally the connection with Salisbury and recent events there mean there is a heightened public interest.
"We are praying for the couple, one of our members knows them and clearly there are concerns for them and any others in the community.
"They are not church members or regulars," he said.
Collins said around 200 people had attended the event but "nobody else has suffered any ill effects".
The hospital said it remained "open as usual" and advised people to attend routine appointments unless contacted to do otherwise.
Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson said the police had worked hard at "containing any risk that might be there", the BBC reported.
Macpherson said there was "no reason to think it's connected" to the Skripal case.
Skripal, 67, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia, who was visiting from Moscow, collapsed on March 4 in Salisbury.
They were treated for an extended period of time before being released from Salisbury hospital.
A police officer who came to their aid, Nick Bailey, was also hospitalised.
Russia has rejected British accusations of involvement in the Skripal poisoning, which sparked a diplomatic crisis that saw Russia and the West expelling dozens of diplomats in tit-for-tat moves.
Britain said a Soviet-made nerve agent dubbed novichok was used on the Skripals. |
doc-45 | Here’s another teaser for the LG G7 ThinQ. This is the clearest image we have of the new premium flagship smartphone. Thanks again to Evan Blass for the post. We can now see that it has a notch, dual rear cameras, and a rear fingerprint scanner. We see a button on the right which could either be the Google Assistant button, if not the power button. This LG G7 ThinQ is expected to come with a 6-inch 18:9 display, dual 16MP rear cameras, and with more focus on AI technologies.
The LG G7 ThinQ flagship phone will launch May 2 in the US (May 3 in South Korea). That’s next week already so don’t be overwhelmed as we’re expecting more details in the next few days and until the official announcement. The next-gen premium flagship phone will include the ThinQ features as first implemented on the LG V30S ThinQ.
The notch design will house the selfie camera, earpiece, and ambient sensor as we noted earlier. We’re not sure about the choice between OLED and LCD variants but we’re looking forward to the continuation of the G-Series–still as a premium flagship offering despite the rebranding.
We’re excited to confirm the many information we learned so far including that iris scanner, Snapdragon 845, and Quick Charge 4.0 by Qualcomm.
VIA: Evan Blass |
doc-46 | Time cover girl, Beyoncé, and Pope Francis, not too surprisingly, skipped the top gala for Time’s 100 most influential people in the world Tuesday night — but there was still...
Whither the Time.com redesign? The website redo was initially expected to be out around “the fall” and then it was expected in November. Now, with December almost gone, CapitalNY was... |
doc-47 | Series eight and nine have already been commissioned, but will there be more Call the Midwife after that?
Treasure the next couple of series, Call the Midwife fans – because they could be the last.
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The BBC1 drama is now on its seventh series, and its creator and writer Heidi Thomas has already signed up to make eight and nine (Christmas specials and all). But after this we may have to say goodbye to the nuns and midwives of Nonnatus House.
Thomas told RadioTimes.com: “We definitely know we’re making series eight this year, and series nine next year. That may be the last, I don’t know. Ultimately it’s up to the BBC and to our audience as well.
“So I think we’ve got a few years left in us, but nothing lasts forever. So I’m always determined to enjoy every series as much as I can.”
If Call the Midwife does come to an end, keep an eye out for an unfamiliar nun in the final episode – because you might just catch a glimpse of Thomas herself in a nun’s habit.
“Dame Pippa Harris, who is my co executive producer, and I have occasionally joked that we might turn up in the very very last episode of Call the Midwife, probably dressed as nuns,” she said. “But it’s not something – I don’t think I’d be any good, to be honest.”
Watch the full interview from the Radio Times Covers Party below:
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Call the Midwife airs on Sundays at 8pm on BBC |
doc-48 | Buy Photo Macomb Dakota's Thomas Kithier, right, scores against U-D Jesuit's Gregory Eboigbodin during an MHSAA boys basketball Class A semifinal Friday, March 25, 2016, in East Lansing. U-D won, 72-51. (Photo: Kimberly P. Mitchell DFP)Buy Photo
Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE Clarkston junior guard and Michigan State commit Foster Loyer (32 points, seven assists) after his team's 78-35 win over West Bloomfield in a Class A semifinal Friday, March 24 at the Breslin Center. Video by Chris Nelsen, Special to the DFP.
What already figured to be a dominant Clarkston boys basketball team might be adding another Michigan State commitment to its roster.
Thomas Kithier, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound senior power forward who played the past three seasons at Macomb Dakota, has enrolled in Clarkston Community Schools, Wolves coach Dan Fife said.
Clarkston is the only basketball-playing high school in the school district.
[Foster Loyer guides Dan Fife, Clarkston to Class A state title]
Fife, who in March guided Clarkston to its first Class A state championship, confirmed the enrollment but would not elaborate about Kithier’s eligibility. He said he didn't know whether Kithier's family had bought a house in the Clarkston area, a move that would help pave the way toward immediate eligibility with the MHSAA.
“I am not aware of that,” Fife said of the house.
Attempts to contact Kithier and Macomb Dakota athletic director Mike Fusco were not immediately successful.
Kithier, an all-state player the past two seasons, committed to Michigan State last August. He would join standout senior point guard Foster Loyer at Clarkston.
Loyer and Kithier played on the same AAU team (All-Ohio Red) last summer.
[Foster Loyer guides Dan Fife, Clarkston to Class A state title]
Loyer averaged 25.4 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals during his junior regular season. He scored 29 points in the Wolves' state championship win over Grand Rapids Christian.
Clarkston returns most of its team from last season, including 6-9 senior Taylor Currie, who is committed to Michigan.
Be sure that you follow Freep Sports on Twitter (@freepsports) andInstagram and like us on onFacebook. |
doc-49 | Maple Leaf Shipping, a prominent North American maritime company, has recently extended its reach by establishing new partnerships with Asian port facilities. Through these strategic alliances, Maple Leaf Shipping is expected to enhance its service offerings and competitive edge in the Pacific region. The expansion includes agreements with ports in Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo, increasing the company's network and enabling efficient cargo distribution along the Trans-Pacific trade routes.
In addition to the new partnerships, Maple Leaf Shipping has also invested in state-of-the-art vessel tracking technology to improve fleet management and real-time information for customers. The technology will provide valuable data to optimize routes, reduce fuel consumption, and decrease transit times, contributing to eco-friendlier operations.
The company has been at the forefront of implementing innovative solutions in maritime logistics, such as advanced weather forecasting systems that aid in plotting safer and more timely journeys. Maple Leaf Shipping's commitment to enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction is expected to bolster its position in the global shipping industry, although these developments do not directly affect its standing or operations within the African market. |
doc-50 | Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi listens to the opening speech at the Leaders Plenary during ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, Sunday, March 18, 2018, in Sydney, Australia. It is the first time Australia has hosted the summit with ASEAN leaders in Australia. (Mark Metcalfe/Pool via AP)
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi listens to the opening speech at the Leaders Plenary during ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, Sunday, March 18, 2018, in Sydney, Australia. It is the first time Australia has hosted the summit with ASEAN leaders in Australia. (Mark Metcalfe/Pool via AP)
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi's was feted in Australia on Monday with a military honor guard and 19-gun salute as part of a state visit that has provoked protests over her response to her country's violent campaign against Rohingya Muslims.
Suu Kyi arrived in Sydney over the weekend for a summit of Southeast Asian leaders and her state visit officially began Monday as she was welcomed to Parliament House in Canberra. Her visit comes as she faces international criticism over what has become Asia's worst refugee crisis in decades.
More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled from Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh since August, when the military responded to insurgent attacks on police with a clearance operation that the UN has described as ethnic cleansing. The campaign has included the burning of Rohingya villages, systematic rape, shootings and other rights violations.
There was no press conference with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull or any public comment from Suu Kyi during her brief visit to the national capital on Monday. She had meetings with the prime minister and opposition leader.
Turnbull said Sunday that Suu Kyi had used the weekend summit to seek humanitarian help from her fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Australia to deal with the crisis.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told the summit the refugee crisis was no longer solely a domestic issue for Myanmar, as fleeing Rohingya could be prime targets for terrorist radicalization.
Myanmar staunchly denies that its security forces have targeted Rohingya civilians and Suu Kyi has bristled at the international criticism.
But Myanmar's denials have appeared increasingly tenuous as horrific accounts from refugees have accumulated and satellite imagery and other evidence of destroyed Rohingya villages have been assembled.
The Associated Press last month documented through video and witness accounts at least five mass graves of Rohingya civilians. Witnesses said the military used acid to erase the identity of victims. The government denied it, maintaining that only "terrorists" were killed and then "carefully buried."
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, was a longtime political prisoner of Myanmar's former junta and frequently called for international intervention in her country during her almost 15 years under house arrest. She was released in 2010 and last visited Canberra in 2013 on an Australian tour, before she was allowed to stand for an election that her party eventually won in a landslide.
Then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott described her as an "icon of democracy" as he stood by her side at a joint press conference. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Suu Kyi had inspired her to enter politics.
Suu Kyi's global image has since taken a battering. She has seen several international honors she was given in the past revoked. Several fellow peace prize winners have publicly condemned her.
Though Suu Kyi has been the de facto head of Myanmar's civilian government since her party took power, she is limited in her control of the country by a constitution written by the outgoing junta. The military has effective veto power over all legislation and controls key ministries including those overseeing security and defense.
The military is in charge of operations involving the Rohingya and ending them is not up to Suu Kyi.
Yet even when Suu Kyi has spoken on the issue, she has drawn criticism. In a September speech, her first public comments on the crisis, she asked for patience from the international community and suggested the refugees were partly responsible.
Suu Kyi faces a potential domestic backlash if she speaks on behalf of the Rohingya, who have been the target of anti-Muslim rhetoric. Many people agree with the official government stance that there is no such ethnicity as Rohingya and that those in the country have illegally migrated from Bangladesh.
Myanmar's backers globally have also had to tread carefully, not wanting to undermine Suu Kyi's weak civilian government at a time when the country is just emerging from decades of authoritarian rule.
Unlike the United Nations, United States and Britain, Australia has not accused Myanmar of "ethnic cleansing" or "crimes against humanity."
But Australia did support a United Nations resolution in December condemning the "very likely commission of crimes against humanity" by Myanmar security forces against Rohingya.
Human rights groups have criticized Australia for maintaining its limited military engagement with Myanmar. Australia provides English-language lessons and training courses to Myanmar officers to "promote professionalism and adherence to international laws," according to the defense department.
But Australia maintains a long-standing arms embargo with Myanmar. |
doc-51 | There is much enthusiasm centered around Easton Area High School this year. The football team gets a fresh start with Jeff Braido as the new head coach. So there is much preparation for this year's season.
But the football team isn't the only one preparing for what's ahead. The Easton Area High School "Red Rover" Marching Band, like many area high school bands, are gearing up for a new season.
Here is a look at the band:
Director: Ms. Carole A. Lutte
Drum Majors: Alenah Yi, Andrew Gifford and Jack Joseph
Total number of band and color guard members: 305
Halftime Show Theme/Music: El Diablo de Las Lomas
Meet the 2016 Easton Area High School Marching Band (PHOTOS)
Major Competitions: First Flags Over The United Colonies Band Festival, Phillipsburg Band Festival, Neshaminy Band Festival and West Chester Christmas Parade.
Major Trips: The marching band will be headed to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl Parade and National Band Championship on Dec. 28 to Jan. 2.
The EAHS Marching Band will perform Sept. 1, 2017 as the Red Rovers face Liberty at Cottingham Stadium.
Saed Hindash may be reached at shindash@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SaedHindash. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook. |
doc-52 | State-run Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) is in the international bond markets with a benchmark issue to raise at least USD 400 million in three-year dollar money.
"The Corporation is in the US dollar market with a USD 400 million, three-year drawdown. The issuer has given an initial price guidance of 175 basis points over the US treasury," a source at one of the investment bankers told PTI.
The corporation will price the issue towards the end of the Western market hours today, the source said, adding this is part of its USD 1 billion medium-term note programme.
It can be noted that ahead of the US Fed's almost certainly expected rate hike later this month, a number of domestic companies have been tapping the foreign debt market lately.
In October, domestic corporates had snapped up close to USD 4.8 billion in overseas debt, according to data from the central bank.
Last week, ICICI Bank had raised USD 500 million in 10-year dollar money through its Dubai branch as part of its USD 7.5 billion medium-term notes programme. The issue was priced at 3.833 percent.
The country's largest private sector lender is also reportedly planning to tap the overseas debt market with a USD 500 million drawdown to cash in possible refinancing opportunities from domestic companies which have borrowed in foreign currencies in the past.
The move comes after the Reserve Bank allowed lenders to borrow in foreign currencies, announced in its December 6 monetary policy, to help refinance domestic companies' forex debt. Meanwhile, global rating agency Moody's has assigned a Baa3 rating to Rural Electrification Corporation' proposed senior unsecured notes with a stable outlook.
"The bonds will have a maturity of three years and will be listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading and the International Securities Market of the London Stock Exchange, Moody's said in a note today.
The government owns 58.32 percent of the company and its assets stood at Rs 2.2 trillion as of September-end.
The REC counter closed 1.08 per cent down at Rs 151.35 on the BSE, whose benchmark Sensex rallied 0.62 percent today. |
doc-53 | Johnson said he was questioned two weeks later about the ammunition, and during questioning had to leave to pick up his daughter. He said he had forgotten he had the bullets, and pulled over to check to see if they were still in his car. He recalled a text message his attorney sent him saying that if investigators found the bullets, he'd be criminally charged. Johnson said he knew he had to get rid of the bullets, so he threw them out the window.
Heather Nolan |
doc-54 | On Twitter, the thing I probably write most often is “Betsy DeVos is a monster” in reply to stories about her.
Now, if you don’t know much about DeVos, you might be thinking, “Okay, I get that you don’t agree with her policies, but she’s not an actual monster.”
To which I say, “Oh, she is.”
After all, one of the worst things a person can do is to hurt children. And DeVos hurts children like it’s her job. Because it is.
Or, instead, that’s what she’s chosen to do as the Secretary of Education, under Donald Trump.
Granted, she’s not physically hurting kids. But she doesn’t seem particularly interested in stopping kids from being injured — or killed for that matter.
After the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, I couldn’t help but notice how totally absent DeVos was. In particular, because the students there became household names fighting for gun control and refusing to be acceptable collateral damage in this country’s obsession with guns.
True, DeVos did visit the school, but the students said she basically “pet a dog and left,” referencing the therapy dogs that had been brought to campus to help the grieving students and faculty return to school.
To most people, the idea of guns in school is entirely insane. The vast majority of Americans are like, “GTFO with that.”
But not DeVos.
“[Teachers having guns in the classroom] should be an option for states and communities to consider,” she told Lesley Stahl during a 60 Minutes interview. And I hesitate to think of, like, my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Zorhoff; I couldn’t ever imagine her having a gun and being trained in that way. But for those who are — who are capable, this is one solution that can and should be considered. But no one size fits all. Every state and every community is going to address this issue in a different way.”
To which DeVos sadly did not add, “And since anyone who supports such a thing has no business having anything to do with schools, I hereby resign on national TV.”
When Stahl asked DeVos what she’s actually doing about gun violence, DeVos said she’s going to “head up a task force,” which is corporate speak for “Nothing.”
Stahl asked DeVos what accomplishments she’s most proud of as Ed Secretary, and DeVos said, “We’ve begun looking at, and rolling back, a lot of the overreach of the federal government in education.”
And while “overreach” sounds terrible, the things DeVos has been working to roll back include the Obama administration’s guidance for restroom use by transgender students, which dared suggest that trans students be allowed to use the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity.
DeVos also wanted to remind Obama guidance on “discriminatory discipline,” which is the problem of significant disparities in the severity and frequency of discipline dished out to white and black students. When Stahl asked if this was an example of institutional racism, Devos basically shrugged it off.
She’s also revamped the Title IX guidelines for handling college sexual assault. As CBS News puts it, “She’s allowing colleges to require stronger evidence from accusers, and give the accused a greater benefit of the doubt.”
Imagine that, a Trump Administration official who thinks that sexual assault victims have it too easy when it comes to reporting their assaults.
During the interview, Stahl asked DeVos why people hate her so much.
“I’m more misunderstood than anything,” she replied.
Huh. If she thinks she’s misunderstood, imagine how being a transgender student who needs to use the bathroom feels.
Did I mention that DeVos is a monster?
D’Anne Witkowski is a poet, writer, and comedian living in Michigan with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBT politics for over a decade. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski. |
doc-55 | Built as a home for vehicles, this Tudor Revival gem is now a vehicle for luxurious living amid lushly landscaped surroundings.
The converted carriage house is a staple of many an affluent neighborhood. In most cases, you can still find traces of the home’s original function in telltale clues on the outside and the inside.
Not here. About the only clue this magnificent home contains to its original use comes in the form of the extra-large arched floor-to-ceiling windows that flood many of its first-floor rooms with light.
Those aside, this one-of-a-kind home looks like it had been designed for gracious living from the start, with the full complement of luxurious touches and amenities buyers expect in homes of this type.
That includes a state-of-the-art kitchen with granite countertops, top-drawer appliances and a wine fridge and sumptuously appointed bathrooms, including his-and-hers bathrooms in the master suite.
But what makes this home a true standout, aside from its Tudor Revival exterior and traditional interior, is its deft blending of indoor and outdoor delight. The main floor rooms surround and look out upon an elegantly manicured interior courtyard while the home itself is surrounded by equally beautiful landscaped grounds that include a pond and a stream.
Located in Haverford’s Cheswold section, this home is close to the center of Haverford, where you’ll find both Haverford College and a SEPTA Regional Rail station along with shopping and dining options.
THE FINE PRINT
BEDS: 5
BATHS: 4 full, 1 half
SALE PRICE: $2,295,000
OTHER STUFF: This home’s sale price was reduced by $10,000 on Nov. 9. Its owners are licensed Pennsylvania real estate agents.
151 Cheswold Valley Rd., Haverford, Pa. 19041 Entrance hall Living room Dining room Kitchen Breakfast room Sun room Den Home office Master bedroom Master bathroom Master bathroom Bedroom Bedroom Bedroom Bedroom (home office) Laundry room Side patio Side patio Side elevation Grounds Courtyard Courtyard Courtyard entrance Front elevation Front elevation, driveway view
151 Cheswold Valley Rd., Haverford, Pa. 19041 [Craig Brand | BHHS Fox & Roach] |
doc-56 | The Wall Street Journal is publishing a report the European Union is likely to lose their exemption on Friday June 1st, from the U.S. Steel (25%) and Aluminum (10%) tariffs. Despite their article outline almost everything is still speculation at this point; however, our own review of the trade position indicates the administration is very prepared to begin delivering the metal tariffs on all nations, including NAFTA partners, without reservation.
President Trump positioning the auto-industry 232 review, May 23rd, was one of the key ‘leverage signals‘ something was about to change.
Despite massively one-sided EU imposed tariffs against U.S. products, the EU is demanding to be permanently exempted from any U.S. reciprocal tariff measures or they will block the import of U.S. products. The hypocrisy is typically European.
Adding fuel to the speculation the tariff exemptions will be allowed to expire Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross stated earlier today, at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) summit – a multinational trade conference, that any/all trade discussions are entirely possible regardless of whether the U.S. begins the tariff against steel and aluminum imports.
WSJ – […] Mr. Trump has threatened to punish EU car exports if the bloc retaliates, and Mr. Ross is pursuing a study of car and auto-part imports similar to the one he completed on steel and aluminum. Officials in some EU member states are already angry at Washington over Mr. Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. Still, others, including some German officials, want to seek a solution that prevents economic damage.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday the EU shouldn’t respond to pressure with weakness. “The day before an important decision I want to repeat this: Unilateral responses and threats of trade war resolve none of the serious imbalances in global trade,” Mr. Macron said at the gathering with Mr. Ross. “A trade war is always a war lost by everyone.” “Independently of this decision we must do everything to protect our interests and act with self-confidence and yet preserve free trade as much as possible,” said Peter Altmaier, Germany’s minister of economic affairs, following a meeting with Mr. Ross. Mr. Ross said in Paris that “every country’s primary obligation is to protect its own citizens and their livelihoods.” (read more)
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Expanded discussion segment:
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U.S. to slap tariffs soon on steel, aluminum from EU: WSJ https://t.co/J7drX3hYW5 pic.twitter.com/3T6FpznPug — Reuters Top News (@Reuters) May 31, 2018
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doc-57 | Anderson will tend twine in Monday's tilt in Boston.
One of the best goalies in the league over the regular season has gotten off to a bit of a rocky start in the playoffs, allowing five goals on 54 shots through two games. That said, the Senators split the first two contests, and the Bruins are a middle of the road scoring team, averaging 2.83 goals per game this year. |
doc-58 | Huawei's sub-brand Honor announced the launch of two smartphones - the Honor 7X and Honor V10 at a launch event held in London in the last week.
Following the global launch, the Honor 7X was released in India at a price point of Rs. 12,999 onwards and went on sale exclusively via the online retailer Amazon India. Now it looks like the Honor fans have good news as there is information on when the Honor V10 will hit the Indian market.
At the time of its launch, the Honor V10 or View10 was likely to be released in the country sometime in January. Now, there appears to be an official confirmation regarding the same. Well, the company has revealed that the Honor V10 will be released in India on January 8, 2018. Even the global availability debuts on the same day.
The Honor V10 was originally unveiled in China in September this year. It is the first smartphone from the brand to feature an AI capable processor. There is a bezel-less display of 5.99 inches with FHD+ 2160 x 1080 pixel resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. Under its hood, the smartphone equips an octa-core Kirin 970 SoC that is paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB default memory capacity that can be expanded up to another 128GB using a microSD card.
Running Android 8.0 Oreo, the Honor V10 makes use of a dual camera setup with a 16MP primary RGB sensor and a 20MP secondary monochrome sensor at its rear. This camera is touted to incorporate an artificial intelligence engine that offers Real-Time Scene. With this technology, the V10 can identify 13 types of scenes and objects that can automatically adjust the camera settings to render a perfect looking shot. Up front, there is a 13MP selfie camera also with support for AI. The front camera can be used to either click selfies or unlock the device as well.
The Honor V10 has a rear-facing fingerprint sensor as it has a full-screen design. The battery capacity on board is 3750mAh and there is support for fast charging. According to the company, the battery can be charged from 0% to 50% in just 30 minutes. The other goodies include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and USB Type-C. |
doc-59 | Talking with ET Now, Kishore Biyani, Group CEO, Future Group and Govind Shrikhande, MD, Shoppers Stop, explain how the deal will see Shoppers Stop debt by 40%.
Edited excerpts:
Please explain about the Hypercity deal.
Kishore Biyani: The transaction is well announced. We are acquiring 19 stores which are currently operational. There are another six-seven stores which are signed by them. Maybe two stores will come up in this year so we will run 21 stores. And we will continue with what Hypercity has built. Hypercity has built a formidable business in terms of top line. We think we can add up something to it. They have a customer base which is quite interesting and which we believe will be addition to our customer base. There are some geography and very good locations.
Real estate is a very important part of any business location. We believe we have some formats of ours which can come in there, which is FBB, our own brands. They have something unique in terms of sports goods and equipment and cycles which we do not have. There are lots of synergies which we will learn from them and there will be lot of things which which we will bring in to Hypercity and that we believe will make it a very interesting proposition for the customers and for us.
These stores are EBITDA positive. In the first quarter, they had around Rs 7-8 crore of EBITDA. As we go forward, we will bring in our own strategy into it, we can take EBITDA to Rs 100 crore and maybe Rs 150 to 200 crore by next year.
Secondly, it will add 10% more to our space in terms of the total hypermarket Big Bazaar space which we have. And we believe over a period
of time, it will add 13-14% to our turnover. Overall, it is a tailor made deal which is a win-win-win for them, for us and for the consumers because we will be able to give them a much better offering and a much better experience and maybe because of the consolidation, would be able to deal in a much better way with our vendors and suppliers.
Analysts believe that this acquisition will add 8% revenue to Big Bazaar. So what is your projection of the revenue growth and will the debt be transferred or not?
Kishore Biyani: Over a period of time, maybe over another 12-18 months, 15% to 16% of revenues will come out of these properties we are acquiring and that is quite substantial for us.
The second question is will Hypercity’s debt also get transferred along with this?
Kishore Biyani: Around Rs 255 to 265 crore of debt does get transferred along with it but we at Future Retail, as a policy take operating leases on all the furniture and fixtures. So, we believe that net addition to Future Retail would not be significant except for working capital debt.
Can you give us your perspective on the debt status as well?
Govind Shrikhande: Before I comment on the debt status, I think it is a win-win situation for both the companies because both the companies are bringing their best practices on to this model and we believe it is going to be a really value accretive for Big Bazaar as well as for Shoppers Stop as it adds productivity and profitability. About the debt, basically the debt on Hypercity books will get transferred to Big Bazaar and as far as Shoppers’ debt is concerned, it will drop almost by 40% over the next two quarters.
What kind of EBITDA improvement are we looking to post this year?
Govind Shrikhande: Currently we are in the region of 5.5% EBITDA over the next 30 months or 36 months. We should move towards 8% plus which is what our numbers used to be earlier.
We just want to get a perspective on how you are looking to position Hypercity now and what will be the biggest benefit from this deal according to you?
Kishore Biyani: The bigger benefit is the new customers which we get, the new geography location which we get and practices of certain categories which I believe Hypercity runs much better than us. These are things which will add up to what we are doing and secondly we bring in what we do well and I believe this combination will create a very good model out of hypermarket which we believe can deliver EBITDAs in excess of 10% to 12%. |
doc-60 | SAN DIEGO, Dec. 11, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ziyen secures the company’s second oil contract in Indiana.
The acquisition of the Potts Oil Lease located in the Illinois Basin represents another step in the Ziyen business plan to acquire leases, return wells to production and pursue other promising oil leases. The new lease is comprised of four producing oil wells and one injection well, all with associated oil production equipment.
After a full geological and seismic surveys are performed on the land, the Ziyen technical team will proceed with securing relevant permits with plans for commencing full oil production in early spring 2018.
“We are creating a portfolio of oil assets and continually negotiating the acquisition of new oil leases on behalf of our shareholders. Our current leases are currently under due diligence by our land team in Indiana and we plan to acquire more leases in 2018 to increase the both the breadth and depth of the company assets.”
-Shane Fraser, Ziyen Director of Oil Intelligence
Based on the company’s initial acquisition of the Ross Oil Lease, with proven and probable reserves estimated to be in excess of US$30M, Ziyen Inc. has been re-qualified by the SEC (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) via Regulation A+ for a second round of funding, currently open with a pre-IPO share price of $1.50 per share.
Alastair Caithness, CEO, said:
“We’re excited to secure our second contract, and it’s a great start to Round 2 of funding. The next phase of the company is to ensure we win more contracts in the Illinois Basin over the winter with the plans to start full production across all of our leases come the spring next year.”
For information on investing in Ziyen, please visit the company website at www.ziyen.com, or for a copy of the latest company overview, please email [email protected]
About Ziyen Inc.
Founded in 2016, Ziyen Inc. is a Scottish-American company developing cutting edge procurement software to provide clients with industry specific government and private contracts via procurement portals. In 2017, Ziyen diversified, instating the Ziyen Energy Division, with intent to produce oil in the U.S. with advanced extraction methods and technology implemented and guided by career experts in the oil and gas industry. In June 2017, Ziyen acquired the mineral rights to its first oil field in Indiana, and now has two assets. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently qualified Ziyen Inc. in November 2017 for our second round of funding, with a pre-IPO share price of $1.50. More information may be found in its Offering Circular filed with the SEC, or on their website www.ziyen.com
About Granite PR
Founded in 2008, Aberdeen-based Granite PR offers the full spectrum of PR services with an emphasis on the energy, technology, hospitality, food and drink, professional services and healthcare sectors. The company has developed strong links in domestic and overseas markets, particularly the US and Scandinavia, and these have been enhanced by Granite PR’s Gateway series of business events which encourage trade between key locations. For more information visit www.granitepr.co.uk
Forward Looking Statements:
Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements related to anticipated commencement of commercial production, targeted pricing, performance goals, and statements that otherwise relate to future periods are forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, which are described in more detail in the Company’s periodic reports filed with the SEC- specifically the most recent reports which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made and based on information available to the company on the date of this press release. Ziyen Inc. assumes no obligation to update the information in this press release.
Contact:
Brett Jackson
Managing Director
Granite PR
[email protected] |
doc-61 | next
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Greek Cypriots are gearing up for a presidential runoff, barely seven months after the latest failure to reunify the eastern Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus.
They are skeptical about whether anyone can lead them out of the labyrinth of the decades-old division with Turkish Cypriots.
President Nicos Anastasiades is looking to reprise his triumph over left-leaning Stavros Malas in 2013 when the two men faced each other.
Earlier polls had shown Anastasiades beating Malas convincingly in Sunday's runoff, but Malas' strong showing in last weekend's first round of voting might make it a closer race.
Cyprus was divided into a Greek-speaking south and a Turkish-speaking north in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. |
doc-62 | Aug 14 (Reuters) - Ping An Insurance Group Co of China Ltd
* says january-july premium income totalling 382.3 billion yuan ($57.33 billion)
Source text in Chinese: bit.ly/2vwBxtd
Further company coverage: ($1 = 6.6684 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Hong Kong newsroom) |
doc-63 | THE Irish Chamber Orchestra opens its season in Limerick with a choral collaboration with Chamber Choir Ireland, marking the 800th anniversary of the arrival of the Magna Carta.
Conducted by Paul Hillier, They will perform ‘A Letter of Rights’, a large-scale work for choir and orchestra, alongside Handel’s ‘Dixit Dominus’.
‘A Letter of Rights’, commissioned by Salisbury Cathedral in 2015, saw UK composer Tarik O’Regan team up with American poet and librettist Alice Goodman to create this exciting new work.
Continue reading below...
Based in New York, O’Regan has already been recognised with two GRAMMY® nominations, British Composer Awards and his work has featured on more than 30 albums.
For this piece, O’Regan “was drawn in particular to the idea of poise, something which came directly from Alice’s libretto… the extremely intricate way in which parchment was made in 1215 (and which Alice references beautifully in her text), but also the delicate nature of the very language which was written upon that parchment 800 year ago, and its subsequent interpretations.”
At St. Mary’s Cathedral on Saturday February 25 8pm.
Tickets and information www.irishchamberorchestra.com
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Category: Arts, Entertainment, Lifestyle |
doc-64 | We are on the cusp of a fourth industrial revolution. Kreston Reeves’ Andrew Griggs explores what artificial intelligence might mean for professional services firms.
The world has already seen three previous industrial revolutions and will no doubt see others – so what is so special about this one? Whilst in previous industrial revolutions technological processes have been disruptive, they have not, as a whole, been net destroyers of jobs.
One of the key features of the fourth industrial revolution is that innovation is now based on combining technologies which not only change the countries we live in, but also the wider world. We know that Artificial Intelligence (AI) in its simplest form is machine capability imitating intelligent human behaviour. What we are now seeing is the development of AI, or machine learning, which focusses on the development of computer programs that can access data and learn for themselves. This allows software to become more accurate in predicting outcomes without specifically being programmed.
Take for example the financial services sector; machine learning is being used to identify important insights in data and to prevent fraud. These insights can identify investment opportunities or help investors know when to trade. Data mining can also identify clients with high-risk profiles, or use cyber-surveillance to pinpoint warning signs of fraud.
The implications for professional service firms are multiple.
AI technologies, such as IBM Watson, are changing the business model for professional service firms. It is already enabling firms to reduce timelines involved in routine tasks, which is increasingly important with clients’ heightened delivery time expectations, reducing human interaction and increasing accuracy. It is possible to see how phrases such as “in 10 years’ time 40% of staff in professional services firms will not be needed” can be made.
Impact on accountancy firms
Accounting, auditing, bookkeeping and tax preparation are among the functions most at risk of being automated. There is a lot of routine work performed in these services that can be largely taken over by artificial intelligence.
Take, for example, the audit. Technology is already helping auditors, who today will use drones to help stock check large warehouses and large outside assets, such as mines or forests. It will soon be possible, with the help of AI technology, to audit a company’s entire financial transaction history for the year, rather than the sample approached used today. This will give business owners, investors, and other stakeholders greater levels of confidence in a company’s reporting, whilst at the same time reducing the risk of fraudulent activity. It will also reduce audit costs.
It will also change the jobs mix in professional services firms, with fewer routine, entry-level functions and more roles focused on creative thinking and analysis.
Clients will continue to demand the all too human skills that they need to help their business grow, to get a deal across the line, to interpret financial data, or to discuss the complex tax implications of managing their wealth, assets or business. AI will free up time to concentrate on the higher value tasks with clients, which I am sure is the part of the role we most enjoy.
It will be important for professional service firms to review the skills and traits they require from people, not only for today but when creating the leaders of tomorrow.
The Big 4 accountancy firms are already working with technology organisations, and in some instances developing their own bespoke technology platforms, and a number of mid-market firms are too involved in joint ventures to set out the potential for this technology.
I would expect this technology to filter down and be adopted by mid-market firms over the next five years, resulting in greater collaboration between such firms who have a place in the market but currently feel financially constrained by the investment required.
Challenges and opportunities
There are two issues arising from this revolution. Firstly, only large organisations or countries with substantial wealth and investment will be able to cope with this change, and secondly, unemployment could rise significantly as jobs are replaced.
Taking the first of these two points; the United States (developed) and China (developing) have already amassed the wealth, talent, market share and data to drive AI forward. The challenge will be for other countries around the world to develop relationships with those countries supplying most of the AI software.
The second point is more interesting as it builds on a world of human behaviour where change, even if the ultimate outcome is uncertain, is the new norm.
People will need to be retrained or educated in tasks that AI tools are not so good at, such as creativity, planning and ‘cross-domain’ thinking. Professional service firms will value highly those individuals with strong leadership, people and interpretation skills. However, if society is to avoid largescale unemployment it may need to intervene. We are already beginning to see that happen, with India in July this year banning driverless cars to protect jobs.
The new jobs of the future could be the ‘service jobs of love’ or volunteer jobs involving spending time with people, for example, accompanying an older person to see a doctor, mentoring disadvantaged people. The funding of this is a separate debate which inevitably could lead to higher taxes to fund a social welfare need.
There is no doubt that AI and machine learning will not only change the way services are provided to clients, but also the mix of skills required within professional service firms… it is only a matter of time.
Despite the rapid pace of technological change, not all accountants are in agreement that automation will lead to job losses and inequality, with only 29% responding so in a CIMA survey last year.
Andrew Griggs is the Senior Partner at Kreston Reeves. He can be reached by email: Andrew.griggs@krestonreeves.com. Visit www.krestonreeves.com. |
doc-65 | Matt Fairchild has been suffering from metastatic melanoma that since 2013 has been in his lungs, bones and brain. He spends time in his room with his cats Elle and Jacques. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Two years after California enacted a right-to-die law, more residents are using it — but they tend to be white and well-educated.
The first significant study into the End of Life Option Act suggests that more Californians are becoming aware of the law, but that it may not be readily available to everyone. Experts say religious objections may play a role in why minorities aren’t turning to the law. Or perhaps patients and their doctors are daunted by the complexity of the law, which allows a terminally ill adult with a six-month prognosis to obtain aid-in-dying drugs from a physician.
New state data shows that 374 residents died from ingesting aid-in-dying drugs in 2017, a rate of 13.5 per 10,000 total deaths. That compares to 111 who died during the first six months that the law was in place in 2016, a rate that’s less than half, or 6.06 per 10,000 total deaths, of 2017 levels.
And while everyone risks feeling pain and suffering while dying, the participants were overwhelmingly — 89 percent — white. Nearly three-quarters, or 73 percent, had at least some level of college education.
FEW MINORITIES
But minorities and people with only a high school education make use of the law in very low numbers. Asians (4.9 percent) and Hispanics (4 percent) were much less likely to participate. None of the participants was African-American. One-quarter had no more than a high school education. It is a trend also seen in other states that have a similar law, such as Oregon.
This report about the End of Life Options Act, based on data reported by physicians to the California Department of Public Health, suggests that Californians are increasingly familiar with the law, so additional people are using it. It was enacted on June 9, 2016.
“The law has been in place a little longer, so more people are becoming aware of it and healthcare professionals are getting their processes and procedures in place,” said attorney Judy Thomas, CEO of the Sacramento-based Coalition for Compassionate Care of California.
The new data puts to rest the fear that the disadvantaged would be pressured into dying.
But it also points to the need to study why the state’s large Asian, Latino and African-American communities don’t participate.
“Religious views about what is acceptable could play a role,” said Patricia King, emeritus professor of law, medicine, ethics and public policy at Georgetown University Law Center.
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When the law passed, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, the highest-ranking Hispanic bishop in the nation, warned that it would “worsen the inequalities in our health care system. The poor and elderly already have far fewer treatment options and far less access to palliative care and nursing-home services,” he said in a statement.
Additionally, African Americans and other minorities have had experiences that foster distrust of physicians and the health care system, King said. Patients recall the federal government’s study of untreated syphilis of African-American men at the Tuskegee Institute, or research involving Henrietta Lacks, the African-American mother and tobacco farmer whose aggressive cervical cancer cells were harvested without her consent.
There also are racial disparities in access to a personal physician.
“If you don’t have a physician that you have an interaction with,” she said, “physician-assisted aid-in-dying may be more difficult to obtain.”
MANY STEPS
Alternatively, patients and their families may be overwhelmed by the multistep process. Before a doctor can prescribe lethal drugs, a patient 18 or older must make three requests — two oral and one written. The law also requires a diagnosis that the person has less than six months to live. While others may help the patient by preparing the aid-in-dying drug, they may not assist them in ingesting it.
”There is a disconnect between the way people imagine this law working and the way it does work,” said Thomas, whose organization manages a statewide partnership of healthcare providers, state agencies and other groups that advance the cause of palliative care.
“They think they can walk in and make a request and walk out with a prescription,” she said. “But it requires multiple steps, a waiting period and at least two doctors and a pharmacist, often a care coordinator and a social worker.”
“It takes awhile to navigate the process to get from beginning to end,” Thomas said.
Finally, affluent and educated Californians may feel more comfortable asserting their wishes, said King.
“If you are medium- to high-income and college educated, you feel more confident in your right to control your own life,” she said. “There is a strong autonomy focus. Those who feel empowered are more likely to add this as one of the options in their mind.”
Of the 374 individuals who died in 2017, 90 percent were at least 60 years old. The median age was 74 years. About 83 percent were already enrolled in hospice or palliative care.
MOST HAVE CANCER
Over two-thirds of the participants had cancer, with the most common type being lung cancer. Neurological disorders such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson’s accounted for the second largest underlying illness grouping, totaling 9.4 percent. Other illnesses included cardiovascular diseases (8.0 percent), chronic lower respiratory diseases (4.5 percent) and cerebrovascular diseases, such as stroke (3.7 percent).
Meanwhile, even as more patients are aware of the law, a flurry of legal rulings this spring has generated confusion regarding its status.
On May 15, Judge Daniel Ottolia of the Riverside County Superior Court ruled that the law was invalid because it exceeded the scope of health care issues being considered at the legislative session in which it was passed.
But a state Court of Appeals temporarily reinstated California’s right-to-die law, as it considers the constitutionality of its route to passage. That means the two-year-old End of Life Options Act can stand — once again available for dying patients — pending a future ruling by the court.
But the fight likely won’t stop there. Experts predict that the law will end up at the state’s Supreme Court. If the courts strike down the law, proponents say they’ll take the emotional campaign back to the Legislature. |
doc-66 | Former Minister of Aviation,Femi Fani-Kayode has vowed to respond vigorously as soon as he gets the court papers from Rotimi Amaechi’s lawyer.
Minister of Transportation, Amaechi had in a letter by his lawyer demanded a retraction of statements linking him to the $43m haul at Ikoyi.
Responding to the threat, Fani-Kayode said through his aide Jude Ndukwe: “We have been inundated with calls concerning about a threat by Rotimi Amaechi to sue Chief Fani-Kayode for defamation over the 43 million USD issue.
“We are not any sleep over this matter. We have not received any court processes or letters from Ameachi but when we do so our lawyers will respond vigorously and appropriately. ..” |
doc-67 | We had a great week on The Rhode Show. Check out some of the moments you may have missed in this week’s Rhode Show Rewind! |
doc-68 | For the first two weeks of August, residents in the City of Binghamton were able to get rid of garbage without city garbage bags or bulk item stickers.
This year the city collected 910.57 tons of garbage during "Operation Clean Sweep." Nearly three times as much garbage that was collected during the campaign in 2016.
During the period the Binghamton used nine garbage trucks everyday compared to their usual six.
Our goal is to clean up neighborhoods. We saw success in residents clearing out porches and garages, removing the trash and garbage on lawns that chip away at neighborhood integrity. —Binghamton Mayor Rich David
The city plans on holding more free collections, like this one, in the future. |
doc-69 | In this discussion piece, GamecockCentral.com's Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell tackle a pair of topics related to South Carolina football and recruiting. Could the 2019 recruiting class be the "break... |
doc-70 | Witness the spellbinding beauty of New York City’s Jessica Lang Dance – one of the most exciting companies in today’s dance scene. Hailed as a “master of visual composition,” choreographer Jessica Lang blends modern design elements and classical ballet to create emotionally moving performances.
Her work, which includes elements of ballet and modern dance, has been called “sophisticated and intelligent” (Los Angeles Times) and “moving and masterful” (Chicago Sun-Times), and she is praised for her inventiveness, artistry and emotionally spellbinding choreography.
Tickets start at $20.00. |
doc-71 | Next month, Von Miller is getting some of the NFL's top pass-rushers together to trade, well, trade secrets. Miller's second-annual Pass Rusher Summit will take place in Big Cedar Lodge in Branson, Missouri. Last year's version of the summit was held in Palo Alto, California.
This time around, special guests include the Raiders' Khalil Mack and the Falcons' Vic Beasley, according to the Denver Post.
"It's a great space where we can talk about knowledge and share knowledge," Miller said. "It's the only place where you can do that and where you can get Khalil Mack and Vic Beasley in the same spot, other than the Pro Bowl, and talk about pass rush and what it takes to be a great pass rusher from a young's guy point of view."
Mack and Miller rank second and third, respectively, in total sacks over the last three seasons. Beasley ranks 17th. It's difficult to envision a better group of players for a young pass-rusher to learn from. Miller hopes that one of the young pupils picking up tips of the trade from his Summit group will be new teammate Bradley Chubb. He just has to hope Chubb is able to attend, but it may conflict with the rookie's offseason workouts with coaches.
"He reminds me of myself," Miller said of Chubb. "It's cool to pay it forward and tell him some of the same stuff that DeMarcus (Ware) and Elvis (Dumervil) told me."
Ware, meanwhile, may also get to instruct Chubb at some point prior to next season. The Broncos are reportedly bringing him in as a pass-rush consultant during camp. "The plan is for Ware and others to be in a few days during organized team activities and a couple days during training camp," Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reported "As Ware has already served as a player-coach of sorts for active Bronco pass rushers Von Miller, Shane Ray and Shaquil Barrett, there is little doubt his pet project would be Chubb, providing his consultant-type role is finalized with the club."
Desperately wish you had a 30-minutes-or-so, daily NFL podcast in your podcast app every morning by 6 a.m.? Put some Pick Six Podcast in your life and join Will Brinson as he breaks down the latest news and notes from around the league, as well as the win totals on a team-by-team schedule. It's a daily dose of football to get you right for that commute or gym trip. Subscribe: via iTunes | via Stitcher | via TuneIn | via Google Play |
doc-72 | She is suspected to be due with her first child in October.
And on Sunday, pregnant Heidi Montag attended church services without her husband Spencer Pratt in Los Angeles.
The 30-year-old The Mother/Daughter Experiment: Celebrity Edition star kept things comfortable in a navy tank top and blue cloth shorts for the outing.
Bumping along: Pregnant Heidi Montag attended church services in Los Angeles on Sunday
The Overdosin' singer chose a pair of flat sandals to attend the services.
Her blonde locks were pulled back into a half up, half down 'do.
Montag just returned from her 'babymoon' in Hawaii with husband Spencer Pratt.
Solo stroll: Her husband Spencer Pratt was not with her for the weekend worship session
The outing comes just days after a revealing interview and photo shoot with The Fullest magazine.
In the feature, she discusses her rise to fame as part of MTV's The Hills and how the show's stars fame waned in the age of social media.
'It was such a different time with tabloids; social media wasn’t even out yet, the recession hadn’t happened, and it was this whole turning point in the world,' Montag explained.
Feeling blue: Heidi wore a navy tank top that showed off her baby bump as well as blue shorts
Oh, baby: She is suspected to be due with her first child in October, she is having a boy
'We thought we’d be Kardashian rich and famous at this point because we were that before they were. And looking at where they are now, it makes sense why we kind of thought that,' she continued of their waning popularity after The Hills ended.
Though The Hills launched in 2006, one year before Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Montag blames in-fighting between the cast for their lack of endurance against the Kardashian brand.
'We didn’t have co-stars that stuck together. Everyone secretly didn’t like each other and everyone was fighting.'
Hydrated: Montag was sure to bring a drink with her as she navigated the Los Angeles heat
Montag famously feuded with Hills star Lauren Conrad over her relationship with now-husband Pratt.
Other cast members Audrina Patridge and Whitney Port were also tangled up in drama with their co-stars on screen and behind the scenes.
Heidi ponders in the magazine: 'When you have a family that sticks together it’s different; the Kardashians are a huge cast that has each others backs. If we would have banded together who knows where we’d all be?' |
doc-73 | The 11th-ranked Lehigh University wrestling team will host No. 12 Rutgers on Friday at Grace Hall as part of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NCWA) National Duals Championship Series.
This is the second year for the series, which matches many of the country's top teams from non Big Ten conferences hosting Big Ten schools in eight duals over a three-day span.
Rutgers also met Lehigh in last year's event, which was hosted by all the Big Ten programs.
Tickets can be purchased at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-7LU-GAME during normal business hours.
Lehigh improved to 9-4 overall and 7-1 in the EIWA with a 28-10 win over Army last Friday.
Rutgers improved to 12-4 with a 28-6 home win over Northwestern on Sunday. The Scarlet Knights are 6-3 in the Big Ten, with losses to Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State.
Lehigh and Rutgers faced four common opponents this season. Both teams defeated Princeton but lost to Cornell, Penn State and Michigan.
The Scarlet Knights prevailed 18-15 over Lehigh last season in a dual that was decided in the final bout at heavyweight.
The eight NWCA National Championship Dual Series matchups are listed below. No. 1 Oklahoma State and No. 2 Penn State will meet for the second straight year in the championship match, with the dual set for 4 p.m. Sunday in Stillwater, Okla.
Friday, 7 p.m. EST: No. 12 Rutgers at No. 11 Lehigh.
Friday, 7 p.m. EST: No. 16 Michigan at No. 7 N.C. State.
Friday, 8 p.m. EST: Purdue at No. 17 South Dakota State.
Saturday, 7 p.m. EST: No. 3 Iowa at No. 24 Edinboro.
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST: No. 4 Ohio State at No. 8 Cornell.
Sunday, 3 p.m. EST: Indiana at No. 20 Appalachian State.
Sunday, 4 p.m. EST: No. 2 Penn State at No. 1 Oklahoma State.
Sunday, 7 p.m. EST: No. 6 Nebraska at No. 5 Virginia Tech. |
doc-74 | “Strength in Tenderness” at Edgewater Gallery.
Strength in Tenderness
Northcoast Artists Gallery is pleased to present “Strength in Tenderness,” by artist Sue Ellen Parkinson, as part of the June First Friday in Fort Bragg. Her show is focused on paintings of the sacred feminine. Sue Ellen explains, “Most of these mystics and saints would have fit in very well here in Mendocino County. They were strong-willed individuals who wanted nothing to do with the bureaucracy of the church or the cultural norms of the day.” Please join the artist for a First Friday opening reception on June 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Northcoast Artists Gallery is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Pacific Textile Arts
Pacific Textile Arts Gallery will open on First Friday, June 1, 5 to 8 p.m., with an exhibit of student work from the Fabric Printing and Dyeing class held during the spring semester at the Coast Campus of Mendocino College, under the instruction of PTArts’ Board member, Pavlos Mayakis. Color and texture on cloth, created by techniques from shibori to stencils and more, will bring exciting energy to the gallery. The exhibit will run through June 30. Pacific Textile Arts is located at 450 Alger St., Fort Bragg (turn left at the end of East Laurel Street). Call 707-409-6811 for weekly open hours, or check out PacificTextileArts.org.
Edgewater Gallery
Terri Lockwood’s canvas angel kites will be on display at Edgewater Gallery, 356 N. Main St., from June 1, 5 to 8 p.m., to June 30. Terri has been a member of the Mendocino artists’ community since 1986 and has studied a wide variety of media including painting, drawing, silk screen, collage, sculpture and ceramics with a focus in recent years on her kites. With her hand-sketched canvas kites, she is free to explore and combine all of her experience in the arts. Primarily, the images she creates are angels … over 100 so far, each with their own distinct style, personality and healing influence. She will give a brief presentation about her art at the opening on June 1 at 6 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
Partners Gallery
Mina Cohen’s exhibit at Partners Gallery in June, entitled “‘A’ My Name is Alice,” is divided into three series all based on the alphabet. As a child growing up in the 1950s, she remembers a ball and alphabet rhyming game played out on the sidewalk. These days she still plays this game in her head and finds this a distraction from more troubling thoughts.
In the first of the three series, the rhymes are intriguing or nonsensical or have a political or social edge.
The second series, inspired by her students’ resonance with Munch’s “The Scream,” is based on an alphabetical list of places associated with our current political climate. A portion of the proceeds from this series will be donated to SPLC, ACLU or NRDC.
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The final series is purely an “arts for art’s sake” exploration of the alphabet and the textures, colors and patterns of alphabet blocks.
The exhibit opens Thursday, May 31, and continues through Monday, July 2. There is a First Friday Reception June 1, 5 to 8 p.m., with wine served by Handley Cellars. Partners Gallery is at 335 N. Franklin St., Fort Bragg, 707-962-0233.
Mendocino Eco Artists
The Stanford Inn of Mendocino is presenting a new exhibit of artwork by the Mendocino Eco Artists from June 1 through Aug. 31, with a percentage of proceeds from the sale of works benefitting the Mendocino Land Trust.
Mendocino Eco Artists is a group of painters, sculptors and photographers who focus their work on helping conserve and restore the local environment. Members are Juriaan Blok, Karen Bowers, Mary Ellen Campbell, Maeve Croghan, Eleanor Harvey, John Hewitt, Julie Higgins, Debra Beck Lennox, Suzi Marquess Long, Keith Middlesworth, Jim Moorehead, Deborah Nord, Janis Porter, Paul Reiber, Bob Rhoades, Cynthia Crocker Scott, and Pat Scott.
There will be an artists’ reception on Second Saturday, June 9, from 3 to 5 p.m.
Artists’ Co-op
The Artists’ Co-op of Mendocino focuses on “Issues and Options” in our June show. The central work is an Artist’s Book assembled by Mary Ellen Campbell from pictorial and text contributions by nine Co-op members and laid out across the “Featured Artist Wall.” The spectrum of concerns relates to political, social, environmental and other “Issues and Options.” Additional works by members and guests supporting the June theme are identified by special labels throughout the gallery.
The show is up June 6 to July 2. The Artists’ Co-op Gallery is located on the corner of Kasten and Albion streets in Mendocino, and is open daily 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
You are invited to the Second Saturday reception June 9, 5-8 p.m. with the Artists’ Talk promptly at 5:30. Meet our artists, ask questions, and share your own responses to the art. 707-937-2217, artcoopmendocino.com.
Irish Beach And Maybe Bears
Jim Vickery will be the featured artist at the Artist’s Collective in Elk for the month of June. He will be showing six new paintings of Irish Beach, and of course, some bears. Jim has been with the gallery since its inception in 2007. He lives in Irish Beach, Manchester, and is inspired each and every day by his surroundings. There will be a Second Saturday reception on June 9 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the gallery, located at 6031 S. Highway 1, Elk. Please to come by, share some wine, goodies to munch on and see his latest work.
Caspar Curiosities
The “Women Artists Beyond Reason” exhibit at Caspar Curiosities, June 8 through Aug. 4, brings together visuals in all media by women of many visions. There will be a reception for the artists on Friday, June 8, from 5 to 8 p.m., 15160 Caspar Road, Caspar. Caspar Curiosities is open Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.
Tickets on sale
More than 30 varied concerts and events bringing together performers and audiences with a deep passion for live music will highlight the 31st Mendocino Music Festival — one of the country’s most eclectic music festivals, in a breathtakingly scenic location — scheduled July 6 through 21, centered on the headlands of Mendocino.
Festival cofounders Allan Pollack and Susan Waterfall have announced the 2018 festival lineup including The Mendocino Music Festival Orchestra, Chorus and Big Band, Geoff Nuttall, Stephen Prutsman, The Pine Leaf Boys, The StepCrew, Shawnette Sulker, Lucia Micarelli, Calder String Quartet, New Esterhazy String Quartet, Eric Bibb, Clairdee, The Barefoot Movement, Perla Batalla, Alex De Grassi with Andrew York and more.
The festival will open Friday, July 6, with a benefit celebration at a stunning private location featuring music and food in the home and lush gardens of Fedele and Linda Bauccio.
For tickets and the complete festival schedule, visit mendocinomusic.org or call 707-937-4041.
Registration open
The Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference will offer a screen writing workshop sponsored by Hollywood nonprofit Humanitas and led by its director of educational outreach, Nina Sadowsky Aug. 2 through 4. The workshop, “The Business of Show: Successful Screenwriting,” will provide an introduction to writing for film and television, as well as providing tips for successful screen writing that are also applicable to other genres. To learn more about the workshop, visit mcwc.org. |
doc-75 | Amazon will reportedly block Australian consumers from buying products from its overseas e-commerce sites in response to the nation's good and services tax changes.
Shoppers visiting the US store Amazon.com and the online behemoth's other overseas sites will be redirected to Amazon.com.au from July 1.
This coincides with GST changes where online retailers will have to apply the 10 per cent GST to goods bought from overseas sites and shipped to Australia, where currently the tax only applies to imports of goods above $1,000. |
doc-76 | A pair with two of the strongest arms in the country live in the Portland metro area, and they are ready to flex their muscles at an upcoming international competition. |
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Humberside Police has issued their most wanted list for Scunthorpe and North Lincolnshire in the run up to Christmas.
Police are looking for four people in relation to crimes such as blackmail, burglary, fraud by representation and theft.
The list gives the opportunity for the individuals to hand themselves in to the police as they step up operations over the festive period.
In total, the force said there have been 35 arrests made across the Force area so far on both the North and South Banks in just one week and that they are working hard to increase that number.
Detective Superintendent Gary Hooks said: “Our commitment is to find and arrest those individuals that think they can avoid us and think that we’ve forgotten about them. We want to remind them that we haven’t forgotten about them.
“Our patrols are out and about actively looking for these criminals. We’re also inviting them to contact us first to hand themselves in before our officers knock on their doors. This can be done by simply walking in to any police station or by approaching an officer.
“We are also appealing to the public to contact us with any information about the whereabouts of such criminals. We are making every effort to ensure that these wanted individuals are caught and will face any charges they may have against them.
“The safety and protection of our communities is our priority and with this in mind we are committed to getting these suspects into custody as soon as we can.
“Any information can be passed on by contacting us by calling 101, or anonymously on the Crimestoppers number of 0800 555 111.“
Scunthorpe's most wanted
Anthony Abbot, 24, Isle Of Axholme. Burglary and theft.
Joanna Daly, 24, Scunthorpe. Blackmail
John Hill, 29, Scunthorpe. Fraud by false representation
Nathan Janney, 43, Scunthorpe. Theft |
doc-78 | Celebrity chef and TV personality Jamie Oliver has recently teamed up with Jaguar Land Rover, the U.K.'s largest car manufacturer, to design a one-of-a-kind "kitchen on four wheels."
Jaguar Land Rover unveiled a bespoke SUV for Jamie Oliver and his family this week. It comes with an array of cooking appliances, from a slow cooker which sits beside the engine, to an olive oil dispenser and a deployable worktop and dining table.
The assignment that Oliver posed to the leading automaker—to create the "ultimate kitchen" that travels—has not only allowed the chef to put on a three-part series highlighting the kitchen-on-the-go car, but has also enabled Jaguar Land Rover to showcase the "versatility" of its seven-seat Land Rover Discovery.
"I gave Land Rover a massive challenge to create the ultimate kitchen on wheels. … I didn't think they'd actually be able to put a slow-cooker next to the engine and an olive oil dispenser in the boot, but they did," Jamie Oliver, British celebrity chef and restaurateur, said in a statement.
"The result is an amazing Discovery, tailored perfectly for me and the family — we love it." |
doc-79 | Google Backup and Sync could help backup your computer to the cloud
Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. (Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)
Backing up your PC or Mac is one of the most important things a computer owner can do.
But whether it's the inconvenience of plugging in an external hard drive or the cost of cloud storage, people don't backup as frequently as they should.
Google's new Drive update may help solve that problem. Revealed Wednesday in a post on the company's enterprise-focused G Suite apps blog, Google is preparing an update that adds a feature called Backup and Sync.
The update, which will go live on June 28, will allow consumer users of Drive to backup full folders of their computer to the cloud. This means that instead of putting individual files or photos from your computer's Desktop folder into the Google Drive folder on your PC or Mac, you can automatically have Google Drive backup the entire Desktop folder and everything within it. Google will also continuously backup the folder to ensure your files are up to date.
Google Backup and Sync. (Photo: Google)
The area of cloud backups is a fairly crowded space, with a variety of other options available including iDrive, Mozy Home, CrashPlan and Carbonite. That said, Google's new offering could be an interesting choice given the simplicity and speed of Google Drive — though if you do decide to backup to Google's service you'll likely want some additional storage beyond 15GB the search giant gives away for free. The company sells higher options, with 100GB available for $1.99 per month ($19.99 for a year) and 1TB available for $9.99 per month ($99.99 per year).
Whatever platform or service you use, now is a good time to remind you to make sure to backup that computer.
Follow Eli Blumenthal on Twitter @eliblumenthal
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2t3oKLv |
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