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Who is mystery man in Karl Stefanovic selfie? | Karl Stefanovic (left) and new wife Jasmine Yarbrough (second from right) pose for a selfie with friend Lauryn Rakic and her husband while on holiday in Yamba. Unassuming Grafton businessman Mark Hackett photobombed in the background. Karl Stefanovic (left) and new wife Jasmine Yarbrough (second from right) pose for a selfie with friend Lauryn Rakic and her husband while on holiday in Yamba. Unassuming Grafton businessman Mark Hackett photobombed in the background. Instagram / Facebook MARK Hackett is a well known Clarence Valley identity in his own right, but this week he inadvertently photo-bombed two much more famous newlyweds. The Toast Espresso Grafton owner was minding his own business in a Yamba carpark when TV celebrity Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough posed for a selfie with friend Lauryn Rakic and her husband. Yarbrough posted the cheerful snap on her Instagram profile 'jasyarby', attracting more than 2600 likes and gaining the attention of gossip magazines Woman's Day and New Idea. Yarbrough's post read "Yamba locals ... and what a place" with an emoticon of a prawn. The Daily Examiner can confirm the man standing in the background in the top right corner of the image is Mr Hackett. "I was standing in front of my car outside Brgr Spot chatting to a friend about work and accidentally photo-bombed," Mr Hackett said. "I saw some people in front of us who looked like they were having a good time. But I had no idea who they were." A friend recognised Mr Hackett in the Instagram photo and shared it to Facebook with the post "Mark Hackett is that you celebrity stalking in the background". Mr Hackett has been in Yamba "house sitting for some friends" between trips back and forth to Grafton 62km away to oversee his thriving cafe business. "The weather's been amazing and I've been going to the beach when I can," he said. "There have been big crowds and last night's fireworks were good." The sunny seaside town is growing in popularity as a year-round tourist destination and was the scene on a high profile health scare last week when NRL immortal Andrew Johns collapsed at a cafe. Stefanovic, 44, married 34-year-old Yarbrough at an "extravagant" ceremony in Mexico on December 8. They were on their honeymoon at American ski resort Aspen when Stefanovic was sensationally dumped from Channel Nine's Today Show after almost 14 years as the troubled breakfast show's co-host. | https://www.qt.com.au/news/who-is-mystery-man-in-karl-stefanovic-selfie/3612673/ |
Was bringt der Alkoholverzicht zum Jahreswechsel? | Die Raketen fliegen, die Sektglser klirren aneinander - zum vorerst letzten Mal. Einen Monat ohne, das schafft man doch bestimmt. Auf Alkohol zu verzichten, ist ein beliebter Vorsatz zum Jahreswechsel. Von Julian Hilgers, dpa 2017 gaben in einer Forsa-Umfrage fr die Krankenkasse DAK 12 Prozent der Befragten an, dass sie 2018 weniger Alkohol trinken mchten. Seinen Alkoholkonsum berhaupt erstmal kritisch zu reflektieren, das hlt Christina Rummel von der Deutschen Hauptstelle fr Suchtfragen (DHS) fr eine gute Idee. Der Verzicht ist auch eine psychologische Probe. Wenn man in diesem Dry January merkt, dass man es nicht schafft, seinen Alkoholkonsum zu reduzieren, kann dies ein Ansto sein, sich Hilfe zu holen. In diesem Fall htte der Vorsatz auf jeden Fall einen Effekt. Je weniger, desto besser Dass zeitweiser Alkoholverzicht aber tatschlich langfristig positiv - zum Beispiel entgiftend - auf den Krper wirkt, ist nur schwer nachweisbar. Die Evidenz ist gering, es gibt kaum Studien, sagt Christian Sina, Direktor des Instituts fr Ernhrungsmedizin am Universittsklinikum Lbeck. Trotzdem befrworten die Experten einen Verzicht. Denn es gilt der Grundsatz: Je weniger Alkohol, desto besser. Das Krankheitsrisiko fr Erwachsene ist laut DHS fr Frauen ab zwlf Gramm reinem Alkohol pro Tag nachweislich erhht. Das entspricht etwa 0,3 Litern Bier. Bei Mnnern ist der Schwellwert doppelt so hoch. Welche Form des Alkohols man trinkt, spielt keine Rolle. Lebererkrankungen Umso wichtiger dafr bei diesen Zahlen: Auch wenn man weniger trinkt, ist das Risiko fr gesundheitliche Folgen nicht gleich Null, sagt Volker Ellenrieder, Direktor der Klinik fr Gastroenterologie der Universittsmedizin Gttingen. Wer aber mehr Alkohol trinkt, kann damit seinem Krper schaden - vor allem der Leber. Je mehr man vorher getrunken und die Leber geschdigt hat, desto mehr Zeit braucht das Organ, um sich zu erholen, erklrt Ellenrieder. Ein Verzicht auf Alkohol kann deshalb zumindest einigen Menschen helfen - vier oder acht Wochen Verzicht seien gut. Das gefhrliche an Lebererkrankungen: Sie fallen oft kaum auf. Die Leber tut nicht weh. Mdigkeit ist der Schmerz der Leber, sagt Volker Ellenrieder. Denn fehlende Entgiftung kann fr Ablagerungen im Gehirn und damit fr Mdigkeit sorgen. Allerdings vertrgt die Leber viel und hat ein hohes Regenerationspotenzial. Das kann man nutzen, indem man ihr eine Weile Ruhe gnnt. Einfluss auf Konzentration und Koordination Zu viel Alkohol ist aber auch fr andere Organe gefhrlich. Chronischer Alkoholkonsum kann auch zu Entzndungen der Bauchspeicheldrse fhren, sagt Ellenrieder. Akut kann Alkohol bekanntlich die Konzentration, Koordination und Emotionen beeinflussen. Und egal, ob chronisch oder akut - exzessiver Alkoholkonsum kann auch zu Lebensgefahr fhren. Alkohol ist immer riskant fr die Gesundheit, betont auch Christina Rummel. Zeitweise zu verzichten, tut den Organen also erstmal gut. Zudem hat die Abstinenz kurzfristige Effekte: Alkohol ist kalorienreich. Wer eine Zeit lang nicht trinkt, kann bergewicht abbauen. Die Schlafqualitt verbessert sich, und der Blutdruck sinkt. Ob das funktioniert, ist aber abhngig von Begleiterkrankungen und der sonstigen Ernhrung, betont Sina. Wer auf Alkohol verzichtet, sich aber trotzdem weiter mit Ungesundem den Bauch vollschlgt, wird kaum positive Effekte spren - oder dem Krper sogar weiter schaden. Manch einer glaubt zudem, sich durch den zeitweisen Alkoholverzicht einen Freifahrtsschein fr den Rest des Jahres zu erarbeiten. Den versumten Alkohol spter aufzuholen, ist aber nicht sinnvoll. Es macht keinen Unterschied, ob man jeden Tag ein bisschen oder die ganze Menge an einem Tag trinkt, erklrt Volker Ellenrieder. Die Experten empfehlen eher, die vorgegebenen tglichen Hchstmengen an Alkohol einzuhalten. Und selbst dann wird noch zu zwei komplett alkoholfreien Tagen in der Woche geraten. DAK-Umfrage zu guten Vorstzen | https://www.volksfreund.de/magazin/ernaehrung/was-bringt-der-alkoholverzicht-zum-jahreswechsel_aid-35397601 |
Where have all the Christmas beetles gone? | IF you've been wondering where all the Christmas beetles have gone, you're not alone. Anecdotal evidence suggests Australia's endemic Christmas beetle population is on the decline. Entomologist Dr Chris Reid, from the Australian Museum, attributes the drop in sightings to drier than usual spring weather, especially along the coast of NSW. Here on the Coffs Coast the decline hasn't gone unnoticed. "I usually can't sit outside with the light on this time of year as there's so many (I'm at Corindi) but I've seen only about two this year, and haven't had to keep the outside light off at all," Shantell Acebedo posted on the Advocate's Facebook page. "Thirty years ago, I'd shake the gum tree in my front yard and it would literally rain Christmas beetles. I haven't seen one in years," Merilyn Horton wrote. Trish Welsh agreed: "Haven't seen any in Coffs this year. In previous summers they were literally 'raining' down." Sarah Jones reported seeing: "Thousands on the way to Ebor the other day but they're definitely on the decline in Coffs from what there was twenty years ago." NOT SO COMMON: Denise Grimberg captured the first beetle of the season at north Boambee but says they're "nothing like they used to be." The classic habitat for Christmas beetles is woodland with plenty of trees and rich soil. The larvae develop in soil and remain there as curl grubs, feeding on grass and plant roots, as well as the surface roots of eucalypts. As adults they mainly eat eucalyptus leaves but are known to consume the foliage of introduced species, such as the peppercorn tree. These colourful scarabs are associated with the festive season as their larvae hatches around the end of spring and start of summer. "When we're seeing (the adults) just before Christmas they're at the stage of laying eggs," Dr Reid said. In addition to the drier conditions, habitat loss is another factor believed to be linked to the decline. Some Coffs residents fear the use of pesticides might also have something to do with it. "When I was a kid we had dozens and dozens around. Now I see one every second year. So sad, all that spraying would have to have some effect," Helen Rule-Todd posted. "None around here any more. And since the introduction of blueberry farms in this neighbourhood, other insects such as cicadas and spiders are now on the decline too. Native animals such as tawny frogmouths and bandicoots have vanished altogether," Sally Wilson wrote. | https://www.northernstar.com.au/news/where-have-all-the-christmas-beetles-gone/3612649/ |
Will 2019 be the year we make America native again? | Trump's presidency represents a clear and present danger to Canada, and his disastrous policies have particularly devastating impacts on sovereign Indigenous nations across Turtle Island. Thank you for reading this story... More people are reading rabble.ca than ever and unlike many news organizations, we have never put up a paywall at rabble weve always believed in making our reporting and analysis free to all. But media isnt free to produce. rabbles total budget is likely less than what big corporate media spend on photocopying (we kid you not!) and we do not have any major foundation, sponsor or angel investor. Our only supporters are people and organizations -- like you. This is why we need your help. If everyone who visits rabble and likes it chipped in a couple of dollars per month, our future would be much more secure and we could do much more: like the things our readers tell us they want to see more of: more staff reporters and more work to complete the upgrade of our website. Were asking if you could make a donation, right now, to set rabble on solid footing. Make a donation.Become a monthly supporter. | http://rabble.ca/multimedia/2018/12/will-2019-be-year-we-make-america-native-again?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rabble-news+%28rabble.ca+-+News+for+the+rest+of+us%29 |
How are the cast of Mrs Browns Boys related? | When casting the Brown family, Mrs Browns Boys creator Brendan OCarroll didnt need to look far. In fact, he didnt have to look beyond his own living room. Agnes Brown Brendan OCarroll The titular mammy is the daddy of the family and father to Danny OCarroll who plays Buster, and Fiona OCarroll who plays Maria. His sister Eilish plays next door neighbour Winnie, his wife Jennifer plays daughter Cathy, and his real-life grandson, Jamie OCarroll, plays Mrs Browns grandson, Bono. His on screen daughter-in-law Betty (Amanda Woods) is his real life daughter-in-law (shes married to Danny aka Buster), while TV son Trevor (Martin Delany) is actually his son-in-law (married to Fiona OCarroll aka Maria), and his sister-in-law plays Winnies daughter, Sharon. Winnie McGoogan Eilish OCarroll Next door neighbour Winnie may be Agnes best pal on screen but in real life shes Brendan OCarrolls sister. Eilish is Maria (Fiona OCarroll) and Busters (Danny OCarroll) real-life aunt, and Cathy aka Jennifer Gibneys sister-in-law, while her on-screen daughter Sharon, is actually Jennifer Gibneys off screen sister. Shes also grand aunt to Bono Brown (Jamie Carroll). Cathy Brown Jennifer Gibney Mrs Browns on-screen daughter is actually Brendan OCarrolls wife, making her Buster (Danny OCarroll) and Marias real-life stepmother and Bonos off-screen step-grandmother. Winnie (Eilish) is her sister-in-law, Mrs Browns son Trevor is her son-in-law by marriage, and Marks wife Betty is her daughter-in-law by marriage. Plus Winnies daughter, Sharon, is her real-life sister. Buster Brady Danny OCarroll The on-screen troublemaker is Brendan OCarrolls real-life son, making him Marias (Fiona OCarroll) real-life brother, Cathys (Jennifer Gibney) stepson, and Winnies nephew. His wife, Amanda, plays Betty Brown, while his son, Jamie, is Bono Brown, and his real-life brother-in-law Martin Delany plays Mrs Browns youngest son, Trevor. Oh, and his real-life best friend Paddy Houlihan plays Mrs Browns other son, Dermot. Maria Brown Fiona OCarroll Mrs Browns on screen daughter-in-law Maria is actually Brendans daughter, Fiona OCarroll or Fiona Delany to call her by her married name. That makes Jennifer Gibney (Cathy) her stepmum, Eilish OCarroll (Winnie) her aunt and Buster (Danny OCarroll) her brother. Little Bono Brown is actually her nephew, Jamie, while her sister-in-law, Amanda Woods, is Betty Brown. Oh, and her husband, Martin Delany, plays Mrs Browns son Trevor. Trevor Brown Martin Delany Mrs Browns youngest son is played by OCarrolls son-in-law, Martin Delany, who is married to Fiona OCarroll his on-screen sister-in-law. That makes him Busters (Danny OCarroll) brother-in-law and uncle to Bono (Jamie OCarroll) Brown. Betty Brown Amanda Woods Mrs Browns on-screen daughter-in-law is actually Brendans daughter-in-law off screen too, as shes married to Buster (Danny OCarroll) Brady in real life. Shes Maria (Fiona OCarroll) Browns sister-in-law, and shes mum to Bono (Jamie OCarroll) Brown both on and off screen. Bono Brown Jamie OCarroll Mrs Browns grandson, Bono, is Brendan OCarrolls real-life grandson, Jamie OCarroll. His real mum (Amanda Woods) plays his on-screen mum, Betty Brown, while his dad is actually Buster Brady (Danny OCarroll). That makes him Maria (Fiona OCarroll) Browns nephew and Eilish OCarrolls (Winnie) grand-nephew. Rory Brown Damien McKiernan Advertisement The new Rory is played by Damien McKiernan, a friend of the family who took over the role from Rory Cowan in the 2017 Christmas special. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2019-01-01/how-are-the-cast-of-mrs-browns-boys-related/ |
When is Catastrophe back on TV? | Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaneys filthily funny comedy Catastrophe is coming back for a fourth series. Advertisement We will rejoin the couple in their domesticated bliss or not in a new series on Channel 4 that promises to be as brutally honest as ever and explore the reality of sex in long-term relationships. Catastrophe series four begins on Monday 7 January at 10pm on Channel 4. Series three saw Rob unable to repress his struggle with alcoholism, and ended with a dramatic cliffhanger. Refresh your memory on the last moments of the finale here. Catastrophe series four is expected to cover the reality of sex in long-term relationships, as well as bid a final farewell to Carrie Fisher, who played Delaneys mother in the show and who died after filming series three. Co-creators Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney will be back to reprise their roles as Sharon and Rob. Carrie Fisher will be dearly missed from the new series, but we are hoping to see Mark Bonnar and Ashley Jensen return as Chris and Fran, as well as Jonathon Forbes as Sharons brother. New guest stars joining the Catastrophe clan, meanwhile, are Broadchurch star Julie Hesmondhalgh and Sex and the Citys Chris Noth, alongside Michaela Watkins (Casual), comedian David Alan Grier, Nat Faxon (Friends from College) and Brian Gleeson (Love/Hate). Sharon Horgan has been incredibly busy. Not only did she make her Hollywood debut in Game Night alongside Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman, she is also set to star in Happy AF, and has been penning the continuing series Motherland and Divorce. Horgan also voices Courtney Portnoy in BoJack Horseman. Aside from being the funniest person on Twitter, Delaney has made a popular appearance in Deadpool 2 and has been touring as a stand-up comedian. Youre in luck series 1-3 of Catastrophe are available to watch on All4. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-01/catastrophe-series-4-air-date-trailer-cast/ |
Is Vince Williams calling out Steelers' teammates who spoke about Antonio Brown? | Take this one for what its worth but it seems Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Vince Williams is upset about rats and I dont think he means rodents. Williams took to Twitter Monday night and posted this tweet, which leaves plenty to the imagination. If we assume it is the latter, Williams fails to recognize the damage keeping all this discord in has done to this team. By failing to address the nonsense and drama attributed to a handful of players it spread to everyone within the organization on some level and ultimately played a part in the teams failures this season. Either way, this wont be the last we hear of this situation. Head coach Mike Tomlin will address the media on Wednesday and this latest round of controversy is going to be the main event. | https://steelerswire.usatoday.com/2018/12/31/is-vince-williams-calling-out-steelers-teammates-who-spoke-about-antonio-brown/ |
What went right on the second floor in Parkland? | Those on the first and third floors of the 1200 Building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School got little warning. The second floor was different. Teachers could hear the gunshots below, and they took action. Locks were bolted, lights darkened, windows covered and no one was hurt. The algebra teacher and her students huddled in fear and silence in a corner of the darkened classroom, their only protection the door she had locked and the piece of blue construction paper she had hastily taped over the doors window. Shanthi Viswanathan and the children in her second-floor classroom had heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire from afar and instantly fell into active-shooter mode. Now, they heard their doorknob rattle. He was here. After five seconds that felt like an eternity, he moved on. In the end, Nikolas Cruz shot 34 people in the 1200 building of the Parkland school that day, killing 17 on the first and third floors. But not a single person was hurt on the second floor. Those on the first floor were taken by surprise that day and barely had a chance to react to the blasts of semiautomatic gunfire. On the third floor, students and teachers couldnt clearly hear the gunshots below, and did not know they had a real shooter in their midst. But on the second floor, the sound was unmistakable to many. Students and teachers took action. The second-floor hallway was empty when Cruz ascended to it with his AR-15. A few of the classrooms happened to be unoccupied that afternoon. The students and teachers who were there had heard the definite sound of gunfire as Cruz stormed the first floor, and raced to the safety of locked classrooms. Of the 10 classrooms on the second floor of the 1200 building, three were unoccupied and at least half had their door windows covered so the killer could not see in. Lights were out in at least five of the occupied rooms as students and teachers sheltered silently in safe corners. We had enough time to hide, said second floor teacher Felicia Burgin. We could actually hear the gunshots. She heard them when one of her students went to the restroom, leaving the classroom door propped open. Burgin heard three shots in a row. Then a pause. Then three in a row again. Is that gunshots? she asked aloud. It sounded like gunshots. Ive been to a gun range before. The students heard it, too. They quickly ran to a far corner of the room. One turned off the lights. The door was set to lock when it was closed. They sat huddled. Some cried. Some were silent. Some took out their cell phones. All of her students rushed to the same safe corner. They didnt quite fit and if someone had been able to look through the window in the door they would have been seen, she said. They stayed in place when the shooting set off a fire alarm. Because when amid gunfire, Burgin said, You arent leaving the room no matter what. Things were different on the third floor, where Cruzs initial first bursts of gunfire that day could not so clearly be heard. When the shooting set off the fire alarm throughout the building, students on the third floor swarmed into the open hallway, thinking they were in the midst of a fire drill. Ernest Rospierski, a teacher on the third floor, noted another critical difference that helped those on the second floor smaller class sizes. Most of the second-floor classes were English or math, which are capped by the state at 25 students, said Rospierski, who teaches an Advanced Placement European History class with 37 kids. If I have 35 or more [students], like in classrooms in the first and third floor, there is not enough room to hide, he said. They were able to get away from the window he didnt have any easy targets. Sophomore Brooke Wofchuck, of Coral Springs, was in the second floor of the 1200 building in Mrs. Catherine Britts math class when he heard three pops rang out. Wofchuck said she immediately stared directly at the teacher. Those sound like gunshots, her teacher said, everyone get to the side of the room where we cant be seen. They ran to one side and ducked. Someone turned off the lights. I remember sitting next to someone and we grabbed hands and started to pray, God, please save us. We were beyond low, just whispering. My teacher was holding a bunch of kids in her arms, since so many of the students were crying, she said. She has praise for her teacher: Miss Britt handled it so calm. In Viswanathans second-floor class, their door knob rattled as they huddled tightly in a taped off corner, lights out. He was at my door trying to get in, said Viswanathan, who had guided her students into hiding, largely on a hunch. Mrs. V., as the math teacher is known, had already taken every step possible to protect the children in her classroom even before she knew they were in danger. I was not absolutely sure, but I had a hunch something was wrong, she said. I knew something had to be done quickly. She had locked the door before class that day. Weeks before, she had taped off part of the classroom next to the door to serve a safe space or hard corner for students to hide. When she heard the sound of gunfire, she directed her students to lie on the floor in designated spots. She placed a piece of paper on the rectangular window of the door and blocked the view of anyone trying to look in. Then she turned off the light. The killer moved on to another room. Her actions are considered a textbook example of how to elude an active shooter. Viswanathan said she had received little training but her instincts helped save lives. A Code Red training on Jan. 11, had tipped her off to the idea of covering her door window to obstruct the gunmans view. She had too many students to safely fit into the hard corner, she said. If I had 15 kids maybe I would have been able to hide them all, she said. Instead she directed about a half-dozen students to to lay on the floor on the other side of the class, where she huddled with them.. The only thing protecting them from gunfire was a piece of paper covering the window. Sarah Coco Bentaieb, a junior in Mrs. Vs math class, said she could hear students who were not in their classroom screaming and crying. Knowing there was danger outside of the door, not knowing who was going to shoot through, that was the scariest part, the unknown, she said. A couple doors down, Chris Mathew and his students held their collective breath as the killer paused at their darkened door. Nobody here, Mathew said he heard the killer say. | https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-ne-parkland-second-floor-htmlstory.html |
Is Taco Bell Open on New Years Day 2019? | New Years Day 2019 is finally here. A new year means a chance to reinvent yourself, explore new things, and soak up all the world has to offer. Whether youre craving a taco after a night of partying or youre looking to add Tex-Mex to your 2019 diet, youre in luck. Most Taco Bell restaurants are open on New Years Day. Before bundling up and heading out, though, be sure to check the location of a Taco Bell near you by clicking here. The Naked Chicken Chalupa is back on the menu for a hot second. Get it ASAP before it disappears again. pic.twitter.com/ovnos9VSPb Taco Bell (@tacobell) December 28, 2018 Taco Bell was founded in 1946, and has been expanding ever since, operating in countries like Australia, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Greece, India, Japan, and more, today. Everything from tacos, burritos, and quesadillas to nachos, and other items. The very first chain was opened by John Bell in 1962, in California. Bell started out the business selling tacos at a food stand he called Taco-Tia. He went on to grow his business, and founded a series of restaurants called El Taco, which was sold to his partner who built the first ever Taco Bell. Within five years of launching Taco-Tia, there were 100 Taco Bell restaurants across the US. As of 2014, there were over 5,600 Taco Bells across the country. If youre looking for other foods to satisfy you on New Years Day, look no further. Chipotle is one restaurant that wont be shutting its doors to customers on the 1st. Come in and get your burrito fix, or head over to Subway to grab a sandwich if youre on the go. Chilis is also open, along with Applebees, McDonalds, Starbucks, and Burger King, to make sure that you dont go hungry when 2019 rolls in. The first New Years celebration in Times Square took place on December 31, 1904. It was first organized by Adolph Ochs, who owned The New York Times. Around 200,000 people attended the event; a number that grew exponentially in subsequent years. This year, over 1,000,000 people are expected to pack the streets of Times Square on New Years. | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2018/12/taco-bell-new-years-day-2019-open/ |
What will happen to liquor stores now that grocery stores sell full strength beer? | Please enable Javascript to watch this video DENVER -- 2019 means full-strength beer is finally coming to grocery stores in Colorado. After decades of what many considered antiquated beer laws, 3.2 beer is no more come January 1. Any grocery store that sold 3.2 beer before, can sell full-strength beer after midnight. "Today we celebrate bringing Colorado beer laws into the 21st century" David Hosroth, Vice President of King Soopers, said during a New Years Eve event at the Capitol Monday. Big crowd on this cold and snowy day, celebrating the end of prohibition-era beer laws, allowing full strength beer in our grocery stores! Not so fast. That's because wine and liquor are still restricted at grocery stores across the state. "Wine and liquor are handled separately," State Senate Chris Holbert said. Holbert explained that the same bill that allowed 3.2 beer to go away in 2019, also limits how many grocery stores can sell wine and liquor. "Over a 20 year period the groceries stores will be able to have 20 locations where they will be able to sell everything," Holbert added. That means Colorado has until 2036 until grocery stores become true equivalents to a liquor store. | https://kdvr.com/2018/12/31/what-will-happen-to-liquor-stores-now-that-grocery-stores-sell-full-strength-beer/ |
Will Thailands legal medical marijuana seed a new black market? | Thailands decision to legalise marijuana for medical purposes has raised concerns over deliberate exploitation of the new law and warnings to the public not to forget that general use of the drug is still very much illegal. Last Tuesday, Thailands National Legislative Assembly passed a bill allowing the use of cannabis and kratom, a local plant with opioid properties native to Southeast Asia. It grants use for several purposes, including patient treatment, growing for export and sale, research and other science and industry activities. The changes, which are pending royal approval and expected to take effect next year, allow registered patients to possess certain amounts of cannabis if they have a prescription or certificate from a doctor, dentist, traditional or alternative Thai medicine practitioner. Those professionals will need to be licensed by the Food and Drug Administration. And all licences including those for production, import, export and sale of the plant will be regulated by a government committee. But further information on the requirements to obtain these licences remain unclear, said Niyada Kiatying-Angsulee, manager of the Drug System Monitoring and Development Centre. The law does not give details on this and it does not mention the diseases [that cannabis can be prescribed for], she said. Niyada said such an opaque legislative framework risks paving the way for a black market for medical marijuana prescriptions. I support the registration to make sure that there is at least some control on the use and potential harms of the medicine, she said. The new law is a modification of the 1979 Narcotic Drugs Act, which still categorises cannabis as a class-5 narcotic, bans general use and carries prison sentences for breaches of the law. But before Thailand banned marijuana in the 1930s, the plant was widely used for some 300 years in medicine and food. There is always a high on cannabis because it is a multibillion [dollar] industry Chokwan Kitty Chopaka Even with the latest development, the road back to full-scale legalisation of marijuana in Thailand is still long, according to Chokwan Kitty Chopaka, spokeswoman for Highland Network, a cannabis legalisation advocacy group. It will take time and this is the first step of the many steps we have to take, she said. Chokwan said a fall in rice, sugar and rubber crop prices may have influenced the governments decision to legalise cannabis for medical use, as it seeks to cash in on a rapidly growing industry that is forecast to reach US$146 billion globally by 2025. Canada and California recently legalised the drug for recreational use, while other countries and regions in the world are considering a similar move. There is always a high on cannabis because it is a multibillion [dollar] industry, Chokwan said. Weve run out of cash crops Thailand has always been a very agricultural country and we need a crop that we can make money [out of], she said, adding that the legalisation will also help boost the medical tourism industry, a key sector that is being pushed by the government. But with a new industry comes new complications. A number of recent patent applications in Thailand, submitted by foreign firms and claiming rights to the extracts of some cannabis plants, has raised concerns among agriculture experts. Witoon Lianchamroon, director of Biodiversity Sustainable Agriculture Food Sovereignty Action Thailand (Biothai), urged the government not to approve foreign companies cannabis-related patents for fear of hampering local businesses. The benefits would go to the big companies [if they] get the patent, he said, adding that it would not be consistent with Thailands laws, which do not recognise intellectual property on plant extracts. It will [discourage] people like farmers or traditional medicine practitioners from using cannabis and developing their [medicinal] recipes, he said. There will be a loss of culture. Witoon said enforcing such patents on plant extracts would also cripple scientific research and innovation before the industry even has a chance to get off the ground in Thailand. Once they file [a patent] application, even if the patent has not been granted yet, others will have to stop the use of that substance. Despite what looks to be the biggest step in decades towards legalisation of cannabis in Thailand, Chokwan reminded people not to get the wrong idea the use of cannabis in Thailand without a licence is still punishable with jail terms. There is a lot of misconception out there that people are thinking that it is legal now, I can cultivate, I can make money. But it is still very illegal for you to grow it yourself if you do not have a licence, she said. But, she added, allowing people to grow the plant at home may actually help those who are not able to afford cannabis-based medicines. The ones that are in need of it most will probably be almost unable to reach it, she said. | https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2180137/will-thailands-legal-medical-marijuana-seed-new-black-market |
Who was Kader Khan? | Kader was one of the legendary Bollywood actors and had worked in over 300 films after making his debut in 1973 in Daag. The actor was essentially born in Afganistan and had 3 brothers. He belonged to an ethnic Pashtun of the Kakar tribe. Afghan-born legendary actor Kader Khan on Tuesday bid adieu to this mortal world, sending shock waves across the nation. The veteran Bollywood actor was admitted to a hospital in Canada for treatment to breathing issues and was on a BiPAP ventilator for quite some time. Reports suggest, he was unable to talk and had pneumonia. Kader was suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) that causes loss of balance and dementia. Kader was also suffering from knee-related ailments for a couple of years and had undergone surgeries in 2017. Kader was one of the legendary Bollywood actors and had worked in over 300 films after making his debut in 1973 in Daag. The actor was essentially born in Afganistan and had 3 brothers. He belonged to an ethnic Pashtun of the Kakar tribe. For all the latest Entertainment News, download NewsX App Read More | https://www.newsx.com/entertainment/who-was-kader-khan |
What went right for the Mets in 2018? | The Mets finished with a losing record in 2018 for the eighth time in 10 seasons. But just like the preceding seven sub-.500 campaigns, this one came without a full bottoming out and thus reason to believe the Mets can return to relevancy sooner rather than later. Time will tell on that, but theres no doubt the Mets had some notable positive moments last season Heres six of them: 1.) Jacob deGrom. Jacob deGrom. Jacob deGrom. DeGrom pitched about as well as three aces combined this year, when he managed to destroy the idea wins should serve as a metric of a pitchers value by winning the Cy Young despite recording only 10 victories. DeGrom may never have another season as good as this one, but then again, his 2018 was a generational tour de force. At the least, deGrom has proven, health permitting, he should be among the top handful of pitchers in the game into the 2020s. 2.) Manager Mickey Callaway proved to be a pitching savant with both starters and relievers. Not only did deGrom emerge as a superstar, but Zack Wheeler had a breakout year. And while Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz continued to battle durability issues, each had his best season while on the mound. 3.) In addition, Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman, each of whom looked like a tweener maybe not quite a back-of-the-rotation starter, but maybe not a shutdown reliever either turned into valuable weapons out of the bullpen. Lugos velocity shot up as he dominated in his multi-inning bridge role while Gsellman did a serviceable job as a fill-in closer following the trade of Jeurys Familia. 4.) Brandon Nimmo, who also looked like a tweener in his previous big league stints, proved to be a terrific everyday player and sparkplug atop the lineup, though his emergence also magnified the short-sightedness of the Mets front office, which stockpiled veteran outfielders on long-term deals (Juan Lagares, Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce) because they didnt know the controllable gem in their system. Almost as impressively, Nimmo maintained his perpetually sunny demeanor even in the midst of another losing season in which everything fell apart around him. 5.) David Wright got to say goodbye on his terms. It wasnt the exit Wright or anyone could have envisioned in 2013, when the iconic third baseman appeared to be on the fast track to the Hall of Fame. But Wrights body betrayed him and cruelly made the game he loved so much an exercise in daily torture. It took everything Wright had to make it back for three plate appearances on the final weekend of the season, but at least he, the Mets and their fans got a modified goodbye. 6.) The Mets didnt bottom out. This may not be a good thing in retrospect. But by losing only 85 games, the Mets avoided a full-scale rebuild and elected to go for it in 2019 with most of their generational rotation intact. A whole lot can go wrong over the coming months and years to prove the Mets were just delaying the inevitable by pushing off a rebuild, but in an era in which teams with far better recent track records than the Mets have decided to tank for 2019 and beyond, theres something admirable in a flawed team chasing immediate glory. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jerrybeach/2018/12/31/what-went-right-for-the-mets-in-2018/ |
Where do the investigations related to Trump stand? | FILE - In this Dec. 13, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump listens during a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington. New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood and Trumps charitable foundation reached a deal on Tuesday, Dec. 18 to dissolve the foundation and distribute its remaining assets to other nonprofit groups. Trump is facing criminal investigations in Washington and New York. Special counsel Robert Mueller is looking into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia and whether the president obstructed the investigation. Trump also plays a central role in a separate case in New York, where prosecutors have implicated him in a crime. They say Trump directed his personal lawyer Michael Cohen to make illegal hush money payments to two women as a way to quash potential sex scandals during the campaign. House Republicans brought an unceremonious end to their yearlong look at the Justice Departments handling of the investigations into Trumps ties to Russia and Democrat Hillary Clintons emails. In a letter released before Republicans cede the House majority to Democrats, the chairmen of two committees described what they said was the seemingly disparate treatment the two probes received during the 2016 presidential election and called on the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to investigate further. The wrapping up of the congressional investigation, done in a letter and without a full final report, was a quiet end to a probe that was conducted mostly behind closed doors but also in public. Republican lawmakers often criticized interview subjects afterward and suggested they were conspiring against Trump. Trumps pick for attorney general, William Barr, sent an unsolicited memo to the Justice Department this year criticizing parts of the Mueller probe as fatally misconceived. The 20-page memo, sent in June while Barr was in private practice and months before he was selected by Trump for the Justice Department job, may prompt questions about his ability to oversee the special counsels investigation fairly. The document argues that there could be disastrous consequences for the Justice Department and the presidency if Mueller were to conclude that acts a president is legally permitted to take such as firing an FBI director could constitute obstruction of justice, just because someone concludes that there was corrupt intent. There is no smoking gun when it comes to the question of Russia collusion. But the evidence so far shows a broad range of Trump associates had Russia-related contacts during the 2016 presidential campaign and transition period, and that several lied about the communication. There is also evidence that some people in the presidents orbit were discussing a possible email dump from WikiLeaks before it occurred. American intelligence agencies and Mueller have said Russia was the source of hacked material released by WikiLeaks during the campaign that was damaging to Clintons presidential effort. That is another unresolved question that Mueller is pursuing. Investigators have examined key episodes such as Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey and his fury over the recusal from the investigation of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump has repeatedly slammed the Mueller investigation as a witch hunt and insisted there was NO COLLUSION with Russia. He also says his now-former lawyer, Cohen, lied to get a lighter sentence in New York. ___ For more in-depth information, follow AP coverage at https://apnews.com/TrumpInvestigations Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/where-do-the-investigations-related-to-trump-stand/2019/01/01/c4ef2752-0d84-11e9-8f0c-6f878a26288a_story.html |
Is it safe to buy Blu-ray? | [Updated] The war is over. Toshiba, the force behind HD DVD, has thrown in the towel leaving Blu-ray victorious. We'll be looking at all of this over the next few days as we bring you our definitive view on whether you should upgrade to Blu-ray. We'll analyse what's happened, what it means for you, and what the best Blu-ray options are for you. Check back each day and find out. Our top 5 budget Blu-ray players Why it's time to focus on movies, not hardware 2007's top 10 players 7 things you didn't know about Blu-ray Our thoughts go out to... RIP HD-DVD Well, WE liked it... All TechRadar's format wars coverage Click here | https://www.techradar.com/au/news/blu-ray/video/hd-dvd/is-it-safe-to-buy-blu-ray-238228 |
Why do we kiss on New Years? | In Colombia, people might grab a suitcase and run around the house or the block real fast to set the stage for a year of travelling. In Denmark, revelers have a tradition of jumping off chairs for a fresh start. In Russia, it's customary to write a wish for the new year on a piece of paper, burn it, mix the ashes into your champagne and drain your glass before midnight. But in many countries, it's traditional to count down from 10 to 1 and then lock lips with a loved one, friend or stranger you just met. Plenty of movies feature declarations of love as the seconds tick down, culminating in a passionate kiss la Harry (Billy Crystal) telling Sally (Meg Ryan) at the stroke of midnight: "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." But Hollywood didn't start this tradition. According to historians, in mid-winter the ancient Romans would celebrate the end of planting season by honouring Saturn, the god of agriculture, liberation and time, with a weeklong festival of Saturnalia. Many of today's Christmas and New Year's traditions can be traced back to the pagan celebration of Saturnalia, during which people would decorate their homes with wreaths, give gifts, stop working or conducting business, partake of lots of food and wine, and engage in general merrymaking ... which included kissing and less chaste activities. Writing of Saturnalia, Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger noted that "loose reins are given to public dissipation." In "Religions of Rome," historians Mary Beard, John North and Simon Price write about how Saturnalia and other festivals "sometimes gave licence to disrupt (temporarily) the established social rules and hierarchies," meaning that even slaves got to party with their masters. The notion of kissing for good luck in particular has several origins. First, Europe's Renaissance masquerade balls, which were also wild bacchanals. "Regardless of a person's gender and class, sexual licence was tolerated at masked balls so that men and women were free to indulge their sexual proclivities with persons of whatever sex and class they chose," according to Encyclopedia.com. When people took off their masks, they would kiss the first person they saw as a way of cleansing themselves from any evil forces, says Joanne Wannan, author of "Kisstory: A Sweet and Sexy Look at the History of Kissing." Later on, English and German folklore held that "the first person with whom a person came in contract that dictated the year's destiny," according to "Entertaining from Ancient Rome to the Super Bowl." | https://www.therecord.com/living-story/9104400-why-do-we-kiss-on-new-year-s-/ |
How to choose right skill course in 2019? | Landing a lucrative role in a reputed company is not a cakewalk. The professional world is constantly changing and the traditional education system often fails to equip students with the required skills suited for the jobs. The lifespan of skills acquired is getting shorter, and the demand for people with newer and advanced skills is increasing with each passing day. In such a scenario, up-skilling seems to be the only way forward. Advertising The crme de la crme of all skill up courses in 2018 were finance/ bitcoin/ blockchain, writing, digital marketing, project management and Google analytics. Online programmes on marketing, entrepreneurship and public speaking are always in vogue and the trend will continue in 2019. Other courses to reign in 2019 would be based on hard skills which companies look for the most SEO/SEM marketing, network and information security, perl/ python/ ruby and business intelligence. In 2019, there would be 2.5 lakh IT jobs created for freshers in India. Jobs for data scientists, machine learning professionals, cyber security, augmented reality would see an upsurge in demand, over and above the specialist jobs in marketing, growth hacking and mobile application developers. All these sectors are constantly evolving and up-skilling facilitates a cycle of high productivity, increased employment opportunities, income growth and development. Advertising According to a Forbes report, 58 million new jobs would be created in AI by the year 2022. As per an indianexpress.com report, 50,000 jobs are lying vacant in the field of data science and AI. (Read the full report here). With more and more companies trying to tap these new technologies. Therefore, both work professionals and freshers would benefit from pursuing one of these streams. The right upgrading of skills goes a long way in improving ones productivity and overall performance. Reportedly, 68 per cent of employees prefer to learn at work and because up-skilling is a way to keep one abreast of industry trends and requirement. Upskilling need not be strictly technical and functional. Familiarisation with the new technological trends in the contemporary digital age helps in aiming for higher opportunities, but soft skills such as communication, leadership, collaboration, and time management are equally important. As per a LinkedIn report, executives and people managers feel that leadership and communication are the two most important soft skills that employees need to acquire. Companies want people who can portray initiative, commitment, and the desire to move ahead. Taking up skill up courses to either enhance your skills or learn new ones will make managers and executives value you. The author is founder, Career Anna Online learning platform | https://indianexpress.com/article/education/how-to-choose-the-right-skill-course-in-2019-5516864/ |
Will Rahul Gandhi be the newsmaker of 2019? | After the 2014 Lok Sabha election where the Congress party's seat strength fell to 44, the year 2018 had brought plenty of sunshine to dispel the gloom that had enveloped the party. Rahul has led from the front all through the year. He made 50 tours to 17 states, including eight poll-bound ones. He relentlessly attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on four key electoral issues the agrarian crisis, the flailing economy, unemployment and the Rafale fighter jets deal. He has unleashed a social media war on the BJP, inventing new phrases such as chowkidar chor hai, which have stuck. He grabbed centre stage in a Lok Sabha debate by hugging a nonplussed prime minister in the full glare of TV cameras to show that he didn't treat his opponents as enemies. | https://www.indiatoday.in/programme/newsroom/video/will-rahul-gandhi-be-the-newsmaker-of-2019-1421016-2019-01-01 |
Who should Barcelona and Real Madrid target in the January transfer window? | LaLiga has been a tight race this season so far, with multiple teams gunning for the top spot. There have been many leaders at different points of the season, with Barcelona slowly cementing their position on top with some solid performances in recent weeks. The most baffling performances have been that of Real Madrid - lacklustre, uninventive and tired. Credit to the team though, they have crawled their way back to the top four. Barcelona have been frail at the back, a few defensive errors led to goals in the initial part of the season. After 17 games last season Barcelona had conceded just 7 goals whereas this season, they have conceded 19 goals already. This calls for reinforcements, which must be made in January in order to strengthen the squad for a tough second half of the season. Real Madrid have not hit the ground running so far neither in the league nor the Champions League. Their home 0-3 loss to CSKA Moscow was a huge wake-up call, which clearly indicated the need for changes in the squad. The attack requires fresh legs, which is definitely something they will be looking for in January. Let us look at the positions that Barcelona and Real Madrid should strengthen, and whether transfer rumors suggest that these positions will be backed up.#1 #1 FC Barcelona: Left-back, Right-footed Centre-back Barcelona have started their transfer business early, snapping up defender Jeison Murillo from Valencia CF on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season for 25 million. Eric Abidal, director of football at FC Barcelona, quoted that Murillo is a centre-back who can also play as a full-back. He is a right-footed player, hence can be handy as a cover for Gerard Pique. But Murillo has hardly played this season with 4 games to his name, hence the move could be a risky one especially with the knockout stages of the Champions League lurking. The benefit of doubt needs to be given to Murillo though as he has performed well with the Colombia national team in the past, and the position of right centre-back can be ignored as of today. Andreas Christensen (Chelsea) has been part of transfer rumours for a while now with The Guardian reporting Barca's interest in the player. But it is hard to envision Barcelona signing him in January after the loan move for Murillo. Jeison Murillo has been snapped up by Barcelona as defensive cover Left-back is a position that Barcelona must strengthen. Jordi Alba has been impeccable this season, but his backup Juan Miranda has failed to impress in the limited opportunities that he has been given. Lucas Digne's departure left a void at the left-back backup spot, which must be taken care of to avoid issues later in the season. As of now, no transfer rumors regarding left-backs are in the news. Barcelona should target left-backs though, which may become the need of the hour soon. Jose Luis Gaya (Valencia) has always been a target for Barcelona and is a perfect fit, but it will be difficult to sign him in the middle of the season. They should look at options like Emerson (Chelsea) who is not being given enough game time at Chelsea, and can provide backup whenever Alba must be rested. Advertisement 21-year-old Frenkiede Jong may move to Barcelona in January Strong transfer rumours from Fox Sports Asia in the past few days suggest the signature of Frenkie de Jong (Ajax), the 19-year-old midfielder for an approximate sum of around 75 million. Barca have also put up a statement that they have approached PSG regarding the availability of Adrien Rabiot (PSG). Both these players definitely could be the future of the club midfield, but they will find it very difficult to break into the first eleven with the form displayed by Arthur and Arturo Vidal. There are surplus options in midfield for Barca, which need not be the focus of the January transfer window. 1 / 2 NEXT Advertisement | https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/who-should-barcelona-and-real-madrid-target-in-the-january-transfer-window |
Are the Khans finished at the box office? | January 01, 2019 10:27 IST 'It was a rare year when all three Khans -- Shah Rukh, Aamir, and Salman had a release each -- failed to deliver.' 'The performance of their films at the box office reflected the dwindling magnetism of the star when it came to getting people to the theatres.' Urvi Malvania reports. IMAGE: Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan at a 2015 event in New Delhi. A female spy, four childhood friends dealing with the challenges of adulthood, a teacher with Tourette Syndrome, and a middle-aged woman who gets a surprise in the form of a very late pregnancy. These are the stories that turned profits at the box office in 2018, and none of them featured a Khan, or any other male A-lister. 2018 was the year of the script and the not any one star. 2018 was also the year of diversity as genres as varied as comedy, thriller, romance, family drama, and horror found critical and commercial success. "Today, a consumer has access to so much diverse content that, rightly so, they are not willing to be taken for granted. In the process they have developed a broader 'taste palate' -- akin to when the pizza got accepted along with desi khana," says Vijay Singh, chief executive officer, Fox Star Studios, which was involved with two of the year's most profitable films -- Sanju and Baaghi 2. While 2018 was the year of diversity and content-driven strategies, it was also a year of reckoning for the superstars of the industry. It was a rare year when all three Khans -- Shah Rukh, Aamir, and Salman had a release each -- failed to deliver. The performance of their films at the box office reflected the dwindling magnetism of the star when it came to getting people to the theatres, say experts. "Indeed it has been (a year of reckoning for the industry). Even films with stars that succeeded have worked because these were strong scripts and the stars have shone playing strong characters, whether it's the success of Ranbir (Kapoor) in Sanju or Ranveer (Singh) in Padmaavat," says Ajit Andhare, CEO, Viacom18 Motion Pictures. Viacom18 Motion Pictures was one of the producers of Padmaavat. Another film with an A-list actor which did well at the box office was Pad Man starring Akshay Kumar, and a lot of its success is attributed to the script and concept. "Whilst great content will always see a longer run at the box office, we cannot discard the pull of star power, which certainly aids in getting an opening on a Friday. However, after that it is all about the power of the script and content," adds Singh. Thugs of Hindostan, starring Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, earned a record, setting Rs 50 crore on the first day. However, as audiences unequivocally rejected the film, its lifetime collection failed to cross even Rs 150 crore. Apart from meeting the changing tastes of the audiences, the industry continued to face issues with taxation. "Movies now involve the process where the transfer of rights for a movie from producer to distributor takes place at 12% GST. Film production involves producers paying a GST of 18%, so there is a 6% burden that every film carries right from the first day," says Apoorva Mehta, CEO, Dharma Productions. The government relaxed taxation on cinema tickets recently, but not on the production side. For tickets below Rs 100, the tax has been reduced from 18% to 12% while for those above Rs 100, it has been reduced from 28% to 18%. "The recent action taken by the government to reduce GST on cinema tickets was a step in the right direction. However, the challenge of local taxes not subsumed into GST remains," says Singh. Going into 2019, Bollywood is already trying to remain topical and relevant with the release of films like Thackeray, Uri and The Accidental Prime Minister in the time leading to the general elections. "You are already seeing elections being tapped creatively as topical in few films that are releasing in January. For instance, The Accidental Prime Minister is promoting itself on that platform," says Andhare. Mehta, however, warns it may not mean good business at the box office. "If we look at the movies released in 2014, 2 States was one of the few movies that performed well in that tenure," Mehta points out. "To that effect, the Indian film industry takes into consideration general elections in the country." | https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/are-the-khans-finished-at-the-box-office/20190101.htm |
Why 2019 is going to be a busy year for ISRO? | India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 1: The Indian space agency will have a busy year with several rocket launches planned from its rocket port at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. However, Chandrayaan-II, will be the highlight of the space agency's mission this year. Among ISRO's primary missions India's mission to the sun (Aditya L-1), and two demonstration flights of the small satellite launch vehicle type. ISRO will look to pick up pace from the month of September itself, wherein it will look to launch two UK satellites on the PSLV-C42. In October, the GSLV MK-III D2 is set to launch the GSAT-29. Thereafter, the PSLV-C43 is slated to launch a hyper-spectral imaging satellite with 30 commercial passengers. Also Read | Flashback 2018: A year of success for ISRO "This is the most complex mission by ISRO. To ensure that the first attempt itself is successful, it was suggested that instead of coming straight away to a 100km orbit, it should be 100*30km orbit and land from there. Some changes were also made to the configuration to ensure the safety of the mission," ISRO chairman K Sivan has said. "With all these changes, the mass increased to 3.8 tonne, which the GSLV Mark II could not carry, so cc, with a carrying capacity of 4 tonne, had to be operationalised," he said. GSAT-20 ISRO will launch its GSAT 20 communication satellite in September 2019 onboard Ariane 5 rocket. It will be the first ISRO-made satellite to attempt to move from a geostationary transfer orbit to a geosynchronous orbit using electric propulsion. In the same month, ISRO will also attempt to launch its Geo-Imaging Satellite (GISAT) 1 onboard a GSLV Mk II rocket. The GISAT is be a geostationary satellite designed to provide imagery during natural disasters on a near-real-time basis. Aditya-L1 ISRO is set to launch first solar mission Aditya-L1 in 2019. It will be India's first dedicated scientific mission to study sun. The mission aims to put 1,500-kg heavy class Aditya-L1 satellite into halo orbit around Lagrangian point L1, a point between Sun and Earth. This point is at a distance of about 1.5 million km from earth. Also Read | Gaganyaan: 3 Indians to spend 7 days in space The main aim of the solar mission is to improve our understanding of "dynamical processes of the sun," and help resolve some outstanding questions in solar physics. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle ISRO has been working on a new technology to use the fourth stage of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle for space experiments and this is likely to be demonstrated through the launch of the PSLV-C44 in the first quarter of 2019. ISRO also developing an app for using Navic, India's own global positioning system, in mobile phones and it is likely to be ready before the end of 2019. Small Satellite Launch Vehicle The space agency will also lauch Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), which will be a smaller cousin to the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). While the PSLV can lift 3,000 kg to the low-Earth orbit, the SSLV will be able to lift 500 kg. ISRO has said the SSLV's USPs will be a low cost and faster turnaround time. Its design is ready and the first SSLV test-flight is expected to happen in May, followed by the second one in October. ISRO eyes on 32 missions in 2019 ISRO's 2019 calendar is dotted with 32 new missions, an ambitious record-making goal for the most number of Indian missions in a year. In contrast, 2018 saw about 14 missions against a goal of 18, including the failed GSAT-6A satellite of April. | https://www.oneindia.com/india/why-2019-is-going-to-be-a-busy-year-for-isro-2830273.html?utm_source=/rss/news-india-fb.xml&utm_medium=23.50.225.204&utm_campaign=client-rss |
Who should be the Jim Coleman Honda Howard County December 2018 girls basketball Player of the Month [Poll]? | The Howard County Times, in partnership with Jim Coleman Honda, will be selecting one Howard County player for boys basketball and one for girls basketball to be honored as the Player of the Week throughtout the 2018-19 season. At the end of each month, the designated individuals will be put into a poll, allowing the Howard County community to vote on who they think should be the Player of the Month. The winner of the vote will be awarded a prize. To make an Athlete of the Week nomination, have your coach email bkennedy@baltsun.com by each Friday night at 11 p.m. (Brent Kennedy, Kyle Stackpole) | https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/sports/ph-hs-hoco-girls-bball-player-of-month-december-2018-htmlstory.html |
Who should be the Jim Coleman Honda Howard County December 2018 boys basketball Player of the Month [Poll]? | The Howard County Times, in partnership with Jim Coleman Honda, will be selecting one Howard County player for boys basketball and one for girls basketball to be honored as the Player of the Week throughtout the 2018-19 season. At the end of each month, the designated individuals will be put into a poll, allowing the Howard County community to vote on who they think should be the Player of the Month. The winner of the vote will be awarded a prize. To make an Athlete of the Week nomination, have your coach email bkennedy@baltsun.com by each Friday night at 11 p.m. (Brent Kennedy, Kyle Stackpole) | https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/sports/ph-hs-hoco-boys-bball-player-of-month-december-2018-htmlstory.html |
Which Qld stocks might rebound in 2019? | IT was a shocking 2018 for some of Queensland's big name stocks but there may be a silver lining ahead. Veteran Brisbane stockbroker Charlie Green said Blue Sky Alternative Investments and Retail Food Group (RFG) were among the local companies that had experienced a horror year. Blue Sky slumped 94.53 per cent in 2018 as it came under attack from short sellers who criticised the fund manager's model and how it promoted its own financial performance. Meanwhile RFG, owner of brands such as Donut King and Gloria Jean's Coffees, plummeted 87.85 per cent as it racked up large losses at its franchise outlets. Bank of Queensland lost 23.74 per cent of its value on sliding profits while rail operator Aurizon slipped 13.71 per cent amid concerns about returns from its coal network. "You would have to go back to the Global Financial Crisis to see stocks suffer such big declines," said Mr Green, of Hunter Green Institutional Broking. "There is no central narrative to explain what happened. It is just individual circumstances." Mr Green said 2019 was likely to be a more positive year for Queensland stocks, boosted by a broader recovery in the Australian market, strengthening commodity prices and a resilient domestic economy. The ASX 200 slipped 6.9 per cent in 2018 to 5646.37 points. "The heroes will likely include Suncorp, Aurizon and Flight Centre," said Mr Green, who expected the ASX 200 to be trading above 6000 by this time next year. "Aurizon will be shipping hundreds of millions of tonnes of coal to the coast, Suncorp is about to carry out a capital return while Flight Centre is set to benefit from the continuing golden age of travel." Some of the country's biggest investment banks have backed Mr Green's calls on those companies. Morgan Stanley said Flight Centre was more resilient than investors had perceived it. Half of its earnings now come from the corporate travel market, which is less susceptible to disruption than the leisure market. Shaw & Partners said it is seeing increasing value emerging in Australian financial services shares, which have retreated as home prices have fallen. It favours regional lenders including Bank of Queensland and Suncorp. Macquarie said that while Aurizon had lost its battle with the competition regulator over how much revenue it can make on its coal network, the outcome was better than expected. Coal miner New Hope was one of the best performing Queensland stocks, climbing 36.4 per cent over the year as it was buoyed by rising commodity prices. Other winners included high performance auto parts maker PWR Holdings, Technology One and Garda Diversified Property Fund, which gained 32.4 per cent, 24.19 per cent and 11.86 per cent respectively. Pitcher Partners director of wealth management David Lane said Queensland companies that had become successful on the global stage were well supported. "PWR Holdings continues with its dominance in global motor racing," said Mr Lane. | https://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/news/analysts-reveal-which-qld-stocks-could-rebound-in-/3612856/ |
How did NYE celebrations unravel in the Rocky region? | THOUSANDS of revellers flooded Rockhampton's night-club precinct to ring in the new year with police praising overall behaviour of the crowds across the district with the exception of one out-of-control party. The private party in Brosnan Cres, Parkhurst was declared an "out of control party event, with several arrests made for public nuisance, assault and obstructing police. In the city's CBD, big crowds flocked to the various venues with reports of long queues to get into some bars. The Great Western Hotel was also packed with close to 1800 people for the third and final night of Rockin Rocky, which featured the Xtreme Bulls Australia event (see story page 32). At one stage it seemed the entire crowd was on the dancefloor for Nutbush City Limits. Great Western general manager and part-owner Denis Cox said it was a great night and the big crowd was well behaved. "Everyone was in a really festive mood and there was a great atmosphere, he said. Among the establishments doing a roaring trade was Rocky Kebab & Cafe in East St, where more than 7000 transactions were recorded as patrons chowed down on the classic late-night favourite. Meanwhile, Yeppoon eyewitnesses said the crowds at The Strand Hotel were "nowhere near as busy as Boxing Day night. They said there was a good vibe at the hotel, with a queue at the bar on a night that attracted people of all ages to take in the party atmosphere. While eyewitnesses saw a man king-hit in Yeppoon's CBD during the celebrations, police could not provide details on the incident. Queensland Police were pleased with the overall behaviour of the crowds across the region. Twelve drivers were arrested for drink driving while three tested positive during roadside drug tests. Meanwhile, five people were charged with public nuisance and three for obstructing police. Paramedics attended six assault cases in the Rockhampton region which included one in Biloela plus one at Gladstone; but the spokesman said the victims weren't in an unconscious state. A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said paramedics were kept busy with a lot of jobs during the night around the region, with extra crews on board to cope with the workload. He said crews also attended a number of overdoses and trauma cases. | https://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/how-did-nye-celebrations-unravel-in-the-rocky-regi/3612862/ |
What is CRISPR? | Get the Mach newsletter. By Tom Metcalfe CRISPR is a powerful gene-editing technology that scientists use to change the genetic blueprint of plants and animals and even humans. Since its development about 10 years ago, its been used to change the DNA of living things in beneficial ways creating pink tomatoes and mushrooms that dont go brown, for example, and crops that resist insect attacks. This technology operates efficiently in virtually all cell types of organisms in which its been tested, CRISPR co-inventor Jennifer Doudna, a biochemist at the University of California, Berkeley, said in an interview last May. It was really quite amazing how quickly it was possible to harness this technology once it was clear how it operated. CRISPR (also known as CRISPR/Cas9) could also be used to create human designer babies with specific traits for example, a specific eye color or possibly enhanced intelligence. Most scientists have scrupulously avoided pursuing this controversial line of research, although a Chinese scientist stoked controversy in 2018 when he claimed to have used CRISPR to edit the genes of twin girls before their birth in order to make them immune to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The name CRISPR is an acronym for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, but you dont need to understand that brain-boggling term in order to understand how CRISPR works. In short, it works by identifying a specific strand of DNA for example, the genetic instructions that determine eye color and replacing it by cutting" the original DNA and pasting in replacement DNA. There are other gene-editing techniques, but they are slow and expensive in comparison to CRISPR. What used to take weeks or months can now be done in days with CRISPR. Some modern CRISPR gene-editing kits, consisting of a few petri dishes, pipettes and bottles of special proteins, are small enough to keep on a shelf in the fridge and it can take as little as two days to see results. Beyond creating better crops and hardier farm animals, CRISPR offers the tantalizing prospect of revolutionizing human health by bringing cures for genetic diseases: We are really on the threshold of a technology that is going to enable that to treat it at its source, by correcting the code in the DNA, Doudna said in a recent video. In a series of experiments conducted a few years ago at the Broad Institute, a biomedical institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, scientists used CRISPR to improve hearing in mice with a certain form of hereditary deafness. A researcher observes a CRISPR/Cas9 process through a stereo microscope at the Max-Delbrueck-Centre for Molecular Medicine in Berlin, Germany. Gregor Fischer / picture alliance via Getty Image And in experiments at several University of California campuses published in 2016, researchers fixed defective bone marrow cells in a way that could offer a cure for sickle-cell anemia, a potentially deadly condition that affects an estimated 250 million people around the world. Scientists are also using CRISPR in an effort to wipe out malaria by creating malaria-resistant mosquitoes, which would replace the wild populations of mosquitoes that spread the disease. CRISPR and humans Though scientists see huge potential in CRISPR technology for treating human genetic diseases, theyve generally avoided using CRISPR to edit the genes of human embryos, citing the potential dangers of the technology and the ethical issues that surround its use for that purpose. The actions of the Chinese researcher, He Jiankui, have drawn stern criticism from scientists and bioethicists, who called the work dangerous, unethical and even amateur. They point out that scientific knowledge of CRISPR and human genetics is far from perfect and that the twin girls could suffer as they grow up from genetic problems created by the CRISPR editing of their genes. FOLLOW NBC NEWS MACH ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK, AND INSTAGRAM. | https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/what-crispr-ncna952696?cid=public-rss_20190101 |
Was Mayweather-Nasukawa Fixed? Does It Matter? | If the fight was fixed, the Japanese kid came off as a horribly inept patsy. (Photo: Reuters) Looking at Tenshin Nasukawa flop around the ring on New Years Eve, the word fix had to be floating through many minds Looking at Tenshin Nasukawa flop around the ring at Saitama Prefecture Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on New Years Eve, apparently buzzed and scrambled by glancing arm punches from Floyd Mayweather, the word fix had to be floating through many minds. The three-round, nine-minute fightwhich became a one-round, three-knockdown blowout corner stoppage loss for the young Japanese kickboxing starwas billed, after all, as an exhibition and Mayweather, himself, never hid the fact that this matchup would be purely for entertainment purposes. And, really, theres no harm, no foul even if it was a fixed affair. No governing body had sanctioned the bout and it was not counted as a real fight on either fighters record. Mayweathers paydaywhich ranged from Japanese media reports of $88 to Mayweathers own (more realistic) boast of $9 millionmay be obscene when stacked up against the earning power of real world heroes like firefighters and teachers, but theres nothing wrong with a man picking up a payday gifted to him. The thing about labeling it a fix is this, thoughIn a real fixed fight both sides stand to gain something from the fix. Usually, one side of a fix gets some money and/or promises of future fights while the other side gets a marquee win that propels his career in some way. In the specific case of Mayweather vs. Nasukawa, Mayweathers take was a huge chunk of change for a small amount of work. Nasukawa looked utterly inept and failed to deliver one single positive, marketable moment from the 2 minute, 20 second contest. If the fight was fixed, the Japanese kid came off as a horribly inept patsy. If the fight was legit, he came off as a horribly inept fighter, knocked loopy by a 41-year-old retired boxer who wasnt even really trying. The kid openly weeping in his corner after the fight leads one to believe that he felt the pain of defeat in a bout that, by all statements he made to media before the event, he certainly seemed to be taking seriously. Rizin stood to get a boost to Japanese PPV sales for this Mayweather exhibition, but it still made no sense to bury one of their top young attractions in the pursuit of a few extra buys this one time. And, with the event being blocked in North America, there were no buys to be had from Mayweathers most loyal followers (or dedicated haters). Maybe, possibly. In the wake of the big exhibition, theres been a rush from the boxing media intelligentsia to post pious articles about just how much they didnt care, about how this farce was beneath them and beneath the dignity of the sport. But the attention theyve devoted to, literally, a nothing fight (not to mention the millions of views Mayweather-Nasukawa replays and recaps have garnered in the hours since the fight) is the real takeaway from the goings on in Saitama. Fixed fight or not, the Mayweather name still resonates. People care about what he doeseven if that caring takes the form of dismissive Im above it all posturing. And when you can get people to care, you can get people to pay. Boxing needs more fighters who can make people care about what they do. | http://www.boxing.com/was_mayweather_nasukawa_fixed_does_it_matter.html |
What's in store for Newport in 2019? | Newport Now Business Improvement District manager Kevin Ward looks forward to an exciting 2019 for the city centre... FIRSTLY, Newport Now would like to wish all BID Levy payers, their staff and customers a very happy and prosperous new year. The new year promises to be an exciting one for Newport in general, and the city centre in particular. July will see the opening of International Conference Centre Wales. A joint Celtic Manor-Welsh Government project, the centre will be able to cater for up to 5,000 delegates at a time and has already bid successfully for some world-leading conventions and conferences. The potential impact on Newport is huge. Demand for hotel beds will go through the roof, and the Mercure Chartist Hotel on Commercial Street will be open in the summer. A four-star hotel in the city centre offering unparalleled rooftop views can help to transform the area. Plans to regenerate the indoor market, although not universally popular, will move forward during the year as will the Lottery-funded refurbishment of Market Arcade. More residential accommodation for example, on the site of the old Hornblower pub and Albany Chambers will bring more people and trade to the city centre. Meanwhile, in April the BID will enter the final year of its initial five-year term. As a private company funded by its members, we will consult with all levy payers over the coming months on a new five-year business plan to be delivered between 2020 and 2025. Levy payers will then vote in a ballot towards the end of this year to decide whether to renew the BID for another five years. The BID has achieved much since 2015 but there is still plenty of hard work ahead as local businesses seek to improve their city centre. | https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/17328702.whats-in-store-for-newport-in-2019/?ref=rss |
What will the Middle East look like in 2019? | As we start the tenth year after the onset of the Arab uprisings, there is, sadly, little hope that there will be peace, democratic transition and stability in the Middle East. 2019 will not bring much positive change to the region: Ongoing conflicts are unlikely to be resolved, some may even get worse and new ones may break out. In this continuing upheaval, the United States will certainly play the most important role. The political wrangling between President Donald Trump and the Washington establishment, in particular, is likely to determine the direction of much of US foreign policy towards the region. It is widely expected that, in 2019, Special Counsel Robert Mueller will make more revelations about the results of his investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections. Therefore, Trump will likely seek to distract the public by taking dramatic decisions on foreign policy; the Middle East will be the easiest target. Already at the end of 2018, there were clear indications of this trend. Trump's mid-December surprise decision to withdraw over 2,000 US troops from northeast Syria was widely seen as an attempt to appease his support base, consolidate power and rein in administration officials who disagreed with him. Apart from the continuing unpredictability of US foreign policy shifts, major developments in the Middle East in 2019 will largely be determined by six major issues: the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, the Gulf crisis, the US confrontation with Iran, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and regional rivalries. The Syrian conflict Despite the defeat of the Syrian opposition and the retaking of large swaths of land by pro-regime forces in 2018, the Syrian conflict is far from over. More than 40 percent of Syria's territory is still not under the control of the Damascus government. The withdrawal of US troops from the oil, gas and water-rich northeast is likely to fan the competition between the major external powers in the conflict: Turkey, Russia, and Iran. This is likely also to affect the de-militarised zone agreement in Idlib, which prevented a major onslaught on the last opposition stronghold last September. The Syrian conflict may very well enter a new phase of proxy warfare, wherein the US gives Turkey the responsibility of blocking Iran in the territories that it intends to evacuate. The withdrawal of US forces would also stimulate a more aggressive Israeli approach in Syria. After the US withdrawal, Israel will have to rely solely on its own efforts to counter Iran's influence in Syria and will seek to increase its military activities on Syrian territory. It will, however, face one major challenge - Russia, which controls Syrian airspace. In September, an incident involving Israeli fighter jets led to the downing of a Russian surveillance plane and the death of its 15-member crew. This infuriated Moscow, which has so far refused to continue its close military coordination with Israel. Increasing tensions between the major foreign players in Syria are likely also to delay even more a political solution of the conflict. So far the Astana trio (Russia, Turkey and Iran) has failed to agree on the formation of the constitution committee. Now with the withdrawal of the US troops from Syria, the likelihood of an agreement has become even slimmer; in fact, the entire Astana process could collapse. The parallel UN-led peace negotiations have also reached a dead end. The US withdrawal also means that the US is effectively abandoning its Kurdish allies, the People's Protection Units (YPG). This will likely result in a dramatic improvement in Turkish-US relations and a restart of their alliance in Syria. This will certainly upset Russia, which is likely to increase its reliance on Iranian militias to fill the vacuum left behind by the US in northeast Syria. Realignment could also bring the YPG, fearing a Turkish military offensive, closer to Russia and the Syrian regime. The war in Yemen Despite the ceasefire agreement in the port city of Hodeidah and the notable progress that was made in the negotiations between the warring parties in Sweden, a final settlement of the four-year conflict is still a distant possibility. Indeed, the weakening position of the Houthis following their loss of territory over the past two years and the enormous pressure the Saudi leadership is facing to stop the war in the aftermath of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, may have made it easier for UN envoy Martin Griffiths to bring the warring parties together in Sweden. Yet, the two sides are still convinced that they can win militarily. The Houthis think that the Saudis will eventually have to bow to international pressure, stop the war and abandon their endeavours in Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition, on the other hand, believes that recent progress on the ground, especially in Hodeidah, will eventually force the Houthis to accept their terms to end the war. Iran, too, is still unwilling to help reach a final settlement. Tehran seeks to keep the Saudis bogged down in Yemen so that they would not have the resources to deal with its activities on other fronts in the Middle East. Iran also wants to use the Yemen conflict as a bargaining chip in a grand deal to lift US sanctions and salvage the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) after Trump's withdrawal last May. The Gulf crisis Despite extensive Kuwaiti mediation efforts and increasing US pressure on Saudi Arabia, there are no indications that the Gulf crisis will be ending any time soon. In early December, Saudi Arabia refused to discuss the crisis at the last GCC summit in Riyadh, to which Qatar sent only a low-level delegation. The four blockading countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt) believe that time is on their side and that Qatar will eventually accept their demands. Qatar, on the other hand, thinks that it can weather the blockade and wait for the four to realise that they are in fact shooting themselves in the foot. In 2019, this standoff will likely persist. For mere geographic reasons, Qatar will have to continue relying on Iran to evade the blockade. It will also strengthen its alliance with Turkey and has allowed the latter to establish a military presence in the Gulf for the first time since the end of World War I. The Iran-US standoff Following the withdrawal of the US from the JCPOA last May, Washington unilaterally re-imposed sanctions on Iran in two rounds: the first one started in August and the second and toughest started in November, hitting Iran's oil and financial sectors. Fearing soaring oil prices, the Trump administration gave six-month waivers to eight countries importing Iranian oil. Come May, when the waivers expire, Trump will have to decide whether to fulfil his promise of working to bring Iranian oil exports to zero. If he does, Iran, which is largely dependent on its oil revenue for hard currency, is likely to consider the move a declaration of war. In retaliation, it could act on its threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which some 20 percent of the world's traded oil passes. This would effectively block other Gulf states from accessing the oil market. Although many consider this a hollow threat, the possibility of an escalation is real as the US tightens the noose around Iran's neck. If Iran chooses not to block the Strait of Hormuz, it has the capacity to retaliate in other places, especially in Iraq. It has already urged its allies in the Iraqi parliament to try to abrogate the 2008 treaty which made the US military presence in Iraq legal. Pro-Iran Shia militias have also threatened to target US troops in the country. The resumption of the US-Iran conflict in Iraq could benefit the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, which last year was greatly weakened but not eliminated. Hence Iraq could see further political and security turmoil in 2019 should tension between Iran and the US increase. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict In 2019, Israel is likely to continue taking unilateral measures to establish new realities on the ground in Palestine, taking advantage of the full support it receives from the Trump administration and the continuing turmoil in the Arab world and within the Palestinian leadership. In fact, Israel is working with the Trump administration on two fronts in order to completely erase the Palestinian question. First, it seeks to take the so-called "final status issues" off the negotiation table, most importantly the status of Jerusalem and the right of return for Palestinian refugees. The US has already recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and has moved its embassy to the western part of the city. It has also halted funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), demanding that the agency change the definition of a refugee in order to resume its financial contributions. If UNRWA caves in, the number of Palestinian refugees who receive aid will drop from several million to a mere few hundred thousand. This will also determine the number of Palestinian refugees when the right of return is discussed in any future peace talks. Second, the US is working towards establishing an anti-Iran Arab-Israeli alliance. It is expected that the Trump administration will present in the new year the much anticipated "ultimate deal" to impose some form of settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and pave the way for the aforementioned Arab-Israeli alliance. Normalisation is already under way between several Arab countries and Israel and we will see more of it in the coming year. Regional polarisation As these Middle East conflicts deepen, political alignments in the region create corresponding faultlines and increased polarisation. Since World War I, political divisions in the Middle East have always mirrored those of the world order du jour. During the Cold War, the Middle East was divided between the Soviet and US camps. Today these divisions are deeper in nature and greater in number. They also reflect a degree of independence from the broad trends of the international system. Hence, instead of having two camps, we have now three: the so-called "resistance" axis of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Hezbollah, which is supported to a certain extent by Russia and China; the counter-revolution axis made up of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan and backed by Israel; and the pro-change axis of Qatar and Turkey. These three axes are caught in the middle of a vicious conflict to decide the future of the Middle East. All these issues are likely to dominate the political scene in the Middle East in 2019 and we probably won't see the end of any of them. In 2018, the Middle East was one of the most volatile parts of the world and is likely to remain so in 2019. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance. | https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/middle-east-2019-181231152428686.html |
Is her ticking biological clock sabotaging her relationships? | Adapted from a recent online discussion. I have seen two relationships crash and burn because my partners rightly suspected I was trying to suss out where things were headed and disappointed with how long it was taking. Dating Without Deadlines This answer is almost impossible for me to write without sounding dismissive, so my apologies. You stop it with the father of my children. Because thats living almost entirely in a future that isnt entirely in your power to get and so puts you in the awkward spot of being at the mercy of others. It is this awkwardness that likely pushed away the men you were dating. Theres nothing wrong with you, or with wanting what you want, but you werent in the present with these partners. You werent with them as people you were in your vision of what could be and what they could give you. And there is something wrong with that. Its not fair to them. Imagine if they dated you transactionally say, for sex or connections or security. This is a fraught question, obviously, because the kid question breaks people up all the time. But that doesnt change the baseline message: I like you, even love you, but you alone arent enough. It hurts. Since living and dating for kids has been self-defeating, I urge you to decide instead to live fully in the life you have. As it is. You and all your wonderful gifts. And in the company of men you enjoy for their company alone. Conveniently: No matter the context, embracing what you have has an uncanny way of improving whatever comes next. Re: Deadlines: I can tell you it was a tremendous relief to reach 40, without having married or having had children, and to realize I was still here, with much to be grateful for, despite having this worst fear realized. So, not only try living in the present, but also in that future you dread, too. You may find it has much to recommend it as well. Relieved Well said, thank you. Re: Deadlines: I wasted years not asserting what I wanted for fear of scaring a guy off. By the time I met my husband, I was very upfront about my plans. I was no longer afraid of anyone walking away. Now Im married and pregnant at 39. Dont be afraid to be honest. No Longer Afraid Re: Deadlines: Or go ahead and have your baby. I wrote to Carolyn years ago about picking a sperm donor and am happy to say I have a beautiful baby boy. Im also dating. Theres less time for it, but I dont have to suss out anyones intentions. Its the best idea I ever had. Anonymous Email Carolyn at tellme@washpost.com, follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/carolyn.hax or chat with her online at noon Eastern time each Friday at www.washingtonpost.com. | https://triblive.com/lifestyles/morelifestyles/14459102-74/is-her-ticking-biological-clock-sabotaging-her-relationships |
Should she date an old flame even if he's still married? | Sign up for one of our email newsletters. Dear Carolyn: I rejected Sam years ago in favor of Aaron. Aaron and I are newly divorced initiated by me after 25 years of marriage and three kids. Sam has been alienated from his wife for many years and moved out five years ago at her insistence. Sam initiated divorce proceedings but they ultimately stalled, and Sam and Gina remain married. Sam says he stays in the marriage for the sake of their only son, who is 21 and finishing college. In my opinion he stays married because the finances work out better that way. Now that Im divorced, Sam wants to see me. (We have not actually been face-to-face in 10 years.) I have refused his advances. He is still married, after all. If I didnt want to see him, there would be no problem. Alas, I do. Please provide a long list of reasons seeing Sam is an awful idea. Thank you. Someone Who Wants to Not Want Sam This is your game; I have no interest in playing it. You obviously want to satisfy your curiosity about Sam, so do it. Whatever you decide, the likeliest potential snag isnt that Sam is still married to a woman he doesnt live with and hasnt lived with for years, but instead that you and Sam are operating from a quarter-century-old idea of what its like to be together. And possible amnesia to possibly excellent reasons you didnt choose Sam back then. And possible blindness to the fact of billions of other men/women on earth besides each other. And possible temptation to snuggle into something familiar when braving some time alone might be better for you. So if you do approach Sam, then be self-aware, logical, patient, open-minded, as skeptical as you can be without veering into cynicism, and self-aware (you say redundant, I say emphatic). And, set your bull(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk) detectors to 11. That way, when his reasons for staying married sound like excuses to use a not-random example you will be prepared to say, Those reasons sound like excuses. This posture is the very antithesis of game-playing. Aka, bliss. And if Ive misread your letter and you genuinely dont want to see Sam, because hes still married or whatever else, then dont. Spouse of 35 years is a truly good and caring person, yet lies, steals others prescription pills, and wrecks cars under the influence. We are talking about you. You are talking about you. Yet youve erased you, gone outside yourself both for your problem (the addict) and solution (can one stay happy?). So humor me, please, and say aloud: This is about me. Your spouse may be lovely inside somewhere but the addiction runs the show now, apparently into a tree, or worse. And you are dog tired because the addiction is running you, too. So please get help, for you. (His problem is his problem.) A therapist whose training and experience focus on families of addicts is where Id start, but if theres a cost or scheduling issue, start with the closest Al-Anon group in the book. Please. Soon. Take care. Email Carolyn at tellme@washpost.com, follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/carolyn.hax or chat with her online at noon Eastern time each Friday at www.washingtonpost.com. | https://triblive.com/lifestyles/morelifestyles/14459114-74/should-she-date-an-old-flame-even-if-hes-still-married |
How Much Does a Financial Advisor Cost? | You wouldnt get your oil changed or your hair cut without knowing what itll cost, and yet more than one in five investors dont know what they pay in investment fees, according to a survey You wouldnt get your oil changed or your hair cut without knowing what itll cost, and yet more than one in five investors dont know what they pay in investment fees, according to a survey by Personal Capital. Another 10 percent dont even know if theyre paying any fees at all. If youre working with a financial advisor (whether they be of the human or robo variety), theyre getting paid for the advice they provide, says Kyle Ryan, a certified financial planner and head of advisory services at Personal Capital. How theyre getting paid determines how much that financial advisor costs. Generally speaking, 1 percent per year is a reasonable fee to pay for financial guidance, Ryan says. This should include financial advisor fees plus any fees on the investments you use. Unfortunately we see quite a few that are double that when you add them together, he says. Personal Capital found that a 1 percent higher fee can cost an investor nearly $250,000 over her lifetime. Every investor should know how much their financial advisor costs. [See: 7 Robo Advisors With a Human Touch.] There are three ways financial advisors get paid: Fee-only advisors charge an annual, hourly or flat fee. Commission-based advisors are paid through the investments they sell. Fee-based advisors earn a combination of a fee plus commissions. Fee-only Financial Advisors The most common fee-only financial advisor structure is to charge a percentage of the assets under management (AUM). In this case, the advisor deducts her fee from your account, usually on a quarterly or monthly basis, based on your account balance. If you have $1 million with an advisor charging 1 percent of AUM, youd pay $10,000 per year in fees or just over $833 per quarter. The average AUM fee for a human financial advisor is 1 percent, but theyre often charged on a sliding scale. So the more assets you have under management, the lower your fee percentage will be. Robo advisors also use the AUM fee structure. Most robo advisors charge between 0.25 and 0.5 percent per year. [See: The Best Robo Advisor for Each Type of Investor.] AUM fees are based on the starting value at the beginning of the year, says Mark Charnet, founder and CEO of American Prosperity Group in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. If your $1 million account is worth only $800,000 at the beginning of your second year, the financial advisor would charge $8,000 for that year rather than $10,000. Many people arent comfortable paying fees on losses, Charnet, who uses a commission-based structure, says. Theres also the reverse argument where some investors dont like having to pay more as their account grows. The Department of Labor would tell you this is a good thing: If the financial advisors fee grows with your account balance, its clearly in her best interest to help you make money. Hence why the DOL created the fiduciary rule to try to force all retirement advisors to use a fiduciarys fee-only structure. (Fiduciary advisors must be fee-only.) But aligning your advisors incentives with growing your account is only a benefit to you if growth is your primary objective, says Kurt Hemry, president of Ironwood Wealth Consultants in Portland, Oregon. Investors living in retirement are probably more interested in preservation or income than growth. Other fee-only financial advisors charge hourly, an annual or quarterly retainer thats not based on the size of your account, or a flat fee for each service. For instance, a flat fee advisor may charge $2,000 to create a comprehensive financial plan. If the advisor isnt licensed to sell investments (and many flat-fee advisors are not), itll be up to you to implement that plan and manage your investments going forward. Since flat fee advisors have no affiliation with the investments you use, theyre often seen as the most unbiased financial advisors, Hemry says. You can see how much your fee-only investment advisor costs on Part 2 of the firms Form ADV, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These forms are available online or you can request a copy from your advisor. Commission-based Financial Advisors Commission-based advisors are paid through the investments you buy. Theyll receive a percentage of your investment dollars from the investment provider. Annuities are notorious for heavy hidden commissions but they arent the only culprit. Any investment could carry a commission. Mutual funds can carry sales loads between 3 to 6 percent and brokers may take 1 to 2 percent off of a bonds value for themselves. Commissions are sneaky: Since theyre paid to the advisor by the investment provider, investors dont see them coming out of their account balance on each statement. But make no mistake: You are paying your advisors commission. For this reason, commissions have taken flak for misaligning investors and advisors incentives. Its obviously in the advisors best interest to recommend the highest-paying product, which may not be the best product for the investor. But itd be inaccurate to say all advisors who work on commissions are putting their own best interests before their clients. Theres not a good thing or bad thing in the financial world, Hemry says. Its like saying there are bad tools in my toolbox. No, I just dont need a pipe wrench to change a tire. He used to offer his clients the choice between a flat fee for a one-time financial plan and an ongoing commission-based relationship. Every client chose the commission-based arrangement. There is a place for commission-based financial advisors; the question is if the place is on your financial team. If it is, the challenge becomes making sure its someone you can trust to keep your best interest at heart. Fee-based Financial Advisors Unlike Hemry, who feels he doesnt need to get paid both a fee and a commission, many financial advisors do exactly this. They call themselves fee-based advisors, as opposed to fee-only advisors. This is an important distinction: Fee-only advisors do not collect commissions whereas fee-based advisors do. This is probably the most common compensation structure, Ryan says. Often a fee-based advisor will charge an AUM fee while also earning a commission on the investments sold. A lot of firms are dually registered as fiduciaries and broker-dealers, Ryan says. So at times they can have their fiduciary hat on and at others can take that hat off and sell you products on commission. Its not enough to ask your financial advisor if shes a fiduciary. If working with a fiduciary is important to you, you need to ask: Are you required to act as a fiduciary 100 percent of the time? Ryan says. It would be great if financial advisors wore the fees they charge pinned to their chests like price tags. Unfortunately, this likely wont ever be the case. So its up to you as the client to ask about a financial advisors fees. Even fiduciary advisors, who are required to disclose all fees and conflicts of interest, can do so in fine print. The advisor should give you clear, straightforward answers to all of these questions. If she doesnt, go elsewhere. Also ask for a sample statement with the clients personal information removed. Have the advisor walk you through how the fees appear on the statement. You could then use this opportunity to ask about the rationale for any trades that were placed during that statement period. Given the impact of fees on investment returns, you have to wonder if financial advisors are worth the cost. The answer comes down to value. Financial advisors can add value in more ways than higher returns. For instance, the advisor may use tax minimization strategies to reduce your tax bill. Or the advisor may add value by ensuring your portfolio is rebalanced appropriately. Perhaps the biggest benefit of working with a financial advisor is making sure you dont make poor emotional decisions with your money. [See: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Financial Advisor.] The biggest question when evaluating a financial advisor is if theyre giving you greater confidence and clarity that youll meet your financial goals, Ryan says. He suggests asking the advisor to articulate their value for you. The advisor should be able to list all the things that will be done on your behalf to earn the fee. Then you can decide if a financial advisor is worth the cost. originally appeared on usnews.com | https://wtop.com/news/2018/12/how-much-does-a-financial-advisor-cost/ |
What Is My Debt-to-Income Ratio? | Your debt-to-income ratio is an important metric when it comes to determining whether you qualify for certain types of loans. Its typically associated with mortgage loans, but lenders may use it to determine eligibility for Your debt-to-income ratio is an important metric when it comes to determining whether you qualify for certain types of loans. Its typically associated with mortgage loans, but lenders may use it to determine eligibility for auto loans, personal loans or other types of credit. Its one of those key financial metrics that lenders use to evaluate you as a credit risk, so understanding what it is, how it relates to creditworthiness and how to improve it is essential. [Read: 10 Easy Ways to Pay Off Debt.] Read on for the answers to each of these questions. To calculate this financial figure, lenders divide your monthly debt payments into your gross income (what you earn before taxes and other deductions). For example, if you owe $1,000 per month in mortgage payments, $500 per month in auto loan payments and $500 per month in credit card payments and other debts, then your total debt is $2,000. If you earn $5,000 in gross income per month, your debt-to-income ratio would be $2,000/$5,000, or 40 percent. Lenders often accumulate the data used to calculate the ratio when you submit a loan application, which may require everything from pay stubs to tax returns and bank statements, depending on the type of loan for which you are applying. Additional debt information can come from your credit report. [Read: How to Remove Yourself as a Co-Signer on a Loan.] Typically, a lower debt-to-income ratio is preferable because it demonstrates that you have sufficient income to repay outstanding loans. One important figure for mortgage debt is 43 percent. In most cases, 43 percent is the highest ratio a borrower can have and still get whats called a qualified mortgage, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. A qualified mortgage is a safer, more transparent loan for borrowers who are eligible. An important caveat to keep in mind: Debt-to-income ratios dont tell the whole story about a persons financial health, says Gerri Detweiler, education director for Nav, a San Mateo, California-based service that matches small-business owners to financing options. Debt-to-income ratios can mask some pretty extensive debt, she says. For example, when determining credit card debt, lenders will include the minimum required monthly payment in your debt-to-income ratio, not the larger amount required to pay off your bill each month. A history of making good credit decisions and only taking on loans you can repay is smart for your debt-to-income ratio and your credit score. But beyond that, the relationship between debt-to-income and credit strength isnt always clear-cut. The more important thing that consumers need to be aware of is debt-to-available-credit, says Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com. That metric, sometimes called the credit utilization ratio, is a measure of how much debt you take on versus how much is available to you. It factors into the calculation of most commercial credit scores, unlike debt-to-income, and experts recommend keeping it below 30 percent. [See: 20 Financial New Years Resolutions for 2019.] Paying down debt or selling financed assets, such as pricey cars, will improve your debt-to-income ratio. But that strategy may have an unintended impact on your credit score, Detweiler warns. For example, say you decide to aggressively repay your car loan to improve your debt-to-income ratio. Paying off a car loan may cause your credit to drop a little bit (because) now you dont have an open-installment loan, Detweiler says. While your debt-to-income ratio shouldnt be the deciding factor in what home and in what price range you choose, it can have an important impact on the kinds of loans you can get. And the types of loans for which you qualify, especially mortgage loans, can have a measurable effect on your lifestyle. Good debt-to-income could mean the difference between a good school district and not-so-good, Detweiler says. originally appeared on usnews.com | https://wtop.com/news/2018/12/what-is-my-debt-to-income-ratio/ |
Was ndert sich 2019 ... bei den Steuern? | Die Steuererklrung fr 2019 ist die erste, fr die man sich zwei Monate lnger Zeit lassen kann. Das neue Jahr beginnt nicht nur mit einer Reihe von guten Vorstzen. Regelmig kndigen sich zum Jahreswechsel auch viele gesetzliche Neuerungen an. Was sich zum neuen Jahr fr Steuerzahler ndert. Neues Jahr, neue Gesetze: Zum 1. Januar mssen sich Steuerzahler auf neue Regeln einstellen. Zum Beispiel auf neue Einkommensgrenzen. Denn die steigen 2019 fr alle Steuerstze um 1,84 Prozent, erklrt die Verbraucherzentrale Nordrein-Westfalen. Damit soll die Inflationsrate des Jahres 2018 in den Steuertarif eingepreist werden. Weiteres Ziel der Neuregelung ist es den Angaben zufolge, den Effekt der kalten Progression auszugleichen. Diese wrde ansonsten bewirken, dass Lohn- und Gehaltssteigerungen in Verbindung mit der Inflation zumindest teilweise durch eine hhere Steuerbelastung aufgezehrt wrden, erklren die Verbraucherschtzer. Weitere wichtige nderungen im berblick: Hhere Freibetrge Ledige haben ab dem 1. Januar in der Einkommensteuer einen Grundfreibetrag von 9168 Euro. Das sind 168 Euro mehr als 2018. Verheirateten stehen knftig 18 336 Euro zu, also 336 Euro mehr als bisher. Bis zu diesem Betrag bleibt das Einkommen steuerfrei. Im selben Umfang erhhen sich die Beitrge, bis zu denen Steuerzahler Unterhalt fr nahe Angehrige als auergewhnliche Belastungen abziehen knnen. Angehoben wird auch der schliche Kinderfreibetrag: Er erhht sich um 96 Euro auf 2490 Euro pro Kind und Elternteil, erklrt der Bund der Steuerzahler. Der Freibetrag fr den Betreuungs-, Erziehungs- oder Ausbildungsbedarf bleibt unverndert bei 1320 Euro pro Kind und Elternteil bestehen. Insgesamt wird einem Elternpaar pro Kind im Jahr 2019 also ein Kinderfreibetrag von 7620 Euro gewhrt. Mehr Zeit fr die Steuererklrung Das Steuergesetz ist zwar schon seit 2017 in Kraft, es wirkt sich aber erst jetzt aus. Denn ab dem Steuerjahr 2018 hat jeder zwei Monate mehr Zeit fr seine Steuererklrung. Statt wie bisher bis Ende Mai mssen die Dokumente nach Angaben der VZ NRW knftig immer erst bis zum 31. Juli eingereicht werden. Eine lngere Frist gibt es auch, wenn ein Steuerberater oder ein Lohnsteuerhilfeverein hilft. War der letzte Termin fr die Erklrung 2017 noch der 31. Dezember 2018, kann die Steuererklrung fr 2018 nun bis Ende Februar 2020 abgegeben werden, wenn ein Berater dabei mitwirkt. Und da das Jahr ein Schaltjahr sein wird, bleibt bis zum 29. Februar 2020 Zeit. Jobtickets sind knftig steuerfrei Verbilligte Jobtickets sind ab Januar 2019 gnzlich steuerfrei. Das heit, Beschftigte mssen die Kostenersparnis nicht mehr versteuern. Ziel ist es, so den ffentliche Nahverkehr zu strken. Allerdings werden die steuerfreien Leistungen auf die Entfernungspauschale angerechnet. Das Job-Ticket ist allerdings nur steuerfrei, wenn Arbeitnehmer es zustzlich zum ohnehin geschuldeten Arbeitslohn erhalten, erklrt die Vereinigte Lohnsteuerhilfe (VLH). Handelt es sich hingegen um eine Entgeltumwandlung, greift die Steuerbefreiung nicht. Steuervorteile fr Elektro-Dienstwagen, Hybridfahrzeuge und Dienstfahrrad Wer einen elektrisch angetriebenen Dienstwagen oder ein Hybridfahrzeug nutzt, musste bisher die Privatnutzung mit einem Prozent des Listenpreises pro Kalendermonat versteuern. Fr E-Autos, die nach dem 31. Dezember angeschafft werden, sinkt dieser Wert nun auf 0,5 Prozent, wie der Bundesrat erklrt. Die Neuregelung gilt auch fr extern aufladbare Hybridelektrofahrzeuge. Allerdings ist dieser Steuervorteil begrenzt bis zum 31. Dezember 2021. Wer sein Dienstfahrrad auch privat nutzt, muss ab 2019 den Gewinn nicht mehr mit dem Finanzamt teilen. Der geldwerte Vorteil ist nach den Regelungen im Jahressteuergesetz knftig steuerfrei. Darauf macht die VZ NRW aufmerksam. Das gilt sowohl fr E-Bikes mit Geschwindigkeiten bis zu 25 km/h als auch fr normale Fahrrder. Die Steuerbefreiung gilt den Angaben zufolge aber nicht fr die Modelle, die das E-Bike-Leasing in Form einer Gehaltsumwandlung finanzieren. Die Regelung ist ebenfalls bis Ende 2021 befristet. Neue Sachbezugswerte fr Arbeitnehmer Bekommen Arbeitnehmer von ihrem Chef ein Essen spendiert, kann das fr das Finanzamt als steuerpflichtiger Arbeitslohn gewertet werden. Mageblich sind nach Angaben des Bundes der Steuerzahler die sogenannten Sachbezugswerte. Der Wert fr eine verbilligte oder unentgeltliche Mahlzeit, beispielsweise in einer Betriebskantine, betrgt ab 2019 fr ein Frhstck 1,77 Euro und fr ein Mittag- oder Abendessen 3,30 Euro. Bisher lagen die Werte bei 1,73 Euro beziehungsweise 3,23 Euro. Auch die Werte fr Unterkunft oder Miete steigen: Der Sachbezugswert fr freie Unterkunft betrgt 2019 bundeseinheitlich 231 Euro monatlich. | https://www.n-tv.de/ratgeber/bei-den-Steuern-article20754968.html |
What Does The MLA For Cariboo North Look Forward To In 2019 ? | Politicians, like the rest of us, have New Years resolutions. We asked Cariboo North MLA Coralee Oakes about some of the things shed like to see in 2019, including what can be done about the opioid crisis I think all of us know people in our community who either struggle with addiction or have lost loved ones here in our community. We have to do a better job and we have to be open at looking at alternatives. I am a very strong supporter of recovery. Ive talked with a lot of the First Nations communities and a lot of the health professionals. A project that I think would be very important to look at is a detox center, a recovery center, so having pieces that provide hope for families and people facing addiction. Oakes says she would also like to see the Premier step up and protect forestry workers in Ottawa along the lines of what Ontario has done for the auto sector and what Alberta has done for oil and gas. She would also like to see a Bachelor of Education offered at the North Cariboo Community Campus If we have the nursing, if we have the education, I think it creates some significant opportunities, not just for people living in the Cariboo, but perhaps attracting families to decide to move their families here for great education, affordable lifestyle and just great people. Oakes says she is also concerned about spring frechette this year We saw the devastating damage last year as a result of the consequences of the 2017 wildfire season. We saw compromised watersheds throughout the Cariboo which led to significant flooding, we saw the incredible damage that the West Fraser Road has been dealing with and we have to be better prepared for spring frechette 2019 and the consequences. Its not good enough for communities to be cut off for multiple years or expected to travel on really life altering routes. Oakes says all levels of government need to work together to make sure that theyre ready to address any kind of consequences from the 2017 wildfires. Looking back on 2018, she will remember it proudly Weve had another really difficult year with wildfires and floods and challenges unforeseen by the community, and in every part of the Cariboo I see people consistently stepping up, helping their neighbours, volunteering and the stories that Ive heard as I travel throughout the riding amaze me. | https://www.mycariboonow.com/43267/what-does-the-mla-for-cariboo-north-look-forward-to-in-2019/ |
How Many Tractors From The Jammeh Era Have Been Frozen And Who Is Securing Them? | 73 SHARES Share Tweet QUESTION OF THE DAY There are rumours that many tractors of the Jammeh era have been taken from people but no one seems to be doing an inventory to keep record of their number and secure them until the Commission gives its recommendation. The option is also not taken to unfreeze them and monitor their use whilst the Commission carries out its investigation so that the farmers would benefit from their use during the current rainy season. Foroyaa will try to find out who is in charge of these tractors and what they intend to do with them. | https://foroyaa.gm/how-many-tractors-from-the-jammeh-era-have-been-frozen-and-who-is-securing-them/ |
How Long Will The President Stay In Office? | 37 SHARES Share Tweet If his speech at Faraba Banta is to go by President Barrow is going to stay in office as a president who is given a five year mandate and has called on all those aspiration for the presidency to accept his five year term and be ready to contest for the next term of office. What is best now is simply to issue a press release to the effect and remove all uncertainty as to whether he will stay for three years or five years. The Coalition wanted an ideal situation which provided for the president who comes to office through a coalition agreement to serve for three years in order to give a good example of how to put an end to self-perpetuating rule. A three year term would have been an example for others to follow. It is now becoming clear that President Barrow does not consider that argument to be pertinent. Gambians must however remain focused. The Gambia is 53 years old. It attained the right to self-determination since 1965 but the people did not exercise that right to become a republic in 1965. Because of ignorance the people did not vote to get the required majority to become a republic until 1970. After 30 years the country changed through a coup dtat. The next government also stayed for 22 years. Another cycle commenced on the 19th of January 2017. Some anticipated that the Coalition will provide a standard of best practice by having a president who will serve only for three years and also ensure that he or she plays his or her role in promoting the introduction of a two term limit after leaving office. We should take note of what President Barrow said. The picture appears to have changed and the scenario which seems to be evolving is that the President will serve for five years and still endorse future term limits. | https://foroyaa.gm/how-long-will-the-president-stay-in-office/ |
When Will Land Disputes Be Addressed? | 0 SHARES Share Tweet This column is devoted to monitor and report on issues that relate to production, processing, preservation and marketing of agricultural produce aimed at ensuring food security in the Gambia as well as the interventions of Government and Non-governmental Organizations in this regard. Agriculture remains both a new and old source of national revenue and (youth) employment. Improved public awareness and discussion of the issues involved will significantly maximize agricultural outcomes and the contribution of the sector to economic growth and job creation. This is precisely the reason why Farmers Eye is critically looking at every Agricultural programme or policy to gauge whether our Agriculture and Natural resources are properly harnessed, to ensure food self-sufficiency. In the last editions we indicated that Section 192 of the Constitution states: there shall be established a Lands Commission whose composition, functions and powers shall be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly. This Act has already been passed and assented to, but the Commission is yet be functional. Farmers Eye Column called on the Executive to make this Commission functional, to address the series of land disputes that is on the increased particularly at this time of the year, when farmers across the country are preparing their farmlands in readiness for the start of the rainy season. We dealt with rights and responsibilities related to land tenure in the last edition. In this edition, we shall continue from where we stopped. RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES RELATED TO LAND TENURE Given that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, the governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests should not only take into account rights that are directly linked to access and use of land, fisheries and forests, but also all civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. In doing so, States should respect and protect the civil and political rights of defenders of human rights, including the human rights of peasants, indigenous peoples, fishers, pastoralists and rural workers, and should observe their human rights obligations when dealing with individuals and associations acting in defence of land, fisheries and forests. States should provide access through impartial and competent judicial and administrative bodies to timely, affordable and effective means of resolving disputes over tenure rights, including alternative means of resolving such disputes, and should provide effective remedies, which may include a right of appeal, as appropriate. Such remedies should be promptly enforced and may include restitution, indemnity, compensation and reparation. States should strive to ensure that vulnerable and marginalized persons have access to such means, in line with paragraphs 6.6 and 21.6. States should ensure that any person whose human rights are violated in the context of tenure has access to such means of dispute resolution and remedies. States should welcome and facilitate the participation of users of land, fisheries and forests in order to be fully involved in a participatory process of tenure governance, inter alia, formulation and implementation of policy and law and decisions on territorial development, as appropriate to the roles of State and non-state actors, and in line with national law and legislation. POLICY, LEGAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL FRAMEWORKS RELATED TO TENURE States should provide and maintain policy, legal and organizational frameworks that promote responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests. These frameworks are dependent on, and are supported by, broader reforms to the legal system, public service and judicial authorities. States should ensure that policy, legal and organizational frameworks for tenure governance are consistent with their existing obligations under national and international law, and with due regard to voluntary commitments under applicable regional and international instruments. Source: Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure. Courtesy of FAO and CFS. | https://foroyaa.gm/when-will-land-disputes-be-addressed-4/ |
How many endings does Black Mirrors interactive film Bandersnatch have? | **WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD FOR BLACK MIRRORS INTERACTIVE FILM BANDERSNATCH** Bandersnatch, the new interactive film from Charlie Brookers Black Mirror, has arrived. Advertisement Set in 1980s London, it centres around 19-year-old game developer Stefan (Fionn Whitehead), who is in the process of turning a choose-your-own adventure book into a video game. Along the way, he realises that he has lost his free will, and that some force beyond his control is compelling him to make decisions. That force is the Netflix viewer, who gets to choose what Stefan does, from his morning breakfast cereal to whether or not he should murder his own father. Needless to say, its a trip. There are multiple routes the story can take, and after you get to the end of your chosen path, you are offered the chance to go back and try out a different one. In true Black Mirror style, most of them are pretty grim. We have a lot of questions. Check them out below. According to Netflix, there are five main endings. The ones we know of are as follows (bear in mind, there are different variations to each): Ending one Stefan discovers that his father and his therapist have been using him in a psychological trial called PAC (Program And Control) controlling his behaviour with drugs. He then kills his father. Ending two Stefan goes back in time, after discovering his toy rabbit in the safe in his house, to the day his mother died and gets on the same train with her. He dies, too. Ending three The viewer urges Stefan to kill his father, despite Stefan not wanting to. If you choose to cut his body up, he gets away with the murder for long enough to complete the game and for it to be labelled a great success. At the credits, a very meta clip from a documentary set in the present day sees Colins daughter attempting to recreate Colins game for Netflix, only to smash up her computer when she realises she has lost her free will, too. Ending four The viewer urges Stefan to kill his father, and instead of cutting his body up, he buries him. His dog then discovers his fathers remains, and he is thrown in jail before getting a chance to perfect the game. It receives a bad review. Ending five The viewer tells Stefan that hes in an interactive Netflix show, and that is why his decisions are being controlled. After a fight with the therapist, he jumps out a window, only to discover hes on a set, and that hes an actor. Someone with a lot of time on their hands has drawn out a map of all the possible outcomes, too. Check it out below. The choose-your-own adventure thing is absolutely pivotal in Bandersnatch. At first it seems as though quite a few of the decisions like whether Stefan should have Sugar Puffs or Frosties for breakfast (Frosties, a no brainer) or what music he should listen to will be inconsequential. But eventually, it becomes clear that there are quite a few divergent paths you can take. There are elements that need to go a certain way in order for the story to progress. Stefan needs to work on the game in solitude, rather than in a team. They offer you the chance to do it as a team, but it fast forwards to the games release, and it flops, so you are urged to go back and reconsider the decision. But full disclosure, we played out two different paths at the same time on separate screens as an experiment there really does seem to be quite a few ways the story can go, and each decision causes a knock-on effect to the story. In some cases, we arrived at the exact same scene, just with different options. There are clearly multiple layers to this that will take quite a while, and a fair few re-watches, to fully unpack. For example, on both paths, we came to a point where Stefan demanded a sign to understand what was happening to him. On path one, the options were to send him, via his computer screen, what looked like a Space Invaders alien or a message about PAC, a mind-control programme that may or may not be a figment of his imagination. On path two, we were able to tell him the truth: that were watching him on Netflix and controlling his decisions. This was by far the most entertaining of the two, and it led to a bizarre brawl with his therapist, who whipped out two batons during their session. No, and that is kind of the point. Though it initially seems like Brooker and co are driving you towards a certain conclusion, it becomes clear that there are no right answers here beyond the ones that allow the story to develop to the point where Stefan works on the game by himself. He has to develop the game on his own to get into this choose-your-own adventure loop (the Bandersnatch author went the same way), but beyond that, there are plenty of ways that the whole thing can go down. Colin (Will Poulter), Stefans role model in the game developing world, seems to be attuned to what is going on. When Stefan goes back and changes his initial decision to work with a team, Colin remembers that theyve met before. When the two take LSD, Colin explains to him that there are infinite timelines where infinite scenarios are playing out, and that none of the decisions matter. He suggests that one of them jump off the balcony, and, upon the viewers urging, happily plummets to his death safe in the knowledge that, in another reality, he is alive and kicking. This apparent higher understanding of the situation made us wonder if Colin wasnt some sort of Tyler Durden-esque projection of Stefans subconscious (theres a scene, in one scenario, where he seems to have been digitally inserted, though that could well have been to avoid having to film scenes multiple times with different cast members). In two endings we came across, Stefan murdered his own father. In one of these, having decided to chop his dads body up, he got away with it for quite a while, and managed to finish the game (which then received a five star review from the gamer guy who reviews on the telly), only for it to be pulled from shelves a few weeks later when he had finally been caught. In this same version of events, the end credits features footage from what looks like a documentary about Stefan from present day, in which a woman called Pearl is attempting to remake Stefans game for a modern audience. We then see her in front of a computer, and we are offered the chance to choose whether she smashes her computer or pours tea on it, as we were with Stefan. She smashes the computer, and the film ends. This seems significant, as it doubles down on the idea that the Bandersnatch game is cursed in some way, and those who try to recreate it are doomed to lose their own free will and this suggests that Stefan can only succeed by replicating the actions of the original author. Advertisement We didnt see any other endings in which the game was a success, but we havent been able to get through all of the permutations as yet. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2019-01-01/bandersnatch-black-mirror-how-many-endings/ |
Is Rick and Morty on Netflix? | It is clear that adult animated sci-fi sitcom sensation Rick and Morty has changed our cultural landscape. A joke in series three even caused McDonalds to re-launch its Szechuan dipping sauce, previously only available in 1998. Advertisement The show follows Rick, a mad scientist who drags his nervy and reluctant grandson, Morty, through portals into different dimensions to go on strange adventures. In the US, Rick and Morty is broadcast on Adult Swim. When series one and two aired, UK viewers could only stream it on their website. But since series three aired in July 2017, UK viewers have been able to stream it on Netflix. However, viewers had to wait a week after each episode was shown in the US, for it to be uploaded. Advertisement Dates are yet to be released for the fourth series, so viewers will have to watch this (dimensions) space. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-01/is-rick-and-morty-on-netflix/ |
What time does Everton v Leicester City kick off? Is it on TV? | Get Weekday Leicester City FC updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Leicester City will hope to kick off 2019 in style when they travel to Everton on New Years Day. Heres everything you need to know about the fixture. Everton and City have been chosen to ring in the new year. The clash at Goodison Park is the Premier Leagues first of 2019, kicking off at 12.30pm. It is indeed. Sky Sports Premier League will be broadcasting live from Merseyside, their coverage beginning at 12pm. Martin Atkinson will be the man with the whistle at Goodison Park. Its the first time this season that Atkinson has officiated a City match, which Leicester will have been thankful for, having failed to win any of the last eight Premier League games in which he has been referee. However, Atkinson was in charge when City beat Everton in the FA Cup third round two years ago. Illness struck the City camp before the defeat to Cardiff with centre-backs Wes Morgan and Jonny Evans ruled out. Claude Puel is keeping his fingers crossed on their fitness. Hamza Choudhury could return after being rested, while tired legs could see Puel rotate. (Image: Lindsey Parnaby/AFP/Getty Images) The only definite absentees are Daniel Amartey (ankle) and Matty James (fitness). Everton have an almost clean bill of health. Young winger Ademola Lookman is the only doubt but is back in training after missing the Toffees last three matches with an ankle issue. Despite their defeat to Cardiff, Leicester have the better recent form thanks to their shock wins over Chelsea and Manchester City. Everton, meanwhile, have only been victorious in one of their last seven a 5-1 thumping of Burnley and have failed to win any of their last three at home. This remains the Premier Leagues most-drawn fixture (13/25) but theres been a victor in each of the last seven editions. Everton have won four of the last five, including the contest at the King Power Stadium earlier this season, when Gylfi Sigurdssons 30-yard stunner saw the Toffees beat 10-man City. Everton are favourites, at evens, while City can be backed at 3/1. | https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/what-time-everton-v-leicester-2377718 |
What do Europe's elite clubs need in the January transfer window? | Omnisport FOLLOW NEWS News 397 // 01 Jan 2019, 12:32 IST SHARE Share Options Facebook Twitter Flipboard Reddit Google+ Email Lucas Hernandez, Gonzalo Higuain, Adrien Rabiot January's transfer window does not always feature massive deals, but clubs around Europe may be tempted to enter the market this month. Teams including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich might move for players in a bid to boost their title hopes, with both sides currently adrift in their respective races. Premier League clubs are typically the biggest spending in the world and, with Liverpool's title charge looking ominous, chequebooks may open at Manchester City and Tottenham in a bid to stop the Reds. Omnisport takes a look... LIVERPOOL The league leaders have a strong squad but more cover may be needed, particularly if squad players including Alberto Moreno and Simon Mignolet depart. Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's return is likely to provide a timely and potentially crucial late-season boost. MANCHESTER CITY Advertisement Defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester City without Fernandinho highlighted the Brazilian's importance to the champions. He is 33 and a successor must be a high priority for City, who have used Ilkay Gundogan and John Stones in that role with little success having missed out on Jorginho to Chelsea. City also have a problem position at left-back, where a succession of injuries to Benjamin Mendy have repeatedly left Pep Guardiola using square pegs to fill a round hole. TOTTENHAM Spurs signed nobody in the last transfer window and it does not appear to have harmed Mauricio Pochettino's side. But injuries have since affected his midfield options and a mooted move for Adrien Rabiot, who has made no secret of his desire to leave Paris Saint-Germain, makes plenty of sense on paper. The future of Toby Alderweireld remains a question mark, although diligent work has been done securing many other key players, such as England stars Harry Kane and Dele Alli, to fresh terms. The Club can confirm that we have activated the option to extend @JanVertonghen s contract until 2020. Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 18, 2018 ARSENAL Defensive injuries have hit Unai Emery's squad and a strong centre-back would be a useful addition in January. With Aaron Ramsey set to leave at the end of his contract, Arsenal also need to replace the Wales midfielder and Sevilla star Ever Banega has been linked as a possible signing. Emery may also be tempted to entertain offers for former Germany playmaker Mesut Ozil, given he has been on the fringes despite pocketing a reported 350,000 a week. CHELSEA A striker is top of the wish list for Maurizio Sarri, who has selected Eden Hazard as a false nine ahead of Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud - who joined last January. Interest in Bournemouth's Callum Wilson has been confirmed by Sarri's assistant Gianfranco Zola, with Jamie Vardy and Gonzalo Higuain among the other names linked. Another month of speculation over Hazard's future seems certain, with the Belgium star's deal set to expire in 2020. 1 - Callum Wilson is the first ever @afcbournemouth player to score for @England , and the first player to score on his Three Lions debut since Marcus Rashford in May 2016. Beginnings. #ENGUSA OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 15, 2018 MANCHESTER UNITED United may opt not to invest with caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer only technically in charge until the end of the season. Jose Mourinho wanted defensive reinforcements and this still seems the most needed area of improvement in United's squad, along with more dynamism in central midfield, but the club's hierarchy have reportedly told Solskjaer he will only be allowed to sign players on loan. BARCELONA Jeison Murillo has joined on loan from Valencia to address a defensive injury crisis, with head coach Ernesto Valverde intimating LaLiga's leaders will not be pursuing further signings in January. Philippe Coutinho has been out of the side, though, and he could be sold to raise funds if there was interest. Reports of a possible swap-deal with PSG involving Coutinho and Kylian Mbappe appear far-fetched, though. REAL MADRID Madrid have not spent big money for a few years and there should also be cash left over from Cristiano Ronaldo's 105million move to Juventus. Whether the club are willing to back Santiago Solari, who feels like a stopgap appointment, remains to be seen. Ronaldo's goals are much missed and a forward to relieve the burden on a misfiring Karim Benzema would presumably be a priority. Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric may again be the subject of transfer talk having been linked to Inter before the season started. ATLETICO MADRID Diego Simeone splashed the cash in the last window, with players including Thomas Lemar, Rodrigo, Nikola Kalinic and Gelson Martins joining their title push. But Atletico face a battle to hold on to World Cup-winning defender Lucas Hernandez, with Bayern Munich ready to trigger his release clause, according to reports in Spain. Replacing Lucas would be tough and the advancing age of captain Diego Godin, 32, may be on Simeone's mind, as well as a lack of goals from Diego Costa. Bayern Munich, Lucas Hernandez deny deal to trigger buyout clause. https://t.co/DoIRjFjdUP Atltico de Madrid (@atletienglish) December 19, 2018 PSG It is unclear whether there is any money available for Thomas Tuchel, but the signing of Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting from Stoke City in the last window suggests budgets have been tightened after years of lavish spending in the French capital. Speculation will surround Neymar and Kylian Mbappe while another midfielder will be needed if Rabiot gets his desired move away - Barcelona making little secret of their admiration. Watford's Abdoulaye Doucoure is reportedly a target. BAYERN MUNICH With six points to make up on Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund, Bayern may opt to splash the cash. The club have confirmed interest in Lucas, for whom a deal would smash their surprisingly modest transfer record. Reinforcements are also required in attack with Arjen Robben leaving at the end of the season, Franck Ribery expected to follow suit, and Kingsley Coman plagued by injuries. THIS IS ROBBEN! 300 matches and a lifetime of unforgettable moments in #FCBayern colours. @ArjenRobben #MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/kZ3byaSIi7 FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) October 13, 2018 JUVENTUS On track for yet another Serie A title, Juve have no obvious weaknesses and they spent big in the last window to land Ronaldo from Madrid, a deal that appeared a clear attempt to boost their chances of winning the Champions League. Vastly experienced defenders including Giorgio Chiellini, 34, will need replacing at some point, but probably not now. INTER Inter head coach Luciano Spalletti will also be hoping for additions during the transfer window. Keeping club captain Mauro Icardi - previously linked with Madrid - is a must, but more firepower is needed to alleviate the heavy burden on the shoulders of the Argentina attacker. AC MILAN Gennaro Gattuso's side have also been struggling for goals despite landing Higuain on loan from Juve - his winner in Saturday's 2-1 defeat of SPAL was his first goal since October. It is possible Higuain leaves, which would mean at least one attacker needs to be signed, although Patrick Cutrone has plenty of promise and deserves more opportunities. Sevilla's out-of-favour Luis Muriel has been linked, but whether any signings come under Gattuso - who is under increasing pressure - remains to be seen. Advertisement | https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/what-do-europe-s-elite-clubs-need-in-the-january-transfer-window |
Can Jackson build on work of 2018 in 2019? | Buy Photo Brandon Shields (Photo: THE JACKSON SUN)Buy Photo There is plenty to look forward to in Jackson and rural West Tennessee in the coming year that residents should feel good about as we throw away our old calendars for 2018 and bring in bright new ones for 2019. In the recent years in which local leaders have realized the need revitalization of the area, were seeing that revitalization happen in different areas of the community. Downtown Jacksons revitalization continues as the area looks totally different than it did five years ago. Coordinators of the larger venues in the area have seen a role for them in increasing the quality of life here as 2018 showed an increase in the quantity and quality of concert options for the area. The most telling example of that is how full The Ballpark at Jackson was for the concert in April headlined by Nellie and Bone Thugs N Harmony. Then in June, fans showed up again for the country concert involving Jake Owen and others. That along with nationally-known artists like Travis Tritt, John Berry and Sara Evans coming to the Carl Perkins Civic Center and The Ned provides more opportunities for fans to show up and pay tickets for those kinds of events. The more often people show up and pay tickets, the more likely Jackson is to get more and bigger concerts to come to the area. But of course, the two main foundational elements that will help the quality of life in the area are better education and better healthcare. We heard both of those messages ad nauseum during the campaign for Governor, but its true. Healthcare is something that will hopefully be addressed by the state leaders in Nashville that will make rural healthcare more affordable for those of us who arent in a major metro area. While healthcare continues to be a concern that well watch with the Bill Lee administration coming into the Governors office, Jackson has reason to be optimistic about public education. The fact that the Jackson-Madison County Schools Board, Madison County Commission and Jackson City Council all voted in favor of Superintendent Eric Jones capital plan and joining the public private partnership by a combined margin of 34-5 (8-1 in the school board, 20-1 in county commission and 6-3 in city council) shows consensus endorsement along with votes of confidence by Jackson Chamber President Kyle Spurgeon and African-American Chamber President Charles Adams that his plan appears to be one that should work and change the trajectory of public education in the county for the long term. And those five dissenting votes are coming from people who are bringing up questions that need to be asked and answered. If Jones can provide the right answers to those questions and deliver in a timely fashion, then the voices of the detractors should become quieter within a few years if the district continues to make the academic gains it made in the year-and-a-half since Jones and his administration took over the schools. But just like schools, the area overall has made improvements in recent years and months, but theres still a lot of work remaining to be done. More gains need to be accomplished to continue the improvement and attract large businesses to bring their new manufacturing facilities to the area with a high number of jobs accompanying them. Jones likes to use the metaphor of a person starting a diet to lose weight when talking about trying to improve the schools, and it applies on a grander scale. The people in power appear to be working hard and making the right choices, and theyre getting a few small victories here and there like seeing a pound or two of weight loss in the first week weeks of diet and exercise. Consistent work will increase those improvements, and 2019 appears to be a time when we could see more of those happen. Brandon Shields is a co-editor and reporter for The Jackson Sun. Reach him at bjshields@jacksonsun.com or at 731-425-9751. Follow him on Twitter @JSEditorBrandon or on Instagram at editorbrandon. Read or Share this story: https://www.jacksonsun.com/story/opinion/2018/12/31/can-jackson-build-work-2018-2019/2452938002/ | https://www.jacksonsun.com/story/opinion/2018/12/31/can-jackson-build-work-2018-2019/2452938002/?from=new-cookie |
Why keep Oban study secret? | THE governments intention not to release the environmental impact assessment for the proposed Oban Energies oil storage and refinery facility on Grand Bahama until a new Heads of Agreement is signed is fishy, according to activist Joseph Darville. Mr Darville, chairman of advocacy group Save the Bays, again raised the alarm about the project, saying even an idiot would realise the construction involved would wreak havoc on surrounding ecosystems. His comments come as government and Oban officials are gearing up for a January 7 meeting to negotiate a new agreement for the controversial project. Last week, The Tribune exclusively revealed the projects EIA is complete, however Labour Minister Dion Foulkes, who heads a Cabinet subcommittee looking into Oban negotiations, told this newspaper the document will not be made public before a new agreement is inked. With much consternation, we are learning that an EIA for the proposed Oban Industries has been completed, but will not at this time be made public for scrutiny, Mr Darville noted in a statement. This, in itself sounds most fishy. Even an idiot, without the least understanding about our marine ecosystems, would realise that even the minimum incursion for establishing an oil refinery, storage facilities and mega ships birthing, even with the most sophisticated and modern machinery, would wreak havoc on some five ecosystems comprising the proposed areas. Presently, those areas are home to a multitude of varieties of sea life; all will all be wiped out with the very first application of dredging machinery. We should instead, like wise and sensible small nations are now doing, utilise the natural resources daily available to us to not only obtain energy for our own consumption, but also be in a position to supply it to other entities in the region. If we are in the very least concerned about leaving an environmentally sound and safe country for future generations, we must cease forthwith from selling their birthright for the proverbial pot of porridge. It would take one accident, explosion or oil spill to further destroy the area, as well as the entire extent of the south shore of Grand Bahama. The putrid smells from the refineries will forever create health problems, resulting in deaths, across the entire island, Mr Darville said. We tout the serious consequences on small island nations at the United Nations, yet at the same time we are inviting entities to come in and obliterate protections that they cannot impinge upon in other places. Greed and avarice bring these entities to our shores and we fall prey to their dangling trinkets and magnified false promises of great wealth. It simply must stop. On Saturday, December 22, on the sidelines of a $25,000 contribution to Grand Bahamas Superstar Rockers Junkanoo group, Alexander Grikitis, managing director of operations at Oban Energies, said the company is still committed to this country and its people. We are looking to show our support and showing we are here to support more jobs, and in the long-term Oban has now completed its EIA for our project, Mr Grikitis said. We are hoping to get our permitting going in the New Year, and early January we have a meeting with the government. Mr Grikitis said company officials are looking to provide new jobs hopefully this time next year. We will have hundreds of jobs for Bahamians, and we can continue community support going forward to the Superstar Rockers, and other community programmes, he said. But we saw what they (Superstar Rockers) did and what they are looking to do, and we want to be part of the community, and we thought this would be a good way to start. Oban Energies is proposing to build a $5.5 billion oil storage terminal and refinery project in East Grand Bahama. The governments initial agreement with Oban sparked intense criticism, including points of opposition from several environmental organisations that took issue with lack of an EIA, given the projects risk factors. There were also concerns about the background and capabilities of some Oban executives. The fallout prompted an admission from Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis that there were gross missteps in the government process. While our heart was in the right place, these missteps should not have happened. We must, we can and we will do better, Dr Minnis said in March. In the months following that admission, various Cabinet members have hinted at key improvements that would be made with a new HOA, but nothing concrete has been presented. While in Grand Bahama, Mr Grikitis revealed to The Tribune that Oban would be meeting with the government on January 7. When asked whether there would be any changes to the project, Mr Grikitis said: I cant really disclose that now until we talk to the government and then we will kind of get there. The Oban executive also said company officials have found office space in Freeport. We have identified a location at Grand Bahama Highway, and right after we get through the January 7 meeting with government, we plan to get the lease signed and move the project forward and open the office, Mr Grikitis said at the time. As well as once we get through permitting, we plan to clear the first 100 acres to get an office up and going right away, he added. | http://www.tribune242.com/news/2018/dec/31/why-keep-oban-study-secret/ |
Should all brands include plus-sizes? | Inclusivity was a huge buzzword in 2018, especially in fashion. Brands announcing expansions to their offerings to accommodate plus-size women are proud to call themselves inclusive. But it's obvious some brands are including plus-sizes as a marketing ploy and simply don't know what they are doing. Nasty Gal was blasted for not be inclusive enough and Victoria's Secret was chastised when they backpedalled by saying they would begin to include plus-size models in its shows. PERSPECTIVES Brands were eager to jump on the size-inclusive bandwagon in 2018. In the past, plus-sizes were an afterthought. But now brands are putting plenty of thought into the idea of plus-size fashion. According to Fashionista: But for brands like Victoria's Secret, it may be a bit too late for them to join the plus-size wave and critics are calling for them to leave it alone. The brand recently found itself in hot water after its Chief Marketing Officer Ed Razek said the brand wasn't interested in having plus-size models on the runway. The brand later ate its words but by then it was too late. Fashion and Lifestyle Editor editor of Huffington Post, Jamie Feldman said she doesn't want to see a plus-size model at a Victoria's Secret fashion show: The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say. | https://www.silive.com/entertainment/2018/12/should_all_brands_include_plus.html |
Should old acquaintance be forgot? | Not necessarily. A little over a year ago, I had the opportunity to interview one of the last, living survivors of the Silver Bridge Disaster, William Edmondson. Edmondson, from King, North Carolina, was in Point Pleasant for the 50th anniversary and observance of the tragedy which took the lives of 46 people. I first saw him at the official ceremony of remembrance held downtown, though I couldnt get near him, with well-wishers and other media surrounding him in layers of humanity and cell phone cameras. Later that same day, I received the special gift of being able to sit down with him in a quiet room at the Point Pleasant River Museum and Learning Center, to hear his story. Our lives intersected in that moment with the help of staff from the river museum who knew I wanted to speak with him and they made it happen. I spent at least an hour with Mr. Edmondson, asking him about why he ended up on the bridge and how he survived its collapse into the frigid water on Dec. 15, 1967. With a good-humored graciousness, he took me through his story from the moment his tractor trailer hit the Ohio River, to the memory of his rescue onto a tow boat. During our conversation, a woman politely stepped into the museums library to tell Edmondson goodbye. They clearly knew one another but it took me a moment to put the pieces together. Turns out, the woman was an adult daughter of Edmondsons driving partner that day on the bridge, Harold Cundiff, who did not survive. The daughter, Gina Cocklereece of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, had apparently searched for Edmondson over the years with no luck, though through perhaps Divine Providence they were literally brought together via their separate visits to the river museum just prior to the 50th anniversary, last year. In another twist of fate, these people who were uniquely touched by the tragedy, were living their lives only about 15 minutes apart in different towns in North Carolina. Still, it took the home port (and staff) of the river museum to connect the dots and literally connect the families that shared this rare bond. As many know, the river museum suffered a devastating fire this summer. The original building, dating back to 1883, will have to be demolished. Many photos, books and documents in the third floor attic and the second floor library where Mr. Edmondson and I visited that day, were destroyed or damaged. Still, many other contents were saved though they required cleaning and are being temporarily stored at facilities in Chillicothe, Columbus and at the museums temporary home in the 200-block of Main Street in downtown Point Pleasant. The contents and archives are currently scattered, reminiscent of Mr. Edmondson and the family of his driving partner, or like many others who come to the river museum with a story the staff connects to another and another, like thread stretched across a bulletin board of ideas and purpose. Life truly does intersect along the river in a place that is about more than the contents but the context. This is the purpose of the river museum, or any museum worth its salt. That day, as Mr. Edmondson and I ended our visit, he exited the library while his daughter-in-law took me aside and told me he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and was facing hospice. My heart sank into my stomach for this man who was a survivor; a man who told me he wanted to make it to 88, because that was Dale Earnhardt, Jr.s car number; a man who told me about a bird that landed near him as he floated in the icy waters of the Ohio River and how some felt the bird was an angel, encouraging him to hold onsomething he wouldnt deny. I will never forget that day, or him, as our lives intersected at the museum. He died this past April and I knew about it because the staff at the river museum told me first, putting human context to the contents they have been entrusted to preserve. About his journey to survive, Edmondson said to me, I mean, everything had to fall right in place to the second, or I wouldnt be here. It was that close. Its just unreal. His sentiment could be applied to the day of the fire at the river museum, where everyone made it out and because staff were there to call for help (as opposed to after hours), so much more was saved. Someone was there along the river to take note of what was happening and to see the value in saving history. In case youre wondering, the river museum staff, though displaced, are still there to take care of the contents and provide context, as plans for a new home take shape, hopefully in 2019. Often when bad things happen, survivors want to put the event behind them, and rightfully so, but the fact remains, they survived. Survival will always be the foundation for the future. https://www.mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/2018/12/web1_12.10-PPR-Sergent.jpg By Beth Sergent OVP Editor Beth Sergent is editor of Ohio Valley Publishing which includes the Gallipolis Daily Tribune, The Daily Sentinel, Point Pleasant Register and Sunday Times-Sentinel. Reach her at bsergent@aimmediamidwest.com or 740-446-2342, extension 2102. Beth Sergent is editor of Ohio Valley Publishing which includes the Gallipolis Daily Tribune, The Daily Sentinel, Point Pleasant Register and Sunday Times-Sentinel. Reach her at bsergent@aimmediamidwest.com or 740-446-2342, extension 2102. | https://www.mydailytribune.com/opinion/35140/should-old-acquaintance-be-forgot |
Whats in store for 2019? | Philippine volleyball fans will be in for a year-long treat. As the ball dropped to welcome 2019, more balls will be spiked, blocked, or dug by our players both locally and internationally. Even if we are just on the first day of the new calendar, theres no denying that annum will be an ace for the sport. Local competitions to look out for Two days from now, NCAA Season 94 volleyball action will resume and it will continue until at most February 8 for Game 3 of the Finals. A week after, the mens and womens volleyball tournament for UAAP Season 81 will commence and will go on until champions are crowned in May. The first five months of the year alone are stacked with intense competition from the best collegiate players in the land. We havent even mentioned the semi-pro leagues yet. PSL Grand Prix is slated to start a day after the schedule Game 3 of the NCAA Finals and will end by April. The All Filipino Conference is pencilled in from June to August while the Invitationals follow suit from early October to mid-November. Meanwhile, the PVL season will start after UAAP Season 81. While we have plotted competitions until the end of the year already, this is just part of the equation as beach volleyball has not been factored in. Beach Volleyball Republic will bring the competition to various areas in the country and help train future spike masters on sand. PSL will also have its Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup by May 23-26 aside from another possible tournament in December. The Philippine Sports Commission is also considering a beach volleyball tournament which aims to raise awareness for environmental conservation and protection. Finally, up-and-coming players will test their mettle in various regional and grassroots competitions. Aside from the Palarong Pambansa in Davao, theres the PSCs Batang Pinoy, the Akari National High School Volleyball Championships, the Tobys Juniors Volleyball League, and the Rebisco Volleyball League. Then again, we havent mentioned the international competitions yet. Laban Pilipinas The Asian Womens Club Volleyball Championship will be held from April 20-28 in China. It is possible that a champion semi-pro team plus reinforcements will compete for our country. By July 13-21, the younger talents take center stage in Vietnam for the Asian Womens Under-23 Volleyball Championship. The Asian Senior Womens Volleyball Championship is also booked from August 31 to September 8 in Korea. But all eyes will be on the Southeast Asian Games in Manila from November 30 to December 10. Teams representing the Philippines are gunning for a medal finish as the cheers of a hometown crowd motivate them to achieve glory. While the squads competition is still listed in water, the local tournaments will give us a clear picture on who should don the National Teams colors. Games will be held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. With domestic and foreign volleyball competitions lined up for every month, 2019 is indeed a happy new year. | https://volleyverse.com/phi/volleyball-tournaments-to-look-out-for-in-2019/ |
Has ISIS been defeated in Syria? | Last month, US President Donald Trump triggered multiple senior resignations by announcing the defeat of ISIS and his decision to bring American troops home. The statement has been disputed by the International community, and figures within the president's own ranks. It led to the resignation of Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy for the global coalition to counter ISIS, and the Defence Secretary James Mattis, who will be replaced in an acting capacity by Patrick Shanahan later today. Most of the debate since then has been about the effect this will have on the Syrian Civil War particularly on America's Kurdish allies. | https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/has-isis-been-defeated-in-syria/10676878 |
Why is It Harder to Sleep as We Age? | Insomnia is common among people who are 65 yrs. and older. They complain of frequently waking up after they finally go to sleep. Gaining weight. As we age, our metabolism slows down. Sadly, we dont think of this when we choose to eat snack/sugary foods and have stopped exercising as we did years ago. That extra padding is often associated with sleep disorders such as apnea. Johns Hopkins researchers found that losing belly fat could lead to better sleep. Sleep Apnea. So many people arent even aware of this condition that usually strikes men in their 40s. This condition can be treated. If not, it can lead to serious health issues. Hormones. 61 percent report insomnia during menopause and post-menopause. If youre tossing and turning, your doctor might be able to help. The shift in sleep could be due in part to a shifting ratio of hormones and that is treatable. Prostate Issues. As men age, their prostate gland often becomes enlarged. One common symptom of this condition, known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, is an increased frequency of urination at night. Limiting fluid intake before heading to bed can help reduce the need to urinate during the night, and avoiding known diuretics such as caffeinated drinks and foods like chocolate can also help. Snoring. While snoring can occur at any stage of life, it is more common as we age. Loss of muscle tone in the throat, fat deposits around the neck, and a narrowing of the throat leave less room in the airway hence the obnoxious nocturnal snorts. Losing weight will also help. The Heart. As we age, our heart muscle wears out thus causing heart problems. There is a link between insomnia and chronic heart failure. Chest pain can make it difficult to relax, fall asleep, and stay asleep. And to make it worse, lying down can cause shortness of breath. Changes in the Circadian Rhythm. As we age, our ability to achieve deep sleep is limited. This is one reason why older people spend less time in bed. The circadian function decays with aging. Patterns in this rhythm change as we age making it harder to sleep. Gerd/Acid Reflux. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) causes sleep disturbance, but sleep deprivation also makes GERD worse. Doctors advise limiting food intake after 7 p.m. and sticking to a bland diet. Noise Issues. Since noise tends to disrupt sleep during the light stage of sleep and since seniors already have trouble reaching that deep stage, its no surprise youre finding that noise is waking you before you have a chance to fall asleep, try a pair of noise-canceling plugs. Medications. Were downing prescription drugs to live longer; however, each one has its own set of side effects. If you have, for example, an issue with your thyroid and your medicine levels havent been adjusted, you may find yourself staring at the ceiling instead of getting a good nights rest. Limited Sunshine. Older folks often dont get enough sunshine. This can cause a break in the circadian rhythm, thus preventing a good nights sleep. If youre confined to a bed or wheelchair or arent able to get the sunshine you need for other reasons, you might think about light therapy as a way to regulate your bodys internal sleep clock. Depression. As we age, certain brain functions may teeter. Our cognitive abilities diminish, which can affect the psychological and emotional well being of the elderly. Restless Leg Syndrome. The rates for restless leg syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekbom Disease, climb after people hit 50. This annoying condition feels as if you constantly have to move your legs and can become wearisome when trying to catch some shuteye. Its thought the causes may be related to low iron levels and how iron affects dopamine levels in the brain. Doctors suggest limiting bright lights an hour before bed, taking warm baths, and drinking chamomile tea as possible drug-free options to help alleviate the symptoms. Loss of Thermoregulation. It gets harder to stay warm as we age. Thats because the body loses its ability to maintain and regulate its core temperature. Mattress. Aches and pains, especially joint pain, can cause sleep disturbances. As our bodies change, so should our mattresses. If youre suffering from joint pain, arthritis or any type of tension and its disrupting your slumber, it may be time to consider getting a new mattress. MSN/lifestyle/agingwell/cheapism.com Photo courtesy of Bing via medical-alert-systems.bestreviews.net | http://www.current-movie-reviews.com/50790/why-is-it-harder-to-sleep-as-we-age/ |
Why am I still charged for cards when I transfer money? | Transferwise still levies a 1.5% charge for using a credit card to move funds to the account with them, despite the law change banning surcharges. The company told me it is part of their policy and that as they provide alternative free means of payment they are in compliance with the regulation. AI, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey The Payment Services Regulations came into force in January and banned traders from levying surcharges on card payments. In its response to you, however, Transferwise claims that surcharges are fine so long as they are displayed upfront and so long as they only reflect the actual cost of processing the card payment. It muddies the waters further in its response to me, claiming that the fee for paying by card is not a card surcharge. Transferwise offers three significantly different products at three different prices, it says. Hence theres no card surcharge as we do not charge based on payment instrument. Instead, the difference in charges is comparable to saying we charge X for delivery tomorrow, and XY for delivery instantly. Its website, however, appears to make no bones about the fact that its card service is more expensive because card transactions incur an interchange fee payable to the card issuer. It says that since your complaint it has made its prices more transparent on its website. There is plenty wrong with the surcharge ban because cards do indeed cost traders more to process and that cost now has to be passed on to all customers in hidden ways. However, because local trading standards are the authorities required to enforce it and with shrinking budgets and increasing legislation this is not a priority. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute tells the Observer helplessly: Under new surcharge legislation, companies based in the UK cannot charge a fee to consumers using a credit card to make a purchase or transfer money. says that the law is clear to stop customers being penalised for paying by card and traders should be called out for flouting it. The government and regulator need to closely monitor the impact of the ban, as well as look at the interchange fee regulation and the charges companies pay for processing card payments, to ensure that the reforms have the positive outcome for consumers originally intended. If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number. Subject to our terms and conditions | https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/jan/01/why-am-i-still-charged-for-cards-when-i-transfer-money |
Can Trump play peacemaker? | The announcement by whimsical US President Donald Trump on December 19 regarding the withdrawal of troops from Syria created consternation among hawkish circles in Washington. However, the unpredictable president further infuriated warmongers soon after by announcing his decision to reduce the number of US troops in Afghanistan as well. Now, these elements are scrambling for ways to convince Trump to reconsider his intentions to pull out from Syria and Afghanistan. Troops are likely to return from Syria in the next few months while a reduction in American forces stationed in Afghanistan is expected after some deliberations and consultations. The decision to withdraw from Syria has been interpreted in different ways. The Syrian Kurds have viewed it as a form of betrayal by Washington, accusing the sole superpower of leaving the Syrian Democratic Front at the mercy of Turkey, which is likely to wipe them out from the tiny autonomous territory that they have carved out for themselves during the conflict with the help of America. This is not the first time that the Kurds have been left to face the brunt of any US adventure. After the First Gulf War, which is also known as the Operation Desert Storm, Washington initially lured the Kurds and the Shia communities into rebelling against Saddam Hussein and later left them to be brutally repressed by the Arab dictator. Trumps detractors believe that the fickle US president has made this decision to divert the medias attention from the domestic problems that have been haunting the president since he assumed office. But there are other analysts who think the businessman-turned-politician carries out a cost-benefit analysis of everything to decide matters on the basis of profitability. They assert that Trump doesnt see any point in pumping money into this military adventure at a time when the country needs investments worth billions of dollars to improve its crumbling infrastructure, which has been ignored for decades by successive US administrations. Whatever the reasons may be, the decision should be welcomed. It has created a ripple of excitement among pacifists across the world. The situation in Syria and the rise of the Isis had alarmed all peace-loving elements. Many of them blamed the US and other Western states for the reign of terror that had been unleashed by those who thrived under the nose of Western powers in the region. Moscow and Damascus also criticised Washington for what they called the collaboration of Western powers with Al-Qaeda and other jihadi elements, which also partly led to the rise of such groups in the Horn of Africa where Al-Shabab and Boko Haram committed unimaginable atrocities. It is fallacious to believe that the US forces are essential to the stability of any country or region. When the US decided to withdraw its troops from Vietnam decades ago, the same hue and cry was raised by warmongers and hawkish elements. They asserted that it would plunge the war-torn country into chaos. However, the two Vietnams soon emerged as a single united country that is a beacon of stability and prosperity, making stunning strides in trade and commerce. It is hoped that Syria will also steer itself out of this crisis if Western powers dont pull any strings after putting an end to their physical presence. They would also need to rein in Ankara if they want peace and stability in the region. But this wont happen overnight. A country that has incurred losses worth more than $200 billion dollars owing to the destruction of infrastructure in a war imposed by the West will need time to rehabilitate over 11 million displaced people and account for those who lost more than 500,000 loved ones in a senseless conflict. Damascus no longer requires bombs or missiles. It needs investment from Western countries. Washingtons intentions to pull out from Afghanistan also bode well for the region. But before it completely withdraws from the 18-year war, it must help all stakeholders in the war-torn country come up with a power-sharing formula. The Taliban must realise that they cannot capture the country the way they did in the 1990s. Their ruthless rule with retrogressive laws wont be accepted by the international community, including Russia and China. The anti-Taliban elements mainly non-Pashtun need to understand that their dominance of the state by prolonging war wont benefit the country. They must account for the rightful share of the Pashtuns in various state organs. Many believe that the pullout of US troops from Syria and Afghanistan could go a long way in avoiding future conflicts in the Middle East and South Asia. Hawkish elements wanted to use the American presence in Syria to open another warfront with Iran. With the possible departure of the US troops from the Arab state, the chances of that conflict look thin. Similarly, the presence of American troops in Afghanistan had created fears in the region that the US wants to spy on Pakistan, China, Russia and other states of the region. The withdrawal of American soldiers would allay such fears, reducing the trust deficit between Washington and other regional powers. Anti-war activists believe that the pullout from Syria and Afghanistan is important, but that the US should also dismantle its more than 700 military bases in over 150 states of the world. In addition, they also believe that Washington should also shelve its plans to produce chaos in countries like Venezuela and Iran that threaten to create more war zones. These activists have asserted that the huge amount of money spent on these military bases should be diverted to the American people, many of whom are still struggling to gain access to medical treatment at reasonable rates. Critics are of the view that the Trump administration should also set up a commission to probe the spending of $3 trillion that Washington pumped into Iraq and Afghanistans wars alone. It also needs to conduct inquiries on other war-related expenses in various parts of the world where, it is believed, huge financial anomalies have been committed. These inquiries and possible convictions might go some way in tiding over the massive corruption that is believed to be the part of military and defence-related expenditures. It seems that the Trump administration is keen to end Americas role as the worlds policeman. If Trump wants to translate this dream into reality, he needs to muster public support for this purpose. The people will only support such a move if it sees the material benefits of the governments actions. Ending this role would mean reducing the countrys defence budget that is $681.1 billion for financial year 2019. So, a drastic reduction in this mammoth budget and its diversion to health, housing, education and road infrastructure could boost Trumps popularity and enable him to fight the multi-pronged strategy of American deep state and its acolytes in the corporate media. The Trump administrations decision or intention to pull out from Syria and Afghanistan could turn out to be the first step in weakening the military-industrial complex that has held American democracy hostage for decades. It could easily be done if Washington doesnt open any new warfronts, reduces the defence budget and stops exporting democracy through B-52s. Hawkish elements in Washington are seeking a new confrontation with China and Russia. The writer is a freelance journalist. Email: [email protected] | https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/413111-can-trump-play-peacemaker |
What Premier League football is on TV over Christmas and New Year 2018? | Christmas wouldnt be Christmas without mince pies, turkey, an excessive amount of TV (and excessive amounts of other things) and, of course, an increasingly congested Premier League football schedule. Advertisement Its arguably a blessing and a curse on one hand, you get loads more footie, on the other hand it can be hard keeping track of which days its actually on TV. And thats where we come in, with our handy guide to all the fixtures on over the Christmas and New Year period, and where to watch them Watch live Premier League action this Christmas Kick-off 3pm unless otherwise stated. Matches live on TV listed in bold Monday 10th December 2018 Everton v Watford 8pm, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV Saturday 15th December 2018 Man City v Everton 12:30pm, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV Fulham v West Ham 5:30pm, live on BT Sport Brighton v Chelsea Crystal Palace v Leicester City Huddersfield Town v Newcastle United Spurs v Burnley Watford v Cardiff City Wolves v AFC Bournemouth Sunday 16th December 2018 Southampton v Arsenal 1:30pm, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV Liverpool v Man Utd 4pm, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV Friday 21st December 2018 Wolves v Liverpool 8pm, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV Saturday 22nd December 2018 Arsenal v Burnley 12:30pm, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV Cardiff City v Man Utd 5:30pm, live on BT Sport AFC Bournemouth v Brighton Chelsea v Leicester City Huddersfield Town v Southampton Man City v Crystal Palace Newcastle United v Fulham West Ham v Watford Sunday 23rd December 2018 Everton v Spurs 4pm, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV Boxing Day: Wednesday 26th December 2018 All of Skys Boxing Day matches will be available to watch on Sky 1 as well as on Sky Sports Fulham v Wolves 12:30pm, live on Sky1, Sky Sports & NOW TV Brighton v Arsenal 5:15pm, live on Sky1, Sky Sports & NOW TV Watford v Chelsea 7:30pm, live on Sky1, Sky Sports & NOW TV Burnley v Everton Crystal Palace v Cardiff City Leicester City v Man City Liverpool v Newcastle United Man Utd v Huddersfield Town Spurs v AFC Bournemouth Thursday 27th December 2018 Southampton v West Ham 7:45pm, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV Saturday 29th December 2018 Liverpool v Arsenal 5:30pm, live on BT Sport Brighton v Everton Burnley v West Ham Fulham v Huddersfield Town Leicester City v Cardiff City Spurs v Wolves Watford v Newcastle United Sunday 30th December 2018 Crystal Palace v Chelsea 12pm, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV Southampton v Man City 2:15pm, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV Man Utd v AFC Bournemouth 4:30pm, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV New Years Day: Tuesday 1st January 2019 Everton v Leicester City, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV Cardiff City v Spurs, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV Arsenal v Fulham AFC Bournemouth v Watford Chelsea v Southampton Huddersfield Town v Burnley West Ham v Brighton Wolves v Crystal Palace Wednesday 2nd January 2019 Newcastle United v Man Utd 8pm, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV Thursday 3rd January 2019 Man City v Liverpool 8pm, live on Sky Sports & NOW TV Watch live Premier League action this Christmas | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-01/premier-league-football-christmas-boxing-day-new-year-on-sky-sports-bt-sports/ |
When is Dancing on Ice back on TV? Which celebrities have signed up? Who are the judges? | While Strictly Come Dancing may be drawing to a close, we havent got long until its deep-freeze alternative Dancing on Ice kicks off in the new year and it already looks set to be a cracker. Advertisement The celebrity signings have been announced with names like Gemma Collins and Grease star Didi Conn already lined up to participate although, if you believe the rumours (and Phillip Schofield), it looks as if TOWIE star Gemma may not even make it to the ice. However, one thing is certain Phil, joined by Holly Willoughby (fresh from her stint in the Im a Celebrity jungle) will be back presenting, with the judges bringing fire to the icy proceedings. ITV has confirmed that the series will begin on Sunday 6th January 2019 at 6pm. Yes, there is. And yes, like last year, we are treated to more of the dancing polar bear this time, paired with a super-strong squirrel. ITV has already announced the line-up for series 11. TOWIE legend Gemma Collins, Love Island 2018 cast member Wes Nelson, former Westlife singer Brian McFadden and cricketer Ryan Sidebottom (below) are some of the names involved. Plus, Coronation Streets Jane Danson, former Strictly dancer James Jordan and Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton (below) will be strutting their stuff on the ice, too. And Grease star Didi Frenchie Conn, Finnish pop star Saara Aalto, TV presenter Saira Khan, EastEnders actor Richard Blackwood and Mark Little (below) complete the line-up. The new line-up of pro-skaters, and their celebrity pairings, are listed below. At the beginning of the series, not all contestants will perform on each night. The following celebs and professional dancers will take to the rink in show one: Didi Conn and Lukasz Rozycki Gemma Collins and Matt Evers James Jordan and Alexandra Schauman Jane Danson and Sylvain Longchambon Mark Little and Brianne Delcourt Saara Aalto and Hamish Gaman The rest will perform at a later date. Jason Gardiner, Diversity star Ashley Banjo and Olympic skating champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean will return to the judging panel, recreating last years line-up. It has also been confirmed that former judge Karen Barber is returning as Head Coach. Having been involved with the show since its very first series, it holds a lot of special memories to me and Im looking forward to working with this years celebrities as we start transforming them into skating stars, she said. Dancing on Ice fans will remember will Barber had an on-screen spat with Gardiner back in 2011 after he told her that if her opinion mattered, shed still be on the judging panel. Yikes. Advertisement Dancing on Ice is set to return to ITV in 2019 | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-01/dancing-on-ice-itv-air-date-celebrities-professionals-judges/ |
Why isnt Sherlock on TV on New Years Day? | After it debuted new episodes on New Years Day in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017, fans have got used to associating BBC detective drama Sherlock with the 1st of January but sadly, as with last year, 2019 wont see a new adventure for Benedict Cumberbatchs master sleuth. Advertisement Take a look below for a full rundown on Sherlocks future, as well as some other TV options for what to watch on New Years Day instead. Well, creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss say they would be surprised if they never made any more Sherlock but theyve also suggested they have no immediate plans to make more of the smash-hit BBC drama. Nobody has ever closed the door on Sherlock we just say the same thing all the time and it gets quoted different ways, Moffat told RadioTimes.com in 2018. We havent got an immediate plan, but I would remain surprised, given the collective enthusiasm we have for it, if we didnt do it again. When, I dont know, he continued. I think maybe the time for a longer gap is upon us, I dont know. Theyre always long gaps! And of course, the pairs work on new literary adaptation Dracula (starring Danish actor Claes Bang) is likely to take up a lot of time over the next couple of years, along with other projects theyre both working on alongside it. Were doing Dracula, which is going to take two years at least, Gatiss told us. Were not going to do Sherlock whilst were doing Dracula. So its not going to happen in the immediate future. Never say never, but no we dont have an idea [right now]. I could see us making more Sherlocks, Moffat concluded. I could see us making Sherlocks way in the future. Its not the kind of show that has to come back all the time. It can revisit. Every time Sherlock comes back its a reunion show. Later rumours that some scouting for a new series had cropped up at a regular location for the series were also quashed by Gatiss, so it really does seem like were in for a long wait here. If you still fancy some sort of detective story starring a charismatic lead this New Year, youre in luck! Idris Elbas DCI John Luther is back for a new four-part series that kicks off on January 1st (9.00pm New Years Day), and its sure to be a brilliantly dark tale. Alternatively If you want something a little lighter than still sees someone in a snazzy scarf uncovering a mystery, well, the BBC are catering for that too! Jodie Whittakers first Doctor Who special, Resolution, airs on the channel at 7.00pm on New Years Day, and is set to see the Time Lord face some sort of archeological puzzle (and possibly some Daleks). And if ONLY Sherlock will do for your New Years viewing, then you can always check out an old episode. Advertisement Sadly none of Sherlocks previous episodes are currently on BBC iPlayer, but you can check them out on Netflix UK if youre so inclined. Its elementary, really. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-01/why-isnt-sherlock-on-tv-on-new-years-day/ |
Will we let AI determine our future? | How technology is changing what it means to be human is the title of a recent issue of The New York Times Magazine. Something about the helplessness of that plaintive question says a lot about our situation when it comes to the computerization of life and artificial intelligence, or AI. Two decades into the AI trajectory, were getting a better and better idea of where its all headed. We actually now know quite a bit about the AI future. A major story of the past year has been backlash against the Orwellian Big Brother implications of the hugely successful social media (privacy issues, the hacking of elections, etc.). An article in that New York Times tech issue on the great progress being made in facial recognition quotes an owner of a startup company in the field: If you dont feel incredibly threatened the first time you hear about it, you dont understand what it is. Another piece is about how advances in gene editing put the prospect of designer babies in our near future, a potentially terrifying slope, according to prominent physician Siddhartha Mukherjee. (A Chinese doctor announced his controversial designer baby not long afterward.) But these worrisome innovations are all just precursors of AIs ultimate ambition: the end of the human era, as it being dismissively called, now that it is on its way out, and the start, possibly as soon as a generation or two hence, of the transhumanist era, in which the dominant creatures will be not us but our computers. This likely future is not a big secret. A best-seller talks about how roboticized humans will be like gods to the rest of us - and not necessarily nice ones. Another scenario has us uploading ourselves into these genius-level progeny of ours for an immortality of some sort. I must admit that I dont like the sound of a future in which the body, the whole basis of meaningful life as we have known it, is being designed for obsolescence. Oh, I know, resisting change, especially technological change, has a reputation for being both foolish and futile. Change is inevitable, yadda yadda. (Luddite is not a compliment.) Sure, its natural to have misgivings about new technologies, but technology equals progress. And so on. But we are being told by those who know most about it that AI is a fundamentally different proposition. Previous technologies have been intended as servants to improve human life. And, of course, changing us in the process. Printing, electricity and the automobile have all shaped us. But AI would by definition transcend the role of servant. According to the late Stephen Hawking, Once humans develop artificial intelligence, it will take off on its own and redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate. Taking off on its own, it might, for instance, come up with the brilliant solution of simply eliminating the outmoded, vulnerable creature for whom cancer (or climate change) is a problem. (AI itself would of course not be susceptible.) What will become of us? What indeed. At this point, despite our misgivings, we as consumers of ever-cleverer phones and Alexas (voting with our dollars, as economists say) only accelerate the push toward the AI future. Trusting the dubiously motivated moguls of Silicon Valley with the design of the human future is a little like trusting the oil industry to lead the charge on climate change. Brent Harold of Wellfleet, a former English professor, blogs at www.capecodonline.com. Email him at kinnacum@gmail.com. | https://www.capecodtimes.com/opinion/20190101/will-we-let-ai-determine-our-future |
Who is new Luther star Wunmi Mosaku? | Luther has a new sidekick: actor Wunmi Mosaku is joining the cast of the BBC1 crime drama for series five. Advertisement The star has had an impressive career, winning a Best Supporting Actress Bafta in 2017 for her role in the BBCs Damilola, Our Loved Boy. Find out more about her performances to date below. 32-year-old British Nigerian actress Wunmi Mosaku graduated from drama school Rada in 2007. Her first major role came in 2009 BBC2 drama Moses Jones alongside Shaun Parkes. Then, in 2010, she led the cast of Channel 4 TV movie I Am Slave, and was named one of the Seven Fresh Faces of the Toronto International Film Festival for her role as a girl kidnapped in Sudan and sold into slavery. Roles in TV dramas including BBC1s Capital and BBC2s Dancing on the Edge followed, along with an appearance in Netflix Black Mirror episode Playtest. But it was her 2017 role in one-off BBC drama Damilola, Our Loved Boy that really established Mosaku as a star to be reckoned with. She played Gloria Taylor, the mother of Damilola, the ten-year-old boy stabbed to death on a London estate in 2000. The drama tells the story of the Taylor parents fight for justice for their son. The role won her best supporting actress at the 2017 Bafta TV Awards, becoming only the second black woman to win a Bafta in the awards 62-year history. The scary thing is that I sometimes think, Oh, Ive won a Bafta. This could be the top of the precipice, she told the Telegraph afterwards but it doesnt seem that way. Iv just discovered all these hidden msgs of love&congrats!Thankyou for your overwhelming support #DamilolaOurLovedBoy @BAFTA #imaluddite Wunmi Mosaku (@wunmo) May 16, 2017 She followed that performance up with a leading role in ITV crime thriller Fearless, appeared in Channel 4 and Netflix comedy The End of the F***ing World, and kicked off 2018 with another police role in Channel 4 drama Kiri, written by Harry Potter and the Cursed Child playwright Jack Thorne. Now, shes set to star opposite Idris Elba in BBC1 police drama Luther and, yes, that means another police role for Mosaku. Im cool with it when I see it all being put on, she said. Im not very good at watching it, I dont like watching thrillers but Im good on set. On set I can see blood and Im like, Ooh, squished banana. But when it actually comes down to watching it, Im completely different. Advertisement Dont worry: if all the gruesome stuff gets a bit much, theres always CBeebies. Mosaku has joined the likes of Tom Hardy, David Tennant and Chris Evans as one of CBeebies Bedtime Story readers. Check out her tale below | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-01/who-is-new-luther-star-wunmi-mosaku/ |
What time is Doctor Who on TV? | Advertisement Luckily for you, we have the answers The next episode of Doctor Who, New Years Day special Resolution, will air on BBC1 on January 1st, 2019 at 7.00pm. The hour-long episode will see the Doctor and her friends return to present-day Sheffield to battle a terrifying evil, which appears to have been buried under the city for decades. There are a few potential reasons for why Doctor Who moved from Saturdays to Sunday evenings this year (mostly that Sunday is more associated with TV drama, especially in the autumn/winter), and weve gone into some possible motives behind the big shake-up here. New Doctor, new home! showrunner Chris Chibnall said in a release. Jodie Whittakers Doctor is about to burst into Sunday nights and make the end of the weekend so much more exciting. Get everybodys homework done, sort out your Monday clothes, then grab some special Sunday night popcorn, and settle down with all of the family for Sunday night adventures across space and time. (Also, move the sofa away from the wall so parents can hide behind it during the scary bits). The Thirteenth Doctor is falling from the sky and its going to be a blast. With Chris Chibnall at the helm and Jodie Whittakers arrival as the new Doctor we are heralding a brand new era for the show and so it feels only right to give it a new home on Sunday nights at the heart of BBC Ones Autumn schedule, added BBC Director of Content Charlotte Moore. The New Years Day special will air on a Tuesday. Doctor Who series 11 had one 65-minute opening episode, followed by nine 50-minute episodes, making for a 10-week series overall. The confirmed New Years Day special is a separate episode, bringing the total up to 11 as a whole. In other words, it was a whole autumn and winter chock-full of Doctor Who goodness. Hip hip, Who-ray! Well, as weve mentioned above there wont be one, because this year the Doctor Who team have elected to have a New Years Day special instead. Advertisement Doctor Who continues on BBC1 on New Years Day | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2019-01-01/when-is-doctor-who-back-on-tv/ |
When is Chinese New Year 2019 and what animal is it? | Many of us are starting our recovery from last nights New Years Eve celebrations but the focus will soon be shifting to Chinese New Year. British woman sexually assaulted during massage at five star hotel The annual event celebrates the start of a new year according to the Chinese calendar which dates back to somewhere between 800 and 400 BC. It is part of the Spring Festival which is held in China and each new year is represented by one of 12 different animals. Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year and follows the lunar calendar rather than the Gregorian. Chinese New Year will be on Tuesday 5 February 2019. The celebrations for Chinese New Year are spread across 23 days, starting on Monday 28 January. This starts first period is known as Little Year that runs from Monday 28 January and it continues until New Years Eve. Advertisement Advertisement It is during the Spring Festival that Chinese New Year officially begin on 5 February and the celebrations continue until Saturday 19 February. Preparations for the Lantern Festival then begin on Wednesday 16 February with the event itself being held on Saturday 19 February this year. The Chinese Zodiac runs on a cycle of 12 years, with each year denoting one of the 12 animals. The 12 animals are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Intriguingly, there are different varieties of these animals too Next year is known as the year of the Pig and more specifically, 2019 will be the year of the earth dog. 2018 was the year of the Dog. MORE: Shop opening times on New Years Day 2019 | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/01/chinese-new-year-2019-animal-2-8298468/ |
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