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Local business owner making a Town Council run | Read more: The Recorder
A local business owner and Zoning Board of Appeals member has taken out nomination papers for a four-year at-large seat on the Town Council.
Start the conversation, or Read more at The Recorder. |
Ex Graphic Boss Ken Ashigbey now Telecom's Chamber CEO | The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications (Telecoms Chamber) has announced the appointment of Mr Kenneth Ashigbey as Chief Executive Officer.
He assumes duty on November 1, 2017.
Mr Ashigbey will join the Chamber from the Graphic Communications Group Limited, where he has been the Managing Director.
He was previously the CEO at Optimum Media Prime (OMP) and also worked as the Chief Technology Officer at the Multimedia Group Ltd.
In a statement issued in Accra last night, Ms Yolanda Cuba, Chair of the Chamber, said “we welcome Kenneth to the Chamber. With a customer base of more than 19 million unique subscribers in Ghana, the mobile industry continues to change how we communicate. We look forward to working with Ken to deliver a lot more excitement to customers.”
On his part Mr Ashigbey said, “I am honoured to be joining the industry at such a time of significant opportunities, despite the progress made. The Chamber will continue to positively impact the lives of Ghanaians by advocating the right policy, legal and regulatory environment.”
He expressed appreciation for the tremendous work done by his predecessor, Mr Kwaku Sakyi-Addo and remained confident that “together, we can build on that”.
Mr Ashigbey holds an MBA from the Leicester University and a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering from the (KNUST). – Graphic Online |
11 Gut-Busting Philly Cheesesteaks to Try in Los Angeles | While Los Angeles may not be the originator of the gut-busting behemoth known as the cheesesteak, our great city certainly has some fantastic iterations of Philly's tastiest export. Spanning from the Valley down to the South Bay, there are plenty of places to get your fill of the cheesy sandwich, often with a choice of the traditional toppings of provolone, American, or Cheez Wiz.
Start the conversation, or Read more at Eater. |
Actor Kevin McKidd splashes out on £2m LA home for his new wife and baby | The house is ‘a family-sized residence on a pretty, tree-lined street in Sherman Oaks’
He splashed out £2.2million for the five-bed, six bathroom home in the Sherman Oaks suburb of Los Angeles.
The Grey’s Anatomy actor, 44, finalised a divorce deal in December with Jane Parker, his wife of 17 years, in which she received two homes and £65,000 a month in support. She will also pocket 20 per cent of his earnings above £2.2millon.
McKidd – who worked in a distillery as a teenager – will move into his new home next month with private chef Arielle Goldrath and their baby boy Aiden, who was born two weeks ago.
According to the estate agency who brokered the sale, the house is “a family-sized residence on a pretty, tree-lined street in Sherman Oaks”.
The blurb continues: “The two-storey home has white-oak floorboards and a camera-equipped security system in a bit more than 4,800 square feet. |
Delivery boom changing everything about restaurants | (USA TODAY) — NEW YORK – Micha Magid would prefer that guests grab a table to enjoy the sweet corn fritters, chicken wings and “brontosaurus” ribs served at Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue, his restaurant chain.
But so many diners want their food delivered to their front doors instead, the eateries have to carve out valuable space solely dedicated to fulfilling those orders.
“If we have our preference, everyone would come to the restaurant,” says Magid, one of Mighty Quinn’s co-founders. “You get a much better experience when food doesn’t have to travel for 15 minutes. It’s hotter and better … But if someone wants to stay home and get great barbecue, we want to deliver that.’’ |
Broncos coach Gary Kubiak officially steps down | 0:36 All Area Cross Country Pause
0:55 Bradenton Christian boys basketball falls short of a repeat, but Bayshore's girls won their fourth straight Smoothie King Classic
2:15 The zany 9th Annual Shamrock Shiver Charity Plunge
3:03 Talkback: Mark Young talks about Vice Mayor Gene Gallo's tragic loss of his wife
0:49 Gene Gallo reflects on the loss of his wife
1:17 Samoset Neighborhood Association looks to 2017 for continued improvements
0:55 Woman saves neighbor's 80-pound mastiff in Christmas day fire
0:40 Suspect in armed robbery of Bradenton convenience store arrested
2:02 Manatee County residents fear heavy manufacturing will change lifestyle |
Pit Bull Attacks, Kills 77-Year-Old Suburban Illinois Woman | Please enable Javascript to watch this video
ALSIP, Ill. – Police shot and killed a pit bull that mauled a 77-year-old woman to death in the yard of a suburban Illinois home Monday afternoon, according to WGN.
Officers responded to Komensky Avenue and 116th Street in Alsip after a young man walking his dog saw the attack and called police.
When they arrived, police say the dog was still aggressive and they were forced to shoot it. Officers tried to give the woman first aid but it was too late. Police said the woman lived at that address and that the 6-year-old pit bull was a pet in the home.
"It was pretty horrific," Alsip Deputy Chief Shawn Schuldt told Alsip Patch. "If I go through the rest of my career without seeing something like this, that would be a good thing. I feel extremely bad for the family and we offer them our condolences."
Schuldt said the dog appeared well cared for and that the department had never received any prior calls from residents or neighbors reporting the animal behaving aggressively.
No word yet if anyone else was at the home when the attack happened. |
Train Derails Near Crozet Area, Crews Work to Re-rail 8 Cars | Right now, it's unclear how the derailment happened.
Work crews are trying to re-rail eight cars that went off the tracks on a CSX railroad accident that happened on Sunday, March 18.
Right now, the 220-car train currently has a four car gap. Two cars are back on the tracks-- but the remaining four will involve the use of a crane to re-rail.
Albemarle County police says the derailment occurred around 3:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon along the tracks of Greenwood Station Road.
Buckingham Branch Crews add that there were no fatalities or injuries.
Right now there is still no word of how this derailment happened. |
Penn survives OT, beats Brown to stay undefeated in Ivy | PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Caleb Wood had 17 of his 22 points during the second half and overtime to help Pennsylvania beat Brown 95-90 on Friday night.
The Quakers (14-6, 4-0 Ivy League) closed on a 6-0 run over the final 1:11 of overtime.
The Bears (9-9, 2-3) trailed 93-90 when Zach Hunsaker missed a 3-point attempt with five seconds left. Wood made 1 of 2 free throws with four seconds left and Max Rothschild added another free throw in the final second.
Penn also scored the final six points of regulation, all on free throws, while Brown missed three field-goal attempts over the final three minutes of the period.
Antonio Woods added 21 points, Ryan Betley had 16, Rothschild 15 and Darnell Foreman 12 for Penn.
Desmond Cambridge had 29 points to lead Brown, the second-highest output of his freshman season. Brandon Anderson added 18 points, Hunsaker scored 14 and Tamenang Choh 12.
Brown made seven more field goals than Penn (35-28), but the Quakers had 44 foul shots and made 30 compared to the Bears who made 12 of 19 from the foul line. |
Yuvraj Thakur Talks About His True Passion For Acting And Running In This Exclusive Interview | We all remember Yuvraj Thakur as a boy next door from the hit TV show 'Hum Se Hai Life'. Beneath this cute and romantic facade, there is a man who is passionate not just about his acting but also running. Running is not just a hobby, but a way of life for him. We talked to the famous Indie star to know what keeps him going and how acting and running inspire him to keep doing great stuff. Here's what he had to say.
1. Running To Feel Liberated
Yuvraj played football in school and that's where he started running - it was a part of his training. With time, as he started acting, his schedule got very hectic and he discovered he barely got time to himself. He started running to give himself space and clear his mind. During those couple of hours he felt so liberated that he made running a part of his life. It's no more a sport for him. He runs to introspect, gain a perspective on life and stop anticipating the future. It helps him to live in the present and feel free of the past. Though his fitness routine includes playing football, mix martial arts, parkour, and calisthenics running is what he enjoys the most as it makes him feel better about himself. As he said, “No matter what happens or where I am I always go for a run.”
2. His Journey As An Actor And Runner
Thakur believes running taught him a lot of important things but the most important learning was to prove himself every time life tossed him a curve ball. He's seen a lot of ups and down in his acting career but one thing that's always brought him back stronger is running. It helps him stay grounded when he's on a high. It makes him cherish life and keep trying to succeed when things aren't going so great. Both acting and running are the two things which help him reflect and become better than before.
2. On Overcoming Hurdles
Heard my favourite song. I can't listen to it anymore? A post shared by Yuvraj Thakur (@yuv_thehuman) on May 2, 2017 at 11:29pm PDT
His fitness journey has been an interesting one with some hurdles and injuries, but he goes the extra mile and keeps pushing himself. According to him, his biggest hurdle is himself and his thoughts. His physical injuries have taught him to keep moving. He once ran from Lokhandwala to Carter Road in Mumbai when he was angry, in just 1 hour 08 mins. That's approximately 14kms! Not only did it help him release steam but he bettered his personal record. It was a significant step in his journey of self-improvement.
4. The Take-Away
Yuvraj believes in not stressing out too much. According to him, life has its own rhythm, so one should relax when their body says so. He also believes in the power of simplicity. But it's not as easy as it looks and requires patience to embrace. That's why, for him, running is not about keeping targets but the feeling of being free. He applies the same belief to his personal and professional life to keep a healthy balance. He lets go of things to enjoy life. Surrendering to that moment makes him feel liberated from everything else.
5. His Idols
He is a huge fan of martial art legend, Bruce Lee. His fitness and life philosophies have always inspired Yuvraj and he feels that a part of him is wired to Bruce Lee. As a kid, Thakur also admired Goku's character from Dragon Ball Z. His love and compassion for others and his dedication to his work is what made Yuvraj his fan.
6. Tips For Aspiring Youngsters
What's on your mind today! #OOTD #airforce1 #nikesportswear A post shared by Yuvraj Thakur (@yuv_thehuman) on May 3, 2017 at 9:00pm PDT
Running is an important part of Thakur's life because it liberates him and he gets to know himself better. He urges everyone to just enjoy running and not think of it as your training. He advises to people remember that there is no competition - It's not about defeating others but about defeating your own weaknesses.
7. His Cool NIKEiD Story
Finally! They are home. You can get anything anywhere but you ain't getting NOTHING! because nothing is everywhere and nothing is nowhere. #nikeid #mymagicalshoes #oneandonly #nikerunning #outrunexpectations A post shared by Yuvraj Thakur (@yuv_thehuman) on May 20, 2017 at 4:11am PDT
He recently designed a customized NIKEiD shoe, which he thinks is unique and cool because there is no pattern to it. He chose the colour scheme so that no pattern could be made out of it. He even got NOTHING written on his shoes for the same reason. He did this because he believes that everyone is stuck in a pattern these days - Be it a job or a workout routine, everything is done in a particular way. To break this monotony, Yuvraj came up with his unique NIKEiD. When he runs, he doesn't know where he will end up and the same goes with the colours of his shoes. He symbolizes how he wants his life's journey to be - unpredictable.
Inspired by his story and can't get more? Start moving with the Nike + Run Club App or sign up for a weekly session here. To keep up with Yuvraj's inspiring journey, follow him on Instagram. You can create your own custom NIKEiDs at Nike.com.
Main Image: Instagram |
HMS Sultan weekend promises to be a big hit | STAFF at HMS Sultan are gearing up for this year’s summer show.
Running on Saturday and Sunday this weekend, organisers are expecting thousands of people to be in attendance, with a whole host of attractions on display.
One such display is the Squibb Freestyle Stunt Team; starring three-time British Motorcycle Freestyle Champion Jamie Squibb, they will be performing at the show for the very first time.
Described by event organisers as featuring the biggest and best moves, the team uses portable ramps, allowing them to reach massive heights, all in the name of aerial acrobatics.
Other displays at the show include the Atkinson Action Horses – featuring four-legged stars from TV shows such as Poldark and Peaky Blinders – and the Rockwood Dog Display Team.
There is free parking at the event and dogs on leads are welcome.
Doors will be open from 10am to 6pm on both days – for more information, or to order tickets, go to hmssultan.ticketsrv.co.uk. |
Cenovus to buy oil and gas assets from ConocoPhillips for $17.7 bln | March 29 Canada's Cenovus Energy Inc said it would buy ConocoPhillips' 50 percent stake in an oilsands venture owned by the two companies, and some oil and gas assets held by the U.S. company in Alberta and British Columbia for $17.7 billion.
The company said the assets being bought are expected to produce about 298,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2017. (Reporting by Komal Khettry in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta) |
Flame Detectors Market by Product | Flame detectors are built to detect as well as respond to smoke, fire or flame presence. They detect the unique optical characteristics of flames.
Start the conversation, or Read more at SBWire. |
Tunkhannock shooting victim mourned | BUTCH COMEGYS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Flowers remain as part of a memorial in front of Weis Market on Monday evening in Eaton Twp., in memory of the three employees who were killed last week by a co-worker who later killed himself. TUNKHANNOCK - Flowers, candles and notes, a memorial for the fallen, remained in front of the Weis Market along Hunter Highway on Monday night.
Start the conversation, or Read more at The Citizens' Voice. |
Sexy Valentine's Day art goes on sale at Sotheby’s London, for the first time ever | Romantic love has long inspired artists, writers and musicians, and so has its consummation. In honor of Valentine’s Day, auction house Sotheby’s London is putting together its first-ever sale of erotic art. Titled “Erotic: Passion & Desire,” the auction is now showing 107 sexy lots from antiquity to modern days, which open for bidding on Feb. 16.
Artworks include European paintings and sculptures of nude baigneuses, Picasso’s sketches of a woman caressing herself, graphic Chinese scrolls and a collection of Japanese shunga (of course). And then there are the really titillating objects, such as a table with phalluses for legs (dedicated to Catherine the Great), and an x-rated x-ray image.
A painted plywood table, after that supposedly delivered to Catherine the Great.
Pablo Picasso, Nu couché, 1972.
Nicolaes Pietersz. Berchem and studio. Jupiter disguised as Diana seducing the nymph Callisto.
Pop pin-up girls by Mel Ramos, Tomato Catsup, A.C. Annie; Lola Cola and Tobacco Red.
Jacques Loysel, La Grande Névrose, white marble, circa 1896.
Ettore Sottsass, ‘Shiva’ Vase, designed 1973.
Egon Schiele, Akt (Nude), 1917.
Clive Barker, Girl and her Pussy.
Camille Bombois, Baigneuses Surprises (Surprised Bathers).
French bed, 19th century.
North Indian painting, probably Bilaspur, circa 1700-40.
A couple making acrobatic love on a lake, Mewar, North India, 18th century.
German snuff boxes from the mid-18th century.
All images courtesy of Sotheby’s. |
Atheist Calls on 'Holy Trinity of Science' to Guide Lawmakers in Bizarre Iowa Invocation Prayer | A member of an atheist organization delivered an opening invocation before the Iowa House of Representatives last week, in which he invoked "the holy trinity of science made up of reason, observation and experience" to guide the lawmakers.
(PHOTO: FACEBOOK/JUSTIN SCOTT) Members of the Iowa House of Representatives listen to Justin Scott of the Eastern Iowa Atheists during his invocation.
It was the first time that the state's legislative body allowed a professing atheist to offer the morning invocation. The body has a longstanding tradition of opening its meetings with prayers, which are typically offered by local pastors, according to Christian News.
"As you convene here in the people's House, let me implore this body to invoke the holy trinity of science," Justin Scott of the Eastern Iowa Atheists organization said.
"This trinity has allowed humanity to explore the deep reaches of space, develop life-saving medicines, and vastly improve the human experience," he added.
Scott mimicked the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity, which holds that God is three "Divine Persons"—the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.
The doctrine is at the very root of Christianity as expressed in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. "The mystery of the Trinity is inaccessible to the human mind and is the object of faith only because it was revealed by Jesus Christ, the divine Son of the eternal Father," according to the Jesus Christ Savior website.
It cites the Gospel of Matthew 28:19-20, which says, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
"Matthew has written 'to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,' not in their names, for there is only one God," the website points out.
But Scott did not have this in mind when he spoke about the "trinity of science" which, he said, "isn't rooted in any kind of doctrine or dogma ... in its pursuit of truth."
Scott said using the trinity of reason, observation and experience would allow lawmakers to address issues before them "without allowing confirmation bias, cognitive dissonance or intellectual dishonesty to blindly guide positions and votes," the Gazette reported.
He said he represents not only atheists but also freethinkers, skeptics and humanists and that he hopes his appearance before lawmakers will help "normalize what atheism is, what atheism isn't."
On their Facebook page, the Eastern Iowa Atheists hailed the invocation as "historic," and said the message was "dedicated to the atheists whose voices were never heard due to fear of rejection, harassment, retaliation and discrimination."
In September last year, Pastor Dan Delzell of the Wellspring Church in Papillion, Nebraska, writing for The Christian Post, derided atheism, saying "atheists have no authority to speak to the rightness or wrongness of any worldview" since "they believe everything is ultimately the direct result of random accidents."
"This means atheism itself is an accident," he said, adding that "this is the quintessential example of self-deception." |
Here's how to spot the new £1 coins worth over £200 due to a 'mistake' by the Royal Mint | Get Daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
When the plastic £5 notes were brought into circulation back in late 2016, everyone was on the lookout for unique things about their note that could make them worth a small fortune.
When the 12-sided £1 coin was first released, the impact was slightly smaller, but all that could be about to change.
Coin collecting expert Change Checker has reported on a new batch of £1 coins that could have a minting 'error' on them.
It appears that the 12-sided £1 coin die has been struck on an old round £1 coin blank, as reported by Manchester Evening News.
Change Checker adds that it has seen three examples of this in the past week alone so maybe they are not super rare, maybe you have one and you haven't noticed it yet.
The Mirror has also reported that types of this coin are appearing on eBay with one selling for £205.
It received 22 bids.
(Image: Zeki Atma/Change Checker)
Are these real coins?
The Royal Mint still haven't verified these coins so Change Checker say the best thing to do is to send it to The Royal Mint Museum which offers a free verification service.
You get the coin back - along with their findings - a few weeks later.
Which other coins are valuable?
(Image: Andy Datson)
Last year, there was a story about numerous rare 50p coins which were worth up to hundreds of pounds based on which designs they had. These included a Kew Gardens coin and a Jemima Puddleduck one.
It can be hard to have a real idea of how much these are actually worth, Change Checker add that a coin is mostly just worth how much someone is willing to pay for it.
To help ease some of the confusion, Change Checker has created the eBay price tracker which simply "takes the last 9 sold prices achieved on eBay and gives the median price achieved (rounded to the nearest 50p). By taking the median, rather than an average, we avoid skewing created by one or two excessive prices achieved." |
Tigers' Ian Kinsler: Ejected during fifth inning | Kinsler was ejected during the fifth inning by Angel Hernandez, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Kinsler was unhappy about a called strike he believed was low, but waited until after ball one before earning Hernandez's ire. The Tigers' second baseman was 0-for-2 prior to departing and was replaced by Dixon Machado. It is the 11th career ejection for Kinsler. |
Waratahs crush Rebels in big comeback win | The NSW Waratahs have burst the Melbourne Rebels' bubble to revive their Super Rugby season with a dazzling 51-27 comeback win over the Australian conference leaders.
The Waratahs overcame searing heart and a 17-point deficit with a spectacular second-half try-scoring blitz to abruptly end the Rebels' unbeaten start to 2018.
The Tahs piled on five unanswered tries in 20 minutes to stun the Rebels and snap their own two-game winless run in front of their enraptured home fans at Allianz Stadium.
Israel Folau led the fightback, the Wallabies superstar setting up crucial five-pointers for Rob Simmons, Bryce Hegarty and Taqele Naiyaravoro after leaping high to collect three midfield bombs following his move to the wing on Sunday.
Lalakai Foketi and debutant halfback Mitch Short also crossed as the hosts' big win kept the Waratahs within touch of the runaway Rebels in the keenly-contested Australian conference.
A loss would have been disastrous for Daryl Gibson's side.
And defeat looked very much on the cards after the Rebels charged to a 20-3 lead through first-half tries to Tom English, Amanaki Mafi and Jack Maddocks.
But after a sloppy start in temperatures in excess of 35 degrees, Foketi's strike a minute before the break ignited the Waratahs' comeback.
Naiyaravoro completed it with his second five-pointer of the half in the final minute.
Waratahs captain Michael Hooper heaped praise on Folau, as well as playmakers Kurtley Beale and Bernard Foley for providing NSW's attacking trump with the pinpoint high balls to showcase his extraordinary aerial skills.
"Anywhere he goes, he's magic," Hooper said of Folau.
"His intent during the week to get his role right on the weekend was fantastic."
Folau hadn't played on the wing in five years but revelled in his switch from fullback.
"Look, it's obviously a different role than I'm used to but I enjoyed it," he said.
"It's what's best for the team."
Two-time World Cup winner-turned commentator Tim Horan hailed the Waratahs' second-half virtuoso as the best he'd ever seen from a Super Rugby outfit.
Rebels captain Adam Coleman conceded his side was powerless to stop the rampant home team.
"The Waratahs really capitalised on our errors," Coleman said.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't swing the momentum in the second half."
The only downer for the Waratahs were injuries to Foketi (leg) and lock Ned Hanigan (shoulder) but a bye next week could save the pair from missing any action. |
Robert Mueller, special counsel investigating Russia, meets with Senate leaders | (CNN) -- Special counsel Robert Mueller met on Capitol Hill with the leaders of the Senate intelligence committee Wednesday afternoon, a long-awaited connection as lawmakers and federal investigators plot a path forward on the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Mueller met with Senate intelligence chairman Richard Burr and Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the committee, in a secure room.
Burr told CNN that they are beginning talks and have open lines of communication. He would not say what they discussed.
Burr and Warner have been pressing for the meeting with Mueller since he was first appointed a month ago. The two sides have been discussing "deconfliction" -- or how the Senate investigation and the federal probe will share information and not step on each others' toes.
A major test on that front will be whether the FBI is willing to release memos from former FBI Director James Comey of his conversations with Trump, now that they have been provided to Mueller.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2017 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. |
“State Drops Case Against Lucian Wintrich, White House Correspondent For Gateway Pundit, In UConn Tu… | “State Drops Case Against Lucian Wintrich, White House Correspondent For Gateway Pundit, In UConn Tussle“: A moment of clarity in Connecticut, where reporter and public speaker Lucian Wintrich was attacked by Catherine Gregory, a local community college employee who stole his speaking material. Incredibly, when Wintrich tried to take his notes back, UConn police charged *him* with disorderly conduct. Says Wintrich’s lawyer:
“Free speech matters, it’s OK to be white, black, brown or anything in between,” he said. “My client came to Connecticut and was treated like a criminal for no reason. He sought to obtain his notes back when they were stolen by reasonable means, the prosecution saw that.”
Several days later, police contacted Wintrich and asked him to press larceny charges against her, and he did. Good for him. Punch back twice as hard.
**DISCLOSURE** I have represented Gateway Pundit in unrelated media law matters. |
Kerala Budget 2018: Disappointment for state capital | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If capital Thiruvananthapuram was expecting earth-shaking announcements in the 2018-19 state budget, then it has every reason to frown at the Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac.
The city figured dismally low in the scheme of things in the 156-page-long, literary quotation-packed budget presentation made by Isaac on Friday. No new big infrastructure projects were forthcoming in the budget. Nor was there any mention of the ongoing mega enterprises like the Vizhinjam seaport project or proposed ones like the Light Metro or Thiruvananthapuram City Road Improvement Project (T-CRIP) Phase II.
On the other hand, the budget has ample allocations to upgrade existing institutions. Topping this list is a plan to scale up the Technopark-based Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala (IITM-K) into a deemed university. The budget has earmarked Rs 65 crore for this initiative. The number of students will be raised to 1,000. “This institution should not remain just another skill training centre or a university in the traditional sense. It should develop into an ecosystem that grasps rare skills and covers new horizons,” Isaac said.
The budget has earmarked Rs 40 crore for a joint project by KELTRON and US-based Intel to manufacture laptops and servers. Manvila in the city is the likely the location, though it has not been finalised. The third notable project for the capital city is a new virology institute that will come up at the Life Science Park, Thonnackal. The institute is designed to be a centre of excellence, and a major step forward in the state’s efforts to leave a mark in the biotechnology sector.
The budget has earmarked Rs 15 crore for this project. Isaac has also set aside Rs 25 crore as an opening instalment for Medspark, a JV of the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) and the Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), for manufacturing medical equipment. The project is expected to cost Rs 180 crore. The Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) has been earmarked Rs 79 crore. Technopark and Technocity will benefit from an Rs 84 crore outlay which also includes the Technopark at Kollam.
The budget has also earmarked Rs 15 crore for an archives complex at the Kariavattom campus of Kerala University. Thiruvananthapuram district is also one of the locations for a proposed industrial park. The government will identify 500 acres in the district for this initiative which will be funded via KIIFB. |
David Silva’s slow-motion grace proves far too much for Manchester United | With half an hour to go in this taut, thrilling, at times spiky Manchester derby, David Silva could be seen chugging around at the point of the Manchester City attack, not so much pressing the red-shirted defenders as rumbling between them with a stately kind of grandeur, like a royal frigate in shallow waters.
With Gabriel Jesus off and City leading 2-1 it was Silva, the most false of false No9s, who found himself shunted into that forward role. He has cut a more rotund, slightly more ponderous figure in the last year and a half, but remains a beautifully pure footballer. Here Silva was not only the slowest, least athletic, least physically imposing footballer on either team – he was also the best player on the pitch, so unhurried, so aware of the shifting planes and currents around him that at times he resembled a colts coach mixing in with the under-12s in training, able to peer above the heads, direct the play, call the next pass two steps ahead.
Manchester City defeat United with Otamendi strike and open 11-point gap Read more
In a match that saw Manchester United’s own £90m centre forward Romelu Lukaku struggle – all ham-footed lay-offs and an inadvertent assist for both of City’s goals – Silva was a striking point of contrast. An oddball centre-forward perhaps, but also the compete oddball centre-forward. At one point in that second half Silva surged down the left channel, held the ball for Leroy Sané’s run and played a beautiful nudged reverse pass, a pass so gentle it seemed to belong in an altogether different game, to be startled to find itself out here surrounded by all this fury. Moments later Silva even took it on himself to make a curving, decoy run, Ian Rush-style, freeing space for Kevin De Bruyne behind him to surge forward and shoot at goal.
If this victory does end up a decisive step towards the league title it was entirely fitting Silva should decorate its best moments. More than any other player, and even as an inherited part, Silva embodies Pep Guardiola’s obsession with pass and move, with making a fetish of the ball, of trying to win every moment in the match.
And yet Silva would perhaps struggle to find a role in the opposition here, a Manchester United team packed with speed and athleticism, but sent out at the start to defend deep and then break with speed.
And what a start it was from United, who spent the opening half hour defiantly silencing their own crowd. This wasn’t just attack versus defence during those wasted opening 43 minutes, it was deep, maniacal, utterly paranoid defence. For long periods Old Trafford seemed to be staging a pub game on a windy day, the ball skirling inexorably towards the United goal, every clearance boomeranging back in the sleet.
José Mourinho admits title race is all but over after Manchester City defeat Read more
Even United’s method of moving the ball forward from the back was extraordinary, something from the Wimbledon playbook under Egil Olsen, “clearing out” the midfield and sending swirling long passes towards the front three, 42 of them in the opening hour. The contrast was, of course, striking. With 20 minutes gone, Vincent Kompany varied the angle for City, skimming a long pass that flew straight through to David De Gea, while in his rectangle Guardiola went berserk, puffing out the wings of his shiny black bomber jacket as he signalled for more patience, more care, more of the same old Pep style.
United were, of course, faced with a ticklish balance of attacking intentions, teased by some obvious weaknesses in City’s defence, tortured by the prospect of being torn apart by the rapiers at the other end should they overcommit to seeking out those tender spots. But this was something else, as demonstrated by the fact United scored from their first concerted attack in first-half injury time, Marcus Rashford finishing expertly after Fabian Delph had failed to cut out a diagonal pass.
Play Video 1:41 'We won because we were better in all departments,' says Pep Guardiola – video
By that stage United were already chasing the game. Later Nicolás Otamendi’s neat finish would take it away again. Fittingly, it was Silva who had scored the opener, albeit in the most unexpected way, scissoring home a loose ball after a corner. Up to that point Silva had been majestic in his more accustomed role, keeping the ball, directing City’s attacks, introducing urgency where required, and skipping away from Ander Herrera, with a decisive slow-motion grace. Some players have an extra yard in their head. Silva appears to have an entire practice pitch up there, with the whole game playing on fast-forward on a series of big screens.
At one point, as his legs began to slow towards the end, he could be seen calling out to Raheem Sterling and pointing, telling him where to run to take De Bruyne’s pass, trundling around the pitch like an auxiliary brain in a jar, making every part of the play he touched just that bit better; the most fitting of key parts on a day that saw City take a giant leap forward. |
Country Music Performer Reveals Secret Sin That Nearly Destroyed His Life | Country music performer Dave Robbins once thought his marriage — and his life — were essentially over. The founding member of the band Blackhawk had fallen into a “pit” of sin, straying outside of his marriage and facing other related struggles.
“Fifteen months ago I thought my life was over, I thought my marriage was over,” he said in a recent “I Am Second” video. “I grew up in church, knew about the Bible, knew about Jesus, but I didn’t feel saved. I felt separated, ashamed and full of guilt and full of fear.”
Robbins explained that he has had a lifetime of struggles with temptation, including alcohol, sex and pornography. But it was when his secret infidelity spun out of control that he almost lost everything.
“I had run out of lies and my wife figured out what was going on,” he said. But Robbins said he eventually found redemption, asking God to rescue him — and, as a result, his marriage and family were preserved.
Robbins’ wife, Mary Lynn, also appeared in the heartbreaking video, explaining the immense pain she felt upon learning about her husband’s betrayal. In the end, though, she chose to forgive him.
“As painful as it was, as heartbreaking as it was, I still knew that I would be committed to my marriage vows,” she said. “I knew I had to forgive him and I was going to have to walk out that forgiveness.”
Watch the video below:
—
Other Must-Read Stories:
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Billy Hallowell
Billy Hallowell has been working in journalism and media for more than a decade. His writings have appeared in Deseret News, TheBlaze, Human Events, Mediaite and on FoxNews.com, among other outlets. Hallowell has a B.A. in journalism and broadcasting from the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, New York and an M.S. in social research from Hunter College in Manhattan, New York. |
Why Man City manager named just six substitutes against Burnley | The video will start in 8 Cancel
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Pep Guardiola named just six substitutes for Manchester City's clash with Burnley, as the Premier League leaders contend with a growing injury list.
David Silva and John Stones were ruled out of the lunchtime kick off at Turf Moor - joining longer-term injuries Benjamin Mendy, Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus, Fabian Delph and Phil Foden.
Guardiola had been determined to further strengthen his squad this month - missing out on moves for Alexis Sanchez, Fred and Riyad Mahrez.
The City manager named a bench of Claudio Bravo, Aymeric Laporte, Tosin Adarabioyo, Oleks Zinchenko, Yaya Toure and Brahim Diaz for the game at Burnley.
His options were further limited by City’s Elite Development Squad playing Swansea on Friday night.
It’s understood Guardiola did not want to deprive a youth player of game time just to make up numbers on the bench for the senior team.
Third choice goalkeeper Aro Muric played on Friday, but was part of the travelling squad on Saturday, without being a named substitute.
City have been boosted by the news Mendy is due to return to training next month following knee ligament damage - but Jesus’ recovery time has been extended.
The Brazilian suffered collateral medial ligament damage on New Year’s Eve.
He was expected to be back by mid February, but faces another month or more on the sidelines, with Guardiola confirming the striker needs “four or five weeks of rest.”
City are so encouraged by Mendy’s recovery that the left back has been included in their Champions League squad for the knockout stages of the competition.
“He is much, much better,” said the City manager manager. “It’s been three or four months - in two months, maybe March, he will be available to start to train with us.” |
BRIEF-H-Farm names Massimiliano Ventimiglia education unit CEO | BRIEF-Fiera Capital announces the redemption of all series of class A shares
* Fiera Capital QSSP II Investment Fund and Fiera Capital, as manager of fund, announced they will redeem all series of class A shares of fund on August 31, 2017 Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: |
Clarified: This is the situation with West Brom tour rebel Craig Dawson | Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe See our privacy notice Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Craig Dawson is continuing to train with West Bromwich Albion's first-team, despite reports he had been ostracised in the wake of his Portugal training camp snub.
Dawson refused to fly to the Algarve last week in protest at the club's hardline stance, following rejected bids for him from Burnley and West Ham.
It was claimed, by some media outlets, that head coach Darren Moore had banished Dawson to the sidelines and ordered him to train away from the group.
But Birmingham Live understands Dawson and Ben Foster, who also opted out of Portugal, have trained with the rest of the squad since the players returned from the Amendoeira Resort on Sunday.
Phew!
West Bromwich Albion’s pre-season friendly at Barnet on Saturday has been rearranged to avoid a clash with England’s World Cup quarter-final.
The Baggies and The Bees were due to meet at 3pm, the exact same time as England’s last eight encounter with Sweden in Samara.
But the match will now kick off at 12.30pm to allow both sets of fans to catch both games.
Free entry to the aptly-named ‘Bar 66’ - located within Barnet’s stadium - is available to all ticket holders keen to watch the England game.
Saturday’s game is the first of five pre-season fixtures for the Baggies.
Albion are expected to sport their new home kit and hand a debut to goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, following his £6 million switch from Manchester United this week.
Batth linked
West Bromwich Albion have been linked with a shock move for Danny Batth ahead of the new season.
The Daily Mirror write that Batth could be a target for Wolves’ fierce rivals, who are looking for defensive reinforcements following the exits of Jonny Evans and Gareth McAuley.
With Ahmed Hegazi and Craig Dawson also wanted by top flight clubs, Albion are in need of reinforcements in the centre-back department.
Batth, who battled with Ryan Bennett for a place in the Wolves starting XI last season, could find his game time restricted further in the Premier League.
poll loading Would you like Albion to sign Danny Batth from Wolves? 0+ VOTES SO FAR Yes No
Willy Boly has signed permanently and Conor Coady is set to retain his starting spot as Nuno Espirito Santo's men take on the top flight.
Our Wolves columnist Ryan Leister said: "I’d be very surprised if Danny made the move across the Black Country and not just because it’s the old enemy.
"He’s a popular figure within the club and let’s not forget he’s been the club captain for the last two promotions, so I’m not sure he’s not going to give up on the club now they are finally back in the top flight.
"I’m positive he is more than aware that he’ll face additional competition for places next term but for the time being, I’d say he’ll keep his head down and take any opportunity when it’s given."
Johnstone reaction
Albion supporters offered a generally positive reaction to the news that Sam Johnstone had become Darren Moore’s first capture.
Johnstone, 25, has moved to The Hawthorns from Manchester United on a four-year deal and comes with plenty of previous Championship experience having enjoyed spells at Preston and more recently Aston Villa.
The stopper’s arrival has paved the way for existing number one Ben Foster to make his move away from The Hawthorns, with Watford the likeliest destination.
It would bring to an end a seven-year association with the Baggies and, after the exit too of Boaz Myhill, it’ll be all change between the sticks under Moore.
Johnstone’s entrance kick-starts the club’s transfer business ahead of what is expected to be a very busy month.
Here is what the fans have been saying.
Paul Harris: We’ve had to wait a while, but really impressed with the Johnstone signing, exactly the right age plus experience to hit the ground running in a very tough division next year. Let’s just hope this is the start to a busy July and this is the first of a few to come!
Joe Crabb: Don’t know what #AVFC fans are complaining about. Players go on loan to small clubs in the hope that they impress a big club to come and sign him!
Stig’s Baggie Cousin: #wba have paid upwards of 6mil for a goalie. That’s a sign of intent as far as I’m concerned.
Kieran Corbett: Johnstone is a good signing, realistically we would have had to replace foster probably next season anyway, and Johnstone is a good keeper
Iain Bate: Great signing for the Baggies. Be happy is this is the sign of things to come #wba
Anthony Curtis: Very happy with the signing of Sam Johnstone, especially as it took my mind off Colombia for 5 minute
Jake: Buzzing that we have finally signed someone and a very good goalkeeper #wba
Jason Wheeler: Sam Johnstone should be the template for the type of players we bring in a talented young keeper who’s only going to get better and will want to play we’re ultimately the club want to be the premier league & achieve that as one
What's been said
Darren Moore has hailed Sam Johnstone as "the shape of things to come" after snaffling him from under the noses of rivals Aston Villa.
Johnstone is the first signing of Moore's reign and the Baggies boss is delighted to land the goalkeeper from Manchester United.
The 25-year-old has agreed a four-year deal at The Hawthorns, having spent the last 18 months on loan at Villa in the Championship.
It is understood the fee is in the region of £6 million.
poll loading Albion fans - are you happy with the signing of Sam Johnstone? 1000+ VOTES SO FAR Yeah, buzzing Nah, not really
"Sam is young and determined to be the best keeper he can possibly be - he's hungry to do that with us at Albion," said Moore.
"We've had him targeted from the outset and we're all delighted to have him on board.
"He buys into exactly what we are trying to achieve and will hopefully represent the shape of things to come."
WHAT JOHNSTONE SAYS
"I'm happy to be here. I've spoken to a lot of people about the club and heard nothing but good things.
"It's good to get through the door. I've played Championship games and won a promotion from League One with Preston but always seemed to end back at Manchester United or going somewhere else.
"Now it's time to settle down and take my game up to the next level which I believe I can do here." |
BRIEF-Intek Group Says KME AG Announced It Will Issue EUR 300 Mln Bond | Feb 2 (Reuters) - Intek Group Spa:
* SAYS KME AG, ITS MAIN INVESTMENT, ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL ISSUE A EUR 300 MILLION BOND RESERVED TO INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS DUE 2023 AT 6.75 PERCENT
* PROCEEDS FROM OFFERING ARE EXPECTED TO BE USED TO REPAY EXISTING DEBT AND, IN GENERAL, FOR ACTIVITY OF KME GROUP Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: |
Xiaomi launches MIUI 10 China ROM with a redesigned recent apps menu and software-enabled AI portrait mode | Xiaomi is celebrating its 8th-anniversary today in Shenzen, China and one of its most anticipated announcements for the day is the latest version of its custom user interface, MIUI 10.
MIUI 10, as its pre-launch teasers hinted, has been geared towards making the interface across Xiaomi devices respond quicker, while also ensuring that users make the most of the large displays to the fullest. While most of the changes are under the hood, major noticeable changes with MIUI 10 include a new recents tab, a software-based AI portrait mode, the introduction of AI preload to reduce app load times and a new hub to manage all of Xiaomi home devices.
Now, we are yet to hear from Xiaomi as to when should we expect MIUI 10 to arrive and on which smartphones but here's a breakdown of the major changes with MIUI 10 and what we know about them so far.
Recent apps tab
One of the major design changes with MIUI 10 seems to be the new recent apps menu which no longer follows the iOS-inspired card stack design. Xiaomi has introduced a new design which allows you to view your recent apps in two rows, which the company believes, will maximize screen space and let you do much more than just switching between apps.
Xiaomi has thrown in full-screen gestures which users can use to swipe away apps like they did earlier or long press to view more options such as opening it in multi-window mode or locking the app so that it remains open in the background.
AI Portraits
This has to one of the most interesting additions with MIUI 10. Xiaomi is known to roll out updates for most of its older devices but the latest UI update will essentially let every Xiaomi smartphone user take portrait shots with a shallow focus.
This feature will work regardless of whether users have a dual camera setup on their smartphone or a single camera setup, courtesy of AI. This might sound like a bit too much but Xiaomi shared a few results from their older smartphones like the Mi 5 and the Mi Note 2 and they do look impressive at first glance.
AI Preload
Just like a lot of other technology companies out there, AI seems to be the buzzword for Xiaomi as well this year. MIUI 10 will use artificial intelligence to look into users'app usage behaviour and try to predict which app may be used next, to reduce app load times.
We are yet to see for ourselves how this feature works and whether it has any ill-effects on RAM or battery life, but this too is an interesting addition from Xiaomi. |
Kenya: Edna Kiplagat, Geoffrey Kirui Ease to Victory At Boston Marathon | Two times former World marathon champion Edna Kiplagat is this year's Boston Marathon women's champion while Geoffrey Kirui has claimed his first major after winning the men's race in 2 hours, 09 minutes and 37 seconds.
The 38-year-old mother of two broke away from Kenyan-born Rose Chelimo of Bahrain with five kilometres to go to win the race on her debut in 2 hours 21 minutes and 53 seconds.
Kiplagat, who won the World title in 2011 and 2013 and has been a winner in London and New York in 2014 and 2010, hit the 35km mark in 1:58:41 to win the 121st edition of the race, beating Chelimo to second in 2:22:51.
Jordan Hasay from the US, who was making her debut in marathon clocked 2:23.00 for third place.
"After the 30km mark, I tried to push before breaking away with 5km to go," said Kiplagat, who was cheered to victory by her children Carlos and Wendy.
"I decided to push further even after they failed to react when I broke away," she added.
Kiplagat commended her coach-cum-husband Gilbert Koech and her children for giving her ample time in training and to relax before the race.
"It now gives me another attempt for a third World title in London this year," said Kiplagat, who hopes to make the team for the London World Championships.
SIX-YEAR-WAIT
Kirui, who gave Kenya's first victory in the men's race since Wesley Korir's victory in 2012, was toe-to-toe with American Galen Rupp at the 35km mark in 1:48:19 before breaking to win.
Rupp, who was making a return in the race since 2009, settled in an impressive second place in 2:09:58 as Japanese Suguru Osako settled third at 2:10:28.
"I expected victory since I had trained well for this race," said Kirui, who drew motivation from Kenyans who had won the race before like Korir, Geoffrey Mutai and Robert Cheruiyot.
Kirui led another Kenyan sweep when two times former World marathon champion Edna Kiplagat won the women's race in 2:21:53, beating Kenyan born Rose Chelimo of Bahirain to second place in 2:22:51.
Jordan Hasay from USA, who was making her debut in marathon clocked 2:23.00 for third place. |
Miami Dolphins’ AFC East rivals making major moves in free agency, draft prep | Taking a spin through the AFC East to see what the Miami Dolphins’ rivals are up to in free agency and leading up to the draft:
New England Patriots
Overview: Bill Belichick has built up enough credit that he could do just about anything to his roster and few would question it without the benefit of hindsight.
Still, there is plenty going on in New England, enough that when the Patriots and Dolphins line up in the fall, Miami fans will see a new-look Patriots team in several areas.
Miami fans care most about: The most obvious, of course, is the defection of receiver Danny Amendola to the Dolphins, ending a string of seasons in which he gave the Patriots a hometown discount. Amendola might not make Dolphins fans forget Jarvis Landry, but he did have 659 yards last season, then caught fire in the postseason, totaling 348 yards and two touchdowns in three playoff games, including 152 yards in the Super Bowl (so all the Dolphins have to do is get there, right?).
New England lost running back Dion Lewis, who had 112 yards in a 35-17 victory over the Dolphins in Foxborough last season. And the Titans also raided cornerback Malcolm Butler, who experienced remarkable Super Bowl highs (game-winning interception) and lows (benching in February’s game vs. Eagles).
And the offensive line is weakened by the Giants giving tackle Nate Solder a contract that includes $34.8 million guaranteed the next two years.
On the plus side: As Amendola was walking out the door, in came receiver Cordarrelle Patterson via trade with the Raiders. He’ll become a key part of New England’s special teams, which could lose Matthew Slater, the AFC’s perennial Pro Bowl special teams ace who’s a free agent and talking with the Steelers.
The Patriots held onto safety Patrick Chung, a Belichick favorite. Additions include tackle Matt Tobin from the Seahawks and defensive tackle Danny Shelton from the Browns. And there’s Jason McCourty, obtained in a trade with the Browns, who could line up with twin brother Devin in the secondary.
Buffalo Bills
Overview: This is a team that bears watching. The Bills currently have six draft picks in the top 100, so the chatter is they’ll make a play to move up from the 12th slot (right behind the Dolphins) to jump closer to the front of the line for a quarterback. They’ve already climbed nine slots to No. 12 via a trade with the Bengals.
The Bills have plenty of chips in front of them, with two picks in the top 22, two in Round 2 and two in Round 3.
Miami fans care a lot about: The Bills continue to make moves in the trenches that make you think GM Brandon Beane is on a similar wavelength to Miami’s Mike Tannenbaum.
The Bills had invested so heavily in their defensive line, didn’t get the results they expected, and are reshaping the line — like Miami. Key an eye on end Trent Murphy, who arrives from Washington. Murphy had nine sacks in 2016 before tearing his ACL last year. Tackle Star Lotulelei, from Carolina, will be counted on to occupy two blockers at a time.
Offensively, the Bills are moving on from their veteran center. Ryan Groy takes over for Eric Wood, whereas in Miami, Daniel Kilgore succeeds Mike Pouncey.
Miami fans also care a lot about: Back there in the secondary, starting opposite cornerback Tre’Davous White, will be a familiar face: It’s Vontae Davis, the 2009 Dolphins’ No. 1 draft pick.
Miami fans might care most about: Quarterback Tyrod Taylor, kryptonite to the Dolphins, was traded to the Browns. Taylor had some of his best games against Miami, totaling 10 touchdown passes and zero interceptions.
On the plus side: With Taylor gone, the Bills had to cover themselves at quarterback, so they added free agent AJ McCarron. Remember him? He’s the ex-Alabama star who started three regular-season games in four years for the Bengals.
New York Jets
Overview (and what Miami fans care most about): The team that gave us the Butt Fumble and plenty of quarterback false starts isn’t messing around.
It appears the Jets will enter the 2018 season with three starting-caliber QBs to choose from:
• There’s soon-to-be 39 Josh McCown, who had a 116.9 passer rating against the Dolphins last year.
• There’s Miamian Teddy Bridgewater, the forgotten man who earned some rookie of the year awards in 2014, followed with a division title with the Vikings and Pro Bowl selection in 2015, then suffered a bad knee injury in August 2016.
• And there’s the to-be-announced rookie the Jets take with the No. 3 overall pick they obtained in a trade with the Colts.
Dolphins fans should be glad the Jets couldn’t land Kirk Cousins in free agency, because the Colts trade cost New York their No. 6 overall pick and three second-round selections. Maybe the Jets’ QB of the future will be UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Southern California’s Sam Darnold, Wyoming’s Josh Allen or Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield.
Besides this March madness wrecking everybody’s mock draft board, it could encourage the Bills to leapfrog the Dolphins and a few other teams to climb out of the No. 12 slot to assure they get a quality passer.
On the plus side: The Bills also retained safety Terrence Brooks of FSU, who won AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after making two interceptions against the Dolphins.
[Parking at Hard Rock Stadium will be affected by tennis facility]
[New Dolphins WR Albert Wilson finally starting from “front of the pack”]
[Former all-pro RB DeMarco Murray to visit Miami Dolphins]
[Column: Ex-Dolphin Mike Pouncey was loyal to the end]
Check out The Palm Beach Post‘s Miami Dolphins page on Facebook |
Pune: Murdered ex-Army officer was dismissed from service in 1989 | The former army officer had left Army ten years back. The former army officer had left Army ten years back.
The unexplained murder of a former Army officer on Friday has brought to the fore the series of misfortunes he had over the years, which forced him to live on footpath.
The 65-year-old Ravindra Bali, a former officer of the Corps of Electronic and Mechanical Engineers (EME), was murdered by two unidentified men outside the main gate of the Southern Command Officers’ mess on Koyaji Road in Pune camp, his home for about five years, in the early hours of Friday.
As of now, the police have little clue about the murder. “We are working on a number of angles and have not yet been able to zero down on one motive. Attempts are on to identify the assailants. We are probing if there was any past rivalry or any recent dispute, which could have led to the murder. There is also a possibility of it being a spur-of-the-moment incident,” Police Inspector S K Yadav of Lashkar police station, who is probing the case, said on Saturday.
ALSO READ | Former Army officer living on footpath in Pune Camp killed
According to army sources, Bali, a graduate of the National Defence Academy, had faced a court martial and was dismissed from service in 1989 over allegations of “moral turpitude”. Details of the case were not immediately available.
“Bali joined the National Defence Academy in 1970 and also did training at the College of Military Engineering in Pune. He was commissioned in Corps of EME around 1975. He faced a court martial over moral turpitude and was cashiered around 1989, after 14 years of service,” an army official, who did not to be identified, told The Indian Express.
“His first wife is known to have committed suicide. His second wife left him after staying with him for a brief period. For some time, he was in Gujarat and later, he is also known to have been involved in a dispute over an ancestral property. We know that the last job he did was in a BPO. After that, he started living on the footpath. The Army had made several attempts to help him but he always refused help and preferred to live on footpath,” the officer said.
He added: “However, someone from the Army mess used to give him food for at least once a day. It is sad that he met with his end like this.” Bali, said to be the son of a police officer, was a familiar sight on the footpath outside the main gate of the Southern Command Officers’ mess but did not interact much with people. He was often seen reading newspapers though. Sometimes, he also used to disappear for days.
Last year, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, himself an NDA alumni, had tried to get in touch with him to offer help after he was informed about Bali’s condition. But Bali could not be found at the spot he used to be seen at.
For all the latest Pune News, download Indian Express App |
‘Stranger Things’ Star David Harbour & Terry Bradshaw Compete In Elite Daily TV Trivia | ‘Stranger Things’ star David Harbour and Terry Bradshaw go head-to-head in a game of TV trivia from the set of their Super Bowl LII ad for Tide. |
Westcoast expands offering with M3 Mobile deal | Mobility business widened with partners able to sell rugged devices from South Korean firm
Westcoast has signed an agreement with M3 Mobile to increase the mobile solutions is offers to its partners.
M3 Mobile is a South Korean firm that specialises in rugged mobile devices aimed at enterprise customers such as logistics, retail or field services.
Customers of M3 Mobile include DHL, who’s 150,000 field employees around the world use M3 smartphones, as well as Dominoes, BP, Vision Express and Jaguar Land Rover.
Westcoast head of mobility Darren Seward (pictured) said: “M3 Mobile is a rising star and a great fit for an ambitious company like Westcoast.
“This is a great opportunity to increase our foothold in the enterprise mobility market and means we can offer even bigger and better solutions.”
M3 Mobile sales director Paul Johnson added: “We are really excited to be working with Westcoast.
“Our portfolio of exceptionally-built, well priced ruggedised devices fit beautifully within the Westcoast proposition and offer attractive margin potential for its partners.” |
Stormy's lawyer ends bid for role in Cohen case - wave3.com-Louisville News, Weather & Sports | (AP Photo/Seth Wenig). Michael Cohen arrives to court in New York, Wednesday, May 30, 2018. Lawyers for President Donald Trump and Cohen, his personal attorney, appear again before a judge in New York as part of an ongoing legal tussle about attorney ...
By LARRY NEUMEISTER and TOM HAYS
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - Lawyers for President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, failed to win more time Wednesday to analyze millions of files seized by the FBI, but they did get one thing they wanted: Their TV tormentor, Stormy Daniels' attorney, withdrew a request to get a formal role in the case.
A federal judge refereeing an ongoing legal tussle about which documents should be withheld from investigators because of attorney-client privilege gave lawyers for Trump and Cohen until June 15 to finish reviewing 3.7 million paper and electronic files seized from Cohen in the April raids.
The deadline for them to identify documents they believe are confidential was set over the objection of Cohen's lawyer, Todd Harrison.
"We're working around-the-clock," he told U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood, saying that even with a team of 15 lawyers "moving heaven and earth," they had only finished reviewing 1.3 million files so far and didn't expect to finish until mid-July.
"I don't know if we can make that," another Cohen lawyer, Stephen Ryan, said of the June 15 deadline.
Wood was unmoved, but she made comments in court that may have prompted Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, to withdraw a request to get a formal role in the legal negotiations.
Avenatti had applied to intervene in the case so he could ensure that any confidential records or recordings related to Daniels that were in Cohen's possession weren't improperly disclosed.
Much of Wednesday's hearing was consumed by spirited arguments about Avenatti's numerous public attacks on Cohen, mostly through live cable TV appearances. Ryan protested that the barrage was improper, saying Avenatti was on television at least 170 times, mostly to badmouth Cohen.
He also complained that Avenatti had improperly acquired and released certain bank records related to Cohen's business dealings.
"I have never seen an attorney conduct himself in the manner that Mr. Avenatti has," Ryan said.
Wood told Avenatti that while he is free to speak his mind now, he would have to end his "publicity tour" and attacks on Cohen if he became part of the case. Lawyers practicing in the federal court in Manhattan must follow local rules barring statements that might taint prospective jurors.
"That means that you would have to stop doing some things you have been doing. If you participate here, you would not be able to declare your opinion as to Mr. Cohen's guilt, which you did; you would not be able to give publicity to documents that are not public. It would change your conduct," Wood said. "I don't want you to have some existence in a limbo, where you are free to denigrate Mr. Cohen and I believe potentially deprive him of a fair trial by tainting a jury pool."
Shortly after the court hearing, Avenatti withdrew his application, but not before appearing before TV cameras outside again and assailing Cohen and his legal team once more.
Among other things, he accused Cohen's lawyers of giving a journalist an audio recording of a conversation between Daniels' former lawyer and Cohen.
In court, Ryan denied that Cohen's lawyers gave recordings to a reporter, saying that if any did exist pertaining to Daniels, they were "under lock and key," controlled by his law firm, the Trump Organization or the president.
"It has not occurred," he said.
Daniels, who was not in court Wednesday, got a $130,000 payment from Cohen before the election in exchange for not speaking about an alleged sexual encounter with the president in 2006. Trump denies it.
Speaking to reporters after the court hearing, Avenatti said Ryan's reference to the existence of audio tapes was a major revelation, and that he was certain some of those tapes relate to Daniels.
"As a result of our efforts, there was a shocking admission that was made in court today, namely, that just like the Nixon tapes, we now have what I will refer to as the Trump tapes," he said.
He called for the "release of all those audio recordings to the American people and to Congress so that they can be heard by all." Then, he added, "people can make their own determination as to their importance as it relates to the president, what he knew and when he knew it, and what he did as it relates to conspiring with Michael Cohen to commit one or more potential crimes."
Special Master Barbara Jones said in a letter Tuesday that lawyers for Cohen, Trump and the Trump Organization have designated more than 250 items as subject to attorney-client privilege. She said the material includes data from a video recorder.
Judge Wood said if Trump and Cohen's lawyers don't finish reviewing material by June 15, the task of performing the attorney-client review will be handled by a special "taint team" of prosecutors walled off from those involved in the criminal probe.
Of the material seized from Cohen's home, hotel and office in April, only two old Blackberry phones and the contents of a shredder have yet to be turned over to Cohen's lawyers, prosecutors said.
The files, mostly from phones and electronic storage devices, were seized April 9 in raids on Cohen's Manhattan home and office. The raids initially drew an outcry from Trump, who claimed an attack on attorney-client privilege.
The raids on Cohen were triggered in part by a referral from special counsel Robert Mueller, who separately is looking into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Wood became involved after Cohen came to court, complaining that he feared attorney-client privilege would not be protected.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
Dentist, 51, prepares to serve country | Article Tools Font size – + Share This
Bob Kalinowski / The Citizens' Voice From left, are Jack Cleary, Dr. Richard Coslett, U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Tony Landi, an Army health care recruiter, and Patrick Cleary.
While in dental school in the early 1980s, Dr. Richard Coslett dreamed of becoming a U.S. Navy dentist to travel the world working on an aircraft carrier.
It took awhile and a different path, but Coslett finally is a member of the U.S. military.
The 51-year-old Back Mountain dentist and Dallas School Board member recently enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves under a program for physicians, dentists and other health care professionals, who are needed by the military.
"When I was at Walter Reed Medical Center, I knew I was doing the right thing when I walked in and saw our wounded warriors," Coslett said recently during a lunch break at his Shavertown dental practice. "You look at them and could tell they had a setback, but you see the hope in their eyes and their attitude and it's one of the most inspiring things."
Coslett said some people heard about his commissioning and mistakenly thought he was abandoning his practice. He said his commitment calls for an annual two-week assignment, usually at Brook Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. He'll also be required to serve at least one three-month deployment in the continental United States or Germany during his eight-year term.
"I'm a real fortunate guy to be able to be in a profession that the country needs right now," Coslett said. "I have a great family, a great (dental practice) partner and a great wife and family. Without them, I would not be able to do this."
During his service in the U.S. Army, Coslett will provide fillings, root canals and other dental care for U.S. soldiers. He will treat soldiers for trauma to their upper and lower jaws. He'll also mentor young dentists who are new to the Army.
Coslett says three main things spurred him to enlist: a longtime desire to serve, his experience at a friend's retirement ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and the death of family friend 1st Lt. Michael Cleary, 24, of Dallas.
After being accepted into the Army officer program, Coslett needed an active or retired military officer to administer his commissioning oath as a major in the Army Reserves. Cleary's father, Vietnam veteran Jack Cleary, performed the honor.
The Clearys are longtime friends of Coslett and are clients of his dental practice.
"How Jack Cleary served his country, how Michael Cleary served his country, and how Patrick Cleary inspires me, it's what has given me resolve," Coslett said.
Patrick Cleary, Michael Cleary's older brother, was on hand for Coslett's swearing-in ceremony.
The age limit to join the U.S. Army Reserves Dental Corps is 46, so Coslett had to obtain an age waiver to join.
In his application, the former Wyoming Valley West and Moravian College standout basketball player wrote, "I am 51 years old and in excellent mental and physical health. I have served my family, religion, community and friends my entire life. I have not yet served my country - a service for which, as I become older, the calling becomes stronger."
Within the next few weeks, Coslett will get his orders to attend Officers Basic Leaders Course in Fort Sam Houston, where he will spend three weeks obtaining basic military knowledge and learning protocols of an officer. He'll leave for that training between three and nine months after that. He said he's excited for the challenge.
"I fully believe you can only grow as a person when you put yourself in uncomfortable situations and see how you react," he said. "By serving in the Army, I hope to broaden my horizons and be involved with people from across the United States."
bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2055 |
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Merkel to push for EU unity on delicate Poland trip | BERLIN/WARSAW, March 19 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel will emphasise bilateral ties and the need for European unity when she meets with top Polish officials, amid ongoing differences between the allies over Polish judicial reforms, migration and a new gas pipeline.
Merkel will meet with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and President Andrzej Duda on Monday, using her second foreign trip since being sworn in for a fourth term to highlight Germany’s commitment to the former Soviet bloc member at a time of heightened tensions with both Russia and the United States.
The German leader must pull off a delicate balancing act - reassuring Poland about Berlin’s commitment to NATO military spending targets and enlisting its backing for the European Union, without backing away from EU core principles that have been challenged by Poland’s sweeping judicial changes.
The stakes are high, given concerns that gains by anti-migrant parties in Austria and Italy could exacerbate tensions between Brussels and central European countries such as Poland.
Michal Dworczyk, head of the Polish prime minister’s office, told private broadcaster TVN24 the two sides had a lot to discuss.
The gas pipeline “North Stream 2 will be one of the important issues on this meeting agenda, as well as the future of the European Union, the EU future budget and many other issues,” he said.
The pipeline would ship Russian gas to Germany, avoiding transit through Ukraine. It has Germany’s approval, but Poland has urged that Western sanctions be imposed on it .
Polish government spokeswoman Joanna Kopcinska said Warsaw hoped for “a good and pragmatic cooperation with Berlin.”
German government officials say they are upbeat, given Poland’s growing concerns about Russian military aggression, uncertainty about U.S. policy shifts, and Warsaw’s pending loss of Britain as an ally opposing further euro zone expansion.
“Merkel has the chance to make clear to the Polish government that Europe’s democrats must stand together against Putin and Trump, also for the sake of Poland,” said Franziska Brantner, foreign policy spokeswoman for the German Greens.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, a Social Democrat, stressed close ties between the two neighbors during a meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz on Friday.
The two men urged the revival of the Weimar Triangle, a platform of political cooperation between Germany, France and Poland created in 1991. Foreign ministers from the three countries last met in Weimar in August 2016.
“The visit of Chancellor Merkel shows that Germany cares about good relations with Poland,” said Michal Baranowski, head of the Warsaw office of the German Marshall Fund. “(It) shows a desire at the highest level to fix the relationship.”
Ties between Germany and Poland have grown increasingly strained since the since the nationalist conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS) came to power in Warsaw in 2015, with Berlin rejecting calls by PiS for German war reparations.
The two countries are also at odds over the North Stream II gas pipeline project and Poland’s refusal to take in asylum seekers under an EU-wide quota system. (Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal in Berlin, and Lidia Kelly and Agnieszka Barteczko in Warsaw, editing by Larry King) |
It's Brother Versus Brother In The Battle For Truth In Venezuela | The Villegas brothers wield enormous power in Venezuela — they also represent two sides of an increasingly polarized and angry country. BuzzFeed News spoke to both of them about the delicate balance it takes to remain close.
On one side of the table sat the presenter of one of Venezuela’s few remaining opposition-friendly TV networks; on the other was a senior government minister. Like much of what passes for debate in this increasingly divided country, they shouted over each other, made snide remarks under their breath and jabbed fingers violently into the air.
What made the angry exchange particularly tense is the fact that the two men are brothers. Vladimir Villegas hosts a popular TV show on Globovisión — called “Vladimir a la 1” — and regularly invites on government critics, while his younger brother, Ernesto, is in charge of spreading the state’s official message as minister for communications and information. The Villegas brothers are, in many ways, a microcosm of Venezuela: deeply polarized between supporters and opponents of President Nicolás Maduro, and increasingly incapable of meeting in the middle. Triple-digit inflation, a shortage of everything from milk to aspirin, and the suspension of regional elections have pushed people onto the street, where more than 120 demonstrators have been killed since April. The brothers’ now-infamous exchange came in June, when they had an on-air fight so heated that the hashtag #2VillegasALa1, a play on the show’s title, ended up trending on Twitter.
Vladimir, 55, opened the show with a close-up of a camcorder that had been smashed by soldiers during Globovisión's coverage of a demonstration, saying that some of the victims had been hit by tear-gas canisters fired by armed forces. Ernesto, 47, pushed the government line, arguing that some people had been shot by protesters while trying to drive through roadblocks, while others were run over by drivers who swerved to avoid the barricades. As the two argued over who was responsible for the growing death toll during recent anti-government protests, Ernesto exploded, visibly exasperated. “If we’re going to speak from a place of anger, I have plenty,” he said. “Surely you do too.” He slammed a stack of files on the table — twice. At times, the two tried to be conciliatory. Vladimir commended his brother for meeting with a group of angry students at the doors of the state-owned television network’s headquarters — and allowing their pleas to be broadcast. Ernesto said he wanted “to see if our family relationship, that always puts love first, allows us to contribute to our country,” and stop the bloodshed. But the brothers could not see eye to eye. The tension in the studio was overwhelming, and eventually they both gave up. “I wasted my time, and I made you waste yours,” Ernesto told his brother while the cameras were still rolling. The next day, satirical website El Chigüire Bipolar ran a story about workers at Globovisión ferrying food and water to the brothers who had been arguing in the parking lot for 72 hours. Vladimir and Ernesto did not speak for a month. To find out what it’s like for two brothers to stand on opposing sides of an explosive situation, BuzzFeed News spoke to them separately by phone from the capital, Caracas, about familial love and conflict during Venezuela’s worst crisis to date. “I love my brother very much. My differences are with the minister of communication,” Vladimir said. Ernesto, meanwhile, said that while they may disagree about politics “the things that unite us far outnumber the ones that separate us.” The Villegas children — 10 of them in all, including two half-siblings — grew up in a staunchly communist household. Their mother, Maja Poljak, was a Jewish Croatian immigrant who fled the Nazis, and their father, Cruz Villegas, a descendent of slaves who was jailed during the Marcos Pérez Jiménez dictatorship in the 1950s. They raised their children to be playful with each other and militant about their leftist convictions. In his collection of poems entitled Jail, Love, Jungle, and Freedom, Cruz wrote about his communist ideals and their legacy on his family: My last thoughts will be noble / Reassurance of the road chosen The road you and I chose / The one our children follow.
Physically, Ernesto and Vladimir have a lot in common. They have the same bushy eyebrows, plump nose and fleshy lips. They even wear similar glasses. But don’t tell them they look alike: Vladimir likes to joke that despite being nine years his junior, Ernesto looks older, because “being in government ages” a person. Vladimir praised the trait he most admires in his brother — honesty — and said that “if Ernesto had a clash with the government, he would leave.” Will that moment come? “The threshold is personal. I don’t know,” he said. Ernesto has remained close to Maduro even as the leader joked about Venezuelans looking gaunt as a result of widespread food shortages, the number of people arrested for protesting surpassed 3,000, and the attorney general, a former ally who began speaking out against abuses by the state, was ousted by a newly elected citizen’s assembly. The government has blamed the US-backed elite in the country for the crisis, a position that was bolstered on Friday when President Donald Trump warned of a possible "military response" to Venezuela's instability. Ernesto and other members of the Maduro government quickly latched onto Trump's statement as proof of the US's schemes. Ernesto said the political differences with Vladimir are only temporary. “They will shrink next to the threat this neofascist outbreak represents,” he said, referring to the United States, ever the more serious of the two brothers. The nine-year age difference meant Vladimir was a father figure for Ernesto, the youngest of the bunch. He changed his brother’s diapers and taught him how to walk, ride a bicycle, and drive a car. As adults, both eventually became close to the late president Hugo Chávez, the socialist leader who nationalized the country’s oil industry, exploiting high prices to lift many out of extreme poverty while significantly increasing Venezuela’s external debt.
Vladimir was a member of Chávez's 1999 constituent assembly, which rewrote the constitution to increase presidential terms from five to six years and to permit immediate reelection. Three years later, he was appointed ambassador to Brazil and then to Mexico. But he split from Chávez in 2007 after the president submitted a proposal allowing unlimited terms in office, fearing that it would lead to an abuse of power. Today, he says he feels more comfortable among the opposition, which won a majority in Congress in 2015. Like his older brother, Ernesto has been zigzagging between politics and journalism since his teenage years. As a reporter, Ernesto interviewed Fidel Castro and wrote a book about the failed 2002 coup in Venezuela. In 2012, one year before Chávez died of cancer and handed the reins to Maduro, he accepted the post of minister of communication and information. Maduro, a 54-year-old former bus driver, has struggled to capitalize on the fervor that Chávez inspired among his followers. Lacking his predecessor’s charisma, he has alienated many of Chávez's staunchest supporters, who have begun meeting with opposition leaders. The gulf between the brothers’ political views has grown in tandem with the country’s accelerated descent into political chaos. “It’s like one speaks Cantonese and the other one speaks Croatian,” Vladimir said with a laugh.
Ernesto prefers to focus on the similarities, which include the particular way they blur their words together when they speak and clasp their hands when they get agitated.
“I’m sure that the passion with which Vladimir defends his stances has an identical origin to the passion with which I defend my own,” Ernesto said, adding that their clashes are exacerbated in public. “He has to show that he doesn’t agree with me,” said Vladimir. In private, the brothers say, they often diffuse any tension with a joke. They meet at family events and both say they speak on the phone regularly. With his popularity nosediving, Maduro — who was recently sanctioned by the US — held a vote last month to choose 545 members for a new, all-powerful citizen’s assembly charged with rewriting the constitution. The election, which made the increasingly weakened opposition-controlled Congress subordinate to the assembly, was questioned by the company that provided the voting technology and deemed fraudulent by regional governments. The brothers stand on either side of that divide, too. They also disagree over whether the military is using excessive force to quell protests and whether freedom of the press is being respected. “We are not doing journalism with the freedom that exists in a democracy,” Vladimir said, before clarifying that he would not go so far as to call Venezuela a dictatorship, a label being used by several governments in the region and around the world. Vladimir knows he’s treading a fine line on his show and is careful not to overstep it. He expresses his repudiation for the government while making sure he doesn’t jeopardize his public platform. Nonetheless, Vladimir remains an inconvenience for the state: He said his Twitter account was recently hacked by the government. Ernesto has also found himself in thorny moments, his allegiances stretched in opposite directions. During a televised meeting with city councilors in 2013, Maduro described Vladimir as his friend but urged him to leave the opposition and return to the side of the state. Ernesto was sitting in the audience. “I love him like crazy,” he told Maduro when he got his turn on the microphone. “Those who like intrigue won’t find one discrediting word between brothers,” Ernesto added.
Earlier this year, the National Telecommunications Commission announced it would suspend Vladimir’s show after opposition leader Freddy Guevara called on people to disavow the government during a guest appearance. Vladimir's show is the only one still on TV that has brought on most of the opposition's leaders. After studying the interview closely, Ernesto — who, as minister for communication, could give his opinion on the case but did not have the final word on its outcome — said that he had not found sufficient elements to sanction Vladimir’s show. Given the way Venezuela is headed, there will be plenty of opportunities for the Villegas brothers to disagree in the future — but for now, blood is thicker than water. Once enough time had passed after the televised fight and the siblings had made up, Ernesto posted a photograph of himself and Vladimir on Instagram, the siblings sitting side by side, smiling: #familia. Vladimir says he has no plans to bring Ernesto back on the show for now. In the meantime, he's figuring out how to navigate the country's political impasse — and the effect it has on his relationship with his brother. When Ernesto does return to his television studio, “I promise not to throw the binder at him,” Vladimir said. ●
Karla Zabludovsky is the Mexico bureau chief and Latin America correspondent for BuzzFeed News and is based in Mexico City. Contact Karla Zabludovsky at Karla.Zabludovsky@buzzfeed.com. Got a confidential tip? Submit it here.
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School Sports Face Cuts, Especially in Oil-Dependent States | New Mexico's largest school district, the Albuquerque Public Schools, has referred to its financial planning for the 2017-18 school year as the "Ugly Budget." Here how ugly it is: in order to help balance the budget, all middle-school sports are being targeted for elimination.
From the Albuquerque Journal:
APS currently offers ... volleyball, basketball and track and field at the middle school level. Cutting them will save up to $500,000 to $750,000 each year. Regular physical education classes will not be affected. Armenta was not sure how many students are participating in the middle school athletics program. “We're trying to keep the cuts away from the classroom,” [spokeswoman Monica] Armenta said. “We have been very clear that everything is on the table.” ... While APS and other school districts are still awaiting a special legislative session that will determine their fiscal year 2018 budgets, Armenta said administrators must make some decisions before the final numbers are set. .. [T]he APS Board of Education approved a budget scenario based on a 2 percent reduction for the next fiscal year – administrators' best guess for what they might see after the special session. ... APS has already gone through two rounds of reductions for the current fiscal year, adding up to a $25 million loss.
Technically the United States is not in recession, but in a lot of states the level of tax revenue, and with it school funding, is. Most states, which cut budgets as tax revenue dwindled during the 2007-09 recessions, haven't returned school funding back to pre-recessionary levels, but at least in many states funding has ticked upward. But states again are feeling an economic pinch. The left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities counts 33 states as facing state tax revenue shortfalls in fiscal years 2017 or 2018, with 17 states facing them in both years. The center blames this trend, among other things, on tax cuts that haven't resulted in expected boosts in investment and spending, and on a fall of energy prices. |
Norway PM says temporary British EEA membership would be a challenge | ARENDAL, Norway (Reuters) - The potential for temporary British membership of the European Economic Area after it leaves the European Union would be both challenging and costly to handle, Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg told Reuters on Monday.
"There would be a cost they would have to share, and an authority outside their border that could impose binding decisions on them, which is not entirely in line with what they've said they want ... But we're prepared for various scenarios," Solberg said on the sidelines of a news conference.
(Reporting by Joachim Dagenborg, writing by Terje Solsvik, editing by Gwladys Fouche) |
Search missing mother, 50, NSW Southern Tablelands | A desperate search is underway for a mother, aged 50, last seen at her family's home on Easter Sunday.
Jillian Fahey was last seen by family members at home in Crookwell on the NSW Southern Tablelands, about 10.30am on Sunday.
Officers, police rescue, and PolAir on Monday searched a property on Cummins Road in rural Laggan.
Her devastated daughter has taken to Facebook with further details, saying Ms Fahey was on foot and may be north of Bolong river from Golspie Road crossing.
Jillian Fahey, 50, was last seen by family members at home in Crookwell on the NSW Southern Tablelands, about 10.30am on Sunday
Her devastated daughter has taken to Facebook with further details, saying Ms Fahey is on foot
'Very concerned for our mum's welfare,' the daughter wrote.
Attempts to contact her have been unsuccessful, police said.
The search at Laggan was stopped about 6pm due to poor conditions.
Local police and State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers resumed the search about 8am on Tuesday.
'Very concerned for our mum's welfare,' Ms Fahey's daughter wrote (Ms Fahey is pictured)
Officers, police rescue, and PolAir on Monday searched a property on Cummins Road in rural Laggan. Local police and State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers resumed the search on Tuesday (Cummins Road is pictured)
NSW Police have released an image of the woman in the hopes someone will recognise her.
Ms Mahey is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 160cm tall, of thin build, fair complexion, with blonde hair and blue eyes.
She was wearing pink and blue Asics runners, beige cargo pants, and a white or grey short sleeved t-shirt, according to her daughter.
The daughter has urged people in the area to check their properties.
Anyone who sees Ms Fahey, or knows her whereabouts is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page. |
Amazon Car Delivery Now Available For Some Prime Members | (CBS) – Amazon’s newest feature is available to the public today. Amazon Key In-Car allows Prime members to get deliveries to your car while you’re at work.
The Seattle company said Tuesday that it has begun delivering packages in 37 cities to Prime members who own newer General Motors or Volvo vehicles. The feature comes six months after the online shopping giant rolled out Amazon Key, a method to let delivery people enter unoccupied homes.
Deliveries are available to Prime members with 2015 year or newer Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac vehicles with GM’s OnStar connected-car service, and those with a 2015 or newer Volvo vehicle with an active Volvo On Call account.
Packages will be placed in the trunks of cars parked in publicly accessible areas like a customer’s home or workplace, and then secured, the company said.
Amazon Prime customers need to download the Amazon Key app and sign up for Amazon Key In-Car service. From there, they can link their connected car and start their Amazon orders. No additional hardware or devices are needed. The Amazon Key app notifies customers if their car is parked in range of a delivery area. |
Canine Cupids to Hold ‘Luck of the Dog’ Fundraiser | Canine Cupids, a local nonprofit focused on improving the lives of homeless, neglected and exceptional needs dogs, is hosting their “Luck of the Dog |
Derwent not good enough to stop Langwith in Varsity qualifier semi | IN THE FIRST of the day’s two semi-finals Langwith managed to survive a late Derwent rally to qualify for Varsity and gain the right to play Halifax in Sunday’s final to decide who will be the first seed.
The beginning of the game was very non-descript with either side creating little in terms of chances. Derwent were missing a number of first-team midfielders, and this showed as the middle of the park had a seemingly infinite amount of space for the Langwith players to operate this. Despite this, the high line of Derwent, particularly first-year David McLaughlan, held firm and allowed Langwith very little chance to create.
After a while though, the defence began to give way and get pinned back into their half with any opportunity for a counter-attack nullified by the Derwent attack wandering too far forward while the rest of the team were digging out.
Inevitably, the defence made a mistake, and after a Derwent defender took a swing at a clearance and mishit it, Langwith’s forwards did not need a second chance: seizing upon this opportunity to hit home to make it 1-0 with 15 minutes on the clock.
Oskar Fossberg tried to reply with a hit from 25-yards out which just didn’t stay on target despite being well-hit. This chance preceded a sustained period of Langwith possession resulting in a spectacular double-save from Derwent goalkeeper Josh Todd which, unfortunately, would be his last contribution of the game as he injured himself in the process.
After a lengthy delay waiting for the backup ‘keeper to return from a trip to the facilities, the game got underway again as the clock edged towards the half but not before Matt Nevis narrowly missed a snapshot which would’ve brought the teams level and Langwith scored a great goal from far out to double their advantage at the advent of the first half.
The first exchanges of the second half followed the example of the first with a non-existent Derwent midfield allowing a newly potent Langwith attack to probe the ball for large periods of time. But it wasn’t a scintillating display of football that lead to the third Langwith goal, a communication error between David McLaughlan and the Derwent reserve keeper resulted in the former kicking the ball from the hands of the latter which again allowed the Langwith attack to poke the ball home from no range.
The third Langwith goal was a sucker-punch for a rapidly improving Derwent but this did not stop them in their pursuit of goals, and this search turned successful as Oskar Fossberg scored a peach of a free-kick from outside the box to get Derwent on the scoresheet.
This brilliant goal seemingly gave Derwent impetus and helped the push for a second which was duly delivered by Carlton who slotted home low into the net with five minutes remaining. But that was all that was left for Derwent with not enough time remaining to grab an equaliser before the referee brought proceedings to a close.
This late rally, however, impressed Derwent AFC president, Will Leafe: “It was a valiant effort. It was a great improvement in the second half, and it’s a shame we didn’t equalise.”
Langwith now go on to this month’s Varsity tournament but will sooner look to tomorrow’s final with Halifax before the competition gets underway on the 25th February. |
Gold corrects from 2-month tops, comes down to $1285 level | Gold edged lower on Monday and touched a session low level of $1285 during the early European session, eroding Friday's dismal US CPI-led gains to 2-month highs.
On Friday, the precious metal touched a two-month high level of $1292 on softer US inflation report that dampened expectations of aggressive Fed monetary policy tightening cycle. However, a modest US Dollar recovery on Monday, which tends to weigh on dollar-denominated commodities, now seems to have prompted traders to take some profits off the table and has been one of the key factors contributing to the yellow metal's offered tone.
This coupled with some signs of stability in global financial markets did little to extend any support to traditional safe-haven assets and further collaborated to the commodity's profit-taking slide.
• Asian stocks rise on fading prospects of Fed rate hike
The metal snapped four consecutive days of winning streak as the focus now shifts to this week's key event risk - FOMC meeting minutes. The minutes of the Fed's latest monetary policy meeting, along with a report on the US retail sales would now be looked upon for more hints over the timing of next Fed rate hike action, which would eventually help investors determine the next leg of directional move for the non-yielding commodity.
• The week's key data events ahead - Nomura
In absence of any major market moving releases on Monday, broader market risk sentiment and the USD price dynamics would remain key determinants of the metal's movement at the start of a new trading week.
Technical levels to watch
Immediate support is pegged near $1281-80 region, below which the corrective slide could get extended towards $1273 intermediate level en-route $1268 important support. On the flip side, bulls would be eyeing for a sustained move beyond $1290 level, above which the metal is likely to aim towards reclaiming the key $1300 psychological mark. |
Parker Posey's Book Club Must-Haves | While penning her upcoming memoir, You're on an Airplane, Parker Posey didn’t think twice about her wardrobe. “Writing is like acting, except you’re entertaining yourself and you don’t have to get dressed up,” she says. Naturally, the star of Netflix’s Lost in Space would opt for more dramatic attire to host her dream book club. “If we turned it into a costume party, I think people would be really excited to show up."
Courtesy Penguin Random House
Here, she gets candid about what her ideal book club entails, from comfy floor pillows to snacks from her local N.Y.C. hotspots.
For more stories like this, pick up InStyle's June issue, on newsstands and available for digital download now. |
Hear An Unreleased Bert Jansch And Johnny Marr Song, 'It Don't Bother Me' | Bert Jansch's percussive fingerpicking was rooted in traditional folk music, but he swung around melodies like a jazz musician, the rhythms swaying in his Scottish soul. Turns out that even skilled guitarists who admired Jansch couldn't figure him out.
"He was the only person that I ever really tried to work out stuff as a guitar player, fairly unsuccessfully," guitarist Johnny Marr told The Guardian in 2009. "And it's true that, if you actually sit in front of him and watch what he's doing, it's harder. It's better to just try to work it out by ear, because you'd need like a mirror, and you'd have to stand on your head to work out how he's doing it."
Marr got to meet and learn from Jansch in the late '90s, and played electric guitar on 2000's quietly stunning Crimson Moon. Earth Recordings has been reissuing much of Jansch's catalog in recent years, and with Living In The Shadows, Part Two: On The Edge Of A Dream, the label celebrates his post-2000s output, including Crimson Moon, Edge Of A Dream, The Black Swan and an album of demos and unreleased tracks from the same era. This is all music that was made in his 60s, still as sharp and as subtly confounding as ever.
"It Don't Bother Me" is an unreleased demo recorded with Marr around the same era as the Crimson Moon sessions. On it, the acoustic duet revisits the title track from his second album released in 1965. Marr just adds light accompaniment to the self-contained melody, and funnily enough, not much has changed in Jansch's worn-beyond-his-years voice, it's just seen more time.
Living In The Shadows, Part Two: On The Edge Of A Dream comes out April 28 on Earth Recordings. |
VIDEO: CDQ - First Come First Serve | Off the Quality album comes the visuals to “First Come First Serve” by CDQ.
The indigenous rapper recently left General Records to set up his own label, N.S.N.S (No Struggle No Success). We expect a big 2017 from CDQ!
The post VIDEO: CDQ – First Come First Serve appeared first on tooXclusive. |
Hekmatyar concerned as several Hezb-e-Islami members arrested | By Khaama Press - Mon Aug 14 2017, 12:04 pm
The leader of Hezb-e-Islami has expressed concerns regarding the arrest of a number of Hezb-e-Islami members.
Hekmatyar informed regarding the arrest of the party’s members during a meeting with the local tribal elders of southeastern Paktia province.
He said some special circles have started to arrest some of the members of Hezb-e-Islami during the recent days but the party continuous to practice restraint.
The leader of Hezb-e-Islami did not disclose further information regarding the main reason behind the apprehension of the party’s members and where they were arrested.
However, the reports regarding the latest arrests comes shortly after a group of the loyalists of the former Hezb-e-Islami commander Bashir Qanit stormed a mosque in northeastern Takhar province, leaving scores of people dead or wounded.
Provincial governor’s spokesman Sanatullah Temori confirmed the incident involving the fighters of commander Bashir Qanit.
He said at least four people were killed and thirty others were wounded during the clash and the health condition of at least six of the wounded people reported as critical.
The party released a statement on Sunday condemning the attack and urged the government institutions to share the findings of their probe regarding the incident that took place on Friday.
The statement further added that the incident in Cha Aab district mosque took place during the Friday prayers after the loyalists of commander Bashir Qanit tried to stop the mosque’s prayer leader to speak against the commander.
According to Hezb-e-Islami the prayer leader was speaking against commander since a long time but the attempts by his loyalists to stop him from delivering speech again him led to armed clashes that left at least three people dead.
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312 dead as mudslides, flooding sweep through Sierra Leone capital | Residents struggled to traverse roads that were turned into churning rivers of mud after Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown was struck by heavy rains
At least 312 people were killed and more than 2,000 left homeless on Monday when heavy flooding hit Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown, leaving morgues overflowing and residents desperately searching for loved ones.
An AFP journalist at the scene saw bodies being carried away and houses submerged in two areas of the city, where roads turned into churning rivers of mud and corpses were washed up on the streets.
Red Cross spokesman Patrick Massaquoi told AFP the death toll was 312 but could rise further as his team continued to survey disaster areas in Freetown and tally the number of dead.
Mohamed Sinneh, a morgue technician at Freetown's Connaught Hospital, said 180 bodies had been received so far at his facility alone, many of them children, leaving no space to lay what he described as the "overwhelming number of dead".
Sierra Leone's capital is hit each year by flooding that destroys makeshift settlements throughout the city, raising the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera This handout picture released on August 14, 2017, by Society 4 Climate Chnage Communication Sierra Leone, shows flooded streets in Regent near Freetown.The death toll from massive flooding in the Sierra Leone capital of Freetown climbed to 312 on August 14, 2017, the local Red Cross told AFP. Red Cross spokesman Patrick Massaquoi told AFP the toll could rise further as his team continued to survey disaster areas in Freetown, where heavy rains have caused homes to disappear under water and triggered a mudslide.
Many more bodies were taken to private morgues, Sinneh said.
Images obtained by AFP showed a ferocious churning of dark orange mud coursing down a steep street in the capital, while videos posted by local residents showed people waist and chest deep in water trying to traverse the road.
Fatmata Sesay, who lives on the hilltop area of Juba, said she, her three children and husband were awoken at 4:30 am by rain beating down on the mud house they occupy, which was by then submerged by water.
She managed to escape by climbing onto the roof.
"We have lost everything and we do not have a place to sleep," she told AFP.
- Piles of corpses -
Local media reports said a section of a hill in the Regent area of the city had partially collapsed, exacerbating the disaster.
Other images showed battered corpses piled on top of each other, as residents struggled to cope with the destruction.
Meanwhile disaster management official Candy Rogers said that "over 2,000 people are homeless," hinting at the huge humanitarian effort that will be required to deal with the fallout of the flooding in one of Africa's poorest nations.
Freetown, an overcrowded coastal city of 1.2 million, is hit each year by flooding during several months of rain that destroys makeshift settlements and raises the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera.
Flooding in the capital in 2015 killed 10 people and left thousands homeless.
Sierra Leone was one of the west African nations hit by an outbreak of the Ebola virus in 2014 that left more than 4,000 people dead in the country, and it has struggled to revive its economy since the crisis.
About 60 percent of people in Sierra Leone live below the national poverty line, according to the United Nations Development Programme. |
Tears, strong words, then applause when tot torturer is sentenced for murder | STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Tears were shed on Tuesday at Gloria Fields' sentencing in state Supreme Court, St. George, for first-degree murder in a toddler's torture death.
Harsh words were spoken in the audience.
Rage was tamped down beneath a mountain of grief.
And, finally, there was applause.
A spontaneous burst of clapping from about 20 members of little Anthony Delgado's family when, after Justice Wayne Ozzi sentenced Fields to 23 years to life for sexually abusing and fatally torturing the 17-month-old boy she was babysitting two years ago, the judge also said there's "no guarantee" the Concord resident would be released in 23 years.
"That poor child never had a chance in your hands," Ozzi had said moments earlier, lighting into the defendant before imposing sentence. ... "Why would anyone want to do this to an innocent 17-month-old child? To me, that just shows you were wicked and cruel."
The judge went on.
"I saw no emotion, no visible sign of remorse," Ozzi said, referring to Field's muted response when Eddie Castro, the victim's uncle, read a statement prepared by Anthony's mother, Marta Delgado, who stood beside him.
Castro wore a shirt with Anthony's photo on the front and back. On the front, a crown topped the little boy's head; on the back, it was an angel's halo.
Castro and Delgado held onto each other and wept.
'NEVER SEE HIS SMILING FACE'
"I will never get to see his smiling face," Castro read from Delgado's statement. "I don't think that I'll ever stop grieving his loss ... Since he's gone, the house is abnormally dark."
Ozzi called the case "the most disturbing" one he's ever presided over.
Earlier this month, Fields pleaded guilty to the top charge of a 12-count indictment accusing her of causing Anthony's death over the course of three days by acting in an "especially cruel and wanton manner ... intended to inflict and inflicting torture" on the child.
Prosecutors said those acts included sticking a six-inch Crayola pencil up the victim's rectum.
Prosecutors said Fields tortured and sexually abused the defenseless toddler between Friday, Feb. 19 through Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016, before he died.
According to testimony at a pretrial hearing last year, the defendant voluntarily admitted her guilt, including sexually assaulting the tot, as detectives confronted her with the results of their ongoing investigation.
Fields, who had been using heroin and smoking marijuana while the child was in her care, also slammed his face onto the floor while he was strapped into his stroller, and struck him on the head numerous times, according to court documents.
The incidents occurred at various times inside the apartment building where the defendant and victim lived, and inside Buffalo Exchange, a used clothing store on East 11th Street in Manhattan, prosecutors said.
ANGRY AT CHILD'S RELATIVE
Fields told investigators she was angry over the loss of custody of her own child after the victim's grandmother reported her to the city Administration for Children's Services, according to a videotaped recording of her interrogation by police which was played at a pretrial hearing last year.
She said she hurt the boy to get back at his grandmother.
The proceeding was emotional, and, at times, tense.
Fields had initially refused to leave a holding cell next to the courtroom to attend her sentencing. Her lawyer, Mario F. Gallucci, told the judge she didn't want to be photographed or videotaped by the media in the courtroom.
Anthony's relatives were visibly angered by Fields' refusal to come out.
"She shouldn't have a life. That baby doesn't have a life," one woman said lowly.
But the defendant relented after Ozzi assured her he wouldn't allow her photo to be taken - and after he had Gallucci inform her he might have her forcibly escorted into the courtroom if she didn't enter of her own accord.
Ozzi cautioned against any outbursts before Fields walked into the room.
Garbed in a white T-shirt and tan pants, Fields declined to make a statement before sentencing.
She has gained a considerable amount of weight while incarcerated.
In her statement, Delgado, the victim's mother, spoke of the pain of not watching Anthony grow up with his brother, of never buying him another bag of Cheese Doodles, his favorite food, and of days when she can't motivate herself to get out of bed.
Anthony's death impacts not merely her family, but "ripples across the entirety of the country," her statement said.
'NO WINNER HERE'
Outside court, Gallucci said the case was one of the toughest he's ever had to defend.
"It's unfortunate. It's sad," he said. "There's no winner here."
With regard to the crimes, Fields, he said, was remorseful.
"She says she can't believe she did it, that she was high on drugs," said Gallucci.
Eddie Castro, 31, the victim's uncle, called the sentence "a resolution to the crime."
But, he added, "It's not a resolution to anyone's feelings."
Both Castro and his twin brother, Emanuel Castro, said they believed "justice was served" for Anthony, although Emanuel Castro said he would have preferred a "full life sentence."
In a statement, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said, "This defendant deserves to spend the rest of her life in prison for the atrocious and sickening crimes she committed, and today's sentence ensures just that."
"No family should ever have to experience the loss of a child in this way, and the entire D.A.'s office continues to send our thoughts and prayers to the family of the young victim," said McMahon.
The district attorney also thanked Assistant District Attorneys Wanda DeOliveira and Timothy Richard "for all of their hard work successfully prosecuting this case." |
BRIEF-Paulson & Co takes share stake in Apple, dissolves share stake in Sarepta, Biogen | Aug 14 (Reuters) - Paulson & Co:
* Takes share stake of 12,300 shares in Apple - SEC filing
* Dissolves share stake in Biogen - SEC filing
* Ups share stake in T-Mobile US Inc by 46.1 percent to 6.1 million shares - SEC filing
* Dissolves share stake in Sarepta Therapeutics Inc - SEC filing
* Cuts share stake in GlaxoSmithKline Plc by 30.3 percent to 289,500 sponsored ADRs - SEC filing
* Change in holdings are as of June 30, 2017 and compared with the previous quarter ended as of March 31, 2017 Source text for quarter ended June 30, 2017: (bit.ly/2w7Q27x)
Source text for quarter ended March 31, 2017 (bit.ly/2pQh38R) |
Will & Grace co-creator leaks script page from upcoming revival episode | Given that our only plans for the rest of 2017 involve waiting for the Will & Grace revival to premiere, you’ll understand our excitement at being given a first glimpse of one of the brand new episodes coming to NBC this autumn.
Fans have already been treated to a five-minute musical trailer reintroducing Will, Grace, Jack and Karen back into our lives, but now series co-creator Max Mutchnick has provided some clues about what’s in store for viewers when the sitcom returns to screens following an 11-year absence.
The Emmy Award-winning producer tweeted a picture form the writers’ room last Friday (June 9), showing a draft script page from an upcoming episode entitled ‘The Wedding’, which, by the looks of it, will see Will (Eric McCormack) trying to land himself a wedding date.
Oh, and Karen (Megan Mullally) has a monkey. A friggin monkey! We’re sold already.
W&G Writing Room on Hiatus. Stopped by the office to pick up my wig. #wigandgrace pic.twitter.com/Cvy0aoYVXt — Max Mutchnick (@MaxMutchnick) June 9, 2017
Those without a magnifying glass to hand can check out the dialogue in full below:
JACK: I see where this going. You ask me to be your date, you drink too much, I’m disgusted, you feel uncomfortable and end up giving me money at the end of the night. I guess what I’m saying is, I need to borrow a grand. We can talk about it later when you’re plastered. WILL: Jack, you read my mind. I guess I’ll go with Plan B. No date. KAREN ENTERS WITH A MONKEY.
We can’t wait to see how this one turns out.
Meanwhile, show star Debra Messing recently revealed that new episodes of Will & Grace wouldn’t side-step the problematic ending of the show’s original run, which saw the series’ titular characters stop speaking to each other for twenty years after a mammoth falling out.
The 48-year-old actress told The Bill Carter Interview: “All I know is that I was told that they’ve come up with a very creative way of dealing with how the show ended, and that it will be in real time.”
Perhaps the monkey brings everyone back together? All we know is that we’ll out for sure when Will & Grace returns to screens this autumn on NBC.
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Orlando Gay Chorus honour Pulse shooting victims with moving rendition of ‘True Colours’ |
Panthers to face Ayr again in Schmalz Cup final | There will be a rematch for the Schmalz Cup junior C hockey championship.
The defending champion Ayr Centennials defeated the visiting Essex 73's 2-1 Monday night in Game 7 of a Provincial Junior Hockey League semifinal series at the North Dumfries Community Complex.
Ayr, which trailed 1-0 after the first period, tied the game 23 seconds into the third period before tallying the go-ahead game-winning goal with just 1:41 to play in regulation time. They out-shot Essex 51-23 in the deciding contest in front of 1,100 spectators.
The Panthers, earning their third straight trip to the championship final, won their semifinal over the Allison Hornets in five games, clinching the series victory on Friday.
A coin flip will determine which team gets home-ice advantage in the Schmalz Cup final before the schedule is set.
Last year, the Centennials swept the Panthers in four straight games to win the 2016 title.
In 2015, Essex defeated Port Hope in seven games. The Panthers fell behind 3-0 to start the series that year as well before rallying to force the seventh-and-deciding game. |
Dodgers TV Blackout Continues | Best Pizza In Orange County By NeighborhoodOrange County pizza connoisseurs have a variety of options when seeking out a pie; from New York style to traditional Italian roots to create-your-own and unique twists on the classic dish, there is truly something for everyone. |
Saginaw Promise Showing Progress Getting More High School Graduates Into College | Saginaw Promise is increasing the number of high school graduates who will be receiving college scholarship money from 90 eligible students last year to 141 this year.
Saginaw Promise Chairperson Joyce Seals hoped to bring in between $150,000 and $200,000 during Wednesday night’s fundraiser held in Saginaw Township’s Horizons Conference Center.
Highlighted speakers included Saginaw native Darvin Ham who parlayed his success on the basketball court into playing the sport in college and for eight years professionally in the National Basketball Association.
Ham’s career includes a ring as a member of the 2004 N-B-A champion Detroit Pistons.
He’s now an Assistant Coach with the N-B-A Atlanta Hawks and has hopes of becoming a head coach for some N-B-A team in the not too distant future. |
B.C. bill aims to keep Indigenous kids in communities, out of care | Changes to Child, Family and Community Service Act could connect MCFD, Indigenous communities
The B.C. government has proposed changes to the Child, Family and Community Service Act that would get rid of barriers for social workers and Indigenous communities when making decisions on a child’s welfare.
Introduced in the legislature Tuesday, Minister of Children and Family Development Katrine Conroy said the proposed changes share the goal of keeping children out of government care and in their communities when possible.
Under current legislation, the Ministry of Children and Family Development can only reach out to a child’s Indigenous community with the parent’s consent or to ensure the child’s safety and well-being.
. #BCGov has announced proposed changes to improve Indigenous child welfare re: Child, Family and Community Service Act. Here are the specifics #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/Xnc7JDnOvX — Ashley Wadhwani (@ashwadhwani) April 24, 2018
New changes would negate this barrier between social workers and community members by allowing information to be shared the moment a file is started on a child.
If passed, social workers will also be able to refer child-protection reports to an Indigenous government that has child protection laws, according to the ministry.
Other amendments would include required annual reviews of a child in custody-ordered care to include members of the child’s Indigenous community. The “best interest of a child test,” which is used by courts and the ministry when making any decisions around a child would also have to consider Indigenous traditions, customs and language.
Indigenous children currently make up 63 per cent of the total number of children in the province’s care, despite being less than 10 per cent of B.C.’s child population.
Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Scott Fraser called the proposed bill “core to reconciliation.”
@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. |
BRIEF-Transalta Announces Early Redemption Of Senior Notes | Feb 2 (Reuters) - Transalta Corp:
* TRANSALTA ANNOUNCES EARLY REDEMPTION OF SENIOR NOTES DUE 2018
* TRANSALTA CORP - CALLED FOR REDEMPTION OF ITS OUTSTANDING US$500 MILLION 6.65% SENIOR NOTES MATURING MAY 15, 2018
* TRANSALTA CORP - SENIOR NOTES WILL BE REDEEMED ON MARCH 15, 2018 Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: |
a rash of car break-ins hit the east side Monday | SAN MATEO — San Mateo police are investigating the burglary of multiple vehicles, and plan to increase patrols in those areas affected.
On Monday, San Mateo Police Department received multiple calls involving 14 vehicles near Ottawa Street and Trollman Avenue, which had their windows smashed and items such as electronics, money and bags stolen. Similar incidents were also recorded in the areas of Flores and Ivy Streets at 4th Avenue on the west side of San Mateo
The San Mateo Police Department urges the community to continue to protect themselves by not leaving their valuables in their vehicles, even if the vehicle is parked in your driveway. If your vehicle is burglarized — even if nothing is taken — police recommend you call the station immediately. Police say, this helps to identify crime trends and allows them to take a proactive approach in the targeted areas.
Call 911 if a crime is in progress or 650-522-7700 to report a crime that took place. Anyone with information regarding these crimes is encouraged to contact the San Mateo Police Department. Tips can be left anonymously at: http://tinyurl.com/SMPDTips or by calling the SMPD Secret Witness Line at 650-522-7676.
Police are also asking that if you have surveillance equipment or a camera that captures the exterior of your business and/or home, please register it on the City of San Mateo website using the San Mateo NEST-Neighborhood Eyes Security Team at www.tinyurl.com/SMPDNest. |
Cardington, Highland both win two Saturday BB games | By Rob Hamilton
[email protected]
Highland struggled offensively at Fredericktown on Friday in losing by a 6-2 margin. The Scots led 1-0 after the top of the second inning, but would not be able to score again until the sixth inning. By then, the Freddies had tallied all their runs to take a commanding lead.
Mack Anglin hit a home run to give the Scots their early lead. Also, Drew Duncan had two hits. Anglin suffered the loss in the game, as he and Kyle Munday handled the pitching duties.
The Scots back on the winning track, Saturday, though, as they traveled to River Valley and swept a pair of games.
In the first outing, an 8-4 win, Highland rode a three-run third inning and a two-run fourth to a 5-1 lead. They added three more in the sixth and then held on for the win.
Colten Liszkai earned the win, scattering five hits, and Munday also pitched. Lane Ballard, Tate Tobin and Max Schreiber all had two hits, while Duncan added a triple.
In the second game, the Scots tallied 15 hits in winning by a 10-4 margin. Jack Weaver earned his first career win, as he and Sam LoPiccolo handled the pitching duties in the contest. Weaver struck out five and only allowed three hits in four innings of work.
Tobin had two triples and three total hits, while Duncan and Bryce Geiger also had three hits, with Geiger driving in four runs. Matty Reid added a two-hit game.
Cardington Pirates
Cardington split a pair of games on Saturday, losing 6-2 to Danville, but winning by a 5-1 score over Bucyrus while at home.
Both games were decided late. Danville broke a 2-2 tie by scoring four runs in the top of the seventh inning in the first game. Despite striking out 12, Devin Pearl suffered the loss. Bobby Davis had two hits, while Daniel Kill added a double in the game.
In the second game, it was Cardington breaking a late tie. After Bucyrus scored in the top of the sixth inning to knot the game at 1-1, the Pirates picked up four runs in the bottom of the inning to win. Freshman Nico Wade earned the win for Cardington.
Northmor Knights
Centerburg only outhit Northmor 11-9 in their Friday league contest hosted by the Trojans, but took a 12-3 advantage on the scoreboard. Northmor walked seven batters and three errors led to six unearned runs in the contest.
Kyle Kegley, Alijah Keen, Chris Bood and Hunter Bentley combined to strike out one, walk seven and give up 11 hits. Kegley suffered the loss.
Nate Hall had a double and single in the game, while Conor Becker hit three singles.
Mount Gilead Indians
Mount Gilead claimed an 11-1 win at home against Elgin Friday.
The score was tied at 1-1 midway through the third inning, but the Indians scored once in their half of that frame and once more in the fourth before putting the game away with an eight-run fifth.
Alex Coder earned the win, striking out two and giving up three hits in the contest. Isaac George had three hits for the Indians, while Cory Conant and Tyler Bland both added two.
The team then lost a wild one at Westland on Saturday. Despite a six-run seventh-inning comeback, the Indians fell short by a 21-19 margin. Westland led 9-3 after two innings, but MG battled back to within a 10-8 margin after the third. However, they were outscored 7-2 over the next two innings and weren’t quite able to get out of that hole.
Conant, George, Alex Clark and Bland combined to strike out four, walk eight and give up 17 hits. MG finished with 13 hits in the game, with Clark having a home run and single and Conant adding a double. Also, Coder, Bland and Jacob Lodge all had two hits and George finished with four RBIs.
Rob Hamilton can be reached at 419-946-3010, ext. 1807. Connect with him on Twitter at @SportsMCS |
Merrill Lynch whistleblowers get $83 million | Snitches get riches.
A $415 million settlement from Merrill Lynch over billions in misused customer funds is the source of the largest-ever whistleblower award against a Wall Street company.
Three people are sharing $83 million in award money from the Securities and Exchange Commission for bringing the 2016 case against the Bank of America-owned wirehouse to the regulator, said Jordan A. Thomas, the lawyer representing the trio.
“My clients brought this to the commission, and helped them with the case over the years,” Thomas told The Post.
The SEC doesn’t reveal details about who whistleblowers are or which settlements awards come from. Whistleblowers can get as much as 30 percent of an award that exceeds $1 million, according to the SEC.
Two of the whistleblowers will split a $50 million award, while a third gets $33 million, the SEC announced. The award is funded by the settlement money.
“This historic award is a wake-up call for Wall Street,” Thomas added in a Monday statement. “With its protections, incentives and the ability to report anonymously, the SEC’s program empowers every citizen to be its eyes and ears. Mark my word, this is only the beginning of a revolution in ethical action for Corporate America. Bad actors are on notice.”
For three years through 2012, the wirehouse diverted money from customers’ accounts through complex options trades that reduced how much had to be held in reserves, the SEC said in the 2016 settlement.
And from 2009 to 2015, the brokerage held as much as $58 billion a day in customer securities in an account that would have been at risk if the firm failed, rather than in protected accounts, the regulator said.
“Had Merrill Lynch collapsed at any point, customers would have been exposed to significant risk and uncertainty of getting back their own securities,” the SEC said at the time.
The bank admitted wrongdoing at the time. |
Kind hearted plumber defies thieves to carry on his pioneering work | A plumber, whose van was broken into while he visited his mother in hospital, has vowed that thieves will not stop him from doing the job he loves and helping those who need it.
James Anderson was devastated to discover two boxes of tools, including drills, had been taken from the van outside his home in the Coal Clough area of Burnley.
James and Barbara's son, William, who died five years ago aged just 16 weeks.
He had just completed the 112 mile round trip to Liverpool to visit his mum in hospital.
James said: "Luckily my neighbour has CCTV so whoever did this was caught on camera and the matter is now in the hands of the police.
"I knew as soon as I went to my van it had been broken into as the door was slightly open."
What makes the theft of James' van particularly heartbreaking is the fact he carries out a lot of work for the elderly and vulnerable for free under a scheme he launched himself called DEPHER.
And despite the theft he turned out at 9pm to answer an SOS call from a woman with two disabled children who had a blocked drain in the back yard of her home.
James (50), whose company is called Northern Plumbing and Heating, said: "I went to the house and sorted the problem for the lady because that is what I do and what I will continue to do."
The day after the break-in was another heartbreaking time for James and his wife Barbara as it marked the fifth anniversary of the death of their baby son, William, who died when he was just 16 weeks old.
Born with a raft of medical problems, William was treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital.
And while the couple took time out to celebrate their son's life James received an anonymous call from someone threatening to harm him.
James said: "A guy called saying that I was advertising on his website and he knew my name and where I lived and he was coming to beat me up.
"I have no idea what he was talking about or who he was and that matter has also been reported to the police."
James believes the culprit may be someone wanting to scupper his scheme as it aims to prevent unscrupulous tradesmen from taking advantage of the elderly, disabled and vulnerable by overcharging them.
He added: "It has been a particularly distressing and hard week for me and my family but we are carrying on with a smile as there are people depending on us.
"My mum is now home from hospital and we have to look forward to the future and not look back and dwell on the past.
"I will carry on helping people, the elderly, vulnerable and disabled because to see the smile on someone's face knowing that you have helped to make their home safe and warm is worth everything."
James has applied for funding and trustees to get on board with Depher, which stands for Disabled and Elderly Plumbing and Heating, and he wants to get as many tradesman as possible on board across the UK.
At the moment he helps people across Lancashire.
He added: "The initiative can and will save lives and show the vulnerable there are people in the community who care about them and their safety.
"This will bring us together again as the caring and strong country that we are known to be worldwide." |
The Latest: Ukraine faked death of Russian journalist | MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on the reported slaying in Ukraine of a Russian journalist: (all times local):
5:25 p.m.
Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko, who had been reported shot and killed in the Ukrainian capital Tuesday, has shown up at a news conference very much alive.
Vasily Gritsak, head of the Ukrainian Security Service, told a news conference on Wednesday the agency faked Babchenko's death to catch those who were trying to kill him.
Kiev and national police had said Babchenko, a strong critic of the Kremlin, was shot multiple times in the back at his apartment building and found bleeding by his wife.
He showed up at Gritsak's new conference on Wednesday and thanked everyone who was mourning his death.
Babchenko, 41, one of Russia's best-known war reporters, spoke and wrote year about leaving the country because of repeated threats that he and his family would be harmed.
___
2:35 p.m.
A top lawmaker says Russia is willing to help Ukraine investigate the murder of a Russian journalist.
Arkady Babchenko, who was scathingly critical of the Kremlin, was gunned down in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, on Tuesday.
Babchenko fled Russia last year, fearing for his life, and settled in Ukraine. He had served in the Russian army during the two wars in Chechnya in 1990s and became one of Russia's best-known war reporters.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, told Russian news agencies Wednesday that Russia would be happy to help with the investigation if Ukrainian authorities requested it.
Ukrainian authorities have said they think Babchenko was killed because of his work. Several Ukrainian politicians blamed the Kremlin for the killing. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed those comments as cynical. |
The Best High-Coverage Foundations For Flawless Skin | Blame Kim Kardashian, blame instagram models, blame whoever the hell you want – but whatever the reason there’s no point in denying it: we bloody love a completely flawless face base.
But finding the right high-coverage foundation for the job can be tricky. Sure, we want full coverage that lasts and lasts… but we don’t want to lessen the glow, look cakey or feel like we’re wearing a shit ton of makeup.
Before you find your own dream new foundation, check out these guys try and contour for the first time...
Don’t worry though, cause we’ve tried out a helluva lot of formulas and spoken to some of the industry’s finest MUAs to find you the best high-coverage foundations out there…
bareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation, £29
Granted, when you think ‘high-coverage’ you don’t immediately think of bareMinerals. But hun, that’s where you’re wrong. Their newest formulation has proper pack-a-punch coverage, whilst still giving your skin all those bareMinerals skin-friendly ingredients meaning your complexion can breathe at the same time. It’s genius really.
Estee Lauder Double Wear, £33.50
The O.G of high-coverage foundation – we couldn’t not mention Estee Lauder Double Wear really, could we? If you’re yet to try it – buy it now. It’s the original high coverage foundation for people who love a long-lasting face base. Perfect for ‘going-out’ makeup or if you suffer with too much shine. Long live Double Wear you absolute babe.
Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation, £20
Alright so this one is your go-to if you have areas that you really want to cover up. Perfect for severe acne, scarring or birthmarks – Vichy Dermablend hides all manners of sins. Not enough? You can double up with the Vichy concealer too, but we doubt you’ll need it.
L'Oreal Paris Infallible Total Cover Foundation, £9.99
This cult foundation actually only landed in the UK recently, but bloggers across the pond are ob-sessed. Available in a load of true-to-colour shades, it’s your drugstore equivalent of Estee’s double wear.
Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation, £31
Launched in the UK earlier this year, this is the high-coverage foundation for people who don’t like to feel like they’re wearing a lot of makeup at all. It’s super long-wearing but still feels weightless on the skin. Plus it reduces oil and shine, leaving your skin with a naturally matte finish.
Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation, £29.50
From their primers to their setting sprays, Urban Decay know staying power. And All-Nighter Foundation is no different. It’s full coverage, semi matte and literally does not budge. There’s no need for a setting powder here!
Giorgio Armani Power Fabric Foundation, £42
A celeb favourite, power fabric is the fuller coverage update to the cult luminous silk foundation. It illuminates as it covers, meaning you’re not left with a flat-looking finish – and it’s got SPF 25. Love.
Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation, £30.90
Perfect for on-the-go coverage, this stick foundation blurs away blemishes, dark circles and redness in one quick sweep. For a flawless finish - swipe across your forehead and cheeks before blending with a damp beautyblender or foundation brush.
Maybelline SuperStay 24Hr Full Coverage Liquid Foundation, £9.99
You don’t need to fork out on a £££ to get good coverage. Maybelline’s SuperStay Foundation is cult for a reason – because it’s bladdy good. Perfect for ‘out-out’ makeup, this foundation doesn’t cake or crease and leaves skin with a luminous matte finish.
Words: Chloe Burcham. |
Trump poised for major makeover of liberal 9th Circuit court | The most liberal appeals court in America could soon be getting a Republican makeover if President Trump and Senate GOP leaders are able to fill seven open seats with conservative picks.
Standing in their way is a wall of Democrats hellbent on protecting the long-standing leftward lean of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The stakes are sky high because of the size, caseload and clout of the court. If Trump is successful in getting young, ideologically conservative nominees through the confirmation process, he could significantly alter the court’s DNA for decades to come.
“Adding seven conservatives to the court would very much affect its ideological balance,” Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, told Fox News. “It would push the court much further to the right.”
If Trump wants to take advantage of this opportunity, he'll have to act soon. So far, he's only made two nominations.
Based in San Francisco, the 9th Circuit covers nine western states, has 29 active judgeships and seven vacancies, with an eighth coming in August. Its current political split is 16-6.
“The Ninth Circuit is out in left field and has been since a major expansion of the court allowed President Carter – and Senator Alan Cranston (D-Calif.) – to pack its left wing in the late 1970s,” Kent Scheidegger, legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, said.
He told Fox News the court hasn’t been balanced politically ever since.
During their time in the Oval Office, former President George W. Bush appointed six justices to the 9th Circuit, while former President Barack Obama appointed seven.
When Trump took over, there were four vacancies to fill. Today, that number has almost doubled.
Conservatives have tried for years to chip away at the 9th. There have been multiple – unsuccessful – bids in Congress to split up the sprawling court.
Critics have slammed the 9th for being too big, too liberal and too slow at resolving cases.
They’ve also mocked it mercilessly, calling it the “Nutty 9th” or the “9th Circus,” in part because many of its rulings have been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. This includes an infamous 2002 ruling that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional because of its use of the phrase “under God.” The court over the years also has knocked down state bans on assisted suicide and ruled that no American has the constitutional right to own a gun.
Between 2010-2015, the Supreme Court reversed about 70 percent of the total cases before it -- the 9th Circuit’s reversal rate was higher at 79 percent, though the highest in the nation was the 6th Circuit, which covers Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky and clocked in at 87 percent.
During the court’s 2016 term, however, the reversal rate for the 9th jumped to 88 percent. Still, most of the rulings that year were not reviewed by the high court, leaving them in place.
That’s why, some say, the liberal court needs a massive makeover and Trump might just be the president who gets it done.
To be sure, there is no love lost between Trump and the 9th Circuit.
He regularly rails against it, complains that it is “broken and unfair” and even called out “unelected” judges after his travel ban and sanctuary city policies were struck down.
But if Trump really wants to shake up the 9th, experts say he needs to prioritize it. The sooner the better because his success could hinge on the midterm elections.
“It really depends on whether the Republicans keep the Senate in November,” Chemerinsky told Fox News. “If they do, I think ultimately Trump will get his picks through unless they are unqualified or very objectionable. But if the Democrats take the Senate in November, I think it will be very difficult for him to get anyone confirmed.”
There are several Democrats who are committed to keeping the court’s balance of power the same. One weapon in their arsenal is blue slips.
Created in 1917, the blue slip is not a formal rule but instead a courtesy extended by the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman that allows home-state senators to approve or reject appointees from their states.
Over its 100-year history, lawmakers from both parties have used blue slips as an effective way to obstruct a president’s judicial pick. Both parties, depending on who is in power at the time, have accused the other of abusing the process and putting party politics ahead of confirming qualified candidates.
When Obama took office in 2009, every single Republican senator signed a letter that said they would use blue slips to block any nominee to their state they did not personally approve.
Senate Democrats unilaterally changed the rules in 2013 to prevent 41 senators from blocking nominees after evaluating their credentials.
But now that Democrats are in the minority, they argue a single senator should be able to block nominees before the Senate Judiciary Committee can check out a candidate’s credentials. And Republicans are now denying their Democratic counterparts the same tactic they took full advantage of just a few years ago.
In February, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, came under fire for loosening the blue slip policy.
Grassley defended his decision, arguing that the policy isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, though his immediate predecessor, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, did honor blue slips and refused to move forward on a nomination without getting the consent of both home-state senators.
“It’s a very important part of the process but it’s not entirely definitive,” Grassley told TIME magazine.
Dianne Feinstein, the senior senator for California and the top ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has called out the Iowa Republican for loosening the blue slip policy.
“The lengths to which Republicans are going to jam extremely conservative and controversial nominees through the Senate is unprecedented,” she has said. “What’s happening is diminishing the Judiciary Committee and the Senate and undermining the independence of the federal judiciary.”
She added, “Republicans shouldn’t have one blue slip policy for Democratic presidents and another for Republican presidents.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has favored using blue slips for district court nominees rather than appeals court nominees.
It’s a compromise that could work, Elizabeth Slattery, a legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation, said.
“Customarily, home-state senators have played a larger role in the selection of district court nominees,” she said. “While appeals court judges are based in one state, they hear cases from all the states within their circuit. District court judges, on the other hand, hear only cases from the state where they sit. Thus, home-state senators’ opinions are more relevant for district court nominees.”
Slattery says another option might involve scrapping the use of blue slips altogether but warns the decision could come back to bite the party in power down the line. |
Serena Williams: I cried when I couldn't find my daughter's bottle | Tennis star speaks about pressures of motherhood and desire for more children
Serena Williams has powered through her first grand slam appearance since motherhood, but the tennis star has revealed details of the off-court challenges she faced immediately after giving birth.
Williams, who is married to the Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, had an emergency caesarean section and experienced life-threatening complications after childbirth, which resulted in surgery to prevent blood clots travelling to her lungs.
The 36-year-old has spoken about struggling after her daughter, Alexis Olympia, was born in September, revealing she once cried because she could not find her baby’s bottle.
She told Harper’s Bazaar UK: “Honestly, sometimes I think I still have to deal with it. I think people have to talk about it more because it’s almost like the fourth trimester, it’s part of the pregnancy.
“I remember one day, I couldn’t find Olympia’s bottle and I got so upset I started crying … because I wanted to be perfect for her.”
Serena Williams on her 'Black Panther' catsuit: 'It's my way of being a superhero' Read more
Williams, a guest at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex this month, beat Kristyna Pliskova 7-6, 6-4 in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday. She will compete at Wimbledon in July.
She has previously revealed she had to spend the first six weeks of motherhood in bed, and the medical ordeal combined with the challenges of parenting temporarily overwhelmed her.
Williams told Vogue magazine in January: “Sometimes I get really down and feel like, man, I can’t do this. No one talks about the low moments – the pressure you feel, the incredible letdown every time you hear the baby cry. I’ve broken down I don’t know how many times. Or I’ll get angry about the crying, then sad about being angry, and then guilty, like, ‘why do I feel so sad when I have a beautiful baby?’ The emotions are insane.”
Her husband told the magazine “I was happy to change diapers”, but he said the hardest part was “not being able to help”.
Williams’s daughter was born by emergency caesarean section after the baby’s heart rate dropped dramatically during labour. But although that surgery went smoothly, 24 hours after giving birth Williams entered six days of uncertainty, which began with a pulmonary embolism.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Serena Williams on the cover of the July edition of Harper’s Bazaar. Photograph: Richard Phibbs/Harper's Bazaar
“This sparked a slew of health complications that I am lucky to have survived,” she later wrote on CNN.com. She had a large haematoma in her abdomen and underwent surgery to prevent clots travelling to her lungs.
Despite the trauma surrounding Olympia’s birth, Williams told Harper’s Bazaar UK she was ready to have another child: “Olympia needs a little sister, and then we can have a boy. I’ve only been around girls my whole life.”
She is not the first celebrity to admit struggling emotionally after giving birth. The actor Gwyneth Paltrow, whose son, Moses, was born in 2006, told Vogue UK in 2010: “At my lowest, I was a robot, I didn’t feel anything … I had no maternal feelings for him – it was awful.”
The singer Alanis Morissette, who gave birth to her son, Ever, in 2010, told You magazine in 2012: “The degree and intensity of my postnatal depression shocked me.”
The Loose Women presenter Andrea McClean wrote in the Mirror: “Sometimes it would happen without warning. I’d pop to the loo in the middle of a meeting and suddenly find myself overwhelmed with sadness, tears pouring down my face and my hand stifling the sobs.”
Harper’s Bazaar is on sale on Thursday. |
Duterte urged to hire more OSG lawyers | SEN. Richard Gordon on Saturday called on President Rodrigo Duterte to appoint more lawyers to the Office of Solicitor General to ensure the speedy resolution of about 725,000 pending cases at the OSG.
Gordon learned about the lack of public lawyers during the public hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights on several bills proposing to strengthen the OSG.
The OSG only has 267 lawyers but it has an estimated 725,000 cases, of which 374,420 are still active.
“The President should appoint lawyers to fill up these vacant positions to allow for smoother service by the OSG,” Gordon said.
The posts of State Solicitors I to III are to be appointed by the President. The OSG said there are a number of vacancies for these positions.
Out of the 988 authorized positions for the OSG, only 721 are filled up.
Gordon also urged the OSG to expedite the hiring of lawyers for lower ranking positions.
“I don’t mind getting you high salaries and benefits but obviously, you cannot cut the 728,904 cases. You seem to be doing a good job but no one could cope with that caseload. You should hire more lawyers,” he said.
“I’m wondering why you cannot recruit lawyers. You should strengthen your recruitment,” Gordon added. |
The Measurement Gap: Augmented Reality In Retail | I recently came across an article about an augmented reality app created by the Cheetos brand for SXSW. It uses your smartphone camera to show you what the world would look like if it was all made out of Cheetos, thus the app is named Cheetos Vision.
This kind of AR application is what you would call a stunt. A publicity stunt that generates buzz without offering something of any utility to consumers. That’s not a bad thing. AR is by no means an established channel for engaging with consumers. They’re still exploring it and getting used to it. The use-case in terms of what’s in it for consumers is more about delight than utility.
The problem with stunts is that it does not inspire a lot of creative thinking about what you can learn from consumers using it. Your measurement strategy is pretty much one of tracking an adoption wave. A stunt has the lifespan of a fad – some early adopters who are “in” and find it first, then a tipping point that turns into a swell of adoption, and then a fall-off as all the people who are going to adopt it have done so, and anyone interested in adopting it won’t because the moment has already passed. There might be some measurement of usage within the app – how long did people use it per session, where were they when they were using it, etc. – but because by its nature it’s a one-trick pony, that too is going to be limited. The app itself doesn’t necessarily offer a lot of depth to explore, so there just isn’t going to be a lot to measure about how people use it.
Turns out, that lack of depth has also meant there is precious little information out there about how to measure AR results. Outside of education or industrial applications (like how to measure the performance of AR-using repair technicians), I found one article that even mentioned specifics of what to look for in AR results, and while it gave examples of some outcomes from specific AR applications by some brands and retailers, the specifics are cursory at best.
It’s okay, at this point in AR’s maturity, especially for brands and retailers, that there isn’t a lot of material out there on what to measure when deploying AR to consumers, but only so long as companies are collecting just about everything they possibly can about AR usage and, when they can, who is using it. If you have a good trove of data to start from (emphasizing the protection of consumer security and privacy), then you can ask a lot of basic questions about what happened with your AR project. And for both AR and VR, there are a lot of similarities to both web and video, so there are some good basic measurements to start from that have a lot of maturity in the digital world – for example, if there is a video or “cut scene” kind of component to your experience, what percent of users started it, what percent viewed to the end, what percent skipped it, etc.
But AR is different than VR, because it’s not self-contained. VR is more like a 3D website from a measurement perspective. There appears to be developing thought around setting up VR as “zones”, tagging specific activities within the VR world to each zone, and then measuring where consumers go, how long they stay there, what activities did they unlock or engage in, etc. Again, very akin to clicks, page views, time on page – all that web-based measurement that digital marketers know well.
AR departs from VR in a measurement sense, though, because it is an overlay on the real world. That means you need to be looking at how AR impacts real-world behavior at the same time that you need to look at how consumers use the AR features that are provided. With VR, you are seeking to understand the user’s immersion into a world and their activities there. With AR, you should be seeking to understand the user’s interactivity with the real world, and not just their usage within the AR app itself. |
Top five best laser printers for 2017 | Best laser printers
Which? tests all the latest laser printers, ranging from simple, standard models only able to print, to feature-rich all-in-one machines, with copy and scan functions, too.
Whatever the type, Best Buy laser printers will turn out speedy, top quality black text letters and crisp office graphics prints that light up the page.
Despite lower running costs, laser printers tend to cost more than inkjets. So it's important you don't get stuck with a poor quality laser model - scroll down to see the laser printers we'd urge you to avoid.
In the table below, we've picked out five great monochrome laser printers (only able to print in black-and-white). If you want a laser model that can print in colour for photos or images, head to our Best colour laser printer guide.
Only logged-in Which? members can view our recommendations in the table below. If you’re not yet a member, you can get instant access by taking a £1 trial to Which?. |
Does Chalk Repel Ants? Twitter Is Obsessed With This Hack For Keeping Bugs Away | It's summer, which means whether you're at a picnic, chilling in your yard, or (worst of all) lying in your own cozy bed, there's a chance an ant may just be waiting to invade your space. OK, so maybe ants aren't that sinister, and most of the time they cross our path while just going about their own busy little ant business, but it can definitely feel like they're out to get us. Which is why this incredibly weird hack for keeping ants away, which is going viral on Twitter, is going to be your new — though unfortunately temporary — bug repelling BFF.
Twitter user @ChristineFox_ inspired a Twitter moment by tweeting July 3 that ants hate chalk. "Draw a chalk ring around your drink or outline your coasters and they won’t cross the line," they suggested, with a couple of photos of chalk lines and some very confused ants.
Let's get one thing straight: ants do stop when they encounter chalk lines. But unfortunately, this isn't Supernatural, and ants aren't vengeful spirits you can ward off with a salt (er, chalk) line. According to The Mercury News, a San Jose paper that did us all a favor by investigating animal myths, chalk doesn't have any magic ant-deterring properties. In fact, "anything that disrupts the scent trail will briefly stop the march of ants," reporter Joan Morris wrote. So a chalk line that interrupts the scent trail they're following on their way to your plate of summer BBQ and beans will leave them confused, but according to Morris, "[i]t doesn't take long, however, for the ants to continue their quest."
Other Twitter users chimed in in response to @ChristineFox_, with one tweeting, "Found this out on accident the other day when I drew the alphabet in sidewalk chalk on my front sidewalk for my kid. The ants outlined each letter as to not cross over the chalk."
"This is genius. As an added bonus, one could also keep children occupied as a pest control force, were one so inclined," another tweeted.
Though many folks seem to be discovering the ant-chalk myth for the first time, it does go back a ways. Morris reported that this particular myth may have roots with insecticidal chalk, which is illegal, but made in China and sometimes imported to the U.S. (again, illegally). "The pesticide in the chalk is untested, unlabeled and unregulated, making it a potential health threat, especially to children who might play with it as if it were regular chalk," Morris wrote.
It should be noted that other outlets had a more favorable view of chalk repelling ants, like SFGate, which reported that "[a]nts prefer not to walk through a line of powdery material such as chalk dust, talcum powder or diatomaceous earth. Chalk is made of calcium carbonate, which is essentially ground-up seashells." SFGate mentioned scent as well, reporting that ants won't cross a chalk line "because it interferes with their ability to follow scent trails left by other ants."
Another, related myth The Mercury News investigated is that ants won't cross a line of cinnamon, which may hold a bit more scientific truth than chalk. Morris reported, "Researchers have experimented with cinnamon oil and found it has some insect-repelling properties. However, as one entomologist pointed out, ants can crawl and climb, and they can easily find a way around the cinnamon. It does make your house smell nice, though."
While a lot of this info is a little down on chalk, as shown by @ChristineFox_, it definitely does work for at least a temporary period of time, so if you're chilling with the kiddos and doing sidewalk art, drawing a circle around yourself so you won't find any unwelcome guests making their way up your pants leg is totally viable. And as for your house, there are other non-chemical repellants you can make use of, including super groovy bug-repelling houseplants that are pretty and useful.
Here's to an as-bug-free-as-possible summer! |
Rays' Steven Souza: Drives in two runs against Red Sox | Souza went 2-for-4 with two RBI during Monday's loss to Boston.
The pair of RBI improved Souza to 10 for the campaign, and along with his .320/.424/.520 slash line, the 27-year-old outfielder is locked into a heater to start the year. He boasts a power-speed combo and has flashed potential in both categories since joining the Rays in 2015. However, he's struggled to make consistent contact at the highest level and has also missed games to injuries. Now in his third full season in the majors, a career year is well within reach, and Souza's strong start is an encouraging first step toward a breakout campaign. |
Stephen King apologizes for ‘thoughtless tweet’ about Republican train crash | A trainload of Republicans on their way to a pricey retreat hit a garbage truck. My friend Russ calls that karma. — Stephen King (@StephenKing) February 1, 2018
Stephen King sent out a tweet yesterday calling the Virginia train crash involving several Republican lawmakers including U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin and speaker of the house Paul Ryan, “karma.” About four hours later, he apologized, though not without a caveat.
A rather thoughtless tweet from me concerning the train-truck crash, for which I apologize (if one is necessary). It should be pointed out, too, that those Republican politicians, who can be heartless when they vote, immediately got out to help. — Stephen King (@StephenKing) February 1, 2018
King then linked to a GoFundMe page set up to help the bus driver that was killed in the crash.
We spent yesterday covering a train accident because hundreds of members of Congress were on board. But the real tragedy is Chris Foley, who was killed. His family and baby need your support — if you’re able, please consider helping them. https://t.co/YOJuSdb2F1 — Kasie Hunt (@kasie) February 2, 2018
Other media outlets noted that King himself was involved in a serious car crash in 1999. |
Club Spotlight: Frozen Lenses | Max Erickson / Sun Star
The Frozen Lenses Photography Club is showing “Exposed: A Group Exhibition” at the UAF Gallery near the Great Hall. The exhibit, made up of 52 images from 17 group members, will be in the gallery for all of February.
“Exposed” showcases the diverse expertises and interests of the club’s members. The exhibition’s name is a play on diction used among photographers, with “exposed” being the final product of the development process.
The club will be holding a special event Valentine week from Feb. 13-17 called “Heart My Photo” which will allow gallery visitors to participate in a holiday-themed giveaway.
Frozen Lenses charges a membership fee of $15 per semester, which helps fund guest speakers, food for meetings and purchasing equipment for demos and member rentals. Members sometimes receive discounts on gallery visits, inclusion in the club showing and a personal page on the club website. Meetings are every Thursday at 6 p.m. in room 313 in the Bunnell building.
Jason Lazarus, an adjunct professor and technician, helped create Frozen Lenses around 2006. Charles Mason, the club’s faculty sponsor, ended up taking the remaining funds for a previously failed camera club and contributing to the creation of Frozen Lens. In fall of 2015 through the combined effort of Charlotte Peterson, Kathryn Reichert and Sarah Manriquez Frozen Lens has become “bigger than ever.”
“They are in a very active period for Frozen Lenses. There is a lot of energy in the group. Their first juried competition, titled Circumpolar, is coming up. Jeff Shultz, a well-known photographer from Anchorage, is coming to jury the entries,” Mason said. “I love their energy in pursuing all these activities.”
Frozen Lenses seeks to allow students to work on their own technique while seeing what others are working on and collaborating to further their skill.
The club will also feature two more shows after “Exposed.” These shows are “2017 Peter MacKeith Memorial Photography Exhibition: Ascension” and the “State-wide juried Exhibition: Circumpolar.”
The “Peter MacKeith Memorial Photography Exhibition” is a collaborative effort between the Student Activities Office and Frozen Lenses to create an adventure themed show honoring UAF student Peter MacKeith and allow students to share their passion for the outdoors. MacKeith was a doctoral student in the late 1970s. Following his death an endowment fund was created to support amateur photography. The show will be presented on March 3 from 5-8 p.m. and will be up until March 17. The show winners will receive prizes be featured in Clarity magazine.
Before “State-wide juried Exhibition: Circumpolar” there were only two other state-wide juried exhibitions. It was through the efforts Frozen Lens that the third state wide juried exhibition will be added. The show is meant to express life in northern areas specifically targeting the circumpolar region. The exhibit will be featured from April 7-29 at Ursa Major Distilling. |
Keeping Organized: What to do with all of those photos? | MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – So now you’ve got all of your photos in one place, organized, and ready to go. You’ve prepared, planned, scanned, so what’s next? Professional organizer Andi Willis is back this morning with the answer!
One thing you can do according to Andi is put all of those pictures in a photo safe storage box, and place them safely in a closet or cabinet. Andi uses a container specifically designed to store pictures. Never use a plastic bin or a shoe box! Those are not make to hold photos. You should try to find something that needs to be three things: acid free, lignin free, and buffered. Any storage box that has all of that will play safe with your pics.
Andi also says to never store your photos in basements, garages, attics, or even off-site storage units! They need to be stored in places with low light, low temperature, and low humidity or they will certainly degrade over time.
Now if you have set of pictures that you are finding to be your favorites, you can discover ways to display them. You can put them in specialized frames, photo-safe storage albums, or even photo books that companies can create for you for extra easy access down memory lane.
Another option can be a bit more extreme: throw your pictures away… after you’ve digitally scanned them in, of course! Even though Andi says this is not a popular option, the truth is, most people do a combination of everything. So it’s whatever works best for you!
If you have any suggestions you’d like to toss Andi’s way for her to feature on other installments of Good Life Organizing, you can send her an email at andi@goodlifeorganizing.net.
Or you can visit her website at GoodLifeOrganizing.net for more ideas on how to keep your life a little more in order. |
Vigil held for 82-year-old Chicago Heights woman found beaten to death | Please enable Javascript to watch this video
CHICAGO -- A vigil was held Wednesday evening for an 82-year-old woman who was found beaten to death in her Chicago Heights home.
The friends and family in attendance at the vigil were desperate for answers after finding out Australia Landingham's death was a murder.
Landingham's daughter came back from running errands with her father Sunday afternoon to find her mother dead at the bottom of the basement stairs around 5 p.m. in the 2300 block of South Halsted in the Chicago Heights neighborhood. Officials ruled her death a homicide.
“I found her. I wish I hadn’t found her. I’m messed up in the head. I’m traumatized. I can`t sleep,” she said.
The Cook County Medical Examiner said Landingham, known as “Aunt Boochie,” was beaten to death. She died of multiple blunt force injuries.
“She was 82 years old. Why would you do something like this, crush her skull and knock her teeth out of her mouth? How could you do this to somebody?” Marshon Terry, Landingham’s niece said.
When Crystal Landingham and her father, Walter Landingham, left to go shopping, the front door and windows were open. When they came back everything was closed up and the garbage was gone.
“It is someone she knew. It’s got to be. They don’t let people in their house,” Dennis Guyder, Landingham’s nephew, said.
Her sister, Beatrice Moore, lives down the block. She’s lost three other siblings in the past few months.
“She was there by herself and I can just feel her, the trauma that she was going through dead and fear and stuff, you know there by herself,” she said.
Landingham and her husband were supposed to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Friday.
He said they finished each other’s sentences, were very happy, and planning to move to Florida. He said you couldn’t have met a better person.
“I don’t know who did it but I hope they don’t have another moment of peace for the rest of their life,” he said. |
Brexit news: Labour MP's stance trashed by LBC host Andrew Castle | Stephen Doughty, a member of pro-EU campaign group Open Britain, was grilled by LBC host Andrew Castle over his Brexit stance. Mr Doughty, Labour MP for Cardiff South and Penarth, argued Britain should stay in the single market and the customs union. The pro-European MP also said people are entitled to change their mind and should be given the right to do so with a second referendum.
LBC•BBC Brexit news: Andrew Castles dismantles Labour MP's stance on customs union and single market
Mr Castle said: “You're in favour of staying in the Customs Union, staying a part of the single market, paying the price for that in terms of the immigration, the freedom of movement, take in rulings from the European Court of Justice and everything else. “I mean there's a new phrase isn't there - BRINO - that's what you're actually aiming for. We're not going to be leaving at all if you have your way.” The Labour MP rejected Castle’s claim and argued it was possible to place a “series of restrictions” on freedom of movement inside the single market.
BRINO - that's what you're actually aiming for. We're not going to be leaving at all if you have your way Andrew Castle
He said: “You wouldn't walk into a car showroom blindfolded and just get into a car and drive off and find yourself falling off a cliff. “Similarly if you bought a car and you suddenly discovered it had wonky steering and didn't do as many miles to the gallon as you thought it was going to do you you'd ask for a refund.” Mr Doughty was not the only one to claim people should be given the right to vote again at the end of the Brexit negotiations.
Brexit deal agreement in full: Read the report published Fri, December 8, 2017 Read the full 7,000-word agreement on the Brexit deal Play slideshow EPA 1 of 17 Here is the 15 page Brexit deal in full |
Gamecocks are relaxed heading into NCAA Tournament - wistv.com - Columbia, South Carolina | The South Carolina Gamecocks show their lighter side ahead of Friday's NCAA Tournament contest against North Carolina A&T State. |
Raiders begin offseason as lame ducks in Oakland | ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Three weeks after the team’s move to Las Vegas was approved by the NFL, the Raiders began preparations for the 2017 season with hopes of giving Oakland a winner before the team leaves town.
The Raiders started their offseason program Monday with more questions about what life will be like as a lame-duck in Oakland, and how they expect to be greeted in Las Vegas when they likely arrive in 2020, than about any offseason acquisitions or on-field concerns.
“It just feels weird right now,” said All-Pro pass rusher Khalil Mack, the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
It will be like that for a while still. The Raiders will play the upcoming season at the Oakland Coliseum and have an option for a lease for 2018 that they plan to exercise as well.
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With their new $1.9 billion stadium in Las Vegas not expected to open until 2020, the team might need to find a temporary home in 2019. It will spend the next few years trying to bridge the gap between a fan base that feels deserted in the East Bay and one excited for a new team in Nevada.
“That’s crazy,” quarterback Derek Carr said. “How do you keep playing somewhere you love and then you’ve got to go and have to play somewhere else that you’re going to have to love and love the people there just like we will?”
But for the players and coaches, many of whom may not even be with the team when it arrives in Las Vegas in three years, the immediate focus is on building on a 12-4 season that gave the Raiders their first playoff berth since 2002.
With most of the young core back, the Raiders are expected to be one of the top teams in the AFC again this season.
“In all honesty, it doesn’t matter yet,” Carr said. “It’s coming, it’s big news. It’s exciting for our organization and for fans who are Raiders fans in Nevada and stuff like that. But at the same time, we have our fans here we need to take care of, and that’s really important to me. To take care of our fans here and make sure we enjoy our last times.”
In other news:
— Carr said he has completely healed from the broken left leg that ended his 2016 season early, forcing him to miss the season finale and Oakland’s playoff loss to Houston.
“I’ve been running, jumping, throwing, cutting, everything,” Carr said. “I’m ready to rock, I’m ready to do absolutely everything.”
— Carr said he met with retired running back Marshawn Lynch when he visited the facility recently and would be excited to play with him if Lynch decides to come out of retirement and the Raiders can acquire his rights from Seattle. Oakland needs a big back after losing starter Latavius Murray in free agency.
“He’s one heck of a football player,” Carr said. “I hope to play with him and those things. But I’m focused on the guys who are here today.”
— The Raiders have had preliminary talks with Carr about extending his rookie contract that expires after this season. Carr said he expects talks to heat up after the draft and hopes to have something finalized before the start of training camp this summer.
“The communication from both sides have been great,” he said. “They’ve let me know where they’re at and what they’re trying to do. We let them know where we’re at and what we’re trying to do. It hasn’t been hard. It’s been easy.”
___
More AP NFL: pro32.ap.org and twitter.com/AP_NFL |
[WATCH] Joe Budden Mocks Soulja Boy’s Home Invasion Challenge | REX/Shutterstock/ Courtesy of Instagram
This is so funny! Joe Budden mocks Soulja Boy’s crazy story about how he defended himself in a home invasion.
This is hilarious. Soulja Boy, 26, posted a video telling a crazy story about how defended himself and his friends from a home invasion. In the video, Soulja told an elaborate tale about how robbers followed the rap star to his home in Atlanta, Georgia from his club.
He said he was in the studio with friends when “three-four” guys in masks came running through his house. Soulja claimed he shot one and the other home invaders escaped. When he removed the mask of the trespasser he shot, he said he recognized him. Whoa! The whole story seemed zany, but then “the police pull up and that was the end.”
Apparently, rapper Joe Budden, 36, found Soulja’s story funny because he recreated the video with his own wild story about a home invasion that gets even crazier than Soulja’s. In Joe’s story, he shoots at the home invaders like Soulja said, but in this version there were “90” robbers.
Then, Budden explained how he chased some of the robbers to the pool and he “start walking on water,” and shoots the guys in the pool then “the whole pool feels with blood.” Joe almost broke out laughing when he said, “then I dove to the bottom and I pulled they mask off and I knew who they was.” LOL. Sounds a lot like Soulja’s story.
Just paying homage to 1 of the Goats (Deadass) …. #SouljaBoyChallenge A video posted by Founder of Mood Muzik Ent. (@joebudden) on Dec 30, 2016 at 3:23pm PST
HollywoodLifers, what do you think of these two crazy videos? Sound off in the comments below!
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Man indicted for aggravated murder of area woman | Daniel Myers, 48, was indicted on two counts of aggravated murder and one count each of kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and tampering with evidence in the death of Heather Bogle, 28, who was found April 10, 2015 shot and beaten in her car's trunk at a Clyde apartment complex.
Ms. Bogle went missing after leaving work at the Whirlpool plant in Clyde.
An autopsy concluded she died of two gunshot wounds and blunt-force trauma throughout her body.
Mr. Myers, who also worked at the Whirlpool plant with Ms. Bogle, is being held without bond in the Sandusky County jail.
The charges brought against Mr. Myers also include specifications alleging the crime was sexually motivated, that Mr. Myers used a firearm, and that the murder was committed in the commission of kidnapping and robbery.
The aggravated murder charge is classified as a special felony punishable by up to the death penalty or life in prison. Aggravated robbery and kidnapping are first-degree felonies punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The evidence tampering charge is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years.
He is scheduled to appear Tuesday in Sandusky County Court of Common Pleas.
The Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mr. Myers earlier this month at the Wooded Acres Campground in Lindsey, Ohio — more than two years after Ms. Bogle's death. He remains in the county jail.
While there are sexual motivation specification, prosecutors did not need to “prove rape necessarily,” Sandusky County Prosecutor Tim Braun said.
“Kidnapping is one of the charges that can carry sexual motivation and sexual predator motivations,” he said.
The indictment indicates prosecutors believe Ms. Bogle was killed on or about April 9, 2015.
* * *
Bogle case leads to 2nd look at 2009 Clyde death
SANDUSKY — Loriann Haley has been suspicious about her sister’s March, 2009, death since she received a phone call from a Clyde, Ohio, man who found her body.
Mrs. Haley spoke to her sister, Leigh Ann Sluder, on the phone on Feb. 28, 2009 — a conversation she described as “normal.” When she got a call from her sister’s phone number the next day, Mrs. Haley jokingly answered, “Didn’t I just talk to you?”
It wasn’t from her sister, though. It was from Daniel R. Myers, 48, of Clyde, whom Mrs. Haley had never met.
“He said, not in a distressed manner, ‘I found your sister dead in her bed,’ ” Mrs. Haley, 47, of Freeport, Fla., and formerly of Perrysburg, recalled.
Mr. Myers was arrested earlier this month in connection with the unrelated 2015 death of Heather Bogle. His charges include aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, and tampering with evidence.
Ms. Bogle, 28, was found April 10, 2015, in her car’s trunk at a Clyde apartment complex. She had gone missing after leaving work at Whirlpool Corp. in Clyde — where she and Mr. Myers both worked — the day before.
Mr. Myers had reported finding Ms. Sluder, 38, in her bed at her residence in Clyde’s Emerald Estates mobile-home park on March 1, 2009, and emergency crews pronounced her dead at the scene. He and Ms. Sluder, also a co-worker of Mr. Myers at Whirlpool, had a 4-year-old son together at the time, according to Chief Deputy Edward Hastings of the Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office.
Her death was ruled to be a suicide by gunshot wound, according to the sheriff’s office. No charges were filed against Mr. Myers, but the sheriff’s office now has reopened the case for a second look.
“We had received information that Ms. Sluder’s death was suspicious to her family and friends and upon Mr. Myers being arrested with Ms. Bogle’s case, we thought it would be prudent to look at Ms. Sluder’s case,” said Chief Deputy Hastings. “Family and friends believe it was suspicious, so we wanted to take another look.”
Chief Deputy Hastings said Ms. Sluder apparently shot herself with a rifle, which was found in bed with her.
“A rifle to the chest seems difficult,” he said. “She was a petite woman. We want to go back and make sure everything was in line.”
Mrs. Haley described her sister as about 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing about 130 pounds.
Mrs. Haley said she’s been concerned about her sister’s death since it happened, adding her sister despised guns and didn’t know how to load one.
“I knew then that she didn’t do it,” Mrs. Haley said. “But the problem is, we have to deal with this 10 years later. How do we prove it?”
Mr. Myers told officials in 2009 he saw Ms. Sluder the day before when he picked up their son, and that she had been going through some “mild depression,” according to sheriff’s records.
“Her last words to me were, ‘I’ll talk to you later.’ We talked for about 20 minutes,” Mrs. Haley said. “There was no sign of distress, depression, anything.”
Mrs. Haley said she is glad the sheriff’s office is revisiting at her sister’s case.
“I feel sad for Ms. Bogle and her side of the family,” she said. “I hope for both cases involved, justice will be served.”
The sheriff’s office will lead the new Sluder investigation, Chief Deputy Hastings said, but may seek assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification. He offered no estimate of how long that inquiry might take.
“They’re right in the infancy of reopening that investigation,” he said. “They’re going to take a look at it and see if anything is out of place.”
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©2017 The Blade (Toledo, Ohio)
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Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. |
Efrat against clergy serving on abortion committees | Chairman Eli Schossheim of the Efrat anti-abortion association expressed his opposition, Monday, to a proposal to put members of the clergy on committees that decide whether a woman should end a pregnancy. Interviewed by Arutz Sheva outside a hearing on the proposal by the Knesset Committee for Advancing the Status of Women, Doctor Schossheim said the proposal cannot be implemented.
Saying he would be the first to approve an abortion to protect a mother's health, Schossheim said his group has prevented 68,000 abortions. He was happy to report that abortions are declining, but noted more than 100 fetuses are disposed of a day. |
Four private buyers have their eye on Rolleston mine | FILE PHOTO: Four buyers have their eye on Rolleston mine. NOT ACTUAL MINE IN IMAGE.
FILE PHOTO: Four buyers have their eye on Rolleston mine. NOT ACTUAL MINE IN IMAGE. Mara Pattison-Sowden
A BUYER could soon be found for Glencore's Rolleston mine in a deal that could offer a lifeline to the troubled Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET) near Gladstone.
Up to four private equity buyers are understood to be keen on acquiring the mine following the Kestral deal earlier this year and Wesfarmers' decision to sell Curragh at the end of 2017, The Australian reports.
The open-cut thermal mine, located in the Bowen Basin, was put up for sale in August 2017.
The mine has coal reserves amounting to 600 million tonnes of thermal coal, used for making electricity.
It is believed that EMR, which paid $US2.25b for Kestral in partnership with Adaro, is keen on Rolleston along with Apollo and possibly AMCI and Riverstone.
The high prices achieved by Rio Tinto in selling the Kestral and Hails Creek coal mines - which topped $US4.15b - has renewed Swiss-based Glencore's determination to finalise a deal on Rolleston.
Glencore owns 75 per cent of the Rolleston mine, with two Japanese partners Itochu Corp and Sumitomo Corp each holding 12.5 percent.
Both minority partners said they also intend to sell their interest.
The buyers who missed out on Kestral and Curragh are thought to have turned their sights to the latest coal asset to have come on the market.
Ownership of Rolleston is a key component in the future of WICET, which is at the centre of debt negotiations with senior lenders owned $3.8b.
Key shippers - along with others that have since collapsed - struck a deal at the height of the resources boom to develop and own WICET, paying down the hefty loans taken out to fund the operation themselves as they shipped coal through the terminal.
The Rolleston coal mine, which is 139km southeast of Emerald and nearly 700km inland from Brisbane, produced 13.3 million tonnes of coal in 2016, more than 10 per cent of Glencore's Australian managed coal production of about 93 million tonnes.
Rolleston has also received government approval to extend its mine life to beyond 2040.
Merrill Lynch has been appointed as sole financial adviser on any deal. |
MP slams The Sun over Nazi accusations after he collaborates with metal band | The Daily Mail also criticised Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon's decision to contribute to a song by his friends' band, Dream Troll
Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon has responded to The Sun‘s criticism of his decision to collaborate with his friend’s metal band after the tabloid newspaper mistakenly accused the MP of working with a band who ‘promote’ Nazi imagery.
Burgon posted a picture of himself recording vocals to Facebook on April 11, where he explained that he’d written and recorded a “guest appearance on the forthcoming album from Leeds’ power metal / New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal champions, Dream Troll… The song – and album – is epic and is powered by some of the best musicianship you’ll ever hear.”
However, The Sun published an editorial on Friday (April 14) which criticised Burgon’s collaboration with Dream Troll, writing: “The group uses the name of Hitler’s infamous SS security unit as lettering in its promotion posters… It also spells its name in German military font, complete with an umlaut over the letter ‘o’’, and has the motto; ‘We Sold our Soul for Rock n’ Troll’.”
The Daily Mail, meanwhile, commissioned Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke to write on the subject, where he stated: “It shows terrible misjudgement for Richard Burgon to associate himself with anyone who appears to enjoy Nazi iconography like this.”
However, both articles appear to have missed the fact that Dream Troll are paying homage to a Black Sabbath cover with their artwork – both of which can be seen below.
Burgon responded to The Sun‘s article on Saturday (April 15) in a lengthy statement on his Facebook page, slamming the paper by writing: “When The Sun hates you and what you stand for, they’ll come at you.”
See Burgon’s statement below.
Meanwhile, a new Black Sabbath documentary is reportedly in the works. |
35 years in the making: 'Blade Runner 2049' review | This is how you make a prolonged sequel.
Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, released in 1982 and starring Harrison Ford, is a controversial film to say the least. There are those who love it and are willing to call it one of the best science-fiction films ever created, and there are also those who find the story to be somewhat a mess and the pacing far too slow.
RELATED: Harrison Ford forgot Ryan Gosling’s name while promoting ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ and it’s hilarious
However — regardless of which group you may fall into, there’s still a reason to get excited to see Blade Runner 2049 — Denis Villeneuve.
Denis Villeneuve is one of the greatest up and coming directors of the next generation. His caliber of work on films like Prisoners, Enemy, Sicario and Arrival prove that his name deserves to be up there with Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg. Now, he’s taking on replicants and Blade Runners to deliver his take on a new sci-fi classic.
Is it worth seeing Blade Runner 2049 if you've not seen the other 2048 Blade Runner films? — David Whitley (@mrdavidwhitley) October 6, 2017
Villeneuve and the producers behind the film have asked critics and those reviewing the film to give as few plot details away as possible — given that the basic synopsis of the film itself is indeed a spoiler. So this plot description is going to be left rather vague:
It’s been thirty years since the events of the Blade Runner. Decker (Ford), regardless of how you interpreted the ending of the first film and his true nature, has gone missing. In his place, Agent ‘K’ (Ryan Gosling) has become a new Blade Runner — assigned to hunt down the replicant androids that are illegally living on earth.
In this relatively dystopian future, the world isn’t in such a great shape. Many people live off-planet, causing the major cities in the United States to either be incredibly over-populated or completely deserted. There really is no in-between.
It’s in Los Angeles, now even more crowded and dangerous, Agent K is forced to navigate. After responding to what should have been a simple in-and-out mission, he finds a hidden secret buried away. This sets K down a dark path trying to solve this mystery, leading to his whole world becoming unraveled as he learns what is true and what is not.
Then there’s Niander Wallace (Jared Leto) — the man who took over for Tyrell and is in charge of producing replicants. His views on these manufactured souls differs from the LAPD and from K, as he poses a whole new threat of his own.
Love or hate the original Blade Runner, most people can at least admire what Scott was trying to create in that film — a noir styled film set in a futuristic world.
Villeneuve captures that in the best way. At last summer’s Comic-Con, Villeneuve publicly stated that he decided to take on Blade Runner 2049 “because I didn’t want anybody else to **** it up.” Clearly inspired from the original film, Villeneuve then uses this to create something wholly original and new. Nothing about Blade Runner 2049 feels like a retread of the first film or is purposefully catering to fan-service. He expands the universe in a way that makes sense, making it all the more engaging while doing so.
The pacing in Blade Runner 2049 mimics the first film and is still probably a bit slower than most movie-goers are use to. However, Villeneuve uses this as another strength, as he deliberately draws out and dangles the mystery he’s presented the audience with in a satisfying fashion. Even though this movie clocks in at 2 hours and 43 minutes, the time spent in the theater seems to fly by.
Blade Runner 2049 is a visually stunning masterpiece. Villeneuve and Deakins at their very best. A rare sequel on level with a cult classic. pic.twitter.com/7ChSHRZsmu — Dharma Bhagalia (@Kloppholic) October 5, 2017
Then there’s the cinematography — done by Roger Deakins — which provides some of the best visuals you’ll ever see on screen. No joke. Deakins’ work is Oscar-worthy here (the fact that he hasn’t already won one is a crime in itself), as he crafts everything from vast city shots, intimate moments in an apartment, one incredible scene on a casino floor and everything in-between. Visually, this film appears to be note perfect.
Gosling gives another good performance in the film, in a role that seems tailor made for him. Ford isn’t in the film as much as the trailers make him out to be, but when he’s there he has a large presence. Robin Wright as Lieutenant Joshi, Sylvia Hoeks as Jared Leto’s assistant and Ana de Armas as Gosling’s virtual girlfriend also all give stand-out performances.
Blade Runner 2049 manages to achieve what all prolonged sequels should strive to be. It’s able to take what fans liked about the original and build on top of that, rather than simply rebooting it with younger cast members. This is a thinking man’s sci-fi film that raises a lot of complex questions. If you like the first Blade Runner then you’re going to like Blade Runner 2049, but even if you only admire Blade Runner despite the fact that it never quite clicked with you — like it did me — you still might come out of the theater loving Blade Runner 2049.
Watch the trailer for the film below, and let us know what you thought of Blade Runner 2049 in the comments below. |
Italy's President to pay a two-day state visit to Armenia | Italian President Sergio Mattarella will arrive in Armenia on July 30 for a two-day state visit at the invitation of Armenian President Armen Sarkissian.
Within the framework of the visit Sergio Mattarella will have meetings with President Armen Sarkissian, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President of the National Assembly Ara Babloyan and His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
The delegation headed by the President of Italy will visit Tsitsernakaberd and lay a wreath at the Memorial to Armenian Genocide victims. |
Paiche Converts to Lunch-Only Cafe | Casimira Tadewaldt and chef Jose Luis de Cossio's Peruvian restaurant has always been an experimental restaurant in the broadest sense—changing its hours, its prices, and even the type of restaurant it wants to be. It has also been home to wonders, not only ceviches stunning in their depth and acidity but deeply comforting pastel de choclo or saltado—a playground for a talented chef who, twice at Gaston Acurio's La Mar restaurants in Lima and San Francisco, and twice at Peruvian money-palace Andina, has struck out again and again to find a new path. |
Chile's governing coalition splits ahead of November election | SANTIAGO Chile's Christian Democrat party voted on Saturday to skip primaries and go straight to the first round of the presidential election in November, rupturing the centre-left governing coalition and likely boosting the chances of a victory for the right.
Delegates at the Christian Democrats' national assembly voted with a 63 percent majority for their party's candidate, 44-year-old Carolina Goic, to compete directly in November's election rather than pitting herself against other candidates from the Nueva Mayoria coalition.
The Nueva Mayoria, the coalition of ruling President Michelle Bachelet, is an ideologically diverse bloc that runs from radical left Communists to the centrist Christian Democrats and has dominated Chilean politics since the country's 1990 return to democracy.
The bloc's inability to agree on a single candidate gives a clearer run to election frontrunner Sebastian Pinera, a former president who has the backing of most of the more unified right-wing coalition.
The Christian Democrats are one of the country's largest parties, controlling some 16 percent of both houses of Congress.
But a survey last week by poll aggregator Tresquintos showed Pinera with 41 percent of intended votes and Goic with less than 3 percent. The second most popular candidate is Alejandro Guillier, a leftist senator who is relatively new to politics but has a similar political bent to Bachelet and has won over the support of much of the rest of the Nueva Mayoria.
The Christian Democrats "agree on the idea of a centre-left bloc, but not at any price," Goic told the assembly, according to local media. "Comrades, a party on its knees cannot aspire to lead anything," she said.
The Nueva Mayoria has struggled to remain united as differences have opened up within the coalition over approaches to a government reform drive, including changes to the labour code and attempted reform of Chile's strict abortion laws.
(Reporting by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Sam Holmes) |
There is only one "Sax Man": Letter to the Editor | Life is precious. Seems like I had just seen "The Sax Man" during the Rent run playing his heart out for theater goers and passersby at the Playhouse Square district. Sounding good. Now, he's gone. I was deeply saddened and shocked to hear about Maurice Reedus Jr., 65, sudden passing.
As his sister described, he died doing what he loved most. If he didn't earn a cent, he would have played for free because it came from his heart.
It was a welcoming sound although it wasn't always well received. He just kept on playing. "The Sax Man" opened the door for many upcoming street musicians to showcase their talents in downtown Cleveland. Many have come and gone. But, there was only one "Sax Man," Cleveland's native son.
He filled our heart and soul with love and joy. He was a fixture at Playhouse Square adorned in his red outfit and wing tipped shoes playing in the elements, stood the test of time. He was always polite. I never saw him thumb his nose at anyone even when you didn't put a dime in his sax case.
On a sentimental note, I truly believe he has gone on to saxophone heaven. He served the people well here on earth. His presence, his instrument, his passion and love for people; the pride and respect he had for this town will truly be missed.
Sharon Liggins-Smalls
Macedonia |
Rhyl musical celebrates 'Bad' old days of King of Pop | Saluting 30 years of Michael Jackson’s masterpiece, fans of the King of Pop are being invited to relive the glory of Bad at Rhyl’s Pavilion Theatre.
Forever Jackson: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the BAD Album will celebrate Jackson’s legacy – from the Jackson 5 to the King of Pop and beyond – with trademark moonwalks and a pitch-perfect tribute.
The legendary, career-defining album sold 500,000 copies within just five days of its UK release and was number one in a staggering 25 countries, shifting an incredible 45 million copies.
Five of its songs topped the UK charts and the supporting tour grossed £100 million.
Bad’s The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal, Another Part of Me and its title track climax a brand-new production that also features classics Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean, Can You Feel It and many more.
Norbert Sinnhuber, Jackson’s HIStory Tour manger, has described the show as “a revival and reincarnation.
Forever Jackson will be at Rhyl Pavilion on Thursday, November 16 at 7.30pm.
Tickets are £21, with concessions. To book, call 01745 330000 or go online at rhylpavilion.co.uk |
6 Things You Need To Know About Magnolia Springs, Alabama | Magnolia Springs, Alabama, is tucked away on the Magnolia River in South Alabama. Even though it's known by some as a pass-through town on the way to Gulf Shores , Magnolia Springs has its own heart, with stories that date back to its settlement as a Spanish land grant in 1800.
Start the conversation, or Read more at Southern Living. |
Petition seeking Faryal Talpur's disqualification filed in SHC | KARACHI : A petition was filed in the Sindh High Court (SHC) seeking disqualification of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) leader Faryal Talpur on Wednesday.
According to a private television channel report the petitioner Muazzam Abbasi claimed that Faryal Talpur should be disqualified as she held an iqama for Saudi Arabia.
The petitioner claimed that in 2002 the PPP leader had established a company in Dubai in the name of her daughter Ayesha but concealed the amount transferred to Dubai from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and also didn’t mention her Iqama.
The petitioner stated that by submitting fake affidavit, Faryal Talpur is no more Sadiq and Ameen, hence she should be disqualified.
The court ordered to submit details on the case by June 5 and adjourned the hearing. |
Jennifer Aniston: ‘Friends’ Reunion Is A ‘Possibility’ | Is a ‘Friends’ reunion finally happening? Watch what Jennifer Aniston had to say about the prospect of bringing the gang back together here!
Jennifer Aniston, 48, just blew our minds, Unagi-style! While on The Ellen DeGeneres show, Jen said a Friends reunion was actually possible, although not in the most definitive way Central Perk fans might want, we’ll admit. After Ellen DeGeneres, 60, asked her, “Is [a reunion] even in the realm of possibility?” Jennifer replied, “Anything is a possibility, Ellen… Anything. Right? I mean, George Clooney got married.” Whoa, whoa, whoa. You know what falls into the category of literally anything? Um, a Friends reunion, that’s what! Time will tell whether or not Jen will have to pivot around this statement and deny the actual possibility of a Friends reunion. But for now, all we can do is just wait and see — at least the mere notion of a reunion is not an impossibility. Check out Jen’s entire interview above!
This news comes on the heels of Lisa Kudrow‘s recent interview with Conan O’Brien, 54, in which she said that “something should be done” in terms of rebooting Friends. You know what that something could be? A Friends reunion. While she added that she didn’t know what specifically they’d do to “reboot” the show, this is also another instance of a Friends star not ruling out a reunion of some shape or form.
We reported earlier how a fan-made trailer for a Friends movie made the rounds on the web, and judging by the 9 million viewers who watched, the demand for a reunion, a reboot or a movie is very, very high. Click here to see pics of Jennifer’s sexiest looks on the red carpet!
HollywoodLifers, do you think a Friends reunion will ever happen? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. |
FOOTBALL: Fourth straight loss for Derry City as Galway win cup tie | GALWAY UNITED 2 DERRY CITY 0
Derry City lost for a fourth successive match as Galway United secured a deserved victory in Monday’s EA Sports Cup second round match.
Kevin Devaney scored a close-range opener in the 28th minute and Vinny Faherty wrapped it up near the end.
Kenny Shiels fielded a much-changed City side, giving opportunities to reserve team players keeper Eric Grimes and 18-year-old striker Cathal Farren.
It was a rare win for Galway who are bottom of the Premier Division table.
They have had four draws and four defeats in their first eight league matches.
Derry started well, dominating possession without really troubling home keeper Ciaran Nugent.
But they fell behind when Devaney stabbed in at the back post from Faherty’s flick-on following a Gary Kinneen corner.
Derry will be disappointed at how they defended the set piece with Aaron McEneff appearing to be caught out.
Farren, Harry Monaghan and McEneff had chances in the second half but the visitors could not find an equaliser.
Galway made sure of their progress when Faherty made it 2-0 in the 90th minute with a shot which bounced over keeper Grimes. |
The most popular Christmas drinks have been revealed | Whiskey, wine and gin were the drinks of choice over the festive period according to Dalcassian Wines & Spirits, one of Ireland's largest drinks distributors. The company reported a 25% increase in the sale of super premium wine brands and a 20% increase in their turnover for the Christmas period.
Start the conversation, or Read more at BreakingNews.ie. |
Siletz Tribe puts enhanced communications into Toledo Police Cruisers | The Toledo Police Department would like to thank the Siletz Tribal Contribution Fund for their generosity and support of our department and community. Sergeant Michael Pace recently accepted a grant award of $1,679.94 for the purchase of six iPads at a grant awards ceremony held at the Chinooks Winds Casino in Lincoln City. The iPads replaced the antiquated laptops in the officer’s patrol cars. The iPads offer a wide range of versatility including: relaying pertinent information between the Toledo Public Safety Dispatch Center and the Toledo Police Department Officers, report writing in the field, video and picture capabilities, and internet access for investigative purposes. Obtaining the iPads also enables the Toledo Police Department to complete its transition to a new Report Management System and Computer Aided Dispatch. This will allow the Toledo Public Safety Dispatch Center to provide more localized services to other government agencies. And you can see from the iPad screen they’re getting a lot of use already.
Thank you Siletz Charitable Contribution Fund for your continued support to the Toledo Police Department, Toledo Public Safety Dispatch Center, and our communities! |
5 players the Cardinals reportedly will consider with their 1st-round pick | The NFL draft is this week and the Arizona Cardinals will have the 15th pick in the first round. On his radio show Monday afternoon, Arizona Sports 98.7 FM’s John Gambadoro revealed the five names the Cardinals are expected to target with their first-round pick, assuming they do not make a trade to move up or move down in the draft.
Who are theraft is Thursday night and no one knows exactly what directions the Arizona Cardinals will go with the 15th overall pick. However, the names have been limited, according to Arizona Sports 98.7 FM’s John Gambadoro. On his radio sy?
S Derwin James, Florida State
James has elite athletic measurables and is not expected to be on the board when the Cardinals make their pick at No. 15. He is a big-time safety prospect, much like Jamal Adams last year. Arizona loved Adams. He is versatile, able to play high or near the line of scrimmage. |
University of Arizona Student Paralyzed by Rare Disorder in Spain Makes Extraordinary Recovery at Barrow | PHOENIX, July 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A 20-year-old college student from Arizona has made an exceptional recovery at Barrow Neurological Institute after becoming paralyzed from a rare neurological condition while on vacation in Spain earlier this month.
Kara Dunn's story made international headlines as her family worked tirelessly to bring her home to the United States for medical care. Today, Dunn walked into a news conference at Barrow to speak publicly for the first time and to thank the community and her medical team at Barrow for their support and care.
"It was the most terrifying two weeks of my life," Dunn says about the time she spent in the intensive care unit in Spain. "I was unable to speak or move and the doctors weren't sure I would survive."
The University of Arizona pre-med honors student was traveling through Spain with a friend when she began experiencing paralysis in her face on June 3. The paralysis continued to spread through her body and within hours of arriving at the nearest hospital, she had lost movement in her arms, hands, legs and feet. Dunn's respiratory system was also starting to fail. She was intubated and later developed pneumonia, further complicating her case.
Dunn's brother Ryan, a medical student at the Mayo Clinic – Phoenix, consulted with physicians in the U.S. and communicated with her doctors in Spain. After multiple conversations between the physicians, Dunn was officially diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare neurological condition that causes the body's immune system to attack the nerves. Once her brother and mom arrived at Dunn's bedside in Spain, they began working on a plan to bring her home.
"We wanted to bring Kara home as soon as possible but we first needed to make sure she would be transferred to the hospital most experienced in treating neurological conditions," says Ryan. "We contacted Barrow and they helped us make the arrangements for her to receive care at the renowned institute."
Dunn was medically airlifted from Spain to Barrow in Phoenix on June 15. Once at Barrow, she began intensive neuro-rehabilitation under the direction of Christina Kwasnica, MD, where she regained movement and began to walk. Just less than three weeks from arriving at Barrow, Dunn will be discharged from the hospital later this week.
"Kara is having an amazing recovery," said Dr. Kwasnica, who is the medical director of Barrow's Neuro-Rehabilitation Center. "I expect her to make a full recovery but she will have to continue working hard to be ready for school this fall."
Dunn is grateful for the medical treatment she's received at Barrow, her family's encouragement and love, and the outpouring of public support.
"I will never be able to thank everyone adequately for the love and support they have shown me throughout this experience," says Dunn. "I'm incredibly appreciative for Dr. Kwasnica and the Barrow medical team who got me back on my feet and helped me make a relatively quick recovery. I'm also extremely thankful for my family who was by my side and helped me to remain positive. The support from the public has been overwhelming and wonderful."
Barrow, which is located at Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, is known throughout the world for providing cutting-edge treatment for people with brain and spine disorders and performs more brain surgeries than any hospital in the United States. It is also home to the renowned Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center.
View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/university-of-arizona-student-paralyzed-by-rare-disorder-in-spain-makes-extraordinary-recovery-at-barrow-300676151.html
SOURCE Barrow Neurological Institute |
Savannah State Chooses Division II | Savannah, GA – Savannah State President Cheryl Dozier announced that the university has applied to reclassify as a NCAA Division II school. SSU joined the Division I ranks in 2002 and eventually joined the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2010.
“Today we are announcing our intent of Savannah State University to reclassify all athletic programs from NCAA Division I to NCAA Division II,” said President Dozier.
The transition to Division II will take a minimum of two years so for right now things will stay the same for Tigers athletics.
“Right at this time we do not expect an immediate impact on any of their scholarships initially,” said Dozier.
The biggest impact will be on the amount of scholarships Savannah State can award once they transition is complete.
“At the classification we are in there are 63 possible full scholarships. At the Division II level we have 36 maximum scholarships that you can give,” said Savannah State Athletic Director Sterling Steward Jr.
The transition will also mean Savannah State will not qualify for high profile tournaments like March Madness or the FCS Football Playoffs. The tigers will also have to leave the MEAC which means the match ups with schools like Howard University, Hampton University, Norfolk State will stop.
“I’m also worried just because of what this means for the future of the school as a whole. Because dropping to Division II will obviously will lighten our publicity and will take us out of the public eye,” said Savannah State student Willie Walker.
It all came down to the Division I price tag.
“Athletics is very expensive and we all know that. So without having those kind of large donations and the millions of dollars to support athletics it is a strained financially,” said Dozier.
“It’s just really expensive at a Division I level. It’s really, really expensive,” said Sterling.
Some students feel that SSU needs to explore more options.
“There’s a group called 300 Club which is run by alumni. Which has made a plan that without any of the school’s money or any of the school’s investment will raise a million dollars over the next few years and this is all going to go specifically toward decreasing the athletic deficit. And eventually paying off the athletic 8 million dollar debt,” said Walker.
Despite the arguments against it the SSU leadership will move forward with their reclassification application. |
Sri Lankan rupee ends firmer on remittances | COLOMBO, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The Sri Lankan rupee closed firmer on Monday helped by year-end remittances and selling of the U.S. currency by exporters, dealers said.
The spot rupee ended at 153.00/10 per dollar, compared with Friday’s close of 153.05/10.
“Trading was very thin as everybody has checked in to a holiday mood. There were inflows for salaries and bonuses,” a currency dealer said, asking not to be named.
The rupee has lost 2.3 percent so far this year, but currency dealers say the dollar demand has slightly waned, lending support to the rupee.
The market has been waiting for more clarity over a foreign exchange management act introduced by the government last month.
Foreign investors have net bought equities worth 18.37 billion rupees ($120.07 million) this year as of Monday’s close. They had bought government securities worth a net 60.4 billion rupees as of Dec. 6, official data showed. ($1 = 153.0000 Sri Lankan rupees) (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal; Editing by Vyas Mohan) |