VICTORIA – Green Leader Andrew Weaver says he’s very close to making a deal with either the Liberals and the New Democrats on forming a new minority government in British Columbia.He said negotiations between the parties have intensified since Elections BC confirmed the province’s election results earlier this week with the Liberals holding 43 seats in the legislature to the NDP’s 41 and the Greens’ three.“For us it’s very important to ensure that we can demonstrate to British Columbians that we can make a minority government work,” he told a news conference on Friday.Weaver said the parties have looked at a range of examples of minority governments in Canada and overseas to determine how to proceed, and he isn’t interested in a coalition government because that would undermine the Greens’ ability to defend their platform.“We obviously need to find a situation that will be stable, that can advance the kind of policies we think got the B.C. Greens 17 per cent of the popular vote,” he said.Reforming the voting system to implement proportional representation remains one of the key issues for the Greens, but Weaver said “how we get there is, of course, up for negotiation.”The Greens and NDP support a system of proportional representation that accounts for the number of seats each party gets in the legislature based on their percentage of the popular vote.NDP Leader John Horgan has said he wouldn’t want to change the electoral system without a referendum. Weaver has said his preference is to implement proportional representation and then after two elections hold a referendum on whether people want to keep it.The NDP has said it would hold a referendum on proportional representation that would require the support of 50 per cent plus one and the party would campaign in support of the change.Two previous referendums on proportional representation have failed in B.C.The Liberals led by Christy Clark haven’t discussed their negotiating position since the final vote counts were released on Tuesday.But in a statement, Clark said the Liberals intend to form a government because they have a plurality of seats in the house. The Liberals were seeking a fifth successive majority government in the election held on May 9.Although the Green platform has many overlapping points with both parties, Weaver said compromise is necessary and voters aren’t going to see a single party’s platform dominate.Weaver said he thinks there’s no reason why a minority government shouldn’t last a full four-year term.Negotiating teams from all parties will be drafting proposals this weekend. Weaver said an agreement will likely be reached before Wednesday, which was his original goal in talks with the other parties.— By Linda Givetash in Vancouver read more
The flooding is so widespread that the Honduran Government has declared a national state of emergency, and an estimated 75,000 others in six other countries in the region – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico – have also been affected.About 12,000 people have had to be evacuated from their homes and moved to shelters across Central America and UNICEF reports that around one-third of the displaced population are children.UNICEF has also expressed deep concern as many of the thousands of blankets, medical and hygiene kits, oral rehydration salts and other supplies it had pre-positioned prior to this year’s hurricane season have been used in the initial response to the emergency.“The aftermath of a natural disaster like this one can be deadly for children, who are highly vulnerable to waterborne diseases,” warned UNICEF Regional Director for Latin American and the Caribbean Nils Kastberg.“Children’s immune systems can also be weakened by poor nutrition. If we add in a situation such as this, massive damage to crops that exacerbates already high food prices, we’ve go a time-bomb in the making,” added Mr. Kastberg.Honduras, where 25,000 people have already received emergency food aid, has requested urgent assistance from UNICEF to ensure recovery for children and families, focusing on the areas of water and sanitation, health and nutrition, and education, according to a press release issued by the agency today. A UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team, a standby group of disaster management professionals who are nominated and funded by member governments, is being mobilized to travel to Honduras. UNDAC teams are tasked with carrying out rapid assessment of priority needs and supporting national authorities in coordinating international relief on-site.At least 8,000 people in Nicaragua remain in shelters as a result of flooding in that country, although the Government has not requested UN assistance. In Belize, an estimated 36,000 people were affected but mass evacuations were not required, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported. More rain is expected and officials fear the situation could get worse as the annual Atlantic hurricane season is not yet over in Central America, where a series of tropical storms have moved slowly and steadily across the region, dumping heavy rains.The flooding is the latest in a series of natural disasters that have devastated parts of Latin American and the Caribbean during this year’s hurricane season. Earlier in the season 2.5 million Cubans were evacuated from their homes as the island was pummelled by consecutive hurricanes, and tens of thousands of Haitians are still living in temporary shelters more than a month after four successive storms battered the already impoverished nation. 23 October 2008The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today warned that life-saving supplies are quickly running out in Honduras, where severe landslides and flooding caused by heavy rains have killed at least 14 people and affected some 130,000 others in recent days. read more
The Department of Meteorology said that rain is expected in some parts of Sri Lanka this week. (Colombo Gazette) The drought has resulted in farmers suffering without adequate water. WFP is deciding on response options while awaiting the Government’s formal request for assistance to the international community.WFP technical experts led a preliminary drought rapid assessment using WFP modelling. The report was submitted to a sub-Cabinet Ministers meeting on the drought held on 3 January and was pivotal in alerting government and other stakeholders to the severity of the drought.WFP and the Government will led a joint emergency assessment this month to assess the impact of the drought on household food security and livelihoods. The expected failure of the main harvest (Maha) season in March/April 2017 could be the worst main agricultural season in the last 40 years.The Ministry of Disaster Management (MoDM) and the External Resources Department of the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs have requested drought-related support from WFP, in particular Cash for Work/Food Assistance for Asset Creation. Over 709,400 people have been affected by the severe drought which has affected most parts of the country, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said today.Gampaha, Monaragala, Kalutara and Trincomalee are among the worst affected areas. The World Food Program (WFP) said in a country update that Sri Lanka is preparing for serious difficulties this year in terms of food and nutrition insecurity until the main harvest in March/April 2018. read more
He said that the Government cannot change till the next Parliament election which will be held by 2020. The Government today assured there will be political stability till 2020 by when the next Parliament election is scheduled to take place.Minister of Rural Economic Affairs P. Harrison said that there is a lot of talk these days of a change of Government taking place soon. The Minister said that even holding mass street protests will not see the Government being removed. Harrison said that it is natural for there to be rifts in the Government when the two main political parties in the country decide to work together for the first time.However he says the Government will continue its journey and develop the country. (Colombo Gazette)
Joint opposition Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa today told Parliament, he will resign from his MP post if allegations raised by Minister Sajith Premadasa in Parliament today are proven.Minister Sajith Premadasa said that he will resign from his Ministry post if the allegations are not true. Premadasa read out a list of the names of Weerawansa’s relatives who had been given houses when Mahinda Rajapaksa was President. The Minister later said that he will resign from his Ministry post if the allegations against Weerawansa are not true.Weerawansa challenged Premadasa to a live television debate on the allegations. (Colombo Gazette) Premadasa had alleged that Weerawansa had given Government houses to his relatives when he was the Minister of Housing. Weerawansa then raised a point-of-order and said that he will resign from his Parliament seat if the allegations are proven.Premadasa then got into a heated exchange with Speaker Karu Jayasuriya for allowing Weerawansa to speak. read more
Manitoba government says prospectors find diamonds in province for first time WINNIPEG – The Manitoba government says prospectors have found diamonds in the province for the first time in what could eventually translate into further mineral development.The government, however, stressed that the discovery by the Manitoba Geological Survey and its industry partner Lynx Consortium in the northeast of the province is preliminary, with no guarantees that it will lead to any mining.The Northwest Territories, Quebec and Ontario all have active diamond mines, while Nunavut had a diamond mine that shut down and Saskatchewan has seen some advanced exploration.Manitoba is home to several mining operations of mostly metals that contribute about $1.5 billion to the provincial economy. by The Canadian Press Posted Mar 6, 2017 3:48 pm MDT Last Updated Mar 7, 2017 at 7:20 am MDT AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to TwitterTwitterShare to FacebookFacebookShare to RedditRedditShare to 電子郵件Email read more
“We have an excellent partnership with the Russian Federation in humanitarian affairs, and this has a clear impact in our ability to respond to people’s needs around the world,” noted Mr. O’Brien, who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, as he concluded his first official visit to the Russian Federation, with the aim of building on the strong partnership between Russia and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).“Russia plays a vital and strategic role as a Member State actively engaged in global and multi-lateral humanitarian efforts, as well as a provider of considerable emergency expertise, assets and relief supplies, and as a generous donor to humanitarian funds.”Over the two-day visit, Mr. O’Brien met senior Government officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Minister for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Natural Disasters, Vladimir Puchkov, and Deputy Defence Minister, Anatoly Antonov. He also met representatives of the United Nations family to brief them on his visit to Ukraine and Russia.“We have had productive discussions over the past two days in Moscow, on areas where we can work together more closely and concretely, in relation to current international humanitarian crises,” noted Mr. O’Brien.“I thanked Russia for their generous aid to the people of Ukraine, Syria [and] Yemen, among others, and stressed that we must do all we can, as neutral and impartial humanitarians, to rise above the political and security aspects of these crises. We agreed to closely coordinate aid planning to ensure the most effective delivery of aid and protection for the most vulnerable people who need our help.”Visiting the impressive National Crisis Management Centre, the Emergency Relief Coordinator noted that the international humanitarian system faces a rise in humanitarian needs as a result of major conflicts as well as natural disasters.“As we prepare for the first ever World Humanitarian Summit, we are looking for ways to deal with the world’s new challenges. We need the continued leadership and commitment of major powers like Russia to help broaden the partnerships required to strengthen aid delivery,” concluded the UN relief chief. read more
Professor Livingstone, of the LSE who has advised the government, EU and national organisations on internet safety, said it was imperative social media and gaming firms did more to make the internet child-friendly “or at least not exploitative.”“My main concern is that the less responsibility industry takes, the more falls to children – and their parents and teachers – to figure out for themselves.“Faced with an increasingly complex, often opaque and illegible digital environment, the burden on children to anticipate and cope with online risks is often too great.“Digital media education cannot prepare all children, from any age and from all backgrounds, for some of the risks the internet industry serves up to them.”Baroness Kidron, founder of 5Rights, an organisation campaigning for children’s rights online, said: “The need for creative play is crucial for child development, specifically for the development of memory and imagination.”The immersive environments accessed by tablets etc, are designed to be compulsive but ignore a child’s need for independent exploration, physical movement and individual imagination. “Habits developed before nine require considerable intervention to change. Yet a billion dollar industry intentionally designs digital services to be compulsive and then we reprimand children for being unable to put their devices down. The asymmetry of power is startling.” Tanya Goodin, founder of Time to Log off, a consultancy that advises schools and parents, said she was horrified by YouTube usage by under 4s: “YouTube is not a safe environment for children this age. Parents need to be better informed about the age limits for the software their children are using. Lead author Professor Sonia Livingstone pointed to research by Sheffield University which found pre-school children spent 1hr 19mins a day on a tablet during the week and 1hr 23mins at the weekend.Under 3s were online more as they did not have nursery or as many organised weekend activities.More than half of the under twos knew how to swipe, a third knew how to unlock the tablet and take a picture and 28% used gaming apps, rising to 56% of three to five-year olds.YouTube is the most popular app followed by Cbeebies and Angry Birds. Mainstream games including Minecraft, Temple Run and Candy Crush already feature in under 5s’ top 10 apps.There were benefits in that more than 40% of families used it to support their children’s learning, play and creativity but there were risks with a tenth of the pre-schoolers having been exposed to content that made their parents feel uncomfortable.Almost a third of three to four year olds, and 16% of children up to two years old had seen adverts that they had asked their parents about. One in ten parents said their child had made an in-app purchase by accident and 7% had bought something online without permission. “Schools are struggling to deal with inappropriate screen use in schools and this is only made harder when children arrive at the school gate at younger and younger ages with their own devices.”“Unless parents are prepared to sit and monitor everything their children are viewing on tablets at the very youngest ages then it’s completely inappropriate to give them screen-based devices so young.“It’s unfortunately part of a growing trend towards ‘digital babysitting’ where the child is given a screen to occupy themselves while the parent is busy with something else. We are creating big problems for ourselves as parents and as a society when we do this.” One in four under the age of two and more than a third of three to five year olds have their own tablet, according to research. Toddlers’ use of apps, websites and the internet has exploded to such an extent that the average pre-school child, including under twos, spends more than an hour a day online, rising to two hours or more a day for a third of five to six-year-olds, according to the report compiled for the department of culture.Tablets are so widely used by toddlers that baby equipment manufacturers have launched special iPad holders to fit onto baby high chairs, car seats and strollers with “a water resistant surface that guards [the iPad] against spills, dribbles and drools.” They are available on Amazon for under £10.“I am very concerned about screens for babies,” Anne Longfield, the children’s commissioner told The Telegraph. “It is deeply depressing and has no place in the baby equipment list.”According to the review by the UK Council for Child Internet Safety, which reports to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, rising internet use among very young children is one of the key trends since its last research six years ago.Children are also spending more time online and have shifted from shared to personal devices. Babies and toddlers tend to use tablets, largely because other devices require reading or typing abilities. Young children in the UK are more likely to own a tablet than those in any other EU country, often hand-me-downs from an elder sibling or parent. Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings. read more
(AP) Oprah Winfrey says President Donald Trump’s victory has her rethinking whether she could be elected to the White House.Winfrey, a Hillary Clinton supporter, spoke with financier David Rubenstein in December for an interview for his Bloomberg Television show, which premiered this week.Oprah Winfrey (Photo: AP)Winfrey says before Trump’s election she thought that she didn’t have the necessary government experience to run the country but now she thinks differently. The billionaire businessman had never before held public office before his election victory in November.Winfrey also touched on her 25 years hosting a syndicated talk show. She says her ultimate purpose of the show was to let people know that “we really are more alike than we are different.” Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Related’Not for me’, says Oprah on presidential bidJanuary 25, 2018In “Entertainment”Breaking the Internet: The young Republican who’s bigger than TrumpNovember 30, 2016In “World”Clinton, Trump make their closing argumentsNovember 4, 2016In “World” read more
Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)RelatedGovt collaborates with private sector to acquire replay screen for 2018 Women’s T20April 11, 2018In “latest news”‘No need to panic’ …Govt assures CPL games will be played in GuyanaMay 30, 2019In “latest news”Ireland arrives ahead of ICC WWT20October 30, 2018In “latest news” Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. George Norton, said that he is ecstatic about Guyana’s participation in the upcoming International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Women’s Twenty/Twenty (T/20) World Cup 2018, which was officially launched on Friday at the Umana Yana, Kingston, the Ministry of the Presidency (MotP) reported.This tournament would be the sixth of its kind and the second to be hosted in the West Indies. Guyana will be hosting the preliminary round and warm up matches for the tournament in November.Minister of Social Cohesion, with the responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. George Norton, displays a cricket bat as it is presented to him by Cricket West Indies (CWI) Director and Director of the Tournament, Ms. Jennifer Nero at the Umana Yana.Delivering his remarks, Minister Norton said that women’s cricket has evolved tremendously since the first match was played, which was recorded in The Reading Mercury on July 26, 1745. This match was contested between eleven women of Bramley and eleven of Hambledon. The prizes often ranged from barrels of ale to pairs of lace gloves. The Minister also said that women have been playing cricket internationally since the inaugural test match between England and Australia in December 1934.In addition, he said, “since 1973, women’s one day internationals have also been contested and these quickly became the focus of women’s international cricket. In 2004, the shorter, more exciting format of Twenty20 was introduced. Initially, it was played little at the international level with only four matches played by the end of 2006. However, the following three years saw rapid growth with six matches played in 2007, 10 in 2008 and 30 in 2009, which also saw the first ICC Women’s World Twenty20”.Meanwhile, Cricket West Indies (CWI) Director and Director of the Tournament, Ms. Jennifer Nero said “the tournament will be of great significance as it signals to the world that gender equality is an integral part of ICC and CWI agendas”. She also said that this is in keeping with CWI’s vision, “to bring the Caribbean flavour to successfully host the games. CWI will use this tournament as a springboard to raise children and women’s participation in the sport in the region”.ICC Executive, Mr. David Richards, who was unable to attend the launch, in a video recorded message said that he is pleased that West Indies women will have a chance to defend their title on their home soil.In addition, Assistant Director of Sport in Guyana, Ms. Melissa Dow-Richardson lauded the ICC for hosting the tournament as a stand-alone match.The tournament will start on November 9 and run until November 24. Saint Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda will also be hosting matches in their territories, the MotP said. read more
http://jrnl.ie/3346581 Short URL ‘The hallucinations were 100% real to me. But people were telling me there was nothing there’ At times it felt like there was no hope of recovery at all, writes Brian Scallan Share615 Tweet Email1 Brian Scallan Wednesday 26 Apr 2017, 8:00 PM Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article Apr 26th 2017, 8:00 PM 367 Views By Brian Scallan THIS YEAR’S DARKNESS Into Light walk takes place on Saturday May 6th in aid of Pieta House, supported by Electric Ireland. Participants in more than 150 locations, on four continents, will walk the 5km route to raise funds and awareness.All throughout this week, people around Ireland are sharing their own Darkness Into Light journeys. Here, Brian Scallan, 24, from Wexford, tells his story.My diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia came in 2012, along with my first hospitalisation. I was 18 at the time.I had been studying in Waterford, but a traumatic event the previous year caused my mental health to deteriorate. I became extremely paranoid and began suffering delusions, thinking people all over the country knew my face, that even people in England knew my face and were directing certain words purposefully at me.Hearing voicesOver the next three years my paranoia and delusions continued, and after an incident of cyber-bullying in December 2014, things started to get worse. I began hearing voices and hallucinating, something I had never experienced before. Over the next couple of months I lost interest in different parts of my life. I dropped out of college, I stopped playing soccer, I didn’t go back to hurling training, and I wasn’t sleeping. I was stuck in my bedroom for two months. I couldn’t cope with the voices and hallucinations, and became severely depressed as a result.By the end of February 2015, the voices had become very vicious. One of the main problems with paranoid schizophrenia is that you can’t tell what’s real and what’s not. The hallucinations were 100% real to me, but everyone was telling me that there was nothing there. I started to believe that people could read my mind and that everyone on live TV broadcasts knew I was looking at them.Suicide attemptOn February 27th, 2015, I attempted suicide after hearing voices telling me to kill myself, and ended up in hospital. I was there for almost a month. Then, on March 31st 2015, eleven days after being discharged from hospital, I attempted suicide again.Later that summer I ended up back in hospital for a third time, and spent from late July to early October in Tus Nua Crisis Rehabilitation Unit in Wexford. Overall that year I spent 11 weeks in Waterford hospital, and another 11 in rehab.Over time things improved. Even while I was still in rehab I started playing with my local soccer club, Carne FC, again, and attending matches on weekends. I found that listening to music helped to drown out the voices I was hearing, and I still use music and long walks as ways to help relax me.New jobThe month after I left rehab, I started attending HSE training services in Wexford, something which I certainly wouldn’t have felt able to do eight months previously. Last summer I started work in my local deli. A full-time job has always been the aim for me so it was great to be doing work of my own.In general my mental health has been okay of late, aside from a three or four week period last year when I was admitted to hospital again. I still have paranoia and delusions as before, and these have gotten worse in some ways, but I don’t hallucinate at all now.Opening up is the hardest partI attend a psychiatrist every six months, but know I can check in earlier than that if I need to. At my most recent appointment I asked if I could start learning to drive, and after six years of hearing “no” to that question, I finally got a “yes.” I’m delighted to say I’m currently studying for my theory test.If anyone out there is struggling, I’d advise them to simply speak up to someone. Talking makes it far easier to cope. During my own hospital stays I met other people going through similar things to me, and just knowing on both sides that we understood each other was hugely helpful. Making that step of opening up is sometimes the hardest part but it gets simpler the more you do it.Join the thousands walking from Darkness Into Light on May 6th to raise funds and awareness for Pieta House. You’ll find more information online here and here.Helplines:Pieta House 1800 247 247 or email mary@pieta.ie (suicide, self-harm)Samaritans 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.orgAware 1800 80 48 48 (depression, anxiety)Teen-Line Ireland 1800 833 634 (for ages 13 to 19)Childline 1800 66 66 66 (for under 18s) 11 Comments read more
Stay on target Hands-On: Monster Energy Supercross is More Exciting Than Soft DrinksCosplay Gallery: New York Comic Con 2017, Part 2 Season seven of Once Upon a Time is a weird thing. During the panel at New York Comic Con, show creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, and actress Lana Parilla called it a “preboot,” meaning half-pilot, half-reboot. It’s a strange word, but after seeing the first episode of season seven, there really isn’t a better way to describe it. The premiere, screened during the panel just a few hours before it aired last night, feels almost like a brand new show. Almost. It’s certainly a reset for the show, but it’s hard to imagine anyone new jumping on here. So many of the show’s big moments rely heavily on you having seen the six seasons that came before. Of course, if you’re tuning into a show’s seventh season on a Friday night, chances are you’re a pretty big fan of it. Even if it’s starting over to some degree.The premiere fills in some of the gaps between most of last season’s finale and its final scene. We see Henry (played by Jared Gilmore for one scene) decide he has to leave Storybrooke and find his own story. Since he wrapped up the last one, he discovered that there are multiple versions of each fairy tale, one for every country. He takes off to another fairy tale land to meet them. On a motorcycle. I know he’s grown up a lot since season one, but watching this kid try to look cool on a motorcycle is freaking hilarious. After a quick cut, somehow the adult Henry Mills (now played by Andrew West) is a… Swyft… driver in Seattle. He’s also an author who wrote one book (basically the plot of the last six seasons) and can’t seem to get his second one started. Man, that’s a depressingly accurate picture of the life of an artist in Seattle right now.Andrew J. West, Alison Fernandez (Photo by Jack Rowand/ABC)The show reiterates the final moments of last season’s finale, where a young girl shows up at his door claiming to be his daughter, and the cycle begins anew. One episode in to the new season, there are already some interesting twists on the familiar formula. That’s going to be most of the fun of this season. Once Upon a Time spent six years building up our expectations, and now it has a fantastic opportunity to turn them back around on us. As far as that goes, the premiere does a decent job. The new Cinderella Henry meets in the new Enchanted Forest wants to kill the prince rather than marry him. She backs off at the last minute, only for her stepmother to finish the job and blame her. Henry helps Cinderella escape, and the sword fight that follows is actually pretty great. The action and twists on the familiar on display in this scene alone give me hope for this whole “preboot” idea.Somehow (I’m sure we’ll find out in the season to come), Henry and Cinderella get married, have a daughter, and then get cursed. How many times has this happened to Henry’s family now? Cinderella is now a single mother working at a fried chicken place in Seattle. Her stepmother is the head of a large company in a fake neighborhood of Seattle. She’s buying up all the old staples of the community and rapidly gentrifying the neighborhood to force all the fairy tale people out. The Seattle geography may be all over the place, but that’s surprisingly accurate. Is Cinderella’s stepmother secretly Jeff Bezos?Lana Parilla (Photo by Jack Rowand/ABC)The coolest part of all this is the new roles for the returning cast. Under the new curse, Regina is no longer a queen. She runs a bar called Roni’s that’s about to be sold to Victoria Belfry, Cinderella’s evil stepmother. She gets to play the underdog hero this time, and it’s a lot of fun to watch. Especially when she stands up to Belfry, deciding that she doesn’t want to sell the bar after all. (“Roni’s pretty badass,” said Parilla at the panel.) The absolute best though, the transformation that got the biggest cheer during the panel screening, was Hook. He’s a cop now. Even better, by the end of the episode, he gets promoted to detective and assigned a partner: Rumplestiltskin. He’s an SPD detective, and kind of a dirty one, from the look of things. If the rest of the season is a buddy cop movie starring Hook and Rumple, that’ll be just fine with me.The new twists to the formula are a lot of fun, and might be able to make this whole thing work. At the very least, it doesn’t feel like they’re retreading old ground. That’s a pretty big accomplishment, considering these characters have yet again suffered a memory curse. The harder-edged Alice is also a fun idea, and probably the one good thing to come out of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. I’m still not convinced by the setting. As much fun as I find it to nitpick the fictional geography of my hometown, a fake neighborhood inserted into a major city just doesn’t feel as magical. A small town in Maine is remote enough that even without a magic barrier, you could believe that the characters were trapped there. When Henry can’t seem to escape a neighborhood, the stakes don’t feel as high. Oh no, he’s trapped a few blocks away from his apartment. After the first episode, I’m not ready to wash my hands of the series, nor am I about to proclaim that Once Upon a Time is the best it’s ever been. I’m interested. I’m curious to see where they go from here, and what they’ve set up could be a lot of fun. It’s a completely different version of the story we know. That’s cool enough to get us through a few episodes at least.Let us know what you like about Geek by taking our survey. read more
Manchester United has denied recent reports that Paul Pogba has requested a move to BarcelonaThe Daily Mail’s Chris Wheeler opened up on a blockbuster bunch of rumors, suggesting that Pogba has already agreed to a $453,000 weekly wage with the Blaugranas.He also said that the World Cup winner has informed his teammates and club chairman Ed Woodward that he wants the move away from Old TraffordThe report also says agent Mino Raiola has orchestrated a five-year deal but is refusing comment on behalf of his player and United.Jose Mourinho is sold on Lampard succeeding at Chelsea Tomás Pavel Ibarra Meda – September 14, 2019 Jose Mourinho wanted to give his two cents on Frank Lampard’s odds as the new Chelsea FC manager, he thinks he will succeed.There really…This is the one window in which United would be hamstrung by such a late-moving deal, as Pogba would not have to be sold before Thursday’s Premier League transfer deadline.Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has warned his former side not to sell the French midfielder amid the link to Barca.Pogba netted six goals with ten assists in 27 Premier League appearances. However, he couldn’t prevent United from being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League. read more
Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri has been impressed with Calum Chambers’ displays in the Cottagers’ midfield this season.Calum Chambers joined Fulham on a season-long loan in the summer and has become a regular at Craven Cottage.He predominantly plays as a defender, but can also feature in a more advanced role.The Arsenal loanee was impressive in the London derby at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, as he won both the BBC’s and the Fulham’s official Man of the Match awards.Official: Tottenham sign Fulham youngster Ryan Sessegnon Andrew Smyth – August 8, 2019 Tottenham have sealed another transfer deadline day deal to sign the highly-rated Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham.“I spoke with Scott Parker and he told me he could play there,” Ranieri told the club’s website.“I believe he is a very good midfielder, he’s intelligent tactically which is good for the team, and it’s good for me to have this kind of player.“He linked the defensive line and the forwards very well. He has good movement, he’s very attentive.”Fulham will host Leicester City on Wednesday, and then visit Old Trafford on Saturday. read more
CORAL GABLES, FLA. (WSVN) – A building in Coral Gables was evacuated after, officials said, a robber targeting a bank left behind a package initially described as a possible explosive device, Friday afternoon.According to Coral Gables Police, the subject entered the Marquis Bank at 355 Alhambra Circle wearing a Miami Heat cap, hoodie and glasses, at around 3:45 p.m. He was also carrying a suspicious package.Federal authorities said the robber demanded money from an employee and left with an unspecified sum of cash.Officials evacuated the entire building after the subject left the device behind.City of Miami Police Bomb Squad responded to the scene, removed the package and determined it was safe. They did not detonate the device.Authorities shut down nearby streets while they investigated. They were later reopened.A spokesperson with Marquis Bank released a statement that reads, “Marquis Bank is cooperating with Coral Gables Police with its investigation of a robbery attempt this afternoon at the bank’s Alhambra branch. The office will open as usual on Monday morning at 9 a.m.” If you have any information on this robbery, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. read more
MarshaRose Joyner is a resident of, and an activist in many civil rights and other causes in, the Hawaiian Islands. She is a former native Baltimorean, one of the first Black graduates of Baltimore’s Western High School, and the daughter of the late Elizabeth M. Oliver, a nationally recognized AFRO American Newspapers journalist. Joyner is also a great-grand daughter of AFRO founder, John H. Murphy, Sr. “You have the big C,” Dr. Akino said, “let me get my appointment book.” He turned and walked out of the room . . . leaving me utterly alone. My heart sank.The big C?Could he not have said more?Could he have touched my hand?The big C. Damn I thought as I pulled myself from the tiny gurney – taking two steps to the huge glass windows, the only light in this tiny hospital room.The sun rose slowly from behind Diamond Head turning the mountains from black to green, stretching its warm rays across the ocean. Honolulu in September 1982 was dressed for autumn.Located in Waikiki adjacent to the Ala Wai Boat Harbor, Kaiser Permanente Hospital’s patients awoke to beautiful tropical sunrises and drifted off to dramatic sunsets. Only today all I could see in the glass was me. My first thought was to cry. The big C . . . ran through my mind. Was this really me?Why am I standing here?I have to go to work.For more than 27 years, my husband, Kenneth and I had two beauty salons in the heart of Waikiki, one in the Reef Tower Hotel and one in the Edgewater Hotel. That was the time when snowbirds (tourists) came to Waikiki for the season – the Canadians and Europeans in the winter and the Aussies in the summer. Waikiki was magic. One could hear the rolling surf calling, beckoning, summoning . . . “join me”! Along the shore the gentle tradewinds kiss the lacy bamboo fronds. The aroma of the fresh cut plumeria from lei stands on the every corner filled the air. A stroll in the evening afforded one a bevy of entertainment as each hotel’s showrooms open onto the beach.Fighting back the tears, my mind was racing. Yes, I have to go to work. I cannot cry. No tears. I sucked in my gut and leaned into the window, and there before me was a carefully made up woman, complete with black mascara and big, big eye lashes. No tears. NO!If I cry the mascara will run, the eyelashes will come loose and I would look like a raccoon. With smudged black circles under my eyes, tears streaking the blush and the brown paper bag color complexion peeping out from under the carefully applied suntan foundation.No I cannot cry. After all we sell looking good. Whatever color nail polish I wear we sell lots of. When I change my hair color we sell! We sell, we sell, that is the beauty business, we sell, I cannot cry. Raccoons don’t sell. Raccoons are not allowed.When Dr. Akino returned to the tiny hospital room, I asked if we could wait until Kenneth returned from the mainland. He agreed that was a good idea. So we made the schedule for the big C surgery. And began what was to be a long term relationship.The years faded into each other, I don’t remember how many or the number of cancers and surgeries and I did not cry. No raccoons.It was clear; I could not have an affair because I looked like the loser in a hatch fight. And I did not cry.The years went by and snip, snip, chop chop, cut cut and so did my breast. Four years later the medical staff surmised, because I was so young that I should have breast implants. Ok, why not. Will they make me look sexy? They pulled out these funny looking gel things that were to be a substitute for Mother Nature. I would even get to choose the size. Having never had sexy breasts, this was to be a new adventure, and another surgery.Days, week and months went by with these things. I must admit I looked great and I did not like them. I could not sleep on these hard things sticking straight up in the middle of my chest. Then one morning before dawn I was in the shower and felt something strange under my make believe breasts. I woke Kenneth and asked him what did he see? His eyes opened wide. He turned a pale shade of gray. My body was expelling these implants.Since it was Labor Day weekend, neither my doctor nor any other surgeon was available. Even the hospital was gone. Everyone on the emergency staff wanted to look but no one wanted to touch them. Finally a male nurse fresh from Vietnam said he knew what to do. He wrapped me from head to toe in ace bandages holding the implants in place until my doctor returned. Labor Day weekend and everyone is at the beach and I’m wrapped like an antique mummy. It was more than Kenneth could stomach. At no time did I see him cry and I believe he did.Finally, the day came to remove the implants. After the surgery I was in the recovery room dazed out of my mind, I tried to sit up only to see Elvis in the next bed. Falling back deep into the pillow, I knew I had died and gone to Graceland. Enough!I asked the nurse if I could see my husband. She allowed as how no one but medical staff could come into the recovery room. Feeling as if she was doing the right thing, she summoned the doctor.He gently whispered my name and put out his hand. I felt his arm, immediately I knew it was not Kenneth. The flood gates opened up. I cried and cried and cried. The poor doctor was terrified he did not know what he had done to me. How could I tell him? After years of not crying, of not being a raccoon, I began to cry and cry and cry some more. The nurse gave me a box of tissues and slipped a drug into my mouth. The tears stopped.Now thirty + years later:The cancer detection process is much better.In the early days I was asked to have my husband sign a consent form for me to have a breast biopsy. “What if I don’t have a husband, I asked? Dr. Akino was completely taken aback having met Kenneth. “If he had had a testicular biopsy, I would not have been asked to sign a consent form, right?” Needless to say Dr. Akino was not sure how to answer. However, over the years we became great friends.A mammogram -the x-ray picture of the breast has greatly improved.And no, the surgeries have not ended.My body just keeps producing tumors. I’ve learned how to detect the signs at its earliest stages.And no, there is not much point to crying. And no, raccoons are not allowed. read more
Listen at WEAA Live Stream: http://amber.streamguys.com.4020/live.m3uWe’ll report on the week’s leading news stories first with AFRO reporter Roberto Alejandro, reporting on stories directly from the front page of the Baltimore AFRO American. We’ll also be joined by Taya Graham, co-editor of, “You Can’t Stop Murder: Truths About Policing in Baltimore and Beyond,” and Stephen Janis, Fox 45 investigative producer and we’ll discuss this week’s guilty verdicts for five defendants in the Baltimore jailhouse corruption case. It’s all coming up this evening on AFRO’s First Edition with Sean Yoes.
Kolkata: A central force jawan from Assam Rifles was killed and two more were injured after one of their colleagues fired multiple rounds of bullet inside the temporary camp, which was set up for election duty at Bagnan in Howrah district.The fifth phase of Lok Sabha Elections is scheduled on May 6 (Monday) in seven parliamentary constituencies, including Uluberiya. Nine companies of central forces have been sent for poll duty. Among the nine companies, one company was set to camp at the Bangalpur Jyotirmayee Girl’s School in Bagnan. As per the schedule on Tuesday, jawans from 7th battalion of Assam State Armed Police arrived at the school. Also Read – Rs 13,000 crore investment to provide 2 lakh jobs: MamataOn Thursday morning, Lakshmikanta Barman, a constable of the company snatched an Insas rifle from one of his colleagues and started firing inside the school. An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), identified as Bholanath Das, died on the spot and two more jawans identified as Anil Rajbanshi and Rintumani Bodhak suffered bullet injuries. Local residents and pedestrians got frightened seeing Barman firing inside the school. Other jawans tried to take away the rifle from Barman but failed do so as he had two more magazines with him. Also Read – Lightning kills 8, injures 16 in stateBarman allegedly fired 20 bullets, which is the capacity of one magazine. After the magazines were empty he allegedly loaded the rifle again and this time he went outside the school. Seeing a jawan with a rifle, local residents started running to safety. Meanwhile, Bagnan police station was informed. Soon police personnel arrived at the school and tried to stop Barman. Meanwhile, some jawans of Assam State Armed Police managed to catch him from behind and take away the rifle away from him. Immediately, he was detained and taken to the police station and later he was arrested. The injured jawans have admitted to hospitals in Uluberiya and Kolkata and at present they are undergoing treatment. According to sources, Barman had asked for leave to avoid the election duty which was not granted. Since then he was reportedly suffering from depression. Every company consists of 100 jawans, of which 80 jawnas are active personnel and the remaining 20 are kept as reserve. Barman was one of reserve personnel. He will be produced before the Uluberiya Court on Friday. To avoid any untoward incident, a police picket has been set up outside the school. read more
WebsiteWebsiteWebsite WebsiteWebsiteWebsite With roaring engines they pull up, stopping only briefly for a refill before continuing on their two-day journey…This afternoon (Friday) at about 2pm, a large group of 85 bikers had a pit-stop at Sondela Service Station in Poort Road to re-fuel. They will travel from Durban to Johannesburg in just two days, where they will attend the Vintage Bike Rally, which is over 102 years old.Day one on the road to Germiston Motorcycle Club started in Hillcrest, Durban, at 6am this morning; they have had a few stops along the way. Their lunch break was in Estcourt and they will end up in Newcastle to spend the night.Paramedics are travelling alongside them in case of medical emergencies.The majority of the motorcycles are British and were made before the year 1936, labelled pre-war. The variety of bikes range from AJS and BSA to Panthers. The oldest bike on the road is a 1909 Humler, bearing the number one and driven by a lady. The Carte Blanche team is accompanying these bikers and will be showing the action on TV on Sunday.DID YOU KNOW?Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics.If you are reading this on your cellphone and there are telephone numbers provided in the text, you can call these simply by clicking on them.To receive news links via WhatsApp.For the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter why not join us there? WebsiteWebsiteWebsite read more