to PrezNew Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel has requested President Pranab Mukherjee to unveil busts of revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru at the House premises on March 23.”The Speaker has written to Mukherjee to unveil the busts of revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru on March 23, the day of their martyrdom, in the Assembly complex,” an official said.The Delhi Assembly Speaker said that the House had cleared the proposal of installing the busts of three revolutionaries at the House complex last year.Meanwhile, Goel has also decided to organise a workshop of Delhi MLAs in order to ensure that the upcoming Budget Session, starting from March 22, is effective.”Experts from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha will train Delhi MLAs about the budget and questions to be asked during the session,” Goel added. PTI BUN IKA PAL IKA read more
Napoli 3 Shakhtar Donetsk 0: Insigne stunner helps keep knockout hopes alive Matt Dorman Last updated 1 year ago 05:42 11/22/17 Getty Images Lorenzo Insigne kick-started a second half onslaught against Shakhtar Donetsk as Napoli got the three points they needed to stay alive. Napoli breathed life into their Champions League campaign as a trio of second-half goals sealed a 3-0 home win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.Needing three points to have any chance of advancing from Group F, the Serie A leaders turned on the style after half-time to move within three points of the second-placed Ukrainian outfit – and crucially secure a superior head-to-head record.The hosts had Lorenzo Insigne to thank for leading them out of a first-half slumber as the Italy forward broke the deadlock with a superb curling effort shortly before the hour. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Lyon treble & England heartbreak: The full story behind Lucy Bronze’s dramatic 2019 Liverpool v Man City is now the league’s biggest rivalry and the bitterness is growing Megan Rapinoe: Born & brilliant in the U.S.A. A Liverpool legend in the making: Behind Virgil van Dijk’s remarkable rise to world’s best player Insigne’s strike proved to be the inspiration Napoli needed to take control at Stadio San Paolo, as they put a crucial result beyond doubt with two goals in quick succession.Piotr Zielinski first capped a tidy one-two with Dries Mertens in the 81st minute before the Belgium star got on the scoresheet himself, nodding in from close-range.Maurizio Sarri’s men must still beat Feyenoord in two weeks’ time and hope Shakhtar lose at home to Manchester City, although the Premier League side have little to play for after making top spot safe.fine goals and huge points!#NapoliShakhtar 3-0#UCL #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/cmF8S6qUwi— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) November 21, 2017An end-to-end first half began with Andriy Pyatov bailing out Shakhtar inside the first minute, the goalkeeper quick off his line to smother after Jose Callejon was found in behind by Insigne.But the visitors soon showed their intent and twice went close through Taison. The Brazil international first fired over from the edge of the area and should have made the next chance count, poking the wrong side of the near post at close-range following a fine pass from Fred.Pyatov again came to his side’s rescue shortly before the half-hour when he flew to his left to turn Insigne’s curling effort around the upright.Opportunities continued to flow as Marlos, having lost Elseid Hysaj with a classy drag-back, stung the palms of Pepe Reina from inside the area.And the home side needed Reina to push away one final shot from Fred to somehow keep scores level at the interval.Needing inspiration, Napoli got exactly that from Insigne in the 56th minute. The Italy man drifted inside from the left and bent a wonderful curling strike into the top right corner to break the deadlock.Sarri’s side began to take control of the contest and their improvement should have been reflected with a second goal 21 minutes from time.Bogdan Butko sold Pyatov into trouble with a short backpass that was picked off by Mertens, but Zielinski side-footed the lay-off over a vacant net.The Poland midfielder soon atoned for his error, doubling his side’s lead in the 81st minute following a classy one-two with Mertens.And the result was put to bed two minutes later, Mertens nodding in at point-blank range after Pyatov could only parry Raul Albiol’s powerful header from a corner. read more
Barack Obama Read more College basketball Chase Hughes (@ChaseHughesNBCS)“His shoe broke.” pic.twitter.com/FAtpaF5uAtFebruary 21, 2019 Share on Messenger Basketball Share on WhatsApp US sports Topics Since you’re here… Support The Guardian … we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading and supporting The Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism than ever before. And unlike many new organisations, we have chosen an approach that allows us to keep our journalism accessible to all, regardless of where they live or what they can afford. But we need your ongoing support to keep working as we do.The Guardian will engage with the most critical issues of our time – from the escalating climate catastrophe to widespread inequality to the influence of big tech on our lives. At a time when factual information is a necessity, we believe that each of us, around the world, deserves access to accurate reporting with integrity at its heart.Our editorial independence means we set our own agenda and voice our own opinions. Guardian journalism is free from commercial and political bias and not influenced by billionaire owners or shareholders. This means we can give a voice to those less heard, explore where others turn away, and rigorously challenge those in power.We need your support to keep delivering quality journalism, to maintain our openness and to protect our precious independence. Every reader contribution, big or small, is so valuable. Support The Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. “Obviously, you lose a national player of the year candidate,” coach Mike Krzyzewski said of the likely No 1 pick in June’s NBA draft, “there are going to be gaps of what you have to do.” To the relief of many, it appears the injury is not severe with Krzyzewski later describing it as a “mild knee sprain”. He did not say how much time Williamson will miss.A star-studded crowd that included former US president Barack Obama, Spike Lee and Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr packed into Cameron looking for another highlight-filled show from Williamson – the most exciting player in college basketball. But the 18-year-old hurt his right knee during the Blue Devils’ opening possession less than a minute after tip-off.“It was just a shock for us,” Duke forward Cameron Reddish said. “Obviously, we’re used to playing with him, so playing without him was very difficult. We missed him today.” Share on Pinterest College sports Duke looked lost without Williamson. Meanwhile, North Carolina took advantage of the Zion-sized hole in the lane, scoring 32 of their first 34 points in the paint and finishing with a 62-28 scoring advantage there. The Tar Heels never trailed, pushed their lead to 22 on Johnson’s layup with about 16 minutes left and held on.“First, I’m thinking if he’s OK, man,” Maye said. “I don’t want to see somebody get hurt, especially a guy of that caliber, and I hope he makes a quick recovery. But when he goes down, I’m obviously trying to attack – and I was going to do that anyway. I was going to try to get inside and work inside out and just play my game and play the way I know I can play.” Share via Email LeBron James (@KingJames)Hope young fella is ok! Literally blew thru his 👟. 🙏🏾February 21, 2019 Zion Williamson blew out his shoe, and then No 8 North Carolina blew out top-ranked Duke.Luke Maye took full advantage of a freak injury to the freshman sensation, finishing with 30 points and 15 rebounds to help the Tar Heels rout Duke 88-72 on a Wednesday night where tickets to the grudge match between in-state rivals fetched around $2,500 on the secondary market. Reuse this content Share on Twitter Why is Cleveland Indians’ Trevor Bauer MLB’s most hated man? Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Williamson, widely regarded as the most sought after amateur prospect since LeBron James, grabbed the knee in pain after slipping awkwardly and falling when his left Nike shoe fell apart as he planted hard while dribbling near the free throw line. The blue rubber sole ripped loose, with Williamson’s foot coming all the way through the large gap.Nike said in a statement that it was “concerned” and wished Williamson a speedy recovery. It said it was “working to identify the issue.” read more
Sanket Vijayasarathy New DelhiSeptember 2, 2019UPDATED: September 2, 2019 12:06 IST Nokia 8.1 now starts at Rs 15,999, making it a great alternative to the Realme X and Oppo K3.HIGHLIGHTSNokia 8.1 price now starts at Rs 15,999 in India.It is powered by a Snapdragon 710 SoC much like the Realme X.Nokia 8.1 is an Android One device running stock Android Pie.Nokia 8.1 price in India is down to an all time low of Rs 15,999. So, it goes without saying that if you’ve been waiting to buy a premium mid-range Nokia smartphone, then this is it. The Nokia 8.1 price cut is officially visible on Nokia’s online store and it comes just a few days ahead of HMD’s IFA 2019 event. The upcoming Nokia smartphone launch event is expected to see the Nokia 6.2, Nokia 7.2 and a few more surprises. With the new price cut, the Nokia 8.1 becomes an affordable Snapdragon 710-powered Android One smartphone in India.The Nokia 8.1 now starts at Rs 15,999 for the base model that comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The 6GB + 128GB storage model, on the other hand, is priced at Rs 22,999, which isn’t a major drop from it’s original Rs 29,999 pricing. Still, these new prices make the Nokia 8.1 extremely attractive as the smartphone is still relevant in today’s market.Nokia 8.1 specificationsThe Nokia 8.1 is one of the earliest smartphones to be powered by the Snapdragon 710 SoC, which is now seen on a handful of competing devices such as the Realme 3 Pro, Realme X and Oppo K3. With the new price cut, the Nokia 8.1 now makes for a great alternative. What makes the Nokia 8.1 even more attractive in this segment is that it is an Android One smartphone that runs on stock Android 9 Pie. Moreover, it will be one of the first devices to get updated to Android 10 in Q4 2019.Nokia 8.1 sports a 6.18-inch FHD+ (2246×1080) PureDisplay with 500 nits brightness. It gets a dual camera setup with Zeiss optics. The camera setup includes a 12MP primary sensor with 1.4 micron pixel, f/1.8 aperture, OIS support and 2 PD and a 13MP fixed-focus sensor. On the front, the Nokia 8.1 gets a 20MP selfie camera.advertisementThe mid-range Nokia smartphone gets glass on the front and back and an aluminium frame with chamfered edges making it look premium and elegant. The Nokia 8.1 houses a 3,500mAh battery and supports 18W fast charging.HMD recently dropped the prices of the Nokia 7.1 and Nokia 6.1 Plus in India as well. These massive price cuts come just ahead of the launch of the Nokia 6.2 and Nokia 7.2 at IFA 2019 on September 5. It suggests HMD will bring the new Nokia phones to India soon to fill up the Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 segments.ALSO READ | Nokia 8.1 review: Premium and Pie-poweredGet real-time alerts and all the news on your phone with the all-new India Today app. Download from Post your comment Do You Like This Story? Awesome! Now share the story Too bad. Tell us what you didn’t like in the comments Posted bySanket Vijayasarathy Tags :Follow HMD GlobalFollow nokiaFollow Nokia 8.1 Nokia 8.1 price in India drops to Rs 15,999 ahead of Nokia phone launch at IFA 2019The Nokia 8.1 gets a very attractive price drop in India, and it comes just ahead the launch of some new Nokia smartphones at IFA 2019 on September 5.advertisement Next read more
A Chinese bulk carrier Bao Jiang 88 capsized and subsequently sank some two nautical miles off Shanghai’s Yangshan port in Jinshan Fairway on February 29, according to the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration.The cause of the incident is currently under investigation, however, there are reports that improper trimming of the vessel’s cargo led to the sinking.The agency added that all of Bao Jiang 88’s fourteen crewmembers abandoned the ship before it sank, and were rescued by a nearby vessel.The bulker, owned and operated by Jiangsu Baojiang Transportation and Trade, was carrying 4,600 tons of ore concentrates.At the time of the incident the vessel was on its way from Ningbo to Nanjing.On March 1 the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration reported that the 96-meter-long ship was on the bottom near Jinshan fairway buoy 22 with its hull partially above waterline.World Maritime News Staff read more
« Alors que les Néo-Écossais se réunissent en famille et entre amis pendant la période des fêtes, je les encourage fortement à prendre des précautions pour se protéger eux-mêmes et pour protéger leurs proches contre la grippe H1N1, a dit le Dr Robert Strang, médecin-hygiéniste en chef. Le vaccin est sécuritaire et efficace, et il s’agit de la meilleure façon de se protéger contre la grippe H1N1. » En date du 11 décembre, le gouvernement provincial a distribué suffisamment de vaccins pour immuniser 60 pour 100 de la population, ou plus de 560 000 personnes. « Bien que les cliniques publiques de vaccination ferment cette semaine, le vaccin contre la grippe H1N1 sera toujours offert aux personnes qui souhaitent le recevoir dans la plupart des cabinets de médecins et dans les cliniques organisées par les employeurs, a dit le Dr Strang. Nous allons continuer de surveiller la demande pour le vaccin et d’évaluer la nécessité d’organiser d’autres cliniques de santé publique. » Voici d’autres faits saillants : La grippe H1N1 continue de se répandre à l’échelle de la province. Pendant la semaine du 6 au 12 décembre, il y a eu : aucun nouveau cas confirmé de H1N1, comparativement à 12 cas pendant la semaine du 29 novembre au 5 décembre; aucune nouvelle hospitalisation pour le H1N1, comparativement à cinq au cours de la dernière période. Le pourcentage de visites aux services d’urgence pour des symptômes grippaux a diminué à six pour cent, une diminution de deux pour cent comparativement à la période du 29 novembre au 5 décembre. Le pourcentage de patients qui présentent des symptômes grippaux est passé de trois à deux pour cent, selon les données fournies par les médecins de la province. Le gouvernement provincial publie un rapport sur les maladies respiratoires, y compris le H1N1, tous les mercredis. Vous pouvez le consulter (en anglais seulement) à l’adresse www.gov.ns.ca/hpp/h1n1/flu-activity_fr.asp . Info-Santé 811, le service de télésoins de la Nouvelle-Écosse disponible 24 heures par jour, a reçu plus de 3 000 appels pendant la semaine du 6 au 12 décembre. Le site Web www.nshealthlink811.ca a traité plus de 400 requêtes. read more
OTTAWA — A newly released government document shows that federal officials feel stymied by data roadblocks in their bid to help policymakers tackle a growing political concern about the country’s “gig” economy.Documents obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act show federal officials were leery of the reliability of existing data on the number of Canadians using online platforms to earn their livings, even though the figures had come from reputable sources.The late-March briefing note shows officials at Employment and Social Development Canada were looking for alternatives.Federal officials have been closely watching the changes in the labour force away from full-time jobs in favour of more temporary, part-time or contract work.Available research suggests young people are more often found in these positions, which can be lower-paid and without benefits or longer-term job security. That makes the effects of the gig economy of particular interest to politicians: millennials make up the largest voting cohort this election season.Concerns about the ripple effects have prodded changes to the Canada Pension Plan, analysts’ deep policy dives into the future of the federal social safety net, new spending on skills training and amendments to the federal labour code.What makes measuring the size of the gig economy so difficult is that there are competing definitions of what it includes. ESDC officials leaned on an American definition that described gig workers as those who take short work or tasks through websites or mobile apps that arrange payment and connect them directly to consumers.So, for instance, driving Ubers, making SkipTheDishes deliveries, or picking up odd work from TaskRabbit. Putting together multiple part-time jobs, soliciting work through a website such as Kijiji, or surviving on short-term contracts didn’t count.Underlying concerns about the gig economy is a demographic shift firmly underway in Canada. Aging baby boomers will retire in droves over the coming years without enough young workers to replace them — which raises a potential problem. Unlike the Canada Pension Plan, old-age security payments are funded by tax dollars, and federal coffers might not be able to cover the cost of seniors’ benefits that are increasing faster than inflation.Add to that populist concerns about immigrants, who have been the main drivers of population growth as birth rates have declined, and there is a potential potent mixture for the coming election campaign.What to do beyond election day has engrossed federal officials from multiple departments, who have tested worst-case scenarios and a range of possible policy responses.Armine Yalnizyan, an economist who has researched the gig economy in detail, said available data suggests a growth in the platforms could erode wages for engineers, accountants, programmers and lawyers as companies connect with cheaper overseas labour. Federal programs either provide workers with capped income supports — which for high-wage workers would be well below the earnings they’re used to — or retraining funding, she said.“This isn’t the hollowing out of the middle, this is the hollowing out of the high-skill, high-wage class and we don’t have programs for that crowd,” Yalnizyan said.“What are you going to train them in? They’ve just spent seven to 10 years training and spent a fortune on it. Obviously, our systems are not designed for that reality and that’s where we’re hitting the stress tests.”The briefing note, sent to a handful of top ESDC officials, lamented that the “available evidence about the incidence and quality of online platform work, in Canada and abroad, is currently quite limited, impeding the provision of policy advice.”Officials also raised cautions on survey results from two major federal institutions — Statistics Canada and the Bank of Canada — on the number of Canadians using online platforms for their incomes, highlighting concerns with how the data were obtained.The document says Statistics Canada scuttled a plan to replicate an American labour survey on gig workers after U.S. officials admitted there were problems with the results. Instead, a survey of the digital economy found about 230,000 Canadians had been involved in platform work in the previous 12 months, or 0.8 per cent of the population over age 18.A similar effort by the Bank of Canada suggested between 4 and 6.5 per cent of Canadians over 16 were part of the gig economy.Both results, different as they were, were “markedly lower” than other countries, the document says, and should be “treated carefully due to the small number of respondents.”“We know there’s been growth and we know Canada is very reliant on this form of labour, both among employers and, oddly, amongst workers,” Yalnizyan said. “Something’s happening, we just don’t know how to measure it properly.”Results from a new Statistics Canada effort are expected to be available this fall, the briefing note says, but officials at ESDC were already pushing “alternative methods of data collection” to learn more about platform workers and their job quality.A department spokeswoman said ESDC “continues to explore the possibility” of taking part in an international survey of platform workers and an in-depth study with Statistics Canada, both of which would take place next year.Jordan Press, The Canadian Press read more
The MDMA, which was set up in 1998, comprises experts from India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and other Central agencies. India had sought the details on the bank accounts of Selvarasa Pathmanathan alias ‘KP’ and some of his associates as part of the investigations over the murder of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, reports said today.The Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) in India had sought permission from the Sri Lankan authorities to question the alleged financier of the LTTE. The former Prime Minister was assassinated on May 21, 1991, when a LTTE suicide bomber blew herself up at an election rally in Tamil Nadu. (Colombo Gazette) The MDMA, running on a skeleton staff, was set up on the recommendation of retired judge Milap Chand Jain, whose own inquiry into the conspiracy theory was called off in 1998. Jain wanted the MDMA to look into several areas he could not investigate.“The MDMA has been conducting further investigations in RC 9 (S)/1991-SCB/MAS (Rajiv Gandhi assassination case) after obtaining necessary permission from the designated Tada court, Chennai under section 173 (B) of the CrPC”, sources said. “The MDMA is keen to know about the bank details of Selvarasa Pathmanathan alias ‘KP’ and some of his associates. The agency had written to the Sri Lankan authorities in this regard earlier but no positive response came from the authority concerned”, the Asian Age quoted sources as saying. read more
AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to TwitterTwitterShare to FacebookFacebookShare to RedditRedditShare to 電子郵件Email TORONTO – The Conservatives raised concerns Thursday about a deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars between Korean giant Samsung and Ontario’s Six Nations to build a huge wind and solar farm near Caledonia, south of Hamilton.The Opposition is worried the green energy project in Haldimand County could be targeted by militant Mohawk warriors who have blocked use of a $100 million hydro transmission corridor in the area for years.The refurbished electricity transmission corridor was completed in 2006 except for 10 or 11 hydro towers that have no wires on them, said Haldimand-Norfolk Tory MPP Toby Barrett.“There are no Hydro One workers on those towers. There are Mohawk warriors that go up on those towers and it’s a warriors’ flag that flies on those towers,” said Barrett.“There’s never been any electricity run through them because of militant (Mohawk) warrior intimidation.”Mohawk warriors also occupied a housing development in Caledonia in 2006, triggering years of tensions between local residents, First Nations and the Ontario Provincial Police.The province eventually bought the Douglas Creek Estates to try and defuse the situation, but the community remains divided.Adding one of the world’s largest wind and solar farms in the troubled area could be asking for trouble, warned Barrett.“It really adds fuel to a very volatile fire that’s going on down in our area,” he said.“The native people that I have talked to, Mohawks, have come out to a number of the wind tower meetings in opposition very forceful and with strong opposition to what’s going on in Haldimand County as far as wind towers.”Energy Minister Chris Bentley said he was not worried about any transmission problems from the new project because the province built new hydro towers to get around the protesting Mohawks.“When the issue came up years ago alternate routes were identified, transmission solutions were found in other parts of the province,” Bentley told reporters. “There are no transmission issues there.”Bentley would not address the possible threat of protesting warriors trying to disrupt the new green energy projects, insisting the agreement had nothing to do with the government.“It’s their agreement,” insisted Bentley.“I’m aware of its broad outlines and I think it was the result of very, very hard work by both (parties), and represents a remarkable opportunity for both frankly.”The deal with Samsung and Pattern Energy Group to develop the 250 megawatt wind and solar farm is expected to generate about $55 million in revenue for the Six Nations over 20 years.The Haldimand development is part of the first phase of Samsung’s investments in Ontario, along with another 250 megawatt renewable energy project in Chatham-Kent. The two developments combined are expected to cost about $1 billion, Samsung said Thursday.Samsung said the Six Nations can choose to be an equity stakeholder in each of the wind and solar projects or take a royalty.The Six Nations of the Grand River, which has almost 24,000 members, is about 25 kilometres south of Hamilton between the communities of Brantford, Caledonia and Hagersville.The Liberal government has a $7 billion deal with Samsung that will see the Korean multinational build four manufacturing plants for green energy components in Ontario, in exchange for guaranteed space on the crowded transmission grid for its new power projects.The agreement calls for the generation of 2,500 megawatts of renewable energy by Samsung and the creation of 900 new manufacturing jobs and 16,000 jobs overall in the province. Conservatives question huge green energy deal between Samsung and Six Nations by News Staff Posted May 31, 2012 4:31 pm MDT read more
The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), which settles the damage claims of those who suffered losses in the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, today made $1.06 billion available to the Government of Kuwait.With today’s payment, the total amount in compensation received by the Government of Kuwait now amounts to $47.8 billion, leaving approximately $4.6 billion remaining to be paid. The Geneva-based UNCC’s Governing Council has identified six categories of claims: four are for individuals’ claims, one for corporations and one for governments and international organizations, which also includes claims for environmental damage.This category E claim was submitted by the Government of Kuwait on behalf of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and awarded $14.7 billion in 2000 for oil production and sales losses as a result of damages to Kuwait’s oil field assets. Successful claims are paid monies drawn from the UN Compensation Fund, which is financed by a percentage of the proceeds generated by the export sales of Iraqi petroleum and related products.The Commission was established in 1991 as a subsidiary organ of the UN Security Council. It has received nearly three million claims, including from nearly 100 governments for themselves, their nationals or their corporations for losses and damages incurred as a direct result of Iraq’s invasion and occupation of Kuwait from 2 August 1990 to 2 March 1991.The Government of Kuwait’s claim represents the largest award by the Commission. read more
Mr. Eliasson spoke of the importance of working across economic, social and environmental dimensions to participants of a high-level event of Sustainable Energy for All, a multi-stakeholder partnership, on the sidelines of the UN Sustainable Development Summit, at which the new Goal was adopted along with 16 other goals and 169 targets to wipe out poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate over the next 15 years.He cited as examples of successful partnerships already underway.For example, he said, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the Carbon War Room, KLM, Novozymes and the UN Foundation have partnered to scale up the development and deployment of sustainable bioenergy solutions.And in Bangladesh, India, Mali and Mozambique, the Alliance for Rural Electrification and the OPEC Fund for International Development are working together to implement mini-grid projects.Mr. Eliasson also commended domestic initiatives, such as Brazil’s successful “Light for All” programme, Saudi Arabia’s planned $109 billion dollar investment in solar energy, and India’s strong commitment to energy access for all by 2019.“With Sustainable Development Goal 7, the United Nations has for the first time agreed on a universal goal on energy, with targets on access, renewables, efficiency, and means of implementation,” he said. “This is great news – not just for the energy community, but for sustainable development as a whole. We need sustainable energy for everything from ending poverty to combating climate change.The Deputy Secretary-General said the Rachel Kyte, as the first Chief Executive Officer of the new “Sustainable Energy for All Partnership” will spearhead the UN system’s efforts towards achieving SDG7 from January 1, 2016 – the first day of the 2030 agenda.Mr. Eliasson noted that progress is too slow in some areas of the world, most notably in sub-Saharan Africa, but with leadership and the foundations that are already laid, “we can have legitimate hope that we will achieve our goals by 2030.”“But it is going to be an arduous work,” he said. “We have set the vision and direction. Now we must take the concrete steps forward in a determined way to the benefit of all.” read more
Handball VIC Inc. is hosting the 2017 Australian Open Club Championships in Geelong from the 11th – 14th May 2017. The Australian Open Club Championships (AOCC) is the leading Handball tournament in the Oceanian region and the largest Australian Handball event since the Sydney Olympics with over 250 players participating. Melbourne Handball Club in the women’s event and Sydney Uni in the men’s competition will try to defend their last year’s Australian Club Champions title.The winner of the men’s competition will qualify for the club world cup, called the Super Globe. It is held in Qatar where they will face professional clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona. “Good news”, said Bronwyn Thompson, Secretary General of Handball Australia, “the OCHF has endorsed the Club Champs as the Men’s Oceania qualifier for the Super Globe.” For this year, the second edition of the AOCC, Handball VIC is proud to announce that significant funding has been secured from Sport and Recreation Victoria. “We are very happy that Sport and Recreation has recognised our hard work and efforts with the award of a grant to make our tournament even better than last year”, said Sebastian Bures, Head of the Organising Committee & Government Relations.“Importantly, this event aims to bring together the entire handball community and is open to all handball teams in Australia and Oceania, regardless of ability”, remarks Bures. Speaking of ability, there will also be an exhibition match of Wheelchair Handball on the Saturday. “To date 16 men and women teams have confirmed from all around Australia and as far as New Caledonia and New Zealand”, said Niddhi Mehta, Project Manager.The Victorian Olympic Council also indicated their support. Warwick Waters, Executive Director said, “The Victorian Olympic Council encourages Victorians to get down to see the exciting sport of Olympic Handball in Geelong during the 2017 AOCC not only to witness this fast paced ball sport at the elite level, but also take the opportunity to give this Olympic sport a go for themselves.”The competition will run from Thursday, the 11th of May until Sunday, the 14th of May with games starting around 10 am until 7 pm. Finals will be played on Sunday. Admission is free for spectators and schools. Kirsten Lange, President of Handball VIC, said: “We are inviting interested schools to come down and experience the exciting sport of Olympic Handball. We are planning ‘Come and Try’ activities for school children and a ‘Meet and Greet’ with National players.”To find out more about the 2017 AOCC visit website www.handballaocc.com.au ← Previous Story HSG Wetzlar to miss Kristian Bjornsen in the finish of the season Next Story → QATARI SEASON: Lekhwiya win Emir Cup, but El Jaish take double crown! read more
THE GOVERNMENT HAS outlined how it plans to introduce minimum pricing levels for alcohol as part of proposals to be included in the draft Public Health (Alcohol) Bill.‘Minimum Unit Pricing’ would set a price below which alcoholic drink cannot be sold.According to the Department of Health, the price would be based on the number of grams of alcohol in any given product.The Department it stressing that it won’t mean an across the board increase for prices. According to a statement: In the meantime, the Government has announced plans to put the existing voluntary code on sports sponsorship on a statutory footing.Reaction The Irish Medical Organisation – which represents doctors – has welcomed the publication of the Government’s plans regarding minimum pricing. However, it says the decision regarding sports sponsorship is a “missed opportunity”.President of the organistion, Dr Matt Sadlier said the only way to ensure that young people were not exposed to alcohol marketing “is to introduce a complete ban on alcohol advertising and promotion, including the sponsorship of sporting activities and sporting organisations”.“Fears over funding for sports are unfounded as experience from other jurisdictions show that sports organisations do not necessarily rely on alcohol sponsorship and can simply seek alternative sponsorship from manufacturers and suppliers of non-alcoholic goods and services.”The plans have also been welcomed by National Off-Licence Association, which says the measures announced “will go a long way in providing for the responsible retail of alcohol”.Read: Government deal to implement minimum alcohol pricing welcomed>Previously: Cabinet close to agreement on alcohol strategy, but sponsorship ban will be deferred> It’s planned that, once the legislation is passed, the unit price would be set based on research currently under way in Northern Ireland, where a similar policy is being pursued.Other measuresThe Bill will also include plans to limit the advertising of alcohol on TV and radio to evening hours, and in cinemas to over 18 certified films.It’s proposed a new labelling system will be brought in, resulting in health warnings being placed on bottles and cans, as well as on promotional material.It will also be required that manufacturers display the amount of pure alcohol (measured in grams) and the calorie count on each drink container.Sports sponsorshipNo immediate plan was confirmed to ban drinks industry sponsorship of sporting events. The measure had been one of the recommendations set out in the report of the Steering Group on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, which reported in February of last year.Instead, a ‘working group’ is to be set up, with a deadline to report back in 12 months:It agreed to establish a working group to consider the value, evidence, feasibility and implications (including the public health consequences for children and young people and the financial impact on sporting organisations) of regulating sponsorship by alcohol companies of major sporting events, and that the group will also consider alternative sources of funding for sporting organisations to replace potential lost revenue arising from any such regulation.The group will comprise of a number of departments and shall be chaired by the Dept of An Taoiseach. The aim of MUP is to increase the price of alcohol which is cheap relative to its strengthMUP will be the instrument to be used to tackle the very low cost at which alcohol is sold in the off-trade sector (particularly in supermarkets).By using MUP, we hope to target harmful and hazardous drinkers and reduce their consumption as there is evidence that this cohort of drinkers tend to purchase disproportionate amounts of such alcohol, no matter what is the income level of the drinker. read more
A BID BY An Taisce – the Irish national trust body – to challenge the legality of a planned nuclear power station has been rejected by the High Court of England and Wales.The two-reactor plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset will be the UK’s first new nuclear plant for a generation. French energy company EDF clinched a €18.9 billion deal to build it in October — once that deal is confirmed next year, the station could be in operation by 2023.It’s planned that, at full capacity, the two reactors will be able to produce seven per cent of Britain’s electricity, enough to power five million homes.As part of its challenge, An Taisce had claimed London acted unlawfully in not consulting with the Irish public before permission was granted.Heading into the court challenge, which began earlier this month, An Taisce Policy Director James Nix said that while he appreciated that the UK intends to implement rigorous regulation, if an accident were to happen the effect on Ireland would be significant.Handing down her judgement today, Mrs Justice Patterson found against An Taisce’s claim, and refused leave for a Judicial Review.Nix said the organisation’s legal team were studying the judgement and considering their options.Read Incoming Eirgrid chairman faces TDs and Senators amid ongoing pylons controversyRead: ESB employees and management in talks to resolve pensions row read more
Clark County elections workers tabulated another 14,571 ballots Wednesday, but at the end of the day there were no changes in the lead for two tight local races.In the race for an open Clark County council seat, Republican John Blom more than doubled his lead on Democrat Tanisha Harris and now is ahead by 434 votes out of 38,163 counted. The winner will take Republican David Madore’s seat and represent the eastern portion of Vancouver on the five-member county governing body.The other tight race is for 17th District House of Representatives, Position 1. In that race Republican Vicki Kraft leads independent Democrat Sam Kim by 888 votes out of 51,237 ballots counted. That’s about 1 percentage point, a slightly bigger margin than on Tuesday. The two are vying for Republican Lynda Wilson’s seat; she ran for the 17th District Senate seat and holds a lead of nearly 9 percentage points in that race over Democrat Tim Probst.In other updated Clark County results, Hillary Clinton has received about 3,000 more votes than Donald Trump, 46.12 percent to 44.25 percent. However, among the 167,547 local votes counted in the race thus far, there were 5,426 write-ins and almost 10,000 third-party votes. Four years ago, the local contest between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney attracted only 1,371 write-ins and less than 5,000 third-party votes.Overall, this year’s general election favored Republicans and incumbents. Republicans won 12 of 15 seats spanning five legislative districts covering all or part of Clark County, and all incumbents appear to have won re-election. read more
BANGKOK — Thailand’s ruling junta deployed thousands of security forces on the streets of Bangkok on Sunday to thwart another round of small-scale protests denouncing last month’s military coup. Hundreds of demonstrators came out and several were detained, but there was no violence.Fears over possible unrest, however, prompted a major downtown shopping mall to close and authorities temporarily shut down several subway and elevated train stations near where protests could have materialized.Thailand has been calm since the army overthrew the nation’s elected government on May 22, saying it had to restore order after seven months of demonstrations that had triggered sporadic violence and left the country’s political rivals in a stalemate.But the junta that took power has launched a major campaign to suppress dissent, summoning politicians, journalists and academics — the majority of them perceived as being critical of the new regime.Since the coup, small groups of pro-democracy protesters have come out nearly every day, marching through Bangkok and sometimes scuffling with soldiers. No injuries have been reported so far. read more
Troopers shortly after noon Monday received a call that a sedan was found overturned along the highway near Upper Trail Lake at Mile 33.8. Facebook0TwitterEmailPrintFriendly分享UPDATE 12:00 p.m.:The driver involved in the fatal motor vehicle accident has been identified as Gary A. Barnett, age 47, of Anchorage. The NOK has been notified. Investigation is ongoing. ORIGINAL STORY:A man died Monday in a crash on the Seward Highway. Alaska State Troopers say the man’s name will be released after next of kin has been notified. Emergency medical responders declared the man inside dead. Troopers are investigating the circumstances. This is a developing story.
US Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ) smiles as he speaks during a rally in La Crosse, Wisconsin on 10 October 2008. Reuters File PhotoUS Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam who ran unsuccessfully for president as a self-styled maverick Republican in 2008 and became a prominent critic of president Donald Trump, died on Saturday, his office said.He was 81.McCain, a US senator from Arizona for over three decades, had been battling glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, discovered by his doctors in July 2017, and had not been at the US Capitol in 2018. He also had surgery for an intestinal infection in April of this year.His family had announced on Friday that McCain was discontinuing further cancer treatment.A statement from his office said: “Senator John Sidney McCain III died at 4:28pm on 25 August 2018. With the senator when he passed were his wife Cindy and their family. At his death, he had served the United States of America faithfully for sixty years.”No further details were immediately provided.“My heart is broken. I am so lucky to have lived the adventure of loving this incredible man for 38 years,” Cindy McCain wrote on Twitter. “He passed the way he lived, on his own terms, surrounded by the people he loved, in the place he loved best.”Alternatively affable and cantankerous, McCain had been in the public eye since the 1960s, when as a naval aviator he was shot down during the Vietnam War and tortured by his North Vietnamese communist captors during 5-1/2 years as a prisoner.He was edged out by George W Bush for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, but became his party’s White House candidate eight years later. After gambling on political neophyte Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate, McCain lost in 2008 to Democrat Barack Obama, who became the first black US president.McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was a frequent critic as well as a target of his fellow Republican, Trump, who was elected president in November 2016.McCain denounced Trump for among other things his praise of Russian president Vladimir Putin and other leaders the senator described as foreign “tyrants.”“Flattery secures his friendship, criticism his enmity,” McCain said of Trump in his memoir, “The Restless Wave,” which was released in May.McCain in July had castigated Trump for his summit with Putin, issuing a statement that called their joint news conference in Helsinki “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.” He said Trump was “not only unable but unwilling to stand up to Putin.”Sources close to McCain have said Trump would not be invited to the funeral.Shortly after McCain’s death was announced, Trump tweeted: My deepest sympathies and respect go out to the family of Senator John McCain.”McCain, a foreign policy hawk with a traditional Republican view of world affairs, was admired in both parties for championing civility and compromise during an era of acrid partisanship in US politics. But he also had a famous temper and rarely shied away from a fight. He had several with Trump.Thumbs-DownHe was the central figure in one of the most dramatic moments in Congress of Trump’s presidency when he returned to Washington shortly after his brain cancer diagnosis for a middle-of-the-night Senate vote in July 2017.Still bearing a black eye and scar from surgery, McCain gave a thumbs-down signal in a vote to scuttle a Trump-backed bill that would have repealed the Obamacare healthcare law and increased the number of Americans without health insurance by millions.Trump was furious about McCain’s vote and frequently referred to it at rallies, but without mentioning McCain by name.After Trump in 2015 launched his presidential campaign, McCain condemned his hard-line rhetoric on illegal immigration and said Trump had “fired up the crazies.” Trump retorted that McCain was “not a war hero,” adding: “I like people who weren’t captured.”After Trump became president, McCain blasted what he called the president’s attempts to undermine the free press and rule of law, and lamented the “half-baked, spurious nationalism” of the Trump era.McCain denounced Trump’s performance at a summit meeting with Putin in July as “a tragic mistake,” adding, “The damage inflicted by president Trump’s naivete, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate.”Mccain Vs ObamaMcCain, the son and grandson of US Navy admirals, was elected to the US House of Representatives from Arizona in 1982 after more than two decades of Navy service.He served four years in the House before Arizona voters elected him to the Senate in 1986 to replace Barry Goldwater, the 1964 Republican presidential nominee revered by conservatives.In running for president in 2008, McCain tried to succeed an unpopular fellow Republican in Bush, who was leaving office with the country mired in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and stuck in a financial crisis.It was a stark contrast between McCain, then a 72-year-old veteran of the Washington establishment, and the 47-year-old Obama, who was offering a “Yes, we can” message of change.McCain tried to inject some youth and enthusiasm into his campaign with his selection of Palin, Alaska’s governor, as his running mate. But the choice backfired as her political inexperience and shaky performances in media interviews raised concerns about her qualifications.In his new book, McCain voiced regret for not choosing then-Senator Joe Lieberman, a Democrat turned independent, as his running mate.McCain wrote that he had originally settled on Lieberman, Democrat Al Gore’s running mate in the 2000 election, but was warned by Republican leaders that Lieberman’s views on social issues, including support for abortion rights, would “fatally divide” the party.“It was sound advice that I could reason for myself,” McCain wrote. “But my gut told me to ignore it and I wish I had.”Obama won 53 per cent of the vote to McCain’s 45.6 per cent.War InjuriesDuring the Vietnam War, McCain flew attack planes off aircraft carriers. He was preparing for a bombing run in 1967 when a missile inadvertently fired from another plane hit his fuel tanks, triggering a fatal explosion and fire. He suffered shrapnel wounds.A few months later on 26 October 1967, McCain’s A-4 Skyhawk was shot down on a bombing mission over North Vietnam’s capital and he suffered two broken arms and a broken leg in the crash. A mob then dragged him from a lake, broke his shoulder and stabbed him.Held at the notorious “Hanoi Hilton” prison and other sites, McCain was beaten and tortured, suffering broken bones and dysentery. He was released on 14 March 1973 but was left with permanent infirmities.In Congress, McCain built a generally conservative record, opposing abortion and advocating higher defence spending. He supported Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq and criticised Obama for not doing more to intervene in Syria’s civil war.Still, he prided himself on his reputation as a maverick and had a history of working across party lines on immigration, climate change and campaign finance reform.He also spoke out against the Bush administration’s use of waterboarding, a torture technique that simulates drowning, and other harsh interrogation tactics on detainees in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 attacks.He urged the closure of the prison for foreign terrorism suspects at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and also sponsored an anti-torture measure that passed Congress in 2005.In a 2002 memoir, McCain wrote, “I’m an independent-minded, well-informed public servant to some. And to others, I’m a self-styled, self-righteous maverick pain in the ass.”John Sidney McCain III was born on 29 August 1936, at an American naval installation in the Panama Canal Zone – US territory at the time – when his father was stationed there.He conceded he was a “smart ass” during his years at the US Naval Academy and graduated fifth from the bottom of his class.McCain divorced his wife Carol after 15 years of marriage in 1980 and weeks later married the former Cindy Henley, daughter of a wealthy beer distributor in Arizona.A dark period for McCain came as one of the “Keating Five” group of senators accused of improperly intervening with federal regulators to help political contributor and bank executive Charles Keating, whose Lincoln Savings and Loan failed in 1989 at a cost to taxpayers of $3.4 billion.McCain was cleared of wrongdoing in 1991, but the Senate Ethics Committee rebuked him for poor judgment.On 25 July 2017, McCain delivered a Senate floor speech not long after his cancer diagnosis that was widely seen as his farewell address. It included a call to fellow Republicans to stand up to Trump and for all lawmakers to work together to keep America as a “beacon of liberty” in the world.“That is the cause that binds us and is so much more powerful and worthy than the small differences that divide us,” McCain said. read more
Video Playerhttps://cdn.hpm.io/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/30120024/EdGonzalezSpanish.mp400:0000:0004:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. A pesar de que no entra en vigor hasta el 1 de septiembre, el Sheriff Ed Gonzalez insiste en que es importante empezar a explicar cuanto antes la SB4, la nueva ley de Texas que permite a las fuerzas del orden, tanto policías locales como agentes de condados, preguntar por el estatus de quienes son detenidos en cualquier circunstancia.“Si tienes una razón para parar a alguien, por ejemplo en tránsito, tienes lo que dicen que es probable cause”, o causa suficiente, para sospechar que esa persona ha cometido un delito, explica González. “Eso abre la puerta para hacer ese tipo de preguntas”.Muchos de esos casos, dice el sheriff, pueden ser simple rutina pero lo importante es que plantean la posibilidad de que un agente del orden pida los papeles y colabore con agentes de inmigración si descubre que el detenido está en el país ilegalmente.A pesar de que la llamada ley de Ciudades Santuario no permite la discriminación racial, o racial profiling, Gonzalez reconoce que le preocupa esa posibilidad. Vea la entrevista completa en el video: Share read more