Francisco Ayala Prominent geneticist out at UC Irvine after harassment finding The four complainants, who asked to be identified, are all in the School of Biological Sciences: professor Kathleen Treseder, assistant teaching professor Jessica Pratt, assistant dean Benedicte Shipley and graduate student Michelle Herrera. Treseder and Pratt referred questions to their attorney, Micha Star Liberty, a sexual harassment lawyer based in Oakland, California. Shipley and Herrera could not be reached by deadline.In an interview today, Liberty said her clients–three of the four complainants–are considering “all available legal options.”“It’s frustrating and completely disingenuous for UCI to say they got a complaint in November and took swift action,” Liberty says. “That’s simply not true. They didn’t do an investigation when a complaint was filed 3 years ago.”The university declined to make any comment in addition to Gillman’s statement.Liberty would not identify the complainant of 3 years ago, the nature of that complaint, or the mechanism by which the alleged complaint was made. But she says that complainant is also one of the four women whose complaints launched the probe that began in November 2017.Liberty further alleges: “UCI seemed to care only about making sure that their famous and profitable professor was taken care of, rather than being employee-focused on the employment law rights and the Title IX rights of these women.” Title IX is the federal law that makes sexual harassment in educational settings illegal.Liberty alleges that Ayala’s behavior toward female students, staff, and colleagues was permeated with unwanted touching and sexually based language and statements, often in front of other people. For instance, she says, he once told a professor who was giving a report in a meeting: “Why don’t you sit on my lap while you give the presentation? It would be much more interesting.”Ayala’s attorney, Susan Estrich, says: “The comment about sitting on his lap was a bad attempt at humor in a crowded room in 2015, for which Professor Ayala apologized some years ago.”Liberty also alleged that Ayala discussed in front of Treseder, whom he had nominated for membership in the prestigious National Academy of Sciences (NAS), how blacklisting of nominees was typically carried out—comments that she took as a veiled threat to blacklist her nomination. Ayala is a NAS member and only members can nominate—and vote on—new members.“Professor Ayala has made absolutely clear, repeatedly so, that he would never blackball a candidate for the Academy, much less a candidate he nominated,” Estrich responded. According to Liberty, Ayala’s behavior toward Herrara, the graduate student, triggered the investigation that began in November 2017. Ayala’s actions were witnessed by Herrara’s supervisor, she says, who also complained at that time, in support of Herrara. In the process of the investigation, the two other women came forward as complainants. One was the woman who had complained 3 years before.They came forward, Liberty says, because “they were tired of witnessing this type of behavior, they were concerned about this graduate student, who had a lot less power than they did, being victimized and they wanted this conduct to stop. They were also tired of enduring this behavior themselves.”Liberty alleges that as the investigation proceeded, UCI represented to her that Ayala had threatened to sue the university and the complaining women for defamation.Estrich says: “At no time was suing for defamation ever considered.”Ayala, 84, has become a prominent presence in American biology since he left his native Spain and the Dominican priesthood in 1961 for graduate studies at Columbia University. He did pioneering work in molecular evolution and genetics and made a groundbreaking discovery about the parasites that cause Chagas disease, a sometimes-fatal ailment that afflicts million in the tropics. He is a former president of AAAS, which publishes Science; an NAS member; and a 2010 winner of the $1.5 million Templeton Prize for making an “exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension.” Ayala has been outspoken on the ethical issues related to the study of human evolution, and a prominent spokesperson in the debate between evolution and creationism. He is also a vintner, who at the time of his donation to UCI in 2011 owned more than 2000 acres of vineyards in northern California.Kristen Monroe is one of Ayala’s colleagues and political scientist who directs the UCI Interdisciplinary Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality, where Ayala regularly attended meetings and was a founding member. She says: “I’m baffled and surprised at the charges against Professor Ayala since nothing in our interactions, over some 20 years, suggests he treats women with anything but respect and courtesy.”Ayala’s colleague Camilo Cela-Conde, an emeritus professor at the University of the Balearic Islands in Spain, who has co-written six books with Ayala on human evolution, put out a statement today under the heading “Professor Ayala’s Sentence.” “I read with stupor, shame and displeasure,” of Ayala’s name being stripped from the UCI buildings, Cela-Conde wrote, noting that Gillman stated that keeping Ayala’s name on the buildings “would be wrong.” Cela-Conde added: “I wonder whether [the university’s] keeping the more than U.S. $4 million donated to UCI by Professor Ayala and destroying his scientific career would be right.”Cela-Conde noted the university’s interviews with more than 60 witnesses. “What the statement does not mention is that only a fraction of the witnesses proposed by Professor Ayala were actually interviewed,” he wrote. “The lack of fairness throughout the whole investigation process is highly evident. Fake news seems to give birth to fake investigations.” Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo Gillman added that Ayala’s name will also be stripped from several graduate fellowships, scholar programs and endowed chairs. Ayala gave the school $10 million in 2011, which was to have been disbursed over 10 years. The university would not comment on how much has been disbursed, or how the remaining portion of the gift will be handled. It also declined to comment on details of the sexual harassment allegations, which were not described in Gillman’s statement.Ayala, who was hired at UCI in 1989, released a statement that reads:
“I deeply regret that what I have always thought of as the good manners of a European gentleman—to greet women colleagues warmly, with a kiss to both cheeks, to compliment them on their beauty—made colleagues I respect uncomfortable. It was never my intent to do so. Nor do I wish to put them, my family, or this institution through the lengthy process of further investigation, hearings, appeals, and law suits. I have too much respect for them, and too much work still to do. I will continue my research with renewed vigor, and I thank my colleagues around the world for their support.” The eminent evolutionary biologist Francisco Ayala has offered his resignation to the University of California, Irvine (UCI) , effective 1 July, the university announced yesterday. The move comes on the heels of an investigation of alleged sexual harassment by Ayala that began last November and included complaints from four women – two professors, an assistant dean, and one graduate student—in the School of Biological Sciences. The biological sciences building was, until this week, named after its benefactor—Ayala.“Given the number and breadth of the substantiated allegations, along with the power differentials at play, I believe that keeping Professor Ayala’s name in a position of honor would be wrong,” UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman wrote in announcing that Ayala is resigning without emeritus status, will “abstain” from future campus activities, and will have his name removed from both the biological sciences building and UCI’s science library.Gillman said the university had interviewed more than 60 witnesses during its probe of the allegations. “While reporting misconduct is always difficult, the actions of these women were particularly courageous because their reports involved one of the most prominent members of our faculty,” Gillman wrote.Sign up for our daily newsletterGet more great content like this delivered right to you!Country *AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia, Plurinational State ofBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinianPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRWANDASaint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweI also wish to receive emails from AAAS/Science and Science advertisers, including information on products, services and special offers which may include but are not limited to news, careers information & upcoming events.Required fields are included by an asterisk(*) By Meredith WadmanJun. 29, 2018 , 4:40 PM
Prominent geneticist out at UC Irvine after harassment finding
December 1, 2019
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Real Madrid Sergio Ramos controversy: Would Liverpool have complained if Van Dijk injured Ronaldo? Carlo Garganese 17:03 6/15/18 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(5) 
Getty/Goal composite Real Madrid UEFA Champions League Liverpool Egypt World Cup Mohamed Salah Sergio Ramos Jamie Redknapp says that he would love to have the under-fire Real Madrid defender in his team despite the Champions League final controversy Jamie Redknapp has defended Sergio Ramos following the Champions League final controversy and has questioned whether Liverpool fans would have complained if it was Cristiano Ronaldo and not Mohamed Salah who had been injured.Ramos has become public enemy number one in Liverpool and Egypt after his clash with Salah during the first half of last month’s Champions League final saw the attacker forced off with a shoulder injury.Madrid went on to win the game 3-1 to claim a third straight Champions League crown, while Salah’s participation at the World Cup was also temporarily put in doubt. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Out of his depth! Emery on borrowed time after another abysmal Arsenal display Diving, tactical fouls & the emerging war of words between Guardiola & Klopp Sorry, Cristiano! Pjanic is Juventus’ most important player right now Arsenal would be selling their soul with Mourinho move However, former Liverpool midfielder Redknapp, who made more than 300 appearances for the club over 11 years, has defended the Spain hardman.“His record in terms of getting sent off is not the best but I would have him in my team,” Redknapp told Goal ahead of the Soccer Aid charity match for Unicef last week.“Whether you like him or not, he plays on the edge. But look at his record.“He’s made the most out of his ability. Go and take a look at his trophy cabinet. He’s won everything. He’s a winner.“If Virgil van Dijk had done it at the other end, if he had injured Ronaldo, would Liverpool fans have been complaining?“That’s just football sometimes, it’s not the best thing in the world but that’s how it is. Someone’s got to win at all costs.”Redknapp also looked ahead to next season and he believes that Liverpool can challenge champions and favourites Manchester City for the Premier League title, providing they succeed in the transfer market.
Jurgen Klopp has already strengthened the midfield by signing Fabinho from Monaco and Naby Keita from RB Leipzig but Redknapp says they need more work and particularly need to sign a new goalkeeper following the two blunders Loris Karius made against Real Madrid.“I think they can challenge but Manchester City are going to take some beating and that’s the problem for everybody,” he said.“They need a goalkeeper, that goes without saying. The situation with Karius is a sad one for the kid. I don’t know how he comes back from what happened in the final. Does he play for Liverpool again?“In terms of the defence, they have Van Dijk who is a fantastic player. He’s been a brilliant signing. In midfield there is going to be a lot of competition for places now with Keita and Fabinho being brought in. Maybe they need another wideman, just to give a different option sometimes.“So they are not far away. With the two they’ve signed, I think Liverpool are going to go close.”To donate to Soccer Aid, please visit: www.socceraid.org.uk.
The final round of the 32nd Annual New South Wales Touch Association’s Vawdon Cup was played Friday 28 September 2007 at Penrith with an extremely close round in the Men’s Premier League, and some emphatic performances by the competition’s big guns in the Women’s Premier League. The last pieces in the semi-final puzzle were put in place in both Premier divisions and with the regular season now done and dusted, fans can strap themselves in for what looms as an intriguing 2007 Vawdon Cup Finals series.Canterbury, despite suffering a shock loss to Penrith in the final round wrapped up the Minor Premiership in the Men’s Premier League division.Canterbury will meet Wests Magpies in the Major Semi-final after Wests and Hornsby drew in their clash on Friday night to finish on equal competition points.The Magpies have advanced to second spot on the ladder on for and against averages.Third placed Hornsby will meet 2006 Vawdon Cup Premiers Penrith who, with their upset victory over the Dogs, has cemented the final spot in the semi-final line up.In the Women’s Premier League the undefeated Canterbury Bankstown wrapped up the Minor Premiership and will now meet 2006 Premiers the Easts Roosters in Semi-Final One, whilst Wests Magpies will confront the Wollongong Devils who edged out Cronulla in their crunch game on Friday night to snare the prized final place in the top four for 2007.The Vawdon Cup Final series gets underway at Bankstown, home of the Canterbury Bulldogs, Minor Premiers in the respective Men’s and Women’s Premier League Divisions, this Friday 5 October 2007.The big news in the Men’s Premier League was Penrith’s sensational victory over the previously undefeated Canterbury Bulldogs in the 2006 Vawdon Cup Grand Final replay at Penrith in the nightcap timeslot at 9.00pm.Defending champions, the Penrith Panthers have had an indifferent 2007 thus far, but in recent times have strung together some impressive performances that smack of business end of the season form to have all the other teams in the competition sleeping with one eye open as the finals loom large on the horizon.The Dogs, in contrast, have been in outstanding form for the majority of the season, and despite suffering their first defeat of the year at the hands of their 2006 Vawdon Cup conquerors on Friday, are still warm favourites with the bookies to advance to this year’s decider in their semi-final clash with Wests Magpies at Bankstown on Friday night.Canterbury got off to a flyer on Friday night with some great play from 2007 Australian World Cup stars Garry ‘GS7” Sonda and Steve Roberts giving the Dogs a 1-0 lead.The Penrith boys were sticking to their guns and it did not surprise anyone to see the Premiers equalize soon after for 1-1 scoreline.The game was end to end for the rest of the half and the two fierce combatants went to oranges a touchdown a piece with a lot of touch still to be played in the second stanza.The Dogs came out after the break looking to put the bite on the Panthers who, to their great credit, knuckled down and met every Dogs attacking raid with resolute defence.The Doggies were (for the most part), shut out and left to snarl through the slithers of slight hope visible in the robust Panther defence that stood between the Dogs and the retention of their unblemished record in 2007.Canterbury’s big match specialist Joel Willoughby stepped up for the Dogs as only special players can, snaring an intercept before offloading to support to give the Dogs the ascendancy at 2-1.The teams then went touchdown for touchdown, before a trademark Sonda long ball gift-wrapped a 4-3 lead to the Dogs.The touchdown seemed to spur the Panthers into action and the Mountain Men, through some outstanding ball play from Dean Springfield and Scott Buckley conjured three unanswered touchdowns to give the Panthers the 6-4 decision over the previously undefeated Canterbury combination.The win by the Panthers was full of merit given that the outfit’s most experienced players Chris Benfield and Scotty Danswan were unavailable and the 11 man team was top heavy with many youngsters who had come off the back of last weeks X Blades National 18 Years tournament.Penrith did not have a bad player, with their foot speed and unrelenting defence a feature of the victory.The Panthers secured the Forrester/Collins Trophy (contested each time the two clubs meet) for their Coach Dave Collins in his final term as Panthers Coach.Canterbury despite the loss, have claimed the minor premiership, and will welcome back absent form player Stuart Brierty to bolster them for their crucial semi-final against Wests this Friday night.In the other up late clash at 9.00pm, wooden spooners Manly showed great spirit and composure to force a 4 – 4 draw with a disappointing Cronulla Sharks side.The Sharkies entered the contest knowing that they had to rely on Canterbury to beat Penrith by plenty, and they themselves needed to dispatch Manly by a cricket score to sneak into the finals.Cronulla couldn’t get flowing yet held a narrow 3-2 ascendancy at half-time courtesy of a touchdown double to Rhys ‘The Claw” Bevan and Brad Edwards.The Sharkies camp, now resigned to missing the semi-final boat, seemed to be waving goodbye to their finals aspirations as they floated past in the shadows of half time.Cronulla much to their own chagrin, played without conviction in an unconvincing second half.Conversely, the game Manly combination hung tough with Harry and Put Berryman leading the way with young gun Sam Brisby and Daniel Chitty playing with maturity beyond their tender 15 years for the duration of the game.Manly bounced back after the break determined to get back into the contest and finish their season off in style.The Sea Eagles equalized soon after the resumption and hit the front with five minutes remaining.Sharkies Australian Mixed Open World Cup star Matt Tope then donned the superman cape to snare a touchdown and salvage a 4-4 draw for Cronulla.The draw was a disappointing end to the 15-year career of Sharkies and former Penrith stalwart Mark Collins. The uncompromising winger who won both a Vawdon and State Cup will be remembered as a great team person and a true gentleman of the game.In the early clash at 8.10pm the talented Parramatta Eels finished their season on a high by edging out a game Easts Roosters 4-3 in a spirited derby at Penrith.Both teams were down on numbers with the Roosters missing key players who were competing at the Australian University Games on Queensland’s Gold Coast, and Parramatta without Dean Wilbow and Daniel Mahoney.Parramatta got out to a solid 2-0 lead before the Roosters hit back before half time to make the score 2-1 to the Eels. Parramatta’s shining light all season, Australian Men’s Open World Cup star Jamie Stowe, was again calling the shots and directing the young Eels line-up around the park, whilst East’s Mr. Consistency Christian Frost was doing his utmost to keep the Eels in the hunt.Easts were boosted by the half-time appearance of Manu Wakely who had flown back from the Uni-Games to reinforce the depleted Roosters line up.Both combinations scrapped it out in a mistake riddled second half with the two teams trading touchdowns before the Eels emerged 4-3 winners.East’s Jonathon Rook, making a courageous comeback from a delicate sinus operation, answered the call to play for the Roosters and assisted Frost and Wakely to finish the season off with honour.The Easts boys will now break for a week, before concentrating on their State Cup preparations.Parramatta Coach Glenn Fitzgerald has done an impressive job with the young Eels combination that has made a solid start to rebuilding their fortunes in the Premier League with an improved season.The impressive form of “Comeback King” Troy Malcolm and the irrepressible Stowe, and Dean Wilbow, coupled with the raft of young guns the Eels count in their lower grade ranks augurs well for the future, including the State Cup in December.Wests Magpies and Hornsby played out a thrilling 5 – 5 draw in an 8.10pm clash at Penrith in a game that was tighter than an NRL players footy shorts after an end of season trip.The two sides who have been gunning all season for the prized second spot on the ladder to ensure two bites at the Grand Final cherry, did not, to paraphrase Phil Gould “Let fear hold them back” in going all out to secure the coveted second spot.In one of the fastest games of the season, both teams turned to their big match specialists to pull the trigger on the big plays in an absorbing end-to-end battle.For West’s, Daniel Rushworth was throwing his ridiculously good looking Zoolander long ball, Jason Stanton was doing the sliding dive over, and Jason Yee was more dangerous with the footy than Shane Warne with a mobile phone in his hands.The Fleet of foot Hornsby Lions combination had the holy trinity of Dylan Hennessey and John and Maurice Kennedy running the show with more cheek than a “Chasers Mission”The two teams went to the break deadlocked at 3-3.The game was played with a lot of passion and a couple of the Young Lions were spied growling in the bin after being given periods of time in successive sets.The Lions boys leaked a touchdown in the six on four situation, but bounced back well to recover from the 4-3 deficit to get back into the contest and lock it up at 4-4. The sides traded touchdowns again with Hornsby’s John Kennedy nailing a hat trick to secure the draw for his team.The two teams prodded each other searching for the knock-out punch that never quite came and had to settle for an honourable draw and a “to be continued” epitaph to their growing rivalry.Hennessey, the “5 metre man,” the Kennedy twins, and Mick Abood were the glue that held the Lion’s effort together, whilst the World Cup connection of Dan “The Raging Bull” Rushworth, Jason Stanton, and comeback King Anthony Ziade starred for the Magpies.Ziade, in his first game back since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament five months ago, was a revelation for the black and whites and will be an invaluable weapon in coming weeks for the Magpies during the Finals series.The Magpies will be looking to consolidate their form and put some tough questions to Canterbury in the Major semi-final, whilst the Young Lions will set their sights on a battle to the death with fellow young guns Penrith on Friday night in the minor semi-final.In the Women’s Premier League, Canterbury Bankstown produced a withering 12- 0 touchdown blitz to wrap up the Minor Premiership and demolish Penrith on their home turf in the 7.20pm clash. The Doggies found their rhythm early and raced to a 6-0 lead by oranges.The undefeated minor premiers went right on with the job scoring 6 unanswered touchdowns to ensure the scoreboard attendant earned their keep and the Penrith girls got the chance to commit their tap off plays to memory with more restarts than the Men’s 100 Metre Final at the Sydney Olympics.Louise and Clare Winchester were again dominant for the Doggies in a solid team performance that has them humming along nicely coming into Friday night’s Major Semi-final blockbuster against Easts.Penrith never threw the towel in at any point, and one inspired “sniper” dive on the scoreline by Shannon Hackett on a touchdown bound Kate Fitzsimmons brought the Wests bench to their feet.Hackett was the standout for Penrith along with Stacey Renny and young guns Ali Tairi and Tara Boland who never stopped trying for the youthful Panthers who will be better for their 2007 Vawdon Cup experiences.In the 8.10pm game, Premiers Easts Roosters completed a comfortable 5-2 victory over a gutsy Manly Sea Eagles combination to tune up for this week’s crunch semi-final with the Doggies.The Roosters, who were without their Captain Melissa Pitfield, who was rested due to a troublesome hamstring, swapped one superstar for another when they welcomed prodigal daughter, Australian Women’s Open Vice Captain Amanda Judd back into the line-up.Judd, who has been absent from the Roosters playing roster since Round 5 with a debilitating foot injury, has arrived back at the right time of the season with Easts in need of some big game experience and class as they go into the championship rounds of the competition.The Roosters were up comfortably at the break 4-1, and went on to record a 5-1 scoreline.Kristy Judd, Kristin Boss, and Pepita Macalister-Knight were the Tri-colours best, whilst Rachel Cleave and Kylie Stewart were Manly’s standouts in a gutsy team performance.The Wollongong Devils capped a fantastic debut season in the Vawdon Cup by downing Cronulla Sharks 2-1 in the clutch game for a 2007 Semi-final berth at 8.10pm at Penrith on Friday night.Even though a close loss by ‘The Young Divas” would have seen them qualify for the finals, it was still a game they needed to win to cement themselves in their own minds as legitimate contenders for the 2007 finals series.The Young Divas, who had several players involved in the X Blades National 18 Years and Under Championships in Coffs Harbour, justified their decision to skip seeing ‘SuperBad” at the movies and play Touch instead on Friday night by defeating the Sharkies in a game closer than the Olsen twins.Cronulla, who have at times been underachievers in 2007, have been the “heartbreak kids” of the competition – their lack of numbers has translated into inconsistent performances that hurt the team when all the chocolates were on the line. Sharkies fielded a team without 6 regular players again on Friday night, with wingers Susan Smith and Jaqueline Morris playing the entire game without a substitute.The effort was always going to show on the 9-player Sharks compliment.The Young Divas got out to an early lead in the first half courtesy of a Mel Mc Call acting half burst resulting in a touchdown to Nicole “Captain Serro” Beck.Mc Call showed her class again, cutting a swathe through the Sharkies defence from acting half before linking with Amanda Skwarko for a 2-0 lead.Cronulla drove strongly and hit back with a touchdown before half time to leave the contest delicately balanced at 2-1.The punters however, left the grounds feeling short changed with an uneventful second half that saw neither side trouble the scorers.Mc Call, and Rachel “Baby Serro” Beck were Wollongong’s best, whilst Sue Smith and Jess Howe never stopped trying for the Sharkies who played with a lot of heart to contain the dangerous Young Divas who were full of running.Wollongong will now take on the inform Wests Magpies in the Minor Semi-final to attempt to extend their season and their night time curfew for at least another week.In the “bedie bye” clash at 9.00pm, Wests Magpies tuned up for their Finals campaign with a rolling 8-1 victory over a depleted Central Coast Dolphins line-up who were brave again, despite their dwindling player base.Australian Women’s Open World Cup star Stacey Lapham, Jess Lumby, Diane Doan and the inform Sara Hamilton were prominent for the Magpies whilst the under strength Dolphins battled hard until the full-time siren sounded to end a tough season for the Central Coast combination.With all the preliminaries taken care of, it’s time to get down to business with Touch Football fans about to be treated to an absolute smorgasbord of enticing big match fare on the menu with the Vawdon Cup Finals series beginning in earnest this Friday, and continuing with Preliminary Finals Friday week, culminating with the 2007 Vawdon Cup Grand Final on Friday 19 October, 2007.In Men’s Premier League First Semi-final action, Minor Premiers Canterbury will battle against 2006 NSW State Cup champions Wests Magpies at 7.50pm at Bankstown, with the victor winning an automatic passage through to the Vawdon Cup Grand Final on Friday 19 October 2007, whilst the loser will back up Friday week to secure a second crack at a Grand Final appearance.The fleet of foot Hornsby Lions will meet 2006 Premiers the Penrith Panthers at 9.30pm at Bankstown in the Second Semi-final.The winner of this clash lives to fight another Friday night in next week’s Preliminary Final; the loser will be lining up their drinks for “Silly Saturday” and booking their seats on the hill to watch the Grand Final.In Women’s Premier League Finals action, Canterbury Bulldogs and Easts Roosters will both be looking forward to their marquee clash at 7.00pm at Bankstown.Last time the two heavyweights of Women’s Touch met in Round 6 of the Vawdon Cup, inclement weather intervened to force the game into a conservative arm wrestle that demanded a mistake free and measured approach.Observers are tipping a more free flowing game this time with the big guns in either line-up keen to make their mark on the keynote contest.It’ll be standing room only for this one with some of the best players in the Women’s game lining up on either side of the halfway line on Friday.The fierce rivalry between the two great teams of the Vawdon Cup will ensure a fascinating contest that should go right down to the wire.A win secures the Willie Wonka like Golden ticket to the 2007 Grand Final, and both teams will be pulling out all stops to earn the grand final berth and a week’s rest.In the Second semi-final, at 8.40pm at Bankstown, Wests Magpies will take on the Wollongong Devils for the right to extend their season for at least one more week in the Preliminary Final against the loser of the Major Semi-final between Canterbury and Easts.Wests have the personnel to push strongly for the 2007 title, and the Young Divas have nothing but inexperience to lose in what shapes as an intriguing battle.This week’s “Blackest Cat” for the Player of the Round in Men’s Premier League goes to West’s Anthony Ziade who is doubling as the new “Six Million Dollar Man”West’s Coach Paul Sfier was heard to utter the following at Wests training in the early days of Ziade’s rehabilitation from a serious knee injury that required reconstructive surgery to his ACL and included damage to the meniscus and the Medial ligament as well:“Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world’s first bionic man. Anthony Ziade will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.”Five months later, Anthony has made remarkable progress to be back in time for the Vawdon Cup finals, and had a great game Friday against Hornsby to mark his return.There is no truth to the rumour Anthony has a bionic eye to see gaps before others see them!The “Go to Girl” for the Player of the Round in the Women’s Premier League division goes to Penrith’s Shannon Hackett, who despite staring down the barrel of a 12-0 result at the hands of a white hot Canterbury line-up, chased Kate Fitzsimmons the length of the field and summoned a huge diving touch to nab her opponent on the scoreline.Great effort from Shannon to exemplify what our game is all about…There is also no truth to the rumour that the thin grass covering on the 5 metre line at the Canterbury scoring end at Penrith was covering over a treadmill track that Fitzsimmons got stuck on enroute to the scoreline…There we go folks, all round games “done and dusted” for the Vawdon Cup in 2007.And then there were four… Get yourself out to Bankstown this Friday night to see all the Semi-final action in all 10 divisions of the Vawdon Cup, remember to book your Finals tickets through Ticketek to avoid disappointment and the cheap seats.Many thanks to all of those who have contributed to the Round 10 wrap, special thanks to all the players, coaches, and officials who are now out of finals contention for all your great work on the field and in supplying information for the wrap this season.It’s finals time so it’s time to up the ante kids, so this week, when in doubt throw the double cut out flick pass.Good luck to all teams for the Finals Series.For all the latest information, draws, and results, please visit the New South Wales Touch Association website: www.nswtouch.com.au
In the thirty-eighth edition of In The Spotlight, Australian Men’s Open player, Mat Bird, speaks about what it means to be representing Australia at the 2011 World Cup and the biggest influences on his Touch Football career. Name: Mat BirdNickname: BirdyAge: 25Affiliate: BulldogsOccupation: Fire FighterPosition: WingDebut for Australia: 2005 Youth World Cup 2010 Men’s Open Trans TasmanCareer highlights so far: Vawdon Cup/State Cup double in 2007, Aussie Men’s Open debut in 2010.How you got involved in Touch Football: Family friend.Favourite player: Daniel Walsh.What does it mean to you to be representing Australia at the 2011 World Cup: A massive privilege, not too many people can say they have represented their country. I’m blessed with the opportunity to be able to do this.Biggest influence on your Touch Football career: Pete Forrester and Daniel Walsh.Favourite sporting moment: Dragons 2010 premiers and Michael Jordan’s entire career. What do you know about Scotland: Great golf courses, castles, coldness, and William Wallace.Any superstitions: None that i know of.Funniest Australian teammate: Ziade (Anthony)Favourite quote: “Dare to dream.”Any travel plans for after World Cup: Running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain then winging it around Europe for five weeks with mates.Stay tuned to the website for the upcoming editions of In The Spotlight, which will feature every Open’s player travelling to the World Cup. With less than a month to go until the 2011 Federation of International Touch World Cup, be sure to be regularly visiting the Touch Football Australia website to keep up-to-date with all of the latest news and information. Don’t forget to become a fan of Touch Football Australia on Facebook and Twitter in the lead up to the 2011 World Cup to find out all you need to know about Australia’s World Cup campaign: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Touch-Football-Australia/384949403384 www.twitter.com/touchfootyaus
Jamaica continues to forge bi-lateral and mutually beneficial cooperation agreements that will allow the country to export technical sport expertise around the world, to assist in the development of sport and physical education.“These kinds of partnerships have the potential for significant foreign exchange earnings, a significant part of which could be repatriated to Jamaica,” stated Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Sport, Hon. Natalie Neita Headley.She was making her contribution to the 2013/14 Sectoral Debate on Wednesday, June 5, in the House of Representatives.She noted the work of the Sport Tourism Committee, chaired by Chris Dehring, which was established by the Office of the Prime Minister in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment.The committee seeks to ensure full marketing and exposure of the sport component of Brand Jamaica.Mrs. Neita Headley said Jamaica continues to benefit from strong partnerships with sporting goods manufacturers, who see the value of attaching their name to Brand Jamaica.Mrs. Neita Headley said Jamaica continues to benefit from strong partnerships with sporting goods manufacturers, who see the value of attaching their name to Brand Jamaica.“We have the coaches and technical experts; now we need to develop the facilities. We must make note of the fact that, for most non-winter sports, athletes from temperate climates require tropical locations for training, and we must take advantage of that fact,” she stated.Contact: Alphea Saunders
Kolkata: Eight persons were killed and 16 others were injured, four of them seriously, after being struck by lightning in the state which experienced torrential rain accompanied by squall on Friday afternoon.Along with the city, South and North 24-Parganas received heavy rainfall as well. The Alipore Meteorological Office has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Kolkata and its neighbouring areas in the next 48 hours. The injured were taken to SSKM Hospital where one Subir Pal was declared brought dead, while 16 others were admitted. The condition of four persons is serious, the hospital sources said. Pal had come with his wife and son to visit Victoria Memorial, when the tragedy took place. His wife and son have been admitted to the hospital. Another woman, identified as Aparna Mondal (52), died after lightning struck her while she was working in her garden in Bansdroni. She was declared brought dead at M R Bangur Hospital. Also Read – Bengal family worships Muslim girl as Goddess Durga in Kumari PujaSujit Bose, Minister of State for Fire and Emergency Services, went to SSKM Hospital, talked to the doctors and inquired about the condition of the injured persons. While two were killed in the city, six died in the districts. Three members of a family were killed by lightning at Raghunathpur in Bankura. The deceased were identified as Bina Bauri, her husband Abhijit and brother in-law Sanjay. The victims were working in the field when the incident took place. Also Read – Bengal civic volunteer dies in road mishap on national highwayThe Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) recorded 81mm rain in Behala Flying Club till 5pm. During the same period, Mominpur, Ballygunge, Palmar Bazaar, Chetla and Kalighat recorded 75mm, 83mm, 61mm, 56mm and 56.8mm rainfall respectively. The rainfall recorded in Thanthania, Ultadanga, Dhapa, Manicktala and Dutta Bagan pumping stations was 22mm, 29mm, 35mm, 19mm and 22mm respectively, during that period. The rainfall recorded by KMC shows that South Kolkata has received heavier rainfall than Central and North Kolkata. Mayor Firhad Hakim said the intensity of rain was so heavy that there was waterlogging in some of the important roads. All the pumps are functioning to clear the accumulated water and portable pumps have also been pressed into service. A special control room has been opened in KMC, where Hakim and other senior civic officials are overseeing the exercise to clear the accumulated water. Waterlogging was reported from Shilpara and its neighbourhood in Behala, vast areas in Bhowanipore and Kalighat, stretches on Asutosh Mukherjee Road and Park Street in South Kolkata. Stretches on Chittaranjan Avenue, areas surrounding Dharmatala and Thanthania Kalibari were under water as well. Because of waterlogging the traffic movement crawled to a very slow pace, which led to massive traffic jams in both South and North Kolkata, causing severe inconvenience to commuters. Vast areas in Sector V, the state’s IT hub, were inundated following the heavy downpour. The commuters waded through the waterlogged roads to reach home. Sinjini Guha, who works at an IT firm, said: “Because of rain the app cabs became infrequent and the auto-rickshaw services were withdrawn. It was really a trying time for the home-bound commuters,” she said. Akash Basu, a resident of Khardah who studies in a private engineering college, said: “Reaching home was difficult as no transport was available.” The flight movement at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport was also hit due to the rain. Six flights could not take off due to the heavy rain. However, they left for their destination after the rain subsided.
OTTAWA – It’s the news workers at the Rio Tinto aluminum smelter in Kitimat have been hoping for.The federal government may be considering financial support for steel and aluminum workers who are impacted by the controversial new US tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.As he walked into his weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau didn’t rule out financial aid. “We will work with industry and with partners in making sure that everyone’s OK.”He sat down with the Canadian Steel Producers Association amid the ongoing dispute, who asked that he and the federal government take quicker action to place duties on American steel and aluminum products to level the playing field.“We’re going to have a conversation going forward about how quickly this can be accomplished,” Association President Joseph Galimberti says, adding Trudeau was understanding. “We want the list to be right, but we want it to be in place quickly.”Galimberti says he did not ask for any bailout for companies or financial aid for workers, saying ‘we are not at that point yet.’“I don’t think we’re there in terms of specifics yet, I’m sure the government would be willing to have that discussion if we get there.”Earlier in the day and without getting into any specifics, Employment Minister Patty Hajdu had said many options are being considered.“You know, we’re always going to stand up for Canadian workers and we’ll be looking at a full range of supports for people that are affected.”Meantime, the NDP’s Tracey Ramsey was critical of the lack of details, suggesting the government is dragging its feet when it should be taking immediate action.“It’s about coming out and saying that they have a plan for working people, and that’s what’s lacking right now,” she says.In American media over the weekend, Trudeau called the tariffs “insulting”. Meantime, the six other nations at the G7 finance ministers meeting denounced the decision and called on the US to back down.The Trudeau government has already unveiled retaliatory tariffs and filed complaints through NAFTA and the World Trade Organization.President Donald Trump is set to make his first official visit to Canada on Friday for the G7 summit in Quebec. His tariff decision is expected to overshadow other policy discussions, and raise tensions at the table when the world leaders begin their meeting.
OTTAWA – Newly released documents to Canada’s finance minister suggest traditional hotels in two of Canada’s biggest cities have not fared badly as they face rising competition from online platforms like Airbnb.The April 18 memo to Finance Minister Bill Morneau says that average hotel occupancy rates in Vancouver and Toronto were higher than Airbnb listings between 2015 and 2017.Officials estimated that Airbnb’s share of total demand for rooms in the two cities roughly doubled since 2015. And while hotel occupancy rates didn’t decline over the same period, “it is possible they could have risen more than they actually did” if Airbnb and other platforms weren’t around.But “despite the rising occupancy rates,” Morneau was told in the briefing note obtained by The Canadian Press under the access to information law that the hotel industry still sees an unlevel playing field with Airbnb “as there is no tax” on the service.Pressure from domestic businesses had been building on the Trudeau government to apply sales taxes to online services providers like Airbnb and Netflix when Morneau was provided a breakdown on the situation between hotels and short-term rentals.Any recommendations to Morneau have been withheld from release because officials say it is sensitive ministerial advice.In April, a Liberal-dominated Commons committee urged Ottawa to make online service providers based outside the country collect and remit sales taxes as part of a series of recommendations to help Canada’s small businesses compete online.The platforms themselves have told federal officials they are open to applying sales taxes, but the Liberals have shied away from implementing the idea so far.On Tuesday, Airbnb announced it would provide the City of Ottawa with revenues from a four per cent hotel tax on its listings in the national capital starting Aug. 1, marking the second such tax agreement the online platform has finalized in Canada.Airbnb already collects and pays a 3.5 per cent lodging tax in Quebec that the company says totalled $2.8 million in fees to the province over the first six months of its tax agreement.The online company says the City of Ottawa could have received about $850,000 in tax revenue last year if a deal had been in place to collect the levy from 2,700 hosts.The briefing note to Morneau says that annual revenue from Airbnb was greater than that earned from long-term rental units, even though the short-term rentals were occupied on average for only half the year. Morneau was told listings in the west end and downtown Vancouver earned almost double the rental rates for a two-bedroom apartment.— With files from Andy Blatchford
BERLIN — A German labour union is calling on security staff at three German airports to stage a strike Thursday amid ongoing pay negotiations.The ver.di union said Wednesday that it’s urging workers to join a one-day walkout that is likely to cause disruptions for airline passengers.The strike will affect airports in Duesseldorf, Koeln-Bonn and Stuttgart.Security staff at Berlin’s two airports already staged a strike Monday that caused severe disruption to flights.The union wants hourly pay for all workers conducting security checks to rise to 20 ($22.81) euros. The employers association BDLS says this could amount to an increase of 30 per cent in some cases.The Associated Press
This option is the second shortest route of the three considered, meets provincial design and safety requirements, and includes a longer bridge at the Cache Creek crossing.Hydro said that compared to the two other options that were considered, the selected route:has similar or lower impacts to archaeological and heritage sites, andhas lower impacts to private lands and agricultural lands than the most northern route evaluated.BC Hydro will be continuing work for this portion of the realignment, including geotechnical investigations and drilling. Full construction on this segment of the highway realignment is expected to be underway by 2020.Hydro said that construction activities for the western four kilometres of the highway realignment at Cache Creek/Bear Flat, which is not affected by the alternate realignment options that were studied for the eastern section of this segment, will begin at the end of this month. FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – BC Hydro announced Tuesday that it has selected a new realignment for Highway 29 in the Cache Creek/Bear Flat area, following consultations with Indigenous groups and local property owners.Premier John Horgan announced that the provincial government was proceeding with building Site C following a review by the B.C. Utilities Commission last December.That same month. the Province asked Hydro and the Ministry of Transportation to work with Treaty 8 First Nations and local property owners to redesign the Highway 29 realignment at Cache Creek/Bear Flat to reduce the effects on potential burial sites and areas of cultural importance identified by First Nations. In January, Hydro said it began engaging with Indigenous groups and property owners to share information and get feedback on two alternate realignment options. Indigenous groups and property owners were provided with the draft evaluation criteria that would be used for selecting a new realignment and were invited to comment on the criteria.A third realignment option was developed in early March as a result of the consultation process and became one of the realignment options that BC Hydro assessed.A higher-resolution map of the realignment can be found here: https://www.sitecproject.com/sites/default/files/highway-29-realignment-options-map.pdf.Hydro said that several Indigenous groups conducted ground-truthing investigations and reported on their findings over the spring and summer.In late July, BC Hydro said it met with five Indigenous groups and seven property owners to share and seek feedback on the preliminary findings of the investigations and evaluation criteria.The selected realignment option – which was developed through consultation – is located north of the original route and is approximately 240 metres away from a potential burial site and 370 metres from an area identified to be of cultural importance.
The Election Commission (EC) sprung into action as it elucidated the details for the upcoming polls. This year’s mandate will be concluded in 7 phases from April 11 to May 19 and round up with results on May 23. Spread across seven phases, the election will see three states – UP, Bihar, Bengal – vote in all seven phases while one seat of J&K – Anantnag – will have voting in three phases with 17 states finishing their mandate in a single phase. Election calendar has been put up, sending every single political party into action. Sounding the alarm for the biggest democratic event, the EC brought forth the road map which will lead to the formation of the 17th Lok Sabha in the largest democracy of the world. The 16th Lok Sabha (2014-2019) – NDA’s report card – is the first inscription of every voter’s decision making, prior to, of course, the contentious issues and lacunae which may shift the mandate away from them. The five years of governance may have been blemished with the controversies which surfaced much to the opposition’s wishes. The current government has certainly led India forward but the peculiarities in the progress are what will strike voters in the coming elections – which is undoubtedly the build-up point for the opposition. Pre-poll alliances, post-poll alliances, issues circling the nation and promises thwarted at public will aggregately decide who leads the nation. Party analysis and dynamics are obviously the most talked about scenarios of any election but issues circling the nation have an equal share in the outcome. The most recent one has been National Security which gripped the country as it witnessed a dastardly attack on our security forces by a Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM. In response, India retaliated through the Balakot Air Strike which showcased Modi as a bold and capable statesman which India may not afford to lose. In Modi, NDA has the leader what UPA may still be looking for. Though the opposition parties questioned the authenticity of Balakot following Amit Shah’s unsubstantiated number of casualties, Balakot stands as an effective response in the minds of many. Together, the Surgical Strike following Uri and Balakot Air Strike ensure the people that India is in “safe hands”. The promise of strong leadership, evident from the government’s response to terror incidents, may single-handedly change the numbers. Rural unrest is another issue which is capable of a significant impact on the mandate. Modi’s 2014 landslide victory can be accredited to rural voters. An unhappy rural India does not augur well for BJP which has already suffered a jolt by losing out on the Hindi-heartland states of Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh – predominantly on agrarian distress. Congress’ influence on the mandate of these states has made it a reckoning force, declining BJP’s popularity in rural India. However, a plethora of rural schemes and development agendas placed by the ruling government look to provide a remedy to this downfall. Corruption reduced Congress’ last outing in 2014 to poor performance. The previous UPA government’s involvement in scams cost Congress heavily. It is rather understood, then, why Congress has been proactively pursuing Rafale. A corruption charge, that too in current times, will thrash BJP’s chances to power. However, it has been able to dodge such accusations till now and that means Congress’ attempts might be framed as empty rhetoric on the face of millions who might not understand the peculiarities present in the fighter jet deal. BJP’s predominant argument has been the power of a majority government drawing sharp contrast against that of a coalition government. Leadership will definitely be a point in focus with BJP, having Modi at the forefront, criticising the opposition forces for lacking a leader. BJP’s argument that a shared leadership will be regressive for the nation against the opposition’s stance of an antidote to the autocratic cloak garbed by the NDA qualifies as the age-old argument of perspective: If a glass is half full or half empty. Unemployment and welfare schemes play a good part in the mandate with every party advocating some relief (or progress) in these to ensure votes. India may have become the sixth largest economy progressing in various fields but if there’s one thing which time and again brings it back to the earlier days then it is the caste factor. The caste politics in the nation severely determines good chunks of numbers here and there based on primitive associations. Coupled with this is the issue of polarisation that can be influential. The Hindu nationalist sentiment has done its round under the current regime and will play a role in the mandate. The first-time voters will be instrumental in the final count as that figure can alter the outcome. The mood of the youth will count in Modi’s run for a consecutive term.
New Delhi: Tax evasion is likely to get more difficult if not impossible with the entry of Big Data Analytics into the Income Tax (I-T) Department’s realm of tools to check tax evasion starting April 1. The Rs 1,000 crore programme named “Project Insight” would track social networking profiles of people and keep a tab on the expenditure patterns through the photographs and videos uploaded on social media. If the purchases and travel expenses are found to be disproportionate to the declared income of a person, the I-T officials would be informed of the mismatch and actions would follow. According to informed sources, the I-T Department has given the tax officials access to the software from March 15. “If you are travelling to a foreign country and posting pictures on social media, or buying a luxury car which is beyond your means as per your returns filed, the I-T Department can use Big Data to analyse them and check the mismatch between your earnings and spendings. The process can easily use the complete trail even for the new tax filer,” said people in the know of things. “The I-T Department can also prepare a master file containing all the details and key information about individuals and corporates,” they said. The main objective of the project is to catch the tax evaders and increase the number of people filing returns and paying taxes. The Insight Project will feature an integrated information management system, which will harness machine learning to help take the right step at the right time. The software would also collect web pages and documents that could be probed by the I-T Department. With the usage of Big Data Analytics, India is set to join a league of countries such as Belgium, Canada and Australia which already use Big Data to keep a check on tax evasion. Since the inception of the technology in Britain in 2010, the system has prevented the loss of around 4.1 billion pound (Rs 36,942 crore) in revenue. The software would ensure the overall scrutiny of all the returns filed and selection based on numerous small parameters from which the probability of tax evasion is likely to be nil, according to analysts.
Darjeeling: As the state kick-started the first phase of elections with Cooch Behar and Alipurduar going to polls on Thursday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed a huge rally in Darjeeling and launched a scathing attack on the BJP for not doing any development in the Hills. Darjeeling goes to polls in the second phase of elections on April 18.”The BJP wants unrest in the Hills. They light the fire here and Delhi adds fuel. They do not want development and peace here. People in Delhi (BJP) instigate the problems here. The more the problems, the better are their chances of taking advantage of the situation. The BJP does not want any progress in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik areas. You had elected BJP, now is the time to ask them what have they done in the Hills in the past 10 years. What have they done for Darjeeling,” questioned the TMC supremo to which the crowd replied in unison “Nothing.” Also Read – Bengal family worships Muslim girl as Goddess Durga in Kumari PujaBanerjee, flanked by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders, addressed a mammoth rally at the Darjeeling Motor Stand on Thursday. Both TMC and GJM supporters from Darjeeling and Kalimpong had gathered. “The saffron party’s outgoing MP S S Ahluwalia never visited the region after winning the election. The parliamentarian, who fled the Hills, is contesting from Burdwan this time,” she claimed. “Now, they (BJP and allies) are saying that they have a Bhumiputra (son of the soil) and that people should vote for him. Then who is Amar Singh Rai? Isn’t he a Bhumiputra? Whenever someone is with Bimal Gurung and BJP, he becomes a Bhumiputra and when he is with me, he ceases to be one? What sort of double standard is this? I didn’t bring anyone from Delhi,” stated Banerjee. She also added that the Bimal Gurung chapter is closed. “Bimal Gurung had a lot of chance to work for this region. Those who are still with Gurung, you all are not my enemies. You are like my brothers and sisters. I appeal to you to not help them. They (Gurung and his aides) do not love Darjeeling. They will take all the money and go abroad,” she retorted.
Rabat- It seems that the war between the Benkirane Government and the High Commission for Planning (HCP) will not cease any time soon.Sources quoted by daily Al Massae in its Monday, January 27th issue, revealed that powerful voices within the governmental coalition are pushing towards overthrowing HCP boss Ahmed Lahlimi Alami whose recent figures and his gloomy forecast in his predictions regarding the state of the economy did not please the PJD-led government.The same sources added that these powerful voices inside the Benkirane cabinet suggested transforming the High Commission for Planning, a constitutional institution, into a directorate subordinate to the Ministry of Economy and Finance in charge of planning and statistics. This move aims to avoid any future figures released by the HCP that will do harm to the government and its image in the eyes of international institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).Other sources, however, suggested working around the proposed constitutional challenges if the government were to attempt a transformation of the HCP into a directorate and appoint a technocrat director on top of the HCP instead of Lahlimi whose socialist background is believed to be responsible of the Commission’s recent figures.The same sources went on to add that an IMF committee will arrive in Morocco in the coming days in order to address the recent figures released by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the HCP about growth rates, the deficit, and unemployment.The paper’s sources said that the International Monetary Fund is following with deep concern the “war of figures” between the government and the HCP. The war erupted last week in the wake of Lahlimi’s figures, which predicted that the growth rate will decline in 2014 to about 2.4 % and that the budget deficit has stabilized during 2013 at 6%.The government’s responded as soon as the HCP figures were released by publishing a statement which said that the budget deficit in 2013 had stabilized at 5.4% not 6%, as Lahlimi’s HCP has claimed.Controversial deputy Minister in charge of General Affairs and Governance, Mohamed El Ouafa also intervened in the “war of figures” by describing Lahlimi’s figures as both childish and medieval.Edited by Matthew Osborn
One of the most controversial football figures over the past decade or so once against demonstrated his lucidity and audacity.After numerous sources reported that the Serie A heavyweights AC Milan consider a potential January swoop for Los Angeles Galaxy talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic, former Sweden international reached out to the press with some statement.The United States-based news outlet, TMZ Sports, have broadcasted the words of the 37-year-old striker regarding the rumored interest of the Rossoneri.“There is always rumors. The whole world wants me. It’s okay.”It’s not the first time (and probably not the last) that the ex-Manchester United superstar came out with such a comment. Just a reminder – when Zlatan landed in Los Angeles, he welcomed the NBA bigwig LeBron James in “Zlatan way.”
Serie A Betting: Match-day 3 Stuart Heath – September 14, 2019 Considering there is a number of perfect starts so early in the Serie A season, as well as a few surprisingly not-so perfect ones….Now LA has a God and a King!Zlatan welcomes @KingJames pic.twitter.com/4gYooOpURD— Zlatan Ibrahimović (@Ibra_official) July 2, 2018Although AC Milan sporting director Leonardo has recently stressed the 7-time Champions League winners won’t try to take Ibra back at the Stadio San Siro, anything could happen by January.
Related Items:#magneticmedianews, #PineappleAircrashlanding Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsApp#Bahamas, January 10, 2018 – Eleuthera – Several passengers were injured when a plane crash landed in Eleuthera, Bahamas on Tuesday night. The Eleutheran news reports that authorities have confirmed that a combination of bad weather and mechanical failure led to the frightening touch down where all on board were shaken but are safe.Pelting rain could be seen in the photographs of the Pineapple Air Charter flight, which reportedly skidded off the runway when its landing gear did not deploy; it happened around 8 p.m. Tuesday January 9, 2018. Fifteen passengers and two pilots were on the flight, where the injured were treated by Emergency Medical Services and some referred to the Levy Medical Clinic for further evaluation, said the news report online.The crash landing forced the Governor’s Harbour International Airport to be closed to air traffic until around 1 p.m. today, January 10, while Civil Aviation Authorities were on the ground to investigate the cause of the scary incident.Pineapple Air operates fights into Eleuthera, Long Island, Acklins and Crooked Island and has been operating in The Bahamas since 1999.#MagneticMediaNews#PineappleAircrashlanding Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsApp
Trade between the United States and Russia spiked by 7% despite the economic sanctions levied by the US on the country, President Vladimir Putin said.Both countries were surprised by the trade stats. Data from the US Commerce Department show that US exports to Russia increased by 1% in 2014. However, imports from Russia are down 13%, The Washington Post reported.”When I looked at the statistic today . . . [it] even surprised me a little,” Putin told Interfax, the Russian news agency.The report does come as a surprise because Western sanctions against Russia have been tight and that has strained relationship between the two countries.More recently, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with a local newspaper that the Western sanctions against the country were violating international law and were aimed at damaging the country’s economy.”The situation that we see today in connection with unilateral restrictions introduced by the U.S., the European Union and some other countries certainly contradicts international legal norms, including, on a whole number of occasions, the norms of the WTO [World Trade Organization and our Western colleagues’ declared conceptual approaches toward the development of international economic cooperation – respect for market principles, honest competition, etc,” Lavrov told Russia Beyond the Headlines. “As for the political component of these sanctions, I could say that as long as coercive measures were adopted, primarily by the UN Security Council, because all the rest was illegitimate, our Western partners were among the first who called for these sanctions to target leaders who failed abide by UN states’ decisions and to prevent any negative side-effect on the population,” Lavrov added.On Friday, President Putin signed a military doctrine that identified NATO as a potential threat to the country adding that Russia could employ nuclear weapons if any country threatens the existence of Russia, The Associated Press reports.NATO however said that it poses no threat to Russia.”Any steps taken by NATO to ensure the security of its members are clearly defensive in nature, proportionate and in compliance with international law,” a spokeswoman for NATO was quoted by the AP.”In fact, it is Russia’s actions, including currently in Ukraine, which are breaking international law and undermining European security,” she added.
3 min read LAS VEGAS — Mobile companies in recent years have shifted away from making huge product announcements at January’s International CES, saving announcements for their own events, or for Mobile World Congress in March. At CES this year we did, however, get a glimpse into what we might be able to expect in the mobile space in the coming year by way of announcements from two big players in the mobile processing space: Qualcomm and Audience.Here’s a look at what 2014 has in store:Better Voice Interaction FeaturesVoice processing company Audience announced the Audience eS700 series at CES, a family of always-on intelligent voice and audio solutions that will enable new levels of voice interaction with your favorite tablets and smartphones.”We believe that dependable, Always-on voice detection and actuation is the next must-have mobile technology,” says Peter Santos, president and chief executive of Audience.Related: The Coolest Tech Startups at CES 2014Audience’s previous processor is already used by a number of mobile devices, and enables your smartphone to continuously listen to its surroundings and respond when you talk to it. The newest version of the processor allows it to be always-on, waking up whenever you say a particular phrase, such as “Ok, Phone, Play Music” in front of your smartphone. With the newest version of the processors your phone will be able to hear you a lot better, cancelling out noise on a busy street or a crowded bar. It will also respond to you immediately, with no need to pause between waking your phone up and asking it to complete a task. That improved performance also comes with a reduction in the amount of battery power needed to make the function work.Audience is sampling it’s processor to partners now, and expects the eS700 series to be included in devices the second half of this year.Connected EverythingFrom app-supported Crock-Pot to a Android-powered fridge, 2014 will be a year of connecting all of our devices together. Qualcomm, the company behind the processor in many Android and Windows devices on the market today announced a new processor at CES, the Snapdragon 802, designed for televisions rather than smartphones.The processor is capable of playing Ultra HD video with simultaneously video conferencing with someone and surfing the web. It’s a powerful chip, that’s going to likely find its way into devices towards the end of year.Qualcomm also announced the Snapdragon 602A processor at the show, a processor designed specifically for vehicles that is expected to enable better apps and navigation services in your car.Related: The Connected Home: A Huge Opportunity But Slow to Catch On Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. January 9, 2014 Register Now » Free Webinar | Sept. 9: The Entrepreneur’s Playbook for Going Global Growing a business sometimes requires thinking outside the box.
Follow StokeonTrentLive Download our app – You can download our free app for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store , or get the Android version from Google Play . Follow StokeonTrentLive on Facebook – Like our Facebook page to get the latest news in your feed and join in the lively discussions in the comments. Click here to give it a like! Follow us on Twitter – For breaking news and the latest stories, click here to follow SOTLive on Twitter . Follow us on Instagram – Featuring pictures past and present from across Stoke-on-Trent, North Staffordshire & South Cheshire – and if you tag us in your posts, we could repost your picture on our page! We also put the latest news in our Instagram Stories. Click here to follow StokeonTrentLive on Instagram . Get the biggest Daily stories by emailSubscribeSee our privacy noticeThank you for subscribingSee our privacy noticeCould not subscribe, try again laterInvalid EmailA driver who ‘smelt of alcohol’ has been arrested after police found them parked in an emergency refuge area on the M6 motorway. Police stopped to see if the driver needed assistance on the carriageway in Cheshire overnight between Friday May 10 and Saturday May 11. The motorist was arrested when they refused to take a breath test. A North West Motorway Police spokesman said: “Patrol stops with a driver who was in an Emergency Refuge Area on the M6 earlier to see if they could be of assistance. “The driver smelt of alcohol and refused to provide a sample of breath at the roadside, which led to their arrest.” Photos released by the police show damage on the passenger side of the car. Read MoreBurglars smash through patio doors during break-ins at two homes Dad slams ‘disgusting’ hospital window Driver named following fatal collision Police search for missing woman Punter found hiding in bushes The vehicle in the emergency refuge area on the M6 (Image: North West Motorway Police) Emergency refuge areas are located on Smart Motorways, such as the stretch of the M6 between Junction 16 and Junction 19 in Cheshire, where the hard shoulder has been converted into a fourth lane for traffic. The RAC say they should be used where possible when you’ve broken down or are involved in an accident – adding they should not be used ‘a rest stop, to make a phone call or to use the toilet’. Read MoreTop stories on StokeonTrentLive