So what if you’re attending Dior’s Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture (Fall/Winter 2014/2015) show; so what if you’re one of America’s sweethearts loved by all who see you on the big screen? There’s simply no reason good enough to stop you from goofing around when you’re young, successful and carefree.From repeatedly tripping on red carpet, making funny faces, to photobombing actors, and to introducing your also-celebrity friend to your pal, Jennifer Lawrence is not ready to pack up her goofy side yet.That celebrity friend she semi-whacked in the face was none than an unsuspecting Emma Watson who was caught off-guard in the middle of posing for pictures.The Hunger Games: Jennifer Lawrence introduces her palm to friend Emma Watson’s face. Picture courtesy: @JenniferUpdates/TwitterRealising it was just another one of her pranks, Emma took it sportingly and joined in on the laughs.A relieved Emma Watson joins in on the laughter. Picture courtesy: @JenniferUpdates/TwitterJennifer looked supremely tanned while attending the event in a Christian Dior blue and white dress. Emma Watson managed to pull of chic in a black top and sheer skirt with underlay.
Premier League: David Silva Sparkles as Sergio Aguero Double Fires Manchester City
bournemouthdavid Silvafootballmanchester city First Published: August 25, 2019, 10:28 PM IST Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox – subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what’s happening in the world around you – in real time. Bournemouth: Sergio Aguero bagged a brace and David Silva marked his 400th appearance for Manchester City by playing a role in all three goals as the champions won 3-1 at Bournemouth on Sunday.First half efforts from Aguero and Raheem Sterling ensured Pep Guardiola’s side led at the interval despite a stunning free-kick reply from Bournemouth’s Harry Wilson. Argentina striker Aguero wrapped up City’s second Premier League victory of the season with his second goal of the game after half-time.It was Silva, though, who was the architect of the win and having already announced this will be his last season at the Etihad Stadium, this display only underlined how much he will be missed. The Spanish midfielder remains an integral part of Guardiola’s team, with his contribution to City’s goals demonstrating exactly why he is so valued by his manager.A sweet win over the 🍒s!📸 #BOUMCI 🔵 #mancity pic.twitter.com/tgfb4RNVyA— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 25, 2019 For the 15th minute opening goal, it was Silva who operated as the fulcrum towards the start of the move with the midfielder finding Oleksandr Zinchenko on the left, allowing the left-back to drill in the low cross that eventually led to Aguero’s finish.Silva’s contribution to the second was even more eye-catching, with his superbly weighted ball picking out Sterling’s darting run into the box before the England attacker struck past keeper Aaron Ramsdale.Then a positive surge into the Bournemouth area caused confusion among the home backline before Aguero pounced for the third.Those moments helped City maintain control of a game that could easily have slipped from their grasp had Eddie Howe’s side enjoyed better fortune.Aguero’s predatory finishing was the perfect tonic for City after Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus was withdrawn from the squad with a hamstring problem sustained in training.City said Jesus will be back to full fitness after next month’s international break, meaning he should miss only next weekend’s clash with Brighton.Bournemouth had established an unwanted record in the corresponding fixture last season when they became the first home team not to register a shot on goal in the Premier League.NOTE OF PANICOn this occasion a positive start ensured they quickly avoided a repeat with Josh King testing Ederson in the first minute.PEP 💬 What can I say? Everybody knows @21LVA. He has a sense, a move between the lines like no one else in the world – he is a fighter.🍒 1-3 🔵 #BOUMCI #mancity pic.twitter.com/oalmaMOf2C— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 25, 2019 It was clear from the start Bournemouth were anxious not to concede territory to Guardiola’s team, who initially appeared unsettled.Kyle Walker was booked for a foul on Nathan Ake in the 10th minute, having already been fortunate to escape a caution for an equally bad challenge on the same player. And there was an uncharacteristic note of panic in the City defence when Ederson raced out to the right hand touchline and halted Callum Wilson with a crude, waist-high challenge which also earned a yellow card.Aguero’s strike ended Bournemouth’s bright opening, with the forward reacting first after Kevin De Bruyne miscued from Zinchenko’s shot.Bournemouth responded well, despite losing left-back Charlie Daniels to a knee injury and would have levelled but for Ederson’s fine save to deny Ake shortly before the keeper produced an even better block from Adam Smith’s close-range shot.Belief was growing among the hosts before Silva’s second major contribution when he teed up Sterling to double the lead two minutes before the break.And the intervention was particularly timely as moments later Harry Wilson, on for Daniels, brought Bournemouth back into the game with a stunning free-kick.The goal ensured Bournemouth returned from the interval full of hope, with Wilson drawing another fine save from Ederson.City were convinced they should have had a penalty when Silva went down under a challenge from Jefferson Lerma, but the referee Andre Marriner decision to ignore the visitors’ claims was upheld by VAR.Perhaps aggrieved at the decision, Silva wasted no time in setting up Aguero’s second goal to ensure Guardiola’s side eased their way to victory. 
Roger Federer can match my longevity, says Ken Rosewall
While 14,999 spectators were left wonderstruck as they watched Roger Federer reach the Wimbledon final a month short of his 36th birthday, there was one man on Centre Court who could have shouted out “been there, done that, got the t-shirt”.Anyone even remotely acquainted with Ken Rosewall, however, knows that simply isn’t the style of one of the great gentlemen of the game.Instead, the 82-year-old Australian was as awestruck as anybody on Friday as he sat with his grandson in the royal box watching Federer beat Tomas Berdych to become the oldest men’s singles finallist here since Rosewall in 1974.”I’m like millions of others. I admire Roger so much,” Rosewall told Reuters in an interview.”I think he’s going to be a force in tennis for a few more years.”As Federer continues to defy the ravages of age with his remarkable run this year – winning an 18th major title in Melbourne in January and now on the cusp of a record eighth Wimbledon title – the comparisons with Rosewall are inevitable.”I’d like to be compared to Roger,” Rosewall said with a laugh.”I was playing some of my best tennis at 35. Roger’s doing the same thing. I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t continue for at least another two or three years.”Federer still has some way to go if he is to match the longevity of Rosewall’s incredible career as the Australian was 39 when he lost the 1974 final to brash youngster Jimmy Connors.Despite that letdown, Rosewall has retained the title of the oldest men’s grand slam champion in the professional era for 45 years after lifting the 1972 Australian Open trophy at the age of 37.advertisement”If anyone is to break it, I won’t be sorry to see the record go to somebody like Roger,” added Rosewall, who was in London to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Wimbledon Pro event.Rosewall won four of his eight grand slam titles after turning 30 and makes no bones about why he kept leading such a nomadic life for so long.”I was 33 when Open tennis came in … I was still enjoying the tennis and I was playing well,” said Rosewall”I still felt I was a strong force in winning events… and the chance to play for prize money, that was the main motivation.””DOOR STOPPERS” Money, which Rosewall now keeps neatly folded in a 14 carat gold paper clip he was awarded for winning the 1969 U.S. Open doubles title, played a significant role in his tennis career.Unlike the champions of today who are used to banking seven-figure sums in prize money from the slams, Rosewall started off in the 1950s when he played for kudos and little else.Tennis Australia would pay his on-road expenses and a per diem but there was no money for winning grand slams, merely “big bronze stumps” of trophies that would end up “being used as door stoppers”.All that changed when Rosewall beat his great friend Rod Laver to triumph at the French Open in 1968, the first time a grand slam had opened its gates to professionals.While it meant that Rosewall could compete in the majors again without worrying about financial security, his long absence from the grand slams after he turned professional in 1957 raises a question that can never be answered.”I believe I could have won another 10 more slams. But who knows? It’s too hard to tell,” said Rosewall.”I developed my game so that I could play well on any surface. And in those days three of the grand slam events were on grass. In Sydney, where I grew up, I learnt to play on claycourts.”I missed 44 slams over 11 years after I turned pro and I missed playing at Wimbledon … in 72 and … 73, so that’s 46.”But I don’t think I would have played that many, because if I had I would have been dead!”Rosewall, who is left-handed but switched to playing right-handed at his father’s behest, cut his opponents down to size by “swinging away the backhand shots” despite being only 5 feet 7 inches tall.Nicknamed “Muscles” because of his lack of them, Rosewall sometimes wishes he could have faced some of the greats of the modern era and would have “loved to have tried my chances against Roger”.There is one aspect of playing in the 1950s that he would never swap, however.”In the amateurs there was a lot of camaraderie with the players,” said Rosewall, who was part of tight-knit group that included Laver, Fred Stolle and the late Lew Hoad.advertisement”There was a lot more friendship and togetherness. We travelled together, we ate together, we stayed in the same hotel …”People would ask ‘how can you be so competitive in the matches because you spend so much time together?’.”But that’s the way we were. Even with so many years gone, we’re still friends.”
O’s, Markakis Top Yanks 5-4
NEW YORK — A day after getting blanked on one puny single, Nelson Cruz and Baltimore Orioles powered up for the postseason.Cruz hit his major league-leading 40th home run and the AL East champions pushed Derek Jeter and the Yankees to the brink of playoff elimination, beating New York 5-4 on Sept. 23.Cruz boosted his career high for home runs, reaching a nice, round number. “When it happens it happens, but it was good to get it in a win,” he said. “It feels good to get it. Now we want to keep that pace up.”The Orioles began the day 2 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Angels, who played later at Oakland, for the best record in the league and home-field advantage for the entire postseason.Baltimore earned its 94th win, its most since 98 in 1997. “We still have some baseball to play,” Nick Markakis said after homering and getting four of the Orioles’ 17 hits.Cruz sent a drive into the left-field seats to open the fifth inning, giving him 107 RBIs. He became the sixth Baltimore player to post a 40-homer season, topped by Chris Davis’ 53 last year.Kelly Johnson also homered for the team that tops the majors with 205. Cruz and Nick Hundley each had three hits.Markakis led off the game with a single, hit an RBI single in the second, and his two-run homer in the fourth made it 4-0. He returned to the lineup after missing four games with a bruised right shoulder.“Everybody’s seeing Nick back swinging like they know he can, pain-free. That gets everyone fired up,” Orioles Manager Buck Showalter said.The Yankees fell five games behind for the second AL wild card with only five games left.Jeter extended his hitting streak to seven games, but struck out on three pitches with a runner on first to end it. The retiring captain has two more home dates scheduled.Playing right field, Markakis was well aware of Jeter’s past dramatics. That left Markakis with one main thought. “Um, try not to let the ball get past me. You know he always seems to find holes and gaps, especially in big situations,” he said.Zach Britton pitched the ninth for his 36th save in 40 chances. After Brett Gardner got an infield hit with two outs, Britton fanned a swinging Jeter with a 96 mph fastball for the final out. “He was better than me tonight,” Jeter said.As for the Yankees’ situation, Manager Joe Girardi said: “All you can do is play tomorrow and win a game tomorrow.”“That’s all you can do, and hope you get some help. We obviously know that we’re in a deep hole, but that’s all you can do,” he said.Ubaldo Jimenez (6-9) made his second start in more than a month, giving up three hits in five-plus innings. A disappointment since signing a four-year, $50 million free-agent deal, Jimenez isn’t likely to start in the playoffs — this outing came while Showalter gave his other starters an extra day of rest heading into October.“You always want to finish strong. It really made me happy,” Jimenez said.Brandon McCarthy (7-5) gave up 11 hits in 5 1-3 innings, including all three Baltimore home runs.Brian McCann hit his 23rd homer, a two-run drive in the Yankees seventh off Andrew Miller.Ichiro Suzuki doubled for his 2,841st hit in the big leagues, moving into 47th place on the career list past Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer.(BEN WALKER, AP Baseball Writer)TweetPinShare0 Shares
Watch: Cinematic Highlights of Oklahoma State-TCU
As always, the best. The very end is amazing.“All you really wanted from this season is to get to November and still have everything in front of you.”If you’re looking for the comments section, it has moved to our forum, The Chamber. You can go there to comment and holler about these articles, specifically in these threads. You can register for a free account right here and will need one to comment.If you’re wondering why we decided to do this, we wrote about that here. Thank you and cheers!
College Football Analyst Makes Coaching Prediction For Urban Meyer
USC must be able to offer something other than money to pull Meyer out of retirement. The Trojans have burned through Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian and perhaps Helton since Pete Carroll left. The administration is anything but steady right now. Maybe Meyer cures all that, but it’s more likely he opts to stay out of a head-to-head battle with Chip Kelly in a conference that doesn’t have as much weight as it used to. USC and Ohio State are historical rivals, too, even if that’s a big outdated.If you’re looking for a Big Ten coach that fits USC, then maybe take a look at Penn State’s James Franklin. He had to address those rumors last year. Maybe they swirl again in November if Helton is canned.Meyer retired from coaching following the 2018 season, citing health issues.The three-time national title-winning head coach is only 55, though, and many see him eventually returning to the sideline.Bender, however, doesn’t believe it’ll be at USC. Not next year, anyway. 
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer speaks to the media after the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)The Urban Meyer-to-USC rumors aren’t going away anytime soon, though one college football analyst doesn’t see it happening.Sporting News’ Bill Bender has released his predictions for the upcoming college football season. The list of predictions includes one about Meyer.Meyer will not be coming out of retirement to coach at USC, predicts Bender.Bender actually sees another Big Ten head coach as more of a fit.
Government Streamlines Technical Safety Legislation
Public safety and business competitiveness will be enhanced with streamlined technical safety legislation. Government introduced today, May 12, a bill that merges five acts into one updated act for safe operation of certain equipment. The five acts regulate steam boilers, pressure vessels, power engineers, crane operators, elevator and lifts, amusement devises and electrical installations and equipment. The new act will also include existing fuel safety regulations. “The proposed legislation will make it easier for operators to keep pace with industry changes, without requiring legislative change,” said Mark Parent, Minister for Labour and Workforce Development. “We have consulted extensively with stakeholders throughout the process and will continue to do so to ensure the legislation is not only practical, but importantly, maintains Nova Scotia’s excellent safety record in this area and enhance public safety.” The new act will also allow recognition of tradespeople who hold licences or other credentials from outside the province, which will help trade mobility. The act will take effect six months after it has been passed in the House. Initially, it will replace and repeal the Steam Boiler and Pressure Vessel Act, the Crane Operators and Power Engineers Act and include Fuel Safety Regulations. The remaining acts will be repealed and phased-in over the next two years. The new act follows government’s Better Regulation Initiative to reduce administrative burden while ensuring the safety of Nova Scotians. It will provide common definitions for equipment operator regulated activities, and a more consistent approach to licensing and permitting, providing further clarity for individuals, tradespeople, contractors and owners.
Le gouvernement appuie le transport durable et les loisirs au CapBreton
Le gouvernement appuie un projet de transport actif à Port Hawkesbury qui permettra de créer un sentier de marche sécuritaire entre les centres communautaires et le nouveau parc de loisirs de Port Hawkesbury. Michel Samson, ministre de l’Énergie, a annoncé aujourd’hui 24 octobre que la Strait Area Trails Association recevra une subvention de 20 000 $ dans le cadre du programme de transport durable du gouvernement provincial, Connect2. Grâce à ce financement, l’association poursuivra son travail sur l’initiative de développement des loisirs afin de terminer le sentier entre le Tamarac Education Centre, les quartiers environnants et le parc de loisirs de Port Hawkesbury. Le groupe entamera également la construction d’un sentier qui reliera le terrain de balle Oakley, le parc de loisirs et les terrains de basketball récemment remis à neuf. « Ce sentier permettra aux enfants de marcher en toute sécurité et de profiter du nouveau terrain de jeux, affirme M. Samson. Il est important d’encourager un style de vie actif pour de nombreuses raisons, particulièrement pour nos jeunes. Comme père d’une jeune fille, je connais bien l’importance pour nos jeunes d’être dehors, d’explorer, de jouer et d’être actif. » « Les nouveaux sentiers assureront une expérience en plein air positive pour les familles qui font de la randonnée ou qui se rendent au nouveau terrain de jeux et à l’aire de jeux d’eau au parc de loisirs, souligne Larry MacKeigan, président de l’association. Ce projet a été possible grâce au dévouement des entreprises et des bénévoles de la communauté, avec l’appui du gouvernement. » Le programme Connect2 vise à créer et à promouvoir des options de transport actif pour les déplacements de deux kilomètres ou moins entre les centres communautaires dans les régions rurales et urbaines de la province. En plus du financement offert dans le cadre du programme Connect2, le gouvernement a annoncé une subvention de 20 000 $ dans le cadre du Programme de développement des installations de loisirs pour la construction de vestiaires et de toilettes près du parc. Cette somme s’ajoute à une subvention de 54 500 $ du Programme de développement des installations de loisirs et à une subvention de 5 000 $ du Programme de subvention en capital pour les loisirs communautaires pour la construction d’une aire de jeux d’eau, annoncée en 2014. L’aire de jeux d’eau, les vestiaires et les toilettes permettront aux familles de participer plus facilement à des activités saines en plein air. D’autres projets seront annoncés dans les prochaines semaines et ils seront tous terminés d’ici le 10 mars 2017. Pour de plus amples renseignements, consultez le http://novascotia.ca/sustainabletransportation (en anglais seulement).
US preparing to withdraw over 5000 troops from Afghanistan
Washington DC: The United States is preparing to withdraw more than 5,000 of its troops from Afghanistan as part of an initial peace deal with the Taliban that would include a ceasefire and renunciation of Al-Qaeda, a media report said Thursday. The White House did not immediately respond to the news report. Later, the authorities denied any such development, saying that the presence of the US forces was “conditions-based”. Quoting an unnamed US official, The Washington Post had reported Thursday that the Trump Administration was preparing to reduce its number of troops in Afghanistan from current 14,000 to 9,000 or 8,000. Also Read – Saudi Crown Prince ‘snubbed’ Pak PM, recalled jet from USAccording to the daily, the initial agreement would require the Taliban to begin negotiating a larger peace deal directly with the Afghan government. Denying this, a Pentagon spokesman told The Washington Post that the Defence Department had not been ordered to withdraw forces from Afghanistan. A State Department spokesperson told PTI, “While the RS (resolute support) or the DoD (Department of Defence) can speak with more authority on this issue, we have not adjusted our troop levels in Afghanistan to reflect our discussions with either the Afghan government or the Taliban.” Also Read – Record number of 35 candidates in fray for SL Presidential polls”Adjustments over the years have been conditions-based. And any future reductions or withdrawal of forces will also be conditions-based,” the spokesperson added. CDR Rebecca Rebarich, DoD spokesperson, said, “The DoD has not been ordered to draw down. Our strategy in Afghanistan is conditions-based; our troops will remain in Afghanistan at appropriate levels so long as their presence is required to safeguard US interests. Such an agreement has been an effort of Special US Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad. Khalilzad, who left Kabul for Doha, said he had a “most productive visit to Afghanistan” since he took this job as a special representative. “The US and Afghanistan have agreed on next steps. And a negotiation team and technical support group are being finalised,”he had tweeted. In Doha, Khalilzad is scheduled to hold another round of talks with the Taliban. “I’m off to Doha, with a stop in Islamabad. In Doha, if the Taliban do their part, we will do ours, and conclude the agreement we have been working on,” he said.
Five things about Minister Chrystia Freelands foreign policy speech
OTTAWA – Remember Responsible Conviction? That was so 2016.That was the label Stephane Dion gave to Canada’s foreign policy last year when Barack Obama was in the White House and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was enjoying a full-on bromance with his like-minded counterpart.Now, it’s 2017. Donald Trump is the U.S. president and he is casting doubt on international institutions like the United Nations and NATO, he wants to tear up free trade deals central to Canada’s economic interest, he has taken the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, and wants countries to spend more on their militaries to ease the U.S. burden.Canada’s new foreign policy, which Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland delivered to the House of Commons Tuesday, tried to address the new reality of the U.S. withdrawal from global leadership.Freeland didn’t replace “responsible conviction” with her own new label. She never once named Trump. But there was never any doubt that Canada has changed direction to take into account the new presidency. Here are five things that can be taken away from her lengthy speech about Canada’s 2017 foreign policy:1. History MattersIt has been written by many that in the aftermath of the Second World War, Canada got a seat at the big international tables that birthed the UN, NATO and the roots of the global financial apparatus that endures to today, namely the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization. As Freeland said: “Seventy years ago they were revolutionary. And they set the stage for the longest period of peace and prosperity in our history.” Therefore, Canada will defend their work.2. You think we’re a nation of peacekeepers? Ha!Though she noted Lester Pearson’s Nobel Peace Prize for helping invent peacekeeping back in the 1950s as well as numerous contributions to UN blue helmet missions from the Suez to Cyprus, Freeland said Canada still needs to spend “billions” on a military that can fight. That’s clearly meant to till the earth for Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s defence review coming on Wednesday. Canada needs “hard power” to play its part with allies to offer a credible deterrent in world full of threats: North Korea’s dictatorship, the “monstrous extremists” of ISIL; Russian aggression in Europe. “Our ability to act against such threats alone is limited. It requires co-operation with like-minded countries.”3. Climate change, like war, is also hellFreeland called it an “existential threat” that the world needs to tackle. “Climate change is a shared menace, affecting every single person on this planet. Civil war, poverty, drought and natural disasters anywhere in the world threaten us as well — not least because these catastrophes spawn globally-destabilizing mass migrations.”4. Diversity MattersSure, there’s a lot of anxiety that too many people “have been left behind” by globalization, and more needs to be done to distribute wealth more equally. But don’t blame immigrants: “It is wrong to view the woes of our middle class as the result of fiendish behaviour by foreigners.” Moreover, Canada will stand up for the rights of women, gays and lesbians, transgendered people, racial, ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious minorities, and indigenous people. For women in particular, that means protecting sexual reproduction and the right to safe abortion: “These rights are at the core of our foreign policy.”5. History Matters Redux: “Pretty Boy” Freeland and his brothersFreeland recalled that her great uncle Warren Freeland joined her father, John Wilbur “Pretty Boy” Freeland, and their brother, Carleton, in enlisting in the Second World. Warren didn’t make it back. They “intuitively understood the connection between their lives, and those of people they’d never met” who lived far away and spoke different languages. “Our job today is to preserve their achievement, and to build on it; to use the multilateral structures they created as the foundation for planetary accords and institutions fit for the new realities of this century.”
28 pc polling in 8 Lok Sabha seats of MP till noon
Bhopal: An average 28.01 per cent voter turnout was recorded till Sunday noon in eight Lok Sabha seats of Madhya Pradesh, an election official said. Voting was underway since 7 am in a peaceful manner in Bhopal, Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Guna, Sagar, Vidisha and Rajgarh constituencies in the third phase of elections in the state, state Chief Electoral Officer V L Kantha Rao said. “During mock poll conducted before the actual voting began, 30 to 40 electronic voting machines (EVMs) were changed because of some technical problems,” he said. Also Read – India gets first tranche of Swiss account details under automatic exchange framework The voting figures till noon were: Morena 24.29 per cent, Bhind 21.99 per cent, Gwalior 22.96 per cent, Guna 34.11 per cent, Sagar 30.3 per cent, Vidisha 33.8 per cent, Bhopal 26.15 per cent and Rajgarh 32.39 per cent, he said. Long queues were seen at several booths across the eight constituencies, he said. In Bhopal, Congress veteran Digvijay Singh is locked in a battle with BJP candidate and 2008 Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur. Also Read – Trio win Nobel Medicine Prize for work on cells, oxygen Congress general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia is seeking a re-election from Guna seat, where he cast his vote at a booth early in the morning. His opponent is BJP’s K P Yadav, who is contesting his first parliamentary election. Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who is the sitting MP from Gwalior, is contesting from Morena seat this time. Altogether 138 candidates, including 14 women, are in the fray for these eight Lok Sabha seats, of which seven were won by the BJP in 2014. Total 18,141 polling booths have been set up where over 1.44 crore people, including 32,909 service voters, are eligible to exercise their franchise, the official said. Lok Sabha elections to 29 seats in the state are being held in four phases. The first (in six seats) and second phases (seven seats) were held on April 29 and May 6. Voting for the last phase in eight seats will be held on May 19 and counting of votes will take place on May 23.
Greater efforts needed to end female genital mutilation – UN agency
6 February 2009The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today called for greater efforts to end female genital mutilation, as the agency marked the International Day against the harmful practice that three million girls and women endure each year. “Some 70 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to female genital cutting,” UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said in a message on the International Day against Female Genital Mutilation. “While some communities have made real progress in abandoning this dangerous practice, the rights, and even the lives, of too many girls continue to be threatened,” she added.Female genital mutilation or cutting is the partial or total removal of the external genitalia – undertaken for cultural or other non-medical reasons – often causing severe pain and sometimes resulting in prolonged bleeding, infection, infertility and even death.Genital cutting can produce complications during child birth, increasing the chances of death or disability for both mother and child.Although this practice is in decline, it remains prevalent in many countries and often against national laws, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. In the Central African Republic (CAR), for example, about 28 per cent of women are circumcised despite a 1966 law prohibiting the tradition.Foncy Kongo, a 29-year old woman from the CAR, works with the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices (CIAF) trying to stop genital cutting in her country.As a 10-year old growing up in Bria, central CAR, Kongo was used to hearing about girls undergoing circumcision, she told UNICEF.“It is part of our traditional culture, like a rite of passage into womanhood. Most women in my family are circumcised and even in school there was peer pressure as the girls would contest their womanhood,” she said.When her turn came she ran away from home only to be dragged back to the house a few hours later. “I was scared. I’d heard of girls who died because they lost too much blood.”Kongo did not die but she experienced immense pain and urinal problems after she was circumcised.In 2008 data shows that 17 per cent of women in Bangui, the CAR capital, are circumcised and more than 71per cent of women in Haute Kotto, where Kongo grew up, are victims of the cultural practice.In February last year, 10 UN agencies banded together to pledge their support for eliminating the life-threatening practice within a generation and aiming for a major reduction in many countries by 2015, the year the Millennium Development Goals are set to be achieved.
Growth in loans decline in loanloss reserves boost Discover Financials 4Q profit
Growth in loans, decline in loan-loss reserves boost Discover Financial’s 4Q profit LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Discover Financial Services’ net income jumped 11 per cent in the last three months of 2013, as users of its namesake credit card and other loan services stepped up borrowing and the company set aside less money to cover potential loan losses.The company said Thursday that total loans grew 5 per cent in the quarter versus the same period a year earlier. Credit card loans grew 4 per cent. Discover card sales volume rose 3 per cent during the October-December period, when customers traditionally ramp up spending for the holidays.All told, Discover’s fourth-quarter net interest income, or money earned from loans after factoring in interest expense, jumped nearly 10 per cent to $1.57 billion from $1.43 billion.In a conference call with Wall Street analysts, Discover Chairman and CEO David Nelms said he anticipates a loan growth will be in the low-single-digit range for the industry this year, noting Discover’s loan growth has come from taking share from rivals.“Our strategy is to continue to grow faster than the industry,” Nelms said.Discover has been working to expand its credit card business, while also pushing further into the payments processing business and direct banking, offering personal, student and home equity loans.In the company’s payments services business, which competes with Visa and MasterCard, revenue dropped 2 per cent as transaction processing revenue declined. Dollar volume for the company’s payments business slipped 1 per cent.The latest quarter included a provision for potential loan losses of $354 million, down from $370 million a year earlier.All told, Discover said that its profit after paying preferred dividends was $588 million, or $1.23 per share, in the three months ended Nov. 30. That compares with $530 million, or $1.06 per share, a year earlier.Revenue net of interest expense grew about 6 per cent to $2.13 billion, up from $2.02 billion.Analysts polled by FactSet expected earnings of $1.17 per share on $2.1 billion in revenue.Discover’s board declared a quarterly cash dividend of 20 cents to be paid Feb. 20 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 6. The company also will pay a quarterly cash dividend of $16.25 to certain preferred shareholders. That dividend will be paid on March 3 to shareholders of record on Feb. 14.Shares of Riverwoods, Ill.-based Discover ended regular trading down $1.26, or 2.4 per cent, at $52.40. The stock added $1.10, or 2 per cent, to $53.50 in extended trading. by Alex Veiga, The Associated Press Posted Jan 23, 2014 3:24 pm MDT In this Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014, photo a Discover sign hangs on the door of a business in Robinson Township, Pa. Discover reports quarterly earnings on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to TwitterTwitterShare to FacebookFacebookShare to RedditRedditShare to 電子郵件Email
Culture Wave 2016 happening Saturday March 12
African and Caribbean culture will be celebrated through music, drama, singing and dancing on Saturday at the 10th annual Culture Wave.Presented by Brock University’s ROOTS African Caribbean Society, the event is an opportunity for people to learn about Africa and the Caribbean in an entertaining way.Organizers are expecting more than 100 people at the event, which features surprise guests and hosts.Tickets are $30 and food is included.It’s being held at Mandeville Theatre, 2 Ridley Rd., St. Catharines.. Doors open at 6 p.m.For more information visit the group’s Facebook page.
Stranded Antarctic passengers finally rescued from stuck ship
Updated 3.55pmPassengers prepare to board the Chinese rescue helicopter (AP Photo/Zinhua, Zhang Jiansong) ALL 52 PASSENGERS who spent Christmas and New Year trapped on an icebound Russian research vessel in Antarctica were airlifted from the ice today in a dramatic rescue mission.A Chinese helicopter which landed on a makeshift landing pad next to the marooned ship ferried the scientists, tourists and journalists in groups of 12 to an Australian government supply ship, the Aurora Australis.The passengers had been stuck for 10 days in thick pack ice 100 nautical miles east of the French base of Dumont d’Urville after their vessel Akademik Shokalskiy became frozen in place.Three icebreaking ships had been unable to clear a path to it.“Aurora Australis has advised AMSA that the 52 passengers from the Akademik Shokalskiy are now on board,” the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said late today.Passengers link arms and stamp out a helicopter landing site on the ice near the trapped ship (AP Photo/Australasian Antarctic Expedition/Footloose Photography, Andrew Peacock)Expedition leader Chris Turney expressed his “great relief” that the complex operation, which had been fraught with setbacks and challenges, finally went off without a hitch.“We’ve made it to the Aurora Australis safe and sound. A huge thanks to the Chinese and the (government’s) Australian Antarctic Division for all their hard work,” Turney tweeted.The Sydney Morning Herald, which has a reporter aboard the Aurora Australis, said many of those brought off the Russian ship were relieved, with one woman crying tears of joy.“It really has been an emotional rollercoaster,” Joanne Sim told the newspaper.Their ordeal began on December 24 when a southerly front and blizzard trapped the Shokalskiy in a dense ice field which several icebreakers — the Australis, France’s L’Astrolabe and the Chinese-flagged Xue Long — were unable to penetrate.Passengers from the MV Akademik Shokalskiy walk around the ice (AP Photo/Australasian Antarctic Expedition/Footloose Fotography/Andrew Peacock)Efforts to reach the Russian vessel by sea were abandoned on Tuesday in favour of an aerial rescue using the Xue Long’s helicopter, but heavy weather and sea ice stymied efforts until late Thursday.A window of favourable weather allowed the Chinese crew to begin ferrying passengers at around 5pm Australian time (6am GMT), with groups collected from a landing pad stamped out in the ice beside the Shokalskiy and ferried to an ice floe near the Australis.The planAMSA confirmed that all passengers had reached the Australian ship at 10.16pm, some five hours after Turney first announced that the mission was underway.Though they are free from the ice the group is not expected to reach dry land for several weeks yet, with the Australis having to travel back to the southern city of Hobart via Australia’s Casey Antarctic base to refuel.The Shokalskiy’s crew of 22 will remain on board until the ice breaks up and she can sail on under her own steam. The ship is well provisioned and those on board have not been in any danger.Turney posted a number of videos documenting the rescue, including the red helicopter’s first touchdown on the landing pad, the initial group of passengers trekking across the ice and a second load taking off towards the Australis.(Video: Intrepid Science/YouTube)The initial plan had been for the helicopter to ferry the passengers back to the Xue Long, where they would board a barge to be transferred to the Aurora Australis, the Australian government’s Antarctic resupply ship.But sea ice prevented the Australis from launching its barge Thursday, forcing a rethink.LogisticsIn the end, the passengers were flown via helicopter from the stranded ship to an ice floe near the Aurora Australis, and then brought on board the Australian icebreaker in a rescue ship.AMSA had estimated the rescue would involve five trips of up to 12 passengers and another two flights for equipment and luggage.Two passengers from the whip work to place a wind indicator atop an ice feature near the trapped ship. (AP Photo/Australasian Antarctic Expedition/Footloose Fotography, Andrew Peacock)Passengers on the stranded ship — an eclectic mix of scientists, tourists and journalists — had been following in the footsteps of Australian Sir Douglas Mawson and his 1911-1914 expedition.The team has been carrying out the same scientific experiments that Mawson’s group conducted during their expedition, partly in an attempt to discover how quickly the Antarctic’s sea ice is disappearing.Board games, first-aid and other skills courses, movie marathons in the ship’s auditorium and walks on the ice have helped to pass the time. They even penned a theme song about their adventure and filmed themselves singing it on the top deck.Though they are in remote Antarctica the group dropped in on one of the world’s biggest New Year’s parties, broadcasting live to celebrations in New York’s Times Square from their marooned vessel.- © AFP, 2013Originally published 8.50amRead: Attempt to rescue science ship stranded in Antarctica since Christmas fails > Read: Rescuers due to reach ship stuck in Antarctic ice >
Duke University augments rats brain with sixth sense
How would you like the option of having a sixth sense? Well, if research being carried out at Duke University is anything to go by, one day soon you might be able to upgrade your brain with an extra sense, maybe even a few new ones.Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, neurobiology and biomedical engineer at Duke, has managed to implant microscopic electrodes into a rat’s brain that allow it to detect the otherwise invisible infrared light. The rat can’t see the light, but it can feel and touch it. As the video above shows, it does so almost as quickly as seeing actual light.Nicolelis’ experiment is thought to be the first time that a “brain-machine interface has augmented a sense” in an animal. But it didn’t just happen. The rats first had to be trained to understand the touch sensation they were feeling wasn’t actually anything physically touching them. That process took about a month, after which they interpreted the signal as a location to travel to and forage for food.The addition of this extra sense was achieved by tapping into the part of the rat’s brain that deals with processing whisker touch sensations (the cortical region). The electrodes convey touch for the infrared light as a microstimulation to the rat, but importantly, does so without overriding the natural touch information gathered by their whiskers. So this is an additional sense as no other sense is blocked to achieve it.Although the experiment is being carried out on a rat, there’s no reason this same process couldn’t be made to work on the human brain as a neuroprosthetic device. If an injury occurs that means someone loses their sight, for example, a sensor could be implanted to offer them a new form of sight.These so-called brain prosthetics may also one day offer us abilities you’d normally associate with a superhero, such as X-ray vision. But the focus will initially be on how brain sensors can be used to help with overcoming injuries.[Image credit: Animal photos]
Republican introduces Worlds Greatest Healthcare Plan as politicians debate Trump proposals
Trump Image: Evan Vucci AP/Press Association Images By AFP Image: Evan Vucci AP/Press Association Images http://jrnl.ie/3279597 Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article 18,813 Views A CONGRESSIONAL PANEL in the US has been debating Republicans’ plans to kill Obamacare for over 24 hours, highlighting deep divisions over the proposed health reforms.Lawmakers from Republican President Donald Trump’s party hold a majority in both chambers of Congress, but many of those same lawmakers oppose the proposed legislation.After 18 marathon hours of debate the House Ways and Means Committee earlier today became the first panel to approve the bill that would repeal and replace Democrat Barack Obama’s landmark health reforms.However, the House Energy and Commerce Committee — a separate panel that began reviewing the legislation at the same time yesterday — was still going strong a full day later, with no end in sight, but plenty of weary faces among its 55 Democrats and Republican members.“Tempers are probably fraying a little, and we’re all a little tired,” acknowledged Energy and Commerce chairman Greg Walden following testy exchanges over military veteran coverage in the proposed legislation.Republican leaders have forged ahead with their proposal despite mounting opposition from within the party, heaping pressure on Trump as he faces resistance to his top legislative priority.Trump has played down divisions, tweeting that the plan is “coming along great” and “will end in a beautiful picture“.One of the bills being looked at is the ‘World’s Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017′, which was introduced by Texas Representative Pete Sessions.Republicans split “House healthcare bill can’t pass Senate w/o major changes,” Senator Tom Cotton tweeted earlier today, joining a host of other Senate Republicans opposed to the measure in its current form.While Republicans hold a strong majority in the House, they hold a narrow 52-48 majority in the Senate.“To my friends in House: pause, start over. Get it right, don’t get it fast,” Cotton added.Republican leaders indicate they want to pass the bill by early April.But the plan suffered a setback yesterday when several major hospitals and medical organisations — including the American Medical Association, which represents more than 200,000 doctors — opposed the Trump-supported American Health Care Act.Backers say the legislation guts Obamacare’s mandates to purchase health care and rolls back its taxes.Republican opponents, however, warn that the plan is too similar to Obamacare, and believe that it could cost even more.Democrats, who are expected to oppose the bill with near-unanimity, say it would leave millions of poor and working-class Americans without health insurance.- © AFP 2017Read: Trump targets critic by name on Twitter after Republican backlash to his health planRead: New round of bomb threats to Jewish community centres across the US Short URL
50 Comments Thursday 9 Mar 2017, 5:56 PM Republican introduces ‘World’s Greatest Healthcare Plan’ as politicians debate Trump proposals Several major hospitals and medical organisations have opposed Trump’s plans. Mar 9th 2017, 5:56 PM Share Tweet Email Trump
Police Suspect arrested for Encanto burglary and sexual assault
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – An alleged intruder accused of attempted rape on Friday morning inside an Encanto home was arrested Sunday, police said.Officers said they arrested William Lawrence Davis, 25, for burglary and sexual assault.The victim showed up at her neighbor’s house and asked the neighbor to call police shortly before 6 a.m. to report that a man had broken into her house in the 6100 block of Wunderlin Avenue and tried to rape her, San Diego police Sgt. Michael Stirk said.Details regarding the break-in were scarce, but the burglar stole the woman’s cellphone. then fled the area, Stirk said. Police: Suspect arrested for Encanto burglary and sexual assault KUSI Newsroom Posted: May 6, 2019 Updated: 1:03 PM KUSI Newsroom, May 6, 2019 Suspect has been arrested for the burglary and sexual assault which occurred on Friday, May 3rd in the Encanto community. Hard work by our officers, detectives and Crime Lab to identify and apprehend this dangerous suspect. See attached release. pic.twitter.com/n1S71plMFD— San Diego Police Department (@SanDiegoPD) May 6, 2019 Categories: Local San Diego News FacebookTwitter
Fire on hay truck ties up Highway 14 traffic with video
A load of hay bales on a truck caught fire Tuesday afternoon in Washougal, creating a blaze that affected traffic on state Highway 14 for about five hours.“We know it started in the stack (of bales) that the driver was carrying,” said Camas-Washougal Fire Chief Nick Swinhart.Swinhart described the possibility of an exhaust pipe starting the fire as a “reasonable conclusion.”Swinhart said that truck driver Daniel Merriman, 42, of Yacolt, realized the load on his 40-foot flatbed was burning and pulled over.“He attempted to dump his load, was only partially successful, and ended up with the fire getting into the truck, consuming the truck and burning up the hay bales,” Swinhart said.The city of Washougal provided a backhoe-loader to separate the bales from the truck, a 1988 Kenworth.Leaking fuel spread into grass, causing a narrow strip about 200 feet long to burn along the westbound lane near Milepost 17.About 20 firefighters responded from Camas-Washougal, East County Fire & Rescue and the Vancouver Fire Department.No injuries were reported, but one firefighter experienced heat exhaustion during the two-hour effort, Swinhart said.Traffic was halted in both directions between 27th Street and 32nd Street while crews extinguished the fully engulfed truck, near the Pendleton Woolen Mills.Eventually, the eastbound portion of the highway was used to accommodate traffic in both directions. Eastbound traffic was using the eastbound shoulder while westbound vehicles were using the eastbound lane, said Washington State Patrol Trooper Will Finn.The westbound lane was closed from 32nd Street to 27th Street until all lanes were reopened at about 7:40 p.m., Finn said — almost five hours after the fire started.View a video of the fire on The Columbian’s YouTube Channel.
Budget Request Will Boost Defense Cut Domestic Programs
ADC AUTHOR When President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget request hits Capitol Hill Monday, it will include a boost in defense spending and across-the-board cuts of about 5 percent to domestic spending, according to National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow.“It’ll be a tough budget,” he said on Fox News Sunday.The President is expected to request $750 billion in national security spending, almost all of that to DOD.That is more than is allowed under mandatory budget caps. To reach that number, the administration will ask for an increase in the overseas contingency operations (OCO) account, which is exempt from caps.That approach is already getting pushback on the Hill.“No one seriously thinks that Congress would pass a defense bill with $174 billion of OCO,” Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said, according to Politico. “So, OK, you just kind of set that aside, and you get down to the serious discussions of what we can do to keep our readiness from sliding backwards, what we do to keep pressure on the terrorists, to deal with the Russia-China threat. That’s what the conversation will be.”Lawmakers are working on a deal that would raise or eliminate the spending caps, similar to deals they’ve reached in the past.Photo by Fox News