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Football: Messi and Mbappe among nominees for FIFA Best award 0
Fresh from their brilliant performances at the World Cup, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe are among the nominees for FIFA's The Best award for last year, world football's governing body announced on Thursday.
Messi, who has won the prize once before, captained Argentina to victory in Qatar, a career-defining triumph that has boosted his chances of winning an eighth Ballon d'Or but may also make him favourite for this prize.
As well as Mbappe, who netted a hat-trick in the World Cup final, another two Paris Saint-Germain players are nominated in Neymar and Achraf Hakimi.
Karim Benzema, who won last year's Ballon d'Or for his performances with Real Madrid, is also nominated, as is Robert Lewandowski, winner of the FIFA prize in the last two years.
The list of nominees is completed by Manchester City's Julian Alvarez, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland; the Real Madrid pair of Luka Modric and Vinicius Junior; Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Jude Bellingham.
Alexia Putellas is nominated for the women's award despite being out for the last six months due to injury.
The Barcelona and Spain midfielder won the award last year and retained the Ballon d'Or in October.
Arsenal striker Beth Mead, runner-up to Putellas for the Ballon d'Or, is also nominated, as are two other members of the England team that won the European Championship on home soil in Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh.
There are also prizes for the best male and female coach, the best goalkeeper, and the Puskas Award for the best goal of 2022.
A public vote, open until February 3, will decide the three finalists in each category.
The winner is then voted for by a jury made up of national team coaches and captains as well as journalists and fans.
5, January 2023
The moment Cristiano Ronaldo met with Vincent Aboubakar 0
The five times Ballon d'or winner Cristiano Ronaldo departed the shore of Europe and completed a shock move to Saudi Arabia club side Al-Nassr and was officially presented to the excited club supporters in a fully stadium.
After his unveiling, he quickly made his way into the club dressing room and met with his new teammates.
In the dressing room the iconic number seven Cristiano Ronaldo took time to exchange pleasantries with his teammates before he finally began his training session in his new environment.
One of the popular players in the Al-Nassr dressing room is the Cameroon captain Vincent Aboubakar whose fame grew at the just concluded 2022 FIFA world cup tournament in Qatar, the two likewise exchanged pleasantries.
The two will hope to strike up a devastating partnership upfront for Al-Nassr and help them win plenty of trophies both in their league and in the continental competitions.
Source: Opera News
Tennis legend Boris Becker back to work as Australian Open pundit 0
A month after his release from prison, Boris Becker will return as a consultant for Eurosport during the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, the sports television channel announced on Tuesday.
"I am delighted that Boris Becker is returning to our Eurosport team at the Australian Open," said Jochen Gundel, one of the managers of the German subsidiary of Warner. Bros Discovery, the chain's parent company.
"Since 2017, Boris has been an integral part of the tennis broadcasts on Eurosport."
The German six-time Grand Slam champion was released from prison in England last month after serving eight months of a two-and-a-half year sentence for flouting insolvency rules.
Becker was found guilty of hiding £2.5 million ($3.1 million) of assets and loans to avoid paying debts.
His lawyer explained that Becker, now 55, had "served his sentence" and was "not subject to any criminal restrictions in Germany".
Becker will appear on Eurosport every day after the night sessions of the Australian Open which begins on January 16.
Football: Aboubakar sends Cristiano Ronaldo message after Mohamed Salah dig 0
Cristiano Ronaldo has been sent an emphatic message by new Al-Nassr teammate Vincent Aboubakar amid the Cameroonian's ongoing feud with Liverpool star Mohamed Salah.
The Portuguese forward sealed a big-money switch to the Saudi Arabian outfit earlier this week having penned a deal worth in the region of £173m per year until 2025. It sees Ronaldo venture outside of Europe for the first time in his glittering career following his explosive exit from Manchester United.
His first assignment once he arrives in the Middle East will be to break into the Al-Nassr starting XI – an easy task most would think considering the eye-watering wages that he will earn during his spell with the club. New teammate Aboubakar might have something to say about that first though.
The former Porto star has been with the Saudi outfit since a move from Besiktas in the summer of 2021. The 95-time Cameroon international has gone on to make 36 appearances for the club since, scoring 11 goals.
One of those strikes came in his most recent outing as he opened the scoring in the fifth minute against Al-Khaleej. That goal proved to be the winning strike as Al-Nassr rose to top spot in the Saudi Pro League ahead of Al-Shabab.
It also came at a perfect time for Aboubakar who will certainly be hoping to hold onto his starting berth regardless of Ronaldo's arrival at the club. And the striker has already proved that he has no issues in putting himself up against the world's best, having previously compared himself to Kop ace Salah.
Speaking shortly before the World Cup, he claimed that he shared the same ability as the Egyptian – his lack of a move to a top five league the only thing preventing him from displaying that more regularly.
Source: The Mirror
Football: Cristiano Ronaldo signs for Al Nassr football club in Saudi Arabia 0
Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday signed for Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia, the club announced, in a deal believed to be worth more than 200 million euros.
The 37-year-old penned a contract which will take him to June 2025.
"I can't wait to discover a new football league in a different country," said the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus player.
The Portuguese star was pictured on the Al Nassr Twitter feed holding a blue and yellow shirt with his favoured number seven printed on the back.
Brazil starts three days of mourning for legendary footballer Pelé 0
Brazil starts three days of national mourning on Friday for football legend Pele, the three-time World Cup winner widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, who has died at age 82.
The death of "The King" who transcended football triggered a wave of tributes around the globe from the sports world and also from political and cultural leaders.
Pele died Thursday at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo after a long battle with cancer.
"We love you infinitely. Rest in peace," daughter Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram.
The football world — from his former teammates to current stars — came together to honor "O Rei", who transformed the sport during a long professional career that began when he was still a teenager.
Brazil star Neymar said Pele "transformed football into an art." France's Kylian Mbappe said his legacy "will never be forgotten," and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo called him an "inspiration to millions."
Argentina's World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi simply wrote: "Rest in peace."
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who declared three days of national mourning, paid tribute to a man who "transformed football into art and joy", while president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is due to take office Sunday, tweeted: "There had never been a number 10 like him."
Pele is the only footballer in history to have won three World Cups — in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
He scored a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches during a 21-year career.
He had been in increasingly fragile health, battling kidney problems and colon cancer — undergoing surgery for the latter in September 2021, followed by chemotherapy.
A wake will take place on Monday, followed by a funeral on Tuesday in Santos, the southeastern city where he played most of his career, his former club said.
The city declared seven days of mourning as fans flocked to the team's stadium to leave flowers.
In front of the Sao Paulo hospital where he died, fans held up a banner which read: "Eternal King Pele."
In Rio de Janeiro, the Christ the Redeemer statue which overlooks the city was illuminated in homage to Pele, as was the legendary Maracana stadium.
For the Brazilian daily O Globo, whose front page was packed with stories about the sporting legend, Pele remained the "immortal king of football".
In a testament to Pele's influence, international figures including US President Joe Biden and former leader Barack Obama, Brazilian music legends Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, and International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach also paid tribute.
"As one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together," Obama wrote.
'Samba football'
Born on October 23, 1940, in the southeastern city of Tres Coracoes, Edson Arantes do Nascimento — named for American inventor Thomas Edison — grew up selling peanuts on the street to help his impoverished family get by.
He was soon given the nickname Pele, for his mispronunciation of Bile, the name of a goalkeeper at Vasco de Sao Lourenco, where his footballer father once played.
Pele dazzled from the age of 15, when he started playing professionally with Santos. He led the club to a flurry of titles, including back-to-back Intercontinental Cups in 1962-1963.
He epitomized the Brazil national team's sublime style of play, called "samba football."
Pele set his scoring records playing for Santos (1956-74), the Brazilian national team, and the New York Cosmos (1975-77).
But beyond the many benchmarks he set, he will be remembered for revolutionizing the sport, his ever-present number 10 on his back as he tapped into his preternatural athleticism.
The first global football star, he played a lead role in making the game a sporting and commercial powerhouse.
He also played with heart, visible in the black-and-white footage of the 17-year-old bursting into tears after helping Brazil to its first World Cup title, in 1958.
Eight years earlier, seeing his father cry when Brazil lost the 1950 World Cup final on home soil to Uruguay, Pele had promised to bring the trophy home one day.
Sports royalty
Pele reached the pinnacle of his greatness at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, the first broadcast in color, where he starred on what many consider the greatest team of all time, with talents such as Rivellino, Tostao and Jairzinho.
He was often welcomed like royalty when traveling abroad with Santos or the national team. Legend has it that his arrival in Nigeria in 1969 prompted a 48-hour truce in the bloody Biafra war.
Pele declined offers to play in Europe but signed for a brief, lucrative swansong with the New York Cosmos at the end of his career, bringing his star power to the land of "soccer."
His influence extended beyond the pitch, with gigs as a movie star, singer and sports minister (1995-1998) — he was one of the first black cabinet members in Brazil.
But he faced criticism at times in Brazil for remaining quiet on social issues and racism, and for what some saw as his haughty, vain personality.
Unlike Argentine rebel Diego Maradona, one of his rivals for the title of greatest of all time, Pele was seen as close to those in power — including Brazil's 1964-1985 military regime.
'Eternal, unforgettable'
Pele's health began to fail in the last decade. His public appearances grew increasingly rare, and he frequently used a walker or wheelchair.
He was hospitalized several times for urinary infections, then again in 2021 and 2022 for the colon cancer that marked the beginning of the end.
He met his health problems with typical humor.
"I will face this match with a smile on my face," he posted on Instagram in September 2021, after surgery to remove his colon tumor.
Mario Zagallo, who won the World Cup alongside Pele in 1958 and 1962, said the King had "stopped the world several times" with his talent.
"He leaves an eternal, unforgettable legacy," the 91-year-old Zagallo said.
At 17, Pele conquered the world 0
Pele burst onto the global stage at just 17 with dazzling goals as Brazil won the World Cup for the first time in Sweden in 1958.
"I have good and bad stories from World Cups. The '58 World Cup was a dream. I was a kid. Nobody was expecting it. Nobody believed in us. I remember some reporters saying: 'how can they take a 17-year-old kid to the World Cup finals," Pele recalled in an interview with FIFA.
As ever on the football field, Pele's timing was impeccable.
While the 1954 World Cup had been broadcast live to a small European audience, 1958 was shown more widely and far more people owned television sets.
Pele, who crowned his career 12 years later in Mexico in the first World Cup broadcast in colour, was the first football star to play his entire career in the TV era.
In 1958, Brazil under coach Vicente Feola were also innovating.
They embraced the 4-2-4 formation and adopted a detailed approach to every aspect of preparation and planning.
The federation assigned a psychologist, Joao Carvalhaes, to the squad. He tested the players and pronounced Pele "too infantile".
"You may be right," Feola replied. "But you know nothing about football and I've seen Pele play."
Pele, nursing a knee injury, missed the first two group games, a 3-0 win over Austria and the first goalless draw at a World Cup against England.
He made his debut against the USSR in the final group match.
The brilliant and unpredictable winger Garrincha was also recalled after being left out of the first two group matches.
Veteran defender Nilton Santos is said to have led a delegation of players to see Feola demanding he change the team.
Their recall altered the complexion of a side which had only contained one black player in the opening game.
Youngest scorer
In the first three minutes, Pele and Garrincha hit the woodwork and Vava scored. Vava added a second after the break as Brazil won 2-0 and secured first place in the group.
Pele made history in the 66th minute of the quarter-final scoring the only goal against Wales to become, at 17 years and 239 days, the youngest scorer in a World Cup.
He controlled the ball with his back to goal and Mel Charles marking him closely, flicked the ball toward goal with his right foot, spun and poked a shot through a challenge by Stuart Williams and in off the far post.
It was a goal fit to win a World Cup quarter-final, but because all the quarter-finals kicked off at the same time and the technology meant only one game could be shown live, it was not seen at the time by the global audience.
Pele hit the last three goals as Brazil beat France 5-2 in the semi-finals, pouncing on two loose balls in the goalmouth for a pair of well-taken poacher's goals and completing his hat-trick with a stinging volley.
Just Fontaine scored for the losers and went on to finish the tournament with 13 goals.
"When I saw Pele play, it made me feel I should hang up my boots," Fontaine said later.
Pele made his mark in the final on a Rasunda Stadium pitch made slippery by rain.
Although his play, behind centre forward Vava, epitomised the all-round attacking role associated with the modern number 10, he had that shirt only by accident. Despite their careful planning, the Brazilians had neglected to submit squad numbers and were assigned them at random. Goalkeeper Gilmar, for example, wore three.
Sweden took a fourth minute lead. Pele struck the woodwork. Then Garrincha twice beat his men on the right and hit low crosses for Vava to tap in.
In the 55th minute, Pele scored the third with a memorable flourish.
With the hulking Sigge Parling at his back, Pele leaped and twisted to control a ball into the penalty area. By the time he landed Parling was behind him.
'Quick thinking'
As Bengt Gustavsson lunged in, Pele opted not to shoot, instead flicking the ball over the defender's head.
Shrugging off a bootful of studs in his thigh, Pele composed himself as the ball dropped, from a height of 3.2 metres, FIFA have calculated, leant forward and bounced a volley under goalkeeper Kalle Svensson.
"If I said I thought about it, I'd be lying," Pele told FIFA. "It was a spur-of-the moment reaction, quick thinking. When I controlled it I was going to hit it first time but then I thought quickly and adjusted. One of the strengths in my life and in my football was my improvisation, to change at the last second."
In the final minute, Pele rounded off another 5-2 win, with a looping header that finished a one-two he had started with a backheel.
At the final whistle, Pele wept as teammates hoisted him in the air.
"After the fifth goal, even I wanted to cheer for him," said Parling.
Fans watching round the world cheered too. King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden came down to the pitch to shake Pele's hand. Football's king had been crowned.
Pele, Maradona, Messi: Who is the greatest of all time? 0
When FIFA declared Pele and Diego Maradona jointly the players of the 20th century, and effectively the best of all time, they side-stepped but did not resolve a heated debate that has grown more complicated as Lionel Messi has dominated the 21st century.
Just who is the greatest?
Pele, who died on Thursday, and the two Argentines all won the sport's greatest prize — the World Cup — and were undoubtedly the kings of their eras.
AFP Sport looks at who is the best between the magical Brazilian, the controversial Maradona, who passed away in November 2020 at the age of 60, and a second Argentine, the twinkling Messi who is still playing:
Triple crown v single titles
— Pele played in four World Cups, winning three times, a record not yet beaten and giving him one more than Maradona and Messi combined. He was just 17 in 1958 when he was world champion in Sweden, scoring six goals, two in the final. Pele was injured in the second match as Brazil won the 1962 World Cup but claimed a third title, and sealed his international reputation, in 1970 as his magical side beat Italy in the Mexico City final.
Maradona, not picked in the squad that won the World Cup at home in 1978 and sent off in a tournament-ending 3-1 loss to Brazil in Spain in 1982, shot to global fame in 1986 for the right and wrong reasons. His infamous 'Hand of God' goal against England was followed by an individual effort voted FIFA's 'Goal of the Century'. He scored twice in the semi-final win over Belgium and supplied the crucial pass in the 3-2 win against West Germany in the final.
After Messi completed his World Cup quest in Qatar this month, the ailing Pele saluted on Instagram: "Messi winning his first World Cup, as his trajectory deserved. Diego is certainly smiling." The Argentine has a complete set of major medals: a World Cup (2022), a Copa America (2021), four Champions Leagues and three Club World Cups as well as a multitude of domestic Spanish and French trophies.
Number 10 v number 10 v number 10
— All three men wore the No 10 shirt.
Pele's role was often described as a "nine and a half", his attacking skills yielding 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches for his clubs, Santos and New York Cosmos, and the Brazilian national team.
Maradona, known as "D10S" (a word play with the number 10 and God in Spanish) played in a free role, more the playmaker, and his career statistics reflect that: 345 goals in 692 matches.
Messi, who plays a variety of attacking positions, has also piled up the goals: 793 in 1,003 professional matches by the end of 2022.
Role model v a rebel and a quiet child
— Pele was the clean-cut hero, scandal-free, honourable, sporting, with a career spent at just two clubs — Santos (1956-74) and New York Cosmos (1975-77).
Maradona played for six teams, was sent off at the 1982 World Cup, scored with his hand against England in the 1986 tournament, was banned in Spain for fighting on the pitch, and was sent home in disgrace from the 1994 World Cup after failing a drugs test. He also suffered a cocaine addiction.
Messi, the quiet child, resembled Pele in his loyalty to his first club Barcelona until their money troubles allowed Paris Saint-Germain to pry him away in 2021. His difficulties with the Spanish tax authorities and a host of sponsorship deals have not tarnished his image.
Ego wars
Until they reconciled in 2016, Pele and Maradona sparred over who was the greatest.
Pele has a museum. Maradona said Pele belonged "in a museum".
Maradona, who enjoyed showing off his Fidel Castro and Che Guevara tattoos, mocked the Brazilian's respect for authority.
Pele condemned Maradona as "not being an example" to youngsters because of his drug problems.
The more guarded Messi, as heir to Argentina's greatest sporting hero, has avoided suggesting he is better than Maradona.
Brazilian football legend Pelé, who won a record three World Cups, dies at 82 0
More than six decades after he first wowed the world on the football pitch, Pelé is no more. The superstar Brazil nicknamed "O Rei" – the King – and winner of three World Cups died on Thursday at the age of 82 after a battle with colon cancer. His death caps a storied life as one of the greatest footballers the game has ever known.
Pelé's daughter Kely Nascimento announced his death on Instagram. "We love you infinitely, rest in peace," she wrote. His agent, Joe Fraga, confirmed his death.
The standard-bearer of "the beautiful game" had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021. He had been hospitalised for the last month with multiple ailments and died of organ failure.
"Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today," read his official Instagram account.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born to a poor family in Três Corações in southeastern Brazil on October 23, 1940. Nicknamed Pelé as a schoolboy, his first football was reportedly a sock stuffed with rags. The first man to have ever scored 1,000 career goals, Pelé's dizzying exploits on the pitch brought him to 1,281 goals in 1,362 matches between 1956 and 1977 – including more than 1,000 for fabled Santos FC.
It was wearing that club's famous white shirt that Pelé achieved some of his most glittering successes, not least winning two Copa Libertadores (1961, 1962) and a Recopa Sudamericana (1968).
But Pelé, who also won 11 regional championships, was far more than just a club player. Selected 92 times by his country, Pelé's international play was, too, the stuff of legend. He won three World Cups with Brazil (1958, 1962 and 1970) – a feat that remains his alone.
Pelé was blessed "with speed, balance, control, power, and an uncanny ability to anticipate the movements of his opponents and teammates", according to the Bleacher Report sport news site. While leading his clubs to new heights, he also made an impression with his "gentleman-like behavior both on and off the pitch".
A precocious talent
Pelé's legend was forged starting with his earliest appearances, a precocious talent deploying his remarkable skills for all to see. He was just 15 in September 1956 when he first took the field for Santos, a baptism of fire against FC Corinthians that would see the young hopeful score his first goal.
Pelé would step up to football's biggest stage two years later and shine for all the world to see. In 1958, the 17-year-old already had 100 goals under his belt in Brazil, winning him a place on the national squad for the World Cup in Sweden. The teenager was left on the bench for the Seleção's three group matches to begin the tournament. But with the backingof his teammates, Pelé was in the starting 11 for the knock-out stages.
Given that chance, the teen phenom was nothing short of a revelation. Pelé scored in the quarter-finals, giving Brazil a 1-0 win over Wales. In the semi-finals, he went on to score three consecutive goals to knock out France. And in the final against the tournament hosts, Pelé netted another critical two goals as the Seleção beat Sweden 5-2 to take the World Cup home.
The Brazilian prodigy's effort and talent would lay the groundwork for an extraordinary career punctuated by sky-high numbers. On six occasions, Pelé managed to score five goals in the same game, but he also notched 30 quadruples and 92 triples over two illustrious decades. In 1964, he infamously destroyed the Botafogo defence with eight goals in a single match.
After a successful turn with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League, "O Rei" retired in 1977, having collected 27 team trophies alongside myriad individual honours and memories galore. Of the latter, perhaps none were to rival the feverish atmosphere at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro during the 1969 match that saw Pelé score his 1,000th career goal.
Even after hanging up his cleats, Pelé continued to shine. After retirement he dedicated much of his time to causes close to his heart, and his humanitarian work with UNICEF earned him the 1978 International Peace Award. He made occasional appearances on the silver screen – he starred alongside Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine in 1981's Victory – but also briefly entered politics, serving as Brazil's minister of sport from 1995 to 1998. He also served as a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment as well as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNESCO.
The sporting honours also continued to roll in. Péle was inducted into the US National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1993 and named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999. FIFA gave him an honorary Ballon d'Or in 2014. Football's highest authority also designated Pelé as FIFA Player of the Century, an honour he shared with Argentina's Diego Maradona (a joint prize that always rankled the diminutive Argentine, who felt he alone deserved the title).
Some 45 years after Pelé stepped off the professional pitch, such accolades helped establish his status as a legend with new generations.
Now, after a long reign crowned with successes, Pelé has taken his leave. O Rei is dead … Long live the King!
Source: France 24
World Cup winner Messi to return to PSG next week 0
World Cup winner Lionel Messi is set to return to work at Paris Saint-Germain next week, his club coach Christophe Galtier said on Tuesday.
Messi, 35, was the lynchpin of the Argentina side that won the World Cup in Qatar nine days ago, scoring twice in the final against France which finished in a penalty shoot-out victory.
He then returned to Argentina with his teammates to celebrate their third World Cup triumph.
"Leo had a very big World Cup with his victory," said Galtier on the eve of PSG's meeting with Strasbourg as Ligue 1 kicks off again on Wednesday after the World Cup break.
"He had to return to Argentina for the celebrations and we decided that he was going to be off until January 1.
"He will come and join us either on the second or third (January) to pick up the season with us.
"He will have had between 13 and 14 days of recovery."
Messi looks likely to miss two Ligue 1 matches and the French Cup match at Chateauroux, possibly making his return at home against Angers on January 11.
He is also expected to sit down with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and other top club officials to pen a one-season extension to his current deal in the French capital which expires in the summer.
PSG's other World Cup players, notably Kylian Mbappe and Neymar "will be available for the match tomorrow (Wednesday)", said Galtier.
Mbappe could even start, having returned to training just three days after the disappointment of losing the World Cup final, in spite of his hat-trick.
"We made sure to manage on a case-by-case basis," said Galtier. "After talking with him, Kylian wanted to join us fairly quickly."


Twenty-six high ranking police officers, including two Senior Superintendents of Police (SSP) were transferred yesterday, according Police Headquarters.
The transfers were made based on service requirements, with the approval of the National Police Commission. Those transferred included two Senior Superintendents of Police (SSP), five Superintendents of Police (SP), and four Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP). Police Headquarters said three Chief Inspectors of Police acting as OICs and two Inspectors of Police have also been transferred.


Following Salute we are back to normal delivery times.
Our next show is Carronade in Falkirk which we are now taking pre orders for.
Select Carronade show collection as your delivery option in the shopping cart.
We will be attending the following shows.
Because of the hand made nature of our scenery most orders are processed within 14 to 21 days, however please allow 28 days for delivery.
If you do not receive your order within 28 days, or any items are damaged or missing, please contact us immediately so we may rectify the problem.
CARDS: Payment by card can only can be made on our secure shopping cart and will be processed by Paypal. We CANNOT accept card payments by telephone. We DO accept card payments at shows.
PAYPAL: Payment can be made on our secure shopping cart. Alternatively send us your order and we will request payment through Paypal for the total including P & P when your order is ready for sending out.
CHEQUE: Sterling cheques only, made payable to S & A Scenics.


International students desirous of pursuing a course in a Canadian post-secondary institution may now have a shorter wait time in obtaining visa approval as the Candian government has made some changes in its student visa policy.
What are Major Changes in Canadian Student Visa Policy?
Amid strong competition from countries like China, US and Russia, the Government of Canada doesn't want to lose its share of most eligible international students. A new student facilitation program, Student Direct Stream (SDS) has been introduced with effect from June 8 last, replacing the old Student Partnership Program (SPP).
How Changes in Canadian Students Visa Policy impact International Students?
With this Canadian visa program, the students will get more options to choose from the educational institutes in the North American country. While the SPP allowed them to study for a course in any of the 40 post-secondary institutes in the country, the SDS will let the international students enroll in both private as well as publicly funded Designated Learning Institutes(DLI).
While only eligible international students will be able to make their way into the best Canadian institutes, the SDS will make the visa application and approval process faster and simpler for them.
The country's High Commissioner to India has said that the new Canadian visa program is meant to encourage the international students to study in Canadian institutes that impart high-quality international education in a safe environment but are also affordable.
Unarguably, Canada wants to have the best brains in its top institutes, creating a pool of talent that may well become part of its population down the years.
The new Canadian visa program has been introduced with the aim to ease the flow of students not only from India but also from eastern countries like China, Vietnam and Philipines. It has been designed for the students of these four Asian countries, however, after its success is evaluated, it may be later extended to countries in other parts of the world.
Who are eligible for SDS benefits under Canadian Student Visa Program?
International students can benefit from new Canadian visa program only if they can prove that they have been selected by an (eligible) post-secondary Designated Learning Institute (DLI) and have paid the first year education fees. Further, the student will have to show proof that they have obtained Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of $10,000 provided by a financial institution that is approved by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada. Students will also need to prove that they have been through the upfront medical checkup. They would also have to show that they have obtained minimum-required IELTS level of English language ability of 6.0 in all categories, which includes reading, writing and speaking.
How to get SDS benefit as Student in Canada?
Applications eligible under SDS can be processed within 45 days or less. However, to get the benefit of the new streamlined visa processing under the new Canadian visa program, students are advised to apply online. Non-SDS applications will be subjected to normal processing time, official sources have said.
Must Read : Why You Need to Opt for an Immigration Consultant for Canada?


The Little Mermaid wasn't the only movie that the children decided to use to inspire their art work, they were also inspired by "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "The Last Unicorn". Even though the latter has nothing to do with the sea, camper Reagan's "The Last Unicorn"-inspired artwork reminded me of mermaids (unicorns and mermaids are technically both mythical creatures, falling under the same category, after all.) While some chests were movie-inspired, there were others that were completely innovative including Kit's "Sunset by the Sea," and a chest styled with Microsoft Windows colors only.
Each camper had a unique idea and put their grand imagination on display. From what the camp counselors told me about these children before I met them, I could tell that they are self sufficient and don't require help from anyone. After spending some time with them, I can tell that this is completely true as they showed themselves to be completely independent.
Assistant Camp Director Erica planned a new theme for each week to encourage the children's creativity and innovation in different ways. Themed weeks are also helpful in fostering new conversations and friendships as new children join the group each week. This week, the theme proves to our campers that life at Wagner College Summer Camp is sweet under and over the sea...jokes on you, Sebastian.
Wagner College campers with their treasure chests!


In this page, I'm going to guide you how to upgrade your membership level.
To upgrade your membership level, first thing you need to do is to access your Unity Network account.
If you haven't access your Unity Account yet, you will need to follow the steps bellow to get access to your Unity network account.
IMPORTANT: Enter your email address and click the "Send Email" button. Make sure to use the same email you registered for APS.
STEP 4: Go to PRODUCTS tab.
STEP 6: Process your payment.
NOTE: If you need help in upgrading your level, contact your coach immediately. Your coach can assist you in upgrading your account.


I present my investigations into explicitly mapping dependencies between image areas and identify limitations of that approach. I continue with an analysis of variational autoencoders. Building on the insight, I train VAEs on different sized image patches extracted from the CIFAR-10 and CelebA datasets. The patch VAEs are used to compute a similarity metric between individual patches. As an evaluation, linear models are trained to perdict the labels given the unsupervised representations. The patch-VAEs allow to obtain better classification accuracies then using the representations of a global VAE on CIFAR-10 and CelebA datasets. The patch VAEs are used to compute a similarity metric between individual patches. As an evalutation, linear models are trained to predict the labels given the unsupervised representations. The patch-VAEs allow to obtain better classifications accuracies then using the representations of a global VAE on CIFAR-10 and CelebA. I find that for VAEs the features of the earlier layers give a better linear classification performance than their representations.


Time is running out to establish a suitable regime for the proliferation of mixed-use developments across Canberra, says newly-elected president of the ACT branch of the Strata Community Association, Chris Miller. Mr Miller said the ACT Government had been dragging its feet on developing a new legislative framework for the growing number of developments that combine residential, commercial and retail uses, and the issue was at the top of his to-do list. He will be engaging with major stakeholders, including the Owners Corporation Network, and knocking on the doors of Government.


Living with pain, medical bills and lost wages after a common accident at work or an occupational disease can be difficult enough. But in certain cases, proving what caused your pain can be even more difficult. Pennsylvania employers and Workers' Compensation insurance providers will often try to argue that a worker's injury or disease existed before starting a job or was caused by something other than their job - even when it may be apparent that an injury is directly linked to that job.
At the Law Offices of Richard A. Jaffe, LLC, we understand that proving the cause and extent of your injuries to your manager, doctor and Workers' Compensation companies can be a complex process. We're here to help. Attorney Jaffe has handled more than 1,000 Workers' Compensation cases. Our legal team takes your case seriously. If your work-related injury or illness is not related to a pre-existing condition, we can prove it and go after the benefit you rightfully deserve.
If you believe you've been injured while on-the-job or developed an occupational disease as a result of a job-related duty or hazardous condition, documenting your symptoms and work tasks related to your injury is essential. Whether you were injured in a slip, trip and fall accident and symptoms were apparent immediately or developed a repetitive stress injury at an office or manufacturing plant, recording every detail of your injury or illness can help prove the cause and extent of your injury to the Workers' Compensation Judge.
Documentation is especially important because, under Pennsylvania law, certain provisions allow the Workers' Compensation insurance company to deny benefits if it's believed that a prior condition or illness existed. In the event of an accident, your employer's insurance company is liable for the aggravation of an existing condition, while occupational illnesses must be proven to have been caused by activities related to the job itself.
The Law Offices of Richard A. Jaffe, LLC is ready to help. Contact us. We will help you navigate through the entire Workers' Compensation process, from filing your initial claim to appealing a denied claim to the appropriate court. Call 866-800-3332 for a free case evaluation. Don't delay and jeopardize the benefits you justly deserve.


Cuba the Next Ireland or P.R.?
An interesting suppostion from writer Clive Thompson on Cuba's potential as a (bio)tech hub. Why not.
Notes from BIO 2009: Irish Pharma--Can Innovation and Quality Trump Cost and Infrastructure Considerations?
Some slighting asides were made during one session at BIO, on biopharma capacity...they weren't part of the official powerpoint presentations, but came unofficially during the Q&A, and they showed that some people in the industry may continue to see Ireland as an expensive place to do business.


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Methuen Police Charge Juvenile for Allegedly Threatening Catholic School
By Tom Duggan on October 6, 2017 Comments Off on Methuen Police Charge Juvenile for Allegedly Threatening Catholic School
METHUEN — The Methuen Police Department is charging a juvenile in connection with a threat made against a parochial school in the city earlier this week.
A male juvenile student male student from Presentation of Mary Academy will be summonsed to Lawrence Juvenile District Court for Willfully Communicating or Causing to be Communicated a Threat.
On Wednesday, Oct. 4th at approximately 4 p.m., Methuen police officers were dispatched to Presentation of Mary Academy, located at 209 Lawrence St., to investigate a report of vandalism.
Upon arrival, officers were taken to the Dupre Center, a building that houses the school's gymnasium. There, police discovered a threat to harm people at the school written on the side of the building.
The threat was first discovered by a student who alerted administrators. It is not known how long the threat had been there before it was discovered. No individual was named in the threat, and no specific date or time was mentioned.
Out of an abundance of caution, the Methuen Police Department activated The Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council School Threat Assessment Team (NEMLEC S.T.A.R.S.) which is composed of officers from around Middlesex and Essex counties, who are specially-trained to respond to school-related threats and incidents.
Presentation of Mary High School had a delayed opening on Thursday with a controlled entry and increased security measures.
"I commend Methuen Police and administrators of Presentation of Mary Academy for their professionalism and diligence while handling this incident," Mayor Zanni said.
"While there was never any threat to the community, the safety of our students, teachers and administrators is paramount, and we took these precautions because it was the prudent thing to do," Chief Solomon said. "I would like to thank everyone for their patience and support during this incident and especially want to commend the student who came forward to alert school officials about the threat. This student's courage should serve as an example to others to always say something if you see something."
Presentation of Mary Academy, founded in 1958 by the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, is a Catholic, co-ed, parochial high school for students in grades 9-12.
The following is the full statutory description of the charge:
Did willfully communicate or cause to be communicated through an electronic communication device or by some other means a threat (1) that a firearm, rifle, shotgun, machine gun or assault weapon, as defined in G.L. c.140, §121, an explosive or incendiary device, a dangerous chemical or biological agent, a poison, a harmful radioactive substance or some other device, substance or item capable of causing death, serious bodily injury or substantial property damage, would be used at a place or location, or was present or would be present at a place or location, whether or not the same was in fact used or present; or (2) to hijack an aircraft, ship, or common carrier thereby causing anxiety, unrest, fear, or personal discomfort to any person or group of persons; in violation of G.L. c.269, §14(b).
Methuen Police Charge Juvenile for Allegedly Threatening Catholic School added by Tom Duggan on October 6, 2017

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


AKG have been reinventing themselves somewhat of late with some notable releases such as the K550 and the K495 NC headsets and have been garnishing more than favorable feedback from the headphone community as a result. Not to be ignored their lower tier headphones have all gone through a revision as well and the K5 series (512 and 514) are no exception. I managed to get a loan of the K512 MK2 from AKG Philippines for curiosity sake to see if the lower end cans are going through similar revisions for the better.
You know I am really digging the new AKB boxing materials but I wonder if putting a sub $100 headphone into the essentially the same box as their $300 headphones is the right way to do things in terms of market differentiation. Sure the cheaper ones benefit from a classy box but the mid-fi cans might suffer from an identity crisis as a result. packaging means a lot when you come to make that purchase; take the LCD-3 headphone – looks identical in almost every way to the LCD-2 but sounds a whole lot better to many yet the conclusion is that it is not double the money better. My take on that is that the packaging and looks played a role in that subjective conclusion. Still the previous MK1 packaging wasn't bad either so you have to give AKG some respect for wanting to give you a nice layout even for the lower tier headphones.
And boy is this headphone light for the size! Specs say 200g but it doesn't feel 200g on the head to be honest. In terms of design functionality not much has really changed with the Mk2. It's the same over the head tube system with stretchable pleather and cloth band seen on the higher end K series like the 701/2. I always found this system from AKG to be super comfortable and true enough it is though not the most pleasing of sights when outdoors to fellow commuters and pedestrians but heck I have seen bigger and vulgar on the roads before. Its a plastic construct but molded pretty well. The cable is not detachable and quite long at 2.5m and so outdoor use it can get a little congested if stuffing in your pocket along with a DAP and headphone amp if that is your setup. The cable does suit home use a bit better but those of a DIY nature can probably do something to shorten it pretty easily. It is terminated with a 3.5mm as standard with a screw off quarter jack which is the norm these days for most headphones at this price point.
The comfort levels on the head are above average though the more rounded cup revision from the original K512 is not my total favorite. I would prefer the more oval shape since the more rounded ones tend to pressure a bit more around my ear but they are big enough not to be an on-ear cup and with continued use I can't see on-ear fatigue being a major issue fit-wise. The pads are foamed nylon with the new obligatory AKF big L and R on the inside which I am a fan off. Why didn't anyone think of this before? I mean seriously you spend ages looking for a tiny L and R on other cans but here it is right in the middle in huge letters and they look great.
Isolation wise they are average. the rounded cups combined with the nylon cloth covering doesn't give a good a seal as softer pleather like the HD25 or even the tma-1. The clamping is not super tight like the K518 LE thank god but overall a comfortable fit aided by the fact they are very light indeed.
At 32 ohms and 109db you do not need an amp to power these to satisfactory levels to be honest. My testing setup was a Nano 4th Gen and a Fostex HP-P1 DAC/AMP for most of the review but without the Fostex I found, albeit with varying degrees of quality, the nano to power the K512 MK2 to satisfactory levels. With the nano on its own about 75% volume was sufficient for my needs and around 11am on the pot for the HP-P1 (Gain 3) using 320k mp3. Without giving the game away too soon if you are going to match up with an amp I suggest a slightly warm or dark amp because out of the box these cans zing like no tomorrow with hot treble and really could do with some offsetting either through EQ or a dark analog warm amp. I was tempted to pair it with the ALO Continental for fun but honestly I don't think anyone is going to buy a Continental to offset the hot treble on the K512 MK2 – right? Best amp matches would be FiiO E11 or FiiO E17 or the new Mingo headphone amp which is around $160 and has a nice smooth tonality. Those with Cowon DAP's just go straight to your EQ settings and you will be happy enough.
Well as I mentioned out of the box I found the headphone to be essentially neutral to bright with hot zingy treble and a touch of sibilance with good mids and a slightly shallow bass. Honestly this didn't surprise me. AKG just don't do uber-bass consumer cans (outside of the K518 LE) and probably never will so long as the same ears are employed in R&D in Vienna. Mids are what AKG do well and in this instance the mids are not that bad actually though lacking in a little meat. The K512 is clean and above average headphone in terms of detail and accuracy which I have often thought is what AKG is all about rather than pure musicality and gut wrenching bass. Shallow bass doesn't mean no bass, more of a coherent bass reproduction that doesn't color the tonality of the headphone itself. A great example is Royksopp's "And the Forest Began To Sing" from their Senior album – this has tons of delicacy and a great bass line and strong synth and the K512 MK2 handles it pretty well without it being excessively bass heavy and not a hint of muddiness. They are definitely a more open and balanced headphone (for a closed can) than some of the similar prices competitors in the market today and present a more considered sound for those who are not turned on by thick analog bassy cans that seem to be in vogue for many.
For genre matching I found the K512 MK2 to be more versatile than most. With electronica and dance it does miss a thumping bass line but its coherence and more neutral sound give it an ability to perform to satisfactory levels without feeling I missed out on anything too much. It coped a lot better on more ambient tracks where details are more important that driving musicality. It did become a tad more fatiguing on some metal genres which showed up the hot treble a bit too much at times. Match this with slower delicate emotional music such as Sarah McLauchlan's 'Angels' of the City of Angel's OST then you know where this headphone shines – great mids guys.
I can see this headphone attracting a loyal following. I do wonder at this price range if a mid-centric headphone will capture a huge market though. Not everyone is a basshead, least of all me so I can understand and appreciate a headphone of this type. It's not quite portable class with a large form factor but it looks pretty durable and its easy enough to drive right out of your DAP. EQ that hot treble and match with a darker amp and you might have something smooth and clean and fast for a pretty competitive price.
I'd like to know how do this headphone compares to Superlux HD668B. I know this is closed, the other is semi-opened, but I going to buy a new pair of budget hp and don't want to buy both to see how do they compares in terms of 1) comfort; 2) sound. Thanks for your help, and congratulation for the great review.
Tricky since I have not heard the HD668B in a long time but the AKG should be a better build and slightly lighter with better warranty support and a little cleaner in the highs and mids.
I saw these as low as $20 in a British Supermarket recently so that's bang for buck for me but they do indeed have the classic bass lite signature of most AKG cans apart from the DJ range.
Sadly I never got a chance to have the review unit for more than 3 weeks to see if they fall apart like what they did for you.
I must say I'm surprised on how positive everyone has been on these, since the quality is not great.
The inner head band came of after only 3 weeks of usage and you loose at lot of info at the highs and lows. I love AKG's quality for their high range models, however the low range Sennheisers seem a better bang for your buck.
I just got this headphones for use as one of the monitoring phones in the vocal room. I cant believe how exceedingly bright and trebly this thing is, I have to cut off almost of the highs at the headphone amp to make it sound acceptable in the booth. Leakage is unacceptable for recording. Unlike the AKG k100 which is more neutral and closer to the sound of my yamaha ns10m speakers, I dont recommend the k512mkII for listening at loud levels and long periods of time. Be warned.
Thanks Connor! I am greatly encouraged by the sub $100 price bracket has to offer these days in terms of good sounding headphones.


Environmentalist Charoen Wataksorn, who was murdered on June 21, 2004, lived an extraordinary and inspiring life. He was a hero who fought to his death for justice, for the protection of his community and the environment.
Born in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Charoen was the youngest of eight children in a family of merchants living in a fishing village. He moved to Bo Nok in 1983 with his wife, Korn-uma Pongnoi, where they farmed and traded pineapples.
His decade of fighting for the environment and community began in 1994 when he first found out from some locals that lands in his community were being bought for a planned power plant.
In 1997, his peaceful life dramatically changed when he and his wife joined other villagers to protest against the US$ 800 million (34 billion baht) Bo Nok power plant project, which some technocrats promoted as essential for the nation's energy security. The plant was expected to generate 700 megawatts of electricity using imported coal from Australia.
The public first heard of Charoen's name when around 20,000 villagers mobilized to blockade the Southern Highway in December 1998. This event sent so much pressure on the government to end the power plant projects in both Bo Nok and Ban Krut. And it led to serious public hearings.
From then on, Charoen and his community would be known worldwide as champions of environmental protection, especially in the global effort to stop climate change.
But his community's campaign in Thailand was not about to be won easily. Many leading members of the community movement have been subjected to harassment and persecution including being shot at, receiving murder threats, and being sued by government officials.
Charoen and his wife were no exception. Their house was burned, there were numerous murder threats, and he was shot at three times during the course of their campaign against the coal plants. He was also approached several times with huge amounts of money. A company promised to pay him US$ 300,000 (12 million baht) if he stopped protesting. He refused the offers saying he would be content to have three meals a day and be welcomed in any house he dropped by in the village instead of bowing his head in shame if he accepted the bribes.
Their struggle finally paid off in 2002 when the Thaksin government announced the postponement of both coal plants, essentially scrapping the whole project.
On June 21, 2004, the world was shocked to learn that Charoen was murdered shortly after testifying to a parliamentary committee against powerful figures involved in community land grabs. He told senators in Bangkok how local officials were colluding to transfer public land in Bo Nok to a local strongman.
The fight against the land grab was the latest in Chareon's ongoing battle to preserve the environment and protect his community.
The successful campaign to stop the dirty coal plants of Bo Nok and Ban Krut was lead by Chareon in an incredible example of grassroots organising.
It is the story of a whole community fighting back against large industrial projects, corruption and bad investments that threaten the local people, communities and the environment. It is an inspiration for the whole environmental movement.
This community's struggle against coal projects has travelled the world, inspiring many communities including the Pulupandan community in Negros, Philippines to resist dirty energy development (this community also won their fight against a planned coal plant). Those who have won their local battles now support other battles around the world.
Greenpeace pays tribute to Charoen and to the many communities out there who continue to struggle against unsuitable development in order to protect the sustainability of their communities.
The cancellation of these two coal-fired power plants marked the turning point in Thailand's clean energy future. Had these plants been built, Thailand would be importing coal from Indonesia and Australia, fuelling global warming, and causing toxic pollution in the host communities. Now, the country has domestic options ranging from greater energy efficiency to developing new renewable electricity sources for its energy needs.
Globally, this campaign is probably the first time ever that two major coal power plants have not been developed once the companies involved had committed to them. The proponents of the Bo Nok plant spent millions on greenwashing their proposal with misleading adverts in national newspapers about 'Clean Coal'. They even got the US Ambassador to threaten Thailand's government with 'capital flight' and divestment if such major projects were cancelled. In the struggle to stop global warming, reducing the uptake of coal in economies that largely exist without it is key. Coal is a fuel of the past - renewable energy is the future.
For Greenpeace, Charoen represents a community that has chosen a path towards a clean energy future for themselves and future generations. In our hearts, we will always carry Charoen's courage, and continue the fight for a clean and healthy environment we all could live in.
Disclaimer: The"Bearing Witness" weblog do not necessarily reflect the views of any Greenpeace national office. Blog posts sometimes also appear in lists of content on other parts of our site, but the posts themselves are under the "blog" directory.
Blog posts and comments are written by individual staff, crew, volunteer bloggers, supporters and individuals we work with. These contain their own quirky, unorthodox, unordained, uncondoned, and highly personal opinions. If you are looking for the official word from Greenpeace, please see our press releases, feature stories and campaign pages, which better reflect our institutional voice, policy, and opinions.


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Loxoconchidae é uma família de ostracodes pertencentes à ordem Podocopida.

Géneros
Géneros (lista incompleta):

 Alataconcha Whatley e Zhao
 Antarctiloxoconcha Hartmann, 1986
 Australoloxoconcha Hartmann, 1974

Podocopida
Famílias de ostracodos

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Many of the fishermen who signed up to work for BP cleaning up the oil signed contracts that forbid them from talking to the press. Perhaps for that reason, reports of illnesses have been somewhat slow to emerge. Last week, the wives of some of the fishermen spoke out publicly about the symptoms their husbands were experiencing. This week, some fishermen are starting to come forward. In this WDSU TV interview, one of the fishermen reports feeling drugged, disoriented, tingling, fatigued, and also reporting shortness of breath and cough. These are symptoms that are consistent with what one might expect from exposure to hydrocarbons in oil.
There are also disturbing photos that have been posted on the internet and in the LA Times, showing clean-up workers on beaches in regular street clothes without even the benefit of gloves. These people are in contact with the weathered oil (as opposed to fresh oil bubbling up from the continuing leak). Weathered oil is considered less dangerous than fresh oil because the toxic vapors have dissipated, but it is not benign. Skin contact with even the weathered oil is very damaging, so gloves should be required. In addition, the oil can contaminate shoes and clothing, and could then be worn home where it could pose a risk to young children. The oil needs to be cleaned up, but it should be done right.
This coming week, fishermen from Alaska who were involved in the clean-up after the Exxon Valdez oil spill are coming down to the Gulf Coast to meet with local fishermen. The goal is to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. I blogged previously about scientific studies of health effects in clean-up workers from prior oil spills. So it's encouraging to see that the workers are sharing stories. The only way to keep people safe is to learn from history, and to force BP to act responsibly (or is that an oxymoron at this point?) One of my NRDC colleagues will be at the meeting this week, and she will be gathering information on what's happening out there. Stay tuned for updates in the effort to protect the clean-up workers.


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Composer(s): Blagoje Bersa
"Although Bersa was the most influential Croatian composer at the turn from the 19th to the 20th century, his music stayed rather unknown to international audiences. The beauty of his melodic lines and the delicacy of the way he conceives musical textures are an astonishing discovery. Occasionally evoking styles of Beethoven, Brahms or Liszt, Bersa never abandons the idioms of music traditions of his home Mediterranean, which seems to be the area of his utmost expression." — Goran Filipec
BERSA, BLAGOJE (1873–1934)
Complete Piano Music • 2
As with the first volume in this series (GP767), Blagoje Bersa's piano works are organised according to their character and tonality rather than chronologically. They include elements of transcription drawing on Mozart and Beethoven but also characterful barcarolles that evoke Italian music, a taut and witty Bizarre Serenade, a simple but affecting Mélancolie, and an invitation to a Viennese ballroom in the Valzer, Op. 3.
This recording was made on a modern instrument: Fazioli, F278
Ballade in D Minor, Op. 65 (1921) (00:07:14)
Rondo-Polonaise, Op. 18 (1897) (00:08:07)
Valse mélancolique, Op. 76 (1921) (00:03:28)
Serenade-Barcarolle (1917) (00:01:43)
Venecijanska barkarola (Venetian Barcarolle), Op. 58 (1921) (00:04:06)
Riso e lamento, Op. 63 (1908) (00:02:56)
Valzer in A Major, Op. 3 (1893) (00:10:25)
Tema con variazioni (Theme and Variations), Op. 15 (1899) * (00:05:47)
Piano Sonata [No. 1] in C Major, Op. 19 (1897) * (00:06:32)
Minuet, Op. 11 (1896) * (00:04:19)
Novelette, Op. 69 (1910) (00:03:18)
Bizarna serenada (Bizarre Serenade) (1915) (00:02:14)
Fantasia breve, Op. 56 (1905) * (00:02:28)
Stari mornar priča (An Old Sailor's Telling) (1916) (00:02:05)
Mélancolie, Op. 76 (1921) (00:02:16)
As a composer of symphonic music, operas and songs, as well as chamber and piano works, Blagoje Bersa (1873–1934) was undoubtedly one of the central figures of Croatian musical life at the turn of the 20th century.
"It's hard to resist the music's infectious energy, especially through Goran Filipec's powerful and irrepressible fingers." – Gramophone
"…Goran Filipec's performances…basically left me stunned and speechless from the first notes, and I'm still recovering!.. I cannot recommend this release highly enough" — Gramophone
"Filipec is an exciting prospect and his programme is most valuable. " — Gramophone


Fugro has been hired to provide remotely operated vehicle (ROV) services to support Petrobras in its exploration and production activities following two new contract wins.
Under the two new contracts Fugro's ROV spread will support drilling related activities, such as towing, mooring, commissioning and de-commissioning, and positioning of production and drilling units, as well as installation of subsea equipment in Petrobras oil fields.
The ROVs will be deployed in water depths of 3,000 meters on the Brazilian continental shelf.
The first contract, with the duration of 319 days, starts in the second quarter of 2018 and is being executed from the Far Santana, an anchor handling and towing support (AHTS) vessel owned by Norwegian marine contractor SolstadFarstad.
Posted on June 18, 2018 with tags BRAZIL, Fugro, Petrobras, ROV.


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HomeAfricaDid Hillary Clinton Benefit From Funds Stolen By A Former Nigerian Dictator?
AfricaFeatured
Did Hillary Clinton Benefit From Funds Stolen By A Former Nigerian Dictator?
Hillary Clinton.
AFRICANGLOBE – New revelations suggest that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton may have benefited immensely from the funds stolen by former Nigerian dictator, General Sani Abacha.
The late Sani Abacha became Nigeria's head of state in 1993 through a bloodless coup after he overthrew the interim government of Ernest Shonekan. He remained Nigeria's maximum ruler until his sudden death in 1998 – a relatively short period of five years.
However, the five dark years Abacha spent in office remains unequalled in the history of Nigeria. Abacha's regime was marked by an overwhelming repression of citizens' rights and freedoms of and an unbelievable scale of government-backed corruption and nepotism. Abacha was a classic despot: paranoid and dim-witted, he was a reclusive leader who made torture, forced disappearances, and murders a standard part of state craft.
A recent report by Sahara Reporters has revealed the high level of involvement between the Clinton Foundation, a not-for-profit organization run by former US president, the office of the US Secretary of State during Hillary Clinton's term, and a certain Gilbert Chagoury, a dodgy Lebanese businessman who had strong ties to the government of Sani Abacha.
Chagoury enjoyed a privileged and close relationship with the late Sani Abacha; as Sahara Reporters explains, his role as a go-between and bagman for the Abacha regime is well documented. In a documentary shown on American public television, Chagoury recalled that he first befriended General Abacha in his early days as a young officer while Chagoury was an aspiring industrialist.
Chagoury, the report says, "designed a complex global network of shell companies, offshore bank accounts and fraudulent business deals that allowed Abacha and his family and cronies – including [Chagoury] himself – to siphon off an estimated $4 billion in oil revenue and tax money from Nigeria."
Gilbert Chagoury and former US President Bill Clinton.
Sahara Reporters reveals that Chagoury is an important friend of the Clintons and one of the largest individual donors to the Clinton Foundation, contributing between $1 -$5 million to the charity. Chagoury also reportedly pledged the sum of $1 billion to the Clinton Global Initiative.
Hillary Clinton, it is believed, had on occasion, also sought to "pay" Mr Chagoury in kind. The Sahara Reporters article states that a string of leaked emails released by the conservative group Judicial Watch reveals the level of commitment the Clintons had to Chagoury. In a series of mails exchanged between top Clinton staffers and the US Ambassador to Lebanon, Clinton's aides sought for favours on Chagoury's behalf and repeatedly referred to him as a "substance person" and "key guy" for the Clinton foundation.
Chagoury may be chummy with the Clintons, but he is wanted in Nigeria. In 2004, a former head of the Nigerian anti-corruption agency EFCC almost had him arrested at an airport in northern Nigeria where a plane carrying the Lebanese businessman was expected to land. But the plans were reportedly scuttled when Chagoury was apparently tipped off by one of his network of paid surrogates.
More than anything, the report from Sahara Reporters highlights the hypocrisy and double standards of Western democracies and governments, which are often quick to identify and condemn cases of corruption and bad governance in Africa and other developing countries while conveniently ignoring the crucial role they play, either by actively propping up dictators who do their bidding or looking away and ignoring cases of misrule that do not threaten or affect perceived Western interests.
Reports such as this one continue to show that most of the corruption that goes on in Africa's public sector almost never happens without a western accomplice. Corruption is often aided either by the Swiss banks in Europe helping to hide Africa's stolen loot or American "leaders" like Clinton that accept questionable donations without qualms.
By: Mark Babatunde
corroption
Gilbert Chagoury
Sani Abacha
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Ghana: A Shining Democracy Without Accountability