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Defiant US says Falluja dead were rebels
600 dead in besieged Iraqi city - but marine commander claims victims mostly insurgents
Rory McCarthy in Baghdad and Julian Borger in Washington
Sun 11 Apr 2004 20.58 EDT
The United States last night robustly defended its controversial siege of Falluja which has cost the lives of more than 600 people over the past week, by claiming most of those who died were militants picked off with precision by US marines.
As a tense ceasefire held in the turbulent city west of Baghdad and an international hostage crisis persisted across Iraq, the US marine commander in charge of the siege of Falluja claimed 95% of those killed were legitimate targets.
The death toll in Falluja has sparked widespread international concern and has led to condemnation by the US-appointed Iraqi governing council.
Yesterday, the director of the town's general hospital, Rafie al-Issawi, said the vast majority of the dead were women, children and the elderly.
But when asked about the victims numbers, US marine Lieutenant Colonel Brennan Byrne said: "What I think you will find is 95% of those were military age males that were killed in the fighting. The marines are trained to be precise in their firepower ... The fact that there are 600 goes back to the fact that the marines are very good at what they do," he said.
The figure of 600 was gathered from four clinics around the city and from Falluja general hospital, which have all been taking in bodies, said al-Issawi. Bodies were also being buried in two football fields. "We have reports of an unknown number of dead being buried in people's homes without coming to the clinics," Mr Issawi said.
Asked about the number of Iraqi casualties in Falluja, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, spokesman for the US military in Iraq, repeated that marines were "tremendously precise" in their operations and suggested any civilian deaths were caused by insurgents hiding among them.
At least 50 US soldiers have also been killed over the past week, with another 10 over the Easter weekend. Nearly a third of Falluja's 200,000 population fled the city during the weekend lull in fighting.
A British civilian, Gary Teeley, who was kidnapped in the southern city of Nassiriya, was released yesterday, and there were reports last night that eight other foreign hostages including three Pakistanis and two Turks had been freed.
Several other foreigners, including one US contractor and three Japanese civilians, were still being held by their captors.
The bodies of two dead westerners dressed in civilian clothes were shown on Arabic television. Reports from Bonn suggested they were German private security guards.
US officials persevered with ceasefire talks with Sunni mil itants despite the shooting down of a US Apache helicopter over the western Baghdad suburb of Abu Ghraib, killing its two-man crew.
The US civilian administrator, Paul Bremer, appealed for insurgents in Falluja to hold their fire long enough for members of the Iraqi governing council to enter the Sunni stronghold for negotiations. But he insisted: "We will not negotiate over hostages."
The ceasefire calls also appeared to be aimed at freeing US troops and resources for a parallel running battle with radical Shia militias, after it became evident that US-led coalition troops were being overwhelmed by the two-front conflict. It emerged yesterday that an entire Iraqi battalion had refused to fight with US troops and had returned to barracks, torpedoing any prospects of the US pulling out any of its 135,000 troops and passing on their duties to an Iraqi force.
Mr Bremer confirmed that the 620-strong battalion of newly trained Iraqi soldiers had refused to fight after members of the unit were attacked while passing through a Shia district of Baghdad.
According to Major General Paul Eaton, who is overseeing their training, the Iraqi soldiers had told him: "We did not sign up to fight Iraqis."
The report quoted an unnamed senior US officer as saying as many as a quarter of the new Iraqi security forces had "quit, changed sides, or otherwise failed to perform their duties".
Mr Bremer played down the significance of the issue yesterday. "I don't think it's a significant portion at all," he told ABC television.
The surge in fighting has led to calls for an increase in the numbers of US troops in Iraq. "It's obvious that we're paying a heavy price, I think, for not having had enough troops there from the beginning," said John McCain, a Republican senator.
President George Bush insisted that political sovereignty would be handed over by a June 30 deadline.
"Obviously I pray every day there's less casualty. But I know what we're doing in Iraq is right," the president said, after spending Easter Day with troops in Texas. Tony Blair made a similar pledge of resolve yesterday.


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Disney Drops a Bombshell: The Muppets Have Puppeteers!
by Ryan Roe | Aug 27, 2015 | Commentary, Feature
Hey, you know those guys from TV and movies, the Muppets? Sure you do — there's Kermit the Frog, and the bear who tells jokes, and Miss Piggy, and the crazy guy who plays the drums. Yeah, they're really funny. Well, those guys are owned by the Walt Disney Company, and in recent months Disney revealed a major secret about them: The Muppets are puppets and are performed by a team of talented human puppeteers. Can you believe it?!
I'm being a wiseguy, of course, but this really is a big development for the way Disney presents the characters to the public. For years now, we've been lamenting the lack of recognition given to the artists who strain their muscles, contort their bodies, and expertly wiggle dolls to make the Muppet magic happen, as almost none of Disney's official promotional materials ever acknowledged the performers. Even when they released (or allowed the press to release) "behind the scenes" photos with visible camera equipment and such, the puppeteers tended to be cut out. Like this:
Sesame Workshop has given the performers the spotlight in a number of Comic Con panels and appearances at similar events over the years. The Jim Henson Company prominently featured the whole gang in the fantastic special features on the Fraggle Rock DVDs some years back. But Disney seemed very hesitant to show us the men and women below the frame. Some fans said it was part of the company's general "Don't Spoil the Magic" policy, but if you ask me, they were severely underestimating the magic's expiration date. If anything, seeing the artistry and effort required just makes the fans appreciate the final product even more.
Occasionally I've seen an innocent casual fan ask, "Didn't Jim Henson like to maintain the illusion that the Muppets were alive and not puppets?" And sure, he wanted to make them seem like living personalities who could do anything people can do in their movies and TV shows. But he never hesitated to let the audience in on the existence of the performers. In the Jim Henson Hour episode "Secrets of the Muppets," he has the camera pull back to reveal all the major puppeteers on the show. Jim (or Kermit, technically) introduces them all by name, noting that they are one of the most important "secrets" to making the Muppets work.
That's not the only example. When the Muppets took over an entire episode of The Dick Cavett Show in 1971, a bunch of the guys talked to Cavett with puppets on their hands or in their laps, and Caroll Spinney even spent a segment with Big Bird's legs on. And Jim Henson himself made countless appearances on talk shows sitting in the guest chair with Kermit (or Rowlf or Dr. Teeth) on, arm rods in full view.
Of course, Jim Henson was The Muppet Guy, and none of the other puppeteers have ever been as recognizable to the general public as he was and continues to be. (Frank Oz is the only one who even comes close.) So I understand why Jimmy Kimmel isn't rushing to book Dave Goelz or Eric Jacobson as his lead guest, even though it's fascinating to watch them work.
It should be noted that Disney never forbade the performers from talking about their work, or hiding their identities. Websites like this one right here have always been able to get in-depth interviews, and I'm grateful for that. But still, when The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted Blu-rays included making-of featurettes with character interviews but no sign of the performers, it was pretty disheartening.
But all that seems to be changing now, much to our delight and Kermit-like arm-flailing. Last month at San Diego Comic Con, Steve Whitmire, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson, and Bill Barretta all appeared onstage, with their puppets, for a panel to promote The Muppets, and then they even signed Muppet autographs for a few lucky fans. Then at Disney's D23 Expo, they did another panel, this time with Matt Vogel thrown in for good measure. And the crowd went nuts for it. There may be a few people out there who look at these images and complain that it's ruining their childhood or whatever, but I'm confident that the smart, savvy fans who are likely to watch the new show love hearing the insight of the folks who make it happen.
The Muppet performers have so many stories, and so much insight about their characters and their craft and the productions they've worked on. I truly believe that for the average viewer, seeing the performers enhances the experience rather than detracting from it. People love finding out how Rowlf's hands work, and that the same guy who plays Kermit plays Rizzo, and that Miss Piggy is played by a dude. It's all so damn fascinating. And now the audience has been given the chance to be fascinated.
So I want to say two things to the Disney people: First, thank you! We love the Muppet performers, and we love hearing them talk about Muppets, and we love that other people love hearing them talk about Muppets. And second, please keep it up! Maybe consider letting Steve sit in that chair with Kermit the next time the frog is booked on The Tonight Show? And assuming The Muppets series ends up on DVD (which I suppose we can't always assume in today's digital world), maybe think about letting the performers do commentaries? We definitely want to hear Eric's detailed insights about Piggy's intense makeout scene with Topher Grace.
Click here to spoil the magic on the Tough Pigs forum!
by Ryan Roe – Ryan@ToughPigs.com
A Recap of a Conversation with Frank Oz
Jerry and Floyd
Jerry Nelson: The Rock of the Muppets
Gonzo in San Francisco: Dave Goelz at the Walt Disney Family Museum

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I've tried to take a unique approach to basketry, adapting what has for centuries been an ubiquitous and practical craft and move it more towards pure art. My pieces are as likely to be sculptural as vessel-like; one of my goals is to encourage the appreciation of the process as well as the product. Each of my baskets has at their core a teneriffe which can contain carved jade or polished stones, rough wood burls or found metal objects. The pine needles that I use in most of my baskets are collected from all over California, both from urban streets and parks as well as the foothills of the Sierras. But it is the paths that the coiled fibers take on their journey around their centers that make each basket unique, and the juxtaposition of unusual materials that gives each piece its beauty.


Personally I do not diet, I do not advocate for diets. I dislike diets not because they are not effective but because they are almost always not fun. If you don't enjoy it you'll have a hard time making it a lifestyle and soon you'll fall off the band wagon. This is why diets have such a high failure rate.
With that said, I would also like to establish that not all calories are equal. Even similar foods do not have similar calorie counts for different people. A chunk of Ugali may have 150 Kcal for one person and the same chunk have 250 Kcal for another person. This difference may be largely attributed to the bacteria in one's small intestine.
There's two main kinds of bacteria in one's gut: Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. Lean people have more Bacteroidetes and fewer Firmicutes; obese people have more Firmicutes and fewer Bacteroidetes. As obese people lose weight, the ratio of bacteria in their gut swings confidently over to more Bacteroidetes.
Knowing this we then want to increase the Bacteroidetes in our digestive tract. The best way to do this is to feed the bacteria. What do said Bacteroidetes feed on you ask? Well they need food that gets to them undigested and in a form the body won't absorb for itself. The best thing is probiotic fiber. Foods high in probiotic fiber are fruit and vegetables: Artichokes, cabbage, kimchi, apples and dark chocolates (I love that chocolates bit).
Fermented foods also work wonders to improve the good bacteria in your gut. Again not all fermented foods are equal. To improve your gut flora you need bacteria with live cultures. This is where Mursik comes in; though unsweetened plain yogurt would do. It's great for your weight loss efforts. As we age, our bodies no longer produce as much of the enzymes responsible for digesting milk, this makes most of the nutrients in milk less bio-available.
With fermented milk the bacteria that ferments the milk does half the digestion job for you allowing you to get more benefits from the milk. So there you have it have more bad milk, which is what Mursik means when loosely translated.
Realist, optimist, all out adventurer.


As someone who only started wearing foundation in the last year or two, I'm a sucker for anything that's "your skin, but better."
Anytime something becomes ubiquitous in the beauty world Glossier will coyly drop a quiet rebuttal that always feels like an answered prayer.
How does Glossier improve on it's already consummate Balm Dot Com? Simply— by making three more.
That Time I Went A Week Without Moisturizer.
The Beat celebrates its first birthday and you get the presents!
Becca x Jaclyn Hill Palette: Is It All Hype or Nah?
Context markets themselves as "unisex skincare." It is such an integral part of their branding that GQ wrote about them having an "interesting demographic." Riddle me this, GQ– what makes "all of mankind" so interesting?
A candidly named facial moisturizer with micro-capsules of water that form dew drops on your skin?? Sounds advanced as hell.
Oh, Drunk Elephant. You had me at drunk.
If I am on the fence about buying something, I will almost always pull the trigger if it comes in blue. Bonus points if it is baby blue.
What's In My (Makeup) Bag?
A classic. A rite of passage for any beauty blogger. Here are my can't-leave-home-withouts.
Learn these rules, break them, and make your own.


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Italy coronavirus death toll surges past 1,000: Live updates | News
by Zelalem March 12, 2020
The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has jumped in the last 24 hours by 189 to 1,016, a rise of 23 percent, the Civil Protection Agency said on Thursday.
The total number of cases in Italy, the European country hardest hit by the virus, rose to 15,113 from a previous 12,462, an increase of 21.7 percent.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a pandemic as Italy tightened its strict quarantine and the US imposed a ban on flights to Europe.
More than 4,600 people have died and over 126,000 infected globally, according to the WHO. About 68,000 victims have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the virus.
18:50 GMT – Israel's Netanyahu calls for emergency government with rival
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday called for the formation of an emergency government with his chief rival to confront a growing crisis over the coronavirus, offering a potential way out of the deadlock that has paralyzed the political system for the past year.
Netanyahu made the offer in a nationally televised address.
"I call for the formation now, even this evening, of a national emergency government," he said.
"It will be an emergency government for a limited period. Together we will fight to save the lives of citizens," he added,
18:44 GMT – Top adviser to Iran's supreme leader infected with coronavirus: local media
A top adviser to Iran's utmost authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been infected with the new coronavirus, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
"Ali Akbar Velayati, who also is the head of Tehran's Masih Daneshvari hospital, had contacts with many coronavirus patients in past few weeks. He has been infected and is under quarantine now," Tasnim reported.
17:46 GMT – UK coronavirus peak 10 to 14 weeks away – Government chief scientific adviser
The peak for coronavirus cases in the United Kingdom may still be 10 to 14 weeks away, the government's chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance said.
"We think that the peak may be something like 10 to 14 weeks away – it could be a bit longer," he said
Britain likely has between 5,000 and 10,000 people infected with coronavirus, Vallance added.
17:33 GMT – Turkey schools, universities to shutdown over coronavirus
Turkish schools will be closed for one week and universities for three weeks from March 16, and all sports events will be played without spectators until the end of April in response to the coronavirus outbreak, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said.
The moves came after Turkey confirmed its first coronavirus infection on Wednesday, becoming the last major economy to report an outbreak after taking what the World Health Organization (WHO) described as vigilant measures.
17:22 GMT – Italian daily coronavirus deaths jump 23 percent to 1,016
The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has jumped in the last 24 hours by 189 to 1,016, a rise of 23 percent, the Civil Protection Agency said.
The total number of cases in Italy, the European country hardest hit by the virus, rose to 15,113 from a previous 12,462, an increase of 21.7 percent. That marked the biggest daily rise in absolute terms since the contagion first came to light on February 21.
The agency said that, of those originally infected, 1,258 had fully recovered compared to 1,045 the day before. Some 1,153 people were in intensive care against a previous 1,028.
17:11 GMT – US health official says coroanvirus testing system is 'failing'
The top United States official on infectious diseases, Anthony Fauci, said that people could not get tests for the deadly coronavirus easily and the US testing system is not meeting the country's needs.
"The system is not really geared to what we need right now … That is a failing. Let's admit it," Fauci told a House panel. "The idea of anybody getting it easily the way people in other countries are doing it, we're not set up for that. Do I think we should be? Yes. But we're not."
17:07 GMT – UK's Johnson steps up response to coronavirus, moves to delay phase
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stepped up the response to the coronavirus pandemic, moving to the so called "delay phase" which includes the option of more stringent measures designed to slow down the spread of the virus.
"We are now getting onto the next phase," Johnson said.
"This is now not just an attempt to contain the disease as far as possible but to delay its spread," he added.
16:57 GMT – Norwegian Air lays off half of staff over coronavirus
Norwegian Air Shuttle said it will temporarily lay off up to half its staff, adding that it was cancelling 4,000 flights.
"Due to the extraordinary market situation as a result of the coronavirus… we must look at all possible measures to reduce costs. This unfortunately also includes temporary lay-offs of up to 50 percent of our employees and the number may increase," the company said in a statement.
16:48 GMT – China locks down Mount Everest climbing routes
Mountain climbing expedition operators on Mount Everest says Chinese mountaineering officials will not allow spring climbs from their side of the world's highest mountain due to fears of coronavirus.
On the other side of the mountain in Nepal, operators say cancellations for the popular spring climbing season have been pouring in, despite the mountain being open for business.
16:25 GMT – Tom Hanks' son gives update on parent's coronavirus diagnosis: 'They're are not worried'
Chet Hanks gave an update on Wednesday about his parents Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson's health after the elder Hanks revealed on Instagram that him and his wife were diagnosed with the new virus.
"They both are fine. They're not even that sick. They're not worried about it. They're not trippin' but they're going through the necessary health precautions obviously," Chet said.
"I don't think it's anything to be too worried about. I appreciate everyone's concern and the well wishes," he added.
Tom Hanks' son Chet gave an update on his parent's condition after they tested positive for #CoronaVirus.
More: https://t.co/FVBgMntUF4 pic.twitter.com/XQqO7JJioE
— Complex (@Complex) March 12, 2020
16:15 GMT – Canada's Justin Trudeau in self-isolation after wife shows symptoms
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, will be placing themselves in self-isolation after she began exhibiting mild flu-like symptoms, an official statement said.
"The doctor's advice to the Prime Minister is to continue daily activities while self-monitoring, given he is exhibiting no symptoms himself. However, out of an abundance of caution, the Prime Minister is opting to self-isolate and work from home until receiving Sophie's results," the statement read.
16:00 GMT – Brazilian who met Trump tests positive for COVID-19
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's communications chief, who met Donald Trump during an official weekend visit to the US leader's Florida resort, has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the government said.
The Brazilian president's office "has taken and is taking all necessary preventive measures to protect the health of the president and all staff that traveled with him to the United States" last Saturday to Tuesday, it said in a statement, confirming the far-right government's chief spokesman, Fabio Wajngarten, had tested positive for COVID-19.
15:25 GMT – Bahrain accuses Iran of 'biological aggression'
Bahrain accused Iran of "biological aggression" by covering up the spread of the coronavirus and failing to stamp the passports of Bahraini travellers.
Many of the recorded infections throughout the Gulf region are linked to travel to Iran, which hosts several important shrines and pilgrimage sites for Shia Muslims. No Gulf Arab state has so far reported a coronavirus death.
"With this behaviour, Iran has allowed the disease to travel abroad, and in my estimation this constitutes a form of biological aggression that is criminalised by international law, as it has put in danger our safety and health and that of others," Bahraini Interior Minister General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said on Twitter.
Bahrain has reported 77 new infections among citizens evacuated from Iran. A second government-chartered repatriation flight is scheduled for Thursday.
14:40 GMT – Iran asks IMF for $5bn emergency funding to fight coronavirus
Iran has asked the International Monetary Fund for emergency funding to help it fight the coronavirus outbreak that has hit the Islamic Republic hard, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.
The escalating outbreak in Iran – the worst-affected country in the Middle East – has killed 429 people and infected 10,075. It has damaged Iranian businesses and is bound to hit its non-oil exports after many neighbouring countries and trade partners shut their borders.
14:27 GMT – Philippines' Duterte announces 'lockdown' of Manila
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced a halt on domestic land, sea and air travel to and from Manila, as well as community quarantine measures, calling it a "lockdown" of the capital to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Duterte approved a resolution to allow a raft of containment measures including bans on mass gatherings, a month of school closures and quarantining in communities where cases are detected, as well as stopping domestic travel in and out of Manila.
Decision comes after the Philippines reported it first domestic transmission of the coronavirus [File: Eloisa Lopez/Reuters]
14:16 GMT – Coronavirus makes Iran more dangerous: US general
A top US general said Iran is significantly underreporting the number of its coronavirus cases and is making Tehran more dangerous, a day after an attack in Iraq that killed US and British troops.
"I think it is having an effect on how they make decisions, I think it slows them down… I believe the numbers are probably significantly underreported," US Marine General Kenneth McKenzie, the head of Central Command, said.
McKenzie said while he did not know for sure what impact the virus was having, "authoritarian regimes" usually react to extreme pressure by looking at external threats.
"I think it probably makes them, in terms of decision-making, more dangerous rather than less dangerous," McKenzie said.
13:48 GMT – Wall Street pauses trading after stocks sink, Dow down 7.2%
Trading on Wall Street was halted just moments after US stocks plunged further on the deepening economic pain from the coronavirus.
Trading was suspended after the S&P 500 dropped 7.0 percent to 2,549.05, triggering an automatic 15-minute suspension.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 7.2 percent to 21,856.91.
The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index tumbled 7.0 percent to 7,393.25 [Andrew Kelly/Reuters]
13:35 GMT – COVID-19 is a 'controllable pandemic': WHO
The new coronavirus outbreak "is a controllable pandemic" if countries step up measures to tackle it, the head of the World Health Organization said.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged Wednesday the global outbreak of the new coronavirus could now be considered a pandemic – a disease actively spreading globally.
But he told diplomats in Geneva that describing the outbreak as a pandemic should not mean that countries give up the fight to stop it spreading further.
"This is a controllable pandemic," he said.
This is Usaid Siddiqui taking over from my collegue Tamila Varshalomidze.
13:00 GMT – Armenia to replace used banknotes with new ones
The Armenian central bank said it would gradually replace used banknotes with new ones to try to prevent the spread of coronavirus and advised people to avoid making cash payments where possible.
In a post on its official Facebook page, the central bank also advised people to use online banking services in preference to cash where possible.
Armenia has recorded four cases of coronavirus, according to the health ministry.
12:36 GMT – Spain's coronavirus outbreak death toll jumps to 84
Spain's deathtoll from coronavirus has risen to 84 on Thursday from 47 on Wednesday, the health ministry said.
The ministry reported the number of cases rose to 2,968 up from 2,140 on Wednesday.
12:00 GMT – Singapore to close mosques to prevent coronavirus spread
Singapore will close all mosques for at least five days for deep cleaning to prevent the spread of coronavirus after a number of congregants in the city-state attended an Islamic conference in neighbouring Malaysia linked to infections.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore said the closures would take effect on Friday, and that authorities are trying to track down about 90 Singaporeans who attended the three-day religious event in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur.
A number of other religious groups have cancelled physical gatherings in Singapore in recent weeks to try and halt the spread of a virus that has infected 178 people in the city-state.
11:55 GMT – Anger, confusion in Europe as Trump issues travel ban
Travel to the US from most of Europe will be suspended for 30 days beginning on Friday, President Donald Trump announced, citing a need to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
11:40 GMT – Real Madrid footballers quarantined
Real Madrid has sent all of the members of its soccer and basketball teams home into quarantine after one of the sports club's basketball players tested positive for the new coronavirus, the Spanish club said in a statement.
"Real Madrid CF announces that a player from our basketball team has tested positive after undergoing tests for coronavirus COVID-19," said the statement on the club's official website.
"From now, the club has followed the recommendation of placing the basketball and football teams into quarantine as the two squads share facilities at the club's training ground.
"We have also decided to close our training ground and recommended that all staff who work at the facility remain in quarantine."
All national league basketball games have also been postponed, Real's statement added.
11:35 GMT – Mclaren withdraws from Australian GP after member tests positive
The Mclaren Racing team has withdrawn from this weekend's Australian Grand Prix after a team member tested positive for coronavirus.
"The team member was tested and self-isolated as soon as they started to show symptoms and will now be treated by local healthcare authorities," McLaren said in a statement.
11:31 GMT – Spain's top flight suspended for at least two weeks: La Liga
All football matches in Spain's top division, La Liga, have been suspended for two weeks over fears of the spread of the coronavirus, the league's organising body said in a statement.
The league's statement said the decision came after Real Madrid put its squad into quarantine, and that it had notified the clubs, the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) and the national sports ministry of the postponements.
The Liga match between SD Eibar SAD and Real Sociedad [Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images]
11:27 GMT – WHO's Tedros urges world to 'double down' against virus pandemic
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) urged all countries to "double down" in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking to diplomats in Geneva a day after characterising COVID-19 as a pandemic, also said: "Describing this as a pandemic does not mean that countries should give up. The idea that countries should shift from containment to mitigation is wrong and dangerous."
He said that, while maintaining a containment strategy, all countries must "strike a fine balance between protecting health, preventing economic and social disruption, and respecting human rights", according to remarks made available by the agency.
11:22 GMT – Poland reports first death from coronavirus
Poland has reported its first death from coronavirus, local authorities in the city of Poznan said, as reported by private broadcaster TVN24.
So far 47 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed.
10:45 GMT – Rome to shut Ciampino airport, close terminal at Fiumicino
The authorities announced that Rome's Ciampino airport would shut from Friday night, with a terminal closing at the city's main Fiumicino facility next week as airlines slash flights to Italy because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Ciampino will close at midnight on Friday, a spokesman for the company that runs both airports told AFP news agency, with Terminal 1 at Fiumicino closing on Tuesday.
10:35 GMT – Iran reportes new cases, death toll reaches 429
Iran reported 75 new deaths from the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said, bringing the death toll there to 429.
"We have identified 1,075 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, meaning that there are 10,075 infected people in the country. The death toll is 429," Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state television.
10:20 GMT – Algeria registers first coronavirus death
Algeria has registered its first death from the novel coronavirus, the health ministry announced without providing further details on the death.
Another five new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded, bringing the total number of confirmed cases on Algerian soil to 24, the ministry added.
Of the five new cases announced on Thursday, two are Algerians who had been in France.
Algeria has registered its first death from the novel coronavirus [Anis Belghoul/AP Photo]
10:07 GMT – Austria reports first coronavirus death
A 69-year-old man has died in Vienna after contracting the new coronavirus, Austria's first death in the rapidly spreading epidemic, city authorities said.
Austria has confirmed 302 cases so far, and four people have recovered.
10:05 GMT – Spanish minister tests positive for coronavirus
Spain's Equality Minister Irene Montero was diagnosed with the new coronavirus. The country's Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias was quarantined.
Spanish cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday will be attended only by ministers whose presense is needed to approve the new coronavirus measures.
All other meetings of the country's prime minister will be held through a video conference.
09:55 GMT – Qatar takes additional measures to contain virus
Qatar National Library was closed to the public until further notice. Also in Doha, the Muaither Health Centre of the Primary Health Care Corporation was turned into COVID-19 test and hold facility.
Qatar National Library is closed to the public until further notice #ILoveQatar #Qatar #dohanews #qatarnews #QNLhttps://t.co/ekxggROEni
— ILoveQatar – Live (@ILQLive) March 12, 2020
09:45 GMT – Lewis Hamilton questions F1 start
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has questioned the sport for continuing as normal with the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday despite the global impact of the coronavirus.
"I am very, very surprised we are here," the Mercedes driver told a news conference. "It's great we have races but it's shocking we are sitting in this room."
Hamilton pointed to the most recent developments in sport and the greater world such as basketball's NBA halting its season and the United States shutting its border to travellers from Europe.
"It is very difficult having a fair judgement, but I do realise a lot of sporting competitions get cancelled and it is fair to ask the question why you are here," Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel said.
09:30 GMT – Spanish government considering locking down Madrid
The president of the Madrid region Isabel Diaz Ayuso said that the Spanish government was considering locking down Madrid as a measure to stem the coronavirus spread in the country.
The Spanish government denied on Wednesday that it had any plan for such a lockdown.
"From what we have seen in the past hours, the possibility of closing down Madrid is under consideration," Diaz Ayuso said on Tele 5 local TV channel.
09:27 GMT – China coronavirus adviser expects global pandemic to be over by June
The global coronavirus pandemic is likely to be over by June, Zhong Nanshan, the Chinese government's senior medical adviser, said.
A lot of imported cases into China are asymptomatic patients and the re-infection rates among recovered patients is low, Zhong, an 83-year-old epidemiologist renowned for helping combat the SARS outbreak in 2003, told a news conference.
09:05 GMT – Iran asks IMF for $5bn emergency funding
Iran has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for emergency funding to help it fight the coronavirus outbreak, which has hit the Islamic Republic hard, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet.
The IMF managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, "has stated that countries affected by #COVID19 will be supported via Rapid Financial Instrument. Our Central Bank requested access to this facility immediately", Zarif said.
Iran's Central Bank chief Abdolnaser Hemmati wrote on his Instagram page that "in a letter addressed to the head of IMF, I have requested $5bn from the RFI emergency fund to help our fight against the coronavirus".
08:32 GMT – California bans mass gatherings to slow spread of coronavirus
California is banning mass gatherings of 250 people or more until the end of March in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the office of Governor Gavin Newsom said.
Health experts in the state advised that smaller events could be held if organisers implemented social distancing of six feet (two metres) per person, the governor's office said in a statement.
A worker in protective suit sprays disinfectant inside a classroom in China [China Daily via Reuters]
08:26 GMT – South Africa reports first case of local transmission
South Africa's health ministry reported the first case of local coronavirus transmission, saying a 32-year-old man had contracted it after coming into contact with a Chinese businessman.
"All others (cases) have been by patients who had travelled abroad," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the number of confirmed cases had risen to 17 from 13 on Wednesday.
08:14 GMT – Three infected Britons on cruise on Cambodia's Mekong
Cambodia has found three British nationals infected with the coronavirus on a tourist boat on the Mekong River, bringing its tally of cases to five, the health ministry said.
A 73-year old British tourist, his 69-year old wife and a 65-year-old woman were on Viking Cruise Journey, docked in Kampong Cham province, north of the capital, Phnom Penh, the ministry said.
It also said 61 people from the vessel had tested negative and had been put in isolation on land and were being monitored.
08:02 GMT – Czech Republic introduces controls on German, Austrian borders
The Czech Republic is introducing controls on its borders with Germany and Austria and banning crossings away from official frontier border posts to help fight the spread of the coronavirus, Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said.
The country, which is part of the European Union's Schengen area, will start the checks on Friday, news agency CTK reported.
07:20 GMT – China says it has passed peak of coronavirus epidemic
China's National Health Commission said the country has passed the peak of the coronavirus epidemic.
Coronavirus: US bans all travel from Europe
06:55 GMT – Tokyo chief: Cancelling Olympics 'impossible'
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said cancelling the summer Olympic Games was "impossible", saying Japan was "not thinking of changing directions nor changing plans at all".
Koike said Tokyo was coordinating and closely discussing with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and organisers "toward holding the games".
The president of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee said he had received an apology from an executive board member who said the Games should be delayed a year to two because of the coronavirus.
I'll be handling over this blog to my colleague Tamila Varshalomidze in Doha shortly.
Here's a quick summary of this morning's developments:
US President Donald Trump spoke to Americans earlier from the White House, announcing a European travel ban and a series of measures to tackle the virus.Democrats in Congress have also drawn up a bill that they aim to pass later on Thursday to provide sick pay, financial support and other benefits to those affected by the virus.
The NBA has suspended the basketball season, while Oscar-winning Hollywood actor Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, have both been hospitalised in Australia with the virus.
In the Philippines, there is growing anxiety within political circles with President Rodrigo Duterte being tested and the parliament sealed off for disinfection after a top transport official was diagnosed with COVID-19. The Asian Development Bank, which has its headquarters in Manila, has also been closed for deep cleaning.
Meanwhile, in China, the number of new cases fell to the lowest since the outbreak began.
06:10 GMT – Johns Hopkins changes Taiwan designation after outcry
Johns Hopkins University, has changed the way it refers to Taiwan on a map detailing the spread of the new coronavirus, after the institution began referring to the self-ruled island as part of China prompting objections from the government of the self-ruled island.
Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own, has been exerting pressure on foreign companies and organisations to identify the territory as part of China, and often to name it as a Chinese province.
Taiwan has objected saying it is an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name, that has never been part of the People's Republic of China.
The World Health Organization (WHO) lists Taiwan's coronavirus case numbers under China's, referring to the island as "Taipei and environs".
That same designation appeared on the Johns Hopkins interactive map earlier this week, but has now reverted to calling the island "Taiwan".
05:50 GMT – Kazakhstan suspends all public events
Kazakhstan is suspending all public events and taking special preventive measures because of the coronavirus, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev wrote on Twitter on Thursday.
Separately, the Interfax news agency quoted deputy prime minister Alikhan Smailov as saying that the World Trade Organisation ministerial conference that was supposed to take place in Kazakhstan in June had been cancelled because of the outbreak.
05:40 GMT – Singapore, Malaysia tracking people who attended religious gathering
Health officials in Malaysia and Singapore are trying to trace thousands of people who attended a mass religious gathering in Malaysia after a number of participants were confirmed with COVID-19.
Malaysia's Director General of Health Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah says about 10,000 people were thought to have taken part in the event at a mosque on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, including a man from Brunei who was later confirmed to have tested positive for the coronavirus.
The ministry is tracking down the Malaysians who were present and urging them to contact the authorities. Singapore, meanwhile, is looking for 95 people from the city-state who were at the event, the local Straits Times reported.
With the WHO designation of a pandemic, Malaysia is also advising that all mass gatherings and events be postponed.
All mass gatherings should be postponed to minimise the spread of #COVIDー19 .
Those experiencing respiratory infection symptoms were advised not to attend programmes that involved crowded places including religious activities.
Read for more. https://t.co/2fQ7hjm4sJ
— KKMPutrajaya (@KKMPutrajaya) March 12, 2020
04:40 GMT – Saudi Arabia suspends travel, flights to EU, several other countries
Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended travel of citizens and residents and halted flights with several states, state news agency SPA said on Thursday citing an official source at the Interior Ministry.
The ban includes the European Union, Switzerland, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Sudan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Eritrea, Kenya, Djibouti, and Somalia, the source added, saying the Kingdom had also suspended entry to those coming from these countries.
The decision excludes health workers from the Philippines and India, and evacuation, shipping and trade trips taking necessary precautions.
Noon prayers outside the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which has expanded a travel ban to tackle the coronavirus [Amr Nabil/AP Photo]
04:35 GMT – Thailand reports 11 new cases, bringing total to 70
Thailand reported 11 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian nation to 70, health officials said.
All the new patients had socialised and shared drinks, health officials said, adding that a tourist from Hong Kong had been the source of the infection.
"The Hong Kong tourist came alone and already went back. The 11 infected are all Thai," said Sopon Iamsirithawon, director-general of the Communicable Diseases Department.
04:30 GMT – Greece reports first death from COVID-19
Greece has reported its first fatality from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The health ministry says the man who died was 67 and had recently returned from a religious pilgrimage to Israel and Egypt. He also had underlying health issues.
04:15 GMT – US House leaders unveil coronavirus bill
Democrats in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday unveiled a broad package of proposals to help Americans affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
The legislation, which Democratic leaders aim to push through on Thursday, would grant workers 14 days paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave, a summary of the bill shows.
Other provisions in the 124-page "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" introduced late on Wednesday include unemployment insurance, hundreds of millions of dollars for nutrition programmes and assistance for pregnant women.
It will also guarantee free coronavirus testing for anyone who requires it, including those who don't have health insurance.
04:00 GMT – Japan must plan for Olympic cancellation risk
Japan must plan for any postponement or cancellation of the Tokyo Olympic Games, even if it seems unlikely, Shigeru Ishiba, a ruling party heavyweight seen as a leading candidate to be the next prime minister told Reuters.
Ishiba, an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said on Wednesday the fate of the summer games was a decision best left to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He declined to comment on what the best move might be.
"Not thinking about worst-case scenarios won't eliminate the risk of them materialising," Ishiba said.
"The government must start thinking now about what to do" in case the Olympics Games is cancelled or postponed, he added.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike says there has been no change in plans for the Olympics despite the WHO declaration of a pandemic [Jiji Press/EPA-EFE]
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Thursday there has been no change to plans for the games, which are supposed to start on July 24.
03:10 GMT – State department urges US citizens to reconsider all overseas travel
The State Department is urging all US citizens to reconsider travel overseas amid the deepening coronavirus outbreak.
02:50 GMT – New York postpones annual St Patrick's Day parade
New York's annual St. Patrick's Day parade has been postponed because of the coronavirus, governor Andrew Cuomo said.
Hundreds of thousands usually line the streets of Manhattan for the parade, which was due to take place on March 17 this year.
NEWS: The organizers of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in NYC have agreed to postpone the parade given the evolving #Coronavirus situation.
I thank the parade's leadership for working cooperatively w/ us.
We believe postponing the parade is in the best interest of public health.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 12, 2020
02:40 GMT – Hanks and wife, Rita Wilson, in isolation in Gold Coast hospital
Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson are in isolation in a hospital on Australia's Gold Coast after being confirmed to have the coronavirus, Queensland state health officials said.
Hanks and Wilson, who are both 63, are in Australia to shoot an Elvis Presley biopic. Work on the film has now been suspended.
02:30 GMT – South Korea expresses concern over cases at Seoul call centre
Authorities in South Korea warned a new cluster of cases in a Seoul call centre could see the coronavirus spread in the capital.
Around 100 people linked to a call centre in the city have tested positive for the virus in recent days.
"This could lead to a 'super spread' in the metropolitan area, where half of the entire population are concentrated," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a meeting on Thursday.
So far, about 90 percent of the country's cases have been in the southern city of Daegu and the neighbouring province of North Gyeongsang.
02:05 GMT – NBA suspends US basketball season after positive test
The National Basketball Association said on Wednesday that it was suspending the season until further notice after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus.
The test result was reported shortly before the start of the Utah Jazz game with Oklahoma City Thunder.
The league said the affected player was not in the arena.
"The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight's schedule of games until further notice," the league said.
"The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic."
01:55 GMT – Asian Development Bank, Philippine Senate closed
The Philippines Senate has been sealed off and the Manila headquarters of the Asian Development Bank closed after visitors to both buildings were confirmed to have the coronavirus.
The parliament building is being disinfected and President Rodrigo Duterte will be tested for the virus as a precaution, his office said.
ADB staff have been told to work from home, while the building is deep-cleaned and disinfected.
"The safety of staff, visitors to the Bank, and their families is of utmost importance to us. We are providing support to staff who interacted with the visitor," ADB Vice President for Administration and Corporate Management Deborah Stokes said in a statement posted on the ADB's website.
01:40 GMT – Guyana, French Polynesia record coronavirus cases
Guyana, and French Polynesia have announced their first cases of coronavirus.
The person with the virus in Guyana was diagnosed after a trip to the US last week, while the case in French Polynesia involves Maina Sage, one of the islands' representatives in the National Assembly. She returned from Paris at the weekend.
01:25 GMT – Actor Tom Hanks says he has been diagnosed with coronavirus
The Hollywood actor Tom Hanks says he and his wife have been diagnosed with the coronavirus after feeling a bit tired and having a slight fever while visiting Australia.
"To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus," he wrote in a statement posted on social media.
pic.twitter.com/pgybgIYJdG
— Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) March 12, 2020
01:20 GMT – South Korea reports 114 new cases
South Korea has given the first of its two daily updates of the coronavirus. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say there were 114 new cases, as well as six more deaths.
With the new cases, South Korea has 7,869 people with the virus, and a total death toll of 66.
01:15 GMT – China announces 15 new cases of coronavirus, 11 deaths
China, the country where it all began, has given its daily update on the situation there.
The National Health Commission says it had 15 new cases – the lowest since the outbreak began at the end of December – and 11 deaths.
The hardest-hit province of Hubei and its capital Wuhan continue to account for the bulk of the country's 80,793 cases and 3,169 deaths.
01:10 GMT – US to suspend all travel from Europe, except for UK
US President Donald Trump is speaking on the coronavirus from the White House.
He's suspending all travel from Europe to the United States, with the exception of the United Kingdom, from midnight on Friday.
The ban will remain in force for a month.
He also announced a range of other measures, seeking to rebuff those who've criticised his response to the outbreak, which he attributed to a "foreign" virus.
"This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history," he said. Our team at Impact has been writing about the measures. You can read more here.
President Donald Trump speaks on the coronavirus from the Oval Office at the White House. He said all travel between the US and Europe, with the exception of the UK, would be suspended [Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP Photo, Pool]
00:15 GMT – Australia announces $11.4bn stimulus plan
Australia announced a 17.6 billion Australian dollars ($11.41bn) economic stimulus plan on Thursday that includes wage subsidies and cash payments for small businesses to counter the effect of the coronavirus.
"Both this financial year and in the next two financial years, the gross impact of that stimulus is A$22.9 billion ($14.82 billion). That's 1.2 percent of GDP (gross domestic product)," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra.
Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera's continuing coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.
I'm Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur.
You can read all the updates from yesterday (March 11) here.
WHO declares coronavirus crisis a pandemic: Live updates | News
Ethiopia, Sudan confirm first coronavirus cases: Live updates | News


The new standard of evidence could favor the accused.
Just a few weeks after the Department of Education announced it would roll back Obama administration's guidelines for handling campus sexual assaults, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has officially rescinded those federal policies.
A new "Dear Colleague" letter was released earlier today by the department, detailing the changes to the federal government's campus sexual assault guidelines, the most glaring of which could give the accused more rights.
In other words, campus sexual assault investigations and subsequent disciplinary measures will largely require a higher threshold of evidence to reach a conclusion, some of which may not be easily obtainable in order to prove a victim was sexually assaulted.
"As I said earlier this month, the era of rule by letter is over," DeVos said, according to Politico.
Previously, the Obama administration's guidelines required federally funded schools to investigate sexual violence complaints under Title IX. The administration encouraged colleges to use the preponderance of evidence standard, gave adjudications a 60-day limit, and insisted that schools steer away from allowing cross-examination of accusers.
A preponderance of evidence focuses less on the quantity of evidence and more on its reasoning, meaning that the accuser must have enough evidence that proves their claims are most likely true. The Trump Education Department strongly disagrees with this standard—and has rescinded the 60-day timeline—with Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Candice Jackson sharply criticizing its usage.
Since the interim guidelines do allow colleges to keep the preponderance of evidence standard if they so choose, it remains unclear how many will. For now, U.S. colleges await further policy announcements by the Education Department.


text:
Ліццано (, ) — муніципалітет в Італії, у регіоні Апулія,  провінція Таранто.

Ліццано розташоване на відстані близько 450 км на схід від Рима, 95 км на південний схід від Барі, 20 км на південний схід від Таранто.

Населення —   (2014).
Щорічний фестиваль відбувається 7 серпня,17 травня. Покровитель — San Gaetano Thiene.

Демографія

Сусідні муніципалітети

 Фраганьяно
 Пульсано
 Фаджано
 Сава
 Торричелла

Галерея зображень

Див. також
 Список муніципалітетів провінції Таранто

Примітки

Муніципалітети провінції Таранто

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: In TFS 2013, how do I mark a work item as blocked? In TFS 2013, how do I mark a work item as blocked - at least at the task level, but more preferably any work item. In other sprint tracking systems it's as easy as right clicking on a work item and selecting "Blocked" and giving a reason. In TFS this doesn't appear to be so straightforward...

A: We use internally a tag called Blocked, and then use the Styling of the board to color the tag Red. That coloring only works on the board, and doesn't show up in queries or on the backlog, but since we use the boards during standup it works wonderfully well.
We have a story on our backlog to create a real Blocked scenario, and is also tracked on User Voice: http://visualstudio.uservoice.com/forums/330519-team-services/suggestions/2717759-visualize-blocked-task-in-task-board.

A: TFS relies on a flexible process model that can be customized. Out-of-the-box, there is no status Blocked in the available process models. You can customize your work item templates (tasks or others) and introduce the new status and the required transitions. After that you can set the state of your work items to the new state Blocked and set up the required queries.
See this link for a description on the available customizations.
I'd propose to apply the changes to a test environment first. Please note that changes to the work item templates might result in problems when updating your installation. See this link for details.

A: Interestingly, this is available in the Task work item in the CMMI template.  Just copy and paste the xml from the that work item into your Scrum Process Template.  Its reference name is Microsoft.VSTS.CMMI.Blocked.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Equi-Heart Pledge: July 4th Message: Freedom from Inner Tyranny!
July 4th Message: Freedom from Inner Tyranny!
This 4th of July, hear what the horses have to say about the most important freedom you can gift yourself: Freedom from Your OWN Inner Tyrant! Let's spread a wave of release from Inner Tyranny! Stay tuned for tools on releasing your Inner Tyrant! Please share: What's your Tryant's most nasty refrain? How do you tend to Tame your Inner Tyrant?


text:
The Success Road Wallet
Cloth: Jeans, Blue Threads: DMC- Silk, Blue-Orange-Yellow
Large Weight: 7 oz Dimensions: (7.5×5) in
Small Weight: 3 oz Dimensions: (5.5×3.75) in
Get to Know about the creative producer:
"What is worse than enforcing a 16 Y.O girl to get married? It is mostly her life destruction."
Rawan is a 25 year old ambitious woman, who was forced to quit school in the 10th grade in order to marry her cousin. Rawan is not the first Palestinian woman who had their life interrupted at such a young age. In fact, it occurs more often than not.
Unluckily, Rawan's husband wasn't able to handle the expenses of his six members family, which left Rawan forced to work. Rawan overcame the high rate of unemployment in her hometown, and worked in handmade and embroidered craft workshops and factories for the last eight years. Taking into consideration the economic hardships that we go through in the Gaza Strip, Rawan was slowly paid for her hard work. Recently, Rawan joined the Yadaiha team in her hometown, which was a quantum leap for her. Her higher salary has afforded her to pursue a higher education, something she could only dream of beforehand.
Rawan hopes to complete her studies, become an inspiring teacher, and change the all too common rigid traditions that aggrieve women generally.
Location: Boulder, CO, USA
Email: yadaiha.c@gmail.com
Yadaiha is a social enterprise that employs, empowers, and financially supports the refugee women of Gaza by selling their unique and modern Palestinian embroideries to the international community.
© 2021, Yadaiha Powered by Shopify


text:
Bahamas - Caribbean - Bermuda Cruise Ports
Saint Vincent Island (Kingstown, Grenadines)
Bahamas - Caribbean - Bermuda
Saint Vincent Island is the biggest of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - sovereign country in Lesser Antilles (southern Windward Islands, West Indies, Caribbean Sea). The island is located approx 160 km (100 ml) west of Barbados. Saint Vincent is also between Grenada and Saint Lucia.
Saint Vincent covers a total land area of approx 389 km2 (150 ml2) and has population around 110,000. Country's capital and main seaport is Kingstown - on the island's south-southeast coast, founded 1722 and with current population around 25,000. The rest of island's population (called Vincentians / Vincies) lives along the coastline, including the other 5 main towns - Layou, Barrouallie, Chateaubelair, Calliaqua, Georgetown.
Saint Vincent Island's highest elevation point is 1234 m (4048 ft) above sea level - the active volcano La Soufriere, with recorded largest eruptions in 1812 and 1902. Its most recent eruption was in 1979 (April 13). The island is mountainous and well-forested. Its total land area is 344 km2, or about 88% of country's total area.
In the 18th-century, the Caribben Saint Vincent territory was disputed between Britain and France. In 1763 it was ceded to UK, then again in 1783. Saint Vincent became independent from UK on October 27, 1979.
For season 2018-2019, Bequia Island had scheduled/booked 88 cruise ship calls, St Vincent Island - 82, Mayreau Island - 43, Tobago Cays - 31, Union Island - 26, Canouan Island - 3.
Saint Vincent Island cruise terminal
Cruise ships to St Vincent Island Grenadines dock (anchor) at Kingstown - port town on the southern coast.
Port Saint Vincent Island cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Saint Vincent Island, Kingstown, Grenadines. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.
2019 March2019 April2019 October2019 November2019 December2020 January2020 February2020 March2020 April2020 August2020 October2020 November2020 December2021 January2021 February2021 March2021 April2021 May2021 October2021 November2021 December2022 January2022 February2022 March
AIDAperla 07:00 18:00
Costa Magica 08:00 18:00
Britannia 07:00 18:00
MSC Preziosa 09:00 18:00
Celebrity Summit 18:00
Marella Explorer 2 10:00 19:00
Azura 08:00 18:00
Ventura 09:00 17:00
Marella Celebration 08:00 18:00
Amera 07:00 12:00
Aurora 08:00 17:00
Saint Vincent Island - user reviews and comments


text:
Andrew Hancock [ Photographer, Director ]
Andrew Hancock is an advertising and editorial photographer currently based out of Indianapolis. He is a Nikon Ambassador with a passion for creating dynamic visuals for a broad range of clients. His work has graced the cover of Sports Illustrated on multiple occasions as well as the cover of TIME magazine and the front page of the New York Times. He has worked on national ad campaigns for various advertising clients as well as in higher education.
While he does a substantial amount of work in the world of sport, he remains incredibly diverse not only in subject matter but also in client base. Andrew finds that this diversity well suits his ADD tendencies. Don't let that fool you though, he is incredibly focused with a work ethic that is hard for anyone to match.
Andrew holds a journalism degree from Texas A&M University and is also an alum of the Eddie Adams Workshop. He has won many awards for his work as a photojournalist, multimedia storyteller and for his advertising and higher education photography. He has also won a chili cook off and has a trophy to show for it.
If there was one talent he wishes he had, it would be the ability to sing. He has a horrible singing voice and just wishes he could sing nicely to his daughter. His assistants can confirm his horrible singing voice. However, his wife is too polite to point it out. He out kicked his coverage when he landed his wife and for that he is immensely grateful. She is a native Hoosier and keeps him grounded and centered.
A non-photographic item you are most likely to find in his camera bag or a pelican case? Haribo gummy bears. He is a native Texan and has a substantial dislike for the Midwest during the late winter and spring because it is ugly and gray. In contrast, the spring is arguably the most beautiful time of the year in Texas. Additionally, spring is also the start of crawfish season. You can not get decent crawfish in the Midwest.
Save "Andrew Hancock" as a favorite
Contact Andrew Hancock
Hancock Shoots Indy 500 Champions From Over The Years
Andrew Hancock Captures Rodeo Championship
Andrew Handcock for Cotton Bowl ESPN
Andrew Hancock's "Rivalry" for "The Players' Tribune"
All News For Andrew Hancock »


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Jewcier is a popular choice for niche Jewish online dating. They have thousands of members in the US. They offer an easy sign up and simple messaging tool to chat up other Jewish singles in the hopes of making new friends and finding a great match. The keyword search and one click search terms are useful and fun, and the Mingle game makes it simple to quickly and easily browse through eligible singles. Find that match you'd be proud to take home to your mother!
The best thing about Jewcier is the large Jewish userbase it attracts. You can even see how many new members there are on the site from the left hand toolbar. You can also see who has viewed your profile and keep track of your lists from that section of the site. Browsing singles is easy with search, or directly from the home page, and you can send out MegaFlirts to more than one member at once to get some more attention too. You can customize these to really say what you're all about. Play the Mingle game to browse through eligible singles and teach the site what kind of match you're looking for. Head to the Q and A section to give some more information about yourself and get a glimpse into what makes other members tick too.
Once you've found someone you like the look of, reach out by inbox message, or chat in real time if they are online right now. It would be great to see some more Jewish community features such as chat rooms, forums, or even offline events.
Sign up is easy to understand, and done step-by-step. First, enter your age and location, followed by choosing a username and password. Make sure to choose a valid email address. Your next step will be to begin building your profile. Here you will be asked general questions about your background and physical appearance, and then more specific Jewish lifestyle questions like whether you keep kosher and how often you attend synagogue. You can also choose your Jewish observance and background, from Sephardi or Ashkenazi, to Traditional, Orthodox, Conservative or Reform.
We love how you can include some information about what you want from your match. This includes whether they keep kosher, and some info about their lifestyle too. As soon as you've proved that you're a human by entering a captcha security code, you become an instant member of Jewcier! You're then ready to browse and chat with ease.
There are not many levels of verification taken when you sign up to Jewcier, which means you should remember that people are not always who they say they are. For example, they may not actually be Jewish, or using real photographs. Proceed with caution, and make sure to chat on the phone or via webcam so that you feel confident before making an offline meet. It would be great to see more elements of safety put onto the Jewcier website. For example email or video verification, or some simple safety tips advising members on keeping protected both on and offline.
You can message some members for free, but if you want full access to Jewcier you will want to sign up for a paid monthly subscription. The most competitive option is a full year subscription which will cost only $10.00 per month. The most popular choice is half of that commitment, at 6 months for $14.99 per month. A 3-month membership is a good way to try out the features of the site for $19.98 per month. The shortest term is one month, which is also the most expensive for $29.95 for the month. This full membership will give you the ability to read and respond to any member by inbox and instant chat, send priority messages which go to the top of the reader's inbox, and write your own custom mega flirts to many other member at once. You will also get a higher ranking in the search results when people are looking for someone that matches with you.
Jewcier couldn't be easier to use, so it's a great choice for Jewish singles who are looking for a simple way to make new Jewish friends and connections without all the bells and whistles of some other religious dating sites. Sign up takes a couple of minutes, and everything you need is accessible from your dashboard on the left hand toolbar. This includes matching, messaging, searching, profile building, and contacting the site via the contact us form. There is a small FAQ section which you can search in by keyword, and you can see the top questions from the home page of the support section too.
There are enough ways to search for singles on Jewcier to keep you busy until the next lot of members have signed up! The basic search gives results based on age and location. You can then include advanced search filters such as physical appearance, lifestyle choices, education, or Jewish background. There are also a ton of one click search terms which can help narrow it down, such as who is online now, users who are most active on the site, and ones who are closest to your location.
Remember that not all members on the site will be Jewish, despite it being aimed at Jewish singles. You might want to use the keyword search to find exactly what you're looking for by using search terms such as Kosher or Synagogue.
Jewcier is a simple and straightforward dating site aimed at Jewish singles. It's best for singles who don't want a lot of bells and whistles when it comes to their dating experience. The Jewish filters are useful and the keyword search makes it easy to find exactly what you're looking for in a match. L'Chaim!


Boost your YouTube SEO now with a mix of 1000 Embedded Blog Posts and Top Social Media Networks posts!
YouTube SEO linkbuilding plan necessarily needs to include embeds and social signals strategy.
I will do 1000 YouTube Embeds and Signals on 100 Blogs and 50 PR9 Social Sites for your video.
Video title (we can also copy that from the video itself) we will build backlinks and signals with it.
5 keywords that you want for your video to rank, that we will use to build backlinks and signals.


This is beyond awesome. How should we interpret the dotted lines?
Maybe it means that certain things have an influence on others.
The dotted lines likely mean that it inspired or contributed to whatever it's pointing to. I'm guessing this based on the idea that X has a dotted line that points to the references which lead to the creation (solid line) of the Reploids.
now that's what we call building the foundation to create the series.
Really cool. It's neat to see that they had this much of the overall the story planned so early on. I always thought that the whole Zero virus thing was cooked up around the time X4 was being developed.
I hope someone gets a shot of the lower-left corner of the design document. I'm really curious what the details are there.
Then X3's ending dropped the first suggestion of "X and Zero are destined to fight".
X4 just made it explicit and more of a central plot point.
I do find it intriguing the virus did basically turned Zero the opposite of what Wily intended for him. So does that mean the pain Zero was experiencing in the X4 anime cutscene was him having his personality forcefully altered from destroyer to good guy?
i wager wily had protections on zero that conflicted with the virus resulting in a reformat.
Also have to remember, in X5 the possible outcome of Zero awakening leads to him being evil still, but he's way calmer then he was in the X4 flash back. There's bits of lore that says Wily couldn't control Zero, so he never used him, so its save to say that while it made him good, the virus was originally meant to just make him less chaotic in working for Wily.
Sigma also says the virus during X5 simply purifies Zero's body, and seeing as all cases of him being infected makes him stronger. Its possible that Wily sealed off most of Zero's powers as a fail safe in case he couldn't control him, the more he awakened to the true robot Wily wanted him to be, the more of his dormant power drawn out (able to one shot X if you take to long to beat him in X5, and Sigma saying he didn't get enough of the virus no matter what outcome you get in X5 implies that Zero's true power is beyond anything else in the series at that).
At least this is my theory on how this works.
It's funny that the Maverick Hunters are seemingly formed before there's any revolution to fight against? No wonder it ends up paving the way for Neo Arcadia.
there were maverick outbreaks priod to sigmas rebellion. by nature of reploid choice as opposed to the virus.
It was always obvious, but this confirms that Roboenza is a precursor to the Maverick / sigma virus then. The direct dotted line between X and Classic Mega Man is the most interesting piece of this, IMO. Was it intended for X to be the same core robot as classic, just upgraded, in the original universe plan? Because it's been reinforced for years that they are separate creations.
I have a picture of the missing data on the bottom left corner.
Thanks very much! Did you go? Were you able to take any other pictures of that wall? A lot of interesting looking art on there.
So the missing line was.... "For the sake of behavioral research".
I went to the one in Hanayashiki Park, and even did the "scavenger hunt". Got a pin out of it. Also ate some Mega Man themed food, an omelette shaped like the Yellow Devil. There was some concept art I've never seen before, and I say this as someone who owns the latest Mega Man 20+5 art book and combed through it thoroughly. When I get back from Japan I'll post all the pics I took somewhere.
Thanks Tony! You're the man.
Made an album of all the pics I took of the event.
Hanayashiki Park is a small amusement park that costs 1000 yen to get in. It costs 500 yen to partake in the Rockman event itself, which is the book. The tote bag bumps up the price to 700/800 yen (I forgot). Then you follow the book and its instructions. My Japanese is pretty limited so I had a tough time, but with the help of staff I was able to figure it out (still need to know enough super basic Japanese to communicate with them, like colors and over and under and whatnot). I got a pin out of it, and which pin you get is random. I'm happy with the Mega Man sprite pin I got. You can also see a page of exclusive goods sold at this event, which is mostly keychains with art.
Awesome, man. Permission to post/link to this? Great work!
Truly great. Thanks on behalf of everyone else geeking out about these but unable to attend themselves!


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Professional Bull Riding's Elite Tour Making First-Ever Trip to Longview
Gary McCoy Published: February 11, 2021
Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
Amidst all the restrictions of the pandemic, there's a little light as the PBR, Professional Bull Riders, just made the announcement that for the first time in league history, the PBR's Elite Tour "Unleash The Beast" will buck into Longview, Texas, welcoming fans to Longview Rodeo Arena February 27 and 28 for the PBR Longview Invitational.
And this event will feature some of the rankest bulls in America along with the Top 30 bull riders in the world squaring off in epic 8-second confrontations all night long.
Among the many accomplished western sports athletes anticipated to compete are four World Champions who hold a collective seven gold buckles: Kaique Pacheco (2018); Cooper Davis (2016); J.B. Mauney (2015, 2013); and Silvano Alves (2014, 2012, 2011).
Numerous accomplished Texans are also anticipated to compete including:
Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas): Compliments of matching runner-up finishes at the most recent tour stop and associated 15/15 Bucking Battle in Okeechobee, Florida, 2016 PBR World Champion Cooper Davis surged to the world No. 1 rank for the first time in 2021, now leading No. 2 Junior Patrik Souza by 71 points. Recording a Top-10 finish at each of the three tour stops held to date, Davis has also notched a 90-point ride, covering current world No. 1 bull Ridin Solo for 91.25 points in Okeechobee, Florida during the 15/15 Bucking Battle. Chasing history, should Davis win the gold buckle again in 2021, he would become just the seventh multi-time PBR World Champion in league history.
Cole Melancon (Paris, Texas): After narrowly missing out on the Rookie of the Year honor in 2020, Cole Melancon has returned with a vengeance in 2021. Leading the league in round wins with three, Melancon is presently ranked No. 6 in the world, within 115 points of No. 1 Davis.
Cody Teel (College Station, Texas): Compliments of a runner-up finish on the premier series in Arcadia, Florida, 2012 PRCA Champion Cody Teel is presently ranked No. 12 in the PBR World Standings, within 4.33 points of the Top 10 and 184 points of the No. 1 rank. Seeking his first PBR World Championship in 2021, Teel will need to rebound from an 0-for-2 showing at the most recent tour stop in Okeechobee, Florida, in order to continue his surge up the standings.
For more information on the event or to purchase tickets just go HERE
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Filed Under: bull riding, longview Texas, PBR
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The United Basketball Alliance of India, Inc. (UBA India) is "a professional basketball league with teams based in key cities across India for fans of all ages".

UBA India was incorporated on 28 September 2015 as a Delaware Corporation. With file number 5835701.

UBA India signed various partnership deals with major broadcasters. Including Ten Sports, which is the largest sports networks in India. They agreed to broadcast UBA India live matches. Ten Sports is owned by the Sony Pictures Networks India. One of Hollywood's major multi-billion dollar film studios.

Rajesh Sethi, the Global CEO of Ten Sports stated to the press, "We are delighted to partner with UBA for India's first Professional Basketball League. I am confident that UBA will change the face of Indian Professional Basketball forever."

The 2015 inaugural season of UBA India witnessed celebrities such as Abhishek Bachchan and Evelyn Sharma putting in a couple of appearances. Also the Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi as well as Telangana State's Sports Minister, Mr Tigula Padma Rao Goud. Who both accepted the proposal to attend a basketball game in the capacity of special guests.

UBA India is equipped with the world's most popular surface (flooring) made by Horner Sports Flooring. The main benefits of such surface is its aesthetic, durability, and transportability. Horner surface is widely use by the other majors basketball leagues such as NBA.

See also
 UBA Pro Basketball League

External links

References

UBA Pro Basketball League
2015 establishments in India


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Kevin Harvick clinches Chase spot and others could do so at New Hampshire
By Dustin LongJul 13, 2015, 8:15 AM EDT
Kevin Harvick's eighth-place finish Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway might seem like a ho-hum result for a driver who has 10 top-two finishes this season, but it helped the reigning champion clinch a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Harvick, who has two victories this season, becomes the first driver to grab a Chase spot – provided he starts each of the eight remaining races before the Chase begins.
He has 692 points. Harvick holds a 410-point lead over David Gilliland, who is 31st in the season standings. Gilliland cannot make up that gap in the next eight races, assuring that Harvick will be in the top 30 in points by the time the Chase field is set.
Any driver with a 336-point lead or more on 31st after this weekend's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway can clinch a Chase spot.
Both Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano hold a 342-point lead on 31st in the standings at this point and could clinch a Chase spot. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a 334-point lead on 31st in the standings and could clinch a Chase spot at New Hampshire if he gains a couple more points.


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You bet! Pain relief is one of the main uses for CBD creams. Whether you have a pulled muscle, sore joints, or just general aches and pains from your day-to-day life, any one of the previously mentioned CBD topicals will be a tremendous help. I've personally used CBD lotion to treat minor back pains from weightlifting and was astounded at how quick it worked.
Cannabis is often associated with increased appetite (the munchies) and weight gain. However, this is due to its notorious tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content. Cannabidiol, or CBD, does not contain THC, so it is less likely to cause you to binge on a whole bag of Doritos. In fact, CBD can do just the opposite. By reducing your appetite, it can help you consume fewer calories and lose excess weight.
With all of the information inundating the internet about CBD oil, many people are curious, can CBD help with weight loss? A study done in 2012 documented the way that cannabinol and cannabidiol affected the feeding patterns in rats. After dosing rats with CBD, the scientists observed that they ate less; this set the stage for more research to be done to continue to show the weight loss opportunities with CBD. It also brought into light a new use for CBD as an appetite suppressant. In addition to that, a report in India Times in 2016 said that cannabis users show a lower rate of obesity and diabetes. Science has also demonstrated links between the use of cannabis and metabolism for many years.
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Your weight loss efforts might include intense workouts. When you complete an intense physical workout, you might experience muscle soreness that requires a couple of days of recovery time. Nutrition is also very important to avoid diabetes or cancer. Fast food is making the country obese which causes diabetes and heart problems just to name a few. You have to burn calories at the rate necessary to avoid weight gain. CBD can be a source of nutrition if you drink healthy smoothies with CBD added as an ingredient. Our review of the best CBD oil company online gives you an in depth look at the latest research.
Employee-owned Lazarus Naturals touts its commitment to ethical business practices, including pricing that aims to enable anyone to sample its range. Indeed, for veterans and those with long-term disabilities, there's even a commendable 40-percent discount on the company's wares. Customers wanting more bang for their buck could, then, try Lazarus Naturals' 3,000 mg flavorless CBD tincture, a 60 ml bottle of which costs $125, though an even more potent 6,000 mg tincture is also available. Plus, the supplier's handy and inexpensive taster packs may be a boon for more indecisive or novice CBD oil users. These packs come in regular and high-potency varieties, both of which contain samples of the company's tinctures, capsules and CBD-infused coconut oil.
I think being safe to eat is a moot point. These are topical products. I don't think anybody is buying to eat them. It's just a marketing tactic. In regards to the chapsticks, unless you were trying to literally eat the chapstick I think whatever negligible amount may make it past your lips and into your mouth, would certainly not be a health concern from any of these products. What concerns me more is there is zero efficacy with all of these products. Do they just decide over breakfast how much CBD needs to be added for the dosage to work? It's ridiculous that they are marketing it as safe to eat, and people are buying into that bs and providing no clinical studies or research at all. Just my 2 cents
The CBDistillery focuses on commitment and demonstration of compassion among people who can benefit from CBD. It also presents itself as a company that is consistently in line with serving others through their quality and trustworthy products. Its mission is to implement their very own program which is the #CBDMOVEMENT which aims to educate and inform the public regarding the benefits of CBD.
The demand for CBD oil and CBD-infused products has exploded in popularity. Thanks to the countless reports supporting CBD benefits, America has become interested in CBD oil now more than ever! Last year, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) released a study endorsing CBD benefits for several conditions including anxiety, pain, inflammation, neurological diseases, and many more. The WHO committee also emphasized how CBD displayed no indicative effects of abuse or the potential for dependence.
San Francisco's Johnny Apple CBD assures customers that it only uses organic, non-GMO hemp plants for its CBD extract. In addition, the company declares, it's put the time and effort into ensuring the genetic quality of the raw material. Perhaps that rigorous process has helped Johnny Apple CBD in securing the often-superlative reviews given to its products, which have in total earned the company an "excellent" TrustSpot rating. Those duly tempted to purchase from the producer can take their pick from CBD oil blends specially formulated to encourage either tranquility, happiness or clear-headedness. Also available are a wax designed for dabbers, a cocoa butter "calm balm" and 99 percent-pure CBD in crystals – the finer variety of which, Johnny Apple CBD explains, is entirely suitable for adding to baked goods.
The pain that you feel in your joints if you're suffering from arthritis is the direct result of inflammation. There are quite a few symptoms that could arise as a result of arthritis. First of all, patients with arthritis tend to see a reduction in their red blood cell count, which could lead to anemia. Fatigue and loss of appetite are other common symptoms of arthritis. Slight fevers may also develop as a result of the condition. Osteoarthritis develops due to naturally occurring wear and tear on your bones. Genetics and injuries can also increase your odds of developing OA early or hasten its progression.


The budget is a financial plan that estimates the cost to operate district schools and programs for a fiscal year. The district prepares its annual budget in accordance with provisions of Oregon Local Budget Law (ORS 294), which provides standard procedures for the preparation, presentation, administration and appraisal of budgets. The law mandates public involvement in budget preparation and public exposure of proposed programs. The law also requires that the budget be balanced, that is, projected resources must equal projected requirements in each fund.
Once a proposed budget is developed, the Superintendent presents it and the budget message to the Budget Committee, which then reviews the proposed budget and receives public comment. The Budget Committee recommends revisions to the budget if needed and approves a budget for School Board adoption. The first Budget Committee meeting to review the proposed budget is generally held in May, unless an earlier meeting is required to address special circumstances. Notice of the meeting is published in the local newspaper and on the District's website.


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Donald J. Tilton
May 19, 1944 November 25, 2010
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Obituary for Donald J. Tilton
Donald J. "Don" Tilton May 19, 1944 - Nov. 25, 2010 Donald J. "Don" Tilton passed away in Crescent City, CA on Thursday, November 25, 2010. He was 66. Don was born May 19, 1944 in Toledo, OH to John and Helen (Grezinger) Tilton. He grew up and attended school there, Don had a lifetime love of knowledge beginning with the study of Agriculture at Ohio State University and continuing to the earning of his Juris Doctorate from Howard Taft University. Don married Janice Kaufman in Columbus, OH on October 3, 1964. They owned a farm for several years raising beef cattle before Don became a chef and got into the restaurant business. They later moved to Brookings in 1982 where Don started the Touch of the Past Restaurant. He later worked at Good Samaritan Society - Curry Village and oversaw the building of Jerstad Manor. After receiving his Juris Doctorate he opened his own paralegal service, Pacific Legal Alternatives. His dream was to assist people with problems; possibility limited finances that could not ordinarily obtain professional legal help. He listened to their problems, helped if possible and referred them to one of his many Lawyer friends if unable to assist them; he said he just wanted to help people. He enjoyed playing golf with his friends and was very active in the community including the Azalea Festival Parade. He always said that it couldn't "Rain on his Parade". Don was a past president of Brookings-Harbor Rotary Club and was extremely proud to be a Rotarian. Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Janice of Brookings, daughters, Tamera Brooks and her husband, Robert of Brookings, Tera Fox and her husband, Craig of Portland, son, Geremy Tilton and his companion, Jackie Irons of Brookings, grandchildren, Adam and Zach Siebert, Claudia and Nicholas Fox, great grandchildren, Alison Siebert and Cadence Tilton, his step-mother Barbara Tilton and sister Judy Knight. Don was preceded in death by his daughter, Dawn in 1986. Memorial contributions may be made to the Good Samaritan Society - Curry Village, 1 Park Avenue, Brookings, OR 97415. No ceremony will be held. Condolences may be expressed as well as the guestbook signed online at www.redwoodmemorial.net.
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Whatever friendly feelings United States President Donald Trump might personally hold toward Moscow, the anti-Russian policy of his administration is even bolder than the course set in the last year of Barack Obama's presidency. This conclusion was articulated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who expressed his dismay about the wave of "Russophobic hysteria" that, he said, had swept Washington (Russiancouncil.ru, November 30). Lavrov had shared that opinion before Michael Flynn, the former national security advisor in Trump's administration, pleaded guilty of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about his contacts with Russian officials and opted to cooperate with the investigation of special counsel Robert Moeller. This investigation is now expected to produce more evidence of Russia's interference in the U.S. presidential elections (Gazeta.ru, November 30). Stricter implementation of the law on sanctions is certain to follow, and Moscow is bracing for more punishment and preparing responses.
The Russian economy can be maintained at its just-above-zero growth trajectory only if Moscow's agreement with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on production cuts is sustained, thus supporting the oil price on its current plateau (Forbes.ru, November 30). Greater worries in the business elite pertain to the personal sanctions aimed at oligarchs with close ties to the Kremlin, which allegedly are being investigated by U.S. financial intelligence with alarming prejudice (Rosbalt, November 30). Huge fortunes evacuated to Western "havens" by carefully hidden channels are in danger, and even family members enjoying the "good life" in Monaco or Miami could feel the squeeze (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, November 28). It is well known in Russian business-political circles that the US State Department under Trump has not been particularly active in preparing new sanctions, so the news about the possible departure of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson brings more worries (RBC, December 1). Some experts suggest that in this turbulent situation, Moscow could benefit from keeping a low profile and refraining from proactive moves on the international arena (Kommersant, December 1).
These cautious recommendations to wait out the political storms in Washington stand in sharp contrast with the escalation of the official rhetoric on preparation for a "big war" (Novaya Gazeta, November 29). The tone was set by President Vladimir Putin, who held a series of meetings with the top brass and then demanded from big business greater readiness for a rapid expansion of defense-related production (Newsru.com, November 28). In real terms, no return to the Soviet-style mobilization economy is planned or indeed possible (RBC, November 28). The embarrassing failure of the space launch from the new Vostochny Cosmodrome reminded yet again about the degradation of Russia's military industry (Kommersant, November 29). Significant resources, nevertheless, are invested in building a top-heavy system of state command and control in a large-scale emergency (New Times, November 27).
The smoldering and malignantly mutating conflict in Donbas remains the most probable epicenter of such emergency. Moscow has invested much effort in cultivating fatigue in the West with the deadlocked Minsk process (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, November 29). The firm statement from Kurt Volker, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine negotiations, regarding the non-negotiable proposition on restoration of Ukrainian control over all occupied territories came, therefore, as an irksome reminder to Moscow that its dirty little war was not forgotten in Washington (RBC, November 28). The armed squabbles resulting in a military coup in the Luhansk quasi-republic revealed Moscow's inability to enforce any resemblance of order in the separatist enclaves (Novaya Gazeta, November 24).
This capacity is strikingly lacking in the most demanding and dangerous of conflict situations, which is driven by the North Korean nuclear and missile programs (see EDM, November 30). Russian experts are fully aware that Pyongyang's proclaimed defensive goals can camouflage aggressive plans, which could produce a direct security threat to highly exposed Vladivostok (Carnegie.ru, November 30). Russian leadership cannot figure out how to interpret Trump's "we will handle it" statement, and Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of the Security Council, sticks to the point that a military solution is unacceptable (RIA Novosti, December 1). The real point, however, is that the Kremlin would apparently love nothing better than to see US pressure on North Korea, supported and reinforced by China, fail (Russiancouncil.ru, November 29). Moscow is ready to accept the de-facto nuclear status of its obstinate totalitarian neighbour, but is upset about the cooperation between the United States and China, which leaves it marginalized in the big East Asian game.
Putin seemingly cannot quite grasp the nuances of decision-making in Beijing and may not fully understand the complexity of Middle Eastern intrigues, but what he knows expertly and sees as the main driver of politics is corruption. He thought that in the course of last year's U.S. presidential campaign he finally managed to connect with American political corruption, but that breakthrough has inflicted massive damage to Russia's international status and keeps backfiring. He cannot admit any wrongdoing or, even worse, mistakes, and can neither shelter his courtiers from escalating punishment nor give them compensation for the growing damage. The signalling to Washington of the readiness to be useful in managing high-resonance conflicts is by and large ignored, and the subtle hints about making troubles are interpreted as threats. Putin can neither control nor counter the deterioration of relations with the U.S., and this makes anti-Americanism a less useful tool in domestic politics.
Why Isn't Wall St. Backing The Next Shale Boom?
What a remarkably intelligent (in this day-and-age of media malpractice), well-sourced, unbiased, and all-encompassing article as it pertains to this facet or spectre! Bravo!! If anyone has been living in a cave the last twelve months, this article analyzes and then brilliantly summarizes conclusions based on assertions not only of the American persuasion but also those of the (assumed) Pravda. I'm a news junkie and read papers of all molds (from the left, right, US, European, Asian, etc.) more than I should, and I have to say that this particular analysis impressed me enough to take the time and leave this quip.