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+ - What is the main objective of the Code? Click to collapse
The Code sets out the principles and specific recommendations on the structures and processes which companies should adopt in making good corporate governance an integral part of their business dealings and culture. It advocates for the application of standards on corporate governance that go beyond the minimum prescribed by legislation.
+ - Are there benefits accruing to the companies for upholding good corporate governance practices? Click to collapse
Research indicates that good governance leads to better risk management, enhanced performance and sustainability. Good governance also results in increased attractiveness to investors, increase in profitability and effective management of reputational risk.
+ - The provisions of the Code are new to the market. How does the Authority seek to create awareness? Click to collapse
As part of sensitization project, the Authority has independently, as well as in partnership with the World Bank Group, conducted training and sensitization of trainers on the requirements of the Code who will in turn train other trainers on the provisions of the Code. In addition, the Authority has conducted a Masterclass for senior management (Chief Executive Officers, Chief Financial Officers and Company Secretaries) of listed companies and it will conduct further trainings for Board Members and Chairpersons in quarter one of 2017 to ensure that companies and their management are fully aware of their responsibilities and requirements of the Code.
+ - Will the sensitizations on the Code be regular? Click to collapse
The Authority will continue to conduct sensitizations as and when necessary as part of the implementation process and to identify gaps, address issues and respond to challenges arising from the implementation of the Code. The Code also calls for trainings for board members based on their development needs which includes a 12-hour annual training on governance.
+ - How will the Authority address issues arising from the implementation of the Code? Click to collapse
For effective corporate governance and whenever circumstances necessitate, the Authority may review the Code with the intention of updating its provisions to reflect the circumstances or policy objectives. However, the Authority notes that the updates will be managed and take into account stakeholder inputs in order to avoid disruptions in effective implementation.
+ - When was the Code gazetted? Click to collapse
The Code was gazetted on March 4, 2016. It will be deemed to replace the Guidelines on Corporate Governance Practices by Listed Companies in Kenya, 2002 when it comes into effect on March 4, 2017.
+ - When does the Code come into effect? Click to collapse
The Code was gazetted into law on March 4, 2016 and shall be fully applicable with effect from March 4, 2017. Issuers will therefore be obligated to align their governance structures and reporting arrangements to the standards set in the Code in preparation for that date.
+ - Does the Code apply to all issuers of securities to the public? Click to collapse
The Code applies to all entities who have received approvals from the Authority to issue securities to the public whether those issuers have been listed or not. Issuers of restricted offers of securities to sophisticated, institutional or professional investors are exempted from compliance with the Code but are nonetheless encouraged to adopt the best practices provided.
+ - The Code contains mandatory and best practice requirements. What is the distinction? Click to collapse
The mandatory requirements are not subjected to the "Apply or Explain" standard and require full compliance. They have therefore been replicated in the Capital Markets (Securities) (Public Offers, Listing and Disclosures) (Amendment) Regulations, 2016. The mandatory provisions are subject to all the enforcement powers and provisions under the Capital Markets Act.
The best practice requirements have the flexibility of allowing issuers to explain any instances of non-application and the steps being taken and commitments being made towards full application of the best practice requirements.
+ - What are some of the mandatory requirements and how can they be differentiated in the Code? Click to collapse
The mandatory provisions have been replicated in the Capital Markets (Securities) (Public Offers, Listing & Disclosures) (Amendment) Regulations, 2016. The amendment regulations can be found at www.cma.or.ke. The mandatory requirements relate to board composition, independence and evaluation, establishment of board committees, multiple directorships, succession planning, formal and transparent policies and procedures, financial accounts and reporting, conflict of interest policies, shareholders' rights, risk management, sustainability, related party transactions, risk management and internal controls.
+ - What is "apply or explain"? Click to collapse
"Apply or explain" is the regime guiding the enforcement of the best practice components of the Code. This provides that a company is expected to apply the Code in its entirety but allows for some flexibility to explain any instances where a company has not applied the Code as stipulated given the different nature and scope of business. The explanation must be accompanied by a commitment by the company to fully apply the Code within a definite time or to elaborately explain what arrangements it has already put in place to ensure compliance with the principles set out in the Code.
+ - What happens if a company fails to apply the best practice provisions of the Code? Click to collapse
Where a company fails to apply the best practices prescribed by the Code, it should disclose the non-application to relevant stakeholders including the Capital Markets Authority with firm commitment to move towards full compliance with the guidelines or principles set out in the Code. The overall intention is full application of the Code. The disclosure on the status of application of the Code should be made in the company's annual report.
Unsatisfactory explanations or failure to implement measures explained will result in enforcement proceedings in accordance with the Capital Markets Act.
+ - What is the distinction between the application of Principles, Recommendations and Guidelines in the Code? Click to collapse
The Code provides a clear distinction between Principles, Recommendations and Guidelines. In terms of application, the principles set out the core governance standards while the recommendations set out how the principles can be achieved. The guidelines are meant to provide key pointers for effective application of the principle and recommendation.
+ - The Code talks about integrated reporting. How is this different from conventional reporting? Click to collapse
Integrated reporting is a process that brings together the material information about a company's strategy, governance, performance and prospects in such a way that reflects the commercial, environmental, social and governance context within which it operates. It therefore combines the most material elements of information currently reported in separate strands (such as financial report, governance, legal and compliance report, audit reports, etc.) into one coherent whole.
+ - Issuers are required to carry out governance audits. What does this entail? Click to collapse
A governance audit is an annual assessment of the level of compliance of a company with sound governance practices as prescribed by the Code. It is carried out by a competent and recognized professional accredited for that purpose by the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya (ICPSK).
+ - Has the Authority accredited any governance auditors and legal/compliance auditors? Click to collapse
The list of accredited governance auditors is available upon inquiry to the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya (ICPSK). It is important for the issuer to ensure that the lawyers they select to do their legal and compliance audits have the necessary competence and experience for the audits.
+ - The Code also calls for biennial legal and compliance audit. What does this entail? Click to collapse
The Code requires the Board to carry out independent legal and compliance audit at least once every two years. The audit seeks to establish the level of adherence to applicable laws, regulations and standards. The independent legal and compliance audit must be carried out by a legal professional in good standing with the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). The Board is required to ensure that any non-compliance findings are acted upon expediently.
+ - So, what is the difference between a governance audit and a legal and compliance audit? Click to collapse
The governance audit seeks to establish the level of compliance with the governance practices set out in the Code. Some areas to be audited include leadership, transparency, disclosures, stakeholder engagement, board systems and compliance with laws, among other areas. On the other hand, a legal and compliance audit is principally focused on compliance with the law applicable to the entity. It is worth noting that a governance audit has an element of assessment of compliance with laws, but this is not as exhaustive as a legal and compliance audit. While a governance audit is conducted by a recognized and accredited by ICPSK professional, a legal and compliance audit is done by a legal professional in good standing with LSK. In some instances, an accredited ICPSK professional may also be a member of LSK hence competent to do both audits but the issues to be assessed will remain distinct.
+ - Issuers are now required to conduct three audits: Financial, Legal/compliance and governance audits. How are they aligned/interrelated? Click to collapse
All these audits seek to assess and confirm that the issuer's financial, governance and legal requirements are met. Each audit is distinct. Where an accredited governance auditor is also a lawyer in good standing with the Law Society of Kenya, the lawyer can conduct the governance as well as legal/compliance audits.
+ - Does the Authority have in place a structured process and standards on how governance audits shall be carried out? Click to collapse
Yes!The Authority is working in collaboration with ICPSK to develop governance audit standards, guidelines, manuals and toolkits which shall be used in the governance audit exercise which shall be in place to guide all governance audits under the Code.
+ - What does independent director mean? Click to collapse
An independent director is a member of a board of directors who does not have a material or pecuniary relationship with the company or related persons, is compensated through sitting fees or allowance and owns not more than five percent of the shares of the company. The Authority has noted that there is some inconsistency in the Code where Article 1.1.2 provides that an independent director should not hold any shares in the company. The Authority has clarified that a holding of not more than five percent of the shares of the company will allow a director to be considered as independent.After nine years of continuous service, an independent director is deemed to cease to be independent and if he or she remains on the board he or she will be required to be re-designated as a non-executive director.
+ - What is the definition of a non-executive director? Click to collapse
A non-executive director refers to a member of the board of a company who does not form part of the management team and who is not an employee of the company or affiliated with it in any other way but can own shares in excess of 5% or may be a board member in excess of nine years.
+ - What are some of the Board Committees that the Code requiresto be established? Click to collapse
The Code requires that the Board should establish relevant committees with written terms of reference. Some of the key functions that committees should be established to cover include audit, nominations, risk management, remuneration, finance and governance.Some of the committees specifically mentioned in the Code include nominations committee, audit committee and the remuneration committee. Each company hasdiscretion to set up such committees as it requires to meet its business needs.
+ - The Code requires the rotation of independent auditors every six to nine years. Is it the audit firm or the individual auditors that are to be rotated? Click to collapse
It is the audit firm. The requirement for rotation seeks to enhance independence, objectivity and professional critique of the auditor.
+ - Should the policies required be stand-alone documents or can some be consolidated into one policy? Click to collapse
Some policies, given their scope and volume, may need to be stand-alone documents in the interest of accessibility and understanding but this shall be at the discretion of each issuer subject to being able to evidence the specifics of relevant policies within the CG Scorecard.
+ - Will the period for rotation be calculated commencing from March 2017 or take into account the period served as at March 2017? Click to collapse
Rotation will be assessed based on the period served even prior to March 2017 in order to promote the principles of transparency and independence that are central to effective external audit.
+ - What are some of the Board policies mentioned in the Code that facilitate effective governance? Click to collapse
Some of the Board policies mentioned include those on diversity, remuneration, communication, related party transactions, conflict of interest, voting, stakeholder relations, whistle-blowing, disclosure, corporate social responsibility, environmental, social and governance, information technology, procurement, among others.These policies need not be in separate documents. Some policies can be merged. The fundamental requirement is for companies to have guiding documents to inform effective and transparent decision-making.
+ - How will the Authority assess the level of compliance with Code? Click to collapse
The Authority is developing a corporate governance scorecard, reporting templates, checklists and guidelines that will be used in assessing how and to what extent a company has applied the Code. In addition, the annual governance audit tools will be aligned to those used by the Authority in order to ensure consistent assessment of the soundness of corporate governance practices of an Issuer.
+ - Will the scorecard templates and forms be available on CMA Website? Click to collapse
Yes!The Authority will publish the reporting templates, checklists and forms on its website for convenient access and use by issuers and other relevant entities.


Purchase guaranteed parking for Shrek at Broadway Sacramento in Sacramento on Thursday, June 13, 2019 at 2:00 PM. Parking passes are 100% guaranteed for entry at your selected parking location within the hours of operation shown at each location. Enjoy Shrek parking at Broadway Sacramento and park happy with SacPark today!


Not to be confused with plums or peaches, apricots are a nutrient-dense food all their own. This stone-fruit is rich in easily-digestible natural sugars, vitamins A and C, riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3). They are also an excellent source of minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron and traces of sodium, sulphur, manganese, cobalt and bromine. Apricots are often dried, cooked into pastries or turned into jams or preserves. When dried, apricots gain calories, but the amount of calcium, phosphorus and iron also increases significantly.


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Visit to Australia Programme
CANBERRA:
Wednesday 19th October
PM - The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh arrive in Canberra and will be given a Ceremonial Welcome at the Airport.
AM - The Queen will give an Audience for the Governor General.
PM - Will visit the Floriade flower show.
Friday 21st October
AM - The Queen will give an Audience for the Prime Minister of Australia and an Audience for the Leader of the Opposition.
PM - Will attend a Reception hosted by the Prime Minister at Parliament House
The Duke of Edinburgh:
PM - The Duke of Edinburgh will attend a Duke of Edinburgh Award Reception.
Saturday 22nd October
AM - Presentation of Colours to the Royal Military College, Duntroon.
The Duke of Edinburgh
PM - Will attend a Commonwealth Study Conference reception.
Sunday 23rd October
AM - Will attend Morning Worship at St. John's Church.
PM - Will attend a Reception and Lunch hosted by the Governor-General.
BRISBANE AWAY DAY
Monday 24th October
AM - Board a river craft, and travel up the Brisbane River to Southbank and after visit the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
PM - Attend a Reception for emergency response personnel and Communities affected by recent floods.
PM - Will attend a post flood Rededication Ceremony of Rainforest and opening of Rain Bank.
PM - Will attend a Lunch with Governor of Queensland and other guests.
Tuesday 25th October
AM - Will visit the Australian War Memorial and view the Afghanistan Memorial. The Queen will lay a wreath.
Later, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will meet Australian Defence Force Personnel at Orientation Hall.
MELBOURNE AWAY DAY
AM - Opening of the Royal Children's Hospital.
PM - Visit to the Ian Potter Centre, National Gallery of Victoria.
PM - Walk through Federation Square and take a journey on board a Melbourne Tram.
PM - Will attend a Reception hosted by the Governor of Victoria at Government House.
PM - The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will depart Melbourne
for Perth.
AM - Visit to Clontarf Aboriginal College and see sporting facilities.
PM - Will attend a Garden Party at Government House.
Friday 28th October
AM - Will attend the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Lunch for new Heads of Government at Government House.
Evening - Will attend a banquet at the Pan Pacific Hotel.
Saturday 29th October
AM - Will visit the Perth community 'BBQ' event - "The Big Aussie BBQ"
Lunchtime - The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will depart Australia.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Autumn Tour
The Commonwealth
A message from Her Majesty The Queen to the people of Australia following the recent droughts
The Queen's Royal style and title in Australia is 'Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth'
Visit the Australia Governor-General's website
The Duke of Edinburgh's Charities & Patronages
The Queen's Young Leaders
The Queen's Young Leader Award celebrates exceptional people from across the Commonwealth
The Queen has a special Australian Standard (or flag), which she uses when travelling in Australia. It features one section for each of the six Australian states.
The Duke of Edinburgh attends Royal Marines Parade
An announcement regarding The Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke at 95 with The Queen
A new portrait of The Duke of Edinburgh is released
The Duke of Edinburgh visits Hillsborough Castle to present DofE Gold Awards
Her Majesty The Queen's Charities & Patronages
The Duke of Edinburgh celebrates London Youth's 130th anniversary
The Duke of Edinburgh opens a new stand at Lord's Cricket ground
The Duke of Edinburgh presents Kylie Minogue with the Britain-Australia Society Award for 2016
The Duke of Edinburgh hosts a DofE Gold Award Presentation at Buckingham Palace
The Duke of Edinburgh visits the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards
The Duke of Edinburgh visits Vantage Power
'Nobody's ever forgotten meeting him' – The Earl of Wessex on The Duke of Edinburgh
The Queen, with The Duke of Edinburgh, opens the Francis Crick Institute
The Duke of Edinburgh unveils Guinea Pig Club monument
The Duke joins The Queen to mark her 90th Birthday at St Paul's Cathedral
The Duke of Edinburgh visits Ignite Trust Youth Centre
Visiting The Highlanders 4 Scots
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visit Liverpool
The Duke, aged eight #HappyBirthdayHRH
Read about the DofE Award
The Duke of Edinburgh takes the salute at Sounding Retreat
50th anniversary of Grafham Water
Attending the Royal Marines Beating Retreat
How The Duke of Edinburgh's Award changed my life
Jon's transformation from a young man in prison to one with a stable future...
The Duke of Edinburgh unveils an Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust memorial marker
A Celebration of Shakespeare at Southwark Cathedral
The Duke attends a #Shakespeare400 Service
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visit London Zoo
The Duke of Edinburgh visits MOD Lyneham

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Largest Solar Panel Installation in SoCal Complete!
The largest solar installation in SoCal history, some 600,000 solar panels atop a distribution center in Fontana, is complete as of yesterday~ Just 1 of 150 solar projects planned for factory and warehouse roofs in SoCal, this site will produce enough electricity to power 1,300 homes.
I am curious about how this project (2 square miles, or about 5 million square meters of PV) for $875,000,000, as reported in the sfgate link you provided. A typical module is about 10% efficient, yielding about 100 Watts per square meter. The cost per watt for modules these days is about $4.80 per Watt, with another $1, or so, per watt of addtional costs for installation (inverters for example ).
So, at $5.50 per Watt and 100 Watts per square meter, the cost is about $550 per square meter. Five million square meters would cost $2.75 billion, three times the reported cost of $875 million.
I don't think the project can be done at this price at this time. I hope I am wrong about that – but I don't think I am. I hope that with manufacturing advances that it will be possible in the future.


Where rappers, bboys and often DJs drive to take the spotlight in public performance, the graf writer sneaks in the shadows, through subway tunnels and train yards, ducking into forests, alleys and rooftops to escape the pursuant authorities. The writer remains an anonymous character, vandalizing the city by night, leaving vivid artefacts on the city for us to safely observe by day. Today, the proliferation of 'legal' walls as part of art festival scenes serve to expose the secretive world of graffiti artists and techniques, helping graffiti become more palatable but ultimately further removed from its secretive upbringings.
Weighing in at a hefty 424 pages, this backpack brick is encased in an authentic Berlin subway seat vinyl fabric book cover. The contents of the photobook are divided into three sections: firstly portraits and environments, secondly a comprehensive set of interviews with the artists, and a Polaroid section to close out.
Graffiti photobooks have traditionally focused on the artwork: bright spots of paint strewn across city surfaces. The portraits and environments that open Burning Down the House humanize the art of graffiti by unmasking many Berlin graf writers and presenting their daily working environment in open daylight. Intriguingly, graffiti as an artefact is absent from the book. Burning Down the House presents a photographic study of Berlin graffiti writers themselves, rather than their work. Photographed on lush medium format film, the velvet texture of the images draws us closer into the portrayals.
The book's collection of 76 intimate interviews (in English and German) meanwhile offer insight into the world of the graffiti artists, and their views on anonymity versus recognisability. The final section tackles this struggle head on, featuring Polaroids made by Behrendt of the writers standing in various Berlin subway stations. Behrendt sent the Polaroids to the graf writers to request permission to use the image for publishing. Of 88 images sent by Behrendt, 85 were returned to the photographer. He left the decision as to how the Polaroids would be presented to the writers - many returned the images with their faces altered and obscured by marker or scalpel, revealing the on-going paradox that these artists negotiate between exposure and expression.
Burning Down the House is published in a limited of 750 by seltmann+söhne and is sold out from the publisher.


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Applebee's to Remove Soda from Kids' Menus
In a move praised by Center for Science in the Public Interest, family-dining restaurant Applebee's is removing soda from its children's menus, hopefully spearheading a similar movement with other sit-down chains.
Applebee's will become the first family-dining restaurant chain to remove soda from its children's menus, joining fast-food chains McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, and Dairy Queen. The move was praised by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest which in 2014, with allies such as MomsRising.org, the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, and the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity launched a campaign to encourage all restaurant chains to remove soda and other sugar drinks from kids' meals and menus.
"Soda and other sugar drinks promote diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, and even heart disease, and a kids' menu is no place for disease-promoting drinks," said CSPI nutrition policy counsel Jessica Almy. "Kudos to Applebee's for taking this important step to promote children's health. Other sit-down chains such as Chili's should follow Applebee's lead."
Subway, Chipotle, and Panera also exclude sugar drinks from kids' menus, as does IHOP, which is owned by Applebee's parent company DineEquity.
"Responsible restaurants are on the fast track toward making soda for kids a thing of the past," said Almy.
ICCR statement
MomsRising statement
Restaurant Food Marketing to Kids Soda Obesity Fast Food Kids' Meals
Panera Chipotle Subway McDonald's Burger King Wendy's Dairy Queen
Contact Jeff Cronin (jcronin[at]cspinet.org) or Ariana Stone (astone[at]cspinet.org).
When foods and drugs don't mix
By Lindsay Moyer
The most common causes of foodborne illness outbreaks


Routed in Massachusetts, Euphoric Food is passionate about combining fresh local produce with extravagant cannabis. Our team offers a variety of private services including high-end custom multi course dinners, event catering, meal preparation and cannabis cooking classes. The utmost cannabis indulgence is what our team prides ourselves on. Either gathering the ones you loves or connecting with other cannabis consumers, let us bring you together.


Kempsey Shire Council is continuing its Community Catch-ups program with the third meeting of 2018 to be held in Smithtown on Wednesday 26 September.
Council holds quarterly Community Catch-ups in towns and villages across the shire. The meetings are designed to be less formal than a Council meeting and involve the Mayor, Councillors and senior Council staff out in the community inspecting sites of interest, answering questions and building relationships with residents.
Council's engagement website, Your Say Macleay, allows residents to stay informed and have a say on Council projects. The website is updated with information about each Community Catch-up and prior to each meeting residents can fill out a form with questions or topics they would like to see discussed.
There is also an interactive map where residents can drag a pin to point out areas they believe require a site visit by councillors and council staff.
Council's General Manager, Craig Milburn, encourages residents, businesses or those with a vested interest in Gladstone or Smithtown to attend the catch-up meeting this week.
"These meetings are a great way for residents to let us know what they would like to see happen in their part of the Macleay and how they can work with Council," Mr Milburn said.
Residents are encouraged to attend the Gladstone/Smithtown Community Catch-up on Wednesday 26 September from 5pm-7pm at the Smithtown Hall located at 26 Main Street.
The final catch-up for 2018 will be held in Willawarrin on Wednesday 5 December.


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Though our UK campaign has stalled, partly as a result of the current political turmoil, and partly because the MPs who stepped forward following the debate have done nothing to help us get justice, in Ireland the story is different.
With the publication of the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes on 30 October 2020, the extent of the difficulties, prejudice and injustices faced by unmarried mothers in Ireland has been exposed. The horrors which took place in Bessborough and Tuam, to name but two, have been revealed. Stories are now coming out of babies being sold, and of the appalling suffering endured by mothers and their children.
"Babies died by the thousands in these hellholes directly as a result of the early state's policy of semi-official discrimination against single mothers and their babies."
"Where is their truth and justice?"
In the wake of the Report, calls have been made for an Independent Investigation into NI Mother and Baby Homes (see video at 4.5 minutes). As reported by the BBC, First Minister, Arlene Foster, has said that a report is "an important first step towards a full understanding of what happened to thousands of women and their children in our recent past." The many deaths, the cruelty, the coercion, the dishonesty and the trafficking of babies are among the issues that need to be addressed in any investigation.
Though there have been apologies from both the Taoiseach and Tanaiste, their words have not been well received and have been described as 'political waffle', something with which are are all too familiar in our own fight to be heard in the UK.
We have also been told that it was the fault of 'society', and it has been suggested that 'everyone is to blame', which is little more than an effort to avoid stepping up in the face of a difficult situation. As we watch the events unfolding in Ireland, we look to our own representatives in Parliament to set up an investigation, or an inquiry, here.
What happened in Ireland was horrific.
What took place in the UK, was only a few steps behind.


Hosts Russia scored a goal in each third to see off the challenge of Sweden with a 3-1 win in the women's ice hockey tournament in front of a packed house at the Shayba Arena.
Anna Shukina gave the host team an early lead after eight minutes, which Alyona Khomich doubled midway through the second period.
Any thoughts of victory were cut short 10 minutes later when Pernilla Winberg put Sweden back in contention just before the buzzer.
Russia piled on the pressure in the third period, egged on on by the home fans, but Sweden held firm and continued to look dangerous on the counter attack, setting up a tense finish.
It was left to Yekaterina Smolentseva to calm Russian nerves with just over a minute left on the clock, to seal the win.
Russian goaltenders, Anna Prugova made 15 saves, while her Swedish counterpart Valentina Wallner kept out 27 shots, including 15 during a final period bombardment.
The Russians now top Group B ahead of Sweden, after taking a maximum nine points from their three pool games, setting up a quarterfinal showdown against Switzerland.
Sweden will join them in the last eight, where they will meet Vancouver 2010 bronze medallists Finland.
Earlier in the day, Germany powered past Japan 4-0 in the other Group B match to record the first win of the tournament.
With both teams already unable to progress into the quarter-finals, following defeats in their first two matches, pride was at stake.
Franziska Busch scored twice, including a long empty netter in the dying seconds, with Germany's other goals coming from Susann Gotz and Kerstin Spielberger.
The scoreline reflected harshly on Japan, who forced German goaltender Viona Harrer to make 30 stops in all, while her opposite number Nana Fujimoto made 21.
Both teams will now move to the classification round to determine their final ranking.


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Mondelēz releases State of Snacking report
Mondelēz International has announced the launch of its fourth annual State of Snacking report, a global consumer trends study which examines annual insights on how consumers make snacking decisions.
This year's report explores how current economic challenges are affecting consumer snacking choices around the world, with a majority of respondents prioritising snacking, in spite of rising costs and economic challenges.
Developed in partnership with The Harris Poll, the report tracks snacking attitudes and behaviours among thousands of consumers surveyed across 12 countries for the fourth consecutive year. Findings illustrate the "expanded role" of snacking as it replaces traditional meals in consumers' lives.
Key findings show:
Snacking is a staple, as 71% of respondents surveyed snack at least twice a day
78% percent of consumers report they take time to savour indulgent snacks as 61% say they take the time to portion out snacks before eating
Consumers are increasingly replacing meals with snacks, as 55% say they are more likely to eat a snack across all three mealtimes
Reducing waste has become a top priority, with seven in 10 consumers saying they prioritise snacks with less packaging and 72% saying they recycle it
"Our State of Snacking report confirms that in these trying times, consumers around the world view their favorite snacks as affordable and necessary indulgences," said Dirk Van de Put, Chairman and CEO of Mondelēz International. "Snacking continues to be a way for consumers to connect or to enjoy a moment of delight in their day, further demonstrating our belief that every snack can be enjoyed in a mindful way."
The survey demonstrates that consumes are looking for snacks to meet different needs in their lives. The vast majority (78%) regularly snack to reward themselves, 77% do it for a sense of comfort and 85% for both reasons. The 'current environment' emphasises the importance of brand recognition, as 67% say they would buy fewer of their favourite snack brands than alternatives.
Other themes found from the survey reflect mindful snacking, a way to connect with others as seven in 10 say sharing snacks is their love language and an appetite for sustainability as consumers are focused on how their snacking choices impact the environment and they recognise both companies and consumers play key roles in sustainable snacking.
Sustainability is a key priority, especially in younger generations, as 70% of millennials and 69% of Gen Z agree snacks with a higher environmental impact should cost more.
"Today's consumer is more conscious than ever about their consumption – and that includes health and well-being, as well as the impact on the planet," commented Martin Renaud, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer at Mondelēz International. "The findings of this report continue to help inform our strategy as a global snacking leader with a focus on chocolate and biscuits and a commitment to mindful and sustainable snacking."
The 2022 State of Snacking report is available for download here.


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President's Desk
John's Bailiwick
Shot Craft
TheFilmBook
Parallax View
Filmmaker's Forum
Our Men in Havana: Walker Evans and Alexey Titarenko
July 04, 2011 John Bailey, ASC
Seventy years separate the American photographer Walker Evans' images of Cuba from those of the Russian photographer Alexey Titarenko. When Evans went to Havana in 1933 it was on assignment by publisher J.B. Lippincott to provide illustrations for Carleton Beals' political exposé of the corrupt Machado regime, The Crime of Cuba. Beals was a highly regarded essayist who had written for many left-leaning magazines such as The Nation, The New Republic, and Harper's. During a more than fifty-year writing career he published more than forty books.
When Alexey Titarenko in 2003 made the first of his two trips to Havana, it was a personal photographic journey into the ethos of a city that, like his native St. Petersburg, bore the scars of its revolution in the hearts and minds of its people, but also in the very foundations of its once beautiful architecture.
Untitled, photo by Alexey Titarenko, 2003.
The current photo exhibition at the Getty Museum examines Cuba, mainly the capital city Havana, through the lenses of Cuban and foreign photographers in three crucial periods of its history. The fifty-five photographs of Evans are all from the extensive holdings by the artist in the Getty's collection. The thirty plus images from the revolutionary period, 1958-1965, are all by Cuban photographers, mainly Osvaldo Salas and Alberto Korda. The latter made the iconic portrait of Che Guevara that graces T-shirts worldwide and for which the artist received virtually no royalties. He also made the powerful image of ranked women revolutionary soldiers, much in the spirit of 30s Soviet era photographers whose images served the Stalinist agenda.
Plaza de la Revoluccion, May 1963, Alberto Korda, Skrein Photo collection.
The third section of the exhibition features three non-Cuban artists. Virginia Beahan worked mainly outside Havana in the villages, roadways and beaches and the countryside; she photographed many highway propaganda billboards as well as a haunting landscape of the beach of the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion.
Hombre Nueva, Las Tunas, photo by Virginia Beahan, 2004.
Roadside Billboard in Santa Clara, photo by Virginia Beahan, 2002.
Alex Harris, a student of Evans, is attracted to contemporary iconography exploiting the full range of saturated colors in the chromogenic prints that he and Beahan prefer. Harris is especially attracted to vintage car interiors, monuments, and sympathetic portraits of women.
Sol and Cuba, photo by Alex Harris, May 23, 1998.
But it is the Russian, now transplanted to New York City and quickly mastering English, whose work best provides a link back to the quotidian human images of Evans' 1933 Havana.
Old Havana Housefronts, photo by Walker Evans, 1933.
Dilemma, 2006, photo by Alexey Titarenko.
Evans had studied in Paris a few years before he traveled to Havana, and the Cuba assignment was one of his early commercial jobs. In Paris, he had been drawn to the street photography of Atget whose documentation of old Paris included many storefront window displays and signage, images that soon became contrasting tropes of French Cubism. Evans explored all of these stylistic themes in the Havana images. They quickly morphed into recurrent motifs in his work for the FSA and Roy Stryker's photo unit; but they were first developed in Cuba.
Cuban Courtyard Kitchen, photo by Walker Evans, 1933.
Havana Eatery, photo by Walker Evans, 1933.
Titarenko found the iconic Korda image of Che painted on the wall of a crumbling building, an echo of his own St. Petersburg images of signage.
Che, photo by Alexey Titarenko, 2003.
Evans and Titarenko both explored the back alleys and rundown parts of the city and the people who lived and worked in its cramped quarters. A short film from the early thirties that is contemporaneous with Evans' photo essay shows a much different view of the capital, one that emphasized the newness and modernity of its public squares and government buildings. Although it is a tourist view of Havana, it is a revealing portrait of the rhythm of life and the pride of its people—a look into a lost world that bares traces of its still recent colonial past but more than a generation before the revolution that brought Cuba isolation and boycotts by the US, and the subsequent crumbling infrastructure that is the Cuba we know today. It is a perspective that is very much embodied in Titarenko's impeccably toned black and white photographs.
The anonymous flow of Cubans going about their everyday rounds or posing for Evans' lens already hints at the empathic vision he will demonstrate a few years later in his work in the agrarian South.
Coal Dockworkers, photo by Walker Evans, 1933.
It is in the more candid images of people in the streets that reveal the formalist underpinnings of Evan's seeming socio-political portraits, such as this almost Cubist, fractured view of men and hats,
People in Downtown Havana, photo by Walker Evans, 1933.
Or this lone snoozer amid a rank of chairs in a park.
Parque Central II, photo by Walker Evans, 1933.
Or the triple portrait of a full figured woman, a gawker and a hastily retreating figure,
Woman on the Street, photo by Walker Evans, 1933.
and of a barber and his customer, who seems as intent on looking at Evans as the photographer is at looking at him--- and where the white-suited barber is echoed in the customer sitting in the uni-pod, white pedestal chair.
Havana Barbershop, photo by Walker Evans, 1933.
Titarenko's portraits tend to be made from a wider perspective, placing his subject within a broad architectural field that carries with it a metaphor of decay.
Balcony, photo by Alexey Titarenko, 2006.
The seven decades that separate these two visions of Havana are also a window into the soul of its people. Although Evans was aware of the lash of the corrupt and cruel Machado regime, he was not much of a political animal and his photos reflect none of the leftist rhetoric of Beals' text. Titarenko, on the other hand, had come of age in the waning days of the Soviet empire and had lived inside the toll that a totalitarian government had taken on its citizens and on his beloved once-imperial city.
Evans' formalist photograph of a horse cart is wondrously static like a sculpture,
Mule, Wagon, and two Men, photo by Walker Evans, 1933.
while Titarenko's of a man and his broken-down car pulsates with tension.
Square/Broken Car, photo by Alexey Titarenko, 2003.
Is Titarenko's study of a woman standing in raking sunlight behind a grate just an image of a woman waiting for someone—or a metaphor of the Cuban condition seen by an artist who had recently shared it?
Woman Behind Door, photo by Alexey Titarenko, 2003.
What is clear when you study a group of Evans and Titarenko portraits in the Getty exhibition is the shared concern both artists have, possible political context aside, for compositional and formal, rather than only documentary, values.
A documentary made for the French television channel Arte affords a close-in look at Titarenko's working technique, a method, he told me, that is how he approached his work in Havana.
It is precisely the kindred link that I sensed in the shared vision of Cuba between Evans and Titarenko that led me to consider writing this essay as something more than a report on this very rich exhibition. It was also sparked by knowledge of the intense emotional underpinnings that Titarenko carries with him as he wanders urban streets with his Hasselblad and tripod. It has emotional density that also suffuses his carefully rendered photochemical darkroom prints. The creation of his prints is too personal and valued an experience for Titarenko to leave either to a home digital printer or to a lab.
I asked him why he chose to go to Cuba, whether it was partly due to the history of the Soviet era Cold War conflict with the US, or for purely aesthetic reasons.
My interest to take pictures in Havana was inspired by the underlying similarities between Havana and St. Petersburg. At one time both were grand; and then, both went through the same process of decay due to the revolution and the communist regime/dictatorship that followed.
Both cities are unique and beautiful. Water has played a primordial role in their history. For both, their reason for existence belongs to the past and both are like an aristocratic person whose pride and beauty were violated and humiliated by the communist regime (but let's add metaphorically that she nevertheless persists in opposing human savagery with incredible vitality, humanism and a magical ability to transform ugliness into a treasure).
In the Getty gallery video Alex Harris discusses the rationale behind photographing Cuba through windshields of old American cars. Titarenko had an alternate, more visceral experience of automobiles.
There were all kinds of Soviet cars and the odor of cheap fuel along with the noise of these cars reminded me my childhood [and] made me feel happy.
I asked Titarenko if he had known of Evan's Cuban photography prior to the show. Evans work there was the focus of a 2003 book published by the Getty, with an introduction by Judith Keller and an essay by critic/poet Andrei Codrescu:
Amazon.com—Walker Evans: Cuba link
Gallery owner and artist's wife, Nailya Alexander, was with Titarenko for the preview of the exhibition. She told me that:
Alexey spent a long time looking at Walker Evans photographs, enjoying the fact that he stayed around the same spots photographing the same people, (variations of the same scene). He said that Evans, like him, had favorite places he would come back to over and over again. Alexey had probably 4 favorite places in Havana; he would visit them twice a day like a ritual, usually in the morning and at sunset, to see what changed, photograph them from different angles. Those places were like 'signs.' They represented something special in his mind. This was in 2003. When he came the second time in 2006 his favorite places were gone, they were transformed, things changed, and he felt sad that he lost them...
Knowing that Titarenko, like many artists, does not readily embrace the concept of stylistic parallels with other artists, I nonetheless asked him about the similar view of Havana between Evans and him.
I think Evans did not, like me, have any pre-existing concept of what he is doing [in Havana] and was just following his artistic instincts and emotions/love rather than his intellect. This is maybe the link between him and me. But of course, it is just an idea...
This is [also] one of the beautiful ideas of Dostoyevsky's short novel 'White Nights,' where for the main character/ narrator, buildings are like humans and have their own character.... This is also what inspired me even before Cuba, in" Black and White Magic of St. Petersburg."
This riff about buildings being like humans was evocative for me. I thought of the high angle photograph Evans made of a central Havana square that he also detailed in closer eye-level angles. They reveal an impoverished city with already crumbling buildings,
Plaza del Vapor, photo by Walker Evans, 1933.
and of Titarenko's highly emotional, poetic image of a narrow Havana street in the rain.
Several days after I began to discuss his Cuban photos with Titarenko, and sensing it was still awkward for him to articulate his more subtle thoughts in English, the aesthetic underpinnings of his work, he sent me an artist's statement he had written in Russian, translated by John Nicolson.
Working in the course of many years on the theme of my native city, St Petersburg, I have gradually begun to understand what part of the creative joy that I have felt in my work is due to its unique originality – a uniqueness which has entered my own personality and become part of my interior world; and what part is a matter of the atmosphere, life, and dynamism of any large city. . . during a certain period… the period during which I grew up, the period of my childhood and youth…
I have instinctively tried to find this 'other half' (which has likewise become an integral part of my soul) in each new place, which has. . . . become my home, my place of residence … But it's only rarely that I feel something stirring, waking… singing inside me… The world has changed too much, and St Petersburg with it. Here you can no longer find a spot that's free of the very latest models of car, and the facades of houses hide behind bright advertising – advertising that's perhaps just as beautiful or ugly as in New York, London, or Paris, but which was nevertheless absent from the world of my childhood…
Once, it happened that after flying in late one evening, after many hours spent in an airplane, into an unfamiliar country and venturing out from my hotel the following morning, I was struck by a wave of unexpected joy – of unconscious, all-encompassing joy that surged from somewhere deep inside me and bore me aloft as if on wings so that I wanted to sing, shout out…! I was in Havana.
A miracle had taken place in my consciousness; I felt as if I had flown back in time to 20 years before. I was passed by slowly moving cars … but cars from an age that is usually referred to as 'once, a long time ago'. Modestly dressed people walked past palaces of stunning architecture and dilapidated physical condition, and there were Pioneers and schoolchildren merrily marching across the road in neat columns by the traffic lights… the sun was shining and a fresh wind blowing…
Square, photo by Alexey Titarenko, 2003.
There was no time to lose – given that even what we see is already in the past (the fractions of seconds that we spend on taking in what we have seen deprive us of the reality of the present).
But at last I had my camera in my hands. And then long hours during every day of my stay in Havana . . . were filled with one objective, one meaning – to try to see, isolate from the complex kaleidoscope of unhurried life that seemed to have frozen at a certain period in time, and convey in photographs that air, that atmosphere of joy, enthusiasm, and universal love for one's neighbor and for this world, that from the first second I perceived and understood with all my senses…
Titarenko spoke about the presence of water as a common theme in the cities of his native St. Petersburg and Havana: the labyrinth of canals that flow through the former, and the ocean that encircles Cuba, nowhere so present as in the breaking waves along the Malecón. All the visual, emotive poetry he writes of in the citation above is embodied in a single image he made of boys facing the breakers pounding the Malecón seawall, the city itself almost lost in the sky like a luminous painting by Turner.
Malecon, photo by Alexey Titarenko, 2003.
Only a reductive analysis to their barest formal properties could fail to reveal the kinship between Evans and Titarenko, two flaneurs in a single city, separated only by time--- and the vicissitudes of history. One can't help but speculate what they may have said to each other about the state of Cuban life today over a few shots of anejo "Cuba Ron."
John's Note: This Cuba essay will be up for two weeks. On July 18, the first of a two part look at Andy Warhol's "Screen Tests," 16mm. portraits of the Factory "superstars" and an eclectic mix of denizens.
John's Bailiwick
Cinematographer John Bailey's take on art and artists
Monument Valley in the Movies
Visions of Light Revisited
The Sixth Annual Ibero-American Platino Awards
Raymond Cauchetier @ Notre Dame de Paris


text:
Finance and Risk Policies
Local Government Pension Scheme Discretionary Policy
Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013 (LGPS)
The following regulations require all scheme employers to formulate, publish and keep under review a written policy statement on how they will apply their discretionary powers in relation to certain provisions in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
The Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013,
the Local Government Pension Scheme (Transitional Provisions and Savings) Regulations 2014; and
the Local Government Pension Scheme (Benefits, Membership and Contributions) Regulations 2008
Peninsula Pensions is the administering authority for the Devon Pension Fund and for the purposes of this document, South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council are scheme employers.
Policy Decision
Shared Cost Additional Pension Scheme
An employer can choose to pay for or contribute towards a member's Additional Pension Contract via a Shared Cost Additional Pension Contract (SCAPC).
The policy of the Council is not to fund, in whole or in part, an employee's Additional Pension Contributions.
Regulations 30(6) and B18 Flexible Retirement Regulation 30(8) Waiving of actuarial reduction
Employers may allow a member from age 55 onwards to draw all or part of the pension benefits they have already built up while still continuing in employment. This is provided the employer agrees to the member either reducing their hours or moving to a position on a lower grade.
In such cases, pension benefits will be reduced in accordance with actuarial tables unless the employer waives reduction on compassionate grounds or a member has protected rights.
The policy of the Council is to agree to individual applications for flexible retirement where there are no financial costs to the Council and there is no detrimental effect on service delivery and in accordance with the Council's Flexible Retirement policy.
Regulation 30(8) Waiving of actuarial reduction
Where a scheme employer's policy under regulation 30(6) (flexible retirement) is to consent to the immediate release of benefits in respect of an active member who is aged 55 or over, those benefits must be adjusted by an amount shown as appropriate in actuarial guidance issued by the Secretary of State (commonly referred to as actuarial reduction or early payment reduction).
Employers have the power to waive, on compassionate grounds, the actuarial reduction (in whole or part) applied to members benefits paid on the grounds of flexible retirement.
Employers may also waive, on compassionate grounds, the actuarial reduction (in whole or part) members' benefits for deferred members and suspended tier 3 ill health pensioners who elect to draw benefits on or after age 60 and before normal pension age.
Employers also have the power to waive, in whole or in part, the actuarial reduction applied to active members' benefits when a member chooses to voluntarily draw benefits on or after age 55 and before age 60.
The policy of the Council is that a decision to waive any actuarial reduction in the case of flexible retirement will only be considered where there will be a financial or other benefit to the employer or, in very exceptional circumstances, on compassionate grounds.
The policy of the Council is that a decision to waive any actuarial reduction in the case of deferred members and suspended tier 3 ill health pensioners who elect to draw benefits on or after age 60 and before normal pension age will only be considered where there will be a financial or other benefit to the employer or, in very exceptional circumstances, on compassionate grounds.
The policy of the Council is that a decision to waive any actuarial reduction in the case of an active member who chooses to voluntarily draw benefits on or after age 55 and before age 60 will only be considered where there will be a financial or other benefit to the employer or, in very exceptional circumstances, on compassionate grounds.
Regulation 31 Award of additional pension
A scheme employer may resolve to award an active member or a former active member if it is within 6 months of a dismissal by reason of redundancy or business efficiency, an additional annual pension of not more than the additional pension limit. The pension limit is increased each April under the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971). The limit at 1st April 2014 is £6,500.
The Council has the option of awarding an additional pension to an employee who would otherwise be eligible for a lump sum compensation payment under the Council's Discretionary Compensation policy, as formulated in the Council's Redundancy and Interest of Efficiency policy. Where the employee agrees to forgo the lump sum payment (in excess of any statutory redundancy compensation) that would otherwise have been paid, the Council could award additional pension actuarially equivalent in value to the lump sum compensation payment, provided that the additional annual pension would not exceed the statutory limits.
The policy of the Council is that it does not use the discretion to award additional pension, including in circumstances where an employee would agree to forgo a lump sum payable under the Council's Discretionary Compensation policy.
Regulation B12 Power to increase total membership of active members
An employer may agree to increase the total membership of an active member who is leaving on grounds of redundancy or in the efficiency of the service on or before 31 March 2014. The maximum award (including additional membership in respect of different employments) must not exceed 10 years.
An employer may also agree to award augmented service to a member up to 6 months after they have left employment provided that their termination of employment was on grounds of redundancy/efficiency and date of leaving was before 1 April 2014.
Where a scheme member retires or leaves employment and elects to draw their benefits at or after the age of 55 and before the age of 60, those benefits will be actuarially reduced unless their without actuarial reduction and there is no cost to the Council.
NB This is a time limit discretion which expires on 30 September 2014 for those whose employment is terminated on 31 March 2014.
The policy of the Council is that it does not exercise its power to increase total membership of the scheme.
Regulation TP Schedule 2 Power to 'switch on' the 85-Year Rule
Where a scheme member retires or leaves employment and elects to draw their benefits at or after the age of 55 and before the age of 60, those benefits will be actuarially reduced unless their scheme employer agrees to meet the full or part cost of those reductions by 'switching on' the 85-year rule protections thereby allowing the member to receive fully or partly unreduced benefits but subject to the Scheme employer paying a strain (capital) cost to the Pension Fund.
Note: Where a scheme member retires or leaves employment and is over the age of 60 and meets the 85-Year Rule, their benefits are released
The policy of the Council is that a decision to 'switch on' the 85-year rule (for scheme members aged between 55 and 60) is only made where there would be a financial or other benefit to the Council.
Regulation B30 Choice of early payment of pension
A scheme employer may allow the early payment of deferred benefits to former members of the LGPS between the ages of 55 and 59.
The policy of the Council is that a decision to allow the early release of deferred benefits to former members of the LGPS who are aged 55 and 59 will only be considered where there will be a financial or other benefit to the employer or, in very exceptional circumstances, on compassionate grounds.
Regulation B30A Reinstatement of suspended tier 3 ill health pension
A scheme employer can grant an application for reinstatement of a suspended tier 3 ill health pension on or after age 55 and before age 60. In such cases, pension benefits will be reduced in accordance with actuarial tables unless the employer waives reduction on compassionate grounds or a member has protected rights.
The policy of the Council is that a decision to grant an application for reinstatement of a suspended tier 3 ill health pension on or after age 55 and before age 60 will only be considered where there will be a financial or other benefit to the employer or, in very exceptional circumstances, on compassionate grounds.
Signed on behalf of South Hams District Council/West Devon Borough Council
Date: 24 June 2014 (South Hams)
Date: 22 July 2014 (West Devon)
Name of Authorised Officer: Alan Robinson
Job title: Executive Director and Head of Paid Service


text:
package org.jasig.portal.security;

import org.jasypt.digest.config.SimpleDigesterConfig;
import org.jasypt.util.password.ConfigurablePasswordEncryptor;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;

/**
 *
 * @author Jen Bourey, jbourey@unicon.net
 * @version $Revision$
 */
@Component("portalPasswordService")
public class PortalPasswordServiceImpl implements IPortalPasswordService {

    protected static final String MD5_PREFIX = "(MD5)";
    protected static final String SHA256_PREFIX = "(SHA256)";

    private ConfigurablePasswordEncryptor md5Encryptor;
    private ConfigurablePasswordEncryptor sha256Encryptor;

    /**
     * Create a new PortalPasswordService, initializing all required password
     * encryption resources.
     */
    public PortalPasswordServiceImpl() {

        /*
         * Create an MD5 password encryptor that uses an 8-byte salt with one
         * hash iteration.  This encryptor should be  capable of validating
         * legacy uPortal passwords.
         */
        md5Encryptor = new ConfigurablePasswordEncryptor();
        SimpleDigesterConfig md5Config = new SimpleDigesterConfig();
        md5Config.setIterations(1);
        md5Config.setAlgorithm("MD5");
        md5Config.setSaltSizeBytes(8);
        md5Encryptor.setConfig(md5Config);

        /*
         * Create a stronger SHA-256 password encryptor for setting and
         * validating new passwords.
         */
        sha256Encryptor = new ConfigurablePasswordEncryptor();
        SimpleDigesterConfig shaConfig = new SimpleDigesterConfig();
        shaConfig.setIterations(1000);
        shaConfig.setAlgorithm("SHA-256");
        shaConfig.setSaltSizeBytes(8);
        sha256Encryptor.setConfig(shaConfig);

    }

    /* (non-Javadoc)
     * @see org.jasig.portal.security.IPortalPasswordService#encryptPassword(java.lang.String)
     */
    public String encryptPassword(String cleartext) {
        String encrypted = sha256Encryptor.encryptPassword(cleartext);
        if (encrypted.endsWith("\n")) {
            encrypted = encrypted.substring(0, encrypted.length()-1);
        }
        encrypted = SHA256_PREFIX.concat(encrypted);
        return encrypted;
    }

    /* (non-Javadoc)
     * @see org.jasig.portal.security.IPortalPasswordService#validatePassword(java.lang.String, java.lang.String)
     */
    public boolean validatePassword(String cleartext, String encrypted) {
        if (encrypted.startsWith(MD5_PREFIX)) {
            encrypted = encrypted.substring(5);
            return md5Encryptor.checkPassword(cleartext, encrypted);
        } else if (encrypted.startsWith(SHA256_PREFIX)) {
            encrypted = encrypted.substring(8);
            return sha256Encryptor.checkPassword(cleartext, encrypted);
        } else {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                    "This portal password service is only currently capable of validating MD5 and SHA-256 passwords");
        }
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Phil Babb's side earned another point on Thursday evening in a goalless draw with Basingstoke Town at Kingfield as we continue to fight to retain our place in the Skrill South.
With this being Hayes & Yeading's third game in just five days, it was not surprising that Phil shuffled the pack a little, including a first start for the club by loanee Niall McManus in midfield.
The visiting Dragons almost took a tenth minute lead when Nathan Smart's low centre from the right was deflected to Liam Enver-Marum who nudged the ball goalwards only to be denied by Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz's quick reactions to push the ball away for a corner. The initial kick being put out for another that was met by David Ray but his downward header was gathered by Jaimez-Ruiz.
As United started pushing for an opener, Pat Cox headed wide after a decent centre from McManus and then Samir Bihmoutine should have done better when he advanced onto a Freddie Ladapo knock down but he leant backwards and fired over from 10 yards out.
Former United favourite Adam Green fired a free-kick wide of the post for the visitors before a long punt upfield saw Ladapo outpace Green and Jay Gasson into the Dragons area but despite beating keeper Louis Wells, the ball went the wrong side of the post.
Jaimez-Ruiz did well to swallow up a 20 yard drive by Nicholas Bignall and minutes later the same player should have done better when collecting a miss-hit Andrew Jenkinson shot in the 6 yard box only to screw his effort wide.
Jenkinson just two minutes later forced a save from the United keeper, having cut in from the right his powerful drive saw Jaimez-Ruiz do well to push the ball over the top. The final chance of the half came in stoppage time when a Jack Mills free-kick from 25 yards cleared the visitors goal without overly troubling Wells.
United very nearly opened the second half in perfect fashion. Cox won the ball in the air and picked out Bihmoutine who played the ball inside to Ladapo who with his back to goal controlled the ball and hit a dipping drive on the turn that only just cleared the Dragons goal with Wells at full stretch.
Chances in the second period were to be at a premium thereafter, Jaimez-Ruiz held an effort from range by Green while at the other end Cox met a Ben Brown centre but could not steer his effort under the crossbar.
The final half hour of the game saw tired legs start to take over with just two noteworthy openings being noted. The first drew another fine save from Jaimez-Ruiz who did well to parry a powerful 12 yard drive from former Hayes FC man Shaun McAuley with Ben Gerring getting "crunched" as he cleared the loose ball.
Eight minutes were left on the watch and the final chance of the game fell to the fresh legs of United substitute Andrew Musunga who was inches over with an angled drive after being set up by Luke Williams who had collected another Cox knock down.


text:
// .NAME vtkCompositePolyDataMapper2 - mapper for composite dataset
// .SECTION Description
// vtkCompositePolyDataMapper2 is similar to
// vtkGenericCompositePolyDataMapper2 but requires that its inputs all have the
// same properties (normals, tcoord, scalars, etc) It will only draw
// polys and it does not support edge flags. The advantage to using
// this class is that it generally should be faster

#ifndef vtkCompositePolyDataMapper2_h
#define vtkCompositePolyDataMapper2_h

#include "vtkRenderingOpenGL2Module.h" // For export macro
#include "vtkGenericCompositePolyDataMapper2.h"

class VTKRENDERINGOPENGL2_EXPORT vtkCompositePolyDataMapper2 : public vtkGenericCompositePolyDataMapper2
{
public:
  static vtkCompositePolyDataMapper2* New();
  vtkTypeMacro(vtkCompositePolyDataMapper2, vtkGenericCompositePolyDataMapper2);
  void PrintSelf(ostream& os, vtkIndent indent);

  // Description:
  // This calls RenderPiece (in a for loop if streaming is necessary).
  virtual void Render(vtkRenderer *ren, vtkActor *act);

  virtual void RenderPiece(vtkRenderer *ren, vtkActor *act);
  virtual void RenderPieceDraw(vtkRenderer *ren, vtkActor *act);
  virtual void RenderEdges(vtkRenderer *ren, vtkActor *act);

protected:
  vtkCompositePolyDataMapper2();
  ~vtkCompositePolyDataMapper2();

  // Description:
  // Perform string replacments on the shader templates, called from
  // ReplaceShaderValues
  virtual void ReplaceShaderColor(
    std::map<vtkShader::Type, vtkShader *> shaders,
    vtkRenderer *ren, vtkActor *act);

  // Description:
  // Build the VBO/IBO, called by UpdateBufferObjects
  virtual void BuildBufferObjects(vtkRenderer *ren, vtkActor *act);
  virtual void AppendOneBufferObject(vtkRenderer *ren,
    vtkActor *act, vtkPolyData *pd, unsigned int flat_index,
    std::vector<unsigned char> &colors,
    std::vector<float> &norms);

  std::vector<unsigned int> VertexOffsets;
  std::vector<unsigned int> IndexOffsets;
  std::vector<unsigned int> IndexArray;
  std::vector<unsigned int> EdgeIndexArray;
  std::vector<unsigned int> EdgeIndexOffsets;
  unsigned int MaximumFlatIndex;

  class RenderValue
    {
    public:
      unsigned int StartVertex;
      unsigned int StartIndex;
      unsigned int StartEdgeIndex;
      unsigned int EndVertex;
      unsigned int EndIndex;
      unsigned int EndEdgeIndex;
      double Opacity;
      bool OverridesColor;
      bool Visibility;
      vtkColor3d AmbientColor;
      vtkColor3d DiffuseColor;
      unsigned int PickId;
    };

  std::vector<RenderValue> RenderValues;
  vtkTimeStamp RenderValuesBuildTime;

  bool UseGeneric;  // use the generic render
  vtkTimeStamp GenericTestTime;

  // free up memory
  void FreeStructures();

  void BuildRenderValues(vtkRenderer *renderer,
    vtkActor *actor,
    vtkDataObject *dobj,
    unsigned int &flat_index,
    unsigned int &lastVertex,
    unsigned int &lastIndex,
    unsigned int &lastEdgeIndex);

  // Description:
  // Returns if we can use texture maps for scalar coloring. Note this doesn't
  // say we "will" use scalar coloring. It says, if we do use scalar coloring,
  // we will use a texture.
  // When rendering multiblock datasets, if any 2 blocks provide different
  // lookup tables for the scalars, then also we cannot use textures. This case
  // can be handled if required.
  virtual int CanUseTextureMapForColoring(vtkDataObject* input);
  bool CanUseTextureMapForColoringSet;
  int CanUseTextureMapForColoringValue;

private:
  vtkCompositePolyDataMapper2(
    const vtkCompositePolyDataMapper2&); // Not implemented.
  void operator=(const vtkCompositePolyDataMapper2&); // Not implemented.
};

#endif


text:
ChuzzleKit
==========

A chuzzled object is nil if it is *falsy*, otherwise it has its *falsy* parts
removed.

For example:

* `@"".chuzzle` is `nil`
* Also `@" ".chuzzle` is `nil`
* And `@"\r\t".chuzzle` is `nil`
* `@" 2 ".chuzzle` is `@"2"`
* `@[].chuzzle` is `nil`
* `@[@"", @1].chuzzle` is `@[@1]`
* `[NSNull null].chuzzle` is `nil`
* `@{}.chuzzle` is `nil`
* `@{@1: @""}.chuzzle` is `nil`
* `@{@1: @"", @2: @" 2  "}.chuzzle` is `@{@2: @"2"}`

Note:

* `@"  2 3   "` chuzzles to: `@"2 3"`, that is, it only trims the string, it doesn't eat the internal whitespace. This is because the "falsy" whitespace is just the trailing whitespace, not the internal whitespace. This is probably what you expected.

Mutable Chuzzling
=================
We removed mutable chuzzling. There are issues with adding category methods to mutable variants in Cocoa, which led to us having to enact hacks. However there were unexpected issues, eg: https://github.com/mxcl/ChuzzleKit/issues/3

Custom Chuzzling
================
All our `chuzzle` methods on container classes will call `chuzzle` on the objects they contain, if it is implemented.

So if you want to support recursive chuzzling on your own objects, simply implement a `chuzzle` method.

Making JSON PLIST-Compliant
===========================
Since `NSNull` cannot be encoded into a PLIST, a convenient (but by **no means** the primary) usage of ChuzzleKit is to make saving JSON to a plist not crash (eg. via `writeToFile:atomically`).

Stripping Strings
=================
`-chuzzle` can be a less enormous alternative to `-stringByTrimmingCharactersInSet:`, just don't forget to expect `nil` in the response.


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A growing number of startups offer fresh, healthy food delivery — and consumer interest is growing. According to Statista, direct-to-door meal-kit service global revenue is expected to reach US$10 billion by 2020, up from $1 billion in 2015.
Such companies face a variety of logistical and operational challenges, says Matt Cantatore, chief operating officer at Ollie, a new e-commerce company that offers direct-to-consumer delivery of healthy, freshly cooked dog food. He previously was an executive at Blue Apron, a meal-kit delivery service.
Inventory efficiency metrics. "There's a fine balance in a growing e-commerce business between having enough product on hand to fulfill the often-extreme fluctuations in demand and not having too much product that you rob the business of the cash needed to grow," Cantatore says. Having effective and efficient inventory practices are particularly important with perishable goods, he adds.
Focusing on KPIs like inventory management, workforce turnover, scalability, OTIF and customer satisfaction can help perishable-goods delivery startups like Ollie establish a customer base and thrive, Cantatore says.


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Patty Wight
News Producer
Patty is a graduate of the University of Vermont and a multiple award-winning reporter for Maine Public Radio. Her specialty is health coverage: from policy stories to patient stories, physical health to mental health and anything in between. Patty joined Maine Public Radio in 2012 after producing stories as a freelancer for NPR programs such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered. She got hooked on radio at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine, and hasn't looked back ever since.
Maine Family Planning Withdraws Request To Block Abortion 'Gag Rule' Following Nationwide Injunction
By Patty Wight • Apr 26, 2019
Patty Wight / Maine Public
Maine Family Planning has withdrawn its request to block what it calls the Trump administration's 'gag rule' on abortion.
Abortion 'Gag Rule' Heads To Federal District Court In Maine
A battle to block what critics call the Trump Administration's "gag rule" on abortions from going into effect was heard in federal District Court in Bangor Wednesday.
Maine Family Planning Seeks To Block Trump Administration's Abortion 'Gag Rule'
A local challenge to a new Trump administration rule that critics say would limit access to abortion was heard in federal District Court in Bangor Wednesday.
Maine Towns Desperate For Help Fighting Browntail Moth Infestations
Philip Goddard / Flickr/Creative Commons
Officials from Maine towns infested with browntail moths are urging state lawmakers to help them fight the invasive pest.
Lawmakers Look For Solutions As More And More Mainers Are Unable to Afford Prescription Drugs
Nam Y. Huh / AP Photo
The United States spends more per capita on prescription drugs than nearly a dozen other high income countries. In recent years, the prices of brand name drugs have shot up more than 60 percent.
Three Charged In Connection With Man's Beating Death In 2018 Lewiston Brawl
By Willis Ryder Arnold, Barbara Cariddi & Patty Wight • Apr 12, 2019
Avery Chisholm / Maine Public/file
Three people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a Lewiston man during a brawl last June. The death of 38-year-old Donald Giusti came at a time of rising ethnic tensions in the city and sparked a call for peace by immigrant community leaders.
21-year-old Woman Charged With Killing 2-year-old Girl
By Patty Wight • Apr 5, 2019
A 21-year old woman from Bucksport has been charged with murder in the 2017 death of two-year old Kloe Hawksley. Savannah Smith was the partner of the child's father.
Hawksley was found dead inside a Bucksport home in October of 2017 after a 911 call about an unresponsive child. Her death was ruled a homicide that December.
Smith is at the Hancock County jail, and is scheduled to appear in court in Ellsworth at 2:30 p.m. Monday.
Maine Vaccination Rates Reach New Low
Vaccination rates in Maine continue to drop, according to an annual school immunization report released Friday by the state's Center for Disease Control (CDC).
State Lawmakers Consider Restrictions On Short-term 'Junk' Insurance Plans
Thursday lawmakers on the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Committee considered two bills that would limit the use of short term health insurance. The proposals are in response to the Trump administration recently expanding the availability of short term plans, which critics refer to as "junk" insurance.
Committee Holds Hearing On Bill To Set Up Safe Injection Sites
A proposal before state lawmakers would establish two locations in Maine where people with substance use disorder can safely inject drugs.
Some Maine Children Have To Move Out Of State For Health Care. A New Bill Wants To Bring Them Back.
Damian Dovarganes / AP Stock
Dozens of Maine children who need residential treatment for severe mental health and behavioral issues are currently getting that care out of state. A bill before the state legislature aims to bring those kids back.
Annual Report Shows Troubling Data About Maine Children's Health
By Patty Wight • Mar 28, 2019
Maine Children's Alliance
Prenatal care and children's mental health are among areas of concern identified in the latest Maine Kids Count Data Book. According to the report produced by the Maine Children's Alliance, Maine's infant mortality rate is high, as is the number of children diagnosed with anxiety and depression. But the findings suggest that Maine has made progress in other areas.
Maine House Speaker's Bill Would Create Family And Medical Leave Program
Mal Leary / Maine Public
Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, a Democrat, has introduced a bill that would create a universal paid family and medical leave program in Maine.
Agreement Reached To Sell Emera Maine To Canadian Company
Courtesy Emera Maine
Nova Scotia energy company Emera is selling its Maine subsidiary to another Canadian company, ENMAX Corporation, for $959 million.
Maine CDC Trying To Identify Individuals Exposed To Rabid Bat
The Maine Center for Disease Control (CDC) is trying to identify individuals who may have been exposed to rabies last weekend in Bangor through the handling a rabid bat.


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By Anonymous - Canada
Today, I was at a family get together with distant relatives. My grandma made a point to say how all of the grandkids brought their boyfriends or girlfriends. She looks at me, then turns to everyone and says "But not our Becky! She is more interested in her cats right now than finding a man." FML
Small town blues
I CAN HEAR YOU
By bleh - United States
Today, I discovered my parents took me to a specialist when I was a baby because they thought I had a facial deformity. It turns out I'm just ugly. FML
Today, as I was trying to get out of bed, my foot began sliding across the floor. I instinctively tried to balance myself, only for the new angle to cause my right hip to painfully and loudly dislocate, making me fall face-forward into my dresser. Back stuck in bed after three days of freedom. FML
By failing - Pakistan - Lahore
Today, after searching frantically for my economics notes for a week, I asked my friend to send me pictures of her's. I recognised my handwriting on the pictures she sent me and she admitted she "borrowed" them. The exam is in three days and she refuses to meet me and give my notes back. FML
Today, I went on a third date with this guy, hoping I'd finally get some action. I got a high five. FML
By notgivingup - United States
Today, I had to serve my boyfriend's father with a restraining order. FML
By Anonymous - United States - Pleasanton
Today, my neighbor pointed to me and said to his best friend, "This motherfucker still lives with his mama. That's why he can't get no pussy." I'm thirty. My neighbor is eleven, and correct. FML
By back to cock-hunting - Canada - Burnaby
Today, on our second date, the unemployed guy I'm seeing tried to convince me to open a joint bank account in our name. FML
By shitpile - United States
Today, I was at a water park with my family. While on the 100ft slide, my father decided it would be a great idea to pants me. I slipped and went down the 100ft slide naked for everyone to see. FML
By gonads
Banana-nana fo-fo-nads
Today, I was playing baseball. My full name is Nadeene, my nickname is Dee, but people have started calling me Nads. Someone yelled out "Go Nads" as I went up to bat. Guess what my new nickname is? FML
By inthedark - Canada
Today, I found out why my five-year-old has been throwing tantrums while shopping. It turns out my ex-husband has been paying her three dollars for every public tantrum she throws. FML
By ouch
Today, my cat fell into the bathtub while walking along the rim. This wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't in it at the time, and if my skin was immune to being sliced open by a frantic kitty. FML
By omgfmlhard - United States
Today, I walked into Best Buy to buy a 42" widescreen TV I'd been saving up for many months. As I walked in, a man stopped me and handed me my wallet that I'd accidentally dropped. I thanked him. 5 minutes later at the checkout, I opened up my wallet to realize it was empty. He had stolen everything. FML
By taman - United States
Today, I took this girl out that I've been crushing on for 2 years to a fancy restaurant. At one point during the date, I had to get up to take a massive dump. As I was walking back to the table, a little boy stood up and shouted, "THAT'S THE POOPOO MAN" in front of the whole restaurant. FML
By honeynuggetviolin
Today, I spent hours playing my guitar and singing in the street, hoping to make some extra cash. About 3 hours in, I realized some punk had been walking around with a hat taking money as if he was with me. FML
By Suzie Leone - United States
Today, it's "family fun night." We're pulling weeds. FML
By emptypockets - Australia - Sydney
Today, I was pulled over and fined $100 for driving without a license, as I'd accidentally left home without my wallet. I later found my wallet wedged beside my car seat, where it had been the entire time. FML
By jpmetz - United States
Today, my credit card got blocked. Apparently, my bank thinks buying a $130 flat iron online is suspicious. FML
By Lovestupid - Australia
Today, I woke up extremely hungover next to a guy I have been in love with for a while but hadn't seen for ages. Turns out he had a bet going with his mates. He bet he could get me to sleep with him straight away even after not calling me for a month. He was right. FML
By Britishboy1991
Today, I should be working on my big project for work due next week. Instead, I'm walking in and out of the block to get all my things from my flat. My roommate lied about paying the rent for months now and has actually spending all the money on lotto tickets. And no, he didn't win anything. FML
By jessica238 - Canada
Today, I bought a new purple shirt and decided to wear it to this charity function I was going to. I thought I looked pretty good in it. Then I got home and realized I left the sticker on. I had an "XL" sticker on my boob all night. FML
By Pepe - France
Today, my girlfriend said to me, "You know, you only have to wash 3 times a week to be clean." FML
By ThisIsGonnaBeAwkward - United States
Today, I discovered that the word 'randy' means 'horny' in England. I'm going to England next semester to study abroad. My name is Randy. FML
By shorty - United States
Today, I told my mom I was going through a growth spurt. She said "Yeah, horizontally." FML
By Lindsey Taul - United States - Granite City
Today, while driving home from work, I heard a loud crash immediately followed by the sound of wind and shifting glass over my head. My sunroof exploded for no perceptible reason 5 days before Christmas. FML
By depressed - United States
Today, a girl I have been wanting for years told me she was drunk and needed me to take her home. On the way home she was very frisky and flirty, and I kept telling her to wait till we got to her place. When we finally arrived, she passed out on me and I was stuck there watching her sleep. FML
By Fartnonymous - Qatar - Doha
Today, it's been a week since I started farting in my sleep for no apparent reason. It's so frequent and so foul-smelling that my husband and I are both losing sleep and are having to take afternoon naps to make up for it. FML
Today, I saw my friend at the mall. He didn't see me, so I called him to say "Turn around." He took one look at his phone, snorted loudly enough for me to hear from way off, and put it back in his pocket. FML
By Anonymous - United States - Findlay
Today, my waiter turned to me and asked, "Let me guess, Miss I'm-not-fat-I'm-fluffy wants a diet coke?" FML
By ollie_ollivia - United States
Today, my boyfriend of two years proposed to me. Less than two minutes later, he decided he wasn't ready for the commitment. After I had already said yes. FML
By soapypete - United States
Today, before a big client pitch I went into their office bathroom to quickly slick down my hair. It had two identical automatic faucets, one for water and one for hand soap. Now my hair is full of soap, and smells like industrial strength lavender. FML
By Why - United States - San Francisco
Today, I had to create another signature. I have to use one at the bank and the other around my mother, so that when she tries to cash my paychecks the bank won't let her. FML
By blue.
Today, I'm the coach of a football team. To celebrate winning a game, they poured a cooler of blue Gatorade over my head. This would've been great, if not for the fact that I'm highly allergic to blue food dye. FML
Today, my fiancée got married. I did not. FML
By phonemenace - United States
Today, I counted the amount of stuff that my dad had bought within a week: a brand new boat, car, and truck. He also has countless gadgets at his office, including a 60" television. Our house is literally falling apart but Mr. Midlife-crisis won't do anything to help. FML
By TappedAnts - United States - Seabrook
Today, I went to a family reunion with my brother and my mother. She spent quite a while giving a glowing introduction for my brother to one of her cousins. Then, just before walking off, she jerked a thumb in my direction and said, "Oh, yeah, and that's his sister." FML
By lk mm, n vwls - United States - Mansfield Depot
Today, my boss hung a dartboard in his office. It has a printout of my employee photo taped to it. FML
By Jilly - Australia
Today, I found out that my son had sold his house key to one of his friends for half a packet of gum. Now there is someone out there who I have never met with full access to my house. My son is 16. FML
By Disappointed Mom - Canada - Calgary
Today, I was supposed to be enjoying a long-anticipated, desperately needed, weekend away. Turns out those "little stomach twinges" were actually symptoms of appendicitis. I'm stuck in the hospital, alone, recovering from surgery, while my family is enjoying our non-refundable break. FML
By Spider-Sham
Today, my mom volunteered me to help out at her coworker's 5-year-old son's birthday party. I didn't realize until I got there that "helping out" meant "dressing up as Spider-Man". FML
By SweeT
Today, I tried to pick up two girls by asking them what time it was. They burst out laughing. FML
By elara15 | 0
#179350 - Friday 8 May 2009 12:13
Finding a man should never be a "priority," Grandma! Let's not encourage overpopulation and the scarcity of resources.
By danyeell | 0
Well when all your sisters are sobbing over the fact that their relationships have ended and are enduring the heartbreak, you'll still have your cats, :)
nolasaints | 0
#987630 - Sunday 2 May 2010 20:52
agreed^ lol
By biancagolden | 0
She just wants to go all cougar on some sweet, young tail.
StrictlyMCH | 0
#1412201 - Thursday 16 September 2010 7:27
ur hot
Shiningstartp | 9
#2562628 - Wednesday 25 May 2011 16:25
read my mind mch haha
hansenisabelle | 0
#2889620 - Thursday 14 July 2011 10:53
who knows if that's her?
By HurriKaty | 4
LOL. You have a funny grandma.
By dirtyhippie | 0
Grandmas can be so rude! Try to remember that back in their day there wasn't much else to do but be a wife and have too many kids - like 8 or 9 when they couldn't afford 2. We have actual lives now, and better to have joy from your cats than a bad relationship at home.
By asttro_boy | 0
#3, is that supposed to make her feel better? LOL!
I agree with #4, your grandma kicks ass!
#5, plenty of women were accomplished at the time. Tell that to Lise Meitner, who discovered nuclear fission in the 30s and 40s. You have an unfortunate American bourgeois bias on this subject. Nevermind the lower class women who HAD to work and didn't have the luxury of being domestically oppressed. It's no excuse for Grandma or anyone else.
By TableCloth | 0
What is it with old people and their tunnelvision look on life. Keep living your life how you like it.
By Galpalxoxo | 0
Do u hav a boy?
By PTERONOPHOBIA | 0
Okay, I just thought the grandma said that without really thinking about how it could be taken, but according to you all she's a jerk being rude to her granddaughter. My mistake.


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Home/World News/Middle East/Iran/Iran denounces acts of terror, blasphemy: Rouhani
Iran denounces acts of terror, blasphemy: Rouhani
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has condemned any act of violence perpetrated in Islam's name, including the recent Paris shooting, as well as disrespecting religions under the pretext of freedom of speech.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns terror, violence and extremism under the pretext of defending religions as well as insults, blasphemy and provoking the sentiments of followers of other religions in the name of defending freedom," Rouhani said on Tuesday.
Pointing to the recent Paris shooting which left 12 people dead, Rouhani said "the Islamic Republic of Iran, in principle, condemns such violent acts and does not attribute them either to Muslims or to Islam."
He said that Iran is the flag-bearer of fighting violence, extremism and terror both in word and in deed, and supports countries plagued with terrorism.
The Iranian president also denounced the depiction of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) on the cover of the latest edition of the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo.
He said the move was allegedly carried out in the name of supporting freedom, but in fact it provoked the sentiments of Muslims across the globe.
It is "regrettable" that the sacrilegious act was carried out in a country which claims to be an advocate of freedom, he said.
The Iranian president also warned that such measures will further fan the flames of extremism.
Rouhani's remarks come nearly two weeks after an attack on the office of Charlie Hebdo, which left 12 people dead. Al-Qaeda affiliates claimed responsibility for the shooting.
Following the Paris shooting, the French magazine once again published a cartoon last week, depicting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on the cover of its new edition.
Muslims consider depicting Prophet Mohammed as blasphemous.
Europe after 20 tons of Iran heavy water: AEOI chief


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PA Sport
Paul Anderson hit with RFL fine for criticising referee
By PA Sport
Huddersfield coach Paul Anderson has been fined and warned by the Rugby Football League for criticising a referee.
Anderson anticipated the punishment after accusing referee Joe Cobb of succumbing to pressure from Wigan after his side went down 26-19 to the Warriors at the DW Stadium last month.
He claimed Cobb changed the way he refereed the game after being approached by Wigan's acting captain John Bateman at half-time about the ruck speed.
"I'd like an explanation of what changed the official's mind at half-time to want to referee the game differently," Anderson said in the post-match press conference.
"I know there was a request at half-time for the ruck to be sped up, hence I think it was a 7-1 penalty count against us in the second half when both teams were as scruffy as each other and two sin-binnings on the back of that.
"I know what will happen, I'll get a fine and they'll say every decision was right.
"What's happened there is the official's succumbed to pressure. "
Anderson has been duly fined £500 and warned as to his future conduct after being found to have breached RFL operational rules. Half the fine is suspended until the end of the 2017 season and will become payable should he be convicted of a similar breach.
Anderson has 14 days in which to submit an appeal.


Less than a year ago, the government convinced the Supreme Court to dismiss the ACLU's constitutional challenge to the FISA Amendments Act (FAA)—the controversial warrantless wiretapping statute that is the legal basis for the PRISM program—because our clients couldn't prove that they had been monitored under it. The government repeatedly assured the court that such a restrictive view of who could challenge the law would not forever prevent court review, because criminal defendants who were prosecuted based on evidence obtained under the FAA would be informed of such and would then be able to challenge the statute. Based in part on this assurance, the Supreme Court in February of this year dismissed the case, Clapper v. Amnesty, in a 5–4 vote.
In response to questions from the justices at oral argument, the government reiterated this position. Never mind that the government had not notified one criminal defendant about this type of evidence in the five years since the warrantless wiretapping program was written into law.
Ultimately, the Supreme Court accepted the government's position—but, using language almost identical to that in the brief, it highlighted the government's duty to "provide advance notice of its intent" to "use or disclose information obtained or derived" from FAA surveillance. The court plainly took the government's representations at face value, and it concluded that a criminal proceeding would offer an alternative avenue for testing the legality of the FAA's warrantless wiretapping program.
What we have learned since the Clapper decision, however, has revealed a yawning chasm between the government's words and actions. Faced with recent revelations about the FAA surveillance program, intelligence officials have raced to defend the controversial law. And, in doing so, they have touted at least four cases where warrantless FAA surveillance was purportedly critical to preempting terrorist plots. Yet not one of the defendants in these prosecutions was told that the government's evidence was obtained from FAA surveillance, and thus they had no opportunity to challenge the statute. This fact runs directly contrary to the arguments that lawyers for the government paraded before the Supreme Court just last fall.
Indeed, the government has openly departed from its previous position. Criminal defendants in Chicago and Florida have filed motions seeking to compel the government to provide notice of its intent to rely on evidence obtained from warrantless wiretapping under the FAA, yet the government is now arguing that it has no obligation to do so. This amounts to a remarkable about-face. These particular defendants have particularly good reason to ask whether evidence against them was obtained under the FAA: In December, Senator Feinstein referenced their cases in testimony urging Congress to reauthorize the FAA's surveillance program. Despite this testimony, the government is fighting the defendants' efforts to understand where the evidence against them has come from, and even told the court that it has no obligation to tell criminal defendants like those in the Florida case whether its evidence came from a warrantless interception of communications under the FAA or from more traditional foreign intelligence surveillance.
The distinction is crucially important, because without adequate notice defendants may never know they were subjected to warrantless wiretapping. And, without that, despite the government's guarantees to the Supreme Court, a defendant would have no basis to bring the type of constitutional challenge that would finally test the legality of the government's warrantless surveillance.
Judicial review is precisely what the government hopes to avoid by engaging in this type of shell game. But the government should be held to the representations it made in the Supreme Court. In particular, it should not be permitted to insulate this massive surveillance program from challenge by perpetually keeping the targets of its surveillance secret—especially where it uses the resulting evidence against those individuals in court. Notice is an essential first step in ensuring that the FAA is subject to judicial review. Without it, we may never get a definitive ruling on whether the NSA's mass surveillance of our internet and telephone communications complies with the Constitution.
Learn more about warrantless wiretapping and other civil liberties issues: Sign up for breaking news alerts, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.


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Indians prefer short-term certificate courses: Study
Mumbai, Jan 28 (PTI) With technology advancement job dynamics have undergone huge changes as re-skilling has become the of essence for better career option, a study has revealed that adult learners in
Mumbai, Jan 28 (PTI) With technology advancement job dynamics have undergone huge changes as re-skilling has become the of essence for better career option, a study has revealed that adult learners in India have maximum interest in short-term certificate courses as compared to other countries. Also Read - Do it For The Environment! Turning Your Camera Off During Online Meetings Can Reduce Carbon Footprint
"In today's dynamic business landscape, advancement of technology has created seismic shifts in industries, making many old job roles irrelevant and creating need for new skills. Also Read - Stones Thrown, Vehicles Vandalised at Suvendu's Rally in Kolkata After Mamata's Nandigram Call
Nurtured in an education-oriented culture, Indian professionals realise the need and are pursuing or opening to the idea of short courses to upgrade and up-skill," Pearson India vice president Pearson Professional Programs (PPP), Varun Dhamija said. Also Read - Dil Bechara Actor Sanjana Sanghi in Rs 88,600 Saree Shows How to Wear Bling the Right Way
Well-structured non-degree courses with measurable impact have the potential to enhance learning and provide an opportunity to understand domain concepts like analytics, block chain amongst others, he added.
Incidence of adult learners was higher in India, Malaysia, and after screening for English fluency, it was found that Indian learners are also the youngest, according to Pearson study of Adult Learners.
Pearson study was conducted across six countries including, Australia, India, Malaysia, UAE and the UK through qualitative research by Edge Research in 15 virtual focus groups between July 24 to August 8, 2018 among people between 18 to 65 years.
The study revealed that career improvement and knowledge are two prevailing motivations for continuing one's education, which consistent across countries, including in India.
About 56 per cent of Indians adjusted to take courses to improve their career possibilities followed by 55 per cent who took courses as a gateway to gain knowledge, it added.
Adult learners like the concept of combining the convenience of passive online learning, with the quality of active learning in-person. Majorities across markets are open to online education and there is a huge potential to increase adoption of online courses," Dhamija added.
The study further revealed that Indians are less price conscious compared to other countries, yet more concerned than others about course credibility.
Only 36 per cent of Indians are concerned about the cost, 47 per cent adjusted courses with other commitments and 27 per cent made this adjustment because it's a concern they have, it added.
Almost half of the market plans to enrol in a single subject short course, but perceptions may not have caught up with demand, it said.
Many in India still just see university degrees as 'continuing education', and there is a strong desire to have a qualification or accreditation at the end of a course to show an employer, the study revealed.
About 66 per cent of adult learners prefer complete online courses, however, the demand for blended learning is also growing substantially as 62 per cent adult learners said they are likely to consider a combination of both online as well as offline option for education, it said.