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olga balashova's interview
April 14, 2011, 8:18 p.m. | Educational program
Mediateoretik Olga Balashov entered into a poetic polemic with Anton Korablev, editor-in-chief of chewbakka (digital magazine about postmodern philosophy, art and orthodoxy), and she told him what she thinks about art trends, Roland Barthe\\'s "the author\\'s death", educational initiatives, digital art, and so on. Olya with admirable perseverance and love advocate for the young generation of Ukrainian artists, for her honor and praise.
- What are the trends, moods, impressive visual solutions you see today in contemporary art?
Lately, I am increasingly convinced that the impressive visual solutions, especially keeping within the concept of the trend doesn't really goes with what we mean by art today. Meaning in the contemporary art is not only prevails over form, sometimes even dictates it, sometimes completely overwhelms, and sometimes levels its value. The form also split off a design that is genetically still associated with art, but represents quite another phenomenon with a different set of problems.
Although, the formation of a trend in art is possible, but that is what describes the commercial part of the artistic process, and main discoveries are happening in his nonprofit part of. If we talk about that side of things, now the trend is all new - new technologies, new materials, new ideas, new life of old things, etc. But if you try to bring some way of a generalization that concerns the main line of development of the artistic process then most likely it will be connected not with the image and even not with the way of imaging, but with the strategies that use contemporary artists to create their works. In the foreground are communication skills. Role and importance of the viewer are increasing. The artist is not just 'dub' ready-made formula, putting it in a proper form, but trying to create some space and the specific conditions under which the viewer can fill this space with his own content. That's why art of today has more to do with a kind of process than with the material tangible world, which is expressed in objects and subjects.
And yet here I just thought that perhaps total installation may be the trend in this sense.
- This Barthe\\'s 'death of the author' expressed: no matter what the artist wanted to say it is important, how the viewer interpreted it.
I think, nevertheless, that this is here not about Bart 'the author\\'s death', but rather about its consequences, if I could say this way. At the end of his essay Bart suggests that we have to pay for the birth of the reader with the author\\'s death. But we shouldn't forget that from the moment he wrote it, it took more than 40 years, during which time the "reader" wasn't just born, but also managed to grow so much that he is already capable of an equal dialogue with the author. The notorious 'What artist wanted to tell' is still as important as the interpretation of the viewer. Because the essence of any communication, including art, is in understanding or at least in the quest for understanding. The situation is that none of the participants in communication cannot 'pull' sense, because thing that they are looking for is between them, is born of their interactions. That's why it is so important for modern artist to be clear and articulate, and for the viewer a precondition is aspiration for understanding.
- I agree, if you mean western 'audience'. In Ukraine the situation is such that the viewer only becomes to realize himself as a spectator. Enough to remember year 1997, when Bill Viola or Janis Kunellis with its installation of church bells visited Kiev: then Ukraine was not ready for such projects, because there was no audience. These facts were left beyond the public attention, acceptthe curators or critics, whom no need to inform. It took 14 years, I\\'d even say 14 years of passive-active promotion of contemporary art and what do we have? Every second will say that Hirst is 'the most expensive painter in the world', but it\\'s worth in eyes of the average man, that was brought up with consumer magazines reviews. I believe that our audience is need to be bought up to reach a certain level and as you say it 'could conduct a dialogue on equal terms' and it is very difficult and lengthy work.
Absolutely. It is necessary to educate and work here a lot. But let not agree with you about 14 years of propaganda. I think, to clear our 'Augean stables', we have begun only two- three years ago, when there appeared a number of interesting educational initiatives, such as 'Cultural Project'. It is possible to educate the viewer not only with the help of throwing him into a visual maelstrom of modern art, but with talking to him and offering an adequate, systematic information about what is happening and why it is so.
- With the development of new digital media, is option with automatically appearance of art-objects possible?
Honestly, I don't really understand what you mean. If you are on the process of production, of course it is possible! The machine has been working for a long time. But solution of old problems by new methods is not more interesting than solution of new problems by old methods. The essence of digital art is not in object production, but in the interaction with the virtual environment.
- By the way, do you greet art institutions initiatives of, which are sometimes allowed to see not only the final product, but the process of technology of creation of installations, exhibitions, etc.?
It all depends on how and for what purpose it is done. I welcome any transparency in the art, demonstration and the inclusion of viewer in the preparatory stages one of its possible forms. If today\\'s art takes on procedural as one of its basic characteristics, so the process of creating this art is interesting and important gesture. Also do not forget that we live in a world where if the information is not received in real time, it is considered as outdated. Art takes it into account.
- Don't you think that the younger generation of artists in spite of the marginality of the art context, deadly serious, secondary and pathos?
Secondary, rather yes, but not all. But it\\'s not a very big problem. The question of unoriginality in the modern practice of art is not worth so badly. Remember like Jarmusch: no matter from where you take - the main is directions. Needless pathos? Sometimes. But the seriousness, I think it\\'s a good thing. Real art is always serious.
Just once in the history was such situation when the seriousness became unbearable and even impossible, it was the postwar period, when the old world crumbled to pieces, and none of the previous major senses could no longer claim to its infallible status. And the only way not to go crazy was to doubt and speak ironically of everything what artists did with great enthusiasm. But it was only an episode in history a necessary and the only way to survive in those conditions. And if seriousness is returning to the art, it is a sign of recovery, I think, it is a sign that humanity coped with some complexes and is ready to go next.
- Based on the experience of SOSki and RAP, is it possible to argue that today art is a product of creative groups, but no units?
You mean the Ukrainian art or world practice?
- I mean the Ukrainian art.
In any case, it\\'s not a very fair conclusion. Rather, it is just a temporary need for self-survival. For example, participants of RAP and SOSki now much more interesting work independently. Art, at least post renaissance (from the 15th century), when the artist asserts his right to speak about the art in his own name, bringing to it a special meaning, it\\'s still practice very individualistic and I see no reason why it could become a collective one.
- Artist was allowed to say 'in his own name' by modern era, which nowadays has exhausted its agenda. We live in the 21 century and dance on the bones of the Enlightenment, but the tooling concept is the same: we use such outdated definitions, as 'individual', 'talent', 'genius'. With regard to the Ukrainian artists we have nothing like this. Quite often there is social pathos and imitation pseudo intellectualism. Perhaps we do not have a pragmatic view of culture? Uncut and politically correct diplomacy.
Before the modern era has witnessed the full emancipation of art, this way was very long (several centuries), this why I told post renaissance. In our time, art and truth has little common with modernity, which still belongs entirely to the space of classical culture, which likes terms you have mentioned. Today we are in a space that really has very little common with traditional culture, but continues to use its terms, however, it puts them in several different content.
But when you say 'individual', 'talent', 'genius' and then use them 'for Ukrainian artists' I have a short circuit. Because it is okay with the 'talent' and with the 'genius', then you can argue, but when you say that the term 'individual' doesn't go with the 'Ukrainian artists', this is at least strange. Moreover, I do not quite understand about what artists you are talking about, because making them the same would be unprofessional and stupid. But the fact that we really do not have enough pragmatic critical view of what is going in our culture, I completely agree with you.
- I will confess, I'm surprised that you\\'re so good to the Ukrainian artists, arguing that there are a lot of 'individual' among them.
Let\\'s specify terms (three years in post graduate course of philosophy make their effect). We\\'re not talking about individuality, we were talking about individual, and they are very different things. But even so, I still think that among our artists there are not many individuals, but enough not only individuals, but also very interesting people with their life position.
- When I say 'individual', I mean the classic definition of the subject (something endowed with mind and will). We either have with mind, but without will, or vice versa. Many contemporary artists are dreaming about being between Roytbrud and Chichkan, cling to something fashionable and profitable. I am deeply convinced that individuality as a derivative of the individual is not an extravagant clouthes or mild shocking for the sake of attention, which is a consequence of poor childhood. If you, as a subject, whose mission is to create new meanings and artistic innovation, are busy with imitation, what art can you create?
The situation that you describe really exist, that is very tragic, but there is nothing you can do, because the craze around contemporary art draws on its territory a variety of characters, including those who profanes its very essence. The most unfortunate thing is that for these artists (bad one) there is a demand, and as long as it exists, they will be happy to do what they are doing. And yet, I won't be tired of repeating that in our art environment there are enough interesting artists that can respond adequately to the challenges of our time, without bothering patriarchs of the artistic process. And you know, imitation isn't a mortal sin, especially considering the state of our art education. At some point, imitation, if it is deliberate, could be learning for young artist. It is important not to stay in this phase for a long time.
- If we talk about the state of the art market, do you think that demand feet the offer? Is Ukrainian art-environment ready to satisfy the potential buyers demand?
I believe that the demand is more than fits the content, however, this conclusion does not indicate for any benefit of the environment or collectors. So far, the taste of our buyers isn't very exacting, so that they would be satisfy with any environment. Collecting art has now become very fashionable, but hardly anyone comes to this issue sensibly and professionally, and in contemporary art without the training it is very difficult to separate bad from good. And, unfortunately, the fact that this market is an art one, does not affect the situation at all: there is a demand and there is offer.
about the interlocutor: Olga Balashov, art critic, curator, mediateoretik, lecturer of the National Academy of Art and Architecture. Author of articles about contemporary art, lecture course 'Contemporary Art in the questions and answers', co-author of a course of lectures "Media practice and media theory.
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Film Screenings. American documentary
Video as espionage. Lecture by Andrej Korova
IZOLYATSIA of INVITES to SHOW UKRAINIAN FILMS 2
Screening of a silent film of the Ukrainian
Lecture by Andrey Gorokhov "Design Panoptikum"
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«Donbass» by Aleksandr Chekmenev
donbass bw
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Lecture "Galleries and Museums in Poland from 70-ies until Today" by Maria Anna Potocka
Oksana Zabuzhko: Hard labour of soul
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The dreamers, or Citizen, do it!
Andrey gorohov David Hockney: secret knowledge
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lectures: creative eco-village//art projects based on terrain
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ИЗОЛЯЦИЯ провела встречу с американским писателем, критиком и редактором Мостафой Хеддайя
18 March 2015, lampa.today


Definitions: Number and percent of children receiving Work First. Data are based on the number of children under 18 receiving Work First benefits for the month of December for a particular year.
Data Source: Duncan, D.F., Kum, H.C., Flair, K.A., and Stewart, C.J. (2010). Management Assistance for Child Welfare, Work First, and Food & Nutrition Services in North Carolina. Special data request, March 2011. Also available online through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Jordan Institute for Families website at http://ssw.unc.edu/ma/.
Footnotes: Last updated February 2012.


This year's New Year's Day birding trip on Plymouth Long Beach didn't disappoint. The weather was beautiful; in fact, it was a balmy 42 degrees with partial sunshine and a brisk wind. Our group of nine eager birders walked from the Goldenrod field station along the beach and around the northern tip of Long Beach. We returned on the harbor side with the wind at our backs and relaxed at the field station while perusing the skies and water for more birds.
There was a nice variety of sea ducks; we even saw a few of the surprisingly scant Brant that remain in and around Plymouth as well as a Horned Grebe, and one of my favorite sea ducks: the striking Long-tailed Duck.
A handsome male Long-tailed Duck.
Halfway to the point, a flock of small birds fluttered up and down utterly unlike the precise coordination of the flight of shorebirds. At a distance, they almost looked like a swarm of insects. As they flew toward us, we delighted in viewing one of the winter treats of Long Beach: Snow Buntings, which breed in the high Arctic. Landing in the wrack, the line of seaweed left by high tide, the flock revealed another member – a Horned Lark.
A Snow Bunting seeking food. Photo credit: Lisa Meeks.
Diligently we searched for a Snowy Owl to round out the trip – one had been seen the day before by the trip's co-leader, Lisa Meeks, and subsequently photographed by Goldenrod board member Ian Davies. Alas, it was either miles away or tucked away in the dunes out of sight.
To console ourselves, we admired more Common Eiders and added Bufflehead and Horned Grebe to our list. All in all, a delightful first day of 2016 spent birding on the beach.
Full bird list below. Photo at top by Jan Spence.
Four female Common Eiders in cinnamon brown plumage. Notice the subtle green sheen on the male's head.


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R House by ARO/Della Valle Bernheimer
For an increasing number of architects the future of the profession relies on green design, and even though the fear that a truly green building leads to either economic or aesthetic compromise may still be haunting some clients' choices, the housing competition (opens in new tab) launched recently by Home HeadQuarters, Syracuse University Centre for Excellence and Syracuse University School for Architecture, single-handedly proves that this need not be the case.
Invited to the competition, the winners, announced only a few days ago, are New York-based Architecture Research Office (ARO) (opens in new tab) (featured in W*103) and Brooklyn architects Della Valle Bernheimer (opens in new tab). This is not the first time the two practices worked together, as they had collaborated in a similar project in the past, an award-winning low-cost housing development in Brooklyn.
See more images of the award-winning R House
Their clever design for the R-House prototype is a showcase for an innovative green home for Syracuse, NY. The architects were inspired by the area's challenges and potential and the competitions' vision, as explains ARO principal Adam Yarinsky: "We were excited to propose a design whose qualities—the play of form, space, material and light—were intrinsic to its performance. R-House is as an affordable, innovative paradigm for minimal energy consumption in an American home."
German climate and energy engineers Transsolar planned the building's superb eco-performance, working with its compact size, super-insulation and air-tightness; the house requires the same amount of energy for heating as a hair-dryer, while it consumes approximately 71% less energy than a typical Syracuse home.
Designed in the scale and rough shape of its neighbouring buildings in the Near Westside part of town, the house uses translucent walls, which glow after dark, a folded surface roof, and plenty of windows and skylights, which bring in natural light and air. Both the roof and walls are made of corrugated aluminium, which folds around the two-storey residential interior, featuring concrete, wood floorboards and plywood panels.
The eco-conscious R-House will be built later this year, with a total budget of just $150,000. Additionally, meeting the German Passivhaus standards for extra-low energy consumption, once finished, this house will be of the first of its kind to be built in the US.
Sabato De Sarno is appointed new creative director of Gucci
Italian designer Sabato De Sarno – formerly of Valentino – is the new creative director of Gucci, replacing Alessandro Michele who left the house last November
Sotheby's to auction Marie-Antoinette's armchairs, amid other regal lots, in aid of French château
Sotheby's Paris will auction works from the collection of interior designer Jacques Garcia in aid of Château du Champ de Bataille
By Martha Elliott • Published 28 January 23

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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What Ban of Fossil-Fuel Vehicles By 2030 Means to Us?
Have you heard of a fossil-fuel vehicles phase-out process? The Republic of Ireland, together with more than 10 countries and 20 cities around the world, enforces a ban on the sale of new fossil fuel cars by 2030.
The main goal is to mitigate the effects of climate change on Ireland's society, environment, nature and economy. The short-term plan is to reduce Ireland's carbon emissions by 30 per cent by 2030. The ambitious long-term plan is to achieve full carbon neutrality by 2050.
This legislation is one of the measures in the government's Climate Action Plan. Generally speaking, the aim is to make sure all new vans and cars in Ireland will be electric in 10 years.
Implementing this regulation is necessary for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2), and other air pollutants emissions as passenger vehicles are responsible for 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Europe and about 20% of Ireland emissions.
Why banning fossil fuel-powered vehicles is necessary?
Limiting the number of such pollutants as diesel PM10s and nitrogen oxides will help to mitigate health risks from pollution particulates. Besides Ireland will be able to meet national greenhouse gas targets under international agreements such as the Paris Agreement and the Kyoto Protocol.
Moreover, reducing the impact of climate change is the number one priority to avoid negative consequences on humanity in the future.
By phasing out diesel vehicles, Ireland is hoping to have about 936,000 electric cars on the roads by 2030. EVs are easier on the environment as they don't have an exhaust system, which means they have zero emissions.
Other benefits of being fossil-fuel-free
Changing from a petrol or diesel car to an electric car is advantageous not only for the environment but for users and business owners.
Charging Cost
Even though EVs are still more expensive than the conventional vehicles (the technology is developing fast and we can expect price fall by half before 2030), they are cheaper to charge.
For example, you can pay-as-you-go at a rate of 33c per kWh at the charging station, or you can get a plan and pay about €5 monthly for a rate of 29c/kWh. The network of public and residential charging stations is expanding rapidly and soon finding a spot will not be a problem anymore.
Meanwhile, there is still a gap in the market as the number of EVs is rising faster than the number of fast-charging points. This is a great opportunity for roadside businesses to expand their service. Charging an electric car takes about at least 30 minutes and cost about €6-7 for about 100km of range. While waiting for their car to be ready, the users may be willing to get some additional services as cheaper electric charge spares them some money. Good time to enjoy a cup of coffee or lunch at the station shop!
The businesses that take action now and decide to fill in those gaps will enjoy a first-mover advantage. Moreover, they will be able to take up the best locations and develop innovative business models.
A phase-out of fossil-fuel vehicles is now in sight backed by the rapid growth of electric cars and renewable sources of energy to charge EVs' batteries. Ireland, together with such countries as Norway, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, the UK and others have already declared their plan to ban new petrol and diesel cars between 2025 and 2040.
Even though this decarbonization process seems complicated and costly, it is inevitable and requires many industries, including automotive businesses, to react and adapt fast. At the same time, using electric vehicles means a better environment, healthier society, independent economy and many new business opportunities.


Reader Survey: The City of Poulsbo has proposed a new, state-of-the-art event and recreation center. Organizers estimate the project could cost upwards of $40 million with half being paid for by the city.
What sorts of features would you like to see located at the new Poulsbo Event and Recreation Center (PERC)?
City officials have suggested pursuing a capital bond to help pay for the center, would you vote for a tax increase?


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The ENRR Field Campaign: Improving Our Response to El Niño
GEOS-5 is Used to Assess the Impact of Special Observations
Ron Gelaro
El Niño is a recurring climate phenomenon characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, which increases the odds for anomalously warm and dry winters across the northern United States and cool, wet winters across the South. The pattern can shift back and forth every two to seven years, disrupting weather patterns across the globe. By standard measures, the 2015-2016 El Niño was one of the strongest on record.
The El Niño Rapid Response (ENRR) field campaign was conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), between January and March of 2016, to determine key mechanisms affecting El Niño's impacts on the U.S. and their implications for improving the Nation's observational systems, models, and forecasts. The ENRR campaign spanned the central and eastern tropical Pacific to California. Multiple types of observing resources collected measurements from the air, ocean, and ground during the course of the campaign, including the NOAA Gulf Stream IV aircraft, the NASA Global Hawk unmanned aircraft, and the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown.
Many of these observations were assimilated into NASA's Goddard Earth Observing System, version 5 (GEOS-5) operational forecasting system in near real time. Their impact on forecast accuracy was assessed using the GEOS-5 Observation Impact Tool, which runs each day as part of the GEOS-5 operational suite. The tool uses an adjoint (mathematical transpose) technique to efficiently estimate the impacts of all assimilated observations simultaneously on a selected measure of forecast accuracy. A strength of this technique is that the observation impacts can be computed rapidly and are easily categorized by data type, location, or other attribute.
During the ENRR campaign, scientists used the GEOS-5 observation impacts to assess the effectiveness of the deployed observations and to help plan missions. The GEOS-5 Observation Impact Tool will be used in post-campaign research to study ways of improving the use of these and other observations in our weather prediction models.
» Click for PDF of snapshot with white background «


Rising star of Lima's relentlessly imaginative culinary scene, Palmiro is a man on a mission. His CV includes all the goodies (Noma, Geranium, el Celler de Can Roca, Mugaritz, Atelier de Joël Robuchon), but it's his activism and commitment to the fight against food waste that sets him apart from his peers. His ambition is to eliminate extreme hunger in Peru by 2030, partnering with the UN World Food Programme and the World Wildlife Fund to champion a zero-waste approach to culinary recycling. In the kitchen, Palmiro uses techniques developed at the Nordic Food Lab to create innovative dishes such as "Rescued Lemon," a composition of confited lemon skins filled with yucca ice cream that's made from the leftovers of Peru's most popular culinary exports, ceviche and pisco sours. Genius? We think so.


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Northern Ireland News for May 2019
Northern Ireland News, May 31, 2019
UUP: Hospital Waiting Lists Will Worsen
The Ulster Unionist Party has said hospital waiting lists in Northern Ireland are set to grow if immediate actions are not implemented. The most recent Department of Health figures revealed the growi...
Omagh Man Jailed For Historic Sex Offences
Police have welcomed the recent sentencing of a man who was found guilty of 22 historic sex offences. A judge at Dungannon Crown Court handed the 53-year-old from Omagh a sentence of five years impri...
Unions Call For Return To Govt
Trade unionists are calling for a return to devolved government in Northern Ireland. As cross-party talks continue, the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), the le...
Arrests As Police Detect Drugs Activity
Police in Lisburn have arrested three individuals after coming across an amount of Class A and B drugs while patrolling the area. A routine car stop on Thursday evening, 30 May, saw a man inside a ve...
Translink Raise 30K For Cancer Charity
Translink staff and customers have managed to raise £30,000 for Cancer Focus Northern Ireland, in the first of a three year partnership. The 'Travel to a Healthier Life' campaign focuses on encouragi...
Gang Attack Pedestrian With Hammers
Police are hunting three men after they attacked and robbed a pedestrian in Ballymena last night, Thursday 30 May. The victim, a 20-year-old man, was set upon while walking through the underpass betw...
PSNI Apologise To Greenvale Victim's Parents
PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton has apologised to the family of Morgan Barnard, a 17-year-old who died in the Greenvale Hotel tragedy in Cookstown. Three teenagers, including Lauren Bullock (17)...
'Window For Success' In Talks Process
Party leaders in Northern Ireland have said the talks aimed at restoring devolved government have reached a critical point. Negotiations reconvened at Stormont yesterday, Thursday 30 May, facilitated...
Young Belfast Athletes Go For Gold
A team of budding athletes from primary schools across Belfast put their best foot forward yesterday at the annual Belfast Parks Primary Schools Athletic Shield and Cup competition. Hosted by Belfast...
Man Charged Under Charities Law Anti-terror detectives have charged a man under charities law. The 45-year-old is due to appear at Craigavon Magistrates Court on 26 June after he was charged ...
Business News, May 31, 2019
Belfast Showcased To Chinese Business Delegation
Investment opportunities in the city of Belfast have been showcased to a Chinese business and media delegation in a recent council event. Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor John Finucane welcomed Madame Z...
Man Injured In Belfast Hammer Attack
Police are investigating after a man was assaulted with a hammer during an aggravated burglary this morning, Thursday 30 May. Two men entered a house on Ross Road in the west of the city at around 12...
PSNI Honour Co Tyrone Heroes
Two young men who intervened when a man was "viciously" attacked in County Tyrone last year have been honoured by the PSNI. "Not all heroes wear capes," a spokesperson said after Chief Constable Geor...
Public Figures Failing To Lead On Equality
Public figures in Northern Ireland are failing to show leadership on matters related to equality, a survey has revealed. 90% of those questioned in the Ipsos MORI survey for the Equality Commission f...
Stormont: Party Talks Continue
Northern Ireland's political leaders have reconvened at Stormont today as the attempts to restore power-sharing continue. Weekly talks with the British and Irish governments have been ongoing since 0...
Investment Needed To Tackle Hospital Waiting Lists
"Sustained investment" is required to address the backlog of hospital waiting lists, the Department of Health has said today. It comes as the most recent quarterly statistics reveal that over 288,754...
£5m Ballycastle Hotel Set To Open
A luxury 24 bedroom eco-hotel in Ballycastle is set to open just in time for the 148th Open Golf Championship in July. £5 million has been invested in The Salthouse complex, which features an exclusi...
Raid Warrants On Belfast Journalists To Be Quashed
Warrants obtained by the PSNI to raid the homes and offices of two Belfast journalists are to be quashed, the High Court has ruled. Senior judges held on Wednesday 29 May that authorisation for the s...
PSNI Recover Stolen Beer Kegs
The PSNI has recovered £900,000 worth of stolen beer kegs as part of an investigation into organised crime in Northern Ireland. Two men, both aged 55, were arrested on suspicion of theft as raids in ...
Fresh Call For Action On Abuse Compensation
Sinn Fein have issued a fresh call for the Northern Ireland Secretary of State to implement a redress system for victims of historical institutional abuse. Michelle O'Neill led a party delegation yes...
Belfast Marathon 544 Metres Too Long
Organisers of the Belfast City Marathon have confirmed that the course was an additional 84 metres too long than first reported. In a new statement issued on Wednesday, 29 May, it was revealed that r...
Water Disruption As Main Bursts In Belfast City Centre Properties in Belfast City Centre have been without water this afternoon, 30 May, due to a burst watermain on Royal Avenue. NI Water sta...
Arrest As Shots Fired At Lisburn House
A number of people have managed to avoid injury after a series of shots were fired at a property in Lisburn. Police have launched an investigation after the incident on Tuesday night, 28 May. A house...
Body Found In Missing Person Search
The search for a "high-risk missing person" in north Belfast has sadly ended with the discovery of a body. Volunteers from the Community Rescue Service (CRS) were deployed to the area on Tuesday morn...
Pair Arrested Over Newry Hammer Assault
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following an assault at a house in Newry. A 26-year-old man was attacked with a hammer at a flat in Cleary Crescent in the early hours of t...
Police Dog Helps Catch Fleeing Males
Four men have been arrested with the help of a police dog after reports of burglaries in Lisburn this morning. Following the break-ins in the Old Warren and greater Lisburn area, the males caused a c...
Record Numbers Using Public Transport
Translink has reported a growth in the amount of people using public transport in Northern Ireland, with journeys exceeding 84.5 million last year- a new record for the region. The amount of people w...
Golden Eagle Missing From Antrim Sanctuary
The search is continuing for a golden eagle after the bird escaped its sanctuary in County Antrim. The golden eagle, known as Griff, escaped his enclosure at World of Owls in Randalstown on 23 May d...
Teenager Arrested Over West Belfast Vandalism
A teenage boy has been arrested in connection with a series of criminal damage and theft offences in West Belfast. The incidents happened in the early hours of Tuesday 28 May when a number of vehicl...
Man Assaulted Close To Belfast Cemetery
A man has been assaulted while out on a walk close to Milltown Cemetery in Belfast. The incident occurred at 5pm on Monday 06 May when the victim was approached by a male and involved in a verbal al...


At the end of last week, the Extraordinary Assembly of Mon Perin adopted a decision to increase the Company's equity capital as a prerequisite for further functioning and continuing the Mon Perin's planned development.
This marks, symbolically, the beginning of a new era in the development of this peculiar tourism company of Bale. The equity capital has been increased from the current 31 million and 61 thousand kuna by an amount not lower than 30 million and not higher than 65 million.
Thus, the recapitalisation process in question involved 30 million kuna of investment in cash and the rest in shares of Adris Grupa.
Through this new investment cycle Mon Perin definitely extends to outside the camping area on the coast of Bale and starts constructing, that is, developing new accommodation capacities in the town and local area of Bale, but is also interested in investing in tourism in the area of Fažana.


Robert J. Shapiro is the chairman of the advisory firm Sonecon and a senior fellow at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. He was President Bill Clinton's undersecretary of commerce for economic affairs.
Despite robust economic numbers during the Trump presidency, the American public has seemed curiously unmoved by such good news as the lowest U.S. unemployment level in nearly half a century. Its enthusiasm might have been dampened by this underappreciated economic reality: The typical working American's earnings, when properly measured, have declined during the Trump administration.
As any White House would, the president's economic team touts positive earnings data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that suggest rising wages and salaries. But the figures are misleading. They focus not on how much an average working person earns but on the "average earnings" of all employed people. In times of rising inequality, employees at the top pull up "average" earnings. Shift to the bureau's earnings data for an average or "median" working person, and most of those claimed gains disappear. Another catch: The data used by the White House doesn't account for inflation. Adjust the median earnings data for inflation, and the illusion of progress evaporates.
Let's examine how much these technical sleights of hand distort what's happening to people's earnings. Using the White House's preferred data, average earnings rose from $894.06 in January 2017 to $937.02 in August 2018. That suggests impressive gains of $42.96 weekly over the 20-month period and $30.02 weekly over the past year. But what about median earnings rather than average earnings — that is, earnings of those in the middle of the distribution?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a different database for that view, and its quarter-by-quarter numbers show a very different picture. Median weekly earnings of all workers rose from $865 in the first quarter of 2017 to $876 in the quarter ending June 30, 2018. The typical working American's earnings increased $11 weekly over 18 months, barely more than one-quarter of the economic progress touted by the White House.
Even that modest gain is not very meaningful. The significance of what people earn lies in what they can do with their earnings, and inflation eats away at what any of us can purchase or save. As a result, serious earnings analysis is always framed in inflation-adjusted, or "real," terms. From January 2017 to June 2018, inflation totaled 3.77 percent, while the $11 increase in unadjusted weekly earnings over those 18 months represented gains of 1.27 percent.To determine how much the real earnings of a typical working American fell during that period, simply adjust the $876 in median weekly earnings in the quarter ending June 30, 2018, for the 3.32 percent inflation that occurred in the 18 months from the first quarter of 2017 to that date. The result: $876 in June 2018 had the same value as $848.20 in January 2017. In real terms, the weekly earnings of a typical working American fell $16.80, or 1.9 percent, during Donald Trump's first 18 months as president.
Another blow to the White House's preferred economic narrative: The current earnings decline is a new development. Using the same measure, real median weekly earnings increased substantially during Barack Obama's final 18 months as president.
Before adjusting for inflation, median weekly earnings increased during Obama's last 18 months from $803 in the third quarter of 2015 to $849 in the last quarter of 2016. People's average weekly earnings thus increased $46, or 5.73 percent, before adjusting for inflation. Over the same months, cumulative inflation from July 2015 to December 2016 was 1.12 percent, so the real earnings of a typical working person clearly increased. By how much? Adjust the median weekly earnings in December 2016 of $849 for the 1.08 percent inflation over the preceding 18 months, which comes to $838.82. In real terms, the weekly earnings of a typical employed American increased $35.82, or 4.5 percent, over Obama's last 18 months in office, growing from $803 in the third quarter of 2015 to $838.82 in the fourth quarter of 2016.
In Ronald Reagan's succinct terms, average working Americans are worse off under the Trump presidency than they were under Obama's. Yes, low unemployment is something to applaud, but there might be a good reason that so many who have jobs aren't clapping.
This op-ed first appeared in the Washington Post.


For a small country, which embarked on the road to development very late as compared to other countries, Bhutan's achievements in several fields are lauded at the regional and global levels. On November 29, 2017, the nation got yet another feather in its cap. At the AFC Annual Awards, Bhutan was awarded the AFC President Recognition Award for Grass roots Football.
Receiving the laurel at Bangkok in Thailand was the President of Bhutan's Football Federation, Ugen Tsechup Dorji.
Nearby, the latest heartthrob of Bhutanese football, Chencho Gyeltshen, showcased Bhutanese talent as he netted one goal and assisted the second; making his club, Minerva Punjab Football Club (MPFC), win 2-1 in the Hero I- League 2017-18. Playing the first game of the championship on December 1, 2017 at the Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana, Punjab, Chencho took home a sum of Nu 25,000 as he was the Hero of the Match.
Donning the 07 jersey, the "Import from Bhutan," was the smallest in the field in terms of physique. But it did not deter him from netting the goal in the 24th minute and then making his Ivory Coast club mate, Lago Bei get the second in the dying moments of the first half. Chencho's perfect pass to the unmarked Bei punished the opponents. Chencho got very close to make a duo at several points, especially in the 75th minute. If he had made the curl perfect, he would have gone home happier.
The danger that Chencho posed was very evident from the two to three defenders, who surrounded him every time the ball came in his direction. His speed made him very potent. Standing behind defenders more than 6 feet tall, Chencho stole the ball at several instances. The two commentators of the match were all praises for the 21-year old Bhutanese, whose name was uttered for more than a hundred times.
AFC's recognition and Chencho's spell means a lot for us. Exposure is very important in any field. The laurels at Bangkok means that Bhutan as an emerging football nation is now recognized. What Chencho did at Ludhiana was watched by thousands of football fans in the subcontinent and beyond. This has sent a very clear message – Bhutan has football magicians. It opens the doors for others like Chencho to walk beyond Bhutan and compete with stars from all parts of the world. Bhutan can export. And like MPFC, others can import.


Busy days in La Plata. As Estudiantes continue to play games at Estadio Único but the club is also continuing efforts to deliver the reconstructed ground at 1 y 57. Private boxes are already glazed while masonry work continues in the press area. All concrete terracing of the stadium is being sealed and waterproofed.
Meanwhile, Estudiantes continue with contracting work for further works. Possibly the most important deal recently is teaming up with Philips Lighting to deliver Argentina's first 100% LED lighting system. With up to 80% energy saving compared to traditional halogens, this contract will boost the football team's effort to create a truly sustainable stadium.
With one grandstand in the east already having seats, contractor was selected for all premium areas of the stadium. Folding chairs for private and semi-open lodges will be delivered by Chinese firm Avant Sports. All of these seats will be topped by new roof atop the west stand, which has been awarded to Empiro SA (Roinich).
Also, local Colegio de Arquitectos was appointed to help craft a mobility and accessibility plan for the stadium, with improvements expected to be implemented before and after the stadium's structural completion.


Snippets for the week commencing Monday 14 January 2019.
Year 2 measuring the distance and direction of flight path of their paper aeroplanes. No drones in evidence to distract the engineers!
2J making their Mod Roc Islands in Art.
Using prior knowledge, Year 2 worked as a team in Boyzone to solve the spelling riddles!
Shell boys looking for fossils in music with Mrs Ford!


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What do we know about serious and organised crime and how effective is our response to it? Generating new insights using criminal courts data
Categories: Blogs, ADR England, Office for National Statistics, Crime & Justice
Written by Dr Tim McSweeney 26 July 2021
In this blog, ADR UK Research Fellow Tim McSweeney, describes how he is using de-identified, research-ready data made available via the Data First programme to examine the nature, extent and outcomes of serious and organised crime.
Serious and organised crime (SOC) is considered a national security threat by the UK Government, and protecting the public from serious offenders is one of three priority outcomes set for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) by the 2020 Spending Review. This focus reflects the considerable social and economic costs to the UK associated with SOC, recently estimated at £37 billion annually by the National Audit Office (NAO). Despite these costs, the NAO has expressed concern that government and law enforcement agencies do not yet have the extent or depth of data they need to formulate an effective response. In addition, several recent, high-profile reports by the Home Office, Police Foundation and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the criminal justice system's response to different forms of SOC.
What is the sample for the study?
SOC is a contested concept and various definitions exist. For the purposes of this project, I will use the definition developed by a previous Home Office research study which states:
"… individuals, normally working with others, with the capacity and capability to commit serious crime on a continuing basis, which includes elements of planning, control and coordination, and benefits those involved. The motivation is often, but not always, financial gain. Some types of organised crime, such as organised child exploitation, have other motivations"
(HM Government, 2001, p5).
Based on this definition, my research will include cases in which:
the offence is considered to have a potential link to SOC and involved some degree of planning and control;
defendants were charged with an offence attracting a minimum custodial sentence of three years upon conviction; and
multiple defendants were charged.
What are the aims of the project?
My research aims to better understand the nature, extent and outcomes of SOC cases heard before the Crown Courts in England and Wales. Analysis of the data will provide an estimate of the proportion and number of SOC cases appearing before the higher courts and describe how SOC is distributed across different offence types (for example, violence, sexual assault, drugs, theft and cybercrime).
Using appropriate validated measures, I plan to quantify the harms caused by these SOC cases (relative to non-SOC cases) and assess whether harms are equally distributed across different offence types, SOC groups and locations. I will test for any association between SOC status and the likelihood of cases being discontinued or dismissed by the courts. Finally, I will assess the feasibility of measuring subsequent reappearances of SOC defendants before the criminal courts over time, and seek to compare these with rates for non-SOC defendants.
Working within a secure research environment and adhering to rules that ensure the confidentiality of the data being used, the project will generate new and novel insights into:
the nature and extent of the threat posed by SOC cases appearing before the courts;
levels of crime-related harm associated with these SOC cases;
the attrition of cases through the trial process (and the reasons for this);
the nature and extent of any repeat appearances before the courts; and
how the courts might better respond to SOC offending.
What is the potential impact of this work?
The research will seek to inform and impact on policy through direct engagement with policymakers (for instance, by presenting findings from the research at different ADR UK and MoJ stakeholder events) and the production of accessible ADR UK and MoJ Data First outputs over the duration of the project and beyond.
In the longer term, Data First will create considerable opportunities for linking details of the SOC cases identified by this project with other datasets to fill important knowledge gaps and help address a range of government research priorities in this area. This includes exploring the social circumstances of SOC offenders, their known criminal histories and offending-related needs (for example, as they relate to thinking, attitudes, lifestyle or relationships), and identifying risk factors for involvement in SOC. These profiles can then be comparatively assessed against those of non-SOC offenders.
Both the Data First prisoner custodial journey dataset and more recent criminal courts and prisons linking data offer scope to assess the rate of custodial reconviction for SOC offenders, and using routinely published statistics to identify any associations between the presence of SOC-related prisoners and rates of violence, self-harm, or the prevalence of drugs and other contraband within individual prison establishments. Such work can generate important insights to allow us to test and measure the extent to which the presence of SOC prisoners and groups in custody may threaten the safety and security of not just the prison system, but the wider communities to which they will one day return.
You can find out more about Tim's project, and those of other Fellows making use of the magistrates' and Crown Court datasets, on the fellowship page.


As well as facing the same difficulties as all international companies, Ivan Menezes will also have to deal with challenges specific to Diageo. Some of them, such as integrating new acquisitions, are nice challenges to have. Others, such as poorly performing brands, are more difficult to deal with. This second of two articles looks at those challenges, some of which Mr Menezes helped to create, having been a senior executive at the company for a number of years.
Major acquisitions for Diageo have been a bit like London buses – nothing comes along for a long time and then three come one after the other, starting with Mey Içki in Turkey in 2011, Ypióca in Brazil in 2012 and, at time of writing, a pending deal for United Spirits.
The two companies already acquired seem by all accounts to be integrating well and there are early signs that the Mey Içki acquisition is providing the required platform for Diageo's international brands. However, the huge challenge will be United Spirits.
The Indian company will be a huge and complex organisation to integrate. At the end of its 2012 fiscal year (March), United Spirits employed 6,200 staff (around 25% that of Diageo) and had 29 manufacturing sites. Diageo will also have to take on 10 facilities leased from third parties and another 50 with which United Spirits has contracts. This compares with Diageo's 106 facilities globally.
It will also have to deal with United Spirits' lower profitability compared to its rivals and falling share of the market. Key brands are focused at the lower end of the market, while United Spirits has been losing share since its 2010 peak to smaller and more dynamic players.
One of the legacies of Diageo's pre-economic crisis focus on the mature markets of Western Europe and North America is that a number of its large strategic brands are in decline, notably Baileys and J&B, while some of its other brands are being weighed down by their mature market focus, most notably Smirnoff, which, despite rapid growth in emerging markets Brazil and South Africa, is being held back by stagnation in the US and the UK.
Many of these brands were already struggling for growth in these markets before the economic crisis. The current economic difficulties just exacerbated the decline, especially for J&B with its over- reliance on Spain.
Due to the universality of blended Scotch, J&B's problem can and will eventually be fixed by a focus on other fast growing markets, for example in Latin America and the Middle East and Africa. Baileys' problems are more difficult to address. Cream-based liqueurs, which the brand dominates, is not a universal category and requires the education of consumers in those markets. While the company has had success in expanding the brand's presence in emerging markets, most notably China and Russia, its volumes are still relatively small and so more needs to be done.
Diageo's current acquisition spree has focused more on addressing geographical rather than category weaknesses, thus leaving gaps in the company's portfolio.
The most important gap, in cognac, is the one that is the most unlikely to be filled in the foreseeable future. While it has an interest in cognac with a 34% stake in Moët Hennessy, that will not transfer into sole ownership anytime soon, with the majority owner LVMH unlikely to sell one of its most profitable divisions.
The acquisition of Grupo Cuervo would have filled the gap in its portfolio for a major tequila brand. The breakdown in negotiations may just be temporary, but in the meantime it lacks a major brand to even distribute. While its Don Julio brand can fill part of the gap, it is still too small for a company the size of Diageo.
Diageo also lacks a super-premium bourbon. These, along with flavoured variants, are key growth drivers in the US market and are becoming increasingly important in the larger export markets. While Diageo has its Bulleit brand, it is relatively small and so the company could do with a larger name in the category, notably Beam's Maker's Mark when the US company is broken up.
In 2007, 74% of Diageo's spirits volumes were sold in mature markets, although the picture looks better if one includes its beer volumes, which were focused on Africa. Nevertheless, the company's focus was on high value "Western" markets and even then at the exclusion of some major ones, such as Germany.
Some of that weakness was being rectified with sustained investment starting prior to 2007, especially in its weakest region of Asia Pacific. Its position has been greatly helped by its emerging market-focused acquisitions, which, when the United Spirits purchase is completed, will see an almost complete reversal of the company's mature versus emerging market split.
Some of this weakness is relative to the strength of its mature markets, and in both Latin America and the Middle East and Africa, Diageo is the most advanced of all international players. Nevertheless, it could do more in these regions, as the Ypióca acquisition showed.
The company is still weak in Eastern Europe, relying on third party distributors in all markets except Russia and Poland. The rest of its Central and Eastern European markets have volume sales of just under one billion litres, which while declining in overall terms offer growth opportunities for international spirits categories such as whiskies.
As Diageo addresses these issues it will have to be wary of its rivals. Pernod Ricard has been focusing on broadening its geographical footprint in Africa and Latin America through more organic growth. Pernod is not alone, with many other companies such as Brown-Forman, William Grant and Edrington also focusing on these regions. They will also look to exploit any weakness Diageo shows, leaving Mr Menezes with some tough challenges ahead.


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(Credit: Die Antwoord)
Die Antwoord dropped from another festival after more artists speak out
Mick McStarkey
South African shock-rap duo Die Antwood have been dropped from the upcoming London festival ALT+LDN. A statement issued on May 7th by the festival organisers reads: "Die Antwoord are no longer appearing at ALT + LDN, by mutual agreement." Set to take place on Clapham Common on August the 30th, the line-up includes Playboy Carti, Machine Gun Kelly and Princess Nokia.
The organisers' decision came as the backlash grew from some of the artists on the bill. ZAND spoke out about the South African band's alleged history of abuse: "As grateful as I am for this insane opportunity and to be playing amongst a line-up packed with so many talented and iconic artists, it must be said. I do not feel comfortable at all with a certain band playing this festival due to their long history of abuse," on Instagram they explained.
"Having a safe space for victims and all people should be a priority to all of us and in this instance because it is not, I will not allow my stance on this to come off as complacent by not addressing what needs to be addressed. Every other artist on this bill: let's get it."
Bobby Vylan, frontman of punks Bob Dylan, thanked ZAND for alerting him to Die Antwoord's "history of abuse." In the video posted to Bob Vylan's Twitter on May 5th, the frontman publicly asked the festival organisers to remove the controversial rap group from the line-up.
"Now, I'm not extremely familiar with their music, but that's neither here nor there, because I am familiar and I'm becoming more familiar with their history of abuse towards young people, towards vulnerable people, towards gay people, and people of colour."
"Now, needless to say, I'm not fucking thrilled that this band is on the same festival as us; I'm less thrilled that they're on the same fucking stage as us," he continued.
The 'We Live Here' singer then explained that he felt he was doing his bit to help, as he has "no say over who gets booked for this festival, so looking for things that I can do is becoming challenging."
He concluded in saying: "I'm publicly asking for ALT+LDN to remove Die Antwoord from the bill, and if not, I and other acts I'm sure will protest their presence with our presence, and make it extremely fucking uncomfortable for them to be there, I can guarantee that. Peace."
Sam Carter, frontman of British metalcore group, Architects replied to Vylan's video saying: "We're reaching out with you."
In 2019, Die Antwoord were dropped from a string of high-profile festivals after an altercation in which they were filmed shouting homophobic slurs at American DJ Andy Butler, leader of retro-futurists Hercules and Love Affair.
In response Ninja of Die Antwoord, real name Watkin Tudor Jones, claimed that the video had been "cleverly edited" to "make it seem like me and Yolandi committed a hate crime towards a person because they are gay … This was just a fight with someone who fucked with us."
The allegations do not stop there. Tudor Jones has been accused of sexual assault by several women. The most high profile of these came in 2019 when Australian musician Zheani Sparkes filed a police report. Sparkes claimed that the Johannesburg native had sexually assaulted her in 2013, then shared explicit photos of her as revenge porn.
Singers Dionna Dal Monte, Jade Carroll and Die Antwoord's former collaborator Benjay Crossman, have all at different points in the past, respectively shared details of the duo's alleged offences.
Die Antwoord vehemently deny all of the allegations levelled against them.
Regarding Die Antwoord at Alt+LDN. I would ask the other (bigger) artists on this festival to do some research on Die Antwoord's history of abuse, racism and homophobia and ask that they are removed from the festival. pic.twitter.com/2r0veIrB5e
— Bob Vylan (@BobbyVylan) May 5, 2021


Another day, another feature nobody asked for. Facebook subsidiary Instagram has now enabled activity status in direct messages: this means that practically all of your friends will now be able to see when the last time you were actively using the app was.
The feature rolled out as part of the latest updates for Android and iOS – so at least you know everyone is getting the same deal.
In case you were wondering how this looks, Instagram now displays a line indicating the last time a user was active on its platform directly underneath their username. The activity status is currently only visible in direct messages.
While some might find this change slightly annoying at first, it is not all that surprizing to see it in the main app. Indeed, Facebook integrated the same feature in its Messenger app ages ago.
Open the app and head to Settings.
Scroll down until you see the new 'Show Activity Status' option.
Please note that opting out of activity status means you won't be able to see other people's last activity either.
But that seems like a totally fair trade-off to me.


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When minimum wage increases 2019 as new job laws come into force
The National Minimum Wage is going up and there are changes to pension contributions and payslips from April 2019
A number of wholesale changes to employment law are being brought in by the government next month with employees and employers set to be affected as part of the shake-up.
Workers will soon enjoy an income boost as part of changes to the National Minimum Wage with alterations to statutory sick pay and pension contributions also set to come into play from April 1, 2018.
Peninsula Group's operations director and HR expert Alan Price has created a comprehensive round-up of what to expect next month, which we have summarised below.
So here are the five new jobs laws coming into place that people across Hull and East Yorkshire that you need to be aware of from April next month onwards.
The National Minimum Wage is increasing from April 1, 2019
The national minimum wage (NMW) is going up.
NMW rates are scheduled to increase for all pay reference periods which start on or after April 1, 2019, meaning all minimum wage workers will be due a boost in pay.
Kingstown Furniture employing more than 300 in Hull 'shuts with immediate effect'
Those aged 25 and over will be entitled to a minimum of £8.21 per hour, while those who qualify for the different NMW age bandings will also benefit from increases.
It will be important for employers to review and amend their pay practices ahead of time to ensure NMW staff continue to receive the correct rate for their age.
Changes are being made to statutory sick pay (SSP)
The qualifying criteria for statutory sick pay (SSP) will change from April 6, 2019, as well as the amount of money staff will be entitled to earn each week.
This means individuals will need to earn at least £118 per week in order to qualify for weekly payments of £94.25. Similarly, the rate of pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental pay will increase to £148.68 per week from April 7, 2019, which may mean employers have to amend their policies accordingly.
Payslips
Payslips are changing (Image: Getty)
Employers will have to rethink their pay slip process from April 6, 2019 as both 'employees' and 'workers' will be entitled to receive itemised pay statements from this day onwards.
Payslips will also need to include the total number of hours worked, where this influences pay, meaning payroll and HR departments will need to work in unison to ensure relevant staff receive their payslips in accordance with these new requirements.
Pension contributions
The minimum auto-enrolment contributions for pensions will increase from April 6, 2019
Employers' approach to pensions will need adjusting in 2019 as the minimum auto-enrolment contributions will increase from April 6, 2019.
Lidl in east Hull
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service
New care home in Anlaby Road
KCOM
Employers and workers will need to contribute three per cent and five per cent of an employee's pre-tax salary respectively each month.
Payroll departments will also need to be on the ball to avoid reprisals from the pensions regulator.
Tribunal pay-outs
Employers will need to be aware of changes to tribunal pay-outs (Image: Getty)
The amount of money employees could be due for a successful tribunal claim will also increase from April 6, 2019.
From this date, successful claims for unfair dismissal could result in a maximum compensation payout of £102,194 which means employers will need to be extra careful in making sure their procedures are fair and appropriate when taking disciplinary action.
Kingstown Furniture staff's shock as they're told Hull company has suddenly shut
As April draws ever closer employers will need to be wary of these impending changes and it would be wise to dedicate time over the coming weeks to proactively prepare their business for these new requirements.
AppleStampede at Bransholme's One Below shop as shoppers go 'mental' at bargain pricesOne shopper only popped into for some toilet roll when she got caught up in the chaotic scenes


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Q: Change email login to another id My original email id got compromised and now I want my new email id to be the main id for all SE sites . How to delete original id from the system as someone else might login from it ?

A: Go to your profile page.
There is a "My Logins" link - that allows you to add and delete OpenId providers.
(with the new profile, this will be under the "Edit Profile & Settings" tab)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Q: Hide soft keyboard android application start up in phonegap I'm working on phonegap application and facing minor issue with it and tried everything but nothing works..
I've build application in android and Iphone but i'm facing issue in android only..soft keyboard is automatically showing up on start up of application.
below is my html code:-

                            <input id="username" type="email" value="Username" onfocus="if (this.value=='Username') this.value = ''" onblur="if (this.value=='') this.value = 'Username'">

                            <input id="password" type="password" value="Password" onfocus="if (this.value=='Password') this.value = ''" onblur="if (this.value=='') this.value = 'Password'">

                            Create Account

                        <button id="btnSubmit" class="button button-green button-icon button-full half-top full-bottom  animate-zoom">Login</button>

A: You need to install the keyboard plugin.
cordova plugin add cordova-plugin-keyboard

Now on device ready event hide the keyboard.
Keyboard.hide();

Edit 1 :-
try adding this line in androidmanifest.xml
android:windowSoftInputMode="stateHidden|adjustPan"

Hope this might help.


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Swiss Company formation
Swiss news
Company search in Switzerland
If you decide to establish a business relationship with a Swiss company, you need to find out more about the respective company in order to determine whether to act with caution or whether it is a trusted business partner.
In this sense, the simplest and most commonly used way to find basic information about a company is to do a company search in Switzerland, obtaining information from the Swiss Commercial Registry. This is a necessary step, especially for corporate due diligence activities. Due diligence activities ensure the safety of transaction processes, by having an overview of the financial performance of a company, its history, persons or legal entities that are involved and provide the starting point for financial risk assessment.
The Swiss Commercial Registry
According to the Swiss Code of Obligations, the Commercial Registry contains information about the business structure of a company, its shareholders, representatives and liabilities. All companies registered in Switzerland must also be included into the Commercial Registry. The information registered must be published in the Official Gazette of Commerce, unless partial publication is allowed under certain laws.
The Swiss Commercial Registry acts as an official information source, because it contains data about the registered companies, but it is also the main tool used during the Swiss company formation process. The register is divided into agencies that function on federal and cantonal level. Cantonal agencies must record and update entries into the registry under the supervision of the federal government. Each Swiss canton must appoint an authority to be in charge of the registry maintenance and a supervisor.
The main function of the Commercial Registry is to provide access to public information about Swiss companies and to register newly formed companies in Switzerland. When a company is registered with the Commercial Registry it has the right to request certificates that provide registration proof. All the data registered by the cantonal agencies is collected and supervised by the Federal Office of Justice.
Companies registered into the Swiss Commercial Registry
Companies that are obliged to register with the Swiss Commercial Registry are the following:
Sole proprietorships;
General and limited partnerships;
Public Limited Companies (AGs);
Limited Liability Companies (GmbHs);
Corporations with an unlimited number of partners;
Company branches;
Associations, cooperatives and foundations;
Investment companies with fixed or variable capital.
The data base of the Commercial Register contains information about the name and registered office of the company, the date of the annual shareholder's meeting (under certain provisions), the business activity of the company, the share capital (in some cases), the contributions made by founders in cash or kind (in some cases), types of shares and their value (in some cases), name an residence of the shareholders and directors of the company and the name and residence of the company auditor.
Extracts from the Swiss Commercial Registry
Company search in Switzerland is performed by requesting extracts from the Swiss Commercial Registry. The extracts contain official and detailed information about the respective company such as the full name and registered office of the company, date of the company's incorporation in Switzerland, contact information, the names of the shareholders and directors and their identification information and the areas of business activities of the company.
It is important to note that there are two types of extract available: a usual Commercial Registry extract and official copies of the registration documents. Copies of the registration documents are usually requested only in court proceedings.
Extracts can also be requested in situations in which a company is requested to provide official registry documents.
Why is company search in Switzerland important?
Before starting a business venture with a company or even if you are just looking for employment in Switzerland, it is highly recommended to do some research on the company you are interested in. The basic information available publicly provides enough data so that you know if you are dealing with a reliable business partner or not.
First of all, if you find out the name of the company's director, you can simply look into their business background; see in what other projects they were involved and how much experience they have in conducting a business.
It is also good to know when the company is incorporated in Switzerland. Are you dealing with a newly-formed company that has not been active for long on the Swiss market or is it a company that has already established a name for itself in its industry? Especially if you want to invest into a company, this is an important clue.
Other information such as the areas of activity of a company or the name of the shareholders can also help you create an overview about the type of business strategy the company uses and the interests of the shareholders involved.
Overall, performing a company search in Switzerland is the most common and easiest way to find out official information about a certain company or partnerships that you are interested in doing business with. For more details and assistance regarding company search in Switzerland, feel free to reach out to our expert consultants. Our highly experienced and well-informed team is ready to answer all your questions and give you all the help you might need.
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MPG producer recognition amplified as BRITs drop award for 2017
Important award omitted from BRITs list until future voting methods can be agreed
By Dave Robinson
There will be no Best Producer recognition in the 2017 tally of BRIT Awards winners, the BPI has announced. However, the Music Producers Guild will, once again, present its lauded UK Producer of the Year trophy at its annual ceremony in February.
A statement issued by the MPG and BRIT Awards have agreed to "rest" the Best Producer award for 2017, following "recent changes made to the BRITs Voting Academy".
Tony Platt, managing director of the MPG Awards Group, said: "For the last eight years we have been proud to present the BRIT's Best Producer Award to our UK Producer of the Year and we sincerely hope to be able to do so again.
"The MPG Awards are peer-led and winners are voted for by established and experienced working professionals during a carefully monitored voting and judging system. We hope that we will be able to work alongside the BRITs in future years. In the meantime, the BPI is continuing to support the MPG Awards through sponsorship."
The Best Producer Award was unceremoniously dropped by the BPI at the end of the '90s and, shortly afterwards, there were protestations in the likes of Billboard from the then Music Production Guild led by producer Robin Millar. The accolade was only re-introduced after the re-invigorated MPG initiated its own awards ceremony in 2008, and the BPI offered its award as part of a sponsorship support package.
A spokesperson for the BPI (who did not wish to be named) explained the situation further:
"Over the last eight years, we've been delighted to present a BRIT Award for Best Producer to the winner of the MPG Producer of the Year. Until now that selection has been based on the MPG's voting and judging processes. The two awards are, however, entirely separate, even though the same person has previously received both.
"This year, as people may be aware, the BRITs has significantly changed the composition of its Voting Academy, and we also annually review our award categories and voting processes. The voting mechanic for the Best Producer Award differed substantially from our other votes and we have not had time to complete a review as to how this might best be structured. As a result, we have decided to rest the Best Producer Award for 2017."
Platt went on to add: "When we instigated the MPG Awards it was to celebrate the talents and effort of all those creative people who support the artists in our industry. We still do that.
"The MPG UK Producer of the Year Award is unchanged and will be presented to the winner chosen by our recent Judging Panel. That person will have been nominated, voted and judged using our usual fair, transparent and inclusive process, which will continue unaffected."
Both parties seem to be very aware of the frustrating nature of the situation – especially as the DJ/producer role is increasingly to the fore in the media – and hint that the Award could re-emerge for 2018. "We fully recognise the important role producers play in the music industry and will be considering further how best to reflect this going forward," said the BRITs source, while Platt noted: "We have been delighted to work with the BRITs over the last eight years, and while we couldn't come to a mutual agreement on how that would work for 2017, we sincerely hope that there will be one in the future."
Now in its ninth year, the Music Producers Guild Awards features 16 awards categories that recognise the brightest names in music production. The 2016 Producer Award was won by Alt-J producer Charlie Andrew, while previous years have seen the likes of Paul Epworth (2013 and 2015), Flood and Alan Moulder (2014) and Ethan Johns (2012) honoured in the category. Other winners have included Sir George Martin CBE, Youth, FKA Twigs, Brian Eno, Catherine Marks, Trevor Horn, Dizzy Rascal and Dave Stewart.
The 2017 Awards will take place on 16 February 2017 at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London.
Tickets for the 2017 MPG Awards are also on sale and there are still a limited number of super discounted tickets available, reports the Guild.
https://www.mpg.org.uk/mpg-awards/2017-tickets/
Tags ⋅ BPI ⋅ Brit Awards ⋅ epworth ⋅ johns
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GSN Gets NBC's Next Action Star
By Mike Reynolds
Further diversifying its programming lineup, GSN (formerly Game Show Network) has scored a repurposing deal with GRB Entertainment for Next Action Star that will put the upcoming NBC reality show on its air within nine days of its debut on the Peacock.
The series, which bows June 14 on NBC, aspires to find the nation's next male and female action stars. GSN will debut the show June 23 from 11 p.m.-midnight and run subsequent installments in that time slot, according to senior vice president of programming Ian Valentine.
In addition to running the 10 one-hour episodes and the series finale, GSN has committed to air a two-hour telepic called Bet Your Life, which will star the series' winning contestants.
"Next Action Star is a very well-produced show that our audience will enjoy, and it additionally delivers the kind of entertainment promised in GSN's new direction," Valentine said in a prepared statement. "This is the network's first repurposing agreement, and we are definitely open to doing more for quality productions like this one."
The series chronicles the training of seven men and seven women as they compete to become Hollywood's next action stars.
Each week, the contestants will be coached through extensive professional training procedures including high falls, fight and love scenes, weaponry and combat. At the conclusion of each installment, one male and one female will be eliminated by the feature-film director, producer and casting director based on their performances in an elaborately produced and filmed screen test of that week's trial scene.
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