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Home » Travel » UK travel regulations: Why the 'traffic light system' has angered the travel industry
UK travel regulations: Why the 'traffic light system' has angered the travel industry
21/06/2021 mediabest Travel
"Are we following the data? It appears not," read the subject line of the marketing email that landed in inboxes this month.
"How many Border Force officials does it take to process a fully immunized British subject returning from a country with no worse infection rates than the UK? Just the same as an unvaccinated passenger coming in from almost anywhere," it continued.
It then included a table of Covid-19 caseloads and vaccination rates for five countries — Malta, USA, Canada, Portugal and Spain — all of which showed lower case rates than the UK.
It reads like an angry blog post; but this was a marketing email to customers of Trailfinders, one of the UK's largest travel agents.
Following the rant, the email went on to trumpet the company's award-winning service and "unrivaled financial protection and support," and listed their latest offers.
The email — sent June 9 and written by Trailfinders' owner, Mike Gooley, was perhaps the most public reaction of the travel industry's anger against the UK government's Covid-19 travel restrictions.
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Having spent months drawing up a "traffic light system" to grade countries red, amber or green by risk level, and imposing testing and quarantine regulations to match, the government launched the regulations on May 7, but appeared to make a U-turn in its first update to the scheme less than a month later.
On June 3, destinations such as Malta, Greece and Grenada were widely expected to turn green — meaning anyone arriving from those places would avoid quarantine.
But instead, the government didn't add a single country to the green list. And they went further, downgrading Portugal — the UK's only real tourist destination on the green list — to the amber list, meaning passengers traveling from there must now quarantine for 10 days at home.
That wasn't supposed to happen, either; green countries on the turn towards amber were supposed to first be added to a "green watch list," giving adequate warning that a destination might be able to change color — to "give passengers more certainty," it was announced at the time.
Instead, the government "started to tear up the rule book at the first opportunity," says Simon McNamara, country manager for the UK and Ireland at IATA, the International Air Transport Association.
"It was widely expected that some countries would be added [on June 3]," he says. "And they said they'd have an early warning."
Announcing the update on June 3, the UK's transport minister, Grant Shapps, called it a "safety-first approach."
Instead, McNamara insists, the government "did precisely the thing they said they wouldn't, and created chaos."
Not just chaos; anger, too. The travel industry — crippled worldwide by the Covid-19 pandemic — was already feeling febrile. But Portugal's removal from the green list tipped many industry workers over the edge.
Hence that email from Trailfinders to its 1.2 million clients.
"The traveling public deserve the facts," says Trailfinders CEO Toby Kelly when asked why the company sent the email written by Mike Gooley.
"We have been told that the traffic light decisions have been based on data. Both the data and methodology must be made public. We wanted [our clients] to look at the data and draw their own conclusions."
A spokesperson for the UK's Department of Transport told CNN the traffic light system is decided by ministers, who go by risk assessments created by the Joint Biosecurity Center. Factors include genomic surveillance capability, transmission risk and variant risks. A summary is posted on the government's website.
But Kelly says that isn't enough.
"Confidence in travel was dealt a heavy blow when Portugal came off the green list, as it suggested countries will come on and off without obvious rationale.
"If travelers understand that cases in other countries are lower, or as low as the UK's and immunization levels are similar, or greater, then they may feel more confident about booking travel for the months ahead.
Kelly says he felt "confused, frustrated, disappointed" when Portugal was removed from the green list.
He's not the only one.
"The only thing I can put it down to is that there's a lot of fear in society, and a lot of scaremongering, and I do feel the government are playing to that," says Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of the Advantage Travel Partnership, the UK 's largest independent consortium of travel agents.
"Otherwise there's no logic. And in the absence of transparency, it leads you to wonder."
She points to summer 2020, when the UK's list of "travel corridors" allowed people to fly in and out of the country with neither tests nor quarantine.
"We've vaccinated 50% of the adult population — how can we possibly be in a worse position now than last year?," she asks.
"I feel travel has been sacrificed because [the government is] prioritizing opening up the UK. Other European countries haven't done that, and it's an extreme approach which has been to the detriment of the travel sector," says Paul Charles, travel PR and CEO of the PC Agency, who's become known on Twitter for predicting which destinations will end up on which list. Despite his data-crunching of infection and vaccination rates, so far, he's been largely wrong.
© Alex Wong/Getty Images
The UK has opted to restrict travel as neighboring European countries open up.
So how did they get here?
After a disastrous bout with Covid-19 in the first year of the pandemic — Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was "deeply sorry" when the UK became the first country in Europe to pass 100,000 deaths on 26 January — the UK seemed to be turning a corner.
Its super-fast vaccine drive won plaudits across the world — more than 42 million of its 53 million population have now received at least one dose — and its policy of delaying the second dose by three months, instead of the two weeks initially planned, has been copied by other European countries, who at first had raised eyebrows.
Its travel policy has been less straightforward.
Unlike many countries around the world who closed their borders, or implemented quarantine or testing systems at the start of the pandemic, the UK was allowing anyone to enter from anywhere in the world, without any testing or quarantine, for the first few months.
In June 2020, it imposed a blanket 14-day quarantine on anyone arriving from a destination not classed as "low risk" — the travel corridors.
Then, following the discovery of the UK variant in December 2020, which led to countries around the world banning arrivals from the UK, the government made testing a requirement in January 2021. Non-essential travel was swiftly declared illegal, with fines of £5,000 ($7,000) introduced in March 2021 for those caught at an airport trying to flee the country without an adequate reason.
But while the restrictions were increasing, the travel industry was looking to the future. In February, the UK government set up a travel "taskforce" to construct a "framework for a safe and sustainable return to international travel" with an aim of restarting on May 17.
The taskforce consulted with travel industry professionals — from airlines to tour operators — and the result was the traffic light system. It was announced on May 7, but the number of countries on the green list was already looking low — it mainly comprised destinations that don't accept UK tourists (such as Australia and New Zealand) and smaller destinations not suitable for mass tourism, such as the Falkland Islands and the Faroes.
Gibraltar, Israel and Portugal were the only sunshine destinations on the list — but the current conflict in Israel ruled it out for many, and at just 2.625 square miles, the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar is hardly a mass tourism destination.
Airlines swiftly laid on flights to Portugal by the bucketload, and nonessential travel became legal again on May 17.
But the race to the Portuguese sun lasted just 17 days, when the update came through and Portugal was moved onto the amber list. Passengers were given four days notice to get back, or spend 10 days in quarantine on their return.
Rising variants despite vaccinations
With infection rates on the rise despite the vaccination progress — case numbers had soared by 78% in the week leading up to June 18, leading Italy to slap a five-day quarantine on arrivals from the UK, and the EU to keep it off its "white list" of approved destinations — things are looking a little less rosy in Great Britain than they were.
Johnson was criticized for not adding India to the red list on April 9, when he added neighboring countries Pakistan and Bangladesh, as the situation spiraled there. Instead, he waited till April 23.
"They should have put India on the red list at the same time as Pakistan and Bangladesh. Since then, we've had this three-week period in which thousands of people have returned from India and that probably includes hundreds of the new variant Covid cases," Yvette Cooper, a lawmaker with the opposition Labour party, told the BBC's "Andrew Marr Show."
The Delta variant, first discovered in India, is now dominant in the UK and leading what scientists are calling a third wave that was already brewing when the government pulled Portugal off the green list.
In fact, Labour goes one step further than the Conservative government and is calling for the abolition of the amber list. If a country isn't green, they say, it should be on the hotel quarantine list.
A spokesperson for the UK's Department for Transport told CNN:
"The decision not to add any countries to the green list and to move Portugal to the amber list has been taken in light of variants of concern and emerging mutations.
"England is taking a cautious approach to opening up international travel, to protect the UK from seeding new infections at a time where infection rates are low and the vaccine roll-out is ongoing."
"The government always said they reserved the right to act quickly, but it's very opaque," argues IATA's Simon McNamara. "This is politics driving it, not data or science."
His theory? That allowing vacations while the UK itself wasn't yet fully out of lockdown was bad optics. "Reopening international travel didn't look good, so they tore up the rulebook — and now we have the absurd situation where every industry has some kind of certainty [about when restrictions will end] with the exception of international travel," he says.
"Nightclubs and bars have been promised that July 19 is the endpoint [postponed from June 21] but there's no such clarity for international travel. That's incredibly frustrating for a business trying to plan the future. Running an airline is a complicated business.
"It's created chaos. Understandably all the energy has gone out of the window and we're now almost back to where we were in March."
Tourists are going elsewhere
It's not just travel companies and airline insiders ruing the UK's cautious approach. Patricia Yates, director of strategy and communications at Visit Britain, the national tourism body, worries that the UK's restrictions means it is lagging behind other countries in the rush to pick up tourists ready to travel again.
International tourism brought £28 billion ($39 billion) to the UK every year pre-pandemic; this year, it's forecast that figure will drop to just £6 billion ($8.3 billion).
And with European countries making a play for the high-spending American visitors who'd normally spend time in Britain, it's possible that those willing to travel at the moment might bypass their usual London layover and head straight to more welcoming countries.
"You can see countries all around the world looking at how they rebuild their tourism industry — they're investing hugely and looking first at markets they want to attract, then at how they flex their border policies to attract the high-spending markets," she says.
"The worry as a tourism board is that we're going to go into a market that's so competitive when there's still uncertainty at the moment.
"Americans are really worried — a lot of Americans had holidays pushed back, people have vouchers they need and want to spend. There's a considerable appetite to travel, and it's our most valuable market. And they can see other countries opening to Americans."
At the recent G7 summit held in the UK, US President Joe Biden and Boris Johnson agreed to establish a transatlantic taskforce to look at restarting travel between the two countries.
John Bevan, divisional senio vice president of the Dubai-based Dnata Travel Group, which owns multiple global travel brands including Travelbag, Travel Republic and Destination Asia as part of the Emirates Group, says that London this summer will miss the wealthy Middle Eastern visitors who traditionally spend the summer in the British capital.
"The Emirati community who come, spend heavily in the shops and restaurants is just not going to be there. Those entire hotel floors taken up by single families are not going to be there. They're not going to do a 10-day hotel quarantine — they just won't come. It's shocking for London."
Lo Bue-Said says it's not just London. "Our city centers are on their knees, our meeting spaces are empty. They depend on inbound travel."
The travel industry waited… and waited
Bevan says that the UK travel industry had respected the restrictions to such an extent that they hadn't been taking bookings.
"We were resolute through the third lockdown. Most businesses told clients, 'We're not going to book you before July.' We actually turned away bookings.
"But as the government banged the drum heavier and heavier — they did the taskforce, they did the traffic light system — we thought, they're going to listen. But that watch list never appeared.
"I suppose if you looked at the language they use, they always said they'd do their best so it's not like they promised they would — but still, it was implied. And then they put Portugal on [the green list] and then did exactly the thing that we didn't want to do — the u-turn.
"We appeared to be hitting the numbers as per the targets given by the government, yet they kept pushing the goalposts back. And the taskforce spent time with qualified people from the industry, yet they didn't implement what they discussed.
"I think [the traffic light system] can work, and should have. The watch lists were a great idea to buy time."
Paul Charles disagrees. "The traffic light system which was created as a simple tool has been ruined by the government and may well be dead because consumers have lost confidence in it."
Bevan agrees that consumer confidence has plummeted in the wake of the Portugal debacle.
"Demand has been lowest in the past three weeks than at any point [during the pandemic]. People aren't even looking anymore — I've never known anything as bad, or such low interest in searching.
We always get a lot of people in inspiration mode looking around, but the government has done a great job in stomping that out. Their negative 'don't go on holiday' messaging has been very successful."
The Emirates Group's annual report, published June 15, showed a 96% drop in revenue for its travel services division, plunging the company into its first ever annual loss.
It has gone from a profit of $456 million in the financial year before Covid, to a loss of $6 billion. The figures include Emirates airline, and its cargo and ground-handling services, as well as Dnata's tour operators and booking sites.
The fightback begins
After months of waiting, the UK's travel industry has had enough. On June 23 — five days before the next traffic light list update, scheduled for June 28 — they're holding a lobbying day, where industry workers around the country will lobby their MPs (parliamentarians) and hold events in London, Edinburgh and Belfast.
In the English capital, MPs have agreed to meet concerned constituents.
For Julia Lo Bue-Said, it's an opportunity to finally speak with Grant Shapps, the beleaguered transport secretary, who former British Airways boss and current IATA Director General Willie Walsh labeled "minister for no transport" in a recent interview, adding that the traffic light system was "stuck on red," calling the government's behavior "disgraceful," and predicting that "the rest of the world is going to… overtake the UK."
Shapps is Lo Bue-Said's MP — so under the rules of the UK Parliament she is entitled to seek his help as a local constituent as well as as an industry executive reaching out in his ministerial capacity. But she says that despite contacting him "numerous" times despite the pandemic, he's never agreed to a meeting, sending back "template letters" instead.
"I remain hopeful that he will respond and agree to meet me on June 23," she says.
"The reality is that we're in a pandemic, so clearly we respect that, and we agree that public health is of paramount importance. But the travel sector has been shut down for 15 months, now. And because of the way travel businesses operate, earn and plan [operators generally earn their money after the client has traveled] it's put extraordinary pressure on business owners.
"A lot of my members are small businesses — families who've effectively worked through their life savings now and can't see the wood for the trees.
"They haven't been given the opportunity to trade through to recovery, and they're not getting appropriate support from the government."
She says that when restrictions do eventually lift, the UK travel landscape could look very different.
Already, budget airline easyJet has pulled some of its planes from the UK to Germany. Planes destined to take Brits to Mallorca have been moved to Berlin, instead.
EasyJet said in a statement: "We are seeing European governments are progressively opening up using frameworks in place which enable travel and much of it restriction-free.
"And this relaxation and removal of restrictions has sparked a positive booking momentum across Europe, with the majority of our bookings showing a strong swing towards Europe when in normal times it would be a 50/50 split with the UK.
"Europe is demonstrating that a safe reopening of travel is possible and so we continue to urge the UK Government to do so urgently."
An easing of the rules?
There might be light at the end of the tunnel, however. On Thursday, rumors surfaced that the UK might be considering a scheme similar to that of many European countries, which allows double-vaccinated travelers to skip quarantine, even from an amber list destination, from the end of July.
Jesse Norman, financial secretary to the Treasury, who's married to venture capitalist Kate Bingham who headed up the UK's vaccine strategy, seemed to confirm it, saying in an interview on Sky News that it is "being considered… we don't want to get left behind by countries which may be adopting a two-jabs approach if it can be done safely, carefully and securely."
But a government spokesperson refused to comment to CNN.
There's one other string to the UK's bow, too, says Visit Britain's Patricia Yates: the G7 Summit.
Held on the beach in England's southernmost county, Cornwall, delegates including President Biden, Japan's Prime Minister Suga and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen were photographed daily on the beach. Press conferences and photoshoots took place in front of turquoise waters. The delegates' spouses were taken to a performance at the open-air Minack Theater, etched into a clifftop, and the whole party enjoyed dinner in a biosphere at the Eden Project, which champions sustainability.
"The photos just looked stunning — people were saying to me, 'That looks like Thailand,'" says Yates, adding that their social media accounts saw "a lot of pick up," especially from Japan, the US and Australia. The summit displayed a Britain that's "more informal, not stiff, and showcasing the countryside," she says.
The blow to consumers
Even if restrictions ease, though, it might be too late.
Lo Bue-Said fears that prices will end up rising for UK travelers.
"We speak to our counterparts in different parts of the world, they now have Germans, Italians, other Europeans traveling. UK consumers will be left behind — hotels are contracting for the summer season, but there are no guarantees that Brits will arrive so they're going to the Europeans. Which inevitably will not only mean a scramble for the right products, but also prices will increase."
IATA's McNamara agrees: "The UK has already lost its lead but will lose even further. On June 28 we want to see that policy changed."
Of course, easing the restrictions is likely to result in a rise in case numbers, as has already been seen in the rocketing numbers since the domestic lockdown was lifted.
"The government seems to be going for a zero-risk strategy, but nothing is zero risk — everything has a little risk in it," says McNamara. "Aviation is not a zero-risk business, but it's managed amazingly well and as a result it's the safest mode of transport.
"Yes, there will be some cross-border transmission, but there's no reason why we can't take a similar approach to this risk."
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The days for LeBron James & co. in these NBA Finals are running out, and quick. Plenty of experts have already given out their sentence, but I would not like to rush into anything, as it happened with last year's Finals. Personally, I do not believe that the Golden State Warriors can reach that historic 16-0 in the playoffs, because the Cavaliers will make it ultra-hard on them in Ohio.
Mass-media seems to be going crazy ahead of this stellar Game 3 and all sorts of incredible statistics, speculations and scenarios are being put on display. There is however one certain thing for me, Golden State Warriors is not the team that "after leading 2-0 was already thinking on how the parade is going to look", as Klay Thompson said yesterday, but they are the team that added probably the second best basketball player in the world in Kevin Durant to their squad and that are sick and tired of hearing those "3-1" jokes!
"You understand the journey and how much of the energy it took from a mental and physical standpoint in order to come back from something like that. But you know it's definitely possible ", stated Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers Point Guard at the media availability ahead of Game 3.
In the Game 3's in which LeBron James was down 0-2 in the NBA Playoffs, "The King" has a remarkable record of 4 victories and a single defeat. Moreover, Warriors lost Game 3 in Cleveland in both previous years in the NBA Finals and Steph Curry himself said that coming into this arena, the atmosphere of the home crowd is overwhelming, especially in the first quarter. Proof of that is that the Golden State trailed almost all of their 1st quarters in Quicken Loans Arena.


Top Rated Local® is pleased to announce that Ground to Overhead Physical Therapy is an award winner for physical therapists in 2019.
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Ground to Overhead Physical Therapy has received many overwhelmingly positive reviews across three different verified sites with an average rating of 5.00 stars, earning them an impressive Rating Score™ of 96.00 and a 2019 Top Rated Local award for ranking as one of the top 10 physical therapists in North Carolina!
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It is because of excellent reviews like this that Ground to Overhead Physical Therapy is now able to call themselves a Top Rated Local award winner!
We were excited to learn all about how Ground to Overhead Physical Therapy has been able to build such an impressive reputation, so we sat down with the owner, Michael Tancini.
The first thing we wanted to know was what it is that makes Ground to Overhead Physical Therapy stand apart from their local competitors. We learned that the quality of care offered helps them to stand out. He says that it comes down to getting the patients the results they want in the most efficient way possible.
At Ground to Overhead Physical Therapy, they help active individuals stay active and get back to the training they love without any need for pain medications, injections, or surgeries.
Ground to Overhead Physical Therapy has built an impressive reputation, so we were excited to hear about some of the ways they have gotten their name out. Online, they utilize Google Adwords and social media platforms, but it is offline where this company has gotten the most recognition. Michael told us that he has gotten this business recognition by being active in the community. He has worked to build relationships with community members by visiting local gyms, running groups, and training facilities. He says that he tries to offer as much free information to these groups as he can, and focuses on helping them in any way he can.
Congratulations to Ground to Overhead Physical Therapy for being a 2019 Top Rated Local award winner, and special thanks to Michael for taking the time to speak with us!
North Dakota's Top Rated Local® Physical Therapists Award Winner: Volk Amber R.
Top Rated Local® is pleased to announce that Volk Amber R is a 2019 award winner!
It is certainly not easy to impress your clients enough to get them to leave excellent reviews, but Volk Amber R has done so so well that they have earned a 92.00 Rating Score™, a 5.00 average star rating, and a spot among the top 10 physical therapy clinics in the entire state of North Dakota!
Jean, the Area Manager of Volk Amber R, took some time to chat with our team about the business' phenomenal online reputation.
The Volk Amber R mission is actually pretty simple, according to Jean. They just want to do the very best they can for the people they serve. "Being in a smaller place, we can provide the best care possible. Just because we are small, does not mean we can not provide care; we are giving the best care possible and looking at customers as a whole," she said.
Congratulations to the team at Volk Amber R for being a 2019 Top Rated Local award winner, and thank you so much, Jean, for taking the time to speak with us!
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Top Rated Local® is pleased to announce that Moye Physical Therapy is a 2019 award winner!
"Moye Physical Therapy is absolutely fantastic. They have been a total blessing for my son. The staff are all incredible and fantastic at their jobs. My son has made more progress in just a few months here than he has in the past few years. I would totally recommend that you come here for your therapy needs." -Lisa M.
Our team got a chance to speak with Julie Nagem, the marketing director at Moye Physical Therapy, about the business' tremendous online reputation.
Congratulations to the team at Moye Physical Therapy for being a 2019 Top Rated Local award winner, and thank you so much, Julie, for taking the time to speak with us!
Top Rated Local® is pleased to announce that Hansen Physical Therapy is an award winner for physical therapists in 2019.
If you are in need of physical therapy in Rapid City, look no further than this award-winning company!
Hansen Physical Therapy has received many overwhelmingly positive reviews across three different verified sites with an average rating of 5.00 stars, earning them an impressive Rating Score™ of 96.00 and a 2019 Top Rated Local award for ranking as the number one physical therapist in South Dakota!
"[They have] amazing and supportive staff. [They are] always upbeat and descriptive in their therapies. [I] came in for physical therapy and [am] leaving after physical training. [I am] stronger now than when I came in to start. [I faced the possibility of] surgery, but [they] kept me out of surgery. Thank you!" -Z.R.
It is because of excellent reviews like this that Hansen Physical Therapy is now able to call themselves a Top Rated Local award winner!
We were excited to learn all about how Hansen Physical Therapy has been able to build such an impressive reputation, so we sat down with the Office Manager, Stephanie Enger.
Hansen Physical Therapy has established an impressive online reputation, and we were curious to know about some of the ways they have marketed themselves over the years. Stephanie shared that they have utilized social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. They are also present in their community, where they do local sponsorships for schools and sporting events. They never push their clients for reviews, but they will let them know where to leave them if they are interested.
Congratulations to Hansen Physical Therapy for being a 2019 Top Rated Local award winner, and special thanks to Stephanie for taking the time to speak with us!
Top Rated Local® is pleased to announce that Battle Mountain Physical Therapy is an award winner for physical therapists in 2019.
For all of your physical therapy needs in Hot Springs, South Dakota, look no further than this award-winning company!
Battle Mountain Physical Therapy has received many overwhelmingly positive reviews across multiple verified sites with an average rating of 5.00 stars, earning them an impressive Rating Score™ of 86.00 and a 2019 Top Rated Local award for ranking as one of the top five physical therapists in South Dakota!
"Brad goes above and beyond for his patients. He comes in early, sends tools home to help further progress, and makes it feel more like a friendly visit then a Dr's appointment. Truly an all around great experience" – C.N.
It is because of excellent reviews like this that Battle Mountain Physical Therapy is now able to call themselves a Top Rated Local award winner!
We were excited to learn all about how Battle Mountain Physical Therapy has been able to build such an impressive reputation, so we sat down with the Office Manager, Jordan.
Brad is also active in helping out local high-school sports teams.
Congratulations to Battle Mountain Physical Therapy for being a 2019 Top Rated Local award winner, and special thanks to Jordan for taking the time to speak with us!
Top Rated Local® is pleased to announce that PT Solutions of Biloxi is a 2019 award winner!
"I have been to many PT appointments in various places, but never felt the personal caring I have felt from my physical therapist Jeff Huesser. He has made the experience of therapy forever gratifying in my mind. I will go back if ever I need therapy again." -Betty S.
Jefferey Husser of PT Solutions of Biloxi took some time to chat with our team about the business' incredible online reputation.
The following are Jeffery's words of wisdom for other businesses that are working on improving their online reputation.
Congratulations to the team at PT Solutions of Biloxi for being a 2019 Top Rated Local award winner, and thank you so much, Jefferey, for taking the time to speak with us!
Top Rated Local® is pleased to announce that Family Achievement Center is an award winner for physical therapists in 2019.
If you are looking for a physical therapist that will help to meet your individual needs, look no further than this award-winning company!
Family Achievement Center has received many overwhelmingly positive reviews across multiple verified sites with an average rating of 5.00 stars, earning them an impressive Rating Score™ of 94.00 and a 2019 Top Rated Local award for ranking as one of the top 10 physical therapists in Minnesota!
"The staff at [Family Achievement Center] are hands down some of the best we've ever worked with in our medical journey! They are like family to us, and my daughter loves seeing her therapists. They make a point to understand her personality, quirks and all! They push her to grow, but in a gentle and loving manner that she responds to, and they celebrate all of her victories, no matter [whether they are] big or small. The progress we've seen in her development over the last year has been phenomenal and I know it's because of the work she does here." – K.O.
It is because of excellent reviews like this that Family Achievement Center is now able to call themselves a Top Rated Local award winner!
We were excited to learn all about how Family Achievement Center has been able to build such an impressive reputation, so we sat down with the Vice President of Clinical Operations, Sarah Yarrington.
The first thing we wanted to know was what it is that makes Family Achievement Center stand apart from their local competitors. Sarah shared with us that they are a private-owned business, and are not a part of a larger hospital or organization. They also have the tools necessary to help clients with their individual needs. They are able to provide traditional and non-traditional therapy options for their clients.
Family Achievement Center has managed to build such an impressive online reputation, so we were excited to ask about what kinds of marketing strategies they have used over the years. Sarah shared that they have utilized social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. They also refer people to their website to watch the video they have there.
Offline, Family Achievement Center is also active within the community, where they have partnered with Parks and Recreation, and the Miracle League sports team.
Congratulations to Family Achievement Center for being a 2019 Top Rated Local award winner, and special thanks to Sarah for taking the time to speak with us!
Top Rated Local® is pleased to announce that Ford Physical Therapy is a 2019 award winner for physical therapists in Mississippi!
When it comes to physical therapy in Tupelo, Mississippi, no other clinic beats Ford Physical Therapy.
Ford Physical Therapy has received dozens of reviews on multiple verified sites with an average rating of 5.00 stars, earning them a fantastic Rating Score™ of 94.00 and a 2019 Top Rated Local award for being ranked the number one physical therapist in all of Mississippi!
"I came to physical therapy for pain in my lower back and hip. From just my first appointment and working with Aaron, my pain was significantly reduced. My range of motion is greatly improved, and I haven't had any more problems with my hip. Aaron is polite, friendly and easy to work with. I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to work with him. Five stars [and I am] 100-percent satisfied! Thank you, Mr. Aaron!" – Karina B.
In order to learn a little more about this award-winning business and its impressive online reputation, we took a few minutes to talk with Aaron Ford, the owner of Ford Physical Therapy.
Outside of building a powerful online reputation, Ford Physical Therapy has spread the word about who they are and what they do through social media and in-person networking, but word-of-mouth referrals are their biggest driver of business, which speaks to that next-level experience they provide for their patients.
Congratulations to the team at Ford Physical Therapy for being a 2019 Top Rated Local award winner, and thank you so much, Aaron, for taking the time to speak with us!
We highly recommend Ford Physical Therapy in Tupelo. Visit their website today!
Top Rated Local® is pleased to announce that Marquette Physical Therapy is an award winner for physical therapists in 2019.
If you are looking for a physical therapist that will help you to feel your best, look no further than this award-winning company!
Marquette Physical Therapy has received many overwhelmingly positive reviews across three different verified sites with an average rating of 4.98 stars, earning them an impressive Rating Score™ of 96.78 and a 2019 Top Rated Local award for ranking as one of the top three physical therapists in Kansas!
"The staff is warm, highly competent, and has been incredibly helpful in treating/relieving pain from some chronic conditions I've dealt with over the past couple of years. They are one of the few places I have found that specializes in the Graston Technique and dry needling. The dry needling has been awesome for getting rid of bothersome trigger points that develop from time to time. This is the practice I would recommend to anyone looking for a physical therapist!" – C.L.
It is because of excellent reviews like this that Marquette Physical Therapy is now able to call themselves a Top Rated Local award winner!
We were excited to learn all about how Marquette Physical Therapy has been able to build such an impressive reputation, so we sat down with the owner, Jay Marquette.
The first thing we wanted to know was what it is that makes Marquette Physical Therapy stand apart from their local competitors. Jay was quick to exclaim that his staff is what makes all the difference.
In addition to having a hard-working staff he is proud of, Jay described for us some of the other things that would draw someone to choose their business over another. At Marquette Physical Therapy, they are committed to providing individualized care for every patient, one-on-one in a private room. They also utilize special techniques, such as the Graston Technique and dry needle therapy.
Marquette Physical Therapy has been in business since 2007 and boasts two successful locations. We were excited to learn more about some of the ways they have marketed their business over the years. Jay shared with us that they utilize the talents of a marketing person who is well-versed in social media. While having a strong social media presence has been incredibly beneficial to their business, referrals have still been a valuable asset for new clients.
Offline, Marquette Physical Therapy also sponsors local high schools, community centers, and has participated in multiple community events.
Congratulations to Marquette Physical Therapy for being a 2019 Top Rated Local award winner, and special thanks to Jay for taking the time to speak with us!


text:
The Midday Brief: January 18, 2010
Your afternoon reading.
by Julián Aguilar Jan. 18, 2010 2 PM Central
Your afternoon reading:
• "I heard rumors last fall that about the time Hank Gilbert got out of the Governor's race, Democratic candidate for Governor of Texas Farouk Shami wrote Democratic Agriculture Commissioner candidate Gilbert a check for one million dollars." – Farouk Shami's Donations to Other Candidates in 2009 – Musings
• "U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is again calling for term limits for the governor's office. The Republican who's running against Rick Perry — the longest-serving governor in Texas history — discussed term limits in the first of four campaign stops Monday in Dallas." – Hutchison renews call for term limits in Texas – Amarillo Globe-News
• "Texas will be "last in, first out" among states battling the recession, although a recovery that has already started will require patience, a leading economist says." – Economist says Texas will be the 1st state to recover – Fort Worth Star-Telegram
• "U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar will be meeting with the head of the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday to push for more Census 2010 advertising buys to be made locally." – Cuellar: Census needs to make far more media buys along the border – Rio Grande Guardian
• "Former Border Patrol Agent Ignacio Ramos says new evidence has surfaced since he went to prison over the 2005 shooting of a Mexican drug smuggler and he wants a retrial." – Ex-Border Patrol Ignacio Ramos want retrial– El Paso Times
• "Mayor Julián Castro pointed to similarities between minority experiences in the United States as a potential common bond between races." – A common cause – San Antonio Express-News
New in the Texas Tribune:
• "Texas families can't take any more big tuition hikes, and neither can the cash-strapped state bail out bulging college budgets." – The Tuition Time Bomb – Texas Tribune
• "Alma Aguado is running for Governor of Texas and, if Kay Bailey Hutchinson retires, for the U.S. Senate. While she says she would rather be governor, her Facebook page for politicians still reads, "Alma Aguado for U.S. Senate." – TribBlog 2010: See Alma Run. For What? – Texas Tribune
•"For the first of our TribLive events, Evan Smith interviewed the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives about his first session leading his colleagues." – A Conversation with Joe Straus – Texas Tribune

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text: Q: Reference request: Lifting problem for smooth curves In FGA it was proved that smooth curve over field k can be lift to complete local ring with residue field k, but I think it's unreadable for me. So are there more modern introduction for this problem and related ones?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


WHICH ONES SHOULD I BE LOOKING AT REGULARLY?
Here are a few common reports that most people use but it is up to you to go and "play" in the reporting section of your accounting system and find the reports that suit your business. Once you have found the reports you like you can modify them to suit you.
This report summarises your income and expenses for the month, so you can tell whether you're operating at a profit or a loss. The report shows subtotals for each income or expense account in your chart of accounts. The last line shows your net profit (or loss) for the month. This type of report is also known as an income statement. To see a list of the transactions that make up an amount, double-click the amount.
A report that summarises the financial position of a business. A balance sheet shows the value of your company's assets, liabilities, and equity as of a particular day. It is called a balance sheet because the value of the assets is always exactly equal to the combined value of the liabilities and equity. This report will only be relevant to you if you make sure that the balance sheet is kept up to date and accurate, which means accounting for absolutely everything that happens in your business. Some small businesses don't want to do this, which is fine, however if you don't there is little point in looking at the Balance Sheet report.
This report summarises your unit and dollar sales, subtotalled by the types of items you sell. Initially, the report shows sales for the current month, but you can change the period of time covered by the report by choosing a different date range.
This report summarises the status of unpaid bills in accounts payable. For each vendor to whom your company owes money, the report shows (1) what your company owes for the current billing period, and (2) what your company still owes from previous billing periods. The 1-30, 31-60, 61-90, and >90 columns show overdue balances from previous billing periods. For example, an amount in the 31-60 column is between 31 and 60 days overdue. To see a list of the transactions that make up an amount, double-click the amount.


text:
Court orders ex-councillor to pay woman N4million for assaulting and forcing her to walk naked in Akwa Ibom
Justice Edem Akpan of a high court in Uyo, Awka Ibom State, has ordered a former councilor in the state, Uduak Nseobot, and his wife, Aniedi, to pay N4million for assaulting and striping a woman, Iniubong Essien, naked in public. The court also ordered that they pay an additional N200,000 to the woman to cover the cost of litigation.
Sahara Reporters reports that Nseobot had sometime in November 2018 when he was still in office, abducted the victim in Uyo and drove her to Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of the state, about 27 minutes drive, where he and his wife assaulted and publicly stripped her. They had reportedly accused her of stealing their money, which they claimed was "sprayed" on them at their wedding ceremony.
The victim had her body painted with charcoal and a rope tied around her waist while she was forced to dance naked before some community people.
Delivering judgment in the case, Justice Akpan, while delivering a verdict on Thursday January 6, said what Nseobot and his wife did to the woman was "totally condemnable". The judge added that the man's action was a typical disregard Nigerian politicians have for citizens' rights. He added that by their own affidavits, the man and his wife "admitted to committing the atrocities" and that they had no defense for what they did.
See also Poet Maya Angelou becomes first Black woman to appear on US coin
A Lagos-based lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, who had filed the fundamental rights enforcement suit on behalf of Ms. Essien, told newsmen that his client had been vindicated by the judgment.
"From the outset, the evidence was very compelling. What the former councillor did was quite outrageous. I think that is about one of the most grievous examples of human rights violations (in Nigeria).
We are going to enforce the judgment. If they go on appeal, we will be waiting for them." he said
Related Topics:Politician
Stop doing teaspoon giveway to the people- TV star Kemen tells Politicians
British politician, Nazir Ahmed found guilty of attempting to rape a young girl and sexually assaulting a boy


Tha a' chairt seo, bho thràth anns an fhicheadamh linn, a' sealltainn "Hard Bridges" ann am Manachainn Rois.
Tha craobhan beithe nan sreath aig taobh an rathaid. 'S e sgìre bheag ann an taobh sear Rois a tha ann am Manachainn Rois. Chan eil innte ann ach dà mhìle a dh'fhaid agus dà mhìle a leud. 'S e Fearn cuideachd ainm a' bhaile anns an sgìre le Cnoc Fearn faisg air làimh.
Tha an t-ainm "Fearn" a tha air a chleachdadh anns a' Bheurla a' tighinn on Ghàidhlig. Tha iomadh craobh feàrna anns an sgìre.


text:
info.vv@tagoreint.com
Art Integrated Learning
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S.O.C.H
Special Olympics Bharat Programme
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E-Comics
Mental Health and Well-Being
Awards to School
Inter-school Awards
Star Students
ADMISSION TO PRE-SCHOOL (NURSERY) 2022-23 FORMS WILL BE AVAILABLE (ONLINE ONLY) FROM 15.12.2021, 9:00 AM ONWARDS TO 21.01.2022 TILL 12 NOON
Welcome To TIS!
The Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar is a CBSE-affiliated private school in New Delhi, India. We provide education for students from Nursery (age 3+) to Class XII, with a total of 1850 students. We have three sections in each class up to Class X, with 40-45 students per section. We have four sections for Classes XI-XII: Science (medical), Science (non-medical), Commerce, and Humanities. While maintaining a strong focus on academic excellence, our school prepares students for the 21st century through an emphasis on technology, holistic development, extra- and co-curricular activities, and international exposure.
The Performing Art Annual Production- 'Sanchayan 2021' ( Class III )
The Performing Art Annual Production- Sanchayan 2021 of class III was planned,…
The Performing Art Annual Production- 'Sanchayan 2021 '( Class IV )
The Performing Art Annual Production- Sanchayan 2021 of the primary section was…
Awareness Session on Vaccination
In an effort to increase awareness about vaccination of students of age…
ADMISSIONS-KG to Class IX & XI (2022-23) Processing forms & Guidelines to fill the form available here from Mon, 17 January to Mon, 31 January 2022
Class XI – Subjects offered & eligibility criteria
TIS ranked no. 12 in Delhi by Education World
School Office will be open from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays from Mon, 3 Jan 2022
Weekly Test Examinations Datesheet (Classes VI-IX & XI)
List of Holidays (December 2021 – March 2022)
All Circulars
Latest Achievements
National winners at Youth Entrepreneur Business Challenge
TIS students discover an asteroid
Ratish Srivastava wins Silver Medal in RSFI National Skateboarding Championship
School has been ranked no. 17 in the country by National Survey of Indian School for Campus Life (Mental Health & Wellbeing) 2021
School is proud recipient of 'Best Eco friendly School - Silver Award' by Global Sustainability Awards 2021
School has been ranked no.12 in the city by Education World
Ranvir Batra won the Second position in the National round of TOI's Cartoon Caption Contest
Team Fabricreate bagged the Ist position at SANNAM S4 CHANGEMAKERS Competition
Dr. Hari Sen, the founder of the Tagore International Schools, was a woman ahead of her time. She sailed to the USA in 1947 to complete an MA-PhD in Education from the University of California, Berkeley. After graduating, Dr. Sen rejected job offers from MNCs and the newly-formed United Nations and returned to India to do something for her country. After many years running women's workshops and a small school, she established the Tagore Education Society in 1964, with its first school in Defence Colony up to Class V. Dr. Sen's husband, IPS officer JK Sen, donated personal land for Dr Sen to build a full school in East of Kailash, which became operational in 1975. The Delhi Development Authority also awarded Dr. Sen land in Vasant Vihar for this branch, which has been running since 1972.
Dr Sen's goal was simple: to provide affordable yet modern, high-quality Indian education. She named the schools after Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, a famed Indian polymath, because she was deeply influenced by his ideas that education must promote freedom of thought and speech, and inculcate in students international humanist values. 50 years later, the school still runs on these foundational principles. Read more to learn about how we foster a global mindset, ingrain a commitment to service, encourage critical thinking, teach social-emotional skills, and strongly uphold inclusive and secular values.
WATER HARVESTING PITS
SMART CLASSROOMS
We Are Appreciated
Shailesh Kaushik
Our daughter, Khushi, is a differently-abled child studying in TIS for the past nine years. When she was born, we were worried about her education and career. But seeing her grow and become independent, we are extremely thankful to the school, her teachers, and all the staff for their support and affection towards Khushi.
Nidhi and Sumit Khanna
We had the privilege of attending the Senior Annual Prize Distribution at the school and were thoroughly impressed by the awards and accolades. But most importantly, we want to express our heartfelt thanks to the gesture of the school management of recognizing the work of their support staff. And seeing children give them a standing ovation! It really shows the values that the school is inculcating among the students.
Ujjwala Thukral
The tremendous hard work and dedication shown by all of you has won my and my son's hearts. It's April 7th – the first day of my son's online classes in a new school. He is a new admission, and so I was a bit worried. But you all are fabulous facilitators and mentors. My son is delighted and excited to meet his teachers online. I must also appreciate the timely delivery of the planned classes, well-structured assignments and regular communication with the parents.
Peehu Bhardwaj
Student, Class XII
I am writing this letter to thank our school teachers, management and administration for taking such pains to keep the students' future bright in the pandemic. I believe that our school was amongst the first few schools that took the initiative to start online classes within a week when schools were closed by the government. I have seen the efforts teachers put in to ensure that every child understands the concept clearly. They provide study material, PowerPoint presentations, Google Forms questions to solve at home, various Youtube links, etc. related to the subject and the topic that needs to be taught.
Shams Tabrez
Thank you, Ms. Vandana Jerath for the Eid wishes. Wishing a very Happy Eid to you and everyone in the family. Would like to mention that we couldn't help appreciate the beautiful video. And generally, all the videos and wishes that come on various festivals from Tagore are exceptionally well-meaning and in-depth. I am really thankful for the values that TIS upholds.
Mrs Niyati Sharma and Mr Sachin Sharma
This year has been very challenging for the teachers and we can't thank you all enough for making this unusual school year fun and productive. Teachers often don't get their due but this pandemic we all have realized how much hard work and love goes into this noble profession. Thank you and take care.
Rashmi Berry
Being at home with the child and observing them take exams and attend classes, we have realised the strong foundation that the school has built in the students. During the journey of the Spelling Bee competition, we realised how well phonetics have been taught to the child. Though he could not win, he was still hopeful, excited, and confident. Humble thanks to you and Renu Ma'am!
Bhavna Walia
I don't know where to begin to say words of gratitude to all the teachers and management of TIS. As a parent, I would take this opportunity to thank you for going beyond and helping our children, to learn and make learning interesting every day, in such difficult times of corona. My kids looked forward to attending every single class of 2020. They enjoyed and learned every moment of online classes. We really appreciate all the hard work all the teachers have put in. Thank you so much for guiding, directing, engaging, encouraging and last but not least for showing immense patience for our kids. Everything you are doing is making big difference in the life of our children.
Ms. Kanika Sood
We look forward everyday to the worksheets and videos sent by the teachers. Since both my kids are small, they are quite enthusiastic about their work and enjoy not only the academic work but also the art and craft activities, the dance and singing and the PE schedule sent for them. The most interesting part is the feedback they receive for their efforts. I must say the teachers are working tirelessly to provide very interesting videos and worksheets and revisions through their Google forms. It is wonderful to note that they even incorporate games in their classes to keep these little ones engaged and involved. We even play them later again after the school work is over!
Tanya Shukla
Student, Batch of 2021-22
Gauri Ma'am, No words could ever express how much you inspire me every single day to work harder to achieve what I desire and it makes me aspire to be a better person. I remember when I had just entered TIS, I was this shy person who would be terrified to even speak up on the microphone to answer a simple question. In a short period of time, you have turned me into this confident and bold person who isn't afraid of answering or speaking up anymore. You have made me realize that it's okay to be wrong and that teachers like you will always be there to guide us to make that wrong right again. Thank you for everything.
Paschimi Marg Vasant Vihar, New Delhi - 110057
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text:
The NonProfit Press
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European Commission enabling blockade of WikiLeaks
European Commission enabling blockade of WikiLeaks by U.S. hard-right Lieberman/King, contrary to European Parliament's wishes
European Commission documents released today by WikiLeaks show that hard-right U.S. politicians were directly behind the extrajudicial banking blockade against WikiLeaks. In the heavily redacted documents, MasterCard Europe admits that Senator Joseph Lieberman and Congressman Peter T. King both "had conversations" with MasterCard in the United States. Lieberman, the then-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, boasted of instigating Amazon's cutting of service to WikiLeaks - an action condemned by the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers on 7 December 2011.
Senator Lieberman tried to introduce the SHIELD Act into the Senate and advocated for prosecuting the New York Times for espionage in connection with WikiLeaks' releases. Rep. Peter King, chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, tried to formally designate WikiLeaks as a foreign terrorist organization, have its staff listed as 'enemy combatants', and have WikiLeaks put on a U.S. Treasury blacklist. On 13 January 2011 the U.S. Treasury announced it would not do so because there was no evidence that WikiLeaks should be on such a list. While Lieberman and King were unsuccessful in these methods of legally cutting WikiLeaks from its popular donor base, they were successful in doing so extra-legally via VISA and MasterCard, which together hold a monopoly of 97 per cent of the market of EU card payments.
VISA Europe is registered in London and is owned by a consortium of European banks. MasterCard Europe is registered in Belgium and has similar ownership, but the Commission papers show that European control of VISA Europe and MasterCard Europe is a fiction. The papers reveal that the instructions to blockade WikiLeaks' operations in Europe came directly from VISA and MasterCard in the United States. Ownership would normally imply control, but VISA and MasterCard Europe are essentially controlled by confidential contracts with their U.S. counterparts, a hidden organizational structure that the Commission calls an "association of undertakings".
On Tuesday, 19 November 2012, the European Parliament took an important step towards safeguarding the economic sovereignty of all Europeans. In Article 32 of its resolution, the European Parliament expressed the will that the Commission should prevent the arbitrary refusal of payments by credit card companies, which economically strangles businesses and organizations, notably ours. The resolution is an important step to putting an end to the Lieberman/King blockade, which has wiped out 95 per cent of WikiLeaks' revenues. The Lieberman/King blockade has been directly condemned by, among others, the UN Special Rapporteur of Freedom of Speech and the New York Times Editorial Board. The blockade is a direct infringement of the Article 19 right to receive and impart information, and threatens all donor-funded organizations and the freedom of the press.
It comes as a surprise, then, that the European Commission is taking the contrary view in its preliminary decision, of not opening a formal investigation into VISA, MasterCard and AmEx's violations against DataCell, the company that collected donations to the WikiLeaks project until the imposition of the blockade in 2010. The Commission's 16-page preliminary decision has been announced after 15 months of deliberations. The 'normal' waiting time is four months. Yesterday, DataCell and WikiLeaks submitted detailed counter-arguments to the Commission's preliminary decision.
Through the leaked documents we learn that VISA and MasterCard have used a false statement by the Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to mislead the European Commission. The Prime Minister's statement, which she later claimed was made in her "private capacity", was that the WikiLeaks publication of diplomatic cables was "illegal". This was declared to be false by a subsequent investigation by the Australian Federal Police, which declared that WikiLeaks had not broken any Australian law. Earlier this year, the Australian Senate passed a resolution demanding the retraction of the Prime Minister's false statement.
The leaked documents reveal MasterCard's political stance to our exposure of the crimes and horrors of military campaigns: "It is evident that any affiliation with an organisation causing damage to the national interests of several nations involved in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq... will be extremely damaging for the public perception of MasterCard".
Julian Assange said:
There is no sovereignty without economic sovereignty. It is concerning that hard-right elements in the United States have been able to pressure VISA and MasterCard, who together hold monopoly over the European market, into introducing a blockade that the U.S. Treasury has rightly rejected. These unaccountable elements are directly interfering in the political and economic freedoms of EU consumers and are setting a precedent for political censorship of the world's media.
WikiLeaks will continue to fight the blockade, despite its limited resources, because it is fighting for its survival. Already there have been victories. In June 2012 WikiLeaks won its first court victory in Iceland against the Lieberman-King blockade. Last month WikiLeaks opened a new battle front by filing, together with its partner DataCell, a case against Teller A/S (VISA Denmark).
NOTE The movement in Parliament and in the rest of Europe is to support WikiLeaks' publishing rights. The German foundation Wau Holland Stiftung (WHS), which collected donations for WikiLeaks via PayPal had their donations account arbitrarily shut down. The tax-exempt status of the Foundation was challenged as well, as a result of political interference which was exposed this month in Der Spiegel ("Taxing Transparency"). Yesterday, WHS announced that, after almost two years of negotiations with German tax authorities, its tax exemption (charitable status) has been reinstated. Citizens of all EU Member States will now be able to donate to WikiLeaks' operations through WHS and deduct the donation from their income tax.
*Additional information*:
UN Special Rapporteur on Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression: http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/expression/showarticle.asp?artID=829&lID=1
Council of Europe - Declaration on online service providers: https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1883671&Site=CM
The Guardian Comment is Free (23 November 2012) by Glenn Greewald: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/nov/23/anonymous-trial-wikileaks-internet-freedom
Video: U.S. demands to assassinate Assange - http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZuQW0US2sJw
*Quote from Visa and MasterCard Submissions to the European Commission*
Visa's response to the European Central Bank:
As you will no doubt be aware, in some jurisdictions, various stakeholders have questioned whether WikiLeaks is, in respect of some of the material it publishes, committing criminal acts. Our Operating Regulations prohibit the use of the Visa system for illegal purposes either in the jurisdiction of the merchant (in this case Iceland) or the jurisdiction of the cardholder (which could be anywhere in the world). It is possible that activities that are permitted in one jurisdiction may be illegal in others. Accordingly, the application of the relevant position under the Operating Regulations does not necessarily depend solely on Icelandic law.
This position is appropriate and proportionate in light of the alleged unlawful conduct of WikiLeaks, which, among other sensitive material, in 2010 published and refuses to return large amounts of material stolen from classified US military databases. Further, according to recent press coverage, it appears that the leaking of sensitive information is continuing.
MasterCard's arguments to the European Commission:
MasterCard does not hold a collective dominant position with Visa... It is also worth mentioning here that MasterCard does not constitute an 'essential facility', and therefore is under no obligation to provide its services to any particular undertakings.
It is evident that any affiliation with an organisation causing damage to the national interests of several nations involved in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and possibly putting lives needlessly at risk, will be damaging for the public perception of MasterCard and consequently damage MasterCard's goodwill or its [trade]Marks.
By way of example, in 2004 MasterCard requested the Dutch acquirer, then 'Interpay Nederlands B.V.' (now 'Paysquare') to suspend the provision of acquiring services to merchants operating websites offering access to pornographic material including showing sexual acts with animals ('bestiality content').
...before taking its decision, MasterCard Incorporated did not have any contacts with public authorities, and therefore did not act upon request from any public authorities.
MasterCard Incorporated had several conversations with the FBI, US Treasury and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about the possibility of such DDoS attacks.
MasterCard Incorporated had conversations with certain Congressional staff (i.e. Chairman Lieberman and Chairman King's [Senate and House Homeland Security Chairs] staff)."
*European Parliament - on Card, Internet and mobile payments*
Towards an integrated European market for card, internet and mobile payments - 20 November 2012 The European Parliament voted that the Commission introduce legislation to determine when credit card companies can deny payments:
32. Considers it likely that there will be a growing number of European companies whose activities are effectively dependent on being able to accept payments by card; considers it to be in the public interest to define objective rules describing the circumstances and procedures under which card payment schemes may unilaterally refuse acceptance;
In his intervention, Swedish MEP Christian Engstrom explained:
Another example is when Visa, Mastercard and Paypal blocked payments to WikiLeaks. There was no legal basis and [it] should be seen as the three companies helped the US government to silence an inconvenient voice. It is not acceptable that private corporations have the power of [controlling] free speech.
WikiLeaks donations now tax deductible EU wide    Wau-Holland-Stiftung (WHS), named in memory of the German philosopher and net activist Wau Holland, has been collecting donations for WikiLeaks since 2009. In the immediate aftermath of WikiLeaks publication of the US diplomatic cables in 2010, not only did PayPal arbitrarily shut down the WHS donations account, but the tax-exempt status of the Foundation was challenged as well.    It took almost two years of negotiations with German tax authorities to strike a deal: Tax exemption (charitable status) will be granted again going forward and going back to 2011, but not for 2010. (See: "Taxing Transparency", Der Spiegel, 13 Nov 2012).    Therefore, citizens of EU member states will be able to donate to WikiLeaks operations through WHS and in addition, write the donation off from their income tax. This is because of a ruling of the European Court in 2009 (Decision C-318_07), which mandates that every member state must honour the tax exemption decision of any other member state.    And this is how you make a money transfer to support WikiLeaks:    Recipient: Wau Holland Stiftung    Bank: Commerzbank Kassel, Königsplatz 32-34, 34117 Kassel, Germany    IBAN: DE46 5204 0021 0277 2812 04    BIC/SWIFT: COBADEFF520    Reference: WikiLeaks or Project 04 if you prefer    add your e-mail or postal address to receive a tax-deductible donation receipt.    Hamburg, 26. Nov 2012 Wau-Holland-Stiftung http://www.wauland.de    Other methods of donation:  https://shop.wikileaks.org/donate
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Since we're all accountable here and anonymous posts don't really allow for conversation – I'll likely publish the email of anonymous posters. Just lettin' you know!
With all that said – I think we're good. I want this blog to be a space where the intersections of social justice and education and bilingualism can all be explored. Even better if this can be in conversation with you. Obviously these issues are important and personal, but at the end of the day this right here is just the internets.


text:
Agence littéraire Eliane Benisti
Children's and YA
Frankfurt 2022
Archives par étiquette : Grove Atlantic
CODIFIED d'Andrew Smith
From award-winning journalist Andrew Smith, contributing writer for the Sunday Times and the Guardian, CODIFIED is an immersive, sharp-eyed tour of the world of computer programming, told through Smith's own journey to learn how to code.
CODIFIED
by Andrew Smith
 Atlantic Monthly Press/Grove Atlantic, Winter 2024
Andrew Smith's first book, Moondust, was a #1 UK and international bestseller, nominated for two British Book Awards (including Read of the Year), and cited by the Times as one of its "100 Best Books of the Decade." His follow-up Totally Wired—centered on the late 1990s dot-com bubble and its tumultuous crash—was published to rave reviews, hailed as "effervescent and vivid . . . a book whose time has come" (Sunday Times). Smith's latest, CODIFIED, is a mesmerizing, up-to-the-minute account of the world of coders, as experienced through his own endeavor to become one.
Throughout history, technological revolutions have been driven by the invention of machines. But today, the power of the tech transforming our world lies in an intangible and impenetrable cosmos of software: algorithmic code. So symbiotic has our relationship with this code become that we barely notice it anymore. We can't see it, are not even sure how to think about it, and yet we do almost nothing that doesn't depend on it. In a world increasingly governed by technologies that so few can comprehend, who controls the future?
CODIFIED follows Andrew Smith on his immersive trip into the world of coding, taking us behind the scenes into the lives—and minds—of the new gatekeepers of the 21st century: those who write code. Smith embarks on a quest to understand this sect in what he believes to be the only way possible: by learning to code himself. Along the way, he becomes involved with a wild array of characters and takes part in several lively rituals of initiation into the coding world: he visits a global coding conference in Ohio, where he meets the creator of the Python programming language; and he takes part in a 24-hour "hackathon" in Silicon Valley, a Darwinian race to see who can build the best app overnight. At the start of his odyssey he travels to Magdeburg, Germany to have his brain scanned by a team of scientists studying the effects of coding on the human brain and will share the results of the final comparison scan. Smith delivers a vivid, effervescent portrait of a culture working in an office or coworking space near you—all while wrestling with everything that's at stake in this stage of technological evolution. How do we control a technology that most people can't understand? And are we programming ourselves out of existence? By-turns illuminating, alarming, and amusing, CODIFIED is an essential book for our times.
"Smith is an ideal narrator: sharp-eyed yet increasingly affectionate about his subjects; expert enough to dissect Apollo minutiae clearly but not so obsessed as to leave a general reader trailing in the jetwash."
—Financial Times on Moondust
"A brilliant exploration of madness and genius in the early days of the web. Fascinatingly weird . . . terrific."
—Guardian on Totally Wired
"A rich mix of cultural history, reportage and personal reflection." —Evening Standard on Moondust
"Highly entertaining . . . [Smith's] superb book is a fitting tribute to a unique band of 20th-century heroes."
—GQ on Moondust
Andrew Smith has worked as a critic and feature writer for the Sunday Times, the Guardian, the Observer, and The Face, and has penned documentaries for the BBC. He is the author of the internationally bestselling book Moondust, about the nine remaining men who walked on the moon between 1969 and 1972, and Totally Wired. He was raised in the UK and currently lives in California.
Cette entrée a été publiée dans Computers, Frankfurt 2022 Adult Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Nos incontournables, Popular Science, et marquée avec Andrew Smith, CODIFIED, Grove Atlantic, le 7 octobre 2022 par WebmasterBenisti.
LUSH LIVES de J. Vanessa Lyon
A deliciously queer, whimsical and sexy novel set in the art and auction world, LUSH LIVES features a cast of bold and brilliant women who are unafraid to take big risks, challenge authority and maybe, just maybe, find love along the way.
LUSH LIVES
by J. Vanessa Lyon
Roxane Gay Books/Grove Atlantic, August 2023
For Glory, inheriting her Aunt Lucille's Harlem brownstone feels like more of a curse than a blessing. She's a restless West Coast artist struggling to find gallery representation, who doesn't have the money or time to look after the house of an aunt she hardly knew. She reluctantly moves East, thinking of it as a free residency, but when she decides to see if any of the house's contents have value, the inheritance leads her to Parkie de Groot, a savvy, ambitious appraiser at a luxury auction house who is on the verge of a coveted promotion if she plays her cards right. Though they are complete opposites, Glory and Parkie form an unlikely alliance and work to unearth the origins of a rare manuscript hidden in the brownstone's trove. In doing so, they learn more than they could ever have imagined about not only Lucille's life but the history of Harlem and how it shaped so many artists and thinkers whose footsteps Glory and Parkie hope to walk in.
Though they have an undeniable connection, there are complications. Parkie hasn't been in a relationship since a toxic ex shattered her belief in herself, and is reluctant to make herself vulnerable with Glory, who is as ambitious as she is passionate about making her art. As intrigued as she is by Parkie, Glory is consumed by her work, not checking her phone for days on end and holding Parkie at arm's length though she so very much wants to pull the other woman close. When these women do get out of their own way, though, the electricity between them is fierce.
That electricity is tested, however, when Glory and Parkie start keeping secrets from each other, threatening the promise of their relationship and their journey to uncover the mysteries of the brownstone and Harlem and the women who made their lives possible. Will the truths they are searching for bring Parkie and Glory back together or just drive them further apart?
LUSH LIVES is a charming and romantic novel with a sharp enough edge to make things interesting. The prose shoots off the page and into your heart and soul.
J. Vanessa Lyon is the author of The Groves (an Audible Original). She is an art historian, former appraiser, and occasional curator who teaches at a New England liberal arts college.
Cette entrée a été publiée dans Fiction, Frankfurt 2022 Adult Fiction, LGBT+, Nos incontournables, et marquée avec Grove Atlantic, J Vanessa Lyon, LUSH LIVES, le 7 octobre 2022 par WebmasterBenisti.
INVISIBLE WOMAN de Katia Lief
From internationally best-selling crime writer Katia Lief, INVISIBLE WOMAN is the story of a dangerous secret held for too long between estranged best friends and a long marriage that comes apart with devastating consequences.
INVISIBLE WOMAN
by Katia Lief
Joni Ackerman's decision to raise children, 25 years ago, came with a steep cost. She was then a pioneering filmmaker, one of the few women to break into the all-male Hollywood club of feature film directors. But she and her husband Paul had always wanted a family, and his ascending career at a premier television network provided a safety net. Now they've recently transplanted to Brooklyn, so that Paul can launch a major East Coast production studio, when a scandal rocks the film industry and forces Joni to revisit a secret from long ago involving her friend Val.
Joni is adamant that the time has come to tell the story, but Val and Paul are reluctant, for different reasons. As the marriage frays and the friends spar about whether to speak up, Joni's struggles with isolation in a new city and old resentments about the sacrifices she made on her family's behalf start to boil over. She takes solace, of sorts, in the novels of Patricia Highsmith—particularly the masterpiece Strangers on a Train, with its duplicitous characters and their murderous impulses—until the lines between reality and fantasy become blurred.
INVISIBLE WOMAN is at once a literary thriller about the lies we tell each other (and ourselves), and a powerful psychological exploration of the complexities of marriage and friendship.
Katia Lief is the author, most recently, of the novels A Map of the Dark and Last Night published by Mulholland Books/Little, Brown under the pseudonym Karen Ellis. Earlier work includes USA Today and internationally bestselling novels Five Days in Summer, One Cold Night, and The Money Kill, the fourth installment of her Karin Schaeffer series published by HarperCollins and nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She teaches fiction writing at The New School in Manhattan and lives with her family in Brooklyn.
Cette entrée a été publiée dans Crime & Thrillers, Fiction, Frankfurt 2022 Adult Fiction, Nos incontournables, et marquée avec Grove Atlantic, INVISIBLE WOMAN, Katia Lief, le 7 octobre 2022 par WebmasterBenisti.
HOT SPRINGS DRIVE de Lindsay Hunter
A taut, gripping novel about how one woman's unapologetic choices upend the lives of everyone around her. In her third novel, acclaimed literary voice Lindsay Hunter deftly peels back the fragile veneer of two suburban families and the secrets roiling between them.
HOT SPRINGS DRIVE
by Lindsay Hunter
 Roxane Gay Books/Grove Atlantic, November2023
Jackie's best friend is dead, and everyone knows who killed her. Two families are torn apart as they and their community try to answer the same question: Why?
Jackie Newsome wants to be many things, but a martyr has never been one of them. She is an ex-emotional eater and mother of four, who has finally lost the weight she long yearned to be free of. In her new body, she goes by Jacquelyn, but leaving her old self behind proves harder than she ever imagined. And while she believes she should be happier, misery still chases her, and motherhood threatens to subsume her in the worst ways.
Her only salve is her best friend Theresa, whose perfect husband and life she desperately covets. Their bond is tight, but it is not enough to keep Jacquelyn from having an affair with Theresa's husband. When Theresa catches Jacquelyn in the act with Adam, the consequences ripple far beyond the ruins of their friendship.
Lindsay Hunter is the author of two story collections and two novels. Her second collection, Don't Kiss Me, was named one of Amazon's 10 Best Books of the Year: Short Stories. Her latest novel, Eat Only When You're Hungry, was a finalist for the 2017 Chicago Review of Books Fiction Award and a 2017 NPR Great Read. Along with the writer Alex Higley, she co-hosts the podcast "I'm a Writer But," a series that focuses on how writers with jobs and/or families get the work done. She lives in Chicago with her husband, three children, and elderly pitbull mutt.
Cette entrée a été publiée dans Fiction, Frankfurt 2022 Adult Fiction, London 2022 Fiction, Nos incontournables, et marquée avec Grove Atlantic, HOT SPRINGS DRIVE, Lindsay Hunter, le 11 avril 2022 par WebmasterBenisti.
AND THEN HE SANG A LULLABY d'Ani Kayode Somtochukwu
Captivating, passionate, and utterly heartbreaking, Ani Kayode Somtochukwu's debut novel AND THEN HE SANG A LULLABY is the story of two young gay men in Nigeria who are determined to love each other despite all that stands in their way.
AND THEN HE SANG A LULLABY
by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu
Roxane Gay Books/Grove Atlantic, June 2023
The first debut discovered in Roxane Gay Books' open submission period, AND THEN HE SANG A LULLABY is an arresting, beautiful, and timely novel by twenty-three-year-old Nigerian writer Ani Kayode Somtochukwu, who here announces himself as a voice to watch.
August is a God-fearing track star who has left Lagos and the expectations of his overbearing sisters back home. He carries their expectations, the shame of facing himself, and the haunting memory of a mother he never knew. It's his first semester of uni in Enugu State and he's making his way, finding friends and maybe even love, but there's one problem: he can't stop thinking about Segun, an openly gay student who works at the computer lab on campus. Segun has been wounded in so many ways and is reluctant to open himself up to August, wanting only to be with a man who is comfortable in his own skin, who will see and hold and love Segun, exactly as he is.
After Segun is brutally attacked by his roommates for being gay, August cares for his lover during his recovery as best he can, while grappling with his own fears. Their relationship grows into a comfortable intimacy that defies the violence around them. But there is only so long Segun can stand being loved behind closed doors, while August lives an entirely different life beyond the world they've created for themselves. And when a law is passed criminalizing gay marriage, August and Segun's love is tested like never before.
AND THEN HE SANG A LULLABY is an aching story about all the ways your heart can break even when you find the courage to love. A necessary and urgent new voice, this debut is not to be missed.
Ani Kayode Somtochukwu is an award-winning Nigerian writer and queer liberation activist. His work interrogates themes of queer identity, resistance and liberation and has appeared in literary magazines across Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. His work has received wide recognition, having been longlisted for the 2017 Awele Creative Trust Prize and the 2020 Afritondo Short Story Prize. He was shortlisted for the 2017 Erbacce Prize for Poetry, the 2020 ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award, and the 2020 Toyin Falola Prize. The manuscript for this novel was awarded the 2021 James Currey Prize for African Literature.
Cette entrée a été publiée dans Fiction, Frankfurt 2022 Adult Fiction, LGBT+, Literary, London 2022 Fiction, Nos incontournables, et marquée avec AND THEN HE SANG A LULLABY, Ani Kayode Somtochukwu, Grove Atlantic, le 11 avril 2022 par WebmasterBenisti.
PARUTIONS RÉCENTES
PAYS DE SANG
de Paul Auster & Spencer Ostrander
Parution février 2023 chez Actes Sud. Traduction d'Anne-Laure Tissut.
de Jennifer Haigh
Parution janvier 2023 chez Gallmeister. Traduction de Janique Jouin de Laurens.
Jerry Stahl
Nouvelles éditions poche
Parution janvier 2023 chez Rivages.
TRESS DE LA MER ÉMERAUDE
de Brandon Sanderson
Parution janvier 2023 au Livre de Poche. Traduction de Sébastien Guillot.
PARUTIONS JEUNESSE RÉCENTES :
LES RÊVES DE MON PÈRE
de Barack Obama
Parution novembre 2022 chez Presses de la Cité / Nathan. Traduction de Danièle Darneau.
MILLE BATTEMENTS DE COEUR
de Kiera Cass
Parution janvier 2023 chez Robert Laffont. Traduction de Madeleine Nasalik.
ADA TWIST ET LE PANTALON DE MALHEUR, Tome 1
de Andrea Beaty & David Roberts
Parution janvier 2023 chez Hachette (Bibliothèque verte).