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One Ramadan a Filipino Catholic cannot forget
Muslim holy month takes young lecturer back to when gunmen attacked the city of Marawi
University lecturer Joseph Ajero stands on a bridge in the war-torn city of Marawi in the southern Philippines. (Photo by Mark Saludes)
By Mark Saludes,Manila | Philippines
On May 23, 2017, three days before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Joseph Ajero found himself trying to avoid bullets that were flying in all directions.
The media literacy lecturer at Mindanao State University in the predominantly Muslim southern Philippine city of Marawi at first thought the gunfire he heard came from residents trying to test a new firearm.
"It's normal in Marawi to hear sporadic gunfire," said the young Catholic.
The south of the country is a region where terror and rebel groups clash with government forces from time to time.
But the shooting Ajero heard continued, became louder and closer to the school where he had been teaching for the past ten years.
It was only from social media that he learned that the city was under attack from terrorist gunmen.
On the third day of the siege, the start of Ramadan, Ajero decided to leave the city and head to a safer area with some of his colleagues.
"It took us four hours to reach [the nearest city]," he recalled. "All I wanted was to get to safety," he said.
It was only later that Ajero realized the extent of what was going on when he saw the overcrowded refugee camps.
The fighting displaced at least 500,000 people, most of them Muslims.
"The scene was depressing. It was Ramadan but people were displaced, food was scarce, and the situation was uncertain," said Ajero.
He said people had to say their prayers where they could, while only canned goods and emergency relief food were available during the breaking of the fast.
Then at Eid al-Fitr, at the end of Ramadan, Ajero had a surprise.
There was enough food for everyone, there was roast beef and fresh fish, and Christians were at the evacuation camp.
After prayers that officially ended the holy month, a group of young Catholics approached the Muslims and presented them roses.
The Christians greeted the Muslims with flowers and hugs. There was a lot of crying.
"I was also in tears," said Ajero. He said no one deserves to suffer. He said, "conflict knows no religion, gender, race or age."
"It creates chaos and hatred, and leads to nothing but death and destruction," said the young teacher.
Since then, Ajero vowed to dedicate his time to promote peace and foster cultural and religious dialogue.
"The celebration of Ramadan brings me back to the day I realized the need to advocate for peace and peace building and to promote dialogue," he said.
Catholic volunteers greet Muslim refugees during the breaking of the fast at the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in 2017. (Photo by Mark Saludes)
Macrina Morados, dean of the Institute of Islamic Studies at the University of the Philippines, said Ramadan should teach people about "self-sacrifice towards the purification of the soul."
She said the observance should remind Muslims of the poor people and their suffering because Ramadan is about "sincerity to worship the one and only God."
Catholic Church leaders in the Philippines have expressed their "solidarity" with Muslims during the month.
Bishop Virgilio Pablo David of Kalookan called on Catholics "to pray together for an end to acts of violence, conflict and hatred, especially those motivated by religion."
He said Muslims and Christians must bond together to achieve "genuine and lasting peace, and well-being in the world, in our communities, in our families and within ourselves."
Ramadan for Ajero, meanwhile, is a reminder that the world needs people who are willing to fight for peace.
Later in May, the young teacher is to leave the university to become a full-time peace activist in a neighboring Southeast Asian country.
Indonesian Catholic's 'smoke-free' vision
Gunmen attack Catholic Church in Burkina Faso, kill six people
Pope stresses more rights and respect for women religious
Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, man of peace from Lebanon, is dead
Nuns confronted with power and the vow of obedience


"ten miles an hour," Mendelssohn and his travelling companion parted company at Liverpool; Klingemann's leave was up.
After enjoying some sight-seeing around North Wales, including lots of sketching (another one of Mendelssohn's passions), he decided to abandon his plans to visit Ireland after hearing reports of terrible crossings due to the inclement weather.
Mendelssohn had met the Taylor family, who were renting Coed Du Hall, previously at their London home a few months earlier. John Taylor was a mining engineer and entrepreneur who was managing, with his sons, six lead mines in the Nant Alyn valley (near the village of Rhydymwyn) and who's sister had known Mendelssohn's cousin.
Interestingly, not only do we have the account from Mendelssohn's perspective, but some 50 years after these events, Anne Taylor, the eldest of the three daughters of John Taylor, recorded her memories of his visit. (listen) "It was in the year 1829 that we first became acquainted with Mr Mendelssohn. He was introduced to us by my aunt Mrs Austin, who had well known his cousin Professor Mendelssohn at Bonn. He visited us early in the season in Bedford Row (London), but our real friendship began at Coed Du, which was a house near Mold in Flintshire, rented for many years by my father, Mr John Taylor. Mr Mendelssohn came down there to spend a little time with us, in the course of a tour in England and Scotland. Soon we began to find that a most accomplished mind had come among us, quick to observe, delicate to distinguish. We knew little about his music, but the wonder of it grew upon us; and I remember one night, when my two sisters and I went to our room, how we began saying to each other: 'Surely this must be a man of genius … we can't be mistaken about the music; never did we hear anyone play so before. Yet we know the best London musicians. Surely by-and-by we shall hear that Felix Mendelssohn is a great name in the world.' My father's birthday happened while Mr. Mendelssohn was with us. There was a grand expedition to a distant mine, up among the hills; a tent carried up there, a dinner to the miners. We had speeches and health-drinkings, and Mendelssohn threw himself into the whole thing as if he had been one of us. He interested himself in hearing about the condition and way of life of the Welsh miners. Nothing was lost upon him." Almost every experience inspired the fertile mind of Mendelssohn. Even at the depth of 500 feet in one of Taylor's mines, inspiration struck Mendelssohn, giving him the basic musical idea for the ending of what would later become his Symphony No. 5 in D major/minor 'Reformation' (Op. 107)!
Mendelssohn described the inspiration for the second piano piece that he wrote for the youngest daughter. (listen) "When the two sisters saw that I was serious about the carnations and the rose and had begun to compose (in Susan's house, of course), the youngest came by with her hair full of little yellow flowers that had opened their cups. She assured me that they were trumpets, and asked whether I would like to put them into my orchestra. After all, she insisted, I said I needed new instruments, and as we had danced to a miner's band that evening and the trumpets were very shrill, surely it would be better to dance to these flowers. On the spot I wrote her a dance in which the yellow trumpet-flowers strike up." Anne Taylor adds, (listen) "we observe how natural objects seemed to suggest music to him. There was in my sister Honora's garden a pretty creeping plant, new at the time, covered with little trumpet-like flowers. He was struck with it, and played for her the music which (he said) the fairies might play on those trumpets. When he wrote out the piece (called a capriccio in E minor) he drew a little branch of that flower all up the margin of the paper." Interestingly, parts of this very piece were used in the 1939 film, 'The Wizard of Oz' when Toto escapes from the Witch of the West!
Mendelssohn mentions in the above quote his String Quartet No. 1 in E flat (Op. 12), which he had started back in Berlin, had been working on throughout his visit to Britain and finally completed in London on the 14th of September. It contains a secret dedication to Betty Pistor for whom Mendelssohn had feelings for, in the form of not just her intials "B.P." at the top of the autograph but also Mendelssohn cleverly begins the melody of the first subject of the first movement with the notes B flat followed by E flat; the first two musical letters of her name BEtty!
Also whilst at Coed Du, Mendelssohn began composing an organ piece for his older sister Fanny's wedding on the 3rd of October to Wilhelm Hensel. However, due to a carriage accident on the 17th of September, in which he injured his knee, he never arrived back in Germany in time, nor did his piece. So Fanny, herself an excellent composer, was still hastily writing an organ recessional in G major at nine o'clock the night before her wedding! Her brother later incorporated his piece into the opening of his Organ Sonata No. 3 in A major (Op. 65). An interesting story was in the naming of the Hensel's (Fanny's married name) one son, whom she called Sebastian Ludwig Felix Hensel after her three most favourite composers. Sebastian after Bach, Ludwig after Beethoven and Felix after her brother Felix Mendelssohn!
Whilst at Coed Du, ideas were developing in Mendelssohn's head for a surprise 25th wedding anniversary present for his parents, to take back with him to Berlin. He'd already discussed ideas earlier in Scotland with his travelling companion Karl Kingemann, who then went onto to write the libretto in German for what would become a little operatta called 'Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde' (Op. 89) translated as 'Son and Stranger' or 'Return of the Roamer.' This work was first performed privately for just 120 family and friends on the 26th of December 1829 at the family home in Berlin. Mendelssohn insisted that all his siblings should take a singing part, however because he was still recovering from his accident, decided to participate as conductor instead. He was determined that even Fanny's "tone deaf" new husband, the painter Wilhelm Hensel should take a singing part! Mendelssohn tried to assure him in a letter, "Hensel; do not be afraid of singing, everything is taken care of for you." His solution was to give Hensel the bass part of the Mayor and restrict him to one song where he simply had to sing one note (F) in a very simple, repeated rhythm. Well! Try as Hensel might, he couldn't get it right and struggled to come in despite the best efforts of his fellow performers to help him. Good intentions to help him quickly fell by the wayside as Mendelssohn fell about laughing and the whole assembly burst into hysterics! Poor Hensel!
Next time, in 'Part 2,' I would like to share with you the extraordinary friendship Mendelssohn developed with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as well as the attempts of Wagner and later the Nazis to stamp out the legacy of Mendelssohn!
Are you keeping your word? And does it matter?


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Keith Gray Biography In An Interview With The Culture News
By Toby Hall on January 22, 2021
Keith Gray is a renowned Miami-based businessman and a philanthropist. Over the past four decades, Gray has been running a successful jewelry and watch business named Gray and Sons. Since 1980, Gray and Sons has been excelling in the business of jewelry and watches. In a recent interview with David at The Cultural News, Keith Gray reflects on his journey including earlier education, hobbies, charity initiatives and most importantly about his renowned business and how he managed to make it a huge success despite tough competition in the United States.
In response to the question about earlier education by the interviewer, Mr. Gray highlighted, "My education started in humble beginnings in Queens, Long Island in York and New Hyde Park. I went to elementary school there, and from there, my parents moved to Miami, where I spent the next three years in junior high school. And finally, I had the fortune of going to boarding school preparatory school in New England. I spent time in a school called Northfield Mount Hermon, where I studied 11th and 12th grade away from home, and the experience was a game-changer."
"And then what? What brought you to the jewelry industry? How did you start?", the interviewer questioned.
Mr. Gray recalled, "From Massachusetts, from a boarding school I went on to the University of Florida. I was planning on becoming a veterinarian. I do have a degree. A bachelors in zoology and I took a break in 1980 when gold went to $800 an ounce and silver went to almost $50.00 an ounce. I opened up a little store buying People's old jewelry and unwanted Sterling silver. There was a big retirement community here in Miami Beach where old people were lining up out the door to sell their heirlooms, which they no longer needed."
In the initial days of starting his venture, Mr. Gray used to buy the classic and vintage timepieces, which raised the bar of his ideas and little initiative. He added that, " I was buying beautiful things and I could not get myself to melt these things or sell them to the refinery just for metal value and it ended up one month after opening. I worked my first show, it was an antique show and then a jewelry show and then a flea market."
Keith Gray believes that the vintage pieces he used to buy hold more worth than its precious metal value that attracted the audience towards his business. He recalled, "After six months, I found out I wasn't the only one that bought the items I was buying was worth more than its precious metal value that the public had an appetite for."
Keith Gray claims that estate, antique, vintage timepieces and old watches of more than 100 years old became a trend in the 80s and even now. In his interview, he stated " This estate jewelry and antique or vintage timepieces, poppet watches are 100 years old usually or more. These old Deco wristwatches from the 1920s to 30s became quite a fashion in the 80s and even places like Ralph Lauren were buying watches from us in their boutique stores all over the United States and selling them as a fashion accessory to men." Hence, Keith Gray started his business with bag names around him which made his way a little bit too difficult to the top.
In response to the question by the interviewer, " So how did you decide to build your brand?"
Gray elaborated, "The brand is Grayandsons.com, The items that we are selling are sold on our platform, on the Internet or our catalogue or in which we put out a monthly list of items. The Gray and Son's brand name for selling free things, refurbished, reconditioned or 100% authentic watches is because we've been doing it longer than anybody else. These other companies either were not in business or were new watch sellers. And they, later in the last five or ten years, thought well, why don't we sell used watches as trading. They used to sell me their trade in many of these companies, and then I would refurbish them and resell them, and they decided to get him to space themselves."
Gray further mentioned that his company has been giving people peace of mind when they aren't even buying a brand new item, and it requires a lot of the effort and the teamwork. He underpinned, "Giving someone peace of mind when they're buying something that's not brand new makes a great deal of effort with watchmakers on the premises, jewelers on the premises, and being able to get people. Their watch up and running in a matter of hours or a day or two instead of weeks or months is a concept that is the after-sales service. These people are so playing catch up when I say these people I mean yeah if it's the competitors in the industry."
Indeed, Gray has had his picture of business right from the beginning, which is why his relationship with his customers matters a lot.
" Do you remember the most expensive thing that you've ever sold?" Interviewer asks
"The most expensive item I sold was in about 1989. It was worth $330,000. But after that, that was a lot of money back then. Back in the 80s. I guess it was about 1989 and since then I have sold more expensive things, but nothing more exciting than sitting in the auction with the clients and watching their family's heirloom go for such an extraordinary amount and now I was fortunate enough to broker the item and had refurbished it for the auction house and therefore was able to participate in events high level." Gray responded.
To give attention to Gray's interests in old watches and jewelry, the interviewer asked Gray why he decided to work and deal with vintage pieces. Gray told an interesting story of his life. Here's how it goes. "I was 11 years old, I was walking to the bus stop to go to elementary school, and I found this old man's rectangular shape watch on the sidewalk and took it with me. When I got home, it was broken and probably discarded by someone. But I found it just fascinating, and I took the tools that I could find in my house, which probably was a kitchen knife and I butchered this and took it apart. Broken apart really is more like it and I found hundreds of little gears and screws and capsules."
Gray further added, "It just was so fascinating that anything so small could have so many small components that it just stored that information. I later found out my grandfather was in line with timepieces and bigger clocks. Hence, I guess I had it in my blood from Granddad, and it was just reignited in me when I found that little watch and then fast forward it to today, I'm one of the most renowned men in the used watch industry in the US."
In the interview, Keith Gray recalled that when he was 23 years old, he had been working with people from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. He interestingly stated that everyone had character, everyone had unique qualities, and they had a story because they had been around for 30, 60 or 70 years. He further highlighted that, "it's always a pleasure to buy the old things that are 30, 60 or 70 years old and are the gifts of people from their weddings, or graduation ceremony."
"What made you the proudest in your career?", the interviewer asked.
You know I'm 63 years old. Our 40th anniversary is in March, so I've come a long way, and I have seen a lot. Of the team, I'm glad they are so good at what they do when I'm not there. It's easy to have people present for you when you're in front of them and maybe curse your name behind the scenes, but my people drank the Kool-Aid, and they believe that we are a top world contender in the field that we are in and know that now again because of the Internet you can see that we are", Keith Gray elaborated.
The interviewer then moved onto Keith Gray's charity work. "Just tell us a quick word about the charity organization that you do support please", the interviewer asked.
"Wanting to be a veterinarian, I never actually got it out of my skin. Animals are a big love of mine. I've adopted four dogs. All of them were in line to be euthanized. Control center and I'm a big philanthropist and I donate money to the local and national animal controls", the CEO of Gray and Sons told the interviewer.
Furthermore, Keith Gray does a lot to eliminate starvation as he has been supporting the people living in the low-income areas of South Florida. He has been making a difference in people's lives by offering them food and whatnot.
In a nutshell, Gray & Sons is situated across the Bal Harbor and Miami and clients are attracted to this elegant emporium in pursuit of class preowned jewelry, diamond and watches. And way more than that, after a few moments in Keith Gray's presence, they leave the store adoring and loving it.
Published in Business and What's Hot
Toby Hall has worked extensively across a wide range of industries and is experienced with all levels of management with a company. He has a lot of expertise when it comes to giving outsiders insight into the way things are done in a modern company.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I have always been fascinated by world maps, globes, old world maps, trips, places around the world and the like. I have world apps and whatever on my Ipad, IPhone and Facebook page... I can spend hours dreaming and travelling on Google Earth, which of course I have pinned all over ;) So when I saw this displat by UMBRA I immediately knew what I was going to do!!!! So there you are, a world map, some colorful post-its and a "places visited" list, and I have my own Adventure Map!
Que ideal legal, Heidi. Eu sempre soube que vc era uma menina viajada, mas nem tanto!


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What IT workloads say about your true priorities
A study of IT decision makers from Spiceworks reveals that IT workers are spending too much time on maintenance, leaving little time for innovation, especially around security.
By Sarah K. White
Senior Writer, CIO	 Jul 13, 2017 3:05 am PDT
In today's IT, security and innovation surely top the list of your most urgent priorities. In meeting after meeting with fellow C-suite executives and the board, you're no doubt stressing the importance of securing the business and moving it forward. But when it comes to executing that vision, how much of that talk is mere lip service? Judging by how your IT workers spend their time, you may not be emphasizing security and innovation where it counts most.
Cloud backup company Carbonite recently commissioned Spiceworks to conduct a survey of over 150 IT decision makers in the U.S. and Canada to find out how IT workers spend their time. The results reveal a heavy focus on "routine maintenance," leaving IT workers with little time to spend on "tasks they enjoy most."
Worse, the survey also revealed that "malware, phishing attacks and ransomware topped the list of IT pros' security concerns," but the majority polled said their company was "not fully prepared to handle these security threats."
As technology changes at a rapid pace and security becomes a top concern for businesses across every industry, CIOs will need to find ways to free up IT workers so they can focus on innovation and cybersecurity.
[ Learn from your peers: Check out our State of the CIO 2017 report on the challenges and concerns of CIOs today. | Find out how IT leaders can drive innovation and transform their organizations for the digital era. | Get weekly insights by signing up for our CIO Leader newsletter. ]
"Even the best IT team is at a loss without the proper tools to keep them engaged and, more importantly, productive. If you want your IT teams to be able to focus on long-term security strategies, invest in tools that allow them to do their jobs faster and more efficiently," says John Peluso, senior vice president of product strategy at AvePoint, a company that helps businesses manage Microsoft cloud services.
Time to invest in your loyal IT staff
The survey found that those in IT decision making positions have a long history in IT. On average, they've worked 15 years in IT, seven years with their current organization and six years in their current position. They're also accustomed to working on small teams — the average IT team consists of four full-time team members, according to the survey.
Loyal employees are valuable — they know the ins and outs of your business and IT infrastructure, which is important when in finding ways to innovate for the future. However, without the proper resources — whether that's budget or staffing — you can't expect them to stay proactive.
"Technology should service the business as an enabler, not a cost center. As such, organizations should consider the value that technology can provide when they need to do things better, quicker, or more broadly," says Peluso.
Routine maintenance trumps security
The survey found that in 2016, the biggest concerns for IT pros included malware (42%), phishing (40%), ransomware (26%), spyware (25%) and DDoS attacks (13%). However, the survey showed that IT workers spend most of their time on deploying or maintaining hardware, networking, email, data storage and backup and recovery. These daily tasks leave little room to focus on securing the business, researching new security products and preventing future threats.
To stand a chance in the fight against cybersecurity threats, Peluso says businesses need to focus on "end user education and training." That means giving IT time to develop internal or external training programs for products and services and to create a culture that embraces security.
"This education cannot be a once-a-year training course, but rather must be pervasive throughout your company culture. In the absence of security education or experience, people — employees, users, and customers — naturally make poor security decisions with technology," he says.
Expectations versus reality
The survey found that IT pros enjoy modernizing technology, troubleshooting or assisting users and planning or strategizing. However, respondents estimated that they spend, on average, only 11 percent of their time on "IT planning and strategy," and 13 percent on "modernizing technology."
While day-to-day issues in IT will never go away — there will always be hardware to deploy, software to update and help desk tickets to attend to — there are ways you can ease some of the grunt work in IT.
"The secret here is to identify and automate those time-consuming, repetitive tasks that are sapping your organization's ability to focus on more business-critical issues and find ways to automate them," says Peluso.
Creating time for your IT staff to focus on innovation and cybersecurity can help your IT workers spend more time on projects they care about — such as modernizing business technology and safeguarding the business against attacks. A little automation can go a long way — and it will all be worth it the next time your business escapes another major data breach unscathed.
"To avoid becoming the next data breach headline — which surface nearly daily — organizations need to prioritize cybersecurity controls and training. When IT workers fail to devote adequate time to devising a security strategy, they open themselves up to harmful threats like ransomware, malware, and even inside attacks," says Peluso.
State of the CIO 2017: More challenging, still complicated
How IT leaders can define and drive IT innovation
How CIOs are transforming their organizations for the digital era
Why CIOs need to take the lead on digital transformation in 2017
IT mission, vision and values statements
7 leadership traits of successful CIOs
9 essential competencies for successful C-level executives
How to become a better leader
Sarah White is a senior writer for CIO.com, covering IT careers, hiring & staffing, and diversity.


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info@nexussolicitors.co.uk
Companies and Partnerships
Property Disputes and Litigation
Intellectual Property and E-commerce
The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation)
The Act comes into force on 20 March 2019 and aims to improve standards in the private and social rented sectors.
It applies to any lease of less than 7 years (with limited exceptions) on which a dwelling is let wholly or mainly for human habitation, together with certain secure tenancies.
The Act applies to:-
– New tenancies entered into on or after 20 March 2019 (including renewals of existing tenancies from then).
– Fixed term tenancies which become periodic on or after 20 March 2019.
– Any tenancies which became periodic prior to 20 March 2019, from 20 March 2020.
The obligation extends to all parts of the building to which the landlord has an interest including common parts (e.g. stairwells) and retained parts (e.g. a communal bin store).
The Act enters a new Section 9A into the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985 that implies a covenant by each landlord that the dwelling:-
– is fit for human habitation at the time the tenancy is granted (or if later the beginning of the term); and
– remains fit for human habitation during the term.
In determining whether a dwelling is unfit, Section 10 requires regard to be had in respect of a number of matters including:-
– repair
– freedom from damp
– natural lighting
– drainage and sanitary conveniences
– facilities for the preparation and cooking of food
A property is regarded as unfit only if it "is so far defective in one or more of those matters that it is not reasonably suitable for occupation in that condition". The question will therefore arise as to what point a property becomes not suitable for occupation.
The Act does not make landlords responsible for damage/disrepair caused by tenant's improper behaviour.
Obviously only landlords of properties suffering serious disrepair issues will be affected by the Act but it is important that all landlords ensure that effective repairing policies are in place for their properties.
If you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact Debbie Whiteley on 0161 819 4920 or at dfw@nexussolicitors.co.uk.
Any and all information on this website is general information and is not legal or other advice. Nexus Solicitors Limited is not responsible for any loss which may arise from relying on the information on this site.
At Nexus Solicitors, all of our lawyers and staff are dedicated to providing an excellent service to our clients. We are proud of our reputation and our place in the legal market.
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Guad is a game where you play as a wad of goo who can grab onto ledges and pull himself up and down to navigate the world around him.
When the player grabs with one hand, they also release with the other. This means that Guad can only hold one thing at a time. The art style is designed for clear readability while also just having a bit of a squiggle vision and cute charm.
All of the programming, art, music and sound effects are by Will Data.
This game is for Windows.
Made in Gamemaker Studio 2.
All art created in Adobe Photoshop.
Music made in the trial version of FL Studio.
Sound effects made with samples and BFXR sounds. Mixed in Audacity.
The font used is Timeburner by NimaVisual.
This game was made for the 1st GMTK GameJam. It was a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy my game! Thank you so much for your time.
fixed a few notable dialogue bugs that tampered the experience.
Download the Zip. Open in 7Zip or Winrar. Run executable.


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MCIA Terminal 2 wins International Architecture award
ANOTHER FEAT: Cebu's "World's Friendliest Airport," Mactan- Cebu International Airport takes center stage during the International Architecture Award (IAA). It took home the 2019 IAA for Airports and Transpor-tation. (SunStar File)
THE Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) Terminal 2 (T2) bagged another global recognition after it won this year's International Architecture Awards (IAA) for Airports and Transportation Centers category.
MCIA T2 was designed by renowned architectural firm, Hong Kong-based Integrated Design Associates and local designers Budji Layug, Royal Pineda and Kenneth Cobonpue.
"The IAA are the oldest and largest global awards in the industry, recognizing projects based on design vision, innovation, engagement, accessibility and sustainability," the MCIA said in its official Facebook page.
Organized by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, IAA honors new skyscrapers, commercial buildings, urban plans, private residences and real estate projects that achieve a high standard of excellence to design.
This year's winners hail from 41 nations around the world, recognized across a variety of categories from airports to private houses. The selection by a jury for IAA 2019 was held in the Department of Architecture Vilnius Gediminas Technical University Vilnius, Lithuania.
Dubbed as the "World's Friendliest Resort Airport," the MCIA is considered as the second busiest airport in the Philippines.
T2 is said to be the first airport in Asia to use glulam (glue-laminated) on its roof structure which form the roof curvature and define its geometry and modularity.
The arches span every 30 meters, which enables T2 to be column-free as possible.
T2 caters to Cebu's international departures and arrivals. T2 is a product of the country's first public-private partnership project, with commercial operations started in July 2018.
Aside from the T2, the GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC), MCIA's private operator, is currently modernizing the Terminal 1 (T1) of MCIA that caters to domestic operations.
T1, according to GMCAC commercial advisor Ravishankar Saravu, will be completed this year. It will bring the capacity of MCIA to 16 million passengers per year.
Meanwhile, the departure road in front of T1 for domestic travel will be closed on Friday, July 12, until Saturday, July 13, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., for the installation of temporary covered walkways from the T1 departure drop-off to the road across the Waterfront Airport Hotel. The covered walkway will be for the convenience of the public. Road signs will be placed to direct the public.
MCIA is home to nine local and 19 foreign airline partners, and serves direct connections to 29 domestic and 22 international destinations. (JOB with KOC/FVQ)


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secretariat@sam.org.sg
COVID Matters
Executive Committee Members
Society of Aesthetic Medicine (Singapore)
The Society of Aesthetic Medicine (Singapore) was formed in October 2005 by group of aesthetic doctors. One of the main aims of the Society is to facilitate the development of Aesthetic Medicine in Singapore and fellowship of Aesthetic doctors in Singapore and the region.
The Society has organised yearly conferences since 2007, as it strongly believes in promoting proper evidence-based education and research in Aesthetic Medicine. These meeting were called CAM (Conference of Aesthetic Medicine) but since 2009, they have been reduced to a one-day series of lectures and workshops. These meetings were referred to as The Annual Scientific Meetings.
2021 SAM CONFERENCE
Organised by: Society of Aesthetic Medicine (SAM), Singapore
4 & 5 November 2021, Singapore
Parkroyal on Beach Road
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS
Advancements in Filler Techniques and Approaches
EBDs and Skin Tightening
Efficacious Combination Techniques
Pigmentary issues and lasers
Updates in Facial Anatomy
Covid Guidance
Dear SAM members
As we emerge from the circuit breaker during COVID-19, we need to safely transition to the so-called new normal. Many work processes and the way we interact with our patients, our staff and the community will change.
Some of our members have met and come up with a consensus on a set of guidance for aesthetic clinics to reopen during COVID-19.
They act as guidance for clinics to adapt for their own unique setup, staffing and environment. They do not supersede any regulations mandated by MOH. They are subject to change as new information regarding COVID-19 is available. Please keep up to date with information regarding COVID-19 from The World Health Organisation (WHO) and The Ministry of Health (MOH) in Singapore.
Dr David Loh
President, Society of Aesthetic Medicine
We strongly believes in promoting proper evidence-based education and research in Aesthetic Medicine.
Bespoke Aesthetic Treatment
8 p.m. Singapore | 9 a.m. Sao Paulo | 12 p.m. London
Dr Francisco de Melo
Portugal/UAE
Dr Rami Haidar
UAE/Saudia Arabi
Dr Shang-Li Lin
Dr Siew Tuck Wah
Dr Marcus Wong
Consensus Meeting 2
Note: The Consensus Meeting scheduled for 7 December 2019 has been cancelled. The new date is appended below
Filler Related Vascular Complications, It's Management and How to Reduce Your Risk
Organised by Society of Aesthetic Medicine (Singapore)
Venue: Hilton Singapore "Indonesia"
Conference Room (Level 5)
Chairman of Session: Dr Siew Tuck Wah
Consensus Meeting
Time: 7.00pm – 10.00pm
Venue: Hilton Singapore, "Singapore" Conference Room (Level 5)
Chairman of Session: Dr David Loh
Address: 10 Sinaran Dr, #08-07 Singapore 307506
Telephone: (65) 98334651
Email: secretariat@sam.org.sg
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Seven years ago a world fusion band with "Shankar Mahadevan" on Vocals, "Sivamani" - World percussion, "Karl Peters" on Bass, "Sridhar Parthasarthi" on Mridangam / Khanjira was formed under the leadership of Louiz Banks on Keyboards.
This very exciting band is now acknowledged as the best Indo Jazz Fusion band in the country. SILK has performed extensively all over India and the USA and in the Middle East and is now poised to make their mark in the world arena. The band has recently released an album of a live recording entitled 'PURE SILK' and has an upcoming album due to be released soon. The Band plays Louis's fusion compositions like 'Encounter', 'Rainsong', 'Shadows', 'Doors of desire', 'Color of Love', 'Desert Song', 'Mas Salaama', 'Churchgate to Borivali' to name a few.


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The Deacon's Bench
What Benedict's new book is REALLY about
By jmcgee
"As I read Light of the World, I was continually struck by the way in which abandonment of the self to God's will underlies so much of what Pope Benedict says. I think those puzzled by him, who try to fit him into this or that box, might do well to reflect on what he…
Pope to journos: "Proclaim the Good News"
Details: On Friday Pope Benedict XVI urged Catholic journalists to "courageously serve the truth, presenting the reasons for faith beyond ideological visions". He was speaking to a group of editors and reporters from the Italian Federation Catholic Weeklies. In his comments he said "The unique function of Catholic newspapers" is to "proclaim the Good News"…
"The pope smiled"
"In the book's German and English editions, the text cited the example of a male prostitute, implying homosexual sex, in which a condom would not be a form of contraception. The church opposes contraception on the grounds that every sexual act should be open to procreation. But questions emerged when the book's Italian edition, excerpted…
Vatican spokesman: condom issue relates to heterosexuals, too — UPDATED
The clarification has been clarified even further: The Pope's landmark acknowledgement that the use of condoms is sometimes morally justifiable to stop Aids is valid not only for gay male prostitutes, but also for heterosexuals, according to the Vatican. The clarification, the latest step in what is already seen as a significant shift in the…


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Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson to speak at Colby College commencement
The college's commencement is scheduled for May 22 and other featured speakers that weekend include artist Jamie Wyeth and Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention.
By Amy CalderMorning Sentinel
WATERVILLE — Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson has accepted an invitation to deliver the commencement address May 22 at Colby College, when artist Jamie Wyeth and Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention, are also to be among those honored by the Waterville liberal arts college.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson. Photo courtesy of Joe Henson
Along with Wyeth and Shah, those receiving honorary doctoral degrees at the college's 201st commencement exercises are to include Maulian Dana, ambassador for the Penobscot Nation; investor and philanthropist Michael Gordon, a Colby graduate for whom the future performing arts center on campus is to be named; and Eric Rosengren, also a Colby graduate and retired president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
Honorary degrees are given to those who have made important contributions through their professional pursuits, commitment to community and generosity of spirit, according to an announcement released by Colby.
"We are inspired by these remarkable individuals," Colby President David A. Greene said in the announcement. "Collectively they have shaped policies that have bettered the lives of countless people and communities, illuminated issues that deserve our focused attention and action, and brought beauty and art into our lives."
Education advocate Ana Rowena Mallari is to speak May 21 at Colby's baccalaureate services. She is co-founder, CEO and board chair of QuestBridge, a nonprofit organization based in Palo Alto, California, that serves talented, low-income youth and helps place them at some of the nation's top colleges and with employers, including Colby, according to the college's announcement.
"Colby's partnership with QuestBridge began in 2015 and is instrumental to the college's mission of recruiting the most talented and diverse students to Mayflower Hill," according to the announcement. "Since the partnership began, the college has enrolled more than 280 QuestBridge scholars, including 175 in the past four years."
Honorary degree recipients, faculty and guests will join about 540 seniors expected to receive degrees during commencement exercises Sunday, May 22. The students come from 36 states and 23 countries, according to Colby.
The commencement ceremonies, to which the public is invited, are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on the lawn of Miller Library, weather permitting. Those who are not graduating are asked to bring their own chairs. Notice of location change due to weather would be posted at colby.edu, where the link to a livestream of the event will also be available.
Poet Richard Blanco to speak at Colby College's 200th commencement
Wilkerson is recipient of the National Humanities Medal and was the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism. She is the author of "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents" and "The Warmth of Other Suns," the latter having made national news when President Barack Obama highlighted it for summer reading in 2011.
"Wilkerson tells stories of migration and reinvention and the enduring search for the American dream, and she has become an impassioned voice for demonstrating how history can help us understand ourselves, the country, and the current era of upheaval," according to the college's announcement.
Dana is Maine's first appointed Penobscot National tribal ambassador, who advocates on behalf of the Wabanaki people and is a leading voice in the effort to pass a tribal sovereignty bill before the Maine Legislature.
Gordon, a member of Colby's board of trustees and the Colby Museum board of governors, is also a trustee of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Rosengren, the outgoing chair of the college's board of trustees, is an economist who has led several efforts to expand the Federal Reserve's outreach to low- and moderate-income communities, according to Colby.
Shah, meanwhile, "has provided calm and effective leadership for Maine residents throughout the pandemic … and has earned widespread praise — and attracted ardent fans — for his direct communication and detailed explanations during televised COVID-19 news briefings," the college said.
Wyeth is a "beloved painter whose portraits and works have brilliantly captured the people and places in his life," according to the college's announcement. He also has been "one of the great supporters of scholars of American art through the Wyeth Foundation for American Art and was instrumental in Colby's recent purchase of Allen and Benner islands off the coast of Maine."
Wyeth, the son of Andrew Wyeth and grandson of N.C. Wyeth, both renowned artists, is considered among the most accomplished American artists of his time.
Colleges scramble to recruit students as nationwide enrollment plunges
Central Maine school districts turning to emerging bus scanning technology to address safety, driver shortages
cmnews, colby college, Dr. Nirav Shah, education, graduation, philanthropy, waterville maine
Portland Weekly
Get a weekly roundup of top headlines from around the city sent every Wednesday.
State settles with Windham moving company over prohibited negative reviews, threats
Heavy snow, rain cause several roof collapses, evacuations at 2 big box retailers
Actor Tony Shalhoub announces donations to USM arts center, credits college for launching his career
Biddeford woman wins sexual abuse lawsuit against former family friend


Located in the North of England, York is by far one of the most beautiful old cities to visit.
This historic city is over 2000 years old and well preserved for all to see today.
The city is bursting with character left by the Roman's, the Vikings, the Normans, the Georgians, and the Victorians.
Not only is the city full of wonderful character and history, but there are also some fantastic places to eat, drink and shop.
Here we explore the majestic city of York in Northern England.
York is surrounded by over two miles of medieval walls which are open for public access.
Walking around the York walls is by far the best way to experience the city and view all there is to see.
Amongst the many attractions the city has to offer, you will also come across Clifford's Tower, Jorvik Viking Centre and The National Railway Museum.
If you feel like a rest and a coffee to top up your energy levels you will be spoilt for choice with the cities selection of fine cafes and restaurants.
Bettys Tea Rooms is one of the UK's most traditional cafes and has been open since 1919.
You can enjoy afternoon tea and cake in one of the city's oldest cafes but expect to queue as it is very popular with the tourists!
If you are looking to catch the sun rays then head to the cities numerous restaurants and bars along the River House where you can enjoy some lunch while watching the boats go by along the riverbanks.
The Kings Arms, Lowther, Revolution and Pitcher, and Piano are also highly recommended sites to see.
York is set amongst some beautiful architecture, cobbled streets and Victorian finery so head to Stonegate and the Shambles to experience the historic part of the city. Here you will find a number of gift shops, boutiques, and restaurants.
The City is great for families looking to explore a medieval land, couples who fancy aromantic getaway and large parties for a drink by the river. It really is a city that offers romance, decadence, history, and glamour so visit York and experience the wonderful city for yourself.
York Minster is by far one of the most iconic buildings in the North of England and one of the greatest cathedrals in the world. Over 250 years the Minster has been built, rebuilt, renovated and restored in order to be the beautiful building we see today. If you feel energetic then head up the 275 steps to the Tower where you can view the city's most ancient streets whilst stand amongst medieval pinnacles and gargoyles.


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LUCKY - 12 Animals of the Chinese Zodiac by Chris Chun
Celebrate the opening of Chris Chun's solo exhibition
A sheep covered in a coat of undulating clouds lined with gold. An ox made of blue and white porcelain. A dog resplendent in the fine robe of a Chinese emperor. Welcome to the zodiac world of Australian Chinese artist Chris Chun.
Featuring the 12 animals of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, each animal combines traditional Asian symbolism with contemporary Western sensibilities to bring good fortune, health and happiness to their owner.
Taking inspiration from his cultural heritage, childhood memories and travels around Asia, Chris has created a colourful and engaging series of paintings that uniquely capture each personality trait of each zodiac animal.
It was inevitable that Chris would be working in a world filled with colour and pattern. Growing up in the 70s, there was big flower wallpaper in the kitchen, Marimekko curtains in the bedroom to Chinoiserie textiles and antique furniture found throughout his home. Even his Chinese name means jade, which probably explains his love of everything green!
With a degree in textile design from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Chris started his career working for Bruck Textiles (furnishing) and Sheridan (bedlinen) laying a foundation of solid industry experience in design, colour, manufacturing and sales/ marketing. Living in Europe and working for several renowned textile design studios in fashion/ homewares provided Chris with a global perspective and gain a wealth of new experiences to start his own studio and to license his art worldwide.
Today, Chris divides his time between Asia and Australia collaborating around the world with other artists on various products.
11 Little Pier St, Haymarket NSW 2009, Australia
Darling Square Community Bank Branch® of Bendigo Bank Shop NE12
Tuesday 21 January 2020 from 6pm to 8pm
ArtSHINE @ Darling Square Community Bank Branch Of Bendigo
Hashtag: #sydneylunarfestival


Tomorrow, COHA's trustees and staff will be delighted to be formally announcing the inaugural conferring of the organization's Charles A. Perlik, Jr. Award for Excellence in the Field of Print Journalism throughout the hemisphere. COHA honors itself by being able to announce that the Colombian news weekly Revista Semana has been selected as the first recipient of this honor, which is named after COHA's venerated late chairman during the 1980s, who, throughout his life, and as president of the U.S. and Canadian Newspaper Guild, in addition to chairing COHA, worked tirelessly to promote press freedom throughout Latin America.
COHA has long admired the work of Semana's journalists and editors, and has constantly found the publication to be unwavering in its refusal to bow to the at times corrupt and violent forces which often have plagued Colombian society over the decades. The COHA board's decision to designate Semana as the initial successful entrant over scores of other estimable hemispheric publications, was influenced in particular by the magazine's latest demonstration of its flawless integrity and impressive courage, which can be found in its exposé of the Colombian security service (DAS)'s illegal wiretapping practices in February of this year.
The full text of the Perlik certificate will be sent by COHA Director Larry Birns to the Director of Semana, Alejandro Santos, after it is published over COHA's email wire tomorrow, and the magazine will formally announce its conferrence to its readership in the Sunday, May 3 edition of the publication.


This is my first post from this month's novel project over at domesticatedpixie.wordpress.com.
It's still being fleshed out, but please feel free to come over and participate in the world I'm making, or just to read and see what crap happens under pressure. I could use some snarky faerie comments any time.
I am most excited with this opportunity to share with you my research on how to live without the use of magic. There are so many reasons that a faerie will choose to live a domestic life in the company of humans. My sister Flora, for example, has lived many wonderful years as a foster mother to many cursed princesses, and as we all know princess are seriously allergic to magics until they come off age and are able to face their curses (or find handsome princes to circumvent them). It can take three years of total domesticity to gain status as a foster faerie, and those years are very hard indeed.
I also wish to be here for those fae who have somehow lost their powers, either by accidental overuse or backfire, or those who are suffering the discipline of the Council of Magical Affairs*. It is a difficult time for any fairie or pixie who is suddenly stricken without the use of their inherent powers. My heart goes out to these unfortunate fellows, and this blog is also for them.
And of course these are just two of the many examples for which a faerie might find herself in the position to need to live without magic – let us not forget the witches who marry into human families, the leprechauns who are endeavoring to protect their savings, and all the others of us who at some time or another find need to live among nosy human neighbors.
What has motivated me to undertake such an endeavor, you ask?
Thanks to some very thorough investigative reporting into the inner workings of the Blessed Council of Magical Affairs, I have landed myself a position of great growth potential. I have been, shall we say, gifted with the life and home of a twenty-something girl. I have a house to live in and my wings have been quite well concealed – so well that I might not even know they exist myself if I didn't previously remember having been a fairy of barely one hundred and twenty years, young I know, but one can never start too early at broadening their life skills, I say.
Scribe or no, friends, I am determined to report on every aspect of living a human-like existence, and I shall be faithful to express both my successes and failures in all things as I make this adjustment. Please feel free to offer suggestions and help as well as encouragement. As for my sisters, who are mostly helpful, please find ways to express your condescension with the inherent grace with which you conduct your lives.
*I have been kindly reminded to express my gratitude and admiration for the great works the Council does for our kind in the pursuit of magical safety and the protection of those affected by adverse magical reprocessing. We are all blessed to be under their thumbs safekeeping. Blessed be the Council.
**My sisters have made it clear to me that it really isn't that hard and humans have been living without magical abilities – of course with the exception of those the Council bestows with the Gift (and we all know that has never gone wrong) – and they assure me that this project is indeed unnecessary. I however, wish to continue my pixie duties of being young and impulsive. I am sure they will find more to say on the subject at every new avenue I find to explore, and I welcome their always kind and loving advice and feedback.


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Cussing Christians: Why I'm with Mark Driscoll on this One
Kurt Willems
Mark Driscoll gets this one right. Seriously. In my opinion, we ought to have the freedom to use language contextually and not be bound by religiosity. That doesn't mean that we ought to cuss like a sailor, but words have power… even what our culture considers offensive. (To be clear, I don't often agree with under-girding theological assumptions that drive his use of foul or provocative language at various times)
I grew up in a context where Paul's words were oft quoted: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths…" I wonder what determines unwholesome speech? Does the popular culture? Does the FCC? Nope. The answer comes in the second part of the statement: "…only that which is good for building others up ACCORDING TO THEIR NEEDS." This statement both relativizes cussing and invites contextualization. The test, does using this word tear someone down or build up? If it doesn't tear them down (because it is part of a language they understand) then we ought not live in a legalism that the Scriptures don't impose.
Oddly enough, in Philippians (3.8) Paul says that he considers all things as "rubbish" or "garbage" or "dung" or "loss" compared to the greatness of knowing Jesus. This word (skubalon***) is only used once in the New Testament. And yes my friends, that word is a first century cuss word.
I do not think that we ought to be known as "cussers" but I do believe there's something wrong when my non-Christian friends feel the need to apologize when they slip the F*Bomb in the conversation. My response is always: Please, please, please feel free to be exactly who you are around me! Your language doesn't offend me or make me see you in a bad light. I'd rather get to know the real you.
Finally, as a Christian leader I would avoid using any language that offends people in contexts that it would be a hindrance for the Good News. In Tony Jones' book, The New Christians, he tells the story of Mark's gradual dissent from the Emergent conversation. One of the last draws was when Mark, after being asked to not cuss at a guest speaking engagement (for a friend) did the following:
When Brad Cecil invited Mark to guest preach at Axxess Church in Arlington, he explained to Mark that unlike Seattle, swearing from the pulpit in Texas just wouldn't fly, and he asked Mark to please keep his language clean. Mark used the F-Word in the first sentence. (The New Christians, 48)
The above story illustrates the wrong way to use language. Language is contextual. Mark Driscoll now disagrees with the way he used language at that time, early in his ministry. He's repented and apologized to Brad Cecil. This demonstrates that there are times when certain words that work in one situation are not appropriate for another setting.
So, what do you think about the issue of the occasional cuss word and Christians? Is this a contextual matter in preaching? How about in personal relationships?
The point here is to talk about Christians and cussing in a broad way, not simply from the "pulpit." I hope to hear more about the use of cursing in the 'everyday.' Is it wrong?
*** skubalon – In secular Greek this depressing word means rubbish and muck of many kinds: excrement, rotten food, bits left at a meal as not worth eating, a rotting corpse. Nastiness and decay are the constant elements of its meaning; it is a coarse, ugly, violent word implying worthlessness, uselessness, and repulsiveness... The only NT usage is Paul's in Phil 3:8, where he says of all the natural and religious privileges which once seemed sweet and precious, and all the things he has lost since becoming a Christian, "I count (estimate, evaluate) them as (nothing but) dung." The coarse and violent word shows how completely Paul had ceased to value them. [New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology Vol. 1, Zondervan: 1980, pg 480]
Here are more thoughts from him on provocative language…
Kurt Willems is an Anabaptist writer and pastor who is preparing for church planting next year by finishing work towards a Master of Divinity degree at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary. He writes at: the Pangea Blog and is also on Twitter and Facebook
CurseCurse WordsCussingF-BombMark DriscollPhilippiansSkubalon
Stop Abusing the Word "Biblical"!
I Apologize for Inaccurate Statistics on US Gov't War Spending
Why Are There So Many Toxic Pastors?
Jon Mathieu
Gungor and the Two Faces of Evangelicalism
Derek Flood


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Haiti: coup enforcer's son murdered in Honduras
February 8, 2011 Weekly News Update on the Americas
Jean-Michel François, the son of exiled former Haitian police chief Joseph Michel François, was killed the night of Feb. 3 in the northern Honduran city of San Pedro Sula. The younger François, a law student, was thrown from a moving vehicle in front of his father's electronic appliance store in the Medina neighborhood; he died hours later at a nearby hospital. According to some sources he died of bullet wounds, while others say he was badly beaten and died from his injuries. No motive had been given as of Feb. 5.
The elder François, then a lieutenant colonel, was part of a triumvirate of military officers that overthrew then-president Jean-Bertrand Aristide in a bloody September 1991 coup and ran a ruthless dictatorship until a US military intervention restored Aristide to office in the fall of 1994. François was allowed to leave for the Dominican Republic but was expelled in 1996. He then moved to Honduras. The US indicted him for drug trafficking in 1997, but the Honduran Supreme Court rejected the US extradition request. The other coup leaders, Gen. Raoul Cédras and Gen. Philippe Biamby, both moved to Panama, where Biamby died of cancer in 2008.
"Crime isn't just in Honduras," François said after his son's murder, according to the Honduran daily La Prensa. "It's in all countries…. [T]here's a saying that 'everything that happens in the life of a believer is for the good,' because God is sovereign." (La Prensa, Feb. 4; Latin American Herald Tribune, Feb. 4, from EFE; Radio Kiskeya, Haiti, Feb. 4, Dec. 15, 2008)
From Weekly News Update on the Americas, Feb. 6.
See our last post on Haiti.
Haiti: deportee dies, the displaced are forgotten
Puerto Rico: student protesters face "Egyptian" repression?


Vessels could be cleared from Port Hedland, Western Australia as soon as Thursday January 11th because of a threatened tropical storm, port manager Pilbara Ports Authority said on Wednesday. Port Hedland is the world's biggest iron ore export terminal and is used by three of Australia's top four iron ore miners – BHP, Fortescue Metals Group and Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting.
There is a significant risk that a weather system might become a severe tropical cyclone early on Friday, bringing destructive wind gusts of up to 80 mph to coastal areas in north-western Australia, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said.


Since then, not only the converter technology but also the requirements of pro audio users have evolved in all kinds of areas - professional studios, immersive sound installations, live sound systems and even applications in the industrial sector requiring high analog channel counts.
Redundant power supplies, more compact housings, network functionality - these and other wishes were brought to us by our customers for a revised 32-channel converter series. With the new M-32 DA Pro and M-32 AD Pro, RME meets the diverse requirements of current productions and installations..
Based on state-of-the-art, high-resolution converter components and a fully balanced analog circuit design, the new M series offers a signal-to-noise ratio of 120 dB(A) with extremely low THD values, which places the converters in the reference class.
In addition to the two fully equipped MADI I/Os including separate signal routing, the new M-32 DA Pro and M-32 AD Pro feature an AVB interface based on the open network standards IEEE 802.1 and 1722.1, enabling transmission of the 32 analog channels at a maximum 192 kHz sampling rate via a single Ethernet cable.
For maximum compatibility with a variety of analog hardware, the individual channels of the M-32 AD Pro and M-32 DA Pro can be operated with different line levels - each with full resolution of the converters. Besides +19 dBu and +13 dBu, the new M-Series is one of the few solutions available on the market that also allows working with the SMPTE® recommendation of +24 dBu at 0 dBFS.
The combination of level displays and channel labelling fields conveys a familiar analogue feeling but proves to be an almost indispensable advantage in daily practice. Using the supplied transparent papers, users can create individual channel labels and securely affix them behind a magnetic cover. This always gives a comprehensive overview of analog channel assignments.


LAHORE: Pakistan Railway has announced to celebrate Kashmir Day by displaying posters and banners on the trains and railway stations.
According to Pakistan Railway spokesman, special posters with the message of Kashmir issue, rights of Kashmir people and Indian atrocities in Kashmir will be displayed on four trains and posters with different messages will be advertised on Greenline Train, Tezgam Express, Khyber Mail and Jafar Express Trai.
He further said that banners will be displayed at all big railway stations including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Noshehra, Lalamusa, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, Khanewal, Sakhar, Rohri, Nawabshah, Karachi, Haiderabad, Sibbi and Quetta to express solidarity with the Kashmiri people.
Videos will also be played at these railway stations for five days, starting from Ist of February in order to highlight the issue of Kashmir and Indian atrocities with innocent Kashmiri people.
Meanwhile, deposed prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif will attend an event in the capital of Azad Kashmir (AJK) on the occasion of the Kashmir Solidarity Day, celebrated each year on February 5 and is expected to address the Kashmir Solidarity Day public rally in Muzaffarabad.
Moreover, Kashmir Solidarity Day is a national holiday in Pakistan, observed to show their support and unity with the people of Indian-held Kashmir.


text:
Brad Pitt And Sir Lewis Hamilton Team Up For Formula 1 Movie
Jan. 04, 2022 8:04 AM ET by Gerhard Horn Movies & TV / 2 Comments
Pitt will star, Hamilton will consult.
Rumors about a possible Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt have circulated since mid-December last year. The stories also suggest that Sir Lewis Hamilton will act as a consultant.
According to Empire, the project is confirmed, with Apple reportedly dropping $130 to $140 million to buy the pitch. Empire also states that Paramount, MGM, Sony, Netflix, and Amazon wanted in on this project, but Apple sealed the deal with that large chunk of cold hard cash.
The untitled project has to result from a renewed interest in F1 racing, thanks to Liberty Media's groundbreaking coverage and all-access shows like Netflix's Drive To Survive.
Thanks to the high level of entertainment, the average age of an F1 viewer has dropped to 32. Most brands would kill to gain access to this age bracket. Not only do they adopt early, but they have money to spend as well.
Marcos Filleti/YouTube
The film's plot is still under wraps, but there is a basic outline. Brad Pitt plays a retired veteran racer, returning to the sport to mentor a young rookie. If you look at the screengrabs of Pitt from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, you'll note he has a perfect look for the role. He's like a beefier, much sexier version of James Hunt. We also know he has a thing for custom motorcycles, and an Aston Martin Vanquish.
Now, we know what you're thinking. We've seen this movie before. It was called Driven, and it starred Sly Stallone. Driven is a good popcorn movie but hardly an accurate portrayal of open-wheel racing.
The team behind this project is a bit more serious. First, the man in charge of the script is Ehren Kruger. His resume includes Top Gun: Maverick, Ghost in the Shell, three Transformers movies (everyone makes mistakes), The Ring, Arlington Road, and Scream 3. That's a wide variety of genres, so writing a dramatic tale of overcoming adversity within the racing world shouldn't be too hard.
Mercedes-AMG F1
Lewis Hamilton/Instagram
Most importantly, Joseph Kosinski is on board to direct. He only has nine movies to his name, but almost all of them have been high-impact action with a dash of drama thrown in for those who want more than just stuff exploding. His work includes Tron: Legacy, Oblivion, Only the Brave, and the new Top Gun movie.
Motorsport movies have been quite hot over the last few years, starting with Rush and, more recently, Ford v Ferrari/Le Mans '66.
With Lewis Hamilton signed on as a consultant, you can be sure the action will be accurate both on and off the track. Hamilton can provide valuable information with regards to racing, but also the complicated relationship between teammates.
As the movie doesn't have a script yet, we'll likely only see it in around two to three years.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team/YouTube
Source Credits: Empire
Tags: #Aston Martin News #Formula One #Motorsport #Movies & TV
Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe
Gerhard Horn
Gerhard knew from a young age that he wanted to be an automotive journalist. He completely disappointed his parents by completing degrees in communication and English, as well as diplomas in graphic design and film and art appreciation. He later interned at various automotive publications, before landing a permanent position at a newspaper. He became the editor within two years, after which he landed a job as the deputy editor at a national publication, where he spent eight years traveling the world, driving, and writing. In his current role as senior editor, he writes news, reviews, scripts, and opinion pieces. When he's not supposed to be working, you'll probably find him working. When he's forced to take a break, you'll find him at the movies, or behind the wheel of a '92 NA Miata called Kimiko.
Contact Gerhard @GrootScreenGerhard


Bump. Any news on Harris?
Bump. Any news on any of these?
Anyone know if these have failed or if they're just still negotiating? Who were the offers made to?
Isn't there news on the placement thread?
They've hired three american politics people and a formal theorist. I've heard they also have senior methods offers out after Patty/Penn left to beef up their methodology training for grad students.


text:
Anti-Inhalant Abuse Centre Review Committee
The Anti-Inhalant Abuse Centre Review Committee is appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs to decide the cases of inhalant abusers who are undergoing treatment and rehabilitation at the approved Anti-Inhalant Abuse Centre on their suitability for discharge.
Board of Visitors (Community Rehabilitation Centre)
The Board of Visitors (Community Rehabilitation Centre) is appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs to advise and make recommendations to ensure that the health, maintenance, recreation and discipline of inmates from the Centre are satisfactory and that an efficient standard is maintained throughout the Centre.
Board of Visitors (Drug Rehabilitation Centres and Anti-Inhalant Abuse Centres)
The Board of Visitors (Drug Rehabilitation Centres and Anti-Inhalant Abuse Centres) (BOV DRCs & AIACs) is appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs to advise and make recommendations to ensure that the health, maintenance, recreation and discipline of DRC inmates are satisfactory and that an efficient standard is maintained throughout each DRC.
Board of Visiting Justices
The Board of Visiting Justices, comprises Justices of the Peace, and is appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs. The members inspect the prisons and ensure that the basic welfare of prisoners is taken care of.
Drug Rehabilitation Centre Review Committees
The Drug Rehabilitation Centre Review Committees (DRCRC) are appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs to decide cases of inmates who are undergoing treatment and rehabilitation at the approved DRCs to determine their suitability for employment, participation in any educational or occupational training programmes, release or extended treatment and rehabilitation.
Employment Release Advisory Committee
The Employment Release Advisory Committee is appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs to review cases of prisoners' suitability for employment beyond the precincts of the prison in which the prisoners are detained and make recommendations to the Commissioner of Prisons.
External Placement Review Board
The External Placement Review Board is appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs to review cases and make recommendations to the Minister, on matters relating to external placement of a prisoner.
Home Detention Advisory Committees
The Home Detention Advisory Committees are appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs to review cases of prisoners who are eligible for home detention and which fall within the guidelines to release on home detention. The Committee is responsible for examining the cases' suitability for release and to make recommendations to the Commissioner of Prisons.
Institutional Discipline Advisory Committees
The Institutional Discipline Advisory Committees are appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs to render an opinion to the Commissioner of Prisons on whether the corporal punishment ordered by a Superintendent on any inmate for committing an institutional offence is excessive.
Long Imprisonment Review Board
The Long Imprisonment Review Board is appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs to make recommendation on a prisoner's suitability for release after serving at least 20 years of sentence. The Board will assess and make recommendation to the Minister for Home Affairs on the prisoner's suitability for release.
Mandatory Aftercare Advisory Committee
The Mandatory Aftercare Advisory Committee is appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs to make recommendation to Commissioner of Prisons on matters relating to Mandatory Aftercare Scheme.
Reformative Training Centre Review Committee
The Reformative Training Centre Review Committee is appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs to determine the reformative trainee's suitability for release onto police supervision, discharge the reformative trainee from the release on supervision order, and decide on the need for recall when the reformative trainee breaches the supervision order.
Life Imprisonment Review Board/ The President's Pleasure Review Board
The Life Imprisonment Review Board is appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs to review cases of prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, while The President's Pleasure Review Board is appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs to review cases of underage prisoners detained during the President's Pleasure. Both Boards will assess and make recommendation to the Minister for Home Affairs on the prisoner's suitability for release.


text:
Q: Posting to form, saying user isn't logged in, session cookie exists I have a form, that when submitted, it calls a jquery .ajax request like:
$.ajax({
 type:"POST",
 url: "/posts/" + id + "/add_comment",
 ..
 ..
});

This website has subdomains, and the session cookie after logging in looks like:
name: __webt_session
value: ...
host: testsubdomain.lvh.me
path: /
Secure: No
Expires: At end of session

Now when I submit a comment, it doesn't save the comment, it rather redirects to the login page (the html is for the login page, it doesnt' actaully redirect b/c it was an ajax call behind the scenes).
Does my url for the form action have to include the subdomain?
BTW, why does it say 'secure: NO'
UPDATE
I set the post url to include the full url w/subdomain, and it is still redirecting to the login page.  Why isn't it picking up the cookie?
When I am on the page that I am posting the form, I am logged in just fine.  The url has teh subdomain in it.  It must be that when I post to the page, for some reason or another, it thinks I am not logged in and redirects me (you have to be logged in to post a comment).  Very confused why it is not picking up the cookie.
Ideas?

A: Make sure that your post has the rails authenticity_token if your controller's action has protect_from_forgery
In rails 3.0.x (x > 3) if verify_authenticity_token fails, it logs you out, so your authentication will fail.
UPDATE
To do this in your javascript post, you'll want to add a post parameter called authenticity_token. The value of this parameter can be determined in two ways:
1) In your controller call form_authenticity_token and pass this value to the javascript.
2) In your layout, add this line
<%= csrf_meta_tag %>

This will add the following to the head of your document
<meta name="csrf-param" content="authenticity_token"/>
<meta name="csrf-token" content="Sm8z1XLTzI5HCy7+MIB+yFXiGUdS1byUHI8brHknirY="/>

You can retrive the post value with a little javascript like this:
document.getElementsByName('csrf-token')[0].content

In this version, you can be uber correct and use the value of
document.getElementsByName('csrf-param')[0].content

to determine the name of the post parameter

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Question: I'm having trouble using the new GobbleGums available in Black Ops III Zombies. What should I do?
Answer: With each DLC Pack released, Call of Duty: Black Ops III also introduces new Mega GobbleGum types.
Please note: Following the launch of DLC 3: Descent, GobbleGums released with DLC packs can no longer be shared and can only be used on the account used to purchase the DLC. Secondary accounts will not have access to these GobbleGums.
Select GobbleGum from the main Zombies menu.
Select a GobbleGum Pack to customize.
Select a GobbleGum from the pack to replace.
Tab right to the Mega category. The new GobbleGums are marked with a yellow DLC flag.
Spawn a Death Machine power up.
All nearby zombies become crawlers.
Slow down all zombies to shambling speed.
Any bullet that hits a zombie will damage its head.
Auto-activates when a teddy bear appears in the magic box.
Magic box re-spins automatically. Magic box will not move for several uses.
Zombies seen by players will not move.
Any gun wall-buy can be used to buy ammo for any gun.
Zombies you kill with grenades and large projectiles vomit uncontrollably.
Gives a random gun every 10 seconds.
Create 2 lethal explosions by sliding.
The next gun taken from the magic box comes Pack-a-Punched.
Zombies killed fall straight up.
Gib the heads of all zombies you can see, killing them.
Re-Pack your current Pack-a-Punched gun (if supported).
Revive, or be revived, simply by being near other players. Revived players keep all of their perks.
Points you earn are also received by nearby players, and vice versa.
Ends the current round. All players gain 1600 points.
Auto revive yourself. Keep all of your perks.


text:
Abbott's Arithmetic 6) No cash, just words for the security agencies
By Henry Hill
Follow @HCH_Hill
Ben Roback: Huawei – Trump's reaction matters, but don't discount the feeling in Congress
WATCH: Raab outlines plans for Huawei's role in UK's 5G network
Margot James: The evidence available does not support a total ban on Huawei
Mark Francois: Johnson must keep his promises on Northern Ireland veterans – not sacrifice them to satisfy Sinn Fein
Festus Akinbusoye: The scandal of rising assaults on police officers. And what must be done to help reduce them.
Does Labour's manifesto add up? Here's a ConHome series to investigate – named, of course, in homage to the Shadow Home Secretary's policing plan.
The Policy: Properly fund the security services after 'May's cuts'
This is the policy area that inspired this series. Contra Diane Abbott, these officers won't be expected to subsist on £30 per annum. Instead Funding Britain's Future sets aside £0.3 billion, or £300 million, for the purpose. Nothing about that jumps out as being terribly unreasonable.
But that's the beginning and end of the costed and detailed policing commitments in Labour's manifesto. So with Jeremy Corbyn talking tough and trying to pin some of the blame for recent terror attacks on cuts made whilst Theresa May was Home Secretary, it behoves us to point out that…
The Problem: No specific security spending is identified, let alone costed, in Labour's manifesto
In the aftermath of Saturday's attacks in London, the Labour leader has gone on the attack against Theresa May over the cuts to police number she oversaw as Home Secretary, saying you can't protect Britain "on the cheap". Indeed, he has today called for her resignation.
Given all this you might expect, if you momentarily forgot who led it, that the Labour manifesto would have a clear blueprint for redressing the apparent under-resourcing of our counter-terrorism forces.
But according to Funding Britain's Future, the only bit of clearly identified police spending is those above-mentioned 10,000 new officers. But they are explicitly described as being "to work on community beats". Now 'bobbies on the beat' is always a crowd pleaser but it does not equate to investment in intelligence, armed police, or any other means of expanding our counter-terrorism capacity.
(The reason for this is that, as Lord Carlile has said today, our counter-terrorist police are not under-resourced. Corbyn is trying to misrepresent cuts in other areas of the policing budget as somehow connected to Saturday's attack.)
Labour do say that they "will always provide our security agencies with the resources and the powers they need to protect our country and keep us all safe." But it's just a sentence: there's no description of which areas they plan to spend in and no mention of the figures in their supposedly-balanced spending plan.
Indeed, the lack of detail is more damning given that the party has put out an entire document detailing what they intend to spend on the things they really care about.
Indeed, the manifesto provides a deal more detail on how they're going to rein in the security services: Labour will "reintroduce effective judicial oversight", "review the Prevent programme with a view to assessing both its effectiveness and its potential to alienate minority communities."
You might support any or all of those policies, but the balance of emphasis and detail suggests a manifesto drawn up with the hard left's traditional scepticism towards the security services.
counter-terrorism Labour Manifesto 2017 Police Policing Security Security Services Terrorism
Jess Phillips, Masked Singer?
Labour leadership contenders are lurching to the Left to placate Corbynistas
All the Labour leadership contenders have a credibility gap in their condemnations of anti-semitism
The Lib Dems are down, but not out
Will Starmer prove to be the new Kinnock?
Labour's civil war is set to get worse before it gets better
Read the Jewish Labour Movement's submission on anti-semitism in their party
Exclusive: The Liberal Democrats' untrue claims about a "Brexit brain drain" at British universities
On the NHS, Corbyn has deployed his weapon of last resort with two weeks to go
An idea for McDonnell. Pledge £1 million to every voter in Britain.
20 comments for: Abbott's Arithmetic 6) No cash, just words for the security agencies


text:
businessnewstribune
New AI detects COVID-19 on chest x-rays with accuracy and speed
Staff Reports - November 25, 2020 0
Northwestern University researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence (A.I.) platform that detects COVID-19 by analyzing X-ray images of the lungs.
Short-video app Quibi fizzles months after high profile launch
Staff Reports - October 22, 2020 0
Short-video app Quibi is shutting down operations just six months after its early April launch. The company said Wednesday that it would wind...
The rise and fall of Tab – after surviving the sweetener scares, the iconic diet soda gets canned
Staff Reports - December 1, 2020 0
Jeffrey Miller, Colorado State University Tab, the Coca-Cola company's original diet soda brand, is headed to the soda graveyard,...
Feast of St. Dimitre draws smaller numbers due to global pandemic
Staff Reports - November 1, 2020 0
The feast of St. Dimitrie of Basarabov, the patron saint of Bucharest, is a show of Orthodox Christianity's strength in Romania, where...
The Theatre and the Virus
Jeff Myhre - October 25, 2020 0
There has been no theatre to speak of in New York for months now, and the pandemic did its short-term damage to...
Aggressive cougar follows a man on Utah trail for 6 minutes
https://youtu.be/iVUAVmz2Z-0 (UPI) -- A man out for a run on a Utah trail captured video of his frightening...
AllLifestyleMusicTravelTV
Chipotle And The Shawn Mendes Foundation team up to launch sustainability grants
Staff Reports - January 15, 2021 0
Chipotle Mexican Grill has partnered with Shawn Mendes and the Shawn Mendes Foundation to launch "Wonder Grants" supporting young innovators in sustainability, as well...
Showbiz: Filmmaker Zane Hubbard is making diversity in the film industry the "New Norm"
Filmmaker, actor, scriptwriter, writer, and the CEO of Ironbeard Films, Zane Hubbard is a man of many hats including excelled in harnessing his...
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey nabs stake in Discovery as after it takes 95% of OWN
Staff Reports - December 23, 2020 0
Oprah is on her OWN DISCOVERY. According to an SEC filing Tuesday, Winfrey nabbed a stake worth less...
Bob Dylan's catalogue of 600 songs acquired by publishing group
Universal Music Group has acquired Bob Dylan's entire back catalogue in a deal reported to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Kansas City Chiefs Favorites to win as NFL Playoffs Begin
Staff Reports - January 4, 2021 0
With the NFL Playoffs now set, the favorite to win the Super Bowl remains unchanged from the NFL's preseason odds, according to...
FanDuel makes multi-million dollar investment in Fairmount Park Racetrack
The online sports entertainment giant, FanDuel Group, plans to make a multi-million-dollar investment in Fairmount Park Racetrack in Collinsville, IL.
Home Economy US stocks tumble amid virus woes
US stocks tumble amid virus woes
US stocks are slumping sharply in midday Monday trading on Wall Street and deepening last week's losses, as a troubling climb in coronavirus counts threatens the global economy.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 717 points, or 2.5%, at 27,618, as of 11:18 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was down 1.7%.
The S&P 500 was 2.1% lower and on track for its worst day in more than a month.
Stocks also weakened across much of Europe and Asia. In another sign of caution, Treasury yields were pulling back after touching their highest level since June last week.
Coronavirus counts are spiking in much of the United States and Europe, raising concerns about more damage to the still-weakened economy. The U.S. came very close to setting back-to-back record daily infection rates on Friday and Saturday. In Europe, Spain's government declared a national state of emergency on Sunday that includes an overnight curfew, while Italy ordered restaurants and bars to close each day by 6 p.m. and shut down gyms, pools and movie theaters.
Stall on Talks in Washington
Hopes are fading, meanwhile, that Washington will be able to deliver more support for the economy anytime soon. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke several times last week on a potential deal to send cash to most Americans, restart supplemental benefits for laid-off workers and provide aid to schools, among other things.
But deep partisan difference remains on Capitol Hill, and time is running out for anything to happen before Election Day on Nov. 3. Any compromise reached between House Democrats and the White House would also likely face stiff resistance from Republicans in control of the Senate.
"While we are seeing nations attempt to stifle the spread of the virus through more localised and tentative restrictions, it seems highly likely that we will eventually see a swathe of nationwide lockdowns if the trajectory cannot be reversed," said Joshua Mahony, senior market analyst at IG in London told the Associated Press.
"Traders remain torn as they weigh up the potential impending benefits of a U.S. stimulus package and potential vaccine," he added.
Worries about the diminishing prospect for more stimulus in the short term helped drive the S&P 500 to a 0.5% drop last week, its first weekly loss in the last four. The U.S. economy has recovered a bit since the stay-at-home restrictions that swept the country early this year eased, and economists expect a report on Thursday to show it grew at an annual rate of 30.2% during the summer quarter after shrinking 31.4% during the second quarter.
But momentum has slowed recently after a prior round of supplemental unemployment benefits and another stimulus that Congress approved earlier this year expired.
Stocks of companies experiencing sharpest losses in morning trading.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings fell 9.3%, Marathon Oil dropped 6.1% and United Airlines lost 6.2%.
Energy stocks dropped to the largest loss among the 11 sectors that make up the S&P 500, falling in concert with oil prices. Nearly 99% of the stocks in the index were lower.
Among the market's few gainers in early trading were companies that can succeed even in a stay-at-home economy. Zoom Video Communications gained 3.1%.
Amazon inched up 0.1% for what was actually one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500, while Apple lost an early gain to fall 0.6%. Expectations are high for them, and analysts say they'll report strong results for their latest quarter this week. They and other Big Tech stocks have soared through the pandemic on hopes their growth will only continue as work-from-home and other trends that benefit them accelerate.
This upcoming week is the busiest of this quarter's earnings season, with more than a third of the companies in the S&P 500 index scheduled to report. Besides Amazon and Apple, Ford Motor, General Electric and Google's parent company, Alphabet, are also on the docket.
Across the S&P 500, profit reports for the summer have been mostly better than Wall Street had feared, though they're still on pace to be more than 16% lower than year-ago levels. Through Friday, 84% of S&P 500 companies reported better results than analysts had forecast, according to FactSet. If that level holds, it would be the best since at least 2008, when FactSet's records begin.
In European stock markets, Germany's DAX lost 3.3%, and France's CAC 40 fell 1.6%. The FTSE 100 in London slipped 0.7%.
In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 dipped 0.1%, South Korea's Kospi fell 0.7% and stocks in Shanghai lost 0.8%.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 0.79% from 0.85% late Friday.
(with wire reports)
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