text:
North/South Ministerial Council: Trade and Business Development
Ministerial Statements – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 11:00 am on 15th December 2020.
All Northern Ireland Assembly debates on 15 Dec 2020
Christopher Stalford DUP 11:00 am, 15th December 2020
I have received notice from the Minister for the Economy that she wishes to make an additional statement.
Diane Dodds DUP
Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, with your permission, I wish to make a statement in compliance with section 52 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 about a meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in trade and business development sectoral format. The meeting was held in Armagh by videoconference on 25 November 2020. Minister Conor Murphy MLA and I represented the Northern Ireland Executive. The Irish Government were represented by Leo Varadkar, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Tánaiste. The statement has been agreed with Minister Murphy, and I make it on behalf of us both.
The Council noted the impact of the pandemic on society and on the economy in both jurisdictions and the measures put in place by both Administrations to support communities and businesses affected by the crisis and to assist economic recovery. Ministers welcomed the productive cooperation between both Administrations and InterTradeIreland on support for businesses facing challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and noted that InterTradeIreland will continue to provide support to assist businesses in coping with the challenges posed by the pandemic, particularly in the areas of supply chain management, health and safety and human resources.
Ministers noted the work being carried out to prepare for the end of the transition period and the implications for cooperation in the trade and business development sector arising from the UK's withdrawal.
Ministers welcomed the overall achievements of InterTradeIreland from 2016 to 2020 and recognised the valuable contribution that it has made through its trade and development programmes for small and medium-sized companies trading across the border and in both jurisdictions. Ministers commended InterTradeIreland for its work in helping businesses to prepare for the UK withdrawal from the EU and for its research on the issue. The Council recognised the impact of the innovation and technology programmes run by InterTradeIreland and its support for building relationships between companies and researchers.
The Council approved InterTradeIreland's business plans, budgets and grants for 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 and its 2017-19 corporate plan, which have been completed in accordance with agreed guidance issued by the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and agreed by the sponsor Departments and Finance Ministers. Ministers noted InterTradeIreland's annual reports and accounts for 2016, 2017 and 2018, which have been certified by the Comptrollers and Auditors General and laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly and both Houses of the Oireachtas.
Ministers asked sponsor Departments to consider InterTradeIreland's staffing complement, in consultation with the NSMC secretariat and the Finance Departments, and to provide an update to the next trade and business development meeting. The Council approved the appointment of Martin McVicar as vice chairman, Michael Hanley and Richard Kennedy, and the re-appointment of Florence Bayliss, Adrienne McGuinness and Micheál Briody, to the board of InterTradeIreland.
Ministers noted the progress and current position of North/South collaboration in relation to the Horizon 2020 programme and the achievements and current position of the US-Ireland R&D Partnership. Ministers noted that InterTradeIreland will continue to work with relevant stakeholders, including sponsor Departments, to explore new ways, both financial and non-financial, to maintain and strengthen research and innovation collaboration across both jurisdictions.
Ministers noted that the process for appointing a chief executive officer to InterTradeIreland has commenced, using the existing approved process and following consultation with the NSMC joint secretariat and the respective Finance Departments.
Finally, Ministers thanked Aidan Gough and Margaret Hearty for their work in successfully leading InterTradeIreland, as designated officer and assistant designated officer respectively, since they were appointed to those positions in September 2017. The Council agreed to meet again in trade and business development format in spring 2021. I commend the statement to the Assembly.
Caoimhe Archibald Sinn Féin
I thank the Minister for her statement. In it, she said that it was noted that work was carried out to prepare for the end of the transition period. A couple of weeks ago, the Committee for the Economy received a briefing from officials on business preparedness. We were told that InterTradeIreland's all-island business monitor for quarter 3 showed that only 9% of firms had plans in place to mitigate the impacts of Brexit. In the light of that, what is being done by both the Department and InterTradeIreland to help businesses to prepare following the announcements last week on the protocol and the ongoing lack of clarity about the overall trade deal?
I thank the Member for her question. InterTradeIreland has a number of programmes that it has been using to help those businesses that it works with to prepare for the end of the transition period. That, as well as the work that Invest Northern Ireland is doing, has been important in helping businesses to prepare.
Just so that we could have a little bit of thought about that, I printed off, for the week beginning 7 December, the kind of things that, for example, Invest Northern Ireland was doing with businesses. They include working with businesses in the chemicals industry, fisheries and the legal sphere; looking at authorised economic operator status, the export of live animals and animal products, the moving of animal products from 1 January, inward processing relief, customs warehousing, and the trading and moving of goods in and out of Northern Ireland; and providing a large range of information and webinar support to businesses just last week.
Of course, the Member is absolutely correct: last week's announcement will have helped significantly, particularly around the movement of goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain and the fact that there will not be excess paperwork and bureaucracy. That still leaves the issue of the Trader Support Service and the hope that it will work; that enough firms in Northern Ireland have signed up, as well as enough firms in Great Britain, to make sure that it works. It also includes the small derogations for a brief and limited period. Those are real, live issues that need resolution. It has avoided a hard stop but not provided that resolution.
Gordon Dunne DUP 11:15 am, 15th December 2020
I thank the Member for her statement. We all recognise the need for continuous support to help business recovery during the pandemic. Those of us who have been around for a while recognise the good work of InterTradeIreland, but what is being done to ensure that there is no overlap in the efforts of InterTradeIreland and Invest NI in supporting businesses?
I thank the Member for his question. He is right about the work that InterTradeIreland has been doing. I draw the House's attention to two particular aspects of InterTradeIreland's work. The E-Merge programme provides consultancy support of £2,500 to help businesses to develop online sales, marketing and e-commerce solutions. From April to June, it supported 140 businesses. The next phase of the programme supported 270 businesses. That made available almost £1 million of support to those businesses. There is also the emergency business solutions programme. Those are the kinds of things that InterTradeIreland is doing. It mainly works with much smaller businesses that are dipping their toe into the export market by doing cross-border exchanges. That is the value of the InterTradeIreland work, whereas Invest NI's work tends to be wider, larger and focused on a more international audience.
Sinead McLaughlin Social Democratic and Labour Party
What practical steps has the Department taking in conjunction with the Irish Government to maximise the opportunities that the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland has given us?
There is always room for cooperation. However, the Member should remember that, in the search for FDI, the Irish Government are our competitors. That is an important distinction. I do not say that in a political sense; it is a practical, economic reality. The protocol has given us trade that will flow between us and the Republic of Ireland and, indeed, between us and the rest of Europe, but it has given us significant disruptions to trade within the United Kingdom's internal market. I could not and would not support the protocol because I believe the interruption of the United Kingdom's internal market to be wholly wrong. However, I am also a realist, and the House voted to instigate the protocol, and we must ensure that we help businesses in Northern Ireland to navigate this complex scenario as best we can.
Steve Aiken UUP
I declare an interest as the ex-chief executive of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce. The Minister talked about the success of InterTradeIreland, but the reality for many small and medium enterprises that have been involved with InterTradeIreland is that, in the past, it was seen to be especially bureaucratic and not particularly helpful in their development. Come 1 January, we will be through Brexit, and the protocol will be in place. Will she therefore commit to InterTradeIreland refocusing its present role of supporting the move towards Brexit to one of promoting Northern Ireland businesses, particularly those in the small and medium-sized businesses?
I am sorry to hear that the Member thinks that some of the processes of InterTradeIreland are overly bureaucratic. If he has details of specific instances that I can take up with InterTradeIreland, I will be very happy to do so.
We will all need to leave Brexit behind and move forward to promoting Northern Ireland as a really good place to do business, to live, to work, to bring up a family and to have a really good all-round education. That is what I will be doing in the next year.
I look forward, along with InterTradeIreland, Invest Northern Ireland and, indeed, the wider Executive, to being able to get back out into the wider international sphere to attend some of the fairs, particularly in Dubai and elsewhere in the Middle East, explore new markets for Northern Ireland and try to get that side of Northern Ireland's promotional activity going again.
Stewart Dickson Alliance
Minister, I am pleased that you noted the progress made on, and the current position of, North/South collaboration through the Horizon 2020 programme. Given that that is an EU programme, what action are you going to take to make sure that such research cooperation can be continued on a cross-border basis before those whom you supported consign the EU to the scrapheap, along with the funds and support that we have received up until now?
I am not going to bite at the last remark, you will be happy to know.
Research and development and innovation for Northern Ireland firms are really important elements of how we build the economy. I have some brilliant examples of innovation and creativity by Northern Ireland firms, even during the COVID pandemic, such as how they linked up with our universities to produce goods that go to market in the current situation. Innovation and research and development are therefore the way forward. They will build the economy of the future, which is very important.
The United Kingdom would be wise to become a partner in Horizon 2020 and its successor programmes if it can prove that it is value for money for it to do so. Horizon 2020 and its forerunner, FP7, are successful programmes, but they are focused on very large businesses, and that has been one of their downfalls. One of the successes of FP7 was that one of its greatest benefactors was Israel, which, the last time that I looked, was not in the European Union. That kind of research, collaboration and buy-in to the programme is perfectly possible and feasible, and our Government have said that it is something that they would like to do.
One of the other programmes that we are supporting is the US-Ireland R&D Partnership. The Member will probably have noticed the number of COVID-related joint research funding applications that we submitted yesterday. As I said in my statement, COVID knows no barriers, so, in our search for solutions, we should not either.
Gary Middleton DUP
The Chair of the Economy Committee mentioned the officials who came to the Committee and raised the issue of the low levels of preparedness of businesses and firms, primarily because many of them have been focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, and rightly so. Minister, what engagement have you had with counterparts across the UK to ensure that businesses are prepared, particularly for the disastrous east-west trading implications of the protocol?
Those are huge issues for Northern Ireland. Fundamentally, the House should remember, when it thinks about the protocol and the interruption to the UK's internal market that it represents, which our Prime Minister instigated, that GB is Northern Ireland's biggest market by far. We sell more in the GB market than we do in the Republic of Ireland, the rest of Europe and the rest of the world put together, so any interruptions to that business will be very serious and very difficult. The announcements last week did help us with NI to GB trade and also helped us somewhat with tariffs. However, the best thing that can happen is that we have that zero-tariff, zero-quota deal so that we are able to trade freely in all directions; between GB and Northern Ireland, North/South and with the rest of Europe. That is massively important.
I took the opportunity last week to talk to the Northern Ireland Office Minister, Mr Robin Walker, about not just Northern Ireland's centenary — we are looking at promotional work for Northern Ireland in really important trade markets — but the £400 million funding that was announced. We should have a synergy between what the Northern Ireland Office is going to look at with that funding and what the Executive are looking at so that we can reskill and rebuild for the future.
John O'Dowd Sinn Féin
The Minister will be aware that the latest NISRA figures show that more businesses are trading North/South than to anywhere else, including Britain, and that the value of that trade is growing year on year. What discussions has the Minister had with her Dublin counterparts about protecting the supply chain and the intermediary trades that are involved in that trade to ensure that our businesses are not disrupted as a result of Brexit and that that growth area continues to grow?
Of course, the Member is right that more businesses trade North/South, but the largest impact and the largest volume is with GB. We need to remember that. I am hoping that we will be able to grow our markets North/South, east-west and throughout Europe and use the new trade agreements that the UK has signed to explore potential in those markets. I was really encouraged last week when I spoke to the red meat industry; the first exports of beef to America were from Northern Ireland. Those are huge opportunities for Northern Ireland in wider international markets. We must take those as part of the new opportunity that we will have in the next number of years.
Matthew O'Toole Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Minister is right: Brexit will lead to North/South and east-west disruption to Northern Ireland's trade. Whatever about the scant detail in the statement, Brexit will, unfortunately, cost jobs and lead to severe disruption. Since the referendum in 2016, and indeed the supply and confidence arrangement in June 2017, the DUP is the sole party in the Assembly that has had the power to force the whole UK into a soft Brexit and a closer relationship between the UK and the European Union, which would have been in the interests of not just Northern Ireland but all businesses and workers in the UK. Since the DUP did not use that power and has left us at the precipice of chaos, would the Economy Minister like to take this opportunity to express regret for the actions of her party? Indeed, would she like to apologise to the people and businesses of Northern Ireland for the situation that we face?
I —.
Christopher Stalford DUP
Order. I ask the Minister to resume her seat. I generally allow leeway, and I do not mind back-and-forward; indeed, when I am not in the Chair, I engage in back-and-forward myself and I enjoy a bit of sport, but I remind Members that, when they ask a question, they should, in so far as is possible, try to relate it directly to the content of the statement that the Minister has given to the House. If the Minister wishes to respond, I am happy to let her do so.
Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. I am going to resist getting into too detailed a response, except to say that I thought that Sinn Féin was the only party in the House to rewrite history; I now discover that the SDLP is at it as well. What we need for Northern Ireland going forward is the ease of movement of goods between us and our largest market in GB, and between it and us. That is fundamental to the Northern Ireland economy and to jobs and families in Northern Ireland. That is something that I have worked at since I became a Minister. We had some easement of that last week with the agreements around the protocol, but I would much rather that we did not have to do that at all, that the UK's internal market remained intact and that we could trade as a third country with the EU on that basis.
Rosemary Barton UUP 11:30 am, 15th December 2020
I thank the Minister for her answers so far. Will she clarify the support that transport firms have been given for transporting goods back and forth between Northern Ireland and the Republic and east-west and west-east to ensure that there is least disruption?
The Member will be aware that transport is a matter for my Executive colleague the Minister for Infrastructure. However, if the Member looks at the things that Invest NI has been doing, she will see that significant work has been done on transport.
I will focus on one area of transport that is very important for Northern Ireland's economy, which is ensuring that Northern Ireland lorries taking goods to the south of England that prefer to use the Dublin to Holyhead route should be free to do so, given that Dublin would also like to use the transition agreement to allow lorries to cross GB for access to the EU. That is a really important issue for Northern Ireland hauliers and firms because around 20% of our goods go to market in GB in that way.
Jim Allister Traditional Unionist Voice
The statement says:
"Ministers asked Sponsor Departments to consider InterTradeIreland's staffing complement".
Does that mean more staff and more cost for InterTradeIreland? Given the perilous state of our trade and the threats to it with our main market, would it not be better now to refocus and create an "InterTradeUK"? Would the Minister work for and support such a body?
The Member knows that to consider something is not to consent to it. That is exactly what the position is on staffing. Those issues will, no doubt, be discussed further down the line, given finance or direction of travel on the matter.
Yes; the Member and I are absolutely in agreement that trade with our biggest market — the internal UK market — is the most valuable thing for Northern Ireland. We must protect it and allow it to grow in future years. If the Member wants to write to me with his proposals for such a body, I will be happy to look at it and take it forward.
That concludes questions on the ministerial statement. I ask Members to take their ease for a few moments. If you are leaving the Chamber, please make sure that you clean your surfaces and what have you. Thank you.


text:
Vallinfreda ist eine italienische Gemeinde in der Metropolitanstadt Rom in der Region Latium mit  Einwohnern (Stand ). Sie liegt 68 km nordöstlich von Rom.

Geographie
Vallinfreda liegt im Osten der Metropolitanstadt Rom und grenzt an die Provinzen Rieti und L'Aquila. Es liegt am Ostabhang der Monti Lucretili und ist Mitglied der Comunità Montana Valle dell'Aniene. Das Gemeindegebiet liegt auf einer Höhe zwischen 574 m und 1068 m ü. NN.

Bevölkerung

Politik
Piero Chirletti (Lista Civica: Rinascita 2.0) wurde im Mai 2006 zum zweiten Mal zum Bürgermeister gewählt. In der Wahl vom 5. Juni 2016 wurde er erneut im Amte bestätigt.

Einzelnachweise

Weblinks

 Gemeinde (italienisch)
 Vallinfreda auf www.comuni-italiani.it (italienisch)
 Comunità Montana Valle dell'Aniene (italienisch)

Ort im Latium

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Kovit-19 in Morocco: 1 death in 24 hours, 116 new infections and 2,991 active cases
On November 26 and 27, 2021 1 death, 116 new contamination and 171 cures were confirmed in the kingdom. The number of still active patients is 2,991, while more than 22.63 million people have been fully vaccinated. Surveillance of the epidemic, in statistics.
New cases of pollution, reliefs, number of screenings performed, vaccinations etc. To learn more about the evolution of corona virus in Morocco, click this link: https://covid.le360.ma.
Review of Saturday, November 27, 2021
© Copyright: Ministry of Health
In McRae, Algeria did not report the number of screening tests, which it said were higher than the official figures. Of the 193 new cases, 5 deaths and 131 recovered cases of Kovit-19 disease, the last report was discontinued. There are 209,817 contaminants in the country, of which 6,046 deaths and 143,902 cures.
In Tunisia, 127 new contaminants, 5 deaths and 108 cures were recorded, according to a recent report. There have been a total of 716,988 pollution in the country since March 2020, including 25,362 deaths and 690,571 cures.
In Mauritania, 85 new contaminants, 4 deaths and 68 cures were recorded, according to a recent report. There are 39,035 Govt-19 contaminants in the country, of which 37,262 are cured and 829 are fatal.
The new B.1.1.529 variant of the Govt-19 virus, first detected in South Africa, was classified as "worrying" by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday and named "Omicron".
The WHO estimates that it will take "a few weeks" to understand the spread of the new variant and the extent of the virus, which has been found in people from Malawi, Hong Kong and Belgium in South Africa, Malawi and Israel.
See also Burkina Faso: Des signaux "positifs" de la part de la junte militaire salon la dillogation internationalale
The European Union Health Organization said on Friday evening that the new variant has the "highest to highest risk" in Europe.
In a risk assessment report, the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) estimates that "the general risk for the EU and EEA (European Economic Area) associated with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is considered very high."
The United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Guatemala became the last countries to close their borders to South Africa on Friday, where the Omicron variant was detected.
EU officials met urgently and recommended stopping travel to seven countries in the South African region: Botswana, Ezwatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Several European countries, including France, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia and Switzerland, have already banned flights from South Africa and neighboring countries.
The South African health minister lamented that the decision was "unreasonable".
According to an official report from AFP, the corona virus infection has killed at least 5,173,915 people worldwide since the end of 2019.
The United States is the most distressed country, with 775,785 deaths, compared to Brazil (613,642), India (466,980), Mexico (293,186) and Russia (269,057).
In Europe, Covid-19 has caused the deaths of more than 1.5 million people, according to AFP.
Spain has recorded a total of 5,121,183 (+88) cases in recent reports. 87,931 people have died in the country and 75,573,156 have been vaccinated.
Portugal has recorded 15 deaths in 24 hours, a total of 18,385 deaths since the outbreak and +3,150 new cases in 24 hours, for a total of 1,133,241 confirmed cases. 16,308,391 dose vaccines were given.
See also Gas exploitation in Lebanon: Tel Aviv urges Washington to reach a deal
In the United Kingdom, there are +9,919 new cases in 24 hours or a total of 10,070,841 cases since the onset of the epidemic. The country recorded 39 deaths in 24 hours or a total of 144,592 deaths. 97,130,793 dose vaccines were given.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the number of deaths in the world may be two to three times higher than estimated from official statistics, taking into account the high number of deaths directly and indirectly associated with Govt-19.
Previous Only 27% of health professionals are fully vaccinated – Parlamane
Next Omigron variant: Two cases were detected in the United Kingdom

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The BMC will henceforth take a call on keeping schools open on heavy rain days and during other emergencies. After facing flak for announcing a school holiday late in the day on a particularly rainy Monday this week when several areas were submerged in water, the government on Wednesday decided to authorize the BMC to take decisions on declaring school holidays.
MUMBAI: The BMC will henceforth take a call on keeping schools open on heavy rain days and during other emergencies. After facing flak for announcing a school holiday late in the day on a particularly rainy Monday this week when several areas were submerged in water, the government on Wednesday decided to authorize the BMC to take decisions on declaring school holidays. So far, it has been the government's prerogative to announce such holidays depending on field reports it received from the BMC.
The decision was taken during a meeting of education minister Vinod Tawde, with BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta, police commissioner Subodh Jaiswal, senior officials from railways, MMDRA, Mhada and other agencies. Tawde also asked the agencies to improve coordination for better management during heavy rains, suggesting video conferencing to take on-the-spot decisions on urgent matters.
The BMC's disaster control room, which has hotline connections with various government agencies, including the navy and the army, coordinates with various agencies during emergencies. Tawde has asked the disaster control room chief to announce such unscheduled school holidays in consultation with the civic chief.
Despite reports of waterlogging on Monday morning, the government did not declare a school holiday till late in the day. Several Mumbaikars said morning session students and school staff were thus inconvenienced and put at risk.
Disaster control room officials said the department already has a Twitter account and will create a WhatsApp group of various schools to ensure that henceforth messages can be sent out minutes after a decision is taken.
Principals have welcomed the move. 'We depend on the government for instructions because we are not experts on gauging any emergency situation. If the disaster control room gives us a warning through a messaging network, we will be able to tell students what to do. If a holiday is announced very late, children would be already in school. This creates panic and doesn't serve any purpose," said Prashant Redij, member of the Mumbai Principals' Association.
The Right to Education Act requires schools to keep their annual holidays under 76 and hence principals are hesitant to declare a day off. "While unaided schools take their own decisions, the aided schools are worried about coming under the department's scrutiny," said a school principal.


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Italy's 5-star movement leader calls for peaceful protests
Anti-establishment 5-Star Movement leader Luigi Di Maio speaks at the media after a round of consultations with Italy's newly appointed Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at the Lower House in Rome, Italy, May 24, 2018. REUTERS/Tony Gentile
ROME (Reuters) - Italy's 5-Star Movement leader on Monday called on supporters to protest peacefully, a day after a standoff with the president forced it to abandon efforts to form a coalition government with the far-right League.
"Let's not give up now, we must not give in to the arrogance of the institutions which have decided to keep people from making decisions for their own country," Luigi Di Maio said, speaking live on Facebook.
"Make some noise, it is important that we do so all together," Di Maio added.
The 31-year-old leader said the anti-establishment group would organise peaceful walks and rallies in all Italian cities, including an event in Rome on June 2 - a national holiday celebrating when the country became a republic in 1946.
He also reiterated the group had never planned for Italy to exit the eurozone.
Reporting by Giulia Segreti, editing by Steve Scherer


text:
Gildan Announces Agreement to Acquire Peds Legwear Inc.
MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - July 27, 2016) -
(all amounts are in U.S. dollars)
Gildan Activewear Inc. (TSX:GIL)(NYSE:GIL) today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the equity interest of Peds Legwear Inc. (Peds) for a total cash consideration of $55 million. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close before the end of August 2016.
Peds is a marketer of quality foot apparel and legwear products, including ladies no-show liners, socks and sheer, and therapeutic hosiery sold mainly under the Peds® and MediPeds® brands to U.S. and Canadian retailers. The company currently generates annual sales of approximately $80 million supported by sourced production and a company-owned state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution facility in Hildebran, North Carolina.
"The Peds® brand comes with a strong heritage, particularly in the ladies category, and is a good complementary addition to Gildan's growing portfolio of brands," said Glenn Chamandy, President and CEO of Gildan.
The acquisition is expected to create revenue growth opportunities by leveraging Gildan's existing customer relationships to broaden the channels of distribution for the Peds® and MediPeds® brands and by extending these brands into Gildan's other product categories. In addition, Peds current distribution into the footwear channel provides broader access in this channel for Gildan's brands and product portfolio.
"This company was originally founded 80 years ago in Quebec and we are proud to have successfully built Peds® and MediPeds® into such strong brands," said Michael Penner, Chief Executive Officer, Peds Legwear. "Gildan has had great success over the years building its manufacturing leadership and strong portfolio of brands and we feel it is well-positioned to take the Peds brands to new heights."
Caution concerning forward-looking statements
Certain statements included in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Canadian securities legislation and regulations, and are subject to important risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. This forward-looking information includes, amongst others, information with respect to our objectives and the strategies to achieve these objectives, as well as information with respect to our beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates, and intentions. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of conditional or forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "project", "assume", "anticipate", "plan", "foresee", "believe" or "continue" or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. We refer you to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as the risks described under the "Financial risk management", "Critical accounting estimates and judgments", and "Risks and uncertainties" sections of the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three and six-month periods ended July 3, 2016 and for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2016 for a discussion of the various factors that may affect the Company's future results. Material factors and assumptions that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection are also set out throughout such documents and this press release.
Forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and the results or events predicted in such forward-looking information may differ materially from actual results or events. Material factors, which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from a conclusion, forecast or projection in such forward-looking information, include, but are not limited to:
our ability to implement our growth strategies and plans, including achieving market share gains, obtaining and successfully introducing new sales programs, implementing new product introductions, increasing capacity, implementing cost reduction initiatives, and completing and successfully integrating acquisitions, including the Alstyle and Peds acquisitions;
the intensity of competitive activity and our ability to compete effectively;
adverse changes in general economic and financial conditions globally or in one or more of the markets we serve;
our reliance on a small number of significant customers;
the fact that our customers do not commit contractually to minimum quantity purchases;
our ability to anticipate, identify or react to changes in consumer preferences and trends;
our ability to manage production and inventory levels effectively in relation to changes in customer demand;
fluctuations and volatility in the price of raw materials used to manufacture our products, such as cotton, polyester fibres, dyes and other chemicals;
our dependence on key suppliers and our ability to maintain an uninterrupted supply of raw materials and finished goods;
the impact of climate, political, social and economic risks in the countries in which we operate or from which we source production;
disruption to manufacturing and distribution activities due to such factors as operational issues, disruptions in transportation logistic functions, labour disruptions, political or social instability, bad weather, natural disasters, pandemics and other unforeseen adverse events;
changes to international trade legislation that the Company is currently relying on in conducting its manufacturing operations or the application of safeguards thereunder;
factors or circumstances that could increase our effective income tax rate, including the outcome of any tax audits or changes to applicable tax laws or treaties;
compliance with applicable environmental, tax, trade, employment, health and safety, anti-corruption, privacy and other laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate;
operational problems with our information systems as a result of system failures, viruses, security and cyber security breaches, disasters, and disruptions due to system upgrades or the integration of systems;
adverse changes in third party licensing arrangements and licensed brands;
our ability to protect our intellectual property rights;
changes in our relationship with our employees or changes to domestic and foreign employment laws and regulations;
negative publicity as a result of actual, alleged or perceived violations of labour and environmental laws or international labour standards, or unethical labour or other business practices by the Company or one of its third-party contractors;
our dependence on key management and our ability to attract and/or retain key personnel;
changes to and failure to comply with consumer product safety laws and regulations;
changes in accounting policies and estimates;
exposure to risks arising from financial instruments, including credit risk, liquidity risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, as well as risks arising from commodity prices;
the adverse impact of any current or future legal and regulatory actions; and
an actual or perceived breach of data security.
These factors may cause the Company's actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements do not take into account the effect that transactions or non-recurring or other special items announced or occurring after the statements are made, may have on the Company's business. For example, they do not include the effect of business dispositions, acquisitions, other business transactions, asset write-downs, asset impairment losses or other charges announced or occurring after forward-looking statements are made. The financial impact of such transactions and non-recurring and other special items can be complex and necessarily depends on the facts particular to each of them.
There can be no assurance that the expectations represented by our forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. The purpose of the forward-looking statements is to provide the reader with a description of management's expectations regarding the Company's future financial performance and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by applicable legislation or regulation. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
Gildan is a leading manufacturer and marketer of quality branded basic family apparel, including T-shirts, fleece, sport shirts, underwear, socks, hosiery, and shapewear. The Company sells its products under a diversified portfolio of company-owned brands, including the Gildan®, Gold Toe®, Anvil®, Comfort Colors®, Alstyle®, Secret®, Silks®, Kushyfoot®, Secret Silky® and Therapy Plus™ brands. Sock products are also distributed through the Company's exclusive U.S. sock license for the Under Armour® brand, and a wide array of products is also marketed through a global license for the Mossy Oak® brand. The Company sells its products through two primary channels of distribution, namely printwear and retail markets. The Company distributes its products in printwear markets in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. In retail markets, the Company sells its products to a broad spectrum of retailers primarily in the U.S. and Canada and also manufactures for select leading global athletic and lifestyle consumer brands.
About Peds Legwear
Peds Legwear has grown into a leader in the legwear industry. The company's focus on innovation, product quality and customer service has given it the competitive edge. The company's product offering includes socks, no-show liners and therapeutic and sheer hosiery. The company manufactures some of their products in a state-of-the-art facility in Hildebran, North Carolina and sources the balance of the quality foot apparel products, sold primarily to U.S and Canadian retailers.
Peds Legwear takes enormous pride in giving consumers top-notch legwear at accessible prices, providing great brands, superior merchandising, customer service, logistics, and best-in-class production in the field of legwear. The company places the utmost value on acting with integrity while working with its factories, customers, employees and consumers. For more information, visit www.peds.com.
Vice-President, Corporate Communications & Marketing


Welcome to the Carroll County Delegation Regional Appropriations Policy meeting from 1/12/15. The Delegation met to review the 2015 County budget. They met at the County Complex, 95 Water Village Rd, Ossipee and it began at 9:00 am.


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Front Bench Team
In Parliament
Rory Stewart MP "I am going to make tackling climate change increasingly central to DFID's work."
By CFID / 2 months ago
Commenting on the publication of the Commons International Development Committee's report on the use of UK aid to combat climate change, Secretary of State for International Development, Rory Stewart, said he will "make tackling climate change increasingly central to DFID's work". You can read the full statement below.
Statement from the Secretary of State for International Development on the publication of Commons International Development Committee report.
We are facing a climate cataclysm. One million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction. We need to take radical steps or we – and our planet – will face an irreversible catastrophe.
The ice shelf is shrinking, oceans are rising and global carbon emissions are increasing. This is before we even count the cost on humans.
This report by the International Development Committee published today [Wednesday 8 May] makes for sobering reading. We need new ways of working and a new direction. We need wholesale change. I take this report very seriously. Although we have done much already to tackle climate change, I feel strongly we can do more. I am going to make tackling climate change increasingly central to DFID's work.
As International Development Secretary, I want to put climate and the environment at the heart of what this government does to protect our planet for future generations. I would argue spending 0.7 per cent of our gross national income on aid makes a difference, not just to the developing world, but to the UK as well.
I want to see more of the UK aid budget spent on climate and the environment, particularly on research and development. As climate extremes worsen, it is the world's poorest countries and communities which will be most affected, but this is a global issue.
Tackling climate change is not only the right thing to do. It is a very smart thing to do.
We all breathe the same air as people in China and India and tackling issues like climate change matters to us all. The UK cannot solve such problems alone.
Don't forget to spread the word:
Written by CFID
Copyright © 2015 CFID All rights reserved.


Theodor Herzl (b. May 2, 1860, Pest, Kingdom of Hungary–d. July 3, 1904, Reichenau an der Rax, Austria-Hungary) was trained as a lawyer and enjoyed a successful career in journalism. He was a correspondent for Viennese newspaper Neue Freie Presse in Paris before becoming literary editor of Neue Freie Presse.
As the Paris correspondent for Neue Freie Presse, Herzl followed the Dreyfus affair, an antisemitic incident in France. Covering the case made him desire a Jewish homeland. In 1897, at considerable personal expense, he founded the Zionist newspaper Die Welt in Vienna and planned the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland; he was elected president of the Congress. In 1898 he began a series of diplomatic initiatives to build support for a Jewish country.


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Shame on Corporations Using COVID-19 Pandemic to Attack Workers
Blog | Corporate Greed
Kenneth Quinnell
While the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks its havoc on the world's population, working people are on the front lines, joining together to save lives and keep the United States running. And many are paying the ultimate price. The latest numbers from the CDC show that nearly 400,000 Americans have contracted the virus and more than 12,000 have died. We're currently facing one of the most challenging events in recent history.
And some greedy corporations are using this time to attack these working people, attempting to use a crisis to roll back the rights of the very people who are dying while keeping America running.
Here are the corporations that have used the pandemic to attack the rights of working people.
Amazon: A coalition of labor and community organizations, including the AFL-CIO, wrote: "We write to you today shocked at reports that Amazon warehouses are not practicing the protocols necessary to protect the well-being of your workers and of the public. And we are outraged to hear that not only did Amazon executives NOT promptly address the concerns being articulated by your own workers, but you actually fired one of the lead whistleblowers immediately following his courageous action [March 30]. We call for the swift reinstatement of Chris Smalls to reassure all workers and observers that speaking out about improvements needed to health and safety practices right now is not only tolerated, but WELCOMED as critically important to all of our well-being."
Everlane: Employees who voted to join a union at the end of 2019 were laid off before the company recognized the union. "According to one of the laid-off employees (who has requested anonymity, but who we'll call Megan for this article) the local Communications Workers of America (CWA) union sent a letter to Everlane seeking job reinstatement and union recognition. The union members asked for formal recognition on March 23, just days before the layoffs. The intention to unionize was first announced at the end of 2019, but because of the 'high turnove'" rate of the role, according to Megan, they weren't able to reach a strong enough majority until March. Megan added that Everlane did not respond to the unionization effort before they were laid off." Everlane has denied the layoffs were related to the union drive.
Kennedy Center: After President Donald Trump signed relief legislation that included $25 million for the Kennedy Center, management laid off National Symphony Orchestra members. The District of Columbia Federation of Musicians/AFM Local 161-710 accused the Kennedy Center of violating the collective bargaining agreement that covers the orchestra members. The co-chair of the federation, Steve Wilson, said: "Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter illegally decided to stop paying us, and refused to promise to continue our healthcare past May. We have, throughout, been willing to collaborate and discuss ways to work with Kennedy Center management during this challenging time. Illegally breaking our contract isn't an option here." After the union complained, the center reversed its decision.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago): "Lauri Mazurkiewicz, a nurse who lives outside Chicago, grew nervous when she was repeatedly exposed to patients diagnosed with covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. 'This is so contagious. It's spreading so fast. I need an N95 mask....She happened to have an N95 and began wearing it during her rounds at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, she said, but was told the hospital was prohibiting the use of N95 masks and using regular surgical masks instead....She sent an email warning her colleagues that those masks were less effective. She was fired shortly afterward—the result, she alleged in a lawsuit against the hospital, of her attempts to 'disclose public corruption and/or wrongdoing.'"
Oklahoma Heart Hospital (Oklahoma City): "Kevin Readel, another nurse in Oklahoma City, said he was fired for a similar reason—but in his case, it was for insisting on wearing a mask while with patients. He said he was told 'point blank that I can't wear a mask' because it 'could cause fear and anxiety amongst the other nurses and the patients.' He filed a suit against Oklahoma Heart Hospital South for wrongful termination, claiming that 'the hospital was more concerned about the perception of due diligence than actually performing due diligence.'"
Powell's Bookstore: After announcing that the bookstore would lay off most of its workforce because of the coronavirus pandemic, Powell's said they were hiring 100 workers, full-time and with benefits. "The International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 5, says only 49 of those 100-plus staffers were laid off in the first place. The others 'are management staff, doing frontline bookseller, shelver and shipping work, instead of the union workers who were trained to do this work and did that work every day....While frontline booksellers, shelvers and shippers remain on layoff status, Powell's has trumpeted the fact that 'over 100 workers' have been brought back to work. While we understand the difficult nature of the situation COVID-19 has created in our society, we remain incredibly disappointed in how Powell's has dealt with this situation and treated workers.'"
Select Specialty Hospital (Oklahoma City): A nurse, Laura Moreno, was told she could not wear a protective mask in the hospital's common areas. "I was told if I wanted to wear a mask, I would not be working there. So I said I'm not willing to put my life at risk, and my contract was terminated....But by the next afternoon, after The Post had contacted the hospital, she said hospital officials 'had completely changed their tune' and decided to allow nurses to wear masks throughout the hospital and not just in patient rooms. On Friday, she went back to work."
This list will be updated as more stories come in.
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Explore the Issue


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/ Home / Press office / Design graduates show their work to the world at major industry event
Design graduates show their work to the world at major industry event
New Designers 2019 brings more than 3000 early career designers together with employers and industry
Hollie Owen - Loop Hanger
Mr Toby Leigh
Graduating students from the University's BA (Hons) 3D Design programme are showcasing what they can offer employers at an influential event in London this week.
New Designers takes place at the Business Design Centre, Islington from June 26–29 and July 3–6. Each year, the show gathers more than 3000 newly qualified designers and over 100 new creative businesses under one roof together with design educators, professionals and consumers, making it a key opportunity for graduates to network with future colleagues and employers.
The University's 3D Design programme is unique in that it offers students three possible pathways to choose from. The course takes two stands for the second week of New Designers, one showcasing the work of graduates from the Product Designer and Designer Maker strands, and one with a focus on those coming out of the Spatial and Interior discipline.
For recruiters from design consultancies and manufacturers such as Dyson and Lego, the event is a hunting ground for new talent. It is also a chance for new graduates to meet University alumni who have already established themselves in the design profession – opening up new networks and employment opportunities.
Polly Macpherson is Associate Professor of Design and Award Leader for the Designer Maker pathway. She said:
"As they come to the end of their undergraduate studies, New Designers is a key stepping stone on our students' career journeys. To travel to London and get the chance to mingle with their peers, employers and practising designers takes our graduates out of their University comfort zone and gives them a fantastic introduction to the industry, building on the links they have already made during the course.
"The event is also a chance for students to benefit from our networks as design professionals, and to take inspiration from University alumni who have gone before them in forging successful careers in the field."
Roy Tam is Associate Head of School and Lecturer on the BA (Hons) 3D Design course, and leads the University delegation to New Designers. He added:
"New Designers is the must-go event for graduates to show off their three years' of design work in front of employers and design media. The press loves discovering new talent there, helping our graduates build credibility and stand out from the crowd. Many of our graduates then get selected to exhibit in major shows like the London Design Festival.
"One highlight is the chance to meet renowned designers who comb the exhibition as judges, searching for future star designers and handing out many awards – our students gain experience presenting their work to these professionals, and are consistently shortlisted or winners.
"The event is a success for our students every year, and above all shows the course's unique selling points: that each student stands out as an individual, thanks to the multidisciplinary nature of the programme, and the wide range of skills it equips them with."
3D Design Degree shows
Hollie Owen
Graduate Show '19
Polly named as judge on C4's new show
Polly Macpherson is one of two judges on Kirstie's Celebrity Craft Masters. Due to air from 1 July, each day will see celebrities go head to head to win Kirstie's craft trophy after a day with a professional craftsperson who will teach them to make three items. Polly said:
"People enjoy the physical process of making things. The excitement of being able to take a lump of clay, for example, and make a pot out of it – and to say, 'I did that!' With life being very digitalised now, physically making something is great for mental health and that feeling of achievement whatever the level of craftsmanship."
Learn more about Polly's role on the show
Kirstie Allsopp with judges Piyush Suri and Polly Macpherson (Image: Raise the Roof Productions)
School of Art, Design and Architecture
Shaping our environment, buildings and everyday objects is what makes us, us.
Learn more about the School of Art, Design and Architecture


100th Day of School Activities – Can I get a copy of that?
As a high school teacher, it's just the tenth day of the second semester. But if you are an elementary teacher, it's a big deal! A. Really. Big. Deal.
With a wife who's taught both kindergarten and first grade as well as a son who currently in first grade, I've heard a lot about the 100th day of school. From those conversations I created some great downloads that blend together the most popular 100th day of school activities.
A $100 bill 11 x 17 placemat where your students can draw a picture of his or her self at 100-years-old on the face of the bill. I also have a regular letter 8.5 x 11 sized one as well.
For the back of the $100 bill placement I have several different options to choose from including a ten frame with snack names listed, a blank ten frame so you can use your own snacks, and an activity page with two 100 themed worksheets.
A popular 100th day activity is having the students imagine what it will be like to be 100-years-old. The students draw self-portraits at 100 as well as write what life will be like at that age in the future. I added a modern twist to the writing / drawing activity by creating an Instagram themed paper handout to do it on.
Here's four of the 19 pages.
One of the worksheets is this coin flipping handout. A student flips a coin 100 times. Each time the student marks the results–heads or tails. At the end s/he counts how many heads and tails and then adds them together. Pssst, they should get 100.
Another popular activity is having the students make 100th day of school headbands.
Check out my 39 page 100th Day of School Super Bundle for only $3. However, for being a loyal reader, here's a free PDF of the 100 years old self-portrait on a $100 bill as well as the coin flipping handout shown above.


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Massive review of fracking science confirms the industry poses a serious threat to both environment and human health
"All together, the data show that fracking impairs the health of people who live nearby, especially pregnant women, and swings a wrecking ball at the climate,"
NationofChange Staff
A new scientific review of nearly 1,500 fracking studies, government reports, and investigative reports clearly show the overwhelmingly negative effect fracking poses to the environment and human health.
84 percent of the studies analyzed by doctors and scientists, all of which were published between 2009-2015 concluded that the fracking industry is detrimental to human health.
What's more, states Physicians for Social Responsibility and Concerned Health Professionals of New York, who released the report, drilling, fracking, and reliance on natural gas are incompatible with climate solutions.
The full review, named Compendium of Scientific, Medical, and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of Fracking, sixth edition, was conducted by scientists, doctors, and experts that have extensive experience with the issue.
There is a substantive body of evidence nowadays versus ten years ago when there were only a handful of peer-reviewed studies, says the report. The final analysis concludes that "the vast majority of evidence points to serious risks and harms from drilling, fracking, and related infrastructures like pipelines and compressor stations."
Furthermore, public health implications grow increasingly serious as more and more people live close to an active natural gas project. At least six percent of the U.S. population currently lives within a mile of an active oil or gas well.
"All together, the data show that fracking impairs the health of people who live nearby, especially pregnant women, and swings a wrecking ball at the climate," said Sandra Steingraber, PhD, co-founder of Concerned Health Professionals of New York. "We urgently call on political leaders to act on the knowledge we've compiled."
Additional alarming information from the report included:
Public health effects associated with drilling and fracking include poor birth outcomes, cardiovascular and respiratory impacts, and cancer risks.
Fracking infrastructure—including gas-fired power plants, pipelines, sand mining, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities—poses serious exposure risks to those living nearby.
Drilling and fracking contribute to toxic air pollution and smog (ground-level ozone) at levels known to have health impacts. Workers are at special risk.
Fracking raises human rights and environmental justice issues.
Fracking and disposal of fracking waste threaten drinking water.
The report also notes that due to methane leaks, natural gas extraction could be contributing to climate change even more than coal.
"The state of New York banned fracking in 2014 on the basis of those 400 studies," said Steingraber. "As of April, there were 1,778 studies. So we have more than 4 times the amount of evidence as we did then, and the evidence that fracking cannot be done safely has only been reinforced by the new literature."
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Energy saving "bonus" for apartment renters
I live in an apartment building with three units, but only one gas meter, one electric meter, and one water meter. As a result, there is no inherent incentive to save water and energy, and no fair way to allocate utility expenses among residents.
In this case, separating the utilities for each apartment is impractical -- it was originally a single-family dwelling which was split into apartments, and in many cases a single circuit serves two or even all three apartments. There are a number of other reasons why it may be impractical in other cases as well.
I thought of a way if I owned such a building, to create an incentive for tenants to save water and energy that would be fair.
With a year or two of historical bills, set the rent where it makes sense to cover all utilities without putting effort into reducing usage.
As the owner, invest a bit in simple ways to save such as replacing lights with LED bulbs, installing a programmable thermostat, re-caulking windows, etc.
Over the course of the year, each resident, to the extent they're able, does their best to reduce water and energy usage by their behavior.
At the end of the year, calculate how much money was saved compared to historical expenses.
Take off some amount (say 20%) to cover the owner's investment, then divide the rest among the residents in proportion to the rent they pay.
I can see some issues of residents being upset if one is traveling frequently and others are home often, but since it's a bonus and proportional to the rent, I think it's a bit of an easier sell.
Has anyone seen such a system in place, or are there examples of similar systems which have been used?
energy water housing renting
LShaver
LShaver♦LShaver
A better alternative would be to have separate utility meters for each apartment. I'm surprised that for an apartment building with only three units it wasn't done that way to start with. – Fred Dec 5 '17 at 10:59
@Fred the building is from around 1900, renovated first some time in the 40s, and then separated into apartments some time in the 70s. Setting up separate utilities is the best option, but in this case and many others, it would be costly and impractical. I edited the question to point this out -- I'm looking for ways to create an incentive when separate utilities is not an option. – LShaver♦ Dec 5 '17 at 15:53
Separate utility meters is always an option. Incentivising the landlord to install them is the problem. It sounds like you are unhappy about having to subsidise your neighbours' extravagance and wastefulness, and are trying to find a "plan" that you could pitch to your apathetic landlord which you hope will... ultimately... result in your utility bills coming down — is that correct? – Tim Jan 25 '18 at 17:36
Your system fails immediately when prices rise. Since prices rising is inevitable, your system will inevitably fail. Even if it did work for a year, you hit diminishing returns right-away, and there goes the motivation for further/continuing effort.
This is a problem that cannot be solved by playing with numbers on a spreadsheet. Group rewards don't promote individual responsibility because the benefits of individual sacrifice get too diluted. Only individual meters will promote individual responsibility.
The root of the problem that you are trying to solve has nothing to do with the tenants — the problem is with the landlord.
Landlords are, by definition, rent seekers. They want passive income for minimal, preferably no effort.
As long as the landlord can just 'pass the buck' down to the tenants (i.e. get them to pay all the bills, regardless of how large those bills get), they will do so. They don't care about responsibility. They don't care about fairness. They don't care about the environment. They just want profits. And they don't want to spend a cent or lift a finger to collect those profits.
Installing individual meters is entirely possible, and not even that expensive (especially for only three dwellings). But what motivation has the landlord got to install such things as long as he can legally force the tenants to pay the bills? Absolutely none. The bills don't affect the landlord so the landlord doesn't care about the bills.
Your only hope of solving the problem is to make the landlord care about the bills.
Since landlord rights are enshrined in law, that would most logically be what needs to change in order to solve the problem. Good luck with that. Once rackets are sanctioned/protected by law they are incredibly difficult to dismantle.
In this day and age, perhaps a more appropriate way would be to publicly shame landlords into action? Create a website which acts as a register. People from around the world could report that their dwelling has a shared meter and, as a result, they are stuck paying huge bills because their wasteful neighbours don't take any responsibility for their utility usage.
If such a register became widely known and used/checked then dwellings with shared meters would see their occupancy levels drop over time. This would affect landlord incomes. This would make landlords care about utility bills. Landlords would want to see their properties removed from the register. This would prompt the installation of individual meters. This would solve the problem.
Tenants could scan/photograph a utility bill and upload it to the website, along with the address details. The website operator could quickly view the bill to verify that the bill is a shared one and that the address matches the one provided. Click a button and bang, the address goes public and appears on the register.
If you make it free to report dwellings with shared meters, many disgruntled tenants will do so. If it becomes a popular place for would-be-renters to check, then traffic levels will be high, so ad revenues could cover or exceed the cost of hosting. Submitted scans/photos need not be stored on the website — they could be down-/off-loaded and archived so they don't count towards storage quotas. All you need to keep is an address. Less than a 1 kB per dwelling. Very minimal setup, very cheap as far as running costs are concerned. World-wide scope.
The internal (or even public) project name could be the Shared Meter Register (ShaMeR)... ;)
Anyway, Yelp is based on a business model of publicly shaming companies that provide bad services. I see no reason why crowd-sourced reporting can't be leveraged to shame landlords into installing meters so that tenants receive the information they need to be more responsible in their utility usage.
I realise that none of the above actually answers your question, but I do think that the problem you have highlighted is a very important one — affecting many, many people and consequently having a noteworthy environmental impact — so it is worth discussing and finding a solution for.
If your question was more generic (e.g. 'Shared meters do not encourage responsible utility usage — how can we change that?') then perhaps the net could be cast wider and more potential solutions could be presented?
+1 for the proposed website name. One minor issue is on the verification side -- the utility bill goes to the landlord, so none of the renters would ever see it. To this end though, a simple change in laws could be to require landlords (or utilities) to send renters an annual summary of utility usage. I also updated the question to clarify precisely why separate meters is impractical -- it would involve re-wiring the whole building, since several circuits are shared between two or three apartments (which I am reminded of periodically when a breaker is tripped). – LShaver♦ Jan 25 '18 at 17:15
At my current address we have a shared meter for water, and the water company sends out individual bills that clearly shows that we are expected to pay a 1/88th share of the total bill. The handling of shared meter billing is obviously not uniform... so unless you want to reinvent the wheel for every single landlord, government area, state and country, a common approach would seem to be more likely to succeed. – Tim Jan 25 '18 at 17:22
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Bennett Oakley Solicitors offers a friendly, informal working environment. We are always looking for high-quality staff to join our busy practice. All of our staff are highly experienced and client-focused and as we are a general practice, the scope of our work is both broad and varied.
We believe in working hard and to a high standard to ensure our clients receive outstanding service and where possible exceed their expectations. We also strive to maintain a work/life balance and provide flexibility in working hours where appropriate. We want our firm to be an enjoyable place to work.
If you feel that you embody the qualities listed above then we want to hear from you. Please email your details to lawyers@bennettoakley.co.uk.
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A neat and sturdy watch by The Olivia Collection (TOC) this is a high functioning chain link timepiece which will serve you well for dress or smart wear. This watch is the ideal gift for her. Product Features: * Quartz movement. * Base metal silver tone strap. * Single row square-rectangle links design strap. * Blue rectangle dial. * Minute hour and second hand. * Stainless steel case back. Strap measurements: This watch has a fold over clasp. * Length from one end of the strap to the other: 19cm. * Length when fastened; 18cm This watch does not have the availability to remove links. Also Comes With: * 1 year sellers guarantee. Disclaimer; Please note the price reflects the fact that the watch might have small imperfections meaning slight scratch marks or blemishes but does not affect the working or the beauty of the watch.


A week ago I have posted my birthday wish. Some of my blog friends greeted me already but the truth is, my birthday is still on December. ;-) I made that post because all of a sudden, I found myself contemplating on my past birthday celebrations.
For this day, I will not be sharing another birthday wish, but some of my short and long term goals.
My first wish is to finally shed off the excess lbs I have gained in a year. Sorry for ranting so much about my weight gain. But the truth is, I am affected every time a colleague or relative would tell me that I am becoming healthier! A painless way of saying "you are getting so fat" In a span of a year, I gained 20 lbs and you know that is something not healthy too. I wanted to lose weight not for show off purposes. I just want to become healthy for the rest of my life.
I hope to find my own niche of specialization at work. Before, I always dream of promotion and position. But I later realized that position doesn't necessarily mean superiority and earning the respect from your colleagues.
Pay my debts and cut my credit cards.... Hopefully the hormones responsible for producing my shopaholic attacks will cease. ;-) I wanted to live a life without those plastic electronic devices.
A fat fat fat savings account! Not because I wanted to purchase something. I wanted to feel secured and financially independent.
I wanted to become a great educator in the eyes of my students. No, I don't mean any award or citation. I just wish that my students will remember me as one of their greatest teachers.
My first international publication! A dream that would make me feel that I still gave self worth. I wanted to become immortalized in print. Hopefully, my first attempt to enter the international field of research will be a success.
what are your birthday plans for Dec?


"Following public bidding, the City of Novi Pazar has become the owner of a wastewater treatment facility, a boiler facility, and auxiliary facilities belonging to bankrupt textile producer Raška," reads a press release from the local government.
The starting price in the auction held in Belgrade was RSD 15.2 million (about EUR 128,800), and the winning bid came in at RSD 16 million (about EUR 135,600). A zoning plan envisages the construction of a biomass heating plant on the location, the local government said, adding that the works should begin as early as this spring. It recalled that the project is worth EUR 3.6 million.
The city had also won the bid in the previous auction, held in early December, offering RSD 84 million (around EUR 710,000) for the assets, but later gave up on signing an agreement to buy the facilities.
The project is part of a wider plan for 10 district heating operators in Serbia to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
A study has shown that the biomass-fired plant could provide heating to some 170,000 new users in Novi Pazar, given that a large number of public institutions in the center of the town, newly-built residential properties, and industrial facilities are not yet connected to the district heating network, assistant mayor Faruk Suljević said earlier.


A few years ago I read a review of a mobile app called Zombies, Run! It's a neat idea, basically a narrative that you listen to while you go out in the real world and run. It's kind of like a radio play, where the DJ is the "dispatcher" who has sent you, a runner, out from your home settlement into the post-apocalyptic zombie-filled world to pick up supplies. Of course, as you're running you will come across packs of zombies and the dispatcher will exhort you to run faster as you hear zombies growling and chasing you.
Running is my least favorite exercise. It hurts and it's boring. No other exercise gives me quite the same "feels like my lungs are bleeding" feeling. But I have to admit, having some fun little narrative to focus on helps to pass the time and distract me from hating running.
The app isn't one long radio play though. You can pick music from your library to play, and the app will play these audio vignettes in between the songs (like I said, just like a DJ). However, for some reason, the only music the app recognized from my library was an album by Florence + The Machine. Probably some weird thing with incompatible DRM.* That's OK, I can dig it. Go with the Flo, so to speak. Sorry.
Anyway, so I was running pretty regularly, every time listening to the same Florence + The Machine album, and then hearing zombies approaching in between songs. I got a little better at running, and I got in a little better shape. And then work got busy and I fell out of the habit. I should really pick it up again.
But here's the thing, I've noticed now that whenever I hear a song by Florence + The Machine, I get this paranoid feeling that zombies are going to pop out around the corner and start chasing me. So if we're hanging out somewhere and "The dog days are ooooverrrr……" starts coming out of the speaker, that's why I'm looking around and checking all the blind spots.
* Sidenote; Apple, your iTunes software is bad and you should feel bad.


1. Think about your anxiety and write down, on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the most severe), how you currently feel. (Slightly agitated, moderately agitated, or extremely agitated.) If you can get the upset down to 1, it is quite possible it will stay that way. (The scale is known as the Subjective Units of Distress or SUD scale).
2. Now, Tap 5 times under your eye, centered on the bony orbit, high on the cheek.
3. Tap 5 good taps again using the two fingers, under you arm, about 4 inches below the armpit.
4. Now, locate your collarbone, down the throat to the bone, then down another inch and one inch to the right and tap 5 times.
5. Re-access your feelings on the SUD scale again. If the decrease this time is 2 or more points go to the "Gamut" treatments below. If however there is no significant decrease proceed to the PR (Psychological Reversal) Algorithm below.
6. Tap and whirl you eyes around in a circle in the OPPOSITE direction. Continue tapping but rest your eyes for a moment.
9. Tap and hum a few notes of your tune again.
Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 of the original algorithm above. End the session with a "floor to ceiling eye roll". Keeping your head held level, look down, then slowly and steadily raise your eyes all the way up. The gamut spot must be tapped during the moving of the eyes. You should experience no anxiety at the conclusion.
7. Now, Tap 5 times, with two fingers, at the beginning of your eyebrow, strong enough to put a little energy in your system.
8. Now, locate you collarbone, down the throat to the bone, then down another inch and one inch to the right and tap 5 times.
9. Re-access your feelings on the SUD scale again. If the decrease this time is 2 or more points go the the "Gamut" treatments above. If however there is no significant decrease proceed to the "mini" PR (Psychological Reversal) below.
1. Locate the spot on the outside edge of either hand about midway between the wrist and the base of the little finger (About the middle of the karate chop area) and tap 5 times.
3. Re-access your feelings again using the SUD scale. If your SUD has declined to 1 end the session with a "floor to ceiling eye roll". Keeping your head held level, look down, then slowly and steadily raise your eyes all the way up. The gamut spot must be tapped during the moving of the eyes. You should experience no depression at the conclusion.
4. If the decrease is not down to 1 stop the process, relax, seek professional help.


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Robbie Mulhern has set a brilliant example for all youngsters in the game
Robbie Mulhern is developing into one of Hull KR's most consistent forwards. Image Source - twitter.com
In 2015, Mulhern was on dual-registration with Hunslet from Leeds, now he is an established Hull KR player, impressing with every game.
by Callum Walker (article) and Parasshuram Shalgar (video)
Robbie Mulhern has always been rated highly in the world of Rugby League. After playing for Castleford Panthers and Normanton Knights as an amateur and after having a spell in Wakefield Trinity's academy, Mulhern was signed by Leeds Rhinos, arguably the club with the greatest youth conveyor belt in the game. After playing three times for the Rhinos in Super League in 2014 and impressing in Leeds' pre-season games in 2015, Mulhern was given a new three-year contract. But, 2015 was Leeds' treble-winning season and opportunities were hard to come by; he registered just two more appearances for the club in 2015, but 20 whilst on-loan at dual-registration partners Hunslet.
Move to Humberside
The signs that Mulhern was no longer in Leeds' short-term thinking were evident when he was omitted from Leeds' 25-man squad for the 2016 season. For the former England Under 18s player and current Irish international, it was a bitter blow. But, 21-year-old Mulhern took the decision on the chin, opting to leave Headingley for Hull KR in December 2015. It was a bold move; Mulhern could easily have sat out his contract at Leeds, hoping for another opportunity.
Instead, he desired first-team rugby. Though the 2016 season was a disaster for the Robins - they were relegated from the top-flight - Mulhern became a regular in the side, registering 21 appearances.
It was Hull KR's season in the Championship where Mulhern hit the form that his lack of game time in Leeds' first-team had not allowed him to.
He notched up 27 appearances in KR's devastatingly impressive 2017 season, becoming a thorn in the opposition's side. Not only was Mulhern becoming a metre-making, physical forward, he was also developing an offload game - now key in the modern Super League era. It is utterly remarkable how Mulhern has gone from the periphery of selection to an almost guaranteed starter in head coach Tim Sheens' reckoning.
Established Super League player
Yes, Mulhern had done it in the Championship, but, Super League is a different kettle of fish entirely. The step-up is significant - especially for a forward. So, when Hull KR took to the field against Wakefield in their first game back in the top-flight after a year's absence, few expected the KR pack to live with their Trinity counterparts.
And, on the whole, the Robins' pack was dominated by Wakefield's. Yet, Mulhern was one of the shining lights in the Hull KR side that night, working tirelessly in defence and attack for his side.
After five games, no one can doubt that the Leeds-born 23-year-old is brimming with confidence and is hitting the heights which had first attracted Leeds to him all those years ago. He is KR's top tackler with an incredible 223 and has made an impressive 87 carries and 620 metres with only powerhouse winger Justin Carney above him in carries and metres. However, it was Hull KR's superb 6-38 victory away at Huddersfield on Thursday night which demonstrated just how far Mulhern had come under Sheens whilst at the red-and-white club of Hull.
Determined not to give up
All night, Mulhern harassed and harried the Giants' forwards and caused a huge amount of problems for the Huddersfield defence. But, it was the 63rd minute of that game where Mulhern sent social media into overdrive. Picking up a Jordan Rankin kick, the 6 ft 4, 104kg monster ran 80 metres - grimacing all the way - swatting off Danny Brough and then Jermaine McGillvary before coolly passing to James Greenwood who romped home under the sticks.
Mulhern found the strength from somewhere for his team; it was a true depiction of his Rugby League career so far: outcast by Leeds, he was determined not to give up just as he was determined to carry the ball as far as he could on that scintillating run. Now, both Hull KR and Mulhern himself are reaping the rewards of his exit from Leeds.
His brave decision to move from comfortable surroundings at Headingley to the unknown at Hull KR, sets an incredibly good example for any youngsters out there that are struggling with the same issue that Mulhern faced whilst at the Rhinos. He had the self-belief, he knew could make it in the game and now he is hitting the form of his life. Never give up.
Callum Walker
-Ardent Rugby League and Castleford Tigers fan with a love for writing. University of Leeds First-Class Graduate in International History & Politics. .
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Read more on the same topic from Callum Walker:
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Singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Ryan Kinder is a heartfelt performer with a bent toward soulful country and pop. Kinder was born August 1, 1988, in Knoxville, Tennessee but raised in Birmingham, Alabama, where his first interests were baseball and hunting. Influenced early on by such artists as John Mayer, Brad Paisley, Garth Brooks, Marc Broussard, and others, he taught himself how to play guitar, and was soon writing his own songs. He began playing gigs at local and regional venues while he was still in high school, and he continued playing local clubs and frat parties after moving on to attend the University of Alabama. In 2007, he released his independent debut, Ryan Kinder.
Brandon Ray was born in the small West-Texas town of Big Spring. Raised on Rock n' Roll, Country and Motown he picked up the guitar at the young age of 13. At 18 he was out on the road touring with his first band. They played 750 shows in 3 years including supporting the likes of Fall Out Boy, Switchfoot and grueling summers on Vans Warped Tour.
Brandon moved to Nashville in 2008 to pursue a career in songwriting. After arriving in Nashville, Brandon landed a publishing deal, played guitar for Brett Eldredge on tour (including Taylor Swift's Red Tour) and lent his vocal to numerous demos for various publishers and songwriters in Nashville…. all while developing his own sound.
During the past year Ray has opened for artists such as Kip Moore, Jon Pardi, Martina McBride, Frankie Ballard, Craig Morgan, A Thousand Horses, Chase Rice, Craig Morgan, Bobby Bones & The Raging Idiots and David Nail.
Ray's recent release "Ends of The Earth" (Produced by Ross Copperman and Keith Urban) is available now.


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Members Remember Fondly The Day MLK Jr. Spoke At Paterson's Community Baptist ChurchDr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave one of his last speeches at a church in Paterson. People who were there that day, almost 52 years ago, returned to the site Monday to show how it changed their lives.
Super Police Dog, Innovative Company Partnering To Find Many Missing Persons In Bergen CountyIt's as if she has no Kryptonite. A super-dog has already rescued dozens of people in Bergen County all on her own. But this police canine is getting some help to track down even more.
Judge Edward McLaughlin
David Tarloff Could Face Another Trial For Meat Cleaver Killing Of TherapistIt has been nearly six years since Kathryn Faughey was slashed to death with a meat cleaver in her Midtown office. David Tarloff has been through two mistrials.


This program will help you and stay get motivated in only 30 days. Get ready to live the life of your dreams now!
To understand the importance of mission, vision, goals and long term thinking in order to get and stay motivated.
Are you motivated? Would you like to be more motivated? In this unique program, motivational speaker and book author Shawn Doyle will show you exactly how to get and stay motivated. The innovative idea behind this program is that you take one module each day on a different motivational topic for 30 days. Why? We believe that motivation is not an event but a process.
This content packed program includes videos, audios, tips, tools and checklists to help you take an introspective look at every area of your life, including some information and ideas that you will learn about that you never knew or heard of before. In one short month you will look at each area that has an impact on your motivation and on your life. Get ready to build the life of your dreams and maximize your true potential!
- What is work and how does it affect your life?
So are you ready to be motivated, inspired, fired up and ready to live the best life possible? To really finally and totally live life to the fullest? Want to make all your dreams come true? Want to get the tools and techniques and resources you need to be motivated? This program is the one you must take!
in this program introduction, Shawn Doyle shares with you an overview of this 30 day motivational makeover.
How to define passion and how to find your passion, and how to get and stay passionate in your life.
A shocking number of people don't set goals every year. In this module Shawn shows you how important it is to set goals, and how to set them and be accountable to yourself.
Do you want more energy? More enthusiasm? Then fitness and nutrition will do it. In this module Shawn shares with you his personal story of fitness and nutrition, and one of the key elements to help you stick to it.
What are the causes of stress? How can we manage it and control it? In this module Shawn provides tools tips and techniques to manage your stress.
One of the key elements in getting and staying motivated is to have a balanced life- including social activities. In thsi program Shawn talks about techniques for being a social person.
Day 5: How Social is Your Social Life ?
Are hobbies important for getting and staying motivated? In this program Shawn shows you from a scientific standpoint why hobbies are actaually inportant for yiur well being.
In order to be motivated- you have to think as motivation as a process and not an event. If that is true than habits are the key to your success. In this program Shawn outlines the things you need to tink about when llooking at your habits.
There are many things you can't control but the thing you can control is your reactions to what happens around you. Shawn outlines the thought processes involved with controlling how you respond in order to get and stay more positive and motivated.
What do you want to achieve? The good news is there are so many great resources today to help you. In this program Shawn outlines resources to think about using as part of your journey, and how to tap into them.
What is your work? Is it just a vocation or an avocation- learn the difference and what to do about it. Shawn also gives yiu advice on how to really love what you do for work.
Day 10: What is Work?
The biggest mistake people make is thinking too small and not expanding their thinking. In this program Shawn outlines how to really think big and why it matters.
Do you work on yourself every year and are you getting better, growing and learning more? In this program Shawn shows you how to get going by educating yourself to constantly grow in your life and career.
Day 13: People: Best or Beast?
Day 15: Do You Have a Vision Board or A Boring Vision?
Day 18: is the Spirit with You or In You?
In this article Shawn covers the concept of being extraordinary in everything that you do.Why not be extraordinary?
Day 27: Why Not Be Extraordinary?
Day 29: Who Said Proud Was Wrong?