Interest rates and infrastructure: what's the connection?
The infrastructure asset class has become increasingly popular for SMSFs seeking stable income and capital appreciation in a low-growth, low interest rate environment. With interest rate movements on the horizon, John Julian, Infrastructure Investment Director, explains the connection between interest rates and infrastructure.
Infrastructure as an asset class has landed on self-managed super fund (SMSF) investors' radars recently as they have increasingly sought stable income and capital appreciation in a low-growth, low interest rate environment.
In fact, Australia was one of the first countries to attract institutional investors to infrastructure assets, and more recently opportunities have emerged for retail investors to gain exposure to this asset class.
When assessing an asset class, it's important to understand how different variables impact returns. For infrastructure, a movement in interest rates is an important variable to consider.
In a rising interest rate world, all things being equal, it might be assumed that an unlisted infrastructure asset's discount rate will rise, which would reduce the asset's value. However, there are many other variables in this situation that can impact an asset's value.
John Julian, Investment Director of AMP Capital's Core Infrastructure Fund, explains.
"Many unlisted infrastructure assets have been valued based on a long term average of interest rates, which is much higher than current rates. This gives infrastructure assets a natural buffer from increasing interest rates because their valuations have already incorporated a higher interest rate than currently observed. This will help preserve asset values," he says.
It's also important to understand that infrastructure as an asset class has many different types of investments, which respond differently to the interest rate cycle.
Some types of assets, for instance can actually derive some benefits in a rising interest rate environment.
"When interest rates rise, it tends to indicate economic growth is improving. Therefore, assets that have revenues linked to economic growth can increase their income as GDP growth increases, which can also protect against any dampening effect of a rising interest rate cycle," says Julian.
An airport is a good example. It is likely air traffic will increase, driven by increased economic growth, and that there will be higher demand for the associated services the airport provides, such as catering and shopping, leading to higher income for the asset. Therefore, as interest rates and GDP growth rises, so too will the asset's ability to generate income.
Other examples of infrastructure assets that benefit from economic growth include sea ports and certain toll roads, which benefit from increased usage due to improved economic conditions.
Furthermore, as inflation and interest rates tend to be positively correlated, those infrastructure assets which earn revenues that are linked to inflation, will benefit from the increase in inflation in an environment where interest rates are rising.
"The regulator sets a regulated return, otherwise known as a cost of capital, which reflects a number of factors including interest rates, broader market returns and prevailing debt margins. As interest rates are included in the cost of capital build-up this adds an element of protection to our return through the interest rate cycle," he adds.
Infrastructure received criticism after the financial crisis as some assets had carried too much debt and underperformed through the crisis.
This is an issue the infrastructure sector has worked through and these days most assets carry a more conservative and sustainable level of debt.
"Post-GFC gearing has been much more conservative. The rating agencies are also much more conservative in their assessment of capital structures," Julian notes.
AMP Capital's Core Infrastructure Fund gives SMSF investors access to assets like Melbourne Airport, Powerco, and Sydney's M5 toll road, assets few retail investors have been able to access in the past.
It includes both unlisted and listed assets, to help reduce volatility but ensure it has a certain amount of liquidity. It has performed well through market cycles in the past, although past performance is not an indicator of future performance.
"It has been popular with SMSF investors who want access to an asset that isn't highly correlated to equities and that generates sustainable income," Julian adds.
While any allocation to infrastructure should only form part of a long-term investment strategy, it's characteristics mean that this asset class is likely to resonate with the SMSF community.


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RESS REVIEW FROM SLOVENIA, MARCH 21, 1992
Ljubljana, 21 March - THE SLOVENEC: TRUST - THE FOUNDATION OF LABOUR - By now it has become clear to us that only societies richer than ours can afford more Socialism to a certain extent, while Slovenia at this moment has no choice but to tighten its belt and to cultivate resourcefulness and hard work and to lower the prices considerably in this still too expensive land - wrote Metod Bohinc in a lengthy commentary. It is a great pity that our policy is irrational. The weakened Demos coalition aided by certain people in high places is one of the most important parties in the coalition. Ideological variances and the fear that the Government's policy could take a turn to the right has pushed the possiblility of success into the background. The ruling coalition would be more effective if the unselfish desire for improvement were the permanent trait and the will of all active participants in the governing of this country. This naturally also goes for the opposition, the mass media, the trade unions and others. Trying to pull down the government by hook or by crook will certainly make all future cooperation difficult. The writer reasoned that the ruling coalition's extending an offer of cooperation to some of the left wing parties would present an ideal opportunity to resolve some of the conflicts, but concluded that the goodwill is still lacking for such a step to be made, although it may occur after the elections. Mr. Bohinc also predicted that the parties of the coalition will still be strong then.
The news item consists of 4.989 characters (without spaces) or 1.034 words words.
Mar 21, 1992, 09:45 sys/sys
Category: General News
Author: sys/sys

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on Friday announced list of passers for May 2013 dentist board exam - Practical Phase. Out of 266 examinees, 254 passed. A graduate of University of the East-Manila, Reina Diane Tiongson Tajonera topped the board with 83.43 percent average grade.
University of the Philippines -Manila (UP-M) got 9 highest places in the top 10.


When sending emails or messages on LinkedIn etc. you might be able to get away with the use of emojis. It all depends on who you're talking to. If you've known the person for a little while then you can probably use an emoji or two. However, if it is brand new communication then maybe refrain from using too many – at least until you've got to know them a bit more.
For example, if you're talking to a prospective employer or client then it's best to keep the emoji use to a minimum. Especially if they're older than you, as they're probably not used to using them in business. However, if the person you're talking to uses them from the start then it's probably okay to use them too. It's all about gauging the reaction of the person you're talking to.
If you run a social media page for a business then using emojis is a totally different ball game. Because social media is inherently more casual, you can probably get away with using more 'casual' forms of communication such as emojis and abbreviations.
Again though, this depends on your audience. Perhaps you run a business whose target audience is retirees. In this case, using emojis probably won't get you very far as the older generation doesn't use them as often. However, this isn't to say that a well-placed emoji can't be effective. A little smiley face here or there is something that everyone can understand. If your business is slanted towards a younger audience then you can be much more liberal with your emojis.
Gauge the reaction of the other person – if they seem very open and friendly then an emoji will probably go down well. If they are all business then refrain from using them.
Get to know people before going all in.
Make sure your emojis are used appropriately. If your business is food related on social media then some emojis like the pizza, the burger, or the chicken will go a long way.
But also be aware of using them inappropriately. If your business is planning funerals then maybe don't use any emojis.
Know your audience. A younger audience will likely engage better with more emojis, whereas the older generation will probably not understand an emoji-laden tweet.
Likewise, choose your platform. Emojis lend themselves well to Twitter – where you have a limited amount of characters so a picture can say more. Or Instagram which is more picture based.
Don't go overboard. It can be tempting to use emojis to express what you're trying to say but don't use them instead of words. Instead use them to accentuate what you've said. Using them instead of words can actually alienate some of your audience and put people off.
At fivesquid, we think there are two sides to this coin. Follow these general rules, go with what feels right for your audience which may be different to how you choose to use them personally. And if in doubt leave them out - a incorrectly inserted aubergine... well let's leave that there!


text:
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Back to Journals » Nature and Science of Sleep » Volume 8
Unihemispheric sleep and asymmetrical sleep: behavioral, neurophysiological, and functional perspectives
Authors Mascetti, Gian Gastone GG
Accepted for publication 2 February 2016
Published 12 July 2016 Volume 2016:8 Pages 221—238
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S71970
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single-blind
Peer reviewer comments 2
Editor who approved publication: Professor Steven A Shea
Video abstract presented by Professor Mascetti.
Gian Gastone Mascetti
Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
Abstract: Sleep is a behavior characterized by a typical body posture, both eyes' closure, raised sensory threshold, distinctive electrographic signs, and a marked decrease of motor activity. In addition, sleep is a periodically necessary behavior and therefore, in the majority of animals, it involves the whole brain and body. However, certain marine mammals and species of birds show a different sleep behavior, in which one cerebral hemisphere sleeps while the other is awake. In dolphins, eared seals, and manatees, unihemispheric sleep allows them to have the benefits of sleep, breathing, thermoregulation, and vigilance. In birds, antipredation vigilance is the main function of unihemispheric sleep, but in domestic chicks, it is also associated with brain lateralization or dominance in the control of behavior. Compared to bihemispheric sleep, unihemispheric sleep would mean a reduction of the time spent sleeping and of the associated recovery processes. However, the behavior and health of aquatic mammals and birds does not seem at all impaired by the reduction of sleep. The neural mechanisms of unihemispheric sleep are unknown, but assuming that the neural structures involved in sleep in cetaceans, seals, and birds are similar to those of terrestrial mammals, it is suggested that they involve the interaction of structures of the hypothalamus, basal forebrain, and brain stem. The neural mechanisms promoting wakefulness dominate one side of the brain, while those promoting sleep predominates the other side. For cetaceans, unihemispheric sleep is the only way to sleep, while in seals and birds, unihemispheric sleep events are intermingled with bihemispheric and rapid eye movement sleep events. Electroencephalogram hemispheric asymmetries are also reported during bihemispheric sleep, at awakening, and at sleep onset, as well as being associated with a use-dependent process (local sleep).
Keywords: sleep, asymmetry, unihemispheric, dolphins, seals, birds
Corrigendum for this paper has been published.
This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.
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Home Content & Games
Edtech startup Smart Study's 'Baby Shark's Big Show' to be made into a movie
in Content & Games
Smart Study's Baby Shark series is globally popular.
Smart Study, the Korean Edtech startup, announced it would produce its hit TV animation series 'Baby Shark's Big Show' into a movie with Nickelodeon, the world's largest kids entertainment channel. The startup recently won a court case of copyright infringement against an American toddler music entertainer for the rendition of the song "Baby Shark."
Season 2 and Movie of Baby Shark
'The Baby Shark's Big Show' is a series created by Smart Study and Nickelodeon using the IP (intellectual property) of 'Pinkfong Baby Shark' in 2019 and aired in the US, UK, Italy, and Australia. It will be released in the second half of this year in Korea. The movie produced this time will expand the characters and worldview of the TV series to deliver various values of life through the story of a Baby Shark who explores the world under the sea. Smart Study and Nickelodeon will also produce Season 2 of the TV series, which will air first in the US market.
Kim Min-seok, CEO of Smart Study, said, "We will recreate Baby Shark Big Show as a new TV series and movie, which will give a different kind of fun and emotion to the family audience." Nickelodeon President Ramsey Naito said, "We will present content that combines 'Super IP' by strengthening collaboration with Smart Study, which caused a syndrome with Pinkfong Baby Shark IP and the experience accumulated as the world's largest kids channel."
Baby Shark's big win in the court
Meanwhile, Smart Study received a court ruling recently that the nursery rhyme 'Shark Family,' which also appeared on the US Billboard chart, did not infringe the copyright of an American composer. Shark Family was a nursery rhyme inserted in Pinkfong, an early childhood education content, in 2015. It gained popularity with its addictive chorus and easy lyrics called 'True, True.'
On July 23, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that the plaintiff lost the lawsuit filed by American nursery rhyme composer Jonathan Robert Wright (stage name Johnny Only) against Smart Study. Johnny Only claimed that the shark family plagiarized the second work 'Baby Shark', which he remade in 2011 by giving unique characteristics to oral nursery rhymes. In March 2019, a lawsuit was filed against Smart Study to compensate for damages caused by copyright infringement. On the other hand, Smart Study countered that it was a remake of a North American nursery rhyme, not Johnny Only's Baby Shark.
The Korea Copyright Commission, designated by the court as a professional appraiser, concluded that it was not plagiarism. In Johnny Only's Baby Shark, it was judged that no new accompaniment was added from the existing oral nursery rhymes, there were no creative elements, and no substantial resemblance to the shark family was found.
South Korea now has 15 unicorn startups, 'Baby Shark' wins the case and other news
Top 5 K-Content Korean startups looking to hit the 'unicorn' status
Korean startup BEMYPET making pet-companionship fun for children with entertaining content
Korean startup Talking About Inc. globalizing YouTube content through language localization
Tags: Baby Shark's Big ShowEdtech startupMovie productionNickelodeonPinkfongSmart Study
PUBG creator Krafton shares the future vision & expansion plans ahead of IPO
Korean biotech startup Plcoskin to develop breast reconstruction material in collaboration with a Dutch company


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Link gives Wales luck of the Irish
IT sounds like a tale of internet skullduggery.
The Wales Tourist Board appeared to have taken over the website of their Irish equivalents.
Anyone logging on to www.ireland2003.co.uk until yesterday was redirected to the Wales Tourist Board site.
But far from being a case of going a bit too far in the battle to capture the tourism market, the answer to the riddle lay elsewhere - in Burnley.
A web design company, Hudtek, had registered the site, and, stuck for something to put there, linked to the Welsh site, which they thought was nicely designed.
The company has registered the Irish names up to 2010, intending to use them to publicise a bicycle trip, forcing the Irish Tourist Board to use a .com suffix instead.
A spokeswoman for the Wales Tourist Board said yesterday, "WTB had no idea about this until our colleagues in Ireland drew it to our attention.
"The address Ireland2003.co.uk was owned by a company called Hudtek Ltd in Burnley, they have control of where the address directs a user .
"Hijacking of a URL does occasionally occur, but we have no influence over it.
"We have been in touch with Tourism Ireland to assure them that this was not intentional. Although we pride ourselves in our challenging attitude to marketing Wales - guerrilla marketing is not something that we've embarked upon.
"It's obviously a compliment that Hudtek liked the design of visitwales.com".
The spokeswoman stressed that its official website address was still visit-wales.com
Cybersquatting has become an increasing problem for businesses, many of which do not realise they may be targeted or that they may need to re-register their websites.
A monitoring service launched run by Cardiff firm Eversheds and US company MarkMonitor, runs searches for companies to check whether their company name is being used without their permission.


Trichromium Silicide, Cr3Si, has been prepared by heating a mixture containing 140 parts each of copper and aluminium with 200 parts of chromium sesquioxide in a fireclay crucible; on adding a small quantity of aluminium filings an energetic action occurs, and on cooling, a metallic ingot is obtained containing crystals of the silicide, which can be separated from the metal by treating with aqua regia and then washing with water. It has also been obtained by fusing a mixture of copper and chromium with a relatively small quantity of silicon in an electric furnace, and digesting the resulting button in nitric acid. It forms grey, prismatic, arborescent crystals, of density 6.52 at 18° C., hard enough to scratch glass, but not quartz. Acids have no action on it, except hydrofluoric acid; it is only slightly attacked by sulphur, potassium chlorate, or fused potash; chlorine and bromine decompose it at red heat, and it is rapidly attacked by a mixture of potassium chlorate and nitric acid.


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Camila Cabello leads a Cinderella for the Mamma Mia! crowd
This fairy-tale jukebox musical is a comedic pop confection aimed squarely at preteens
Caroline Siede
Photo: Amazon Studios
Consider this fair warning: Writer/director Kay Cannon's new jukebox-infused take on Cinderella won't be a glass shoe that fits everyone. Those whose stomachs turn at the mere thought of Cinderella (pop star Camila Cabello) and her prince (Nicholas Galitzine) dueting to an Ed Sheeran song should stay far, far away from this PG-rated comedic pop confection aimed squarely at preteens. But for those who've attended a Greatest Showman singalong or fallen down a rabbit hole of Glee covers on YouTube, there's plenty of fun to be had in its goofily self-aware retelling of the age-old fairy tale. Cannon combines the infectious musical spirit of her Pitch Perfect screenplays with the deadpan comedic sensibility she brought to the teen half of her directorial debut, Blockers, resulting in a movie musical that's decidedly better than its disastrous trailer suggested. While this version of Cinderella likely won't top anyone's list of all-time best adaptations, it's a winking, glittering family comedy that's cohesive in tone and confident in what it wants to be. And mostly it just wants to be flashy, toe-tapping karaoke.
Kay Cannon
Camila Cabello, Nicholas Galitzine, Idina Menzel, Billy Porter, Pierce Brosnan, Minnie Driver
Select theaters and Amazon Prime September 3
Though Cannon reimagines her titular heroine as a would-be fashion designer more interested in building a career than finding a man, the film doesn't take itself seriously enough for that feminist through line to become didactic. Instead, Cinderella understands that its greatest pleasures lie in a group of immaculately dressed royal ball attendees belting out Salt-N-Pepa's "Whatta Man" while the prince and his entourage respond with The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army." Cannon keeps the musical numbers coming fast, establishing her film's fictional kingdom with Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation," introducing her prince by way of Queen's "Somebody To Love," doling out exposition via British rapper Doc Brown, and giving Cinderella the catchy original pop ballad "Million To One." It's the same proudly anachronistic spirit that animated A Knight's Tale, heightened to Broadway musical fever dream proportions—although, sadly, not to the sublime levels of Moulin Rouge! Instead Cinderella owes a lot of its goofily exuberant tone to the Mamma Mia! films, which it lampshades by casting Pierce Brosnan as a bullish king known for his "skull-splitting" singing voice.
As that line suggests, Cinderella has a comedic sensibility that sits somewhere between a self-referential modern day Disney princess flick and—unexpectedly enough—Hulu's loopy historical dark comedy The Great. (Galitzine has more than a touch of Nicholas Hoult to him.) Cannon mines bone-dry satire from the patriarchal set-up of the film's fairy-tale monarchy ("Oh it's a bad system," the prince admits), and takes advantage of Cabello's natural knack for comedy without asking her to stretch her acting chops too far. In her first major role, Cabello makes for a plucky, positive Cinderella who never gets bogged down in self-pity or self-doubt, which fits well with the film's fun-first ethos. And Cannon buoys her first-time leading lady by surrounding her with a charismatic love interest and a solid supporting cast, ranging from a frustratingly underused Minnie Driver to a perfectly underused James Corden.
Photo: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Unfortunately, the one sequence that really doesn't work is the one that's been most heavily featured in the film's marketing: Billy Porter's appearance as Cinderella's "Fabulous Godmother." A lovely idea in theory, Porter's take doesn't fit with either the film's deadpan comedic sensibility or its later earnestness. It feels carried over from a different movie altogether, and the one-note role doesn't let Porter show off the phenomenal range he's brought to projects like Pose and the Broadway musical Kinky Boots. Instead, the real scene stealer turns out to be Idina Menzel, who brings an impressive level of dignity and complexity to Cinderella's stepmother, who in this version is less evil and more cynically pragmatic. Menzel joins the ranks of Bernadette Peters, Anjelica Huston, and Cate Blanchett as women who've put a nuanced spin on the fairy tale baddie—although she's so far the only one to do so while singing Madonna's "Material Girl" in front of a hot farm boy.
For those who aren't inherently put off by its karaoke premise, Cinderella goes down as easily as a pumpkin (carriage) spice latte. Cannon drapes her film in stunning costumes, theatrical production design, and perpetual golden hour lighting, which gives the whole thing the glossy sheen of a high-budget music video. Apart from some terrible CGI mice, Cinderella's biggest misstep is choosing a lackluster song for its finale—a cardinal sin for a jukebox musical. Jennifer Lopez's "Let's Get Loud" lacks the punch needed for a properly rousing closing number, and reflects the way the film loses a bit of steam as it briefly tries to invest in the actual drama of its love story. Still, Cannon at least has fun playing around with the idea of what different kinds of happily ever after can look like. This frothy Cinderella may have all the heft of a helium balloon, but that's as much a feature as it is a bibbidi bobbidi bug.


This is a lovely old Queenslander with original timber floors. The kitchen was totally enclosed and the client's request was to open up the kitchen. By demolishing a few walls including the study, enabled us to retain the lovely timber floors. She also loved the rustic feel of a kitchen that would suit her home. The original cornice was restored and installed in the new kitchen to ensure we keep as much as possible from the original home.
One of the challenges was that we did not know the condition of the floors when the old kitchen and walls were removed. A professional timber floor sander and restorer was contracted to restore all the floor to their former glory.
Different cabinet and benchtops options were discussed and a decision was made to install plain cabinets so the client could spend more of the budget on the benchtops. The raw concrete benchtops were worth every cent and further enhanced the rustic feel.


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Headlines, Human Rights, Middle East & North Africa, North America, Religion
IRAQ: U.S. Pushes In Their Excellencies
By Adam Morrow	Reprint | | Print |
Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani
CAIRO, Nov 7 2008 (IPS) - More than five years after the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, Arab capitals are beginning to send ambassadors to Baghdad. But some Egyptian commentators question the timing of the move, which they attribute to pressure from Washington.
"Arab governments originally wanted a full withdrawal of foreign forces and a stable security environment before sending ambassadors," Ahmed Thabet, political science professor at Cairo University, told IPS. "Yet the pending U.S.-Iraq security agreement promises to turn the current military occupation of Iraq into a constitutionally sanctioned one."
In early October, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit and Petroleum Minister Sameh Fahmi visited the Iraqi capital with the stated aim of improving the two countries' long-stalled bilateral relationship. The trip represented the first by an Egyptian foreign minister since 1990, when Cairo severed diplomatic relations with Saddam Hussein's Iraq in the wake of the latter's invasion of Kuwait.
At a joint press conference with Iraqi counterpart Hoshiyar Zebari, Aboul-Gheit announced that Cairo intended to restore full diplomatic relations with Iraq and to soon dispatch an ambassador to Baghdad. He went on to say that Egypt also planned to embark on closer economic cooperation with Iraq, particularly on the reconstruction of the war-torn country's energy sectors.
"Egypt has a confirmed desire to build a strong and active Iraqi-Egyptian relationship," Aboul-Gheit told reporters.
On Oct. 14, he reiterated Egypt's intention to step up its diplomatic presence in Iraq, noting that construction of a new Egyptian embassy on the banks of Baghdad's Tigris River was close to completion.
Q&A: When Intelligence Is Used Unintelligently
IRAQ: Kidnappings Now Become 'Unofficial'
"The situation in Iraq is stabilising gradually and it demands that a country like Egypt, which has interests with Iraq, begin to give itself a presence on the ground," Aboul-Gheit was quoted as saying by the official MENA news agency. He added, however, that full diplomatic relations "would not be resumed overnight."
Ever since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, Washington has urged Sunni-Arab states to normalise diplomatic relations with the government in Baghdad. Until recently, however, Arab capitals – distrustful of the Shia-led, Iran-friendly Iraqi government – have been reluctant to comply.
Arab governments have also tried to condition the dispatch of their ambassadors on a system of power sharing more favourable to Iraq's Sunni Muslim population and the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country. Neither of these conditions has been met.
In addition, Arab governments have expressed concern for the safety of their representatives. Such worries were largely vindicated in 2005, when Egyptian diplomat Ihab al-Sherif – tentatively named Egypt's ambassador to Iraq – was kidnapped and presumed killed.
Despite these stumbling blocks, Egypt is not the only Arab state to make diplomatic overtures towards Baghdad.
In August, Bahrain appointed its first ambassador to Iraq since 2003, followed a month later by the United Arab Emirates. Kuwait followed in late October, sending its first ambassador to Baghdad since the 1990 Iraqi invasion. Jordan, too, has recently named an ambassador (although he has yet to officially assume his post), and Saudi Arabia has stated its intention to open an embassy in the Iraqi capital in the near future.
In mid-October, even Syria – frequently accused by Washington of not doing enough to curb the flow of anti-occupation fighters into Iraq from its territory – sent its first ambassador to Baghdad in decades. Diplomatic relations between Syria and Iraq, long ruled by rival factions of the pan-Arab Ba'ath Party, had been frozen for the most part since Saddam Hussein assumed presidency in 1979.
According to some Egyptian commentators, the newfound Arab enthusiasm for establishing embassies in Iraq can be attributed mainly to pressure from Washington.
"The rush to send ambassadors comes as a result of U.S. dictates," Abdel-Halim Kandil, political analyst and editor-in-chief of independent weekly Sout Al-Umma told IPS. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, he added, "has consistently pushed Washington's Arab allies in the region – Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf States – to establish embassies in Baghdad with the stated aim of 'countering Iranian influence' in Iraq."
Iran – a Shia-Persian power as opposed to a Sunni-Arab one – boasts strong ties with post-war Iraq, including a large and fully operational embassy in Baghdad.
"Unlike the Arab states, Iran already has tremendous assets in Iraq, including allied political and religious movements, armed groups, enormous bilateral trade and a shared border," said Kandil. "Since the U.S. invasion, Iraq has turned from a competitor of Iran to an Iranian sphere of influence."
Kandil went on to question official claims that the Arab diplomatic drive towards Baghdad was intended to preserve Iraq's 'Arab identity'.
"I'm afraid it's too late for that," he said. "The post-occupation constitution states that Iraq is a Muslim country, but not an Arab one. It also refers to Iraq's Sunni-Muslim population – not Iraq itself – as part of the wider Arab world.
"What's more," added Kandil, "the Arab League opened a representative office in Baghdad, which, notably, it only does in non-Arab countries."
Thabet agreed that recent Arab moves to establish diplomatic ties with Iraq were largely the result of U.S. prompting.
"By normalising relations with Baghdad, Arab governments can claim they are supporting their Sunni-Arab brethren and contesting Persian influence in Iraq," he said. "But they're actually doing it to please the U.S. and its ally Israel.
"Many Iraqis see this new Arab diplomatic drive as against their national interests," added Thabet. "They see it as little more than a U.S. attempt to legitimise the occupation and bolster Arab support for the unpopular government in Baghdad."
Thabet went on to say that some Iraqis fear recent Arab diplomatic activity "could eventually lead to the replacement of foreign occupation troops with a pan-Arab peacekeeping force to police Iraq."
Thabet also questioned the wisdom of the move in light of Iraq's still explosive security environment.
"The security situation in Iraq remains highly volatile, with almost daily acts of violence," he said. "Egypt's stated intention to send an ambassador now indicates it still doesn't understand the real situation inside the country – a mistake that led to the disappearance of its last ambassador to Iraq."
Israel - Palestine


Fitness 19 operates on a simple fitness club concept: provide an extremely affordable, family-friendly facility that offers state-of-the-art cardio, strength, and free weight equipment. Fitness 19 was founded by fitness industry veterans who believed that the traditional health club model wasn't meeting the needs of most people. The result is a simple fitness club concept – an extremely affordable, family-friendly facility that offers state-of-the-art cardio, strength, and free weight equipment. Whatever your personal fitness goals, their trainers can show you the most efficient path to reaching them. Benefit from the expertise of professionals who have the training and experience to guide you toward success.


Dense curtain fabric in half-linen. Use of different colours and materials for warp and weft enhance the grainy appearance and lend the item charm. The brushed, soft feel and light creasing which give it its relaxed air derive from a wash process. Baudolino captivates with a contemporary, nonchalant look.


We maintain online presence on social networks and platforms in order to communicate with interested parties and users and to inform them about our project. We use Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Pammoth-H2020-440990576324098/) and Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/company/pammoth-h2020/) among others. When visiting each of these platforms, you as a user agree to the terms and conditions and the data processing guidelines of the corresponding operator.


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Michelle Zeltner (born 22 December 1991) is a Swiss athlete who specialises in the heptathlon. She competed in the heptathlon event at the 2016 European Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Personal bests

Outdoor

Indoor

References

External links

1991 births
Living people
Swiss female athletes
Swiss heptathletes

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This recipe can be adapted to suit what you have in the fridge. Stewing steak will work just as well as diced beef, just cut it yourself beforehand. If you're planning to leave the slow cooker on while at work you could complete some these steps the night before and refrigerate your meat and veg before adding to the pot in the morning.
Take the diced beef and coat with a handful of flour in a separate bowl along with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Once the meat is fully coated place in the frying pan with the garlic and fry on high for a few minutes until the meat is brown.
Empty the meat into your slow cooker and reduce the heat.
Fry off your onions and chopped vegetables of choice for 5 minutes before again adding to the slow cooker.
Mix the stock cube in 600ml of warm water.
Add red wine or some of your stock and turn up the heat for a few minutes to clean, or 'deglaze', your pan. Deglaze is fancy word for getting all the brown bits off the bottom! Tip the contents into the slow cooker.
Add the rest of your stock, red wine, a glug of Worcestershire sauce, or herbs like bay leaves of bouquet de garni that you might have in the cupboard.
Put the slow cooker on high for 5 hours or low for 8.
To make the dumplings mix 100 grams of suet with 50 grams of self-raising flour and roughly 5 tablespoons of water. You can add salt, parsley or thyme at this stage depending on your preference.
Knead the dough with your hands until it is firm but pliable and shape into 8 balls of dough.
Half an hour before you plan to eat your stew pop your dumpling balls on top and let them brown.
Serve the stew hot, we love it with mashed potato and peas.
Cook's tip: Other grains can be used – try couscous or brown rice. Choose apples with a tart, fresh flavour and pretty green or red skins.


text:
Mike Posner: 'I've only had success when I'm not trying to'
Rob LeDonne
The singer disappeared after Cooler Than Me but six years on, he returns with the global hit I Took a Pill in Ibiza – and a new perspective on fame
@robledonne
Tue 12 Apr 2016 12.54 EDT Last modified on Fri 20 Apr 2018 15.02 EDT
Head case: Mike Posner at the MTV awards, wearing the papier-mache head he wears in the song's video. Photograph: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
After Mike Posner had an inescapable smash in 2010 with his debut single Cooler Than Me, the 28-year-old Michigan native endured a period of soul-searching, dealing with depression and enduring the shelving of his second album. "There was a time when being loaded and loved and popular really mattered a lot to me," he tells the Guardian on a Friday afternoon from his home in Los Angeles. "I'd say that when I was less popular, I learned to be happy without those things. So now that I guess those things are happening again, it just feels less heavy."
Posner is of course referring to his current position at the top of the global charts once again. His song I Took a Pill in Ibiza, remixed by Norwegian duo SeeB, has been No 1 in four countries, including the UK, made the top 10 in the US – and annoyed the Ibizan authorities into the bargain. The island's tourism chief, desperate to rid the island of its raucous reputation, invited Posner to go and explore the museums, beaches and restaurants instead – though in fact the song has a strong anti-drugs message. Hits, says Posner, "don't happen every year for me, so it's exciting. I'm pretty blessed."
It's no surprise that I Took a Pill in Ibiza has been so huge, from that eye-catching title to its self-aware lyrics ("I'm just a singer who already blew his shot / I get along with old timers / 'Cause my name's a reminder of a pop song people forgot"), a typical Posner trope also employed in Cooler Than Me. Ironically, however, I Took a Pill in Ibiza was originally released as an acoustic song about the pitfalls of partying after Posner decided to leave his pop roots behind.
Tourism chiefs invite singer of hit drugs song to see other side of Ibiza
Posner had a hard time dealing with the success of Cooler Than Me. After scrapping his second album, he turned his attention to production and co-writing, concocting hits for the likes of Justin Bieber (Boyfriend) and Maroon 5 (Sugar). Suffering the ill effects of too much hedonism, Posner decided to sober up. He also changed his musical style to a more stripped-down sound, a gamble considering that acoustic tracks were the last thing he was publicly known for. "I always wanted everyone to love me, probably because I didn't love myself enough," Posner says. "But now I realize that when you're an artist you're making the music that's in your head and in your heart, and not for any other reason."
Posner crafted a four-song acoustic EP bluntly titled The Truth, a very personal collection of tracks centered on the downside of fame and the lessons he's learned along the way. One of those tracks was the original version of I Took a Pill in Ibiza, its lyrics a raw look at stardom ("You don't wanna be high like me / Never really knowing why like me / You don't ever wanna step off that rollercoaster and be all alone.") Its production was also starkly different, simply featuring his voice (which was turned up for maximum effect) and a strumming guitar. "I showed Avicii the song after I first wrote it," he says of his superstar DJ friend who is name-dropped in the hit's opening verse. "I send music to him all the time to get feedback, and if I remember correctly, after he listened said to me, 'All of your old songs are really great but these are the best ones you've ever written.'"
Mike Posner unmasked. Photograph: Publicity image
The Truth came out quietly last June, essentially unnoticed by all but a collection of diehard Posner fans who have stuck with him despite his lengthy absence from the limelight. At one point two A&R men from Posner's label Island Records had an idea to remix some tracks. "I said of course because I came into the game doing remixes," Posner says referring to his past reworkings of songs by artists as varied as Beyoncé and Electric Light Orchestra. "I believe in the ethos of the remix, like Andy Warhol making a painting of a Campbell's soup label." The obscure Norwegian production duo SeeB wound up getting their hands on I Took A Pill in Ibiza and when he first heard the song he "thought it was great. Next thing I know, people are telling me the track is No 1 in Norway. I thought, 'That's crazy.'"
Now Posner's acoustic song about the dark side of the club scene, with lyrics alluding to depression, has turned into a pulsating smash beloved by raving partygoers worldwide. The irony is not lost on Posner. "When I look at it from a more poetic point of view, I wrote this sad song with a chorus that explicitly says 'All I know are sad songs,' and there's a percentage of people hearing it who are having these positive happy experiences to it. As an artist, what's more beautiful than getting joy out of your sorrow?"
It seems quite likely that a new generation, misinterpreting the lyrics, will take the song as their cue to go to the white island and neck some pills. "I'm not the first artist this has happened to," Posner says, citing Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA as one example. "That was really a commentary about these politics he didn't agree with, and then you have Ronald Reagan use it as his campaign song."
Now Posner is finally preparing the release of his long-awaited second album. At Night, Alone, released next month, is one-half acoustic, one-half remixes and perfectly reflects the crossroads Posner currently finds himself at. "A year ago I'd wake up and do stuff all day and go to sleep. Today I did slightly different things and went to sleep," Posner says, summing up his life before and after his current ubiquity. "I've only had success when I'm not trying to. It's that weird thing where if you're trying to impress a girl, you're not going to impress her. But if you aren't trying to impress a girl, you'll probably impress her because you're not trying. It's not really my job to worry about how quote-unquote big a song is. My job is to make the best songs that I can possibly make."


Lisbon Summit will be surely remembered as one of the lost opportunity of the North Atlantic Treaty to reform and to obtain a new significance in the XXI century. Instead of this, the Summit concentrated on an unwinnable war in Afghanistan and lost the sight of the fact that already Taliban's are a force that can't be uprooted from the country. No mention of the corruption and inefficiency that is crippling afghan army and administration and is making unthinkable the time line of 2014 for redraw from Afghanistan. After days of planning to win a war that is already lost on the ground the Summit turn his attention on the much anticipated European defense shield construction. Here also the summit did not produced any new information, still the same countries Romania and Bulgaria are accepting the defense shield while there are all the indication that Turkey will refuse the military installation on here soil. The Russia – NATO discussion was a new failure of this summit: Russia wanted security concern alleviated and a meaningful discussion on defense shield. Instead of this Russia was proposed an anti-Iran and anti-China partnership and support for President Dimitry Medvedev reform plans against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin conservative agenda. The new security concept of NATO that should have prepared the alliance for the new century is still the old one discussed in Bucharest in 2008 plus for convenience two lines on global warming and on cyber terrorism.
For Romania this a specially unfruitful summit as Romanian delegation goes unprepared to the summit and suffered serious humiliation from the part of French and Italian delegation that refused even the protocol necessary contact. Supplementary Romania accepted the plan of missile defense shield without any security guarantee or material compensation (for comparison Turkey was offered a financial package of 40 billion euro for the same deal that Romania got nothing). Romanian national interests in Black Sea region where ignored but we received the honor of being the country that will head the next wave of antiterrorist war, a word that is hiding the attack on Iran nuclear facilities. In conclusion if for Romania the Lisbon summit was an unprecedented humiliation for NATO it was a missed opportunity.
NATO's fundamental and enduring purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of all its members by political and military means. Today, the Alliance remains an essential source of stability in an unpredictable world.
NATO member states form a unique community of values, committed to the principles of individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The Alliance is firmly committed to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and to the Washington Treaty, which affirms the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security.
The political and military bonds between Europe and North America have been forged in NATO since the Alliance was founded in 1949; the transatlantic link remains as strong, and as important to the preservation of Euro-Atlantic peace and security, as ever. The security of NATO members on both sides of the Atlantic is indivisible. We will continue to defend it together, on the basis of solidarity, shared purpose and fair burden-sharing.
Collective defence. NATO members will always assist each other against attack, in accordance with Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. That commitment remains firm and binding. NATO will deter and defend against any threat of aggression, and against emerging security challenges where they threaten the fundamental security of individual Allies or the Alliance as a whole.
Crisis management. NATO has a unique and robust set of political and military capabilities to address the full spectrum of crises – before, during and after conflicts. NATO will actively employ an appropriate mix of those political and military tools to help manage developing crises that have the potential to affect Alliance security, before they escalate into conflicts; to stop ongoing conflicts where they affect Alliance security; and to help consolidate stability in post-conflict situations where that contributes to Euro-Atlantic security.
Cooperative security. The Alliance is affected by, and can affect, political and security developments beyond its borders. The Alliance will engage actively to enhance international security, through partnership with relevant countries and other international organisations; by contributing actively to arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament; and by keeping the door to membership in the Alliance open to all European democracies that meet NATO's standards.
NATO remains the unique and essential transatlantic forum for consultations on all matters that affect the territorial integrity, political independence and security of its members, as set out in Article 4 of the Washington Treaty. Any security issue of interest to any Ally can be brought to the NATO table, to share information, exchange views and, where appropriate, forge common approaches.
In order to carry out the full range of NATO missions as effectively and efficiently as possible, Allies will engage in a continuous process of reform, modernisation and transformation.
Today, the Euro-Atlantic area is at peace and the threat of a conventional attack against NATO territory is low. That is an historic success for the policies of robust defence, Euro-Atlantic integration and active partnership that have guided NATO for more than half a century.
However, the conventional threat cannot be ignored. Many regions and countries around the world are witnessing the acquisition of substantial, modern military capabilities with consequences for international stability and Euro-Atlantic security that are difficult to predict. This includes the proliferation of ballistic missiles, which poses a real and growing threat to the Euro-Atlantic area.
The proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, and their means of delivery, threatens incalculable consequences for global stability and prosperity. During the next decade, proliferation will be most acute in some of the world's most volatile regions.
Terrorism poses a direct threat to the security of the citizens of NATO countries, and to international stability and prosperity more broadly. Extremist groups continue to spread to, and in, areas of strategic importance to the Alliance, and modern technology increases the threat and potential impact of terrorist attacks, in particular if terrorists were to acquire nuclear, chemical, biological or radiological capabilities.
Instability or conflict beyond NATO borders can directly threaten Alliance security, including by fostering extremism, terrorism, and trans-national illegal activities such as trafficking in arms, narcotics and people.
Cyber attacks are becoming more frequent, more organised and more costly in the damage that they inflict on government administrations, businesses, economies and potentially also transportation and supply networks and other critical infrastructure; they can reach a threshold that threatens national and Euro-Atlantic prosperity, security and stability. Foreign militaries and intelligence services, organised criminals, terrorist and/or extremist groups can each be the source of such attacks.
All countries are increasingly reliant on the vital communication, transport and transit routes on which international trade, energy security and prosperity depend. They require greater international efforts to ensure their resilience against attack or disruption. Some NATO countries will become more dependent on foreign energy suppliers and in some cases, on foreign energy supply and distribution networks for their energy needs. As a larger share of world consumption is transported across the globe, energy supplies are increasingly exposed to disruption.
A number of significant technology-related trends – including the development of laser weapons, electronic warfare and technologies that impede access to space – appear poised to have major global effects that will impact on NATO military planning and operations.
The greatest responsibility of the Alliance is to protect and defend our territory and our populations against attack, as set out in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. The Alliance does not consider any country to be its adversary. However, no one should doubt NATO's resolve if the security of any of its members were to be threatened.
Deterrence, based on an appropriate mix of nuclear and conventional capabilities, remains a core element of our overall strategy. The circumstances in which any use of nuclear weapons might have to be contemplated are extremely remote. As long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance.
The supreme guarantee of the security of the Allies is provided by the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance, particularly those of the United States; the independent strategic nuclear forces of the United Kingdom and France, which have a deterrent role of their own, contribute to the overall deterrence and security of the Allies.
continue to review NATO's overall posture in deterring and defending against the full range of threats to the Alliance, taking into account changes to the evolving international security environment.
Crises and conflicts beyond NATO's borders can pose a direct threat to the security of Alliance territory and populations. NATO will therefore engage, where possible and when necessary, to prevent crises, manage crises, stabilize post-conflict situations and support reconstruction.
The lessons learned from NATO operations, in particular in Afghanistan and the Western Balkans, make it clear that a comprehensive political, civilian and military approach is necessary for effective crisis management. The Alliance will engage actively with other international actors before, during and after crises to encourage collaborative analysis, planning and conduct of activities on the ground, in order to maximise coherence and effectiveness of the overall international effort.
The best way to manage conflicts is to prevent them from happening. NATO will continually monitor and analyse the international environment to anticipate crises and, where appropriate, take active steps to prevent them from becoming larger conflicts.
Where conflict prevention proves unsuccessful, NATO will be prepared and capable to manage ongoing hostilities. NATO has unique conflict management capacities, including the unparalleled capability to deploy and sustain robust military forces in the field. NATO-led operations have demonstrated the indispensable contribution the Alliance can make to international conflict management efforts.
Even when conflict comes to an end, the international community must often provide continued support, to create the conditions for lasting stability. NATO will be prepared and capable to contribute to stabilisation and reconstruction, in close cooperation and consultation wherever possible with other relevant international actors.
broaden and intensify the political consultations among Allies, and with partners, both on a regular basis and in dealing with all stages of a crisis – before, during and after.
We are resolved to seek a safer world for all and to create the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons in accordance with the goals of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, in a way that promotes international stability, and is based on the principle of undiminished security for all.
With the changes in the security environment since the end of the Cold War, we have dramatically reduced the number of nuclear weapons stationed in Europe and our reliance on nuclear weapons in NATO strategy. We will seek to create the conditions for further reductions in the future.
In any future reductions, our aim should be to seek Russian agreement to increase transparency on its nuclear weapons in Europe and relocate these weapons away from the territory of NATO members. Any further steps must take into account the disparity with the greater Russian stockpiles of short-range nuclear weapons.
We are committed to conventional arms control, which provides predictability, transparency and a means to keep armaments at the lowest possible level for stability. We will work to strengthen the conventional arms control regime in Europe on the basis of reciprocity, transparency and host-nation consent.
We will explore ways for our political means and military capabilities to contribute to international efforts to fight proliferation.
National decisions regarding arms control and disarmament may have an impact on the security of all Alliance members. We are committed to maintain, and develop as necessary, appropriate consultations among Allies on these issues.
NATO's enlargement has contributed substantially to the security of Allies; the prospect of further enlargement and the spirit of cooperative security have advanced stability in Europe more broadly. Our goal of a Europe whole and free, and sharing common values, would be best served by the eventual integration of all European countries that so desire into Euro-Atlantic structures.
The door to NATO membership remains fully open to all European democracies which share the values of our Alliance, which are willing and able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of membership, and whose inclusion can contribute to common security and stability.
The promotion of Euro-Atlantic security is best assured through a wide network of partner relationships with countries and organisations around the globe. These partnerships make a concrete and valued contribution to the success of NATO's fundamental tasks.
Dialogue and cooperation with partners can make a concrete contribution to enhancing international security, to defending the values on which our Alliance is based, to NATO's operations, and to preparing interested nations for membership of NATO. These relationships will be based on reciprocity, mutual benefit and mutual respect.
We are prepared to develop political dialogue and practical cooperation with any nations and relevant organisations across the globe that share our interest in peaceful international relations.
We will be open to consultation with any partner country on security issues of common concern.
We will give our operational partners a structural role in shaping strategy and decisions on NATO-led missions to which they contribute.
We will further develop our existing partnerships while preserving their specificity.
enhanced practical cooperation in managing crises where both organisations are engaged.
cooperate more fully in capability development, to minimise duplication and maximise cost-effectiveness.
NATO-Russia cooperation is of strategic importance as it contributes to creating a common space of peace, stability and security. NATO poses no threat to Russia. On the contrary: we want to see a true strategic partnership between NATO and Russia, and we will act accordingly, with the expectation of reciprocity from Russia.
use the full potential of the NATO-Russia Council for dialogue and joint action with Russia.
develop a deeper security partnership with our Gulf partners and remain ready to welcome new partners in the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.
Unique in history, NATO is a security Alliance that fields military forces able to operate together in any environment; that can control operations anywhere through its integrated military command structure; and that has at its disposal core capabilities that few Allies could afford individually.
engage in a process of continual reform, to streamline structures, improve working methods and maximise efficiency.
We, the political leaders of NATO, are determined to continue renewal of our Alliance so that it is fit for purpose in addressing the 21st Century security challenges. We are firmly committed to preserve its effectiveness as the globe's most successful political-military Alliance. Our Alliance thrives as a source of hope because it is based on common values of individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and because our common essential and enduring purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of its members. These values and objectives are universal and perpetual, and we are determined to defend them through unity, solidarity, strength and resolve.
It reconfirms the bond between our nations to defend one another against attack, including against new threats to the safety of our citizens.
It commits the Alliance to prevent crises, manage conflicts and stabilize post-conflict situations, including by working more closely with our international partners, most importantly the United Nations and the European Union.
It offers our partners around the globe more political engagement with the Alliance, and a substantial role in shaping the NATO-led operations to which they contribute.
It commits NATO to the goal of creating the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons – but reconfirms that, as long as there are nuclear weapons in the world, NATO will remain a nuclear Alliance.
It restates our firm commitment to keep the door to NATO open to all European democracies that meet the standards of membership, because enlargement contributes to our goal of a Europe whole, free and at peace.
It commits NATO to continuous reform towards a more effective, efficient and flexible Alliance, so that our taxpayers get the most security for the money they invest in defence.
The citizens of our countries rely on NATO to defend Allied nations, to deploy robust military forces where and when required for our security, and to help promote common security with our partners around the globe. While the world is changing, NATO's essential mission will remain the same: to ensure that the Alliance remains an unparalleled community of freedom, peace, security and shared values.


text:
Double tie gives England a first-ever World Cup
WHEN you watch a cricket match as a fan, it is the discrete incidents that linger in the memory. The searing yorker that trips up the batsman and puts him on his back adjacent the shattered stumps; the gravity-defying catch; the effortless-seeming shot that sends the ball soaring into the cheering crowds… But when you have to write sport, it is the narrative that makes it worth the while.
For the fan, thus, England against India (or Australia) at Lord's would have been the perfect finale; for the writer, New Zealand playing England is about as perfect as it gets. It's not just that England, the three times runners-up and the butt of all jokes, was up against a team that has made it to the last four eight times in twelve tries, and was the losing finalist four years ago. What makes this contest fascinating is the scarcely credible role reversal.
Humiliated by New Zealand at Wellington in the 2015 edition of the Cup, England whole-heartedly embraced the Brendan McCullum-led team's frenetic attacking style. And New Zealand, with the legendary Baz gone, patterned itself on the pragmatic, measured style of new captain Kane Williamson to the point of almost becoming as stodgy, now, as England was four years ago.
It was a contest of skills, a clash of wills, as death matches tend to be – but more importantly, it was a 100-over referendum on contrasting philosophies. And it produced a wire-taut game that, while lacking the "spectacle" that have the fans in a ferment, was balanced on a knife-edge right through its length.
In 47 matches before the final, a score in excess of 245 has been chased successfully only twice. In five ODIs at Lord's starting with the 2017 Champion's Trophy final, the team batting first has won all five. On three previous occasions, England has chased in a final, and lost all three.
But it was not history or statistics that dictated New Zealand's decision to bat first on a green-tinged pitch that has sweated under the covers until an hour before start of play, and under overcast skies – the decision was in keeping with the Williamson philosophy that his varied, and uniformly brilliant, bowling attack was uniquely fitted to defend even modest scores.
To give their bowlers a chance, though, the Kiwis had to first put up runs – around 260 would suffice even against England's frenetic batsmen. Two passages of play explain the Kiwis' failure to get there.
The first came right at the start. To counter the metronomic accuracy and late movement of Chris Woakes, the out-of-sorts Martin Guptill took to coming down the track, forcing the bowler to both length and line and work against muscle memory. The aggressive mindset, initially labored, seemed to revive in the batsman memories of his best, when a momentary lapse of concentration cost him his wicket.
Woakes bowled length and brought the ball back off the seam; Guptill – who until then had met both opening bowlers with a straight bat – tried to on-drive with the closed face, missed, and was hit on the pad.
Guptill's wicket, by itself, would not have rattled the Kiwis who by now are inured to the fact that the once free-flowing batsman, now enduring the worst form of his life, has in this tournament been like the motorcycle outrider who ushers the VIP onto center-stage. The problem was not the wicket; it was that Guptill decided to review. The ball was hitting around the middle of middle; the Kiwis lost their review, and this would ramify disastrously when Ross Taylor, who was just beginning to look good, was adjudged LBW to a Mark Wood delivery that was clearly going over the stumps, and had to walk because the DRS get-out-of-jail card had been wasted.
The second, and equally definitive, period of play involved Williamson. The Kiwi master-bat
subjects oppositions to the death of the thousand cuts – or more accurately, nudges down to third man. He has every shot in the book, but in the early stages when he is building a base for his team, Williamson tends to use the dab to third man to roll the strike over, keep the board ticking, and force bowlers to avoid the channel and try different lines – which is when he cashes in.
England stymied Williamson's favorite ploy by tightening the line to between third and fourth stump, with one or more slips in place to discourage the dab and the inner ring drawn up mesh-tight to deny alternate ways of rotating strike.
The Kiwi skipper, in his understated way, is a brilliant reader of the game; adding to which is a preternatural calm that allows him to absorb immense pressures without seeming in any way discommoded. He absorbed 11 dot balls before getting off the mark with a tip and run; it took him 32 balls to break into double figures. He saw off the first spells of the pacy Jofra Archer and the Scrooge-like Woakes, whose first spell of 42 deliveries included 33 dot balls against just 19 runs conceded for one wicket.
With Henry Nicholls looking settled at one end, Williamson bided his time and, once the new ball bowlers were done, began quietly sniping away at England's third, fourth and fifth bowlers. Liam Plunkett and Mark Wood were flat in their opening spells and Adil Rashid underwhelming; the run-rate, which was 3.3 RPO after the first powerplay, began nudging up steadily; New Zealand progressed from 50 to 100 in just 48 balls. The key statistic to understand this passage and what followed is this: between them, those three bowlers had, at the start of the 23rd over, bowled a collective spell of 10-0-60-0, and England was beginning to look harried.
And then, off the fourth ball of the 23rd over, Williamson had an uncharacteristic lapse in concentration. Liam Plunkett, after an ordinary first spell, changed ends and began bowling up the slope at Lord's. It was fairly basic Plunkett: cross seam on the fuller length, the sort of stuff he bowls with predictably regularity through the middle of every innings. Williamson, usually so decisive with his footwork, for once was neither forward nor back on the push, and on England's review, hot-spot showed an incriminating spike as ball passed bat.
The unexpected breaking of the 74-run partnership, just when the Kiwis looked to have taken control of the game, had a debilitating effect on Nicholls who, again off Plunkett, stayed parked on the back foot and dragged another pace-off, cross-seam delivery seaming marginally in, onto his stumps.
That period of 24 deliveries, which produced two wickets and yielded just 15 runs, was critical – it came just when England's bowling resources had been stretched to breaking point; it meant that Taylor and Tom Latham had to put their heads down and bat with caution, in the process allowing the under-pressure England bowlers to settle down. Liam Plunkett, to whom England look for control in the middle phase, had gone for 19 in his first three; his next four overs fetched two wickets for seven runs, and illustrates how the game turned on its axis with that one moment when Williamson switched off.
Once Taylor walked back, done by a bad decision by the umpire and a worse one by Guptill in wasting the review, the wind went out of the Kiwi sails. A late order assault, which the Kiwis seemed to be setting up for at the halfway mark, failed to materialize thanks partly to the steady fall of wickets, and partly thanks to a fast bowling masterclass at the death by Jofra Archer, who bowled five overs straight and put on a show: short balls that came at the batsman at scorching velocities; short balls with pace off; elevator-style bounce off length and tennis ball bounce from back of length.
Woakes was the beneficiary, as for instance when Archer in a searing over repeatedly smacked the ball into Colin de Grandhomme's ribs, and arm, and thigh, and other body parts and the rattled batsman tamely toe-ended a Woakes slower ball to mid-off.
WILLIAMSON has, by a distance, to be the best bowling captain in this tournament. It helps to have Trent Boult and Matt Henry leading a varied attack that can call on the searing pace of Lockie Ferguson, the niggardly line bowling of de Grandhomme, the movement and variety of Jimmy Neesham and the nagging accuracy of Mitchell Santner – but even so, Williamson excels in the way he sets precisely the sort of fields that allow individual bowlers to bowl to their strengths.
The opening powerplay was a perfect example. Williamson had just one fielder – deep fine leg – outside the circle; he had two slips and four fielders well inside the ring on the on-side, plus two in front of the batsman on the off. Against the most destructive opening pair in the world game at present, Williamson set a field that encouraged his bowlers to bowl Test-match lines and lengths. Singles were protected, boundaries were challengingly thrown open.
Trent Boult nearly took Jason Roy out with the first delivery of the match, a full length inswinger that thudded onto the batsman's pad. New Zealand reviewed; Roy survived, just, when it turned out to be 'umpire's call'.
The efficacy of the two opening bowlers, and of Willamson's field, is best indicated by this: At the end of 10 overs, England was 39/1, scoring at an uncharacteristic 3.9 RPO. And of those 39 runs, 28 came off boundaries when the batsmen chanced their arms. Boult asked questions of both edges that neither Roy or Bairstow had answers for; Henry repeatedly turned Roy inside out and, with very full length and late seam movement, had him nicking off.
Even more remarkable was the innings of Joe Root, one of the most easy, relaxed batsmen in the contemporary game. The electric pace of Ferguson and the nagging accuracy and late movement of de Grandhomme troubled him to such an extent in a tortured 30-ball stay that he attempted an uncharacteristic hoik at the latter, advancing a good few meters to swipe at thin air; off the next ball, the bowler had Root nicking off to the away-seamer on length.
Bairstow rode his luck, twice inner-edging dangerously close to the stumps and having de Grandhomme drop a regulation, waist high return catch. He tried to muscle his way out of trouble against an attack that was giving him nothing, and perished when, for once, an inner edge off his flailing horizontal bat crashed into the stumps off Ferguson.
Eoin Morgan walked out into the by now predictable barrage of short-pitched deliveries. Ferguson, who stepped up the pace a few notches, thumped him on the body, then pinged him on the back of the helmet. Having rattled the England captain's cage, the tall fast bowler then went to the deep cover boundary, raced in when Morgan attempted to carve Neesham over the in-field, flung himself headlong and, while suspended mid-air as though in a sling, took a two-handed blinder to reduce England to 86 for 4 in the 24th over.
The standout feature of the first 30 overs of the England response was de Grandhomme. It wasn't that he did anything extraordinary – merely that he produced a masterclass of how to use the old virtues of tight line and full length.
A cricket ball is the centerpiece of the trophy the two teams were fighting for, and it has a slightly angled seam. de Grandhomme bowled as if he had taken his cues from that: he either had the seam angled towards middle stump, or towards second slip; that, and his unrelenting discipline in line, produced a sustained spell of 10-2-25-1 that pegged England back so thoroughly that at the end of 30 overs, the flamboyant batting side had managed a mere 115/4.
Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler reined in their aggressive instincts and began to dig England out of the hole. It wasn't easy – the rate moved past the 4-run mark only in the 34th over; both batsmen had their share of mishits that eluded the fielders, inner edges that flashed past the stumps and other near mishaps (including, at the death, a Starc-style yorker that tripped Stokes up and put him prone on the ground).
But they survived – and, in a key difference between this and earlier England sides, they held their nerve. When and how they could, they kept ticking off the runs in whatever fashion they could – authoritative at times, edgy as frequently, but always chipping away at the target. And the more they chipped, the more the field had to spread, which in turn made singles easier to come by.
Stokes anchored, Buttler counter-attacked. And for the first time, England had a partnership of some substance. And it was the bowling side's turn to feel the pressure. de Grandhomme had bowled out in the 29th over; Henry finished his quota (10-2-40-1) in the 40th over, the last ball of which was ramped by Buttler over the keeper for an audacious four.
England went into the death needing 72 off 60 – a fairly simple ask for any modern batting side with wickets in hand, more so for this England team. The Kiwis had to find a balance between choking down the runs and taking wickets. Though the pitch was on the slower side, it wasn't as two-paced as the one on which the Kiwis defended a similar total against India in the semis.
It was this passage that underlined the incalculable value Buttler brings to this side. Well as Stokes played, he couldn't keep the pace on this wicket, against this bowling. But Buttler was in that zone the real top guns can find when they need it. His 50 took a mere 52 balls; his insouciance, that mocked the pressures associated with a tight chase in a Cup final, gave Stokes the breathing room the southpaw needed. His driving through and over the covers was a revelation on a pitch that did not allow any other batsman on either side such luxuries. And his strike rate, of exactly 100 RPO, was higher by far than that of any other batsman on either side.
But if confidence was the chief characteristic of his innings, an excess of it led to his downfall. He was picking off a boundary every over with ease; he had already carved Ferguson over extra cover off the second ball of the 45th over. Three balls later, to a slower ball on shorter length from Ferguson, Buttler attempted a carve over point. Tim Southee, in as a substitute, first went the wrong way, then righted himself, sprinted and dived to grab the sort of catches that only the Kiwis appear capable of pulling off with such match-turning regularity.
That was what the Kiwis needed – the wicket of the one batsman who seemed capable of negating their patented death-overs choke. Off the first ball of his last over, Ferguson defeated a Chris Woakes slash with pace, found the top edge and Latham circled under the high chance to hold.
Stokes, who had contributed 46 runs (70 balls) to the 110-run fifth wicket partnership, had to take on the onus. Boult would bowl the final over; the key was the 49th over, which had to be bowled by Neesham.
And then, in a manic spell of six balls, the game produced all the drama that had been missing thus far. Two singles off the first two balls, an asking rate of 22 off 10, and Plunkett tried for the magic shot, getting under the ball and targeting the straight boundary. He only managed to find Boult, though.
Stokes, who had crossed, lofted to long on. Boult – who makes a habit of such catches — held about a foot inside the line, and then stepped on it just as he tossed the ball to Guptill backing him up. A catch would have ended the game, the six brought the ask down to 15 off 7. Next ball, Neesham did what you do with a tailender: straight, full, beating the swipe and hitting Archer's stumps.
Boult versus Stokes, with England needing 15 from six. Boult produced two full length deliveries wide of off; two dots, both driven to cover. Figuring he was going to get the same again, Stokes pre-determined, went down on one knee and smacked the six over long on.
And then came one of those twists that the cricketing gods produce. Stokes drove to long on and scampered for the second. The throw came in, hit Stokes' bat as the batsman dived into his crease, and ricocheted to the boundary. Since it was not intentional, the umpires had to give the six – and the ask became 3 off two.
Penultimate ball, driven to long off; Rashid run out trying for a second. Two needed off the last ball; a Stokes on-drive gets the single and gets Wood run out trying for the second.
50 overs had been bowled. And both teams were exactly level. It was the kind of game about which you could say, in truth, that neither side deserved to lose.
Per the rules, the team that batted second bats first in the super over. Stokes and Buttler versus Boult: 15 runs, with a four apiece by Stokes and Buttler. Jofra Archer, the newest, least experienced member of the England side, versus Martin Guptill – the most out of form batsman in the Kiwi ranks — and Jimmy Neesham.
A wide, then a brilliantly run two, then a Neesham loft over the midwicket boundary for six; another superb second stolen by Guptill; then a single. And then the ball to decide it all – bowled by a young man against whom no batsman has scored 16 in one over in the entire tournament, versus Guptill who, after the first game of the league, hasn't been able to buy a run for love or money.
Guptill drives to midwicket; the throw in is good, and he is beaten on the second. Super over tied on 15 apiece, but that tie, per the rules, gave the game to England.
Somehow, it felt like I couldn't care less. That the super over didn't matter; the ultimate result didn't register in the mind. When it was all over, what I was left with was the feeling the former Times' chief writer Simon Barnes once described, and I paraphrase here:
Fans, disbelieving of what they had just seen, and beatific that they were alive and awake and watching as boundaries were stretched and 'impossible' was redefined. It was that kind of a night, when it felt good to be alive, and awake, and watching. Of being part, if only a passive part, of magic.
PS: This report is written, and uploaded, literally three minutes after the end of the game. E&OE, folks.
Coulter-Nile, Starc pull off the great brain robbery
England ends India's unbeaten run, expose flaws
An infuriating, exhilarating epic
India's all-round game trumps five-time champs Australia
Bumrah yorks Bangladesh out of the semifinals


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Dr. Simon Sandler
Adelaide Spine and Brain
MBChB, FC(Neurosurg)SA, FRACS (Neurosurgery)
Dr Sandler performs both invasive and minimally invasive spinal surgery. His interests include all spinal disorders (deformity, degenerative, trauma, inflammatory, tumour) as well as neurosurgical conditions with a special interest in tumours, infection and hydrocephalus.
His post fellowship subspecialisation training included 2 Spinal Fellowships (Groote Schuur Hospital and Red Cross Children's Hospital, Cape Town South Africa and Royal Adelaide Hospital and Women's and Children's Hospital, South Australia). Both these fellowships involved complex adult and paediatric spinal surgery. It was this second fellowship in 2011, which led Dr Sandler and his family to immigrate to Australia and Adelaide.
Doctor Sandler also successfully completed the Australian Fellowship examination on moving to Australia and is a full member of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
Dr Sandler has worked as a consultant neurosurgeon at Flinders Medical Centre and now currently holds this position at Royal Adelaide Hospital where he works in both the department of Neurosurgery and Spinal Unit, Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics.
Dr Sandler is actively involved in academic research and teaching across both clinical units. He is an Editorial Consultant for Spinal Surgery News and also holds the position of Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Adelaide.
Dr Sandler recently became an Australian and has committed his practice to the service of the Australian community.
Address 208 Melbourne Street
North Adelaide SA 5006
Website www.spineandbrain.com.au
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Building a community, one friend at a time!
The most beautiful thing about running a business is the people you get to meet along the way. I have been lucky enough in these few months to meet business owners, bloggers and people who love similar things and see the world as I do.
One of these people is Berenice Meintjes, the heart and adventurous spirit behind CharacterStays blog.
I truly believe in the strength of community and am so happy to be expanding ours.
*Please subscribe to our newsletter above.


text:
Canadian Solar Withdraws Proposal to Go Private
A special committee established to review the proposal also recommended that future proposals be rejected unless there is evidence of secured financing
Shaurya Bajaj
Solar module manufacturer, Canadian Solar has announced that its chief executive officer Dr. Shawn Qu has withdrawn his bid to take the company private after a special committee established by the company's board recommended rejecting his bid.
On December 9, 2017, Dr. Qu had filed a proposal to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of the company not already beneficially owned by Dr. Qu and his wife, Ms. Hanbing Zhang, in a "going-private" transaction for cash a consideration of $18.47 per common share.
According to the company's release, the special committee has recommended the board cease its review of the proposed transaction, and not undertake any additional such reviews of transactions proposed by Dr. Qu unless the board receives "reasonable evidence" that the proposed transaction is fully financed. The committee has made these recommendations citing significant changes in the solar industry since the announcement of the offer.
In addition, the special committee has recommended that the company undertake an audit of its business and look at other 'strategic alternatives' that may be available, as the company did not support a "going-private" transaction.
According to the Mercom Solar Funding and M&A Reports, the exodus of Chinese public solar companies from U.S. stock markets started in 2017 as many felt they were undervalued. Most Chinese companies have struggled in the U.S. stock markets for years due to the constant boom-and-bust cycles in the industry. Trina was the first company to go private followed by JA Solar and Renesola, which took its manufacturing unit private.
Recently, Hanwha Q CELLS, announced its plans to go private. The company stated that it has received a preliminary non-binding proposal letter from Hanwha Solar Holdings (HSH), a subsidiary of Hanwha Chemical Corporation incorporated in the Republic of Korea. Under the proposal, HSH will acquire all outstanding shares of HQCL not already owned by it in a "going private" transaction for a cash consideration of $9 per American Depositary Share (ADS, with each ADS represents fifty ordinary shares), or $0.18 per ordinary share.
In September 2018, Li-Ion point Capital had supported Canadian Solar's bid for privatization.
Shaurya is a staff reporter at MercomIndia.com with experience working in the Indian solar energy industry for the past four years in various roles. Prior to joining Mercom, Shaurya worked with a renewable energy developer and a consulting company. Shaurya holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Management from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom.
Canadian Solarmodule manufacturingPrivatizationRenewable EnergySolar Energy
Nearly 10 GW of Renewable Capacity Added to Green Energy Corridor: RK Singh
Bangladesh Invites Companies to Fund and Develop 100 MW of Solar Projects
UAE Signs MoU with IRENA to Introduce Renewable Energy Studies in its Education System
Is Group Captive the Next Attractive Solar Market in 2019?
Delhi Police Goes Green: Signs Pact with SECI for 3-4 MW of Rooftop Solar Installations


Heartbeat is intended to be a magazine for both the parish church and the whole community of Upton reflecting Holy Ascension's commitment to be at the heart of the community.
To encourage a wide readership the printed version is available without charge.
This has been made possible by lower production costs and donations. However, additional donations towards production costs are always welcome and these will help develop and improve the magazine.
You can read the latest edition by clicking on the link below.
If you would prefer a magazine delivered to your door each month please do let us know so we can add your name to the delivery list.
Contributions are always welcome, particularly from our younger readers, so please do get in touch. If there are any comments you wish to make (we hope to have a letters page) or news or articles you would like included, let us know.
If there are events within the community that you wish to publicise, please do send relevant details in for consideration.
The deadline for contributions is the 16th of the preceeding month.
The editorial team can be contacted by email Heartbeat@holyascension.org.uk or by leaving a message at the Parish Office on 01244 383518.
You can read the recent editions by clicking on the images below.
The Church's logo was designed for the 160th anniversary of the Church in 2014. It illustrates the church's commitment to be at the heart of the whole community of Upton by Chester. The name for the magazine, Heartbeat, reflects that commitment.


Criospazio Research Consortium: The INFN became a member of this consortium in January 1990. The consortium's members are the Universities of Trento and Padua, the INFN, the Trento Chamber of Commerce and the Cassa di Risparmio di Trento e Rovereto Foundation.
CRDC: The INFN joined this limited liability consortium, set up for the purpose of promoting new technology solutions for production activities, in May 2007; other members are the "Federico II", "Second" and "Parthenope" Universities of Naples, the Universities of Salerno and Sannio and the CNR.
Consortium for the promotion of study and research in physics at the University of Trieste: This consortium was set up by the Ministry. Other members are the University of Trieste, the SISSA, ENEA, Sincrotrone Trieste, the CNR, the INAF, the ICPT, the OGS, Trieste Provincial Council and Municipality and the Trieste Chamber of Commerce.
CoIRICH. - Italian Research Infrastructure for Cultural Heritage- This limited liability consortium was founded in September 2010. Its members are the National Research Council, Rome Tor Vergata University, Milan Polytechnic, University of Milan Bicocca and two privately-owned companies (KANSO srl and EFM srl).


Gospace portable cloud storage device not only wirelessly stores your files, but also serves as a Qi enabled power bank to charge your mobile devices. Like the idea? Let's have a look.
The Gospace is an advanced, multipurpose portable cloud storage device that measures 2.9 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches and weighs 5.36 ounces. As we can see from the images, the personal cloud storage device shows off a sleek, minimalistic appearance design defined by the slim form factor and matte finish with two optional colors. Meanwhile, the compact design allows you to take it with you anywhere.
The portable cloud storage features a built-in SD card slot that supports up to 2TB, so you can customize it based on your demands. Furthermore, Gospace features 5G WiFi that delivers transfer speeds up to 866 Mb/s, so it's capable of streaming your favorite movie or music effortlessly. And using the USB-C or USB 3.1 port, it also reads fee data from a computer at speeds up to 10GB/s. As a cloud storage device, Gospace is able to connect up to 8 devices for easy to share files with friends. Using its custom app, you can not only manage your files, but also sync them with your Google Drive and Dropbox.
Moreover, the Gospace serves as a WiFi extender that extends your WiFi to hard to reach places in your house. It also triples as a portable power bank with 5500mAh battery capacity, and built-in wireless charging pad allows it to charge Qi-enabled mobile devices wirelessly.
The team behind Gospace is raising fund for the product on Kickstarter. We can pledge $69 to preorder the portable cloud storage device with Qi-enabled power bank. It will be shipped in May 2018.