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Iran Recruiting Volunteer Troops for Syria (Times of Israel)
The Iranian regime has launched a public campaign to recruit volunteers to fight alongside Assad regime forces and Hizbullah in Syria, according to the Iran-Israel Observer, run by Israel-based, Iranian-born commentator Meir Javedanfar.
Church of Scotland Says Jews Have No Claim to Holy Land (JTA)
The Church of Scotland has published a paper denying that "scripture" provides a basis for Jewish claims to Israel.
The paper, entitled "The Inheritance of Abraham," rejects "claims that scripture offers any peoples a privileged claim for possession of a particular territory."
The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities said Friday that the paper is "an outrage to everything that interfaith dialogue stands for" and "reads like an Inquisition-era polemic against Jews and Judaism."
"The arrogance of telling the Jewish people how to interpret Jewish texts and Jewish theology is breathtaking," the council said.
See also Church of Scotland Report Linked to Anti-Israel NGO (NGO Monitor)
The Church of Scotland's report rejecting the connection of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel is strongly influenced by its "partner," Sabeel, a radical Palestinian-Christian organization that is a major actor in the anti-Israel BDS campaign.
"Sabeel promotes both 'Palestinian liberation theology' and 'replacement theology,' a belief that the Jewish people have forfeited its status as the people of God, themes that dominate the Church of Scotland's report," said NGO Monitor President Prof. Gerald Steinberg.
"It is very disturbing that some 'enlightened' nations financially support Sabeel's beliefs that repudiate Jewish peoplehood and self-determination."
BBC Repeats Assad's Propaganda to Slur Israel - Tom Gross (Mideast Media Analysis)
Israel reportedly carried out air strikes in Syria that destroyed highly sophisticated Iranian weapons headed for Hizbullah.
While Israel was destroying the infrastructure of terror, the BBC headlined the incident: "Israeli Strikes on Syria 'Coordinated with Terrorists'" - repeating Assad's view of events.�
British Archives: Palestinians Are Responsible for Their Refugee Problem - Barry Rubin (PJMedia)
According to declassified British Archives documents from early 1948, British officials in the Palestine Mandate reported:
"The [Palestine] Arabs have suffered a series of overwhelming defeats.... Jewish victories...have reduced Arab morale to zero and, following the cowardly example of their inept leaders, they are fleeing from the mixed areas in their thousands."
This is confirmation from hostile British official sources of what Israel has been saying for 60 years: that the origin of the Palestinian Arab refugee problem was due to the actions of the Palestinian Arabs themselves: first, their leaders' decision to reject the partition into Arab and Jewish states, then their decision to go to war, and then their disorganization and poor leadership.
Today, as in 1948, the Zionist side is more eager for the existence of an independent Palestinian state living in peace than is the Palestinian Arab leadership.
See also British Officials Predicted War - and Arab Defeat - in Palestine in 1948 - Richard Norton-Taylor (Guardian-UK)
White House: Assad Regime Behind Chemical Weapons Use - Jim Kuhnhenn
The White House asserted Monday that it's highly likely that Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime, not the rebel opposition, was behind any chemical weapons use in Syria. White House spokesman Jay Carney says there is certainly evidence that chemical weapons have been used in Syria. He added, "We are highly skeptical of suggestions that the opposition could have or did use chemical weapons....We find it highly likely that any chemical weapon use that has taken place in Syria was done by the Assad regime."
With regard to the airstrikes in Syria, Carney said: "The transfer of sophisticated weapons to terrorist organizations like Hizbullah is certainly a concern and a threat to Israel, and they have the right to act in their own sovereign interest...in response to those concerns." Asked whether the U.S. had been forewarned about the strikes, Carney said: "We are in close coordination as a matter of course with the Israelis, and continue to be." (AP-TIME)
Israel Tries to Lower Tensions with Syria after Airstrikes - William Booth
Israeli military commanders and government officials were taking pains to try to lower tensions with Syria after reports of two Israeli air attacks on military targets and suspected weapons depots near Damascus. Israeli officials, who have neither asserted nor denied responsibility for the airstrikes, said Monday that their fight was not against Assad or the rebels but against Hizbullah, which fought a war with Israel in 2006 and is closely allied with Iran and Syria.
"There are no winds of war," Maj. Gen. Yair Golan, head of the Israel Defense Forces Northern Command, said Monday. (Washington Post)
Hizbullah Steps Up Involvement in Syria - Sam Dagher and Joshua Mitnick
Hizbullah fighters joined Syrian government forces in the siege of the rebel-held town of Qusayr on Monday, local residents said, deepening the Iran-backed group's involvement in Syria's civil war. Hizbullah fighters have emerged in different parts of Syria with numbers ranging from 2,000 to 2,500 fighters, a U.S. official said. This bolsters Assad "in a huge way," he said.
Hizbullah's "immersion in Syria is a reminder that its main job is to be Iran's strike force in the region," said Khattar Abou Diab, political science professor at the University of Paris. (Wall Street Journal)
Everywhere an Iranian Embassy Exists, They Plan Terror on Jews, Israelis - Ilan Gattegno
Brig.-Gen. (res.) Nitzan Nuriel, former head of Israel's Counter Terrorism Bureau, told Army Radio on Sunday: "Everywhere there is an Iranian embassy, there is usually one person, and probably more, directly involved in planning terrorist activity against Jewish and Israeli targets....The larger the Iranian embassy, the bigger the terror threat." (Israel Hayom)
See also Iran Stepping Up Preparations for War with Israel - Con Coughlin (Telegraph-UK)
The Truth Behind West Bank Checkpoints
Security checkpoints are used to prevent terror attacks before would-be Palestinian attackers have a chance to enter Israel. The number of checkpoints in the West Bank was reduced from 40 in July 2008 to just 12 in October 2012. Furthermore, these checkpoints are only used some of the time and the frequency of checks is dependent on the security threat at the time.
The main roads linking Palestinian cities are freely accessible and free of security controls. A Palestinian civilian can travel from Jenin in the northern West Bank to Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem, without encountering a single military checkpoint.
The checkpoints have proven to be effective barriers against weapons smuggling. In 2012, there were 475 attempts to smuggle weapons into Israel and 1,147 attempts to enter Israel with forged ID cards. In addition, dozens of people were arrested in possession of explosives. Thus, the ongoing presence of these checkpoints remains necessary. (Israel Defense Forces)
Some in Arab World Happy that Israel Attacked Assad's Forces - Abdulrahman Al-Rashed
Despite Egyptian and Iranian condemnation, it is certain that the Syrian people were happy that Assad's warehouses and forces were shelled, regardless of Israel's reasoning. We were happy that Israel attacked Assad's forces and warehouses because the attack will speed up the collapse of the regime. It will also deprive the regime of weapons that would have been used to kill more Syrians.
Two years' worth of massacres against tens of thousands of unarmed Syrians has revealed the biggest lie in this nation's history: the lie of resistance. Syria's conflicts have never really been aimed at Israel and have certainly never been aimed at defending Palestine, as our minds were hijacked to believe. Hizbullah's operations against Israel have nothing to do with protecting Lebanon and defending Palestine. Hizbullah is merely an Iranian brigade which has been founded for more than 30 years to serve the aims of the Ayatollah's regime in Tehran. (Al Arabiya)
See also Israel Strikes a Blow to Conventional Arab Thinking - Elhanan Miller
The Israeli strikes on Iranian missiles en route to Hizbullah in Syria have left Arab observers conflicted. While many have been hoping for a decisive military strike against President Assad, few expected or wished for it to come from Israel. One Damascus-based Twitter commentator wrote: Israel "is still my enemy....But when an enemy does a neat job, I admit it." (Times of Israel)
The "Moderate" Muslim Brotherhood and the Jews - Michael Rubin
Egyptian Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, one of the most respected figures in Sunni Islam, refused to attend an inter-faith dialogue conference in Doha on the grounds that Jewish representatives had been invited. For many in the West, Qaradawi, a Muslim Brotherhood acolyte, is a "moderate," and was once welcomed into the UK on those grounds, despite his infamous endorsement of suicide attacks in the wake of 9/11.
Qaradawi's refusal to participate in an interfaith discussion in an Arab country if Jews were present is yet one more exhibit of the core problem in the region: Islamist intolerance. Until the U.S. puts educational reform and combating religious incitement front and center of its policy in the region, any other diplomacy is just wasted effort and ineffective against a growing tidal wave of intolerance and hate. The writer, a former Pentagon official and senior lecturer at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. (Commentary)
To Call Israel an Apartheid State Is an Attack on Truth - Eoghan Harris
Last Thursday, the Teachers' Union of Ireland called for an academic boycott of Israel. The motion, passed unanimously, referred to Israel as an "apartheid state." But there is not the slightest comparison between South Africa and Israel. South African non-whites under apartheid were separated by law. They could not vote, form parties or serve in government. The notion that a non-white woman could give birth in the same hospital as a white South African woman would be literally beyond the imagination of anyone in apartheid South Africa.
By contrast, Israeli Arabs, who make up 20% of Israel's population, are full citizens. They can vote, form parties, hold government posts, become civil servants and lawyers. The judge who sentenced a former Israeli prime minister for sexual transgressions was an Arab. Some apartheid. From birth there is no apartheid in Israel. Jewish and Arab babies are born in the same delivery room, looked after by the same doctors and nurses. Jewish and Arab mothers recover side by side in adjoining beds. Some apartheid. To call Israel an apartheid state is an attack on truth. As wrong as teaching that 2+2 makes 5. (Independent-Ireland)
Rewriting the Rules with Syria and Hizbullah - Eyal Zisser (Israel Hayom)
The foreign media has focused on Israel's determination to prevent the transfer of game-changing weapon systems from Syria to Hizbullah. Yet the alleged Israeli attack on multiple Syrian installations has more to do with rewriting the rules of the game that have governed Israel's interaction with Syria and Hizbullah over the past two decades.
Until recently, Israel has opted to avoid preemptive attacks on weapons convoys lest such a move trigger a painful Syrian retaliation. Israel's new approach is not just a consequence of impending deliveries of advanced weapon systems; it was motivated by the new window of opportunity presented by the Syrian revolution.
The Syrian civil war has increased Israel's freedom of operation to levels not seen in years. The Syrian military is now singularly focused on the survival of the Assad regime as it counters the rebels. Thus, its ability to retaliate in the face of an Israeli strike has been severely compromised.
Furthermore, Israel hopes to disconnect Hizbullah from the Syrian oxygen tank that Hassan Nasrallah has relied on for so many years. Hizbullah is gradually becoming entangled in the Syrian quagmire, as is clearly evident by the almost daily funerals it holds for its fighters. It certainly does not want to open another front with Israel.
Prof. Eyal Zisser, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Tel Aviv University, is former director of its Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies.


If you cause environmental damage under the environmental liability regime you may be responsible for remedying the damage. See the page in this guideline: What is environmental damage?
The Environmental Liability Regulations can be enforced by a number of organisations.
Your local council is the enforcing body for damage, or risk of damage, to land. It is also the enforcing body for damage you cause carrying out activities covered by a pollution prevention and control permit it issued.
The NIEA is the enforcing body for damage, or risk of damage, to land, water and biodiversity.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is the enforcing body for damage or risk of damage, to the water environment or land.
Scottish Natural Heritage is the enforcing body for damage, or risk of damage, to protected species and habitats in the non-marine environment.
Marine Scotland is the enforcing body for damage, or risk of damage, to protected species and natural habitats in the marine environment and marine waters.
In Scotland to the relevant enforcing body.
Remediation of environmental damage means returning the environment as a whole to the condition it would have been in if the damage had not occurred.
Remediation must include primary remediation, which is work to repair the damaged site itself. If the primary remediation does not fully restore the damaged site then you may also need to carry out compensatory and complementary remediation.
Compensatory remediation is work to offset the loss of natural resources from the time you caused the damage to the time you fully remediate the damaged site.
Complementary remediation is additional work, possibly at another site, if the site you damaged cannot be completely restored. It is carried out to compensate for when primary remediation does not fully restore the damaged site.
If the NIEA decides you have caused environmental damage, you must draw up remediation proposals and submit them for approval. If you don't do this the NIEA can issue a remediation notice requiring you to submit remediation proposals. Once the NIEA has decided which remediation proposals should be implemented you must implement them.
If the enforcing body decides you have caused environmental damage, you must draw up remediation proposals and submit them for approval. If you don't do this the enforcing body can issue a requirement for you to submit remediation proposals. Once the enforcing body has decided which remediation proposals should be implemented you must implement them.
You can appeal against a requirement to submit remediation proposals within 28 days of it being served on you.


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Atolls of Tuvalu - PacSim - review (4*)
Atolls of Tuvalu is an amusing scenery. Apart from Funafuti it is loosely based on the real world putting fun in front of realism. Surprisingly - it works!
http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Approaching-Nui.jpg 564 1000 Wojciech Przybylski http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CalypteAviation.png Wojciech Przybylski2015-09-03 18:12:442015-09-03 18:24:55Atolls of Tuvalu - PacSim - review (4*)
KPHX Phoenix - Flightbeam - review (5*)
Phoenix Sky Harbor - this airport is huge! KPHX by Flightbeam fully deserves HD designation in it's name. KPHX HD is a great scenery of an amazing airport.
http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Phoenix-9.jpg 1080 1920 Wojciech Przybylski http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CalypteAviation.png Wojciech Przybylski2015-09-02 16:02:372015-09-02 16:02:37KPHX Phoenix - Flightbeam - review (5*)
Zegrze Pomorskie - freeware - review (5*)
Zegrze Pomorskie has an unmistakable aura of a cold war era air base. This scenery is perfect for a warbird and can be a good home for GA plane. It's Free!
http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/035-2013-6-2_21-40-19-901.jpg 650 1159 Wojciech Przybylski http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CalypteAviation.png Wojciech Przybylski2015-09-01 15:46:422016-03-15 01:14:55Zegrze Pomorskie - freeware - review (5*)
Kilimanjaro Airport 2015 - Aerosoft - review (4*)
Kilimanjaro. Beautiful scenery at the foot of the highest mountain in Africa can be a destination for Europe based airliner and a hub for local trips.
http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Kilimanjaro-27.jpg 800 1920 Wojciech Przybylski http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CalypteAviation.png Wojciech Przybylski2015-08-29 21:15:582015-08-29 22:08:05Kilimanjaro Airport 2015 - Aerosoft - review (4*)
USS Enterprise X - Team SDB - review (5*)
Big E. USS Enterprise (CVN-65). The first nuclear aircraft carrier and the best in FSX! Published by Team SDB. This is where I keep my F-14.
http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/32.jpg 990 1920 Wojciech Przybylski http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CalypteAviation.png Wojciech Przybylski2015-08-28 17:37:382016-03-15 01:20:02USS Enterprise X - Team SDB - review (5*)
City of Gilgit - MSK - review (4*)
It's one of the most dangerous approaches - Gilgit Airport. In FSX - City of Gilgit by MSK. A good scenery and an exciting place to fly a commercial jet.
http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/35.jpg 675 1200 Wojciech Przybylski http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CalypteAviation.png Wojciech Przybylski2015-08-18 18:51:232015-09-23 13:39:00City of Gilgit - MSK - review (4*)
Danish Airfields X – Tuno – review (5****)
Small, idyllic island known for it's music festival. It has a private airfield. A small one! Tuno - part of Vidan Design Danish Airfields X series.
http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/30.jpg 800 1920 Wojciech Przybylski http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CalypteAviation.png Wojciech Przybylski2015-08-17 18:48:252015-09-16 18:33:11Danish Airfields X – Tuno – review (5****)
Twentynine Palms KNTP - 29Palms - review (6*)
250 sq km of desert, two runways, tumbleweeds everywhere and some magic that draws me here. Twentynine Palms in California. My first 6* scenery review.
http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/191.jpg 800 1920 Wojciech Przybylski http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CalypteAviation.png Wojciech Przybylski2015-08-16 15:31:252015-09-11 20:45:25Twentynine Palms KNTP - 29Palms - review (6*)
VFR Germany 2 – Aerosoft – review (4****)
Aerosoft VFR Germany 2. Northern Germany covered with photoscenery, autogen and objects. It is not perfect, but it is good. I like to fly over this scenery.
http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/17.jpg 1050 1920 Wojciech Przybylski http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CalypteAviation.png Wojciech Przybylski2015-08-15 18:39:162015-09-26 02:00:31VFR Germany 2 – Aerosoft – review (4****)
Sumburgh Airport - ORBX - review (5*****)
Sumburgh - airport in Shetlands. Look around, you will see sheep, gulls and gray ocean. This scenery lacks sheep. Apart from that - everything is perfect.
http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Sumburgh-301.jpg 600 1920 Wojciech Przybylski http://c-aviation.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CalypteAviation.png Wojciech Przybylski2015-08-14 22:02:352016-03-23 18:55:00Sumburgh Airport - ORBX - review (5*****)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How to open unzip files in a unique folder each time on iOS On my iOS application I'm unziping files in "app/temp" folder like this:
NSString *unzipFolder = [[CommonFunctions getCachePath] stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"/temp/"];

and once im done with it im deleting item with:
    [[NSFileManager defaultManager] removeItemAtPath:unzipFolder error:&e];

Issue is that bcz im creating mulital copy of unzip files some of the files Images name are same and displaying wrong images, and i dont find error on why my deleting function does not work!
IS there any way that i can do unziping of folder on diffrent path for each message that open by user?
Thanks :)

A: It sounds like all you're asking is how to generate a unique name for your unzipFolder each time.
Just don't use a hardcoded name. Almost anything will do. For example:
NSString *unzipFolderTemplate = [[CommonFunctions getCachePath] stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"temp.XXXXXX"];
char *template = strdup([template fileSystemRepresentation]);
if (mkdtemp(template)) {
  NSString *unzipFolder = [NSString stringWithFileSystemRepresentation:template
                                                                length:strlen(template)];
  free(template);
  // do the work
  [[NSFileManager defaultManager] removeItemAtPath:unzipFolder error:&e];
}

The nice thing about mkdtemp is that it creates the directory for you, and guarantees there are no race conditions, somehow-left-over directories, or other problems. It's also more secure against, say, someone writing a crack or other jailbreak hack that exploits your code by predicting the path. The downside is, of course, that you have to drop down to C strings (which means an explicit free). But, as I said, there are many possibilities, and almost anything will do.
Also, note that I'm using @"temp.XXXXXX", not @"/temp.XXXXXX/". That's because -[stringByAppendingPathComponent:] already adds any necessary slashes for you (that is, in fact, the whole point of the method), and directory-creation functions don't need a trailing slash, so both of the slashes are unnecessary.
Meanwhile, I'm still a bit confused by what you're trying to do. If you need to keep a unique folder around for each message, and delete the folder when you're done with that message, and you could have multiple messages open at once, you need some way to remember which folder goes with which message.
For that, create an NSMutableDictionary somewhere, and right after the free(template) you'll want to do something like [tempFolderMap addObject:unzipFolder forKey:messageName]. Then, when closing a message, you'll do [tempFolderMap objectForKey:messageName] and use the result to the removeItemAtPath:error: message (and then you can also remove the key from tempFolderMap).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Bill Cosby accuser breaks silence publicly for the 1st time on night the entertainer assaulted her
By Lana Lubbe
https://news.amomama.com/85332-bill-cosby-accuser-breaks-silence-public.html
Andrea Constand's sexual assault accusations against the 80-year-old disgraced comedian eventually led to his conviction. She spoke out in an exclusive interview and shared the details of what took place the night Bill Cosby assaulted her.
GettyImages/Global Images of Ukraine
Celebritist learned from "NBC" that Constand spoke to Kate Snow for a special edition of "Dateline". In 2004 Andrea was operations manager of Temple University women's basketball program. Cosby, who had attended Temple University and was a staunch supporter, invited her over to his home. The comedian had been mentoring her for months and wanted to discuss her future, as Andrea was considering a career move.
At his home, Andrea states Cosby offered her something to relax.
"Three blue pills. And he put his hand out and I said, 'What are those?' And he said, 'They'll help you relax."
She asked him if they were natural or some type of herbal remedy.
"And he said, 'No, they're your friends. Just put them down.'"
Constand says she proceeded to take the pills, as she trusted that it would help her to relax. Within half an hour her speech became slurred and she couldn't walk. The comedian then helped her to a couch where he began assaulting her.
While the assault took place, Andrea recalls the thoughts that went through her mind. She couldn't move and felt completely "limp", although her mind was telling her to kick or do anything to stop what was happening. She was also in and out of consciousness during the ordeal.
"I was crying out inside, in my throat, in my mind, for this to stop. And I couldn't do anything."
When she awoke hours later, the comedian gave her breakfast. She was embarrassed by what had happened and drove herself home, where she took a shower, broke down in tears and went to work.
Andrea never told anyone about the night, until a year later when she confided in her mother. She was afraid that no one would believe the actor, who became famous as the TV dad Dr Huxtable in "The Cosby Show", had done this to her.
Bill Cosby calls prison an 'amazing experience' in a revealing new interview with his spokesman
Bill Cosby claims he's in jail for infidelity not rape & jail time is price of social justice
Bill Cosby Wishes a Happy 75th Birthday to His 'Beautiful Bride' While in Prison
More than 12 years later she came forward and made a statement to the police. The jury was hung in the 2017 criminal trial, but Bill Cosby was finally convicted in the retrial earlier this year.
'Hawaii Five-0's' Jack Lord Wed Older Woman Who 'Mothered' Him & Sacrificed Her Career for Him
Everyone Stayed Away from Old Lady's House Branding Her a Witch, One Day a Little Boy Peeks In — Story of the Day
John Travolta's Heart Was Shattered Twice after Losing a Lover & Kelly Preston to the Same Fatal Disease


Now before the rabid beetles were introduced, my game ran fine, and i barely ever got frame lag. But in my 210 day world on hamlet when i go to reset the calendar the rabid beetles always reproduce there, and tons and tons swarm ( see photos) And around then i get 1 to 2 fps because of it. This is the most i've ever died to something that i feel wasn't due to a mistake i made. This happens sometimes with vampire bats, but i never actually dip below 10 frames when they come.
I was wondering if there was any help for me. I run any other game fine including dst, shipwrecked, rog and hamlet before i get to late game. it also takes a long time to get into ruins when the beetles are swarming me, and i get attacked several times as the screen fades to black. Not to mention my sanity drain, also shown in the photos.
I sent a error report in-game, but i'd like some feedback on the forums because i am still having issues.
Just to double check, is your save the one that mentions 81K entities in the comment?
That doesn't ring a bell, but i did mention this issue before (about a month ago) with ruins and i remember you saying you had no issue when you looked at my save, but you wanted to go deeper into it.
I assume you guys get my save when you get the error report, and i only have one hamlet save currently. In that save i'm in the ruins (i backed up the save in case i died like this) and if you travel to the other island where the calendar is, right in the biome that has the entrance to the ruins there is a hoard of rabid egg sacs if you look around and they all open immediately.
I do get your save, but they are anonymous and there's quite a few - so I am trying to identify it.
If you're willing, you could report another bug, and mention your forum username (and maybe a small description, then I should find it easily. Ideally save in (or close to) the location where performance is really bad, but I can try finding the spot myself.
Okay, Before i give the error report i'm going to save right as they spawn. Ill specifically say it's for you when i enter the description and i'll put my username and if i can, ill link the forum post too.
Thanks for the fast replies! Please let me know how it goes.
Not sure the link will work, but I'll know where to find this with the username.
Okay, Everything is set up. Once you load into my save you will see the problem immediately.
Out of curiosity, and to give me some context - what are the specs of your computer?
I believe this window should work.
Out of curiosity, could you do two things for me?
1) See if there's any difference if you disable the Minimap HUD Mod. It's relatively expensive, curious if it makes a difference on your system.
Again, preferably when performance is so bad. I just ran your save on my system (which is not bad but not a monster either) and while performance wasn't great it was definitely playable, so hardware seems to be a factor as well, but I'll have to see what I can find.
Okay, I'm gonna do both right now. I'll let you know if the minimap hud makes a difference.
I did find an optimization in your save, hard to tell how much it will improve things on your system, but I'm looking for others.
it should come in with the next update - keep me posted.
Okay so i did some testing and I'll let you know what i've found out.
In any biome except rainforest the fps is generally fine.
when i disabled it, i found the fps in other areas (ex: pig town) was a lot better, but the rain forest was actually worse. I didn't even have any rabid beetles near me and i had 2 fps. Normally it only drops around rabid beetles or other large quantities of other mobs like bats or flytraps.
I submitted a profile around the area with the low fps without rabid beetles near it. in my save i did have the hud on, i was messing with the settings and it ended up disabling all of the huds (the inventory, the crafting, the day, etc) So i'm going to just disable the minimap hud for now.
Thanks for mentioning the minimap hud because now i get around 30-40 fps around any other biome than rain forest if i have the mod disabled, So that's awesome.
Thanks for helping me out. I really appreciate it.
I also want to note too that its not a gradual decrease in fps, its instant for me. like the moment i step into the rain forest, i immediately go to 2 fps and it does not go up unless i leave the biome.


The SELECTA winter school entitled "Gateway to industry: Introducing materials to market. Practical aspects" was organized by UCAM (University of Cambridge) on 7-12 January 2018. The network members gathered together aiming to provide training to the ESRs (Early Stage Researchers). The training in soft skills included a presentation on how to apply for Marie S. Curie Individual Fellowship (MSC-IF) and a whole day training on how to prepare for a job interview. The main goal of this session was to prepare the ESRs for their future job interviews. For this, 'mock' job interviews were performed. Each ESR delivered a 12 minutes presentation to apply for one of the three job offers proposed (industry, publishing or university). Afterwards, the ESR was interviewed by a panel of three senior researchers who provided feedback at the end of the interview. The scientific lectures of the event were scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday. Among the activities of the winter school, visits to GRANTA and to Cavendish Lavoratory were also arranged by the UCAM organizing team. During the management session several network issues were tackled, such as financial aspects, reporting, dissemination and future steps of the project. To get further information on the training in soft skills, scientific lectures and activities organized during the SELECTA winter school, see below the programme of the event.


text:
import subscribeIO from './subscribeIO';

export {subscribeIO};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Guillotine wall stone is a versatile stone used for multiple purposes in construction of buildings and walls. Available all year, Limberlost Stone produces this in Brown and Grey colours.
Natural wall stone provides the rustic look often desirable for exterior walls, decorative and retaining wall installations. Limberlost Brown provides a consistent look ranging from light brown to chocolate colours.
This wall stone provides a light grey "travertine like" look for projects that are less earthy and have more grey/blue tones.
A consistent brown wall stone ranging from a light brown to a chocolate, many of these pieces show a light black or grey horizontal stripe throughout making each piece distinct.
A lighter colour than Limberlost Brown, the Tan wall stone is consistent in colour with very few variations.
Limberlost Eramosa provides the distinctive "tiger stripe" linear look to structures made with this product.
Building stone is in high demand all year.
Plan ahead and contact us today!


Uplevel your everyday eating experience and savor each meal with this stunning set. This truly unique handmade dinnerware has an artisan touch with a timeless elegance. The best part, clean up is a breeze with this beautiful durable stoneware.


text:
Hummersölandet med Flisö, Hummersö, Bråttö och Kallsö. är en ö på Åland (Finland). Den ligger i Skärgårdshavet och i kommunen Föglö i landskapet Åland, i den sydvästra delen av landet. Ön ligger omkring 19 kilometer öster om Mariehamn och omkring 250 kilometer väster om Helsingfors. Hummersölandet ligger söder om huvudön Degerö och väster om Kyrklandet dit det också finns vägförbindelse över det mycket smala Norrhålet.

Öns area är  kvadratkilometer och dess största längd är  kilometer i öst-västlig riktning.

Delöar och uddar

 Bäckö
 Bockholm
 Haguddarna  (udde)
 Rönnäs  (udde)
 Gisselö
 Läringsnäs  (udde)
 Skagsuddarna  (udde)
 Orrholm  (udde)
 Furunäs  (udde)
 Langnäs  (udde)
 Vårholm
 Fostringholm  (udde)
 Lökkil  (udde)
 Getingsnäs  (udde)
 Verkholma  (udde)
 Granhamn  (udde)
 Lågerklobb
 Killingholmarna
 Slätnäs  (udde)
 Långgrund  (udde)
 Ljusholmarna
 Fiskarskär
 Stenudden  (udde)
 Barnholm  (udde)
 Smedsgrundet  (udde)
 Grännäs  (udde)
 Nabben  (udde)
 Riltdals holmen  (udde)

Källor

Öar i Föglö
Kontrollbehov inkommande wikilänkar
Åländska öar i Skärgårdshavet
Öar i Åland större än 10 kvadratkilometer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Q: Rotated border based triangle rendering in firefox When I make a css triangle it's all good, but when I rotate it a strange line appears in the middle. Why is this?

Here's a fiddle.
div {
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    top:100px;
    width:0;
    height:0;
    border:100px solid rgba(0,0,0,0);
    border-top-color:#333;
    -webkit-transform:rotate(45deg);
    -moz-transform:rotate(45deg);
    transform:rotate(45deg);
}

A: its bug - https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=818109
add translate3d( 0, 0, 1px)

div {
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    top: 100px;
    width: 0;
    height: 0;
    border: 100px solid rgba(0,0,0,0);
    border-top-color: #333;
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    -moz-transform: rotate(45deg) translate3d( 0, 0, 1px);
    transform: rotate(45deg) translate3d( 0, 0, 1px);
}


text:
Home / Media / News / The Role of AfCFTA in Enhancin…
The Role of AfCFTA in Enhancing Agriculture in Africa
Africa Bulletin
Published on 25 Aug 2022
To News
The most important sector of the African Economy is Agriculture. It contributes 15 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in sub-Saharan Africa and employs more than 60 percent of the labour force continent-wide. Agriculture accounts for 75 percent of Africa's domestic trade. To date, 43 out of 54 African Countries (80 percent) have deposited their instruments of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) ratification, and 88 percent of the negotiations on Rules of Origin have been agreed upon. The AfCFTA intends to promote agricultural growth and transformation in Africa, contributing to food security, and boosting competitiveness through regional agricultural value chain development and incentivising critical investments in production and marketing infrastructure.
The Economic Impact of the AfCFTA on Agriculture
There will be a significant boost in African trade as a result of the AfCFTA. By the year 2035, the total exports would increase by nearly 29 percent relative to the baseline (total exports in 2014). Agriculture exports will experience smaller gains of 49 percent for the intra-Africa trade and 10 percent for the extra-Africa trade. In terms of volume, it is approximately USD 191 billion.
The AfCFTA agreement will increase the regional output and productivity plus also encourage the reallocation of resources across different countries and sectors. The total production of Africa will nearly be USD 212 billion higher than the baseline by 2035. The output in the agriculture sector will decrease 0.5 percent (relative to the baseline in 2035) at the continental level. In other terms, it means that the Agricultural output would decrease by USD 8 billion relative to the baseline. The reason for the decline would be a shift from agriculture to manufacturing and services in North Africa.
The biggest trade liberalisation is anticipated in African States with high initial barriers like Cameroon, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Arab Republic of Egypt. Average intra-Africa (trade-weighted) tariffs decline would be from 5 percent to 2 percent in agriculture. Under the AfCFTA, there will be a sharp decline in Non-tariff barriers (NTB) ad valorem rates, that is, for purposes of intra-Africa trade the decline is 11.0 percent points on average and a decline of 13.5 percent points in agriculture.
The real wages are expected to increase more for the unskilled labourers (0.74 percent in agriculture, 0.8 percent in non-agricultural sectors) compared to the skilled labourers (0.54 percent). According to the studies made by Ilaria Fusacchia, Jean Bali and Luca Salvatici, the results demonstrate that the agreement establishing the AfCFTA is expected to deepen the agricultural food value chains at the continental level.
The AfCFTA will aid more participation of food and agricultural sectors in complicated global value chains (GVC) trade (defined as trade in intermediates crossing at least two borders) through an increase in forward as well as backward participation. Because of the AfCFTA, countries in Africa will be less dependent on the export of agricultural intermediates to produce the final product with higher value added.
Under the AfCFTA scenario, there will be an elimination of all import tariffs on intra-African agricultural trade flows in 2030. This scenario will cause an increase of 574 percent in intra-African agricultural trade volume by 2030 compared to the baseline without the AfCFTA. The AfCFTA intends to eliminate tariffs on 90 percent of all goods which are traded between member states in equal annual reductions towards a zero tariff. Elimination and reduction of tariffs will lead to lower prices of food that will influence nutrition and food access.
Agricultural Subsidies in Africa
The ability of African countries to compete in international and domestic agricultural markets was affected by agricultural export subsidies and domestic subsidies made by developed countries. By eliminating and lowering agricultural subsidies, the respective rules have developed to be fairer and market-oriented, as required in the WTO's Agreement on Agriculture.
Subsidies are permitted in the East African Community (EAC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Article 17 of the EAC Customs Union Protocol, permits the issuing of subsidies that distort competition, as long as other member states get notifications highlighting all information on the subsidy. Application of countervailing duties is allowed under article 18.
Under the Protocol on Trade in Goods of the AfCFTA Agreement, article 17 permits the issuing of subsidies in relation to the members' development programmes. Any member state that feels they might be negatively affected by the subsidies, can request consultations with the issuing party. The issuing of subsidies which threaten to alter competition is conflicting with the Common Market according to Article 52(1) and (3) of the Revised Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Treaty. Article 52(2) and (4) of this Treaty allows the application of countervailing measures.
The member states of the SADC are not allowed to issue subsidies which are trade-distorting unless they suffer negative effects in the removal of trade barriers but also according to their WTO obligations.
By the fact that tariff negotiations are still ongoing, the AfCFTA's state parties could take this opportunity to add "agricultural products among the ''essential products" in their tariff schedules to reduce over-dependence on global food markets" in light of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine War.
Africa and the US Agree to Foster Closer Working Relationship
The soft power approach by these three global powers led by the U.S. is commendable. Still, the beneficiaries need to see the opportunity and avoid being immersed in the political aspect of these engagements.
Stories that Matter | December
At the recent US-Africa Leaders summit held in Washington, President Joe Biden has declared that the USA is "all in on Africa's future."
ALN Decoding the Future of Tech in Africa
Although tech start-ups have a head start in digital transformation, there is still time for other companies, including larger, older businesses, to begin the process.


The Impetus Range connects health and fitness to the future. This range is specifically designed for mid to higher end market for domestic application. It's modern and stylish look makes the Impetus range stand out above the rest.
The Impetus continues to deliver one of the best total body workouts as it targets both the upper and lower body simultaneously while working all the essential muscles that contribute to core stabilisation.
This is a limited time offer which includes a FREE wireless Dongle compatible with the FREE APP IConsole+ you save in total $ 149 which includes the cost of the Dongle !!


Part of the American dream is being able to achieve success as an immigrant. Here are some ways to make it happen.
Step 1: Work hard -- tell yourself you have to succeed. Live entirely on your earnings, leaving emergency savings untouched.
Step 2: Have a big dream. Reach for the stars, believe you can make it, and strive for success. With hard work and some luck, your success will be at hand.
FACT: The leading countries of origin for persons granted asylum in the United States in 2006 were China, Colombia, and Haiti.
Step 3: Don't be afraid to take risks. Risk tolerance is characteristic of successful immigrants and entrepreneurs.
TIP: If your partner is an American, they may be able to help you navigate the new terrain. While you may be able to recognize new opportunities, it might take a native's help to take advantage of them.
Step 4: Pursue an education. Take night classes to get an undergraduate or graduate degree. An advanced education will open new doors in the United States.
Step 5: Maintain close family ties. Think of your achievement of success as a moral obligation to your family.
Step 6: If you want to start a business, find a business partner. Reaching success in a competitive economy requires collaboration and complementary abilities.
Step 7: Take advantage of your ability to see the country as an outsider. You may be able to recognize opportunities that go unnoticed by long-time residents of the country.


text:
Federal Scientists Target Opioids and Addiction
Researchers Seek to Understand Pain and Dependence
EXPERT SLIDES
By Chris Adams
The nation is deep into an epidemic of misuse, overdose and death from opioids, and federal scientists are still working to understand how the drugs get into people's hands and how their bodies are affected.
In a session with National Press Foundation fellows, the deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse described ongoing research projects into opioids, both legal (oxycodone) and illegal (heroin, forms of fentanyl). The institute is part of the National Institutes of Health, the nation's premier biomedical research facility.
Some of Dr. Wilson Compton's research has focused on where drugs come from: A 2017 study, for example, documented that more than half of the prescription opioids that patients misused came from friends or relatives – most likely the friend or relative's prescription but sometimes their friends or relatives.
Overall, there are far more prescription opioids washing around the United States than other countries. A map of the world showing the level of pain medication to the level of pain need shows the U.S. with far more than necessary – and most other nations with only a fraction of what they need.
"There's a raging fire of overdose deaths," Compton said, noting "an increase in every single state in every single region."
Scientists at NIDA or those funded by NIDA grants are focused on several other avenues of research, including the link between prescription opioid use and later heroin use; the rapid increase of fentanyl and counterfeit fentanyl; and promising new pain therapeutics.
He also reviewed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services opioid strategy, which includes improving pain management; boosting availability of overdose-reducing drugs; improving access to prevention and treatment; strengthening public health data; and supporting new research.
NIH opioids research
Support for this program is provided from the American Society of Addiction Medicine, California Health Care Foundation, American Medical Association, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute on Drug Abuse and Caron Treatment Centers.


Infinite Chicago is a 404-bed student housing community.
CHICAGO — Square Mile Capital Management LLC has provided a $55 million loan for the refinancing of Infinite Chicago, a 404-bed student housing community located in downtown Chicago. Stephen Skok of HFF arranged the financing on behalf of the borrower, CA Student Living, a division of CA Ventures. Loan terms were not disclosed, but the loan was used to repay an existing loan. Infinite Chicago, formerly known as the Gibbons/Steger office buildings, includes a pair of 18- and 19-story towers, originally constructed between 1910 and 1912. CA Student Living acquired the property in 2012 and completed the conversion of the buildings into student housing in 2014. Both Kendall College and School of the Art Institute of Chicago control master leases for a large portion of the beds at Infinite Chicago. The remaining tenant roster includes students from institutions such as DePaul University, Roosevelt University and Columbia College, among others. Shared amenities at the community include a landscaped rooftop with gas grills, fitness center, business center, group study rooms and an entertainment lounge. In addition, Infinite Chicago features 6,000 square feet of ground-floor retail leased to tenants such as Just Salad, 7-Eleven, BIBIBOP Asian Grill and Hero Coffee Bar.


You may think it more sensible for Michael Milton to take a boat to Ballarat this weekend but, rest assured, the weather reports are looking good for the Come to Life Ballarat Cycle Classic.
Over the last three years The Classic has raised more than $300,000 for the Ballarat Cancer Research Centre and this year expectations are bigger than ever with 1500 riders and up to 5000 spectators due to decsend on the southern shores of the beautiful Lake Wendouree.
There are three options for road riders - 60km, 85km and 100km - all of which incorporate the Australian National Road Championship Course at Mt Buninyong. There will also be a 2.5 hour relay around the lake for more social riders.
Tha Ballarat Cancer Research Centre has a vision to unlock the cancer riddle through innovative cancer research. In collaboration with research centres worldwide, The Centre is at the forefront of working to unlock the cancer riddle by attracting the best minds in cancer research to work in Ballarat.
It's not too late to register. Weather reports indicate no flash floods, extreme heat or gale force winds!
Remember, the entire entry fee is given to the Ballarat Cancer Research Centre.


Brass Roots Technologies has recently added a Mitutoyo QM Series 518 Height Gauge to complement and enhance the already phenomenal finished accuracy and precision of fabricated components from our in-house CNC Mill and CNC Lathe.
Brass Roots Technologies today announced the acquisition of a precision CNC Lathe. The new asset will complement the already installed CNC Vertical Mill to support Brass Roots' custom engineering design and prototyping business.
From initial proof of concept demonstrators to full performance, near-production protyotypes, Brass Roots a complete supply chain that supplements our robust in-house design and CNC manufacturing capabilities.
Read more about Announcing In-House Precision CNC Machining!


text:
What I'm working on (current)
Statewide Issues
COVID-19 Advocacy and Support
Letter to Health Minister regarding Long COVID
Dear Minister D'Ath
I am writing to advocate that the state government urgently implement health measures to ensure all Queenslanders have access to treatment for chronic COVID syndrome, also known as long-COVID.
While most people completely recover from COVID-19 within a few weeks, some people – more than a third of patients according to the UK's National Institute for Health Research – will have ongoing, long-term complications after their initial recovery.
Calling themselves "long-haulers", these patients continue to experience at least one COVID symptom for months after their infection, with the symptoms often getting worse. These symptoms may include ongoing fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, and headaches. Many report ongoing cognitive processing issues, memory loss, depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. Several studies have also found increasing evidence of lasting organ impairment in people with severe and mild COVID-19.
COVID has struck more than 400 thousand Queenslanders. Whether they had a mild cough or spent time in intensive care, thousands of these people could face long-term health concerns for months – if not years – after their infection. And it's our society's most vulnerable – the elderly, First Nations people, people with disabilities, and people who cannot access adequate healthcare – that will be worse-off due to long-COVID. Global research into symptoms, treatment and risk factors is still developing, with some studies suggesting that key risk factors include hospitalisation, older age, underlying conditions, mental illness and coming from a marginalised ethnic group.,
I'm calling on the state government to urgently adopt policies and measures that will mitigate the impacts of long-COVID on Queenslanders. All residents of our state deserve access to the healthcare they need to deal with any ongoing conditions they face after recovering from COVID-19.
These policies and measures include:
A network of free, universally-accessible specialist long-COVID clinics run by Queensland Health. By bringing together doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, dieticians, and occupational therapists, these Queensland Health-run clinics can provide the practical help long-COVID patients need. These clinics must also be accessible to people in regional and remote parts of our state.
Setting up long-COVID clinics attached to hospitals for outpatient treatment. These clinics will ensure coronavirus patients who spend time in intensive care can access the specialist rehabilitation services they need.
Creating culturally appropriate and community-run long-COVID clinics that cater to Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Provide funding for Queensland Health to train healthcare workers on detecting and treating people with post-COVID symptoms.
Provide the resources and funding needed for Queensland Health to conduct research to guide policies and measures to deal with long-COVID.
A statewide, publicly-available action plan on how the state government will respond to long-COVID.
I note that other jurisdictions are implementing programs for long-COVID support. The University of Canberra Hospital has established a Post-Covid Recovery Clinic. The Victorian Government has provided some online information and is encouraging people with ongoing symptoms to connect with their GP. The UK has established a network of long-COVID clinics, and specialist services for young people with long COVID.
It is up to the state to plan for and intervene in whatever turns the pandemic takes us – including long-COVID. If the state government does not adequately respond to long-COVID, I fear we may face another health crisis. I urge you, Minister, to take urgent action to ensure no Queenslander infected with COVID-19 continues to suffer unnecessarily.
Please do not hesitate to contact my office on 3724 9100 if you would like to discuss this matter in more detail.
Amy MacMahon
Member for South Brisbane
COVID-19 Community Support
Letter to Disability Services Minister regarding COVID support for people with disabilities


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text:
NHS Procurement and Subcontractor Exclusion
Business of the House – in the House of Commons at 4:57 pm on 4th July 2019.
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—(Iain Stewart.)
(Citation: HC Deb, 4 July 2019, c1452)
Ivan Lewis Independent, Bury South 4:59 pm, 4th July 2019
I requested this debate this afternoon not only to put right a wrong that has been done to a long-established business in my constituency, but to highlight wider issues about Government procurement policy, particularly in relation to the national health service. The Government rightly talk about delivering a Brexit that supports UK businesses, jobs and our standard of living. However, this sorry story illustrates how, even before Brexit, we are unable to create a level playing field for our companies, let alone back them up. In this case, the EU cannot be blamed for a lack of transparency or fair competition, or for the exclusion of a UK company from an NHS preferred supplier list.
Under NHS ProCure22, the Department of Health and Social Care appointed Kier as a tier 1 provider to decide who should be the preferred providers for floor covering in NHS facilities. In May 2018, without any competitive tendering or other transparent process, it was announced that three overseas companies would be on the preferred supplier list—two French companies, Tarkett and Gerflor, and a Swiss company, Forbo. James Halstead, a UK plc from my constituency with a 50-year track record of supplying NHS institutions was not on the list or even given the opportunity to tender or participate in dialogue with Kier.
Halstead is highly successful global business that we are proud of in Radcliffe, with a global turnover of £250 million and a UK turnover of £83 million. The NHS currently accounts for approximately 15% of that UK turnover. A significant proportion of that is now at risk, and there is the also potential reputational damage of being excluded from the list for unstated reasons. Many NHS organisations are understandably asking Halstead why it is not on the list. That would be bad enough in any circumstances, but things have been made worse by the recent track record of the three overseas companies.
In October 2017, the three companies were found guilty of price fixing over a 23-year period in France, and the French competition authority fined them a total of £302 million. They were found to have discussed minimum prices, price increases, sales policy and other sensitive information, such as their trading volumes. The French regulators discovered that the companies had also exchanged confidential, recent and detailed information on their sales volumes and commercial forecasts. That information was exchanged through the SFEC, a sectoral trade union in France, which was in charge of collecting the information and sharing it with manufacturers. It is surprising—some would stay staggering —that seven months later these same companies were given a monopoly as preferred suppliers for the NHS. In addition, it is worth noting that Tarkett pays no UK taxes whatsoever. To be clear, it is not breaking any laws in doing so, but that does not mean that there are no ethical and fairness issues.
I have several questions for the Minister, and if he is unable to answer them today, I would be grateful if he would write to me in detail. What criteria did Kier use to draw up the preferred supplier list? In the absence of competitive tendering, what process did it use? Why were Halstead and other suppliers not included on the list or given the opportunity to put their case? What consideration was given to the probity of the three overseas companies in view of the sanctions imposed on them in France?
Will the Minister assure me—this is incredibly important—that Kier will be instructed to add Halstead, and any other appropriate company, to the list as a matter of urgency? Will the Minister initiate a review of all such NHS contractor lists with a view to identifying how many are drawn up without a competitive tendering or transparent process? Finally, will the Minister issue an instruction in due course that NHS staff and third parties, such as tier 1 providers, appointed on the NHS's behalf to commission goods and services should have a duty to be proactive in encouraging UK companies to apply or bid, depending on the relevant process?
I believe that this case has wider implications for UK Government and NHS procurement policy than simply the effects on the business in my constituency. I want to make it clear that this is not about saying that, in an unlawful manner, the NHS or the Government should favour UK companies over foreign companies. That is not the case whatsoever, so officials should not try to deflect us away from the substantive issues here. The issue is that a UK company with a good track record, a history of financial probity, and quality goods and services should be on this list. It has never been sanctioned by any regulatory authority. In contrast, these three overseas companies were significantly sanctioned, less than a year before the NHS's decision, for price fixing—basically operating a cartel in France—over a 23-year period.
Clearly this is not a matter of direct ministerial responsibility and, having been a Health Minister, I do not hold the Minister personally responsible for individual procurement and tendering decisions, but Ministers are responsible for policy and oversight in this area. There has either been incompetence by those charged with these responsibilities or, frankly, something stinks in Kier's decision-making process in this case.
I would be incredibly grateful if the Minister responded to my substantive points, considered the wider implications for UK Government and NHS procurement and put right, as a matter of urgency, the wrong done to Halstead plc in my constituency.
Stephen Hammond Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care) 5:06 pm, 4th July 2019
It is a pleasure to respond, and I thank Mr Lewis for securing this debate to highlight an issue about which he rightly feels very strongly, as it affects a company in his constituency.
The title of this debate highlights the two things the hon. Gentleman wants to raise. The first is the specific issue and, as I have some time, I will talk a little about procurement processes with subcontractors in general, too. He highlights an issue with a specific framework contract that, as he rightly says, is managed by my Department.
The specific issue the hon. Gentleman raises is on the use of subcontractors in the flooring industry under the construction framework ProCure22. The issue was originally raised through the Government public procurement review service, hosted by the Cabinet Office, back in December 2018. A response was provided by officials at the time and is on the Government website.
The hon. Gentleman asked a number of direct questions, which I will tackle later in my speech. I hope to satisfy him but, if not, I will, of course, be very happy to write to him.
The issue, as the hon. Gentleman says, is that one of the suppliers under the P22 framework is using three companies based in the European Union and that a supplier in his constituency is not being used. He is not seeking to suggest that suppliers be excluded for unlawful reasons, but he is suggesting that the supplier in his constituency has been excluded because there was not a fair competition. That is the essence of what he said.
On the competition question, the hon. Gentleman will know that my Department and the Cabinet Office provided a response saying that, although we have some influence over subcontractors under the ProCure22 framework, this only relates to certain tier 1 subcontractors that are primary supply chain members. They are required to pass a certain series of checks with the authority before they can be registered. Those checks are limited to organisations undertaking certain roles and do not extend to the suppliers of flooring products. The principal supply chain partners have been selected through an appropriate procurement process, in line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Those companies are then free to build their own supply chains, which is where the company in the hon. Gentleman's constituency is at odds. The company leading the supply chain is not always bound by public sector procurement regulations. I am obviously aware of the French authorities imposing a fine on the three companies at the end of 2017, and I want to address some of his remarks on that in a moment.
Officials in my Department have met supply chain partners on a regular basis, and we seek wherever possible to encourage the use of UK-based SME subcontractors. As the hon. Gentleman said, we have a duty to the public sector to deliver value for money. It is for our supply chain partners to demonstrate that that is the case with each of their products.
I think the hon. Gentleman is concerned that my Department has not replied to a letter from Halstead—the aggrieved company in question—of January this year. I can confirm that the Department received the letter from DWF lawyers, acting on Halstead's behalf. The letter was addressed to me on 16 January, and my Department has a record of a reply being sent on 13 February, referring DWF to the response that had been published on the public procurement review service that I referred to earlier. If the hon. Gentleman does not have a copy of that reply, or if he finds when he speaks to Halstead that it does not have a copy or the lawyers have not passed it on, I will be happy to sort that out.
Officials in my Department have engaged with Halstead directly—that engagement started in March 2018—to explain how the framework operated. I hope that the company will be able to confirm to the hon. Gentleman that officials have responded fairly promptly to any questions that have been raised. I understand that Halstead has used that feedback and is currently bidding to form part of the supply chain.
The hon. Gentleman asked a large number of very specific questions, and given that the House has a little bit of time tonight, I thought I might try to respond to them now rather than writing to him.
Peter Heaton-Jones Conservative, North Devon
I take an interest in this matter because I have a large and very successful district hospital in my constituency. I listened with care to what Mr Lewis said. It seems to me that what we want in public procurement—not just in the NHS, but across the public service—is for the best contractor to do the best job at the best price for the public purse, but always in a framework, as the hon. Gentleman wisely said, of fair competition. If that has not happened in this case, does the Minister believe that that is because of a structural problem with the P22 framework, or is a local difficulty to blame?
Stephen Hammond Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I want to speak about the overall process later in my speech. Having been to Nottingham to open the national procurement centre for the NHS last week, I am clear that we should have the best procurement processes in place to ensure that money from the public purse is spent wisely. That is even more important in the health service than it is in almost any other part of the public sector, because money spent wisely means better patient care, and that is key.
I hope that I will be able to prove to my hon. Friend and the hon. Gentleman that the problem with this contract was not with the framework itself, but with how one particular company chose to apply the criteria. I am not saying that the company necessarily applied the criteria inaccurately or wrongly, but it did not do so in a way that we would normally encourage.
Ivan Lewis Independent, Bury South
I thank the Minister for the openness and frankness of his response so far. His last comment was very telling, because he acknowledged that in these circumstances, Kier perhaps did not behave in accordance with best practice or what would usually be expected, even if it did not do anything unlawful. If possible, I want clarity on whether the Minister or his officials have had, or will have, strong words with Kier about what the situation has exposed and the unfairness that has been applied to the company in my constituency. Will he or his officials have that conversation with Kier about what is expected of it, or have they done so already?
To be absolutely clear, I was not suggesting that Kier had not necessarily followed best practice, and it certainly had not acted unlawfully. I was suggesting that, as I said a moment ago, we would encourage all the people who use the frameworks to ensure that there are opportunities for UK firms to be on those frameworks.
Let me try to answer directly some of the hon. Gentleman's questions. He asked what criteria Kier used to draw up the supplier list. As I explained, in respect of how the framework is set up, the Department ensures that the principal supplier on the framework is there correctly, appropriately and legally. It is not for the Department to comment on the criteria that private sector organisations use to draw up their supplier lists. The Department sets out the expectation of the principal supply chain partners, and our expectation on them is to ensure that supply chains provide value-for-money, quality services for the public sector. Understandably, because of the nature of what is being procured, each supply chain partner will have its own processes and prequalification criteria.
The hon. Gentleman asked me directly what processes were used in the absence of competitive tendering. Again, it is not for the Department to comment directly on the specific processes, but I can confirm that each of the supply chain partners needs to follow its own internal policies, and those policies and procedures must align with the requirements of the framework.
The hon. Gentleman asked directly why Halstead and other suppliers that were not included on the list were not necessarily given the opportunity to put their case. The Department does not have visibility of which suppliers were given the opportunity to put their case; however, Halstead is now discussing that with the supply chain partners. As I said, Halstead has spoken to officials at my Department, and that communication goes back as far as March 2018. I understand that Halstead is now using that feedback and is bidding to form part of the supply chain. We give the undertaking that the application will be considered fairly and scored against the set criteria.
The hon. Gentleman asked me directly about what consideration was given to the probity of the three overseas companies, given that sanctions were imposed on them in France.
The Minister said that the application will be tested against the set criteria, but he cannot tell me what those criteria are. Is that a fair reflection of the situation?
As I said earlier in my remarks, each principal supply chain partner must make sure that their internal policies and procedures align with the requirements of the framework, but it is not for the Department to tell each principal supply partner how to set out their criteria, nor the specific processes they should use. The hon. Gentleman rightly made the point that is my Department's responsibility to ensure that the policy is correct. I hope he is hearing that my Department ensures that the right procedures and processes are in place and that the individual principal supply chain partner must choose the most appropriate one for the right framework it is on. I hope he will accept that.
I was just about to refer to the issue of the three overseas companies that were chosen and the sanctions that were imposed on them. As I said earlier, I am aware that the French authorities imposed the fine on the three companies at the end of 2017, but those convictions were imposed after the preferred supplier list was established. Clearly, the Department does not have sight of the contractual agreements between the supply chain partners and the suppliers. The supply chain partners are not within the scope of the Public Contract Regulations 2015.
The hon. Gentleman asked whether I could assure him that Kier would be instructed to add Halstead to the list as a matter of urgency. He will know, obviously, that it is not within my remit or my ability to instruct private sector organisations to engage with specific companies, but I can reassure him that Halstead is currently bidding as part of the refresh of the Kier supplier list and its application will, I know, be scored on the merit of the criteria set. I hope that that reassures him.
I want to turn briefly to how the Department supports and encourages small and medium-sized enterprises and subcontractors more generally. Clearly, we have been dealing with some very specific issues, and that underlines the complexity of the procurement landscape. The understanding of who exactly subcontractors are, and the work that they undertake, is, by its very nature, not well understood unless it is for a very major significant construction project. NHS organisations would usually expect the Crown Commercial Service or the regional procurement solution to identify and track the supply chain of the suppliers providing the goods, works or services. However, there is currently a limited understanding of the suppliers on locally negotiated contracts.
The Public Contract Regulations 2015 clearly allow public sector organisations to permit subcontracting within supply chains as long as the subcontractors meet the minimum standards set out, and the hon. Gentleman knows that I have just set those out. Where issues in subcontractor performance arise, the regulations also allow for the subcontractor to be excluded.
The Department's SME action plan for 2019-20 highlights the actions that we are taking to make it easier for SMEs to work with the whole of the health supply system. The Department has a target of 23% of our direct and indirect spend with SMEs by the end of March 2022.
Notwithstanding the note that the Minister might just have been passed—[Interruption.] This is an important point. I have mentioned already the fine hospital that I have in my constituency, but I also have many fine SMEs, which need to be on a level playing field when it comes to being able to tender for these sorts of procurement contracts. What I am looking for the Minister to give me and, I am sure, to other hon. Members with fine SMEs in their constituencies is an assurance that they have that level playing field and that they can get these contracts.
I am happy to give my hon. Friend that assurance. It is absolutely the commitment of the Government to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises are not excluded from any form of public sector procurement. I am pleased to say that the Department has published an action plan to that effect. I am actually the Minister in charge of ensuring that that action plan is implemented, and I am pleased to say that the Cabinet Office holds meetings of ministerial champions across Whitehall to ensure that, as a Government, we meet our targets.
May I ask the Minister about a really important point of clarification? Are Kier or similar organisations fulfilling that function required to publish the basis on which they make these decisions? The Minister has said that it is not for the Department to tell such organisations how to fulfil their responsibilities in drawing up these lists, but are those organisations required to publish, openly and transparently, the basis on which they make decisions about their preferred suppliers?
What I can say to the hon. Gentleman—he has heard me say this twice, and I am happy to have a longer discussion with him outside this debate—is that there is a process in place whereby principal supply chain partners are on the framework. If they are on that framework, they have to ensure that their policies, procedures and the criteria they intend to use align with that framework. As private sector organisations that have been contracted by the public sector, they in turn have subcontractors, and they have to ensure that the processes they use to contract those subcontractors are compliant with the framework. I am happy to set that out in writing for the hon. Gentleman, if he would like me to. Clearly, the Department cannot and does not instruct principal supply partners to detail every aspect but, as I have said to him before, we have to be reassured that the processes and procedures they use are compliant with what we have set out in the framework.
This has been a fascinating debate because it gets to the heart of what we want to do. If we want to have a vibrant economy, we must have transparency regarding how companies contract for public sector contracts and the supply thereof. What the hon. Gentleman has rightly done on behalf of his constituents is to ensure that the Department is clear and has investigated that the processes and procedures being used were the correct ones, and that if, as he believes, his constituents were unfairly treated, the Department looks into the case. My officials have been in regular contact with Halstead since 2018 and I am pleased that it is now able to refresh its application for the subcontract list. I am also pleased to have had the chance briefly to set out the Government's overall ambitions to ensure that all small and medium-sized enterprises are able to bid for Government contracts.
House adjourned.


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text:
Mars rocks collected by rover boost case for ancient life
AFP Published September 12, 2021
An image captured by the navigation cameras of NASA's Perseverance rover shows tracks on the surface of Mars during the rover's first test drive on March 4. — Reuters/File
WASHINGTON: NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has now collected two rock samples with signs that they were in contact with water for a long period of time, boosting the case for ancient life on the Red Planet.
"It looks like our first rocks reveal a potentially habitable sustained environment," said Ken Farley, project scientist for the mission, in a statement on Friday.
"It's a big deal that the water was there for a long time." The six-wheeled robot collected its first sample, dubbed "Montdenier" on September 6, and its second, "Montagnac" from the same rock on September 8.
Both samples, slightly wider than a pencil in diameter and about six centimetres long, are now stored in sealed tubes in the rover's interior.
A first attempt at collecting a sample in early August failed after the rock proved too crumbly to withstand Perseverance's drill.
NASA hopes to bring the samples to Earth for in-depth lab analysis
The rover has been operating in a region known as the Jezero Crater, just north of the equator and home to a lake 3.5 billion years ago, when conditions on Mars were much warmer and wetter than today.
The rock that provided the first samples was found to be basaltic in composition and likely the product of lava flows.
Volcanic rocks contain crystalline minerals that are helpful in radiometric dating.
This in turn could help scientists build up a picture of the area's geological history, such as when the crater formed, when the lake appeared and disappeared, and how climate changed over time.
"An interesting thing about these rocks as well is that they show signs for sustained interaction with groundwater," NASA geologist Katie Stack Morgan told a press conference.
The scientists already knew the crater was home to a lake, but couldn't rule out the possibility that it had been a "flash in the pan" with floodwaters filling up the crater for as little as 50 years. Now they are more certain groundwater was present for much longer.
"If these rocks experienced water for long periods of time, there may be habitable niches within these rocks that could have supported ancient microbial life," added Stack Morgan.
The salt minerals in the rock cores may have trapped tiny bubbles of ancient Martian water.
"Salts are great minerals for preserving signs of ancient life here on Earth, and we expect the same may be true for rocks on Mars," added Stack Morgan.
NASA is hoping to return the samples to Earth for in-depth lab analysis in a joint mission with the European Space Agency sometime in the 2030s.
Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2021
NASA's Mars helicopter enters new phase
Nasa's astrobiology rover Perseverance makes historic Mars landing
Rover leaves 'China's imprint' on Mars
Life does exist somewhere in the solar system and beyond.
Saif Zulfiqar
No life exists on any planet. Humanbeing of planet earth have found whatever existed on our planet. Earth is beautiful planet an we should keep it beautiful. Forget about new living beings.
Zeeshan Riaz
Great work by NASA to land and explore Mars for almost 20 years with Spirit, Opportunity and now Preserverence. Looking forward for more exciting discoveries
Spacepuppy
@Saif Zulfiqar, The universe is infinite and expanding. The chances that life would not exist anywhere else besides earth, are absurd.
@Saif Zulfiqar, Why?
Incitement to violence against ECP: PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry granted bail
January inflation clocks in at 27.55pc, highest since 1975


Genomic resources have significantly impacted plant biology research in recent years. Cell biology has been further enabled by an ongoing revolution in visualization technologies. Using fluorescent proteins (FPs), we now have unprecedented views of cellular architecture, and we can study real-time dynamics of cell structure, function, and protein localization. To date, these technologies have been most widely used in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana); however, the grasses provide a unique opportunity to study the underlying mechanisms and inter-related controls of cell growth, morphogenesis, and physiology in leading crop models. Here, we present a resource that leverages the emerging maize (Zea mays) genome sequence to develop tools to study protein structure and function in a cellular context. Traditionally, such studies relied on fixed tissue or FP fusions driven by constitutive promoters, which can lead to significant artifacts. The maize genome sequence now provides access to regulatory regions that can be used to drive native expression. We have developed streamlined methods to generate maize FP-tagged lines using these regulatory elements, allowing analysis of tissue-specific expression and localized function. Identification of diverse proteins that function in specific subcellular compartments will provide the tools for understanding basic developmental, biochemical, and physiological processes in maize, with direct application potential for crop improvement.


This project, jointly funded by the Department for International Development and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), aims to deliver a step change in predictive capability for Africa on 5-40 year timescales. IMPALA is led by the Met Office working alongside Richard Washington and Rachel James (both in the School of Geography) and Philip Stier in Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics at the University of Oxford.
Oxford will lead the Model Evaluation component of the project, with links to ongoing work by Richard Washington's group to explore regional climate dynamics in climate models and observed datasets, including two new DPhil projects by Callum Munday and Amy Creese, focusing on southern and central Africa respectively. Oxford will also contribute to development of the model aerosol scheme following on from progress made in the NERC funded DO4Models and Fennec projects.
IMPALA will feature very high resolution (4 km) continent-wide model simulations. At these spatial scales models simulate convection explicitly. The project offers the opportunity to assess the potential gains of such explicit convective simulation over the parameterised equivalent. Oxford will work in conjunction with five African-based partners at the University of Cape Town, University of Yanounde I, University of Nairobi, the South African Weather Service and the African Centre of Meteorological Application for Development in Niamey, Niger. IMPALA forms part of the Future Climate For Africa programme.


An overview of all Netflix International Action & Adventure movies and series. 275 titles were found.
This overview contains all Netflix International Action & Adventure movies and series. Netflix's content is updated with several new International Action & Adventure movies and series every month. Currently, the best rated title in this category, with a rating of 33.5, is Casino Tycoon 2.


A man leans out of a window. In his right hand he holds up tickets for the Avicii concert in Ushuaia. His left hand rests on a touchstone, an instrument for assessing the purity of gold and silver objects. We do not know what his intention with the cards is, maybe he tries to make a good impression on someone. Who cares what the question is... Party on Ibiza is the answer.


text: Q: Why does my image size increase by 4 times when upload to s3 bucket I am currently uploading an image to my s3 bucket using POST presigned url. My image has extension of png and has a size of 5.6Mb. When upload to s3 bucket the image is stored as base64 encoded string. The size of the image changes from 5.6MB to 23.3Mb on s3. Is there is an explanation for that. I know that the image size becomes 1.37 times the original size when encoded.


text:
Q: bootstrap-select selects a wrong option each time. I am using bootstrap select  Bootstrap-select v1.7.2 in Angular. When I select some option from drop down it selects some other option.
Plunker is setup here:
http://plnkr.co/edit/HPPlxx?p=preview
(code is in dashboard.html and dashboard.js)
That's how I am creating it. bootstrap-dropdown is the directive that initiates the drop-down.
  <form role="form" name="frmVariableConfig" ng-submit="vm.saveChanges()">
        <select ng-model="vm.CurrCustomer.Logic" name="ddlLogic" check-validation class="validate[required]" bootstrap-dropdown >
           <option ng-repeat="logic in vm.Logics" value="{{logic.value}}">{{logic.displayName}}</option>
        </select>
        <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm text-right">Save</button>
     </form>

A: You should use ng-options to populate the option elements of a select input.
Like so:
<select ng-model="vm.CurrCustomer.Logic" data-ng-options="logic.displayName for logic in vm.Logics track by logic.value" name="ddlLogic" check-validation class="validate[required]" bootstrap-dropdown >
    <option value="">Select...</option>
</select>

EDIT
Use the following:
<select ng-model="vm.CurrCustomer.Logic" data-ng-options="logic.displayName for logic in vm.Logics" check-validation class="validate[customFunc]" bootstrap-dropdown>
         <option style="display:none" value="">Select</option>
</select>

where customFunc is a new custom validation function you create to check that the selected value is not "".

A: This should fix your problem. You need a blank state option. Also it helps to use ng-options rather than using ng-repeat in the option. Hope this solves your problem!

  {{vm.title}}

         <form role="form" name="frmVariableConfig" ng-submit="vm.saveChanges()">
            <select required ng-model="vm.CurrCustomer.Logic" name="ddlLogic" check-validation class="validate[required]" ng-options="logic.displayName for logic in vm.Logics track by logic.displayName" bootstrap-dropdown >
               <option value="">Pick One</option>
            </select>
            <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm text-right">Save</button>
         </form>


Welcome to GoldBlue AB's Investor Relations. We are a company listed at NGM Nordic MTF under the symbol GOLDB MTF.
Under this section you will find necessary information that is related to GoldBlue share and the company's financial development. For example you can find GoldBlue's financial reports and press releases.


Body Sugaring is an ancient form of hair removal for all skin types that is deeply conditioning to the skin. This gentle form of epilation uses 3 ingredients - sugar, water and lemon. The paste is molded in to the skin and quickly removed extracting unwanted hair and keratinized skin cells. YES! It exfoliates the skin as well!