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BRIEF-OMA announces total revenues 1,619 million | Uber's open COO job in the spotlight amid leadership void
SAN FRANCISCO, June 14 With Chief Executive Travis Kalanick taking a leave of absence from Uber Technologies Inc, the vacant job of chief operating officer takes on a lot more importance as the company frames the position as key to solving its woes. |
Athletics' Jharel Cotton: Roughed up by Rangers on Monday | Cotton (1-2) allowed five runs on five hits while walking four and striking out three over 5.1 innings in Monday's 7-0 loss to the Rangers.
The 25-year-old rookie has now sandwiched two five-run outings around an impressive seven-inning shutout performance against the Royals. After three starts, he's the owner of a 5.40 ERA and 13:9 K:BB ratio in 16.2 innings. Cotton will certainly have his ups and downs in his first full season in the big leagues. Be careful with how you deploy him; he'll be more attractive in the friendly pitching confines of his home park. |
Cheeses recalled due to Listeria concerns | PROVIDENCE, R.I. The Rhode Island Department of Health revealed Monday that MDS Foods Inc. has recalled a variety of cheese products after some were contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. The cheese was sold under several brand names including Amish Classics, Deli Readi, Deli Made EZ, Meijer, Lipari Old Tyme, Deli Made EZ, and Duck Deli.
Start the conversation, or Read more at WLNE-TV Providence. |
Knoxville couple celebrating 75 years of marriage | Valentine's Day is the day we celebrate love, and one East Tennessee couple has been celebrating their love for more than seven decades. With a lifetime of love and laughter, Dorothy and Anthony Kliemann are celebrating a milestone this year.
Start the conversation, or Read more at WATE-TV Knoxville. |
Nintendo Switch UPDATE: New patch released as console goes offline TWICE this week | Nintendo Switch consoles have been given another new update by Nintendo.
Version 2.2.0 is available to download now, following a period of offline maintenance by Nintendo.
Nintendo is yet to reveal exactly what the update does, but it is said to improve the user experience.
Here's what it says on the Nintendo website: "General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience."
The Nintendo Switch has already been taken offline once this week, and will be down once again on Wednesday, April 19.
The next period of maintenance begins at 6.45pm (PT) and runs until 8pm (PT), which means UK users won't be affected until 1.45am until 3am on April 20.
According to Nintendo, "some network services may become unavailable", including online play and rankings. It will also impact 3DS and Wii U.
It's possible Nintendo is laying the foundations for the Nintendo Switch Online Service, which is scheduled to launch this autumn. |
Patchway Memory Cafe | About Patchway Memory Cafe
Patchway Memory Cafe is managed by South Gloucestershire Dementia Action Alliance but is run totally by volunteers, many of whom have personal experience of supporting people with dementia. It is also open to people worried about memory loss; those without a formal dementia diagnosis; and anyone who gives or has given support/care to someone with dementia. It is free but donations are always welcomed. The cafe has regular speakers on relevant topics, eg giving information about benefits or health services. It also includes activities as well as the chance to relax, socialise and give mutual support to others. Plenty of tea, coffee and often home-made cakes. New members and volunteers are warmly welcomed at any time. |
How to Protect Your Phone from a Virus | LDprod/Shutterstock
You probably take many steps to protect your computer from getting a virus, but what about your cell phone? Cell phones are basically mini-computers, so, believe it or not, they too can get viruses. While cell phone viruses are not nearly as common, you should still be protecting your phone the same way you do your computer. (Make sure you always avoid these online scams.)
“Viruses and malware should not be a major concern to the average consumer who uses their device to make phones calls, take pictures, and download a few well known apps from the major app marketplaces,” Tim Katsch Vice President of iDropped said. “If a user is downloading a lot of apps, changing and exploring settings within the device, and visiting a large number of websites from unknown sources, virus and malware protection should be kept on their mind and something to consider obtaining protection or implementing preventative measure for.”
Android phones are more susceptible to getting a virus, but iPhones can get them too if you “jailbreak” them (which is not recommended). If your phone gets a virus it can mess up your data, put random charges on your bill, and get private information such as your bank account number, credit card information, passwords, and your location.
The most common way that you could get a virus on your phone would be through downloading an infected app. Malicious software is many times disguised as an innocent-looking app or a free version of an app that typically costs money. Always download your apps through the service your phone provides; for iPhones it’s the Apple App Store and for Androids it’s the Google Play Store. Never download apps from third party websites and always read the reviews of the app to make sure it is legitimate. Also try these other tips to keep your cell phone secure.
Viruses can also get on your phone when you click on strange links or open up an email that contains a virus. Avoid clicking on links in texts or emails you get, even if they seem like they’re from a legitimate business. And don’t open emails that come from a weird looking address or name. Connecting to an unsecured wireless network in a public place is also a way for hackers to get private information from your device.
If you’re still paranoid that your phone might get a virus, there are anti-virus apps that you can download that will constantly scan your phone to make sure it hasn’t developed a virus. Katsch recommends Norton Security and Antivirus, McAfee Mobile Security, and Kaspersky Antivirus and Security. Apps like these will also check things before you download them to ensure that they are safe. Another tip is to always look over your cell phone bill every month to make sure there aren’t charges from apps that you never downloaded. These are ways you can use less data and lower your cell phone bill.
Technology is getting smarter, but so are hackers, and it’s important to always be cautious with anything you do on your phone. So many people store a lot of personal information on their phones, and while that might make life a little more convenient, it can also do a lot of damage if hacked. |
What is vaginismus? | Vaginismus is defined as involuntary spasm/contraction/reflex of the muscles surrounding the entrance to the vagina, making penetration impossible and/or painful, which causes personal and/or relationship distress.
This involuntary vaginal reflex can be triggered by attempts at intercourse, but also by attempts to insert other objects, like tampon's, tools for a medical examination and even your own finger.
Some women with Vaginismus say it feels like ‘hitting a brick wall' when trying to insert something.
Source: Sexual Health Australia |
Nintendo Switch news - Custom Switch orders soon available as gamers get stock guarantee | Nintendo Switch fans will be hoping for more expansive customisation features
Nintendo Switch fans will soon be able to place custom orders for the hybrid console, the Japanese gaming giant have announced.
Switch fans will be able to order custom sets for the hugely popular Nintendo console with an array of options available.
Nintendo are launching the custom site next week, which lets gamers give their Nintendo Switch its own style and distinct look.
The custom website lets gamers choose from five different colours for each Joy-Cons and seven different ones for the strap attachment.
The Joy Cons colours are grey, neon red, neon blue, neon yellow and neon green, and for the strap attachment they get neon pink and black choices.
However, there are currently only plans for the custom Nintendo Switch site to be launched in Japan.
Beforehand, the Switch was sold on a first-come-first-serve basis in Japan.
But this means that customers will be able to place pre-orders for Switch units at any time without being worried about it going out of stock quick.
Gamers though will have to wait over a month before their Nintendo Switch arrives and they will not be able to cancel the order, according to DualShockers. |
Which? Elderly Care | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
Alfie Evans health update LIVE: Baby Alfie set to be taken to Italy as air ambulance lands | The 23-month-old toddler suffering a degenerative neurological disorder was taken off of life support on Monday night following a High Court Decision which entrusted Alder Hey Children’s Hospital wth the decision. Doctors involved in the case have agreed Alfie’s condition is beyond help and keeping the boy on ventilator is prolonging his suffering in an “inhumane” fashion. Alfie’s parents, Tom Evans and Kate James have challenged the decision in a slew of legal challenges and bitter battles to little avail. Mr Evans argued today his brave little son was still fighting on and breathing on his own. One last glimmer of hope arrived in the form of Italian citizenship, granted to Alfie in a bid to transfer him to Rome's Bambino Gesu Paediatric Hospital. An emergency hearing in the Family Divisions of the High Court this afternoon in Manchester was held today at 3.30pm, to decide the fate of the boy.
4.40pm: Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health issues statement Professor Russel Viner, president of Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has issued a statement on Alfie’s case. He said: “The Alfie Evans case is extremely difficult for all involved; heartbreaking for his parents and emotionally challenging for the doctors and nurses involved in treating and caring for him. “As healthcare professionals involved in the care of babies, children and young people, the priority has to be the child. Every action and decisions is taken in the best interests of the child, and decisions on care, including the withdrawal of treatment, are always made with the involvement of parents. “We can’t comment on the specifics of the case – only the medical team treating Alfie, and the legal team, will know the exact details and they are bound by patient confidentiality. “However, we feel it is important for the public to know that decisions to withhold or withdraw treatment from a child are not made lightly. In the UK we are fortunate to have a clear and compassionate framework to guide practice which includes three key sets of circumstances when withdrawing life-sustaining treatment may be considered. These are: “If treatment is unable or unlikely to result in the child living much longer. “Where treatment may prolong life but will cause the child unacceptable pain and suffering. “If an older child with a life limiting illness repeatedly makes it clear they do not want treatment and this decision is supported by their parents and doctors. “Decisions on whether to withdraw treatment from a child are unfortunately ones that need to be made frequently. The model is always for doctors to work closely with parents to agree on the best course of action for the child. In the vast majority of cases an equal decision is made to withdraw treatment and it is rare that there is disagreement. The cases where this is a significant difference in view are the ones that grab the media headlines. “In difficult situations such as these, and amongst the plethora of voices and opinions, it is important that the public know how such decisions are made.”
TWITTER Alfie Evans update: The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health issued a statement
4.20pm: Alfie Evans lifeline extended with helicopter ready for takeoff to Italy One last chance to save the little bot presented itself after a medical helicopter arrived outside Alder Hey hospital this afternoon ready to takeoff to Italy. The boy’s life support was switched off tonight, and Mr Evans was concerned his son would not last many more hours without the aid of ventilators. On Facebook, Alfie's mum Kate James said today: "Alfie has been allowed oxygen and water. How amazing is he. "No matter what happens he has already proved these doctors wrong." Whether or not Alfie is allowed to leave to Italy will be decided at the High Court, and Mr Evans further expects a decision from Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and the EU.
PA Alfie Evans updates: The boy's parents are hoping to take Alfie to Italy for treatment
PA Alfie Evans update: An emergency High Court hearing was called at 3.30pm today
3.30pm: Emergency High Court hearing starts in Alfie Evans case Alfie’s parents were expected to arrive in Manchester today after an emergency hearing was granted in the Family Divisions of the High Court this afternoon. Presiding over the hearing was Mr Justice Fayden. 9am: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital releases statement on Alfie Evan’s status After Alfie’s life support systems were shut down, the hospital released a final statement on the boy’s condition. The hospital said: “We wish to reassure patients and families attending Alder Hey hospital today that we are operating as usual and that, although you will see a police presence, the hospital is calm. “Please attend your appointment as normal. “Our Emergency Department is still open, however only attend if you have an accident or emergency that requires urgent care.
Alfie Evans in pictures: Heartbreaking photos of Alfie in hospital Tue, April 24, 2018 Alfie has a degenerative neurological condition which has not been definitively diagnosed after being born in a "semi-vegetative" state. Play slideshow Facebook 1 of 12 Alfie Evans pictured in hospital with his mother |
Stats Show Initiative To Cut Hospital Readmissions Is A Success. But Critics Say Numbers Hide Darker Truth. | Stats Show Initiative To Cut Hospital Readmissions Is A Success. But Critics Say Numbers Hide Darker Truth.
The program -- a part of the Affordable Care Act -- created financial penalties for hospitals whose readmissions exceed the national average for patients with certain ailments. But even though the research shows it helped improve rates, critics say that's because hospitals are taking shortcuts that don't help the patient. Meanwhile, Ascension Health and Providence St. Joseph Health are the latest to spark rumors about a possible merger.
Stat: The Data Are In, But Debate Rages: Are Hospital Readmission Penalties A Good Idea?
The policy, known as the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, created financial penalties for hospitals whose readmissions exceed the national average for patients suffering from heart failure, heart attacks, and pneumonia. In recent years it has been expanded to include other conditions. Its aim was to encourage hospitals to deliver stepped-up care to severely ill patients even after they leave the hospital, in the hope of preventing return visits that result in more anguish for patients and skyrocketing costs for everyone else. (Ross, 12/11)
Modern Healthcare: Hospitals And Health Plans Are Increasingly Investing In Consumer-Oriented Services To Stay Competitive.
Hospitals and health plans are increasingly investing in consumer-oriented services to remain competitive as patients and members shop more for their care. Most healthcare executives currently focus at least part of their strategic plan on consumerism, and they expect that will only continue to grow in the years ahead, according to respondents to Modern Healthcare's most recent CEO Power Panel survey. (Castellucci, 12/9)
Kaiser Health News: In Era Of Increased Competition, Hospitals Fret Over Ratings
For two years, Saint Anthony Hospital here has celebrated its top-rated “A” grade from the national Leapfrog Group that evaluates hospital safety records. But this fall, when executives opened a preview of their score, they got an unwelcome surprise: a “C.” Hospitals take their ratings seriously, despite hospital industry experts’ skepticism about their scientific methodology and studies showing that scores may not have a huge influence on patient behavior. In a highly competitive market, no one wants to be a “C”-rated safety hospital any more than a “C”-rated restaurant for cleanliness. (Gold, 12/11)
The Wall Street Journal: Hospital Giants In Talks To Merge To Create Nation’s Largest Operator
Two major hospital systems are in talks about a possible merger that would create the largest U.S. owner of hospitals, as a series of deals shape up to further consolidate control of the health-care landscape. Ascension and Providence St. Joseph Health, both nonprofits, are talking about combining, according to people familiar with the discussions. A deal would create an entity of unprecedented reach, with 191 hospitals in 27 states and annual revenue of $44.8 billion, based on the most recent fiscal year. That would dethrone the nation’s largest pure hospital operator, HCA Healthcare Inc., which owns 177 hospitals and ended 2016 with $41.5 billion in revenue. (Evans and Wilde Mathews, 12/10)
Modern Healthcare: Reports: Ascension And Providence St. Joseph In Talks To Merge
Ascension Health and Providence St. Joseph Health are in talks to merge and create the nation's largest hospital chain, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. A merger between St. Louis-based Ascension and Providence out of Renton, Washington would give the combined not-for-profit entity 191 hospitals in 27 states and annual revenue of $44.8 billion. The deal would put the merged company ahead of HCA, which has 177 hospitals and reported $41.5 billion in 2016, according to Modern Healthcare data. (12/10)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Possible Merger Would Put Columbia St. Mary's And Wheaton Franciscan In Largest Hospital Company, Wall Street Journal Reports
Ascension is in talks to combine with Providence St. Joseph Health, another nonprofit system, in a merger that would create a combined health system with 191 hospitals in 27 states and annual revenue of $44.8 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported. ...The health system is now the second-largest in Wisconsin. (Hauer and Boulton, 12/10)
And in other hospital news —
Modern Healthcare: CHI-Dignity Will Have To Overcome Some Financial Challenges To Make Their Merger Work.
A Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health combination that would form a not-for-profit powerhouse exemplifies a traditional health system mega-merger under a newly popular two-pronged leadership approach. More than a year after announcing plans to align, CHI and Dignity late last week signed a definitive agreement to merge, potentially creating the nation's largest not-for-profit hospital company. The new health system would include 139 hospitals, more than 159,000 employees and 25,000 physicians and other advanced practice clinicians. (Kacik and Bannow, 12/9)
Minnesota Public Radio: 'They Threw Us To The Wind': Mayo Hospital Closures Rankle Small Towns
Mayo announced this summer that it would close its LeRoy clinic after key staffers left, though its pharmacy remains open. ... This scenario is playing out in towns across the state as Mayo closes or trims service at smaller clinics throughout its Minnesota health care network, leaving some Mayo patients concerned about getting to a doctor and questioning the clinic's commitment to the people in its service area. (Richert, 12/10)
This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription |
Which? Elderly Care | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
New York Post | Of course Khloe Kardashian registered for a $600 Versace diaper bag All a newborn baby needs is love, attention and . . . a $600 Versace diaper bag? Khloé Kardashian, who celebrated the imminent arrival of her first child with a shower this...
Dog and baby were BFFs before the kid was even born We know dog is man’s best friend, but is it baby’s? Baby Oliver and his pooch Peach are the best of friends, and mom Rachel Gagnon, 24, has the... |
Alberto remnants leave flooding, downed trees in wake | Alberto remnants leave flooding, downed trees in wake
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The soggy remnants of Alberto moved toward the nation's interior Tuesday, leaving scattered flooding and downed trees in the wake of the year's first named tropical storm.
More than 25,000 power outages were reported in Alabama, many caused by trees rooted in soggy soil falling across utility lines.
But while forecasters said the subtropical depression could dump as much as 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain inland, few major problems were reported so far.
"We've had a lot of rain, but we got lucky. It was a constant rain but not a heavy rain," said Regina Myers, emergency management director in Walker County northwest of Birmingham.
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Photo: Joe Cavaretta, AP Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Image 1 of 8 Mindy Borkson, of Hollywood, Fla., walks through a bed of seaweed washed up along the beach, Tuesday, May 29, 2018, at Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park in Dania Beach. Fla.. She often collects shells and coral from the beach and said "I have never seen it like this," after the Memorial Day weekend storm. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) less Mindy Borkson, of Hollywood, Fla., walks through a bed of seaweed washed up along the beach, Tuesday, May 29, 2018, at Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park in Dania Beach. Fla.. She often collects shells ... more Photo: Joe Cavaretta, AP Image 2 of 8 Florida Governor Rick Scott addresses members of the media on Tuesday May 29, 2018 outside of the West Florida Area Emergency Operating Center in DeFuniak Springs, Fla. Scott visited with officials to determine what they need following the landfall of Subtropical Storm Alberto in Walton County on Monday. (Nick Tomecek/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP) less Florida Governor Rick Scott addresses members of the media on Tuesday May 29, 2018 outside of the West Florida Area Emergency Operating Center in DeFuniak Springs, Fla. Scott visited with officials to determine ... more Photo: Nick Tomecek, AP Image 3 of 8 Dania Beach Ocean Rescue lifeguard Michael Vasta paddles out, Tuesday, May 29, 2018, as his colleague Peter Fournier watches from a beach tower in Dania Beach, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) less Dania Beach Ocean Rescue lifeguard Michael Vasta paddles out, Tuesday, May 29, 2018, as his colleague Peter Fournier watches from a beach tower in Dania Beach, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via ... more Photo: Joe Cavaretta, AP Image 4 of 8 Beachgoers walk on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Monday, May 28, 2018, as Subtropical Storm Alberto approaches the Gulf Coast. The storm's gusty rain and brisk winds roiled the seas near the U.S. Gulf Coast on Monday, keeping white sandy beaches emptied of their usual Memorial Day crowds. (Nick Tomecek/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP) less Beachgoers walk on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Monday, May 28, 2018, as Subtropical Storm Alberto approaches the Gulf Coast. The storm's gusty rain and brisk winds roiled the seas near the U.S. ... more Photo: Nick Tomecek, AP Image 5 of 8 Image 6 of 8 This April 2016 photo provided by WYFF-TV shows television news anchor Mike McCormick. North Carolina's governor is urging his state's residents to exercise caution as rains from a subtropical depression spread into his and other Southern states, noting the deaths of McCormick and another broadcast journalists killed by a falling tree as they reported on the severe weather associated with Alberto. McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer both had worked in the Greenville market for more than a decade, anchor Carol Goldsmith said on air, breaking the news of their deaths Monday, May 28, 2018. (WYFF-TV via AP) less This April 2016 photo provided by WYFF-TV shows television news anchor Mike McCormick. North Carolina's governor is urging his state's residents to exercise caution as rains from a subtropical depression spread ... more Photo: AP Image 7 of 8 This February 2018 photo provided by WYFF-TV shows photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer. North Carolina's governor is urging his state's residents to exercise caution as rains from a subtropical depression spread into his and other Southern states, noting the deaths of Smeltzer and anchor Mike McCormick, killed by a falling tree as they reported on the severe weather associated with Alberto. Smeltzer and McCormick both had worked in the Greenville market for more than a decade, anchor Carol Goldsmith said on air, breaking the news of their deaths Monday, May 28, 2018. (WYFF-TV via AP) less This February 2018 photo provided by WYFF-TV shows photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer. North Carolina's governor is urging his state's residents to exercise caution as rains from a subtropical depression spread ... more Photo: AP Image 8 of 8 Alberto remnants leave flooding, downed trees in wake 1 / 8 Back to Gallery
Subtropical storm Alberto rolled ashore Monday afternoon in the Florida Panhandle and then weakened overnight to a depression. Beachcombers had returned to the white sands of the Northern Gulf by Tuesday morning, but forecasters still warned of dangerous currents.
In Cuba, flooding damaged an oil refinery and caused crude oil to spill into Cienfuegos Bay as the remnants of Alberto continued to drench the island in heavy rain.
State-owned TV showed authorities using barriers Tuesday to try to contain the spill from the Cienfuegos refinery in central Cuba about 150 miles southeast of Havana.
U.S. forecasters said rain could still cause dangerous flash floods in the coming days in northern Alabama and large areas of Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.
In North Carolina, a television news anchor and a photojournalist were killed Monday while covering the weather, when a tree became uprooted from rain-soaked ground and toppled onto their SUV, authorities said.
WYFF-TV of Greenville, South Carolina, said news anchor Mike McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer were killed.
"Two journalists working to keep the public informed about this storm have tragically lost their lives, and we mourn with their families, friends and colleagues," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement.
Alberto was more of a rainstorm than a wind threat, but the National Weather Service said at least one tornado had been confirmed.
The weather service said its meteorologists confirmed a weak tornado with maximum winds of 85 mph (147 kph) hit an area around Cameron, South Carolina, on Monday afternoon. No one was hurt.
____
Associated Press writers Jennifer Kay in Miami Beach, Florida, Kate Brumback in Atlanta and Jeffrey S. Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report. |
In ‘Year of the Woman,’ tone-deaf Hollywood proves it doesn’t have a clue | Hollywood had its first real post-Weinstein test on Monday. It failed.
Monday’s tone-deaf Golden Globes nominations somehow ignored nearly all deserving female and nonwhite filmmakers, many of whom broke records.
“Wonder Woman” was the first superhero film directed by a woman. It’s the highest-grossing superhero origin-story movie ever, grossing more than $800 million worldwide — an all-time record for a live-action film directed by a woman. Director Patty Jenkins may have single-handedly rescued the DC Comics film franchise.
Yet she was snubbed, as was star Gal Gadot and the movie itself — heralded in this otherwise depressing year as a sweet-spirited reinforcement of girl power.
Yes, this is the Year of the Woman, we’re told — a year that’s only really lasted two months, since the Weinstein scandal broke. Such short shrift now seems apt.
Tiffany Haddish’s breakout performance in this summer’s “Girls Trip” helped propel that film to become the first produced, written by and starring African-Americans to break over $100 million at the box office. Haddish followed that up by becoming the first African-American female comedian to host “Saturday Night Live,” has her own stand-up special on Showtime and just published a memoir.
Haddish should be rewarded by an industry looking to invest in her. Instead, she was snubbed.
Greta Gerwig’s semi-autobiographical feature film “Lady Bird” won the most consecutive 100 percent “fresh” ratings on Rotten Tomatoes since 1999’s “Toy Story 2.” Gerwig wrote the screenplay and made her directorial debut on the film, winning critical raves. “Lady Bird” was nominated for best movie, comedy or musical, but Gerwig was snubbed as a director and writer.
African-American director Dee Rees, whose 2015 HBO film “Bessie” won four Emmys, has also won raves for “Mudbound,” which has been generating Oscar buzz since its Sundance premiere in January. She also co-wrote the screenplay, yet was snubbed.
see also Golden Globes nominees steer clear of a PR disaster The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is usually so eager to...
How about nonwhite filmmakers? “The Big Sick” is a rom-com with a topical subplot: The conflict between a Pakistani-American son and his conservative immigrant Muslim parents. It was one of 2017’s best-reviewed movies and the only independent summer release to turn a profit. But Pakistani-American writer and actor Kumail Nanjiani and his wife, co-writer Emily V. Gordon, were snubbed.
In what feels like an act of supreme aggression, Jordan Peele, who wrote and directed the smartest, most original movie of the year, was also snubbed for “Get Out.” So far, the film has grossed over $200 million worldwide against a $4.5 million dollar budget and is the highest-grossing directorial debut ever.
While “Get Out” was nominated for Best Comedy, consider the old saw: Did it write and direct itself? Long after its February debut, it’s still the most talked about movie of 2017.
Recognizing these filmmakers would have been a necessary, if largely cosmetic, corrective to a brutal year. Yes, the Globes are awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, but the Weinstein scandal and ensuing fallout has made worldwide news. Hollywood has long been a town and industry that loves nothing more than celebrating itself for being more progressive, more inclusive, more liberal and accepting than any community on Earth.
As we now know, that’s just another myth.
Not long ago, Hollywood was so central to our culture that Tom Cruise was chosen to open the Oscars after 9/11 not as an actor, but as consoler-in-chief, binding patriotism with moviemaking and fandom.
“An actor friend said to me, ‘What are we doing? What are we doing? Is it important? Is it even important what I do?’ And what of a night like tonight? Should we celebrate the joy and magic that movies bring?’ Well, dare I say it: More than ever,” Cruise said.
Back then, Cruise was the biggest movie star in the world, a nice guy with an air of mystery. It somehow felt right that he reassure a traumatized nation. Now we know he’s a not-very-bright-guy who belongs to an alien space cult that abuses its members.
We’ve all seen behind the curtain. We just want to go home and take a shower.
In early 2018, the Academy will have to contend with Casey Affleck, who won Best Actor last year and has settled two cases of sexual harassment.
The #metoo movement isn’t going anywhere. Will Affleck be allowed to present Best Actress, as is tradition? Will Meryl Streep take her moment to vilify Trump voters while sidestepping industry criminality? How many actresses will take the stage only to have the room and the public at large wonder: Was she a victim? What happened to her? How many people knew and said nothing?
How many little girls will still dream of being movie stars?
Meanwhile, California is literally burning. The Hollywood-as-dream-factory myth is going with it. That’s a good thing. |
Church Rose Nursing Home | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
Report: NBA legend Jerry West leaves Warriors to take adviser role with Clippers | Jerry West is one of the greatest minds in NBA history. Every team he's been a part of has seen success. He's largely credited for helping put the showtime Lakers together, forming the Kobe-Shaq duo, and has been a very important advisor to the Warriors when finding talent. It's no coincidence that Golden State formed the team they did with West around.
Now, West is off for a new challenge. He's heading back to Los Angeles but not to return to the Lakers. He's instead joining the Clippers of all teams. Yes, those Clippers.
BREAKING: Jerry West is leaving the Warriors to join the Clippers, per @McCallum12 https://t.co/E0y6cNje56 — Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 15, 2017
West will be joining the Clippers in a similar advisement role that he's so far had with the Warriors. They will look to him for guidance as they try to continue the most success the franchise has ever seen. This is an incredible pull for a franchise that, before Blake Griffin and Chris Paul arrived, were considered the worst in all of sports. This is a new Clippers franchise.
If West can help turn the Clippers into a title contender that might be an even greater accomplishment than what he's done with Golden State. This is the classic second tier franchise. Always forgotten in comparison to the Lakers nobody has ever been able to take them seriously even with Paul and Griffin around. They've been so unsuccessful for so long that they're considered cursed. However, West has the clout and eye for talent to change that. If anybody can help make the Clippers into a real contender for the heart of Los Angeles it's him. |
MOVES-Sands to join Natixis syndicate from Jefferies | LONDON May 2 Terence Sands is set to join Natixis as part of the leveraged loan and high-yield bond syndication team, banking sources said.
Sands is due to join the London office in June, reporting to Jean Dado, EMEA head of leveraged loan and high yield bond syndicate.
Dado in turn reports to Christopher Lovgren, head of global high-yield corporate distribution and trading, a newly created job bringing together leveraged loans and high yield bonds.
Sands joins from Jefferies, where he was vice president in leveraged credit capital markets, focusing on high yield and leveraged loan syndicate, from June 2014. Prior to that he was an associate in leveraged and acquisition finance at HSBC from 2010.
Natixis was not immediately available to comment. (Editing by Christopher Mangham) |
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How this couple stopped mental illness from tearing them apart San Francisco-based teacher Mark Lukach was married to his wife Giulia for just three years when she had her first psychotic episode at age 27. In the years that followed,... |
Britain's best borders | No English country garden should be without a herbaceous border: a deep bed, usually flanked by an immaculate grassy path, planted with a tapestry of flowers that bloom from late spring through to early autumn, before finally dying back with the first frosts.
With their apparently effortless sequence of plants, herbaceous borders are quite difficult to execute well, but luckily there are many wonderful examples of them all over the country – and high summer is the peak time to see them and perhaps get inspired to create your own.
The Great Broad Walk Borders at Kew Gardens are Britain’s longest double borders, stretching for 320 metres and packed with 30,000 plants. As summer turns to autumn there’s a sublime display of heleniums, achillea, echinacea, salvias, agastaches, monardas and other late-summer perennials (kew.org).
The Great Broad Walk Borders at Kew Gardens are Britain’s longest double borders, stretching for 320 metres
At Great Dixter in East Sussex the Long Border blooms non-stop from April to October. Mixing shrubs, perennials, annuals and climbers, it’s a masterclass in planting (greatdixter.co.uk). The same flamboyant planting style is used at the three-acre garden at the Inner Temple in central London, whose deep borders are much admired for their combination of annuals, grasses, flowering perennials and lush foliage plants (innertemple.org.uk).
The huge herbaceous border at Waterperry Gardens in Oxfordshire flowers profusely from May to October, with Michaelmas daisies, heleniums and bright yellow solidago stealing the show in late summer. The border is worth repeated visits, as the colours change with each passing week (waterperrygardens.co.uk).
The twin herbaceous borders at Arley Hall in Cheshire, planted in the 1840s, are thought to be the oldest in the country. Separated by a broad grass walk, with chess-piece topiary and yew buttresses along the way, these glorious borders reach a fiery crescendo of colour from August onwards (arleyhallandgardens.com).
At Great Dixter in East Sussex the Long Border blooms non-stop from April to October
The vast 172m double herbaceous borders at Newby Hall in Yorkshire run from the superb William and Mary house to the banks of the River Ure. In late summer there’s a great display of asters, dahlias, sedums and long-flowering geraniums (newbyhall.com).
The impressive double herbaceous borders at Levens Hall in Cumbria are separated by towering beech hedges. Look out for the spider flower, cleome, as well as vibrant blue Salvia patens and the dark-red hues of lobelias, cannas, dahlias and the castor oil plant (levenshall.co.uk).
At Floors Castle in the Scottish Borders the long herbaceous borders are colour-themed from cool blues and whites to hot reds, oranges and purples, complemented by a backdrop of roses and carefully trained fruit trees (floorscastle.com). |
BRIEF-Dongfeng Motor says Liu Weidong has been re-designated to an executive director | UPDATE 3-Nestle takes food price rises in its stride
ZURICH, Aug 9 Nestle expects pressure from the rising price of ingredients for its products such as chocolate bars, coffee and soup to ease, helping it meet its target for increasing sales despite tough markets. |
Barcelona v Juventus: Giorgio Chiellini reveals Nou Camp game plan | GETTY Giorgio Chiellini warns Juventus to remain tight at the back
Juventus travel to the Nou Camp with a healthy advantage after they beat Barcelona 3-0 in their Champions League quarter-finals first leg in Turin. But Juve will be wary after Barca pulled off the largest comeback in the competition against Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, overturning a 4-0 first-leg deficit to progress 6-5 on aggregate. And Chiellini insists Juve must press high and keep Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez quiet to book their place in the semi-finals.
GETTY Giorgio Chiellini says Juventus need to keep Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar quiet
"If we can keep their key players away from the danger areas, press them high up the field and remain compact and organised, it will make life very difficult for them," he told the club's official website. "If we go there, sit back and try to soak up pressure, we will lose. "Barcelona have the best frontline in the world and their three strikers are probably three of the top five individuals.
GETTY Giorgio Chiellini scored against Barcelona in the first leg
Neymar's next club: Which sides are tipped to sign the Barcelona ace? Sun, April 2, 2017 Which clubs are tipped to land Barcelona ace Neymar? Odds provided by Paddy Power Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 9 Which clubs are tipped to land Barcelon's Neymar? Odds provided by Paddy Power |
Trump protests trending at New York Fashion Week | A model wears a T-shirt by Christian Siriano bearing a message of tolerance. Sales of the shirts benefit the ACLU.
Start the conversation, or Read more at SFGate. |
How your pet REALLY sees the world: Incredible images reveal animal vision | Scientists have mapped out the visual acuity of roughly 600 animal species, revealing just how differently we all see the world.
While humans aren’t the most advanced when it comes to certain aspects of eyesight, our vision is about seven times sharper than a cat’s, dozens of times sharper than a rat or goldfish, and hundreds of times more precise than a mosquito.
The fascinating study shows how particular scenes might look from the eyes of several different species.
Scientists have mapped out the visual acuity of roughly 600 animal species, revealing just how differently we all see the world
In the study published to the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, researchers estimated visual acuity – or the sharpness of vision – across hundreds of species based on the anatomy of the animal’s eye.
Compared to humans, most species ‘see the world with much less detail than we do,’ says lead author Eleanor Caves, a postdoctoral researcher at Duke.
The researchers measured cycles per degree, or the number of pairs of black and white lines a species can discern within one degree of the field of vision before it becomes a blur.
Human eyes can resolve about 60 cycles per degree, according to the study.
Some birds of prey, on the other hand, can see as much as 140 cycles per degree. This allows eagles and other predators to pick out small prey from thousands of feet overhead.
Other birds see less than 30 cycles per degree, as do fish.
‘The highest acuity in a fish is still only about half as sharp as us,’ says Caves.
In the study published to the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution , researchers estimated visual acuity – or the sharpness of vision – across hundreds of species based on the anatomy of the animal’s eye
While humans aren’t the most advanced when it comes to certain aspects of eyesight, our vision is about seven times sharper than a cat’s, dozens of times sharper than a rat or goldfish, and hundreds of times more precise than a mosquito
Images designed to replicate how animals see the world show just how dramatic these differences are.
These were made using a program called AcuityView, which takes a digital photo and strips away the spatial detail based on the animal’s abilities.
While a human with less than 10 cycles per degree is considered legally blind, most insects can only see about one.
It’s been proposed that butterflies’ wing patterns may be a way to secure potential mates, in addition to thwarting predators.
WHAT ARE RODS AND CONES? Most vertebrates, including humans, have two types of visual cells in the retina, called rods and cones. Cones enable us to see color, but they require a lot of light too and so stop working in low-light. In dark conditions, the rods take over so we're still able to seem, but in black and white. The retina contains two different types of visual cells, called rods and cones Signals from the cones are sent to the brain which then translates these messages into the perception of color. Some people can't tell some colors from others - they're color blind. People who are color blind don't have a particular type of cone in the retina or one type of cone may be weak. In the general population, about 8% of all males are color blind and about 0.5% of all females are color blind. Source: University of Washington.
But, the research suggests this might not be entirely true.
‘I don’t actually think butterflies can see them,’ Caves said.
The images in the study only represent their visual acuity, the researchers explain, and other factors come into play when the brain is processing visual information.
‘The point is that researchers who study animal interactions shouldn’t assume that different species perceive detail the same way we do,’ Caves said. |
Prosecco price war sees cost of sparkling fizz fall | It bucks the trend of rising prices for other booze, including beer and wine.
The average price for a bottle of prosecco has fallen by 23p to £6.76 this year.
But beer prices are up on average by 20p, wine has risen by 5p, spirits are up 6p and cider has increased by 4p.
The fall in fizz prices is most likely due to increased competition in the prosecco market, said experts. |
Canada, U.S. grievances hidden by friendly words | U.S. President Donald Trump says the trade relationship with Canada will only be "tweaked." The trouble is a little tweak in America can be a powerful thump in Canada.
The pleasure-pain imbalance is so severe that sometimes the Americans don't even realize it hurts.
The statistics prove it. Only 18 per cent of America's foreign trade comes to Canada. Fully 76 per cent of Canada's goes to the U.S.
So, it's best not to get too euphoric over Monday's White House meeting between Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Genuinely encouraging as it was, real problems lie behind the friendly language.
Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose pointed out the Americans have major grievances with our beef imports and supply management in several areas of agriculture. There's also softwood lumber (that old thing).
Ambrose worries that Trump's aggressive deregulation and low-tax policy could make Canada uncompetitive. In that case, we could lose even if trade rules are untouched.
But she also had a kind word for Trudeau: "I've been on the record about some of the things Donald Trump has said about women."
"But this is a delicate situation here. I don't think it's going to help anyone in this country if the prime minister went to Washington and started a fight with the president."
Trudeau certainly didn't. His diplomatic performance, I thought, was masterful.
He didn't fawn over Trump, reach for his hand, look for an Obama style back-slap. The PM gave Trump no chance to offer a dismissive gesture. He kept a dignified emotional distance without being disrespectful.
Trudeau did a lot better, on balance, than British Prime Minister Theresa May, who almost started an uprising at home by casually inviting Trump for a visit.
Patrick Gossage, who was Pierre Trudeau's press secretary in the 1970s and 1980s, said, "(Justin) Trudeau's far too smart to have raised anything that would have annoyed Trump."
"He's well brought-up -- unlike his father, who would raise things with (Ronald) Reagan from time to time that Reagan did not like at all," Gossage told the CBC.
Reagan, who served as president from 1981 to 1989, once said after Trudeau urged him to press detente with Eastern Europe: "Damn it, Pierre, what do you want me to do?"
Trudeau needled earlier President Richard Nixon so artfully Nixon called him, in tapes released later, a "son of a bitch" and an "asshole." Trudeau rejoined: "I've been called worse things by better people."
NAFTA did not yet exist then. Now, trade is so vital that Justin Trudeau's key goal must be to protect it.
Both leaders made a great deal of the special relationship. If anything, Trump was more gracious than Trudeau. The president had no complaints about border security, trade irritants, or Canadian attitudes toward his many pronouncements.
He said to Trudeau, "On behalf of our country, it's an honour to be with you." At a joint press conference he called Canada "our great friend, neighbour and ally."
An event with female leaders, including TransAlta CEO Dawn Farrell, coincided with the announcement of a United States-Canada Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.
The four-page communique summing up the day is a symphony of mutual support on trade, energy, border security, international alliances (including NATO and NORAD), the fight against ISIS and much more.
Most promising of all was the civil, respectful, bluster-free greeting Trump extended to both Trudeau and Canada.
May these blessings endure.
[email protected] |
Oakey family vows to find killer of Sooty the kitten | A heartbroken family has vowed to track down the vicious killer who decapitated and tortured their beloved kitten.
The Osborne family's three-legged kitten Sooty was found beheaded and wired to a car in Oakey, about 160km west of Brisbane, last week.
Veteran RSPCA Queensland spokesman Michael Beatty said the 'awful' killing was among the worst acts of animal cruelty he had seen and police were investigating.
Sooty the eight-month-old kitten was found decapitated and wired to a car
His owners, the Osborne family, have vowed to track down the sick killer
Sooty's owner Dawn Osborne pledged to bring the killer to justice in a Facebook post.
'I know this person expects to get away with this and I promise they won't,' she wrote.
'Their day will come when they are standing before that judge and I will be there to make sure he/she gets the maximum penalty.'
The eight-month-old kitten had already survived a tussle with the family dog which claimed his leg when he was two months old.
They said the resilient cat had bounced back from the dog attack and formed a deep bond with her husband.
'This kitten was my husband's best mate. They were thick as thieves,' Ms Osborne wrote.
The resilient kitten had already survived losing one leg to the family dog
The family searched desperately for the cat last Wednesday before putting out a plea on lost-pet Facebook pages
Sooty's owner, Dawn Osborne, pledged to bring the killer to justice in a Facebook post
The family searched desperately for the cat last Wednesday before putting out a plea on lost-pet Facebook pages.
The family did not make the grim discovery until a neighbour called to deal the news.
Ms Osborne's Facebook post about the heinous act has since gone viral, leading police to find new leads. |
Mother of G-League player who died of cardiac arrest after collapsing during a game sues the NBA | Cardiac issues are not new to pro hoops. A fifth of today's basketball players have abnormal-seeming hearts scans, according to one assessment
Formerly known as the D-League, or Developmental League, the G-League is the NBA's minor league. Its name is derived from its principal sponsor, Gatorade
According to a lawsuit filed by his mother, Upshaw died because 'no attempts were made to save his life,' such as CPR or defibrillation
Zeke Upshaw, 26, a forward on the Grand Rapids Drive, passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest during a game in March
Two months after her son Zeke suffered a fatal heart attack during an NBA G-League game, Jewel Upshaw is suing the minor league's parent company, the NBA, because nobody performed any potentially lifesaving measures on the Grand Rapids Drive forward.
According to the suit, Upshaw died because of negligence of the Defendants named in this litigation,' read the filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
'Zeke Upshaw, improperly attended, was left to lie unconscious on the hardwood, in his team's full uniform, slowly dying as his otherwise healthy heart sat, unbeating in his chest,' the suit reads, according to Deadspin.
'A heart that likely only needed a compression series, or a charged delivery from a defibrillator, to begin to pound again and to pump blood and life back into Zeke Upshaw. However, according to witnesses, no one ever attempted to revive him.'
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO
Zeke Upshaw collapsed from what ultimately proved to be a fatal heart attack
Zeke Upshaw played professionally in Slovenia before joining the Grand Rapids Drive (right)
According to his mother's lawsuit, Zeke Upshaw 'was left to lie unconscious on the hardwood'
Upshaw is said to have laid on the court for nearly four minutes before being carried off in a stretcher. A cardiologist who explained Upshaw says his brain was without oxygen for another 40 minutes after being wheeled off the court.
Jewel Upshaw's lawsuit claims that the Drive never had any plan in place for a potential cardiac arrest, even though the American College of Cardiology recommended that an emergency plan be in place, as explained by authors David Lee and Eugene H. Chung.
'When the otherwise healthy heart of a professional NBA athlete suddenly stops during a game there is absolutely no reason, in 2018, that his heart cannot be immediately restarted,' attorney Bob Hilliard said at a press conference in New York today. 'No attempts were made to save Zeke Upshaw's life. No CPR, no defibrillation, nothing.'
Cardiac issues are not new to professional basketball.
A fifth of today's basketball stars have abnormal-seeming hearts scans, according to the most detailed assessment of the NBA's heart health to date.
In college basketball, former Loyola-Marymount star Hank Gathers (left) famously died on court of a heart arrhythmia. Perhaps most notoriously, former Boston Celtics All-Star Reggie Lewis died from cardiac arrest during an off-season practice in 1993 after previously collapsing during a first-round playoff series against Charlotte only months earlier.
What's more, basketball players are 30 times more likely than any other athlete to suffer a sudden cardiac death and few seven-footers live to their 90s, according to research by NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University .
These findings do not necessarily mean basketball is dangerous for the heart: once the researchers cross-referenced their scans with an ultrasound, they found a lot of these abnormalities were relatively 'normal' and harmless for the players.
But they said it shows NBA stars needs their own unique type of heart assessments to monitor their health - especially as we stay stronger for longer, meaning players could enjoy much lengthier careers.
A number of players have suffered heart woes, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Jeff Green, Los Angeles Lakers center Channing Frye, and retired power forward Etan Thomas, formerly of the Washington Wizards. In college basketball, former Loyola-Marymount star Hank Gathers famously died on court of a heart arrhythmia.
Perhaps most notoriously, former Boston Celtics All-Star Reggie Lewis died from cardiac arrest during an off-season practice in 1993 after previously collapsing during a first-round playoff series against Charlotte only months earlier. |
Learner driver launches his car off 13ft drop after muddling up pedals during driving test | The video will start in 8 Cancel
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This is the moment a bungling learner driver carrying his instructor and two other students launched his car out off an elevated driving course.
The man, only named by his surname Li, is said to have muddled up the pedals and crashed off the side of the 13ft drop, landing on the road below and destroying a resting booth.
The accident, which fortunately resulted in no serious injuries, happened at the Longteng Driving Centre in Xiangyun County in Dali, a tourist city in south-western China's Yunnan Province.
Li had been accompanied by his instructor, surnamed Chen, as well as two other learners surnamed Zhao and Chen.
(Image: AsiaWire)
(Image: AsiaWire)
The group were taking turns for their driving tests and were navigating the driving course when Li mistook his accelerator pedal for the breaks, a statement said.
He then crashed through the fence surrounding the course, dropped 13 foot onto the road below and then slammed into the booth, which was thankfully empty.
(Image: AsiaWire)
(Image: AsiaWire)
Police investigating the incident said Li, despite being a learner, was responsible for the crash.
As he does not have a licence, he has failed his test and will need to start again from the beginning.
The Longteng Driving Centre said they would, as the learner's teaching institute, take full responsibility for the accident. |
Brantwood Residential Care Home | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
Dementia embracing community singing group | About Dementia embracing community singing group - Ambleside
A community singing group who get together to sing well known songs from the 50's 60's 70's and musicals. The service offers coffee and chat on arrival and great support to family carers and people with dementia. Great fun and very informal. |
Lisa Appleton braless under a see through kaftan in Spain | She's not exactly known for her shy and retiring behaviour.
And Lisa Appleton, 48, threw caution to the wind as she let it all hang out by going braless under a completely see-through kaftan while on an Easter break in sunny Spain on Monday.
Appearing to be oblivious to her public nudity, the former Big Brother contestant strolled along the quiet streets with her breasts exposed under the sheer top.
Scroll down for video
Throwing caution to the wind: Lisa Appleton, 48, let it all hang out by going braless under a completely seethrough kaftan during an Easter break in sunny Spain on Monday
The reality TV star went barefoot as she carried her flip flops in one hand, letting her trotters free after undoubtedly spending hours on them.
Lisa sported smudged black eye make up and false eyelashes that appeared to have been applied a while before several hours of high jinks.
Adding a slick of nude lipgloss to her lips, Lisa had clearly got into the party spirit by donning the kaftan, which was made up of silver metallic netted thread.
Worse for wear: The former Big Brother star appeared to be oblivious to her public nudity, strolling along the quiet streets with her breasts exposed under the sheer top
Lisa appeared to be in high spirits as she laughed and tucked her hair behind her ear.
The mother-of-one giggled as she accidentally dropped her bags, and just about preserved her modesty with a red thong as she bent down to pick them up.
The renowned party animal appeared to be a little worse for wear as she stepped out alone and wore a white cowboy hat.
Whoops! The mother-of-one giggled as she accidentally dropped her bags, and just about preserved her modesty with a red thong as she bent down to pick them up
Lisa's first taste of fame came when she appeared on Big Brother in 2008, and she has been determined to forge a career in the spotlight ever since.
She has quickly become known for her shameless escapades and her barely-existent outfits have made her a firm favourite on the Blackpool party circuit.
The brunette has likened herself to the UK's version of Kim Kardashian, and previously revealed that she would be undergoing a host of beauty treatments to stop her 'looking like a testicle'.
She told OK! Online: 'If you want to let yourself go and look like a testicle then go for it, but I don't want to look a testicle, thanks.
Ageless: The brunette has likened herself to the UK's version of Kim Kardashian in the past
'I want to look young again and it's possible to reverse some of the ageing.'
Part of her bid to stop the ageing process could also be down to the fact that she attracts younger men.
The reality star made the confession on Lizzie Cundy and Stephen Leng's Fubar radio show, revealing: 'I've had a few toy boys, I attract them all in.
'I think they like the older, experienced woman who can put them in their place.'
She added that older men were not for her as 'they wouldn't be able to keep up with me.' |
BRIEF-Livzon Pharmaceutical Group sees Q1 FY 2017 net profit up 17 pct to 25 pct | BRIEF-Novartis says Cosentyx helped arthritis patients at 3 years
* Says Cosentyx shows sustained improvements in signs and symptoms for both active ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis in up to 80 percent of patients at 3 years Source text for Eikon: [ID:file:///C:/Users/g195632/AppData/Local/Fastwire/Download/-67 1638335/Body.Html] Further company coverage: (Reporting By Zurich newsroom) |
Plans underway for second Baton Rouge location of Rock N Roll Sushi | Baton Rouge's first Rock N Roll Sushi location is still about a month away from opening, but officials with the Alabama-based chain already have applied for a building permit for a second local restaurant. The permit is for a nearly 1,500-square-foot space at 3627 Perkins Road.
Start the conversation, or Read more at The Advocate. |
Dementia Friendly Swimming | About Dementia Friendly Swimming - Chester Le Street
Dementia Friendly Swimming is a programme of supported swimming sessions aimed at people living with dementia and their carers. A diagnosis of dementia needn't mean that someone can no longer take part in activities they enjoy and Dementia Friendly Swimming allows them to do just that. People will be welcomed by specially trained staff and volunteers who will support them throughout their visit, giving them the confidence to continue to enjoy swimming as part of an active lifestyle. |
Wizards' John Wall: Scores game-high 19 in Friday's win | Wall scored 19 points (9-14 FG, 1-2 3Pt) while adding six assists in 24 minutes during Friday's preseason win over the Knicks.
He also committed five turnovers, but it was still a strong exhibition debut for the All-Star. Wall is coming off the best season of his career, and in an Eastern Conference that suddenly appears more wide open than it's been since LeBron James returned to Cleveland, the 27-year-old has all the motivation he needs to continue elevating his game. |
Asia faces tight noodle wheat supply, Australian farmers hold back stocks | * Supply of Australian wheat to make noodles tightens
* Farmers hold back stocks with prices at decade lows
* Wheat mills may seek U.S. cargoes if delays prolonged
By Naveen Thukral
SINGAPORE, April 28 Asian flour millers are facing tight supplies of a variety of Australian wheat which is used for making mainly noodles as farmers hold back stocks amid near decade-low prices.
Buyers are having difficulty in getting shipments of Australian Standard White (ASW) wheat for the coming months, which could force millers to seek alternative supplies, traders and millers said.
Asia is the world's biggest and fastest growing wheat market, fuelled by rising consumption of noodles, flat breads and bakery products. China and India each consume roughly 100 million tonnes a year and Indonesia has emerged as the world's second largest wheat importer behind Egypt, buying more than 10 million tonnes in the year to June 2016, up 35 percent on a year earlier.
"Farmers are not willing to sell as they feel prices are really low," said one Singapore-based trader. "There is no shortage of ASW, there was bumper production."
ASW wheat was being sold at a 10-year low level of about $190 a tonne, free on board, in January and February. The market has since recovered to trade around $200 a tonne but prices are still below the $220-$240 a tonne average of recent years, traders said.
The world is awash with wheat, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasting global inventories at a record 252.26 million tonnes at the end of the crop year in June.
Australia produced a record 35.13 million tonnes of wheat in the 2016/17 season - about 18 percent more than the previous record of 29.6 million tonnes set in 2011/12.
"I think it is just a temporary problem of farmers not selling," said a procurement manager at one Southeast Asia-based flour miller. "There is additional demand as well, India has been buying Australian wheat."
India has bought close to 5 million tonnes of wheat since June, the most in a decade, to meet a supply shortfall after two years of lower production.
Even for Australian farmers who want to sell, big volumes of wheat and other grains being sent by truck and rail across the country after a bumper season are creating backlogs.
"There is an issue of getting grains to the ports from farms," said Ole Houe, analyst with brokerage IKON Commodities in Sydney. "There's not much problem at the ports themselves."
Asian mills prefer using ASW for noodles, where texture and mouth-feel can be affected by factors like protein content.
Wheat importers also have the option to blend grains from other origins, traders said.
"They can replace ASW with other origins and also blend varieties of wheat from the Black Sea region," said Singapore trader. "But most millers will wait even if there is some temporary delay. They prefer Australian wheat."
(Reporting by Naveen Thukral; Editing by Richard Pullin) |
Slieve Roe House | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
S.Korea won, stocks recoil after Trump threatens to scrap trade deal | * Trump comments understood as a protectionist signal -analyst * Doubtful on won's downward trend yet -analyst * KOSPI erases earlier gains SEOUL, April 28 The South Korean won and shares retreated on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters he would either renegotiate or terminate a free trade deal with Seoul. A high-ranking South Korean official said the government is adopting a "wait and see" stance, having not yet received any formal request for a renegotiation. "Talk and actual policy are different," the official at the finance ministry, who declined to be identified, told Reuters. The won stood at 1,132.6 against the dollar as of 0237 GMT, down 0.2 percent versus Thursday's close of 1,130.1. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) surrendered modest early gains and was down 0.1 percent at 2,208.00 points. "Trump's such negative comments about the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries can be understood as a sign of protectionism, pressuring the local currency," said Jung Sung-yoon, a foreign exchange analyst at Hyundai Futures. Jung added, however, that it was too early to tell if the won would extend its losses against the dollar, noting there is still much uncertainty over U.S. fiscal policies including tax cuts and reforms which are weighing on the greenback. Offshore investors were poised to snap a six-day buying streak, offloading a net 40.8 billion Korean won ($36.02 million) worth of KOSPI shares near mid-session. Decliners outnumbered advancers 555 to 229. The sub-index for transportation equipment was down 1.x percent with Hyundai Motor drop as much as 2.4 percent and Hyundai Mobis down 1.3 percent. Market heavyweight Samsung Electronics jumped to hit record high, gaining as much as 4.5 percent, on hopes of strongest quarterly earnings ever for April-June period. June futures on three-year treasury bonds gain 0.01 point to 109.46. 0237 GMT Prev close Dollar/won 1,132.6 1,130.1 Yen/won 10.1880/25 10.1604 *KTB futures 109.46 109.45 KOSPI 2,208.00 2,209.46 * Front-month futures on three-year treasury bonds (Reporting by Dahee Kim; Editing by Kim Coghill) |
'The sex is extravagant': Girl, 17, finds love after dumping teen boyfriend for double-divorcee dad-of-three, 44, she met online | Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
A 17-year-old girl found love with a 44-year-old dad-of-three older than her own father after dumping her boyfriend and looking for friendship online.
Avalon Garvey, now 19, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, has been in a long-distance relationship with Doug Traser - who is 27 years her senior - for two years.
The pair met on an online dating website in 2016 and immediately hit it off.
Doug, from San Francisco, California, travelled to the UK to meet Avalon after being upfront about his age from day one.
The then 44-year-old immediately confessed to having three grown-up children from two previous marriages.
(Image: Facebook)
Now the couple meet every other month, with Avalon flying to California and Doug to the UK, the Sun reports.
Describing their sex life, Avalon said: "When we are together it is extravagant, it is good.
"He knows what he is doing, I am happy."
She said it was love at first sight and the couple had sex on their first meeting.
(Image: Facebook)
Two years on and now a first-year student at the University of York, Avalon has taken Doug on a night out with her university friends and introduced her to her mum.
According to the teen, she ended a "rocky" relationship with an ex of the same age when she started talking to her older man.
And she says she has never looked back.
(Image: Barcroft Media)
Age is also just a number for teenager Gary Hardwick who said it was love at first sight when he saw a grandmother 53 years older than him two years ago.
Almeda, then 71, and Gary Hardwick, then 17, briefly met two summers ago at her son Robert's funeral after he tragically died of a seizure aged 45.
But the couple did not get together properly until two months later when Robert's widow Lisa invited them both along to a family meal at a nearby Chuck E Cheese's pizza restaurant.
(Image: Barcroft Media)
Gary had just broken up with another woman aged 77, and admits he knew Almeda was 'the one' as soon as he locked eyes with the grandmother-of-six.
Two weeks into their whirlwind romance, Gary popped the question and they tied the knot just six days later.
"The first time we made love was on our wedding night, he said.
"It was an amazing experience. There was such a deep connection there. She’s a wonderful lover." |
BRIEF-Beingmate Baby & Child Food sees H1 2017 net profit to be 20-50 mln yuan | April 28 Beingmate Baby & Child Food Co Ltd :
* Sees net profit for H1 2017 to be 20 million yuan to 50 million yuan, compared to net loss of the same period in 2016 (214.2 million yuan)
* Comments that increased sales is the main reason for the forecast
Source text in Chinese: goo.gl/L7jRYO
Further company coverage: (Beijing Headline News) |
Newcastle transfer news: Double deal for Joselu and Kenedy to be sealed this week | GETTY Newcastle transfer news: Joselu and Kenedy are set to sign
Stoke striker Joselu is travelling up to the North East today to complete a £7million move to St James’ Park.
And he looks set to be joined at St James’ Park by Chelsea winger Kenedy who is expected to seal a season-long loan move later this week.
Newcastle made an initial bid for German-born Spaniard Joselu which was rejected but a deal is now back on the cards.
Toon chiefs upped their bid to £7m, a figure Stoke are happy with, and Joselu is due a medical on Tyneside this afternoon ahead of putting pen to paper.
His arrival will lift some of the gloom around St James’ Park - although it’s far from a stellar addition.
GETTY Joselu has struggled to hit it off at Stoke
The 27-year-old has struggled to make an impact at Stoke, scoring just four goals in 22 appearances following his move from Hannover two years ago.
But boss Rafael Benitez, who has cut a frustrated figure this summer at the lack of additions, knows the player well and has seen his potential first hand.
He first caught Benitez’ eye when he scored 40 goals for Real Madrid’s B team and the Toon boss believes he can offer the Magpies a physical presence missing against Tottenham, who they lost 2-0 to yesterday.
The Kenedy move hasn’t gone through yet but Benitez remains hopeful agent issues can be resolved and he will be available for the Huddersfield game this weekend.
The 21-year-old, who plays on the left wing, has failed to set the Premier League alight since joining from Fluminese.
GETTY Rafa Benitez has been frustrated at Newcastle's lack of transfer business
Newcastle transfers: Which stars are most likely to sign? Fri, August 4, 2017 Click to reveal which stars are most likely to sign for Newcastle according to Football Whispers (1 = less likely, 5 = most likely) Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 10 10. Fabian Delph - 1.5 |
Soccer - Schweinsteiger flummoxed by U.S. World Cup howler | CHICAGO For all the talk of how the United States has embraced soccer, it became clear there is still some way to go to complete the conversion after newly arrived Bastian Schweinsteiger was asked if he thought his club, Chicago Fire, could win the World Cup.
Chicago is a huge sports city, boasting fanatical followers of ice hockey, American football, basketball and baseball. Last year, 60,000 even turned out to watch Ireland shock New Zealand in a rugby union test. But not everybody has quite bought into the "other football".
Schweinsteiger, who helped Germany win the sport's ultimate trophy in 2014, was facing the media on Wednesday after his move from Manchester United and though he has excellent English, the midfielder was understandably bemused when asked if he felt his arrival might help Fire win the World Cup.
A team official hurriedly whispered that the question must refer to the World Club Cup but while Schweinsteiger was preparing to answer, the reporter rephrased the question, making it painfully obvious he was indeed referring to the most-watched sporting event in the world.
General Manager Nelson Rodriguez stepped in to gently explain to the reporter that clubs do not compete for the World Cup -- a tournament where the United States has featured in the last seven editions, reaching the knockout stage in four of them.
Instead he suggested that Schweinsteiger treat the question as an enquiry about a more modest, but eminently more achievable ambition -- winning the MLS Cup.
"I think in football everything is realistic and I always believe in the team which I play for that you can win the game even if it's against the best team in the world," Schweinsteiger said, presumably not in reference to Fire's chances against Brazil.
"You have a chance to win and I experienced that a lot in my career that everything is possible."
Almost everything.
(Writing by Mitch Phillips; Editing by Catherine Evans) |
Amber Rose shows off results of 30H boob reduction in series of pictures - including one seriously NSFW snap | The video will start in 8 Cancel
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Amber Rose has been showing off the results of her boob reduction after going down from an H cup to a D cup.
The former stripper posed for an impromptu shoot on Friday where she was showing off her new bust - and a fierce new blue hairstyle.
The mum-of-one shared four photos with her 16million followers and each one was more explicit than the last.
In the first post the bombshell is showing off a hint of tummy in her white cropped T-shirt and plaid trousers as she poses against a fence.
The second sees her seductively licking her middle finger, while the third X-rated snap shows her with her hand stuck down her trousers.
(Image: Instagram/amberrose)
But the last shot didn't appear to go down well with her fans, with some calling it "tasteless", while another sarcastically branded her "Mum of the Year".
However, others were more focused on her recent reduction, with another sharing: "Much better I love it .... wanna reduce mine too."
And: "Beautiful and more proportional to your curves, styling it girl! Love your new look."
"Your smaller boobs look awesome what a difference!" added another fan.
(Image: Instagram/amberrose)
Amber first showed off the results earlier this week via an Instagram story.
“I don’t know if you guys know, but I was a 36H," she told her fans.
“I was really, really big and I think now I might be a D cup, which is like, really small for me.”
Dressed in a robe, she opened it to show her smaller cleavage.
(Image: Instagram/amberrose)
(Image: Getty Images North America)
“Look how much smaller they are. So I really went down a lot.”
She also told fans she's been online shopping for a whole new wardrobe, including tops with spaghetti straps, because she couldn't wear them before with her bigger bust.
She told her followers she’s “been online shopping and getting cute little shirts and little strapless little things and I’m just so excited.” |
BRIEF-Cinderella Media Group enters MoU to acquire stake | April 12 Cinderella Media Group Ltd
* Company entered into mou with vendor in relation to possible transaction
* Co proposed to acquire and vendor proposed to sell certain equity interests in target
* Target being Saimdang Herstory Co., Ltd. and Good People Co., Ltd. And vendor being Byeong Joon Song Source (bit.ly/2o5vW5X) Further company coverage: |
John Stoehr: Tax soda to level the field | Making America exceptional was, among other things, the decision made long ago to establish a federalist system of government, rather than a unitary system. Most of government is run by the states, not the feds.
Start the conversation, or Read more at Norwalk Citizen News. |
McLaren chief QUITS: F1 team undergo drastic overhaul after poor 2018 season | McLaren were hopeful at the beginning of the season that they would be able to drastically improve their run of poor performances over the past few years.
Both Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne finished inside the top 10 in the first two races of the campaign, but have only achieved that four times in the seven Grands Prix since.
The last four races have been particularly worrying for McLaren with Vandoorne only finishing 12th or worse while Alonso has been forced to retire twice.
It means they currently sit sixth in the 2018 Constructor standings and they have taken the decision to revamp the backroom staff with Boullier resigning from his role. |
That Time Skylar Astin & Miles Teller Wore Nothing But Tube Socks... | We might have to go back and revisit 21 and Over, the 2013 comedy starring Skylar Astin and Miles Teller.
Astin whom you may recognize from Pitch Perfect, appears with Teller (Divergent, Fantastic Four) in the film, in which the boys show up to help a straight-laced friend celebrate his 21st birthday!
Click HERE for NSFW photos!
H/T: Attitude |
'Israel released new Hamas leader, will now face more terror' | Middle East expert Dr. Ephraim Arera warned that the election of Yihya Sinwar as the new leader of the Hamas political office in Gaza yesterday was harmful for Israeli security. Dr. Arera criticized the government's decision to release Sinwar as part of the deal in which Gilad Shalit was returned to Israel after years of captivity in Gaza in 2011.
Start the conversation, or Read more at Arutz Sheva Israel News. |
Bolton blasts Obama as 'vindictive' for abstaining from UN vote | There are on the New York Daily News story from 15 hrs ago, titled Bolton blasts Obama as 'vindictive' for abstaining from UN vote. In it, New York Daily News reports that:
John Bolton, an adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, blasted President Obama Sunday as "vindictive," a week after the U.S. abstained from voting on a UN resolution declaring Israeli settlements in occupied territories illegal. "President Obama has very negative views on the state of Israel.
Join the discussion below, or Read more at New York Daily News. |
Reuters Select: More than 100 die in Malaysian immigration detention camps in two years | Exclusive: More than 100 die in Malaysian immigration detention camps in two years
More than one hundred foreigners died in the past two years in Malaysia's immigration detention centers from diseases and unknown causes, according to documents from the government–funded National Human Rights Commission. More than half are from Myanmar, where many Rohingya Muslims have tried to escape persecution. It is unclear whether the death rate is higher than in neighboring countries, but it is higher than in major industrialized nations such as the United States, which has many more detainees and yet recorded 10 deaths in its immigration detention system in one year. Reuters' A. Ananthalakshmi reports.
here
Congress craves closure on healthcare, but has no consensus on tax reform
In interviews with 10 of the roughly three dozen House Freedom Caucus, lawmakers said they were eager to put aside tensions over the debacle that sank President Donald Trump's American Healthcare Act and seek common ground on tax reform. But there is no consensus on details of a tax-reform bill, and raw feelings and mistrust could pose an obstacle to Trump and his allies as they seek to rebound from defeat on healthcare by launching into an overhaul of the U.S. tax code. Reuters' Roberta Rampton, Richard Cowan and Amanda Becker report.here
Exclusive: Republicans mostly blame Congress for healthcare reform failure - Reuters/Ipsos poll
The poll asked who should take responsibility for the failure of the American Health Care Act. Republicans were most likely to blame Congress. Some 26 percent said House Democrats were most responsible and 23 percent blamed House Republicans. Another 13 percent blamed Trump and 10 percent blamed Ryan. Only 8 percent blamed the media. Reuters' Chris Kahn reports.
here
Corporate America’s top shareholder referee gets tougher on activists
Institutional Shareholder Services Inc, the world's top proxy advisory firm, is making activist investors work harder than ever to earn its backing in corporate control battles in a shift being led by the new man in charge of its recommendations. Since Cristiano Guerra formally took over in January as the head of ISS's special situations research team, the firm's support for activists in proxy fights has fallen to 50 percent of the cases, compared with 60 percent last year. He also has indicated a greater willingness to challenge activist funds pushing for changes in corporate boards and strategies. Reuters' Michael Flaherty reports.
here
Exclusive: Malaysia thought Kim Jong Nam was South Korean
Malaysian authorities wrongly identified the slain half-brother of North Korea's leader as a South Korean national and first alerted Seoul's embassy in Kuala Lumpur soon after his death, sources familiar with the incident told Reuters. How? After examining the victim's passport, Malaysian authorities confused the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with the Republic of Korea. Reuters' Tom Allard, Emily Chow and James Pearson report.
here
Exclusive: Trump's 'big data' consultant to meet Australian government
The company credited with helping Donald Trump win the U.S. presidency has registered a company in Australia and plans to meet the country's ruling conservative Liberal Party next week. Cambridge Analytica, which has also said its "psychographic" methods helped the successful campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, has registered an Australian office at a property being redeveloped in the Sydney beachfront suburb of Maroubra. Reuters' Byron Kaye and Jeremy Wagstaff report.
here
Mexico looks for business elsewhere
Mexico's states are turning to Asia and beyond as some U.S. companies put investment plans on hold south of the border following President Donald Trump's calls to bring jobs back home. Reuters' Anthony Esposito reports.
here
Smoking in Indonesia, now more than ever
Indonesia's government has proposed issuing a decree to govern the domestic tobacco industry, a move that could sharply raise cigarette output in the world's fourth-most populous nation, after a bill outlining the changes was opposed by the health ministry and anti-smoking groups. Reuters' Eveline Danubrata and Agustinus Beo Da Costa report.
here
Reuters photo of the day
Getting ready for Passover
here
A man clears notes placed in the cracks of the Western Wall in Jerusalem to clear space for new notes ahead of Passover. REUTERS/Baz Ratner |
Traitors, serial killers, war criminals and the last woman to be hanged: Britain's most famous executioner dispatched them all | Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
At 8am Ruth Ellis ate her final breakfast of scrambled egg.
But even on that last day she wasn't allowed the dignity of eating with proper cutlery or plates for fear she might use the crockery as a weapon.
The breakfast tray was taken away and then the deputy governor came in with the chaplain and they sat at each end of a table.
At Ellis' back was a green screen running the width of the prison cell behind which was a door.
Ellis, who had been sentenced to die for shooting her lover, removed her blue diamanté glasses – worn because she was short-sighted - and passed them to the deputy governor. She told him coolly: “I won't need these any more. Thank you."
Behind her a door opened, then more footsteps and another door opened and then the cell door opened the screen drew back.
(Image: Mirrorpix)
(Image: Daily Mirror)
Ruth Ellis was last woman in Britain to be hanged - but did she have an accomplice and was the lover she killed beating her up?
At the sound Ellis jumped out of her chair knocking it over but stood there now was executioner Albert Pierrepoint – the calm voice of experience.
He said to her, “It's all right, lass. It's all right.”
Picking up the chair he told her to sit down again, adding: “Put your arms behind the chair'."
He then flicked his hand and a rope snaked onto her wrist and within seconds she was tied with her hands behind her back.
Swiftly he walked her the dozen or so steps to the gallows and there was no time for final words.
Earlier – as was always the case – Pierrepoint had used his subject's weight, height, gender, and build, a precise mathematical formula and his own immense experience, to set the drop at 8 feet, 2 inches.
With Ellis carefully positioned on the exact centre of the the trapdoor, she was hooded and a noose placed around her neck while assistant executioner Royston Rickard crouched behind her and strapped her legs together.
As both men cleared the trapdoors Pierrepoint pushed the lever. Ruth Ellis was dead.
It had taken just 12 seconds and illustrated perfectly why Pierrepoint was so highly regard as a hangman that when he resigned a year later the Home Secretary wrote to him asking him to reconsider.
(Image: The People)
(Image: Mirrorpix)
(Image: Daily Mirror)
Between 1934 and 1956, he executed more than 400 men and women, among them Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain, Gordon Cummins, the "Blackout Ripper", John George Haigh, the acid bath murderer.
He also dispatched Derek Bentley for his part in the “let him have it” murder of a policeman, Bruno Tesch, co-inventor of the insecticide Zyklon B used in the Holocaust and Lord Haw-Haw – real name William Joyce who was the voice of the “German Calling” propaganda broadcasts during the Second World War.
Pierrepoint also put to death Timothy Evans, wrongly convicted of murdering his daughter, and subsequently Rillington Place monster John Christie, the real killer.
He hanged large numbers of Nazi war criminals convicted at the Nuremberg trials, including Josef Kramer, the Beast of Belsen.
(Image: Press Association)
(Image: Press Association)
Today more than 50 years since the last executions in the UK it is hard to imagine someone requesting a job as a hangman but for Pierrepoint it was perhaps no different to following in a family profession such as plumber.
His own father Henry and uncle Thomas were both executioners and as he explained later in his autobiography he set his mind to following them at a young age.
As an 11-year-old he wrote, in response to a school "When I grow up ..." writing exercise, "When I leave school I should like to be the Official Executioner".
He often spent summer holidays with his uncle and aunt Lizzie and when Tom was away on business, his aunt would allow the boy to read the diary Tom kept of his executions.
(Image: mirrorpix)
(Image: Unknown)
The nature of the unique job meant the work was not regular – or indeed particularly well paid – and he worked as a delivery driver.
Pierrepoint persevered though and when he was 27 the Yorkshireman was added to the list of official executioners but it was a while until he got to the set noose.
It was 1941 when he performed his first execution as principal hangman - that of a gangland murderer and nightclub owner Antonio "Babe" Mancini who apparently said "Cheerio!" before the trapdoor was sprung at Pentonville Prison.
From then on the work was steady and he gained a reputation for efficient despatch of the condemned.
It was not just a case of turning up and putting a noose around a person's head
Indeed in Pierrepoint’s testimony to the Royal Commission on Capital Punishment in 1950 he spoke of how his detailed preparations involved arriving the day before the job and performing a dummy execution.
The key he said was “the drop” - a careful calculation involving the person's height, weight, strength and age so as to make their death as quick and clean as possible.
Pierrepoint was undoubtedly a first-rate hangman, once wrote: “I hanged John Reginald Christie, the Monster of Rillington Place,' he wrote, 'in less time than it took the ash to fall off a cigar I had left half-smoked in my room at Pentonville.”
After the Second World War the British government were faced with having to execute war criminals so called for Pierrepoint.
(Image: No Name)
(Image: Mirrorpix)
Appointed an honorary lieutenant-colonel for the purpose, he duly travelled to Hameln in Germany, where, on Friday December 13, 1945, he hanged 13 for guards and officers from notorious concentration camp Belsen before lunch.
It was later reported there was to be a strange sequel to these executions: every Christmas thereafter, for a number of years, Pierrepoint received a pounds £5 in an envelope, with a slip of paper reading simply 'Belsen'.
Despite his increasing fame Pierrepoint hated the publicity – in fact he did not tell his wife Annie about his sideline until after they were married – she told him she already knew but was pleased he had volunteered the information.
Boosted by the additional income from the hangings following the war the Pierrepoints became publicans first near Oldham and then near Preston.
Then in 1956 Pierrepoint – probably aware of his value to the Home Office – resigned over a a disagreement about fees.
That January he had gone to Strangeways Prison, Manchester, to officiate at the execution of Thomas Bancroft, who was reprieved less than 12 hours before his scheduled execution, when Pierrepoint was already present making his preparations.
It was the first time in his career that this had happened in England and he claimed his full fee of £15 (£344 when adjusted for inflation) but the under-sheriff of Lancashire offered only £1 (£23), as the rule in England was that the executioner was paid only for executions carried out.
Pierrepoint appealed but was refused and then resigned his pride having apparently been mortally wounded.
(Image: Mirrorpix)
(Image: Hulton Archive)
However it emerged he had been in discussions with a newspaper to sell the story of his life and the last moments of many of the people he executed for a sum equivalent to £500,000 today.
He retired aged 51 to the life of a publican.
Nine years later the last executions took place in last executions in Britain took place on 13 August 1964
Gwynne Owen Evans when was hanged at 8am at Strangeways Prison by Harry Allen with his assistant Royston Rickard, while Peter Anthony Allen was hanged simultaneously at Walton Prison, Liverpool by Robert Leslie Stewart with his assistant Harry Robinson, both for the murder in a robbery of John Alan West.
It was the end of an era.
Despite his prolific career as an executioner Pierrepoint later said he did not believe he had achieved much.
When his autobiography was published in 1974, it was the first time he had made his views on capital punishment public - a decade after its abolition.
(Image: Collect)
(Image: Daily Mirror)
(Image: PA)
He rote: "If death were a deterrent, I might be expected to know. It is I who have faced them last, young men and girls, working men, grandmothers.
“I have been amazed to see the courage with which they take that walk into the unknown. It did not deter them then, and it had not deterred them when they committed what they were convicted for.
“All the men and women whom I have faced at that final moment convince me that in what I have done I have not prevented a single murder. And if death does not work to deter one person, it should not be held to deter any."
In retirement in Southport he was much in demand for people wanting hear his stories.
In 1970 The Daily Mirror's Donald Sec wrote of having lunch with Pierrepoint: “The first thing that strikes you about Mr. Albert Pierrepoint, the celebrated ex-hangman to H M Government, is what an amiable, almost cherubic character he is.
“He smiles a lot, winks occasionally, and if you did not know that the hand you shook had pulled the lever, you might take him to be a mayor, or lead baritone in a male voice choir.
“Mr. Albert Pierrepoint who on these occasions and in these places prefers, whimsically, to be known as "Mr. Smith."
“He recalled 'I had a completely dual personality about it. I could isolate my emotions completely.
“I just accepted what I had to do. But I can tell you this," he said, "our method was the cleanest, quickest and most humane in the world.
“I always respected the condemned man, respected his dignity too."
He died in 1992, aged 87. |
Argentine prosecutor sees difficulty in Odebrecht leniency deal | BUENOS AIRES Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht's efforts to seek a leniency deal in Argentina are limited under the country's laws, an Argentine prosecutor investigating corruption allegations said on Wednesday.
After striking a deal with U.S. and Brazilian prosecutors in December in which it paid fines and admitted to paying hundreds of millions of dollars of bribes in 12 countries, Odebrecht has been trying to sign additional pacts across Latin America.
"The intention of the company is to reach an agreement, but there is no legal mechanism for companies," prosecutor Sergio Rodriguez told Reuters. "There are difficulties due to the lack of legislation."
President Mauricio Macri's administration has asked Congress to pass a bill that would allow companies to be punished for corruption and also enable them to sign leniency agreements.
Rodriguez said it would be easier to reach an agreement reducing penalties for individual executives who cooperate with the investigation in Argentina under the so-called repentance law.
Odebrecht said in an e-mailed statement it was advancing toward agreements in other countries in Latin America. Odebrecht has adopted measures to improve its commitment to ethical business practices and improve transparency, the statement said.
Rodriguez said Brazilian prosecutors would send relevant information from their investigation to Argentina in June.
Unlike in Peru, Odebrecht has not been banned from participating in future infrastructure projects in Argentina.
(Reporting by Nicolas Misculin; Additional reporting and writing by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Peter Cooney) |
Swiss urge voters to keep fee for public broadcasters | ZURICH (Reuters) - The Swiss government urged voters on Monday to keep the annual license fee that finances public broadcasters, saying taxpayer money played a crucial role in supporting cultural diversity and political discourse in the media.
Its call seeks to defuse support for the “No Billag” initiative that comes to a binding vote on March 4 and which opinion polls show has around 57 percent support.
Proponents want to scrap the “Billag” fee that last year raised 1.37 billion Swiss francs ($1.38 billion) as the financial lifeblood for public broadcasters at the federal, regional and local levels.
National broadcaster SRG, which operates in the four national languages, gets 75 percent of its budget from the fee.
“A varied media offering is important for a small, polyglot country like Switzerland with its direct democracy,” President Doris Leuthard said in a statement.
Switzerland says it would be the first country in Europe to abolish fees for public broadcasting should the measure be adopted. This would push advertising revenue to mostly foreign-controlled commercial media.
The government is cutting the fee -- levied on homes with a radio or TV set -- to 365 francs per private household from 2019 from around 450 now. Businesses will pay up to 35,590 francs a year based on a sliding scale of annual sales.
($1 = 0.9915 Swiss francs) |
Silver Birch Centre Benfleet | About Silver Birch Centre Benfleet
The Silver Birch provides Day Care at various locations throughout Essex with a high staff/client ratio. A full program of cognitive stimulation activities, music and singing/dancing, arts and crafts, cookery, gardening, sensory garden, wetroom, use of community garden, quizzes and much more. Breakfast and a two course home cooked lunch provided along with all drinks and snacks. External entertainment provided on occasions. Transport is available using the centres' own minibuses and disabled adapted cars. Fully trained, qualified staff able to provide personal care. |
Experian to sell 75 percent in email marketing business to Vector Capital | Credit data company Experian Plc (EXPN.L) said it would sell a 75 percent stake in its email marketing business to private equity firm Vector Capital, to focus on its core businesses.
The company said the enterprise value of the email/cross-channel marketing business (CCM) business is $400 million (319.13 million pounds) on a cash and debt-free basis.
Experian would retain the remaining 25 percent stake in the business, the company said.
The deal is expected to complete during the first half of the financial year ending March 31, 2018, the FTSE 100-listed information services company said.
Experian had started the process of divesting the email/cross-channel marketing business, the largest business line within its Marketing Services division, last November.
(Reporting by Rahul B in Bengaluru; Editing by Sunil Nair) |
Tanzania sacks 9,900 civil servants over 'fake degrees' | DAR ES SALAAM Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Friday ordered the immediate dismissal of more than 9,900 civil servants after a nationwide verification of academic credentials uncovered workers with forged school and college certificates.
Elected in October 2015, Magufuli has dismissed several senior officials, including the head of the government's anti-graft body, the tax chief, a senior rail official and head of the port authority as part of a wider anti-corruption drive.
Businesses have long complained that corruption and government inefficiency were major obstacles to investing in Tanzania.
The crackdown on fake degree holders comes after another purge launched in March last year discovered more than 19,700 "ghost workers" on the East African nation's public sector payroll."We have been working hard to create new jobs while there are people in government who hold fake degrees," Magufuli said after receiving a report on academic fraud in the civil service.The government had also been losing 238 billion shillings ($107 million) each year to "ghost workers" who had now been removed from the public payroll, he said.Tanzania spends more than $260 million per month to pay civil servants' salaries. The government believes the public wage bill is bloated, with more than 550,000 civil servants at national and local levels.
Magufuli ordered officials to "name and shame" wrongdoers by publishing a list of all civil servants with forged academic qualifications."These people occupied government positions but had no qualifications ... they robbed us just like other common criminals," he said.Magufuli said the audit had also found that the academic records of more than 1,500 civil servants were used by multiple people, while over 11,500 government employees had incomplete academic records.
(Reporting by Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala; Editing by Janet Lawrence) |
Dubai to build MENA's largest marina | Dubai to build MENA's largest marina
The Gulf emirate of Dubai on Monday announced plans to build the largest marina in the Middle East and North Africa with 1,400 berths.
The "Dubai Harbour" will also feature a cruise ship port and a terminal that can accommodate 6,000 passengers at a time, a government statement said.
Home to Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, Dubai said the new project will include a 135-metre (443-foot)lighthouse featuring a hotel and observation deck.
The "Dubai Harbour" will also feature a cruise ship port and a terminal that can accommodate 6,000 passengers at a time, a government statement said ©Marwan Naamani (AFP/File)
The marina will expand Dubai's yacht capacity by around 50 percent from its current 3,000 berths, the statement said.
The project will be located off the upmarket Dubai Marina neighbourhood and next to the man-made Palm Island.
Traditionally a sleepy fishing town, Dubai has evolved into a regional business hub and an attractive tourism destination, thanks to huge investments in luxurious resorts and shopping malls. |
Jet Airways Flight leaves without MP Shetti, airline apologises | Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SS) MP Raju Shetty Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SS) MP Raju Shetty
Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SS) MP from Hatkanangale, Raju Shetti, lashed out at Jet Airways after a Delhi-bound flight took off without him at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) on Wednesday morning. Questioning the airline’s security protocol, Shetti, who led the farmers’ march to Mumbai from Pune last month, said he had a boarding pass and was not informed before the gate was closed.
Shetti had booked a business class ticket for the Delhi bound Jet Airways flight 9W 762 scheduled to depart at 6.05 am. “I reached the airport at 5 am and had taken a boarding pass for the flight. As there was an hour left for the departure, I made my way to the lounge,” Shetti said.
Shetti said, “As I received no information till 5.45 am, I rushed to check the flight’s status… a final announcement for departure was made. The airline officials told me that as the gates were closed, nothing could be done.”
The airline then suggested that Shetti take another flight to Delhi scheduled for 7 am. “The airline further demanded a payment of Rs 2,000 from me for booking the ticket. I refused to pay the cost, but the airline was adamant.”
An official statement from Jet Airways read, “A guest… did not present himself at the boarding gate on time and was therefore considered as ‘Gate No Show’. As Mumbai airport is a silent airport, no public address announcements are permitted. Guest was offered an alternate flight which he accepted for travel to Delhi. Apologies were tendered and charges levied inadvertently, were refunded.”
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IDB, Central America line up $2.5 bln of infrastructure plans | MEXICO CITY, June 14 (Reuters) - The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have lined up $2.5 billion to fund infrastructure projects, the IDB said on Wednesday.
The plans would use up to $750 million of funds from the IDB plus commitments for another $1.75 billion from private and public sources in the three countries, known as the Northern Triangle, the IDB said in a statement.
The announcement came ahead of a meeting on Thursday and Friday in Miami of top U.S., Mexican and Central American officials to discuss how to cut migration and improve conditions in the three poor countries that have seen rising violence.
"The key over the next five years will be to tap the private sector to help build critical infrastructure that will generate jobs, improve competitiveness, and create the conditions that encourage people to build prosperous lives in their homelands," IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno said in the statement.
The Miami summit was an initiative of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly, who helped former President Barack Obama design his Alliance for Prosperity that sought to curb Central American migration with development projects and security spending to crack down on local gangs.
Billionaire Carlos Slim's charity will fund initiatives to help tackle crime in Central America and find new ways of slowing migration, according to a draft document about the summit seen by Reuters. (Reporting by Michael O'Boyle; Editing by Richard Pullin) |
Man City held at Burnley after late Gudmundsson equaliser | BURNLEY 1 MANCHESTER CITY 1
Feb 3 (Reuters) - Burnley's Johann Berg Gudmundsson struck an 82nd minute equaliser as Premier League leaders Manchester City had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor on Saturday.
Brazilian Danilo had fired City ahead with a superb strike in the 22nd minute and Pep Guardiola's side, who now have a 16 point lead at the top, were dominant for most of the game.
Raheem Sterling missed a golden chance for City in the 71st minute - somehow putting the ball wide from a metre out with the goal at his mercy.
City were made to pay for that - and other missed chances - when Gudmundsson met a Matt Lowton cross with a fine finish to beat Ederson and earn Sean Dyche's seventh-placed side a point. (Reporting by Simon Evans; Editing by Ken Ferris) |
India asks WhatsApp to prevent misuse after mob killings | NEW DELHI (AP) - India's government has asked WhatsApp to take immediate action to prevent the social media site from being misused to spread rumors and irresponsible statements like those blamed for recent deadly mob attacks.
At least 20 people have been killed in mostly rural villages in many Indian states by attacking mobs that were inflamed by social media. Victims were innocent people accused in the viral messages of belonging to gangs trying to abduct children.
India's ministry of electronics and information technology said in a statement late Tuesday the lynchings were tied to "irresponsible and explosive messages" circulated on WhatsApp. It wasn't specific on preventative measures it expected.
The social messaging platform owned by Facebook said in a blog it would institute awards for research on "spread of misinformation" on its platform. |
Alfie Evans air ambulance 'on standby to fly sick toddler to Italy' as family enters last-ditch court battle | Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
An air ambulance is on standby ready to fly Alfie Evans to Italy for treatment - as the sick toddler continues to "fight for his life", his family's legal team say.
A fresh hearing on Alfie's case is set to take place in Manchester this afternoon, more than 18 hours after his life support was reportedly withdrawn.
The 23-month-old's parents are to again ask a High Court judge to let their son travel to an Italian hospital, according to the Christian Legal Centre (CLC).
A barrister representing them "will argue that it cannot be in Alfie’s best interests to be left to die in Alder Hey Children's Hospital" in Liverpool.
"He will argue that Alfie should be allowed to travel to Italy where doctors are ready to care for him," a spokeswoman for the CLC said this afternoon.
(Image: Facebook)
(Image: Daily Mirror)
Alfie Evans: Live updates as toddler given legal lifeline with ANOTHER hearing '15 hours after life support switched off'
She added that an air ambulance is currently "waiting" near the hospital.
The CLC told Mirror Online an ambulance at Alder Hey would transport the little boy to the aircraft, should the judge permit him to fly abroad.
It comes after Alfie's dad, Tom Evans, said his son had been breathing unassisted and was "still alive" hours after his life support was 'turned off'.
Speaking to reporters outside hospital this morning, Tom, 21, claimed: "For nine hours Alfie's been breathing for now. He's still breathing now."
He added: "It's come to a point when his mum's actually asleep next to him so she can go to sleep, she feels comfortable with him."
(Image: AFP)
Shortly after, the father took to Facebook to confirm his son was "still alive" following more than 10 "horrendous", "scary" and "heartbreaking" hours.
Meanwhile, Alfie's mum, Kate James, wrote on the dedicated Alfies Army Official Facebook page that the toddler had been "allowed oxygen and water".
Sharing a picture of him being cuddled, she remarked: “How amazing is he... no matter what happens he has already proved these doctors wrong.
"How beautiful does he look.”
Mr Justice Hayden is scheduled to oversee today's hearing in the Family Division of the High Court, which was due to start at around 3.30pm.
The CLC, which is assisting Tom and Alfie's mum, Kate James, said the judge would be asked to allow medical experts in Italy to examine Alfie.
The spokeswoman said medics at Alder Hey had stopped providing "ventilation support" to Alfie last night - but that he "continued to breathe independently".
"Alfie has survived much longer than the doctors predicted, lending support to the request from Alfie's parents for Alfie to be seen by medical experts in Italy," she said.
The CLC claims "the court and the hospital should welcome the intervention of the Italian government and let Alfie travel to Italy".
Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, linked to the CLC, said: “Alfie continues to fight for his life in an extraordinary way, as do his parents and our lawyers.
“We welcome the intervention of the Italian government and are grateful that they stand ready to take Alfie to Italy.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
“A common sense approach must now be for Mr Justice Hayden to discharge all the court orders which detain Alfie and seek to end his life in Alder Hey, and give him the chance to be treated and looked after in Italy."
She added: “We urge the court to allow Alfie to travel to Italy today.”
Yesterday, Mr Justice Hayden had dismissed a "last-ditch appeal" by Tom and Kate, who have both desperately fought to keep their child alive.
The judge had said doctors at Alder Hey could stop providing life-support treatment to the toddler, who has a mystery brain condition.
Alfie's parents asked for a delay to give them time to mount a further challenge.
But the judge refused their application and gave doctors the go-ahead to stop treatment and bring the youngster's life to an end.
(Image: Daily Mirror)
Mr Justice Hayden analysed issues at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court late yesterday. The judge heard submissions from lawyers representing hospital bosses, Alfie's parents and the toddler via a telephone link.
Speaking outside Alder Hey earlier today, Tom said his son's life-support should be reinstated due to his remarkable progress.
"He is still working, he's doing as good as he can," he told reporters.
"But we do need him to be supported ... in the next hour it's going to be hard but we will need him to be supported in the next hour or two.
"Because he's been doing it for nine hours totally unexpected, the doctors are gobsmacked and I do believe he will need some form of life-support in the next couple of hours and I think he ought to be respected and given that."
(Image: Facebook)
Alfie's parents want treatment to continue and to fly him to a hospital in Rome.
His case has been highlighted by the Pope, who expressed support for the couple, and he has been granted Italian citizenship.
Tom and Kate have lost two rounds of High Court fights.
Judges have heard that Alfie, born in May 2016, is in a "semi-vegetative state" and has a degenerative, undiagnosed neurological condition.
Specialists say his brain has been "eroded".
In February, Mr Justice Hayden had ruled that doctors at Alder Hey could stop treating Alfie against the wishes of his parents following hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London and Liverpool.
(Image: Instagram)
Specialists at Alder Hey said life support treatment should stop, and Mr Justice Hayden said he accepted medical evidence which showed that further treatment was futile.
He also said flying Alfie to a foreign hospital would be wrong and pointless.
Court of Appeal judges upheld his decisions. Supreme Court justices and European Court of Human Rights judges refused to intervene.
The couple then argued Alfie was being wrongly "detained" at Alder Hey and made a habeas corpus application. Mr Justice Hayden dismissed that application.
Appeal judges upheld Mr Justice Hayden's decision.
On Friday, Supreme Court justices said they would not intervene.
Early yesterday, EHCR judges also refused to intervene. |
Red Wings' Luke Glendening: Delivers even-strength helper | Glendening fashioned an even-strength assist in Friday's 4-1 road win over the Hurricanes.
With all due respect to Glendening, who happens to be a quality bottom-six grinder, you know it's a good day for your team when he's contributing offensively. That was the Michigan native's sixth helper and 13th point through 38 games this season, as he's primarily locked into a penalty-killing role. |
Pistons' Dwight Buycks: Out again Friday | Buycks (hip) will not play in Friday's preseason game against Atlanta, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports.
Buycks continues to nurse a hip flexor injury, which also kept him out of Detroit's exhibition opener on Wednesday. Consider the former Marquette standout day-to-day until further notice. |
Itel S42, A44, A44 Pro with Full View display launched in India: Key specifications and features | Itel S42, A44 and A44 Pro smartphones have been made official in India, featuring Full View displays. Itel S42, A44 and A44 Pro smartphones have been made official in India, featuring Full View displays.
Itel S42, A44 and A44 Pro smartphones with Full View display have been launched in India. Priced at Rs 8,499, Itel S42 will be available via offline retail stores, while the Itel A44 is priced at Rs 5,700. The A44 Pro has been announced by the company, though the price will be announced later this month. Itel S42 has a 5.65-inch Full HD+ TFT IPS screen with a resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels and a pixel density of 285 ppi. The device will be made available in Black and Champagne colour options. Itel S42 sports a metal unibody design, with fingerprint scanner placed at the back cover.
Itel S42 is powered by 64-bit Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor, clocked at 1.4GHz with 600MHz Adreno 308 GPU for graphics performance. It features 3GB RAM and 16GB storage, which is expandable up to 128GB via a microSD card slot. Itel S42 is backed by a 3,000mAh battery, said to offer a talktime of up to 21.5 hours on 4G and a standby time of 400 hours. The phone runs Android 8.0 Oreo.
Itel S42 comes with a 13MP rear camera with PDAF. The front camera is a 13MP one with fixed focus. Both front and the back camera support LED flash.This is a dual SIM device that supports two Nano SIM cards. It measures 153×73.55×8.25mm. Sensors on the S42 include a fingerprint sensor and G/P/L sensors. In terms of connectivity, the phone supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and OTG.
Itel S42 will compete with the likes of Smartron t phone P, which comes with similar specifications, though it comes with a Snapdragon 435 processor and 5,000mAh. Those looking for a sub-Rs 10,000 phone with a better processor and decent camera can also look at Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, which starts at Rs 9,999.
Itel A44 and A44 Pro smartphones come with 5.45-inch Full View FWVGA+ IPS display with 18:9 aspect ratio. Both the smartphones run Android 7.0 Nougat and are powered by MT6737M processor. The devices support 1GB RAM and 8GB storage with expandable memory upto 32GB via a micro SD card slot. Itel A44 is backed by a 2,400mAh battery. It sports 5MP camera on the front as well as rear. It supports fingerprint sensor as well. The A44 Pro has an 8MP rear camera with flash and a 5MP front camera. The battery on both the smartphones is the same.
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San Francisco UPS shooting leaves 4 dead, including gunman | A UPS employee opened fire at a San Francisco package delivery facility on Wednesday, killing three employees and then himself as officers closed in, police and the company said. San Francisco assistant police chief Toney Chaplin said at a news conference that two others were wounded in the shooting that prompted a massive police response in an industrial neighborhood near downtown.
Start the conversation, or Read more at KFMB-TV San Diego. |
Apple iPhone super cycle pronounced dead as handset market tumbles | The iPhone “super cycle” — a wave of upgrades and new customers that was supposed to wash over Apple Inc this year with the introduction of its model X — was pronounced dead on arrival. The iPhone “super cycle” — a wave of upgrades and new customers that was supposed to wash over Apple Inc this year with the introduction of its model X — was pronounced dead on arrival.
The iPhone “super cycle” — a wave of upgrades and new customers that was supposed to wash over Apple Inc this year with the introduction of its model X — was pronounced dead on arrival. In Apple’s first earnings report since the launch of the pricey flagship smartphone, the company reported lower-than-expected handset sales from the holiday period. Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri also forecast a decline in the average selling price of iPhones in the current quarter, suggesting the most-expensive models aren’t as popular.
The results are part of a broader malaise in the global smartphone industry. Shipments in the fourth quarter dropped 9 per cent, year over year, the biggest decline in history, according to Strategy Analytics. “The super cycle is dead,” Steven Milunovich, an analyst at UBS, wrote in a note to investors on Friday. Apple shares fell as much as 4.1 per cent Friday to $160.88, the biggest intraday decline in more than six months. The stock is down 4 per cent so far this year.
“The verdict is in: relative to expectations, the cycle is weak, and total iPhones sold are likely to be flat for the third straight year,” Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, wrote in a note to investors. He downgraded the shares to market-perform and cut his price target to $170 from $195.
Smartphone doldrums are hurting other companies, too. Verizon Communications Inc, the largest US wireless carrier, has offered unlimited data plans to lure subscribers as a saturated and competitive market makes it more difficult to attract new customers. Qualcomm Inc, the largest mobile chipmaker, has seen orders from big customers tail off and is diversifying into other types of processors. The company is also holding out for faster 5G wireless networks and new phone features it hopes will revive growth in the sector.
Apple is adjusting by focusing on its huge installed base of devices and how to make more money from that — rather than selling a lot more phones each year, Milunovich added. Indeed, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook highlighted late Thursday that Apple has 1.3 billion devices in use now, an increase of 30 per cent in two years. The company is trying to sell more services through these devices, along with more accessories and related gadgets. Apple services revenue jumped 18 per cent in the fourth quarter, while sales of other products, like the Watch and AirPods, jumped 36 per cent.
Milunovich and other analysts quizzed Apple executives on the slowing phone upgrade cycle, during a conference call late Thursday. “You have an installed base that’s 20 percent-plus higher, and a unit growth that’s relatively flat, which would suggest that your upgrade rate is going down, or your replacement cycle is elongating. And I’m wondering whether you agree with that,” asked Sacconaghi.
Cook advised against looking at 90 days of sales. “The far bigger thing is to look over a longer period of time and customer satisfaction and engagement and number of active devices are all a part of that.” Over longer periods, the smartphone market still looks weak, though. Global smartphone shipments slipped 0.1 percent in 2017, with iPhone shipments up 0.2 per cent, according to research firm IDC. Still, many Apple fans were undeterred by the recent results.
Apple’s ability to command a premium has “never been more clear,” Loup Ventures’ Gene Munster said in a note. The company did “stumble” with iPhones missing unit sales estimates, but he’s bullish on the “transition from their existing iPhone platform to an augmented reality-driven platform in the future.”
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South Carolina homeowner finds 9-foot alligator on porch | A South Carolina family were petrified when what they thought was a burglar turned out to be a nine-foot long alligator on their second story porch.
Susie and Steve Polston and their 16-year-old son hid in the master bedroom of their Mount Pleasant home until the racket outside stopped. When their son sneaked a look outside - he spotted the massive animal among overturned furniture.
The family says the alligator climbed a 15-foot stairwell to the porch, crunched through the aluminum screen door and nestled between a sofa and a swinging bench.
'It was just surreal. It was so bizarre,' Susie Polston told the Post and Courier.
The alligator became increasingly aggressive as the Polston's waited for a local animal control company, Gator Getter Consultants, to arrive.
For nearly two hours an agent named Ronnie struggled with the beast, adding that it was likely from 200 to 300 pounds.
They believed the gator to be about 60 years old - and became frustrated when a newly constructed fence obstructed his ability to make it to a new mating pool.
The alligator became increasingly aggressive as the Polston's waited for a local animal control company, Gator Getter Consultants, to arrive
For nearly two hours an agent named Ronnie struggled with the beast, adding that it was likely from 200 to 300 pounds
State law requires a nuisance-trapped alligator to be killed, but the family didn't want that. The other choice was to wait it out, but the alligator was eventually euthanized.
Coming into close contact with one isn't very unusual in the area near the Polston's, who's home lies on the 18th hole at the Rivertowne Country Club.
Gators aren't typically aggressive, but can put on shows when they feel threatened, like baring their teeth and thrashing.
Susie and Steve Polston and their 16-year-old son hid in the master bedroom of their Mount Pleasant home until the racket outside stopped. When their son sneaked a look outside - he spotted the massive animal among overturned furniture
The alligator scaled a 15-foot outdoor staircase and broke through a door to get to the porch
They don't generally interact with humans unless something - or someone - interferes with their mating process, which involves moving directly from waterhole to waterhole and destroying whatever comes in their path.
Authorities warn that alligator spotting in the area will become increasingly more common as the weather continues to warm.
The Polston's, however, hope that their incident won't happen to anyone else.
'We love it here. It's beautiful,' Mrs Polston said. 'We think this was rare. We hope it was rare.' |
Under Analysts' Radar: Anglogold Ashanti Ltd (AU)Apps for PC Daily | Anglogold Ashanti Ltd (NYSE:AU) shares traded up 0.12% during most recent session. Wall Street analysts covering the stock are projecting that the stock will reach $14.44 within the next 52-weeks. The mean target projections are based on 3 opinions. Since analyst price targets calculations are subjective, there often can be wide range of targets from various analysts.
Having a look in a broader way analysts from brokerage firms on the street with an extensive view have high price target of Anglogold Ashanti Ltd (NYSE:AU) at $17.5 and with a conformist view have low price target of $12 while the stock’s latest closing price was $8.46. This is the consensus price target based on the analysts polled by Thomson Reuters’ First Call, the average is taken from the individual analysts which provided targets and are short term projections for the 12 months.
The ABR is the calculated average of the actual recommendations (strong buy, hold, sell etc.) made by the brokerage firms for the given stock. Currently shares of Anglogold Ashanti Ltd (NYSE:AU) have an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.33 number of Recs in ABR is 3 however the company’s industry rank by ABR is 170 out of 265. Industries are ranked based on the average broker recommendation of each company belong to this industry. A low number means that brokers and analysts expect that the industry outperform the market.
Outperform is an analyst recommendation which means that a stock is expected to do slightly better than the market return. Outperform is also known as “moderate-buy” or “over-weight” or “accumulate”. Whereas Underperform can also be taken in with “moderate sell” or “under-weight” or “weak-hold”.
For Anglogold Ashanti Ltd (NYSE:AU) out of the analyst recommendations 1 analysts recommend stock a Buy, 2 rate the stock Outperform, 1 analysts recommend to Hold the stock, 0 rate Underperform and 0 analysts recommend the stock a Sell.
The Average True Range (ATR) is an indicator that measures volatility, it was developed by J. Welles Wilder. Typically, the Average True range (ATR) is based on 14 periods and can be calculated on an intra-day, daily, weekly or monthly basis. Because there must be a beginning, the first TR value is simply the High minus the Low, and the first 14-day ATR is the average of the daily TR values for the last 14 days. Anglogold Ashanti Ltd (NYSE:AU)’s ATR-14 is at 0.24, while its weekly volatility is at 2.94% and monthly volatility is at 2.61%. A stock experiencing a high level of volatility has a higher ATR, and a low volatility stock has a lower ATR. The ATR may be used by market technicians to enter and exit trades, and it is a useful tool to add to a trading system. It was created to allow traders to more accurately measure the daily volatility of an asset by using simple calculations. The indicator does not indicate the price direction, rather used primarily to measure volatility caused by gaps and limit up or down moves. The ATR is fairly simple to calculate and only needs historical price data.
RSI is an extremely popular momentum indicator, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) also developed by J. Welles Wilder, is a momentum oscillator that measures the speed and change of price movements. RSI value of Anglogold Ashanti Ltd (NYSE:AU) is 40.87. RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Traditionally, and according to Wilder, RSI is considered overbought when above 70 and oversold when below 30. Signals can also be generated by looking for divergences, failure swings, and centerline crossovers. RSI can also be used to identify the general trend. The default time frame for comparing up periods to down periods is 14, as in 14 trading days.
Shares of Anglogold Ashanti Ltd (NYSE:AU) has a market capitalization of $3.44 Billion and its number of outstanding shares are 406.24 Million. During previous trade 2.48 Million shares of Anglogold Ashanti Ltd (NYSE:AU) exchanged hands whereas on average almost 3.05 Million shares has been traded. |
Report: Chris Paul signing with Spurs is 'realistic possibility' | It is difficult to imagine Chris Paul taking roughly $50 million less on his next contract by leaving the Los Angeles Clippers, but there is a growing sense of belief that he is giving serious consideration to doing just that. Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype.com spoke with several NBA players and executives, and the general consensus among them is that Paul could sign with the San Antonio Spurs this summer.
Start the conversation, or Read more at YardBarker.com. |
Red Sox on the brink and David Price makes a quick exit | HOUSTON — David Price bolted out of the visiting clubhouse at Minute Maid Park on Friday before the media was allowed in and even before the equipment was being shuttled out for the trip back to Boston.
Price was in no mood to talk after the Red Sox were bounced 8-2 in Game 2 of the ALDS by the Astros, the same score as in their Game 1 loss.
The way the Red Sox are playing, that equipment can head straight to Florida. One more loss and their season is over. Those Red Sox who stayed to face the media music were pretty much shell-shocked over what has happened the first two games. Game 3 is Sunday at Fenway Park, and now the Red Sox are looking at having to win three straight against the Astros.
Once again, the Red Sox’s starting pitching was terrible.
Lefty Drew Pomeranz made it through only two innings, allowing four runs on five hits, two of them home runs. He followed Chris Sale’s abysmal performance in Game 1, in which the lefty surrendered nine hits, seven runs and three home runs. So the Red Sox have gotten just seven innings out of their starters the first two games, and they have allowed 11 runs. The two lefties were rocked. On Friday, Houston’s Carlos Correa started the onslaught with a two-run home run in the first.
“Honestly I think I just made one bad pitch in the beginning, the pitch to Correa,” Pomeranz said. “They hit some pretty good pitches. They’ve had a good lineup all year. You have to make pitches.”
Price was effective in his 2 ²/₃ innings of relief and came in to get out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam, but that is the kind of effort the Red Sox could use from a starter. Price has been placed in the bullpen because he is on a 40-pitch limit after coming back from the disabled list in mid-September after left elbow problems.
John Farrell was asked if he would consider having Price make a short start. Doug Fister is going in the win-or-go-home game Sunday at Fenway Park.
“It wouldn’t be on Sunday,” Farrell said. “I think that what we’re seeing is 40 pitches is about the comfort zone, which he’s been built out at. He’s throwing the ball very well. He comes in with his back against the wall in a key spot, gets two big outs to end the threat, he’s throwing the ball very, very well.Cutter to both sides of the plate, has shown a feel for a changeup, full assortment of pitches that he typically has. He’s done a very good job.”
Price is about the only Boston pitcher to have success against the Astros.
Farrell heaped praise on the Astros hitters.
“The one thing that they have done, they have not missed when we missed in terms of pitch location,” he said. “They’re very good, they’re deep, and they have got a number of ways to beat you. So we fully respect and understood the opponent, and they’re playing like that.”
The Red Sox, meanwhile, are playing like a team ready to go home quickly. |
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More than ONE MILLION pensioners rely solely on the state | GETTY More than a million lone pensioners are entirely dependent on the state pension
The official figure of 1.1 million means almost a quarter (24 per cent) of the 4.55 million single pensioners are living off the basic state pension of £122.30 per week – £6,360 per year. Even with a basic pension credit top-up of £37.35 a week, this means the elderly are still forced to pennypinch on £8,301 annually. Numbers have soared since 1995/6, with an increase of 26 per cent between 2011 and 2016 and 15 per cent in the 12 months to April 2016.
Malcolm McLean, senior consultant at insurance services group Barnett Waddingham, said: “All the available evidence suggests that millions of people in the UK are heading for an impoverished old age, or at best will fall well short of the level of income they need for full financial security and a degree of comfort in retirement. “Relying on the state pension is a big mistake. The state pension is not enough to live on.” And he warned: “Pensioner benefits such as free bus passes and winter fuel payments may not survive indefinitely.”
GETTY The basic state pension is £122.30 per week – £6,360 per year
Incredible oldest workers in the world Wed, February 8, 2017 Whether they’re workaholics or simply serial socialites, you have to admire their tenacity. Play slideshow 1 of 6 Syd Prior, 96. Syd retired from his meet and greet role at B&Q’s New Malden branch in South-West London days before his 97th birthday in 2011.
Stephen Lowe, of retirement specialists Just, said: “With increasing numbers entirely dependent on the state, we need to encourage people to save and plan for their retirements. “Poor decisions can quickly erode savings and people will find themselves reliant on whatever the state can provide. “Pension Wise, the Government’s impartial and free to use guidance service, is there to help people make good decisions about how to use their pension savings. But far too few people are making use of this service.” |
'Too pretty to eat': 100 year-old Christmas chocolates to go on sale | Eileen Elmes kept the fancy chocolates her whole life after having refused to eat them as a child
When youngster Eileen Elmes received the Little Red Riding Hood Pascall’s Chocolate Novelties as a Christmas present she deemed them too special to try.
Instead she kept them untouched until she died aged 99 in 2007.
They have now been put up for sale by Eileen’s niece, who did not want to be named, who hopes they will be put on display in a chocolate museum.
She said: “My aunt told me she couldn’t eat the chocolates because they were so pretty and beautifully wrapped, even though she loved chocolate. |
49ers' Jaquiski Tartt: Returns to practice | Tartt (ribs) returned to practice in full capacity Monday, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee reports.
The 49ers had been bringing Tartt along slowly after he suffered a rib injury early in camp, but the club finally took the reigns off of their athletic safety Monday. The 25-year-old lined up at strong safety with the second-unit defense. Tartt's physical style and lackluster coverage skills leave him better suited to play strong safety, but he could fill in at free safety if Jimmie Ward (hamstring) is unable to return prior to the start of the regular season. |
Golden Globes 2018 Film Nominees Led by ‘The Shape of Water’ and ‘The Post’ | Good (early) morning from Hollywood! As is their wont and tradition, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association rolled out a very, very early red carpet at the Beverly Hills Hotel (which officially kicked off at 5:15AM PT), with presenters Alfre Woodard, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Bell, and Sharon Stone on hand to announce the full list of nominations for this year’s 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water” was the big winner, pulling in seven nominations, ranging from Best Motion Picture – Drama to Best Screenplay and Best Director, plus three acting nominations.
Steven Spielberg’s “The Post” grabbed six nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Screenplay, and Best Director, in addition to acting nominations for Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” also earned six nods (including Best Motion Picture – Drama and acting nods for stars Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell),
Read More:Golden Globes 2018 Film Predictions: IndieWire’s Anne Thompson Makes Bold Picks
Check out the full list of Golden Globe film nominations — updating live — below. TV fans, head on over to our dedicated TV nominations post to get all the small screen goods.
Best Motion Picture – Drama
“Call Me by Your Name”
“Dunkirk”
“The Post”
“The Shape of Water”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
“The Disaster Artist”
“Get Out”
“The Greatest Showman”
“I, Tonya”
“Lady Bird”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Timothee Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Tom Hanks, “The Post”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esquire”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Jessica Chastain, “Molly’s Game”
Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”
Michelle Williams, “All the Money in the World”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Steve Carell, “Battle of the Sexes”
Ansel Elgort, “Baby Driver”
James Franco, “The Disaster Artist”
Hugh Jackman, “The Greatest Showman”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Judi Dench, “Victoria & Abdul”
Helen Mirren, “The Leisure Seeker”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Emma Stone, “Battle of the Sexes”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Armie Hammer, “Call Me by Your Name”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Hong Chau, “Downsizing”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”
Best Director – Motion Picture
Guillermo del Toro, “The Shape of Water”
Martin McDonagh, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Christopher Nolan, “Dunkirk”
Ridley Scott, “All the Money in the World”
Steven Spielberg, “The Post”
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, “The Shape of Water”
Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird”
Liz Hannah and Josh Singer, “The Post”
Martin McDonagh, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Aaron Sorkin, “Molly’s Game”
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Carter Burwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Alexandre Desplat, “The Shape of Water”
Jonny Greenwood, “Phantom Thread”
John Williams, “The Post”
Hans Zimmer, “Dunkirk”
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“Home” from “Ferdinand”
“Mighty River” from “Mudbound”
“Remember Me” from “Coco”
“The Star” from “The Star”
“This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman”
Best Animated Feature Film
“The Boss Baby”
“The Breadwinner”
“Coco”
“Ferdinand”
“Loving Vincent”
Best Foreign-Language Film
“A Fantastic Woman”
“First They Killed My Father”
“In the Fade”
“Loveless”
“The Square”
The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards will air live across the country on NBC on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET from the Beverly Hilton Hotel with host Seth Meyers.
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The day in photos: Feb. 17, 2017 | Pakistani devotees react outside the closed gate of the shrine of 13th century Muslim Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, a day after a bomb blew up at the shrine in the town of Sehwan in Sindh province, some 200 kilometers northeast of the provincial capital Karachi.
Getty Images |
Which? Elderly Care | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
Chrissy Teigen risks nip slip in dangerously low-cut lace top for date with John Legend | The supermodel ensured her spouse's eyes were firmly on her as they dined at the romantic Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica.
Wearing her tresses down in a loose wave, the 31-year-old happily ditched a bra altogether despite opting for a daring crop top.
Chrissy, who wed the hitmaker back in 2013, turned heads in the skimpy lace look, which struggled to contain her ample chest.
The mother-of-one teamed her tiny number with a black tuxedo jacket and matching, ankle-grazing trousers. |
BRIEF-Paccar Q1 Earnings Per Share $1.45 | April 24 (Reuters) - Paccar Inc:
* PACCAR ACHIEVES RECORD QUARTERLY REVENUES AND EXCELLENT PROFITS
* Q1 SALES $5.65 BILLION VERSUS I/B/E/S VIEW $5.05 BILLION
* Q1 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW $1.31 — THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S
* INCREASED ESTIMATE OF 2018 CLASS 8 TRUCK INDUSTRY RETAIL SALES FOR THE U.S. AND CANADA TO A RANGE OF 265,000-285,000 VEHICLES
* PACCAR - IN 2018, CAPEX OF $425-$475 MILLION AND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES OF $300-$320 MILLION TARGETED FOR NEW TRUCK MODELS, OTHERS
* Q1 2018 U.S. AND CANADA CLASS 8 TRUCK INDUSTRY ORDERS WERE MORE THAN DOUBLE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR
* “TRUCK MARKET REFLECTS STRONG ECONOMY AND EXCELLENT FREIGHT DEMAND” Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: |
BRIEF-Bookrunner Says Detsky Mir Will Price At Rub 90 Per Share in accelerated bookbuilt offering | Dec 11 (Reuters) -
* BLOCK TRADE - DETSKY MIR: BOOKRUNNER SAYS TRANSACTION WILL PRICE AT RUB 90 PER SHARE
* BLOCK TRADE - DETSKY MIR: BOOKRUNNER SAYS BOOKS WILL CLOSE AT 7.30PM UK TIME Further company coverage: |
BRIEF-Health Ever Bio-Tech says no dividend payment for 2016 | Feb 14 Health Ever Bio-Tech Co Ltd:
* Says it will pay no dividend for 2016
Source text in Chinese: goo.gl/E7FUfe
Further company coverage: (Beijing Headline News) |
Supreme Court for video recording of proceedings | The bench asked: “What about High Court and this Court? Constitutional courts in other countries have audio and video recording.” The bench asked: “What about High Court and this Court? Constitutional courts in other countries have audio and video recording.”
The Supreme Court on Monday favoured video recording of its proceedings as well as that of the High Courts.
A two-judge bench of Justices A K Goel and U U Lalit spoke its mind during the hearing of a plea by one Pradyuman Bisht seeking audio and video recording of court proceedings of trial court proceedings as a measure of transparency.
The bench asked: “What about High Court and this Court? Constitutional courts in other countries have audio and video recording.”
Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh told the bench that there was a decision of the e-committee of the SC against recording of proceedings. But Justice Goel was quick to point out “it was a decision on the administrative side”. While hearing the petition on March 28, the court had asked high courts to install CCTV cameras without audio recording facility in atleast two district courts in every state and Union territory.
On Monday, it allowed the HCs to extend the facility alongwith provision for audio recording to trial courts.
For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App |
Andy Dunn: Pampered primadonnas or working-class lads connecting with the fans? England impressing on and off the pitch at World Cup 2018 | Get football updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe See our privacy notice Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Look, they are hardly on a posting to Afghanistan or even putting in a month-long shift on the rigs.
They are paid more in a couple of months than most people earn in a lifetime. Everything is laid on for them, here at the World Cup and back home. It is the dream career, the dream life for millions.
But, within those contexts, these England players do make sacrifices. They seem trivial in comparison to others but they are sacrifices all the same.
One of the most heartwarming features of the England matches here in Russia has been how, an hour or so after the final whistle, the family and friends of the players wait in the stands.
(Image: PA Wire)
(Image: Daily Mirror)
Players emerge to spend a few precious minutes with their loved ones before heading back to camp in Repino.
Don’t forget, some of the squad first met up back on May 20. For those with young families - and that is quite a lot of them - this is a long time away.
Of course it is no hardship, but this seems to be as mentally and as physically committed an England squad as there has been for some time.
(Image: PA Wire)
All match fees, and this has been the case for a long time, go to charity — although those fees are incidental compared to the commercial ramifications of a successful England career.
But there is a genuine feeling around this collection of players that they are lifted by the idea of doing something that transcends the material rewards of professional football.
(Image: Getty)
They pore over videos of fans celebrating in the streets back home, they read every message of support.
On Tuesday, on their way back out to see their family and friends, they stopped for selfies with supporters who had refused to leave the stadium.
Pampered, overpaid primadonnas or working-class lads connecting with the common people?
Right now, the answer to that is refreshingly obvious. |
England's World Cup starts on SUNDAY as Gareth Southgate rethinks plan to rest stars for Lithuanian dead rubber | The video will start in 8 Cancel
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Gareth Southgate is ready to begin England's World Cup preparations in Lithuania — by resting the temptation to make wholesale changes.
Boss Southgate is considering giving chances to Jack Butland, Michael Keane and Jesse Lingard in Sunday evening's dead-rubber final Russia 2018 qualifier.
However, he also wants a strong line-up to try to maintain the Three Lions' unbeaten record in the group — and is determined to finish the campaign with an eighth win out of 10.
Southgate was thinking about more changes for the match in Vilnius, which will be played on artificial turf.
Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now
But on the back of Thursday's lacklustre, last-gasp win over Slovenia at Wembley that secured England's spot in Russia next summer, he wants to keep up the intensity — despite being aware he needs to give some fringe players big-game experience.
First-choice keeper Joe Hart wants to play, but Southgate will at some stage have to give Butland some minutes.
He will either do that in Lithuania or during a high profile warm-up friendly — England play Germany and Brazil back-to-back at Wembley next month, while the European qualification play-offs are happening.
Out-of-form midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is struggling for confidence.
(Image: Getty)
Everton defender Keane has impressed around the camp and could come in for Gary Cahill.
Harry Kane has made it clear to Southgate that he wants to play, too — the in-form striker is eager for another cap and more goals — which may mean he starts as captain again. Jermain Defoe could get minutes from the bench.
England did not suffer any injuries in the Slovenia game but Southgate insisted he would not send any players back to their clubs.
He told the players after Thursday's match that he wants to deliver a performance in Lithuania for the travelling fans. |
Duchess Gardens Care Centre | We always recommend that before selecting or making any important decisions about a care home you take the time to check that it is right for your or your relative's particular circumstances. Any description and indication of services and facilities on this page have been provided to us by the relevant care home and we cannot take any responsibility for any errors or other inaccuracies. However, please email us on the address you will find on our About us page if you think any of the information on this page is missing and / or incorrect. |
Stockport Car Scheme | About Stockport Car Scheme
Stockport Car Scheme is a service designed to support people to stay independent. They provide trained volunteers who use their own cars to take people to appointments. This could be medical such as hospital/doctors, opticians or dentist. The service takes people to social groups and day centres and to visit friends and relatives either in hospitals, care homes or at their homes. They also accompany people to do shopping. |
May's spokesman says EU leaders appreciated tone of Brexit letter | EU Council President Donald Tusk holds British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit letter, which was delivered by Britain's permanent representative to the European Union Tim Barrow (not pictured) that gives notice of the UK's intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of... REUTERS/Yves Herman
LONDON European Union leaders appreciated the tone of a letter sent by Prime Minister Theresa May setting out Britain's intention to withdraw from the bloc, May's spokesman told reporters on Thursday.
The spokesman said May had spoken to the President of the European Parliament and the leaders of Ireland, Poland, Italy, France and Spain since Britain formally triggered the process of leaving the EU on Wednesday.
"They were warm, constructive," he told reporters when asked about the calls. "The feedback that we have had is that the tone of the letter was appreciated and considered to be constructive."
(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, writing by William James; editing by Stephen Addison) |
World Cup 2018: Brazil vs. Belgium preview, players to watch, key stats | Roberto Martinez has given Brazil a huge indication as to how Belgium will approach their World Cup quarterfinal on Friday, acknowledging a need for "power" which could result in Marouane Fellaini starting.
Belgium scraped through their Round of 16 clash with Japan by scoring in second-half stoppage time — Nacer Chadli finishing off a devastating counter-attack to wrap up a 3-2 win after Martinez's side had fallen 2-0 behind.
The turn of the tide seemed to coincide with Fellaini and Chadli coming on in the 65th minute, giving Belgium more of a physical edge than they had previously with Dries Mertens and Yannick Carrasco, as both substitutes found the net.
And Martinez has given a strong hint that Fellaini could feature in his starting lineup when Belgium face Brazil in the quarterfinals in Kazan.
"As a coach I have a lot of options with this team but I know in my head what I want to do," Martinez said. "We will need power. If we show the same mentality as we did on Monday, we have a big chance.
"It's a dream match for our players, they were born to play in a match like this. Naturally we want to win but we are not expected to and that is an important difference."
By contrast, Brazil looked fairly assured in dispatching Mexico, riding an early storm before finishing in commanding, composed fashion.
Neymar was Brazil's leading light, scoring once and also grabbing an assist, giving every suggestion he has hit top form at the crucial time following his layoff with a broken foot.
Yet it was not just his remarkable abilities and exploits in front of goal which caught the eye — the world's most expensive player also came in for staunch criticism from Mexico players and coach Juan Carlos Osorio, who accused of Neymar "acting" in an attempt to get refereeing decisions.
But Brazil great Rivaldo just wants Neymar to ignore the criticism and keep playing as he has been, with Belgium surely bracing themselves for the tricky attacker's likely impact.
"Neymar, play like you always played and do not worry about comments from other countries, because many are already at home," Rivaldo wrote on his official Instagram page.
"If you have to dribble, dribble. If you have to do a 'chapeau' [trick which involves flicking the ball over your head], do it. If you have to score, do it. If you have to fall with the fouls, fall.
"And if you have to gain time on the ground, win it, because everyone does the same. The problem is that you are the guy, the idol of our country and unfortunately this is bothering a lot of people, I do not know why.
"Rise above it, as always, and continue to enchant us with your football."
Coach Tite will be without defensive midfielder Casemiro due to suspension, while Douglas Costa (thigh) remains a doubt.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brazil – Neymar
If Neymar plays well, Brazil plays well – it is as simple as that. The Paris Saint-Germain star is its talisman and standout star. After appearing to properly find his groove against Mexico, he will undoubtedly be eager to step up another level and that could doom Belgium.
Belgium – De Bruyne
Although Martinez says "power" will be vital against Brazil, he would be wise to remember that he also has one of the world's most decisive midfielders at his disposal. Against Japan, Kevin De Bruyne was deployed far too deep until the latter stages. With Casemiro out, De Bruyne can be the man to exploit Brazil's core.
KEY OPTA STATS
- Brazil is playing the quarterfinal for the seventh successive World Cup tournament. They have only gone out twice at this stage in that run (against France in 2006 and Netherlands in 2010).
- The Selecao have been knocked out of the World Cup by a European side in each of the last three tournaments (France in 2006, Netherlands in 2010 and Germany in 2014).
- Eden Hazard has been directly involved in 19 goals in his 18 games for Belgium under Martinez, scoring 10 and setting up nine.
- Neymar has been involved in 20 goals in his last 19 matches for Brazil, scoring 11 and laying on another nine to team-mates.
- Belgium's Romelu Lukaku has scored with four of his five shots on target so far at the World Cup. |
These Photos Will Change the Way You Think About Race in Coal Country | Black folks have a gift for complicating the stories that Americans like to tell about themselves. Our presence, for instance, makes it hard to accept the notion that the United States was “conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” It’s a comforting myth and a useful one as well. Abraham Lincoln put it to good use when he spoke those words at Gettysburg, rallying the Union in a time of crisis. But, as history, this foundational myth was undermined by the centrality of slavery in the economic and political life of the new nation.
Our presence complicates other American stories, like the ones that get told about Appalachia. Historian Ronald Eller has pointed out that the region has long been seen as the “other America,” defining what the nation as a whole is not. According to this myth, America is prosperous, while Appalachia is poor. America is modern and progressive, while Appalachia is mired in the past. America is racially and ethnically diverse, while Appalachia is uniformly White, a land of hillbillies and moonshine.
“Coal miner, his wife and two of their children. Bertha Hill, West Virginia. 1938.” Photo by Marion Post Wolcott/Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress.
“When someone hears ‘Appalachia,’ the first thing that pops into their head isn’t an African American face, ever. It’s kind of irritating.”
—Shaylan Clark (Washington Post interview, 2017)
Myths about Appalachia linger in the national subconsciousness and rise to the surface when politicians and pundits find them to be particularly useful. In the 1960s, for instance, President Lyndon Johnson made Appalachian poverty the face of his War on Poverty, believing that voters would be more willing to support programs that seemed to be aimed at poor White people than poor African Americans.
Recently, myths about Appalachia have been recruited to explain the rise of Donald Trump to the presidency. As historian Elizabeth Catte points out in her important new book, What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia, the myths of poverty, backwardness, and homogeneous Whiteness have made it easy to paint Appalachia as “Trump Country.” In the aftermath of the 2016 election, an entire journalistic genre emerged that ignored Trump’s support among White voters of all income levels and in all regions of the country and instead focused on White working-class voters, especially in Appalachia. Somehow, the ignorance and racism of this “other America” had propelled Trump to victory, not the votes of middle-class suburbanites in Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, and Texas.
The Whiteness of Appalachia is one of its most enduring stereotypes. Black folks, the story goes, live elsewhere. But in fact, African Americans, some of them enslaved, have inhabited the region since the first soldiers and pioneers drove Native Americans off of their land. Catte notes that when coal industry employment was at its height, in the early to mid-twentieth century, African American miners made up “20 to 50 percent of the workforce.” Even today, she writes, more people in Appalachia “identify as African American than Scots-Irish.” Yet the myth of Whiteness is so strong that even well-known Black people from the region—the educator and politician Booker T. Washington, singers Nina Simone and Bill Withers, and writers August Wilson, Nikki Giovanni, and John Edgar Wideman—are rarely associated with it.
“Sunday in Scotts Run, West Virginia. 1935.” Photo by Ben Shahn/Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress.
Twenty-five years ago, poet and scholar Frank X. Walker, coined the term “Affrilachian.” It was a response to the long history of writing African Americans out of the stories we tell about Appalachia, giving a name to the Black presence in the region and raising its visibility. The term struck a chord and is now widely embraced.
“When I imagine our history, I see photographs.”
—Elizabeth Catte
Photography, Catte shows, played a crucial role in the creation of the mythology of Appalachia. Many others agree. Appalachian filmmaker Elizabeth Barret once noted that outsiders with cameras “mined images in the way the companies mined the coal.” Too often, the images they made were the ones that myths and stereotypes had prepared them to see—poverty, despair, and a cast of characters that was uniformly White.
“Untitled. (Scotts Run, West Virginia, 1935.)” Photo by Ben Shahn/Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress.
Some photographers, however, have come to Appalachia with their eyes and minds wide open. Ben Shahn and Marion Post Wolcott were two of the best. Although Shahn is much better known as a painter and muralist, the photos that he made during two brief stints working for the federal government’s now-famous documentary photography project at the Farm Security Administration are among the most significant documents that we have from the 1930s. Wolcott’s career as a photographer, although longer than Shahn’s, also was short. No matter. At the FSA, she still made some of the best and most iconic images of the era.
Neither Shahn nor Wolcott knew very much about Appalachia when they first arrived. But they were both sharp observers of people and society. And if they were burdened by stereotypes, they soon learned to discard them. They were both politically progressive and opposed to racism and segregation, and they shared an openness to and curiosity about African Americans.
“Coal miner and two of his seven children. He has worked in the mines for about 20 years. Chaplin, West Virginia. 1938.” Photo by Marion Post Wolcott/Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress.
“… my first assignments were very close to Washington. I think one of the first ones, if not the very first, was in the coal fields in West Virginia. That was a very short assignment, of course. And it was a very interesting one, too. I found the people not as apathetic as I had expected they might be. They weren’t too beaten down. Of course, many of them were, but they were people with hope. …”
—Marion Post Wolcott in a 1965 interview
In this article, I’ve selected only photos from West Virginia. That’s in part because it’s the only state wholly within Appalachia, and in part because the images that Shahn and Wolcott made there are so strong. But these photos are only a small sample of the images of Affrilachians that can be found in the FSA archive. A rich history is waiting to be explored.
“Omar, West Virginia. 1935.” Photo by Ben Shahn/Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress.
“I was offered this job [at the FSA] … but first it was suggested that I take a trip around the country in the areas in which we worked to see what it’s all about, and I tell you that was a revelation to me. … my knowledge of the United States rather came via New York and mostly through Union Square. … I had desire to go to the United States, [but] I didn’t have a penny. It was in the middle of the Depression, you know. I couldn’t get as far as Hoboken at that time. It was really a very serious time. … the present seemed to be hopeless and I just felt that I’d never get out of New York again.”
—Ben Shahn in a 1964 interview
“Untitled. (The Shack, a onetime church; milk is dispensed here. Relief clients wait for hours, Scotts Run, West Virginia. 1935.)” Photo by Ben Shahn/Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress.
There’s nothing special about the way that Shahn and Wolcott depicted African Americans. That’s one of the reasons that I like their photos so much. Black people here—Affrilachians—are part of the very fiber of society.
“My wife would do the driving. She was very understanding of the whole thing and just as much enthusiastic about it as I was, so that we’d retrace steps, sometimes 500 miles. I needed something to fill in. I’d missed it and back we’d go. We had a little A Model Ford that we knocked around in. It gave us no trouble but it didn’t have much speed, so going back 600 miles meant almost three days.”
—Ben Shahn
“Untitled. (Omar, West Virginia. 1935.)” Photo by Ben Shahn Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress.
“When I first wanted to take their picture, they would be antagonistic, but as soon as I would explain, or briefly explain what the pictures were for and what I intended, they were cooperative.”
—Marion Post Wolcott
“Coal miner’s daughter doing the family wash. All the water must be carried from up the hill. Bertha Hill, West Virginia. 1938.” Photo by Marion Post Wolcott/Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress.
“In the South or in the mine country, wherever you point the camera there is a picture. But here you have to make some choices, you see.”
—Ben Shahn
“Liberty, unincorporated, Scotts Run, West Virginia. Negro family living in Moose Hall. 1935.” Photo by Ben Shahn/Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress.
It’s possible to look at an isolated photo, out of the hundreds that Shahn and Wolcott produced in Appalachia, and imagine that it merely confirms the stereotype of an impoverished and beaten-down people and region. But that would be wrong. The bodies of work that they produced show people and communities that couldn’t be defined by any single aspect of their lives.
“Untitled. (Shooting craps by company store, Osage, West Virginia. 1938.)” Photo by Marion Post Wolcott/Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress.
It’s tempting to see Shahn’s and Wolcott’s Appalachia as an interracial paradise. It wasn’t. Schools were segregated. African Americans faced discrimination in the workplace, as well.
“Omar, West Virginia. 1935.” Photo by Ben Shahn/Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress.
Yet it’s also clear that Blacks weren’t merely outcasts. They were part and parcel of their communities.
“Coal miners’ wives making ice cream to sell on Saturday afternoon after payday. Osage, West Virginia. 1938.”
Photo by Marion Post Wolcott/Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress.
Neither Shahn nor Wolcott sugar-coated things. Poverty was real. But the people in the photos were always much more than simply poor.
“Hauling coal up the hill, picked up near mines, to his home. Chaplin, West Virginia. 1938.” Photo by Marion Post Wolcott/Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress.
Wolcott and Shahn are by no means that only photographers to picture the lives of Affrilachians. The great documentary photographer Lewis Hine did so in the early 20th century, as did Russell Lee, a former FSA photographer, in the 1940s. Recently, photographer and curator Roger May has spearheaded Looking at Appalachia, a photo-documentary project that engages scores of Appalachian photographers in a collective effort to overturn visual stereotypes about the region. Affrilachians appear in many of the images they’ve made.
Why have Affrilachians remained almost invisible in American culture, despite this visual record? Perhaps it’s because, as Nell Irvin Painter has suggested in her introduction to Blacks in Appalachia, Affrilachians upset two cherished stereotypes—that Appalachia is uniformly White and that Black people can be found only in inner cities or what used to be the plantation South. And, because stereotypes help to orient us in a complex world, it can be hard to see them for what they really are. And, so, photographers and writers continue to reproduce myths and stereotypes about Appalachia and African Americans alike. We should demand that they do better.
But we must also ask more of ourselves as viewers and readers. Passive looking and reading is lazy, and it leads us astray. When we see beyond the myths, we find a world that’s infinitely richer and more rewarding than anything we’ve been taught to imagine.
This story was funded in part by a grant from the One Foundation. |
Federal Reserve imposes new penalties on Wells Fargo | The Federal Reserve is imposing more penalties on Wells Fargo, freezing the bank's growth until it can prove it has improved its internal controls. In addition, bank agreed to replace four board members.
It's the latest blow against the San Francisco bank that has had its reputation tarnished by revelations it opened phony customer accounts and sold auto insurance to customers who did not need it.
The new penalties were announced late Friday on Fed Chair Janet Yellen's last day at the central bank.
"We cannot tolerate pervasive and persistent misconduct at any bank," Yellen said in a statement. "The enforcement action we are taking today will ensure that Wells Fargo will not expand until it is able to do so safely and with the protections needed to manage all of its risks and protect its customers."
The Fed said it is restricting the bank's assets to the level where they stood at the end of last year until it can demonstrate that it has improved its internal controls.
The announcement came after the close of trading on Wall Street Friday. Wells Fargo's stock fell more than 6 percent in after-hours trading.
"We take this order seriously and are focused on addressing all of the Federal Reserve's concerns," CEO Timothy Sloan said.
Wells Fargo said that it is confident it will satisfy the Fed's requirements and reiterated that it remains "open for business."
The bank said it will continue to meet customer's financial needs, including saving, borrowing and investing.
It said it has the flexibility on its balance sheet to pull back from certain activities to meet the Fed's growth limits, although its exact steps have not been determined.
Sloan also emphasized that the order is related to prior issues, not any new matters.
"While there is still more work to do, we have made significant improvements over the past year to our governance and risk management that address concerns highlighted in this consent order," he said.
The company has agreed to replace three directors by April and another one by year-end. It did not specify which board members would be affected.
The Fed's new order marked the latest chapter in a series of scandals which have rocked the bank in recent years.
Wells Fargo has admitted that employees opened more than 3 million fake accounts in order to meet sales quotas. It ended up paying $185 million to regulators and settled a class-action suit for $142 million.
It also has admitted it signed up hundreds of thousands of auto loan customers for auto insurance they did not need. Some of those customers had their cars repossessed because they could not afford both the auto loan and insurance payments.
And Wells Fargo also offered refunds to customers last year after acknowledging that its mortgage bankers unfairly charged them fees to lock in interest rates on mortgages.
The Fed's action came on a 3-0 vote. Randal Quarles, who is the Fed's vice chairman for supervision, has recused himself from participating in matters involving Wells Fargo.
———
Skidmore Sell reported from Portland, Oregon. |
3 World Trade Center | Three World Trade Center steakhouse delayed In other “fancy British eatery in glamorous new tower” news, it turns out that the steak-house chain Hawksmoor won’t open a restaurant this year at Three World Trade Center after...
McKinsey & Co. is moving its headquarters to World Trade Center Global management-consulting giant McKinsey & Co. is moving its Manhattan headquarters from 55 E. 52d St. to Three World Trade Center, The Post has learned. The deal — kept so...
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How Football Manager cult hero Cherno Samba is on the fast track to becoming a "top" boss in real life | Get football updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Cherno Samba was once keeping Wayne Rooney out of England's youth team, tipped to fire the Three Lions to 2006 World Cup glory and in such demand Liverpool enlisted Michael Owen to try and tempt him to Anfield.
In the end things didn't turn out as expected – his career was such a roller-coaster ex-England boss Steve McClaren was stunned to discover he was still playing a decade ago.
Yet, to Samba's credit, there is no bitterness or regret from about how his career unfolded and only a philosophical reflection thanks to his faith.
And Samba is hoping to use his experiences of the “dog-eat-dog” football world to help guide the next generation of young hopefuls.
The double irony of how he is now working towards doing that is not lost on Samba, now 32.
The boy wonder made even more famous by a management computer game is now well on the road to becoming a coach himself and currently on an A Licence course alongside the likes of Frank Lampard and Graeme Le Saux.
And managing the country of his birth, Gambia, who he played senior football for and where he remains highly thought of, could be a possibility in the future.
(Photo: Getty)
Meanwhile, Samba is currently gaining experience shadowing the likes of former Anfield reserves boss John McMahon who now works at Liverpool's foundation as he works towards his badges.
Samba came close to joining Liverpool aged 14 and it is impossible not to wonder what might have been had that move gone through.
He said: “I've always wanted to give my experience to the next generation. That is my motivation now and there is not a better person to do it than myself after what I've experienced.
“As soon as I got to Liverpool I thought 'life is crazy.' As a player I was going to be signing for this club and now I am doing my coaching hours here. It brings back memories.”
Samba's name will bring back memories of cult computer game Championship Manager for a certain generation of football fans.
(Photo: Daily Mirror)
Samba was one of the young stars of the early 2000s versions of the world renowned game when he was a teenage starlet charging through defences and the ranks at Millwall.
The devastating striker he became on the game only added to his aura, reputation, and the pressure, when he stepped on the pitch in real life.
Trophies, goals and international success came guaranteed in the virtual world for Samba and any budding manager who snapped him up.
But, clever as Championship Manager's makers were, what they could never predict predictions was the impact of the pitfalls encountered by wonder-kids such as Samba which he now is hoping to warn future prospects about.
After scoring 132 goals in just 32 games for his school aged just 13 and getting picked up by Millwall, Samba was soon quickly marked out as one of England's hottest prospects.
(Photo: Getty)
England recognition followed – Samba played from under-15s through to 21s and was in the same age group as Rooney and Wayne Routledge but impressed so much he was pushed up a year to play alongside the likes of Glen Johnson, Darren Bent and David Bentley.
At the same time Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Leeds were jostling for his signature. But there were downsides to being a golden boy too.
Like being surrounded by people and coaches who tip-toed around him and massaged his ego because they were too afraid to upset him rather than delivering home truths or pushing Samba in the right direction when he strayed off track.
That's what he now admits he could have done with after his proposed £2m move to Liverpool collapsed before his eyes in then Anfield-boss Gerard Houllier's office, shattering his dreams and resulting in a frustrated Samba taking a six-month break from football when his love and appetite for the game disappeared.
(Photo: Daily Mirror)
South Londoner Samba eventually returned to Millwall but the damage had been done.
He said: “Knowing what I know now I should have gone back, put my head down and worked hard, not stayed away from football.
“So part of it is my own fault. If I had gone back to Millwall when that move didn't happen, trained a bit harder it (his talent) will come through.
“But I had lost my appetite for the game. Before football was a passion, I loved it and you could pay me nothing and I would still play.
“After that (the move collapse) happened I said I need to make sure my mum and dad are stable financially and I am too. So I was just going to get paid.”
In the end Plymouth was the only English club Samba played for while he also had spells in Spain, Wales, Finland, Greece and Norway before retiring in 2015.
He said: “I am happy with how my career panned out. I have played in great countries. But I feel like I could have pushed a bit more to get to the top.
“I believe in God and that helps because I look at things and think everything that happens was meant to happen.
(Photo: Daily Mirror)
“Not going to Liverpool, not winning the World Cup for England in 2006 and whatever else, was meant to happen.
“If that was meant to happen it would have happened. I won't beat myself up about it.
“I remember Steve McClaren said in an article 'I can't believe Cherno is still in the game because if this happened to any other player in the world they wouldn't still be in the game'.
“That was 10 years ago. It is really tough but that's the past.”
The future for Samba is his ambitions to become a “top” coach and he freely admits being open to managing Gambia when the time is right.
Samba said: “Once I finish my A licence I want to do a bit of coaching here academy-wise just to gain that experience and exposure before I can take a big job like the Gambia job because it is a massive one, you can imagine.
“I would want to go up the ladder and learn my trade first, just as you do when you are coming up as a pro.”
(Photo: Getty Images Europe)
And he won't be short of wisdom to pass on. “It has been ups and downs for me in football,” Samba admitted.
“I just felt like I needed to give something back to the youngsters coming up so they don't fall into the same traps or be treated the way I was.
“That is what pushed me more to go into the coaching side so I can mentor the young kids, put them on the straight and narrow, help and guide them through what I have experienced to try and avoid the pitfalls.”
Asked how Samba the coach would develop Samba the teenager, he suggested a combination of tough love, the 'arm around the shoulder' approach and one-on-one pep talks would do the trick.
Whatever style of coach he becomes will be heavily-shaped by his own first-hand experiences.
“If I had my way again I wouldn't be so famous so early. I wish I was one of those kids you didn't hear about and who came through the back door,” he said.
“When you put that sort of pressure on you as a kid is does have an affect. I also wouldn't be giving too much too soon. I wish I wasn't.
“Especially in this country, we are given so much, so early. By the time you're 19, 20, football is out the way and it is all about luxury, looks, nice cars.
“At 17, I bought my brand new Peugeot, 11 grand, cash. The 206 was the new car that had just come out so I just went to the garage and bought it.
(Photo: Birmingham Post and Mail)
“Things like that I would do differently. And we need to teach these kids, the next generation about how to conduct yourself.
“What also didn't help me was I was far above everybody else. I was scoring goals left right and centre. And instead of working harder, I felt I didn't need to and I was already there, better than these other players.
“If we had to do 10 doggies I would do six and I knew I would still get picked to play the next game as well.
“A lot of things have got to change and because I have experienced it that is why I want to help the next generation.
“I am well prepared now to be a coach more than I could ever be. I watch a lot of games, talk to top, top people in the game. I can pick up the phone and speak to any of them and they will listen and give me advice.
“I am looking forward to the challenges. I have a new energy, new positiveness and new life. I am enjoying every minute of everything.” |
Jets coach can’t explain that vicious Hackenberg report | Rookie QB Christian Hackenberg did not play a down this season. Bowles, after the 30-10 win over the Bills at MetLife Stadium, said they never considered playing him Sunday, even when the score got out of hand in the fourth quarter.
“We didn’t need him,” Bowles said. “We didn’t plan on playing him.”
ESPN reported Sunday that it has been evident to those inside the Jets that Hackenberg is not ready to play. The network quoted one anonymous Jets coach saying Hackenberg “couldn’t hit the ocean.”
Bowles said that was not the team’s view.
“Not at all,” Bowles said.
Another Jets official told the network that Hackenberg regressed throughout this season. The report went on to say the Jets still think he can be salvaged after an offseason away to work on his mechanics.
The Jets will have the No. 6 pick in the 2017 draft. … The Jets 2017 opponents are locked in. They will play the Chargers, Chiefs, Falcons, Panthers, Jaguars, Patriots, Bills and Dolphins at home. They will play the Broncos, Raiders, Saints, Buccaneers, Browns, Patriots, Bills and Dolphins on the road.
WR Brandon Marshall was inactive with a hip injury. … The Jets used 75 different players this season for at least one game. That is tied for the most in a season in NFL history (excluding the 1987 NFL season.) The Jaguars also hit that mark in 2011 and 2012. … The Jets recorded three takeaways in the game, giving them 14 this season, avoiding the franchise record for fewest in a season, which is 13 set in 2014.… This is the first time the Jets have ever finished 5-11. |
Liverpool Transfer News: Reds battling Arsenal for Real Madrid star Karim Benzema | The Frenchman has been linked with a move away from the Bernabeu this summer after struggling for form.
He has netted just nine goals in La Liga this season, and with Real Madrid planning to land a marquee signing in the transfer window Benzema’s position at the club is under threat.
And according to Spanish publication Don Balon, Benzema has five offers on the table from clubs across Europe chasing his signature. |
1979: The new Toyota Supra provides the powerful pleasure | The Toyota Celica was a serious sales hit in the United States, at least in the areas that lacked rust and/or enraged Detroit autoworkers with sledgehammers, but its four-cylinder engine didn't have the horsepower to be a real Datsun Z-car competitor. Starting in 1978, Toyota offered a stretched Celica liftback with a single-overhead-cam straight-six engine and named it the Supra.
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