VideoCopilot’s Andrew Kramer recently took to the stage at the After Effects World Conference to share his advice for building a creative career.The rise of Andrew Kramer of VideoCopilot.net is an inspiring tale – from helpful internet tutorial creator, to After Effects trainer and bespoke plugins producer, to feature film visual effects specialist. Andrew was invited to present this year’s keynote address at the After Effects World Conference and he delivered a hilarious and informative talk breaking down his insights on how to build a career as a creative artist. The keynote was focused on motion graphic and visual effects creative work, but the lessons apply to many other creative spheres.1. Define prioritiesAndrew made a really great point at the start of his talk, which was that we need to be aware of, and focus on the things that we want to prioritize in life. In the busyness of life our real priorities can slip away and the hindsight revelation for Andrew was that he was focusing on his work more than his family. Many of us we want to be successful at any cost, but if we don’t take the time to figure out what really matters in life we could lose it along the way.2. Cut out the junkA lot of Andrew’s talk has the same point being reinforced in several ways. If you want to get anything good done you’re going to have to cut out the distractions, games and time wasting.3. Learn by doingWith so much knowledge freely available online we can often mistake watching a tutorial for acquiring new experience. Only through trying, making mistakes and solving problems for yourself will you truly acquire experience, knowledge and new abilities. As Andrew kept saying – just get out there and make something.4. Take risks to stand outAndrew’s suggestion would be to spend the time and creative energy to make 25 seconds of really good original content, than to try to recreate a generic showreel demonstrating your core abilities of all the usual things. He pointed to Peter Quinn’s spoof motion graphics showreel as a good example of something clever and a little risky that get’s people’s attention.5. Who knows where you could end up!Be passionate and committed to what you love and you could end up working for JJ Abrams, running a thriving business and growing a family too.
Messi leaves Kolkata and Venezuela mesmerised
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Congress bags four seats, BJP two, JD-S one in Council polls
Bengaluru, June 10 (PTI) Karnatakas rulingCongress predictably managed to win all the four seats it contested in the biennial elections to fill seven seats of the Legislative Council from Legislative assembly held today. Opposition BJP too managed to win both the seatsit contested while JD(S), battling dissidence within,could win only one of the two seats it contested. “Out of 225 votes cast, 223 were valid, 2 wereinvalid,” an Election Official said. Allum Veerabhadrappa, Ramappa Timmapur, Rizwan Arshadand Veena Achaiah of Congress, which has 122 members in the 225-member assembly, secured 33,33, 34 and 31votes respectively. For BJP which has 44 members in the assembly, V Somanna secured 31 votes, while the partys second candidate Lahar Singh Siroya got 27 first preference votes and wonthrough second preference votes. BJP leader C T Ravi claimed that the party hasgained additional 14 votes. Out of the two JD(S) candidates, Narayana Swamy K V wongetting 30 votes while the second candidate D R SM Venkatapathi got only 5 votes and lost. JD(S) has40 members in the Assembly. JD(S) MLA Zameer Ahmed, who is among the five rebel MLAs, after casting his vote, said he has voted forCongress candidate Rizwan Arshad. PTI KSU RA VS PAL DK
Ex-Minor Leaguers Sue Baseball
ST. LOUIS — Like many young baseball players, Aaron Senne dreamed of fame and fortune when he signed his first contract as a Miami Marlins’ draft choice after a record-breaking college career at Missouri.Reality as a low-level minor leaguer was far different: vending machine dinners, bug-infested apartments and a paltry salary with an equivalent hourly wage less than what fast-food workers make.Senne and former minor league players in each of the 30 big league organizations are suing Major League Baseball, alleging violations of federal wage and overtime laws in a case some legal observers suggest has significant merit.They are seeking class-action status on behalf of the estimated 6,000 ballplayers who toil each summer in outposts stretching from Bluefield, Virginia, to Bakersfield, California, as well as an unspecified amount of back pay.“You come from high school or college where you’re not making anything and you just think, ‘I’m getting paid to play baseball. I’ll chase my dream,’” said Senne, who retired last year after having Tommy John surgery on his elbow in 2011, one year after the Marlins paid him a $25,000 signing bonus as a 10th round pick. “You get that first paycheck and you do a double take. It’s an eye opener.”In Senne’s case, that first check from the Jamestown (N.Y.) Jammers, a short-season Class A affiliate, was for $1,100 a month and $25 a day in meal money. At his peak, he earned $7,000 in 2012, but like all minor leaguers, wasn’t paid salary during spring training or for his offseason conditioning work.Federal antitrust exemptions have largely protected pro baseball from comparable legal challenges. But in this case, the 32 plaintiffs recruited by attorney Garrett Broshuis — another former minor leaguer from Mizzou who went to law school after six seasons in the San Francisco Giants’ organization — allege violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, a 1938 law that stipulates a minimum wage for workers and requires overtime for most employees who work more than 40 hours weekly.The suit was filed earlier this year in federal court in San Francisco, though Major League Baseball wants to move the suit to Florida, where most of its teams spend spring training and courts are considered more employer-friendly.“Yes, these guys are chasing a dream,” said Broshuis, acknowledging that short-term sacrifices can become distant memories should a big league contract be attained, which carries the promise of a $500,000 minimum salary while on the 25-man major league roster or disabled list. “But it’s also a job. And it’s a job they put a lot of hours in.”Attorneys representing Major League Baseball in the California case did not respond to interview requests, and a spokesman in the league’s New York office declined comment.In a 78-page response to the suit, the league and Commissioner Bud Selig outlined 30 objections, including an exemption under the federal wage law for “seasonal, amusement or recreational” workers and a contractual requirement that workplace disputes must first go to arbitration before courts intervene.University of New Hampshire law professor Michael McCann, director of the school’s Sports and Entertainment Law Institute, notes that most minor league salaries fall far below the federal poverty level of $11,670 for a single person and $23,850 for a family of four. Nor do minor leaguers have the power of a union to advocate on their behalf.“Maybe for a 19- or 20-year-old, that’s all right,” McCann said of the typical minor-league contract. “For a guy who’s 28 years old with a family, I don’t see how there’s enough money to pay the bills.”He said the lawsuit makes a “credible argument,” but noted that MLB has yet to offer a detailed response.Broshuis attributed the disconnect between the idealized version of paying one’s dues in the minors and his actual experience as his primary motivation for pursuing a legal career.Drafted by the Giants in 2004 and out of baseball five years later after a few stints in Triple-A, he was valedictorian of his law school class at Saint Louis University.“Very early in my career, I realized that something just didn’t seem quite right,” he said. Compared to college, “it almost seemed like a step down in working conditions. It seemed backward.”Senne was one of three original plaintiffs in a case that is back in court later this week. He said the suit is a long-overdue challenge to a management mindset that embraced financial sacrifice as a necessary rite of passage.For players who voiced their concerns, the response from coaches and managers was uniform, he said. “They would say, ‘If you don’t like it, play better,’” Senne said. “‘Or go get a 9-to-5 job.’”(ALAN SCHER ZAGIER)___TweetPinShare0 Shares
Chile Wins First Copa America Cup
TweetPinShare0 Shares SANTIAGO, Chile — The wait is finally over for Chile. The title drought continues for Argentina.Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo made a save and striker Alexis Sanchez converted the winning penalty as the hosts defeated Argentina 4-1 in a shootout after a 0-0 draw in the Copa America final on July 4, finally winning its first major tournament.The result extended Argentina’s 22-year title drought, and Lionel Messi will continue to hear criticism for his lackluster play with the national team when it needs him the most.Bravo stopped Ever Banega’s low shot by diving to his left to make the save and, earlier, Gonzalo Higuain also missed for Argentina, sending his shot over the crossbar.The Chileans made all of their penalties, and captain Bravo lifted the nation’s first ever trophy in front of President Michelle Bachelet and nearly 50,000 Chileans who packed the Estadio Nacional, frantically waving Chile’s red, blue and white flags.The title rewarded the nation’s best generation of players after years of disappointments in the South American tournament and at World Cups. The victory secures Chile a spot in the Confederations Cup for the first time.“This is a dream, this team deserved a victory like this,” said midfielder Arturo Vidal, one of the leaders of this golden generation. “The Chilean people needed this triumph, needed something so beautiful as being crowned America’s champion.“Today it was an incredible step forward for us, this generation deserved it,” the Juventus midfielder said.Chile hadn’t made it to a final in 28 years, when it lost to Uruguay in the Copa America in Argentina. It finished runner-up four times, including at home in 1955. Its best result at a World Cup was a third-place finish at home in 1962, and last year it reached the round of 16, being eliminated by host Brazil on penalties.“We had to leave this negative history behind us,” said Barcelona goalkeeper Bravo, Chile’s most experienced player all-time with nearly 100 caps. “This is a privileged generation. We had to take advantage of it.”Argentina’s disappointment comes less than a year since the 1-0 loss to Germany in the World Cup final. Argentina lost consecutive Copa America finals to Brazil in 2004 and 2007, and in the 2011 tournament at home, Messi and his teammates didn’t make it past the quarterfinals.“We will just keep trying,” said Argentina coach Gerardo Martino, who four years ago lost the Copa America final while managing the Paraguayan national team. “We will keep trying with these same players that today are crying in the locker room.”The defeat came exactly 22 years after Argentina won its last title at the 1993 Copa America, when Messi was only a kid. Since then, it has failed in seven Copa Americas and six World Cups, with Messi playing in five of those tournaments.“We did everything we could but again it wasn’t meant to be,” said Javier Mascherano, Messi’s teammate at Barcelona. “It’s incredibly painful, and we know it’s only going to get harder from now on.”Messi struggled throughout the match and was never a factor, looking nothing like the star that he usually is with Barcelona.It was an even final from the start, with the teams creating few scoring chances. Chile controlled possession during most of the second half and came closer than Argentina to getting on the board.Sanchez had one of the game’s best opportunities in the 82nd, but his close-range shot missed wide.Argentina’s greatest chance came in the last play of regulation in a breakaway that started with Messi near midfield, but Higuain hit the outside of the net after a dangerous cross into the area.In extra time, it was Sanchez who almost scored in a counterattack after Mascherano misplayed a ball near midfield, but his right-footed shot missed the target.In the shootout, Matias Fernandez, Vidal and Charles Aranguiz all netted for Chile, while Messi scored Argentina’s lone goal in the team’s first attempt.Sanchez’s winner was a soft shot into the middle of the net as Argentina goalkeeper Romero dived to his left, igniting a frantic celebration by his teammates and the fans on the stands.(VICENTE L. PANETTA)
2011 Queensland Junior State Championships
The event will see teams from Queensland’s six regions – South Queensland and Border Districts, Brisbane, South West Queensland, North Queensland, Sunshine Coast and Central Queensland – compete at the championships. After a successful introduction in 2010, the under 12’s Boys and Girls divisions will again be contested at the championships, along with the under 14’s and under 16’s Boys and Girls divisions. The event will commence at 9.00am on Saturday, with the last round of games at 6.10pm. Games will recommence at 7.30am on Sunday, with the Under 12’s and Under 14’s Boys and Girls finals to be played at 1.00pm, while the Under 16’s Boys and Girls finals will be played at 2.00pm. The event will be used to select Queensland’s under 14’s and 16’s Boys and Girls sides that will compete against New Zealand in December this year. Under 12’s Queensland Merit sides will also be selected. For more information, or to keep up-to-date throughout the 2011 Queensland Junior State Championships, please click on the following link:http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=14-7413-0-0-0&sID=147311
‘OOCL Korea’ Containership Officially Named
zoom Shipping company Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) held a naming ceremony for ‘OOCL Korea’ on Geoje Island in South Korea on April 11. The vessel is the newest 13,208 TEU containership joining the OOCL fleet to operate in the Asia-Europe trade.In his remarks on the occasion Mr. Andy Tung, Chief Executive Officer of OOCL said: “We believe that a modern fleet is essential to delivering premium customer service. The productivity gains and greater economies of scale that can be achieved with the next generation of Mega vessels are clear, and by continually enhancing our fleet we can remain competitive and provide quality services to customers that OOCL is well known for.”“The container shipping industry is an extremely capital intensive one and we have been very grateful to many of our friends, business associates and institutional partners throughout these years in supporting our business and believing in our ability to stay ahead of the curve in the industry, ” Mr Tung continued.Among distinguished guests at the ceremony was the vessel’s sponsor, Mrs. Shirley Peng, who unveiled the ‘OOCL Korea’ after officially wishing the vessel and her crew all the best in providing a vital link to world trade.The OOCL Korea will be serving the Asia-Europe trade on the Loop 6 service where her port rotation is: Kaohsiung / Xiamen / Shekou / Hong Kong / Singapore / Colombo / via the Suez Canal to / Southampton / Antwerp / Hamburg / Rotterdam / via the Suez Canal to / Jebel Ali / Singapore / Shekou / Kaohsiung in a 77-day round trip.OOCL, April 17, 2014
Des liens commerciaux sont établis avec le sud dans le cadre de
Des membres de la communauté des affaires de la Nouvelle-Écosse reviennent tout juste d’une mission commerciale internationale en Louisiane avec des possibilités d’affaires intéressantes. La mission a été organisée par le Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CDÉNÉ), avec l’appui de l’Office des affaires acadiennes du gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Écosse. Le CDÉNÉ est un organisme axé sur le développement économique au sein de la communauté acadienne et francophone de la Nouvelle-Écosse. « Nous avons établi plusieurs contacts intéressants qui feront l’objet d’un suivi au cours des prochaines semaines et des prochains mois », a déclaré un des participants au salon commercial, Edgar Samson de Premium Seafoods Limited. « Ce voyage nous a permis de constater les affaires potentielles qui peuvent être effectuées dans le sud des États-Unis et ailleurs. » La mission commerciale Expo Acadie a réuni plus de 80 participants, dont 23 étaient des provinces de l’Atlantique. Environ un tiers de ces 23 participants était de la Nouvelle-Écosse. Les entreprises représentaient les industries de la construction et de l’environnement, de l’agroalimentaire, des arts et de l’artisanat, et de la technologie de l’information. « La province de la Nouvelle-Écosse organise des échanges culturels et des missions commerciales avec la Louisiane depuis les 20 dernières années en raison de leurs liens historiques et culturels étroits », a affirmé la directrice générale de l’Office des affaires acadiennes, Vaughne Madden, qui s’est rendue en Louisiane pour participer au salon commercial. Pendant son séjour, Mme Madden a rencontré des représentants officiels afin d’offrir le soutien continu de la Nouvelle-Écosse aux efforts de reconstruction de l’État suite aux ouragans. Cette année, l’exposition a eu lieu en même temps que le Festival international de Louisiane à Lafayette, où un pavillon acadien a donné une plus grande visibilité à certaines entreprises néo-écossaises qui ont choisi de participer à l’exposition. Environ 300 000 personnes ont participé à ce festival annuel. « Nous allons continuer à contribuer à l’établissement de partenariats entre l’Acadie du nord et l’Acadie du sud », a souligné la directrice générale du CDÉNÉ, Julie Oliver. Des plans sont déjà en cours pour la troisième Expo Acadie, qui aura lieu en Nouvelle-Écosse en 2008.
Observers gobsmacked at new revelation about lost QuadrigaCX currency
HALIFAX — The revelation that the embattled QuadrigaCX cryptocurrency exchange recently lost track of more than $460,000 in crypto-coins has left some industry observers reeling with disbelief.“I’m totally gobsmacked … that such a thing could happen,” says Manie Eagar, CEO of Vancouver-based DigitalFutures, a business development consultancy that focuses on digital currency and blockchain technologies.“Whoever took over the reins and is acting as the custodian of these funds should have at least done due diligence to avoid whatever happened.”The court-appointed monitor overseeing the search for $260 million in cash and cryptocurrency owed to QuadrigaCX users revealed on Tuesday that the exchange had access to $902,743 in online digital assets, stored in so-called hot wallets as of Feb. 5.However, Ernst and Young said that on Feb. 6 someone working for QuadrigaCX “inadvertently” transferred 103 Bitcoins valued at $468,675 into a so-called cold wallet that remains beyond the reach of the company.Meanwhile, lawyers were expected to gather Thursday in a Halifax courtroom, where a judge will decide who will represent QuadrigaCX’s creditors.Insolvency expert Tim Hill said the case is highly unusual, given that QuadrigaCX has no offices, no employees and no bank accounts.“We certainly haven’t seen anything like this in Nova Scotia — and nothing in Canada that I’m aware of,” he said in an interview.The Vancouver-based exchange was shut down Jan 28 amid a flurry of speculation about the sudden death of its CEO and lone director, 30-year-old Gerald Cotten, who led his five-year-old virtual business from a home north of Halifax.Court records say Cotten, who died suddenly on Dec. 9 while travelling in India, was the only person with access to the digital keys needed to access $190 million worth of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.As well, the insolvent company owes about 115,000 affected users another $70 million in cash.“Transferring funds to wallets they can’t retrieve money from is really mind-blowing,” said Samir Saadi, professor of finance at the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management.“They know they don’t have access to those cold wallets and they still managed to make that terrible mistake … It tells us a lot about the company’s practices. There’s no backup plans — nothing.”The selection Thursday of representative counsel, which will be overseen by Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Michael Wood, is part of a court-ordered insolvency process that was set in motion when the virtual company was granted protection from its creditors on Feb. 5.The purpose of the federal law is to allow insolvent companies owing more than $5 million to continue to operate while drafting a plan to pay off creditors, thereby avoiding bankruptcy.The court order includes a standard 30-day stay of proceedings, which means creditors are prohibited from filing lawsuits against QuadrigaCX until the order expires. An extension is widely expected to be granted by the court on March 5.Hill, a Halifax lawyer who specializes in insolvency and debt restructuring, said the law firms that will be selected as representative counsel will be paid by QuadrigaCX’s parent company, Quadriga Fintech Solutions.“There’s a real danger here that there’s going to be no money to pay these guys,” said Hill, a member of BoyneClarke’s business litigation team and a former registrar in bankruptcy. “Unless they can move quickly to identify some assets, some money, this may not go on too long. People need to be paid.”The representative counsel will speak for the creditors in court, but there’s nothing stopping creditors from hiring their own lawyers.Lawyers from across the country have expressed an interest in the case.Much of the actual money that is owed to creditors is in the form of bank drafts, which the company has failed to deposit in a financial institution because regular banks remain leery of dealing with cryptocurrency businesses.“That’s obviously going to be a challenge, but at some point the court will be asked to assist with that,” Hill said. “The court has very broad authority in these matters.”One user of the platform, Tong Zou of Orillia, Ont., submitted an affidavit to the court, saying he is owed $560,000.The professional software engineer said he had been using QuadrigaCX since 2017.His statement was part of an application to the court to have two law firms — Toronto-based Bennett Jones and Halifax-based McInnes Cooper — appointed a representative counsel.“After speaking with various affected users, I know that the affected users are very worried, confused and in need of assistance,” Zou said in the affidavit.He said he was aware of several other users who are owed more than $100,000 — but he said they have chosen to remain anonymous.Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press
Drakes video director Torontos Karena Evans steps in front of the camera
She credits the trailblazers who came before her for kicking open the doors for black women — for instance Selma director Ava DuVernay and Beyoncé music video creator Melina Matsoukas.It feels like this revolution where you’re seeing a shift in the characters being presented on screen and the people behind them that are telling it.– Karena Evans, actor and music director“It feels like this revolution where you’re seeing a shift in the characters being presented on screen and the people behind them that are telling it,” Evans said.As she chases another part of her career in the acting world, she says she feels a “responsibility to ensure the stories I’m telling are inclusive and representative.”It’s a thought Evans revisits often while discussing her role in Firecrackers, a Canadian production that debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival this month. The female-driven storyline follows two best friends planning to escape their dilapidated Ontario small town in pursuit of bigger ambitions in New York.The trip is derailed on the eve of their departure when an ex-boyfriend steps in to extinguish the arrangements.Firecrackers is directed by newcomer Jasmin Mozaffari who offers a bold examination of the financial walls that trap young women in lower class regions of the country. Evans plays one-half of the friendship alongside lead actress Michaela Kurimsky.Shedding her directorial tendencies and opening herself to suggestion by outsiders is always a struggle, Evans said, but she credits Mozaffari for making the creation of Firecrackers feel natural. The actors were given time to learn about their characters and shape their backstories.“Trusting the director, trusting the cinematographer, trusting everyone around me — that’s the hardest part,” she said.“I could just completely close my eyes and fall back, that’s how much I trust Jasmin. As soon as I was in that space with her it was a complete energy shift.” Toronto’s Karena Evans, who directed music videos for superstar Drake and Grammy nominee SZA, is co-starring in Firecrackers, which debuted at TIFF this month. (Alexander Shabazz via CP) LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Living the dream as a young, black female director is an experience Karena Evans doesn’t take for granted.Over the past year, the 22-year-old Toronto filmmaker stood behind the camera on music videos for superstar Drake and Grammy nominee SZA. Those projects would be considered a career high for almost anyone, but Evans also recognizes that as a visible female minority, she probably wouldn’t have been considered for those sorts of directing jobs even a few years ago.“For me, it’s just understanding that it hasn’t always been like that,” Evans said of the opportunities presented to her as a director. Advertisement Login/Register With: Twitter
Advertisement Advertisement Facebook Directing Drake’s videosWhen Evans is directing a music video she takes a different collaborative approach that puts the performer first.In the case of Drake, she proved herself with God’s Plan, a music video that featured the Toronto rapper handing out nearly $1 million US to Miami residents.The video attracted plenty of attention and it wasn’t long before Drake hired Evans to direct another three videos, including his reunion with fellow cast members of Degrassi: The Next Generation in the music video for I’m Upset.“My service in music videos is and was to the artist and their brand,” Evans said.When you don’t have a formula for everything you do, and you approach each story and artist and each video uniquely, you get some good results from it– Evans, on directing music videos“When you don’t have a formula for everything you do, and you approach each story and artist and each video uniquely, you get some good results from it.”While Drake has expressed interest in filmmaking, and currently attached himself as an executive producer to a number of projects, Evans said she hasn’t offered him any advice on the craft.“He knows stories, whether that be for his own brand or universal stories,” she said.“Whatever he does will be super beneficial to that story and that team of people that are telling it.” Evans has directed several Drake videos including God’s Plan. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
HIDCO set to commemorate 158th birth anniversary of Tagore
Kolkata: Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) will organise a programme to celebrate the 158th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore on Thursday, May 9.Apart from holding the main programme on May 9, HIDCO will also hold programmes on every Saturday and Sunday in May, except May 18 and 19. The State Information and Cultural Affairs department will organise a programme on Cathedral Road outside Rabindra Sadan. The programme He Antaratara will start at 7 am on May 9 at Rabindra Tirtha, when veteran Rabindra Sangeet exponents including Chitralekha Chowdhury, Dipak Rudra, Ashish Bhattacharya, Enakshi Chattopadhyay and Abhirup Guha Thakurata will perform to pay their respects to the bard. Also Read – Bengal family worships Muslim girl as Goddess Durga in Kumari PujaThe other singers who will be present at the event are Prabuddha Raha, Suman Panthi, Sayan Bandyopadhyay, Anindya Narayan Biswas, Chandrabali Rudra Dutta and Sinjini Acharya Majumdar among others. Well known elocutionist Pranati Thakur will recite excerpts from the poems of Tagore. Elocutionists Bijoylakshmi Barman, Sovanshundar Basu, Urmila Sen, Arumoy Bandyopadhyay and Soumitra Mitra among others will also recite excerpts from Tagore’s poems. Also Read – Bengal civic volunteer dies in road mishap on national highwayThe evening programme will start at 5 pm, where a chorus song will be presented by Barasat Gitisudha. Rabindra Sangeet will be presented by Ankita Ghosh, Indrani Saha, Arpita Bandyopadhyay, Mandira Ghosh, Mahua Chakraborty, Sinjini Chakraborty and Sutapa Dutta Bhandari among others. Elocutionists including Srimanti Dasgupta, Partha Mukhopadhyay, Mahua Majumdar and Debashis Roy among others will also take part in the event. On May 11, Gitabitan Praktani consisting of the past pupils of Gitabitan will present a chorus directed by Chanda Sengupta. Ektara Pathsala will present a chorus recitation directed by Sovanshundar Basu and presented by Nristi Abritti Sanstha. At 6.15 pm, Thespians will present Tagore’s famous drama Bisarjan, which has been directed by Partha Mukhopadhyay. On May 25 at 5.45 pm, well known elocutionist Bratati Bandyopadhyay will present Nahi Samanya Nari, a chorus recitation directed by her. At 6 pm, Rabindra Sangeet exponents Aditi Gupta, Prabuddha Raha and Subhadeep Chakraborty will take part in a programme. This will be followed by a dance drama. Similar programmes will be held subsequently on May 26, June 1 and June 2 as well.
More action needed to curb threat of nuclear terrorism UN watchdog warns
“Out of 128 States Parties, only 11 so far have accepted the amendment,” UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed ElBaradei told the Agency’s annual General Conference in Vienna. “I would urge all States Parties to do so,” he said referring to an amendment to the International Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, aimed at preventing nuclear and radioactive materials from falling into the hands of terrorists. The Amendment on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material seeks to strenghtent hese safeguards. “With the renewed interest in nuclear power generation, comparable attention and commitment must be given to ensuring the nuclear safety and security infrastructure that must go with it,” Mr. ElBaradei added, noting that three strong factors are driving a renewed global interest in nuclear power – steady growth in energy demand, increasing concerns about energy security, and the challenge of climate change. “In my view, the role of the Agency is not so much to predict the future as to do its utmost to plan and prepare for it,” he stressed in a wide-ranging review of the Agency’s work. Although the IAEA’s nuclear security work has clearly improved overall nuclear security, “much remains to be done in shaping the nuclear security framework, in building up-to-date security systems and in dealing with the legacy of past lax security,” he said. “This is not a problem that can be solved overnight; it takes time and resources to achieve a sustainable, internationally acceptable level of nuclear security.” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for new levels of international cooperation in addressing security and environmental challenges. “The activities of the IAEA are more important than ever to advance safe and peaceful uses of nuclear energy, promote non-proliferation and disarmament, and reduce the risks of nuclear terrorism,” he said in a message delivered by UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Sergio Duarte.Mr. ElBaradei reiterated many of the points he made to the Agency’s Board of Governors last week on Iran’s nuclear programmes, noting that the IAEA has been able to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear materials and has been given additional information and access needed to resolve a number of long outstanding issues, such as the scope and nature of past plutonium experiments. Many countries see the programme as a means to obtain nuclear weapons but Iran’s says it is solely for nuclear power generation. But Iran has not suspended enrichment related activities as called for by the Security Council, although it has agreed on a work plan with the Agency for resolving all outstanding verification issues. “Naturally, Iran’s active cooperation and transparency is the key to full and timely implementation of the work plan,” he stressed. “If the Agency were able to provide credible assurance about the peaceful nature of Iran’s past and current nuclear programme, this would go a long way towards building confidence about Iran’s nuclear programme, and could create the conditions for a comprehensive and durable solution.” Laying out a seven-point framework for the use of nuclear energy based on lessons learned and current reality, he called for:robust technological development and innovation in nuclear power and nuclear applications;a new multinational framework for the fuel cycle to assure supply and curb proliferation risk; universal application of comprehensive safeguards allowing for unannounced on site inspections; recognition of the linkage between non-proliferation and disarmament with deep cuts in existing arsenals; a robust international security regime; an effective and universal nuclear safety regime, a cornerstone for any expansion in the use of nuclear power; and sufficient funding for the Agency to meet its increasing responsibilities. Mr. ElBaradei also dwelt on the Agency’s other multi-faceted tasks, from helping to eradicate the disease-bearing tsetse fly in Zanzibar by using the sterile insect techniques and helping countries improve radiotherapy and nuclear medicine programmes to aiding Bangladesh in dealing with arsenic poisoned groundwater and enhancing various types of grain from North Africa to the Andes mountains of Peru. 17 September 2007Stepping up his fight to reinforce nuclear security and prevent nuclear terrorism, the head of the United Nations atomic watchdog agency today called on all countries to ratify an international agreement strengthening the protection of nuclear materials.
UN relief agencies laud dedication of Iraqi health workers
The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to be extremely impressed by the level of dedication the Iraqi health staff bring to their work even in these circumstances, spokesperson Fadela Chaib told the daily briefing in Amman, Jordan, on UN humanitarian activities. This level of dedication by doctors, nurses, support staff including cleaners, cooks, maintenance workers and drivers was saving lives, she added.She said social and working conditions in many areas, including Baghdad, were extremely challenging. Public transportation was not functioning, basics such as electricity and water were in short supply, and security was unstable, making movement difficult and even dangerous. Food was not always available, and due to looting and dwindling stocks, health workers had to cope without the very basics – oxygen cylinders, surgical instruments and anaesthetics.But despite all this, they continued their commitment to support the public health system, Ms. Chaib said. In Baghdad, surgical staff who could not work in their own hospitals because they had been looted or damaged, travelled to other hospitals to carry out essential surgeries there.Based on an UN inter-sectoral assessment, Ms. Chaib cited the acute shortage of water in Nassiriyah in the south, both in the community and in the health facilities, as of special concern. Electricity, water and re-stocking drugs for chronic diseases were reported as the most urgent priorities. Due to lack of water and difficulty with sanitation, the risk of diarrhoea remained high. But considering that Nassiriyah was badly affected during the war, the health sector continued to operate very well even at the peak of the conflict, she added. Health staff ensured basic care was maintained throughout the period, illustrating the dedication of staff to maintaining services for the Iraqi people. The World Food Programme (WFP) said the arrival of its first convoy in Baghdad yesterday afternoon highlighted the complexity of the operation. A trip that should take only two days took four due to the lack of security and the need to prepare a secured warehouse in the city. The convoy had 1,400 tons of food, enough for half the population of Baghdad for just one day.“In a very short time we will need to send more than six times this quantity every day from Jordan,” spokesman Khaled Mansour said. To reach the target of having enough food for 27 million Iraqis as of May, more warehouses needed to be secured, more mills and silos needed to be functioning, thus requiring a regular supply of water, electricity and the return of the skilled staff of the Ministry of Trade, he added. For its part, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said there had been a huge increase in child diarrhoeal cases in Baghdad, where some hospitals experienced shortages of water, anti-diarrhoeal drugs and injectable and oral antibiotics.The UN High Commissioner for the Refugees (UNHCR) said another 100 people had reached the border with Jordan, bringing the total in a makeshift frontier encampment to more than 1,050. The agency again called on the occupying powers to ensure security for civilians inside Iraq and the equitable distribution of aid.
New Hampshire governor blocks bill that would have OKd images of babies
New Hampshire governor blocks bill that would have OK’d images of babies on beer bottle labels FILE – In this Jan. 15, 2015 file photo, bottles of founders Brewing Breakfast Stout are displayed in North Andover, Mass. New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan on Tuesday, June 2, 2015, vetoed a measure that would have allowed some images of minors to grace alcoholic beverage labels in the state as long as they didn’t encourage young people to drink. State Rep. Keith Murphy, who runs a popular tavern, sponsored the bill because he wanted to be able to buy Breakfast Stout, crafted by Founders Brewery Co. in Grand Rapids, Mich. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File) CONCORD, N.H. – Sorry, baby, your picture isn’t going to be on the front of any beer bottles in New Hampshire.Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan on Tuesday vetoed a measure that would have allowed some images of minors to grace alcoholic beverage labels as long as they didn’t encourage young people to drink.Republican state Rep. Keith Murphy, who runs a popular tavern, sponsored the bill because he wanted to be able to buy Breakfast Stout, crafted by Founders Brewery Co. in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The beer’s label depicts a chubby, Norman Rockwell-esque baby scooping oatmeal into his mouth.Hassan said allowing the images could undermine the state’s efforts to fight underage drinking.“Substance misuse, including alcohol misuse, continues to be one of the major public health and safety challenges facing us as a state,” Hassan said in her veto message. “Moreover, statistics suggest that New Hampshire has among the highest rates of underage drinking in the country.”Murphy said the veto is an overreach and noted that neighbouring Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont sell the beer. He also pointed out that a New Hampshire-produced craft beer, Smuttynose Baltic Porter, would have to come off the shelves because its label shows Father Time and a baby.The federal government already prohibits alcohol labeling or advertising that targets minors.Murphy’s bill would have given the state’s Liquor Commission discretion to approve or deny labels. He said he could understand the commission denying a label showing college kids partying but not the Breakfast Stout depiction.“No reasonable person would believe that this label is intended to appeal to minors in any way,” he said.But the director of enforcement and licensing for the New Hampshire Liquor Commission, James Wilson, said when the bill was introduced in January that the commission already has a “bright line standard” for labeling and was opposed to Murphy’s proposal. by Rik Stevens, The Associated Press Posted Jun 2, 2015 2:57 pm MDT Last Updated Jun 2, 2015 at 10:10 pm MDT AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to TwitterTwitterShare to FacebookFacebookShare to RedditRedditShare to 電子郵件Email
Row rumbles on as Siptu rejects DAAAer Lingus offer
A DISPUTE OVER staff pension funds at Dublin Airport is set to continue as Siptu has rejected an offer by Aer Lingus and DAA, while the airline has accused the trade union of releasing “wildly inaccurate details” to the media in relation to talks.Describing the companies proposals as “derisory”, Siptu organiser Dermot O’Loughlin said the trade union’s two pension committees decided against accepting the offers given “the scale of the pension deficit”.Following a meeting at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions this morning, they have written to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) seeking its assistance to obtain “a very significant improvment on the monies offered by both companies”.“The pension committees have also asked the LRC to urgently comment on the status of this negotiation process,” added O’Loughlin.Aer Lingus said it regrets Siptu’s decision to release what it called “wildly inaccurate details to the media” in relation to talks aimed at resolving the funding issues within the Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme.“Such wild inaccuracy has the potential to destabilise the progress of current talks,” said a spokesperson. “Aer Lingus remains committed to finding an appropriate solution to the issues with the IASS and continues to engage with all the parties involved in the LRC process.”Siptu had claimed that Aer Lingus offered to provide between €9 million and €15 million to resolve the crisis but refused to inject any lump sums unless staff accept very significant productivity measures. The airline denies those figures.DAA also called the union’s statement that the DAA had agreed to provide €33 million without any preconditions and a further €10 million if secondary pension matters are resolved “a misrepresentation”.A spokesperson for the company said, “SIPTU’s claim that DAA’s offer is derisory is a misrepresentation of the facts. Based on actuarial advice, our offer will deliver a substantial pension for DAA staff at retirement.”Workers have previously threatened industrial action over the issue but plans were put on hold to enter last-minute talks with the LRC last week.Earlier: Dublin Airport workers withdraw strike action for Monday>
Going out for New Years Eve tonight Heres the forecast
PLANNING ON HEADING out tonight?Perhaps more than any other celebration in Ireland, going out on New Year’s Eve is very much dependent on the weather. If the weather is ok – i.e. not raining Biblically – then it’s possible to consider spending time outside tonight in the run-up to the final minutes of 2013. If it’s miserable then it’s just another incentive to stay at home or beside the nearest radiator.So what’s the forecast for tonight?Well, there’s mixed news from Met Éireann. The good news is that earlier warnings of thunderstorms tonight seem to have passed.The less good news is that heavy rain showers are going to hit most counties from this afternoon. Boo. However all is not lost: Met Éireann says the rain will clear in most places and – wait for it – most of the country will stay dry tonight, except along parts of the west coast (sorry).It’s going to be chilly enough with temperatures dropping to between 1 and 3 degrees, but sure it’s December so we all knew that anyway.Today’s weather (via Met.ie)So in short: bring a coat, but you might get away without a brolly. Have fun.What are you planning to do tonight? Let us know in the comments. Read: Photos of the best and worst weather in Ireland this year >
Wreathlaying ceremony on 39th anniversary of DublinMonaghan bombings
A WREATH-LAYING ceremony will take place in Dublin today to honour the victims of the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings.Thirty-four people, including an unborn baby, were killed and more than 300 people were injured when a series of car bombings hit the capital and the town on 17 May, 1974. It marked the greatest loss of life in a single day during the Troubles.Three explosions occurred in Dublin during rush hour and another occurred in the town of Monaghan 90 minutes later. No warnings were given ahead of the attacks. The ages of the dead ranged from five months to 80 years, and most of the victims were young women.Responsibility for killings was claimed by the UVF in 1993 but no-one has ever been charged in relation to the atrocity.Justice for the Forgotten, an organisation formed in 1996 to seek justice for the victims, has organised a public wreath-laying ceremony on Dublin’s Talbot Street at 11.30am today. An anniversary Mass will take place in St Francis Xavier Church, Upper Gardiner Street, at 1pm.Justice for the Forgotten has appealed to the people of Dublin to show their solidarity with the bereaved families and injured survivors by attending these commemorative ceremonies.Talbot Street showing the destruction of the second car bomb. (Image: Wikicommons)Read: Britain ‘does not intend’ to hand over Dublin-Monaghan filesRead: Sinn Féin tables motion urging UK to release Dublin-Monaghan filesRead: Victims ask UK to release Dublin-Monaghan bombing files
Cancer de la peau un nouveau traitement autorisé aux EtatsUnis
Cancer de la peau : un nouveau traitement autorisé aux Etats-UnisL’Agence américaine des médicaments (FDA) a donné son accord pour la commercialisation d’Erivedge, de l’entreprise Genentech. Celui-ci vise à traiter la forme la plus courante de cancer de la peau. C’est un pas en avant dans la lutte contre le cancer avec l’arrivée sur le marché américain d’un tout nouveau traitement, l’Erivedge (Vismodegib). Lundi, l’Agence américaine des médicaments (FDA) a en effet émis un avis favorable pour la commercialisation de ce médicament conçu par l’entreprise Genentech, partie du groupe helvétique Roche. Présenté sous forme de comprimés à prendre une fois par jour, Erivedge est destiné à traiter des adultes atteints de carcinome baso-cellulaire, la forme la plus courante de cancer de la peau qui touche chaque année près de 800.000 personnes aux Etats-Unis. Plus précisément, le traitement est destiné aux patients dont le cancer de l’épiderme est avancé mais qui ne peuvent pas bénéficier d’une intervention chirurgicale ou d’un traitement radiologique. Erivedge est ainsi le premier traitement approuvé par la FDA pour traiter des carcinomes baso-cellulaires métastasés, souligne l’agence fédérale qui a autorisé cet anti-cancéreux selon une procédure accélérée afin que les malades en bénéficient plus rapidement.En outre, ce médicament s’adresse également aux patients dont le cancer de la peau a formé des métastases, précise la FDA dans un communiqué. Erivedge agit sur un mécanisme moléculaire (Hedgehog) actif dans la plupart des cellules basales cancéreuses qui forment une membrane séparant le derme de l’épiderme de la peau.Des traitements efficaces plus rapidement développés À lire aussiPourquoi certains s’évanouissent-ils à la vue du sang ?”Notre compréhension de certains mécanismes moléculaires impliqués dans le cancer tel Hedgehog nous permet de mettre au point des traitements ciblant certains cancers”, explique le Dr Richard Pazdur, directeur des produits d’hématologie et de cancérologie au centre d’évaluation et d’approbation des médicaments de la FDA. Cité par l’AFP, il ajoute également : “cette approche est de plus en plus suivie, permettant potentiellement de développer plus rapidement des traitements plus efficaces contre le cancer”.Avant que l’Erivedge ne soit proposé à la commercialisation, son efficacité a fait l’objet d’un seul essai clinique qui a porté sur 96 patients atteints d’un carcinome baso-cellulaire localisé ou métastasé. D’après les résultats obtenus relayés par la FDA, les effets secondaires sont notamment des maux musculaires, des spasmes, des pertes de cheveu et de poids, des nausées, de la fatigue et une perte du goût sur la langue. Par ailleurs, le traitement est formellement interdit aux femmes enceintes. Il est de ce fait autorisé mais avec une mise en garde contre le risque potentiel de décès d’un foetus ou d’importants défauts de naissance. Le 1 février 2012 à 11:29 • Maxime Lambert
Spring Brewfest to feature 42 brewers keep money flowing to local charities
Perhaps the best thing about Vancouver’s pair of Brewfests is that they raise more and more money for local charities.“I can’t believe it’s been eight years of Brewfests, and it just keeps getting more successful,” said organizer Cody Gray. “Last spring was our best Spring Brewfest yet. We donated $7,500 to charities from spring alone. Then, last August was the best Summer Brewfest yet. We donated another $18,000. Last year was our best year.”Maybe the crowds can keep the trend going in 2019, setting more records for charity support through the sampling of local microbrews. Spring Brewfest is coming right up.“We’re sticking with local charities,” Gray said. A primary beneficiary used to be Northwest Battle Buddies, he said, but that Battle Ground effort to match service dogs with traumatized veterans has grown so successful, “it’s gone nationwide. So we’ve decided to shift” to some other local charities, some of them veteran-related and some not.Gray said the charities benefiting from this year’s Spring Brewfest are no-kill animal shelter Second Chance Companions and the educational Mount St. Helens Institute; and the Clark County Veterans Assistance Center, the local branch of Disabled American Veterans in downtown Vancouver.“As a former combat veteran, it’s important to me to take care of the guys and girls who come home from war and need help,” Gray said. “Unfortunately, we still have a problem with humans wanting to kill each other. I’m an anti-war combat veteran, can you tell?”
Officials lift boil water notice for parts of Miami
MIAMI (WSVN) – Officials have lifted a boil water notice that was issued for parts of Miami.According to officials, residents living in the area of Northwest 29th Street and North Miami Avenue are no longer under a boil water advisory.The warning was issued as a precaution due to crews working on a new main sewer line.Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.