Arms factory busted in Howrah 3 held
Kolkata: The Special Task Force of Kolkata Police busted an arms factory in Howrah and arrested three persons in this connection on Thursday. Police seized 48 semi-finished firearms and fake currency notes worth Rs 1 lakh during the search.According to sources, on Thursday afternoon, police were tip off about a person who worked as a carrier to circulate fake notes. Working on the information, the police came to know that the suspected person has been seen in Strand Road area. Also Read – City bids adieu to Goddess DurgaAround 4:50 pm on Thursday, police officers identified a man near Customs House on Strand Road. The man identified as Md. Chand alias Sonu of Munger in Bihar was immediately intercepted and detained. While checking his bag, officers found 22 semi-finished country-made improvised firearms along with huge amount of fake notes. He was taken to the STF police station in Lalbazar. During interrogation, Chand said that he and two others persons were secretly running an arms factory at Golabari in Howrah. Based on his statement, on Thursday night, officers of Special Task Force assisted by the Golabari police station raided a house at Pilkhana in Howrah, which was locally known as a lathe factory. Also Read – Centuries-old Durga Pujas continue to be hit among revellersDuring the raid, police officers detained two more persons, identified as Md. Sultan and Md. Shiltu alias Md. Shahensha, of Munger in Bihar. During the search, cops found 26 semi-finished country-made improvised firearms along with one lathe machine, two milling machine, one drilling machine, one polishing-cum-grinding machine, huge amount of raw materials and tools. Both of them were immediately arrested and taken to Lalbazar. According to sources, accused persons rented the house to run a lathe factory. Coincidentally the house belongs to a person identified as Tarak Nath Shaw, who is the brother of BJP’s Howrah Uttar Mondal president Kashi Nath Shaw. Police officers are trying to find out since when the accused persons had been running the factory. It is suspected that the raw materials were being supplied from Munger and the firearms were being manufactured here in the factory. Later, a case was initiated and all three of them were arrested on charges of 489B (using as genuine, forged or counterfeit currency-notes or bank-notes), 489C (possession of forged or counterfeit currency-notes or bank-notes), 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and 25(1B)(a) (whoever acquires has in his possession or carries any firearm or ammunition) of the Arms Act.
Following the presentation, there will be a question and answer session.The Chamber of Commerce Speaker Series Luncheon is taking place on Wednesday, May 22 from 11:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Northern Grand Hotel.For more information, and to register for this event, you can visit the Chamber of Commerce’s website. FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The Fort St. John Chamber of Commerce will be holding a special Speaker Series Luncheon on May 22 at the Northern Grand Hotel.The Luncheon will feature guest speaker Official Opposition Leader, Andrew Wilkinson, and local MLA Dan Davies.Both Wilkinson and Davies will be providing an update on the current status of Provincial Government issues that are important to the Peace Region.
By Kingsley IghoborLast July, US President Barack Obama set the spark for his Power Africa programme that will help sub-Saharan African countries build power production and transmission projects and double their electricity access. President Obama announced in Cape Town, South Africa, his plan to mobilize $16 billion for investments that will generate 10,000 megawatts of electricity. With Nigerian billionaire and philanthropist Tony Elumelu pledging $2.5 billion towards that amount, it appears that Obama’s turn towards Africa is energizing the continent’s new philanthropic elites who can play a critical role in social enterprise, build capacity and pilot new technologies.Before accompanying President Obama to tour the Ubongo power plant, near Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Mr. Elumelu had also joined Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation, a US charity, to announce the establishment of the Impact Economy Investment Fund that will provide start-up capital for young entrepreneurs for jobs-creating projects. Like Mr. Elumelu, other top African philanthropists also appear to be changing tactics, focusing on investments in areas likely to accelerate Africa’s prosperity in addition to their interventions in humanitarian crises such as floods. At a roundtable discussion last October at the UN headquarters in New York—one of the side events during the UN General Assembly debate—Mr. Elumelu, who is chairman of Heirs Holdings, an investment firm; South Africa’s Precious Moloi-Motsepe, the co-founder of the Motsepe Foundation; the Sudanese mobile communications entrepreneur and billionaire, Mo Ibrahim; Toyin Saraki, founder and president of Wellbeing Foundation Africa, a charity devoted mainly to children’s and women’s affairs, discussed philanthropy in Africa and the role of the private sector. Mr. Elumelu urged African philanthropists to focus on socioeconomic development and making people self-reliant.Pacesetters A $6.3 million donation last year to flood victims in Nigeria established Mr. Elumelu as one of Africa’s top philanthropists. According to Forbes, a US business magazine, other pacesetters include Africa’s richest man, Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote, whose charitable contributions totaled $35 million last year, Mr. Ibrahim, Zimbabwe’s Strive Masiyiwa, Kenya’s Naushad Merali, and Mrs. Moloi-Motsepe who was named Africa’s most influential woman by Forbes in 2012.In the manner of billionaire Warren Buffet, who gave away a substantial chunk of his fortune to charity in 2006, South Africa’s Francois van Niekerk transferred 70% of his equity in Mertech Group, a company he founded, to the Mergon Foundation, a charity he now manages. The stake is valued at $170 million.Even as an increasing number of wealthy Africans raise their philanthropic profiles, many believe there’s still much more to be done. “There are about 150 private jets in Nigeria, and there are only about four registered philanthropies” in that country, states Wiebe Boer, a former Rockefeller Foundation staffer now managing the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which provides financial and policy support to African businesses. “If we could get every one of those guys who owns a private jet to create a philanthropy, I think we could have a terrific transformation in that country.”Philanthropy’s cultural contextThose skeptics who see few practitioners of philanthropy on the continent misunderstand the cultural context, argue Halima Mohamed and Bhekinkosi Moyo in their article in Alliance magazine, a leading publication on philanthropy. The emphasis on formal philanthropic institutions “is far from what philanthropy in Africa actually is—where giving emerges across socioeconomic classes; through individual and communal channels (formal and informal), often not involving money,” the writers maintain. In explaining Africa’s peculiar climate of philanthropy at the UN discussion round table, Ms. Moloi-Motsepe gave the example of ubuntu, a South African concept meaning “I am because you are: my success is intricately linked to yours.” The ubuntu concept is a family value that encourages giving back to society, she said.Africans have a culture of giving and mutual support even if only a few formal charitable organizations exist, declared Toyin Saraki, founder and president of Wellbeing Foundation Africa, a charity devoted mainly to children’s and women’s affairs. At the UN event, Ms. Saraki reinforced the point that Africans have a culture of giving and mutual support even if only a few formal charitable organizations exist. Citing a study by Adams Bodomo, a Ghanaian academic, the BBC reported last April that Africans in the diaspora remitted $51.8 billion in 2010 compared to $43 billion from traditional Western aid donors. Therefore, the anecdote of four philanthropic institutions in a country with 150 private jets fails to tell the full story.With most philanthropic activities neither documented nor promoted in Africa, organizations like African Grantmakers Network have stepped in to facilitate experience sharing among philanthropists and to promote their activities. Along this line, Mr. Dangote recently pledged to enhance the public information aspect of his philanthropic work.Mr. Elumelu’s model, which emphasizes investments in sectors that promote development such as the pharmaceutical and startup sectors, is an example of the link between business and charity. Stressing the need for investments in critical development sectors, he highlighted the billions of dollars his company was going to invest in sub-Saharan Africa’s ailing power sector. Former Ghanaian president John Kufuor took issue, pointing out that philanthropy involves giving without expecting something in return. Investments and philanthropy are not the same thing, he said, and Africa needs the former more than the latter.A case for “strategic philanthropy” While Ms. Saraki and Mr. Elumelu shared their views on how business can support socioeconomic development at the U.N. Roundtable, at other forums they have termed their approach strategic philanthropy, meaning solving problems at their source. For example, they believe that by providing education to women, philanthropists can help women avoid many reproductive health problems.Africa’s poverty, exacerbated by a decline in official development aid, brings strategic philanthropy into sharper focus. The UK government’s assistance to South Africa, worth about $64 million in 2003 and down to about $30 million this year, will cease by 2015. The US-based Center for International Grantmaking reported that there had been a 4% decline in international giving by American foundations in 2010 following the 2009 global economic downturn. As a result, many foundations were unable to continue their work in Africa, creating an urgent opportunity for the continent’s philanthropists.African philanthropists are conscious of thinning aid. Meanwhile, at a private sector forum on Africa (another UN side event during the General Assembly debate), Sudanese telecom billionaire Ibrahim took the position that taxes on multinationals, not gifts or aid, would be more than sufficient to address poverty on the continent. Africa loses between $30 billion and $40 billion annually due to tax evasion, he told the audience, which included representatives of top foreign businesses operating in Africa. “Just pay your taxes,” he beseeched the business leaders. “We don’t need your aid.”Rising concerns On the flip side, there are concerns about the illusory nature of many of Africa’s charitable works, which can appear more like public relations gimmicks than sincere efforts to alleviate problems. “The use of philanthropy to offset exploitative business practices” should be discouraged, maintain Mr. Moyo and Ms. Mohamed in their Alliance magazine article. “If a resource-based corporation has made its profits from a land where people have been dispossessed of their land rights and then engages in philanthropic activity, serious questions need to be asked.”Launched in April this year, the African Philanthropy Forum (APF) has a peer-review component that will likely address those concerns. An affiliate of the Global Philanthropy Forum (GPF), the APF was founded to promote strategic philanthropy in Africa. In announcing the APF’s launch, Jane Wales, president and CEO of the GPF, said that even as poverty persists in Africa, there are generous African men and women, “many at the height of their careers,” who are eager and “determined to change this reality and ensure that the benefits of economic opportunity are more evenly shared.” Ms. Wales may have had in mind Africa’s 55 billionaires, who were touted by the Nigeria-based financial magazine Ventures as having a combined wealth of $145 billion.Meeting the challenge Before the APF’s launch, individuals such as Mr. Ibrahim were already implementing activities that promoted economic growth and responsible political leadership. In 2007 the Mo Ibrahim Foundation began awarding annual prizes to African leaders who, while in power, developed their countries, lifted people out of poverty, paved the way for sustainable and equitable prosperity and did not attempt to bend existing laws to extend their term. Winners receive $5 million over 10 years, $200,000 per year for life and another $200,000 for a charity of their choice. Previous winners include former presidents Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique and Festus Mogae of Botswana but there has been no winner since 2011.Uganda’s Ashish Thakkar spent $1 million last year through his Mara Foundation to “make wealth through capacity building, mentoring and peer networking”. The foundation provides financing for start-up businesses or already existing business with high risk but high growth potential, renovate dozens of Ugandan high schools, provide scholarships to destitute East African students and offer free training to startup entrepreneurs.The APF must now take African philanthropy to a higher level. Capturing the mood at the private sector forum on Africa, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “Africa can and will determine its own fate.” With leadership from the current crop of indigenous wealthy financiers, the small but growing number of African philanthropists may be ready for this task. Africa Renewal
Since their inception, video games have gradually become more realistic. Aside from conventions and accessories, video games haven’t really made the jump from the television screen. However, a team of designers at Teague took a video game from behind the screen and put it in a box.The box is deceptively plain looking. Pull the front tab, and the flap lifts up. A start-up sound signals the beginning of the game, and the level begins to scroll. Enemies and blocks move from left to right, and the player must avoid them. A knob on the side of the box controls the character which is attached to an arm and servo that moves vertically as you turn the knob. An LED light blinks as the level gets faster, and if you knock into an enemy, the box closes. Game over.The box makes use of one of Teague’s own products, the Teagueduino, which aims to take the difficulty out of coding and electronics. A continuous rotation servo keeps the level scrolling, another servo moves the arm, and Mario is outfitted with a magnetic sensor that stops the game when it passes over an enemy, which is also outfitted with a magnet. Finally, a servo-controlled popsicle stick opens and closes the box.The DIY video game in a box looks like an arts and crafts project for the technological age. With popsicle sticks, painters tape, a soda straw, a bright background, and paper cutouts, this game is a great example of what happens when you combine tech knowledge, creativity, and a do-it-yourself ethic. I bet Teague’s effort would even make Shiggy smile.You can see that nearly everyone in the video below was taken by surprise. It’s as engaging as it is simple in appearance.See more at Teague
Short URL Share283 Tweet Email3 Tuesday 13 Feb 2018, 7:56 PM By Christina Finn 9,014 Views Image: Shutterstock/Saklakova http://jrnl.ie/3850562 Ireland’s Central Bank Under current regulations, an individual accountability within a bank is still avoidable unless the individual is proved to be participating in a breach committed by the financial institution.“Essentially, bankers can lie through their teeth to the Central Bank time and again, provide misleading information and documents and the Central Bank can do nothing unless it first proves that the entire regulated entity, the bank itself, was involved in that breach,” said Doherty, who added that this was the very reason the Governor of the Central Bank wrote to the minister in 2015.‘Nobody is responsible’After listening to the many victims of the tracker mortgage scandal, Doherty said the Oireachtas Finance Committee continues to be told by every major bank “that nobody in particular was responsible for the theft of hundreds of millions of euro stolen from its customers”.“As things stand, no bank official, CEO or board member or any insurer who spun a web of lies to the Central Bank and to thousand of customers can be held accountable for their actions, for what they did and said, for the lies they told unless it can be proven that the regulated entity was complicit. That has to change,” said Doherty.The Sinn Féin party spokesperson said his Bill, if passed into law and used by the Central Bank, will see anybody, no matter how deeply entrenched in the establishment, face the same consequences for lying to the State’s financial regulator.A government spokesperson confirmed that the Bill would not be opposed, adding that the Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe agrees with the “principle objective” of the Bill.It’s understood the government already has a lot of its own work on the same issues underway, which will result in government legislation to hold bank managers accountable for their actions. The “far-reaching” legislation is expected to be “broader” than Doherty’s Bill, according to the government press secretary.Read: Car owners who allow unaccompanied learner drivers to use their vehicles to face prosecution>Read: Over 600 cats and dogs rehomed by ISPCA following closure of research facility>
No more lying: A new bill that makes it a crime for bankers to lie to Central Bank won’t be opposed The Sinn Féin Bill carries a possible penalty of five years in jail for the offence. Image: Shutterstock/Saklakova THE GOVERNMENT WILL not oppose a Sinn Féin Private Member’s Bill which will make it a crime for bankers to provide false or misleading information to the Central Bank.The Central Bank (Amendment) Bill makes lying to the Central Bank a criminal offence with a possible penalty of five years in jail or a fine of up to €250,000.The Central Bank will also be empowered to take action against an individual even if the whole institution has not been found guilty of deception.Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty said the recommendations were first made by then-Central Bank governor Patrick Honohan in 2015, but were not acted upon by government.‘Lying or misleading’Introducing the Bill last month, Doherty quoted the governor, who claimed a loophole in the Central Bank legislation effectively allowed “individuals to act without responsibility for their actions of lying or misleading”.“The context was in a request by the Minister to the Central Bank to provide reasons as to why insurance premiums, especially car insurance, were out of control. One would have thought that this warning from the Governor would have sent the minister’s official scurrying to draft the necessary changes in the law to close the loophole but that did not happen.“Here we are two and half years later and it did not even warrant a mention in the Government’s so-called plan to tackle white-collar crime,” Doherty told the Dáil at the time. Feb 13th 2018, 7:56 PM 29 Comments Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article
La gastro-entérite se propage sur l’ensemble de l’HexagoneAu cours de la deuxième semaine de janvier, la moyenne nationale des consultations pour gastro-entérites a atteint les 420 cas pour 100.000 habitants. Selon le réseau Sentinelles, le niveau épidémique se maintient maintenant pour la troisième semaine consécutive.Dans son bulletin hebdomadaire, le réseau Sentinelles, indique que la gastro-entérite reste en activité épidémique pour la troisième semaine consécutive. Pour les médecins du réseau, “le niveau d’activité des diarrhées aiguës pourrait avoir atteint son pic et rester à un niveau stable cette semaine”. Doctissimo.fr indique que le rotavirus le plus souvent à l’origine des gastros est tout particulièrement présent dans le Languedoc-Roussillon avec 956 cas pour 100.000 habitants, en Bretagne (597), en Alsace (537), en Limousin (436), en Haute-Normandie (434), en Lorraine (422) et en Aquitaine (411).À lire aussiPourquoi certains attrapent-ils des rhumes plus facilement que d’autres ?Cette infection très désagréable mais généralement sans danger peut néanmoins rapidement entraîner des déshydratations intenses chez les personnes âgées et les enfants. Pour éviter de contracter cette maladie, il est essentiel de contrôler son hygiène en faisant notamment bien attention à se laver les mains avec soin en préparant à manger, avant de passer à table, après être allé aux toilettes ou après avoir changé un bébé. Il faut également veiller à bien laver les aliments.Pour les personnes déjà infectées, il faut s’hydrater abondamment pour compenser la perte d’eau qu’entraîne la diarrhée. Pour cela, il existe des solutés de réhydratation qui permettent une réhydratation précoce et qui s’achètent en vente libre dans les pharmacies (sur ordonnance ils sont remboursés par la sécurité sociale). De même, les personnes malades prendront toutes les précautions nécessaires pour éviter de contaminer leur entourage car le rotavirus est extrêmement contagieux. Il est préférable, dans la mesure du possible de rester chez soi et de bien ventiler son intérieur.Le vaccin n’est pas recommandé par la Haute autorité de santé.Le 18 janvier 2013 à 15:31 • Maxime Lambert
Ivan Rakitic has warned his Croatia team that they must pay particular attention to Christian Eriksen in their last of 16 tie of the World Cup against DenmarkGroup D winners Croatia will take on the Group C runners-up at the Nizhny Novgorod with the key talking point of the encounter set to be on the battle between Luka Modric and Eriksen.The 26-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best players that Denmark has ever produced and he is carrying the weight of the country’s hopes this summer at Russia.Eriksen had another strong season for Tottenham and has managed to score a goal and register an assist in his three appearances for Denmark at the World Cup as Age Hareide’s side reached the knockout stages of the tournament for the first time in 16 years.
Pochettino: ‘Happy’ Christian Eriksen ready for Spurs action Andrew Smyth – September 12, 2019 Mauricio Pochettino insists Christian Eriksen is “happy” and in the right frame of mind for Tottenham despite his failed summer exit.And Rakitic is under no illusions over just how difficult it will be to stop someone he regards as one of the world’s finest playmakers.“It is not easy to hold back Denmark’s offense team, Eriksen in particular, who I think is one of the best playmakers in Europe and the world. We should pay special attention to him. Denmark deserves to advance to the quarterfinals, but we deserve to play in the next stage as well. We will fight for the victory,” said the Barcelona midfielder, via FourFourTwo.He also warned that Croatia must be “ready for the physical pressure and play carefully in defence.”Croatia and Denmark will meet on Sunday at 20:00 (GMT +2).
TCI Premier blasts Opposition side for “slop” information, sets it straight in HOA Budget cuts hurt, but necessary says TCI Deputy Premier in parliamentary debate on hurricane funds Recommended for you Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsApp Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsAppProvidenciales, 15 Oct 2014 – The Trial without jury repeal bill will be up for debate in the House of Assembly this morning when members convene in the Capital Grand Turk. This issue has been hotly rowed about in the public domain, contested in court and labelled ‘unconstitutional’ as the Constitutional Review Committee meetings moved through the islands… it will be presented by the Governor’s appointed member. We may also get to hear today, some Opposition questions answered… there is one about so called changes in qualifications for teachers by the Ministry of Education. Another question is aimed at new UWI relationship with the Turks and Caicos and how much is being spent comparatively to college students’ tuition fees in the US and a call for procedures on cold cases, in particular unsolved murders, to be explained by the country’s Attorney General. Members begin their session at 10am. Related Items:house of assembly, trial without jury Minister of Works puts government buildings reconstruction post hurricanes at $8.6m
A family of four has much to thank a passerby and Vancouver firefighters for, as do the family’s four cats, dog, two lizards, frog and fish.Shortly before 10:30 p.m. Friday, the passerby knocked on the family’s door in Fisher’s Landing and told them the outside of their rented home in the 17400 block of Northeast Third Street was in flames.A man who lives there “had no idea,” said Capt. Dave James with the Vancouver Fire Department. “He was very surprised at the size of the fire when he went outside.”At 10:37 p.m., a firefighter radioed, “Everybody is evacuated from the house,” according to emergency radio traffic monitored at The Columbian.By 10:45 p.m., the flames were believed to have been knocked down and firefighters were checking to see how far they had spread, looking for smoldering areas.The two adults, two children and many pets got out safely.The blaze appeared to have started in an outbuilding; flames then spread to the exterior living-room wall of the home, then to some extent inside the home and into the attic.
Food has been a crucial part of the Unangan culture for centuries. But in the Aleutian and Pribilof islands, people are relying less on the land and sea and more on their local store. A new cookbook captures the legacy of subsistence foods in the region.Listen now:“Qaqamiiĝux̂: Traditional Foods and Recipes from the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands” is a new cookbook documenting traditional Alaskan subsistence foods.From sweet Russian tea to fermented fur seal flipper, the traditional diet in the Aleutians and Pribilofs has always been pretty varied.But a decade ago, Suanne Unger realized it might be starting to fade. She was in the villages of St. Paul and Atka, to interview people about their eating habits.“There were comments like, ‘My grandmother passed away and she used to be the one that cooked traditional foods with us.’ Or ‘I don’t know how to prepare traditional foods. We were getting all sorts of feedback that indicated that some loss of traditional food production knowledge was taking place,” Unger says.That raised a red flag with Unger. She’s a researcher for the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, and she says traditional foods cut the risk of diabetes. Plus gathering them is good exercise.So Unger applied for a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – and used the money to make a recipe book for the Aleutian and Pribilof islands.“That is the easiest way to describe [it], because it has recipes, and I’m at fault for even sometimes calling it that,” Unger says. But really, it is a lot more than a cookbook.”It’s called “Qaqamiiĝux̂.” That’s the Aleut word for subsistence, and it covers a lot more ground than just cooking.Unger wove in dozens of interviews with elders about their best practices for hunting, their safety tips — and even detailed nutritional facts.“Like the iron, for example that’s found in Steller sea lion meat or, you know, the protein found in reindeer.”That way, readers can make comparisons to the store-bought products they’ve come to rely on. But Unger says those are probably here to stay.Whether it’s commercial fishing or construction, a lot of residents in the region are part of the cash economy now. And they don’t have time for subsistence.Julia Dushkin has seen that change firsthand in Unalaska.“Well, it’s hard nowadays to go out hunting and everything. Like, sea lion for instance? That’s hard to get. And I love sea lion meat, versus seal and that other stuff,” Dushkin says.Dushkin is standing in the middle of Unalaska’s annual culture camp. For one week, elders stop their daily routines and teach traditional skills.“Don’t cut the skin, eh?” Larry Dirks jokes.Larry Dirks is showing a 10-year-old how to fillet her first salmon. Olivia Betzen glides her knife through the meat — until it slips out of her slimy hands.“Oops. Better use this one.”Olivia reaches for a blade with a bumpy handle. And she makes the last few cuts:Dirks: “Yep, that should do it?”Olivia: “Got it.”Dirks: “Yep! We’re all done, eh?”As Olivia carries her salmon up the beach, Larry Dirks starts washing his knives. He works for Unalaska’s Department of Public Safety now, but he learned how to fish and hunt back home in Atka.“Filleting fish and all that takes years. Took me years to get good at it. But it’s a start, anyways, for these kids,” Dirks says.It’s the kids that Suanne Unger wants to target next. Eventually, she hopes her subsistence book will make its way into the classroom.“You know, my dream would be to take this and create some curriculum out of it and have it for teachers to pick up throughout our region. I don’t know if we’ll be able to manage to get something going soon. But that would be the direction I’d like to see this take,” Unger says.Along with hands-on learning, it could help create a new generation of hungry students.To learn more about traditional foods — or to purchase a copy of “Qaqamiiĝux̂” for $25 — you can visit the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association website.Here’s one recipe the book author graciously shared:
The city of Nome is busy preparing for the arrival of the Crystal Serenity cruise ship on Sunday, August 21, with the first boat of passengers docking at 8 a.m.The Crystal Serenity will stopover in Nome this summer en route to the Northwest Passage. (Photo courtesy of Crystal Cruises)The Crystal Serenity carries about 1,000 passengers, and it is the first vessel of that size to travel to Nome.Robin Johnson, a partner at local travel agency Nome Discovery Tours, said preparations for the Crystal Serenity began more than a year ago.“They came to us and said, ‘What can you develop for us?’” she said, “and we worked on that. And they told us what they liked, and what sounded good. We’ve been talking a lot all year. There’s been a ton of communication.”Nome Discovery Tours has prepared an extensive list of activities for Crystal Serenity passengers.Passengers can choose from a variety of hikes and flying tours, as well as a trip to Shishmaref and even a flight to Russia.Meanwhile, the Nome Berry Festival will give passengers a chance to experience the art, food, and entertainment that Nome has to offer.“So that will be a full day of music and crafts and food and dancing and door prizes and berry buckets,” Johnson said. “And I think there’s going to be a polar bear swim that evening as well. If everything falls into place like it’s supposed to, it’ll be a good day.”However, things might not fall into place if the weather is bad. Because the Crystal Serenity is too large for Nome’s port, the ship will anchor out at sea and passengers will be ferried to Nome’s shore.Choppy seas could make it impossible for passengers to deboard, but Johnson isn’t concerned.“Well, if the weather is really bad, getting them off the ship could be an issue,” she said. “But I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”
Quota reform movement. Prothom Alo File PhotoBangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council will enforce a strike at all educational institutions across the country on Saturday protesting against the attacks on students by ‘police and terrorists’ during their demonstrations for safety in roads, reports UNB.Bin Yamin Molla, a joint convener of the platform which leads the quota reform agitation, announced the programme at a press conference in front of the National Press Club on Friday.He said they will enforce the strike from 10:00am to 5:00pm protesting at the attacks on students at different places, including Mirpur and Dania in the city, Narayanganj, Noakhali and Chandpur districts.Bin Yamin urged the students of all educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities, not to attend classes and examinations during the strike.He also urged the government to accept the nine-point demand of the protesting students and the three-point one of the quota reformists.Claiming that their movements are in the greater interest of the nation, the platform joint convener urged all students, guardians and conscious citizens of the country to join those.
Photos of the Week August 30, 2019 Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn ReddIt Email,About the authorView All Posts Share This! By: Catherine Pepinster As Amazon burns, Vatican prepares for summit on region’s faith and sustainabilit … August 30, 2019 Share This! Overcoming fears of ‘making noise,’ US Muslims step into civic life News • Photos of the Week TagsAfrica Anglican Communion Church of Canada homepage featured Justin Welby Lambeth 2020 Lambeth Conference LGBT and religion Toronto,You may also like Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn ReddIt Email Instagram apostasy stirs controversy over Christian ‘influencers’ August 30, 2019 By: Catherine Pepinster Share This!
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn ReddIt Email Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment.,On Capitol Hill, persecuted Muslims unite to protect religious minorities’ rights Catherine Pepinster By: Catherine Pepinster Share This! Catholicism Catherine Pepinster,Add Comment Click here to post a comment Share This! Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn ReddIt Email,LONDON (RNS) — A British university that customarily houses those attending the Anglican Communion’s worldwide gathering of bishops is welcoming same-sex clergy couples to stay on campus despite the archbishop of Canterbury’s attempt to ban gay and lesbian bishops’ spouses from the 2020 Lambeth Conference.For years the issue of homosexuality and how the Church of England treats gay people has haunted the church and the wider Anglican Communion, causing a rift with African bishops who consider the church too liberal and distressing LGBT people who think the church is discriminatory and prejudiced against them.Then, in February, the secretary-general of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, explained in a blog post that, because of the communion’s position that marriage is a lifelong union of a man and a woman, same-sex spouses would not be invited to the decennial church conference in 2020.Idowu-Fearon’s announcement reflected a decision by Justin Welby, archbishop of Canterbury and the communion’s traditional leader, that the same-sex partners of those participating in the conference will not be welcome – while heterosexual ones will be accommodated. A predictable furor arose from Western bishops and other Anglicans.RELATED: Episcopal bishops object to same-sex spouses’ disinvitation to global conferenceThe conference, which costs about $6,500 (4,950 pounds) per person to attend, attracts delegates from across the globe to discuss issues of the day. Its resolution holds no legislative sway but influences moral and spiritual views within the communion. It is always held in Canterbury, despite its name, and the nearest place that can hold the gathering and provide enough residential space is the campus of the University of Kent, which has hosted Lambeth since 1978.The university agreed at first to house the clergy despite Welby’s decision, citing a stipulation in the British Equality Act that bans discrimination on sexuality but allows it for religious organizations. But the university changed its stance after Bishop Kevin Robertson of Toronto was told that his husband, Mohan Sharma, could not attend the conference, and accused the archbishop of Canterbury of bowing to homophobia.Robertson’s fellow Toronto bishops also issued a statement calling the ban troubling. (Two other bishops, both Americans, have been affected by the ban as well.)Kent University’s student union has objected as well, saying in a statement that exclusion of same-sex spouses “is not a value that we expect to see on campus and we are committed to championing inclusivity in all events.” Protests from students and staff followed.Last week the university met with communion officials to raise its “significant ethical concerns” after university Vice Chancellor Karen Cox and council chair David Warren said they had “serious issues,” calling the no-same-sex-spouses policy “contrary to the values” of the university.Both sides are refusing to divulge what the outcome of the meeting was, but the university has now pledged to make accommodation available to spouses who want to be based in Canterbury with their partners for the duration of the Lambeth Conference — a move that will focus attention even more intensely on the Anglican Communion’s policy of exclusion.Anglican Communion spokesman Gavin Drake said the Lambeth Conference would go ahead at Kent University in 2020, and he added: “We are not speaking about this issue at all. What Kent does is up to them.”The row comes 11 years after Gene Robinson, an openly gay U.S. bishop, was banned from the Lambeth Conference but traveled to Canterbury to appear there anyway while traditionalists stayed away from the event in protest at what they saw as the Anglican Communion’s liberal stance on homosexuality. News Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn ReddIt Email
ESPN Louisville, the group behind local stations ESPN 680 and 105.7 FM, launched 93.9 The Ville, powered by ESPN, on Jan. 29, 2015. The station provides coverage of the Cardinals through an official partnership with Louisville Sports Properties, which represents UofL athletics. ABOUT THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALSThe Cardinals tallied double digit runs for the fourth time in 2019 in a 10-9 victory over Morehead State on Wednesday afternoon. Louisville rallied from three different deficits before taking the lead for good in the sixth inning. After a back-and-forth first five innings, freshman Jared Poland entered the game and slowed the MSU offense down, earning his second win of the season behind three shutout innings out of the bullpen. A Louisville native, Wyatt earned Third Team All-America recognition from Collegiate Baseball newspaper and was an All-ACC First Team honoree as a sophomore last season after hitting .339 with six home runs, 69 RBIs, 22 doubles, 63 walks, 51 runs scored, .559 slugging percentage and .490 on-base percentage. He closed 2018 ranked third in the NCAA in walks, 15th in on-base percentage, 17th in RBIs and 18th in doubles. Wyatt was also named to the 2018 NCAA All-Lubbock Regional Team after finishing 6-for-16 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in four NCAA Regional games. Saturday, March 9 | 1:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ACC Network Extra | Radio: 93.9 The Ville LOU: Jr. LHP Nick Bennett (2-0, 2.12 ERA) BC: Jr. RHP Matt Gill (2-0, 2.89 ERA) 4. LSU 560 Detmers tossed seven no-hit innings with 11 strikeouts against Brown. The southpaw retired the first 16 batters he faced before issuing a walk with one out in the sixth inning. Detmers then retired the next five hitters to finish off his outing. Sunday, March 10 | 12:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ACC Network Extra | Radio: 93.9 The Ville LOU: Sr. RHP Bryan Hoeing (2-1, 3.38 ERA) BC: Fr. RHP Mason Pelio (1-0, 2.45 ERA) He then followed it up with seven more hitless innings against James Madison before allowing the only hit of the game to lead off the eighth. Detmers finished his eight innings with a career-high 14 strikeouts. The Cardinals began head coach Dan McDonnell’s 13th season ranked as high as fourth in the national polls. UofL is coming off a 45-19 record in 2018, its seventh straight 40-win season and the 11th in 12 seasons under McDonnell. The Cardinals advanced to the championship round of an NCAA Regional for the seventh straight season. Louisville is in the midst of a 14-game homestand after three games in Florida to start the season. The Cardinals are 8-1 through the first nine games at Jim Patterson Stadium. UofL will not hit the road again until a three-game set at Duke beginning on March 15. LOUISVILLE TABBED AS PRESEASON ACC FAVORITEThe Louisville baseball team was voted as the 2019 ACC preseason favorite by the league’s 14 head coaches. The Cardinals were selected as the favorite in both the Atlantic Division and the conference. Through three starts, Detmers has allowed just one run over 20 innings with 28 strikeouts and an opponents’ batting average of .078. GAME DAY INFORMATION #8 Louisville vs. Boston College Location: Louisville, Ky. Venue: Jim Patterson Stadium (4,000) Twitter Updates: @LouisvilleBSB Game Notes: Louisville | Boston College Tickets: Buy Tickets | Stadium FAQ The Louisville pitching staff dominated the weekend series against James Madison, allowing just one run over three games. The Cardinals struck out 43 batters in 27 innings with just one walk and nine hits. Louisville pitching currently leads the ACC and ranks top 10 in the country in ERA (2.21), WHIP (0.94), shutouts (3) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.06). In eight of Louisville’s first 12 games, the starting pitcher has pitched five innings or more with one earned run or fewer allowed. Louisville has been racking up the strikeouts on the mound this season, totaling 10 or more in each of the last nine games and 10 of 12 overall. Logan Wyatt ranks second in the country with 20 walks through 12 games and is currently on pace for 93 this season. Wyatt has drawn the 20 walks while making just 22 outs. Louisville swiped a season-high nine bases on Wednesday against Morehead State. It was the most since the Cardinals finished with 10 stolen bases against Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 20, 2013. UofL is currently second in the ACC and sixth in the NCAA with 34 stolen bases on the year. Louisville has finished in the top five in the country in stolen bases in four of the last six seasons. In the victory over Morehead State on Wednesday, the Cardinals set a program record with eight different players recording a stolen base. The Cardinals are beginning their fifth season in the ACC and have won their opening series in conference play in each of the four years. Louisville took 2-of-3 from Miami in 2015, swept Notre Dame in 2016, swept Pitt in 2017 and won 2-of-3 against North Carolina last year. UofL has won 31 of its 40 ACC series since joining the league and is 33-6 in its series finales during that span, including an 11-4 record in rubber games. The Cardinals have won 16 of their 20 ACC series at home since debuting in the conference. Eleven different Cardinals have made their Louisville debuts this season (Binelas, Davis, Leonard, Lohman, Masterman, Metzinger, Perkins, Poland, Schmeltz, Smith and Wright). It was the collegiate debut for 10 of the 11. Louisville has 24 games on its schedule against teams ranked inside the top 25 in at least one of the six major preseason polls (Clemson, Connecticut, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Mississippi, NC State, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest). While at Louisville, coach Dan McDonnell has guided the Cardinals to four College World Series berths, seven NCAA Super Regional appearances, 11 NCAA Regional bids, eight regular season conference championships and two conference tournament titles with 37 All-Americans. DETMERS EARNS BACK-TO-BACK ACC PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORSSophomore lefthander Reid Detmers was named the ACC Pitcher of the Week in consecutive weeks after dominant starts against Brown and James Madison. LOUISVILLE TO PLAY 52 GAMES ON ESPN NETWORKSLouisville’s 2019 television schedule features 52 of 56 regular season games set for ESPN platforms. The 52 regular season games scheduled for television coverage matches the 2018 season for most in program history. SERIES HISTORYLouisville and Boston College have played in each of the last four years since the Cardinals joined the ACC with Louisville holding a 9-3 overall record. UofL swept BC at home in 2015 and 2017, lost two out of three at Boston College in 2016 and won two of three on the road last season. Wyatt is the 11th Cardinal to appear on the preseason watch list since 2009, including Brendan McKay who won the Golden Spikes Award in 2017. Louisville received seven first place votes in the Atlantic Division and tallied 90 points to narrowly edge out Florida State, which picked up six votes for the top spot and 86 points. Clemson was third with 71 points followed by NC State (53), Wake Forest (49), Notre Dame (24) and Boston College (19). LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Conference play is set to get underway for the eighth-ranked Louisville baseball team as the Cardinals open up a three-game set with Boston College at Jim Patterson Stadium on Friday at 5:00 p.m., ET. Game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 1:00 p.m., ET, with the finale on Sunday at noon ET. All three games can be seen on ACC Network Extra and radio coverage will be available throughout the weekend on 93.9 The Ville. Live scoring is available at GoCards.com. LOUISVILLE LEADS COUNTRY IN WINS SINCE 2007Dan McDonnell took the reins of the Louisville baseball program in 2007. Louisville entered 2019 with the most wins of any Division I program from 2007-18 with 554. 5. Vanderbilt 548 A junior from Rochester, Illinois, Fitzgerald had a .264 batting average with three home runs, 17 doubles, 24 RBIs, 57 runs scored and 23 stolen bases in 24 attempts while playing in all 64 games in 2018, including 63 starts. Fitzgerald was named to the 2018 All-ACC Academic Team. Bennett, a junior from Cincinnati, Ohio, closed his sophomore season with an 8-2 record, 2.84 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 73.0 innings pitched, including 11 starts. He was an All-ACC Second Team honoree and was an All-ACC Academic Team selection in 2018. During his first collegiate season in 2017, Bennett earned Freshman All-America honors and was an All-ACC Third Team selection while accumulating a 5-1 record, 3.18 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 65.0 innings pitched and 15 total appearances, including 13 starts. WYATT NAMED TO USA BASEBALL GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD WATCH LISTJunior first baseman Logan Wyatt was named to the preseason watch list for the 2019 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award. The list features 55 of the nation’s top amateur players across high school and college baseball. ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGEBoston College is 7-4 through 11 games this season and comes to Louisville after a 12-3 victory at Kentucky on Wednesday. BC trailed 2-1 in the eighth inning, but scored four runs in the eighth and seven more in the ninth for the win. By the end of the weekend, the Eagles will have played eight straight games in the state of Kentucky after playing four in Richmond last weekend, two each against Eastern Kentucky and Evansville.
The 2018 class ranking marked the ninth time in the last 11 years Louisville has earned a top 25 national recruiting ranking under the guidance of head coach Dan McDonnell. The Cardinals had the top class in the ACC according to D1Baseball and was among five ACC programs in the top 25 classes – No. 6 Florida State, No. 8 Miami, No. 12 Clemson and No. 17 Virginia. LOUISVILLE IN NATIONAL POLLS EVERY WEEK SINCE START OF 2012Louisville, which surpassed its previous high national ranking of No. 2 (in 2016) with the No. 1 ranking on March 13 and March 20 during the 2017 season, has enjoyed a historic run by remaining ranked in at least one major national poll every week since the release of the 2012 preseason rankings — the longest such span in school history. Friday, March 8 | 5:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats TV: ACC Network Extra | Radio: 1450 WXVW LOU: So. LHP Reid Detmers (2-0, 0.45 ERA) BC: Sr. LHP Dan Metzdorf (1-0, 0.00 ERA) LOUISVILLE 2018 RECRUITING CLASS AMONG BEST IN COUNTRYThe University of Louisville baseball program received its highest recruiting ranking in program history after D1Baseball tabbed the 2018 class at No. 3 in the nation. Louisville’s 2018 class was also ranked fourth nationally by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Story Links TEAM NOTES AND TRENDS BC enters the weekend as the third-highest scoring offense in the ACC at 7.8 runs per game. The Eagles also lead the league with 35 stolen bases. Sean Moth will once again be on the call of Louisville baseball games this spring, while 93.9 The Ville will serve as the flagship station for the fifth consecutive season. Selected games during the regular season will be broadcast on 1450 WXVW. Ranked in the top 25 in all six major preseason polls for 2019, the Cardinals have earned a preseason national ranking in 11 straight seasons (2008-2018) overall. Louisville entered the 2019 season ranked fourth in the D1Baseball rankings, eighth in the Perfect Game and USA Today polls, ninth in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and NCBWA rankings and 11th by Baseball America. Florida State 563 North Carolina was a near unanimous selection to win the Coastal Division, as 13 coaches voted the Tar Heels in the top spot. Virginia received the other first place tally and is tied with Duke for the second position with 64 points. Miami (61), Georgia Tech (59), Pitt (24) and Virginia Tech (23) round out the rest of the division. 1. Louisville 563 Most Wins Since 2007 BENNETT AND WYATT RECEIVE 2019 PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA RECOGNITIONA pair of Louisville players were named preseason All-Americans in 2019 by various organizations. Junior first baseman Logan Wyatt garnered preseason All-America honors from Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, D1Baseball, NCBWA and Perfect Game. Additionally, junior lefthanded pitcher Nick Bennett was a preseason All-America selection by the NCBWA and Perfect Game. 3. North Carolina 561 An All-American in 2018, Wyatt has garnered preseason All-America honors in 2019 from Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, D1Baseball, NCBWA and Perfect Game. The Louisville native was an All-ACC First Team honoree as a sophomore last season after hitting .339 with six home runs, 69 RBIs, 22 doubles, 63 walks, 51 runs scored, .559 slugging percentage and .490 on-base percentage. Wyatt was also named to the 2018 NCAA All-Lubbock Regional Team after finishing 6-for-16 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in four NCAA Regional games. FEELING AT HOME INSIDE JIM PATTERSON STADIUMSince opening the gates at Jim Patterson Stadium in 2005, the Cardinals have won more than 77 percent of their games in the ballpark posting a 379-108 record (.778 winning percentage), including an impressive 33-4 mark during the 2017 season at the corner of Third and Central. Louisville set a school record for home wins with 36 in 2016 and the Cardinals have registered 30 or more wins at home in four of the last six seasons. Hailing from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Pinkham has made 58 appearances with 26 starts behind the plate during his three seasons with the Cardinals. After missing the 41 games of 2018 recovering from off-season injury, Pinkham closed his junior season with 17 appearances and 11 starts. ALL LOUISVILLE BASEBALL GAMES SLATED FOR RADIO COVERAGEEach of Louisville’s 56 regular season games as well as all postseason games can be heard on radio locally in Louisville and online via TuneIn.com. BENNETT, FITZGERALD, PINKHAM, WYATT NAMED TEAM CAPTAINSLefthanded pitcher Nick Bennett, infielder Tyler Fitzgerald, catcher Zeke Pinkham and first baseman Logan Wyatt have been selected by University of Louisville players and coaches as team captains for the Cardinals baseball team in 2019. A Louisville native, Wyatt earned Third Team All-America recognition from Collegiate Baseball newspaper and was an All-ACC First Team honoree as a sophomore after hitting .339 with six home runs, 69 RBIs, 22 doubles, 63 walks, 51 runs scored, .559 slugging percentage and .490 on-base percentage. He closed the 2018 season ranked third in the NCAA in walks, 15th in on-base percentage, 17th in RBIs and 18th in doubles. Wyatt was also named to the 2018 NCAA All-Lubbock Regional Team after finishing 6-for-16 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in four NCAA Regional games. Bennett, a junior from Cincinnati, Ohio, closed his sophomore season with an 8-2 record, 2.84 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 73.0 innings pitched, including 11 starts. He was an All-ACC Second Team honoree and was an All-ACC Academic Team selection in 2018. During his first collegiate season in 2017, Bennett earned Freshman All-America honors and was an All-ACC Third Team selection while accumulating a 5-1 record, 3.18 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 65.0 innings pitched and 15 total appearances, including 13 starts. The television schedule is headlined by a pair of games slated for ESPNU. The Cardinals will host Vanderbilt on May 7 in the annual Battle of the Barrel and will later appear on ESPNU May 14 at Indiana. Forty-eight of the 52 games will be televised exclusively on ACC Network Extra, available on WatchESPN and the ESPN app. The Cardinals will also appear on SEC Network+ on the road at Kentucky on April 16 and on ESPN+ at Eastern Kentucky March 19. Print Friendly Version
Full disclosure: I was about 5 or 6 years too old when Mighty Morphin Power Rangers first hit to have any kind of real nostalgic appreciation for it. Outside of remembering my kid sister being way into it for about the first five years or so. Given that it’s my job to know about these things, I’ve since caught myself up with the help of a colleague and a true-blue fan’s exhaustive summarizing. But none the less, if you’re looking to find out whether or not this movie will “do the job” for genuine Power Rangers devotees I might not be the person to ask.What I can tell you is that, yes, Power Rangers effectively delivers on the promise of a big-budget blockbuster version of an episode of the original series. Wherein Rita Repulsa sends a giant monster to attack Angel Grove. The Rangers put on their costumes, do battle with an army of Putties, engage the monster using their Zords, combine said Zords into the singular Megazord. And ultimately save the day while delivering a heartfelt message about the importance of teamwork (and also the deliciousness of Krispy Kreme, which appears to have for a substantial portion of the film’s expenses.)Also just like an episode of the show: Everything described above covers about 25 minutes – total – of screentime.So before you get to that point (read: the climax), you’ve got to slog through about 90 minutes (for those keeping track. The average runtime of both previous movies in this franchise) of just about the most tedious origin story imaginable. We get to know our new cast of teenage heroes and have what might be the most forgettable franchise-starter mythology possible drilled into our heads by Bryan Cranston; who looks only slightly less happy to be here than Ben Affleck does about still having to make another Batman movie.The new angle at play here is that Cranston’s Zordon and Elizabeth Banks’ Rita were the original Red and Green Rangers back in dinosaur times; where she went evil, everybody else died, and Zordon wound up as a big floating head. Millions of years later, they are both reawakened when the Power Coins select a random quintet of local teenagers to be the new Rangers. The gimmick this time being that instead of five equally sunny best pals with one defining hobby and/or character trait each, we get five obnoxious After School Special caricatures who initially can’t stand each other with one defining set of emotional baggage apiece. Each one seemingly sourced by having someone’s great uncle run a Tumblr topic search for “What the kids are on about these days.”T o be sure: Credit is due for putting it right out front that the Blue Ranger is on the autism spectrum and the Yellow Ranger is being hassled by her parents because she’s gay (or “not straight,” at least); a pair of welcome decisions handled reasonably well. Unfortunately, the film is locked-in on the thematics of The Rangers all being “damaged and troubled.” To compliment a “gritty reboot” aesthetic that also reimagines Angel Grove as both a dying Midwestern mining town and a dying New England fishing village because someone couldn’t decide on only one generic symbol of hardscrabble middle-American impoverishment. The setup ends up equating identities like “autistic” and “gay” with the new Pink Ranger being a straight-up bully and a Red Ranger who’s… well, just an asshole, honestly. The Black Ranger, who has a genuinely sad backstory, receives the least amount of attention.Still, if you’re favorite thing in the world is watching a group of profoundly unlikeable brats awkwardly transition from being shitty and snarky to each other for almost no reason to exchanging Red Dawn levels of melodramatic brothers-in-arms foxhole devotion for even less reason? Power Rangers is the movie for you! Director Dean Isrealite is content to serve up an entire film’s worth of sub-John Hughes teen angst over parental misunderstanding, small-town inertia ennui and revenge-porn sexting scandals (really!). All before the CGI animation team and the second unity boys take over to deliver a Michael Bay’d up Power Rangers episode at the very end.And admittedly that modestly ambitious final blow-out is serviceable. If it was possible to give a damn about any of the characters or their various arcs despite 90 action-free minutes spent building them up, I might even be tempted to bump the ending up to passable. But the kids are all ciphers, Cranston is a grouchy bore-fest and even Elizabeth Banks’ much-hyped turn as Rita is a big letdown. There’s nothing to the character, and her whole presence feels really cynically contrived i.e. “If we stunt-cast an actual celebrity and just have her do weird, random, occasionally-gross camera mugging people will mistake it for quirky self-awareness!”In the end, Apart from the existentially devastating constant awareness of other, better things I could’ve been doing for 2 hours, I couldn’t for the life of me tell you who the prospective audience for this nonsense is supposed to be. It feels almost ashamed to even be a Power Rangers movie, so I don’t think it’s meant to be a nostalgia trip for the adult fans. It’s too long, talky and downbeat for the young kids who’re into the present-day version and despite all that self-serious moodiness, there’s no actual depth involved for older audiences who might otherwise have been more accommodating of a less action-oriented take.Like I said: I couldn’t tell you what hardcore Power Rangers fans might’ve wanted out of a movie, but if someone did this to something I’d loved as, say, an 8-year-old? My inclination might be (in the parlance of my 8-year-old self) to punch them in the taint. Stay on target ‘Legend of the White Dragon’ Reunites Original Power RangersThe Original ‘Power Rangers’ Movie Should Have Stayed Small 
Kolkata: A person who submitted forged documents, during his joining and continued as an assistant teacher at a government aided school for two days, has been arrested by the Howrah police.Police said the accused, Tarun Chakraborty joined Amarendra Vdyapith in Uttarpara on April 23 showing forged appointment letter. After seeing the appointment letter, the headmaster of the school suspected that this could be fake and he submitted a photocopy of the letter to the DI office. Also Read – Heavy rain hits traffic, flightsAfter examining the photocopy of the appointment letter, the DI office on Tuesday informed the school authorities categorically that the appointment letter was fake. When the accused teacher came to school on the Tuesday, the school authorities reported the matter to the local police station.The accused was held by the police and was taken to the police station. After prolonged interrogation, Chakraborty was arrested on the charges of cheating and submitting forged documents to the school, where he wanted to join as a teacher. Also Read – Speeding Jaguar crashes into Merc, 2 B’deshi bystanders killedDuring the interrogation, the accused told the police that he got the appointment letter from one person whom he had given around Rs 6 lakh. Chakraborty also pleaded his innocence in the face of interrogation. He claimed that one person told him that he could provide him with a job in exchange of money. The youth whom he had paid the money also stated that he had connections with top officials of the state education department and had already provided jobs to many youth. Police are investigating if the accused had duped others. They are not ruling out the possibility of the accused being cheated by the person who had given money. Cops are investigating if Chakraborty had been duped by a fake job racket operating from the state.
September 11, 2008 Attend this free webinar and learn how you can maximize efficiency while getting the most critical things done right. Register Now » 4 min read Free Webinar | Sept 5: Tips and Tools for Making Progress Toward Important Goals Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. By Nilofer Merchant, CEO of Rubicon ConsultingHow many times have you seen this situation: The strategy-owner in your business unit develops a plan, holds meetings, and achieves alignment. Yet during the execution phase, the strategy falls apart.During the inevitable review process, the causes are all too familiar: No defined key players. No consideration of the decision-making process. Too many ideas generated, too few were killed. A laborious process or no process at all. The wrong people engaged or poor team collaboration.There’s a reason that the causes of failure repeat. It’s because strategy has a unique structure, and if you overlook one of the five key elements of that structure , you’ll fail. Add elements that don’t support that structure and you’ll fail. And the failure will look familiar every time.Element 1: Power DistributionPower distribution dictates who’s involved, how much information each individual can access, and the decision-making process.It’s crucial to know who you’re working from their track record on complex strategy projects to basic strengths and weaknesses. Talk to other people in the organization who have worked with them to gain more information. Vet people to avoid surprises and to understand the best ways to support and motivate team members.How much of your strategy is confidential? What can — or should — be shared with other groups? Set the boundaries and share them so that everyone agrees and has the same expectations.Make sure that the inner working of the group matches the culture and values of the parent organization. If your company is as free-flowing as Google, don’t bind people with conservative rules that eliminate communal sharing of ideas or the development innovative solutions.Element 2: Decision MakingThe way that decisions are made in organizations determines how ideas are generated and which ideas are considered. The way decisions are made influences how these ideas are carried out later.Does decision making in your organization flow top-down or bottom-up? Who are the holders of the power to decide which ideas advance and which are eliminated? If ideas are valued in your culture, there’s a strong likelihood that it might not matter who generates the ideas.Element 3: Idea GenerationHow ideas are generated affects the quantity and quality of these ideas, which directly affects the number of viable strategy options.A company that has an annual strategy meeting with a brainstorming component that encompasses input from many directions within the company uses one type of idea generation. The Google model involves having employees use 20% of their time for innovation. They test and grow projects. Some projects are nurtured and provide the company with revenue. Others are killed off. It’s even possible that original projects may mutate into something different.Element 4: ProcessProcess is the way that ideas are handled and consumed within organizations. Process defines the way that agreements and commitments are made and managed, and how well people understand what is happening and what to do.The process-driven organization avoids wasting employee time and energy. People in this type of company reach agreement that an action is valuable, develop a process around it, and set it in motion.Process may be communicated to a team in writing, by word of mouth or in other ways. Agreement is critical to the understanding of process within an organization.Element 5: PeopleIn an organization of any size, people bring their domain knowledge, talents, and perspectives to strategy creation. Often people are viewed as the first point of strategy failure, but they are actually the last point of failure in a long series of cascading interactions.Put another way, very bright, creative, motivated people can fail if they are embedded in a strategy creation structure process where power, decision making, idea generation, or process are broken.Each of the five elements is critical to the strength, balance, and practicality of the proposed strategy. Tighten up around these five and watch your team’s next strategy succeed beyond your plans.Nilofer Merchant, CEO of Rubicon Consulting, is a global high-tech industry thought leader and trusted strategic adviser for companies such as Adobe, Symantec, and VMware. She publishes and speaks frequently on strategy, innovation, and leadership.