more ways for condominium corporations to deal with problem tenants in their buildings better information for those buying new condominiums about the amenities, such as gyms or pools, to be available, and the date they will be complete a requirement that buyers get a copy of a new condominium corporation’s proposed budget, so they know what kind of fees they’ll be paying for the first year a requirement for anyone converting a building into condominiums to do a reserve fund study to ensure buyers know what kinds of maintenance the building may require and how it will be paid for. For more information, visit www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/access/individuals/consumer-awareness/condominiums.asp. There are about 12,000 condominium units in Nova Scotia. —————————————————————–FOR BROADCAST USE The province has introduced new rules effective Sept. 1 that will help protect condo owners. They include limits on how much rent a builder can charge people who move into their condos before the condominium corporation is registered, a new dispute resolution process for owners and condo corporations, and ensure buyers get more information up front. Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Minister John MacDonell says the new rules will help protect current and future condo owners. There are about 12-thousand condominium units in Nova Scotia. -30- New rules effective Sept. 1, will offer better protection for Nova Scotians who own, or are thinking of buying a condominium. “A growing number of Nova Scotians, everyone from first-time homebuyers to seniors, are choosing condominiums. These amendments will make sure those people are well-protected when they buy their home,” said Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Minister John MacDonell. Starting Thursday, there will be limits on how much rent a builder can charge condo buyers who choose to move into their units before the condominium corporation is registered. Buyers can not own the condominium before it is registered. For the first six months, builders will only be able to charge 0.75 per cent of the net purchase price per month; that amount will go down to 0.5 per cent after six months, and to 0.25 per cent after a year. This protects condominium buyers from having to rent a unit they planned to buy for long periods of time. There will also be Condominium Dispute Officers available through Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations to help owners and condominium corporations solve their disputes quickly and effectively. Other amendments to the Condominium Act include: read more

NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR: Prohibitory orders banning large gatherings was re-imposed in Srinagar today, a day after the government said sporadic clashes took place in the city after the restrictions were relaxed yesterday. Sources said police vehicles were seen making announcements on loudspeakers asking people to return to their homes, and shopkeepers have been told to shut their shops. On Saturday, a Home Ministry spokesperson said there have been “stray protests” in Srinagar and Baramulla, none of which involved a crowd of more than 20 people. Also Read – India gets first tranche of Swiss bank a/c details Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claims that huge protests have taken place in the state, police chief Dilbagh Singh said there has been no untoward incident “barring minor stone-pelting which was dealt with on the spot”. The Home Ministry also dismissed media reports about a protest by some 10,000 people in Kashmir valley as “fabricated and incorrect”. The situation in Jammu and Kashmir is peaceful and no violence has been reported from anywhere in the state, the state police had tweeted. Also Read – Tourists to be allowed in J&K from Thursday In a statement, the government said senior police officers and Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam have asked people not to believe in rumours about alleged incidents of firing in Kashmir valley. On Saturday, Srinagar and other towns saw good traffic for Eid shopping, it said. Around 400 politicians including former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been under arrest since last week. On Monday last, the BJP-led central government scrapped the special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir through a presidential order and declared plans to bifurcate the state into two Union Territories. The bill cleared parliament and was signed by the President over the next few days. Omar Abdullah’s National Conference has appealed in the Supreme Court against the government’s decision. In its petition – filed by party MPs Akbar Lone and Hasnain Masoodi – the party claimed the centre’s move was “illegal”. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who has been camping in Jammu and Kashmir amid the lockdown, was seen in a video on Saturday talking with locals.(With inputs from NDTV) read more

HALIFAX — A fire that has been burning for a week aboard a container ship off Canada’s east coast is now said to be “largely contained” and under control.The German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd says five crew members were transferred back to the Yantian Express on Wednesday evening from one of the massive tugs fighting the fire.It says the ship is 1,400 kilometres off the Canadian coast and is being slowly towed to port.The 320-metre ship was travelling to Halifax from Colombo, Sri Lanka, via the Suez Canal when a container caught fire on the forward deck on Jan 3.After the fire spread to other containers, the ship was evacuated and two ocean-going tugs were dispatched to fight the blaze.Hapag-Lloyd says a third tug is en route to the Yantian Express to assist, and is expected to arrive on Sunday.The company says it is unable to estimate damage to the ship or its cargo.The Canadian Press read more

MONTREAL — Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. says industry consolidation in North America is inevitable, amid reports that it has approached a U.S. rival about a potential merger.Chief operating officer Keith Creel declined to confirm it is eyeing Norfolk Southern, about a year after an overture to CSX Corp. ended without a deal.But he told a Toronto conference that an industry pause on mergers will eventually end.“When it comes to consolidation it’s not if but when,” he told a Scotiabank transportation conference.When it comes to consolidation it’s not if but whenCreel said change is needed to bypass the bottlenecks in Chicago that are the “Achilles heel” for the industry.Canadian Pacific CEO Hunter Harrison has long advocated consolidation in the rail industry to ease congestion and transport goods more efficiently across the continent.A larger CP network would allow the railway to avoid freight transfers to other carriers, Creel said. That would help Canada’s second-largest carrier and free up space in Chicago that would help the entire industry improve service.He acknowledged that CP’s approach isn’t popular with some competitors.“But it’s the inevitable thing and we’re not going to stick our head in the sand.”Industry observers say a merger with Norfolk would be good for both companies, but it would face significant hurdles, including the U.S. regulator. The Surface Transportation Board placed a short-term moratorium on mergers in late 1999 following a proposed deal between CN Rail and BNSF that was eventually called off.Why Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd’s reported quest for a record Norfolk Southern Corp merger faces ‘very high hurdles’Norfolk Southern Corp shares surge on report of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd takeover bidAnalyst Fadi Chamoun of BMO Capital Markets said regulators are probably loathe to ignite a flurry of mergers that could harm the competitiveness of other railways and hurt shippers.“We believe the path towards regulatory approval requires shippers to be onboard and that could imply cost concessions from the railroads,” he wrote in a report.But Creel said it can be done if the merging railways and their customers speak with a “common voice” to demonstrate that the change will improve service. That requires a friendly transaction.He wouldn’t speculate on how soon consolidation will come.“I’ve got a lot of years left to railroad, but it’s going to happen within my time frame before I retire.”Earlier, CN Rail chief marketing officer Jean-Jacques Ruest told the Scotiabank conference that the current system works well for most railways in good economic times and bad.Although the Montreal-based company is open to acquisitions of small, shortline operators, he said larger alternatives are constantly being considered and the railway will adjust to any changes.“We like the environment that we have today. It doesn’t mean that we can’t deal with situations as they evolve,” Ruest said. “None of us are static and especially coming from a marketing background, you always expect chaos and out of the chaos you do something out of it.” read more

This new funding comes on top of $13.8 million that Ottawa pledged to help finance urgent humanitarian demining activities in Colombia, the second most mined country in the world. Canada has also committed $6 million to contribute to the demining of areas liberated from Islamic State militants in Iraq. According to figures released by the federal government, Canada has contributed $237 million over the last decade to fund demining programs around the world. Canada is pledging new money to help clear landmines in Sri Lanka and Ukraine, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland announced before she left to attend an international demining event held at Kensington Palace in London Tuesday, Radio Canada reported.Canada’s announcement comes as the international community marked the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. The new funding includes $1.9 million over three years to find and clear landmines in northern Sri Lanka, which will allow residents in the affected areas to resume their livelihoods in agriculture and the fishery. It also includes more than $3.8 million for education, training and mine-clearance activities in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, Freeland announced. “Demining work worldwide is critically important, and the devastating impact of these weapons on civilians is without question,” Freeland said in a statement. “Canada’s funding for these projects builds on the significant work already undertaken in mine clearing in these countries. It is my hope that the funding will help to create a world free of anti-personnel mines.”The event at Kensignton Palace dubbed #LandmineFree2025 was hosted by the world’s two leading landmine charities, Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and The HALO Trust. The event, which was attended by Prince Harry, marked the 20th anniversary of Diana, Princess of Wales’ walk through an Angolan minefield; and the signing of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty in Ottawa.UK’s Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel, who joined Prince Harry in The Orangery at Kensington Palace, announced that the UK is tripling its support for landmine clearance and pledged about $170 (£100) million over the next three years.MAG and The HALO Trust estimate that it will take about $170 million a year to clear the remaining minefields to reach their goal of landmine-free world by 2025. (Colombo Gazette) read more

← Previous Story Draw for Challenge Cup (1/4 Final): Norwegian clash – Serbian Radnicki in Minsk Next Story → David Korazija to join Metalurg Skopje Problems before the Polish derby in Kielce. Wisla Plock fans demands 420 tickets, but they received only 300.According to the rules of Polish Handball Federation, Vive targi Kielce should give to Plock fans 400 tickets for the match Vive Targi Kielce – Wisla Plock. But they didn’t. They gave only 300. Plock’s fans said – 400 or we don’t go!From the first days Kielce according to Wisla fans, they tried to prevent Plock’s fans to come in large numbers. First, increased ticket prices form 20 and 30 zlotys at equal price to 40 zlotys for all. Looking at the prices for the Kielce fans (20 and 30 zlotys) it’s not fair play, they say. Now they said, that may be granted only 300 tickets, but they knew about that Plock want and they have to give them a 400 tickets (10% of all sportshall) for a long time before the sale in Kielce starts, so the translation in an official letter to the SPR Wisla, the “Technical Conditions sector designed for guests visiting supporters in the Legion Hall does not allow you to stay in the greater number of people.”In all situation club Vive Targi will pay probably only 500-5000 zlotys! But the worst thing is once again suffer the discipline which is handball. It is well known that matches Wisla plays against Vive also has “fights” in the stands. Players play for the fans and fans create a fantastic atmosphere.TEXT: Wojciech Wisniewski Polish handball derby read more

THIS YEAR’S SONY World Photo Awards show many different sides to life on this planet – from the aftermath of the Norwegian massacre in Utoya to Romanian celebrations where men dress in bear suits.Norwegian photographer Andrea Gjestvang (32) was named the L’Iris d’Or/Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year, beating over 122,000 entries from 170 countries. The photographer won her award plus Sony digital imaging equipment and $25,000 prize money at a gala ceremony held in London.The judges voted unanimously for Gjestvang’s powerful series of portraits of children and youths who survived the July 2011 massacre on the island of Utoya, outside Oslo.The series, ‘One day in history’ “captures the young survivors with immense sensitivity and honesty and are an enduring testament to the resolve of these young people in the face of this unspeakable tragedy”, said the award organisers.Gjestvang – who has been published in Newsweek, M Le Monde, Stern and D Republica – said of her win:I feel so honoured, grateful and proud to receive this fantastic recognition and prize. I am grateful the important stories of these young people are reaching out and moving people the way they move me.Hoang Hiep Nguyen, Vietnam, was named Open Photographer of the Year – and it transpired he only bought his first digital camera one year ago. He won for his creative and stunning image of a girl in a storm and his prize was a Sony a77 camera plus $5,000.In total, there were 15 professional winners from around the world.The Student Focus Photographer of the Year was named as Natalia Wiernik from Poland and the Youth Photographer of the year was Alecsandra Dragoi.An Outstanding Contribution to Photography award was given to iconic photographer William Eggleston. read more

Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram The Cross-Party Elections Committee convened at the interior ministry for the first time in this pre-election period on Tuesday, chaired by Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos.After the end of the meeting, the Committee announced that the broadcast time allocated to smaller political parties and party coalitions with elected representatives will be increased, in both private and state-run radio and television stations.The two larger parties will each be allocated 37.5 percent of total free broadcast time (down from 40 percent in the previous general elections), while the smaller parties will share the remaining 25 percent (up from 20 percent in the previous elections). Also included in the smaller parties is that of the Ecologists-Greens, which succeeded in electing one MEP to the European Parliament in June. Tuesday’s meeting also decided that there should be two televised debates between the political parties: one between the leaders of the two main parties and one with all the party leaders with elected representatives. The details of the process and the terms of these encounters are to be decided by the political parties themselves.Regarding the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), which is going to the elections without a leader at its head, the committee decided that the party must itself decide who will represent SYRIZA during radio and television broadcasts.On the issue of party funding from the state budget, this was set at 4.5 million euros and at a lower rate than the previous general elections because of the preceding European Parliament elections in the same year.The minister said there would be one more meeting of the Committee that would include a representative of the Ecologists-Greens party. This was not represented at Tuesday’s meeting, since the first meeting of the Committee has to decide whether parties elected in the European Parliament elections will participate. read more

La formule idéale pour un vin bon pour la santé et bon au goût ?Un Australien prétend avoir mis au point une formule concentrant les effets bénéfiques du vin dans un faible volume, le tout en conservant le goût et la qualité du breuvage.Voilà une nouvelle qui pourrait intéresser tous les amateurs de vin soucieux de leur santé. Greg Jardine, un biochimiste de Brisbane, en Australie, affirme avoir réussi à mettre au point un vin qui concentre les effets bénéfiques du breuvage (les polyphénols antioxydants) dans un faible volume, le tout sans altérer son goût ni sa qualité. “On est allé chercher cet anti-oxydant, qui existe en toute petite quantité dans le vin, et on le porte à un tel niveau qu’il a un effet sur la santé”, a-t-il expliqué à l’AFP.En principe, charger un vin en antioxydants le rend imbuvable, car celui-ci devient trop riche en tanin. Cette fois, le scientifique a donc modifié les composants de façon à les rendre liposolubles et plus facilement absorbables par le corps. Ce procédé a alors rendu le breuvage riche en antioxydants parfaitement buvable. Si le procédé a de quoi en effrayer certains, M. Jarine a tenu à rassurer : “ce vin spécial est tiré dans les règles de l’art”, c’est simplement que “lors de certaines étapes, des processus ont été accentués”.Grâce à cette technologie du polyphénol modifié, ce vin pourrait avoir une action anti-inflammatoire et aider à combattre des maladies telles que l’arthrite ou la fatigue chronique, même consommé en faibles quantités. Il “pourrait également être utilisée dans la fabrication d’autres boissons ou aliments”, estime le chimiste.Du vin bénéfique oui mais pas un médicament À lire aussiMaladie de Charcot : symptômes, causes, traitement, où en est on ?Les tests réalisés par Lindsay Brown, pharmacologue de l’université du Queensland du sud, semblent montrer une amélioration de l’état de santé de rats paralysés par l’arthrite. “Ça empêche complètement l’inflammation, le gonflement et la raideur des pattes”, a-t-il précisé. Néanmoins, le pharmacologue tient à souligner les dangers de voir dans le vin un médicament. “Le vin est une boisson consommée par une bonne partie de la population. Le problème est bien évidemment de ne pas faire croire aux gens qu’ils peuvent boire une bouteille par jour”, insiste t-il.Le 25 janvier 2013 à 13:05 • Maxime Lambert read more

Liverpool are not interested in making an approach for Aston Villa’s highly-rated midfielder Jack Grealish, reports the Liverpool EchoThe news will likely come as a blow for the English Championship strugglers, who are currently having difficulty in gathering sufficient funds to comply with the UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.Villa had hoped to sell Grealish for £30m this summer in order to meet the FFP rules but, with Liverpool now out of the running, the one clear path for the 22-year-old is Tottenham.Report: Origi cause Klopp injury concerns George Patchias – September 14, 2019 Divock Origi injury in today’s game against Newcastle is a cause for concern for Jurgen Klopp.Perhaps with one eye on Tuesday’s trip to Italy…But Mauricio Pochettino’s side have no interest in matching Villa’s £30m valuation and will likely go ahead with their pursuit of a deal in the region of £20m for Grealish due to a lack of competition.Grealish had a breakthrough season in the Championship last term and is understood to be seeking a move to the Premier League this summer in order to take the next step in his career. read more

Dhaka University vice-chancellor Md Akhtaruzzaman. File photo Expressing solidarity with the demonstrators, Dhaka University vice-chancellor Md Akhtaruzzaman on Wednesday said the demand of the students is legitimate, reports news agency UNB.The VC came up with the remarks while speaking at a press briefing at his office.”We have asked the government to take quick measures and give assurance to the students so that they can return to normal life,” he said.The VC also urged the law enforcement agencies to behave well and ensure safety of the students.Referring to the attack on a female student of Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall, Prof Akhtaruzzaman said, “The university administration is adopting a zero tolerance stance against such incident and a probe committee has been formed to look into the matter.”Wishing anonymity, a high official of the university said the order for temporarily expulsion of the BCL leader Iffat Jahan Esha had been signed.Talking about the attack on his official residence, the VC said, “I feel safe in the hands of my students.”Earlier on Monday night, a group of protesters demanding reforms in the quota system in public service broke the main entrance of the VC’s residence and ransacked several rooms and furniture. read more

Who Are They?It’s Fox McCloud, the titular Fox in Star Fox, Nintendo’s sci-fi rail shooter series about talking space animals. Even if you aren’t a furry you have to marvel at the pitch-perfect balance of Star Wars cool and puppet show cute Star Fox manages to stride. The Star Fox games may have their ups and downs. But everyone sticks by fearless leader Fox, a fox named Fox by his father James who is also a fox. He can liven up even the most generic Ubisoft shooter.Smash HistoryStar Fox is about controlling a spaceship, so creating a moveset for a suddenly grounded Fox McCloud posed a bit of a challenge. He was a character in the original Smash 64 before any of his later games included (bad) on-foot sections. But in the process Sakurai and the team created one of the strongest Smash characters ever. With his fast laser, versatile shine reflector, nimble movement, and plenty of other borderline overpowered skills Fox’s history in Smash Bros. is one of dominance, especially in Melee.What Looks New in Ultimate?Ever since his glory days in Melee, Fox has been slightly weakened in later games just to make things more fair. And that seems to be the case in Ultimate. His Illusion move doesn’t cut through enemies as consistently. You can’t spam the reflector to stall. And changes to damage output are pretty split between buffs and nerfs. But Fox’s core playstyle is just very strong. And more casual players should still notice changes like the new Arwing Final Smash instead of the Landmaster as well as the slick Star Fox Zero outfit.Our Hopes?The dream of any fighting game is to have a perfectly balanced cast where all characters are diverse yet equally viable. So a great but not dominant Fox is a good step towards that goal. You just never want to see a character get so much weaker though that folks who enjoy them suddenly miss out on a lot of fun. Balancing a fighting game is basically rocket science, the same science that put a fox in the stars.Super Smash Bros. Ultimate releases Dec. 7 for Nintendo Switch. Until we can play more for ourselves, changes we talk about here are mostly speculation. For more thoughts check out our Smash hands-on as well as cool Switch games to play that aren’t Smash Bros., because those definitely exist.View as: One Page Slides1/761. Read Mario’s Guide2. Read Donkey Kong’s Guide3. Read Link’s Guide4. Read Samus’s Guide5. Read Dark Samus’s Guide6. Read Yoshi’s Guide7. Read Kirby’s Guide8. Read Fox’s Guide9. Read Pikachu’s Guide10. Read Luigi’s Guide11. Read Ness’s Guide12. Read Captain Falcon’s Guide13. Read Jigglypuff’s Guide14. Read Peach’s Guide15. Read Daisy’s Guide16. Read Bowser’s Guide17. Read Ice Climbers’ Guide18. Read Sheik’s Guide19. Read Zelda’s Guide20. Read Dr. Mario’s Guide21. Read Pichu’s Guide22. Read Falco’s Guide23. Read Marth’s Guide24. Read Lucina’s Guide25. Read Young Link’s Guide26. Read Ganondorf’s Guide27. Read Mewtwo’s Guide28. Read Roy’s Guide29. Read Chrom’s Guide30. Read Mr. Game and Watch’s Guide31. Read Meta Knight’s Guide32. Read Pit’s Guide33. Read Dark Pit’s Guide34. Read Zero Suit Samus’s Guide35. Read Wario’s Guide36. Read Snake’s Guide37. Read Ike’s Guide38. Read Pokemon Trainer’s Guide39. Read Diddy Kong’s Guide40. Read Lucas’s Guide41. Read Sonic’s Guide42. Read King Dedede’s Guide43. Read Olimar’s Guide44. Read Lucario’s Guide45. Read R.O.B.’s Guide46. Read Toon Link’s Guide47. Read Wolf’s Guide48. Read Villager’s Guide49. Read Mega Man’s Guide50. Read Wii Fit Trainer’s Guide51. Read Rosalina and Luma’s Guide52. Read Little Mac’s Guide53. Read Greninja’s Guide54. Read Mii Fighters’ Guide55. Read Palutena’s Guide56. Read Pac-Man’s Guide57. Read Robin’s Guide58. Read Shulk’s Guide59. Read Bowser Jr.’s Guide60. Read Duck Hunt’s Guide61. Read Ryu’s Guide62. Read Cloud’s Guide63. Read Corrin’s Guide64. Read Bayonetta’s Guide65. Read Inkling’s Guide66. Read Ridley’s Guide67. Read Simon’s Guide68. Read Richter’s Guide69. Read King K. Rool’s Guide70. Read Isabelle’s Guide71. Read Ken’s Guide72. Read Incineroar’s Guide73. Read Piranha Plant’s Guide74. Read Joker’s Guide75. Read Hero’s Guide76. ‘Astral Chain’ and Other Dumb Nintendo SongsThe Ultimate Super Smash Bros. Character Guide: Hero Fox Shines!Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is huge. Not just in terms of hype and importance and sales potential, but just in terms of sheer stuff. The Nintendo Switch mascot fighter features over a hundred stages, nearly a thousand songs, and too many Pokemon and items and Assist Trophies to think of crammed onto a cartridge you can plan on the go or on a TV. When you have as many big franchises as Nintendo, putting them all in one game will make that game is very big boy indeed.But the biggest, most exciting thing about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is its mind-blowing, heartwarming roster of playable characters. Fighting games pride themselves not just on the strength of their mechanics but the strength of its fighters, especially in a crossover fighters like this. And Super Smash Bros. Ultimate crushes all rivals by including every single playable character from the across the four previous games in the twenty-year-old series. Include the new combatants and so far we have over 70 fighters to wrap our heads around. We’re excited, but we’re also intimidated. So to get ready for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, every day, character by character, we’re creating the ultimate guide to all of its characters. Today’s fighter: Fox. Stay on target read more

[i]Diapherodes gigantea[/i] Explore further Scientists have widened the search for natural antibacterial agents as those currently in use by the medical community become less effective due to bacteria developing immunity to them. Most such agents in use now came from discoveries found in nature—half in fact were originally found in soil samples. Because of that, researchers continue to study soil samples around the world, hoping to find new ways to fight bacteria. They’ve also extended their study to include animals and insects as many have been found to either produce antibacterial chemicals or to harbor them in their guts. One recent example was the discovery that cutter ants are able to produce chemicals that kill bacteria to preserve fungus that grows on leaves they cut. In this new effort, the researchers have been focusing on the lime green stick insect (mainly found in Grenada) which eats bramble, oak, beech, hazel and especially eucalyptus leaves. The insects grow to approximately five inches in length and spend virtually their entire lives munching leaves. Anecdotal evidence had suggested for years that the bugs could eat leaves with bacteria, fungus or other toxins on them, with no ill effects, which led the team in Britain to take a closer look.In their lab, the researchers have found that the insects remain uninfected by bacteria applied to the leaves that are being eaten, suggesting they have a means of killing the bacteria in their gut. That led to dissections and the discovery of the particular microbes that are responsible for protecting the bugs from not only bacteria, but many toxic chemicals. Because the insect demonstrates immunity to bacteria that it’s never seen before, the researchers suspect there is a general mechanism involved which would be a very important finding. Microbes that are able to destroy virtually any type of bacteria could perhaps lead researchers to new agents for fighting infections in people. The team plans to continue their research to learn how it is the microbes are able to attack so many different types of bacteria. More information: via BBC Eczema in infants linked to gut bacteria Citation: Stick insect found to harbor antibacterial microbes in its gut (2013, September 3) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2013-09-insect-harbor-antibacterial-microbes-gut.html (Phys.org) —Researchers at the John Innes Centre in Great Britain have discovered that the bug known as the giant lime green stick insect (Diapherodes gigantea) has microbes in its gut that are able to thwart bacteria that the insect has never been exposed to before. This suggests, the BBC reports, that the insect has some sort of general mechanism in its gut that allows it to stave off infections by a wide variety of bacteria. © 2013 Phys.org This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. read more

A five-year-old sexual harassment allegation is still hovering over Santa Ana Mayor Gerardo Oviedo, who will run for re-election in February’s municipal voting.The mayor of the suburban city west of the capital, San José, says the 2011 complaint from a former entry-level worker in the municipality is “totally false” and is being dragged on by authorities with political agendas.“I’ve gone about this process with complete transparency from day one, and I’m innocent of these accusations,” Oviedo said.The 53-year-old mayor has presided over Santa Ana since 2007 with the National Liberation Party (PLN). He told The Tico Times that the complaint, which is still under investigation in the town’s municipal council, has lived on for so long to serve conflicting political interests in the area. Oviedo said that because three of the five council members have political ties to rival parties including the Citizen Action Party (PAC), there is an unfair element to a process that could have him kicked out of office if he is re-elected in February.“How are you going to judge me with people who have predisposed interests?” he said during a telephone interview on Tuesday. “They’re not judging me impartially.” Andrey Cambronero, a spokesman for the Supreme Elections Tribunal (TSE), confirmed that no decision has been made by Santa Ana’s council. He said if the municipal council votes to revoke Oviedo’s credentials as an elected official, the TSE will perform an independent investigation to ultimately decide whether or not to remove Oviedo from office.“Basically within Costa Rica’s legislation there is no responsibility on our part at the TSE to interfere with a candidate running who has an ongoing complaint against them,” Cambronero said. “Anyone who has an outstanding complaint against them can still run in the popular elections without problem.”Oviedo said his complainant’s character should be in question because, according to him, she lied about her credentials on her résumé when hired, saying she had completed high school when she had not. The accuser, identified only by her last name, was fired from her position — because she lied about her credentials, Oviedo said — shortly after filing the complaint.In response to the complaint, the mayor appealed to the Costa Rican Supreme Court, saying the municipal council shouldn’t have legal authority to decide his fate because of its political interests. He also challenged the constitutionality of the country’s Anti-Harassment Law. In 2014, the court ruled against Oviedo and resent the case to Santa Ana’s municipal council.“There’s absolutely nothing to see here,” he said. “It’s a total injustice. No one can show any evidence to support this complaint.”Oviedo is running against nine other candidates in the mayoral elections, including Peter Guevara of the Libertarian Movement Party. Guevara, the younger brother of the party’s founder Otto, is under investigation by Costa Rica’s congress for allegedly receiving a paycheck from a private business while having a full-time contract as a legislative aide.“Hagamos más,” or “Let’s do more,” is the campaign slogan for Oviedo in the 2016 municipal elections, and he said Tuesday he wants to continue uniting the public of Santa Ana by strengthening important public services such as education. Facebook Comments Nuestros candidatos: Gerardo Oviedo Espinoza. Santa Ana. #AlcaldíasPLN #Febrero2016 pic.twitter.com/Jl4dTc26kY— Liberación Nacional (@plncr) November 4, 2015 Related posts:Former US President Jimmy Carter cuts Guyana trip short after falling ill US candidate Bernie Sanders sues party as Democrats on verge of open warfare Most Costa Ricans don’t vote in municipal elections. Will this year be different? Presidential nominee Antonio Álvarez Desanti to step down as legislator read more

One of the biggest hotel franchisors in Australia, Choice Hotels has partnered with three new Queensland and NSW based hotels.Queensland hotels, Oceans Resort & Spa Harvey Bay and The Kingsford Brisbane from the Ascend Hotel Collection have joined the Choice group and so has The Comfort Inn Lodge Mudgee.The additions are part of Choice’s plans to expand across Australia for all of its five brands -Econo Lodge, Comfort, Quality, Clarion and Ascend Hotel Collection.Choice Hotels chief executive officer, Trent Fraser said that he is happy about the level of growth the Group has achieved.“Our strong brand reputation is creating a lot of interest from existing hotel owners as well as investors in the industry. We are excited to bring all of these new properties into our portfolio and look forward to this increased interest continuing as we look to expand even further,” Mr Fraser said.The Oceans Resort & Spa Hervey Bay is 5 star and The Kingsford Brisbane is 4.5 star.Choice Hotels has 270 hotels with over 11,000 rooms in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.Source = ETB News: Tom Neale read more

Darshan Baid | KolkataSouth Africa-based premium hotel brand – The SunLux Collection by Sun International Group has four luxury properties in South Africa. All hotels have in-house Indian Chefs who provide authentic Indian food, including Jain food at each of the properties in South Africa. The hotel brand also allows travel groups to bring in their own Chefs. “Indians are very particular when it comes to their food and The SunLux Collection identified its significance well in time. We understand the importance of Indian food for the Indian travellers and are in the process to add more Indian dishes to our menu at all four properties. Due to this reason, we see the increasing number of Indian visitors preferring our property over the other hotels in the region,” asserted Sherene Allaman, Vice President, International Sales and Marketing, Sun International on the sidelines of the five-city South African Tourism Roadshow in Kolkata. She promoted the Group’s four luxury properties in South Africa and shared why it is a must-stay for the Indian travellers. In South Africa, the SunLux Collection comprises The Table Bay which is a five-star hotel in Cape Town. The Boardwalk is the newest addition in Port Elizabeth. Overlooking the wild landscapes of the Pilansberg Nature Reserve, The Palace of the Lost City is in Sun City and The Maslow offers premier four-star accommodation for business travellers in Sandton. The Group is also looking at opening a new property near Times Square in Pretoria, South Africa by the end of March.  The Indian market is exceptionally important and definitely one of the markets showing steady growth for the SunLux Hotels. Their properties in South Africa are witnessing good business as well as repeat travellers from India. In 2017, the Sun International Group observed 21,000 overnights from India and 11,000 room nights at its hotels in South Africa. This year, the hotel brand is targeting all segments of FIT, Business, MICE, groups, family and wedding travel from India. Besides, believing in providing first-hand experience of products before selling it, Allaman plans to organise two familiarisation trips of select agents and media this year in collaboration with Outbound Marketing and local DMCs.Talking to Travel News Digest, she also highlighted the experiential activities that guests can indulge in during their stay. “At our properties, honeymoon couples can go with Executive Chefs into the forest to pick the herbs. After coming back, the guests can cook along with the Chefs and enjoy their food against an amazing backdrop. Similarly, by sponsoring a Rhino immobilisation not only guests can avail a ‘once in a lifetime experience’, but can also contribute to the conservation, and furthered protection, of these amazing creatures.” read more

in Daily Dose, Featured, Government, News Census Bureau Housing Starts Fed First American Real House Price Index FOMC Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey HOUSING MBA Mortgage Apps mortgage NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index NAR Existing Home Sales U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 2018-12-14 Rachel Williams The Week Ahead: Rate Hike Inevitable? December 14, 2018 659 Views This week, the Federal Housing Market Committee will have its last meeting of the year and many market watchers also anticipate a final interest rate hike of 2018. Despite expectations, however, President Donald Trump has appealed to the Committee to hold.“You have to understand, we’re fighting some trade battles and we’re winning. But I need accommodation too,” said President Trump, referencing ongoing negotiations with China.In public comments, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has remained firm that the hikes are needed and necessary. “Sound policymaking is as much about managing risks as it is about responding to the baseline forecast,” Powell said.The Fed’s final decision will be announced Wednesday at 2 p.m. EST.Here’s what else is coming in the week ahead:HUD 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, 8 a.m. ESTNAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, Monday, 10 a.m. ESTFirst American Real House Price Index, Monday, 10 a.m. ESTCensus Bureau Housing Starts, Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. ESTMBA Mortgage Apps, Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. ESTNAR Existing Home Sales, Wednesday 10 a.m. ESTFreddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, Thursday 10 a.m. ESTFed Balance Sheet, Thursday 4:30 p.m. EST Share read more

Former Cardinals kicker Phil Dawson retires Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) leaves the field after an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 34-31. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Actually, the whole second half looked easy for Palmer. After struggling and throwing two interceptions in the first half, the veteran completed 13-of-19 passes for 236 yards and three scores after the break. The drive in the last minute was just an extension of a masterful half by a player who is increasing his MVP candidacy each week.“There was never a doubt that we wouldn’t go two minutes at the end because I trust our guys and I trust our quarterbacks and receivers to make plays, and we made the plays necessary to win the game,” Arians said.Somewhat surprising was the fact that the Cardinals got the ball with so much time remaining. Arizona had burned their final timeout challenging what they thought was a fumble on a kickoff return by Cincinnati’s Brandon Tate with 6:18 left. They lost the challenge.Cincinnati had taken over at their own 16-yard line after a Drew Butler punt with 2:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. Despite holding the ball for eight plays and gaining 59 yards, the Bengals only took 1:42 off the clock, giving Palmer the requisite amount of time to effectively beat them.“They didn’t have any timeouts, so all we had to do is just make the stops,” Cincinnati safety Reggie Nelson said when asked if the Bengals left too much time on the clock. “(Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther) put us in a position to make great plays, we just have to execute the defense.” Top Stories Comments   Share   Grace expects Greinke trade to have emotional impact GLENDALE, Ariz. — Fifty-eight seconds. No timeouts. About 50 yards away from field goal range.That was the scenario facing the Arizona Cardinals Sunday night after Cincinnati’s Mike Nugent kicked a 43-yard field goal to tie the contest at 31-31.Some teams would play for overtime, especially at home. The Cardinals, coached by the ever-bold Bruce Arians, don’t think that way.“Go down and get a field goal,” quarterback Carson Palmer said when asked what was going through his mind as he took the field. “We’re not the type to run it out and play for overtime. That comes from the head coach. He’s got that ‘go-for-it’ type of mentality.” The 5: Takeaways from the Coyotes’ introduction of Alex Meruelo The win pushes the Cardinals’ record to 8-2 heading into consecutive divisional road gams at San Francisco and St. Louis over the next two weeks. – / 31 And so, the Cardinals went for it.On first down, Palmer hit rookie J.J. Nelson for 19 yards up to the Arizona 35-yard line. The Cardinals hustled to the line and then Palmer hit Larry Fitzgerald for 18 yards into Bengals’ territory. On the next play, that same veteran duo hooked up again on a 20-yard play that pushed the Cardinals well into Chandler Catanzaro’s field goal range at the Bengals’ 27-yard line.After a spike on first down and a kneel down on the next play, Palmer brought the Cardinals to the line in hopes of spiking the ball again. However, it appeared right guard Ted Larsen jumped early, which with under ten seconds left, would have been a false start. In that scenario, a 10-second run-off would have sent the game to overtime.However, Cincinnati defensive tackle Domata Peko was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for calling out a false snap count. The penalty moved Arizona up to the 14-yard line, where Catanzaro calmly booted a 32-yard field goal to give the Cardinals a 34-31 win.The drive itself — 70 yards over six plays — looked rather easy, considering the circumstances.“It wasn’t easy,” Palmer said. “That’s a great defense. That defense has been playing great for a long time over there. A lot of continuity with those guys, a great coordinator, a great pass rush, they’re really great on the back end, their linebackers are physical, downhill players. It wasn’t easy, but we made the plays we had to.” Derrick Hall satisfied with D-backs’ buying and selling read more

Take a look aroundThe tahitiandreamliner.airtahitinui.com website features rotatable images of Air Tahiti Nui’s new Poerava Business Class…Moana Premium Economy…and Moana Economy class product.Air Tahiti Nui’s 30-seat Poerava Business class product “has been enhanced with the introduction of 180-degree full-flat seat” designed by Rockwell Collins. Seats are arranged in a 2-2-2 arrangement of five rows. The design provides ample storage areas and seats have a 60-inch (152-centimetre) pitch that transforms to a 78-inch (198-centimetre) bed.“The seats also offer an individual touchscreen remote control for the inflight entertainment system, personal lighting and privacy divider,” the site says.The 32-seat Moana Premium Economy cabin comprises new ZODIAC Aerospace Z535 seats that are 20.4 inches (51 centimetres) wide, have a pitch of 38 inches (96 centimetres) and recline of 8 inches (20 centimetres). The cabin is laid out in a 2-3-2 configuration, also over five rows.Moana Economy consisting of 232 seats in two cabins, in a 3-3-3 configuration and offering a pitch of 31 inches (78 centimetres) with a recline of 6 inches (15 centimetres).Inflight entertainment will be supplied by Panasonic, with seats fitted with a 16-inch screen in Business, 13-inch screen in Premium Economy and 12-inch in Economy (pictured below). High-speed internet will also be accessible through the in-seat system or via PDAs through the onboard Wi-Fi. Go back to the enewsletterAir Tahiti Nui continues to prepare for the introduction of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft towards the end of 2018, launching a micro-site to showcase the carbon-composite twin-engine jet, its new Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabin and preview an all-new livery.“Our Dreamliner fleet begins a new chapter in our proud history of connecting Tahiti to the world,” the webpage boasts.“We’ve selected what we believe to be the best aircraft flying the skies, the Boeing 787-9, and we’ve made it uniquely Tahitian. Come fly with us and be among the first to be carried to your dream destination on the wings of our Dreamliner.”The decal features “a collection of tattoos” towards the rear of the Dreamliner that “tell a visual story about Tahiti and its people”.“The tiare is encircled by ripples on the water with flocks of birds that represent friendship and helping others. A manta ray represents wisdom, protection and elegance, while a whale represents strength and abundance,” the portal says.Other symbols include a seagull, a Tiki, ocean waves and fish hooks. For more information on the product and Air Tahiti Nui’s “passion for adventure” and “authentic values”, go to tahitiandreamliner.airtahitinui.com/en.Go back to the enewsletter read more

At the request of the education ministry, the European Commission has sent experts on the integration of children with a migrant background.According to the ministry a seven-member team of experts from four European countries, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Greece, and a three-member delegation from the European Commission are participating in the two-day mission.The team will conduct a study and submit recommendations for the integration of children with a migrant background into the Cypriot education system, focusing mainly on reception phases.The group had a meeting on Tuesday with minister Costas Hambiaouris and other officials.During their visit, the experts will also meet educational organisations, parent and teachers associations. They will also visit primary and secondary schools.The ministry in recent years has implemented teacher training at all educational levels and implements mechanisms to monitor the progress of pupils with a migrant background through an electronic platform.In his address launching the visit, the minister said great emphasis on the equal access for all children to education, as guaranteed by the Constitution.“On this basis, all children receive quality education without any discrimination, which is a basic right regardless of language, religion, belief, gender or ethnic origin,” he said.The policy of the ministry aims at their smooth integration into the educational system.The ministry, he added, as far as possible, uses all the resources available from the European Union, such as the Structural Funds and the Erasmus Plus programmes.“Despite the fact that progress has been made in recent years in the areas mentioned above, the ministry of education and culture is still facing many challenges, especially in the reception phase, due to the constant flow of children with migrant background into schools throughout the school year,” the minister said.“I am convinced that with the opportunity offered by the European Commission… we will make the most of this effort.”In 2016 an action plan for the education of children from a migratory environment was prepared, based on SIRIUS recommendations and was aimed at coordinating school activities for creating an educational policy for the integration of migrant children, including refugees.However, according to the latest education and training monitoring report for Cyprus in September 2018, significant challenges still remain, including the need to find ways to put into practice student attendance at the age of 16, language learning and cooperation between schools and local communities, ensuring that there is continuity in the specific skills when a teacher moves from a school.You May LikePopularEverythingColorado Mom Adopted Two Children, Months Later She Learned Who They Really ArePopularEverythingUndoLivestlyChip And Joanna’s $18M Mansion Is Perfect, But It’s The Backyard Everyone Is Talking AboutLivestlyUndoYahoo SearchYou’ve Never Seen Luxury Like This On A Cruise Ship. Search Luxury Mediterranean CruisesYahoo SearchUndo Pensioner dies after crash on Paphos-Polis roadUndoCruise passenger airlifted to Paphos hospitalUndoRemand for pair in alleged property fraud (Updated)Undoby Taboolaby Taboola read more