Heavy rains in Gujarat
Incessant rains in parts of Gujarat led to one death while 600 people were shifted to safe locations from water logged areas in South Gujarat where many roads remained blocked as rivers are swelling and dams overflowing. One person died of drowning in Bardoli town.Since Monday, South Gujarat and parts of Saurashtra have been experiencing heavy rainfall. In South Gujarat, Valsad, Navsari and areas of Surat district received maximum rainfall. This affected traffic movements on interior roads, which were submerged in waist-deep water.“There is alert in South Gujarat for more rain in next 24 hours. On Wednesday, 600 people were shifted to safe locations,” a state government official from the emergency centre said.The state authorities have deployed around a dozen teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to deal with emergency situation in case water level rises in local rivers and other water bodies.In Sourashtra region, Somnath, Rajula and a few other coastal places received heavy downpour. “South Gujarat and Saurashtra will continue to receive heavy rainfall and monsoon will spread in North Gujarat and Central region also,” as per the IMD forecast.
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Harbhajan Singh extended his fairytale run with bat to help India take a significant lead over New Zealand and provide the platform for the hosts to push for victory in the the second cricket Test in Hyderabad on Sunday.Harbhajan smashed the Kiwi bowlers to smithereens during his swashbuckling unbeaten knock of 85 off just 82 deliveries, and his unbroken 69-run last-wicket partnership with S Sreesanth helped India finish the day at a commanding 436 for nine, thereby enjoying a lead of 86 runs.SCOREBOARDHarbhajan’s knock was laced with seven boundaries and five massive sixes. Such was his onslaught that India racked up 113 runs in the final session.Earlier, a fluent half-century by VVS Laxman characterized India’s display in the first two sessions, but it was Harbhajan’s knock lower down the order that swung the pendulum in India’s favour.After a century and a fifty in the first Test at Motera and his sterling display with ball on the second morning in Hyderabad, the ‘Turbunator’ kick-started his innings with a couple of power-packed shots to the fence. The feisty off-spinner then pulled Brent Arnel for a massive six over deep square-leg to signal his intentions.But his best moment came when he launched into Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori, after rain interrupted the match for 18 minutes.Vettori had taken four wickets by then, including the one of Sachin Tendulkar, but Harbhajan was unfazed. He lofted Vettori over long-on for a massive six and then, in a repeat of his earlier shot, sashayed down the ground to score the maximum again.advertisementThe lusty hitting continued unabashed as the 50-run partnership between the two came up in double quick time, of which Sreesanth’s contribution was a mere 10. Long-on turned out to be Harbhajan’s favoured area as the Jalandhar man greeted Chris Martin with a massive six over that region. He treated Arnel in a similar fashion hitting him for a four and a six on the on-side.Earlier, resuming at an overnight 178 for the loss of two wickets, Laxman and Dravid survived a testing morning session after Vettori removed Sachin Tendular early.Laxman was elegance personified from the word go and was a sheer delight to watch, especially in the session between lunch and tea. The stylish Hyderabadi began the session after tea with an on-drive off Arnel before gliding the bowler towards the third man for another four. A flurry of boundaries followed moments later. Using his wrist, Laxman caressed Arnel through the on-side and then swept Vettori over midwicket for fours. He was not done yet and produced another gem, this time a wristy flick off Arnel.After Dravid departed for a patient 45 just after lunch, Suresh Raina came in and started on a positive note. He played an off-drive first up and followed that up with another well-timed boundary through the covers.But, in trying to hoick Vettori, holed out to Marin Guptill. Raina was Vettori’s second wicket of the day, to add to his dismissal of Sehwag yesterday evening.After the hosts’ cautious approach in the first session, Dravid started the proceedings after lunch in fine fashion, cutting a short and wide Arnel delivery through cover and mid-off and, in the next over, steered Martin through the gully region for another boundary.But, just when Dravid was approaching his fifty, Southee had his man.Earlier, locals here filled the stands in anticipation that Tendulkar would get to the coveted landmark of scoring his 50th Test century, but their hopes were dashed when Vettori had the champion batsman caught at first slip by Ross Taylor in the day’s fifth over.After a 20-minute stay during which he survived a run-out scare and some uneasy moments, Tendulkar rushed down the track without getting to the line of a delivery that turned away after pitching on the leg stump.The last-minute slog took the edge and Taylor stretched to his right to complete a fine one-handed catch, much to the delight of the visitors.Local boy Laxman then joined Dravid and the two ensured that India did not let go of the advantage, which Sehwag gave them with his blistering batting on Saturday.Buoyed by the local support, Laxman started with a bang, punching Martin through the covers for a boundary. Martin then tried to unnerve Laxman with a short one but the Hyderabadi was equal to task and pulled it over midwicket for a boundary forcing Vettori to replace the bowler with Southee.Dravid, at the other end, was biding his time and waited for the bad deliveries. While there weren’t many bad ones on offer, but Dravid was quick to latch on to a bouncer from Southee. The Karnataka batsman rolled his wrists on it and managed to send the ball to the boundary through a packed on-side field that had a short leg, short square-leg and short midwicket.advertisementLaxman, meanwhile, flicked Southee to the boundary and then whipped a Vettori delivery off his pads for same result.With inputs from PTI
Balkman, the former NBA veteran, was at his best in the pivotal fourth period, where he fired 10 points alone as Alab outscored Hong Kong, 23-10, after leading by only two at the end of the third quarter.Ray Parks was also red-hot from the field, finishing with 23 points missing only three of his 12 shots in only his second game back from a groin injury that sidelined him for three games.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSUrgent reply from Philippine football chiefSPORTSPalace wants Cayetano’s PHISGOC Foundation probed over corruption chargesPJ Ramos added a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Philippine side, which hiked its league-leading record to 13-2.But the spotlight was on Balkman, who made ABL history as the fastest player to reach 1000 points, needing only 40 games to achieve the feat. Historic night for Renaldo Balkman. Photo from ABL websiteSan Miguel Alab Pilipinas kept rolling after beating Hong Kong Eastern anew, 96-81, in the 2019 Asean Basketball League Friday night at Southorn Stadium in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.Renaldo Balkman had another efficient and all-around night with a game-high 32 points on 14-of-20 shooting from the field on top of four rebounds, four assists and three blocks to power Alab to its seventh victory in a row.ADVERTISEMENT Grace Poe files bill to protect govt teachers from malicious accusations Alab shot 58 percent from the field and held Hong Kong to just 34 percent.O’Darien Bassett scored 24 points while Sam Deguara had 20 points and 16 rebounds for Hong Kong (11-9), which dropped to 0-3 against Alab this season with all of its losses by double-digits.Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games PLAY LIST 02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games02:11Trump awards medals to Jon Voight, Alison Krauss SEA Games hosting troubles anger Duterte Oil plant explodes in Pampanga town Private companies step in to help SEA Games hosting ‘We are too hospitable,’ says Sotto amid SEA Games woes Oil plant explodes in Pampanga town US judge bars Trump’s health insurance rule for immigrants Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. ‘We are too hospitable,’ says Sotto amid SEA Games woes MOST READ Bobby Portis scores 30 in debut as Wizards turn back Cavs LATEST STORIES View comments
Lionel Messi and his childhood sweetheart married Friday night at a ceremony in his Argentine hometown attended by some of the biggest names in soccer.About 250 guests attended the marriage of Messi and Antonella Roccuzzo at a luxury hotel. They included Messi’s Barcelona teammates Neymar, Luis Suarez and Gerard Pique, who was joined by his wife, Colombian pop star Shakira.WATCH FULL VIDEOArgentines were abuzz over the wedding in Rosario, an agricultural hub and the country’s third-largest city about 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of Buenos Aires.AP PhotoAbout 150 journalists were allowed to cover the event, but had no direct access to the ceremony or the party afterward.Curious onlookers gathered before the wedding near the heavily guarded site hoping to snap photos of the soccer stars.”We think it’s great that Messi has come to Rosario to get married,” said Julio Sosa, who cleans windows for a living.Messi’s mother Celia Maria Cuccittini, father Jorge Messi (AP Photo)Messi, 30, grew up in a lower-middle-class neighborhood in Rosario along with two brothers and a sister. His bride, 29, is the cousin of a close Messi friend and the new couple has been close friends since meeting at a young age.Luis Suarez (AP Photo)Messi and Roccuzzo stayed in touch after he left to play soccer in Spain at age 13 and they eventually started a romantic relationship in the late 2000s.Xavi (AP Photo)Roccuzzo moved to Barcelona, where the couple live with their two sons: 4-year-old Thiago and 1-year-old Mateo. But they often return to their native Rosario.advertisement”Messi could have had this wedding wherever he liked – Dubai, the moon. He can pay any plane ticket to anyone, but he chose the city that’s in his heart,” said Leandro Macaya.Carles Puyol, Fabregas and Xavi with their wives (AP Photo)Messi, a five-time FIFA world player of the year, has faced criticism in Argentina because he has never brought the country a major title, in contrast to his repeated successes playing for Barcelona. But he is praised both at home and abroad for keeping his common touch.”He was always the same and he never changed,” said Diego Vallejos, a childhood friend who was invited to the wedding.”Despite everything that he’s accomplished in life, he’s still the same simple kid, the skinny dude that I grew up with. It’s hard to explain the feeling – I’m both a friend and a fan.”Sergio Aguero (AP Photo)
Continue Reading Previous The Write Stuff: The role and importance of an overviewNext Bodacious Brain Meets ESC Boston 2017 Generally speaking, I think that when most people look at all the shiny flashy electronic thingamabobs that surround us, they assume that the software running on these gadgets and gizmos is as fresh and bushy-tailed as are the devices themselves. Sad to relate, this may not be the case…As I wrote in an earlier column (see: Startup Cracks MultiCore, Thread Programming Problem ):If a lay person thinks about the Internet at all, they tend to assume that it’s composed of bright, shiny, recently-created software applications that use the latest and greatest programming techniques and that are honed for maximum efficiency. The truth is much grimmer. In the real world, things like bedazzling user interfaces hide the fact that the entire Internet universe is composed of a pyramid of open-source software applications. The part we see is the brightly polished pinnacle at the top. As we plunge down layer-by-layer into the depths, things become darker and dingier.Believe it or not, at the lowest levels, we find small worker-bee-type applications dating from as far back at the 1970s. Since these were originally created using antiquated programming techniques with single-core 8-bit processor targets in mind, you might not be too surprised to discover that they leave some room for improvement.Are the “worker-bee-type applications dating from as far back at the 1970s” the oldest pieces of code that are still in regular, real-world use today? Until this morning, if someone had asked me, I might have guessed that they were close. It turns out, however, that they aren’t even in the ballpark.My chum, Jay Dowling, just pointed me toward this column, which is attributed to Adarsh Verma and which talks about a program called MOCAS. According to the column, MOCAS is currently believed to be the world’s oldest computer program that’s remains in active use. It seems that MOCAS (Mechanization of Contract Administration Services) is still used by the United States Department of Defense running on an IBM 2098 model E-10 mainframe.On the one hand, this a rather interesting article. On the other hand, it appears to have some holes. For example, the date the article was posted is January 31, 2017 (yesterday as I pen these words), but it repeatedly says that MOCAS was launched in 1958, and augments this by saying this was “57 years ago.” Hmmm, I may not be a math wiz, but 1958 is 59 years ago according to the spiffy state-of-the-art calculator in my noggin.Reading the comments associated with Adarsh’s column, someone noted that this is actually a reworked version of this 2015 article, which was written by Glenn Fleishman. This would certainly explain the date discrepancy, but not — I fear — the fact that Adarsh apparently couldn’t be bothered to take the time to ponder what he was copying or to provide a link to the original piece.Adarsh’s article also states that MOCAS was written in COBOL, but another commenter noted that: “According to Wikipedia, the COBOL language wasn’t developed until 1959 and compilers were not available until 1960.” Well, this would be a bit of a poser, except that Glenn’s original piece did note that: “MOCAS is written in COBOL, a language that wasn’t formally approved until a couple of years later, and it was likely initially created in a similar predecessor called FLOW-MATIC…” At the end of the day, I would suggest that people look at Adarsh’s cloned column to see a prime example of how not to re-spin someone else’s work, and I would then recommend they look at Glenn’s original offering to see how an article of this type should be researched and presented. For example, Glenn notes that “MOCAS was the oldest software we could verify, but it may not be the oldest still in routine use,” and he then goes on to present some other possible contenders (or sources thereof).What would be really cool would be if members of the Embedded.com community could come up with examples of code that pre-date MOCAS and that are still in regular use today. Leave a Reply Cancel reply You must Register or Login to post a comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
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Chandigarh, Aug 12 (PTI) Seventy years after Independent India won its first Olympic gold in hockey in London defeating Britain, living legend Balbir Singh Sr. today went down the memory lanes and said he was overwhelmed by a sense of patriotism after the triumph. “The event happened 70 years ago, but it feels like only yesterday. I still remember the feeling when the Indian flag was hoisted at the 1948 Olympics when we beat Britain 4-0,” Balbir Sr. said. “As our national anthem was being played and the tri-colour was going up, I felt that I too was flying with the flag. The sense of patriotism that I felt is beyond any other feeling in the world,” the 94-year-old triple Olympic gold medallist reminisced. Balbir Sr, who started as a goalkeeper before moving up as a full-back and eventually a centre-forward, said that the win was also special as it was over India’s once colonial masters, who had ruled until a year back then. The victorious team had received a grand welcome from the Indian fans upon theirreturn home. A commemorative function was organised at the Chandigarh Press Club here today to mark the 70th anniversary of the event when the tri-colour was hoisted for the first time on this day in 1948 in London’s Wembley stadium after India had defeated Britain to win the Olympic gold in men’s hockey, a win in which Balbir Sr played an leading role by scoring two goals. He recalled that despite being in tremendous form he was not selected among the 39 probables for the finals in 1948 and some of his well wishers even approached the then Indian High Commissioner in London, V K Krishna Menon and sought his help.advertisement Balbir Sr. said it was only after Menon’s intervention and the voices asking for his inclusion in the team growing louder that he secured a place in the playing eleven. Braving inclement weather conditions today, Balbir Sr., wearing a blue blazer and a red tie, hoisted the tricolour at the function amid thunderous applause from the gathering that also included Chandigarh Hockey Association’s senior functionaries and the legend’s daughter Sushbir Kaur and grandson Kabir. After unfurling the tri-colour, Balbir Sr. recalled, “It was a proud moment for all of us when we defeated England, which had until a year ago ruled India for a long period, on their own turf (in 1948). “I still remember that before the match started, the Wembley stadium was reverberating with the noise of English fans. As we took an early lead and later on pumped another goal, after the half time, some English fans started rooting for India, saying make it half a dozen goals,” he remembered. Balbir Sr. said that August 12, 1948 was “greatest day in Independent India’s sporting history”. Notably, in 2012 London Olympics, the iconic centre forward was honoured as the only Indian among 16 chosen Olympic legends across modern Olympic history. His world record for most goals scored by an individual in the men’s hockey final of the Olympics still remains unbeaten. He had scored five goals in India’s 6-1 victory over Netherlands in the gold medal match of the 1952 Helsinki Games. Balbir Sr., meanwhile, left for Delhi to attend a special screening of movie “Gold”, a sports drama inspired by real events during the 1948 Olympics when Independent India won its first Olympic gold medal in field hockey. PTI SUN PDS PDSPDS
New Delhi, Oct 24 (PTI) Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha Wednesday held discussions with Western Australia Tourism Minister Paul Papalia on starting direct flights to Perth.Air India Chairman and Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola was also present at the meeting.India is already a fast growing market for Western Australia with the number of visitors increasing by 38 per cent from the year ending December 2015 to the same period in 2017, an official release said.”Air India has agreed to explore the business case for the route,” it added.Noting that India and Australia share strong trade, investment, sporting and education ties, Sinha said direct connectivity between the two countries has the potential to deepen these relationships. “India has a very open air service agreement with Australia. It encourages both Indian and Australian airlines to consider making use of the liberal arrangements to mount more flights between the two countries,” the minister said.According to the release, Papalia said the meeting was extremely productive and significantly progressed efforts towards establishing direct flights between India and Perth. PTI RAM ABM
Jammu, Dec 3 (PTI) On the International Day of Disabled Persons, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik Monday announced a scholarship scheme for the state’s specially abled students.Under the ‘J&K Government Scholarship Scheme for Differently Abled Students’, financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each would be awarded annually to a meritorious specially abled boy and girl student, an official spokesperson said.The scheme is part of ongoing efforts to develop suitable infrastructure and institutions to facilitate the adjustment of differently abled students in the society, the official added.”We need to provide best possible facilities for the holistic development of persons with special needs,” Malik said after announcing the scheme at a function organised by the department of school education here. Lauding the cultural performances presented by the specially abled children, the Governor announced cash awards for the performers and anchors of the programme. He also announced a five-day orientation programme for 30 children with special needs in Bangalore and Karnataka, as well as a visit to Mansar lake for those who participated in the function.Appreciating the school education department for organising sports events and providing transport facilities for the specially abled students, Malik highlighted the need to donate liberally for helping them in coping up with routine life and honing their talents. PTI TAS RHL
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), custodians of the Laws of Cricket, is considering reviewing the overthrow rules in light of the incidents that occured in the 2019 World Cup final.According to The Times, the MCC feels that overthrows are worth taking a look whenever it next reviews the laws of the game which is the responsibility of the MCC Laws sub-committee.Significant attention has been drawn to the rule after New Zealand’s Martin Guptill’s throw took a deflection off England’s Ben Stokes and went to the boundary.Moreover, umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Marais Erasmus erroneously gave England six runs instead of five as they had not noticed that Stokes and his partner Adil Rashid had not crossed over when Guptill was making the throw.England needed nine runs from the last three balls before that and the overthrows brought the deficit down to three needed off two.Stokes immediately put his hands up to apologise and his Test teammate James Anderson later said that he had asked the umpire to take away the extra four runs that was awarded.Anderson explained that the etiquette is that if the ball takes a deflection off the batsman and goes to an empty part of the field, the batsman refrain from taking an extra run.The game went on to end in a tie and the Super Over that was played to decide the match also ended in a tie. However, England were declared on the basis of their superior tally of boundaries through the course of the match.advertisementAlso Read | Don’t think it’s fair to have a result like that: Eoin Morgan on World Cup 2019 finalAlso Read | Brendon McCullum reveals his advice to New Zealand team after World Cup final lossAlso Read | Ben Stokes nominated for New Zealander of the Year
On behalf of the Touch Football community, Touch Football Australia wishes to extend its condolences to the family of Brian Burns, who passed away last week. Brian Burns passed away on Wednesday, 14 August after a two year battle with Prostate Cancer. For those who knew Brian would not be surprised that he fought his battle to the end.Brian was in the first class of state graded referees and had the state graded referee number of three. He was the leading referee of his day having refereed finals at the first four National Championships.He was also one of the founders of the Parramatta Touch Association and this lifelong association saw him gain Life Membership of the Eels. He has always been well regarded by not only his peers but by the sport in general and was well known as a tireless worker for the sport in its early years. Brian is survived by his wife Lyn and two boys Scott and Jason.Brian’s funeral and wake will both be held at Northmead Bowling Club, 166 Windsor Road Northmead New South Wales on Friday, 23 August at 1pm.Related LinksVale Brian Burns
AUBURN, AL – NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs walks the field prior to facing the Auburn Tigers at Jordan Hare Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)There probably wouldn’t be a college football season without a little bit of off-field drama. Unfortunately, the Georgia Bulldogs have recently been connected to a sizable chunk of it.Speaking at Tuesday practice per DawgNation, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart expressed his disappointment at seeing so many of his players get arrested in the few months since the 2018 season ended. From February to March, four Georgia players have been arrested in incidents across the southeast.“Obviously, I’m extremely disappointed,” Smart said on Tuesday, after the Bulldogs’ fourth spring practice. “There’s a standard of behavior that’s expected of student athletes at the University of Georgia.”Sophomore linebacker Latavius Brini was arrested charged with misdemeanor simple battery. Linebacker Jaden Hunter was arrested for car violations and driving with a suspended license.But defensive back Tyrique Stevenson and wide receiver Tyler Simmons were allegedly involved in a skirmish at a bar in Athens.Smart expressed his concern regarding his players’ decision-making and made it clear he expects them to be “law-abiding citizens.”“My concerns are the decisions that are made to put yourself in that situation,” Smart said. “When you go downtown you’ve got to behave. You’ve got to act the right way and be law-abiding citizens. That’s the expectations we have for our players, and to be honest with you, most of our guys do that.All four players are continuing to practice with the team.[DawgNation]
Do you have posters hung on your wall with thumbtacks or tape? You might want to check out Simply Framed. They’re a new, online custom framing service that makes it easy to get your posters, art prints, and photos looking sharp on your wall. All you have to do is go to simplyframed.com, enter your art’s dimensions, and select your frame style. They will then send you packaging or a return label so you can ship them your art, et voila! They custom frame it and deliver it straight to your door ready to hang. An avid art collector, Dara Deshe Segal founded Simply Framed because she was frustrated about the lack of easy, affordable custom framing services available. What makes it better than going to your local frame shop, you may wonder? “We’re an online, mail-in service, which means that instead of driving across town to the frame shop, you can place your custom framing order from home,” Segal says. Their prices are an added bonus, roughly half the cost of traditional frame shops. If you’re worried about shipping your art, don’t fear. “We take great care in how we handle your art,” Segal says, “from the packaging we provide to the white glove policy we use when handling your art in our frame shop.” They also send you a photo of your art when they receive it, so you can rest assured it’s in good hands. Take a good look at your walls. Are they too college? If so, pay a visit to Simply Framed for an easy upgrade to polished and professional. For more information, visit simplyframed.com.Feature image by photographer Sean Gin for Homepolish, featuring art by Erika Gragg. Tattoo Ideas for Men (For When You Have No Idea) Getting to Know the Lithuanian Beer Scene Editors’ Recommendations This A-Frame-Inspired Cabin Offers Shelter from the Harsh Patagonian Elements The Best Documentaries on Netflix Right Now 15 Best Subscription Boxes for Men Who Love Gifts
A Breakdown of All the Major Types of Car Racing The Evolution and History of the Home Stereo What It’s Like to Drive a NASCAR Race Car (and Where You Can Get Behind the Wheel) In addition to its announcement of the next-generation Fusion Hybrid autonomous test vehicle, Ford used the CES stage to preview a number of Sync 3 infotainment updates coming soon to its vehicles.Sync 3 integrates Amazon’s AlexaFord has partnered with Amazon to offer Alexa — Amazon’s cloud-based voice service in its new models. This is an industry-first collaboration, and expands Ford’s Sync 3 Applink features considerably.With Alexa, drivers will be able to listen to audiobooks, search and transfer local destinations to navigation, request news, play music, add items to Amazon lists, and more. From within the vehicle, Alexa can access lighting, security systems, garage doors, and other Alexa smart home devices. Within your home, you’ll be able to start or stop your Ford’s engine, lock or unlock doors, and check vehicle data.As you’ve probably concluded by now, many of these features will require additional Alexa equipment (Echo, Echo Dot, etc), but the functionality will be built right in to Sync 3 from the factory.“Ford and Amazon are aligned around a vision that your voice should be the primary way to interface with your favorite devices and services,” said Don Butler, executive director, Ford Connected Vehicle and Services.Alexa integration will arrive in two phases. Later this month, Amazon devices will be connected to your car from within your home. This summer, Ford will add Alexa’s in-car voice activation features.Sync AppLink expands featuresFord is opening its Sync AppLink, which mates with your smartphone, to new partners as a test bed for convenience features.ExxonMobil, Samsung, DriverScore, Sygic, and Dash Radio are working on AppLink tools that will address mobile payments, wearables, usage-based insurance, navigation, and entertainment from within Ford cars. Though many of these functions sound like potential distractions for drivers, Ford’s progress with autonomous testing suggests the automaker is envisioning greater productivity and convenience when computers take the wheel.Ford also announced it will conduct global hackathons to introduce its developer program to software engineers — similar to how Apple offers beta operating system access. Editors’ Recommendations Explore On- and Off-Road With Garmin’s All-Terrain Overlander GPS The Best Documentaries on Netflix Right Now 
Restaurants of Jamaica (ROJ) has provided $4.5 million to further boost the operations of the Government’s national school-feeding programme, which will supply an additional 1,500 meals for students. Story Highlights The money was officially handed over to Nutrition Products Limited (NPL) during a ceremony at the National Heroes Circle offices of the Education Ministry on Wednesday (March 14). He noted that the initiative, which represents good corporate citizenship, will go a far way in advancing the Ministry’s effort to provide greater support to students in need of nutritious meals, many of whom depend on the State to provide the only substantial meal they receive daily. Restaurants of Jamaica (ROJ) has provided $4.5 million to further boost the operations of the Government’s national school-feeding programme, which will supply an additional 1,500 meals for students.The funds will facilitate the provision of meals for the remainder of the academic year, which ends in June 2018.The money was officially handed over to Nutrition Products Limited (NPL) during a ceremony at the National Heroes Circle offices of the Education Ministry on Wednesday (March 14).Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, welcomed the donation, noting that it will significantly help to fill gaps in the feeding programme, particularly at the early-childhood level.He noted that the initiative, which represents good corporate citizenship, will go a far way in advancing the Ministry’s effort to provide greater support to students in need of nutritious meals, many of whom depend on the State to provide the only substantial meal they receive daily.The Minister said this partnership with ROJ will ensure that more children attending school are provided with the appropriate nutrition that will improve their educational outcomes.Minister Reid also praised State Minister in the Ministry, Hon. Floyd Green, who requested assistance with boosting the programme to support more children, for forging the partnership with ROJ.For his part, Mr. Green noted that the Ministry has been working to expand the scope of the programme, by increasing the number of products that are provided in the system.“That is why this injection will help us to do just that… . We’re now going into the final semester of the year, and this will enable NPL to roll out more products,” he said.In the meantime, Marketing Director for ROJ, Tina Matalon, said the entity’s support to the school-feeding programme, is “a small but worthy contribution…which will make a difference in providing the nutrition that (children need)”.“We don’t think any child should go to school hungry. We do believe that all children need proper nutrition and proper meals to be able to learn. As an organisation that feeds the nation, we want to make sure we do our part to feed the students,” she said.Mrs. Matalon further informed that this support represents the first step in the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Jamaica ‘Add Hope’ initiative.Add Hope is an international initiative by KFC’s parent company, Yum International, which collects donations in-store to fund meals for undernourished children.Mrs. Matalon noted that the ROJ is currently in discussion with the Education Ministry to launch a second phase of the programme in September 2018. The second phase will enable KFC customers to donate part proceeds from select menu items towards the school-feeding programme.NPL, which is responsible for the production and distribution of meals to schools under the national nutrition programme, currently provides approximately 300,000 students in more than 800 schools with breakfast and/or lunch each week.They include youngsters on the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), and others deemed vulnerable.
zoom Shanghai International Port Group Co Ltd, the operator of the world’s busiest container shipping port, the Port of Shanghai, posted a net profit for the third quarter of 2015 worth CNY 4.5 billion (USD 712 million), down 3.31 pct when compared to the last year’s results.This is the first time for the company to report a quarterly net profit fall since Q2, 2014, Reuters reports.Net cash flow from operating activities for the period amounted to CNY 6.9bn, a 5.8 drop from last year’s CNY 7.3 bn. The company’s operating income was CNY 22.3 bn, 4.23 percent up from last year, Shanghai International disclosed in a Shanghai stock exchange filing.The drop comes amid an overall slowdown in the Chinese economic development.However, the port of Shanghai container throughput reached 35.29 million TEUs, a 4.5 percent rise when compared to last year’s figures pushing the port ahead of Singapore and Busan ports.The figure builds on the 35.2 million milestone from last year when Shanghai’s volumes surpassed those of its nearest box counterpart Singapore that reached 33.9 million throughput.The prestigious title of the world’s busiest port was claimed by Shanghai in 2010 and has been held ever since.World Maritime News Staff
zoomIllustration. Image Courtesy: Pixabay under CC0 Creative Commons license Norwegian shipping company Saga Tankers expects the current market volatility to continue going forward, providing opportunities to create value through investments in assets, equity or debt.“The group has a solid investment portfolio and a strong balance sheet, enabling the company to continue to pursue attractive investment opportunities within the framework of industries it operates,” Saga Tankers said.In its financial report for the third quarter of 2018, the company revealed that its net loss stood at NOK 16.9 million (around USD 2 million), compared to a net loss of NOK 0.2 million posted in the corresponding period a year earlier.The company wrapped up the first nine months of this year with a net profit of NOK 13.4 million, compared to NOK 41.3 million reported from January to September 2017.Saga Tankers ASA also reported a net asset value (NAV) of NOK 422 million at the end of the third quarter 2018, corresponding to NOK 1.59 per outstanding share, excluding minority interests and with Vallhall valued at book value.By the end of the third quarter, Saga had a cash balance of NOK 100 million. All long-term debt is related to the real estate in Vallhall — Saga’s ownership is 55%.During the quarter, the market value of shares held in SD Standard Drilling Plc, Vistin Pharma ASA and Pareto Bank ASA was reduced with NOK 16 million. This is classified as net loss from available for sale assets, according to the company.Saga has during the quarter reduced the ownership in Pareto Bank ASA from 5.7% to 4 %. Subsequent of third quarter Saga has further reduced its ownership in Pareto Bank to 2.3%.
On August 1 and 2 Duffy’s Hope Inc. hosted their 12th Annual Duffy’s Hope Celebrity Basketball game.This year’s game was held at the University of Delaware, Bob Carpenter Center located at 631 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19716. Also, the Foundation presented a Meet & Greet for their VIP and Floor Seat ticket holders before the Celebrity game.The annual Duffy’s H.O.P.E, Inc. Celebrity Basketball Game featured well known television, movie and music stars! Those who put on their sponsored Moneyball Sportswear uniforms and Reebok sneakers to raise funds for the Duffy’s Hope Organization, as well as lend their time for personal appearances, included: Keshia Chanté (Host of BET’s 106 & Park), Romeo (Jumping The Broom and Madea’s Witness Protection), Jay Ellis (Blue from BET’s, The Game), Allie DeBerry (Paisley Disney’s Hit Show, A.N.T. Farm), McKinley Freeman (Derek VH1’s Hit the Floor), Lamman Rucker (Tyler Perry’s hit TV series Meet the Browns AND Tyler Perry’s film, Why Did I Get Married?), Tammy “T-Time” Brawner (Original Harlem Globetrotters), Christian Keyes (BET’s Let’s Stay Together), Raven Goodwin (Disney’s Good Luck Charlie), Hot Sauce the Streetballer, Manilove and Delaware’s own D.J. Mifflin (Sleepy Hollow).The weekend began with Duffy’s Hope, Inc. hosting their 2nd Annual Evening of H.O.P.E. Reception on Friday, August 1. This special occasion honored contributors and community members for their philanthropic endeavors while recognizing the youth participants who have made significant strides towards a promising future. The “Evening of H.O.P.E.” has become a tradition for kicking off the fun-filled weekend experience of quality prevention programming.Day Two of the weekend continued as Duffy’s Hope was excited to partner with Delaware Prevention Coalition as the sponsor for the Teen Summit Panel held at Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware. Keynote speaker, Keshia Chanté, host of BET’s 106 & Park opened up the forum by giving personal insight on what her motivation was to succeed; how important education was to her and how not to let anyone stop the goal(s) you have set for yourself. The panel continued with a Question and Answer forum to the five hundred enthusiastic young teens who could not wait to speak with Keshia Chante as well as the other guests who joined the discussion, Allie DeBerry, McKinley Freeman, Jay Ellis, Raven Goodwin Tammy “T-Time” Brawner and Delaware’s own D.J. Mifflin.Additional sponsors included United Way of Delaware, City of Wilmington, New Castle County Government, Herr’s Foods, Delmarva Power, Hilton—Wilmington/Christiana, Erotique, Unico Vino, From Mother’s Garden, Strength of Nature House of Brands, Philadelphia 87ers; The Source and Movement magazines.The weekend grand finale was the much anticipated Celebrity Basketball Game. Fans of all ages from beginning to end experienced a special half-time performance, games and giveaways; in addition to, the opportunities to meet celebrities, get their autographs and take pictures, along with watching a thrilling game, which the Celebrities prevailed over the Local team 57- 46.Duffy’s Hope, Inc. founder and basketball enthusiast, Duffy Samuels has taken his passion and love towards the game of basketball and his community, and channeled it into an organization comprised of dedicated, hardworking volunteers who are committed to providing a helping hand to Delaware youth.The Duffy’s Hope Celebrity Events serve an average of 3,500 spectators; and in its 12th year, the annual Celebrity Basketball Game has become the major resource of promoting the importance of adult involvement and financial support of youth based prevention programs. The event also encourages youth to overcome obstacles and always strive for excellence in all areas of their lives.
OTTAWA – The government of Canada has been increasing its use of paid Facebook advertisements over the last three years, spending tens of millions of dollars on boosted posts, videos and ad campaigns, new figures tabled in Parliament show.From Jan. 1, 2016 to March 2018, federal government departments and agencies spent more than $24.4 million on Facebook and Instagram ads, promotions and sponsored posts and videos.The data, tabled earlier this month in the House of Commons, includes a breakdown of spending by each government department and agency, showcasing a growing government reliance on Facebook for promoting events and publicizing key government messages and policy initiatives.The biggest spender was Destination Canada, which expensed more than $9.2 million for promoting tourism in Canada to Facebook users during the designated time frame.The Immigration Department, meanwhile, spent more than $2 million on campaigns, including some international ads promoting visa requirements and economic immigration streams. It also spent $47,497 domestically to provide information about the Syrian refugee program “in response to the outpouring of support and interest in how to get involved from Canadians,” the department stated.In 2016-17 the federal procurement department reported that government spending on digital advertising surpassed television for the first time ever. Digital media represented 54.7 per cent of all advertising expenditures last year, with social media representing 23.3 per cent.The data tabled this month shows agencies that use Facebook for promotion have been increasing their spending on quizzes, campaigns and so-called boosted posts, saying they need to reach people where they are — and more than 20 million people in Canada are on social media.“More and more Canadians are receiving their news and information via social networks. It is important to connect with Canadians on the channels they are using,” Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said in her written response tabled last week.“With sponsored posts and social network advertising, even small funding amounts can have a significant impact. All of Environment and Climate Change Canada’s paid posts or promoted videos performed better and received more impressions than if it was only posted organically.”But Bob Cox, chair of News Media Canada and publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press, said it doesn’t make sense for the government to be using taxpayer dollars to support foreign-owned digital companies like Facebook and Google.“It drives me crazy no one questions this, and I don’t know why because there used to be a time when government would make an effort to use Canadian-owned media,” Cox said.As a proponent of the print news media, Cox argues print publications in Canada have greater reach and trust levels among the public than social media companies, and that print advertisements are far more effective than fleeting online ads.Government spending on foreign-owned advertising also hurts not only domestic media companies already suffering from dwindling subscribers and advertising revenues, but also the Canadian economy, which is out millions of dollars that are flowing across the border.“The federal government is putting”It drives me crazy, no questions this, and I don’t know why because there used to be a time when government would make an effort to use Canadian-owned media,” Cox said. money into companies that are simply taking it out of the country and they’re not re-circulating it, they’re not paying taxes and they’re not contributing to the national economy… that’s the biggest loss from the decline in traditional media.”Meanwhile, the growth in federal spending on Facebook comes at a time when the company has come under fire over the Cambridge Analytica data breach.Canada’s ethics committee has been studying data privacy issues following the scandal that allegedly saw the personal information of some 87 million Facebook users — including more than 620,000 Canadians — improperly accessed for political-campaigning purposes ahead of U.K.’s Brexit vote and the 2016 U.S. presidential election.The company faced tough questioning by governments here, in the U.S. and abroad about privacy concerns and the spread of “fake news.”Company CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized Tuesday during an appearance before the European Parliament in Brussels for how his company handled issues related to fake news, foreign interference in elections and the privacy of Facebook users.Nura Jabagi, a public scholar at Concordia University specializing in business technology management, says the federal government is simply following suit with what’s happening in the private sector when it comes to jumping aboard the social media advertising train.But the fear surrounding issues like the Cambridge Analytica breach does diminish public confidence in such websites, which is where traditional media may still have the upper hand.“Trust is a key factor in communication,” Jabagi said.“In the current climate … traditional media like newspapers are trusted and reputable sources for government audience.”— Follow @ReporterTeresa on Twitter