STF jawan injured in encounter
A jawan of the Chhattisgarh police’s Special Task Force (STF) sustained injuries during an encounter with Maoists in Narayanpur district of south Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. The encounter took place when a joint team of the STF and the District Reserve Guard (Chhattisgarh police’s special Anti-Maoist unit) attacked a Maoist camp in Bhatbeda forest in Orchha area of Naryanpur. Santosh Singh, Superintendent of Police, Narayanpur district, said: “There was an exchange of fire for over an hour after which the Maoists fled from the spot. STF jawan Antosh Markam sustained injuries during the encounter. He was immediately sent to Raipur by a chopper for treatment,”“We have recovered Maoist literature, water tanks, solar plates, Maoist uniforms, bullets and IEDs [Improvised Explosive Devices] from the spot of the encounter. The blood stains at the spot suggest that there is a possibility that many Maoists were killed in the encounter,” Mr. Singh added.
Alisha Chenoy had young India crooning “Made in India.” Shaan’s “Tanha Dil,” Abhijeet’s “Deewana” and Sonu Nigam’s “Tuuuu” made them the voice of the new generation. Daler Mehndi’s “Bolo Ta Ra Ra” made him the unrivalled Bhangra King; Colonial Cousins brought in western fusion to classical ragas; Bombay Vikings’ “Wo Chali” introduced a genre of English fusion to old Bollywood tracks; Remo Fernandes “O Meri Munni” and Baba Sehgal’s “Thanda Thanda Paani” had us jiving to Hindi rap, Sunita Rao came up with the mesmerizing “Pari Hoon Main”; Ila Arun’s “Maaro Ghaghro” and Shubha Mudgal’s “Ab Ke Saawan” made us fall in love with rustic melodies. Adnan Sami and Asha Bhosle’s “Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao” and Alka Yagnik’s “Saare Sapne” symphonies touched virtually every Indian heart. The 1990s saw many independent musicians rise to fame with chartbuster albums. Non-film music was a rage. Today, however, this music culture is in its death throes.There’s a clear divide in the Indian music world between film and non-film music. With their huge budget, films are growing ever bigger. Before music lovers realized it, they were crooning Bollywood chartbusters being repeated on music channels and radio stations instead of private songs. The blend of pop, rap and Sufi music in Indian film songs has doomed the independent music genre, according to many independent singers.“Bollywood songs till recently were quite typical in character. But now music composers have so articulately begun blending every genre of music with Bollywood numbers that there of course remains little scope for us,” says Punjabi pop singer Bhuppi.“Probably this was when some of us began singing for a few Bollywood tracks that the idea struck Bollywood and record companies to invest in good Bollywood music than spend lakhs in promoting independent singers and their albums,” says pop-singer Shibani Kashyap, who is known for the Bollywood tracks “Sajna Aa Bhi Jaa” and “Zinda Hoon Main.” With singers like Shaan, Kailash Kher, Lucky Ali, Daler Mehndi and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan lending their voice to Bollywood numbers, private albums have withered. Shibani KashyapIndependent musicians accept that it’s nearly impossible for them to compete against big budget movies. Palash Sen, of the music band Euphoria, says the shift occurred around 2004 when record companies suddenly realized that film music could bring in great profits: “Companies realized that songs could be a great promotion for movies and filmmakers were ready to put in plenty of money to promote their films. Unluckily, us private singers never had the money to market ourselves.” The music label Magnasound, which provided a non-film platform for budding musicians, was the industry’s major lifeline, but it folded earlier this decade.With the advent of MP3 and music channels shifting from non-film to film to reality shows, Indi-pop and other non-film music genres are fading out. “As there are no financiers available for independent musicians, consumers are almost always hooked to music from movies. The good talent never filters to the consumer,” rues Euphoria’s Sen. The trend today is enter playback singing or go bust. As a result, many band singers like Neeraj Sridhar of Bombay Vikings and Mohit Chauhan of Silk Routes have taken the Bollywood route. However, many Indian musicians still prefer to steer clear of films.“Somehow Bollywood films don’t talk to me. I fail to understand them or their music,” says famous Sikh singer Rabbi Shergill of “Bulla Ki Jaana” fame.Likewise, pop singer Jassi says: “I am very choosy about singing Bollywood tracks. I look for music and lyrics that I can relate to. Most often than not, I fail to find a connect.” Like many Punjabi singers, he is relieved that there is still heavy demand for private albums in Punjab. Rabbi ShergillMany private albums continue to be released every year. However, because of low promotion most die unheard. Singers blame music channels and radio stations for their plight. “While music channels like MTV and Channel V are busy promoting reality shows, radio stations are happy playing Bollywood numbers. Where is the scope left for us to air play our new albums?” demands Jassi.Kashyap says, “When I came into the pop industry with my debut album ‘Ho Gayi Hai Mohabbat,’ I was getting due airtime and became MTV artist of the month. Today, the music, which we get to see on music channels, is just Bollywood songs.”Many singers have switched to online promotions. “Imran Khan’s ‘Amplifier’ got famous through You Tube. Even I prefer watching Shakira’s videos on You Tube. I trust the site to promote my new launches as well,” Kashyap says.Top honchos in the broadcast industry reject the criticism that they discourage independent artists. “For any TV channel or radio station, private albums are equally important if they are quality products. Unfortunately, today private album has become a territory where anyone can walk in, pool in some ancestral money, rope in some mediocre musician and bingo the album is ready,” says Viplove Gupte, Head-National Programming, for 92.7 Big FM, Reliance Broadcast Network. But what about accomplished singers like Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Sukhwinder Singh, K.K., Shubha Mudgal, and the like? “I do know of some top singers who have their albums ready, but are worried about releazing it because of the bad quality of non-film music being produced these days,” Gupte says. Shankar Ehsaan Loy Shubha Mudgal, the well-known Hindustani classical and Indian Pop singer believes the problem lies in the shift to music videos, which lowered the quality of music: “Music companies did not hesitate to spend huge amounts of money on music videos, but neglected quality control when it came to music production itself. So they would squeeze the music production to the point where they did not care where the tracks were recorded as long as the cost was kept low. Similar short-sighted penny-pinching strategies resulted in poor productions, which no one wanted to buy or hear.”Rabbi Shergill agrees: “Being a good singer is no more enough. It’s more about how good your music video is or how good you look. There is this complete standardisation of music where everything sounds the same and we all are mutually replaceable.” Abhijeet Bhattacharya Bollywood’s huge budgets and mega succesful new-age musicians like AR Rahman and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, are making the going undoubtedly tougher for private singers. Loy Mendonsa, of the musician trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, says: “Bollywood music has evolved over the years and it’s experimenting with every kind of music — be it Sufi, qawwali, pop, folk or any other. Probably that’s the reason that there are less takers of private albums now given that they have higher risks at stake.”The pace of musicians and lyricists heading to Bollywood and expressing their creativity through movie songs has grown markedly in recent years. Shankar Mahadevan, of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, who stormed Bollywood through his hit album “Breathless” has stopped creating private albums now. Daler Mehndi“It’s because the market for private albums is shrinking and people are more inclined towards film music that I now try and find my expression in Bollywood songs,” says lyricist Prasoon Joshi, who penned the lines for songs like “Dooba Dooba” in Silk Route and “Man ke Manjeere in Shubha Mudgal.The Internet, which is often seen as a golden opportunity for independent musicians to promote and market their songs, is a double edged sword. Playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya says: “If I sing a song today for a private album, it’ll be all over internet tomorrow. I have seen many of my new releases included in the list of 200 songs fed in cheap MP3 cassettes. While my earlier albums like ‘Tere Bina’ and ‘Deewana’ had made good business, by the time ‘Lamhe’ hit music stores, piracy had taken its toll on our industry.” Shuba MudgalHis sentiments are shared by Punjabi pop singer Bhuppi: “I thought people loved my songs. Yes they did. But I would have preferred had they bought my albums than download them from some internet sites for free. We haven’t such money to not worry about the loss in millions we incur with every album.” ShaanBlame it on piracy or flops at the box-office, the music industry is in near-crisis mode. The sale of film albums has also hit an all-time low. This may be a sliver of good news for independent singers as industry players are forced to think out-of-the-box-office to tide over this difficult period. Rajat Kakar, managing director of Universal Music India, says that non-film music could help the industry revive. “We yet don’t know how, but we are surely going to promote independent singers,” adds Apurv Nagpal, chief executive officer of Saregama. Rock OnEven so, singers are not as optimistic. “While we haven’t the money, record companies are still not willing to invest in our albums. Hit or flop, they sail better with Bollywood film. And we don’t see any positive change happening anytime soon,” says Jassi. Related Items
Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox – subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what’s happening in the world around you – in real time. Madrid: Karim Benzema scored his sixth goal in five games to help Real Madrid beat high-flying Real Sociedad 3-1 on Saturday as Gareth Bale came on as a substitute to a screech of whistles at the Santiago Bernabeu.Bale, only recently fit again after a calf injury, was named on the bench following his controversial outing with Wales last week, when he celebrated victory behind a flag that read: “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order.” But Zinedine Zidane brought Bale on for Rodrygo in the 67th minute and the home fans, who had already jeered his name before kick-off, made their dissatisfaction clear.Without Bale, Benzema had delivered again, equalising after a Sergio Ramos mistake allowed Willian Jose to give Real Sociedad the lead after just 110 seconds.Fede Valverde and Luka Modric completed the victory in the second half.After Barcelona’s 2-1 win earlier in the afternoon over bottom-club Leganes, which required a late winner from Arturo Vidal, Madrid’s victory keeps them level on points with the Catalans, with next month’s Clasico at Camp Nou fast-approaching.Atletico Madrid lost ground at the top. They were held to a 1-1 draw away at Granada and now sit three points behind the leading pair, having played one game more.Only Barca’s Lionel Messi and Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski have more goals than Benzema’s 25 in the top five European leagues in 2019 and his latest strike means he has 12 for his club this season, twice as many as Cristiano Ronaldo for Juventus.FANS ‘UNIMPRESSED’ BY BALEBale was supposed to fill the void when Ronaldo departed but instead his relationship with the club, coach and now fans has only grown more distant.Zidane defended the 30-year-old when questioned about his celebrations in Cardiff and urged Real Madrid’s supporters to show mercy, by pointing to Bale’s history and achievements.It was noticeable that some fans were uncomfortable with the criticism, pointing to the badges on their scarves and shirts, and there was a scattering of defiant applause too when Bale enjoyed some bright moments late on.But the volume of the whistles was loud enough to suggest the majority were unimpressed and had been waiting for the moment to make their point.If revenge was served to Bale there was also the chance to view Real Sociedad’s Martin Odegaard up close, the 20-year-old Norwegian on loan from Madrid, who has been arguably the best creative midfielder in the league so far.Odegaard has been key to Real Sociedad’s surprise start and for half an hour they outplayed their opponents, their assertive, free-flowing style in evidence from the off.Defeat means La Real stay fifth, five points off the top.They needed less than two minutes to score as Ramos played a backpass blind to Thibaut Courtois and Willian Jose read it, nipping in and applying a smart finish.He could have had a second but hit Courtois from six yards while Odegaard blossomed, one swerving pass drawing sighs of approval before a fizzing shot went close.But the visitors lost their way towards the end of the first half and Madrid struck, Benzema heading in Modric’s pin-point cross before Valverde’s deflected shot beat Alex Remiro two minutes after the interval.For a while, Bale took centre stage, as his arrival and then every touch were whistled but he seemed to relish the challenge and almost capped a driving run with a goal, his finish dribbling across the line in injury-time.By then, Modric had wrapped up the win as Benzema generously headed back for his team-mate to fire into the corner. footballGareth BaleKarim Benzemala liga First Published: November 24, 2019, 9:56 AM IST
Kuala Lumpur, Feb 25 (PTI) An Indian-origin Malaysian woman today sued Malaysia Airlines and the government for USD 7.6 million in damages over the loss of her husband on Flight MH370 which mysteriously disappeared nearly two years ago with 239 people onboard.32-year-old K Sri Devis husband S Puspanathan, then a governance specialist, was among the 239 passengers including five Indians and crew on board the Beijing-bound Boeing 777 aircraft.Devi, who is a housewife, filed the 32 million Malaysian Ringgit (USD 7.6 million) negligence suit before the Kuala Lumpur High Court by her lawyer Shailender Bhar.In the lawsuit, Devi along with her two young sons and parents-in-law have alleged wrongful death of Puspanathan due to alleged negligence and breach of contract by the airline and government agencies.The suit was filed against Malaysia Airlines and eight others from the government over the disappearance of flight MH370 which is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean two years ago two years ago, The Malaysian Insider reported.The aircraft left Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in the wee hours of March 8, 2014 for Beijing and was declared as having “ended in the Southern Indian Ocean and all lives lost”.Apart from a wing part called flaperon, no other part of the plane has been found so far despite a massive search operation in the Indian Ocean.Included in the suit as plaintiffs are the couples children Haresh Varmer, 5, and Thashvarmen, 3, and Puspanathans parents, G Subramaniam and A Amirathan.Bhar said among those named as part to the action were Malaysian Airlines System Bhd, Malaysia Airlines Bhd, the Department of Civil Aviation, Immigration Department, Royal Malaysian Air Force and the government.advertisementHe said the thrust of the suit was that the owner of the aircraft was negligent in causing the aircraft to go missing.He added that the Civil Aviation and Immigration departments were also in breach of their statutory duties.The plaintiffs are seeking damages for, among others, loss of support, nervous shock and bereavement.Bhar said his clients had written to the Royal Malaysian Air Force, Civil Aviation and Immigration departments for clarification but none was forthcoming.”The family has been waiting for answers and the plane to be discovered but to no avail,” he said, adding that under an international convention, the suit must be filed within two years of the incident. PTI CPS AKJ CPS
Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor VVS Laxman has said that shifting the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches out of drought-hit Maharashtra is not a solution for what is now a national problem.”I don’t think that it is a solution. You have to find out the root cause of the main problem. As I mentioned, it’s been bad as far as monsoons are concerned. It’s not only a problem in one state but throughout the country. So, shifting from Mumbai will not be a real solution,” the former India batsman said in Hyderabad. (IPL’s first match as scheduled in Mumbai)A PIL was filed in the High Court on Tuesday which sought a direction to the IPL chairman to pay tax on usage of water, claiming that about 60,000 litres of water would be needed every day to maintain the pitches.Asserting that shortage of water is a fallout of global warming and climate change, Laxman said it is a phenomenon that affects the whole country.”Identify the root cause and I am sure the government is looking into it and the necessary departments have to take all the precautions so that it does not happen. Because, this is going to be a problem. We have seen so much of global warming,” said Laxman. (Maharashtra drought catches Indian Premier League off guard)”One of the major effects is climate change which indirectly will affect the water. We have seen that in the past. It affects the country, not one or two cities.” (Clash of captains as IPL returns)advertisementIPL, besides helping young cricketers to learn from some of the experienced players, also adds to the economy of the country, Laxman claimed.”Both are very crucial. I definitely feel for the farmers, what they are going through. This year, because of a bad monsoon, there is a lot of water shortage. Not only for farmers, but throughout the country, there is a lot of water shortage. I know everyone is looking for negatives as far as IPL is concerned,” said the right-handed batsman. (IPL 2016 complete team list)”There are a lot of benefits. It is a game which not only helps youngsters learn from some of the exceptional talent from India, but also all over the world. It also adds to the economy of the country.” he said.(With inputs from PTI)
From K J M VarmaBeijing, Sep 8 (PTI) Under pressure after an international tribunal struck down its claim over the disputed South China Sea (SCS), China today welcomed President Vladimir Putins remarks that Russia supports Beijings stance on the issue and opposes any third-party interference.”China values President Putins position on the South China Sea issue,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said today.”President Putins position shows Russia to be objective and fair, and represents the voices of justice from the international community,” Hua said.In fact, if a country is truly concerned about peace and stability in the SCS, it will support China to peacefully resolve the dispute with the countries directly concerned in accordance with international law and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the SCS (DOC), she said.She said that China also opposes any attempt by forces outside the region to manipulate the issue or stir up trouble, in an apparent reference to the US which has termed the verdict of the tribunal as legally binding.Talking to reporters after the G20 Summit in Chinese city Hangzhou, Putin said Russia supports Chinas stance on the SCS issue and opposes any third-party interference.”We stand insolidarity and support ofChinas position onthis issue ? not torecognise the decision ofthis court. This is not a political position, butpurely legal,” Putin was quoted as saying by Russias Sputnik news agency.China has rejected the decision questioning the legality of the tribunal.China is involved in a raging dispute with the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei over ownership of territory in the SCS, a busy waterway through which Indias 50 per cent trade passes.advertisementIndia and the US have been calling for freedom of passage in the international waters, much to the discomfort to Beijing, whose claim over SCS was recently struck down by the international tribunal in favour of the Philippines. PTI KJV ZH AKJ ZH
The world’s biggest and richest basketball league NBA is on a globalisation overdrive. The newest academy destination for NBA is India where it would soon have what they call ‘an elite basketball training centre’ based out of Delhi NCR. (Latest Sports stories)This is following a spate of academy announcements around the world recently with three in China and one in Australia.”The world is global now and NBA has gone global. Our players, coaches, owners, partners everybody wants the best players. NBA represents the best level of basketball in the world and we are scouting the entire world to have the best. We have about 25 per cent international representation now, which are 113 players. We are delighted to continue that with historically investing in player development through academies,” NBA Vice President International Basketball operations Brooks Meek told India Today.”We know and believe in having international players as a major focus for us. Building off on success of our grassroots program in India we knew it was time to invest directly in a development program and play a significant role in helping Indian players as part of NBA down the line,” he adds.NBA has been scouting academy locations in India for the past year and a half before narrowing down on six potential centres in Delhi NCR. With requirements like at least two or three indoor courts, quality dormitory facilities and proximity to schools being some of the prerequisites, a final announcement is expected to take another month or so. 24 boys would be chosen from a national trail system to have a first taste of academy training.advertisement”They would have scholarships when they come into the academy. We will have a 360 development approach to them not just in terms of basketball ability but also education and personal development. The selected ones get NBA certified global curriculum and we believe even in the short term it will have an impact on the quality of our national basketball system,” says NBA India MD Yannick Colaco.The academy intends to identify budding basketball players with access to high level training environment and options to choose his pathway if he has what it takes. “We feel we have an impact on the pathway for the player. Not only will he play the junior nationals and for the national team but will have the chance to evaluate opportunities whether to play college in America or professionally in Asia or Europe or play the D league,” Brookes says.While it’s still a pipe dream to have an India bred basketball player become a NBA regular, those like Satnam Singh who was selected in the drafts last year and Palpreet Singh Brar more recently who got a crack at NBA Development League have made a start. “Palpreet is a great example. He began playing basketball 6 years ago. If we had the chance to work with him from the academies program, we believe he would be even better. With this, we will hopefully see a NBA player from India sooner than later,” Brooks opines.
Delhi Daredevils were deflated and demoralised. They were spectacular on the field after opting to bowl against Gujarat Lions: first Rishabh Pant took a smart catch behind the stumps to see the back of Brendon McCullum before Shahbaz Nadeem swooped in on the ball to catch Dwayne Smith short of the crease.However, that was the last bit of joy for the hosts for the next 12 overs at the Feroz Shah Kotla as Suresh Raina (77) and Dinesh Karthik (65) ponded them to gather 130 runs. It took another direct hit, this time from Kagiso Rabada, to get rid of Raina.But Karthik was still a massive danger. That onslaught was stopped thanks to a mind-numbing catch by Corey Anderson.BCCI PhotoPat Cummins’ slower one tempted Karthik to clear mid-off but he did not really time the lofted shot. Anderson waited in his position, timed his jump to perfection and plucked off the ball out of thin air to dismiss Karthik.Sunil Gavaskar, who was on air at the time, was impressed with the “jaw-dropping” stuff. It’s not easy to impress the legendary Gavaskar but that catch, even though it looked it, was anything was easy.Anderson was on fire for Delhi only two nights back as he top-scored with an unbeaten 41 to guide them home against defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Also, these seem relevant…Really! #okstate QT @CardinHart: @pistolsguy @Pokelahoma @ThayerEvansSI claims he’s not an OU fan… pic.twitter.com/tvTPqbOFMw— thinks we go 8-4 guy (@Pokelahoma) September 14, 2013https://twitter.com/okc_dave/status/378682305570537472If you’re looking for the comments section, it has moved to our forum, The Chamber. You can go there to comment and holler about these articles, specifically in these threads. You can register for a free account right here and will need one to comment.If you’re wondering why we decided to do this, we wrote about that here. Thank you and cheers!
COLUMBUS, OH – SEPTEMBER 08: Tate Martell #18 of the Ohio State Buckeyes breaks free on a 47-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter of the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State won 52-3. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)Ohio State’s quarterback room is going to be a crowded one heading into spring practice, as the Buckeyes received some big news heading into the weekend.Former Georgia five-star freshman quarterback Justin Fields has officially transferred into Ohio State’s program. He was seen as the Buckeyes’ basketball game on Saturday with Dwayne Haskins.Fields, a former top recruit, is expected to petition the NCAA to gain immediate eligibility for the 2019 season.Of course, many Ohio State fans are wondering what this means for Tate Martell. The redshirt freshman quarterback had made it clear that he wasn’t transferring ahead of the 2019 season and he plans on winning the starting job.Most believe that starting job will go to Fields, assuming he’s eligible, but don’t be surprised if Martell is able to hold him off.Longtime Ohio State insider Tim May tweeted the following about Martell on Saturday:“All I’m saying is don’t sleep on @TheTateMartell . This spring in @OhioStateFB promises to be even more meaningful than last spring in terms of the QB position,” he tweeted.All I’m saying is don’t sleep on @TheTateMartell . This spring in @OhioStateFB promises to be even more meaningful than last spring in terms of the QB position.— Tim May (@TIM_MAYsports) January 5, 2019Ohio State is used to having big-time quarterback competitions, as they’ve had a couple of them in recent years with Dwayne Haskins-Joe Burrow and Cardale Jones-J.T. Barrett.The Buckeyes will certainly be one of the most-intriguing teams in the country this spring.
The specialised team, headed by Anthony Haile, formerly of the UK Royal Navy is expanding ASRY’s experience in the defence sector to become one of ASRY’s primary differentiators from other regional yards.The new move is aiming at capturing approximately 60% of the regional Naval market, up from approximately 45% currently.ASRY Chief Executive explained, “Naval repair work requires a very specific skill set and unique standards, which we have built up over recent years. By focusing that knowledge into a specialised team, we can ensure naval customers that we speak their language when it comes to marine repair. This move has already seen results, with a unique invitation to the UK Ministry of Defence to discuss future collaborations.”Bahrain is the host to two of the largest fleets in the region, the UK and US, as well as Bahrain’s own naval resources, and ASRY has been the popular choice for their repair work with 60 vessels docking at the yard in the past five years. This number is set to increase dramatically over the next two years, as ASRY’s invests heavily, including the embedding of a new MAN-Diesel workshop on-site as an original equipment manufacturer.Meanwhile further negotiations are under way with the local Bahrain Navy for a more comprehensive ongoing relationship.ASRY added that as part of its customisation to particular naval repair sensitivities, the shipyard now “operates the authorised access pass system developed by the Ministry of Defence Saudi Armed Forces Projects team which ensures maximum confidentiality and risk management for its people working within these vessels.”Press Release, August 4, 2014 zoom Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company (ASRY) has launched a new department dedicated to military projects called the Navy Defence and Industrial Projects (NDIP) Department.
“We are very proud of all recipients,” said Mr. Wilson. “Coaching is an important aspect of sport and helps create a healthy and prosperous Nova Scotia. The outstanding work of these eight people has made great improvements to sport here in Nova Scotia, which is very apparent when we look at the calibre of our athletes.” During the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012, 49 people received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for their work with the NCCP. Most Nova Scotia’s coaches were awarded their medals. Some will receive their medals at the Atlantic Coaching Conference held in April. Coaching Association of Canada CEO John Bales said the NCCP is recognized across all levels of government as the standard in coach training and certification. “We are very excited to honour these individuals who have made that level of achievement possible,” said Mr. Bales. “The quality of the program can be seen in over a million NCCP trained and certified coaches across the country, and in the outstanding athletes they coach everyday.” In the province’s plan for a healthier Nova Scotia, Thrive!, 34 main actions are set out to create supportive environments for healthy eating and physical activity – such as new programs to provide opportunities for free access to sport and recreation facilities. Through the work of the eight recipients and Thrive!, coaches throughout Nova Scotia have more resources to strengthen Nova Scotia’s athletic programs. Wendy Bedingfield, Wolfville Thomas J. Doucette, Middle Musquodoboit Steve Fairbairn, Fall River Peggy Gallant, Antigonish Nigel Kemp, Halifax Ken Lenihan, Bedford Michael Mackay, Truro Elizabeth Pace, Halifax Eight Nova Scotians received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award in recognition of their contributions to coaching development and coach education. Health and Wellness Minister David Wilson congratulated the recipients for their work with the Coaching Association of Canada’s National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP). The recipients are:
DETROIT – Investors in the Uber ride-hailing service didn’t get all they wanted in selling at least part of their holdings to a group led by Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank.But don’t show them too much sympathy.Even though they sold at roughly a 30 per cent discount from what the shares were worth in 2016, those who invested early made nearly 100 times their initial stake, going from around 35 cents per share to just under $33, according to one investor who requested anonymity because the sales are private.Uber was valued around $68.5 billion during a 2016 capital investment, but it dropped to somewhere above $48 billion in the SoftBank deal announced last week. The reasons for the discount are many, among them the seemingly endless string of scandals, lawsuits and fights that plagued Uber through almost all of 2017. Also, competition has gotten tougher from Lyft and Grab in the U.S. as well as Ola in India and several emerging services elsewhere.During the past year, Uber has been rocked by revelations of rampant sexual harassment in the company, technological trickery designed to hinder regulators, and a yearlong coverup of a hacking attack that stole personal information of 57 million passengers and 600,000 drivers.Rohit Kulkarni, managing director of SharesPost, a company that analyzes private company investments, says three big events that happened around the time that SoftBank began courting investors combined to discount the shares. Just before SoftBank’s intent to shop for shares was announced, regulators in London refused to renew the cab-hailing app’s license to operate. Then the data hack and coverup were revealed, and the company told investors its third-quarter net loss had widened to $1.46 billion on huge legal costs.The events helped SoftBank’s group get a better deal, Kulkarni says.Many big Uber investors include venture capital firms that got in early. They hedged their bets, selling part of their stake to bring big profits to their shareholders while holding the rest for big gains if the company gets past the scandals, the investor said.“This is still a good deal,” said Gartner analyst Michael Ramsey. “The earlier the investment, the bigger the payout.”All-in, the SoftBank group will pump about $9 billion into Uber, including $1.25 billion in new shares that were purchased at the 2016 valuation. SoftBank acquired about 15 per cent of Uber, while other investors in its group got around 3 per cent.The deal, due to close this month, also brings management stability to Uber, reducing the influence of ousted CEO Travis Kalanick. SoftBank, which has global investments in other ride-hailing companies, gets two seats on the board and will help Uber navigate the tough global competition, says Kulkarni.Uber’s new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and COO Barney Harford are experienced executives who successfully increased share value at travel booking companies, says Kulkarni, who expects Uber to be worth a total of $100 billion by the time it offers shares to the public sometime in 2019.To get there, though, they must get a handle on regulatory disputes with governments like the one in London, and they have to show at least a trend line toward making money, he said.“A pathway to profitability is a must,” Kulkarni said.____This story has been corrected to fix spelling errors in the final two references to SharesPost Managing Director Rohit Kulkarni.
Barbados: Former West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan has accepted the invitation of the country’s cricket board to work as a mentor and provide batting tips to the Caribbean side’s batsmen in the run-up to the tri-nation series in Ireland and the World Cup. The 38-year-old, who played 87 Tests, 181 ODIs and 18 T20Is between 2000 and 2013 for the West Indies, will spend the remainder of the week working with the players, especially the batsmen, helping them to fortify their game. However, it is not certain whether he will travel with the West Indies side for the World Cup slated to be held in England and Wales from May 30. “I have come here to act as kind of a mentor to the players and try my best to assist them in any technical ways and with any shortcomings where I think they can improve, and to offer as much help to the head coach, Floyd Reifer, and his coaching staff,” said Sarwan. He admitted that the Indies batsmen have struggled to rotate the strike in the past and thus he would be helping the players to improve their running between the wickets and in finishing games. “I know our batsmen have struggled in the past with rotating the strike, so I am trying to see how best we can get them to improve in this area,” he said. “It’s not an overnight fix, but it’s important to share ideas with them, so that they have something to build on,” he said. Reifer, who took over as coach last week, is expecting Sarwan to have a “wealth of knowledge” to share. “We are hoping he can help the batsmen get a better understanding of how to finish games, the mindset, how to approach batting first, how to approach batting last, so we thought that kind of knowledge was very important to share. He fitted in very well. He did a lot of talking and a lot of work with the batsmen,” he said. a
Theresa May and Barack Obama promised to maintain strong political and economic ties between Britain and the US despite the Brexit vote.Speaking at a joint press conference with the US President at the G20 summit in China, both leaders sought to provide reassurance that the close relationship between the UK and the US would not be weakened by Britain’s decision to leave the EU.“We have a very strong trading relationship with the United States, we will be looking to see if we can maintain this relationship in the future,” Mrs May said.Mr Obama promised that the relationship would strengthen.“Even as the UK pursues an orderly exit from the EU, together we reaffirm the very special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom,” the US president said.”It will not simply endure, but it will continue to grow stronger with time. The vibrant economic partnership between our countries will continue, as the UK gains further clarity on its new relationship with the EU.” In April, during a visit to London, Mr Obama had warned that Britain would go to the “back of the queue” in trade talks with the US if it left the EU. Even if he did not expressed his views as forcefully this time, the US president signalled that a trade deal with Britain was a lower priority than securing an agreement with the EU.His intervention ahead of the Brexit vote annoyed “leave” campaigners who resented what they believed was an unjustified intervention in a domestic political matter.Mr Obama made no apology for his remarks in April when he spoke to journalists early on Sunday in Hangzhou.“It is absolutely true that I believed pre the Brexit vote and continue to believe post Brexit that the world would benefit from the UK’s participation in the EU,” he said. Mr Obama added that the US was involved in detailed negotiations with the EU.“It would make no sense these aside particularly at a time when my working assumption is that if the UK decided to leave the EU, its first priority would be to negotiate trade with the single unit to which they sell half of their goods.” Close economic links with Britain would remain however, Mr Obama added.“There is a lot of investment of British companies in the United States and American companies in the UK and that is going to continue.” he said. He added: “The bottom line is we don’t have a stronger partner anywhere in the world than the United Kingdom, and despite the turbulence of political events over the last several months we have every intention to making sure that that continues.’’Mrs May, who reiterated that there would not be a second referendum on Brexit, described the US as Britain’s “special partner” and a a “long-standing ally and close friend”. 
Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings. U.S. President Barack Obama and Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May arrive to speak to reportersCredit:Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
At MINExpo at the end of September, in Las Vegas, Metso was presented with an award by Freeport-McMoRan Inc for the long-term partnership between both companies. “Your long-time support of Freeport-McMoRan has been a cornerstone of our success. Most recently, your highly motivated team has partnered with us as we weather the difficult cycle that brought copper prices to near six-year lows. Thanks to this team effort, both our companies have worked to reduce costs, gain efficiencies and remain competitive. I am confident in the long-term future of commodities and our industry. We look forward to further strengthening our partnership and moving ahead together,” read a message from Freeport-McMoRan President and CEO, Richard C. Adkerson.“Freeport identified a select number of key partners who have been working hand in hand with us over the last several years on productivity, costs and efficiency initiatives. Metso has been a valued partner of ours, and we are very pleased to present this award recognizing their ongoing contribution to Freeport’s success story in these areas, and in the area of innovation,” says Rick Coleman, President, Freeport-McMoRan Mining Co. “Both companies can be proud of the accomplishments achieved together.”The award design, a copper scroll, depicts Freeport’s Morenci mine – the largest copper operation in North America where Metso and Freeport closely collaborated to provide Metso’s HRC(TM) 3000, the largest fully operating high-pressure grinding roll in the world.“Freeport and Metso have a long, storied history of capturing opportunities of mutual benefit to our organizations,” says Terry J. Wilkins, Senior Vice President, Market Areas USA & Canada, Metso. “Metso HRC 3000 high-pressure grinding roll is one good example of our joint achievements. The innovative concept was developed together to reduce energy consumption and generate savings.“We are proud of the partnership we have built over the years, honoured to receive this award, and look forward to what the future holds.”The picture shows Rick Coleman (Freeport-McMoRan), João Ney Colagrossi (Metso), and Terry J. Wilkins (Metso) accept copper scroll in recognition of long-term strategic partnership at MINExpo International® 2016
Biocarburants : 78% des Français sont pourSelon un sondage Ipsos, les Français se disent en grande majorité prêts à utiliser des carburants bio.Les Français seraient 78% à se dire prêts à “lutter contre le réchauffement climatique” en utilisant des carburants verts. Le sondage Ipsos, qui arrive à cette conclusion, montre également que les utilisateurs sont, pour 56% d’entre eux, “plutôt” ou “tout-à-fait” prêts à étudier “l’option d’un véhicule flex-fuel fonctionnant au super éthanol et à l’essence lors de l’achat de leur prochain véhicule”.Le sondage a été réalisé auprès d’un échantillon de 955 personnes pour les industriels sucriers, la confédération des planteurs de betterave et les céréaliers, à l’occasion des “premières rencontres du bioéthanol” qui se tenaient hier à Paris.Le 10 novembre 2010 à 16:44 • Emmanuel Perrin
La tempête Irina tue 65 personnes à MadagascarLa tempête tropicale Irina a fait au moins 65 morts à Madagascar, ont annoncé lundi soir les autorités du bureau national des catastrophes naturelles (BNGRC).Selon le BNGRC, la tempête tropicale Irina, qualifiée de modérée par les autorités malgaches, a provoqué la mort de 65 personnes et fait un blessé dans l’île. Trois disparus sont également signalés chez les 73.490 sinistrés. Au Mozambique, Irina a tué au moins une personne, un arbre s’étant abattu sur une maison où résidait un vieillard.À lire aussiMaladie de Charcot : symptômes, causes, traitement, où en est on ?La tempête a poursuivi sa course le long des côtes africaines et à Durban (Afrique du Sud) les plages ont été interdites et les bateaux ont reçu ordre de rester au port, a précisé un responsable municipal, Thabo Mofokeng. Sur place, les vagues ont atteint trois mètres de haut, tandis que des vents violents et des pluies torrentielles ont balayé tout le territoire. Irina est la deuxième tempête meurtrière de la saison, Giovanna ayant fait 35 morts, 284 blessés et près de 250.000 sinistrés à Madagascar. La saison cyclonique devrait maintenant prendre fin puisqu’elle dure habituellement de novembre à février. Mais chaque année, des victimes sont à déplorer.Le 6 mars 2012 à 11:04 • Maxime Lambert