zoomIllustration; Source: Flickr – under the CC BY 2.0 license; Image by: Frans Berkelaar Malaysia-based Bumi Armada has secured a contract from India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) to provide a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.Namely, the company’s joint venture Shapoorji Pallonji Bumi Armada Godavari Private Limited(SPBAG) received a Notification of Award for the FPSO, that will operate off the west coast of Kakinada, India.The charter hire and operations deal is for a fixed period of nine years, valued at around USD 2.1 billion (MYR 8.8 billion). ONGC has the option to extend the contract for up to seven years. On an annual basis and if fully exercised, the extensions would be worth USD 655 million (MYR 2.7 billion).“The JV with SPOGPL has been a very successful partnership, this being our third FPSO project together in India and fourth in total,” Leon Harland, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, said.“This is a positive result for the group and the project will add value to Bumi Armada going forward,” Harland added.SPBAG is a 30:70 joint venture between Bumi Armada and Shapoorji Pallonji Oil & Gas Private Limited of India.
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Council Elects First Acadian Chair
increase the participation of women in decisions that affect their lives, families and communities build women’s economic equality reduce violence against women improve the health and well-being of women and their families The Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women has elected an Acadian chair for the first time in its 30-year history. Jean d’Entremont of Argyle was inducted to the position at Province House, today, April 30, in Halifax. “Council’s experience and diversity help government develop and deliver services that reflect the needs of women and their families,” said Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, Minister responsible for the advisory council. “Jean is very involved in her community, and, with other council members, will help me stay connected to the women I represent.” Ms. d’Entremont has long been involved in women’s issues and Acadian heritage. She is president of the Fédération des femmes acadiennes de la Nouvelle-Écosse. She has been a member of l’Association des Acadiennes de la région d’Argyle since it was founded in 1983. She also served on Le Réveil de Pombcoup since 1978 and is a member of La Société historique acadienne de Pubnico-Ouest. Council members elect a new chair every two years. Ms. d’Entremont succeeds Liz Chisholm, whose term ended on March 31. Ms. d’Entremont had a clear view of the council’s ongoing work. “Encourage more women to get involved in political and public life, especially those from diverse communities. Improve the capacity of women for well-paying work. Address violence against women and girls in our homes, workplaces and communities,” she said. “These are the council’s main goals and they are fundamental to building better futures for women.” Council members for 2009-10 are: Liz Chisholm of Antigonish; Shelley Goodwin of Yarmouth; Patricia LeBlanc of Sydney; Holly Meuse of Bear River; Doreen Paris of New Glasgow; Sonja Power of Amherst; and Rita Warner of Judique. The council advises the provincial government and works with federal and municipal governments, community and business organizations and universities to:
49 killed 21 missing as Typhoon Lekima leaves trail of destruction in
Beijing: Forty nine people have died and 21 others were reported missing as Typhoon Lekima wreaked havoc in Chinese provinces of Zhejiang, Shandong and Anhui, affecting millions of people. The death toll in Zhejiang Province alone on Monday rose to 39 while nine others remained missing, the Zhejiang provincial flood control headquarters said. The others were reported dead from Shandong and Anhui provinces. The ninth and strongest typhoon of the year has affected 6.68 million residents in Zhejiang, among whom 1.26 million were evacuated. Also Read – Saudi Crown Prince ‘snubbed’ Pak PM, recalled jet from US It has damaged 234,000 hectares of crops, inflicting a direct loss of 24.22 billion yuan (approx. USD 3.4 billion), state-run Xinhua news agency reported Monday. Lekima hit Wenling city in Zhejiang province on Saturday afternoon, packing winds of 187 kilometers per hour and bringing heavy rainstorms. It made a second landing at 8:50 pm Sunday on the coast of Qingdao in Shandong Province, affecting 1.66 million people out of which 183,800 were relocated, said the provincial emergency management department. Also Read – Record number of 35 candidates in fray for SL Presidential polls Heavy rains and strong gales have damaged 175,400 hectares of crops and toppled 609 houses in Shandong,it said. Floodwaters inundated 18,000 vegetable greenhouses in Shouguang, a major vegetable production base in China. The average precipitation in the city of Weifang, which administers Shouguang, reached 217.5 mm between 6 am Saturday and 1 pm Sunday, the largest rainfall since the hydrologic record started in 1952, said the local flood control and drought relief headquarters. In the neighbouring Anhui Province, the typhoon has affected more than 130,000 residents and 20,000 of them have been evacuated as flooding damaged their houses, crops and roads and disrupted electricity and telecommunications. Typhoon Lekima damaged nearly 6,000 hectares of crops, toppled 364 houses in Anhui, said the provincial emergency management department. The typhoon also affected Liaoning Province as it moved northward. More than 106,000 residents have been relocated, 28 trains disrupted and all major tourist destinations closed.
Ray Winstone And Amanda Redman Star In Charity Video
British actors Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast, The Sweeny) and Amanda Redman (Sexy Beast, New Tricks) have come together in a video appeal to show their support for the British Lung Foundation’s (BLF) campaign to raise awareness of the lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), for World IPF Week (28 September – 05 October 2014).Video: Amanda Redman and Ray Winstone support IPF WeekThe campaign is also supported by West Ham United Football Club, who Ray supports, and which is connected to the song ’I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles’.IPF, which causes a progressive scarring of the lungs, has been on the rise in the UK for decades, and now kills around 5,000 people a year – on a par with conditions such as leukaemia. However, there is no known cause or cure. As a result, the disease acts with often-devastating speed: barely half of people diagnosed with IPF are still alive three years later, and just one in five will survive five years.World IPF Week is an opportunity to help raise awareness for this little-known disease and to campaign for more research and better treatment and support for the patients and their families.For further information about IPF, please visit the BLF website.
North Peace Savings Credit Union Taylor Branch closing
In a letter, Chief Executive Officer for NPSCU, Mitchel Chilcott says the closing of the branch is based on the lack of members and the increase in costs.“The business decision to reconsolidate our Taylor Branch with Fort St. John effective January 1, 2019, was made in consideration of decreasing volumes, low member traffic and an increase in costs.”The Credit Union is now in the process of coordinating the removal of equipment and furnishings from the premises.Chilcot says that despite the Credit Union leaving Taylor, they will continue to support the community. TAYLOR, B.C. – The Taylor Branch of the North Peace Savings & Credit Union has announced that they will be vacating the premises as of May 31, 2019.The announcement came when the Credit Union let the lease expire on November 30, 2018.NPSCU currently occupies an office space that is within the District Office, under a lease agreement with the District of Taylor.
UN seeks more information on reported plans by Niger to expel thousands
“We will be looking at whether the proposed government actions could result in statelessness for anyone expelled, if any of these people could be considered refugees, and what conditions or problems they could face if returned to Chad,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesman Ron Redmond told a news briefing in Geneva today. The senior UNHCR staff member from the regional office in Benin is expected to travel to the remote Diffa region in the eastern part of Niger, where there are an estimated 100,000 to150,000 Mahamid Arabs, some of whom have lived in the region for decades.“The Mahamid Arabs have not previously been considered a population of concern to UNHCR, so we want to get more detailed information on the government’s announced plans and on specifically who these people are,” Mr. Redmond said.“We understand the Mahamid Arabs have large numbers of livestock, including an estimated 100,000 camels, and are putting a big strain on meagre water and grazing resources,” he added. “UNHCR is in contact with Niger authorities and we’re following the situation closely.”
Senior lab demonstrator remembered for dedication to students
Donna VukmanicDonna Vukmanic is being remembered by her Chemistry colleagues as a dedicated mentor with a bright smile and a commitment to her students.As a senior lab demonstrator at Brock for 28 years, she was known for her dedication to teaching. She died on Nov. 1 at the age of 58.Even though Vukmanic was in charge of labs for five different courses, “she was available to her students from morning to night,” said Heather Gordon, associate professor and chair of the department.“She was a super person who was extremely dedicated to teaching.”Vukmanic held an honours BSc in Chemistry from the University of Waterloo and a masters degree from Brock.She is survived by Nick, her husband of more than 33 years, and her son Mark, as well as a sister and brother, nieces and nephews and an extended family in Croatia.Visitation will be on Thursday, Nov. 4 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at George Darte Funeral Chapel, 585 Carlton St., St. Catharines.The funeral will be Friday, Nov. 5 at 11 a.m. at Star of the Sea Church, 34 Elgin St., St. Catharines. Interment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery in Welland.Memorial donations benefit the Walker Family Cancer Centre.• Book of Memories for Donna Vukmanic at the George Darte Funeral Home
Seawall shooting Investigation into killings launched President
President David Granger, this morning (Wednesday) told media operatives that the National Security Committee has instructed that an investigation be conducted into the killing of three suspected bandits at the Kingston Seawall road by police officers.President David Granger“We have ordered an investigation into the circumstances under which the men came to be killed and I believe some action will be taken to have the file sent to the DPP [Director of Public Prosecutions] to determine whether there is any blameworthiness in the death of the persons” the President said at the sidelines of an event at Sate House.Deflecting from the criticisms that his Government has been silent since the incident occurred, Granger posited that “we are not silent. The response that we have made is decisive and effective. The Commissioner of Police has received clear instructions about the investigation. Even if such instructions were not necessary, he should be proceeding with those”.On March 15, 2018, Dextroy Cordis also known as Dutty, of Grove, East Bank Demerara, Kwame Assanah, of Buxton, East Coast Demerara and Errol Adams also known as Dynamite were fatally shot by officers of the Guyana Police Force in what was described as a foiled robbery attempt.Hours after the shooting to death of the three men, the police in a statement related that the men were followed by an unmarked police vehicle after they were seen trailing a customer who had left the Scotia Bank on Robb Street, Georgetown.The police claimed that in the vicinity of the seawalls, the men in a black Toyota car opened fire on them during the attempted robbery and in retaliation, they returned fire fatally wounding them.However, weeks after the incident occurred, a labourer claiming to be an eyewitness to the incident detailed a different account of what transpired from the statement issued by the police.He was expected on Tuesday to be interviewed by a Senior Detective in the presence of his attorney, Nigel Hughes, on his statement that he shared with sections of the media, but did not turn up.According to the police “Mr. Lyte’s Attorney-at-Law when contacted in relation to another matter informed the detective that his client needed another 24hrs. As his client has some issues to sort out.” Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)RelatedCops probing alleged plot to assassinate President – HarmonApril 20, 2017In “latest news”Seawall Shooting: “Eyewitness” was never on the roof- Acting Top CopMarch 29, 2018In “Crime”Seawall shooting: Fear, lack of confidence in police made “eyewitness” a no-show- AttorneyMarch 29, 2018In “Crime”
Body found in search for missing man last seen a month ago
Image: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie http://jrnl.ie/3283042 Share Tweet Email 18,023 Views Image: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article By Garreth MacNamee GARDAÍ HAVE FOUND a body in the search for a 30-year-old man who had been missing for over a month.Declan Whyte was last seen in Carrick-on-Shannon on 11 February. A body was found yesterday, it has been confirmed. The death is not being treated as suspicious. Read: Germany shuts down shopping centre over over terror threat fears >Read: Farmer airlifted to hospital following workplace accident > Saturday 11 Mar 2017, 5:20 PM Body found in search for missing man last seen a month ago Declan Whyte was last seen in Carrick-on-Shannon on 11 February. 9 Comments Short URL Mar 11th 2017, 5:20 PM 
Share launches Summer Meals program seeks volunteers
Share’s Summer Meals program offering free meals to kids throughout Clark County begins Monday.“Just as learning does not end when school lets out, neither does a child’s need for good nutrition,” Becci Read-Ryan, Share’s hunger response assistant director, said in a news release. “Share’s Summer Meals program provides free meals to all children ages 18 and under so that they can get the nutrition they need to learn, play and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school.”Families can call the Family Food Hotline 1-866-348-6479 or text “food” or “comida” to 877-877 to receive updated information about locations for free lunches for children across the state.The program, which runs through Aug. 9, serves fresh, healthy meals at 20 locations, including apartment complexes, local schools, Police Activities League camps, Vancouver-Clark Parks & Recreation camps and local churches. A complete list of times and locations is available at www.sharevancouver.org/programs/share-summer-meals-program. All children are welcome to attend even if they’re not enrolled in the program.Summer Meals relies on dozens of volunteers who prepare meals at Covington Middle School, host meal sites, deliver meals to each location and return coolers to the school. “Of particular challenge for us this year is recruiting enough volunteers to deliver meals,” Molly Evjen, director of volunteers and community resources, said in a news release.To sign up to volunteer, contact Evjen at mevjen@sharevancouver.org or 360-952-8228. Volunteers are required to complete a background check and Share’s volunteer application, which is online at www.sharevancouver.org/volunteer/volunteer-application.
TCI Long Bay High School Embarks on AntiDrug Campaign
Related Items: Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsApp Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsApp#TurksandCaicos, February 13, 2018 – Providenciales – The Long Bay High School embarked on a Psycho Educational Program last school year commencing December 7, 2017- January 25, 2018 to educate male students about the harmful effects of substance abuse. The pilot group that consisted of 13 boys was mentored by the Guidance and Counseling Department in collaboration with the Department of Youth Affairs. The facilitators of the program were Ms. Diane Paul, Guidance Counselor who is also a certified substance abuse counselor and Mr. Nixon Dickenson, Youth Director (acting). The topics covered during the program helped students to be aware of the dangers of drug use, resistance skills and focused on social challenges that contribute to drug use.The culminating ceremony was held on February 8, 2018 on the school’s campus which was attended by parents of the participants. The feature address was given by Mr. Nixon Dickenson, remarks from the school’s principal and a testimonial by Rodlin Yliodas one of the participants. Each student received a certificate of participation.The Long Bay High School remains committed to the holistic development of our students as we prepare them for lifelong learning.Press Release: TCIG
ASA Ag Stakeholders Meet with EPA Officials on Pollinator Health
ASA Washington staff joined a coalition of agricultural stakeholders in meeting with senior EPA officials to discuss pollinator health issues, including the importance of maintaining registrations for important seed-treatment products widely used by soybean farmers. “Pollinators” is the widely-used term that includes honey bees, native bees, birds, bats and butterflies.Leading the meeting was Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator of the Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention, who encouraged the group to find ways to work with beekeeping organizations and explained that under the Pollinator Health Task Force, established by President Obama, EPA is responsible for all pesticide issues and USDA is largely responsible for issues pertaining to pollinator habitat. Scientists believe that bee losses are likely caused by a combination of stressors, including poor bee nutrition, loss of forage lands, parasites, pathogens, lack of genetic diversity, and exposure to pesticides. Jones reminded the group to stay focused on the “end game” of increasing pollinator populations. ASA will continue to engage with both EPA and USDA on pollinator issues, focusing on both the science surrounding crop protection products as well as ways to improve forage.
Congress approves bill to end airport delays
WASHINGTON — Congress easily approved legislation Friday ending furloughs of air traffic controllers that have delayed hundreds of flights daily, infuriating travelers and causing political headaches for lawmakers.The House approved the measure on a 361-41 vote, a day after the Senate swiftly agreed to the bill. The vote came as lawmakers prepared to leave town for a weeklong spring recess, a break that would have been less pleasant if they were confronted by constituents upset over travel delays.Republicans accused the Obama administration of purposely furloughing controllers to pressure Congress to lift $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts — known as the sequester — that took effect last month at government agencies.“The administration has played shameful politics with the sequester at the cost of hard-working American families,” said Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa.The White House and Democrats have argued that by law, the administration has little room to decide where the cuts fall. The White House and Democrats want Congress to work on legislation lifting all of the cuts, which lawmakers noted have also caused reductions in Head Start preschool programs, benefits for the long-term unemployed and medical research.“How can we sit there and say, `Four million Meals on Wheels for seniors, gone, but that’s not important. Over 70,000 children off Head Start, but that’s not important.’ What is important is for Republicans to hold a hard line” on the budget, said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Brexit sparks debate on united Ireland vote
Britain’s vote to leave the EU has sparked a debate after Irish nationalists called for a referendum on reunification less than two decades after Northern Ireland’s historic peace deal.After last June’s Brexit referendum outcome, Irish nationalists instantly began clamouring for a so-called border poll to allow people in Northern Ireland to vote on Irish reunification.When Britain leaves the European Union its only land border with the bloc will be between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which people can currently cross freely.The impact of such a change has prompted Brussels to make Ireland once of its top priorities for Brexit negotiations, less than 20 years since a hard-won peace accord ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland.EU leaders at a summit in Brussels last month said Northern Ireland would be automatically welcomed back into the bloc if it ever voted to become part of the Republic, although the prospect is currently far off despite rallying cries from Irish nationalists.Ireland’s Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan told the BBC this week that the Brexit vote “may well” have made a referendum more likely but dismissed the prospect saying: “That time is not now.””I don’t believe that a debate now on the merits or otherwise of a united Ireland is timely or appropriate.”I don’t believe that we should conflate the issue of the reunification of Ireland with the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union.”- Brexit ‘changed everything’ -Brexit has however brought back reunification as a talking point, in a society where bitter political, historical, cultural and socio-economic divisions between pro-British, mainly Protestant, unionists and pro-Irish, mainly Catholic, nationalists are still readily apparent.In the United Kingdom’s June 2016 referendum on its EU membership — in which British, Irish and Commonwealth residents could vote — some 52 percent voted to leave the bloc.But within Northern Ireland, on a 63 percent turnout — the lowest in the kingdom — some 56 percent voted for the UK to remain in the EU.The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, once the political arm of the Irish Republican Army paramilitary group, has called for a border poll in the next five years.”Brexit has changed everything,” Sinn Fein European Parliament member Matt Carthy told a recent party gathering.”The prospect of the north being dragged out of the European Union against the democratically expressed wishes of people there has horrified citizens across the political spectrum,” he said.The possibility of a referendum is provided for in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended three decades of armed conflict in Northern Ireland.However, any such referendum could only be held if the British government approved the move.Unlike in Scotland, where opinions are more evenly divided on seceding from the UK, the polls in Northern Ireland indicate overwhelming support for the union.The most recent one in September showed 63 percent in favour.- Impact of Brexit deal -From its creation in 1921, Northern Ireland’s in-built Protestant majority has always expressed an antipathy towards what it regarded as a southern Irish state too closely aligned to the Catholic Church.But, as former British prime minister Tony Blair, who negotiated the 1998 peace accords, said Saturday, Brexit marks the first time that the UK and the Republic have “not been in step with each other”.But Irish nationalists argue that as a majority in Northern Ireland voted Remain in the EU referendum, including many unionists, this in itself is enough to warrant a testing of the waters.Their case was bolstered in Northern Ireland regional assembly elections in March when a nationalist surge ended the unionist majority for the first time and further victories in the June 8 UK general election could help.According to Dublin-based political commentator Johnny Farrell, a lot will depend on the shape of the Brexit deal.”If things go badly for Britain then the situation could change very, very quickly because people in Northern Ireland could decide their economic interests are served better by remaining part of Europe by voting for a united Ireland,” he said.
Youth unemployment doubles in 7 yrs ILO
Prothom Alo file photoThe youth unemployment rate in Bangladesh has almost doubled over the past seven years according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). In its ‘Asia-Pacific Employment and Social Outlook 2018’ report released on Friday, ILO pointed out that the jobless rate among the youths (age 15-24) rose to 12.8 per cent in 2017 from 6.32 per cent in 2000. The survey report has highlighted youth employment, unemployment, the rate of youth not in education, employment or training, formal and informal employment, job satisfaction and more, based on 28 countries from 2010 to 2017. In Bangladesh, the rate of youth who are not engaged in education, employment or training is 27.4 per cent. Rizwanul Islam, a former special adviser to the ILO’s employment sector, told Prothom Alo that he would not comment on the ILO report as he was yet to have a look on it. But he thinks the number of educated jobless youth has increased as per the data of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. “How the growth of gross domestic product (GDP) is contributing to creating additional job sectors is questionable. Again, how the education that youth are receiving is helping them find jobs is not beyond question,” said Rizwanul Islam. A BBS survey report published in April last shows some 2,677,000 youth were found jobless in 2016-17 fiscal which was 87,000 more than the previous year. That time, some 40,000 young people who obtained their graduation degree were unemployed while 63,800 jobless youths were HSC passed. According to the ILO report, the number of jobless youth who have higher education is 10.7 per cent and it is 8 per cent who completed their SSC. But, the rate of unemployed youth who could not complete their primary education was only 1.8 per cent. Shamsul Alam, a member of General Economic Division of the Planning Commission, told Prothom Alo, “The youth who have completed their higher education don’t think themselves employed unless they get their desired jobs. They don’t consider teaching in coaching centres or freelancing online as their work.” “Our education system, I think, has to be made market-oriented and we need to turn our manpower as skilled as required in the industrial sector,” he added. According to the ILO, a person does not remain unemployed if he/she works at least one hour in a week. The ILO report also reads that the overall employment rate in the country was 3.3 per cent in 2000 and 3.4 per cent in 2010. But it jumped to 4.4 per cent in 2013 and remained the same in 2016 and 2017. Some 3.3 per cent jobless people are male while 12.8 per cent are female. As defined by the ILO, people who are out of work, want a job, have actively sought work in the previous four weeks and are available to start work within the next fortnight come under unemployed category. * This piece, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Imam Hossain.
Hasina wants mandate to celebrate countrys golden jubilee
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina. File PhotoAwami League president, prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday launched her party’s election campaign seeking vote for ‘boat’ in the upcoming national elections, UNB reports from Tungipara, Gopalganj.”Hope hope, you’ll give us another chance toserve the country through ensuring our win by casting vote for Boat,” she told a public rally at Sheikh Lutfar Rahman Government Degree College ground in Kotalipara.”The country is moving forward with the liberation war spirit. With this spirit Bangladesh is moving fast keeping its head high in the world,” said the AL chief.”You’ll have to cast vote for boat to give a fitting reply to those who joined hands with the anti-liberation forces, war criminals, convicts, arson terrorists, and made them election candidates,” she said.Hasina went on to say: “Bangladesh will celebrate the golden jubilee of independence in 2021. We don’t want to see war criminals, anti-liberation forces, murderers, arson terrorists in power that time. They’ll destroy the country and the liberation war spirit.””We’ll build hunger-free, poverty-free Sonar Bangla (golden Bengal) as dreamt by father of the nation. I’m urging you to cast vote for the candidates who were nominated by Awami League.””We want another chance so that the progress of Bangladesh doesn’t falter so that our people stand in the international arena keeping their head high,” Hasina added.People will never be deprived of if they cast vote for Awami League, she said.Kotalipara upazila AL president Subash Joy Dhar presided over the programme.Sheikh Hasian’s younger sister Sheikh Hasina, AL leaders Sheikh Abdullah, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Kazi AkramUddin Ahmed, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, BM Mozammel, Bahauddin Nasim, Afzal Hossain, Sujit Nandi, SM Kamal Hossain and film stars Reaz and Ferdous were present.Hasina arrived in Tungipara at 2:10pm starting her journey by road around 8:22am from her official residence Ganobhaban.She first paid homage to father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at his mausoleum by placing a wreath as the prime minister. She placed another wreath at the mausoleum as the AL.On her way back to Dhaka on Thursday, Sheikh Hasina will address rallies at Bhanga circle in Faridpur, Faridpur circle, Rajbari road intersection, Manikganj bus stand, Rabeya Medical College and Hospital premises in Dhamrai and Savar bus stand.
Saudi billionaire prince AlWaleed released
Saudi Arabian royal Al-Waleed Bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud looking on during a meeting with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake in Colombo. AFP file photoSaudi Arabia released billionaire prince Al-Waleed bin Talal on Saturday nearly three months after his arrest in an anti-corruption drive targeting the kingdom’s elite, a business associate told AFP.“He (Prince Al-Waleed) is out,” the associate said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.Prince Al-Waleed, dubbed the Warren Buffett of Saudi Arabia, was among some 350 suspects rounded up since 4 November, including billionaire tycoons and ministers who were detained in Riyadh’s luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel.Prince Al-Waleed is the latest in a series of high-profile detainees to be freed from the hotel. The terms of his release were not immediately clear.The Saudi information ministry did not respond to AFP’s requests for comment.Authorities have previously said most of those detained struck monetary settlements in exchange for their freedom, which could earn state coffers about $100 billion.Another high-profile detainee, former National Guard chief prince Miteb bin Abdullah, was released recently following his “settlement” with authorities which reportedly exceeded $1 billion.The windfall settlements will help the government finance a multi-million dollar package announced by king Salman this month to help citizens cope with the rising cost of living, finance minister Mohammed al-Jadaan told Al Arabiya television in Davos on Wednesday.Some critics have labelled the campaign a shakedown, but authorities insist the purge targeted endemic corruption as Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its oil-dependent economy.The Ritz-Carlton is set to reopen for business next month as the campaign draws to an end, sources at the hotel have said. Its website lists rooms as available from 14 February.
Houston Controller Looking Out For Fraud Waste In Harvey Recovery Efforts
http://offthekuff.comHouston City Controller Chris Brown. 00:00 /09:31 Listen Share
X Earlier this week, Houston City Controller Chris Brown talked with New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer. Why? To discuss best practices learned from Superstorm Sandy, which hit the northeast in 2012.We talk with Controller Brown about what he learned and other measures his office has taken in Harvey recovery efforts. To embed this piece of audio in your site, please use this code:
Bolden Takes Helm at Large DC Firm
One of the District of Columbia’s leading litigators and a growing progressive voices on television and radio recently once took the helm of one of the city’s top law firms for a second time.On Dec. 17, prestigious law firm Reed Smith announced that A. Scott Bolden will resume the role of managing partner. Bolden held the position from 2008-2014 and replaces Gary Thompson, who is retiring to pursue other options.A. Scott Bolden, former chairman of the D.C. Democratic State Committee, is taking the helm of one of D.C.’s top law firms. (Courtesy photo)“Scott is a seasoned, successful leader who has his finger on the pulse of the firm’s strategic assets and culture and the legal market in Washington, D.C.,” Sandy Thomas, Reed Smith’s global managing partner, said in statement. “We are grateful for Gary’s contributions in this role, and are confident the transition will be a smooth one with Scott again taking the helm.”Reed Smith is considered by legal industry experts as one of the top 20 Global firms in the world and it has expertise in corporate and finance, civil and criminal litigation and international law.The firm is headquartered in Pittsburgh and has 1,800 lawyers in 27 offices in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and Asia.Bolden is known throughout the Washington, D.C. area as a top trial and white-collar defense lawyer who has companies and individuals as clients.Bolden, who got his bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College and his juris doctorate from the Howard University School of Law, said he is elated to lead the firm’s District branch again.“I look forward to another opportunity to lead Reed Smith’s Washington office,” Bolden said. “The attorneys and staff here are a strong, capable team dedicated to serving clients and advancing the rule of law, in Washington’s highly competitive legal market. We continue to look at growth in the D.C. office, especially in our five key industry areas-financial services, life sciences/healthcare, energy and natural resources, entertainment and media and shipping.”Bolden joined Reed Smith in 1991 after working four years with D.C. Superior Court Judge Luke C. Moore and the New York County District Attorney as a prosecutor. Bolden holds the distinction of being the first Black associate at Reed Smith to be promoted to a full equity partnership.Throughout the years Bolden has discussed national and international issues with the AFRO and such outlets as CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. He has also served as a host with TV One’s former talk show “NewsOne with Roland Martin.”Bolden is the former chairman of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce and the D.C. Democratic State Committee. In 2006, he ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic at-large seat on the D.C. Council that was held by Phil Mendelson .Bolden has been honored by Morehouse and the Howard law school and has served on governing and advisory bodies of those institutions. The National Bar Association honored him with its Presidential Star Award in 2014 and a room at the Southeast Tennis & Learning Center in Southeast Washington is named for him.Bolden is also a member of the prestigious Economic Club, the Federal City Council and a 1997 graduate of Leadership Washington. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and the Washington chapter of The Boule.
Theres A New Batman Now Robert Pattinson
Update: It’s official, Robert Pattinson is the new Batman. But while we may have seen this coming, our original point remains that it pays to be patient.Last night the internet had a… dramatic reaction to the “news” that Robert Pattitson had been cast as Bruce Wayne in Matt Reeves’ Batman movie, just called The Batman, coming in summer 2021. Some folks were ready to write angry petitions about the one-time sparkly vampire boy playing the Dark Knight. Other folks were ready to laugh at those dumb dudes. And other folks still were excited because in the years since Twilight Pattinson has shown that he’s, uh, a pretty good actor.But bottle up those takes for just a little while longer because now we’ve learned that there isn’t an official new Batman yet. According to a report on Deadline, while Pattinson is indeed a frontrunner, he hasn’t yet secured the role.Furthermore, Nicholas Hoult, fellow young English actor who you may remember as Beast in the new X-Men movies or the woke War Boy in Mad Max: Fury Road, is also in the running. Reminds me of the time we were all convinced Asa Butterfield would play Spider-Man and then Tom Holland swung in.Still, there’s a good chance Robert Pattinson will end up as the new Batman, and that’s totally fine. His next movie is a Christopher Nolan movie even. While the quality of the movies have gone up and down, in my opinion the track record of Batman casting has been pretty consistent.That’s impressive when you consider previous Bat-actors are as varied as Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Kevin Conroy Christian Bale, and Will Arnett. Plus Matt Reeves is a great director (watch those Planet of the Apes movies again) who has had plenty of time to think about the script and the kind of performers he wants for it.The Batman, starring somebody, releases in theaters June 25, 2021. For more on Batman watch him fight the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and check out the trailers for the Alfred Pennyworth prequel series and Joker origin movie that exist for some reason. DC’s ‘Batman Experience’ Pop-Up Exhibition Is Coming to SDCCFinally, Batman Gets a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Stay on target