Man Utd icon Schmeichel: Pogba not bigger than the clubby Paul Vegas10 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveManchester United legend Peter Schmeichel feels Paul Pogba needs to be brought into line.There’s been reports of Pogba celebrating the sacking of manager Jose Mourinho last week.Schmeichel stated, “It has been portrayed as if Pogba has won a war. It doesn’t work for me. It can’t happen to United. It is extremely important that the club handle this situation. Pogba, or anyone else, can’t get bigger than the club.”Schmeichel believes caretaker manager Ole Gunner Solskjaer has what it takes to handle the situation.”I think it’s the key, that Ole can tames the situation, get one like Pogba to play to the potential we all know he has in him.” About the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say
The Peached Tortilla’s Fried Rice Recipe Is Just Plain Delicious The Best Travel and Adventure Documentaries on Netflix Right Now Editors’ Recommendations 4 Reasons Why You Should Visit Bowling Green, Kentucky 12 Reasons South Dakota Deserves Your Attention Hawaii has been a hot vacation spot for decades, and it’s only growing in popularity. Honolulu, the state capital, is a top destination for tourists around the globe. However, some of the best spots are those that aren’t in your travel guidebook.Honolulu is full of “hidden gems” that can still fill you with the awe and unique vacation memories. Here are the top four sites you need to visit while you’re in Honolulu that go beyond your cozy resort.Hanauma BayJust east of Honolulu, you’ll find a spot that looks more like a place of fantasy. Hanauma Bay is a nature preserve that is home to dozens of protected ocean species, and more importantly, a tropical beach. Not only can you take a dip in its rich blue water, but you can snorkel and view some of the native fish and coral reefs for an up-close look at Hawaii’s beauty.Diamond HeadIf you’re feeling more adventurous, you may want to consider a hike up Diamond Head, the most notable mountain in the Honolulu area. There are open hiking trails up the mountain for those who want the best view of the city, operated by Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources. You can also explore Diamond Head’s crater, which was formed 300,000 years ago. Now, an abundance of new vegetation and birds have made the crater their home.Doris’ Duke’s Shangri-LaAny visitor looking to truly immerse him or herself in a unique cultural experience will want to stop by this gem, located in Honolulu. The Shangri-La is a Center for Islamic Arts and Culture, originally created by Doris Duke. Today, it houses her Middle Eastern art collection on a cliff-side with breathtaking views of Waikiki.Ka’ena Point State ParkIf you’re looking for another location to get in touch with the outdoors (perhaps without snorkeling), you may want to consider visiting Ka’ena Point State Park. This park, nestled along a shoreline formed by lava, is home to stellar ocean views. The ancient Hawaiians used to consider the area sacred, and one look at its beauty will show you why.Of course, there are other ways to find those “off the beaten path” gems of Honolulu. One of the easiest ways to do so on your own is to take a tour bus (as cheesy as it may sound). The operators are typically extremely knowledgeable on the Islands, and you’ll get to see more than just the perimeter of your resort. The Double-Decker Bus Tours from Polynesian Adventure Tours, for instance, has a trip that will take you through Downtown Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. If You Haven’t Visited the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, What Are You Waiting For?
The Best Latex Pillows for Neck and Back Pain TaobaoTime to answer emails? Roll back onto the mattress and pull out the pop-up side table. Plug in your computer and phone via the charging outlets and turn on some music via the built-in radio and speakers.Once night falls, turn on the reading light and pull out a book from any of the multiple storage boxes on either side of the Tatami. Order delivery because why get out of bed now?Tatami comes in nine colorways from red to grey and even pink, but unfortunately, the superbed is out of stock on the Taobao website. You can still rest easy knowing this bed is not a myth. The Tatami superbed is real, meaning someone lazier than you got so fed up with leaving their bed they decided to build one they never have to get out of.The only thing Tatami is missing is a mini fridge, but seeing as there’s an outlet, we’re game for Frankenstein-ing additions to build our own Tatami 2.0. Wake Up Rested With the Best Down Pillows of 2019 Editors’ Recommendations When Drake wrote the lyrics, “I only love my bed and my momma,” he was probably referring to the Tatami Massage Bed— the most epic bed frame ever created.Tatami is a hybrid of comfort and an invitation to never get out of bed, even if you need to do work, go to the spa for a massage, or plug in your iPhone and listen to music. Tatami has everything and more.Sold by Chinese online shopping website Taobao, the Tatami Massage Bed is a sleeping space meets living room recliner meets Ikea storage compartment meets massaging lounger meets workstation. Yes. It’s all that and more. In the middle of the structure is a simple bed frame that fits two people (not sold with a mattress). The frame can be lifted up for extra storage of decorative pillows, an extra blanket, your favorite 90s snacks, whatever you need during your day in bed.TaobaoAt the foot of the frame is a cushioned bench that opens up for storage and/or sitting. At the top of the Tatami, above your pillows, are two adjustable backrests that resemble the tops of old-man recliners (one of the most comfortable inventions ever made). This allows you to sit up, watch TV, and eat dinner in bed without having to stack pillows.Let’s say you just finished binge-watching Castle Rock on Hulu and you’ve got a knot in your shoulder. Roll over and slink onto the massaging lounge bed (this and the footstool can be detached and moved to fit on either side of the Tatami), grab the connected remote control and hit, well, any button (unless you’re fluent in Chinese in which case you’ll know which one does what). Seven massaging orbs positioned in the backrest will start gyrating.
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zoomIllustration. Image Courtesy: Pixabay under CC0 Creative Commons license The Export-Import Bank of China (Exim Bank) is to provide USD 94 million in financing for Navibulgar’s six bulk carrier newbuildings. On July 6, representatives of the bank and Bulgarian shipowner Navigation Maritime Bulgare (Navibulgar) signed an agreement for the financing, the Export-Import Bank of China said in a statement.Last year, Navibulgar ordered 4+2 Bluetech 45 Handymax bulkers from Chinese Jiangsu Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group. Slated for delivery in 2019 and 2020, the 45,000 dwt ships will have a length of 190 meters, a draught of 10.8 meters, an ice class 1C and a large hold volume for its class.Market value of each 57,750 cbm newbuilding is around USD 17 million, according to data provided by VesselsValue.Operating in the Black Sea region, Navibulgar has a fleet of more than 30 bulk carriers. In addition, the company is expected to take delivery of two 42,300 dwt bulkers this year. The ships, Rojen and Musala, are being built at Chinese Jiangsu Hongqiang yard.The Export-Import Bank of China said that the signing of the agreement came in an effort to promote China’s Belt and Road Initiative. China hopes to drive its ship exports and attract more European shipowners to order new ships at the country’s shipyards.World Maritime News Staff
Lucknow: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Saturday hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government alleging that criminals are “roaming around freely, doing as they like” in Uttar Pradesh, drawing quick retort from the police, which claimed decline in crime in the state. State Law Minister Brijesh Pathak, when asked about Priyanka Gandhi’s remarks, asserted that since the formation of BJP government in the state, network of criminals has been broken. The Congress general secretary wrote on Twitter, “In entire Uttar Pradesh criminals are roaming around freely, doing whatever they wish. Criminal incidents continue to happen but it has fallen on deaf ears of the BJP government. Has the Uttar Pradesh government surrendered before criminals?” She also tagged along with her tweet news headlines of different crime reports in the state. Replying to Priyanka Gandhi’s tweet, the UP police wrote on Twiter, “UP police has initiated strict action against in serious crimes. In the past two years 9,925 criminals were arrested and 81 killed. In action under NSA (National Security Act), property worth Rs 200 crores were seized. There has been decline in incidents of dacoity, murder, loot and kindapping.” “Visible policing, strong monitoring, effective action against hardened criminals & public interaction has enabled us to win the confidence of people. Crime under all major heads is down by 20-35%. We are committed to the safety and security of citizens of the state,” it added. Pathak said, “The network of criminals has been broken in the state. Our government is acting tough on criminals. There are incidents of crime due to enmity and prompt action is taken by police wherever crime is reported.” The Samajwadi Party too had attacked the BJP government for “spurt in crime” in the state. After a video of two inmates flashing a country-made pistol at the Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao jail went viral on social media, the Samajwadi Party termed the incident an “open challenge” to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The party alleged the jails in the state were in the pocket of criminals.
New Delhi: A 22-year-old Nepalese man was allegedly stabbed to death by his compatriot in central Delhi’s Desh Bandhu Gupta road area after a scuffle broke out between them over a petty issue, police said on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Virender while the accused as Vishal, also 22, they said, adding that they used to live near DBG road area and work in hotels here. According to a senior police official, Vishal and Virender knew each other. Also Read – After eight years, businessman arrested for kidnap & murder Police said they had a quarrel on an earlier occasion while they were drinking. And to take revenge, Vishal attacked Virender on Monday evening, they said. They said Virender was taken to the Lady Hardinge Medical College hospital by police. But he succumbed to injuries during the treatment. He died due to excessive bleeding, they said. A case under appropriate sections has been registered at DBG police station and the weapon used in the crime has been recovered from the possession of the accused, police added.
Brussels – The choice of compromise adopted by Morocco to address the regional dispute over the western Sahara continues to gain wider acceptance among the international community, particularly in Europe, which considers Morocco’s autonomy plan a reasonable serious and credible solution to the conflict.EU institutions, organizations and MPs constantly manifest their appreciation for the Moroccan autonomy plan, a conflict-resolution approach that proved successful around the world and represents the most advanced form of self-determination.Since it was presented to the UN and to the international community, this bold, open and flexible plan that shapes the future of the Sahara region within the framework of Morocco’s decentralization project and democratic openness, continues to receive international support.Within the EU, many member states hails Morocco’s efforts in searching a solution to this issue and describe the Moroccan plan as a relevant basis for negotiation in order to find a permanent solution to this conflict in favour of regional stability and integration. Last June, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) underlined in a resolution adopted during a plenary session, the relevant, serious and credible character of the Moroccan autonomy which grants large-scale legislative, executive, judiciary and financial powers to the local population.As for European MPs, the leaders of the main political groups have repeatedly stressed the relevance of the Moroccan proposal.
Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that progress continues to be made in implementation of the Agency’s Action Plan on Nuclear Safety, which was endorsed in the aftermath of the accident at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in 2011.“The Nuclear Safety Review 2014 shows that the operational safety of the world’s nuclear power plants remains high,” he told the meeting in Vienna of the IAEA Board of Governors, adding that significant progress has been made in strengthening nuclear safety in key areas such as assessments of safety vulnerabilities and strengthening the Agency’s peer review services.“Long-term operation of nuclear power plants is an important issue for many countries,” he stated. “Many of the world’s nuclear power reactors have been in operation for 30 or 40 years or more. Managing these reactors safely in the long term poses challenges which need to be carefully assessed and managed.”Turning to specific countries, Mr. Amano said the Agency continues to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material declared by Iran under its Safeguards Agreement. “However, the Agency is not in a position to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities.” He noted that Iran implemented, within the agreed three-month period, the six initial practical measures contained in the Annex to the Framework for Cooperation between Iran and the Agency. “We are analysing the information provided by Iran and have requested some additional clarifications,” said Mr. Amano.“The measures implemented by Iran, and the further commitments it has undertaken, represent a positive step forward, but much remains to be done to resolve all outstanding issues.”Iran’s nuclear programme – which its officials have stated is for peaceful purposes, but some other countries contend is driven by military ambitions – has been a matter of international concern since the discovery in 2003 that the country had concealed its nuclear activities for 18 years in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).On DPRK, the Director General noted that it will be five years next month since IAEA inspectors were asked to leave the DPRK. Nevertheless, the Agency maintains its readiness to play an essential role in verifying the country’s nuclear programme. He called on Pyongyang to comply fully with its obligations under relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate promptly with the Agency, and to resolve all outstanding issues.At its week-long meeting, the Board is expected to discuss a range of issues, including strengthening the Agency’s activities in nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety, as well as its activities related to nuclear science, technology and applications.
“We have just started this meeting, which the Libyans first of all, and everybody in the region…really [all of] us, expect to be the last round, the final round of talks,” Bernardino León, the UN Special Representative for Libya told reporters in Skhirat, Morocco, where he is facilitating the talks based on the draft political proposal he presented to the parties two weeks ago. He said the parties and the UN facilitation are “getting closer to a solution” he is encouraged by the fact that all the stakeholders had accepted the draft as a basis for a final solution. “So, we are really looking forward to our discussions in the coming days and the possibility to have an agreement which is accepted by everybody.”“This is the challenge we have. This is what we are trying to do,” he continued, telling reporters that the meetings had begun hearing remarks on the text by the GNC (General National Congress). Some of the other participants would be arriving in the coming hours and over the next few days he could provide a more concrete reading of what those remarks are about and the possibilities of finalizing a text which would be broadly accepted “as soon as possible.”Responding to questions regarding changes to the text proposed by some parties, Mr. León asked for time to analyse the suggestions. “We are in a negotiation. This is a work trying to reach consensus, trying to integrate [all] points of view. But until we have a complete reading of the remarks presented by everybody we will not be in a position to assess what the possibilities for the text are.”Calling the current stage “preliminary work”, he said that in the coming days “we will be in a much better position to assess exactly the possibilities to reach this consensus.”
Noel Conway with his wife CarolCredit:Annabel Moeller/Dignity in Dying 
Mr Conway was seeking a declaration that the Suicide Act 1961 is incompatible with Article 8, which relates to respect for private and family life, and Article 14, which protects from discrimination.He was not in court in London on Thursday to hear Lord Justice Burnett and Mr Justice Jay rule that he did not have an arguable case to go forward. 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. “Only a year and half ago, MPs looked very carefully at this complex issue and comprehensively rejected changing the law by 330 votes to 118. ” Lord Burnett added that he thought a law change was unlikely. He said: “Any change in the law must await a private member’s bill which commands support in both houses. All current indications are that such a bill would struggle to pass. Whatever the position in the courts any change in the law seems unlikely in the foreseeable future.”His lawyer said he wished to die in the country where he was born and lived for his whole adult life.At a hearing last week in the High Court in London his lawyer said: “The choices facing him therefore are stark: to seek to bring about his own death now whilst he is physically able to do but before he is ready; or await death with no control over when and how it comes.”Mr Conway argued that these choices, forced upon him by the provisions of the criminal law, violated his human rights.He said he would appeal the decision. “I am very disappointed in the court’s decision not to grant my case permission to proceed. Though this is a set back in my fight for rights at the end of my life, I will not be deterred and will be appealing this decision.“I am fighting for choice and control over my death, because the current ban on assisted dying denies me these rights and forces me to face an unacceptable set of options that most people would balk at in disbelief,” he said. Dr Peter Saunders, campaign director of the Care Not Killing Alliance, which opposes assisted dying, said: “This is not a day for celebration. This was a troubling case that sought to usurp the democratic will of Parliament. A man with terminal motor neurone disease says he will appeal against a High Court decision not to allow him to challenge the law on assisted dying.Three judges rejected Neil Conway’s bid to change the law, which currently means it is illegal to help someone take their own life. But they praised Mr Conway’s “selfless” actions in bringing the case and said they felt “deep sympathy” for him and his family. Passing judgment Lord Justice Burnett said that it would be “institutionally inappropriate” for the court to challenge the decision of Parliament. He said: “As a result of the continuing parliamentary attention, and renewed recent determination of the underlying issue, in my opinion the claim is unarguable and I would refuse permission.”Mr Conway, 67, wanted permission to bring a judicial review which could result in terminally ill adults who meet strict criteria making their own decisions about ending their lives.The retired college lecturer, from Shrewsbury, was diagnosed in November 2014 and is not expected to live beyond the next 12 months.His counsel, Richard Gordon QC, said that when he had less than six months to live and while he retained the mental capacity to make the decision “he would wish to be able to enlist assistance to bring about a peaceful and dignified death”.
A police officer was moonlighting as a prostitute while on sick leave from a force which has been plagued by sex scandals, a disciplinary hearing heard.Detective Constable Richard Holder was sacked without notice for gross misconduct at a disciplinary hearing on Monday – but he had already resigned.He is the second Sussex Police officer to have been discovered advertising himself as a prostitute in less than two years.Chief Constable Giles York told the hearing at force headquarters in Lewes, East Sussex, that Holder had advertised on the AdultWork.com website using a “Sweet Sensations” account and was accepting payment for sexual encounters at his home while he was off duty and on sick leave.Mr York said Holder’s employment record showed he had a “pattern of disruptive behaviour that has been on the verge of criminal at times” and struggled with “under performance”, adding: “He seems to have never been an officer with any great glory about him.”The force’s Police Federation chairman Matt Webb, representing Holder, said he had “fallen on his sword”, adding: “He fully admits all of the allegations set out against him. He took a pragmatic approach to these proceedings and has resigned. He asked me to express his apologies for his lack of judgment.” The father-of-four, who has been suspended while the IPCC continues its investigation into alleged misconduct, said the claims were unfounded.No action has been taken against Ms Porter so far, it is understood.In February last year police constable Mark Scruby was sacked after telling his sergeant she resembled a porn star.In 2015 Inspector Lee Lyons was fired after admitting he contacted prostitutes while on duty. 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.
In December 2016, Hastings-based police constable Daniel Moss was investigated and suspended from duty after he was caught advertising himself online as a male prostitute and offered to perform sex acts for cash.He had been on sick leave since that September for stress. A disciplinary hearing took place but Moss did not attend and was dismissed with immediate effect. Last year it emerged one of the force’s inspectors could face criminal charges after being arrested over claims he had sex with women he met while on duty.Brighton-based Inspector Tony Lumb was suspended from his post earlier while the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) – now known as the Independent Office for Police Conduct – investigated.The former elected Sussex Police Federation member for the inspector’s branch board in Brighton and Hove was arrested in March last year on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he had improper sexual relations with women in the course of his duties.The case was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service in November. News of Mr Lumb’s arrest surfaced just days before it emerged misconduct papers were served by the force on Chief Inspector Rob Leet and Sergeant Sarah Porter after the pair allegedly had sex on duty.
http://jrnl.ie/3870185 A man is being questioned at Ballymote garda station in connection with the incident. Image: Google Streetview Image: Google Streetview Feb 24th 2018, 4:24 PM Short URL By Michelle Hennessy Saturday 24 Feb 2018, 4:24 PM A MURDER INVESTIGATION has been launched in Sligo after the discovery of a man’s body.Gardaí were called to the scene of an incident at a house on Connolly Street in Sligo at 1.30pm today. A 20-year-old man, believed to have been the victim of an assault, was pronounced dead at the scene.A 31-year-old man was arrested a short time later and is in custody at Ballymote garda station.Gardaí remain at the scene, which has been preserved for a forensic examination, and the State pathologist has been notified.Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this assault or who has any information about the man’s death to contact Sligo Garda Station on 071 915 7000, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station.
Share51 Tweet Email 5 Comments 22,119 Views Gardaí launch murder investigation after man found dead in Sligo A man has been arrested and is being questioned by gardai. A man is being questioned at Ballymote garda station in connection with the incident. Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article
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The most powerful weapon in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is, of course, any shield, because once you get the timing right you can parry Guardians’ beams and destroy them really easy. But besides the shield, the most powerful weapon in the game is the Ancient Arrow, shot by literally any bow. It’s a big ancient science grenade tied to a stick, and it does absurd amounts of damage to anything it hits. And you can buy one from ThinkGeek.The Breath of the Wild Bow and Arrow Replica Set is exactly what it sounds like: a replica of a bow and arrow from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Specifically, it’s the Traveler’s Bow, the modest but functional go-to Link can use whenever he can’t find Ancient or Royal Guardsman equipment, and the Ancient Arrow.These are plastic props, but really detailed ones that let you get a much closer look at Link’s gear than you could in the game itself. The Traveler’s Bow is elegant but nondescript, with very elf-like flair like silver-and-greenish-turquoise accents around the grip and deeper blue-green accents near the string. It looks really nice, even if it’s plastic and not resin, wood, or metal.The arrow is the start of the set, or rather the arrowhead is. It’s a big, bulky, downright silly mishmash of Guardian parts haphazardly tied to a completely ordinary arrow, and we can see it in all of its glory in molded, painted plastic form. If you look closely at the bundle of cord affixing the arrowhead parts to the shaft, you can see a plain arrowhead strapped in place. Link’s crafting is just him tying junk to other junk!The arrow lights up, too. The translucent blade is ringed in blue LEDs, and the yellow circles on the body of the arrowhead has amber LEDs that also light up. A button on the base of the arrowhead turns the lights on and off. It doesn’t make any noises, but it still looks nice.The bow and arrow set also comes with a Sheikah wall mount. It’s a brown plastic plaque with clear arms to hold the bow and arrow horizontally, with an embossed eye in the middle.It all looks fun, but there’s a caveat: You can’t draw the bow or shoot the arrow. The string is held in place with pegs mounted on the ends of the bow, and neither the string nor the bow itself have enough bend to actually let you pull the string back. The arrow is also absurdly front-heavy, so you wouldn’t be able to fire it at anything, anyway. But what matters is that it looks nice!The Breath of the Wild Bow and Arrow Replica Set are available for $79.99 from ThinkGeek. And if you want something a bit less expensive and more battle-ready, the foam Master Sword is on sale for $12.99.
Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsApp Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsApp#TurksandCaicos, November 21, 2017 – Providenciales – This week is Thanksgiving Week in the United States and for the Turks and Caicos, Friday is a public holiday – the National Day of Thanksgiving. There are no official events announced for the holiday, but there are a couple of gatherings to which #MagneticMedia has been alerted.The first, a midday prayer is to be held at Community Fellowship Center on the holiday, the church is located across from Nell’s Gift Shop and the public is welcomed to attend says Pastor Bradley Handfield for the noon service and on Friday night, a free gospel concert is set for down town Providenciales; it is organized by Radikal Prayz Promotions. The Thank You Lord Gospel Concert features guest artists out of Jamaica: Kevin Heath, DJ Marshy Redz and Rian Davis and from the TCI, Marlin Award winning singer, Kem Gardiner with Fearless Praise.The free concert is sponsored by Airport Hotel, TCA Handling and Caicos Express Airways and gets started at 6pm this Friday. There will also be free snack giveaways courtesy of Good Neighbours Purse GNP Network.#ThanYouLordGospelConcert #Metoo-movement-type complaint, now investigation of high-ranking TCI Police Officer opened Related Items:#ThanYouLordGospelConcert, magneticmedia Recommended for you T&T companies tap into Cuban market at Expo Caribe 2019 TCI: Man safe now, says he was trapped after lightning hit truck and it burst into flames
Hyderabad-based Patruni Chidananda Sastry, an LGBTQAI+ activist, who identifies himself as a gender-fluid person is an expressionist dancer. He started learning classical dance at a tender age of five after being encouraged by his dad and still describes himself as a learner as he feels there is always something new to learn. Sastry explains how dance can be a powerful medium to discuss topics, which are taboo. Also Read – TSBB, NGC promotes eco-friendly Ganeshas Advertise With Us Working as an analyst in a corporate firm, Sastry utilises his offs on the weekend by attending morning dance classes and conducting workshops, etc. Sastry is also the founder Hyderabad Drag Club and conducted city’s first-ever drag show on the occasion of Pride Month in June.Excerpts from an interview: How do you justify dance as the best way to express yourself? Also Read – CM KCR praises PRO for his books on Telangana Advertise With Us When I was in Kharagpur, there was a Telugu movie ‘Narasimha’, in which I saw Ramya Krishnan dancing in anger. At that moment, I thought dance is a good way to express what you are feeling, and I started dancing whenever I was angry. I think it’s not only dance, but any kind of art is the best way to talk about any situation. I chose dance because it can be performed on the spot. Also, as I am learning dance since childhood, it is easier for me to experiment with it. Advertise With Us Who are your dance teachers? Bharatanatyam was the first dance form I learned from Kalamandalam Venkat from Kolkata. My father and I used to travel from Kharagpur to Kolkata twice in a month for a week to practice in his classroom for five hours a day. I learned Kuchipudi from Siva Kumar from Visakhapatnam, who used to come to my house for every summer holidays. I took a break of two years to continue my studies and since then I have been practising Bharatanatyam under Vaidehi Subhash and Odisha under Preeti Mohapatra, both are them from Hyderabad. You are into more than one dance form, any specific reason? The reason I have been learning three forms is I don’t want to stick to one form of classical dance. I am inspired by ‘Expressionism’, which started at the time of WWII, where the artists were against showing beautification or fancy subjects but favoured reality or situation which was happening around. So, I used expressionism and grammar of my dance, mixed both and created my own form called ‘Indian Expressionism’, where I talk about social issues and taboo subjects with my dance and props. On what kinds of topics have you performed so far? My subjects range from a different variety. For example, it started with LGBTQAI+ issues, where I talked about pansexuality, LGBTs and other issues like menstruation and safe sex. I worked with PETA for animal abuse; Kolkata-based Alcoholics Anonymous; gender-oriented organisations like Mist Foundation, and this young team called Firefly Community, which works on multiple subjects. However, my favourite topics are gender and animals. Do you have a group and what kind of music you chose for your performances? Usually, my performances are solo pieces, but I started working on group production now. One such production is ‘Patra’, where I associated with ‘Nations Rock Beat’, it is all-student organisation. I worked as a mentor for dance to them. I choose instrumental music because it is the sound which connects to everybody irrespective of the language or cultural behaviour. I have also experimented with human beatboxing, where I dance to the tunes created by the human beatboxers. What are the challenges you face as a dancer? As I am gender fluid, I don’t associate with the system of men and women, where there are set of certain rules for each. As soon as I say that, I see the people in front of me draw their conclusions about it. Some people perceive that I am gay, while others think that I am bisexual. While things are changing, we still have a long way to go before we begin to accept people and their preferences. My audience has always been divided into two. There is one section that comes to attend my programmes and assimilate, knowing what I do and portray. However, there is the other section that is unable to appreciate and understand the points I raise. I see my art is like a hub, and I take up things and recreate something new. In your opinion how can gender awareness be created? I think introducing gender awareness in schools and colleges will play a major role. I know parents who taught their kids about it for a long time and I have seen a significant difference in acceptability. Sex education, for example, is a topic that schools have been mandated to teach. However, most schools stay away from it because of their discomfort in answering questions posed by curious kids. These things must be taken care of because it would help children to understand their life. Tell me something about the drag show. I have been seeing drag as an art form in multiple cities. This journey started in 2016 when I went to Bengaluru, and I saw artistes performing drag show. I started researching about dance which has drag element like Kuchipudi, folk art forms like Launda Naach, and Kathakali, where men dress up as women. I was desperate to have a scene created in Hyderabad where drag artistes, especially from LGBTQ+ come up, perform and get a livelihood with it. It took me some time to understand that instead of asking people to do it, I should be taking the initiative. The first drag show we performed was on June 9 as part of Pride Month at Nirvana.
Close The highly anticipated John Lewis Christmas advert for 2015 has been unveiled, featuring a young girl who strikes up a relationship with elderly man living on his own on the moon. The story of the ad sees a young girl named Lily and her attempts to wish the man a merry Christmas, finally succeeding by sending him her telescope tied to a bunch of balloons, ending with the strapline: Show someone theyre loved this Christmas.As is tradition for John Lewis, the ad is accompanied by a cover version of a well-known but non-festive song. This year, the Oasis track Half The World Away is performed by the 19-year-old Norwegian artist Aurora and becomes the first-non British artist to be featured in a John Lewis Christmas advert.The ad itself cost around £1m ($1.5m) to make, less than the £7m spent on last years ad featuring Monty the Penguin, but the retailer is estimated to be spending a further £6m on television slots. The ad will get its debut broadcast during first break of Channel 4s Gogglebox on 6 November.John Lewis teamed up with Age UK as part of a campaign to remind people about those who may be alone this festive period. The retailer will be supporting the charity throughout November and December with initiatives such as text-to-donate campaigns online and in their stores and through the sales of selected Christmas merchandise.John Lewis customer director Craig Inglis said: Our Christmas advert is once again all about going the extra mile to give someone the perfect gift. This year though, the story is told in a uniquely creative and engaging way as we see Lily, our heroine, go to great lengths to connect with the Man On The Moon.We hope it inspires people to find really special gifts for their loved ones and through our partnership with Age UK, raises awareness of the issue of loneliness amongst older people, and encourages others to support in any way they can.Over the past few years, the typically heart-wrenching John Lewis advert has become as synonymous with Christmas as Slade, the Snowman and possibly Jesus. According to research released by MindMover on the day the ad was released, John Lewis is now the brand people most associate with Christmas, ahead of Coca-Cola and Marks and Spencer.
Saudi Arabia`s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud welcomes US president Donald Trump during a reception ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 20 May 2017. — Photo: ReutersPresident Donald Trump made an undiplomatic remark about close ally Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, saying he warned Saudi Arabia’s King Salman he would not last in power “for two weeks” without the backing of the US military.“We protect Saudi Arabia. Would you say they’re rich. And I love the King, King Salman. But I said ‘King – we’re protecting you – you might not be there for two weeks without us – you have to pay for your military,’” Trump said to cheers at a rally in Southaven, Mississippi.Trump did not say when he made those remarks to the Saudi monarch.Despite the harsh words, the Trump administration has had a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, which it views as a bulwark against Iran’s ambitions in the region.Trump made Saudi Arabia his first stop on his maiden international trip as president last year.Trump called King Salman on Saturday and they discussed efforts being made to maintain supplies to ensure oil market stability and global economic growth, according to Saudi state news agency SPA.Saudi Arabia is the world’s top oil exporter and the de facto leader of OPEC, which has been criticized by Trump for high oil prices.Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, Trump said OPEC members were “as usual ripping off the rest of the world.”“We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. Not good. We want them to stop raising prices, we want them to start lowering prices,” Trump said.He has also pressed other U.S. allies, such as Japan, South Korea and Germany, to take more of the financial burden of their defense.
TulipA lawmaker has postponed giving birth in order to vote on Britain’s divorce deal with the EU on Tuesday.Tulip Siddiq, 36, was due to have a Caesarian section on the big day, but medics have agreed to delay the operation until Thursday so that she can vote on the withdrawal agreement struck between London and Brussels.The opposition Labour MP plans to be pushed through the voting lobby in parliament in a wheelchair.”If my son enters the world even one day later than the doctors advised, but it’s a world with a better chance of a strong relationship between Britain and Europe, then that’s worth fighting for,” she told the London Evening Standard newspaper.A source in Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative party said it had offered to “pair” Siddiq, meaning a rival MP agreed not to vote to ensure her absence did not affect the outcome.But Siddiq said she did not trust this informal system after the Conservatives broke a pair for a new mother MP last year.Labour colleagues asked John Bercow, the speaker of the lower House of Commons, if Siddiq could have a proxy vote, but he said this was not in his power as such a voting system has not been implemented.Bercow said he would like the procedure known as “nodding through” — where an MP who is on the parliamentary estate but physically unable to cast their ballot has their vote counted — extended to Siddiq’s hospital bed in north London.The new baby boy will be a great-grandson of the founding father of Bangladesh.Siddiq is the grand-daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of Bangladesh.Her aunt is Sheikh Hasina, who was sworn in as Bangladesh’s prime minister for a record fourth term last week after a crushing election victory marred by deadly violence and claims of widespread rigging.
Share Travel, meals and coaches’ packetsSpreadsheets and receipts provided to The Texas Tribune under open records laws show that many schools’ recruiting costs go toward travel expenses – like airfare for recruits and coaches, rental cars, chartered buses and limousine companies, and meals that ranged from a $7,200 catered breakfast to $21.11 spent on Torchy’s Tacos.The expenses also document the presence of cottage industries that have sprung up around college sports recruiting, like coaches’ packets that contain information about up-and-coming high school players.“Sold at recruiting events,” these packets “include booklets with information on potential recruit schools, stats on scoring, heights, weight, etc.,” reads a note at the bottom of a ledger of expenses from UTEP.Last year, coaches at UTEP and two other schools paid more than $12,000, collectively, for these packets about prospective women’s and men’s basketball players and football players. At least another $100,000 was spent among those colleges on scouting services, specialized software, access to databases, and certain fees.Among the Texas schools, A&M devoted the most money to recruiting last year — $2.7 million. According to receipts and spreadsheets provided to the Tribune, the football team alone spent tens of thousands of dollars on chartered buses, SUVs or Lincoln sedans for recruiting. “Texas A&M Athletics is a fully committed partner in the overall mission of the University. Last year alone, Athletics provided significant assistance to a program to upgrade and remodel lecture halls and classrooms on the main campus,” said Douglas Walker, senior associate athletics director for external affairs at A&M, in a statement.Another rainmaker, UT-Austin’s athletics program forked over $2.3 million – including $117,745.04 to lodge and feed potential football recruits for a week, and $20,483.50 on a January dinner. More than half a million dollars were spent on private or chartered flights to recruit for UT-Austin’s football and basketball teams; A&M’s athletic program put about $1 million toward a similar expense. Texas Tech, meanwhile, spent $1.8 million on recruiting in the 2016-2017 academic year – near double what they spent a decade prior – with some of the expenses going to scout for basketball players in Italy, France and Guam, and to hire an international scouting service. They also spent $43,625 on flights with one private aviation company.The other Texas schools play in lower-profile conferences that don’t generate the same revenue from ticket purchases or television distribution deals. Those colleges spent less than A&M, UT-Austin and Texas Tech, but their recruiting costs have seen a similar rate of growth.Texas State and UTSA, for example, have each seen their recruiting expenses increase by more than 174 percent in the past decade. Spokespeople for the schools, which each pumped roughly half a million into recruiting efforts last year, said the increase is in part due to the creation and expansion of sports programs there.Texas State’s program received a $27.8 million infusion from student fees and institutional funds last year, and UTSA’s got $17.4 million. Shelby Knowles for The Texas TribuneKyle Field, Texas A&M’s football stadium in College Station, on March 26, 2018. A “proxy measure of quality”Spokespeople for UTSA and Texas State said that the spending is a worthwhile investment, one that can pay dividends off the field.“There’s this proxy measure of the quality of the university that’s somehow tied up with its athletics,” said Eric Algoe, a vice president at Texas State. “We can debate whether that’s right or wrong, but it’s perceived as a measure of quality out there in middle America.”Ignoring that fact, he said, can harm “your ability to do other things that having a national reputation might allow you to do: like get external funding for grants; like get big gifts to the university from our philanthropic supporters; like attract the best and brightest students from around the country,” Algoe said. “All of those things are served by having a prominent athletic program that you know is on ESPN, that is getting reported on in USA Today.”About a decade ago, Texas State students voted to move their athletics program to a different tier – and agreed to impose fees on themselves to enable the jump. Those fees now tack an added $20 per semester credit hour on to students’ bills – about $480 a year for a full-time student.Around the same time, a similar vote was taken at UTSA. A 2007 referendum – “held to help gauge support of a football program,” according to Kyle Stephens, a spokesperson for the athletics department there – received ‘yes’-es from two-thirds of the students who voted, and the school was given license to start a football program in 2008.“The addition of football, along with a transition to a higher-profile conference affiliation for all 17 sports, necessitated aggressive recruiting to be competitive” and a greater investment in coaches’ salaries, Stephens said.Algoe, describing the similar circumstance at Texas State, said: “I think that the student fee approach is really the most transparent way of funding your athletic program. It’s honest, it’s transparent, everybody understands what they’re paying and why they’re paying it.” He later said, “the only thing that might land us in the news more than athletics spending would be a large percentage tuition increase.” In exchange for the fees they pay, students at both schools receive free entry to home football games and other athletic events on campus – and they benefit from what Algoe described as the “intangible” benefits that college-sports can bring: an uptick in school spirit, alumni engagement, and brand-name recognition.“Finances is one important part,” Algoe said, “but there’s a lot of important things that go into assessing the quote-unquote value of an athletics program.”“As an alumni, one of the things that most powerfully connects former students to the university is a successful athletics program,” he said. “Athletics play a really big part in the social fabric of the institution and the surrounding community.” Private jets, chartered cars, visits to fancy restaurants.College coaches in Texas and across the country are fanning out, like they do every spring, to high school football stadiums and basketball courts to recruit the most promising players to their teams. But over the past decade, the cost of doing that has mounted. At eight public schools in Texas that participate in the highest level of college sports, recruiting costs have increased 131 percent on average since the 2007-2008 academic year, according to financial reports filed with the NCAA.Last year, those schools funneled a combined $9.8 million into recruiting the best high school players to their teams.The stakes are high. Landing top athletes can lead to winning seasons and championships – which, in turn, can flood a campus with increased revenue from tickets, merchandise sales and big alumni donations.“If you want excellence, you have to invest in it,” said Lisa Campos, athletics director at the University of Texas at San Antonio. “Students recognize that an athletic program serves as the front door to a university and attracts potential students, supporters and donors who might not otherwise be familiar with” it.Though college athletes aren’t paid, recruiting them is an enterprise that has many of the wine-and-dine hallmarks of the corporate world. Powerhouse programs, like those at Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin, can afford those prices. They each put more than $2 million toward recruiting last year, while raking in millions more in revenue.But recruiting costs are also rising at other Texas schools that compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision: the University of Houston, the University of North Texas, the University of Texas at El Paso, UTSA, Texas State University and Texas Tech University.Unlike A&M’s and UT-Austin’s athletics programs – which are so profitable they can generate revenue for other initiatives on campus – the programs at those six schools can’t sustain themselves financially. Last year, those six athletics programs were subsidized by a combined $116 million in student fees and other institutional funds.
Let a robot replace you. For years, this was iRobot’s pitch for the Roomba, its robotic vacuum cleaner. And for years it worked well, generating strong annual sales growth for the Massachusetts firm. There was only one problem: A sizable cohort of potential consumers didn’t believe it. These were people who valued an immaculate home. They worked hard at it. They didn’t think a robot could replace them. And they were right. It probably couldn’t.Related: How to Make the Right Sales PitchDwight Brown, senior VP of global marketing at iRobot, had been here before. His previous employer, Keurig, had a similar pitch: “‘You need a single-serve coffeemaker because it’s an easier way to make coffee,’” Brown recalls. This made technology the centerpiece of the pitch. Which made a certain sense — the tech was cool, and people who loved gadgets were into it. The thing was: Not everyone loves gadgets. “We very quickly learned that when you try to convince the consumer by starting the dialogue with the technology, you certainly attract some early adopters who are technically oriented,” Brown says of the initial approach, “but you may be missing the vast majority of consumers who are much more interested in hearing about the benefit.” Some people, after all, just weren’t looking for a new coffeemaker. But they were looking for a better coffee-making experience. So Keurig tweaked the pitch: “Great coffee, made simply.” It paid off. Keurig boomed.Related: The Surprising Online Marketing Method Most Consumers PreferWhen Brown joined iRobot three years ago, he saw a similar opening. “My initial hypothesis was that if we start focusing communication on the benefit, and not force the consumer to think about the robot as a replacement, we might open the doors to opportunity,” he says. Working with the Cambridge Group in Chicago, iRobot surveyed existing and prospective customers and discovered two things: 1. Existing customers were satisfied with the performance of the product. And 2. Prospective customers were aware of it but didn’t think it would work well enough to meet their standards.That meant that winning converts wasn’t about changing the product; it was about recalibrating expectations. “It’s not a technical issue; it’s a marketing issue,” Brown says. But to do that, iRobot had to better understand what the holdouts wanted. So it asked. The consumers it was targeting said that while they weren’t looking for a robot vacuum per se, they did want a cleaner home. And in an ideal world, they wanted their home to be cleaned every day; they were just too busy to do it themselves.That was the opening iRobot was looking for. It crafted a new pitch, “Cleaner floors every day — all at the push of a button,” and repositioned the product not as something that cleans for you but as something that cleans with you. Something that reliably frees you up from some mundane work and increases the baseline cleanliness in your home, without any additional effort on your part. In that formulation, Brown says, “the customer doesn’t even need to think about purchasing a robot.”Related: 3 Ways to Avoid Mediocre Marketing ContentThe initial feedback on this new approach was positive, and in the spring of 2015 iRobot launched a marketing campaign around it, including redesigned packaging, online and TV ads and in-store video displays. The early results were promising, and iRobot doubled down on the strategy for the holiday season — leading to a 46 percent bump in sales in the final quarter compared with the previous year. Three years in, the new message continues to resonate. Sales were up 17 percent in 2016 (propelled in part by the Roomba 650, which became the top-grossing vacuum cleaner in the U.S.), and, Brown says, “our early 2017 results appear very promising.” Growing a business sometimes requires thinking outside the box. This story appears in the July 2017 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe » August 2, 2017 Register Now » Free Webinar | Sept. 9: The Entrepreneur’s Playbook for Going Global 4 min read