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Research Article: 2021 Vol: 24 Issue: 3
Iaroslav Petrunenko, National University “Odesa Law Academy”
Inna Grabchuk, Polissia Natoinal University
Tetiana Vlasenko, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
Elena Petrova, Mykolayiv National Agrarian University
Liudmyla Strikha, Mykolayiv National Agrarian University
Citation Information: Petrunenko, I., Grabchuk, I., Vlasenko, T., Petrova, E., & Strikha, L. (2021). Ensuring food security of EU countries in the context of sustainable development. Journal of management Information and Decision Sciences, 24(2), 1-12.
Formation of a sustainable food system based on a coordinated social and environmental policy is a priority objective of the XXI century. Numerous global challenges and risks have a significant impact on food security, especially in developing countries. This requires systematic improvement of the food security policy of EU member states in the context of sustainable development. The purpose of the research is to assess the effectiveness of EU food security policy in the context of sustainable development in order to form recommendations for its improvement. The research methodology is based on a qualitative and quantitative analysis of indicators within the Sustainable Development Goals 2 of United Nation Statistics Database (2020) and Eurostat SDG 2 (2020) in terms of European regions. The concept of sustainability of food security and sustainable development, production-based approach to food security were the basis of the research. The results have revealed that there are inconsistencies between the sustainable development goals in the context of ensuring EU food security, in particular, in such directions as: coherence with migration policy, which increases inequality and problems of access to food for the population; limited domestic resources of EU countries (land for the development of organic production) to ensure the quality and safety of food (Ireland, Denmark, Germany and Finland); lack of effect of state funding of the agricultural sector’s research and development in case of excessive allocation of funds to the industry; over-regulation of the development of technologies towards ensuring the growth of production due to the bias of the population about the potential risks. The theoretical significance of the study is to identify a new relationship between the concepts of food security, sustainable development and migration policy.
Food security of the EU countries; Manufacturability of food security; Nutrition security; Sustainability of food security.
Formation of a sustainable food system based on a coordinated social and environmental policy is a priority objective of the XXI century (Lang & Barling, 2012). The policies of advanced countries and developing countries should be consistent within the framework of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Gil et al., 2019). According to UN, 8.9% of the world’s population faces the problem of hunger (690 million), and Asia is among the main regions suffering from this problem (United Nation, 2020). This means food security risks for every tenth inhabitant of the planet; lack of affordable, safe food (United Nation, 2020). Sustainable development policy defines the main goal of sustainable food security - equal access to food and reduction of starvation (Lyulyov et al., 2019). One of the important safety goals is the safety of products that causes health diseases, especially for children within EU: “the nutritional aspects of the SDGs aim to promote healthy and sustainable diets and ensure food security globally trends in childhood obesity are still alarming and far from any desirable target” (Grosso et al., 2020). Herewith, such a goal cannot be achieved due to income inequality, especially of the vulnerable groups (working women, migrant children). Numerous global challenges and risks have a significant impact on food security, especially in developing countries (Bazg?, 2015). The issue of food security is especially relevant in advanced countries because of food safety (genetically modified products, pesticides, biodiversity, fisheries, etc.) (Aiking & de Boer, 2004).
The purpose of the academic paper lies in assessing the effectiveness of the food security policy of EU states in the context of sustainable development in order to formulate recommendations for its improvement.
This manuscript contains a literature review on the development of food security concepts, a methodology based on the concept of sustainability, the results of a study of EU food security policy, discussions, conclusions and a list of bibliographic sources.
There are two concepts of sustainable food security in the scientific literature. They began to develop after the Second World War, increasing production in order to overcome the problem of insufficient consumption and hunger with a focus on agriculture, solving the problem of the nutritional system (Lang & Barling, 2012). Supporters of the first approach point to the need to double food production (Naylor et al., 2007; Waldron et al., 2017). However, this is contrary to other sustainable development goals, namely: Goal 6, clean water and sanitation; Goal 12, responsible consumption and production; Goal 13, climate action. Consensus of goals is the biggest challenge to the sustainability of the food system.
“Sustainable development is a new type of human strategy that meets current needs, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Bazg?, 2015). The basic factors influencing the sustainable development of food markets include the environmental determinants of sustainable agricultural management (increased electricity consumption, increased energy losses, coal use) (Bilan et al., 2018). A significant factor of influence is the agricultural sector as a strategic factor of food security (Pawlak & Ko?odziejczak, 2020).
Food security and sustainable agricultural development is subject to a wide range of general economic policies as well as agricultural development measures (Bazg?, 2015). The implementation of the sustainable food security concept in different countries will ensure the development of this paradigm. The interconnection between the economic stability of the country and agriculture is always determined by the most important factors of food security, namely: agricultural policy and productivity, sustainability results, price volatility, publicprivate partnerships and agricultural potential (Bazg?, 2015). Food security is defined as “Food security exists when all people at all times have physical or economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” (FAO, 1996).
The state ensures a sustainable level of food security and sustainable development in the case of sufficiency of available food and agricultural products in order to provide food for the population, while ensuring animal feed and water in case of natural disasters, crises, war, etc. The basic risks and challenges of food security can be classified into: 1) the availability of food; 2) price instability; 3) access of the population to food; 4) use of food; 5) food stability. For example, a study by Ariffin et al. (2019) proves the relationship between the price of organic products, certification and purchasing behavior. Nejati et al. (2011) identify another significant factor in consumer behavior; the attitude of consumers to the environment, the subjective norms that give in a particular domestic consumer market. While environmental friendliness does not affect consumer behavior, subjective norms determine the intention to purchase environmentally friendly products. In contrast, Ariffin et al. (2019) have shown a small link between subjective norms and intentions to purchase organic food, while attitudes towards the environment have a significant impact on purchasing behavior. Thus, the scientific literature discusses the impact of various factors on consumer behavior, including determining the level of food security.
This research is based on the concepts of food security sustainability and sustainable development (Lang & Barling, 2012; Bazg?, 2015) and the production-based approach to the population’s food security. This approach is extended by integrating the concept of “virtuous food production and food systems” in order to preserve the environment (Grosso et al., 2020). This study uses an “anthropological approach in which overall research context is emphasized in the text” for a comprehensive understanding of food security and policy (Salamzadeh, 2020).Indicators within Sustainable Development Goals 2 of United Nation Statistics Database (2020) and Eurostat SDG 2 (2020a,b) in the context of European regions (Southern Europe, Europe, Eastern Europe, Northern Europe and Western Europe) and EU27 countries have been used for analysis. A policy assessment based on food security indicators for 2001-2019 has been conducted, namely:
1. Prevalence of undernourishment (%)
2. Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity of the adult population (%)
3. Total population in moderate or severe food insecurity (thousands of people)
4. Prevalence of severe food insecurity of the adult population (%)
5. Total population in severe food insecurity (thousands of people)
6. Dependence of Agricultural factor income per annual work unit (AWU), Index 2010 = 100
7. Government support to agricultural research and development, million EUR
8. Area under organic farming, % of total utilised agricultural area (UAA)
This study is limited to EU food security policy, while in the global dimension, security issues vary significantly depending on the factors influencing food availability and consumer behavior.
The production system within EU has been modernized in the last few years, which has ensured safer and higher quality, certified production of products, providing a solution to the environmental aspects of sustainable development. The effectiveness of the developed sustainable development policy in the context of food security is assessed through the indicators of sustainable development goals; however, most indicators are not available for study due to lack of data. This significantly limits the quality analysis of food safety and security policy. The prevalence of malnutrition within different European countries was less than 2.5% (Table 1). For instance, in Albania, the number of malnourished people was 0.1 million in 2018, in Bulgaria 0.2 million, in Serbia 0.4 million, in Slovakia 0.3 million, in Ukraine 1.6 million. Consequently, the problem of hunger within EU in advanced countries has been solved, while the problem is still urgent in developing countries.
|Table 1 SDG 2 Indicators in Europe, 2014-2019|
|Prevalence of undernourishment (%)|
|Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity of the adult population (%)|
|Total population in moderate or severe food insecurity (thousands of people)|
|Prevalence of severe food insecurity of the adult population (%)|
|Total population in severe food insecurity (thousands of people)|
One of the main reasons for this scenario is the volatility of prices for agricultural products in developing countries with resource economies, which are dependent on world markets. This creates national food insecurity and requires a relevant policy of protecting national farmers from currency fluctuations. The prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity among the adult population within EU decreased from 2014 to 2019, namely: in Southern Europe by 1,387%, in Europe as a whole by 2,001%, in Eastern Europe by 0,996%, in Northern Europe by 0,653%, in Western Europe by 0,302%.
In Albania, the indicator of total population in moderate or severe food insecurity amounted to 120,86 thousand people in 2018, in Austria 41,52 thousand people, in Belgium 126,93 thousand people, in Bulgaria 131,87 thousand people, in the Czech Republic 42,13 thousand people, in Estonia 12,35 thousand people, in France 464,32 thousand people, in Hungary 79,22 thousand people, in Germany 553,05 thousand people, in Italy 649,82 thousand people, in the Netherlands 287,94 thousand people, in Norway 61,08 thousand people, in Poland 81,65 thousand people, in Moldova 161,65 thousand people, in Romania 666,71 thousand people, in Serbia 176,3 thousand people, in Slovakia 41,18 thousand people, in Slovenia 9,8 thousand people, in Spain 823,49 thousand people. Thus, the most advanced countries are acutely faced with the problem of food protection of the adult population, in particular, due to increased migration flows.
State support in the form of public funding for research and development of the agricultural sector is determined by the Index Agricultural factor income per annual work unit. Public funding is effective, up to a certain level (Figure 1). For instance, the experience of financing the agricultural sector in Ireland indicates that 22,7 million euros of investment correspond to the 19245 level of AWU. Lower levels of investment in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom correspond to a much higher level of AWU. Thus, financing the development of the agricultural sector is effective in the context of ensuring food security to a certain level of investment, which corresponds to the stimulation of developments.
Figure 1 Dependence Agricultural Factor Income per Annual Work Unit (AWU), Index 2010 = 100 on Government Support to Agricultural Research and Development, Million EUR
In general, within EU, the area of land for organic production has been growing on average from 4% in 2001 to 9% in 2019 (Figure 2). Along with this, more advanced countries are characterized by a much higher level of organic space (Austria, Estonia, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Italy, Latvia, Finland, Denmark, Slovenia, Slovakia, Greece and Spain are characterized by a value higher than EU average from 9,66% to 25% in 2019).
The interconnection between the growth of organic land and public funding for developments and researches in the agricultural sector is less obvious. However, the low level of public funding has a positive effect on the area of organic farming (Figure 3). The policies of most countries towards development of the organic agricultural sector are effective, with the exception of Ireland, Denmark, Germany and Finland. The specialization of countries should also be taken into account, forasmuch as it determines the ability to develop organic potential.
Figure 3 Area Under Organic Farming, % of Total Utilised Agricultural Area (UAA) on Government Support to Agricultural Research and Development, Million EUR
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) include the EU bioenergy policy, trade policy, development aid policy, fisheries policy and, through different mechanisms, the EU's macroeconomic and immigration policies. Over the last 10 years, EU food security policy has aimed to stabilize domestic agricultural markets through the application of high tariff rates and export subsidies. This has led to an outflow of EU agricultural products to foreign markets, lower market prices and destabilized world markets. As a result, local markets in developing countries have suffered from such EU policies. Among the main challenges for poor countries are non-tariff barriers to trade in agricultural products, which are shaped in part by food requirements. EU subsidies for production and exports have helped EU farmers, but made it more difficult for local producers to compete in developing countries. EU policies have led to cheap imports of flour, beef or dairy products in many countries, including West Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean and even India (dairy products).
In the 1970s and 1980s, the EU had a significant impact on the world food market and security through enlargement and new membership, subsidies and tariffs. During this period, the EU was a net exporter of agricultural and food products. However, there have been significant CAP policy reforms since 199, driven by the need to reduce the subsidy budget and the need to change the pricing system. Pressure from third exporting countries (Australia, the United States, developing countries) also needed to change. The policy of agricultural support for poor countries has been criticized for increasing inequality and hunger. As a result, the EU has reduced subsidies for agricultural exports to developing countries. Export refunds were abolished in 2013, and from the beginning of 2020 the EU is obliged to completely eliminate export subsidies. EU farmers receive support through direct payments to support incentives for production and exports.
For example, the level of state support for the agricultural sector in Eastern Europe has been declining in the last ten years. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, 2020), the volume of public spending amounted to: in Hungary 144.996 billion dollars; in 2008 and 138.5 billion dollars; in 2017; in Poland 426.97 billion dollars. in 2008 and 464.8 billion dollars; in 2017; in Romania 150.8 billion dollars; in 2008 and 143.5 billion dollars; in 2017; in Slovenia 47.7 billion dollars; in 2008 and 44.3 billion dollars. in 2017.
Various agricultural programs launched within the EU to ensure food security have involved the use of various instruments of state support for rural development and organic farming. For example, in Poland, the strategic program for the development of the agricultural sector SAPARD (Rowi?ski, 2005) was aimed at developing the agricultural sector by encouraging beneficiaries to apply marketing strategies that are invaluable in terms of increasing their competitiveness, especially given the fact and in Eastern Europe, mass production too often tends to prevail over targeting certain market segments. In Hungary and Poland, agriculture has undergone rapid structural change directly under the influence of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (EU) and increased competition in the EU single market. The agriculture of these countries, as well as other countries in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region, is characterized by lower investment compared to the agricultural sector of the EU. EU policy uses state support instruments to finance investment in agricultural development in member states (Fogarasi et al., 2014). For example, the most important instruments to support agriculture in Hungary are state budget funding, namely investments in agricultural holdings, tax exemptions and early retirement programs.
However, for the last ten years, the EU has still affected the food security of developing countries. First, a significant amount of subsidies provided to EU farms (around € 56 billion per year) still has some impact on the global market due to the need to reduce risks and impact on wealth (Zheng & Gohin, 2017). Direct payments also slow down the consolidation of farms, and their absence could lead to a reduction in land and employment in the agar sector. Studies show a positive impact of direct payments on the productivity of the agricultural sector, while subsidies have a negative impact on the productivity of the industry (Kazukauskas et al., 2014; Rizov et al., 2013). In general, reforming EU agricultural policy reduces the asymmetry of food security in developing countries. Studies by the Prasetyo (2016) show an increase in support for farming through production in the United States and developing countries (Indonesia, China, and Russia). EU pricing policy has also affected the volatility of food prices (in the case of higher tariffs when falling prices on world markets for agricultural products and vice versa). “The global food price spikes of 2007-2008 and 2010 led to increased awareness of the complexity of food (in) security” (Candel & Biesbroek, 2018). This has led to the EU using a more integrated approach to food security policy. In general, changes in EU agricultural policy have less of an impact on global food security (Bureau & Jean, 2013). Instead, EU policy is focused on supporting research and development (Figure 3).
Sustainable food security policy contradicts with other sustainable development goals within EU. For instance, a sustainable migration policy provides the regulation of migration flows, ensuring equal income for migrants. However, in economic realities, migrants, especially from less developed European countries, receive lower wages; consequently, a significant amount of them are on social safety net. This contradicts Goal 2 of ensuring equal access to food through different wages. The problem of inequality, in particular gender one, also exacerbates the problem of achieving SDG 2. Notwithstanding, the ultimate goal of SDG 1, SDG 2, and SDG 10 lies in reducing poverty, inequality, food insecurity, and welfare; the complex communication structure exacerbates these related challenges. The growth of migrants’ flows to the most advanced EU countries (Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and France) exacerbates the problem of food protection and inequality. The policy, aimed at social inclusion of migrants, is not able to positively affect the reduction of food insecurity due to the initial output level of productivity, education of people from less developed countries.
The impact of EU long-term policy on global food security is characterized by a complex non-linear nature. EU policy influences world standards, for example, determines the policy of certification of organic products in developing countries upon accession to the EU. Ukraine, as a country in the process of European integration, is moving to regulatory standards and requirements for food certification. Among the new challenges is the impact of EU standards on food security policies in developing countries in the field of bioenergy and nutrition standards (Bureau & Swinnen, 2018).
The main trends in food security in developing countries are:
1. Increasing inequality and reducing the availability of food to the poor;
2. Pressure on natural resources due to population growth;
3. Pressure on the environment through the expansion of the food network;
4. Biodiversity reduction;
5. Low level of access of the population to organic products, especially in developing countries, and as a consequence of the problem of ensuring healthy food;
6. Population growth rates exceed economic growth rates, which leads to increased consumer demand for agricultural products;
7. Increasing pressure on the food network due to more systematic droughts, climate change;
8. Growth of migration flows. These trends lead to chronic food shortages, malnutrition.
These trends increase the need for countries to develop food security policies, strengthen the resilience of food systems to meet growing demand. Sustainable agriculture is becoming a priority in different countries, as it takes into account migration, technological, environmental and economic aspects of food security. Sustainable agriculture involves the use of innovative organic farming methods, especially in developed EU countries, where food security policy is mainly aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and certified organic foods ("promote healthy and sustainable diets" (Grosso et al., 2020).
The present research correlates with the results of Pawlak & Ko?odziejczak (2020), namely: “the greatest problems with maintaining food security are observed in the developing countries with a high share of agriculture in their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), adverse conditions hindering agricultural production and deficient infrastructure”. The strategy towards improving food security should include stimulating investment in the agar sector, increasing the purchasing power of farms in order to reduce inequality and equal access to food. New technologies in the agricultural sector can partially solve the problem of stimulating investment. Investment in research and technological development is a priority goal of food security sustainability policy in the context of increasing production in the agricultural sector. For instance, agroforestry-enhancing systems provide higher yields with lower environmental risks (Waldron et al., 2017), thus, aligning with other goals of sustainable development, especially for small agricultural enterprises in developing countries with the highest levels of food security risks. “New plant breeding technologies (NPBTs), including genetically modified and gene-edited crops, offer large potentials for sustainable agricultural development and food security while addressing shortcomings of the Green Revolution” (Qaim, 2020). Herewith, there is an over-regulation of NPBTs within EU due to the population’s lack of perception of these technologies’ benefits, which restrains the effect of use for food security and sustainability. This requires more in-depth research concerning the risks and benefits of technologies that help address food security issues. Along with this, the development of the biofuel market may have a negative impact on food security through the transmission mechanism and fluctuations in prices for agricultural products, in particular, in the direction of growth. Moreover, the poorest segments of the population are especially vulnerable to rising biofuel prices due to consumption features (Naylor et al., 2007). This means that despite technological growth (including innovation markets and industries) in order to ensure sustainable production in the agricultural sector, innovations are likely to pose new challenges to food security. These challenges relate primarily to food safety, which is especially relevant within EU, and price volatility, which is acutely manifested in the less developed EU countries. High agricultural commodity prices have an impact on the volume of humanitarian food aid for very poor countries (Naylor et al., 2007). Therefore, it increases the scale of the problem of food security of the poorest states. A multipurpose approach to the development of food security policies for EU states (Waldron et al., 2017) should be used in order to develop strategies to protect the population from possible risks. The policy should focus “on the interaction between multi-level actors, including national governments, international organisations such as WTO, the food industry and consumers” (Aiking & De Boer, 2004).
Organic farming is in its infancy, especially in advanced EU countries. The environmental aspect of increasing production also needs to be taken into account (reduction of pesticides, ammonia emissions, nitrates, reduction of soil erosion, conservation of biodiversity); “achieving efficient and productive agricultural land use while conserving biodiversity is a global challenge” (Tscharntke et al., 2012). Traditional intensification of the agricultural sector is one of the threats to food security (one third of products is wasted; one third is inefficiently used for livestock). Therefore, the policy should provide for the redistribution of food products, especially during periods of price volatility. Similar to the study of Candel et al. (2014), we find the conflict of EU food security policy regarding (1) the productionist frame, (2) the environmental frame, (3) the development frame, (4) the free trade frame, (5) the regional frame, and (6) the food sovereignty frame. This conflict also concerns migration policy, bioenergy, integration of food quality and safety standards. Despite the improvement of EU food security policy integration processes, diversification of goals and raising awareness of the need for coordination (Candel & Biesbroek, 2018), there are significant differences. Improving coherence and coordination has also been demonstrated in Maggio et al. (2016), which identified the need to take urbanization into account.
The study of EU food security policy provides an opportunity to identify recommendations for enhancing the positive impact on developing countries and global food markets: 1) alignment with migration policy to ensure equal access to quality food; 2) improving and financing the policy of integration of product standards into the markets of developing countries to ensure the effect of scale and solve the problems of a healthy lifestyle; 3) support for agro-innovation in developing countries through further reduction of subsidies.
The conducted research gives evidence of an increase in the effectiveness of food security sustainability policies within EU countries. EU policy is characterized by inconsistency of sustainable development goals in the context of food security, in particular, in such areas as: coherence with migration policy, which increases inequality and problems of access to food for the population; limited internal resources of EU countries (land for the development of organic production) in order to ensure the quality and safety of food (Ireland, Denmark, Germany and Finland); absence of effect of the research’s state funding and development of the agricultural sector in case of excessive allocation of funds to the industry; over-regulation of technology development to ensure the growth of production due to the bias of the population about potential risks. This means that a production approach towards supporting food security cannot be effective due to numerous contradictions between environmental and food safety issues. Therefore, it is advisable to transform the food security policy of EU in the context of sustainable development by developing goals for technological sustainability of the agricultural sector. The theoretical value of the study is to complement the concepts of food security, sustainable development and migration policy through the integration of the concept of "virtuous food production and food systems" in order to preserve the environment. The practical value of the study provides an opportunity to improve the policy of sustainable development of the EU, taking into account the identified effects of the impact of migration, technology, resource constraints, financing of technological development of the agricultural sector.

domain: food


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The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization today, in an unusual press conference, denied the existence of a WND-revealed secret uranium enrichment site, dubbed “Quds,” at which the rogue nation is making great progress in creating nuclear warheads for an array of long-range missiles stored underground nearby.
In a coordinated effort, all major media of the Islamic regime reported on the press conference with the headline, “The existence of a nuclear site with the name of Quds is not accurate.”
The reports quote Fereidoon Abassi, the head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, as saying, “The existence of the Quds site 15 meters (50 feet) northeast of Fordow is not correct.”
The site actually sits 15 kilometers, or 9.3 miles, to the northeast of the previous secret site of Fordow.
Iran’s secret new nuclear site was exposed in an exclusive WND story on March 20 and a follow-up in the Washington Times the next day. The source for that information, a high-ranking intelligence officer assigned to the regime’s Defense Ministry, provided the coordinates and the detailed information on the operation of the complex, which consists of three facilities:
The first is where the regime’s scientists are enriching uranium to weapons grade. They already have enough plutonium for several bombs and are in the last stage of putting together a nuclear warhead. This site is called “Quds” after Jerusalem, as they believe Israel will soon be destroyed and Jerusalem restored to Muslim rule.
The second, which makes missile warheads, is dubbed “Marty Mughniyah” after the Hezbollah terrorist who, under the command of the regime, conducted multiple terrorist acts that killed hundreds of Americans and Israelis.
The third facility is a vast site that houses over 380 missile depots and launching pads.
At the press conference today, Abassi said, “Reports by some media and the produced video which claimed that Iran had an installation involved in its nuclear operation with the name ‘Quds’ 15 meters northeast of Fordow (are not true). … These claims are not accurate because Iran has no other nuclear enrichment facility but Fordow in the vicinity of the cities of Qom to Natanz, Tehran to Qom and Qom to Saveh. Our only enrichment facility is at Fordow, and that is under the supervision of the (International Atomic Energy Agency) and nothing else exists.”
Abassi failed to mention the Natanz nuclear facility, which is enriching uranium with over 10,000 centrifuges and located within the vicinities he mentioned.
And according to the source, regime scientists in collaboration with their North Korean counterparts have succeeded in not only enriching to weapons grade but have converted the highly enriched uranium into metal. Moreover, the source said, successfully making a neutron reflector indicates the final stages for a nuclear weapons design that would be a two-stage, more sophisticated and much more powerful nuclear bomb.
Regime scientists are also working on a plutonium bomb as a second path to becoming nuclear-armed, the source said, and they have at this site 24 kilograms of plutonium, which is sufficient for several atomic bombs. The scientists are at the last stage of putting together a warhead, he said.
Iran is now having to react because “powers” have asked Tehran to explain the site, the source said. The fact that Abassi emphasized the distance and the name without explaining what the site is and why hundreds of missiles surround it shows the regime has been caught off guard and is panicking.
The satellite images clearly show this vast site is visible to the naked eye and that it is a high-priority site with secret work conducted deep within a mountain.
Abassi finds himself in a tough situation, the source said, and it’s very likely he will soon be replaced as the regime has long suspected him of spying. His panicky explanation about “Quds” and giving exact locations at which Iran does not have another enrichment facility might be seen as a subliminal message that the regime indeed has other secret installations.
Golpanews, which is associated with the Defense Ministry, said on March 24: “It is clear that the claim by anti-revolutionaries about the existence of the secret nuclear site, Quds, if correct, is nothing more than the situation with the Parchin (military) site and that the Islamic Republic, based on its international obligations, is only after the science of enrichment and the usage for peaceful nuclear energy.”
That report by Golpanews, with its connection to the highest levels of the Iranian government, laid the groundwork for calling Quds a military site and therefore not accessible for inspection by the IAEA.
Many American experts who have reviewed the images have expressed deep concern and have urged Congress to conduct a hearing on the Islamic regime’s nuclear bomb pursuit.
At the press conference today, Abassi touched on a report by The Telegraph on the regime’s activity at its heavy-water plant in Arak and the intention of the regime for producing plutonium as a second path to nuclear weapons, stating that the production of heavy water is only for the use in a reactor.

domain: news


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Jar Star provides skills and tools for modern home food preservation.
Lindsay Kearns learned home food preservation techniques from her parents, who had her assist with their annual tomato sauce canning marathons from a young age. Despite those labourious beginnings, her love of putting up seasonal foods grew with her into adulthood, where it nests well into her general obsession for all things do-it-yourself. These days, she is sharing her passion for successful freezing, dehydrating, fermenting, and canning of amazing delicious foods, through workshops & presentations, and selling her fermentation supplies at community events. Her engaging demonstrations and classes have been attended by hundreds of people over the past 5 years. Read more about Lindsay here.
Miso. Jam. Cider. Venison chili. Chutney. Water kefir. Salsa. Sauerkraut. Dried tomatoes. Sourdough. Cheese. Kombucha. Fruit leather. Mesophilic yoghourt. Pasta sauce. Hot sauce. Fish sauce? All this, and more.
Victoria is a city on an island in the Salish Sea, off the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is the traditional home of the Lekwungen People.
Now, yesterday, tomorrow. There will be excellent miso ready in 2018.
Preserving food is an important part of food sovereignty. By extending the length of time we can enjoy eating a fruit, vegetable, or meat, we’re working towards affordable, safe, culturally-appropriate nourishment… And as a bonus, it’s very fun!


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WP School Based Health Center
Your Wellness Center is open and here for you!
Christiana Care’s School Based Health Center at WPHS is currently scheduling appointments following CDC guidelines. To schedule an appointment call 302-324-5740.
You must have an appointment to access services.
*Presently, if you are having a medical emergency, please call 911. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please call Child Priority Response 24 hr Crisis Line 800-969-4357.
Not a member yet? Copy and paste the link below to learn about our services and register online:
- English: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/L2y9QS55shCMwo7XMWENk6mb
- Spanish: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/Kd1XFZtYWnemeauyef3TToAN
- Sport physicals
- School physicals
- Minor illnesses
- Minor injuries
- Reproductive health (optional with membership)
- Nutritional counseling
- Individual counseling
- Confidential Tele-Health and Phone Visits now available
- Open every school day, Monday thru Friday
- Located inside William Penn High School
You don’t have to miss work if your teen gets a cold or needs a vaccination.
The William Penn School-Based Health Center (SBHC) is a partnership between Christiana Care Health Services, Colonial School District, and the Delaware Division of Public Health. The center is supported by the Department of Public Health and administrated by Christiana Care Health Systems. This joint partnership, with the approval of the Colonial School District, enables us to provide many free services to students at William Penn High School.
To sign up your child in the SBHC:
- Up-to-date insurance information is needed if your child is insured. No co-pay, co-insurance or deductible will be charged to you and no one will be turned away based on ability to pay.
- Please review, fill out and sign the Consent Form.
- Fill out Student Registration Form and Health History Form.
- Return completed enrollment/registration forms to the SBHC.
SBHC services offered:
- Counseling (individual, family, and group)
- Health education/risk reduction
- Crisis intervention and suicide prevention
- Nutrition/weight management
- Pregnancy testing
- Diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
- HIV testing at approved high schools
- Reproductive Health Services
(Birth control pills/Depo-Provera/condoms)
- Physicals (sports, school, or pre-employment)
- Health screenings
- Diagnosis and treatment of minor illnesses/injuries
You’ll save time and won’t be charged any fees or copays.
Please know that your child’s pediatrician or family doctor is still your child’s main doctor. SBHC does not take the place of your child’s pediatrician or family doctor, and SBHC doctors and nurses will work with your child’s main doctor to care for your child. The SBHC offers services that may round out the care provided by your main doctor. When appropriate, and with your permission, we will try to share medical information with your child’s doctor to prevent any duplication of health care services and to take the best care of your child. If your child does not have a doctor, we can help you find one.

domain: medical


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MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) — One local theatre company is declaring the show must go on, adding multiple activities to its online operations following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States.
Emerald Coast Theatre Company created three, new online opportunities for the public, including a virtual talent show and two camps for students.
The virtual talent show will run until April 25, and is open to people of all ages. The company is asking anyone who would like to showcase a special talent to record themselves in a video two minutes or less demonstrating their skills.
Then, the video submission should be uploaded to YouTube and submitted before April 20 to firstname.lastname@example.org. In that email submission, entrants need to include their name, the title of the video and category they are entering in in the subject line. Also, entrants must attach a photo and a link of their YouTube video.
The talent show includes three rounds and a panel of judges will select Best Overall and Most Creative from the winning finalists. The public also has a say and can vote for the People’s Choice Award by liking the YouTube submission of their choice.
For more details on the talent show, visit EmeraldCoastTheatre.org.
The theatre company also is offering two online camps for school-age children
Camp Shine at Home runs April 14-May 1 for third through 12th grade students. It includes advanced training in acting, vocal coaching, group dancing and improv skills and will be held Tuesday through Friday at 1 p.m. with Saturday classes at 11 a.m.
Live group classes will be recorded for those who cannot sign on at that time, and one-on-one sessions will be scheduled individually.
Camp Shine at Home will culminate in a final performance on May 1 at 4 p.m.
Emerald Coast Theatre Company’s second online camp, Camp The Show Must Go Online, is for children in third through fifth grades and will take place on Wednesday’s at 11 a.m. Students also will meet in shorter coaching sessions for workshops.
Camp The Show Must Go Online runs from April 14 to April 30 and also includes a final performance on the last day at 4 p.m.
Both of the camps have associated fees, but the prices are discounted and scholarships are available. Online registration is ongoing on Emerald Coast Theatre Company’s website.

domain: entertainment


This call for proposals seeks to provide the research evidence needed to effect real and practical changes to improve adolescent health. The focus of this call is therefore on implementation research. Proposals should identify clearly the health issues and/or risk factors to be addressed and describe the pathway for how the proposed approach can be incorporated into systems to reach scale and lead to improved health outcomes.
The deadline for submission to JeS is 4pm on Thursday, 21 January 2016.
For more information, please visit: http://www.mrc.ac.uk/funding/browse/adolescent-health-in-low-and-middle-income-countries/
For advice on applying, please contact you relevant Research Development Manager.


Wintry blast on the way
An icy chill is expected to descend on Waikato today but it comes lined with "white gold".
The ski slopes of Mt Ruapehu were covered with snow yesterday after the first fall of the year – and it's expected to keep coming until Saturday as overnight temperatures plummet.
Gale-force winds from the Southern Ocean near Antarctica are being pushed north by a large low-pressure system that has been clogging skies and soaking roads over the last few days.
Snow was falling on the mountain yesterday down to 1200 metres, and is expected to come down as low as 800m today.
Mt Ruapehu ski area manager Steve McGill says preparations are underway for the ski season, which is due to open on June 16 at Turoa, and June 23 at Whakapapa. The dump was a "glorious sight", he said.
"Winter is certainly upon us. At Turoa it is snowing to the 13-kilometre barrier and the road is now closed, and at Whakapapa it is snowing to Scoria Flat and the road is restricted."
He said staff were "amped" for winter and the snow was a "glorious sight for skiers and boarders".
MetService is forecasting the winds of up to 40kmh to switch from a westerly to a frigid southwesterly, which will be laced with heavy showers and possible thunder.
Temperatures in Hamilton, Te Kuiti and Taumaranui got up to around 15 degrees Celsius yesterday with overnight lows near 8C. Today, however, the high could reach 14C, but the overnight lows are tipped to plummet to zero in some areas.
Snow is expected to fall to 300m in the lower South Island.
MetService meteorologist Stephen Glassey said wind chill would be a factor and it would bite pedestrians and others venturing outdoors.
On Monday night a small tornado tore through the Bay of Plenty town of Papamoa damaging several homes.
The tornado twisted through Longview Dr on the outskirts of Tauranga at 8.30pm, destroying the roofs of six homes, a Fire Service spokesman said.
Tiles were ripped off roofs but that was the extent of the damage, the spokesman said. Three fire trucks attended, and staff spent an hour helping home owners secure their roofs.
The tornado was probably a result of the thunderstorms which lashed the upper North Island yesterday evening, MetService forecaster Andy Downs said.
"We're not surprised. They tend to be very localised and short lived.
"We put out a watch warning about the possibility of severe thunderstorms producing small tornadoes and strong wind gusts."
A waterspout was also seen earlier in the day off the Taranaki coast.


Police officers in the US state of Arkansas are engaged in a standoff with a gunman who is suspected of shooting two cops.
The suspect, identified as a 34-year-old man named Billy Monroe Jones, barricaded himself inside a home in Greenwood after shooting two police officers on Wednesday morning.
The victims included Hackett Chief of Police Darrell Spells and an unknown Sebastian County deputy who was in critical condition.
Police negotiators have entered the home where Jones was hiding. Family members inside the house were safely evacuated.
Local media described Jones as a convicted felon who has animosity towards law enforcement.
Police found his hideout after an hour-long manhunt. Multiple law enforcement agencies are reportedly engaged in the negotiation.
According to Sebastian County Investigator Philip Pevehouse , Jones is not being cooperative and is armed with a semi-automatic weapon.
The suspect’s prior offenses include a 2007 conviction for…


I. Purpose and Scope
Federal, state and/or provincial laws authorize the acceptance of electronic signatures as legal and enforceable for most transactions. Northeastern University recognizes this general standard as well as the increased operational efficiency gained from conducting many business transactions by computer, over the internet, and by e-mail. This policy establishes guidelines for units within the University to authorize the use of electronic signatures to the fullest extent permitted by law, using methods that are secure and practical, after identifying and evaluating the risk for each specific application.
This policy applies to all members of the University community, including students and prospective students, employees and prospective employees, faculty, staff, volunteers in connection with University activities, business partners, affiliates, and associates. It applies to all uses or potential uses of electronic signatures to conduct the official business of the University, including transactions with third-party vendors and contractors.
This policy does not mandate the use of an electronic signature or otherwise limit the right of a party to conduct a transaction on paper, nor does it apply to any situation where a written signature is required by law. The policy does not apply to facsimile signatures used on checks issued by the University.
The policy does not require a specific method for acceptance of an electronic signature, but authorizes each unit, department, or administrative office to implement the method that provides an appropriate level of authentication assurance to address the identified degree of risk in each transaction.
For purposes of this Policy,
Authentication means to establish as genuine and verify the identity of a person providing an electronic signature.
Electronic signature, or “e-signature,” is an electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with an electronic record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record. Examples can include a digitized image of a handwritten signature, a code or personal identification number (PIN), and a mouse click on an “I accept” or “I approve” button. An electronic signature must be attributable (or traceable) to a person who has the intent and authority to sign the record with the use of adequate security and authentication measures that are contained in the method of capturing the electronic transaction (e.g., use of PIN or unique log-in username and password), and the recipient of the transaction must be able to permanently retain an electronic record of the transaction at the time of receipt.
Electronic record is any record created, used, or stored in a medium other than paper, including information processing systems, computer equipment and programs, electronic data interchanger, electronic mail, voice mail, text messages, and similar technologies. To the extent that facsimile, telex, and/or telecopying, and/or former hard copy documents are retained in electronic form, through a scanning process, they are also considered electronic records.
Electronic transaction, or “e-transaction,” is a transaction conducted or performed, in whole or in part, by electronic means or electronic records. The information provided, sent, or delivered, in an electronic record must be capable of retention by the recipient at the time of receipt to qualify as an electronic transaction.
Approved electronic signature method is one that has been approved by Information Security, in accordance with this policy and applicable state and federal laws, and which specifies the form of the electronic signature, the systems and procedures used with the electronic signature, and the significance of the use of the electronic signature.
Level of Assurance is the degree of confidence in the identity of the individual providing an e-signature.
Approval Authority means a Senior Vice President or designee.
When a signature, approval or authorization is required for a University transaction, by law or by University policy or practice, an electronic signature, approval or authorization will meet the requirement, and will be accepted as legally binding and equivalent to a handwritten signature when:
A. the particular unit, office or department has designated the transaction as an appropriate e-transaction, after analysis of the benefits and risk;
B. the Approval Authority for the particular Unit, office, or department has authorized the use of electronic signature for that transaction; and
C. the unit has implemented an approved electronic signature method and user authentication protocol appropriate to establish the level of assurance needed for the degree of risk identified in the analysis.
Units are encouraged to consult with the Office of Information Security for guidance as to the level of assurance appropriate to proposed e-transactions, and the e-signature method required.
IV. Additional Information
As set forth in the University’s Appropriate Use Policy, all accountholders are responsible for activities conducted under their user ID, and are expected to take all precautions to safeguard their password and files to prevent unauthorized use. Sharing of passwords or other access tokens is prohibited.
Individuals who falsify e-records, e-transactions or e-signatures are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment and criminal prosecution under applicable federal, state and/or provincial laws. In Canada, violation of this policy my constitute cause for termination. Individuals are required to report any suspect or fraudulent activities related to e-transactions, e-records or e-signatures immediately to the Information Security Office and to any manager or supervisor in the individual’s department, college or division.
Nothing in this policy is intended to authorize any individual to sign on behalf of Northeastern University if he or she has not been granted such authority, and such signature authority continues to be governed by University bylaws and applicable University policies. The presence of an electronic signature does not mean that the signatory was authorized to sign or approve on behalf of the University.
Policy on International Agreements
Electronic Signature; Electronic Transaction; E-sign; Click-through Agreements; Authenticated Portal
Last Revision Date: January 16, 2020
Issued: September 19, 2013


Manchester City are reportedly preparing a bid of £40 million for Borussia Dortmund star Julian Weigl.
According to reports in the Daily Mail, Pep Guardiola is a huge admirer of the Germany international.
With Yaya Toure and Fernandinho coming to the end of their respective playing careers, City are in need of a holding midfielder.
So just who is this 22-year-old?
talkSPORT has assembled a scout report for the youngster to determine just how good the midfielder is.
The midfielder was rated so highly at first club 1860 Munich he was incredibly named captain at just 18-years-old, the youngest in the club’s history. He featured prominently for the club in the 2014/15 season, and made the move to Borussia Dortmund in August 2015.
Thomas Tuchel was the manager at the time, and managed to get the youngster for just over £2 million. His first season was largely a success as he featured regularly in midfield for Dortmund, despite being just 20-years-old when the season ended.
Although he is contracted to the German club until 2021, rumours of a move to City have still persisted. So just what would the club be getting?
Stats this season – courtesy of Squawka
It’s easy to see why Guardiola wants to bring the German midfielder to the Etihad. Out of the 15 games he has played in the Bundesliga this season, Weigl has completed 639 out of the 735 passes he has attempted, leaving him with a success rate of 87%. He is not renowned for his offensive play, although he has scored once this season and created four chances.
It is his role in front of the back four that Weigl has excelled and really made a name for himself across Europe. He has won 26 tackles this season, and made 25 interceptions. Perhaps more crucially for someone playing so deep, he made zero defensive errors.
Rather than playing like an old-school defensive midfielder, Weigl is part of a new breed of midfield. He is less rampaging and has more intelligent positioning, not too dissimilar to Sergio Busquets at Barcelona. Like the Spanish midfielder, Weigl is tall and slim – standing at 6’2. Weigl instead uses intelligent positioning to influence the game from midfield as he is not blessed with pace.
At times, the German will sit even deeper than Dortmund’s centre-halves and dictate play from there. He is incredibly composed on the ball, and a high press does not appear to fluster him. He allows players ahead of him to be more creative by finding the right pass or escaping tackles with his quick feet.
Perhaps the most crucial feature of his game is his movement once he has released the ball. In order to prevent counter-attacks, he occupies vacant spaces near the ball. This way, he ensures he does not get found out for lack of pace if a team wants to release a quick counter. For a team like City, this is a trait that could prove crucial considering the amount of possession they have.
Positioning – His tracking back and covering for team-mates (particularly full-backs) make him almost invaluable for Dortmund. He is always available to receive a pass and always looks for the simple option.
Defensive Instincts – During Saturday’s trip to Borussia Monchengladbach, the midfielder made six tackles and four interceptions – the most out of any player for the visitors. His aerial prowess needs work, but this is something that can be worked on.
Physicality – As mentioned earlier in this report, Weigl is similar in stature to Sergio Busquets, which is ideal for his style of play. Should he wish to move to the Premier League however, he will need to add weight to his frame. At just 72 kg, he gets pushed off the ball far too easily at times.
Although a huge transfer fee is probably required to get Dortmund to part with one of their star assets, it would be an investment worth making for City. With Fernandinho coming to the end of his playing career, a 22-year-old replacement looks like good business.
Weigl would fit seamlessly into the spine of the team, assuming a position at the base of the midfield for City. His transition from 2.Bundelsiga to the Champions League with consummate ease and a switch to the Premier League shouldn’t prevent too many difficulties.


A MAJOR expansion of the Warrnambool airport is a step closer with the announcement of $2 million in state funding.
But yesterday’s allocation comes with a catch — the state will only proceed with the project if the federal government also comes to the party.
The upgrade, estimated to cost $4.5 million, involves extending the main runway to cater for larger commercial and passenger planes and improving key infrastructure, leading to the construction of up to 20 new hangars.
It is expected to create up to 20 new jobs at the Mailors Flat airport precinct and trigger other investment opportunities.
State Aviation Minister Gordon Rich-Phillips, who flew into Warrnambool in his private plane yesterday morning, said he was disappointed to learn earlier this week that the Commonwealth had rejected the airport’s bid for funding. “The Coalition government recognises that Warrnambool’s aviation park precinct is important to the future of south-west Victoria,” Mr Rich-Phillips said.
“The expansion would create up to 20 jobs for the region’s growing energy industry and will help attract long-term investment.”
He said money for Warrnambool Regional Airport was one of the first projects earmarked from the Coalition government’s $20 million Regional Aviation Fund, but it required matching federal funding.
“There are a range of infrastructure upgrades ready to go ahead including new taxiways, access roads, drainage and essential services infrastructure.”
Mr Rich-Phillips said he spoke to a number of operators and businesses at the airport when he travelled to Warrnambool during a Community Cabinet visit last September.
Member for South West Coast Denis Napthine said the state government recognised the opportunities the Warrnambool airpark project would deliver for the region.
“This project presents the opportunity to further this growth by developing the region’s aviation industry and securing Origin Energy as a long-term tenant at the airpark,” Dr Napthine said.
Origin has indicated it is keen to use the site as a base for operating flights to its off-shore facility.
Warrnambool mayor Jacinta Ermacora described the airport as the “aerial gateway” to the Great South Coast region, saying it played a critical role in the economic and social value of the area. She said the master plan was drawn up to cater for future investment and job growth, with the existing facilities unable to cater for expansion and demand.
The existing 14 hangars, including the helicopter ambulance base, are booked out and there is a long waiting list of local business operators and larger corporations keen to establish a base.
The city council also hopes the project may trigger the return to regular passenger air services. Under the upgrade plans, the main runway length of 1372 metres would be extended to 1600 metres which would allow larger planes to land and take off.


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Trash Wraps brighten Downtown Indianapolis – help visitors keep Downtown clean
Starting in late-February, nearly 200 Downtown trash receptacles will be dressed up with colorful trash wraps.
The vibrant wraps are blue and green with the message “Put Litter in its Place” and “Keep Downtown Clean.”
The goal of this initiative is to encourage consumers to put trash in its place and raise public awareness of Downtown cleanliness. The Trash Wrap program originated in 2000 when Indianapolis Downtown Inc.’s Cleaning Advisory Committee decided to transform trash receptacles.
The program was introduced as part of NCAA Final Four preparations to the festive scene.
The wraps were such a hit with visitors, businesses and the community, that they now appear every spring.
For more information, call IDI at 237.2222.
Celebrate Black History Month in Downtown Indianapolis
Several events take place Downtown in February to celebrate.
Don’t miss 18 FREE performances throughout the month of February as part of Art & Soul in the Indianapolis Artsgarden.
Billy Wooten and the Kenyetta Dance Company kick off the 15th annual celebration on Jan. 27.
Find a full schedule at Indy Art’s Web site. Celebrate African-American culture by taking a stroll down Indiana Avenue and touring the Madame Walker Theater Center.
Check out the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s (IRT) presentation of Going Solo: Neat, a sequel to last year’s “Pretty Fire.”
Join the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for the 26th Anniversary Celebration of Black History Concert Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. conducted by Indianapolis audience favorite, Thomas Wilkins.

domain: sociology


Terri Schiavo and Other Action Items
to follow the Terri Schiavo case closely. The Empire Journal in a
tour de force of investigative journalism has posted several articles
pointing to fraud in the Florida Department of Health and in George Greer's
Florida courtroom. They are calling for grand jury and RICO investigations
of all the abuses and scandals surrounding the case. Read more at the
url below and take action by contacting one or more of those listed on
the right side of the page: the governor, attorney general, and others.
Please say a prayer, then call or write at least one of these contacts.
Do it for Terri and for every vulnerable person threatened by the culture
Also visit www.terrisfight.org
to read the letter from the Schindlers' lawyers offering Michael everything
if he will release her to her parents' guardianship. Lifesite news has
an interview with Terri's dad at www.lifenews.com/bio670.html.
Pray for this on-going hostage crisis.
Good news on the La Quinta/Tiller connection. Thanks to thousands
of pro-lifers around the country La Quinta Inn sent an investigative team
to Wichita, KS and have ordered the Wichita La Quinta to completely sever
their ties with George Tiller's infamous late term abortion mill. The
hotel was allowing Tiller to rent rooms and staff them with nurses montioring
patients and administering medication. La Quinta also notified Tiller
he may not use the La Quinta name in any of his brochures or on his website.
Please send La Quinta your thanks. Contact Teresa Ferguson, La Quinta
Inn Guest Relations at (214) 492-6600 or e-mail Teresa.Ferguson@laquinta.com.
For more on this story go to:
The Pope's illness and hospitalization is leading to calls for his
retirement and speculation that a mandatory retirement age of 80 will
be discussed for future popes. Read more at: www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1468211,00.html
Pray for our Holy Father and for our poor suffering Church.
May Rainbow Sash activists receive Communion? NO! Archbishop Flynn
recently mischaracterized a conversation with Francis Cardinal Arinze,
Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship implying that the Cardinal
left it up to the bishops on whether to give Communion to Rainbow Sash
activists. In response to a letter from Barbara Kralis, the Cardinal's
secretary, Msgr. Quinones, wrote, "Rainbow Sash wearers, the cardinal
says, are showing opposition to Church teaching on a major issue of natural
law and disqualify themselves from being given Holy Communion." How
did Archbishop Flynn respond? He issued a press release throwing more
dust into the eyes of the faithful by saying, "His Eminence did not
in fact suggest an immediate change....However, he did clearly indicate
that this situation merits further study." He then blamed the messenger
by describing people who "wished to create controversy." Please
write to the bishop and explain that there is no controversy...rainbow
sash activists "disqualify themselves from being given Holy Communion."
It is the scandalous behavior of bishops that is "creating controversy."
Contact Archbishop Harry Flynn. Assure him of your prayers and exhort
him to do the right thing.
Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis,
226 Summit Avenue,
Saint Paul, MN 55102,
(651) 291-4400 email@example.com
FOR OUR BISHOPS AND PRIESTS!


text:
- published: 05 Jul 2019
- views: 809017
#releaseNandini #Lawyers #ChennaiHighCourt #Nandhini #Anti_Liquor
Activist Mugilan Blast Interview : Environmental activist Mugilan released : #Mukilan and others released last week. Organizer of the Tamil Nadu Environmental Protection Movement Mukilan spent more than 365 days in prison. He is kept in prison on Sep, 2017 for protesting against Koodankulam nuclear plant. his achievements like shutting down a Coke factory in Perundurai, closing a polluting textile-dyeing plant in Erode, organising major protests against a nuclear power-plant on the coast and Sterlite protest. Subscribe Vikatan Tv : https://goo.gl/wVkvNp CREDITS Host - Se.Tha.Elangovan | Camera - Jeeva, Dixith | Edit - Lenin.P
Subscribe to Nakkheeran TV http://bit.ly/1Tylznx www.Nakkheeran.in Social media links Facebook: http://bit.ly/1Vj2bf9 Twitter: http://bit.ly/21YHghu Google+ : http://bit.ly/1RvvMAA Nakkheeran TV - Nakkheeran's Official YouTube Channel
தீஷா ரவி கைது | டெல்லி போலீஸின் அத்துமீறல் | What is Toolkit controversy? | Activist Disha Ravi's Arrest Subscribe Us - https://bit.ly/31DrQr6 #Toolkit #ActivistDishaRavi #GretaThunberg #TheRoosterNews #roosternews #rooster Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/theroosternews https://www.twitter.com/therooosternews https://www.instagram.com/theroosternews Email: firstname.lastname@example.org
#neerthirai #manusmriti #sundaravalli Dr. Sharmila, Radhika Ganesh, and Sundaravalli Group discussion about Banning Manusmriti in front of VCK Leader Thirumavalavan Tamil news headlines, Tamil Nadu News, news today Tamil, Tamil latest, news headlines today, today headlines, breaking news, viral news, today news, Tamil news, latest news, news in Tamil, Tamil news online, latest Tamil news, Tamil news today Neerthirai is an Independent online Tamil news channel. You can get all the political news without compromise. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect us with Social media Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/neerthiraitv Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neerthiraitv Follow us on Website...
SL Police of occupying Sri Lanka has been harassing a leading Tamil woman activist, 42-year-old Gowsalya Sathees, in Keappaa-pulavu, Mullaiththeevu, to shut-down her small fuel shop. Full story: https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=39146
The lawyer representing the European Union was refusing to respond to question posed by Lathan Suntheralingam, a Tamil legal activist from Switzerland at the ECJ.
Social activist protest against Pondicherry education board over 25% reservation | News7 Tamil Subscribe : https://bitly.com/SubscribeNews7Tamil Facebook: http://fb.com/News7Tamil Twitter: http://twitter.com/News7Tamil Website: http://www.ns7.tv News 7 Tamil Television, part of Alliance Broadcasting Private Limited, is rapidly growing into a most watched and most respected news channel both in India as well as among the Tamil global diaspora. The channel’s strength has been its in-depth coverage coupled with the quality of international television production.
Social activist seeks release of arrested Salem protesters | News7 Tamil Subscribe : https://bitly.com/SubscribeNews7Tamil Facebook: http://fb.com/News7Tamil Twitter: http://twitter.com/News7Tamil Website: http://www.ns7.tv News 7 Tamil Television, part of Alliance Broadcasting Private Limited, is rapidly growing into a most watched and most respected news channel both in India as well as among the Tamil global diaspora. The channel’s strength has been its in-depth coverage coupled with the quality of international television production.
Renowned vocalist TM Krishna, known for "introducing social inclusiveness in culture", on Tuesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the 2002 Gujarat riots, but praised former PM Manmohan Singh for apologising for the 1984 Sikh riots. The Magsaysay award-winning Carnatic vocalist Krishna, after receiving the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration in the national capital, made a veiled attack on Modi over the 2002 riots. While critics of Modi still want him to tender an apology for the Gujarat riots as the massacre happened during his tenure as the CM of the state, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) disagrees with such "politically-motivated demands". Back in 2005, Sikh groups rejected the apology of the then PM Singh over the Sikh riots. They said the apology from the Sikh PM...
A group of Sri Lankan Tamils in France held a demonstration at La Chapelle in Paris, on Wednesday in protest of the gun attack on a Tamil diaspora activist last week.
The arrest of 22-year-old activist Disha Ravi from Bengaluru over a "toolkit" tweeted by climate campaigner Greta Thunberg has not just generated waves of outrage but has also raised questions on procedure. Disha Ravi did not have her own lawyer when she was produced in court yesterday and sent to five days in police custody.. here is the detailed report on why dhisha ravi was arrested and what is the took kit tamil news today https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1Nb-N6XgLFHfGxZjIkF8A/join For More tamil news, tamil news today, latest tamil news, kollywood news, kollywood tamil news Please Subscribe to red pix 24x7 https://goo.gl/bzRyDm red pix 24x7 is online tv news channel and a free online tv
DNA India | 26 Feb 2021
The Siasat Daily | 26 Feb 2021
Yahoo Daily News | 26 Feb 2021
The Times of India | 26 Feb 2021


text:
Paleolithic Period & Neolithic Period. Paleolithic = Old Stone Age 2 million B.C. to 10,000 B.C. The Paleolithic Age is a prehistoric era distinguished.
Post on 26-Dec-2015
Embed Size (px)
- Slide 1
- Paleolithic Period & Neolithic Period
- Slide 2
- Paleolithic = Old Stone Age 2 million B.C. to 10,000 B.C. The Paleolithic Age is a prehistoric era distinguished by the development of the first stone tools During the Paleolithic, humans grouped together in small societies such as bands and subsisted by gathering plants and hunting or scavenging wild animals.
- Slide 3
- The term Paleolithic was coined by archaeologist John Lubbock in 1865. It derives from Greek: palaios, "old"; and lithos, "stone", literally meaning "old age of the stone" or "Old Stone Age Hunters and Gatherers Handmade tools Made up of tribes and bands Religious believe in afterlife, special burials Wholly mammoths roamed the area
- Slide 4
- Neolithic Period New Stone Age Handmade tools Agriculture Domestication of plants and animals Greek neos=new, lithos=stone, or New Stone Age coined by John Lubbock Mainly in what is now the Middle East and India
- Slide 5
- First Neolithic Villages 1.Catalhuyuk mounds found in present Turkey ended about at the Bronze Age 2.Jericho Built between 10,000/9000 B.C. In today Israeli but controlled by Palestine. It is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of the world!
- Slide 6
- Jericho Through out much of her history, the ancient town of Jericho has been associated with walls. The most notable story of Jericho is that of Joshua, who according to Biblical accounts, caused the walls to "come tumbling down." The natural walls surrounding Jericho also are of historical importance to the ancient settlement. The original walls of Jericho are the result of seismographic activity producing a great rift extending from the Sea of Galilee to Northern Africa. The land in this region dropped some 3,000 feet and settled at least 900 feet below sea level. At this low elevation we find one of the oldest ancient urban dwellings of recorded history, Jericho.
- Slide 7
- Paleolithic Age I Neolithic Age Stone tools Bury their dead Clothes from skins of animals Fire Language Spear, bow & arrow Harpoons, fishhooks Lived in wood poles covered with skins Cave paintings Ice age Neanderthals World population around 2 million (approx) Domesticating animals Agriculture Animals for work Permanent settlements Jewelry Religion Trading Weaving cloth Cheese Kept recorders Wheel Calendar Larger populations why?
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Chapter Study Guides - ?· from the Paleolithic era to the agri- ... Neolithic Age, New Stone Age (p.…
“Describe the hunter-gatherer societies, including the development of tools and the use of fire.” The Paleolithic Era Old Stone Age: 40,000 B.C. to 10,000.
Paleolithic Age Paleolithic Era – Old Stone Age (~2.6 million years ago – ~10,000 BCE) – Hunter/Gatherer societies Nomadic – Moved from place to place.
Quiz: Paleolithic Era and Neolithic Date: Global History I, Carr Period: Quiz: Paleolithic Era and Neolithic Revolution
The Paleolithic Era (or Old Stone Age) is a period of prehistory from about 2.6 million years ago to around 10000 years ago. The Neolithic Era(or New.
The Dawn of History Section 2. Paleolithic Age “The Old Stone Age” The earliest period of human history 2 million B.C. – about 10,000 BC.
The Paleolithic Age Chapter 1 – Section 1. The Paleolithic Age Term used to designate the early period of human history – 2.5 million – 10,000 BC Time.
Pre-Class Guided Reading: Early Civilizations. Stone Age Paleolithic Period, Mesolithic Period, and Neolithic Period about 3 million years ago.
Comparison Chart: Paleolithic Humans vs. Neolithic 1 Development...Comparison Chart: Paleolithic Humans vs. Neolithic Humans Vocabulary: Paleolithic: Paleo = old; Lithic = stone.The Paleolithic era is
Early Humans Paleolithic and Neolithic Age. Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age) 900,000 years ago people migrated out of Africa to Europe and Asia. 900,000.
The Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages. Paleolithic Age Paleolithic means “old stone” –used simple stone tools Earliest humans were nomadic –Moved from place.
Comparison Chart: Paleolithic Humans vs. Neolithic sites. 3 Comparison...Comparison Chart: Paleolithic Humans vs. Neolithic Humans . Vocabulary: Paleolithic: Paleo = old; Lithic = stone. The Paleolithic era is also called the Old Stone Age ...
Prehistory to Civilization. 2,000,000 B.C. PALEOLITHIC 10,000 B.C. NEOLITHIC 3,000 B.C. EARLY CIVILIZATION.
Chapter One: Section Two. Prehistory – 2 eras Old Stone Age / Paleolithic Period 2 million B.C. – 10,000 B.C. New Stone Age / Neolithic Period.

domain: history


The Australasian Railway Association has said that prioritising innovation will provide the certainty needed to support increased private sector investment and would drive skills development and jobs creation in the rail industry.
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Australasian Railway Association (ARA)
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The ARA has welcomed the policy that will support a strong Australian rail manufacturing sector and strengthen the supply chain.
Australia's 2020-21 Federal Budget is funding and fast-tracking several rail projects, including $102.3 million for METRONET high capacity signalling in Western Australia.
By making the projects part of the budget, ARA has highlighted the opportunity to invest in jobs-creating projects across the country.
The Victorian Government in Australia has exercised the option for additional VLocity trains, which will be a mix of broad and standard-gauge vehicles.
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has welcomed new funding to support the delivery of the Tamworth Intermodal Rail Line to ensure greater use of rail freight in the regions.
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has welcomed the announcement of a $28 million project to build a direct rail freight line between the Port of Melbourne and Dandenong South.
The Inland Rail project, which is 15 years in the making, is set to deliver significant national benefits for the Australian rail freight sector.
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has welcomed more than $300 million in additional funding for the Regional Rail Revival programme to help create more infrastructure jobs in Victoria.
The two-year strategic plan will see the ARA support the development of rail freight to create stronger connections between cities and regions.
The survey found that the Australian rail industry considers the continuation of infrastructure projects as the top support priority amidst COVID-19.
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has welcomed the Federal Government’s response to the recent 'Building Up & Moving Out' report which highlights the critical role rail will continue to play in the development of Australia’s cities and freight networks.
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has called for new national standards to simplify government tendering processes for rail projects and help speed the post-COVID-19 recovery.
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement that an industry oversight group is to be established to lead the development and implementation of a state-of-the-art train management system.


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Neko flies the interactive cat toy with interchangeable attachments was made in response to the need for a high quality, durable, and safe toy that captivates your cat’s attention as well as motivating your feline to exercise their natural hunting skills.. Our neko flies products will encourage play interaction that both you and your cat will enjoy together.
The Interactive Fitness Series is purrrfect for home use, when you want your kitty cat running and jumping during playtime.
* Realistic looking critters with life-like movements
* Appealing to a cat’s natural hunting instinct
* Quality hand crafted workmanship
* Durability and Safety
* Fun interactive bonding experiences

domain: pet


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The original run of Quantum & Woody at Valiant Comics, when it was owned by Acclaim Comics, is probably the highpoint of that publishing period. And while revived since, it has never quite reached that comedy and critical peak that the original series created by Christopher Priest and MD Bright reached. It certainly remains a highlight of both of their careers. Their specific stylings, with black interstitial panels with white typeface text for quotes, headlines or beats, were subsequently used by Priest in much of his work, including Black Panther, Deadpool, Deathstroke, Vampirella and US Agent. Anyway, one of MD Bright's covers from the original series, Quantum And Woody #19, with a Woody No More cover is currently up for auction as part of from Heritage Auctions, and is currently going for under $100 with a couple of days to go, ending on April 5th at 5.50pm CT.
Mark Bright and Greg Adams Quantum and Woody #19 Cover Original Art (Acclaim/Valiant, 1999). Looks like Woody is quitting the team. This titled was unquestionably the "break-out unexpected star" of the entire VH2 line of comics. Ink over graphite on bright white Acclaim Comics Bristol board with an image area of 10.75" x 16.25". The logo/masthead and the lower left credits are recreation printed paste-ups. There is a bit of sticky glue residue near the masthead, which is slightly crooked. In Very Good condition.
Then-Valiant editor Fabian Nicieza called Priest because he wanted a buddy super-hero book similar to Power Man and Iron Fist. Priest then suggested they use the artist of that series, Bright. Originally reluctant to work on this, Bright suggested they make the white character the comic relief for once. Drawing inspiration from the characters played by Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes in White Men Can't Jump, they created Quantum & Woody… and it remains a highlight of the superhero genre. One day they'll make a film of it. And it will definitely not be as good as the comic.

domain: artistic


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‘CONVERSATIONS’ as a program seeks to establish and foster relationships and interaction among women generally; but particularly between those who are pioneers in their fields or in leadership, and emerging young women leaders who are desirous of making an impact in the future.
At the end of every quarter of the year, leading women in a particular field or women who are experts on issues affecting women will be featured in CONVERSATIONS. It will be forum to share experiences and best-practice; to teach and to learn. Conversations would take the form of soirees with interviews and discussions focused on jobs and roles, backgrounds, challenges, lessons etc. There will also be workshops and seminars addressing gender issues and development and other related areas of interest to women and their well-being. Companies (preferably woman-owned or women-targeted) will be given opportunities to market their products and services.


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The Boss wouldn't let rules stop him, so the Patriots' owner stepped in.
You go, coach Coop.
Shaq nails Kanye West impersonation… in his underwear
We caught up with Swaggy in Beverly Hills
Football is back! CUE THE MUSIC.
These two obviously have a special bond
Sugar Ray Leonard and Usher discuss their new movie
Sugar Ray Leonard and Usher discuss "Hands of Stone".
He can dance and sing, but this is his first true test as an actor.
Athletes from various sports show spirit, teamwork.


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PFA violation alleged
Michael R. Fox, 23, of New Castle was charged with criminal contempt after state police said he came into contact with Michelle Bailey, 22, no address given, around 5 a.m. July 18 in the 100 block of Roberts Street in Homewood.
Police said Bailey had a protection-from-abuse order that prohibited Fox from having any contact with her.
Drug, ID charges
Dennis Paul Mercadante, 41, of Edinburg, has been charged with providing false identification, possession of drug paraphernalia, making false reports to police and resisting arrest.
State police said he was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over in a traffic stop around 1 a.m. July 11 at Route 168 and Ninth Street in West Pittsburg (Taylor Township).
Mercadante left the vehicle and attempted to run off, police said, but was apprehended after a short foot chase. Police said Mercadante was carrying drug paraphernalia and gave a false name when asked for identification.
Michael George Hart, 51, of 3814 Fourth Ave., Apartment 2, Beaver Falls, around 2:30 a.m. July 8 at Route 18 and 37th Street in Beaver Falls. Hart also was charged with possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia after police said they found plastic bags of cocaine and a glass vial in his pockets. Police reported a blood-alcohol level of 0.17 percent.


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Historical Events In 1989
Friday, 22 September 2023
Apr 24 On this day in history 10s of thousands of students strikes in Beijing China
Apr 24 On this day in history massachusetts declares today "New Kids on the Block Day"
Apr 25 In the year 1989 george Coulouris, actor (Papillon, Runaway Bus), dies at 85
Apr 25 Mike Tyson gets a speeding ticket for drag racing in Albany NY on this day in history.
Apr 25 Near Coast of Guerrero, Mexico a 6.8 quake killed 3 people, and few injured and some damage at Mexico City in the year 1989.
Apr 26 In the year 1989 aT&T announces NJ's 201 area code will split into 908 & 201
Apr 26 Lucille Ball comedienne/actress dies at 78 of a massive heart attack on this day in history.
Apr 26 On this day in history lucille Ball, comedienne (I Love Lucy), dies of heart attack at 78
Apr 26 In the year 1989 mike Tyson is ticketed for driving 71 MPH in 30 mile zone in Albany
Apr 27 On this day in history beijing students take over Tiananmen Square in China
Apr 27 On this day in history mandatory seatbelt law goes into effect in Italy
Apr 28 In the year 1989 olaff J de Landell [JB van Sparwoude], Dutch writer, dies at 77
Apr 30 On this day in history critics Siskel & Ebert film their 500th TV movie-review show
Apr 30 Sergio Leone, Italian director (Good, Bad & Ugly), dies at 60 on this day in history.
Apr 30 US beats Costa Rica 1-0, in 3rd round of 1990 world soccer cup in the year 1989.
May 01 135 acre Disney's MGM studio officially opens to the public in the year 1989.
May 01 In the year 1989 david Webster, South African white anti-apartheids activist, murdered
May 01 US Supreme Court rules employees have legal burden to prove non-discriminatory reasons for not hiring or promoting on this day in history.
May 03 Christine Jorgensen, 1st transsexual, dies at 62 on this day in history.
May 04 On this day in history uS launches Magellan to Venus
May 04 In the year 1989 uS space shuttle STS-30 launched
May 04 In the year 1989 white house aide Oliver North is convicted of charges from the Iran-Contra affair The three convictions are later overturned on appeal
May 05 Frank Easton, cricket wicketkeeper (NSW 1933-39), dies on this day in history.
May 05 On this day in history mike Tyson gets 2nd speeding ticket for drag racing in Albany NY
May 06 Guy Williams, actor (Zorro, Lost in Space) on this day in history.
May 07 On this day in history guy Williams, actor (Zorro, Lost in Space), dies in Argentina at 65
May 07 On this day in history mark Merrony (Wales) cycles for 30 minutes in Nepal at 21,030 feet
May 07 In the year 1989 on the Burma-China Border Region a 5.6 quake killed at least 1 person, 91 injured and 5,300 houses destroyed in the Gengma area, China
May 07 On this day in history panamanian voters reject dictator Manuel Noriega's bid for presidency
May 08 On this day in history paul McCartney releases "My Brave Face" & "Ferry Cross the Mersey"
May 08 US space shuttle STS-30 lands in the year 1989.
May 09 In the year 1989 journalists petition Chinese Government for freedom of press
May 09 Keith Whitley, country singer (Don't Close Your Eyes), dies at 33 in the year 1989.
May 09 Vice President Dan Quayle says in United Negro College Fund speech "What a waste it is to lose one's mind" instead of "a mind is terrible thing to waste" in the year 1989.


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U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) are encouraging the Trump administration to level the playing field for American rice producers by reforming the nation’s largest and oldest trade preference program, the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).
The Mississippi Senators joined a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer that supports a USA Rice Federation petition to remove all rice tariff lines from the list of commodities eligible for duty-free import under the GSP.
“We understand GSP is meant to be a win-win for both the U.S. and our trading partners, but unfortunately in the case of rice, our biggest competitors on the world stage have taken advantage of the program for far too long,” the Senators wrote.
“Over the past several years, we have seen an annual uptick in rice imports from countries that have GSP eligibility. Coupled with our competitors’ high and rising domestic subsidies, these unfair advantages are having negative implications for our rice farmers, millers, merchants and allied businesses, who are losing domestic market share,” the letter said. “As you continue your efforts to promote fair and free trade, we encourage you to remove rice from the GSP eligibility list.”
The GSP program provides duty-free treatment to goods from developing countries to promote economic growth in those nations. Under the current program, highly-subsidized rice growing competitors are increasing rice exports to the United States at the expense of American producers. The Mississippi rice producers harvested more than 8.3 million hundredweight produced in 2019, a decrease from the 10.1 million hundredweight produced in 2018.
Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.) authored the letter, which was also signed by Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), John Kennedy (R-La.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas).
A copy of the letter is available here.
Release from Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith.

domain: politics


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A person arrested in possession of a firearm is likely to be behind bars. If you display a gun in public space, you are likely to be arrested and put in jail. It is very important that you contact arrested Virginia gun lawyers if you want to protect yourself from a significant prison sentence and even face a heavy fine.
A person who has been arrested for possession of a weapon must contact an experienced lawyer if they have been fined severely. It is important that you contact an experienced professional who will handle such cases to find out if the lawyer can guide you through the process. In many cases, having a gun is a big crime, and you’re probably behind bars. You need to contact arrested Virginia lawyers to find out what kind of charges are being brought against you and then draw an appropriate conclusion.
The lawyer will guide you through the whole process and make it easy for you to make a reasonable conclusion about what will happen in the future. The most important thing you have to do is find an arrested gun ownership lawyer.
When you visit a lawyer, make sure you provide them with precise information about your arrest. This way, the lawyer can get a better idea of what he should do to protect you. If it happens that you don’t have a strong lawyer defending yourself before the local courts, you will find it very difficult to get rid of the charges.
Gun laws in Virginia are fairly strict, so you need to make sure you speak to an experienced lawyer. Your lawyer can give you better guidance on what to do to protect your case. If you have a gun and are a convicted criminal and are in possession of the gun, you may end up behind bars and face serious charges. Therefore, you need to make sure that you contact an experienced lawyer with many years of experience as they can better inform you of what to do. Keep in mind that the circumstances will be very different, mainly depending on the type of charges brought against you. For example, if you are a convicted criminal and you have a gun in your hand, you will face serious charges. Even if you have completely hidden the gun or kept it in a locker and it is still found, the police will take you for questioning and may file serious charges against you.

domain: law


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We arrived in Dublin very early, excited that our first stop was a comfortable bed at the Four Seasons Hotel Dublin. Sleeping on a plane is always difficult for me, but on this trip, I found it impossible. All the Advil PM in the world wouldn’t have helped and I was exhausted. My adrenaline was about to override my sleepiness, though, as my husband tried his hand at driving on the right side of the car on the wrong side of the road.
I shouldn’t have worried as David is good at everything (including driving), and we arrived very near to the hotel without a problem. The GPS (as usual) didn’t quite hit the mark, but soon we were rounding the corner to a stately hotel with lovely landscaping. The hotel is in a residential district surrounded by beautiful homes. The sun was just rising and the green land was becoming more vivid by the minute as we pulled up to the entry. A quiet front desk agent waited in the quiet lobby with a genuine greeting. Check-in took about a minute and we were soon shown to our deluxe suite.
I didn’t properly see the room until I awoke nearly five hours later, well into the afternoon, but rested. The bed was heaven. David and I toured our enormous room and admired the view into the courtyard while we planned the day. I did a double-take when I saw a man sleeping on a park bench in the garden. This just isn’t something you normally see at a luxury hotel! My husband laughed and pointed out that the newspaper over the man’s face didn’t move in the breeze – it was a statue. In Irish fashion, the statues that surround the hotel are ironic and a little irreverent. I wish we had more of that in our stuffy country!
Good news - Irish hotels usually include a full Irish breakfast in the room rate! Our first morning in Ireland, we were treated to a wonderful spread of potatoes, meat, yogurt and fruit. I felt pretty adventurous and tried black and white pudding, an Irish tradition. The food was so filling, we didn’t eat again until dinner on Grafton Street.
It is here that I normally talk about the spa, lounge and grounds. Unfortunately, our time was short and mostly spent in the spacious room and in Dublin. We did get the chance to take the hotel car service to town, driven by a wonderful gentleman who gave us a fantastic introduction to Dublin and general tour of the nearby embassies. I’m sorry to say the U.S. Embassy is an architectural embarrassment of epic proportions, so don’t get your hopes up in that regard.
Our driver took us to what he declared was the best shopping in Ireland on Grafton Street. He was spot on! The first place we stopped was a book shop. I am thrilled to be the only American I know who owns a copy of Marian Keyes’ book, The Mystery of Mercy Close, (besides my sis, who got it as a souvenir from us). It was thrilling to get a book in Ireland that is not yet available in the U.S! Other stores on this street include the famous European stores Brown Thomas and Top Shop. Our hard and fast rule – we don’t waste time in stores and restaurants we can visit at home. Vacation time is too short for that.
This hotel is perfect if you like a place with a residential feel, but still want to be close to city life. The beds are wonderful and the deluxe suites have a ton of space.
For more information on The Four Seasons Dublin or to book a stay, please visit their website.
Examiner’s Note: My appreciation goes out to Gillian de Lacy. You were my first contact in Dublin and set the warm tone for the trip. Thanks!
Video Reviews – we have a You Tube channel where we feature video reviews of our favorite hotels. Take a look at YouTube.com/TravelbyLori.

domain: geography


Sustainable steps being taken as eco-friendly scores big with millennials
Going green seems to be the mantra by several brands, which are opting for sustainable packaging of their products. Consider the following: Dabur is removing outer paper cartons from its toothpaste brand Dabur Red Paste; Flipkart is working towards reducing the need for an outer layer of packaging and has eliminated all single-use plastic packaging. Further, Mondelez India has announced a grant to Hasiru Dala, an NGO that will recycle multi layered plastic (MLP) which is a prominent packaging material used by the company.
Several FMCG companies have taken sustainability pledges at a global level and shifted to sustainable packaging materials. For instance, Unilever is introducing a paper-based laundry detergent bottle in Brazil in 2022 followed by Europe and some other markets. Coca-Cola will introduce 100% recycled bottles in the US this year.
Shahrukh Khan, executive director, operations, Dabur India, says dropping the outer paper packaging for toothpaste could save 150 tonne of paper annually. Mondelez India claims that over 97% of its packaging is currently designed to be recyclable. Ophira Bhatia, director, corporate and government affairs, India and CGA Lead, AMEA, Mondelez, says the company’s recycling initiative will turn about 600 tonne of MLP waste into boards that can be used to make furniture and construction material.
One of the reasons for the initiative is consumer preference. As per a 2021 Deloitte study, the environment is a top priority for millennials and GenZ consumers.
“Sustainability has become a business necessity because studies show that the brands that don’t adopt environment-friendly practices stand to lose consumers,” says Sanjesh Thakur, partner, Deloitte India.
As per a Central Pollution Control Board report (2018-19), 3.3 million metric tonne of plastic waste is generated in India every year. There are several ways to reduce the quantity of waste generated. A company could reduce the amount of packaging material used, substitute the material with alternatives, replace inks, decentralise transportation to reduce fuel consumption or use only recyclable materials.
Reducing the amount of packaging material used is a common starting point for many. But there are challenges. Like, plastic is a versatile material with useful properties. “The issue with substitution is that all plastic cannot be replaced by paper in all situations. Another concern is cost. For instance, bio plastics cost three to seven times more than regular plastics and have functional limitations,” says Sudeep Maheshwari, principal, Kearney. He adds that the volume of such material produced in India is only 1% of all plastics produced in India. Packaging accounts for around 25% of any product cost across the entire Dabur range.
This cost and volume barrier may make sustainable substitutes unviable for mass use. “In India, sustainable materials are mostly used by brands that can charge a premium or boutique brands with a niche clientele that appreciates environment-friendly initiatives,” says Arnab Ray, creative director, Landor & Fitch.
Recycling is another area that is promising but needs community action to be successful. “Post-consumer recycling is a challenge in India because we do not segregate waste and our supply chains are not set up at scale to facilitate efficient collection of recyclable waste,” says Maheshwari.
Making bottles refillable is another way for brands to reduce their environmental footprint. This too hinges on consumers playing their part. Brands in India are working on finding ways to overcome the hurdles India’s complex market poses. “About 10% of brands that work with us are actively working on sustainable packaging, while 30% are seeking solutions and experimenting,” says Ashwini Deshpande, co-founder and director, Elephant Design.
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