text:
They had a tough act to follow after the ladies last week, but were up to the task
The second live show of Idols SA season 19 saw the men of the top 12 throw their hats in the ring for a place in the final-ever top 10. Just like their female counterparts did last week, the guys collaborated with former Idols SA winners and finalists for stunning duets.
Five guys and five girls will make up the top 10 being announced next week, chosen entirely by viewers’ votes.
First to take the Mosaïek Teatro stage was Thando, who teamed up with season 11 winner Karabo to sing his track Khakhati. His solo showing was Kaylow’s Noma.
JR Bogopa and Somizi Mhlongo commented that it was a “good way to start the show”, with the latter saying: “You are one of the best vocalists in this competition.”
Next up was Faith, whose duet with season 14 winner Yanga was Hillsong’s So Will I. His solo song was Bhudaza’s Tjontjobina, earning praise from all judges.
Thembi declared: “Take me to church right now! You could sing on the other side of the room, and I’ll know it’s you. You have your own unique voice.”
Marking the halfway point of the show was Nkosi. He teamed up with season 9 winner Musa for his track Wozala, before going it alone on Nathi’s Imimoya.
JR said: “I can’t fault this performance, both songs were clinically executed.” Somizi agreed, declaring: “Even if you don’t win, I will invest my last cent to record you.”
Next was Envic, who collaborated with season 13 winner Paxton on her track Battleground. He went solo on James Brown’s A Man’s World, earning a standing ovation from the audience and judges.
“You are showbusiness!” declared Somizi, before Thembi said: “I’m going to have a heart attack! I love how comfortable you are about everything. You are at home, and it shows.”
Next was Sipho, who sang with season 15’s Lloyiso on his hit Seasons. His solo song was Don’t Judge Me by Chris Brown.
The judges advised Sipho to embrace his “uniqueness”, with JR being impressed by both performances: “I do believe you’ve got what it takes, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.”
Wrapping up the show was Thabo, who collaborated with season 11’s Mmatema on her track My Time Is Now. For his solo track, he took on Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered, which had the judges and audience on their feet.
Somizi summed it up by saying: “Signed, sealed, delivered, it’s yours. You deserve a ‘whoo-shem!’”
The winner of Idols SA season 19 will walk away with a record deal from JR’s Feel Good Music, a brand-new Toyota Vitz courtesy of Toyota, and fashion vouchers and their entire Idols SA wardrobe courtesy of Truworths. One lucky viewer will also win a Toyota Vitz.
The judges have had their say, but it’s up to viewers to decide who will earn a coveted spot in the top 10 being announced next week. In the wise advice of Mmatema to contestants: “You have to do your best and let the people voting do the rest.”
Idols SA airs every Saturday at 18:00 on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161), thereafter on Mzansi Wethu at 19:30. Catch up on your favourite performances on DStv Stream. Visit our website and find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Join the conversation using #IdolsSA. Tickets for the live show taking place at Joburg’s Mozaiek Teatro are available for R40 through Computicket.


text:
In America obesity epidemic continues to grow. We’ve 38 percent of our adult people are believed to be obese. Another 33 percent of men are considered obese. This is based on The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The numbers are even higher for women. Women, due to our child-bearing bodies, possess other feminine associated factors we have to contend with. Increased estrogen levels and various female hormones possess our own bodies already at a higher fat percent. Obesity is medically defined as having a body index (BMI) of more than 30%. Personally, I have dieted nearly my whole adult life. I am currently over age 50. I started to search for a better way to approach food.
A Keto OS is a diet called a very low carb diet plan. It’s a high fat, moderate protein and low carb intake diet plan. It transforms your body into a fat burning machine. There’s a much more scientific explanation but basically you force your body to make ketones from the liver to be utilized for energy. On the opposite conclusion, eating foods high in carbs and sugars your body will create glucose and increase glucose levels.
Though Ketogenics is new to most, it’s been around as early as 1920’s. Many studies have been printed in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Studies reasoned documented weight loss and participants were able to eat less food. The Mayo Clinic has shown that the Keto OS lifestyle may have a healthful influence on serious health ailments, like cardiovascular disorders and diabetes. It improves amounts of HDL cholesterol.
To enter into ketosis, you have to decrease your carbs to below 50 grams each day. Ideally 25-30 carbs maximum. Your fat intake should be approximately 75 percent of your foods and approximately 15 percent protein. It changes by person to person, but with balancing you need to be able to get into ketosis within 3-14 days.

domain: health


text:
Thousands face ruin over council tax
Thousands of people are being tipped into bankruptcy when town halls chase them to pay their council tax, a report said yesterday.
Dumped on: Council's are turning to bailiffs too quickly
Citizens' Advice said two and a half million people were summonsed after failing to pay their tax bill last year.
Bailiffs were used in 1.2m cases and councils asked for bankruptcy orders in 5,000. The report says pensioners and poor families have had to sell their homes to meet the legal costs of fighting bankruptcy orders. It accuses local authorities of using increasingly aggressive methods and forcing families to run up five-figure legal bills in council tax disputes.
The charges by Citizens' Advice follow years of growing controversy over local government attempts to collect the tax, which went up by around double the rate of inflation last year and is likely to increase by much more than inflation again this year.
Around 3% of all council tax bills went unpaid last year, costing town halls some £60m and adding just under £35 to the average bill of families who did not default.
Citizens' Advice said 5,000 households were threatened with bankruptcy petitions and in a thousand of these cases town halls were allowed to seize assets.
Liberal Democrats said councils should not be trying to push people into bankruptcy in the current economic crisis. Local government spokesman Julia Goldsworthy said: 'Public bodies should do everything they can to ensure bankruptcy is avoided.'
But the Department for Communities and Local Government said: 'Local authorities must have the tools at their disposal to tackle the small minority of people who can but won't pay.'
Sir Jeremy Beecham, vice-chairman of the Local Government Association, said: 'People are given as much leeway as possible.' But Peter Tutton, debt policy adviser for Citizens' Advice, said bankruptcy orders were used too often against vulnerable people with relatively small debts.
He said: 'Even more people on low incomes are struggling to pay their tax. The best councils are doing all they can to help people in difficulty, but too many still send in bailiffs indiscriminately.'
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domain: law


text:
A copy of this work was available on the public web and has been preserved in the Wayback Machine. The capture dates from 2020; you can also visit the original URL.
The file type is
This article discusses the research results of the didactic system of training engineers at the Kharkiv Practical Technological Institute (Ukraine). It establishes the historical context for the founding of the first technical institute on the Left-Bank of Ukraine, including accounting for the great need for civilian private enterprises in engineering personnel, as well as the influence of businessmen. In carrying out the institutional analysis of the basic organizational and normativedoi:10.24908/encounters.v21i0.14098 fatcat:p4q2czhytbftpg44zg3r7wufmi

domain: library


text:
Thursday night's "swatting" call wasn't the first time a prank like this targeted an address in Wichita.
A similar call was made at a west Wichita home in 2015, although, unlike Thursday, this call did not escalate to a deadly shooting.
Nineteen Wichita police officers came to West Third Street on Oct. 20, 2015. They were trying to warn people about a nearby threat after they received a frantic 911 call.
Eddie Stephenson remembers that night.
"It was late at night and we were pulling up on our street and we noticed that there were just cops like setting up behind the trees," Stephenson says. "And obviously, you're kind of curious what's going on because it's right next to the house that we live in."
The next day, Stephenson learned someone called in a swatting prank. It wasn't his first time hearing about how swatting works.
"And they just kind of like amp it up to where cops are going to be in full alert mode," he says. "It was just kind of crazy to think about, you know because you see streamers all the time on TV and it's not really a big deal. Then you see all of this happening and then it's like, that's kind of close to home."
Stephenson is part of the gaming community where of a lot of swatting starts.
"So they could be states away and calling it," he says. People will think it's some local, Wichita resident, like a neighbor or a concerned family member or friend calling in."
Stephenson now hopes people will stop with the prank that's become too serious and wastes officer resources.
"That could have been my door getting busted down just because... and I would never have a clue because you don't know about it," he says. "You're just doing your thing and the next thing you know, you have cops at your door. You've got guns drawn on you. Yeah, it's a pretty intense situation."

domain: news


text:
Today I’m taking on the Seven Deadly Sins tag! I don’t remember where I saw this first/who tagged me in it: it’s just been sat in my drafts folder for months! So if it was you, let me know and I’ll thank you!
Without further ado… let’s see what my sins tell you about me!
Greed – what is the most expensive book you own? What is the least expensive book you own?
Most expensive is probably the hardback editions of the illustrated Harry Potter books. I didn’t buy them (one of my brilliant humans did) but they’re definitely the most expensive books.
The least expensive book? Oooh… I have bought many books from charity shops. In fact, I found a Zoella edition of Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Banard for 75p… so probably that?!
Gluttony – what book or books have you shamelessly devoured many times?
I am not an elusive rereader, however I’ve reread Matilda NUMEROUS times in my life. That and Charlotte’s Web are probably the books I’ve reread most in my life. I find myself rereading snippets of Reasons To Stay Alive on occasion too.
Sloth – what book or book series have you neglected out of sheer laziness?
Despite the fact that everyone still shouts at me, I’ve not got around to reading The Hate U Give yet. I know. I know. It will happen one day. I have a complex relationship with hyped books (deserved or not) so I don’t tend to read books that are EVERYWHERE.
Pride – what book or books do you bring up when you want to sound like an intellectual reader?
Lol… erm… HAHA. This is genuinely not one that I think I have an answer to. Maybe like 1984? Shakespeare? Circe? I don’t read things that I want to sound clever because I’ve read them.
Lust – what attributes do you find most attractive in characters?
ARMS. (If you get this reference we are forever friends).
Hahaha, in all seriousness… humour, realness, honesty, flaws.
Envy – what book/s would you most like to receive as a gift?
Literally any books. I love presents and I love books, so they’re a match made in heaven. I don’t think theres any books out there at the minute that I DESPERATELY seek. I’m an adult who buys her own books haha!
Wrath – what author do you have a love/hate relationship with?
Hmmm… get back to me on that one!
PHEW I made it. If you fancy doing this tag, go for it! I am so non-commital in some answers haha!
3 thoughts on “The 7 Deadly Sins Tag”
What a fun tag! I might do this next week.

domain: hobby


text:
Relais and Chateaux Camden Harbour Inn
Discover your own opulent retreat in the comfort of our elegantly appointed Salons and Grand Suites of Camden Harbour Inn. Each of our twenty lodging rooms and suites provide a relaxing and intimate oasis during your stay. Each room has been expertly planned and decorated by an exclusive interior designer, and accented by the deep jewel tones and calming hues of the world’s most beautiful global destinations. Each expansive room looks out on the harbor, bay or mountains, with a view that rivals other Maine oceanfront hotels. With an emphasis on comfort, each room features a plush king size bed with fine linens (some rooms can be set up as a double twin), expansive bathroom with Molton Brown products, a flat screen TVs, and a carefully curated selection of luxurious designer furniture and fine art. At Camden Harbour Inn we’ve taken care to include the details and amenities that will make your stay even more enjoyable and relaxing, including soft terry bathrobes, coffee makers, wet bar and fully stocked refrigerators. As you wake each day you can step out onto your private balcony patio or our large wrapped around porch, or simply take in the stunning ocean views from your window, admiring the unmatched beauty of Camden as you enjoy your A La Carte champagne breakfast. Join us for two nights in the summer and an exclusive Relais and Chateaux sunset sail on a historical schooner is included in your stay.

domain: artistic


text:
KennyHoopla is treating fans to another one of his explosive collaborations this week. On Friday, he unveiled his latest song “ESTELLA//” with Travis Barker that is truly reminiscent of early 2000s punk rock. Read more: We will see this new gruesome storyline play out in ‘Stranger Things 4’ KennyHoopla has gifted listeners plenty of new […]
The post Hear KennyHoopla and Travis Barker’s nostalgic punk collab “ESTELLA//” appeared first on Alternative Press.
For more, go to: AltPress.com (Source)


Audi a4 quattro manual shift knob
Along with the R8 e-tron, Audi is also considering small-scale production of a smaller and lighter zero-emission sportscar based on the second e-tron concept displayed at the 2010 Detroit Motor Show.
Performance 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) (seconds).6.8.7 (MY2012:.9).188.8.131.52 n/a??
B6 ( Typ 8E/8H, 20032005) edit S4 (B6) saloon (US) MY Audi S4 (B6) Avant (Canada) Audi S4 Cabriolet (UK) The third generation Audi S4 quattro ( Typ 8E saloon: 8E2, Avant: 8E5, and Cabriolet: 8H7) debuted its saloon and Avant bodystyles in Europe.Electrically adjustable sports seats are optional on the V8 engine versions and standard on the V10 variants (R8 Spyder seats include a special pigmentation reduces heating from direct sunlight) center console and the handbrake lever are covered with leather, adorned by delicate seams; in the.Retrieved m Review: 2010 Audi R8 V10 "Audi R8 "We cant think of another supercar that takes a demanding road with such surgical precision"."Audi's #WantAnR8 Twitter ad campaign returns".Subaru Outback, has increased ground clearance and raised aluminum roof rails.Delivery to the customers was planned from the autumn of this coming year.The television show Top Gear compared the Nissan GT-R to the R8 V8, and remarked that the R8 was "simultaneously less impressive and yet somehow more involving".
There was some confusion with the name, which the car shares with the 24 Hours of Le Mans winning R8 Le Mans Prototype (LMP).56 The "NF" (i.e.Car and Driver (April 1992 4756.The front discs are sized at 345 millimetres (13.58 in) in diameter by 30 mm (1.181 in) thick, and are clamped by Continental Teves-ATE fnrg-60 single-piston sliding brake calipers.Initial plans call for its top speed to be limited to 124 mph (200 km/h) to protect the charge of the battery.Noah Joseph RSS feed."GT3-spec Audi R8 LMS formally unveiled at Essen (w/ Video.It included a choice of two body colors (Malibu blue body with Suzuka grey rocker panel side blades, or Suzuka grey body with Malibu blue side blades 19-inch high-gloss black wheel hubs in a five twin-spoke "Y" design, fixed spoiler in carbon matte, shark skin.


Personal Air and Land Vehicle
In 1999, Spark director Robert Barnhoorn and founder John Bakker shared the same dream: to develop a flying car. An innovative new vehicle that performed just as well on the road as in the air. It became the PAL-V: Personal Air and Land Vehicle.
Making dreams come true
It is our business to develop innovative products for entrepreneurs. Helping them to make their dreams come true. From the outset, this special project was also our dream: To be able to drive to a nearby take-off and landing strip alongside the highway, unfold the rotor and the tail, and to fly to your destination.
Extraordinary design project
In this project the team showed what our industrial design engineers are capable of. The technical challenge was beyond any other project we had done before. Keeping the weight super low while fitting in all those moving parts, with all calculations certified in the end for a flight-legal prototype. Being designers also helped us to challenge traditional aviation ways and develop a truly revolutionary concept.
Fast on the road and in the air
The feasibility study clearly showed that the vehicle is only commercially viable if it functions fully in both drive and fly. The whole idea of PAL-V was inspired on the Carver One, the tilting motor tricycle we developed with Brink dynamics in the 1990's. Combining the tilting narrow road vehicle with the autogyro technology immediately made sense.
Next to the 3D CAD designing, the material selections and the endless calculations, we also embraced our fast prototyping approach. We built models to experience the position and fields-of-view of the driver as well as the reach envelopes inside the cockpit. And we developed a sense of size early in the process.
Keep track of the latest developments of PAL-V.


text: In the critically-acclaimed movie “Holy Smoke!”, Kate Winslet stars as Ruth Barron, a woman who has a spiritual awakening during a trip to India. Her parents concoct a wild charade to bring her back to her senses and return home. During the subsequent events in the movie, Kate’s character runs into an American exit counselor who deprograms members of religious cults. In the process of challenging her faith, he finds himself sexually attracted to Ruth and there begins an erotic journey between the two characters. Kate and Harvey Keitel (who plays the counselor) have an onscreen sexual rapport that brings a new level of cinematic erotica to the viewers. Once again, Kate exudes her sexuality intensely and she shows that she can still act sans clothing. View this talented actress’ hot nude scene by clicking on the clip available below. And if this clip is not enough, then simply follow the link here and get more nude images and movies of Kate Winslet.

domain: entertainment


text:
Advantages of SONARtrac Flow Meters
This white paper provides a cost and performance comparison of using a SONARtrac® flow meter from CiDRA as opposed to a magnetic flow meter, when measuring volumetric flow in a large diameter hydrocyclone feed application in a minerals-processing concentrator plant. It highlights the advantages of CiDRA 's technology.
Please download this free white paper to find out more.
Download to find out more.

domain: literature


A former village trustee, state Rep. Allen Skillicorn says he knows all too well the kind of training that municipal staff and elected officials get each year at the Illinois Municipal League\u2019s annual conference in Chicago. It\u2019s not the kind of training that can be viewed as beneficial to taxpayers. \u201cI have known the IML. I have seen their publications and actually attended their conference a few years ago.,\u201d Skillicorn, R-East Dundee, said. \u201cWhen I attended, it was just more of the status quo on how not to do things. To hear more from Springfield lobbyists, not the people they represent. I see them as anti-taxpayers.\u201d In separate reports last week, the Illinois News Network and the Arlington Heights-based Daily Herald detailed the high cost to local taxpayers that attendance at IML\u2019s three-day conference in Chicago is. Registration is $310 a person. A single night\u2019s stay at the upscale Chicago Hilton, where it was held, cost $298. For these two expenses alone, taxpayers were on the hook for $1,204 for just a single conference attendee who spent the three nights. That cost doesn\u2019t include travel, meals and other expenses that city officials billed to taxpayers. INN and The Daily Herald learned that many attendees had the nerve to charge taxpayers $52.50 a day for valet parking, for example. Some municipalities sent a dozen people or more, racking up costs of more than $17,000 in the most egregious example uncovered by INN. And the Daily Herald reported that staff and elected officials from suburban Addison charged taxpayers $566 for a dinner that included $77 in alcoholic beverages. Many of these same cities have fiscal problems comparable to the state\u2019s and have raised their tax levies year after year. The Illinois Municipal League is a taxpayer-funded organization that provides educational and lobbying support to the state\u2019s cities and villages. But as I wrote last week, oftentimes that lobbying support works against taxpayers\u2019 best interests. The organization often fights legislation that would make local governments more open and accountable to taxpayers, for example. Each year, IML hosts an annual conference in Chicago. Some communities \u2013 five of the 24 that INN investigated \u2013 decide not to attend because they couldn\u2019t justify the expense. Officials from many of the communities that continue to attend justified the expenses and the conference itself, arguing the networking and the training that staffers and elected officials receive there can be invaluable. Skillicorn, a first-term legislator who previously was elected to two terms on the East Dundee Village Board, disagrees. \u201cThey\u2019re not focused on relieving unfunded mandates. They\u2019re not focused on helping municipalities fight prevailing wage, things that can really benefit taxpayers,\u201d he said of the IML. \u201cThey\u2019re really ineffective in finding us more tools to help us do our jobs more efficiently.\u201d Instead, he said, the conference focuses on maintaining the status quo \u2013 one that has contributed to rising pension and other costs and overly burdensome taxes. In the wake of the news reports, Skillicorn is calling on elected officials from one village in his district, Lake in the Hills \u2013 which is about 5 miles from a Metra station on the Union Pacific Northwest line \u2013 to reimburse taxpayers for their conference expenses. \u201cAttending a municipal conference is not unusual for the village administrator, but sending nine people at a cost of $11,071.50 certainly is unusual and excessive,\u201d Skillicorn said in a statement, pointing out that the largest expenses \u2013 by far \u2013 were the hotel stays and valet parking. \u201cBoth Village President Russ Ruzanski and Trustee David McPhee charged $1,052.10 each for three nights in the Hilton Hotel and valet parking,\u201d he said. \u201cA few seconds on Airbnb can find many rooms within a few blocks for less than $100 per night, some as low as $63 a night. Lake In The Hills is only 50 miles away with regular Metra train service.\u201d Skillicorn also is taking it a step further. He wants the Illinois Municipal League to end its annual conference. These cities and villages \u201cpay attorneys to do the exact same thing that IML is doing,\u201d he said. \u201cSo this [conference] is a duplicated charge. It is about networking for bureaucrats, not serving the needs for taxpayers,\u201d he said. Keep in mind that cities and villages aren\u2019t the only local governments in Illinois that send staff and elected officials to such conferences. School districts, townships, park districts and others have similar associations with similar annual events. Add it all up and the costs to taxpayers will reach the millions. \u201cThe idea of charging taxpayers for this is inappropriate,\u201d Skillicorn said. \u201cThis is money that should go to providing services and keeping taxes lower.\u201d Amen. Dan McCaleb is news director of Illinois News Network and the digital hub ILNews.org. He welcomes your comments. Contact Dan at email@example.com.


text:
AE DCP "Digital Cymbal Processor"
The DCP (Digital Cymbal Processor) is the heart of the AE (Acoustic Electric) Cymbal System. With its built in DSP engine, you can instantly change the tone of your AE cymbals to fit the mood, vibe, or tune. With a wide variety of Tone Shapes at your fingertips, you’ll be inspired to explore new musical possibilities with this new and innovative instrument.
- 23 Tone Shapes/Presets per channel
- Store up to 99 Tone Shapes/Presets per channel
- 11 Reverb Presets
- Channel Volume
- Channel Pan
- Master Volume
- Headphone Volume
- Drum/Cymbal Mix blend
- Stereo Reverb return Level
- 5 Cymbal inputs
- Stereo 1/4” e-drum/Line inputs
- Stereo 1/8” MP3/CD player input
- USB for firmware updates
- Stereo Main output
- 1/8" Headphone output
Note: Watch video or Read Quick Start Guide for optimum pickup performance! AE Cymbal System "DCP" IS NOT designed for use with standard acoustic (only) cymbals.
DCP Access Tool Download


text:
Cell surface carbohydrates play important roles in many biological and pathological processes. One of their modes of activity is through binding interactions with lectins. However, many of carbohydrate–lectin interactions are thought to remain unknown due to their low affinity, overlapping specificity and the lack of general tools to detect and isolate specific lectins. Photoaffinity labeling has emerged as a promising approach to investigate often elusive carbohydrate–protein interactions. This minireview aims to illustrate challenges associated in identifying carbohydrate–lectin interactions and to briefly present past developments in the design of carbohydrate photoaffinity probes.
A β-1,3-D-glucan called Schizophyllan (SPG) can form a novel complex with homo oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) via the combination of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Dectin-1 is a major receptor involved in the recognition of β-1,3-D-glucans and expressed on antigen presenting cells (APCs) including macrophages, dendritic cells, monocytes, neutrophils, and a subset of T cells. Therefore, the SPG/ODN complex can be used as APCs cell-specific delivery of antisense ODNs (AS-ODNs) or unmethylated CpG sequences (CpG-ODNs). In fact, AS-ODN/SPG complex protected mice from LPS-induced hepatitis and CpG-ODN/SPG complex induced high antibody titers when it was administered to cynomolgus monkeys as adjutant of influenza vaccine. These results indicate that SPG can be an excellent drug delivery system carrier targeting APCs.

domain: biology


text:
Keeping the CPTPP as a Spare Tire: The New and Different Automotive Rules of Origin Under the CUSMA and the CPTPP
Keeping the CPTPP as a Spare Tire: The New and Different Automotive Rules of Origin Under the CUSMA and the CPTPP
The North American automotive sector is facing significantly more rigorous content rules since the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (“CUSMA”) replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) on July 1, 2020. The requirement for achieving duty-free treatment poses commercial and compliance challenges for both vehicle and parts manufacturers in Canada, the US and Mexico.
Canada and Mexico are also parties to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (“CPTPP”), which contains relatively lower and simpler rules of origin for vehicle and parts trade, including with Japan. With European and Korean vehicle and auto parts trade already liberalized by the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (“CETA”) and Canada’s bilateral agreement with Korea (the “CKFTA”), Japan was the last major automotive exporting jurisdiction to obtain duty-free access to the Canadian market.
The less stringent CPTPP rules of origin may allow some Canadian and Mexican vehicle and parts manufacturers to sidestep the CUSMA requirements for vehicles or parts shipped directly between Canada and Mexico. Given the importance of the US market, most manufacturers will be incentivized to organize their operations to meet (and demonstrate compliance with) the more rigorous CUSMA rules of origin. However, manufacturers may decide that in some cases meeting the easier CPTPP rules and paying tariffs on shipments into the US is a preferable option.
Comparison between the Rules of Origin under CUSMA and CPTPP
Rules of origin determine whether a good qualifies for “originating” status under a trade agreement, and is therefore eligible for preferential (often zero) tariff treatment pursuant to the agreement. These requirements are particularly important for the automotive sector due to the numerous inputs, components and sub-assemblies in a vehicle and the high degree of supply chain integration in some regions such as North America.
Both the CUSMA and the CPTPP have product-specific rules which set out “regional value content” (“RVC”) requirements for motor vehicles and vehicle parts. CUSMA has also added further requirements related to labour value content (“LVC”), and steel and aluminum content.
Regional Value Content
RVC requirements measure the amount of originating content in the product being imported. The originating content is measured in accordance with prescribed methodologies and must meet a specified proportion of the final value of the product in order to obtain preferential tariff treatment.
RVC calculation methodologies are specific to the trade agreement. At a high level, the CUSMA provides for the use of “net cost” or “transaction value” methods in different circumstances. “Net cost” means the total cost minus sales promotion, marketing and after-sales service costs, royalties, shipping and packing costs, and non-allowable interest costs that are included in the total cost The transaction value, on the other hand, is defined as the price actually paid or payable for a good or material as part of the transaction, adjusted by certain principles laid out in the Customs Valuation Agreement.
The CPTPP also uses a “net cost” method (with a vey similar definition), but also provides for additional flexibility through other methodologies, such as the “focused value method”, “build-up” and “build-down” methods. The applicable method can make a significant difference in the calculated RVC. Often importers can choose the most favourable method to meet the applicable threshold.
CPTPP RVC requirements are 45% for all vehicles under the net cost method, and 55% under the build-down method. Depending on the vehicle part, RVC requirements range from 35% to 45% based on the net cost method, 40 to 55% under the build-down method, and 30 to 45% under the build-up method. These values are significantly lower than the new rules under the CUSMA.
The CUSMA RVC requirements are being increased from the NAFTA required levels in stages. Upon completion of the applicable phase-in periods, RVC requirements for passenger vehicles and light trucks will increase to 75% under the net cost method from the NAFTA threshold of 62.5%. Parts for passenger vehicles and light trucks are categorized into core parts, principal parts and complementary parts. RVC requirements for parts range from 62% to 66% under the net cost method in the first year of the CUSMA’s entry into force, and gradually increase in the following three years.
|RVC requirements – Passenger vehicles and light trucks (under the net cost method)|
|Date||Vehicles||Core parts||Principal parts||Comp. parts||Vehicles||Parts|
|Jul 1, 2020||66%||66%||62.5%||62%||45%||35% to 45%|
|Jul 1, 2021||69%||69%||65%||63%|
|Jul 1, 2022||72%||72%||67.5%||64%|
|Jul 1, 2023||75%||75%||70%||65%|
RVC requirements for heavy trucks will increase to 70% under the net cost method from the NAFTA threshold of 60% after the applicable phase-in period. Parts for heavy trucks are categorized into principal parts and complimentary parts. RVC requirements range from 50% to 60% in the first four years of the CUSMA’s entry into force and gradually increase in three stages.
|RVC requirements – Heavy trucks (under the net cost method)|
|Date||Vehicles||Principal Parts||Comp. Parts||Vehicles||Parts|
|Jul 1, 2020||60%||60%||50%||45%||35% to 45%|
|Jul 1, 2024||64%||64%||54%|
|Jul 1, 2027||70%||70%||60%|
Labour Value Content
As we reported in our bulletin titled “What’s in a name – the USMCA is the new NAFTA” in October 2018, the CUSMA introduced labour value content (“LVC”) rules that are applicable to motor vehicle producers, but not to producers of auto parts. These rules are novel and unique. They do not appear in the CPTPP, CETA and CKFTA.
LVC rules require motor vehicle producers to certify that a certain percentage of a vehicle’s content is produced by workers earning a minimum of US$16 per hour (approximately C$20 or 319 pesos, at current exchange rates). The LVC requirement for passenger vehicles starts at 30% and gradually increases in stages to 40% after four years. Light trucks and heavy trucks have an LVC requirement of 45% immediately upon the CUSMA’s coming into force.
|CUSMA LVC requirements – Passenger vehicles, light trucks and heavy trucks|
|Date||Passenger vehicles||Light trucks and heavy trucks|
|Jul 1, 2020||30%||45%|
|Jul 1, 2021||33%|
|Jul 1, 2022||36%|
|Jul 1, 2023||40%|
The LVC threshold can be met through material and manufacturing expenditures, North American research and development and information technology expenditures, and the operation of an engine assembly plant, or a lithium-ion battery plant that employs workers earning a minimum of US$16 per hour. This requirement was sought by the United States to reduce the extent of Mexico’s labour cost advantage, but it imposes compliance burdens for all North American manufacturers.
Steel and Aluminum Content
Also at the insistence of the US, the CUSMA parties negotiated content requirements to encourage the use of North American steel and aluminum. There is no counterpart in Canada’s other trade agreements. For passenger vehicles, light trucks and heavy trucks to be considered originating, 70% of the producer’s purchases of steel and aluminum must originate from Canada, the US or Mexico. This requirement applies to all of the vehicle producer’s corporate purchases throughout the CUSMA countries, and includes direct purchases from a steel producer as well as purchases from distributors and other resellers, including service centers.
As of July 2027, for a vehicle to be eligible for preferential treatment under the CUSMA, all steel manufacturing processes (except metallurgical processes involving the refinement of steel additives) for the steel used in the vehicle must occur in CUSMA countries. The parties have also agreed to review the aluminum rules of origin requirement ten years after the entry into force of the CUSMA.
Preferential Treatment under CUSMA and CPTPP
Under both the CUSMA and the CPTPP, importers can claim preferential tariff treatment by providing a certificate of origin completed by the manufacturer, exporter, or importer. The certificate of origin must include minimum data requirements such as the names of the manufacturer, exporter, and importer, a description of the imported goods, and the rule of origin under which the goods qualify.
Since Canada and Mexico are parties to both the CUSMA and the CPTPP, Canadian and Mexican vehicle and parts manufacturers can choose to seek preferential treatment under either agreement for vehicles and parts shipped from one jurisdiction to the other. If an imported good does not meet the high CUSMA threshold, yet satisfies the requirements under the CPTPP, Canadian importers can claim preferential treatment under the CPTPP to avoid otherwise applicable most-favoured nation (“MFN”) tariffs (6.1% on passenger vehicles and 6% to 8.5% for most vehicle parts). Mexican vehicles and parts comprise a significant portion of Canada’s annual imports of vehicles and parts. With 13% to 15% of total imports, Mexico is the second largest exporter of automotive goods to Canada, only second to the US, but well ahead of third-ranked Japan. These CPTPP rules of origin requirements may provide a way for manufacturers to mitigate the impact of the strict CUSMA requirements in certain areas of the supply chain.
Canadian auto manufacturers have the option of seeking preferential treatment under the CPTPP when importing parts from Mexico (and vice versa), even if the goods would not meet the RVC/LVC requirements under the CUSMA. Although the vehicle parts themselves may not satisfy the CUSMA rules of origin criteria, the manufactured vehicle can obtain originating status under the CUSMA if it satisfies the RVC/LVC requirements. This aspect offers Canadian and Mexican vehicle and auto parts producers an attractive, less restrictive way to manage their supply chain of auto parts by taking advantage of more lenient rules of origin under the CPTPP.
A Canadian-based vehicle manufacturer that sells vehicles to the US market, for example, could consider sourcing duty-free a wider variety of parts from Mexico under the CPTPP, even if these do not meet the RVC/ LVC requirements under the CUSMA. Exports to the US of vehicles that incorporate such parts could still receive preferential tariff treatment if the vehicle in its entirety increases sufficiently in regional and labour value through the assembly process to meet the RVC/LVC threshold under the CUSMA.
It would also be plausible for a Canadian parts manufacturer to source inputs duty-free from another CPTPP country, like Vietnam, for the manufacturing of an auto part in its Canadian facilities. Assuming that the inputs are transformed to such a degree that they meet RVC requirements under the CPTPP, they could be exported duty-free to a vehicle manufacturer in Mexico for the production of a passenger vehicle. If this Mexican vehicle producer meets the RVC/LVC in the production and assembly of the vehicle while also complying with the 70% threshold for corporate purchases of aluminum/steel from CUSMA countries, it could then consider shipping the vehicle duty-free to the US as an originating good under the CUSMA.
CUSMA’s Restrictions on Duty Drawback Programs – Taking Advantage of CPTPP
Similar to NAFTA, the CUSMA restricts duty relief and drawback on goods processed within a CUSMA country exported to another CUSMA country. Where a manufacturer/processor sources input materials from a non-CUSMA country, and uses the input for further processing into a finished/another good (the “Output Good”) prior to exporting the Output Good to another CUSMA country, the CUSMA can restrict the available duty relief/drawback available for dutiable imported input materials.
Similar to Article 303 under the NAFTA, Article 2.5 of the CUSMA restricts the duty relief/drawback to the “lesser of”:
- the total amount of customs duties paid on input materials imported into Canada that were used in connection with the exported Output Good; and
- the total amount of customs duties, if any, paid on the finished good that was subsequently exported to another CUSMA country.
If, for example, a producer in Canada sources input materials from China under the MFN duty rate of 6% and subsequently exports the Output Good to the U.S. duty-free under the CUSMA, the Canadian producer would be ineligible to claim any duty relief or drawback, which is capped at $0, because no duties are payable on the Output Good imported into the USA.
In such a scenario, possible preferential treatment afforded under the CPTPP can provide Canadian producers with an opportunity to avoid duties by re-organizing or shifting their supply chain from outside the CPTPP countries into them (e.g. sourcing the input from Japan). This strategic revamping of the supply chain could serve as a viable work-around of the duty drawback/relief restrictions/cap on duties paid on imported manufacturing inputs (by avoiding or reducing such duties as the result of CPTPP preferential tariff treatment).
This CUSMA duty relief and drawback restriction is intended to discourage North American manufacturers/producers from using inputs from outside North America (outside the CUSMA “free trade” zone). However, the CPTPP gives North American producers a potential mechanism to avoid these restrictions and reduce/eliminate their duty costs on manufacturing inputs.
While the US market is the major destination for the output from assembly plants located in North America, the interplay between the CPTPP and the CUSMA rules of origin provide Canadian and Mexican vehicle and parts manufacturers with some interesting options to leverage the benefits of both agreements. McMillan’s International Trade Group can assist companies in the automotive sector navigate the complexities under these new free-trade agreements.
by Jonathan O’Hara, Jamie Wilks, Chris Scheitterlein
 Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico [CUSMA], 1 July 2020. (Our general commentary on the CUSMA can be found here.)
 Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership among Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam [CPTPP], 30 December 2018. The CPTPP has been ratified by and is in force among Canada, Mexico, Japan and most other signatories. (Our general commentary on the CPTPP can be found here.)
 Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union [CETA], 30 October 2016, (provisionally entered into force 21 September 2017).
 Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement between Canada and Korea [CKFTA], 1 January 2015.
 See CUSMA, Article 4.1; and CPTPP, Chapter 3, Article 3.9.
 Core parts for use in passenger vehicles and light trucks include goods such as engines, engine parts, vehicle bodies, gear boxes, drive axles, shock absorbers, lithium ion batteries and steering wheels, whereas principal parts include air conditioning machines, Electronic brake systems, Gears and gearing, Clutches and shaft couplings, silencers, among other items. The list of complementary parts include, but are not limited to, goods such as tubes, pipes, locks, catalytic converters, valves, electric motors, batteries, and windshield wipers.
 For the sake of simplicity, all percentages are provided under the net cost method only.
 See Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), Chapter 4, Appendix, Article 7.3.
 Such processes include the initial melting and mixing and continues through the coating stage. This requirement does not apply to raw materials used in the steel manufacturing process, including steel scrap; iron ore; pig iron; reduced, processed, or pelletized iron ore; or raw alloys.
 Protocol of Amendment, CUSMA, December 10, 2019.
 Canada, Report – Trade Data Online, “Canadian imports, Naics 3363 – motor vehicle parts manufacturing” (accessed 27 August 2020), online: Government of Canada.
 The percentages are based on data from the last five years.
 Canada, Report – Trade Data Online, “Canadian imports, Naics 3361 – motor vehicle manufacturing” (accessed 27 August 2020), online: Government of Canada.
A Cautionary Note
The foregoing provides only an overview and does not constitute legal advice. Readers are cautioned against making any decisions based on this material alone. Rather, specific legal advice should be obtained.
© McMillan LLP 2020
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Federal employers should be preparing for key dates upcoming in 2024, including updates to the Canada Labour Code and a key deadline under the Pay Equity Act.
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It is now clear: the revised preferability analysis under the amended Class Proceedings Act is a strict, more onerous hurdle for plaintiffs to satisfy.
Following a brief overview of the case and the SCC’s split decision, this discussion will focus on the implications of the decision to the roles and responsibilities of each project party, including the owner, contractor and design consultant (architect and engineer). The discussion will be interactive and will include an extensive Q&A period.
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There is no date set yet, but the fight has been announced, Michael Bisping will defend his middleweight title against George St-Pierre. The announcement of the fight is barely a week old, yet there is already criticism from MMA guru, color commentator Joe Rogan. Bisping was expected to defend the title against Yoel Romero, the current #1 ranked MW contender. Instead, he is fighting St-Pierre, who is undoubtedly a legend in his own right, and perhaps the greatest MMA fighter of all time but is past his prime to match up against Bisping.
Much like the inevitable matchup of McGregor-Mayweather, the UFC is grasping at straws. Many recent high profile bouts have left little to be desired. Bisping’s last fight against Henderson was a hometown win. Many believe that he received the hometown discount fighting in his native land. Ronda Rousey’s big “comeback” was derailed by Amanda Nunes fist seconds into the fight. And the recent Thompson-Woodley fight was a disgrace, it was not only one of the most boring fights in recent memory but the outcome was shady to say the very least. UFC fans are a passionate bunch, still how much disappointment can they take?
Undercards have been the highlight lately for many of these PPV fights. Young, hungry fighters, not yet touched by the fame bug, fighting their hearts out. Most recently at UFC 209, the Teymur-Vannata fight left fans on the edge of their seats, starving for more. The Undercards are picking up the slack for the underwhelming Main Cards.
In addition, UFC judges are leaving much to be desired. It is starting to feel like we are watching boxing. Judges swaying outcomes to their benefit. One shouldn’t be surprised, most of these fights take place in Vegas, the sports gambling capital of the world. Do I have proof? No. Yet, anyone with two eyes can see a pattern of shadiness.
Now, we are on the cusp of the circus that will be McGregor-Mayweather. A boxing match? Well, that’s not really fair. McGregor excels in a sport where he uses multiple skills, not just boxing. Mayweather has one skill, boxing…oh wait, add dancing to that list. Regardless of McGregor’s boxing skills, this fight favors Mayweather.
There are a few things we can be certain about:
- Both fighters will walk away with a Kings Ransom
- The ratings will be through the roof. No explanation needed.
- Mcgregor and Mayweather will dance around the ring for 12 rounds.
- It will leave little to be desired, but it will require a rematch due to some controversial ending.
UFC has reached significant heights from where it was when it was founded in 1993. Still, they have struggled in the first half of this year. The diehard fans are hanging in there, but the casual fans need StarPower. Enter: McGregor-Mayweather. Enter: Bisping-St-Pierre.
Still, one thing remains, if the Main Cards continue to consistently not match up to the hype, or continue to have shady outcomes, both fan bases will be hanging on by a thread.


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- After years of hints and teases, the public finally got to see the car that will spawn a new Toyota sports car in the metal.
- A hybrid powertrain with a twin-turbocharged 2.4-liter direct-injection V-6 and an electric motor gives the GR Super Sport a total of 986 horsepower.
- To top it off, Toyota’s in-house Gazoo Racing team took the TS050 Hybrid, which forms the basis of the GR Super Sport, to a win.
If you’ve been waiting for another sign that the FIA’s Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) class is getting serious, please say hello to Toyota’s new GR Super Sport hypercar. Making its public debut at the 88th Le Mans 24 Hours at the Circuit de la Sarthe this weekend, the GR Super Sport is not only going to bring the heat to upcoming LMH races, but will also be available to buy in some street-going form at some point. We’re waiting for details just like you.
The GR Super Sport is based on the TS050 Hybrid race car, which won Le Mans twice in 2018 and 2019, and is meant to take racing engineering from the track to the road. Toyota has been teasing the GR Super Sport hypercar for a while now, first showing a concept in early 2018 and teasing the first video in 2019. The hook for this concept was that Toyota would engineer the car for the new LMH hypercar category, the new premier class for endurance racing, as well as on-road use. Back in 2018, Toyota Gazoo Racing president Shigeki Tomoyama said Toyota would “develop sports cars from active race cars.”
We won’t know exactly what the powertrain in the eventual new Toyota sports car will feature, but we do know what hides inside the TS050 Hybrid and the GR Super Sport – which are “mostly the same main parts,” as Toyota said in 2018. The TS050 Hybrid uses a hybrid powertrain with a mid-mounted, twin-turbocharged 2.4-liter direct-injection V-6 and an electric motor that produce a total output of 986 horsepower. The TS050 Hybrid debuted at Le Mans in 2016 and still holds the current race lap record at La Sarthe.
At the Le Mans 24 Hours event this weekend, the customized GR Super Sport convertible – still a development model – did a demonstration lap around the track driven by former Toyota Gazoo driver Alex Wurz.
The debut isn’t all that Toyota can be happy about this weekend. The Toyota Gazoo Racing team won its third consecutive overall Le Mans 24 Hours contest with the TS050 Hybrid at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
This year’s World Endurance Championship calendar was scrambled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and next year’s schedule will be made up of six events instead of the eight that were previously on the list. The FIA says the calendar could change again, based on what happens with the health crisis, but whenever things get going, Toyota will be ready.


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Trubel's liquid gold is featured in celebrity chefs' cookbooks and is a proud winner of two Gold Star Great Taste Awards. Unique to Trubel, a lot of love went into creating this luxury kitchen essential mixing a generous 15% of Italian truffles with 100% pure clarified unsalted butter. Use in Hollandaise sauce, butter and pasta sauces, mashed potato or spread on a nice piece of sourdough.
Allergen information: Milk. Made in an environment where cereal, milk, eggs, and sulphites are present.

domain: food


Nations defend themselves with armed forces. But the military alone cannot solve today’s crises. Diplomats and “soft power” are needed.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, right, arrives to testify in Congress, Washington, DC, 15 November 2019 (Alex Wong/Pool via AP)
“There is a perception that diplomats lead a comfortable life throwing dinner parties in fancy homes. Let me tell you about some of my reality. It has not always been easy. I have moved 13 times and served in seven different countries, five of them hardship posts. My first tour was Mogadishu, Somalia.”
So said Marie Yovanovitch, a veteran U.S. diplomat who was the first witness in a congressional inquiry held to find out whether President Donald Trump abused his power as president by extorting a foreign president into investigating a Trump rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, in the race for the 2020 U.S. elections.
The congressional hearings, only the third in the nation’s 243-year history to target a president for impeachment, have dominated the U.S. political debate for weeks and will continue making headlines for months both in the United States and elsewhere.
It is a case that highlights, among other issues, widespread perceptions that diplomats have cushy jobs and play a lesser role in implementing foreign policy than soldiers.
Yovanovitch, who was recalled from her post as ambassador to Ukraine for reasons that are at heart of the impeachment proceedings, went on to tell a hushed meeting chamber: “The State Department as a tool of foreign policy often doesn’t get the same attention and respect as the military might of the Pentagon does, but we are — as they say — ‘the pointy end of the spear.’”
“If we lose our edge, the U.S. will inevitably have to use other tools, even more often than it does today. And those other tools are blunter, more expensive and not universally effective.”
Exhibit A is Cuba.
Those tools include military force and economic sanctions, the latter being Trump’s favourite method to try to bend antagonistic governments to his will. The limits of military force are particularly obvious in Afghanistan and Iraq, where American troops have been waging war for 18 and 15 years, respectively.
Exhibit A for the limits of economic sanctions is Cuba, which withstood an American embargo for more than 50 years. More recently, “maximum pressure” to cripple Iran’s economy has yet to persuade the government there to drop it nuclear ambitions, curb its quest for regional supremacy or curb support for groups hostile to the United States and Israel.
The impeachment hearings have brought into focus the interplay between diplomacy and military strength.
According to a parade of witnesses, all of whom except one were professional diplomats or career civil servants, Trump made the release of $391 million in military aid to Ukraine contingent on its president, Volodymyr Zelenski, launching an investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, who worked for a Ukrainian energy company while his father was the point person for Ukraine in the administration of ex-President Barack Obama.
For the past five years, Ukraine has been fighting Russian-backed separatists in a low-intensity war in the east of the country. It needs the American aid, including anti-tank missiles, to keep control of its territory.
According to administration witnesses in the impeachment hearings, Trump had ordered a freeze on the aid — which had been allocated by Congress — as a lever, thus using public funds for personal advantage.
Big military spender
The main conduit for the request for an investigation was President Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who is a private citizen, rather than the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, the State Department or the National Security Council.
Giuliani saw Yovanovitch as an obstacle for the aid-for-investigations deal, and he spread false rumours about her being a Trump critic. The end result: she received a middle-of-the-night call telling her to leave her post and take the next flight to Washington.
Ivanovitch’s testimony at the impeachment hearing echoed complaints, voiced mostly in private, from foreign service diplomats almost as soon as Trump assumed office. Now, she said, there is “a crisis in the State Department as the policy process is visibly unraveling, leadership vacancies go unfilled and senior and mid-level officers ponder an uncertain future and head for the doors.”
By word and by tweet, Trump has made clear his disdain for the institutions of state, from the State Department to the Central Intelligence Agency, the FBI and the Justice Department. This year, for the third year in a row, the administration is cutting the budget for the State Department while increasing the Pentagon’s.
The United States already spends as much on its military as the next eight countries combined. It tops the list of global arms sellers. U.S. armed forces outnumber the diplomatic service and its major foreign aid agency by a ratio of around 180:1, vastly higher than other Western democracies.
‘Today’s crises do not have military solutions alone.’
Curiously, the imbalance between the size of the U.S. armed forces and the civilian agencies that make up “soft power” — chiefly the foreign service and the United States Agency for International Development — have long been a matter of concern for military leaders.
Often used in academic discourse, the term “soft power” was coined in the 1980s by Harvard political scientist Joseph Nye. It embraces diplomacy and assistance to foreign countries as well as cultural and exchange programs meant to improve the image of the United States. Hard power, in contrast, includes guns, tanks, war planes and soldiers.
Last year, budget cuts for diplomacy and development so alarmed the military that 151 retired generals and admirals wrote to congressional leaders to plead for greater emphasis on civilian foreign policy and security agencies. “Today’s crises do not have military solutions alone,” the officers’ letter said.
It quoted an observation by General James Mattis, the Trump administration’s first Defense secretary: “America’s got two fundamental powers, the power of intimidation and the power of inspiration.”
Soon after taking office in January 2017, Trump promised “one of the greatest military buildups in military history” and put forward an “America First budget. It is not a soft power budget, it is a hard power budget.”
There were not then, nor are there now, provisions to boost the power of inspiration.
Bernd Debusmann is a News-Decoder correspondent and former columnist for Reuters who worked as a correspondent, bureau chief and editor in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and United States. He has reported from more than 100 countries and lived in nine. He was shot twice in the course of his work – once covering a night battle in the center of Beirut and once in an assassination attempt prompted by his reporting on Syria.


Twitter users on Tuesday (May 26) refuted the issues raised by SAGIP partylist Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, saying that the solon was merely repeating allegations against ABS-CBN that were already answered and cleared in February, making Marcoleta top Twitter trends on the day of the joint hearing.
One netizen (@dumidyeypee) tweeted, “instead of repeating answered issues, playing irrelevant videos and spreading misinformation, Cong. Marcoleta should have at least presented new inputs and pieces of evidence on why the ABS-CBN franchise must not be renewed. But he did not.”
In his speech, Rep. Marcoleta said ABS-CBN violated laws that is why it does not deserve a fresh 25-year franchise. However, it can be recalled in February’s Senate hearing that the concerned government agencies themselves cleared ABS-CBN from any violation. ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo Katigbak himself reiterated that the network has done no wrong in his opening statement, which he delivered before Marcoleta took to the floor.
“Sabi po ng BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), bayad ang aming buwis. Nangaling po sa SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) na aprubado sa kanila ang pag-issue ng mga PDR (Philippine Depositary Receipts). Ang Department of Justice (DOJ) ang nagsabi na hindi labag sa prangkisa ang KBO (Kapamilya Box Office). Ang DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) naman ay nagsabi na sumunod kami sa lahat ng compliance orders nila,” Katigbak said.
He also added, “wala po kaming nilabag na batas. Pero inaamin namin na hindi kami isang perpektong organisasyon. May mga kakulangan din po kami. At handa naming ayusin ang mga ito.”
The network’s president and CEO also highlighted the importance of being given due process in relation to critics’ arguments about following the law. He said, “sinasabi po ng mga bumabatikos sa amin, the law is the law and we agree. The law is the law. And under the law, we are innocent unless proven guilty. Up to now, there is no court that has determined we have broken any laws.”
Meanwhile, Katigbak used his opening statement to appeal to lawmakers to grant the network a 25-year franchise. He cited that the 11,000 employees of the network are suffering for fear of losing their source of income in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also responded to critics that ABS-CBN is not asking for pity, but rather asking to protect the livelihood of their workers.
Katigbak also made a case that giving ABS-CBN a franchise means that the network can continue its decades-long public service. One of which is the network’s Pantawid ng Pag-ibig campaign that was able to serve food to three million people in NCR, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan that were affected by the quarantine.
“Hinihingi po namin na bigyan ng prangkisa ang ABS-CBN. Tapat po kaming naglilingkod sa bayan sa mahabang panahon, wala po kaming nilabag na batas, at nangangako po kami na patuloy kaming magsusumikap na maging mas mabuting kumpanya,” he stated.
Should the network be granted a franchise, Katigbak also committed that the network will “have the humility to listen to you on how ABS-CBN can continually be of better service to our country.”


A day after senior Congress leader and MLA BR Patil, accused Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda of leveling corruption charges against him over public works and demanded a probe into the matter, CM Siddaramaiah said that he had spoken with Patil and has invited him to 'clarify' the situation.
"I have spoken to BR Patil today. I made an attempt to reach him yesterday, but unfortunately, I couldn't get through. However, we had a conversation this morning. I have invited him to come and meet me so that we can clarify the situation," the Karnataka chief minister said.
Earlier on Tuesday, BR Patil, in a letter to Siddaramaiah demanded an inquiry into the matter and said he would resign if the allegations are proved.
He also said that he will not go to the session until the investigation of KRDL works is completed.
After writing the letter, he returned to the Kalburgi from Bengaluru in the morning and spoke to the reporters and said that he had written the letter to the CM because his self-esteem was threatened.
"In the last session, the attention of the session was drawn by asking a question about the delay and incomplete works of KRDL works. But Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, while answering, spoke in a way that blamed me. I protested then, but no one came to my support. In the legislative meeting, only the MLA of Indi Constituency, Yashvantraya Patil, stood in my support, but the MLAs of the district did not support me" Patil said.
He further said, "Minister Krishna Byre Gowda's allegations against me should be investigated. I lived with self-respect. If the investigation does not reveal the truth, that means he's dead. Therefore, information should be obtained from the authorities and a high-level investigation should be conducted."
Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said that the government is in the process of conducting an inquiry.
"There is nothing involved in it. He is asking for an inquiry and the government is in the process of conducting an inquiry," he said.
The work dates back to 2013, when, some work in his constituency was assigned to the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited (KRIDL) ahead of the assembly elections then.
Patil, in his letter, said that in order to avoid the process of issuing tenders, keeping in view the urgency of the work, the project was assigned to the KRIDL.
However, the project has not been completed yet and the quality of work is substandard and he had raised this issue in the last assembly session.
In the absence of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge in the House, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda responded. Byre Gowda then asked him why he handed over the work to the KRIDL -- which Patil claims gave the impression that he (Patil) has taken money from KRIDL. Patil then protested against the minister's reply. (ANI)


Samsung will continue to invest in the production of LCD displays
Samsung is among those companies that are actively converting their products to OLED-matrix and investing a lot of money in the development and expansion of production of such panels. Currently, the South Korean giant dominates the OLED screen market and controls more than 90% of the organic LED display market.
But Samsung is not interested in burying the LCD segment either. The Reuters news agency announced the company's plans to invest $ 11 billion to modernize and increase the capacity of the plant for the production of modern LCD panels.
At the moment, Samsung does not comment on this information, but the source claims that next month it will make an official statement on this subject. Perhaps we are talking about the production of LCD-matrices, the creation of which uses a new, advanced and more promising technology.
It is interesting that not so long ago information appeared on the network that Samsung was forced to suspend the production of LCD panels due to overproduction and stocking of stocks. And all because of falling demand for such screens and fierce competition from Chinese manufacturers.
Presented Samsung Galaxy A70s with 64 megapixel camera and capacious battery
Samsung ISOCELL Slim GH1 Image Sensor Introduced


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ALS Learning Series
Evidence-Based Consensus Guidelines for Genetic Counseling and Testing in ALS
May 11, 2023
Jennifer Roggenbuck, MS, CGC
The practice of genetic testing in ALS has been impacted by high patient demand for testing, sponsored testing programs, and a new drug application to the FDA for the first gene-targeted therapy in ALS. However, many challenges exist, including few genetic counselors in ALS clinics, and issues with laboratory methods and reporting. Jennifer Roggenbuck, MS, CGC will present new evidence-based, consensus guidelines for genetic counseling and testing in ALS, a project sponsored by the ALS Association.
Jennifer Roggenbuck is a genetic counselor and Associate Professor at the Ohio State University, where she studies genetic testing and counseling outcomes and best practices in ALS clinical genetics.


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LAHORE: The anti-graft body has claimed that the assets of Shehbaz Sharif’s family ballooned from Rs2 million to Rs7,000 million in the last 30 years which they have failed to justify
After the arrest of PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif from the premises of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday, a document was shared by the National Accountability Bureau, which claimed that in 1990, Shahbaz declared assets worth Rs2.121 million which grew to Rs7,328 million in 2018 in the time span of 28 years.
The PML-N leader was taken into custody after his bail plea was rejected by the LHC in money-laundering and assets beyond means cases. His party, however, has claimed that he has been punished for siding with his brother Nawaz Sharif.
The NAB stated that in the year 1990, Shahbaz declared his net assets at Rs2.121 million, whereas his net assets (including the assets of his minor children) increased to Rs14.865 million in the year 1998.
‘Organized system of money-laundering’
The anti-corruption watchdog alleged the PML-N president in connivance with his co-accused family members, benamidars, front men, close associates, employees and moneychangers developed an organized system of money-laundering for the accumulation of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income to the tune of Rs7,328 million.
After holding the public office (mostly during the years 2008 and 2018 when Shahbaz was the chief minister Punjab), his family acquired assets worth Rs 7,328 million, the NAB added.
While sharing the details of assets of the opposition leader, the NAB Lahore further claimed that the Shahbaz family invested Rs2,770 million in 13 newly-established companies under the umbrella of the Sharif Group of Companies naming the few as M/s Sharif Feed, M/s Chiniot Power, M/s Al-Arabia Sugar Mills, M/s Sharif Dairy Farms, etc, without having known sources of income.
The accused established benami companies namely M/s Good Nature Trading Company Pvt Ltd, M/s Unitas Steel Pvt Ltd, M/s Waqar Trading Company and M/s Nisar Trading Concern (held in the name of Nisar Ahmad and Ali Ahmad, employees of the CM Secretariat) to launder disproportionate funds of Rs2,400.088 million. The accused also acquired properties including foreign assets along with 96-H, Model Town, Lahore, Nishat Lodge Doonga Gali, Villas at Whispering Pines, houses at DHA, Lahore worth Rs619.858 million.
The NAB claimed that to justify the alleged ill-gotten assets of Rs7,328 million, the accused and his family members/benamidars showed foreign remittances of Rs1,597 million and loans of Rs1,010 million, which proved to be fake as the remitters denied having sent any amount to the accused or his family members.
Moreover, loans were falsely shown as the source, while the lenders actually paid the employees of the Sharif Group, the NAB added.
‘Assets Rs7,328 million, income Rs584.444 million’
The statement added that the value of the Shahbaz Sharif family’s disproportionate assets acquired through laundered money comes to the tune of Rs6,122 million, with a present value of Rs7,328 million in the year 2018, whereas the total known sources of Shahbaz and his family were Rs584.444 million.
The aforesaid assets of the accused and his family members were found to be disproportionate to their known sources of income, it claimed.
The NAB concluded that during the course of investigations, the declared and undeclared assets of the accused have been identified, for which they could not account for, as the sources of income claimed by them proved to be fictitious and unknown.


Nov 2018. Undocumented immigrants are already driving on New Jerseys closson insurance, so why not. Apr 2018.
California surpasses 1 million drivers licenses for undocumented. In the state of California, undocumented residents were able to lifense a california illegal immigrants drivers license insurance license. In the graph california illegal immigrants drivers license insurance, here is where California and states with their own sizable immigrant.
Do a search for California Illegal Immigrant Drivers License. May 2018. Immigrants without legal status line up to apply for California driver. Aug 2016. That also means they were driving without insurance, since you need to. I am a bit surprised that your car was towed- unless you had no registration or insurance. Dec 2014. Starting Jan. 1, unauthorized immigrants can get California drivers licenses, but before they can register their vehicles theyll need one more.
Sep 2013. California governor to sign drivers license bill for illegal immigrants.
Sep 2004. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) late Wednesday vetoed a bill that would have given as many as 2 million illegal immigrants California drivers. Apr 2017. Under California AB 60, undocumented immigrants are allowed to apply for. States offering driving privilege caljfornia to undocumented immigrants. Those undocumented immigrants who are unlicensed and lack insurance.
California california illegal immigrants drivers license insurance a bill that would have given illegal immigrants the chance to.
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Nov 2012. An undocumented immigrant seeking a license must meet the same. California is the leading state of residence for undocumented illegal immigrants, many. Republican state Senator Anthony Cannella.
Jan 2018. People who favor granting drivers licenses to illegal immigrants often cite the. When it comes to illegal immigration the Times is hardly respectable.
After you sell a vehicle, immediately contact your auto insurance company and the DMV to tell.. Jul 2015. How Undocumented Immigrants Can Get Car Insurance. Jul 2017. Many unauthorized immigrants drive without a license..
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Jan 2015. As thousands of immigrants who are in the country illegally queued up Friday to apply for a California drivers license, supporters of the. Evidence from a 2012 study conducted by the California..
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Oct 2013.. that will allow undocumented immigrants to get drivers licenses in his state.. California, Connecticut, Oregon, and Vermont will soon have laws in place. Apr 2017. No evidence that providing drivers licenses to unauthorized immigrants in California.. California Assembly Bill 60 (AB-60) is a bill passed into law that allows illegal immigrants in the US to apply for a California drivers license with the CA.
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Apr 2018. A drivers license lets you drive, even if you have no insurance or real. Apr 2018.. illegal immigrants with a California drivers license has on the state.. May 2016. One of the big selling points for proponents of letting illegal aliens get drivers licenses is that theyll buy auto insurance (and that our roads and. Apr 2017. States granting unauthorized immigrants access to drivers licenses..
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Without a valid California Drivers License, liability insurance is not a possibility. Jul 2018. California ballot initiative to reverse illegal immigrant drivers license law.
AB 60 registered vehicles or bought insurance, DMV. In the first year, a little more than 600,000 undocumented immigrant drivers licenses. May 2017. Some states are trying to combat the problem by allowing undocumented immigrants to get drivers licenses.


Need a good professional iOS game developer for new project.
Flexible Delivery (70 days or less)
Must agree and sign non-disclosure and non-competing agreements.
Game should support both iPhone and iPad (universal version)
game will be 2D and platform style.
Example Game : zombieville usa (see video here [url removed, login to view])
Game will have about 20 levels (help with level info. Developer to assist graphics and sound)
You need past experience in producing games of such quality and high quality.
Please provide examples of work that supports your ability.
We have a few designers to support your development.
We have 6 projects similar to this project, making room for further work ongoing (which is preferred).
21 freelancer đang chào giá trung bình $1817 cho công việc này
Can help... I am an expert... please check my reviews, qualifications and latest projects i have worked on... please provide more details so that i can give you an accurate bid...
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Hello! We are strong team of experts who are ready to cooperate with you. The price on the bid is a place-holder because we need more details to make an estimation. Please, check the PMB for details. Thanks.


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What Does iq option uk Mean?Reply shariful two decades in the past I totally agree that binary options are easier to trade.
Brokers presenting any lower than this standard package really should not be deemed in the choice of a forex broker, given that nowadays’s marketplace offers a broad combination of online retail forex brokers on your thing to consider.
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The Just take Revenue can be a attribute which makes it possible for end users to set a value or value at which the transaction is going to be accomplished routinely when reached.
Reply S. Byrnes 2 decades ago Good stuff! This is beneficial for people who desire to go into purchasing and advertising assets. Do you have got options on porting this to Chrome OS also? I make use of a Chromebook and I don’t see a download option for it. Many thanks!
IQ Option does give a demo account facility, so that you can try the System prior to jeopardizing any of your individual cash. Signing up is easy.
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domain: finance


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Matching family tree profiles for Salomon Herz
About Salomon Herz
Review the project pages on this person for more data about him and his extended family.
Mike Rosenthal's work indicates Solomon Herz was married to Eve and had a son named Jonas Herz. He was also married to Anna Wedeles. There is presently no information as to which marriage came first.
One record states he died in Becov, another record states he died in Osek. From My Heritage.

domain: history


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- Published: 19 June 2023 19 June 2023
Jan de Nul's jack-up installation vessel, Voltaire, has just arrived in the port of Able Seaton, UK to start with the construction of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm phases A, B and C.
In total, the vessel will be responsible to install 277 units. Voltaire will sail out in early July to install the first GE Haliade-X offshore wind turbine. The 3.6 GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being built off the East Coast of England in three 1.2 GW phases: Dogger Bank A, B and C. It is a joint venture partnership between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn (20%).

domain: geography


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LEO-Cedarville, Ind. (WANE) Police officers served a search warrant at a home in Leo-Cedarville Tuesday morning that resulted in the discovery of a meth lab and the arrest of five adults.
The Fort Wayne Police Department Methamphetamine Suppression Unit and members of the Allen County SWAT Team acted on information detectives had received regarding meth being manufactured at 105010 Main Street.
When they served the warrant, two juveniles were in the home and they placed in the care of the Indiana Department of Child Services. Two dogs were also removed from the property by Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control.
Besides the meth lab, officers found items to make meth, marijuana, prescription narcotic pills, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
The following people were arrested on various charges:
- William D. Snare, 48
- Eric J. Tulk, 44
- Shawn M. Baker, 28
- Nancy R. Tulk, 41
- Tawny L. Snare, 34
This was the 27th meth lab investigation in Allen County so far in 2015.


Kanye West is a businessman first, a rapper next.
Billboard reports that the rapper’s second Donda listening party has set a new record as the most-watched livestream in Apple Music history, garnering more than 5.4 million views on Aug 5. This comes after his first listening event at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium pulled in 3.3 million viewers on July 23, setting an Apple Music Global Livestream record at the time. The artists who set records before this were Jeezy and Gucci Mane Verzuz battle, which received 1.8 million views last year.
The views aside, sources close to Kanye has now told Billboard that his second event racked in an impressive $7 million from in-person merch sales, the same amount his Yeezy x Gap puffer coat reportedly made in one night.
However, the rapper is expected to release the effort this week, and we hope he does this time.


From Economic Policy Journal:
Here are the places with the most sunshine, low amounts of rain or snow, fewest days below 32 degrees or above 90 degrees, and low humidity — these locales came to mind for John Brady of TopRetirements.com
1. San Luis Obispo, Calif. — San Luis Obispo, Calif., a city on the Pacific Coast with an average January temperature in the low to mid-50s and an average July temperature [...]
July 10, 2012
(LAS CRUCES, NM) – A little more than a week after Mexicans went to the polls, conflict and controversy swirl around the July 1 elections. Almost everywhere-in the halls of Congress, on the Sunday talk shows, in bars and cafes and on the streets-the results are the hot topic of conversation. And claiming fraud, a growing citizen’s movement is crossing borders and transforming the elections into an [...]
The New Mexico woman arrested for twisting off her daughter-in-law’s nipple during a drunken brawl last year will avoid jail in a plea deal approved by her injured kin.
Amilia Oveide, 46, copped to an aggravated battery charge and was ordered to pay Marie Cadney’s medical bills (which totaled about $10,000). Cadney, 30, is the wife of Oveide’s son. Oveide, whose rap sheet includes a [...]
ALBUQUERQUE — Space travel will soon be within the reach of ordinary people, provided that they have extraordinary bank accounts.
A two-hour flight from New Mexico’s Spaceport America will run $200,000 per traveler, an executive of flight operator Virgin Galactic said Monday.
Test flights are still being conducted, and the first suborbital launch with passengers may not occur until 2013, said Will Pomerantz, a vice president [...]


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On this page you will see the car rental companies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA (see list below).
Rent a car in Pittsburgh online
We have selected the best online booking services and local companies in Pittsburgh that provide budget car rental services.
Car rental agencies in Pittsburgh
Addresses and phone numbers of companies that provide cars for rent in Pittsburgh. The rating of the companies is based on the reviews of real customers.
About Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Pittsburgh ( PITS-burg) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the United States and the county seat of Allegheny County. A population of 302,971 residents lives within the city limits as of the 2020 US Census, making it the 68th-largest city in the U.S. and the second-most populous city in Pennsylvania, behind Philadelphia. The Pittsburgh metropolitan area is the anchor of Western Pennsylvania; its population of 2.37 million is the largest in both the Ohio Valley and Appalachia, the second-largest in Pennsylvania, and the 27th-largest in the U.S.
Pittsburgh is located in the southwest of the state, at the confluence of the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River, forming the Ohio River. Pittsburgh is known both as “the Steel City” for its more than 300 steel-related businesses and as the “City of Bridges” for its 446 bridges. The city features 30 skyscrapers, two inclined railways, a pre-revolutionary fortification and the Point State Park at the confluence of the rivers. The city developed as a vital link of the Atlantic coast and Midwest, as the mineral-rich Allegheny Mountains led to the region being contested by the French and British empires, Virginians, Whiskey Rebels, and Civil War raiders.
Map of roads and locations of Pittsburgh
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You can see all the deals on this page.
I’m looking for a car rental service near me. Will you help me?
Yes. Use our list of companies and a map of the city. You will find the nearest service.


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I went to Stavros to grab a quick bite with my team after our last game of the season. We chose Stavros as it was close by to where our game was. The decor inside is a bit dated and has that neighbourhood pub type of feel to it. I didn’t have high expectations of place but was told by a teammate that their pizza was good. I decided to order 8″ of the Chef’s Special ($12.99) which was topped with chicken, feta, spinach and red onions. I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was. The crust was nice and crispy on the bottom. The flavours of the toppings worked really well together. I enjoyed the creaminess of the feta cheese against the sweetness of the red onions. I was surprised at how tender the chicken pieces were. Normally, I’m more of thin crust pizza fan but this pizza at Stavros really worked. This pizza exceeded my expectations and is certainly heads and shoulders above the pizza at places like BP’s, which is typically where we’d go for a drink after our games. I’d definitely recommend Stavros over BP’s any day for their pizza.
Stavros Pizza & Sportsbar
4105 4 St NW


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Human Rights Watch (HRW) Country Report (2016) for Syria documents the escalating use of violence in the war-torn country.
The 2016 Human Rights Watch (HRW) country report for Syria documents the escalating use of violence in the war-torn country. Five years after the start of a conflict that involves numerous state and non-state actors, violations of human rights and international war treaties and protocols have become a daily occurrence. However, Syria’s appalling human rights record goes back decades.
Between 1949 and 1966, Syria witnessed political instability caused by five successive military coups. The first was orchestrated by the army chief of staff, Husni al-Za’im, who went on to become president in April 1949.
The last military coup, known as ‘the Corrective Movement’ or the ‘Corrective Revolution’, took place in 1970, led by General Hafez al-Assad, then minister of defence. After his ouster of President Salah Jadid, who had also come to power following a military coup in 1966, al-Assad appointed himself the undisputed leader of Syria and went on to rule till his death in June 2000. He was succeeded by his son Bashar al-Assad, the current president.
The al-Assad family, which has ruled Syria since 1970, has an exceptionally poor human rights record and a history of violence and massacres. From 1963 to early 2011, when popular protests erupted, Syria had a state of emergency in place, which gave the government a free hand to arrest people without charge and extended the state’s authority into virtually every aspect of citizens’ lives.
Among the many arms of oppression are Syria’s security apparatuses, such as the Military Intelligence, Air Force Intelligence, State Security and Political Security, who regularly detain people without arrest warrants, holding them incommunicado for lengthy periods. This is in addition to the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC), an exceptional court with almost no procedural guarantees, which regularly sentences activists and Islamists to long prison terms.
Among the many dark moments of Hafez al-Assad’s tenure, the Hama massacre of February 1982 stands out as the epitome of his oppressive regime. The massacre ended any hopes of change primarily sought by the Muslim Brotherhood, which was the main opposition at the time. As part of the Islamist uprising, which ran from 1976 to 1982, members of the Muslim Brotherhood calling themselves the Fighting Vanguard (at-Tali’a al-Muqatila), led by `Adnan `Uqla, massacred between 50 and 83 Alawite cadets in the Aleppo Artillery School.
The massacre marked the beginning of full-scale urban warfare between the Muslim Brotherhood and the ruling Alawites. In 1982, in an attempt to quell an uprising orchestrated by the Muslim Brotherhood, the Syrian Arab Army and the Defence Companies, on the orders of Hafez al-Assad, besieged and shelled the city of Hama, which they believed to be harbouring Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated gunmen.
In a little over three weeks, between 20,000 and 40,000 residents were killed. Amnesty International estimates that the eventual death toll may have been as high as 25,000 on both sides. The incident has since been called ‘the single deadliest act by any Arab government against its own people in the Middle East’.
When Bashar al-Assad came to power in 2000, the Syrian parliament had to amend the constitution, reducing the mandatory minimum age of the president from 40 to 34 years old, so he would be legally eligible for nomination by the ruling Baath Party.
On 10 July 2000, al-Assad was elected president by referendum in which he ran unopposed, receiving 97.29% of the votes. What was made to look like a popular vote to give al-Assad legitimacy, was in fact a clear-cut violation of all the principles of democracy.
Immediately after al-Assad took office, a reform movement made cautious advances during what was dubbed the ‘Damascus Spring’. It led to the shutdown of the notorious Mezzeh prison in Damascus and the declaration of a wide-ranging amnesty releasing hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated political prisoners. However, it was a short-lived honeymoon between al-Assad and his opposition, as the security crackdowns commenced again within the year.
Al-Assad jailed leaders of the Damascus Declaration, a prominent gathering of opposition groups, for ‘weakening national sentiment’. In 2010, the SSSC sentenced dozens of Kurdish political activists to prison, including many members of the PYD political party, which is affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Military judges sentenced members of the Kurdish Left Party to prison for ‘inciting sectarian strife’, and other Syrian socialists or liberals such as Dr Kamal al-Labwani, a physician and founder of the Democratic Liberal Gathering, who is serving a 15-year sentence for advocating peaceful reform.
The young al-Assad, who with promises of liberalization, democracy and respect for human rights had once been perceived as a potential reformer, disappointed expectations and it took the Syrian people less than a year to find him out.
In March 2011, popular protests erupted, initially demanding democratic reform. Al-Assad responded to these demands with police and military force, mass arrests and a brutal crackdown, resulting in hundreds of casualties and thousands of wounded.
The Avaaz.org campaigning community said its investigation identified 2,918 Syrians who were arrested or abducted by security troops and whose whereabouts are still unknown. By the end of April 2011, it was clear that the situation was getting out of al-Assad’s control, and the Syrian government deployed numerous troops on the ground.
In the intervening years, Syria has slipped into increasingly violent conflict. Government forces and their allies (i.e. Russia, Iran, Hezbollah and other sectarian militias) carry out daily deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians, and incommunicado detention and torture are widespread.
Non-state opposition groups have also carried out serious abuses, including attacking civilians, using child soldiers, kidnapping, and torture. The extremist group Islamic State and al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra, are responsible for systematic and widespread human rights violations, among them, targeting civilians, kidnappings, and executions.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the death toll in Syria, until the summer of 2016, ranges between 301,781 and 422,317, including over 100,000 civilians.
UN and Arab League envoys to Syria estimate the casualties at 400,000. Additionally, more than 640,000 people are living under long-term siege. The conflict has led to a humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 7.6 million internally displaced and 4.8 million UN-registered refugees in neighbouring countries.
On 21 August 2013, two opposition-controlled areas in the suburbs around Damascus were targeted with the nerve agent sarin, killing between 281 and 1,729 people. The attack was the deadliest use of chemical weapons since the Iran-Iraq war.
Another 161 documented chemical attacks have taken place in Syria since, the details of which were gathered from doctors operating in the affected areas and which killed a further 1,491 people and injured 14,581. More than a third of the attacks used chlorine gas, and the vast majority of those came after a UN Security Council resolution condemning its use.
Additionally, the government has persisted in conducting indiscriminate air attacks, including dropping large numbers of improvised barrel bombs on civilians, in defiance of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2139, passed on 22 February 2014.
These unguided bombs are cheaply made, locally produced, and typically constructed from large oil drums, gas cylinders, and water tanks, filled with high explosives and scrap metal to enhance fragmentation, and then dropped from helicopters.
Syrian security forces continue to detain people arbitrarily, subjecting them to ill-treatment and torture, and often disappearing them using an extensive network of detention facilities throughout the country. Many detainees are young men in their 20s and 30s, but children, women, and the elderly have also been detained.
In some instances, individuals report that security forces detained their family members, including children, to pressure them to turn themselves in. The so-called Caesar Report, released in 2014 by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, claims to detail ‘the systematic killing of more than 11,000 detainees by the Syrian government in one region during the Syrian civil war over a two and half year period from March 2011 to August 2013’.
According to a report by Amnesty International, published in November 2015, the Syrian regime has forcibly disappeared more than 65,000 people since the beginning of the war. A May 2016 report published by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that at least 60,000 people have died as a result of torture or from the dire conditions in Syrian government jails since March 2011.
With the failure of the most recent Kerry-Lavrov brokered ceasefire deal, the fighting has resumed and humanitarian aid convoys have been unable to reach the people in need. As the war heads towards its sixth year, a viable political solution seems more remote than ever.

domain: sociology


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December 20, 2011, 1:57 AM —
Don't believe the "knockout blow in patent war" type headlines: Apple won a rather minor patent victory against older versions of Android on HTC phones.
The patent concerned Apple's ability to discern phone numbers in unstructured documents and make the phone number clickable to dial. HTC phones running Android versions 1.6 to 2.2 will be banned from import starting in April 2012, although refurbished phones can be imported for warranty replacements until the end of 2013.
This could cause Android some trouble in further trials if a patent abuse pattern emerges. It will take Android developers a little time to work around the patent, or eliminate the feature. Apple will almost certainly not settle for money, because they're sitting on a ton of cash, and prefer to stop Android products in the market. Apple will have to file separate suits against other phone hardware makers and Android versions to take further advantage of this patent win.
My trusty 6310i could pick phone numbers out of SMS messages and give the option to call that number in circa 2002. The only winners here, as usual, are the bottom feeders^W^W lawyers.
When will this software patent nonsense stop?
Anomalous Cowturd on theregister.co.uk
Good for Apple
Fight on, Android and HTC
This is part of the patent fight that Steve Jobs promised to fight until his "last dying breath." So far, all that's happened is Android users will be updated to a changed OS, thanks to the patent court.