Canadas banks officially launch SecureKeys VerifiedMe digital identity network
Companies in this story: (TSX:CM, TSX:RY, TSX:BNS, TSX:TD, TSX:BMO, TSX:NA, TSX:RCI.B, TSX:T, TSX:SLF)David Paddon, The Canadian Press TORONTO — Canada’s biggest banks marked the official launch of the Verified.Me digital identity network on Wednesday, following years of development and testing with their partner SecureKey Technologies Inc. The banks see Verified.Me as the beginning of a more secure Canadian identity ecosystem for a world where technology is making it easier for criminals to steal personal data and use it to create false identities.“We think solving this problem — about proving it’s me and making it harder for the bad guy to (pretend to) be me — is a problem of our age that we have to solve,” SecureKey chief executive Greg Wolfond said in an interview.The Toronto-based company is building on the success of its SecureKey Concierge service, in use since 2012, that allows consumers to use their banking credentials to gain easier online access to Canada Revenue Agency services.Verified.Me goes a step further by making it easier for individuals to provide proof of their identity, using the information they’ve already provided to their financial institutions.In essence, the Verified.Me smartphone app connects with participating financial institutions and removes many of the steps that are currently required to establish a person’s identity.The platform also promises to give the users control over what information their banks will share with third parties that use Verified.Me to transact business with consumers. In the long run, that could include applying for a mortgage, renting an apartment or obtaining a driver’s licence.But currently only a limited number of financial products or services are available through Verified.Me.“The current capabilities … on Day 1 are registering their insurance with Sun Life, for example, and checking their credit score with Equifax,” said Greg Elcich, CIBC vice-president for enterprise innovation.“But this is about building out an ecosystem around identity,” he said. “This service will save Canadians time with everyday tasks that they do…That’s the real vision here.”CIBC, Desjardins, RBC, Scotiabank and TD said they’d have Verified.Me running effective Wednesday while BMO Bank of Montreal and National Bank of Canada said they will join the network in the near future.Investors in the Verified.Me consortium include the banks and the Desjardins co-operative, the Telus and Rogers communications companies, the Visa, Mastercard and Discover credit card businesses, and Intel, the semiconductor giant.Rami Thabet, RBC’s vice-president for digital products, said the financial institutions want to build a Canadian digital identity ecosystem.“There are quite a few nuances to how Canadians are accessing digital properties and accessing financial services digitally (that were) a key aspect of the design of the platform and to ensure that it met client needs in the future.”He said Canada’s financial institutions invest heavily in cybersecurity to protect consumer data and privacy.“This has been a core underpinning of the (Verified.Me) platform, where it’s been designed with privacy and security in mind from the get-go,” Thabet said.Andrew McFarlane, managing director of Accenture Financial Services, said the lack of a consumer-friendly identity authentication service has delayed European take-up of newer ways to make payments with electronic devices.“Unless it’s easier and more convenient than using your card, people will continue to use the same payment methods that they have today,” McFarlane said.But the challenge, he added, is to “get the authentication requirements right while still keeping an eye on fraud and making sure you’re still safe and secure.”
Grieving mother Hellen Callinicos is desperately searching for the missing mobile phone of her 41-year-old son Gabriel, who died in a road traffic accident in Moorabbin last month after suffering a heart attack.Mrs Callinicos has appealed for anyone who may have found the black Nokia 310 near the site of the crash – in Rowans Road near Barbara Street – to come forward.The distraught Oakleigh mother expected the phone to be returned to her along with her son’s personal effects found at the scene after police had cleared the car, but the mobile was not among them.Moorabbin Highway Patrol Senior Constable Antony Tannenbaum, who attended the crash, said that police had not found the phone on Mr Callinicos or in his car during their investigation, and suggested it may have been ejected from the vehicle during the impact of the crash.Mrs Callinicos believes the mobile – full of photos and messages – may have been picked up by someone who is not aware of the tragic circumstances around its loss.Speaking to Neos Kosmos, Mrs Callinicos said that friends of the family had searched the crash site and that the phone had been rung several times – all to no avail.“It was the only piece missing, close friends have had a look, I just wish I knew where it was,” she said.Mrs Callinicos has appealed for anyone who might have found it – or know who might have it in their possession – to help her retrieve it.“Please return it to me, it’s some form of comfort and closure,” she saidAnyone with information should call John on 0422 147424. Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram
Image credit: Leeds City CollegeSomething for the weekend: Embracing a diverse workforce demographic is a key agenda item for many organisations, however Leeds City College provides a shining example of its inclusive workplace culture by hiring 12-week-old puppy Jeffrey (pictured).Cockerpoo Jeffrey has been hired as a pet therapy animal for the college’s schools of health sciences, childhood and education and public services in order to help support exam-frazzled and stressed students.However, Jeffrey will also be rolemodelling positive employee behaviours and revealing insights about working at the college with his very own blog. Jeffrey will also use the blog to showcase his learning and development opportunities as well as demonstrate his day-to-day tasks.As part of his new role, Jeffrey has been attending Puppy School on a weekly basis to train to become a fully accredited therapy dog, although the four-legged employee has already been testing out his new skills.Shelia Lucciarini, head of childcare and public services at Leeds City College, said: “Once Jeffrey is fully trained, we will register with UK animal charity, Pets as Therapy (PAT) to get approval for him to become a PAT visiting dog. We’ll then be able to visit care and educational settings to support others.“Studies suggest that pets play an effective role in supporting the young and elderly and we’ll be conducting research into the impact Jeffrey has on our most vulnerable students and their achievement levels, especially those with autism and additional needs.“We’ll be teaching our students the benefits therapy dogs have on those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. It’s not uncommon to watch someone transition from emotionless to joyful when a pet enters the room. Dogs can also support cognitive behaviour to work with phobias and fears, along with counselling and mental health support for depression, anger management, behavioural issues, self-harm and eating disorders.”Here at Employee Benefits, we love the idea of having a pet therapy animal in the office, especially one as cute as Jeffrey. We feel he would be a great asset to any team, although it would be brilliant if he could manage the coffee run too…
Jeff Hennessy: In 2010, we made a strong decision to pivot toward live events. We wanted to diversify revenue. The print business has been relatively stable, but we wanted to reduce it as a percentage of our revenue. Jeff Hennessy We had a core competency in events. For example, we are the organizers of the largest wound care meeting in the world, the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care, the spring edition of which will mark its 30th year in 2017. Hennessy: I think a lot of that has to do with the healthcare community. Physicians and other healthcare professionals still like to read their stories, their more clinical stuff, in print. It’s been more of an evolution than a revolution. Hennessy: In 2010, we were probably somewhere in the neighborhood of about 60 percent print. Today, we’re more in the range of 30 percent print. Fifty percent of our business is live events, 30 percent is print and about 20 percent is digital, so that’s been a major shift for us. Hennessy: That’s the way we look at it. It still has a role, but there’s no question it’s a reduced role. Hennessy: About 10 percent of our busines is what I call user-paid content, either attendee fees or on-demand revenue where people pay to see our content. We also have controlled circulation for our print publications. The model around the rest of our business is advertising and promotional based, as well as custom content. We knew that was an area in which we could survive and thrive. The event business is a wonderful business. It’s proven, well-established, and it’s got its own ecosystem. It’s wonderfully diversified when you think about attendee revenue, sponsorship revenue, advertising revenue, exhibitor revenue — and, in the education business, you also have grant support. Overall, it fit very well with our core competency. We made a strong pivot towards an events-first focus. Folio: How has that shift been borne out? Folio: So it’s really a matter of print, as a medium, taking on a different role? Folio: How did you go about shifting the revenue mix so drastically in just six years? Hennessy: It’s the peer-to-peer influence and contact. The ability to access key opinion leaders on a face-to-face basis is truly unique. It’s something that the digital world hasn’t necessarily displaced. Digital is really a great asset to the live-event world. We are still very much a multimedia company, and we leverage our over 20 different digital assets to help us grow the event business. Hennessy: Data becomes more of a presence in our event meetings and our marketing meetings every week. What we’re trying to understand of our customers is what they want to see, as opposed to just a “one-size-fits-all” strategy. If we can provide content they want every day, and take away what they don’t want, we become more valuable to our customers. Hennessy: We have 15 print publications and 20 digital sites, all of which are content-driven. We are producing high-quality educational content for all healthcare professionals across a number of different therapeutic areas. The ultimate mission of the company is that we’re trying to improve patient care. We deliver that content in print, digitally, and through our live events, and the three work very synergistically together. Print is still a viable source of communication and one of the most effective marketing tools we have when you look at the data points of what helps to drive attendees to our meetings. People respond when they see a print brochure. It’s a great merchandiser of the event. It shows you that print is still viable, even though it’s competing with a lot of other sources of information. HMP Communications Holdings, a B2B media, events, and education provider to the healthcare industry, has been dedicated to improving patient care in the therapuetic markets it serves since its founding in 1986. Folio: We’ve heard a lot about the rise of data as a marketing or audience acquisition tool. Is there anything you’re doing in that space? Over the past several years, however, the company has undergone a period of rapid growth and transformation, beginning most notably with the 2008 acquisition of Princeton Media Associates, a “game-changing acquisition,” says chairman and CEO, Jeff Hennessy, which doubled the company’s size. Folio: How do you identify the markets you want to expand into? Is it a matter of recognizing areas into which you’re already well suited to expand, or seeing voids in the marketplace? Folio: What are some of the ways you’re doing that? Folio: caught up with Hennessy to learn more about the company’s transition, reducing its dependence on print, and why now is such an exciting time to be a media company in the healthcare industry. Folio: Why is the events business immune to those same concerns about print as a dominant revenue source? Folio: Tell us a little bit more about HMP’s strategy behind its recent evolution. Folio: Why has HMP’s print business remained steady? What’s gone right? Hennessy: It’s a combination of both. As it relates to something like neurology, we recognize the synergistic relationship with what we do in psychiatry and our ability to step into that space. Then there are other areas, like oncology, which is a large growing market with a tremendous need for education. There’s a lot of dynamic things going on in oncology right now, and we felt like it was an area we could get into to service that marketplace. Folio: You mentioned that events are attractive because of the diversity in revenue sources. What about on the media side of things? Hennessy: Our mission is to grow both organically and through acquisitions. We look at our therapeutic categories and we look to make sure that we have a multimedia presence there. Where we don’t have a strong meeting, we look to either launch one or acquire one. That depends on the marketplace and a number of other factors. Folio: What have been some of the biggest shifts you’ve seen in the business since joining HMP in 2008? Hennessy: The growth in digital has obviously been the major shift in media. In the healthcare business, one of the major transformations has been the move in the last three-to-five years toward value-based decision making and precision medicine, which is a new science. There’s really cool stuff going on in the healthcare industry that is effectively combining clinical effectiveness with cost efficiency. It’s really exciting. It’s what makes it fun to be in media and communications in the healthcare business. It’s really a revolutionary time.More on this topic New Thinking for New Events Case Study: Garden & Gun Aims to Expand Live Events Vendome Group Acquires Healthcare and Capital Markets Conference Event Organizers Often Fall Short on Group Accommodations, External Activities Embracing Events as a Powerful Brand Extension HMP Acquires Another Events BusinessJust In BabyCenter Sold to Ziff Davis Parent J2 Media | News & Notes Shanker Out, Litterick In as CEO of EnsembleIQ Four More Execs Depart SourceMedia in Latest Restructuring The Atlantic Names New Global Marketing Head | People on the Move PE Firm Acquires Majority Stake in Industry Dive Editor & Publisher Magazine Sold to Digital Media ConsultantPowered by
Post a comment Share your voice Computers Mobile 0 Advertising Brave browser Brave has started testing a two-way wallet. Stephen Shankland/CNET With the Brave browser, advertisers can put money into a digital wallet when you see their ads. Now you can start getting that money out again, too. But you’ll have to get used to Brave’s cryptocurrency-like payment system and sign up with the Uphold cryptocurrency exchange to retrieve those payments.If you sign up for it, Brave’s ad system gives you 70% of the revenue those ads generate. Those payments are made in the form of Brave’s basic attention token (BAT), which uses cryptocurrency technology to send payments among publishers, advertisers, Brave users and Brave itself.Don’t expect to get rich off Brave ads — I’ve been paid 84 BAT in recent months, worth about $20 at today’s exchange rate. But the funding idea still could be a carrot to help attract people to the browser and its system for showing ads without infringing privacy the way conventional ads often do.
Enlarge ImageAs far as robot arms are concerned, this one is sorta friendly-lookin’. Electrify America Electric vehicle charging points are great to see popping up in all corners of the globe, but when it comes to future autonomous vehicles, they’re sort of incompatible. After all, who will be there to plug the vehicle into the charger? Electrify America is working on a solution.Electrify America announced on Thursday that it has signed an agreement with Stable Auto, a San Francisco-based EV fleet charging company, to create automated charging solutions for future self-driving vehicles. The program will run at a pilot site in downtown San Francisco, which seems like as good a place as any to deploy tech for AVs.The two companies anticipate opening the station in early 2020. It’ll use Electrify America’s 150-kilowatt charger, and Stable will contribute its scheduling software and the underlying robotic technology that actually attaches the chargers to the vehicles in question. The companies will take what they learn from this pilot and apply it to larger-scale endeavors in the future. After all, it’ll be quite some time before autonomous vehicles truly show up.
Stories are posted on the APRN news page. You can subscribe to APRN’s newsfeeds via email, podcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook at alaskapublic.org and on Twitter @aprnListen NowPalin for VA? She seems eagerLiz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media – Washington D.C.The Donald Trump transition team hasn’t named a VA secretary yet, but news broke today that ex-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is vying for the job. She’s the mother of an Iraq vet, and she’s got Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer on her side.ACLU sues state on abortion regsEllen Lockyer, Alaska Public Media – AnchorageThe ACLU of Alaska Wednesday filed suit against the state challenging restrictions on second trimester abortions. Planned Parenthood Votes of the Great Northwest and Hawaii and the Center for Reproductive Rights joined ACLU as plaintiffs.Murkowski deals with legislation involving guns and marijuanaAndrew Kitchenman, KTOO – JuneauWhen Americans buy guns, they’re asked whether they use marijuana. If they say yes, they can’t buy the gun. U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski wants to change that, and some Alaskan gun sellers, marijuana industry advocates and local officials applaud the move.Fairbanks looks to transform school dayDan Bross, KUAC – FairbanksFairbanks schools will be the first in Alaska to implement a new education model that will transform the traditional school day.Alaska fire crews battling blazes in Southeast U.S.Josh Edge, Alaska Public Media – AnchorageDozens of Alaska firefighters are battling blazes in the Lower 48, including deadly Tennessee fires that have destroyed or damaged hundreds of buildings.Ask a Climatologist: Bitter cold makes a comeback in AlaskaAnnie Feidt, Alaska’s Energy Desk – AnchorageAlaska has settled into a notable stretch of seriously cold weather. Communities around the state are enduring low temperatures they haven’t seen in a few years. And for more than a week, the average statewide temperature index has registered below normal- by far the longest stretch this year.Police still searching for missing Palmer teenEllen Lockyer, Alaska Public Media – AnchorageThere’s no sign yet of a Palmer teenager who was reported missing more than two weeks ago. Sixteen-year-old David Grunwald was reported missing by his family on November 13 after he failed to return home from a date. Grunwald’s car, a Ford Bronco was found burned, a day later.Modern ‘warriors’ protect language, water, subsistence, familiesEd Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska – JuneauAccording to Southeast Alaska’s largest tribal organization, a warrior is someone who fights to preserve subsistence rights or Native languages. It’s also someone who works for clean water or cares for other people’s children.Alaskan seeks to document bringing DeLorean “Back to Alaska”Dan Bross, KUAC – FairbanksA University of Alaska Fairbanks professor is pursuing a dream. Documentary film professor Rob Prince is on sabbatical in his home state of Michigan, where he has acquired an iconic 35-year-old sports car. The car is the centerpiece of a planned transcontinental trip and film project.
Margot Robbie attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California.Getty ImagesMargot Robbie made quite the confession recently. The “Wolf of Wall Street” star hasn’t watched a single “Star Wars” film.Reportedly, during an MTV News interview with her “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” co-stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, the actress revealed she has never watched a number of popular movies that are considered: must see, including Star Wars.’I remember when you [DiCaprio] and I did Wolf Of Wolf Street that you would get mad at me for anytime I’d mention a movie I hadn’t seen, he’d be like, how have you not seen Citizen Kane?’ ‘How can you work in this industry and not see Citizen Kane?’ she told the interviewer while referencing DiCaprio.” Margot Robbie attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California.Getty ImagesThat is an okay excuse, but it won’t last for long Margot, you better start watching.’I’m like, I just got here to this industry, you’ve had more time to watch this stuff. Then I’d go home and watch Citizen Kane and all the movies he’d tell me I had to see,’ the actress added. But the truly shocking part of came later when Margot dropped a bomb, she revealed that she has never watched a single” Star Wars” film.”I’ve never seen any Star Wars, and I kind of don’t watch it now just because it infuriates people so much.’ She added, ‘They’re like, ‘how?! How have you never watched any Star Wars?! ‘And now, I just want to see how long I can make it.’ But her co-stars came clean as well, after his initial indignation DiCaprio confessed that he had never watched “The Sound of Music” and Brad Pitt confessed that he had never watched “Gone With The Wind.” You can check out the video here: #OnceUponATimeInHollywood is about a golden age in film, so we put stars @LeoDiCaprio, @MargotRobbie, and Brad Pitt on the spot and asked which classic films they *haven’t* seen – #GoneWithTheWind, #StarWars, #SoundOfMusic – their answers will surprise you ? pic.twitter.com/97JqkpmEXE— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) July 17, 2019
Hardeep Singh Puri, a former IFS officer who joined the BJP ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha polls, will be among nine new faces to be inducted on Sunday in the prime minister Narendra Modi’s council of ministers.The new faces come from diverse backgrounds and have rich administrative experiences. Some of them have professional degrees or PhDs. Here are names and brief profiles of new ministers. Hardeep Singh Puri: Puri has been a Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Ambassador to Brazil and Britain and Permanent Representative of India to UN in Geneva.He has served as Chairman of the UN’s Counter-Terrorism Committee as well as the UN Security Council President.Educated in Delhi University’s Hindu College, he was a student leader and active during the JP movement. He briefly taught at St. Stephens College before joining the IFS.He is President and Chairman of Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) think tank and was Vice President of International Peace Institute, New York.Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: A Lok Sabha MP from Rajasthan’s Jodhpur, he is member of the Standing Committee on Finance and Chairperson of the Fellowship Committee. A tech-savvy farmer with a simple lifestyle, he is one of the most followed political leaders on Quora Q&A blogging sit).A sports enthusiast, Shekhawat has participated at national inter-university basket ball tournaments and is President of Basketball India Players Association. He has an MA and MPhil in Philosophy from Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur.Satya Pal Singh: A Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat and a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, he is a former IPS officer of the 1980 batch, and has been awarded Antrik Suraksha Sewa Padak and a Special Service Medal for extraordinary work in the Maoist areas of Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in 1990.A Commissioner of Police of Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, he helped dismantle organised crime syndicates in Mumbai in the 1990s.He has written books including on topics like tribal conflict resolution and Maoist violence. A scholar of Vedic studies and Sanskrit, he also delivers lectures on spirituality, religious harmony and corruption.Born in Basauli village in Baghpat, Singh has a MSc and MPhil in Chemistry, MBA in Strategic Management from Australia, MA in Public Administration and PhD on Maoism. Kannanthanam J. Alphons: A 1979 batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, Alphons became famous as Delhi’s Demolition Man when he headed the Delhi Development Authority, having cleared DDA areas of encroachment removing around 15,000 illegal buildings. This got him listed in Time Magazine’s list of 100 Young Global Leaders in 1994.Born in Manimala village in Kerala’s Kottayam district, he pioneered the literacy movement in India and as District Collector of Kottayam made it the first 100 percent literate town in India in 1989.Kannanthanam set up NGO Janshakti in 1994, to get citizens to believe in their ability to make government accountable to people.On retiring from the IAS, he contested Kerala assembly polls in 2006 to become an independent MLA from Kanjirappally. A Member of the Committee to prepare the final draft of the National Education Policy 2017, he also authored “Making A Difference”.Shiv Pratap Shukla: A Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh, Shukla is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development. Elected to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly for four consecutive times in 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1996, he was a state Cabinet Minister for eight years and is known for his work in fields of rural development, education and prison reform.A law graduate from Gorakhpur University, Shukla started as a student leader in the 1970s. He was also a part of the movement against Emergency and was imprisoned for 19 months under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act.Ashwini Kumar Choubey: Lok Sabha MP from Buxar, Bihar, Choubey is presently a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Estimates and Standing Committee on Energy.He is also a member of the Central Silk Board. Choubey has been elected for five consecutive terms to the Bihar Assembly and has held important portfolios including Health, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering as state minister for eight years.Starting early in politics as the President of the Students Union of Patna University, Choubey was an active part of the JP movement in the 1970s and was taken into custody during the Emergency under MISA.Choubey is credited with the slogan “Ghar – Ghar me ho Shauchalaya ka nirman, Tabhi hoga Ladli Bitiya ka Kanyadaan” and has helped construct 11,000 toilets for Mahadalit families.He has also authored a book on the Uttarakhand floods of 2013 after facing the situation at Kedarnath with his family. Choubey is a Bachelors of Science in Zoology and has special interest in yoga.Virendra Kumar: Virendra Kumar is a six-term Lok Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh’s Tikamgarh. He is presently a Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, and has been Chairman of the Joint Committee on Office of Profit and Member of National Social Security Board. During his stint in Parliament, he has been a Member of the Committees on Labour and Welfare, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Privileges, Petroleum and Natural Gas.He was also a part of the JP movement and went to jail for 16 months under MISA during the Emergency.Hailing from the Scheduled Caste community, Kumar is said to have worked for removing barriers of caste and class and building orphanages, schools and old age homes. He holds a Masters degree in Economics and a Ph.D. in Child Labour.Anantkumar Hegde: A Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada, he is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs and Human Resource Development.Elected as an MP for the first time at the age of 28, he has been a member of the lower house for five terms. He has been a member of multiple parliamentary standing committees and has also been a member of the Spices Board of India for four terms.He is the Founder President of Kadamba, an NGO working in the field of rural development, rural health, SHGs, rural marketing and other rural welfare programmes.He is also a practitioner of Tae-kwon-do.Raj Kumar Singh: Lok Sabha MP from Arrah, Bihar, Singh is a former Home Secretary. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committees on Health and Family Welfare, Personnel, Pensions and Public Grievances and Law and Justice.An IAS officer of the 1975 batch, he has served in key positions like Defence Production Secretary and Joint Secretary, Home.He has headed Home, Industries, Public Works and Agriculture Departments in Bihar Government.He is known for his contributions to schemes for police modernisation and prison modernisation and laying down a framework for Disaster Management.Singh studied English Literature at St. Stephens College, New Delhi and later pursued a law degree.
Location of Ponnagyun, Myanmar. Photo: A screen grab of Google Map Nine policemen have been killed in an attack in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, police said on Sunday, as tensions ratchet up in a state riven by ethnic and religious conflict.A bloody military crackdown in 2017 forced some 740,000 Rohingya Muslims over the border into Bangladesh in violence UN investigators have said warrants the prosecution of top generals for genocide and crimes against humanity.But the armed forces are now waging a war against a militant group claiming to represent the state’s ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, a population that also stands accused of aiding soldiers in their expulsion of the Rohingya.The Arakan Army (AA) has in recent months mounted several attacks on security forces and officials in its struggle for more autonomy and rights for Rakhine people.The latest attack occurred late Saturday took place in Yoetayoke village, just an hour north of Rakhine state’s capital Sittwe.”Nine police were killed, one was injured and another one is missing,” a senior police officer told AFP, not wanting to be named.A leaked police report said weapons were also taken from the police station.No group has yet claimed responsibility and the AA could not immediately be reached for comment.A local administrator confirmed investigations are under way.Northern Rakhine state is inaccessible outside of carefully government-chaperoned trips and information is difficult to verify independently.But swathes of the state’s north are once again engulfed in conflict.The military has brought in thousands of reinforcements and is bombarding AA positions with heavy artillery.Several thousand people have been forced from their homes by the violence.Yet there is widespread support for the AA’s cause across much of Rakhine, one of the poorest states in the country, where many feel they have suffered decades of discrimination by the state.Some 100 local administrators submitted their resignation en masse this month calling for the release of four colleagues reportedly arrested for having links with the AA.The verdict in a treason trial against a popular Rakhine politician is also expected in the coming days and could prove to be a further flashpoint.Aye Maung stands accused of treason after allegedly inciting Rakhine people in a speech last year to take arms and rise up against the country’s ethnic-Bamar (Burmese) majority.The AA has expanded its ranks since its formation in 2009 and is now believed to have several thousand recruits.The group ramped up operations at the end of last year, but it was a deadly attack on four police posts on Independence Day early January that focused the country’s attention and triggered the military’s swift retaliation.Thirteen police officers were killed in the brazen attack and in an unprecedented move the civilian government instructed the military to crack down on the insurgents.Violence in strife-torn Rakhine was glossed over by Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi at a recent investment forum where she touted the state’s “untapped” economic potential and blamed the international community for focusing “narrowly” on its problems.
Indian security force personnel stand guard in a deserted street during restrictions after the government scrapped special status for Kashmir, in Srinagar on 8 August 2019. Photo: ReutersCongress leaders of India on Friday met in New Delhi to discuss the party’s stand on the BJP-led central government’s decision to revoke Article 370 of the constitution and the repercussions of the government’s move on Kashmir.In a big triumph for the government, both the Houses of the Parliament earlier this week passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, and adopted the resolution to scrap Article 370 and Article 35A granting special status to J&K, paving way for the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories (UTs) — Jammu and Kashmir with an Assembly and Ladakh sans one.Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal told IANS, “Basically this was the extension of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting involving all the general secretaries, state in-charges and MPs to make the stand of the party clear to all the leaders.”Indian security personnel walk on a street in Srinagar on 9 August 2019, as widespread restrictions on movement and a telecommunications blackout remained in place after the Indian government stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its autonomy. Photo: AFPVenugopal said more than 22-23 persons spoke on the issue and the party leaders appreciated the stand taken by the Congress on the revocation of Article 370.To a question that many party leaders have differed on the Centre’s move on Kashmir, he said, “We are a democratic party and we are going to hear the opinion of all the party leaders. We are not a party like the BJP which bulldozes the voice of its leaders.”Another senior party leader said that a powerpoint presentation was made on the repercussions of revoking Article 370 in the long run.On Tuesday, the Congress’ Jammu and Kashmir policy planning group under the chairmanship of former prime minister Manmohan Singh had met to decide the party’s stand on Article 370, hours before the Congress Working Committee met to discuss the issue.The meeting was attended by several senior party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Ahmed Patel, P. Chidambaram, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Mallikarjun Kharge, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Shashi Tharoor, among others.
In recent months I have evaluated the possibility of presenting my name for another presidential candidacy. I have met with the representatives of various political parties to discuss the challenges we face. Many people have offered their support, and have asked me to seek a third term. All the polls indicate that I have a strong chance of attaining the Presidency of the Republic once more.Nothing can compare with obtaining the trust and affection of the people of Costa Rica. I would not exchange for anything the embraces of children nor the blessings of their mothers – not even considering the setbacks and insults that sometimes follow, because the threads of fortune and difficulty have both woven the fabric of my destiny. And destiny has been generous with me.You have always been the motivation for my struggles, the wind in the sails. To you I have dedicated more than 45 years of my life. Alongside you I have experienced the happiest days of my career, and I have felt rewarded for my efforts.I have always believed that politics is one of the most noble pursuits of humanity. I refer to politics of quality – that which exists to build, to convince, to advance, and not to destroy, attack or create obstacles.That is why I will never regret dedicating my life to public service. It allows us to transform this country: during our first administration, through the signing of the Central American Peace Accords; and during our second administration, with our country’s greater insertion into the international economy and the approval of the International Arms Trade Treaty, which is the greatest contribution to humanity that Costa Rica has made in all of its history.That is the politics in which I believe: ambitious and brave. The politics of hope. The politics that does not get distracted by petty matters, but that, rather, sets its sights on the most daring point on the horizon.People have the right to dream! They have the right to think about the future with enthusiasm, and not with resignation; with joy, and not with despair.Serving my people has been the greatest honor of my life. It would be an honor to return to the presidency and have the opportunity to inspire optimism once more.But I am not the only person who can do that. A democracy is healthier when a new political generation is always being formed to take the place of the previous one. Our country urgently needs the renewal of its political leadership.That is why, once more, I want to urge young people to enter public service. I was 31 when I served as Minister of National Planning. John F. Kennedy was 29 when he was elected to Congress. Mahatma Gandhi was 24 when he began his struggles.Young people of Costa Rica: take your place in history! No one should be ashamed to aspire to political office.On the contrary, it should be a place of pride for our country’s most brilliant minds, most honest souls and most compassionate spirits.I will not run for the Presidency of the Republic for a third time, because I believe that it is my duty, as a leader, to encourage new leadership. I have served this country to the best of my ability from the presidential chair, and today I must serve my country by stepping away from that chair, giving an opportunity to those who will govern the Costa Rica of tomorrow.No one person is indispensable in a democracy. What is indispensable is many people willing to work for this country we love so much.I thank you once more for your affection and trust, and I assure you that I carry you always in my heart. I am so fortunate to have been the proud recipient of your generosity and your affection. I hope you will carry me in your thoughts, as I will carry you in mine until the last of my days. Facebook Comments Related posts:Latin America’s unlikely, honest voice for democracy Is party allegiance dead in Costa Rica? There’s more to it than meets the eye Doing Business: How countries game the World Bank’s rankings Three steps Venezuela must take
Most every player in the Cardinals locker room said they were in support of Peterson — and the rest of the missing Cardinals, for that matter.The veterans each communicated to the coaching staff that they would miss at least part of voluntary OTAs, Kingsbury said, including Johnson, who last Tuesday welcomed a daughter, Londyn Elisabeth Johnson, to the world.“I think every guy’s situation is different,” Amerson said. “I don’t really look at it as a bad thing. I think everybody’s situation is a little bit different.”Added newcomer Marcus Gilbert, the expected starting right tackle who was acquired from the Steelers in an offseason trade: “These guys have been doing it for so long. I have no issue with that as long as they come here and they’re ready to go.” The 5: Takeaways from the Coyotes’ introduction of Alex Meruelo Derrick Hall satisfied with D-backs’ buying and selling Patrick Peterson #21 of the Arizona Cardinals prepares to take the field for the NFL game against the Detroit Lions at State Farm Stadium on December 09, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) 17 Comments Share Top Stories 
Former Cardinals kicker Phil Dawson retires TEMPE, Ariz. — Patrick Peterson wasn’t expected to show for Arizona Cardinals voluntary organized team activities. But when the team began full squad practices Monday, he wasn’t the only notable player not in attendance.Running back David Johnson, receiver Larry Fitzgerald and pass-rusher Terrell Suggs were among the notable veterans not present.“It’s voluntary and we understand that,” head coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “If guys miss, we have a plan to get them caught up.” Yet the loss of Peterson will loom larger than that of the other Arizona players missing OTAs. Last week, the NFL suspended him six games after he violated the performance-enhancing drug rules of the league.Related LinksCardinals’ Kirk on former college teammate Murray: ‘He’s just electric’Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson apologizes for 6-game PED suspensionPatrick Peterson leads Doug & Wolf’s 4 downs to start Cardinals OTAsKliff Kingsbury’s offense may lead to resurgence of David Johnson“It’s disappointing obviously, but you deal with adversity as a team. We all support Pat and know what type of player he is and person he is, and we’ll all be excited to see him back,” Kingsbury said.“You don’t replace a guy like that obviously.”They must, in the meantime.Peterson told reporters last Thursday during his charity event that he would do his due diligence to be ready for pratices when they become mandatory June 11 for mini-camp. He can practice and play through the preseason, but the eight-time Pro Bowler will have to sit out once the regular season begins through their Week 6 game.So Arizona might as well use the time he’s out during voluntary camp to see what they can do without him.Veterans David Amerson and Tramaine Brock, plus rookie Byron Murphy, should vie to fill in at cornerback and nickelback alongside expected new No. 1 cornerback Robert Alford.“It’s always my job as a player to be ready for whenever we get an opportunity,” Amerson said Monday. “It’s definitely tough. I know P and I know it’s tough on him. We’re here to support him.” Grace expects Greinke trade to have emotional impact
Princess Royal Island, BC, Canada– In celebration of Mother’s and Father’s Day, King Pacific Lodge, A Rosewood Resort is offering guests the opportunity to give back to those who raised them, and treat Mom or Dad to a trip of a lifetime this June. Floating in a sheltered harbour, situated in the midst of the 21-million acre Great Bear Rainforest, King Pacific Lodge offers guests a rare and quiet retreat from the distractions of the modern world. With the largest remaining temperate rainforest, magnificent glaciers, mountains and ocean scenery surrounding the Lodge, families are given a rare chance to connect with one another and to create shared memories.Designed to provide guests with an intimate and awe-inspiring family adventure, the Parents’ Package takes families out into the wilderness or on to the water to discover new sights and experiences together, with opportunities to see orcas, humpback whales, eagles, wolves and bears. A private 15-minute helicopter sightseeing trip carries guests over waterfalls, lakes and absolute wilderness, offering a broader view of the pristine landscape. Heading back to the Lodge, sunsets and quiet moments on the deck allow the generations to reconnect. In the evening, the family will enjoy a private dinner in the Princess Royal Suite where they will share stories over gourmet cuisine featuring local seafood, the finest organic ingredients and award-winning British Columbia wines.“Family values are foundational to the Gitga’at Nation in whose territory the Lodge is located,” says Michael Uehara, President and Managing Director of King Pacific Lodge. “This is our way of celebrating family. Our guests are often successful entrepreneurs, many of whom credit their parents for their values and work ethic. This is an opportunity for them to enjoy time together in the most spectacular setting in the world.”The Parents’ Package includes a three-night stay in an Ocean View Room for the parents and a Wilderness View Room for additional family members, a special dinner in the Princess Royal Suite, a couples massage for the parents and a private 15-minute helicopter trip. The three-night package starts at $16,050 CAD for a family of three. Each additional family member costs $4,750 CAD. This package is available during the month of June 2008.
March 6, 2013More images from the new Cordes Junction Interchange at Highway I 17, here from the actual ‘ARCOSANTI’ bridge.We are looking north, over the Cordes Junction storage facility, surely familiar to our alumni.Here is a closer look at the same view to better see the Soleri relief on the bridge abutment.Here we are driving from north to south, viewing the opposite side of the Arcosanti bridge. In the background we can see the new fly-over bridge to Highway 69.[photo: Chihiro Saito]Same view with a closer look of Paolo Soleri’s relief designs.We will report more on the new Interchange in upcoming reports.[photo: Chihiro Saito]
Advertisement Earlier on Wednesday she announced that she would be included in Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit edition.Bouchard had tweeted that she “knew Atlanta would win” with the Falcons holding a big lead over the Patriots during the NFL’s championship game. The fan then asked her to go on a date if the Patriots somehow ended up winning and in what must have seemed like a low-risk reply, Bouchard said, “sure.”After New England came back to win 34-28 in overtime she tweeted: “Lesson learned. Never bet against Tom Brady.”On Wednesday, Bouchard followed through on the bet and tweeted a photo of the two of them in the backseat of a car with the caption “Just met my ’Super Bowl Twitter Date’ John. On our way to the @BrooklynNets game!”Bouchard is ranked 42nd on the WTA Tour.https://twitter.com/geniebouchard/status/832019611277144064/photo/1Just met my ‘Super Bowl Twitter Date’ John ? On our way to the @BrooklynNets game! @punslayintwoods pic.twitter.com/DHRgY46smd— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) February 16, 2017 Advertisement Login/Register With: Hey @BrooklynNets @barclayscenter pic.twitter.com/4F5t3wN0fE— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) February 16, 2017Busy day with @si_swimsuit and then tonight… I’m going on a date ? pic.twitter.com/jNF5sokLNx— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) February 15, 2017 LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment The unveiling of bikini pics and an NBA game with a total stranger?Damn, Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard had herself an eventful week day.Bouchard, from Westmount, Que., went on a date with a New England Patriots fan on Wednesday night after the two agreed to a bet over Twitter during Super Bowl 51. OMG ??? so honored to be in @SiSwim pic.twitter.com/9HgivK45Rq— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) February 15, 2017 Advertisement Facebook Twitter
Login/Register With: LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Facebook Advertisement Twitter “Ranger Rob ignites a sense of adventure and discovery in kids, and we have been overwhelmed with how kids and families have embraced the series and joined in on the fun with us,” said Pam Westman, Head, Nelvana Enterprises. “The journey has only just begun and fans should get “Ranger Ready” for lots of new and exciting outdoor adventures to come in season two.”In Spring 2018, fans will be able to bring home their very own Ranger Rob as Master Toy Licensee, Imports Dragon, launches a line of toys based on the animated series. The Ranger Rob toys are being developed for a core preschool target age (2-5) and the line is reflective of the adventure and outdoor action from the show. Key items include vehicles, and plush and small figures. Initial launch will roll out in Canada and key European territories in Spring 2018, followed by a broader launch in Fall 2018.Meet the team and learn more about Nelvana at Licensing Expo May 23-25, booth H214.*Source: Numeris PPM Data. FL16 (Aug 29/16-Jan 1/17) – confirmed data. Total Canada, AMA(000). Mon-Su 2a-2a. Based on 3+ airings.About NelvanaNelvana is Canada’s premier animation company and a world-leading producer and distributor of children’s content. Nelvana has delighted audiences around the globe for more than 40 years with a vast library of more than 4,000 episodes from original, award-winning series like Babar and Franklin. Nelvana’s content is distributed in more than 160 countries worldwide and broadcast across Corus Entertainment’s suite of leading kids networks. Nelvana Enterprises, the global licensing and merchandising arm of Nelvana, manages the organization’s portfolio of in-house and third party brands with offices in Toronto and Paris. Nelvana Studio, with offices in Toronto and Montreal, employs more than 300 Canadian artists working with local and international producers to create premium children’s content for a global stage. For more information, visit www.nelvana.com. Advertisement Toronto, Canada – Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana is thrilled to announce that after a successful first season, original animated series Ranger Rob has been green-lit for a second season (14 episodes).During the Fall 2016 season, the series has ranked #1 on Corus’ Treehouse network in Canada for boys 2-11, and has earned top ranks in additional territories such as TF1 in France, Super RTL in Germany, Disney Channel in Australia, Nickelodeon Italy, Canal Panda Portugal, YLE/TV2 Finland, and HOP Israel.Ranger Rob follows 10-year-old ranger-in-training Rob around the Big Sky Park, the coolest natural adventure park imaginable, as he ziplines, swings, and snowboards discovering and exploring all that the park has to offer. Big Sky Park is a one-of-a kind place with every kind of outdoor environment within its borders and each episode of the series takes viewers on a new adventure, cultivating the spirit of exploration and curiosity, and inspiring kids to get outside to play and discover. Advertisement