Spanish opera legend Montserrat Caballé has died aged 85.
Her duet with Freddie Mercury became the signature song of the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
According to news agency Efe, Montserrat Caballé had been suffering from health complaints for some time and was admitted to hospital in Barcelona last month.
With a 50-year career, Montserrat Caballé had stints with the Basel Opera and Bremen Opera before her international breakthrough in 1965 in Lucrezia Borgia at Carnegie Hall in New York.
Montserrat Caballé went on to perform with the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera and Vienna State Opera, appearing opposite the likes of Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo.
The song Barcelona was first released in 1987 and later became an anthem for the city’s 1992 Olympics, the year after Freddie Mercury died. She sang at the opening ceremony with Placido Domingo and José Carreras.
Montserrat Caballé was born in Barcelona, and at the age of nine was accepted for training at the city’s Conservatori Liceu.
She graduated in 1953, and went to Italy, where she sang some minor roles.
Montserrat Caballé’s career advanced rapidly after a successful appearance as Mimi in La Bohème at the Basel Opera. In 1965 she made a triumphant debut in the US, taking over the title role – at short notice – of Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia at Carnegie Hall.
The singer’s performance brought widespread praise for the beauty of her voice and her dramatic interpretation, and established her as an international star.
Montserrat Caballé’s career was dogged by ill health. In 1985, she spent three months in hospital with a brain tumor, and had treatment for heart trouble in 1993.
In 2015, Montserrat Caballé was given a six-month suspended prison sentence for tax fraud.
According to Spanish media, plans are being made for a funeral in Barcelona on October 8.
Are you tired of exercises that hurt your body? If you’re looking to an alternative for jarring exercises that damage your joints, you should consider low impact exercise. You don’t need to sacrifice your health for a great workout. Find out everything you should know about losing weight with low impact exercise.
The Benefits of Low Impact Exercise
There are hundreds of different exercise programs and workouts readily available. However, some of those exercises aren’t healthy for you. They put your body and your health at risk.
Activities like running can improve your cardio and help you lose weight. Unfortunately, such activities are brutal on your joints. If you run regularly, you could destroy the cartilage in your knees.
Tough exercise regimens put you at a greater risk for surgeries, like hip replacements. After years of brutal workouts, your body wears down and needs medical attention.
When you use low impact exercise in your workout routine, you limit the damage. Your joints remain healthy and intact. As you age, you are less likely to require surgery. Additionally, you are less likely to injure yourself during a workout.
Low Impact Exercises that Help You Lose Weight
When people think of low impact exercises, they often think of workouts that are ineffective. However, this is far from the truth. Low impact exercises can be just as effective as high impact ones.
When it comes to weight loss, burning calories is what matters. There are many great low impact exercises that burn high amounts of calories. Here are a few:
Swimming
Swimming is a highly effective workout. More importantly, it’s also easy on your body. There is no gravity weighing you down and putting pressure on your joints. Instead, the water holds you up.
Swimming can burn hundreds of calories in a short time. If you have proper technique, you can maximize your calorie burn. Before you get started, you might consider taking lessons or watching a tutorial. You can get down the technique and start losing weight.
Yoga
People often think of yoga as a great way to relax. Although it is the perfect activity for relieving stress, it’s also great for weight loss.
There are many different types of yoga. The type of yoga class you take can dictate the amount of calories you burn. For example, hot yoga is fast-paced and occurs in a hot environment. You sweat and get your heart rate up. As a result, you lose weight quickly.
In general, yoga is very easy on your joints. The flexibility that comes with yoga decreases your chances of injury. Overall, yoga is an effective way to improve your health while you lose weight.
Cycling
There are many different ways to cycle. However, all of them provide a low impact exercise that helps you lose weight. The workout works your legs and your core, maximizing your calorie consumption.
If you want a competitive workout, you can try a cycling class in a local gym. But if you’re looking for something more relaxing, you can go for a bike ride around your neighborhood. Either way, you’ll burn calories.
Over 300 protesters against President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have been arrested in Washington, DC.
Comedian Amy Schumer and model Emily Ratajkowski were among 302 people held for demonstrating against Judge Kavanaugh.
On October 4, Republicans declared an FBI report had exonerated Brett Kavanaugh of assault allegations.
However, Democrats said the five-day inquiry was “incomplete” because it was limited by the White House.
The Senate will hold a procedural vote on Brett Kavanaugh on October 5.
The likelihood of Judge Kavanaugh winning a full Senate vote appeared to increase on October 4 after two Republicans whose backing will be essential gave a positive account of the FBI inquiry.
However, the confirmation is not a certainty, with several senators undecided and one at risk of missing a vote because he is attending his daughter’s wedding.
If confirmed to the lifetime position on America’s highest court, Brett Kavanaugh, 53, is expected to help conservatives dominate the nine-member panel, which has the final say on issues such as abortion, gun control and voting rules.
As the vote neared, Brett Kavanaugh defended his neutrality in a Wall Street Journal editorial, saying he is an “independent, impartial judge”
Addressing his angry testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he branded the allegations against him an “orchestrated political hit”, Brett Kavanaugh wrote: “I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said.”
Thousands of mainly female demonstrators marched through Washington DC on October 4, starting at the appeals court where Judge Kavanaugh currently presides.
They converged on Capitol Hill and held a rally outside the Supreme Court, chanting: “Kavanaugh has got to go!”
Police rounded the protesters up in a Senate office building after they sat down and refused to budge.
There was another protest in front of Trump Tower in NYC.
President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans declared the FBI report had cleared their nominee, as they sounded increasingly confident Judge Kavanaugh would win confirmation.
Senators said the FBI had spoken to five witnesses connected to accusations by Christine Blasey Ford, who alleges a drunken Brett Kavanaugh assaulted her in 1982.
Federal agents are also said to have spoken to four other witnesses involving a separate accusation by Deborah Ramirez, who claims Brett Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when they were both were at Yale University. The judge denies both allegations.
Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley said in a statement: “This investigation found no hint of misconduct.”
Senate Republicans plan a procedural “cloture” vote at 10:30 on October 5, which is required to move to a final vote, scheduled on October 6 at around 17:30.
However, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said the FBI report was “the product of an incomplete investigation”, saying key corroborating witnesses had been snubbed. Another Democratic Senator, Richard Blumenthal, told reporters it was a “whitewash”.
White House spokesman Raj Shah said: “What critics want is a never-ending fishing expedition into high school drinking.”
Republican Senator John Cornyn raised eyebrows by telling his party this was “our Atticus Finch moment”, a reference to the lawyer in classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird who refutes a false rape allegation.
Given that Republicans have a razor-thin 51-49 margin of control in the Senate, the party can potentially only afford one defection if it wants to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, assuming Democrats vote the same way.
Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination has been at the mercy of three wavering senators, but two of those – Jeff Flake and Susan Collins – appeared to respond positively to the FBI report.
Another wavering Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, reportedly met assault survivors in her office on October 4.
Complicating matters, the office of Republican Steve Daines said he was planning to attend his daughter’s wedding in Montana on October 6 – meaning he might not be around to vote, or that the vote may be held open until he can return to take part.
Another Republican, Cory Gardner, who previously said he would back Judge Brett Kavanaugh, is yet to decide how he will vote, the Denver Post reported.
A previously undecided Democratic Senator, Heidi Heitkamp, said she would vote against Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination, citing “concerns about his past conduct”.
Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the only Democrat who remains undecided, said he would finish reading the FBI report on October 5.
Russia has been accused of involvement in a series of cyber-plots across the globe, leading the US to level charges against seven agents.
The DoJ said targets included the global chemical weapons watchdog, anti-doping agencies and a US nuclear company.
The allegations are part of an organized push-back against alleged Russian cyber-attacks around the world.
Russia earlier dismissed the allegations as “Western spy mania”.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands has accused four Russians of plotting to hack the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which had been probing the chemical attack on Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal in the UK.
The UK accused the GRU of being behind four high-profile cyber-attacks, whose targets included companies in Russia and Ukraine; the US Democratic Party; and a small TV network in the UK.
The US said its anti-doping agency, soccer’s governing body FIFA and the US nuclear energy company Westinghouse were targeted by Russian intelligence.
Canada said “with high confidence” that breaches at its center for ethics in sports and at the Montreal-based World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) were carried out by Russian intelligence.
Added to this, the Dutch authorities have said a laptop seized from the four suspects in April was found to have been used in Brazil, Switzerland and Malaysia.
According to the Dutch authorities, the laptop was used in Malaysia to target the investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014 over territory held by Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine. All 298 people on board were killed.
On October 4, Russia’s foreign ministry – which had earlier dismissed the allegations from the UK and the Netherlands as “Western spy mania” – released an official statement saying it was the victim of “yet another stage-managed propaganda campaign”.
The statement said: “It’s unclear who is supposed to believe these statements accusing Russian citizens of attempting to mount cyber-attacks against the OPCW and trying to obtain data related to the Malaysian flight MH17, as if it is necessary to be near the target of your attack.”
“Any Russian citizen carrying a mobile device is seen as a spy,” the statement added.
At a press conference in Washington, John Demers, US Assistant Attorney General for National Security, said that many of the attacks were aimed at delegitimizing sports bodies and “altering perceptions of the truth”.
John Demers said the attacks were how Russia retaliated for bans on its athletes following evidence it was systematically using drugs to enhance their performance.
As a result of the findings, the US has indicted seven people, four of whom were the men expelled from the Netherlands, while the other three were among those charged in July with hacking Democratic officials during the 2016 US elections.
The Russians were also charged with wire fraud, identity theft and money laundering.
All seven men are thought to be in Russia, which does not have an extradition treaty with the US.
A joint statement from British PM Theresa May and her Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte said the alleged plot against the OPCW demonstrated “the GRU’s disregard for global values and rules that keep us all safe”.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the UK was discussing further sanctions against Russia with its allies.
The EU has also denounced the alleged cyber-plots.
The four suspects identified by Dutch officials had diplomatic passports – which meant the Netherlands could not arrest them as diplomats are in theory immune from prosecution in their host country – and included two IT experts and two support agents, officials said.
The men hired a car and parked it in the car park of the Marriot hotel in The Hague, which is next to the OPCW office, to hack into the OPCW’s Wi-Fi network, Major General Onno Eichelsheim from the Dutch MIVD intelligence service said.
Equipment in the car boot was pointed at the OPCW and was being used to intercept login details, he said, adding that the antenna for the operation lay under a jacket on the car’s rear shelf.
When they were intercepted they tried to destroy one of the mobile phones they were carrying, Maj Gen Ono Eichelsheim said.
One of their mobile phones was found to have been activated near the GRU building in Moscow, while another carried a receipt for a taxi journey from a street near the GRU to the airport.
Maj Gen Eichelsheim said the men were planning to travel to Switzerland, to a laboratory in Spiez where the OPCW analyzed samples.
They never made it. Instead, the four were immediately escorted out of the country, he added.
The suspects were named by the MIVD as hackers Alexei Morenetz and Yevgeny Serebriakov, and support agents Oleg Sotnikov and Alexei Minin.
According to officials, the suspects were from the GRU’s Unit 26165, which has also been known as APT 28.
At the time the Russian operation was disrupted, the OPCW was investigating the Skripal case as well as an alleged chemical attack in April on the Syrian town of Douma near Damascus by Russian-backed government forces, the MIVD said.
A laptop seized from the suspects was found to have been used in Brazil, Switzerland and Malaysia, the Dutch officials said.
The cyber-operation in Malaysia targeted the attorney general’s office and Malaysian police as well as the investigation into MH17’s shooting down, Ambassador Wilson said.
Earlier this year Dutch-led international investigators concluded that a missile that brought down MH17 belonged to a Russian brigade. Russia has denied any involvement in the plane’s destruction, which led to the deaths of many Dutch citizens.
Data from the laptop showed it was also present in the Swiss city of Lausanne where it was linked to the hacking of a laptop belonging to Wada, which has exposed doping by Russian athletes.
Negligence cannot be used as defense in a court of law. If you’re thinking that you could win any case because of your negligence, you’re misinformed. You need to stay safe at all times in order to smoothly battle it out in court. As a driver employed by a company, you may cause an accident and may be held liable. So, you need to know under what circumstances you’ll be held liable. Below are cases in which you can be held liable in a civil suit.
1) If You Were Drank or Under the Influence of Drugs at the Time of the Accident
Drinking or use of any other drug while driving is prohibited in most countries. If you were drank or using any other drug while driving, the court will render their verdict stating that you’re liable. Therefore, it is advisable not to drink while driving or drink hours before you start driving. It will help you stay sober.
2) If You Were Over Speeding At the Time of the Accident
There is always a limit accepted by the authorities. Always try to drive within the limit accepted to stay out of trouble. Failure to drive within the accepted speed limit will lead to you being liable and some times may suffer arrest. For instance, if there’s a road sign at a certain point stating that you should drive at a certain speed, please comply. It will not only help reduce the cases of accidents, but it will also prevent you from facing charges.
3) Negligently Changing Lanes
This kind of behavior is common in the cities and towns. Car drivers will want to overtake unnecessarily even when they shouldn’t. It is important to note that when you drive into another lane and cause an accident, you will be liable and face charges. The rule states that you should keep left unless overtaking, but you shouldn’t use that as an excuse. Overtake only when it’s necessary. When it’s not, kindly stay on your lane. After all why the hurry? All the same, when you’re involved in such, you can get the help of a trucking accident lawyer.
4) You Were Sleepy or Fatigued
If you are employed by any company, you should agree with your employers on the number of hours you’re supposed to drive. If you drive for too many hours, you may feel sleepy or fatigued which can lead to an accident. If you agree with your employer on the number of hours you should be driving, you’re not likely to cause accidents because of sleepiness or fatigue.
5) You Have No Driving License
Whenever you want to drive or be a driver, the first thing you should think of having is your driver’s license. In fact, if you don’t have a drivers’ license, you shouldn’t even drive because you will have trouble with the traffic police every time you get involved in an accident.
6) Truck Was Overloaded
You shouldn’t always agree that your truck be overloaded because at one point you’re going to be answerable to the traffic police. So, to stay safe, you need to pack or load your truck with the required number of stacks.
Final Thoughts
Don’t be negligent about some of these rules. You may face charges that may cost you. Always follow the rules and avoid falling into problems with the traffic police.
Senators are sparring over an FBI report into assault claims against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee.
One copy of the report exists for all 100 senators to read.
However, Democrats said the report was incomplete and Republicans retorted it did not support the accusations.
Brett Kavanaugh, 53, has vehemently denied all allegations against him.
A confirmation vote is expected on October 6. The judge’s appointment would tilt the court in favor of conservatives.
The Supreme Court’s nine justices are appointed for life and have the final say on some of the most contentious issues in US public life, from abortion to gun control and voting laws.
Republicans have a 51-49 majority in the Senate. Two Republican senators who had expressed reservations and could have swayed the vote have now indicated they found the report “thorough”.
However, Republicans have not said on whether they plan to support Judge Kavanaugh’s candidature.
They have accused Democrats of seeking to delay the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh in the hope they will make gains in the mid-term elections in November and stop his appointment altogether.
The FBI report contains summaries of interviews that the bureau has conducted. Nine people were reportedly interviewed, but not Brett Kavanaugh or the woman who first accused him of assault.
The report is in paper format only and no copies will be made. It is being held in a secure room in the basement of the Capitol building, known as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or “SKIF”.
Senators have been told not to reveal its contents, but some have already begun to describe its findings.
Senator Bob Corker said the FBI report is 46 pages long.
Democrats have raised concerns the investigation has been too narrow in scope, with key witnesses not interviewed.
In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray on October 4, the lawyers for the first woman accusing Brett Kavanaugh of assault, Professor Christine Blasey Ford, criticized investigators for not speaking with more than a dozen alleged witnesses whose names she provided.
In a statement after reading the FBI report, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Charles Grassley, said: “There’s nothing in it that we didn’t already know”, and that the FBI “found no hint of misconduct”.
Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein called it an “incomplete investigation”, adding that “the most notable part of this report is what’s not in it”.
Swing Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona – like other Republicans – said it contained “no additional corroborating information”.
Moderate Republican Susan Collins of Maine, who also has not announced how she will vote, said it “appears very thorough”.
If you’re the kind of person that has a lot to say, then you’ve probably been thinking about starting a blog. An important factor that might motivate your further is the fact that monetizing your blog is an easy and rewarding process.
Here, we present you with the best give marketing strategies that will see you making income from your blog.
1. Engage your audience through a narrative
Your blog posts are a great way to capture the attention of a potential customer, through talking about a recent trip you took or discussing our favorite brownie recipe. By creating quality content for your readers, you can capture their attention with your narrative, whilst using marketing techniques to generate leads. One way to do this is through using affiliate marketing links throughout your text, which will earn you referral bonuses with online marketplaces.
2. Build up your search engine rankings
Where you sit in a search engine result for a particular keyword depends on how authoritative the search engine considers you. If you are a new site that no one links to yet, the search engine will place you towards the bottom of the list. However, if you share reciprocal links with highly regarded websites, you’ll see yourself starting to climb to the top of the rankings. This is called link building for SEO, and it’s not so hard to do. This is by far one of the most effective marketing strategies that you can engage in.
3. Offer coaching services
If you consider yourself to be a wealth of knowledge on a particular subject, then you should consider coaching others. Your blog can be a very important asset to people that want to learn very quickly. For instance, you can write an ebook that contains your practical guide to learning your skill, whether it be martial arts, cooking, sewing or photography. There’s a market for everything, so all you need to do is write.
4. Guest write for other blogs
One of the best ways to get your name out there as an authority in your field is to begin writing guest blog posts for other people’s blogs. Not only will you be able to share your knowledge, but you’ll gain a wider audience than the one you have already. You can also reciprocate by allowing other writers to feature on your blog from time to time. It’s all about networking.
5. Become an Influencer
If you’ve managed to start a rather successful blog, you can use your success to the advantage of others, by sponsoring products and services on your blog. This comes with a whole pile of benefits for you: not only will you make money from taking sponsorship deals, but you’ll end up with a ton of free stuff too.
Starting a blog can bring many positive aspects to your life. Not only can it give you a platform to speak your opinion and share your knowledge, but it can also generate an income stream for you. If you follow our guide and implement one or more of these marketing strategies, you’ll begin to turn your blog into a new job for yourself.
Testosterone is the primary sex hormone in males and also increases levels of growth hormones in the body. It helps in the production of red blood cells and muscle growth. As we age, testosterone levels typically decrease. This can lead to higher levels of body fat.
When we grow older, we want to still maintain a youthful, healthy appearance. For many people, this means eating healthy, nutritious foods and having a vigorous exercise regimen. But what can else can we do to avoid the effects of aging on our bodies?
Older adults have been looking for ways to have a natural increase of testosterone. There are several supplements available on the market, but there also some great ways to improve your testosterone levels without having to change your daily routine too much.
Here are a few examples:
1. Get more sleep.
Getting enough quality rest is just as important as a good diet and exercise. About six to ten hours of sleep per night is recommended for adults. Some studies have shown that for every additional hour of sleep, testosterone levels can raise naturally in the body up to fifteen percent. If your busy schedule makes getting enough sleep difficult, start with an extra half-hour or an hour of sleep per night until you can get the recommended amount needed to get through your days.
2. Reduce stress.
The more stressed we are, the more our bodies produce of a hormone called cortisol. Having abnormally high cortisol levels can also reduce our testosterone levels. This can also affect weight gain and how body fat is stored. The best way to get your cortisol down to more manageable and acceptable levels is to avoid any situations that cause increased anxiety or stress in your life. This may not always be easy, but avoiding or greatly reducing stress is beneficial for your testosterone levels and your overall mental, physical and emotional health.
3. Eat healthy.
Adding foods to your diet that are high in protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats can help increase your body’s testosterone levels. Protein is also effective for weight loss. As with any diet, monitor your calorie intake and avoid over-eating or skipping meals. Planning sensible, healthy meals is a simple way to help you feel alert and active every day.
4. Exercise.
Exercising regularly every week helps build muscle, reduce fat and also helps to raise your testosterone levels. Jogging, running, lifting weights and swimming are just some of the healthy exercises that you can do. Weight training, resistance training and high-intensity interval training are just some of the ways to boost testosterone quickly. Whatever you do, just make sure that your training program is uniform. Having longer workout sessions or longer rest periods can actually reduce testosterone levels.
5. Get some Vitamin D.
Going for a brisk run or walk in the sun is a great way of adding much-needed Vitamin D. This vitamin is another way to naturally increase your testosterone levels. There are also Vitamin D supplements that can be taken to help give an extra boost.
6. Lose weight.
Scientific studies have shown that people who are overweight for their height and age generally produce less testosterone than people in the same age and height brackets who are not. Starting a vigorous exercise regimen will help you to lose those stubborn pounds, gain extra testosterone and look and feel better, too.
7. Stand up straight.
Standing straight is not only good for your bones and posture, but it can also help decrease cortisol levels and increase testosterone levels in your body. Don’t slouch, no matter how tired or sluggish you may feel. Standing tall also gives you more confidence and a positive self-image.
8. Minimize soy product intake.
This one can be tricky, because there are a lot of products made of either soy or soy derivatives. Soy has been found to both reduce testosterone levels and raise cortisol levels after repeated use. Testosterone and cortisol levels operate on a kind of sliding scale: when one of them increases, the other usually decreases, and vice versa. Consuming a little bit of soy here or there is fine, but don’t overdo it.
9. Add zinc to your diet.
Zinc is a mineral that helps build testosterone levels. It is found in protein-rich foods like beans, cheese, raw milk, meat and fish. People who have added foods containing zinc to their diets have seen their testosterone levels increase significantly in just a matter of weeks. There are also zinc supplements that are available at pharmacies and drugstores, but pay attention to the recommended dosage amounts. Having too much zinc can prevent your body from other necessary minerals and can cause nausea or an upset stomach.
10. Reduce your sugar intake.
According to recent surveys, most people consume an average of about two tons of sugar over the course of our lifetimes. A little sugar every now and then is okay: it enhances the flavor of some of our favorite foods, and its causes and increase in dopamine in our brain. However, too much sugar can raise glucose to unhealthy levels, and damage our teeth over time. It can also cause a spike in our internal insulin levels, which leads to less testosterone being produced. Carefully monitor your sugar consumption by reading ingredient labels while buying food and planning a healthy, low-sodium diet.
11. Review your medications.
If you are currently on any doctor-prescribed medications, read the labels carefully. Play close attention to the side effects too, as some medications have been known to also reduce testosterone levels. This is commonly found in certain medicines that are used to lower cholesterol. Talk to your physician about any questions or concerns that you may have regarding these prescriptions.
These are just a few of the many effective ways to increase your testosterone naturally. Talk to your doctor or health care professional before starting any diet or exercise routine. Let them know of any pre-existing conditions, illnesses or concerns you may have. With the right amount of practice, you can build your testosterone levels to start feeling more active and younger again.
Don’t look now but the divorce rate, which had been climbing for decades, is starting to decline. While marriage experts don’t have a read on why “till death do we part” has once again become words to live by, the data is undeniable – especially in the U.S. With that in mind, there are five reasons why divorce rates are falling.
Children of Divorce are More Likely to Remain Committed
As the divorce rate climbed from the 1960’s to the early part of this century, many thought the data pointed to an irreversible trend as the children of divorce where also getting divorced. However, that has started to change and while we’ll need a few more years to determine if this is a temporary shift or something long-term Millennials from divorced families are less likely to get divorced themselves.
There are a few reasons including a falling marriage rate to Millennials getting married later in life. Combined, these factors could lead to a fall in the divorce rate, but as mentioned demographers won’t really know until the next generation (Gen Z or Digital Natives), which is beginning to enter the workforce, reach their late-20’s en masse.
Marriage has Changed
The concept of marriage has been evolving since the industrial revolution. For a long time, marriages were arranged and then there was the question of dowries and other payments tied to getting hitched. However, this has changed over time, especially as more people married for love.
In addition, the roles of both parties have evolved over time. This is due to several factors including the rise in the number of dual-income households and changing gender roles inside of marriage.
Further note that the change in marriage doesn’t mean divorces have gone the way of the Dodo. In fact, many couples still end up calling off their marriages and if you are in Arkansas or the surrounding states and are considering a divorce yourself, here is some more information on the process – https://www.markreeslaw.com/ar/divorce-lawyer-jonesboro/.
People are Waiting to Get Married
The impact of this change in marriage cannot be underestimated as it points to the fact that most people entering marriage are not only more mature but also more financially secure. The latter helps to eliminate one of the biggest causes of divorce – money.
However, this development could also be a statistical red herring as people getting married later in life could also lead to people getting divorced later in life; online time will tell.
More Women are Graduating University
This development also points to a fundamental shift in the labor market as the number of women in many professions has increased dramatically over the past 20-years. What does this mean for marriage? First, even though a gender gap remains, it means that more women are financially independent and second, households with two professionals are less likely to face issues around money as compared to those without.
While this doesn’t mean that every married couple where the husband and wife have college degrees are guaranteed success, it does point to a higher probability that both partners can earn consistently over the course of their careers.
Fewer People are Getting Married
To get divorced you first need to be married, and the decline in marriage rates is another reason why divorce rates are falling. However, this doesn’t mean that people are not forming families. In fact, cohabitation is on the rise and while this is akin to marriage it is not counted the same way by demographers.
This does not mean that cohabitation is not without its problems. For example, couples who have lived together for a long time might face issues when it comes to dividing assets if they decide to split. In addition, it is harder for unmarried couples to share benefits such as health insurance or death benefits and this could lead to a spike in marriages for financial purposes down the road.
However, the decline in marriage rates has been building for a long time and 2012 marked the first time that unmarried adults outnumbered married adults. Granted, this came on the heels of the financial crisis, but it also points to a broader change in marriage and, by extension, divorce.
While it remains an open question as to whether divorce rates will continue fall, the fact remains that divorce has become less common in recent years and the factors listed above are widely believed to be some of the reasons for this phenomenon.
There is perhaps no such an Internet user who does not suffer from spam and constant online targeting. Massive unauthorized distribution of advertising messages by email has long been a real problem of the Internet. What’s more, according to the latest estimates of network analysts, every second email arriving to your mailbox is spam. Deleting all of them manually is useless – it is just a waste of time because the next day you will receive the same pack of ads and advertising emails. Fortunately, there are specialized programs that will help you avoid the spam attack. Let’s see what approaches will help you resolve the problem.
Methods of Combating Spam
Modern spam mailing spreads at rapid-fire pace. Most often, spam comes through malicious programs or “zombie networks.” How to avoid the situation when your mailbox is overcrowded with advertising emails? The modern IT security industry offers many solutions, and there are various technologies in the arsenal of antispamers. However, it is difficult to find a magic wand against spam, such as anti spam products Cleantalk company
offers.
There are several different technologies used for spam combatting.
Blacklists
They are also known as DNSBL (DNS-based Blackhole Lists). DNSBL is one of the oldest anti-spam technologies that blocks mails coming from IP-servers from the list.
Pros: Blacklist 100% cuts mail from a suspicious source.
Cons: Give a high level of false positives, so it should be used with caution.
Mass Control
The technology assumes the detection of mass messages in the mail flow which are absolutely identical or differ insignificantly. To build a workable “mass” analyzer, huge mail flows are required, which is why this technology is offered by large manufacturers that have significant volumes of bulk mails that they can analyze.
Pros: If the technology works on your machine, then it is guaranteed to determine the mass mailing.
Cons: Firstly, a “large” mailing chains may not be spam. Secondly, spammers know how to “break through” such protection with the help of intelligent technologies.
Checking Internet Message Headers
Spammers write special programs for generating spam messages and their instant distribution. However, they may cause errors in the design of headers; as a result, spam does not always correspond to the requirements of the postal standard RFC, which describes the format of headers. Based on these errors, you can detect a spam message.
Pros: The process of recognizing and filtering spam is transparent, regulated by standards and fairly reliable.
Cons: Spammers quickly learn, and errors in spam headers are becoming more rare.
Content Filtering
Content filtering is one of the old proven technologies for spam combating. Based on the approach, the spam message is checked for spam-specific words, text fragments, pictures, and other specific spam traits. Content filtering starts with the analysis of the email header and major elements of the text, such as graphic elements and links.
Pros: Flexibility, the ability to quickly “adjust” the settings. Systems that run on this technology easily adapt to new types of spam and are rarely mistaken with differentiation between spam and normal mail.
Cons: Updates are usually required. An ordinary user will not be able to set up a filter himself; professional support will be necessary.
Regardless of what approach and technology you select, spam combating will ease your life and will help you sort out all the delivery to your mailbox.
French legend Charles Aznavour has died at the age of 94 at one of his homes in the south east of France, a spokesman has confirmed.
The iconic singer and songwriter had a career lasting more than 80 years.
Charles Aznavour, born to Armenian immigrants, sold more than 180 million records and featured in over 60 films.
He was best known for his 1974 hit She and was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017. Charles Aznavour married three times and had six children.
Charles Aznavour was named entertainer of the century by CNN in 1998.
He was born in Paris in 1924 to Armenian parents who fled the country’s genocide to begin a new life in the French capital.
Charles Aznavour’s lyrics drew on his own experiences of growing up in deprivation as an immigrant.
He was due to take on a seven-date tour across France and Switzerland, starting in November this year.
The singer had recently returned from a tour in Japan, having been forced to cancel concerts this summer due to a broken arm.
Charles Aznavour recorded more than 1,200 songs in seven different languages and performed in 94 countries.
His song She was famously performed by Elvis Costello in the opening credits of Richard Curtis’ movie Notting Hill.
Dubbed France’s Frank Sinatra, Charles Aznavour wrote his own songs on taboo subjects about marriage, gay and male expression of emotions.
His 1973 hit, What Makes a Man, was about a gay transvestite.
Still performing to packed stadiums well into his 90s, Charles Aznavour continued to write songs about his life, including his Swedish wife to celebrate 50 years of marriage.
As well as a singer, Charles Aznavour was a successful actor and played the lead in the 1960 film Shoot the Piano Player.
Charles Aznavour also appeared in the Oscar-winning The Tin Drum, playing a kindly Jewish toy seller.
He sang for presidents, popes and royal families and at a number of humanitarian events.
President Emmanuel Macron was a big fan of Charles Aznavour and sang many of his songs during karaoke nights with friends when he was a student, according to former classmates.
Charles Aznavour was heavily involved in charity work and founded an organization after the 1988 Armenian earthquake with friend Levon Sayan.
In 2009, Charles Aznavour was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland and he also became Armenia’s delegate to the UN in Geneva.
Following the agreement, President Trump tweeted: “Late last night, our deadline, we reached a wonderful new Trade Deal with Canada, to be added into the deal already reached with Mexico. The new name will be The United States Mexico Canada Agreement, or USMCA. It is a great deal for all three countries, solves the many……”
The US has been fighting trade wars on several fronts this year, including placing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Mexico and Canada, as part of Donald Trump’s America First policy. Tariffs on cars are also threatened.
The hundreds of pages of the agreement were released on October 1 and contain updated arrangements for Canada’s dairy industry and measures aimed at shifting lower-paid car jobs from Mexico.
On dairy, US farmers will have access to 3.5% of Canada’s $16 billion-a-year dairy market.
On cars, Canada and Mexico have a quota of 2.6 million cars they can export to the US as a protection for their car industry if the US imposes a 25% global tariff on car imports.
In addition, 40% of car parts of vehicles produced in the USMCA area must be made in areas of North America, paying wages of $16/hour.
On the lumber (or wood) industry, Canada secured protection from US anti-dumping tariffs through the preservation of a dispute-settlement mechanism.
The US made a deal with Mexico in August, but relations with Canada over the trade pact had become increasingly strained in recent weeks.
The Trump administration set September 30 as a deadline for Canada to strike a deal.
A protectionist policy under the Trump administration has seen the US forge ahead with individual trade deals, rejecting bigger multi-lateral trade agreements and posing a challenge to decades of global free trade.
As part of this policy President Trump has also launched a trade war against China, which has already hurt companies and could curb global economic growth.
Macedonia’s referendum on changing its name to North Macedonia has failed to reach the required turnout.
Preliminary results show that just over a third of Macedonians voted in the referendum, with 50% needed.
However, with 90% of those who took part in favor of the change, Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has urged parliament to “confirm the will of the majority”.
The vote aimed to end a long-running dispute with neighboring Greece, which has its own region called Macedonia.
Greece had agreed to end its objections to Macedonia’s EU and NATO membership bids if the change was passed.
Over 85% of votes have been counted so far, but a campaign by some nationalists – including the country’s president – to boycott September 30 referendum seems to have had an impact, with just 36% of eligible voters taking part.
PM Zoran Zaev threatened to call early elections if parliament did not support the proposal, made non-binding by the poor turnout.
He said after polls closed on September 30: “If, as we all expect, we truly have a big visible, tangible majority for [voting in favor], out of those who voted, then the future is clear.
“The vote of the lawmakers in parliament must resolutely be a vote for a responsible acceleration of the processes towards NATO and the European Union.”
Macedonia declared independence during the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1991. Greece objected to its new neighbor’s name.
The dispute harks back to ancient history, because both present-day Macedonia and northern Greece were part of a Roman province called Macedonia. And both claim the heritage of Alexander the Great two centuries earlier.
Athens’ objections forced the UN to refer to the new country as “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”.
Greece also vetoed Macedonia’s attempt to join NATO in 2008 – and blocked its EU membership ambitions.
Since 1991, many suggestions have been proposed, then rejected. However, last year’s change of government in Macedonia finally brought the start of serious negotiations.
If the name will be changed, Greece will end its veto on Macedonia’s accession to NATO and the EU.
In the cut-throat world of digital marketing, your business needs something to stand out from the crowd. The brain forgets 90% of the information we receive after three days. But if that information is presented with images, we remember it 65% of the time.
This means presenting information within images is essential for effective marketing. That is where infographics come in.
Infographics offer an opportunity to go a little deeper. It allows companies to provide a small chunk of information. Just enough to grab the reader’s attention. But not so much as to require more than a brief scan.
This is why more and more companies are turning to anInfographic Design Service to meet their marketing needs. Here are 4 ways that infographics can help your business grow.
They increase web traffic
Infographics generate web traffic. On average, an infographic shared on social media increases web traffic to your page by 12%. How do I know? I read it in aninfographic.
They increase social media reach and engagement
People are more likely to share an infographic than an image or text. Add an embed code to your infographic so viewers can quickly share it on social media. Be sure to include a link to your website and make your company name clearly visible in bold.
Infographics also increase user engagement. A social media post with images receives around 650% more social media engagement than those without.
They are a valuable tool to increase your mailing list
An extensive mailing list is a valuable marketing tool. It allows you to quickly send marketing material to potential clients users that have already expressed an interest in your website.
You can use infographics to quickly broaden your mailing list. By creating a unique landing page for each infographic clickthrough, users will be confronted with a prompt to sign up to receive more infographics like it.
These users are valuable. If a user likes your infographic, they are67% more likely to be persuaded by your content. Getting these users on your mailing list converts to more sales.
Infographics keep visitors on your page for longer
Most page views lastless than a minute. That means you have 60 seconds to show a visitor why they should stick around.
An infographic is an ideal way to do this. It delivers information quickly, allowing readers to extract everything they need to know while skimming through your site.
However, a word of caution. A page laden with heavy images will take longer to load. If your site takes longer than three seconds to load, it could be driving visitors away.
The key is finding a balance between creating informative and striking infographics while maintaining rapid loading speeds.
All of these benefits involve giving your audience the most information in the least possible time. Infographics get to the heart of the matter swiftly, and in a way that will stay with people far longer than text or a simple image will.
When you can quickly demonstrate why people should use your product or services, you get more sales, and ultimately, expand your business. If you aren’t using infographics, you should be!
Mobility is something we kind of take for granted at times. Seniors and people who have experienced broken bones or other ailments that have limited their ability to walk or stand for significant periods of time know all too well how this feels. Just because they aren’t able to get around as much or as fast as they used to, doesn’t make them any less capable of being independent and mobile.
While some use wheelchairs and motorized scooters help them get where they want to go, others aren’t ready or comfortable with those options. For them, walkers are a perfectly good aid to help them become more active. They also offer more stability than using a cane or crutches.
There are many different kinds of walkers to meet varying mobility needs. You can find more information about walkers on www.upliftingmobility.com and other helpful sites. Some models have 2 or 4 wheels, and certain models even offer a storage basket and a seat for resting on. Others are used for people who have undergone foot or ankle surgery to rest their legs on comfortably.
Although wheelchairs and motorized scooters get people around faster, they are not always the best solution.
Here are 7 reasons why you shouldn’t ignore walkers for disabled or elderly people:
1. Walkers are a Lot Less Expensive
A good wheelchair or motorized scooter looks nice, but can cost thousands of dollars, depending on the make, model and features offered. While walkers may not have all the fancy bells and whistles, they are very efficient and very affordable. Some manufacturers work with insurance companies to provide their products at little or no out-of-pocket cost to you.
2. Walkers Provide Independence
A senior or someone else who needs a little extra help getting around due to injury or surgery can operate a walker just fine. After a little practice, they’ll be using their walker just like a professional. It’s a great tool to help them run errands and attend social functions with friends and family. Scooters and wheelchairs are nice, but they can’t go everywhere that you want to go to.
3. Walkers are Portable
Most walker models are lightweight and are either collapsible or are otherwise very easy to store when needed. They don’t take up a lot of space and are there when you need them. They don’t need to be disassembled when they need to be put away, and there’s no batteries or electronics to bother with, either.
4. Walkers Help with Balance
Having a sturdy walker that the user can grip firmly with both hands helps them maintain their balance. This is a big advantage over using crutches or a cane. They also help build strength for those who are dealing with an injury or surgery. Scooters and wheelchairs are convenient, but they don’t really do anything in terms of helping to regain strength or build endurance.
5. They Help you Walk More
Using a walker helps you stay active. In some cases, people using walkers often find themselves walking more often and walking farther distances every day than they did before they had one. Once you get used to using one, you’ll soon use your walker almost everywhere you go. They are great for walking trails, sidewalks, hallways and many other flats, even surfaces.
6. They are Easy to Maintain
Most walkers are made of lightweight metal or plastics, and don’t require much care. Just a little regular cleaning and making sure the rubber tips and wheels are free of debris are usually all that you need to do. You’ve probably seen tennis balls affixed to the rubber ends of walkers at nursing homes and senior citizen apartment complexes. This is something you can do for added safety if needed.
7. They Help Build Self-Confidence
After an accident or injury, some people are afraid or nervous to try to walk again. Walkers help their users get back on their feet again. The more they’re used, the more comfortable their users are. When you’re used to not being able to get around on your own, and suddenly you’re able to do so, that’s a huge confidence boost. It’s a positive step towards feeling like your old self again.
These are just a few of the many reasons why walkers are important for the disabled and the elderly. If you or someone in your family is thinking about buying a walker, talk to your doctor or health care professional first. They may recommend specific models that work best for your needs and your budget. Shop around: do research on different product types, read reviews and shop online or visit your local home medical supply store to see the features and options of the different models that are available. Walkers are a great home health aid that are too important to be ignored.
There can be times in your life where you hit a low point or a slump and feel like something needs to change. This is a feeling many people will experience and is entirely normal. When you begin to start realizing something has to change, it can be difficult to know where to start and what might make a real difference. It is more than likely you are feeling this way because of your current job. Perhaps it is going nowhere, or you want to do something new that excites you. Either way, the one thing that is guaranteed to open up doors for you is to go back into education and gain a new skill set and a whole load of inspiration to move forward into the great unknown of a new career.
Getting a good education
Whether you have finished school and gone straight into a job that you no longer enjoy or are older and been in your position for years but want to try something else out, then the answer lies in education. Deciding to study at an institution such as New England College will give you the tools and skill set to begin building a new career for yourself. There is a wide variety of courses offered at NEC, alongside a number of options for courses you can do online. Doing a degree course online is a great way to keep your job and support yourself while also taking the first step towards your new life and job. By opting for an online course rather than a classroom-based degree, you can turn your life around and get that all-important education without having to uproot to a new place or quit your current job and risk not being able to afford the course.
What can a degree do for you?
Of course, if you are seriously beginning to think about getting a degree, it won’t have escaped your attention that this is a very big undertaking and the weight of this decision might be enough to put you off. However, you need to rest assured that the benefits of getting a degree are absolutely worth it. To begin with, graduates are far more likely to be on much higher salaries than those who do not continue into higher education, which means that a degree will improve your job opportunities and quality of life in the long run.
Making the most of it
Sometimes, people will put in all the hard work and long hours of getting a degree and then all they will do afterward is write it down on the same CV they were handing out before. You need to make sure that, instead of this, you are getting the most out of your degree. Make sure you take up any opportunities of internships or apprenticeships your university has to offer and do extra-curricular activities that will look good on future job applications.
A good education can change your whole life for the better, so what are you waiting for?
The FBI has contacted Deborah Ramirez, the second woman to accuse Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of assault, as it begins a fresh inquiry into him.
Deborah Ramirez accuses Judge Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her during a drinking game when they were students at Yale University in the 1980s.
Brett Kavanaugh has denied the allegation, describing it as a smear.
President Donald Trump ordered a new investigation after Brett Kavanaugh’s first accuser, Prof. Christine Blasey Ford, testified to a Senate panel on September 27.
The panel approved Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination but asked for the further inquiry before the full Senate votes on his appointment to the Supreme Court.
Despite ordering the FBI investigation, President Trump has continued to defend Brett Kavanaugh, who denies all the allegations against him.
On September 29, President Trump said the FBI had “free rein” to investigate the judge.
He said: “They’re going to do whatever they have to do, whatever it is they do. They’ll be doing things that we have never even thought of. And hopefully at the conclusion everything will be fine.”
The Supreme Court has the final say on some of the most contentious matters in the US and appointments are for life. Brett Kavanaugh is expected to tilt the court in favor of conservatives.
Deborah Ramirez’s lawyer, John Clune, announced that the FBI had “reached out” to interview his client and she had agreed to co-operate with their investigation. He made no further comment.
She alleges the incident occurred during the 1983-1984 academic year when they were both taking part in a drinking game at a dormitory party.
In an interview with the New Yorker, Deborah Ramirez acknowledges gaps in her memory caused by alcohol that night, which is said to have made her hesitant to come forward when contacted.
Christine Blasey Ford testified to the Senate committee that Brett Kavanaugh had assaulted her when they were teenagers in the 1980s.
Judge Kavanaugh angrily denied that he had ever assaulted her or anyone else.
Mark Judge, a high school friend of Brett Kavanaugh who Christine Blasey Ford says was in the room at the time of the assault, has said he will co-operate with any law enforcement agency that will “confidentially investigate” the allegations.
He has already denied Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations.
Two others who were allegedly present in the house during the alleged assault, PJ Smyth and Dr. Ford’s friend Leland Ingham Keyser, are willing to co-operate “fully” with the FBI’s investigation, their lawyers said.
A third woman who has also publicly accused Brett Kavanaugh, Julie Swetnick, alleges he was involved in the drugging and assault of girls at house parties in the 1980s.
Hulie Swetnick says she was the victim of a gang rape in 1982 at a party attended by Brett Kavanaugh.
Her lawyer said on Septemeber 29 that they had yet to hear from the FBI.
Announcing the FBI investigation, President Trump said: “I’ve ordered the FBI to conduct a supplemental investigation to update Judge Kavanaugh’s file.
“As the Senate has requested, this update must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week.”
The inquiry involves the FBI reopening its previously completed background check on Brett Kavanaugh. This may mean going back to old witnesses – or speaking to new ones.
Christine Blasey Ford’s lawyer said her client welcomed the step but questioned the time limit of a week to hold the investigation.
A 7.5-magnitude earthquake has triggered a strong tsunami after hitting Indonesia’s coastal city of Palu, officials say.
Waves of up to 6.6ft high swept through Palu on Sulawesi island, not long after authorities had lifted a tsunami warning.
Video on social media shows people screaming and fleeing in panic and a mosque amongst the buildings damaged.
According to officials, five deaths have been reported, but it is not clear if those were as a result of the tsunami.
Last month, a series of earthquakes struck the Indonesian island of Lombok, killing hundreds of people – the biggest on August 5 killed more than 460.
The earthquake hit just off central Sulawesi at a depth of 6.2 miles just before 18:00 local time, the US Geological Survey said.
A tsunami warning was issued, but lifted within the hour.
The dramatic video footage of the tsunami hitting Palu shows the high waves sweeping away several buildings and then the large tilted mosque in the town, about 55 miles from the quake’s epicenter.
Dwikorita Karnawati, head of Indonesia’s meteorology and geophysics agency, BMKG, said the tsunami had receded.
The 2004 tsunami triggered by an earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra killed 226,000 across the Indian Ocean, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.
Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because it lies on the Ring of Fire – the line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim.
More than half of the world’s active volcanoes above sea level are part of the ring.
Republicans are pushing to vote on Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court on September 28, after hearing dramatic testimony from him and Prof. Christine Blasey Ford, who is accusing him of assault.
President DonaldTrump has urged the Senate – where Republicans have a majority – to vote.
This is expected next week, although the outcome is far from certain with a number of senators on both sides undecided.
The American Bar Association has called for a delay of the vote to allow the FBI to investigate the claims by Christine Blasey Ford and other women.
The Supreme Court plays a vital role in political life – appointed for life, its nine members have the final say on US law.
This includes highly contentious social issues, such as abortion, and challenges to government policy.
Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment would tilt the balance in favor of conservatives for years to come.
For this reason, Republicans accuse the Democrats of seeking to delay the confirmation until after the mid-term elections in November when they hope to win enough seats to stop it altogether.
The hearing, which lasted for nine hours, brought an outpouring of support for Christine Blasey Ford – a university professor – from the #MeToo movement against harassment and assault.
President Donald Trump’s nominee, at times emotional and angry, denied assaulting Christine Blasey Ford when they were teenagers.
The 51-year-old, close to tears, described the incident in detail saying it had “drastically” affected her life.
Prior to September 27, no-one had heard from Christine Blasey Ford publicly since the allegations arose.
After addresses by the leading Republican and Democrat senators, she delivered her statement, at times close to tears.
“I am here today not because I want to be,” she said.
“I am terrified. I am here because I believe it is my civic duty to tell you what happened to me while Brett Kavanaugh and I were in high school.”
Christine Blasey Ford alleged Brett Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge had locked her in a bedroom during a small gathering at a house in a Washington DC suburb in the summer of 1982, when she was 15 and Brett Kavanaugh was 17.
She said Brett Kavanaugh had tried to remove her clothing, pinned her to a bed and groped her. Both men were “drunkenly laughing”, she said.
Prof. Ford added: “Brett’s assault on me drastically altered my life. For a very long time, I was too afraid and ashamed to tell anyone the details.”
Under questioning by a Democratic senator, Christine Blasey Ford said her most vivid memory was “the laughter between the two and their having fun at my expense… They were laughing with each other – two friends having a really good time with one another”.
In an answer to a question from another Democrat about claims of mistaken identity, she said she was “100%” certain that Brett Kavanaugh had assaulted her.
Many of the 10 Democrats in the 21-person committee praised her for coming forward – and supported her call for an FBI investigation into her allegations.
The 11 Republicans, all men, deferred most of their questions to a lawyer, Phoenix prosecutor Rachel Mitchell.
Brett Kavanaugh responded by taking a combative approach but occasionally became emotional.
“This confirmation process has become a national disgrace,” the 53-year-old federal judge told the committee.
“The constitution gives the Senate an important role in the confirmation process, but you have replaced advice and consent with search and destroy.
“Since my nomination in July there has been a frenzy on the left to come up with something, anything to block my confirmation.”
Brett Kavanaugh insisted he would not be “intimidated” into withdrawing from the process.
He said: “You may defeat me in the final vote but you’ll never get me to quit. Never.”
Brett Kavanaugh said he did not doubt that Christine Blasey Ford had been assaulted, but insisted: “I’ve never s**ually assaulted Dr Ford – or anyone.”
He admitted he had drunk beer while at high school and under-age, but said he had never got so drunk as to forget events.
The federal judge added that his calendars for 1982 – which he had kept – showed he had not attended a party at the location Christine Blasey Ford had described.
His friend, Mark Judge, has sent two letters to the committee saying he has no recollection of the events described by Christine Blasey Ford and adding that he had never seen Brett Kavanaugh behave in the way alleged.
The Democratic senators on the committee have called on President Trump to “immediately withdraw” Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination.
Moments after the hearing ended, however, President Trump stood by his nominee and said he found Brett Kavanaugh’s testimony “powerful, honest and riveting”.
President Trump has repeatedly defended the judge’s character, saying he is “one of the highest quality people” he has ever met.
Thousands of protesters against the nomination took to the streets on September 27 and 59 people were arrested near the Supreme Court in Washington, DC.
Sneaking a sweet treat every now and then is something we all look forward to. Sweets, however, are full of sugar, so it can be hard to justify eating too many of them in one go or eating them regularly. However, sweets aren’t all bad, and there are reasons why you shouldn’t cut them out altogether.
Here’s our list of the pros and cons of eating sweets.
1. Pro: They Can Have Uses
Eating sweets isn’t all about getting your sugar fix. Sweets can actually help to sating our hunger, believe it or not. For instance, if you suffer from anxiety, depression, insomnia or chronic pain, healthy gummy bears can offer you a way to alleviate the symptoms of your condition and allow you a little sneaky treat at the same time, particularly if they are infused with a compound like CBD. It’s win-win!
2. Con: Energy Crashes
Unfortunately, sugar isn’t a good source of energy for the everyday person. When you consume sugar, your body goes through a cycle. While you might find yourself initially energized from the sugar intake, within a few hours your blood sugar is broken down and you’ll start to feel the crash. This can leave you feeling sleepy and grumpy, and you’ll be finding that the small energy gain you got from the sugar wasn’t worth it in the first place!
3. Pro: Boost Your Mood
Sugar makes us feel good, and there’s actually some science behind this. Sugar activates the part of our brain that is responsible for pleasure, so a quick sugary snack will give us an immediate feeling of euphoria. However, with great power comes great responsibility. Make sure that you keep your sugar intake in check, no matter how good it makes you feel, as you don’t want to unintentionally overindulge as this may cause all sorts of problems.
4. Con: Empty Calories
Easily one of the biggest arguments against sugar is that it is a high calorie food that doesn’t offer much in return, aside from a fleetingly good feeling. The calories, on the other hand, can cause lifelong issues, the most obvious of which is being obese. Everything we eat and drink contains calories and in order to maintain a healthy body size we need to limit our calories to a healthy range each day. By eating foods that are high in sugar, we are blowing out our calorie intake for the day. Obesity is linked to all sorts of life threatening issues, such as increased risk of heart attack and stroke, to name a few.
When we are having a long and busy day, it’s easy to feel like a snack to get us through. Going for the easiest snack in reach often means picking something that is high in sugar. Believe it or not, though most people would tell you to steer away from sugary snacks, there are in fact benefits from consuming sugar from time to time. By being informed, you can make the best decision on how much sugar to include in your diet.
Businesses are at risk every day due to the threat of cyber attacks and data hacking. From viruses to ransomware, to your information simply being stolen, there is a lot of harm that can come from any breach. These breaches can occur to any company, though small and medium-sized businesses are statistically hit the hardest. These businesses often don’t have a dedicated IT and security team on hand to optimize their security, and so they are left vulnerable.
Don’t let this deter you, by following this guide you can better secure your business’ data and information today:
Only Keep Programs You Use
Old programs that are out of date and not used have no place on your servers. Though there is no inherent risk in keeping them, it does offer hackers a backdoor into your security. The reason this can happen is that old programs thataren’t used anymoreare generally not updated. Without the security updates, this can make old programs a risk to your company. Delete and unstill old programs entirely and ensure all your systems, programs, and extensions are updated regularly.
Regularly Scan Your System
A lot can slip past your firewall without you realizing it, which is why going through full system scans can help you to locate viruses and other suspicious files before they become a problem. Commit a full system scan, weed out problematic files, and keep your system secure.
Understand How to Protect Your Cloud Account
Cloud computing has really improved how businesses function and how productive they are. All of your information can be in one place, allowing real-time data sharing amongst your employees. The threat, of course, is that for every employee, there is a chance for a breach upon your data. There are also issues where account holders don’t utilize their account to its fullest, and therefore only actually protect a small amount of their overall data instead of the full breadth of it. That is why you need to follow this guide on Azure security best practices so that you can optimize your cloud’s security and better protect your business’ data.
Train Your Employees on Digital Security
There are many digital security threats that can occur because your employees don’t take their own cybersecurity seriously. For example, having old information and accounts on sites, you don’t use any more is a serious risk. The same can be said of having the same one or two passwords for everything. By hosting workshops to train your employees on how they can better protect themselves online and digitally, you can improve your company’s cybersecurity. The last thing you want is for a virus to be downloaded to your system because an employee accidentally opened a phishingemail.
Don’t underestimate the damage a hack can do to either your company or its reputation. By doing all you can to improve the safety and security of your company, you make yourself less of a target.
Prof. Christine Blasey Ford, the first woman to accuse Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of assault, has said the incident “drastically altered” her life.
It is part of the written testimony Christine Blasey Ford has released before she appears at a crucial Senate panel hearing on September 27.
Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who will also testify, has strenuously denied the accusation.
However, fresh allegations, which Brett Kavanaugh also denies, have appeared as the hearing looms.
His confirmation to the highest US court has been delayed in the wake of the allegations against him.
The nine-member Supreme Court is the final word on US law, including highly contentious social issues and challenges to government policy.
In a written testimony provided ahead of September 27 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Christine Blasey Ford says: “It is not my responsibility to determine whether Mr. Kavanaugh deserves to sit on the Supreme Court. My responsibility is to tell the truth.”
Christine Blasey Ford alleges Brett Kavanaugh tried to drunkenly remove her clothing, pinned her to a bed and groped her at a party when she was 15 and he was 17.
“Brett’s assault on me drastically altered my life. For a very long time, I was too afraid and ashamed to tell anyone the details,” she wrote in her prepared statement.
“I tried to convince myself that because Brett did not rape me, I should be able to move on and just pretend that it had never happened.”
Christine Blasey says Brett Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge locked her in a bedroom during a small gathering at a house in Washington DC suburbs in the summer of 1982.
“Both Brett and Mark were drunkenly laughing during the attack,” she said.
Mark Judge has disputed the allegations, saying he does not recall the incident.
“I believed [Brett Kavanaugh] was going to rape me,” Christine Blasey said. The fact that he covered her mouth she says “terrified” her the most, and has had “the most lasting impact”.
“It was hard for me to breathe, and I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me.”
When Mark Judge jumped on the bed, she says “we toppled over and Brett was no longer on top of me.” She was then able to run from the room.
Brett Kavanaugh is also facing other accusations of assault from three women.
However, he denies Christine Blasey Ford’s allegation “immediately, unequivocally, and categorically”.
The judge also released prepared written testimony ahead of the hearing.
Brett Kavanaugh says: “Over the past few days, other false and uncorroborated accusations have been aired. There has been a frenzy to come up with something – anything, no matter how far-fetched or odious – that will block a vote on my nomination. These are last-minute smears, pure and simple.”
The written testimony suggests Brett Kavanaugh will not try to portray himself as a saint.
He will say: “I was not perfect in those days, just as I am not perfect today. I drank beer with my friends, usually on weekends. Sometimes I had too many.”
He will also say that what he has been accused of is “far more serious than juvenile misbehavior”.
The hearing is scheduled to get under way at 10:00 local time and could last five hours.
There will be opening statements from the leading Republican and Democrat members.
Christine Blasey Ford will deliver her opening statement first.
The 21 senators on the committee will then have five minutes each to pose questions, but while the 10 Democrats are expected to ask questions themselves, it is believed a special counsel will act on behalf of the Republicans.
Christine Blasey Ford will then leave the room and Brett Kavanaugh will enter. She had earlier asked not to be in the same room as the judge.
Brett Kavanaugh will deliver his statement and the same round of questioning will follow.
President Donald Trump has portrayed the events in political terms, accusing the Democrats of trying to block the nomination.
The pace of modern life rarely lets up and it can be particularly difficult to meet all of your obligations and get through the day if you are suffering from fatigue. Fatigue is an increasingly common complaint, and it is most noticeable in middle age. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to combat fatigue and restore your energy levels so that you can get more out of life.
Check for health problems
The starting point if you are suffering from chronic fatigue is to speak to your physician so that they can rule out certain illnesses, for which fatigue can be a symptom. These include serious conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and thyroid disease. A blood test can usually rule out many of the more serious conditions and if you are wondering where to get one you can speak to your physician or go online to find out about local facilities that can provide a blood test.
Related to this potential cause of fatigue is medication. Unfortunately, many medications, including those for blood pressure, and drugs such as antihistamines and diuretics, can lead to fatigue. If your fatigue appears to be related to a new medication, speak to your doctor and they may be able to find you an alternative medication that doesn’t provoke the same side effects.
Physical activity
If you’ve ruled out medical conditions and medication side effects, the next step is to increase the amount of physical exercise you undertake. Exercising more when you feel fatigue may seem counter-intuitive, but multiple studies show that taking more exercise can have a range of benefits, including making your heart, muscles and lungs more efficient, which in turn gives you more energy.
Try yoga
Any exercise is good, but there is some evidence to suggest that yoga is particularly good at boosting energy levels. A study in the UK found that volunteers who took part in a once-a-week yoga class reported improvements in alertness, energy and clear-mindedness and similar results emerged from a study of men and women aged 65 to 85 conducted by the University of Oregon.
Hydrate
Dehydration is one of the leading causes of low energy and impaired physical performance. Research shows that athletes who are dehydrated struggle to perform at their best level, and it can also sap both concentration and alertness. It is easy to spot if you are not drinking enough water: if your urine is darker in color than a light yellow, then you may well be suffering from dehydration.
Get an early night
Lack of sleep is one of the more obvious causes of fatigue, but that doesn’t make it any less significant. The fact is that if you don’t get enough sleep, you will lack energy and focus, and you will also be at a greater risk of experiencing accidents. Good sleep habits may even have an impact on longevity. The secret to getting more sleep is not to stay in bed later in the morning, but to go to bed earlier the night before. And if you are short of sleep, try a 10-30-minute afternoon nap. This can boost your energy levels without affecting your regular sleep patterns.
Fish is good for you
Fish is one of the healthiest sources of protein available. Not only is it good for your heart, the omega-3 oils in fish can also boost your alertness and reduce fatigue. A 2009 study in Italy found that volunteers who took fish oil reported feeling more vigorous and showed faster reaction times.
Respect your body clock
Everyone’s body clock is different. Some of us are full of energy in the morning, while others are at their best in the evening or late afternoon. These differences in our energy patterns are the result of brain shape and genetics, and that means that they are hard to change. So instead of trying to fight your natural patterns, try to become more aware of your own daily rhythms. Once you know what time of day you are most energetic, you can try to schedule demanding activities for that peak time.
Lose the extra pounds
Losing those extra pounds can make a big difference to your energy levels. In fact, even small reductions in your body fat percentage have been found to boost mood, improve vigor, and raise the individual’s quality of life. There are many ways to shed those pounds, but the most reliable methods include eating smaller portions, sticking to a more balanced diet and taking more exercise.
Conclusion
Too many of us accept a level of fatigue as a natural part of life, but in many cases, fatigue is instead the result of lifestyle. With a few simple changes, you can boost your energy levels, ensuring that you are more alert, and that you can get more out of your life.
Sweden’s PM Stefan Lofven will have to resign after a no confidence vote in the parliament.
The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats (SD) backed the vote to remove the prime minister, weeks after a general election that delivered a hung parliament.
In the September 25 dramatic vote, 204 lawmakers voted against Stefan Lofven while 142 voted in favor.
Parliament’s speaker will now propose a new leader – a process that could take weeks.
Stefan Lofven is expected to stay on as caretaker prime minister while his replacement is decided.
The leader of the center-left Social Democrats came to power in 2014. His centre-left alliance won 144 seats in this month’s election, one more than the center-right opposition.
Neither of the main blocs intends to govern with the nationalist SD, the third-largest party in the new parliament.
However, the job of prime minister could fall to Ulf Kristersson, leader of the Moderates. The new speaker, Andreas Norlen, who is also a member of the Moderates, was confirmed in the position on September 24 with the support of SD.
While Ulf Kristersson is widely seen as the person most likely to form a new government, others may be invited to do so if he fails – including Stefan Lofven himself.
If there are four unsuccessful attempts to form a government that will trigger fresh elections – something which has never happened before.
Speaking after the vote, Stefan Lofven, who is still the leader of the largest party, said he intended to work to form another government across the political divide.
“I see good opportunities to continue as prime minister,” he said.
Stefan Lofven said he did not believe that fresh elections were something voters wanted – but he said he would never support a government that relied on the SD.
Ulf Kristersson said that a new government was needed – one with broad political support.
While the SD is expected to back the Moderate candidate, Stefan Lofven warned the center-right bloc on September 25 against relying on the support of a party “founded by Nazis”.
The SD is a nationalist, anti-immigration party which was linked to neo-Nazis and other far-right groups for years. The party only entered parliament in 2010.
In the years since, the SD has become the third-largest party – a political success story.
Officially, the SD welcomes supporters from all backgrounds, but its history means it has been shunned by the mainstream political parties since it first won seats.
The SD has been keen to change its image, but there have been some unfortunate scandals, and several party members have been expelled in recent years for racist behavior or links to right-wing groups.
Traditionally, the SD’s supporters have been working class men.
However, the party won 18% of the vote in the recent general election – up from 13% four years ago – demonstrating a growing base in Sweden.
Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger are both leaving the company.
CEO Kevin Systrom said they were departing to “explore our curiosity and creativity again”.
Instagram was purchased by Facebook in 2012 for $1 billion in cash and stock and has more than one billion users.
There had been reports of tension between the pair and Facebook, and the departures add to what has been a troubling year for the parent company.
Kevin Systrom, 34, and Mike Krieger, 32, the chief technical officer, started the image sharing site in 2010, and continued to run the service after it was acquired by Facebook.
They reportedly only told the Facebook leadership on September 24 so the departure appears pretty sudden.
Kevin Systrom said in a blog post: “We’re now ready for our next chapter.
“Building new things requires that we step back, understand what inspires us and match that with what the world needs; that’s what we plan to do.”
There was no animosity in the blog post. Kevin Systrom said the pair both remained “excited for the future of Instagram and Facebook”.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement that Instagram reflected the founders’ “combined creative talents”.
“I’ve learned a lot working with them for the past six years and have really enjoyed it,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what they build next.”
There have been reports of tension with Facebook’s leadership. Instagram’s popularity has soared in a period where use of the core Facebook product has stagnated.
This has put increased pressure on Facebook to squeeze more and more money from its users by adding new features some felt went against the Instagram app’s original focus on simplicity.
The latest Instagram product, IGTV, which allows posting of longer videos, in part to compete with YouTube, has not had an auspicious start. It was criticized this month after suggestive videos of children were recommended to its users.
Facebook has also been under intense pressure this year over the issues of safeguarding customer data and the misuse of its platforms by those wishing to spread fake news, including for political ends.
This, along with increased pressure from competitor platforms, appears to have led Mark Zuckerberg and his core executives to exert more control.
It ran counter to the business model the pair had become used to. Kevin Systrom had earlier praised the “tremendous freedom” Mark Zuckerberg had allowed since the takeover.
