Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux had been together for four years before the wedding, which took place at their Bel Air mansion.
In a joint statement, the couple said they intended to remain friends: “We are two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship.
“Normally we would do this privately, but given that the gossip industry cannot resist an opportunity to speculate and invent, we wanted to convey the truth directly.”
“Above all, we are determined to maintain the deep respect and love that we have for one another,” the statement added.
Like it or not, we live in a litigious world. Yes accidents happen, but sometimes they are not entirely blameless, and when those situations occur on someone else’s property, the average citizen will begin searching for a premises liability lawyer. No one wants to be on the receiving end of a lawsuit, so below are a few handy tips so that you can make sure that you can make it extremely unlikely that you would find yourself in court attempting to prove that the blame did not fall with you.
Try to secure and ‘accident-proof’ any obvious hazards on your property. The best way to go about this is to ask if the area would be safe for an unsupervised toddler. No sharp objects, sudden drops, or uneven ground. Make sure that all walkways are clear of debris or spillages and that they are adequately lit. Ensure that all stairs have a handrail, even if there are only two or three stairs, and make sure that the flooring is not slippery, even when wet. Warning signs are a good addition also. Any ditches or areas that you deem particularly hazardous should be separated using a fence so that members of the public cannot stray into danger through lack of due care. If young children frequent the area, moving the door handles out of reach, towards the top portion of the door, will stop youngsters from wandering where they shouldn’t be.
Stay vigilant
Once you have protected yourself and others from the ‘permanent dangers’ at your property, you need to keep an eye out for new situations which could prove dangerous. Any debris or spillages could be a tripping or slipping hazard. In cold weather, you should take the time to grit the walkways in and out of your property to ensure that nobody falls prey to unseen ice patches. Again, look for hazards that might catch out an unsupervised toddler. Do not assume that something will be fine, protect yourself by being proactive.
Add an insurance policy or two
Not insurance in the traditional sense (although a liability insurance policy could never go amiss), but in the sense of going further to protect yourself. Erecting a fence to keep unwanted pedestrians out can do wonders to prevent you from being liable for someone being where they shouldn’t be. You could also install CCTV cameras to help provide evidence should any incident occur. Many cases boil down to one person’s word against another’s, but with video footage, you can prove beyond all doubt the true nature of events.
Know who you are liable for
If someone is invited onto your property, you are liable for their safety, and so you should make sure that you do everything you can to reduce their risk of coming to harm. However, you are not liable for anyone who is on your property without your permission, whether you know them or not. This means that you cannot be sued by your ex who has taken to hiding in your bushes, or a burglar who trips over your furniture in the night. The only exception to this rule is children. You are liable for any local children who are playing on your property, so it makes sense to ensure that no one can accidentally stray onto your land.
Have many fail-safes
This is especially true if you have something like an outdoor swimming pool. You should not only cover the pool are over when not in use, but you should also ensure that there is a fence surrounding the pool that is of a sufficient height to stop children easily being able to climb into the pool area. You should also make sure that the area is securely locked and cannot be easily opened by children or unauthorised individuals. If you are having any construction work done on the property, you should have plenty of barriers up to stop anyone wandering into a dangerous area, but you should also have plenty of signs up to warn of the potential dangers to those who wander into places that they should not be.
There you have it, a few simple ways to help you avoid being liable for personal injuries that may occur on your property. Hopefully, these tips have also highlighted the importance of protecting yourself from all eventualities. It is never a nice thing to plan for the worst-case scenario, but by doing so, you are protecting yourself from a huge financial strain. It is better to be over-prepared and not need you fail-safes than it is to under-prepare and wish you had done more.
No one really likes to dwell on getting older, but the reality is it’s a future that we all face. Shifting demographic changes, with people living well past retirement and those in middle-age sandwiched between supporting adult children and aging parents, is bringing the issue into sharper focus than ever. So when it comes time to make a decision about the care of your older relatives, how do you go about finding the right option for you and the ones you love?
While many care homes for seniors provide a supportive environment, your elders may not be keen on some aspects of this arrangement and with recent abuse cases claiming the headlines, you could have found yourself needing a firm of Oklahoma City nursing home abuse attorneys.
So you may be considering taking your elder relative into your own home as an alternative. But what do you need to know?
The Cost of Caring
It may not be what you want to think of, but the costs of caring must be addressed head on, otherwise bottled up tensions about money can surface later and more dramatically. Caring for an older relative involves expense – your home may need modifications, from minor adaptations to significant building work- to make it suitable for them. On top of this, there are added costs to cover with food bills, extra heating costs and any specialist equipment that is needed. In order for any arrangement to work, an honest conversation is needed about finance. Getting independent financial advice for your relative may be key to help them get their affairs in order and work out what they can contribute to the household. Involve them in these discussions and never dictate terms – a new kind of dynamic is needed, but too many people fall into a groove of parent-child communication.
Caring and Your Career
If your relative needs a lot of support and you are working yourself, it’s important to consider the impact on your job. Caring duties may mean that you are tired and find it hard to focus, and your work performance may suffer. It may be that you need to take unexpected leave from a job as well, and while some employers build a certain amount of family leave into a contract, others can be significantly less understanding. Taking extra time off also means that you may find yourself passed over for bigger projects and opportunities for advancement. Your own retirement prospects may also suffer if you end up cutting down on your hours or even giving up work altogether, as you will lose out on a period of time when you should be saving intensely for your retirement. And should you choose to leave the workforce, you may find it next to impossible to return at the same level after an extended period of absence, when your skills will have become outdated and you are older. Consider whether you can afford some in-Home support care. This can allow you both to remain a little independent and free up more of your own time from caring duties. This option can be expansive so consider how you will afford the support, and weigh it up against the costs that may result if you don’t go down that route.
Before we get into the crux of this article, please know that this writer doesn’t want to get into that age-old PC vs Mac debate that has raged since dawn began… well, since the early days of Steve Jobs, at least. While the features mentioned use Mac-specific functions, there will be a similar workaround for Windows users as well. So, with that disclaimer over and done with…phew… here are some of the things you probably didn’t know you could do on your Mac.
Let your MacBook read to you
Can’t be bothered reading through pages of text? That’s fine; you can sit back and use your Mac as an audio book. Highlight the text you want your MacBook to read to you, select Edit, and go to the speech options. You can change the narrator’s voice, from calming to comical, and then let the story/article/work doc begin.
Extract music from video sources
While you can download and stream music easily on any number of sites, you may want to extract sections of music from video sources. This is particularly useful if you can’t find the track anywhere else, or you want to use stretches of music or sound effects for your own video creations. There is a great article here on how to convert video to audio on Mac, though you do need to be careful of copyright issues,
Hide Facebook at work
Facebook is the most popular social networking site in the world, and it is constantly being updated with useful (and not so useful) features, such as it’s latest video streaming service. Still, you don’t want to be caught using Facebook at work, unless you are using it for marketing purposes. So, if your boss or nosey colleague wanders by, you can quickly press H and the command button, and the page will be removed from your screen. Note: works with any other web page you were having a sneaky peek at!
Create customizable shortcuts
Are you constantly typing the same words or phrases? This can be annoying, especially if those words are long and complicated. Still, you can save time with this nifty trick. Go to Systems Settings, click on Language and Region, head to Keyboard Settings and then choose text. You can then customize the common phrases you use, with a shorter number of keystrokes. You will never have to waste time or correct awkward spelling mistakes again!
Restrict your child’s access
Handing over your Mac to your child is a risky business anyway. You don’t know what sites he/she may be visiting, and if you have saved your credit card details, you never know what your child will be buying on your behalf. Thankfully, you can restrict what your child can do on your computer. For starters, password your account and then set up an account for them using your administrative tools. Go to Systems Preferences, head to Parental Controls, and limit what websites or apps your child can use. Then, if bedtime is an issue, you can also set the time that the computer logs off for the evening. Result!
Have you picked up any tips or tricks for your Macbook?* Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.
At least 17 people are dead after a 19-year-old man opened fire at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the small city of Parkland, around 45 miles north of Miami, police have said.
Nikolas Cruz, a former student at the school who had been expelled, has been identified as suspect.
As the attack unfolded students were forced to hide as police swooped in on the building.
It is the deadliest school shooting since 26 people were killed at Connecticut school Sandy Hook in 2012.
It is the sixth school shooting incident in 2018 that has either wounded or killed students
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters Nikolas Cruz killed three people outside the school, before entering the building and killing another 12.
Two people later died after being taken to hospital.
According to health officials, three people remain in a critical condition and three others are in stable condition.
The victims are still being identified. Sheriff Scott Israel said a football coach was among the dead but no names have been released.
On February 14, the local public school district tweeted that “students and staff heard what sounded like gunfire” just before the end of the day at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The attack began at 14:30 local time.
Witnesses said that the suspect set off a fire alarm before the violence erupted.
Police and SWAT team members swarmed the campus and began clearing students from the school in Parkland, about an hour north of Miami, as parents and ambulances converged on the scene.
Nikolas Cruz, who had been expelled for “disciplinary reasons”, was taken into custody without incident in the nearby town of Coral Springs about an hour after he left the high school, according to police.
Sheriff Scott Israel said: “We have already begun to dissect his websites and things on social media that he was on and some of the things… are very, very disturbing.”
“Just a horrible day for us,” said Robert Runcie, the superintendent of the county’s school district.
The school has nearly 3,000 students. Classes are cancelled for the rest of this week.
Many students said they thought it was a drill because a fire alarm practice had taken place shortly before the shooting.
Since 2013, there have been 291 reported school shootings in America, which averages out to about one per week.
This is the worst shooting since 2012, when gunman Adam Lanza attacked Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. He shot dead 20 young children and six adults before killing himself.
Morgan Tsvangirai founded the MDC in 2000, repeatedly challenging Robert Mugabe during the ex-president’s long grip on power.
In the 2008 election, Morgan Tsvangirai gained the most votes in the first round but not enough to win outright.
Before the second round of voting, Robert Mugabe’s security forces carried out a campaign of violence against opposition supporters, and Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew.
Robert Mugabe was declared the winner, but an international outcry over allegations of violence and vote-rigging led to a power sharing agreement in which Morgan Tsvangirai would serve as prime minister.
Morgan Tsvangirai ran against Robert Mugabe again in 2013 but lost by a landslide.
The MDC is said to be divided over who should lead it into elections later this year against the governing Zanu-PF party, led by Robert Mugabe’s successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Choi Soon-sil, an old friend of South Korea’s ex-President Park Geun-hye, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for corruption, influence-peddling and abuse of power.
She was at the heart of a massive corruption scandal that brought down Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s first female president.
Choi Soon-sil had acted for years as an adviser to Park Geun-hye, who has been impeached and is also on trial.
Park Geun-hye has denied any wrongdoing.
The Seoul Central District Court also fined Choi Soon-sil 18 billion Korean won ($16.6 million).
Choi Soon-sil was accused of using her presidential connections to pressure conglomerates – including electronics giant Samsung and retail group Lotte – for millions of dollars in donations to two non-profit foundations she controlled.
She is already serving a three year jail term for a separate charge of corruption, after she was found guilty of using her position to solicit favors for her daughter.
Park Geun-hye meanwhile has been accused of colluding with Choi Soon-sil. She is currently in custody, with a verdict expected later this year.
The court has also found Shin Dong-bin, chairman of the Lotte Group, guilty of offering bribes to Choi Soon-sil, and jailed him for two years and six months.
President Park Geun-hye was officially ousted in March 2017, following parliament’s decision to impeach her. She was the country’s first democratically-elected president to be forced from office.
After losing her presidential immunity, Park Geun-hye was charged with bribery, abusing state power and leaking state secrets, and her trial began in May.
President Donald Trump’s budget proposal has unveiled his plans to end US funding for the International Space Station (ISS) by 2025 with the aim of putting it into private hands.
He also wants to increase NASA spending by 3% next year.
However, the budget proposal includes $150 million to “encourage commercial development” at ISS to replace American payments.
The space station is scheduled to operate through 2024.
The White House proposal, which was released on February 12, says: “The budget proposes to end direct US financial support for the International Space Station in 2025, after which NASA would rely on commercial partners for its low Earth orbit research and technology demonstration requirements.”
According to the document, the US government would create a $150 million program to help prepare private companies to take over space station operations over the next seven years.
The budget requests $19.6 billion for NASA in 2019, an increase of $500 million from this year.
According to a NASA review, it also calls for $10.5 billion for “an innovative and sustainable campaign of exploration” leading to “the return of humans to the moon for long-term exploration and utilization followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations”.
The state of New York is suing The Weinstein Company, alleging that the studio failed to protect staff from Harvey Weinstein.
Harvey Weinstein, 65, is facing dozens of allegations of abuse, including rape, but denies non-consensual acts.
The lawsuit filed by New York prosecutors alleges Harvey Weinstein abused female employees and made verbal threats to kill staff members.
However, Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said a “fair investigation” would show that many of the allegations were without merit.
The Weinstein Company’s board of directors said it was “disappointed” by the lawsuit.
On February 11, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said that he had filed the suit against The Weinstein Company, as well as Harvey Weinstein and his brother Robert, who co-founded the studio.
Eric Schneiderman is seeking an unspecified sum to cover damages, plus penalties, for victims of alleged abuse by Harvey Weinstein.
The document alleges that Harvey Weinstein harassed and abused women employed by the studio for years.
It accuses senior executives at the company, including Robert Weinstein, of failing to prevent the mistreatment of staff despite being presented with evidence.
The suit casts doubt over the sale of The Weinstein Company, which has been battling bankruptcy and is in talks with investors.
Eric Schneiderman said his investigation was continuing, but he had brought the suit out of concern that a possible sale would leave alleged victims without adequate compensation, and could benefit “perpetrators or enablers”.
It is reported that businesswoman Maria Contreras-Sweet has led talks to buy the studio for $500 million.
However, after news of the suit emerged, negotiations are now said to be on hold.
According to Variety, investors baulked at the prospect of the lawsuit adding conditions to the sale.
In October 2017, The New York Times published a story detailing decades of allegations of harassment against Harvey Weinstein.
Since then more than 50 women, among them some of the biggest names in Hollywood, have accused him assault, harassment, abuse and rape.
In the wake of the allegations, Harvey Weinstein was sacked by the board of his company.
In a recent interview, President Donald Trump has warned that Israeli settlements “complicate” the peace process with Palestinians and urged “care” over the issue.
The president also told the Israeli newspaper Yisrael Hayom that he did not believe the Palestinians, and possibly Israel as well, were ready to make peace.
He angered Palestinians in December when he recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Donald Trump also threatened to withhold aid unless Palestinians agreed to talks.
The interview was published on February 11.
Asked by editor-in-chief Boaz Bismouth when the US would present its peace plan, President Trump said: “We will see what happens. Right now the Palestinians are not into making peace, they are just not into it. Regarding Israel, I am not certain it, too, is interested in making peace so we will just need to wait and see what happens.”
Asked whether Israeli settlements would form part of the peace plan, the president said: “We will be talking about settlements. The settlements are something that very much complicates and always have complicated making peace, so I think Israel has to be very careful with the settlements.”
More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel’s 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
President Trump said that recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital had been a highlight of his first year in office.
Israel claims the whole of the city as its capital but the Palestinians want East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, to be the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said he will no longer accept the US as a mediator following the controversial recognition of Jerusalem.
If you see bees frequently buzzing around your house, you could have a bee infestation. Depending on the type of bee that has invaded your home, it could cause significant damage to the structure of your house.
Here are some signs to look for if you suspect a bee infestation.
Buzzing or Humming Sounds
If you hear faint buzzing or humming sounds in your house, that could be a sign there are bees within the walls. The louder the buzzing, the more bees there may be. If you hear them, go outside to try to spot them.
Check under the eaves of the house for any signs of nests or bees coming in and out of a hole or crack in the siding. If you see them, then you could have a colony of bees within the walls.
https://unsplash.com/photos/qFAEHxevxVE
Piles of Sawdust
If you find sawdust piles near a wooden structure or an object, then you may be dealing with a carpenter bee invasion. Carpenter bees love to bore into wood and make their nests inside of structures, like your house.
Carpenter bees resemble bumble bees, but they are larger and do not have yellow markings. They can also be aggressive if they are disturbed, butonly the females can sting, which they will do if provoked.
Look for Landing Stains
When bees fly up to a hive or nest, they first land and then walk into it. This action can leave a landing stain on the side of the house where the opening to the hive is located.
Depending on how long the bees have been inside of your house, the stain may look like a small charcoal rub or a dark sticky substance. The stain ismade from propolis that is on their legs and abdomen, which rubs off as they land at the entrance of the hive.
Odd Smell
Beehives give off a distinctive smell that is hard to forget, and you may smell it if there is a bee infestation in the walls of your house. It is slightly sweet and is a mixture of beeswax, pheromones, pollen, fermenting honey, and propolis.
Be careful if you decide to investigate where the smell is coming from because you could happen onto a wasp nest or a honeybee hive. While honeybees are not usually bothersome, if they or the beehive is disturbed, they will swarm and sting to protect themselves.
Nests Under Eaves
Sometimes you may see nests under the eaves of your house if there are wasps, hornets, or bees around your house. While you can get rid of the nest, it could easily reappear if there is a colony of bees or wasps.
If you have a problem with bees around your house, you can go tobeekeepersandiegoca.com to find out how to humanely get rid of them. If they are honeybees, the company will save them and put them in a hive where they will be safe.
While the presence of bees can be a symbol of luck in some cultures, for most people, a hive with a large colony of bees in the wall of their house can be scary. If you think you may have bees, wasps, or hornets, call in professionals to remove them.
According to the Israeli military, one of its F-16 fighter jet has crashed amid Syrian anti-aircraft fire after an offensive against Iranian targets in Syria.
The two pilots parachuted to safety before the crash in northern Israel. It is believed to be the first time Israel has lost a jet in the Syrian conflict.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tweeted: “Moments ago, IAF aircraft, targeted the Syrian Aerial Defense System & Iranian targets in Syria. 12 targets, including 3 aerial defense batteries & 4 Iranian military targets, were attacked. Anti-aircraft missiles were fired towards Israel, triggering alarms in northern Israel.”
Red alert sirens sounded in areas of northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire.
Residents reported hearing a number of explosions and heavy aerial activity in the area near Israel’s borders with Jordan and Syria.
Israel was carrying out strikes after the launch of an Iranian drone into Israel. The drone was intercepted.
Syria accused Israel of “aggression”, as Israel then launched more strikes.
In a statement, the Israeli military said “a combat helicopter successfully intercepted an Iranian UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] that was launched from Syria and infiltrated Israel”.
It said the drone was identified quickly and was “under surveillance until the interception”.
The drone went down on Israeli territory and was “in our possession”, IDF spokesperson Brig Gen Ronen Manelis said.
The military said that in response the IDF “targeted Iranian targets in Syria”. It said the mission deep inside Syrian territory was successfully completed.
After coming under Syrian anti-aircraft fire, the F-16’s two crew ejected and were later taken to hospital. One of them was “severely injured as a result of an emergency evacuation”, the IDF said.
It was not clear whether the F-16 jet was hit by anti-aircraft fire or went down near Harduf for other reasons.
Syrian state media quoted a military source as saying that the country’s air defenses opened fire in response to an Israeli act of “aggression” against a military base on February 10, hitting “more than one plane”.
Meanwhile, Iran, Russia and the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon – key allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad – dismissed as “lies” Israeli claims that an Iranian drone had entered Israeli airspace, news wires report.
President Donald Trump’s speechwriter David Sorensen has become the second White House aide this week to resign amid allegations of domestic abuse.
However, David Sorensen denies his ex-wife’s allegations he was violent and emotionally abusive.
David Sorensen’s departure comes just days after another Trump top aide, Rob Porter, quit over allegations of abuse from two ex-wives, something he denies.
Questions have been raised over how long it took the White House to act on the accusations facing Rob Porter.
Jessica Corbett, David Sorensen’s ex-wife, told the Washington Post that he was physically abusive to her while they were married.
She said that on separate occasions David Sorensen ran a car over her foot, threw her against a wall and extinguished a cigarette on her hand.
In response, her former husband released a statement in which he said he had “never committed violence of any kind against any woman in my entire life” and that instead it was he who had been physically abused.
David Sorensen said he was considering legal action, but said he quit because he “didn’t want the White House to have to deal with this distraction”.
White House officials said they learned of the accusations by David Sorensen’s wife on February 8.
Deputy press secretary Raj Shah said: “We immediately confronted the staffer, he denied the allegations and he resigned today.”
Allegations of domestic abuse against Rob Porter involving two ex-wives surfaced on February 6.
It is alleged that the former White House staff secretary gave one ex-wife a black eye while another filed a restraining order. He denies the allegations.
On February 9, President Trump paid tribute to Rob Porter, who quit his White House position on February 7.
Speaking in the Oval Office President Trump said: “We found out about it recently and I was surprised by it, but we certainly wish him well and it’s a tough time for him.”
However, the president did not refer to Rob Porter’s accusers.
Donald Trump’s comments sparked criticism from Democrats, with former VP Joe Biden saying the president had downplayed the allegations against Rob Porter.
Joe Biden said: “That’s like saying: <<That axe murderer out there, he’s a great painter>>.”
The case has put pressure on President Trump’s Chief-of-Staff John Kelly, who has denied reports he offered to resign over his handling of the accusations.
After initially praising Rob Porter as a man of “integrity”, John Kelly later released a statement saying he was shocked by the claims and stressed domestic violence was unacceptable.
According to media reports, John Kelly and other White House officials were aware for several months of the domestic abuse accusations because they were holding up Rob Porter’s security clearance application.
Raj Shah said that President Trump was not aware of any security issues before February 6 and was “disheartened” and “saddened” by the accusations.
White House communications director Hope Hicks’ handling of the controversy has also reportedly displeased President Trump.
Hope Hicks, 29, has recently been in a relationship with Rob Porter, a Harvard graduate and former Oxford Rhodes Scholar.
President Trump was reportedly not consulted when Hope Hicks helped draft an initial statement defending Rob Porter.
According to CBS News, Rob Porter approached White House Counsel Don McGahn in January 2017 to inform him his ex-wives might say unflattering things about him to background check investigators.
In June 2017, Rob Porter’s preliminary file was sent from the FBI to the White House security office, containing the abuse allegations.
In November, Don McGahn received a call from an ex-girlfriend of Rob Porter alleging physical violence by the aide.
Don McGahn told the White House chief of staff there was an issue with Rob Porter’s security clearance, although he was vague, reports CBS.
Rob Porter told John Kelly his ex-wives were saying false things about him.
A White House spokesman said on February 8 that John Kelly did not realize the extent of the claims until a photo of one of Rob Porter’s former wives, Colbie Holderness, suffering a black eye, emerged on February 7.
South Korean and North Korean athletes entered under the same flag during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
North Korea ice hockey player Chung Gum Hwang and South Korean bobsledder Won Yun-jong were joint flagbearers.
Olympic president Thomas Bach has declared: “We are stronger than all the forces that want to divide us.”
Russian athletes came in under the neutral Olympic flag during the ceremony.
Russia is banned from the Games, and the forthcoming Paralympics, as a consequence of the 2016 McLaren report which claimed more than 1,000 of its sportspeople benefitted from state-sponsored doping.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) invited 169 Russians who have met the anti-doping criteria to compete as independent athletes and their team will be known as the ‘Olympic Athletes from Russia’.
An estimated 35,000 spectators inside the Olympic Stadium were given seat warmers, wind shields, hats and gloves with temperatures as low as -6C during the two hour-long ceremony.
Senior political figures from North Korea and the United States – two of the countries at the center of the political row – were both present.
Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un, was sat one row behind VP Mike Pence in the VIP section.
South Korea’s president Moon Jae-in shook hands with Kim Yo-jong and said at the ceremony: “I would like to take this opportunity to convey greetings and a message of friendship from the people of Korea.
“The Seoul 1988 Summer Games paved the way for reconciliation between east and west – breaking down the wall of the Cold War. Thirty years after hosting the Summer Games, the Pyeongchang Olympics has commenced with a hope for peace from everyone around the world.
“It was with an ardent desire that the people of Korea aspired to host the Winter Games, the only divided nation in the world. It mirrors the Olympic spirit in its pursuit of peace.”
North Korea announced it was to send a delegation to Pyeongchang in January after it met its South counterparts in their first high-level talks in more than two years.
The North Korean team consists of 22 athletes who will compete in five sports, although their women’s ice hockey players will compete in a unified Korean team. They played together for the first time on February 4 in their only practice match, which they lost 3-1 to Sweden.
The ‘wow moments’ in the ceremony included the formation of the Olympic Rings made up of 1,218 drones – a Guinness World Record for drones used in a performance – and 100 skiers.
There was also ‘the vision of peace in the sky’ which was a constellation inside the arena, while ‘the balance of yin and yang’ saw Korean drummers perform in unison before forming the South Korea flag. And the center of the stadium was lit up in the eye-catching ‘link to the world’ segment.
It all culminated in the ceremony centerpiece, which was the traditional lighting of the Olympic flame. That saw the final torchbearer Yuna Kim, who won Olympic ice skating gold in 2010, at the top of a slope light the flame as 30 fire rings ascended towards the white moon-shaped porcelain cauldron.
Congress has voted to pass a two-year budget, meaning the US’s second shutdown in three weeks could end before the working day begins.
The Senate and the House have passed the measures, but still need to be signed off by President Donald Trump.
Federal funding for government services expired at midnight on February 8, after the Senate missed a voting deadline.
The 650-page plan proposes an increase in spending, by about $300 billion, on defense and domestic services.
Senators struggled with last-minute objections from Republican Rand Paul, meaning they did not vote in time. The shutdown came within three weeks of the last one, as lawmakers wrangle over the spending plan and other political demands on either side.
The House approved the bill by 240 votes to 186. The Senate had passed it by 71 to 28 three hours earlier.
Paul Ryan said the bill was “a great victory for our men and women in uniform” as the military would get more resources.
The House Speaker said: “Ultimately, neither side got everything it wanted in this agreement, but we reached a bipartisan compromise that puts the safety and wellbeing of the American people first.”
While the spending bill’s funding for the Pentagon delighted the national security wing of the party, fiscal conservatives were concerned about ramifications for the nation’s debt.
The 650-page spending plan was only unveiled on February 8, so the finer details are still unclear.
White House legislative affairs director Marc Short said the package would increase spending by “just shy” of $300 billion.
The bill contains $165 billion of additional defense spending and $131 billion in domestic spending, including funding for healthcare, infrastructure and tackling the US opioid crisis, reports Reuters news agency.
The proposal would raise the US debt ceiling until March 2019.
Former Bangladeshi PM Khaleda Zia has been sentenced to five years in jail for corruption.
Police have clashed with thousands of protesters as the opposition leader has been jailed.
She denies misusing international funds donated to a charitable children’s trust.
Begum Khaleda Zia became the country’s first female head of government in 1991 after leading the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to victory in Bangladesh’s first democratic election in 20 years.
She returned to the post of prime minister in 2001, stepping down in October 2006 ahead of a general election.
Khaleda Zia is the widow of former Bangladeshi President Ziaur Rahman.
Her political career has been marred by corruption allegations and a long-standing political rivalry with Awami League leader and the current prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.
The two women have alternated from government to opposition for most of the past two decades.
The 72-year-old’s jail sentence may mean she is barred from parliamentary polls due later this year.
The case is one of dozens pending against Khaleda Zia, a long-time rival of PM Sheikh Hasina.
The charges against her had already led to her boycotting elections in 2014, which triggered widespread protests at the time.
For today’s verdict there was heightened security across the capital and other cities. Many stores and schools were shut, reports said.
According to Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), hundreds of its supporters were arrested in the run-up to the verdict.
Khaleda Zia has described the charges against her as politically motivated.
As she went into court, the former prime minister told weeping relatives: “I will be back. Do not worry and be strong”, according to the Daily Star.
The verdict was read out in a court in Dhaka after police used tear gas to disperse thousands of her supporters.
According to local reports, several police officers were injured in the violence.
Khaleda Zia was led away to jail minutes after the verdict, bdnews24 reported.
Her son Tarique Rahman was given 10 years in jail in absentia as he is in London. The same jail term was handed down to four of her aides.
Khaleda Zia’s trial centered around $252,000 intended for an orphanage trust set up when she was prime minister. She was found guilty of embezzling the funds.
Rob Porter, one of President Donald Trump’s top aides, has resigned amid abuse claims from his two ex-wives.
The White House staff secretary said “these outrageous allegations are simply false” as he announced he would step down.
The accusations were first reported in the Daily Mail and include accounts of physical and emotional abuse.
The White House would not comment on a report that Rob Porter, 40, failed to receive security clearance.
His ex-wives, Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby, both recounted stories of Rob Porter’s alleged misconduct.
Colbie Holderness, the first wife and a government analyst, said the White House aide had been verbally and physically abusive.
She said Rob Porter had kicked her on their 2003 honeymoon in the Canary Islands.
Colbie Holderness also alleged he punched her in the face while they were on holiday a couple of years later in Florence, Italy.
She supplied a photo of herself with a black eye to the media.
The second wife, Jennifer Willoughby, a motivational speaker, told the Daily Mail she was married to Rob Porter from 2009 to 2013.
She wrote about her experiences in a blog post entitled Why I Stayed.
Jennifer Willoughby said she filed a protective order against him in June 2010 after he allegedly punched the glass of the door at their Alexandria, Virginia, home.
She told the Washington Post on February 7: “He has never faced repercussions that forced him to confront his issues.
“I care about him and want what’s best for him, but that doesn’t necessarily mean him keeping his job because he needs to face these underlying issues.”
Rob Porter rejected the allegations in a statement read by the White House press secretary on February 7.
“I took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago and the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described,” he said.
“I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a co-ordinated smear campaign.”
According to the Daily Mail, RobPorter did not receive security clearance for his White House job after the FBI interviewed his ex-wives during background checks.
However, the White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders refused to be drawn on that issue.
She told reporters: “Background checks involve a complex investigation run by intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
“As has always been our policy, we do not comment on security clearances. Rob Porter has been effective in his role as Staff Secretary.
“The President and Chief of Staff have full confidence in his abilities and his performance.”
Rob Porter attended Harvard with Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.
His White House role involved working with the president and his chief of staff John Kelly.
Before Rob Porter resigned, John Kelly told the Daily Mail the staff secretary was “a man of true integrity and honor”.
According to the reports, Rob Porter has recently been romantically linked with White House communications director Hope Hicks.
The modern worker deserves a number of rights, and safety should be a priority for companies in all fields. Nonetheless, there’s no changing the fact that some surroundings are hit by bigger threats than others.
Statistics show that, overall, 42 in every 100,000 Americans die each year from unintentional injuries. While the workplace is far from being the only location where this can happen, it is one that requires a great deal of attention. In truth, all workers should be prepared to take extra care in the work arena. Still, some jobs are naturally more dangerous than others. Can you guess the number one?
Quick, one last guess.
The Most Dangerous Job Is…
Logging. Yes, statistics show that 135.9 per 100,000 workers suffer fatal injuries while thousands more suffer non-fatal accidents. That places them above pilots, sea fishing professionals, and police officers.
The news perhaps shouldn’t come as a major surprise. For starters, this is an outdoor job in potentially testing situations and weather conditions. Meanwhile, workers are often situated a long way away from medical facilities. In addition to facing accidents that are unique to this line of work, some falls that wouldn’t be life-threatening in other places can become fatal.
Arguably the most surprising element for loggers is that they don’t get paid nearly enough money for putting their lives on the line.
To a certain extent, companies may suggest that the dangers simply come with the territory. Nonetheless, the statistics should not be overlooked by business owners in the industry. On the contrary, they must go the extra mile to ensure their working environments are safe.
First and foremost, companies should invest in the right equipment. From logging grapples and choker chains to portable sawmills, all items should be of the highest quality. Likewise, employers should invest in staff development courses, particularly for health and safety.
Employees need to take individual responsibility too. Investing in the right footwear, hard hats, and safety gloves is essential. Furthermore, workers in this environment need to take precautions to avoid distractions. Likewise, avoiding exhaustion and tiredness can reduce the odds of being one of the 135.9.
The harsh reality is that you cannot possibly prevent all incidents, especially when working in a sector like this. Preparing for the worst is an equally vital aspect. From a financial perspective, a good personal injury lawyer can be the key to justice. However, it’s crucial to consider the practical life changes that may be required when the worst happens.
Essentially, the figures show that everyone involved in this type of work needs to appreciate the very real threats. Loggers, lumberjacks, and other woodworkers tend to fall into those jobs as a labor of love. Those dangers shouldn’t stop a logger following their passion, but it is a factor to consider.
As for those of us that have a loved one in this area of work, understanding those daily stresses can make a big impact.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, is to attend February 9 opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games, which are being held in South Korea, ministers in Seoul say.
Kim Yo-jong, a senior Workers’ Party official promoted to the politburo in 2017, will be the first immediate Kim family member to cross the border.
Both Koreas will march under one flag at the opening ceremony.
North Korea’s participation has been seen as a thawing of bilateral ties.
However, the US, Japan and others have accused North Korea of using the Games for propaganda purposes.
Believed to have been born in 1987, Kim Yo-jong is the youngest daughter of late leader Kim Jong-il and is Kim Jong-un’s full sister. She is about four years younger than her brother and is said to be very close to him.
Kim Yo-jong is reportedly married to the son of Choe Ryong-hae, the powerful party secretary.
She has been in the spotlight sporadically in recent years, with her main job being to protect her brother’s image via her role in the party’s propaganda department.
Kim Yo-jong remains blacklisted by the United States over alleged links to human rights abuses in North Korea.
It would be the first by a direct member of the Kim dynasty.
Chang Song-thaek, Kim Jong-un’s uncle and brother in law of Kim Jong-il, did travel to South Korea but did not belong to the Baekdu blood line, which is considered significant.
On February 6, European markets have followed Asian markets lower as investors continued to dump shares.
Frankfurt, London and Paris all fell sharply at the open with losses of up to 3%, before recovering some ground.
In the US overnight the Dow Jones lost 4.6%.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed down 4.7%.
The sell-off began last week after data in the United States showed stronger wage growth, which raised expectations that US interest rates might start to rise more quickly to tackle inflation.
Frankfurt’s Dax and Paris’s CAC were down 2.2% and 2% respectively.
London’s FTSE 100 was down 150 points or 2% at 7,184.74 in mid morning trade.
On February 5, the FTSE 100 closed at its lowest level since April 2017.
The falls follow some good years for investors.
Last year, the Dow Jones was up 25% and London’s FTSE 100 rose 7.6%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended closed 5% lower and South Korea’s Kospi index gave up 2.6%. Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 lost 3.2%.
Japan’s Nikkei saw steeper falls overnight, with a loss of some 7% at one point.
Unlike elsewhere in the world, where interest rates are beginning to or are expected to start rising, Japan’s immediate economic outlook remains stagnant. The authorities there said there was little chance of interest rates being increased.
Traders returned to their desk in the aftermath of Friday’s rout to another bout of selling.
That left the Dow Jones Industrial Average index down 1,175 points, or 4.6% at the end of Monday’s session to 24,345.75.
The decline was the largest in percentage terms for the Dow since August 2011, when markets dropped in the aftermath of “Black Monday” – the day Standard & Poor’s downgraded its credit rating of the US.
The drop on the Dow Jones was closely followed by the wider S&P 500 stock index, down 4.1% and the technology-heavy NASDAQ, which lost 3.7%.
However, the White House reassures investors saying it was focused on “long-term economic fundamentals, which remain exceptionally strong”.
Frasier actor John Mahoney, who played Martin Crane in the sitcom, has died at the age of 77 due to complications from cancer.
John Mahoney died on February 4 while in hospice care in Chicago.
He enjoyed a distinguished career in theatre, winning a Tony award, and had a long list of film and TV credits.
However, John Mahoney will be best remembered for playing the unpretentious, blunt father of Frasier and Niles Crane in the hit comedy, which ran for 11 seasons from 1993 to 2004.
John Mahoney won a SAG award in 2000 for the role, and was also nominated for two Emmys and two Golden Globes.
Much of the comic spark in Frasier came from the relationship between the down-to-earth retired police officer Martin Crane and his pompous sons Frasier and Niles, played by Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce.
John Mahoney was born in Blackpool, UK, where his pregnant mother had been evacuated to escape Nazi bombing raids.
He moved to the United States as a young man, serving in the US army for three years, which he credits with eradicating his native British accent.
It was only in his 40s that he became a professional actor, after actors John Malkovich and Gary Sinise invited him to join the new Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
John Mahoney was a member of Steppenwolf for 39 years – and became a well-known part of the Chicago theatre scene.
The company announced on social media that the actor had passed away “due to complications from cancer”.
It said in a statement: “John was a beloved member of our Steppenwolf family who was known for his extraordinary kindness, generosity of spirit and quick smile.”
In a 2004 interview with the Chicago Tribune, John Mahoney said he preferred his theatre work to the high-profile national television scene, saying: “I don’t care if I never go in front of a camera again.”
John Mahoney also lent his voice to a number of animated projects, including Atlantis: The Lost Empire, The Iron Giant and Antz.
The Defense Department, which has an annual budget of $700 billion, has reportedly never undergone a full audit.
President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans advocate billions of dollars in additional funding for the department.
According to the report, the audit raises concerns about how the agency handles its budget.
According to Politico, the DLA is one of the largest agencies in the Pentagon, employing 25,000 people with an annual budget of $40 billion.
The Pentagon’s annual budget exceeds half-a-trillion dollars.
Of the unaccounted money, $465 million was found to be used for construction projects for the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies, the report said.
The agency also failed to produce documentation for $100 million of computer systems.
The report covers the fiscal year that ended in September 2016.
North Korea’s head of state Kim Yong-nam will go to PyeongChang this week for the Winter Olympics.
Kim Yong-nam, 90, is the most senior official to ever visit South Korea.
North Korea confirmed his attendance at the opening ceremony, set for February 9.
Both Koreas will march under one flag at the opening ceremony.
Although Kim Yong-nam’s attendance at the Winter Olympics signals a thaw in relations between the Koreas, experts say it is unlikely to have any impact on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
Kim Yong-nam will be in South Korea for a three-day visit and will lead a 22-member delegation.
He has seen the rule of all three North Korean leaders in his career.
Kim Yong-nam is the ceremonial head of state who receives credentials from foreign diplomats in Pyongyang. As such, he is usually responsible for sending condolences or congratulatory messages to foreign leaders.
He has been the president of North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament, the Supreme People’s Assembly, since 1998.
Unlike North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Kim Yong-nam has traveled abroad on official visits. In August 2017, he travelled to Iran to attend President Hassan Rouhani’s inauguration ceremony for his second term in office.
Kim Yong-nam also attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia in 2014.
He is said to be a loyal follower of the top leadership.
“As Kim is known to be acting and speaking under the country’s guidance, he makes no mistakes. That’s why he could keep his high-level post in a country where political purges are common,” South Korea’s Yonhap news agency quoted one North Korean defector as saying.
South Korea has said it will seek high-level talks with the North Korean delegation during the visit, Yonhap reported.
Kim Yong-nam’s attendance at the opening ceremony will also put him in the company of Vice President Mike Pence, at a point of high tension with Washington over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
On February 4, the Washington Post reported that Fred Warmbier, whose son Otto Warmbier was jailed by North Korea and died days after returning to the United States, would attend the opening ceremony as a guest of VP Mike Pence.
Fred Warmbier and his wife, Cindy, were guests of President Donald Trump at last week’s State of the Union address.
On February 5, North Korea proposed sending an art troupe to the Games by ferry, a move that would require an exemption from bilateral sanctions.
According to South Korea’s unification ministry, Pyongyang proposed that its delegation use the Mangyongbong 92, a ferry that usually operates between North Korea and Russia, for transportation and as accommodation for the group.
All North Korean ships have been banned from entering South Korean ports since 2010.
South Korean ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun told a press conference: “We’re seeking to apply an exemption… to support a successful hosting of the Olympics.”
On February 4, the united Korean women’s ice hockey team played its first match, but lost the friendly against Sweden 1-3.
The outing was the first and only practice match for the newly minted Korean squad.
As well as the ice hockey players, North Korean athletes will compete in skiing and figure skating events. It is also sending hundreds of delegates, cheerleaders and performers.
North Korea currently faces growing international pressure and sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs after it conducted a series of missile tests designed to demonstrate its nuclear capability.
Its participation in the Olympics, which run from February 9 to 25, was an unexpected warming of ties.
Meanwhile, although South Korea and the US have agreed to delay the annual big joint military exercises which always enrage North Korea, they will still go ahead at the end of the Paralympics.
More than 100,000 people from across Greece have taken to the streets of Athens on February 4 in a protest about the decades-long dispute over the name Macedonia.
Many Greeks object to the country of the same name calling itself Macedonia, saying it implies a territorial claim on Greece’s northern Macedonia region.
They oppose Greek government proposals on resolving the issue.
Famous Zorba The Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, 92, was among those addressing the crowds.
On February 3, anarchists daubed red paint over Mikis Theodorakis’ home, but he was unfazed, declaring: “I am calm and ready.”
Protesters carrying Greek flags chanted “hands off Macedonia” and “Macedonia is Greece”, as they assembled in Syntagma Square outside parliament.
“Macedonia was, is and will forever be Greek,” Mikis Theodorakis told the huge crowds, adding that any suggestion of a name to resolve the dispute must be put to a referendum.
“If a government considers signing on behalf of our country… there is no doubt it must first ask the Greek people.”
Image source Wikimedia
The composer said the neighboring northern state was “illegitimate”.
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias recently received death threats when he said he expected the dispute to be resolved within months.
It is the second such protest in two weeks. On January 21, some 90,000 demonstrators rallied in Thessaloniki, the capital of the Macedonia region.
Organizers of February 4 protest estimated that 1.5 million people had attended but police said turnout was less than one tenth of that.
The dispute has simmered since Macedonia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 and it has held up its attempts to join NATO and the EU.
Greece’s left-wing Syriza government says the issue is a diplomatic obstacle it wants resolved and has proposed agreeing to a composite name for the country which would include the word Macedonia but ensure a clear differentiation from the Greek region.
Macedonia argues that its people can be traced back to the ancient kingdom of Macedon, once ruled by Alexander the Great, and that the name “Macedonia” is therefore the logical option.
However, PM Zoran Zaev said last month that Macedonia would change the name of its airport from Skopje Alexander the Great airport, to show good will.
The Greek Orthodox Church backs the campaign to stop Macedonia using any variant of the name.
In organizations such as the UN, where talks have been under way, Macedonia is officially known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
At home, the Macedonian government calls the country it administers simply “Republic of Macedonia”.
UN mediator Matthew Nimetz has suggested alternatives such as “Republic of New Macedonia”.
According to new reports, a proposal to name it “Republic of Macedonia-Skopje” was accepted by Greece but rejected by Macedonia.
Darts games require players to possess certain skills in order to perform well at them. It is not enough to just throw a dart and hope that it goes where you want it to go on the dart board. You need to have the right eye-to-hand coordination so that you can control where the dart will go before you throw it. Professional darts players have all trained themselves to perform in this way and you need to do the same if you want to get good at darts too.
Aim the Dart
When you throw a dart at a dartboard, you need to aim your dart at the area of the board that you want to hit. It is no different than if you were hunting in the woods and had to aim your rifle at your target. Think of a dartboard as your target and the dart is your weapon. You want to aim your weapon so that it hits the target. To successfully aim a dart, make sure your body is directly positioned in front of the dartboard. Step forward a little bit and use your dominant eye to focus on the area you want to hit. When you go to throw the dart, make sure the back of the dart is aligned with your dominant eye. Keep your arm at a 90° angle and use the force of your elbow to deliver power into the throw.
Chose a Good Dartboard
You could have the best darts skills in the world and still fail to strike a hit if you are playing with a low-quality dartboard. If you are just playing darts for fun on a magnetic dartboard or electronic dartboard, it tends to be harder for the dart to stick to the board if the tip doesn’t strike exactly right. You would be better off finding a high-quality bristle dartboard by visiting the darts blog website entitled Peak Picker. They have yearly recommendations of the best dart boards to use for both professional and recreational purposes.
Practice Regularly
Like any skill you want to perfect, improving your darts game requires you to practice playing darts on a regular basis. This doesn’t mean only playing darts a few days per week either. You need to play for a few hours every day to advance your game and possibly become as good as a professional player. It all depends on how much you want to improve your darts game. But, in any case, it is going to take practice.
Play with Other People
You should not always be playing darts alone. If you want to improve your game, then you need to practice playing darts with other people. This will prepare you for a real-life gaming scenario where you’re playing in actual team-based games or possibly even tournament games. Another benefit to playing with other people is that they may be more experienced at the game than you are. Because of this, they may lend you some pointers and tips on how to improve your game. Take all the advice you can get from players who are better than you. It can only help you get better.
Hold the Dart Properly
A dart is comprised of a pointy tip on the end, side barrel in the back of the tip, shaft stem in the back of the barrel, and the flight wings in the back of everything else. Any good darts player will hold the barrel area of the dart when they throw. You need to use a minimum of three fingers when you do this. However, a lot of professional players tend to use 4 or 5 fingers because it gives them additional control over their dart. The only downside is that it is harder to release the dart when you have more fingers holding it. Since everyone is different, you should experiment and see how many fingers works best for you. As for the grip, keep it firm without putting too much pressure on your finger muscles.
