NAHB Annual Conference Wraps Up 2011 Event in Orlando
It seems to me that most trade conferences have settled into a consistent rhythm—pre-conference classes and committee meetings, a trade show that lasts several days with a show floor and short seminars that attendees move between, and one or two big speeches that resemble tent revivals. I recently attended the International Builders Show, AKA IBS (which Leah Thayer pointed out also stands for irritable bowel syndrome), in Orlando, Florida. IBS used to be enormous—you could spend days walking the show floor and not see everything. Unfortunately for NAHB—but fortunately for attendees—the housing industry downturn has led to a much smaller and more manageable show.The good, the bad, the ugly, and a few just plain silly productsI spent a good portion of my three days in Orlando on the show floor, checking out both new and old products, and ran across a few that I think deserve mention. Just for fun, I’ll start with the silly stuff, some of which falls into the bad and ugly categories. Among the usual collection of windows, insulation, and other building products, I ran across a couple of very strange booths. My favorite goofy item was the plastic Tiki Hut structure on display. Close behind that was the booth full of enormous bronze sculptures. Other choice items were two different vinyl siding companies with “log” patterns, and plantation shutters with tiny little solar panels on each louver.On the good side, I ran across a product from Tech-Wood—a wood-polypropylene composite, available in lap siding and railing patterns, that looks promising. I was also impressed by the dedication to healthy housing shown by Push Design, a North Carolina company that specializes in natural building materials and techniques, including hemp insulation imported from England. I liked the Huber Engineered Woods booth, full of cool demonstrations of Zip System products’ performance. Zip System is apparently very well tested, although I still have some concerns about quality control in the field, as I do with most moisture management products. Ultra-Aire exhibited a line of whole house dehumidifiers with outside air intakes and MERV 8 filters. All units are ENERGY STAR rated and look promising, particularly for high-performance homes in humid climates. Cosella-Dorken continues to expand its Delta line of moisture management products, including new weather barriers and flashing tapes.Lightly attended seminarsI sat in on several seminars, most of which were sparsely attended. It may have been wishful thinking, but most of the sessions were held in rooms that were often more than 75% empty. Peter Pfeiffer and John Freer gave a solid talk on Effective Green Building and Design, providing both the architect’s and the contractor’s views on how to accomplish high-performance homes. Another presentation by Steve Bertasso about cost-effective green practices in affordable housing was basic, but mostly accurate. I appreciated the fact that he gave a pretty reasonable estimate of the cost of certification rather than throw out a lowball figure like many people do. Another good presentation about green scopes of work by Foster Lyons was eerily familiar to one I give about trade contractor management, but I guess great minds just think alike.The best presentations had the fewest presenters. One of the big problems I have with most conferences is the inconsistent quality of the seminars. There is too much beginner-level information, too much repetition, and—since few speakers are paid for their time, let alone their expenses—the quality is inconsistent.The verdictAs much as NAHB doesn’t like it, I think a smaller show is a better one. The show floor, while large, was still manageable, and people who came for a day had enough time to see just about everything. I think the seminar structure needs a major reworking to include fewer concurrent sessions and eliminate duplication. I would like to see more advanced sessions, and sets of sessions that combine into specific subject tracks that build on each other to provide a solid block of information. If I was in charge (and let’s be thankful I’m not), I would have fewer live seminars, have them all streaming live on the web as well as available for later viewing, keep the show floor size down, and move it to a better city—one that doesn’t require taxis and buses to get everywhere. It’s time for trade shows to rethink their structure and look for alternative ways to deliver their message, provide benefit for attendees, and make money.
How Intelligent Data Addresses the Chasm in Cloud One of the most common questions I hear about Google’s new Chromecast gadget is, “What can I watch on it?” That’s a fair question, considering that Google only mentioned a few streaming resources—primarily YouTube and Netflix—at its press event last week.That’s because only four services (see below) currently support the Google Cast technology that lets you beam streaming video straight to your TV from the Web, using a phone or tablet as a remote control. But you don’t have to rely on streaming providers to adopt Google Cast. You can also stream to Chromecast from the Chrome browser on a PC or Mac, thanks to a process Google calls tab casting.That expands your immediate horizons quite a bit. And app developers big and small are also looking to jump on the Chromecast bandwagon, which would further open things up. Related Posts adriana lee Casting from a computer is a stop-gap measure—some fill-in functionality to keep you going until more streaming companies support Chromecast directly. By the looks of it, a lot of them are interested in doing just that.That’s to Google’s credit. When it unveiled Chromecast, it also debuted a Google Cast software developer kit. With this SDK, app makers can easily build in Chromecast support for new and existing mobile and Web apps, says the tech giant, in less than 200 lines of code. If Google isn’t exaggerating things, that’s pretty simple.To recap, Google managed to release cheap streaming devices that are in high demand, and it appears to have paved the way for developers to climb onto the Chromecast bandwagon. So even if you’re disappointed by what Chromecast offers at this moment, the odds seem good that more streams will be flowing your way before much longer.Images by Madeleine Weiss for ReadWrite Tags:#cloud#connected TV#media#streaming Your current options, however, vary depending on your tech setup and other factors, so read on to see the breakdown of what you can watch, and how, using Chromecast.Streaming Resources That Support ChromecastGoogle devised a creative method of streaming that, upon demand, enables Chromecast to pull in the requested media directly from the Web. For services that support this, the TV streaming action starts by tapping a “cast” button or link that sits directly in those websites and/or mobile apps.Out of the box, the Chromecast works with a small group of “starter” services:Netflix – mobile app and websiteYouTube – mobile app and websiteGoogle Play Movies & TV – mobile app (Android only)Google Play Music – mobile app (Android only)Since these streams flow in from the Internet, there’s no major battery or performance hit for the originating smartphone, tablet or laptop. And those devices can control the playback, pause and volume rather easily. (See also: 10 Things You Need To Know About Google’s New Chromecast)Google doesn’t offer iOS apps for its own Play services, and oddly enough I couldn’t find a “cast” option on their websites. I did, however, manage to stream them from my laptop via tab casting.Resources That Work Via Tab Casting
Tab casting, a beta feature, essentially lets the Chromecast mirror one of your Chrome browser tabs. This allows you to play local files, shared online playlists and other streaming media websites.Via tab casting, in fact, you can watch (or listen to) a whole bunch of stuff, including:Amazon Instant Video; ABC; AOL; CBSCrackle; Fox; Google Plus photos/slideshowsHBO Go; Justin.tv; NBCMLB.TV; Pandora; Plex; Post TVQello; Rdio; Revision 3; SlackerSongza; Spotify; Vimeo Top Reasons to Go With Managed WordPress Hosting Cloud Hosting for WordPress: Why Everyone is Mo… See also: The Chromecast App Drought Breaks, Sort of, As Hulu Signs OnAnd much, much more. Coincidentally (or not), many of these streaming services are looking at Chromecast integration similar to what Netflix and YouTube offer. Google spotlighted Pandora, and HBO is looking into Chromecast support. Meanwhile, Plex, Redbox Instant and Vimeo, among others, are hinting (often broadly) at their interest as well. See also: 5 Cool Chromecast Hacks And WorkaroundsWhile all that Chromecast integration gets underway, what you need to know about tab casting is that it works on most streaming sites, excepting videos that use the Silverlight and Quicktime plugins. I tried Apple’s Quicktime-based online movie trailers, for instance, and the audio stubbornly stayed on the computer. It simply refused to pipe to the TV. [T]ab casting only works on tabs from Chrome’s desktop browser (for now); no mobile version on any platform can cast tabs.There are other catches as well. Tab casting works best if the source computer has decent processing power and works off a solid Wi-Fi network. Otherwise, lags and stutters will likely plague the stream. In addition, tab casting only works on tabs from Chrome’s desktop browser (for now); no mobile version on any platform can cast tabs.Tab-casted streams aren’t controllable via mobile devices either. You have to go back to the original computer to stop, pause or scrub the playback, and without benefit of a dedicated TV-oriented interface. File types can also make a big difference. Here’s what Google listed under “Supported Media Types”: All Google Cast devices at a minimum support the following media types:Video codecs: H.264 High Profile Level 4.1, 4.2 and 5, VP8 Audio decoding: HE-AAC, LC-AAC, CELT/OPUS, MP3 Containers: MP4/CENC, WebM, MPEG-DASH, SmoothStreaming Level 1 DRM support: Widevine, Playready Subtitles: TTML – Timed Text Markup Language WebVTT – Web Video Text TracksIf you’re not well-versed in audio or video codecs, here’s a general rule of thumb: In most cases, media that plays fine in a Chrome browser tab can be sent to and played by Chromecast. But also know that in some cases, audio playback could suffer somewhat. See also: Have Chromecast, Will Travel … Er, Maybe NotIf you have local files that Chrome won’t open, and can only play it in a separate standalone computer program, you could play it and cast your entire desktop to the TV. But this an act of desperation. Screen casting doesn’t pipe audio to Chromecast, and the stream can be buggy, especially if you don’t have a powerful computer. Still, if you’re so inclined, it’s something you can play around with. To try it, open the Chrome browser on your desktop, hit the “cast” extensions button, click the small arrow to release a drop-down menu, and choose “Cast entire screen (experimental).”More Will Come Streaming In Soon Serverless Backups: Viable Data Protection for …
You have no control over whether the CEO you have been working with on a deal leaves the company to start a new venture of their own the week they were supposed to sign your contract. Nor do you have any control over the fact that the rest of the CEO’s team decides to wait for the new CEO to make the final decision. You may have done everything right up to this point and still end up with a deal that is at risk.Your main contact is the CEO of the Problem you have been working on together, and she is taking your proposal to the Board of Directors for final approval, expecting that the signature is a formality. Neither of you have any idea that one of the board members has a personal and professional relationship with your competitor and that he is going to ask her to meet with them before the Board makes a decision.The company that you have been working on for just over three years is growing fast and capturing market share. They’re getting a lot of attention, including yours. The deal that you have been working on will help them accelerate their growth even more, and everyone believes it is the right next step. Your contacts were just notified that the company is being purchased and that they should not make any significant decisions or spend money now.Then, there is this: “We’ve had a change in priorities. We aren’t going to do anything here this year.”This list could on for a long time. There are innumerable variations of “deal killers” that, despite your very best efforts, can derail your deal—and your goals. Because this is true, the best thing you can do to prevent missing your goals is to hedge, to have enough deals that the loss of one deal doesn’t prevent you from reaching them. The bigger the deal you are working on, the greater your need to hedge.There is part of selling that is opportunity capture, doing the work to win new opportunities. This is the part most salespeople love. There is another part, however, that doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves, nor does it command enough time and energy, and that is opportunity creation. This is the part that starts with prospecting.Because there are downside risks that are unavoidable, protecting yourself from the hand of fate requires the hedge that is creating enough opportunities to offset your risks. Get the Free eBook! Learn how to sell without a sales manager. Download my free eBook! You need to make sales. You need help now. We’ve got you covered. This eBook will help you Seize Your Sales Destiny, with or without a manager. Download Now
A woman who went into labour while she was on her way to hospital lost her newborn child allegedly due to lack of stretchers late on Monday night. An “out-of-order” elevator at Aurangabad’s Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) further forced her to climb the stairs to reach the labour room.The furore over the alleged negligence prompted the State Health Ministry on Wednesday to order a probe. “It is an unfortunate incident and we are gathering details about what transpired. I have ordered a probe and if the authorities are found guilty, they will be investigated against,” said State Health Minister Eknath Shinde.According to reports, the woman, a resident of neighbouring Jalna district, was with her mother in Aurangabad city when she started experiencing labour pains. Her relatives said there were no ward boys or stretchers at GMCH when they reached the hospital. The lift also was not working, forcing her to climb the stairs to reach the labour room on the third floor. Her relatives allege that she delivered the child while climbing the stairs and that the baby slipped, fell on the floor, and died. However, GMCH Medical Superintendent Kailash Jine, while acknowledging the shortage of stretchers, said it could not be confirmed whether the baby indeed slipped on the floor and died due to injuries.Meanwhile, the incident drew sharp condemnation from the opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress.“This is extremely shocking…the sheer ineptness of the GMCH has resulted in a traumatic experience for the lady and her family. Unless the government takes stern action against the hospital, the Congress will agitate on the streets,” said Abdul Sattar, Congress MLA from Sillod in Aurangabad.“It appears that the State Government’s medical provision system is on a ventilator,” said NCP spokeperson Chitra Wagh.Ms. Wagh said that the GCMH was notorious for its decrepit instrumentation and lack of amenities and that this incident had merely underscored its dysfunctional state once again.“The hospital is frequently short of medicines due to lack of governmental funds while its two CT scan machines are out of order. At least 30 of its 84 ventilators are not serviceable,” Ms. Wagh said, hitting out at the inefficiency of the ruling BJP government and its health schemes for the poor.
A local court here has sentenced a former Indian Air Force sergeant to death for the murder of a 27-year-old corporal in February 2017. Additional District and Sessions Judge Kanwaljeet Singh Bajwa sentenced Sailesh Kumar to death for the murder of Vipin Shukla of U.P. when both were posted at Bhisiana Air Force Station. The verdict was pronounced on Friday, officials said. The court also sentenced Kumar’s wife to five years’ rigorous imprisonment for destruction of evidence. The corporal had gone missing in February 2017. After thirteen days, his body was found chopped and packed in polythene bags, as per the police’s investigation. The Sessions Judge observed the accused, a member of the armed forces, should have shown courage in some other field, “in place of butchery”. He said, “It would be a mockery of justice and the conscience of society would be shocked, if death penalty was not awarded to him as his act was abhorrent and dastardly.
Raghunandan Yandamuri, an Indian techie from Vizag who was on a H-1B visa in the United States, will be executed on Feb. 23, 2018 for the murders of an old woman and her 10-month-old granddaughter, for which he was arrested in 2012. However, there is a moratorium on executions in Pennsylvania and he may get a reprieve.Yandamuri was convicted of the murder of Satyavathi Venna, 61, by stabbing her and infant Saanvi Venna. He was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel signed a “Notice of Execution” on Jan. 8, 2018, setting Friday, Feb. 23, as the date for Yandamuri. He is scheduled to die by lethal injection. However, Pennsylvania has not executed anyone on death row since 1999.He is the first Indian American to receive death penalty. Yandamuri, now 32, is being held without bail at the Greene State Correctional Institution, a maximum security prison at Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. He had said that he panicked and the deaths were accidental. During the trial, he acted as his own lawyer.In 2012, he had entered the apartment of Venkata and Latha Venna, who were at work. Satyavathi was in the house with the infant. The man stabbed Satyavathi to kidnap the child and seek ransom of $50,000 from the parents. The parents had found a ransom note in the house after the child went missing. The note had nicknames for the parents used by very few people.Yandamuri had planned to kidnap Saanvi, but covered her mouth to stop her from crying and stuffed her in a suitcase. He then left her at a sauna in the same apartment building where he lived with his wife Komali, and in which the Vennas also lived.The baby died of suffocation in the suitcase. The baby was found after a three-day search conducted by the police and the local community, in which Yandamuri also helped distribute flyers for the missing child. His wife was pregnant when the murders took place.He was arrested at a local gambling casino, and it came to light that he owed $35,000 in debts and had filed for bankruptcy when he was working in Northern California.Yandamuri was convicted in 2014 for the murders and asked that death penalty be imposed on him. However, he later appealed the sentence saying that two other men were involved in the murders and kidnapping but lost the appeal in April 2017. His death sentence was upheld. Related ItemsIndian AmericanPennsylvaniaUnited States
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As paddy harvesting has gathered momentum in Punjab, the key grain producing State, as many as 3,307 cases of stubble fire incidents have been reported till October 21, as against 2,564 incidents in the corresponding period last year.The government data is based on the satellite aggregation during the ongoing kharif season, between October 1 till October 21.Tarn Taran tops listDistrict Tarn Taran has seen the highest number of farm fire cases at 705, while Amritsar with 500 cases is at the second spot. Patiala district recorded as many as 431 cases to be at the third place on the list, according to the Punjab Pollution Control Board. Stubble burning, close to the autumn season every year, has been a key contributing factor of pollution in the air and breathing problems among people across the northern region, including New Delhi.K.S. Pannu, Secretary, Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Punjab, told The Hindu that the reason behind the higher number of fire cases has been the decision to advance the date of paddy sowing this season, a week earlier than the scheduled date of June 20.Early harvest“Consequently, harvesting of the crop has also started early this time. And because of this, the number of farm fires this year, as against the corresponding period last year, is higher. I am sure that the final figure of the fire cases and burnt area would be lower than previous years at the end of the season,” he said.For management of paddy straw without burning, the Centre and the State government are providing subsidised agro-machines and equipment to farmers and cooperative societies. Yet farmers continue to burn crop residue claiming lack of alternatives.“The government should first compensate us and then ask us to refrain from burning crop residue. We should be given a bonus of ₹100 per quintal on paddy or paid ₹3,000 per acre as compensation for expenses incurred on the alternative means of stubble burning,” said Harinder Singh, general secretary of the Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal). He said that if farmers are not suitably compensated for stubble burning, the outfit will launch an agitation.No challaans issuedMeanwhile, the State government has so far not issued any ‘challaan’ to those farmers who have been defying the ban on stubble burning. The ban and action against people burning crop residue is regulated under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.“All those defying the ban are being identified and the process is under way. Our role is to identify the location and inform the local administration at the district level and compile reports, which we are doing. The action against them by issuing ‘challaan’ will be initiated soon,” said Karunesh Garg, PPCB member secretary.In 2016, Punjab witnessed 84,000 incidents of stubble fire while in 2017, a dip was seen with the number of cases at 46,000. In 2018, the fire incidents were close to 50,000, according to the government data.Positive responseMr. Garg said the problem of stubble burning will eventually be resolved as farmers over the years have started giving positive response to the government’s appeal. “The burnt area figure, which is compiled at the end of the season gives the actual ground reality about farm fires. Last year, the burnt area had decreased by 9.95% in comparison to 2017. It’s a positive development and gradually the problem will subside,” he said.As paddy harvesting has gathered momentum, farmers in the State are facing the challenge of managing nearly 20 million tonnes of paddy straw. Paddy has been sown in nearly 29.20 lakh hectares this season. It is estimated that over 15 million tonnes of paddy straw is burnt in the open fields to clear the land for sowing wheat or other crops.
Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox – subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what’s happening in the world around you – in real time. The champions of Europe and the champions of England will clash when Liverpool host Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday night. The Premier League 2019 Liverpool vs Manchester City fixture will be played at the Anfield stadium. Liverpool, who haven’t lost a home game in the league since April 2017, will look to diminish Manchester City’s hope of a third successive Premier League crown. Meanwhile, Manchester City will eye for an early advantage when they take on the Reds. The Liverpool vs Manchester City, Premier League game will begin at 10 pm.Hailing Liverpool’s fighting spirit, City coach Pep Guardiola said, ahead of his side’s Champions League clash, “What Liverpool have is an incredible quality to fight right until the end.” On the other hand, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports, ” We are at matchday 12 so obviously there are some games to come. We know about the City situation last year where we only lost one game and that was decisive in the end.”For Liverpool, Joel Matip will miss the crucial fixture due to knee injury that he had picked against Manchester United last month. Jordan Henderson is expected to feature in playing XI.The reigning champions will be without the services of Leroy Sane, Rodri, Aymeric Laporte, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and David Silva.Premier League 2019 Liverpool predicted line-up vs Manchester City: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane.Premier League 2019 Manchester City predicted line-up vs Liverpool: Bravo; Walker, Stones, Fernandinho, Mendy; De Bruyne, Gundogan, Bernardo; Mahrez, Aguero, SterlingWhere to watch Premier League 2019 Liverpool vs Manchester City match live in India (TV channels)?Liverpool will host rivals Manchester City at 10:00 PM on Sunday. The PL 2019 Liverpool vs Manchester City will be played at the Anfield Stadium. The Premier League Liverpool vs Manchester City game live telecast will be on Star Sports Select HD1 channels in India.How and where to watch online PL 2019 Liverpool vs Manchester City match live streaming?Leicester City vs Arsenal live stream will be available on Hotstar app and hotstar.com website in India for premium users. Anfieldjurgen kloppliverpoolmanchester city First Published: November 10, 2019, 1:05 PM IST
ST. LOUIS — Adam Wainwright was warm enough on a cool day, allowing one run in six innings for his 150th career victory, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.Last year’s MVP, Christian Yelich, had most of the day off but still had a chance to rescue the Brewers. He came up as a pinch-hitter with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, but Jordan Hicks struck him out to pick up his seventh save in eight chances.Wainwright (2-2) matched his season low in runs allowed, and it was his first quality start in a game with a starting temperature of 60 degrees or cooler since May 27, 2017.St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, left, talks with pitching coach Mike Maddux after working the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)Marcell Ozuna and Yadier Molina homered for the Cardinals as part of a four-run fourth. Ozuna’s three-run homer extended his on-base streak to 14 games, and it was his 17th career homer against the Brewers, the most he’s had against any opponent.Molina’s blast extended his 12-game hitting streak, tying him with Paul DeJong for the longest by a Cardinal this season. Paul Goldschmidt got the rally started with a single, extending his hitting streak to 11 games.St. Louis’ three-game sweep of Milwaukee was its first against its NL Central rival since July 1-3, 2016. The teams have already played 10 times this season, and Wednesday’s result evened the season series at 5-5. They combined for 45 home runs in the 10 games.Jhoulys Chacin (2-3) lasted four innings, allowing four runs on five hits. Zach Davies on April 13 was the last Brewers pitcher to turn in a quality start.Brewers starters have gone 8-7 with a 5.84 ERA this season, and they are the only team in the NL whose starters average less than five innings per game. Help is coming soon, however, in the form of left-hander Gio González, who has agreed to a one-year contract with Milwaukee, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the agreement had not been announced.Eric Thames homered in the first for Milwaukee. The team’s last 23 runs have come via the home run.BADER’S BACKBefore the game, the Cardinals activated OF Harrison Bader (right hamstring strain) from the 10-day injured list and optioned RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon to Triple-A Memphis.TRAINER’S ROOMBrewers: Yelich (rest) wasn’t in the starting lineup for the first time this season.Cardinals: OF Tyler O’Neill (right elbow ulnar nerve sublaxion) went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts in his first rehab game at Double-A Springfield on Tuesday night.UP NEXTBrewers: RHP Chase Anderson (2-0, 3.00 ERA) will get the start as Milwaukee continues its trip against the Mets on Friday. Anderson is 2-2 with a 3.94 ERA in six career starts against the Mets.Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (2-1, 4.97) kicks off a three-game set against the visiting Reds and RHP Anthony DeSclafani (0-1, 5.59) on Friday. Mikolas gave up a pair of runs in eight innings on Saturday, becoming the first St. Louis starter this season to record an out beyond the sixth inning.By: Joe Harris, Associated PressTweetPinShare0 Shares
Since you’re here… Shocks come in so many gradations in tennis these days that even the first-round exit of the defending champion, Angelique Kerber, at the precocious hands of the 19-year-old Japanese Naomi Osaka in 65 minutes on day two was less seismic than the departure of Johanna Konta on day one.The fragile German has tumbled to No6 in the world and arrived in disarray after losing in the second round in Cincinnati. Her confidence looks shot to pieces and Osaka, a talent ranked No45, was relentless in recording the biggest win of her career, 6-3, 6-1, under the new roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Kerber’s second serve let her down badly and she could not get the ball moving from hand at more than 95mph. Osaka was pinging them down at 108mph and struck 22 clean winners. Share via Email Kerber, indeed, was not among the favourites nor even one of the eight players capable of finishing the tournament as world No1. She has had a desperately uneven time of it since last year.By failing to reach the Wimbledon final this summer she had already surrendered her No1 ranking. Karolina Pliskova – who lost to Kerber in last year’s final but is now at the summit of the game – vies with Garbiñe Muguruza, the Wimbledon champion, as favourite here.Pliskova also had the benefit of the roof as steady rain wiped out the rest of the card on uncovered courts. She beat the Pole Magda Linette, 72 in the world, 6-2, 6-1 in an hour and 19 minutes. The Czech said: “Before every first-round match I’m a little bit nervous but especially in a grand slam – and especially having to defend so many points from the final last year. My serve could be better but, overall, I think it was solid.”On a wet, dull Tuesday only a handful of matches were completed. Rafael Nadal got his campaign off to a reasonable start, beating the 27-year-old Serb Dusan Lajovic 7-6 (6), 6-2, 6-2 in two and a quarter hours.The Spaniard, aiming for his third title here, has dipped a little since winning his 10th French Open, blowing up at Wimbledon, going out in the third round in Montreal and inheriting Andy Murray’s No1 ranking by reaching the quarter-finals in Cincinnati, where he lost to Nick Kyrgios.He is looking for his championship tennis but was comfortable enough against Lajovic, ranked 85 in the world. He came desperately close to losing the first set, coming back from 3-5 down and holding his opponent at bay when he was serving for the frame.Among the scheduling casualties on Tuesday was Britain’s Aljaz Bedene, whose match on an outside court against the Russian Andrey Rublev was among the contests postponed until Wednesday.They are second on, while his compatriots Kyle Edmund and Cameron Norrie play their second-round matches at the tail-end of the day’s programme. Support The Guardian US sports US Open: Nadal through in straight sets, Kerber crashes out – as it happened Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Read more US Open tennis
news Topics Share on Messenger Share on WhatsApp Tennis … we have a small favour to ask. More people, like you, are reading and supporting the Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism than ever before. And unlike many news organisations, we made the choice to keep our reporting open for all, regardless of where they live or what they can afford to pay.The Guardian will engage with the most critical issues of our time – from the escalating climate catastrophe to widespread inequality to the influence of big tech on our lives. At a time when factual information is a necessity, we believe that each of us, around the world, deserves access to accurate reporting with integrity at its heart.Our editorial independence means we set our own agenda and voice our own opinions. Guardian journalism is free from commercial and political bias and not influenced by billionaire owners or shareholders. This means we can give a voice to those less heard, explore where others turn away, and rigorously challenge those in power.We hope you will consider supporting us today. We need your support to keep delivering quality journalism that’s open and independent. Every reader contribution, however big or small, is so valuable. Support The Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. Share on Pinterest Share on Twitter Reuse this content
About the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say Chelsea boss Sarri pleased with matchwinner Kante: He’s improvingby Paul Vegas10 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveChelsea boss Maurizio Sarri was delighted with matchwinner N’Golo Kante for victory at Crystal Palace.The midfielder struck the only goal of the game.Sarri stated: “He has to think about the defence first of all. Then he is improving, especially in movements without the ball. His movement today was really very good and was done with the right timing.”When we have to play against opponents who are very low, it’s difficult for the striker and wingers to find space. So for us the midfielders’ movement without the ball is very important.”Now we have to work on Loftus-Cheek and on Barkley. Loftus-Cheek especially is a great player with the ball, but he can improve a lot in his movement without the ball.” 
No chance of bilateral cricket with Pakistan after Pulwama: Sourav GangulySourav Ganguly said that International Cricket Council will not be able hold the 2019 World Cup without India participating. The former India captain also said there is no chance of India-Pakistan anymoreadvertisement India Today Web Desk New DelhiFebruary 20, 2019UPDATED: February 20, 2019 20:48 IST Sourav Ganguly called for the BCCI to take a strong action (Reuters Photo)HIGHLIGHTSSourav Ganguly said ther is no chance of bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan anymoreGanguly feels that ICC will find it difficult to have a World Cup with India participatingGanguly also said that the Indian goverment needs to take strong action after Pulwama terror attackSourav Ganguly ruled out any possibility of India playing Pakistan in bilateral cricket after the Pulwama terror attack. The former India captain also said that he completely understands the reaction of Indians, saying he too feels the same.”Whatever happened in Pulwama last week was really sad…it is the worst possible thing that could ever happen. And, whatever reactions came from the people of India…was right. There is no chance of a bilateral series with Pakistan after this incident,” Sourav Ganguly was quoted as saying by a media channel.”I can also understand the sentiments of people asking India not to play Pakistan in the World Cup and I feel the government should take strong action on this issue. The after effect of this should be strong from India,” Ganguly added.Sourav Ganguly also said that the fact is BCCI under the control of the Supreme Court almost renders itself powerless at the moment and are not in a position to take any strong action.”I don’t think anything is left in BCCI after the Supreme Court situation. There are no office bearers left to take a decision but I feel that BCCI should take a strong decision on the issue and send a strong no nonsense message.””This is a 10-team World Cup and every team plays every team and I feel if India doesn’t play a match in the World Cup, it won’t be an issue,” Ganguly added.With the calls for India to boycott Pakistan in the 2019 World Cup growing, Sourav Ganguly chose to stay pragmatic. He explained to India TV that it would be really difficult for ICC to have a World Cup tournament without India.advertisement”ICC can’t go on with a World Cup without India and I feel it will be really difficult for ICC to go on with a World Cup without India. But, you also have to see if India have the power to stop ICC from doing such a thing,” Ganguly said.”But, I feel a strong message should be sent,” Ganguly added.Also Read | India should put pressure on ICC to throw Pakistan out of the World Cup: Chetan ChauhanAlso Read | World Cup not more important than the country, say Harbhajan and AzharuddinAlso Read | What will be the worth of a World Cup if India haven’t beaten Pakistan? Aakash ChopraFor sports news, updates, live scores and cricket fixtures, log on to indiatoday.in/sports. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for Sports news, scores and updates.Get real-time alerts and all the news on your phone with the all-new India Today app. Download from Post your comment Do You Like This Story? Awesome! Now share the story Too bad. Tell us what you didn’t like in the comments Tags :Follow Sourav GangulyFollow India vs PakistanFollow 2019 ICC World CupFollow Pulwama terror attack
Press Trust of India KarachiAugust 2, 2019UPDATED: August 2, 2019 18:42 IST Hasan Ali is getting married on August 20, 2019 in Dubai. (IANS Photo)HIGHLIGHTSHasan Ali has confirmed he is marrying Shamia Arzoo in Dubai on August 20Hasan Ali said that the couple’s families wanted their marriage to be a low key affairHasan will be the 4th Pakistan cricketer to marry an Indian girlEnding speculations surrounding his marriage with an Indian national, Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali on Friday said that he is tying the knot with Shamia Arzoo in Dubai on August 20.The Dubai-based woman is a flight engineer with Emirates Airlines, while her family members are settled in New Delhi.”Our families wanted to keep this a low key affair but since the matter has come out in the media I have decided to make an official announcement to ensure they are no speculations surrounding my marriage,” Hasan told a news conference in his hometown, Gujranwala, where Shamia will reside post marriage.”Our nikah will be solemnized on 20th August while the Rukhsati will take place three months later and we plan to stay in Gujranwala after marriage,” he said.Shamia holds a degree in Aeronautics from Manav Rachna University and has also studied in England.”I will be wearing a black and red sherwani suit while she will be dressed in Indian style,” he added.Hasan said he had met with Shamia one year ago in Dubai and their friendship had grown since that meeting.”I was the one who first expressed my love for her and proposed to her and then our families took over,” he said with a smile.Hasan is the fourth Pakistani cricketer to get hitched with an Indian girl, after Zaheer Abbas, Mohsin Khan and Shoaib Malik.Malik married Indian tennis star Sania Mirza in April 2010 and the couple has a son. Former captain Zaheer Abbas was the first Pakistani player to marry an Indian woman.advertisementAlso Read | ‘Nothing confirmed yet’: Hasan Ali on marriage news with Indian girlAlso Read | Hasan Ali set to marry Indian girl in DubaiFor sports news, updates, live scores and cricket fixtures, log on to indiatoday.in/sports. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for Sports news, scores and updates.Get real-time alerts and all the news on your phone with the all-new India Today app. Download from Post your comment Do You Like This Story? Awesome! Now share the story Too bad. Tell us what you didn’t like in the comments Posted byAjay Tiwari Tags :Follow Hasan AliFollow Pakistan cricketFollow Shoaib Malik Getting married on August 20, hope this ends speculations: Hasan AliPakistan speedster Hasan Ali has ended all speculations regarding his marriage by declaring that he is marrying Shamia Arzoo in Dubai on August 20.advertisement
zoom The liquefied natural gas tanker British Merchant, owned by UK-based oil and gas major BP Plc, will be the first LNG tanker to transit the Expanded Panama Canal in late July, according to Bloomberg.Featuring 138,000 cbm, the tanker will start its journey from the Caribbean Port of Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago, where it is currently anchored, according to AIS data provided by Marine Traffic.The 75,059 dwt vessel was built by South Korea’s shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries in 2003.The Expanded Panama Canal is capable of serving the LNG carriers coming out of Trinidad and Tobago with destination Chile, as these vessels will now be able to go through the new waterway, saving hundreds of sea miles.The Panama Canal Authority estimated that the new canal could see about 20 million tons of LNG pass through it on an annual basis, equivalent to some 300 ships a year, Bloomberg writes.Panama Canal Administrator and CEO Jorge L. Quijano, earlier said that there are currently “170 reservations for Neopanamax ships, commitments of two new liner services to the Expanded Canal, and a reservation for the first LNG vessel.”The USD 5.25 billion canal’s locks are 70 feet wider and 18 feet deeper than those in the original canal, and they use less water due to water-savings basins that recycle 60 percent of the water used per transit.World Maritime News Staff
Horgan’s government has been fighting the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline – which got the green light from the federal government in late 2016 – and Notley’s government views the move as a back door way to kill the project by strangling its financial viability.Notley and Bilous have said the Trans Mountain expansion is critical because Alberta’s crude oil sells at a sharp discount on the North American market due to pipeline bottlenecks and to a lack of access to a better price on overseas markets.“The cost to the Canadian economy is significant,” said Bilous.“We have one buyer, which is the U.S., (and) the differential is somewhere around $30 (US a barrel). We’ve lost out on billions of dollars.” The Trans Mountain expansion would triple the amount of oil shipped from Alberta to a terminal in Burnaby.The $7.4-billion Kinder Morgan Canada project has faced delays despite the federal approval.In December, the National Energy Board stepped in to announce it would allow Kinder Morgan to bypass permit delays in Burnaby. Over the weekend, Horgan’s government announced it will challenge that decision in the Federal Court.Along with the wine ban, Notley has also retaliated by scuttling talks to buy $500 million worth of electricity from B.C. She has also struck a 19-member task force of politicians, academics, finance and business leaders to find other ways to put pressure on B.C.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has made it clear the project will go ahead and that Ottawa has the final say on pipelines. Federal officials have been meeting with their B.C. counterparts and Notley has promised further retaliatory measures this week if there is no progress on resolving the impasse. B.C. upped the ante Monday in its cross-boundary trade dispute with Alberta, by invoking the dispute settlement process over the wine ban under Canada’s free-trade agreement.Under the agreement, the two sides have four months to resolve the dispute before an arbitration panel kicks in.Bilous said Alberta won’t even come to the table unless B.C. reverses its decision to refuse additional oil from Alberta while it studies spill safety.“B.C. has really one option, and that is for them to smarten up (and) realize that what they’re doing is unconstitutional,” said Bilous. “A province cannot dictate what goes in a pipeline. That is a federal jurisdiction. They need to acknowledge that, recognize it and ensure that this pipeline moves forward.”The wine ban, imposed Feb. 6 by Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, affects $70 million worth of wine from B.C. a year _ about 17 million bottles.The dispute began three weeks ago, when B.C. Premier John Horgan’s government announced it would not take additional levels of crude from Alberta until it could be sure there are measures in place to handle spill safety.
EDMONTON, A.B. — Alberta’s economic development minister is shrugging off a legal challenge filed by British Columbia over Alberta’s ban on B.C. wine.Deron Bilous says the potential fine Alberta faces for violating free trade rules is a pittance when set against the stakes of the Trans Mountain pipeline issue.“Let’s compare the (maximum) $5 million in a fine versus the billions of dollars of investment and the thousands of jobs,” Bilous told reporters at the legislature Tuesday. “We know what our priority is, and that’s getting this pipeline built.”
Sipho Nkosi, Exxaro CEO, has been awarded the Brigadier Stokes Memorial Award at the general meeting of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) in Johannesburg. This is presented to an individual for the very highest achievement in the South African mining and metallurgical industry. Nkosi was recognised for his substantial contribution to the South African minerals industry over many years and for his leadership role within South African society.The award was instituted in 1980 by SAIMM to commemorate Brigadier Stokes’ outstanding and unique contribution to the South African mining industry over a long period. The first award went to Harry Oppenheimer and since then the institute has bestowed the award on well-known persons in the mining and metallurgical industry. Exxaro board members Dr Con Fauconnier and Rick Mohring are previous recipients.Exxaro is one of the largest South African-based diversified resources groups, with interests in the coal, titanium dioxide, ferrous and energy commodities and current operations and projects in South Africa, Botswana, Republic of Congo, China and Australia. The group is the second-largest coal producer in South Africa with current production of 39 Mt/y. It is listed on the JSE Limited, and is a constituent of the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) index.
The Ma’aden aluminium project in Saudi Arabia, a joint venture between the Saudi Arabian Mining Co (Ma’aden) and light metals leader Alcoa, will be the world’s largest vertically integrated mine-to-metal complex. The alumina refinery at Ras Al-Khair is the first refinery to be constructed and operated in the region. Hatch’s patented multi-cell jacketed pipe heater (tube) digestion technologies are at the refinery’s core.In December 2014, the 1.8 Mt/y greenfield alumina refinery, located on the Arabian Gulf Coast, successfully produced its first alumina from Saudi Arabian bauxite.In preparation for the complete refinery start-up, Hatch provided operational readiness support including operating manuals and Safe Work Instructions (SWIs) and hands-on commissioning assistance for the integrated digestion and evaporation facility. Timely and safe digestion start-up was facilitated by Hatch alumina professionals with extensive technical and operating experience in new refinery start-ups and operation of facilities.During the commissioning and start-up phase, Hatch also worked closely with the Ma’aden control room operators to develop simple, practical tools to help them manage operation of the tube digestion technology. Experienced Hatch alumina specialists also provided operational readiness services for several other refinery facilities, including preparation of commissioning plans, operations manuals, SWIs, and hands-on training for operations personnel.Hatch’s state-of-the-art tube digestion technology is part of the core process at the Ma’aden refineryIn addition, Hatch provided asset management support services for all mine and refinery facilities. The Hatch team developed a proactive, risk-averse, holistic, and easy-to-integrate asset management program (AMP). The AMP was implemented before the refinery start-up to enable optimum asset performance from the first day of operations, without compromising safety or the environment.The scope of the AMP development included equipment hierarchy, maintenance strategies, and procedures using Hatch eGateway.ASD™. The AMP developed fit-for-purpose, shared solutions through a collaborative process with the Ma’aden maintenance and operations teams.Hatch personnel completed facility walk-rounds and physically audited and listed more than 15,000 refinery assets on the very busy, complex construction site. The goal was to be operationally ready as quickly as possible while maintaining global safety standards through deployment of best maintenance practices and alumina refining expertise. The team completed criticality analyses across all the refinery assets based on risk to safety, production, and environmental effects. This was followed by facilitated workshops at site on failure modes and effects critical analysis (FMECA) and development of the maintenance task list as the basis for the maintenance strategies.The result is a complete asset hierarchy, populated and uploaded to Ma’aden’s Oracle eAM asset management system, in time for the “go live” date. This includes 55 area-specific equipment management strategies, 3,500 maintenance activities (tasks required for jobs planning) uploaded to Oracle eAM, and 585 work instructions and procedures for critical assets.Ma’aden considers the overall refinery start-up a success. This is a significant element of Saudi Arabia’s national strategy to diversify its industrial base, reduce reliance on oil and gas–based industries, and increase skills transfer and employment opportunities for Saudi nationals.www.hatch.ca