zoomIllustration. Source: Pixabay under CC0 Creative Commons license The Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil chokepoint, remained in focus following attacks on two tankers on June 13.The recent attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman, that saw Frontline and BSM Ship Management (Singapore) vessels damaged by limpet mines, raised concerns over the security of transit in the area.During 2018, the strait recorded an oil flow average of 21 million barrels per day (b/d), or the equivalent of about 21% of global petroleum liquids consumption.“The inability of oil to transit a major chokepoint, even temporarily, can lead to substantial supply delays and higher shipping costs, resulting in higher world energy prices. Although most chokepoints can be circumvented by using other routes that add significantly to transit time, some chokepoints have no practical alternatives,” the U.S. Energy Information Administration said.Volumes of crude oil, condensate, and petroleum products transiting the Strait of Hormuz have been fairly stable since 2016, when international sanctions on Iran were lifted and Iran’s oil production and exports returned to pre-sanctions levels.Flows through the Strait of Hormuz in 2018 made up about one-third of total global seaborne traded oil. More than one-quarter of global liquefied natural gas trade also transited the Strait of Hormuz in 2018.EIA further explained that, if the recent attacks affect the transits, relevant companies would have limited options to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Only Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pipelines that can ship crude oil outside the Persian Gulf and have the additional pipeline capacity to circumvent the Strait of Hormuz.Based on tanker tracking data published by ClipperData, Saudi Arabia moves the most crude oil and condensate through the Strait of Hormuz, most of which is exported to other countries.EIA estimates that 76% of the crude oil and condensate that moved through the Strait of Hormuz went to Asian markets in 2018. China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore were the largest destinations for crude oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz to Asia, accounting for 65% of all Hormuz crude oil and condensate flows in 2018.Amid fears of further attempts at obstructing the traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. said it would send an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East as tensions build with Iran.Additionally, the Indian Navy confirmed that it deployed two vessels in the Gulf of Oman “to re-assure India-flagged vessels operating/ transiting through Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman following the maritime security incidents in the region.”The latest attack came a month after four tankers were subjected to sabotage near United Arab Emirates territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman. The earlier incidents occurred east of Fujairah, one of the world’s largest bunkering hubs situated outside the Strait of Hormuz. read more
New Delhi: Christian Michel, the alleged middleman arrested in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper scam, moved a court here on Wednesday seeking bail in cases filed by the CBI and the ED.Special Judge Arvind Kumar issued notice to both the agencies and directed them to file their response by August 19, when the court will hear the matter. In his plea, Michel said the investigation regarding him was over and no useful purpose would be served by keeping him in further incarceration. Also Read – Uddhav bats for ‘Sena CM'”The evidence in the present case is primarily and predominantly documentary in nature and is already in their (agencies’) custody/possession or filed before the court. “Furthermore, it is clear that nothing stands to be recovered or discovered at the instance of the accused herein,” the plea said. No particular materials were produced before the court till date to substantiate the allegation levelled against him, Michel said. He further said he would be available to join the probe as and when required. “Applicant will continue to remain available for investigation. It is submitted that there is no scope for any doubt or apprehension with regard to the applicant’s availability in future before this court. “Applicant has made no attempt to suborn the witnesses, tamper with the documentary evidence or, in any other manner, pollute or obstruct the judicial process,” the application said. Also Read – Farooq demands unconditional release of all detainees in J&KMichel, a British national, was taken into custody by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on December 5 last year after his extradition from Dubai, while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) took him into custody on December 22 last year. He is currently in judicial custody in both the cases. Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the Rs 3,600-crore chopper scam by the two central agencies. Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa are the other two. The agencies had told the court Michel made 24.25 million euros and 1,60,96,245 pounds from the now scrapped AgustaWestland deal. The CBI has alleged that the deal signed in February 2010 to supply VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros caused an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the state exchequer. read more
HALIFAX – Environment Canada is warning south-facing coastlines of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are going to get a little rough as Hurricane Gert brushes parts of the southern Grand Banks.It says the storm will have no direct effect on land, but waves will pound parts of the provinces’ Atlantic coasts starting Wednesday.It warns “rip currents are likely” and says the public — especially swimmers — should exercise caution as the storm moves into the region.Swells could reach up to two metres along Nova Scotia’s Atlantic coast later on Wednesday into Thursday, while swells of two to four metres are expected along the south-facing coastlines of Newfoundland on Thursday.Environment Canada says “significant wave heights” of three to five metres are likely over the Grand Banks on Thursday.It adds some tropical moisture from Gert could feed into an existing non-tropical weather system over the region later Wednesday or Thursday. read more
Facebook Advertisement Whether it takes home gold at Sunday’s Canadian Screen Awards, The Amazing Race Canada has already won the popular vote.The reality TV series has taken the Golden Screen Award in its category for the fourth year in a row.It’s a two-peat, meanwhile, in the drama category for Murdoch Mysteries. Twitter Contestants Ivana Krunic and Korey Sam during a particularly gross challenge involving cockroaches on last season’s The Amazing Race Canada. The show has won another Golden Screen Award. (BELL MEDIA) Login/Register With: Advertisement Advertisement The Golden Screen Awards for television go to the shows that have the highest ratings; in this case, they were measured between Sept. 1, 2016 and Nov. 15, 2017.There is also a Golden Screen Award for feature films, which goes to the movie with the highest domestic box office. This year’s winner is De père en flic 2, which premiered in July 2017 in Montreal.All three awards will be presented Sunday during the pre-show gala, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television said in a news release, with a montage of the winners seen during the televised gala. LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment read more
According to UNICEF policy, politicians or those seeking public office cannot serve as Goodwill Ambassadors for the organization, the agency said in a statement issued yesterday.The agency expressed its gratitude to Mr. N’Dour for his involvement in UNICEF’s work, most recently his meeting with children in the Dadaab refugee camps in north-eastern Kenya in September, when he heard heart-rending stories of suffering from some of the hundreds of thousands of people who sought assistance in the camps after fleeing famine, drought and insecurity in Somalia.“UNICEF thanks him for his over 20 years of service in making a real difference in children’s lives around the world,” the agency said.Mr. N’Dour was appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1991. “I want to use my voice to break the silence of suffering children,” he said on his appointment.He provided support to UNICEF’s efforts, especially in Africa, where prior to becoming a Goodwill Ambassador he was already helping to promote immunization campaigns in Senegal. On the year of his appointment, Mr. N’Dour attended the first symposium of the Organization African Artists and Intellectuals for Child Survival and Development, set up by UNICEF. As a committed anti-malaria activist, he also created Senegal Surround Sound, an initiative that combines the influence and power of the entertainment industry, media, marketing and political assets to reach individuals and communities with anti-malaria education and activities. 6 January 2012Renowned Senegalese musician Youssou N’Dour has temporarily stepped down from his role as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as he embarks on campaigning as a candidate in his country’s presidential elections, the agency has reported. read more
All four were admitted to hospital and one person later succumbed to his injuries in hospital. One person was killed and three others sustained injuries after a train crashed into a car at a railway crossing in Hikkaduwa today.The Police said that four people were in the car when the train crashed into it.
SCOREBOARDMonday, Nov. 26.Tennessee (5-5) at Houston (7-3), 8:15 p.m. Monday’s game is the Texans’ first since owner Robert “Bob” McNair died on Friday at 81. … This is the second straight AFC South game for the Titans, who snapped a six-game winning streak inside the division with a loss at Indianapolis. … The Titans have won two straight and three of their past four against the Texans. … Houston QB Deshaun Watson has thrown for 593 yards with six TDs and two interceptions in two meetings with the Titans.___STARSPassing—Philip Rivers, Chargers, was 28 for 29 for 259 yards and three touchdowns in Los Angeles’ 45-10 win over Arizona. Rivers tied the NFL record for consecutive completions and set marks for the most to start a game as he completed his first 25 passes.—Baker Mayfield, Browns, was 19 for 26 for 258 yards and four touchdowns in Cleveland’s 35-20 win over Cincinnati.—Jameis Winston, Buccaneers, was 29 for 38 for 312 yards and two touchdowns in Tampa Bay’s 27-9 win over San Francisco.—Russell Wilson, Seahawks, finished 22 for 31 for 339 yards and two touchdowns in Seattle’s 30-27 win over Carolina.—Tom Brady, Patriots, was 20 for 31 for 283 yards and two touchdowns in New England’s 27-13 win over the New York Jets. Brady became the career leader in total yards passing in regular-season and playoff games with 79,416 and reached 3,000 yards passing for the 16th straight season, tying Peyton Manning for second in NFL history behind Brett Favre’s 18.—Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers, was 41 for 56 for 462 yards and a touchdown and two interceptions in Pittsburgh’s 24-17 loss to Denver. Roethlisberger had 25 completions by halftime, the most in the first half in the regular season by a Steelers QB since 1960.___Rushing—Christian McCaffrey, Panthers, had 17 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown and added 11 catches for 112 yards and a TD in Carolina’s 30-27 loss to Seattle. He is the first player in Panthers history with at least 100 yards receiving and 100 yards rushing in the same game.—Sony Michel, Patriots, had 21 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown in New England’s 27-13 win over the New York Jets.—Gus Edwards, Ravens, had 23 carries for 118 yards in Baltimore’s 34-17 win over Oakland.—Phillip Lindsay, Broncos, had 14 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown in Denver’s 24-17 win over Pittsburgh.—Saquon Barkley, Giants, had 13 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown in New York’s 25-22 loss to Philadelphia.—Leonard Fournette, Jaguars, had 18 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns in Jacksonville’s 24-21 loss to Buffalo.—Matt Breida, 49ers, had 14 carries for 106 yards in San Francisco’s 27-9 loss to Tampa Bay.___Receiving—Tyler Lockett and David Moore, Seahawks. Lockett had five catches for 107 yards and a touchdown and Moore had four catches for 103 yards and a touchdown in Seattle’s 30-27 win over Carolina.—JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers, had 13 catches for 189 yards, including a 97-yard touchdown, in Pittsburgh’s 24-17 loss to Denver.—T.Y. Hilton, Colts, had seven catches for 125 yards in Indianapolis’ 27-24 win over Miami—Mike Evans, Buccaneers, had six catches for 116 yards in Tampa Bay’s 27-9 win over San Francisco.___Special Teams—Cyrus Jones, Ravens, returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown in Baltimore’s 34-17 win over Oakland.—Chris Boswell, Steelers, threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva on a fake field goal in Pittsburgh’s 24-17 loss to Denver. Boswell is the first player to throw for a TD and kick a FG in the same game since 2012 when David Akers did it. Villanueva became the first Steelers O-lineman to catch a touchdown pass since Ray Pinney against the Browns in 1983.—Sebastian Janikowski, Seahawks, was 3 for 3 on field goals, including a 31-yarder as time expired in Seattle’s 30-27 win over Carolina.—Jake Elliott, Eagles, was 3 for 3 on field goals, including a go-ahead 43-yarder with 22 seconds remaining in Philadelphia’s 25-22 win over the New York Giants.—Jason Myers, Jets, was 2 for 2 on field goals, including a 55-yarder. He set an NFL record with five field goals of 55 yards or longer in one season. He also tied the team’s home record for longest field goal for the fourth time this season.___Defence—Terrell Suggs and Matt Judon, Ravens, Suggs returned a fumble 43 yards for a touchdown and Judon had three sacks and a forced fumble in Baltimore’s 34-17 win over Oakland. The 36-year-old Suggs scored his first TD since November 2, 2008.—Robert Nkemdiche, Cardinals, had 2 1/2 sacks in Arizona’s 45-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.—Joey Bosa, Chargers, had two sacks in the Los Angeles’ 45-10 win over Arizona.___MILESTONESThe Colts’ Andrew Luck has thrown at least three touchdown passes in eight consecutive games, tying Peyton Manning (in 2004) for the second-longest streak of consecutive games with at least three touchdown passes in a single season in NFL history. Only Tom Brady (10 games in 2011) had a longer such streak in a single season. … Nick Chubb of the Browns had a rushing and receiving touchdown for the second consecutive game. He is one of the four rookies in NFL history with back-to-back games with a rushing TD and receiving TD, joining the Giants’ Saquon Barkley, Rodney Culver of the Colts in 1992 and Kink Richards of the 1933 Giants. … Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who rushed for 119 yards in his first start in Week 11 against Cincinnati, has 190 yards rushing in his first two NFL starts, the most by a quarterback in his first two starts in the Super Bowl era. … Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s 75-yard touchdown pass to Robert Foster in the first quarter against Jacksonville was the longest touchdown pass by a rookie in franchise history.___STREAKS & STATSThe Patriots (8-3) beat the Jets 27-13 and clinched their 18th straight season with a .500 record or better. That ranks second in NFL history to only Dallas, which had 21 in a row from 1965-85. The Jets’ losing streak reached five games. … Cleveland routed Cincinnati 35-20 for its first road win since 2015, emphatically snapping a streak of 25 straight road losses that was one shy of the Lions’ NFL record. The Browns’ 28 first-half points were their most since 1991, when they scored 31 against the Colts. The Browns also ended a run of seven straight losses to their intrastate rival. The Bengals lost for the fifth time in six games. … The Chargers pounded the Cardinals 45-10 for their seventh win in the last eight games. … The Jaguars extended their losing streak to seven games with a 24-21 loss to Buffalo. … The Panthers suddenly find themselves on the outside looking in at the NFC playoff picture after losing three straight and having their 10-game home winning streak snapped in a 30-27 loss to Seattle. … The Eagles rallied past the Giants for a 25-22 win and are 17-4 against the Giants since 2008, including 9-1 in the past 10. … The Colts rallied past the Dolphins 27-24 and have won five straight, their longest winning streak since 2014.___SIDELINEDBengals quarterback Andy Dalton injured his right thumb in a 35-20 loss to the Browns. Dalton was hurt on his passing hand while trying to recover a shotgun snap that sailed over his head in the third quarter and didn’t return. Two other players were hurt for Cincinnati: backup offensive lineman Jake Fisher, who suffered a back injury, and cornerback Tony McRae, who gave two thumbs-up as he was wheeled off the field after a third-quarter concussion. … The Chargers’ high-powered offence suffered a possible setback when running back Melvin Gordon left with a knee injury in the third quarter of Los Angeles’ blowout victory over Arizona. … The Ravens lost safety Tony Jefferson to an ankle injury in their victory over the Raiders. Oakland defensive tackle Maurice Hurst left in the third quarter with an undisclosed injury, and defensive end Jacquies Smith left in the first half after hurting an Achilles. … The Dolphins lost receiver Danny Amendola to a right knee injury and centre Travis Swanson to an ankle injury in the first quarter of their loss to the Colts. Indianapolis running back Marlon Mack entered the concussion protocol in the fourth quarter.___SPEAKING“Three weeks ago if somebody had said this was going to happen I would have slapped them.” — Panthers quarterback Cam Newton on his team’s three-game losing streak after a 30-27 loss to Seattle.___“It seemed like it took me forever to get there.” — 36-year-old Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs on his 43-yard fumble return for a touchdown in a 34-17 win over Oakland.___For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFLThe Associated Press read more
OSU junior linebacker Joshua Perry (37) and freshman linebacker Raekwon McMillan (5) tackle Kent State redshirt-freshman quarterback Nathan Strock (16) during a game Sept. 13 at Ohio Stadium. OSU won, 66-0, before heading into a bye week.Credit: Mark Batke / Photo editorThe Ohio State football team is turning the page on its bye week, while trying to keep the same intensity and focus as it prepares for the Cincinnati Bearcats.Coach Urban Meyer said Monday that the Buckeyes used the time off to their advantage, and mostly took the break to develop young talent.“We’re still trying to finalize the final five or the starting five for the offensive line, and they had to get better,” Meyer said. “And then obviously on defense, we have some new players there as well, so more game reps than we’ve ever done on a bye week.”Meyer said two offensive players in particular stood out during the week off.“The guy that’s improved a little bit is (redshirt-junior) Chase Farris, and he’s the backup right tackle. And if he’s one of the top five, then he shouldn’t be the backup right tackle, he should be the starting right guard,” Meyer said.“(Another) guy that’s made a big jump start last week was (redshirt-junior Antonio Underwood). We used him last week when (former OSU player) Chad Lindsay stepped away because of injuries. So it’s in flux a little bit, but the positive is there are very capable personnel available to us.”Meyer also said that he and his staff approached this bye week in a different way because of the amount of young players on this year’s team.“We utilized it. We did a lot different — we operated a lot differently this bye week than we have in the past. We practiced a lot of game reps,” Meyer said.Game reps during a week of practice usually involve putting the No. 1 offense against the No. 1 defense, something the Buckeyes did more than usual during their off week.“When you go out and practice, you got some time and you can go ones against ones in 11-on-11 drills or you go inside drills … guys just get amped up to do that,” junior linebacker Joshua Perry said Monday. “When you have a team that loves to play ball, and you got young guys who got a chip on their shoulder and want to get better, you will go into a bye week and have some good practices.”Tight ends coach Tim Hinton said he was impressed with how the Buckeyes handled their week off, particularly how hard they practiced.“The bye week practices were really, really outstanding. When you look at the volume of work that we got done in that bye week practice, the three we had last week, they were excellent,” Hinton said Monday. “Surprisingly pleased at how well each day went.”Hinton added that the bye week practices showed him that the Buckeyes have the will to get better each week whether they’re preparing for a game or not.“The bottom line is, we have expectations at Ohio State. There’s a lot of people across the country (who) have expectations of Ohio State and our guys know those,” he said. “They know there is only one way to be really, really good at what you do and that is to practice really hard.”Perry, who leads the team in total tackles with 26, said he and his OSU teammates used the bye week to improve, instead of taking time off.“I think it is a hunger to get better. I think guys just really like playing ball around here,” he said.The hunger will be evident Saturday, he said, as the Buckeyes are trying to win their first home night game against a non-conference opponent since defeating the Marshall Thundering Herd 45-7 Sept.2, 2010 on a Thursday night. That game has since been vacated following the “tatoo-gate” scandal.“Last time we were out in the ‘Shoe for a night game, it didn’t go the way we wanted it to,” Perry said, referencing OSU’s 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech on Sept. 6. “We have to go back out there to prove what we can do.”The Buckeyes are scheduled to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Ohio Stadium. read more
OSU then-sophomore Kyle Snyder enters the arena during the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 19 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Credit: Courtesy of OSU ST. LOUIS – Two of four Ohio State semifinalist wrestlers have advanced to the finals on Saturday at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. As a team, the Buckeyes sit tied for third place with 81.5 points, trailing Penn State at 121 and Oklahoma State at 86.The two finalists – redshirt junior 174-pounder Bo Jordan, and junior Kyle Snyder – have very different experiences in the NCAA finals, as Snyder will be appearing in his third while Jordan will make his first NCAA championship final appearance.Top-seeded 133-pounder redshirt junior Nathan Tomasello was upset by Iowa’s Cory Clark in the semifinals, while redshirt freshman Kollin Moore lost in the 197-pound division to Minnesota’s Brett Pfarr.Jordan will face Penn State’s Mark Hall, who he defeated to capture his first Big Ten title on March 5. Jordan employed some late-match acrobatics against Cornell’s Brian Realbuto — who is the only wrestler to hand Jordan a loss this season — to ensure his 11-7 victory in the semifinals.Snyder suffered a rib injury in his quarterfinal matchup against Minnesota’s Michael Kroells, but it didn’t seem to show in his semifinal match against Duke’s Jacob Kasper, as Snyder won 19-6.Like Jordan, Snyder will face a familiar foe in the finals in Wisconsin’s Connor Medbery. Snyder beat Medbery to win the Big Ten championship in the heavyweight division, but won only 7-5. Medbery earned a last-second takedown against Snyder in their last bout.Tomasello and Moore each defeated their opponents to win Big Ten titles, but now can do no better than third in their respective divisions.In addition to Tomasello, two other Buckeyes were defeated in the championship bracket and will have to contribute to the team’s point total from the consolation bracket. The 2016 national champion at 174 pounds and sophomore Myles Martin was knocked out of championship contention at 184 pounds, and No. 4 149-pounder and redshirt sophomore Micah Jordan also suffered an upset loss in the second round of the championship bracket.Micah Jordan was upset by Iowa’s No. 5 Brandon Sorensen, whom he defeated at the Big Ten championships. Martin lost 14-9 to Illinois’ No. 11 Emery Parker. Martin defeated Parker 18-7 when the teams met on Jan. 15.Both have will take on semifinalists from their weight classes Saturday, as Micah Jordan will face off against Northern Illinois’ Max Thomsen and Martin will take on Iowa’s Sammy Brooks, as both look to compete for third place.Brooks defeated Martin to win the Big Ten title at 184 pounds.Three other Buckeyes have been eliminated from competition after losing in the consolation bracket. Redshirt freshman Jose Rodriguez went 1-2 at 125 pounds, freshman 12th-ranked Luke Pletcher went 2-2 and redshirt sophomore Cody Burcher was winless in St. Louis. read more
The anxiety level on the court seems to heighten. If the opposing team’s players weren’t in fear of the defense in front of them before, they almost surely are now. This is what happens when Aaron Craft and Shannon Scott play together, two quick defensive-minded guards that give ball handlers more trouble than they usually can manage. It’s been occurring more often lately, too, and it’s a major reason for Ohio State’s surge into the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes, a No. 2 seed in the West Region, take on No. 15 seed Iona Friday in Dayton. Last season, it was the combination of two-time all-American Jared Sullinger and then-sophomore forward Deshaun Thomas that OSU rode to the Final Four. This March, the Buckeyes most potent duo might be that of Craft, a junior guard, and Scott, a sophomore. They don’t score or rebound at the rate Sullinger and Thomas did; their effect on the game comes largely on the opposite end of the floor. During OSU’s three-game run to the Big Ten Tournament title in Chicago last weekend, Craft and Scott combined for 13 steals. In the Buckeyes’ two biggest wins down the stretch in the regular season, Michigan State on Feb. 24 and at Indiana on March 5, Craft and Scott totaled 11 steals. “We held a lot of teams to less points than they usually have. The defense we played was great for us,” Scott said. Craft has been, OSU coach Thad Matta said, the best defender in the country, “no question,” for the past two seasons. Scott’s ascension to defensive lore has taken some time to develop. “I think he has grown into it,” Matta said. “I think in essence what changed was his mentality. I give Shannon a ton of credit, being perceptive enough to understand what (he) has to do to help this basketball team.” Before Scott arrived in Columbus for his freshman season in 2011, he was hardly the defensive presence he is now. “He and I joke, ‘You didn’t have to play very hard in high school, did you?’ I joked with him, ‘How many charges did you take?’ He said, ‘I’ve never taken a charge,’” Matta said. One of Matta’s biggest selling points to Scott during the Georgia native’s recruitment was that he would get to play against Craft every day in practice. Now, they’ve been going head-to-head for nearly two years. It’s made them both better players. “I can pressure him, he can pressure me, and it kind of pushes us that way,” Craft said. “It’s made both of them better players,” Matta said. “You look at the growth of both guys, when Shannon got here, I said if you go against him every day, there’s no one in college basketball that can guard like him.” The two play at such a high level in practice, OSU’s coaching staff has to bottle them up at times. “The thing we have to watch at times is those two take such a beating with all the ball screens. We have to give them a break every time we can,” Matta said. Of the duo, Craft gets most of the credit. He’s the one on the cover of all the magazines, the one fans swoon over. But this season, Scott has been just as good, if not better, statistically, when it comes to defense. Scott has the best defensive rating of any player in the Big Ten, a statistic used to measure a player’s capability to prevent the other team from scoring. He was third in the conference in steals behind Craft, despite playing 13 minutes less per game. Scott led the conference in steal percentage, taking the ball away on 5.7 percent of an opposing team’s possessions while on the floor. Craft said Scott makes himself unforgettable while playing defense. “He’s very pesky. He does a really good job of not quitting on plays,” Craft said of his counterpart. “Even if you get by him, or you think he’s set by a screen, he’s right by you right away. You really have to be careful with the ball. You just can’t forget about him.” Craft’s no slouch, either, checking in at second in the Big Ten in steals per game and fourth in steal percentage. The two have benefited offensively by playing together as well. When they are on the floor together, Craft slides off the ball with Scott taking the point. This allows Scott to push the ball in transition and Craft to focus more on scoring. “You see things a little differently,” Craft said of playing with Scott on offense. “You don’t have to worry about taking care of the ball as much. You can sit back and read the defense a little more. It’s just really helped out as a whole.” The duo has been a critical aspect of OSU’s “small” lineup that also features Thomas and sophomore forwards LaQuinton Ross and Sam Thompson. That quintet was on the floor in the closing minutes of the Buckeyes’ game against Wisconsin Sunday, in which OSU won its fourth Big Ten Tournament championship, 50-43. “It really helps us space the floor out … with LaQuinton and Deshaun’s ability to guard multiple positions, it gives us a lot of mismatches on the offensive end,” Craft said. He and Scott will be pushed Friday. The Gaels are the second in the country in scoring at 80.7 points per contest. Iona senior guard Lamont “Momo” Jones averages 23.0 points per game. Jones’ running mate, junior guard Sean Armand, pours in 16.6. “They have a couple guys on their team that really like to score the ball,” Craft said. “They can really get out and score the ball in a variety of ways. It’s going to be a big team defensive effort this week and that’s what we’re trying to work on.” With Craft and Scott at the helm of OSU’s defensive attack, the Gaels likely have a lot to prepare for, too. OSU and Iona are set to tip off at the University of Dayton Arena at 7:15 p.m. Friday. If OSU wins, it will play the winner of the game between No. 7 seed Notre Dame and No. 10 seed Iowa State Sunday. read more
THE NATIONAL COORDINATION Group on Severe Weather has said emergency services, local authorities and State agencies “remain on high alert” today despite the improvement in weather conditions.There were no reports overnight of major episodes of flooding but Met Éireann has advised that the current threat of stormy weather from Wednesday onwards remains and rainfall will serve to top up rivers that have already reached capacity,Yesterday the group warned that this poses a heightened risk in slow moving rivers like the Shannon, the Barrow, Nore, Suir Slaney, Lee and Blackwater.Today the orange weather alert was lifted but authorities are continuing to monitor the position in relation to river levels.The ESB are also monitoring the levels on the rivers Liffey, Lee and Shannon and discharges are being managed in conjunction with local authorities. (Image: Irish Defence Forces/Facebook)The Defence Forces have also been on stand-by over the weekend, in case their assistance was needed in flood areas.“The public have been reminded to continue to follow the weather warning and to heed the safety messages of the authorities,” the group said today in a statement.Tomorrow the government task force on emergency planning will meet to discuss the situation.Read: Heavy rainfall over weekend ‘poses a major risk’ as rivers continue to rise>View: 18 of the best pictures (and 2 videos) from this week’s storms> read more
Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram The Victorian Government is supporting the PanHellenic Games that will be held in Melbourne during the last weekend of November. In an event for the launch of the Games that was hosted in the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne Victoria last Monday, the Minister of Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs, James Merlino announced a $35,000 pledge on behalf of the government. Mr Merlino congratulated the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) of Oceania and the Far East for the initiative to organise the Games and wished them all the success. The Victorian Minister who will be the patron of the Games spoke about the great contribution of the Greek community to Victoria. “…there is little doubt that Victoria’s Greek community is one of the most significant influences in the dynamic, cosmopolitan society we enjoy today,” Mr Merlino said. “This announcement celebrates the wonderful culture and the vast contribution of our Greek community to this State,” he added.The PanHellenic Games will see about 600 sporting youth of Greek descent come from all over Australia and New Zealand to compete against each other for the three-day event taking place in Melbourne from November 27-29. The athletes will test their sporting talents in a range of events from basketball to judo, soccer, swimming, tae kwon do, tennis, track and field, water polo and wrestling. read more
En avion, les turbulences pourraient augmenter à cause du réchauffement climatiqueUne étude révèle que le réchauffement climatique pourrait entraîner une augmentation du nombre de turbulences en avion au cours des quarante prochaines années. Néanmoins, certains trajets seront plus concernés que d’autres.Vous appréhendez les voyages en avion ? Vous ne raffolez pas de ces petites turbulences qui font trembler l’appareil ? Eh bien, il serait temps de se rassurer car ces turbulences pourraient se faire encore plus présentes à l’avenir. C’est du moins ce qu’affirme une étude parue lundi dans la revue Nature Climate Change qui indique que les voyages en avion pourraient devenir bien moins confortables.En effet, selon ces travaux menés par des chercheurs britanniques, les turbulences que traversent parfois les avions devraient fortement augmenter en raison du réchauffement climatique au cours des quarante prochaines années. “Nos recherches suggèrent que nous verrons le signal “attachez vos ceintures” s’allumer plus souvent dans les décennies à venir”, indique l’un des deux auteurs de l’étude, Paul Williams, professeur à l’Université de Reading repris par Atlantico.fr.Néanmoins, il souligne que ce sont essentiellement les trajets passant par l’Atlantique nord qui seront concernés et que l’étude s’est surtout intéressée à la période hivernale, lorsque les turbulences sont les plus importantes. Comme l’explique le chercheur, “l’aviation est en partie responsable du changement climatique [en raison des colossales émissions de CO2]. Ironie du sort, le climat est en voie de prendre sa revanche en créant une atmosphère plus turbulente pour l’aviation”. Des turbulences plus fréquentes et plus fortes À lire aussiDengue : symptômes, traitement, prévention, où en est-on ?Pour en arriver à cette conclusion, le Pr Williams et Manoj Joshi, de l’université d’East Anglia ont mis au point un modèle informatique du courant-jet (ou jet stream) qui suggère que d’ici 2050, le nombre d’importantes turbulences pourrait doubler et leur force augmenter de 10 à 40%. Un phénomène dû aux concentrations de dioxyde de carbone présentes dans l’air. “Les turbulences au sein du corridor transatlantique changent de manière significative lorsque la concentration en dioxyde de carbone dans l’atmosphère double”, justifie ainsi l’étude.Or, si “les avions sont construits pour résister à ce genre de turbulences”, certaines peuvent entrainer des dommages et causer une interruption des vols. “Les turbulences blessent des centaines de passagers et de membres d’équipage chaque année. Le coût total pour la société est de plus de 110 millions d’euros par an”, souligne le Dr Williams cité par le Telegraph. Leur augmentation pourrait donc avoir des implications bien plus sérieuses que des vols moins confortables.Toutefois, selon ses auteurs, d’autres travaux pour quantifier les impacts de l’évolution du climat sur les turbulences aériennes devront encore être conduits pour en savoir plus. Il s’agira notamment d’élargir les simulations à différents scénarios climatiques.Le 9 avril 2013 à 13:43 • Maxime Lambert read more
A Vancouver woman is in serious condition after a head-on crash that involved three vehicles near Battle Ground on Wednesday night.Tracy Bottari, 46, of Battle Ground was driving a 2006 Infinity G35 north on state Highway 503 at a high rate of speed about 7:15 p.m., according to Washington State Patrol.She crossed the center lane and struck a southbound 2002 Honda Civic, which caused the Civic to hit another vehicle, a 2015 Ford F-150, troopers reported.The driver of the pickup was not injured, but the drivers in the two other vehicles were.Sovannara Bou, 29, of Vancouver, the driver of the Civic, was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center where she was listed in serious condition. Bottari was also taken to the hospital, but her condition was not available. She will be cited for speeding, troopers said. read more
Information courtesy of Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council.While the leaves on the trees have yet to turn color, and the cold blast of winter remains a distant memory to some, the change of seasons could yield new economic opportunities for Minnesota’s biodiesel industry.At a forum sponsored by the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, attendees listened as a diverse group of energy influencers described Bioheat, a blend of biodiesel and heating oil, as a 21st century heating oil that promises to increase the diversity of the U.S. energy supply. In the soybean fields of Minnesota, farmers are growing that diversity.“Biodiesel has earned its stripes as a transportation fuel,” said Tom Slunecka, CEO of the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. “The heating oil market represents an exciting opportunity for Minnesota to continue its role as a leader in renewable energy.”New markets and uses for biodiesel offer significant potential for U.S. soybean farmers and the entire biodiesel industry. Within the biodiesel market, soybean oil has a 50 percent share. Heating oil is well established in many of the New England states such as Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire as heating oil has traditionally provided an economical way to meet the heating needs of homes, multi-family dwellings, and small businesses. A homeowner can use 1000 gallons over the season.Bioheat has positive environmental attributes. According to a report released by the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA), biodiesel blends at 20% (B-20) with ultra-low sulfur heating oil (ULSHO) are lower in Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) than natural gas when evaluated over 100 years, while blends of 2% (B-2) or more are lower in GHG than natural gas when evaluated over twenty years.The report also found that biodiesel blended at 5 percent would require approximately 300 million gallons of biodiesel produced per year. Assuming the biodiesel industry average of 50 million gallons per year per plant, Bioheat would be responsible for 6 plants built and continuously operated. Thus, nearly 270 full time jobs can be directly attributed to Bioheat.“Biodiesel blending into home heating oil has proven to be a winner,” said Paul Nazzaro, CEO of the Nazzaro Group and Advisor to the National Biodiesel Board. “With a decade of technical and market positioning on the record, continued support from biodiesel stakeholders like Minnesota Soybean will be imperative to keep this momentum intact to ensure biodiesel producers have a healthy and growing market to move their production allocations long term.”To learn more, visit MNsoybean.org. read more
Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. MIAMI (WSVN) – Police are seeking the public’s help in finding a man who, they said, broke into and ransacked a home in Miami, Tuesday morning.Surveillance cameras captured the subject walking through the front gate, then going to the right side of the residence located near Southwest 19th Road and Third Avenue, just before 7:30 a.m.City of Miami Police detectives believe he climbed up onto the master bedroom balcony to get into the house.Officials said the perpetrator ransacked the home but did not steal anything.Further investigation uncovered the victim’s front gate, master bedroom balcony door and side door leading to the living room were all unlocked at the time of the break-in.Police said the subject stands between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 8 inches tall, has short black hair and was last seen wearing a gray T-shirt and white shorts.If you have any information on this break-in, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward. read more
News Twitter After bursting onto the Broadway scene by starring in “Hamilton,” Dixon is enjoying wildly successful run of late, earning his second career GRAMMY nomination last year for Best Musical Theatre Album for his role in “Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert” and launching his own music and philanthropy project, We Are.Neuwirth, a 40-year veteran of theatre production, film and TV has won two Tony Awards, including best lead actress in a musical in 1997 and best featured actress in 1986, as well as two Emmys for her role as Lillian Sternin on the “Cheers” spinoff show, “Frasier.” In addition to airing on “CBS This Morning,” the annual announcement special will also be available for live streaming on the Tony Awards website and on Facebook. James Cordon will host the 2019 Tony Awards on June 9 at Radio City Music Hall. Neuwirth has worked in theatre productions as well as films and TV shows for the last 40 years. Dixon was most recently in FOX’s RENT: Live and broke out by starring in Broadway’s Hamilton.Brandon Victor Rixon On “Jesus Christ Superstar,” John Legend & “We Are” New Single The Award-winning duo will team up to reveal this year’s nominations for the Tonys live on “CBS This Morning”Nate HertweckGRAMMYs Mar 21, 2019 – 5:29 pm The Tony Awards have named GRAMMY-nominated artist/actor Brandon Victor Dixon and Tony-winning actress/singer Bebe Neuwirth as hosts for the 73rd annual Tony Awards Nominations. The special is set to air live on April 30 on “CBS This Morning.” from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. https://twitter.com/BrandonVDixon/status/1108746963720253441 Email Facebook Brandon Victor Dixon & Bebe Neuwirth Tapped To Host 2019 Tony Awards Nominations Announcement Meet The Hosts: 2019 Tony Awards Noms Announcement brandon-victor-dixon-bebe-neuwirth-tapped-host-2019-tony-awards-nominations read more
Apple Inc enters into motion control domain with its new ‘Accessibility’ feature of switching to head movements in the latest operating system iOS 7.Developers at 9to5mac were tipped about the new feature of iOS 7 by an anonymous tipster.In the Accessibility settings page, options of head movement gestures are available. The Apple user will be able to control his/her iPhone or iPad by tilting their heads to the left and right.After turning on the feature, iOS 7 runs through every option available on the screen once by highlighting the option with a black border.To select the option, the user needs to jerk left once. And with a right head movement the user goes to the home screen.It is exciting to see Apple entering the motion detecting arena. Apple CEO Tim Cook defined the latest operating system as ‘the biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the iPhone’, at the annual Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2013 (WWDC). Apple patented the newest iOS 7 as faster and smarter.However, there is a major drawback. The feature goes step-by-step manner to every option on the screen which makes the process slower. This feature could meet a dead end whenever it is launched this fall.Moreover, motion detecting smartphones are not new. Samsung’s latest Galaxy S4 uses facial recognition technology built into its front-facing camera to automatically scroll web content up or down or turn an e-book page based on the user’s eye movement. It automatically pauses and plays video depending on whether the user is looking directly at the screen or not.And recently, Lava Mobiles also launched a smartphone that uses hand gestures to click photos, change music tracks similar to Samsung’s Air View motion control feature in Samsung Galaxy S4. read more
@SouthwestAir #WN957 diverts and makes emergency landing in CLE due to busted window pic.twitter.com/OJMZ5KTyMS— Chaikel (@ChaikelK) May 2, 2018Passengers on a Southwest Airlines plane first heard a loud pop and then scurried away when they saw a jagged crack in a window that forced the jet to land in Cleveland on Wednesday.Some on board immediately thought back to just two weeks ago when a jet engine blew apart and broke a window, leading to a woman being partially sucked out and killed aboard another Southwest flight.“It made you nervous because something like this just happened,” said passenger Paul Upshaw of Chicago, who was about two seats from the window. “We didn’t know if it was going to crack open.”There were no reports of injuries after Flight 957 heading from Chicago to New Jersey landed safely Wednesday after making an abrupt turn toward Cleveland while over Lake Erie, according to tracking data from FlightAware.com.Passengers on @SouthwestAir #Southwest flight 957 being told to deboard with their belongings and to reboard another aircraft. pic.twitter.com/xkklt1rnpV— Eliott Wolbrom (@ewolbrom) May 2, 2018Some of the plane’s 76 passengers told The Associated Press that the crew quickly checked the window near an emergency exit and handled the situation smoothly.“People just started scattering,” said Upshaw, who added there was no yelling or screaming. “We didn’t panic.”Dallas-based Southwest said that the plane was diverted to examine damage to one of the three layers in the window, but didn’t immediately release details on how it was broken. Photos taken by passengers and posted on social media showed one window with a large, jagged crack.Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Brandy King said the plane never lost cabin pressure — which would have triggered oxygen masks to drop down for passengers — and that the pilots did not declare an emergency before landing.There were no other mechanical problems with the Boeing 737, which was taken out of service, King said. The plane was built in 1998, and King said it has flown about 40,000 “cycles” or flights, “but the damaged window had been previously replaced and continues to receive regular checks as part of our maintenance program.” She said it was inspected last month.Rich Robinson, a sheriff’s deputy from Sandwich, Illinois, said when the window cracked, everybody in that area hit the button for the flight attendant.“She went running back right away, saw it, and everybody cleared out from those couple of rows,” he said.Breaking News: @mickychinn just sent me this picture of (another!)blown out outer-window on his @SouthwestAir Flight 957 from Midway to Newark. Plane just emergency-landed into Cleveland. #Southwest, what is going on? Everyone seems safe and unhurt. Kudos to the pilots and staff! pic.twitter.com/dszdee3NBU— Eliott Wolbrom (@ewolbrom) May 2, 2018The timing of the incident could hardly be worse for Dallas-based Southwest, the nation’s fourth-biggest airline. Airline executives said last week they have seen ticket sales slow since the April 17 engine failure than sent debris flying into a plane, breaking a window and killing a passenger, 43-year-old Jennifer Riordan of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Southwest estimates the drop in sales will cost it between $50 million and $100 million.Robert Mann, an airline consultant and former American Airlines executive, said windows are periodically polished to remove crazing, the formation of tiny cracks from exposure to chemicals and the sun’s rays. He said he couldn’t recall a similar incident caused by crazing and that the pilots were right to make a quick landing.The window on the flight that landed in Philadelphia blew out after being hit by a loose engine part. Riordan died of injuries suffered after she was partially sucked out.After the Philadelphia emergency landing, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered inspections of more jet engines. The National Transportation Safety Board believes one of the blades snapped on the Southwest flight, hurling debris that broke a window.Boeing declined to identify the supplier that manufactured the windows on its 737-700s, the model involved in Wednesday’s incident and last month’s fatal accident. Share read more