A lot has changed since Cristiano Ronaldo’s first international with Portugal, all the way back in 2004, when they lost on home soil to Greece in the European Championship.He is the only player involved that day who is still active as a professional, but this young Portugal team has gone one better than that illustrious Golden Generation.No silver medals for them, here in Porto, in the first-ever UEFA Nations League final. Article continues below Editors’ Picks ‘There is no creativity’ – Can Solskjaer get Man Utd scoring freely again? ‘Everyone legged it on to the pitch!’ – How Foden went from Man City superfan to future superstar Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? They may still have Ronaldo, 34, Jose Fonte, 35, and Pepe, 36, involved in the international scene but Portugal’s depth is astonishing. They turn out players quicker and with more quality than most nations in Europe, as evidenced here by their second tournament win in three years.The Nations League may rank below the Euros and the World Cup in terms of priorities, but nothing begets winning better than winning. This is a squad now in the groove, with first international honours now coming to a clutch of emerging talents.Fernando Santos, the coach, excels at tournament football. At his disposal he’s got players comfortable in a number of different systems in a number of styles.They can keep the ball, they can play on the break, they can defend high, they can sit in. Between them they’ve got the wherewithal to morph into different shapes, as games and in-game situations develop.That is why, so long as they get their act together during qualification, they will be among the favourites for the multinational Euro 2020.By the time the next set of qualifiers roll around, one would presume Ronaldo will be available. He missed six matches after the World Cup before returning for the March Euro qualification phase.They currently have only two points from two matches in that domain and badly need their top scorer back and firing.It’s not so much that they rely on him like a one-man team but he adds so much even by his very presence.It’s a falsehood to say he doesn’t work hard or expects nothing but silver-platter service. He is happy to pitch in, press, defend corners and the rest of it. And just by being there, Ronaldo puts fear in the heart of the opposition. He stayed wide as a decoy as Goncalo Guedes put Portugal ahead on the hour from the edge of the box.The Valencia man had swapped passes with Bernardo Silva to get into the position, with the Manchester City playmaker the closest thing Portugal will have to a superstar once Ronaldo decides to depart.But all around the team, potential world-class talents are coming to fruition. Santos is probably strapped a little for choices at centre back but if they can source a decent young partner for Ruben Dias then they are on to a winner.The 22-year-old Benfica man is every bit as assured as Matthijs De Ligt at the other end, and defends with his mind as much as his body.The full backs here, Raphael Guerreiro and Nelson Semedo are at top clubs and are only 25. Joao Cancelo, of Juventus and coveted by Man City, didn’t get off the bench. Leicester City’s Ricardo Pereira, regarded by some as the best right back in England last season, didn’t even make the squad.To go along with established talents William Carvalho and Danilo in midfield you can add Bruno Fernandes, another one on the shopping list of the best European teams. It is easy to see why; he is tactically flexible, intelligent, adept at finding space and influential. Ruben Neves, who started the semi-final, is ready to step in while the likes of Joao Moutinho prepare to step down.Then there’s champions of the Euros like Renato Sanches, Joao Mario and Andre Gomes, by no means out of the international reckoning although not present here.And up front they have the coming force, Joao Felix. He had a difficult initiation to international football here, bundled about as he was by Switzerland in the semi-finals, but he will soon mature enough physically to do to better teams what he has been doing throughout 2019 for Benfica.That is to say nothing of Guedes, now back on track after a difficult spell at Paris St-Germain. Andre Silva has a goals-to-games record of about one in two. Then there’s Rony Lopes and Gelson Fernandes.Portugal are well stocked for the next decade or more, and there are no signs of the talent factories here in Porto or else at Sporting or Benfica closing down any time soon.In any case, judging by his current physical condition, Ronaldo probably has about another three or four years left. That will probably be long enough for the all-time international goalscoring and appearance records.But when he does decide to go, he will be departing a coming force. He may well be the last man standing from the runners-up of 2004, but it will be a long time before this Portugal side are ready to depart the scene. read more
Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday said he will have five deputy chief ministers. He announced this while addressing newly-elected legislators of the YSR Congress Party on Friday, a day before cabinet expansion. Jagan Reddy, who took oath as the Chief Minister on May 30, will have deputy chief ministers from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, minorities and Kapus. The move is aimed at giving proper representation to major social groups, party sources said. Also Read – Dussehra with a ‘green’ twist This will be the highest ever number of deputy chief ministers in the state. Jagan Reddy’s predecessor N. Chandrababu Naidu had two deputies. The YSRCP chief told the Legislature Party meeting that he will induct 25 ministers in the cabinet. He declared that half of them would be from SCs, STs, BCs and minorities. He also said there will be cabinet reshuffle after two-and-half years to give an opportunity to new ministers. The swearing-in ceremony of ministers will take place on Saturday at 11.49 a.m. near the state secretariat, Velagapudi. Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan will administer the oath of office to the ministers. Jagan Reddy said he would bring many reforms in administration to ensure all-round development and welfare. He asked the MLAs to ensure that there is no scope for corruption at any level. read more
OTTAWA – An Ottawa woman who caught fire in a friend’s backyard says there should be more safety regulations in place for backyard fire products.Hana Engel was left with second- and third-degree burns to 35 per cent of her body after an accident on May 9 that involved an outdoor fire pit table.Her entire body went up in flames that night in NHL player Cody Ceci’s backyard.Jagged and painful scars cover her arms, legs and torso. Multiple surgeries and more than 15 skin grafts helped her survive, but she said her life has permanently changed.She wakes up most mornings unable to move because of stiffness and pain.Two months after her accident, the 24-year-old said more safety rules should be implemented.“I’d like to see a requirement, if you have a fire pit … or a bonfire, to have a fire blanket nearby or water so you have tools to save the person properly, instead of panicking,” she said.The night of Engel’s ordeal started off mundane enough. It was a Wednesday in the spring, and she and her boyfriend, former OHL player Jake Cardwell, 26, went to eat dinner with Ceci and his girlfriend and another couple in Ceci’s backyard.Engel recalls much of what happened leading up to the accident. The couples were sitting around an outdoor fire pit table. But when it started to die out, Engel said one of the others fetched a bottle of fuel and poured some on the fire. But the flames ran up the flow of fuel and set the bottle on fire, and it was then thrown on Engel — who immediately burst into flames.“It was actually crazy, it happened so fast,” she said. The “stop, drop and roll” mantra that she learned in kindergarten came back into her mind, and she ran onto a grass portion of the backyard to do that.Cardwell screamed, Engel said, and jumped on top of her to help smother the flames, as they weren’t receding. He used his dog’s water bowl, that was connected to a jug, to douse Engel.Engel said she thought she was going to die as her body kept burning. She told Cardwell that she loved him, and asked him to tell her family the same.“I laid on the ground, I was mainly in shock. I was going in and out of consciousness,” she said.An ambulance eventually arrived and took Engel to the Ottawa Hospital, where she was put into a medically induced coma for three weeks. During that time, three surgeries were performed including skin grafts on her entire chest, arms and legs.“I’m lucky that my neck and face were saved,” she said, adding that both are still burnt.In the time since her accident, Engel has been surrounded by her family and Cardwell. She’s been released from the Ross Tilley Burn Centre in Toronto and now lives at home in Ottawa.She has to stay mostly indoors to avoid the sun, she said. Cardwell has been keeping her company during his off-season, and is looking for a new contract nearby.“He’s taking care of me and we’re both taking care of each other, and trying to be strong for each other,” she said, adding that Cardwell tells her he loves her and that she’s beautiful, but the scars are a reminder of what happened.Although doctors don’t have a strict timeline for her recovery, Engel said she is starting to feel like herself again. She runs a yoga studio in Ottawa, but is unsure if she can return to work.If you’re near a fire pit this summer, Engel said she’d remind people not to play with fuel and know how to safely operate your pit.Ceci provided a statement to The Canadian Press via his agent, J.P. Barry, expressing his sorrow over the accident concern about Engel’s well-being.“I am deeply sorry that this unfortunate accident took place,” Ceci said in the statement.Marion Kuiper-Lampman, president of the Niagara District Volunteer Firefighters Association, said you should never pour any kind of fuel on outdoor fire products, and you should always follow the label instructions.Stop, drop and roll is the best action to take if you are on fire, Kuiper-Lampman said. She also advised keeping a bucket of water nearby if you have a backyard fire, but not to jump into a chlorinated pool as that could sting. read more
WINNIPEG — Police in Winnipeg say they’re investigating an assault and possible robbery at a cafe that was then vandalized and spray-painted with anti-Semitic graffiti.Const. Rob Carver says it happened Thursday night after closing time at the BerMax Caffe and Bistro, the same business where police are already investigating other incidents of anti-Semitic graffiti stretching back to December.In Thursday’s incident, police say they think the cafe was the target of a robbery, and a woman who worked there was assaulted.Police say the business was severely vandalized and spray-painted with hate-related graffiti.The woman was treated in hospital Thursday night and released.Carver says police aren’t saying if they believe the incident is related to past ones at the business, but that investigators would likely look for links.“We’ve got three incidents of graffiti prior to this, and they would have fallen into the category of what most people would call a hate crime. They were anti-Semitic,” Carver said.“And now we’ve got another instance, on top of everything else, there was as well graffiti that was would fall into the category of hate crime and was anti-Semitic in nature.”Police say they are investigating it as a hate-related crime in conjunction with a commercial robbery.Carver wouldn’t say how many suspects may have been involved or if a weapon was used.He said damage to the business was significant.“My understanding was the entire restaurant was vandalized, including the main area, preparation area, office, all of it,” he said.Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman condemned the incident in a social media post, saying people in the city stand with members of its Jewish community to combat racism and anti-Semitism.“To members of Winnipeg’s Jewish community let me say this… Antisemitism will continue to fester as long as good people stay silent. We will not stay silent,” Bowman wrote on Twitter.The Canadian Press read more
My heart goes out to the victims and loved ones of the horrific act of gun violence in Toronto. Thank you to all the first responders for acting quickly to help everyone affected.— Doug Ford (@fordnation) July 23, 2018 Reaction is coming in following Sunday night’s shooting on a popular Toronto street.Two people were killed and 12 others were injured when a lone gunman began shooting along Danforth Ave. around 10 p.m.Officers located the man and exchanged gunfire.Police confirm the gunman is dead but it’s unclear if he shot himself or he was shot by police.Toronto Mayor John Tory addressed city council at a planned meeting Monday morning.The meeting was recessed until 2 p.m. out of respect for the victims. A moment of silence was held following statements from city councillors. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the shooting as a terrible tragedy.My thoughts are with everyone affected by the terrible tragedy on the Danforth last night in Toronto, and may the injured make a full recovery. The people of Toronto are strong, resilient and brave – and we’ll be there to support you through this difficult time.— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 23, 2018Bill Blair, the new federal minister responsible for tackling gun is offering up support from Ottawa. I just spoke to Chief Saunders and @TorontosMayor about the tragic events on the Toronto Danforth last night to discuss how we can support their efforts to end the violence. We stand united in our resolve to keep our streets safe.— Bill Blair (@BillBlair) July 23, 2018A moment of silence was held ahead of Question Period at Queen’s Park Monday.Party leaders and MPPs were given a chance to make brief statements about the shooting. My heart is with the victims, their loved ones, and all those near the #Danforth tonight impacted by this horrific violence.Thank you to life-saving police and paramedics.If you are a potential witness, please contact @TorontoPolice. #Danforthshooting— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) July 23, 2018 read more
The decision took immediate effect, Stephane Dujarric told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York.Asked about the charges against Ms. Perelli, he confirmed that the complaints included allegations of harassment, including sexual harassment, and abuse of authority.The charge letter was sent to Ms. Perelli on 4 August. The standard extension is two weeks, but in this case, following a number of extensions, she responded on 17 November, Mr. Dujarric said.Asked how the dismissal would affect UN support for the Iraqi elections, the spokesman said it should not affect the UN’s electoral work in Iraq or anywhere else.He noted that Craig Jenness of Canada serves as International Commissioner on the Independent Electoral Commission for Iraq and leads the UN effort on the Iraqi elections. Mr. Jenness leads a team of 24 international electoral staff currently in Baghdad. Asked about the UN’s zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment, the spokesman said that each case is analyzed and assessed on its own merits. The UN has a duty to act when these matters arise, he said. read more
“We had seen some families returning to their own homes, at least in the daytime, but that movement has now come to a halt,” a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told a press briefing in Geneva. The new shelling around Trincomalee comes as the number of civilians displaced within Sri Lanka since April reached nearly 214,000. “This may not reflect the full number,” the spokesman cautioned, “since we do not yet have access to all the areas hosting displaced persons.”In addition, more than 11,000 Sri Lankan refugees have crossed into Southern India since the start of the year, after crossing the Palk Strait in boats that the agency said “are often overloaded and unseaworthy.”On Wednesday, the UN launched an appeal for $37.5 million to help victims of violence in the country. As part of that, $5 million is being sought for UNHCR to enable the agency to meet the needs of people displaced within Sri Lanka. Although 23 lorries carrying food for displaced civilians were granted access to Kilinochchi District on Tuesday, the spokesman said that “with so many mouths to feed, more supplies are urgently required” and called upon the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to allow critical humanitarian aid to reach those in need. The spokesman also welcomed the easing of restrictions on freedom of movement in Batticaloa District. UN agencies and their partners are now permitted to enter the LTTE-controlled area, and UNHCR “expects further access to reach larger sectors of the displaced population,” the spokesman said. Fighting between Government forces and the LTTE has intensified since April despite a ceasefire agreed in 2002 aimed at ending a conflict that has lasted for more than 20 years and claimed some 60,000 lives. read more
Kroger 1Q results beat analysts’ expectations; lifts fiscal 2014 adjusted profit forecast CINCINNATI – Kroger saw a 4 per cent jump in first-quarter profit and the nation’s biggest supermarket raised its earnings forecast for the year.Shares rose more than 5 per cent in morning trading Thursday to an all-time high.The Cincinnati company — which also runs Ralphs, Fry’s and other chains — earned $501 million, or 98 cents per share, for the quarter. That compares with $481 million, or 92 cents per share, a year ago.Removing non-recurring charges, The Kroger Co. earned $1.09 per share, four cents better than analysts polled by FactSet had been projecting.Revenue jumped 10 per cent to $32.96 billion, which also edged out expectations due in part due to a new acquisition, the grocer and pharmacy Harris Teeter.Sales at established locations climbed 4.6 per cent, excluding fuel. Those comparable-stores sales can be a key indicator of a retailer’s health because it excludes volatility from locations recently opened or closed.Kroger now foresees fiscal 2014 adjusted earnings between $3.19 and $3.27 per share. Previously it predicted $3.14 to $3.25 per share.The company also increased its full-year guidance for sales at established locations, excluding fuel. It now anticipates 3 per cent to 4 per cent growth. Its prior outlook was for a 2.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent increase.Shares reached $50.20 in early trading, which is a new high. by The Associated Press Posted Jun 19, 2014 7:06 am MDT AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to TwitterTwitterShare to FacebookFacebookShare to RedditRedditShare to 電子郵件Email read more
University Hospital Southampton has suffered a major power cut and has declared a major incidentCredit:Solent News and Photo Agency/Daily Echo Two hospitals in Southampton were forced to cancel surgeries after a fire led to a power cut.Relatives have been asked not to visit Southampton General and Princess Anne hospitals to allow staff to care for patients during the power failure, which was declared a major incident. A spokesman for University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust said all patients were safe but all non-urgent surgery had been cancelled.Hampshire Fire and Rescue sent seven fire engines to the hospital to extinguish a small blaze in an electrical room. Earlier in the day, patients were told not to attend hospital for “non-urgent care” such as outpatients, routine X-rays and blood tests. Residents were also asked not to call the switchboard because “staff were busy caring” for patients. The spokesman confirmed the power cut on Wednesday morning was caused by a fault with an electrical cable and said: “Following the major incident declared (earlier statement below) at University Hospital Southampton earlier this morning in relation to a power cut, we have identified the cause of the problem – an electrical cable fault – which has now been temporarily resolved.”The restrictions put in place around appointments and visiting, in addition to cancellations, remain in place for now as we carry out further maintenance but we will provide further updates throughout the day. “We would like to thank our patients, staff and members of the public, as well as our partner organisations including neighbouring hospitals, for their support during this period of disruption.”We wish to reassure relatives that all of our patients are safe, have been reviewed by staff and continue to receive the care they require.”Our theatres and intensive care units remain open, however, we will not resume non-urgent surgery until we are confident there will be no further power issues.” Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings. read more
Aurora Energy Resources confirmed today that the Nunatsiavut Government voted eight to seven in favour of implementing a three-year moratorium on uranium mining on Labrador Inuit Lands, but will continue to allow uranium exploration. Aurora understands that the basis for the mining moratorium is to allow time for the Nunatsiavut Government and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, through the Regional Planning Authority, to formulate a Land Use Plan as required by the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement. “The Nunatsiavut Government has indicated that it is supportive of natural resource development and open to evaluating ongoing project information, but needs additional time to prepare for significant developments like the Michelin Project,” said Dr. Mark O’Dea, President and CEO, Aurora Energy Resources. “Currently there is no uranium mining on Labrador Inuit Lands and there are no plans for uranium mining operations for the next three years.” Nunatsiavut Government Lands and Resources Minister William Barbour said following the Assembly decision today, “We are prepared to work with any company wanting to conduct exploration within our territory. During the course of the next three years we will build our human resources capacity to effectively govern our land and resources and effectively participate in environmental protection and management together with industry and other governments.”Aurora plans to conduct an in-fill drill program at the Michelin and Jacques Lake deposits and continue with a pre-feasibility study on the Michelin Project. “We are committed to continue working closely with the Nunatsiavut Government, Inuit Community Government members and beneficiaries on such things as tailings management and environmentally safe mine closure plans. We strongly believe that we can demonstrate to the Nunatsiavut Government that uranium mining can be safely carried out, with the utmost care for the integrity of the environment,” concluded Dr. O’Dea.The Nunatsiavut Government is a newly formed regional government established in 2005. read more
When you read about ARM products, it’s usually the processor in a phone or tablet. Everyone is concerned with how many processing cores a chip has and what the clock speed is, but without an integrated GPU, these chips aren’t worth a thing. ARM has a stake in many aspects of mobile hardware, graphics included. The company has just announced its lineup of next-generation mobile graphics chips, the Mali T624, T628 and T678.All three of these chips are built on ARM’s Midgard graphics architecture, and support scalable applications and GPU computing. The new T600 series supports OpenCL Full Profile, Google RenderScript, and 64-bit double precision, making them uniquely suited to pair with upcoming Cortex-A15 processing cores.The T624 is a dual-core chip, while the T628 and T678 are both quad-core. The T678 also doubles the performance of the T628 despite having the same number of cores. The reason for this is that the T678 is designed for use in tablets, and has more powerful (and power-hungry) shader cores.The Snapdragons, OMAPs, and Tegras you’ve heard of are not single chips, but rather a system-on-a-chip (SoC). These platforms have different components based on manufacturer preferences, but you will always find an ARM-compatible processor, and a GPU. ARM’s older Mali 400 graphics unit was featured most prominently in the Exynos chip running many Samsung devices.Unless you’re a hardware engineer at a large OEM, you won’t be playing with the new Mali GPUs for a while. The older generation of T600 Mali parts are just about to reach consumer devices this fall. These new chips likely won’t be in devices you can buy until mid to late-2013.More at ARM, via PC Pro read more
The recession in Greece has led to a major decrease in the consumption of alcoholic beverages, particularly in bars, clubs and restaurants. Market estimates put the decline at up to 45 per cent since the start of the recession in 2008.Total consumption of alcoholic drinks in 2013 dropped below 1.2 million litres, from 2.26 million in 2008. Whiskey is reported to have suffered the greatest decline, followed by ouzo. However last year’s drop was considerably smaller than that seen in previous years.A recent study on the sector by Infobank Hellastat showed that besides the general economic downturn, the decline in alcohol consumption is also a result of repeated hikes in taxation, as the special consumption tax on alcohol has grown by 125 per cent since early 2009, reaching 25.50 euros per litre for imported spirits. Locally produced beverages have half that rate, at 12.75 euros/lt.In fact production in Greece posted a 1 per cent increase in 2013, reaching 1.68 million litres, thanks to the favourable impact that exports have had on the sector. It is mainly ouzo-producing companies that have benefited from overseas demand, protecting them to some degree from the domestic decline in consumption.Source: Kathimerini Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram read more
ALM has found its new president and CEO in Bill Carter, who replaces the departing William Pollak and who was most recently senior vice president of Thomson Reuters’ Small Law Business Unit. Carter officially starts with the company today.Pollak announced he was stepping down last November and his last day was February 10. He had been the company’s president and CEO since 1998.Before his tenure with Thomson Reuters, Carter held executive positions with LexisNexis, Epiq Systems, Gerson Lehrman Group and event logistics company GES Exposition Services. In a statement, ALM non-executive chairman Charles Siegel says Carter’s experience in the law market coupled with his digital chops make him a good fit for the company. “His leadership experiences in businesses serving our markets, especially, with the digital transformations, product development and value creation will help accelerate ALM’s further growth and profitability.” Carter’s appointment closes the loop on the third significant b-to-b CEO transition in the last couple months. When Pollak announced his exit last November, Penton CEO Sharon Rowlands had also just departed, a month after Summit Business Media’s Andy Goodenough did the same thing. All three chief executive positions are now filled: Penton hired David Kieselstein as CEO at the end of January and Summit Business Media tapped Steve Weitzner, who came over from Ziff Davis Enterprise last month, just after his company’s assets were sold to online marketing and lead-gen company QuinStreet.In 2007, London-based Incisive Media bought ALM for $630 million, but by 2008 struggled with its debt covenants and spun ALM off as a separate business in a deal that also cut ALM’s debt from $450 million to $300 million.Check back here as FOLIO: updates the story. read more
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, suggesting closer trade ties between the EU and a Russian-led economic bloc once a ceasefire is implemented in Ukraine, but the Kremlin dismissed the idea.In the letter, written after a G20 summit in Turkey, Juncker underlined the importance he attached to good relations between the European Union and Moscow, “which to my regret have not been able to develop over the past year”.He said he had asked Commission officials to study options to bring the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union — a grouping of former Soviet states dominated by Moscow — closer together.”The decision on the circumstances in which to proceed along this path is in the hands of the member states of the European Union and should in particular be synchronized with the implementing of the Minsk agreements,” Juncker wrote, referring to the name of a peace deal relating to Ukraine.The initiative could offer Putin an incentive to cooperate in Ukraine at a time when France and some other west European states are trying to re-engage with Moscow after the Paris attacks to fight Islamic State and forge a peace deal in Syria.The Kremlin reacted coolly, saying on Thursday it had received the letter, but that what Juncker was proposing was unrealistic.”This correlation with fulfilling the Minsk accords, especially in the current conditions when we see Kiev’s unwillingness once again to honor these accords is hardly relevant or possible,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.The idea of dialogue between the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union was an old one, Peskov said, but one which he conceded was essential to develop trade and economic relations.Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said he was surprised by the letter, which he said did not reflect a common view of EU member states and made no reference to EU sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Crimea and the destabilization of eastern Ukraine.Baltic and central European member states are worried that the EU executive and west European partners may be preparing to let Moscow off the hook of sanctions over Ukraine in return for cooperation in the Middle East.A Commission spokeswoman confirmed that Juncker had written to Putin after they had a brief conversation at the G20 summit but said he had not made any new commitments in the letter.Juncker caused controversy last month when he said at an event in Germany that Europe must improve its relationship with Russia and should not let this be decided by Washington.”We must make efforts towards a practical relationship with Russia,” he said on 8 October in Passau. “It’s not sexy but that must be the case, we can’t go on like this.”The Eurasian Economic Union is a newly-formed trade bloc which, aside from Russia, includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.EU officials said nothing in Juncker’s letter called into question the extension of the financial and personal sanctions against Russia when they come up for renewal in January.Linkevicius said he was confident that there would be agreement to roll over the measures in January.”I would prefer an improvement of the situation in Ukraine, but all indications at the moment show that the Minsk agreements are not kept. And our agreement is that in such case we will extend sanctions,” he said.Concluding the brief letter, Juncker said he had asked his diplomatic adviser, Richard Szostak, to follow the issue of closer trade ties closely.”I can assure you that the European Commission will be a helpful partner in this process,” he wrote.Russia seized Crimea militarily last year after pro-Moscow Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich was ousted by a popular uprising in favor of closer economic and political ties with the European Union.The EU has imposed successive waves of sanctions over the annexation of the Black Sea peninsula and support for separatist rebels in Eastern Europe. read more
Actress Urvashi Dholakia, who is most popularly known for portraying the negative role of Kamolika from Kasauti Zindagi ki, is now spreading her magic with her dancing skills on the set of Nach Baliye season 9 with her ex- boyfriend Anuj Sachdeva.The couple has been one of the most talked-about jodis on the show as they have taken on the challenge of participating as an ex-jodi. Urvashi and Anuj have week after week been shown versatility, taking on a new challenge and dance form to entertain their audience.This weekend, the duo will be taking us back to our roots as they will be seen performing on the mythological saga of Krishna and Radha with the theme of ‘selfless love’. The cherry on the cake will be Urvashi’s classical performance as in the span of three minutes, the actress will be seen in three different avatars; ie. Radha, Mira and Rukmani.Interestingly, not only will Urvashi be seen swaying away in the traditional avatar but the actress also managed to change costumes in the middle of her act making the entire act a true visual treat!Urvashi Dholakia’s sons Sagar and Kshitij Dholakia were recently invited on the show and interestingly, the boys are keen on their mother patching up with her ex-boyfriend and Nach Baliye 9 partner Anuj Sachdeva.But Urvashi had a different take on the love chapter. Talking about reconciling with Anuj, Urvashi had said in an interview with Spotboye, “When I needed him in my initial days, I never got a positive response or clarity from Anuj. Now that I am independent, I don’t want to be dependent on anyone.”Commenting on Urvashi’s relationship with Anuj, her sons said, “Anuj is a very nice person, he’s perfect for our mom. Whenever he bought anything for her, he would always get something for us too. Anuj is like family to us, but we never questioned our mom about her relation with Anuj. All we want is for her to be happy and if she’s happy with Anuj, we are happy for her.” read more
Calcutta Arts Club brings to the capital a travelling art show by Madhuchanda Majumdar titled Invisible Lands with the support of the Italian Embassy and the Italian Cultural Centre. The exhibition has created quite a stir in Kolkata and Hyderabad already. Majumdar’s first solo exhibition in the capital will be inaugurated by the Italian Ambassador to India, Daniele Mancini and the chief guest for the evening is Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Human Resource Development for the Private Preview at the Italian Cultural Centre on 29 August. Also Read – ‘Playing Jojo was emotionally exhausting’Majumdar is the first Indian Artist to be selected by the Fondazione Pastificio Cerere, Rome, for an Art Residency. Her paintings have been selected by Deutsche Bank Singapore’s Art for Charity program 2012. After having shown her works at various galleries, museum and Art Fair in Europe, South Asia and six cities across India, Majumdar finally gets a chance to display her work at the National Capital. While nature is the theme of her vast canvas, she explores the theme of destruction and regeneration process. Her paintings reflect a dreamlike state as she merges urban reality with the decaying past. Also Read – Leslie doing new comedy special with NetflixMajumdar is in search of the fullness of the world with its myriad shapes, colours and textures. Primarily a landscape artist leaning on the side of abstraction, she has moved towards application of mixed media on surface to build a visual construction with form and space, light and darkness, between the solid and the fluid.She takes us through a journey of colourful landscapes. With the texture of her paint and free-flowing style, Majumdar leads us into another space. The emerging artist is engaged in making the invisible, the imperceptible, visible by introducing colours and shapes that bring to the fore the hidden and the mysterious.Born and brought up in Kolkata, 39-year old Madhuchanda Majumdar was encouraged by her parents to pursue her love for painting since the age of 5. The City of Joy is her inspiration and her choice of colours depends on her moods. It is evident from her works that the artist sees everything at the micro and macro levels as transient and finite, life and lifelessness flowing into one another with ease. read more
Technology | February 25, 2010 Cardiac MRI Efficiency Increased With New Software Images of regions of interest (colored lines) in the white matter skeleton representation. Data from left and right anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) were averaged. Image courtesy of C. Bouziane et al. For more information: www.siemens.com/healthcare FacebookTwitterLinkedInPrint分享 Related Content News | Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | August 06, 2019 Canon Medical Introduces Encore Orian MR Upgrade Program Canon Medical Systems USA Inc. is helping to provide low-cost patient care solutions for its customers with the launch… read more News | PACS | August 08, 2019 NetDirector Launches Cloud-based PDF to DICOM Conversion Service NetDirector, a cloud-based data exchange and integration platform, has diversified their radiology automation options… read more News | Neuro Imaging | August 16, 2019 ADHD Medication May Affect Brain Development in Children A drug used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appears to affect development of the brain’s… read more Increased productivity in cardiovascular MRI is possible with a new generation of Tim (total imaging matrix) technology and the introduction of Dot (day optimizing throughput) engine from Siemens. Tim and Dot deliver patient-centered care and significantly improve productivity across the entire MRI workflow. Tim 4G is the fourth generation of Tim, which has more than 5,000 installations worldwide. Tim 4G offers ultrahigh density coils with 204 coil elements and up to 128 channels, DirectRF and other features for improved flexibility, accuracy and speed. Dot is MRI’s first throughput engine and makes it easy to get the best possible results for virtually any type of patient, providing uniquely tailored, optimized scans configurable to patient condition or clinical question. With real-time on-board guidance, Dot guides the user, step by step through exams, providing instant help, how-to descriptions, and example images, readily, within view. With the Cardiac Dot Engine even the complex cardiac examinations are becoming more routine. Using anatomical landmarks, standard views of the heart, such as dedicated long axis and short-axis views are easily generated and can easily be reproduced using different scanning techniques. Scan parameters are adjusted to the patient’s heart rate and automatic voice commands are given. Initial studies at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital in the United Kingdom allowed all 16 technologists on staff to perform Cardiac Stress exams compared to only two technologists prior to using the Cardiac Dot Engine. Information about this Tim G4 and Dot is being provided for planning purposes. The product is pending 510(k) review, and is not yet commercially available in the U.S Sponsored Content | Case Study | Radiation Dose Management | August 13, 2019 The Challenge of Pediatric Radiation Dose Management Radiation dose management is central to child patient safety. Medical imaging plays an increasing role in the accurate… read more News | PACS | August 09, 2019 Lake Medical Imaging Selects Infinitt for Multi-site RIS/PACS Infinitt North America will be implementing Infinitt RIS (radiology information system)/PACS (picture archiving and… read more The CT scanner might not come with protocols that are adequate for each hospital situation, so at Phoenix Children’s Hospital they designed their own protocols, said Dianna Bardo, M.D., director of body MR and co-director of the 3D Innovation Lab at Phoenix Children’s. News | Artificial Intelligence | August 05, 2019 Montefiore Nyack Hospital Uses Aidoc AI to Spot Urgent Conditions Faster Montefiore Nyack Hospital, an acute care hospital in Rockland County, N.Y., announced it is utilizing artificial… read more Technology | Neuro Imaging | August 07, 2019 Synaptive Medical Launches Modus Plan With Automated Tractography Segmentation Synaptive Medical announced the U.S. launch and availability of Modus Plan featuring BrightMatter AutoSeg. This release… read more Technology | Cybersecurity | August 07, 2019 ScImage Introduces PICOM ModalityGuard for Cybersecurity ScImage Inc. is bridging the gap between security and functionality with the introduction of the PICOM ModalityGuard…. read more Technology | Interventional Radiology | August 16, 2019 Profound Medical Receives U.S. FDA 510(k) Clearance for Tulsa-Pro Profound Medical Corp. announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to… read more News | Artificial Intelligence | August 08, 2019 Half of Hospital Decision Makers Plan to Invest in AI by 2021 August 8, 2019 — A recent study conducted by Olive AI explores how hospital leaders are responding to the imperative read more read more
Feature | September 05, 2012 | Helen Kuhl IMRT Use Grows, But Cost Challenges Loom This article appeared as the introduction to a chart on arc-based radiotherapy systems in the September 2012 issue of Imaging Technology News. Image courtesy of Imago Systems News | Patient Positioning Radiation Therapy | August 15, 2019 Mevion and C-RAD Release Integration for Improved Proton Therapy Treatment Quality Mevion Medical Systems and C-RAD announced the integration between the C-RAD Catalyst PT and the Mevion S250i proton… read more Varian’s Trilogy linear accelerator.The external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) market has been active in recent months, with advances in techniques, devices and treatment planning software that help radiation oncology clinicians provide patients with the most targeted radiation delivery possible. With an estimated 1.1 million patients in the United States treated with radiation in 2009 (including both external beam and brachytherapy delivery), up 15 percent from 2007,[1] and worldwide growth in the radiation therapy market expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 9.1 percent by 2018,[2] activity in this sector can be expected to continue.Most of the cancers treated with radiation therapy are breast, prostate and lung. According to the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), they account for 56 percent of all patients receiving radiation therapy. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is frequently used to treat many types of cancer, even lung cancer in certain instances, and is growing in adoption.In a recent statement ASTRO said, “IMRT yields benefits to prostate cancer patients through increased tumor control and fewer side effects, which will ultimately reduce healthcare spending on prostate cancer and demonstrate the value of IMRT.” It added, however, “All patients may not be ideal candidates for IMRT and patients should be presented with all of their options, including active surveillance.”[3]With regard to breast cancer, a study published in ASTRO’s Practical Radiation Oncology journal found that breast cancer patients treated with IMRT instead of standard whole breast irradiation (WBI) had a lower incidence of acute or chronic toxicities. “Our data support the increasing role of IMRT in delivering not only whole breast irradiation, but also whole breast irradiation using an accelerated treatment time,” said Frank Vicini, M.D., a radiation oncologist with Michigan Healthcare Professionals/21st Century Oncology, Farmington Hills, Mich.IMRT also is being more widely used to treat head and neck cancers. At a multidisciplinary symposium held in January and sponsored jointly by ASTRO, the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM), the American Head and Neck Society (AHNS) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), a poster was presented on a study showing that patients treated with IMRT for head and neck cancer report an increasingly better quality of life post-treatment when compared to patients receiving other forms of radiation therapy.Because IMRT has gained wide use thanks to its ability to better conform the isodose distribution to the tumor’s shape and lower dose to some surrounding healthy tissues, ASTRO recently convened a panel of experts to address guidance for it as part of its Target Safely initiative. ASTRO issued a white paper and conducted a webinar with its recommendations, noting that it is a complex technique.“…Managing the increased complexity in treatment planning and delivery created by IMRT and preventing both human and technical errors requires investments in personnel and training, along with robust quality assurance and safety procedures,” said guidelines analyst Caroline Patton in an article discussing the initiative. “There are an estimated 54 process steps and 15 handoffs involved in treating a patient with IMRT, making it essential to address both technical and environmental factors that can lead to errors.”[4]Cost May Inhibit UseWhile IMRT use has been growing, its future expansion may be affected by cost considerations. A new report on brachytherapy by GlobalData notes that there is increased focus on the cost-effectiveness of cancer treatments, and brachytherapy is seen as a better option than IMRT in that regard.[5]In addition, a proposed rule issued by CMS on July 6 to revise reimbursement policies and rates on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) would reduce payments for radiation oncology services. The most drastic cuts are due to CMS’ change in treatment times for IMRT and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), according to ASTRO.In a press release disputing these changes, ASTRO said, “The recommended treatment times do not fully account for the time spent positioning the patient for treatment, performing safety checks or the work that occurs before and after each patient’s treatment. The society is making efforts to fight the proposed changes.”References:1 IMV Medical Information Division, “2010 Radiation Therapy Market Summary Report”2 GlobalData, “Radiation Therapy Devices – Global Opportunity Assessment and Market Forecast to 2018”3 “ASTRO responds to study on growth of IMRT for prostate cancer,” www.astro.org/News-and-Media/News-Releases/2012/ASTRO-responds-to-study-…, accessed Aug. 14, 20124 “Managing complexity and assuring safety in delivery of IMRT, SRS and SBRT,” Caroline Patton, guidelines analyst, www.astro.org/Web-Exclusives/Clinical-Practice/IMRT/SRS/SBRT-web-exclusi…, accessed Aug. 14, 20125 GlobalData, “Brachytherapy Devices – Global Opportunity Assessment, Competitive Landscape and Market Forecasts to 2018,” www.itnonline.com/article/report-indicates-fate-brachytherapy-may-rest-f…, accessed Aug. 14, 2012 FacebookTwitterLinkedInPrint分享 Technology | Interventional Radiology | August 16, 2019 Profound Medical Receives U.S. FDA 510(k) Clearance for Tulsa-Pro Profound Medical Corp. announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to… read more Following radiation, the bone marrow shows nearly complete loss of blood cells in mice (left). Mice treated with the PTP-sigma inhibitor displayed rapid recovery of blood cells (purple, right). Credit: UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center/Nature Communications The MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center expansion is expected to be completed in 2023. Rendering courtesy of Stantec. News | Artificial Intelligence | August 13, 2019 Artificial Intelligence Could Yield More Accurate Breast Cancer Diagnoses University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system that… read more Catalyst PT image courtesy of C-RAD News | Patient Positioning Radiation Therapy | August 07, 2019 Qfix kVue One Proton Couch Top Validated by Mevion Medical Systems Qfix and Mevion Medical Systems announced that a special version of the kVue One Proton couch top is now both validated… read more News | Brachytherapy Systems | August 14, 2019 Efficacy of Isoray’s Cesium Blu Showcased in Recent Studies August 14, 2019 — Isoray announced a trio of studies recently reported at scientific meetings and published in medica read more News | Mammography | August 14, 2019 Imago Systems Announces Collaboration With Mayo Clinic for Breast Imaging Image visualization company Imago Systems announced it has signed a know-how license with Mayo Clinic. The multi-year… read more News | Radiation Therapy | August 16, 2019 Drug Accelerates Blood System’s Recovery After Radiation, Chemotherapy A drug developed by UCLA physician-scientists and chemists speeds up the regeneration of mouse and human blood stem… read more News | PACS | August 09, 2019 Lake Medical Imaging Selects Infinitt for Multi-site RIS/PACS Infinitt North America will be implementing Infinitt RIS (radiology information system)/PACS (picture archiving and… read more News | Proton Therapy | August 08, 2019 MD Anderson to Expand Proton Therapy Center The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center unveiled plans to expand its Proton Therapy Center during a… read more Related Content News | Radiation Therapy | August 15, 2019 First Patient Enrolled in World’s Largest Brain Cancer Clinical Trial Henry Ford Cancer Institute is first-in-the-world to enroll a glioblastoma patient in the GBM AGILE Trial (Adaptive… read more read more
Technology | Advanced Visualization | November 06, 2017 TeraRecon Introduces 175-Plus New Features in iNtuition 4.4.13 Advanced visualization platform offers improved user interface, enhancements for breast and cardiac imaging News | Medical 3-D Printing | August 08, 2019 RSNA and ACR to Collaborate on Landmark Medical 3D Printing Registry The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) will launch a new medical… read more Sponsored Content | Case Study | Radiation Dose Management | August 13, 2019 The Challenge of Pediatric Radiation Dose Management Radiation dose management is central to child patient safety. Medical imaging plays an increasing role in the accurate… read more November 6, 2017 — TeraRecton announced the launch of version 4.4.13 of its iNtuition advanced visualization platform, over 175 feature and functionality enhancements. According to the company, these improvements accelerate workflow and enhance clinical capabilities for cardiac magnetic resonance (MR), spine labeling, multiphase breast and prostate MR, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and more. All enhancements are wrapped up in a measurably faster and visibly cleaner user interface.Ten of the premiere enhancements in iNtuition 4.4.13, according to TeraRecon, include:1. MR-TVA & Perfusion – usability and layout improvements; tools streamlined and easier to use.2. CMR-2D Flow – Many enhancements including loading multi-slice/ easy-to-use multi-phase with phase recognition and comparisons.3. Bone Removal for head & neck – continuation of improvements and refinement for carotids, COW, etc.- for single energy or dual energy.4. Sphere Finder – now segments findings using contours, versus only sphere, for precise measurements.5. Calcium scoring for TAVR – now an integrated part of the TAVR workflow.6. Calcium Scoring – now available for contrast and non-contrast images utilizing a threshold tool.7. Multiphase – New to iNtuition client, helpful for clinical review of breast or prostate MRI, including Wash in/wash out curves, parametric maps, time-density curves and ability to batch within iNtuition client. Thin client will still be available if needed.8. Vertebral Labeling – Select vertebra and click to label; remainder will be automatically labeled9. VP CUDA: performance improvements for image loading.10. UI cleanup: new updated user interface with multiple enhancements to usability; ability to customize the toolbarFor more information: www.terarecon.com FacebookTwitterLinkedInPrint分享 Videos | Radiology Business | August 02, 2019 VIDEO: Key Topics for Radiology Administrators at AHRA 2019 Association for Medical Imaging Management (AHRA) President … read more News | PACS | August 09, 2019 Lake Medical Imaging Selects Infinitt for Multi-site RIS/PACS Infinitt North America will be implementing Infinitt RIS (radiology information system)/PACS (picture archiving and… read more News | PACS | August 08, 2019 NetDirector Launches Cloud-based PDF to DICOM Conversion Service NetDirector, a cloud-based data exchange and integration platform, has diversified their radiology automation options… read more News | Artificial Intelligence | August 05, 2019 Montefiore Nyack Hospital Uses Aidoc AI to Spot Urgent Conditions Faster Montefiore Nyack Hospital, an acute care hospital in Rockland County, N.Y., announced it is utilizing artificial… read more Technology | Cybersecurity | August 07, 2019 ScImage Introduces PICOM ModalityGuard for Cybersecurity ScImage Inc. is bridging the gap between security and functionality with the introduction of the PICOM ModalityGuard…. read more Key Topics for Radiology Administrators at AHRA 2019Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 7:33Loaded: 2.15%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -7:33 Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedAudio Trackdefault, selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. 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News | Electronic Medical Records (EMR) | August 01, 2019 DrChrono Teams With DeepScribe to Automate Medical Note Taking in EHR DrChrono Inc. and DeepScribe announced a partnership so medical practices using DrChrono EHR can use artificial… read more The CT scanner might not come with protocols that are adequate for each hospital situation, so at Phoenix Children’s Hospital they designed their own protocols, said Dianna Bardo, M.D., director of body MR and co-director of the 3D Innovation Lab at Phoenix Children’s. Technology | Neuro Imaging | August 07, 2019 Synaptive Medical Launches Modus Plan With Automated Tractography Segmentation Synaptive Medical announced the U.S. launch and availability of Modus Plan featuring BrightMatter AutoSeg. This release… read more News | Artificial Intelligence | August 08, 2019 Half of Hospital Decision Makers Plan to Invest in AI by 2021 August 8, 2019 — A recent study conducted by Olive AI explores how hospital leaders are responding to the imperative read more Related Content read more
Source = e-Travel Blackboard: J.L Qantas have introduced a revised set of standards for re-assessing international tickets under its International Ticket Reissue Policy.Effective July 5 this year, the procedures will be GDS-compatible as well as allow the refund of any fare difference where a passenger moves from a higher season to a lower season within the same fare type.It will “enable more efficient and streamlined handling of ticket re-assessments and reissues”, said the carrier.The new standards will also feature the change fees required by each carrier when there are two or more carriers’ fares are combined on one ticket and changes are being made to both fares.An “equal/higher fare value” rule will also apply to the new ticket when a change is made to the fare construction points of a non-refundable or partially-refundable fare. read more