The End of Kochi Cooing
Sunanda PushkarA brand new firefight has begun within the embattled Indian Premier League (IPL) Kochi franchise. On Tuesday, the franchise consortium tried desperately to resolve what appear to be irreconcilable differences. The chasm is widening with the Anchor Earth Movers-led section trying its best to oust the Gaekwads of Rendezvous,Sunanda PushkarA brand new firefight has begun within the embattled Indian Premier League (IPL) Kochi franchise. On Tuesday, the franchise consortium tried desperately to resolve what appear to be irreconcilable differences. The chasm is widening with the Anchor Earth Movers-led section trying its best to oust the Gaekwads of Rendezvous Sports World (RSW) in this joust for control. In the process, the franchise appears to have walked into a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ambush. With the board keen on having only eight franchises in ipl Season Four, sources say that both Kochi and the Rajasthan Royals face the axe. A code of silence seems to have enveloped the major partners.Former minister Shashi Tharoor, who has washed his hands off the franchise which he once actively promoted, says: “I am currently travelling and have no desire to be further involved in this matter. I wish to stress that my wife had no “sweat” equity “given” to her. She purchased shares in RSW from Kisan and Pushpa Gaekwad, and when RSW’s role in the IPL franchise created such public controversy, she decided she did not wish to continue and returned her shares to the Gaekwads for exactly the same amount she had paid for them.”So, how did the Kochi franchise walk into the BCCI trap? Simply by shooting off a missive to the board. Mehul Shah, Atul Shah, Nerul Shah and Chintan Vohra who control the Anchor Group’s shareholding of 27 per cent between them have ensured that other fragmented shareholders join hands to outmanoeuvre the Gaekwads. Mehul says: “We have decided as a policy that we should not comment on this business as it leads to unnecessary confusion. You need to respect and understand our situation.” Vivek Venugopal, who owns 1 per cent of Kochi equity, mirrored this underlying credo when he said: “We have heard about the notice being issued by the BCCI to us, but we haven’t received it yet. We will respond to it as soon as we get it.”advertisementBCCI bouncersThe board’s response to the letter by the Anchor GroupHow can the sweat equity portion be 25 per cent?It needs to conform to the rules and since it is not registered as a company, it cannot exceed 10 per cent.How did Sunanda Pushkar return the 18 per cent equity to Pushpa Gaekwad directly without getting the BCCI’s approval?The BCCI needed to be informed of any change or transfer in ownership pattern. Meanwhile, the Gaekwad faction announced the name of Satyajitsinh Gaekwad as the new CEO of the franchise. Satyajitsinh formally became the CEO on September 16, a day after Shailendra Gaekwad resigned from the post, after which the Mehul faction went ballistic. The faction said since they control 74 per cent of the shareholding, even if Rendezvous holds 26 per cent and has nominated Satyajit Gaekwad as the CEO, no correspondence should be addressed to him by the BCCI. But the Gaekwads, it is reported, are adamant because they reckon that the free equity which totals 25 of their 26 per cent (1 per cent being paid equity) is equity in consideration of cash (under Section 75 of the Companies Act). So the Gaekwads contend that professionals get remuneration and sweat equity for professional services rendered to the franchise, which are intangible.The BCCI has now issued a showcause notice to the consortium. At the board’s recent annual general meeting, President Shashank Manohar read the riot act to the franchise. He said the franchise was split down the middle and this made it extremely difficult for the board to communicate with any one legal entity. “We will issue them a showcause notice and give them a timeframe within which you have to incorporate your company,” he said. “Otherwise we are going to cancel this franchise because we can’t work with groups within a franchise.” But, when india today quizzed board secretary and president-elect N. Srinivasan, he said: “The BCCI has not issued anything to anybody. I am not in a position to say anything.”RSW won the Kochi bid after forking out a whopping $333.33 million, outbidding Gautam Adani and the Videocon Group. Unfortunately, RSW ‘s journey since winning the bid has been hurtling from one controversy to another. With then IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi tweeting about secret partners, including Sunanda Pushkar and a former Indian cricket captain whose identity is still to be revealed, the controversy turned into a full blown crisis. Modi’s famous tweet opened a can of worms. “Why is 25 per cent of Kochi team given free to Rendezvous Sports for life?” Modi asked. “The same equity is non-dilutable in perpetuity. What does that mean?”advertisementNow things are coming to a head given that all pending issues need to be resolved expeditiously. After all, the Season Four player auction has to take place in Mumbai next month. On Tuesday, when the consortium partners met in Mumbai, an attempt was made to bury the hatchet. A management committee was formed with one individual representing each investor. But the Gaekwads made it clear that a RSW representative will be from the Gaekwad family and will retain the position of CEO for perpetuity. He will function under the supervision of the management committee. But this has not gone down well with the Mehul Shah faction which wants to prop up Anchor as the team owner and is keen on branding the Kochi franchise with the company name.Kochi franchise partners celebrate their successful bid in April.The Gaekwads will have nothing of this. Shailendra refused to comment on the issue while Satyajit was non-committal, saying: “We are discussing all issues; we had a positive meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday and we hope to resolve all the pending issues over the weekend.”But the most contentious issue is that the Shahs want the Gaekwads to reduce their free equity component drastically. They now want as much as 15 per cent of the 25 per cent free equity to be paid equity, which means that the Gaekwads need to invest this amount in the company. For the 15 per cent paid equity, the Gaekwads are willing to cough up Rs 1.22 crore per 1 per cent of the shareholding. This works out to Rs 18.3 crore for which sources say, the Gaekwads are willing to issue a cheque, but the Mehul faction now wants a bank guarantee. The Gaekwads want the company to be registered and incorporated with the Registrar of Companies and only then will they release a bank guarantee. After making this payment, the Gaekwads seek to retain 10 per cent of the free equity as sweat equity but the Anchor-led faction seeks further dilution.What then is the formula for survival? The Gaekwads believe since the bid is in their name, all rights vest with them, but the bulge bracket investors are busy elbowing them out of the venture. Also, mentor and well-wisher Tharoor and his wife Sunanda have disassociated themselves from the issue. The tattered franchise is using glue to stick together, but the question is for how long? With the Gujaratis opposing the Maharashtrians in this battle of attrition, it’s simply a question of who will blink first.
New Delhi, Mar 9 (PTI) The Bureau of Indian Standard Bill, passed by Parliament, empowers the government to make hallmarking of gold and silver mandatory and provides for jail up to two years and fine up to 10 times of the goods value in case of violation related to misuse of standards.Parliament yesterday passed a bill to replace the 30 year- old Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act. The Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha yesterday after getting the nod of Lok Sabha on December 3, 2015.Terming the new bill as “revolutionary”, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today said the proposed law empowers BIS to recall products not conforming to standards.In case of offence committed by any company, he said every director, manager and secretary responsible for the conduct of the business would be liable, irrespective of the fact that the offence has been committed with or without their consent or connivance.”It is a revolutionary bill. There are various provisions in this bill which are in consumers interest and at the same time manufacturers also have the option for self-declaration,” Paswan said while highlighting the main features of the Bill.The Bill would help consumers to get quality products and would also help in preventing import of sub-standard products, he said, adding that the new law would give a boost to the governments Make in India programme.”In this Act, there is a provision empowering government for mandatory hallmarking of gold,” the minister said.Stating that there have been complaints about hallmarking of gold that 9 carat gold is being sold as 22 carat gold, Paswan said he has called a meeting of jewellers tomorrow to address this issue.advertisement”This act also make companys top officials liable for the poor quality of goods having BIS standards. For ease of doing business, companies can also self declare that there are goods as per BIS standards,” he said.The minister said the new Bill empowers government to make standards for any product mandatory in national interest or in consumers interest or in interest of environment.On food products, Paswan said the BIS would now recognise the standards framed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).”Stringent penalty provisions have been made for violation of compliance to the standards which include imprisonment up to two years or with fine up to ten times of the value of goods produced or sold, or with both,” an official statement said.The Bill empowers the government to bring any article, process or service, which it considers necessary from point of view of health, safety, environment, prevention of deceptive practices, security etc, under the mandatory certification regime, it added. MORE PTI JTR MJH MR
Indian women’s ODI team captain Mithali Raj on Friday became the first female cricketer to feature in 200 ODIs as she led her team out against New Zealand in the third and final match in Hamilton.Interestingly, India have played 263 ODIs in total so far and Mithali has featured in 200 of them. Since her ODI debut on 25 June, 1999, the team has played 213 matches in the format. She has been a part of all but 13 of them.This is Mithali’s 20th year in international cricket during which time she has amassed 6622 runs in 200 ODIs with 7 hundreds and 52 half-centuries in 180 innings. The 36-year-old has also played 10 Tests and scored 663 runs at an average of 51 while in 85 T20Is she has managed 2283 runs at 37.42 with 17 fifties.It’s a special game for captain @M_Raj03 as she becomes the first woman to play 200 ODIs. Stay tuned for 2nd innings. New Zealand need 150 to win. #NZvINDhttps://t.co/0pWWx7ZWRr pic.twitter.com/xJZFPAduyJBCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 1, 2019Mithali’s team however, struggled in the first innings on Friday as India got bowled out for 149 after being put into bat by the White Ferns. The New Zealand women’s team chased down the target in 29.2 overs to register a morale-boosting win. India though still lifted the trophy having won the previous two match, by comprehensive margins.Mithali managed to add just 9 runs to the Indian total while Deepti Sharma top-scored with 52 off 90 balls. Harmanpreet Kaur was the next-best scorer with 24 runs.For New Zealand, Anna Peterson starred with the ball as she took 4 wickets for 28 runs while Lea Tahuhu bagged 3 wickets for 26 runs. India have already clinched the three-match series by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead.advertisementMithali’s participation in her 200th ODI came a day after Rohit Sharma became the 14th Indian male cricketer to play 200 one-day internationals when he walked out to toss with New Zealand captain Kane Williamson at the same venue on Thursday.Rohit Sharma joined the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Mohammad Azharuddin, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Virat Kohli in the Indian club of 200 ODIs.”Yeah, 200th game is special. Lots of ups and downs but I am happy where I am,” Rohit said at the toss, which New Zealand won and opted to bowl.Rohit however, didn’t have the best of games as interim skipper as India got bowled out for 92 thanks to Trent Boult’s five-wicket haul. Rohit managed just 7 runs in the match.New Zealand then rode on Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls’s unbeaten knocks to reach the target with 8 wickets in hand. It was New Zealand’s first win of the five-match series which India lead 3-1.Also Watch:
ONE CANDIDATE SPENT TUESDAY’S ELECTION DAY CAMPAIGNING IN IOWA FOR THE 2018 ELECTION.DEIDRE DEJEAR IS A DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FROM DES MOINES WHO IS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER HOPING TO BECOME IOWA’S NEXT SECRETARY OF STATE:Audio Playerhttp://kscj.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/DEJEAR.mp300:0000:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.OC…….OUR NATIONAL ELECTIONS. ;19DEJEAR WANTS TO GET MORE PEOPLE ENGAGED IN GOING TO THE POLLS AND CASTING BALLOTS.SHE SAYS THAT STARTS WITH LOCAL ELECTIONS LIKE TUESDAY’S:Audio Playerhttp://kscj.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/DEJEAR2.mp300:0000:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.OC……..DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT. :20IOWA’S ELECTION LAWS ARE CHANGING, REQUIRING VOTERS TO SHOW AN I.D. BEFORE CASTING THEIR BALLOT.DEJEAR SAYS NOT EVERYONE IS HAPPY WITH THAT CHANGE:Audio Playerhttp://kscj.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/DEJEAR3.mp300:0000:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.OC……..KNOW ABOUT IT. ;22DEJEAR SPOKE AT SIOUX CITY’S DIVING ELK ON HISTORIC 4TH STREET TUESDAY EVENING.
zoom Japanese shipbuilder Tsuneishi Shipbuilding delivered the 81,600 dwt bulk carrier Camellia Bliss to compatriot shipping company ”K” Line in a ceremony held at Tsuneishi Factory on August 5.This is Tsuneishi’s 215th completed Kamsarmax.The company pioneered the construction of these 80,000 to 82,000 dwt bulkers in 2004 by modifying its design of 70,00 dwt Panamax vessels.The 229-meter Kamsarmaxes were named after the Port of Kamsar in Guinea, which has that vessel length restriction.Camellia Bliss is 32.3 meters wide and has a draft of 20 meters.It is capable of sailing to the speeds of up to 14.5 knots.
London: Their semifinal chances reduced to just a mathematical possibility, former champions Pakistan will need an improbable win over Bangladesh to have a shot at making the semifinals of the World Cup when the two sides clash here on Friday. Pakistan’s resurgence in the World Cup looked eerily close to the 1992 Cup-winning edition before India’s loss to England dented their hopes of a semifinal spot and when New Zealand went down to the hosts last night, it was almost over for them. Also Read – Dhoni, Paes spotted playing football togetherThe road to the knockout stage for Sarfaraz Ahmed and his men is just an improbable mathematical calculation and that too provided Pakistan win the toss and bat first. If Pakistan lose the toss and are asked to field, their miniscule semi-final hopes will be over even before the first ball is bowled at the Lord’s. New Zealand finished their engagements at 11 points from nine matches after their 119-run loss to England but despite the massive defeat, the Kiwis are way ahead in terms of their net run-rate, which is +0.175, compared to Pakistan’s -0.792. Also Read – Andy Murray to make Grand Slam return at Australian OpenCurrently placed fifth with nine points from eight matches, Pakistan face the challenge of beating Bangladesh by 311 runs after posting 350 or by 316 runs after scoring 400, something which is practically impossible. Following their loss to arch-rivals India, Pakistan staged a remarkable comeback with wins over South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan, riding on some impressive performances by Babar Azam and Harris Sohail in the batting department. Left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi’s five-wicket haul against New Zealand was also a big positive as it added firepower to their bowling led by Mohammad Amir. Bangladesh, on the other hand, will rue their missed chances and would hope to bring some cheer to their fans back home with a solid performance against Pakistan, a team they had defeated in the 1999 edition. Currently placed seventh, Bangladesh have been impressive in their wins against South Africa, Afghanistan and West Indies. They have shown the stomach for a fight even in losses and Mashrafe Mortaza and his men will hope for a good outing against Pakistan on Friday. Bangladesh have been too dependent on star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who has become the only cricketer to score 500 runs and claim 10 wickets in World Cup history. Led by Shakib, Bangladesh have consistently crossed the 300-mark this World Cup but it is their bowling which has let them down, especially the lack of form of skipper Mortaza. Mustafizur Rahman’s variations, which fetched him five wickets, and Mohammad Saifuddin’s fifty helped them give India a scare in their last match and Bangladesh will hope for a stronger show against Pakistan. Squads: Pakistan: Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Shahdab Khan, Mohammed Hafeez, Mohammed Hasnain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Mohammed Aamir, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Asif Ali. Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmuduallah Riyadh, Sabbir Rahaman, Mehidy Hasan Miraj, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammed Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahaman, Rubel Hossain, Liton Kumar Das, Abu Jayed, Mohammed Mithun. Match Starts 3pm (IST).
HALIFAX – Christopher Garnier’s defence lawyer attempted Wednesday to bolster his assertion that Const. Catherine Campbell died after asking to be choked, and to explain why his client doesn’t remember using a compost bin to dump her body.Psychiatrist Dr. Stephen Hucker, who was hired by defence lawyer Joel Pink to prepare a report ahead of Garnier’s murder trial, was called to the stand in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.Hucker, who is also an expert in sexual masochism, told the jury that Garnier’s account of his sexual encounter with Campbell amounts to him facilitating erotic asphyxiation on the off-duty police officer.He also said he believes Garnier suffered from acute stress disorder immediately following her death on Sept. 11, 2015.Hucker was qualified as an expert witness by Justice Joshua Arnold, allowing him to give opinion evidence.He said he was asked by the defence to answer questions about erotic asphyxiation, its potential risks, and whether PTSD could prevent someone from remembering details of disposing of a body.Hucker explained that erotic asphyxiation was a form of sexual masochism and a term used to describe asphyxiation for sexual gratification. He said people who practice erotic asphyxiation often do it with a trusting partner and establish a “safe word.”He said harm can be caused during erotic asphyxiation, and that it is possible a person would not give warnings before becoming unconscious because it can happen “within seconds.”“The problem with doing this kind of thing is that people lose consciousness very rapidly,” he said.Hucker said Garnier described symptoms including tunnel vision, loud noises and memory loss following Campbell’s death.“Those symptoms would conform to acute stress disorder,” said Hucker.He said if those symptoms persist, it can develop into PTSD. Hucker said he has diagnosed Garnier with PTSD.The Crown alleges Garnier punched and strangled the 36-year-old Truro, N.S., police constable after they met at a Halifax bar, and used a compost bin to dispose of her body near Halifax’s Macdonald Bridge.In his opening statement Monday, Pink told the 14-member jury that Campbell died accidentally during “rough sex” that she initiated.Garnier has told the jury that during sex play, Campbell encouraged him to choke and slap her before she died, but that his memories about the night are fragmented. He said he does not remember disposing of Campbell’s body.Garnier, 30, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and interfering with a dead body.Hucker said he reviewed evidence in the case, including police interviews, and also interviewed Garnier’s girlfriend Brittany Francis, his friend Mitch Devoe, and Garnier on two occasions.He said he also reviewed the report from Dr. Matthew Bowes, the province’s medical examiner, and testimony he gave at Garnier’s preliminary inquiry. Bowes had concluded Campbell died of strangulation.Hucker noted what was missing from Bowes’ report was any indication that Campbell had fought for her life, such as injuries to Garnier. The jury has heard that other than some scratches, Garnier had no injuries.Hucker said that he spoke with Garnier for a total of 6.5 hours on two occasions, and that he showed no signs of agitation and was fully cooperative during the interviews.“He was dressed in prison clothes. He was neat and tidy and adequately groomed,” said Hucker, who interview Garnier in prison.Garnier did nothing to suggest he had a personality disorder, said Hucker. He said he came across as a quiet, unassuming person, a “people-pleaser” and someone with a tendency to back away from confrontation.In her opening statement, prosecutor Carla Ball had said: “This case is about a man who loses control.”Hucker was expected to continue testimony Thursday.Follow (at)AlyThomson on Twitter.
On Monday’s episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” the Petco Foundation joined Ellen DeGeneres and her natural pet food company Halo, Purely for Pets, to announce a new grant campaign designed to make holiday wishes come true for some of the nation’s most dedicated non-profit animal-welfare organizations.“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” will announce the winning animal-welfare group – who will earn a $100,000 grand prize grant to support their work to save animals – in December.“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” is encouraging qualified animal-welfare groups to submit details (stories, photos, videos, etc.) surrounding their best animal success stories for a chance to win up to a $100,000 Petco Foundation grant toward saving more lives this holiday season. Second and third place winners will earn $50,000 and $25,000, respectively, with grants from $5,000 to $10,000 going to 10 runner-up organizations. All entries must be submitted by Nov. 22, 2013.“Halo and the Petco Foundation are teaming up together. We want to help all of the pet shelters that help animals and do good every year. The Petco Foundation wants to award deserving animal shelters,” said talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.“We’re thrilled to partner with Ellen and Halo on this exciting campaign to recognize and support the groups and individuals who work tirelessly all year long to care for and find homes for animals in need,” said Petco Foundation Executive Director Susanne Kogut. “By sharing some of their stories through this campaign, we hope to raise awareness and increase the number of animals spending this holiday season where they belong – in loving homes with the care and support they deserve.”The Petco Foundation Holiday Wishes Grant Campaign is open to all animal welfare organizations dedicated to finding homes for animals in need this holiday season, including governmental animal services and shelters, as well as private non-profit organizations, large and small. Applications can be submitted online www.petcofoundation.org and require just one complete success story, including photos, and basic organizational information to be eligible. The winning animal-welfare group will be announced in December.For more information on the Petco Foundation Holiday Wishes Grant Campaign or to submit your non-profit grant application, visit www.petco.com/holidaywishes.Source:PR Newswire
APTN National NewsThere’s a new café in Montreal that only hires Aboriginal employees.No, it’s not an experiment in reverse racism.But rather a way to lend a hand to Indigenous people who have had a hard time in the job market – and elsewhere.APTN’s Tom Fennario has the story.tfennario@aptn.ca
With this scorching heat comes the urge to drink a lot of cool drinks, which are not only refreshing but also delicious. Chefs and mixologists from across the city have shared recipes of few ‘easy to make summer drinks’. Make sure you try each one from the below mentioned list.The basic ingredient of the recipes given by Chef Prem K Pogakula, Executive Chef, The Imperial is a ‘sweetener’ – which could be a grain sugar, honey or jaggery syrup, next is the body of the drink which consists of main ingredients like rose syrup, pineapple syrup, sandal wood syrup .The third and the most important is the flavour cutter and a cooling ingredient which one can enjoy as a bite in between. Also Read – An income drop can harm brainGulab aur tulsi sharbat Fresh rose petals (hand crushed) – 50gms Dry rose petals – 30gms Rose water – 40ml Saffron soaked in 5 ml warm water – 2gms Honey – 250ml Hand crushed basil – 50gms Crushed ice – 500gms Chilled water – 2000ml Combine all the ingredients and leave it to soak. Blend the flavour for about 20 minutes, strain and serve chilled with basil leaf Annannas aur pudina Fresh pineapple juice with pulp-1000ml Honey-100ml Cinnamon Also Read – Shallu Jindal honoured with Mahatma Award powder – 2 gms Cardamom powder–2 gms Hand crushed mint – 50 gms Mint julienne –10gms Combine all the ingredients, leave it to soak, strain and serve chilledSummer drinks should have lots of citrus and seasonal fruits like watermelon, musk melon along with herbs such as mint, basil and cucumber. The ace mixologists at Grappa Bar, Shangri-La’s – Eros Hotel, New Delhi whip up some of the finest Italian inspired refreshing, fruity and inventive drinks that are simply whimsical. Jamun and Bergamot Slush Jamun puree – 60 ml Bergamot oil – Spray Lime juice – 20 ml Orange juice – 20 ml Blend it with ice and serve in Gin and Tonic glass Watermelon and Mint Cooler Fresh watermelon juice – 60 ml Fresh watermelon chunks – 8-10 chunks Lime juice – 10 ml Peach syrup – 10 ml Fresh mint – 5-6 sprigs Shake and serve in Coupe glassIt is believed that consuming spice promote cooling, and therefore it is suggested have it during summer months. Spices are said to be infused with antioxidants that help you stay cool throughout the day. Here’s a drink by Dipender Tiwari, Head Chef Dipender Tiwari, QLA, European casual dining, to make you feel cooler this season. Concocted with freshly plucked herbs and spices from our kitchen garden, and made with vodka, herbs, spices and oakwood smoked pineapple, this cocktail drink is perfect for summers. Vulgare John Fennel seeds – one tablespoon Sweet and sour mix – 15 ml Vodka – 60 ml Smoked pineapple chunks (as desired) Mix the ingredients well and top it with fennel seeds and smoked pineapple
Flight Control is a game many iPhone and iPod touch owners will already know well. It topped the App Store charts in 19 countries simultaneously last year and counts sales in the multiple millions. For developer Firemint it was a huge success just on that one platform, but they didn’t stop there. An HD iPad version was created, as was a DSiWare and PSN version. But last week Firemint finally got a version released for PC and Mac gamers called Flight Control HD.The idea behind Flight Control HD is simple. The player takes on the role of a flight controller directing a sky full of aircraft to their designated landing runway or landing zone. But rather than reeling off coordinates and runway numbers, you simply drag out a path for each plane or helicopter to follow. The difficulty comes in ensuring no aircraft hit each other as the sky gets busier.AdChoices广告In total there are nine levels to playthrough each of which have their own difficulty rating. When the game is first loaded up only one of these levels is accessible. To unlock the rest you just need to successfully land aircraft. The more you do, the more levels become available.Within each level there is a standard red and yellow runway. These are supplemented by one or more helicopter landing pads. The aircraft and helicopters that appear on the screen are colored depending on which runway they need to land on. The player simply draws a line with their mouse from an aircraft to the correct runway, that craft will then turn white showing it has a path to follow and the player moves on. The path can be updated at any time by clicking on the aircraft of the end of the path.It gets more difficult as the levels progress and within the more difficult levels for two reasons. The first is the increasing number of aircraft in the skies. Mapping out a path for two or three aircraft is easy and you can ensure they won’t hit. But when there’s 6 or 7, with more appearing all the time, paths need to be redrawn to prevent collisions that you didn’t know would happen when originally mapping a course.The second difficulty factor comes in the form of different speeds of aircraft. For each runway you may have a fast and slow type of aircraft. Helicopters are just very slow. While slower objects may sound like an easier thing to deal with, they aren’t if a faster plane appears on the screen. For example, the slow progress your helicopter was making now forms a problem for the jet flying towards it and getting ready to land. On the flip side to this, if all your aircraft are safely moving through the sky you can hit the fast forward button and see them progress at a faster rate. This helps keep things moving along, but turns itself off if a collision is sensed.Speed and numbers are your main enemy here, and this game is all about management of both. If you have a head for keeping multiple moving objects in mind and multitasking, then you’ll do well in this game. If you don’t like a bit of stress, then Flight Control HD is going to have you throwing your mouse across the room.Firemint do throw a few curve balls into the mix for good measure too. Wind is a factor in one level and a windsock will denote when certain runways are deemed closed due to high winds. That can really mess with your strategy, but doesn’t seem to impact aircraft already on a flight path to a now closed runway.Stunts are the final obstacle I encountered when playing through the levels, and they seem to be exclusive to this version of Flight Control. As you can see in the video below, in this level you don’t just need to land the planes, you have to get them to do as many stunts as possible by flying in and out of cones before coming in for a touchdown. It’s a nice change and a notch up on the difficulty level for seasoned aircraft controllers. It’s also an enticement for those already owning copies of the game on other platforms to invest in this one too.One thing you have to understand about Flight Control HD is that it’s clearly meant to be played in short bursts. You are compelled to replay levels when a collision occurs only if you haven’t beat your highest score. Fail several times in a row and you’ll quit the game in frustration. An hour later you are back for more, and that’s why this game is so popular. It’s instantly accessible, there’s no load times to speak of, and the gameplay is compelling.This compulsion to play is further helped by stats tracking and a global leaderborads system which Firemint runs itself through the cloudcell.com community. A stats tab on the game menu gives access to your average scores, most recent score, the most aircraft you have had on-screen, the total number of aircraft you have successfully landed, and the type of craft you are most likely to crash. Hit the leaderboards button and you’ll see your ranking against other players. This may be depressing or act as incentive to keep playing.There is one big complaint I have about this game, and it’s one that I admit is hard to fix. On occasion one of the faster moving planes will enter the play area in very close proximity to a much slower plane. Even if you see the warning icon right away there is nothing you can do to stop a collision happening. It’s game over even though you did nothing wrong.It’s a little unfair, and more luck of the draw than anything else. You could argue planes should not be flown so close to the edge of the screen, but when you have a very busy sky there’s little else you can do so this is always going to happen. The only fix I can see is for the warning to be extended, or the play area to have a fog of war surrounding the extremities of the screen, that way you can see something is approaching long before you take control of it.That annoyance is forgivable, though. Flight Control HD is a worthwhile purchase, and at $4.99 it’s almost an impulse buy. If you haven’t played it before then you may want to opt for a more mobile version for those spare moments when you desire a quick gaming session. If you’re sat at a PC all day then this is a great version to pick up too.
It has been two days since Sony announced the PlayStation 4 without showing us the actual PlayStation 4. How are you holding up under the deluge of news tidbits that followed? What we did get an extensive look at, though, is the PS4’s new controller, the DualShock 4. If you felt the controller was a little ridiculous, or didn’t want to pony up funds to buy extra ones for when you have company over and were planning on using your PS3 DualShock 3 controllers instead, we’ve got some bad news for you.The president of Sony Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, confirmed the unfortunate news himself, stating that the PS4 will not support the DualShock 3. Though this isn’t the best news, it does make a bit of sense. The DualShock 4 is incorporating a host of features that the 3 simply doesn’t have. Considering the PS4 isn’t backwards compatible with PS3 games, dropping support for the DualShock 3 makes even more sense.Fortunately for those of you who jumped on the Move bandwagon (if there ever was one), your weird light-up lollipop controller isn’t being glossed over as some kind of forgotten failure. The PS4 will continue to support Move, but who knows to what end. The console does have a new PS4 Eye, and in conjunction with the PS3’s Eye, the Move became a highly accurate device. Perhaps the wand will be incorporated into whatever plans Sony has for the new Eye. However, considering the reception motion gaming experienced during the PS3 generation, we’d suggest holding off on investing more money into the Move until Sony shows you there’s a reason to do so.
Internet : la France compte plus de 20 millions d’abonnés au haut débitFrance – L’Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques et des postes (Arcep) a publié hier les chiffres de son observatoire du haut et très haut débit sur réseaux fixes pour le premier trimestre 2010. Selon elle, la France a franchi depuis mars dernier la barre des 20 millions d’abonnés.Au 31 mars 2010, la France comptait 20,055 millions d’abonnements, dont 19,725 millions pour le haut débit, soit 95% du parc, et 330.000 pour le très haut débit. Si sur le trimestre, le parc a gagné 370.000 abonnements, la fibre optique jusqu’au domicile (FTTH) accuse un important retard. En effet, sur les 330.000 abonnements très haut débit, seuls 75.000 sont des abonnements en fibre optique jusqu’aux abonnés, et 255.000 sont des accès en technologie mixte fibre optique-coaxial.Annonçant une croissance nette des abonnements haut débit et très haut débit de 1,69 million sur un an, l’Arcep précise que le nombre de lignes dégroupées a atteint 8,1 millions. Le régulateur des télécoms indique également que 41.000 immeubles sont aujourd’hui équipés en FTTH, “soit 860.000 logements éligibles aux offres FTTH”.Mais pour le collectif d’entreprises Libre Choix, le déploiement de la fibre optique jusqu’aux logements n’est pas assez rapide. Rappelant que l’objectif est d’atteindre 4 millions d’abonnés au très haut débit d’ici 2012, l’association estime que “le chiffre de 330.000 abonnés au très haut débit en France, dont seulement 75.000 en fibre optique, est un cinglant désaveu de la politique du gouvernement en faveur du déploiement du très haut débit dans notre pays”.Le 2 juin 2010 à 16:07 • Emmanuel Perrin
Live Podcast: Reviewing and discussing WWE Clash of Champions from Charlotte Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville is reportedly no longer under contract with WWE according to a report by Pro Wrestling Sheet.The report, which didn’t cite specific details, noted that a “source with direct knowledge of the situation” confirmed he is no longer tied to a WWE deal.Neville has been off WWE television since last October and has not wrestled at any live events ever since. He did not comment publicly about his departure from WWE.A report by F4WOnline claims WWE was in negotiations with Neville earlier this year, but they stalled and it appeared they opted to freeze his deal or negotiate a release.Paul “Triple H” Levesque was asked about Neville and his current status with the company during an NXT conference call with media last week. Triple H said he wasn’t “100% positive” about Neville’s current status with the company and added he would have to look into that. He did add that Neville would be a perfect fit with the current goals of the NXT UK brand and put over his past work in 205 Live. Google+ Pinterest WWE Clash of Champions Results – 9/15/19 (Rollins vs. Strowman, Kingston vs. Orton) Wrestleview Live #65: Reviewing and discussing WWE Clash of Champions from Charlotte 
WhatsApp Twitter Facebook Adam Martin RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR
Clark County residents continue to be hit hard by the seasonal flu virus, which is now to blame for three local deaths.Flu levels remained elevated for the 11th straight week, with nearly 27 percent of tests coming back positive for the week of Jan. 15 to 20. A positivity rate of more than 10 percent indicates flu transmission is occurring in the community.Clark County Public Health is also reporting three flu-associated deaths so far this season, and health officials are investigating two additional possible cases.“We’ll probably see more before this season ends,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County health officer and public health director, during a Wednesday board of health meeting.The three deaths include a woman in her 80s, a woman in her 90s and a man in his 20s — all with underlying medical conditions, Melnick said.Clark County typically has two or three influenza-related deaths each year. Last flu season, the county recorded one influenza-associated death.Washington statisticsStatewide, health officials report 76 flu-associated deaths as of Jan. 14. During the same time period last year, there were nine.“Just by looking at these numbers, it looks like a more severe year than we’ve been having,” Melnick said.The flu is also sweeping through local long-term care facilities. This season, 13 facilities have reported outbreaks. Four of those outbreaks are ongoing, according to Clark County Public Health.The flu season started about 12 weeks earlier than last season and about six weeks earlier than the previous season, Melnick said.Local flu activity briefly spiked in early November. Then, in mid-December, flu numbers started climbing again and have remained elevated since.Even though the flu is circulating, health officials are reminding people that it’s not too late to get a flu shot.“The vaccine is still, by far, the best way to prevent influenza,” Melnick said.
What’s new to stream in April 2019 Now playing: Watch this: Apple AirPlay is no longer supported by Netflix. Chesnot / Getty Images If you stream Netflix on your iPhone or iPad, the app will no longer support Apple AirPlay. This means that you won’t be able to cast shows on Netflix from your iOS device to your Apple TV. The change on the streaming site’s support page was spotted late last week by MacRumors. Netflix’s note says AirPlay is “no longer supported” due to “technical limitations.” “With AirPlay support rolling out to third-party devices, there isn’t a way for us to distinguish between devices (what is an Apple TV vs. what isn’t) or certify these experiences,” a Netflix spokesperson said in an email. “Therefore, we have decided to discontinue Netflix AirPlay support to ensure our standard of quality for viewing is being met.” Netflix said Apple is a valued partner and the decision isn’t related to competition between the two businesses. You can still activate AirPlay through the Control Center on an iOS device. It just won’t connect to Netflix.Originally published April 8, 7:40 a.m. PT.Update, 8.31 a.m. PT: Adds comment from Netflix. Digital Media Mobile Best Buy Crutchfield See All Mentioned Above Apple TV 4K (32GB) reading • Netflix axes Apple AirPlay support $169 Aug 31 • iPhone XR vs. iPhone 8 Plus: Which iPhone should you buy? See It • Tags Preview • Apple TV 4K: New $179 Apple streamer adds HDR, better gaming CNET may get a commission from retail offers. Review • Apple TV 4K review: The best TV streamer keeps getting better AirPlay Netflix Apple
Aug 31 • iPhone 11, Apple Watch 5 and more: The final rumors $179 Apple TV 4K Apple $179 2:27 See It Aug 31 • Best places to sell your used electronics in 2019 See It See it Share your voice 4 Comments Apple $179 Aug 31 • Your phone screen is gross. Here’s how to clean it