Supreme Court rules in favour of cricket and its fans
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The Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favour of cricket and the game’s millions of viewers by upholding almost all of former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha Committee’s recommendations to overhaul Indian cricket administration at the end of a long-inning spanning over two years during which the high priests of BCCI and State associations fought tooth-and-nail to protect their spell over the sport’s running in the country.In language gently chiding the cricket administrators for their belligerent stance in the court against “change”, a Bench of Chief Justice of India TS Thakur and Justice FMI Kalifulla, who is retiring this week, advised them to let go of their “ego” to help usher in long-needed reform into the cash-rich sport for the sake of the spirit of the game.“The truth is that resistance to change stems partly from people getting used to status quo and partly because any change is perceived to affect their vested interest in terms of loss of ego, status, power or resources. This is true particularly when the suggested change is structural or organisational that involves some threat, real or perceived, of personal loss to those involved,” Chief Justice Thakur wrote in the 143-page judgment for the Bench.Uncannily reading the minds of those opposing the Lodha panel recommendations submitted on December 18, 2015, for the court to stamp its authority, the Supreme Court said the sense of justice and fairness personified by Justice Lodha’s work seemed to have “made little or no difference” to those resisting the committee’s conclusions and suggestions.The apex court found no reason to interfere with the recommendations that effectively overhaul the BCCI’s organisational set-up, memberships and functioning for the sake of transparency and accountability.Chiefly, it gave full marks to Lodha panel restrictions like ‘One State, One Vote’ or capping an age limit for cricket administrators at 70 or keeping government ministers and bureaucrats out or including a nominee of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) office or a three-year term with a cooling-off period between two successive terms and even the grounds of disqualification, which includes renouncing of position as soon as an office-bearer becomes a government minister.The judgment cursorily dismisses the BCCI and State Associations’ rejection of Lodha panel recommendation that office-bearers should not enjoy “dual positions” simultaneously on the Board and in State cricket bodies.The judgment gives the green signal to the panel’s recommendation for overhaul of the existing Committees of the BCCI on the ground that they do not have clearly defined terms of reference.“The BCCI ought to adopt an approach that would institutionalise the management of its administrative affairs rather than such affairs being run on an ad-hoc basis,” the court agreed.Supervising the transitionIt hands over the job of supervising the transition to the Lodha Committee, saying “we hope that the same should be completed within a period of four months or at best six months from today”.The court asked the panel to draw the timelines for completing the transition while directing the BCCI to approach the Supreme Court, and only the Supreme Court, in case of any further directions are required.The court agreed that the ‘One State, One Vote’ policy may affect budding cricketers in States having more then one member cricket clubs as in Maharashtra and Gujarat with a long-standing history in contributing to cricket.To avoid “long drawn litigation and frustration for the players and cricket lovers”, the court suggested that the only way out of the “conundrum” is to introduce a policy of rotation of full membership among the clubs on an annual basis.“During the period one of the associations would exercise rights and privileges of a full member, the other two associations would act as associate members of BCCI. This rotational arrangement would give each member a right to vote at its turn without violating the broader principle of one State one vote recommended by the Committee,” the court reasoned. Though the court restrains from passing any directions to include BCCI under the ambit of the Right to Information Act, it refers the question to the Law Commission of India to consider the suggestion from the Lodha panel.On bettingSimilarly, the court refrains from pronouncing on the panel’s recommendation to legalise betting in the aftermath of the Indian Premier League (IPL) betting scandal that dragged Indian cricket into the mud and triggered the litigation initiated by the Cricket Association of Bihar. Instead, it points out that the question of legalising betting “involves the enactment of a law”.This again, it refers to the Law Commission and the Centre for action.Broadcast of matchesThe court also refused to intervene in BCCI’s complaint that the committee’s recommendation for uninterrupted broadcast of matches through reduced advertisements would have a crippling effect on the financial health of the Board.Instead of taking sides, the court refers the Committee’s recommendation to the BCCI to find an appropriate solution keeping in mind the spirit behind the suggestion.Again, the court stops short of passing an order on BCCI’s objection to including representatives of IPL franchisees in the IPL Governing Council.The Board maintains that this would lead to conflict of interest as the Council decides on players’ retention policy and umpire selection.Instead, the court refers the recommendation back to the Lodha Committee for a re-look and assures that if the panel reiterates the recommendation it would be deemed that it has received the court’s assent.Article 19 (1) (c)Chief Justice Thakur rips apart the BCCI argument that it is a private body protected under Article 19 (1) (c) of the Constitution (the fundamental right to form unions or associations or co-operative societies). BCCI argued that no court has the power to regulate or breach this freedom.The court’s answer is a deft mixture of logic and law. It points out that freedom under Article 19 (1) (c) is guaranteed only to “citizens and citizens alone”.“Recourse to Article 19(1) (c) is not, therefore, open to juristic or other persons and entities who are non-citizens,” the apex court responds.Besides, what the court does here is to usher in reform to inspire public confidence in the Board and the game, it adds.The Lodha panel was not given the job of making “cosmetic changes” but lay the proper foundations for cricket to prosper and reach the masses in an unadulterated form.“BCCI was discharging public functions and is, therefore, subject to the rigours of ‘Public Law’ making it mandatory for the BCCI to adhere to the principles of reasonableness, fairness, accountability and transparency,” the apex court held. Timeline: Justice Lodha panel recommendations on reforms in BCCI Published on 2/2 COMMENT July 18, 2016 Upholds Lodha panel recommendations to overhaul Indian cricket administration Supreme court – PTI Justice Lodha: Don’t see any impediments in implementing the suggestions COMMENTS
CouncilPatna, May 20 (PTI) The RJD state and national parliamentary boards today authorised party supremo Lalu Prasad to select candidates for Rajya Sabha and Bihar Legislative Council.A meeting of the state parliamentary board was convened at Rabri Devis residence earlier in the day where the members unanimously decided to entrust the RJD supremo to take a final call on selection of candidates for the Rajya Sabha and Bihar Legislative Council polls next month, state cooperative minister Alok Kumar Mehta told PTI.A second meeting of the RJDs national parliamentary board was convened later in the day where a resolution was adopted by all members approving the authorisation of Lalu Prasad to take a final decision on selection of candidates for the biennial polls of Rajya Sabha and Bihar Legislative Council, he said.It may mentioned that given its strength of 80 legislators in the Bihar Assembly, RJD can stake claim for a maximum of two out of five Rajya seats and three out of seven Legislative Council seats, the election for which will be held next month, if necessary. PTI KDK DKB ANP
Batsman Eoin Morgan will be England’s limited-overs captain during the three-match one-day international series against India in January despite missing the tour of Bangladesh over security concerns, assistant coach Paul Farbrace said.Wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler stood in as skipper for the 2-1 series win against a Bangladesh side that had won their six previous ODI series at home. (Also read: Ben Stokes believes in-form England can top ODI rankings)”He (Morgan) will definitely be captain in India. There can’t be any way around it – he deserves it,” Farbrace told reporters in Chittagong.Farbrace was among a number in the England hierarchy to express disappointment with Morgan and opening batsman Alex Hales’s decision to skip the tour.The pair, however, were expected to return for India and Farbrace said he would have no concerns over their likely inclusion.”The one-day team is particularly close. There are a lot of mates in the team,” he added.”That helps when those who haven’t been here come back in January, because it is close-knit.”Buttler scored 145 runs during his three matches in Bangladesh and Farbrace urged the 26-year-old to carry his fine form in ODIs into Test cricket. (Also read: England win ODI series to end Bangladesh’s home run)”The way Jos has batted out here, he has looked like he’s been batting on different pitches,” Farbrace said.”He’s on this trip as the second keeper to start with, but if he plays that way again. There is no reason he can’t get back into the side.”advertisement
Cheteshwar Pujara asserted that India were well poised to win the ongoing second Test as England will not find it easy to chase the 405-run target on the fifth and final day.India were all out for 204 runs in their second innings on the fourth day, setting a victory target of 405 runs for England.The visitors lost openers Alistair Cook and Haseeb Hameed to post 87/2 by the end of the day. They are currently trailing by 318 runs.”When you have 400 runs on the board it is not easy to chase in India. Chasing 400 runs on day four and five is always difficult. Not many teams have done that. So I don’t think England will find it easy to manage that,” Pujara told reporters after the end of the day’s play on Sunday.”We definitely have a very good chance so we will go hard tomorrow.” (Vizag Test: Ashwin, Jadeja late strikes breach England’s resistance)The spinners were able to extract good amount of turn on the penultimate day while the occasional ball kept low, causing a lot of problems for the batsmen.With the pitch also developing a few cracks, Pujara felt that the England batsmen will have their task cut out for them on the final day.”Obviously, when we are playing in India we expect the ball to keep low. Even if you bat defensively on this track, it will not be easy. Like we saw today, the ball is keeping low sometimes. So even if they try to be defensive, I don’t think it will be an easy task,” the right-hand batsman said.advertisement”We have very clear plans. It will be a tough day for them. But things won’t come easy for us also. We know that. So we won’t take things for granted. We will definitely have to come hard at them. We are prepared for it.”When it comes to Test cricket as a team we are prepared to be in a situation where we have to work hard for our wickets,” he added.The 28-year-old asserted that the Indians are happy with their performance on Sunday as they have managed to implement most of their strategy and have taken the upper hand.”We are happy with the way things went. We got two wickets. We knew that it won’t be easy to get them out. But we had our plans and we knew what we wanted to do. Ultimately we achieved what we wanted. (Virat Kohli shatters another record)”We got two wickets at the end of the day. I don’t think day five will be easy to bat on. Cracks are opening up and it will be difficult. Even day three third session was difficult. So I feel it won’t be an easy wicket to bat on,” Pujara said.The ongoing series is the first time that the Indian team have agreed to use the much-debated Decision Review System (DRS). Pujara revealed that the Indian team management have devised extensive plans on how to utilise the DS to their advantage.”We all sat together and decided how we should take calls on the DRS. Specially when we are fielding. The bowlers will call for the DRS and even when we are batting, we have a clear plan. Specially both the batsmen will decide whether to take the review or not. So as a team we are very clear about it,” he said.
Sambalpur University, Sambalpur has released an admission notification inviting applications from interested, eligible candidates to apply for its Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme in the below mentioned disciplines for the academic session 2017.AnthroplogyPhysicsMathematicsChemistryEnvironmental ScienceLife SciencesMSWPolitical ScienceBotanyRemote Sensing & GISManagementStatisticsLibrary and Information ScienceSociologyHindiNano Science & TechnologyHome ScienceLawComputer ScienceEarth ScienceEconomicsElectronics & Electrical EngineeringOdiaEligibility criteriaEducational qualification:The candidates interested in applying for this programme must be holding a Master’s degree in any discipline of this university or any other university or such degree as may be considered equivalent for this purpose by thus university with at least 55 per cent (or equivalent grade).Selection procedure:The candidates will be selected on the basis of their performance in the entrance examination. The final selection will done based on the career (80 per cent) and viva-voce (20 per cent) which will be conducted by the respective nodal centres.Those who have qualified in UGC/CSIR NET, GATE and such examination conducted by ICAR, ICMR and other national bodies are exempted from the test. However, they need to appear for the viva-voce.(Read: JEE Mains 2017: Registrations to begin tomorrow at jeemain.nic.in)How to apply:The candidates are required to apply at the official website.Important dates:The last date of online registration is December 10.The last date for submission of hard copy of application is December 12.Admit card will be available from December 22.Entrance exam will be conducted on December 31.Call letter for viva-voce will be available for downloading from January 9, 2017.Read: SNAP 2016 admit cards to be available from December 2 at snaptest.orgadvertisementRead: Symbiosis School of Sports Sciences admissions 2017: Apply for MBA programmeFor information on more courses and admissions, click here.
TORONTO – A timeline of the tumultuous events that followed the resignation of former Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown last month, and his bid to reclaim that post:Jan. 24: Patrick Brown calls a last-minute news conference to deny a pending news report about sexual misconduct, and decry them as “categorically untrue.” Minutes later, CTV News airs a story in which two unnamed women make allegations of sexual assault and other misconduct against Brown dating back to his time as a federal member of parliament. CTV said one woman, who is now 29, claimed she was still in high school and under the legal drinking age when Brown allegedly asked her to perform oral sex on him at his home after she’d been drinking. Another woman said she was a university student working in Brown’s constituency office when he allegedly sexually assaulted her at his home, CTV reported. The allegations have not been independently verified by the Canadian Press.Jan. 25: Brown issues a statement in the early morning hours saying he will step down as party leader to focus on clearing his name.Jan. 26: The PC caucus names Tory legislator Victor Fedeli as interim leader. Fedeli vows to root out the “rot” from within the party. The caucus further recommends that Fedeli carry the party through to the election, but the party executive announce that a leadership contest will be held instead.Jan. 29: Former Toronto city councillor Doug Ford, brother of the notorious late mayor Rob Ford, becomes the first person to declare his candidacy for the party leadership. He says he plans to rest control of the party from elites and give a voice to the grassroots members.Feb. 1: Former Ontario legislator Christine Elliott announces her bid to contend for the party leadership. Elliott came second to Brown during the last contest to select a new leader in 2015. Elliott is the widow of late federal finance minister Jim Flaherty.Feb. 5: Toronto lawyer Caroline Mulroney, daughter of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, ends days of speculation by announcing her candidacy for party leader.Feb. 6: Brown breaks his silence in a tweet reaffirming his denial of all sexual misconduct allegations and saying “the truth will come out.”Feb. 8: Social conservative and parental rights activist Tanya Granic Allen announces plans to join the leadership race.Feb. 9: PostMedia publishes the first interview with Brown since his resignation, in which he says he’s contemplating legal action for what he calls the “absolute lies” said about him.Feb. 11: Brown publishes the first of several Facebook posts in which he vows to clear his name and questions the credibility of the women who brought allegations against him. He openly challenges the veracity of CTV’s reporting on the original story and points out discrepancies in the women’s accounts that he says prove their accusations are false.Feb. 13: CTV reports one of Brown’s accusers has altered the timeline of her story but stands by the core events of her allegation. The network says the woman, who claimed she was still in high school at the time of the incident, was in fact of legal age.Feb. 15: Brown announces his intention to sue CTV for its reporting of the allegations against him.Feb. 16: Interim Progressive Conservative leader Vic Fedeli says Brown has been kicked out of the caucus. With less than an hour to go before the deadline for candidates to register for the leadership expires, Brown joins the race. He says his name has been cleared and he wants to focus on getting Ontario back on track.
Twitter Facebook Movie World in Stony Plain is still doing well despite the rise of streaming apps. LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Advertisement Login/Register With:
Advertisement Advertisement Despite popular streaming services and on-demand networks that allow movie-lovers to download a film from the comfort of their own home, Movie World still has customers.Its shelves are full of DVDs and even some VHS tapes that can make for a nostalgic browsing experience.“It’s still a good business,” Davis said in an interview with CTV Edmonton. “All the time there’s people walking in and it’s like, ‘Ah, I haven’t been in a video store in forever.’”Movie World outlasted big chain rental companies such as Blockbuster, Rogers Video and Movie Studio, which all closed in the Alta. region between 2011 and 2015.Stony Plain resident Ray Gaultier says he prefers to watch movies the “old school way,” regularly stopping at Movie World.“Going online is nice, but we haven’t grasped that technology yet,” said Gaultier.Others in the area still have to watch DVDs because th Wi-Fi is not as strong for those living outside of town for internet downloads.“You’re sitting at 6, 7 p.m. and you don’t want to see buffering going on your TV while you’re waiting for your movie,” said Davis.Davis says his video rental store still has customers because he offers something his clientele can’t get anywhere else: the types of movies that are not available on streaming apps.“[There is] better variety,” Movie World customer Maysen Lubbers said. “The people are great… It’s a small town thing.”With files from CTV Edmonton Movie night used to require a trip to a store like Blockbuster. Now, Canadians can watch any movie or TV show with the click of a button.But a video rental store west of Edmonton is still managing to keep business going in today’s digital world.Shawn Davis — owner of Movie World in Stony Plain, Alta. — believes he has the last “full service” video rental store in the region.
CALGARY – Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. is downplaying the potential negative impact on its operations from a trade war between the United States and China.China accounts for 12 per cent of North American revenues, with direct business between the world’s two largest economies coming in at less than five per cent, analysts were told during a conference call Thursday about its third-quarter results.“We’re just a business that’s getting tossed around a bit with this China connection being overemphasized in the marketplace,” said chief executive Keith Creel.Chief marketing officer John Brooks said trade tensions and the imposition of hefty import tariffs by both sides have prompted international customers to start to pull forward some of their business.The impact is mainly felt from some Vancouver imports and U.S. grain exports from the Midwest.“But outside of that, we’re pretty resilient in that space. And again, it’s a total percentage, it’s not giant numbers,” Brooks said.Creel said the Calgary-based company aims to ramp up crude shipments over the next few months to a run rate of about 100,000 carloads a year as it looks to generate higher profits after posting record revenues and adjusted earnings in the third quarter.CP Rail earned $622 million or $4.35 per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with $510 million or 3.50 per share for the same period a year earlier.Adjusted earnings rose to $589 million or a record $4.12 per diluted share, two cents better than it forecast earlier this month. The earnings marked a 42 per cent leap from $2.90 per share or $422 million a year earlier, beating the expectations of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters Eikon.The quarter showed the success of the railway’s operating model, stated CEO Keith Creel.“It was a record by almost every measure and sets us up well for the remainder of the year and beyond.”Third-quarter revenues grew 19 per cent to $1.9 billion from $1.6 billion.It was led by a 58 per cent growth in currency-adjusted revenues for energy, chemicals and plastics.Creel stressed “crude was a large contributor to this growth,” with more than 23,000 carloads moved in the quarter, but added that the category shot up 23 per cent even before factoring in crude.Adjusted revenues also grew 24 per cent higher in potash, 20 per cent in automotive, 18 per cent in intermodal, 12 per cent in forest products, seven per cent grain, five per cent metals, minerals, consumer, four per cent coal and two per cent fertilizers and sulphur.Brooks acknowledged that wet weather and an early winter in the Prairies could potentially hurt shipments.But crops such as canola are “pretty resilient, as long as they’e not beaten down to the ground.”The company reported a record-low quarterly operating ratio, which measures its efficiency, of 58.3 per cent, compared with 61 per cent a year earlier.Creel said the railway foresees continued and sustainable growth across all lines of business.“We have the foundational underpinnings, and the room to grow, in the weeks, months and years ahead,” he said in a news release.CP Rail said it expects adjusted diluted earnings per share to grow more than 20 per cent this year, up from an earlier guidance of low double-digit growth.Edward Jones analyst Dan Sherman recommended investors buy stock in the 137-year-old company, but cautioned that “trade disagreements with U.S. export partners may also affect the volume of shipments.”Companies in this story: (TSX:CP)
Goldman Sachs did a massive survey of its Gen Z interns and found they like pot, but ignore influencers Mercedes-Benz will join the electric scooter wars with its own model in 2020 10 things you need to know before the opening bell Many of them were on their way out. If they had anywhere else to go, they’d be there.While Marcin’s project ended in 2011, homelessness and the makeshift camps have remained a chronic issue in the Baltimore area, leading to the establishment of The Journey Home, a 10-year program seeking to end the problem in Baltimore.Marcin shared some photos of the homes and you can see the rest at his website. Marcin is running a new project on America’s new urban high-rises at the Detroit Center of Contemporary Photography.Marcin came across the first homeless settlement he encountered while hiking in the wilderness surrounding and in Baltimore.The more he explored, the more camps he found. Because Baltimore’s numerous green spaces are rarely used, homeless people found them an ideal place to set up camp.Most of the homeless people live in tents or under tarps, which they buy from Walmart or Target.Some of the homeless even have jobs but simply cannot afford, or be approved for, a house or apartment.Others move into the wilderness to avoid Baltimore’s homeless shelters, saying that it is “safer” for them to be in the woods.“Most of these guys were not muscular guys. They were smaller, a little bit off the wall, and afraid of getting assaulted at the shelter,” says Marcin.Some of the camps are more permanent. This homeless man made his structure completely out of doors. A Pittsburgh doctor says Antonio Brown once repeatedly farted in his face during a consultation, and that he owes him $11,500 in unpaid bills ACCORDING TO RECENT reports in Baltimore, the problem of homelessness in the city is “intractable”.Thousands of people remain homeless and compounding the issue is their fear of staying in shelters provided by the city.Makeshift homes, some made from used materials such as doors and milk crates, began to crop up a few years ago but authorities took action against them. They claimed that the camps, located in woods and under bridges, were dangerous to those residing in them.During the spring of 2011, social security administration software engineer Ben Marcin began a photography project with a focus on the plight of Baltimore’s homeless.On finishing the day job, he would head to the woods to photograph people who have fallen through America’s safety net.Over the course of a year, Marcin stalked through the area, meeting homeless people and seeing where they called home. When he returned 12 months later, he found all of the dwellings were gone.“This was their last stand,” Marcin told Business Insider in a recent interview. This man used milk-crates to make his structure. Marcin says that those with more permanent homes tended to be more meticulous about creating their space.This ex-felon collected numerous amenities, including a grill and weights for exercise.This man even built an outhouse bathroom.Most of the camps are less elaborate. Many only have a dirty mattress and use a tree for shelter.Most of the homeless leave in the winter to head south for warmer weather.Many of the camps are set up near the railroad tracks, so they can easily hop on a train to leave. Others are along the water, under bridges, or around Interstate 495.The majority of the camps are so deep in the woods that, if things went bad, it wouldn’t be easy to call for help.This man was the only one who claimed to stay year-round, having been in the same shack for four years. He had a propane tank and a grill inside for cooking and warmth. When Marcin returned a year later, he found the shack burned down.According to Marcin, the majority of the homeless camp far away from other homeless. When others do come upon their area, they tend to be very territorial.All of the original settlements that Marcin photographed have since been either abandoned or destroyed.The city routinely bulldoze the homeless camps when they find out where they are.Camps continue to sprout up in different areas.Kate Briddell, the director of homeless services at the Baltimore Mayor’s office, told the Baltimore Sun recently that new camps and tents have formed near Interstate 83. They are currently discussing a plan for how to deal with the new camps.All images: Ben MarcinWith reporting by Sinéad O’CarrollDecide: Which one of these photos is worth €35,000?GALLERY: 18 brilliant winning images from the World Press Photo contestBefore They Pass Away: 12 incredible photos of the world’s disappearing tribes
Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram Greek property prices continued to fall in the first quarter of 2014, even though the economic recession eased, as squeezed household incomes, record-high unemployment and tax increases still took a toll. Property accounts for a large proportion of household wealth as Greece has one of the highest homeownership rates in Western Europe – 80 per cent versus a European Union average of 70 per cent – according to European Mortgage Federation data. Bank of Greece figures showed that apartment prices fell 7.5 per cent in the first three months of 2014 from a year earlier, after an 8.6 per cent decline in the previous quarter. Higher property taxes to help reduce budget deficits, coupled with tight credit from capital-strapped banks and a jobless rate near 27 per cent have pressured the market. Based on Greece’s central bank data, apartment prices have plunged 34.7 per cent from a peak in 2008, when the country’s recession began. The property market could start to see some relief if the economy pulls out of a six-year recession this year. Source: Reuters
Un million d’années pour former le désert de NamibLes scientifiques ont à présent la preuve que les grains de la mer de sable du Namib en Afrique sont là depuis au moins un million d’années.L’analyse des déserts pourrait nous renseigner sur les changements climatiques survenus il y a de cela des milliers d’années. Le vaste désert de Namib qui occupe environ une surface de 340.000 kilomètres carrés, le long de la côte de Namibie, est l’un des plus vieux au monde et des plus importants. Cependant, les origines de ce désert sont encore mal connues. “Pendant qu’une grande partie de la recherche climatique est focalisée sur les régions polaires, les déserts et particulièrement ceux de sable restent encore des sujets peu étudiés, en dépit du fait que des millions de gens vivent dans des régions arides, ou des zones menacées de désertification”, explique à la presse le Dr. Pieter Vermeesch, géologue rattaché à l’université de Londres. À lire aussiUne plage disparue il y a 33 ans réapparaît après une forte marée en IrlandePour traquer les mouvements des grains de sable à travers l’étendue du désert, ce géologue et son équipe ont mesuré les niveaux d’uranium, menant les chercheurs à ce qui pourrait être leur origine : l’Orange River située à la bordure sud du désert de Namib. Ils ont aussi analysé les isotopes radioactifs produits par les rayons cosmiques (des particules énergétiques qui atteignent la Terre depuis l’espace), ce qui a permis d’estimer le temps passé par le sable dans cette région.Tous les échantillons étaient collectés sur des crêtes ayant une altitude supérieure à 200 mètres, des dunes, un travail long et fastidieux d’après le Dr. Pieter Vermeesch mais qui a permis d’établir qu’il a fallu au moins un million d’années aux vents pour éparpiller le sable à travers l’étendue cette mer de sable. Le 21 novembre 2010 à 10:07 • Emmanuel Perrin
NASA Says 2 Asteroids Will Safely Fly By Earth This WeekendHubble Captures Saturn’s ‘Phonograph Record’ Ring System Stay on target Want to take your own small step for man? Then this super-rare prototype Apollo A7L lunar boot created for Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 mission might just be your ticket.The boot, posted by RR Auction in Boston, was manufactured by International Latex Corporation (ILC) in Dover, Delaware, around late 1968 or early 1969, not long before the Apollo 11 mission took flight, in July 1969. It has an inner liner featuring a stitched Beta cloth name-tag marked “Armstrong.” It’s estimated to go for more than $40,000.Measuring approximately 8 inches tall, 12.75 inches long, and 5.5 inches wide, the prototype boot includes its light blue silicon ‘moon boot’ tread marked inside in faded red felt tip, “177.”Photo Credit: RR AuctionIt’s constructed with aluminized Mylar insulation layers and studded with gold-tone Kapton tape, the same kind the International Space Station crew used to temporarily repair a slow leak in a Soyuz spacecraft attached to the Russian segment of the orbital complex in August 2018.Photo Credit: RR AuctionThe boot is considered incomplete due to the absence of outer Beta cloth, the Chromel-R fabrics, and the various snaps and straps necessary for secure fitting and closure, according to RR Auction. It was likely intended for a primary flight, backup, or for training activities.It’s not clear why the boot was rejected and never forwarded for final assembly, but the ILC certainly had strict inspection regulations.Photo Credit: RR AuctionWorried about authenticity? The boot will be accompanied by a letter of authenticity from ILC historian Bill Ayrey, in addition to a custom presentation. The presence of the Armstrong name-tag also further confirms the likelihood that this prototype was designed and constructed to support the Apollo 11 mission, the only moon-landing mission to involve Armstrong.But if you’re looking for Armstrong’s real moon boots, you’re out of luck. They are still on the moon, along with other pairs of boots worn during the Apollo missions. Armstrong and his crew mates had to abandon the boots to offset the additional weight from the moon rocks and samples they collected.More on Geek.com:NASA Responds to Steph Curry’s Bizarre Moon Landing Comments63 Incredible Images of Earth from SpaceChina Launches Lunar Probe to the Far Side of the Moon
Bus owners and workers of Patuakhali and Barguna districts on Tuesday called an indefinite strike from Wednesday morning on 17 routes of Barishal division demanding a quick resolution of conflict between two bus associations of the region, reports UNBBus Owners and Workers Co-ordination associations of the two districts declared the strike after forming a human chain at Patuakhali bus stand area around 11:00am.Protesters alleged that bus owners of Mirzaganj upazila of Patuakhali and Jhalokathi district formed two different associations and often forcefully put off passengers from buses and also harass passengers.Some associations of bus owners and workers of Barishal, Barguna, Pirojpur, Bhola and Bagerhat districts also formed human chains protesting the conflict, said Golam Maola Dulu, general secretary of Patuakhali bus owners and workers association.
Madaripur map.young woman and her minor boy were found dead at their house of Char Kachikata village in Shibchar upazila of Madaripur on Wednesday night, reports UNB.The deceased were Reba, 28, wife of Laltu Miah, and their son Raihan, 3.On information, a team of police went to the spot and recovered the bodies from the locked house, said officer-in-charge of Shibchar police station Zakir Hossain.He said they found Reba hanging from the ceiling while Raihan’s body on the floor.It was suspected that the woman committed suicide after killing her son, he added.
How Designers Achieved the Sci-Fi Sound Magic of ‘The Orville’The Orville Brings a Much Better Trailer to SDCC Stay on target We’re aways into the first season of The Orville now, and it still feels like we’re only just now getting to know these people. I’m O.K. with that, though. The show got off to an uneven start because it had to figure out what kind of show it wanted to be. As the season’s gone on, we’ve seen The Orville become much more comfortable with itself, and the result is a much better show than anyone was expecting. Some episodes are funnier than others. Others tell a more serious story and only have one or two jokes. That’s one of the show’s biggest strengths. The jokes never get in the way of the plot. Even when they’re truly groan-worthy, they’re over in a second, and we’re already onto the next story beat. The show has figured itself out. Now, it just needs to properly introduce us to its characters.That was the major letdown of last week’s episode. Despite having the story completely centered around John LaMarr, we learned nothing new about him. The story happened to him, rather than him driving the story. And because the show did such a bad job of giving him a character beyond Malloy’s dick joke buddy, it was hard to really care about his fate. As a result, I was disappointed when the show kept him on the ship in favor of Isaac this week. The show needs to take another crack at developing his character soon. After watching the whole episode, it’s clear why they did it. Isaac and Dr. Claire Finn also needed fleshing out, and this episode did that perfectly. Claire especially benefits from having a story centered around her. As the ship’s medical officer, she’s an important character. It’s about time we really got to know who she is.Penny Johnson Jerald, guest star Kai Wener, Seth MacFarlane and Adrianne Palicki (Cr: Michael Becker/FOX)Isaac has also been underused. Introduced to us as “crazy racist,” the show thankfully didn’t go there and instead just gave him a superiority complex. He doesn’t deal in stereotypes; he just believes artificial beings are superior to biological ones. Still not a great attitude, but it’s way better than it could be. Especially since the superiority complex manifests itself as a curiosity. It’s his job to study biological lifeforms so his species can better relate to others. They may have some problematic attitudes towards other species, but at least they recognize that they all have to coexist in the same galaxy. At least they try to make it work. It all makes for some well-done insensitive robot jokes. He doesn’t understand peoples boundaries, or how to comfort a kid when they’re scared. His awkward interactions with Claire and her kids are funny and endearing. It’s this exact kind of character work this show needs to be doing right now.The episode opens with Claire about to take her kids to a theme park planet for a family vacation. The younger one is excited about it, the older one is entering those surly teen years and doesn’t want anything to do with his family. Lamarr is going to take them, but he has to stay behind and upgrade the Orville’s navigation systems. Isaac goes instead, and the friction between his reserved, emotionless exterior and the chaotic nature of a family road trip (or space trip, rather) is where most of the comedy in this episode comes from. On their way to the planet, the kids’ fighting causes the ship to veer off course into a wormhole. They end up thousands of light years away with a cracked hull. They’re forced to crash-land on a war-torn moon, and Claire gets separated from Isaac and the kids. She’s taken prisoner by a doomsday prepper who won’t let her leave. Meanwhile, Isaac and her two kids search for her.Guest star Brian Thompson (Cr: Michael Becker/FOX)The premise of a logical being confronted with illogical children has been done before. I think Star Trek has done it a few times. The Orville pulls it off really well, though. The slow build of Isaac’s annoyance is fun to watch, and Mark Jackson can play it surprisingly well with his face completely covered. The biggest laugh the episode got from me is when the kids are fighting over a handheld game while Isaac leads them through the woods. You can see him try to ignore their arguing before he finally snaps and shoots the game system. “The game is never to be spoken of again.” It’s all in service of a really sweet story where the kids, despite/possibly because of their arguing, grow on Isaac. They teach him how to show sympathy and comfort another person. That advice comes in handy when Claire’s youngest, Ty gets sick after drinking contaminated water. Isaac sees her terror and offers his hand in comfort. It’s a weighty, touching moment that the show pulls off really well.The episode is also paced really well. Stakes are established early on when Claire’s captor tells her about the war and the bioweapon released into the moon’s water. He tells her that the people outside have resorted to cannibalism. The danger her kids and Isaac are in is immediately clear. There’s even a bit of uncertainty about if the Orville can rescue them in time. They learn that Claire’s shuttle never reached its destination, and go looking for her. But since they’re still in the middle of an upgrade, they can only rely on their most rudimentary systems and star charts to navigate space. Fortunately, they’re able to figure out what happened pretty quickly. The show does a good job of justifying how they piece the events together. It doesn’t feel too easy; it’s just an intelligent crew putting the evidence together. Even the glory hole joke was pretty funny.Guest star BJ Tanner, guest star Kai Wener and Mark Jackson (Cr: Ray Mickshaw/FOX)Once again, The Orville focused on its characters, and the episode is so much better for it. We got to spend some real time with Dr. Finn, learning where she’s coming from and how she handles tough situations. After last night, she just might be the coolest character on this show. The way she escaped the prepper and taught her son to stun enemies in the middle of a battle certainly made me want to see more from her in the future. It also helps that Penny Johnson Jerald is far and away the best actor on this show. It was also interesting to watch Isaac grow fond of her family. As the series goes on, I can easily see him taking on a Spock or Data like role. The closer he studies human society, maybe his ideas about artificial superiority will change. That would actually make for some really interesting stories down the line. For now, the baby steps in that direction are well-written and seriously adorable. He tells Claire that he children are loud, disrespectful and insubordinate, and that he’s very fond of them. It’s a nice little moment, and I’m excited to see where the show takes his character from here. Especially since it just got renewed for a second season.Let us know what you like about Geek by taking our survey.
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court Monday extended by one week an interim protection from arrest granted to former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with a CBI notice, asking him to appear before its officers for assisting into a multi-crore chit fund scam probe. The protection from arrest and coercive action, which was to expire on Monday, was extended by Justice Madhumati Mitra for a week or until further orders. The court also adjourned till Tuesday hearing on Kumar’s prayer for quashing a notice to him in May by the CBI to appear before it, for assisting the investigation into the Saradha chit fund case. Also Read – Rs 13,000 crore investment to provide 2 lakh jobs: Mamata The former Kolkata top cop’s lawyer had last week alleged before the high court that the CBI was indulging in a pick and choose game by summoning him in the Saradha ponzi scam case among 121 officers of the SIT, which probed the fraud on lakhs of investors. Kumar is now an additional director general of the West Bengal CID. He was the commissioner of Bidhananagar Police when the multi-crore Saradha ponzi scam broke out in 2013, and oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Special Investigation Team (SIT). Also Read – Lightning kills 8, injures 16 in state The Supreme Court had on May 9, 2014, ordered transfer of all cases related to ponzi scams, including the one involving the Saradha Group, to the CBI. A vacation bench of the high court had on May 30 granted Kumar protection from arrest and any coercive action till July 10 in the Saradha chit fund scam case. The protection from arrest was later extended to July 22. The bench had directed Kumar to cooperate with the CBI investigation into the Rs 2,500 crore scam. Kumar’s counsels had earlier told the high court that he has been interrogated by the CBI for 39 hours and 45 minutes in Shillong, and claimed that the probe agency was now seeking to take him in custody out of “vendetta”. They maintained that Kumar has neither been named as an accused nor as a witness in the seven charge sheets the CBI filed in the case so far. On May 17, the Supreme Court had withdrawn protection from arrest to Kumar, which it had granted earlier. The apex court had on February 5 prevented the agency from any coercive action against Kumar, while directing the former top cop to appear and cooperate in CBI questioning at a “neutral place”. He was then questioned by the probe agency for nearly five days in Shillong from February 9. The CBI had told the Supreme Court in April this year that Kumar’s custodial interrogation was necessary as he was not cooperating in the probe, and was “evasive” and “arrogant” in answering the queries put to him. The Saradha Group of companies duped lakhs of customers, promising higher rates of returns on their investment, the agency has said.