‘Nutrition Mission awareness has surpassed our expectations’
September is being observed as ‘Poshan Maah’ (nutrition month) across the country to ensure mobilisation at the grassroots level to achieve the targets laid down under the ‘Poshan Abhiyaan’ or the National Nutrition Mission (NNM). Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018, the programme aims to reduce levels of underweight, stunting, low-birth weight as well as anaemia by 2022. Member (Health & Nutrition), NITI Aayog, Vinod K. Paul talks about the journey so far.It has been nearly 18 months since the launch of Poshan Abhiyaan. How much ground has been covered so far?The Poshan Abhiyaan has surpassed our expectations in terms of awareness at the grassroots level. The Jan Andolan [people’s movement] is very vibrant, which is important because it is ultimately about behaviour change. Chief Ministers and Ministers have participated in 15-16 events resulting in a high level of political visibility, which augurs well for the programme. Secondly, our clearest focus on the holistic interventions to ensure optimum care in the first 1,000 days has also percolated down well. Then, there is convergence among different Ministries, which is starting to happen. There is also the role of technology through mobile phones and tablets given to anganwadi workers, which is a multipurpose tool effective for behaviour change, education, managing care and collecting data. The Integrated Child Development Scheme-Common Application Software (ICDS-CAS) is the biggest-ever IT-driven public health programme in the world.In the remaining phase, our aim is to accelerate these efforts as well as focus on care of small babies, or undernourished babies. These children account for 25%-30% of children in poor households.What are the main pillars of Poshan Abhiyaan?There is an interplay of three broad themes of which nutrition intake is only 50% of the story. There is low birth weight among newborns due to poor maternal health, which accounts for 25% of the problem; illnesses among children such as diarrhoea are responsible for 25%-30% of undernutrition.When we look at undernutrition like this, we look at what needs to be done holistically: maternal health, childhood illnesses and optimum amount of feeding — breastfeeding, complimentary feeding and food adequacy. Only 10% of children get adequate nutrition in our country.There are also socio-cultural determinants which form an outer circle, including maternal literacy, women empowerment, and prevention of child marriage, etc.Will there be a review from time to time?The National Family Health Survey-5 is currently picking up data. We expect the first set of State-level reports early next year, which will give us early phase trends so that we can learn from them and decide where our action should be focussed and recalibrate our efforts. And next year, which is a year after NFHS-5 data collection, there will be another survey which will tell us where we were in the middle years of NNM.What is happening with the data being collected through ICDS-CAS?There is data analyses going on. Apart from its reporting within the Ministry of Women and Child Development, it is also presented to the National Nutrition Council. We are also using Artificial Intelligence to map how various cohorts of small children are doing over a period of time, what is the coverage, and why are some districts lagging behind and then making required interventions.The Maternity Benefit Programme, or the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, is also linked to nutritional outcomes of children. How is that performing? Don’t you think it is exclusionary in so far as it’s only for the first-born?I would say it is doing reasonably well, knowing that it took a little bit of time last year to take-off. In December 2017, only two lakh beneficiaries had been reached, in March 2018 about 22 lakh, and now we are at 98.5 lakh.Benefiting the mother of the first-born is in the design of the scheme. Every scheme has its finite scope and focus. But we can have discussions [on how to reach those not covered under the scheme].
Xiaomi will launch its 6.44-inch Mi Max phablet in India on June 30, company global VP Hugo Barra has informed on Twitter. The Mi Max was recently announced in China at a starting price of RMB 1,499 (roughly Rs 15,333) for the 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant with Snapdragon 650. Meanwhile, the 4GB RAM and 128GB of memory variant with Snapdragon 652 of the Mi Max costs RMB 1,999 (roughly Rs 20,451). It’s not clear which of the variants or both will be heading to India.Something BIG is coming to blow you away on 30th June, Indian Mi fans! Stay tuned ???https://t.co/xBQyNscrCo Hugo Barra (@hbarra) June 15, 2016Boasting of an all-metal body, the 6.44-inch Mi Max weighs in at 203 grams and measures just 7.55mm in thickness. The Mi Max belongs to a select niche of super-sized phones which is likely to attract buyers who are into considerable multimedia consumption, but don’t want to shell out on tablets, that on most occasions lack voice calling.The phone looks remarkably like the Redmi Note 3 and has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner as well as Infrared sensor on-board.Also Read: Xiaomi unveils 6.44-inch Mi Max phablet and colourful new MIUI 8 On the camera front, the Mi Max offers a 16-megapixel rear shooter with phase detection autofocus along with a 5-megapixel camera on the front.The Mi Max is backed by a massive 4,850mAh battery and is claimed to offer one full day battery life on single charge. The phone will be available in the colours Silver, Gold and Dark Grey.advertisementXiaomi recently launched the budget phone Redmi 3S in China. The Redmi 3S is available in two variants, 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, and 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor and features a 5-inch HD screen.It sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and f2.0 aperture along with a 5-megapixel front camera.
Star shuttler Saina Nehwal’s second Australian Open title propelled her two rungs up to the sixth spot while Kidambi Srikanth also rose similarly to No.11 in the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings for women’s and men’s singles respectively.Saina’s statemate PV Sindhu, however, retained her No.10 spot in the rankings, which witnessed South Korea’s Sung Ji Hyun and China’s Wang Shixian dropping one spot each to be at No.7 and No.8 respectively. Spain’s Carolina Marin continues to lead the women’s singles table.In men’s singles, Srikanth, who reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open, was the lone Indian shuttler to rise while his compatriots Ajay Jayaram, B. Sai Praneeth dropped three spots to be placed at No.24 and No.33 respectively.Sameer Verma also dropped two spots to be at No.37 while injured Parupalli Kashyap dropped a rung to be at the 68th spot.In women’s doubles, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa also dropped a place to be positioned No.16.
By Philem Dipak SinghPisco (Peru), Jan 7 (PTI) Former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas admits that driving in the gruelling Dakar Rally is an altogether different ball game than executing the tactics in a football match from the touchline but says team work and passion remains the same.Villas-Boas, who has coached top English Premier League sides like Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur before helming the affairs of wealthy Chinese Super League side Shanghai SPIG, made his debut in the motorsports most gruelling endurance event behind the wheel of a Toyota Overdrive car yesterday.The Portuguese was celebrating his 40th birthday and also carrying a family tradition (his uncle Pedro Villas-Boas competed in the Dakar Rally in 1982 and 1984) by taking part in the 9,000km rally through Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.”It (this rally) is a bit different (from football). Of course, there is a lot of teamwork (in both) that has to be done, with the mechanics, with the team management and the logistics and in the car also with the driver and co-driver and the car,” he said.”You know these machines are strong but we need to take care of these machines to hold on for 15 days. My car has the Portuguese flag and I have no sponsorship but I want to raise awareness about my charity foundation,” said Villas-Boas, who left his last coaching job at Chinas Shanghai SIPG in November.Villas-Boas is involved with charity projects in football through Laureus which is also being written on his car.advertisement”Im 40 and its the 40th edition of Dakar,” said the Portuguese, who has also worked alongside the explosive Jose Mourinho at Porto.Asked about any targets in this rally, he said: “I dont have any target. I just want to finish the race.”On the motivation to take part in the Dakar Rally, he said, “It is just the passion of overkill. For long time I have been following the Dakar, I had always wanted to do it and finally chance was there and I took it. My uncle took part in Dakar in 1982 and 1984.”A motor sport enthusiasts, Villas-Boas was happy about being placed among top 50 after the first stage.”It went very well. I was a little bit anxious when I made the start but after that everything went very well. I am very happy. This is only my second time with a car in any sand dune. It is going to be more and more difficult but very happy that I made it to the upper 50 group among cars,” he said.”We spent the last six days before the rally in Morocco but not with the Toyota. With the Toyota, I had one day in Belgium and in Barcelona another day and in the shake down over here. So the car is good and so is the drive that you had a feeling for it. It is very quick. The shake down was very important, two days before we started. The car is magnificent and I am very happy.”Villas-Boas may not the first football figure to take his chances in the Dakar and it will be interesting to see how he fares when the rally ends at Cordoba in Argentina on January 20. PTI PDS ATK AH
In Kalina, located in the Rohta block of Meerut district in Uttar Pradesh, there lives a star-a shooting star. It’s easy to find him too: the walls of the narrow lanes leading to Saurabh Chaudhary’s house are emblazoned with the slogan, ‘Kalina ki shaan, Hindustan ki aan (Kalina’s splendour, Hindustan’s,In Kalina, located in the Rohta block of Meerut district in Uttar Pradesh, there lives a star-a shooting star. It’s easy to find him too: the walls of the narrow lanes leading to Saurabh Chaudhary’s house are emblazoned with the slogan, ‘Kalina ki shaan, Hindustan ki aan (Kalina’s splendour, Hindustan’s pride)-Golden Boy Saurabh’.Born to a sugarcane farmer and the youngest of three siblings, Chaudhary took to shooting at 13, travelling 15 km to Baghpat’s Binauli village to train at the Veer Shahmal Rifle Club. Father Jagmohan wasn’t that happy. “Saurabh was very good in studies, especially in English and Maths,” he says. “I wanted him to prepare for medicine or engineering, but after seeing his passion for shooting, I gave permission.”Veer Shahmal academy founder and coach Amit Sheoran, himself a state-level shooter, sensed early on that he had a prodigy on his hands who was eager to practise even 10 hours a day. Unable to afford his own pistol, Chaudhary started by using Sheoran’s. “After six months, I knew he had the qualities to become an international-level shooter,” says Sheoran.Soon, a small range was built at home and Jagmohan borrowed Rs 1.5 lakh to purchase a Swiss-made weapon. “Shooting isn’t a game, it’s worship for me,” says Chaudhary. “Right now, I want to win every international shooting competition for my country.”And he’s well on his way. In 2018, he has won the gold at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires and at the Asian Games, bettered his own junior world record at the world championship in Changwon, Korea, and finished on top at the Junior World Cup in Germany and the Asian Air Gun Championship in Kuwait.advertisementTechnically proficient and assured, Sheoran says Chaudhary’s monk-like focus allows him to soak up the pressure. For Jaspal Rana, national chief youth coach, Chaudhary’s consistency and success come from the teenager’s no-frills lifestyle. Next year will be key as Chaudhary begins competing in senior tournaments so as to have a shot at Olympics 2020. Between the shooting range and the field where he helps his father, young Chaudhary has his priorities right.
Congratulations to all of the winners on grand final day at the 2013 New South Wales Touch Association’s Vawdon Cup. Mixed Premier League Easts Roosters 5 defeated UNSW Bullets 4Men’s Division OneHornsby Lions 7 defeated Parramatta Eels 5Women’s Division OneBerkeley Vale Panthers 8 defeated Penrith Panthers 7Men’s Division ThreeManly Sea Eagles 9 defeated Liverpool Lightning 6Women’s Premier LeagueEasts Roosters 5 defeated Manly Sea Eagles 4Men’s Division Two Parramatta Eels 9 defeated Wests Magpies 2 Women’s Division TwoEasts Roosters 4 defeated Ryde Eastwood Hawks 3Men’s Premier League Penrith Panthers 7 defeated Wollongong Devils 5To view the live stream of the Premier League games, please visit www.youtube.com/touchfootballaus. Related LinksVawdon Cup Final Results
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Julian Draxler says the club must do better in Europe next season while admitting that some of the ‘egos’ in the squad make it difficult for the team.PSG have dominated French football since their takeover by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011, winning 21 domestic honours since including six Ligue 1 titles.However, they have consistently struggled to match that success on the European stage, failing to get past the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Article continues below Editors’ Picks 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? Ox-rated! Dream night in Genk for Liverpool ace after injury nightmare Messi a man for all Champions League seasons – but will this really be Barcelona’s? Last season, Thomas Tuchel’s side held a 2-0 lead after the first leg of their last-eight clash with Manchester United but lost 3-1 in the return game at the Parc des Princes to crash out on away goals.One of the criticisms levelled at the club is that they have assembled a team packed full of talented individuals, such as Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe, but that does not always result in a coherent team.The current situation regarding world-record signing Neymar, who has told the club he wants to leave and has often seen his attitude questioned, is held up as an example of this.Draxler concedes that having so many egos in the dressing room does have its problems but insists he sees their presence as a positive.”All of them are exceptional players, it is hard to find in the world players of this level,” Draxler told AFP.”But of course they have their own minds, their own heads, they live football, they want to score every game, so they have an ego.”So sometimes it’s not easy for the whole team, but if you are lucky enough to play alongside these players, it’s just a pleasure every day.”Draxler has also been reflecting on his own time in the French capital since joining from Wolfsburg in January 2017 for a reported €36 million (£33m/$40m).The Germany international is pleased with the success Tuchel’s side has achieved in the French game, but believes progressing further in Europe has to be the aim this season.”It’s two-and-a-half years now since I arrived and I won a lot of (domestic) titles so I am happy about that,” he added.”I became a better player than I was before, so that’s positive, but what is negative is what we achieved in the Champions League.”We did not go far in the Champions League and that was one of the goals when I signed.””It hurts a lot, it hurts still that we did not go through (against Manchester United).”
Moto G7 and G7 Power may come to India before March-endThe Moto G7 and G7 Power will reportedly launch in India in Q1 2019, while the Moto G7 Plus and G7 Play will be coming to the country later this year.advertisement Sanket Vijayasarathy New DelhiJanuary 22, 2019UPDATED: January 23, 2019 11:00 IST HIGHLIGHTSMotorola’s upcoming G7 series is expected to debut in February in BrazilMotorola will first bring the Moto G7 and G7 Power to IndiaThe Moto G7 will sport a waterdrop display while the G7 Power may offer a 5,000mAh batteryMotorola’s upcoming G7 series is expected to debut in February in Brazil. Although the company is yet to confirm anything just yet. It is widely reported that there will be four models in this lineup that includes the Moto G7, G7 Plus, G7 Play and G7 Power. Now, we assume all these models will come to India sooner or later, and a new report this week suggests Motorola will first bring the Moto G7 and G7 Power to the country before the end of March.According to a report by MySmartPrice, the Moto G7 and G7 Power will be launching in India in Q1 2019, while the Moto G7 Plus and G7 Play will be coming to the country later this year. The report does not provide any reason as to why Motorola is spacing out the launch of the Moto G7 in India, but it wouldn’t be surprising. Last year, Motorola announced the Moto G6 Plus about three months after the Moto G6. The G6 Plus, however, was not positively received in the country due to its higher-than-expected price tag.The Moto G7 series will come with notched displays with some variations. The regular Moto G7 is said to come with a waterdrop display with a tiny notch and bigger screen real estate. The G7 is also expected to come with dual rear cameras and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Meanwhile, the Moto G7 Power is expected to come with a wider iPhone X-like notch and a single rear camera.The Moto G7 is expected to come with a Snapdragon 636 or a Snapdragon 660 chipset, which would be a major bump over the G6’s Snapdragon 450 SoC. The Moto G7 Power, on the other hand, is still a mystery with regards to the hardware. It may get a Snapdragon 625 or a Snapdragon 632 processor. But the major USP of the G7 Power will be a 5,000mAh battery that should promise well beyond a full day of battery life.advertisementWe haven’t heard anything yet regarding the price of the Moto G7, but it would be safe to assume that Motorola will keep it around Rs 15,000. The G7 Power, on the other hand, will slot below the G7 and should cost around Rs 12,000. That being said, a recent report by MySmartPrice claims that the G7 Power will cost EUR 209 (approx Rs 17,000) in European markets.ALSO READ | Moto G7 spotted on benchmark site with Snapdragon 625 chipsetALSO READ | Moto G7 Play, G7 Power prices leak out, new press renders reaffirm designGet real-time alerts and all the news on your phone with the all-new India Today app. Download from Post your comment Do You Like This Story? Awesome! Now share the story Too bad. Tell us what you didn’t like in the comments Posted bySanket Vijayasarathy Tags :Follow MotorolaFollow Moto G7Follow Moto G7 PlusFollow Moto G7 PlayFollow Moto G7 Power
The revised Treaty of Chaguaramas is to be amended to allow representatives of the private sector and the Caribbean Congress of Labour to participate in CARICOM Heads of Government meetings, says Barbadian Prime Minister, Hon. Mia Mottley.She said the decision was made at a recent gathering of Heads in Trinidad and Tobago on the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).The Barbadian Prime Minister, who has lead responsibility for the CSME within the quasi-CARICOM Cabinet, noted that the inclusion of the private sector and labour movement is necessary for the region “to have a successful single market and economy”.She added that the move is among the early steps to be taken in order to “unlock growth within the region”.Ms. Mottley was speaking at the 14th regional Investments and Capital Markets Conference, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on January 23.She pointed out that regional institutions such as the University of the West Indies (UWI) are associate members of CARICOM and can attend meetings of Heads of Government.“The private sector and the labour movement must become associate members of CARICOM… . We [must] have the players and the factors of production that affect growth, and those are the people who control capital and the people who control labour,” she argued.Ms. Mottley advised that this year, the regional private sector and labour bodies will be engaged to concentrate on four critical areas of growth in the region requiring strategic attention.These include food security; regional area and maritime transport; renewable energy; and information and communications technology.“This year we (the region) will also be moving to the adoption of model securities legislation and work towards integrated capital markets. There is no doubt that the Jamaica Stock Exchange has been a leader with respect to the development of the stock exchange in the region and can work to play a significant role with us in leading the region in integrated capital markets,” Ms. Mottley said.First signed in 2001, the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas established the Caribbean Community including the CSME.Among the objectives of the revised treaty are: improved standards of living and work; full employment of labour and other factors of production; accelerated, coordinated and sustained economic development and convergence and the expansion of trade; and economic relations with third States.
Minister of State for Science, Technology, Energy and Mining (STEM), Hon. Julian Robinson, says that the government is committed to providing Jamaicans with access to computer technology and for them to use it in productive ways to improve their lives and the country’s economy. “Access puts you in the game. Many of our youngsters (may not) have the aptitude for academic work… (but) may have the aptitude to build applications and to develop solutions, but we have to expose them to the technology,” he stated. “We have to provide them with an opportunity for them to engage their brains in a different way and if we don’t do it then we are going to have more of the challenges that we have,” he added. He was speaking on Nov. 5 at the annual Jamaica Customer Service Association (JaCSA) Conference at the Wyndham Kingston. Under the Universal Service Fund, the government has implemented the Community Access Point project to provide high speed internet access to all Jamaicans, especially those in rural communities. Service is being provided at libraries, schools, and post offices across the island. Mr. Robinson informed that some 85 such facilities have been fitted with computer laboratories, equipped with computers and internet access. He noted that work was also in progress on an additional 57 facilities, with new proposals being formulated for another 123. To further increase access, the government has built an island-wide broadband network with the assistance of telecommunications firms, Flow and LIME. “Flow is doing the north section of the country and LIME is doing the south, so that you will have the computer labs connected to high speed internet,” he informed. “So regardless of where you are, if you are in the hills of Mocho, you can go to a library, log on and spend time on the computer. Hopefully, not just playing on Facebook or Twitter, but doing something productive that can earn you a living,” he said. The State Minister further argued that access to the internet and computers “democratises education” in the sense that it closes the gap between upper and middle class students, giving more young people access to the tools that are necessary for their success. “It allows those who don’t have the means to have the same information as those who do,” he said. The JaCSA is hosting its 10th annual service excellence conference under the theme: ‘Power up! Log On: Stay connected to service excellence’, from November 5 to 6. The conference will include presentations from a number of local and international speakers. These include: Motivational speaker and Lecturer from the United States, Andre Boykin; President and Chief Executive Officer, Jamaica Public Service, Kelly Tomlin; Programme Director, Vision 2030 Jamaica, Planning Institute of Jamaica, Richard Lumsden; Chairman, INSPORTS, Don Anderson; and President and Chief Executive Officer, Columbus Communications, Michelle English.
Four stories in the news for Wednesday, Nov. 21———OLAND TO ENTER NOT GUILTY PLEA, FACE TRIAL AGAINDennis Oland is expected to enter a plea of not guilty this morning, as the murder trial for his father’s death gets under way. Oland will be re-arraigned in a Saint John courtroom, before the much-delayed case proceeds to opening statements and possibly the first witnesses. The murder trial will be heard by Justice Terrence Morrison alone. It is the second time Oland will face trial for the second-degree murder of his father, multimillionaire Richard Oland. His 2015 conviction was overturned on appeal and a new trial was ordered.———FISCAL UPDATE TO LAY OUT COMPETITIVENESS PLANThe federal government will release a fall economic update later today that will seek to close the loop on some of its outstanding mandate commitments, leaving the door open for the Liberals to use next year’s budget as their 2019 election platform. The document will also include Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s long-awaited plan to help Canada compete for investment dollars, which many warn has become increasingly difficult following major tax and regulatory changes in the United States.———PETS FORGOTTEN IN DISASTER PLANS: RESEARCHERA Calgary researcher says the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire shows how often pets are overlooked in disaster planning. Mount Royal University’s Kim Williams interviewed people involved in Canada’s costliest natural disaster, including first responders, politicians, evacuees and animal welfare workers. Of the 40,000 pets there at the time, between 1,200 and 1,500 had to be left behind. Williams is recommending an electronic database of pets’ health records and that an animal welfare expert should be included in emergency operations centres during disasters.———ASSAULT DETAILS IN EX-CFL PLAYER’S COURT HEARINGA woman who was beaten by former Saskatchewan Roughrider Justin Cox says she feared for her life the day he broke her nose and left her bloody and bruised. The former defensive back pleaded guilty in September to assault causing bodily harm for the August 2017 attack. His ex-girlfriend says Cox began assaulting her in the parking lot of a Regina mall and continued to beat her as he drove. The Crown is asking for one year of jail time, probation, anger management and substance abuse training. Cox is to be sentenced in early December with a date to be set next week.———ALSO IN THE NEWS:— Matthew Vincent Raymond, accused of killing four people including two Fredericton police officers, is due back in court today. The judge is to rule on application for assessment to determine fitness.— The National Energy Board will hear oral traditional evidence from Indigenous groups in Calgary as part of its review of the marine shipping impacts of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.— Statistics Canada will release its wholesale trade figures for September.The Canadian Press
VICTORIA – The British Columbia government filed a constitutional lawsuit Tuesday countering an Alberta government bill that would limit fuel being sent to the province.It comes weeks after the B.C. government asked its highest court to decide if it has the right to limit the flow of bitumen in the Trans Mountain pipeline.Alberta Premier Rachel Notley saw some irony in B.C.’s position.“It’s very interesting, on one hand they don’t want our oil and on the other hand they’re suing us to give them our oil,” she told a news conference in Edmonton on Tuesday.The latest legal action further strains an acrimonious relationship between the two provinces over the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.Attorney General David Eby said B.C. is prepared to ask for an injunction and financial damages against Alberta if it restricts the flow of fuel.Notley said the lawsuit is just one of several tactics to create uncertainty over the Kinder Morgan pipeline project.“They must think everybody was born yesterday,” Notley said. “They are still reserving the right to play legal rope-a-dope until the cows come home. That is not a thing we are going to let happen.”Plans to triple the capacity of Kinder Morgan’s existing Trans Mountain pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby have pitted Alberta and the federal government against B.C., which says the risk of a bitumen spill is too great for the province’s environment and economy.Eby said the Alberta and the federal government are causing delays by refusing to accept B.C.’s invitations to join legal cases, or take legal arguments straight to the Supreme Court of Canada where the outcomes are final.The B.C. government has filed a reference case in the provincial Court of Appeal to determine if it has jurisdiction to regulate heavy oil shipments. It also joined two other lawsuits launched by Indigenous groups opposed to the $7.4-billion pipeline project.Eby said the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Alberta’s Court of Queen’s Bench challenges the constitutionality of Alberta’s law because it is intended to punish B.C.“We believe it would be reckless in the extreme and therefore highly unlikely that Alberta will actually attempt to use the powers they granted themselves in Bill 12,” he told a conference call. “If Alberta did take the remarkable step of attempting to use this law, we are prepared to immediately file and injunction. We will not hesitate.”Notley bowed out of a Western premier’s meeting on Wednesday in Yellowknife, saying she could not discuss issues like a national prescription drug plan in the presence of B.C. Premier John Horgan while his government is trying to stop the pipeline project.“Pharmacare does not grow on trees,” Notley said. “In order to protect and improve the things that matter to people, like pharmacare, we need a strong, functioning national economy.”Before he left for the meeting, Horgan said he didn’t expect tensions over the pipeline to dominate discussions among the premiers.Kinder Morgan has ceased all non-essential spending on the project until it receives assurances it can proceed without delays, setting a May 31 deadline for those guarantees.Notley said Alberta and the federal government are both working on plans to ensure the project proceeds. Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau has offered an indemnity to backstop the pipeline project.B.C.’s nine-page statement of claim alleges the intent of Alberta’s bill is to hurt to the province.“A significant disruption in the supply of gasoline, diesel, and crude oil from Alberta to British Columbia would cause British Columbia irreparable harm,” the document asserts. “In addition to economic harm, a sudden disruption in supply could injure human health and safety in remote communities.”
Updated at 11.02pmA JUNIOR DOCTORS’ strike planned for next Wednesday has been postponed for a week and is looking more likely to be called off entirely after progress in talks today at the Labour Relations Commission.Doctors’ union the IMO is demanding an end to shifts for NCHDs running in excess of 24 hours. They also want the HSE to bring in a plan aimed at achieving compliance with an EU directive on working hours.A two-day break in negotiations between the two sides was called on Tuesday, so teams from the union and the HSE could draw up a plan for a ‘roster verification process’.Officials examined work schedules at two hospitals yesterday to examine work schedules, and to see what needs to be done to bring the rosters into line with the IMO’s demands. The talks today were due to focus on a plan to roll that process out to all hospitals.The IMO has confirmed tonight that a proposal tabled during negotiations today will be discussed with the union’s junior doctors’ panel on Monday. A decision will then be made on whether to put it to a wider ballot of all NHCD members.The union has agreed to a one week suspension of the action, but the strike threat remains on the table.Assistant Director of Industrial Relations at the IMO, Eric Young, said the situation “remains uncertain”. He added:“[…] if the proposals are not acceptable to the IMO NCHD Committee the HSE will be obliged to put in place adequate contingency plans to allow the industrial action to proceed on 2nd October”.This article was originally posted at 10.05pm.Read: Nurses row in behind planned strike action >
BRITISH ROYAL ACCOUNTANTS have come under fire from MPs, who claim the Royal Family must cut their cloth in order to repair crumbling palaces.The British parliamentary public accounts committee also called on the royal family to raise more money, finding that they are dipping into reserves too often. The report revealed that the palace’s reserves now stand at an “historically low” £1 million.Officials claim that this is due to last year’s diamond jubilee celebrations, however.Committee chairwoman Margaret Hodge said that, while nobody was accusing the royals of profligacy, it was important that the Treasury and the royal accountants get their house in order.“The household needs to get better at planning and managing its budgets for the longer term — and the Treasury should be more actively involved in reviewing what the household is doing,” she said.The queen received a grant of £31 million from taxpayers funds last year. This covered staffing, travel and maintenance. The Sovereign Grant will rise to £36.1 million this year.RepairsThe report said that there was a large number of repairs needed at royal palaces, with 40 per cent of the estate in need of repairs.The Victoria and Albert Mausoleum, where the late queen Victoria and her husband prince Albert are buried, has been waiting for repairs for 18 years, the report said, while other problems include walls riddled with asbestos.Some of Buckingham Palace’s 775 rooms have not been refurbished for 60 years, a palace official told MPs.Open the gatesThe income disparity has led to calls to turn Buckingham Palace into a more accessible tourist attraction. It is currently only open during August and September, when the Queen is on holiday in Scotland.Officials say that they have considered the idea, but that the constraints of setup costs have put paid to the ideal.Read: Ireland cares about the royal baby almost as much as the UK…Read: Two arrested after man ‘climbs fence’ at Buckingham Palace
Parents, start forwarding this to your kids. Apple’s hiring. As we know, a lot of college students are stuck with the same menial jobs their older siblings had years before them: working at a sub shop, coffee shop, Foot Locker, etc. Besides long hours and no time for homework, these aren’t exactly the type of jobs that give you benefits either. But wait! Apple is offering what sounds to be a dream job for students who are sick of asking customers if they’d like fries with that. Apple’s customer support group, known as AppleCare, offers a program for college students that allows them to work from home on a flexible schedule, and with benefits and perks. As an Apple At-Home-Advisor, you would help customers with technical support for Apple’s products and accessories — both software and hardware. We’re talking a full scale of products from iPhone to Apple TV.These advisors don’t have to be a computer science major to apply for this job. Apparently, all college majors are considered for the year-long opportunity. And, good news: you don’t even have to be super smart — at least GPA-wise. You simply have to be enrolled in classes at a desginated college and have a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher.Of course, salaries are determined on qualifications and experience, but we hear it’s about $10 an hour. Apple will provide you with a free iMac and telephone, and will reimburse you with up to $50 a month to pay for your Internet and phone service. You’ll also receive full health benefits. That’s a pretty good deal considering you can work in your pajamas, which you’ll probably end up wearing to class anyways. Apple is looking for students to work 16 hours a week during the school year, and 40 hours a week during the summer. There’s a four-week-long full-time training course, which is done at your “home office,” (AKA bedroom).Apple describes the ideal candidate thusly:An ideal fit is someone who is passionate about technology and experienced with computers, and who likes helping people and putting a smile on someone’s face. You must enjoy troubleshooting and fixing problems, working independently without in-person supervision, exercising multitasking skills as you manage multiple systems and applications, and giving people yet another positive Apple experience. Judging by the Web site, it seems there are only a handful of universities on the list right now, but it’s worth contacting Apple either way to see if your eligible to apply. Check out Apple’s job site for more information.Photo via 9to5Mac.com.