Scandal? Blatter Still FIFA Chief
ZURICH — Sepp Blatter was re-elected as FIFA President for a fifth term on May 29, chosen to lead world soccer despite separate U.S. and Swiss criminal investigations into corruption.The 209 FIFA member federations gave the 79-year-old Blatter another four-year term after Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan conceded defeat after losing 133-73 in the first round.Prince Ali’s promise of a clean break from FIFA’s tarnished recent history was rejected despite the worst scandal in the organization’s 111-year history.“I like you, I like my job,” Blatter said to cheering voters. “I am not perfect, nobody is perfect, but we will do a good job together I am sure.”The election went ahead after U.S. and Swiss federal investigations struck at the heart of Blatter’s “football family” this week. Two FIFA Vice Presidents and a recently elected FIFA Executive Committee member were still in custody as the votes were counted.Still, soccer leaders worldwide stayed loyal to their embattled President of 17 years, even though Prince Ali pushed the election to a second round by getting a surprising 73 votes.Before the second round started, Prince Ali stood before the congress and conceded. “I want to thank all of you who were brave enough to support me,” said the Prince, who previously spoke of a culture of intimidation at FIFA. “It’s been a wonderful journey in terms of knowing you, working with you.”Blatter has blamed others for bringing shame and humiliation on the sport. In a pre-election address to voters on Friday, Blatter said it was “impossible” for him and FIFA to “keep an eye” on everyone and be responsible for everything that happened in world soccer.Blatter won despite calls for his resignation from UEFA President Michel Platini and others. Platini said May 28 that UEFA could pull out of FIFA and withdraw from the World Cup if Blatter was re-elected.FIFA’s big-money sponsors have also called for change within FIFA. Visa warned that it could pull out of its contract, which is worth at least $25 million a year through 2022.In what appeared to be warning to UEFA, Blatter pledged to change the representation of his influential executive committee, where Europe currently has eight of 25 voting members.Platini sat still and did not clap during Blatter’s post-victory speech. Blatter also said he would retain a 32-team World Cup and resist expanding what is FIFA’s cash cow.The defeated 39-year-old prince was a FIFA Vice President for the past four years with a close-up view of Blatter’s previous scandal-hit mandate.Blatter was re-elected unopposed in 2011 after promising to fight corruption and support key investigations of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests and a bribery scandal which removed his Qatari opponent from the presidential ballot.Those probes were conducted in-house by FIFA’s own judicial bodies. The latest investigations promise deeper trouble for FIFA with federal law enforcement agencies delving into soccer’s affairs.Raids on FIFA’s favorite luxury downtown Zurich hotel and its own headquarters were launched early May 27 by Swiss police.Senior FIFA officials were among seven men arrested at the request of American federal prosecutors investigating bribery, money-laundering and wire fraud. The 2018 and 2022 World Cups — awarded to Russia and Qatar, respectively — are the focus of a separate Swiss federal probe of suspected financial wrongdoing.Last November, Blatter and FIFA filed a criminal complaint with the Swiss Attorney General’s office against non-Swiss nationals.(GRAHAM DUNBAR, AP Sports Writer)TweetPinShare0 Shares
Zinedine Zidane said his players were not playing for their futures at Real Madrid and leapt to the defence of struggling veteran Marcelo after his side succumbed to a 2-1 defeat away to a resurgent Valencia side on Wednesday.Real fell 13 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona after their ninth league loss of the campaign – the first since Zidane’s return – and are expected to shake up their squad significantly at the end of what has been a torrid season.The 33-times Spanish champions are 10 points clear of fourth-placed Getafe in the league and Zidane said performances in their last eight games would have no bearing on who stayed and who departed.FT: @valenciacf_en 2-1 @realmadridGuedes 35′, Garay 83′; @Benzema 90’+3’#RMLiga pic.twitter.com/2fg6G4o4izReal Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) April 3, 2019″This final stretch of games is no exam, we have to deal with bad moments like this but it is not going to change a thing,” Zidane told a news conference.”We were playing against a very good Valencia side who had a lot at stake, and perhaps that was the difference.”Brazilian Marcelo has come in for heavy criticism this season, losing his place in the side to Sergio Reguilon before being brought back in by Zidane when the Frenchman took charge for his second spell as coach in March.The 30-year-old defender produced another shaky display against Valencia but Zidane spoke up for a player who played a key role in his trophy-laden first tenure.advertisement”Marcelo is Marcelo and I like the way he plays,” he said.”I think he is doing well, he is training hard and he is committed. He is not the only one who has had a difficult season.”Also Read | Zinedine Zidane wants Rafael Varane to stay but is ambiguous about Gareth Bale futureReal’s hopes of winning a trophy this season were extinguished last month when they went out of the Champions League at the hands of Ajax Amsterdam and suffered successive defeats to Barcelona in the league and the Copa del Rey.Zidane conceded it was difficult for the players to remain focused for the remainder of the campaign but urged them to get back on track for Saturday’s game at home to Eibar.”We are at a very difficult moment in what has been a very difficult season, we are losing concentration and it’s tough for everyone,” Zidane added.”Right now all I can say is I’m right behind my players and they’re going to keep fighting until the end. A lot will be said in these next two months but we’re going to finish well and look forward to next season.”Also Read | Zinedine Zidane appointed back as Real Madrid coach less than a year after stepping downAlso Read | Premier League: Tottenham inaugurates new stadium with 2-0 win over Crystal PalaceAlso Watch | Australia should pick David Warner for the 2019 ICC World Cup: VVS Laxman
There will be some new voices being heard through your TV speakers during the Final Four and NCAA Tournament national championship game this season. CBS announced Tuesday morning that longtime Final Four broadcaster Jim Nantz will announce the two semifinal games and national title bout with Bill Raftery and Grant Hill. Nantz, Greg Anthony and Steve Kerr announced the 2014 Final Four, while Nantz, Kerr and Clark Kellog had announced the previous three. Nantz has called every Final Four since 1991. CBS Sports and Turner Sports name Bill Raftery + Grant Hill game analysts for 2015 NCAA #FinalFour + National Champ, http://t.co/iQT6iITpOR— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) February 3, 2015Raftery and Hill will join team of Jim Nantz and reporter @tracywolfson to call games together throughout 2015 NCAA Tournament— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) February 3, 2015This season’s Final Four will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on April 4, with the national championship game occurring on April 6. We’ll be filling out brackets in no time.
Next The only opinion that matters is my opinion: Jasprit BumrahJasprit Bumrah, who is rested from the upcoming T20 series against South Africa, said playing in England with the Dukes ball gave him confidence.advertisement Rasesh Mandani MumbaiSeptember 13, 2019UPDATED: September 13, 2019 21:01 IST India pacer Jasprit Bumrah (File photo: IANS)Every country he has played in his young test career so far South Africa, England, Australia and West Indies, Jasprit Bumrah has a five wicket haul to show. A test hat-trick too that he registered against hapless West Indies batsmen, last month.Legends of the sport look at him as a great in the making. But India’s pace spearhead says greatness’ does not sit easy on him. “It’s good that people give me so much love. But I feel embarrassed,” he says.More than year and a half in test cricket, the upcoming test series will be his first at home. I have played all my life in Ranji trophy cricket in India. These are not alien conditions for me, he says.Rested from the upcoming T20 series against South Africa, he was at a promotional event in Mumbai. The paceman is also seen on lifestyle magazine covers these days. Bollywood star Ranveer Singh acknowledges his retro look on Instagram, Bumrah thanks him back. Brand promotions come with the territory.Is he as good off the field when the spot light is on? “I am getting the hang of it. Slowly am getting better at it; more and more comfortable. A different side (of mine) will also come out with time,” he says.Bumrah has become like a well programmed machine. But in this case, he is himself the programmer who throws out accurate results. “For me a lot of preparation goes in. Before any match or tournament, I assess the conditions. I try to ask questions (of bowling team mates) that I am planning to do this, what do you think about it. All these things I listen to and filter them and figure out what I can do and cannot. I try to asses all this and make my plans,” he says.advertisementBumrah does not intimidate with overt aggression. “I have realized if you get angry unnecessarily, it’s waste of energy; it does not help,” is his mantra.But his venom with the ball is relentless on the batsmen. It also comes with self belief and clarity of thought. “For me even if things don’t go well, the only opinion that matters in my opinion is my opinion. That’s my philosophy. It doesn’t matter what others think of you. If they give you love, its good. If they don’t, it’s good. Ultimately you should have that belief,” he philosophises.The Gujarat based seamer broke the back of West Indies batsmen in the last series, introducing a new found consistency with the away going delivery. It’s a ball Bumrah says he has long been working on but playing in England with the Dukes ball gave him the confidence to summon it when needed. “I have always had the out swinger. I have not used it a lot. But playing in England gave me a lot of confidence with the dukes ball swinging for a long period of time. I got more and more confident as I played more and more test cricket,” he explains.The test series against South Africa will be billed around the Bumrah-Rabada battle. Ask Bumrah and you would get nothing. “I don’t look at personal individuals. I look at how I can contribute,” he says.Also Read | Always wanted to make a mark in Test cricket: Jasprit BumrahAlso see:For sports news, updates, live scores and cricket fixtures, log on to indiatoday.in/sports. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for Sports news, scores and updates.Get 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 byNitin Kumar Tags :Follow Jasprit BumrahFollow South Africa
6 Fastest Cars in the World Right Now A Breakdown of All the Major Types of Car Racing Icons of America: Taking a Corvette Road Trip Along Route 66 Editors’ Recommendations Rusting and forgotten, Nissan’s class-winning 1987 Patrol Fanta Limon Paris-Dakar rally vehicle sat in a Spanish museum until 2014. After images of the historic racer cropped up online, however, Nissan motorsport engineers hatched a plan to rescue it.This tenacious team convinced Nissan to purchase the aging vehicle with the plan of restoring it before its 30th anniversary. Helping their case was the fact that this particular Patrol was the first diesel car ever to finish in the Dakar rally’s overall top 10 spots (it also won the diesel category in 1987).Once the vehicle had been salvaged from the museum, engineers went straight to work at Nissan’s European Technical Center (NCTE). This was no easy fix, however. “”The engine was in terrible condition,” noted Juan Villegas, one of the technicians. “It was impossible to start and many parts were heavily corroded. The front axle was quite damaged, but the worst thing was the electrics, which had been badly attacked by rats.”Finding spare parts required the engineers to search all over Europe and use every resource Nissan had available. Most of the time spent restoring the truck was after-hours, on nights and weekends. “We wanted the car to be accurate in every way, and were lucky to get the very old drawings and service manuals from NTCE,” said Villegas. “We followed all the fine adjustments to get the exact Paris-Dakar race set-up.”It took two and a half years, but in November of this year, the project was finally completed. Eager to prove their work, the engineers took the restored racer to North Africa’s Sahara desert, where it tore up the dunes with the same force as in 1987. “Our brains, hearts and souls have gone into this project and it has not been easy,” remarked Pedro Diaz Illan, the only NTCE technician that was around for the Patrol’s original Dakar race. “But to see the car in the desert again was just fantastic.”How’s that for a holiday heart-warmer? Manned Flying Car Races Are Coming in 2020 Andy Warhol Painted a BMW M1 Race Car, and It’s Gorgeous
zoom Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. delivered an Offshore Supply Vessel HOS RIVERBEND (Hull 204) to Hornbeck Offshore Services, LLC on Monday February 3rd 2014.The HOS RIVERBEND is Eastern’s fourth and final vessel designated as the HOSMAX 300 series. Each vessel is Diesel-Electric powered, twin Z-drive propelled OSV’s. These high-tech vessels feature four Caterpillar 3516C 16-cylinder turbo-charged Tier III diesel generator engines each rated at 1,825 kW at 1,800 rpm.Main propulsion power is provided by two GE Energy furnished Hyundai 2,500 kW 690VAC electric motors driving two Schottel SRP 2020 FP Z-Drives with nozzles rated at 2,500 kW at 1,025 rpm each for a total of 6,704 Hp. Schottel also provided two STT 4 fixed pitch tunnel thrusters rated at 1,180 kW at 1,170 rpm, each with direct coupled Hyundai 690VAC electric motors.GE Energy Power Conversions supplied the complete system integrated diesel electric package, including the propulsion and thruster drives, motors, control systems, DP system, switchboards, motor control centers, automation and navigation/communication electronics.These vessels are capable of a cruising speed of 12 knots. The fully integrated bridge is arranged for increased visibility and features the latest technology in navigation, communication equipment.The remaining six OSVs under contract are designated HOSMAX 310 Vessels. The first, the HOS BAYOU (H205), will be delivered in a few months and the second, the HOS BLACK FOOT (Hull 206) was launched on Friday, January 17, 2014.The shipbuilder also announced that the M/V CAPT. TROY J. HOTARD (Hull 186), the 56th inland towboat, was delivered to Florida Marine Transporters, Inc. of Mandeville, LA, on February 4, 2014.Eastern Shipbuilding Group, February 10, 2014
Government is supporting two sustainable transportation projects in the Halifax area aimed at improving mobility and access to transportation. Halifax Chebucto MLA Joachim Stroink, on behalf of Energy Minister Michel Samson, announced today, Nov. 10, that CarShare Atlantic and Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) will receive funding from the province’s sustainable transportation grant program, Connect2. “Practical transportation is a concern for many,” said Mr. Stroink. “I am proud to announce government support for two projects that offer solutions for Halifax residents.” With a $10,000 grant from Connect2 and its own matching funds, CarShare Atlantic will support the Dynamic Duo program. The program allows university students with a Halifax Transit UPass and families with an EPass to use CarShare at a special rate. “Car sharing plays a key part in the sustainable mobility mix,” said Pam Cooley, president of CarShare Atlantic. “It supports people who walk, bike if they are physically able, and take transit. When those options aren’t the right fit, they can take a CarShare vehicle.” Halifax Regional Municipality will use $15,000 from Connect2 and $100,000 of its own funds for public consultation on its Integrated Mobility Plan. The plan will address how to improve efficient and affordable mobility in Halifax. “The Integrated Mobility Plan is focused on improving transportation to better connect our residents to their communities,” said Bob Bjerke, HRM’s chief planner and director, planning and development. “The Connect2 funding will assist our efforts to engage with residents and learn more about their travel needs and aspirations as we aim to improve how we move.” Connect2 is intended to create and promote active transportation options for trips of two kilometers or less between community hubs in rural and urban parts of the province. More projects will be announced in the coming weeks, and all will be completed by March 10, 2017. For more information, visit novascotia.ca/sustainabletransportation/.
Shanghai: Four Britons have been arrested in an eastern China province, the British embassy said Friday, two days after Chinese police announced a drug bust there involving 16 foreigners. Police in the city of Xuzhou in Jiangsu province said on Wednesday that a total of 19 people were arrested in a drugs case centring on a local branch of a language school. Those arrested included seven foreign teachers and nine foreign students, police said. Police gave no other details on specific nationalities or facts of the case. Also Read – Imran Khan arrives in China, to meet Prez Xi Jinping”We are in contact with the Chinese authorities following the arrest of four British people in Jiangsu province, and are providing consular assistance,” a spokeswoman with the British embassy in Beijing said. The spokeswoman said the embassy could not confirm whether the arrests were related to the drugs case. Swiss-based Education First, which operates a chain of language schools in China, released a statement this week acknowledging a suspected drug case at one of its branches in Xuzhou. Also Read – US blacklists 28 Chinese entities over abuses in XinjiangIt said the company was cooperating with police on the investigation and that employees found to be involved in wrongdoing would be dismissed. Drug convictions can attract long prison sentences in China, or the death penalty in cases of trafficking. China has already sentenced two Canadians to death on drug trafficking charges this year, as a diplomatic dispute with Ottawa rages. Beijing is furious over the Vancouver arrest of a top executive from telecom giant Huawei on a US extradition request related to Iran sanctions violations. The Canadian drug sentences have sparked questions over whether they were in retaliation for the Huawei arrest.
https://jrnl.ie/3286936 By Sinead O’Carroll Sister leads tributes to ‘brave’ Captain Dara Fitzpatrick who lost life in Coast Guard crash She was a well-known senior pilot with the Coast Guard. Mar 14th 2017, 4:30 PM Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article History maker Fitzpatrick began flying in 1990 and started working in search and rescue in March 1993, moving from Shannon to Waterford after almost 10 years.In 2013, she was part of the Coast Guard’s first ever all-female mission alongside her co-pilot Carmel Kirby.“I first went up in a helicopter when I was about 18 and was immediately sold on it – I thought it was the business. And that, pretty much, was it,” she told the Munster Express in 2009.In a video made for students by the Irish Bishops’ Conference in 2008, she discussed her love for the job, as well as the difficulties it brings. Source: BishopsIreland/YouTubeFitzpatrick was also filmed for a RTÉ documentary series on Rescue 117 which saw her crew followed for six months. At the time, the filmmakers described her as “one of only a handful of female civilian rescue pilots in the world”.She is survived by her family and three-year-old son.President Michael D Higgins described today is a dark one in the history of Garda Cósta na hÉireann.“On behalf of the people of Ireland, may I pay tribute to Captain Dara Fitzpatrick who died today,” he said in a statement.“We are grateful for the courage, resolution and exemplary commitment to the aims of the Coast Guard that Captain Fitzpatrick and her colleagues have consistently displayed. Source: Irish Coast GuardUpdated 6.45pmWELL-KNOWN PILOT Dara Fitzpatrick has been named as the first casualty of this morning’s rescue helicopter crash.Gerard O’Flynn, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard, confirmed her death to reporters at Blacksod in Mayo this afternoon.She was recovered from the water in a critical condition at first light today, hours after Rescue 116 disappeared. She was later pronounced dead.O’Flynn said it is a “difficult time” for her company CHC Helicopter and the Coast Guard.“Dara is the most senior pilot with CHC – with the company close to 20 years,” he told reporters.“Outside of her work as a pilot, she did an enormous amount of work in water safety and was always available to do school visits and highlight basic water safety.“For all of us involved in the Coast Guard, and particularly her family, it does come as a big shock and we want to extend our sincere sympathies to her sympathy to all her family and indeed to her flying colleagues at CHC.” Source: TheJournal.ie/YouTubeCaptain Fitzpatrick’s sister, psychologist and Today FM agony aunt Niamh Fitzpatrick, said the family are devastated by the loss of her “brave sister”, asking on Twitter for prayers for the other crew members of Rescue 116.A search operation for the three men is ongoing. The Coast Guard helicopters on scene off the Mayo coast are being assisted in their search by the Air Corps Casa, RNLI boats, the Naval Services’s LE Róisín, garda divers and local fishing vessels. My brave sister Capt Dara Fitzpatrick lost her life in #Rescue116 crash. We are devastated. Please pray for recovery of 3 remaining crew.— Niamh Fitzpatrick (@NFitzPsychology) March 14, 2017 129 Comments Short URL Source: Niamh Fitzpatrick/Twitter Share Tweet Email2 242,936 Views My thoughts are with her family at this difficult moment and also with the families of the missing crew.“It is appropriate that we acknowledge and pay tribute to the efforts of her colleagues at the Coast Guard who have been working at a time, which must be for them, a time of great grief and uncertainty.”With reporting from Paul Hosford in Blacksod, Mayo and Michelle HennessyRead: Search continues for three members of Coast Guard helicopter crew Tuesday 14 Mar 2017, 4:30 PM
Short URL By AFP Thursday 30 Mar 2017, 8:56 AM File image. Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article AN INDONESIAN FARMER has been discovered inside the belly of a giant python after the swollen snake was caught near where the man vanished while harvesting his crops.The body of 25-year-old Akbar was found when local people cut open the seven metre (23 foot) python after it was found bloated and slithering awkwardly in the village of Salubiro, on the eastern island of Sulawesi on Monday.“We were immediately suspicious that the snake had swallowed Akbar because around the site we found palm fruit, his harvesting tool and a boot,” said Junaidi, a senior village official, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name.Worried relatives launched a search for Akbar after he failed to return home from a trip to the family’s plantation on Sunday.Junaidi said the snake had swallowed the farmer whole, adding that it was the only such fatality recorded in the region.The breed of snake, which regularly tops 20 feet, is commonly found in Indonesia and the Philippines.While the serpents have been known to attack small animals, attempts to eat people are rare.In 2013, a security guard on the tourist island of Bali was killed by a python at a luxury beachfront hotel.- © AFP 2017Read: Another blow for Trump’s new travel ban as court blocks it indefinitelyRead: Fears cyclone will turn parts of Great Barrier Reef into ‘underwater wasteland’ File image. Image: Shutterstock/GrooveZ Farmer’s body discovered inside giant python in Indonesia Worried relatives launched a search for the farmer after he failed to return home.
Share38 Tweet Email10 Image: Shutterstock/GrooveZ Mar 30th 2017, 8:56 AM 23,258 Views http://jrnl.ie/3314531 36 Comments 
Rishi Jaitly, Twitter’s India head, has announced his resignation. In a series of tweets on Tuesday, he said that he wants to “move to new opportunities.” Jaitly had joined the microblogging site’s India operations in November 2012. The news comes within two months of Twitter deciding to shut down its engineering operations in India, laying off about 20 employees in the process.He follows Shailesh Rao, who quit the San Fransisco-based social media network in July this year as vice-president, international operations, four years after joining the organisation in February 2012.Jaitly said that he is moving to Chicago, hinting that he may be joining an organisation with a civic orientation. He said he would continue to pursue his “mission” of harnessing technology for connecting people with leaders.At Twitter, Jaitly was responsible for its operations across Asia Pacific and the Middle East.Today, after 4 years of user/business momentum in India & the region, I’m sharing my intention to move on to new opportunities, same mission— Rishi Jaitly (@rsjaitly) November 1, 2016 My mission remains the same: harness tech/media’s scale to connect users/citizens to their voice/agency/leadership in places they care about— Rishi Jaitly (@rsjaitly) November 1, 2016 While a personal/civic calling takes me to Chicago, I’ll spend significant time in India/Asia, drawing on my past to further tech’s promise.— Rishi Jaitly (@rsjaitly) November 1, 2016
Nikesh Arora has been appointed as the new CEO of Palo Alto Networks and he is being paid a whopping $128 million packageNadine Rupp/Getty ImagesCybersecurity brand Palo Alto Networks has named former SoftBank Group Corp president Nikesh Arora as its chief executive officer and chairman. Arora succeeds Mark McLaughlin, who will remain with Palo Alto as the company’s vice-chairman.Arora begins his role as the CEO and chairman at Palo Alto on Wednesday, June 6, and has reportedly been given a package of about $128 million, which is about Rs 850 crore. The 50-year-old is also investing about $20 million (about Rs 130 crore) in shares of Palo Alto, apparently to prove his loyalty to the company.”It’s sort of like put your money where your mouth is,” Fortune quoted him as saying.Who is Nikesh Arora?Born on February 9, 1968, in Ghaziabad, Arora is an Indian businessman.He is an alumnus of the IIT, BHU in Varanasi and went on to get an MBA from the Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.After starting his career with Fidelity Investments in 1992, Arora joined Google in 2004 where he had held many senior-level postsHe was the company vice president for Europe operations from 2004 to 2007 and went on to become the president Europe, Middle East and Africa from 2007 to 2009.Arora was also the senior vice president and chief business officer of Google Inc. between January 2011 and July 2014.He resigned from Google in 2014 and joined SoftBank Corp.The 50-year-old has also been on the board of directors of several other firms such as Airtel, Aviva, Colgate-Palmolive, and Richemont Sprint to name a few.As Softbank is known to have investments in Ola, Snapdeal, Oyo and a few other firms, Arora had board positions and other rights in these brands.Arora has also worked with T-Mobile and was the CEO and founder of T-Motion PLC, which merged with T-Mobile International in 2002.Arora married Delhi socialite Ayesha Thapar in 2014. He was earlier married to Kiran and the former couple have a daughter.At Palo Alto, Arora will be entitled to equity awards of about $126 million, half of which banks on him staying at Palo Alto and the other half on if the firm manages to at least double its shares. Under McLaughlin, the California-based company is known to have seen a five-fold since its initial public offering in 2012.Meanwhile, McLaughlin believes that Arora will be able to do take the firm places and seemed pleased with the appointment. “The company is executing extremely well and is the clear leader in next-generation security,” he said in a statement.”Over the course of several quarters, I have been discussing succession planning with the Board and I couldn’t be more pleased that we have found a leader in Nikesh who is ideally suited to take the company on the next leg of its journey. I look forward to working with Nikesh as we transition and serving as vice chairman of the Board.”Arora too seems immensely proud and said that he has grown very fond of the company and its values and culture and that the team will work towards providing flawless security to its customers.Apart from the stock options, Arora will draw an annual base salary of $1 million (about Rs 6.7 crore).Looking fwd to working with the Palo Alto Networks team. Mark, Nir, Lee, Rajiv, Rene and many others have built a unique company. Feel honored to become a part of it. https://t.co/vM07vameE3— Nikesh Arora (@nikesharora) June 2, 2018
Michael Marks/Texas StandardCattle stand in a Brazoria County pasture surrounded by Snow on the Mountain and other weeds.Up and down the Gulf Coast, Texans are still trying to get back to where they were before Hurricane Harvey. Some have had to rebuild from the ground up. For others, the trouble is with the ground itself.Fifty miles south of Houston in Brazoria County, Jessica Chase and Brady Stark are examining a piece of grass they found in Stark’s pasture.“This came in with Harvey. It’s a summer annual weed and it can reach up to three-and-a-half feet tall – yours are getting close,” Chase says.Chase is a Texas A&M Agrilife extension agent for Brazoria County. One of her jobs is to help landowners like Stark keep their pastures in good shape: identifying weeds like the Pennsylvania Smartweed she and Stark are looking at, and suggesting herbicides and fertilizers.And that’s important work in Brazoria County. It’s an exceptionally green place, where people raise cattle and horses, rice and sorghum. Stark’s been here since 1995. Over that time, he’s worked hard to keep his pastures in good shape for the cattle he raises. And they were in good shape until Hurricane Harvey.“After Harvey it was like, about a foot to maybe 16 inches deep. All over. I had water in the barns, but not in the house,” Stark says.His cattle were fine, but the pastures sat underwater for two weeks. They were caked in mud for another month after that. And once the mud washed off, the weeds came. Stark’s been able to get rid of a lot of them, but a ride around his property shows there’s still plenty left – with new species continuing to pop up. As we drive around to the backside of his pond, something catches Chase’s eye.“Did you have this thistle before Brady?” Chase asks.Chase is talking about a patch of plants that all have thin, spiny stems with equally prickly bulbs on top.“Now that you mention it I’ve seen several patches of this too,” Stark says.“I’ve seen several patches of it around. It is a thistle, I believe it’s blessed milk thistle. So that’s another one that’s been popping up also,” Chase says.Rains from Hurricane Harvey acted like a conveyer belt for weeds. As rivers, creeks and bayous breached their banks, they carried plant material with them. The water sitting over pastures like Stark’s became a soupy slurry of seeds.“Basically whatever your neighbors had that you worked so hard to keep off of your land – or the neighbor two miles up the road – is now on your property because that water just floated it all across,” Chase says. “So basically everything that everybody had in the county is mixed all over the place.”Repairing pastures is expensive and time-consuming. But if you’re trying to raise livestock, you’ve got to do it. Cattle and horses usually won’t eat weeds, and even if they did, they wouldn’t get nearly the nutritional value they would from eating grass. Some weeds, like Snow on the Mountain – a species that has thrived after Harvey – are even toxic to cattle.Now many pastures affected by the storm have recovered. But others are still in bad shape, maybe too far gone to be salvaged. As I was driving around Brazoria County, I stopped to take a closer look at a property just outside Angleton, the county seat. The place was surrounded by a barbed wire fence and had a cattle guard leading up to the driveway. There are no cows. And the reason for that is that weeds have completely and totally taken over the pastures. All the grassy area around the house, which I would estimate probably comprises 15 to 20 acres, it is entirely weeds.Some of them came up to my waist, others were over my head. It’s a fate that Kevin Reifel’s been trying to avoid on his own land. He drove me over to take a look at some property between the San Bernard and Brazos rivers. He keeps a few horses on it, and he and his brother *used to raise cattle there too.“This was our main pasture and we have sold all the cows off of it,” Reifel’s says.The plot that was once thick with healthy Bermuda grass is now empty except for scrubby, spiny stands of weeds in between patches of mud. Reifel’s brother’s house flooded during the storm. He’s building a new one – this time raised up on 12 foot beams. But they had to sell their cattle after Harvey because they couldn’t take on both rebuilding a house and a pasture. To get it back in order, they’ll have to start over: till up the field, spray herbicides for all the weeds, and then replant the grass. Reifel knows better than most how much that will cost. He owns the local feed and ranch supply store in the city of Brazoria, so he’s had a big part in getting people what they need to get back to normal.“Grass seed, grass seed, grass seed – that a lot. Insecticide, herbicides, and feed. So just about everything that I sell, they’ve been buying,” Reifel says.Harvey’s been a boon for Reifel’s business he wishes never happened. In his part of Texas, the struggle against weeds and loss of good grass could go on for years. Because even though you might kill a weed above ground, it could still be alive below the surface. So for people like Brady Stark, getting back to normal will take time…“But I’ll get back. Just don’t know when,” says Brady Stark. Share
Hassell completed his 10th season working with the Louisville baseball program in 2019, having been with the program from 2008-11 and returning before the 2014 season. His first experience at the international level began immediately following Louisville’s fifth appearance at the College World Series. “USA Baseball is something I’ve wanted to be a part of ever since I started my career as an athletic trainer,” Hassell said. “USA Baseball is such a first class organization from top to bottom and I’m so thankful they gave me this chance to work with such a great coaching staff, not to mention what is most likely the next generation of big leaguers.” Hassell worked alongside UofL head coach Dan McDonnell, who served as the manager of the team, during the four-week period that saw the USA CNT compete across North Carolina against Cuba before series in Taiwan and Japan. Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB. Print Friendly Version “Working in college baseball for 14 years has given me so many memories and experiences that I’ll never forget, but having the opportunity to represent the United States and the University of Louisville in international competition is hard to top.” The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team was made up of an elite group of collegiate players from across the country, including a pair of student-athletes from UofL. Reid Detmers and Lucas Dunn competed for Team USA this summer, while Alex Binelas, Michael Kirian and Bobby Miller were all invited to training camp and Gabe Burchell served as the bullpen catcher. Team USA picked up victories in four of its five games in the 8th Annual USA vs. Cuba International Friendship Series before heading across the globe to Taiwan. There, the USA CNT won two out of three to capture the 19th USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series before falling 3-2 in the 43rd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series to wrap up the summer. LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville Associate Director of Sports Medicine Pat Hassell represented the Cardinals on the international stage this summer, working as the athletic trainer for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Story Links
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Ladysmith Gazette journalists caught up with law enforcement officers on Tuesday morning (January 31) at the RTI base just outside Ladysmith while they were checking driver’s licences, outstanding warrants of arrest and if vehicles were roadworthy.Police, Public Safety, RTI and Home Affairs officials participated in the roadblock.The scorching sun was the last thing on the officers’ minds, as they busied themselves with making sure the rules of the road were adhered to.The roadblock started at 8am and finished at 11am.Officers determined to keep our roads safe.
