Bankruptcies have hit the fastest pace since the Great Recession and more companies are expected to file – Business Insider

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The number of companies filing for bankruptcy has surged to a clip not seen since May 2009, following the Great Recession, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

In May, 27 companies with at least $50 million in liabilities filed for court protection from their creditors, according to the report. This group of companies, which includes a range from retailers J.Crew, JCPenney, and Pier 1 Imports to air carriers like Latam, represents the highest number of bankruptcy filings since the Great Recession.

The filings have increased as the sweeping lockdowns to contain the new coronavirus have devastated the US and global economy. Over a decade ago, in May 2009, 29 companies filed for bankruptcy, according to Bloomberg.

Read more: GOLDMAN SACHS: Buy these 25 stocks that are wildly popular with hedge funds and have crushed the market this year

The year-to-date picture tells the same story. So far in 2020, there have been 98 bankruptcies by major companies, the most since 142 companies filed in the first four months of 2009.

It's likely that the big bankruptcies will continue. Even as the US begins to reopen its economy, many companies will not have survived the shutdown, or won't be able to keep up with a hit to demand in the immediate future.

"I think we're going to continue to see filings of at least the level we're seeing for a while," Melanie Cyganowski, a former bankruptcy judge now with the Otterbourg law firm, told Bloomberg.

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Bankruptcies have hit the fastest pace since the Great Recession and more companies are expected to file - Business Insider

Which major retail companies have filed for bankruptcy since the coronavirus pandemic hit? Here’s the list. – NBCNews.com

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From iconic department stores to entertainment giants, the coronavirus has seemingly spared no one in its devastation of the U.S. economy.

Falling consumer demand, reduced entertainment spending, and stay-at-home orders mandating certain businesses stay closed continue to take their toll on a retail industry that has been struggling for the past several years as consumers pivot to online shopping.

Even with the slow reopening of the economy as lockdowns beginning to lift, social distancing measures may continue for months. That will impact store capacity for retail and restaurants. For some businesses, these temporary changes could indicate bigger problems.

While bankruptcy doesnt inherently mean that a company will go out of business it's more a financial restructuring it does spell news of changes to come.

Heres a list of all the major companies to have filed for bankruptcy so far since the start of coronavirus.

Dean & Deluca

The New York City-based gourmet foods retailer filed for bankruptcy on March 31, one of the first businesses to show signs of trouble due to coronavirus impact. The company was founded in 1977 and was acquired by Pace Food Retail in 2014.

Apex Parks

Apex Parks, which owns and operates 14 family entertainment and water parks in New Jersey, California, and Florida, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 8. A release from the company indicated that they do not intend to close.

FoodFirst, Bravo and Brio Restaurant Parent

FoodFirst Global Holdings, the parent company of restaurant chains Bravo Cucina Italiano and Brio Tuscan Grille, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 10. FoodFirst acquired the brands in 2018.

True Religion Apparel

True Religion, a clothing brand known for its jeans, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 13. The company, whose trendy denim rose to popularity in the 2000s, also filed for bankruptcy in 2017.

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CMX Cinemas

CMX Cinemas, a chain of movie theaters with dine-in options, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 25. The theaters, owned by parent company Cinemex Holdings, was in the process of acquiring the Star Cinema Grill, a deal that was inked only six weeks prior.

Rubies Costume Company

Rubies, which manufactures costumes, wigs, and other festive gear, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 30. Rubies claims to be the worlds largest designer and manufacturer of Halloween costumes.

J. Crew

The preppy retailer worn by celebrities and shoppers alike filed for bankruptcy on May 4. The company also owns Madewell, a womens clothing and accessory brand.

Golds Gym

Golds Gym, which owns and operates over 700 gyms in the U.S. and internationally, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 4. The company said in a release they hope to be through the filing by Aug. 1, if not sooner.

Neiman Marcus

Luxury department store Neiman Marcus filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 7. The century-old retailer is one of several traditional department stores that could be headed for trouble.

Stage Stores, (Bealls, Goody's, Palais Royal, Peebles, Gordmans, and Stage Parent)

Stage Stores, which owns and operates almost 800 locations in smaller and more rural communities, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 10. The brands sell a variety of goods, including apparel, cosmetics, and home goods.

JCPenney

Based in Plano, Texas, the retailer was founded more than a century ago as one of the countrys first department stores. But it has been on a downturn as people turn to online retailers and fast fashion to shop. JCPenney has faced financial trouble for several years, and filed for Chapter 11 on May 15. The retailer said it will announce the first phase of store closures in the coming weeks.

Pier 1 Imports

Home goods retailer Pier 1 Imports, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February, announced May 19 that it is seeking bankruptcy court approval and plans to start a wind-down of business as soon as possible. The company was unable to find a buyer due to coronavirus impact. Pier 1 operates more than 900 stores nationwide.

Hertz

The Hertz Corporation, known for its car rental services, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 22. Hertz, which owns other brands including Dollar and Thrifty, underwent a CEO change last week, its fourth in six years.

Tuesday Morning

Discount homewares retailer Tuesday Morning filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 27. The Texas-based company operates almost 700 stores in 39 states.

This list will be updated on a weekly basis.

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Which major retail companies have filed for bankruptcy since the coronavirus pandemic hit? Here's the list. - NBCNews.com

How did cold spring weather affect the Chinese peach market? – FreshPlaza.com

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Peach trees easily adjust to different types of soil. You can plant them in any type of soil and grow peaches. Furthermore, the peaches grow under a wide variety of weather conditions. Peaches are therefore cultivated in production areas across the country. With the exception of Heilongjiang in China's northeast, almost every other province in China grows peaches.

Available data shows that the overall surface area devoted to peach plantation in China already exceeded 670 thousand hectares. China leads the world in the production of peaches. However, this was not an easy year for peaches. An unexpected cold snap engulfed the country in the middle of April. Many peach orchards were covered in snow. A great number of peach blossom suffered frost damage, which reduced the volume of fruit on each tree.

Earlier this year, the outbreak of Covid-19 also had a disastrous impact on many industries in China. The purchasing power of Chinese consumers drastically declined. Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic spread across the globe and many countries restricted access through sea ports, which severely limited the export of honey peaches. Apart from the outbreak of Covid-19, the peaches also suffered from poor weather conditions. The peaches ripened one week later than usual. However, the flavor is slightly better than last year.

The most popular peaches in the Chinese market are the honey peach, golden nectarine, golden immortality peach, and the yellow peach. These peaches are relatively large, have a long shelf-life, taste good, and have a high sugar content. This makes them very popular with Chinese consumers.

Some buyers explain that the outbreak of Covid-19 definitely had an impact on the sales of nectarines earlier this season, but that influence is much smaller for the peaches that enter the Chinese market in June, such as the honey peach, immortality peach, and yellow peach. However, the retail conditions are still difficult to analyse as not all peaches have officially entered the market yet. However, it is quite certain that the peaches from Yunnan and Shandong will dominate the market and online sales will greatly increase in comparison with previous years.

Source: ifreshfair.cn

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How did cold spring weather affect the Chinese peach market? - FreshPlaza.com

Biological immortality – Wikipedia

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A state in which the rate of mortality from senescence is stable or decreasing

Biological immortality (sometimes referred to as bio-indefinite mortality) is a state in which the rate of mortality from senescence is stable or decreasing, thus decoupling it from chronological age. Various unicellular and multicellular species, including some vertebrates, achieve this state either throughout their existence or after living long enough. A biologically immortal living being can still die from means other than senescence, such as through injury, disease, or lack of available resources.

This definition of immortality has been challenged in the Handbook of the Biology of Aging,[1] because the increase in rate of mortality as a function of chronological age may be negligible at extremely old ages, an idea referred to as the late-life mortality plateau. The rate of mortality may cease to increase in old age, but in most cases that rate is typically very high.[2]

The term is also used by biologists to describe cells that are not subject to the Hayflick limit on how many times they can divide.

Biologists chose the word "immortal" to designate cells that are not subject to the Hayflick limit, the point at which cells can no longer divide due to DNA damage or shortened telomeres. Prior to Leonard Hayflick's theory, Alexis Carrel hypothesized that all normal somatic cells were immortal.[3]

The term "immortalization" was first applied to cancer cells that expressed the telomere-lengthening enzyme telomerase, and thereby avoided apoptosisi.e. cell death caused by intracellular mechanisms. Among the most commonly used cell lines are HeLa and Jurkat, both of which are immortalized cancer cell lines. HeLa cells originated from a sample of cervical cancer taken from Henrietta Lacks in 1951.[4] These cells have been and still are widely used in biological research such as creation of the polio vaccine,[5] sex hormone steroid research,[6] and cell metabolism.[7] Normal stem cells and germ cells can also be said to be immortal (when humans refer to the cell line).[citation needed]

Immortal cell lines of cancer cells can be created by induction of oncogenes or loss of tumor suppressor genes. One way to induce immortality is through viral-mediated induction of the large Tantigen,[8] commonly introduced through simian virus 40 (SV-40).[9]

According to the Animal Aging and Longevity Database, the list of organisms with negligible aging (along with estimated longevity in the wild) includes:[10]

In 2018, scientists working for Calico, a company owned by Alphabet, published a paper in the journal eLife which presents possible evidence that Heterocephalus glaber (Naked mole rat) do not face increased mortality risk due to aging.[11][12][13]

Many unicellular organisms age: as time passes, they divide more slowly and ultimately die. Asymmetrically dividing bacteria and yeast also age. However, symmetrically dividing bacteria and yeast can be biologically immortal under ideal growing conditions.[14] In these conditions, when a cell splits symmetrically to produce two daughter cells, the process of cell division can restore the cell to a youthful state. However, if the parent asymmetrically buds off a daughter only the daughter is reset to the youthful statethe parent isn't restored and will go on to age and die. In a similar manner stem cells and gametes can be regarded as "immortal".

Hydras are a genus of the Cnidaria phylum. All cnidarians can regenerate, allowing them to recover from injury and to reproduce asexually. Hydras are simple, freshwater animals possessing radial symmetry and no post-mitotic cells. All hydra cells continually divide.[citation needed] It has been suggested that hydras do not undergo senescence, and, as such, are biologically immortal. In a four-year study, 3 cohorts of hydra did not show an increase in mortality with age. It is possible that these animals live much longer, considering that they reach maturity in 5 to 10 days.[15] However, this does not explain how hydras are consequently able to maintain telomere lengths.

Turritopsis dohrnii, or Turritopsis nutricula, is a small (5 millimeters (0.20in)) species of jellyfish that uses transdifferentiation to replenish cells after sexual reproduction. This cycle can repeat indefinitely, potentially rendering it biologically immortal. This organism originated in the Caribbean sea, but has now spread around the world.[citation needed] Similar cases include hydrozoan Laodicea undulata[16] and scyphozoan Aurelia sp.1.[17]

Research suggests that lobsters may not slow down, weaken, or lose fertility with age, and that older lobsters may be more fertile than younger lobsters. This does not however make them immortal in the traditional sense, as they are significantly more likely to die at a shell moult the older they get (as detailed below).

Their longevity may be due to telomerase, an enzyme that repairs long repetitive sections of DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes, referred to as telomeres. Telomerase is expressed by most vertebrates during embryonic stages but is generally absent from adult stages of life.[18] However, unlike vertebrates, lobsters express telomerase as adults through most tissue, which has been suggested to be related to their longevity.[19][20][21] Contrary to popular belief, lobsters are not immortal. Lobsters grow by moulting which requires a lot of energy, and the larger the shell the more energy is required.[22] Eventually, the lobster will die from exhaustion during a moult. Older lobsters are also known to stop moulting, which means that the shell will eventually become damaged, infected, or fall apart and they die.[23] The European lobster has an average life span of 31 years for males and 54 years for females.

Planarian flatworms have both sexually and asexually reproducing types. Studies on genus Schmidtea mediterranea suggest these planarians appear to regenerate (i.e. heal) indefinitely, and asexual individuals have an "apparently limitless [telomere] regenerative capacity fueled by a population of highly proliferative adult stem cells". "Both asexual and sexual animals display age-related decline in telomere length; however, asexual animals are able to maintain telomere lengths somatically (i.e. during reproduction by fission or when regeneration is induced by amputation), whereas sexual animals restore telomeres by extension during sexual reproduction or during embryogenesis like other sexual species. Homeostatic telomerase activity observed in both asexual and sexual animals is not sufficient to maintain telomere length, whereas the increased activity in regenerating asexuals is sufficient to renew telomere length... "[24]

Lifespan: For sexually reproducing planaria: "the lifespan of individual planarian can be as long as 3 years, likely due to the ability of neoblasts to constantly replace aging cells". Whereas for asexually reproducing planaria: "individual animals in clonal lines of some planarian species replicating by fission have been maintained for over 15 years".[25]They are "literally immortal."[26]

Although the premise that biological aging can be halted or reversed by foreseeable technology remains controversial,[27] research into developing possible therapeutic interventions is underway.[28] Among the principal drivers of international collaboration in such research is the SENS Research Foundation, a non-profit organization that advocates a number of what it claims are plausible research pathways that might lead to engineered negligible senescence in humans.[29][30]

In 2015, Elizabeth Parrish, CEO of BioViva, treated herself using gene therapy with the goal of not just halting, but reversing aging.[31]

For several decades,[32] researchers have also pursued various forms of suspended animation as a means by which to indefinitely extend mammalian lifespan. Some scientists have voiced support[33] for the feasibility of the cryopreservation of humans, known as cryonics. Cryonics is predicated on the concept that some people considered clinically dead by today's medicolegal standards are not actually dead according to information-theoretic death and can, in principle, be resuscitated given sufficient technological advances.[34] The goal of current cryonics procedures is tissue vitrification, a technique first used to reversibly cryopreserve a viable whole organ in 2005.[35][36]

Similar proposals involving suspended animation include chemical brain preservation. The non-profit Brain Preservation Foundation offers a cash prize valued at over $100,000 for demonstrations of techniques that would allow for high-fidelity, long-term storage of a mammalian brain.[37]

In 2016, scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and the Mayo Clinic employed genetic and pharmacological approaches to ablate pro-aging senescent cells, extending healthy lifespan of mice by over 25%. The startup Unity Biotechnology is further developing this strategy in human clinical trials.[38]

In early 2017, Harvard scientists headed by biologist David Sinclair announced they have tested a metabolic precursor that increases NAD+ levels in mice and have successfully reversed the cellular aging process and can protect the DNA from future damage. "The old mouse and young mouse cells are indistinguishable", David was quoted. Human trials were planned to begin shortly in what the team expect is 6 months at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston.[39]

In the September 2019 article, a group of scientists reported successfully reversing the epigenetic aging in humans.[40]

To achieve the more limited goal of halting the increase in mortality rate with age, a solution must be found to the fact that any intervention to remove senescent cells that creates competition among cells will increase age-related mortality from cancer.[41]

In 2012 in Russia, and then in the United States, Israel, and the Netherlands, pro-immortality transhumanist political parties were launched.[42] They aim to provide political support to anti-aging and radical life extension research and technologies and want to ensure the fastest possibleand at the same time, the least disruptivesocietal transition to radical life extension, life without aging, and ultimately, immortality. They aim to make it possible to provide access to such technologies to the majority of people alive today.[43]

Future advances in nanomedicine could give rise to life extension through the repair of many processes thought to be responsible for aging. K. Eric Drexler, one of the founders of nanotechnology, postulated cell repair devices, including ones operating within cells and using as yet hypothetical molecular machines, in his 1986 book Engines of Creation. Raymond Kurzweil, a futurist and transhumanist, stated in his 2005 book The Singularity Is Near that he believes that advanced medical nanorobotics could completely remedy the effects of aging by 2030.[44] According to Richard Feynman, it was his former graduate student and collaborator Albert Hibbs who originally suggested to him in around 1959 the idea of a medical use for Feynman's theoretical micromachines (see biological machine). Hibbs suggested that certain repair machines might one day be reduced in size to the point that it would, in theory, be possible to (as Feynman put it) "swallow the doctor". The idea was incorporated into Feynman's 1959 essay There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom.[45]

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Biological immortality - Wikipedia

Magnus Carlsen: ‘My emotions are usually outside my body and that’s not what you usually connect to a chess player.’ – KVIA El Paso

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Greatness cannot be achieved without sacrifice. While it is the fire that burns inside that fuels the brilliance, the pursuit for perfection can also torment, turning relationships to ashes and niggling at the soul. The gifted can be loved and disliked. They can achieve immortality but still be flawed. They are, after all, human. But, ultimately, their extraordinary talent overshadows everything.

As Michael Jordan says in The Last Dance, the wildly popular 10-part docuseries covering the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls season: Winning has a price and leadership has a price.

Magnus Carlsen had just been introduced to chess by his father, Henrik, when Jordan was securing his first hat trick of NBA championships with the Bulls in the early 1990s. Still progressing through elementary school, and some years away from being described as the Mozart of Chess by the Washington Post, the young Carlsen never watched Jordans games but, nevertheless, collected NBA cards. Everybody knew who Jordan was, Carlsen tells CNN Sport.

Like millions around the world, Carlsen has been captivated by The Last Dance, which gives a courtside seat into what it took for Jordan to become the ultimate champion. Winner of six NBA championships and five MVPs, the American superstar who became a cultural icon had time for one thing: winning.

In the retelling of Jordans tumultuous final season with the Bulls and the dynasty he helped build, the audience is saddled with conflicting emotions. While his talent is awe-inspiring, his force of personality enthralling, some of the methods used to achieve excellence on the hardwood berating teammates, even punching one in the face can rankle, raising an internal monologue of questions during what is a sensationally good sports film.

But few watching what is reportedly the most in-demand documentary in the world can relate to Jordan, except for perhaps Carlsen, himself a master of his chosen craft, a once-in-a-generation talent who is relentlessly great at his sport.

There have been people saying in Norway you dont have to be an a***hole to win; whenever they say that from now on Ill say go and watch Jordan and Im going to use it as an excuse for any questionable behavior, Carlsen says, a wry smile engulfing his face as he speaks from his Oslo home.

Im certainly somebody who is very much in that school. There are no excuses. You always have to be the best, nothing else is acceptable.

Carlsen has been the world chess champion since 2013. Aged two he was solving 50-piece jigsaw puzzles. By five he was building magnificent creations from Lego. At 13, he beat former world champion Anatoli Karpov, drew with Russian great Garry Kasparov and became a chess grandmaster.

Six years later, he was the youngest chess player in history to top the world rankings. His rise was dazzling and, over the last decade, the prodigy has become one of the best there has ever been: four world titles and the highest-rated player in history.

So, is ruthlessness, that need to win come what may, an essential trait in an all-time great? I think you need it, Carlsen answers, after a moments reflection.

Much like Jordan, it is a loathing for losing that powers Carlsens merciless drive. The infrequency of the defeats does not soften the blow. In last months Magnus Carlsen Invitational, an online tournament with a record total prize fund of $250,000, he lost to 16-year-old rising star Alireza Firouzja. It pi**ed me off a lot, admits Carlsen.

And on his way to beating Ding Liren, he turned the air blue as his frustrations boiled over. He is, he says, more human than most.

When I blundered in one game thered be a bunch of expletives coming from my mouth; I think thats a good thing, Carlsen says, believing that a players freedom to be expressive makes rapidplay online chess, games which are normally completed in under an hour, more appealing to the many than the classical format.

Its real. People have these instant reactions, which you cannot actually have when youre at the board, he says. There must be room to be yourself and Im a super competitive person, and when I mess up in a way I shouldnt, that bites at me and theres really nothing wrong with expressing that. Its just part of who I am.

You can like it, or you dont like it. Its authentic and thats the most important thing.

People have been saying thats a good and bad thing about me. My emotions are usually outside my body. Thats not what you usually connect to a chess player in general, but thats the way that I am.

In 2010, Kasparov the world chess champion from 1985 to 2000 who was once Carlsens coach told Time magazine: Before he is done, Carlsen will have changed our ancient game considerably.

Still in his 20s, Carlsens impact on the game has been sizable, leading to modeling assignments with G-star, a deal with Porsche and his own app. All have contributed to his multi-million-dollar fortune.

For half his life, the Norwegian has been accustomed to traveling the world for around 200 days a year, so these last few months in Oslo are the longest he has spent at home since childhood.

And while Carlsens daily life during the global pandemic has not changed significantly I play chess for a living, he says all furrow-browed it has given him the opportunity to pause, and the consequence of that may indeed lead to a shake up of the ancient game.

The pandemic has provided Carlsen with the opportunity to put into practice his vision of making chess more interesting to the masses, in a time when sport has stalled and most of the world is dealing with devastation and unpredictability.

Earlier this month, he launched The Carlsen Tour, a $1 million series of online tournaments in which he will compete, providing hours of entertainment for chess fans until August.

The first event was the Carlsen Invitational, a final reportedly watched by an online audience calculated at over 115,000, and the second the Lindores Abbey Challenge, which is happening now.

His aim, Carlsen says, is to ensure chess players can have a livelihood, while also giving chess fans something to look forward to.

He would be surprised, he says, were he to play over-the-board chess this year. I suspect next year there will be some sort of return to normality, but who knows, Im not banking on it, says Carlsen.

Perhaps it will come as no surprise to hear him call his eponymous 16-day online tournament, which involved eight top-ranked players, as an instant hit, but he has not been the only one to praise the format. Earlier this month UK newspaper, The Guardian, wrote that the tournament proved a revelation, magnifying mistakes and intensifying the pressure.

It is also significant that the Norwegian describes his win over Hikaru Nakamara, the worlds top-rated blitz player, in the final as his most satisfying victory for a while.

It was really hard, he explains. The final two matches were both really close and I felt I was challenged in a way I havent been too often in rapid and blitz chess.

We can take from [the Invitational] two things, both that fast time control and the match format, that its this one-on-one combat, [and] both of them worked pretty well.

The first couple of days took some getting used to but after that I was fully focused and there were no worries and, also, for most of the time I had the thumbnail video of my opponent in the corner of the screen so I could see my opponent and see their facial expressions, so that made it more real.

You can actually see some of what theyre thinking and thats also something that people appreciate while watching.

Ending two days before the start of the Online Nations Cup, a competition run by governing body FIDE which Carlsen did not participate in, the timing of the Invitational raised some eyebrows. In interviews last month, Carlsen said there were no issues between himself and FIDE.

Following his 2018 world title win over Fabiano Caruana, Carlsen told the assembled media in London that had he lost he would probably never play a world championship match again. Had he bowed out, the impact on the world of chess would have been akin to Jordan abruptly retiring from basketball while in his prime nearly three decades ago.

But now there is no talk from Carlsen of prematurely quitting any format of the sport. For as long as his computerized brain allows him to flatten opponents, he will continue to set the standard.

I just enjoy the game so much, he says. [I] enjoy winning every time, hate losing every time that happens. Im eager to keep going.

There are moments when Im thinking, Ive done this before, why am I doing it again but they are few and far between and that doesnt happen much at all.

I feel like my top level is still the very best in the world. The fact that Im vulnerable on my bad days speaks to how good the others have become.

Im just motivated and love to play the game. As long as I feel like Im still top of my game and I continue to win, I dont see one reason to quit.

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Magnus Carlsen: 'My emotions are usually outside my body and that's not what you usually connect to a chess player.' - KVIA El Paso

A message to the GHS Class of 2020 from the Galion Ministerial Association – Galion Inquirer

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Dear Graduate,

Greetings class of 2020. My name is Rev Darrin Harvey of the First United Church of Christ here in Galion, and it is an honor to bring you this letter. Obviously, the ending of your seminal year did not go as planned. No one could have foreseen such circumstances surrounding and overshadowing this time in your lives, and that is unfortunate. By now of course you know to expect that life will not always be coming up roses for you. However, global pandemics are not your usual challenge and difficulty. So, on behalf of the world, we apologize, as you deserved much better.

We hope that you have been able to have celebrations with family and have taken time out to enjoy this milestone in life. From what I have seen, you all have borne the challenges of these times with grace, humility, perspective, and wisdom beyond your years. I am not surprised since I have gotten to know several of you. I have seen many examples when your class has displayed good citizenship, creativity, talent, maturity, and passion.

I would like to share a passage of scripture from Pauls first letter to Timothy. This is from the final chapter of that letter.

But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

NRSV16-6:111 Timothy

Paul was of course a well-known and respected Christian leader in the early movement of Christianity. But he was not going to be around forever, so wherever he went he trained up leaders to lead the churches that he started. One of them was Timothy, who from all accounts was a capable and enthusiastic leader in his own right. Paul invested time in Timothy and then handed him the keys to drive. So, in his letters to him he often reminds him what is important and encourages him to take up Gods call to continue to preach and teach.

First, Paul says to shun all this. What is he talking about here? Well, he just gets done telling Timothy that money is the root of all evil. I hope that you have heard that before. Most of us have, yet somehow, we all seem to make it an aim in life nonetheless, (at least in some respect). Money is a useful tool to live, but not something to live your life for.

Paul goes on to give more advice. Pursue these things righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. These qualities are things we must strive for because they do not come naturally to us. The world advances messages contrary to these things. It is implicit in our culture. Righteousness does not get you ahead in the eyes of the world. Most often, it is used in a negative way when we say someone is self-righteous. Show them instead the righteousness of Christ. Righteousness that does not derive from you. For you are attached to something else God.

Let your godliness show! Testify to your faith by living it out. Love generously! Show the world your endurance. You have persevered through 2020, the year that was supposed to be yours. Do not let it define who you become. Learn from this time to become people generous and kind. Do not let it spoil your plans, Persist, and keep dreaming. Many people give up their dreams after a few setbacks, be known for your enduring and persistent qualities.

Practice gentleness. In the eyes of the world gentleness is often seen as weakness. In the world people get their way through force and aggression and the personalities that are celebrated are driven by their egos. Be different. Humility and gentleness are a sign of inner strength-the strength of God. This is the kind of strength that you will win you fights. Use this and you will persevere all trials and tribulations.

If you are listening to this or reading this, then your faith is important to you. This is a gift to you. This gift of faith was planted inside of you when you were baptized and blessed. After this, at some point in your life you made a confession of faith. From that day forward you are claimed as a child of God. Take hold of that gift of eternal life and live an abundant life under Gods providence and care.

Congratulations once again class of 2020. May God bless and keep you as your journey continues.

Galion Area Ministerial Association

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A message to the GHS Class of 2020 from the Galion Ministerial Association - Galion Inquirer

What is Samudra Manthan and why Lord Vishnu wanted Devas to take help from demons? – Times Now

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Vishnu Puran: What does Samudra Manthan mean? 

Lord Vishnu, who is referred to as thePalanharorPalankarta, looks after the various forms of life on Earth. And he is also believed to be the one who existed since time immemorial. He isajanma(meaning the one who was not born). Therefore, hisLeelasoften get translated into events that lead to the welfare of humankind. One such episode of hisLeelais associated withSamudra Manthanor the churning of the ocean.

Samudra Manthan, or the churning of the ocean, was done to extract the Amrit (divine nectar). The Devas and the Danavas took part in a tug of war contest to churn the elixir from the ocean bed to attain immortality.

If one were to look at theSamudra Manthanfrom the perspective of spirituality, then it refers to the process of introspection that one must go through to extract all that seeks refuge in him/her. Some of the things that may arise may be conducive while the rest may prove detrimental. Therefore, the churning of the ocean means realisation.

Interestingly, Lord Vishnu wanted the Devas to take help from their arch-rivals, Daityas. The churning of the Samudra was not an easy task, and it required Mount Mandara and snake Vasuki's involvement. And to churn the Samudra, from the two sides, the Devas and the Asuras/Danavas had to team up as one.

Lord Vishnu knew that the Devas alone wouldn't be able to churn the ocean if they wished to obtain the divine nectar. Therefore, he asked Indra to meet Kalketu, the king of the Danavas and Daitya Guru Shukracharya with the proposal of working together for extracting theAmrit(elixir). The Danavas agreed to take part in the task after learning about the benefits of theAmrit. They wanted to become immortal, and therefore, they accepted the proposal.

Now, if we were to interpret what this plan means, then it points towards the presence of the evil to determine the value of the good. Therefore, the Danavas were essential, and so were the Devas. Moreover, myriad thoughts cloud a person's mind, but the one who takes the good and dismisses the evil leads a blissful life. And this blissfulness isAmrit.

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Sky launches a new documentary channel for customers – here are some of the highlights and how to watch – News Post Leader

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Sky customers can watch the headlining film, Tiger Woods: Back, at 9pm, June 5, on Sky Documentaries and NOW TV. (Credit: Sky)

Sky has launched a brand new channel, Sky Documentaries, with a variety of feature-length content covering topics ranging from sport, to music and the environment.

The service offers documentaries on air and through online Sky Sports subscriptions and NOW TV.

Where can I watch the new channel and how much does it cost?

The new channel launched on Wednesday (27 May), and is now available to Sky Q customers at no additional cost, and is found on Sky channel 114.

Additionally, all of the shows on Sky Documentaries will be made available for on demand viewing on Sky Q and Sky+HD boxes, as well as online through Sky Sports and NOW TV subscriptions.

What are some of the highlights of the new channel?

The channel will feature a variety of feature-length documentaries as well as docuseries covering a range of topics from sport, politics to music and more.

Here are some of the schedule highlights:

Tiger Woods: Back

New Tiger Woods documentary, Tiger Woods: Back, details the golfers famous Masters victory at Augusta in 2019 - considered by many as the greatest comeback in sports history - and features never seen before footage.

The film also chronicles the lead up to his comeback, which involved four potentially career-ending back surgeries.

Viewers are given intimate access and insight into the sport stars personal battle with both his body and mind, as well with the sport itself.

Sky customers can watch the film at 9pm, Friday June 5, on Sky Documentaries and NOW TV.

Other sporting documentaries found on the service include Women of Troy, Busby, Kevin Pietersen: Story of a Genius, Ferrari Race to Immortality, Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes and The Armstrong Lie.

McMillions

Some of the confirmed films to be featured on the channel includes McMillions, which details the McDonald's Monopoly scandal that saw scammers steal $24 million from the fast food chain.

McMillions airs on Wednesday, May 27 2020.

Hillary

Sky customers can also watch the new four-part series, Hillary, which explores the career and presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton.

Hillary airs on June 5 2020.

Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men

Another upcoming film is the 2019 documentary Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men which chronicles the career of the popular hip-hop band.

Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men airs on June 24.

Hawking

An example of Skys own original documentaries featured on the new channel, is Hawking, a 90-minute film that details the life of the iconic physicist Professor Stephen Hawking.

The film includes footage from his private family archive, as well as interviews with members of his family, alongside friends and colleagues.

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Sky launches a new documentary channel for customers - here are some of the highlights and how to watch - News Post Leader

Sea of Thieves’ big Tall Tale adventures are finally getting checkpoints – PC Gamer

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One of my favorite things about Sea of Thieves is doing Tall Tales, the complex, multi-part adventures that collectively make up the game's narrative backbone. One of my least-favorite things is that they can't be saved midpoint: If you quit before you're finished, all progress and rewards will be lost. That's not great for players who can't afford to sink hours at a time into a single session, especially when it comes to a few of the boss fights, which can be a massive hassle.

Thankfully, the new Lost Treasures update has finally done away with that aggravation by adding checkpoints, which will enable you to bail out midway through an adventure and then come back to it later. New Tall Tale tooltips on the map will also improve life on the high seas by making it easier to stay on top of where you're going and what you're doing.

Lost Treasures also adds daily bounties, with gold and doubloon rewards that will vary based on the difficulty of the task: Maybe you'll have to kill some skeletons, or maybe you'll just need to get drunk and vomit on the floor. (Developer Rare noted that the daily bounty reset time in the video is a bit off: It's actually 12 am UTC, which works out to 1 am BST/5 pm PDT the previous day.)

New regular events will also make it easier to earn money: Every day between 10 and 11 am PT, and 6 and 7 pm PT, players will earn extra gold for cashing in loot, and every Friday will feature Fort Nights (clever), with increased rewards for stronghold items found in forts.

New time-limited events are also on the way. Players can earn ancient coins by turning in Ruby Splashtails to Hunter's Call, while the Reaper's Bones is offering bonus rewards, including new emotes, for Reaper's Chests and Bounties. Beginning on June 10, a new Blighted ship set will also be available to players who can complete the multi-trading-company Blighted Bonus event, inspired by the zombie survival game State of Decay. All of the ongoing events can be followed on the new Sea of Thieves event hub.

The Sea of Thieves Lost Treasures update is live now, and full patch notes are available at seaofthieves.com. And in case you hadn't heard, Sea of Thieves will finally debut on Steam on June 3.

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CCL Stock Price: Carnival Corp sailing the high seas after as analyst sinks rivals – FXStreet

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As mentioned on Monday it is enough to run faster than the guy next to you, not quicker than the hungry bear. Carnival Corp's stocks have been benefiting from the cruise company's relative advantage over rivals rather more than any other reason.

CCL's is better-positioned than its peers when it comes to finances after raising some $2.5 billion. That has been known for a while. The latest boost has come fromBenjamin Chaiken, an analyst with with Credit Suisse. His team reached a conclusion that the whole sector may benefit as cruises may become more affordable than traditional vacations including a flight and staying at a hotel.

Shares of all top three firms Carnival, Royal Caribbean, andNorwegian Cruise Lines all advanced. The rise is especially impressive amid the fact that early on in the coronavirus crisis, cruise ships were the center of attention.

Moreover, the recent increase has come broader stock markets have tumbled down. The trigger was China's decision to tighten its grip on Hong Kong a significant escalation in its clash with the US. Sino-American tensions have finally come to haunt markets.

However, it does not seem to halt Carnival Corp. Luxurious holidays depend on developments in defeating the disease not geopolitics. Modern, Moderna, a Massachusets-based pharma firm, announced encouraging results early in the week, but scientists were quick to poke holes at the firm's claims, amid a lack of details.

Investors fear that amid falling income and cruise cancelations, NYSE:CCL Over the years, Carnival gradually increased its extra pay. Better prospects for the industry are set to push the stock price and dividends higher.

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Relief and fear – Authorities promise tight ship, but COVID-19 concern high in communities as joyous relatives welcome cruise workers – Jamaica…

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Western Bureau:

After weeks of uncertainty on the high seas and sitting in docks around the world as the global tourism industry collapsed from the devastating coronavirus pandemic, 1,044 Jamaican cruise workers breathed a sigh of relief last week as the Adventure of the Seas docked at historic Falmouth in Trelawny. While their families are equally ecstatic that they have finally reached home shores, the return of the seafarers has sparked feelings of apprehension if not outright fear in some communities.

Tension grew high last weekend as the Royal Caribbean International-operated vessel neared Jamaican waters after weeks of talks without getting clearance to enter local maritime space as the island had closed its borders in March to restrict incoming passenger traffic and limit the spread of the deadly virus, leaving thousands of citizens high and dry.

When the green light was given to drop anchor last Monday, it was joy all around for anxious relatives waiting to be reunited with crew members who had been languishing at sea for weeks.

Tremaine James of Holland, one of many Trelawny communities with cruise ship workers aboard the vessel, could hardly wait to welcome home the mother of his four-year-old twin sons, Lebron and London, as the Government announced a controlled, phased plan for persons disembarking the vessel, including tests for the coronavirus and individual interviews.

I speak to her every day, and she has told me that they test her on the ship daily, and all her results are negative, said James, who has been caring for his sons on his own since she went off to work in December. While they (sons) get to video-call her every day, I know they want to see her in person . It has been five long months.

James excitement was shared by several persons who turned up at historic Falmouth the cruise port opened in the Trelawny capital in 2011 many of whom were from Trelawny and St Ann communities, anxiously awaiting word of when their loved ones would disembark the nearly 4,000-capacity vessel.

The enthusiasm was lost on others in the seaside town of Falmouth as they expressed concern that the parish which has recorded only a single case of the novel coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease could see a spike in cases of the dreaded virus. News that six positive coronavirus cases were identified among the more than 100 cruise workers who had returned to the island from the United Kingdom a week earlier did not help to calm fears.

Since the ship dock, you dont see a lot of the older people on the streets again. They are staying in out of fear because they link the ship to COVID-19, observed Falmouth resident Donald Brown as he spoke to The Sunday Gleaner.

The elderly are among persons at high risk for adverse outcomes should they contract the virus.

Brown said that while he is not too fearful, he plans to keep his distance from the returning ship workers.

Some people are even saying that they wish the ship had gone to another port instead of Falmouth because we dont know a lot about this virus, and this ship is creating more fear and anxiety on what was here already, he added.

A police officer on guard duty at the entrance to the pier confessed that she was not entirely comfortable being so close to the ship, especially since she did not know the health status of those onboard.

Of course, I am a little bit scared, but this is my job, so I have to do what I have to do, she told The Sunday Gleaner, requesting anonymity. I know people are going to be concerned when these people return to their communities because there are so many things we dont know about this virus. People can have it and show no symptoms at all.

COVID-19 data suggest that 80 per cent of infections are mild or asymptomatic (i.e. having the virus but showing no symptoms); 15 per cent are severe infection, requiring oxygen; and five per cent are critical infections, requiring ventilation. Current testing methods can detect asymptomatic cases, but researchers have urged caution, pointing out that asymptomatic persons can repeatedly revert between positive and negative results on throat specimens.

With an awareness of how stigma and fear could affect returning cruise-ship workers, Errol Greene, regional director of the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), believes that a robust public-education campaign could defuse the apprehension.

As of right now, we dont know where these persons are from, but it (public-education campaign) is something we need to think about, and it is something we will do. As of right now, we dont know how many are from this region (western Jamaica) and what parishes they are from, Greene told The Sunday Gleaner on Thursday.

He said that health workers were in the field across the region doing general education, among other things.

We do have our community health aid workers and our contact-tracing persons, and we do have our parish and regional educational team doing general education on the matter of COVID-19, said Greene, but as it relates to these persons, these 1,044 persons who were recently repatriated, I could not speak to any specifics regarding these people because they are currently being processed, and they are from all over Jamaica. They are not specific to this western region.

The county of Cornwall which comprises Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Hanover, St James, and Trelawny has recorded 16 of the nations more than 500 cases of COVID-19. St James has the single currently active case in the region. One person each has died in Westmoreland and St James. All other western patients have recovered.

Seafarers disembarking the Adventure of the Seas with negative results and who are allowed to go home are required to self-quarantine for 14 days. They will also be required to report their geolocation regularly sometimes at the request of the authorities to ensure that they remain in self-isolation.

Despite the assurances given by the Government and the WRHA, in several Trelawny communities, including Clarks Town, Duncans, Green Park, Bounty Hall, and Bunkers Hill, which are poised to have returning cruise-ship workers, there is still the fear of stigmatisation.

Based on what I have seen on TV, how some families and communities are treated because people link them with COVID-19, I am worried that we might get treated in much the same way, said Madge Dunbar, a resident of Duncans.

Anieka Bartley, the People National Partys caretaker councillor for the Wakefield division in the Trelawny Municipal Corporation, believes that personal responsibility is key in fighting the spread of the virus if there are any positive cases among the returning cruise workers.

While the family will be happy to welcome home their loved ones, I would encourage them to get those relatives to stay in the home quarantine for the required 14 days to prevent any possible exposure to those already at home, said Bartley, who had friends aboard the Adventure of the Seas.

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com

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Russia Intercepts P-8, Sends MiG-29s and Su-24s to Libya – Aviation International News

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For the third time in two months Russian fighters have intercepted a U.S. aircraft over the eastern Mediterranean in what the U.S. Navy described as an unsafe and unprofessional manner. The latest encounter occurred on May 26 and involvedtwo VKS (Russian aerospace forces) Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-Es flying from Hmeimim air base in Syria, which intercepted a Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft flying in international airspace. The Su-35s shadowed the P-8A for 65 minutes, during which time they took up close station on either side of the P-8, restricting the P-8As ability to safely maneuver.

This encounter follows two similarly unsafe interactions in Apriland led the Navy to state: We expect them to operate within international standards set to ensure safety and to prevent incidents, including the 1972 Agreement for the Prevention of Incidents On and Over the High Seas (INCSEA). Actions like these increase the potential for midair collisions.

These intercepts come at a time when attention in the Mediterranean theater is increasingly focused on Libya, where the Turkey- and Qatar-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli is fighting with the forces of the Benghazi-based Libyan National Army (LNA), which has the backing of Russia, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Led by General Khalifa Haftar, the LNA has been engaged in a civil war with the GNA since 2014.

On May 26, the U.S. Africa Command (Africom) issued a statement of its assessment that Russia is behind the recent deployment of Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum and Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer aircraft to support the LNA in Libya, a claim that is supported by a series of intelligence photos. Both Libyan factions have reported that six MiG-29s and two Su-24s have been deployed. Africom reports that the aircraft transited from Russia via Hmeimim, where they were repainted to camouflage their Russian origin. The aircraft were then flown to Libya, with escort provided by two Su-35s for at least part of their transit.

The MiGs have been deployed to Al Jufra air base, in a desert region south of Surt, where one was spotted along with a supporting Ilyushin Il-76 transport. Saqr al-Jaroushi, the chief of the LNAs air force, is reported by Bloomberg as saying that the aircraft would be used in the largest aerial campaign in Libyan history in the coming hours. Africoms assessment states that the aircraft have been sent to support Russian state-sponsored private military contractors that are fighting with the LNA, notably the Wagner Group.

Russia is clearly trying to tip the scales in its favor in Libya. Just like I saw them doing in Syria, they are expanding their military footprint in Africa using government-supported mercenary groups like Wagner, said U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend, Africom commander. For too long, Russia has denied the full extent of its involvement in the ongoing Libyan conflict. Well, there is no denying it now. We watched as Russia flew fourth-generation jet fighters to Libyaevery step of the way. Neither the LNA nor private military companies can arm, operate, and sustain these fighters without state supportsupport they are getting from Russia.

Imagery from U.S. airborne targeting/surveillance systems show a MiG-29 (above) and an Su-24 (below) during their deployment to Libya. (Photos: U.S. Department of Defense)

A satellite image shows a MiG-29 being towed at Al Jufra air base. (Photo: U.S. Department of Defense)

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Sea of Thieves sails onto Steam on June 3 – PC Gamer

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More than two years after its debut on the Microsoft Store, the multiplayer high-seas hijinks game Sea of Thieves will arrive on Steam on June 3. Developer Rare said it's looking forward to opening the game to "a whole new community of PC players," and also confirmed that the Steam release will have full cross-play compatibility with the Windows Store and Xbox One versions.

New Sea of Thieves players on Steam will still need to create a free Xbox Live account, and unfortunately current players who want to make the new to the new storefront will have to spring for the game again. The good news is that if you do, all your progress will go with youall ranks, cosmetics, and currency will be available after you log into your account, and any Steam achievements you've already earned will unlock automatically too.

Sea of Thieves is a lot of fun as a big, silly, high-seas piracy sandbox, especially when you're teamed up with a good crew. (Although "good" in this context can be very subjective.) You can also pull off seriously greasy stunts like this, if that's how you like to roll. In April we ranked it among the most improved ongoing games currently available, and it recently got even better with the addition of catsin hats.

For the moment, the Sea of Thieves Steam page still lists it as "coming soon," but it will go for $40/35/40 when it's live.

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Opinion | A red line that Beijing shouldn’t try to cross – Livemint

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In a world unsettled by the covid pandemic, it is clearly in the interests of both New Delhi and Beijing to avoid any confrontation along the 3,500-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) that India and China share as a de facto border. However, two hotspots along the LAC (in Ladakh and Sikkim) threaten to turn into military flashpoints, reviving memories of the 2017 Doklam stand-off. Indian armed forces are said to be on alert and diplomacy is expected to dial down tensions. Even US President Donald Trump has offered to mediate or arbitrate" the dispute. But Chinas troop build-up and incursive attemptsin Ladakhs Galwan area, particularlyseem ominous in the context of Chinese President Xi Jinpings asking his countrys army to raise its battle-readiness shortly after Beijing upped its defence budget by 6.6% this year to nearly $180 billion, as estimated. Posturing, this may well be. Yet, it reveals strategic myopia on the part of a regime that sees itself as a long-term participant in geopolitics and fancies itself as the creator of an Asian century.

Beijings self-image already seems bent toward hegemony. China has been flexing muscle not just along the LAC, but elsewhere too. On all available signs, its defence policy envisions a high-tech ground military force to go with an enhanced capacity to project maritime force across the high seas of the Indo- Pacific. Some analysts trace its aggressive shift in tone of recent weeks to domestic politics, where it may serve as a diversionary tactic to relieve Xi of pressure within over the regimes handling of the global response to its role in the covid outbreak. Directing some fury at India, which recently joined international calls for a probe into the origins of the virus, could be a convenient way for the regime to rally nationalistic support back home. It may also have found a pretext to accuse New Delhi of ulterior motives in our recent moves to close the asymmetry in terms of border-area road access. Last year, for example, India opened the countrys highest altitude all-weather bridge in eastern Ladakh, some 45km from Chinese territory. If China is being discussed around the world, though, it is for the current pandemic. Specifically, for its thinly-veiled efforts to leverage its relatively quick corona recovery to exercise greater sway over world affairs. While the US was already ranged against it, Beijings clumsy designs on Europe in the guise of an aid provider appear to have weakened Sino-European ties. Indeed, many of the diplomatic gains that China made now appear at risk of being frittered away by its actions. Till recently, its telecom prowess was winning admiration globally. Today, it attracts suspicion for strings attached to its foreign dealings. This trust deficit could be attributed to its misguided notions of global authority.

For one, any countrys so-called hard power, defined as an ability to bend another nation to its will by force, needs to be matched by its soft power, which is a function of the appeal of its professed values. For another, leadership is largely about being looked up to by the rest of the world for truly worthy innovations. This is especially so at this point in the arc of history, with everyone desperate for a covid cure. Economic and military heft matters, but only up to a point. Rich and muscular China might have become, but it should not delude itself about its strength in a post-covid world.

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Exclusive: BP’s North Sea chief Ariel Flores promoted – News for the Oil and Gas Sector – Energy Voice

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The boss of BPs North Sea business is being promoted as part of a management overhaul at the energy giant.

Ariel Flores will climb the ladder to become the firms senior vice-president, subsurface, based in Sunbury, near London, from July 1.

Mr Flores has served as North Sea regional president, in Aberdeen, since March 2018, when he replaced Mark Thomas.

His move coincides with a sweeping reorganisation of BPs corporate structure, spearheaded by new group chief executive Bernard Looney, himself a former North Sea boss at the company.

In February, Mr Looney said the London-headquartered firm would reinvent itself in an attempt to become a net-zero business by 2050.

The firms longstanding upstream and downstream structure is being dismantled and replaced with 11 teams.

According to news agency Reuters, BP is also cutting senior leadership positions to 120 from 250 in order to become more nimble.

Mr Flores promotion has not come as a huge shock, in light of his reputation as a high flyer.

He joined BP in 1999 as an operations engineer in the US, and went on to operational, subsurface, commercial and leadership roles in America, Russia, Azerbaijan and Angola.

Before arriving in the north-east, he was responsible for BPs interests in Iraq as general manager for the Rumaila field.

Mr Flores said: It has been a pleasure to have led the North Sea business over the past two years and a huge honour to have worked alongside such professional and committed people, both inside BP and across the wider north-east Scotland community.

I will be moving on from the North Sea at an unprecedented time, one which will test the resolve of every corner of our industry.

But if ever there was an oil and gas region equipped to adapt to the challenges of today and come out stronger in the future, it is this one.

In his new role, Mr Flores will report to Gordon Birrell, executive vice president, production and operations.

Ariel Flores stewardship of BPs North Sea business was punctuated by several key milestones for the oil major and some run-ins with environmental activists on the high seas.

Perhaps the biggest highlight was first oil from the 5 billion Clair Ridge project, in the harsh waters west of Shetland, in November 2018.

Mr Flores hailed the achievement as the culmination of decades of persistence and said it underlined BPs commitment to the UK North Sea.

He was also at the helm in April 2018 when BP confirmed plans to develop the Alligin and Vorlich fields.

Alligin, a tieback to the Glen Lyon production vessel, west of Shetland, came online in December 2019 and was quickly outstripping expectations, delivering 15,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day, which was 3,000boe higher than initially forecast.

Vorlich, in the central North Sea, has had a more tumultuous development phase. A Transocean rig that was booked to drill wells on the field was boarded by Greenpeace activists and prevented from leaving the Cromarty Firth for several days in June 2019.

The vessel was then pursued across the North Sea by the green groups Arctic Sunrise ship, which eventually backed down.

Frustrating niggles with Vorlich have continued, with partner Ithaca Energy saying recently the project was hindered by Covid-19 restrictions. First oil is slated for later this year.

Mr Flores also emerged as a driving force of BPs shift to net-zero.

Last December, he said the firm was assessing whether its UK platforms could be powered by renewable sources.

An investment decision on a third development phase of the Clair field was delayed until 2022 to give BP more time to make sure its carbon footprint is as small as possible, although the project has since been put on hold in response to the coronavirus pandemic and oil price slump.

BP has picked a Glasgow-born engineer for the top job at its North Sea business.

Emeka Emembolu will take on the title of senior vice-president, North Sea region, when he replaces Ariel Flores on July 1.

Mr Emembolu is currently BPs Houston-based vice-president of reservoir development, Gulf of Mexico and Canada.

He joined BP in 1998 after graduating from Sheffield University, with a degree in biochemical engineering.

In his first role with the oil major, he worked in the UK North Sea as a production engineer during the start-up and commissioning phase for the Etap platform.

He has since worked in a range of technical and leadership roles in Angola, Alaska, Algeria and Egypt.

BP said Mr Emembolu, who has a wife and four children, was passionate about skills and a keen advocate of technology which can move the energy industry forward.

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The myriad consequences of trauma – Sydney Morning Herald

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For many religious people, the act of believing in something that cannot be seen is itself a sign of faith. When birds start falling from the sky and crops suddenly appear in a town already suffering from poverty and where jobs are being laid off, people turn to faith and religion. Widowed Father John, who is seeing visions of his wife, says he will help people in their time of need; he hands out loaves and fishes, and asks townsfolk to come to church, where he performs baptisms.

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Mary becomes a sign of hope and salvation as the town gradually becomes untethered. Sins against children happen when people in positions of authority are not made accountable, and in hindsight Hannah feels bad that she didnt do more for Mary.

Noske moves subtly through the difficulty of pinpointing where it started. Sustained throughout the narrative is the question of what level of responsibility we have to minors who are not in our direct care. The community has secrets; dubious behaviours go unreported, and the threat of violence is constant. A father refuses to sign scholarship forms that might allow his daughter entry into a city school. The air is full of mute masculinity that responds only to alcohol and fists.

In the end, Noske writes, they had no one but themselves to fill the hole theyd shaped in their own lives, nothing at the centre of it but fear and blame.

In this moody, gothic debut, Noske shows the way in which individuals can turn into a violent horde. The retelling of events includes dreams and protracted reminiscences to explain why things unfolded the way they did. The voice looking back adds distance so that we are at a remove from the drama, and throughout the choppy narrative the characters motives are muddy. As a result of this, despite the confident, authoritative storytelling, the novels impact is more intellectual than emotional.

Sophie Hardcastle writes with the confidence of an experienced storyteller.Credit:Natasha Shoory

Trauma wends its way through both of these novels emotional, psychological, sexual and physical. Below Deck begins with 21-year-old Oli waking on a boat, and its unclear at first, to us and to Oli, whether shes had a crazy fun young-person time or if shes been kidnapped. This sets the scene for a book that features horror on the high seas as well as sweet, youthful joy.

Olis stroke of luck is meeting Mac and Maggie, a pair of old friends whose experiences of life have given them a deep love of the sea, and the wisdom and warmth that Olis life has been devoid of. When Maggie explains her synaesthesia, Oli, who experiences her grandfathers shout as a shock of lime green, realises its something they have in common. In Maggie particularly, she has met a kindred spirit.

Sophie Hardcastles clear, concise language evokes the feeling of meeting someone who feels already known, and the depths of truly meaningful friendship.

Maggies favourite book is A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebeca Solnit, who, in Men Explain Things to Me, writes, Some women get erased a little at a time, some all at once. For Oli, it was both a little at a time her father, her boyfriend Adam, that yoyo of abuse and, later in the book, all at once.

Some reappear, Solnit continues. Every woman who appears wrestles with the forces that would have her disappear. Oli finds a way to reappear, and the rest of the story is her wrestling with how to be.

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Hardcastle has written a memoir and a YA novel but this is her first novel for adults. It is a singular tale, very reflective of the zeitgeist, with a lot to say about the nature of consent, robust friendship, the human relationship with the natural world, and what it takes to be woke in an unjust world. The novel is written with the confidence of an experienced storyteller, someone who understands pace, and the importance of leaving space in a text.

The small cruelty of flicking wet, recently-washed hands onto another person is symbolic of larger violence, and Oli is punished, repeatedly, for being female. Women are unlucky on boats too distracting. If boys will be boys then, it would appear, men will be men. Yet, all this heavy drama is presented with a light touch, the plot is exacting, and the characters are blazingly strong.

Oli is offered a cigarette and goes to take one, then reconsiders. Pretending to smoke would surely be worse than passing up the offer. This wrestling with the multitudes of momentous and tiny ways in which women are forced to adapt, act, pretend, mould, anticipate, rehearse and decode is something Hardcastle achieves throughout the book and she does so meticulously, with resounding success.

Sophie Hardcastle discusses her work in a Sydney Writers' Festival podcast: swf.org.au

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From bikes to blockchain: Shipping industry goes digital in lockdown – Reuters

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COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The coronavirus lockdown has accelerated a digitalisation drive in a global shipping and logistics sector that still routinely delivers many documents by bike messenger in some countries, according to industry leaders.

FILE PHOTO: The Maersk Line container ship Maersk Sentosa is helped by tugs as it navigates the River Mersey in Liverpool, Britain, July 31, 2018. REUTERS/Phil Noble

Ports operator DP World (DPW.DI) said on Thursday it would join shipping company Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) and other peers in a blockchain platform aimed at limiting the sectors costly paper trail.

The situation around the coronavirus is a very good catalyst for making sure everyone in the supply chain can communicate with each other digitally, Mike Bhaskaran, DP Worlds chief operating officer for logistics and technology, told Reuters.

The Dubai-based company, one of the worlds biggest port operators, plans to connect its entire business, including its 82 container terminals, using the blockchain technology.

The participation of key companies in the TradeLens platform, launched in 2018 by Maersk and IBM (IBM.N), is seen as crucial for cutting costs in an industry that has seen little innovation since the container was invented in the 1950s.

The current circumstances have shown that digitalisation of the logistic supply chain is picking up pace, Vincent Clerc, Maersks chief commercial officer, said in an interview.

However, despite more than 200 ports, shipping lines, freight forwarders, port authorities and customs authorities having signed up, the platform has yet to reach a critical mass to make a significant impact, Clerc said.

In many African countries, Maersk relies on fleets of motorcycles known as boda bodas to deliver documents between ports and shipping agents.

The physical flow of documents with courier and local deliveries on bicycles, all of that will eventually go away, Clerc said.

It currently takes an average of 228 hours to get the necessary documents and stamps ready for shipping a container with citrus fruits out of South Africa.

Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing by Pravin Char

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From bikes to blockchain: Shipping industry goes digital in lockdown - Reuters

Blockchain Spending Steady in FY19, May Dip in FY20: This Is IT – Bloomberg Government

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The federal governments exploration of blockchain technology was seen as a potential boon to companies that could provide applications, yet contract obligations remained steady from fiscal 2018 to 2019, and are on track to rise only slightlyor even declinethis year.

Blockchain is a semi-anonymous public ledger of verifiable and unalterable transactions, best known as the technology behind the virtual currency Bitcoin but with applications beyond finance that federal agencies want to implement.

In fiscal 2018, agencies obligated $13.3 million on blockchain-related contracts, more than double the obligations in fiscal 2017. Federal agencies formed a blockchain community of practice and came up with about 200 blockchain use cases during a forum in July 2017, including supply chain management, financial management, and smart contracts.

The Homeland Security Department, which has the second-most blockchain contract obligations among agencies, released a paper titled Blockchain and Suitability for Government Applications in 2018 that discussed implementation challenges, blockchain applications, and the federal governments role in investing in the technology.

Based on spending trends and agency initiatives, Bloomberg Government predicted an uptick in fiscal 2019 obligations. In an April 2019 paper, the market intelligence firm IDC Government Insights said it anticipated federal agencies would spend more than $123 million on blockchain in 2022.

But in fiscal 2019, obligations rose just $1 million, and based on historical spending, Bloomberg Government projects fiscal 2020 obligations to be somewhere in the range of $7.1 million to $15.1 million. The projection is a wide range, but in such a small market, it could be the difference of one or two awards. In any scenario within that range, the same takeaway holds true: agency spending on blockchain didnt take off as expected in fiscal 2017 and 2018.

Spending has probably tapered off because most of the contracting work and projects across the federal government are still in pilot phases and therefore have low values.

In the past two years the hype and buzz surrounding blockchain has begun to quell, and real work and building has begun, the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC) told Bloomberg Government in a May 22 email.

The Homeland Security Department has eight blockchain projects currently in Phase 1 through its Silicon Valley Innovation Program, which is aimed at using emerging technologies to solve homeland security problems. There are five phases. The first four phases are worth as much as $200,000 each. If Phase 5 is required, additional funding may be available.

The Data Foundation, a nonprofit think tank, highlighted seven additional programs in a June 2019 report titled Bringing Blockchain into Government. Obligations for four of them can be found in Bloomberg Governments data. Two are multimillion-dollar contracts, but none of their contract obligations have surpassed $10 million.

Obligations havent shown up for the other three. Its possible that blockchain spending is incorporated into those programs but doesnt appear in the reported obligations because agencies dont specify that blockchain is being used. Agencies may also still be exploring how to use the technology in these programs and have yet to award any blockchain-related obligations.

There are more blockchain investments that agencies have reported in BGOV, but most are low-value contracts and task orders. Its possible that investment will increase in fiscal 2021 and 2022 as these projects progress, open solicitations are awarded, and agencies transition from exploring blockchain use cases into implementation.

The consolidation of projects, proofs of concept, and working groups are a potential indicator of this shift towards professionalization and a heads down approach to building at the federal level, GBBC told BGOV.

But the future of the federal blockchain market will probably depend on whether these pilot programs are successful and agencies decide to continue investing in and expanding the uses of blockchain. At this rate, as agencies take longer than expected to test their pilot programs and explore use cases for blockchain, the market wont take off dramatically in the near future.

To contact the analyst on this story: Laura Criste in Salt Lake City, Utah at lcriste@bgov.com

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Blockchain Spending Steady in FY19, May Dip in FY20: This Is IT - Bloomberg Government

Google Goes Blockchain? New Deal Opens A Door To Crypto – Forbes

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A new partnership is a boost for functional blockchain and, perhaps, a decentralized future for Google Cloud.

Will Google's new blockchain partnership be a model for loads of content delivery?

Google, arguably the most important company in all of technology, has largely held the crypto movement at arms length. That changes today.

Theta Labs, a venture-backed blockchain company, has struck up a new partnership with Google Cloud, the rapidly-growing Alphabet subsidiary. Google Cloud will offer a new service allowing users to deploy and run nodes of Thetas blockchain network. Perhaps more importantly, Google Cloud itself will operate a validator for Thetas network servicing all of Europe.

Its a baby step for Google, but make no mistake about it: the company is now engaging in blockchain. This is one of our first validators, but we have many crypto customers, says Allen Day, Developer Advocate for Google. We had already made Bitcoin, Ethereum and six other cryptocurrencies data available through our public dataset program. This is the next step.

A validator is a foundation of a blockchain network, deciding if a transaction is legit and vouching for that transaction. Without it a decentralized network doesnt work.

This is a game-changer for Theta Labs. The San Jose, California-based company hopes to relieve overburdened networks everywhere, applying blockchain technology to online video distribution.

Content companies like Netflix NFLX or Alphabets YouTube essentially keep the content in centralized data centers, dishing video out when a customer asks for it. For every customer request, theres a big download.

Theta, however, has come up with a decentralized system that would move the content in small chunks around the extreme edges of the network. Their genius is the recognition that were all watching the same stuff.

If you decided to watch Narcos at noon (hey, its a quarantine no one will know), and then a neighbor decides to watch the same thing fifteen minutes later and yet another wants to watch it in an hour, chunks of the content would jump from your TV to your neighbors to the next even though you were the only one downloading Narcos from the central Netflix server. One server ping, many viewers.

Keeping track of all that would have been nearly impossible without blockchain. But Theta Labs technology meters the whole thing with a Theta token (an ERC20-compliant token, with a fixed supply of one billion.)

And there are payments. Theta Labs other token, Gamma, can be used as the gas to pay for video segment microtransactions. This means end users can rent out their unused bandwidth to facilitate the network, kind of like renting out your driveway while youre at work, and get paid in tokens.

The content delivery network [CDN] is a huge cost center for content creators, says Mitch Liu, Theta Labs co-founder and CEO. Were trying to disrupt existing CDNs, the Amazon AMZN Web Services and Akamais of the world, with a decentralized network.

Theta Labs has received venture backing from DCM, DHVC, Samsung, Sierra Ventures and the Sony Innovation Fund, among others.

Google, of course, is a two-decades past its days as a venture-backed startup. But even then it was designed as a distributed network but only to a point. Google has always relied on a distributed network of users to effectively vote on a search result, then ranked those results so a centralized corporation (Google) could sell advertisements against them.

Partnering with a truly decentralized network like Theta Labs, however, would bring Googles decentralization to a whole other level.

Amidst a global Covd-19 quarantine, YouTube content is now first among bandwidth users.

By hosting a Theta validating node, Google Cloud has joined Binance, Blockchain Ventures, gumi and Samsung, among others. Google will run just the twelfth Theta validator. The addition of Google also increases the decentralization of the Theta network because those validation notes are less controlled by Theta Labs itself.

The CDN industry is led by Amazon Web Services Cloudfront offering and Akamai, a dominance that has come at a cost. According to SEC filings, Akamai, for example, has spent $577.3 million in capital expenditures in the last two years alone, helping it develop a network in 130 countries. (Amazon wont break out its AWS network expenses.)

The problem? Centralized CDN networks are built for peak demand, those big moments like the Game of Thrones finale or the release of Ariana Grandes thank u, next. Its really hard to plan for a peak, says Liu. Netflix or Twitch or YouTube, they spend a bunch of money on infrastructure, on servers for peak demand. But thats less than 1% of the time. Incorporating Theta will relieve that, and the more users we have, the more efficient it becomes.

The Holy Grail for Theta, surely, is Alphabets YouTube especially now. A recent study from Sandvine found that during the Covid-19 crisis YouTube has dethroned Netflix as the most popular content on the Internet, consuming 15% of Internet traffic to Netflixs 11%.

For now, Liu is cagey about a direct tie-up with Alphabets YouTube. That's something that we are not talking about right now, he says. But you can imagine we are collaborating now with multiple groups inside Google.

Theyve never been closer than they are today.

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Google Goes Blockchain? New Deal Opens A Door To Crypto - Forbes

Ant Group and Intel Form Partnership to Make IT Leasing More Accessible to SMEs Through Blockchain Technology – Business Wire

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HANGZHOU, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ant Financial Services Group (Ant Group), an innovative technology provider, today announced a cooperative effort with Intel to make it much easier and cost-effective for SMEs to lease IT equipment, leveraging the application of blockchain technology to strengthen transparency and build a system of trust.

Using proprietary blockchain technology, the partnership aims to empower the IT equipment leasing industry while accelerating the digital transformation of SMEs, many of which have seen their capital flows and supply chains disrupted amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

This partnership draws from Ant Group and Intels complementary strengths to bolster transparency and efficacy among IT leasing vendors, enabling them to serve more SMEs and help them grow their businesses with improved efficiency and lowered cost.

Ant Blockchain, Ant Groups proprietary productivity blockchain platform, can help all parties in the entire IT rental and leasing process to build trust with each other. Intels cloud device management technology helps leasing vendors to check the use status of the authorized hardware device using Intels CPU. Increasing the level of trust and transparency among all parties in the leasing process enables financial institutions, such as insurance companies and SME loan providers, to swiftly make informed decisions about businesses, giving SMEs greater flexibility to expand their operations.

We are excited to partner with Intel as we continue to help millions of SMEs transform their businesses and operations, said Geoff Jiang, Vice President of Ant Group. Blockchain technology can play a pivotal role in building a solid system of trust among multiple parties and bringing more value to consumers, vendors, and the communities they operate in.

Yali Liang, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Communications Group of Intel, said, "With Ant Blockchain, we can help SMEs reduce fixed costs and alleviate pressure from IT equipment maintenance, which will accelerate the digital transformation of SMEs through IT rental industry."

Zugeliang, a Hangzhou-based IT equipment leasing platform, used Ant Blockchain to increase the level of trust among all parties involved in its leasing processes in 2019. Since then, the platform has seen a six-fold increase in the number of orders and a 200% improvement in the rate of timely payments.

About Ant Group

Ant Group is dedicated to using technology to bring the world equal opportunities. Our technologies, including blockchain, artificial intelligence, security, Internet of Things and computing empower us and our ecosystem partners to serve the unbanked and underbanked, bringing more secure, transparent, cost-effective and inclusive financial services to individuals and small and micro-sized businesses worldwide.

Ant Group has formed international partnerships with global strategic partners to serve local users in those markets, and we serve Chinese travelers overseas by connecting Alipay with online and offline merchants. Brands under Ant Group include Alipay, Ant Fortune, MYbank, and WorldFirst.

About Ant Blockchain

Ant Blockchain is the largest productivity blockchain platform in China with the ability to process and support one billion user accounts and one billion transactions every day. It has topped the global ranking for blockchain patent applications for the past three consecutive years.1

__________________1 Based on research conducted by IPRDaily (2019, 2018, and 2017, in Chinese).

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Ant Group and Intel Form Partnership to Make IT Leasing More Accessible to SMEs Through Blockchain Technology - Business Wire