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Design engineering and the black start of a power plant

A black start refers to the ability of a power plant to restart itself using its own resources in the event of a complete shutdown and isolation from external power sources. Initiating a black start at an industrial plant might... Read more

The post Design engineering and the black start of a power plant appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.




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Star-delta starting used with large horsepower motors

Star-delta starting is frequently employed with high horsepower motors to mitigate inrush current during the start-up stage and to reduce starting torque. Star-delta starting involves initially connecting the motor stator windings in a star configuration during the motor startup phase,... Read more

The post Star-delta starting used with large horsepower motors appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.




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Six different ways to start a medium-voltage motor you should know about

The AC induction motor is a key component of the modern world economy. These motors are used in industrial facilities all over the world to power the equipment that boosts productivity and efficiency. However, during motor start-up, many industrial activities... Read more

The post Six different ways to start a medium-voltage motor you should know about appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.




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Ask Annissa: Contents Cleaning…Where Do I Start?

How big of a facility do you need to conduct contents restoration? And, if you want to work with hard and soft contents, which should you get started with first? Annissa Coy answers these two questions.

 




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Albi Named One of LinkedIn’s Top 10 Most Successful Startups in Chicago

Chicago-based tech startup Albi has been named one of LinkedIn's Top 10 Most Successful Startups, recognizing the company’s transformative platform for restoration professionals. 




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Stop Guessing, Start Working with the FLIR MR176

The FLIR MR176 visually guides you to the precise spot that moisture may be hiding for further testing and investigation. 




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Maternal & Early Childhood Series: Morning Star Pregnancy Services

We continue our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues with a look at Morning Star Pregnancy Services. They do an outstanding job working with women facing unplanned pregnancies. https://fb.watch/bEB-FxMfAj/ The Harrisburg location for Morning Star Pregnancy Services at 2509 Front Street is relatively new, but the service itself is celebrating its 50th year in existence in 2022. The mission remains the same—helping women with unplanned pregnancies and with their sexual health. It offers a number of free health services, including pregnancy testing and ultrasound exams, along with education and support after the pregnancy. Morningstar does not provide or refer for abortion services but they help you to consider all options, including abortion, parenting and adoption. Bottom line, they are there for support. “We know that all mothers would like to feel loved and supported in their pregnancy and beyond. We are also able to reach out to the fathers of their children and offer them support and education as well,” said Morningstar Executive Director Linda Plummer. She says they see a range of women and men who have just had a positive pregnancy test and just can’t see beyond the immediate challenge. “The majority of women don’t want an abortion. They just feel like they don’t have another solution.” Morningstar will schedule regular visits for clients and will monitor the changing circumstances as the weeks progress. As the circumstances change, so do the perspectives. 6:12   “the first time they come to Morningstar and feel that they have no alternative but abortion, they change on their second visit when we invite them back in a decision-making process on a weekly basis. They may come the second time and say, well now my boyfriend says maybe we can have this baby or now my parents are saying they will support me.” Plummer also points out that 25 to 30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Morningstar will help to determine the viability of the fetus through ultrasound testing. “Because a lot of those pregnancies end in miscarriage, what we see here is that women grieve that loss of the baby so in the process, they recognize the idea that if I had gone through with an abortion, I would have been carrying this burden and I would have been mourning the loss of that child.” They’ve been around for 50 years and must be doing something right for folks to keep coming back. The commitment to providing care and support without judgement has translated into a very impressive statistic. “80% of the time that women who come here who are at risk for an abortion will decide to have their child.” Plummer says many of the 20% who choose otherwise later return in a subsequent pregnancy.




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Maternal & Early Childhood Issues: Morning Star Helps With Relationships

Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look the work being done by Morning Star Pregnancy Services in Harrisburg to help kids build a foundation for strong relationships and avoid problems down the road. https://fb.watch/bECfSEse06/ We’ve all had our fair share of relationships that have not gone well over the years, whether they were romantic or just friendly in nature. Wouldn’t it be nice to have gotten some advice before sailing on those waters and crashing into the rocks? The folks at Morning Star Pregnancy Services in Harrisburg are offering just such advice to teenagers and also actually to moms and dads through a program called Unfiltered Truth. Leslie Moyer is the Director of Educational Programs at Morning Star. She works with Ann Deegan from an established curriculum called “Real Essentials” to present different lessons to try to teach kids to build a foundation for strong relationships. Leslie Moyer : “So what are people expecting and what are your boundaries and do you have boundaries and how do you make sure the person knows?” The program is –not- lecture based. Moyer says that would never work. They have discussions so the kids will take ownership of the concepts they are presented and make them their own.  They are getting a lot of positive feedback. Moyer :  “I believe it was woman, she said I wish I’d had this when I was younger. I needed to know about those relationship red flags, the break up skills, which is two lessons that we do. I needed that two years ago when I was in a really bad relationship.” One of the lessons is on living together, which is something that many young people see as the go-to route for couples in love. Ann Deegan : “So many people are living together and so we talk about what are the benefits and what it really looks like and what are some of the myths surrounding living together and why it isn’t a good thing to do. Most of the classes have been with high school students. Moyer says they’re hoping to get more time with middle school kids to help them build their skills by the time they get to high school. There are also classes for adults. Deegan  : “The focus isn’t just on mothering skills, like taking care of a baby. The focus is on what do your relationships look like? And what do you want to pass on to your children? What is the legacy? What do you want to pass on to your children and have your children receive from you?” There is also the goal of having kids take a more deliberate and thoughtful approach to having sex. It may prevent many problems down the road, not the least of which being an unwanted pregnancy. Moyer shares a recurring sentiment that she hears from returning clients. Moyer  : “Over and over again I will hear ‘I would not change the fact that I had my child. But I wish I had waited. I wish I had waited just a little bit longer. I wish I was married. I can’t tell you how many times I hear that.”




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IoPP Announces 2020 AmeriStar Package Award Winners

There were 27 winners, including six student award winners, selected as recipients of a 2020 AmeriStar Package Award, one of the packaging industry’s most prestigious design awards programs,produced by IoPP, The Institute of Packaging Professionals.




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2020 WorldStar Packaging Award Winners Announced

World Packaging Organisation has announced the 214 winners of the WorldStar Packaging Awards 2020. The judging session was held in Bali in November, during the 2nd WPO Board Meeting of 2019. 




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All4Labels STARFLAKE recognized by APR for innovative pressure-sensitive labels

Recognition marks a significant step forward in enabling the recycling of plastic bottles and underscores All4Labels’ commitment to driving the development of sustainable practices in the label industry.




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SIG Wins Green Packaging Star Award for Aluminum-Free Aseptic Cartons

The annual Austrian Green Packaging Star Award has been recognizing the most sustainable packaging innovations for nearly 20 years.




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Announcing the Winners of WorldStar Packaging Awards 2021

Though the WPO (World Packaging Organisation) turned to virtual judging for WorldStar 21 with two rounds of judging taking place, WPO members, representing 34 countries from all around the world, spent hours going through 345 submissions before meeting via the Zoom platform for final deliberations to choose the 194 winners of WorldStar Packaging Awards 2021.




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Trivium Wins PAC Global, WorldStar Awards for Budweiser World Cup Aluminum Bottles

Utilizing Budweiser’s vision, Trivium created a beer bottle that was both visually engaging and environmentally sustainable.




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Starbucks, Coca-Cola among Firms Participating in City-Wide Reusable Cup Project

Collaboration led by the NextGen Consortium makes reusable cups the default option in national and local restaurants across the city of Petaluma, California.




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Schur Star Offers Double and Triple Bagging of Sterile Products

The SchurStar Packaging Machine offers fully automated bagging of pharmaceutical items.




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Sidel unveils StarLITE®R, a 100% rPET bottle for carbonated soft drinks

New offering benefits from the company’s deep understanding of recycled PET resin characteristics and their impact on bottle production.




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Multi-Conveyor Helps Start-Up Distillery Transport Products Using Several Technologies

A variety of conveyor technologies were implemented to smoothly transport beverage cans between different processing machines in the line. 




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Amcor Wins Two AmeriStar Awards

IoPP will showcase the winning packages at PACK EXPO Las Vegas, in IoPP booth C-1154 and the Showcase of Innovations, September 11 through 13, 2023. Amcor will also show the award-winning technologies in their exhibit, booth SU-7244.




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A kickstart look at the EURUSD, USDJPY and GBPUSD from a technical perspective

The USD is higher in trading today as the Trump trade continues. HIgher USD. Higher stocks. Bonds we don't know as the bond market is closed for Veterans Day today. Gold is lower but bitcoin in higher.

In this video, I take a look at the EURUSD, USDJPY and GBPUSD from a technical perspective.

EURUSD: The EURUSD fell below the swing lows from June between 1.0665 to 1.06705. That is below the low from last week at 1.06819. Staying below that area keeps the sellers in control. Absent a move above those levels and the buyers are not winning. ON the downside, the next support comes in at 2024 lows between 1.0600 to 1.06097.

USDJPY: The USDJPY has bounced higher and pushed to the 153.88 level. That level has helped to slow the run higher today. Recall from last week, the price did move above that level and ran to a high of 154.70 on the dollar buying after the Election before the corrective move lower (the price bottomed at the 100 bar MA on the 4-hour chart). So the pair is at a key technical level between support at the 100 bar MA on the 4-hour chart, and the high from last week at 154.70.

GBPUSD:The GBPUSD has seen more up-and-down momentum over the last few weeks of trading. It is trading near the low of that up and down range with 1.2832 to 1.2872 the swing area to get to and through to increase the bearish bias. On the topside gettting back above the low from 3 weeks ago comes in at 1.29065. That would need to be broken to give the buyers more confidence.

This article was written by Greg Michalowski at www.forexlive.com.




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GBPUSD Technical Analysis – The US Dollar restarted its run

Fundamental Overview

The puzzling weakness in the US Dollar following Trump’s victory looks more and more like it was just a “sell the fact” reaction. The greenback is now back in the driving seat, and we might also be seeing some pre-positioning into a potentially hot US CPI report tomorrow.

At the latest Fed’s decision, Fed Chair Powell said that they expect bumps on inflation and that one or two bad data months on inflation won’t change the process. This keeps the 25 bps cut in December in place even if we get higher inflation readings.

The market though is forward-looking, and the rise in Treasury yields showed that the market sees risks to the inflation outlook. Moreover, the red sweep could increase those fears if the progress on inflation stalls, or worse, reverses.

On the GBP side, this morning we got the UK labour market report and although the data was mostly mixed, it leant more on the dovish side. Overall though, it didn’t change anything for the market or the BoE.

GBPUSD Technical Analysis – Daily Timeframe

On the daily chart, we can see that GBPUSD broke through the support zone around the 1.2840 level and extended the drop as more sellers piled in. The natural target should be the swing low at 1.2665 level. That’s where we can expect the buyers to step in with a defined risk below the level to position for a rally back into the 1.28 handle.

GBPUSD Technical Analysis – 4 hour Timeframe

On the 4 hour chart, we can see more clearly the break of the support which was defining the range between the 1.2840 support and the 1.3040 resistance. If the price retests the support now turned resistance, we can expect the sellers to step in with a defined risk above the level to position for a drop into the 1.2665 level next. The buyers, on the other hand, will want to see the price breaking higher to position for a rally back into the 1.3040 resistance.

GBPUSD Technical Analysis – 1 hour Timeframe

On the 1 hour chart, we can see that we have a minor downward trendline defining the current bearish momentum. The sellers will likely keep on leaning on it to position for new lows, while the buyers will look for a break higher to pile in for a rally into new highs. The red lines define the average daily range for today.

Upcoming Catalysts

This week is a bit empty on the data front with the most important releases scheduled for the latter part of the week. Tomorrow, we have the US CPI report. On Thursday, we get the latest US Jobless Claims figures. On Friday, we conclude the week with the US Retail Sales data.

This article was written by Giuseppe Dellamotta at www.forexlive.com.




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What technical levels are in play to start the NA trading day for November 12

As the North American session begins, the bond traders return after a day off in observance of Veterans Day. Yields are higher to start their trading week with the 2 year up 6.5 basis points at 4.319% and the 10 year up 6.3 basis points at 4.371%. The 2 year yield has moved to a new high going back to July 31 today (4.336%). For the 10 year, it traded as high as 4.773% last week, but fell into Friday with the low reaching 4.558% before bouncing modestly on Friday. That upside has reached 4.64% today - off the low but below the high from last week.

Bitcoin moved to a high of $89,983 today - a new record - but has come off and trades at $86,430 currently. The low reached $85208 today in volatile trading.

Oil is higher after falling over 3% lower yesterday. The price is up 43% or 0.64% at $68.52 currently. The high reached $68.76 and a low at $67.78.

Gold is down another $11 or -.045% at $2607.28. The low reached $2589.80 before bouncing.

In the US stock market, the major indices are marginally higher after record closes across the three major indices. The Russell 2000 which has not reached a high since July 2021 got within shouting distance of it record at 2437.08. The high yesterday reached 2441.72. The Dow futures are imploring a gain of 78 points. The S&P is up 1.65 points and the Nasdaq index is now up 7.91 points.

There will be several Fed speakers today with Governor Waller, Minneapolis Fed Pres. Kashkari, Philadelphia Fed Pres. Parker, and Richmond Fed Pres. Barkin all scheduled to speak

ECB policymaker Olli Rehn emphasized that while the direction of the ECB’s monetary policy is clear, the pace of any changes will be data-dependent. The economic outlook, impacted by a struggling manufacturing sector, has deteriorated. Rehn suggested that if disinflation continues, it could support additional rate cuts, with the ECB potentially moving away from restrictive policy territory by spring 2025. He warned against protectionism, noting that tariffs would have a medium-to-long-term impact and are inherently inflationary. With growth in the euro area expected to remain sluggish and downside risks prevalent, Rehn awaits the December projections for a clearer assessment of the economic landscape.

EURUSD: The selling in the EURUSD continue as a less friendly US with Pres. Elect Trump, spell slower growth with increased tariffs the concern. Technically, the price initially moved higher in the Asian session but found willing sellers near the low of the swing area between 1.0663 and 1.06703. That was swing lows in June 2024. Staying below kept the sellers in control, and they pushed lower. The price has since moved down to a low of 1.0606 which tests the lows from April when a series of swing lows bottomed the pair. Those levels are also the lows for the year (going back to October 2023).

USDJPY: The USDJPY rose yesterday and then stalled in the US session between 153.59 to 153.88 (swing area). Recall, the 153.88 level was a swing high from July 31. The highs from October 28 and October 29 was at 153.88 too. Today, the price moved lower and below the swing area low, BUT found support at the 61.8% of the move down from the July high. That level comes in at 153.397. Going forward, that hold increases that technical levels importance as support. Move below would increase the bearish bias in the short term at least.

On the topside, the price has now moved back above the 153.88 level (bullish). If the price can stay above that level now, that would be the most bullish technical scenario as buyers show their strength on the break. On the topside, the 154.54 up to 155.09 would be the next target area to stretch towards. Get above that area over time, and it adds to the bullish bias. Buyers making a play. Can they keep the momentum going?

GBPUSD:The GBPUSD fell below the lows from the last 2 weeks (last week low was at 1.28329) and sellers jumped, pushing the price through the 200 day MA at 1.28178. The breaks are more bearish and the low price reached 1.27915 and has bounced. The price has traded above and below the 200-day MA at 1.28179, but has so far stayed below the low from last week at 1.28329. If the price moves back above that level and momentum back to the upside is able to get above 1.2844 and the 50% of the move up from the April low at 1.2866, the buyers are showing some strength and the sellers will start worrying about the failures more and more. Conversely, if the price can stay below the 1.2832 and 1.2844 that keeps the sellers confidence high, but gettng below the 200-day MA is still required again. The price is currently trading near the 200-day MA but remains below 1.28329.

USDCHF: The USDCHF extended above the 200 day MA at 0.88176 and also a swing area from 0.88187 to 0.8825. That was a bullish move and the price moved to a high of 0.88303 but failed. The price is back below the 200 day MA and swing area. The price is trading near 0.8800 (0.8802 is the low). ON the downside the 50% is at 0.87986. If that is broken, then the swing area, the 200 day MA and the 50% failed. That should give buyers cause for pause as the buyers had their shot, and they missed. But the price still needs to get below 50%.

This article was written by Greg Michalowski at www.forexlive.com.




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Kickstart the FX day. A look at the EURUSD, USDJPY and GBPUSD from a technical perspective

In the kickstart video, I take a look at the 3 major currency pairs:

EUR/USD Summary

The EUR/USD continued its downward trend due to concerns over slower economic growth and increased tariffs under President-elect Trump.

Key Points:

  • Initially rose in the Asian session, but sellers took control near 1.0665-1.06703 swing area. That area was the lows from back in June.

  • Staying below the lows from June kept the sellers in control

  • Reached a low of 1.0606, testing April's swing lows and the year's lows (since October 2023). A move below the 1.0600 increases the bearish bias.

  • Buyers may lean against the low as risk can be defined and limited against the level with stops on a break below.

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USD/JPY Summary

The USD/JPY exhibited volatility, with potential bullish signals.

Key Points:

  1. Rose yesterday, then stalled between 153.59-153.88 (swing area).

  2. Found support at 153.397 (61.8% of July's move down).

  3. Broke above 153.88 (bullish signal).

  4. Next targets: 154.54-155.09.

Outlook:

Bullish Scenario

Stay above 153.88, targeting 154.54-155.09.

Bearish Scenario

Move below 153.397 increases short-term bearish bias.

--------------------------------------------------

GBP/USD Summary

The GBP/USD fell, breaking below two-week lows and the 200-day MA.

Key Points:

  1. Broke below last week's low (1.28329) and 200-day MA (1.28178).

  2. Reached 1.27915, then bounced.

  3. Traded above and below 200-day MA.

Outlook:

Bullish Scenario

Move above 1.28329, 1.2844, and 1.2866 (50% of April's move) indicates buyer strength.

Bearish Scenario

Stay below 1.28329 and 1.2844 maintains seller confidence; breaking below 200-day MA again confirms bearish trend.

This article was written by Greg Michalowski at www.forexlive.com.




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European equities hold slightly lower to start the day

  • Eurostoxx -0.3%
  • Germany DAX -0.2%
  • France CAC 40 -0.1%
  • UK FTSE +0.1%
  • Spain IBEX flat
  • Italy FTSE MIB -0.2%

There's some push and pull in the opening stages but the changes here don't take away from the heavy selling yesterday. As mentioned since last week, the outlook for European indices remain challenging considering the more dour economic outlook in the region. So far today, US futures are also a little more subdued with S&P 500 futures down 0.3%.

This article was written by Justin Low at www.forexlive.com.




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Application Window Open to Showcase Innovative Startups at 2022 NAB Show

Washington, D.C. -- NAB Show is currently accepting applications from startup companies to feature their innovative products and solutions on the industry’s largest stage for media, entertainment and technology at the 2022 NAB Show, held April 23–27 in Las Vegas, Nev.




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NAB Statement on Reconfirmation of FCC Commissioners Starks and Carr

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In response to the reconfirmation of FCC Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr, the following statement can be attributed to NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt:




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National Association of Broadcasters Appoints Nexstar President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Biard to Board of Directors

Today, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) announced the appointment of Nexstar Media Group, Inc., President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Biard to its Television Board of Directors, effective immediately. Television Board Chair Pat LaPlatney made the appointment in accordance with NAB by-laws.




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Fun Start To Our Christmas Concert

This year we decided to have a little fun for the start of our annual Christmas Concert. So my top choir decided to make our own music video. It was a lot of fun and while the original idea was to record our own song we ran out of time and decided to just go ahead and make it anyway using an old N'Sync Christmas Song. The concept is the choir is all arriving for the concert in one car and we follow them as they get ready. When you see them run into the auditorium the choir ran into the actual auditorium the night of the concert and interacted with the audience while singing along (David Letterman Style). Then we all gathered on the stage and sang a fun song "One for the little bitty baby" and then went and changed into our formal wear for the rest of the concert.


What do you think?




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Committee welcomes start of York Street scheme

The Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Infrastructure has welcomed the start of legislation that will enable preparations for the York Street Interchange Scheme to begin.




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Cloud Computing: Start Smart - Part 1 of 3

Bob Hensle and Scott Mattoon, the authors of two new Oracle white papers on Cloud Computing, discuss resources and strategies for making smart early cloud decisions.




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Cloud Computing: Start Smart - Part 3 of 3

In the final segment in this series, Bob Hensle and Scott Mattoon discuss why successful cloud migration may lead some organizations to become cloud providers.




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Trajectories: Career Paths of IT Stars

Mark Heckler, Pratik Patel, Sean Phillips, Heather VanCura, and Johan Vos discuss how they got from their earliest coding experiments to stellar IT careers; Stephanie Xu shares a college student's perspective.




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OSCE starts consultations on sustainable, independent financing for Kosovo’s public broadcaster

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 14 March 2016 - The OSCE Mission in Kosovo held today the first of a series of four roundtables to be held this month on the ways to secure financing for the public service broadcaster, Radio Television Kosovo (RTK).

Through these roundtables, the Mission will consult a wide range of experts - journalists, Members of Parliament, academia, representatives of NGOs and media institutions - on the impact of the lack of financing on the public service broadcaster and its editorial policy, as well as on its further development.

The RTK has been without sustainable financing since 2009 when a court suspended the funding of RTK  through household electricity bills, citing human rights and discrimination concerns.

“We are in 2016 and alternative and viable funding options for the financing of RTK are still being considered, pending a final decision. On-going issues pertaining to the financing mechanisms and to the Law on RTK have to urgently be solved,” said Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.

“Without sustainable financing, the public broadcaster cannot develop into a full-fledged service provider for its audience. In addition, the already-existing delays with the digitalization process are exacerbated by this lack of funding,” he added.  

The roundtables will be followed-up with a regional conference in April, with experts from the Western Balkans and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), to come up with recommendations, for relevant institutions to consider while amending and implementing the Law on RTK.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated with the protection and promotion of human rights, democratization, and public safety sector development. It helps safeguard freedom of the media and freedom of expression and supports media development.

 

Related Stories



  • OSCE Mission in Kosovo
  • Media freedom and development
  • Rule of law
  • South-Eastern Europe
  • Press release

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[Switch] Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl $6.99 @ Nintendo eShop

Brawl it out as your favorite Nickelodeon characters in bombastic platform battles! With a power-packed cast of heroes from the Nickelodeon universe, face-off with all-stars from SpongeBob Squarepants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Loud House, Danny Phantom, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, The Wild Thornberrys, Hey Arnold!, Rugrats, and more to determine ultimate animation dominance.

With unique move sets and attacks inspired by their personalities, each character has an individual style of play enabling endless action for Nickelodeon’s legion of fans. Select your favorite and then let the intense brawls begin with online and local multiplayer action.




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True Digital Park lures startups

True Digital Park has opened its Work Space, a co-working and office zone with capacity for 4,500 workers, in a bid to provide an affordable area for startups to develop and attract venture capital funding.




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Musk talks in-Tesla gaming, startup struggles

Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, SpaceX and The Boring Company, gives a rapt audience a preview of gaming in Tesla cars, and described which failure most helped his career. - REUTERS




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‘A disaster for UN climate summit & for global climate action’ – UK Guardian: ‘Cop29 starts in the shadow of Trump’s victory’ – ‘What the re-election of the man who thinks global heating is ‘a hoax’ will mean for the planet’

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/11/first-edition-cop29-climate-crisis-donald-trump US election | Donald Trump has been declared the winner in Arizona, completing the Republicans’ clean sweep of the so-called swing states and rubbing salt in Democrats’ wounds as it was announced that the president-elect is scheduled to meet with Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the presidential handover. Trump reportedly spoke on the […]




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Keep using fossil fuels, Hungary’s Orbán tells COP29 climate summit — His words stand in stark contrast to the EU’s official position – But he added, ‘We must continue advancing the green transition’

https://www.politico.eu/article/keep-using-fossil-fuels-hungarys-orban-tells-cop29-climate-summit/ Excerpt: BAKU, Azerbaijan — Let’s continue using oil and gas, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told world leaders at the United Nations climate summit today. “We must continue advancing the green transition while also maintaining our use of natural gas, oil and nuclear energy,” Orbán said. His remarks stand in stark contrast to the […]




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Starburst Cover

Magazine cover, Starburst #470  "No Time To Die" March 2020
 




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Star Trek's Anson Mount Stole An Acting Trick From William Shatner

Imitation is the highest form of flattery and Anson Mount pays homage to William Shatner by replicating one of his most notable Star Trek acting tics.




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An Unlikely Cult Horror Movie Is Getting Remade With A Stranger Things Star

Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard is teaming up with his Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman to remake a rather zany '90s cult horror flick.




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The Greatest Victim Of The Streaming Wars Is The Very Thing That Started Them

As streaming services multiple and grow, originality and creativity have gone out the window, replaced by risk-free slop. How did we get here?




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John le Carré Teases New Smiley TV Series, Potentially Starring Jared Harris

In a great profile in Saturday's New York Times promoting his new novel Agent Running in the Field, author John le Carré  reveals that his sons' production company, The Ink Factory, are plotting an epic new TV series about his most famous character, spymaster George Smiley. "According to le Carré," asserts the article's author, Tobias Grey, "The Ink Factory now plans to do new television adaptations of all the novels featuring Cold War spy George Smiley - this time in chronological order. 'That means that if you actually go back to the first big conspiracies in The Spy Who Came In From the Cold, you've got to consider how Smiley ages and how young he was at that time,' le Carré says. That would mean finding an actor who can play younger than the Smiley incarnated by Gary Oldman in the film version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Le Carré says that his sons are interested in casting the British actor Jared Harris, whose performance they all admired in the recent TV mini-series Chernobyl." Harris (The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Allied), interestingly, was originally cast in Tomas Alfredson's 2011 le Carré  adaptation Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as Circus (MI6) chief Percy Alleline, but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, in which he played Professor Moriarty. Toby Jones took on the Alleline role, and embodied the character perfectly. Besides Oldman, Smiley has been played in the past by Denholm Elliott, James Mason, Rupert Davies, and, most memorably, Alec Guinness in two famous BBC miniseries.

A new miniseries version of The Spy Who Came In From the Cold was first announced back in 2016 as a follow-up to the hugely successful le Carré miniseries The Night Manager. Le Carré worked with the producers and writer to crack their take on the material, and that work led him to write a whole new sequel to the book, A Legacy of Spies, but did not yield a series. Instead, The Little Drummer Girl (2018) proved to be the next le Carré miniseries, but work continued on The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. Now, apparently, that project has grown in scope and morphed into this one. I've long craved a long-form TV series about le Carré's Circus, devoting a season to each book and dropping in the short stories from The Secret Pilgrim at the appropriate historical moments and, most crucially, finally giving us a television version of the (to date unfilmed) middle book in the Karla trilogy, The Honourable Schoolboy. This sounds like it could turn out to be exactly that! (Though hopefully they'll begin at the real beginning with Call For the Dead, and not The Spy Who Came In From the Cold.) It's a most tantalizing prospect!

Read my George Smiley Primer here.




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Tradecraft: Damian Lewis and Dominic West to Star in A SPY AMONG FRIENDS Miniseries

It's a real spies' reunion for the miniseries version of Ben MacIntyre's superb non-fiction book A Spy Among Friends! Nearly everyone involved has some serious spy experience on their resume--and many of them have worked together before. It's no wonder the book has attracted such an array of veteran talent; for my money it's a strong contender of the best spy biography ever. MacIntyre uses the close friendship between the notorious double agent Kim Philby and loyal MI6 officer Nicholas Elliott to frame the story of the notorious Cambridge spy ring that shook the foundations of British Intelligence--and the Cold War at large. 

According to Deadline, Damian Lewis (Our Kind of Traitor) will reunite with his Homeland producer Alexander Cary (the Taken TV show) to star as Elliott. Dominic West (The Hour, Johnny English Reborn) will play Philby, who has been portrayed in the past by Toby Stephens, Tom Hollander, Anthony Bate, and Billy Cruddup. Both Lewis and West were readers in the series of celebrity-read James Bond audiobooks.

Cary will write the six-episode miniseries, and Nick Murphy, who directed the recent dark BBC/FX version of A Christmas Carol, will direct. Both will produce, as will Lewis, whose production shingle Rookery was also behind the recent docu-series Spy Wars, which the actor hosted. The series will be a co-production of Sony and ITV Studios for Spectrum Originals and UK streamer BritBox. It's tentatively scheduled to air in fall of 2021, but of course like all things now that's dependent on the novel Coronavirus. Lewis has an obligation to finish his commitment to his Showtime series Billions first once production resumes.

MacIntyre's book has already been adapted as a two-part 2014 BBC documentary, Kim Philby: His Most Intimate Betrayal, which was presented by MacIntyre and starred David Oakes (You) as Philby and William Beck (Casualty) as Elliott in re-enactments. Previously, Lionsgate had optioned the TV rights to the book back in 2014 with writer Bill Broyles (Under Cover, Entrapment) attached, but nothing ever came of that.




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