Bookings open for FREE screenings of Fast Girls followed by Q&As with the cast in selected cities this May.  More locations to be announced shortly

ALPLA will collaborate with Biffa to increase the proportion of British recyclate used in the UK to manufacture packaging for home care products.

Here is an old post that I found in my drafts folder. With my regional auditions coming up again here in a month I thought it would be relevant to go ahead with the post and try to get some ideas.

What do you do to help your students prepare for an audition?

Yesterday we had auditions for our Regional Honor Choir. I had 9 students qualify which is awesome considering I had 12 audition. I am not happy with my low numbers auditioning but that is a discussion for another day.

The audition is broke up into 2 different auditions. Sight Singing and a Solo. Both with different judges.

We just had our regional auditions and my students did very well. Today I had the idea to type out all the notes that they received from their auditions. This way I have a digital record for as long as I want and secondly I could put that into wordle.net and see what trends I noticed.


The Result

A week-long regional summer school on multilingual and multicultural education was held from 10 July to 16 July 2016 in Cholponata in Kyrgyzstan - the fifth regional summer school organized as part of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities’ (HCNM) Central Asia Education Programme.

Organized by the HCNM in co-operation with Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Education and Science, UNICEF and the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights in Kyrgyzstan, the summer school brought together 86 participants representing education institutions of the Central Asian States and of the wider region, including teacher trainers, methodological experts, university and pilot school managers and teachers, as well as international experts.

The summer school was aimed at providing practical expert support to further develop the capacity of education authorities and practitioners within multilingual and multicultural education.

Opening the summer school, Deputy Minister of Education of Kyrgyzstan Toktobubu Ashymbaeva highlighted the important role of the teacher in multilingual education programmes.

During the week, participants discussed pre-service and in-service teacher training, as well as facilitating the implementation of multilingual education programmes. Participants also developed training materials aimed at monitoring and evaluating multilingual and multicultural education programmes. As a result, eleven thematic materials were developed with the aim to further adapt them for practical use within the education institutions of the region.

Flera Saifulina, Head of the National Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan in the Russian Federation, found that the diverse forms of activities enabled participants to express their opinions, raise concerns and receive comprehensive answers from fellow experts. She also expressed satisfaction to see how education is used for the integration of societies in the Central Asian countries.

Tatiana Aderikhina, Co-ordinator of Education and Child Protection Issues at UNICEF Kazakhstan, said: “I am glad that the cooperation between HCNM and UNICEF Kyrgyzstan continues as it brings synergies and benefits the target country.”

Zaiyrbek Ergeshev, representative of the Department of the Ethnic and Religious Issues of the Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan, concluded that multilingual and multicultural education is an important factor for forming a civic identity.

Since 2012, the High Commissioner has been implementing the Central Asia Education Programme, aimed at promoting multilingual and multicultural education and developing bilateral and multilateral co‑operation in the region to improve the education of national minorities and promote the integration of society.

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More than 40 specialists from Afghanistan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan completed a training seminar on advanced explosive ordnance disposal on April 20, 2016 in Dushanbe, organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan as a part of a multi-year project.

The course, which covered levels one and two of the explosive ordnance disposal curriculum outlined in International Mine Action Standards, was held at the Lyaur Field Training Centre of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defence. The participants came from national armed forces, national mine action co-ordination authorities and civilian agencies which are directly engaged in addressing explosive hazards threats.

“The second explosive ordnance disposal training cycle is particularly significant as it introduces the mentorship approach to training whereby junior instructors – graduates of the first training cycle implemented in years 2014 and 2015 - are providing training shoulder-to-shoulder with their United States Army Central colleagues to the students from Central Asian and Afghanistan,” said Scott Kearin, Acting Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan.

U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan Elisabeth Millard highlighted the leadership that the Ministry of Defense of Tajikistan has shown in hosting this series of training events. She said: “The need for competent explosive ordnance disposal specialists and trainers is critical for removing landmines and explosive remnants of war that threaten safety and stability in Tajikistan and surrounding countries.” She praised the Tajik Ministry of Defence for hosting a train-the-trainer program that allows them to lead humanitarian mine action programmes in the wider region.

Muhabbat Ibrohimzoda, Director of the Tajikistan National Mine Action Centre, said: “Tajikistan recognizes the present-day threats of explosive hazards and the need to address these challenges throughout the region and on a global level.”

Two separate courses – for Russian speaking and Tajik-Dari speaking groups of students - were facilitated by the OSCE Office in partnership with the United States Army Central and supported by the U.S. Embassy’s Office for Military Co-operation in Dushanbe. They were financed by the U.S. State Department’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement.

Since 2009, the OSCE has been supporting the development of co-operative mechanisms on a technical level among states in Central Asia and Afghanistan to address concerns and challenges stemming from explosive hazards.

Related Stories

• OSCE Office in Tajikistan organizes first regional forum for promoting women’s political participation in Khujand
• OSCE Office in Tajikistan presents recommendations from the Customs Code Integrity Assessment
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VIENNA, 15 June 2016 – The twentieth anniversary of the Agreement on Sub-Regional Arms Control Agreement, which served as a framework for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia to engage with each other in order to promote peace and stability in the region, was marked today in Vienna.

Almir Sahovic, Assistant Minister for Multilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stressed that today was a good opportunity to reflect on the path the region went through in the last 20 years. “Our region was a synonym for problems and a source of instability. Our friends from the OSCE family and international community used to send military and police forces to help us sustain peace and stability. Today, we are the ones contributing with military and diplomatic missions to peace and stability around the world.”

The Agreement remains highly relevant for stability in the region as well as for the entire OSCE area and serves as a model for other OSCE regions.

“We see that the four State parties show mutual understanding, professionalism and confidence in their joint treaty activities,” said Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Germany to the OSCE Eberhard Pohl. “The Agreement continues to play a useful role in maintaining military stability in South Eastern Europe by promoting co-operation, transparency and predictability. Key to this is upholding the common political will for good development in the future. The members of the contact group stand ready to further support these activities.”

The Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre Marcel Pesko highlighted how the commitments from the Article IV of Dayton Peace Agreement became actions. “The four countries of the region proved they can establish a stable military balance, reducing the risk of a new escalation of the conflict. This would not be possible without courage and political will to move the process forward.”

The ceremony included a photo-exhibition dedicated to the process of implementation of the Agreement. Distinguished individuals and organizations from the region received special recognition for their contribution to the process.

Bosnia and Hercegovina is currently a Chair of Sub-Regional Consultative Commission in accordance with Article IV, Annex 1-B to the Dayton Agreement.

Learn more about the transfer of ownership of regional stability and how targets of arms control were achieved even beyond the set limits.

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The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) joined with other global and regional intergovernmental human rights organizations and experts in issuing a statement condemning the recent evictions of Roma and Sinti, as well as Travellers, in Europe, on 29 June 2016.

Signatories call on national, regional and, in particular, local authorities to find sustainable solutions to the housing problems that many Roma and Sinti face, while condemning forced evictions without due process and provisions of adequate alternative housing. The statement reminds participating States that such evictions violate international human rights obligations and authorities must ensure that everyone subject to eviction is adequately informed of their rights and necessary evictions must be carried out without discrimination or harassment.

The statement highlights the long-term negative implications of eviction that can result in physical and psychological problems, including emotional trauma and lasting social isolation, which particularly affects older people, women, children and people with disabilities.

ODIHR had previously reminded the OSCE participating States that evictions of Roma and Sinti must comply with international standards and provide for adequate housing for those evicted. Furthermore, greater efforts are needed to promote sustainable and non-discriminatory housing solutions. The OSCE Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti from 2003 additionally calls for mechanisms and procedures to clarify property rights, resolve questions of ownership and regularize the legal status of Roma and Sinti people living in circumstances of unsettled legality.

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ASTANA, 24 May 2016 – An OSCE-supported regional training seminar for some 50 military officers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan on the practical implementation of the Vienna Document 2011 and confidence- and security-building measures began today in Astana.

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana organized the four-day event in co-operation with Kazakhstan's Defence Ministry and with the support of the OSCE field operations.

Military and civilian experts from France, Hungary, the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia will share their expertise. The participants will discuss developments in the field of confidence- and security-building measures, which are the focus of the Vienna Document 2011, as well as  its implementation aspects, such as inspection procedures, experience exchange and the demonstration of weapons and equipment systems.

Deputy Defence Minister of Kazakhstan Talgat Mukhtarov said: “The Vienna Document is one of the most important instruments of the OSCE’s politico-military dimension. It has long served to promote co-operation, transparency and confidence building as well as a system of verification. While the annual seminar serves to help us understand the ‘letter’ of the Vienna Document, it is always very important that our activities embrace its ‘spirit.’”

“The OSCE has been placing considerable emphasis on building confidence and security through closer co-operation of the armed forces in the region under the Vienna Document 2011,” said György Szabó, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. “What makes the Vienna Document so exceptional is that it does not only helps de-escalate a potential conflict, but can help build relations between countries in such a way that war between them seems inconceivable.”

Robin Mossinkoff, Head of the Forum for Security Co-operation Support Section, highlighted the work done to build trust and confidence by OSCE participating States, supported by the OSCE. He noted that this was conducted not only under the Vienna Document, but also agreements such as the Code of Conduct on Political-Military Aspects of Security and the Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons, and Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition.

The seminar will include theoretical exercises and a simulated inspection visit to the 36th Air Assault Brigade near Astana on 27 May. The participants will carry out an evaluation in accordance with the provisions of the Vienna Document on compliance and verification, and produce a report.

The Vienna Document was adopted by all OSCE participating States and obliges them to share information on their armed forces and military activities. It also contains provisions on compliance and verification, such as conducting and hosting inspections and evaluations, as well as on risk reduction, military contacts and co-operation, and prior notification of certain military activities.

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana has been organizing seminars on the Vienna Document in Kazakhstan since 2006. The seminar is part of the Programme Office's long-standing efforts to promote OSCE confidence- and security-building measures and regional security.

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BISHKEK, 28 June 2016 – The OSCE’s role and activities in Security Sector Governance and Reform in Central Asia, and the challenges and opportunities in the field, are the focus of a three-day regional seminar hosted by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, which began today in the Kyrgyz capital.

Taking part are some 50 representatives of OSCE field operations in Central Asia and regional partners, government officials from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, as well as civil society and academia. As well as providing a platform for regional networking among national and international partners, the discussion will explore challenges within police reform, border management and security, counter-terrorism, anti-corruption, justice sector reform among others.

“By reviewing the government’s budget and reports on its execution, adopting laws, establishing a working group to monitor enforcement of the laws and parliamentary decisions, we can make the reforms possible,” said Ainuru Altybaeva,  Kyrgyz member of parliament and member of the parliamentary Committee for International Relations, Defence and Security.

Security Sector Governance and Reform is increasingly recognized by OSCE participating States as an essential element in conflict prevention, early warning, crisis management and peace-building.

Daniele Rumolo, Acting Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said: “Effective security sector reform processes have to be carried out in full consultation with all affected sides, including civil society and independent experts, as well as with the support of international organizations. The new OSCE guidelines on Security Sector Governance and Reform are designed to lead us and all other stakeholders and partners, in upholding these principles.”

Professor Erica Marat of the National Defense University in Washington D.C. said that while there are challenges for reform processes in the region, there are also tremendous opportunities which can be supported by a well-educated population, empowered women, ethnic and religious diversity, and a vibrant civil society.

The regional seminar is part of an extra-budgetary project that aims to support, build capacity and raise awareness on Security Sector Governance and Reform within the OSCE. The project is supported by Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship, as well as Switzerland, Slovakia, Serbia and Austria. A similar regional event is planned for later this year in South-East Europe. 

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Resolution 43 - (Rev. Geneva, 2022) - Regional preparations for world telecommunication standardization assemblies

Resolution 54 - (Rev. Geneva, 2022) - Creation of, and assistance to, regional groups

How to increase QoS/QoE of IP-based platform(s) to regionally agreed standards

DSTR-ROAMREG - Regional roaming initiatives

Establishing and connecting regional Internet exchange points to reduce costs of international Internet connectivity

Optimizing terrestrial cable utilization across multiple countries to boost regional and international connectivity

ITU-T D.52 - Implementation guidelines for Recommendation ITU-T D.52 focusing on operationalization of regional Internet exchange points

Location: Electronic Resource- 

Re-release; Geological Survey of Canada. 1987, 142 pages (25 sheets); 1 diskette/disquette, https://doi.org/10.4095/130284

Re-release; Geological Survey of Canada. 1987, 130 pages (25 sheets); 1 diskette/disquette, https://doi.org/10.4095/130283

Re-release; Department of Indian Affairs & Northern Development; Yukon Government. 1987, 146 pages (25 sheets); 1 diskette/disquette, https://doi.org/10.4095/130285
<a href="https://geoscan.nrcan.gc.ca/images/geoscan/gid_130285.jpg"><img src="https://geoscan.nrcan.gc.ca/images/geoscan/gid_130285.jpg" title=" 1987, 146 pages (25 sheets); 1 diskette/disquette, https://doi.org/10.4095/130285" height="150" border="1" /></a>

Re-release; Geological Survey of Canada. 1989, 60 pages, https://doi.org/10.4095/130703

Birmingham cycle bid for community funding.

Panelistas creen que estos diálogos pueden solucionar algunos problemas, pero consideran que es necesario tener al gobierno nacional involucrado.

Panelistas analizaron el liderazgo que podría tener el presidente Petro en la región; creen que es fundamental la defensa de derechos humanos y la democracia.

Panelistas creen que el desafío está en no generar falsas expectativas y en transformar el diálogo con las comunidades en el Plan Nacional de Desarrollo.

Panelistas analizaron el panorama político en América Latina ante el primer encuentro entre un presidente de Colombia y Nicolás Maduro en seis años.

Panelistas consideran que hay poca renovación política entre los candidatos que se empiezan a lanzar a la contienda; creen que la inseguridad marcará la agenda de la campaña.

Panelistas analizaron la incidencia de los problemas de violencia en la campaña política en Ecuador. Consideran como un “terremoto” el fenómeno de Javier Milei.

Panelistas consideran que hay incertidumbre en ambas elecciones. Mientras la economía es determinante en Argentina, en Ecuador el problema es de seguridad.

En Caracol Radio estuvo Luis Alfonso Escobar, gobernador de Nariño, conversando sobre la política de la paz total

De acuerdo con fuentes del Distrito consultadas por 6AM Hoy por Hoy de Caracol Radio, el pico y placa regional que funciona los fines de semana en los que hay puente festivo, presentará unos cambios en su funcionamiento. Le explicamos.

En el programa 6AM Hoy por Hoy de Caracol Radio, habló el Defensor del pueblo regional del Chocó, Luis Enrique Murillo, sobre las restricciones que impone el ELN y que afecta a los habitantes de la zona

[Written by Stephen Wright] Bermudian Toby Madeiros has become a regional champion after winning the USA Gymnastics Men’s Region 8 Championships in Duluth, Georgia, at the weekend. Madeiros qualified for the meet after winning the vault at the recent USAG Georgia Men’s State Championships in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and was up against competitors from Florida, South […]

Trey Mallory and his UNC Wilmington [UNCW] men’s tennis teammates began competing in the DI 2024 ITA DI men’s Carolina regional championships hosted by Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina. In his round of 64 men’s singles match, Mallory was defeated in straight sets 6-4, 7-5 by Matias Iturbe from UNC Charlotte. Related Stories Photos: […]

Trey Mallory and his UNC Wilmington [UNCW] Men’s Tennis teammate’s returned to action competing in the 2024 ITA DI Men’s Carolina Regional Championships hosted by Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina. In his consolation first round match, Mallory lost in a third set tie-breaker to Johan Van Wijk, from Gardner-Webb University. Gardner-Webb won the first […]

The Bermuda Equestrian Federation hosted the 2023 CEA Regional Jumping Challenge at the Bermuda National Equestrian Center. Tyler James won the 0.75m Class riding Sunny Days, they had a score of 57.93, but they also had 4 Penalty Fault Points, Simone Sainsbury riding Face Off won the 0.85m Class with two Clear Rounds of 62.11. […]

The ARJ21, COMAC's first commercially available plane, was rebranded on Tuesday to the C909. Chen Xiao/VCG via Getty Images China's COMAC is rebranding its regional jet to the C909, keeping with the naming style of its newer C919. That might not get COMAC more C909 sales, but it markets the plane…

Peter Berkowitz, Director of Policy Planning at the Department of State from 2019 to 2021 will discuss Middle East regional security.

The ARJ21 is now to be known as the C909. The renaming plays into COMAC's ambition to enter the global market.

Network Power in the Asia-Pacific: Making Sense of the New Regionalism and Opportunities for Cooperation 7 February 2020 — 9:45AM TO 5:30PM Anonymous (not verified) 17 January 2020 Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE

The Asia-Pacific region continues to increase in geopolitical and geoeconomic importance. The rise of China and tensions with the US are affecting bilateral relationships and traditional alliances in the region. Whether seen from the perspective of the Quad – Australia, India, Japan and the US – or the Indo-Pacific concept embraced by a wide range of countries but with no shared consensus on scope and objectives or with ASEAN who insists on the importance of its own centrality, the region is redefining and reconceptualising itself.

With a diverse range of initiatives – including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – there are a plethora of regional agreements and institutional groupings that add further complexity.

As the Bretton Woods architecture continues to be dominated by Western powers, China is also spearheading parallel governance initiatives such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Belt and Road Initiative and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a means of enhancing its geopolitical and geoeconomic influence.

This one-day conference will focus on how such networks and alliances have been built, and sustained, in the Asia-Pacific region. In order to understand how new regional initiatives might open up opportunities for new forms of international cooperation, the conference will focus on the themes of cyber-technology and innovation, sustainable development and mitigating the impacts of climate change and new infrastructure initiatives. It will assess whether there is a zero-sum conflict between competing networks and agendas or whether a common approach can be developed.

Evolving Turkey–Iran relations and implications for regional reordering

This project examines the nature of the bilateral relationship between Turkey and Iran in relation to Middle Eastern countries and in the context of broader regional dynamics.

The 2016–21 period in Turkish–Iranian relations, which was marked by both sides’ structured cooperation through the Astana Process and Sochi summits on conflict management in Syria, and their largely shared opposition to US policy in Syria and at the broader regional level, to Iraqi Kurdistan’s independence referendum, and to the blockade of Qatar, has run its course. 

However, the new shape of these bilateral relations remains undefined, and understanding them is essential to effective policymaking in the region. How they will evolve will have direct ramifications for Iraq, Syria, regional Kurdish geopolitics, and the process of regional reordering and connectivity in the Middle East and South Caucasus. They will also have direct implications for US and European policymaking and role in the region. 

This project studies the evolving nature of Turkish–Iranian relations through Iraq, Syria and regional Kurdish politics. It examines how Turkey and Iran approach regional connectivity projects and major regional initiatives, and how ongoing regional developments, including the war in Gaza, have and may impact Turkey–Iran relations and EU, US and UK security considerations and policy towards the two countries.

The Centre for Applied Turkey Studies (CATS) at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) in Berlin is funded by Stiftung Mercator and the Federal Foreign Office. CATS is the curator of the CATS Network, an international network of think-tanks and research institutions working on Turkey. 

Evolving Turkey–Iran Relations and Implications for Regional Reordering is a project of the CATS Network.