When we mention wine, many will immediately think of Italy, Spain, or France, which are considered to be the cradles of this beverage popular all over the world. You will think how, with their traditional music in the background, you are tasting wine in beautiful wineries with a view of endless vineyards. Yes, Europe is ... Read more

The post Sedona’s Wine Country: A Blend Of Beauty And Flavor For Wine Connoisseurs appeared first on Star Two.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden questioned President Trump’s response to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the Nov. 3 presidential election. When landed in Wilmington, Delaware Wednesday night after campaigning in North Carolina, Biden was asked about the president’s earlier remarks from his White House briefing. “What country are we in?” […]

The post Biden Slams Trump’s Election Comment: ‘What Country Are We In?’ appeared first on Hispolitica.

It's a British heritage brand driven by royals, including the late Queen Elizabeth. Now new Jaguars won't be on UK car lots until at least 2026.

The country is set to experience varied weather conditions, with several impact-based warnings issued across various provinces, according to the South African Weather Service.

The following article, Will These Deranged Celebrities Who Promised To End Their Lives Or Flee The Country If Trump Wins Actually Follow Through?, was first published on Conservative Firing Line.

(Natural News) Similar to what happened in 2016, a host of celebrities and influencers made wild claims that they would leave the country or even end their lives if Donald Trump won another term in the White House. Will any of them actually follow through? Take Rob Reiner, for instance. He promised to “set himself on …

Continue reading Will These Deranged Celebrities Who Promised To End Their Lives Or Flee The Country If Trump Wins Actually Follow Through? ...

The following article, Forty-Seven Percent Of Harris Voters Believe Trump Will Not Be A Legitimate President; 54 Percent Want To Leave The Country, was first published on Conservative Firing Line.

I really wish that everyone would just calm down.  Emotions always run high immediately after an election, but what we are witnessing this time around is truly frightening.  We live at a time when people feel free to express their deepest, darkest emotions on social media, and right now “freak out video” after “freak out …

Continue reading Forty-Seven Percent Of Harris Voters Believe Trump Will Not Be A Legitimate President; 54 Percent Want To Leave The Country ...

It's all over but the crying for a campaign that was supposed to be characterized by 'joy'. There will be no concession speech tonight. At little before 1 am, Kamala is running like a scared rabbit.

The post Cowardly Kamala Pulls A Hillary — Refuses To Concede As Trump Paints The Country Red appeared first on Clash Daily.

An Attack on the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ Principle in Hong Kong Expert comment sysadmin 11 January 2016

The disappearance of publisher Lee Bo may mark the beginning of the end of Beijing’s commitment to uphold the framework that provides the territory with a high degree of autonomy.

The disappearance of a publisher in Hong Kong, Lee Bo, who owns a well-known bookshop that sells books critical of Chinese leaders, is a landmark event and potentially a historical turning point for Hong Kong. It is not clear if this happened at the behest of the senior Chinese leadership. But if those responsible for the disappearing of Lee are not punished, it will be clear that their acts are condoned by the authorities.

This is deeply worrying as it gravely undermines the ‘one country, two systems’ framework, which provides Hong Kong with high degree of autonomy from Beijing. Under the Sino-British Agreement of 1984 and Hong Kong’s Basic Law, which govern relations between Hong Kong and China, the rights of Hong Kong citizens are meant to be protected within the territory. Mainland Chinese authorities do not have the legal power to arrest or detain an individual in, or remove anyone from, Hong Kong.

The Chinese know the limit of their legal authority in Hong Kong. Hence, Lee was quietly disappeared, rather than openly arrested. But that it happened at all may mark the beginning of the end of Beijing’s commitment to uphold the ‘one country, two systems’ framework – a relationship that requires Beijing to tolerate, if not respect, the judicial integrity and the way of life in Hong Kong.

Do we know for sure that Lee was ‘disappeared’ by China’s security apparatus? Before he disappeared, Lee said in an interview that he knew he had been watched and that his emails were accessed by Chinese agents, and that he would not travel to the mainland as a result. And we know that Lee’s travel documents are all in his home; yet he is now supposedly in China ‘assisting the authorities in an investigation’ into something unspecified. This explanation comes from a fax sent to Lee’s wife, probably intended by the Chinese authorities to put an end to speculation. But why would Chinese authorities work with Lee, a British citizen who carries no travel documents and would thus have broken the law by entering China? The circumstantial evidence is strong enough to show that whether he was taken by Chinese officers or someone else, his removal from Hong Kong to China must have received official endorsement.

Should the rest of the world be concerned about this? Hong Kong is a major financial center that services the world economy, and it can do so largely because it enjoys judicial independence and the high degree of autonomy under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework. It is also a shining example of how the rights and scope of development for individuals can be respected in a Chinese community. Should the ‘one country, two systems’ framework be undermined, Hong Kong as we know it will be no more.

Beijing’s quick response in requiring Lee to fax his family may come across as ham-fisted and callous, but it also demonstrates that it had not expected the strong backlash to Lee’s disappearance. A strong and well-articulated international response that brings the matter to Xi’s attention may persuade him that it is in China’s best interest to put a stop to this process of undermining the ‘one country, two systems’ framework. Given Hong Kong’s importance to the global economy, this should be a priority for the international community.

This article was originally published in the Diplomat.

To comment on this article, please contact Chatham House Feedback

Twenty Years After Hong Kong Handover, Does ‘One Country, Two Systems’ Still Work? Expert comment sysadmin 28 June 2017

This unique constitutional framework can endure – if Hong Kong society can reconcile its different visions of the future.

Twenty years after the handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese sovereignty, the ‘one country, two systems’ arrangement – the main aim of which was to guarantee the continuity of Hong Kong’s open society and way of life – can be said to have worked well. Street protests remain a regular feature of Hong Kong’s political culture. Freedom of information and expression are alive and well. Hong Kong retains its ‘capitalist way of life’, its legal system based on common law and independent judiciary, and its status as an international financial centre. As a result the city remains one of the most open economies across Asia, with robust institutions and transparency which are hard to find anywhere else in the region.

Yet the 79-day ‘occupy’ protests of autumn 2014 showed that something is not quite right in the city of Hong Kong.

The protests themselves had a number of causes. Partly they reflected socioeconomic concerns, especially the rise in income inequality and lack of affordable housing. These might have been dealt with to some extent by better governance over the years, but they are also a feature of many societies in the current phase of globalization – a case, perhaps, of too much ‘capitalist way of life’.

Politically, the desire expressed by many in 2014 was for a form of ‘genuine universal suffrage’ for the selection of Hong Kong’s chief executive which went beyond a provision of Hong Kong’s mini constitution, the Basic Law, that candidates should be put forward by a ‘nominating committee’. It was on this point that the possibility of constitutional reform foundered in 2015, leaving Hong Kong no further ahead in its ‘gradual progress’ towards democracy.

But this episode also brought to the surface the tension between different visions for Hong Kong’s future. In particular, many in Hong Kong are still uncomfortable with the ‘one country’ part of the deal, rejected by some (especially young people) in the ways that they conceptualize Hong Kong identity – according to one recent survey, as little as 3.1% of Hong Kong youths identify themselves as ‘Chinese’. These issues are likely to constrain political development for some time to come.

At their sharpest, some of these visions are for some form of self-determination, or even independence, for Hong Kong. This is not just anathema to the national authorities in Beijing, but contradicts a basic tenet of Hong Kong’s handover in 1997, the return to Chinese sovereignty. This is not just something on which Beijing will never compromise, but will seek to challenge.

It is this which explains the sense in Hong Kong that the central government has been looking to become politically more involved since 2014. But the challenge of influencing Hong Kong society is great, and other than strengthening relations with the establishment camp, Beijing has not been able to tighten its grip. If anything, the centre of gravity of Hong Kong politics has continued to drift away from Beijing, not towards it.

How this will play out remains to be seen. Some amelioration of social tensions could help. But the fundamental divergence in visions of Hong Kong’s future will not be resolved so easily.

Looking forward therefore, the key to the continued success of ‘one country, two systems’ lies in Hong Kong society. If mainstream acceptance of the compromises involved can return, then this unique constitutional framework can still work for years to come.

11 July 2020

"Transforming Energy," the artist's first museum show in China, focuses on "artworks and objects that actively engage the audience"

Government corruption, loved ones becoming ill or dying, cyberterrorism and nuclear weapons topped the list of Chapman University's annual survey

See images of the American flag captured by our readers.

Company provides SolidWorks Student Edition software to 100 winners of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

One worker in North Africa trusts God to provide financially and receives a request to tutor English.

Thirteen participants in a weeklong outreach recently interacted with refugees, supporting OM’s refugee work in Linz.

Education Week takes a close look at the obstacles and opportunities for American Indian children in finding success in school and beyond.

Viral country singer-songwriter and former reality-star contestant Sam Barber will bring his “Restless Mind” tour to Happy Valley at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, in Eisenhower Auditorium.

Penn State Behrend’s cross-country teams won the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championships at the Westmoreland Fairgrounds on Nov. 2. The men’s team claimed a fifth-consecutive title. The women’s team won a sixth-straight title.

Albania is seeing a rebirth of its communist-era military structures. No, not to prepare for a war. The country has turned old bunkers and barracks into tourist destinations.

US News report ranks investable countries, with surprise results at the top.

The next technology revolution is here, and Japan is poised to be a major part of it. At NVIDIA’s AI Summit Japan on Wednesday, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang and SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son shared a sweeping vision for Japan’s role in the AI revolution. Speaking in Tokyo, Huang underscored that AI Read Article

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Fazlur Rehman asserted on Saturday that a conspiracy was hatched to create unrest in the country. In Peshawar, Rehman stated, “The efforts were made to harm the country. But the JUI-F had fought the battle to save the country. We had dismantled the enemies by fighting for the sake of ... Read more

The post JUI-F Chief Fazlur Rehman Alleges Conspiracy to Unsettle Country, appeared first on Pakistan Tribune.

VisitMalta launches military tourism segment aimed at attracting military history enthusiasts to Malta

ADB’s Country Partnership Strategy for Bhutan for 2024-2028 aims to enable inclusive, sustainable, resilient, and job-creating growth.

ADB has a vacancy for the position of Senior Country Economist in the Southeast Asia Department. The deadline for submitting applications is on 26-NOV-2024.

This study outlines actions Cambodia can take to diversify its economy and shows how cutting business costs, tackling human capital deficits, and reducing vulnerability to external shocks can help drive sustainable, inclusive growth.

The proposed project will support the Royal Government of Cambodia in its commitment to reduce Gender-based Violence (GBV) line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 on gender equality, specifically to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, through proven and novel approaches across the continuum of prevention, mitigation, and response.

Title: Scotland Becomes 1st Country to Provide Free Period Products
Category: Health News
Created: 8/15/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/16/2022 12:00:00 AM

ABSTRACTIntroduction:Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) was established in 2012 with the goal of expanding contraceptive access. By 2020, 46 countries had made commitments to FP2020. A sustained focus on adolescents and youth (AY) began in 2016. During the commitment formulation process, substantial support was offered to countries to develop AY commitments based on sound data, research evidence, and programmatic experience. This study assesses how country commitments under FP2020 and FP2030 have evolved over time with respect to improving attention to and focus on the needs of adolescents and youth sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH).Methods:We analyzed the content of FP2020 and FP2030 country commitments focusing on AY (aged 10–24 years) using a scoring guideline we developed to measure the AY commitments in terms of completeness, clarity, and quality.Results:This analysis shows that FP2030 commitments better articulate strategies and activities to reach AY with contraceptive information and services when compared to FP2020 commitments.Conclusion:FP2030 commitments are stronger in some areas on AYSRH, such as commitment to establish national or local policies, strategies, and guidance for AY programming, specifying the target audience of the AY commitment, and partnering with AY or youth-led organizations in commitments. However, more work remains to be done by countries to dedicate a budget for achieving AY objectives, including measurable targets for monitoring progress, identifying and addressing the root causes that impact AY access to and use of contraception, including child marriage and gender-based violence, and reducing financial barriers to access contraception.

Nintendo today hosted a Super Nintendo World Direct livestream that featured Shigeru Miyamoto giving a deep dive look into the Donkey Kong Country-themed land.

The new land will feature a family roller coaster, called Mine-Cart Madness, congas you can hit to a rhythm, letters that can found throughout the land that can be scanned on the new Donkey Kong Power-Up Band, character meet and greets, and new food options.

Donkey Kong Country will open at Universal Studios Japan on December 11, 2024, and will also be a part of Super Nintendo World at Epic Universe in Florida when the theme park opens in May 2025.

View the Direct below:

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.

Full Article - https://www.vgchartz.com/article/463038/super-nintendo-world-direct-dives-into-the-donkey-kong-country-themed-land/

Watch Video | Listen to the Audio

JUDY WOODRUFF: Firefighters say they are making some progress battling the wildfires in Northern California. In all, the fires have consumed more than 220,000 acres, an area larger than New York City.

More than 5,700 structures have been destroyed. And at least 41 people have died, making it the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history.

The wine industry and the tourism business connected with it are trying to take stock. More than $50 billion in California’s economy comes from the wine business. And nearly 24 million people visit the region for that reason every year.

Special correspondent Joanne Jennings reports from Napa County.

JOANNE JENNINGS, Special Correspondent: The Mayacamas mountain range creates a natural barrier between Sonoma and Napa Counties. And it is here where the massive Nuns fire is posing a tough challenge for some 11,000 firefighters who are taming the blaze with aircraft and units on the ground.

CAPT. MARK BRENNERMAN, Viejas fire Department: We’re going around and making sure none of these fires that are still smoldering and smoking, we’re not going to get another big fire out of them.

JOANNE JENNINGS: Even as firefighters are battling shifting winds, owners and workers in Wine Country are trying to determine just how much damage has been done.

The tony Highlands gated community was among the first to be consumed by flames when the Atlas fire raced through this canyon, leaving several mansions in rubble. Down the hill, at the Silverado resort, charred remnants of the Safeway PGA Tour remain. The major golf event had just wrapped up last Sunday afternoon, a few hours before flames engulfed tents and grandstands, forcing spectators and athletes to evacuate.

MAN: Do you see how it burned right up to the retaining wall here?

JOANNE JENNINGS: Silverado resident Steve Messina stayed behind and shot video of fire crews containing the flames, which consumed some condos. Within minutes, flames raced three miles down Silverado Trail, home to several storied hillside vineyards.

Most wineries in the region have been spared the worst. But hundreds suffered some damage. And at least eight vineyards have been significantly damaged or destroyed.

Pierre Birebent, who has been making wines for the family-owned Signorello estate for 20 years, rushed to his winery as quickly as he could.

PIERRE BIREBENT, Signorello Estate Vineyards: I jumped right in my truck, came down, and then when I was riding down, I saw the hill all flaming.

JOANNE JENNINGS: Two vineyard workers joined him to help save the estate’s tasting room.

PIERRE BIREBENT: But the smoke was getting very thick, and the wind was very strong. And after an hour, we couldn’t breathe anymore. At the moment, I was so upset. It was rage to see that I couldn’t do anything. But it was like fighting a giant.

JOANNE JENNINGS: The tasting room, which also housed the winery’s office and a dining room, burned to the ground. But Birebent says he wants to focused on what survived.

Fortunately, he said, the fire stopped short of reaching the vineyard, the crush pad, or any of the barrels of wine stored on site; 95 percent of this year’s grapes were already picked.

But, to be on the safe side, Birebent is taking these samples to a lab to make sure the juice is not too acidic for winemaking. If the crops are OK, a staff of 25 employees will have jobs to return to.

As the fires begin to recede and the smoke clears, people here are beginning to wonder when the tourists, who fuel much of the economy, will return.

It’s a serious concern for Andrew and Jeni (ph) Schluter, who are self-employed and are raising a young family.

ANDREW SCHLUTER, Andrew’s Tours and Transportation: I do wine tours and transportation for people. And my business started to do really, really well. I was on track to have the best month ever.

JOANNE JENNINGS: Andrew just bought this new SUV, which has been idle in his driveway collecting ash. Jeni is a personal trainer and has family who lost their homes in the fires. She’s just not sure how they’re going to make ends meet.

WOMAN: I think we’re just overwhelmed, you know? And uncertainty is kind of scary.

ANDREW SCHLUTER: We will hopefully get by for awhile, but we might make — have to make some hard decisions shortly.

JOANNE JENNINGS: While fires burn nearby, some vineyards are already open to tourists. At the Raymond Vineyard, workers are crushing grapes at a feverish pitch. The tasting room is open for the first time since the fires started.

Jeremy and Erika Moore arrived from Tennessee yesterday. They considered canceling their trip, but decided the best way they could help people here is to give them their business.

JEREMY MOORE, Tourist: On the one hand, a few hundred yards from here, you can see them shuttling up with the helicopters fighting fires, but then here it’s beautiful. They are doing some great tastings, and they are working outside on the crops. So, it’s a weird combination of tragedy, but then at the same time business must go on, too.

JOANNE JENNINGS: Proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset owns several wineries in California, France and Canada, but like many other people here, he and his family had to evacuate their home when the flames came dangerously close.

Still, he is bullish about the future of the wine industry in this region.

JEAN-CHARLES BOISSET, Boisset Collection: Napa has been one of the most amazing agricultural places in California for a long time, so it will survive those fires. What I love, as a Frenchman here in California, is that amazing American positive attitude.

We will recover. We will walk again, run again, and we will welcome all our guests and give them the dreams of fine wine.

JOANNE JENNINGS: For the PBS NewsHour, I’m Joanne Jennings in Napa Valley, California.

The post California wine country tries to get back to business despite wildfire destruction appeared first on PBS NewsHour.

While many states focused on issues like abortion and immigration throughout this election cycle, voters in California and Colorado approved tougher crime laws.

Australians have been urged to look before they cook and read the safety advice on food labels. The Food Safety Information Council (FSIC) issued the call ahead of Australian Food Safety week from Nov. 9 to 16. Lydia Buchtmann, FSIC CEO, said the charity’s research shows that only 3 in... Continue Reading

Country music star Darius Rucker paid the East Tennessee State University's NIL fund $10 for every minute he was on the field Saturday after what he called an "awkward" appearance.

The office of the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), a federal watchdog agency, revealed in its regular report that China has held more than 200 meetings with Taliban terrorists since their return to power, Afghanistan's Tolo News reported this weekend.

The post U.S. Watchdog Report: China Holds More Meetings with Taliban than Any Other Country appeared first on Breitbart.

Nintendo is set to show off the Donkey Kong Country expansion of its Super Nintendo World theme park today (Monday, November 11) at 5PM ET, the company revealed in a post on X. That means the new Universal Studios Japan area might finally open soon, after being delayed from the previously announced launch window of Spring 2024. 

The new park attraction featuring Mario's barrel-throwing nemesis was first revealed in 2021. The centerpiece is a ride called Mine Cart Madness, named after the best level in the 1994 SNES game Donkey Kong Country. After being blasted out of a barrel cannon, you'll take a mine cart ride through the jungle that includes a "leap across a collapsed track" as Nintendo showed in a render earlier this year.  

The direct livestream appears to be focused on Donkey Kong world alone, and Nintendo specifically pointed out that "no game information will be featured" — so don't expect any news on the next-gen Switch 2 console either. 

Donkey Kong Country will expand the park size by up to 70 percent, Nintendo said when it was announced. Current attractions at the Japan park are the Mario Kart: Kuppa's Challenge rollercoaster and Yoshi Adventure. Nintendo recently announced that it would open a Super Nintendo World attraction at Universal Studios Orlando on May 22nd, 2025 with the same attractions as the park in Osaka. 

During a recent panel, experts discussed the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (MCPAP) for Moms and how it achieved scale.

The post How One Massachusetts Maternal Mental Health Program Scaled Across the Country appeared first on MedCity News.

I have had a long-standing interest in South Africa, and in 1995 briefly contemplated moving there to work. The country had just had its first multi-racial election, and the great Nelson Mandela had been elected President. I was deeply curious to see, at first-hand, what the land and its people would make of their hard [...]

Jul 16, 2024

Mohammad Tabaar's analysis posits that yet even if Khamenei gives Pezeshkian a relatively long leash, his government is unlikely to negotiate another ambitious nuclear agreement. It will, instead, look to ink a deal that could freeze or incrementally scale back Iran's nuclear advances, including by reducing the quality and quantity of the uranium Iran enriches, in exchange for sanctions relief. Such a transactional deal would have multiple advantages for Pezeshkian. Given Khamenei's support, Iran's conservatives would be less likely to sabotage that deal than they were the 2015 agreement. And it would be easy for Tehran to ramp up its program if the United States withdraws again, as occurred under President Donald Trump in 2018.

Bad traffic, tired drivers and cranky kids; life makes holiday travel anything but a holiday. Watch what happens when Ziploc� takes over a tollbooth and surprises real holiday travelers with gifts.

Northwestern Mutual will support the fight against childhood cancer by hosting lemonade stands nationwide as part of Alex�s Lemonade Days (June 12-14). Join the fight and build your own lemonade stand.

HBO PR reached out to me about seeing Lovecraft Country, first episode dropping tonight. As a mixed race SF author I have a complicated relationship with Lovecraft, but the trailers intrigued. Mostly Black cast? Black writer-producer? Yes please! Check Lovecraft Country out not just because HBO gave me a goody bag and a free view, […]

Shigeru Miyamoto previews games, Golden Temple ride, more in Direct video

I lived for 8 years under President Ronald Reagan, a shallow, stupid, evil man who wrecked the economy and laughed as gay men, and others, died of AIDS, who made deals with our enemies to get elected, and I said, “at least it can’t get worse than this.” I lived for 8 years under President […]