In his last report from Istanbul, Fr. John reflects on how hidden Christianity is in this country which once was the center of Christianity.

Fr. John shares an update from the Department of Evangelization with the 18th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America, July 2015.

In this podcast, the Chancellor of the Seminary, Fr. Chad Hatfield talks about the year just completed, the financial picture and some myths that need to be dispelled.

research and short essays about cultural loss and the critical importance of preservation and access #

We talk with Roy Azar, Project Coordinator for IOCC, who just returned from Damascus. He reports on the continued work of IOCC in providing humanitarian aid for the refugees and displaced families but also calls for prayer for the abducted nuns from Maaloula.

Managing a call center well requires a lot of careful decision-making and even more data to back it up. At the same time, though, it can be extremely difficult to know which KPIs and metrics matter the most to your specific business. There are three types of call center reports […]

The post 3 Types of Call Center Reporting and Which Is Right for You appeared first on .

Katie Simpson's mother says those responsible for police failings "are nowhere to be seen".

Isle of Man Crimestoppers campaign encourages young people to recognise crime and report it.

An academic who co-chaired the flags commission says he is "disappointed" by the lack of progress.

Under co-option, parties can fill vacancies in the assembly and councils without holding a by-election.

Sheffield Wednesday fan holds up sign saying 'Where's Baldock?' during match with Sheffield United.

An anti-spiking charity says it has not seen a fall in reports although official figures are down.

A review identifies aspects of poor care and issues with the neonatal service.

The Bishop of Chelmsford says Justin Welby has taken responsibility for his "failures".

There are almost 400 active cases of reported damp or mould in social housing across Wiltshire.

According to Marie Curie, 35% of working age people who died in Bradford were in poverty.

1. Niagara Health offering free parking after delays reported  News Talk 610 CKTB
2. Implementation of new Niagara Health patient info system resulting in long wait times  St. Catharines Standard
3. Temporary delays impacting registration at emergency departments  Thorold News
4. Niagara Health Working Through Delays  101.1 More FM
5. Niagara Health experiencing temporary delays impacting registration and EDs  Niagara Health

1. Food bank usage in Toronto is higher than its ever been, says new report  CP24
2. More than 1 in 10 Torontonians now rely on food banks, 2024 saw highest number of visits ever recorded: report  NOW Toronto
3. 4 in 5 newcomers to Canada relying on food banks, Toronto report finds  National Post
4. One in 10 Toronto residents now relies on food banks: Report  Toronto Sun
5. Food bank use in Toronto breaks records — again  CBC.ca

Aim/Purpose: This paper presents the findings of an Activity-Oriented Teaching Strategy (AOTS) conducted for a postgraduate level Software Engineering (SE) course with the aim of imparting meaningful software development experience for the students. The research question is framed as whether the activity-oriented teaching strategy helps students to acquire practical knowledge of Software Engineering and thus bridge the gap between academia and software industry. Background: Software Engineering Education (SEE) in India is mainly focused on teaching theoretical concepts rather than emphasizing on practical knowledge in software development process. It has been noticed that many students of CS/IT background are struggling when they start their career in the software industry due to inadequate familiarity with the software development process. In the current context of SE education, there is a knowledge gap between the theory learned in the classroom and the actual requirement demanded by the software industry. Methodology: The methodology opted for in this study was action research since the teachers are trying to solve the practical problems and deficiencies encountered while teaching SE. There are four pedagogies in AOTS for fulfilling the requirements of the desired teaching strategy. They are flipped classroom, project role-play for developing project artifacts, teaching by example, and student seminars. The study was conducted among a set of Postgraduate students of the Software Engineering programme at Cochin University of Science and Technology, India. Contribution: AOTS can fulfil both academic and industrial requirements by actively engaging the students in the learning process and thus helping them develop their professional skills. Findings: AOTS can be molded as a promising teaching strategy for learning Software Engineering. It focuses on the essential skill sets demanded by the software industry such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and understanding of the software development processes. Impact on Society: Activity-oriented teaching strategies can fulfil both academic and industrial requirements by actively engaging the students in the SE learning process and thus helping them in developing their professional skills. Future Research: AOTS can be refined by adding/modifying pedagogies and including different features like an online evaluation system, virtual classroom etc.

Aim/Purpose: The need for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to maximize the use of their intellectual property and strategic resources for research and teaching has become ever more evident in recent years. Furthermore, little attention is paid in developing an enabling system that will facilitate knowledge transfer in the Research-Teaching Nexus (RTN). Hence, this study assesses the current state of practice in knowledge management of the nexus in higher education in Oman. It also explores the context of how Knowledge Management System (KMS) for the nexus can be designed and utilized by HEIs and challenges them to rethink their traditional approaches in managing their knowledge as-sets to boost individual and organizational learning. Background: This study provides a Knowledge Management-based framework and design of a knowledge management system that support the academic community towards the improvement of the nexus. This study sets out ideas from various academic and professional experts on how academic stakeholders in the higher education can improve and promote knowledge transfer and make better use of its knowledge and research assets for teaching and learning. It stressed the importance of having the knowledge assets or resources that can easily be pooled, accessed, and made available to its intended stakeholders. Methodology: Data were gathered from 29 out of 49 institutional quality audit reports of all HEIs in Oman. The panel comments were coded and analysed to extract valuable insights regarding the management of knowledge assets in research. Additionally, data were gathered from the institutional accreditation outcomes page of the same website. Manifest and latent content analyses were used in reporting the findings of the panel. Contribution: The study will contribute to a greater understanding and acceptance of Knowledge Management (KM) in higher education and extended the body of knowledge concerning knowledge management for the RTN. Findings: The reports revealed a very limited practice of the nexus in terms of people and culture, structure ad processes, and computing and web technologies. A few staff are involved in RTN work, there is an uneven understanding of the RTN among staff, limited joint research between staff and students are some of the reasons for this. Significantly, there is no explicit research framework or policy for the RTN, and systems and/or mechanisms are limited. Further-more, the reports did not account any use of computing and web technologies for the nexus. These limitations can lead to students with less academic, research, and graduate skills. Hence, this study presents a feature design of a KMS that incorporates various RTN best practices, as informed by the reports and literature. The design will allow the staff to utilize the research assets in the classroom, at the same time, engages students in research and scholarly under-takings. Recommendations for Practitioners: All HEIs must have a innovative system that integrates a formal agenda and approach, and set initiatives, strategies, policies, and procedures for knowledge management in utilizing research assets for teaching and learning. It must be designed so that RTN practices remain up-to-date, relevant, and responsive to the needs of the stakeholders, as well as, address academic accreditation challenges. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers can evaluate the knowledge management of RTN practices of other HEIs outside of Oman to effectively recommend the proper course of action for teaching and learning improvement. Impact on Society: This study will redefine the role and contribution of HEIs, which are key players in advancing a knowledge economy. HEIs are expected to be powerhouses where academic knowledge is discovered, created, disseminated, shared, and re-invented. They must be able to fully grasp the value of managing knowledge to be able to effect positive and purposeful change to the community. Future Research: Future work should include staff and student surveys that examine the knowledge management need of the learning organization to better inform the design of a KMS for the RTN. Thereafter, future research can test the stage to test the effectiveness of the conceptual design.

TAIPEI: A state-funded English-language broadcaster in Taiwan removed a video of one of its journalists calling US President-elect Donald Trump a “convicted felon”, after the Taipei government said the incident was “very serious”.

Taiwan has publicly congratulated Trump on his victory, joining other governments around the world in trying to get onside with the next US administration.

Washington has long been Taipei’s most important supporter, but Trump raised concerns on the campaign trail by suggesting Taiwan should pay the United States for its defence and accusing it of stealing the US semiconductor industry.

TaiwanPlus correspondent Louise Watt was speaking on camera in the United States last week when she said “the US is either going to vote in its first female president or its first convicted felon”.

“Well America looks like it’s chosen the felon,“ Watt said, in a clip shared by Taiwanese broadcaster TVBS and seen by AFP.

Taiwan Culture Minister Li Yuan told local media on Saturday that TaiwanPlus took down the video after he told the broadcaster “that this issue is very serious”.

Public Television Service Foundation, which manages TaiwanPlus, said Monday the broadcaster had “humbly reviewed its operational procedures” following the report.

The foundation said it will convene a “self-discipline” committee this week to “discuss the matter”.

TaiwanPlus broadcasts videos on its website, YouTube and cable television.

More than 90 percent of its viewers are overseas, the foundation said.

In 2023, TaiwanPlus began showing in US hotels in “key cities frequented by political and economic elites, such as Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle”, the foundation said.

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Frustrating Xbox owners around the globe, reports are flooding in across the web that Xbox Live is currently down. Whether you're looking to jump into a game, stream your favorite shows, or navigate the dashboard, users are finding themselves locked out of any functionality. Users from Reddit to Twitter to my own living rooms are reporting that accessing any service is impossible. This includes playing games, accessing cloud saves, using apps, or even browsing the Xbox Store. The crux of the problem seems to be tied to the Xbox Live login. X...

Vehicle prices are continuing on the downward trajectory, which is something that money expert Clark Howard has been saying would happen. “The used vehicle prices are on a steady downturn, and the new vehicles are on a downturn as well but not as steep because they don’t have as far to fall as the used […]

The post Report: 10 Used Cars With Big Price Drops appeared first on Clark Howard.

Vehicle prices have been causing sticker shock for the past couple of years, but money expert Clark Howard says used cars have normalized recently. A recent report from vehicle research site iSeeCars indicates that shoppers are still throwing their dollars toward older used cars as the price of new cars remains stubbornly expensive. Here are […]

The post New Report: The Average Price of a Used Car appeared first on Clark Howard.

It’s no secret that electric vehicles (EVs) are starting to grow on the American public. A study from vehicle research site iSeeCars.com measures the number of EV chargers in the top U.S. cities and their rate of installation as a barometer of how EV-friendly the places are. Which Cities Are the Most Electric Vehicle-Friendly? While […]

The post Report: Top Cities for Electric Cars appeared first on Clark Howard.

The average price for a new vehicle rose over the past month, but the increase was only negligible, according to the latest sales figures from car valuation site Kelley Blue Book (KBB). How Much Does a New Car Cost Right Now? The average price for a new vehicle was $48,397 in September 2024 — 0.4% […]

The post Report: The Average Price of a New Vehicle appeared first on Clark Howard.

If you’re traveling to a faraway place for a long time, there’s a good chance that a car rental would be money well spent for you. A recent survey from CheapCarRental.net indicates that rental rates have dropped just 0.5% compared to a year ago but by about 28% compared to earlier this summer. That means […]

The post Report: 10 Most Expensive U.S. Cities for Car Rentals appeared first on Clark Howard.

If you’re in the market for a laptop or desktop PC, you know that pretty much all of them come with impressive features. But which brands stand out from the rest? The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Household Appliance and Electronics Study 2024 rates the best computer brands and types of devices according to customer […]

The post Report: The #1 Computer Brand for Customer Satisfaction appeared first on Clark Howard.

Blatant violations continue in IOJ&K despite India's signature on United Nations Convention against Torture in 1997

A girl receives polio vaccine drops, during an anti-polio campaign, in a low-income neighborhood in Karachi on July 20, 2020. — Reuters First case in Chagai district confirmed. Lab detects Poliovirus Type-1 .Genetic sequencing of samples underway.

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A representational image shows three babies together. — Pexels

In a significant shift since 1998, the rate of triplet births and births of a higher order, like quadruplets and sextuplets, plummeted by 62% in the United States in 2023, according to a recent report from the Centres...

A girl receives polio vaccine drops, during an anti-polio campaign, in a low-income neighborhood in Karachi, July 20, 2020. — Reuters

Afghan-French journalist recounts torture and fear in Afghan prison, calls for support for detained journalists

WJAP, Freedom Network report reveals share of women journalists at news outlets is only 11%

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Musadik Masood Malik says rate of petroleum levy to also decrease with increase in tax-to-GDP ratio

Donald Trump gestures next to South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem during a town hall campaign event in Oaks, Pennsylvania, US, October 14, 2024. — Reuters

US President-elect Donald Trump has picked South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to serve as the next secretary of the Department of...

A San Jose State University women's volleyball assistant coach has left the team after reportedly filing a Title IX complaint about the squad's male-to-female transgender player.

Inside the Ring: Rising global temperatures pose pressing challenges for the Defense Department and a new climate planning cell is needed to better monitor climate threats, according to a major new study by the Pentagon's Defense Science Board.

The military command in charge of conducting cyber warfare lacks the tools to conduct successful offensive attacks and defend against digital strikes by China and other adversaries, according to a report by the Pentagon's Defense Science Board.

China's military is advancing the development of high-technology arms, including sound weapons to wage cognitive warfare -- the use of unconventional tools and capabilities to alter enemy thinking and decision-making, according to a new open-source intelligence report.

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating after an individual reportedly placed screws in the road near a ballot box in the 1300 block of 5th Street NE in the District of Columbia on Tuesday.

Sony's profit rose 69% in July-September from a year earlier on the back of strong sales of its image sensors, games, music and network services, the Japanese electronics and entertainment company said on Friday.

Jalen Hurts is clear on the injury report to play for Philadelphia at the Dallas Cowboys after coach Nick Sirianni revealed Friday his quarterback is dealing with an ankle issue.

Monographs are fundamental for progress in systematic  botany. They are the vehicles for circumscribing and naming taxa, determining distributions and ecology,  assessing  relationships for formal classification, and interpreting long-term  and short-term  dimensions of the evolutionary process. Despite their importance, fewer monographs are now being prepared by the newer generation  of systematic  botanists, who are understandably involved principally with DNA data and analysis, especially for answering  phylogenetic, biogeographic, and population  genetic questions.  As monographs provide  hypotheses regarding species  boundaries and plant relationships, new insights  in many plant groups  are urgently  needed.  Increasing  pressures  on biodiversity, especially in tropical and developing regions of the world, emphasize this point. The results from a workshop (with 21 participants) reaffirm  the central role that monographs play in systematic  botany. But, rather than advocating abbreviated models  for monographic products,  we recommend a full presentation of relevant  information. Electronic  publication offers numerous  means of illustration of taxa, habitats, characters, and statistical and phylogenetic analyses, which previously  would have been prohibitively costly. Open Access and semantically enhanced  linked electronic  publications provide instant access to content from anywhere  in the world, and at the same time link this content to all underlying data and digital resources  used in the work.  Resources  in support  of monography, especially  databases  and widely  and easily  accessible  digital  literature and specimens, are now more powerful  than ever before, but interfacing and interoperability of databases  are much needed. Priorities  for new resources  to be developed  include an index of type collections and an online global chromosome database. Funding  for sabbaticals for monographers to work uninterrupted on major projects  is strongly  encouraged. We recommend that doctoral  students  be assigned  smaller  genera,  or natural  portions  of larger  ones (subgenera, sections,  etc.), to gain the necessary expertise for producing a monograph, including training in a broad array of data collection (e.g., morphology, anatomy, palynology, cytogenetics, DNA techniques, ecology, biogeography), data analysis (e.g., statistics,  phylogenetics, models), and nomenclature. Training programs, supported by institutes, associations, and agencies, provide means for passing on procedures and perspectives of challenging botanical  monography to the next generation  of young systematists.

The FP7 CLIMSAVE project ("Climate Change Integrated Assessment Methodology for Cross-Sectoral Adaptation and Vulnerability in Europe") finished at the end of 2013. The project developed the CLIMSAVE Integrated Assessment Platform which is a unique user-friendly, interactive web-based tool that enables stakeholders to interactively explore the complex multi-sectoral issues surrounding impacts, adaptation and vulnerability to climate and socio-economic change within the agriculture, forest, biodiversity, coast, water and urban sectors.  Two versions of the tool have been developed: one for Europe and one for Scotland.