U.S. retail sales increased less than expected in October and could slow further, restrained by spiraling new Covid-19 infections and declining household income as millions of unemployed Americans lose government financial support.Retail sales rose 0.3% last month, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. Data for September was revised down to show sales surging 1.6% instead of shooting up 1.9% as previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales would gain 0.5% in October.- Advertisement – Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, retail sales nudged up 0.1% after a downwardly revised 0.9% increase in September. These so-called core retail sales correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of gross domestic product. They were previously estimated to have risen 1.4% in September.Daily new coronavirus cases have been exceeding 100,000 since early this month, pushing the number of infections in the United States above 11 million, according to a Reuters tally. Some state and local governments have imposed new restrictions on businesses.Restrictions and consumer avoidance of crowded places like bars and restaurants could undercut spending and trigger another wave of layoffs, further squeezing incomes following the loss of a government weekly unemployment subsidy.- Advertisement – The supplement, which was part of more than $3 trillion in government coronavirus relief, has lapsed for millions of unemployed and underemployed workers. Millions more will lose benefits next month when a government-funded program for the self-employed, gig workers and others who do not qualify for the regular state unemployment programs expires.Another government program providing benefits for people who have exhausted their six months of eligibility for state aid will also lapse at the end of December.A second rescue package is unlikely before President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January.- Advertisement – – Advertisement – Economists expect moderate retail sales growth for the rest of the year, which will contribute to slower economic growth after a historic rebound in gross domestic product in the third quarter. A JPMorgan survey of credit and debit cardholders showed a broad decline in spending through Nov. 9, with big drops in states where Covid-19 is spreading most rapidly.Growth estimates for the fourth quarter are below a 5% annualized rate. The economy grew at a 33.1% rate in the July-September quarter after contracting at 31.4% pace in the second quarter, the deepest since the government started keeping records in 1947. read more

After he put out a message on the council’s Facebook page asking if anyone in Villanueva de Algaidas wanted to fly a rainbow flag, he received more than 100 requests for the flags, prompting him to drive over and hand out another 300.”The village is full [of flags]. It is incredible,” Alcántara said.Piedad Queralta hung two flags from her house in the village.“I think people should be free to love who they want to as long as it does not cause anybody any harm,” she said.In 2005, Spain became the third country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, after the Netherlands and Belgium.A 2013 report for the US-based Pew Research Center found 88% of Spaniards accepted homosexuality, making it one of the most accepting countries of the 39 polled.Antonio Ferre, of the Federation of Andalusian LGTB+ Diversity, said the villagers’ initiative in Villanueva de Algaidas was “especially moving”.Manolo Garcia, another resident, was just happy to support the cause.“To me it is not good nor bad. Every person should be able to do what they like in their own home and in the public street if it does not offend others,” he said.  Civico said the local government was bound by a recent ruling by the Spanish Supreme Court that only official flags, of Spain, its regions or the European Union, can be flown from council buildings.”After the complaints, we studied what we had to do. We saw that under the law we had to remove the flag. But the people can put what they like on their balconies,” said Civico.Hearing about the police action, Antonio Carlos Alcántara who runs a shop in the seaside resort of Torremolinos, 62 km away, had an idea.He sells rainbow flags in his shop in the resort, which is popular with the LGBT community, but because of the coronavirus they were not selling and he had plenty in stock. Topics : When police ordered a local mayor in southern Spain to take down a rainbow flag put up to celebrate gay pride on Friday because it was illegal, more than 300 households in the village rallied to the cause and flew their own flags.By the time gay pride celebrations took place in Spain on Sunday, the Andalusian village of Villanueva de Algaidas near Malaga was awash with flags hanging from balconies, windows and even a bar in solidarity.Juan Civico, Socialist mayor of the village of 4,000 inhabitants, only found out it was illegal for authorities to fly the flag after three residents complained about the one he had put up. read more

SHARE Email Facebook Twitter May 28, 2020 Press Release,  Public Health Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine signed amended yellow phase orders to include eight counties moving to the yellow phase at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow, May 29. The counties include Dauphin, Franklin, Huntingdon, Lebanon, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike and Schuylkill.The eight counties are joining 49 counties that previously moved into the yellow phase.The Governor’s amended order can be found here.The Secretary of Health’s amended order can be found here.Ver esta página en español. Yellow Phase Orders Updated to Include Eight Additional Counties Moving on May 29 read more

LNG World News Staff Veresen shareholders have approved the proposed takeover of the company by Pembina Pipeline Corporation with 99 percent of cast votes in favor of the combination. The two companies said the combination would create one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in Canada, with the deal valued at C$9.7 billion ($7.5 billion).Under the terms of the transaction, Pembina will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Veresen in exchange for either 0.4287 of a common share of Pembina or $18.65 in cash.The deal gives Pembina a 100 percent ownership of the proposed Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Oregon, which is estimated to be worth about $6 billion.The United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said last month it will prepare an environmental impact statement for the project.The LNG terminal would include five liquefaction trains and two full containment LNG storage tanks. It would be designed to liquefy about 1.04 billion cubic feet per day (7.8 mtpa) of LNG for export to markets across the Pacific Rim.Pembina and Veresen both noted that the transaction is expected to close late in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter of 2017.1 CAD = 0.774604 USD read more

Fox News 15 May 2013The $5.7 billion United Nations Development Program, the U.N.’s flagship anti-poverty agency,  is poor at producing lasting results, sets unrealistic or unfocused priorities and often seems more interested in getting funding than in setting up programs that make the best sense, according to an internal assessment that will be discussed at a top-level meeting next month.Moreover, in a sweeping examination of some $19.7 billion worth of UNDP programs between 2008 and 2012, the report says that only in “just about half” of the country-by-country efforts was the agency “likely to have made, or make, a significant contribution to the intended outcome.”Nor is the agency very good at judging where it is going wrong, the report adds, meaning that “strengthening the efficiency of projects and programs is a major challenge.”The sobering evaluation of UNDP’s usefulness was carried out by UNDP’s own Evaluation Office, whose director is appointed by UNDP’s top official, Helen Clark. So far, only an executive summary of the evaluation is available to members of UNDP’s 36-nation supervisory Executive Board, which holds its semi-annual meeting in New York City starting on June 3. According to a UNDP spokesman, a full version of the report will be made public next week.The 16-page document is tough, but it is only the latest internal analysis of UNDP’s performance to give the agency — it operates in 177 countries and territories around the world, where its efforts are tailored to “national ownership” — lousy marks for its far-flung efforts at improving the lot of the world’s worst-off people.http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/05/15/un-anti-poverty-agency-often-chases-cash-rather-than-long-term-results-study/ read more

RelatedPosts Aruna Quadri’s uncommon qualities stand him out, says Oshodi Quadri Aruna leads Africa to World Cup Aruna’s arrival attracted interest in Germany — TTBL The table tennis continental ruling body, African Table Tennis Federation, has named the 32 contestants that will battle for honours at the 2020 Top 16 Cup holding in Tunis later this month. The three-day tournament serves as qualifiers for the 2020 ITTF World Cup holding in Germany and China later in the year. According to the list released by the ATTF, Egypt’s Omar Assar and Dina Meshref will be defending their titles in the men and women singles against top contenders and regional champions in Africa. In the men’s singles, Assar will slug it out with regional champions like Algeria’s Sami Kherouf (North), Cote d’Ivoire’s Oba Oba Kizito (West), Congo DRC’s Gedeon Kassa (Central), Kenya’s Brian Mutua (East), and South Africa’s Shane Overmeyer (South). Other top players expected to battle for the sole slot in the men’s singles are Algeria’s Larbi Bouriah, Benin Republic’s Monday Olabiyi, Congo Brazzaville’s Saheed Idowu, Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw, Togo’s Kokou Dodji Fanny, Tunisia’s Adam Hmam, Egypt’s Ahmed Saleh, Nigeria’s Olajide Omotayo and Aruna Quadri as well as South Africa’s Theo Cogill. Dina Meshref will contend with regional champions Tunisia’s Fadwa Garci (North), Congo DRC’s Flavia Kimbu (Central), Ethiopia’s Marta Gulti (East), South Africa’s Musfiquh Kalam (South) and Nigeria’s Fatimo Bello (West). Others that made the list of participants based on their continental ranking include Algeria’s Katia Kessaci, Botswana’s Tshepiso Rebatenne, Cameroun’s Sarah Hanffou, Egypt’s Yousra Helmy, Mauritius’ Nandeshwaree  Jalim, Nigeria’s Offiong Edem, South Africa’s Simeen Mookrey, Tunisia’s Safa Saidani, Seychelles’ Christy Bristol, and Algeria’s Lynda Loghraibi. For the President of ATTF, Khaled El-Salhy, the competitiveness of this year’s tournament would make the championship exciting. “I am so happy to have such competitive atmosphere that the winners cannot be known until the end of the final match, and also that gives Africa the chance to get more than one qualifier for ITTF World Cup as we did it twice in men in 2017 and 2019. We are also to give the tournament the needed coverage as the matches would be stream live,” El-Salhy said.Tags: 2020 ITTF World CupAfrican Table Tennis Federationaruna quadriDina Meshref read more

Thursday, a man who killed and dismembered his girlfriend’s 14-year-old daughter as part of a […]

– Tucville, Broad Street and Back Circle also advanceSPARTA Boss is on course to take their third Georgetown title in the Guinness greatest of the Street Football Tournament as they moved on to the semi-finals following games on Saturday night.The champs overcame Camp Street All-Stars 1-0 at the Demerara Park with Courtney Britton’s 21st minute strike securing the berth.Meanwhile, they will face Back Circle in the second semi-final after the former advanced via similar margin over North East La Penitence,thanks to Sylvester Richardson who scored in the19th.Tucville also advanced with a 2-1 win over Leopold Street with Leon Richardson opening the scoring for the eventual winners in the 21st. Okeene Fraser responded to level things up but Dennis Edwards hammered in the winner to pilot his team into the next round.The last semi-final spot was picked up by the Broad Street Bullies who outshone Queen Street Tigerbay 2-0, the first of which was an own goal by the eventual losers while Lennox Court slammed in the second.Semi-final action is billed for Tuesday at the National Cultural Centre Tarmac.The winners of the leg will cart off $500,000, second place $200,000 , third place $150,000 and fourth place $75,000.There are also legs billed for the West Coast Demerara, West and East Coast Berbice, Linden and Bartica. read more

DEFENDING Champions of the Drag strip, Team Mohamed’s Enterprise are unfazed by the Challengers, come this Sunday when the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) hosts the Reaction Drag race meet.A team official disclosed to Chronicle Sport that they are ready and raring to go, especially Goliath, the nicknamed midnight Blue Nissan GTR which holds the official strip record of 8.2 seconds.“The team and the cars are fully prepared for Sunday’s Reaction drag race meet. ‘Godzilla’ is ready for anything that is going to be thrown at it and we are confident of coming out on top.”“Godzilla’ is still a road legal car,” the statement continued. “Fans should be prepared to witness another great performance from the machine when it gets into action.”The official added, “While the team is unfazed by the challenges posed, we are still cognisant of those challenges and will treat them as such; taking every drag as we move our way up to the finals.”The team would not disclose their strategy and obvious set-ups ahead of Sunday, but they sent a stern warning to their competitors.Sunday’s event is expected to attract a host of Surinamese competitors and begins at 09:00hrs with free runs. read more

Ramon Azeez The Super Eagles’ latest squad contains three goalkeepers, seven defenders, six midfielders and seven attackers.There is a first call-up for Slavia Prague striker Peter Olayinka even as the usual suspects dominated Coach Gernot Rohr’s squad for the tango with the Selecao.Apart from Captain Ahmed Musa who is down with injury and Brighton’s Leon Balogun, Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi, West Brom’s Semi Ajayi, Stoke City’s Oghenekaro Etebo and Everton’s Alex Iwobi are the English-based players named on the roster.Everton’s Alex Iwobi, Oghenekaro Etebo of Stoke City and Scotland –based Rangers forward, Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, who scored on his debut against Ukraine, are all back in midfield, with Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Samuel Kalu, Paul Onuachu and Emmanuel Dennis all back in the frontline.Goalkeepers Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Maduka Okoye are retainedRohr also have defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Abdullahi Shehu and Chidozie Awaziem back from injury, otherwise the squad is largely unchanged from the side that was forced to a 2-2 draw by Ukraine in Dnipro on 10th September.All invited players are expected to arrive in Singapore on Wednesday, 9th October.Nigeria and Brazil will tango in a much-anticipated encounter at the Singapore National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore on Sunday, 13th October, 23 years after Nigeria, on their way to winning Africa’s first Olympic football gold, spanked the Selecao in the semi finals at the Athens Stadium in the State of Georgia, USA.23 EAGLES TO BATTLE BRAZILGoalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Heartland FC); Emil Maduka Okoye (Fortuna Dusseldorf, Germany)Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Abdullahi Shehu (Bursaspor FC, Turkey); Chidozie Awaziem (CD Leganes, Spain); William Ekong (Udinese FC, Italy); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Semi Ajayi (West Brom, England)Midfielders: Alexander Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Anderson Esiti (PAOK Salonica, Greece); Oghenekaro Etebo (Stoke City FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Ramon Azeez (Granada FC, Spain)Forwards: Victor Osimhen (Lille OSC, France); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Samuel Kalu (Girondins Bordeaux, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Emmanuel Dennis (Club Brugge, Belgium); Peter Olayinka (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic)Share this:FacebookRedditTwitterPrintPinterestEmailWhatsAppSkypeLinkedInTumblrPocketTelegram Omeruo, Abdullahi, Awaziem also recalled for the friendly in SingaporeDuro IkhazuagbeRamon Azeez’s brilliant start to the Spanish LaLiga season has earned him a recall to the Super Eagles after more than five years as Nigeria announced a 23-man team for the international friendly against Brazil in Singapore on October 13.The Granada midfielder scored against Lionel Messi’s Barcelona in the 2-0 defeat of the Catalan giants few days ago to increase his rating before handlers of the senior Nigerian team. read more