Indian capital banishes some cars amid pollution
The city also ordered schools andconstruction work shut on Monday. Vehicular exhaust along with emissionsfrom industry contributed to more than 50 percent of Delhi’s air pollution onmost days through the year, according to official estimates. The city government has declared apublic health emergency, and imposed an “odd-even” system on private vehicles,at least until Nov. 15. NEW DELHI – Authorities in the Indiancapital banished from the roads cars with number plates ending in an odd numberin a bid to cut hazardous air pollution shrouding the city.
People walk on a smoggy morning in New Delhi, India on Nov. 3. REUTERS/ADNAN ABIDI According to independent online airquality index monitor AirVisual, New Delhi was the most polluted major city inthe world on Monday, at twice the level of Lahore in Pakistan, which was adistant second.(Reuters)
New tax laws encourage heavier wallets for Hoosier veterans
Statewide— Changes to Indiana tax laws could put more money in the pockets of military retirees or their surviving spouses this tax season, advises the Indiana Department of Revenue (DOR).Gov. Eric Holcomb signed House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1010 this past summer to allow for higher tax deductions for military retirement income/survivor’s benefits.Eligible taxpayers can now deduct up to $6,250 plus an additional 25% of their military retirement income or survivor’s benefits for the 2019 tax year. That amount increases by 25% each year as shown below:2020 – 50% of the amount received that exceeds $6,2502021 – 75% of the amount received that exceeds $6,2502022 – 100% of the amount receivedThe military deduction is one of the biggest changes for the 2020 tax season. DOR was proud to work with Gov. Holcomb and the General Assembly to make this a reality for Hoosier veterans and their families.Tax forms and instructions for the 2019 tax year are available on DOR’s website at dor.in.gov.
Several companies to sponsor school tickets for Golden Jags game tonight
SEVERAL corporate companies have extended their generosity to several schools across the country to allow students to watch this evening’s match of the CONCACAF Nations League between Guyana’s Golden Jaguars and the Belize Jaguars.
Youths from the Kingston and Tiger Bay community receive their Concacaf Nations League Guyana vs. Belize tickets at Digicel’s Head office in KingstonA number of students and teachers of Covent Garden Primary would be viewing the match, thanks to the largesse of Secure Innovations and Concepts Inc. through its Managing Director, Harold Hopkinson.The businessman acquiesced to a request by the East Bank Football Association (EBFA) to purchase tickets for some of the students and teachers of Covent Garden Primary School to attend this evening’s match.Mr Hopkinson in accepting the request said that while it is part of his company’s social responsibility to give back to society, he was happy for the fact that students would be able to be a part of history and be able to roar with the Golden Jaguars to victory.“My company has always been giving back to sports and when we were approached to be a part of this event we had no hesitation in supporting, especially with youths being involved. Our company would like to wish the team and Guyana the best in their quest to create history on Saturday night.”HM of Covent Garden Primary, Ms Gonsalves-Ibrahim expressed sincere thanks to Mr Hopkinson, Secure Innovations and Concepts and EBFA for affording her students and teachers the opportunity to be a part of today’s huge match.INDUSTRIAL SAFETY SUPPLIES ALSO ON BOARD Industrial Safety Supplies Inc. of 226 Camp Street, North Cummingsburg has ensured that students and teachers from Diamond Secondary and St John’s College attend the match this evening to rally around their Golden Jaguars.
HM of Covent Garden Primary School, Stacey Gonsalves-Abrahim receives the tickets from GFF EBFA TDO, Devnon Winter.Yesterday, Technical Development Officer of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) attached to the East Bank Football Association (EBFA), Devnon Winter handed over 15 tickets to Head Mistress of Diamond Secondary School, Ms Lesline Collins.EBFA president Franklin Wilson, in brief remarks during the school’s assembly, informed the students and teachers of the importance of today’s match, citing the historical nature of same.Wilson encouraged all the students, even those who will not be there to rally around the Guyanese team and propel them to victory.St John’s College was also the recipient of a similar number of tickets and they too, through their HM expressed gratitude for the gesture of the sponsor to have them as one of the school to benefit.Manager of Industrial Safety Supplies Inc., Hemant Narine, said that his company was very pleased to partner with GFF to ensure that students and some teachers can attend today’s match and support Golden Jaguars to whom he extended best of luck on behalf of his staff.DIGICEL JOINS THE PARTY Meanwhile, Digicel Guyana handed over a quantity of tickets to some youths of Kingston Football Development Academy Camp.Mr Junior Forrester who is very instrumental in reviving the ‘Kingston Community Football Development Academy’ assured that this will be an opportunity of a lifetime for some of the children. “They love football so this will be very exciting for them to witness a game of this magnitude first hand”.Forrester noted that this experience will go a long way for the young ones.
Physical Education Teacher of St. John’s College and some of the students that will be attending today’s match show off their ticket.Digicel believes in imparting positive experiences that will impact youths in communities across Guyana. At the simple handing-over it was noted by Vidya Sanichara that “Kingston is very special to Digicel and opportunities such as these are never taken for granted. Since this is a significant game for the Jaguars, we are delighted to be able to provide the opportunity to these young ones”.Guyana are 90 minutes from creating history in the 117th year of their existence by qualifying for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.Standing in their path are Belize who are also chasing down a spot at the Gold Cup; but Jaguars are confident of getting past this final hurdle and with the support of the students, teachers and the thousands of other Guyanese, expected to invade Leonora, victory will be accomplished easier.
Pinnick off to Zurich for FIFA Committee Meeting
President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, will depart Nigeria for Zurich, Switzerland on Monday for a meeting of the Organizing Committee for FIFA Competitions.The Organizing Committee for FIFA Competitions is one of the most influential committees in world football, as it replaced the former multi–panels for FIFA’s various competitions, viz FIFA World Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup, FIFA Organizing Committee for the Olympic Football Tournaments, FIFA U20 World Cup, FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, FIFA U17 World Cup, FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA Futsal World Cup. On the agenda of the meeting are considerations and decisions with regards to updates on preparations by host nations for upcoming FIFA championships: FIFA U17 World Cup (India: 6-28 October 2017); FIFA Club World Cup (UAE: 6-16 December 2017); FIFA World Cup (Russia: 14 June – 15 July 2018); FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup (France: 4-26 August 2018) and; FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup (Uruguay: 20 November – 13 December 2018).Most importantly for the present, the Committee will take a final decision on the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between South Africa and Senegal, which was played in Polokwane on 12th November 2016 and has been mired in controversy ever since.Following investigations, the FIFA Disciplinary and Appeal Committees handed match referee Joseph Lamptey from Ghana a lifetime ban from football. On Wednesday, 6th September 2017, the Bureau for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers ordered a replay of the match, following the confirmation of the lifetime ban on Lamptey by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).However, as captured in the FIFA World Cup regulations, the decision by the Bureau shall come into effect immediately, but shall be subject to confirmation by the Organizing Committee for FIFA Competitions, at its meeting at the Home of FIFA on Thursday, 14thSeptember.From Zurich, Pinnick, who is also Vice President of the West African Football Union, will fly to Accra, Ghana for a meeting of the WAFU Executive Committee on Wednesday, 20th September.The following day, in the same Ghanaian capital, the NFF supremo, who is also Member of the CAF Executive Committee and of its Emergency Committee, will attend the CAF Exco meeting.Share this:FacebookRedditTwitterPrintPinterestEmailWhatsAppSkypeLinkedInTumblrPocketTelegram
Barkley comes of age before our eyes
Matt Barkley has officially relinquished the title of freshman.With the game on the line in just his second collegiate game, in front of perhaps the loudest crowd he will ever face, Barkley’s play was not that of a teenager.Cool under fire · Freshman Matt Barkley (7), seen here pitching the ball to Stafon Johnson (13), passed the first major test of his college career by keeping his composure. – Leah Thompson | Daily TrojanHis numbers weren’t spectacular. His missed opportunities were plenty. But for the defining drive that spanned just over six minutes at the end of the fourth quarter, a kid days removed from his 19th birthday stood up in front of 106,033 screaming fans and somehow wasn’t fazed.With USC down 15-10 in the fourth quarter, the ear-splitting Ohio State crowd could taste the victory. The USC offense had been spotty all night. One more stall would have been the nail in the coffin for the Trojans.Enter Barkley, a kid who didn’t know he was supposed to play one.Cool as can be, Barkley led a 14-play, 86-yard drive that culminated in a two-yard Stafon Johnson touchdown run. The resulting sound was the best thing Barkley could have hoped for:Golden silence.Was there ever any doubt? Not to this hotshot freshman.“I knew our offense was going to score,” Barkley said.Really? Because I’d wager that every USC fan was devouring their fingernails by that point in the game.Until Barkley’s miraculous drive, the Buckeyes’ defense had been shutting down the Trojans all night. USC’s only touchdown was a gimme, set up by a Chris Galippo interception that he returned to the Ohio State two-yard line. The offense couldn’t seem to get anything going in the second half, finding itself continually stuffed drive after drive.Before Barkley led them out of the darkness, the Trojans’ first four second-half drives broke down like this:Three-and-out, punt.Bad snap over punter Billy O’Malley’s head, safety.Eight plays, punt.Three-and-out, punt.Then out of nowhere, Barkley orchestrated the game-winning drive with the poise and grace of a 10th-year senior.When the Buckeyes blitzed, he made the right choice and took the sack. When their coverage held, he checked down to the right receiver. And when the crowd noise intensified, he brushed it off like he couldn’t hear it.“We played through it,” Barkley said of the crowd, which was deafening at best. “The actual noise didn’t affect how we were going to play.”In the huddle, he was a leader, his youth making no difference to the 10 pairs of eyes looking to him to lead them to a victory.“Matt was the same person the whole game,” junior running back Joe McKnight said. “[He] never lost his composure, just kept coming in the huddle and calling plays.”In an environment when most seasoned college quarterbacks would have folded, Barkley never looked shaken, never looked rattled. Even after a first-half interception, when he threw the ball across his body and it was picked off by Ohio State’s Ross Homan, Barkley just shook it off.“He’s not an 18-year-old kid anymore,” McKnight said.Right, he’s 19 now, but I don’t think that’s what McKnight meant.“He stepped up to be a man,” McKnight continued. “[He] made big plays at big times and he’s going to take us to the promised land.”Even though Barkley set foot on the USC campus as a student for the very first time eight months ago, this moment was not as outlandish to him as it seemed to the rest of us.Being the starter, leading this team in the most hostile of environments, was just how he knew it would unfold.“This is what it’s supposed to be,” he said. “This is what I came here for.”Barkley does not seem to notice how different he is. The fact, however, is not lost on coach Pete Carroll.“All we can tell you is the guy’s really special,” Carroll said. “He’s into it, he’s having fun, he’s not arrogant, he’s not cocky — he’s just a complete ball player.”According to Carroll, there was not one particular moment when Barkley proved that he would be ready for situations of this magnitude. To the contrary, there just never was a moment that proved he wasn’t.“There’s been no indication otherwise,” Carroll said. “I’m talking from spring football, from day one, for real he can handle it unlike anyone we’ve seen.”Back in spring, Barkley was asked almost jokingly if he’d be confident starting against Ohio State. He was just as confident then as he is now, and now that it’s all come to pass, he recognized its dreamlike quality.“It is kind of surreal but at the same time, it’s what I wanted, its what I’ve always wanted,” Barkley said.Believe me kid, it’s surreal for everybody else too.“Middle Ground” runs Mondays. To comment on this article, visit dailytrojan.com or email Josh at jjovanel@usc.edu.
Women’s basketball: Badgers return home to take on Gators after five-game road trip
The Wisconsin women’s basketball team is certainly happy to be home.After a five-game road trip that saw the team travel coast to coast and resulted in a 2-3 record, Wisconsin (3-4) made their homecoming against a talented Florida (7-1) squad that is among the best in the country.Despite the exhausting travel schedule that started Nov. 22, head coach Bobbie Kelsey was excited to get back to work and begin game planning for the Gators.“It will be nice to be back in the Kohl Center,” Kelsey said. “But we have a tough opponent in Florida. They’re very aggressive, quick and we’re going to do certain things to slow them down, and to keep them from getting some of the things they want that make them really good.”After defeating the Gators in Gainesville last season, the Badgers will need to lean on senior Nicole Bauman who scored 10 points and notched seven assists in that game.Bauman has gotten off to a quick start this year, and leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.4 points per game, but Kelsey knows Wisconsin will need a complete team effort to beat Florida Thursday.“If we do what we’re supposed to do the way we’re supposed to do it, we’ll give ourselves a chance, just like they’re doing the same thing on their side,” Kelsey said. “You’ve got to do certain things against us to keep us from scoring.”In order for the Badgers to have a chance on Thursday, they will need to establish a lead earlier in the game. Wisconsin ended the first quarter down 13 in their latest defeat to Marquette, and did a poor job of cleaning up the defensive glass.The Badgers were out-rebounded by 15 and gave up 31 second chance points, results Kelsey was not proud of and knows this team cannot afford this season.“We did not start off very well,” Kelsey said. “We played even the rest of the quarters, if not ahead. But if you dig yourself a 13-point hole, for no other reason than not boxing out, it won’t end well.”The Badgers currently have a -0.6 rebounding margin, so while it’s not a dire need, it is still something Kelsey wants to see improve.And Kelsey knows opposing coaches will look to exploit any weakness, making rebounding a priority heading into this matchup with the Gators and beyond.“Other people are going to watch the tape and tell their kids, hit the boards, because they don’t box out,” Kelsey said. “We have to fix that immediately and then execute our offense a little bit better.”The Badgers and Gators will be set to tip-off at the Kohl Center Thursday at 7 p.m.
Remain principled in the face of partisanship
President-elect Donald Trump is no stranger to having his old tweets dug up. During the presidential debates, many Twitter users began retweeting statements Trump had made throughout the years that contradicted what he was saying on stage — like the now infamous tweet about China inventing climate change. This week another one of Trump’s tweets from years ago went viral. Almost exactly four years ago, Trump tweeted, “The electoral college is a disaster for America.”Matt Pearce, national reporter for the Los Angeles Times, posted a screenshot of that tweet next to one of Trump’s tweets from the last week: “The Electoral College is actually genius in that it brings all states, including the smaller ones, into play. Campaigning is much different!” Although votes are still being counted, the Associated Press currently has Clinton winning the popular vote by almost 1.16 million votes, according to the Cook Political Report. Trump has always been the candidate of self-interest not principles; so, this deep hypocrisy is not surprising. But an important lesson can be taken from Trump’s Electoral College flip flop: In this time of great uncertainty and insecurity, we must be following important, deeply held principles instead of being bogged down in partisan politics, advocating solely for what helps the party or candidates we support. When the Electoral College has caused two out of the last five elections to go to the candidate with significantly less votes, people have a right to be outraged, to question the justifications for our election process. But those of us who hold up signs that read “Abolish the Electoral College” should ask ourselves, would we still be protesting this system if Clinton has won enough delegates, but lost the popular vote? The Electoral College should be abolished because it is deeply undemocratic, not because it didn’t result in the President I wanted.Similarly, while the anti-Trump protests on this campus and in cities across the country have brought up important issues surrounding immigration, Islamophobia, sexual harassment and police brutality, we must not allow these to become contextualized as only a problem in Trump’s America. The buzzword this week in news outlets, blogs and social media was normalization. The argument goes that Trump and his supporters have mainstreamed, or made more acceptable, bigotry, white nationalism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc. And to a certain extent that is true. Social media sites have been extremely useful platforms for people across the country to share their experiences with racism, homophobia and other forms of discrimination, immediately post-election. And according to the FBI, in the last year, U.S. hate crimes, many against Muslims, have surged 6 percent. Trump’s rhetoric is undoubtedly toxic and must be disavowed. However, we must ask ourselves where were we when President Obama was deporting record numbers of undocumented immigrants. Where were we when Obama fully embraced drone strikes. It is important to be vocal in the face of a Trump presidency, but we must also remember that what we are protesting goes well beyond Trump. Professor Crystal Fleming, assistant professor of sociology and Africana studies at Stony Brook University, tweeted this Wednesday, “There are a lot of people condemning Trump’s white nationalism who never condemned the white nationalism of the ‘founding fathers.’” In order to truly comprehend and struggle against a White House administration that welcomes anti-Semites, misogynists, racists and homophobes, it is imperative that the U.S. grapple with its history. Despite Washington Post articles that claim “Trump’s campaign made it safe to hate again,” we must remember that, in America, it has always been safe to hate. The United States is a country founded on white supremacy and patriarchy. The United States is a country that put Japanese Americans in camps fewer than 80 years ago, The United States is a country where almost 1,200 people, mostly people of color, were killed by police in 2015. The U.S. is a country where it is legal to fire someone based on sexual orientation or gender identity in 28 states. The anti-Trump protests must be about far more than saying “f-ck Donald Trump.” And they must be about more than finding fault with the GOP. Rather, we must recognize discrimination in all of its forms, on the right and on the left — discrimination that in certain ways has been normalized by Trump, and in other ways has always been normal. We must remember that the things we are protesting now, would have had to have been protested under any administration. Police brutality, unjust immigration laws, transphobia and ableism are not exclusive to one party. The struggle to make America more equal, more just and more inclusive cannot start and end with Trump. Lena Melillo is a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law and gender studies. Her column, “’Pop Politics,” runs every Thursday.
Trojans’ football team wraps up spring practices
The USC football team wrapped up spring practices Saturday with a “Spring Showcase” at Oliver Cromwell Field. OffenseRedshirt sophomore wide receiver Velus Jones, Jr. appears to be the most worthy receiver to fill by Deontay Burnett’s vacancy after he left USC to declare for the 2018 NFL Draft. Emily Smith | Daily TrojanOne of the hottest topics of spring football was the ongoing search to replace NFL-bound quarterback Sam Darnold. Currently on the roster, the Trojans featured last year’s backup redshirt sophomore Matt Fink, redshirt freshman Jack Sears and redshirt sophomore Holden Thomas. From the start, head coach Clay Helton insisted that a starter wouldn’t be named during the spring but noted that all three quarterbacks improved most on “decision-making and accuracy” throughout the spring season. The quarterback competition will only intensify as the Trojans welcome consensus five-star recruit J.T. Daniels into the mix. Helton also mentioned that Daniels, who reclassified from the class of 2019 to 2018, will participate in practices starting this summer.On the offensive line and skill positions, a few players set themselves apart. In particular, redshirt sophomore Velus Jones, Jr. stood out as a top contender to replace Deontay Burnett in the slot receiver position. “I have a huge opportunity to step up,” Jones said. “This is what I have been preparing and praying for and why I redshirted. It’s my time.” He will also look to be a contributor on special teams as kickoff and punt returner.The offensive line also improved dramatically throughout spring. Despite receiving criticism last season, this spring’s unit played together and saw young players stepping up all over. With former left tackle Toa Lobendahn presumably moving back to center, offensive tackles freshman Austin Jackson and redshirt sophomore Clayton Johnston competed extensively to cover the quarterback’s blind side. Though Lobendahn was limited throughout spring, young centers in true freshman Justin Dedich and redshirt freshman Brett Neilon were praised by offensive line coach Neil Callaway for their early success.DefenseWith returning senior stalwarts such as outside linebacker Porter Gustin, inside linebacker Cameron Smith and safety Marvel Tell, it was clear that the Trojans’ defense already has all the tools to be an elite unit next season.One group that continually drew praise was the defensive backs, led by Iman “Biggie” Marshall. Marshall, who likely would have been drafted had he declared, has returned with a vengeance and new sense of focus and dedication to the game for his senior season. “I’ve just started looking at more film and slowing the game down,” Marshall said. “I feel like when I lose, I’m beating myself no one else is beating me.”His positional coach, Ronnie Bradford, has also taken note of Marshall’s renewed sense of focus this spring. “Iman has begun to understand the little things,” Bradford said in late March. “He’s now displaying his leadership capabilities and taking more of that role within his defensive backs group.” With myriad impending changes on the offensive side of the ball, USC may have to rely extensively on its defense to lead the way next season.FutureWhile USC looked to replace eight NFL departures with the roster from last year’s Cotton Bowl and early enrollees, more reinforcements are on the way for next season in the form of the No. 4 recruiting class in the nation, according to 24/7 Sports.Some of the headliners of the group include five-star cornerbacks Olaijah Griffin and Isaac Taylor-Stuart who will look to break into the defensive back rotation come fall. Another monster addition on defense will be inside linebacker Palaie Gaoteote. Gaoteote was rated as the No. 1 inside linebacker in the country, according to 24/7 Sports, and the 15th overall player in the class of 2018.On offense, USC will not only welcome one Mater Dei legend in Daniels, but also his favorite target in five-star Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown, the brother of former Notre Dame standout Equanimeous and current Stanford receiver Osiris, will look to contribute to the receiving core immediately upon arriving in Los Angeles. St. Brown was the No. 1 rated receiver in the state of California and caught a whopping 18 touchdowns in his final high school season, according to 24/7 Sports.As expected, some questions remain as USC looks to retool and compete for another Pac-12 title. With the remaining player-run summer workouts as well along with the 25 fall practices, Helton and his staff will look to find answers ahead of their season opener against UNLV Sept. 1.
Jamaica denies any case of measles
The Jamaica government has denied there are any local or imported cases of measles in the country.Last month, the Ministry of Health said it supported an earlier statement made by Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton to Parliament that a patient had been treated recently at a local private hospital for complications “thought to be as a result of a recent measles infection experienced before visiting Jamaica.“At the time of stay in Jamaica, the person was several days out of the infectious period for measles. After investigations, the Public Health Department concluded that neither the patient nor relatives were having measles. Precautions were taken however to ensure that all whom came in contact with the patient were immunized against measles even while the investigation was being conducted,” the Ministry of Health said.It said Jamaica has a robust surveillance system in place for fever and rash and all cases are reported within 24 hours, while suspected measles are reported immediately.The Ministry of Health said it does receive a few notifications each year and that ‘these cases are investigated and patients are isolated, tested and treated, if they meet the case definition.“Additionally, contacts are vaccinated if they have not previously received immunization. Jamaica has had no local spread of measles since 1991. The last imported case of measles in Jamaica was in 2011.”Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie, said, “Most cases of measles are mild and symptoms usually appear 10-12 days after exposure to an infected person but may appear as early as seven days and as late as 21 days after exposure. Measles typically begins with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes.”The authorities said three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out, usually as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet. Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots.Dr. Bisasor-McKenzie further cautioned that “complications from measles include ear infection and diarrhea, while severe complications include pneumonia, swelling of the brain and death. Pregnant women may give birth prematurely or have a low birth weight baby.”Measles is a highly contagious illness caused by a virus that replicates in the nose and throat of an infected child or adult. In order to stop the disease from spreading, 95% of children in Jamaica need to be fully vaccinated with the two doses- MMR1 at 12 months and MMR2 at 18 months.Tufton during his presentation to Parliament took the opportunity to appeal to parents to ensure that their children are vaccinated.“Jamaica has seen a decrease in uptake of the vaccines over the last few years and we are appealing to all parents to visit the nearest health centre to ensure that their children are fully vaccinated as measles kills more children than any other vaccine-preventable disease,” he said.The Ministry of Health said it will continue to monitor the island for imported cases of measles given the recent increase in cases in the United States and across the region.
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Posted: October 16, 2020 by admin
Gov. Wolf Releases Statement in Response to Spread of Misinformation, Attacks on LGBTQ Community