Singapore, Paris are world’s costliest cities, none from India in top-10
Singapore is the world’s most expensive city for the fifth straight year in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s latest Worldwide Cost of Living report, with Paris and Zurich tied for second place. Asia Pacific and European destinations dominated the ranks of costliest cities identified in the report released this week. Tokyo and Osaka were conspicuous in their absence from the top 10, edged out by low inflation. The EIU survey is designed to help companies calculate cost-of-living allowances and build compensation packages for expatriates and business travelers.Read it at Business Standard Related Items
Three bankrupt US companies with links to Indian billionaire Nirav Modi were “directly involved” in transactions related to the alleged multibillion-dollar international fraud for which Modi has been charged by Indian authorities, according to an investigation by the court-appointed examiner.Read it at SCMP Related Items
John Lloyd Cruz a dashing guest at Vhong Navarro’s wedding AFP official booed out of forum Fegan was long considered one of the best player agents in the NBA, a ruthless negotiator on behalf of clients that included John Wall, Dwight Howard and DeMarcus Cousins. In 2016, Fegan was on Forbes magazine’s list of top agents.“Arms around his family,” National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts tweeted. “Rest In Peace, my friend.”He was fired last year as president of Independent Sports & Entertainment’s basketball division, but remained close with the clients he’d worked with for many years.Howard tweeted that his “heart and prayers go out to the family .”ADVERTISEMENT Families in US enclave in north Mexico hold sad Thanksgiving LOOK: Iya Villania meets ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ cast in Mexico The day after: Pyeongchang breathes, bids Olympics farewell Colorado State Trooper Gabe Easton told the Aspen Times the SUV’s other occupants, Fegan’s 5-year-old son and a 29-year-old California woman, were airlifted to a Denver hospital in serious condition.“Today we lost a great man, father, son and brother who always stood up not only for his clients, but also for what he knew was right,” Fegan’s family said in a statement through spokesman Terry Fahn . “We are all shocked and saddened by this tragic development and appreciate the outpouring of support. We ask for privacy at this difficult time.”FEATURED STORIESSPORTSWATCH: Drones light up sky in final leg of SEA Games torch runSPORTSLillard, Anthony lead Blazers over ThunderSPORTSMalditas save PH from shutoutThe NBA posted a tweet offering its condolences and thoughts to Fegan’s family.No one on the bus was hurt. The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority CEO said the driver didn’t have time to avoid the collision. Pussycat Dolls set for reunion tour after 10-year hiatus Read Next View comments
Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Brace for potentially devastating typhoon approaching PH – NDRRMC MOST READ Google honors food scientist, banana ketchup inventor and war hero Maria Orosa Typhoon Kammuri accelerates, gains strength en route to PH FILE – BEVERLY HILLS, CA – OCTOBER 30: Dan Fegan, Chandler Parsons and Matthew Chevallard attend a Del Toro Chandler Parsons Event at Saks Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills on October 30, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Saks Fifth Ave / Del Toro/AFPASPEN, Colo. — Longtime NBA agent Dan Fegan died in a car crash Sunday. He was 56.The Colorado State Patrol says Fegan was driving an SUV when he tried to merge onto a highway and was broadsided by a commuter bus near Aspen, which is about 180 miles west of Denver.ADVERTISEMENT LATEST STORIES Police teams find crossbows, bows in HK university PLAY LIST 01:29Police teams find crossbows, bows in HK university01:35Panelo suggests discounted SEA Games tickets for students02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City
All eyes will be on BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur as the top brass of the cricket board will get together in the next fortnight to decide on the way forward due to sudden demise of Jagmohan Dalmiya.While the sudden situation has created a vacuum at the top, the selection or election of the president may not be the easiest of jobs given that BCCI is in a limbo.While Rajeev Shukla’s name is doing the rounds, the UPCA president and Congress leader would require support from eastern state in order to become the president.East’s vice-president Gautam Roy could also be a candidate considering he is the senior-most amongst the five VPs having first been elected as vice-president at board’s Gwalior AGM in 1992. But Roy might not have many backers in BCCI. Ditto for Delhi’s CK Khanna, who is the vice-president from Central Zone.As per BCCI constitution, Thakur will have to convene a Special General Body Meeting to elect the president but it is still not clear whether he can do so considering the next date of the working committee will only be decided after Supreme Court gives its verdict.Dalmiya made India a cricket superpowerAccording to the BCCI constitution, if a president’s post is vacated midway through his tenure, “the secretary shall within 15 days convene a Special General Body Meeting to elect the President who shall be nominated by at least one Full Member from the zone which proposed the name of the President whose term was cut short prematurely. Such person who is so elected shall hold office till the next elections.”advertisementNow if it would have been a straightaway case, then one of the vice-presidents, technically Roy could have assumed chair but that power equations in BCCI are such that it would not be easy to predict the next move.
New Delhi: July 17, 2018 (PTI) EDITORS: Photos withCaptions released today. To view thumbnails of thesePhotographs, visit PTI website at..http.//www.ptinews.comNATINONALMumbai: Promotion of Hindi film “Saheb Biwi AurGangster 3″(A+B)New Delhi: Hearing on cow vigilantism issue and mob-lynching(B+A)Gir Somnath: Heavy rains(B)New Delhi: Monsoon session: All-party meeting(B+A)New Delhi: AAP leaders address the media(B)Lucknow: BSP’s Jai Prakash Singh sacked fromparty coordinator’s post(A)Mumbai: MNS protest in Mumbai(B)Guwahati: Protest in Assam(B)INTERNATIONALFarnborough: Airshow in Farnborough(A)Pahoa: File- People watch a plume of steam as lava enters(B)Managua: Friends and family carry the coffin withthe body of Gerald Vasquez(B)Kuala Lumpur: King Sultan Muhammad V delivers the opening speech at the parliament(B)Chicago: Protesters march in the South Shoreneighborhood of Chicago(B+A)Rio de Janeiro: An elite police officer patrols(B)North Hamgyong Province: Kim Jong Un visit to the construction site of a hotel(A+B)Fort Lauderdale: School shooting suspect NikolasCruz at courtroom(A)Helsinki: President Vladimir Putin with U.S. President Donald Trump during a press conference (B)Quezon: Monsoon rains(A)SPORTSParis: French soccer team arrives (B)Paris: French soccer players at the presidentialElysee Palace(B+A)Zagreb: Croatia’s national soccer team membersarrival in Zagreb(B+A)PTI PHOTO HS DLDL
With India’s top-order batsmen deciding to trade flamboyance with patience during initial overs, New Zealand will be forced to go for even half chances during Thursday’s World cup encounter, feels fast bowler Lockie Ferguson.In both matches, Indian opener Rohit Sharma, a natural stroke-player, has shown his ability to bide time in seaming conditions and it has paid dividends as he hit a century against South Africa and a half-ton against Australia.In fact, during India’s 4-1 ODI series win in New Zealand, the trend of playing out the first Powerplay started observed Ferguson.”They (Indian top-order) showed that they were a lot more patient in their approach and even though you are looking to take wickets, you can be a bit more expensive,” said Ferguson after New Zealand’s indoor net session at the Trent Bridge ground.”I think taking wickets upfront is key to beating India as they have world class players and you just can’t blow them away.”For Ferguson, even half-chances against the Indian top-order needs to be taken in order to apply pressure.”You have to create pressure and create half chances and take them and build on from there. They are playing some top cricket and one of the best teams in the competition.”But with in-form Shikhar Dhawan ruled out due to a thumb fracture, Ferguson despite being sad for the opener, termed it as an advantage for his team.”He is one of the top batsman in the world and hopefully he is not out for too long. It’s not good if players miss out games due to injuries. It’s one of those things in professional sport where players get injured and other guys get opportunity,” he said.advertisement”I was looking forward towards playing against Shikhar as I have a good record against lefties. Unfortunately, I think now I have to wait for a couple of months now.”West Indies’ tactic to bowl more bouncers worked wonderfully against Pakistan at this very ground and Ferguson, who himself is a tearaway quick, is expecting to dish out some short stuff to the Indians.”West Indies have shown that there’s some extra bounce available at Trent Bridge and that can cause trouble. I am looking forward to the challenge as I like Trent Bridge as a ground,” said Ferguson, who has taken 8 wickets in the three previous games, including four against Afghanistan and three against Sri Lanka.”It’s been a very good start for the whole bowling group as we have taken 30 wickets from the three games. Definitely, my job (as a change bowler) becomes easier when opening boys take wickets upfront.”I am pleased to have contributed in each game. There’s a bit of bounce and the wickets have been nice,” said Ferguson, who is expecting a full game against India despite the rain.New Zealand had recorded a convincing win against India in the warm-up game but just like his skipper Kane Williamson, Ferguson also didn’t want to pay too much attention to that game.Asked if they would take confidence from the warm-up game, Ferguson said: “Well, that’s an interesting one but it (warm-up win) doesn’t tell the full story.”The positive that they can take out of that game possibly is how Trent Boult’s swing and seam movement troubled the Indian top-order.”The way Trent Boult bowled upfront in that game (at the Oval) was exceptional and he got us off to a great start with early wickets. Obviously, we can take some confidence from that game but this is a different ground. Both teams start afresh on Thursday,” concluded Ferguson, who would celebrate his 28th birthday on the day of the match.Also Read | World Cup 2019: Shikhar Dhawan under observation, no replacement yetAlso Read | Does Yuvraj Singh deserve a farewell match? Here is Sourav Ganguly’s takeAlso Watch:
Manchester United Don’t write off Lindelof! Why Mourinho expects Man Utd defender to come good Kris Voakes Man Utd Correspondent 18:00 29/9/2017 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(0) 
Getty Images Manchester United Premier League Manchester United v Crystal Palace Crystal Palace José Mourinho Transfers Opinion The Swedish defender has yet to make his Premier League debut but it is all part of Jose Mourinho’s plan to ease him into action There were a number of areas for concern surrounding the Manchester United squad in 2016-17 but none made fans fret quite like the perceived gaps in defence. When it came to the back-line, nothing felt assured or permanent during Jose Mourinho’s first season in charge at Old Trafford.While Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly and Daley Blind shared the central defensive responsibilities to begin with, it was Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo who formed the best partnership as the term progressed despite misgivings about their individual qualities.For many supporters, though, there was never any great confidence in the rearguard, with the feeling being that everything could come crashing down without a moment’s notice. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Why Barcelona god Messi will never be worshipped in the same way in Argentina Lyon treble & England heartbreak: The full story behind Lucy Bronze’s dramatic 2019 Liverpool v Man City is now the league’s biggest rivalry and the bitterness is growing Megan Rapinoe: Born & brilliant in the U.S.A. Numbers-wise, United came out of the season reasonably well, but it came as a surprise to absolutely nobody that Mourinho’s most decisive move over the summer was the early purchase of Victor Lindelof from Benfica, having been linked with the Swede for much of last season.Anyone who had watched Lindelof play knew he was a stand-out performer at domestic and European level for the Portuguese side.However, the first three months of his United career have not played out that way, with the 23-year-old having featured in every cup game this term but still awaiting his Premier League debut as bottom-of-the-table Crystal Palace head for the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ on Saturday.
Lindelof struggled to come to terms with some of the higher-paced fixtures in pre-season, with his horribly late tackle on Real Madrid’s Theo Hernandez the mistake which gave supporters most cause for concern. He also appeared off the pace when the Blancos swept past United in the season-opening UEFA Super Cup clash.As a result, Mourinho decided it would be best to ease him into the frenetic world of Premier League football. He has sent regular public assurances along the way, though, that this is simply an approach taken to best handle the transition, rather than an ostracism of sorts.“Victor will be given time and no pressure for his evolution,” said the manager before Wednesday’s 4-1 thumping of CSKA Moscow.“He has a very specific position on the pitch and he needs time. He will be given time but also opportunities, because with just time and no opportunities to play, then the evolution gets slower. He needs time, no pressure, but also he needs opportunities.“The fact that he played against Basel and then against Burton, then in the future he’s going to have more opportunities to play… He will prove step by step that he is ready to play.”The comparison with Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s early experiences at United has been made often, and it was at this time last year that the Armenian was beginning to realise that his adaptation to the English game would not be played out in front of 75,000 people. Mourinho was insistent that Mkhitaryan would get his chance only when he could be sure he was ready and, by winter, the attacker had become one of the Portuguese coach’s key players.However, in Lindelof’s case, he is not only in a more perilous position – as his manager has pointed out – in which errors are quickly turned into chances and goals for the opposition, he is also much younger.Having only turned 23 during the summer, he is still developing. United fans shouldn’t need reminding of the difficulties suffered in front of the watching world by a 24-year-old Nemanja Vidic in the early months of his Old Trafford career.
With United largely performing with far more consistency at the back this season – only Stoke City’s Eric Choupo-Moting has scored against them in six Premier League games to this point – it means there is no rush to make the most of their €35 million summer signing.Mourinho clearly believes in Lindelof enough to give him the responsibility of helping guide United through their Champions League group campaign. He also has trusted him in both a four-man defence and Wednesday’s three-man variation.From the outside, it would appear that the Swede is not far from being given his wings by his manager, while everything coming out of Carrington suggests there is no ulterior motive behind the decision to hold Lindelof back thus far.On Wednesday, Mourinho admitted he had “many doubts” over the likelihood of Jones being fit for Palace’s visit this weekend, leaving Smalling and Lindelof as potential replacements should the former Blackburn man not make it.But even if it is Smalling who gets the nod on Saturday, there appears little doubt that Lindelof’s place in the United set-up is safe. It is just a matter of time before he is given the opportunity to finally get a taste of Premier League football. Check out Goal’s Premier League 2019-20 fantasy football podcast for game tips, debate and rivalries.
colin cowherd goes off on alabamaSunday night, FOX Sports radio host Colin Cowherd ruffled a few feathers, dropping a top four that includes both Michigan State and Ohio State, but not SEC heavyweight Alabama. Monday, he doubled down, going on a six-minute rant about the Crimson Tide’s strength of schedule.Cowherd added that the Big Ten, top to middle, is the best conference in college football. He thinks that the SEC is “living off of reputation” this season.“The SEC is living totally off reputation” – @ColinCowherd on why Alabama isn’t in his Top 4. #HerdHere https://t.co/d3sd2DmzEU— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 30, 2015Regardless of what you think about Cowherd’s rant, one thing is certain. If Alabama beats Florida this Saturday, it’ll be part of the playoff. Whether it’ll win the whole thing – that’s up for debate.
The Washington Post/Getty ImagesThe Washington Post/Getty ImagesMarch has plenty of new album releases in store, there are three particular records coming out this month that we can’t wait to hear.The Breeders – All NerveAuthor Neil Gaiman describes The Breeders’ sound as “melodic and discordant all at the same time, women’s voices singing from the darkness … fighting to feel emotions, to feel something.” Then-Pixies bassist Kim Deal formed the group as a side project with Tanya Donnelly of Throwing Muses in 1989 and released a debut album in 1990. The Breeders would become Deal’s primary band following the Pixies’ breakup in 1992, and a year later (with a new lineup), the group would release Last Splash, an album that helped to define the sound of alternative rock. Deal recorded two further albums under The Breeders moniker, but neither maintained Last Splash‘s definitive lineup.The Last Splash group reunited in 2013 for LSXX, the album’s 20th anniversary reissue. The quartet has remained intact since the reunion. Early singles from All Nerve starting appearing in October 2017, with “Wait in the Car” released as part of series of 7-inch releases from 4AD.Not only is All Nerve the Breeders’ first studio album since 2008’s Mountain Battles, it also reunites the same quartet that played on 1993’s acclaimed Last Splash. Indie rock phenom Courtney Barnett sings background vocals on “Howl at the Summit.”All Nerve is available now via 4AD.Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 – Black TimesBorn in Lagos, Nigeria, Seun Kuti is the youngest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Following Fela’s death, then-14 year-old Seun began leading the his father’s dance orchestra, Egypt 80, in 1997 and has continued to do so for the past two decades.In that time, the younger Kuti has honed the group’s sound while continuing to emphasize the political side of the music. On the title track of Black Times, lyrics such as “Understand your history / rise to be free” shine a forensics-style black light on current issues, intensified by the axe-work of Carlos Santana.In a press statement, Kuti described the album as a “true reflection of my political and social beliefs … It is an album for anybody who believes in change and understands the duty we have to rise up and come together. The elites always try to divide the working class and the poor people of the world. The same oppression felt by workers in Flint, Michigan, is felt by workers in Lagos and Johannesburg.”Black Times is available now via Strut Records.Jack White – Boarding House ReachSince his time as one half of The White Stripes, Jack White has continues to create well-regarded music. Boarding House Reach marks the Detroit-born, Nashville-based artist’s third solo album and his first release since The Dead Weather’s 2015 album, Dodge and Burn. Discussing the forthcoming album with Rolling Stone, White described his goal: “I wanted to take punk, hip-hop, and rock and roll, and funnel it all into a 2018 time capsule.”The first sounds from the album, a four-minute piece titled “Servings and Portions from my Boarding House Reach,” provide some context. Less a single than a collage of music from the forthcoming record , “Servings and Portions” runs the gamut. From the sounds of a discordant piano to a brief interlude featuring White rapping, the release moves through different flavors at warp speed.If the remaining songs are any indication, White has succeeded in his goal. “Respect Commander” features the anxious rhythm of a drum machine mixed with a variety of synthesizers. “Corporation” is closer to the bluesy, distorted, guitar-led tracks White is known for, but rather than the straightforward garage rock of The White Stripes, the track has a funk-influenced groove and features a suite of instruments and techniques.Boarding House Reach arrives Friday, March 23 via White’s Third Man Records.Did you miss out on last month’s releases? Check ’em out here. The Evolution and History of the Home Stereo 6 Fastest Cars in the World Right Now The Best Documentaries on Netflix Right Now All 21 Six Flags Parks in the U.S., Ranked How to Drink Absinthe and Live to Tell the Tale Editors’ Recommendations 
zoom South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) said it was ordered to halt production at its shipbuilding division in Ulsan after a worker died at the facility.The company said on Friday that Busan Regional Employment and Labor Office, part of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, ordered work suspension to allow for the necessary security checks to be carried out.The shipbuilding work was halted on Thursday, January 25.A worker lost his life after sustaining severe burns while conducting shipbuilding work, Reuters reported citing a HHI spokesperson as saying.According to initial reports, the accident occurred on January 23, however, further details regarding what led to the incident were not revealed.Production is expected to be resumed once the inspection determines it is safe.World Maritime News Staff
The Nova Scotia government is making good on its promise to provide a healthy, safe and supportive environment for public servants, Ernest Fage, Minister of Human Resources, said today, Oct. 24. “This week (Oct. 23 to 29) is National Healthy Workplace Week, an ideal opportunity to think about how our commitment to creating a healthy workplace will benefit our employees and our province,” said Mr. Fage. “Research tells us that healthier employees are more satisfied and are more productive. As well, a focus on health supports our recruitment and retention efforts and is in line with government’s agenda to improve the health status of Nova Scotians.” The Public Service Commission, with support from a healthy workplace advisory committee that includes representatives from all departments, provides corporate direction and government-wide healthy workplace programs. Some examples of healthy workplace activities include: — Most departments have established wellness/healthy workplace committees; — An eight-week Caregivers in the Workplace support program was successfully piloted in the winter of 2006, and is now available to other employees who are caregivers at home; — A Take Back the Lunch Break awareness campaign; — A draft manual entitled Eating Healthy at Work; — A draft healthy workplace policy for all of government; and — A new healthy workplace website, 
New Delhi: A Private Member’s Bill to undo the Supreme Court order on the entry of women in Sabarimala Temple put both ruling BJP and CPI (M) parties in a fix.Kerala RSP MP NK Premachandran, an ally of Congress, is introducing a Private Members Bill in Lok Sabha on Friday to maintain a status quo before the Supreme Court order of September last year that had allowed women of all age group to enter Sabarimala Temple in Kerala. In fact, it’s also intrigued many members that Union Law Ministry which approved the bill when it was sent to it from Lok Sabha Secretariat. On the recommendation of Law Ministry, President Ram Nath Kovind allowed the Bill to be tabled. In fact, on Sabarimala issue, Congress took a stand of not allowing women of the age group of 15-50 to the Lord Ayappa temple while ruling CPM-led LDF supported the Supreme Court order on the high moral ground. Even BJP could not take a proper stand on this issue. Now, this bill has put them in a fix to take a stand as during the upcoming assembly poll in 2021 it may give same political dividends to the UDF-led by Congress party. On record, BJP is running away from opposing the bill, but they are also trying to find out a way to stop this bill from being introduced. The BJP has given the responsibility to review the bill to three senior ministers. Arguments submitted by parliamentarian NK Premachandran in support of the bill is that it’s a matter of faith and when a majority of people believe in a tradition then why the government should not support. While the BJP’s argument is that let the top court take a decision and then the government would take a substantive stand. The bill would be moved in the Lower House of the Parliament on Friday.
New Delhi: The Delhi Assembly will start its session from August 22 with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) planning to raise the demand for a special discussion on the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP MLAs will raise the demand for a resolution to be adopted in the Delhi Assembly to support the Centre’s decisions related to Jammu and Kashmir, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta told the media here on Wednesday. The session may also see a discussion and financial allocation or a revised budget for the proposed free Metro rides for women and the Delhi government’s announcement about free electricity up to 200 units.
OTTAWA – The federal Liberals are looking to push more of the billions they plan to spend on infrastructure in the next decade directly into flood mitigation, hoping to avoid repeats of disasters in Quebec and Ontario this month.Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi said the idea the Liberals will promote to provinces, territories and cities is to agree to spend the money over and above the $2 billion already set aside to help local governments defend against natural disasters like fire and flooding.The move could potentially save the government hundreds of millions annually in disaster relief payments, which are expected to rise over the coming years.In a report last year, the parliamentary budget officer estimated that payments through the disaster financial assistance arrangements could increase to more than $900 million a year over the next five years, including $673 million a year for flooding. Both costs are well above past averages paid out from the fund.Through funding agreements with provinces and territories, Sohi said the government wants “to negotiate language around dedicating resources towards flood mitigation and other disasters.“It’s a concern and we definitely want to have those conversations with provinces and territories.”The push for more disaster funding will be part of what Sohi calls a “green lens” that local, provincial and territorial governments will use on proposed infrastructure projects before they can be approved for federal funding.Sohi said the lens puts the focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions during and after construction, as well as mitigating the impact of severe weather to reduce the cost of disasters on communities.“Not only the human cost and the pain, the anxiety that it causes and the disruption of life for people, but also the economic cost to clean up afterward and the impact on the overall economy. This is part of our broader infrastructure plan.”Sohi made the comments during a roundtable interview this week with The Canadian Press.The green lens will be part of the second phase of the Liberals’ infrastructure plan, which is to dole out $81.2 billion on new, large-scale projects in cities and provinces over the next 10 years.The money will flow only after provinces and territories sign funding agreements with the federal government, which will take months to conclude because of the size and scope of the plan.The Liberals are banking on the infrastructure spending to prod economic growth to help boost federal finances that have been plunged into years of deficits partly because of the infrastructure plan.Federal officials have been wrestling with how to frame the requirements in the upcoming funding agreements to make sure the money spurs more projects, known as incrementality in federal parlance, and not have provinces and cities replace planned spending with federal dollars.Internal government documents show that municipalities in Ontario in particular have pushed the government to recognize their long-term capital plans as meeting the federal requirement for incrementality.A January briefing note to Sohi ahead of a meeting with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario recommended the minister reiterate the government’s position that federal funding should not “have the unintended negative consequences of displacing investment by the provinces or municipalities over time.”The Canadian Press obtained a copy of the document under the Access to Information Act.Sohi said the Liberals may provide some flexibility in the funding to allow for refurbishment projects, rather than new builds.“Under Phase 2, the long-term plan, we will be supporting more new infrastructure. There will be some flexibility to rehabilitate the existing infrastructure, but these will be new plans or plans that they (cities) have in place, but there is no funding attached to it. These will be the new projects that we will fund.”— Follow @jpress on Twitter.
While some browsers fell fast at CanSecWest’s hacking competition, Google’s Chrome fared pretty well. In fact, it has yet to have a zero day exploit emerge in the wild during its four years on the market. No doubt this invincibility comes from the efforts Google put in to securing its web browser, a browser Chaouki Bekrar, chief researcher at French cyber security contractor VUPEN, sings the praises of for its security measures.Chris Evans is the Googler in charge of security for Chrome. We had the opportunity to chat with him at CanSecWest in Vancouver about browser security.Geek.com: Security contractors at this conference have usually ranked Chrome as the most secure browser. Why is this? What’s the key to Chrome’s security?Chris Evans: Chrome was designed from the start with security in mind, including integrated sandboxing and Safe Browsing malware protection. We have a large Chrome security team who engage in proactive hardening measures, fuzzing at scale and fast patching of bugs.And beyond our team we make it a priority to engage with the wider community–one of our core security principles — via our Chromium Vulnerability Rewards Program and Pwnium competitions. Securing a browser takes a lot of effort, but it’s important work as it’s often a user’s first line of defense against bad actors on the web.What’s the process between discovery of a threat in the wild and rolling out a patch?There is an important distinction between controlled and responsible (“white hat”) exploit discovery, and threats “in the wild” or zero days. We proactively seek the former to allow us to better manage in the event we experience the latter.In Chrome’s four years we haven’t had an zero-day situation, but we feel we’re battle ready if the situation arises. Through our three prior Pwnium competitions we’ve demonstrated two 24-hour turnarounds and one 12-hour turnaround. It is important to have a well-practiced incident response process and team.Our process involves convening a war room of engineers, reviewers, and release managers. We’ve also built a fantastic thorough and automated testing infrastructure that gives fast confidence in any proposed patches. The most important part of course is our ability to quickly push updates to our users, which is possible thanks to Chrome’s seamless auto-update feature. The auto-update approach is now used by most other browser makers, validating its effectiveness.Over the last year, what trends in malicious code and exploits have you noticed emerge in the wild?There’s been a continued focus on browser plug-ins. The most interesting thing I’ve seen is some in-the-wild attacks (and escapes) against plug-in sandboxes. As sandboxes are recognized as a best practice they are becoming more prevalent. Still, escaping a sandbox is hard work so this gives an idea of the resources attackers are willing to invest.What’s the biggest threat vector for web browsers? What constantly gives you the most headaches?Plug-ins continue to be a big security issue. They add extra exploit real-estate for online threats and since they’re separate software they require separate updates, which most often requires action on the part of the user. So oftentimes plugins on users’ machines are out-of-date, which compounds their vulnerability.In Chrome we’ve bundled Flash and a PDF reader and placed them inside a separate sandbox that’s as strong as Chrome’s native sandbox to help protect users. Because they’re packaged these plugins are auto-updated with Chrome, which significantly improves the likelihood of users being up-to-date. Chrome also blocks out-of-date plugins from running. Chrome even blocks up-to-date plug-ins from running until the user indicates permission, if that plug-in has a history of zero-day attacks against it.Are there different threats with the mobile edition of Chrome? Or is the malware experience the same?We build Chrome for Android to the same standards of security we have for desktop Chrome. This includes an integrated sandbox, various security hardening features, and fast regular patches.Firefox seems to fare poorly at events like Pwn2Own. If you could be Mozilla for a day, what would you do?I don’t think this is true, plus it’s important to note that participating in events such as Pwn2Own and being exploited in a responsible way provides an opportunity to learn and grow, and ultimately, keep users safe.[Image courtesy: digitalnewsasia.com]
In 2006, Thomas Publishing (now ThomasNet) went online-only and farmed out much of its editorial to India. “It’s a highly skilled, educated workforce,” says publisher Paul Gerbino. “They have high speed Internet access and the business culture is very close to that of the U.S. (even if the writing style—which tends to be British—is not).”Gerbino suggests U.S. publishers write up a request for a quote, particularly when dealing with an offshore firm. “If you can’t write it down, the vendor will never understand it,” he adds. ThomasNet made its remaining U.S. editors part of the quality training and adjusted its content management system to create a feedback loop. ThomasNet also hosts monthly meetings for its Indian reps at its New York City office. “When they press the flesh, the barriers start to break down,” Gerbino adds.Indian freelancers cost about half as much as U.S. freelancers and ThomasNet almost tripled content production from 700 pages to 2,000 pages, Gerbino says. However, be prepared to reign in your partner. “The vendor wanted to write more but we said no to keep quality up,” he adds. Real-Time Updates Outsourcing sales is typically more accepted and transparent than outsourcing other publishing disciplines. Often the outsourced sales rep works in conjunction with the in-house sales staff. Rep firm James G. Elliott specializes in taking over a publisher’s sales function completely, and that’s what ABA Journal was looking for when it decided to court advertisers beyond just the legal industry. “We had great relationships with endemic advertisers who market to lawyers,” says editor and publisher Edward Adams. “But our half a million readers are also businesspeople, who travel, who buy office supplies, you name it. We partnered with Elliott because we could use their experience without having to train people up.” To communicate with Elliott, ABA Journal uses a variety of forms, including a program called Datatrax that manages the ad sales process from start to finish. ABA Journal also gets weekly reports from its six Elliott reps and hosts sales meetings twice per year. “Our expenses are significantly lower than when we had an ad sales and marketing staff,” says Adams. “They’ve also brought in advertisers of the sort we’re trying to get, like Intel and Ritz-Carlton.” Meanwhile, American School Board Journal recently tapped rep firm Fox Associates to handle its ad sales. Fox has set up an automated Call Report system that provides detailed information on a call-by-call basis. “We’re estimating that outsourcing this function will give us a full, nationwide sales force at about the same cost as salary, overhead, and expenses for one high-level, full-time staff salesperson,” says associate executive director and publisher Marilee C. Rist. A Process ChecklistDetermining what the client wants is key. Bates Creative Group, which handles print design, has an established process for identifying the client’s concerns. “We talk very clearly with the prospect about our philosophy and process for redesign,” says president Debbie Bates-Schrott. “At the RFP stage, we ask questions to determine what services they will really need. Do they need editorial consulting and not just design, for example. If we do not feel that the client is a good fit, we can tell from these early discussions. This could be based on style of communication, budget, design and magazine philosophy and possibly schedule.”The process includes:• An in-person kick-off meeting. Bates sends a questionnaire ahead to the client to prepare. It covers things like target reader characteristics, defining the competition, editorial planning, etc. Bates also writes a creative brief which they use to measure everything against. • The creative process is about six weeks (depending on client launch date). During this step Bates has at least three designers working and is critiquing as a group at least once a week.• Presentation of three different design directions (Cover, TOC, Department, Column, Feature).• Feedback provided by client with about two rounds of refinement.• Once approved, Bates creates a style guide, templates and style sheets ready to use for the first new issue.Lux Design originally looked to Bates for a redesign and after initial talks, decided to outsource production to them as well. “Based on the cost per issue, it was more cost-efficient to hire Bates than to hire someone in-house,” says Lux Design president and publisher Michael Solovy. “As our magazine grows, we’ll have to constantly re-evaluate the cost/value relationship. Additionally, the talent-to cost-ratio was far beyond what we could have found in the Twin Cities.” To coordinate the workflow, Bates provides an issue map and organized the FTP server to avoid confusion. Lux Design details any proof changes via e-mail and Word documents. “We set up some general guidelines and gave Bates creative freedom to execute,” says Solovy. “Because they are paid per page, they have a vested interest in making sure Lux Design grows as well.” Few topics are as touchy as outsourcing. But as budgets shrink, it’s becoming more of a reality for publishing disciplines across the board, from design and production to edit and circulation. “Independent publishers probably need less internal staff on the production and circulation sides,” says Henry Donahue, chief executive officer at Discover Media. “A lot of these functions have been picked up by big vendors. Your printer, paper broker, subscription fulfillment house—they have been fighting for market share and adding more and more on the service side.” But the key to successful outsourcing is making sure vendor and client are on the same page. Discover Media outsources its newsstand management and market research. “Those are straightforward,” says Donahue. “We have a regular set of weekly reports and more formal monthly meetings with our newsstand guy. Their job is to be very accessible.”Put It In Writing
Map of SatkhiraThe officers-in-charge of Sadar, Ashashuni, Kalaroa, Shyamnagar and Debhata police stations of the district have been transferred.Azam Khan, inspector of Satkhira Detective Branch (DB) of police, said Sadar police station OC Maruf Ahmed has been sent to Kalaroa while Ashashuni OC Mostafizur Rahman to Sadar, Biplab Kumar Nath of Kalaroa to Ashashuni and Syed Abdul Mannan, OC of Shyamnagar, was transferred to Debhata police station.Besides, Kazi Kamal, OC of Debhata police station, has been transferred to the Satkhira district police lines as OR.
Popular on Variety Dan Rose, one of Facebook’s top business executives, will leave the social-media giant after 12 years.Rose, the company’s VP of partnerships, plans to remain with Facebook at least through Mobile World Congress in February 2018. “This gives us plenty of time to recruit for a new leader, transition my responsibilities and relationships, and discuss whether there’s a way for me to continue helping Facebook from a distance,” he wrote in a post on Facebook announcing that he will be leaving.At Facebook, Rose has overseen the company’s media, mobile and platform partnerships, payments and Workplace businesses, as well as M&A and community operations on a global basis.Rose said he will move to Hawaii after his son and daughter decided to attend school in the Aloha State last year (and his wife, Allison, moved with them). “I had to make a choice — continue putting my Facebook family first, or move to Hawaii to be with my wife and daughter for the next four years,” Rose wrote. Rose joined Facebook in 2006, after spending seven years at Amazon, most recently as director of business development. At the e-commerce company, he was the first member of the Kindle e-book team leading content acquisition and product management.In his post Wednesday, Rose thanked CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg for having “changed my life and my career. I would walk through fire for them, or fly across the ocean on a regular basis. But they deserve someone in my role who is present and fully engaged every day in the many opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.”
×Actors Reveal Their Favorite Disney PrincessesSeveral actors, like Daisy Ridley, Awkwafina, Jeff Goldblum and Gina Rodriguez, reveal their favorite Disney princesses. Rapunzel, Mulan, Ariel,Tiana, Sleeping Beauty and Jasmine all got some love from the Disney stars.More VideosVolume 0%Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcutsKeyboard Shortcutsplay/pauseincrease volumedecrease volumeseek forwardsseek backwardstoggle captionstoggle fullscreenmute/unmuteseek to %SPACE↑↓→←cfm0-9Next UpJennifer Lopez Shares How She Became a Mogul04:350.5x1x1.25×1.5x2xLive00:0002:1502:15