Wednesday, August 17, 2016

BOE to Press on With Gilt-Buying Plan After Early QE Hiccup


佐田真由美 × GILT - STYLE ON THE GO - 15秒 A ver.

TheBank of Englands plan is to keep calm and carry on buying.

The central bank said Wednesday it will deal with a 52 million-pound shortfall ($60.8 million) in an operation on Tuesday at a later date as it made no changes to its expanded 60 billion-pound quantitative-easing program. Details of these purchases will be announced when the institution publishes information on the second half of the plan on Nov. 3.

The statement came a day after the BOE failed to buy all the gilts it wanted at a reverse auction -- the first such shortfall since it started QE in 2009 -- as investors proved unwilling to part with their holdings of longer-dated bonds.

The miss may have been partly due to thin summer liquidity in longer-dated debt, or even traders being on holiday, which means Tuesdays issue may be a one-off. The European Central Bank has previously front-loaded purchases under its own QE program to avoid a shortage of available securities during the regions holiday months. While the BOEs shortfall was small compared with the total intended program, it may still be an early sign of the challenges the bank may face in expanding QE.

Challenge Seen

If they were reasonably comfortable that this was just a one-off, then the natural thing to do would be to say OK, fair enough, Ill just buy some more today and then we will move on, Pacific Investment Management Co. money manager Mike Amey said in a Bloomberg Television interview. So I think its a bit more nuanced than that. And it indicates to us that its going to be a challenge to buy these bonds.

An auction of seven- to 15-year debt on Wednesday saw offers of 4.71 times the amount needed, highlighting the particular difficulty facing the BOE in finding longer-dated gilts. They tend to offer higher yields than their shorter-dated equivalents and are in particular demand from pension companies that hold the securities to match their liabilities.

The gilt purchases are part of a package of measures designed to combat the economic fallout of Britains decision to leave the European Union. The Brexit defense, announced by Governor Mark Carney last week, also included corporate-bond purchases and the first interest-rate cut in more than seven years.

At Tuesdays operation, the central bank received offers to sell 1.118 billion pounds of gilts due in more than 15 years on Tuesday, compared with a target of 1.17 billion pounds.

U.K. government bonds pared their advance after Wednesdays auction, having earlier sent yields to record lows. The 10-year yield was down three basis points at 0.55 percent as of 3:10 p.m. London time, while the 30-year gilt yield declined nine basis points to 1.296 percent.

Yields are already extremely low so people are worried about the efficacy of this policy, whether it can really have a bite, Bloomberg Intelligence economist Dan Hanson said in an interview. The fact they havent said well make up the difference in the auction today might mean theyve got concerns about liquidity in the market and theyre just going to push the can down the road a little bit and wait until November and reassess.

Before it"s here, it"s on the Bloomberg Terminal. LEARN MORE

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-10/boe-to-press-on-with-gilt-purchase-plan-after-early-qe-hiccup

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Nate Parker speaks out about rape charge while he was at Penn State


Nate Parker"s College Rape Accuser Commits Suicide

Nate Parker, the creator ofBirth of a Nation, is speaking out about the rape charge that was filed against him 17 years ago while he was in college.

Parker and Jean McGianni Celestin were roommates together in 1999 when they were accused of raping a girl who had passed out in their room. However, they claimed that the s*x was consensual.

Twitter responds to finding out Nate Parker has a whitewife

Parker had previously had a consensual encounter with the girl and was acquitted in 2001. Although Celestin was initially found guilty of sexual assault, the conviction was overturned after an appeal.

Parker is now speaking out about the case, saying that it does not reflect his views on women.

I stand here, a 36-year-old man, 17 years removed from one of the most painful moments in the life, Parker said in an interview withDeadline. And I can imagine it was painful, for everyone.

Nate Parkers slave drama Birth of a Nation purchased by Fox Searchlight, Sundances biggest dealever

I was cleared of everything, of all charges. Ive done a lot of living, and raised a lot of children.Ive got five daughters and a lovely wife. My mom lives here with me I brought her here. Ive got four younger sisters, he said.

Although Parker said that sexual assault on school campuses is a very serious issue, he also said that he would not relive his past over and over.

Oprah gives Nate Parkers Nat Turner biopic ravereviews

I will not relive that period of my life every time I go under the microscope.

Source: http://thegrio.com/2016/08/14/nate-parker-speaks-out-about-rape-charge-while-he-was-at-penn-state/

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Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Rio Olympics 2016: Meet the Egyptian beach volleyball player who didn"t let a hijab stop her


GoPro: Beach Volleyball with April Ross

Rio de Janeiro: When Nada Meawad and Doaa Elghobashy made their Olympic debut in beach volleyball at the Copacabana on Sunday night, they caught the attention of the world. The Egyptians were fully clothed, wearing long sleeves and pants that covered their arms and legs. Elghobashy also wore a hijab that covered her head.

This was in stark contrast to their German rivals Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst, who sported the usual bikini attire. A photo of Elghobashy and Walkenhorst at the net went viral on social media, and has become a strong statement for the women athletes from the predominantly Muslim country.

The juxtaposition of the completely different cultures in the photograph are a great example of how sports is a great leveller and the Olympics is the biggest stage for that. The Egyptian players are not only just creating history for their nation, but are also challenging existing norms and inspiring millions of other women across the globe. No matter what religion or background you belong to, you can still succeed at the highest level in sports, is the message that they are sending out.

Doaa Elghobashy said she was proud to represent Egypt as part of the nation"s first Olympic beach volleyball team.

As for the hijab that covered her head, as well as the long sleeves and pants, she never gave that a thought.

"I have worn the hijab for 10 years," she said after a 21-12, 21-15 loss to Germany. "It doesn"t keep me away from the things I love to do, and beach volleyball is one of them."

Elghobashy and partner Nada Meawad qualified for the Summer Games through a regional competition designed to open the Olympic field to countries beyond the Brazilians, Americans and Europeans who dominate the international pro tour.

And when the Egyptians took the court wearing long pants and sleeves, they were the beneficiaries of uniform regulations that were relaxed by the international volleyball federation before the London Games so as not to exclude cultures that might be turned off by the standard bikinis and boardshorts.

"It was to open it up culturally," FIVB spokesman Richard Baker said on Sunday night as the Egyptians played in their opening match of the Rio Games. "The goal was to allow more people to play the sport of volleyball."

By one measure, it"s worked. Baker said there were 169 different countries involved in the Continental Cup qualifying process for the 2016 Olympic, compared to 143 for London.

Egypt had never qualified for either the men"s or women"s beach volleyball tournament at the Olympics.

"I"m proud to be seen raising the Egyptian flag in a carnival with so many nations," Elghobashy said.

(With inputs from AP)

Source: http://www.firstpost.com/sports/rio-olympics-2016-meet-the-egyptian-beach-volleyball-player-who-didnt-let-a-hijab-stop-them-2943316.html

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Evolution of women"s beach volleyball uniforms


Irene Verasio - Hottest Womens Beach Volleyball Player (Not at 2016 Olympics)

SHAUN BOTTERILL/GETTY IMAGES

It"s taken a while but women"s beach volleyball uniform regulations are finally catching up with the diverse beliefs of the sport"s international competitors.

Many beach volleyballersarechoosingto stick withthe traditional two pieces of lycra in Rio, but they no longer have to.

Egyptian teamNada Meawad and Doaa Elghobashy shunned the bikini during their match against Germany on Monday morning (NZT)in favour of long sleeves and long pants -Elghobashy covered her hair with a hijab.

The picture of the pair, the first Egyptian women"s volleyball team to compete at the Olympics,was a stark contrast to what thesport has become known for, since it was added to the Olympic bill in 1996.

SHAUN BOTTERILL/GETTY IMAGES

Egyptian volleyballers Doaa Elghobashy (L) and Nada Meawad opted for long sleeves, long pants and a hijab in a move away from the skimpy bikini that often defines the Olympic sport.

Women"s beach volleyball is one of those much-talked about, highly anticipated events- usually for all the wrong reasons.

READ MORE:*Live: Rio Olympics - day two*Aussie swimmer admits drug taunt was a mind game*Rush for Rio gold costs Kiwi*Three cracks in rider"s spine*Female beach volleyballers can now cover up*Bikinis dominate beach volleyball questioning*There"s more to beach volleyball than skimpy outfits

Shaun Botterill

Laura Ludwig, left, and Kira Walkenhorst of Germany, who defeated the Egyption pair of Doaa Elghobashy and Nada Meawad.

Press conferences are often filled with bikini-focussed questions rather than talk of medal hopes or team strategies.

"Will you promise you will wear bikinis even if it rains?" -A question from a male reporter to UK OlympianZara Dampney.

In 2012, then-London Mayor Boris Johnson referred to "semi-n***d women playing volleyball...glistening like wet otters".

GETTY IMAGES

The Egyptian team"s uniform was a stark contrast to the uniforms worn by most beach volleyball competitors, who say a bikini is best for peak performance.

"The whole thing is magnificent and bonkers," Johnson said in a column titled20 jolly good reasons to feel cheerful about the Games, which was publishedin The Telegraph.

Johnson"s bizarre description of these world-class athletes coincided with the first Olympics where female beach volleyball players were not restricted to lycra by the International Volleyball Federation"s (FIVB) uniform code.

In March2012, FIVB caught up with the diverse culturaland religious beliefs of the sport"s international players, adding three more options to its approved uniforms.

SHAUN BOTTERILL/GETTY IMAGES

Competitors who do opt for the bikini must adhere to the guidelines that state the side panel of the brief must be no wider than 7cm.

If you were a female beach volleyball player pre-2012 you could wear a one-piece bathing suit or a bikini with a maximum side width of 7cm (yes, it was that specific. And that small).

The rules stated competitors could also wearfull body suits could also be used under the bikini in cold weather, something that was rarely done.

Now, there are three extra choices. Players can wear shorts of a maximum length of 3cm above the knee with sleeved or sleeveless tops or a full body suit.

QUINN ROONEY/GETTY IMAGES

Some competitors say they are sick of being sexualised because of their uniforms, others shrug off the attention, saying no other outfit would allow them to perform at their best.

The FIVB said the change was made in order to"respect the custom and/or religious beliefs" of players.

In 2009, New Zealand netballer-turned-volleyballer Anna Scarlett said it was unfortunate the mediafocusedon the bikinis and not the sport itself.

"I find it frustrating, and I know the other players do too. I suppose unfortunately it has been sold a lot on the sexual aspect. If that gets numbers and people interested in the game then that"s a good start...

"I couldn"t think of anything else you could play beach volleyball in. Your pockets fill up with sand, it gets so hot out there and even when it"s raining if you are playing in shorts and singlet it would get heavy."

While some women"s volleyballers, like Scarlett, feelfrustrationat their sport being defined by the lycra in which they compete, US beach volleyballer Kerri Walsh Jennings has shut down the bikini critics.

Walsh Jennings, whose competing in her fifth Olympics,told the Huffington Postbikinis are best for thejob.

"The original way to play beach volleyball was in a bikini and board shorts, and I don"t know what else they want us to wear...

"When it comes to beach volleyball, we"re playing in 100-degree-plus weather.

"I think we"ve just gotta educate the public, take it with a grain of salt and make sure that we"re working hard and not playing up the s*x appeal because it"s inherent anyway."

The bikini she will wear when taking on China with teammate April Rosson Tuesday, is designed for peak performance. It"s not about being "sexy" or "flashy", she says.

-Stuff

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/82926043/Evolution-of-womens-beach-volleyball-uniforms

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Rio Olympics 2016: Can Kerri Walsh Jennings take on Australia Without Misty May-Treanor?


Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh Jennings: London 2012 Profile

Walsh Jennings will be returning for her fifth Olympic games, but the first in over ten years without Misty May-Treanor. Can she still win gold against the Brazilians home court advantage?

The London 2012 Games were the end of an era. Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor went together like peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, chocolate and vanilla, the Rio Olympics and every possible misfortune. Winning three gold medals together in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 summer Olympics, Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor have been described as the greatest beach volleyball team of all time.

The two first found each otheralright, they were paired together for the FIVB international tourin 2001 after narrowly missing Olympic medals in Sydney in 2000 (May-Treanor and her partner came in 5th in the beach volleyball tournament, Walsh Jennings came in fourth in the indoor volleyball competition).

Since 2001, the two had been known as a pair on the international and national beach volleyball circuit. They competed together in the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics, becoming a household name even to non-beach volleyball fans.

Thats not to say things were always smooth sailing. The duo suffered losses, difficult matches, and even a brief retirement by May-Treanor, who decided in 2010 that she would take a break from competition. Walsh Jennings partnered with fellow Americanand 2008 Olympic teammateNicole Branagh, but after a change of heart, May-Treanor soon joined her partner back on the court. The two won a third consecutive gold in the 2012 London Games.

But it seems that May-Treanor really means it this time when she says shes not coming back to compete. Walsh Jennings will be competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics with April Ross, who earned second place in the London Olympics.

While Ross is no May-Treanor, the almond-butter and jelly pairing will still be a force to reckon with in Rio.

Ross can certainly hold her own on the court. She has eight AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) and nine FIVB (Fdration Internationale de Volleyball) first-place finishes overall. She was named the Most Outstanding Player in the 2008 Phuket Thailand Open and, together with Jennifer Kessy, beat World Champion couple May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings in the AVP tournament in California. Kessy and Ross also beat Brazilians Juliana Silva and Larissa Frana way back in 2009 before trouncing them again in the semifinals of the 2012 London Olympics.

While Ross and Walsh Jennings are favorites to medal in Rio, they have quite a few challenges ahead. In addition to rebranding, Ross and Walsh Jennings must face Brazilian all-star Larissa Frana on her home turf. On top of that, Walsh Jennings underwent shoulder surgery in the fall.

Heres hoping the 37-year-old can be just as dominant in her 5th Olympics with Ross as she was in three Olympics with May-Treanor.

The team takes on Australia in their first Olympic match together, Saturday, August 6 at 11pm EST.

How to Live Stream the 2016 Rio Olympics:

NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app will be live streaming coverage of the Games for pay TV subscribers via TV Everywhere. You can download the NBC Sports app to your Android TV, Apple TV, Xbox or Roku or use the iOS, Android or Windows Phone apps.

You can also live stream Olympic matches from NBC here.

Source: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/06/rio-olympics-2016-can-kerri-walsh-jennings-take-on-australia-without-misty-may-treanor.html

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ADHD in classroom is struggle for teachers, students


Classroom - Cyanide & Happiness Shorts

MIAMI Hudson Dunn has always been an active boy.

His daycare teachers called him demanding and independent. In preschool, he preferred singing and daydreaming to learning the ABCs. By the time he was in kindergarten in Broward County, Hudson was banned from class field trips unless his mother came along to keep track of him. He often came home crying.

It created an environment in the classroom where he was labeled a bad kid, said his mom, Jenine Dunn.

Emily Michot

Teacher Herbert McArthur Jr. gives a little extra encouragement to Jesus G. to keep him on track during a special summer camp for children with ADHD run by FIU. (Emily Michot/Miami Herald/TNS)

Hudson has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorders in children. The Centers for Disease Control estimates 11 percent of American kids have ADHD.

The list of symptoms for kids who have ADHD reads like a recipe for problems in school: trouble paying attention and completing tasks. Being fidgety, talkative and impulsive. Difficulty following rules, making friends and keeping track of things - like homework or class materials.

Increasing academic demands have only made it harder for kids with ADHD, argues Dr. Jeffrey Brosco, professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. With kids spending more time preparing for standardized tests and less time playing at recess, Brosco says the rate of ADHD in children has doubled since the 1970s.

Emily Michot

Teacher Herbert McArthur Jr. works with Samantha N. as Jesus G. gets a little distracted from his studies during a special summer program for children with ADHD run by FIU. (Emily Michot/Miami Herald/TNS)

Weve increased the academic demands, but weve also reduced our demands for allowing children to figure out how to spend their time, Brosco said. Young children learn best by play and by creative kinds of pursuits, and not just practice with reading, writing and arithmetic.

Take, for example, the amount of time that kids spend doing homework. In a paper published in February in JAMA Pediatrics, Brosco and co-author Anna Bona point out that elementary-aged kids in 1997 spent more than two hours on homework, compared with kids in the 1980s who spent less than an hour.

Dunn said the academic rigor of kindergarten definitely contributed to the difficulties her son, Hudson, faced in school. Whereas she remembers hatching eggs and making maple syrup in kindergarten, Dunns son was expected to fill out worksheets and write book reports.

Theres very little free time for imagination. They want these kids in kindergarten sitting at a desk for seven hours a day, she said. It creates an incredible amount of stress.

There could be other causes for increasing ADHD rates. Dr. William Pelham is a world-renowned ADHD researcher at Florida International University. He credits two major developments with boosting the number of diagnoses: One, recognition by the federal government in 1991 that children with ADHD are entitled to special education services in school. Second, the development and marketing of new pharmaceutical drugs in the 2000s.

Whatever the cause, Pelham has focused on effective treatments over his decades-long career. Every summer, Pelham, who leads FIUs Center for Children and Families, runs a summer camp for children with ADHD at Paul W. Bell Middle near Sweetwater, Fla.

There are all the activities youd expect from a summer camp, like basketball and silly songs. But theres also a classroom component with a heavy dose of behavior therapy, where theres a consequence for every action good or bad.

The therapy is on display in Herbert McArthur, Jr.s class. During the school year, hes a Miami-Dade high school teacher. In the summertime, he teaches a roomful of younger students who have ADHD.

He weaves between their desks, offering nonstop praise.

I like the way youre raising your hand without calling out, he tells one.

Thank you for using your materials appropriately, he says to another.

It comes every 30 seconds or so, a pleasant reminder for every tiny thing done right. Because for McArthurs students, every moment spent sitting in class and following the rules is a monumental achievement.

Implementing behavior modification strategies in the classroom takes time - time that teachers dont often feel like they have. A recent survey by the American Federation of Teachers found that being pressed for time was a leading cause of stress among teachers.

Every moment spent fixing bad behavior, praising good behavior or redirecting a student to the task at hand is a moment of teaching that is lost.

The bell-to-bell instruction, it doesnt allow for the extra pat on the back, said McArthur, the summer camp teacher. Youre looking at the clock.

Pelham and his team focus on behavior modification because, he says, it works. Combined with parent training, Pelham has found that starting with behavior-based treatment rather than medication is more effective and costs less. His findings, released in February, led the CDC to change the recommended course of treatment for children with ADHD.

Still, children in Florida are far more likely to receive medicine over therapy. In a 2010 CDC survey, more than 70 percent of kids had taken medication in the past week, while only half had received behavior therapy in the past year.

The problem is that there is no pharmaceutical company for better classroom management practices. There is no pharmaceutical company for better parenting programs. So you dont have gigantic industries helping parents and helping teachers, Pelham said.

Ava Goldman, a director for Miami-Dades Exceptional Student Education, said the school district works with Pelham to train teachers to work with students who have ADHD. The district and Pelham also recently collaborated to revamp the accepted classroom accommodations students with ADHD can receive.

Source: http://www.ajc.com/news/lifestyles/parenting/adhd-in-classroom-is-struggle-for-teachers-student/nsGgm/

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She"s been setting temperatures racing but WHO is Olympic runner Sage Watson?


From Sage Watson 9/11 Operation Xinoehp

All eyes are on the athletes in Rio but one runner has been turning more heads than most.

Sage Watson has won a loyal legion of fans due to her impressive talent and unique running look.

Gearing up for her race recently, she wore a splash of bright red lipstick and flashed a big smile to camera as her name appears on screen.

Rather cheekily, she also threw in a wink for her fans around the world.

But who is Sage Watson?

The athlete is 22-years old from Canada and specialises in the 400 metres hurdles.

Whilst she pushes herself with a gruelling fitness regime and diet, Sage also enjoys downtime.

Sharing a poolside selfie with her 13,000 Instagram followers two weeks before the Olympics, Sage wrote: I love my recovery days! They are a key factor on my road to rio.

And footage of Sage running with ruby red lips has gone viral online.

The star proved popular on Twitter, with one user writing: Sage Watson didn"t win but the cameraman thought she did. Lol.

Another said: Did you see Sage Watson wink? I"m smitten.

One wrote: Every guy who just saw that 800m women"s heat is now image searching Sage Watson.

Source: http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/700613/sage-watson-rio-olympics-runner-viral-imgur

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