French Mathematician Tapped as Next ERC President
Doing the math. Jean-Pierre Bourguignon. A French mathematician of global renown and with a wealth of international connections has been tapped to become the new president of the European Research Council (ERC), Europe’s funding agency for frontier research. Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, the longtime head of the Institute of Advanced Scientific Studies (IHES) in Bures-sur-Yvette, France, is slated to succeed Austrian sociologist Helga Nowotny, who has presided over the agency since 2010.The European Commission, which makes the final decision, has not yet announced the appointment, and a commission spokesperson declined to comment today. But a source with inside knowledge of the process confirms to ScienceInsider that Bourguignon, 66, is slated to succeed Nowotny after she steps down on 31 December. Bourguignon said farewell to IHES, a private institute founded in 1958 and modeled on the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, on 31 August.Bourguignon is a graduate of the École Polytechnique, a famed elite school near Paris that produces many of the France’s leaders in government, science, and business. (Among the graduates in his class of 1966 are Jean-Martin Folz, the former CEO of Peugeot Citroën; former European Parliament member Alain Lipietz; and former Louis Vuitton CEO Yves Carcelle.) Bourguignon specialized in differential geometry and received his Ph.D. at the University of Paris VII.Sign up for our daily newsletterGet more great content like this delivered right to you!Country *AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia, Plurinational State ofBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinianPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRWANDASaint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweI also wish to receive emails from AAAS/Science and Science advertisers, including information on products, services and special offers which may include but are not limited to news, careers information & upcoming events.Required fields are included by an asterisk(*)During his 19-year tenure at the helm of IHES, he secured new funds, including from industry, and attracted top talent from around the world. He also helped the institute, traditionally focused on math, branch out into fields like theoretical biology, according to a recent profile story in Le Monde.EuroScience, a Strasbourg, France-based organization of European scientists, welcomed the impending appointment in a statement issued today. “Professor Bourguignon has been crucial to maintaining and strengthening the atmosphere at the IHES for original, creative research at the very highest levels, and to attract the best minds for shorter and longer stays at the IHES,” the statement said.”At the same time he has built a worldwide community of supporters, not least in Asia, for the IHES which guarantees long-term financial stability of this private Institute.” Bourguignon was a member of the group that got EuroScience started in the 1990s and later served on its board. He was also president of France’s mathematical society from 1990 to 1992 and of the European Mathematical Society from 1995 to 1998.In the first 7 years of its existence, the ERC has become popular among European scientists because, in contrast to other E.U. funding mechanisms, it uses excellence as the only criterion, while its application process is relatively straightforward. But the fact that a disproportionate number of its grants arrive in the union’s richer countries has occasionally sowed discontent in eastern and southern member states.Nowotny—who declined to comment on the appointment—says the key challenge for her successor will be to maintain ERC’s reputation for excellence in the science it funds and its review process, even as its budget is set to increase from €7.1 billion between 2007 and 2013 to around €13 billion in the next 7-year period. (The ERC’s Executive Agency in Brussels will not grow at the same clip, Nowotny says, so the agency’s workload is likely to increase.)Another challenge will be to attract more grantees from outside the European Union, she adds. Nowotny says the groundwork for that has been laid by ERC Secretary General Donald Dingwell, who over the past 2 years has traveled around the world to spread the word about ERC’s activities.As it happens, Bourguignon is a frenetic traveler as well. In the story in Le Monde, he said he has seen Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport “close to a thousand times” during his tenure at IHES, and colleagues have gotten used to receiving e-mails from him from unusual places and at unusual times. Indeed, physicist Nikita Nekrasov, of Stony Brook University in New York, told the paper, “Jean-Pierre is a quantum phenomenon: Lots of energy and momentum, and completely delocalized!”*Correction, 28 October, 5:38 p.m.: This story has been changed to correct the date that Bourguignon left IHES and the new research areas he introduced at the institute. Wikimedia Commons 
SHARE SHARE EMAIL Carlo Ancelotti among the favourites to become the next coach football sport SHARE Stunned Italy fail to reach World Cup Published on RELATED November 16, 2017 Gian Piero Ventura’s reign as Italy coach ended after a World Cup qualifying fiasco during which the four-time champions failed to reach next year’s finals in Russia.The 69 year-old’s fate was sealed after a crisis meeting of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in Rome, with former Chelsea and Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti among the favourites to take over and rebuild the Azzurri.Ventura had refused to resign despite a 1-0 aggregate play-off defeat to Sweden on Monday that saw Italy miss the World Cup for the first time since 1958.“As of today, Gian Piero Ventura is no longer the coach of the national team,” the FIGC said in a statement.According to reports, Ventura will be paid his salary until the end of his contract in June 2018, which amounts to approximately 8,00,000 euros (USD 943,000).But FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio will stay on despite mounting pressure on him to also resign after a defeat which has left a nation traumatised. “The federation president (Tavecchio) informed participants at the (crisis) meeting…of the impossibility for him to resign,” a FIGC statement read, awaiting “a series of proposals” on how to fix Italian football.Tavecchio later told journalists that a new coach would be named at a special meeting of the FIGC federal council which would take place next Monday.“We are considering big names for the role of coach,” the 74 year-old promised.Ancelotti is seen as the frontrunner, as the 58 year-old is free since being sacked by Bayern Munich at the end of September.Italian Ancelotti has won three Champions League crowns, league titles in Italy, England, Germany and France and would provide the high profile required after the Ventura fiasco.A return by Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri and former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini are also being considered.RebuildingBut opposition to Tavecchio remains despite promises to rebuild Italian football from grassroots level upwards with Damiano Tommasi, the head of the Italian Players’ Union, storming out of the FIGC meeting after Tavecchio refused to quit.“There doesn’t appear to be the mood for change,” the former Roma midfielder told journalists. “Tavecchio has decided not to resign and continue with his office. The others haven’t taken a position and said they’d decide in the future. We need credible elections, with new people; we won’t solve the problems of Italian football by sacking the coach.If not, we’ll keep stirring the same soup which has proved indigestible to so many.”Ventura, meanwhile, had defended his leadership as “one of the best records in 40 years” despite failing to lead the 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006 winners to their 19th World Cup. “I lost only two games in two years,” he had told Italian television.In fact, since the former Torino coach took over in July 2016, Italy have lost three matches—against France in Bari (3–1), Spain in Madrid (3–0) and Sweden in the World Cup first-leg play-off in Solna (1-0)—winning nine and drawing four.Ventura was given the Italy job in the wake of Euro 2016 after five excellent years at Torino, whom he took from Serie B in 2011 to the Europa League round of 16 in 2015.But having never managed one of Serie A’s big hitters during a 41 year career, he was an uninspiring replacement for Conte, a three-time Serie A winner who dragged two-time champions Italy to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016. × COMMENT COMMENTS
CHICAGO (COPA AMERICA 2016) — The United States vaulted into Quarterfinal contention by beating Costa Rica 4-0 on Tuesday at Soldier Field in Chicago behind a goal and two assists in the first half from Clint Dempsey. The US recorded their first Copa América win since upsetting Argentina on July 14, 1995, breaking a seven-game winless streak in the tournament, including six straight losses.Dempsey converted an early penalty kick for his 50th career international goal, then set up Jermaine Jones and Bobby Wood for clinical finishes in a six-minute span late in the first half.Los Ticos came out quickly and created the game’s first scoring chance in just the fifth minute when amis-hit DeAndre Yedlin clearance fell to Joel Campbell, who whipped a half-volley past the right post.Yedlin then helped create the opening goal by beating a defender and floating in a cross, and when defender Cristian Gamboa pushed winger Bobby Wood in the back, referee Roddy Zambrano whistled for a penalty kick. Dempsey coolly placed his shot into the lower right corner.Later in the first half, Dempsey set up both Gyasi Zardes and Jermaine Jones for shots they fired high before the second goal arrived in the 37th minute. Jones started the play with pressure and a sliding pass to Dempsey near midfield, then finished it with a well-placed low shot from the top of the penalty area.The US made it 3-0 five minutes later when Dempsey fed Wood, now playing centrally, at the top of the penalty area, and the Hawaiian-born striker turned his man before firing a shot inside the near post.Costa Rica created two good second half chances, but Celso Borges flicked his shot over the net in the 55th minute, and Bryan Ruiz headed a short corner kick against the left post in the 67th minute.U.S. substitute Graham Zusi wrapped things up in the 87th minute with a steal and a low, left-footed finish, while goalkeeper Brad Guzan made two saves to record the shutout.With three points, the U.S. will close group play on Saturday against Paraguay in Philadelphia.TweetPinShare0 Shares
Mercedes-Benz India, one of the country’s largest luxury automobile brands, announced the roll-out of one of the bespoke programme for its discerning customers – Mercedes-Benz Circle Elite. With this initiative, Mercedes-Benz customers can access an exclusive world of benefits and privileges by simply dialing a hotline number.The Mercedes-Benz Circle Elite programme has tie-ups with leading lifestyle and luxury brands in the spheres of hospitality, entertainment, travel, sports, healthcare and more. All 2018 Mercedes-Benz customers get automatically enrolled in the programme at no additional cost and can benefit from their association with Mercedes-Benz, matching their lifestyles and aspirations.Details of the programme Dining ServiceDining offers especially curated for customers to indulge in gastronomic experiences and avail exclusive offers at more than 100 premium restaurants across the country. Complimentary cake & bouquet at the table, courtesy Mercedes-Benz at select restaurants.StaycationCustomers can unwind in at various properties nationwide – over 45 exotic properties to choose from for weekend getaways.GolfThe customer can spend a day on the green ground with their family and enjoy complimentary Golf lessons. A tie-up with top golf course across more than 10 cities.Global Travel AssistanceAssistance like inoculation and visa requirement information, interpreter referral, lost document advice & assistance, legal referral, emergency translation assistance, emergency document delivery, emergency message transmission, an arrangement of transportation and accommodation for accompanying family members.Medical AssistanceMedical facilities such as telephone medical advice, medical service provider referral, arrangement of hospital admission, guarantee of medical expenses incurred during hospitalization & monitoring of medical condition during hospitalization, arrangement of emergency medical evacuation, arrangement of emergency medical repatriation, arrangement of repatriation of mortal remains, arrangement of compassionate visit, arrangement of return of minor children and arrangement of accommodation will be provided to the customers during their travel abroad.advertisementBespoke RequestThe bespoke request includes an array of services ranging from wine and dining, arts and culture, shopping services, business services, golfing services, travel services, event planning, pet care assistance and massage and aromatherapy services.Retail, Luxury and Lifestyle benefits Periodical tie-ups with exorbitant brands across retail, luxury and lifestyle segment for special offers exclusively for Mercedes-Benz customers.Customer Service initiatives are the most influential differentiators in the Indian luxury car segment and Mercedes-Benz in India offers its customers a range of services for a hassle-free ownership experience.
Brisbane Roar v Perth Glory Brisbane Roar 1 Perth Glory 2: Keogh and Castro combine in late comeback Harry West 19:03 12/21/17 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(0) 
Getty Images Brisbane Roar v Perth Glory Brisbane Roar Perth Glory A-League Two goals in as many minutes completed Perth Glory’s late comeback for a 2-1 win at Brisbane Roar in the A-League on Thursday. Andy Keogh and Diego Castro teamed up to devastating effect as Perth Glory scored twice in the final 10 minutes to come from behind and defeat Brisbane Roar 2-1 in the A-League on Thursday.The Roar were in front late in the first half at Suncorp Stadium through Massimo Maccarone’s sixth goal of the season and would have doubled their lead soon after the interval were it not for an errant offside flag denying the veteran his seventh. Substitute Keogh netted the equaliser from Castro’s pass and the roles were reversed two minutes later as Perth moved up to fourth, leaving their hosts second from bottom. Article continues below Editors’ Picks 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. A Liverpool legend in the making: Behind Virgil van Dijk’s remarkable rise to world’s best player The deadlock was broken seven minutes before the break as Maccarone latched onto Fahid Ben Khalfallah’s excellent lofted ball, jinked away from Jeremy Walker and finished into the bottom-right corner via a deflection.Maccarone was fortunate to avoid punishment for simulation as he sought a penalty in first-half stoppage time, but he could count himself hard done by early in the second period when he slotted home only to be incorrectly denied by the assistant referee.Perth lost goalkeeper Liam Reddy midway through the second half as he suffered a knock to the head diving bravely at the feet of two Roar attackers, and his replacement Nick Feely had a hand in the equaliser as a long punt caught out the Brisbane defence, Castro controlling beautifully and squaring for Keogh to tap home.The pair combined again for the winner shortly afterwards as Keogh brought down Joseph Mills’ diagonal ball and cut back for his strike partner to sweep home from inside the six-yard box to leave the Roar reeling.GET IN LADS! A sensational comeback sees Glory rise to fourth place on the @ALeague ladder! pic.twitter.com/UKERw7hZ6F— Perth Glory FC (@PerthGloryFC) December 21, 2017
Share on Pinterest Share on Facebook Read more José Mourinho the ultimate party pooper rains on Guardiola’s parade Manchester United The back-up goalkeeper Sergio Romero is the only absentee for the visit of the embattled West Brom, whose struggles this term have shocked a manager looking to build on last weekend’s 3-2 comeback win at Manchester City.“I am, I am surprised [to see West Brom in the relegation zone],” Mourinho said. “The quality, the experience of many of the players, the squad and the stability of the past years, it is a surprise for me that they find themselves in this position.“I think it is a big challenge because they know that in football anything is possible until mathematically impossible. They know that, everybody knows. They still smell a chance but every match that is played if they don’t get points then they are closer to relegation, but I think they still believe.“In our case, we come from a big result and during the week I was trying to fight that result by working well and hard and trying to make the players understand that it is not enough to deserve second.“We need the points and obviously to finish fourth we need four or five points but to finish second we need much more than that. And after three important points last weekend, we have to try to do these three [points] and be closer to the end of the season and second position, which is in this moment our ambition.” Share via Email Topics José Mourinho Share on LinkedIn Such talk was given short shift by Mourinho. “If I was you, I would go: ‘Why does Lukaku play every match? Why does Matic play every match?’” Mourinho said when asked about Martial.“You always go to the one [who does not play]. If you want what I call dry answers, I have dry answers – and a dry answer is only 11 can start the match and we have 22.”Mourinho had been similarly dismissive when asked about Rashford, countering a statistic about the forward’s lack of starts by saying he has more appearances than anyone since his appointment.The United manager said the number of the England international’s appearances from the bench are “because I decide that way”, before downplaying the notion it was hard to keep the squad happy. “No, no, it’s just football,” Mourinho said. “We cannot have 11 players, it would be amazing economically for clubs to have only 11 players and play always with the same 11, no injuries, no suspension, no fatigue. Nothing.“It would be better for everyone to only have 11 but it is not possible, so at every club at every level, from the top of the world to the amateur football clubs, you need more than 11 players. And only 11 can start, it is as simple as that. There is nothing I can do.”Mourinho used that point again when explaining why he would not sign another striker this summer as competition for Romelu Lukaku, who will come up against one of his former clubs, on Sunday. Sign up for The Fiver, our daily football email. news Share on WhatsApp Share on Twitter Marcus Rashford José Mourinho brushed aside questions about Anthony Martial’s and Marcus Rashford’s happiness as the Manchester United manager underlined how starting roles cannot be guaranteed.With the World Cup coming into focus and the domestic season drawing to a close, questions over playing time and contentment have been raised about two of United’s forwards. Rashford is reportedly becoming increasingly disillusioned by his lack of starts, while there has been similar speculation about Martial amid suggestions of an Old Trafford exit. Share on Messenger Reuse this content
Greater Western Sydney Giants Share on Messenger … we have a small favour to ask. More people, like you, are reading and supporting the Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism than ever before. And unlike many news organisations, we made the choice to keep our reporting open for all, regardless of where they live or what they can afford to pay.The Guardian will engage with the most critical issues of our time – from the escalating climate catastrophe to widespread inequality to the influence of big tech on our lives. At a time when factual information is a necessity, we believe that each of us, around the world, deserves access to accurate reporting with integrity at its heart.Our editorial independence means we set our own agenda and voice our own opinions. Guardian journalism is free from commercial and political bias and not influenced by billionaire owners or shareholders. This means we can give a voice to those less heard, explore where others turn away, and rigorously challenge those in power.We hope you will consider supporting us today. We need your support to keep delivering quality journalism that’s open and independent. Every reader contribution, however big or small, is so valuable. Support The Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. Since you’re here… Barry Hall apologises after being sacked for vulgar on-air comments To bastardise John Updike, what is a football season but a vast sheet of darkness in which a few moments, pricked appropriately at random, shine? And in Round 15 those pricks came from everywhere, notwithstanding the one on Triple M who cast misogyny’s shadow across the code once more.No one team is randomly shining brighter right now than Collingwood, who on Saturday night won their sixth consecutive game and are sitting in second (second!) place. The Magpies have already won more games than they did last season (and the season before) and are perfectly positioned to finish top four. After years where nothing seems to have gone right for Nathan Buckley, there appears to be a hitch in luck’s gait. The Pies midfield is starting to click – thanks in no small part to having the game’s best ruckman – and they also have the presumptive Rising Star in Jaidyn Stephenson, who kicked two goals in a burst in the second half to sink the Suns. Share on Twitter AFL Read more Reuse this content Read more features Melbourne Demons Australia sport Support The Guardian Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Australian rules football They would be two games behind were it not for the boot of Harry Taylor, whose kick on the siren from 45-metres out never looked in. While the Dogs may be out of the running for this season, the past two weeks have suggested that they may be slowly starting to punch a few holes through their post-premiership gloom, thanks in part to their potential new cult hero, the red-headed small forward Ed Richards, who capped of a great night at the office with a brilliant toe-poked goal in heavy traffic. It was the first time the Dogs had beaten the Cats in nine years, and the Geelong’s seventh consecutive loss coming off a mid-season bye.After a promising start to the year, Melbourne is slowly reverting to type, with a dramatic two-point loss to St Kilda in an anomalous high-scoring affair at the MCG on Sunday. Melbourne’s season is again running to play like a sitcom in reverse. Instead of the first act developing a crisis that is bound to dissolve like a lump of sugar in warm humour just before the credits role, the Dees began their year with footballing bonhomie and are now frantically trying to pull it all apart and reassemble it as a disaster just in time for Round 23. The Dees find themselves just holding on to their spot in the eight from a group of teams that now include Essendon, after a 17-point win against a stumbling North Melbourne.But everyone still sits behind the reigning premiers who consolidated top spot with a 26-point win against the team likely to be their greatest threat come September, Sydney. Richmond appears to be an even more balanced team this season, and on Thursday night, it was veteran Jack Riewoldt who led the way with three goals and 16 marks. There was a time not so long ago when Richmond was just a vast sheet of darkness where not much shone. But these are not your father’s Tigers, and even among this year’s rare moments of gloom, such as Reece Conca’s sickening injury in the first-quarter, the intangible qualities of this team shine through. Watching the entire Richmond team rush the medical cart to show their support to Conca, you were reminded of the special bond this team has. Share via Email Carlton Collingwood Greater Western Sydney’s year has been more darkness than light, but it appears the fate of the Giants is starting to turn after they played what coach Leon Cameron said was their best footy all year. Despite Tom Mitchell becoming the first player to record three 50-plus possession games (he was also the first player to do this twice), it was Josh Kelly’s 29 touches that arguably had a greater impact on the game. There is no denying the importance of All-Australian midfielder to the Giants, who is back to his best since resuming from a groin injury.But to talk of the importance one man has to a team, you can’t not utter the name Kade Simpson, who on Saturday became only the fifth Carlton player to reach 300 games.“We slowed the week down, appreciated that Simmo has been inspiring people for 16 years, today is the day we tried to inspire Simmo,” said Brendon Bolton in acknowledgement of the man who is the heart and soul of the club.At times you sensed that inspiration may have been enough for Carlton to upset Port Adelaide but having been at the Blues during their darkest days, Simpson knows better than most that no matter how hard you strive and regardless of how often you mop up in defence, there are always the teams above you who seem to break open the game with seemingly little effort. And on a dismal afternoon at the MCG, it was Robbie Gray who provided the spark that saw the Power pile on five unanswered goals in the second quarter that would eventually prove the difference.Without Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling and Mark LeCras, the West Coast are clearly lacking spark of their own, but early Saturday night at the Adelaide Oval the Eagles had eight separate goalkickers and a 20-point lead. But Taylor Walker’s three second-half goals saw the Crows claw back the lead and snap a four-game losing streak to draw breath into Adelaide’s season, just one game behind eight-placed Geelong who stumbled against the Western Bulldogs. Share on Pinterest Topics From collection to analysis: sports data and its profound impact on the AFL Share on WhatsApp
Australia Bert van Marwijk questions referee after VAR drama costs Socceroos Guy Atkinson Last updated 1 year ago 04:55 6/17/18 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(0) 
Getty Images Australia World Cup France v Australia France Bert van Marwijk questioned the referee’s conviction after the first VAR-assisted penalty went against Australia in their 2-1 defeat to France Australia head coach Bert van Marwijk has expressed mixed emotions after Andres Cunha became the first referee in World Cup history to award a penalty after consulting VAR.The Socceroos had comfortably kept France at bay until shortly after the interval when Antoine Griezmann was clipped by Josh Risdon after latching onto Paul Pogba’s throughball.Referee Cunha initially waved away penalty appeals, but after consulting VAR decided that Risdon had indeed brought down the Atletico Madrid striker just inside the area. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Out of his depth! Emery on borrowed time after another abysmal Arsenal display Diving, tactical fouls & the emerging war of words between Guardiola & Klopp Sorry, Cristiano! Pjanic is Juventus’ most important player right now Arsenal would be selling their soul with Mourinho move Mile Jedinak pulled Australia level four minutes later with a spot-kick of his own, but Pogba sealed all three points for France 10 minutes from time with a deflected effort.While Van Marwijk does not believe a penalty should have been awarded, he does understand the difficulty of the situation Cunha found himself in.He said: “I didn’t see it back on TV. From my position, I didn’t see it well and at first, I thought ‘no penalty’. Passion. #GoSocceroos pic.twitter.com/1NnOGHt9te — Socceroos (@Socceroos) June 16, 2018 “I hoped that maybe there will be a very honest referee. When he went to the touchline his body language was that he didn’t know [what decision to give].”Then he has to make a decision, France or Australia. I have a lot of reactions. From 10 people, some will say ‘penalty’ and some will say ‘not’.”It’s difficult, particularly when the referee has 50,000 people on his back when he is doubting.”I think he was standing very close to incident and he directly said, ‘no penalty’. He said go on. He is a human being so we all make mistakes.”France’s heralded attacking trio of Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele failed to ignite against a dogged Australian outfit, with Van Marwijk stating: “I think the French didn’t know what to do against us, for big parts.”Australia now face Denmark in Group C on Thursday and Van Marwijk has seen enough from his side over the past month to know that they can get points on the board.”When you see this game you must have confidence, but it’s never a guarantee,” he added.”The way we worked the last four weeks gives me confidence. Yesterday I was asked if I was afraid to lose 5-0. Today you can see this is a different team.”One positive thing is we showed guts and that we can be ourselves, but the next game is another game. It gives us confidence.”
About the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say Really? Stats show Man Utd ace Pogba best central midfielder in Europeby Paul Vegas10 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveManchester United ace Paul Pogba has emerged as the most dominant midfielder in Europe this season – according to statistics.Pogba has been reborn under new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.After his two goals in victory over Huddersfield, it means Pogba has been involved in ten goals so far this term – scoring five and setting up another five.The Frenchman leads the way for central midfielders, with Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva second.He has also scored five goals but has one less assist, giving him a grand total of nine.Also on nine is Marseille’s Dimitri Payet, although he instead has five assists and four goals to his name. 
Director of Production at the JIS, Enthrose Campbell, is delighted for the increased sponsorship this year. Story Highlights In addition to the weekend for four, the students will be vying for cash prizes, trophies, gift baskets, a printer and book vouchers. The JIS has invited students between nine and 12 years of age to enter the competition. As the October 25 deadline nears for entries to be submitted for the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Heritage Essay Competition, several sponsors have come on board to participate in the event.Director of Production at the JIS, Enthrose Campbell, is delighted for the increased sponsorship this year, noting that without the sponsors, the competition would not be happening.“We value the contribution of all our sponsors. We are delighted to have our long time partners back with us and we welcome the new ones. It is a partnership that will definitely redound to the benefit of all,” she said.The JIS, which is this year celebrating its 50th anniversary as the information arm of the government, has invited students between nine and 12 years of age to enter the competition and have a go at the question, ‘What makes our Jamaican heritage special?’ in 400 to 500 words.They have just over a week to finish up their essays and submit them to the agency. The entries will be judged on relevance to the topic, originality, accuracy, analysis of researched data, neatness, presentation style and language skills.The Franklyn D. Resort (FDR) is once again the main sponsor for the third straight year, offering a fun filled weekend for four at the St. Ann-based family resort.“The hotel has always benefited from the exposure which came from the JIS Essay competition and the participation by the competitors was far beyond what we expected. Our experience over the years has been very gratifying and the competition has been very well handled and promoted by the JIS,” said Assistant Sales Manager, Trishawana Davidson.Other returning sponsors are Sangster’s Book Store; Royale Computers and Accessories; Lasco Distributors; and W.B. Trophies. In the meantime, the NCB Foundation and Grace Foods and Services are coming on board for the first time.Programmes Administrator, NCB Foundation, Jascinth Morgan Collie, is pleased to be part of the competition. “One of our major areas of focus at the Foundation is education. We try to help build the communities we serve and encourage the youth through our education programmes,” she said.“We are happy to be aligned with the JIS Heritage Essay Competition, because in addition to getting the students to research and learn about their past, it allows them to practise their writing skills which will serve them well throughout their studies as they do their numerous exams. We expect these outstanding students to continue the valuable trend of contributing to nation building,” Mrs. Collie added.In addition to the weekend for four, the students will be vying for cash prizes, trophies, gift baskets, a printer and book vouchers.Now in its third year, the competition has been opened since August 5. The application form and guidelines are to be found on the JIS website at: www.jis.gov.jm. Essays must be submitted using this application form. Students may email: heritageessay@jis.gov.jm,for further details.The essay competition is one of several events that will mark the agency’s golden jubilee milestone this year.
With just a few days until its close in Halifax, the Anne Frank in the World, 1929-1945 exhibition is expected to have been viewed by more than 3,000 students from across the province. The exhibit, on loan from the Anne Frank Center in New York, has been visited by more than 79 school classes since its Halifax opening on Oct. 24. “We were really pleased with the participation of youth from around Nova Scotia,” said Michael Noonan, acting director and CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. “Reaching the next generation and ensuring they understand the implications of hatred and discrimination is instrumental in creating a better future for our communities.” In addition to the students, almost 6,000 visitors ventured to the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History for the exhibition. “The Anne Frank exhibit has provided the museum with an opportunity to bring an important exhibition to Nova Scotians and especially its youth,” said Janet Maltby, manager of the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History. “It has allowed us to draw the attention of the community to human rights issues and their place within the past and present.” The exhibit was the inspiration for the 2006 Partners Against Racism International Human Rights Day event. The museum hosted holocaust remembrance presentations with the Atlantic Jewish Council during November. The popular sessions included discussions, readings and films. “This has been one of the biggest public education initiatives the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission has engaged in,” said Mr. Noonan. “It has made a positive impact on the community and is a strong expression of our mandate to reach out to Nova Scotians in a dialogue about human rights.” Mr. Noonan also acknowledged the efforts of commission and museum staff, volunteers and the contribution of various sponsors, including presenting sponsor Southwest Properties. The exhibition will close Sunday, Jan. 28.
Grand-Pré a franchi une autre étape dans le processus visant à obtenir la désignation de site du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO. Nomination Grand-Pré, les gouvernements provincial, fédéral et municipal et d’autres partenaires se sont réunis, aujourd’hui 21 janvier, pour célébrer la fin de la préparation du dossier de candidature. Si la candidature est acceptée, Grand-Pré sera inscrit à la liste, qui inclut déjà les sites les plus exceptionnels du monde entier, y compris le Serengeti, les pyramides d’Égypte et la Grande Barrière de corail. Lunenburg a été inscrit à la liste en 1995, et les falaises fossilifères de Joggins en 2008. La délégation canadienne auprès du Comité du patrimoine mondial présentera le dossier de candidature à l’UNESCO avant le 1er février. Une décision est attendue en juillet 2012. « La préparation de ce dossier de candidature est un accomplissement dont tous les Néo-Écossais, y compris les résidents de la région, les agriculteurs et la communauté acadienne, peuvent être fiers, a dit Dave Wilson, ministre des Communautés, de la Culture et du Patrimoine. Le paysage de Grand-Pré bénéficierait d’une telle désignation, et nous espérons recevoir une réponse positive en 2012. » M. Wilson, le ministre de la Défense nationale Peter MacKay et des représentants de Parcs Canada, de la Municipalité du comté de Kings, de l’Agence de développement régional de Kings, de l’Association communautaire de la région de Grand-Pré, de la Société Promotion Grand-Pré, de la Société nationale de l’Acadie et du Grand Pré Marsh Body étaient présents pour la signature des lettres d’appui. Depuis 2008-2009, le gouvernement provincial a contribué les sommes suivantes au projet : 105 000 $ de l’ancien ministère du Développement économique et rural, 83 000 $ de l’ancien ministère du Tourisme, de la Culture et du Patrimoine, et 42 000 $ de l’Office des affaires acadiennes en vertu de l’Entente Canada – Nouvelle-Écosse relative aux services en français. Le gouvernement provincial a également offert des services en nature dans les domaines de la traduction, du travail archéologique sur le terrain et de la recherche historique. « Nous apprécions l’expertise et la contribution financière du gouvernement provincial envers le projet, a dit Peter Herbin, coprésident du comité consultatif Nomination Grand-Pré. Nous sommes ravis que le gouvernement provincial et tous nos partenaires ont fortement appuyé nos efforts visant à obtenir cette désignation pour Grand-Pré. » La mise en candidature du paysage de Grand-Pré vise à attirer l’attention du monde entier sur la valeur agricole des terres endiguées et sur l’importance symbolique du paysage pour les Acadiens à l’échelle mondiale.
Five stories in the news for Thursday, Sept. 27___TRUMP LETS LOOSE ON NAFTA, FREELAND, TRUDEAUU.S. President Donald Trump let Canada know how he really feels Wednesday — sharpening his tariff threat, calling out Chrystia Freeland and claiming he denied Justin Trudeau a bilateral meeting, all because of the federal government’s hard bargaining on North American trade. Trump made the comments late Wednesday during a free-wheeling news conference at the end of his two days at the United Nations General Assembly. Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office disputed the president’s statement — insisting for the second time this week that they did not request a meeting and declining further comment.___ONTARIO TO INTRODUCE POT LEGISLATION TODAYThe Ontario government is poised to introduce legislation today governing the licensing and regulation of the province’s private cannabis retail marketplace. The Progressive Conservative government says the bill will make the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario the regulator for the recreational pot marketplace. It will have the power to grant — and potentially revoke — licences as well as enforce provincial rules on cannabis sales. The province said Wednesday that anyone looking to open a pot shop will have to apply for both a retail-operator licence and a retail store authorization for each potential location. Breaching provincial rules on cannabis sales would preclude someone from ever obtaining a licence in the future, it said.___FEDERAL COURT TO HEAR PIPELINE SPY CASEFederal lawyers want closed-door hearings in a high-profile court case about allegations of Canadian Security Intelligence Service spying on anti-pipeline activists. The civil liberties group behind a complaint about the purported CSIS wrongdoing opposes the federal secrecy request, saying it blatantly violates the principle that justice must be seen to be done. The matter is slated to be heard today in an open session of the Federal Court of Canada. The judge’s decision will determine how much the public gets to see and hear in the coming months when the court looks at the central issue: whether Canada’s spy agency overstepped the law in monitoring environmental activists.___HOMELESS CAMPERS TO BE EVICTED NEXT WEEK: MINISTERThe B.C. government says a plan is in place to provide shelter and housing for all homeless campers currently staying at Goldstream Provincial Park, and those who remain past Tuesday will face eviction. In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Housing Minister Selina Robinson says people will transition into housing and shelters in the coming days and B-C Parks will notify the public when the campground is ready to reopen. Robinson says transportation and storage for the campers’ personal belongings are also being co-ordinated for Monday.___TORONTO FIRM LAUNCHES CLASS ACTION AGAINST TICKETMASTERA Toronto-based law firm has launched a proposed class-action lawsuit against Ticketmaster, alleging the ticket-selling giant has been taking “double-dip commissions” on the resale market for years. Sotos Class Actions accuses Ticketmaster of allowing professional resellers to buy “massive volumes” of tickets to concerts and other events, then resell them on the secondary market “at significant markups.” None of the allegations contained in the statement of claim have been proven in court and Ticketmaster has not filed a statement of defence. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.___ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:— Privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien will hold a news conference to discuss his annual report, which is expected to be tabled in Parliament.— Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz will give a speech to the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council and Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce.— Romeo Dallaire will testify before the House of Commons committee on national defence about Canada’s contribution to international peacekeeping.— B.C. Finance Minister Carole James and Attorney General David Eby will announce government action to address money laundering in real estate.
APTN National NewsAs the federal election campaign continues to run at full throttle and the parties are presenting their platforms.APTN’s Annette Francis asks the Metis for their looking for.
CALGARY, A.B. – Genscape says crude-by-rail shipments from Western Canada staged a minor recovery in March after falling in February to their lowest level in nine months, but oil storage levels remain stubbornly high.The U.S. company, which monitors western Canadian rail terminals handling about 80 per cent of typical volumes, reports average rail loadings in March were 150,000 barrels per day.That’s up about 6,000 bpd from an average of 144,000 bpd in February, but still down from the 281,000 bpd it recorded in January. Genscape senior oil analyst Mike Walls says the recovery came as Imperial Oil Ltd. restarted rail shipments from its Edmonton-area terminal after largely shutting them down in February, blaming market reaction to Alberta’s oil production curtailment program.Walls says Genscape estimates the amount of oil in storage as of March 29 was 35 million barrels, about the same as in early December when the Alberta government announced its curtailment program designed to free up export pipeline space and reduce stored barrels.The March number is about two million barrels lower than peak levels just before the cutbacks officially began in January, he said, and higher than the 33.4 million barrels stored at the end of March 2017.Imperial said it stopped rail shipments because the curtailment program resulted in narrower differences between prices for crude sold in Alberta and in the U.S., and thus impaired the economic case for paying rail fees to win better prices on the U.S. Gulf Coast.