Alexandru

Source In a statement issued by his Spokesperson, Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that the UN was ready to assist the Government in any way needed, to help those impacted. According to the UN humanitarian hub Reliefweb, the powerful quake struck shortly after 10pm local time, measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale at a depth of 18.5 km, with the epicentre located in the High Atlas mountains, some 71 km southwest of the historic city of Marrakech. According to media reports, several houses in the city of 840,000 collapsed and other buildings suffered structural damage. The epicentral zone is not densely populated. “The Secretary-General was profoundly saddened to learn of the earthquake that hit Morocco today which claimed many lives,” the statement read. 'The UN is by your side' Mr. Guterres addressed his most sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. In a tweet, the President of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis, offered his heartfelt sympathy and condolences, calling on the international community "to stand together in support of Morocco in this time of sorrow." Amina Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, also responded on social media platform X, saying that her "prayers and thoughts" are with the people of Morocco. "The UN is by your side as we strive to recover," she wrote. 'Search and rescue' Nathalie Fustier, UN Resident Coordinator in the country, spoke to UN News and reiterated that UN teams are ready to provide whatever support is required. She told us information was still scarce and hard to verify given that the epicentre of the quake was in a remote mountainous area which is hard to access. Based on what is known so far, she said the death toll was likely to be more than 1,000, with several hundred were injured. Asked to assess the needs of the people in the affected areas, Ms. Fustier said: “I think right now it's really search and rescue and maybe blood and medical assistance for people that are still in the areas without good medical support, but also maybe food.” She assured that the UN, both on the country level and globally stands ready to join forces with the Government of Morocco, which is providing a quick response to the disaster. “We have seen that there is a huge mobilization and, again, we stand ready to assist".

Request accepted. Congratulation & welcome in our STAFF Team. Good luck!

Hello! Since there is no more activity and interest in this topic, i will close it. Topic closed & solved.

Since there is no more activity amd interest in this topic, i will close it. Topic closed & solved.

Hello! Today is the Birthday of the big boss of the community! Happy Birthday @S e u o n g!🎉 ❤️ I wish you a beautiful day & a year full of happiness. God bless you and many more years! Have a great day & awesome birthday! 💪🤗

Hello! Since nobody replied here and the topic is inactive for more than 3 days, i will close the topic! Happy birthday and may the god bless you! 🙂

Source: Click here Some 3.6 million salaried workers would newly qualify for overtime pay under a proposed rule unveiled by the US Department of Labor on Wednesday. It would guarantee overtime pay of at least time-and-a-half for most salaried workers earning less than $1,059 a week, or about $55,000 a year. The current threshold is $684 per week, the equivalent of roughly $35,600 a year, which was put in place by the Trump administration in 2019. The proposed rule would transfer $1.2 billion in wages from employers to employees, mainly from new overtime premiums or pay raises to maintain the exempt status of certain affected employees, the agency said. Also, the proposal would automatically update the salary threshold every three years so it keeps pace with earnings changes. The effort would help ensure that more lower-paid salaried employees who work more than 40 hours a week receive the overtime protections given to hourly workers, the Labor Department said. “I’ve heard from workers again and again about working long hours, for no extra pay, all while earning low salaries that don’t come anywhere close to compensating them for their sacrifices,” acting Labor Secretary Julie Su said in a statement. Business groups are already pushing back on the proposal, as they successfully did when the Obama administration attempted to significantly hike the threshold. The Associated Builders and Contractors said that it repeatedly asked the department to abandon or postpone the proposed rule until the economy stabilizes or improves. “ABC is disappointed that the DOL is moving forward with a proposed overtime rule since multiple industries, like construction, are still grappling with the lingering economic consequences of inflation, global supply chain disruptions, rising materials prices and workforce shortages, all of which push operational costs ever higher,” Ben Brubeck, the group’s vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs, said in a statement. The National Restaurant Association also issued a dire warning. The proposed rule would increase costs for affected restaurants by 2.5% at a time when the average small business restaurant runs on a margin of 3% to 5%. “Adding this kind of cost to the already high price of food and years of increasing labor costs will leave many of these operators in the untenable position of raising prices, cutting costs, or closing their doors,” Sean Kennedy, the association’s executive vice president of public affairs, said in a statement. Reviving Obama-era effort In 2016, then-President Barack Obama asked the Labor Department to overhaul federal overtime rules and raise the salary threshold to about $47,500 a year, or $913 a week. That would have roughly doubled the level that was in place at the time. But business groups and 21 states sued, and later that year, a federal judge in Texas issued an injunction. The Trump administration said in 2017 that it would not defend the rule and later lifted the threshold to the current level of roughly $35,600.

Source: Click here Her arrival, washed up on a wintery Welsh beach, was chilly and dangerous. But the departure of Tally the sea turtle to her warmer home waters has turned out to be much more comfortable. Tally, a rare Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, who was swept across the Atlantic by the Gulf Stream, is being flown back to Texas with the help of the RAF. After being nursed back to health at Anglesey sea zoo, Tally was given a military escort to RAF Valley on the island on Wednesday morning. She was blessed by the base’s padre, Mike Hall, carefully loaded on to a civilian plane and flown to RAF Northolt in west London. From there she was driven to Heathrow to be taken to the US on a commercial flight. Gp Capt Matt Hoare, RAF Valley’s station commander, said: “This is clearly not core Royal Air Force business, but my team here at Valley have been delighted to assist with this most worthy venture. “It is probably worth noting that the repatriation means that Valley and RAF Northolt would have played a small part in helping save what the lead US turtle rescue charity described to us as one of the most endangered of all sea turtles in the world’s oceans, with only one in 1,000 making it to Tally’s age. It would be difficult to imagine a more threatened animal. We look forward to being able to monitor its progress.” Acting Sgt Beth Roberts, who has been involved in the planning of the operation, said: “It has given us all a spring in our step to know we are helping. Godspeed Tally!” The turtle washed up on Talacre beach, near Prestatyn, north Wales – hence her name – in November 2021. She was spotted by a dog walker and reported as “presumed dead” to British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR). When rescuers arrived, she showed signs of life and was taken to Anglesey sea zoo, where she was nursed back to health. Kemp’s ridley is the smallest of the sea turtles, with adults reaching about 61cm (2ft) in length and weighing up to 45kg (100lbs). Returning Tally to the Gulf of Mexico has required a great deal of planning and coordination as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora closely controls the transport of listed species. Gem Simmons, BDMLR’s north Wales rescue coordinator, described how she was initially sent to pick up what was thought to be a dead loggerhead turtle. But she carried out reflex tests on the turtle and found she was just about alive. Simmons was also amazed to find it wasn’t a loggerhead but a much rarer Kemp’s ridley. Over the next weeks and months Simmons and her colleagues slowly warmed the turtle up and nursed her back to health. “At first she was completely floppy but after a few days she opened her eyes. It was a rollercoaster of emotions,” she said. She said it was amazing that Tally was heading home. “I’m not sad, I’m just pleased.” The Welsh team is not absolutely sure she is a female. “But if she is, she will hopefully go on to have babies. The impact of returning a female to the wild is phenomenal – every one does count.” An organisation called Turtles Fly Too donated the transatlantic flight and the RAF stepped in to help transport Tally to London. Once Tally arrives in the US, she will be transferred to Houston zoo, where vets will ensure she is healthy enough to be released into the wild. Researchers hope to attach a tracking device to monitor her movements after her release. Ken Andrews of Turtles Fly Too described this as its “furthest and most complex mission ever flown”. Mary Kay Skoruppa, the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Texas sea turtle coordinator, said: “The cold waters of the north-east Atlantic usually result in certain death for this species of subtropical sea turtle in the winter, but thanks to the quick response of a great group of international partners and volunteers, Tally is alive and ready to come home.” She said Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were at risk of extinction. “So every individual counts. We hope that Tally will grow to maturity and return to nest on a Texas beach in a few years to help ensure her species’ survival into the future.”

Source: Click here The new Volvo EX90 we revealed towards the end of last year represents a firm stake in the ground for our transformation towards becoming a pure electric car brand by 2030. Our new Volvo EX90 Excellence is an already special car made even more special. Revealed today in Shanghai, this limited edition and top-of-the-line variant of the Volvo EX90 takes the premium experience to the next level. The Volvo EX90 Excellence is the perfect companion if you prefer to relax in the rear seats rather than drive yourself, so you can take in that little bit of extra me time. Whether that’s because it better fits your busy schedule, or simply because you wish to, the EX90 Excellence allows you to travel in ultimate, first-class style and comfort. “With the EX90 Excellence, we demonstrate our ability to innovate in the ultimate premium segment and meet specific market demands with our cars,” said Björn Annwall, chief commercial officer and deputy CEO. “It will be offered in China first as the Chinese market is hugely important to our company and the EX90 Excellence is created to meet demand for high-end, chauffeur-driven cars.” Externally, the Volvo EX90 Excellence undergoes a few small tweaks compared to its seven-seater sibling, giving it an even more confident and sublime look. Maybe you notice the two-tone colour scheme, or the specially designed 22-inch forged rims, optimised for aerodynamic performance, higher strength and better handling. By and large though, it is based on the beautiful Volvo EX90 that we revealed to the world late last year. “The Volvo EX90 is a statement for where we are and where we are going,” said Javier Varela, our chief operating officer and deputy CEO. “It’s fully electric, designed to further raise our safety standards, the first Volvo car to be truly defined by its software and part of a wider ecosystem, connecting to your home and your other devices. The Volvo EX90 is the start of something new for Volvo Cars in many ways.” Outstanding comfort inside Get inside, however, and this is where the real change happens. Most obviously, we’ve removed the back-row seats and replaced them with two individual seats, equipped with comfortable soft pillows. Once we’ve made sure that you’ll be seated in outstanding comfort in the second row, we further amp up the convenience levels. In between the two seats we’ve incorporated a fridge where you can store a large bottle, allowing you to quench your thirst with an ice-cold beverage at any time. Then, as you run your fingers over that beautiful piece of natural wood in the centre console, you’ll find a neatly incorporated touch panel with comfort control. Here you access the controls for your seat heating (choose from three levels) and a massage function (five different levels). By now you’ll also have noticed the large Orrefors crystal piece in the centre console. It’s a microswitch that controls a fragrance dispenser, supporting up to three different fragrances. This sensory experience is amplified by corresponding mood lighting around the cabin, culminating into a relaxing experience inside your Volvo EX90 Excellence. Material-wise, the EX90 Excellence comes with either a tailored wool blend or a Nordico upholstery. Created from textiles made from recycled material such as PET bottles and bio-attributed material from forests in Sweden and Finland, Nordico is a progressive and advanced material. The wool-blend, meanwhile consists of a fabric certified according to strict sustainability standards on animal welfare, environmental and social issues. A state-of-the-art technology base Technologically, the EX90 Excellence benefits from the same advanced technology base that we revealed on the Volvo EX90 last year. The EX90 Excellence is the safest four-seater we’ve ever built and it has an invisible shield of safety enabled by our latest sensing technology, inside and outside, as well as lidar technology as standard from Luminar and a groundbreaking driver understanding system. A core system – powered by the NVIDIA DRIVE® in-car computing platform with Xavier and Orin system-on-chips, Snapdragon® Cockpit Platforms from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and in-house developed software by Volvo engineers – runs the key functions inside the car, from safety and infotainment to battery management. The end result is a more responsive and enjoyable experience inside the car. Your Volvo EX90 Excellence won’t be just a new car, it will be a highly advanced computer on wheels. Even better, just like your smartphone or your laptop, the EX90 Excellence is designed to get better over time, thanks to regular over-the-air software updates. A 14.5-inch centre screen is your gateway to a highly intuitive infotainment system and thanks to the standard 5G connection where available, it’s never been easier to install the apps you need on your home screen. You can also stream your favourite music and podcasts through the new Bowers & Wilkins High Fidelity audio system, enabled with Dolby Atmos as a Volvo-first that offers an uncomprising 3D surround sound experience. The system is specifically tuned for the four-seat EX90 Excellence interior set-up, while the head rest-integrated speakers further add to an immersive sound experience. Thanks to its twin electric motors and all-wheel drive, the EX90 Excellence offers a smooth driving experience and a range of up to 650 kilometres under the CLTC driving cycle on a single charge.

Source: Click here Nottingham Forest are closing in on a deal to sign Callum Hudson-Odoi from Chelsea. The winger is keen to find a new challenge after falling out of favour at Stamford Bridge and Forest are offering him the chance to get his career back on track. Hudson-Odoi has found it difficult since suffering a serious achilles injury in 2019 and Chelsea have spent the summer trying to find a buyer for a player who was once hailed as one of the best talents to emerge from their academy. Fulham had been leading the race to sign the 22-year-old but withdrew their interest after failing to agree a fee with Chelsea. The path has cleared for Forest, however, and they are making strong progress during talks with a Chelsea. While it is unclear if Hudson-Odoi wants to move to the City Ground he could benefit from being reunited with Forest’s manager, Steve Cooper. Hudson-Odoi played for Cooper at youth level for England. Hudson-Odoi has a year remaining on his deal and Chelsea are keen to get him off the books. He spent last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen but struggled during his time in Germany. There will be sadness at another academy product leaving Chelsea, who have already sold Mason Mount to Manchester United this summer. Bayern Munich are in talks over a deal for Trevoh Chalobah and are interested in Conor Gallagher. Burnley and West Ham have been tracking Ian Maatsen but the left-back could stay if Marc Cucurella joins United on loan. Mauricio Pochettino has been impressed with Maatsen since becoming Chelsea’s head coach. Meanwhile Chelsea’s Tino Anjorin is set to make a short-term loan move to Portsmouth. The 21-year-old winger, who has had previous loans at Lokomotiv Moscow and Huddersfield, will go to the League One club until Christmas. All parties will then re-evaluate the situation. Anjorin is looking forward to working with Jon Harley, the Portsmouth assistant head coach. Harley was at the Chelsea academy before he linked up with the Portsmouth manager, John Mousinho, in February. Anjorin, capped by England at every level from under-15 to under-20, was the subject of interest from clubs in mainland Europe but Chelsea’s limited number of international loans meant that a move closer to home became preferable.

Source: Click here Moscow has vowed Ukraine will "not go unpunished" after drone strikes hit targets in Russia, while Kyiv saw its heaviest bombardment in months. The drones hit several Russian regions and damaged two military planes, a fuel depot and a microelectronics factory. Meanwhile Ukrainian officials said most missiles and drones were shot down but two people were killed. Kyiv has not said that it was involved in the latest attacks, but it rarely comments on strikes inside Russia. In recent weeks, however, Ukraine is believed to have increased its use of explosive drones to attack targets in Russia. This is all part of its counter-offensive strategy - making it as difficult as possible for Russia to keep its frontline troops supplied, as it pushes on with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At a regional airport in Pskov, a western city that lies some 600km (372 miles) from Ukraine, two military planes were struck and burst into flames according Russian news agencies. The regional governor, Mikhail Vedernikov, said that he was at the scene and posted a video on Telegram showing a large fire, while an explosion could be heard. The damaged aircraft - Ilyushin 76 - are long range cargo planes, that are ideal for transporting troops and equipment over long distances. Pskov airport, which was closed to its select few civilian flights on Wednesday, also serves as an important military hub. They are valuable war assets to Russia, and that makes them targets for Ukraine. It was the second drone attack in as many months in Pskov - there was another strike in the region in May. There were more attacks further south, with the Russian military saying it shot down Ukrainian drones in the Bryansk, Kaluga, Oryol and Ryazan regions, plus one near the Crimean city of Sevastopol. Bryansk's regional governor, Aleksandr Bogomaz, said one was intercepted en route to destroying a TV tower, while another hit a microelectronics factory, where components for Russia's weapons systems were made. A fuel depot in Kaluga was also hit - yet another logistical target involved in keeping Russia's war machine rolling. Ukraine's plan to fight back against Russia's invasion has been described as "starve, stretch and strike" by the UK's Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin. Kyiv hopes that this strategy of targeting key infrastructure - as well as long-range artillery and missile strikes well behind Russia's front lines in southern Ukraine - will help Ukrainian forces to push though those lines and achieve some measure of success before the end of the year. In Ukraine's capital Kyiv, meanwhile, night time footage showed balls of fire flying through the night sky and exploding. General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, said there were 44 Russian strikes in total - 28 missiles and 16 drone attacks. He said all except one drone were intercepted. The two people who died were security guards in the city's Shevchenkivskiy district, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Cruise missile debris was scattered across a park north-west of the city centre, and authorities were at the scene investigating the wreckage on Wednesday. The air attacks in Russia are the latest in a spate of strikes deep inside its territory. Last week, three people were killed in the Belgorod region hours after a drone hit central Moscow, Russian officials said. And around the same time, a Russian long-range bomber was destroyed in a Ukrainian drone strike at an airbase south of St Petersburg. President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said that attacks on Russian territory are an "inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process" as the war with Russia continues.

Thank you so much!! You are the first one from here who write Happy Birthday to me, rest of them don’t even care. Anyway, thanks again! 💪🤗