Here’s a quick roundup of stories you may have missed today. Neverland Taps Jon Bon JoviThis concept album keeps getting starrier! Jon Bon Jovi recently tweeted that he sang “Beautiful Day” on Finding Neverland’s upcoming soundtrack. The superstar joins other big names on the record including the Broadway-bound Jennifer Hudson, Rita Ora, Jessie J and the rumored Taylor Swift and Alicia Keys. The tuner, which features music and lyrics by Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy and a book by James Graham, will open on April 15 at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre, starring Matthew Morrison, Kelsey Grammer and Broadway.com Vlogger Laura Michelle Kelly.Kerry Ellis Joins Forces With Brian MayBroadway.com Audience Choice Award winner and current Cats headliner Kerry Ellis has teamed up with Queen legend Brian May for a new recording. “One Voice” will be released digitally on April 13 and you can check out the video here.Laura Benanti Will Host Drama Desk AwardsSpring Spectacular’s Laura Benanti will return as host of the previously reported 60th Annual Drama Desk Awards on May 31 at The Town Hall in New York City. “THIRD TIME’S A CHARM! Oh, wait… I’m hosting this for the second time? Well, I’m sure it will be fine,” the Tony winner and top tweeter said in a statement. Nominations, which honor achievement in Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in the same categories, will be announced on April 23.Jimmy Fallon Tests Carey Mulligan’s Culinary SkillsCarey Mulligan has taken up where Hugh Jackman left off and is cooking up a storm on stage in Skylight, whipping up a batch of spaghetti bolognese (from scratch) during the course of the David Hare play. What happens to the Broadway leftovers? Well, on April 8 they went to Jimmy Fallon—check out his verdict on The Tonight Show below! Show Closed This production ended its run on Aug. 21, 2016 Related Shows Finding Neverland View Comments
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Weekend Pick: The Gamut at Carvins Cove
The Virginia Endurance Series is putting on The Gamut at Carvins Cove, a mountain bike race, this Sunday, January 12th at 9am in Roanoke, Virginia. This marks the first VES event of 2014 and is free to all participants! Please note: this is not for the faint at heart. The course consists of biking every trail, 40+ miles, at Carvins Cove in a single day. Whose new year’s resolution was to get in shape and be more active? Now’s your chance!Riders can meet up at the Bennett Springs Parking Area for the start. Carvins Cove trail system is the 2nd largest municpal park in the nation. Think of it as paradise for any mountain biker and hiker. The trails are full of both relatively flat, low-lying trails and steep climbs with awesome descents. Be ready for a mixed bag. That makes it more entertaining, right?The cold snap is over and the forecast is looking perfect for a day of biking. Oh, and how could I forget, The Gamut is part of the BRO 100 – our list of the ultimate Blue Ridge activities. Get after it!
China’s Illegal Activities Affect Latin American Economy, Ecosystems, Security
By Gustavo Arias Retana/Diálogo October 29, 2020 China’s expansive presence is causing a negative impact on different Latin American countries. Destruction of ecosystems, corruption, crime, and unfair competition are some of the shadows that China casts over the region.The ecological sector is among the most affected. Chinese fishing vessels are depleting marine resources and protected maritime areas. For example, the Ecuadorean Naval Force told the press in late July that a massive fishing fleet, mostly Chinese-flagged, was operating in the vicinity of the Galapagos Islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone.“We firmly support Ecuador’s efforts to ensure PRC- [People’s Republic of China] flagged vessels do not engage in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and stand with states whose economies and natural resources are threatened by PRC-flagged vessels’ disregard for the rule of law and responsible fishing practices,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on August 2.This problem isn’t new. In 2017, Ecuadorean authorities reported detaining the Chinese freighter Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 in the Galapagos marine reserve. The ship was carrying 300 tons of shark fin, in addition to hammerhead and silky sharks. The crew was prosecuted for environmental crimes.The Ecuadorian naval vessel LAE Isla San Cristobal (LG 30) sails toward the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) while conducting a joint patrol to detect and deter potential Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing in the vicinity of the Galapagos Islands, Aug. 28, 2020. From Aug. 25-29, Bertholf patrolled over 3,000 square nautical miles of Ecuadorian and international waters and conducted joint operations with the LAE Isla San Cristobal, providing persistent presence and surveillance of fishing activity throughout the region. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)Other countries such as Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay also suffer from excessive fishing in their seas by Chinese companies, Juan Carlos Sueiro, head of the international nongovernmental organization (NGO) Oceana, told Diálogo. Among the most affected species are sharks and totoabas, he added.Corruption, unfair practices, crimeThe Chinese impact on Latin American ecosystems is not limited to marine resources. On June 2, 2020, the NGO The Society for Conservation Biology published a study reporting that jaguar poaching and trafficking in Latin America is linked to China’s private investment in different countries of the region. “In essence, it seems that countries with new Chinese money rolling in are the ones where we see an increase in overseas jaguar trade,” Vincent Nijman, the study’s co-author, told The New York Times in June.Another impact of China’s investments in Latin America is corruption. For example, according to an investigation published in June 2019 by the Ecuadorean newspaper El Universo, at least seven Chinese companies hired by the Ecuadorean government for public works in sectors such as construction, mining, telecommunications, and oil exploitation made payments to entities that the Ecuadorean Internal Revenue Service classified as ghost companies.Chinese companies also engage in unfair trade practices such as steel dumping, forcing countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, among others, to take measures to protect their industries. Dumping consists of selling a product at a price that is lower than its production cost, as an attempt to grab the market and eventually recover well more than the money invested.The partnership between Chinese mafias and organized crime is also evident in synthetic drug trafficking.For instance, Chinese criminal groups smuggle fentanyl into the United States through alliances with Mexican drug cartels, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) report Fentanyl Flow to the United States, published in January 2020. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine and produced at a low cost in China. It entered the U.S. illegal market in 2013 and is popular for being 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine, the DEA says.
Here’s your chance to get high and mighty
5 Yongala Court, Castle HillMore from news01:21Buyer demand explodes in Townsville’s 2019 flood-affected suburbs12 Sep 202001:21‘Giant surge’ in new home sales lifts Townsville property market10 Sep 2020“And that’s really what we love so much about this home; the view.“In fact, I’m currently standing in the kitchen, listening to the radio and cooking and looking out to the sea. It doesn’t get much better than that.”But of course, this home’s wow factors don’t stop here.Configured to provide ample leisure, entertainment and storage spaces, this top-quality home has a mix of open-plan and formal living options, each with wonderful aspects. Family and guests will adore the generous sleeping accommodation, with a choice of bedrooms and bathrooms on both levels, ensuring your tenure is timeless. 5 Yongala Court, Castle HillAs you would expect with a home of this size, the garaging is equally generous, with adjoining storage rooms. Best of all, your “drive-on” access is near level which is a rarity on the hill. With the Halpin’s daughter now having moved out of the family home, the couple is looking to downsize and have commissioned Julie Mahoney from Harcourts Kingsberry to the take the property to auction on July 18. 5 Yongala Court, Castle Hill“We were looking for a bigger house with more amenities for our teenage daughter and this property ticked all the right boxes.“In fact, it was perfect for three people.”Positioned in a tightly held cul-de-sac at Yarrawonga, the home’s private location made the owners feel miles away from the hustle and bustle of city life.“It’s city living with a country outlook as you get Castle Hill on one side but views towards the port from the other side,” Mr Halpin said. 5 Yongala Court, Castle HillWITH its large round-arched windows and hilltop design, this Castle Hill home has true attributes of a palace.But there is one thing missing. A new king and queen of the castle to call this standout property home.Built in 2000, this grandiose property has come to the market only twice in 17 years and most recently has been the home to Robin and Isabell Halpin.“We’ve been here for 10 years when we moved from Alexandra St, so really just 500 metres up the road,” Mr Halpin said. 5 Yongala Court, Castle Hill“Our daughter actually left home three to four years ago so we could have easily sold five years ago but the house just kept us here,” Mr Halpin said.“We just really enjoyed living here but the reality is that the house has just become too big for us to manage.“We’re both retired so the only reason were selling is because it’s time to move on.”
Huge drop in Brisbane land prices as SEQ creeps up on $600 sqm
PRICE PER SQM: Redland $840 (annual change 14 per cent)Brisbane $821 (-25 per cent)Gold Coast $714 (26 per cent)Moreton Bay $663 (18 per cent)Logan $524 (2 per cent)Ipswich $455 (3 per cent) SEQ $581 (14.3 per cent) Source: Oliver Hume Research FOLLOW SOPHIE FOSTER ON FACEBOOK Brisbane’s median price of land is still the most expensive of all six councils in SEQ, but the price per square metre has dropped by a quarter in one year. Picture: AAP Image/Steve Pohlner.THE cost of land in Brisbane has dropped by a quarter in one year, logging the highest fall of all South East Queensland council regions, new data has found.New research from property group Oliver Hume found the price per square metre in Brisbane’s new land market had dropped by massive 25 per cent annually.But, at $821 a square metre, Brisbane was still the second most expensive out of the six SEQ council regions. Only Redland Council had a higher price per square metre for land at $840. The Gold Coast was at the other end of the spectrum, with surging demand seeing a massive 26 per cent rise in the cost of land. At $714 per sqm, it was the region’s third highest price per sqm. Beach shack sells for record $11.2m Brisbane home values stay strong Party like its 1869 in this ‘old-west’ style cabin in the woods Where to buy for under $500,000 Overall Brisbane had the most expensive median land price, hitting at $335,500 after rising 5 per cent in the March quarter. It was still much cheaper than the same time last year, after logging a median price drop of -23.6 per cent over the year, the biggest shift of the council regions.The SEQ average price for new land was “approaching $600/sqm for the first time”, after rising 14.3 per cent to $581 per square metre. The SEQ median retail price for land was $242,000, up 6.1 per cent compared to the March quarter 2017. Lot sizes were also getting smaller on average, falling to 416 sqm. The cost of land per square metre had the largest annual growth on the Gold Coast at 26 per cent.Oliver Hume Queensland general manager Matt Barr expected the state to “take more of the spotlight in 2018 and beyond”.“As more jobs appear and more residents appear to fill them, Queensland has sustained a steady growth in new home building approvals, with the number of new housing approvals outpacing attached dwelling approvals for the first time since early 2017.“This growing population and resurgent economy is expected to have a positive impact on the property market for the foreseeable future. Only time will tell the scale of the impact, but there is little doubt about the direction.” Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayNext playlist itemMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 13:43Loaded: 0%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -13:43 Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedQuality Levels576p576p480p480p256p256p228p228pAutoA, selectedAudio Tracken (Main), selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.PlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -0:00 Playback Rate1xFullscreenPrestige property with Elizabeth Tilley13:44 Owner-occupiers were the key buyer segment in SEQ, the report said, making up 94 per cent of the market in the March quarter, with first home buyers accounting for the majority of the market (72 per cent).“Queensland recently welcomed its five millionth resident, despite a recent increase in the unemployment rate we expect the local economy to continue to power ahead with new jobs attracting workers … these workers will all need somewhere to live.” MEDIAN PRICE OF LAND: Brisbane $335,500 (annual change -23.69 per cent)Redland $320,000 (-2.96 per cent)Gold Coast $319,950 (7.37 per cent)More from newsParks and wildlife the new lust-haves post coronavirus18 hours agoNoosa’s best beachfront penthouse is about to hit the market18 hours agoMoreton Bay $265,000 (4.37 per cent)Logan $210,000 (0.96 per cent)Ipswich $204,200 (2.61 per cent) SEQ: $242,000 (6.1 per cent) Source: Oliver Hume Research 
Robeco appoints successor to CEO Roderick Munsters
The €273bn asset manager Robeco has appointed David Steyn as chief executive and chairman of the management board of Robeco Groep. Steyn will succeed Roderick Munsters (pictured), who announced his resignation earlier this month. The Rotterdam-based pure play asset manager said Steyn had more than 35 years of international experience in asset management, as well as in management, distribution and investment roles.He was previously in charge of strategy at Aberdeen Asset Management, as well as COO and head of distribution at AllianceBernstein, based in London and New York. Steyn has studied law at the University of Aberdeen.Robeco’s new chief executive is to start his new job on 1 November.According to Robeco, Steyn will work closely with Munsters to ensure a smooth transition.Steyn is expected to accelerate Robeco’s global growth ambitions.The company was acquired by Japanese firm Orix in 2013.Dick Verbeek, chairman of Robeco’s supervisory board, said: “I am confident we can count on David’s long and proven track record in asset management to lead Robeco and benefit from the opportunities that will arise in the global asset management market in the years to come.”The appointment of Steyn is subject to approval by the Dutch authorities.Munsters, when announcing his resignation, said it was a “natural time” to leave, as Robeco was in good shape with solid financial performance and a strong long-term strategy.Before joining Robeco, Munsters served as CIO at the €353bn civil service scheme ABP and the €166bn healthcare scheme PFZW, in addition to holding a number of investment jobs at insurer Interpolis.He has also been chairman at Eumedion, the Dutch industry organisation for corporate governance.
Dutch cabinet decides against extending recovery term for pension funds
Earlier this year consultancies Mercer and Aon Hewitt predicted that no more than 10 pension funds in the Netherlands would have to apply rights discounts this year given improvements in some market conditions.The coverage ratio of pension funds showed considerable volatility last year, with falling interest rates – the main criterion for discounting liabilities – in particular triggering a funding drop of 8 percentage points on average in the first quarter.Based on this situation, which hadn’t changed at the end of the third quarter, more than two million participants and pensioners were facing rights cuts.The new financial assessment framework (nFTK) allows for the recovery term to be extended in case of extraordinary economic circumstances that would cause a large number of pension funds to fall short of their obligations.Klijnsma, however, noted that approximately 85% of the 290 pension funds still have a funding shortfall, and that full indexation is only allowed if their coverage exceeds 120%.She added that the risk remains that schemes must cut pension rights unconditionally, if their funding stays below the required minimum level of 104.2% during five consecutive years.In other news, the Dutch cabinet said it opposed raising the discount rate for liabilities, as this would benefit older workers and pensioners at the expense of future generations.It drew its conclusion from a study by the Netherlands’ Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB), which confirmed that a high discount rate would enable pension funds to grant indexation soon.Future generations, however, would receive up to 30% lower pensions as a consequence, according to the CPB.At the moment, the discount rate, set by DNB, varies from 1.12% for pension funds with a predominanly old population to 1.52% for schemes with mostly young participants. The discount rate includes an ultimate forward rate of 2.9%. The Dutch government has said it would refrain from extending the current 10-year recovery term for pension funds, as only a limited number of schemes need to cut pension rights, following the significantly improved economic situation.In a letter to the Dutch parliament, Jetta Klijnsma, state secretary for social affairs, said that rising interest rates and recovering equity markets during the last two months of 2016 had pushed pension funds’ coverage up to 102% on average.As a consequence, supervisor De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) has concluded that no more than five schemes have to apply rights discounts of less than 1%, according to the state secretary.She added that DNB hadn’t factored in the possibility of a premium increase or additional contribution by an employer that could stave off cuts.
Defensor mulls post-ECQ virus containment measures
Defensor also wanted to see the trendor rate of COVID-19 infection or transmission in Iloilo. * 41-year-old male from Lambunao(region’s Patient No. 28) Some ECQ features may be retained suchas social distancing, the wearing of facemask in public and the prohibition onmass gatherings, according to Defensor. * 21-year-old male from Miag-ao(region’s Patient No. 42) * 44-year-old female from Lambunao(region’s Patient No. 25) ILOILO – The enhanced communityquarantine (ECQ) in this province is scheduled to end on April 30. Will therebe an extension? He also wanted to know the ECQ’seffect on the agriculture sector, and how much local government units have sofar spent for their COVID-19 response. * 70-year-old male from Lambunao(region’s Patient No. 16) * 65-year-old male from Guimbal(region’s Patient No. 2), recovered * 51-year-old female from Guimbal(region’s Patient No. 18), recovered * 58-year-old male from Guimbal(region’s Patient No. 22) * 25-year-old female from BarotacNuevo (region’s Patient No. 36) “That is the best way to understandthe behavior of the virus,” he said. * 52-year-old female from Pavia(region’s Patient No. 38) “Iloilo Cityshould consider prepping for a phased reopening, and scaling back of the localgovernment unit’s (LGU) support for the economy. The phased reopening is astrategy that will protect the people from the (corona)virus while allowinglife to progressively return to normal, albeit a new normal,” according to theprofessors./PN * 26-year-old male from Tigbauan(region’s Patient No. 47. (With a report from LHC, Capitol News) “Thissituation is new to us all. We have no experience in this regard so we need allthe help we can get from the experts,” said Treñas. * 24-year-old male from Tigbauan(region’s Patient No. 46)
Defensor’s counterpart in Iloilo City,Mayor Jerry Treñas, said on Monday he hoped to start gradually easing quarantinemeasures by May 1. * 50-year-old male from Pavia(region’s Patient No. 37) The UPV lockdownexit plan was prepared by professors Maria Elisa Baliao, Rhodella Ibabao, HannyJohn Mediodia, Cristabel Parcon, Juhn Cris Espia, and Vicente Balinas. Treñas said therewould still be restrictions on public transport, school classes and religiousgatherings, among others while quarantine rules and regulations are lifted instages or phases. Today, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. ismeeting with Region 6’s Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 and tomorrow withthe municipal mayors to discuss “what type of quarantine and virus containmentprocedures to implement” post-ECQ. Hewelcomed the inputs of professors from the University of the PhilippinesVisayas (UPV). “We are looking for bases and thereare considerations we have to study,” he added, such as the ECQ’s impact on theeconomy. * 48-year-old female from Lambunao(region’s Patient No. 30) * 39-year-old female from Lambunao(region’s Patient No. 27) * 94-year-old male from Miag-ao(region’s Patient No. 31) As of April 21, the province had 18confirmed COVID-19 cases. These were the following: * 22-year-old female from Miag-ao(region’s Patient No. 12), recovered The mayor createdan ad-hoc committee to formulate and prescribe policies for the gradual liftingof the enhanced community quarantine. He forwarded to the committee the UPVprofessors’ proposed lockdown exit strategy. * 59-year-old female from BarotacNuevo (region’s Patient No. 10) Defensor said he had asked for dataon, among others, the number of distressed workers or those adversely affectedby the closure of businesses and other establishments. * 70-year-old female from Lambunao(region’s Patient No. 29)
Wildcats Boys Soccer Team Defeats Centerville Bulldogs
Franklin County started out hot against Centerville and never stopped, controlling the entire game winning 7-2. The team scored at will and played a very clean game. Cledith Martin scored 3 goals, Grant Suding scored 2, Tommy Ratz scored 1 and Patrick Kolb scored his first varsity goal yesterday! FC looks to take this momentum and use it against Oldenburg and get their third win of the season tonight. Courtesy of Wildcats Coach Dan Gartenman.
SEI Tourney and Middle School Basketball Scores
The Batesville 7th Graders wrapped up their season with a semifinal loss to South Ripley 40-38. Both teams fought extremely hard all night. The halftime score was South Ripley out in front 20-14. Batesville turned it up in the 4th making a strong late run, but ultimately fell short. Scoring for the dogs; Cade Kaiser(15), Jacob Stenger(8), Carson Laker(6), Grant Goldsmith(5), Gage Pohlman(2), and Will Jaisle(2). 7th grade finished with a 16-3 record. Great season! The 8th Grade team came out on top versus Greendale with a final score of 38-33. The Bulldogs came out strong in the first quarter by gaining a 14-4 lead. Batesville got into some foul trouble and Greendale added some pressure which ultimately led to a two-point lead for the Tigers at halftime. It was back and forth all night until a huge three-point shot was made by Chris Lewis late, and eventually a late rebound and putback by Conner Drake sealed the deal. The Bulldogs were balanced all night offensively with Jack Grunkemeyer leading the way with 9 points, followed by Chris Lewis (8), Gus Prickel (7), Conner Drake (6), Sam Johnson (4), and Carter Bohman (4). Batesville plays in the championship of the SEI Tournament on Thursday versus East Central at South Dearborn. The game will follow the 7th-grade championship at 5:30 pm. Courtesy of Bulldogs Coach Tyler Burcham.The Cardinals 8th Graders ended their season at 12 and 11 with a loss to Sunman Dearborn in the Southeastern IN Semi-Finals 49 to 26. The Trojans athleticism was too much for Cardinals who trailed the entire game. Miles scored 14, Ritter 7, Meyer 3 and Weiler 2.Courtesy of Cardinals Coach Chad Miles with Jenny Miles.North Decatur Boys 7th Grade Basketball beat South Decatur High School 54-5. A second lopsided victory in a row for the Boys 7th grade bb team resulted in a 54-5 win over South Decatur. The Chargers jumped out to a quick 17-2 first-quarter lead and never looked back. They were led again in scoring by Parmer with 24, Swartzentruber had his best offensive game of the year with 11, followed by Krieger & Morris with 7 pts. each, and Eldridge & Hancock both chipped in with 2 points. The Charger finished the regular season with a 13-3 record and will play next at Edinburgh on Mon., Jan. 28, in the first round of the MHC Tournament.Courtesy of Chargers Coach Gary Cook.North Decatur Girls 7th Grade Basketball beat Jac-Cen-Del High School 37-15. Tonight marked the season opener for the 7th Grade Girls Basketball team. While a little rough around the edges early on, the Lady Chargers cruised to 22 point victory over the Lady Eagles from Jac-Cen-Del. The Chargers we able to knock in 8 of 17 from the charity stripe; with 10 players on the scoreboard for the Chargers, it was a total team effort tonight. The Lady Chargers will be at home Thursday at 6:00 p.mfacing off against the Spartans of Southwestern (Shelby).Courtesy of Chargers Coach Eric Whitaker.North Decatur Girls 8th Grade Basketball falls to Jac-Cen-Del High School 57-16. Kunz lead scoring with 8 points. Abrams with 3 points going 1-2 on the free-throw line. Motz for a 3 pointer. Ogden for 2 points on the drive. Courtesy of Chargers Coach Becky Bingham.