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The St. Louis Rams made history in the spring when they drafted Michael Sam, an all-American defensive end from Missouri, making him the first openly gay player selected by an N.F.L. team.

Sam and the Rams made history again on Saturday, this time when Sam became the first openly gay player to be cut by an N.F.L. team.

Rams Coach Jeff Fisher, making the most critically watched transaction of his tenure, told reporters that Sam had been a class act all the way.

“I will tell you this: I was pulling for Mike; I really was,” he said. “And I don’t say that very often. But I was — Mike came in here and did everything we asked him to do.”

Sam, taken late in the seventh round, the 249th player drafted out of 256, was not the only rookie released by the Rams on Saturday as they pared their roster to the 53-player limit. They cut other late-round draft picks — including quarterback Garrett Gilbert, safety Christian Bryant and offensive tackle Mitchell Van Dyk — but Sam had by far the highest profile of any rookie hopeful and one of the highest profiles of any player on the team.

At one point, sales of Sam’s Rams jersey were second only to those of Cleveland’s Johnny Manziel among rookies. He was selected along with 10 other draftees to appear on commemorative coins. He picked up the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs.

Oprah Winfrey planned to launch a reality show around Sam’s quest to make an N.F.L. roster, though he wisely chose to back away from the project.

After initially, perhaps understandably, becoming a lightning rod for a cause, Sam settled down and focused on making the uphill climb toward a place on an N.F.L. roster.

Fisher acknowledged Sam’s focus on Saturday and his prospects for latching on with another team.

“There’s no challenge with respect to Mike Sam,” he said. “He’s not about drawing attention to himself. He kept his head down and worked, and you can’t ask anything more out of any player for that matter.”

On Saturday, Fisher did not answer questions about whether Sam might be re-signed and placed on the practice squad.

The Rams seemed to be in a difficult situation. I wondered if they might allow Sam to make the team as a symbol of equanimity. The fact that Sam was cut reinforces the notion that the only thing that really matters in the N.F.L. is winning games and that there is little room for sentiment.

Still, Sam’s selection in May was a statement advancing equal opportunity: that regardless of race, ethnicity or sexuality, all people should be given an opportunity to follow their dreams. In this case, that meant giving an openly gay player a fair opportunity to make a professional football team.

In reality, the odds of making the team were stacked against Sam, just as they have been since he came out of Hitchcock, Tex., as a Missouri recruit from whom little was expected in the demanding Southeastern Conference. Supporters hoped that the intangibles that compelled Sam to make himself into an exceptional football player and person would help him make the Rams’ roster.

After he was cut, Sam wrote on Twitter: “The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I’ve always known. The journey continues.”

That raises a question: Will Sam’s journey continue in the N.F.L. or will teams breathe a sigh of relief; say, “Glad that’s over”; and move on?

Did Sam show enough during training camp and in preseason games to earn a second chance somewhere? Or will the same reservations that saw his stock drop so deep into the final round of the draft emerge again?

Will teams echo the reluctance expressed by the former coach Tony Dungy and back away from signing Sam because his presence might be a distraction?

In fact, Sam has been an inspiration.

He is the seventh of eight children. One of his brothers died of a gunshot wound, two other brothers are in prison and another has been missing since 1998.

At some point in his life Sam decided that he would make more out of himself, that he would live a life of resilience and courage, that his life would be a series of happy endings.

When he was introduced to the St. Louis news media, Sam, upbeat and confident, said, “I’m determined to be great.”

In some ways, that sentiment has nothing to do with football. I’d say that Michael Sam is well on his way.

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Pakistan’s powerful army chief has stepped in to the political deadlock between the PM and two opposition figures leading huge anti-government rallies in the capital, Islamabad.

Cleric Tahir ul-Qadri told thousands of his followers that General Raheel Sharif had asked to be given a day in which to mediate.

His ally, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, echoed his comments.

The two opposition figures want PM Nawaz Sharif to resign.

The move appears to mark a return to politics of the military, barely a year after Pakistan’s first democratic transfer of power.

The BBC’s Shahzeb Jillani says it is the first time in the current political crisis that the army chief has overtly taken a central role as a mediator.

Senior Pakistani politicians have denounced the move, with one constitutional expert called it “a moment of collective disgrace for all politicians across the political spectrum”.

Our correspondent says the Pakistani military has a history of meddling in the country’s politics. Many suspect the current crisis was encouraged by elements in the army to weaken the civilian government of Mr Sharif – publicly, both the army and the govt deny this.

’24 hours’

Protesters led by Mr Qadri and Mr Khan have been demonstrating in Islamabad for two weeks, after travelling from Lahore.

Both protest leaders want a change of government, with Mr Khan claiming that last year’s general elections, which brought Mr Sharif to power, were fraudulent.

Mr Qadri wants Mr Sharif to face charges over the deaths of 14 demonstrators near Lahore in June. On Thursday police named the prime minister as a suspect in the case, officials said.

But, say correspondents, it is not automatic that Mr Sharif will be arrested and appear in court, because this is only a preliminary investigation following the filing of a complaint.

Late on Thursday night, Mr Qadri told thousands of supporters that Gen Raheel had offered to mediate.

“The army chief has asked us to give him 24 hours to solve the crisis,” he said.

“The army will compile and put together a package of our demands and make sure they are implemented.”

Mr Khan later confirmed the move, saying “the talks have already started”.

The announcement came after Mr Sharif met the army chief earlier in the day for talks on the stand-off.

The protests have been peaceful so far, but thousands of people have been demonstrating in the capital’s Red Zone, home to government buildings and embassies.

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Terming the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) as a “cancer”, US President Barack Obama has said that the top American priority was to roll back the gains made by the terrorist outfit in Iraq.

Obama also said that he has directed his Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General, Martin Dempsey to prepare a strategy to successfully handle the challenge posed by the ISIL.

“Because of our strikes, the terrorists of ISIL are losing arms and equipment. In some areas, Iraqi government and Kurdish forces have begun to push them back. We continue to be proud and grateful to our extraordinary personnel serving in this mission,” Obama said on Thursday.

Noting that the ISIL poses an immediate threat to the people of Iraq and to people throughout the region, Obama said the US military action in Iraq has to be part of a broader comprehensive strategy to protect “our people and to support our partners who are taking the fight to ISIL.”

The President said any successful strategy also needed strong regional partners.

“I’m encouraged so far that countries in the region, countries that don’t always agree on many things, increasingly recognise the primacy of the threat that ISIL poses to all of them,” he said.

“Rooting out a cancer like ISIL will not be quick or easy, but I’m confident that we can and we will, working closely with our allies and our partners. For our part, I’ve directed Secretary Hagel and our Joint Chiefs of Staff to prepare a range of options,” he added.

Obama said the violence that’s been taking place in Syria has given ISIL a safe haven in ungoverned spaces.

“In order for us to degrade ISIL over the long term, we’re going to have to build a regional strategy. Now, we’re not going to do that alone,” he said.

“We’re going to have to do that with other partners. And particularly, Sunni partners, because part of the goal here is to make sure that Sunnis, both in Syria and in Iraq, feel as if they’ve got an investment in a government that actually functions.

“A government that can protect them. A government that makes sure that their families are safe from the barbaric acts

that we’ve seen in ISIl,” he said.

The President said such structures were not currently in place and that’s why the issue with respect to Syria was not simply a military issue but also a political one.

He said it was also an issue that involved all the Sunni states in the region and Sunni leadership.

Obama said the Iraq’s security forces needed help from the US and the international partners to succeed.

“They’re going to need additional training. They’re going to need additional equipment. And we are going to be prepared

to offer that support. There may be a role for an international coalition providing additional air support for their operations,” he said.

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Pakistan’s prime minister has denied asking the country’s military chief to mediate with opposition leaders and protesters who have camped outside parliament in Islamabad for two weeks, demanding his resignation over alleged voting fraud.

Nawaz Sharif’s remarks to the National Assembly on Friday indicate that the negotiations _ with or without army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif’s mediation _ were unlikely to produce a breakthrough in the crisis.

They also threw into question reports that said the government had requested the powerful military’s mediation.

The premier spoke a day after the army chief met with cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and fiery cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, who are leading the protests.

Earlier, Khan and Qadri had said they agreed to army chief’s role as “mediator and guarantor” in further talks with government.

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Pakistan’s senior batsman and former captain Shoaib Malik has said maverick all-rounder Shahid Afridi is the best person to replace Misbah-ul-Haq as skipper for next year’s World Cup.

Malik, 32, said that if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wanted to change the captain of the national one-day team it should do it immediately.

“I don’t know what the board has in mind but if they are thinking about changing the captaincy they should do it now because there is little time left before the World Cup,” Malik said.

Malik, who had a successful run in the recent Caribbean Premier League, also felt that if there was to be a change in captaincy than Shahid Afridi was the best person to replace Misbah-ul-Haq at the moment.

“Afridi is a senior player and aggressive by nature and I think if the board decides to replace Misbah than Afridi is the best person to lead the side in the World Cup.

He is strong willed and can lead by example in the mega event.” Asked if he would consider leading the team if given an opportunity, Malik said he had no intentions of doing so immediately.

“Even if the board offers me the captaincy than I will only do it after the World Cup 2015 and then try to groom a new team. Because it is a fact that after the World Cup some of our senior players will fade away,” he said.

“I don’t think this is the right time for me to be captain and right now honestly speaking my focus is only on winning back my place in the national side again.”

Malik, who led Pakistan after the 2007 World Cup until 2009, also made it clear that the board needed to take quick decisions keeping in mind the interest of the team.

“This team is neither that of the board or any other individual, it belongs to and represents the people of Pakistan and those decisions should be taken which are in the interest of the team and country,” Malik added.

Malik, who has played 32 Tests and 216 one-day internationals, also felt that presently the Pakistan team was lacking firepower in bowling.

Referring to the recent statement by Misbah that he missed Saeed Ajmal in the second one-day international against Sri Lanka, Malik said he could understand what Misbah was trying to say.

“Apart from Saeed we don’t have bowlers who can take quick wickets and change a game in the last few overs. We need to build on our bowling firepower,” he stated.

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Picture the richest best-dressed company director and the poorest worst-dressed unemployed worker — both could be seen holding a cup of Tim Hortons coffee in their hand and neither would feel awkward.

“Could you do that with Starbucks? Could you do that with other brands? Tim’s is every man and every woman, and that’s its power,” said Alan Middleton, a York University assistant marketing professor.

That observation, which Middleton says was originally made by cultural anthropologist Grant McCracken, helps to explain the enduring love affair that Canadians have with the coffee and doughnut giant.

And it’s a love affair that’s provably true, says Middleton, who specializes in domestic and international branding and is the executive director of the Schulich Executive Education Centre.

“It’s genuinely beloved,” Middleton said.

To allay any fears Canadians may have over the announcement of the merger with Burger King, Tim Hortons took out a two-page newspaper ad on Wednesday promising that a Tim Hortons coffee before and after the deal will remain the same.

What the ad didn’t point out is that Tims has been owned by American-based interests before. Wendy’s International bought the chain in 1995 and hung on to it until 2006 when it was spun off as a separate public company. But analysts say Tim’s ownership hasn’t seemed to matter to Canadians and hasn’t affected the chain’s Canadian identity.

While it’s the biggest coffee chain in Canada, with more than 3,600 stores across the country, Tim Hortons consistently ranks high in brand studies, he says, and qualitative and quantitative research shows that Canadians believe the company is reflective of Canada.

Its community work, sponsoring local sporting clubs has earned it a number of sponsorship awards, while its work in student programs and the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation have engendered an enormous amount of goodwill.

Interbrand Canada, a leading brand consultancy firm, annually ranks the best Canadian brands based on financial analysis, the role of the brand in consumer purchasing decisions and brand strength. This year, Tim Hortons came in fifth but it was the highest ranking retail brand in their top 25, which Interbrand Canada managing director Carolyn Ray attributes in large part to Tim Hortons’ ”authenticity.”

Among the highest in ‘authenticity’

“Authenticity is about your heritage and your values and being true to who you are and I think Tim Hortons, certainly in the retail sector, scored among the highest in authenticity,” Ray said. “Which means all the things they do in the community and all the things they deliver from a customer service perspective are viewed by consumers as authentic.”

Authenticity, or being relatable to consumers, is different than Canadians having some kind of strong patriotic attachment to the brand. Middleton dismissed the notion that Canadian ties to the company, founded by Toronto Maple Leaf hockey player Tim Horton, come from any profound sense of nationalism. There are certainly tinges of pride, but it’s not overt.

“We don’t do well in responses to nationalism,” he said.

The Molson Canadian beer “I am Canadian” rant commercial, in which average Canadian Joe talks about why it’s great to be Canadian, is a perfect example, he said.

“The individual commercial was huge but when they tried to turn it from the Molson Canadian brand to an ongoing campaign, it failed,” he said. “We don’t buy based on nationalism. We buy based on ‘this company kinda gets us.’”

Middleton credits Tim Hortons’ success on a combination of its strong roots in communities, its ability to cater to consumer wants while introducing new products and its marketing and advertising strategy.

While some of Tim Horton’s tearjerker “True Stories” commercials may resonate with Canadians and are important, most of the company’s advertising goes toward highlighting the products they offer, Middleton said.

Have a ‘value’ proposition

“They constantly communicate what the product’s good for, what the beverage is good for and that it’s good value. So they have a value proposition,” Middleton said.

Douglas Hunter, author of Double Double: How Tim Hortons Became a Canadian Way of Life, One Cup at a Time, said Tim Hortons has been very shrewd about not building up their own self importance.

“They’ve done good marketing around people telling their own stories. They’ve let people tell their own stories. It’s always dangerous for a company to tell you ‘I’m really important to you and your identity.’”

Hunter believes TimHortons became a Canadian culturalphenomenon in part because of the CBC’s Royal Canadian Air Farce doughnut shop sketches, which featured characters sitting around a table at a coffee shop, riffing on the events of the day. Although the sketches never specifically referred to Tim Hortons, the coffee chain was the major player in Canada at the time.

“If you were thinking of a coffee doughnuts store, you really were thinking about Tim Hortons,” he said. “And I think it did come out of that doughnut gang idea. We really started to equate this idea that ordinary, mushy, middle-class, middle-spectrum political values Canadians go to Tim Hortons and meet and talk about the day.”

From that perception grew a new political reality, said Hunter, where Tim Hortons was the place where you met “ordinary Canadians” and was the only place that politicians could be seen meeting Canadians.

“Have we jumped the shark on that yet? I don’t know. I kind of thought that we had. Even in 2012, when I was [touring] the book, I was still seeing media shorthand of  ‘the Tim Hortons voters.’ I thought ‘why do we keep talking about the Tim Hortons’ voter?’ I think people just go to Tim Hortons.”

The “Tim Hortons” voter may just be part of the Canadian lexicon, much like “double double” and “roll up the rim” have all become familiar phrases.

“It’s the difference between calling it Tim Hortons and Tim’s,” said Middleton, the marketing professor. “Brands would die for that crossover affection.”

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panselnas.menpan.go.id: Ada 439 Instansi Buka Lowongan di Formasi Daerah. Pelamar CPNS 2014 dari berbagai penjuru Indonesia hendaknya tidak terfokus pada formasi nasional semata. Dalam situs resmi lowongan CPNS tahun ini, disebutkan terdapat lebih dari 400 instansi daerah yang membutuhkantambahan personel, yang meliputi pemerintah provinsi dan pemerintahan kota/kabupaten.

Ketika membuka situs panselnas.menpan.go.id, kita bisa mengalihkan perhatian pada menu Formasi CPNS 2014, yang membuka kesempatan berkarier dalam dua bagian. Yang pertama, formasi nasional. Formasi ini terdiri dari posisi di 71 Kementerian/Lembaga.

Rinciannya adalah, 3 kementerian kordinator, 27 kementerian biasa, 28 lembaga pemerintah non kementerian, 2 lembaga dan sekretariat lembaga negara, dan delapan lembaga lain. Nantinya, masing-masing kementerian/lembaga memiliki rinciannya tersendir yang bisa dipantau secara terperinci di situspanselnas.menpan.go.id.

Sebagai contoh, untuk tiga kementerian koordinator. Masing-masing memiliki jumlah formasi sebagai berikut: Kementerian Koordinator Bidang Politik, Hukum dan Keamanan (15 formasi),

Kementerian Koordinator Bidang Kesejahteraan Rakyat (36 formasi), dan Kementerian Koordinator Bidang Perekonomiam (23 formasi).

Hal ini berlaku pula untuk kementerian/lembaga lain. Namun jangan salah, lowongan CPNS tahun ini juga membuka kesempatan karier untuk mereka yang ingin terjun di formasi daerah.

Tercatat terdapat 439 instansi yang membuka lowongan. 28 di antaranya adalah pemerintah tingkat provinsi. Sementara sisa 411 lainnya berasal dari pemerintah kabupaten/kota.

Untuk memudahkan para pelamar PNS tahun ini, situs panselnas.menpan.go.id sudah menyediakan tabel menarik dalam tautan https://panselnas.menpan.go.id/index.php/form-2. Dipaparkan di sana pembagian berdasarkan pulau, sehingga pelamar dari berbagai daerah yang ingin fokus pada pemerintah daerah di tempatnya tinggal bisa langsung mengklik link yang ada untuk membaca informasi detail tentang hal-hal yang dibutuhkan dalam melamar formasi yang diinginkan.

Sebagai contoh, jika Anda ingin melamar di kabupaten Batang, Jawa Tengah. Maka yang perlu Anda klik adalah link wilayah “Pulau Jawa, Bali, dan Nusa Tenggara”, kemudian diperinci lagi “Jawa Tengah”, lantas “Kab. Batang”. Jika Anda menelusuri dengan benar, Anda akan menemukan daftar formasi yang tersedia dalam kabupaten tersebut. Demikian pula seterusnya di wilayah-wilayah lain.

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Hello Kitty’s 40th anniversary has turned up some unusual news – she’s not a cute Japanese cat, she’s a young Londoner from the suburbs

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The Texas A&M Aggies may be without Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, but their offense appears to be just fine under the guidance of succeeding quarterback Kenny Hill.

During Thursday’s college football season opener, Hill torched the No. 9 South Carolina defense through the air in a 52-28 victory.

 Hill completed 27-of-35 passes for 299 yards and two scores in the first half. That would be a respectable full-game stat line against a top-10 SEC foe, much less 50 percent of a day’s work.

But Hill wasn’t finished there. Far from it.

The sophomore signal-caller kept the Aggies rolling on the road, finishing 44-of-60 passing for 511 yards and three scores. ESPN Stats & Info observed just how amazing Hill was in his electrifying first start:

Kenny Hill has set school single-game records for completions (44) and passing yards (511) #TAMUvsSC

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 29, 2014

Twitter had plenty to say throughout Hill’s breakout performance against the Gamecocks, which supplied the 21st-ranked Aggies with a wave of optimism in the post-Manziel era.

For one, Manziel thought the nickname given to Hill by yours truly—and the trending Twittersphere—was fitting:

KENNY FOOTBALL!!! #GigEm

— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) August 29, 2014

SEC Sports highlighted the elite company Hill already joined:

#TAMUvsSC: Kenny Hill one of just six players in #SEC history to throw for 500 or more yards in a single game.

— SEC Sports (@SEC) August 29, 2014

ESPN Radio’s Ian Fitzsimmons opted for a Manziel reference in light of recent events:

Texas A&M is giving everybody who idiotically said it was “All about Johnny Manziel” the football finger.

— Ian Fitzsimmons (@Ianfitzespn) August 28, 2014

Todd Fuhrman of Fox Sports 1 put Hill’s numbers in excellent context:

The most passing yards South Carolina gave up in a game last year was 358 to UCF…they’ve surrendered 299 in the first half to Texas A&M

— Todd Fuhrman (@ToddFuhrman) August 28, 2014

Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller opted for a different Hill nickname than the one in this story’s lede:

“King of the Hill” is my chosen Kenny Hill nickname.

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) August 28, 2014

ESPN’s College GameDay captured a fitting quote from commentator Brent Musburger:

The answer to Johnny Football is Kenny Hill, thank you very much.” – Brent Musburger

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 28, 2014

Check out this number from ESPN Stats & Info:

31 points is most points allowed by S. Carolina in 1st half since 9/12/09 vs Georgia (31). #TAMUvsSC

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 28, 2014

NFL.com’s Bryan Fischer observed how Texas A&M’s relentless energy was too much to handle even in the friendly confines of Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia:

Fast playmakers in space. Pretty good strategy so far for the Texas A&M offense. SC defense looks gassed.

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) August 28, 2014

Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman alluded to the Gamecocks’ stellar home record:

Kenny Hill is dealin’ … like he’s playing on #TAMU practice field not vs a team that’s won 18 in a row at home: 27-35 for 299 yds

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) August 28, 2014

Jason King of Bleacher Report added an interesting anecdote:

Just thinking back to a few years ago, when everyone said Texas A&M was in for a “rude awakening” in the SEC. Um, yeah.

— Jason King (@JasonKingBR) August 28, 2014

CBSSports.com’s Dennis Dodd—along with others who become privy to this knowledge, to be sure—was perplexed as to how Hill’s counterpart, Dylan Thompson, technically fared better in the opening half:

I fear for the future of our children. At halftime Dylan Thompson has a higher passer rating than Kenny Hill.

— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) August 28, 2014

Thompson had a fine, explosive game himself (20-of-40, 366 yards, four touchdowns and one interception), but it paled in comparison to the heights Hill reached. As for the comparisons between Hill and Manziel, how about this one from SportsCenter:

Kenny Hill has thrown for more yards in his 1st college start than Johnny Manziel did in ANY game at Texas A&M.pic.twitter.com/oJXt0gSDeT

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 29, 2014

Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy knows what it takes to succeed in the SEC, and he praised Texas A&M’s entire offensive unit:

Man, I am so impressed with the athleticism of this Texas A&M offense. Not just skill positions, but the Oline. #statementmade

— Greg McElroy (@GVMcElroy) August 29, 2014

As TAMU Gameday put forth, all contributors on the Aggies side did indeed warrant credit—even with Hill as the clear tone-setter:

656 yards tonight for A&M is the most against South Carolina in program history #12thMan #TAMUvsSC

— TAMU Gameday (@TAMUGameDay) August 29, 2014

The Aggies actually wound up with 680 total yards after that tweet.

South Carolina lost No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Jadeveon Clowney this last year, though it likely wouldn’t have fared much better even with him.

An uptempo, air raid offense coveted by Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin has produced prolific passing attacks in both his stints at the helm of the Houston Cougars and now in College Station. Hill, the son of a former MLB pitcher (h/t Brendan Wilhide on Twitter) drove Texas A&M down the field at will.

Save for one three-and-out on the last first-quarter possession and one play just before the halftime intermission, the Aggies scored every time they possessed the ball in the first half, putting the game out of reach early. With a rather weak defense supporting him and the Gamecocks producing plenty of big plays of their own, there was no lack of composure from Hill, who looked like a veteran despite the immense pressure he was under to replace Manziel.

Perhaps another Texas A&M QB will be striking the Heisman pose soon enough if this electric debut by Hill is any sign of what’s to come. However, the hype will only increase, along with the expectations. It remains to be seen if Hill can handle that, particularly after Manziel, a larger-than-college-life personality.

Since the Aggies held on to win this one in such dominant fashion, they ought to receive quite a boost in the rankings. A similar springboard effect should hold true for the surprising Hill’s Heisman stock.

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A meeting of the electoral body, held under the leadership of the Acting Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali was attended by members including Justice (r) Riaz Kayani, Justice (r) Shazad Akbar Khan and Justice (r) Fazalur Rehman. Ishtiak Ahmad Khan, Secretary Election Commission was also present in the meeting.

The commission deliberated upon allegations levelled by the PTI chairman Imran Khan and former additional secretary ECP Muhammad Afzal Khan, a statement by the media office of the electoral body stated.

Rejecting all the allegations as baseless and without substance, the commission deemed it appropriate to remind the nation of the difficult circumstances the May 2013 general elections were held under, which led to the first peaceful transition of power from one civilian government to another.

The commission observed that a large number of electoral reforms were introduced to ensure that elections were held justly, fairly and honestly. Consequently, keen interest was shown in observing the elections in Pakistan.

The Election Observer Missions of Japan, International Human Rights Commission, European Union Observation Mission, NDI, Common Wealth observers, Gender Concerns International visited various constituencies and after the poll, they all declared the general elections 2013 as free, fair, credible and successful and they also made some observations and recommendations.

Regarding the appointment of officials of judges as returning officers, ECP noted that during a consultative meeting with major political parties in September 2012, the political parties had themselves requested for the appointment of officers from within the judiciary to act as DROs, ROs in general elections-2013 and  resultantly the ECP as a whole requested the former  chief justice. This was followed by another similar letter written by the former Chief Election Commissioner Justice (r) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim to Chief Justice of Pakistan.

It is worthwhile to mention here that in the Judicial Policy 2009, it had been clearly decided that judiciary will not be part of any electoral process. However, upon the requests made by the ECP, the National Judicial Policy Forum comprising the four chief justices of high courts headed by the chief justice considered the request of the ECP as well as that of political parties and allowed the judicial officers to be part of electoral process.

Regarding the allegations of printing extra ballot papers on May 9 2013, the commission observed that the allegation carried no weight as PEC Punjab Mehboob Anwar had clearly denied the allegations in his statement that is reproduced, “I, Mehboob Anwar, PEC Punjab, hereby vehemently rebut the allegations leveled against me as totally baseless, frivolous and without any substance. I did my duty with clean hands. I categorically deny and state that not even a single ballot paper was got printed from any private printing press by me, as alleged.”

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TRUCE AGREEMENT INCLUDES AN END TO ISRAEL’S BLOCKADE OF GAZA, ALLOWING AID AND FOOD TO REACH PALESTINIANS.

Celebrations erupted in Gaza on Tuesday as a long-term ceasefire agreed by Israel and the Palestinians began, ending 50 days of the deadliest violence in a decade.

The agreement, effective since 1600 GMT, involves an immediate halt to the violence in Gaza that broke out on July 8 and has claimed the lives of 2,143 Palestinians and 69 on the Israeli side. The Palestinians said it was a “permanent” truce, while a senior Israeli official described it as “unconditional and unlimited in time.”

Washington gave its full backing to the deal. “We strongly support today’s ceasefire agreement,” Secretary of State John Kerry said, calling “on all parties to fully and completely comply with its terms.” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also voiced hope that the ceasefire in Gaza will set the stage for talks on a final Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

In Gaza itself thousands flooded onto the streets in celebration, some firing joyfully into the air, among them gunmen from Hamas, AFP correspondents said. Chanting and clapping they surged through the battered streets, bellowing songs of victory as a man swathed in a huge green Hamas flag threw handfuls of sweets into the air.

Mosques used their loudspeakers to broadcast celebratory chants of “God is greatest” as the war-torn enclave hailed the apparent end to seven weeks of violence that has seen a quarter of the territory’s 1.8 million people flee their homes. “Thank God the war is ended. I can’t believe I’m still alive with my kids!” said 32-year-old Maha Khaled. “It was a very harsh war. I never thought that we would see peace at the end.”

Cars jammed the streets, their horns honking incessantly, as beaming women and children flashed victory signs and crowds of young men bounced up and down on rooftops, waving flags. As night fell, there was no letup in the celebrations as the rhythmic thud of drums beat a celebratory pulse and a performer breathed fire to entertain the ecstatic crowd. “Today Gaza showed the world that it is resisting and that it is stronger than Israel,” said Tamer al-Madqa, 23.

But there was no sign of celebration in Israel as citizens absorbed the news of two people killed when mortar shells hit a kibbutz in the south. Ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet began whetting their political knives after a deal which was reportedly agreed by the premier and his defense minister, with other security cabinet ministers only updated by phone.

News of the agreement first emerged from the West Bank city of Ramallah where a Palestinian official said an elusive deal had been reached over a “durable” halt to the bloodshed. He said the deal involved a “permanent ceasefire” and an end to Israel’s eight-year blockade of Gaza, in a move hailed by Hamas as a “victory for the resistance.”

Ending the blockade had been a key Palestinian demand in earlier, abortive truce talks in Cairo. “The Egyptian initiative [includes] an opening of the crossings for goods and humanitarian and food aid to enter Gaza, as well as medical supplies and materials to repair the water, electricity and mobile phone networks,” said chief Palestinian truce negotiator Azzam al-Ahmed.

Restrictions on fishing would end “immediately” with boats allowed to fish up to six miles offshore with the limit later extended to 12 miles, he said. At a later, unspecified date, the two sides would discuss “the exchange of [Palestinian] prisoners and of the bodies of those [Israeli soldiers] killed” during the conflict, he said.

Israel confirmed the negotiating teams would return to Cairo “within a month,” without saying when. “We have accepted, once again, an Egyptian proposal for an unconditional and unlimited-in-time ceasefire,” a senior official said. “The framework includes an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and then, inside a month, both delegations will be in Cairo raising issues with the Egyptians,” he said. “We will be raising our concerns about demilitarization and preventing Hamas from rearming.”

During the celebrations several senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad figures emerged onto the streets for the first time since the war began, having feared assassination by Israel, which had labeled them “legitimate targets.” As well as rebuilding the battered enclave, senior Hamas official Mahmud al-Zahar said the Islamist movement would continue “arming itself and developing its resistance capacity.”

Egypt’s foreign ministry said the two sides had agreed to the “simultaneous opening of the border crossings between Israel and Gaza to enable the rapid entry of humanitarian aid and relief and reconstruction supplies.” And the statement referred to a “continuation of indirect negotiations between the two sides on other matters within one month of the ceasefire taking effect.”

News of the reported deal came after weeks of Egyptian-led efforts to end the violence that resulted in several short-term ceasefires, all of which broke down in the absence of agreement on a longer-term truce. The latest collapsed on Aug. 19 as hostilities resumed, killing more than 120 Palestinians and two Israelis, one a four-year-old child. There had been no sign of any letup in the fighting earlier on Tuesday, with 12 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes and tank shelling, among them two children.

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POPULIST CLERIC AND CRICKETER-TURNED-POLITICIAN KHAN HAVE BOTH ENDED TALKS WITH THE GOVERNMENT.

Populist cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri announced late on Wednesday that negotiations to end ongoing protests for a “revolution” had collapsed, and warned the government that he would lead a ‘Youm-e-Inquilab’ (Day of Revolution) today.

“The government has shown that it is not interested in implementing Lahore High Court orders to register a First Information Report against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and 19 others,” said Qadri to a crowd of thousands camped out on Islamabad’s Constitution Avenue. “So I am announcing that there will be no more talks with the government.”

A government team comprising ministers Ishaq Dar and Zahid Hamid had visited Qadri on Wednesday night in a bid to convince him to call off his sit-in and agree to a compromise on his demands. According to Qadri, he had asked them to meet two conditions as “trust building” measures, but they failed to comply. “I asked them to launch the FIR against all 21 accused as per court orders and for the resignation of Shahbaz Sharif,” he said. “The government team told me that the prime minister is not willing to accept either demand and I ended the talks because it became obvious the government was only trying to waste our time,” he added.

“We gave every possible chance to the government to show maturity and follow court orders … now there is no moral obligation on us to continue with talks,” said Qadri. “Tonight is the last night of the sit-in. Tomorrow will be Youm-e-Inquilab and the people will decide what action should be taken against the government,” he added. Qadri directed his followers to assemble at 3:00 p.m., saying he would address a final sermon before “transferring decision-making powers” to the people.

The protests in Islamabad have so far been peaceful, with security forces taking a hands-off approach to the demonstrations. But both protest leaders have stoked fears of an imminent violent crackdown, with Qadri telling supporters he was ready to be “martyred” as his followers dressed in funeral shrouds during a rally on Wednesday.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan, who is leading a parallel protest of his followers in Islamabad against alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections, also announced that negotiations with the government had collapsed. He said there could be no more negotiations until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had resigned. The government has said it is willing to accept all demands except for the resignation of the prime minister. “Tomorrow, I will give you good news,” Khan told his supporters, adding that it would be a “major” announcement.

Responding to Qadri’s claims, information minister Pervez Rashid told media that the government had accepted the cleric’s demands for the registration of an FIR, but he had refused to accept the offer.

1. Adopt a dog from your local shelter or pure breed rescue organization. Volunteer at your local shelter and offer to walk a dog or play with a dog, clean cages or anything else they need help with.


2. Have a safety check of your home to make sure it’s safe for your dog and others.


3. Donate blankets, food and toys to animal welfare organizations.


4. Organize a peaceful demonstration in front of your community pet store that sells puppies.


5. Write your Congressman and ask that he/she support the ban of Puppy Mills and Gas Chambers in your state.


6. Order an adorable dog shaped flower arrangement from 1-800-Flowers.com and enjoy a 10% discount by using code DOG when placing your order!


7. Have a National Dog Day party and invite all your friends and their dogs!


8. Spend the day taking photos of your dog.


9. Assist an ill or elderly neighbor by walking their dog.


10. Buy your dog a fun new dog toy….or two…or five.


11. Give your dog some fun exercise by taking him or her to a doggy play resort.


12. Brush your dog to eliminate excess fur.


13. Give your dog a massage or holistic spa treatment.


14. Teach your dog a new trick.


15. Buy your dog a fashionable collar and leash.

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REDMOND, WASH. — Two new downloadable content packs will take the world of Mario Kart 8 in directions the franchise has never seen before, while significantly expanding game-play options. The packs, which launch this fall and in spring of 2015, and are available for advance purchase starting Aug. 27 at $7.99 each (or $11.99 for both), deliver a ton of new content, including first-time crossover characters like Link from The Legend of Zelda franchise and both Isabelle and the Villager from the Animal Crossing series.

In addition to these two new downloadable content packs, a previously announced game update goes live Aug. 27 that adds a variety of new features, including three free Mercedes-Benz cars that players can race: the modern Mercedes-Benz GLA, the 300 SL Roadster from the 1950s and the legendary Silver Arrow of the 1930s. Go to http://ninten.do/6181WR6B to view a video of the in-game karts in action.

“More than 1 million Wii U owners in the United States alone are already enjoying the fun of Mario Kart 8,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Mario Kart 8already includes the largest number of characters, karts and options of any Mario Kart game to date, and these amazing expansion packs give players even more choices.”

Each pack will contain two new cups, each with four courses, which, in total, increases the number of currently available courses by 50 percent. The DLC packs include classic courses like Wario’s Gold Mine from Mario Kart Wii, as well as new courses, some taking place in the worlds of The Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing. New vehicles will also arrive with each pack, including the Blue Falcon kart representing the F-Zero franchise in the first DLC pack.

Mario Kart 8 owners who purchase both packs starting Aug. 27 will get access to eight new colors of Yoshi and eight new colors of Shy Guy to race with immediately. To purchase the packs in advance, users with a broadband Internet connection can click the new “Shop” icon in the game or visit the Nintendo eShop on Wii U.

The DLC packs are scheduled to include the following:

Pack 1: The Legend of Zelda X Mario Kart 8 (Release Date: November 2014) – $7.99

• 3 Characters: Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach, Link


• 4 Vehicles


• 8 Courses

Pack 2: Animal Crossing X Mario Kart 8 (Release Date: May 2015) – $7.99

• 3 Characters: Villager, Isabelle, Dry Bowser


• 4 Vehicles


• 8 Courses

Pack 1 + Pack 2 Bundle – $11.99

• 6 Characters: Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach, Link, Villager, Isabelle and Dry Bowser


• 8 Vehicles


• 16 Courses


• As a bonus for purchasing both packs bundled or individually, buyers receive eight new colors for Yoshi and Shy Guy. Those who advance purchase both packs can begin using the Yoshi and Shy Guy characters immediately.

For more information about Mario Kart 8, visit http://mariokart8.nintendo.com. Remember that Wii U features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U^™ and Wii^™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS^™ and Nintendo DS^™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System^™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.2 billion video games and more than 670 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy^™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi^™ and Nintendo DSi XL^™, Super NES^™, Nintendo 64^™, Nintendo GameCube^™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario^™, Donkey Kong^™, Metroid^™, Zelda^™ and Pokémon^™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com

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On August 26, it was reported that a United States plane had to be diverted after an argument broke out over a passenger’s use of a Knee Defender. Originally slated to land in Denver, the United Airlines flight was forced to stop in Chicago, where authorities addressed the problem.

Here are 6 things about the device that caused the ruckus.

1. What is a Knee Defender?

A nifty – or annoying, depending on how you see it – pocket-size device, Knee Defenders are basically sturdy plastic clips.

Costing US$21.95 (S$27.41), they come in a set of two, and exist to protect the sacred ground that is an airline passenger’s leg room.

Opinion on the Knee Defender is varied – some, especially tall people, adore it, while others have taken to label it as plain rude.

2. Sounds interesting. How is it used?

Preserving your leg room has never been easier.

Users first extend the seat table in front of them, before proceeding to clip one Knee Defender onto each of the table’s arms.

The Knee Defender can then be slid up and down the table arm, effectively allowing the user to “control” how far the seat in front can recline.

The closer the Knee Defender is to the seat in front, the less reclining leeway the seat will have.

To top it off, the Knee Defender website even has a printable “Courtesy Card”, which manufacturers suggest the user passing to the passenger sitting in front, to inform him or her about the upcoming failure of their seat’s recline feature.

3. Why would I need such a device?

Aside from the obvious comfort of having sufficient leg room, the space that a Knee Defender gives can be used to, according to the product’s website, work on one’s laptop or engage in anti-deep vein thrombosis (DVT) exercises.

DVT, also known as Economy Class Syndrome, is a medical condition whereby a potentially dangerous blood clot develops in a person, as a result of limited space or movement.

Of course, whether or not the Knee Defender is the best solution to these problems is another contentious topic.

4. Who invented it?

Ira Goldman, a 1.93m tall Washington DC resident who wanted to help fellow tall airline passengers deal with the problem of being “based in the knees over and over again”.

He first marketed the product in 2003.

5. What are airlines’ policies over its use?

News reports regarding the Knee Defender stem mostly from the US, although its manufacturer’s website claims to have purchases from the “7 continents”.

According to an article in the BBC, the US Federal Aviation Administration has yet to ban the gadget, although most major US airlines, such as United Airlines, have.

6. Where can I buy one?

Do you think the Knee Defender is for you? Are you ready to accept the death stares or scowls of disapproval that might result from your using  it?

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BitTorrent Sync offers an enticing promise: share any folders you want across all your devices using peer-to-peer networking—no cloud necessary. And people are buying into that promise, according to BitTorrent, with more than 10 million installs of the app and 80 petabytes of data transferred.

Despite the promising early numbers, however, early versions of Sync were a little confusing to use for non-power users.

That changes on Tuesday with the introduction of BitTorrent Sync 1.4 Beta for Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. The newest version of Sync is a giant leap forward in usability thanks to its improved sharing capabilities and much needed visual overhaul.

I’ve been using Sync 1.4 for a few days. Here are my initial impressions using the new app on Windows 8.1 and Android.

Great new look

The first thing you notice when you fire up Sync 1.4 on Windows is how much better it looks than previous versions. The utilitarian, rudimentary tabbed interface is gone and replaced with a non-tabbed flat design in line with the Windows 8.1 design aesthetic.

By default, the new Sync window shows two columns: folder names and sync status. Click on the settings cog in the upper right corner and select Preferences to add other columns with additional information such as receiving, sending, progress, path, size, date added, date synced, and peers.

You should also note at the top of the general preferences window there are three key bits of information you should know about: your user name, the device name, and the device’s fingerprint. All three pieces of information are meant to help others identify you (more on that later). Most users probably won’t bother with these settings, but the security conscious among you will want to take note.

The new Sync also adds more per-folder controls including a variety of syncing preferences, a list of peers sharing your files, a disconnect button, and access to each folder’s archive. Hover over a folder and select the three vertical dots on the far right to access this menu.

Adding folders to Sync

As with previous versions of BitTorrent Sync, you can’t share individual files—only folders. To add a folder to Sync 1.4 click the blue Add folder button in the top left corner of the app. This opens an Explorer window where you can choose the folder you want to add to Sync.

Once you’ve added a folder you’re ready to share it with others.

Sharing made easier

Hover over any folder in Sync and you’ll see a new sharing icon, which makes it far easier to move data between devices than the old secret code-sharing method. Click the Shareicon and a new window pops up with the choice to email or copy an app-specific link that will automatically open Sync on the recipient’s computer. For mobile devices you still scan a QR code as before.

By default, Sync offers read only sharing options, but you can click the Read & Write tab at the top of the sharing window to give someone full access to your folder.

BitTorrent has also added a right-click context menu to the Windows system for even easier sharing. Just navigate to the folder you want to share in Explorer, right-click the folder, and choose one of the menu options.

Let’s say Jane wanted to email Bob a link to her Vacation Pictures folder. To start, she’d click the Share icon and then click the email icon in the window that appears.

This will automatically open Jane’s default mail client with a boilerplate message that Jane can edit to meet her needs. The subject line includes the name of the folder she’s syncing and an app-specific link in the body of the message.

Once Bob receives the email he just clicks the link in the message. If he has Sync 1.4 installed he’ll be able to add the folder. If not, he’ll be prompted to install Sync 1.4.

Even better for Bob, Sync now automatically offers a default location to save the folder that Jane wants to share with him. Before version 1.4 it was up to Bob to figure out where to save the folder. That often ended up with some confusing naming conventions and poor choices for saving locations.

But Bob’s journey isn’t over yet. Once Bob accepts the link to Vacation Pictures and chooses a save location he won’t start receiving data from Jane’s PC right away.

Approval requests

By default, anyone who accepts a Sync link doesn’t automatically start receiving files from the sender. Instead, the recipient has to be approved by the sender after they’ve accepted the sharing link.

In our example, Bob accepts the sharing link that Jane sent. Then Jane gets a notification letting her know that Bob wants to share her folder. Jane then approves that link to let Bob start syncing.

Jane could also make extra sure that Bob is who he claims to be by taking a deeper look at the approval request.

All requests appear at the top of the Sync dashboard. As you can see in the image above, Bob has decided on the username Sticky. If Jane wanted to she could just click the green check mark to immediately share her vacation pics.

If she was a little more concerned about security, however, she could click on Bob’s user name. A pop-up window would then appear showing Bob’s device name, IP address, and Sync device fingerprint.

With Bob’s fingerprint, Jane could call him up and read it back to him over the phone to make sure she’s sharing her photos with the correct PC.

For the initial sender, approvals are something of a tradeoff for added security since you are sharing your personal files using insecure communication like standard email. Anyone looking for even more security could turn to encryption tools like PGP or miniLock.

For the privacy conscious it may be a little concerning that Sync displays your IP address to other users. But on the other hand Sync is designed to share files with people you know and trust. Plus the chances of data leakage to third-party snoops are minimized as all traffic between devices is secured with 128-bit AES encryption and initial connections are secured with perfect forward secrecy.