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by Alex Hoad
Kent spinner James Tredwell produced a fine display to help England complete a one-day series whitewash of Australia on Tuesday night.
Tredwell was called into the side for the seven-wicket stroll against the tourists at Old Trafford in place of Tim Bresnan (sore elbow), having been initially brought into the squad in place of Graeme Swann, who was rested.
The rain-shortened victory completed a 4-0 series win, with the third ODI at Edgbaston having been washed out.
After England won the toss, Tredwell trapped opener David Warner LBW with just his fourth delivery for his first international wicket on home soil.
He then superbly broke the stumps to run-out Peter Forrest from Samit Patel's throw before Matthew Wade was stumped by Craig Kieswetter off a Tredwell delivery which turned viciously.
Those three wickets arrived for the addition of just six runs in a 27-ball spell.
The 30-year-old's off-spin then put the squeeze on the visitors in the middle of their innings and he eventually finished with 2-23 off seven overs, which included a maiden, one of just two on the day.
Australia's total of 145-7 off 32 overs was easily surpassed by England with Alistair Cook and Ravi Bopara each recording a half-century.
Tredwell had previously been called into the ODI squad for the clash with the West Indies at Headingley at June 22 but the game again fell victim to the weather.
Do you think Tredwell has done enough to play himself into the England picture? Have your say below.
Wednesday, July 11 2012
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Source: www.kentonline.co.uk
Big Fat Gypsy divorce party - The Sun
The teenager was celebrating her freedom at her Big Fat Gypsy divorce party and there wasn’t a tear in sight.
Instead, the local pub was filled with dancing, laughter and a £700 eight-tier divorce cake.
With so much celebration, glitz and glamour, it was hard to believe that in the gypsy community divorce is practically forbidden.
But her family have stood by her decision to end her two-year marriage to fellow traveller Swanley Smith, and threw a lavish bash.
And Josie, who only knew Swanley for two months before they got hitched, wasn’t the only one who was celebrating rather than crying over the end of her marriage.
Divorce in the UK has become big business. More than 200 times the number of couples are splitting up today than a century ago, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal.
Businesses are cashing in on the trend. Post-divorce cosmetic surgery is booming and divorce parties are replacing marriage counselling.
Transform Medical Group revealed that 26 per cent of clients are newly divorced and 48 per cent were doing it to make their ex jealous.
You can now get a personalised divorce cake, and high street shops have started stocking “Congratulations On Your Divorce” cards.
In fact, many people are celebrating making a break before the ink on their divorce papers has dried.
At her divorce do, mum-of-one Josie declared: “This party is a celebration of a new chapter.
“I am only 19 and have my life ahead of me.
“The break-up has been tough. I loved Swanley but he was a let-down. He didn’t deliver what he promised and I want more for myself and my little girl.
“It’s too soon to say if I’ll marry again but I am dating.”
Josie’s white satin divorce party dress might have looked familiar to fans of Big Fat Gypsy Weddings.
It was a miniature version of her famous 5st wedding gown, complete with frothy tutu skirt and frilly garter, which she wore on the first ever episode of the hit C4 series.
And her gigantic divorce cake, made by baker Gill Broadfoot, was modelled on a traditional wedding cake with a big difference.
The tiny groom and bride figures were no longer standing side by side on the top tier, but slumped on the bottom of the cake stand.
As she playfully beheaded the icing figure of Swanley, Josie said: “My mother and father would never want me to be unhappy.
“It doesn’t matter about traditions, they understand why I had to finish my relationship with Swanley.”
Each girl at the party had an eye-catching new outfit for the occasion. Josie’s 14-year-old sister Berry had gone for a pink version of her dress while others went for brightly coloured mini dresses, skyscraper heels and lots of bling.
There was a cold buffet before everyone started posing for pictures and setting off party poppers.
As the drinks flowed, Josie put her favourite music on the jukebox and all the girls got up to dance.
The atmosphere was like a hen party. But then apart from Josie’s brothers John, 18, and 12-year-old Isaac, and her new love interest Darius Belu, 23, most of the guests were female. After cutting her cake, Josie got a big hug from her mum, Josie Doherty, 40. Then she posed for a picture with Darius to loud cheers from the guests — despite the fact he is not a traveller.
He is a professional dancer who stars on the Romanian version of Strictly Come Dancing. They met through the reality TV circuit.
Josie said: “We’ve only been out a few times. It’s early days but he makes me feel really happy.”
It is only three months since she walked out on Swanley, taking their one-year-old baby daughter, also called Josie, with her. But Josie feels that her hurt has now healed enough for her to move on.
She said: “My heart is mending. I’ve just turned 19 and I feel like I’ve turned a corner.
“Despite what people say, it was the right thing to do. I think I’ve opened a lot of people’s eyes in our community — no woman should live like that.”
Josie has no regrets about marrying so young and so quickly, because it is the traveller way. She said: “My parents married two days after meeting each other and 20 years later they are still happily married, with nine children.
“My family were sad, but Mum always said I had to do whatever made me happy. I’ve had so much support.”
She has now moved back to her parents’ house in Middlesex.
And her brothers and sisters have all rallied round. As well as John, Berry and Isaac, there is Barbara, 16, Christopher, eight, Patrick, seven, Baby Doll, five, and three-year-old Simey.
Josie, who left school at 11, said: “I had learned to read and write by that time and that was enough. My mother taught me how to be a woman.
“We don’t need to learn other subjects because we won’t get a job — our job is to be a good mother and wife.
“By the time I was 16 I knew I was ready for marriage.
“And six months later Swanley asked me to be his wife and I said yes.”
For her flamboyant wedding, watched by 6.5million television viewers, she looked every inch the princess she had hoped to in a huge frilly white dress and tiara.
Looking back, Josie said: “It was the happiest day of my life but everything changed when we got married. I was treated like a slave, not a wife. I felt like a child. I lost my independence completely.
“He wouldn’t let me see my friends and family and that made me completely miserable.
“I wanted it to work so much but I couldn’t understand why he was acting like a fool. Every gypsy girl dreams of her wedding day. It is the biggest day of your life. Nobody wants it to end in divorce.”
The hardest thing for Josie is working out what her future holds.
She said: “It is forbidden to be divorced, but my family understand. My mummy told me that I shouldn’t stay at home and be unhappy.
“The real issue is not my family but the rest of the gypsy community. It is seen as a disgrace to walk away from your marriage.
“Men in my community will now see me as ‘un-pure’ and no man wants to be around a woman who isn’t pure.” A traveller follows a strict no-sex-before-marriage rule.
Josie said: “We are not even allowed to have a proper kiss before we marry, that’s how seriously we take marriage.
“People do re-marry, but life is a lot harder for those that do.”
Neither Swanley nor Josie have been back to the marital trailer since she walked out on him.
She said: “We haven’t spoken since. I want to make the most of my time with my friends, my family and my little girl — they are the most important people to me now.” Swanley, who is now living in Kent, is yet to visit his daughter.
Josie said: “He hasn’t bothered to come and see baby Josie. That just sums him up.
“I feel really lucky that I have my family to support me and my daughter.
“She plays with my little brothers and sister which is lovely for her and me.”
A typical day for a married gypsy girl would involve cleaning, cooking and looking after the baby, but now things are back to how they were for Josie.
She said: “I’m really enjoying having my girlie times back with my friends and sisters. I really missed them when I was with Swanley.
“Now I go to have sunbeds three times a week, I go shopping and I go dancing.
“This divorce party marks a new chapter for me and my daughter and I’m excited for the future.”
Source: www.thesun.co.uk
India in Mobile Internet Revolution - Vivaah Launches Mobile Matrimony App - M.Vivaah.Com - PR-USA.net
Vivaah.com is pleased to announce the launch of the matrimony site
http://m.vivaah.com/ which is designed and built especially for mobile devices. Over
past year, Vivaah.com has seen traffic from mobile and hand held devices rise from 2% to
15% of total. This was despite the fact that website was not optimised for mobile devices.
Now with the launch of a dedicated website for mobile devices, Vivaah hope to improve the
reach of our services and serve our users on mobile and handheld platforms better.
Vivaah [http://www.vivaah.com ] in recent months have been witnessing faster growth
rates. In last couple of months, the numbers of users visiting Vivaah through non-desktop
devices (mobiles and tabs) has risen to about 15% of total. Overall, it is a small
percentage but over a 700% increase (see graphic
[http://m.vivaah.com/img/mvivaahcom-pr-july2012.jpg ]) from a year ago, when such traffic
was only 2% of total. The Vivaah team believes that mobile device visitor's needs are
quite different to that of a desktop visitor. The significant differences are the lower
speed of the internet access (especially in Indian subcontinent), charges based on
download data size and smaller form factor.
On analysing the Vivaah server log of visitor data it has been seen that most
frequently used non desktop devices are Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, Nokia (E Series, C
Series), Samsung Galaxy (Ace, Fit, Mini and S II), Sony Ericsson (Xperia). In terms of
browsers, the UC mobile, Safari, Opera and Mozilla are the ones most commonly used from
mobile/tablet devices.
Considering the variety of devices and the browser mix in use, Vivaah has designed its
mobile matrimony website (m.vivaah.com) using XHTML Basic 1.1 version of HTML. Most of the
modern browsers on mobile handsets supported this HTML technology. The dedicated site will
provide better usability experience with faster page load with lower download size. In
other words, the dedicated site will be faster, cheaper and easier to use.
Vivaah mobile app [http://m.vivaah.com ] in its launch version offers the most
commonly used subset of the features as compared to the desktop version. The mobile site
features are multiple search options, dedicated pages for communities (my religion,
language and country) and member pages. The mobile site also provides a comprehensive
dashboard similar to the desktop version with quick access to various member features like
In-site Messaging, Interest Received, and Interest Sent etc. Over coming months, Vivaah
plans to add more features and bring it on par with desktop version over coming months.
Dinesh Munjal, Director, Vivaah.com says - "Matrimonial matchmaking is a big business
in India. Newspapers, matchmakers and websites typically charge tens of thousands of
rupees for their services with no guarantees of suitable match. We have taken a lead in
this industry by offering comprehensive and completely free services. In recent months, as
the word of us being comprehensive and free is, spreading http://www.vivaah.com has
seen an increase in growth rate. In addition, there has been a sharp increase in traffic
from mobile/ handheld devices. With the launch of dedicated mobile friendly website at
http://m.vivaah.com/ we hope to improve the reach of our matrimonial site and provide
better user experience to all our users on various platforms."
About Vivaah.com - Vivaah Matrimonial Services (p) ltd.
http://www.vivaah.com provides web-based services to unite people in matrimony. The
site is primarily built for people of Indian Subcontinent origin (India, Sri Lanka,
Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal) living in their home country or abroad. Site features a
database of thousands of brides and bridegrooms photo profiles from various communities
and castes. Key site features are multiple search options, expression of interest, in-site
messaging, privacy settings and ability to view contact details. Vivaah believes that
'Search for the life partner should not come with a price tag'. All the services provided
on website are at no cost.
Source: pr-usa.net
Miss. anti-abortion law back before federal judge - The Guardian
EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press= JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A hearing Wednesday will help a federal judge decide whether to extend his temporary block of a law that could close Mississippi's only abortion clinic.
The clinic, Jackson Women's Health Organization, says it could be forced to close if the state is allowed to start enforcing the measure, which would require anyone performing abortions at the clinic to be an OB-GYN with privileges to admit patients to a local hospital.
The clinic says the admitting privileges are not medically necessary and that it has been unable to obtain them for its two out-of-state OB-GYNs. It also argues in court papers that the requirement "gives hospitals a third-party veto over the availability of abortion in Mississippi" and that the clinic would face "irreparable harm" if the law were enforced.
State attorneys argue the admitting privileges requirement is designed for patient safety. They also note that while the clinic might have to wait to get hospital privileges for the two physicians, "inconvenience is not 'irreparable harm.'"
The clinic filed a lawsuit June 27, seeking to stop enforcement of a measure that it says would shut it down and limit women's access to a constitutionally protected medical procedure. U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III issued a temporary restraining order July 1, the day it was to take effect.
During a hearing set for 1 p.m. Wednesday, the clinic's attorneys will try to persuade Jordan to keep the law on hold, while attorneys for the state will argue it should take effect.
The temporary hold remains in effect through Wednesday's hearing, and both sides have filed extensive written arguments.
Jordan has several options.
He could extend the temporary restraining order and give himself time to issue a written ruling on the clinic's request for a preliminary injunction.
He could rule immediately from the bench, granting a preliminary injunction and giving attorneys on both sides time to prepare for a trial that could take place weeks or months from now.
Or he could allow the state to begin enforcing the law.
If the case goes to trial, the judge would consider whether to issue a permanent block, a decision that could be appealed.
Matt Steffey, a law professor at Mississippi College in Jackson, said a judge considers two main points in deciding whether to issue a preliminary injunction: Would there be irreparable harm if the law is enforced? And, is it likely that the plaintiff who filed the lawsuit — in this case, the clinic — would be successful if the case goes to trial?
The U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 established a nationwide right to abortion. In 1992, the court's decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey upheld the Roe decision and allowed states to regulate abortions before fetuses are viable. The 1992 decision also said states may not place undue burdens or substantial obstacles in the way of women seeking abortion.
Steffey said Wednesday's arguments could be about whether the law could be justified as a legitimate regulation of women's health care.
"That's, I think, the central point that will be in play," Steffey told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "Looking at precedent, this is not the first time that states have tried to regulate abortion clinics out of existence."
The clinic points out that Republican Gov. Phil Bryant said the day he signed the law that he wants Mississippi to be "abortion-free."
"Contrary to plaintiffs' suggestions, however, that comment lacks legal significance," Bryant's attorney, Jack L. Wilson wrote in court papers. "To begin with, Gov. Bryant has also made clear that he supports the law at issue in this case for public health reasons."
If the clinic closes, abortion could be nearly impossible to obtain in Mississippi. The closest clinics to Jackson are about 200 miles away, in Louisiana, Tennessee and Alabama.
Mississippi physicians who perform fewer than 10 abortions a month can avoid having their offices regulated as an abortion clinic, and thus avoid restrictions in the new law. The Health Department said it doesn't have a record of how many physicians perform fewer than 10 abortions a month. Clinic operators say almost all the abortions in the state are done in their building.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Switzerland: Aspects Of Succession Planning In Family Companies Under Matrimonial And Inheritance Law - Mondaq
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Republicans defend another repeal vote on health care law - CNN
Washington (CNN) -- House Republicans pushed ahead Wednesday with plans to vote to repeal President Barack Obama's signature health care reform law despite Democratic objections that the move is a waste of time.
The vote scheduled for Wednesday afternoon will be the latest of more than 30 House GOP efforts to undermine the 2010 Affordable Care Act, including previous Republican-led moves to repeal the measure or cut funding for various provisions.
Any House repeal effort is little more than political theater, since the proposal is sure to die in the Democratic-led Senate, and the White House made clear Obama would veto such a measure.
In addition, Democrats noted the Supreme Court ruled on June 28 to uphold the health care law's constitutionality, which they said should end talk of repeal and instead inspire bipartisan efforts to address the nation's weak economic recovery.
Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat, held a news conference Wednesday morning to push a job-creation measure, contrasting what he called his party's legislative priority with the GOP fixation on the health care repeal vote.
"It's a sad spectacle that we see this week where none of the debate on the floor is going to lead to legislation which will create jobs and grow our economy," Hoyer told reporters.
Republicans, however, said the issue remains a priority for their constituents and defended the need to combat what they called a threat to patient-focused health care and the economy.
"This happens to be the seminal issue of our time," Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, told CNN on Wednesday. " ... Those of us who want patient-centered health care have had two years to repeal it. I think it's kind of unreasonable to think we're going to go away."
Opinion polls indicate public confusion on the issue amid the sharp political divide. A CNN/ORC International poll conducted June 28-July 1 showed 52% of respondents favor all or most provisions of the health care law, while at the same time, 51% want Congress to repeal the entire measure.
On both issues, Democrats were strongly in favor of keeping the law intact while Republicans were equally supportive of repealing or dismantling it. Independents reflected the conflicting findings of the poll, with 56% favoring repeal while 51% support all or most of the law's provisions.
At committee hearings and on the House floor Tuesday, the debate on the repeal measure devolved into repetitive opposing claims about the health care law.
"This law is historic, but for all the wrong reasons," argued Rep. Sam Graves, R-Missouri. "It reaches too far into the personal decisions of Americans and it puts a heavy burden on our economy and small businesses. It's an example of big government at its absolute worst."
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, the Democratic National Committee chair, noted the multiple previous House votes to repeal all or part of the health reform law.
"It is time to stop the tantrums, grow up, and work together on Americans' number one priority -- creating jobs," she said.
Another Democrat, Rep. Lynn Woolsey of California, accused Republicans of "serving more baloney" regarding the health care law, while GOP members complained it was Obama and Democrats who misled the public on the the measure's cost and impact.
Some in Congress are urging state governments to opt out of the health care law's provisions setting up health insurance exchanges and expanding Medicaid coverage for the poor and disabled. So far, a handful of states have said they will hold off on both provisions.
The exchanges will provide consumers and businesses with options for obtaining health coverage, as required under the law's individual mandate. Both the exchanges and the Medicaid expansion are intended to reduce the number of uninsured Americans.
By opting out, state governments hope to avoid a possible increased financial burden as the health care law gets fully implemented beginning in 2014. Opponents of the law also want to obstruct progress on implementation as much as possible while they try to get it repealed or dismantled.
"It starts a process that we believe has to be repealed because we can't afford it," conservative Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, told CNN on Wednesday. He is leading the state opt-out effort.
"The bottom line is, our country is broke," DeMint said. "This is going to cost trillions of dollars. It's going to diminish the quality and access to health care."
However, analysts and industry experts contend health care reform will happen out of necessity, whether through the Affordable Care Act or the momentum it already has created since being passed over two years ago.
How are you affected by the health care ruling? Share your views in the iReport Debate
According to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute, 14 states and the District of Columbia have made "significant progress" toward implementing reforms, while another 19 states have made "moderate progress," leaving 17 states -- or about a third -- that have yet to change their laws or take other steps toward implementation.
The report, titled "Implications of the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Healthcare," says all players in the health care industry -- state governments, hospitals, insurance companies, employers and drug companies -- need to participate in the emerging reform process or risk getting left behind.
DeMint appeared to concede that reality Wednesday, saying the goal is to "give the states more flexibility to help individuals own their own health insurance, policies that they can keep from job to job, and hopefully into retirement. And a lot of states have begun that process."
He also echoed an emerging GOP talking point that praises what Obama and Democrats sought to achieve through health care reform pushed through Congress with no Republican support.
"We appreciate some of the goals of the president," DeMint said. "We need every American to have access to affordable health insurance. The best way to do that is at ... the state level that respects the relationship between the patient and the doctor."
Democrats also point to a state solution that worked -- the health care reforms implemented by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney when he was governor of Massachusetts.
Throughout Tuesday's committee hearings and floor debate on health care reform, Democratic legislators repeatedly noted how Romney's Massachusetts plan served as a model for the federal plan Republicans seek to eliminate, including the individual mandate detested by conservatives.
Romney now pledges to repeal the federal law, a necessary position for any Republican in today's hyper-partisan GOP political environment. He argues his Massachusetts law was right for the state but never intended as a federal solution, but he also calls for keeping some popular provisions of what is known as Obamacare, such as preventing insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.
What the Supreme Court ruled on health care 'tax'
The health care issue has been among the most divisive of Obama's presidency. Conservative anger over the measure helped launch the tea party movement, and conservative groups joined with industry groups to fund a giant public pressure campaign against the legislation.
Some provisions already have brought popular benefits, such as the one on pre-existing conditions. The bulk of the health care law will take effect in 2014.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court said the individual mandate -- the requirement that all people have insurance -- is constitutional under the government's taxing authority, and Republicans have jumped on that to characterize the provision as a tax increase on middle-class Americans.
What the health care ruling means to you
Obama and Democrats respond that only people who can afford health insurance but choose not to get it would have to pay, amounting to about 1% of the population.
The continued GOP attacks seek to bolster public opposition to the law and force Democrats to publicly defend it. Republicans have made clear that the goal is to inspire voters to rally against the law and Obama in the November presidential election.
"If you give us more elected representatives to fix this problem, we will fix this problem in 2013," House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, said Tuesday in an interview with CNBC.
The White House formally notified House leaders on Monday that Obama will veto any repeal bill that manages to reach his desk, saying repeal "would cost millions of hard-working middle-class families the security of affordable health coverage and care they deserve."
"The last thing the Congress should do is refight old political battles and take a massive step backward by repealing basic protections that provide security for the middle class," a White House statement said.
But Republicans called for eliminating the law and starting over on the complex issue that affects every American.
"That's why we've voted over 30 times to repeal it, defund it, replace it. And we are resolved to have this law go away and we're gonna do everything we can to stop it," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, told reporters Tuesday.
How the Justices voted, what they wrote
CNN's Paul Steinhauser, Alan Silverleib, Deirdre Walsh and Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
Source: www.cnn.com
