For high school students in China, the pressure of taking the gaokao, or national college entrance exams, can be difficult enough to manage by itself. But for Wang Li (pseudonym), tackling the test was another struggle to cope with amid her own personal turmoil from her parents' planned separation. While she was frantically preparing for the exam four months ago, she learnt her parents were planning to divorce.
Statistics from courts confirmed a post-gaokao divorce boom last week following the exam's conclusion on June 8. Many parents facing irreconcilable differences agree to delay their divorce until after their child has taken the all-important exam in the hope that their breakup won't affect their child's gaokao performance.
The Chaoyang district court in Beijing has seen a spike in divorces after the exam each year from 2008 to 2011, with the annulment frenzy usually lasting until August.
Last year the number of divorces filed 20 days after the exam was more than twice as high as the figure for 20 days before it, according to the Chaoyang district court. Elsewhere at southern Beijing's Daxing district court the figure is even higher, with 145 divorces filed 20 days after the gaokao last year compared to 38 filed 20 days before.
School's out, divorce is in
Wang, a 17-year-old high school graduate from Southwest China's Chongqing municipality, was a model student who regularly topped her class in many subjects. However, all that changed in February, when she overheard her parents discussing their divorce after the gaokao, spiraling Wang into depression.
Her grades soon plunged and she even threatened to her parents that she would drop out of school if they went ahead with their divorce, the Chong-qing Morning Post reported earlier this month.
The Chongqing Morning Post reported that Wang's parents settled their differences and agreed not to separate after undergoing marriage counseling, resulting in the improvement of Wang's studies.
But not all couples are able to rescue their marriage from the rocks, with divorces often inflicting long-term mental anguish on children already struggling to cope with the pressure of the gaokao.
The Beijing civil affairs bureau told the Global Times it did not have figures for the number of divorces made citywide after the gaokao this year. However the Legal Mirror reported that an employee from the Haidian district marriage registration office said an average of 20 couples daily had filed for divorce after the exam, with more than half aged in their 40s.
"We used to get mostly young couples filing for divorce, but lately there have been more middle-aged ones," the employee, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Legal Mirror. "They often go through it quickly without fighting like young couples. It seems they have agreed to separate long before."
Source: english.people.com.cn
Possible outcomes in pending health care law case - The Guardian
RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
Associated Press= WASHINGTON (AP) — Some are already anticipating the Supreme Court's ruling on President Barack Obama's health care law as the "decision of the century." But the justices are unlikely to have the last word on America's tangled efforts to address health care woes. The problems of high medical costs, widespread waste, and tens of millions of people without insurance will require Congress and the president to keep looking for answers, whether or not the Affordable Care Act passes the test of constitutionality.
With a decision by the court expected this month, here is a look at potential outcomes:
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Q: What if the Supreme Court upholds the law and finds Congress was within its authority to require most people to have health insurance or pay a penalty?
A: That would settle the legal argument, but not the political battle.
The clear winners if the law is upheld and allowed to take full effect would be uninsured people in the United States, estimated at more than 50 million.
Starting in 2014, most could get coverage through a mix of private insurance and Medicaid, a safety-net program. Republican-led states that have resisted creating health insurance markets under the law would face a scramble to comply, but the U.S. would get closer to other economically advanced countries that guarantee medical care for their citizens.
Republicans would keep trying to block the law. They will try to elect presidential candidate Mitt Romney, backed by a GOP House and Senate, and repeal the law, although their chances of repeal would seem to be diminished by the court's endorsement.
Obama would feel the glow of vindication for his hard-fought health overhaul, but it might not last long even if he's re-elected.
The nation still faces huge problems with health care costs, requiring major changes to Medicare that neither party has explained squarely to voters. Some backers of Obama's law acknowledge it was only a first installment: Get most people covered, then deal with the harder problem of costs.
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Q: On the other hand, what if the court strikes down the entire law?
A: Many people would applaud, polls suggest.
Taking down the law would kill a costly new federal entitlement before it has a chance to take root and develop a clamoring constituency, but that still would leave the problems of high costs, waste, and millions uninsured.
Some Republicans in Congress already are talking about passing anew the more popular pieces of the health law.
But the major GOP alternatives to Obama's law would not cover nearly as many uninsured, and it's unclear how much of a dent they would make in costs. Some liberals say Medicare-for-all, or government-run health insurance, will emerge as the only viable answer if Obama's public-private approach fails.
People with health insurance could lose some ground as well. Employers and insurance companies would have no obligation to keep providing popular new benefits such as preventive care with no copayments and coverage for young adults until age 26 on a parent's plan. Medicare recipients with high prescription drug costs could lose discounts averaging about $600.
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Q: What happens if the court strikes down the individual insurance requirement, but leaves the rest of the Affordable Care Act in place?
A: Individuals would have no obligation to carry insurance, but insurers would remain bound by the law to accept applicants regardless of medical condition and limit what they charge their oldest and sickest customers.
Studies suggest premiums in the individual health insurance market would jump by 10 percent to 30 percent.
Experts debate whether or not that would trigger the collapse of the market for individuals and small businesses, or just make coverage even harder to afford than it is now. In any event, there would be risks to the health care system. Fewer people would sign up for coverage.
The insurance mandate was primarily a means to an end, a way to create a big pool of customers and allow premiums to remain affordable. Other forms of arm-twisting could be found, including limited enrollment periods and penalties for late sign-up, but such fixes would likely require congressional cooperation.
Unless there's a political deal to fix it, the complicated legislation would get harder to carry out. Congressional Republicans say they will keep pushing for repeal.
Without the mandate, millions of uninsured low-income people still would get coverage through the law's Medicaid expansion. The problem would be the 10 million to 15 million middle-class people expected to gain private insurance under the law. They would be eligible for federal subsidies, but premiums would get more expensive.
Taxes, Medicare cuts and penalties on employers not offering coverage would stay in place.
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Q: What if the court strikes down the mandate and also invalidates the parts of the law that require insurance companies to cover people regardless of medical problems and that limit what they can charge older people?
A: Many fewer people would get covered, but the health insurance industry would avoid a dire financial hit.
Insurers could continue screening out people with a history of medical problems; diabetes patients or cancer survivors, for example.
That would prevent a sudden jump in premiums. But it would leave consumers with no assurance that they can get health insurance when they need it, which is a major problem that the law was intended to fix.
Obama administration lawyers say the insurance requirement goes hand in hand with the coverage guarantee and cap on premiums, and have asked the court to get rid of both if it finds the mandate to be unconstitutional.
One scenario sends shivers through the health care industry: The Supreme Court strikes down the mandate only, and delegates other courts to determine what else stays or goes.
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Q: What happens if the court throws out only the expansion of the Medicaid program?
A: That severely would limit the law's impact because roughly half of the more than 30 million people expected to gain insurance under the law would get it through the expansion of Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for low-income people.
But a potentially sizable number of those low-income people still might be eligible for government-subsidized private insurance under other provisions. Private coverage is more expensive to subsidize than Medicaid.
States suing to overturn the federal law argue that the Medicaid expansion comes with so many strings attached it amounts to an unconstitutional power grab by Washington. The administration says the federal government will pay virtually all the cost and that the expansion is no different from ones that states have accepted in the past.
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Q: What happens if the court decides that the constitutional challenge is premature?
A: The wild card, and least conclusive outcome in the case, probably also is the most unlikely, based on what justices said during the arguments.
No justice seemed inclined to take this path, which involves the court's consideration of a technical issue.
The federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., held that the challenge to the insurance requirement has to wait until people start paying the penalty for not purchasing insurance. The appeals court said it was bound by the federal Anti-Injunction Act, which says that federal courts may not hear challenges to taxes, or anything that looks like a tax, until after the taxes are paid.
So if the justices have trouble coming together on any of the other options they could simply punt.
The administration says it doesn't want this result. Yet such a decision would allow it to continue putting the law in place, postponing any challenge until more of the benefits are being received. On the other hand, it might give Republicans more ammunition to press for repeal in the meantime.
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Online:
Supreme Court: http://tinyurl.com/3zukoc4
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Skipper Rob Key guides Kent Spitfires to opening Friends Life T20 victory over Surrey Lions - Kent Online
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Adam Ball celebrates the wicket of Zafar Ansari Picture: Barry Goodwin
Kent Spitfires claimed their opening win of the Friends Life T20 after thrashing Surrey by eight wickets at Beckenham on Sunday with 22 balls to spare.
After losing their first game against Sussex to the weather on Tuesday, Kent made the perfect start to this season’s campaign when Mark Davies had Jason Roy caught by skipper Rob Key from the first ball of the match.
Surrey skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown had won the toss and decided to bat first but he must have had second thoughts when Matt Coles claimed his wicket to leave Surrey 13-2.
Adam Ball took the wickets of Tom Maynard and Matthew Spriegel, while Sam Billings ran out the dangerous Steven Davies for 31 from 27 balls.
Gary Wilson hit four boundaries and a six in his 53 not out from 43 balls to help guide Surrey to 116-7.
Azhar Mahmood took 2-12 at the death, while Davies bowled out for 1-17 at the start of the innings. Ball finished with 2-23 and James Tredwell an economical 0-18 from his four overs.
In reply, Spitfires were 24-0 after three overs but their progress was checked when Billings was trapped in front by Jade Dernbach for 18 and Mahmood made only six after coming in at No.3.
Darren Stevens and anchorman Key steadied the ship, although the scoring rate slowed down as spin bowling proved effective and Dernbach – who was released from the England one-day squad to play in the game – difficult to get away at times.
But after reaching 71-2 in 12 overs, Kent pressed the accelerator again and raced through to their victory target.
Key reached his half-century as Kent closed in on victory and the skipper finished unbeaten on 51 at the close.
Stevens finished the game with a six – his fourth of the innings – as he hit 43 from 25 balls and Spitfires 120-2 in 16.2 overs.
Monday, June 18 2012
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Source: www.kentonline.co.uk
Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss 'very happy' with new cinematographer boyfriend Adam Arkapaw - Daily Mail
By Sarah Bull
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Mad Men star Elisabeth Moss has gone public with her new boyfriend Adam Arkapaw following her divorce from comedian Fred Armisen.
The 29-year-old actress and her Australian cinematographer beau debuted their relationship as she made a surprise appearance at the Sydney Film Festival earlier this week.
And Elisabeth, who plays Peggy Olson in Mad Men, is said to be 'very happy' with her new love.
'Very happy': Mad Men star Elisabeth Moss is dating Australian cinematographer Adam Arkapaw, and the pair made their debut at the Sydney Film Festival
A source told the New York Post: 'They looked very much an item and very happy.'
Elisabeth's new relationship comes after her difficult divorce from Saturday Night Live funnyman Armisen, from whom she split after eight months of marriage.
Shortly after the pair's split in June 2010, Armisen began dating his SNL co-star Abby Elliott, who is 20 years younger than him.
Former love: Elisabeth and Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen divorced last year after just eight months of marriage
Elisabeth met Armisen back in 2008 when she made a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live which was hosted by her Mad Men co-star Jon Hamm.
The couple wed in October 2010 after getting engaged the year before.
Following their split, Elisabeth spoke out about her ex in a frank new interview: 'One of the greatest things I heard someone say about him is, "He's so great at doing impersonations."
'But the greatest impersonation he does is that of a normal person.'
Screen star: Elisabeth as Peggy Olson with Jon Hamm as Don Draper in hit US TV show Mad Men
VIDEO: Showbiz roundup! 'Nude' Katy and Cheryl most desired girly kiss…
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Kent says Canada still plans to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies - The Vancouver Sun
OTTAWA — Canada still plans to phase out subsidies in its oil, gas and coal industries, Environment Minister Peter Kent said Monday in the House of Commons.
He made the comments in response to questions about recent Postmedia News coverage of Canada's efforts at an international environmental summit in Brazil to block a firm commitment by all countries to phase out the incentives for production or consumption of fossil fuels.
Kent noted that Canada has already made this commitment along with its counterparts from the G20, but suggested that any further commitment at the Rio+20 Earth Summit would compromise Canada's sovereignty.
"Let me remind my colleague that Canada is committed to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, at least as a member of G20, and our position at Rio has not changed," Kent said, in response to NDP deputy leader Megan Leslie.
"However, I will also remind my colleague that Canada will not, in the development of the outcome documents, surrender sovereignty over either our environmental policies or responsible resource development."
Leslie said that members of the Conservative government were trying to protect oil and gas companies.
"Basically they are doing whatever their big oil friends want them to do," Leslie said.
According to a leaked draft text that was obtained by the Guardian newspaper, Canadian negotiators at the Brazil summit have asked the conference to "consider" a phase-out of the subsidies, instead of backing stronger language proposed by the European Union calling for a firm commitment to eliminate the subsidies.
Globally, the subsidies are estimated to total hundreds of billions of dollars per year, according to the International Energy Agency, a partnership of 28 countries that offers advice and analysis of energy policies.
Many energy and environmental experts suggest that eliminating the subsidies would make it easier to lower greenhouse gas emissions associated with fossil fuels since the funding or incentives actually encourage consumption of oil, gas and coal by artificially lowering prices.
David Sawyer, an environmental economist and director of climate change and energy at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, recognized that the government has taken some steps in recent years to reduce the subsidies. But he estimated that it could still save more than $1.3 billion a year if it phases out all of the subsidies for the oil and gas industries.
Former Conservative environment minister Jim Prentice, who left politics in November 2010 to accept an executive position at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, urged Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in a memorandum to phase out the oil and gas subsidies and honour Canada's G20 commitment. But Flaherty has protected many of the tax incentive programs for oil and gas exploration and development.
Kent is scheduled to travel to the Brazil summit later this month to lead Canada's delegation at the Brazil conference on sustainable development, which marks the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
The concept of "sustainable development" emerged following a 1987 United Nations report called "Our Common Future" that was prepared by a commission led by former Norwegian prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland.
The report said "humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." It provided the basis for major international environmental agreements reached at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to protect biodiversity and crack down on heat-trapping pollution linked to global warming.
The government's lead negotiator at the 2012 summit is Keith Christie, an assistant deputy minister from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
Christie has been involved in Canada's diplomatic efforts to promote the oilsands industry and jokingly referred to the exercise as "doing God's work," in an internal e-mail from June 2010 obtained by Postmedia News.
mdesouza@postmedia.com
Source: www.vancouversun.com
'Happy brother-in-law's day!' Woody Allen's estranged son Ronan posts sarcastic Father's Day message on Twitter - Daily Mail
By Sarah Bull
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It's definitely not your usual family set-up.
And as families around the world celebrated Father's Day yesterday, Woody Allen's estranged son Ronan posted a sarcastic message on his Twitter page.
Ronan, 25, tweeted: 'Happy father's day - or as they call it in my family, happy brother-in-law's day.'
Sarcastic: Woody Allen's son Ronan Farrow tweeted 'happy brother-in-law's day' in reference to his father's relationship with his adopted sister
Controversial: Ronan's message was then retweeted by Allen's ex-wife Mia Farrow
The message was then retweeted by Allen's ex-wife Mia Farrow, who added the word: 'Boom'
Ronan's tweet makes reference to the fact that Allen, 76, is married to Soon-Yi, who was the adopted daughter of Farrow and her second husband Andre Previn.
Speaking previously about the relationship, Ronan, who now works for the Obama administration, has said: 'He's my father married to my sister. That makes me his son and his brother-in-law.
'That is such a moral transgression.'
Estranged: Woody and his son Ronan haven't spoken since the early 1990s
Boom! Mia Farrow retweeted the message with an added comment of her own
Allen was seen giving adopted daughters Bechet and Manzie a hearty hug in Beverly Hills over the weekend.
The 76-year-old movie maker was also accompanied by his 41-year-old wife for the day out.
While Allen seemed in good cheer, Manzie did not seem to be in the best of moods, even though she was visiting one of the city's poshest hotels at the Beverly Wilshire.
Happy family: Allen was seen giving his daughters Becohet and Manzie a hug in Beverly Hills on Saturday
Walking on: Allen's wife Soon-Yi chatted with a friend as she pranced around the grounds
VIDEO: Showbiz roundup! 'Nude' Katy and Cheryl most desired girly kiss…
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
13,000 call for faster broadband internet in Kent - thisiskent.co.uk
Kent County Council has received nearly 13,000 votes for faster broadband internet in the area.
In a message posted on social networking and microblogging site Twitter, the council revealed it had received 12,933 votes of support for its Make Kent Quicker campaign, which calls for better broadband.
It is hoped the campaign, which has been running since February 15, will show there is demand for faster internet in Kent.
As it stands, almost 4,000 households and 150 businesses in Kent do not get any sort of broadband. More than 8,500 households can only get 256kbps speeds, which is slow and can often stop altogether.
The towns of Sevenoaks and Swanley are the only areas with super-fast access - the rest of the district has to make do with far slower speeds.
The council hopes 90% of homes and businesses will have superfast broadband access by 2015, and that everyone will have access to a service of at least 2mb. The £10 million that Kent County Council is investing in this upgrade has been matched by £9.87 million from the Government.
But the council also needs broadband providers to invest, and for this to happen it must demonstrate there is an appetite for better broadband. The greater the demand, the more broadband providers will be prepared to invest in Kent.
The total cost of Make Kent Quicker, the brainchild of Councillor Kevin Lynes who died suddenly in March, is expected to be in the region of £43 million.
In April this year, a report predicted BT’s investment in super-fast broadband will give Kent a massive boost, creating thousands of new jobs and start-up businesses in the next 15 years.
The report, by Regeneris Consulting, found that last year the overall beneficial financial impact of BT activities in Kent, including the roll-out of super-fast broadband, amounted to £268 million.
Super-fast broadband would enable the people of Kent to keep in touch with family and friends online, pay bills with ease and access the latest news and information, while businesses would be able to formulate a digital strategy to attract new customers.
Roger Gough, KCC Cabinet member for Business Strategy, Performance and Health Reform, said in May: “To many people - and businesses - a good broadband connection is a vital utility. And for many businesses, poor broadband is crippling and better broadband would help them compete.
“Many children will be at a disadvantage at school compared with their peers, because they lack good broadband at home.
“The value of better broadband should not be underestimated, and I hope many thousands more people will sign up between now and the end of the campaign in June.”
Click here to register your Make Kent Quicker vote online
Source: www.thisiskent.co.uk
