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Israel boots son of US media mogul for breaking quarantine

Brandon Korff, the grandson of American media tycoon Sumner Redstone, is being kicked out of Israel after failing to adhere to quarantine rules, the Interior Ministry announces.

According to the ministry, Korff got special permission to enter Israel claiming he wanted to visit his brother, who is serving as a lone soldier in the IDF, and arrived Friday.

Instead of hanging out alone for 14 days, though, he went out almost immediately to surprise his girlfriend, named in press reports as actress, model and soldier Yael Shelbia.

According to media reports, Shelbia planned on spending quarantine with her squeeze.

Korff signed a statement committing to adhere to isolation according to guidelines and said he would not come into contact with anyone else. Despite that, he met his partner and stayed with her in the same apartment, the ministry says.

Because of this, authorities have ordered that he leave immediately, it adds.

The incident appears to be the first case of a tourist being deported for breaking quarantine rules.

There has been rising unhappiness about the rich and well-connected seemingly being able to skirt virus rules.

Korffs mother is Shari Redstone, who controls CBSViacom and movie theater proprietor National Amusements.

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Fewer than 100 new daily infections reported for first time in over week - The Times of Israel

An artists impression of a C130J-30 Super Hercules in Royal New Zealand Air Force livery. (New Zealand government)

The New Zealand government has confirmed its set to buy five Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules for more than NZ$1 billion.

The planes will replace the militarys existing fleet of Hercules planes, whichhave suffered a number of embarrassing breakdowns over the years.

Defence Minister Ron Mark said, Last year, cabinet selected these aircraft as the preferred option to replace the current Hercules fleet. Procurement of the Super Hercules has been my highest capability priority as Minister of Defence.

Along with the new fleet, the $1.521 billion project will deliver a full mission flight simulator and other supporting infrastructure.

Minister Mark said the new planes would be used for operations in New Zealand, the South Pacific and Antarctica.

Generations of New Zealanders have grown up and grown old with the Hercules, and they know these aircraft are an essential first line of response. This decision ensures the Defence Force will have the capability it needs to meet expected future tasks, he said.

This fleet will ensure the Defence Force can continue to support New Zealands community resilience, our national security, our contribution to our Pacific neighbours and the wider global community.

This decision ensures tactical airlift will remain available to undertake operations in New Zealands immediate region, as well as support our interests in Antarctica, often in support of other government agencies.

The new aircraft offers an upgrade in capability on the old retiring Hercules aircraft.

The new aircraft will carry a greater payload, is faster and can travel further than the current Hercules aircraft,MinisterMarkcontinued.

Each aircraft will also be fitted with additional specialist capabilities, including wide bandwidth, high-speed satellite communications system and an electro-optical/infra-red camera.

This equipment will make our new Super Hercules among the most capable in the world. The satellite communications system will allow imagery, video and data to be streamed in real-time, and the camera allows for aerial surveillance, including at the same time as the aircraft is undertaking transport tasks, particularly useful on humanitarian and disaster relief operations and search and rescue missions.

Three of the nations current C-130 Hercules planes date back to 1965 and the other two to 1969. They have been upgraded over the years, but frequent breakdowns have hampered some high-profile missions. At one point last year, the entire fleet was temporarily grounded.

New Zealand will take delivery of the first of the new Hercules aircraft in 2024, with the full fleet operating by 2025.

The price tag of NZ$1.5 billion includes a flight simulator and supporting infrastructure.

Continued here:
New Zealand to buy five Super Hercules for $1bn - Australian Aviation

WORK to replace a historic bridge that is a lifeline for a community is set to start up again after the lockdown.

The task of replacing Witton Park Bridge, near Bishop Auckland, is due begin next week, starting on Monday.

A 2.5m project will see the demolition and replacement of the crossing, which was found to be suffering from structural issues in 2018.

Since its temporary closure two years ago, engineers have been exploring a number of options for its replacement.

As a result, a detailed design and construction programme was developed. This included the demolition of the existing structure, repairs to the abutments and piers and the installation of the new bridge.

The replacement bridge is scheduled to open in late autumn 2020.

Durham County Councillor Brian Stephens, Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships at Durham County Council, said: "This is an important crossing for local residents. I am delighted our engineers have been able to identify a solution and work can now start on the replacement.

Brian Buckley, strategic highways manager at Durham County Council said: The planning of this project has been a thorough process. The installation of the new bridge is a complicated one, due to the rail bridge which passes diagonally over.

"But it is necessary work and is important to ensure safety and long-lasting accessibility.

The health and safety of our workers is paramount and will dictate how we work going forward. We will ensure that current government guidance is adhered to in relation to social distancing.

The C93 will remain closed between the villages of Witton Park and High Grange, with a signed diversion continuing via the A68 and the neighbouring village of Witton-le-Wear.

As a result of the closure the area around the bridge has become a hot spot for fly tipping, with chunks of meat being disposed of the side of the road in February.

Durham County Councillor for West Auckland Rob Yorke said: Most of the steelwork and fabrication work has been carried out offsite, we expect to have workman on site within the next few week to dismantle and erect the new bridge. We are hoping the new bridge will be completed as planned by this autumn.

More here:
Work begins to replace historic Witton Park bridge - The Northern Echo

The term "race" should be removed from the German constitution, two leadingGreen politicians said Monday. In recent weeks, Germany has seen widespread anti-racism protests and dialogue around systemic racism in a German context following the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in the US.

"We have to unlearn racism," Green co-chair Robert Habeck and party vice-president for the state of Schleswig-Holstein Aminata Tour wrote in the German daily Taz. "Racism is also a German phenomenon. As a black woman and a white man we are affected differently by this, but it affects us all."

"The word race should be removed from the Basic Law," they added. "There is no such things as race, there are only people."

Read more:Germany struggles to face its own police racism

Germany's Basic Law is the country's constitution, penned in the immediate aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust, and so goes to great lengths to forbid the Nazi regime's worst crimes.

"No person shall be favored or disfavored because of sex, parentage, race, language, homeland and origin, faith or religious or political opinions. No person shall be disfavored because of disability," section 3 of Article 3 says.

Habeck and Tour argue that the term race implies the existence of different categories of people, claiming it undermines anotherkey clause of the Basic Law: "All people are equal before the law."

The politicians did not suggest a replacement word or an exact alteration.

The word "Rasse" in German, renderedas "race" in the official translation of German law, is described in the German Duden dictionary as dated and potentially discriminatory. It also has an ambiguity not as present for the word "race" in English; as itcan also refer to different breeds of animals.

Defense minister: 'Discrimination exists'

The German cabinet is planning to discuss all aspects of racism and xenophobia in a special sitting, Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told DW on Monday.

"It's a fact that discrimination exists in day-to-day life here in Germany as well," said the one-time possible successor of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Read more:Opinion: George Floyd killing opens racism wounds for European blacks

One of the key talking points will be possible laws to allow people to anonymously apply for accommodation or jobs, to remove possible discrimination based on name or appearance.

The Greens believe that sensitizing institutions and organizations to racism through training and education could offer a solution. Tour and Habeck cite training for the police on racism as key.

Recent polling has put Germany's Greens in secondor third place after Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats.

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of theday's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up toreceive it directly here.

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Greens call for 'race' to be removed from German constitution - DW (English)

SINGAPORE - Chief engineer Awadhesh Prasad was looking forward to going home to India after his four-month contract with shipping company Executive Ship Management ended.

But the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic scuppered his plansas borders were closed, and he and the crew of the Crimson Monarch could not disembark from the bulk carrier.

This meant that Mr Prasad, 54, could not return home to Ranchi, capital city of eastern Jharkand, in February as planned.

He ended up continuing on the ship's journey to Canada, Brazil and Australia, among other countries, for about four more months, before his employer found him a way back on a chartered flight.

The bulk carrierhad not reached any port since May 9, when it left Brazil.

"Finally, today, I can go home," he told The Straits Times at Changi Airport Terminal 1 Departure Hall on Friday (June 12).

Mr Prasad was one of 87 ship crew members who boarded a chartered flight to Mumbai on Friday afternoon, after he disembarked from the Crimson Monarchto a smaller vessel which took him to Marina South Pier.

The chartered plane had flown 54 crew members from Mumbai to Singapore to replace the departing crew on six ships for their onward journey from the Port of Singapore.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Friday that it has approved more than 4,000 cases of crew sign-on and sign-off for more than 300 companies and 500 ships since March 27.

Chief engineer Awadhesh Prasad was looking forward to his return to India. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Signing-on and signing-off refer to the ship's handover process when one crew replaces another.

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan raised the issue of seafarers being stranded due to Covid-19 restrictions worldwide on his Facebook page on Tuesday in response to a Financial Times article.

"Many crew have worked several months beyond their contracts, due to recent travel restrictions which bar crew from disembarking to return home," said Mr Khaw.

"This has led to the international shipping industry threatening to cease sailing unless replacement crew can be brought in."

Mr Khaw said this issue could potentially disrupt or clog up the global supply chain, given that commercial vessels carry 80 per cent of world trade.

Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health Lam Pin Min said in a Facebook post on Friday that the Republic has been facilitating crew change with a new protocol outlined in the Singapore Crew Change Guidebook.

The guide was developed by the Singapore Shipping Association and the Singapore Maritime Officers' Union, with MPA's support.

Seafarers posing for a selfie after disembarking from the STI Carnaby vessel. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

MPA chief executive Quah Ley Hoon said: "We have seen a sharp increase in the daily crew change applications since our last Port Marine Circular (on May 22)... Singapore has a responsibility to facilitate crew change in a safe manner for both the country and the ships, given the ongoing pandemic.

"The (guidebook) sets out a 'safe corridor' which companies can now use consistently and reliably for crew changes."

Getting a flight into India, which has banned air travel, was not easy, said Executive Ship Management managing director S.P. Singh.

"International flights are banned in India... In order to charter a plane, we had to go through a long process to get the relevant permissions. The Singapore authorities had been very cooperative," he added.

The crew checking in at Changi Airport Terminal 1 before leaving for Mumbai. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

The back-up plan was to wait for governments to reinstate international flights, which Mr Singh felt was not a viable option.

"The seafarers were having a tough time, not seeing their families," Mr Singh said, adding that the crew's family members in India had been asking the company when their loved ones could come home.

Mr Prasad said that he called his wife and daughter every couple of days to check in.

"They are very understanding of the situation because it's all reported in the news. They kept asking me to take care," he said.

The vessel was never at risk of running out of food, and the crew could use high-speed Internet to call home, but it was the uncertainty of securing a way home before the pandemic ceased that frustrated Mr Prasad.

"It's very difficult, not knowing when I can go home... I worry for my family," he said.

Continued here:
87 ship crew members fly home to India from Singapore on chartered plane after being stranded at sea - straits times

A NSW Government department has defended spending more than $1.2 million on indoor plants for its new corporate offices in Parramatta.

The Department of Planning recently approved a contract worth $1,246,000 for the indoor plants in the 4 Parramatta Square building, not including external landscaping costs.

The three-year contract with supplier Tropical Plant Rentals includes the "supply, installation, watering, maintenance and replacement" of indoor vegetation.

A department spokeswoman said the indoor plants would complement the new building's green-star rating across 30 floors.

"Environmental sustainability of the built environment is one of the key focuses of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and the offices at 4 Parramatta Square will have a 5-star Green-Star Rating in accordance with the Green Building Council of Australia," she said,

A website for the local supplier offers indoor plant options including green walls, cabinet walls and vertical pot plants, although the exact details for the offices has not been released.

Stewart Little from the Public Service Association the union currently fighting a bid to freeze public sector wages said the contract "beggars belief".

"It's astonishing," he said.

"In the wake of the worst bushfire crisis we've ever seen, but also going into the COVID-19 crisis where really everyone's had to work under very, very strained circumstances, and you've got a situation now where the Government's seeking to impose a wage freeze.

"To have one department sign up to well over $1 million on indoor plants it's just extraordinary.

"They often tend to just look at one section of the budget and not look at where that's money could be spent elsewhere this is a classic example of that.

"You'd have to question that when you have an expenditure like this, what else is out there that we're missing?"

While not commenting directly on the Government contract, Tonia Gray from Western Sydney University said incorporating nature into workplaces otherwise known as biophilic design could have benefits.

"Biophilic design means letting nature in and that in itself has a myriad of benefits," Professor Gray said.

"Not only was productivity better but mood states and the fact that absenteeism was declined and just general camaraderie seemed to have an enormous spike as a result of bringing nature in.

"Even water features or the sound of water is cathartic and soothing in itself.

"A babbling brook is a lot better sound than the ping-pong of your emails coming in, isn't it?"

The Minister for Planning, Rob Stokes, declined to comment.

See original here:
More than $1.2 million spent on indoor plants for new NSW Government office - ABC News

Do you like Huey Lewis and The News?

Um, nevermind. Anyway, usually when you see a house in need of some TLC, rarely is it a house like this. You know, usually, a house in need of TLC is a dilapidated hybrid of an early '90s ranch with sponge-painted walls in a vile array of Southwestern pastels, complete with chunky brass fixtures, plush wall-to-wall carpeting that absolutely does not have beautiful hardwood underneath, and mirrors mirrors everywhere. Not to mention bad plumbing, electrical, and a foundation that is crumbling faster than that of America's many oppressive systemic beliefs. Zing!

This architecturally significant home, designed by late Ohio architect and urban-design advocate David Niland, is not lost to time just yet, but by the looks of these photos, its next owner may want to put some energy into restoring it to its former glory. With four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths, this 3,286 square-foot home which has recently been reduced by $50,000 sits on private and wooded half-acre. In addition to some restoration, whoever buys this home might want to consider an accent wall because this place is whiter than an intro to a lettuce wrap recipe. Bam!

The white exterior is offset by oak hardwood floors and ample sunlight, which is partially credited to the central feature of the home, a solarium with a brick heated floor, so heated, in fact, that it's hotter than... oh, nevermind. Just buy this house and invite us over to watch some videotapes, would ya?

This home is listed by Pat Durston of Reinhart Realtors.

Excerpt from:
This architecturally significant home in Ann Arbor needs some love or a Patrick Bateman and it's just been reduced by $50k - Detroit Metro Times

Soffit and fascia are the names of the horizontal and vertical parts of roof overhang. Applying aluminum to these surfaces is one of the best ways to keep them looking good. Steve Maxwell

When it comes to home ownership, there are a few recurring traps that continue to catch the inexperienced. Maintaining outdoor wood is one of them. Unless youve tried to keep outdoor wood looking more refined than barn board over the long haul, you probably have no idea how much ongoing work finishing and refinishing can be. This is true for soffit (the underside of roof overhang) and especially true for fascia (the vertical edge of a roof). The combination of sun, moisture and ladder-only access means that maintaining wooden soffit and fascia is exceptionally challenging. This is why, even for a purist like me, I still love aluminum soffit and fascia on a house. Did you know that its also surprisingly easy to install yourself?

Every building supply outlet offers pre-shaped, factory-finished aluminum soffit and fascia material. This material is inexpensive, easy to cut and bend, and the factory finish lasts for many decades without deterioration. Its also easier to install than you might think. Sure, theres the challenge of working safely at height on a ladder, but the actual task of installing your own soffit and fascia is simpler than other DIY tasks that are more common. Let me try to convince you with three installation facts.

Fact 1: Its Easy to Cut

Tin snips are the generic term for scissor-like tools made to cut sheet metal, and tin snips do a very good job cutting aluminum soffit and fascia to length. The thing is, aluminum is so soft that you can also cut this stuff with a pair of heavy scissors. Got a big, square cut to make right across some soffit and fascia? Any woodworking chop saw can cut this stuff very quickly and easily using an ordinary carbide tooth blade of the sort thats used with wood all the time. Be sure to wear safety glasses (bits of aluminum fly around) and hearing protection (its noisier than cutting wood).

Fact 2: Fascia Expands A Lot

Everything in the universe expands and contracts with changes in temperature, and aluminum soffit and fascia is certainly one of them. If you take a 10-foot long piece of dark brown aluminum fascia from the cool shade and put it into full sun on a summer day, that piece will grow in length by almost a quarter of an inch. Why does this matter? Buckling and waviness.

If you install fascia on a cold, cloudy day, and you secure that fascia firmly, I guarantee that when it warms up and the sun comes out, your fascia will develop unsightly waves and buckles. This is especially true with dark colours. It looks terrible because the undulations are magnified by the shadows that form on the vertical surfaces. The solution? There are two. The first is to install fascia on a hot, sunny day whenever possible. Theres no problem with fascia shrinking after installation. The other solution is coming up.

Fact 3: Fastening Loosely Is Key

Installing lengths of fascia when its warmest and longest is a great approach, but you need to do more. You also need to secure the fascia so its free to expand and contract freely while also being held to your house. How? Oversized nail holes. All fascia must only be held in two places. First, the top edge tucks underneath the metal drip edge where the shingles stop at the edge of the roof. The bottom edge of the fascia is held with nails driven up through the bottom edge of the fascia and into the roof frame. Drill oversized holes through the fascia to allow side-to-side movement while still being held by the head of the nail. Never drive a nail into the face of fascia because it will prevent expansion and trigger buckling and waviness.

Visit baileylineroad.com/8691 for a detailed free tutorial on DIY soffit and fascia installation (Link for online layout: https://baileylineroad.com/installing-hassle-free-aluminum-soffit-and-fascia. Anchor text: soffit and fascia installation).

Steve Maxwell is always amazed at how much better a building looks when you install soffit and fascia properly. Visit Steve online at BaileyLineRoad.com and join 31,000 people who look forward to his free Saturday morning newsletter each week.

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Maxwell: DIY soffit and fascia installation - The Sudbury Star

Forget beach home renovationsHGTV's new show, Renovation Island, follows a family of six as they renovate an entire resort on a tropical island.

In the new show, home renovation experts Bryan and Sarah Baeumler move to The Bahamas with their four children to restore a rundown beachfront resort. The backstory? Three years ago, Bryan, a licensed contractor, and Sarah, a design expert, took a trip to the small island of South Andros. They spotted an abandoned 1960s-era resort and dreamed of renovating it into world-class island getaway. Everyone said we were crazy, Sarah said in a statement. But our hearts said yesthis is the right thing to do.

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Spanning 10 acres, the resort, which has been on the market for 10 years, is huge. In the show, the Baeumler family works to transform the spacious property into an oasis with 18 luxury hotel rooms and 22 oceanfront villas. With a small staff, the couple tackles a bunch of renovation projects within a tight six-month timeline. Along with the rooms and villas, they also build and restore and a bunch of resort amenities, including a restaurant, club house, spa, bar, and in-ground pool.

In the first episode, which premiered on Sunday, the Baeumler family says goodbye to their home and travels to South Andros Island. As they start to renovate the 50-year-old property, they uncover major termite damage. Throughout the season, they face other unexpected issues like extensive rust, a maxed budget, and a threat of a hurricane.

Want to follow the Baeumler's journey? You can catch Renovation Island Sundays at 8 p.m. EST on HGTV.

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This New HGTV Show Follows a Family of Six as They Restore an Abandoned Resort in The Bahamas - HouseBeautiful.com

The Hector House along Broadway in north Fargo has been undergoing extensive renovations over almost the past decade and has been featured more than once on HGTV's "House Hunters" as Aaland worked first on the interior and then on the exterior of the six bedroom, five bathroom home.

The home, built in 1893 by Martin Hector, is listed for sale at $1.4 million.

In the listing for the home with ornate woodwork throughout it states that it "has been brought back to life" with new siding, roof, windows and a completely refurbished kitchen.

The listing also points to the home's formal dining room with a table that can seat 22 people, a third-floor ballroom, five fireplaces, heated floors, two stairwells, a butler's pantry and a second-story wrap-around deck with about 2,800 square feet of "outdoor living."

Sitting on almost an acre of land, the home's exterior offers new landscaping, a separate apartment and garage structure, with a beautifully redone front porch, missing for decades, with stately pillars and an elegant carport.

Aaland declined another interview with The Forum about her home and pending sale.

The doctor, who has overseen the renovation work, bought the mansion in 2011 to entertain people, she said, and has shared the home during fundraising tours.

"I think that some of these grand old homes are meant to share, and I think that a good way of sharing is to open them up for good cause," said Aaland in an earlier interview with The Forum.

"It's just a house that's meant to entertain," she said. "It's just a wonderful, warm home."

Aaland was hoping to keep alive the legacy of her home's original owner, Hector International Airport namesake Martin Hector, in her renovation work.

It's also a way of showcasing the possibilities of investing in older, established neighborhoods, she said in the earlier interview.

"It's really a community effort to further develop the aging communities of our city," Aaland said.

See the original post here:
Historic Fargo home renovated and ready to sell | INFORUM - INFORUM