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The Viking Ship play site when it was installed in 2009. It has since deteriorated significantly Image CPCL

A public protest is due to take place tomorrow (December 20) in a bid to save the Viking Ship equipment at the Ethelbert Crescent play area (Newgate Gap) in Cliftonville.

The Viking Ship play area was installed in 2009 with the major structural components being of Robinia wood rather than the galvanised/powder coated steel used for most apparatus. It was funded with 300,000 from the Stronger, Safer Communities Fund according to council agenda minutes from the year of installation.

However, a report to Thanet council Cabinet members said the condition of play equipment has been deteriorating and become a Health and Safety risk. An inspection in December 2020 reported 83 defects at the Viking Ship playground with concerns raised over the timber structural elements of the Viking ship itself.

In response Thanet council plan to use 169,517 of a 211,280 allocation from Kent County Council for Community Parks for demolition at the existing site and then installation of replacement play equipment.

Work is due to take place in February and March 2022 and will include the demolition/removal of the existing Viking ship, playhouse climbing frame, rocker seal and sprung rocker ship.

They will be replaced with:

Castles Keep large 3 storey castle with multiple slides, poles and net

Castle Gatehouse castle with slide and rope bridge

Track Ride Tower zip wire type apparatus with tower and net

Wheelchair Carousel inclusive roundabout carousel

Swings with cradle swing set and inclusive you and me swing

Jumper Square floor trampoline type jumper

Horse Seesaw

Spinner Bowl

Agility Trail

The funding must be spent by 31 March 2022.

But members of the Friends of Cliftonville Coastline group say the iconic and unique Viking Ship must be saved. They will gather at the playground tomorrow at 10am and are inviting others to join them, who:

Have children who will be heartbroken by the loss of our unique iconic Viking Ship, so integral to imaginative natural play.

Believe this money should be spent on renovation and improvements (eg improved access and a wheelchair carousel) rather than a demolition and expensive rebuild.

And that the saved money could then be spent across Margate and beyond to benefit multiple deteriorating playgrounds in need, eg Dane Park.

Think the council must be held to account for the lack of future planning and ongoing maintenance of ailing community infrastructure.

Is fed up with the lack of scrutiny over whether Section 106 funds from developers are properly collected, and why they are not being used to maintain local playgrounds, as allocated.

Believes we should safeguard our conservation areas, and adhere to planning permissions where required to protect them.

Thinks we should scrutinise large and sudden expenditures such as this, where the legal tendering process for contractors and planning permission is skipped.

And that there should be far more consultation within the community to find out what is wanted and needed locally.

A Friends of Cliftonville Coastline spokesperson said: The ROSPA consultants report recommends that the Viking Ship should have 5 supporting posts replaced, the sand pit frame should have 2 replacement posts and that these should be inspected every 2 years.

The cost of replacing the supporting posts is estimated to be 8-10K. Due to the high level of the ship mast inspection costs are estimated to be 3K every two years.

So why is demolition the only option being considered, instead of the obviously much cheaper and more environmentally sustainable option of renovation and maintenance?

Section 106 payments are meant to be used to maintain playgrounds near to new developments of a certain size. There is no trace of whether allocated money was ever gathered or spent on the Viking Ship Playground.

At a Cabinet meeting on December 16, when the park funding was approved, Green councillor Mike Garner suggested Section 106 money contributions from developers for isle infrastructure should be investigated with any outstanding amounts added to the fund for the Cliftonville park which, in turn, would release funding to replace fencing at Memorial Rec play area. An amount for this work has been provisionally allocated from the parks grant and officers have said they will investigate the section 106 funding.

Allocations have also been made for work at Crispe Park in Birchington and Northdown Park.

On The Isle of Thanet News article revealing park funding plan, a post from CEO at The Childrens Playground, Rinske Wassenaar said: Being the supplier of this bespoke playground and with over 20 years of experience working with Robinia playground equipment, this playground is in no need of replacement.

Looking thoroughly at the photos (in the article), I am convinced only minor repairs would be required, e.g. replacing of missing parts, addressing possible splits, sanding off sap wood and repaint. We have overhauled similar sized playgrounds for a cost ranging between 8-12k, where we completely sanded off the sapwood. The playground will look like new and would last at least for another 10 years.

The total annual playground revenue budget of 39,000 a year is split between the isles 31 playgrounds. In 2020/21, Thanet council says 12,647 of this was spent on essential maintenance and 1,900 on inspections at the Ethelbert Crescent play area alone.

Cllr George Kup, Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Youth Engagement said: Im delighted that the Council has been awarded 221k of Community Parks grant funding as part of the Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF).

170k of this funding will be used to replace and improve the play area equipment at Ethelbert Crescent. The cost of maintaining and repairing the existing apparatus at Ethelbert Crescent has become unsustainable, with a disproportionate amount of the maintenance budget for all play equipment across the district being spent here. Without this improvement work the play area would be closed due to its deteriorated condition.

The Community Parks funding will also fund improvements at other parks in the district to encourage the use of outdoor spaces in line with the objectives of the grant funding. The funding must be spent by the end of March 2022 and officers have had to work quickly to develop a scheme based on prioritised need and community benefit. Due to these tight timescales, it is regrettable that we have not been able to consult with the local community.

It is disappointing that a small minority of people are protesting against a decision that is providing a lifeline for the popular Viking Ship playground. The funding means that a high quality play area, with more inclusive and accessible equipment than currently, will now be available in the long term for the benefit of the local community.

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Public protest as campaigners bid to halt demolition and replacement of Viking Ship play equipment in Cliftonville - The Isle of Thanet News

Issued on: 23/12/2021 - 15:40Modified: 23/12/2021 - 15:38

Beirut (AFP) Sixteen months since a monster blast ripped through the Lebanese capital, the judge investigating the tragedy has been beset by numerous lawsuits, mostly filed against him by officials demanding his removal.

With judge Tarek Bitar forced to suspend his probe for a fourth time on Thursday in the face of such complaints, here is a look at the increasingly complex web of court challenges obstructing investigations into Lebanon's worst peacetime disaster.

The August 4, 2020 explosion of a shipment of ammonium nitrate fertiliser stored haphazardly in a port warehouse for years killed at least 215 people and disfigured the capital.

Top political and security officials were aware of the threat posed by the stored chemicals but failed to take action.

In February, Fadi Sawan, the judge initially appointed to lead the probe, was removed from the case after chasing some of the country's top brass.

Bitar succeeded him, and has since faced similar hurdles amid a concerted political campaign to force his removal.

Officials he had summoned on charges of negligence have filed more than a dozen lawsuits against him, forcing him to suspend his probe four times.

They include several ex-ministers, two of whom were hit with arrest warrants in recent months after they failed to show up for questioning.

Attempts by officials to dodge accountability have been aided by the state.

Parliament has refused to lift immunity granted to lawmakers and top officials have turned down requests to interrogate top security officials.

The interior ministry has also failed to implement arrest warrants issued by Bitar, further undermining his investigation.

Attempts to obstruct Bitar's work have spilled onto the streets, with the powerful Shiite Hezbollah movement staging a rally in Beirut in October demanding his removal.

The protest turned Beirut into a war zone, with live fire exchanges between rival parties leaving seven dead.

Hezbollah and its Amal movement allies are spearheading efforts to replace Bitar.

Their affiliates in cabinet have said they would boycott sessions until an official stance is taken on his replacement.

As a result, Lebanon's fragile government, formed in September to stem the country's worst-ever financial crisis, has failed to meet since October.

In a country where political leaders determine judicial appointments, including in top courts, there is little room for the judiciary to work against Lebanon's ruling elite.

Bitar has been forced to suspend his probe repeatedly over lawsuits filed by officials he had called in for questioning on suspicion of negligence.

A judicial source said the number of lawsuits filed against Bitar now stands at 18.

Some of the judges who turned down requests to replace Bitar have since been hit with lawsuits themselves by the same officials, and they have in turn mobilised affiliated judges at every opportunity.

Last month, a judge backed by Hezbollah and Amal processed a lawsuit filed against Bitar that forced a third suspension in the investigation.

This created a rift within judicial circles, with many arguing that the judge in question had no authority over the Beirut blast case.

Following accusations of political "hijacking", a legal complaint filed against the Shiite judge forced him to stand down.

The lawsuits against Bitar will inevitably delay the presentation of his findings which were previously expected by the year's end, according to a judicial source.

In a country where even high-profile assassinations and bombings go unpunished, many fear a Lebanon-led blast probe will fail to hold anyone to account.

"The judicial body in Lebanon is sick," a former judge told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"Some judges are merely an echo chamber for the political leaders that appointed them," the same judge said.

In a joint letter sent to the United Nations Human Rights Council in September, rights groups and relatives of blast victims said "flagrant political interference, immunity for high-level political officials, and lack of respect for fair trial" have rendered the Beirut blast probe incapable of delivering justice.

Nizar Saghieh, who heads the local organisation Legal Agenda, said divisions over Bitar's fate expose deeper rifts within the state.

"The democratic components of the Lebanese state are supporting judges working to tighten the space for impunity, while others are backing judges that are working to preserve this system," he wrote on social media.

2021 AFP

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Beirut blast probe: what's the snag? - RFI

The clock on congressional redistricting in New Jersey for 1972 began in 1970 when Gov. William Cahill was trying to clear the field for GOP State Chairman Nelson Gross to run for the United States Senate.

Republicans thought they could beat two-term incumbent Harrison Williams with Gross, who had served as an assemblyman from Bergen County and had close ties to President Richard Nixon. Standing in his way was State Sen. Joseph Maraziti (R-Boonton), a longtime Morris County legislator who wanted to run for the U.S. Senate.

Cahill and legislative leaders offered Maraziti a deal: in exchange for dropping his U.S. Senate bid, he would chair the committee that would redraw New Jerseys fifteen congressional districts for the 1972 election. Maraziti took the deal; Gross lost his race by twelve points.

Jersey style, Maraziti drew a district for himself.

Maraziti eliminated one of the two Hudson County congressional seats, putting Democrats Dominick Daniels (D-Jersey City) and Cornelius Gallagher (D-Bayonne) into a primary fight.

The new 13th district was hugely Republican. It started East Hanover and went through northern Morris County, picked up all of Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren counties, and ended in northern Mercer. In the 1968 presidential election, the towns in the new 13th had given Richard Nixon a 55%-36% win over Democrat Hubert Humphrey.

Not all Republicans were thrilled with the map. Assembly Speaker Thomas H. Kean (R-Livingston) and State Sen. James H. Wallwork (R-Short Hills), both potential congressional candidates in the future, saw their hometowns put into a district that went through Morris and Somerset counties into Princeton.

The map went to federal court and a three-judge panel upheld it they tinkered with the plan by moving the boundary between two Bergen-based districts so that South Hackensack wasnt split.

The new map put the entire city of Newark into the 10th, a move designed to make the 11th district seat of five-term Rep. Joseph Minish (D-West Orange) more competitive. The candidate the map was draw for was former State Sen. Milton Waldor (R-South Orange), who had lost his Senate seat in 1971 by 908 votes to Essex County Freeholder Wynona M. Lipman. (Lipman, who would later move from Montclair to Newark to survive 1973 legislative redistricting, became the first Black woman to serve in the New Jersey Senate and remained there until her death in 1999.)

Maraziti faced a primary challenge from two assemblymen, Walter Keough-Dwyer (R-Vernon) and Karl Weidel (D-Pennington), and Delmar Miller, Sr., a political newcomer from Ewing who ran under the slogan Speaking for the Silent Majority. Maraziti won big: a 7,491 vote, 50%-25% victory over Keough-Dwyer, with Weidel finishing third with 17% and Miller getting 8%.

Three Morris County candidates sought the Democratic nomination: Joseph P. ODoherty, Jerome Kessler and Norma Herzfeld. ODoherty won the nomination by 1,248 votes over Kessler, 43%-35%, with Herzfeld receiving 22%. (Kessler and Herzfeld both won Democratic legislative primaries in 1977 but lost the general election.)

During the primary, Herzfeld filed a lawsuit challenging ODohertys constitutional eligibility to run for Congress, alleging that the Irish-born Chester resident had not become a U.S. citizen until 1967.

ODoherty dropped out of the race a week after the primary.

Democratic State Chairman Salvatore Bontempo convinced former New Jersey First Lady Helen Meyner to become the replacement candidate. The wife of former Gov. Robert Meyner and the cousin of former Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson, Meyner lived in Princeton but had a home in Phillipsburg, where her husband had served as a state senator.

In the general election, Maraziti defeated Meyner by 25,154 votes, 56%43%. Nixon carried the 13th by a 70%-40% margin over Democrat George McGovern.

Under a Republican-drawn map, Democrats won eight of the states 15 House seats, a net pickup of one.

Republicans held the open seat of retiring eight-term Rep. Florence Dwyer (R-Elizabeth), with State Sen. Matthew Rinaldo (R-Union) defeated former State Sen. Jerry Fitzgerald English by 27 points.

The closest an incumbent came to losing was in the Middlesex-based 15th when newcomer Fuller Brooks held five-term Rep. Edward Patten to a 52%-48% win. Nixon won the district by 22 points.

In a Camden-Gloucester district, three-term Rep. John Hunt (R-Pitman) defeated 35-year-old Assemblyman Jim Florio (D-Runnemede) by a 52.5%-47% margin. Nixon carried the 1st, 60%-40%.

Four much-heralded GOP challengers fell way short: former Nixon White House aide Bill Dowd, making his second bid to unseat four-term Rep. James Howard (D-Spring Lake Heights), received 47% of the vote. Frank Thompson, Jr. (D-Trenton) won his 9th term by a 58%-42% margin against Assemblyman Peter Garibaldi (R-Monroe); Assemblyman Alfred Schiaffo (R-Closter) lost to four-term Rep. Henry Helstoski (D-East Rutherford), 56%-44%; and Minish beat Waldor 18 points. Nixon carried all four of these districts by double-digit margins.

Daniels won the Hudson Democratic primary with 51% against West New York Mayor Anthony DeFino (32%), Gallagher (1%) and former Rep. Vincent Dellay (2%0. He received 61% in the general election.

Republican Map Flips to 12-3 Democratic

Even though Republicans drew the new congressional map, the Watergate scandal resulted in the loss of four seats in the 1974 mid-term elections that came three months after Nixon resigned the presidency.

Florio ousted Hunt by 19 points, 57.5%-38.5% in the 1st district. The GOP has never been able to win that seat back.

In the 2nd district, four-term Rep. Charles Sandman (R-Erma), the unsuccessful Republican candidate for governor in 1973, lost his seat to former Cape May County First Assistant Prosecutor William J. Hughes by 16 points.

Democrats flipped the Bergen County-based seat of 12-term Rep. William Widnall (R-Ridgewood) by five points. The winner was Democrat Andrew Maguire, who had served in the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Local newspapers aimed considerable coverage at Maraziti, whose seat on the House Judiciary Committee put him on national television as Nixons defender. He voted against all three articles of impeachment.

Maraziti also became bogged down in a scandal as he faced a rematch with Meyner.

Meyner had to first win a Democratic primary. She faced ODoherty, who now met the citizenship requirement, former Hunterdon County Prosecutor Oscar Rittenhouse, and Fairleigh Dickinson University Professor Bernard Reiner.

Her 47% -26% win in the Democratic primary was unimpressive. She defeated ODoherty by just 3,801 votes, with Rittenhouse finishing third with 18% and Reiner at 9%. Meyner won everywhere but Hunterdon, where Rittenhouse defeated her, 49%-36%.

Maraziti put his 35-year-old girlfriend, Linda Collinson, on his congressional payroll in a no-show job while she continued to work at Marazitis Morris County law firm.

Collinson was outed after she applied for a loan with the House Credit Union. A staffer in Marazitis Washington office told the credit union that she had never heard of Collinson.

Reporters later discovered that Maraziti owned the house Collinson lived in.

Maraziti was also damaged by reports that a Warren County newspaper fired their managing editor, Donald Thatcher, after learning that he was also on Marazitis congressional payroll. Later, news broke that Nicholas DiRienzo, the general manager of two New Jersey radio stations, was also on the congressmans staff.

Meyner became one of the Watergate Babies, defeating Maraziti by a 57%-43% margin. She carried Mercer with 65%, Warren with 61%, Hunterdon with 58%, Morris with 56%, and Sussex with 51%.

There was one open seat in 1974: Rep. Peter Frelinghuysen (R-Harding) retired after 22 years in Congress. Republican Millicent Fenwick (R-Bernardsville) defeated Kean by 83 votes in the GOP primary a little more of Essex under the Maraziti map would have sent Kean to Congress. She won the general election by a 53%-43% margin against Fred Bohen, a former Johnson White House staffer.

GOP Gains

By the end of a map drawn by the GOP, Republicans had picked up just two of the seats they lost in Watergate, plus two more. In a decade, the map went from 9-6 Democratic to 8-7 Democratic. During the decade, six incumbents lost re-election.

In 1976, Republicans flipped the Bergen-Hudson 9th district seat after six-term incumbent Henry Helstoski became embroiled in a scandal. The winner, by a 53%-44% margin, was former State Sen. Harold Hollenbeck (R-East Rutherford).

Meyner held the 13th seat by 5,241 votes, 50%-48%, in 1976 against former State Sen. William Schluter (R-Pennington). President Gerald Ford had carried the district that year by a 50%-41% margin against Democrat Jimmy Carter.

But 1978, Carters mid-term election, Meyner lost.

After his close call, Schluter sought a rematch against Meyner in 1978. This time, Schluter faced a strong primary opponent, Assistant Warren County Prosecutor Jim Courter. Courter beat Schluter by just 134 votes in a campaign managed by Roger Bodman, who would go on to run Keans campaign for governor and later serve in his cabinet. Courter unseated Meyner that year by a 52%-48% margin.

Ford had also carried the 7th, 58%-42%, but Maguire defeated Republican James Sheehan, a Wyckoff township committeeman, by 13 points to secure a second term.

The Republican challenger against Maguire in 1978 was Marge Roukema, a former Ridgewood school board member.

Roukema won the primary, 39%-32%, against a well-known name in the Republican primary: Joseph Woodcock (R-Cliffside Park), who served 12 years as an assemblyman and state senator, four years as the Bergen County prosecutor, and was briefly a candidate for the 1977 Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Maguire won by six points but lost a 1980 rematch to Roukema

The Republicans also picked up the 4th district. Thompson, a 26-year incumbent and the chairman of the House Administration Committee, was implicated in the FBI sting operation known as Abscam, when an undercover agent pretending to be an Arab sheik offered the congressman a cash bribe to help him circumvent federal immigration laws.

Republican Christopher Smith was the 25-year-old executive director of New Jersey Right to Life when he challenged Thompson in 1978. He lost by 24 points.

But with Thompson under indictment, Smith beat Thompson by 26,967 votes, a 47%-41% margin. Hes held the seat for the last 41 years.

Hughes held the 2nd district seat in 1976 against the strongest possible Republican challenger, Assemblyman James Hurley (R-Millville). He won 62%-38% in a district where Carter beat Ford by two points.

In the 15th district, Republicans nearly unseated Patten.

details began emerging about Pattens involvement in the Koreagate scandal. Lobbyist Tongsun Park was charged with using funds provided by the government of South Korea to bribe six congressmen as part of a bid to ensure that the United States kept their military presence there.

The allegation against Patten was that he solicited an illegal campaign contribution from Park, including funds that found their way into the account of the Middlesex County Democrats. Patten allegedly took cash contributions from Park and then wrote personal checks to the county organization.

A 30-year-old Edison attorney, George Spadoro, challenged Patten in the Democratic primary and held him to 59% of the vote, a 6,323-vote plurality. (Spadoro would later become the mayor of Edison and an assemblyman.)

Summer headlines on Koreagate dominated the summer news, as well as Pattens testimony before the House Ethics Committee. Patten steadfastly proclaimed his innocence. In October, the Ethics panel voted unanimously to clear him of the charges. And the Friday before the election, state Attorney General John Degnan announced that he had cleared Patten of any wrongdoing in Koreagate, which had become a state issue since some of the contributions had come to the county party organization.

Patten also faced allegations that he failed to disclose his assets as required by House rules. Patten had filed a financial disclosure saying that he had no personal assets; he eventually announced that all his assets were in his wifes name.

The scandal took its toll on Patten. He won re-election, but just narrowly 48%46%, with a plurality of only 2,836 votes, against Republican Charles Wiley, a conservative radio commentator from Sayreville.

New Jersey lost one congressional seat after the 1980 census.

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The time NJ Republicans won the congressional map but lost the election - New Jersey Globe | New Jersey Politics

The government has launched huge projects in conjunction with the increasing global concern about environmental issues and climate change.

Egypt hosted the United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity (COP14), which was held in 2018 in Sharm El-Sheikh, and has been chosen to host the Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27), scheduled for late 2022.

The Egyptian government has paid attention to climate issues and their impact on the environment not by just signing treaties and hosting environmental conferences, which are of course important, but also by implementing the outcomes of these events and treaties.

The government began to activate its plans to deal with climate change through several national projects and laws, which emerged through the expansion of metro networks, trains and electric cars and the preparation of the necessary infrastructure for this, as well as the establishment of smart and sustainable cities.

Egypt has also offered green bonds worth $750 million for five years at a yield of 5.25 percent, the first offering of government green bonds in the Middle East and North Africa.

Green bonds are special loans to finance projects related to climate change or the environment, as defined by the World Bank.

Egypt is also implementing projects to rationalise water use, line canals, integrate coastal zone management, and a huge project to reclaim 1.5 million feddans in the Western Desert and other governorates, which will have a significant impact in combating climate change and reducing CO2 emissions.

Converting cars to run on natural gas

Perhaps the most prominent measures regarding green transport are cooperation agreements for the manufacturing of electric cars and the completion of their associated infrastructure, as well as the national project to convert, or replace, cars to run on natural gas. This consists of two main projects, the first is replacing worn out and old cars, and the second is converting cars to run on natural gas.

Egypt is replacing cars manufactured over 20 years ago, which tend to produce high carbon emissions that increase carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The second part of the project involves converting gasoline-powered cars to have them run on natural gas or dual-fuel, given the high environmental and economic cost of gasoline.

This huge project targets various types of cars, including microbuses, taxis and privately owned cars. The government has said the project aims to replace 250,000 old cars with a budget of up to EGP 1.2 billion, with 3 percent interest loans to pay for the new cars in instalments over seven to 10 years.

As for converting cars to run on natural gas, the government is providing specialised centres to conduct this procedure, assuming the car in question is fit for conversion, for EGP 8,000 to EGP 12,000 ($515 to $715), which can be paid in instalments.

In 2017, the Small and Micro Enterprise Development Agency signed a contract with the Natural Gas Car Company worth EGP 7.5 million to finance the conversion project.

In an exclusive interview with Al-Ahram Weekly, Ahmed Abdel-Razzaq, who is responsible for the National Program for Car Replacement and Renewal, said that the first phase of the program has registered 36,000 eligible citizens, of whom 9,500 have received the upgraded vehicles.

Abdul-Razzaq says this falls far short of the initial target of replacing 250,000 vehicles in the first three-year phase starting January 2021, at a rate of 80,000 vehicles annually.

The failure to meet this target is due to weak supply chains affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the global shortage in microchips, which are used in electronic circuits found in all modern cars, Abdul-Razzaq said.

Abdul-Razzaq pointed out that the rate of cars delivered as part of the replacement program is expected to increase over the next two years after the electronic chip crisis eases and foreign trade improves.

Abdul-Razzaq also said that despite the huge cost of replacement and conversion, these measures are expected to spare the state budget the cost of subsidising gasoline and petroleum.

The price of a cubic meter of natural gas is EGP 3.5, while the price of a litre of 80, 92 and 95 octane gasoline is EGP 7, 8.25 and 9.25 respectively.

According to Abdel-Razzaq, Egypt was one of the first countries in the region to switch to green transportation, when in 2008 it launched the project to replace its old taxis with the new white taxi that run on natural gas or dual fuel. Egypt replaced 45,000 taxis and won a grant of 2.5 million euros from the World Bank in recognition of its achievements in reducing carbon emissions.

This gigantic national project is in line with the sustainable development goals of the United Nations, Abdel-Razzaq said, adding that the national sustainable development strategy Egypt Vision 2030 aims to achieve sustainable development and tackle environmental challenges, especially climate change.

The fuel conversion project aims to reduce harmful carbon emissions as well as bring about economic benefits by stimulating trade in the automobile sector and the banking sector, which financed the program. The project should also reduce the financial burden on citizens by using a safe, clean and affordable alternative like natural gas.

Abdel-Razzaq says the replacement process began in seven governorates as a first stage, which are the governorates that have the appropriate infrastructure to convert cars. This has involved the participation of many agencies and companies, including the ministries of finance, interior, environment and planning, as well as a number of car manufacturers, importers of natural gas-powered cars, and 31 banks.

Achievingcarbon neutrality

Magdi Allam, secretary-general of the Union of Arab Environmental Experts, said in an exclusive interview with Al-Ahram Weekly that carbon emissions from natural gas are much lower than from fossil fuels, while electric cars produce no carbon emissions.

Allam explained that Egypt is also working on manufacturing electric cars at the Nasr Automobile Factory as part of its relentless efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

The environmental expert pointed out that Egypts efforts to support green transport will reduce carbon emissions by 42 percent, which will be a good step towards reaching carbon neutrality.

A report issued by the cabinet of Egypt indicated that the number of cars converted to work with natural gas during the 5 years, which increased by 49.3 percent, to reach 339,000 cars by the end of 2020, and this number is increasing with the activation of the initiative to convert cars to work with natural gas and the stimulus package provided by the government to the citizens in this regard.

The report said that the government launched a mobile phone application called MOP Station, which is used to locate natural gas refuelling stations and the centres for converting vehicles to run on natural gas.

The report emphasised that the use of natural gas as a fuel is very safe, non-toxic, free from lead compounds and sulphur impurities, and is better from an environmental point of view. The US Environmental Protection Agency has announced that reliance on natural gas guarantees 90 to 97 percent lower emissions of carbon monoxide and 25 percent lower carbon dioxide emissions.

The report also cited the UN Economic Commission for Europe as saying that natural gas reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by about 80 percent compared to gasoline and diesel. The International Gas Union has also said that the use of gas contributes to improving air quality compared to gasoline, as it reduces heat emissions by 20 percent.

The report also cited British magazine The Economist praising Egypt's ambitious plan to use natural gas in cars. Bloomberg has also said that the Egyptian project is a serious step to encourage the conversion of up to 1.3 million car owners to use natural gas.

Egypt has one of the oldest experiences in the world in using natural gas, as it was the first in the Arab world to use the fuel in the transportation sector, according to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.

Abdel-Razzaq says that Egypts conversion of 45,000 taxis to run on natural gas from 2008 to 2012 won it a special award from the World Bank in recognition of its success in reducing emissions.

The cabinet report says that the project works to reduce the cost of environmental deterioration due to air pollution, which costs EGP 47 billion annually, in addition to reducing between 46 percent to 99 percent of carbon emissions.

The total number of natural gas car refuelling stations nationwide reached 225 by the end of 2020, and there is a plan to double the number of these stations.

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Reducing carbon emissions: Egypt's project to replace and convert cars to run on natural gas - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online

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Pest Control Phoenix | Termite Control, Treatment ...

You have termites. Three little words no homeowner ever wants to hear. Termites are tremendously destructive, causing about $5 billion in damage yearly in the United States. Fortunately, taking the right precautions can reduce your chances of suffering a termite infestation.

Termites are tremendously destructive, causing about $5 billion in damage yearly in the United States.1 Fortunately, taking the right precautions can reduce your chances of suffering a termite infestation.

Read on for information on termite inspection costs, termite control and how to treat for termites.

The first step to avoiding a termite problem is having your home regularly inspected for termites. And because termites feast 24/7, it's recommended that you have your home inspected annually, or anytime you suspect termite activity. The cost of a termite inspection can vary based on the company. Terminix offers a free initial inspection.

Note: If an inspection is for a real estate transaction, there are normally associated fees because additional wood-destroying insects are included, and a formal report must be submitted. Learn more about wood-destroying organism reports here.

Related > How Much Does It Cost to Treat Termites?

Depending on the species of termites that are present in your area, there are different signs of termites to look for. Some signs include:

Subterranean termites require soil contact, and most nest in the soil (which is why they are called "subterranean termites"). They then build highway-like mud tubes connecting their nest to a wooden food source. These mud tubes are a definite sign of a termite infestation, but their absence does not mean termites haven't invaded your home. There are other ways for different species of termites to reach and infest your home. For instance, because drywood termites don't require contact with soil, these termites don't create mud tubes.

Wood with termite damage might look crushed" at structural joints, and if you tap damaged wood with a screwdriver or knife, you may hear a hollow noise. You can further inspect damaged wood by probing the surface with a screwdriver or knife, exposing termite galleries. Subterranean termites excavate tunnels in the wood that run parallel to the grain, giving the wood surface a rippled" appearance. You should have a professional inspect the wood damage, as he or she will have knowledge about the difference between different wood-destroying organisms.

After finding a new home and mating, termite swarmers shed their wings, leaving them scattered about, sometimes in piles.

These, too, may be signs that termites have invaded your home.

Signs of termites can be difficult to spot. That's why it's important to have a termite control professional inspect your home annually. A trained technician knows which species of termites are present in your area, what signs of termites to look for and exactly where to look for them.

Related > What to Expect From a Termite Inspection

Keeping your home free from termites is a part of regular home maintenance. Termites can cause damage that can cost a homeowner thousands of dollars in repairs. The good news? Terminix offers free initial termite inspections for homeowners.

During a free initial termite inspection from Terminix, a termite control professional will inspect your home to look for common signs of termites and any existing termite damage. If termite activity is found, Terminix can customize a treatment plan to fit your needs. If termites are not found, Terminix can recommend a plan to help protect your home from the damage a potential termite infestation could cause.

The free homeowner's inspection is different from a real estate transaction termite inspection. This type of termite inspection is usually required by the mortgage lender and/or insurer. During this type of inspection, the termite professional inspects for termites and other wood-destroying insects and organisms and issues a formal report. There is a cost for real estate transaction pest and termite inspections. The industry average real estate termite inspection cost is $100.

If an inspection indicates the presence of termites, treatment should begin as soon as possible. A Terminix termite treatment will be customized to meet your home's requirements, so termite treatment cost varies. The cost will be dependent upon the size of the house, the type of construction, the type of termite and treatment needed, your geographic region and the size of the infestation.

Related: How to Prevent Termites When Building a New Home

For homeowners, the presence of termites can be scary and stressful. Fortunately, you can trust Terminix.

Terminix offers the most advanced and effective solutions to treat termites and help prevent their presence in your home. Contact Terminix today to schedule your free termite inspection.

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How Much Does a Termite Inspection Cost? | Terminix

OUR MISSION, VISION & CORE VALUES

Our mission is to protect the well being of people, pets, and places from the damage and destruction of unwanted pests.

Our Vision is to be a trusted industry leader that provides affordable solutions. By maintaining a high level of service coupled with experience, teamwork, and ongoing training we will be able to experience the growth needed to provide exciting opportunities to our employees and their families.

Integrity Act with uncompromising honesty and integrity in everything we do

Service Satisfy our customers with innovation, superior quality, value, and service.

Compassion We are kind and caring to everyone we encounter.

Teamwork We understand 2 or more is better than one.

Respect We value everyone and treat people with dignity and professionalism.

Accountability We accept responsibility for our results.

At Bills Pest & Termite, we live the idea that doing things the right way will benefit our customers, employees, their families, and our community.

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Bills Pest & Termite | Pest Control In Phoenix, AZ

In 1994 , a bungalow owner in Devon called pest control to report that a mysterious white ant had chomped through her conservatory. Investigations eventually revealed the culprit was in fact a colony of millions of subterranean termites, the first and only colony ever recorded on UK soil.

The call marked the beginning of a 27-year saga involving hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money and considerable headaches for the property owner and her neighbours in Saunton on the north Devon coast.

Many experts thought the UKs Termite Eradication Programme (TEP) was doomed to failure. Once imported, usually in something as innocent as a wooden wine crate or an antique pine wardrobe, the tenacious insects inevitably triumph and become endemic, thanks to their superior burying and reproduction skills.

But now in Devon, human ingenuity and British bloody-mindedness have prevailed. After no signs of termite activity were detected for the past 10 years, the Saunton termite colony has officially been declared dead by a panel of international experts, saving the nation from a future where homeowners have to worry about termite infestations as well as wasp nests and rising damp.

A final field inspection in May found no signs of termites in a zone 100 metres long and 30 metres deep, and the TEP is now in decommissioning mode, said Dr Ed Suttie, the termite terminator who has been involved with the TEP since it began in 1998 and has run it since 2003. No other country has ever won the termite war, he said: Its a world first.

There have been false dawns before in this battle of the beasties. Going into the new millennium there were no sightings of the termites for nine years. Then their beadlike antennae were again spotted rooting around in the soil, resulting in the eradication and monitoring programme being extended repeatedly until this year.

The colony had made its home under two neighbouring bungalows, which were effectively condemned by the invaders. In 2012 one of the owners applied to demolish her property and start again, but was denied planning permission after a two-year battle.

So crucial was the matter deemed to national biosecurity that the final decision was taken by the then communities secretary, Eric Pickles. He refused it on the grounds that the demolition and construction work could risk the termites spreading to a wider area, causing potential catastrophic economic, environmental and social consequences.

A compromise was struck whereby she was allowed to build an annexe that Suttie says is the UKs only termite-proof building. Burning down the infected buildings was not an option, he explained: Termites were not actually living in the house the wood in there was just their food source. They live underground, often many metres under the surface.

Suttie said both property owners had shown amazing cooperation over the decades, banned not just from most home improvement but also from removing any soil or wood from the site.

They also had to let TEP officials plant timber bait in their gardens essentially wooden stakes made out of aged pine, termites favourite food, which they could monitor for nibbles. Termite eradication involved the targeted deployment of insect growth regulators, a kind of hyper-intelligent insecticide that would stop the termites reaching maturity and reproducing.

Had successive governments since 1998 not invested considerable amounts of public money in the effort, it could have been a very different story, said Suttie. Termites could have become endemic, eating their way through floor boards, door frames and beams across southern England, just as they do in Australia, parts of North America and southern Europe.

The stakes are high: each year, termites cause more than $5bn (3.8bn) in property damage in the US, according to the National Pest Management Association.

Though the termites were first confirmed in Saunton in 1994, Suttie believes they may have been imported to the site as many as 70 years earlier: Anecdotally, weve heard stories of gardeners referring to white ants and a greenhouse that had to be replaced.

Nick Harvey, who was the local Liberal Democrat MP from 1992 to 2015, remembers the great anguish of the bungalow owner who discovered the colony. His constituent believed a previous occupant had accidentally imported the termites in soil brought from the Canary Islands via some non-native plants, he said.

Damian McBride, a special adviser to the shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry, who drew attention to the termite war in a Twitter thread, said he thought Suttie and others should be given honours for their unglamorous but essential public service.

Whats the moral of the story? he asked. You can make up your own, but for me, this is public service in its finest form unseen, largely unknown and rarely heralded but done with selfless dedication year after year simply because of what would happen to the rest of us if it wasnt.

In forests and grasslands of their native tropics, termites are regarded as soil engineers that are vital to the maintenance of soil structure and ecosystem balance, according to BRE, which has run the governments Termite Eradication Programme since 1998. But imported into urban environments, they are considered pests because of their ability to severely damage timber in buildings.

Subterranean termites the kind that caused havoc in north Devon are now endemic in southern Europe, thanks to globalisation and the warming climate. If you live in a termite-infested area in France, you must, by law, supply a termite-free certificate when you sell a house and any building work must be certified termite-proof.

Much of the UK is too wet for a subterranean termite colony to establish. But unluckily for the bungalow owners in Saunton, their properties were built on very light, sandy and well-draining soil among maritime pine trees that termites love. The houses were also built using a lot of pine timber, a delicacy for the greedy insects, which can chomp away undetected for months, hollowing out wood from the inside.

Sometimes mistaken for white ants, worker termites are typically 4-6mm in length, are pale or whitish in colour, have beadlike antennae and lack a waist (a constriction of the first or second abdominal segments). A colony can form in the space of a match box but can be vastly bigger, as in the Devon case, comprising numerous mud tubes or tunnels that connect food sources and nesting sites.

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A world first: Devon calls victory in 27-year war on termites - The Guardian

Sooner or later things in your home are bound to break down, get damaged, or just start becoming problematic due to wear, tear, and general usage. Especially things like kitchen appliances, HVAC systems, and electrical power tools, which can be quite expensive to repair, and since they are used a lot, they are at a high risk of failing. Some people think that a home warranty is unnecessary and they can handle the issue when it arises. However, it is a wise investment that is benefitting a lot of people. Here are a few reasons why you should consider it.

Things like the HVAC system or a pool will require a professional to fix, this is not something that you can DIY. Not everyone has the time or money, however, to keep looking for contractors and looking at different repair solutions to get the job done. A home warranty saves you from all this trouble and provides you hassle-free maintenance whenever you need it. The professional will do everything required for the job, whereas if you were to do it yourself you might end up spending more on just tools than what you would pay the professional for the entire job.

Your home probably has a lot of appliances. From the kitchen to the garden to the workshop, there are tools that we use in every part of the home for all kinds of different things. Some of these come with manufacturer warranties while many dont. Having one solid home warranty policy means you dont have to deal with dozens of different warranty claim procedures. You just have to deal with one warranty provider and this will take care of all the products that you own. In fact, this can even extend to products that dont otherwise come with a warranty.

While the average lifespan of the appliances in your home will probably be over a decade, there are always freak accidents where something you just bought a couple of days ago goes bad. This could be due to electrical surges or you might have just gotten a bad egg. Regardless, going through the warranty claim procedure with a manufacturer can be a hassle. Especially on high-value appliances. Through a warranty provider, you are covered no matter how old or how young the appliances are. In fact, you might even be covered for appliances that are well past their warranty period.

Some people rely entirely on a home insurance policy and never invest in a home warranty. Its important to note that both these services function very differently and neither one is a replacement for the other. A home insurance policy will not provide you the cover that a home warranty will. And if you use a lot of appliances or you run a small business from home, then it can really be a money saver to have a home warranty in place. To get the best coverage you should invest in both a home warranty and a home insurance service so that damage to the house or damage to the things within the house are all protected against.

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Reasons Why It Is Important To Have A Home Warranty - South Florida Caribbean News

SANTA ANA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), a leading global provider of title insurance, settlement services and risk solutions for real estate transactions, today released the October 2021 First American Real House Price Index (RHPI). The RHPI measures the price changes of single-family properties throughout the U.S. adjusted for the impact of income and interest rate changes on consumer house-buying power over time at national, state and metropolitan area levels. Because the RHPI adjusts for house-buying power, it also serves as a measure of housing affordability.

Chief Economist Analysis: Real House Prices Increased 19.6 Percent Year Over Year

Affordability sank to its lowest level since 2008 in October, as two of the three key drivers of the Real House Price Index (RHPI) swung in favor of reduced affordability relative to one year ago. Higher mortgage rates and record year-over-year nominal house price growth triggered a nearly 20 percent jump in the RHPI (rising RHPI values indicate declining affordability), said Mark Fleming, chief economist at First American. The soaring nominal house prices and uptick in mortgage rates swamped any affordability gains from the 3.6 percent yearly increase in household income. Since we know real estate is local, house-buying power and nominal house price gains vary by city, begging the question, where is affordability declining the most?

The Five Cities Where Affordability Declined the Most

Affordability declined year over year in all of the markets we track, said Fleming. The five markets with the greatest year-over-year decline in affordability were:

1.) Phoenix (+33.7 percent),2.) Charlotte, N.C. (+32.3 percent),3.) Tampa, Fla. (+30.9 percent),4.) Jacksonville, Fla. (+29.3 percent),5.) Memphis, Tenn. (+27.5 percent).

In October, mortgage rates increased 0.2 percentage points relative to one year ago, which reduces affordability, all else held equal. Higher mortgage rates decrease affordability equally in each market as mortgage rates are generally similar across the country, said Fleming. However, household income growth and nominal house prices vary by market, creating the market-level variance in affordability. Faster nominal house price appreciation can erode, or even eliminate, the boost in affordability from higher household income.

Phoenix suffered the greatest year-over-year loss in affordability in October, mostly due to the nearly 34 percent annual increase in nominal house price growth. Robust investor activity and strong net-in migration to Phoenix has fueled soaring demand for homes against a limited supply of homes for sale, said Fleming. In Charlotte, N.C., household income declined modestly, meaning all three key drivers of the RHPI dragged affordability down in October relative to one year ago. The importance of household income becomes apparent when comparing the decline in affordability in Charlotte to Tampa. While annual nominal house price appreciation in Tampa outpaced that of Charlotte, rising household income tempered the decline in affordability. Ultimately, nominal house price appreciation overwhelmed any affordability lift from house-buying power in all three of these markets.

How Will Affordability Impact the Housing Market in 2022?

If affordability falls too far, some home buyers on the margin will pull back, prompting fewer bidding wars and causing house prices to moderate. In the near term, a labor market characterized by high demand, but limited supply means upward pressure on wages as employers compete to attract employees. While mortgage rates are expected to increase in 2022 as the economic recovery continues, consensus expectations still put them below 4 percent, said Fleming. For some home buyers, as the big short in housing supply continues, it will become impossible to keep up with double-digit nominal house price growth, especially in a rising-rate environment. The challenge for home buyers in 2022 will mirror 2020 and 2021 you cant buy whats not for sale even if you can afford to.

October 2021 Real House Price Index Highlights

October 2021 Real House Price State Highlights

October 2021 Real House Price Local Market Highlights

Next Release

The next release of the First American Real House Price Index will take place the week of January 24, 2022 for November 2021 data.

Sources

Methodology

The methodology statement for the First American Real House Price Index is available at http://www.firstam.com/economics/real-house-price-index.

Disclaimer

Opinions, estimates, forecasts and other views contained in this page are those of First Americans Chief Economist, do not necessarily represent the views of First American or its management, should not be construed as indicating First Americans business prospects or expected results, and are subject to change without notice. Although the First American Economics team attempts to provide reliable, useful information, it does not guarantee that the information is accurate, current or suitable for any particular purpose. 2021 by First American. Information from this page may be used with proper attribution.

About First American

First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF) is a leading provider of title insurance, settlement services and risk solutions for real estate transactions that traces its heritage back to 1889. First American also provides title plant management services; title and other real property records and images; valuation products and services; home warranty products; banking, trust and wealth management services; and other related products and services. With total revenue of $7.1 billion in 2020, the company offers its products and services directly and through its agents throughout the United States and abroad. In 2021, First American was named to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list for the sixth consecutive year. More information about the company can be found at http://www.firstam.com.

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Affordability Falls to Its Lowest Level Since 2008, According to First American Real House Price Index - Business Wire