Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Accord, N.Y. | $950,000A 1994 wood-sided house with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, on a 3.6-acre lot

This home is privately situated, about five miles northwest of the hamlet of Accord in Ulster County, a wooded, mountainous area with many acres of preserved land. Some of the larger nearby communities are Kingston, about 20 miles northeast, and New Paltz, about 16 miles southeast. The drive to New York City is about two hours in light traffic.

Size: 1,452 square feet

Price per square foot: $654

Indoors: The seller is an interior designer who made extensive improvements inside and out, including the addition of a large, screened porch. He also painted the house black.

Turning left from a small entrance hallway, you enter a living-and-dining room with pine floorboards, oiled-cedar ceiling planks and a wood-burning fireplace with a blackened-steel surround. The separate kitchen contains black cabinets and black honeycomb-shaped wall tile. The countertop material, Dekton, is a composite of quartz, porcelain and glass. The appliances include a Fisher & Paykel wall oven and cooktop, a Liebherr refrigerator and a Faber hood.

A bedroom wing to the right of the entrance includes a powder room with grasscloth-covered walls and a floating sink. Two guest rooms lie beyond, one with double closets and overhead storage, and the other with a tall, black-painted wainscot and an en suite bathroom with a walk-in shower faced in black-stone tile.

The second floor is taken up by the primary suite, beginning with a study area that overlooks the living room. The bedroom contains a pair of closets built under the slanted wood ceiling. The bathroom has a walk-in, black-tile shower and a vessel sink set on a slatted-wood pedestal.

Outdoor space: One set of sliding-glass doors opens from the living room to the screened porch. Another leads to a terraced side deck that steps down to a lawn. A stone retaining wall in front of the house surrounds a garden.

Taxes: $8,244 (2020, based on a tax assessment of $347,800, without an exemption for use as a primary property)

Contact: Jeff Serouya, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Hudson Valley Properties, 845-626-5000; jeffserouya.bhhshudsonvalley.com

This property consists of a small house and garden tucked behind a former commercial building with a gable. It is set among the historic houses and antiques shops of this quaint Delaware River city, steps from popular restaurants like Antons at the Swan, and a block from the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail. East Bridge Street, which connects Lambertville to New Hope, Pa., across the river, is two blocks north. The area flooded during Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, and the home requires flood insurance for a mortgage.

Size: 2,559 square feet (total for both buildings)

Price per square foot: $371

Indoors: The current owners added a second bathroom to the main house and a whole-house generator that covers both buildings. The main house interior is freshly painted.

A brick path in a sheltered garden leads to the houses entrance porch, under a pergola. Inside is a foyer with hardwood floors. The room to the right has a fireplace with a sculptural chimney that rises to the angular ceiling. Light enters from large garden-facing windows.

The open kitchen is arranged along the rear wall of this room and includes contrasting wood-toned cabinetry and a tiled floor and backsplashes. A built-in glass-fronted cupboard is next to the low partition that separates the kitchen from the dining area. Open bookshelves occupy a niche on another wall.

A main-floor bedroom has wood floors and a canted ceiling with a skylight. The accompanying bathroom includes penny-round floor tiles, a glass-walled shower and a console sink.

A staircase curves from the foyer to the second floor, where there is a lofted area over the living room with a wall of custom cabinets that could be used as a second bedroom. A dressing area connects this space to the recently installed bathroom, which has a soaking tub and more custom storage built to fill its idiosyncratically shaped space.

Whereas the house is all nooks and crannies, the street-facing studio building is a single, open room with a concrete floor, cathedral ceiling with skylights and exposed metal posts and beams. Square sash windows line a mirrored wall (the building was formerly a dance studio). The open kitchen has white cabinets with granite countertops.

Outdoor space: The garden between the buildings includes perennials, specimen trees, brick paving and a fountain. Off-street parking is behind the mahogany wall next to the studio.

Taxes: $12,955 (2020, based on a tax assessment of $583,300)

Contact: Stefan Dahlmark or Thomas Hora, Kurfiss Sothebys International Realty, 267-474-0204; new.sothebysrealty.com

A couple renovated the wifes midcentury childhood home in the San Gabriel Valley to create an energy-efficient house that filters pollutants (including smoke and ash from local fires) and maintains power through rolling blackouts. The house consumes no fossil fuel (the owners disconnected their gas line) and produces enough electricity through its rooftop solar array to sell the power back to the grid.

Temple City is a community with about 36,000 residents, highly respected schools and a reputation for safety. This property is about 12 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, eight miles southeast of Pasadena and a couple of blocks west of Rosemead Boulevard, a north-south road lined with businesses.

Size: 1,400 square feet

Price per square foot: $671

Indoors: Ten inches of insulation were added to the ceiling and four inches to the walls to improve energy efficiency. (The windows are also now double-paned, and the fireplace has been removed.) Heating and cooling are provided (when needed, which isnt often) by a mini-split system that replaced the gas furnace.

The entrance takes you into a living-and-dining room with hardwood floors and a vaulted ceiling made from reclaimed wood. Sliding-glass doors on two walls bring in light and give access to the backyard. A ladder rises to a little play loft built over the foyer. The kitchen, which flows into the living room, includes Shaker-style cabinets with quartz counters, Marmoleum flooring and stainless-steel appliances, including an induction stove.

The bedroom wing is to the right of the front door. It includes a primary suite whose bathroom contains a closet and a walk-in shower, and two childrens or guest rooms that share a second bathroom with a combined tub and shower. All toilets, shower heads and faucets are designed to save water.

Outdoor space: There is no lawn. The landscaping, including a vegetable garden, is drought tolerant. The two-car garage includes an electric washer and dryer and an electric vehicle charger.

Taxes: $11,045 (estimated)

Contact: Izumi Tanaka, eXp Realty, 310-749-9091; 5508harkeravenue.com

For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @nytrealestate.

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What $950,000 Buys You in New York, New Jersey and California - The New York Times

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Cabinet Adhesives Market 2021 Global Industry Size, Reviews, Segments, Revenue, and Forecast to 2027 The Manomet Current - The Manomet Current

Sajid Javid's appointment as health secretary sees him returnto a cabinet he abruptly left some 16 months ago.

The Bromsgrove MP, 51, previously served as home secretary from 2018 to 2019 - and then as chancellor until February last year, when he was replaced by Rishi Sunak.

He quit after refusing to sack his aides in a row with the prime minister.

At the time, Mr Javid said he'd had "no option" but to resign - because Boris Johnson attached conditions to him staying in the role which "no self-respecting minister would accept".

His surprise departure was the culmination of weeks of reported tensions between him and Dominic Cummings, the PM's former chief adviser.

Later, Mr Javid said in the Commons: "It has always been the case that advisers advise, ministers decide and ministers decide on their advisers.

"I couldn't see why the Treasury, with the vital role that it plays, should be the exception to that."

On Saturday night, Mr Cummings suggested that Mr Johnson's wife, Carrie Symonds, played a role in the decision to hire Mr Javid as the new health secretary.

Mr Cummings tweeted: "So Carrie appoints Saj! NB If I hadn't tricked PM into firing Saj, we'd have had a HMT with useless SoS/spads, no furlough scheme, total chaos instead of JOINT 10/11 team which was a big success.

"Saj = bog standard = chasing headlines + failing = awful for NHS. Need #RegimeChange."

Now, as he enters the Department of Health, Mr Javid faces an "enormous" in-tray, Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates said.

Upcoming decisions on the pandemic response include advising the prime minister on whether the remaining restrictions should be removed next month.

There are also major concerns about a huge backlog of operations, and the funding of social care.

Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "Sajid Javid failed to reverse the previous eight years of social care cuts or deliver the investment our NHS needed in his time as chancellor of the Exchequer.

"He now needs to explain how he will bring down sky high waiting lists, ensure people get the cancer care they need, get young people vital mental health support and crucially fix social care, which has suffered swingeing cuts under the Conservatives."

Mr Javid was born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, and is one of five sons of Pakistani immigrants.

The family moved to Bristol, where they ran a shop and lived in the two bedroom flat above it. His father also worked as a bus driver.

Mr Javid went to a state school and studied economics and politics at Exeter University.

He left behind a career in finance and became MP for Bromsgrove in 2010.

According to his website, Mr Javid was a vice president at the US bank Chase Manhattan at the age of 25 and later moved to Deutsche Bank, rising to senior managing director before he left in 2009.

He held roles in the Treasury from 2012 until he was made culture secretary in April 2014, later going on to become business secretary in May 2015 and housing secretary in July 2016.

After being made home secretary in April 2018, Mr Javid talked openly about how he experienced racism at an early age and "could have had a life of crime" after growing up on "Britain's most dangerous street".

Mr Javid made it to the final four in the race to replace Theresa May as Tory leader in 2019, but dropped out and subsequently endorsed Mr Johnson.

After leaving the leadership race, Mr Javid said: "Work hard, have faith in your abilities, and don't let anyone try and cut you down to size or say you aren't a big enough figure to aim high.

"You have as much right as anyone to a seat at the top table, to be ambitious for yourself, and to make your voice heard."

Last August, he got a new job with Wall Street giant JP Morgan.

He is married to Laura, and has four children and a dog.

Read more:
Former chancellor Sajid Javid returns to top of politics but faces an 'enormous' in-tray - Sky News

Headline was irresponsible

I realize it is still imperative to continue to follow public health guidelines even after being fully vaccinated, however featuring a headline Fully vaccinated person dies of COVID-19 is irresponsible journalism! People are not feeling invincible, they are feeling hopeful for the first time in over a year. This type of headline could easily discourage a person who may have been wary of the vaccine in the first place to now back away from this wonderful opportunity.

My 92-year-old mother, is fully vaccinated, optimistic about the future and subscribes to The Spectator was also appalled at this headline. Surely there is a better way to encourage continued safe behaviour post-vaccine without alarming the public in this way.

Canadians should be feeling proud of themselves for the high numbers of vaccinated citizens across the country, not scared to death by a depressing headline on the front page!

Sensational headline rained on our parade

Today I open my Hamilton Spectator and see the front page headline: Fully vaccinated person dies of COVID-19. Tragic yes, but so unnecessary to flaunt this news when if you read on, article states it wasnt clear if the individual died from COVID, or had underlying health concerns or contracted the infection within two weeks of the vaccination, when a person hasnt reached maximum protection. Before you showcase such news, remember there are people out there who do not believe in the vaccine and this front page headline will only reinforce their misconceptions.

We are on our way in beating this formidable enemy, so dont rain on the parade.

Headline generates fear and anxiety

How utterly irresponsible of The Hamilton Spectator to publish a front-page article headlined Fully vaccinated person dies of COVID-19 when the information within the article clearly states, Its not clear if the individual died from COVID-19 or other underlying health conditions or if the infection occurred within two weeks of the vaccination, when a person still hasnt reached maximum protection.

In a time when many people are hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccination, this type of sensationalized headline does nothing more than generate unnecessary fear and anxiety and serves no one well.

Natalie Mancini, Ancaster

Headline will increase vaccine hesitancy

Many people are still fearful of getting their COVID-19 vaccinations. Misleading headlines like Mondays do not help. Fully vaccinated person dies of COVID-19 should have been Fully vaccinated person with COVID-19 dies, as the article states: Its not clear if the individual died from COVID or other underlying health conditions or if the infection occurred within two weeks of the vaccination

As a nurse vaccinator at a clinic, the subtle change in the lead headline would have been factually based on the truth.

Story didnt need to be on front page

I have to wonder about the smarts of whoever decides what goes on the front page.

To blare the headline about a fully vaccinated person dying of COVID-19 is irresponsible. A great way to encourage others to get vaccinated not! That report could easily have been put further back in the paper. It sure makes me think twice about how valuable our Spectator is.

Christine McLeod, Hamilton

(Editors Note: We sincerely regret this error and apologize. In fact, the person died with COVID-19 but it is not clear whether their death was caused by the virus.)

Three ministers need replacement

It is time for the prime minister to clean out the deadwood in his Cabinet. Three ministers, in particular, have passed their best before date: Blair, Bennett, and Sajjan. These three ministers have shown themselves incapable or unfit. Will a summer cabinet shuffle be the final move before an election call?

Blame the Liberals not Ford

Its odd to hear Ted McMeekin try to pin growth plan options on Doug Fords government, when it was his former governments Places to Grow Policy that put the Elfrida Boundary Expansion into the mix, as far back as 2010; when we all learned that a 60 per cent intensification target would still mean we would be adding population into less dense areas.

His last government was a majority, he had the ability to be as bold as needed. Who should we blame again?

Gabriel Nicholson, Hamilton

Bernardo needs advice from Rallo

So multi-murderer Paul Bernardo has again been denied parole. Perhaps he should call up Jon Rallo for advice! Bernardo was convicted of multiple murders, admits to his crimes but release stating he is no longer a threat. Jon Rallo was convicted of murdering his wife and children, denies his guilt and still refuses to reveal what he did with his little boys body. Rallo pleaded to the Parole Board that After 35 years, Im just tired of banging my head against the wall. No confession, no closure for the Family, but the Parole Board released him anyway. Well, good to know Bernardo is staying put, but it is sick that Rallo walks free while the body of his murdered child rots in some hidden location.

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Opinion | June 30: Headline was irresponsible, Trudeau cabinet needs cleaning, Bernardo should call Rallo and other letters to the editor -...

Thepaintings of Jackson Pollock are like the idea of having an idea, instead of having an idea, says an art-loving character in Keith Ridgways novel Hawthorn & Child. Its surprisingly popular, that idea of being seen to have an idea, without considering whether its actually a good one worth pursuing.

nd so to the bizarre notion of how to implement jabbed and unjabbed dining arrangements so indoor hospitality can reopen at a time when the Delta variant is ramping up.

Lets just spell it out, shall we? Delta is 2.4 times more transmissible than the previous variant, and now accounts for seven cases in 10, with infections rising sharply.

Consequently, the idea of anyone in the Cabinet giving thought to devising ways for people to congregate and socialise inside buildings is extraordinary.

Covid-19 is a Frankenvirus. Every time we think it has been locked off, it mutates to form a new threat. Professor Philip Nolan said yesterday we are now entering a fourth wave.

To recap (a necessary step in view of the clamour for indoor drinking and dining) to date there have been 5,000 deaths in the Republic from Covid-19.

Forty-five per cent of adults are fully vaccinated, which means more than half are not. Also, vaccines are not an absolute prevention against infection. In other words, caution is essential.

Tearing up the hospitality plan was painful but necessary. Replacing it with a let in some, exclude others admission policy for indoor drinking and dining is not at all necessary and will lead to more problems than solutions.

The decision to delay reopening was hardly much of a surprise: no need to read the runes or offer sacrifices to the gods, because the Delta statistics were only headed one way.

However, the Cabinet made its decision to pause reopening quite rapidly, with no replacement blueprint drawn up, and this is giving rise to misery and uncertainty for the hospitality sector.

That said, we appear to have invented a new vice: complaining about the way Covid-19 is ripping up our reopening plans, without acknowledging that the coronavirus has a knack for shredding any plan.

No doubt some people are intending to go abroad as soon as the vaccine passports, rolled out in the EU from yesterday, become available later this month.

What impact will that have on transmission rates already worrying our public health experts? The Government should strongly urge people to stay in Ireland, citing the danger of leaving the country.

It has been suggested unpredictability over indoor dining is among the reasons people will travel overseas rather than holiday at home, but that seems doubtful. Sunshine and a change of scene are the incentives.

The EU Digital Covid Certificate is recognised in all 27 EU member states, plus Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. But overseas travel is a calculated risk.

Travellers pack a double disadvantage into their suitcases: quarantine requirements may become more onerous at short notice, and a holidaymaker may face greater exposure to the contagious Delta variant. You pays your money and you takes your choice.

A glance at the spiralling infection numbers in Scotland and England should make all of us cautious about non-essential overseas travel, and the Government needs to warn people of the dangers. If the Delta variant, which is already present, is able to run as free here as in Britain, our hospitals will be under pressure. It would be an error to let down our guard too soon.

Besides, Irish hospitality outlets and holiday resorts need our spending money to get the economy motoring again. Spain and Portugal are wonderful countries, I look forward to visiting them again in future years, but is now really the time to export Irish disposable income?

Outdoor dining is working surprisingly well without moving people indoors causing risk to staff as well as customers.

Granted, the weather has been fine, in general, and its clearly a different scenario when its wet or windy, but compared with last summer the outdoor dining vista is a success.

Local authorities have created space on pavements for seating, and restaurants and cafes have invested in awnings, heaters and other accoutrements and are efficient at serving outdoors. The litter is a problem, but not an insurmountable one.

Is indoor dining so desirable in summer, when an alternative is viable? On the occasions when I tried eating in restaurants last year, I found it stressful. Outdoors felt safer, it still does and a sense of security enhances any social occasion.

I wandered around Dublin city centre earlier this week, and it seemed closer to normal than at any stage since March last year. Not the same as before, but not too far off.

Sunshine wasnt the only reason it was working. The restaurants, cafes, museums and shops have adapted well to service on the street.

Of course, its not ideal, but living with Covid is far from ideal. I also scurried through heavy showers one evening and noticed to my surprise the high numbers of outdoor diners and drinkers, although their pints were diluted by rainwater and their meals were turning soggy.

The answer is to accelerate the vaccination programme rather than find ways for the jabbed to eat and drink indoors with the unjabbed left looking on. Thats an idea that shouldnt fly.

Meanwhile, we can also learn from best practice elsewhere. For example, surge testing is happening in various areas where outbreaks of the Delta variant are suspected, but its a case of people turning up voluntarily.

In the North, a more proactive stance is being taken to encourage testing, with the Public Health Agency sending letters to people in particular postcodes, inviting them to attend their local test centre.

This approach was taken in an area of my hometown of Omagh, for example, as well as in other parts of the North such as Antrim and Down.

Its being characterised as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of infection.

Last week, more than 400 people were tested in one Omagh neighbourhood after receiving one such letter. Of those, 31 had the Delta variant. Other test centres are now being opened in the town as a result, with testing stepped up.

There is no doubt it would be reassuring if there was clarity at government level about plans for reopening in the near future.

However, instead of giving dates, it might be more useful if people were told a full reopening would only happen after a certain number of weeks with infections below a specified figure and no hotspots.

Crowds, such as those witnessed in Dublins Temple Bar and Grafton Street areas, need to be prevented rather than broken up after they have gathered. Publicans have a responsibility here.

Inevitably, mistakes have been made by the coalition. Even Homer nods, as Horace tells us.

But not everything is within the Governments control and the Delta surge tells us they called it right by pausing indoor drinking and dining.

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Letting our guard down must not be on the menu when it comes to hospitality - Independent.ie

Why Service Matters When Purchasing an NDT Inspection System | Quality Magazine This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more. This Website Uses CookiesBy closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn MoreThis website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.

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Why Service Matters When Purchasing an NDT Inspection System - Quality Magazine

Earlier this year, McCain and Joy Behar lost it over the state of the Republican Party, igniting a feud over what the party stands for.

I think you can call it whatever you want because your influence in the Republican Party is almost zero, McCain said when Behar began tearing into the party. Again, as Ive said on this show, it is for us to figure out amongst ourselves.

After Behar questioned her remark, McCain spiraled into a fit of rage.

What Republican is like, Oh, Joy Behar doesnt like my party? Oh God, I better stop voting for them now,' she asked. I mean really, the same way I have no influence on the left, McCain said as Behar began to talk over her.

The pair continued to yell at each other, and the fight only concluded when Goldberg cut to commercial.

You saying that the Republican party is trash, I dont care. Its not revelatory, McCain said in her final statement. Who cares, you say it every single day. Every single day, you hate Republicans. Oh my God, how revelatory!

See the article here:
Meghan McCains Most Heated Moments on 'The View' - Decider

By ANTHONY KITIMO

The Kenyan government on Thursday appointed a diplomat to head the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) on an acting capacity as the process of appointing the new Managing Director stalls for more than 13 months.

KPA board of directors announced the appointment of Amb John Mwangemi as the new acting MD to replace Eng. Rashid Salim who has been acting for more than a year and is now proceeding on leave ahead of his retirement in September.

The KPA board wishes to announce the appointment of the new MD takes effect from 1stJuly 2021 as Eng Rashid Salim proceeds on retirement. The new acting MD will hold the position until a substantive managing director is appointed, a statement from the KPA board states.

Amb Mwangemi is Kenyas immediate former ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad). He exited the office last month.

He previously served as Kenyas High Commissioner to Rwanda and he has also held executive leadership positions in the corporate world locally and internationally.

The position of the KPA managing director fell vacant in March last year after then MD Daniel Manduku, who had held the post for less than two years, resigned after battling graft allegations for months. Mr Salim was appointed on an interim basis.

Amb Mwangemi will be key in the managementas the term of KPA chairman, General (Rtd) Joseph Kibwana, and three other board members alsolapsed on June 5 andMr Salim proceeds on three-month terminal leave ahead of his retirement in three months.

Since then, the government has conducted three interview to get a replacement but they have been unsuccessful with the failure of the first two attempts blamed on political interference. Ukur Yatani, Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Planning, said the third attempt was delayed due to the ongoing restructuring of port management.

In May, Mr Yatani said the ongoing restructuring will ensure that the three main ports in the country are each headed by a managing director to make them autonomous.

The CS said the restructuring has affected the appointment of the MD after hiring deadline expired about a month ago but the government was at the final stage in making a decision.

We are at the final stage and soon we shall announce how each port will have independent management, he said then.

If the new structure is adopted, Mombasa, Lamu and Kisumu ports will each have its own MD.

According to sources, the push by senior government officials to have their own appointed to head the authority has delayed the exercise whereas CS Yatanihad earlier ordered the hiring process to end within 45 days.

On March 2, CS Yatanirejected three names the board had forwarded to him, saying the candidates did not attain the mandatory 70 marks and above in the interviews.

Late April, Mr Yatani reneged on his earlier statement, saying he did not set any fixed timeliness for the hiring process and on Thursday he raised the new issue of restructuring as the reason for the delay.

According to sources privy to the hiring process, already three names have been submitted to the CS but there has been political interference which is delaying the whole process.

The names we submitted on by April 13, the last day which was set by the CS when he revoked the whole process forcing the board to do it for the third time. We understand there is push and pull from senior government officials who want their own to head KPA, said the source.

The board was expected to forward three names to the CS to appoint the MD.

Read more here:
Kenya appoints Amb Mwangemi as acting head of the ports authority - The East African

The Diet may be out of session but a new battle is already underway at Liberal Democratic Party headquarters.

The power struggle has Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Finance Minister Taro Aso and former trade minister Akira Amari standing in one corner and LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai in the other. Each side has eyes on the partys leadership contest before a Lower House election in the fall.

The fight is manifesting itself in a number of recently formed parliamentary groups, with the two sides vying to install as many of their faction members as possible to LDP executive posts, and the position of secretary-general is the top prize.

At least on the surface, the party is united in backing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga ahead of the partys leadership election in September. Approval ratings for his Cabinet and the LDP still hover around the mid-30% range, whereas support for opposition parties is in the single digits. No rival candidates are exploring runs to replace Suga in the leadership contest. But the intraparty fight could leave Suga, who lacks a solid support base despite being the partys president, in a shaky position and that could destabilize the LDP and affect the general election.

The LDP is starting to think its leadership contest is more important than the general election, said Jun Iio, a professor of Japanese politics at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.

The trio of Abe, Aso and Amari, along with Suga, then-chief Cabinet secretary, were a key platoon during the early stages of the second Abe administration. When Abe resigned last September, Nikai keen to stay on as secretary-general filled the void and became the first major faction leader to endorse Suga as Abes successor.

Nikais swift, calculated move made Suga a front-runner and demonstrated his appetite to further expand his factions authority and influence within the party.

That has left Nikais 47-member group with an outsized influence in the party and has the two largest factions Hiroyuki Hosodas 96-member faction, of which Abe is a de facto leader, and Asos 53-member faction irritated.

LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai speaks at a parliamentary group on advancing the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy, next to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters on June 15. | KYODO

The influence held by factions was suppressed when Abe was in charge, with LDP lawmakers almost universally backing him and satisfied that party unity was Abes top priority. After his departure, they have been revived to play their role in deciding key party posts and even Cabinet ministers.

Nikais camp emerged as the fourth largest within the party, as it actively accepted newcomers to the LDP from opposition parties.

He is also flexible in throwing support behind a wide variety of lawmakers, even those considered dark horses. At one point, he praised former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, a vocal critic of Abe, as being well-versed in policies and expressed his support for Seiko Noda, who does not belong to a faction, running for the LDP leadership. Nikai appointed her to be a party executive.

The opening bell of the LDP fight was struck on May 21 at a meeting of a parliamentary group focused on semiconductors. The group was set up to advise the Suga administration as it looked to beef up its strategy on economic security.

But the caucuss lineup Abe and Aso as senior advisers and Amari as president promptly raised speculation that they were reuniting in a potential bid to seize leadership of the party. Aso and Amari were close Abe allies during his administration, along with Suga. The tight-knit group was given a nickname stemming from the initials of their family names: 3A + S.

Roughly 60 LDP lawmakers from the factions of Hosoda, Aso, Wataru Takeshita and Fumio Kishida participated in the meeting, but notably absent was a significant contingent from the Nikai faction.

Legislators often form a coalition on specific issues as part of policymaking and submit a proposal to the Prime Ministers Office. But a caucus is also an important ingredient in party politics that helps members build a relationship with lawmakers in other factions. It can also test their loyalty to specific executives.

Aso rattled off a joke about the lineup.

The three of us gathering here signals something is up in terms of a power struggle, so there are lots of newspaper reporters here who seem to have no connection with semiconductors at all, Aso noted, eliciting laughter from lawmakers in the room. You will be disappointed.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Finance Minister Taro Aso attend a meeting of a parliamentary group on semiconductors at the Diet on May 28. | KYODO

This was not the only time the three heavyweights have gathered in the same place in recent months. They all became advisers to the Japan-Australia Parliamentary Association to facilitate cooperation between the two nations on national security and economic issues amid Chinas rise.

Since the Diet session ended, LDP members interests have turned to a potential shake-up in the partys executive lineup, which is expected sometime after the LDP leadership contest or the general election, depending on whichever comes first.

For many, their greatest concern is whether the 82-year-old Nikai who has been secretary-general since August 2016, the longest run in the post in the partys history will keep his title beyond the fall. The secretary-generals term is one year, but there are no limits on reappointment. The person in the powerful role can decide which candidate to officially endorse in an election and has discretion on party finances and personnel, including the partys division heads and deputy heads.

When Abe decided to step down for health reasons in September last year, Suga, who was considering a run to be the partys next leader, first turned to Nikai for support.

Suga and Nikai, who both started as local assembly members, developed a close bond during the Abe administration. In return for his support, Suga kept Nikai on as secretary-general.

Under the Suga administration, Nikais faction members secured the crucial posts of internal affairs minister as well as another Cabinet position, a satisfactory result for Nikai.

Former trade minister Akira Amari (left) attends a meeting of a parliamentary group on semiconductors, with Motoo Hayashi, an executive acting secretary-general, at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters on June 15. | KYODO

Aso, who delayed throwing his support behind Suga last September, is seeking to rally his troops. The finance minister is rumored to be seeking to push Amari, a member of his faction, as Nikais replacement in the next reshuffle.

Wary of being driven into a corner, Nikai has attempted to drive a wedge into the 3A alliance. The secretary-general asked Abe to be a senior adviser of a parliamentary group that he had established aimed at advancing the countrys Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy. Because the strategy was originally pushed by Abe, the former prime minister had no choice but to accept the offer.

In response, Amari openly criticized Nikai for founding the parliamentary group, especially because the secretary-general is known for his close ties to China.

I wonder whether itd be OK for Mr. Nikai to preside over the group on the strategy that touches the sorest spot for China, Amari said during a TBS program aired on June 11.

Nikai and Amari had clashed openly before over a vote-buying scandal involving former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai and his wife, former Upper House lawmaker Anri Kawai. While Nikai denied knowledge of or participation in the distribution of 150 million in party funds to Anri Kawai in 2019, Motoo Hayashi, an executive acting secretary-general and Nikais top aide, implied during a news conference on May 17 that Amari was in charge.

Amari, who was an election strategy committee chairman, shot back by saying, I was not involved even a micrometer.

In response, Nikai modified his response and said the partys president and the secretary-general at that time were responsible for party decisions, dragging Abe into the controversy once again.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga during a news conference in May in Tokyo | POOL / VIA REUTERS

What is concerning for the LDP is that powerful skirmishes could damage the party as a whole. When Abe was prime minister, he was particularly mindful of party unity, wrote Koji Nakakita, a Japanese politics professor at Hitotsubashi University, in his book on the LDP.

Abe was not hesitant to pick rivals such as Ishiba and former Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki to fill the secretary-general role and tap leading figures of individual factions to Cabinet posts, thereby maintaining solidarity and high intraparty support. Election victories and high approval ratings also spurred him on.

The rationale for boosting rivals, Nakakita explained in the book, was rooted in a conviction that disarray within the party in 2009, in which LDP lawmakers had pressed Aso to step down as prime minister, caused the party to lose power.

Learning from that mistake, the LDP is united in backing Suga ahead of the general election. However, unlike Abe, Suga has neither a track record of winning national elections the LDP has lost three by-elections so far this year nor a strong faction that serves as a reliable support base, a crucial component to surviving an uphill battle in party politics.

Ishiba, who ran against Suga last year, cast doubt on whether the power struggle was worth it for anyone but the contestants.

I dont reject the power struggle itself, Ishiba said during a TV Asahi program appearance on Wednesday. What matters is for what purpose does one seek to acquire power? If people are competing for job posts while that objective is not clear, I wonder whether that serves the countrys best interest.

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LDP's infighting tests Suga and party unity ahead of election season - The Japan Times

It "may well be approaching the time" to scrap the problematic Isle of Wight floating bridge and replace it with a new one, the councillor responsible for the vessel has told Isle of Wight Radio.

Cllr Phil Jordan says"there comes a time when the mend and make do approachcomes to an end", and has hinted that the council may be nearing that.

Having been elected to the role of Cabinet member for Infrastructure and Transport around eight weeks ago, Cllr Jordansaysit is too early to say for definite how the local authority will fixthe chain ferry.

However, speaking to Isle of Wight Radio, he said it's clear there are only two viable options. He said:

"I'm looking forward. Every time we look back, this is what preventsus from looking forward.

"What we've got is what we've got. We have to either make that work and I would have to be convinced that we can make that work bymodifications or whatever ittakes or we would have to replaceit. One of the other.

"If we are being confronted with sums of money that are extensive we have to weigh that up against the possibility of putting that expenditure into a new replacement vessel."

WhenFloating Bridge 6 was commissioned, the council paid out around 3.2 million for its design and construction.

It came into service in May 2017, but has beenplagued with problems ever since. Just last year,Isle of Wight Radio reportedhow the chain ferry recorded a loss of more than 400,000.

Asked how the council would fund another multi-million pound vessel, if the current one is scrapped, Cllr Jordan said:

"There are operational revenues from it, if it works efficiently. Secondly, there may be income from an agreement with the designers and builders of the bridge, that may be an income for us.

"And then we would borrow the money over 25 years or maybe even longer over 25, 30 yearsand we would pay for that loan out of the income and revenue that we don't appear to be getting at the moment."

County Hall's previous Conservative administration had started legal action against the manufacturers of the vessel, but Cllr Jordan would not confirm whether that has reached a conclusion.

Going forward, he says the current vessel has a number of issues that need to be addressed, including the prow and rams.

He said:

"The issues that we see of the chain depth is problematic. The shape of the prow is problematicand I think because of the shape of the prow we have failing rams, because of the angle they have to push up and down.

"So I think essentially, operationally, as far as I'm aware that's where the issues are."

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Isle Of Wight Floating Bridge: "If We Have To Scrap It, We Will" Says Councillor - Isle of Wight Radio