FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative congratulates Brianna Wanek of Cashton, Wis. as a 2020 FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative scholarship recipient. The cooperative recently awarded over $21,000 in scholarships to 27 high school and collegiate students pursuing postsecondary education.
Since 2013, FarmFirst has generously provided scholarships to 192 individuals, awarding more than $166,000 throughout the past eight years.
Brianna Wanek, daughter of Corey & Miranda Leis from Cashton, Wis. will be a freshm...In early March Mohamed Nasheed, the new President of the Maldives, met with Frank La Rue, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression. In the meeting Nasheed expressed his government’s commitment to free speech and announced that Maldives will be made a haven for dissident writers from countries such as Burma. However, within a week writers from Maldives found their right to expression at risk as the government instructed the two Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country to ban several websites and a blog.
In October 2008 thousands of Maldivians flocked to polling stations in a historical election – the first multiparty election in the country – that ushered the first democratically elected government. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had ruled the country for 30 years since November 1978, was challenged and defeated by Mohamed Nasheed, a former Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience, in a run-off. Various political factions that competed in the first round of election backed Nasheed – a former journalist and acclaimed writer – in the run-off, hoping for a slice of the cake after a new government was formed. While structuring the new government, a Ministry of Islamic Affairs was created, and assigned to Adhaalath Party, a conservative religious party in the ruling ‘coalition’. It is the Ministry of Islamic Affairs which is issuing instructions to block websites.
Even though some pornography websites are among the list of blocked sites, there is a website with information on Christianity and another website consisting of information on Islam, raising fears that faith-based websites that offer a different view than the one interpreted by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs are targeted. Moreover, the banning of Random Reflexions, a popular blog by the blogger Simon, who discusses a variety of issues and topics, has led to many Maldivian bloggers to examine this new assault on free speech.
this is a sad day for democracy.
i'm a believer of islam & i've good friends who arent. they have their basis for disbelief & i've no problems with that. in any case the debate between faith vs science should prevail cos it's a healthy one & it remains a firm test of humankind's ability to accept & tolerate.
Converting the internet to an intranet for Maldivians seems to be what the Islamic Ministry is trying to do. And this action is in contrary with the efforts and hard work of the several people who tried and who are trying to make Maldives a pure democratic country. There are 12 countries marked by the Reporters Without Borders as enemies of the internet. And if the Islamic Ministry continues its barbaric style of protecting people, Maldives is going to be on that list as well, putting in vein the work of several people.
I admitted to Mr. Nasih that some of my writing may contravene this reservation in the constitution. But this too is debatable. What the tenets of Islam are to some might not be the same for others. It is susceptible to interpretation. I could, for example, argue that the sale of alcohol in the Maldives is against the tenets of Islam. What then?
In any case, I did make a compromise. I promised to look through my posts and review past entries for any that may contravene this clause. So I have reviewed and taken the necessary actions. If CAM or MoIA still finds anything that they think does indeed break the law then they can always contact me directly.
If however they ban this blog again, I will take the matter to the court.
I want to thank all the blogs that have voiced their disdain towards this crackdown on websites/blogs by president Nasheed’s government. Ideally, I believe no websites should be banned and no one should have to make compromises on freedom of speech.
The ban on the other websites is still enforced and at least for the moment Maldivians have to live with a censored version of democracy.
I would like to make a sincere correction, if I may.
“Religious Conservative” would be putting it lightly. Inaccurate, even. The Adhaalath is an extremist party. Their ideals are pretty clear, they don’t hide their extremist views, nor do they sugar coat it to make it seem moderate.
Blocking websites and censorship are the sort of things that the previous regime in Maldives used to do. After spending so many years with repression, without free speech and with media restrictions, the people voted for the new government hoping for a change. It is sad that the new government, which was elected with a democratic mandate, is resorting to the methods of dictators.
56% Cotton, 44% Viscose
A light, A-line shift dress made from cotton twill with a lovely natural texture and unique Seasalt print. On cooler days we'll layer our Moon Rock Dress with Sea Dance Leggings, a Landing Top and simple trainers. This easy to wear style is finished with a side zip and is fully lined in recycled polyester.The question for consideration is whether the legal expenditure incurred by the assessee in respect of determination of the compensation in the civil court is an allowable deduction under section 48. Once the amount received on account of enhancement of compensation by the civil court is taken as the value received by the assessee, legal expenditure incurred by the assessee for getting compensation enhanced in the civil court is an allowable deduction as the said expenditure has been incurred in connection with compensation of the asset transferred. All expenditure incurred in connection with such litigation in the civil court is an expenditure within the meaning of section 48 as it is an expenditure wholly incurred in connection with compulsory acquisition proceedings. In V.A. Vasumathi v. CIT 1980 123 ITR 94 the Kerala High Court considered the question whether the legal expenditure incurred in the civil court subsequent to the award in connection with enhancement of compensation is an allowable expenditure. The Kerala High Court held that where a reference is made under section 20 of the Land Acquisition Act, the litigation which results therefrom is a proceeding intimately and intrinsically connected with the acquisition and all expenditure wholly and exclusively incurred in connection with such litigation is an expenditure within the meaning of section 48. In CIT v. A. Venkataraman 1982 137 ITR 846 the Madras High Court held that the amount paid to the tenants to get the vacant possession of the land which has been sold is an expenditure incurred wholly and exclusively in connection with the agreement of sale which preceded the transfer and in fulfilment of a condition of sale and the said expenditure incurred is an allowable deduction under section 48 in computing the capital gains. The legal expenditure incurred in litigation before the civil court in connection with enhancement of the compensation awarded by the LAO is an allowable expenditure under section 48 while computing the capital gains.I would like to volunteer to be the 4.7.0 Release Manager. We are
thinking of cutting a RC for the 4.7.0 release the week of Dec 14, are
folks ok with this? This is the list of JIRAs targeted to the 4.7.0
release
Please let me know if any of these should be moved out of the 4.7.0 release.
Thanks,
ThomasA Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed at the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday against the West Bengal government’s decision of granting Rs 60,000 each to the registered communities for the upcoming festive season.
In the PIL filed by an association of lawyers at the division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, the petitioners have questioned the rationale behind granting such huge amounts to the registered Puja committees and more specially when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has herself admitted that the state is going through a financial crunch.
The division bench has admitted the petition and the Chief Justice himself assured that the matter will be heard on a fast-track basis. The matter is likely to be hard on August 26, 2022.
On August 22, at a preparatory meeting with the representatives of the different community Puja committees, the chief minister announced that this year the state government will pay an amount of Rs 60,000 to each of the 43,000 registered puja committees. In the last festive season, the amount was Rs 50,000.
She, at the same time, announced that she will request the electricity distribution companies in the state to give a discount of 60 per cent on the electricity bills to the Puja communities.
While making the announcement, the chief minister herself admitted that she is taking this decision despite facing a severe cash crunch following the reluctance of the Union government in realising its dues to the state.
The opposition parties described this announcement as a move to keep the members of the community puja clubs in confidence for the panchayat elections next year and Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The economists too criticised the decision as wasteful and avoidable especially at a time when the state’s debt to gross domestic product (GSDP) ratio was hovering at an alarming level of over 30 per cent.
IPL 2023: Wasim Jaffer re-appointed as Punjab Kings batting coach, Langeveldt...
Arthur J. Prideaux was a graduate of Pacific