Team GB Paralympics gold medallist Jaco van Gass reveals how a horror car crash left him fearing his Games were OVER – before smashing his own world record in Paris

[ad_1] Jaco van Gass starred to win gold in the men’s C3 3,000m individual pursuit title But the Team GB star nearly didn’t make the Games after being hit by a car Van Gass revealed how the horror accident left him fearing the worst  By Ian Herbert Published: 17:30 EDT, 30 August 2024 | Updated: 17:42 EDT, 30 August 2024 Jaco van Gass, the British Afghanistan war hero turned Paralympian cycling champion, revealed after powering to gold on Friday that he was hospitalised when a car hit him in Paris last week. Van Gass smashed his own world record en route to successfully defending the men’s C3 3,000m individual pursuit title.  He then revealed his Games were in jeopardy when the crash resulted in him being taken to hospital by ambulance, with head and knee injuries. ‘We did a recce of the road of the time-trial course last Friday and there was a car that pulled out in front of me, didn’t see me and I went flying over the bonnet, the 38-year-old revealed. ‘I was heartbroken.  ‘I was literally, “this could be my Paralympics done”. I had a big cut to my head. The next day is the hardest because that’s when your body is at its most pain. I thought it was over.’ Team GB Paralympics gold medallist has revealed how he was hospitalised when a car hit him in Paris last week Van Gass smashed his own world record en route to successfully defending the men’s C3 3,000m individual pursuit title on Friday The Team GB star revealed his Games were in jeopardy when the crash resulted in him being taken to hospital by ambulance Medics found no concussion and Van Gass, who lost his left arm at the elbow after being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade while serving with the Parachute Regiment in 2009, was back on his bike within two days.  It left him free to proceed to a final showdown on Friday with Fin Graham, who took silver in a competition which saw both of them set world records. Graham broke the record in his heat.  But Van Gass snatched it back in his own — then won their final by a margin of more than four seconds. He adds this medal to the two golds and bronze he won on debut at Tokyo 2020. Friday’s gold adds to the two golds and bronze he won on his debut at Tokyo 2020 ‘Coming in here was a lot more pressure on me to try to retain that title,’ said Van Gass. ‘More pressure on myself, not from anyone else.’ Lizzi Jordan, who lost her eyesight after contracting a rare strain of E. coli, claimed gold in the women’s B1 1,000m time trial, on her Games debut, piloted by Danni Khan. ‘Sport has given me a sense of purpose. It’s saved me really,’ said Jordan. ‘I love the sense of freedom cycling gives me.  ‘I need a guide walking round so life is a bit slower now. So shooting around the velodrome at 50-60kmph gives me that sense of speed again.’ Share or comment on this article: Team GB Paralympics gold medallist Jaco van Gass reveals how a horror car crash left him fearing his Games were OVER – before smashing his own world record in Paris [ad_2] Source link

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Musk’s X suspended in Brazil after disinformation row

[ad_1] X, formerly Twitter, has been banned in Brazil after failing to meet a deadline set by a Supreme Court judge to name a new legal representative in the country. Alexandre de Moraes ordered the “immediate and complete suspension” of the social media platform until it complies with all court orders and pays existing fines. The row began in April, with the judge ordering the suspension of dozens of X accounts for allegedly spreading disinformation Reacting to the decision, X owner Elon Musk said: “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes.” It is the latest in a series of rows involving Mr Musk – he has clashed with the with EU over the regulation of X and earlier this month became embroiled in a war of words with UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer. The head of Brazil’s telecommunications agency, which has been tasked with suspending the platform, said he is “proceeding with the compliance” to do so, according to Reuters news agency. The platform is expected to be unavailable in the country within the next 24 hours. The social media network closed its office in the country earlier this month, saying its representative had been threatened with arrest if she did not comply with orders it described as “censorship”. Justice Moraes had ordered that X accounts accused of spreading disinformation – many supporters of the former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro – must be blocked while they are under investigation. He said the company’s legal representatives would be held liable if any accounts were reactivated. Justice Moraes has now given companies such as Apple and Google a five-day deadline to remove X from its application stores and block its use on iOS and Android systems. He added that people or businesses using means such as VPNs (virtual private network) to access the platform could be fined R$50,000 (£6.7k). Meanwhile, the bank accounts of Mr Musk’s satellite internet firm Starlink have been frozen in Brazil following an earlier order by the country’s Supreme Court. Starlink responded with a post on X which said the “order is based on an unfounded determination that Starlink should be responsible for the fines levied – unconstitutionally – against X.” Mr Musk also said on X that “SpaceX and X are two completely different companies with different shareholders.” Starlink is a subsidiary of Mr Musk’s rocket firm SpaceX. In 2022, the government of then-President Bolsonaro gave Starlink the green light to operate in Brazil. As South America’s largest country, Brazil and its remote regions in the Amazon have huge potential for Starlink, which specialises in providing internet services to isolated areas. Justice Moraes gained prominence after his decisions to restrict social media platforms in the country. He is also investigating Mr Bolsonaro and his supporters for their roles in an alleged attempted coup on 8 January last year. X is not the first social media company to come under pressure from authorities in Brazil. Last year, Telegram was temporarily banned over its failure to cooperate with requests to block certain profiles. Meta’s messaging service Whatsapp also faced temporary bans in 2015 and 2016 for refusing to comply with police requests for user data. [ad_2] Source link

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Gutenberg 19.1 Introduces Plugin Template Registration API – WP Tavern

[ad_1] Gutenberg 19.1 has arrived, introducing the eagerly anticipated plugin template registration API and updates to image caption styles. This Gutenberg version will be later incorporated into WordPress 6.7. The highlight of this release is the plugin template registration API. It addresses a long-standing issue developers have faced with conflicts between plugins and themes, particularly when dealing with custom post types, taxonomies, or virtual pages. This new feature allows developers to register block templates directly within their plugins, providing fully customizable default content layouts. Till now, developers had to use multiple filters to register templates. By building on the Gutenberg block system, this update makes it easier for themes and users to adapt and personalize templates according to their design and functional needs. Justin Tadlock has published a detailed tutorial on this feature on the Developer Blog and will host a Developer Hours Session with Nick Diego on September 10, 2024. This release also tones down the intensity of the caption background, improving the image caption styles.  Other notable changes in this version include: Improved data view extensibility Better defaults for the zoom out view Added border support for core blocks Applied elevation scale to Modal, Popover, and Snackbar components. Fixed wp-config anchors to make wp-env compatible with WordPress versions older than 5.4. The community’s response has been enthusiastic, with feedback such as “Really like this feature”, “Great one, that I am looking for !” and “Literally the greatest news I’ve heard in years (and I had a baby last year)” [ad_2] Source link

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Gaudreau family breaks silence after tragic death of NHL star Johnny, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29

[ad_1] The Gaudreau family have released a statement paying tribute to NHL star Johnny, 31, and his brother Matthew, 29, after they were both killed by a drunk driver while out cycling on Thursday night.  The tragic incident occurred just hours before the brothers were due to be groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding in Philadelphia, and police arrested Sean M Higgins at the scene, who admitted to having drunk ‘5-6 beers’. Now the family has broken its statement with some words from their uncle Jim, who said: ‘Last night we lost two husbands, two fathers, two sons, two brothers, two sons and brothers in law, two nephews, two cousins, two family members, two teammates, two friends but truly two amazing humans. ‘We want to let everyone know we are receiving your messages of love and support and we appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers. ‘We ask for your continued respect and privacy during this very difficult period of grief. From all our families and the bottom of our hearts (the Gaudreau, Morris, Korbitz, Venello and Joyce Families)’ Johnny Gaudreau (left, with wife Meredith at their wedding in 2021) was killed on Thursday Johnny, an NHL veteran, had spent the last two seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets  Matthew (left) and Johnny (right) both plied their trade on the ice at Boston College Their uncle Jim (pictured at All-Star Weekend in 2022) released a statement from the family Johnny leaves behind wife Meredith, whom he married in September 2021, and two young children in one-year-old daughter Noa and baby boy Johnny, who was born just six months ago. TMZ also later revealed that Matthew’s wife Meredith is expecting to deliver the couple’s first child in just a few months, with a due date of December 31. It is believed Meredith was due to be a maid of honor at her sister-in-law’s wedding on Friday afternoon. It is unclear whether the wedding is going ahead. Matthew, meanwhile, leaves behind wife Madeline just over three years on from their wedding in New Jersey. In a statement to DailyMail.com, New Jersey State Police Troopers confirmed they responded to a motor vehicle crash at 8:19 pm. on County Route 551 North, milepost 11.1 Oldmans Township, Salem County. Johnny and wife Meredith had two children together, welcoming daughter Noa first in October 2022 ‘Based on a preliminary investigation, two pedalcyclists, John M. Gaudreau, a 31-year-old male from Carneys Point, N.J., and Matthew R. Gaudreau, a 29-year-old male from Pedricktown, N.J., were traveling north on County Route 551, close to the fog line of the roadway,’ the statement reads. ‘Sean M. Higgins, a 43-year-old male from Woodstown, N.J., was traveling north on CR 551 in a Jeep Grand Cherokee behind a sedan and SUV. Higgins attempted to pass the slower-moving sedan and SUV, entered the southbound lanes of travel, passed the slower-moving sedan, and attempted to re-enter the northbound lanes of travel when the SUV in front of Higgins moved to the middle of the roadway, splitting the north and south lanes to safely pass the two pedalcyclist traveling north on the right side of the roadway. ‘Higgins then attempted to pass the SUV on the right and struck the two pedalcyclists in the rear. As a result of the collision, the two pedalcyclists sustained fatal injuries. Johnny, a 31-year-old NHL veteran who had spent the last two seasons with the Blue Jackets, was cycling with younger sibling Matthew, 29, on the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding when the fatal crash occurred (Pictured: Gaudreau with wife Meredith and their two children) The driver – 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins of Woodstown, New Jersey (pictured) – is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. He has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide with no bail or bond ‘Through further investigation, Higgins was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, charged with two counts of death by auto, and lodged in the Salem County Correctional Facility. This crash remains an active investigation, and no additional information is available.’ Columbus released a statement confirming their player’s passing on Friday morning, admitting they will ‘miss him terribly’ while expressing their sympathy for his family. ‘The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy,’ the statement reads. ‘Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Meredith, his children, Noa and Johnny, his parents, their family and friends on the sudden loss of Johnny and Matthew.’ The two brothers were struck and killed by another vehicle on Pennsville Auburn Road near Stumpy Lane  New Jersey State Police Troopers confirmed they responded to a crash at 8:19 pm Gaudreau, 31, was out cycling with younger brother Matthew (pictured with wife Madeline), 29, when the fatal crash occurred ‘Johnny played the game with great joy which was felt by everyone that saw him on the ice. He brought a genuine love for hockey with him everywhere he played from Boston College to the Calgary Flames to Team USA to the Blue Jackets. ‘He thrilled fans in a way only Johnny Hockey could. The impact he had on our organization and our sport was profound, but pales in comparison to the indelible impression he made on everyone who knew him. ‘Johnny embraced our community when he arrived two years ago, and Columbus welcomed him with open arms. We will miss him terribly and do everything that we can to support his family and each other through this tragedy. ‘At this time, we ask for prayers for the Gaudreau family and that their privacy be respected as they grieve.’ [ad_2] Source link

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Canada to impose 100% tariff on China electric vehicle imports

[ad_1] Canada says it will impose a 100% tariff on imports of China-made electric vehicles (EV) after similar announcements by the US and European Union. The country also plans to impose a 25% duty on Chinese steel and aluminium. Canada and its Western allies accuse China of subsidising its EV industry, giving its car makers an unfair advantage. China has called the move “trade protectionism” which “violates World Trade Organization rules”. “We are transforming Canada’s automotive sector to be a global leader in building the vehicles of tomorrow, but actors like China have chosen to give themselves an unfair advantage in the global marketplace”, said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Canada’s duties on Chinese EVs are due to come into effect on 1 October, while those on steel and aluminium will be implemented from 15 October. A Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson said Canada’s actions “seriously undermine the global economic system, and economic and trade rules”. “China urges the Canadian side to immediately correct its erroneous practices,” they added. China is Canada’s second-largest trading partner, behind the US. In May, the US said it would quadruple its tariffs on imports of Chinese EVs to 100%. That was followed by the EU, which announced plans to impose duties on China-made EVs of up to 36.3%. Canada’s tariffs on Chinese EVs will include those made by Tesla at its Shanghai factory. “Tesla will almost certainly be lobbying the Canadian government to get some leeway on these tariffs, as they have already with Europe,” said Mark Rainford, a China-based car industry commentator. “If they fail at mitigating the tariff enough, they’ll likely look at switching their Canadian imports to either the US or European factories since Canada is their 6th largest market this year and thus not insignificant.” Tesla did not immediately reply to a request for comment from BBC News. Earlier this month, the EU cut its planned extra tariff on China-made Teslas by more than half, after further investigations requested by Elon Musk’s car maker. Chinese car brands are still not a common sight in Canada but some, like BYD, have taken steps to enter the country’s market. China is the world’s largest manufacturer of EVs and its car makers have quickly gained a significant share of the global market. Meanwhile, Canada has struck deals worth billions of dollars with major European car makers, as it tries to become a key part of the global EV industry. [ad_2] Source link

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6 Best WordPress LMS Plugins

[ad_1] If you’re looking for a way to deliver an online course, complete with all the traditional tools and features of a learning management system, then some of the learning management plugins available for WordPress might be able to provide all the functionality you need. By installing the free WordPress content management system, and then one of these online course delivery plugins, you can have your own learning platform for a fraction of the price of an enterprise system like Blackboard, albeit on a much smaller scale. Or, you can deliver some simpler online courses to your audience, either for free or by charging a one-off or recurring subscription fee. What is a Learning Management System Plugin? A learning management system plugin helps you add learning-focused features to WordPress to create, deliver, and manage online courses to people. It also comes with features to help you document, track, and report back to students as they progress through your courses. Learning management systems are very flexible. They offer you the ability to create content, make changes and update information, and manage all your admin tasks from one convenient location. Plus, they make eLearning a cinch for students. All they have to do to access your online courses is log into their account, which is set up on your website. You can use an LMS plugin for structured learning with elements such as quizzes, assignments, grades, etc. Or, you can use it in a simpler way to deliver text or multimedia lessons to your website’s subscribers, which is what a lot of entrepreneurs are doing. Membership Plugins vs. Learning Management System Plugins If you are new to online learning, then it might seem like a membership plugin such as Paid Memberships Pro or MemberPress could handle the functionality required, such as registering users and restricting access to content on your site. However, LMS plugins have learning-specific features at their disposal that make them ideal for delivering learning and teaching online. In fact, they go above and beyond what a WordPress membership plugin might. For example, WordPress LMS plugins includes features like: Quizzes Conditional course progression Student gradebooks Lessons Module and course structures Perhaps best of all, learning management system plugins bring the element of gamification to online learning. In other words, you students will be able to experience game-like features such as point scoring, competition with other students, rules of play, and so much more – all while learning. So while there is some overlap between the two, they do offer distinctly different functionality. In some situations, you might even want to pair them together. With some plugins, you can use a membership plugin to handle the membership/payment parts and then an LMS plugin to handle the course content/learning parts. Other LMS plugins include their own built-in membership features, which eliminates the need to use a separate membership plugin. What to Look for in an LMS Plugin Before we dive into the best eLearning and LMS options for WordPress, here’s what you should look for in your solution: Course Building: you want to be able to create interactive, dynamic, and exciting content for your students. This includes PDFs, videos, and more. Make sure you have access to a solid page builder as well, especially if this is the first time you’re creating an online course. Content Dripping: this feature is great for slowly and progressively releasing course materials to students as they move through your course. Course Progress Information: your students want to know where they’re at in your online courses at all times. So, make sure they can easily access this information. Student Management: you’ll want to know how many students are enrolling in your courses. In addition, you’ll want to be able to manage things like memberships, payments, and account access. Quizzes and Tests: this may seem obvious, but not all LMS plugins will give you the option to quiz and/or test your students. Evaluating how well they’ve learned and retained your content is a great way to congratulate top students. It’s also a good way to determine whether your content is effective or not. Forum Integration: being able to integrate with forum plugins like bbPress or BuddyPress is helpful for boosting student engagement and interaction. You can even chat with students through these forums. Payment Gateway Support: finding a payment gateway that integrates with your LMS plugin is important if you want to make money and not lose a lot of profit to excessive fees. Incentives: being able to reward those doing well, especially in a public way, is a great incentive for your other students to do well too. Things like badges and certificates are better than simple email confirmations because people feel more accomplished with official recognition, especially when they can print it out. Homework Options: make sure the LMS option you choose gives you a way to assign and grade homework submissions with ease. This will improve the learning experience without adding a lot of stress to you. Now that you know what to look for in an LMS plugin, let’s take a look at the best options in the market today. What Are the Best WordPress LMS Plugins? LearnDash – best value LMS plugin and most heavy-duty education features (like SCORM support). LifterLMS – best LMS plugin if you need the most features. WP Courseware – best LMS plugin for quizzes. Teachable – best SaaS LMS tool to integrate with WordPress. Master Study LMS – best free LMS plugin. Sensei LMS – simple LMS plugin from Automattic for WooCommerce users. 1. LearnDash ($199/year) The developers of LearnDash have a background in the learning industry. This means that this plugin has been developed based on the experiences and the knowledge that has been gained from working in that sector. This has contributed to the popularity of LearnDash amongst learning and teaching professionals, and explains why you are likely to see it in use at many universities. If you’re looking for a high quality and robust

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‘Sex-normalising’ surgeries on children born intersex are still being performed, motivated by distressed parents and the goal of aligning the child’s appearance with a sex. Researchers say such surgeries should not be done without full informed consent, which makes them inappropriate for children.

[ad_1] ‘Sex-normalising’ surgeries on children born intersex are still being performed, motivated by distressed parents and the goal of aligning the child’s appearance with a sex. Researchers say such surgeries should not be done without full informed consent, which makes them inappropriate for children. [ad_2] View Reddit by mvea – View Source

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