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zyanu1 · 2 years
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newstfionline · 5 years
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The world’s most expensive cities (Economist) For the first time in its 30-year history, the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey from The Economist Intelligence Unit gives the title of the world’s most expensive city to three places. Singapore marks its sixth straight year at the top of the rankings, and is joined there by Hong Kong and Paris. The survey, which compares prices across 160 products and services, finds that living costs in all three cities are 7% higher than in New York, the benchmark city. Two Swiss cities, Zurich and Geneva, and Osaka in Japan also have higher prices than New York; Copenhagen and Seoul cost the same as the Big Apple. Strong economic growth in the United States in 2018 led to a sharp appreciation of the dollar and a rise up the rankings for 14 of the 16 American cities for which prices are collected. The highest climbers were San Francisco (up 12 places to 25th) and Houston (up to 30th from 41st); New York itself moved up six spots to seventh and Los Angeles rose by four places to tenth.
Donald Trump impeached (Foreign Policy) President Donald Trump became just the third president in U.S. history to be impeached on Wednesday, as the U.S. House of Representatives voted 230 to 197 and 229 to 198 to charge him with obstruction of Congress and abuse of power, respectively. The votes mostly fell along party lines, after lawmakers engaged in nearly 12 hours of debate over the articles of impeachment. But Trump, the first to face impeachment heading into an election year, is almost certainly not going to be removed from office after a trial in the Republican-held Senate.
U.S. deports Mexicans far from border, may send others to Guatemala (Reuters) The United States began flying Mexican deportees to the interior of Mexico on Thursday and a senior U.S. official said Mexicans seeking U.S. asylum could be sent to Guatemala, as the Trump administration seeks to further limit border crossings.
Chilean lawmakers approve popular vote on Pinochet-era constitution (Reuters) Chile’s Congress on Thursday gave the green light to a referendum on changing the country’s constitution next year, a central demand of protesters whose mobilizations brought the nation virtually to a standstill over the past eight weeks.
Scottish leader calls for second independence referendum (Foreign Policy) Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will demand the right to hold a new independence referendum today--a challenge to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the British Parliament, which must approve of any plan for a new vote. Sturgeon will request that Parliament transfer that power to Scotland’s legislature, setting up a potential constitutional showdown.
Catalan separatist leader jailed by Spain had immunity as an MEP: EU court (Reuters) A Catalan separatist leader jailed by Spain was entitled to immunity as a member of the European Parliament, the EU’s highest court ruled on Thursday in a decision that could put Brussels on a collision course with Spanish authorities.
French PM, unions fail to break pension strike deadlock as Christmas looms (Reuters) The French government failed to break the deadlock over a planned overhaul of the pension system on Thursday, prompting union leaders to reaffirm the continuation of strikes over the Christmas holiday season.
Lights out for multilateralism? Alarm as U.N. faces cash squeeze. (Reuters) During talks on disarmament at the U.N.’s Geneva headquarters last month, alarm bells went off in the chamber to indicate that delegates had infringed new cost-cutting rules that restrict the length of meetings. Screens and microphones were also shut off, forcing ambassadors to shout their speeches across the hall.
Russian security officer dead, 5 injured in Moscow shooting (AP) An unidentified gunman opened fire Thursday outside the Moscow headquarters of Russia’s top security agency, killing one officer and wounding five others, officials said. The FSB said the shooting occurred near its main headquarters on Lubyanka Square, less than one kilometer from Red Square.
Turkey pitches refugee resettlement plan (Foreign Policy) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently presented the United Nations with a detailed plan to resettle 1 million Syrian refugees along a 20-mile stretch of Turkey’s border with northern Syria, FP’s Colum Lynch and Lara Seligman report. The plan would require more than $26 billion in foreign aid, with Turkey promising access to schools, hospitals, mosques, and sports arenas. If it goes forward, it would be one of the largest public construction projects on occupied land in modern history.
India’s Protesters Dig In Their Heels (Foreign Policy) Thousands of people nationwide marched against India’s new citizenship law again on Wednesday, in part in response to alleged police brutality against student protesters. In recent days, India’s government has sought to clamp down on the protests. Authorities in New Delhi imposed an emergency law that prohibits large gatherings after clashes between demonstrators and police--many on Muslim-majority university campuses. Today, the state of Karnataka enacted a similar ban in at least three cities including Bengaluru, where multinational companies such as Uber and Walmart’s Flipkart are based. India has also responded with its preferred tactic: shutting down the internet in affected areas.
Nationwide digital surveillance (NYT) China is ramping up its ability to spy on its nearly 1.4 billion people to new and disturbing levels, giving the world a blueprint for how to build a digital totalitarian state. Chinese authorities are knitting together old and state-of-the-art technologies--phone scanners, facial-recognition cameras, face and fingerprint databases and many others--into sweeping tools for authoritarian control, according to police and private databases examined by The New York Times. Once combined and fully operational, the tools can help police grab the identities of people as they walk down the street, find out who they are meeting with and identify who does and doesn’t belong to the Communist Party. The United States and other countries use some of the same techniques to track terrorists or drug lords. Chinese cities want to use them to track everybody.
2 Firefighters Die, 3 Hurt as Wildfires Ravage Australia (AP) Two volunteer firefighters died Thursday while battling wildfires ravaging Australia’s most populous state, forcing Prime Minister Scott Morrison to cut short his family holiday as authorities braced for temperatures to soar in New South Wales at the weekend.
Libyan Force Attacking Tripoli Gives Militias 3-Day Deadline (AP) A Libyan force fighting to capture the country’s capital from the U.N.-supported government based in Tripoli on Friday gave the militias defending the city a three-day deadline to pull out.
Nigeria’s Ex-Attorney General Held by Financial Crimes Agency Over $1.3 Billion Oil Deal (Reuters) Nigeria’s former attorney general was detained by the country’s financial crimes agency upon his return home on Thursday, the commission said in a statement, as part of an investigation into one of the oil industry’s biggest suspected corruption scandals.
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wallpaperpainting · 4 years
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13 Mind Numbing Facts About Led Canvas Wall Art | led canvas wall art
A admirable landscape, block patterns and abstruse designs — the lockdown has led bodies to analyze their aesthetic side. So abundant so, our Instagram feeds accept been amphibian with pictures of Bollywood celebrities unleashing their close Picasso with acclamation of art. And like them, abounding bodies accept added angry appear sketching, painting or appearance to accord with abreast blues.
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With aberrant times, cursory joys, alike in acute circumstances, generally appear through art therapy. Anita Gautam, analyst says, “In this time of crisis and isolation, the role of art becomes added axial to our lives, whether we apprehend it or not. Art analysis is application person’s adroitness and aesthetic adjustment to advice in ambidextrous cerebral problems. It releases absolute endorphins, abatement accent hormones in academician and advice able blast of affections to abstain depression, anxiety, agitation attacks, etc.”
Shrikant G Poddar drew a account of asleep amateur Irrfan Khan as a accolade to his life.
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Shrikant G Poddar, accomplished arts assistant adds, “Art analysis puts all your accent into the appropriate place. Art has no boundaries and that’s the adorableness of this form. You can acrylic your apple on a allotment of paper, and you don’t accept to be exact about it.”
The artlessness of colouring has fabricated abounding booty it up. Srishti Khare, a abecedary says, “I took to art during lockdown as it helped allay my stress. It gave me wings to fly abroad through imaginations.”
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The best of colours can accomplish a huge appulse on one’s brainy accompaniment and affect those who watch it. Neeti Banga, a assistant at NIFT Delhi says, “It connects the artist’s apperception and body and makes them relax. Art creates absolute accordance in the world.”
Derryl Daniel’s artwork blue-blooded Light as a Feather which she drew during lockdown
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For some, growing up meant amusing break from their painting pursuits. The lockdown however, fabricated them acquisition their long-lost love. Derryl Daniel, administrator shares, “Just alert to coronavirus updates fabricated me fatigued so my ancestor asked me to alpha abstraction to alter myself from all the negativity. I hadn’t done art back academy but now every day I deathwatch up with a anticipation of creating article new.” Echoing the sentiment, Bhavishya Diswar, a additional year apprentice of bachelors in amusing assignment says, “I had abandoned how huge a accent buster art is, until lockdown happened. Now I am alert to my canvas in my house.”
People draw not because they could, but because it heals them. Sunanda Basu Mallik, a 10th chic apprentice from West Bengal says, “One day I kept all my art food hidden and out of sight, because was fed up with myself, alone to acquisition myself appetite to authority that besom again. It gave me immense pleasure. That day I absolutely accepted
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tomandharriet · 6 years
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Rajasthan Royals
We actually came close to liking Delhi on our brief, unscheduled return here. Maybe it was the comfort of tracking the train which we originally booked, but couldn’t board, as it gradually became over 10 hours delayed, or perhaps Varanasi normalised it. But we encountered some nice people, found some great food and will most fondly remember it for being the place that we finished off our Christmas shopping and found a man who’s job it is to make beautifully crafted packages for shipment - his wrapping putting ours to shame!
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After a quite enjoyable day in Delhi, we boarded our 3rd night train of the past 4 nights. Having spent most of our sleeper journeys in either or 2 or 3 AC (air conditioned carriages) we this time opted for Sleeper class, because it wasn’t too hot and we fancied a more authentic experience. This time, our train was running on time, ahead of time infact, as it raced through the countryside and then into the Rajasthan desert, which happens to get quite cold a night, during the Indian winter! The main problem with Sleeper class is the lack of windows, which made this one of the coldest nights sleep in our memory. Unprepared with our microfibre travellers lightweight sleeping bags, designed to keep you cool in warm climates and then covered again with our very English beach towels, we stood out like sore, very cold thumbs, compared to our other carriage companions who mostly turn up with bundles of bedding which we frequently saw for sale after that journey.
Arriving into Jodhpur with the sun rising over the newer parts of the city, illuminating the old town, it’s beautiful clock tower and the majestic Mehrangarh fort which towers over it, within a matter of minutes, we had fallen in love with Rajasthan. The air was clean and crisp, the weather was beautiful, with cloudless skies producing hot days and cold nights, the architecture was stunning, with quaint rooftop restaurants peppering the skyline. As we went on to learn about their rich history and discover some of the best foods we tried during our time in India, it would be hard not to love this place.
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Jodhpur, known as the blue city for it’s colourful Indigo pained houses, is an old walled town with a growing city around it. We learnt a lot about it’s history on a brilliant morning walking tour which, along with a wealth of tips about the best food / chai / Indian sweet spots, taught us the many different reasons for the blue houses. Primarily seen as decoration, blue represents the colour of Shiva, one of the most popular Hindu gods. Hindu gods represent different personalities and it is down to individuals who they wish to follow. In Jodhpur we found images of Shiva on street side shrines, whereas in nearby Jaisalmer, it was his son (and Hinduism’s most popular God) Ganesha, who appeared on wall murals most frequently. The propensity of blue houses is seen as a wide support for Shiva which is passed down through generations. But there are more practical reasons which are also frequently cited. The colour serves as a natural coolant, a mozzie repellent and perhaps most importantly for some of the older houses made predominantly of clay, the copper and indigo mix used to paint the houses serves as a poison for termites, whose damage can be clearly seen on houses which either dont have the paint, or have used a cheaper strain without the high concentration of indigo.
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Our hostel had a fantastic rooftop restaurant with views over the blue city. We could have spent all day just relaxing and drinking chai on the typically Indian sea of cushions and low level tables, but a Canadian who had just purchased his first flute decided to try and learn Frère Jacques, which sounded so bad even his girlfriend came up with an excuse to leave. Fortunately this forced us to head out to explore more of this great city. Built in 1459, the Mehrangarh fort is as imposing on the outside as it is homely and beautiful on the inside. In it’s near 600 year history, it’s walls have never been breached and with it’s hilltop position, outlooking cannons and intricate defence system, it’s easy to see why. In fact the story goes that the protection the fort has provided is thanks to a volunteer who sacrificed himself during the forts construction, by being buried alive within its walls.
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Whilst we could’ve spent longer in Jodhpur, we had every reason to be excited for our next stop, Jaisalmer, where we had arranged a camel trek out into the Thar Desert, to spend a night under the stars. We arrived early on a slightly warmer night train, caught a little extra sleep and explored some of Jaisalmer, namely it’s famous Patwa Haveli ‘heritage homes’ - five elaborately decorated homes, built by a wealthy merchant for each of his sons. After purchasing some essential camel trekking attire from the local market, we took a jeep out into the desert where we met our camels, Mikey & Atchia for the first time. We realised pretty quickly that our group of 6 would really get along. A couple who lived in New Zealand but were originally from Dorset & India and another younger English couple, who had studied at Cambridge, meant we had plenty to talk about. We trekked towards the setting sun for nearly 2 hours, taking in the surroundings and began to get quite comfortable in our new role. However a persistent wild female camel nearly caused a mating crisis when it turned the heads of more than one of our groups young male camels, especially Captain, who was literally foaming at the mouth just behind me.
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We arrived at our campsite, which consisted of a campfire, a small tent for our guides which Harriet almost mistakingly thought was the toilet, and some bamboo sheets protecting 3 bamboo beds from the wind. We ate and drank into the night as the guides performed local songs using pots and pans for drums and we blurted out something distinctly British in return. I’m sure Rod Stewart featured by the end. The cold of the night eventually set in, so after some incredible shooting stars, we headed to our primitive beds and caught some sleep. It wasn’t long before the heat of the sun was back on us and after a morning chai and spot of breakfast, we heading back to our collection point and said our fairwells to Atchia, Mikey and our lovely guides. It’s an experience we’ll never forget!
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Food
After our marathon journey on Indian night trains and a diet for the last 48 hours of “chaaaaaaais” we arrived in beautiful Jodhpur bleary eyed and starving. Dumping our bags we immediate ventured out to the highly recommended omelette shop (yes, no frills, it says what it does on the tin). The restaurant was positioned on a street corner, which basically consisted of little stalls placed next to a man with his hob and wok. You wouldn’t think there would be much to say about an omelette but we are talking about an omelette from the “omelette shop”. Light and soft egg with fried onions, potatoes, tomatoes, spices with a creamy cheese dripping out of it placed in a thick, soft pita bread. Delightful.
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Jodhpur was easily one of our favourite cities we visited in India and so much of that was down to the food. One of our highlights was the Gulab Jamun we tried on our fantastic walking tour of the blue city, during which we learnt that the sweet shops are commonly known for specialising in one particular sweet. In this case he took us to one that was all about the gulab jamon. Gulab Jamon is a milk solid based sweet (khoya) that is shaped into small balls, deep fried and then soaked in a syrup flavoured with cardamom and rose water. Imagine the lightest, sweetest, softest, juiciest little donut that kind of tastes like rice pudding with subtle hints of cardamom and rose. Well it’s better than that. We will definitely try (and fail) to make these at home.
The guide clearly thought our arteries needed a good thickening up as he led us to a shop that specialises in jalebi. A deep fried gram flour batter (in eye pleasing circular shapes) soaked in MORE syrup. A crunchy, sticky texture dripping in delicious syrup. For the sweet tooth lovers out there, you need to try this.
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Another little delight we discovered in Jodhpur was mirchi bada. A popular snack in Rajasthan consisting of green peppers stuffed with a masala aloo filling deep fried in a chickpea batter. It can be served with a tangy tomato chutney (but we just had it plain).
We also had two incredible meals in Jodhpur at Jhankar Haveli restaurant - just in case you were worried we were about to go a whole post without a shout out to Joel and Alecia, here it is! Set in a gorgeous 460 year old building with so many of the original features restored throughout. One particular highlight was one of the Rajasthani curries we ordered, called veg angara. Made using so many fresh vegetables and packed full of flavour with a deliciously rich red gravy sauce. We especially loved the garnishing of cashew nuts. Such a wonderfully satisfying meal that we had to go back for a second night.
Travel Jukebox - ‘The Immaculate Collection’ by Madonna
Harriet’s Dad, Simon, wins the prize for most albums sent to us, with 4 eclectic albums, a playlist and 4 bonus tracks for good measure. We kicked off with his first album, ‘On How Life Is’ by Macy Gray when chilling on our Jodhpur hostel rooftop and enjoyed singing along to her big hits. ‘Leftfism’ by Leftfield took Tom back to his teenage years and their effortless blend of dub and dance music is a prime example of just how good 90’s music was. Stereo MCs provided some more prime throwback listening - who doesn’t love their biggest anthem, Connected. However, it was Madonna who, not for the first time, stole the show.
The Immaculate Collection is a compilation of all things 1980’s Madonna, which amasses to an incredible set of hits which define a decade. As we listened through, we realised just how heavily her music features films and TV series set in that time. We’re too young to be qualified to talk about what it was like in the 80s, but Madonna’s track record speaks for itself and the fact that almost all of the 17 tracks featured were so familiar to us, shows just how far reaching her music has been. The album also runs in chronological order, with a stark contrast between the innocence of early hits ‘Lucky Star’ and ‘Like A Virgin’ against the confident and experimental ‘Vogue’. Listening to the transition inbetween, all in one sitting is fantastic. Whilst near impossible to pick a favourite, there’s something about ‘Papa Don’t Preach’ ‘which makes it stand just ahead of the rest.
All in all Simon provided us with some great albums, whilst also putting together a soundtrack for his time with us in Vietnam. This was rewarded when his opening track ‘We Gotta Get Out Of This Place’ by The Animals was played at a sports bar which we made our local whilst in Phu Quoc.. but we’re jumping the gun, we haven’t even ‘Gotten Outta’ India yet!
TLDR; Forts and camels still reign supreme, as we live like Maharajahs in ‘The Royal State’ of India!
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erickmalpicaflores · 6 years
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Erik Malpica Flores Erik Malpica Flores recommends: What is Coming to Netflix in January 2019
UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT’s final episodes are coming to Netflix in January 2019, as are new seasons of FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE and A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS. On the movie side, here’s your chance to stream SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, INCREDIBLES 2 and ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, as well as all of the INDIANA JONES films.
Related: What is Coming to Netflix Canada in January 2019?
January 1
A Series of Unfortunate Events: Season 3 (Netflix Original): In the series’ third and final act, the Baudelaires will stop at nothing to solve the mysteries of the VFD and end Count Olaf’s relentless pursuit.
Across the Universe
Babel
Black Hawk Down
City of God
COMEDIANS of the world (Netflix Original): This global, first-of-its-kind, series will showcase 47 comedians from 13 regions in 8 languages in an unprecedented stand-up comedy experience. The groundbreaking series will feature a range of stand-up specials from comedians diverse in style, gender and ethnicity. Get ready to start the new year off with a laugh!
Definitely, Maybe
Godzilla
Happy Feet
Hell or High Water
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
It Takes Two
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Jersey Boys
Mona Lisa Smile
Mr. Bean’s Holiday
Pan’s Labyrinth
Pinky Malinky (Netflix Original): Pinky Malinky sees the bright side of everything, including being born a hot dog. With his BFFs in tow, this little wiener takes a bite out of life.
Pulp Fiction
Swingers
Tears of the Sun
The Addams Family
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The Dark Knight
The Departed
The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
The Strangers
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo (Netflix Original): In a series of inspiring home makeovers, world-renowned tidying expert Marie Kondo helps clients clear out the clutter — and choose joy.
Watchmen
xXx
XXX: State of the Union
January 2
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
January 4
And Breathe Normally (Netflix Film): An Icelandic single mom struggling with poverty and a Guinea-Bissauan asylum seeker facing deportation find their lives intertwined in unexpected ways.
Call My Agent!: Season 3 (Netflix Original): Rising tensions prompt two agents to hatch a secret plot in a new season of showbiz antics with Isabelle Huppert, Monica Bellucci and Jean Dujardin.
El Potro: Unstoppable (Netflix Film): A singer makes a splash in the Tropical music scene thanks to his good looks and magnetism, but must navigate tragedy and the trappings of fame to survive.
Lionheart (Netflix Film): When her father falls ill, Adaeze steps up to run the family business — alongside her uncle — and prove herself in a male-dominated world.
January 9
GODZILLA The Planet Eater (Netflix Original): With the earth alliance weakened, Haruo weighs siding with the Exif, whose death cult is summoning a monster that can destroy the world.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
January 10
When Heroes Fly (Netflix Original): Years after a bitter falling out, four Israeli military veterans reunite and travel to Colombia in search of a loved one they’d presumed to be dead.
January 11
Friends from College: Season 2 (Netflix Original): Mistakes were made. Feelings were hurt. Life goes on. Now, with a wedding on the horizon, the gang tries to put the past behind them.
ReMastered: Massacre at the Stadium (Netflix Original): For years, the murder of Chilean protest singer Victor Jara was blamed on an official in Pinochet’s army. Now in exile, he tries to exonerate himself.
Sex Education (Netflix Original): Meet Otis Milburn – an inexperienced, socially awkward high school student who lives with his mother, a sex therapist. Surrounded by manuals, videos and tediously open conversations about sex, Otis is a reluctant expert on the subject. When his home life is revealed at school, Otis realizes that he can use his specialist knowledge to gain status. He teams up with Maeve, a whip-smart bad-girl, and together they set up an underground sex therapy clinic to deal with their fellow students’ weird and wonderful problems. Through his analysis of teenage sexuality, Otis realises he may need some therapy of his own.
Solo (Netflix Film): In a remote area of the Canary Islands, young surfer Alvaro Vizcaino accidentally falls from a cliff. Seriously injured, he must fight to survive.
The Last Laugh (Netflix Film): Retired talent manager Al reconnects with former client Buddy, a comedian who gave up performing decades ago, and urges him to go back out on the road.
January 15
Revenger (Netflix Film): A former detective hell-bent on revenge infiltrates a remote island serving as a prison for dangerous death row criminals in search of a brutal fiend.
Sebastian Maniscalco: Stay Hungry (Netflix Original): Sebastian Maniscalco takes on life’s many annoyances with his singularly expressive approach in a live special based on his memoir of the same name.
January 16
January 17
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
January 18
Carmen Sandiego (Netflix Original): Carmen Sandiego returns in this series that follows her new international capers as well as past escapades that led to her becoming a super thief.
Close (Netflix Film): To protect an heiress from highly trained kidnappers, a lone security expert must unravel a sinister plot — while striving to stay alive.
FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (Netflix Original): The Fyre Festival was billed as a luxury music experience full of social media influencers on a posh island, but the reality was far from the promises.
GIRL (Netflix Film): In this award-winning drama inspired by a true story, 15-year-old Lara trains to become a ballerina as she transitions from her assigned gender.
Grace and Frankie: Season 5 (Netflix Original): In the return of this Emmy winning comedy, two friends launch a scheme to get their old lives back.
IO (Netflix Film): One of the last survivors on Earth, a teen races to cure her poisoned planet before the final shuttle to a distant space colony leaves her stranded.
Soni (Netflix Film): While fighting crimes against women in Delhi, a short-fused policewoman and her level-headed female boss grapple with gender issues in their own lives.
The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes: Season 2 Part B (Netflix Original): Award-winning architect Piers Taylor and actress/property enthusiast Caroline Quentin continue to travel the globe touring striking homes.
Trigger Warning with Killer Mike (Netflix Original): In this subversive comedy documentary series, rapper and activist Killer Mike and a team of funny correspondents explore socially relevant topics.
Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 5 (Netflix Original): This season, the trolls get lost in wormholes, journey to the Fountain of Glitter, go for a ride in a submarine, play in the snow and more.
January 21
Justice (Netflix Original): Instead of joining her father’s law firm as her family expects, Farah strikes out on her own as a defense attorney after returning home to Abu Dhabi.
January 24
Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (Netflix Original): Get a unique look inside the mind of an infamous serial killer with this cinematic self-portrait crafted from statements made by Ted Bundy.
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
January 25
Animas (Netflix Film): When her best friend starts acting odd after a strange accident, a young woman descends into a living hell where nightmare and reality are blurred.
Black Earth Rising (Netflix Original): A contemporary thriller that follows the difficult journey of a woman, a Rwandan orphaned by the genocide, raised in London by an adopted mother, trying to discover the truth of her past. The series examines the West’s relationship with Africa, set in a world of prosecution of war crimes.
Club de Cuervos: Season 4 (Netflix Original): Chava and Isabel come to terms with their futures and the future of the Cuervos in an all-new season of surprises.
Kingdom (Netflix Original): In a kingdom defeated by corruption and famine, a mysterious rumour of the king’s death spreads as does a strange plague that renders the infected immune to death and hungry for flesh. The crown prince, fallen victim to a conspiracy, sets out on a journey to unveil the evil behind it all and save his people.
Medici: The Magnificent (Netflix Original): He already sacrificed his dreams of being an artist and marrying his true love. Will building and protecting the Medici legacy cost him his soul too?
Polar (Netflix Film): The world’s top assassin, Duncan Vizla, aka The Black Kaiser, is settling into retirement when his former employer marks him as a liability to the firm. Against his will, he finds himself back in the game going head to head with an army of younger, faster, ruthless killers who will stop at nothing to have him silenced.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 4 Part 2 (Netflix Original): As the series comes to a hilarious and moving close, Kimmy has to choose between helping her friends, Titus (Tituss Burgess), Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski) and Lillian (Carol Kane), and helping someone she’s never put first before: herself. This final season includes a double-sized “Sliding Doors” episode exploring how the main characters’ lives might have been different if Kimmy had never been kidnapped.
January 27
January 29
Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias: One Show Fits All (Netflix Original): In a new comedy special for 2019, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias discusses his teenage son, encounters with Snoop Dogg and an overzealous fan, and more.
Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp
January 30
Disney•Pixar’s The Incredibles 2
Coming Soon
Marvel’s The Punisher: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Last Call – Titles Rotating Off the Service in January 2019
January 1
Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure
Blade
Blade II
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Catwoman
Face/Off
Finding Neverland
Friday Night Lights
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
I Am Ali
Interview with the Vampire
Into the Wild
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Kung Fu Panda
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Fifteenth Year
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Seventeenth Year
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Sixteenth Year
Like Water for Chocolate
Love Actually
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Marie Antoinette
Meet the Fockers
Meet the Parents
Million Dollar Baby
Monsters vs. Aliens
Mortal Kombat
Rent
Sharknado
Sharknado 2: The Second One
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Sharknado 5
Sharknado: The 4th Awakens
The 6th Day
The Godfather
The Godfather: Part II
The Godfather: Part III
The Green Mile
The Iron Giant
The Princess Diaries
The Queen of the Damned
The Reaping
The Shining
January 4
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
January 13
January 14
January 18
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
January 19
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
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Entering the world of escorting
31st, December 2008; a 20-year-old hyper excited girl woke up at 6 A.M -  jittery with joy!
I remember that day like it was yesterday. I had come home to Delhi over my winter / Christmas college break from U.K. My parents, as almost always, weren’t in town; away on one of their unending business trips. More joy to me though, which meant I could throw some wicked parties and have friends over until late almost every day.
But that was not the plan for that day. I was excited because my best friend had gotten her hands on VIP passes to one of the swankiest New Year party in town. My head was going bonkers. Parties are a very big deal for us women. Makeup, dress, hair - it must be perfect. Delhi parties are a nightmare — everybody judges you on your looks.
I looked at my watch, it was only 7 a.m. “Damn it! Why won’t the time move faster?” I cursed out loud. I needed to go to the hair salon but that won’t open till 10 a.m. What am I to do? I headed to my indoor pool. Stripping out of night suit, I jumped into the warmed water of the pool naked. Nobody is home, why wear a swimsuit? The water calmed my nerves a bit. In no mood for any vigorous workout, I enjoyed an hour of slow backstrokes and then go out the pool and sat naked on the poolside chair.
A pack of Davidoff Mild was lying next to the chair. I lit a cigarette and inhaled the awakening fumes deeply. Yes, I know smoking kills but there are only a few joys in the world that compares to having the first cigarette of the day. Stubbing the cigarette, I went for a long shower and again checked my watch.
9:30 AM. It was time to head out.
My Blackberry had started to buzz. Seems like I was not the only girl losing her shit over the party. What to wear? How to do the hair? What shoes? Which car to drive? The BBM group was going crazy. I finally made it to the parlour for my 10 AM appointment.
Ah, such joy. So relaxing to get a nice head massage, getting your hair shampooed, conditioned, straightened and sculpted to perfection. I drove back home and cracked open a bottle of 2005 Australian Shiraz. Yes I know it is midday, but who gives a fuck. It is the day before New Year, I am entitled to get drunk whenever I want to!
Oh goodness! I looked at the bottled! Fuck! It was half finished and I swooned a bit. Drunk already? I hadn’t eaten much and the robust red wine hit me hard. Phone rang. I picked it up. Shivangi screamed from the other side, “RITIKA!!! It is fucking 4 PM already!! ARE YOU FUCKING READY??” The call brought me back to my senses! Damn! I had to get ready, the party starts at 7.
I stripped out of my t-shirt and jeans, threw away my bra and panty and ran naked to the walk-in closet. What to wear? What to wear? Times like this, a girl’s mind goes blank. My closet felt empty although in reality, it was overflowing. My fashion design teacher taught me well. She said when in need, it is always Valentino to the rescue.
What I wore was simply stunning. A black, off shoulder short chiffon dress from the Valentino 2008 winter collection which exposed my thin shoulder and neck and exhibited my toned slender legs. Underneath, I had a black satin Victoria’s Secret demi bra coupled with the tiniest black thong. For shoes, it was a pair dark grey Jimmy Choo.
I checked myself out in the mirror. Damn! I looked hot! I spun around with the confidence of a supermodel. Yes, if looks could kill, I would be a serial killer tonight. I sprayed a whiff of Chanel No. 19 on my neck and wrist and it was time for the evening to start.
Travel time from my house to the club was around 20 minutes. Party starts at 7 and the clock read 6:45. My friends were already there so I revved the engine and drove like a proper ‘Dilliwali’, doing 70-80 km/ h. Not that I am entirely proud of that.
I reached the hotel and my friends were standing at the entrance, starting at me furiously. I handed the car key to the valet and ran to them. “Let’s get this show started guys!”; I screamed and queued up to enter. At the entrance, we flashed out VIP passes and were quickly ushered away by the staff away from the crowd. We headed to the private area which looked incredible. It was quiet, the decor, classy. It had only a handful of people. I could hear some muffled music from the dance floor below
We had our own DJ who played to an audience of no more than 50. The music was groovy, the alcohol was flowing like water and we were dancing and grooving like there was no tomorrow. It was around 10 pm when I realized that I really needed a break. My legs hurt from the dancing so I left the club and went to the hotel lawn to get a moment of peace and quiet. Also, I badly needed a cigarette break.
It was dark in the lawn, illuminated sparsely by some low-level lights. I went and sat in the gazebo and lit a cigarette, drew in a long puff and closed my eyes as I let go of the smoke.
“That thing will kill you…”. A deep rugged voice spoke out and startled me, “…and it would be a shame to see a jewel like you disappear so soon”; he continued. I looked at a guy sitting opposite to me in the gazebo. DAMN! He was so handsome. Must be in his mid-40s, he looked rugged, just like I like my men to be. His face was chiselled with a hint of stubble. He wore a blue pinstripe suit and trousers and his bow tie hung loosely from his neck. He held a whisky glass in his hand and a cigarette burned between his fingers. Taking a sip from his glass, he asked, “Bored much? Parties aren’t really my thing.” I nodded like a bedazzled school girl.
I have been sexually active since the age of 16 and as a girl with a nice face and thin body, I had my way with boys and always managed to get them to do my bidding. But this man was out of my league. I knew I was being played and he wasn’t even trying.
I tried to make some small talk and he tried to look interested and then he suddenly stopped me as said, “40,000″.
“What”; I asked.
“Yes, 40,000 rupees to spend the night with me.”; he affirmed confidently.
“Excuse me!” I pretended to be offended. “Do I look like a prostitute to you?”
“No, but I am bored, you are bored. You are clearly feeling turned on so why don’t you say yes, and make some money from the evening?” he coolly stated.
I was dumbfounded. Yes, I was turned on. Turned on by his confidence and his audacity. Turned on by the fact that I was being made an offer to be a prostitute for a night. As the daughter of one the leading industrialist in the city, 40,000 didn’t mean much to me. It was literally change-money but the fact that I could get fucked and get paid for doing it made me feel incredibly dirty in a kinky sort of way. I felt a familiar tingling sensation between my legs. I bit my lips. I could feel my pussy getting moist.
“Yes. Let’s”; I said weekly, avoiding any eye contact with him. For the first time, I was feeling shy about sex. It was the most amazing concoction of emotions I had ever felt.
He held his hand out towards me. I gave my hand to him, getting up from the bench. He held my hand firmly and walked back to the hotel. Turns out he was staying in the same hotel where the club was situated. As we walked across the lobby, I avoided eye contact with anyone. I felt like a criminal but truth be told, nobody really cared on this busy New Year eve.
We got in the elevator. He pressed number 7 and the elevator began its upward journey. By now my legs were like jelly. I could barely stand. I was nervous. He sensed it. He wrapped his arm around my waist, and said, “Chill, I won’t hurt you.” I pretty much surrendered myself to him. I let him lead the evening.
Room 7021. That’s where he was staying. He slid in the key card and the door clicked open and lights turned on. He led me in and closed the door behind me and proceeded to dim the lights of the room. I was breathing shallowly while he looked confident. He came close to me, put his arms around me and said, “let’s not play around, shall we?”.
His hands slid down my back, seeking the zipper of my evening dress. He slid it down and with a confident tug near my waist, my entire dress slid down, dropping on the floor crumpled around my leg.
Normally I am immensely confident of my body. I loved exposing but that night, I felt strangely naked and vulnerable. I stood there awkwardly in my black bra, thong and shoes.
“Wow! What a beauty”; he said admiringly. “Now let’s get you in the right mood”; he winked at me.
He held my hands again and drew me close to him tight and planted a firm deep kiss on my lips. His tongue slid effortlessly into my mouth and I had no intentions of resisting him. Oh God! He was such a great kisser.
One of his hand squeezed my ass and another groped my breasts roughly. It was a full-on sexual assault and I was loving every moment. My pussy responded almost immediately and the floodgates of pussy juices opened. I had never even been so wet before.
He continued to grope me, feel me, lick me, kiss me and eventually, his hand slid inside my thong and his warm fingers made their way to my soaking wet pussy. He pulled his finger out and sniffed it deeply.
“Someone is beginning to get naughty”; he grinned at me wickedly. By now, I was horny without any bounds. I was getting comfortable and gaining the confidence in the situation.
I looked at his crotch and saw a huge bulge in his pants. Looking at him I answered wickedly, “someone is feeling a bit trapped, ay?”
I searched for his zipper and slid it down and then slide my hand under his underwear and felt his hot thick penis. As I touched his penis, he let out a loud “aah”. He was feeling the pleasure! He closed his eyes.
“Shall we do something about this?” I asked him like a cheap slut. He was enjoying every bit of it. I started pushing him and pushed him till I made him sit on the chair. I pulled down his pants and underwear to his knees and then proceeded to unbutton his shirt. I exposed his slightly hairy and hard chest and then like a pro, I started licking him, starting at his neck, down his chest, lower, I reached his stomach, I went lower, I reach his pubes and then my mouth finally makes its way to his cock.
His cock was big with a nice girth. I took it into my mouth completely and start working my magic. My lips wrapped firmly around his cock and I slowly bobbed my head up and down, up and down, up and down.
Now it was my turn to be in control. He closed his eyes and just sat there speechless, clearly in sexual heaven. I unhooked my bra while I continued giving him a blowjob. I reached out and held his hand and guided it to my breasts. Oh! I just love it when a guy squeezes my boobs while I suck him.
Both of us were in heaven by then.
“Ritika! Stop…stop!!” he screamed. “I am going to cum”.
“Cum inside my mouth”; I said, like a proper street hooker.
“No! I want your pussy”, he said and saying that he leapt up, threw away his pants, underwear, shirt. He picked me up effortlessly and dropped me like an animal on the bed.
His huge penis was throbbing. I wanted it inside my pussy. I wanted to be fucked like a bitch. I wanted him to ram his hot rod into my wet hungry pussy.
He slid a Durex ultra-thin over his cock and got on top of me. We weren’t in the mood for any kissing or lovemaking. What we wanted was pure raw hard fucking.
He positioned his cock at the entrance of my pussy and with a hard effortless push, it slid completely inside me.
FUUUUCK! Oh FUCK! It was amazing. I was beyond any control and so was he. He waited for a second and then started thrusting his cock inside me like a steam engine. Hard, rough, in and out, in and out. My boobs bounced up and down and he would take small breaks to bite my nipples or squeeze it or suck it. He was fucking me real rough. I lost all senses, I didn’t know where I was, what date it was, what time it was. The only thing I was aware of was his mammoth cock penetrating in and out of my pussy.
I was screaming and moaning in joy. OHH! OHHH! OHHH!! AAAHHHH!!! when suddenly my phone rang loudly. I looked at it. The caller ID read “mom” and the time read 00:00 hrs, 1st Jan, 2009.
What do I do? I had to take the call but there was no possible way I wanted the sex to stop.
“Don’t stop but be quiet”; I told him as I hit the answer button.
“Happy new year darling”; I heard my mother’s voice from their side. I wished her happy new year and proceeded to have a normal 2 minutes conversation with my mother and father while my client continued to fuck me like a piston. This felt so wrong and yet so right.
Hanging up, I refocused on the sex. The relentless pounding continued and my body began to tighten. Suddenly, I screamed out loud … “OOOOOHHHHH FUCCCCCCKKKK!!!!” and my pussy tightened around his cock as I had the most intense orgasm of my life. My entire body shook like an earthquake but he didn’t stop. He wasn’t done yet and he wanted his money’s worth.
A few minutes later, he said, “get ready Ritika, I’m gonna cum!”.
“Don’t waste your cum inside the condom”; I screamed and he quickly slid his cock out of my pussy and removed the condom. We rapidly exchanged positions, just like a cliched porn flick. He got on his back while I leapt up and reached for his cock. I grabbed his cock real hard, put my lips over the head and started rubbing it very fast and within seconds I heard his loud groan while thick white hot cum screamed out of his cock and entered my mouth. I swallowed his salty hot cum hungrily.
We both collapsed on the bed. We lay there for a few minutes, completely covered in sweat. A bit of his cum trickled out from the side of my mouth. My heart was beating so hard that my entire body shook with every beat.
I was satisfied, he was satisfied.
I got up to go to the bathroom to wash up, clean my mouth and get dressed. By the time I got out of the bathroom, he had gotten dressed. He was wearing his night suit and signalled me to a thick envelope on the table. I picked it up and there was cash in it. I didn’t bother counting.
He made it clear that he didn’t want me hanging around and I was more than happy with this arrangement. We exchanged phone numbers and he promised to get it touch when he would come to Delhi again. I smiled, he hugged me and we said goodbye.
I made my way back to the club. My senses were readjusting to the dancing and music. I spotted my friend on the dance floor and went up to her and started grooving again. She was a bit drunk, she looked at me and said, “Ritika, where the fuck were you?”.
“I had just gone out for a smoke break.”; I replied, with a wicked grin on my face.
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viralhottopics · 8 years
Text
The rise of the cashless city: ‘There is this real danger of exclusion’
Cities from Sweden to India are pushing for a totally cash-free society. But as more shops and transport networks insist on electronic payments, where does this leave the smallest traders and poorest inhabitants?
Scrolling through my online bank statements at Christmas, I was surprised to find I had not removed cash from an ATM for well over four months. Thanks to the ubiquity of electronic payment systems, it has become increasingly easy to glide around London to a chorus of approving bleeps.
As more shops and transport networks adapt to contactless card and touch-and-go mobile technology, many major cities around the world are in the process of relegating cash to second-class status. Some London shops and cafes are now, like the capitals buses, simply refusing to handle notes or coins.
Could we see a whole city go cash-free? From Seoul to Bergamo, cities big and small are at the forefront of a global drive to go digital. Many of us are happy to tap cards or phones to hop on a bus, buy a coffee or pay for groceries, but it raises the prospect of a time we no longer carry any cash at all.
No spare change for the busker at the station, the person sleeping rough in need of a hot drink, the market trader, the donation box. Although even on-street charity fundraisers are now broaching the world of contactless payments, what might the rise of the cashless city mean for street vendors, small merchants and the poorest inhabitants?
Some experts now fear a two-tier urban realm in which those on the lowest incomes become disconnected from mainstream commercial life by their dependence on traditional forms of currency.
The beauty of cash is that its a direct and simple transaction between all kinds of different people, no matter how rich or poor, explains financial writer Dominic Frisby. If you begin to insist on cashlessness, it does put pressure on you to be banked and signed up to financial system, and many of the poorest are likely to remain outside of that system. So there is this real danger of exclusion.
Ajay Banga, Mastercards CEO, has spoken about the growing global risk of creating islands, where the unbanked transact [only] with each other.
In India, the question of how the poorest might connect with the digitised world of the middle-class consumer is now of central importance. In November, the prime minister Narendra Modi announced the removal of 500 and 1000 rupee notes from circulation. Part of a wider attempt to jolt the nation into joining the cashless revolution, Modis government believes restricting currency and pushing the take-up of electronic payment will help tackle corruption and regulate Indias untaxed, black economy.
It has become increasingly easy to glide around London to a chorus of approving bleeps. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Saurabh Shukla, the Delhi-based editor in chief at NewsMobile Asia, says he has seen many small mom and pop store owners introduce card readers and learn how to use Paytm, a mobile payment platform, over the past two months.
They realise a big change is here and they are trying to adjust to electronic payment, he explains. But they still want to convert back to cash at the end of the working day or the working week. It will be a gradual adjustment. We might not be able to create a completely cashless India, but we can aim to create a low cash economy.
Modi is encouraging state government to create smart cities by connecting their public services with the latest online technology. Officials are aiming to make the Chandigarh famously designed by modernist architect Le Corbusier Indias first cashless city by insisting all bills are paid electronically at government offices. And the government of Goa is attempting to turn its capital Panjim cash-free by offering discounts in digitally bought services like train tickets, and by setting up classrooms to teach small traders e-payment technology.
Yet huge queues remain outside banks as many Indians continue to demand cash. Some of the poorest street vendors cannot afford card readers, and have struggled to operate Paytm payment transfers on their mobile phones.
Aires Rodrigues, a human rights lawyer in Goa, says traders in Panjim are suffering. Rickshaw drivers and fish market sellers have been left with no way of accepting payment from middle-class customers now inclined to do everything digitally. Its senseless to try to make everyone go cashless, says Rodrigues. The government seems to have lost sight of the plight of the common man.
If Indias urbanites are being forced to undergo digital shock therapy, city dwellers in much of Europe have been moving steadily away from cash. Consumers like convenience. Governments like the idea of tax transparency. And retailers like cutting down on the costs of cash handling.
People queue to withdraw cash at a bank in Lucknow, India, after prime minister Narendra Modi announced the elimination of the 500 and 1,000 rupee bills. Photograph: Pawan Kumar/Reuters
According to a recent report by Fung Global Retail & Technology, nine of the top 15 most digital-ready countries are in Europe. It predicts Sweden could become the worlds first completely cashless society. Niklas Arvidsson at Stockholms KTH Royal Institute of Technology thinks it could happen by 2030.
Yet even Sweden has seen an enthusiasm gap emerge, mostly along demographic lines. Older people in the rural north, tending to be the least tech-savvy, resent the economic power of Stockholm and Gothenburg, now almost entirely cash-free urban zones. The National Pensioners Organisation is a key player in the Cash Uprising coalition now campaigning to make sure older Swedes can still deposit and remove cash from banks.
Wealth, however, remains the key factor in determining who might be entirely left behind by the evolving digital economy. Some of the poorest people in Europes richest cities have found themselves pushed aside.
In Amsterdam, homeless people selling street magazine Z!, the Dutch equivalent of The Big Issue, now struggle to find customers still using cash. Z! trialled card payments by giving a dozen of the citys vendors iZettle readers back in 2013, but the method was deemed too cumbersome.
After a few weeks, our vendors said, Look, this is too complicated, says editor Hans van Dalfsen. It became too clunky and time-consuming for the vendor to juggle their magazines, the card reader and their own mobile phone connected to Bluetooth all that stuff was needed to carry out the transaction.
Van Dalfsen says he is now talking to a major telecoms company to try to find a simpler way for homeless vendors to accept payment using only their mobile phones, perhaps with help of unique QR code on their ID badge.
The M-Pesa banking service in Kenya allows people without bank accounts to transfer funds using mobile phones. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Like Scandinavia, we are close to being cashless in Amsterdam, he says. Im an optimist, but we really need bright people in the tech companies to come up with simple, convenient solutions that work for everyone. We cannot let people become cut off from the life of the city.
Like many of the worlds poorest people, much of Amsterdams homeless population remain without a bank account. So even if they own a mobile phone, most fall back to cash.
Kenya may offer a guiding light here, having found a way to allow unbanked citizens access into the cashless society using cheap mobiles. Launched in 2007, M-Pesa has become the worlds leading mobile money platform, allowing millions of users to transfer money to each other by sending text messages and store their funds digitally without opening a conventional bank account.
In Zimbabwe, last years cash liquidity crisis led to renewed distrust in the banks and helped mobile money platforms take off as an alternative way of doing business, first in the capital city Harare, then in rural areas. The countrys most popular text-based service EcoCash now has more than six million users.
There has been a huge explosion in cashless payments, down to the very poorest street traders using mobile money solutions, says Nigel Gambanga, a Harare-based technology analyst. Everyone has begun to realise, If I dont figure this out, I might not be in business tomorrow. People are adaptable.
Dave Birch, director of innovation at UK firm Consult Hyperion, thinks it would be foolish to insist on clinging on to cash on behalf of the poor. If you keep people trapped in a cash economy, you leave them to pay higher prices for everything, you leave them struggling to access credit, and more vulnerable to theft, he says.
Were going to replace cash with electronic platforms, Birch adds. I dont think poverty or being unbanked is necessarily a barrier, because everyone has a phone. Given the technology we have, we can develop new ways of moving digital cash around, even on the most basic of phones.
The challenge for banks, regulators, tech innovators and officials keen to push forward smart city initiatives, is to make sure evolving platforms are accessible and keep everyone interconnected.
If we cannot find a common payment ecosystem, we may find ourselves wandering through divided cities, separated by the sound of bleeps and the shuffling of cold, hard cash.
Follow Guardian Cities on Twitter and Facebook to join the discussion, and explore our archive here
Read more: http://bit.ly/2iuI1zW
from The rise of the cashless city: ‘There is this real danger of exclusion’
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newstfionline · 8 years
Text
The rise of the cashless city: ‘There is this real danger of exclusion’
Adam Forrest, The Guardian, 9 January 2017
Scrolling through my online bank statements at Christmas, I was surprised to find I had not removed cash from an ATM for well over four months. Thanks to the ubiquity of electronic payment systems, it has become increasingly easy to glide around London to a chorus of approving bleeps.
As more shops and transport networks adapt to contactless card and touch-and-go mobile technology, many major cities around the world are in the process of relegating cash to second-class status. Some London shops and cafes are now, like the capital’s buses, simply refusing to handle notes or coins.
Could we see a whole city go cash-free? From Seoul to Bergamo, cities big and small are at the forefront of a global drive to go digital. Many of us are happy to tap cards or phones to hop on a bus, buy a coffee or pay for groceries, but it raises the prospect of a time we no longer carry any cash at all.
No spare change for the busker at the station, the person sleeping rough in need of a hot drink, the market trader, the donation box. Although even on-street charity fundraisers are now broaching the world of contactless payments, what might the rise of the cashless city mean for street vendors, small merchants and the poorest inhabitants?
Some experts now fear a two-tier urban realm in which those on the lowest incomes become disconnected from mainstream commercial life by their dependence on traditional forms of currency.
“The beauty of cash is that it’s a direct and simple transaction between all kinds of different people, no matter how rich or poor,” explains financial writer Dominic Frisby. “If you begin to insist on cashlessness, it does put pressure on you to be banked and signed up to financial system, and many of the poorest are likely to remain outside of that system. So there is this real danger of exclusion.”
Ajay Banga, Mastercard’s CEO, has spoken about the growing global risk of “creating islands, where the unbanked transact [only] with each other”.
In India, the question of how the poorest might connect with the digitised world of the middle-class consumer is now of central importance. In November, the prime minister Narendra Modi announced the removal of 500 and 1000 rupee notes from circulation. Part of a wider attempt to jolt the nation into joining the cashless revolution, Modi’s government believes restricting currency and pushing the take-up of electronic payment will help tackle corruption and regulate India’s untaxed, “black” economy.
Saurabh Shukla, the Delhi-based editor in chief at NewsMobile Asia, says he has seen many small “mom and pop” store owners introduce card readers and learn how to use Paytm, a mobile payment platform, over the past two months.
“They realise a big change is here and they are trying to adjust to electronic payment,” he explains. “But they still want to convert back to cash at the end of the working day or the working week. It will be a gradual adjustment. We might not be able to create a completely cashless India, but we can aim to create a low cash economy.”
Modi is encouraging state government to create “smart” cities by connecting their public services with the latest online technology. Officials are aiming to make the Chandigarh--famously designed by modernist architect Le Corbusier--India’s first cashless city by insisting all bills are paid electronically at government offices. And the government of Goa is attempting to turn its capital Panjim cash-free by offering discounts in digitally bought services like train tickets, and by setting up classrooms to teach small traders e-payment technology.
Yet huge queues remain outside banks as many Indians continue to demand cash. Some of the poorest street vendors cannot afford card readers, and have struggled to operate Paytm payment transfers on their mobile phones.
Aires Rodrigues, a human rights lawyer in Goa, says traders in Panjim are suffering. Rickshaw drivers and fish market sellers have been left with no way of accepting payment from middle-class customers now inclined to do everything digitally. “It’s senseless to try to make everyone go cashless,” says Rodrigues. “The government seems to have lost sight of the plight of the common man.”
If India’s urbanites are being forced to undergo digital shock therapy, city dwellers in much of Europe have been moving steadily away from cash. Consumers like convenience. Governments like the idea of tax transparency. And retailers like cutting down on the costs of cash handling.
According to a recent report by Fung Global Retail & Technology, nine of the top 15 “most digital-ready” countries are in Europe. It predicts Sweden could become the world’s first completely cashless society. Niklas Arvidsson at Stockholm’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology thinks it could happen by 2030.
Yet even Sweden has seen an enthusiasm gap emerge, mostly along demographic lines. Older people in the rural north, tending to be the least tech-savvy, resent the economic power of Stockholm and Gothenburg, now almost entirely cash-free urban zones. The National Pensioners Organisation is a key player in the “Cash Uprising” coalition now campaigning to make sure older Swedes can still deposit and remove cash from banks.
Wealth, however, remains the key factor in determining who might be entirely left behind by the evolving digital economy. Some of the poorest people in Europe’s richest cities have found themselves pushed aside.
In Amsterdam, homeless people selling street magazine Z!, the Dutch equivalent of The Big Issue, now struggle to find customers still using cash. Z! trialled card payments by giving a dozen of the city’s vendors iZettle readers back in 2013, but the method was deemed too cumbersome.
“After a few weeks, our vendors said, ‘Look, this is too complicated’,” says editor Hans van Dalfsen. “It became too clunky and time-consuming for the vendor to juggle their magazines, the card reader and their own mobile phone connected to Bluetooth--all that stuff was needed to carry out the transaction.”
Van Dalfsen says he is now talking to a major telecoms company to try to find a simpler way for homeless vendors to accept payment using only their mobile phones, perhaps with help of unique QR code on their ID badge.
Like many of the world’s poorest people, much of Amsterdam’s homeless population remain without a bank account. So even if they own a mobile phone, most fall back to cash.
Kenya may offer a guiding light here, having found a way to allow unbanked citizens access into the cashless society using cheap mobiles. Launched in 2007, M-Pesa has become the world’s leading mobile money platform, allowing millions of users to transfer money to each other by sending text messages and store their funds digitally without opening a conventional bank account.
In Zimbabwe, last year’s cash liquidity crisis led to renewed distrust in the banks and helped mobile money platforms take off as an alternative way of doing business, first in the capital city Harare, then in rural areas. The country’s most popular text-based service EcoCash now has more than six million users.
“There has been a huge explosion in cashless payments, down to the very poorest street traders using mobile money solutions,” says Nigel Gambanga, a Harare-based technology analyst. “Everyone has begun to realise, ‘If I don’t figure this out, I might not be in business tomorrow.’ People are adaptable.”
Dave Birch, director of innovation at UK firm Consult Hyperion, thinks it would be foolish to insist on clinging on to cash on behalf of the poor. “If you keep people trapped in a cash economy, you leave them to pay higher prices for everything, you leave them struggling to access credit, and more vulnerable to theft,” he says.
“We’re going to replace cash with electronic platforms,” Birch adds. “I don’t think poverty or being unbanked is necessarily a barrier, because everyone has a phone. Given the technology we have, we can develop new ways of moving digital cash around, even on the most basic of phones.”
The challenge for banks, regulators, tech innovators and officials keen to push forward “smart city” initiatives, is to make sure evolving platforms are accessible and keep everyone interconnected.
If we cannot find a common payment ecosystem, we may find ourselves wandering through divided cities, separated by the sound of bleeps and the shuffling of cold, hard cash.
0 notes