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Bitten by the travel bug? Then you need these revenge travel hacks

After spending most of the past two years staring at the same four walls, people are now slowly coming out of their homes and looking to embark on new adventures as borders reopen. Flights are getting filled again and tourist spots no longer look like ghost towns.카지노사이트

It’s as if life is coming back to its vibrant self (but with better health and safety precautions).

Now, if the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that it’s necessary to be extra prepared for anything that might happen. So before you hop on a plane and jet off to explore new horizons, consider reading through this list of revenge travel hacks first so you can make the most out of your future trips.

Keep vaccination documents with you

Some countries may have eased travel regulations, but you’ll never know when these might change. As of writing, the Philippines still requires Filipinos to have vaccination certificates from the Department of Health’s VAXCertPH when going to international destinations, but vaccination cards offered by local government units can be accepted as well.

Requirements, whether here in the Philippines or abroad, change depending on the number of COVID cases, so it’s best to keep copies of documents with you just in case. After all, you wouldn’t want to be stuck far from home for extended periods of time.

Planning saves you money

Flights, hotels, or tours might cost more when booked late. This is why planning ahead helps you save money.

When you plan a trip, consider your general destination first, and then create a list of activities and spots you want to visit. This list will help you build your itinerary including flights, hotels, commutes, and other logistics. You can also use map apps to check travel times in between.

You can also add estimated costs to your itinerary and then figure out how you can save on some of the items. For example, you can check seat sales or flight comparison websites when booking a plane ticket. For accommodations, instead of booking hotels, you can check well-reviewed hostels or homestays.

Also, consider having backup plans or contingencies in case your schedule changes due to uncontrollable situations like flight delays or traffic.

Another quick hack here is if you’re booking a long-haul flight, compression clothing like leggings or socks will help keep you from feeling numbness or fatigue along the way.

Choose off-season dates
Unless you’re traveling for something time specific such as seeing cherry blossoms bloom in Japan, consider timing your trips with off-peak dates so you can get cheaper deals. Plus, traveling when there aren’t too many tourists around also means less traffic and better photo opportunities 😉.

Get ready for cardio

After spending so much time at home, chances are you’ve succumbed to a sedentary lifestyle whether you wanted to or not. So before you hop on a flight, try getting some cardio done weeks ahead of your trip. You’re going to be lugging around your maleta and walking a lot, so you’ll definitely need it.

And once you’re in your destination, consider well-balanced meals as well so you don’t feel heavy while you’re on tour.바카라사이트

Ditch fast food, find local eateries instead
Yes, it’s tempting to resort to fast food when you’re traveling because it’s the easier alternative when you’re rushing from one destination to another. But as they say, When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

Forget about eating burgers and fries! Look up travel guides or food review websites and build local eateries (whether those are cheap, bougie, or fine dining) into your itinerary. Make lunch breaks an experience too!

Traveling, whether local or international, will be costly no matter what, so you might as well get rewards with every booking and purchase you make! Credit card companies build rewards and perks around traveling. But you want one that offers greater flexibility and choice such as the BDO-issued American Express®Explorer™ Credit Card.

The Explorer Card is not limited to one frequent flyer program. Cardmembers can redeem from six frequent flyer partners and two hotel loyalty program partners.

Mabuhay Miles (Philippine Airlines)
Cathay Membership (Cathay Pacific Airlines)
KrisFlyer (Singapore Airlines)
Delta SkyMiles Program (Delta Airlines)
Royal Orchid Plus (Thai Airways)
Enrich (Malaysia Airlines)
Marriott Bonvoy
Hilton Honors
It also has one of the lowest spend-to-air mile conversion rates at P40 pesos to one mile.

Cardmembers are also entitled to up to P10 million Travel Accident and Inconvenience Coverage, and up to P250,000 in purchase protection when they book tickets with the card.

If you also spend P600,000 in a year, you get a bonus 2,000 Membership Rewards® Points.

In other words, the more you book trips or purchase items with your American Express Explorer Credit Card, the more travel opportunities you can get in the future.온라인카지노

Finance and HR Director, Growing Agriculture and Incomes in Syria, USAID/Syria

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Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.카지노사이트

Mercy Corps works in places of transition, where conflict, disaster, political upheaval, or economic collapse present opportunities to build more secure, productive, and just communities. Providing emergency relief in times of crisis, we move quickly to help communities recover and build resilience to future shocks, and promote sustainable change by supporting community-led and market-driven initiatives. Recognizing both the great potential and the complex challenges faced by the Middle East, since 1989 Mercy Corps has been implementing a range of humanitarian assistance and development programs tailored to the specific needs of the region and of those communities where we work.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been implementing emergency, life-sustaining, and resilience activities in Syria since 2012. Mercy Corps partners with a range of strategic institutional donors to deliver at high quality and a large scale. The evidence and learning component of Mercy Corps’ work and relationships with donors is critical to a meaningful impact on the lives of vulnerable people in Syria.

Mercy Corps is seeking a Finance and HR Director to support the implementation of the USAID Growing Agriculture and Incomes in Syria (GROW) activity. This five-year, $30-45m contract is expected to strengthen agriculture markets in non-regime held areas of Syria. The Activity is expected to increase the earnings of small and commercial farmers and other market systems actors by reducing constraints to production, strengthening private sector engagement, improving market access, and increasing economic opportunities for women and youth in agricultural value chains.

The Position

The Finance and HR Director will assist the Chief of Party (COP) and Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) in project oversight, with a focus on the financial, human resources, and administrative management of the activity. The position reports directly to the COP and will provide financial and HR oversight and management of the budget, project costs, recruitment and retention and project support staff.

Essential Responsibilities

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

Ensure sound financial management, including programmatic budgeting, spending projections, and monitoring of payments in compliance with USAID standards.
Supervise daily and routine financial, administrative, and HR tasks including monthly accounting cycle, payment of staff salaries, and bank statement monitoring and reconciliation.
Work with the U.S.-based finance and accounting team to rectify any budget issues
Ensure office policies are compliant with project and donor policies are effectively implemented
Participate in work planning, and work closely with the technical team to prepare and monitor costed work plans
Support and provide information and training to staff; serve as a human resources focal point responsible for fostering and maintaining a safe and inclusive work environment
Support in essential communication with partners and sub-grantees to verify their systems and that they understand and follow all appropriate procedures and archiving.
Work with finance and compliance to mitigate fraud, conflict of interest and legal ramifications of Mercy Corps activities.
Ensure that all programme planning and implementation is in line with USAID requirements.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

Oversee recruitment and onboarding of all staff and consultants
Develop the capacity of the GROW team, deepen understanding of staff roles, and assist with career development.
Provide team members with information, tools, and resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
Promote staff accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one-on-one meetings and performance reviews.
Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

FINANCE & COMPLIANCE

Ensure compliance with USAID and Mercy Corps’ regulations.
Create and maintain systems to ensure effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with program, donor, and Mercy Corps’ needs.

Supervisory Responsibility

Supervise a cadre of the GROW Team in particular finance and human resources. The number of direct and indirect reports will be determined at a later stage.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: GROW COP

Works Directly With: GROW senior leaders (key personnel and component leads), Country Director, Director of Programs, Program Performance and Quality Director, HR, finance and operations teams, and HQ Regional Programs Team 바카라사이트

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging program participant communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, operations, or other related discipline.
Minimum eight years of relevant experience, with at least 6 in financial management
Experience in senior leadership positions on USAID contracts
Experience overseeing human resources divisions, ideally with a project of similar size and complexity
Strong administrative and organizational skills; excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Skilled at using Microsoft Office products and other computer software
Demonstrated leadership and management skills
Ability to work in complex, politically charged, unstable environments, as well as work across different cultures, and manage diverse teams
Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
Experience in Syria strongly preferred
Fluency in spoken and written English and Arabic required

Success Factors

A successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members and other stakeholders of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving. This position requires an ability to think creatively about civic engagement to strengthen inclusive, peaceful, and responsive governance. They will have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritize, take initiative, and be accountable for results, understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details, problem solving, work within a complex and sensitive setting and to follow laws and security protocols. The most successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This role will be based in Hasakeh, Syria but split its time between Derik, Hassakeh, and Raqqa based on need with travel to other areas of NES as required and requires up to 50% travel to all program implementation sites, security permitting. Personnel in this location are expected to follow all security protocols.

The position is eligible for hardship, R&R, and home leave, as well as regular employment benefits. This unaccompanied position will be required to reside in group housing in an austere environment. Water, electricity, and the internet are present with occasional cuts.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Ongoing Learning

As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis. 온라인카지노

Fund UK’s local news outlets or they won’t survive, MPs warn government

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Struggling local media outlets should be helped to survive with government funding, a report by a committee of MPs has advised, warning of the damage to democracy and society from a decline in the quality of local reporting.카지노사이트

The report calls on the BBC to reconsider plans for its local radio stations to share more content across regions as part of its digital-first strategy, which the MPs say would “dilute the sense of localness” that sets the corporation’s stations apart from commercial rivals.

Other recommendations include making it easier for local news publishers to achieve charitable status and for the government to encourage more philanthropic funding of local journalism.

The report on the sustainability of local journalism, published by the Commons digital, culture, media and sport committee, outlines how many local publishers have struggled to adapt to the shift from print towards an online world. More than 300 local newspaper titles closed between 2009 and 2019.

It highlights what the MPs described as “the harmful impact on communities” from the decline in access to local news. This included a decrease in participation in civic life, less scrutiny of local government decisions and increasing levels of polarisation and misinformation.

“The disappearance of local news providers, which have always acted as the eyes and ears of their readers and held local decision makers to account, has ripped a hole in the heart of many communities,” said Damian Green MP, acting chair of the committee.

“Worryingly, it is the most deprived areas of the country that are most likely to miss out on coverage, compounding the disadvantages they already face.”바카라사이트

A key aspect of the report is its backing for an independent report by Dame Frances Cairncross on the future of the British media, which said in 2019 that local news coverage could disappear, which could pose a threat to the “long-term sustainability of democracy” unless the government provided direct financial support.

The MPs praised the BBC-funded local democracy reporter service (LDRS), which supports a network of journalists covering local news, while adding that more could be done to expand it across different platforms and calling for it to be protected during forthcoming BBC charter negotiations.

The report added that the BBC had written to MPs since the agreement on the report, which called for the corporation to reconsider proposed changes to local radio provision that would involve the greater sharing of news as part of regional hubs.

While the BBC said it had adopted a number of proposals, the MPs were still concerned that the main changes of concern to them would go ahead.

Addressing the role of social media and big digital firms, the report said that long-awaited digital markets legislation must enable news sites to negotiate a fair commercial relationship with online companies hosting their stories, such as Google and Meta.

Despite local news publishers’ collapse in revenues, the MPs highlighted what they described as encouraging examples of innovation and said that, with the right support, the sector could be revived and have a sustainable future.온라인카지노

Brazil’s New Government Works to Reverse Amazon Deforestation

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RIO DE JANEIRO —Shaking a traditional rattle, Brazil’s incoming head of Indigenous affairs recently walked through every corner of the agency’s headquarters — even its coffee room — as she invoked help from ancestors during a ritual cleansing.카지노사이트

The ritual carried extra meaning for Joenia Wapichana, Brazil’s first Indigenous woman to command the agency charged with protecting the Amazon rainforest and its people. Once she is sworn in next month under newly inaugurated President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Wapichana promises to clean house at an agency that critics say has allowed the Amazon’s resources to be exploited at the expense of the environment.

As Wapichana performed the ritual, Indigenous people and government officials enthusiastically chanted “Yoohoo! Funai is ours!’’ — a reference to the agency she will lead.

Environmentalists, Indigenous people and voters sympathetic to their causes were important to Lula’s narrow victory over former President Jair Bolsonaro. Now Lula is seeking to fulfill campaign pledges he made to them on a wide range of issues, from expanding Indigenous territories to halting a surge in illegal deforestation.

To carry out these goals, Lula is appointing well-known environmentalists and Indigenous people to key positions at Funai and other agencies that Bolsonaro had filled with allies of agribusiness and military officers.

In Lula’s previous two terms as president, he had a mixed record on environmental and Indigenous issues. And he is certain to face obstacles from pro-Bolsonaro state governors who still control swaths of the Amazon. But experts say Lula is taking the right first steps.

The federal officials Lula has already named to key posts “have the national and international prestige to reverse all the environmental destruction that we have suffered over these four years of the Bolsonaro government,” said George Porto Ferreira, an analyst at Ibama, Brazil’s environmental law-enforcement agency.

Bolsonaro’s supporters, meanwhile, fear that Lula’s promise of stronger environmental protections will hurt the economy by reducing the amount of land open for development and punish people for activities that had previously been allowed. Some supporters with ties to agribusiness have been accused of providing financial and logistical assistance to rioters who earlier this month stormed Brazil’s presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court.

When Bolsonaro was president, he defanged Funai and other agencies responsible for environmental oversight. This enabled deforestation to soar to its highest level since 2006, as developers and miners who took land from Indigenous people faced few consequences.

Between 2019 and 2022, the number of fines handed out for illegal activities in the Amazon declined by 38% compared with the previous four years, according to an analysis of Brazilian government data by the Climate Observatory, a network of environmental nonprofit groups.

One of the strongest signs yet of Lula’s intentions to reverse these trends was his decision to return Marina Silva to lead the country’s environmental ministry. Silva formerly held the job between 2003 and 2008, a period when deforestation declined by 53%. A former rubber-tapper from Acre state, Silva resigned after clashing with government and agribusiness leaders over environmental policies she deemed to be too lenient.바카라사이트

Silva strikes a strong contrast with Bolsonaro’s first environment minister, Ricardo Salles, who had never set foot in the Amazon when he took office in 2019 and resigned two years later following allegations that he had facilitated the export of illegally felled timber.

Other measures Lula has taken in support of the Amazon and its people include:

— Signing a decree that would rejuvenate the most significant international effort to preserve the rainforest — the Amazon Fund. The fund, which Bolsonaro had gutted, has received more than $1.2 billion, mostly from Norway, to help pay for sustainable development of the Amazon.

— Revoking a Bolsonaro decree that allowed mining in Indigenous and environmental protection areas.

— Creating a Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, which will oversee everything from land boundaries to education. This ministry will be led by Sônia Guajajara, the country’s first Indigenous woman in such a high government post.

“It won’t be easy to overcome 504 years in only four years. But we are willing to use this moment to promote a take-back of Brazil’s spiritual force,” Guajajara said during her induction ceremony, which was delayed by the damage pro-Bolsonaro rioters caused to the presidential palace.

The Amazon rainforest, which covers an area twice the size of India, acts as a buffer against climate change by absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide. But Bolsonaro viewed management of the Amazon as an internal affair, causing Brazil’s global reputation to take a hit. Lula is trying to undo that damage.

During the U.N.’s climate summit in Egypt in November, Lula pledged to end all deforestation by 2030 and announced his country’s intention to host the COP30 climate conference in 2025. Brazil had been scheduled to host the event in 2019, but Bolsonaro canceled it in 2018 right after he was elected.

While Lula has ambitious environmental goals, the fight to protect the Amazon faces complex hurdles. For example, getting cooperation from local officials won’t be easy.

Six out of nine Amazonian states are run by Bolsonaro allies. Those include Rondonia, where settlers of European descent control local power and have dismantled environmental legislation through the state assembly; and Acre, where a lack of economic opportunities is driving rubber-tappers who had long fought to preserve the rainforest to take up cattle grazing instead.

The Amazon has also been plagued for decades by illegal gold mining, which employs tens of thousands of people in Brazil and other countries, such as Peru and Venezuela. The illegal mining causes mercury contamination of rivers that Indigenous peoples rely on for fishing and drinking.

One area where Lula has more control is in designating Indigenous territories, which are the best-preserved regions in the Amazon.

Lula is under pressure to create 13 new Indigenous territories — a process that had stalled under Bolsonaro, who kept his promise not to grant “one more inch” of land to Indigenous peoples.온라인카지노

Can you Play Casino Around the World

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If you want to know whether you can play casino games in a particular country, read this article. You will learn about the age requirements, number of casinos in a particular country, and the culture. You can also learn about the gambling regulations in each country and how you can stay away from the pitfalls. 카지노사이트

Age requirements to play casino games

The age requirements for playing casino games around the world vary slightly, but in most cases, they are 18 or older. However, there are some countries that do not allow gambling at all. For example, Brazil has made gambling illegal since 1948. There are also certain countries in Asia that do allow gambling, including Singapore, Japan, and South Korea.

The age requirements for gambling vary by country, but they tend to follow the trends within the continent. For instance, countries in the European Union are generally consistent in their stance, while African countries are still developing markets and show less uniformity. In the United States, the laws vary a bit depending on the location.

While online casinos can’t enforce an age limit, land-based casinos usually have one. Casinos in Canada, for example, require a player to be at least 18 years old to enter. In addition, they often require a valid ID before allowing anyone under the age of 21 to play.

Locations of casinos

When it comes to gambling, the world is full of exciting choices. Many countries have casinos, and there are many ways to experience the thrill of casino gambling. Some countries have more than one casino, while others have only a handful of them. Some of the most well-known casinos in the world are located in Europe.

China, India, and the United States are among the countries with the most casinos. In the United States, Las Vegas and Macau are the most popular. In the Philippines, Entertainment City in Paranaque is sort of a miniature Macau. However, you should be responsible when gambling in any casino.

Macau is a gambling haven and is home to some of the largest casinos in the world. The Venetian, for instance, features 376,000 square feet of gaming space and 1,760 slot machines. It is also a popular destination for travelers who wish to experience the thrill of gambling.

Number of casinos in a country

The US is one of the world’s leading gambling countries, with over 900,000 slots and more than a half million jobs directly generated by the industry. In addition to Las Vegas, US casinos generate over $70 billion in revenue annually. While the US is still in its early stages of online gambling development, the country boasts hundreds of land-based casinos, many of them concentrated in Las Vegas and nearby regions.바카라사이트

In addition to the US, Canada has 216 casinos. Despite its small size, the country has many popular gambling destinations, including Niagara Falls. Canada is also home to many smaller casinos and Indian-run casinos. While there are fewer casinos per capita in the US, Canadians have plenty to choose from.

France is the third-largest country for casinos, but the country has a completely different gambling scene than North America. Many of the casinos are old and gilded in gold, making them very different from the more modern gambling establishments in North America. Some of the country’s oldest venues date back to 1912. Other famous French casinos are the Casino Palais de la Méditerranée in Nice, which opened in 1929. The Casino Partouche des Evaux-les-Bains was opened in 1912. And the Casino Barriere deauville opened in 1912.온라인카지노

5 ways to travel better in 2023 — and maybe save some money doing it

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The start of a new year brings fresh opportunities, and that includes travel.카지노사이트

People are figuring out where they’d like to go and what they need to do in order to make successful trips happen.

Now is a good time to apply for or renew a passport and sign up for a Trusted Traveler program such as Global Entry or TSA PreCheck — or check to make sure your enrollment isn’t expiring soon. It’s also a good time to consider whether visiting must-see Arizona destinations in off-peak times or getting a credit card with improved travel perks is right for you.

Here are five things to do right now to enjoy traveling more in 2023.

Apply for or renew your passport right away

Demand for international travel is apparent as airlines add more flights from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. American Airlines will introduce new service to Monterrey, Mexico, in January and ultra-low-cost carrier Lynx Air will enter the market with flights between Sky Harbor and Calgary, the largest city in Alberta, Canada, starting in February.

If you’ve booked an international trip or are planning one for the not-so-distant future, get your passport as soon as possible if you don’t already have it. The U.S. Department of State estimates travelers can expect to wait six to nine weeks for routine passport processing and three to five weeks for expedited processing. These times may increase if demand surges.

If you have a passport, check the expiration date. Passports are valid for 10 years. If yours is expired or close to expiring, renew it as soon as possible. Some countries won’t let you enter if your passport is near expiration. That window varies by country, so check the travel requirements of your destination if your passport has less than one year remaining.

Make sure your PreCheck or Global Entry is current

Passports aren’t the only travel tools that can expire. Now is good time to check how much time remains on your Trusted Traveler program enrollment.

These programs help speed you through security and immigration lines. Enrollment, which requires going through an interview, lasts five years and can be renewed the year before it expires.

The Transportation Security Administration offers PreCheck ($85). U.S. Customs and Border Protection administers Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI. Global Entry ($100) allows expedited entry into the U.S. from international destinations. SENTRI ($122.25) expedites entry to the U.S. from Canada and Mexico. NEXUS ($50) allows expedited entry to the U.S. from Canada.

Applying or renewing well in advance is key. PreCheck processing can take up to two months in some cases, though most applicants receive their Known Traveler Number within three to five days. The process for the CPB programs could take as long as six to 18 months, and interview availability is limited.

Arizona has eight PreCheck enrollment centers, at Sky Harbor Airport, Staples locations at Camelback Colonnade in Phoenix and Arrowhead Crossing in Peoria, and IdentoGo locations in Gilbert, Sun City, Casa Grande, Tucson and Flagstaff.

Arizona has five enrollment centers for the CPB programs: Sky Harbor Airport, Tucson International Airport and the port of entry offices in Douglas, Nogales and San Luis. You can check interview appointment availability before applying; to do so, visit https://ttp.dhs.gov.

If your Global Entry is close to expiration and you have a filed your renewal application, you can use it past the expiration date for up to two years, according to Homeland Security.

Consider getting a credit card with travel perks

Credit cards with perks like airline miles, hotel points or cash back for purchases can supplement your travel budget.바카라사이트

The Capital One Venture Rewards card, for example, offers 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One travel, and an introductory offer of 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of the account. Other cards have different combinations of benefits that may suit your needs.

Be aware that many of these credit cards have annual fees, like Venture Rewards’ $95 per year. Some cards have no enrollment fees, like Chase Freedom Unlimited, which currently has an introductory offer of 6.5% cash back on travel purchases made with the card in the user’s first year.

Visit Arizona’s hottest destinations in the offseason

It might feel like Sedona, Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon are always crowded. But a comfortable experience is possible if you travel when people are less likely to go.

The spring and fall months tend to be the busiest times to visit Sedona, while fewer tourists are likely in summer and winter. Data from the Sedona Chamber of Commerce confirms this — bed tax collections in the 2021-22 fiscal year were highest in spring and fall, peaking at just over $1 million in May 2022.

The Grand Canyon is busiest from the late spring to the early fall, with this past summer averaging around 500,000 visitors in each peak-season month, according to the National Park Service. October through March typically is less busy, though people who visit during the winter months should be aware of winter weather hazards and plan for snowy and icy conditions.

Consider flying from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport instead of Sky Harbor

As the main airport serving metro Phoenix, Sky Harbor International is where most of the region’s leisure and business travelers fly.

But for residents of the eastern part of Phoenix and cities including Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Apache Junction and Queen Creek, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport may win out over Sky Harbor for its convenient location and smaller, easily navigable size.

The east Mesa airport continues to experience record-setting passenger growth, and October 2022’s passenger count of 150,846 people marked a 15% increase from the same month in 2021.

Gateway Airport continues to evolve to keep pace with airline industry and regional growth. It recently began work on a 30,000-square-foot terminal extension that will add new gates, a glass walkway, a tech lounge and restaurants and shops upon its expected completion in 2024.

Gateway Airport is targeted toward leisure travelers. Be aware that its airlines — the biggest one is Allegiant Air — offer flights only on certain days, not every day. Parking is cheaper than at Sky Harbor — $13 per day in the main daily lot just south of the terminal, $11 in a covered economy lot and $9 in an uncovered economy lot — but travelers should still give themselves plenty of time to find a spot and get to the terminal.온라인카지노

SMARTPAY LAUNCHES CONSUMER FINANCE SERVICE IN JAPAN, SAUDI ARABIA, AND UAE

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Through a network of 67 partner banks across Japan, Smartpay Bank Direct delivers convenience and security for the consumer by using Japan’s open banking system.카지노사이트

Founded in June 2021 by former executives of Instagram, Standard Chartered Bank, Facebook, Stripe, Adyen, and Mastercard across the Asia Pacific, and Middle East, and North Africa (MENA) regions, Smartpay seeks to transform the digital consumer landscape with reliable financial products and payment solutions.

Japan is the third wealthiest country in the world and has one of the highest credit card penetration rates in Asia, with over 60% of transactions completed in cash.

Smartpay to bring about paperless payment system in Japan
Smartpay’s application supports the transformation of a cash-based society into a digital one. The company’s strategy was built in two phases. The first phase was focused on financial inclusion, and helping those that don’t have access to credit, to join the digital BNPL economy. It also solved the issue of cash usage and created a platform and an ecosystem to move towards a paperless payment system.

Smartpay is moving into the next phase of its digital consumer finance journey, which is focused on targeting middle and high-income users and offering them smart financial solutions that are safe, convenient, fast and create real value for the entire ecosystem. These are low-risk and high-value customers with average transaction value of USD200, non-performing loan (NPL) rates of less than 1%, and who want to avoid a bad credit rating and nonpayment on debt obligations. The monthly repeat rate of these consumers has already reached approximately 20%.

Sam Ahmed, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Smartpay, said: “We believe we are driving digital consumer finance to the next phase of its maturity. ‘Buy now, pay later’ has had to grow up from the prospective of a business model, profitability, and consumer value proposition.

Tai Iguchi, Chief Executive of TRiCERA, said: “We knew we were on the right track when our key merchant. You are the Apple of digital consumer finance, your UX is beautifully designed and makes the consumer feel like you trust them, and respect who they are. This is in a market where other consumer finance companies have made customers feel they are not trusted and undervalued.”

Smartpay to focus on Japan, Saudi Arabia, and UAE
Smartpay will first focus on Japan, Saudi Arabia and UAE markets, but over the medium term the firm will look towards Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and other markets in Southeast Asia and MENA.

Smartpay’s business model features:바카라사이트

Specific consumer psychographics which include a tech savvy population, smartphone and internet access, high disposable income, increased consumption, and high rates of tech adaption
An economy that is undergoing a digital transformation
Merchants that need help to accelerate a successful digital transformation
Legacy banks that have been disrupted by digital first solutions which have taken away their relevance and limited access to key consumer data
Governments and regulators that want to work with established digital financial solutions that have existing global partnerships (proof of quality and security) and credible local partners (proof of local interests)
Smartpay has realized that the ideal customer is a high-income consumer that wants control of their monthly budgeting and wants to extend the monthly cash flow without paying fees and interest. These customers want to engage with a brand that is custom built for their usage instead of a one-size-fits-all approach that is for consumers who actually want to borrow money. Instead, Smartpay a brand that is designed for their income group, and designed for smart money management, versus “non-savings” money management.

Japan’s first BNPL solution payable by credit card
Smartpay is backed by Global Founders Capital (Europe), Matrix Partners (Silicon Valley), and SMBC VC (Japan) as it prepares global expansion with its solution powered by open banking.

“We have begun discussions with potential banking partners in other similar markets, such as KSA and Korea, to roll out our learnings and robust business model”, chief executive Sam Ahmed continued.

“We are delighted to be the first in Japan to provide digital consumer finance services which supports both credit cards and direct debit through a fully automated, single-click UX at the point of purchase. Our passion is helping consumers manage their cash flow in a smarter way, in a fast, safe and secure click. There are no additional fees or interest for the consumers. Since the launch of Smartpay just over a year ago, as Japan’s first BNPL solution payable by credit card, we have continued to expand our partner ecosystem with new retailers and an expanding customer base with revenue growth over 200% in the last three months. It’s interesting that we have lifted merchant average order value more than 30% in four different merchant categories. We attract higher value consumers for the merchant through our eKYC process.”온라인카지노

What’s News: A calendar of local events

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Get your non-profit organization and church events in the Jacksonville Progress’s What’s News calendar free of charge by e-mailing your event information to editor@jacksonvilleprogress.com. The newspaper reserves the right to edit any submission for space and content.카지노사이트

NOTE: Some of the following events may be canceled at a later date. We have removed events that had been canceled as of press time.

Friday, Dec. 30 – Sunday, Jan. 1

Trail to Christ Cowboy Church, 5858 US 79 W., is hosting a youth retreat for students in sixth through twelfth grade beginning at 6 p.m Friday, Dec. 30 and ending at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 1. The New Year’s Youth Retreat will feature laser tag, scavenger hunt, rodeo and more. To register, use the link posted on the Trail to Christ Cowboy Church Facebook page. For more information, contact Janae Halbert at 903-521-5017.

Saturday, Dec. 31

Jacksonville Game Night will be hosted from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, at Postmasters Coffee, 402 E. US 79. Board games are provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own. The Chess Club will also meet during this time. Anyone with an interest in chess, regardless of skill level, is invited to participate.

Sunday, Jan. 1

The Lighthouse Church, located at 640 Dr. M. Roper Parkway in Bullard, invites the public to join the congregation in person at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 1 for a time of worship, prayer and communion and again at 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Jan. 2 through 7, on Facebook live for prayer and communion. The intent is to begin 2023 with a renewed focus on Jesus.

ONGOING

A city-wide prayer gathering is being hosted at 6 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month at Hwy 69 Mission, 203 N. Jackson St. Believers of all denominations are invited to join together to seek God’s face and his purpose.바카라사이트

The Jacksonville Kiwanis Club meets weekly at noon on Thursdays at the Jacksonville College Library, 105 BJ Albritton Drive. For information on the Kiwanis Club, visit the website kiwanisclubjacksonville.org or their Facebook page.

Alanon Family Group meetings are held at 4 p.m. Thursdays at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1000 S. Jackson, in Jacksonville. If you love someone with a drinking addiction, Alanon can help you. There are no dues or fees. For more information, call Elizabeth at (903) 284-7311.

The Military Veteran Peer Network hosts regular meet and greet events 6-7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at 804 S. Main Street in Jacksonville. They also meet at 6 p.m. the first and third Thursday of each month at the Lion’s Club building, 540 W. 6th St., in Rusk. The organization provides supportive fellowship for veterans and their families. For more information, contact Bradley Erickson, Peer Services Coordinator, at 903-721-2078.

REMEMBER OR HONOR THE VETERANS IN YOUR LIFE. The Jacksonville Garden Club is selling commemorative bricks for veterans, both past and present, as a fundraising project. Information to be included on each brick includes the name of the service member with his or her rank, branch of service and years served. The bricks will be placed at Buckner Park’s Patriotic Pathway. The cost is $50 per brick. To order, contact Sandra Dickerson at 903-339-1395.

Explore Jacksonville is seeking volunteers of all ages and abilities to help at Love’s Lookout Park. For more information, contact (903) 339-3320.

County Roads Rescue, located at 601 Woodlawn Ave. in Jacksonville is accepting clean, bagged aluminum can donations between 9 and 11 a.m. Monday through Friday at the shelter. Email countyroadsrescue@gmail.com to arrange a drop-off.

Cherokee County veterans are invited to apply for federal grant funds offered through Habitat for Humanity of Smith County as part of the Housing Assistance Council Affordable Housing for Rural Veterans Initiative. Funds will provide renovations to make veterans’ residences accessible, healthy and safe. To apply, visit www.smithcountyhabitat.org, or call (903) 595-6630.온라인카지노

New EU anti-deforestation law falls short, indigenous leaders say

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Indigenous leaders from rainforests from Brazil to Indonesia say a new European Union law preventing the import into the bloc of key commodities linked to deforestation is insufficient to protect forests and will do little to bolster indigenous rights.카지노사이트

The legislation, agreed upon last week, will force firms supplying palm oil, cattle, soy, coffee, cocoa, timber and rubber – as well as some derived products such as beef or furniture – to the EU market to prove their supply chains are not fuelling the destruction of forests.

Brazilian indigenous leader Dinamam Tuxa said the law would help stem rising rates of deforestation across most of the Amazon basin – which spans nine nations including Brazil – but stressed that he did not think it was broad enough in scope.

The legislation does not cover deforestation from biodiverse areas outside of rainforests, such as wetlands, semi-arid forests, and savannahs that are also major carbon sinks and help to stave off climate change, according to Tuxa.

“This law should have been more ambitious. It leaves behind other important biomes,” said Tuxa, head of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), an indigenous umbrella organisation.

For example, products from 600,000 square kilometres (231,600 square miles) of land in Brazil’s Cerrado savanna – the fastest growing frontier of agricultural expansion in the country – would not be subject to the law, said the Cerrados Institute, a non-profit.

An EU commission will consider no later than one year after the law comes into force whether to extend the regulations to include other wooded land, and within a period of two years if the law should also be broadened to include other ecosystems.

Deforestation is responsible for about 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to climate scientists, and it is on the agenda at this week’s UN COP15 summit in Canada, where countries are seeking a global pact to protect nature.

Indigenous leaders said they are concerned that national laws protecting indigenous rights and local deforestation monitoring systems are not strong enough on their own to ensure the new EU law will be effectively implemented on the ground.

In Brazil, government agencies that can help monitor, verify and trace company supply chains to ensure compliance with the EU law must be strengthened after years of being undermined and underfunded by outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro, Tuxa said.

“There are many [government] monitoring mechanisms already in place in Brazil but nothing is working,” he said.

Brazil’s main environmental federal government enforcement agency, Ibama, and the indigenous affairs agency, Funai, have been particularly affected, he said.

‘Come up short’
The European Parliament’s lead negotiator Christophe Hansen has hailed the new EU measure as “innovative regulation”, and green groups hope it will significantly help protect fast-vanishing forests around the world.

Hansen’s office was unable to respond to a request for comment by deadline to criticisms of the EU law from indigenous leaders.

But in a statement following the announcement of the new law Hansen said “the rights of indigenous people, our first allies in fighting deforestation, are effectively protected.”

The legislation requires companies to produce a due diligence statement showing their supply chains are not contributing to the destruction of forests before they sell certain goods into the EU. Those who do not comply risk fines.바카라사이트

Although firms have to show that the rights of indigenous people were respected in their operations in commodity-producing nations, campaigners have raised concerns that this only applies to countries where those rights are already protected by national law.

Levi Sucre, an indigenous Bribri leader from Costa Rica, said he welcomed the EU law and its potential to tackle Latin America’s “alarming deforestation rates,” driven largely by the expansion of the agricultural frontier and monoculture farming.

But the legislation was “fragile”, he said, noting he feared it would put little extra pressure on governments in commodity-producing countries to ensure they respect the rights of indigenous people.

Across many Latin American countries, the rights of indigenous people are enshrined in state constitutions and local laws but are still too often flouted and ignored, Sucre added.

“Our rights are violated. The (EU) law isn’t going to change much for us in terms of access to justice and guaranteeing our rights,” said Sucre, who heads the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMPB).

“There are shared economic interests between governments and companies. Who will verify that our rights are respected? That’s the big question,” Sucre said.

Indigenous rainforest leaders in Indonesia – the world’s top producer of palm oil and a leading exporter of coffee, rubber and cocoa – said national laws to protect the environment and indigenous land rights are not being implemented in practice.

The Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC) – an alliance representing tropical forest peoples from more than 14 countries – said its indigenous leaders and members were “disappointed” the EU had not sufficiently strengthened their rights in its new legislation.

“The EU have placed our fate in the hands of the very governments that have violated our rights, criminalised our leaders and allowed an invasion of our territories,” the group said in a statement.

This story was published with permission from Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women’s rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit https://www.context.news/온라인카지노

The History of Casino

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Roulette invented by Francois Blanc

The single-zero wheel of roulette was invented by Francois Blanc. He was a businessman and owner of the famed Monte Carlo casino. The single-zero roulette wheel provided better odds to players. The game was soon dubbed the Devil’s game due to its addictive nature.카지노사이트

Evolution of gambling games

Evolution is a company that offers casino games and services to operators. The company charges a fixed fee to its customers to use its services. The company offers a variety of services, including private tables, VIP services, and native-speaking dealers. Evolution’s goal is to make casino gambling an exciting and unique experience for customers. These services are aimed at increasing casino revenues and increasing loyalty among existing customers.

Early slot machines

Early slot machines were simple mechanical games. They featured fruit symbols and prizes were paid out in sweets and chewing gum. A similar machine named Operator Bell, manufactured by Herbert Mills, was available in salons and tobacconists. It was one of the earliest mass-produced slot machines, and it used the BAR symbol, based on the logo of the Bell-Fruit company.

Blackjack

Blackjack originated in casinos in France in the 1700s. It was originally known as “Vingt-et-Un” and was a variation on the French game Chemin de Fer. During the reign of King Louis XV, it was played by the French Royal Court.

Macau

Macau was once a sleepy fishing village, but the Portuguese soon took over and turned the area into a thriving port. Portuguese sailors flocked to the area to conduct their business. The city soon became a stop on the Silk Road, and Portuguese sailors anchored their ships and set up warehouses there. Macau fell under Portuguese rule in 1557, and the Portuguese stayed in the area until 1863. The city became a hub for lucrative sea trade, and Macau became one of the most important ports in the world.

Mirage Hotel and Casino opened by Steve Wynn

The Mirage was opened in 1989 and was built by casino mogul Steve Wynn. Its features include a faux volcano that erupts each night and dolphin and tiger attractions. The Mirage is undergoing a transformation, as Hard Rock International, a New York-based company, plans to buy the casino and turn it into a Hard Rock Las Vegas. Hard Rock plans to open a new guitar-shaped hotel tower and replace the volcano attraction. The Hard Rock Las Vegas resort is expected to open in 2025.바카라사이트

Early betting houses

The first casinos opened in Italy in the seventeenth century. Venice’s Ridotto opened in 1638 and became the first state-sanctioned gambling house in Europe. Various private gambling dens followed. The word “casino” comes from the Italian word for “house,” and many of the casino games are derived from this origin. French explorers also opened their own casinos, which are still popular today.

Early casinos

In the mid-17th century, casinos first appeared in Europe. These gambling houses served as social places for the aristocracy. Some casino games have their origins in the aristocracy, including baccarat.

Early online casinos

The early days of online casinos were rough and unregulated. This led to poor security, and many players lost their money. At the time, there was no encryption technology and no way to protect sensitive information. This made it possible for anyone to hack into the system and steal information. This also allowed people to fraudulently withdraw money from players’ accounts.온라인카지노