Several allies that were key figures in Macron administration quit the government. These events are two more blows that will leave an impact mark on the young cabinet of the President. The pretext that made MoDem ministers resign was an ongoing investigation into the ways they chose to spend some European Parliament funds.

Emmanual Macron Wants to Have a Comprehensive Administration

Minister for European Affairs Marielle de Sarnez and Justice Minister François Bayrou are the latest members of the Democratic Movement or MoDem in France who decided to quit. These incidents come shortly after the resignation of the Defence Minister Sylvie Goulard on Tuesday. Goulard explained her departure as a method to avoid her party’s affairs being interrupted by her ongoing probe.

As a consequence, the MoDem party was left without its three vital leaders on top. As soon as he was chosen in an independent centrist ticket as the President of France, Emmanuel Macron started to assemble his own cabinet. His selections were based on a comprehensive outlook that gathered representatives of the left, right, and center movements in the same group. This initiative allows Macron to access an integral pool of opinions regarding controversial issues.

Modem Ministers Resigned Due to an Ongoing Investigation Concerning EU Funds

Macron intends to maintain this balanced assembly as much as possible. Therefore, he scheduled for Wednesday a realignment of his one-month-old administration. However, the decisions that await him might incline the balance towards Republicans as replacements for the missing MoDem ministers. If this happens, Macron might be seen as a right politician in disguise.

This large series of resignations is a result of an ongoing investigation that concerns the whole MoDem party. The allegations are that the party chose to redirect some EU parliamentary funds towards personal gains. A large part of this sensitive situation was played by French citizens themselves. They appear to be no longer tolerant in regards to illegal uses of public funds. Nonetheless, the involved officials in this process have not been found guilty yet.

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French President proved to be a breath of fresh air for the global political theater. Emmanuel Macron is a firm believer in the potential of the entrepreneurial industry. As a consequence, he extended an invitation for the world’s big thinkers to come and visit the new face of France. These are just among his first efforts to turn a country melancholic for its former glory into a “startup nation.”

French President Introduced the French Tech Visa Program

However, Emmanuel Macron doesn’t lack the skills for quick changes. On Thursday, the French government announced the new “French Tech Visa” program. This order grants entrepreneurs and their families a four-year residence permit. To gain such a novel right, innovators have to meet some requests.

This sudden proactive program appeared soon after President Donald Trump called for a pullback from the negotiation table of the Paris agreement. The speech that the French president gave to introduce this new program contained some insinuations aimed at the methods the American government applies in its political decisions.

“At a time when some people think that walls are a solution, we do think that openness is the right path.”

Applicants to the New Residence Permit Will Share a Vision for Better, Greener Future

Therefore, President Macron believes that the French motto of “liberté, égalité, fraternité” still holds true especially in this times of global challenges. Through this novel approach, pioneers, entrepreneurs, and innovators that are willing to seize this opportunity are expected to transport the world to a greener technological dimension.

On the other hand, the present legal background in the country might impair the realization of Macron’s expectations. Tech entrepreneurs claimed that France is currently harboring a stern and rigid system that cannot meet the needs of technological advancements. However, Macron is aware of all these challenges. He also made it his priority to change the system to become co-operant with startup industry.

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A professional cat cuddler must be able to calm down a distressed feline.

The Just Cats Veterinary Clinic in Dublin is currently looking for a professional cat cuddler. The lucky individual will be charged with making the felines more comfortable while visiting the vet. While it sounds like a real dream job, applicants must meet some criteria before being taken into consideration for the position.

A Professional Cat Cuddler Knows His Purrs

Apart from loving the furry pets more than any other animal that has ever crossed the Earth, all applicants must be the proud owners of a distinct cattitude. Moreover, in order to prove their uncanny ability to communicate and understanding the needs of our feline overlords, contenders must have a history of feeding local cats and taking in strays on a regular basis.

According to the clinic, the individual who will receive the job, must be able to differentiate the purrs of a happy, angry, and wounded cat. The lucky cat cuddler must also have a soft voice, so as not to stress the cats instead of calming them, and able hands capable of stroking the pretentious felines for hours on end.

The Clinic Wants to Make Cats Feel More Comfortable During Their Visit

The Just Cats Veterinary Clinic is a feline-only facility where the doctors openly admit discriminating dogs, the canids not being welcomed inside the unit. Cats and their wellbeing are the center of the staff’s attention. That is why the clinic is willing to pay between $22,330 and $32,260 to a professional cuddler.

Just Cats Veterinary Clinic wants to offer the best services on the market, making cats feel comfortable while veterinarians – virtually strangers – poke them around, ruining their sleek fur. This is where the cuddler comes in, stroking the scared patients, providing comfort to the pompous pets.

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The Quadrantid meteor show should offer a real spectacle as it one of the most intense such events.

2017’s Quadrantid meteor show should offer a real spectacle as it one of the most intense such sky spectacles and is set to peak on January 03.

The night sky is a spectacle in itself. Its multitude of stars and far away lights has long since fascinated humanity. Still, there are certain events which turn even more eyes up to the sky.

One such event are the meteorite showers. The Orionids and Perseids have another relative, the Quadrantid. Considered as one of the most intense such annual showers, it will be taking place these days.

The International Meteor Organization, as well as other similar forecasters, have pointed out the night sky event. On January 03, Earth is set to pass through a comet’s debris stream.

This passing should lead to the meteor shower known as the Quadrantids. It is a phenomenon which takes place in January.

Although its ZHR is quite as rich as that of the Geminids or Perseids, it is more elusive. A ZHR is a zenithal hourly rate. This latter is a sort of astronomical measures.

It represents the number of meteors that can be observed by a single person. The rate is calculated for the hour in which the respective shower is at its peak activity.

The Quadrantid meteor shower has a very sharp peak intensity. Records show that this sometimes lasts only several hours. As such, it cannot be compared to the Perseids, for example. This latter has an approximated two days long peak period.

Quadrantids have a radiant point very near to the Big Dipper. A radiant point marks a meteorite shower’s apparent place of origin.

As such, the area is known to have produced over 100 meteorites per hour during a peak period. This latter period could be as short as just an hour. Furthermore, Quadrantids peak periods do not always follow the forecasted time.

As it is, observers are encouraged to be alert throughout January 03’s dark hours, if they mean to catch the meteors shower.

In 2017, the January shower timing is expected to be best seen in the western parts of North America. The Pacific situated islands are also expected to have a good view of the event.

Their peak period is believed to happen about 10 AM ET or 1500 UTC. Brevity and the weather account for the Quadrantids’ being less observed. They are both quite short and also take place when winter is in full swing in the northern hemisphere.

However, the Quadrantid meteor shower is quite famous for its fireballs. It has a reputation of producing quite a remarkable such phenomenon.

Besides their memorable visual nature, these fireballs also determine a scientific interest. Observations on the event can be submitted by any person willing to participate. The citizen science effort is available for any such remarks.

A free app has also been developed. “Fireballs in the Sky” has been created so as to facilitate the report of such observations. It was developed by the Curtin University in collaboration with NASA.

The Quadrantid meteor shower also had a harder to establish origin. Its exact source was quite unknown until 2003. In December that year, a researcher found evidence as to its appearance.

Peter Jenniskens from the NASA Ames Research Center found an explanation. According to him, the Quadrantids originate from 2003 EH1.

This latter is considered to be the remaining piece of a comet. The “asteroid” is believed to have broken apart from its source about 500 years ago.

As Earth intersects this comet debris, it gives birth to the meteorite shower. However, Earth passes 2003 EH1 at what is believed to be a perpendicular angle.

As such, it moves quickly through the debris. This may account for the phenomenon’s short duration.

The Quadrantids also take their name after an obsolete constellation. They were titled after the Quadrans Muralis. This constellation was situated close to Bootes. Nowadays, the latter is considered to be their radiant point.

As its namesake was removed from star maps, the meteorite shower retained its original name.

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The French protested against  same-sex marriages on Sunday.

The streets in Paris were quite crowded this weekend, as protests against same-sex marriages got people to team up in public manifestations. The demonstrations took place on Sunday, October 16, and the participants gathered in the proximity of the Eiffel Tower. They asked for the traditional family values to be restored by law.

The police were in charge of monitoring the public activity. According to them, there were approximately twenty-four thousand participants at the protests against same-sex marriages. People protested against a law called “Marriage for All,” which allows people of the same sex to get married. The law was issued three years ago, back in 2013.

The people who decided to get out in the street and fight for their family values hope that politicians will hear their plea. They also hope that the candidates for presidency next year will take their plea into consideration.

The participants intended to take advantage of the political change. Although the law  was already voted, they hope it will also be changed. Some of the people at the protest declared that they would continue to fight for what they consider to their rights and those of their children.

The posters at the protest contained slogans such as “La Manif Pour Tous,” which translates as “Demonstration For All.” This was the motto of the Paris protest against same-sex marriages in Paris, which occurred this weekend.

The French also protested against the idea of surrogacy. Same-sex couples often use this method to form their own families. They ask other women to carry their child, which other people find to be a wrong method.

People feel that some of the political leaders don’t want to pay attention to their problems. They declared that they are not pleased with some of the former decisions and laws adopted by their politicians.

There were also incidents at the protest, and police officers had to intervene. There were fights, and six topless women arrived at the manifestation. They were part of a feminist group called Femen and suggested that the other people were promoting hate as a family value, which was false for them. Thirteen people were arrested on Sunday because of their inappropriate behavior at the protest, including the six members of the feminist group.

However, the reaction of politicians hasn’t matched the expectations of the people. None of the candidates for the presidency for next year declared any intention of taking action against the already existing law.

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A 1,700-year-old gold ring engraved with the image of Cupid (in Greek mythology “Eros”) – the god of erotic love, desire, affection and attraction – was found near Tangley, a village in the county of Hampshire, United Kingdom.

Cupid is engraved on a stone made of nicolo, and is shown nude and holding a torch. The ring dates back to a time when England was controlled by the Roman Empire. Researchers say that the ring could have been worn by a woman or a man. An amateur metal detectorist was the one who discovered the ring.

John Pearce, a senior lecturer in archaeology at King’s College London, and Sally Worrell, a national finds adviser at the Portable Antiquities Scheme wrote in the journal Britannia that the image on the stone depicts a naked adolescent with wings, leaning on a spiral column; the short wings identify him as Cupid.

Romans and Greeks had many artistic depictions of Cupid, or Eros. According to researchers, there are several other rings that portray the god of erotic love.

The discovery was made in December 2013 and it was reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), a programme which is meant to record small archaeological finds discovered by members of the public. The Portable Antiquities Scheme was established in 1997 in the United Kingdom.

In England and Wales, people can use metal detectors to search for antiquities but only if they have the landowner’s permission and if they avoid archaeological sites that are under the government’s protection.

The ring has been acquired by the Hampshire Museums Service, and it will be put on display at the Andover Museum in Andover in the United Kingdom, Worrell stated.

Joel Relihan, a classics professor at Wheaton College in Norton Massachusetts said that the earliest depictions of Cupid and Psyche (his love interest) are at least 2,500 years old.

In the second century A.D., Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis – a Latin-language prose writer – wrote about the love story between Cupid and Psyche in the book the Metamorphoses, also reffered to as The Golden Ass.

Apuleius described Cupid as a young, alluring god equipped with a bow and arrow, a quiver, and torches. He was known for corrupting marriages through his seductions, Apuleius wrote. The torch and arrow represent the love that wounds and inflames the heart. Cupid is the son of love goddess Venus and the war god Mars.

Whenever Cupid would prick a woman with his arrow, she would fall madly in love with him. In Apuleius’ story, Cupid impregnates Psyche, a mortal human, which angers his mother Venus. The reason why Venus despises Psyche is because humans believed that Psyche was more beautiful than Venus herself.

Venus orders Psyche to perform a series of tasks that a mortal human could never accomplish, but with the help of several creatures and gods Psyche completes the tasks.

In the end Cupid marries Psyche, and she becomes immortal.

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