idk why but recently I am having so many problems with the languages in valo,_,

I play in eu on Paris and Frankfurt, and for maybe 5 games in a row I either run into a french team, who constantly leave me out of their french comms, or russians who start to ask in agent select "ARE THERE ANY RUSSIANS?" and I either ignore them or say no, but

1. one time I ignored a guy, and when he begun cussing out our team in Russian despite being a duelist but nearly a bottomfrag, I told him to shut up in Russian, and he became so upset with me that for the rest of the game he was calling me an asshole, a faggot and loser, despite me topfragging. He was also a Phoenix which meant he constantly griefed me, flashing, lighting me up on fire, shooting at me to reveal our positions, and body blocking. (we won the game).

2. second time I ran into two dudes, who immideately asked too, and I decided to say that I am from Kazakhstan, which immideately prompted "glory to Soviet Union". They pestered me on and on about me knowing Russian. When I tried to give comms in english because not all of us spoke Russian, they called a slut and said that my accent was heavier than their grandma. I muted them.

and it's just. so annoying. at least french don't argue with each other. but players from russia almost always become toxic.

germans are the best. turkish people too.

Every month we will pose a question and collate responses as a fun and informal little exercise in getting to know each other and spark discussion. This month's question is:

“Who is your favourite character to write for and why?”

Beetroot / @council-of-beetroot: Feliks is a fave for me because he seems straightforward when writing but everything he says and does is only a small piece of how he feels and there's a lot of things that are subtly implied that you have to take into account. He's fun to write too because of his style of speech is so out there. There is a lot of humour that is mixed in with the angst of Feliks so it's incredibly fun to get to work with that and put it on to paper to dive deeper into what canon hints at.

Fed / @fedpawstered: Kiku is my favorite for doing most things with.. Idk I just have a lot of personal headcanons about him I really like sharing or showing off, not to mention my uselessly vast knowledge of eastern history finally has a usage when I write works for him. He’s an interesting character, and I love seeing fandom interpretations as well as creating my own! :)) silly little creature is what he is

Lacy: I think Yao is my fave to write because I am the most comfortable with his character design, maybe I just like a guy with long hair. I just vibe with him slightly more than other characters in hetalia for most of the stories I intended to write.

Tama / @delgumofics: I love to write Alfred the most. I think he's super cute and charming and he just inspires me like no one else. His silly little face begs me to torment him!

WhiteWings / @smuttyandabsurd: To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Ivan is my favourite Hetalia character to write for. He's multi-faceted and malleable and doesn't give me any trouble with characterisation; I can dream up practically any situation and he just pops up in my head fully formed and ready to take the leading role. He's fun to explore the silly things I come up with, but I'd like to give him a role with depth too some day.

Eru / @eruverse: My Kazakhstan OC is the one in my head. I’ve worked hard on his characterization and he’s evolved a long way from his early days until today; he’s not only someone who is based off of his dynamics with other countries (boring, plainly), but he is also his own individual. I like writing him bc I love his character; a formidable ball of intense drive that he tries to package underneath a smooth and neat persona because he loves to seem like a cool guy. In fact tho, he is anything but cool — but he has a lot of faith and pride in his abilities, and he will achieve his ambitions even if he has to forsake his health and sanity sometimes. He’s like your overachieving classmate with chronic insomnia due to stress. However he also has a lot of gags and humor potential, also why I love him.

Moss: My favourite character to write for (and my favourite character in general) is Ivan. I wish I could write him well enough to make readers love him as I love him ) he is my darling and my baby boy, I enjoy everything about him.

Vitya / @veetyuh: My favourite is (historical) Sealand, because of the insane things he has survived. A direct hit from a Nazi bomb, abandonment, piracy, several invasions, a coup, stalking and a bombing attempt from England, and framed for drug smuggling and Versace's murder — all over a family of four living in international waters. That, paired with the contradictions of his character: smallest country, yet he canonically has Russia's level of physical strength. Built to serve England, but must prioritise his own sovereignty. So dramatic. I love dissecting him, and I hope to make him feel like more than just a gag character. 💕

FoLightening / @folightening: Thought hard about this, and I still can't figure out who I like writing more so: Spain and Switzerland. I like thinking about how they think, how they interact with others, what makes them who they are. They both have so much to them that makes them fun to write - for different yet similar reasons I can't find the words for. I suppose it helps that Spain's my favorite character in general and I adore Switzerland.

Following up our coverage of last week’s uprising in Kazakhstan, we have translated an array of perspectives on the situation from various Russian anarchist sources and interviewed two anarchists from Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan and the place where the fighting became most intense.

This text also includes previously unpublished photographs taken by our contacts in Almaty.

The following sources should serve to debunk any facile misrepresentations of the uprising from the authorities in Kazakhstan, Russia, or the United States—or their misguided supporters.

To those who spread conspiracy theories about the United States attempting to stage-manage a “color revolution” in Kazakhstan, we must point out that the protests began in response to the government canceling its subsidy on gas, which is produced under a profitable state monopoly in Kazakhstan. Those who defend the governments of Kazakhstan and Russia are defending repressive forces that are imposing neoliberal austerity measures upon exploited workers in an extraction-based economy. The honorable place for all who genuinely oppose capitalism is at the side of ordinary workers and other rebels who stand up to the ruling class, not supporting the governments who claim to represent protesters while gunning them down and imprisoning them.

This is not to say that the clashes in Kazakhstan represent a unified anti-capitalist struggle, or for that matter a labor movement. The most credible accounts of the composition of the protests acknowledge that there have been a wide range of different participants utilizing different tactics to pursue different agendas. Of course, if we are sympathetic to workers who protest against the rising cost of living, we can also understand why the unemployed and marginalized might engage in looting.

A crisis like the uprising in Kazakhstan opens up all the fault lines within a society. Every preexisting conflict is pushed to a breaking point: ethnic and religious tensions, rivalries among the ruling elite, geopolitical contests for influence and power. We saw this to a lesser degree in France during the Yellow Vest movement and in the United States during the George Floyd Uprising and its aftermath, though those crises did not proceed as far as the uprising in Kazakhstan, where, owing to the entrenched authoritarian power structure, any struggle is immediately an all-or-nothing venture.

If it is true, as we have argued, that the protesters in Kazakhstan were opposing the same forces that rest of us face all around the world, then the violent suppression of those protests by the soldiers of six armies poses questions that we all must confront. It seems that such moments of truth are becoming practically inevitable as economic, political, and ecological catastrophes hit one after the other all around the world. How do we prepare in advance, in order to maximize the likelihood that these ruptures will turn out well despite all the forces that are arrayed against us? In such moments of revolutionary potential, how can we propose transformative questions to the others who make up this society with us, focusing the lines of conflict along the most generative and liberating axes even as we compete with a variety of factions that aim to centralize their own ideologies and interests? How do we avoid both conspiracy theories and manipulation, both defeatism and defeat?

Hey, I thought I would compile a selection of different resources dedicated to learning the Russian language. Feel free to reblog and add your own

Information about the language

Russian Language on Wikipedia

Russian Language on BBC

Russian Language on Encyclopaedia Britannica 

Russian Language on Real Russia

Books

I have a masterlist of different Russian language textbooks for all levels, as well as general Russian literature and Russian magazines for reading practice. It contains over 60,000 books and over 4,000 magazines

Children’s Books in Russian

Project Gutenberg Free Russian Books

Courses - Note that not all of these courses are free. 

Lingvist (comes with a 2-week free trial, and by far my favourite course)

Duolingo  (Joining with this link automatically adds me as a friend)

Busuu 

I Kinda Like Languages Russian Course

Learn Russian with RT (The audio files no longer work but there’s a lot of great resources that work)

Live Lingua Russian Tutors (Not a course as such, but a way to get a Tutor. You can get a free hour lesson)

Russian for Everyone

Russian for Free 

RussianLessons

Russian Made Easy

Way To Russia 

Russky

Lingodeer

Между нами

MasterRussian

Я говорю по-русски/ I speak Russian

Русский как иностранный: B1+. Russian as a foreign language: B1+

Русский как иностранный: B1+. Часть 2. Russian as a foreign language. B1+. Part 2.

Русский как иностранный B2-1 / Russian As a Foreign Language B2-1

Русский язык как иностранный B2-2 / Russian as a Foreign Language B2-2

A1 Elementary Russian Course with Pushkin Institute

A2 Basic Russian Course with Pushkin Institute

B1 I Certified Russian Course with Pushkin Institute

B2 II Certified Russian Course with Pushkin Institute

C1 III Certified Russian Course with Pushkin Institute

C2 IV Certified Russian Course with Pushkin Institute

Beginner Russian Course / Курс России языка для начинающих

Intermediate Russian Course / Курс России языка среднего уровня

Russian Grammar Course / Курс грамматики России языка

Russian Course for Travelers / Курс России языка для путешественников

From Zero to Fluency Youtube Course

Start Speaking Russian Youtube Course

Russian Reading Youtube Course

Learn Russian Alphabet

Russian (Kazakhstan) Peace Corps Course

FSI Russian Course

Learn Russian

Yes Russian

Polymath

Learnalanguage

Ready Russian

Simplang

Russian Learning Reddit

Learn With Oliver

Memrise is a great resource as it has Memrise courses and user-created courses. These are the official Russian courses if you go through them one by one they amount to approximately 54 hours of content. The thing I like about Memrise is they test you on your pronunciation, and they have lots of videos by Russian native speakers. So it really tests you in all your skills.

Russian 1 by Memrise

Russian 2 by Memrise

Russian 3 by Memrise

Russian 4 by Memrise

Russian 5 by Memrise

Russian 6 by Memrise

Russian 7 by Memrise

These are some unofficial Russian Memrise courses you might like too. Although they tend to not have audio and they don’t have pronunciation tests or native speaker videos, they can still be a good resource.

Learn Basic Russian 

Top 10,000 words part one 

Top 10,000 words part two

Russian Grammar through Exercises

Assimil Russian

New Penguin Russian Course Vocabulary 

Vocabulary resources

Anki

Word Reference

Ba Ba Dum

L-Lingo

Russian Swadesh list

English terms derived from Russian

Wikipedia Russian Topics (Click on different topics then click on different words for their English translation and meaning)

Russian Idioms

Russian Proverbs

Russian Similies

20,000-word Frequency dictionary of the modern Russian language (the Russian National Corpus)

Russian spelling alphabet

Russian Frequency lists/1-1000

Russian Frequency lists/1001-2000

Russian Frequency lists/2001-3000

Russian Frequency lists/3001-4000

Russian Frequency lists/4001-5000

Russian Adjectives - Frequency List

Russian Nouns - Frequency List

Russian Verbs - Frequency List

Russian palindromes

Russian Pronouns

Alpha Dictionary

Dubbed Russian Songs (Russian songs with Russian lyrics alongside transliteration and English translation. They also accept requests)

Clozemaster (I’d say this is more for intermediate-advanced, but beginners might make use of this as well)

Vikida Children’s Encyclopedia (Entirely in Russian)

Russian for Children by Pushkin Institute (Entirely in Russian) This actually contains resources for 5+ to 18+ so it covers a broad range of levels

Slow Russian Podcast

Slow Russian Youtube

Beginning Russian through Film

Amazing Russian Youtube

Bab.La English - Russian Dictionary

Grammar

Grammar Exercises Youtube Playlist

MasterRussian

Online Interactive Grammar 

Learn Russian Grammar Tables

Russian Grammar Youtube

Russificate

Conjugation Tool

Russian Grammar

Russian News Sites

Russia Today (In Russian) / Russia Today (in English) (They also have a whole database of documentaries/shows/films that are in English or Russian. Just click on a show here and it’ll give you the option to watch in English or Russian) 

The Moscow Times (In Russian) / The Moscow Times (In English) (They have free English PDFs of past print publications too)

Tass Russian News Agency (In Russian) / Tass Russian News Agency (In English)

Moskovskij Komsomolets (Московский комсомолец) (only available in Russian)

Komsomolskaya Pravda (Комсомо́льская пра́вда) (only available in Russian)

Izvestia (ɪzˈvʲestʲɪjə) (Only available in Russian)

Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Российская газета) (Only available in Russian)

Kommersant (Коммерса́нтъ) (Only available in Russian)(There is also a UK news website entirely in Russian)

Trud (Tpyд) (Only available in Russian)

Moskovskiye Novosti (Московские новости) (Only available in Russian)

Nezavisimaya Gazeta (Независимая газета) (Only available in Russian)

Novye Izvestia (Новые Известия) (Only available in Russian)

Vedomosti (Ведомости) (Only available in Russian)

Pravda Правда (Only available in Russian)

Delovoy Peterburg Деловой Петербург (Only available in Russian)

RBC daily (Only available in Russian)

Sport Express (Спорт-Экспресс) (Only available in Russian)

Sovetsky Sport (Советский спорт) (Only available in Russian)

Russia Beyond The Headlines (In Russian) / Russia Beyond The Headlines (In English)

Krasnaya Zvezda (Кра́сная звезда́) (Only available in Russian)

Moskovskaya Pravda (Московская правда) (Only available in Russian)

Argumenty i Fakty (Аргументы и факты) (Only available in Russian)

Sovetsky Sakhalin (Советский Сахалин) (Only available in Russian)

Tyumenskaya Oblast Segodnya (Only available in Russian)

Vecherniy Murmansk (Вечерний Мурманск) (Only available in Russian)

Vecherniy Novosibirsk (Вечерний Новосибирск) (Only available in Russian)

Vecherniy Stavropol (Вечерний Ставрополь) (Only available in Russian)

Novaya Gazeta (Новая газета) (Only available in Russian)

Novgorod (Новгород) (Only available in Russian)

Sankt-Peterburgskie Vedomosti (Санкт-Петербургские ведомости) (Only available in Russian)

Literaturnaya Gazeta (Литературная газета) (Only available in Russian)

Parlamentskaia Gazeta (Парламентская газета) (Оnly available in Russian)

Meduza (In Russian) / Meduza (In English)

Please note that sites listed do not equal an endorsement. I don’t know the political background or views of each of these publications. I’m merely compiling a variety I saw through various Russian news lists and search engine results. Content warnings may apply and not all content may be suitable for minors

Listening practice (Note, I may make another masterlist compiling various Russian podcasts and Youtube channels so I’m leaving them out of this section)

LibriVox

Listeningpractice.org

Slavic Languages and Cultures Department, University of Groningen Listen to the Slavic languages

Audio Lingua

Learn Russian with Peppa Pig

Forvo

StarMediaEN (Russian shows, documentaries etc with English subtitles)

Russian Films With English Subtitles Youtube Playlist

Alosha (Алёша Попович и Тугарин Змей) Children’s Film

Dobrynya and the Dragon (Добрыня Никитич и Змей Горыныч) Children’s Film

Ilya Muromets and Sparrow the Robber (Илья Муромец и Соловей Разбойник) Children’s film

How Not to Rescue a Princess (Три Богатыря и Шамаханская Царица) Children’s Film

Russian Animation (Mixture of dubbed content and subtitled content)

Киноконцерн "Мосфильм" (Moscow Film, only some of these are subtitled)

фильмы о Холмсе и Ватсоне (Movies about Sherlock Holmes with Russian audio and English subtitles)

Okay, so this list has gotten long enough lol. If you have any resources you feel should be added feel free to reblog and add them or message me and I’ll edit it in. If you have any requests for resource compilations that you want me to do (e.g. compiling Russian podcasts, general Russian websites, Russian YouTubers etc) please let me know. 

Writing About Asia

Sources

https://www.britannica.com/place/Asia

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/asian-cultures

http://www.physicalmapofasia.com

http://www.physicalmapofasia.com/regions-of-asia/

Introduction

Please note that Asia is such a vast and diverse continent that I cannot possibly include everything there is to know about it in one post. Consider this a jumping-off point for your own research. Please don’t hesitate to correct or amend anything in this post!

Countries and Regions

I’m only going to say this once: “Asian” does not automatically equal Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Asia contains 46-50 countries, depending on your definition of a country and where the country in question lies--some are only partially in Asia. Many countries also justly belong in two regions, due to strong geographic or cultural characteristics it may share with both regions. For the sake of clarity and the need for briefness, I will not be adding countries to multiple regions. 

Asia can be divided into five main regions: Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Western Asia. Northern Asia is a sixth and commonly disputed region due to the fact that it is comprised solely of Russia and is recognized as a European country.

Central Asia

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

East Asia

China

Hong Kong

Japan

Macau

Mongolia

North Korea

South Korea

Taiwan

South Asia

Bangladesh

Bhutan

India

Maldives

Nepal

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Southeast Asia

Brunei

Cambodia

East Timor

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar/Burma

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

Southwest Asia

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Georgia

Iran

Iraq

Israel

Jordan

Kuwait

Lebanon

Oman

Palestine

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Physical features

There are obviously many more notable physical features across Asia. These are simply some of the more well known and more significant ones.

Aral Sea

Arabian Desert

Arabian Peninsula

Brahmaputra River

Euphrates River

Ganges River

Gobi Desert

Himalayan Mountains (location of Mount Everest)

Hindu Kush Mountains

Indus River

Jordan River

South China Sea

Tigris River

Ural Mountains

Yangtze River 

Yellow River

Religion

Any and every religion can be practiced in Asia. These are some of the most common or well known ones:

Buddhism 

Christianity

Confucianism

Hinduism

Islam

Jainism

Judaism

Shinto

Sikhism

Taoism

Zoroastrianism

Common cultural aspects

Although Asia has a wealth of diversity, a few things stay the same across some of its cultures. However, these aspects can double as stereotypes, so be cautious in how you approach and portray them. The following are also frequent experiences of Asian immigrants and second-generation Asians.

Bright colors are good or lucky

Collectivistic culture

Competitiveness

Emphasis on physical appearance/reputation

Emphasis on socio-economic prosperity

Emphasis on success in academics and in life

Emphasis on the past, especially ancestors, and on the future

Filial piety

Showing self control and/or emotional restraint and respect

Removing shoes in the house

Stereotypes and microaggressions

Some of these have a seed of truth that has been exaggerated beyond recognition. Others are completely false and rooted in racism. Unless you have experience with these stereotypes, avoid them completely. Even if you do, be cautious when depicting them.

Stereotypes

Asians all look the same

Asians are smart

Asians are good at math and science

Asians aren’t athletic

Asians aren’t good drivers

Asians are either Chinese, Korean, or Japanese

Asians look younger than they are

Asians don’t know/speak “broken” English

Asians are quiet/introverted

Asians are oppressed by their parents

Asians (particularly teenagers) are cold/don’t know how to have fun

Asians eat dogs and cats

In media, Asian women are dragon ladies, China dolls or tiger moms

In media, Asian men are seen as emasculated, lecherous, or both

Microaggressions

“Where are you really from?”

“You’re Asian? Are you from [Asian country]?”

“You’re Asian? Do you speak [Asian language]?”

“What does [word(s)/phrase] mean?”

“You don’t look Asian.”

“You speak good English.”

”You don’t have an accent.”

Attempting to speak to you in an Asian language that you don’t know

Shortening an Asian name or deeming it unpronounceable

A SPORTS BLOG: Women's Figure Skating Short Program | PyeongChang 2018

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEtYYtwX1sM

Introduction

Figure Skating is a sport in which single athletes or teams of athletes conduct artistic performances on ice. Both men and women participate in their own singles events with pair skating events and ice dancing events open to both genders (usually one male and one female).

Athletes produce a wide variety of moves in order to impress a panel of judges, who score the athletes based on their grace, flair and control. Moves include jumps and spirals in the air, spins on the ice and a number of different step sequences.

Figure Skating has been a part of the Winter Olympics since the games first began in 1924, and also made appearances at 1908 and 1920 Summer Olympics before that.

The United States are the current world leaders in Olympic Figure Skating, holding a total of 49 medals overall. Russia and Austria are the closest rivals with 26 and 20 medals, respectively. The Soviet Union also picked up 24 medals during their time in the competition.

Court Dimension

Figure Skating Winter Olympics 2018 was held at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, South Korea. Figure Skating Rinks have a total area of 18,707 ft2 (1738 m2), with an average length of 196.85’ (60 m) and a width of 98.43’ (30 m). Hence, its corners have a circumference of 27.89’. (8.5 m).

Equipment

Costume - The figure skating costume should be made of light and elastic materials, as a rule, these are stretch fabrics. The costume of the figure skater reflects the style of the program and the music.

Figure Skates - Professional skates for figure skating are made of thick durable leather, have a long lacing and a large tongue. For professional skaters, skates are made individually. The blades are made of carbon steel and consist of two parts. The curved rocker for a good glide on ice. The toe part has teeth, for the execution of jumps and some elements of the program.

Basic Skills

Turns - Figure skating turns are an  important part of the sport. Some turns are part of the basics and others are  advanced and difficult to perform. Figure skating turns are important  because they are part of the advanced figure skating moves. For example the  entrance to certain jumps includes a three turn or a mohawk.

Steps - Figure skating steps a  skills that when put together form what is called a footwork sequence. Some  figure skating steps are variations on or combinations of turns. Power three  turns, twizzles, and running threes are example

Spins - Spins in figure skating are  often the most fun for the skater and most appealing to the figure skating  audience. Crowds love to watch an elegant or super fast spin. There is so  much important information related of figure skating spins that we have an  entire section devoted to these figure skating skills. This section includes  descriptions, pictures, and video demonstrations of figure skating spins.

Jumps - Jumps are spins in the air.  Actually a jump is a back spin in the air. These figure skating skills have  become one of the most important aspects of the sport since the creation of  the international judging system. Triple and quad jumps receive so many  points that they overshadow most of the other skills when competing. Some of  the most elegant skaters have lost in competitions because another skater  executes a series of point grabbing jumps

Spirals - Spirals are glides with  one leg way up in the air. There are many variations of these figure skating  skills. The first figure skating spiral learned is usually the arabesque.  Skaters will then learn a catch foot variation. Important aspects for figure skating  spirals are good extension, get the free leg extended high in the air, and  moving steadily across the ice. A change of edge during a spiral will receive  extra points

Moves in the field -  Really moves on the ice not in a field! They are in some ways a replacement  for "figures". The moves tests are intended teach the skater the  skills they need to excel in the sport.

Technical and Tactical Skills of each team

Most individuals showed their different choreographed figure skating performance. Each figure skaters from different countries were such fascinating to watch and most of their performances are masterpiece. Let’s start with Russia (Alina Zagitova), she gracefully executed her performance through combinations just like double axel-triple toe and triple lutz-triple toe. She really had a flexible body which benefits her in her technical and tactical skills which helped her get the victory of the event. Next is from Russia (Evgenia Medvedeva), She performed with different varieties of movements which made her performance stunning, she had jumps and spins that results as an extraordinary performance. Next is from Canada (Kaetlyn Osmond), she has done such combos like triple-triple combos. She performed with a fast pacing combined with turns and jumps which made her performance eager to watch. Next is from Japan (Satoko  Miyahara), watching her performance, she had leaps and jump variations that leads to triple toe loop. She showcased also spiral movements that makes the audience enjoy her performance. Next is from Japan (Kaori Sakamoto), her performance was really jaw dropping because of her splendid production. She has done such unique movements which made her almost got a high score to the judges. Next is from Italy (Carolina Kostner), She did a magnificent move in the field, spirals and jumps which made her performance opulent to the eyes, I can really say that she went through a lot failures in her practices because she showcased such a hard performance which I can really say that all her practices were really worth it. Next is from Canada (Gabrielle Daleman), I can notice in her tactics in presenting her performance is through mostly jumps and such spirals, resulting her performance with such superb presentation. Next is from South Korea (Choi Da-bin), she started her performance with a move in the field, she had jumps and turns in her way of her tactics. Next is from United States (Mirai Nagasu), she is such a skillful figure skater because of her performance with such impressive spins and jumps. She had points from the judges with her layback spin because it was really a hard thing to do which shocked most of the people and also me. Next is from United States (Karen Chen), she had tactics like toe jumps and lutz. She presented great progression of moves in the field and spirals which made her performance imposing. Next is from United States (Bradie Tennel), she showed tremendous jumps and spirals which is her tactics in the event. Next is from Russia (Maria Sotskova), Most of her tactics are spiral jump and moves around the field and gliding throughout her performance. Next is from Slovakia (Nicole Rajicova), her tactics were done through leaps, turns, spirals and jump. She showed an organized performance which I can really say that she really mastered her movement all throughout her performance because of her body language being showed in the performance. Next is from Germany (Nicole Schott), Her performance was spectacular to watch because she really moves gracefully and her movement has timing towards the music. Next is from Kazakhstan (Elizabet Tursynbayeva), extraordinary spirals, jumps, spins, steps turns were all present in her performance which is her tactics in the event. Next is from Australia (Kailani Craine), she was really energetic in her performance which helped her execute such stunning jumps, spirals and spins. She really enjoyed her performance. Next is from Brazil (Isadora Williams), her performance was having the tactics of different combos of spins and jumps combining with the music to result a spectacular performance. Next is from Finland (Emmi Peltonen), she had showcased jumps and spins that can really prove that she really mastered it well and has a unique ability that is not present to other players. Next is from Switzerland (Alexia Paganini), her tactics was done through spins and jumps from what I observe in her performance, she really mastered these two in order to add opulent view in the eyes of the audience. Next is from Belgium (Loena Hendrickx), her tactics in the event was through her strength in spinning and the combined with jumps to make her performance stunning. Next is from Hungary (Ivett Toth), she showed tactics of being classic, she wore a costume with a very simple design emphasizing her passion or theme of being punk and being classic. Next is from Latvia (Diana Nikitina), her way of presenting his performance was through spins, she mostly showcased this skill with a unique kind of way of executing it and that’s her tactics in the event. Next is from Sweden (Anita Ostlund), she has done a tremendous performance with her tactics of upright spin, this spin is really hard because you really need to have lower strength in order to perform this which results toa plus points to then judge scorecard. Next is from Kazakhstan (Aiza Mambekova), her tactics was through her hands, to add more joy in her performance. Lastly, is from Ukraine (Anna Khnychenkova), her tactics was through skating with one leg only. She had also executed such upright spin reaching her toes which made her performance outstanding.

Rules of the Game

Players & Equipment

Figure skating is a sport in which both men and women compete, and the only equipment needed is a pair of specially designed skates known as “Figure Skates.”

Figure Skates

Figure Skates are specially designed skating shoes with thick steel blades at the base and jagged grooves at the front known as “toe picks” – which assist athletes with their footwork on the ice, as well as landing and spinning. The specific style of toe picks can vary.

The key blades are usually about 4 millimeters wide, although this varies depending on the athlete’s foot style. They also have a small bend on one side to help with ice turns.

Figure skaters will often want to skate on the outer tips of their wheels. In order to accommodate step-work rather than skipping, ice dancers normally have slightly narrower blades on the base of their shoes, with a slightly different shape.

Costumes

In order to perform on a professional level, all men and women must wear special costumes. Men are expected to wear pants, while women must wear skirts and tights, trousers, or neon spandex.

Scoring

Figure skaters are judged by a jury of judges who use the ISU Judging System to rate them (usually nine judges including a technical inspector, and also a referee). This system works by giving varying numbers of points to competitors with different kinds of movements, as well as how quickly and successfully they are performed. A Grade of Execution (GoE) is measured, followed by a Scale of Success  (SOP). A Grade of Execution (GoE) is measured, and this grade is then converted into an overall mark using a Scale of Value Table.

Ability, footwork, performance, perception, overall execution, choreography, and timing are the key factors scored     during a normal Figure Skating performance. The more complicated maneuvers     are often awarded the highest scores if they are done correctly. For     example, the more rotations in a leap, the higher the score.

Winning

The athlete or team with the highest total score wins a Figure Skating competition.

Figure Skating Rules

Figure skaters must make their results interesting. According to the Zayak Rule, no participant can try triple or quadruple jumps more than twice.

If participants may not follow the rules and regulations for music and costumes, judges can penalize them or disqualify them entirely. Certain forms of music are forbidden, and costumes must be free of “excessive decoration” or be too revealing.

Time penalties will also result in athletes being disqualified.

How to officiate the sport

Officiating officials are the backbone of Figure Skating, ensuring fair competition for all skaters by enforcing the rules and regulations that govern the sport of figure skating.

Accountants

Accountants are also responsible for providing the judges, referees and technical panel officials with documents for recording their decisions. The accountants are also responsible for ensuring that the scoring software is set up properly, the scores are entered accurately and the results are calculated correctly.

Announcers

Announcers are responsible for announcing competitors before they perform at a competition. Announcers might also be asked to announce scores, names of officials and other general competition information as necessary. As the voice of an event, announcers need to be able to work as part of a team and have the ability to communicate effectively with competition hosts, referees and other officials. 

 Ice Technicians

Ice technicians are utilized at certain qualifying and international competitions to ensure the safety and quality of the ice surface. Primarily utilized at large competitions, the ice technician is the go-between for the event referee and arena personnel, and ensures each event runs safely and smoothly.

Judges

There are 2 types of Judges: Test Judges & Competition Judges

Test Judges: who can judge test sessions and     nonqualifying competitions

Competition Judges: who can judge     nonqualifying and qualifying competitions

 Music Technicians

Music officials are responsible for the setup, tear down and operation of the equipment used to play music at competitions.

Referees

Referees are the designated leaders and spokespeople for an event. They also manage the panel of judges and, depending on the size of the competition, may serve as one of the event's judges as well.

Summarization

Everyone did well in the event, however Alina Zagitova from Russia got the victory with the score of 82.92. Second place is Evgenia Medvedeva also from Russia with a score of 81.61 and third place is from Canada named Kaetlyn Osmond with a score of 78.87. Watching the figure skating event was really fun and at the same time jaw-dropping because of the extraordinary performance of the players. I can really say that figure skating is not an easy sport, it requires determination to improve and will go though different failures in order to grow as a figure skater. I really respect those players since they really tried their best to win.

References:

Figure Skating. (n.d.). Retrieved from Sportwiki:  https://sport-wiki.org/sports/figure-skating/#Equipment_for_figure_skating

The Basics. (n.d.).  Retrieved from Go Figure Skating:  http://gofigureskating.com/skills/index.html

Officiate. (n.d.).  Retrieved from US Figure Skating:  https://www.usfigureskating.org/support/officiate

Figure Skating Rules. (n.d.).  Retrieved from Rules of Sport:  https://www.rulesofsport.com/sports/figure-skating.html

Translation of Destination of Asia (February 2016)

So, tell us a little about yourself? 

- Hello everyone, we are Ninety One! Why Ninety One, you ask? For Kazakhstan, this is a very important numeral, because on December 16, 1991, our country became independent. By this we want to say that our art and movement are also independent, we want to show the spirit of free youth - this is the concept of our group. The team came together thanks to the k-top idols project, where A.Z. and ZaQ were among the finalists. Then there was the second season, Alem and Bala passed there, and then Ace joined us. We trained together for about an year. 

Is it true that the group was based on Korean boy band model? If so, what traits did you adopt, and what did you decide to make unique? 

- No, not really. We took only the system itself, adopted in Korea. In terms of the plan, we have a clear concept, everything is staged and rehearsed many times. After all, we all gathered from different regions of the country, each has its own specialty, but when we are together, we give a single concept and idea. Actually, this is what we adopted from our colleagues from Korea. 

What inspires you? 

All in chorus: EAGLEZ! 

- There is a lot to say about our fans. This is the first fandom formed in Kazakhstan, and we were very surprised and glad that there were people who really love us. They show their support to us every day, every minute, every second. And you know, this greatly inspires us to do something, to write new songs. We feel this support behind our backs and receive a great boost of energy from it. 

Do you write the songs yourself? 

Alem: Of course! We have a fairly large team engaged in this part of the work. Before recording, we definitely consult about music and words, and only after that we start practicing in the studio. Lyrics are mainly written by our rappers A.Z. and ZaQ, and we participate in the composition of the tune, as co-authors. I think that in every song all the members include something of their own. 

What is the relationship between the members within the group? 

Ace: You can probably say that since the band was formed, we became very, very close, almost like brothers. We deal with problems together and, despite the fact that I joined the guys later than everyone else, now I can say for sure that we are one friendly family. 

Alem: Yes, even more! We gathered from different parts of Kazakhstan, each had his own idea, his own views, but when we met, we approached each other like pieces of a correctly assembled puzzle! We have what we need, that's for sure!

 - Do you listen to any music from Southeast Asia (K-Pop, K-Rock, J-Rock, J-Pop and so on)? 

Ace: Well, personally, from the list of the above, I only listen to K-Pop. This is a great opportunity to gain experience and maybe even get some inspiration for your own new songs. 

ZaQ: I listened to J-Rock for a while and I liked it. As for K-Pop, we still watch more from a professional point of view - this music is very different from Western music, and we can learn a lot from Korean artists. In general, you yourself understand, there are a lot of groups in different countries, and they are all different, but K-Pop teams are the closest to us in terms of concept. 

- Is there a group that interests you? 

ZaQ: Actually, it is very difficult to answer this question, since we are interested this direction as a whole, as I mentioned earlier. 

Alem: Hyukoh! Although, in my opinion, it is difficult to call them a group, rather, they are artists, but this does not make them less cool. Especially their main soloist, who writes all the music himself. 

- Find a word to describe the concept of your debut video? Was it difficult to work on the camera during his filming? 

Everyone: Ayiptama or Don’t judge me? 

ZaQ: The funny thing is that in the song we say Ayiptama “Don't judge me” to the girl, sort of like “Don't blame me”. If now we take and choose a word for our concept, then it is simply " Ayiptama ", do not judge us for the fact that we started it like this. 

Alem: With dyed hair ... 

Ace: The first time was, of course, difficult to shoot, since this is our first video. There were some problems, but, to be honest, there weren't any particular difficulties. 

Alem: Actually, for everyone in different ways, we have Ace who is just talented.

Ace: Well it happened that we were preparing for filming both physically and mentally. We looked from what angle we look better, prepared ourselves, worked a lot with the mirror. And largely due to this, the shooting itself is wasn’t much, but it became easier for us.

Alem: We had a kind of warm-up, in plan, each one was filmed separately in the outdoors. They just found interesting places in the city, and even if there was a crowd of people, it worked anyway. Thanks to this, by the way, the feeling of embarrassment went away, began to see better angles from the side. But it's still difficult on the set, especially when there is a professional cameraman and directors who require more movement, and so on. This is not to say that it is absolutely horrible, but that it’s not easy - that’s for sure. 

Do you have any idols on whom you would like to be equal?

Alem: I like Will Smith, but not as an artist or singer, but as a person. Well, of course you know, he is a very cool pop singer, rapper and writes the songs himself. Why do I consider him my idol? Probably because he always defends his point of view to the end and lives doing what he loves, completely surrendering to him. I remember he once talked about how if you start building a wall, then you need to build everything brick by brick. This is exactly what we all need to always achieve our goals and not be distracted by anything, even if something is not going as fast as we would like.

Ace: I agree with him. If you take on something, then you have to do everything to the end. Well, you know my idol for sure - is Arnold Schwarzenegger. At first he was just a bodybuilder, but he became the best bodybuilder, then he wanted to become an actor and became one of the best, then he went into politics and became the best governor, as many say in the United States. Where I am leading - everything he undertook, he did at the highest level.

A.Z: Eminem has been my idol since childhood. I really like both his personality and creativity. He always shows skill in his music and has a special, unique style.

Bala: I don't have a specific idol - I usually like one thing in different peoples, and I try to take the good from each of them.

ZaQ: I look up to my grandfather. Seriously, he is like Will Smith and Schwarzenegger combined, and indeed a very versatile person who constantly surprises me.

What is your ideal girl type?

Alem: I like active ladies. I can't even pinpoint exactly what is is, because it is always different. But what catches me the most about girls - their eccentricity and charisma, they always stand out against the general background. She may be …

Other members: Ugly?

Alem: Hey, no, no! Girls can’t be ugly, because there are no ugly women. I also like it when a girl is a good at speaking and is able to show her emotions.

Ace: Well, my ideal type of girl ... Actually, it doesn’t exist yet. I am attracted by calm, homely and well-mannered girls, I would call this type a "good wife".

A.Z: As for me, a girl should be, first of all, smart, friendly, polite and, I think, calm. To summarize - my complete opposite.

Bala: Before falling in love with someone's inner world, in any way looks at the appearance ...

The rest of the members: Maybe you can tell right away that you like beautiful ones?

Bala: All the girls are beautiful! And because of that, I like them all. But, to be honest, I prefer smart ones, those who are good at reasoning, are wise in their thoughts and also, perhaps, shy. Well. In general, shy cuties, here!

ZaQ: I don't have a specific type, but I like girls... such a, let’s face it, real. Who aren’t ashamed of their own opinion and simply aren’t ashamed of anything, well, you know, such extraordinary personalities. You can say, a little freaks, these are the ones that attract me. Those who don’t even care what people think of them, something like that.

Would you like to move forward not only at home, but also in Russia (with the CIS countries)?

Of course we do, why not? But first, we would like to create a certain starting base in Kazakhstan, and then, if our activity here is successful, we will try to work in the CIS as well! We can say that this is our main goal in the future, but everything has its time.

Do you have any plans to release a song in Russian?

- Not in the near future, but in the future - of course. And not only in Russian, in English, too. But at the moment we want to consolidate our position in our native country and for now release music only with words in Kazakh.

What is your current goal (both as a group and individually)?

- The overall goal is to create a subculture like Q-pop. There are K-pop, J-Pop, etc., and we should have Q-pop (qazaq pop). We want this direction to settle down in Kazakhstan and beyond. To become the founders of this movement and perhaps even create a subculture so that people in other countries, listening to our songs, think: "Oh, this is Q-pop." Our main desire - to develop the music industry and give it a second wind, and, of course, show our country from its best side. We also want to draw people's attention to the beauty of our language. And, of course, another goal is to enter the big stage and receive a national vocation. But in fact, we thought about these issues for a long time, and what personal goals we can have when we now have everything in common, including aspirations and plans. But still, of course, there are individual ones.

Alem: You know, there are so many languages ​​in which jazz is performed all over the world. These songs become soundtracks for films, everyone knows them and hums them in everyday life. I would really like to create a project in which we could translate and perform all these compositions in our native language. I think this is quite achievable and the other members have even agreed to help me!

Ace: Most of all I want to fulfill myself, become successful and help your loved ones with full dedication, support them so that they do not need anything. Well, I guess that's a pretty good goal, right?

A.Z: Perhaps I have similar goals as the group - to promote Kazakhstan and our language around the world!

Bala: During the time that we are together, I have become very attached to the group. Since I’mm the youngest, I’m often spoiled by the rest of the members, and to be honest, I did not even think about anything other than "Ninety One". I always wanted to sing, and my goal, in fact, has already been fulfilled - I can do what I love with wonderful people. But as A.Z. said I really want to go to the world level.

ZaQ: I, alas, have not been able to finish my studies as a linguist, and my goal is directly related to our national language. I would like to show its beauty and versatility and prove that it can sound not only within the country, but also abroad.

Everyone: And we also plan to learn English at a good level, for example, like ZaQ and A.Z. They sometimes walk around the dorm, communicate with each other in English and even in Korean. Our immediate goal now is to understand what they are talking about.

There is also an individual question for Azamat: why did you decide to return back to Kazakhstan?

Ace: I had my own personal reasons, which I pondered for a long time and which I would not particularly like to spread. About a year before I returned, I already thought about it, but all the time I put off this difficult decision. At some point, the move still had to be made, I made a choice in favor of my home country. I am very grateful to everyone who was next to me in Seoul, who helped me and taught me, passing on invaluable experience. But now I'm at Ninety One and a new path is just beginning! 

What, in your opinion, is lacking in the Kazakh show business at the moment and what are its strengths? 

- The strongest side is that the Kazakh show business is just developing. This positive trend can be seen with the naked eye, which is good news. Plus, there are now many new bands and genres emerging so that people can finally choose what to listen to. What's missing? Perhaps systematic, practical and consistent. As well as special programs for the formation of artists and their promotion. However, this deficiency is now gradually disappearing.

Now for a fun question: Did you know that fans write fanfiction about you, and how do you feel about it? 

Everyone: We learned about what fanfics are from our fans and decided to read it. In fact, it’s not only very strange, but also funny to realize that you are the main character of someone’s story. Plus, it helps us analyze how our fans see us from the outside. And, of course, it's nice that we inspire someone to be creative, so undoubtedly this aspect of our contact with fans also deserves special attention.

Alem: I once read about myself, about other members, and there were both normal stories and very strange ones. At first we were very surprised at this and didn’t believe that it was about us at all. And I also read a work where I am downright a bad boy, and I wondered if they really see me like that? Because I never had negative intentions and I am generally a kind guy.

What wishes would you like to leave to our readers and your fans?

- Smile always and everywhere, no matter what! Always be in a good mood and never lose faith in the future! And, of course, listen to our music! We also want to express our huge gratitude to our fans. What can we promise on our part? We will only make high-quality music, give the best that we can create! The main thing is that we believe in your support and love, and we will give it to you with great return! We also hope that you will support our first mini-album and our further work! Give good and good mood to others! We love you madly, we are very pleased that you support us! In any incomprehensible situation you have us, and we have you, and together we can overcome a lot. Eaglez, be always healthy and happy, because if we are happy, you should be doubly happy. Baqytta Bolnizdar! ("Be happy"). And, of course, we wish all the best to all Destination Asia readers! 

Control

otayuri | E-rated | 3.5K words “Okay, I might have one. But you won’t like it.” “This isn’t about me, this is about you,” Yuri says, rolling his eyes. He’s 99% sure Otabek is just playing it safe by saying that, although Yuri can’t help wondering what could be so bad even he wouldn’t like it - he thinks everything can be enjoyable if Otabek is involved. They exit the park and start heading towards Otabek’s apartment until the silence between them is broken again. “I want to tie you up.” Read on AO3

“What’s your secret sexual fantasy?” They’re in the middle of their evening jog, and Yuri had hoped his inquiry would take Otabek by surprise and change something in his usually serious expression (or maybe even make him stumble a little). However, all he gets is a questioning raise of eyebrows. “That’s sudden.” “No, it’s not. We’ve been dating for three years and we haven’t had this conversation yet, so I’d say it’s about time,” Yuri says as they enter Almaty Central Park. The temperatures had been steadily dropping in the past few weeks, and the park is mostly empty when they jog past one of its beautiful fountains and follow a path lined with tall trees. “It’s also your birthday in two days, and I suck at giving presents.” That pulls a small laugh out of Otabek, the sound of it making Yuri smile. The competitive season had just started a few weeks ago, and since Yuri had basically used his entire summer flying between Russia and Japan for practice, he had decided to come to Kazakhstan to spend some time with Otabek instead of going home after his first competition of the season. He knows they only have a limited amount of time together before both of them have to get back into their own home rinks, but he’s going to enjoy these few days - especially because Otabek’s birthday is just around the corner.

“I don’t have one,” Otabek says, answering Yuri’s original question. “Don’t lie.” “I’m not lying, though.” “I know you are,” Yuri says, shooting an amused look at Otabek when they jog through the park. “You can tell me! I won’t judge you or anything.” For a moment Otabek says nothing, and Yuri doesn’t pressure him. In their years of friendship and romantic relationship Yuri has learned there are different kinds of silences when it comes to Otabek: the comfortable one where neither of them has to say anything; the heavy one that mostly appears when Yuri lets his anger boil over (which doesn’t happen that often anymore); and the one where Otabek needs time to either think or gather enough courage to say something. The last one is the most excruciating one for Yuri, but in the end it’s always worth the wait. “Okay, I might have one. But you won’t like it.” “This isn’t about me, this is about you,” Yuri says, rolling his eyes. He’s 99% sure Otabek is just playing it safe by saying that, although Yuri can’t help wondering what could be so bad even he wouldn’t like it - he thinks everything can be enjoyable if Otabek is involved. They exit the park and start heading towards Otabek’s apartment until the silence between them is broken again. “I want to tie you up.” There’s a subtle stumble in Yuri’s step, but he manages to hide it. “Okay.” “Okay.” “Why?” “You said you wouldn’t judge me.” “I’m not judging you.” “I said you wouldn’t like it,” Otabek says to defend himself, turning his back to Yuri as he unlocks the door to his apartment building. The tips of his ears are red, but Yuri isn’t sure if it’s a result of their run or because the topic of their conversation makes him slightly embarrassed. “I didn’t say I don’t like it, I’m just… surprised.” “Does the thought make you uncomfortable?” Otabek asks when they start climbing up the stairs. Yuri’s legs are already trembling, but he’s not going to say anything because Otabek isn’t showing any signs of exhaustion. “Why would it?” “Well, you… you like to be in control.” “Are you calling me some kind of control freak?” They’ve finally reached the right floor, and Yuri has to stop at the top of the stairs to give his legs a little break. Otabek is already at the other end of the corridor, unlocking the door to his apartment. “No! That’s not what I meant.” Otabek watches Yuri stagger into his apartment and fall onto the floor, unlacing his shoes. “I meant what I said. You want to be in control of things in your life, like when it comes to skating or anything else you do. And… kind of in the bedroom too.” Yuri gives Otabek a hard, doubtful look, but he can’t deny what Otabek is saying. It’s true that he wants to have control over his surroundings, because that’s how he learned to survive when he was younger. Back then he didn’t know how to deal with all his negative feelings and thoughts, so he started controlling everything he could: how his body moved on and off the ice, how he interacted with other people, and how the world saw him. He has since learned not to hide behind overflowing confidence and arrogant attitude, but finding himself in situations where he simply can’t take over and be in control makes him anxious. Yuri knows this, and a part of him is angry that Otabek knows this too. “Does it bother you? Me being controlling in bed,” Yuri asks, finally standing up. He’s feeling a lot less exhausted, and he definitely needs a shower. Otabek is already a step ahead of him, pulling his shirt off while he disappears into the bathroom. Yuri follows him, freeing his hair from its ponytail and combing through it with his fingers. “I didn’t say you’re controlling in bed, you just want to be able to take control over the situation if needed,” Otabek says, meeting Yuri’s eyes through the bathroom mirror. There’s softness in his gaze when he brushes his fingertips against the back of Yuri’s hand. “If that makes sense.” “It doesn’t, really,” Yuri deadpans, both of them knowing he actually does understand what Otabek is trying to say; he just doesn’t want to admit it. Otabek gives him a small smile when they get into the shower, and Yuri has a hard time pretending he’s still offended by getting called out. “I’ll think about it.” “You don’t have to do it if the thought makes you uncomfortable.” “I’ll still think about it. It’s your birthday, after all.” Otabek seals the deal with a kiss, and deep down Yuri already knows what his decision will be. -- It’s very typical for Otabek to be romantic in the most casual, mundane ways: he never buys Yuri flowers nor writes him long, sickly sweet text messages (because he knows Yuri would hate both of those), but he remembers Yuri’s favorite coffee order and gets them tickets to a Disney movie screening whenever a new film comes out. He calls Yuri ‘darling’ and kisses the blush on his face afterwards, and he would never cross Yuri’s boundaries. So, even though he’s lying on Otabek’s bed in nothing but his underwear and has his hands tied together, a part of Yuri feels safe. The other part is absolutely terrified. “It’s not too tight, is it?” “Isn’t that kind of the point? It being painful.” “No,” Otabek says. His tone isn’t sharp or ridiculing, but there’s a small frown on his face. “I know you’re not into that.” Yuri can’t deny being surprised when Otabek finally answered his question about sexual fantasies the other day, but after thinking it through, Yuri came to the conclusion that he should get out of his own comfort zone more often. Yuri knows nothing will change the fact that he absolutely hates not being in control of basically everything in his life, but he’s also aware he has to challenge the uneasy feeling of losing that control if he wants to grow out of his negative thinking patterns. He also got a little bit offended when Otabek implicated he’s a control freak, and although Yuri tries hard not to do things just to prove someone wrong, sometimes he just can’t help it. He’s kind of having second thoughts about his decision, but it is Otabek’s birthday and when Yuri had told him earlier they could try whatever he wants, the lust-filled flash of excitement that visited Otabek’s face made the back of Yuri’s neck hot in the most pleasant way possible. Otabek runs a hand through his hair as he sits between Yuri’s legs, meeting his eyes. His shirt is already accompanying Yuri’s clothes on the floor, and the grey sweatpants he has on are hanging low on his hips. He draws invisible circles on the side of Yuri’s right knee, the touch igniting sparks somewhere deep in the bottom of Yuri’s stomach. “Okay?” Otabek’s voice is deep and steady, and suddenly Yuri’s mouth feel dry. “Okay.” Their safeword is axel. Yuri isn’t sure is he going to need it. The kiss Otabek places on Yuri’s lips is gentle and soft, and Yuri’s immediate response is to slide his hands into Otabek’s hair and pull him closer. He tries to act on his instinct, but Otabek is faster, pressing Yuri’s tied hands against the mattress. “Don’t make me regret not tying you down,” Otabek says against Yuri’s lips, his voice low and pupils blown. It pulls a helpless whine and a curse out of Yuri. “No touching.” “No touching,” Yuri repeats quickly to confirm he’s understood. Otabek kisses him again, but it’s totally different this time: he runs the tip of his tongue over the seam of Yuri’s lips before slipping past it, a small sigh of pleasure filling the air. Yuri grinds hips hips shamelessly against Otabek’s knee placed between his legs, the breathy laugh Otabek lets out feeling like electricity in his veins. Otabek is smiling when he kisses Yuri’s neck, teasing him with a gentle scrape of teeth before licking over his pulse point. He travels down on Yuri’s chest with confidence, enjoying how Yuri’s body responses to his touches. By the time Otabek’s lips reach the waistband of Yuri’s underwear they’re both breathing heavily, anticipation hanging heavy between them. It takes all of Yuri’s willpower to keep his hands pressed against the mattress over his head when Otabek mouths the outline of his half-hard cock through his underwear and places a string of kisses on his inner thighs. Yuri follows Otabek’s every movement carefully as he takes off the last piece of clothing Yuri has on and reaches for the bottle of lube standing on their bedside table. He gives Yuri another kiss before settling back between his legs, gently guiding them more apart. A wave of pleasure travels through Yuri as Otabek runs his fingertips up on the underside of his dick before stroking him slowly. Otabek kisses him again and smiles against his lips when a brush of his thumb over Yuri’s hole pulls a quiet moan out of him. He leaves feather-light kisses on Yuri’s neck and teases him with his fingers, circling his hole with lube-covered fingers, careful not to push one past his rim despite Yuri’s needy whines. Otabek sits back and Yuri can’t tear his eyes away from him: his shoulders are relaxed, and although there’s a slight blush on his face, his overall expression is calm and collected. He looks comfortable and in control, and the sight turns Yuri on more than he ever expected. He’s breathless, and when Otabek meets his eyes and finally pushes a finger inside him, Yuri finds himself gasping loudly. The sound creates a small, teasing smirk on Otabek’s face and Yuri has to close his eyes to keep himself mentally together. He tries to focus on keeping his breathing stable and how the slow movements of Otabek’s fingers in and out of him create sparks of pleasure inside him. He rolls his hips to get Otabek’s fingertips brush against the spot that makes him see stars without fail, and that’s when Otabek pulls his fingers out of him. “Eager.” “I’m ready.” “I know you are.” Otabek’s tone is unwavering yet gentle, but the small smirk is still dancing on his lips. Yuri kind of wants to kick him. “You don’t have to tease me like that.” “I know I don’t have to, but I want to.” Yuri doesn’t know how he’s supposed to answer, and Otabek doesn’t wait for him to say anything. He pushes two fingers inside Yuri and curls them just enough to reach his prostate. Yuri throws his head back against the mattress and curses under his breath, and Otabek goes back to slowly fingering him open. It takes less than a minute for Yuri to grow impatient again, and after a few needy whines Otabek fastens his pace but makes sure to avoid the spot Yuri wants him to touch more than anything. The annoyance makes Yuri’s toes curl, and right when he’s about to complain, Otabek’s fingertips brush briefly over his prostate again. By now Yuri knows it’s not an accident: they’ve done this so many times Otabek knows exactly what to do and how to move to make Yuri feel good. He comes to the conclusion that Otabek’s plan is to tease him until he’s going crazy, and then some more. But Yuri doesn’t call him out or tell him that’s not something he agreed on, because Otabek is looking at him with dark eyes, mouth slightly open and a hard-on straining against the material of his sweatpants. It makes Yuri’s head spin, a wave of pleasure shooting through his body every time Otabek decides to press his fingers deeper inside. Yuri’s dick is already leaking with pre-cum when Otabek takes off his pants and gives himself a few firm strokes, his deep sigh of relief making Yuri whine. He’s itching to touch Otabek: run his hands over his chest, climb onto his lap and ride his cock until they’re both gasping for air. Yuri knows he’s already extremely close to the edge, and he has to clench his hands into fists when Otabek continues his teasing by pushing into him excruciatingly slowly. They moan in unison when Otabek is in to the hilt, his hands gripping Yuri’s hips to keep both of them still. Yuri’s mind feels hazy, his breathing getting heavier when Otabek settles into a steady pace with his thrusts. His orgasm builds up, heat pooling in the bottom of his stomach, and he can’t help himself - he tries to wrap his fingers around his cock to relieve himself, but Otabek moves faster. He stills and pins Yuri’s hands above his head, the corner of his mouth quirking up at the groan of frustration Yuri lets out. “Keep your hands to yourself,” he says, only slightly out of breath. “For fuck’s sake, Beka-” “No touching. You promised me.” Yuri isn’t sure is the pout on his face more angry or pleading, but Otabek dismisses it easily with a quick kiss. He lets go of Yuri’s wrists but doesn’t turn his eyes away, hard gaze with blown-out pupils wordlessly telling Yuri to behave himself. Yuri obeys, but only because the peak of his pleasure got cut off, and he can still feel it bubble just under the surface, ready to take over him. He gives a nod of agreement and Otabek treats him with a roll of his hips, his cock sliding deeper into Yuri in one fluid motion. It doesn’t take long until both of them are chasing after their releases again, Otabek’s pace picking up as Yuri moans under him. He crosses his legs behind Otabek’s back to keep him close, and his brain is ready to short-circuit as he gets closer and closer to the edge. And then Otabek pulls out. Yuri gasps in shock, his mind unable to register anything for a brief moment. When he manages to gather his thoughts, he feels nothing but utter disbelief, his denied orgasm still tingling in the tips of his fingers. “You fucker,” Yuri says, and Otabek places a hot kiss on his neck as an apology. “I was so close.” “Me too.” Once again Yuri isn’t sure what he’s supposed to say, so he keeps his mouth shut and lets Otabek press kisses on his neck and down his chest, them stirring awake the pleasant heat in the bottom of his stomach. Yuri welcomes the feeling and allows it to wrap around him, his nails painfully digging in the skin of his palms when Otabek slides into him, the moan he tries to bite back almost sending Yuri over the edge. Otabek’s thrusts get sharp and fast until he slows down, rolling his hips in an angle that makes Yuri squirm and whine helplessly. His orgasm builds up, prickling electricity travelling through his veins and igniting fires in his every cell, and when it’s ready to take over Yuri’s body, Otabek stills. It leaves Yuri gasping for air, and when it happens for the third time, Yuri doesn’t care what he might have promised. He knows that a light brush of fingertips over his dick would be enough and he tries to relieve himself, but Otabek is there to guide his hands away before he even gets close. This time Yuri fights back, kicking with his feet and pulling his hands to himself. When the first tears of frustration roll on his cheeks, Yuri considers using the safeword. “Beka, please.” Yuri absolutely hates begging for anything, but it feels like his every nerve is oversensitive and close to exhaustion. Otabek kisses his tears away, holding his arms still. “You’re doing so well, darling.” “I hate you.” “I know,” Otabek laughs, but Yuri finds nothing funny in the situation. His head is cloudy with all the pent-up pleasure and he feels like he has lost the last remains of control over his body. Otabek holds his tied hands above his head and kisses him, rocking his hips in a way that makes every rational thought disappear from Yuri’s mind: all he feels, hears and sees is just Otabek and his desperate need to come. Otabek angles his thrusts just right to hit Yuri’s prostate over and over again, and Yuri finds himself pleading for permission, even his own words not making any sense to him. He’s somehow keeping himself together until Otabek is kissing his neck again, whispering his name against his skin. Yuri’s orgasm hits him almost violently, his mind turning into crackling static. His back arches up and his senses turn dull, and he barely registers Otabek pulling their bodies close to each other as he comes inside him. Yuri’s eyelids feel heavy, and his body is still far from recovered when Otabek shifts on the bed and slides two fingers inside him. “No, no, no,” Yuri says on an instinct, writhing in the sheets. They both know that’s not the safeword. His body is unsure how to react to the press of Otabek’s fingers, the overstimulation making him feel feverish. He’s trembling but still leaning into Otabek’s touch, wordlessly asking him to get deeper and drive both of them mad once more. “Fuck, Yura,” Otabek nearly moans, his fingertips reaching the already abused spot inside Yuri. Hot tears burn Yuri’s eyes but he barely notices them, flood of pleasure hitting through him and wiping every sensible thought out of his head. He rides Otabek’s fingers until he’s unable to feel or hear anything and he’s repeating his boyfriend’s name over and over again, his body shivering with aftershocks. Yuri is still seeing stars behind his eyelids when Otabek dries his lingering tears and undoes the restraints around his wrists, gently guiding his arms down before getting up. Yuri listens to the bathroom tap running, his thoughts slowly coming back together. He forces his eyes open when Otabek sits down next to him and brushes a wild strand of hair out of his face. “Everything alright?” Otabek asks, his voice a tiny bit hoarse. Yuri opens his mouth to say something, but forming words turns out to be way harder than he expected. He closes his mouth and nods instead. Otabek kisses his forehead before pressing a warm towel over each of his wrists, faded-pink marks going around them. Yuri lets Otabek clean them up and accepts the glass of water given to him, exhaustion making his every move slow and languid. He’s happy when Otabek gets back into the bed and throws the covers over them, and he’s free to curl up next to him. Yuri’s every muscle aches, especially in his arms, but it’s a different kind of pain than what he gets after countless hours of training: it makes him drowsy and satisfied in a way nothing else can. “I think I fucking blacked out,” Yuri says after a moment of silence, and Otabek huffs a laugh into his hair. “So you liked it?” Yuri doesn’t reply instantly, because he’s not completely sure did he like it. At first he was uncomfortable with the thought, but he can’t deny enjoying the way Otabek carried everything out. It’s clear to him that Otabek knows he’s not ready to do everything again soon, but to his own horror Yuri realizes that maybe in the end it wasn’t that bad to lose all control and be completely at the mercy of Otabek. “Yeah,” he finally says, reaching up to press a kiss on Otabek’s jawline. “I liked it.”

TWW Fantasy Season 8:17 Like Being Pecked to Death by a Duck (Teaser)

Title: TWW Fantasy Eight-18 Episodes of a JD-centric season Episode: 8.17-Like Being Pecked To Death By A Duck Author: Shelley Rating: Young Adult Disclaimer: TWW is owned by WB. Lucky them. Author's Notes. Thanks to all of you who have been reading this season and letting me/us know what you think. You guys are the best!! This has been a really fun ride. I'm especially grateful for your patience when real life got in the way of fic life deadlines. Thanks to all the other Fantasy Eight authors for their help and encouragement. Special thanks to Liza for the fantastic beta job on this ep and her generosity all season long in sharing storyline ideas. All her suggestions made this ep better and any problems still remaining are all mine. And now, without further ado... Like Being Pecked to Death by a Duck Teaser Interior-Chief of Staff's Office Wednesday afternoon 2PM

As if she had some special sense of exactly when she was needed, or perhaps because she'd been eavesdropping at the door, Margaret appeared, steno pad in hand, before Josh had a chance to bellow for her. "How do you do that," he asked incredulously as he loosened his tie and tossed two folders onto the pile of things on the corner of his desk that Margaret needed to file. "It's a gift." "It's creepy." "I wouldn't need to do it if you'd learn to use the intercom." "Yeah," Josh tilted his head to the side, "but we both know that's not likely." "I live in hope," Margaret deadpanned as she picked up the files and tucked them under her arm. "Could you please tell Sam I need to see him right away and ask Ronna to let me know as soon as the President gets back from Miranda's Christmas pageant." "Consider it done. Anything else?" "Yeah." Josh tapped his pencil on the desk as he thought. "I need to know if the Russian and Chinese Ambassadors are in town and I need Arnold Vinick on the phone as soon as possible. He's speaking at a dinner in London. Don't pull him out, just make sure he checks in with me immediately after." "Anything else?" "That should do it. Thanks." Margaret turned to leave, still making notes on her pad as she walked, and stumbled directly into Sam who was entering from her office. "Whoa there," he said with a bemused smile as he grabbed her elbows to steady her. "I was just going to call you," Margaret said as she collected herself. "Josh needs to see you." She looked over her shoulder at her boss. "I guess Sam has a gift too." "Don't you have things to do," Josh asked with mock annoyance. Margaret smirked at him and made her way to her desk. "What do you need?" Sam asked. Josh removed his jacket, tossing it haphazardly across the room in the direction of the sofa, and pushed up his sleeves looking for all the world like a man whose relatively quiet day was taking a turn for the worse. "I just got a call from Watkins at State. There was an explosion in an elections office in Kazakhstan." "What kind of explosion?" Sam was immediately concerned. "We don't know yet. We've got people on the way to the site." "Any chance it was just an accident," Sam asked hopefully. "There's always a chance." "But if it's a thing..." "It'll be a big one," Josh sighed. "The new elections are set for January. We can't afford a setback this late in the game. Start working every contact we have. Find out if there have been any threats floating around we may have missed. Check out all the usual suspects who might have an interest in the peace process failing. If this whole thing is gonna start to unravel I don't wanna be blindsided." "I'll get right on it," Sam said. "It's 1am there. We're probably not gonna know anything definite till we get a chance to look at hings in the daylight but let's be as prepared as we can be." "Could be a late night," Sam pointed out. "Looks that way. Is that a problem?" "Not for me." "No plans?" Josh asked. He knew Sam was still hurting from the breakup with Lauren. He and Donna had had Sam over for dinner a couple of times but Josh had no idea what his deputy was doing with the rest of his free time. Josh hoped he wasn't burying himself in work as an escape. "Not really. You?" "Well...actually..." Josh fiddled nervously with his paperweight, his eyes falling a picture of him and Donna at the McBain's clambake. "What?" Sam asked, intrigued by Josh's reaction. "If I get out of here at a decent time tonight I think I'm gonna...I mean I think I might... "What?!" Josh looked up at Sam and his face broke into a full dimpled smile. "Ask Donna to marry me." "Are you serious?!" Sam asked excitedly, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree. "Congratulations, buddy!" "I have to do it soon, Sam," Josh said earnestly. "The ring is burning a hole in my pocket." "That's great!" Sam was truly happy for both of them. "Where are you taking her?" "Taking her?" The look on Josh's face changed to mild panic. "I wasn't planning on taking her anywhere. I thought I'd do it at our place." "On a random Wednesday?" Sam crinkled his nose. "Is that bad?" "Well, not bad necessarily bad," Sam tried to find the right words. "Just kind of...ordinary." "And ordinary is bad." It was more of a statement than a question. "You only get one chance to do this right, you want to make it special." Sam hesitated. "Well, YOU only get one chance, I'm taking a few practice swings." "I'm sorry, Sam. I know this is probably the last thing you want to talk about right now." "No, it's fine. Really. I'm just saying....doesn't Donna deserve something really special?" "She's getting me," Josh smirked. Sam rolled his eyes. "I mean proposal-wise." "I guess so," Josh was trying to figure out how the plan which seemed so good this morning in the shower had managed to fall apart so fast. "I mean definitely. Yes. Absolutely." "You know what you need? The great outdoors. The magic and wonder of nature." Sam's face brightened as inspiration struck. "I know. You need to wait till the cherry blossoms are in bloom." "Sa-am," Josh whined, "that'll be months. I don't want to wait months." "Wait months for what?" Matt Santos asked as he entered through the door connecting to the Oval.

"Ronna said you needed to see me." Josh scrambled to his feet but Matt waved him off. "How was Miranda's pageant, Sir," Sam asked. "It was absolutely beautiful. Miranda was by far the best angel, or elf, or whatever it is she was supposed to be. Though keep in mind I may be biased." "I wish I'd been there," Sam said, secure in the knowledge he'd already dodged that particular bullet. "Well then it's lucky for you Helen had one of her staffers record the whole thing. You just may get to see it after all. It'll be like movie night only with home videos instead." Matt's eyes twinkled. He was realistic enough to know Sam was only being polite with his comments and really had no desire to see an elementary school pageant. He just couldn't help playing with his staffers a little from time to time. "Can't wait, Sir," Sam said with a half smile. "So...Ronna said you needed to see me?" "There was an explosion at an elections office in Aktobe," Josh said. "We don't have any details yet. We have people on the way but it's the middle of the night there so we may not have anything concrete till the sun comes up." "I don't like the sound of that," Matt replied uneasily. "We're too close to have this all fall apart now. Any reaction from Russia or China yet?" "Not so far. We're getting a location on their Ambassadors so we can pull them in if needed. I think maybe you should make a few pre-emptive phone calls just to try to keep everyone calm till we find out exactly what's going on." "Good idea." "I'm gonna get Secretary Vinick working the phones too," Josh added. "As soon as he gets off the dais in London." "How did that go," Matt asked. "I know he wasn't looking forward to two days of meetings with Humphries capped off by a rubber chicken dinner." "We haven't heard anything yet but I'll ask him when he calls in." "Good. I'll get Ronna to place those calls." Matt took a few steps back towards the Oval then turned to face Josh again. "You never answered my question. What don't you want to wait months for?" "To propose to Donna," Sam offered helpfully. "He's thinking about doing it tonight. Over dinner. At home. Their home." Sam shook his head in disbelief. "Really?" Matt asked incredulously. "You don't think you need a little...more?" "Like what?" Josh's asked almost desperately. "I've been trying to figure this out for weeks and it's starting to make me crazy." "Women like grand gestures," Matt said assuredly. "They like pomp and circumstance." "Really? Because Sam thinks they like cherry blossoms." "Turn on the TV!" Lou demanded as she barreled into Josh's office with Lester right behind her. It took her a few seconds to register that the President was standing there as well. "I'm sorry, Sir." "Don't worry about it," Matt smiled at her somewhat frazzled demeanor. "What's up," Josh asked as he grabbed the remote and flipped to CNN. He turned the sound up and heard the anchor talking about Arnold Vinick's London speech. "What was wrong with the speech?" Matt asked, eyes suddenly glued to the TV. "Nothing," Lou huffed. "It was what he said afterward, when he forgot his mic was hot." "What did he say?" Sam asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. "Listen for yourself," Lou said as the piece of tape she had seen just minutes earlier in her office began to run yet again. "Humphries wouldn't know an original idea if it bit him on the nose, the crotchety old coot." Arnold's voice rang out, every syllable enunciated with perfect clarity. "He called the British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State....??" Matt could barely conceal his smile. "A crotchety old coot. Yes." Lou said. "We need to get him on the phone." "He's calling in as soon as he gets off the dais," Josh said as he watched the words play again right in front of his eyes. "How did this get on the air so fast?" "One of the military channels was carrying it live," Lester shrugged. "How do you want me to handle this at the 3pm briefing?" "Tell them the President has no comment till he talks to Secretary Vinick," Josh said. "Besides, we have bigger things to worry about. Get with Sam about an explosion at an elections office in Kazakhstan. We don't have many details and we don't want anyone panicking before we do." "Got it," Lester said. "Hey, Lou, you're a girl," the President said, his mind snapping back to what they had been discussing when Lou and Lester arrived. Lou arched an eyebrow. "Yes, I am." "If you were getting proposed to, would you want a little nature or some good old fashioned pomp and circumstance?" "Is this still about Josh?" Lou snorted then turned to smirk at the Chief of Staff. "You haven't managed to pop the question yet? Haven't you had the ring for like...months?" "It's been three weeks," Josh said defensively. "You've waited this long. You might as well wait another few days and do a Christmas Eve proposal," Lou shrugged. "Isn't that a little cliché-d?" Sam asked skeptically. "Definitely." The President nodded in agreement. "Why did you ask me if you didn't want to hear my opinion?" Lou huffed. "A little champagne, some chocolate covered strawberries..." "Donna's allergic to strawberries," Margaret said as she breezed into the now crowded office. "Ron Butterfield is here to see you." "We'll all clear out..." Sam started. "Actually it's probably better if you all stay." Ron said from the doorway. "You'll all need to hear this. Mr. President, an unidentified white powder was discovered twenty minutes ago at the post office sub-station that handles White House mail. We've locked the building down and we're testing the powder now. Preliminary results are negative for anthrax but it'll take several hours to get a handle on what the substance actually is. We need to confiscate all unopened mail, as well as any opened mail received within the last 48 hours, for testing." "Do you think.." Matt began worriedly. "Just a precaution," Ron replied calmly. "We'll bring in some air monitors and run some swab tests. We have no reason to believe the White House has been contaminated but we have to follow procedure." Just as Lester was about to ask if the press had the 'suspicious white powder' story yet the Breaking News logo appeared on the screen. "We have another piece of breaking news coming in to the CNN newsroom. A suspicious white powder...." "I think that's my cue to get back to work," Matt said as he headed for the Oval. "I haven't looked at the mail Ronna left on my desk this morning yet, Ron, so if you'd like to start with that..." "Yes, Sir," Ron said as he followed Matt into the Oval, closing the door behind him. "Lester," Josh said, "tell them we'll get them information as fast as we can. Everybody else.....back to work. Except Lou. I need you to stay for a minute." "If this is another proposal question so help me..." "It's not," Josh said, as the others filtered out. "What's the status on the State of the Union speech?" "Otto and I are working on it. It's a little slow going right now but we should have something on paper for you to look at by the end of the week." "Great. And can you help Lester out, make sure has everything he needs for the afternoon briefing? They're gonna be relentless with three things breaking at once." "I'm on it." "If we're lucky, we won't have anything else go wrong today." Just as the sentence was out of his moth the unmistakable sound of electrical equipment powering down filled the air. Josh's TV and computer went black as his desk lamp extinguished. "MARGARET!!" Smash Cut to Titles

English Translation: Massimiliano Ambesi talks Worlds 2019

Part 1 (Men) can be found here.

video: https://youtu.be/BjuxW0B_LWo

Part 2: Ladies

Massimiliano Ambesi: What can I tell you about the Ladies competition?

Interviewer: That's just what I wanted to ask you about.

M: I think that Zagitova’s victory was legitimate and well-deserved. We’re talking about an absolutely outstanding athlete, someone who in the last two years won everything there is to win. In last three seasons, everything in junior and senior. How many ladies skaters have managed to do that before her? One. Yuna Kim. So we have to acknowledge her for what she is: the greatest Russian athlete of all times. Many people have already written her off. When I saw her in practice, I was cautious, because I thought she seemed extremely thin, especially her thighs. And when an athlete of this type is pushed to such extremes, they usually manage to complete the rotations and land their jumps. And she’s landed them all. She came to face these Worlds in a difficult psychological situation.

I: She was so tired I’d say, she had a difficult season.

M: In Nationals she was defeated by her younger training mates by 30 points. At Europeans she was expected to win, but she didn’t. She was beaten by an athlete who isn’t at her level and never will be.

I: Not in the Worlds either.

M: Yes. Zagitova just wasn’t in the best shape in all these competitions. Maybe a competition at the beginning of the season in Oberstdorf, where the stakes were low, and there she skated magnificently. But…

I: She gave it her all in this last try.

M: Yes, but the true champions do this. Then, it is also clear that if the Japanese Rika Kihira hadn’t made mistakes, she would have won. But she gave away two important jumping elements: a triple axel in short and another in the free. And at this moment, in some of the PCS categories, Kihira might be better than Zagitova. Not in all of them. Zagitova’s programs, under Tutberidze, are put together in a smart way. They are made to take advantage of athlete’s characteristics. So, even if they are lacking in some aspects - the quality of Zagitova’s skating is not like Kihira’s – that much is obvious. But Zagitova’s packaging is convincing. So this is the reason why, in my opinion, her victory was legitimate. Others threw that victory away. Kaori Sakamoto could have been second. She probably didn’t have enough points to beat Zagitova – with this scoring system. She’s an athlete that stole the spotlight, an athlete that had to accept a placement off the podium, she was capable of so much more. But, guys, the winners were those who didn’t make mistakes and that at that time had the most complete package. Now, will it be like this the next year as well? I highly doubt it.

I: Next year, the situations will be turned around a little, especially in the light of the juniors that are about to become seniors, right?

M: In my opinion, this is Year 0, year 1, you can choose whichever you prefer.

I: It’s an apocalypse.

M: Year 0/Year 1, because here we have a Kazakhstan skater that came and delivered a quad Salchow and took home the silver medal, and she’s not the last one to come. This is a skater with talent and an interesting story behind her. And next year, we’ll see many other athletes attempting quads. And they will probably succeed. In her career, Trusova has already accomplished Lutz, Toeloop and Salchow. In practices, she’s attempting the triple Axel. She can land quad flip. So this is someone who can execute virtually all the quads.

I: The entire array.

M: Then, if we want to talk about the jumping technique, and about the fact that perhaps some of these quads are very pre-rotated, let’s talk. However, let’s be careful: I’d like to make a distinction between the Men and Ladies disciplines. In Men, we have athletes that execute the quads well, without pre-rotating. Hanyu Yuzuru has completed a 4Lutz in his career, it was an exceptional Lutz. Jin Boyang, the Chinese, the same. And then we have other athletes who do execute these quads, but pre-rotate. Shoma Uno has a 4Flip that is undeniably pre-rotated, right. Well above the acceptable limit. In Ladies field, I haven’t seen any athletes that can execute a quad without pre-rotation yet. So, when I see them, I’ll be able to denounce the technique of various Trusovas and Sherbackovas. At the moment, even if pre-rotating, these athletes are the only ones that can complete 4 rotations on a Lutz.

I: They are pioneers.

M: Yes, exactly, they are pioneers. And I don’t feel like attacking them, because it wouldn’t make sense. I feel like saying that: they are athletes who push themselves to the maximum, that in the Russian system, you are required to go for the 4 rotations. Because the number of girls who are 13 years old and can do all the triples including the 3 Lutz, is up to 50! And to win, you have to add something else.

I: To stand out from the crowd.

M: Exactly. And it is obvious that these athletes then go and can win in the international competitions, even without the quads. Let’s also add that we have someone like Kostornaya, who doesn’t have quads, she was able to land the 3A in the practices, but I’m not sure if she’ll be able to do it again. She has everything – she is the complete package.

I: Extraordinary elegance.

M: An extraordinary elegance, unmatched skating quality – unmatched among those who were at Worlds I mean. But this is the problem: with the current scoring system, Kostornaya is being punished. Now, let’s try to raise the factorisation of the Program Components in ladies field too. We’ll see if Kostornaya will be able to win or not against Trusova. It goes without saying that if Trusova completes all that she is planning to: the three quads, it’ll still be her that wins. But it’s fair that she wins, for what she has done. And obviously, if she makes a small mistake, two clean programs of Kostornaya should be enough for a victory in a Grand Prix Final, World Championships, Russian Nationals, or whatever it be.

I: A change like this has happened in the world of Artistic gymnastics too. Maybe it’ll also happen in figure skating, we could hope?

M: I am hoping for it, as a fan, as someone who started visiting the ice since I was 4, and apart from speed skating I’ve trained all the possible disciplines on the ice.  So my wish is that things could change for the better, to benefit the sport. After that, I’m not sure what will happen, but I’m aware that in this moment, there isn’t any balance. And if I have to answer to the other question, I’d say that the three Russian skaters – if they won’t have injuries, physical problems, or uncontrollable grow spurts…

I: That will put them out of balance.

M: Exactly. They are destined to dominate. Because even Trusova, who sometimes gets lower marks, has a good skating quality, observe her attentively. And maybe Scherbakova, is better compared to Trusuva in some of the components, and worse in some others. But we’re looking at athletes that have so much to offer on the ice. We’re not talking about an athlete in Men’s field who seems to be merely a quadster but doesn’t communicate anything to you when you see him on the ice. We’re talking about athletes that you might like more or less.

I: Who have different styles, too.

M: And they have so much to offer. So, if they stay well and healthy, I can’t see anyone that would be able to beat them except Rika Kihira with a 3A and a 4S that she’s able to land in the practices.

I: Last thing. Can we talk about Medvedeva? Who was also able to pull off an amazing feat after an extremely difficult season.

M: Yes. Medvedeva has proven to be an athlete of an amazing character. But we already knew that. She’s an athlete who has been on the podium in every ISU championship of her career. Whether she was 14 and participating in Junior Worlds, whether she was older and participating at Senior Worlds. So that’s what we’re looking at.

I: She’s saying that she wants to practice the quad.

M: I won’t believe it until I see it. But I’d also like to say another thing. Medvedeva under Tuberidze is an athlete of a certain type. With programs built to play to her strengths that can add value to her qualities and hide her defects. Medvedeva that I see under Orser’s group, is a weaker Medvedeva. She doesn’t have program that are built to hide her defects.  So we can see the skating skills that are inferior to so many that participated at these Worlds – I think this is obvious. These programs are less rich, with less transitions. You take those away, and there’s another defect that comes to the front. In my opinion, this is a weaker Medvedeva. If we put her current clean program against other clean programs, she gets beaten by Zagitova, Sakamoto, Kihira… That’s three already. I also have to add Tursynbaeva, because she does quads. Plus, there’s also the ones from Russia that will advance to seniors next year. However, if she has the chance to go forward, she’ll be competitive. However, if I had to bet on a skater today, I’d bet on someone else. And sincerely, I find more pleasure in watching someone like Kihira, who is able to project something more, who has a superior quality, compared to the current Medvedeva. This is of course a personal opinion, if there’s people thinking differently, I acknowledge it.

I: Thank you so much Massimiliano. We have concluded the Year 0, and we’re waiting on Year 1, right?

M: We’re waiting on Year 1, and we’ll have a lot to talk about with all the things that might happen, because this could be the year of revolution in Ladies skating.  It could happen, but maybe it won’t. Because we need to wait and see how these athletes will grow. Another thing before we say goodbye: I hear many talks about raising the age limit to 18 for seniors. This might be one of the ideas. But it needs to be studied well. It cannot be done from today to tomorrow. If you have reasons and analysis from a period of, let’s say, 6 years, you can say “Let’s do it like this.” But rules don’t get changed from today to tomorrow. Every game has its rules, and they have to stay for a certain amount of time. As long as we’re just talking about the changes in points, and retouching the rules that aren’t working, that is okay. We can discuss about the age limit, but this thing is done gradually. And definitely not from today to tomorrow.

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Are you worried about the high MBBS program tuition fees in India? Then fly to Ukraine and apply for admission at Ukrainian medical universities to complete the MBBS degree on a low budget. Check your eligibility and apply now.

MBBS in Ukraine

Nowadays, MBBS in Abroad is a hot topic among international students. There are so many destinations to choose from for studying the medical program. MBBS in Ukraine is one of the prominent options for students who want to complete the degree on a low budget.

There are so many candidates who are confused about either MBBS from Ukraine is a right or wrong decision. So, before applying for admission to the MBBS program in Ukraine, just check this useful blog.

It is without a doubt consistent with saying that the course is marvelous for the Indian Students also the others. Ukraine Government Medical Universities have brought MBBS, MD, and other clinical courses at a reasonable expense structure. The main variable is that the clinical understudies come to be alright with the learning system of MBBS in Ukraine.

The MBBS degree offered by the top medical universities in Ukraine is equivalent to MBBS in India. Over 20,000 foreign students from all over the world are studying the medical program in Ukraine today.

Overall, the MBBS Fees in Ukraine are very low for international as well as local students. It gives lots of benefits to Indian applicants as they do not need to pay any extra charges for admission. The students do not need to take any entrance examination to get admission to Ukrainian medical universities.

Why Ukraine?

There are so many countries like Russia, China, Kazakhstan, etc. that offer quality medical education. But, among all the locations Ukraine is the most preferred one as it provides so many benefits to students.

Affordable medical education

What pulls you back to get admission to an MBBS course in India? Well, it is heavy donation charges and fee structure. But, all the Ukrainian medical universities offer the MBBS degree at an affordable fee structure.

High Educational Structure

All the medical universities in the country follow a high standard of medical education. The MBBS program in the country is approved by NMC and WHO, which shows the standard of medical education here.

Affordable Living

Ukraine not just offers a low expense MBBS Abroad program to the students, however, the average cost for basic items here is additionally much reasonable. The understudies can live in Ukraine easily without being worried about their monetary condition.

Best Infrastructure

Students are dependably keeping watch for the nations that have the best training framework. Ukraine offers an elite foundation to clinical understudies, which is the justification for why they choose this country.

High Ranked Medical Universities

Ukraine is the home of so many top-ranked medical universities for MBBS study. These universities also got an impressive rank in the world as well. Students can choose any of the popular universities for MBBS study.

Safe for Study Abroad

Ukraine is a totally protected country for the understudies and they can live here openly and with practically no issue. Ukrainian clinical colleges have enormous lodgings that are checked consistently by the college organization.

MBBS in Ukraine Fees

The MBBS in Ukraine Fees is affordable for students and they can manage it easily. There are so many popular medical universities in the country that offer the MBBS program at low tuition fees. We have mentioned below the medical program fee, applicants can check it carefully and apply for admission where they want.

Ukraine Medical College

There is a long list of popular medical colleges in Ukraine in which applicants can apply for studying the MBBS program. Ukraine Medical College has its own reputation for offering the best medical program to students. We have mentioned below some of the major medical colleges in Ukraine below.

Kharkiv National Medical University Ukraine

Vinnitsa National Medical University Ukraine

Lviv National Medical University Ukraine

Kyiv Medical University OF UAFM Ukraine

O. O Bogomolets National Medical University Ukraine

Dnipropetrovsk State Medical University Ukraine

Taras Shevchenko National University Ukraine

Ternopil State Medical University Ukraine

Bukovinian State Medical University Ukraine

V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University Ukraine

Bukovinian State Medical University

There are so many popular medical universities in Ukraine and Bukovinian State Medical University is one of them. This popular medical university has produced so many medical experts since the foundation. Every year, plenty of aspirants apply for admission here to become medical experts.

The BSMU is listed among the most demanding NMC approved medical universities in Ukraine. Applicants get a high standard of medical education at this university and also get best clinical practice during the program. Students who are planning to study MBBS in Ukraine can choose this medical university for MBBS study.

<h1>Talking To Your Children About Scary World News</h1>

Art history is the one discipline that studies visual communication and experts say that is extremely important today because of the transitioning from a text-based culture to an image-based culture. Yet art history programmes are being squeezed in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. Kampala's slums are home to very few people who wear masks or practice social distancing.

Dublin City Council Reprimanded For Failing To Pay Dog Fouling Fines

A vicious Arctic cold front is pummelling the US northeast Midwest, with lows of -45C. Fifteen million Americans in 12 states were warned about wind chill today after temperatures plunged this week.

The Times And Sunday Times Christmas Appeal

It is impossible to control the news we see or protect children from disturbing information in the digital age. Do you feel a strong calling to manage and lead a team of volunteers and staff, live in a healing community, and help our guests deal with loss, sorrow, or pain by finding new hope? https://한국커뮤.com turn to us in times of transition and trauma to find their strength. We offer a holistic and sacramental approach that is based on justice and peace, as well as a holistic approach that is based on ecology. Cardinal Pell is currently serving a minimum sentence for the abuse of two singers at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne in the 1990s when he was RC archbishop. If the High Court grants leave to appeal, it could take up to six months for the case to be heard. A final judgment will be issued in the second half of next year.

It is not uncommon for children to misunderstand traumatic events. Children are more likely to believe what they don't know than what is actually true. Encourage them to ask many questions. This allows for an honest and open explanation that can correct the problems. You may find that your child asks questions about news events at unfavorable times. Let them know that you heard them and that you think the question they are asking is important. Tell them that you would like to talk to them about it later and invite them to remind you, so they know you really are interested.

Uk Pm To Face Mps After Lockdown Party Revelations

We know that most people crossing the English Channel need international protection. Most are refugees. International law gives people the right to seek asylum. We must make this possible. One way to do that would be for the UK, for example, to say, "Let's allow safe passage to certain quotas of refugees recognized in France or Europe to come here." We have to share that responsibility in a way that's serious and cooperative." He also spoke of the need for politicians to move beyond 'pandering to nationalist sentiment' to instead provide 'moral leadership'.

After the government received damning data and personal accounts of horrific accidents, it was announced that the expansion of smart motorways would be stopped. The dictator's comments came despite international sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme, and after South Korea's military warned the tests were showing clear signs of progress. Pictures in state media showed Kim using binoculars to observe the second missile launch by the nuclear-armed nation in less than a week. In North Korea's five year plan, hypersonic missiles are a top priority task for strategic weapons development.

Kamala Harris savaged for 'tone deaf' Tweet as hundreds stranded - 'America moving again' VICE-President Kamala Harris was mocked on social media after stating America was "moving again"... Ghislaine Maxwell retrial calls grow as second member of jury says they were abused A JUROR among those who convicted Ghislaine Maxwell of sex trafficking has hired a lawyer after... Putin set to emerge as sole victor from bloody chaos in Kazakhstan RUSSIA will be the only winner in the civil unrest which swept the former Soviet republic of... North Korean children fight COVID-19, and praise Kim Jong Un in a bizarre concert - VIDEO NORTH KOREA has put together a bizarre children’s concert to welcome in 2019, as leader Kim... Moderna is developing the "Flurona vaccine" as the dangers of disease combinations increase. A new "flurona," vaccine is being developed to protect against both flu and Covid.

Social Media Influencers May Be Required To Display A Warning Logo On Edited Body Images Photos

An England rugby union player was arrested for raping a teenager girl. The international player, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was held on Sunday by police responding to a report of an alleged attack at a nightclub the previous day. This "teach-er-teach-er" song can be described as a squeaky bicycle pump, unoiled wheelbarrow, or even a sharpened blunt saw. It is actually a serenade. These birds are still looking for partners as they forage in winter hedges with their foraging flocks, searching the countryside for small amounts of seeds. The song signifies for us that the wheel has turned, and that, although hibernal days still exist, the momentum is now in our favor towards the bright, sunny breeding days of spring. Russian troops will begin to leave Kazakhstan this week, and will have left by the end.

Nicolas Prisette, a political commentator, makes the claim in a new documentary titled "In the Hell of Presidential Campaigns" on BFM - France’s most popular TV news channel. DEADLY VIRUS Spanish flu pandemic resulted in huge number of deaths around the world THE pandemic killed millions of young adults who had no immunity to the strain. CRACKDOWN Russian streamer, who took a naked photo in front church faces JAIL POLINA Murugina (24), faces a year in prison or a fine up to PS3000 if found guilty of violating a new indecency statute.

Mass testing is being enforced - a standard procedure whenever outbreaks pop up around the country. A third Chinese city has been forced to close its doors by a Covid-19 epidemic. This has raised the number of people in China who are now confined to their homes to around 20 million. Age will affect their ability to comprehend the world and to take in and respond to bad news. If you have more than one child, you might want to talk about the news with them individually and tailor what you say to their needs and level. If children have access to clear and honest explanations of what is happening, and know that it's okay to talk about scary or tricky subjects, it can give them the confidence to reach out about them. You can read or watch reputable news sources together, or you can share the news in the moment by explaining the facts in a neutral manner.

Greener pastures: Bitcoin miners now looking beyond Chinese borders

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Greener pastures: Bitcoin miners now looking beyond Chinese borders

The behavior of crypto market participants often depends on political and economic factors: the price of crypto assets, regulations in a specific country, or political events. For Chinese miners, however, the factors differ somewhat. For several years, Chinese mining operations have been largely reliant on climate. While Western crypto companies fear falling stock prices and regulators, the survival of many crypto mining operations in China depends on rain.

Chinese miners have recently migrated from the southern regions to the north, where electricity prices can be as low as $0.01. This migration has led to a surge in the Bitcoin (BTC) hash rate by more than 40% in two days. While the migration occurs annually, the wet season closing out may not be the only contributing factor this year.

The ‘great miner migration’

The migration of Chinese crypto miners is a common practice that is mainly affected by the climate determining electricity costs. Eddie Jiang, chief operating officer and partner of mining pool ViaBTC Group, explained to Cointelegraph that from April to October, China’s southern provinces see abundant rainfall, creating a surplus of hydropower and subsequent cheap electricity prices.

According to Dejun Kenny Ge, founder of Zhongda Jinfu Finance and co-founder of Shanghai-based investment platform Dd.finance, when moving from China’s north to its southwestern regions, miners can save about $0.18 per kilowatt (12 yuan per kilowatt). When the wet season in southern regions ends in late October, the price of electricity rises to about $0.054/kWh. At this time, miners shift their rigs to facilities in northwestern regions such as Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Qinghai, where electricity typically costs about $0.05/kWh.

Low temperatures in the northern regions are another factor contributing to the relocation of Chinese miners from the south. Calling this process the “great miner migration,” Alejandro De La Torre, vice president of crypto mining pool Poolin, explained: “It is cold in Northern China, so mining farms don’t need to spend on cooling for the mining rigs.”

However, not all miners adhere to this principle. Wishing to remain anonymous, a local crypto miner spoke to Cointelegraph on the matter, saying that while China has two mining hubs — one in Sichuan province (southwest China) and one Inner Mongolia (North), Chinese miners rely more on southern capabilities. He also noted that many Sichuan miners are now sticking to their locations rather than relocating to the North: “Our mining capacity in Inner Mongolia currently generates only about 20%–30% of our overall hash rate.”

It’s not just the climate this time?

Taras Kulyk, senior vice president of blockchain business development at Core Scientific, a digital asset mining infrastructure provider in North America, revealed that Chinese miners have come to realize that the mass migration of units every season is not the most sustainable model.

Some sources claim that Chinese miners are migrating this year not only because of climatic changes, but because of tightening regulation in the country and pressure on crypto organizations by the government. Earlier, it was reported that the co-founder of the OKEx exchange was arrested by the Chinese police. Zhongda Jinfu Finance’s Ge noted that in China, mining facility operators have been the hardest hit by recent, tighter regulations:

“Due to stricter regulation, many mining facilities in Inner Mongolia which operates beneath the national grids have closed down. Similarly for Sichuan and Yunnan province, many of the mining facilities which tap on direct power supplies from power stations have closed down.”

Since 2017, the Chinese government has increased the number of inspections conducted at crypto farms, many of which have since closed. As Jiang noted, local governments check the compliance of mining electricity consumption every year. “For mining farms that use non-compliant electricity, the regulatory authorities will require rectification until they meet the requirements.” He then went on to add: “This year, some local governments have set up compliant consumptive electricity, and mining farms can apply to use it for mining. I think this has made greater progress in policy supervision.”

Still, few local miners relate the mining operation closures to stricter regulation. In fact, according to some, changes in the mining market in China are, to a greater extent, associated with the insufficient production capacity of mining machine manufacturers and the institutionalization of the industry, with funds, listed companies and private equity firms starting to replace retail miners. According to Jiang, the increased number of institutional miners significantly affects the operation and maintenance requirements as well as investment decisions of original miners.

Is the number of miners decreasing?

According to Ge, the mining market is entering an era of large-scale operation, increased specialization and financialization, so it has become challenging for smaller mining facilities to attract miners, as he told Cointelegraph: “Back in 2019, China accounted for more than 70% of the world’s crypto mining market.” However, he also added that following the bear market in 2019 and a sharp price decline in 1Q 2020, many miners with high-consumption rigs have exited the market. Overall, “the sentiment in the Chinese crypto mining market remains neutral,” he said.

So far, local companies do not see a significant reduction in the number of large farms. Some even talk about an increase in production. De La Torre agreed that the number of farms in China and globally have increased, adding: “The mining industry in China is not facing any big challenges at all, as we can see by the global hashrate increase in the last couple of years and especially in the last year.”

Meanwhile, according to Jiang, the mining sector’s expansion may once again be attributed to the entrance of institutions, which have set up larger mining farms.

Relocation to other countries

While local miners claim that “everything is as usual,” some experts suggest that China may soon lose its mining dominance. Among the reasons, Ge highlighted the growing share of international mining operations as well as overseas institutions such as Grayscale Bitcoin Trust increasing their Bitcoin and Ether (ETH) long positions: “In the near future, there could be an increasingly fragmented and distributed market globally.”

In search of alternative conditions for placing their mining capacities, Chinese miners are now considering even drastic measures such as moving operations to other countries such as Kazakhstan or Russia. Speaking with Cointelegraph, a crypto miner from Changzhi noted that Russia is one of the most attractive countries for Chinese miners:

“I always wondered how come China is mining about 65% of all BTC currently and not Russia. I’m really interested in trying business in Russia. We are planning to come after the pandemic to watch the prospects of mining in Russia. In fact, many Chinese companies do.”

Other miners seem to be choosing North America, which, due to its stable energy infrastructure, financial resources and evolving regulatory clarity, is now becoming a viable option. Kulyk believes that Chinese miners are seriously researching the prospect of diversifying operations by moving them to North America. He added that Core Scientific is currently working with several Chinese players to move a portion of its hardware to North America, further explaining:

“One of the biggest aspects of North America as an ideal mining environment is that its power remains stable, without changing material within the different seasons. Most importantly, regulatory policy in North America is clear and favorable towards digital assets.”

Derek Boirun, CEO and co-founder of peer-to-peer trading platform Realio, and Bitcoin mining pioneer Marshall Long shared the opposite view with Cointelegraph:

“Chinese miners aren’t happy to move to the U.S. for cheaper power because of the political instability. Close contacts are able to get cheaper power prices in the U.S. but are not comfortable setting up Chinese-owned businesses in the States with all the regulatory actions against China recently.”

So it seems, one can hardly speak of large-scale migrations in the short term. However, local miners do not intend to leave the market en masse, and it seems that they have already provided for several working scenarios to continue their business. In response to the closure of coal plants, Chinese miners have started connecting to hydroelectric power plants, moving to colder regions at the end of the rainy season, and coping with rises in electricity costs by using cheaper equipment.

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Did the Hero of Kazakhstan kidnap the Russian Fairy’s heart after all?

written for @otayuriwriterscollective olympics week

sun feb 11: interviews/media coverage OR celebration/party

T-rated, 2.8K words

huge thanks to @bekasstar​ for being my second pair of eyes (and letting me use not only her real twitter handle but the sideblog url as well AND discussing this idea with me and just existing in general ♡)

Read on AO3

“Beka, look, you need to see this.” Otabek leaves his suitcase open on the floor and sits next to Yuri who’s lying on his stomach on the hotel bed. (He has been there the whole time Otabek has tried to unpack his suitcase and settle down in the room, his own suitcase abandoned near the door - Yuri said he would go and check his own room later even though they both know he isn’t going to spend too much time there.) Otabek leans in and reads over Yuri’s shoulder a Twitter thread the Russian skater has open on his phone.

Yuri’s Angels @yurisangels_official・20 min Yuri was seen hugging Otabek Altin of Kazakhstan outside their hotel today. Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) arrived to Pyeongchang yesterday evening, Team Kazakhstan early today. welcome to the madness @datyurifanboy・19 min @yurisangels_official such a shame Yuri can’t properly represent his country tho… but also @vilmahenriika look at this shit always sleepy @vilmahenriika・18 min @datyurifanboy @yurisangels_official holy fuck my Otayuri Senses™ are tingling it was like 5am in Korea when Otabek got there?? Maybe in next olympics Yuri’s gonna represent Kazakhstan ;)) jkjk Yuri’s Angels @yurisangels_official・16 min @datyurifanboy @vilmahenriika I heard they hugged for a really long time outside the hotel, and then went inside together. And that Yuri was looking happy af. Also we haven’t seen Yuri in Team Kazakhstan jacket… yet. always sleepy @vilmahenriika・15 min @yurisangels_official i’d die if that happened also @smilejongdw you need to see this!! Chel @smilejongdw・14 min @vilmahenriika @yurisangels_official HOLY FUCK Yuri’s Angels @yurisangels_official・14 min @smilejongdw @vilmahenriika There’s a week to go before the games start, we have our fingers crossed for Instagram updates! And reports from people who might see them around & in practice! WA @figureskating-guy・12 min @yurisangels_official @vilmahenriika @smilejongdw You guys need to chill. I mean, Yuri and Otabek are friends. They haven’t seen each other since the GPF. Ofc they’re happy. always sleepy @vilmahenriika・10 min @figureskating-guy let a girl have her fun lmao “Are you pissed you can’t represent Russia?” Yuri stares at Otabek for a couple of silent seconds, and then rolls his eyes. “Is that really the first thing that came to your mind after reading all that?” “I’m just curious,” Otabek shrugs, but he knows Yuri has noticed the hint of a smile trying to tug his lips upwards. “I’m pissed those doping assholes have the guts to call themselves athletes”, Yuri says, frowning in disgust. Then his face settles in something more serious. “All I care about is skating, really.” For some time it had looked like Yuri wouldn’t even be able to compete in Olympics despite getting silver in the Grand Prix final and winning Nationals less than two months before. When Yuri had gotten the permission to skate under OAR, he had called Otabek and cried tears of relief. After all, it’s their first Olympics, and going there together had been their dream. “So your fans looking for evidence of us dating isn’t something you care about?” Otabek is smirking now, but his smile falters when he sees the excited glint in Yuri’s eyes. “I want to talk about that.” “Yura, I told you - after Olympics.” The two of them had jumped from the friendship stage to something entirely different during Yuri’s exhibition skate in the Grand Prix final held in Barcelona, just three days after their reunion. (Otabek prefers to call it a meeting instead of a reunion because Yuri didn’t even remember him back then, but Yuri tells him reunion sounds better.) On most days they had been best friends, but then there had been moments when neither of them could say were they friends or something more. They openly cheered for each other during competitions despite being each other’s biggest rivals. When they met in and outside of competitions - skating, walking around in different cities, or having sleepovers at the other boy’s house during off-season - there had been long looks and lingering touches. Looks and touches the media and their fanbases had started to notice after a while, as well. After reading the third online article (titled Did the Hero of Kazakhstan kidnap the Russian Fairy’s heart after all?) scrutinizing every little detail in how long they had hugged after a medal ceremony, Otabek had grown tired of all the conspiracy theories: he had brought the topic up with Yuri in Skype. He didn’t expect their conversation to end with Yuri confessing he had feelings for Otabek; feelings Otabek shared. It’s been a year since that Skype conversation, and they had agreed on being just best friends in the public eye. If Otabek is being honest, he isn’t surprised Yuri wants everyone to know already - he’s impatient, has always been. “Don’t you think this would be a perfect opportunity to let the world know?” Yuri asks, sitting up. He puts his hands on Otabek’s shoulders, a happy grin on his face. “I think we should wait until the games are over. I don’t want it to affect the results.” “As if it would.” “You never know,” Otabek says with a shrug, and Yuri sighs in defeat. He picks his phone up, the Twitter thread still open on the screen. “Also I love reading the theories your fans come up with.” “Your fans contribute in them, too.” “What if,” Otabek says, holding his hands up in defence when Yuri’s eyes start to sparkle again, trying to keep the blond’s hopes from shooting too high up. “What if we just had fun now, and thought about this when the games are over.” *** The days before the opening ceremony are busy for both of them: they’re training on and off ice while trying to get used to the time difference and learning to navigate in the huge Olympic village. Their coaches are trying their best to keep them healthy and in good condition before the games start: they aren’t allowed on the ice too much, and staying up late to have a stroll around the city is strictly prohibited as well. Otabek wants the competition to start already, while Yuri can’t wait for everything to be over. “Let’s take a pic!” Yuri demands when they leave the hotel on the night of the opening ceremony. They are both dressed up in their respective uniforms: Yuri in grey and white, Otabek in the colors of Kazakhstan. He doesn’t feel comfortable in the bright colors, especially next to Yuri’s more neutral attire. It takes a moment before they find a spot with lighting good enough for Yuri’s standards. Yuri switches to the front camera of his phone and raises the device up, gesturing Otabek to come closer so they both fit in the frame. Otabek laughs and wraps an arm around Yuri’s waist, showing a thumbs up to the camera with his other hand. As always, Yuri snaps dozen pictures just in case (he’s really serious about his Instagram feed - a thing Otabek has never really understood, but he respects his boyfriend’s devotion). Otabek grows tired of posing after five shots, and in the last one he’s stealing a glance of a happily laughing Yuri, a soft smile and a gentle blush on his face. “I’m gonna upload this one, too,” Yuri says when he sees the last picture on his camera roll. “No, you are not.” “Yeah, I am. You look good in it.” “I look like I’m in love, Yuri.” “Exactly.” * Yuri’s Angels @yurisangels_official・4 min Yuri updated his Instagram! “yuri-plisetsky: Ready for the opening ceremony! With @otabek-altin” [2 pictures attached] OLYMPICS HYPE @itsviktorwithak・3 min @yurisangels_official okay but does Otabek have an arm around Yuri’s waist?? Yuri’s Angels @yurisangels_official・3 min @itsviktorwithak It seems so, yes! C; OLYMPICS HYPE @itsviktorwithak・2 min @yurisangels_official holy fuck OLYMPICS HYPE @itsviktorwithak・2 min @yurisangels_official ppl are going crazy in the comments omg Beka’s quad salchow @otabeks_devil・2 min @itsviktorwithak @yurisangels_official Well, the way Otabek looks at Yuri in that 2nd pic… my gf looks at me like that go team japan!! @loveonice・1 min @otabeks_devil @itsviktorwithak @yurisangels_official I wonder when’s the wedding lolol *** Neither of them takes part in the Team events, so after the opening ceremony is over, they have a week before they can hit the ice for real. They try to kill time in different ways: they go watch the Team events held in Gangneung Ice Arena, have a jog around the Olympic village when the sun sets behind the tall hotel buildings, and skate as much as their coaches let them. Otabek cherishes the mornings during that week. He often wakes up before Yuri and pulls him closer to his chest, listening to their hearts sharing a rhythm. It’s quiet and peaceful, something the two of them haven’t been given a chance to enjoy. Otabek knows that when their turns to skate in front of the judges come, Yuri wants to sleep in his own bed. He says it keeps him focused, and Otabek understands (but he’s still happy they will get their results after only two days on the ice, and that no matter what happens they will be sharing a bed again when they’re done with the free skating). So on the morning of the short program Otabek wakes up alone, his head hurting from lack of sleep. He’s feeling slightly disoriented, and scrolling through his Twitter mentions and Instagram comments doesn’t make his mood any better. People are cheering him on and sending messages of good luck, but all Otabek wants is to see Yuri. He still isn’t an asshole though: he likes some comments and tweets, and then types a short message thanking everyone for the support before getting out of bed. Both of them are scheduled to skate in the last group: Otabek starting the group, Yuri getting his turn right after him. It’s an honor to be part of the very last group, but it also means they have a lot of time in their hands after the first group finally gets on the ice. “Nervous?” Yuri asks when he sits next to Otabek in the warm-up area. He has already changed in his short program costume, an OAR jersey over it. Otabek shoots him a small smile, brushing his fingertips quickly against the back of Yuri’s hand when no one can see. “Not anymore,” he says, truthfully. He takes one earphone out and turns the volume of his music down. “You?” “A little. I couldn’t really sleep last night.” “Me neither.” Yuri sighs and rests his head on Otabek’s shoulder, closing his eyes. His long lashes create fans over his cheeks, dark with mascara. “Can I sleep in your bed tonight?” “Are you sure? Free’s tomorrow.” “I’m sure,” Yuri whispers, raising his head to give a shy smile to Otabek. It takes all of Otabek’s willpower not to pull Yuri into a kiss, but the camera crew walking around shooting material to show in live coverages during ice maintenance stops him; so he just nods, and Yuri understands. * Yuri’s Angels @yurisangels_official・2 min Yuri’s getting ready for his short program in the warm-up area! He can be seen in the background with Otabek Altin during Phichit Chulanont’s interview. [1 picture attached] Need me a man like Beka @otabekskitten・2 min @yurisangels_official is yuri’s head… on beka’s shoulder… Yuri’s Angels @yurisangels_official・1 min @otabekskitten Yes!!! And then he raises his head and smiles, looking like an angel!! Need me a man like Beka @otabekskitten・1 min @yurisangels_official i’m not sure should i be screaming or crying Bless Chris @giacomettisbutt・1 min @otabekskitten @yurisangels_official WHY NOT BOTH *** Both of them are again in the last starting group for the free skate, but this time neither of them are tired or nervous. Yuri is third to last to skate, just before Otabek - their point difference is 0.08, and Otabek has already accepted the fact that Yuri will snatch silver from him. He isn’t angry about it. Otabek gets the front seat for Yuri’s free program, standing on the side of the rink. He barely hears the announcer over the deafening boom of cheers when Yuri makes his way to the center of the ice, his face serious. “Yuri! Davai!” Otabek yells over the commotion, loud enough for Yuri to raise his eyes and give him a thumbs up. When Yuri settles in his starting pose and lowers his gaze, there’s a small smile on his lips. Yuri’s skating is beautiful to watch, as always: most of his jumps are in the second part of his program, and the choreographic sequence he starts with is delicate, setting an eerie mood in the whole arena. Not many other skaters in men singles share his flexibility - his Biellmann position is deep, and his spins are fast. He jumps with both of his arms raised, and even though one of his landings ends up a little shaky, he finishes with a flawless program. A happy smile spreads on his face when the music stops, and he bows to the cheering audience shining brighter than the rhinestones in his black costume. Otabek watches how Yuri picks up a huge tiger plushie from the ice on his way out and accepts Yakov’s warm hug. Otabek’s own chest is almost bursting with pride when he takes his blade guards off and hands them to his own coach, giving him a confident nod. He’s about to step on the ice when there’s a weight against him, thin arms wrapped around his shoulders. “Davai, Beka,” Yuri whispers in his ear before letting go, Yakov’s cursing making him hurry to the Kiss & Cry. * Yuri’s Biellmann @otayuri3113・4 min DID YOU GUYS SEE THAT talk otayuri to me @yurabeka・4 min @otayuri3113 YURI JUST?? HUGGED OTABEK AND SAID SOMETHING TO HIM?? Yuri’s Biellmann @otayuri3113・3 min @yurabeka EXACTLY??? And Yakov looked so pissed oh my god I love Yuri talk otayuri to me @yurabeka・3 min @otayuri3113 And I know this one Kazakh skater who probably shares your feelings omfg Yuri’s Angels @yurisangels_official・2 min Yuri’s scores for his Free are 222.18, and he’s currently in the first place! Two skaters to go: Kazakhstan’s Otabek Altin and Canada’s Jean-Jacques Leroy. *** Yuri’s unusual way of wishing Otabek good luck makes the headlines, but he doesn’t seem to mind as long as the articles remember to mention they are also the silver and bronze medalists. Otabek wants to lecture Yuri and remind him he promised to wait until the games are over before announcing his undying love for Otabek. But Otabek just can’t get angry at Yuri. That’s what he tells Mila when she asks him about it. They’re sitting in the audience of the ice arena, a day after men’s free program, halfway through short dance. It’s time for ice maintenance, people in the audience scrolling on their phones or huddling closer to each other to stay warm. The big screens over the ice are showing Korean adverts between recaps of yesterday’s free program. “You should, he could have ruined your concentration! There are already people saying he was trying to sabotage your skate.” “I would never try to do that,” Yuri defends himself from his seat on Otabek’s other side. “I dunno, you were behind Otabek after short…” “Yeah, 0.08 points.” “I’m just telling you what I’ve read,” Mila shrugs, getting an eye roll from her rinkmate. “Did I ruin your concentration yesterday?” Yuri turns to ask Otabek, challenge in his eyes. “You didn’t, but I’m not encouraging you to do that again.” “Yeah, only because you’re afraid I might give you a boner before you go-” “Yura, they have us on the screen.” Yuri looks up at the screens hanging on the ceiling and finds out Otabek wasn’t saying that just to get him distracted. People in the arena around them are already clapping, congratulating them both for their medals. Yuri blinks, taken aback by the attention he’s suddenly receiving, and Otabek placing his cool hands on each side of his face and kissing him doesn’t really help. Yuri kisses back without thinking, a slow smile spreading on his lips when he hears Mila gasping somewhere on Otabek’s right. “I thought-,” Yuri mumbles when they break the kiss, a violent blush climbing on his face as the members of the audience whistle and scream. “I thought you said after the games.” “Well, aren’t we technically done with them already?” * Yuri’s Angels @yurisangels_official・5 min Yuri just tweeted and confirmed that the kiss seen during Ice Dance break wasn’t staged!! “@yuri-plisetsky: when your boyfriend kisses you in front of way too many people smh I’ve fallen for a total loser.” Yuri’s Angels @yurisangels_official・4 min Congratulations, @yuri-plisetsky and @otabek-altin!! Chel @smilejongdw・2 min @yurisangels_official i can now die happy always sleepy @vilmahenriika・2 min @yurisangels_official @smilejongdw TT<3

i don’t know what athletes really do during olympics when they aren’t competing and i’m fully aware the skaters probably aren’t allowed to interact with each other between their skates like that but let’s call this artistic freedom.

buy me a coffee?

Happy Birthday Beka

---7 Days Until Otabeks Birthday (24th October)--- Yuri was at the ice rink sitting on the side watching Victor and Yuuri practice, it was just the three of them today Yuri was taking a short break from practice. He got lost in his thoughts of what to get Otabek for his birthday, he didn’t notice Victor and Yuuri leaving the ice and approach him. He jumped when he felt a small tap on his shoulder, he noticed that the other two were sitting on either side of him. “What's wrong Yurio?” Yuuri asked with a concerned smile. “It’s Bekas birthday in a week and I don’t know what to get for him” Yuri sighed. Yuuri and Victor looked at each other over Yuris head. “What do you want to get him?” Victor asked. “My first idea was to go and surprise him by showing up at his house. But I can’t because of training and I can’t afford it.” Yurio sighed Yuuri looked at Yuri with a look of sympathy and then glanced over at Victor who was pulling his phone out while standing up and walked over to his bag so no-one would hear what he was talking about. “Yurio don’t worry Victor and I will work something out and help you.” Yuuri said already guessing what Victor was doing. Yuuri got up and walked over to Victor as he got off the phone. “Have you dealt with Yakov?” Yuuri asked with a knowing smile. “How did you know what I’m doing?” Victor asked shocked. “It’s obvious to anyone who knows you well enough that it’s the kind of thing you’d do.” Yuuri smiled. “Oh...Well yes Yakov is dealt with. He has given me and Yurio from the 29th October to the 12th November off.” Victor smiled. Yuuri quickly went on his phone for a few minuets, Victor already knew what he was doing. “Great I have booked and paid for the plane tickets and hotel rooms. Let's go tell Yurio the good news.” Yuuri smiled taking Victor's hand and walking back to where Yuri was still sitting. “Yurio we have a surprise for you.” Yuuri said trying to contain his excitement. “What?” Yuri looked up at them with a raised eyebrow. “So I spoke to Yakov and he has agreed to give you from the 29th October to the 12th November off. As long as you practice with me and Yuuri while we are away.” Victor beamed. “And I have just booked us all plane tickets to Almaty as well as two hotel rooms. So make sure your ready on Sunday our flight leaves at 10:30pm it’s the earliest one I could get us at such short notice. Victor and I will come and get you at 7:30pm to go to the airport. Our plane will land at 3:30am on the 30th so that’ll be around 6:30am because of the time difference. And...” Victor covered Yuuris mouth. “You’re rambling darling.” Victor smiled at Yuuris blush. “What are you two saying?” Yuri couldn’t believe what he was being told. “We are saying that you can see Otabek on his birthday as long as you train with me and Yuuri on some days.” Victor smiled. Yuri couldn’t believe it he just stared at them for a minute and then leapt at them wrapping an arm around both of them in a group hug. “THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!” Yuri yelled he was overjoyed with the news then he realised something. “How will I trick Beka into thinking I’m still in Russia when we Skype nearly everyday?” “You could always tell him that you broke your laptop and it won’t be fixed until the 31st and make out that you're at the ice rink for some late night training with Yuuri and I and you haven’t got a wifi signal. Tell him tonight about the training and then text him Sunday afternoon about the laptop.” Victor suggested. “You may not look it but you can be smart when you want to.” Yuri joked.laughing at Victor's pout. “Come on you two we have to do some actual training and plan our trip.” Yuuri smiled fondly at the two of them walking back towards the ice. ---Later that day --- Yuri sat in his bed in some loose pajama bottoms (which he stole from Otabek when he last visited Russia) and a black t-shirt which is a few sizes too big and hung off one shoulder (He stole this off Otabek the last Yuri visited Kazakhstan). He signed into Skype and called Otabek, he answered after three rings he was dressed like he was going to go out.. “Hello Kitten” Otabek greeted. Yuri blushed at the nickname he wasn’t sure when he would get use to it. “Hi Bear. Are you going out?” Yuri asked with a smile. Otabek looked at what Yuri was wearing and smiled fondly. “Yeah I have to go DJ for this club so I’ll be going soon. Are those my bottoms and shirt?” Otabek asked already knowing the answer. “Oh okay and maybe” Yuri replied blushing. “How have you been Yura?” Otabek asked Yuri could see that he was still getting ready so he knew this call won’t be long. “I’ve been good, oh before I forget I’m going to be doing late night training with Victor and Yuuri on Sunday and Monday so I won’t be able to Skype you because I won’t have any internet but we can still text and call.” Yuri said hoping that Otabek would buy it. He looked up from tying his boots up and nodded. “Okay Yura just don’t overwork yourself. Why are you training at night anyway?” He questioned. Yuri panicked for a moment but remained calm before saying the first thing that came to mind. “Oh there will be less people around and katsudon concentrates better or something.” Yuri said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Otabek just nodded. “How have you been Beka?” Yuri asked before Otabek could question him further. “I’ve been good my family keep asking me what I want to do for my birthday but I don’t really want to do anything. Especially if you’re not with me.” Otabek had a sad smile. “ Come on bear you have to do something for your birthday and you know I’ll be the first one to wish you a happy birthday and I’ll definitely Skype you for hours.” Yuri tried to cheer him up. Otabek smiled. “I’ll think about it...I have to go now kitten but I’ll let you know when I’m home and I’ll call you tomorrow.” Otabek responded with a smile he then started looking around. “Okay bear I’ll speak to you tomorrow...If you’ve lost your keys have you looked in the fridge? Don’t forget that you sometimes place them in there when you get home and get something to eat and forget about it or don’t notice that you put them down to get food without looking where you're putting them” Yuri said while Otabek left the view of the camera to check the fridge. He came back with a blush on his face holding his keys. “Thank you, I don’t know what I would do without you. I love you” Otabek said and then put his jacket on. “I love you too, bear have fun at work and get home safe. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Yuri smiled. “Bye kitten.” Otabek waved “Bye bear” Yuri responded. “I’ll see you soon.” Yuri said to the blank screen. ---2 Days Until Otabeks Birthday (29th October) --- Yuri was at Victor and Yuuris apartment he was already packed and ready to go he got bored of waiting at home so he decided to just go straight to their place. There was an hour left until they needed to leave and Victor was still deciding on what to take, Yuuri was trying to help him but Victor started being over dramatic. Makkachin was already at ridiculously expensive dog sitters and will be given five star treatment. Victor wouldn’t settle for anything less. Yuuri walked into the sitting room with his suitcase. “So I finally managed to persuade Victor that he doesn't need to pack his whole wardrobe for a two week trip. Have you told Otabek that you have broken your laptop yet?” Yuuri asked while putting the plane tickets passports in his backpack. “No not yet I'll do it now.” Yuri said pulling out his phone. “Yuuuuuuri!!” Victor called from the bedroom. “I'll go deal with him you can use your normal room.” Yuuri responded walking to his and Victor's room. Yuri just nodded and went to his room. He walked into his room, sat on the bed and called Otabek. It rang a few times and then Otabek picked up. “Hey Kitten, what's up?” Otabek greeted. “Hi, I'm not interrupting anything am I?” “No I was just a little surprised with the random call.” “Oh well I just wanted to let you know that I broke my laptop and it won’t be fixed until the 31st.” “Oh…” Otabek sounded disappointed. “But we can still text and call. And it’ll be fixed on your birthday so I can still see you.” Yuri tried to cheer him up. “Yeah I guess.” Otabek sighed “I’m really sorry bear if i could fix it I would.” Yuri tried. “I know kitten.” Otabek responded. They talked for a bit more until Yuuri came into the room to tell Yuri it was time to go. “I have to go now Beka I need to get ready for night training.” Yuri said. “Okay Kitten speak to you later. I love you.” Otabek responded. “I love you too Bear.” Yuri smiled and hung up. Yuri left the room and saw that Victor and Yuuri had already put everything in the car. The two of them were waiting for him by the front door Victor was putting Yuuris scarf on Yuuri while using it to pull him into a kiss. “Come on you idiots we have a plane to catch.” Yuri called walking past them heading to the car. “He does realise that it was him we was waiting for right?” Victor asked Yuuri. “Yeah but you have to realise it's probably hard seeing us always together and being lovey dovey. When he can’t because of the distance between them. Now come on Vitya before we’re are late.” Yuuri said giving Victor a kiss on the cheek before going to the car. “I’m coming dear.” Victor smiled locking up and following Yuuri. ---6:30am Almaty 1 Day Until Otabeks Birthday (30th October) --- The three of them was leaving the plane Victor practically dragging a half asleep Yuuri. Yuri was wide awake with excitement the flight had felt like days instead of hours to him and he couldn’t wait to see Beka. They got their bags and got a taxi to their hotel, Victor checked them in and they went to their rooms Yuri had his own while Victor and Yuuri shared. They all went to bed for a few hours and met up in the hotel lobby at 1pm Yuuri looked less exhausted and Victor looked well rested and full of energy. They went out for lunch and then did some shopping Victor and Yuuri was buying souvenirs for their friends in Russia and a gift for Otabek (a new biker jacket and boots). Yuri brought stuff for his friends in Russia and grandpa, he also brought Otabeks birthday presents. He even managed to find a giant cardboard box for his plan. By the time they had finished it was around 7pm so they had dinner and went back to the hotel for a few hours. It was 11:30pm when they all met in the lobby again Yuri bringing the folded box and his presents, they got a taxi to Otabeks street they got out a few houses away it was 11:49pm. They quietly walked to Otabeks house and unfolded the box outside his front door and Yuri climbed in (Victor picked him up and put him in it.) Yuri put the gifts he had brought him near his feet and then crouched down he put his thumb up to signal that it was okay to close the box and tape it shut it was 11:59pm. When the clock hit midnight Yuuri knocked on Otabeks door and he and Victor ran as to not get caught. A few seconds later Yuri heard Otabek open the front door, he heard him pick at the tape and start pulling it off. Just befor all the tape came off Yuri jumped up. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAR!!” Yuri shouted. Otabek just stood there for a few moments until he wrapped Yuri in his arms and pulled him out of the box in a hug. Yuri hugged him back tightly and wrapped his legs around Otabeks waist, Otabek was about to walk into his house carrying Yuri until Yuri remembered the other gifts. “Wait a sec bear I have your presents in the box.” Yuri jumped down and quickly got the presents. As he turned around Otabek pulled hijme into another hug. “Aren’t you going to say something?” Yuri asked. “I can’t believe you're here kitten, I’ve missed you soo much.” Otabek said. “I missed you to come on let's go in it's getting cold.” Yuri said and started to walk into the house until Otabek pulled him back and into a kiss. The kissed lasted until Yuri needed air then Otabek pulled him into the house. “When did you get here?” Otabek asked they were both laying in his bed wrapped in each other's arms Yuri was wearing some of Otabeks pyjamas. “We arrived at 6:30am technically yesterday because it's your birthday now. I've had this planned for a week.” Yuri said trying to get closer to Otabek. “How did you afford it?” Otabek asked. “I had Victor and Yuuri help me. Do you mind if we see them later they want to take you to a birthday lunch and give you gifts?” Yuri asked. “I don't mind I have to thank them anyway for bringing me my kitten.” Otabek smiled. “Come on Yura let's go to sleep it's almost one in the morning and I'm guessing we have to meet those to at around 12ish.” Otabek said. Yuri nodded and the two of them soon fell asleep. --- Yuri woke up at 8 am and even though he didn't want to he climbed out of Otabeks arms and crept out of bed and into the kitchen. He started to cook so he put some sausages and bacon in a frying pan, when they were nearly cooked he put them in the preheated grill to finish cooking. He then put the kettle on, put toast in the toaster and eggs in a pan. A few minutes later he was buttering toast and putting the eggs, sausages and bacon on two plates. He Put the two plates of food on a tray with two hot cups of tea and two cups of juice. When he walked back into the bedroom Otabek was waking up with a frown moving his hand as if looking for something. “I'm here bear...Happy birthday.” Yuri said with a smile as he placed the tray on the nightstand to give Otabek a morning kiss. “Thank you. thought it was all a dream for a second there.” Otabek responded kissing Yuri back. Yuri pulled away and sat on the bed next to Otabek as Otabek sat up. He gave Otabek his food and tea. “Definitely not a dream. Not even I could dream up your delicious breakfasts” Otabek said after swallowing the first bite. Yuri blushed. “Just eat your food before it gets cold.” Yuri said before taking another bite. Otabek smirked and ate his food. They ate their food in mostly silence only talking to make plans for the day and saying how much they missed each other. Once they finished eating they got dressed and Yuri went to wash up while Otabek responded to the birthday messages he had received. Yuri found him sitting on the sofa ending a call with his coach. When he got off the phone Yuri sat in his lap holding the two gifts he had. “So I officially don't have training today but I do tomorrow unfortunately.” Otabek said. “It's okay I travel back late on the 10th but for the time off I had to join the other two in training so we could all train together if you don't mind.” Yuri said. “ That sounds great.” Otabek said kissing Yuri on the head. “Here open your presents before we have to go meet the other two.” Yuri handed Otabek the two gift bags. He opened the bigger bag first he smiled when he saw a stuffed cat with green eyes and light fur. “I couldn't find a blond one but that was the closest I could get. Because I'm your kitten.” Yuri blushed. “I love it Yura. I love you.” Otabek smiled kissing Yuri. When they stopped Yuri looked up. “I love you too. Come on open the other one.” Yuri smiled. Otabek nodded and started opening the smaller gift. He pulled out the jewellery box with a confused expression when he looks at the contents his expression changes to one in awe. Otabek pulls one of the necklaces out of the box and reads what the inside of the ring hanging off the chain says: ‘Yura's big bear x’ Otabek then reads the other ring: ‘Bekas cute kitten x’ He looked down at Yuri with tears in his eyes. “Yuri I love you soo much. They're perfect.” “I pre-ordered them when I was still in Russia and picked them up yesterday. Will you put mine on for me?” Yuri blushed. Otabek nodded and put Yuri's necklace on for him and then let Yuri put his on for him. They spent the rest of the morning snuggling on the sofa exchanging soft kisses and making plans for Yuri's stay. Until it was time to leave, Otabek handed Yuri his spare helmet and then left. They met up with Victor and Yuuri for lunch. They both wish Otabek a happy birthday and hand him is gifts which Otabek thank them for. “Also thank you for bringing Yura to me.” Otabek smiled. “No problem Otabek. We know what it can feel like when the person you love isn't with you. And we didn't want Yurio to feel that way especially on your birthday.” Yuuri said he glanced up at Victor who smiled down at him and gave him a kiss. “Right you two can spend the rest of the day together but Yurio stays in his hotel room tonight because we have training bright and early and we don't want him getting distracted. We have already arranged everything with your coach Otabek so we will all train together in the same rink.” Victor said with a smile. “But on your days off you can both either stay at Otabeks or in Yurios hotel room.” Yuuri added with a smile. They went their separate ways Yuuri and Victor did some sightseeing. Otabek and Yurio went and visited Otabeks family and friends for the birthday wishes and gifts then spent the evening in Yuri's hotel room until Otabek had to leave. They kissed goodnight and exchanged ‘I loves you’ with smiles knowing that they get to see each other first thing for training. When Otabek got in he messaged Yuri and went to bed. He fell asleep with one thought in his mind as he held the ring hanging from his neck, with a smile on his face. ‘ Best birthday ever.’

Who is interested in the Nagorno -Karabakh conflict escalation?

New Post has been published on https://armenia.in-the.news/economy/who-is-interested-in-the-nagorno-karabakh-conflict-escalation-54582-01-09-2020/

Who is interested in the Nagorno -Karabakh conflict escalation?

The political development unfolding in Minsk, with high possibility to spill over and spread throughout the former Soviet republic of Belarus is sensitive and delicate. As an ordinary observer from an obscured and remote rural village with inconsistent connectivity, I struggle daily to understand what happens next in Minsk. The first information that emerged about opposition rallying against elected President Alexander Lukashenko was worrying and heart breaking as that country has maintained political economic stability. Of course, just as I personally admired him for his courage, the current political developments vividly reminds me of Republic of Sudan in North Africa.

By geography, Belarus is a landlocked former Soviet republic in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania. While Sudan is circled by seven other countries, it also has to northeast a huge Red Sea. It is third-largest country in Africa, and the third-largest in the Arab world by area before the secession of South Sudan in 2011. Like many other eastern European countries, Belarus has a negative population growth rate and a negative natural growth rate. Belarus has only 9.4 million while Sudan has a population of 43 million (both 2019 estimates by UN office in charge of Global Population Studies)

Belarus is a presidential republic, governed by a president and the National Assembly. The term for each presidency is five years. Under the 1994 constitution, the president could serve for only two terms as president, but a change in the constitution in 2004 eliminated term limits. Lukashenko has been the president of Belarus since 1994.

That was changed. In 1996, Lukashenko called for a controversial vote to extend the presidential term from five to seven years, and as a result, the election that was supposed to occur in 1999 was pushed back to 2001. Throughout the period, groups such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has declared the elections “un-free” because of the opposition parties’ poor results and media bias in favor of the government.

In the case of Sudan, Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir came to power in June 1989. Al-Bashir, who had been in power for more than 30 years, refused to step down, resulting in the convergence of opposition groups to form a united coalition. The government retaliated by arresting more than 800 opposition figures and thousands of protesters, according to the Human Rights Watch.

Many people died because Al-Bashir ordered security forces to disperse the sit-in peaceful demonstrators using tear gas and live ammunition in what is known as the Khartoum massacre, resulting in Sudan’s suspension from the African Union. Eventually, Omar al-Bashir was gone. Sudan opened a new political chapter with a new Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok, a 61-year-old economist who worked previously for the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

What makes the comparison interesting, President Alexander Lukashenko is referred to as the last political dictator in Europe. Similar title was awarded to Omar al-Bashir as the longest ruler and dictator in Africa. Significantly, long service in political position must necessarily reflect on the level development and on the lives of the population.

The political unrest in Sudan basically connected to both politics and economy. Sudan is rich with natural resources, as it has oil reserves. Despite that, Sudan still faced formidable economic problems, and its growth was still a rise from a very low level of per capita output. Next, agricultural production remains Sudan’s most-important sector, employing 80 percent of the workforce. Worse is production practices are rudimentary. There has not been efforts, at least, to modernize agriculture to the growing population. In 2018, 45% of the population lives on less than US$3.20 per day, up from 43% in 2010. There is still a huge increase in unemployment, so of course, politics and economy questions are inseparable.

On the opposite side, and in fact better than Sudan, Lukashenko continued a number of Soviet-era policies, such as state-ownership of large sections of the economy, and opposed Western-backed economic shock therapy in the post-Soviet transition. Over 70% of Belarus’s population of 9.49 million resides in urban areas.

The labor force consists of more than six million people, among whom women hold slightly more jobs than men. In some analysis, nearly a quarter of the population is employed by industrial factories. Employment is high in agriculture, manufacturing sales, trading goods, and education. The unemployment rate, according to government statistics, was 1.5% in 2010.

But the key questions are the advantages that President Alexander Lukashenko has under his armpit. While the political situation is unpredictable, Belarus belongs to Eurasian Union, it also has the Minsk Agreement (Russia-Belarus Treaty) as instruments on which to capitalize in attempts to normalize the situation.

Belarus and Russia have been close trading partners and diplomatic allies since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Belarus is dependent on Russia for imports of raw materials and for its export market. However, the future of the Russian-Belarus union has been placed in doubt because of Belarus’ repeated delays of monetary union, the lack of a referendum date for the draft constitution.

The major problem here is Belarus relations with several European Union members including neighboring Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. The EU has already threatened imposing sanctions, as United States has done in relation to the election held on August 9, 2020. The authorities accused the Russians of trying to destabilize the situation in Belarus in the run up to the presidential elections. Thousands have rallied across Belarus in some of the country’s biggest opposition protests in a decade.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who has emerged as his main rival, pledges to topple his regime and restore democracy. President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994, is facing a united and determined democratic opposition in what may be the toughest political fight of his life. Discontent has been simmering for years. Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a statement  underlining the importance for all Belarusians to exercise their civil and political rights.

On August 16, President Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko held discussion on the situation that has developed following the presidential election in Belarus including with due regard to external pressure. The Russian side reaffirmed its readiness to render the necessary assistance to resolve the challenges facing Belarus based on the principles of the Treaty on the Creation of a Union State, as well as through the Collective Security Treaty Organization,if necessary.

In reality, the world is closely watching to see noticeable changes in Belarus. Some experts suggest a national political dialogue, some argue that Lukashenko should have taken a page from Kazakhstan. Nursultan Nazarbayev ruled the country from 1991 to 2019. He resigned in March 2019, but now the Kazakh Security Council’s chairman-for-life, other school of thought says Lukashenko should listen to President Vladimir Putin.

There has been a decade-long economic stagnation and prospects of further economic integration with Russia – seen by many as threatening Belarus sovereignty – has weakened Lukashenko’s image as the guarantor of stability. Belarus has had a troubled relationship with many of its neighbors. There many other issues which Belarus and Russia have to settle to ensure regional stability in the Commonwealth of Independent States, or at least, in the Eurasian Union. Time will, indeed, show a peaceful exit of the crisis, and/or next for Belarus.

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