“The message to stop the development of the HBS will be welcomed by those who saw it as an expensive distraction and largely pointless,” he said.“It is a fairly clear steer from the Parliament that EIOPA needs to put the breaks on anything that could cause IORPs additional work.”He welcomed Hayes’s approach, as well as the MEP’s observing Council of the EU recommendations to simplify the Directive.Dowsey said the rapporteur had been true to his word in trying to mend the funding issue for cross-border pension funds, which cannot be underfunded.However, the current wording on funding has caused the consultancy some concerns.Similarly, James Walsh, EU policy lead at the UK’s National Association of Pension Funds, said the current wording in relaxing the full-funding requirements could have unintended consequences.The new version states that a fund’s technical provisions should be fully funded “from the moment when the institution starts operating a new or additional scheme”.The text, however, fails to specify what constitutes a “fund launch”. Dowsey said: “Hayes clearly wants to do something about the [fully-funded cross-border situation], but the amendment he has made is open to conjecture.“The sentiment is welcome, but, as drafted, it is potentially less helpful … the intention is to facilitate cross-border schemes without making it more onerous than the domestic situation.”Dowsey also highlighted that, in Article 13/3, the IORP II Directive suggests that bulk transfers between IORPs will require most of their members’ approval, regardless of geography.However, Ireland and the UK have special regulations in place to allow transfers without consent, subject to protections from members and independent actuarial approval.“As drafted,” Dowsey said, “[the regulations] could prevent bulk transfers and potentially frustrate M&A activity.” The European Parliament’s latest draft of the IORP Directive calling for limitations on the EU regulator will be largely welcomed by the industry, Towers Watson has said.In a draft published earlier this week, Irish MEP Brian Hayes, IORP rapporteur for the Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON), said the controversial holistic balance sheet (HBS) accounting approach was “not realistic in practical terms”.He also suggested other European Insurance and Occupation Pensions Authority (EIOPA) projects should be pegged back, and argued that neither the European Commission nor the regulator had the power to draft additional technical standards.Mark Dowsey, senior consultant at Towers Watson, said the latest draft – likely to enter trialogue by the end of the year – sent a clear message to EIOPA.
Towers Watson welcomes Parliament’s call to cease work on HBS
September 29, 2020
The €4bn pension fund of retailer Ahold has divested its 2.5% stake in commodities and begun selling its private equity and non-listed property holdings in a bid to lower its risk profile.In its annual report, it said it wanted to replace the divested assets with mortgages.The allocation changes come in the wake of an asset-liability management study and the adoption of a dynamic asset allocation, where the ratio between fixed income and equities depends on the scheme’s funding.When the pension fund’s coverage ratio falls below 130%, for example, it seeks to reduce risk by scaling back equities. Its funding at the end of March was just over 108%, following a drop of 2.6 percentage points over the previous quarter.The pension fund’s new strategic asset allocation is 27% equity, 68% fixed income and 5% listed real estate.The Ahold scheme reported a 1.3% loss for 2015, with its 5.7% return on investments failing to offset the 7% combined loss on its interest and currency hedges.Because the currency hedge had such a marked impact on overall returns, the pension fund said it raised its cover of the British pound, the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc to 100%, while introducing a dynamic hedge for the US dollar.The scheme said it could gradually increase its dynamic interest hedge – 60% at the end of last year – to the strategic level of 75% if interest rates rise.Equity and fixed income returned 6.9% and 4%, respectively, over 2015, while non-listed real estate and private equity returned 15.3% and 19.3%, respectively.Commodities returned 9.8% before they were sold in April, while emerging-market debt produced a 6.4% loss. Last year, Ahold offloaded its stake in the commodities investment fund of Bank of America Merrill Lynch and terminated its credit mandate with asset manager Wellington.The Ahold scheme, which employs AXA IM as fiduciary manager, has invested 79% of its asset through mandates.In other news, the €1.6bn pension fund of Dutch regulator De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) has raised its risk profile, increasing its strategic property allocation from 5% to 8% and expanding its equity portfolio by 1 percentage point to 26%.The pension fund, which kept its interest hedge at 75%, said the adjustment would offer the best opportunity to increase returns with a limited increase in risk.The DNB scheme raised its risk profile last year as well in an effort to increase its surplus return from 1.2% to 1.6%.At the time, it grew its property allocation from 3% to 5% and increased its equity holdings from 17.5% to 25%, while reducing its interest cover from 93% to 75%.
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Who needs one? 00:58With summer fast approaching, and the mercury already rising, many homeowners will be turning their minds to ways to stay cool.But with backyards shrinking, are the days of the pool sinking?Not according to the aquatic architects, those folks whose job it is to craft a design to fit any space.MORE NEWS: Brisbane’s million-dollar suburb boomHow to spruce up your pad for sale Siblings Tobin 11, and Isabella Carnes 7 play in their backyard pool at Burpengary. Photo Lachie MillardOften called plunge pools, spools, even cocktail pools, smaller pools are popping up in increasingly small spaces.Tim Chown of Gold Coast-based Australian Plunge Pools said the trend towards smaller pools first took off in Sydney and Melbourne, where vacant space costs a premium.But he said they were now getting more inquiries from southeast Queensland as block sizes here also shrank.“We fitted one on to a balcony just last week,” he said. “We have done a lot of rooftop and balcony pools.”Mr Chown said consumers were also becoming more focused on fit-for-purpose, year-round pools, incorporating smaller designs, and the option for a heated spa in winter and a cool pool in summer.He said plunge pools, as opposed to the larger lap-style pools, were also cheaper to maintain and run, and often offered the option to go chemical-free.A plunge pool at 112 Outlook Cres in Bardon, which is on the marketQueensland Family Pools construction manager Terry Nicholls said buyers needed to look at the shape of their backyard.Queensland Family Pools construction manager Terry Nicholls said that as houses continued to get bigger, leaving less land for yards, buyers needed to look at the shape of the space they had.“Access is the key with the smaller yards that we have these days,” he said. “Nice and simple and straight lines is the trend at the moment.”Now that’s a sliver of a pool at 29 Blair Lane, AscotYou would probably have found a clothes line in this space a few years ago. This house at y 28 Eighth Avenue at Kedron is for saleDirector of Queensland landscaping business Bioscapes, Noel Brown, agreed, saying smaller, rectangle-shaped pools were becoming more common.However, he said there would always be a place for tropical styles with landscaping.Mr Brown said extra features were also being added to pools to make them look like the centrepiece of a backyard.“Water features intercepting with the pool, that seems to be the way it’s all going,” he said. “Then in the cooler months when you’re not using the pool, you can still enjoy that feature.”Ray White New Farm agent Matt Lancashire said he had seen it all when it came to pool designs.More from newsParks and wildlife the new lust-haves post coronavirus11 hours agoNoosa’s best beachfront penthouse is about to hit the market11 hours agoRay White New Farm principal Matt Lancashire takes a dip at 33 Rockbourne Tce, Paddington.“I have seen glass edged pools, they are amazing and there is a big resurgence in that,” he said. “There is also one I know of that is being built into the basement garage so you will be able to drive in and see people in the pool.“I have also seen an indoor pool that is cantilevered so it is built inside the house.“People are also using glass mosaics with lights … pools are really becoming a statement piece in their own right.“But I still love seeing a big pool.”Here is the entrance or exit to a pool at 34 Addison Avenue in BulimbaAnd another view of the poolYou can even get a glimpse from the carport.Regardless of design, when the mercury hits 31C today and 34C tomorrow, there is a good chance you will find siblings, Tobin and Isabella Carnes, aged 11 and 7 years respectively, in their own statement pool, which has two water slides and its own water cave.The house is currently listed for sale with Raine and Horne Morayfield.Siblings Tobin 11, and Isabella Carnes 7 play in their backyard pool at Burpengary. 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A total of 239 new soldiers take their oath before Major General Eric Vinoya, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division commander, at the 3ID headquarters in Camp Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz on July 28, 2020. “I urge you to always be aware of your job and its complexities so you can always do the right thing. In all your given tasks, never dwell on mediocrity. Always aim for excellence and always be the best. This is how you can contribute to the accomplishment of our mission,” Vinoya tells them. 3ID PHOTO “Always do the right thing,” Major General Eric Vinoya, 3ID commander, told the soldiers. The graduation ceremony was graced by the Vice Chancellor for Administration of the University of the Philippines Visayas, Mary Ann Gumban who led the ceremonial entrustment of firearms to the new soldiers. These 239 soldiers (Class 624 and Class 625) graduated on July 28 at the 3ID headquarters in Jamindan, Capiz and given the rank of Private. ROXAS City – The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) has enlisted 239 new soldiers to fight insurgents in Western and Central Visayas regions. This authority, she said, “makes you a powerful defender of our country and its sovereignty, its citizens and their rights and freedoms.” According Army Major Cenon Pancito III, these newly recruited soldiers will complement the anti-insurgency campaign while some will help in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related activities. “I urge you to always be aware of your job and its complexities so you can always do the right thing at the very first instance. In all your given tasks, never dwell on mediocrity. Always aim for excellence and always be the best. This is how you can contribute to the accomplishment of our mission,” said Vinoya./PN
“My highest regard to the members of your family who must be mighty proud of you as they see you donned with the uniform of a soldier and entrusted with a service firearm symbolizing the complete authority given to you as the new Privates of the Philippine Army,” said Gumban. They completed five months of rigid Candidate Soldier Course (CSC) and Jungle Warfare Mountain Operation Course (JWMOC) facilitated by the 3rd Division Training School (3DTS). Each new soldier was issued an R4 carbine rifle as service firearm. Private Joel Delmonte Jr., also a TESDA NCII passer from Barangay Bangac, Mina, Iloilo, bagged the same award by besting 117 other members of Class 625-2020 Major General Eric Vinoya, 3ID commander, challenged the newly enlisted soldiers to “do the right thing.” Private Herje Catedrilla, a TESDA NCII passer from Barangay Tahing, Calinog, Iloilo, received the Commander 3ID Award for topping the 121 CS Class 624-2020 with a general point average (GPA) of 92.98 percent in all evaluated subjects. 
Area Boys Basketball Scores.Thursday (2-2)Batesville 65 South Dearborn 32The Bulldogs JV won 65-34South Decatur 64 Jac-Cen-Del 49Lawrenceburg 69 East Central 58Franklin County 54 North Decatur 51Rising Sun 54 Milan 50South Ripley 57 SW Hanover 47Greensburg 56 Rushville 48Switz. County 66 Scottsburg 58Christian Academy 68 Shawe Memorial 23SW Shelby 64 Hauser 60Morristown 69 Greenwood Christian 67Greenwood 62 Edinburgh 56Cambridge City Lincoln 66 Union County 56
City did not look like surrendering their superiority after that although Enner Valencia and Kevin Nolan had late chances after City had been disrupted by injury to playmaker David Silva. Silva required eight minutes of treatment after being caught by an elbow from Cheikhou Kouyate and was taken to hospital but the Spaniard did not suffer any fractures and City are optimistic the problem is not serious. Relief was the overriding emotion for City at the final whistle following their recent problems and Fernando, who has struggled to impress this term, was happy with his display. The 27-year-old, a £12million signing from Porto last summer, said: “The team had a good performance and good ball possession as well. In terms of my own performance I was happy as well, but we know that we can always improve our performance. I am just happy the team managed to get a victory.” City’s campaign is destined to end in under-achievement following the collapse of their Barclays Premier League title defence. In recent months they have slipped from challenging for top spot in January to lagging behind leaders Chelsea in a distant fourth place. Press Association Midfielder Fernando hopes Manchester City will remind everyone of their true abilities in the remaining weeks of the season. Their form has even raised the prospect of a battle to hold onto a Champions League spot but Sunday’s comfortable 2-0 victory over West Ham has at least eased some of the pressure in that regard. Coming after heavy criticism of the team and manager Manuel Pellegrini – and reports of a possible summer clear-out – Fernando now hopes that win can at least provide the springboard for a late season rally. The Brazilian said: “We went through really tough moments but now we are back to winning. It was really important to get a victory and now we want to keep form and make sure we try to win the next five matches. “We know the season has not gone as well as we would have liked but now it is important for us to focus on the last five matches and make sure we get good results from them.” City went into the game without momentum after a wretched run of six defeats in eight games in all competitions, culminating in a demoralising 4-2 derby defeat at rivals Manchester United. They and under-fire Pellegrini badly needed a result and they got just what they needed as they ran into a West Ham side struggling to break out of their own indifferent spell. They went ahead through a comical own goal from the luckless James Collins. The Welsh defender somehow contrived to lob his own goalkeeper, Adrian, attempting to intercept a Jesus Navas cross, with the ball dropping in via the woodwork. Sergio Aguero doubled the advantage before the break as he exchanged passes with Navas to round off a swift counter-attack after Yaya Toure had cut out a loose Stewart Downing pass. 
Paris: England and Portugal both scored five goals while France scored three as they overcame lowly-ranked Kosovo, Andorra and Lithuania in Euro 2020 qualifying. Captain Ronaldo, making his 160th international appearance, scored four as Portugal won 5-1 in Vilnius on Tuesday and strengthened their position in Group B after a sluggish start. For Ronaldo it was a second hat-trick in three internationals. The victory over Lithuania, 130th in the world rankings, kept brought Portugal five points behind Ukraine at the top of Group B.Portugal, who opened the group with home draws against Ukraine and Serbia, started their recovery with a victory in Belgrade on Saturday. They have a game in hand on all the other teams in the group. “We were better, we are better, and we won because of it,” said Fernando Santos, the Portugal coach. “We kept the pace after the win at Serbia, otherwise this triumph would make no sense, and we are closer.” Ronaldo’s first goal was a penalty. The second, with the scores level after an hour, was a scuffed low shot from outside the penalty area which took a couple of stranges bounces off the artificial turf before it was parried into the air by the diving Ernestas Setkus. The dropping ball hit the back of the goalie’s head before rolling in. The third was a clinical volley from close range. The fourth was a low shot into the corner. Vytautas Andriuskevicius scored the hosts’ only goal before William Carvalho added a fifth for the reigning champions at the end.Also Read | Raheem Sterling calls for stadium bans after racist chants in England’s Euro 2020 winSerbia beat Luxembourg 3-1, as Aleksandar Mitrovic netted twice, to solidify their grasp on third place. They are a point behind Portugal. In Southampton, Gareth Southgate’s England side trailed early on to Kosovo, ranked 120th in the world, when Valon Berisha scored after 34 seconds. England replied with a first-half goal binge that ended with Jadon Sancho scoring twice to make it 5-1 at the break. Also Read | Euro 2020 qualifiers: Germany overcome Netherlands in thriller, World Cup finalists Croatia suffer loss’Bizarre game’ The visitors claimed two back in the second half, including a second for Lazio midfielder Berisha, but the 5-3 victory put England three points clear in Group A, ahead of the second-placed Czech Republic, who beat Montenegro 3-0. “A bizarre game,” said Southgate. “The outstanding parts of our play were obvious. The errors were obvious.” In Paris, the world champions made light work of beating 136-ranked Andorra 3-0. It was Les Bleus’ 100th match at the Stade de France. Antoine Griezmann missed a penalty for his country for the second game running but Kinglsey Coman, Clement Lenglet, with his first on the international goal, and Wissam Ben Yedder clinched three points. “It is really annoying. I’ll just need to keep working. You can’t be on top of your game all the time,” Griezmann said. Coman also scored two against Albania on Saturday. “It has been a very good week. It has gone well personally and collectively,” Coman told television station TF1. Cenk Tosun scored twice as the Turks beat Moldova with ease in a 4-0 victory in Chisinau. But Iceland, who had been level with the top two, suffered a blow as they lost 4-2 in Albania. That result meant Iceland dropped three points behind. It also changed the tiebreak, allowing Turkey to take first place from France. For all the Latest Sports News News, Football News News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. highlights
Cristiano Ronaldo was playing his 160th international match.England defeated Kosovo 5-3.Iceland suffered a 2-4 loss to Albania in the Euro 2020 qualifiers.
Questions surrounded the USC Trojans’ recruiting class coming into National Signing Day Wednesday with seven unfulfilled scholarships, but Clay Helton and his staff closed strong, filling all seven slots with talented recruits, including three whom they “flipped” from other schools.Prized recruit after prized recruit signed with USC, which finished with the 11th best recruiting class in the nation, according to Scout.com. Perhaps more impressively, the Men of Troy have the highest average prospect rating at 3.9 stars, according to Scout.com.Helton lauded his recruiting staff for their efforts in nabbing a strong recruiting class.“I have to commend this staff,” he said. “I can’t tell you how hard they worked down the stretch. It was tireless, it was relentless. They just wouldn’t take, ‘No’ for an answer. You’re not going to win every battle, but we looked up today and we were so proud of how we finished.”The day began on an unexpected high for the Trojans, as a pair of four-star recruits flipped their commitments from other schools to USC.Jamel Cook, a 6’5” safety, originally committed to Florida State, but will instead head across the country to Los Angeles. Cook is ranked as the No. 2 athlete in the recruiting class by 247Sports, and his size allows him to be versatile in playing both safety and cornerback.“[Cook is] of hardest hitting young men that I’ve seen in a long, long time,” Helton said. “His length and his range to be able to cover the field was something that really jumped out on film.”An hour later, the Trojans stole another recruit, this time from conference foe Oregon. Vavae Malepeai, out of Hawaii, where he is the state’s all-time leading rusher, flipped from the Ducks to the Trojans and will look to make an impact in a backfield led by freshman Ronald Jones II.“He is dynamic not only as a runner, but what really stood out to us was his ability to route run in the passing game and the terrific ball skills that he is,” Helton said on Malepeai. “He is an elite runner and an elite receiver out of the backfield.”Then, four-star defensive end Connor Murphy chose USC over Michigan, Arizona State, Alabama and Oregon. The younger brother of Redskins linebacker Trent Murphy, the product of Brophy College Prep in Arizona will bolster a Trojans’ defensive line that is losing five members to graduation.The defensive front was boosted further by the addition of Joshua Fatu, one of the top defensive tackles in the junior college ranks. Fatu also flipped his commitment to come to the Trojans, spurning Boise State. The three-star recruit is a sophomore at Long Beach City College.The Men of Troy added another versatile athlete in Keyshawn “Pie” Young out of Miami High in Florida. Like Adoree’ Jackson, Young can play wide receiver, defensive back and return kicks. He chose USC over Alabama, Michigan, LSU and Louisville, and it will be interesting if the Trojans choose to utilize Young in all three phases like Jackson.Continuing its success in plucking recruits from out-of-state, the Trojans next swooped Georgia product E.J. Price, a four-star offensive tackle, away from Georgia and Auburn.Price’s signing symbolized the reach that USC has both academically and athletically, even for a top recruit in an SEC hotbed.“[Price is] of the premier tackles in the country,” Helton said. “It is a sign of how powerful USC is. I was very proud of him to recognize what a USC education means for him in the future.”To wrap things up, the Trojans landed a prized defensive back in five-star recruit Jack Jones. Ranked the second best cornerback in the nation by Rivals, Jones hails from Long Beach Poly, the same high school that current freshman cornerback Iman Marshall attended. Jones, too, draws comparisons to Jackson as a speedster who can contribute on offense and special teams along with defense.In all, the Trojans landed one five-star, four four-star and two three-star recruits Wednesday. Nine total recruits are from out-of-state, which Helton admitted was a risk that brought high rewards.“If you want to be the best, you have to take a shot at the best,” Helton said. “If you look at the elite players, they are far away. Not only was it worth the fight because of talent, but we felt there was a special relationship with those young men, and they understood the power of USC.”Coming into the day, the Trojans had 13 commitments out of 20 spots, headlined by five-star defensive end Oluwole Betiku out of Junipero Serra High School in Gardena and a native of Nigeria.Out of the 13 recruits, seven are registered for classes and only one, Betiku, was brought in by Helton; the rest committed when Steve Sarkisian was still the head coach.USC landed commitments from a number of four-star recruits prior to signing day: offensive linemen Frank Martin and Nathan Smith, wide receivers Josh Imatorbhebhe, Michael Pittman, Trevon Sidney and Tyler Vaughns, defensive back C.J. Pollard and tight end Carey Angeline.Matt Fink, an Under Armour All-American out of nearby Glendora High, is the lone quarterback in this recruiting class. Fink will join fourth-year junior Max Browne and redshirt freshman Sam Darnold in the battle to take over for Cody Kessler.Wide receiver Velus Jones, defensive end Liam Jimmons and linebacker Jordan Iosefa are three-star recruits, with placekicker Michael Brown being brought in as a blueshirt.The Trojans also lost out on a few targets before Wednesday. Four-star defensive tackle Keyshon Camp decommitted from USC last week and instead signed with Pittsburgh. Maxs Tupai, a four-star defensive end and Rashan Gary, a defensive tackle and top recruit in the nation, eliminated the Trojans from their lists earlier this week, while four-star safety Brandon Burton — whom USC jumped in late on — committed to UCLA Tuesday.On Wednesday, USC wound up with far more hits than misses, but were not picked by a few targets in defensive end Jonathan Kongbo, tight end Devin Asiasi and defensive tackle Boss Tagaloa.
Published on March 29, 2016 at 12:52 am Contact Liam: lpsull01@syr.edu Gary Gait acknowledges that his defense is more aggressive than most. Most teams don’t run a zone defense and Syracuse’s backer zone features more aggressive play, closing out and pressuring the ball.Gait thinks that because of the difference in style, referees tend to call more fouls on the Orange.“Sometimes I watch and I hear the whistle go and I ask myself, ‘Why,’” Gait said. “… I think it’s a unique combination of getting a reputation and all of a sudden they’re blowing the whistle a lot.”Fouls have been a problem for Syracuse so far this season, averaging 37.67 fouls per game, 10 more than the next-closest team in the Atlantic Coast Conference. No. 4 SU (8-3, 2-1 Atlantic Coast) looks to eliminate whistles and, with them, eight-meter opportunities on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Carrier Dome as it takes on Connecticut (7-1, 1-0 American Athletic).In some of the biggest games of the season, fouls against SU’s defense played a major part. In an 11-10 overtime loss to then-No. 2 Florida, Syracuse fouled 42 times and in a 16-12 win over then-No. 7 Northwestern, there were 53 fouls against the Orange, assistant coach Regy Thorpe said.AdvertisementThis is placeholder textThe backer zone defense requires players to quickly cover ground and approach charging offensive players anywhere from 5 to 7 yards away, break down in front of them and successfully defend the scoring opportunity.“We know it’s not good to foul and we’re not trying to foul,” said senior defender and captain Mallory Vehar. “But sometimes it happens.”With the constant moving parts of Syracuse’s active zone, the likelihood of a foul being called increases. Vehar thinks the number is too high, regardless of whether Syracuse if falling victim to errant calls from referees or whether its aggressive defense is in fact prone to fouls.While Gait said he may switch to a less aggressive defense in the right situation, the high numbers of fouls aren’t alarming enough to warrant an immediate scheme switch.“We’re trying to do what we need to do to have success on the defensive end,” Gait said.SU ranks fifth in the ACC in goals against — 9.08 per game — and has had success defensively. Gait doesn’t think fouls have cost SU a game yet this season and believes mental errors have been more costly.But the threat remains, and the defense has focused on limiting fouls and learning to mix caution with its high tempo. When a whistle is blown, opponents receive an eight-meter opportunity with ample free space to potentially leave goalkeeper Allie Murray exposed.Primarily, the team works on approach drills where players perform anywhere from 5- to 10-yard sprints out to close the gap as the ball reverses around the outside of the defensive zone. The exercise teaches reflexively quick response times, but emphasize poise and control in the approach in an attempt to limit fouls and the opportunities that accompany them.“It comes down to discipline and learning and we’ve made some adjustments,” Thorpe said. “You can’t be out of control and we’ve had to do some fundamental work on our approach and our bumps.” Comments Facebook Twitter Google+
A woman was fined $1,000 for urinating in public when she appeared in the St Catherine Parish Court on Wednesday.The woman, 34-year-old Michelle Valentine, pleaded guilty when she appeared before Parish Magistrate. Tara Kerr.Valentine was arrested after she was seen stooping behind a tree along Young Street in the old capital of Spanish Town.The magistrate asked the accused why she chose to put her dignity aside and relieve herself in public.Vallentine replied that she could not hold her water any longer.“Next time you hold your water. It is shameful, very shameful and against the law to do that in public,” the judge warned.If the fine is not paid, Valentine will have to spend 10 days in jail.