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Bizarre sandy sculptures rising from the beach by Lake Michigan caught the eyes of at least two photographers in early January, who posted their images of the nature-made marvels online.

But what are these sandy statues and how on earth did they come to be?

Their construction depends on several factors, including sand-to-water content and wind conditions, said Daniel Bonn, a physicist and head of the van der Waals-Zeeman Institute at the University of Amsterdam.

Related: Photos of the mysterious sand dune shapes

The pillars, sometimes called hoodoos, were different heights, anywhere from 3 to 20 inches (7.6 to 51 centimeters) tall, said Terri Abbott, a nature photographer who lives in northern Indiana. Abbott was visiting Tiscornia Park in St. Joseph, Michigan, on Jan. 8, when she noticed the stunning shapes on the snowy beach.

"Laying on the ground and shooting through these sculptures made it seem like a different planet," Abbott told Live Science in a Facebook message. "They were frozen and hard to the touch. The intricate and ever-so-sharp edges made them each amazing in their own way."

Abbott had never seen sculptures like this before. "I could not believe how perfectly chiseled they were," she added.

Michigan's freezing winter temperatures helped set the stage for the formation of the weird, chess-like pieces, according to Bonn, who was the senior researcher on "How to construct the perfect sandcastle," a study published in the journal Scientific Reports in 2012.

"Roughly, I think that there are liquid patches in the sand that freeze when it gets cold," Bonn told Live Science in an email. The coast is a windy place, he noted. When the sand-laden wind blows into these frozen patches, two seemingly opposing actions happen: In one, some of the sand grains may attach to the frozen patch, making it grow, he said. "This then forms a roughly cylindrical consolidated sandcastle-like structure," Bonn said.

In another, the wind and the sand it carries can erode the sand pillars, taking sand away, which "leads to the rings and the asymmetric shape of the cylinder," Bonn said.

Some of the sand eroded from these pillars ends up elsewhere on the beach. In some photos, "you see that there are point-like structures downwind that result from the sandblasting of the cylinder," he said.

Joshua Nowicki, a photographer based in southwest Michigan, happened upon the same sand pillars at Tiscornia Park on Jan. 7 and 8. Nowicki, who has seen similar sand structures before, noted that though rare, these pillars can occur at any time of the year, "if there is wet sand and sustained high winds for several days." In most cases, "they only get bigger than a couple of inches tall when the sand is frozen (from rain, melted snow, spray from crashing waves)," Nowicki told Live Science in an email.

The sand sculptures he saw this year "are some of the tallest ones that I have ever photographed, the largest being about 15 inches [38 cm] tall and a couple of inches in diameter," Nowicki noted. "Along the beach, there were at least six groups with thirty or more of the sand structures in a group with one group having quite a few more."

Most pillars don't last long. Usually, within a few days "the wind completely erodes them or knocks them down; if the temperature goes up above freezing, they crumble; and often in the winter they soon get covered by drifting snow," Nowicki said.

The Tiscornia Park pillars crumbled earlier this week when temperatures started to warm, Nowicki said. "The fact that they only exist for a short time makes them very special," he said. "You have to be there at just the right time to see them when the shape is still well defined."

Originally published on Live Science.

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Weird sand 'chess pieces' dot Lake Michigan shore. Here's how they formed. - Livescience.com

With demoralisation spreading among PTI allies and partys legislators, the government is keen to stop the opposition making use of it. The government has therefore extended an invitation to the opposition to hold talks on issues near to the latters heart like electoral and judicial reforms and the appointment of a new NAB chairman. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry claims that the prime minister himself had invited the opposition to negotiate on these three issues. This is likely to be rejected by the opposition as a tactical overture. Had it been a serious move Imran Khan would have been personally leading the government team. Instead Mr Chaudhry has once again categorically reiterated that Mr Khan would not sit with any opposition leader, including Shehbaz Sharif. At a time when the Army is seen to have distanced itself from the ruling party, the PM would not like to send the message to those who matter that he is not hobnobbing with the opposition.

What adds to the worries of the ruling party is that after fighting against one another for a whole year, the opposition parties have ended, in the main, their differences over tactics aimed at overthrowing the government. Instead of insisting on prior resignations from the Assemblies, the PML(N) and JUI(F) have instead agreed to the PPPs suggestion to work together for a no-confidence move against the government in the National Assembly. They know it is a long shot but consider it worth trying. Lacking the required numbers in the lower house, the opposition will have to lobby with the increasing number of dissidents in the PTI as well as its allies. The opposition leaders hope that due to the governments unpopular economic policies, public pressure would force a number of PTI lawmakers as well others from the allied parties to join hands with the opposition.

To the PTIs dismay, the issue of two marches on Islamabad can no longer be used to divide the opposition. As PPP chief Bilwal Bhutto Zardari has put it, the two different long marches would create more difficulties for the government. Many however still remain skeptical regarding the present display of unity among the opposition parties continuing for long.

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Moves on the chess board - Pakistan Today

Buckhead cityhood legislation faced its first political challenges in the first week of the General Assemblys session with two chess moves aimed at a rapid checkmate.

Forthcoming legislation will seek to make any cityhood referendum a citywide vote rather than Buckhead-only. And the Senate version of the cityhood legislation, which is exclusively sponsored by Republicans, has been assigned to a committee with all Democratic members, though its chair says it will get a fair hearing.

Both appear to be chess moves against cityhood, for which backers must get General Assembly approval to place on the November ballot.

A peculiarity of the cityhood legislation is that it is sponsored exclusively by Republicans who do not represent Buckhead or Atlanta, while all-Democrat local lawmakers oppose it. Two of those legislators, Rep. Shea Roberts and Sen. Jen Jordan (who is also running for the Georgia attorney general position), are poised to file legislation requiring that any such referendum be conducted citywide and need a 57.5% supermajority to win. Roberts said she expects her version to get a first reading on Jan. 14.

The idea of such legislation was pitched in a Jan. 12 joint meeting of Atlantas House and Senate delegations by Edward Lindsey, a former state representative who is now co-chair of the anti-cityhood group the Committee for a United Atlanta. Lindsey noted that cityhood supporters have claimed that secession would be good for both Buckhead and Atlanta. He asked, why then do only the folks in Buckhead have the right to vote?

The pro-cityhood Buckhead City Committee did not respond to a comment request about the referendum-altering legislation.

The next move came Jan. 13 from Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a Republican who has expressed skepticism about cityhood. Duncan assigned S.B. 324, the Senate version of the cityhood legislation, to the Urban Affairs Committee for consideration. The committees all-Democrat membership includes Sen. Nan Orrock, an Atlanta delegation member and vocal opponent of cityhood.

Some early political reaction was that the bill is likely to die in that committee, killing the cityhood effort for at least this year. However, the committee chair, Sen. Lester Jackson (D-Savannah), said in a phone interview that the bill will get a fair consideration.

I have not taken a position one way or another on the bill, said Jackson. He added that he personally does not think of it in a partisan way and that he is familiar with traditional cityhood efforts, including the failed 2019 proposal for Skidaway Island, an island near Savannah, to incorporate. He said he is not aware of any movements in the Savannah area for a Buckhead-like secession version of cityhood.

I know Ive had similar bills like this in my own community and I really think the lieutenant governor is doing the right thing [with the committee assignment], because it truly is an urban affairs issue, Jackson said.

Our committee will be transparent and it will be fair, and it will take time out to listen to all of the concerns of the general public on this issue, Jackson said. So everyones voice will be considered.

He indicated that, after a hearing, the committee will see where we should go with this legislation. He said he did not want to make any predetermination of what that result would be.

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Buckhead cityhood legislation challenged by political chess moves in first week of General Assembly session - Buckhead.com

DA parliamentarian Dianne Kohler Barnard (Michael Hammond, Gallo Images)

The DA rejects the appointment of Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, as the political head of the State Security Agency (SSA) as "nothing more than a political chess move".

The presidency announced on Monday that President Cyril Ramaphosa had designated Gungubele to assume political responsibility for the SSA.

"While we believe that urgent intervention was needed in terms of the lack of intelligence before the catastrophic unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng last year - and indeed long before then - the DA does not believe that centralising the SSA under the president is the right move," DA spokesperson on intelligence, Dianne Kohler Barnard said in a statement.

Kohler Barnard said:

We believe this is nothing more than a political chess move in the ANC's factional war. President Cyril Ramaphosa's tenure as leader is, in fact, paralysed by this battle between ANC factions, to the detriment of every soul living in South Africa.

"Appointing his close ally as the political head off the SSA will only fan the flames of distrust."

She said the move made oversight over the SSA extremely difficult.

"If the past 27 years taught us anything at all, it is that the ANC - no matter who is at the helm - cannot be allowed to govern without meticulous oversight."

READ |Gungubele tasked with political responsibility for State Security Agency

She said while the DA admitted that Gungubele, by all accounts, had an excellent reputation, it seemed that he had virtually no intelligence background.

"He has previously been Deputy Minister of Finance and worked in various provincial capacities. While stellar character is sorely missed in the president's Cabinet, expertise and experience must reign supreme when appointing the person meant to right the floundering SSA, and Crime and Defence Intelligence units. The alternative leaves an inexperienced minister guided by already deeply compromised SSA staff."

She said Ramaphosa should promote his current intelligence advisor Sydney Mufamadi, who penned the High-Level Review Panel Report on the SSA and chaired that investigation, to minister.

"If it means losing embarrassments like Lindiwe Sisulu, Lindiwe Zulu, Bheki Cele, or indeed 90% of the ANC Ministers, the country would be better off for it," Kohler Barnard said.

Mondli Gungubele. (Photo from GCIS)

Supplied

"South Africa simply cannot afford a veil of secrecy over the SSA. Sadly, that is all the president has achieved here. The fact that he has chosen to go against the High-Level Review Panel report's advice, speaks volumes. Especially in the light of the approaching ANC elective conference. The country is suffocating under the ANC government and finding new ways to hide the bodies in order to protect cadres and cronies cannot and should not be tolerated."

ALSO READ |Ramaphosa does away with intelligence ministry, SSA to report directly to him

When Ramaphosa shuffled his Cabinet on 5 August, he scrapped the State Security Ministry, moved then state security minister Ayanda Dlodlo to the Public Service and Administration portfolio, and said the state security would fall under the presidency.

"This is to ensure that the country's domestic and foreign intelligence services more effectively enable the president to exercise his responsibility to safeguard the security and integrity of the nation," said Ramaphosa during his Cabinet announcement.

Ramaphosa also appointed Gungubele as Minister in the Presidency, after this post became vacant with the death of Jackson Mthembu.

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Gungubele appointment as spy boss a 'political chess move in ANC's factional war' - DA - News24

World Chess is proud tounveil thefirst ever official chess sunglasses intime fortheFIDE World Chess Championship Match that opens inDubai today. Theofficial citation says: Theglasses with their defined shape andsmartly placed chess pattern, are another step inmaking chess (andchess players) cool andinline with World Chess mission todevelop chess products worthy ofthesports rising profile. One also really needs sunglasses inDubai!

Unlike tennis, golf, soccer andother sports, chess has often been historically docile about being conspicuously missing from thestyle pages, explains Ilya Merenzon, World Chess CEO. Butthis is nottheoffensive part. Theoffensive part is that now themost famous chess fashion icon is Beth Harmon, thefictitious chess player brilliantly portrayed byAnya Taylor-Joy intheNetflix hit TheQueens Gambit, while thesport certainly has real-life stars who can qualify aswell.

With theWorld Chess glasses, chess players andfans can wear arepresentation ofthegame while adding ahip accessory totheir looks. Checkmate!, adds Merenzon.

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Theunisex chess sunglasses feature achess pattern on theinside oftheframe its visible without being too obvious. Thebox includes abespoke cloth with theofficial chess board print andacustom box designed byWorld Chess. Thefirst edition is available inlimited quantities attheWorld Chess official shop andforpartners oftheWorld Chess Championship match inDubai. World Chess is also amanufacturer oftheofficial World Chess set exclusively used intheWorld Chess Championship cycle events.

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Chess Gets Its Own Sunglasses In Time for the Championship Match in Dubai - World Chess