Announcement
Total 100 articles, created at 2016-07-24 00:02 1 Kaine Is Able: Why Hillary Will Choose Tim The first lesson of picking a Vice President is to do no harm. Indeed, the pick is the first test of competence for... (5.42/6) 2016-07-23 21:40 4KB spectator.org 2 Gunman on the loose in Munich; 6 dead in mall
(3.07/6) Several people were killed yesterday in a shooting rampage by a lone gunman in a Munich shopping centre, police said. 2016-07-23 23:01 2KB www.mid-day.com 3 Clinton: 'Kaine is a progressive.' Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton made (3.05/6) her first campaign appearance with running mate Sen. Tim Kaine in Miami on July 23. Clinton called Kaine a "progressive who gets things done. " 2016-07-23 21:37 902Bytes www.washingtonpost.com 4 Munich killer was bullied teenage loner who had obsession with mass murder (2.06/6) Teenager named as Ali Sonboly carried out deadly spree on anniversary of Anders Breivik’s massacre in Norway after luring victims with fake Facebook page 2016-07-23 18:50 5KB www.theguardian.com 5 10 things we didn't know last week Mosquitoes are repelled by chickens, plus more news nuggets. (1.04/6) 2016-07-23 21:43 1KB www.bbc.co.uk
6 English Conversation Questions / Debates 14,020 discussion and conversation questions for speaking practice. 701 FREE ESL lesson plans, handouts, worksheets and (1.04/6) downloads. Controversial and mainstream topics. 2016-07-23 21:22 826Bytes www.esldiscussions.com 7 West Indies crawl to 90/3 against India in first Test
(1.02/6) India picked two wickets as the West Indies crawled to 90 for three after the end of the morning session during the third day of the opening Test cricket match at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium on Saturday 2016-07-23 22:37 3KB www.mid-day.com 8 Yahoo Announces Board Changes and Agreement With Starboard
(1.02/6) --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ( : YHOO) today announced that it has reached an agreement with and its... 2016-07-23 22:32 5KB investor.yahoo.net
9 Hacked emails show Democratic party disunity A cache of emails from Democratic party officials leaked before (1.02/6) next week's Philadelphia convention detail the bitter split between the Democratic National Committee and Bernie Sanders. 2016-07-23 20:00 4KB www.news24.com 10 Sona traffic advisory for QC The Quezon City Police District has issued the following traffic advisory in view of the road closures and security measures for (1.00/6) President Duterte’s first State of the Nation Address (Sona) at 2016-07-24 00:01 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 11 Yahoo Appoints IMS as Sales Partner in Spanish-Speaking Latin America
(1.00/6) --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ:YHOO) has appointed (IMS), a joint venture with and a leading... 2016-07-23 22:31 2KB investor.yahoo.net 12 Wildfires burn out of control in mountains north of Los Angeles (1.00/6) Wildfires burned out of control on Saturday in mountains north of Los Angeles and near Big Sur on California's scenic Central Coast, threatening some 1,300 homes, authorities said. 2016-07-23 18:41 2KB www.independent.ie 13 Cabinet audit: what does the appointment of Philip Hammond as Chancellor mean for policy? Cabinet audit: what does the (0.05/6) appointment of Liam Fox as International Trade Secretary mean for policy? The political and policy-based implications of the new Chancellor of the Exchequer. 2016-07-23 21:34 4KB www.newstatesman.com 14 Yahoo Reports Second Quarter 2016 Results
(0.02/6) "With the lowest cost structure and headcount in a decade, we continue to make solid progress against our 2016 plan. Through disciplined... 2016-07-23 22:31 27KB investor.yahoo.net 15 Dignitaries arrive in Mthatha for opening of revamped Madiba Museum Mthatha has come to a standstill as government leaders continue to arrive for the official launch of the revamped Nelson Mandela Museum. 2016-07-24 00:01 991Bytes www.timeslive.co.za
16 Mamelodi Sundowns owe Champions League fairytale run to success in the PSL Mamelodi Sundowns' fairytale run in the African Champions League owes its inspiration to the club’s Absa Premiership triumph last season‚ according to coach Pitso Mosimane. 2016-07-24 00:01 2KB www.timeslive.co.za 17 Dismiss DA’s dated advert complaint‚ City of Joburg urges IEC The advertisements saying “the City of Johannesburg is in good hands” were aimed at investors not voters‚ and the campaign was launched “long before the date of the local government elections was announced”. 2016-07-24 00:01 3KB www.timeslive.co.za 18 DA: ‘ANC candidates list represents corruption‚ declining service delivery and unemployment’ The Democratic Alliance says the mayoral candidates list announced by the ANC on Saturday night represents corruption‚ declining service delivery and unemployment. 2016-07-24 00:01 2KB www.timeslive.co.za 19 Lions have to wear favourites tag against Crusaders The Lions will have to wear the favourites tag when they take on the Crusaders in this weekend’s third Super Rugby quarterfinal at Ellis Park‚ even if history doesn’t stack up in their favour. 2016-07-24 00:01 2KB www.timeslive.co.za 20 Lack of Parliament antics sees EFF’s media profile dip: survey The African National Congress (ANC) saw an uptick in its media profile‚ but for the wrong reason. 2016-07-24 00:01 2KB www.timeslive.co.za 21 Watch: Meet the man who Zuma’s guards can’t turn away This is President Jacob Zuma’s friend – Collen Chauke. He is probably the only man Zuma openly calls friend in front of the public. 2016-07-24 00:01 8KB www.timeslive.co.za 22 ‘ANC campaign now all-out racial mobilisation’: DA The Democratic Alliance (DA) invoked Nelson Mandela’s name on Wednesday‚ saying President Jacob “Zuma will not distract us from realising Madiba’s vision for a united South Africa”. 2016-07-24 00:01 2KB www.timeslive.co.za 23 Fear and loathing back at Old Trafford It's back! The one thing Manchester United fans worldwide have craved since Alex Ferguson departed three years ago was, believe it or not, to remain the most detested of the whole lot - even when the man who inculcated such a mentality had retired. 2016-07-24 00:01 1011Bytes www.timeslive.co.za 24 Municipalities think protesters are ‘criminals’‚ but ISS says name-calling isn’t wise Who is the average protester? According to our local governments‚ they are between the ages of 18 and 35‚ unemployed and sometimes criminals. 2016-07-24 00:01 2KB www.timeslive.co.za 25 The singular mind of Sunette Viljoen Sunette Viljoen is throwing the javelin shorter distances than she did in the build-up to the London 2012 Olympics, and she has since then fought and had rocky relations with her family and sports officialdom. 2016-07-24 00:01 2KB www.timeslive.co.za 26 Ben Whishaw on why his gay character resonates with him LOS ANGELES—Many actors like to proclaim that they are shy away from the stage or cameras. In the case of British actor Ben Whishaw, he appears to be genuinely bashful and 2016-07-24 00:01 7KB entertainment.inquirer.net 27 SAF’s heavy hand grips Bilibid Three days after a combat-trained police force was put in charge of New Bilibid Prison (NBP), reports of maltreatment have reached the Catholic priest who ministers to the inmates. Msgr. 2016-07-24 00:01 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 28 Pasay hitmen leave cardboard signs; Manila cops find ‘drug-using robbers’ Fresh blood was spilled on the streets with the killing of six men— two of them shot by the Manila police and four by unidentified gunmen in Pasay City. The four victims of apparent vigilante 2016-07-24 00:01 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 29 Manila OKs another reclamation project The city government of Manila has entered into a joint venture agreement with a construction conglomerate for the P7.4-billion expansion of Manila North Harbour Centre (MNHC) in Tondo through 2016-07-24 00:01 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 30 Court lets probe of PLDT, Globe deal proceed—PCC The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) claimed a victory on Saturday in its fight to look into possible unfair business practices in the recent acquisition by telecommunication giants PLDT and 2016-07-24 00:01 3KB business.inquirer.net 31 FVR answers call, is going to China DAVAO CITY—Former President Fidel V. Ramos said on Saturday he had accepted President Duterte’s offer to be the Philippines’ special envoy to China. Speaking to reporters after meeting 2016-07-24 00:01 2KB globalnation.inquirer.net 32 Cambodia foiling Asean consensus on sea row, says envoy VIENTIANE—Staunch China ally Cambodia is preventing Southeast Asia from reaching a consensus on the South China Sea after an international tribunal rejected Beijing’s territorial claims to the 2016-07-24 00:01 3KB globalnation.inquirer.net 33 Carpio: Reed Bank ours to explore, but cautiously The Philippines can now freely, but cautiously, explore for oil and natural gas resources in Reed Bank after a UN-backed arbitral tribunal declared the area as part of the country’s exclusive 2016-07-24 00:01 3KB globalnation.inquirer.net 34 Change is here: No protests EXPECT Commonwealth Avenue to look less like a battlefield tomorrow. With the Left not planning to storm the House of Representatives, authorities are not setting up barricades of freight 2016-07-24 00:01 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 35 Learn from New York experience, Bato told Former Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chair Loretta Rosales has appealed on Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to respect human rights in police operations as 2016-07-24 00:01 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 36 In the end, LP opts to join majority bloc FORMER Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and the Liberal Party (LP) have scuttled their plan to lead the opposition in the 17th Congress and instead will join the allies of President Duterte in the majority 2016-07-24 00:01 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net
37 UP coach Yee spearheads Crosscourt Volley Tournament There’s a new volleyball tournament in town and it’s reserved for the young ones. Jerry Yee, the head coach of the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons, will spearhead the Crosscourt 2016-07-24 00:01 2KB sports.inquirer.net 38 Simmon blames self after Phoenix’s third straight loss Marcus Simmons isn't blaming anything or anyone but himself after Phoenix suffered its third straight loss Saturday night. Simmons had a nightmarish outing, scoring measly seven points on 2016-07-24 00:01 2KB sports.inquirer.net 39 Group says Chinese steel bars in Subic not tested properly SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—A steel industry group said the public should be warned about a shipment of deformed steel bars from China which passed through this free port recently. In a statement, the 2016-07-24 00:01 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 40 ‘Strange and withdrawn’: what drove Ali Sonboly to launch Munich massacre? Ali Sonboly’s transformation into a killer has stunned those who had watched the uneasy teenager grow up 2016-07-24 00:01 9KB www.theguardian.com 41 Afghanistan: 61 dead as IS claims twin blasts in Kabul Islamic State jihadists claimed responsibility for twin explosions that ripped through crowds of Shiite Hazaras in Kabul, killing at least 61 people and wounding 207 others in apparently their deadliest attack in the Afghan capital 2016-07-23 22:53 1KB www.mid-day.com 42 TUNE IN TODAY: Yahoo Hosts First-Ever Live Stream of Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting Live coverage begins at 10 a.m... 2016-07-23 22:32 2KB investor.yahoo.net 43 WATCH: Farmers market serve up crab apples with a sliver of gossip Key Peninsula Food Coop's Wednesday market puts fresh produce and neighborhood banter front and center. 2016-07-23 22:32 2KB www.thenewstribune.com 44 Erdogan's 'secret keeper' under fire over Turkey coup lapse Hakan Fidan (pictured) was named to head Turkey's National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) by President Erdogan in May 2010 People take over a tank near the Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge during clashes with military forces in Istanbul on July 16, 2016 A man holds up... 2016-07-23 22:19 4KB www.digitaljournal.com 45 Duke University Student Recalls Witnessing Munich Mall Attack Video In Germany for an internship, she says she feels lucky to be alive. 2016-07-23 21:58 1KB abcnews.go.com 46 Wikileaks: Politico’s Ken Vogel Seeks DNC Approval For Post Wikileaks, trying to help Bernie Sanders, leaked emails between the DNC and everyone. In this leak, a billionaire donor’s social security... 2016-07-23 21:41 1KB spectator.org 47 The American Spectator Phoenix wants you to be smarter about walking your dog in extreme heat. Kind of... 2016-07-23 21:41 4KB spectator.org 48 Swimmer dies after group caught in riptide in Norfolk One man dies and another is said to be in a serious condition after a group of swimmers got caught up in a riptide in Norfolk. 2016-07-23 21:43 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 49 RAF Marham abduction suspects 'part of larger team' Two men who attempted to abduct a serviceman near an RAF base were likely to have been "part of a larger team", police say. 2016-07-23 21:43 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 50 Reality Check: Has Corbyn changed his mind on Article 50? Has Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn performed a U-turn on whether Article 50 should be triggered straightaway? 2016-07-23 21:43 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 51 What will stop Tumblr's tumble? Three years have passed since Yahoo bought micro-blogging site Tumblr, but it is not the goldmine it once hoped. 2016-07-23 21:43 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 52 What will Brexit mean for Polish 'ghost towns'? What will Brexit mean for small towns in Poland that have seen their populations shrink as people left to live and work elsewhere in the EU? 2016-07-23 21:43 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 53 In pictures: EyeEm Awards A selection of some of the shortlisted images in this year's EyeEm Awards. 2016-07-23 21:43 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 54 Terence Donovan: Speed of Light Photographer Terence Donovan helped shape the look of a generation and redefined British photography in the Swinging Sixties. 2016-07-23 21:43 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 55 Keith Richards on life before the Stones started rolling Keith Richards fronts a new documentary on how Britain changed from the end of World War Two to the start of the 1960s. 2016-07-23 21:43 6KB www.bbc.co.uk 56 Online Payments Get bank-beating exchange rates when you send money overseas, typically 3-4% better than the banks. Fast & secure international money transfer from CNN. 2016-07-23 21:43 760Bytes www.cnnmoneytransfers.com 57 Profile: The Owen Smith story A political profile of the man Labour MPs have selected to take on Jeremy Corbyn in a Labour leadership contest. 2016-07-23 21:43 18KB www.bbc.co.uk 58 Turkey coup: What is Gulen movement and what does it want? Turkey's President Erdogan has accused the Gulen movement of being behind the failed coup - but what is the movement and what does it want? 2016-07-23 21:43 6KB www.bbc.co.uk 59 Labour leadership: Corbyn says his 'social movement' will win elections Leader Jeremy Corbyn tells activists that Labour's huge membership is a "social movement" that will help it to return to government in 2020. 2016-07-23 21:43 3KB www.bbc.co.uk
60 Five ways the Great Fire changed London As the Museum of London prepares to mark the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London, BBC News looks at its lasting impact on the capital. 2016-07-23 21:43 7KB www.bbc.co.uk 61 Trump Family Is More Googled Than Kardashian Family The Trump family surpassed the Kardashians to become the most searched family in America, Google trends revealed this week. [caption id="attachment_5145804" align="alignnone" width="640"] (Photo: C 2016-07-23 21:37 2KB dailycaller.com 62 NASA Still Paying Russia For Space Access The last Space Shuttle launched 5 years ago Thursday, but NASA still cannot put men into space without Russian cooperation due to President Obama's cuts to the agency's exploration and spaceflight ca 2016-07-23 21:37 4KB dailycaller.com 63 THREESOME SEX Teacher Responds To Suit With SICK Claims In response to a lawsuit by the parents of a male high school student over their son's alleged 9-hour threesome with a pair of English teachers, one of the teachers has fired back with shocking allega 2016-07-23 21:37 6KB dailycaller.com 64 Detroit King football coach Dale Harvel died doing 'what he was put here to do' DETROIT -- Finding a true passion in life and being able to hold onto it until the very end is something to truly celebrate. Detroit Martin Luther King football coach Dale Harvel had a passion: co... 2016-07-23 21:40 4KB highschoolsports.mlive.com 65 Will Cuba Ever Pay for the Property It Stole? Communist Cuba owes U. S... 2016-07-23 21:40 6KB spectator.org 66 Would David Duke’s Senate Candidacy Be Possible Without The Rise of Trump? So former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke has announced a bid for the U. S... 2016-07-23 21:40 2KB spectator.org 67 Rolling Stone Author Was Too Lazy To Fix Bogus Rape Article New court documents filed in the defamation lawsuit against Rolling Stone reveal that disgraced reporter Sabrina Erdely knew her story about a gang rape at the University of Virginia (UVA) was deeply 2016-07-23 21:38 3KB dailycaller.com
68 Clinton Advisor Admits She Doesn't Know Much About Foreign Policy In Leaked Email In one of the 20,000 Democratic National Committee emails released by Wikileaks on Friday, President and CEO of the Center for American Progress, Neera Tanden, confessed that her knowledge of foreign 2016-07-23 21:38 2KB dailycaller.com 69 Report: Trump Will Fund Revenge PACs To Destroy Cruz, Kasich Donald Trump wants revenge on Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. John Kasich. And he's apparently willing to spend $20 million to get it. Both Cruz and Kasich have failed to endorse Trump for president, despit 2016-07-23 21:38 3KB dailycaller.com 70 Graveyard or playground? Pakistan row over Bin Laden compound A dispute has broken out over the future of the site where Osama Bin Laden was shot dead in 2011, with authorities pushing rival... 2016-07-23 21:37 2KB www.digitaljournal.com 71 Word of the week: Michellania Owen Smith is naïve if he thinks misogynist abuse in Labour started with Jeremy Corbyn Each week The Staggers will pick a new word to describe our uncharted political and socioeconomic territory. 2016-07-23 21:34 5KB www.newstatesman.com 72 Lenovo Yoga 900s 2-in-1 Laptop Review The Lenovo Yoga 900s is a handsomely-crafted ultrabook that performs well, but ultimately isn't as flexible as other 2-in-1s. 2016-07-23 21:36 1KB rssfeeds.usatoday.com 73 Rock Hill boy talks about why he wants to help children in need Jordan Hinnant, an 11-year-old rising sixth-grader in Rock Hill, talks about his idea to help children in need with clothing, book bags and other supplies. 2016-07-23 21:34 3KB www.heraldonline.com 74 Chinese woman's book choice brings celebrity status Bizarre set of posed photographs with Russian-language instruction manual goes viral. 2016-07-23 21:32 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 75 Koffi Olomide case: Kenya deports singer over airport 'kick' The Kenyan authorities deport one of Africa's biggest musicians, Koffi Olomide, after he is filmed apparently kicking a woman at Nairobi's main airport. 2016-07-23 21:32 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 76 Money magazine names No. 1 college in U. S. While most college rankings rely on flimsy data, Money magazine recently conducted an in-depth analysis to find the best quality, financing and value of more than 700 of the nation's best- performing colleges. Jill Schlesinger reports. 2016-07-23 21:33 927Bytes www.cbsnews.com 77 State doubles down, wants to define what’s religious KMorgan 1340 posts 2016-07-23 21:30 5KB www.thetribunepapers.com 78 MoneyWatch: Gas prices fall; Verizon takes action on data hogs Gas prices have dipped to their lowest level for the month of July in years. Also, Verizon is pulling the plug on some data hogs. Brook Silva-Braga reports on the day's top MoneyWatch headlines. 2016-07-23 21:32 892Bytes www.cbsnews.com 79 Senate president clears Manny Pacquiao to fight again Philippine senate president Franklin Dillon has confirmed that neophyte senator Manny Pacquiao sought his permission to fight again, following Bob Arum's disclosure that... 2016-07-23 21:30 755Bytes www.digitaljournal.com 80 Veterans setup for convention in Charlotte The Charlotte Convention Center is home to the 117th Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention. The convention hosts many different events for all branches of military and gives veterans an opportunity to connect with their community and find resources. 2016-07-23 21:29 2KB www.charlotteobserver.com 81 Breaking News English Lesson English News Lessons: Free 26-Page lesson plan / 2-page mini- lesson - Boris Johnson - Handouts, online activities, speed reading, dictation, mp3... current events. 2016-07-23 21:29 1KB www.breakingnewsenglish.com 82 Man at large, infant safe after SWAT standoff The Gwinnett County man accused of triggering a Friday night SWAT standoff by barricading himself inside his residence with an infant remained at large Saturday, police said. 2016-07-23 21:29 992Bytes www.ajc.com
83 DeKalb girl, 5, abducted, sexually assaulted A 5-year-old girl was abducted and sexually assaulted on Friday in DeKalb County, police said. 2016-07-23 21:29 945Bytes www.ajc.com 84 Bloomberg View Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news... 2016-07-23 21:25 1KB www.bloomberg.com 85 The King David Hotel bombing: Letting the people judge the truth Marking 70 years since the King David Hotel bombing that struck the heart of the British Mandatory government. 2016-07-23 21:16 13KB www.jpost.com 86 Devolve schemes for unemployed, says London mayor Sadiq Khan Thinktank report claims cities can run work programmes more effectively 2016-07-23 20:19 4KB www.theguardian.com 87 Labour’s real battle is on the pitch, not on the party’s terraces Jeremy Corbyn’s fanatical supporters are too wishful. The party has to reach out to all voters – not just the most vulnerable and those on the left – in order to win 2016-07-23 20:00 7KB www.theguardian.com 88 Conservationists hope to bring beloved bird back The Restore the Call program at the Biodiversity Research Institute in Portland plans to move 10 chicks to an area south of Boston this summer. 2016-07-23 19:50 3KB www.news24.com 89 Transportation Ministry, Jerusalem Municipality defend German Colony light-rail extension ‘As residents, we all love Emek Refaim, and we will carefully preserve the character of neighborhood,’ says official. 2016-07-23 19:50 5KB www.jpost.com
90 Corbyn aide accused of ‘illegal entry’ to MP’s Westminster office Former shadow cabinet minister Seema Malhotra makes formal complaint to Commons Speaker and Labour leader over alleged security breach 2016-07-23 19:45 6KB www.theguardian.com 91 Caretaker manager Mike Phelan wants to succeed Steve Bruce at Hull Hull caretaker boss Mike Phelan wants to replace Steve Bruce at the Tigers. 2016-07-23 19:21 2KB www.independent.ie 92 In wake of Munich terror, Germans look to Merkel for reassurance After shopping centre shootings and earlier train attack in Würzburg, Germans expect their leader to restore order and control 2016-07-23 19:09 4KB www.theguardian.com 93 South Sudan armed opposition removes VP - claim South Sudan's armed opposition has claimed it has replaced its leader, who remains in hiding. 2016-07-23 19:07 2KB www.news24.com 94 UCT bans guest lecturer UCT has stopped a controversial Danish editor from delivering an academic freedom lecture. 2016-07-23 19:01 5KB www.news24.com
95 Think you’re hot? Spare a thought for Kuwait, as mercury hits record 54C Weather station in unmapped northern part of nation records what might be the world’s highest ever temperature 2016-07-23 18:49 4KB www.theguardian.com 96 Jessica Ennis-Hill plays down Olympic heptathlon favourite tag Jessica Ennis-Hill on Saturday attempted to play down the favourite tag bestowed upon her by rivals for Olympic heptathlon gold including fellow Briton Katar... 2016-07-23 18:49 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk 97 Ched Evans scores on return to game with Chesterfield Ched Evans made his return to football after scoring in Chesterfield's 3-0 friendly win at Ilkeston on Saturday. The 27 - year-old striker joined the Spireite... 2016-07-23 18:49 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 98 Cristiano Ronaldo ruled out of UEFA Super Cup by knee injury Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the UEFA Super Cup, the Real Madrid forward has announced. Ronaldo, who led Portugal to the Euro 2016 title but suffered a knee i... 2016-07-23 18:48 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk 99 Provo garage fire causes up to $100K in damage PROVO, Utah — Authorities are investigating a garage fire in Provo that caused up to $100,000 in damage Friday night. At about 8:30 p.m., Provo firefighters were called out to a working house… 2016-07-23 18:42 1KB fox13now.com 100 Momentum vows to check merchandise sourcing after labour practices claim A grass roots group which supports Jeremy Corbyn is to "rigorously" check the sourcing of merchandise after saying it may have been misled by a supplier. Mom... 2016-07-23 18:40 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk Articles
Total 100 articles, created at 2016-07-24 00:02
1 Kaine Is Able: Why Hillary Will Choose Tim (5.42/6) The first lesson of picking a Vice President is to do no harm. Indeed, the pick is the first test of competence for a prospective president. It is said that a vice-presidential pick has little effect on a national election. That is mostly true, but somewhat misleading and shortsighted when one views the current electoral map. Vice Presidents rarely win a President many votes, but they sure can help in their home state. While Mr. Trump and his merry band of insurgents play checkers, dreaming of winning unwinnable states such as Pennsylvania, the Clinton campaign is playing chess. They know the map favors her, and they know that to increase the odds of winning they need to increase the odds of holding the map. That’s why Tim Kaine will be the Vice Presidential pick for Mrs. Clinton. Whatever moral, legal, or political failings birddog Mrs. Clinton, her campaign is competent, and Democratic electoral math is easier and more predictable. It’s simple, really. For Trump to win, he needs to take back Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, and Virginia. Failing to win back all four, he would need to flip back multiple other states. For Clinton, she wants to make that job harder than it already is for team Trump. Virginia is the right place to bet on the hold. It continues to grow its population in heavily democratic northern Virginia, an area some downstate not-so lovingly refer to as “occupied Northern Virginia.” Senator and former Governor Tim Kaine is mighty popular in the Commonwealth. Hillary’s massive strength in ultra-liberal Arlington, Alexandria, and large swaths of Fairfax give her a strong electoral advantage. Kaine provides the swing she will need in Loudoun and Prince William, both of which showed little love for Mr. Trump in the primary. Loudoun is purple, and Prince William leans red. Kaine can keep both of them blue. If that happens, Trump cannot find enough votes in all of Virginia to flip the old dominion. That means Mr. Trump needs to find either a Pennsylvania or two others states on top of winning back North Carolina, Florida, and Ohio. The Virginia hold, therefore, becomes a nearly insurmountable electoral leap for Trump. Mr. Kaine reeks of competence, and his résumé exudes moderation, even if he is a decidedly liberal Senator. I wouldn’t vote for him, but many people I know would support that ticket because he alleviates their Clinton fatigue syndrome. People like him and trust him, and that is not how one might describe Mrs. Clinton. No other candidate discussed by team Clinton provides her the same proven, nearly certain, electoral hold. The Democratic Party does nothing without dividing and counting by race. As such, Corey Booker and Julian Castro received, as they should have, VP consideration. In the end, however, team Clinton simply cannot bet that any marginal advantage in black and Latino votes nationwide that might happen through selecting either of these choices would be enough to help her win or hold any one state. Bill Clinton and President Obama will be working on the black vote, as Democrats fear a lower overall turnout. Mr. Trump, he is working on the Latino vote for democrats, which is growing in size each year, and shrinking in GOP support each election. Democrats know this. They have cynically done the math, projecting upticks in Latino votes to fill in projections of lower African-American turnout. On top of this, Kaine speaks fluent Spanish. At this point, picking anyone but Kaine makes no sense for the Democrats. Kaine is able to win Virginia for Mrs. Clinton, and in so doing, he makes it nearly certain she will trump the divided GOP party and prevent it from winning back enough swing states to win the White House.
Why Sen. Tim Kaine is Hillary Clinton’s VP pick charlotteobserver.com Hillary Clinton introduces running mate Tim Kaine bbc.co.uk
Tim Kaine: Here are 9 things you may not know about him ajc.com
Tim Kaine: Hillary Clinton unveils running mate bbc.co.uk Tim Kaine: 7 things to know about Hillary Clinton's VP pick rss.cnn.com
Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine debut as democratic ticket in Florida independent.ie 2016-07-23 21:40 Richard Kelsey spectator.org
2 Gunman on the loose in Munich; 6 dead in mall (3.07/6) Barlin: Several people were killed yesterday in a shooting rampage by a lone gunman in a Munich shopping centre, police said. The Bild newspaper reported that the gunman ran through the mall near the Olympic stadium in the city, firing on several people before fleeing in the direction of a nearby metro station. Police secures the area of a subway station Karlsplatz (Stachus) near the shopping mall. PIC/AFP The OEZ shopping centre was surrounded by police who were hunting for the attacker. “There is a major police operation under way in the shopping centre,” Munich police said on Twitter, urging people to avoid the area. The shooting happened at 6 pm local time. Emergency vehicles were seen in the streets outside, as passers-by looked on. “Attention – avoid the neighbourhood around the OEZ. Stay in your homes. Leave the street,” the Munich police tweet said. Three gunmen involved At least six people are believed to have been killed in the rampage, a police source said. Three armed assailants were involved in the shooting, said a police spokesman citing witnesses. He was unable to officially confirm the death toll. The shooting comes just days after a teenage asylum seeker went on the rampage with an axe and a knife on a regional train in Germany on Monday, injuring five people, two of them critically. Munich authorities have shut down the entire public transport system as armed policemen continue to screen metro stations around the shopping mall, where the shooting occurred. While cops secured all points in their city, Munich residents were using the hashtag #OffeneTur (open door) to offer their homes as safe places to those stranded because of the shootings. They were tweeting out their addresses with the hashtag to help those in need of a safe home. tweet talk @AMDWaters: Well done Chancellor Merkel. You’ve made your country a war zone, this is just the beginning. Europe is under attack & leaderless #Munich @TandonRaveena: I wonder if history will be kind to Angela Merkel.... @bhogleharsha: Now Munich! Who knows what next? Who next?. Locals #opendoor While cops secured all points in their city, Munich residents were using the hashtag #OffeneTur (open door) to offer their homes as safe places to those stranded because of the shootings. They were tweeting out their addresses with the hashtag to help those in need of a safe home. Germany shooting rampage: Munich gunman was 'obsessed with mass shootings' mid-day.com
We're in Munich, where a shooting... - CNN International facebook.com
Munich suspect was obsessed with mass shootings: Police washingtontimes.com 2016-07-23 23:01 By Agencies www.mid-day.com
3 Clinton: 'Kaine is a progressive.' (3.05/6) - Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton made her first campaign appearance with running mate Sen. Tim Kaine in Miami on July 23. Clinton called Kaine a "progressive who gets things done. " () Kaine goes after Trump in first speech as Clinton's running mate washingtonpost.com
Clinton and Kaine debut as Democratic ticket in Florida nypost.com
'Everything Trump and Pence are not': Clinton introduces VP pick Tim Kaine theguardian.com Clinton: Kaine has put his faith into action washingtonpost.com 2016-07-23 21:37 The Washington www.washingtonpost.com
4 Munich killer was bullied teenage loner who had obsession with mass murder (2.06/6) The German 18-year-old who killed nine people at a Munich shopping centre on Friday night was obsessed with mass killings, owned a book on US school shootings and played computer shooting games. Most of his victims were fellow teenagers, five of them under 16. The loss of so many young people added to the depth of mourning in Germany , where people are struggling to understand how a shy student managed to acquire a gun and bullets and then turn them on his peers in cold blood. The attacker, named as Ali Sonboly, was the son of Iranian refugees who came to Germany in the 1990s. Neighbours said he was shy and withdrawn and showed no signs of the violence that had apparently preoccupied him long before Friday night. A police search of the gunman’s family home, part of a social housing block in the prosperous Maxvorstadt district, found newspaper clippings and books related to mass murders, among them one called Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters. “[He] was obsessed with shooting rampages,” Munich’s police chief, Hubertus Andrae, said. Sonboly also seems to have been interested in the far-right terrorist Anders Breivik , who murdered 77 mostly young people in a killing spree across Oslo and an island camp. The Munich attack came on the fifth anniversary of the Norwegian slaughter. A classmate told Germany’s Bild newspaper that Sonboly used Breivik’s face as his profile picture on the WhatsApp messaging service. Sonboly apparently tried to lure his victims to the sight of the massacre with a bizarre message on a hacked Facebook page, promising free meals to anyone at the restaurant at 4pm. It was a venue the gunman knew, police believe, and he may have recognised victims, although he did not begin shooting until two hours after the Facebook invitation. One of the questions facing authorities is whether Sonboly, who was bullied and isolated at school, intentionally set out to kill other young people. The dead included seven teenagers, a 20-year-old and a 45-year-old woman. Germany has a grim track record of attacks on young people, with two teenagers returning to their schools to launch massacres in the last 15 years, one in 2002 and a second in 2009. The DPA news agency said it found evidence that Sonboly had idolised Tim Kretschmer, who in 2009 killed 15 people in the town of Winnenden, in a neighbouring state. The 17-year-old had returned to his former school and opened fire, shot several other people while fleeing police and killed himself. In 2002 in the city of Erfurt a 19-year-old had also entered his former school and killed 11 teachers, two other school employees, two students and a policeman. At the time security forces were criticised for their slow response. Police spokesman Peter Beck said officials don’t yet know what triggered the attack in Munich but that there was no clear political motivation. Searches had revealed no links to terror groups and he suggested the attack was unlikely to have been driven by Islamist extremism. Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed that authorities would determine why the 18-year-old had carried out the killings. The chancellor said Germany was in deep and profound mourning for those who would never return to their families: “We share in your grief – we think of you and are suffering with you,” she said. The dead included three children from Turkey, three ethnic Albanians from Kosovo and at least one Greek teenager. Tributes to the dead poured in from across Europe , with flags flying at half-mast across Germany. Security forces are trying to trace the Glock semi-automatic pistol used by Sonboly, who probably bought it through the black market as he did not have a licence, and initial reports say the gun had its serial number erased and may once have been deactivated. The teenager was not on the radar of security forces as he did not have a criminal record and had never attracted the attention of intelligence agencies, said interior minister Thomas de Maizière. Germans took some comfort amid the horror from video footage of a man confronting Sonboly as he paced a carpark roof near the site of the massacre. Thomas Salbey told Bild that he was having a beer when he heard shots. “I looked down from my balcony and saw how the man went through the glass entrance-way. He had reloaded his pistol. I threw my beer bottle at him. It shattered on the glass roof. But I think he didn’t hear it anyway,” Salbey said. When Sonboly appeared on the carpark roof, Salbey shouted at him: “Arsehole.” He also said: “Are you crazy!” The gunman answered: “I’m German,” to which the reply came: “You’re a wanker is what you are.” The man then fired at Salbey, whose balcony is flecked by bullet holes. He took cover, but called out to police arriving below that the gunman was on the roof. “I was not scared. I didn’t know whether they were real bullets or just rubber bullets,” he said.
Munich suspect was obsessed with mass shootings: Police washingtontimes.com
Germany shooting rampage: Munich gunman was 'obsessed with mass shootings' mid-day.com 2016-07-23 18:50 Emma Graham www.theguardian.com
5 5 10 things we didn't know last week (1.04/6) 1. Mosquitoes carrying malaria are repelled by chickens. Find out more (Gizmodo) 2. The original Bramley apple tree is still alive at the age of 207… but is suffering from a fungal infection. Find out more 3. Protestors at the Republican convention were banned from carrying tennis balls but were allowed to carry guns. Find out more (Huffington Post) 4. In some remote areas of Malawi, parents pay a man to have sex with their daughters at the age of 12 or 13. Find out more 5. In the run-up to the 2015 general election, Nick Clegg spent weeks recreating a Carly Rae Jepson music video. Find out more (The Times) 6. Whales grieve for friends and relatives and hold vigils. Find out more (National Geographic) 7. People are selling their mobile phone videos of shootings to licensing companies - for a profit share. Find out more (Fortune) 8. Bees spit water at each other in hot weather. Find out more (New Scientist) 9. It's possible to serve draught beer on a plane - but the physics are tricky. Find out more (Quartz) 10. You can't be nominated for a guest actor Emmy if you've been in a show for half of the season or more. Find out more (The Guardian) Seen a thing? Tell the Magazine on Twitter using the hashtag #thingididntknowlastweek Follow @BBCNewsMagazine on Twitter and on Facebook
Tim Kaine: Here are 9 things you may not know about him ajc.com 2016-07-23 21:43 News snippets www.bbc.co.uk
6 English Conversation Questions / Debates (1.04/6) Recommend the site on blogs, forums and other sites. Consider buying my 1,000 Ideas and Activities book. Send me 20 questions on a topic not already here. Mail to info [at] breakingnewsenglish . com Free ESL Materials.com: A site containing links to free materials for ESL teachers and students.
Biographies and ESL Lesson Plans famouspeoplelessons.com 2016-07-23 21:22 www.esldiscussions.com
7 West Indies crawl to 90/3 against India in first Test (1.02/6) Antigua: India picked two wickets as the West Indies crawled to 90 for three after the end of the morning session during the third day of the opening Test cricket match at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium on Saturday. West Indies cricketer Devendra Bishoo bats during day three of the cricket test match between West Indies and India July 23, 2016 at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in St John's, Antigua. AFP PHOTO Overnight batsman Kraigg Braithwaite (not out 46) and veteran Marlon Samuels (0) were at the crease till lunch was called, with the hosts still 476 runs behind India's mammoth first innings total of 566 for eight declared. West Indies were 31 for one at the end of Friday's play. Overnight batsman Devendra Bishoo (12) and left-hander Darren Bravo (11) were the wickets India picked. West Indies only managed to add 59 runs in the session. Night watchman left-hander Bishoo was stumped by wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha after being beaten in flight and dragged his feet ahead to a delivery from leg-spinner Amit Mishra. Left-hander Bravo edged a rising back of a length delivery to Saha to hand over a prized wicket to India, just in the penultimate over before lunch. In the morning, Indian medium pacers Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma probed the West Indian duo of Braithwaite and Bishoo with tight line and length. Testing them with occasional bouncers, Shami and Ishant hardly gave the batsmen any room as they tried to just hang in there, without scoring. India captain Virat Kohli put two close-in fielders apart from the slips to send the message to the West Indies that India need wickets. The West Indies batsmen were tentative as the ball moved a lot, aided by the wind and the Indians tested the dogged patience of the hosts. The presence of a non-regular batsman in Bishoo also didn't help the hosts' cause as he struggled a lot -- with a couple of catches just avoiding the close-in fielders. Braithwaite too struggled to negotiate the bounce and the swing and once had a shot just flying above the slip fielders. Indian spinners came on they kept the pressure on the batsmen. Finally, they were rewarded with a wicket when Bishoo was stumped while attempting a cross-bat shot off leg-spinner Mishra. After the wicket at 68/2, Bravo came and he played a couple of good shots and Braithwaite also showed some positivity against off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who was smacked for two fours towards mid-on and point. Later, Bravo ended up edging it behind off a Shami delivery pitched outside the off stump just in the penultimate over before lunch to make it a successful session for the tourists. Brief scores: India: 566/8d, West Indies: 90/3 (Kraigg Braithwaite not out 46; Mohammed Shami 2/23).
Test Series West Indies v India scoreboard dailymail.co.uk 2016-07-23 22:37 By IANS www.mid-day.com
8 Yahoo Announces Board Changes and Agreement With Starboard (1.02/6) --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ( : YHOO) today announced that it has reached an agreement with and its affiliates ("Starboard") under which four new independent directors, , Eddy W. Hartenstein, , and , Starboard's CEO and Chief Investment Officer, will join the board, effective immediately. will also join the Strategic Review Committee. Additionally, Starboard has withdrawn its director nominees for Yahoo's board as part of the agreement. At the Annual Meeting, two incumbent directors will not stand for re-election, so that following the Annual Meeting the board will have 11 members. "We are pleased to welcome these four new highly respected, independent directors to our board," said , chairman of Yahoo's board of directors. "The additional board members will bring valuable experience and perspectives to during this important time for our company. " "This constructive resolution will allow management and the board to keep our focus on our extremely important objectives. Management is looking forward to working with the entire board, including the new directors, to maximize shareholder value," said , CEO of. said, "I am pleased that we were able to reach a constructive agreement with to add new independent directors to the Board. We look forward to getting started right away and working closely with management and our fellow board members with the common goal of maximizing value for all shareholders. " served as Managing Director and Global Head of Technology Mergers and Acquisitions for from 2004 until 2012. During his career, has been directly involved in negotiating or executing numerous mergers and acquisitions in the technology industry. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, served as Managing Director and Co-Head, West Coast Technology, Mergers and Acquisitions for. currently serves as a director of Viavi Solutions and Sigma Designs. is a seasoned media executive with a wealth of executive experience from his time serving as CEO of the , Chairman and CEO of , and Publisher and CEO of the . has served as a director of Tribune Publishing Company since and was Non-Executive Chairman until . served as the publisher and CEO of the from 2008 to 2014. Mr. Hartenstein currently serves as a director of SanDisk, Sirius XM Holdings, Broadcom Ltd., and Rovi Corporation. is a seasoned senior executive and public company board member who has served as Chairman of Tessera Technologies since 2013, and who previously served as Tessera's interim CEO. Prior to Tessera, spent 20 years at Novellus Systems, a semiconductor equipment designer and manufacturer. currently serves as a director of Tessera, Arrow Electronics, Cabot Microelectronics Corporation, and Autodesk. is a Managing Member, CEO, and Chief Investment Officer of Starboard. has extensive experience in best-in-class corporate governance practices and significantly improving value at underperforming companies. currently serves as a director of Advance Auto Parts and, until earlier this month, served as a director and Chairman of Darden Restaurants. Two current independent directors, and , have opted not to stand for reelection at this year's Annual Shareholder Meeting. To ensure a smooth transition, while they'll continue to serve on the board through that meeting, Lee and Sue have relinquished their respective committee responsibilities effective immediately to board members who will be up for reelection to serve another term. "Sue and Lee have been exceptional board members," said. "Sue has been the longest standing member of our board and an outstanding Audit Committee chair and Lee has served honorably as chair of the. The entire board and management team thank them both for their significant contributions over the years. " Given Sue and Lee's personal decisions not to stand for reelection, the committees have been reconstituted to transition work smoothly and to provide clarity on leadership going forward. will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board. will chair the , joined by and . will chair the , joined by and . will chair the Strategic Review Committee, joined by and. Finally, will serve as chair of the , joined by , , and. The complete agreement between and Starboard will be included as an exhibit to the Company's current report on Form 8-K which will be filed with the . About is a guide to digital information discovery, focused on informing, connecting, and entertaining users through its search, communications, and digital content products. By creating highly personalized experiences, helps users discover the information that matters most to them around the world -- on mobile or desktop. creates value for advertisers with a streamlined, simple advertising technology stack that leverages Yahoo's data, content, and technology to connect advertisers with their target audiences. is headquartered in , and has offices located throughout the , (APAC) and the , and (EMEA) regions. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net) or the Company's blog (yahoo.tumblr.com). About is a -based investment adviser with a focused and fundamental approach to investing in publicly traded companies. Starboard invests in deeply undervalued companies and actively engages with management teams and boards of directors to identify and execute on opportunities to unlock value for the benefit of all shareholders. Yahoo to Participate at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media & Telecom Conference investor.yahoo.net
Yahoo Announces Editorial Plans for 2016 Summer Games investor.yahoo.net
Yahoo Expands Content Marketing Offerings with Yahoo Storytellers investor.yahoo.net 2016-07-23 22:32 investor.yahoo.net
9 Hacked emails show Democratic party disunity (1.02/6) Washington - A cache of more than 19 000 emails from Democratic party officials, leaked in advance of Hillary Clinton's nomination at the party's convention next week in Philadelphia, details the acrimonious split between the Democratic National Committee and Clinton's former rival, Senator Bernie Sanders. Several emails posted by Wikileaks on its document disclosure website show DNC officials scoffing at Sanders and his supporters and in one instance, questioning his commitment to his Jewish religion. Some emails also show DNC and White House officials mulling whether to invite guests with controversial backgrounds to Democratic party events. Although Wikileaks' posting of the emails on Friday did not disclose the identity of who provided the private material, those knowledgeable about the breach said last month that Russian hackers had penetrated the DNC computer system. At the time, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz said the breach was a "serious incident" and a private contractor hired to sweep the organization's network had "moved as quickly as possible to kick out the intruders and secure our network. " On its web page, Wikileaks said the new cache of emails came from the accounts of "seven key figures in the DNC" and warned that the release was "part one of our new Hillary Leaks series" - an indication that more material might be published soon. Among the officials whose emails were made public were DNC spokesperson Luis Miranda, national finance director Jordon Kaplan and finance chief Scott Comer, but other DNC and media figures and even some White House officials communicated with them between January 2015 and last May, Wikileaks said. The emails include several stinging denunciations of Sanders and his organization before and after the DNC briefly shut off his campaign's access to the party's key list of likely Democratic voters. The DNC temporarily curtailed Sanders' access to the list in December 2015 because the organization accused the insurgent campaign of illegally tapping into confidential voter information compiled by the Clinton campaign. The Sanders campaign briefly sued the DNC but the party reached an accord with Sanders and the suit was dropped in April. The emails show that after the furor over the voter records was resolved, hostility simmered from top DNC officials over the Sanders campaign. In mid-May emails with Miranda, his deputy, Mark Paustenbach, questioned whether the DNC should use the voter record furor to raise doubts about the Sanders campaign. "Wondering if there's a good Bernie narrative for a story, which is that Bernie never had his act together, that his campaign was a mess," Paustenbach wrote. Miranda spurned the idea, although he agreed with Paustenbach's take: "True, but the Chair has been advised not to engage. So we'll have to leave it alone. " Atheist The same month, in another email to DNC officials, another official identified only as "Marshall" said of Sanders: "Does he believe in a God. He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. " The Associated Press emailed Miranda, Paustenbach and DNC chief financial officer Brad Marshall about the Wikileaks releases but they were not immediately available for comment. Sanders campaign officials were also not immediately available after contacts from the AP. The Wikileaks releases also included exchanges between DNC officials and White House event planning officials about whether to allow several influential Democratic party donors to attend events where President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama were scheduled to appear. The emails contained lengthy discussions about the donors' backgrounds, including, in some cases, criminal histories. One email exchange concerned whether to allow singer Ariana Grande to perform at a DNC event in the wake of an infamous online video posted on the TMZ website that showed Grande licking other customers' doughnuts at a bakery in California. DNC officials also worried about the singer's comment in the same video that "I hate America. " Grande, whose real name is Ariana Butera, later apologised for the comment. According to the emails, White House officials vetoed Grande's performance.
DNC officials worked against Sanders during primaries, leaked emails show washingtontimes.com 2016-07-23 20:00 www.news24.com
10 Sona traffic advisory for QC (1.00/6) The Quezon City Police District has issued the following traffic advisory in view of the road closures and security measures for President Duterte’s first State of the Nation Address (Sona) at the Batasang Pambansa complex tomorrow, July 25. 12:01 a.m., July 25— Commonwealth Avenue (north- and southbound) from Quezon Memorial Circle (QMC) / Philcoa to Fairview (Fairview Center mall) will be cleared. Illegally parked vehicles will be towed. Commonwealth northbound shall be partially closed from AFNI Building to San Simon U-turn slot; concrete barriers will be put up in front of AFNI Building. The southbound lanes will remain open. 5 a.m.—Motorists coming from QMC to Fairview shall take the zipper lane at the island breaker in front of Jocfer U-turn slot and take the innermost lanes. The end and exit point of the zipper lane is at the island breaker of San Simon U-trun slot fronting the Commission on Audit. Members of the Senate and Congress, guest and other VIPs will exit at Meralco U-turn slot on their way to Batasan. Motorists coming from Fairview to QMC may take the usual southbound route. Noon—The entire westbound lane of IBP Road will be closed (from Litex to Sandiganbayan) to be used by VIPs only. Non-VIP vehicles coming from Filinvest 1, Sinagtala, San Mateo Road, Filinvest 2 on their way to Fairview and Commonwealth can take the eastbound lane of IBP Road and exit at Litex. After the Sona, only the westbound lane of IBP Road leading to the Sandiganbayan underpass shall be opened for the exclusive use of exiting vehicles coming from the House of Representatives going to Commonwealth. The other half of the westbound lane from Litex to the House South Gate will remain closed until further notice. 5 p.m.—All light vehicles will take the alternate route from Fairview to QMC (southbound), turn right to Fairlane Street, turn right to Dahlia, turn left to Chestnut, turn right to Old Sauyo Road, turn right to Mindanao Avenue, take U-turn at Quirino Highway to Mindanao Avenue (southbound), left to North Avenue to QMC, to destination. From QMC to Fairview (northbound): Take North Avenue then turn right to Mindanao Avenue, right to Old Sauyo Road, then go straight ahead to Republic Avenue, then turn left to Regalado Avenue, exit to Commonwealth and on to destination. VIP guests coming from San Mateo Road, upon reaching IBP Road, will turn right and enter the Batasan North Gate. Members of the Senate and the House, upon reaching IBP Road, will turn left and enter the Batasan South Gate. 6 p.m.—Traffic flow along Commonwealth and IBP Road resumes to normal. Left encounters no cop, soldier in trek to Sona newsinfo.inquirer.net 2016-07-24 00:01 Philippine Daily newsinfo.inquirer.net
11 Yahoo Appoints IMS as Sales Partner in Spanish-Speaking Latin America (1.00/6) --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ:YHOO) has appointed (IMS), a joint venture with and a leading digital marketing and communications company, to help drive advertising sales in Spanish-speaking . drives value for advertisers in by helping them engage with consumers online through the combination of data, content and technology. Fusing valuable data insights from 165 billion daily data events, provides high-value, high-performing solutions to help advertisers target, reach and engage relevant audiences. The core offerings IMS will provide on behalf of to clients in include: "We are excited to partner with IMS based on their leadership, sales expertise, and their deep understanding of the Latin American digital media landscape," says , Yahoo's Vice President, & US Hispanic. "Latin America is an important market for and we are committed to helping advertisers leverage our ad platforms and data to effectively reach their marketing objectives. " "We are delighted to partner with , such an iconic digital player, throughout Spanish-speaking. premium content and data-driven audience solutions drive relevance for advertisers throughout the region," said , CEO, Founder and Partner for IMS. joins IMS' roster of international brand leaders such as Twitch, EA, , Foursquare, Twitter, Waze, Spotify and LinkedIn. is a guide to digital information discovery, focused on informing, connecting, and entertaining users through its search, communications, and digital content products. By creating highly personalized experiences, helps users discover the information that matters most to them around the world -- on mobile or desktop. connects advertisers with target audiences through a streamlined advertising technology stack that combines the power of data, content, and technology. is headquartered in , and has offices located throughout the , (APAC) and the , and (EMEA) regions. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net) or the Company's blog (yahoo.tumblr.com). (IMS), a joint venture with , is a leading digital marketing and communications company that partners with fast-moving businesses seeking to expand into and within. IMS helps brands reach new levels of engagement and grow within the region through our exclusive ecosystem of commercial partnerships, creative and content solutions, and media investment and management services. Leading brands such as Twitch, EA, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Spotify, Twitter, and Waze have partnered exclusively with IMS to strengthen their presence in. IMS is headquartered in , with offices in , , , , , Panamá, , , , and. www.imscorporate.com
Yahoo to Participate at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media & Telecom Conference investor.yahoo.net 2016-07-23 22:31 investor.yahoo.net
12 Wildfires burn out of control in mountains north of Los Angeles (1.00/6) Wildfires burned out of control on Saturday in mountains north of Los Angeles and near Big Sur on California's scenic Central Coast, threatening some 1,300 homes, authorities said. Southern California firefighters faced another day of triple-digit heat from a dome of high pressure over the region, and while Central Coast temperatures were more moderate, conditions included winds and low humidity. The fire in northern Los Angeles County grew to more than eight and a half square miles, darkening skies with smoke that spread across the city and suburbs, reducing the sun to an orange disc at times. The South Coast Air Quality Management District warned that air would reach unhealthy levels. The fire erupted Friday afternoon in the Sand Canyon area near State Route 14 as the region was gripped by high heat and very low humidity. About 300 homes were under mandatory or voluntary evacuations, but none had burned. Hundreds of county and Angeles National Forest firefighters battled the blaze, aided by three dozen water-dropping helicopters and retardant- dropping planes. "It just continues to move. It's not slowing down," county fire inspector Joey Marron said late Friday. "I got all my tenants out of the recreational vehicle park and for the people that weren't there and still have dogs, I broke into their trailers and got their dogs out," Kurtis Bell, manager of River's End RV Park, told KCAL-TV. Metrolink train service in the area was halted Friday and on Saturday was subject to delays. About 300 miles up the coast, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection firefighters battled a nearly three-square-mile blaze in rugged mountains north of the majestic Big Sur region. The blaze five miles south of Garrapata State Park posed a threat to 1,000 homes and the community of Palo Colorado was ordered to be evacuated, Cal Fire said. A middle school in Carmel-by-the-Sea was readied as an evacuation centre. More than 300 firefighters were on the lines. Highway 1 and businesses in the Big Sur area, a major summer tourist destination, remained open. AP Growing Californian wildfire near Big Sur threatens homes independent.ie 2016-07-23 18:41 www.independent.ie
13 Cabinet audit: what does the appointment of Philip Hammond as Chancellor mean for policy? Cabinet audit: what does the appointment of Liam Fox as International Trade Secretary mean for policy? (0.05/6) Even officials with leftwing politics hoped that Theresa May would keep George Osborne in place at the Treasury, for two reasons: firstly because he is a considerate boss, and secondly because his exit from frontline politics likely means the end of a 19-year period of dominance by the Treasury, in which, whether under Gordon Brown, Osborne or even under Alistair Darling, whoever has been in office, the Treasury has been in power. But Philip Hammond was very much the second choice, way ahead of any of the possible figures. Hammond was the biggest beast to back May’s candidacy and was rewarded for the Treasury brief that coalition denied him (he had shadowed the post of Chief Secretary to the Treasury in opposition but the mechanics of the coalition meant the post had to be given to a Liberal Democrat). Before May’s accession to the premiership, he had already lined up with her on negotiations with the European Union and Osborne’s deficit targets (now shelved). Hammond comes in with the economy looking pre-recessional and with Britain’s future participation in the single market in some doubt. (Hammond has publicly said Britain ought to remain in the single market above all else – May is more concerned about immigration, while the Brexit-backing ministers are divided.) What ought he to do? The big task is to get the construction industry back on its feet. Happily, although the decline in Britain’s credit rating has made borrowing more expensive, low interest rates at home and abroad make the case for fiscal stimulus stronger than ever, and mean the government can borrow on the cheap. Launching programmes of housebuilding, transport infrastructure and clean energy would be good ways to try to avert or at least ride out any economic shocks. (From an economic perspective albeit not an environmental one, it makes sense to approve new runways at Heathrow and Gatwick, two “shovel-ready” infrastructure projects that have private money behind them.) But the big victory that Hammond could achieve at the Treasury would be to defeat the Brexiteer ultras and keep Britain in the single market. Only Nixon, it is said, could have gone to China. Only a politician with the impeccable Commie-bashing credentials of the 37th President had the political capital necessary to strike a deal with the People’s Republic of China. Theresa May’s great hope is that only Liam Fox, the newly-installed Secretary of State for International Trade, has the Euro-bashing credentials to break the news to the Brexiteers that a deal between a post-Leave United Kingdom and China might be somewhat harder to negotiate than Vote Leave suggested. The biggest item on the agenda: striking a deal that allows Britain to stay in the single market. Elsewhere, Fox should use his political capital with the Conservative right to wait longer to sign deals than a Remainer would have to, to avoid the United Kingdom being caught in a series of bad deals. Tears in heaven: Why do we cry on aeroplanes? Cabinet audit: what does the appointment of Liam Fox as International Trade Secretary mean for policy? newstatesman.com
Jeremy Corbyn's confident performance shows he believes he'll win again Cabinet audit: what does the appointment of Liam Fox as International Trade Secretary mean for policy? newstatesman.com Cabinet audit: what does the appointment of Amber Rudd as Home Secretary mean for policy? Cabinet audit: what does the appointment of Liam Fox as International Trade Secretary mean for policy? newstatesman.com
Saudi trafficking, Iran's unpaid bills - what diplomats' debts reveal about international affairs Cabinet audit: what does the appointment of Liam Fox as International Trade Secretary mean for policy? newstatesman.com Cabinet audit: what does the appointment of Justine Greening as Education Secretary mean for policy? Cabinet audit: what does the appointment of Liam Fox as International Trade Secretary mean for policy? newstatesman.com 2016-07-23 21:34 Owen Jones www.newstatesman.com
14 Yahoo Reports Second Quarter 2016 Results (0.02/6) "With the lowest cost structure and headcount in a decade, we continue to make solid progress against our 2016 plan. Through disciplined expense management and focused execution, we delivered Q2 results that met guidance across the board and in some areas exceeded it," said , CEO of. "In addition to our efforts to improve the operating business, our board has made great progress on strategic alternatives. We are relentlessly focused on delivering shareholder value. " * See further discussion related to goodwill and intangibles impairment below Our second quarter GAAP revenue and Cost of revenue - TAC were impacted by a required change in revenue presentation related to the Eleventh Amendment to the Microsoft Search Agreement ("Change in Revenue Presentation," as discussed below). Specifically, of GAAP revenue and Cost of revenue - TAC for the second quarter of 2016 was due to the Change in Revenue Presentation. Excluding the impact of this change, GAAP revenue would have been , a 15 percent decline from the second quarter of 2015, and Cost of revenue - TAC would have been , a 7 percent increase from the second quarter of 2015. * The Change in Revenue Presentation contributed to Mavens revenue, to Non-Mavens revenue and to traffic-driven revenue in the second quarter of 2016 Mavens revenue represented 36 percent and 40 percent of traffic-driven revenue in the second quarter of 2015 and 2016, respectively. Excluding the impact of the Change in Revenue Presentation, Mavens revenue would have been and represented 38 percent of traffic-driven revenue in the second quarter of 2016. * The Change in Revenue Presentation contributed to mobile revenue, to desktop revenue and to traffic-driven revenue in the second quarter of 2016 GAAP mobile revenue for the second quarter of 2015 and 2016 was and , respectively. Mobile revenue represented 22 percent and 30 percent of traffic-driven revenue in the second quarter of 2015 and 2016, respectively. Excluding the impact of the Change in Revenue Presentation, mobile revenue would have been and represented 26 percent of traffic-driven revenue in the second quarter of 2016. Gross mobile revenue for the second quarter of 2015 and 2016 was and , respectively. The Change in Revenue Presentation did not impact gross mobile revenue in the second quarter of 2016. During the second quarter of 2016, we determined that there were indicators present to suggest that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. We recorded a non- cash goodwill impairment charge of and a non-cash intangibles impairment charge of related to our reporting unit. The goodwill and intangibles impairment charges resulted from a combination of factors, including decreases in our projected operating results and estimated future cash flows. "I'm pleased that we crossed the first half of the year showing progress on our 2016 plan and the guidance we provided. By continuing to focus on revenue, both GAAP and ex-TAC, and excellent expenditure management of cost and capital, we reported increased cash flow and a strong balance sheet through the second quarter as exemplified by our cash and marketable securities of nearly ," said , CFO of. Pursuant to the Eleventh Amendment to the Microsoft Search Agreement, the Company completed the transition of its exclusive sales responsibilities to Microsoft for Microsoft's paid search services to premium advertisers in , , and on and in its remaining markets (other than and ) on. Following the transition in each respective market, is considered the principal in the sale of traffic to Microsoft and other customers because is the primary obligor in its arrangements with Microsoft and has discretion in how search queries from Affiliate sites will be fulfilled and monetized. As a result, amounts paid to Affiliates under the Microsoft Search Agreement in the transitioned markets are recorded as Cost of revenue - TAC rather than as a reduction to GAAP revenue, resulting in GAAP revenue from the Microsoft Search Agreement being reported on a gross rather than net basis. and will not be transitioned, and TAC in those markets will continue to be reported as a reduction to revenue. will live stream a video broadcast of the Company's second quarter 2016 financial results at / today. The live stream will be broadcast from Yahoo's studio and will be available exclusively on Yahoo Finance at finance.yahoo.com. The Company will provide its business outlook for the third quarter and full year of 2016 during the presentation. Supplemental financial information can be accessed through the Company's Investor Relations website at investor.yahoo.net. The video will be archived after the event at investor.yahoo.net and will be available for 90 days following the broadcast. This press release includes adjusted GAAP revenue and cost of revenue - TAC amounts that exclude the effect of the Change in Revenue Presentation during the second quarter of 2016. We believe providing this additional information to investors is useful because it provides investors with comparable revenue and cost of revenue -TAC measures for comparison to our historical reported financial information. This press release and its attachments also include the following additional financial measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the ("SEC"): gross mobile revenue; gross search revenue; revenue ex-TAC; adjusted EBITDA; non-GAAP income from operations; non-GAAP net earnings; non-GAAP net earnings per share - diluted; and free cash flow. Gross mobile revenue is GAAP mobile revenue plus the related revenue share with third parties. Gross search revenue is GAAP search revenue plus the related revenue share with third parties. Revenue ex-TAC is GAAP revenue less cost of revenue - TAC. Adjusted EBITDA, non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP net earnings per share - diluted, exclude from the most comparable GAAP financial measures certain gains, losses, and expenses that we do not believe are indicative of ongoing results, and exclude stock-based compensation expense. Adjusted EBITDA also excludes taxes, depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, other (expense) income, net (which includes interest, among other items), earnings in equity interests, and net income attributable to noncontrolling interests. Free cash flow is GAAP net cash provided by operating activities (adjusted to include excess tax benefits from stock-based awards), less acquisition of property and equipment, net (i.e., acquisition of property and equipment less proceeds received from disposition of property and equipment) and dividends received from equity investees. These measures may be different than non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. The presentation of this financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). Explanations of the Company's non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations of these financial measures to the GAAP financial measures the Company considers most comparable are included in the accompanying "Note to Supplemental Financial Data and GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations," "Supplemental Financial Data and GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations," and "GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations. " is a guide to digital information discovery, focused on informing, connecting, and entertaining users through its search, communications, and digital content products. By creating highly personalized experiences, helps users discover the information that matters most to them around the world -- on mobile or desktop. creates value for advertisers with a streamlined, simple advertising technology stack that leverages Yahoo's data, content, and technology to connect advertisers with their target audiences. is headquartered in , and has offices located throughout the , (APAC) and the , and (EMEA) regions. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net) or the Company's blog (yahoo.tumblr.com). "Ads Sold" consist of display ad impressions for paying advertisers on and Affiliate sites. "Affiliates" are third-party entities that have integrated Yahoo's advertising offerings into their websites or other offerings (those websites and other offerings, "Affiliate sites"). "Alibaba Group" means Alibaba Group Holding Limited. In , Alibaba Group completed its initial public offering of American Depositary Shares ("ADS"), in which was a selling shareholder. "Desktop computer" means a desktop or laptop computer, and "desktop revenue" is revenue generated from search and display ads served on Desktop computers and also includes leads, listings and fees revenue and ecommerce revenue allocated to user activity on Desktop computers. "Gross mobile revenue," a non-GAAP measure, is GAAP mobile revenue plus the related revenue share with third parties. "Gross search revenue," a non-GAAP measure, is GAAP search revenue plus the related revenue share with third parties. "Mavens revenue" is revenue generated from, without duplication: (i) mobile (as defined below), (ii) video ads and video ad packages, (iii) native ads, and (iv) and Polyvore ads and fees. "Microsoft Search Agreement" refers to the Search and Advertising Services and Sales Agreement between and Microsoft Corporation, as amended. "Mobile revenue" is revenue generated in connection with user activity on mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, regardless of whether the device is accessing a mobile-optimized service. Mobile revenue is generated primarily from search and display ads. Mobile revenue also includes leads, listings and fees revenue and ecommerce revenue allocated to user activity on mobile devices. "Native revenue" is revenue generated from native ads (search and display) on as well as third-party partner publisher sites and mobile apps. Native ads are visually rich, are positioned as a seamless part of the users' experience, and come in a variety of formats, like text, image, and video. offers native ads through Yahoo Gemini and the BrightRoll Demand-Side Platform (DSP). "Net earnings" means net income (loss) attributable to , and "net earnings per diluted share" means net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders per share - diluted. "Non-Mavens revenue" is revenue generated from search ads and traditional (i.e., non-native, non-video, non- , non-Polyvore) display ads served on Desktop computers and also includes leads, listings and fees revenue and ecommerce revenue allocated to user activity on Desktop computers. "Non-traffic-driven revenue" is revenue not arising from user activity on or Affiliate sites, and includes royalty revenue, license fee revenue, amortization under the technology and intellectual property license agreement with Alibaba Group through the third quarter of 2015, and all other revenue that is not traffic-driven. "Paid Clicks" are clicks by end-users on sponsored search listings (excluding native ads) on and Affiliate sites. "Price-per-Ad" is defined as display revenue divided by our total number of Ads Sold. "Price-per-Click" is defined as Search click-driven revenue divided by our total number of Paid Clicks. "TAC" refers to traffic acquisition costs. TAC consists of payments to Affiliates and payments made to companies that direct consumer and business traffic to. "Yahoo," "Company," and "we" refer to and its consolidated subsidiaries. "Yahoo Properties" refers to the online properties and services that provides to users. We periodically review, refine and update our methodologies for monitoring, gathering, and counting number of Ads Sold and Paid Clicks, and for calculating Search click-driven revenue, Price-per-Ad, and Price- per-Click. Methodology changes are applied consistently to all periods presented. No changes were made in the currently reported period. Additional information about how "Ads Sold," "Paid Clicks," "Price-per-Ad," "Price-per-Click," and "Search click-driven revenue" are defined and calculated is included under the caption "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended , which is on file with the and available on the website at www.sec.gov. This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning expected financial performance and strategic and operational plans (including, without limitation, the quotations from management) and their projected impact, as well as, review of strategic alternatives. Risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from the results predicted, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, risks related to Yahoo's ability to continue to attract and maintain mobile users and grow its mobile revenue; risks related to Yahoo's ability to continue to grow Mavens revenue; risks related to Yahoo's ability to grow users, user engagement and pageviews; risks related to growing advertiser engagement; risk of potential reduction in spending by, or loss of, advertising customers; risks associated with the Microsoft Search Agreement and the Services Agreement with ; risks related to Yahoo's ability to provide innovative search experiences and other products and services that differentiate its services and generate significant traffic; risks associated with Yahoo's ability to manage its operating expenses effectively and improve profitability; risks related to acceptance by users of new products and services; risks related to Yahoo's ability to compete with new or existing competitors; dependence on third parties for technology, services, content, and distribution; risks related to acquiring or developing compelling content; security breaches; interruptions or delays in the provision of Yahoo's services; adverse results in litigation; risks related to Yahoo's ability to recruit and retain key personnel; risks related to possible impairment of goodwill or other assets; risks related to Yahoo's ability to protect its intellectual property and the value of its brands; risks related to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; risks related to joint ventures and the integration of acquisitions; risks related to Yahoo's regulatory environment; risks related to international operations; risks related to the calculation of our key operational metrics; and general economic conditions. With respect to Yahoo's exploration of strategic alternatives, there is no assurance any transaction will be consummated, and the process of exploring strategic alternatives will involve the dedication of significant resources and the incurrence of significant costs and expenses. All information set forth in this press release and its attachments is as of. does not intend, and undertakes no duty, to update this information to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. More information about potential factors that could affect the Company's business and financial results is included under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended , as amended, and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended , which are on file with the and available on the website at www.sec.gov. Additional information will also be set forth in those sections in Yahoo's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended , which will be filed with the in the third quarter of 2016. !, the family of marks, and the associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of is a registered trademark of Other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Note to Supplemental Financial Data and GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations This press release includes adjusted GAAP revenue and cost of revenue - TAC amounts that exclude the effect of the Change in Revenue Presentation during the second quarter of 2016. We believe providing this additional information to investors is useful because it provides investors with comparable revenue and cost of revenue - TAC measures for comparison to our historical reported financial information. See "Change in Revenue Presentation" in the accompanying press release. This press release and its attachments also include the non-GAAP financial measures of revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs ("revenue ex-TAC"); gross mobile revenue; gross search revenue; adjusted EBITDA; non-GAAP income from operations; non-GAAP net earnings; non-GAAP net earnings per diluted share; and free cash flow, which are reconciled to revenue (in the case of revenue ex-TAC, gross mobile revenue, and gross search revenue); net loss attributable to (in the case of adjusted EBITDA and non- GAAP net earnings); loss from operations; net loss attributable to common stockholders per share - diluted; and net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, which we believe are the most comparable GAAP measures. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, "Yahoo," the "Company," or "we") uses these non-GAAP financial measures for internal managerial purposes and to facilitate period-to-period comparisons. We describe limitations specific to each non-GAAP financial measure below. Management generally compensates for limitations in the use of non-GAAP financial measures by relying on comparable GAAP financial measures and providing investors with a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure or measures. Further, management uses non-GAAP financial measures only in addition to and in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures reflect additional ways of viewing aspects of our operations that, when viewed with our GAAP results, provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business. These non-GAAP measures should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, revenue, net loss attributable to , loss from operations, net loss attributable to common stockholders per share - diluted, and net cash provided by (used in) operating activities calculated in accordance with GAAP. Revenue ex-TAC is a non-GAAP financial measure defined as GAAP revenue less TAC that has been recorded as a cost of revenue. TAC consists of payments made to Affiliates, and payments made to companies that direct consumer and business traffic to. TAC is recorded either as a reduction of revenue or as cost of revenue. We present revenue ex-TAC to provide investors a metric used by the Company for evaluation and decision-making purposes and to provide investors with comparable revenue numbers when comparing to our historical reported financial information. A limitation of revenue ex-TAC is that it is a measure we defined for internal and investor purposes that may be unique to the Company, and therefore it may not enhance the comparability of our results to those of other companies in our industry who have similar business arrangements but address the impact of TAC differently. Management compensates for these limitations by also relying on the comparable GAAP financial measures of revenue and cost of revenue—TAC. Each of gross mobile revenue and gross search revenue is a non-GAAP financial measure. Gross mobile revenue is defined as GAAP mobile revenue plus the related revenue share with third parties. Gross search revenue is defined as GAAP search revenue plus the related revenue share with third parties. We present these amounts to provide investors with additional metrics used by the Company for evaluation and decision- making purposes and as an indicator of the size of our presence in the relevant business. To this end, gross mobile revenue and gross search revenue report the total receipts generated on and Affiliate sites by the specified relevant business (i.e., mobile or search), before any TAC or other revenue share is paid to the Affiliates and before any revenue share is allocated to Microsoft or other parties. A limitation of these non-GAAP measures is that they include revenue that is recognized by one or more third parties and not by Yahoo; furthermore, they are measures we defined for internal and investor purposes that may be unique to us, and therefore may not enhance the comparability of our results to those of other companies in our industry who have similar business arrangements but address the impact of TAC and revenue sharing differently. Management compensates for these limitations by also relying on the comparable financial measure GAAP revenue. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) attributable to before taxes, depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation expense, other (expense) income, net (which includes interest, among other items), earnings in equity interests, net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and other gains, losses, and expenses that we do not believe are indicative of our ongoing results. We present adjusted EBITDA because the exclusion of certain gains, losses, and expenses facilitates comparisons of the operating performance of the Company on a period to period basis. Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for results reported under GAAP. These limitations include: adjusted EBITDA does not reflect tax payments and such payments reflect a reduction in cash available to us; adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the periodic costs of certain capitalized tangible and intangible assets used in generating revenues in our businesses; adjusted EBITDA does not include stock-based compensation expense related to the Company's workforce; adjusted EBITDA also excludes other (expense) income, net (which includes interest, among other items), earnings in equity interests, net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and other gains, losses, and expenses that we do not believe are indicative of our ongoing results, and these items may represent a reduction or increase in cash available to us; and adjusted EBITDA is a measure that may be unique to the Company, and therefore it may not enhance the comparability of our results to other companies in our industry. Management compensates for these limitations by also relying on the comparable GAAP financial measure of net income (loss) attributable to , which includes taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation expense, other (expense) income, net (which includes interest, among other items), earnings in equity interests, net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and the other gains, losses and expenses that are excluded from adjusted EBITDA. Non-GAAP income from operations is defined as income (loss) from operations excluding certain gains, losses, and expenses that we do not believe are indicative of our ongoing operating results and further adjusted to exclude stock-based compensation expense. Because of the variety of equity awards used by companies, the varying methodologies for determining stock-based compensation expense, and the subjective assumptions involved in those determinations, we believe excluding stock- based compensation expense enhances the ability of management and investors to understand the impact of stock-based compensation expense on income (loss) from operations. We consider non-GAAP income from operations to be a profitability measure which facilitates the forecasting of our operating results for future periods and allows for the comparison of our results to historical periods. A limitation of non-GAAP income from operations is that it does not include all items that impact our income from operations for the period. Management compensates for this limitation by also relying on the comparable GAAP financial measure of income (loss) from operations which includes the gains, losses, and expenses that are excluded from non-GAAP income from operations. Non-GAAP net earnings is defined as net income (loss) attributable to (which we sometimes refer to as net earnings) excluding certain gains, losses, expenses, and their related tax effects that we do not believe are indicative of our ongoing results and further adjusted to exclude stock- based compensation expense and its related tax effects. Because of the variety of equity awards used by companies, the varying methodologies for determining stock-based compensation expense, and the subjective assumptions involved in those determinations, we believe excluding stock- based compensation expense enhances the ability of management and investors to understand the impact of stock-based compensation expense on net income and net income per share. We consider non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP net earnings per diluted share to be profitability measures which facilitate the forecasting of our results for future periods and allow for the comparison of our results to historical periods. A limitation of non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP net earnings per diluted share is that they do not include all items that impact our net income and net income per diluted share for the period. Management compensates for this limitation by also relying on the comparable GAAP financial measures of net income (loss) attributable to and net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders per share - diluted, both of which include the gains, losses, expenses and related tax effects that are excluded from non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP net earnings per diluted share. Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure defined as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (adjusted to include excess tax benefits from stock-based awards), less acquisition of property and equipment, net (i.e., acquisition of property and equipment less proceeds received from disposition of property and equipment) and dividends received from equity investees. We consider free cash flow to be a liquidity measure which provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by business operations, after deducting our net payments for acquisitions and dispositions of property and equipment, which cash can then be used for strategic opportunities or other business purposes including, among others, investing in the Company's business, making strategic acquisitions, strengthening the balance sheet, and repurchasing stock. A limitation of free cash flow is that it does not represent the total increase or decrease in the cash balance for the period. Management compensates for this limitation by also relying on the net change in cash and cash equivalents as presented in the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated statements of cash flows prepared in accordance with GAAP which incorporates all cash movements during the period.
Yahoo to Live Stream Video of Second Quarter 2016 Earnings on Yahoo Finance on July 18, 2016 investor.yahoo.net
Yahoo to Live Stream Video of First Quarter 2016 Earnings on Yahoo Finance on April 19, 2016 investor.yahoo.net 2016-07-23 22:31 investor.yahoo.net
15 Dignitaries arrive in Mthatha for opening of revamped Madiba Museum When the 2017 Hyundai Genesis G80 goes on sale this fall it will do so as a car with more passenger space than a Mercedes E Class, more horsepower than a Cadillac CTS and with a raft of active safety systems as standard that even Volvo S90 drivers are offered as...
2016-07-24 00:01 Sikho Ntshobane www.timeslive.co.za
16 Mamelodi Sundowns owe Champions League fairytale run to success in the PSL “We are riding on the momentum of the league. We are still flowing with what happened in the league‚” Mosimane said. The Brazilians have one foot in the door to the Champions League semifinals after beating Zamalek in Egypt on Sunday. Following back-to-back victories against Nigerian side Enyimba and Zamalek in Cairo on Sunday‚ Downs are the only unbeaten team in their group. Mosimane’s side has been playing arguably their best football in the continental competition and the coach credits the inspired performances to last season's title-winning charge on the domestic front. Downs lost only three games from 30 premiership outings and amassed a mammoth 71 league points a the end of the campaign. “When we played (Jomo) Cosmos‚ Polokwane (City) and then went to Ajax‚ it was a tough time for us‚ it did not look good. After Ajax we have not stopped. Even when we faced Tuks the league was wrapped up‚ but we kept going‚” said the Sundowns coach. “We went to (PSL runners-up) Wits and kept moving with the momentum. We were just in that whirlpool‚ a beautiful whirlpool. We just kept going‚ and it is a beautiful dream. I hope we don’t wake up.” With Downs topping their group‚ they only need a draw against Zamalek in the Champions League return leg match in Atteridgeville next Wednesday to confirm their place in the semifinals. Ending the group stages at the summit of the group is a feat the Brazilians have set their eyes firmly on. But Mosimane insisted that he does not want to get ahead of himself just yet. “We would like to finish on top‚” the coach said. “It looks like we have enough points [to ensure qualification for the knockout stages]‚ but mathematically‚ we don’t. “When I say ‘we have’ – it means we do not have to win on Wednesday‚ as long as Zamalek beat Enyimba or they stop them with a draw. “For them (Enyimba) to win in [Cairo] – I don’t think so‚ in my opinion after the games I saw. [Zamalek] will win in Cairo because it is their lifeline and they want to finish on top of the group… "You have got to be very careful of thinking that you have arrived and missing the point of finishing on top.”
2016-07-24 00:01 Chumani Bambani www.timeslive.co.za
17 Dismiss DA’s dated advert complaint‚ City of Joburg urges IEC That’s the gist of the city’s argument in its call on Thursday to “the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to dismiss the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) false and mischievous allegations of misappropriation of public funds to campaign for the African National Congress (ANC)”. The DA had‚ earlier this month‚ appeared to put the IEC on notice to act on its complaint about taxpayers’ money seemingly being used for electioneering‚ saying its advertisements “specifically endorse” mayor Parks Tau. “We are confident that the IEC will accede to our request‚ but if it fails or refuses to do so we will seek other legal avenues to compel adherence to the Electoral Code‚” DA federal executive chairman James Selfe said at the time. Tau’s spokesperson Phindile Chauke noted on Thursday: “At the centre of the political party’s complaint is an advert of the City of Johannesburg’s milestones and achievements…with the tagline: ‘Clearly‚ the City of Johannesburg is in good hands’.” The advert‚ Chauke added‚ “was designed to instill confidence among Johannesburg residents‚ investors and potential investors”. “The advert is a mere standard and annual communication of successes and achievements of the previous financial year of a metropolitan municipality led by a competent administration - with a visionary and strategic council and an executive led by Mayor Parks Tau.” Chauke said the ad was first distributed as early as March 3 “long before the date of the local government elections was announced…by President Jacob Zuma‚ on 6 April 2016 and published in a government gazette of 23 May 2016”. “Clearly the DA failed to lodge a complaint in March 2016 and waited until July 2016. On this basis alone‚ the complaint is indeed with unwarranted malicious intent against the City and its leadership‚” said Chauke. “It is disingenuous of the DA - having failed to discredit Mayor Tau against his strong record of service delivery in the past five years - to resort to dragging the IEC into its desperate campaign to mislead Johannesburg residents.” Selfe had said earlier this month that “Tau is currently the mayor of Johannesburg‚ but he is also an ANC candidate in the coming municipal election”‚ and “any reasonable listener would conclude that the advertisement is only aimed at influencing the outcome of the election in Johannesburg‚ by promoting the candidature of Tau and the ANC”.
2016-07-24 00:01 TMG Digital www.timeslive.co.za
18 DA: ‘ANC candidates list represents corruption‚ declining service delivery and unemployment’ “The ANC cannot bring the change South Africa needs‚ because it is more concerned with putting allies of Jacob Zuma in top mayoral positions. Zuma's pals will‚ like the President‚ put self-enrichment first and the people last‚” DA spokesperson Phumzile Van Damme said in a statement on Sunday. The DA has accused Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral candidate Danny Jordaan of being a “part-time Mayor of broken promises after having faked the launch of a Metro Police‚ introducing 21‚000 more NMB residents to the ranks of the unemployed since December 2015 and losing over R320 million to leaks and electricity theft in the last 9 months. “Additionally‚ Jordaan's criminal pal Linda Mti was recently appointed to the Head of Safety and Security‚” said Van Damme. “In five years Mayor Parks Tau has overseen unemployment in Johannesburg rise to 869‚000. At the same time conditions in the informal settlements of Johannesburg have deteriorated to where the SA Human Rights Commission is now investigating the Johannesburg ANC government for human rights abuses. That the ANC wants to give Tau another term in government shows that the ANC doesn't take service delivery and stopping corruption seriously. “In Tshwane‚ the failure to reaffirm Mayor [Kgosientso “Sputla’] Ramokgopa shows that the ANC recognises that he and his ANC government have failed to deliver‚ including Sputla's PEU smart-meter Billion Rand scandal‚ unlawful broadband contracts‚ undrinkable water in Hammanskraal with 40‚000 more people joining the ranks of the unemployed in Tshwane since January 2016.” The DA said the ANC's inability to select a Tshwane candidate shows “a fractured and broken ANC in Tshwane”. “The voters cannot place trust in a party that fails to even agree on a suitable candidate for Mayor because it is so fractured and factionalised”. Van Damme added that the DA is ready to bring real change to Nelson Mandela Bay‚ Tshwane‚ Johannesburg‚ Ekurhuleni and many other places across the country. “This is the change that will stop corruption‚ deliver better services and create jobs. This is the change we need to move our country forward again.”
2016-07-24 00:01 Nomahlubi Jordaan www.timeslive.co.za
19 Lions have to wear favourites tag against Crusaders The Lions have never started as favourites against the seven-time champions and have not beaten them in eight years‚ which included losing 43-37 in a group match earlier this season. But the Lions have kicked on from that setback and ended the group phase as second seeds and top of the South African Conference while the Crusaders are seventh seeds going into the play-off. The Lions have never had a better chance to beat the team from Christchurch‚ especially as the bulk of their players are fresh after staying home for last week’s match against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires. The Crusaders have also never won a play-off game in South Africa at altitude. Their only post-season win in SA was against the Stormers in Cape Town in 2011. In their other three attempts they lost a hat-trick of epic semi-finals against the Bulls at Loftus in 2007‚ 2009 and 2010 – the three years the Bulls won the title. That is a good omen for the Lions but regardless of that quirky stat‚ the Lions are going to have to go out and win the match‚ history is not going to hand it to them. Captain Warren Whiteley‚ who has been out of action since late June with a shoulder injury‚ is expected to be fit for the match. Attack coach Swys de Bruyn said that they would give him as much time as possible to be fit for the encounter. “We're positive he will be okay‚" De Bruyn said. “Warren won't take contact until Thursday because the injury has just healed‚ so we will see then. It will be great if he plays‚ but then Ruan Ackermann has done brilliantly in Warren's absence‚ being named man of the match the last time he played (against the Southern Kings). " Crusaders No 8 Kieran Read expects that the match will follow the same high-tempo script of their earlier encounter this season when 10 tries were scored. "I think it's going to be pretty quick‚" Read said. "It's an opportunity to play on their home track and the Lions will throw it around. We will expect that. "
2016-07-24 00:01 Craig Ray www.timeslive.co.za
20 20 Lack of Parliament antics sees EFF’s media profile dip: survey The wrong reason for the ruling party paid off for the official opposition‚ the Democratic Alliance (DA). That Parliament is not in session curtailed the impression the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) made. Those are some of the key findings of Basemedia’s “political tracker” for June. “The violence is Tshwane significantly elevated the ANC’s media profile but also contributed to negativity on the organisation‚” the survey found. It said that “Thoko Didiza emerged as one of the ANC’s most visible members after she was announced as mayoral candidate for Tshwane”‚ but noted that both she and incumbent mayor Kgosientsho Ramokgopa “faced negativity as a result of the violence that followed the announcement”. The research note‚ however‚ that the party was “gradually able to move away from the critical coverage as the party deployed senior leaders on the campaign trail”. The tracker suggested that the DA had profited from the ANC’s trouble in the country’s capital as the “media reflected on the internal strengths of the DA and the manner in which the party had chosen its candidates”. It also said the DA and leader Mmusi Maimane had scored from the “Jobs not jets” campaign about its disapproval of the widely reported R4-billion price tag for a new presidential aircraft. EFF leader Julius Malema‚ on the other hand‚ “struggled to have any high- impact media exposure” other than that which was “generated…after he stated that ‘South Africa would be a boring place without whites’ ”. The researchers noted that “past analysis has shown that one of the biggest drivers for the EFF has been because of the organisation’s behaviour in Parliament”. “However‚ with Parliament now in recess‚ the EFF has struggled to get media to focus significantly on the party’s local election campaigning.” The study also found that Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi “advanced his media profile while speaking at the IFP’s manifesto launch” in uMlazi‚ during which he acknowledged that his party had lost ground‚ but had regrouped and focused itself for the August 3 municipal polls.
2016-07-24 00:01 TMG Digital www.timeslive.co.za
21 Watch: Meet the man who Zuma’s guards can’t turn away Collen has attended almost every African National Congress (ANC) election manifesto launch in the country. His love for the ANC and Zuma has earned him benefits that very few citizens enjoy. He is always able to push through presidential protection guards and get his hug from the president. “I have told them before that this is my friend‚ they should allow him through‚” Zuma once remarked. The president occasionally gives Collen a R100 note to note his appreciation and they have a cordial relationship when they meet‚ greeting each other warmly. The president gives him a beaming smile‚ a handshake and a hug. Collen‚ 32‚ of Orange Farm‚ lives with his two brothers Gontse‚ 31‚ and Taelo‚ 43‚ on Kopano Street. ANC councillor Simon Motha introduced TMG Digital to his brothers. It was about 10am‚ and Collen was not around‚ but his brothers welcomed us into their home. They advised that he was likely to be at Orange Farm Mall‚ so we set off to look for him. As we walked through the mall‚ it was apparent that every cashier‚ security guard and other centre employees know him well. “We love him. Everybody loves him. He is a lovely kid‚” said one of the cashiers at KFC. His favourite place at the mall is the Thetha FM studios. “We put him on air. Everybody in Orange Farm adores him. He normally greets the listeners and says what is on his mind. He can say anything. It's Collen. He is allowed to do so‚” said administrators at the radio station. He is so famous that taxi drivers allow him free rides when he wants to go to Soweto‚ Johannesburg‚ and Lenasia from Orange Farm‚ which is in the south‚ 45km from the Joburg city centre. He also does not buy a ticket to get onto the train. The reason: “Everybody loves him”. Finally we meet Collen at the mall. He has a wide smile and projects positive energy. “Are we going to meet President Zuma? Why‚ therefore‚ are you looking for me?” he asked with a firm handshake. Taelo informed him that journalists are here to talk to him. He then asked if he was going to be on TV. His brothers only reply: “You are going to be famous”. He then kept quiet but walked faster than all of us as we head back to the car. Despite being such a well-known persona in his home town‚ Collen lives a life of destitution. The four-roomed house he shares with his brothers appears to be well- maintained - until you get inside. The kitchen cupboards are worn out‚ allowing you to see the emptiness inside. The best item is the microwave. There is no fridge. The sitting room is in equally poor condition. An old cupboard stands where the television set should be and the sofas show the years. Motha left us at the house with James Mofokeng to help with Setswana translation. Collen’s two brothers said they love him so much and have a sense of pride in his popularity. “I don’t know why but people love Collen. Some people here in Orange Farm have a framed picture of him on their walls. We have allowed him to be himself‚” Taelo explained as he sat us down. Collen does speak English but converses more freely in Setswana. We gave him a chance to say something to his favourite person‚ Zuma‚ on camera.: "It’s me‚ Kwenza‚ you know me‚ I am your friend. I am pleading with you‚ President Zuma‚ to please fix my home and build me a double-storey house so that I be can like everyone else. I am with my young brothers‚ I want a TV and to make this house a double-storey so that it can be like other houses. I want you to buy me building bricks and fix here so that when you come here to Orange Farm‚ they will know that you are my friend. Please fix my room and my bathroom; I don’t even have a bathroom. You know me. I am your friend and a number one ANC member. Please come here and build me a double-storey. " After the video‚ Taelo explained the family’s story. Their parents moved from Soweto to Orange Farm in the late 1980s. Their mother died in 2004 and their father in 2006. This left the brothers with the responsibility of caring for Collen. Their two sisters are both living with their husbands. The closest one is in Soweto. Collen visits her quite often. Taelo’s tone of voice changed when he spoke about the struggle for food in the house. “We do eat‚” he said. Gontse interjected‚ as if he wanted the truth to come out. “It is a hustle for us to get food. We are really struggling. Nobody is working and we don’t have anything to eat tonight‚” Gontse said. All this time‚ Collen was strangely silent. Then I asked the brothers‚ what is the one thing that I could buy for them at the mall. “Fish oil‚” Taelo said‚ and Collen got really upset. “No. No fish oil. We need a television set. Just a television set. Let us go now and buy it‚” Collen said in a high tone. His brother calmed him down and started to explain. The three brothers have not had a television set for years. One of the neighbours‚ who is a technician‚ has offered to sell them the set for just R150‚ but no one has that kind of money here. In the house there isn’t even a radio and none of the guys have an ID. They just enjoy basic electricity and water. Taelo travels to Malvern‚ in eastern Joburg‚ to work as a car guard but makes too little to meet every need in the house. I offered to buy them a meal at the mall and Collen proposed his favourite restaurant: KFC. As we left the house‚ the man who is selling the television set showed up. He was going about his own business but Collen ran to him and grabbed him by the arm‚ refusing to let him go. “This is him. He has the TV. Give him the money now. Let’s go get the TV.” The brothers calmed him down again. In the midst of the drama‚ Councillor Motha passed by in his ML Mercedes- Benz SUV. He reduced his speed‚ greeted us and drove off. Back at the mall‚ Collen ordered three pieces of chicken‚ chips and a coke. He then asked us to leave the restaurant to get the fish oil. We headed to the supermarket and when we came back‚ he was gone. Taelo decided to go look for him while we had lunch with Gontse. He opened up about the life at home. “It is not easy taking care of my brother but I love him. He is just an exciting guy. He leaves in the morning at 7am. I make sure that he baths and eats before he leaves. He leaves and goes to the mall‚ talking to people and he has friends everywhere. He also spends a lot of time at Thetha FM. They love him at the studio and even put him live on air to say whatever comes to his mind.” When their mother was alive‚ she made sure that Collen took his psychiatric medication and he had a close relationship with her. “My mother loved him more than anything in the world and Collen knew it. When she passed on‚ he struggled to live without her. He then refused to take his medication. But I can’t talk much about that part of our life‚” Gontse said‚ holding back the tears in his eyes. Collen is also a big friend of Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau and has met former president Thabo Mbeki too. But there are other problems on Collen’s doorstep. At 1pm‚ wheelie bins were still lined up on the streets and refuse had not been collected. Some portions of the area have not had water for more than a week. Most of the people living in Orange Farm work elsewhere‚ as there are little to no local job opportunities. Those who cannot find employment like Gontse and Taelo are left on the streets. “Things are getting bad now. We are seeing more boys in our street smoking nyaope. They don’t have jobs so they steal anything they can get‚” Gontse said. Nineteen percent of households have no income at all in Orange Farm‚ according to Statistics SA. The data shows the area has a total population of 76 767 and a dependency ratio of nearly 50%. Residents do have basic services like electricity‚ which have been rolled out by government‚ but poor education levels affect economic prospects. Collen and his brothers are amongst many in the City of Johannesburg who are hoping that things will improve for them after the August 3 local government elections. “We hope that somebody will see our story and help us with something. We are really battling‚” Taelo said as he waved goodbye.
2016-07-24 00:01 Penwell Dlamini www.timeslive.co.za
22 ‘ANC campaign now all-out racial mobilisation’: DA Opposition leader Mmusi Maimane said the African National Congress’ (ANC) “election campaign‚ as evidenced by the comments made by Zuma last week and today‚ has now descended into all-out racial mobilisation”. “This must be seen for what it is: a last-ditch‚ desperate attempt to cling onto power at all costs‚ because the party faces losing major metros to the DA on 3 August 2016‚” he added. Zuma was quoted as telling supporters in Tembisa on Wednesday: “Where does a black man get the nerve to team up with oppressors of his people‚ even to an extent where he decides to lead them? When you see the DA‚ just know that they are our oppressors.” Maimane said this type of comment showed that the “ANC has effectively thrown in the towel on competing on different plans for local government”. “Jacob Zuma’s remarks today have left me‚ as I am sure many other proud South Africans‚ saddened and deeply concerned‚” he said‚ adding that they are “an affront to so many South Africans‚ including those within the ANC itself‚ who fought and died for a free South Africa; one that belongs to all who live in it”. “My commitment to South Africans today in the face of this dangerous rhetoric by the President is that the DA will never give up on realising Madiba’s vision for our country.”
2016-07-24 00:01 TMG Digital www.timeslive.co.za
23 23 Fear and loathing back at Old Trafford It's back! The one thing Manchester United fans worldwide have craved since Alex Ferguson departed three years ago was, believe it or not, to remain the most detested of the whole lot - even when the man who inculcated such a mentality had retired.
2016-07-24 00:01 Andile Ndlovu www.timeslive.co.za
24 Municipalities think protesters are ‘criminals’‚ but ISS says name-calling isn’t wise South African Local Government Association (Salga) policy analyst Justin Steyn revealed this at an Institute for Security Studies (ISS) seminar. Steyn was quoting the findings of a 2016 SALGA survey that aims to uncover the perceptions of municipalities in metropolitan‚ local and district municipalities in Gauteng‚ the Western Cape‚ Mpumalanga and Limpopo around protests. Steyn said that local governments perceive protesters to be mainly young and unemployed. In the survey municipalities said that 69.5% of protesters were between the ages of 18 and 35 and 71% of protesters were unemployed. Many municipalities interviewed also raised concern of crime in protests with 14.4% of protesters perceived to be criminals. Some answers from municipalities said: - “There is a criminal element that emerges from protest action.” - “Shops were looted by hooligans that were attached to the protest.” - "There is a criminal element and opportunism‚ like when there is a strike by informal traders to claim a market space‚ there will be elements that loot. It starts of (sic) as service delivery but degenerates into looting.” Steyn also said that local governments found that communities were service-hungry and that service delivery was sometimes used as an excuse for a protest by those with ulterior motives. But manager of the ISS Crime and Justice Information Hub Lizette Lancaster said it was not wise to point fingers at so-called criminals. “We have to be careful in calling people criminals. Society makes criminals. There is international research that shows we have the potential to be criminals… We need to stop with name-calling‚” she said. Nomfundo Mogapi‚ director of the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation‚ said that the root causes of protests need to be addressed. She said that some of these are poverty‚ unemployment and inequality which speak to the livelihoods‚ dignity and sense of self-worth of people.
2016-07-24 00:01 Roxanne Henderson www.timeslive.co.za
25 The singular mind of Sunette Viljoen But the 32-year-old veteran insists she is in a better space now heading into the Rio Games. "I've grown emotionally over the last four years," Viljoen, who ended a painful fourth in 2012, said in e-mailed responses. "This year I am not tense or worried about results. My head and body are in complete harmony. " Four years ago Viljoen was No1 in the world with her 69.35m all-Africa record going into the London Games; at the moment her season's best - 65.14m - puts her in sixth position. Two of the 2012 Olympic medallists are ranked ahead of her. Champion Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic holds the 66.87m world lead and bronze medallist Linda Stahl, the German who pushed Viljoen off the podium, is just 11cm ahead of Viljoen. Mother-of-one Viljoen has been at odds with her family over her decision to announce in 2013 that she was gay. Last year she criticised the SA Olympic Committee for its claims-based method of funding top athletes and also accused her brother and father of hitting her. "I'm going into these Olympic Games without support from my family, and knowing I've done everything myself just motivates me even more. "I will put the unpleasantness behind me and I am tougher and more motivated. I haven't had financial support [from Sascoc] since February," she added. Viljoen ascribed her longevity to motivation. "I have been born with incredible passion and drive - it is something that can only come from God. I don't know how to give up, only how to persevere. "Knowing you are among the world's best javelin throwers is strong motivation to be the best and become Olympic champion. It is the only medal I still need. "If I fall, I always get up again. " Viljoen said a podium position in Rio was her ultimate goal. "It would be the perfect ending for all the years in which I invested everything. If I reap the fruits, I would know it has all been worth it, including the biggest battle I have had to fight off the field in the past four years. "
2016-07-24 00:01 DAVID ISAACSON www.timeslive.co.za
26 Ben Whishaw on why his gay character resonates with him LOS ANGELES—Many actors like to proclaim that they are shy away from the stage or cameras. In the case of British actor Ben Whishaw, he appears to be genuinely bashful and seemingly ill at ease talking about himself. When he’s performing, Ben is a different animal, of course. He just finished commanding a Broadway stage as the iconic John Proctor in Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible.” Ben, who plays Q in the last two James Bond movies and will play Freddie Mercury in a movie about the rock band Queen, consistently earns acclaim in indie films, including the recent “The Lobster.” He’s just as compelling in BBC’s thriller miniseries, “London Spy,” as Danny, a club-going hedonist who falls in love with Alex (Edward Holcroft), who’s the opposite—and turns out to be from the Secret Intelligence Service. Ben and Edward, as the doomed lovers, figure in steamy gay sex scenes in the series directed by Jakob Verbruggen. Charlotte Rampling and Jim Broadbent costar. Ben walked into a meeting room at a New York hotel with a huge beard that he’s grown for “The Crucible,” his Broadway debut. Since he is very lean, the facial hair seemed to almost engulf his face. But his soulful dark eyes still stood out. “One of the things I loved most was that it was about a gay character who isn’t glamorized or sanitized,” Ben said about his role. “It feels very honest. The first thing that struck me was that lots of people—not just gay people— have said that it feels authentic, and it resonated with their own lives. That’s very gratifying.” On the script written by novelist Tom Rob Smith, Ben remarked, “Tom was quite cagey about where he got a lot of this story from. He’s mysterious and spy-like himself. But certainly, there has been a long history of gay spies. So it must be going on. I mean, why wouldn’t it be? “Of course, the thing that is resonant is that for a long time, gay men had to behave like spies…they had to be secretive. That’s the connection…that’s interesting—and probably why a lot of gay men were drawn toward it.” Ben, who came out in 2011, entered into a civil partnership with Mark Bradshaw, an Aussie composer, in August 2012. With a smile, he admitted that their romance started just like how his character, Danny, immediately fell for Alex. “It was love at first sight,” Ben said. “The experience had nothing to do with my brain. Because it wasn’t a sensible thing to [pursue]—he’s from Australia. He was in England for only 10 days. But it truly gave me an understanding of what love is, because it absolutely overwhelmed me.” “Yes, I have discovered my inner Aussie,” Ben confirmed. “I love Australia and its people. It’s a cliché to say that they’re laid back, but it’s true. It has a lot to do with the climate and the nature of the country. “Whenever I arrive there, I immediately feel lighter. And my appreciation of music has changed because Mark actually doesn’t like listening to music. What I’ve realized is that if you work in music, you can’t—or at least Mark can’t—bear to have music as, like, wallpaper, because he tunes into it and hears everything. “Whereas I quite like it, on the radio or my laptop. So, we have a lot of silence around the house. When he’s away, I put the music on really loud and dance around.” Laughing, Ben shared that he does get easily attracted to people. “I’m always falling in love. Well, not necessarily falling in love, but getting crushes on people.” Ben thinks that if he were a spy in real life, he will “not be a great” one. “I am nosy,” he stressed. “I love overhearing conversations. But I wouldn’t be very good at spying. I’m not conniving or duplicitous enough.” Lying is not his cup of tea. “I’m trying to live my life as honestly as I can,” he said. “I don’t like lies, even if the truth is difficult to take. “But it always ends up being more complicated, doesn’t it?” he asked aloud. “A lie leads to another lie that leads to something else—like a misunderstanding or betrayal.” Now based in New York, he hasn’t had a lot of time to explore the city because “the play’s been so all-consuming.” Ben described the natural high he gets from a live audience. (In “The Crucible,” he and the cast, which included Sophie Okonedo, Saoirse Ronan and Ciaran Hinds, earned glowing reviews.) “It’s beautiful when, for example, if people don’t know the play that you’re performing, and they are vocal, if they exclaim, ‘Haaaa!’…or they weep or laugh. Sometimes, that can return you right to the moment again. “Even in a long run when you are so familiar with the play, you suddenly feel like you’re hearing it for the first time. That’s wonderful—through the audience’s experience of it.” On seemingly working nonstop, Ben grinned, “I do like a break. But it also doesn’t take long for me to get hungry to be working again.” After all, this is the man who has always dreamed of becoming an actor, even as a child growing up in “a little village in Bedfordshire, England.” “I always loved performing. I used to do little plays for my family. I was lucky to have a very encouraging mom and dad, who never gave me any reason to hold back. “They were like, ‘Go for it!’ I owe everything to them, really. Because I just followed my instinct and passion.” That led to his enrollment at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He has a twin brother, James, who works in a different field. For this actor who’s often tapped in small but acclaimed films, he welcomed the chance to play Q, who leads the research and development department of the British Secret Service in the “007” movies. “I loved being in those films,” he said. “I loved the character I play. I love that I never ever thought that I would be in a James Bond film in my life. Now, I’ve been in two. “It’s strange to have these things come about, and I’m grateful. It has helped me, because people see those movies. A lot of the films I’ve done are smaller or stranger…and not so many people see them. So, it’s wonderful to be seen by a lot of people.” Ben claimed that he will have a real, honest-to-goodness break now that “The Crucible” ended last July 17. “I want to be free and float around the city for a bit. I’m going to do nothing for a bit. I’m going to have a holiday. And, well, I’m going to stay in New York and have some fun!” Let’s see how long that break lasts before Ben starts raring to work again, and gift us with yet another excellent performance. E-mail [email protected] Follow him at http://twitter.com/nepalesruben.
2016-07-24 00:01 Ruben V entertainment.inquirer.net
27 SAF’s heavy hand grips Bilibid Three days after a combat- trained police force was put in charge of New Bilibid Prison (NBP), reports of maltreatment have reached the Catholic priest who ministers to the inmates. Msgr. Roberto Olaguer, the NBP chaplain, said many inmates had complained that their new guards from the Special Action Force (SAF) were using violence to enforce prison rules. He said a SAF officer allegedly punched a prisoner in the stomach for not wearing the orange NBP uniform. Another inmate also took a punch just for saying “good morning” to an officer, while a Muslim inmate was called out for sporting a beard, which a SAF member allegedly pulled. “These are just things that have been shared with me; I did not see these incidents for myself, so I still have to verify if they are true,” Olaguer said in an interview on Saturday. Awakened at 3 a.m. “Some [inmates] told me that they were roused from sleep by the SAF around 3 a.m. just to check if they were wearing their uniforms while inside their cells. But it’s just natural for some inmates to not wear shirts while sleeping because of the heat.” Since the SAF took over on Wednesday, visiting schedules have also been disrupted, with the inmates’ families unable to enter despite being promised a 30-minute pass by NBP Supt. Roberto Rabo, the priest said. “It seems the SAF aren’t answering [to Rabo].” Reached for comment, Chief Supt. Benjamin Lusa, the head of the SAF battalion assigned to NBP, denied the allegations against his men. “That is not true. We don’t do that. We are professional police officers.” ‘Due respect, courtesy’ Despite the strict orders for them to secure Bilibid, it is also in their mandate to treat the prisoners with “due respect and courtesy,” Lusa said on the phone. Olaguer said he himself had felt the SAF’s strictness when he was almost barred from entering the prison facility in Muntinlupa City because he forgot to wear his ID. As to the visitors being barred since Wednesday, Lusa explained that this was only due to ongoing operations inside the prison, particularly at the maximum security compound, to rid the buildings of contraband. He did not give a specific answer when asked how long the operations would last, citing the large NBP area they still have to cover. Meanwhile, Olaguer said, the 217 guards from the Bureau of Corrections who were replaced by the SAF were “demoralized” because they felt they were “branded as scalawags.” The BuCor guards are currently undergoing “retraining” at Camp Vicente Lim, Calamba, Laguna, he said. 2016-07-24 00:01 Annelle Tayao newsinfo.inquirer.net
28 Pasay hitmen leave cardboard signs; Manila cops find ‘drug-using robbers’ Fresh blood was spilled on the streets with the killing of six men—two of them shot by the Manila police and four by unidentified gunmen in Pasay City. The four victims of apparent vigilante attacks were found in different locations in Pasay between late Friday night and early Saturday. The body of 50-year-old Redentor Manalang, a tricycle driver, was found by bystanders around 9:30 p.m. Friday at the corner of Zamora and Protacio Streets, according to the city police chief, Senior Supt. Nolasco Bathan. Manalang was shot three times in the body and, like many others killed in this manner over the past few weeks, had a carton sign placed on his body tagging him as a drug pusher. Around two hours later, another body was found in front of the GSIS Building on Diokno Boulevard shortly after security guards in the area heard gunshots, Bathan said. The victim, whom police have yet to identify at press time, bore multiple gunshot wounds in his body. Again, there was a cardboard sign calling him a drug addict and a thief. Target: pedicab man Shortly before 1 a.m., Michael Siaron, a 30-year-old pedicab driver, was waiting for passengers on Edsa near Pasay Rotonda when he was shot dead by two men on a motorcycle, Bathan said. The suspects, who had helmets on and fled via Edsa’s northbound lane, left a cardboard sign at the crime scene with the message: “I’m a drug pusher, do not emulate me.” Another pedicab driver, Merito Broqueza, was grazed by a stray bullet on his waist and was treated at Pasay City General Hospital. Around the same time Siaron was killed, 33-year-old Ryan Alfred Esquivel was also gunned down by two bike-riding men on Leveriza Street. Bathan said family members rushed Esquivel to the hospital but the victim died along the way. Esquivel got his cardboard sign, too: “Drug pusher, thief.” In Manila, two men were killed by the police on Friday night for allegedly resisting arrest and firing back at the lawmen. The Manila Police District (MPD) said its San Nicolas station received a tip that Dennis Ragub, alias “Buwaya,” and Frank Bural, alias “Panke,” 29, were taking drugs at a house on Sevilla Street, Binondo. A team was sent to arrest them but the two men allegedly drew .38-cal. revolvers and shot back at the officers, forcing the latter to fire back. An MPD report said a hand grenade, five sachets of suspected “shabu,” an improvised tooter and burner, and pieces of aluminum foil were recovered from Ragub and Bural—who were also tagged as robbers who victimized vendors in Divisoria.
2016-07-24 00:01 Annelle Tayao newsinfo.inquirer.net
29 Manila OKs another reclamation project The city government of Manila has entered into a joint venture agreement with a construction conglomerate for the P7.4-billion expansion of Manila North Harbour Centre (MNHC) in Tondo through reclamation. The JVA, signed at City Hall on Thursday by Mayor Joseph Estrada and R-II Builders Inc., involves the reclamation of 50 hectares of Manila Bay on the western side of MNHC, which currently sits on 79 hectares of reclaimed land. Under the agreement, Manila will be “appropriated with a 15-hectare portion of the soon-to-be-reclaimed area which the city government is planning to develop as a new industrial complex,” City Hall said in a statement on Saturday. Phase 1 and 2 of the reclamation and construction work are expected to take two-and-a-half years. “At no cost to the city government, this project will bring about the much- needed realty and corporate income taxes, and thousands of jobs and business opportunities for Manileños,” Estrada said. He added that the multibillion-peso project would help solve the “perennial problem of congestion in the city’s sea ports,” particularly at Manila North Harbor. According to R-II Builders chair Reghis Romero, the expansion would enable the port facility to handle larger vessels, which translates to reduced costs and faster cargo handling, and make the Port of Manila at par with international standards. “Because of progress, bigger cargo vessels are now being used, from 20,000 to 30,000 metric tons and now up to 60,000 to 70,000 metric tons. These vessels need a draft of at least 15 meters but sadly, Philippine ports can only handle up to 12,” Romero said. But the project is expected to draw fresh opposition from environmental, civic and religious groups who have long been against reclamation projects on Manila Bay. Joan Orendain, a convenor of “Save Our Shores” movement which has conducted forums and campaigns to preserve the coastline, warned that Manila was “already sinking” due to the increasing extraction of groundwater for homes and commercial buildings—and reclaiming more land for such developments would mean “a greater number needing water.” And in the event of an earthquake or storm surge, reclamation puts people on those areas at a higher risk, Orendain said in an interview Saturday. In 2013, during Estrada’s first year as Manila mayor, he also expressed his support for the reclamation of 288 hectares between the Philippine Navy headquarters and Manila Yacht Club. It was his predecessor, Alfredo Lim, who signed the contract with Manila GoldCoast Corp. for the project that was envisioned as the future site of “Solar City.” Also among the staunch opponents of reclamation projects on the bay is the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
2016-07-24 00:01 Kristine Felisse newsinfo.inquirer.net
30 Court lets probe of PLDT, Globe deal proceed —PCC The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) claimed a victory on Saturday in its fight to look into possible unfair business practices in the recent acquisition by telecommunication giants PLDT and Globe Telecom of San Miguel Corp.’s (SMC) telco unit. The PCC said the Court of Appeals (CA) had denied Globe’s application for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against PCC’s review of the P70-billion deal. PLDT had made a separate filing seeking to stop the review before the appellate court. Both buying telcos ran to the Court of Appeals on July 12 in a bid to stop the PCC from investigating the transaction, which they said deserved automatic approval based on the PCC’s transitory rules. The PCC said it wanted to know whether the deal would “substantially prevent, restrict or lessen competition in the relevant market, or adversely impact consumer welfare.” The PCC is mandated to look into possible unfair business practices such as the creation of monopolies and cartels. The telcos said the deal was covered by the PCC’s transitory rules, which only require a transaction notice to be filed by PLDT, Globe and SMC in order to be “deemed approved.” They argued that the acquisition was sealed on May 30, or before the PCC’s implementing rules and regulations were issued on June 3 and took effect on June 20. “The court’s decision further serves to strengthen the PCC’s resolve to closely scrutinize this transaction and examine any possible adverse effects on the public welfare,” the PCC said in its statement. “The undue haste exhibited by the parties to run to the courts to stop PCC’s review is now confirmed as unjustified,” it said. “The PCC remains hopeful that this development will encourage Globe and the other parties concerned to cooperate with the PCC in the fulfillment of its mandate to safeguard free and fair competition,” it added. Winthrop Yu, chair of the Internet Society—Philippines chapter, said the “refusal by the Court of Appeals to issue a TRO against the PCC conforms well with the views expressed by ISOC-PH as well as the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.” “A comprehensive review of the SMC telecom assets takeover should not be obstructed and should instead be allowed to proceed as mandated by the Competition Act itself,” he said in a statement. PLDT and Globe acquired SMC’s Vega Telecom and two related companies for their valuable radio frequencies, including almost all of the coveted 700 megahertz band.
2016-07-24 00:01 Miguel R business.inquirer.net
31 31 FVR answers call, is going to China DAVAO CITY—Former President Fidel V. Ramos said on Saturday he had accepted President Duterte’s offer to be the Philippines’ special envoy to China. Speaking to reporters after meeting with Mr. Duterte at the Marco Polo Hotel here, the 88-year-old Ramos said his doctors had given him the green light to take the job. “I have been cleared by my doctors at Makati Medical Center,” said Ramos, who revealed that he suffered from three serious ailments—including one that impaired the flow of blood to the brain. But he said he was now well, and even jumped in the air to drive his point. The former president, who wears a pacemaker, also gripped this reporter’s hand to demonstrate his strength. The meeting took place a few days after Mr. Duterte announced he would appoint Ramos as special envoy to China, an offer the former president appeared hesitant to take at first, citing his advanced age. Ramos said the job entailed more than just talking to the Chinese leaders, in the wake of The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling junking China’s claims in the South China Sea, which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea. He, however, did not elaborate and stressed that the issues would be tackled in his meetings with senior Duterte officials. “I said before that there should already be a National Security Council meeting,” he said. The council is to be convened on July 27, two days after the President’s State of the Nation Address on Monday. Other officials present at the meeting were Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon and former Presidential Assistant for Mindanao Paul Dominguez.
2016-07-24 00:01 Allan Nawal globalnation.inquirer.net
32 Cambodia foiling Asean consensus on sea row, says envoy VIENTIANE—Staunch China ally Cambodia is preventing Southeast Asia from reaching a consensus on the South China Sea after an international tribunal rejected Beijing’s territorial claims to the waters, a diplomat said on Saturday. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is meeting in Laos for the first time since the United Nations-backed tribunal ruled earlier this month that China did not have historic rights to vast swathes of the strategic sea. The issue is expected to overshadow the summit, with several of the 10 member states also claiming territory in the contested waters. China invests heavily across Asean but is accused of trying to divide the bloc by habitually offering aid, soft loans and diplomatic support to key allies Laos and Cambodia. A Southeast Asian diplomat told Agence France-Presse on Saturday that only Cambodia was standing in the way of a joint statement on the waters. “It’s very grave. Cambodia just opposes almost everything, even reference to respect for legal and diplomatic processes which already had been said in previous statements,” the diplomat said. A draft of the communique obtained by AFP showed the section titled “South China Sea” currently blank. Communist-ruled Laos has close links to Beijing and has also been accused of preventing a united front on the South China Sea issue. But diplomats note that as the chair of Asean this year, Laos is trying to see a statement produced even if it is watered down. “It does not need to take sides because even if only one country opposes, there is no consensus,” the diplomat. Another regional diplomat said on Friday that negotiations appeared to be at a deadlock. “At this point positions are locked. Cambodia has taken a hard line. Laos is hiding behind its role as Asean chair and not saying anything, but at the same time it is careful not to offend China,” the diplomat said. Chinese pressure was blamed last month for a startling show of discord by the bloc, with countries swiftly disowning a joint statement released by Malaysia that expressed alarm over Beijing’s activities in the South China Sea. The Philippines brought the international arbitration case against China, while fellow Asean members Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also have competing claims to parts of the sea.
2016-07-24 00:01 Agence France globalnation.inquirer.net
33 Carpio: Reed Bank ours to explore, but cautiously The Philippines can now freely, but cautiously, explore for oil and natural gas resources in Reed Bank after a UN-backed arbitral tribunal declared the area as part of the country’s exclusive economic zone, Supreme Court Senior Justice Antonio Carpio has said. Reed Bank, located off the coast of Palawan, is believed to be the country’s next important source of these resources, with the Malampaya offshore natural gas field expected to be depleted in the next 10 years, Carpio said on Friday at the Trident Security Forum at Solaire Hotel. “The Reed Bank is free from overlapping claims (based on the arbitral ruling), so we can proceed with plans to explore for oil and gas resources there,” Carpio said. “But we should be more prudent to sit down first with China and say: There is this ruling, we have to exercise our rights over the area.” Operations suspended Drilling operations at Reed Bank were suspended while the Philippines pressed its case in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which after more than three years effectively threw out on June 12 China’s claim of historical rights to nearly all of the South China Sea. It said the Chinese claim went against exclusive economic zones established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. China has rejected the ruling, and has indirectly blamed the United States, Manila’s key military ally, for encouraging the Philippine move. (See related stories on Page A5.) President Duterte has said he may send a special envoy to Beijing to discuss ways of moving things forward, even as the Department of Foreign Affairs has rejected a demand by the Chinese government to disregard the arbitral ruling as a starting point for two-way talks. Soften China’s anger Murray Hiebert, deputy director for Southeast Asia of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said Manila could look for closer “ways to cooperate” with Beijing amid an expected blow back. “The Philippines should look for ways to engage China to build infrastructure projects in the country,” Hiebert said in an interview during a recent post-arbitration forum at the UP College of Law. He said the Philippines “should explore ways to soften the anger of China before it starts the formal talks (regarding the disputed waters).” Solicitor General Jose Calida said the arbitral ruling would help the Philippines set the parameters for future bilateral negotiations with China to manage resources in the disputed waters. “There are now moves for back-channel negotiations with China and it we will be guided by what is provided under the Constitution and what the arbitral ruling says,” Calida said.
2016-07-24 00:01 Estrella Torres globalnation.inquirer.net
34 Change is here: No protests EXPECT Commonwealth Avenue to look less like a battlefield tomorrow. With the Left not planning to storm the House of Representatives, authorities are not setting up barricades of freight containers and barbed wire on Commonwealth Avenue, for many years the site of clashes between left-leaning activists and riot police as the President addresses a joint session of Congress. President Duterte will address Congress for the first time tomorrow afternoon, but as he is a friend of the Left, protesters will not try to march to the doorstep of the House to disrupt his State of the Nation Address or burn his effigy on the road, as they did under his predecessors. A welcome change: the protest stretch has been extended by 600 meters, so the protesters can march up to St. Peter’s Church, where they can hold their program. Senior Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of the Quezon City Police District, told reporters yesterday that by not hauling containers from the port area in Manila, the Philippine National Police expects to save around P300,000, which can be used for other programs such as the campaign against illegal drugs. The barbed-wire barricades come at no cost, as these belong to the area police station, Eleazar said. Security forces But there will be security forces there, and no fewer than in previous years, he said. Fire trucks will be there again, although their water cannon are not expected to be used this time. Eleazar gave assurance that the security forces would not starve on duty this year, as food would be served on time. He said the concessions the authorities were giving to the protesters this year were their way of saying they were one with the people in celebrating the Duterte administration’s promise of change. But they expect the protesters to return the “goodwill” by helping them “ensure a peaceful demonstration,” he said. No problem, according to the Left. Renato Reyes, secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, told the Inquirer in an interview yesterday the protesters welcomed the changes. He said tomorrow’s movement would be a show of support to the “people’s agenda for change and the upcoming peace talks.” “We are quite happy with this development under the Duterte administration, which has said it does not want a repeat of the overkill in security preparations by the two previous administrations,” Reyes said, referring to the administrations of Presidents Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III. 2016-07-24 00:01 Jovic Yee newsinfo.inquirer.net
35 Learn from New York experience, Bato told Former Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chair Loretta Rosales has appealed on Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to respect human rights in police operations as the government steps up its war on drugs. “Let us learn from other countries, which have transformed their cities,” she said, citing New York City which now has one of the lowest crime rates in the United States. The police have come under intense criticism over the spate of killings, particularly of suspected drug users or dealers, since the start of the administration of President Duterte, who has publicly backed executions as a tool to arrest a crime wave. Fortify police presence “We should fortify police presence and visibility in the streets, like what they do in New York,” Rosales said, citing a recent commentary by Portland- based theology professor Christina A. Astorga that appeared in the Inquirer. New York rode a crime wave in the 1970s and 1980s, but has since been transformed into one of the 10 safest cities in the world largely due to its “legal, intelligent and systematic” approach to crime, Rosales said. “It did not engage in vigilante killings. We should do the same in our country,” she said. Rosales commended police for facilitating mass surrenders, despite reports that some people were taken from their homes and made to sign “confessions” under duress. Commendable campaign “This aspect of your campaign is commendable and we congratulate you since this is the first time it appears that users and pushers have volunteered to surrender en masse,” she said. She said the crackdown “jolts us into recognizing the cruel enslavement of tens of thousands of people to illicit drugs” which has deprived them of a decent living. Citing the Inquirer’s daily “Kill List” tallying the number of police killings since Mr. Duterte took office, Rosales said the summary executions seemed to “blur in a gray mix that appear to be one and the same as the increasing breakdown of law and order.”
2016-07-24 00:01 DJ Yap newsinfo.inquirer.net
36 In the end, LP opts to join majority bloc FORMER Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and the Liberal Party (LP) have scuttled their plan to lead the opposition in the 17th Congress and instead will join the allies of President Duterte in the majority coalition. Belmonte confirmed the news in a text message to the Inquirer yesterday. Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas earlier told the Inquirer he received a phone call from Belmonte requesting a meeting with incoming Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to sign a majority coalition agreement between the LP and the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) today, one day before the opening of the 17th Congress. “SB (Sonny Belmonte) just called me to say he is not running for Speaker and the LP will join the majority,” said Fariñas. The battle for the speakership had long been settled with the PDP-Laban poaching the LP’s ranks to build up its roster from three members elected last May 9 to 100 just days before the July 25 opening of Congress. The LP has been reduced to 30 members and roughly 10 allies from party- list groups led by Akbayan. This would have been enough to win Belmonte the minority leadership. But the emergence of Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) as a serious contender in the minority leader race apparently moved Belmonte and the LP to think twice about their plan not to join the majority coalition, which includes the Nationalist People’s Coalition, National Unity Party, Nacionalista Party and the party-list bloc. Reports had it that Alvarez had met with Suarez and former Vice President Jejomar Binay and pledged to assist UNA’s bet in the minority leader race. Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo said Belmonte told party members he was setting aside his personal goal to lead the minority “in deference to the position of former President Noynoy Aquino for the LP to join the majority coalition.”
2016-07-24 00:01 Gil Cabacungan newsinfo.inquirer.net
37 UP coach Yee spearheads Crosscourt Volley Tournament There’s a new volleyball tournament in town and it’s reserved for the young ones. Jerry Yee, the head coach of the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons, will spearhead the Crosscourt Volley Tournament where eight teams from Metro Manila and Laguna will compete to see who among them has the best volleyball aspirants. CVT will only feature volleyball players aged 13 to 19. “This is something I’m very passionate about, and through the CVT we hope we can discover the next Alyssa Valdez, the next Kim Fajardo, or the next Jaja Santiago,” said Yee Friday at Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club. “I’m happy that young players, whether they are varsity players or not, get the chance to show their talents at this stage.” CVT will be played on July 30 at Badminton City in Manila. Teams will be divided into two groups and will play single round robin. The top team from each group will get outright slots to the semifinals while the second and third-placed teams will have to duke it out for the remaining two spots. A P40,000 cash prize await champions while the first runners-up will get P20,000. The third and fourth-placers will get P10,000 and P5,000 respectively. Yee also invited scouts from the UAAP and NCAA, and semi-professional teams to watch the tournament personally. Participating teams include Parañaque Under-19, South Aces, Black Jaguars, HUH, Quezon City High School and Hope Christian High School.
2016-07-24 00:01 Bong Lozada sports.inquirer.net
38 Simmon blames self after Phoenix’s third straight loss Marcus Simmons isn’t blaming anything or anyone but himself after Phoenix suffered its third straight loss Saturday night. Simmons had a nightmarish outing, scoring measly seven points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field in a 106-89 setback at the hands of Rain or Shine in a game where the Fuel Masters led by as much as 11 points late in the third quarter. “I played like s**t and I gotta man up to it and I’ll be ready to play next game,” Simmons told reporters. The 28-year-old Simmons rued his poor start, a scoreless opening quarter that he couldn’t recover from. “I started off bad from the first quarter. I gotta be more prepared for the game and just bring it. I can’t start off like that, it just carried over the whole game. I can’t get in any rhythm because of foul trouble,” said Simmons. “This is probably the worst game I played in my life. I feel bad for letting my team down so next week, I just gotta bring it in practice and hopefully get the win, that’s it.” In his first three games in the PBA, Simmons has had trouble keeping himself out of foul trouble. He fouled out in his debut against Meralco, committed four fouls versus San Miguel Beer last Sunday and had five Saturday night. “I won’t blame the officiating. I just gotta be ready play. I missed a lot of easy shots and I let that get into my head and I was committing stupid fouls,” said Simmons, who averaged 24.5 points per game in his first two outings. “I ended up on the bench and when I get back in the game and I didn’t have a rhythm so it’s not the officiating. I won’t blame the officiating.”
2016-07-24 00:01 Mark Giongco sports.inquirer.net
39 Group says Chinese steel bars in Subic not tested properly SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—A steel industry group said the public should be warned about a shipment of deformed steel bars from China which passed through this free port recently. In a statement, the Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (Pisi) said allowing 4,929 metric tons of deformed steel bars to be released into the market without proper testing would expose the public to “unnecessary risk.” “People’s lives are at stake here. Why was there a concerted effort to release the shipment before proper testing and put people at risk?” Roberto Cola, Pisi president, said. Cola said substandard steel bars were found in collapsed buildings and structures in 2013 when an earthquake struck Central Visayas and killed more than 200 people. The shipment, consigned to Mannage Resources Trading Corp. (MRTC), arrived here on April 22, and was held for two months by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Subic, owing to fears that these were substandard and would be sold in the local market. The shipment was stored at a warehouse at the Naval Supply Depot here when samples were tested by representatives of the Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The DTI Zambales office issued an import commodity clearance for the shipment following a May 16 report which concluded that samples of the steel bars had passed the mechanical, chemical and physical tests required by law. But Cola questioned the tests done on the product samples, saying these were not witnessed by industry experts. “[MRTC] keeps saying its steel bars were tested and passed [the standards], but the truth is the tests were done in China and were rejected by the DTI for being deficient and incomplete,” said Cola. “Our question is: Why did they test only one sample out of the 5,000 metric tons when 250 samples and tests were required. And why did they conduct the tests without customs and industry representatives as required?” He also said the BOC Port of Subic, which was alerted about the shipment’s lack of permits, had turned around and supported MRTC in the end. But lawyer Ernelito Aquino, BOC Subic district collector, said his decision to lift the alert order was based on his office’s findings after conducting hearings. “We conducted two hearings and our findings showed that there was no probable cause to [seize] the shipment,” Aquino said on Friday. Aquino said MRTC had paid duties and taxes for the steel bars, prompting him to allow the release of the shipment on June 22. Lawyer Walfredo Bayhon, director of DTI legal service, said Pisi’s allegation that the sampling and testing done on the steel bars were less stringent was “completely malicious, baseless, and highly irresponsible.” “The agency will continue to perform its mandate and exercise its jurisdiction on consumer, trade and industry matters conferred on it by laws,” Bayhon said in a July 22 letter to Pisi lawyers. Allan Macatuno, Inquirer Central Luzon
2016-07-24 00:01 Inquirer Central newsinfo.inquirer.net
40 ‘Strange and withdrawn’: what drove Ali Sonboly to launch Munich massacre? Ali Sonboly finished his paper round on Friday evening, used a young woman’s hacked Facebook account to issue a clumsy invitation to a local McDonald’s, then set off to kill anyone unlucky enough to take it up. The 18-year-old was known to neighbours and schoolmates as a chubby loner who was shunned by classmates and shunned his local community in turn, rarely seen unless he was out on a paper round delivering a local free-sheet. He had sought treatment for depression and psychiatric problems, police revealed after he shot nine people in cold blood, then killed himself. But his transformation into a violent killer still stunned those who had watched the uneasy teenager grow up. Classmates, family friends and neighbours said the tall, withdrawn young man had always seemed more shy than violent. Police confirmed that he had no criminal record and had never crossed the radar of German intelligence services. “He wasn’t intimidating-looking, but a little strange in character,” said Stephan Baumanns, the 47-year-old owner of the Treemans bakery and coffee shop, which sits near the entrance to the Sonboly family apartment. “He always seemed a bit nervous.” Baumanns knew the gunman’s taxi-driver father by sight and caught occasional glimpses of the teenager on his rounds, sometimes cutting them short by throwing piles of the free papers he was paid to deliver into a nearby rubbish bin. Ali Sediq, a 29-year-old neighbour whose son played football sometimes with Sonboly’s younger and more outgoing brother, echoed the cafe owner’s bewilderment. “The rest of the family seemed perfectly fine to me. Even [the gunman], although he was very withdrawn and a strange character, at least he was earning his own money with his newspaper round,” he said. “I never would have thought he could do such an attack.” The timid appearance was deceptive, however. A few floors above Baumanns’ cafe the teenage outcast was studying mass killers and preparing for murder himself, police said. He stockpiled hundreds of bullets, acquired a powerful black-market handgun, practised target games on his computer, and read about US school shootings in a meticulously researched book by a US academic, Why Kids Kill . Sonboly’s interest in American school killers appears to have been matched by his admiration for another teenage attacker who killed 15 people after opening fire at his old school in the southwest German town of Winnenden in 2009. Former classmates said the German-Iranian, shy and overweight child of a couple who moved to Germany in the 1990s as asylum seekers, was an unhappy outcast among other students. “At school Ali was often bullied by others and was really unpopular,” said one 14-year-old classmate, who lived in the same building as the gunman and was a couple of years behind him at the local middle school, one of the third-tier institutions in Germany’s streamed education system. “He was either by himself or together with one or two people [at school], but he seemed to have hardly any friends,” she added. The teenager was one of the last people to see Ali before he took up a Glock semi-automatic pistol and fired it with chilling calm outside the Olympia shopping mall. “Yesterday at noon I came home and I saw Ali here in the entrance of our building. He was still delivering newspapers the day of the shooting. It was strange, though,” she remembered. “He usually at least says ‘Hi’ to me, because I do know him, but when I greeted him, he didn’t say a word to me and seemed strange and withdrawn.” Within hours he had gunned down nine people – the vast majority of them fellow teenagers – and then turned the gun on himself on the outskirts of the city’s Olympic park. Police said they were still trying to pin down the exact motives for the attack, which in its timing and location carried echoes of more than one past atrocity. Sonboly opened fire on the fifth anniversary of far-right terrorist Anders Breivik’s killing spree in Norway, and then committed suicide on the outskirts of the Olympic village where Germany’s most notorious terror attack, the Black September massacre, unfurled in 1972. Regional security forces were already on high alert on Friday afternoon, because less than a week earlier another violent youth had launched the first Isis-linked attack in Germany. A teenage refugee armed with an axe and a knife had assaulted a group of tourists on a train, and a woman walking her dog, before police shot him dead. So when gunshots were first reported at the OEZ shopping centre, near the former Olympic Games site in Munich, panic spread faster across the city than hard news. Three men spotted running from the site of the attack – who later turned out to be panicked survivors – and unfounded reports of other shootings paralysed the Bavarian capital. Police shut down public transport networks, ordered cars off motorways, put all hospitals on alert and used a smartphone warning system to request members of the public to stay at home. They also asked journalists and people on social media to avoid sharing photos of the security forces in case it tipped off possible attackers. The city responded with a mixture of fear and defiance, sharing pictures of cuddly animals on hashtags for the attack in place of the usual images of police, and offering homes, mosques and even grounded train carriages as shelter for those stranded by the shutdown. It took several hours, and a bomb-disposal robot that checked Sonboly’s body for booby-trap explosives, to confirm that in fact there was only one attacker, and he had committed suicide early on in the evening. In the hours that followed, police began trying to unpick the tangled motives of the dead man. They rapidly ruled out any connection to Isis, or Islamist extremist terror, highlighting instead the “obvious link” to the anniversary of Breivik’s killings on the island of Utøya. Like Breivik, Sonboly seems to have intentionally targeted the young. Seven of the nine people he killed were teenagers and another was only 20, with just one older victim among the dead – a 45-year-old woman. He may even have known some of the victims, as the McDonald’s restaurant he chose as the site for his massacre was one he knew well and had often visited as a customer. Munich police investigator Robert Heimberger says Sonboly apparently set out to lure fellow teenagers to the restaurant using an awkward Facebook message on an account he stole. “There seem to be first signs, which still need to be checked, which indicate that the attacker had hacked a Facebook account,” Heimberger said. Posing as a young woman, he urged people to head over to the restaurant around 4pm, using local slang for McDonald’s – Meggi – and promising a free meal. “Come today at 4 pm to Meggi at OEZ, I will invite you guys for something, just don’t make it too expensive”, the message read. The slaughter that followed, apparently delayed by two hours, has devastated the whole of Germany. The youth of the victims – who include teenagers with Greek, Turkish and Kosovan roots – and the anguish of their bereaved parents, has made these killings particularly painful. “When you see that so many children and teenagers from so many nations are among the victims, that simply tears your heart apart,” said Germany’s interior minister, Thomas de Maizière. Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted that the attack, coming just days after the Isis violence on the train and the slaughter in the French city of Nice, had left many Germans asking, “where is safe?” But she promised security services would “do everything possible to protect the security and freedom of all people in Germany”. And in the road outside the Sonboly home, a gentrifed neighbourhood where their social housing block sits beside a Maserati showroom, local residents vowed not to let the killings disrupt their city or their daily lives. “Yesterday all the employees were sitting in the office until midnight,” said Sebastian, the 30-year-old owner of a PR agency in the next building. “We were so afraid to leave the building. It was a bit scary to find out this morning that we were next to the apartment where the gunman lived when we thought we were protecting ourselves. “But I don’t think it will make me feel different about the neighbourhood,” he added. “We shouldn’t go crazy over it. This could happen anywhere.”
2016-07-24 00:01 Emma Graham www.theguardian.com
41 Afghanistan: 61 dead as IS claims twin blasts in Kabul Kabul (Afghanistan): Islamic State jihadists claimed responsibility for twin explosions on Saturday, that ripped through crowds of Shiite Hazaras in Kabul, killing at least 61 people and wounding 207 others in apparently their deadliest attack in the Afghan capital. Volunteers move the bodies of victims at the scene of a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. Pic/AFP The bombings during a huge protest over a power transmission line could deepen sectarian divisions in a country well known for communal harmony despite decades of war. The blasts took place during a demonstration at the Deh Mazang Circle of Kabul. Volunteers assisted in helping the injured and moving the bodies of victims at the scene of the bombings.
2016-07-23 22:53 By Agencies www.mid-day.com
42 TUNE IN TODAY: Yahoo Hosts First-Ever Live Stream of Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting Live coverage begins at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday (4/30) Interviews with: , Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway; , Series Creator, "Breaking Bad" & "Better Call Saul"; , Chair, CEO and Chief Designer, Kathy Ireland Worldwide; , Sr. Partner, , and many more --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Tune in as (Nasdaq:YHOO) hosts the first-ever live stream of Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholders meeting today, , kicking-off with live coverage and analysis from Yahoo Finance Editor-in- Chief , on-the-ground at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Audiences will be able to watch live on Yahoo Finance - across desktop, tablet and mobile - as Chairman and CEO and his right-hand man share their unscripted views on the company, the markets, the economy, and whatever other topic that may come up. Watch the live stream here: http://yhoo.it/BRKLive Throughout the Preshow and Halftime Report we'll also feature a number of live and pre-taped interviews with the Yahoo Finance editorial team, including: , Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway; , BNSF CEO; , CEO; , CEO; , CEO; , CEO; songwriter, and long-time Buffett friend ; author and international speaker ; legendary business journalist ; Sr. Partner, , ; BRK-B shareholder and series creator of "Breaking Bad" & "Better Call Saul" ; Chair, CEO and Chief Designer of Kathy Ireland Worldwide, ; and many others. The shareholders meeting live stream will be available in both English and Mandarin, and will be delivered in 1080p HD quality. Embeddable VOD replay will be available on Yahoo Finance for 30 days following the meeting. For more information, and to register for regular updates on the Berkshire on Yahoo Finance, go to: http://yhoo.it/BRKLive Follow the conversation on Twitter with @YahooFinance #BRKLiveStream
2016-07-23 22:32 investor.yahoo.net
43 WATCH: Farmers market serve up crab apples with a sliver of gossip Puyallup teenager Blake Nelson talks about his grandfather and the '62 Corvette he inherited. Hundreds of people — including tribal, local, state and federal leaders — gathered Tuesday to celebrate the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge’s official name change to the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. Two of the youngest representatives of the Washington delegation at the RNC are working to engage their generation of voters. They see a "bright" future for the GOP, but have concerns about the public perceptions of their party's leaders. effery Steehler, Seth Waldo and Rachel Waldo joined hundreds of Pokemon Go players at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, July 17, 2016. About 600 people attended "Stop Killing Us", a rally held in People's Park in Tacoma's Hilltop Neighborhood, July 16, 2016. It was organized by Alexandra Waller in response to the spate of police and bias killings around the country. Gig Harbor High football players participate in yoga during practice in order to increase flexibility and decrease injuries. Sights and sounds from 7 Seas Brewing's seventh anniversary party in Gig Harbor on Saturday. A handful of girls learn all about fairies during the Woodland Fairy Camp at Volunteer Park on the Key Peninsula Wednesday, July 13, 2016. Sights and sounds as police investigate a quadruple shooting in Tumwater on Wednesday morning. Four people are taken to the hospital after a quadruple shooting and then a standoff with SWAT officers Wednesday morning on Gerth Street in Tumwater.
2016-07-23 22:32 www.thenewstribune.com
44 Erdogan's 'secret keeper' under fire over Turkey coup lapse Turkey's shadowy spy chief Hakan Fidan has faced an unprecedented public dressing down in the wake of the failed coup but appears set to stay on in his post -- at least for now. There has been intense speculation over the future of Fidan, head of the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) and widely seen as one of Turkey's most powerful men, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said intelligence lapses had helped last week's coup. Erdogan late on Friday held a two-hour meeting with Fidan at the presidential palace but there was no statement afterwards that Turkey's top spy was to go. Indeed, the most significant development -- much to the amusement of social media users -- was that the usually clean-shaven spy chief had grown a moustache in what some saw as an expression of loyalty to the similarly mustachioed president. "No, he did not offer his resignation. We did not discuss this," Erdogan said in an interview with France 24 television. Following reports that MIT caught wind of the coup hours beforehand but did not warn Erdogan, the president admitted there had been an intelligence failure. "There was a weakness regarding intelligence, a failure," Erdogan said, at the same time noting that such failures had also been seen in the United States over the September 11, 2001 attacks and the recent attacks in Belgium and France. He said Fidan and Hulusi Akar -- the military chief of staff who was held hostage by the plotters -- would be staying on but their positions were under review. "If we have to make a decision (on their future) I will weigh it with my Prime Minister (Binali Yildirim)," Erdogan said. "At present we are in a transition period -- we have a saying, 'you do not change the horse half-way down the road'. " According to the Hurriyet daily, Erdogan had furiously scolded Fidan following the coup, saying: "You got a really bad mark. " To which Fidan replied: "Whatever you command, I am ready to do. " - 'Why didn't you share?' - Erdogan had previously complained of finding out about the coup not from the intelligence service but his brother-in-law -- and then, extraordinarily, of being unable to reach Fidan. Meanwhile Yildirim said he found out 15 minutes after the coup took place, having had no idea of the impending threat. "Even looking at things in the most positive way, there was an intelligence weakness," Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli told NTV television. "Imagine -- this news comes out and the president cannot reach the head of the main intelligence organisation. " Adding to the intrigue, the military chief of staff's office said it had been tipped off by the MIT about the coup at 4:00 pm local time, raising the question of why the political leadership was not informed sooner. "Dear Mr Hakan Fidan... when you got the secret news of the coup, why did you not share this with a single politician? " asked Hurriyet columnist Ahmet Hakan. According to a report by the CNN Turk channel, the MIT's rapid alert resulted in a meeting between Fidan and Turkey's top generals at 5:30 pm on July 15. They then took measures that forced the plotters to bring forward the timing of the coup, which was to have started at 03:00 am the next day with martial law declared at 6:00 am. But it remains a mystery why the political leadership was not involved. Fidan was named to head MIT by Erdogan in May 2010 after serving as his foreign policy advisor for three years. Until now, he had always been seen as one of the president's most loyal servants, with Erdogan openly describing Fidan as his "secret keeper". In a bizarre sequence of events that remains unexplained, Fidan in February 2015 resigned as head of MIT with the aim of becoming an MP. However Erdogan kicked up a fuss and the spymaster -- who had in the past held secret talks with jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan -- was soon back in his old job.
2016-07-23 22:19 By AFP www.digitaljournal.com
45 Duke University Student Recalls Witnessing Munich Mall Attack Video It we're. Making they were crying and. Duke University senior mean the stole is in Germany for a summer intern ship. In between earning college credits and hitting the mall she could have very easily found herself dodging bullet. This crew crazy it was so crazy must later. Start your car and a background and I look up your air and or use nobody really ill. But we're still Clint audit them all and edits are just one stop. As the bullets rained out to me in a picture this scenario in which perhaps she could have been one of the injured or even worse. One of the deceased. Had I didn't I didn't do. Go there for a third time late header and minutes earlier had been that right now. Hours later to Mena is still trying to make sense of it all. It was just terrifying IA it you'll like it really costs. She was born in raised in Munich and tonight. Her family there helping those in need by providing a safe haven for several German families affected by the terror. It took a couple of patently. Happens to them already left about may be. Half an hour and our allies for help they are state. And even though to mean a feels safe she understands the threat still exists. Tell us please it would neutralize. Noble built that it'll be very difficult to go to tonight. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
2016-07-23 21:58 ABC News abcnews.go.com
46 Wikileaks: Politico’s Ken Vogel Seeks DNC Approval For Post Wikileaks, trying to help Bernie Sanders, leaked emails between the DNC and everyone. In this leak, a billionaire donor’s social security number is revealed and emails demonstrate that the supposedly neutral DNC would smear Bernie because of his religion. But the part I’m interested in is the email exchange with Politico’s chief investigative reporter Ken Vogel and the DNC. Vogel gave me his story ahead of time/before it goes to his editors as long as I didn’t share it. Let me know if you see anything that’s missing and I’ll push back. Mark Paustenbach National Press Secretary & Deputy Communications Director Democratic National Committee 202.863.8148 [email protected] In the days before Hillary Clinton launched an unprecedented big-money fundraising vehicle with state parties last summer, she vowed “to rebuild our party 2016-07-23 21:41 Melissa Clouthier spectator.org
47 The American Spectator Phoenix wants you to be smarter about walking your dog in extreme heat. Kind of. Sort of. The City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board voted late last month to ban hikers from taking their dogs on city trails in temperatures over 100 degrees. In the average year, highs in Phoenix surpass 100 degrees on 107 days out of 365. A similar ban on human hikers hitting the trails in heat over 110 degrees failed, so at least the nannies who run Phoenix are exercising some restraint. But their assumption is that the humans are too stupid to take care of their own dogs, so the city will do it for them. But not really. Because while the board voted to ban hot-weather walks for pooches, it also announced it wouldn’t really enforce the ban. The idea behind the pilot program is that banning dogs from traversing the city’s 200 miles of trails in extreme heat will encourage owners to restrict their pets’ exercise on blistering days, as the American Humane Society recommends. Dogs don’t deal with the heat as well as humans, so while a human hiker might feel fine — a somewhat dubious assumption, as anyone who has hiked in an Arizona summer can attest — his fluffy companion could be overheating without being able to say so. “It’s really kind of an unfortunate situation that drastic measures have to be taken since we know that there are so many responsible pet owners out there, but we appreciate the city’s efforts to protect pets,” said Bretta Nelson, a spokesperson for the Arizona Humane Society, in an interview with Watchdog. “Our hope is that it really offers results.” Chris DeRose, senior litigation council for the Arizona Attorney General and a candidate for Phoenix City Council, said that while a ban on human hikers would be an attempt to “legislate stupidity out of existence,” a rule protecting dogs is appropriate. “Animals just don’t have the discretion to do something or not,” he told Watchdog. A dog-walking ban might make a tincture of sense if city officials had any evidence that pets were being abused in such a manner. If they have it, they aren’t sharing it. And it might make sense if Phoenix dog owners were irretrievably stupid. No evidence of that, either. And it might make sense if the city actually planned to enforce the ban. In an interview with Watchdog, Gregg Bach, a spokesman for Phoenix Parks and Recreation, described the new rule as an extension of his department’s commitment to educating the public about safe use of the trails. Bach said that taking Fido on the trails in 100+ degree weather would be a class 1 misdemeanor, which could result in a fine of up to $2,500 and even jail time – the same as breaking any other park rule. “We need something behind the educational methods that has some consequences behind it,” Bach said. Then added, “we’re not approaching this as a punitive thing.” For now, education means media coverage, social media, temporary signs at the city’s 41 trailheads, and patrolling rangers at some locations. “Rangers are city staff,” Bach explained. “They don’t serve as law enforcement. They can’t arrest, but they can issue citations. But mostly they are educational.” Such a plan has the same logic as a sign reading, “Beware of dog! All bark, no bite! Loves strangers! Please don’t rob us! Back door unlocked.” “This isn’t the reason we have the criminal code,” DeRose said, drawing on his experience as a prosecutor. “It’s not there to give suggestions. Even if you didn’t really have a budget or a plan to enforce it, why announce it? One of the reasons the criminal code is there is to deter criminal conduct. It’s not going to have a deterrent effect if you tell the public you’re not going to enforce it.” In the topsy-turvy world of the Nanny State, educating people on responsible pet ownership means making new rules to protect dogs and then not really enforcing them.
2016-07-23 21:41 Grant Broadhurst spectator.org
48 Swimmer dies after group caught in riptide in Norfolk A man has died and another is said to be in a serious condition after a group of swimmers got caught up in a riptide in Norfolk. The men were pulled unconscious from the water at Sea Palling, near Great Yarmouth, shortly before midday. A 54-year-old man died while a 26-year-old man was airlifted to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. Members of the public pulled them out of the sea, the RNLI said. The East of England Ambulance Service said paramedics treated two men, "both in cardiac arrest". A spokesman said: "Sadly a man, believed to be in his 50s, died at the scene. " A coastguard spokeswoman said: "Quite a number of people went into the water to help. There were two people that needed medical attention. " Four men got into difficulties about 800m away from the lifeguarded area, the RNLI said. Jack Hood, RNLI lifeguard supervisor, said: "It appears these four men got into distress in the water because of one of the notorious rips that can occur off this coast. "One of our lifeguards immediately started CPR on the 54-year-old, assisted by a member of the public who declared he was a medic. Meanwhile, a member of the public who had experience of first aid was giving CPR to the 26-year-old, so our lifeguard moved her focus to take over his treatment. "In the meantime, our other lifeguard had rushed to obtain oxygen and a defibrillator from the RNLI's beach lifeguard unit. Whilst the 26-year-old was breathing when she returned with the equipment, the 54-year-old was not. " Three land ambulances, two air ambulances, the Humber Coastguard rescue helicopter and three local coastguard teams were called to the beach along with two RNLI inshore lifeboats.
2016-07-23 21:43 www.bbc.co.uk
49 RAF Marham abduction suspects 'part of larger team' Two men who attempted to abduct a serviceman near an RAF base were likely to have been "part of a larger team", police have said. The serviceman was threatened with a knife near RAF Marham on Wednesday afternoon and attempts were made to grab him. Det Supt Paul Durham said the victim "only witnessed two attackers" but there could have been more. Police are also appealing for dash-cam footage from people in the area. Drivers in the Marham and King's Lynn areas are being urged to come forward with video as it may hold vital clues. "Many people now use these devices and they may contain something that the driver or rider isn't aware of," Det Supt Durham said. The serviceman was able to hold off the attackers and return to the base. Initial inquiries have revealed there were a number of people walking on Squires Hill, near Costcutters, around the times of the incident. It is hoped CCTV could be used to help trace a dark people carrier that is thought to have been used by the suspects, who are yet to be found. "While the victim only witnessed two attackers, there may have been more than two people in the vehicle and given the nature of the attack, it is likely they were part of a larger team," Det Supt Durham said. "So I would urge people to review their footage from the week leading up to the incident and contact us if they feel it could assist the inquiry. " Police have now lifted the cordon at the attempted abduction scene.
2016-07-23 21:43 www.bbc.co.uk
50 Reality Check: Has Corbyn changed his mind on Article 50? The claim: Jeremy Corbyn has performed a U-turn over when Article 50 should be triggered. Reality Check verdict: Mr Corbyn's message has certainly changed, either because he has changed his mind or because he misspoke on 24 June and waited a month to correct himself. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke to David Dimbleby on the BBC the morning of the EU Referendum result. His first remark was that: "The British people have made their decision. We must respect that result and Article 50 has to be invoked now so that we negotiate an exit from the European Union. " Article 50 is the mechanism by which countries leave the European Union. After it has been triggered, the clock starts ticking on a two-year deadline to negotiate the terms of the exit, after which the country will leave the EU, unless all the other members agree to an extension. Mr Dimbleby said the idea of an abrupt signing of Article 50 was at odds with suggestions from Tory MEP Daniel Hannan who said it would be better to take our time and develop a strategy. My Corbyn confirmed that it was important to have a strategy but did not disagree with the suggestion that he was calling for an abrupt triggering of Article 50. Media coverage concluded that Mr Corbyn was indeed in favour of triggering Article 50 straightaway, and his first challenger for the Labour leadership, Angela Eagle, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that his idea of triggering Article 50 straightaway would have caused chaos. An immediate triggering of Article 50 was not an outlandish suggestion at the time. David Cameron had said before the referendum that he would be doing so straightaway, before changing his mind and resigning instead. But Mr Corbyn set the record straight in an interview on Newsnight on Thursday. "I may not have put that as well as I should have done," he told presenter Evan Davis. "The view I was putting was that Article 50 will be invoked at some point. I did not mean it should be invoked on Friday morning and we should rush over to Brussels and start negotiating things away because clearly the negotiations are going to be very long and very complicated. " Read more: The facts behind claims about our relationship with the EU
2016-07-23 21:43 www.bbc.co.uk
51 What will stop Tumblr's tumble? Three years have passed since Yahoo bought Tumblr, but the micro-blogging website has not proved to be the goldmine once hoped. Yahoo paid $1.1bn (£830m) for the company back in 2013 - but it has since slashed $712m (£541m) off its valuation. CNN Money has suggested that the acquisition is now "effectively worthless". Tumblr is a social network where members can post almost anything - photos, audio clips, videos, animations, feature-length text posts and more. It was set up in 2007 and brings together a staggering breadth of content, including craft tutorials, clips of TV programmes, mental health support groups, political satire, naked selfies, funny cat pictures and hardcore pornography. Members follow people who post the type of content they enjoy, and can repost items they like on to their own page, providing fertile ground for in- jokes and memes to go viral. One recent obsession involved gate-crashing innocent-looking videos with the loud trumpeting intro to pop song Run Away With Me by Carly Rae Jepsen. At the time of the acquisition - addressing concerns from Tumblr's fiercely loyal members - Yahoo chief executive Marissa Mayer promised not to "screw it up". Those who keep a close eye on services such as Tumblr say the site has been slow to add new features. Its latest big addition is live video support, following in the footsteps of Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and Twitter-owned Periscope. "Tumblr has just added live video, and it's six months late," said Eleni Marouli, principal analyst at IHS Markit. "That's years in the technology world. " A bigger concern is that the site cannot find enough advertisers to fill its available space. That could be, in part, due to the nature of the content on Tumblr - much of it adult-orientated, depending on whom you follow - although Ms Mayer blames the shortfall on a growing number of advertising formats. "Supply, because it's growing so quickly, is outpacing demand, and it's causing this monetisation shortfall," she said. Then there's the issue of mobile advertising. People are increasingly accessing content via mobiles, and Tumblr has been slow to react. "Yahoo has been very slow at deploying ads on mobile," said Ms Eleni. "Its mobile ad revenue is far below its peers in the industry. " To plug its advertising gaps, Tumblr has called upon the Facebook Audience Network advertising service. That will fill some of the holes, but at a cost. "It will ramp up revenue quickly - but they will lose a slice of the money to Facebook with that deal," said Ms Eleni. And any increase in advertising on the platform is likely to meet opposition from the site's members. In the last week, many Tumblr members have been outraged at new invisible audio adverts that Tumblr appears to be testing. The maker of one ad-blocking browser plug-in has already published an update that will "terminate with extreme prejudice the auto-playing audio sidebar ads". Sites such as Buzzfeed tackle the dislike of intrusive advertising with "sponsored posts" - editorial content such as photos or videos with an advertorial slant. Ms Marouli thinks such a focus on "premium" content could help Tumblr in the future. "Snapchat, when it first started, was known as the sexting app. But it has managed to attract premium content on its platform and now has branded content deals," she said. "It's up to the management to make Tumblr more premium, but it's also very important that they keep their users engaged. "Whether it's too late, we will see. " Tumblr could soon find itself in new hands, because Yahoo is selling its core internet business. US telecoms giant Verizon is said to be interested. It recently bought another faded star of the internet - AOL. Other rumoured buyers include mobile network AT&T and the UK's Daily Mail. Ms Mayer said the board of executives had made "great progress on strategic alternatives" - but there has not been an announcement yet.
2016-07-23 21:43 By Chris www.bbc.co.uk
52 What will Brexit mean for Polish 'ghost towns'? The population of Podlaskie, an impoverished region in north-east Poland, is famous the world over. Tens of thousands of white storks nest in its flatlands each summer, before heading south to warmer climes. Such are the numbers, that, as one local guide quips, it can be said that one in four storks worldwide is Polish. But in recent years, this area has gained renown for another form of migration - the exodus of its working-age population. More than any other area in Poland, Podlaskie's residents have taken advantage of the freedom to live and work in other EU countries - particularly the UK. In some towns, more than one in 10 has left, mostly young people - leaving none but the elderly behind. "There used to be two cinemas, but they both closed," says Kasia, one of the remaining residents of Monki, a virtual ghost town with the distinction of having seen the highest number of its citizens depart to richer EU economies. "And there are just two concerts a year," she adds. "Everyone is going, everyone is leaving," one of the owners of a faded electrical store in the centre of town, unchanged for decades, laments. "Only the disabled people stay - all the villages are empty. " Such is the suspicion of foreign influence, that the woman, who is in her 60s, won't give her name to the BBC. But on the topic of migration, she is loquacious. "The tragedy of small towns is that old people can't follow the trend of globalisation and make the most of new technology. And the young people decide to leave to get by in the big towns and work for big corporations. " Despite it being a regular weekday, few customers are to be seen - the only life visible in the town centre are a scattering of older women, sitting on stoops and smoking idly. The electrical store shopkeeper blames this scene on Poland's accession to the EU in 2004. "Things have changed a lot - it's like a desert. You drive through these villages and there's nobody here. They go abroad and make money and they leave these places empty. " Despite such local hardships, there is little argument that Poland has been a net beneficiary of its membership of the European Union. It helped transform the country from a post-Soviet society to a robust, modern economy, so resilient that it became the only EU state not to plunge into recession following the 2008 financial crisis. This, coupled with the fact that its economic value, or gross domestic product, doubled in just over two decades, had led to Poland being dubbed the "miracle economy". With close to a million Poles living and working in the UK, and sending back more than a billion euros each year, many in the country were hoping that Britain would vote to remain a member of the EU. But now that the divorce is under way, some see an opportunity. "At the moment Poland has a demographic problem," says Dr Przemyslaw Biskup, a European integration expert at the University of Warsaw. "It is not that bad that we would have our compatriots returning - our labour market is becoming more and more hungry for employees. Such people would bring new experience, new skills and new qualifications back to Poland. " Indeed, a recent report by the IMF concluded that large-scale emigration may have slowed growth in Central and Eastern European countries. Not that Brexit necessarily means Poles will be returning in their droves. Many of those who settled in the UK are now permanent residents, or on the path to citizenship. More and more, they tend to bring their families to Britain, rather than return to Central Europe. But there is some evidence of "returnees" - even in an area with as few economic opportunities as Podlaskie. On the main square of the remote historic town of Tykocin, local boy Kamil Swietorzecki runs a cafe and gallery, catering to the many tourists who visit the nearby 17th Century synagogue or 600-year-old castle. "I went to Liverpool when I was 21 and worked in kitchens and various places," he says, pausing while brewing some strong Polish coffee. "The aim was to make money and open a company back here. " Stories like Kamil's are still an anomaly, however. Freedom of movement is vital to many Poles, particularly those who survive on the remittances sent back home from those working in Britain. Which is why Jakub Wojnarowski, deputy director general of the Polish business organisation Lewiatan, thinks Poland will insist on open borders in any trade negotiations with the newly independent UK. "There will be no concession," he says. The Polish government, Mr Wojnarowski predicts, "will not be trading freedom of movement for access to the common market" even if it ends up hurting some of the 4,000 companies Lewiatan represents. The powers that be will have to listen to the "voice of the ordinary people," whose wives, sons and daughters are working in the UK, he believes. "They will say, 'We want to keep this alive.'" Back in Tykocin, cafe owner and returnee Kamil, who still has family in the UK, hopes that Brexit will not lead to a raising of the drawbridge between the two countries. But if it does, he is not too concerned for his compatriots. "It is mostly a tragedy for those who are already there," he says, but adds that for those Poles looking for work elsewhere there is always the rest of the EU.
2016-07-23 21:43 By Joe www.bbc.co.uk
53 In pictures: EyeEm Awards The EyeEm Photography Festival and Awards aims to celebrate emerging talent. This year's competition attracted more than 270,000 entries in five categories: The Portraitist, The Architect, The Great Outdoors, The Photojournalist and The Street Photographer. The latter includes this shot of a woman on the beach in Naples, by Michele Liberti. Istanbul-based Can Dagarslani was shortlisted for The Portraitist category for this image from Inside Out, which explores the notion of identity. Femi Onipinla submitted this photo for The Great Outdoors category. It was taken during a trip to a desert camp in Erg Chebbi, Morocco. Jadsada Inaek captured a moment at Siam Park City amusement park in Bangkok in this The Street Photographer category image. This photo by Melvin Anore was taken during a Good Friday religious procession in Binangonan Rizal, Philippines, it was shortlisted for The Photojournalist category. A heated moment during a Moharram celebration in Lucknow, India, was the focus of Mayank Gautam's entry, also shortlisted for The Photojournalist. Zacharie Rabehi's portrait of Shaboo was submitted in the same category. A victim of an acid attack by her father when she was one month old, Shaboo was adopted by an orphanage ashram in Mumbai. Her mother, who was also attacked, died as a result. An unusual building in Osthafen, in Berlin, was the subject of Jorg Fockenberg's image for The Architect, showcasing "stunning architecture that moves you". “My daughter gets her first pony ride in Petaluma, California," said Todd Bischoff, of his The Street Photographer image. "High Five is part of a current series I am working on called Let’s Get Acquainted. " The winners will be announced at the 2016 EyeEm Festival and Awards in Berlin on 27 August 2016. (People fishing in Kuala Lumpur by Khairel Anuar)
2016-07-23 21:43 www.bbc.co.uk
54 Terence Donovan: Speed of Light A major retrospective of Terence Donovan, one of the foremost photographers of his generation, has opened in London. (Twiggy, Woman's Mirror, 1966) Terence Donovan was born in the East End of London and started taking photographs in 1951. Along with his contemporaries Brian Duffy and David Bailey, he took many of the iconic images of the 1960s, transforming the art and style of photography and helping to create the concept of Swinging London. (Terence Stamp, British Vogue, 1967) Donovan's innovative style freed British fashion photography from its static convention. (French Elle, 1966. Du Nouveau sous le nouveau tunnel) Redefining British photography through his magazine work, Donovan focused on the pop stars and actresses and models of the day, becoming as famous as the people he photographed. (French Elle, 1965. Les Manteaux arts modernes) The photographer also brought a gritty, East End feel to Man About Town magazine, later renamed About Town, influencing its image with film-style shots. (Thermodynamic fashion shoot for About Town, 1961) The exhibition showcases both well-known vintage prints as well as previously unpublished material, alongside a selection of his video work. (‘Dressed Overall’ Fashion Feature for Nova, 1974) Terence Donovan: Speed of Light in association with Ricoh is at The Photographers’ Gallery in London until 25 September 2016. (Stella Tennant modelling a suit by Hussein Chalayan. British Vogue, Made in England, 1995) ALL PHOTOS: Courtesy of the Terence Donovan Archive 2016-07-23 21:43 www.bbc.co.uk
55 Keith Richards on life before the Stones started rolling If you were looking for a pundit to present a documentary on how Britain changed from 1945 to the early 1960s, Keith Richards might not be the obvious choice. But Julien Temple's new documentary mixes Richards' pre-Rolling Stones memories of growing up in Kent with his account of how American music shook up post-war Britain. It's 30 years since the director Julien Temple made Absolute Beginners, a rare attempt at a big film musical in Britain. It flopped. But in this millennium he's made a series of memorable music documentaries. They've featured intimate interviews and archive material used in striking new ways. Subjects have included Joe Strummer, The Kinks and Wilko Johnson. "Of course I love the music," Temple says. "But I'm just as fascinated by social context. " Temple's latest documentary Keith Richards - The Origin of the Species has a strong focus on social history. It's not a band biography: the story stops just as the Rolling Stones are becoming well known. Temple says he enjoyed Richards' memoirs when they came out in 2011. "But I was really struck by the early chapters and how viscerally connected he still is to his childhood in Dartford," he says. "There were vast elements that we didn't know about him before. "Keith's 72 now but he has a real affection for when he was growing up. I was sure it would translate to the screen too, so at the beginning of April we sat down and did the interview which is the centre of the film. "Maybe we're reaching a legacy moment for the '60s generation. I think Keith is pleased his grandchildren's generation will get an extra insight into the England which made him. " Temple says it's no coincidence that his documentaries have often focussed on London and the Thames Estuary. "People expect a music scene in the capital city," he says. "But places like Dartford had their own energy too. "People think it's going to be a dull place but the landscape when you head out into the Thames marshes is extraordinary - it's almost like being in the Serengeti. " Apart from the archive - an intricate montage of newsreel, TV commercials and old public information films - what makes the documentary work is Richards' humour and honesty as an interviewee. He starts by recalling how Dartford was part of "bomb alley" for the Luftwaffe as they headed to or from London in the Blitz. But he also talks with insight of a father who "had a good heart - but he had a problem expressing it", adding: "He had a lot of physical energy: I got a lot of that from him. " Richards is good on the differences between his own generation and that of his parents. "Dad worked for General Electric, making lamp tubes," he says. "His mind- set was from the 1930s and the Depression: if you had a job you kept hold of it. I got very little 'Well done son'. "But then I realised he was working so damn hard he didn't have time for it. " With obvious affection, he recalls his mother as "very subversive". "I got some of my humour from her," he says. "She loved to sing around the house and she really knew the dial on the radio - the BBC Light Programme but also the Home Service and the Third Programme. "She pretty much filled my ears all the time with music, music, music. " Temple says many people of Richards' generation would also have thoughts about how different parents were who grew up before World War Two. "But it's striking in the film how the decades of celebrity and high living haven't blinded Keith to how limited social and cultural horizons were," he says. "He was lucky to be young in a period of change in Britain and the Stones grabbed their chance with both hands. " As the '50s near their end, the influence of American rock and roll and the blues on the teenaged Richards becomes unmistakable. Temple says songs like Fats Domino's Rockin' Bicycle, featured in the documentary, must have seemed extraordinary at the time. Given that the film has been made in just three months (and was still being edited in the week of transmission), Temple says decisions on what music to include had to be made quickly. "But the whole process has been revolutionised by everything being online," he says. "Just as you can now do initial research on film clips on YouTube, I often found myself hunting for suitable music on Spotify. "The old way to do a documentary was to write and rewrite your script and then hunt out video and audio material to support what you've said. But now you can research material on the internet and decide something is irresistible and has to go in. There's an element of beachcombing - though it still helps to have fantastic archive researchers. " People coming to the documentary expecting revelations about the early days of the Stones may be disappointed. But Richards is superb at evoking a 1950s boyhood, with its summer holidays with mum and dad in Dorset and early trips to London. Perhaps surprisingly, he even explains how he enjoyed being in the school choir and how joining the scouts helped give him the personal skills to co- found the Rolling Stones. But he also recounts how he started to stand up to authority figures. "I could have gone criminal but luckily music saved me. " Temple hopes his film shows how much Britain changed while Richards was growing up. "When he was 10 there was still rationing, kids barely had sweets or Christmas presents and there was still National Service and commercial TV didn't yet exist," he says. "By the time he was 20 that had all changed. "It was a revolution and Keith's great at explaining that for an audience. But he's also a little cynical about the revolution which is part of why you want to listen to what he says. "The film isn't really about Keith's music or his lyrics. But if you listen to some of his songs there's an edge of social commentary. "He's always been very aware of the time he's lived through. Keith had wild man phases - but I like the fact that in the film he comes over as grounded. I think he's at peace with himself: he knows who he is. " Keith Richards - The Origin of the Species is on BBC Two on 23 July. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts , on Instagram , or email [email protected] .
2016-07-23 21:43 By Vincent www.bbc.co.uk
56 Online Payments When dealing with the fast paced ever fluctuating foreign exchange market, it can be extremely beneficial to speak to a currency expert. You will be assigned you own personal account manager who can guide you through the transfer process and offer specialist guidance on your currency requirements.
2016-07-23 21:43 www.cnnmoneytransfers.com
57 Profile: The Owen Smith story The man challenging Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership is virtually unknown outside Westminster. So who is Owen Smith? We know who he wants to be. The great unifier. A political miracle worker who can unite Labour's warring factions to win a general election many in the party think will happen sooner rather than later, whatever the new prime minister says. He says he wants to "save the party" and prevent it from what he fears would be a catastrophic split. And we know how he would like to be seen - a more voter-friendly version of Jeremy Corbyn, with similar "radical" left-wing values but a fresh, modern face. But what about the man himself? His campaign launch - tieless, immaculate white shirt, flanked by his family and a youthful band of supporters - could have come straight from the Cameron/Blair playbook. But his big idea - rewriting Clause IV of the Labour constitution to include a specific commitment to fight inequality - is designed to be a break with the Blair era. He is proud of his Welsh roots. He was born in Morecambe, Lancashire, but grew up in South Wales, and was recently described by the Guardian, as a fully paid-up member of the "Taffia", the Welsh political and media establishment. His father Dai, is a prominent Welsh historian and a one-time chairman of the Arts Council of Wales, whose books include one on Aneurin Bevan as well as The World of South Wales. The man Owen Smith would one day succeed as Labour MP for his home town of Pontypridd, Kim Howells, was a family friend. Age: 46 Family: Married to Liz with three children - Jack, 17, Evan, 15, and Isabelle, 13 Educated: Coedylan Primary School, Pontypridd, comprehensive schools in Pontypridd and Barry, University of Sussex, where he studied history and French Parliamentary career: MP for Pontypridd since 2010, former shadow work and pensions secretary Job before politics: BBC producer, lobbyist for pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Policies: Raise the top rate of income tax to 50%, write a commitment to tackling inequality into Labour's constitution, £200bn plan to build new infrastructure and council housing. Backs Trident nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. In contrast to Mr Corbyn, has said he would be prepared to press the nuclear button. Would be "tempted" to call a second EU referendum. Wants to increase the involvement of Labour members in policy decisions. What he says about Jeremy Corbyn: Has praised the Labour leader for helping the party "rediscover its radical roots" but claims the party has fallen in the public's esteem under his leadership and is even seen as a "laughing stock" by some people. Says Mr Corbyn needs to stand aside so the party can become a "serious" and credible alternative government again. Off duty: Watching rugby, he is a regular at Pontypridd RFC, and listening to Bruce Springsteen. Once described his "guilty pleasure" as "too many beers". The young Smith was steeped in the traditions and mythology of Welsh Labour, always to the left of the party nationally, but he credits the 1984 miners' strike as his "political awakening". He recently recalled, in a speech to his constituents, how as a teenager he had marched with striking miners from the Maerdy Colliery, and had been inspired by their "sense of community, solidarity and passion for justice". "This is why I am Labour right to my fingertips. I'm not interested in machine politicking and Westminster parlour games, but rooted politics - that's about making a real and lasting difference to people's lives. " He joined the Labour Party at the age of 16, while still a pupil at Barry Boys' Comprehensive School, in the Vale of Glamorgan. After studying history and French at the University of Sussex, he joined BBC Wales as a radio producer in 1992. His father, Dai, was appointed editor of BBC Wales and head of programmes in the same year. Colleagues recall an amiable but highly ambitious character. On one occasion, when he had landed a sought-after job on BBC Radio 4's Today programme in the mid 1990s, in London, his keenness to impress his bosses got the better of him. Asked to call the police to check on a breaking story, the young producer stunned more experienced newsroom hands by dialling 999 to demand an interview with the chief constable. The incident led to an official complaint from the Metropolitan Police. Quizzed about it on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme, he said it had been a "pretty stupid" thing to do but he had "pressured" into getting a comment, adding that he did not think he had called the 999 emergency number but a police hotline. "It was clearly a really stupid and embarrassing thing to do," he said. "I was embarrassed about it at the time, I am embarrassed about it now, but I think my judgement isn't called into question by this, it was a foolish mistake by a young man. " "I am on the left of the Labour Party, I share many of Jeremy's values but I think I can talk about modernising those values, I think I can talk about Labour's future, in a way in which no other candidate, including Angela, can," speaking to Channel 4 News on 13 July,. "It's not enough just to be anti-austerity, you have got to be pro-something and I am pro-prosperity," launching his leadership bid. "Nye Bevan, my great hero, said it's all about achieving and exercising power," speaking to the Guardian. "I wasn't in Parliament at the time, I would have voted against, I would have been opposed to it at the time," on whether he would have voted for the Iraq war. "We are making significant inroads in improving what is happening in Iraq. I thought at the time the tradition of the Labour Party and the tradition of left- wing engagement to remove dictators was a noble, valuable tradition, and one that in South Wales, from the Spanish Civil War onwards, we have recognised and played a part in," speaking to Wales Online , when he was a candidate in the 2006 Blaenau Gwent by-election. He told the site he did not know whether he would have voted for the Iraq war. "I'm glad you think I am normal. I am normal. I grew up in a normal household. I've got a wife and three children. My wife is a primary school teacher," responding to a journalist's description of him as "normal" - the comment sparked a Twitter storm and accusations of homophobia against rival Angela Eagle, who is in a civil partnership, something he has firmly denied saying he had been quoted out of context. Smith worked across a range of programmes during his 10 years at the BBC, including Good Morning Wales and political programme Dragon's Eye without becoming a senior editor. So in 2002, he turned his sights to politics and a job as a "special adviser", the Westminster insiders who act as a mouthpiece for ministers and help craft policies. In those days, being a "spad" was a guaranteed fast track to the top - Ed Miliband and David Cameron, among many others, had served their political apprenticeships in this way. Smith's boss, Paul Murphy, now Baron Murphy of Torfaen, was Welsh Secretary and then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in Tony Blair's cabinet. This was the high water mark of New Labour and he will have been at Murphy's side when he voted for military action in Iraq. But Murphy says his young special adviser disagreed with him over the Iraq war. He describes Smith as belonging to Labour's "soft left" or "Bevanite" tradition, not on the right of the party but someone who can build a "bridge" between the left and the right. After three years as a special adviser, Smith headed off to the private sector, moving to Surrey to take up a job as a lobbyist for pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, on a reported salary of £80,000 a year. Smith has objected to the use of the term lobbyist to describe what he did at Pfizer, telling Sky News: "Let's be clear I wasn't a lobbyist. " He said his job, as head of policy and government relations, had given him valuable private sector experience. Other public affairs professionals have defended Smith's former profession. Jon McLeod, corporate affairs chairman of lobbyists Weber Shandwick, told Public Affairs News : "Was he a lobbyist? To the person on the street yes. Is it a bad thing? No... it goes without saying that it helps to have people in power who have worked in industry and understand a key sector. " At Pfizer, Smith was involved in an initiative to promote greater "choice" for patients in the NHS , including focus group research on "direct payments" for some services. Jeremy Corbyn's supporters claim this shows he supported NHS privatisation but Smith told ITV's Good Morning Britain such allegations were "clearly a lie". He said the Pfizer report on NHS choice, published in October 2005 in association with the King's Fund charity, had been commissioned before he went to work for the US pharmaceutical giant. He said he had always believed a "100% publicly-owned NHS free at the point of use" but he had supported the Blair government's contracting out of minor operations to private hospitals to clear NHS waiting lists. He said that "with hindsight" the policy had "opened the door to the current government to step through into a real attempt at marketisation and privatisation of the NHS, using the language of the last Labour government". In 2008, Smith moved to Amgen, the UK's biggest biotech firm, to be its head of corporate affairs. "Decent bloke, on the left, can heal rifts that look meaningful inside Westminster and septic from the outside: is any of this enough? Wouldn't we have said the same about Ed Miliband?," Guardian journalist Zoe Williams , who voted for Jeremy Corbyn in last year's leadership election. "He was full on! I think that's the best way to describe Owen. Very, very bright, lots of enthusiasm, very little self-doubt, but a very high standard of what he expected. To be honest, he was challenging to those above him. He was difficult to manage because he set such a high standard and wouldn't accept any nonsense," Lee Waters, Labour's AM for Llanelli, on his former boss at BBC Wales. "We have to be a broad church, we need everyone from Jeremy Corbyn, all the way through to people on the right. Owen is very clever, he is astute, he knows when to open his mouth and when to shut up. I think he is absolutely right in his judgement of what is needed right now," Labour MP and Smith supporter Chris Bryant. "He's always been very intelligent, very courageous, and he needs that courage now and he needs that energy that he's always shown because this is going to be a battle for Labour's future, I think, for its life," Kim Howells, on his friend and predecessor as Labour MP for Pontypridd. "He's nimble, he's a good Labour party dispatch box contributor. He's got a warmth to his character, he's quick to smile and quip, and he's quick- thinking. People like qualities like that," fellow South Wales Labour MP Nick Smith, speaking to the Guardian. "It speaks well of him that he's gathered a good and loyal group of MPs around him. Many are part of the next generation of politicians, much more interested in dealing with the pressing problems of 2016 than in fighting old battles," Lisa Nandy, a Smith supporter, in the Guardian. Three years earlier, while still a lobbyist at Pfizer, he had made his first, disastrous, attempt to become an MP in the previously rock-solid Labour seat of Blaenau Gwent. The by-election had been triggered by the death of Independent MP Peter Law, who had won the seat from Labour after a row over women-only shortlists in 2005. Smith ran a slick campaign, leading his opponents to dub him "oily Smith". He was also mocked as "Viagra man" after his employer's most famous product. He achieved a swing back to Labour, but the electorate had not yet forgiven the party and the seat was won by another Independent, Dai Davies. In a defiant speech after losing the election, he echoed his political hero Nye Bevan, saying: "I agree with Dai that politics is about people, but it is also about power. " He said Labour had "given power to the people" of the Welsh valleys and it had to continue to "reach out to people", warning against becoming "introverted" and "isolated". Friends say the experience of losing in Blaenau Gwent gave him a valuable early lesson in how Labour was losing touch with voters in its traditional heartlands - and the growing gap between the grassroots and the Westminster party elite. But statements he made at the time, in an interview with Wales Online , would come back to haunt him, as Jeremy Corbyn's supporters sought to portray him as not as solidly left-wing as he was now claiming. On the involvement of private companies in delivering NHS services, he said at the time: "Where they can bring good ideas, where they can bring valuable services that the NHS is not able to deliver, and where they can work alongside but subservient to the NHS and without diminishing in any respect the public service ethos of the NHS, then I think that's fine. I think if their involvement means in any way, shape or form the break-up of the NHS, then I'm not a fan of it, but I don't think it does. " He also hailed PFI schemes, which he said had delivered new hospitals in Wales, and city academies, which he said had made "great inroads" in areas with failing schools. "I'm not someone, frankly, who gets terribly wound up about some of the ideological nuances that get read into some of these things, and I think sometimes they are totally overblown," he told the site. He did not apply to fight Blaenau Gwent again, but instead seized the chance to stand in his home town when Kim Howells, the MP there, decided to stand down. Mr Smith held Pontypridd for Labour at the 2010 general election, but Mr Howell's 13,000 majority was reduced with a swing to the Liberal Democrats of more than 13%. Shortly after his election, he had to apologise for comments in an online article in which he compared the coalition's spending cuts to "domestic violence" against the Liberal Democrats. Women's activists called it a "tasteless analogy". In his maiden speech he attacked the coalition government's proposals for academies and "free schools". He supported Ed Miliband in the Labour leadership contest and was rewarded with a junior shadow cabinet role, as deputy to Shadow Welsh Secretary Peter Hain. A year later, he was moved to be number four in the team shadowing the Treasury and, a year after that, he was promoted into the shadow cabinet, with the Wales brief, following Peter Hain's retirement. He promised that a future Labour government would give Wales the same financial powers as Scotland, subject to a referendum and agreement with the Welsh government on funding. In the 2015 leadership election, which saw Jeremy Corbyn swept to victory by Labour members, he backed Andy Burnham and, like Mr Burnham, abstained in a Commons vote on the government's controversial welfare bill, something he has since described as a "mistake". "I argued in shadow cabinet we oughtn't to be abstaining on it and I was part of Andy Burnham's campaign telling Andy that we ought to be resigning on the issue," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr. As shadow work and pensions secretary, he said he had opposed the bill "outright" and claimed to have got tax credit cuts and disability benefit cuts, which had also been opposed by a group of Tory backbenchers, overturned. Like Mr Burnham, Smith opted to stay in the shadow cabinet when Jeremy Corbyn took over - refusing to follow other colleagues from the Ed Miliband era on to the back benches. He was handed the crucial role of shadow work and pensions secretary, going up against Iain Duncan Smith in the Commons, in some memorably fiery encounters. In March this year, he asked Mr Duncan Smith "how he sleeps at night" after imposing cuts to disability support. He predicted that Mr Corbyn's election as leader would give Labour an army of new supporters in Wales - and he stayed loyal to the leader in December 2015's crunch vote on air strikes in Syria, which split the Parliamentary Party and set the scene for the chaos it now finds itself in. Smith had spoken about his leadership ambitions last year but friends insist he would not have challenged Mr Corbyn if it had not been for a series of events in the aftermath of the EU referendum result. He was part of a delegation of like-minded Labour MPs, non-Blairites who had stayed loyal to Mr Corbyn but who were alarmed by the collapse in support for him after the EU referendum result. The MPs say they wanted to act as a bridge between Mr Corbyn and Labour MPs. Smith claims shadow chancellor John McDonnell, when asked about the danger that the party could split, had replied: "If that's what it takes. " This was not the deciding factor for Smith, say his allies, and he still had to be encouraged to stand, but he was quick to repeat the quote on social media. Others claim Smith had plotted all along to challenge Mr Corbyn and had been positioning himself as a left-wing candidate who could win over the Corbyn-loving grassroots. Former shadow business secretary Angela Eagle - someone with a bigger public profile and a longer record as an MP than Smith - was first to stake a claim to that position, launching a bid to be Labour's first female leader. Smith entered the race late, saying he had to deal with a family emergency, but was determined to seize his moment to present himself as the future face of the Labour Party and refused calls on him to stand down to give Ms Eagle a clear run. We were then treated to the spectacle of two "unity" candidates battling it out in public for the right to challenge Mr Corbyn. It came down to a race between the two rival teams to see who could gain the most nominations from Labour MPs. Owen Smith won that battle. But the battle he now has to convince Labour Party members that he is a better bet than Jeremy Corbyn, less than a year after they voted him into the top job by an overwhelming majority, will be immeasurably harder.
2016-07-23 21:43 By Brian www.bbc.co.uk
58 Turkey coup: What is Gulen movement and what does it want? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blames US- based cleric Fethullah Gulen for last week's bloody attempted coup. Suspected Gulenists are now being purged in their thousands in a wave of arrests and sackings and Mr Erdogan has declared a state of emergency. But what do we know about the movement, and what does it want? A well-organised community of people - not a political party - named after the US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen. He is regarded by followers as a spiritual leader and sometimes described as Turkey's second most powerful man. The imam promotes a tolerant Islam which emphasises altruism, modesty, hard work and education. He is also a recluse with a heart condition and diabetes who lives in a country estate in the US state of Pennsylvania. Fethullah Gulen: Powerful but reclusive Turkish cleric The movement - known in Turkey as Hizmet, or service - runs schools all over Turkey and around the world, including in Turkic former Soviet Republics, Muslim countries such as Pakistan and Western nations including Romania and the US, where it runs more than 100 schools. Followers are said to be numerous in Turkey, possibly in the millions, and are believed to hold influential positions in institutions from the police and secret services to the judiciary and Mr Erdogan's ruling AK Party itself. Profile: Fethullah Gulen's Hizmet movement Mr Gulen made a name for himself by arguing that young Turks had lost their way and that education was the best response, a position that attracted a growing number of middle class followers and led the movement to open schools and expand into business. As the movement grew, followers began taking jobs inside the machinery of state. Some, such as commentator Mustafa Akyol , say the aim was to transform Turkey away from secularism, despite Mr Gulen's claims to be focused more on faith and morality than politics. After the military coup of 1980, the ruling generals suspected him of trying to topple the government and he was arrested after six years on the run. He was freed but eventually charged in 2000 and decided to remain in the US, where he was having medical treatment. Both Mr Erdogan and Mr Gulen portray themselves as pious Muslims in opposition to secularism - but some see a slight difference in their approaches. Mr Erdogan is seen as favouring a Turkish version of political Islam, according to Mustafa Akyol , while Mr Gulen presents himself as espousing a form of cultural rather than political Islam. Many say the ultimate goals of the Gulen movement remain unclear. "I know that their interest in education is not enough for them, they want more, but what? " author Fehmi Koru told the BBC. "I suggested in my columns that they set up their own party and ask for a mandate to run the country. They did not do that. " With their focus on Islamic values, Mr Gulen and his followers were natural allies for Mr Erdogan as he took power. He first used the Gulenists' bureaucratic expertise to run the country and then exploited their connections to get the military out of politics. In 2010, the big Sledgehammer case began, which led to 300 army officials being jailed for allegedly organising an attempted coup in 2003. Most of the evidence against them was later found to have been fabricated. Turkish journalist and academic Ezgi Basaran says it is now acknowledged that the trials were orchestrated by Mr Gulen's followers in the military, intelligence, police and judiciary. Who was behind Turkey coup attempt? Once the military had been sidelined, Mr Basaran says, a power struggle began to take shape as the AKP and the Gulenists vied for control of the state. "A war between two factions - one in power and the other having only infiltrated the civil and military bureaucracy - is a war whose winner is obvious from the start," says Mr Koru. Having dispatched the military, Mr Erdogan went after Hizmet in 2013 by vowing to shut down thousands of private schools that prepare students for exams, about a quarter of which were run by the Gulenist movement. He also began attempting to force people believed to be Gulenists out of the security services and government ministries, which he said constituted a "state within a state". Shortly afterwards, however, Turkish police carried out dawn raids against leading businessmen and allies of the prime minister. They were alleged to have helped Iran bypass international financial sanctions against it by sending the regime in Tehran gold in return for oil and natural gas. Turkey's PM Erdogan faces threat from wounded ally Many believed Gulenists were behind the raids and Mr Erdogan is said to have become convinced that a "Gulen-Israel axis" was out to get him, the Economist reported. In May 2016, the Turkish government formally declared the Gulen movement a terrorist organisation. Mr Gulen has denied any involvement in the attempted coup and suggested Mr Erdogan himself may have been behind it, given the wave of arrests that has followed. Turkey's coup attempt: What you need to know Cleric Gulen condemns post-coup 'witch-hunt' However, analysts have suggested that the coup authors - whether Gulenists or secularists - may have brought forward plans because they suspected Mr Erdogan was about to purge the military anyway. The sheer numbers of arrests - almost a third of the military top brass as well as thousands of officials and bureaucrats - suggests that Mr Erdogan did already have lists of targets. Turkey has now requested Mr Gulen's extradition from the US to face trial but the US has said it will need to see evidence of Mr Gulen's involvement first.
2016-07-23 21:43 www.bbc.co.uk
59 Labour leadership: Corbyn says his 'social movement' will win elections Jeremy Corbyn says Labour's huge membership has created a "social movement" that will help the party return to government in 2020. The leader told activists in Salford that members "want to see a different world and do things very differently". He also condemned abuse among members, saying "it has no place in our party". It comes as more than 40 female Labour MPs have written to Mr Corbyn saying he has failed to do enough to prevent "disgusting" threats against members. Mr Corbyn said: "We are a social movement and we will only win the next general election because we are that movement of people all around the country who want to see a different world and do things very differently. " He added that "some people say that isn't how politics is done, and that it is solely what happens in parliament that is important", but he insisted "changes come because people want those changes to come and Parliament has to be influenced in the way those changes come about". Meanwhile, leadership rival Owen Smith has promised key party roles to women. The Pontypridd MP vowed to act on gender inequality - promising two of his four most senior cabinet roles would go to women if he became prime minister. Mr Smith said his wife, Liz, had been a victim of online abuse and claimed there was now a level of abuse, anti-semitism and misogyny in Labour that was not there before Mr Corbyn became leader. "My wife stood recently for a community councillor position in the village where we live in South Wales and was subject to a torrent of online abuse. It's a community council position. " He added: "I think it's just absolutely unacceptable. " A group of female MPs - including former shadow ministers Heidi Alexander, Paula Sherriff and Kerry McCarthy - have written to Mr Corbyn saying intimidation was being carried out "in your name". "Rape threats, death threats, smashed cars and bricks through windows are disgusting and totally unacceptable in any situation," the letter said. But Mr Corbyn said: "I don't do personal abuse, I don't respond to personal abuse, I condemn any abuse from others. It has no place in our party. " He added: "I know some people are angry at the actions of some MPs but where we have disagreement in the Labour Party we settle it through democratic means - not coups, not intimidation, and not abuse. " Simultaneous launch events were due to take place in cities across the country, including Hull, Newcastle, Cambridge, Bristol, Nottingham, Stoke, London and Cardiff. On Friday, Unite trade union leader Len McCluskey suggested in an interview with the Guardian that the security services could be behind the abuse and intimidation of MPs on social media. Mr McCluskey said MI5 could be using "dark practices" to "stir up trouble" for Mr Corbyn, arguing that spies had infiltrated trade unions in the past, and that the truth about it had been suppressed for 30 years under the rule on keeping classified documents out of the public domain. Mr Smith distanced himself from the suggestion, saying at a campaign rally in Manchester: "I'm not sure that's entirely right. " Mr Corbyn is facing a challenge from former shadow work and pensions secretary Mr Smith, after Labour MPs overwhelmingly backed a motion of no-confidence in their leader. The winner of the leadership contest will be announced on 24 September. 2016-07-23 21:43 www.bbc.co.uk
60 Five ways the Great Fire changed London The Great Fire of London raged for four days in 1666, destroying much of the city and leaving some 100,000 people homeless. As the Museum of London prepares to mark the 350th anniversary of the inferno, BBC News looks at how it left a lasting impact on the capital. When a fire began in Thomas Farriner's bakery in London's Pudding Lane in the early hours of 2 September, no-one could have foreseen the damage it would cause. In a city where open flames were used for heat and light, fires were common. In fact, when Lord Mayor Sir Thomas Bloodworth saw the flames, he was so unconcerned he went back to bed. But the fire spread quickly - a combination of a strong wind, closely built properties and a warm summer which had dried out the wood and thatch used to construct homes meaning an area mile and a half wide along the River Thames was almost completely destroyed. But with that came the chance to rebuild the city. A royal proclamation put a stop to construction until new regulations had been ushered in. The 1667 Rebuilding Act aimed to eradicate risks which had helped the fire take hold, including restrictions on upper floors of houses no longer being permitted to jut out over the floor below. Importantly, building materials also changed. The 1667 act stated: "No man whatsoever shall presume to erect any house or building, whether great or small, but of brick or stone. " Anyone found to be flouting the new rules would be punished by having their house pulled down. Not only were houses made of wood in 1666, but so were water pipes, and much of the water supply infrastructure was destroyed. There were no access points to get to the water without stopping the flow, and in the panic to try and extinguish the fire the pipes were broken and the water drained away. Steps were taken to rectify this and make the water easier to access - essentially the beginnings of a fire hydrant system. The Fire Prevention Regulations, printed by the City of London in 1668 stated: "That plugs be put into the pipes in the most convenient places or every street, whereof all inhabitants may take notice, that breaking of the pipes in disorderly manner maybe avoided. " St Paul's is now one of London's most iconic buildings, but in 1666 it looked very different. The medieval cathedral, which was more than 500 years old when the fire broke out, had suffered years of neglect and was even used by Oliver Cromwell as a stable for his horses. Architect Sir Christopher Wren was involved with improvements to the pre- fire cathedral and had submitted designs just weeks before the fire, including cladding it in Portland stone and putting a dome on top of the existing tower. The age of the building and attempts to support it contributed significantly to its destruction. When cinders, carried by the wind, set the roof alight, the wooden scaffolding around the cathedral increased the intensity of the blaze. Not only that, but Londoners' hoped that the cathedral churchyard would be safe and inadvertently made the damage even worse. "There are reports that local people brought their furniture to the churchyard as they thought it would be safe and stacked it high against the cathedral walls," said Simon Carter, head of collections at St Paul's Cathedral. "The Worshipful Company of Stationers loaded the crypt with books and paper, and sealed it to keep them safe. But it is likely that when the roof collapsed it smashed through to the crypt beneath, and the books then burnt with exceptional ferocity. " "The heat must have been intense because we have some medieval stones in the cathedral collections which have changed colour as a result of the fire, a witness described some of them as exploding like grenades. " At the time, diarist John Evelyn wrote of "the lead melting down the streets in a stream and the very pavements of them glowing with a fiery redness". The devastation meant Wren was able to completely redesign the building - but he did not have much concern for preserving any salvageable remains. Despite his love of symmetry and mathematics, Wren skewed the alignment of the cathedral from east to west to avoid the old foundations, which he did not trust. It was also the first cathedral built in a Protestant England and Wren's design reflected the change from Catholicism. It is unlikely the medieval church would have stood for much longer, but the fire enabled Wren to realise the full extent of his vision for a new cathedral for London. Wren's gravestone in its grounds bears a Latin inscription which translates as: "If you seek his memorial, look about you. " Five plans were submitted to rebuild the City of London, including one from Wren, who envisaged wide streets branching out from a huge memorial to the fire. However his vision could not be fulfilled due to a lack of money - landowners still owned the plots where their houses once stood and would have to be paid if a drastic redesign went ahead. The new King Street was built by carving through private land, which opened up access to the Guildhall - one of the few surviving buildings. The street layout mostly remained the same, and within 10 years the area ravaged by fire had been rebuilt, bringing new architecture to the old city quickly and on a large scale. In all, Wren oversaw the rebuilding of 52 churches, 36 company halls, and the memorial to the great fire, Monument. The fire destroyed more than 13,000 homes at a time when insurance did not exist. The Fire Court was set up to deal with property disputes and decide who should pay - and did so for a decade after the fire. Physician Nicholas Barbon capitalised on the business opportunity, setting up the first insurance company, the Fire Office, in 1667. His company even had its own fire brigade for those who had bought insurance and policyholders were given plaques for their homes displaying their policy number, so the brigade would know which fires to put out. Further insurance companies were set up, including the Sun Fire Office, which was established in 1710 and is now the oldest insurance company in the world. James Dalton, from the Association of British Insurers, said: "The Great Fire of London led to the modern insurance industry we know today. " In 1666 there was no fire brigade, no hosepipes and no protective clothing. Each parish church had to keep equipment in the event of a fire - including buckets made of leather and fire hooks, which were used to pull down burning buildings. An inventory from the same year shows the parish of St Botolph's, Billingsgate, half a mile from Pudding Lane, had 36 buckets and a ladder. But these proved of little use in the event of a fire which spread so fast. Early fire engines were essentially a large barrel on wheels. They only delivered six pints of water per squirt, were hard to steer and unreliable. After the fire, new rules were brought in and every parish had to have two fire squirts, leather buckets and other fire equipment. The new designs for the City also included a requirement for a quayside to be opened up along the River Thames to make homes by the river accessible. Finally, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade was formed, bringing with it new fire stations, a new uniform and a new rank system. Now the London Fire Brigade, it celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. The exhibition Fire! Fire! opens at the Museum of London on 23 July.
2016-07-23 21:43 By Sian www.bbc.co.uk
61 Trump Family Is More Googled Than Kardashian Family The Trump family surpassed the Kardashians to become the most searched family in America, Google trends revealed this week. (Photo: Christopher Gregory/Getty Images) After Melania, Ivanka, Donald Jr., Eric and Tiffany Trump all spoke at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, the Trump family was widely searched online. This chart shows the recent uptick in searches for the Trumps: (Photo: Google screenshot) The Republican nominee’s family beat the Kardashians 100 to 20 in interest over time. (Photo: Getty Images) People in Washington, D. C., Chicago and New York were searching for “Donald Trump family,” “The Trump family” and “Trump and Family.” Melania Trump spoke on the first night of the RNC. (RELATED: Melania Takes A Shot At Hillary: ‘My Husband Will Never Be Bought’) WATCH: “I have been with him for 18 years,” Melania told the crowd. “He never had an agenda when it comes to his patriotism. Like me, he loves this country.” “My husband is concerned for our country,” she continued. “With all of my heart, I know he will make a great and lasting difference. If you want someone to fight for your country, he is the guy. He will never be bought. And most importantly, he will never let you down.” Then Eric Trump gave an impassioned speech on behalf of his father. (RELATED: Eric Trump Just Addressed The Republican National Convention. Here’s What He Said.) WATCH: “It’s time for a president who has always been the one to sign the front of a check, not the back,” Eric said. “To make this sacrifice, to run for the most powerful yet unforgiving office in the world. There is no greater calling and there is more selfless act.” And, on the last night of the convention, Ivanka Trump introduced her dad. (RELATED: What Ivanka Trump Told The Republican National Convention About Her Father) WATCH: “Real change — the kind we have not seen is decades — is only going to come from outside the system,” Ivanka said. “My father is a fighter. When the primaries got tough — and they did get tough — he did what any good leader does. He worked harder and became stronger.” (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
2016-07-23 21:37 Entertainment Editor dailycaller.com
62 NASA Still Paying Russia For Space Access The last Space Shuttle launched 5 years ago Thursday, but NASA still cannot put men into space without Russian cooperation due to President Obama’s cuts to the agency’s exploration and spaceflight capability. NASA plans to return to Earth’s orbit are entirely dependent on private companies, some of which are scheduled to launch by the end of next year. “The Obama Administration’s failure to make our human space flight and exploration programs a top priority has lengthened the gap in our ability to launch our own astronauts into space,” Texas Republican Rep. Brian Babin, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Space, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “I’m working to hold their feet to the fire and hasten the day when we are launching American astronauts on American rockets from American soil. Never again should we put foreign nations in the critical path of our human spaceflight program.” NASA’s inability of America to send humans into space forces the U. S. to pay Russia tens of millions of dollars for access to the International Space Station. Russia has repeatedly threatened to block American access to the $150 billion International Space Station (ISS) in response to U. S. sanctions. The U. S. paid for 84 percent of the costs associated with building the ISS. NASA is still at least a year away from launching its astronauts from U. S. soil. “Unfortunately year after year the Obama administration proposes cuts to space exploration programs,” Texas Republican Rep. Lamar Smith, chairman of the House science committee, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “The U. S. pays Russia more than $80 million a seat for access to the International Space Station. This is inexcusable. It is imperative that we launch American astronauts on American rockets from America soil as soon as is safely possible.” Obama’s NASA budgets shifts money from NASA’s exploration and robotics programs to its environmental sciences and “outreach” programs. Obama’s budget manages to cut every part of NASA that actually works, including planetary science programs, technological development programs, and many important future Mars missions — without saving any money. NASA’s budget includes more than $2 billion for the agency’s Earth Science Mission Directorate, which covers global warming science. The money will be specifically allocated to improve climate modeling, weather prediction and natural hazard mitigation. In comparison, NASA’s other functions, such as astrophysics and space technology, are only getting a mere $781.5 and $826.7 million, respectively, in the budget proposal. The top scientific question the space agency seeks to answer NASA’s budget justification is, “How are Earth’s climate and the environment changing?” The more typical space questions, such as “Are we alone?” and “How does the universe work?,” were at the very bottom of the list. The Earth Science Mission Directorate’s goal is to help NASA “meet the challenges of climate and environmental change.” The organization is also responsible for global warming models proven to be inaccurate when checked against actual temperature observations. Spending on the Directorate has increased by 63 percent over the last eight years, making it the largest and fastest growing budget of any NASA science program. Over the same time period, the general NASA budget grew only by 10.6 percent — just enough to account for inflation. Even global-warming alarmist Bill Nye the “Science Guy,” who is also CEO of the Planetary Society, has criticized Obama’s attempts to cut NASA space exploration and planetary science programs in favor of global warming. NASA’s planetary science program has previously held car washes and bake sales to gain political support to maintain funding. Follow Andrew on Twitter Send tips to andrew@ dailycallernewsfoundation.org . Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-07-23 21:37 Energy Environmental dailycaller.com
63 63 THREESOME SEX Teacher Responds To Suit With SICK Claims In response to a lawsuit by the parents of a male high school student over their son’s alleged 9-hour threesome with a pair of English teachers, one of the teachers has fired back with shocking allegations of her own. The teacher, Shelley Dufresne, taught at Destrehan High School in Destrehan, La., about 20 miles from New Orleans. Police say the ménage à trois featuring Dufresne, the other teacher, Rachel Respess, and the unidentified, then-16-year-old male student occurred in the fall of 2014 at Respess’s apartment. Dufresne, a married mother of three, was 32 at the time. Respess was 23. The irate parents filed the civil lawsuit nearly a year ago but, for reasons that are unclear, the lawsuit did not become public knowledge until April. The St. Charles Herald-Guide, a local newspaper, has obtained Dufresne’s July 12 response to the lawsuit. Among much else, Dufresne’s response claims that the male student placed his scrotum on the face of one of the two teachers while she was sleeping and then took a selfie photo — or possibly selfie video, or possibly both — using his mobile phone. The student — a Destrehan High football player — then showed the footage to various friends and Destrehan High Wildcats teammates “without provocation,” Dufresne’s response claims. Through her attorneys, Dufresne claims that the student, now 18, later deleted the footage and thus spoiled evidence. It’s not clear from the court document if the teacher whose face allegedly appeared in the footage is Dufresne or Respess. It’s also not clear when the alleged scrotum footage occurred. According to the lawsuit, 32-year-old Dufresne and the student engaged in an impressive torrent of sex and oral sex — over 40 instances in 36 days. Respess, the younger teacher, only appears to have been involved in the epic threesome, which lasted from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, according to local police. Dufresne has also accused the student on boasting about his threesome exploits on social media and trying to blackmail her into giving him an artificially good grade in her class. The unidentified male student “intentionally and voluntarily” vaunted about his impressive 9-hour adventure with the teachers on Twitter, Dufresne’s response charges. Fellow Destrehan High students re-tweeted the student’s claims glowingly. “You need a statue of you erected on a hill in Rome,” suggested one tweeter. The student also proudly called himself “King of SCP” after the 9-hour threesome, according to Dufresne’s response. (“SCP” stands for St. Charles Parish.) These “intentional, orchestrated and unprovoked actions” nullify claims for damages by the teenager’s parents, Dufresne’s response says. Dufresne’s response also suggests that the male student sought to have sex with one of the teachers out of revenge. The revenge motive is not clear. The football-playing male teen was a student in one of Dufresne’s English classes when the threesome occurred. He had been in a class taught by Respess the previous year. Dufresne was the instigator of the sex, according to the parents’ lawsuit. She allegedly flirted with the student in her class constantly. She once kissed him in her classroom, the suit claims. One day when he was out sick, the suit says, the English teacher texted him. That text led to a relationship which budded into a very intense, star-crossed romance. (RELATED: Male Teen’s Parents Sue Over Son’s 9-HOUR THREESOME SEX TRAUMA With English Teachers) St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s deputies say the threesome happened on a Friday night, after a high school football game (which Destrehan won easily, 41-7). It was a special night, too, because it was Dufresne’s birthday. Respess got involved, the lawsuit claims, after she learned about all the sex going on. Instead of telling school officials, the suit says, she suggested that everybody get together at her apartment after the game. Dufresne drove the student to Respess’s apartment, according to a local police report obtained by The Times-Picayune. Respess, the younger teacher, and the teen had sex. Meanwhile, Dufresne “began intimately kissing” the younger teacher “in an attempt to arouse all parties involved.” Everybody was naked for the romp, police dutifully noted. The sheriff’s office was tipped off after school officials reported that the unidentified student was bragging to friends about his exploits. (RELATED: TWO Teachers Victimized 16-Year-Male Student With Epic THREESOME) The parents originally filed their lawsuit in August 2015 in Louisiana state court. Dufresne had admitted to having sex with the student in the home she shared with her husband and her 3 children. The parents’ lawsuit claims that Dufresne took to social media to criticize the male student, causing the student “embarrassment and humiliation.” The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for emotional distress, mental anguish, humiliation and reputational damage resulting from the multitude of sexual dalliances as well as the lengthy, post football-game threesome, notes The New Orleans Advocate . Dufresne faces unresolved felony criminal charges for carnal knowledge of a juvenile. Respess also faces criminal charges for failing to report a felony. In separate but related criminal charges, Dufresne took a plea deal which included no jail time — and no sex offender registration. (RELATED: Louisiana Teacher Accused Of 9-HOUR THREESOME With Teen Gets No Jail Time For OTHER Illicit Sex) The male teen at the center of the lawsuit — and who was also at the center of the alleged threesome — is now 18 years old. School district officials have refused to comment on the lawsuit. Both Dufresne and Respess are alumnae of Destrehan High and both graduated from Louisiana State University. Dufresne’s no-longer-accessible Destrehan High webpage shows she was a 10-year veteran at the school. Her father is 29th Judicial District Judge Emile St. Pierre. Respess was an English teacher at Destrehan High for two years. Here is the complete Destrehan 2014 football roster, according to MaxPreps . Follow Eric on Twitter. Like Eric on Facebook. Send education-related story tips to [email protected].
2016-07-23 21:37 Education Editor dailycaller.com
64 Detroit King football coach Dale Harvel died doing 'what he was put here to do' DETROIT -- Finding a true passion in life and being able to hold onto it until the very end is something to truly celebrate. Detroit Martin Luther King football coach Dale Harvel had a passion: coaching football. He was not only a coach by trade but also a coach by purpose. On Friday night, Harvel suffered a heart attack while his players took a break from evening practice. Despite being rushed to Detroit Receiving Hospital, he could not be revived. Harvel died at the age of 57. The news traveled swiftly as an entire community lost a coach that had been at King for the last 30 years. For the last seven seasons, Harvel was the team's head coach after taking over for James Reynolds, who was head coach at King for the 35 years prior. "We're all at a loss for words," King assistant coach Terel Patrick told MLive on Saturday morning. "We've had two head coaches in the program since 1974. That's a lot of young men to where it's at the point now where these guys have coached two generations, fathers and sons. The impact is spread across generations. " Patrick had known Harvel since he was 10 years old, when he was a ball boy for the Crusaders while his father coached alongside Harvel. Now, at 39 years old, Patrick believes that Harvel had accomplished so much with so many young men of all different backgrounds in the city of Detroit. "To me, the legacy for Harvel was to push yourself to your limits and to not accept failure," Patrick said. "He never let the kids make excuses. He didn't hamstring the kids. Socioeconomic background, not your typical tradiational household -- all of the different situations that we get -- he didn't let the kids make excuses. He demanded toughness and he demanded excellence out of the kids. He's made men. He's helped develop men. There were many young boys who would probably have different circumstances right now if they didn't come across coach Harvel. " Harvel is survived by his three children Bria, Emoni and Dale Jr. and his wife, Bridget. Memorial service and funeral information has not been finalized as of Saturday morning. Coach Harvel did suffer a heart attack during the 2014 football season but was able to return to the sidelines before the season's end. Last year, he won his second state title as a coach at King and his first as head coach. According to Patrick, it was about 9:15 p.m. on Friday when Harvel collapsed as the team was getting refreshments from parents and preparing for a prayer. Since 2014, Harvel and his coaches have taken special precautions during hot days at practice. Since Harvel still wanted an eye on his players, he would be regulated to shade on the sidelines instead. "We pushed it back to 7 o'clock (because of the heat) and, the funny thing about it is when we get real hot days like that, myself and Tyrone Spencer, the defensive coordinator, we run the practice," Patrick said. "Coach sits in the shade. It's done like that on purpose because we don't want him to over- exhaust himself because he's had a history with some health issues. Coach probably spent like five minutes on the actual field yesterday. He sat in the shade and stood on the gate. " Despite the shocking and tragic circumstances that occurred, Patrick can find some respite from his grief knowing that Harvel was able to be at the place he loved so much before passing away: the football field. "Coach Harvel went out of this world exactly the way a football coach is supposed to because that's what he was put here to do," Patrick said. "He is a great father and a great husband but he was put here to help young men and coach football. I think it's a blessing because not too many people can find their passion and do something that they're passionate about for that long. This man found his passion and he was dedicated to it. He was good at it. " See More Sports News »
2016-07-23 21:40 Jared Purcell highschoolsports.mlive.com
65 Will Cuba Ever Pay for the Property It Stole? Communist Cuba owes U. S. taxpayers nearly $8 billion for stolen property. Cuba also owes a few billion more for looted art and antiquities as well as scores of human rights abuses for which there has not been an accounting. As U. S. officials travel to Cuba to continue negotiations with the Cuban regime, interrelated but critically important issues such as property claims, rule of law, and human rights must be on the agenda. Finally, it appears they might be. Next week in Washington, U. S. and Cuban officials will meet to discuss property claims. The Obama administration must make clear to Cuba’s hardline Communists that payment of certified claims is non-negotiable and, pursuant to U. S. law as well as policy, it must be met as one of several key conditions before economic sanctions are eased. Ever since President Obama announced his appeasement policy on December 17, 2014, Cuba’s creditors have forgiven billions of dollars in sovereign debt, U. S. travel to the island has spiked, and investors are scouring the Caribbean gulag. In other words, Obama has made it easier for the regime to stay in power. Meanwhile he has failed to deliver on helping the Cuban people and until now has done nothing to address the issue of compensation for the largest-ever confiscation of privately held American property in a foreign land. As a matter of Cuban law, the 1959 Communist takeover and theft of U. S. and other property was illegal. Indeed, the first official act of the Fidel regime was to cancel the Cuban constitution. For added drama, on that same day, it murdered close to 100 persons associated with the prior government. After destroying rule of law, it went after the Americans and the religious, principally the Catholics, by using property confiscations. All Catholic and other religious schools were shuttered and the lands taken for the commons. Priests, nuns, and religious were arrested, some tortured and killed, and most expelled. Private property was used, and continues to be used, as a weapon. A purge of American businesses and families was part of the Communist takeover. Over the years, some 8,000 businesses and families have filed claims with the U. S. government to seek justice for these unlawful, criminal acts. Of these claims, the 5,913 that were certified by an independent commission at the Department of Justice represent the largest ideologically driven confiscation of U. S. property in the Americas and, likely, the world. With interest, the claims are worth about $8 billion. Cuba can pay, of course; regime officials have been robbing the country blind for decades. However, for just as long they’ve been looking for a way out because paying these claims would, essentially, signal defeat. Displacing people from their homes, properties, and businesses is a serious and illegal offense. As a matter of law, a government can use its eminent domain power for a legitimate public purpose so long as it pays compensation. But that is not what happened in Communist Cuba. The regime did it to terrorize and score political points. It was a scheme designed to create a Communist paradise in the Americas — a scheme that failed and, in the process, people died, human rights were abused, legacies and lives destroyed. We cannot forgive and forget, as the Obama administration would prefer. As I share with clients and potential clients almost weekly, “Justice does not have a ‘sell-by’ date.” Rather than focusing on these and other matters of import to U. S. national interests, Obama officials keep dancing with the enemy. Meanwhile, ruling Communists officials are smiling all the way to the bank. The solution, by the way, is quite simple. Pursuant to long-standing international law norms, when a nation-state takes property from a foreign national it either returns the property, offers restitution or, the usual course of action, it pays for what it stole. The United States created a statutory process after World War II that helps Americans collect on monies owed by rogue regimes such as Cuba. Under the International Claims Act, the quasi- judicial body at the Department of Justice that reviewed the Cuba claims “certified” 5,913 to be valued at $1.9 billion principal; tack on the interest due that figure increases to $8.0 billion. A claimant can take the payment or seek other compensation from Cuba such as restitution or, under certain conditions that may require U. S. government authorization, trade the claim for market access in a future Cuba. American families holding certified claims have been waiting close to sixty years for justice and deserve a whole lot more from their government than “talking points foreign policy” that places Cuban interests ahead of U. S. national and security interests. Resolution of the property claims issue can, and must, move hand in hand with other issues of U. S. interest with respect to Cuba. There is a transition roadmap in place, a list of conditions that Cuba must meet before the U. S. will ease the economic embargo. Congress needs to step up and do right by these families as well as the people of Cuba. They must stop the Obama administration’s regulatory overreach, in some cases lawlessness, to undermine economic sanctions and, in essence, appease the regime. The resolution of the U. S.-Cuba property claims is an essential part of normalized relations with Cuba, one that will impact well beyond Cuba. Done right, it will send a clear signal to dictators and would-be dictators that America stands by its taxpayers, no matter how long it takes. Sooner or later, you’ll pay. It will also help set the stage for a future transition government in Cuba that, rather than deal with endless legal challenges, will put this issue behind them. Indeed, a prompt and full compensation of U. S. taxpayers will signal to foreign investors that Cuba is serious about political change and committed to market systems to help rebuild the Communist- ravaged island.
2016-07-23 21:40 Jason Poblete spectator.org
66 66 Would David Duke’s Senate Candidacy Be Possible Without The Rise of Trump? So former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke has announced a bid for the U. S. Senate. What’s old is new again. It’s been nearly 25 years since Duke was defeated as a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Louisiana in no small part due to the efforts of our old friend Quin Hillyer. How Duke fares in his bid remains to be seen. But would he have even contemplated another bid for public office if not for Trump? In his online announcement, Duke stated, “I was the first major candidate in modern times to promote the term and policy of ‘America First,’. We cannot have free trade without fair trade. He went on to say, “I’m overjoyed to see Donald Trump and most Americans embrace most of the issues I’ve championed for years. I’ve always opposed these wars that lead our nation to disaster.” Would Duke’s candidacy even be possible without the rise of Donald Trump? Each time Jake Tapper asked Trump to take Duke to task and each time Trump refused he conferred Duke and the white supremacist movement with legitimacy. In case anyone thinks that Duke has abandoned his racist and anti-Semitic ways, it was only earlier this week that he blamed Jews for Melania Trump’s plagiarized speech. For good measure, he rushed to Trump’s defense on the Star of David tweet controversy earlier this month. Earlier I mentioned Quin Hillyer who has been as outspoken against Trump as I have been. Yesterday, he wrote one last anti-Trump column and said he was done talking about the Republican nominee for the duration of the election campaign. But in light of Duke’s announcement and Trump’s role in his rise, Quin may have to pick up his pen a lot sooner than he had planned.
2016-07-23 21:40 Aaron Goldstein spectator.org
67 Rolling Stone Author Was Too Lazy To Fix Bogus Rape Article New court documents filed in the defamation lawsuit against Rolling Stone reveal that disgraced reporter Sabrina Erdely knew her story about a gang rape at the University of Virginia (UVA) was deeply flawed, but refused to change it because improving it would simply be too much work. They also reveal that Rolling Stone attempted to stem a rising tide of bad press by seeking a “sympathetic” MSNBC reporter who would let Erdeley defend herself without pushing back too much. The revelations comes in a court filing made Friday by by attorneys representing UVA dean Nicole Eramo. Eramo is suing Rolling Stone for $25 million, claiming the magazine’s 2014 article “A Rape On Campus” defamed her by portraying her as indifferent towards the gang rape of student Jackie Coakley and unwilling to take her claims seriously. After the article’s release, it became clear Coakley had invented her gang rape out of whole cloth, and that her story had huge flaws Erdely should have easily discovered but didn’t because she failed to perform due diligence as a reporter. (RELATED: Emails Show Exact Moment Rolling Stone Reporter Realized Jackie Was A Liar) In the filing, Eramo’s attorney quote a deposition given by UVA activist Alex Pinkleton, who helped Erdely with the preparation of the article. Pinkleton says she spoke with Erdely December 5, the same day Rolling Stone posted an apology for factual errors in its story. According to her deposition, Pinkleton says Erdely “basically admitted … she should have completely rewritten [the story] and regrets that she didn’t.” Why wasn’t the story re-written? Primarily, Pinkleton says, because Erdely didn’t want to put in the necessary work to put out a story she trusted. (RELATED: UVA Jackie May Have Been Caught In Another Big Lie) “Erdely admitted to Pinkleton that she knew she should have rewritten the story but that ‘rewriting the whole story was so much work,'” the court filing says. Friday’s court filing also includes new emails from around the story’s publication that show how Rolling Stone tried to stem the rising tide of bad press against their story. For instance, in a Dec. 5 email , communications professional Kenneth Baer said Rolling Stone should “ID the TV interviewer that will be the most sympathetic” and get Erdely an interview where she could explain herself Said interviewer, Baer said, would probably be at MSNBC. In a reply sent back to Baer, Erdely said she needed to get out a full apology quickly, before a devastating Washington Post takedown was published, or else it would look like Rolling Stone was “shamed” into a retraction. The new documents also reveal that Erdely has been dismissed from Rolling Stone. Until now, her exact fate had been unclear, even though she had written nothing for the magazine since the disastrous UVA article. (RELATED: Court Docs Show Rolling Stone Fired Author Of Debunked Gang Rape Article) Send tips to [email protected] . Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-07-23 21:38 dailycaller.com
68 Clinton Advisor Admits She Doesn't Know Much About Foreign Policy In Leaked Email In one of the 20,000 Democratic National Committee emails released by Wikileaks on Friday, President and CEO of the Center for American Progress, Neera Tanden, confessed that her knowledge of foreign policy is “limited.” “Obviously my knowledge of the foreign policy world is quite limited,” she said in a 2009 email addressed to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. An email sent from Neera Tanden to Hillary Clinton But in her biography on the CAP website , Tanden is described as one of Clinton’s foreign policy advisors during the 2008 presidential race. “Tanden had also served as policy director for the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, where she directed all policy work, ranging from domestic policy to the economy to foreign affairs.” In a separate email in 2011 touting a column she wrote on trade reforms for Egypt, Tanden reminded Clinton again that she’s no expert: “I wrote this column on new ideas to ensure shared economic growth in Egypt – I know, it’s kind of off the beaten track for me…” An email sent from Neera Tanden to Hillary Clinton in 2011. Tanden, who is described as a longtime advisor to Clinton, is “expected by many to play a key role in any future Clinton administration—maybe even as Hillary’s White House Chief of Staff,” according to a GQ interview last month. Follow Dan on Twitter
2016-07-23 21:38 dailycaller.com
69 Report: Trump Will Fund Revenge PACs To Destroy Cruz, Kasich Donald Trump wants revenge on Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. John Kasich. And he’s apparently willing to spend $20 million to get it. Both Cruz and Kasich have failed to endorse Trump for president, despite signing a pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee last year. Cruz even went a step further, delivering a powerful speech at the Republican National Convention, only to end it by urging Americans to “vote your conscience,” provoking a torrent of boos. Now, according to Bloomberg News, Trump is willing to fund their downfall as payback for this betrayal. The outlet reported Friday evening that Trump is willing to finance two separate super-PACs dedicated to their political downfall if either of them run for office again. According to Bloomberg, “a person familiar with Trump’s thinking” says Trump is willing to pour millions into outside groups in the months leading up to election day, in an effort to prevent Cruz and Kasich from ever winning another office. Trump alluded to such a plan Friday morning in a speech. “Maybe I’ll set up a super-PAC if [Cruz] decides to run,” Trump said. He then asked rhetorically if “you allowed to set up a super-PAC…if you are the president, to fight someone?” If Trump pursues a revenge plan, it would be an about-face from his own rhetoric immediately after Cruz failed to endorse him. In a Twitter post, Trump claimed that Cruz’s non-endorsement was actually “no big deal” to him. Bloomberg’s source added that Trump wasn’t as concerned with derailing any future political efforts by Jeb Bush, even though Bush also has refused to endorse Trump, because the former Florida governor is already “destroyed.” If Trump manages to win the presidency in November, his revenge plot could create the bizarre situation of a Republican president attempting to bankroll the defeat of his own party compatriots. The precise legality of this is unclear, though, since political candidates are legally barred from coordinating with political candidates. If Trump is seeking a second term in 2020, this could make his super-PAC fall in a legal grey area. It may not be long before Trump has a chance to put his money where his mouth is. Cruz is up for re-election in the Senate in 2018. Kasich’s tenure as governor of Ohio will also end in 2018, but he could potentially make a Senate challenge against Democrat Sherrod Brown, who is up for re- election that year. Both Kasich and Cruz have also expressed interest in making another run at the presidency in 2020. Send tips to [email protected] . Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-07-23 21:38 dailycaller.com
70 Graveyard or playground? Pakistan row over Bin Laden compound A dispute has broken out over the future of the site where Osama Bin Laden was shot dead in 2011, with authorities pushing rival plans for a graveyard or playground. The military has erected a wall around the 3,800 square feet plot where the Al-Qaeda leader's compound once stood in the garrison city of Abbottabad, and wants to convert it into a graveyard. But the local provincial government, which was handed the land after Bin Laden was killed by US special forces, is trying to redevelop it as a playground. "We have secured this place from encroachment by building a wall around it and now we will develop this into a graveyard because there is a serious issue of unavailability of graveyards in the area," Zylfiqar Ali Bhutto, vice president of the military-run Cantonment Board of Abbottabad (CBA), told AFP. However, Mushtaq Ghani from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government, opposed developing a cemetery in the built up area. "The government wants to construct a playground there. If we get funds, we will turn that place into a playground this year," Ghani said. "You can't develop a cemetery in the middle of houses. " Butto insisted CBA had the authority to push ahead with it plans. "We are going to meet the provincial government officials next week and will sort out this issue," he said. Elite US Navy Seals launched a helicopter raid on the highly fortified compound on May 2, 2011, killing Osama Bin Laden and taking away his body. Pakistani authorities later demolished the building and left the plot vacant. The killing was a huge success for US President Barack Obama and decapitated Al-Qaeda. But it drove a wedge between Islamabad and Washington, with lingering suspicions that the Pakistanis had for years been covering up the whereabouts of one of the world's most wanted men.
2016-07-23 21:37 By AFP www.digitaljournal.com
71 Word of the week: Michellania Owen Smith is naïve if he thinks misogynist abuse in Labour started with Jeremy Corbyn After brash Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump paraded his family at the national convention, the word of the week is: Michellania (n) A speech made of words and phrases gathered from different sources, such as Michelle Obama speeches and Rick Astley lyrics. Usage: "I listened hard, but all I heard was michellania. " "Can you really tell the difference between all this michellania? " "This michellania - you couldn't make it up. " Articles to read if you're sick of michellania: Donald Trump's hollow coronation S adiq Khan - the anti-Trump Do you have a suggestion for next week's word? Share it in the form below. Loading... Owen Smith, the MP challenging Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership contest, has told BBC News that the party’s nastier side is a result of its leader. He said: “I think Jeremy should take a little more responsibility for what’s going on in the Labour party. After all, we didn’t have this sort of abuse and intolerance, misogyny, antisemitism in the Labour party before Jeremy Corbyn became the leader. “It’s now become something that is being talked about on television, on radio, and in newspapers. And Angela is right, it has been effectively licenced within the last nine months. “We’re the Labour party. We’ve got to be about fairness, and tolerance, and equality. It’s in our DNA. So for us to be reduced to this infighting is awful. Now, I understand why people feel passionately about the future of our party – I feel passionately about that. I feel we’re in danger of splitting and being destroyed. “But we can’t tolerate it. And it isn’t good enough for Jeremy simply to say he has threats too. Well, I’ve had death threats, I’ve had threats too, but I’m telling him, it’s got to be stamped out. We’ve got to have zero tolerance of this in the Labour party.” While Smith’s conclusion is correct, his analysis is worryingly wrong. Whether it is out of incompetence or an unwillingness to see the extent of the situation, Corbyn has done very little to stamp out abuse in his party, which has thus been allowed to escalate. It is fair enough of Smith to criticise him for his failure to stem the flow and punish the perpetrators. It is also reasonable to condemn Corbyn's inability to stop allies like Chancellor John McDonnell and Unite leader Len McCluskey using violent language (“lynch mob”, “fucking useless”, etc) about their opponents, which feeds into the aggressive atmosphere. Though, as I’ve written before , Labour politicians on all sides have a duty to watch their words. But it’s when we see how Smith came to the point of urging Corbyn to take more responsibility that we should worry. Smith confidently argues that there wasn’t “this sort of abuse and intolerance, misogyny, antisemitism” in the party before Corbyn was voted in. (I assume when he says “this sort”, he means online, death threats, letters, and abuse at protests. The sort that has been high-profile recently). This is naïve. Anyone involved in Labour politics – or anything close to it – for longer than Corbyn ’s leadership could tell Smith that misogyny and antisemitism have been around for a pretty long time. Perhaps because Smith isn ’t the prime target, he has n ’t been paying close enough attention. Sexism wasn’t just invented nine months ago, and we shouldn’t let the belief set in that it did – then it simply becomes a useful tool for Corbyn’s detractors to bash him with, rather than a longstanding, structural problem to solve. Smith's lament that “it’s now become something that is being talked about” is also jarring. Isn ’ t it a good thing that such abuse is now being called out so publicly, and closely scrutinised by the media? In my eyes, this is a bit like the argument that Corbyn has lost Labour’s heartlands. No, he hasn’t. They have been slowly slipping away for years – and we all noticed when Labour took a beating in the last general election (way before Corbyn had anything to do with the Labour leadership). As with the abuse, Corbyn hasn’t done much to address this, and his inaction has therefore exacerbated it. But if we tell ourselves that it started with him, then we’re grasping for a very, very simple solution (remove Corbyn = automatic win in the North, and immediate erasure of misogyny and antisemitism) to a problem we have catastrophically failed to analyse.
2016-07-23 21:34 Owen Jones www.newstatesman.com
72 Lenovo Yoga 900s 2-in-1 Laptop Review The best laptops for every type of student Need a new laptop for the fall? We've got you covered. This Asus beats the MacBook Air for only $700 Grab a ZenBook for $200 off its already very good MSRP For $550, this top-selling laptop on Amazon is a steal If you don't mind the weight, this Acer laptop is an incredible value. Stuff We Love: Toshiba Canvio Slim II hard drive & case Protect your data (and sanity) with this hard drive and case. HP Announces Superthin Spectre Ultrabook HP's super thin 13-inch ultrabook is only 10.4 mm thick. Why Is This Four-Year-Old MacBook Still an Amazon Bestseller? This inexpensive MacBook is still upgradeable, unlike new Apple models. What Are Chromebooks Good For? Chromebooks aren't merely modern netbooks—they're viable computers Could 2016 Be the Year of Wireless Charging? A look at some of the wireless charging technologies on the horizon New Asus Gaming Laptops Are Designed to Dominate With liquid cooling, the new RoG laptops are all designed to pwn n00bs
2016-07-23 21:36 Michael Desjardin rssfeeds.usatoday.com
73 Rock Hill boy talks about why he wants to help children in need Volunteers with the Salkehatchie camp gathered at several Rock Hill homes to repair and fix up homes for people in need this week. Nearly four dozen workers ages 14 and up painted, repaired windows and roofs and held daily devotions at the United Methodist Church camp. Mark Burns of Harvest Praise and Worship Center in Easley delivered the benediction during the Republican National Convention. SC Gov. Nikki Haley in Cleveland visited the SC delegation at the Republican National Convention. After suffering a heart attack in June, Edgemoor resident Gary Williams knew he needed to replace his broken air conditioning unit in his home so he could recuperate after open-heart surgery. Chad Adams, owner of American Air Heating and Cooling in Rock Hill, went to Williams' home to give an estimate to replace the unit, but decided to install a new $6,000 one at no charge. Williams said the cooler house is helping him exercise — something that would have been hard to do in the hot July weather. Judge Lewis Daniel Malphrus Jr. ruled probable cause exists to send former Northwestern High School assistant principal Kenneth Andrew Williams to trial for disseminating obscene material to a minor. Williams' defense attorney Twana Burris-Alcide told the judge during a preliminary hearing Tuesday there is not enough evidence for a trial on four of 11 charges brought against the Rock Hill man. Williams, 31, is accused of having sexual relationships with two teenage girls while he was assistant principal. The casket carrying Chuck Mozingo, a Rock Hill firefighter who died last week at age 45, was transported from Bass-Cauthen Funeral Home in Rock Hill to Harmony Baptist Church in Edgemoor, where Mozingo was laid to rest Tuesday with full fire department honors. Rock Hill police and York County sheriff's deputies lined and secured the route while firefighters from multiple agencies saluted and paid their respects to Mozingo along the way. Chuck Mozingo, a 10-year veteran of the Rock Hill Fire Department, died last week after a battle with leukemia. His fellow A-shift firefighters remember the man they called "the gentle giant. " A traveler from the Tega Cay area is the first confirmed case of Zika virus in York County. Authorities discussed the situation Monday during a press conference. Here are excerpts. Organizer Quisha Bankhead, whose grandfather was a homicide victim, coordinated the York March along with other volunteers to focus on stopping violent crime, unifying people, and love for one another. To celebrate her 7th birthday, Leah Ackerman organized a lemonade stand to raise money for Rock Hill’s Project HOPE.
2016-07-23 21:34 www.heraldonline.com
74 Chinese woman's book choice brings celebrity status A Chinese woman's choice of book in a set of posed photographs has gone viral in both her home country and Russia after internet users discovered its unusual title. The set of photographs shows a young woman reading a book with a blue cover, all set against blue props and a powder blue background. It's when viewers on Chinese social media noted the title of the Russian-language book - Repair Guidebook for Excavator E-505 - that the mockery began, the China Daily newspaper reported. Some users on the Sino Weibo messaging service pushed the theory that she might have a genuine interest in 1950s Soviet construction plant. "How do you know she doesn't have an excavator? " one asked, while another said "When I'm bored too, I want to go open a book on excavators. " Others noted the ridiculous nature of the situation: "What's more embarrassing is that this excavator has been discontinued", said one, while a post on a Russian discussion forum said "She must be deeply attracted by the content, over 40 pages into it already". The photos have been shared tens of thousands of times on Weibo, and made the model a wang hong - an internet celebrity. According to Stephen Chan writing in the South China Morning Post , it's the ambition of many Chinese internet users to achieve wang hong, which raises the question whether the book choice was a lucky accident or a piece of marketing mastery. Wang hong is seen as a way for people to make a fortune online very quickly, because they can use their fame to drive up the sales of a product or boost traffic to a new website, Chan writes. One user on a guancha.cn forum agreed with Chan's analysis, claiming that the use of a classic such as Anna Karenina wouldn't have been noticed in a crowded market where the unique selling point is vital, speculating that "The stylist threw Anna Karenina away, giving the girl an excavator repair manual instead. " Next story: Former Barcelona footballer sparks 'I am Spanish' row Use #NewsfromElsewhere to stay up-to-date with our reports via Twitter.
2016-07-23 21:32 By News www.bbc.co.uk
75 75 Koffi Olomide case: Kenya deports singer over airport 'kick' The Kenyan authorities have deported one of Africa's biggest musicians, Koffi Olomide, after he was filmed apparently kicking a woman. Footage of the incident at Nairobi's international airport was posted online and sparked outrage on social media. Olomide, from Democratic Republic of Congo, denied assaulting anyone but was arrested hours after arriving in Kenya for a concert. He was deported to the DRC capital, Kinshasa, with three of his dancers. Olomide, 60, was accused of kicking one of the women dancers but, speaking to the BBC, he denied kicking anyone and said he had tried to "stop" a "girl who wanted to fight the dancers I came with". The video shown on Kenya's KTN News shows police intervening to stop the apparent attack on the woman, identified by Kenyan media as one of his dancers. A Kenyan minister, Youth and Gender Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki, said the singer should be deported and his visa permanently revoked. "His conduct was an insult to Kenyans and our constitution," she said. "Violence against women and girls cannot be accepted in any shape, form or manner. It is a blatant violation of their human rights. " The star has been in similar trouble in the past:
2016-07-23 21:32 www.bbc.co.uk
76 Money magazine names No. 1 college in U. S. |While most college rankings rely on flimsy data, Money magazine recently conducted an in-depth analysis to find the best quality, financing and value of more than 700 of the nation's best-performing colleges. Jill Schlesinger reports.
2016-07-23 21:33 Money magazine www.cbsnews.com
77 State doubles down, wants to define what’s religious By Bob Unruh/WND- A church sued over Iowa’s state transgender policy when officials asserted they had authority to control the content of pastor’s sermons. Now the church has filed a request for an immediate protective order in response to the state’s claim of authority to define what is religious. The case is over the aggressive actions by the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, which has published guidelines for handling transgender issues in church gatherings that are “open to the public.” The lawsuit filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of Fort Des Moines Church of Christ aims “to stop the commissioners and the executive director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, the Iowa attorney general, and the city of Des Moines from compelling an Iowa church to communicate government messages to which it objects and from forcing the church to use its building in violation of its religious beliefs.” It explained the commission believes its interpretation of state law allows it “to force churches to allow individuals access to church restrooms, shower facilities, and changing rooms based on his or her gender identity, irrespective of biological sex.” At issue in the Iowa case are state mandates that protect “transgender rights.” Among them are allowing men to enter women’s shower rooms, dressing rooms and restrooms if they say they are women and banning statements in meetings “open to the public” that “might cause individuals to believe that they are unwelcome because of their perceived gender identity” The lawsuit charges the mandates violate the U. S. Constitution’s protections of free speech, religion, expressive association, due process and peaceably assembly. Now ADF has asked the court for a preliminary injunction to protect the church from attacks by the state until the issue is resolved in court. “After this lawsuit was filed, the commission revised its guidance document,” a brief filed in support of the request for an injunction said. “The commission continued to single out places of worship for special instruction and to sanction churches that communicate their beliefs about biological sex, and operate their facilities consistent with those beliefs, when they engage in ‘non-religious activities.’ The commission does not define the newly minted and vague term ‘non-religious activities,’ reserving to itself the unbridled discretion to determine for a church which of its activities are religious and which are not.” The brief said that for “the first time in our nation’s history, state officials are reaching into the internal affairs of churches to silence them from teaching and publicly promoting a central tenet of their faith and forcing them to operate their own facilities in a way that contradicts their faith.” “This unprecedented overreach eviscerates the First Amendment and the foundational freedoms it embodies; the freedom of church autonomy, freedom to worship, freedom of speech, freedom of rexpressive association, and freedom to peaceably assemble without government interference.” The immediate protective order is needed, the church brief argues, because the state’s actions “directly and continually harm the church’s ability to teach its doctrines, to govern itself, and to follow its faith.” “The church therefore needs a preliminary injunction to stop this ongoing irreparable harm and to bar the government from areas where it doesn’t belong — the church’s showers and restrooms, its sanctuary, and its pulpit.” ADF lawyers said the filing came on the same day Peter Kirsanow of the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights wrote to Iowa officials explaining the “approach taken by the ICRC plainly violates both the Free Exercise Clause and the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.” “Cosmetic changes to the alarming language in one brochure won’t fix the unconstitutionality of the Iowa Civil Rights Act,” said ADF Legal Counsel Christiana Holcomb. “Churches should be free to communicate their religious beliefs and operate their houses of worship according to their faith without fearing government punishment, and until the law is changed, every church in Iowa has a right to be concerned. “That’s why we are asking the court to issue an injunction that makes certain that this law will not be enforced against our client while this lawsuit proceeds. No state or local law should threaten the foundational First Amendment protections for free speech and the free exercise of religion.” The state’s “transgender law” bans bans places of public accommodation from expressing their views on human sexuality if they “would ‘directly or indirectly’ make ‘persons of any particular…gender identity’ feel ‘unwelcome.’” The speech ban could be used to silence pastors in their pulpits, ADF said. ADF attorneys representing the church say all events on its property have a bona fide religious purpose, and the commission has no authority to violate the First Amendment’s guarantees of freedom of religion and speech. The Iowa Civil Rights Act also includes a facility-use mandate that requires anyone subject to the law to open sensitive areas such as locker rooms, showers and restrooms to persons based on their “gender identity” rather than their biological sex.
2016-07-23 21:30 By Bob www.thetribunepapers.com
78 MoneyWatch: Gas prices fall; Verizon takes action on data hogs |Gas prices have dipped to their lowest level for the month of July in years. Also, Verizon is pulling the plug on some data hogs. Brook Silva-Braga reports on the day's top MoneyWatch headlines.
2016-07-23 21:32 MoneyWatch: www.cbsnews.com
79 Senate president clears Manny Pacquiao to fight again Philippine senate president Franklin Dillon has confirmed that neophyte senator Manny Pacquiao sought his permission to fight again, following Bob Arum's disclosure that he has reserved a fight date and venue for his return fight in Las Vegas, Nev.
2016-07-23 21:30 By Leo www.digitaljournal.com
80 Veterans setup for convention in Charlotte Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry said he understands the NBA decision to pull the league's all-star game from Charlotte, where he grew up. The move was made in response to state's adoption of policy deemed to be LGBTQ. He comments were made at the American Century Championship golf tournament. While temperatures climb to record highs this week, Kenny Short works to keep Latta Equestrian Center's horses safe and comfortable. Short is the barn manager for the Huntersville riding complex and is responsible for maintaining the horses' health, while offering up to seven trail rides a day for visitors. Paul Burks was convicted of fraud and conspiracy Thursday as the mastermind of ZeekRewards, an online marketing scheme that promised massive profits to investors, prosecutors say. Instead, more than 1 million people worldwide lost an estimated $800 million. The nurse from Pennsylvania gave CPR to the most injured of the two teens from Charlotte. New security buildings, enhanced procedures highlight changes at stadium Charlotte City Council is considering a change to the city's tree-save regulations that would prevent them from being used to subdivide small lots in existing neighborhoods, like these on Wonderwood Drive in Cotswold. WBTV meteorologist Al Conklin with The Charlotte Observer weather forecast for July 15, 2016. Artist Todd Andrews talks about sculpture created for Carolina Panthers owner and presented on his 80th birthday Tanya Stevenson talks about her friend, whose body was found in West Charlotte Park this morning. Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Homicide Unit are conducting a homicide investigation in the 2400 block of Kendall Drive in the Metro Division. The call for service came in at 8:02 a.m. on Monday, July 18, 2016.
2016-07-23 21:29 www.charlotteobserver.com
81 Breaking News English Lesson The new British Prime Minister Theresa May has caused a stir around the world with her appointment of the UK's new Foreign Secretary. She has chosen the controversial former Mayor of London Boris Johnson. Mr Johnson led the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union and has now been given the job of Britain's top diplomat. This has surprised many as Mr Johnson has a track record of being very undiplomatic to world leaders and countries. He once referred to Hillary Clinton as a "sadistic nurse in a mental hospital". He compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to a creature from Harry Potter. He also made racist comments about African countries and the nation of Papua New Guinea. The British newspaper 'The Independent' said Mrs May, "had managed to unite the international community in bewilderment by her appointment of Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary". France's foreign secretary said Mr Johnson had lied to the British people during his campaign to get Britain to leave the EU. TV presenters and journalists in Germany speculated whether British politics was becoming a farcical comedy show. The Washington Post asked how Mr Johnson could become Britain’s top diplomat after having offended much of the world. Mr Johnson shrugged off comments that he was not the person for the job. He said his task was to reshape Britain's identity as a "great global player".
2016-07-23 21:29 www.breakingnewsenglish.com
82 Man at large, infant safe after SWAT standoff Just One More Thing... We have sent you a verification email. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your profile. If you do not receive the verification message within a few minutes of signing up, please check your Spam or Junk folder.
2016-07-23 21:29 T y l e r Estep www.ajc.com
83 83 DeKalb girl, 5, abducted, sexually assaulted Just One More Thing... We have sent you a verification email. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your profile. If you do not receive the verification message within a few minutes of signing up, please check your Spam or Junk folder. Close
2016-07-23 21:29 Ellen Eldridge www.ajc.com
84 Bloomberg View Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world. Americas +1 212 318 2000 Europe, Middle East, & Africa +44 20 7330 7500 Asia Pacific +65 6212 1000 Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world. Americas +1 212 318 2000 Europe, Middle East, & Africa +44 20 7330 7500 Asia Pacific +65 6212 1000
2016-07-23 21:25 www.bloomberg.com
85 The King David Hotel bombing: Letting the people judge the truth Today is the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Jerusalem’s King David Hotel, the nerve center of the British Mandatory administration, by members of the Irgun Zva’i Leumi, the right-wing paramilitary underground movement headed by Menachem Begin. The capital’s veteran luxury hotel opened to the public in 1931, built on land acquired in 1929 by a group of affluent Cairo Jews. Today the flagship hotel in the Dan chain controlled by the Federmann family since 1958, it was the second hotel purchased by German immigrants and staunch Zionist brothers Yekutiel and Samuel Federmann – whose sons, Mickey and Ami, today stand at the top of the chain’s managerial totem pole. Be the first to know - Join our Facebook page. The chain now compromises 14 hotels: four in Jerusalem (which in their previous incarnations were the Hyatt, the Moriah and the Ariel); three in Haifa; two in Tel Aviv, where the chain initially started with the purchase of what is now the Dan Hotel on Hayarkon Street; three in Haifa; two in Eilat; and one each in Ashkelon, Herzliya and Caesarea. Until 1975, the King David had no competition from abroad. Then, in 1975, the Hilton, now the Crowne Plaza, opened its doors behind the Jerusalem International Convention Center. It did not take long for other international brand names to follow: Canadian Pacific, Hyatt, Sheraton and Ramada, to name but a few, and it seemed as if the stately King David would have a difficult battle maintaining its reputation, not to mention its revenue. But its location, its old-world grandeur and its history as the hotel of choice by visiting and exiled royalty contributed to its continued status. Even today, it is the hotel favored by royalty, heads of state and government and senior government officials. It also hosts prominent international business leaders, stars from the world of entertainment and other dignitaries and celebrities, some of whose signatures have been copied and enlarged and appear on the floor of the corridor leading to the lobby. Many years after the bombing, as the guest speaker at a dinner hosted at the King David by the United Jewish Appeal, Begin was introduced as “the man who blew up this hotel.” In truth, although he was involved in the planning, he was not part of the execution. To mark the anniversary of this significant incident in efforts to strike back at the British Mandate authorities, Tel Aviv’s Yitzhak Rabin Center is hosting a seminar today featuring Prof. Moti Golani, Prof. Aviva Halamish, and journalist Shlomo Nakdimon, plus a panel discussion with the participation of Ruth Kedar and Dr. Ruth Lamdan, daughters of two of the victims, and attorney Aharon Abramovitch, a nephew of one of the victims. The moderator is Dov Weisglass, a lawyer who was prime minister Ariel Sharon’s bureau chief. The event, whose participants include people on both the Left and Right, is bound to likewise attract a politically divided audience. Because a large audience is expected, only those who have registered in advance by calling *4585 will be admitted. Begin – who was considered by the British to be a radical militant and who in the 1950s was denied entry to Britain – became Israel’s first right-wing prime minister with the sweeping 43-seat victory of his Likud party in the May 1977 Knesset election. Curiously, in a book about the history of the King David that the hotel management gives to high-ranking foreign dignitaries who stay there, the bombing barely rates a mention. It will be interesting to see whether Dan Hotel chain head Mickey Federmann will attend the Rabin Center event. THERE ARE many versions of the tale of the bombing, but the most accurate is likely that which appears on the Irgun website, which also tells something of the hotel’s history. The hotel was built by the wealthy and influential Moseri family of Cairo and Alexandria, which set up a shareholding company to finance construction. Wealthy Egyptian businessmen and affluent Jews from around the world were among the shareholders. The luxurious, seven-story building with 200 rooms opened to the public in 1931. In 1938, the southern wing was requisitioned by the Mandatory government and used to house its secretariat, as well as its military command. The British built a communications center in the basement and, for security reasons, added a side entrance linking the building to an army camp south of the hotel. Less than a third of the rooms were reserved for civilian use. In 1945, the Hagana, Irgun and Stern Group joined in an alliance known as the United Resistance Movement established by the Jewish Agency. It lasted for some 10 months, until August 1946. The alliance coordinated acts of sabotage and attacks against the British authorities. On Saturday, June 29, 1946, the British launched Operation Agatha, a massive operation in which soldiers and police searched for arms and incriminating documents, and made arrests in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and several dozen settlements. The Jewish Agency was also raided. Altogether, some 2,700 people were arrested, including Moshe Sharett, who would later become foreign minister and prime minister. The official purpose of the raid and arrests was to end the state of anarchy existing in Palestine. Soon afterward, Begin received a letter from Hagana chief Moshe Sneh, with instructions to blow up the King David. In response, preparatory work began for the bombing. There were several postponements until finally, at 7 a.m. on Monday, July 22, at the Beit Aharon Talmud Torah seminary in Jerusalem, Irgun fighters assembled in one of the classrooms. They realized that they were being sent on a mission, but no one knew what it was. When the commander arrived, he told them their target was the King David. After the weapons had been distributed, the first unit – the group of “porters” commanded by Yosef Avni – set out by bus and waited at the side entrance to the hotel to assist in unloading the explosives from the van when it arrived. All six were disguised as Arabs so as to avoid arousing suspicion. The strike force headed out next, in a van loaded with seven milk churns, each containing 50 kilograms of explosives and special detonators. Yisrael “Gideon” Levi, commander of the operation, rode in the van dressed as a Sudanese waiter, while his deputy, Heinrich “Yanai” Reinhold, and the other members of the unit were dressed as Arabs. The van drove through the streets of Jerusalem, its tarpaulin cover concealing the milk churns and passengers, and halted at the side entrance of the hotel, through which foodstuffs were brought into the basement La Regence restaurant. The fighters easily overcame the guards by the gate and sped to the basement, where they searched all the rooms and assembled the workers in the restaurant kitchen. They then returned to the van, brought the churns into the restaurant and placed them beside the supporting pillars. Levi set the time fuses for 30 minutes and ordered his men to leave. The kitchen staff was told to leave 10 minutes later. During the withdrawal from the basement, heavy gunfire was leveled at the group, and two fighters were wounded. One of them, Aharon Abramovitch, later died of his wounds. After exiting the hotel, Levi summoned two women fighters who were waiting nearby and ordered them to carry out their mission. They ran to a nearby phone both, called the hotel operator and the editorial office of The Palestine Post (the precursor of The Jerusalem Post ) and delivered the following message: “I am speaking on behalf of the Hebrew underground. We have placed an explosive device in the hotel. Evacuate it at once. You have been warned.” A phone warning was also delivered to the adjacent French Consulate, which was urged to open windows to prevent blast damage. The messages were intended to prevent casualties. Twenty-five minutes after they were delivered, Jerusalem was shaken by a shattering explosion, with frightening reverberations. The entire southern wing of the hotel – all seven floors – was totally destroyed. For reasons that have never been clarified, the staff of the government secretariat and military command remained in their rooms. Some of them were unaware of events, and others were not permitted to leave the building, thus accounting for the large number of victims trapped in the debris. The British Engineering Corps spent 10 days clearing the wreckage, and on July 31, it was officially announced that 91 people had been killed in the explosion: 28 Britons, 41 Arabs, 17 Jews and five others. THE SUCCESS of the Jewish underground in striking at the heart of the British government in Palestine, and the high toll of victims, sent shock waves through England and the rest of the world. At first, the Mandatory government denied having received a phone warning, but testimony submitted to the interrogating judge made it clear beyond a doubt that such a warning had in fact been given. Moreover, The Palestine Post phone operator attested under oath to the police that, immediately after receiving the message, she had called the duty officer at the police station. The French Consulate staff opened their windows, as they had been told to do by the anonymous woman who had phoned; this was further evidence of the warnings. Other evidence suggests that the large number of casualties was due to numerous flaws in the security arrangements at the King David and a series of errors. The phone warning was disregarded, and although a warning signal was given, an all-clear was sounded shortly before the explosion. The heads of the Jewish Agency were stunned. They feared that the British would adopt measures even more severe than those imposed during Operation Agatha, and quickly denounced the operation in the strongest terms. The statement they issued the following day expressed “their feelings of horror at the base and unparalleled act perpetrated today by a gang of criminals.” Even David Ben-Gurion, who was then in Paris, joined the chorus of condemnation. In an interview with the French newspaper France Soir , he declared the Irgun “the enemy of the Jewish people.” The denunciation by the Jewish Agency totally ignored the fact that the bombing had been carried out as part of the activities of the United Resistance and on the explicit instructions of Sneh. At the request of the Hagana, the Irgun issued a leaflet accepting responsibility for the operation. It stated, among other things: “The telephone warnings were given at 12:10-12:15. And if it is true, as the British liars have announced, that the explosion occurred at 12:37, they still had 22 minutes at their disposal in order to evacuate the building of its residents and workers. Therefore, responsibility for loss of life among civilians rests solely with them. It is not true that the persons who delivered the warning spoke ‘on behalf of the United Resistance’ [as the press reported]... On this matter, we are refraining at present from making any further statement, but it is possible that – in the context of the savage and dastardly incitement – it will be necessary to issue such a statement at the appropriate time. We mourn the Jewish victims; they, too, are the tragic victims of the tragic and noble Hebrew war of liberation.” A year later, the Irgun issued the following statement: “On July 1 – two days after the British raid on the national institutions and on our towns and villages – we received a letter from the headquarters of the United Resistance, demanding that we carry out an attack on the center of government at the King David Hotel as soon as possible.... Execution of this plan was postponed several times – both for technical reasons and at the request of the United Resistance. It was finally approved on July 22. Notwithstanding this, days later, Kol Yisrael broadcast a statement – in the name of the United Resistance – abhorring the high death toll at the King David caused by the actions of the ‘dissidents’.... “We have kept silent for a whole year. We have faced savage incitement, such as this country has never before known. We have withstood the worst possible provocations – and remained silent. We have witnessed evasion, hypocrisy and cowardice – and remained silent. But today, when the United Resistance has expired and there is no hope that it will ever be revived... there are no longer valid reasons why we should maintain our silence concerning the assault against the center of Nazi-British rule – one of the mightiest attacks ever carried out by a militant underground. “Now it is permissible to reveal the truth; now we must reveal the truth. Let the people see – and judge.” Story excerpted from www.etzel.org.il/english/ac10.htm.
2016-07-23 21:16 GREER FAY www.jpost.com
86 Devolve schemes for unemployed, says London mayor Sadiq Khan Control over programmes to get the unemployed into work should be handed to cities, according to the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan , and the frontrunner in the race to be mayor of Greater Manchester, as a new report suggests huge savings to the taxpayer could be made by the move. Leading thinktank IPPR North claims that devolving the government’s current work programme could boost employment by freeing up funding for established and innovative ways of getting people into jobs. As much as £9,000 could be saved for each benefit claimant if the work programme were devolved and mayors given freedom to use innovate methods, it is claimed. The IPPR’s report claims the current programme, run centrally by the Department for Work and Pensions, is not sufficiently sensitive to local conditions and lacks the funding it needs to help the most vulnerable into work. Khan called for the new prime minister, Theresa May, to act on the report to allow London to best deal with the consequences of Brexit. “The best way to protect London from the economic fallout of leaving the EU is for the government to grant more autonomy to the capital, so we have more control over how taxes raised in our city are spent and how public services are run,” he said. “As part of this, it is clear that London should have direct control of the work programme so we can better help Londoners to find employment. “I have spoken to London’s political and business leaders regularly over the past month and it is clear that further autonomy is key to ensuring London’s continued economic success.” Andy Burnham, the shadow home secretary, who looks set to be Labour’s candidate in the 2017 election for the first mayor of Greater Manchester , said that he would ensure that the city’s welfare policies were effective and free from the “cruel, tick-box, sanctions-based” regime run from Whitehall. He said: “Rumours that Theresa May has gone on cold on English devolution are deeply concerning. It is helpful to have such authoritative backing from the IPPR for a call I made on the prime minister this week. “The right response to the EU referendum result is not to abandon the devolution journey but to deepen it.”“The exclusion of DWP from the devolution settlement in Greater Manchester leaves a missing piece in the jigsaw. If I am mayor of Greater Manchester, I will make an immediate case for the devolution of the DWP budget. I am certain that by linking it with our voluntary and community organisations, we can do more to help people than the cruel, tick-box, sanctions-based DWP regime. “The referendum result reveals a deep disenchantment with the way Westminster works. It has given us a very unequal country and the time has come to balance it.” The IPPR North’s report claims that mayors or local authorities would be better placed to invest-to-save. The tax-benefit saving for a moving a single man living in council tax band C private rented sector housing in Sheffield from long-term job seekers allowance into a minimum wage job for 30 hours a week is £8,600 per year, the report says. The annual tax-benefit saving for moving a single woman on employment and support allowance, living in council tax band C private rented sector housing in Southwark, who moves into a job paid at £8.25 per hour, is £9,000 for a 20-hour week. Josh Stott, head of cities at Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which commissioned the report, said: “The UK is benefittng from record levels of employment which is welcome news. But many people, particularly in the north, are locked out of the country’s prosperity because they don’t have skills or the right level of support to find a suitable job. “These proposals recognise the opportunities that greater devolution can provide – more joined-up, efficient and effective support for people out of work and incentives for town halls to foster more inclusive growth.
2016-07-23 20:19 Daniel Boffey www.theguardian.com
87 Labour’s real battle is on the pitch, not on the party’s terraces I t may come as a surprise, but with the exception of security, at home and abroad, on which we have profound differences of perception and likely consequence, Jeremy Corbyn and I do not disagree irrevocably on some key policies. I make this point because the decision party members have to make in the weeks ahead should be based on a great deal more than whether they “agree with Jeremy”. It is, after all, the role of party members to participate in determining policy and for members of parliament, elected mayors and councillors to endeavour to carry that policy into practice. So, while I agree with the thrust of the anti-austerity stance that is the hallmark of Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell’s 10 months in the job, and have consistently argued that the government’s original 2015, and then revised 2019, timetable for eliminating the structural deficit was unachievable, it is not the opposition but the government that determines where we go from here. The recent vote on to confirming the government’s previous decision to go ahead with the four Trident systems caused great controversy. It should not be the determining factor in who gets elected as Labour leader. There are, as I indicated on Radio 4’s Any Questions? in February, very good intellectual, political and practical arguments for a thoroughgoing review of what kind of defence we will need in the 2030s, which will have much more to do with cyber conflict than the traditional variety. The idea that martyrs are deterred by retaliation is highly debatable. And yes, have we not already determined as a party that, in one form or another, we would like to take back the rail franchises? By any other name, if you want to use an outdated term, nationalisation. So Jeremy Corbyn is in favour of equality and tackling disadvantage and discrimination. Well, surprise, surprise. So am I and every other Labour party member that I have ever met. The problem is that the so-called rainbow coalition so favoured by the far left in the mid-80s was based on the idea that the disadvantaged, discriminated against and dispossessed would form a majority that would carry a Labour government into office. It did not. The strategy was based on the premise that you would find a new constituency to maintain you in government once you had eliminated the rationale for those who had put you in power in the first place. The truth is that to reduce inequality and tackle discrimination, we need to create a broad alliance for those who are not “disadvantaged and discriminated against” and who, in their desire for a better life, have to be persuaded that this involves changing the lives of others for the better. In other words, mutuality and reciprocity, not the politics of envy and victimhood. What, then, is the real challenge? This election is all about what the Labour party exists to achieve. If, as some zealots believe, this is about Jeremy, we are finished. It is not only that the Labour party has always been a coalition, a pluralistic force with checks and balances, it is that we’ve never believed in the “supreme leader”, with all sovereignty and power given upwards to that leader and the cohort around him or her, with decisions, massive instructions and intended outcomes passed down from that leader. What the Marxist-Leninists understood as democratic centralism. Those who see this election as about Jeremy seem to transpose their thoughts, beliefs and political contribution on to him. It is almost like the transfer of thought and will on to a screen. Whatever you want it to be, it will be. In this surreal moment, with the capture of the Labour party by those whose raison d’etre is opposition (even to the policies of the party they lead) – enter, left-stage, Momentum – we face annihilation. Here we have the vanguard. Not, of course, the proletariat but the middle class, often educated, potentially protected from the consequences of their actions, sometimes in comfortable retirement. Most are not comfortable with the thuggery, intimidation – online and in person – that is so reminiscent of what some of us had to put up with in the 1980s. New politics only in the sense of the emergence of social media. Walking through lines of your spitting and shouting opponents, the vile bile of those who preached peace and display hatred with every breath – this is my memory of the mid-80s. Jeremy is not one of those and most of those following him are not, either. But, willing or otherwise, they condone and therefore carry responsibility for not taking on those forces. But when people cry that a year ago the mass membership, and those who had joined under the previous £3 system, had spoken, they missed the point. It is not where they, or anyone else, would like to be. It is where we are now. “We won and we will win again,” is a meaningless slogan for anyone seriously engaged in seeking political change. If the bulk of your parliamentary party cannot work with you, cannot take office under you, cannot therefore function as a meaningful opposition and party of government in waiting, you are simply a campaigning force. I know all about campaigning. I spoke at marches with hundreds of thousands of people making their way to Trafalgar Square and elsewhere. I know what it was like in the 80s, because at that time I led one of our principal councils in endeavouring to provide a genuine alternative to Thatcherism. Without power, we were powerless. Not in our heads, not down the pub, not in the dreams of some distant tomorrow, but in the real world in which everyone else was living. George Orwell, a socialist, who was the scourge of Stalinist apologists, once wisely said that the problem with Marxists was that “they do not often bother to discover what is going on inside other people’s heads”. And there is the rub. It is not wishful thinking, it is not massing numbers of supporters either inside the Labour party or entryists through Momentum. It is what’s going on out there that matters. At the end of May, my football team competed in the playoffs for a place in this season’s Premier League. We won the battle of the terraces, 18,000 more supporters than our opponents, cheering our team to the rafters at Wembley. In the real world, the match took place on the pitch – and we lost. This is not a self-indulgent game. This is not about what we think, how self- satisfied we feel. This is about those with voices heard, whose dreams are made reality by the Labour party achieving what its constitution sets out as its prime objective – to win.
2016-07-23 20:00 David Blunkett www.theguardian.com
88 Conservationists hope to bring beloved bird back Windham - The common loon's haunting wail that pierced the dusk on Massachusetts lakes disappeared long ago. Today, the birds number fewer than 50 pairs in the Bay State and conservationists are hoping to rebuild their population, starting with a handful of chicks from Maine and New York. The Restore the Call programme at the Biodiversity Research Institute in Portland plans to move 10 chicks to an area south of Boston this summer. David Evers, the institute's executive director, says restoring an animal population starts out small but he is optimistic. Loons once lived throughout Massachusetts. Hunting and habitat loss contributed to their decline and they were wiped out by 1898, the last eggs plucked near a lake south of Boston. They began returning in the 1970s, but the state still only has 45 breeding pairs. "All we need to do is establish one pair," Evers said. "Once that one pair is established and once that pair produces young, and those young come back, and they start to establish territories, then you've got some brooding that can start from that little seed. " However, common loons can be slow to recover because they don't breed until they are several years old. "Loons depend on high quality habitat without certain types of disturbance," said Danielle D'Auria, a wildlife biologist with Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The bird's range has shrunk throughout the US. It has disappeared in Oregon and southern Michigan and parts of Idaho, Montana and Washington. It is a threatened species in New Hampshire, where last year biologists for the Loon Preservation Committee recorded 234 loon chicks hatched and 26 percent of them did not survive. In all, researchers count about 14 000 loon pairs in the country. And while their population remains strong in Canada, where they are a national symbol, the birds face threats of mercury and lead pollution there as they do in the United States. Near and dear Maine Audubon, which is helping with the relocation project, says Maine has at least 2 000 pairs of loons and New York has about 1 000. The Institute has undertaken similar projects in Minnesota and plans to add Wyoming to the programme next year. A $6.5 million grant from the Ricketts Conservation Foundation funds the loon relocation efforts. The Institute also relocated seven chicks from New York's Adirondack area to Massachusetts last year. Most of the few dozen loons in Massachusetts live near the Quabbin and Wachusetts reservoirs in the central part of the state. The chicks will be relocated to an area near where the last eggs were believed taken before the birds disappeared from the state. Maine has the largest common loon population in the eastern US and the birds are loved in the state. Bird enthusiasts participate in Maine Audubon's "loon count" every year. Susan Gallo, wildlife biologist for Maine Audubon , said the group is working with the birders, some of whom haven't embraced the idea of Maine loons moving out of state. "Loons are near and dear to people's hearts in Maine," she said. "Anything we can do to get the loons to nest in new places, I think, is a benefit to loons. "
2016-07-23 19:50 www.news24.com
89 Transportation Ministry, Jerusalem Municipality defend German Colony light-rail extension The Transportation Ministry and Jerusalem Municipality claimed that pointed concerns among the capital’s German Colony residents that a light-rail extension – to be constructed through the community’s celebrated main thoroughfare, Emek Rafaim – will damage the neighborhood, are unfounded. The Blue Line, as it has been named, was approved by the municipality’s Planning Committee in January. The 20-kilometer-long additional light-rail line will traverse Malha, Emek Refaim, and Ramot, serving up to 250,000 residents from Gilo in the south, to Ramot in the north. Be the first to know - Join our Facebook page. A third route, to be called the Green Line, which will run from Mount Scopus to Gilo, is also awaiting approval, the municipality said. “The city’s residents will be able to enjoy shortened travel times, fewer traffic jams, cleaner air, and exciting urban renewal,” Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said of the light-rail extension. Residents of the upscale, bucolic German Colony, however, contend that uprooting the beloved street, which is lined with popular cafes, restaurants and shops, will result in damage to historic buildings, bankruptcy for area businesses, and a pronounced drop in their quality of life. “I am opposed to this plan because I think it will destroy the whole essence of the neighborhood,” said Laurie Blendis, who has lived in the German Colony for 20 years, at a community council meeting discussing the project last week. Yet, according to Transportation Ministry official Shmuel Elgrabi, the project will benefit the community by significantly reducing congested traffic and pollutants, while providing “modern traffic solutions.” Citing the success of the Red Line, which transformed downtown Jerusalem’s Jaffa Road into a pedestrianized zone, devoid of cars and buses, Elgrabi said the same principle will benefit Emek Rafaim, by providing more open spaces and less noisy and dangerous traffic. Moreover, he emphasized that despite residents’ concerns that the road will be uprooted in the coming months, the Blue Line will break ground “no earlier than 2020,” and has yet to receive final government approval. “The Blue Line is currently only in the developmental phase, and is still in the process of receiving final approval from the regional committee,” he said in a statement last week. “Naturally, [final plans] can only be assessed after approval of the plan in principle.” According to Elgrabi, planning for the Blue Line – which is part of a city- wide urban renewal program to improve the capital’s congested and antiquated transportation infrastructure – began five years ago. He added that all developments since then have been fully transparent to the public. “Every time consultations were held with representatives of the community council and residents,” he said. “We are aware of the concerns of residents, and we maintain a continuous dialogue with them professionally.” Elgrabi said that wide-spread concerns that damage to area homes, trees, and buildings, dating back to the Templars in the 1840s, are misguided. “None of the structures will be damaged, and there will be complete access to all houses at all times,” he said, adding that the ministry and municipality plan to plant “many more trees, just as when we planted around 4,000 trees along the Red Line.” “As residents, we all love Emek Refaim… and we will carefully preserve the character of neighborhood,” he continued. “We believe that the proposed light-rail solution is gentle, safe and sensitive, and will [engender] a good quality of life on the street, and in every area of the colony. It should be remembered that the present situation is difficult due to buses and cars loading the street, and blocking the shops and the whole colony.” Noting again the Red Line’s Jaffa Road as a successful model, he said the Blue Line will remove thousands of polluting vehicles and transform Emek Rafaim into a safer, quieter area benefiting residents, business owners, and visitors. In the meantime, Elgrabi said that long before the project reaches final approval, the ministry and municipality will continue to work closely with the area’s community council and residents to ensure construction is carried out “in a smart way, so that life will continue, even during the work.” “After the project is completed, traffic will be reduced in the street and the colony will thrive,” he said. “We are presenting all developments to the public, and conducting a dialogue with community representatives to remain professional and considerate.”
2016-07-23 19:50 DANIEL K www.jpost.com
90 Corbyn aide accused of ‘illegal entry’ to MP’s Westminster office The battle for the leadership of the Labour party took an extraordinary twist on Saturday as Jeremy Corbyn’s aides were accused in effect of breaking into the offices of a resigning shadow cabinet minister in a major breach of security and parliamentary privilege. Seema Malhotra , who was until recently shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said a campaign of intimidation and harassment against her staff had culminated in the “illegal” and “unauthorised entry” to her office in Westminster. Malhotra, who worked closely with the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell , until her resignation last month, said she had alerted the Speaker of the Commons, John Bercow, and the serjeant at arms, to demand an urgent investigation. “I have discovered that members of staff working for John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn have gained unauthorised entry into my office in parliament,” Malhotra said in a statement to the Observer . “The implications of this are extremely serious. This is a breach of parliamentary privilege and is a violation of the privacy, security and confidentiality of a member of parliament’s office. “Furthermore, my staff, including an intern, who have always been courteous and open, have felt harassed, intimidated and insecure and decided themselves it would be best to not leave anyone alone in the office. “I have made a formal complaint to the Speaker of the Commons and to Jeremy Corbyn MP, and requested an investigation into how this could have happened.” Since the police search of the new work and pensions minister Damian Green’s office when he was an opposition MP in 2008, it has been accepted that only a search warrant can justify an entry of a parliamentary office without the wishes of an MP. Spokesmen for Corbyn and McDonnell claimed that the row was a “small matter” stemming from a miscommunication, and that access had been sought on the assumption that Malhotra had vacated the office on resigning her post. The development comes as the Labour leader’s former chief of staff, Neale Coleman, becomes the first from his inner circle to condemn Corbyn’s bunker mentality and warn that his victory in the leadership contest “could well mean a May 2017 election and a disastrous defeat for Labour”. Asked if Corbyn wanted to be prime minister, as he insists he does, Coleman said in an exclusive interview with the Observer : “I don’t know, but as leader of the opposition he didn’t and hasn’t prioritised strong organisation and teamwork which are prerequisites for leading a government.” Coleman, who joined Corbyn’s team when he was elected last September, but resigned in January and is now backing Owen Smith for leader, added: “There was real goodwill and a willingness to work with Jeremy after his election, given the mandate he had received and widespread recognition that Labour had been on the wrong path, especially on economic policy. “Shadow cabinet colleagues had all rejected the negative approach of the relatively small faction on the right who wanted to undermine Jeremy from the start. But there was a fundamental failure to reach out and engage with these colleagues and other broadly supportive MPs and build an effective team approach on policy development and on day-to-day opposition to the Tories. “All too often the response to difficult issues that should have been resolved collectively and cooperatively was not to engage but retreat to the bunker.” In her letter to the Speaker, Malhotra writes that she has evidence of three unauthorised attempts to enter her parliamentary offices, two of which were successful. She names Corbyn’s gatekeeper and office manager, Karie Murphy, as one of the aides involved. Malhotra writes: “Suspicion was aroused when [John McDonnell’s aide] accessed my office with her key on 13 July at 18.42 and was surprised to find my member of staff still in the office. “[McDonnell’s aide] had no reason to be showing anyone around my office – this should not be accessible to anyone without my permission and I was not aware that [the aide] had access to my office.” Malhotra said she had then ordered an audit of those who had used digital keys to “illegally access an office”, and that two further attempts had been made on 15 July, one of which had been successful. “My Westminster office was empty as my entire staff were with me in the constituency office that day. It is unclear what their intentions were in my office,” she writes. Malhotra further accuses Murphy of leaving her staff scared to be alone in the office. She writes in her letter to the Speaker that Murphy had been “aggressive and intimidating”, and had repeatedly referred to them as “girls” which “made them feel insulted and patronised”. A Corbyn spokesman said: “The accusation that Karie intimidated anyone is untrue.” A spokesman for Bercow said: “The Speaker will respond to Ms Malhotra once he has had an opportunity to consider fully the contents of her letter, but there’s nothing further to say at this stage.” It is understood that Malhotra has also written to Labour’s general secretary, Iain McNicol, to demand a party investigation.
2016-07-23 19:45 Daniel Boffey www.theguardian.com
91 Caretaker manager Mike Phelan wants to succeed Steve Bruce at Hull Hull caretaker boss Mike Phelan wants to replace Steve Bruce at the Tigers. The former Manchester United assistant manager is keen to take over from Bruce, who left the club on Friday just three weeks before the start of the Premier League season. Phelan watched as Hull beat Scunthorpe 2-0 in a pre-season friendly at Glanford Park on Saturday and admitted he wants the vacant job at the KCOM Stadium. "I want to be a manager. I don't really see why I shouldn't want to be a manager. Time will tell. That decision doesn't sometimes come down to you," he told the Hull Daily Mail. "I've had a small chat and I was asked if I would carry on being in charge for now. We have games, we have preparations, we've still got three weeks to go. "My job is no different to what it has been except now I'm stood on the touchline in games doing my bit. We just have to do our job, there's nothing else we can do until the powers that be make their decisions. " Shaun Maloney and Abel Hernandez scored for Hull as travelling fans vented their frustration against club owners Assem and Ehab Allam. Bruce was interviewed for the England job, which went to Sam Allardyce, and Phelan believes things had become too much for the ex-Manchester United defender with Hull yet to sign a senior player since beating Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final in May. "It seems as though Steve was frustrated and he maybe felt his time was up," said Phelan. "He's moved on and he's been fantastic for this football club. It's sad in a way that it's turned out as it did. "It's probably been a frustration of his right from gaining promotion. I don't think he made a secret of that. He'll take a rest and look back on the great things he's done at this club. "I don't know why he wasn't backed. As an assistant I assisted the manager and his frustrations can sometimes become your own frustrations. But what can you do? It's been a long, drawn out saga. "
2016-07-23 19:21 www.independent.ie
92 In wake of Munich terror, Germans look to Merkel for reassurance A city in lockdown; millions of residents urged to stay in their homes; drivers ordered to free up the autobahn for emergency vehicles; and social media sites frantically sharing images of a gunman on a roof: the weight of what it means to get caught up in a terror attack hit Germany hard on Friday night. The 18-year-old attacker, Ali Sonboly , turned out to have been a bullied schoolboy loner who was suffering from depression and used the shooting spree to vent his acute bitterness. But that, of course, is of little comfort to the victims. And much will still be expected of chancellor Angela Merkel and her government as they attempt to demonstrate calm control at a time when the German people are worried as they haven’t been since the days when the home-grown Red Army Faction was carrying out its murderous attacks in the 1970s. Merkel is already under fire over the axe and knife attacks in Würzburg last week, although it is still far from clear whether the assailant was the 17-year- old Afghan he claims to have been when he arrived in Germany. Postponing her holiday in the Alps, Merkel delivered a three-minute address to the nation on Saturday in which she said that Germany was in “deep and profound mourning for those who will never return to their families”. She added that the attacks were even harder to bear coming as they did on the back of recent atrocities such as those in Nice and Würzburg. The Munich attack has also brought home just how many “soft targets” there are available to potential terrorists – shopping malls and trains to name just two examples of spaces that have proved to be particularly vulnerable in the past few days. German intelligence now faces the daunting challenge of trying to construct a suitable strategy to address these concerns. Rainer Wendt, of the German Police trade union, said: “I think there are not many more ways in which you can safeguard public spaces than we are doing now,” he told German TV on Saturday. “I think we might have to conclude that what is far more reliable is encouraging more social intercourse.” There is every reason to suspect Sonboly may have deliberately chosen the OEZ shopping centre location for maximum impact when he planned his attack. The state-of-the-art glass mall was converted from the site of the 1972 summer Olympics. Seared in the collective memory in Munich is how Palestinian terrorists, with the backing of the Red Army Faction, Germany’s urban guerrilla movement, took Israeli sportsmen hostage there. Eleven of them were murdered, as well as a German policeman. Sonboly’s killing spree follows in the vein of other schoolboy attacks of recent years. In 2009 Tim Kretschmer , 17, took his father’s Glock gun and killed nine students and three teachers at his school in Winnenden, south east Germany. Robert Steinhäuser , a 19-year-old with a grudge against his Erfurt school because it had expelled him, returned to it in 2002 and gunned down 12 teachers, the school secretary, two students and a police officer. Just like Sonboly, Kretschmer and Steinhäuser killed themselves before they could be caught. The first two teenagers chose to stage their attacks in the relatively contained environments of their school buildings. That Sonboly chose to take his grievances on to the open street – and amid speculation he deliberately picked the fifth anniversary of Norwegian “lone wolf” Anders Behring Breivik ’s massacre – is the main difference between his and the other school boys’ attacks. He may have relished the inevitable havoc he would cause and the added notoriety that would come his way – having followed recent Isis-led attacks in Brussels, Paris, Orlando and Nice – by triggering the lockdown of an entire city and the ordering of thousands of security forces onto the streets. Following the dip Merkel’s popularity underwent as a result of the refugee crisis, it has soared again in recent weeks, following the terror attacks, the Brexit referendum and the attempted coup in Turkey. Germans appear to look to their chancellor for stability. It is likely that far from seeking to criticise her, many Germans will now turn to her even more for a calm and guiding hand.
2016-07-23 19:09 Kate Connolly www.theguardian.com
93 South Sudan armed opposition removes VP - claim Juba - A faction of South Sudan's armed opposition said Saturday it had replaced its leader who is also the country's first vice president, a move which could lead to further turmoil following deadly clashes in the capital this month. Riek Machar, who led a rebellion against President Salva Kiir in December 2013 but signed a peace deal last year, is being replaced as Kiir's deputy with Taban Deng, who acted as the rebels' chief negotiator during peace talks, said Machar's chief of staff, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth. Taban will serve until Machar returns to the capital, Gatkuoth said. Machar fled Juba this month after Kiir's forces bombed his house during the clashes that killed hundreds of people. He is now in hiding, and Kiir this week set a deadline for him to return to Juba by Saturday afternoon. But Nyarji Roman, a Machar spokesperson who is also in hiding, said the replacement of Machar is a "conspiracy" to overthrow him and that Machar fired Taban on Friday for holding unilateral negotiations with Kiir. Taban has also rejected Machar's support for an African Union intervention force to deploy in Juba. Supporters say Machar cannot safely return to Juba until such an outside force secures the city. Government spokesman Michael Makuei said Kiir's side would have "no problem" if the opposition decided to replace Machar. Taban led an opposition team which returned to Juba following the peace deal, paving the way for Machar's eventual return in April to take up his old post as Kiir's deputy in a national unity government. But divisions within the opposition ranks grew into the current split. There is also strong opposition to Taban among powerful militia groups who fought on Kiir's side during the civil war in oil-rich Unity state, home to both Taban and Machar.
2016-07-23 19:07 www.news24.com
94 UCT bans guest lecturer Cape Town - The University of Cape Town (UCT) has stopped Flemming Rose from delivering the 2016 TB Davie Memorial Lecture. Rose, was invited by UCT’s Academic Freedom Committee (AFC) in March 2015. He was previously cultural editor of Jyllands Posten, the newspaper that published the “Prophet Mohammed cartoons” in September 2005. The TB Davie Memorial lecture is one of UCT’s main annual events. It “celebrates academic freedom and freedom of speech”. Previous speakers have been famous public intellectuals such as Noam Chomsky, Edward Said and Kenan Malik. The AFC wrote in statement received by GroundUp on Friday that it had been told to rescind Rose’s invitation by “some members of the UCT community.” However, it refused to do so. Subsequently Vice-Chancellor Max Price, on behalf of the university's Executive, informed the AFC that it would not be permitted to bring Rose onto campus. The TB Davie Memorial Lecture for 2016 will therefore not go ahead. On 12 July, Price wrote a letter to the AFC explaining his decision. He said that following concerns raised by a Special Executive Task Team, the invitation had been debated by UCT’s Executive and AFC. He wrote, “[W]e have decided that we should not host the address by Mr Flemming Rose at [UCT] at this time.” Price stated: “We did consider the option of holding a debate with Mr Rose instead of a lecture. Our consultations suggest that many in the Muslim community would welcome this and a number of leaders indicated that in other circumstances, they would be willing to share the platform with Mr Rose and to subject his views to vigorous critique. However, Mr Rose is seen by many as a persona non grata and while most would protest peacefully against him, we believe there is a real danger that among those offended by the cartoons, an element may resort to violence.” Price further wrote: “We are convinced his presence at this time would lead to vehement and possibly violent protest against him and against UCT.” He said, “Our campuses have become charged spaces, in which ideological and social fault-lines have become intensely politicised, sometimes violently so.” The AFC said that when it invited Rose “religious tolerance and the threats to education, free thought and free speech, and issues pertaining to visual representation, were prominent in our deliberations. Mr Rose was chosen as an eminently qualified candidate to speak on those matters”. It had also prepared “in light of the expected protest against Mr Rose’s appearance” to hold a “panel discussion between him and his critics in order that disagreements related to tolerance and freedom of expression could be aired”. Campus fragile Price wrote, “We have agonised over withdrawing the invitation and we do so with great reluctance and regret, since we recognise that a decision not to provide an official platform to Mr Rose is an acknowledgement of the limitations on freedom of expression in general and academic freedom on our campus.” Price was concerned that “public order on many campuses is in a fragile state”. Further down he wrote: “This is a deeply worrying situation which all adherents of academic freedom should find disconcerting, and ultimately unacceptable.” He then states that “Mr Rose is regarded by many around the world as right wing, Islamophobic, someone whose statements have been deliberately provocative, insulting and possibly amount to hate speech, and an editor of a publication that many believe took a bigoted view of freedom of expression”. Price was of the opinion that in the current environment, Rose would retard rather than advance academic freedom on campus. Jacques Rousseau, chair of the AFC, told GroundUp: “The security concerns are to my mind legitimate, and would entail significant expense and difficulty in ensuring a trouble-free event. However, all members of the UCT community, including the executive, should be united in lamenting and condemning the fact that intolerant members of that community make it the case that pragmatic concerns should override academic freedom in this instance.” Rousseau said that a caricatured and inaccurate view of Mr Rose’s position has also “arguably been reinforced”. He said, “This decision supports the misconception that he harbours prejudice against the Muslim community. His record and publications speak clearly against that view, and it could be said that UCT is capitulating to the picketers here, instead of acting on principle.” In his letter, Price affirmed the right to freedom of expression. He said however that “the right to academic freedom is not unlimited. Its exercise depends on a careful assessment of if and when such limits pertain, in line with the directives of our Constitution.” Rousseau took issue with this: “There is no suggestion of hate speech here, and no need to balance any rights – no rights would be violated by Mr Rose’s appearance or the content of his talk. Sensibilities might well be, but robust debate and argument are the business of a university, and the possibility of such is being compromised by the decision to rescind the invitation.”
2016-07-23 19:01 www.news24.com
95 Think you’re hot? Spare a thought for Kuwait, as mercury hits record 54C For those struggling to cope with Britain’s minor heatwave it’s an unfathomable idea, but temperatures in Kuwait reached 54C last week, a record for the eastern hemisphere and possibly the entire planet. A weather station in Mitribah, a remote area of north-west Kuwait , recorded the temperature on Thursday, with Basra, across the border in Iraq, reaching 53.9C (129F). The record has yet to be confirmed by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which still has to receive the actual data from Kuwait’s meteorological department. The highest temperature ever recorded was in Death Valley, California, where the mercury is said to have risen to 56.7C on 10 July 1913. However, the validity of that figure has been debated by meteorologists. The precise location of Mitribah is not clear. Weather station 40551 appears to be close to Camp Buehring, a US army base 40 miles from the Iraq border and close to the Udairi Range complex, a military training facility. Few people, apart from US service people, live in the area. Bedouin shepherds and camel herders are the only other inhabitants, and are seen by soldiers wandering through the firing ranges and abandoned vehicles that litter the landscape. Soldiers stationed in Kuwait made occasional forays on to social media to complain about the heat. Christan Reyes tweeted: “You know it gets hot in Kuwait when 100[F] degrees feels nice :^). the last few days it was mid- 120s.” According to the UK’s Meteorological Office, the Mitribah weather station is automated. “It’s very unlikely that the site has a human observer,” a spokesman said. “Information from the station should be relayed directly to the main office. But it is a proper WMO station. “There was an issue with the sensors in 2010 but that seems to have been fixed.” The extremely high temperatures were recorded across Iraq, western Iran, Kuwait and northern Saudi Arabia. Weather Underground’s Dr Jeff Masters noticed the record-breaking quality potential in Kuwait, describing it as “a historic day”. Previously, the record was held by Aziza in Libya, with 58C, but the WMO later disqualified this as unreliable because the weather station was manned by an untrained observer and was located in an area that was unrepresentative of its surroundings. Quite how human beings can survive such extreme temperatures without the aid of air conditioning is hard to imagine. Heatwaves reaching just 45C have led to hundreds of deaths. In 2015 an estimated 780 people died in Karachi , and in Delhi hospitals often struggle to cope with the number of heatstroke cases. The dryness of the desert air is probably crucial for the Kuwaiti Bedouin. Humans can cool themselves with sweat and by sheltering from direct sunlight. In humid conditions, skin is unable to shed heat quickly enough through evaporation. In Iraq a new temperature record for two consecutive days was set at Basra airport, registering 53.9C last Wednesday and Thursday. The Iraqi government responded to the sweltering conditions by closing all government offices. The soaring temperatures have caused significant problems for the refugees who fled the fighting at Falluja. UN spokeswoman Caroline Gluck said refugees at camps in Habbaniya and Amiriyat al-Falluja were only able to sleep for one or two hours a night. Shortages of drinking water and intermittent electricity supplies were also causing health problems, said Gluck.
2016-07-23 18:49 James Tapper www.theguardian.com
96 Jessica Ennis-Hill plays down Olympic heptathlon favourite tag Jessica Ennis-Hill on Saturday attempted to play down the favourite tag bestowed upon her by rivals for Olympic heptathlon gold including fellow Briton Katarina Johnson-Thompson. Johnson-Thompson won the long jump on day two of the Muller Anniversary Games in London with a season's best 6.84 metres as Ennis-Hill finished seventh with 6.19m. Ennis-Hill, who less than a month ago set a long jump personal best of 6.63, was the poster girl of London 2012, where she won heptathlon gold. But the 30-year-old from Sheffield, whose personal best over seven disciplines is the 6955 set en route to Olympic gold, sought to temper expectations. "People like to put pressure on. I don't see myself as the favourite," Ennis-Hill said. "I haven't got the world lead and I didn't compete in Gotzis when everyone else did. There are quite a few girls who have upped their game this year. I don't feel like the favourite, no. " Johnson- Thompson said: "She's a championship performer and defending champ. "It's really tough competition. It's not going to be easy. " Brianne Theisen- Eaton is the world leader in the heptathlon this year with 6765 points. But Ennis-Hill won the 2015 world title in Beijing ahead of the Canadian and showed with a season's best in the 100m hurdles on Friday that she is very nearly back to her best, two years after giving birth to her son Reggie and despite an Achilles problem earlier in the season. Ennis-Hill was not able to back-up her hurdles run in the final, when she clattered a hurdle and Kendra Harrison bettered a 28-year-old world record to win in 12.20 seconds. "That race is going to be played forever and I'm going to be coming last. But it was a great race to be in," Ennis-Hill added. Despite playing down her chances, she is optimistic for Rio. She added: "I love championships, that's when I want to be at my best. I love those environments. It brings the best out of me. "Last year was just up and down with injuries. To have improved on last year and feeling the way I am now, I feel good, I feel healthy. I'd have taken this. " The long jump performance was something of a reminder that there is plenty of work still to be done. "Having jumped 6.60 a few weeks ago I'd hoped to jump that again," she said. "I've got a couple more weeks to get everything right. I hope to bring it all together in Rio. That's when it matters. " Johnson-Thompson was satisfied in winning the long jump, following an outdoor personal best in Friday's high jump of 1.95m. There was additional satisfaction for Johnson-Thompson, who failed to record a legal jump at last year's World Championships in Beijing, ending her medal bid there. The 23-year-old from Liverpool said: "I'm happy. No no-jumps. My lowest one was 6.60, so I'm pleased. Got a consistent set of good jumps out there. "It's a long way better than what I've done this season. I just have to back myself now. "I feel like when I'm 100 per cent healthy I can do anything. "
2016-07-23 18:49 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
97 Ched Evans scores on return to game with Chesterfield Ched Evans made his return to football after scoring in Chesterfield's 3-0 friendly win at Ilkeston on Saturday. The 27 -year-old striker joined the Spireites on a 12- month deal in June just months before he faces a retrial charged with rape. He played 59 minutes of the Sky Bet League One club's victory, netting in the 53rd minute, having also set up Ritchie Humphreys' opener. In the aftermath of Evans joining Chesterfield, Derbyshire-based fitting company HTM Products pulled its sponsorship from the club "in light of recent events" although it refused to confirm if Evans' move was the reason behind the decision. Former Manchester City youngster Evans will go on trial on October 4 charged with raping a woman in May 2011. He has pleaded not guilty. Evans was jailed and sentenced for five years in 2012, being released in 2014, for raping a 19-year-old woman but the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction in April. His last game was for Sheffield United against Leyton Orient on April 14, 2012 in which he scored in a 3-1 win for the Blades at Bramall Lane. Previous attempts by clubs to sign Evans failed amid protests. He came close to joining Chesterfield's League One rivals Oldham in January 2015 but the club pulled out of the deal following pressure from sponsors Shortly before that Evans also had an invitation to use Sheffield United's training facilities rescinded after more than 150,000 people signed a petition opposing it.
2016-07-23 18:49 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
98 Cristiano Ronaldo ruled out of UEFA Super Cup by knee injury Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the UEFA Super Cup, the Real Madrid forward has announced. Ronaldo, who led Portugal to the Euro 2016 title but suffered a knee injury in the final, is on an extended break on his home island of Madeira. Between visiting his personal museum and having a hotel and the island's airport named in his honour, he gave an update on his return to club action and revealed he will miss August 9's showpiece pitting last season's Champions League winners against Europa League champions Sevilla. Quoted by Portuguese news agency Lusa, he said: "I am completely ruled out for the ninth because my return date is the 10th, there is no chance. " Ronaldo, 31, also addressed the prospect of renewing his contract in Madrid. "I spoke to the president on the phone and when I get to Madrid, we will talk about it," he said. "Obviously it's something I want, I have mentioned it many times, and the club also wants it. But we only spoke briefly, and there will be more concrete things to come. "
2016-07-23 18:48 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
99 Provo garage fire causes up to $100K in damage PROVO, Utah — Authorities are investigating a garage fire in Provo that caused up to $100,000 in damage Friday night. At about 8:30 p.m., Provo firefighters were called out to a working house fire at 4730 Mile High Drive. No one was home at the time but a dog was rescued out of the residence, said Capt. Dean York with Provo Fire. The garage and three cars were destroyed in the fire causing $75,000 to $100,000 in damage. York said the blaze is believed to have originated from the garage but the cause is still undetermined. No injuries have been reported at this time. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
2016-07-23 18:42 Tiffany DeMasters fox13now.com
100 100 Momentum vows to check merchandise sourcing after labour practices claim A grass roots group which supports Jeremy Corbyn is to "rigorously" check the sourcing of merchandise after saying it may have been misled by a supplier. Momentum said it wanted to ensure a zero-tolerance policy on unethical practices anywhere in the supply chain. The move has been taken after allegations surfaced that Momentum and one of its suppliers may have been misled by a third party supplier in relation to its labour practices. The order placed with the company has been cancelled and a new supplier sought with full ethical standards. Momentum said it will draw up a code of practice capable of maintaining confidence, in spite of the complexity of modern supply chains, that all campaign materials have been produced by businesses that respect labour rights and human rights. A spokesman said: "Momentum is dedicated to championing people's rights at work both at home and overseas. "We want every worker at home and abroad to be in a trade union, and to enjoy the full protections that the ILO recommends as minimum standards. We refuse to work with any supplier who does not uphold these standards. "
2016-07-23 18:40 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
Total 100 articles. Created at 2016-07-24 00:02