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Total 100 articles, created at 2016-05-15 06:05
(1.12/2) 1 Reuters: Top News - powered by FeedBurner BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hezbollah said on Saturday its top military commander, whose death it announced on Friday, was killed in... 2016-05-14 20:14 603Bytes feeds.reuters.com 2 Fertility doctor under arrest for ‘stealing’ eggs ROME, Italy — A controversial Italian gynecologist famed for helping women in their 60s to have children is under house arrest in Rome on suspicion of removing eggs from a (1.02/2) patient's ovaries 2016-05-15 06:04 4KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 3 Yahoo - Yahoo to Live Stream Video of First Quarter 2016 Earnings on Yahoo Finance on April 19, 2016 --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ( : YHOO) will discuss the Company's financial results for the first (0.01/2) quarter... 2016-05-14 23:17 1KB investor.yahoo.net 4 Man arrested for SW Houston shooting The Houston Police Department arrested Edis Lopez, 29, in connection to the May 8 shooting death of Jose Antonio Hernandez, 34. Police say Lopez open fired on 2016-05-14 19:12 1KB www.chron.com (0.01/2) Hernandez with a shotgun before fleeing the scene.
5 The case for rethinking hell Contact WND Click here for reuse options! 2016-05-15 04:13 3KB www.wnd.com (0.01/2)
6 Man accused in judge shooting won't stand trial in Harris County
(0.01/2) The Harris County District Attorney's Office dismissed a murder charge against Chimene Hamilton Onyeri, 28, clearing the way for him to be transferred first to Austin for a probation violation and then to Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he faces a racketeering charge that could land... 2016-05-15 04:03 3KB www.chron.com 7 Pfizer restriction cuts off last source of execution drugs WASHINGTON, United States — A decision by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to restrict distribution of its products used in lethal injections has cut off the last remaining approved source of drugs 2016-05-15 06:04 4KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 8 How healthy really is your preneed firm? The Insurance Commission (IC) has ordered preneed firms to post their financial statements on their company websites to allow planholders to better monitor their financial state. Insurance 2016-05-15 05:48 2KB business.inquirer.net 9 DBM execs face graft raps The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the indictment for graft of six officials of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in connection with the allegedly fraudulent procurement of inflatable 2016-05-15 05:43 1KB business.inquirer.net 10 China developing, arming manmade isles—US report WASHINGTON—China has reclaimed more than 1,295 hectares of land in the southeastern South China Sea. But the country’s focus has shifted to developing and arming those manmade 2016-05-15 05:33 5KB globalnation.inquirer.net 11 Denied bathroom breaks, workers resort to diapers "We're simply asking to be treated as human beings." @TysonFoods, take note and #GiveThemABreak pic.twitter.com/9Vju7GwRCz— Oxfam America (@OxfamAmerica) May 11, 2016-05-15 05:26 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net
12 Farmers hope Duterte will keep promises LUCENA CITY, Philippines—On the eve of the feast of San Isidro, the patron saint of farmers, a group in Quezon province said that future celebrations would be more meaningful if presumptive 2016-05-15 05:21 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 13 Overseas voter turnout low; Comelec blames snail mail Blame it on the postal services. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Saturday announced that of the more than 1.3 million registered overseas Filipino workers, only 432,706 participated in 2016-05-15 05:15 2KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 14 Satur Ocampo, others urge Duterte to charge Aquino with graft Former Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo and his allies in the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives are urging presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to charge outgoing President 2016-05-15 05:12 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 15 Leni Robredo’s ride to victory: Bicol Express NAGA CITY, Philippines—The journey of Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo to a probable victory in the vice presidential race has confirmed the existence of a “Bicol vote,” a solid 2016-05-15 03:04 4KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 16 Scores & Stats NEW YORK -- Chris Sale still gets strikeouts. Getting quick outs is just as an important component to him being the best pitcher in baseball... 2016-05-14 16:02 4KB scoresandstats.newyork.cbslocal.com 17 Canada wildfire: Justin Trudeau visits Fort McMurray Canada's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has visited Fort McMurray to see the widespread damage caused by wildfire, Rajini Vaidyanathan reports. 2016-05-15 02:56 806Bytes www.bbc.co.uk 18 MoneyWatch: Bank settles mortgage-loan case; Age group's cuts hit economy A New York-based bank has agreed to pay a multimillion-dollar settlement to resolve allegations that it knowingly certified mortgage loans that violated federal rules. Also, a decline in spending by one age group is costing the U. S. economy billions, according to a... 2016-05-15 00:53 1KB www.cbsnews.com 19 What graduation gifts can help class of 2016 into the workforce? As the class of 2016 prepares to graduate, there are plenty of more creative choices than money to mark the occasion and help the new entrant into the workforce. Jill Schlesinger reports. 2016-05-15 00:53 1KB www.cbsnews.com 20 Sneak peek: Death of an Olympian Olympic hero Dave Laut shot six times -- his wife pulled the trigger. Was it murder or self- defense? In her first TV interview, Jane Laut tells "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty she's been hiding a secret... 2016-05-15 00:53 1010Bytes www.cbsnews.com 21 Hendersonville Community Band “Pops and Patriotic” Concert KMorgan 1242 posts 2016-05-14 20:28 2KB www.thetribunepapers.com 22 Arrieta HBP riles Pirates; Cubs say not intentional Pirates pitcher Jeff Locke said Jake Arrieta's fourth-inning pitch that hit Jung Ho Kang probably "didn't just get away," an assertion that the Cubs' Miguel Montero called "stupid. " 2016-05-15 00:44 4KB espn.go.com
23 Yahoo - Yahoo Announces Board Changes and Agreement With Starboard --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ( : YHOO) today announced that it has reached an agreement with and its... 2016-05-14 23:17 5KB investor.yahoo.net 24 WINNING NUMBERS for May 13, 2016 Estimated jackpot $7.75 million Winning tickets None Estimated jackpot $40 million Winning tickets None Estimated jackpot $161 million 2016-05-14 20:19 1KB www.chron.com
25 TV-radio listings: May 14 Col. baseball TCU at Baylor FSSW 3 p.m. Golf The Players Championship NBC 1 p.m. Motor sports Formula One qualifying NBCSN 7 a.m. Motor sports Xfinity qualifying FS1 9:30 a.m. Motor sports IndyCar race ABC 2:30 p.m... 2016-05-14 20:19 2KB www.chron.com 26 Eurovision 2016: Israeli haircut disappoints, Ukraine backhands Russia In the end, with all of the theatrics and corny Euro pop, it was a deeply serious and political song that won the contest. 2016-05-15 02:30 6KB www.jpost.com 27 City ends temporary hotel program for those with FEMA aid Three weeks after securing hotel accommodations for 127 families displaced by Houston's Tax Day flooding, the city has stopped subsidizing those who also have received aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, officials said Friday. 2016-05-14 19:56 2KB www.chron.com 28 Luis Suarez hat-trick fires Barcelona to 24th Spanish La Liga title Barcelona thump Granada 3-0 to retain title as Suarez’s hat-trick helps him become the league’s top goal-scorer 2016-05-15 02:17 2KB www.mid-day.com 29 India journalist arrested over Muslim yoga ban report A journalist in India faces charges over a report he wrote saying Muslims were banned from teaching yoga under government policy. 2016-05-15 03:36 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 30 Ugandan Asians dominate economy after exile After their mass expulsion more than 40 years ago, Ugandans Asians are once again dominant players in the country's economy, the BBC's Farhanna Dawood reports. 2016-05-15 03:36 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 31 Statins alert over IT glitch in heart risk tool Thousands of NHS patients in England may have been incorrectly prescribed statins due to a computer glitch. 2016-05-14 19:47 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 32 Record amount of fake Viagra seized More unlicensed erectile dysfunction drugs were seized in the UK by the authorities last year than ever before - worth over £11m. The Victoria Derbyshire programme joined a raid to find out why they are a problem. 2016-05-14 19:47 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 33 China's Cultural Revolution in posters A look at China's Cultural Revolution through the posters of the time. 2016-05-15 00:42 631Bytes www.bbc.co.uk 34 Syria conflict: IS 'overruns hospital in Deir al-Zour' Islamic State militants briefly overrun a hospital in the eastern Syrian city of Deir al-Zour, seizing hostages, reports say. 2016-05-15 00:42 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 35 Venezuela crisis: Maduro threatens seizure of closed factories The Venezuelan president threatens the seizure of factories that have stopped production as opposition protesters press for his removal. 2016-05-15 03:36 5KB www.bbc.co.uk
36 South Texas bus crash kills eight and injures more than 40 Unclear why charter bus rolled over on US Highway 83 north of Laredo on Saturday morning 2016-05-15 01:52 1KB www.theguardian.com 37 How the global refugee crisis got so bad - in numbers An explainer on the failures of the world humanitarian system. 2016-05-15 01:51 687Bytes www.bbc.co.uk 38 Radiohead beat Skepta to score sixth number one album Radiohead have scored their sixth number one album with A Moon Shaped Pool, beating Skepta's Konnichiwa, which debuts at number two. 2016-05-14 22:05 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 39 Moody's downgrades Saudi Arabia credit rating over oil price slump Ratings agency also downgrades Gulf oil producers Bahrain and Oman, but leaves Kuwait and Qatar unchanged 2016-05-15 01:48 2KB www.theguardian.com 40 China takes bizarre step to woo Muslims Contact WND (RT. COM) – Imagine Disneyland with a focus on Islam and communism. That’s the plan for World Muslim City, a new billion-dollar theme park being built by the Chinese government in an effort to make the world a little smaller. Despite China’s controversial... 2016-05-15 01:48 1KB www.wnd.com 41 MLB daily notes: Fantasy rankings for Sunday It's an odd day among the elite pitchers on Sunday, as all three principles are displaying uncharacteristically high walk rates -- potentially opening the door to exploring some other options. 2016-05-14 23:32 11KB espn.go.com 42 Climate change protesters march on Washington oil refineries Hundreds of climate activists have marched to the site of two refineries in north-west Washington state to call for a reduction in reliance on fossil fuels. 2016-05-15 01:46 4KB www.independent.ie 43 Mangyans now vote with more confidence BACO, Oriental Mindoro—On Election Day, Cristina Gonzago, a 56-year-old Mangyan Alangan, lined up in a precinct at Casillon Elementary School where the Mangyan used to vote with the 2016-05-15 01:43 6KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 44 Two Reasons Why Donald Trump Resents Jeff Bezos | The American Spectator Donald Trump’s latest target is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos who he saw fit to claim was having “anti-trust problems” and “getting away with murder”... 2016-05-14 19:12 2KB spectator.org 45 Egypt jails 51 for protesting against Saudi islands deal Egypt sentences 51 people to two years in prison for protesting against a decision last month to cede two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. 2016-05-15 00:08 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 46 Special polls peaceful, orderly, says military The special elections held on Saturday in several barangays in the Visayas and Mindanao were generally “peaceful and orderly, ” the military said. The Armed Forces of the 2016-05-15 01:37 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net
47 No cheating, PPCRV insists The poll watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) on Saturday said its audit tests had detected no irregularities so far in the election results transmitted to it, 2016-05-15 01:33 5KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 48 404. Page Not Found - Bloomberg Unfortunately, this page does not exist. Please check your URL. 2016-05-15 04:03 966Bytes www.bloomberg.com 49 New documentary on the unseen actors of "Star Wars" A new documentary, "Elstree 1976," takes viewers behind the scenes of the making of the original "Star Wars," meeting the bit players and extras under those iconic helmets, masks and makeup. 2016-05-14 23:20 1KB www.cbsnews.com 50 Analysis: Intelligence agencies succeeding in penetrating Hezbollah The assassination of Mustafa Badreddine is a blow to Hezbollah's already low morale and is an example of the group's vulnerability. 2016-05-15 01:29 7KB www.jpost.com 51 RSPCA to become 'less adversarial' under new boss The new chief executive of the RSPCA, Jeremy Cooper, says the charity has made mistakes in the past and in future will be "less political". 2016-05-15 04:02 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 52 In pictures: The last nomadic people of Nepal Photographer Andrew Newey meets the Raute in the forests of Nepal. 2016-05-14 23:26 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 53 Lady Gaga denies she will play Cilla in Dionne Warwick film Lady Gaga's representative has denied the singer will play Cilla Black in a new film based on the life of soul singer Dionne Warwick. 2016-05-14 13:11 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 54 High street shops that have come back from the brink When high street stores go into administration, it's easy to assume another brand has bitten the dust. But as the BBC's Colletta Smith finds out some well-known shops have had a second chance. 2016-05-15 04:02 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 55 Bukovsky vs. the British Crown — vs. the Kremlin? | The American Spectator If a tree falls in the forest — no, if a legendary Soviet dissident goes on a hunger strike, and there is no media... 2016-05-15 04:05 8KB spectator.org 56 Moscow cemetery brawl: Three dead and 90 arrested Three people are killed and more than 90 arrested as a mass brawl breaks out at Moscow cemetery, Russian media report. 2016-05-15 04:01 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 57 'America's prophet' says revival nation's only hope Contact WND Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, whose “The Harbinger” book racked up months on the New York Times best-sellers list, is warning that America, through its Supreme Court and White House, has defied the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the only answer now is a revival... 2016-05-15 01:23 5KB www.wnd.com 58 North Korea detains Russian yacht A Russian yacht has been detained by North Korean coastguards in the Sea of Japan, Russia's foreign ministry says. 2016-05-15 04:01 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 59 Greens would demand asylum seeker policy change under any deal with Labor Richard Di Natale rejects Labor’s claims it would not form minority government with Greens as just ‘a lot of tough talk’ 2016-05-15 01:19 5KB www.theguardian.com
60 David Miliband wants work rights for refugees David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee, tells Emily Maitlis a new deal is needed to allow refugees to work in the country to which they have come. 2016-05-15 04:02 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 61 India's dying mother Can the sacred but toxic River Ganges be cleaned up? 2016-05-15 04:02 650Bytes www.bbc.co.uk 62 Rosharon man gets life in prison for 2004 murder A Rosharon man was sentenced Friday to life in prison for his role in a 2004 murder that was solved 11 years later. 2016-05-14 19:10 1KB www.chron.com 63 EU referendum: Remain and Leave intensify push for votes Campaigning in the EU referendum is moving up a gear with campaigners from both sides of the debate taking to the streets to try to win over voters. 2016-05-15 04:02 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 64 20 people you can bet on to be Donald Trump's vice president Donald Trump says there's a 40 percent chance he picks someone from this year's Republican presidential field as his vice president. But the odds-on favorite to win the veepstakes: Newt Gingrich. 2016-05-14 22:03 2KB www.chron.com 65 Student unions split on leaving NUS in row over president Exeter students vote to stay in the NUS after those at Newcastle and Lincoln choose to leave in the row over the union's new president. 2016-05-15 04:02 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 66 Early-morning DWI chase leads to fatal crash A man fleeing police in north Houston Saturday morning killed a girl and injured her friend after crashing into the car they were traveling in, authorities said. 2016-05-15 04:06 3KB www.chron.com 67 UGA Graduation at Sanford Stadium included Idol's Ryan Seacrest American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, a former student, delivers the commencement address at the University of Georgia on May 13, 2016, in Athens. 2016-05-15 04:03 826Bytes www.ajc.com 68 Loretta Lynch: North Carolina on Her Mind | The American Spectator The same Obama administration that insists on giving billions to Pakistan after the country harbored the architect of 9/11 seeks to defund North Carolina... 2016-05-15 04:05 5KB spectator.org 69 13 ideas that Houston should steal from other cities Houston can't have it all. For new Houstonians or anyone who's traveled outside the rambling city, it's possible to think of concepts we miss from other parts of the world 2016-05-14 22:18 2KB www.chron.com 70 Kendall Dye shoots 7-under 65 to take Symetra Classic lead CHARLOTTE, N. C. (AP) — Kendall Dye birdied the last three holes Saturday for a tournament-record 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead in the Symetra Classic. Dye... 2016-05-15 01:12 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 71 Three shot dead near beach in Mexican resort of Acapulco Three men have been shot dead in a popular tourist district in the Mexican resort city of Acapulco, authorities confirmed. 2016-05-15 01:11 1KB www.independent.ie 72 How Tajikistan's President Emomali Rakhmon consolidated his power The people of Tajikistan are set to vote in a popular referendum that could make Emomali Rakhmon president for life, the BBC's Abdujalil Abdurasulov reports. 2016-05-15 04:02 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 73 Mastodon meal scraps revise US prehistory Bones and stone tools from deep beneath a river in Florida betray the presence of humans 14,500 years ago. 2016-05-15 04:02 3KB www.bbc.co.uk 74 Two-out triple in fifth by Champ Artigues pushes Aquinas past St. Charles for 2A title Falcons win first baseball title in school history 2016-05-15 04:04 5KB highschoolsports.nola.com 75 Star Wars: Malin Head locals feel the force of legendary film Excitement reaches fever pitch in Malin Head, County Donegal, as actors from Star Wars arrive at Belfast International Airport. 2016-05-14 19:06 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 76 No one helps woman being beaten by man in broad daylight The incident occurred on a Philadelphia street in broad daylight. Although at least one person filmed what was happening, none of the bystanders... 2016-05-15 04:10 652Bytes www.digitaljournal.com 77 British and Chinese: Divided by culture? The Queen was overheard describing a Chinese delegation as rude - but is it just a question of failure to understand the peculiarities of each other's cultures, asks Paul Moss. 2016-05-14 22:38 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 78 Lightning strikes kill 50 in Bangladesh Police in Bangladesh say more than 50 people across the country have died after being struck by lightning in the past two days. 2016-05-14 14:07 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 79 Inside the world's biggest refugee camp Dadaab in Kenya was meant as a transit camp but is home to more than 300,000 people. 2016-05-14 22:47 676Bytes www.bbc.co.uk 80 Opinion on Brexit divided among Britons living abroad June's EU membership referendum will have an impact felt far beyond Britain. Hundreds of thousands of Britons live elsewhere in the European Union, many of t... 2016-05-15 01:08 6KB www.dailymail.co.uk 81 Student loan calculator overhauled amid criticism A government loan repayment calculator, used by millions of students, is to be overhauled amid criticism of its calculations. 2016-05-14 22:07 3KB www.bbc.co.uk 82 Poll reveals concerns among police officers about staffing levels Eighty-four per cent of police officers believe there are not enough of them to meet the demands placed on them, a survey found. Eighty per cent also said th... 2016-05-15 01:07 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk
83 How the CIA got Nelson Mandela arrested Donald Rickard, 88, U. S. vice consul in Durban, South Africa, at the time of Mandela's arrest, said he fed information to police meaning they were able to set up a roadblock and arrest him. 2016-05-15 01:07 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk 84 Yahoo - Introducing Fair Play on Yahoo Sports Daily Fantasy Yahoo Launches Key Changes in Daily Fantasy to Help Level the Playing Field for Fans Including Entry Limits, Labeling of Veteran Players and No... 2016-05-14 17:05 2KB investor.yahoo.net 85 Yahoo - TUNE IN TODAY: Yahoo Hosts First-Ever Live Stream of Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting Live coverage begins at 10 a.m... 2016-05-14 17:05 2KB investor.yahoo.net 86 Potential choices for Clinton's, Trump's running mates As time winds down for the Democrats and Republicans to pick their nominees, there is plenty of speculation about the candidates' respective running mates. 2016-05-15 04:03 1KB www.chron.com 87 Two held on cyber crime offences Two men have been arrested in Merseyside over the alleged supplying of software for use by computer hackers. The suspects, both aged 21, were arrested shortl... 2016-05-15 01:06 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 88 MPs warn of pension savings risk due to 'gaps' in regulation The retirement savings of millions of workers could be at risk due to "gaps" in the system of pension regulation, MPs have warned. The Commons Work and Pensi... 2016-05-15 01:06 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk 89 'Boris Johnson more trusted than David Cameron' by EU referendum voters Voters trust Boris Johnson to tell the truth about Europe more than they trust David Cameron, a new poll reveals. The former London mayor, who has been touri... 2016-05-15 01:06 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 90 Rare Queen photo released ahead of 90th birthday celebration show A third rare image of the Queen has been released as celebrations to mark the monarch's 90th birthday continue with a star-studded show in the grounds of Win... 2016-05-15 01:06 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 91 Livonia - News Livonia - News 2016-05-14 19:06 2KB rssfeeds.hometownlife.com 92 UFC 198 play-by-play and live results CURITIBA, Brazil – MMAjunkie is on scene and reporting live from today’s UFC 198 event. Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 6:30 p.m. … 2016-05-15 01:05 16KB rssfeeds.usatoday.com 93 Yahoo - Yahoo Sports Partners With NHL to Bring Fans Free, Live Out-of-Market Games & On-Demand Premium Content No Cable or Authentication Required, Alliance Offers New Opportunities for Advertisers to Connect with Fans --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ... 2016-05-15 04:02 4KB investor.yahoo.net 94 Yahoo - Lexus Revs Up Basketball Fans with New Campaign on Yahoo Sports and Launches Bracket Challenge New campaign promotes the all-new 2016 Lexus GS F timed with the 2016 Men's College Basketball Tournament --(BUSINESS WIRE)... 2016-05-15 04:02 3KB investor.yahoo.net 95 Car swept away in Buffalo Bayou Houston police are searching for a car that may have gone off the road and into a bayou near downtown, officials said late Friday. 2016-05-14 19:35 869Bytes www.chron.com 96 Asia Times News & Features – Asia Times Pressured by the international community to impose stricter border controls to stem the flood of militants into Syria, Ankara has been erecting walls at... 2016-05-14 13:02 684Bytes atimes.com 97 2 Houston-area educators snag prominent awards The program, designed to recognize top educators and school districts, has awarded more than $8 million since 2002. "When I was sinking I thought, 'When I grow up, I want to be a bilingual teacher and help kids like me be able... 2016-05-14 19:35 2KB www.chron.com 98 The Times & The Sunday Times News and opinion from The Times & The Sunday Times 2016-05-14 20:25 543Bytes www.thetimes.co.uk 99 Livia Firth cuts a glamorous figure in a sophisticated black dress Livia Firth, 46, underwent a costume change for Chopard's star-studded Gent's Party at Annabel's on Saturday evening, wowing in a classy black frock. 2016-05-15 01:02 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 100 Haiti protesters demand departure of interim president Protesters have marched in Haiti's capital to demand the departure of the country's interim president, who was supposed to leave office this weekend. 2016-05-15 01:01 1KB www.independent.ie Articles
Total 100 articles, created at 2016-05-15 06:05
1 Reuters: Top News - powered by FeedBurner (1.12/2) BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hezbollah said on Saturday its top military commander, whose death it announced on Friday, was killed in Syria by Sunni Islamist artillery fire and not by an Israeli air strike as one member of the Lebanese Shi'ite movement had said. Politics - powered by FeedBurner feeds.feedburner.com Reuters: World News - powered by FeedBurner feeds.reuters.com Reuters: U.S. - powered by FeedBurner feeds.reuters.com 2016-05-14 20:14 feeds.reuters.com
2 Fertility doctor under arrest for ‘stealing’ eggs (1.02/2) ROME, Italy — A controversial Italian gynecologist famed for helping women in their 60s to have children is under house arrest in Rome on suspicion of removing eggs from a patient’s ovaries without her consent. Lawyers for Severino Antinori, who has been nicknamed the “grandmothers’ obstetrician,” dismissed the charges as absurd and claimed Saturday that their client had been the victim of attempted extortion. READ: Scientists in Shanghai create mice without use of sperm | Aiza Seguerra, Liza Diño plan to have a baby through IVF Antinori, 70, was arrested at Rome’s Fiumicino airport on Friday following a complaint filed by a 24-year-old woman who was treated for an ovarian cyst at the clinic, police said. Antinori has had his license to practice gynecology provisionally suspended for a year and was ordered to stay at his Rome home pending further investigation into charges of aggravated robbery and causing personal injury. The alleged victim was a Spanish national with a nursing qualification who had recently begun working at the clinic. Prosecutors suspect Antinori met the woman by chance, set up a job interview and subsequently diagnosed the ovarian cyst with the sole intention of harvesting her eggs without her knowledge. The woman says that prior to receiving treatment on April 5, she had her mobile phone taken off her before being forcibly immobilized, placed under anesthetic and operated on without her consent. She believed she was only going to be treated by injection for the cyst, according to her lawyer. The investigation was triggered by the woman calling emergency services from a payphone in the clinic after she came round from the surgery. But one of Antinori’s lawyers said Saturday that the women had agreed to donate eggs and had signed detailed consent forms a month before the surgery. Tommaso Pietrocarlo told Italian news agency ANSA that she had signed the forms “after a consultation with a psychologist who will state that she was conscious of the choice she was making and that it did not pose any problem.” Quadruplets at 65, mum at 72 Prosecutors are also working on the hypothesis that this may not be an isolated case, according to the Italian media. “The arrest of Severino Antinori is extremely serious because it indicates the existence of a market in eggs that will not stop at anything,” said Donata Lenzi, an Italian lawmaker from Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s Democratic Party. Antinori became famous worldwide in 1994 when his fertility treatment led to Italian Rossana Della Corte giving birth to a son at the age of 63. At the time she was the oldest woman to have given birth but that record has since been surpassed several times. A 65-year-old, Annegret Raunigk, gave birth to quadruplets in Germany last year and Daljinder Kaur, who told AFP she was around 70, gave birth to a boy last month following fertility treatment in India, where a 72-year-old reportedly had a child in 2008. Antinori was also involved in the treatment of Patricia Rashbrook, who became Britain’s oldest new mother when she had a boy in 2006 at the age of 62. The physician has attracted controversy with his advocacy of the use of cloning technology to enable infertile couples to have children by injecting genetic material from a father into donated eggs. It is unclear whether he has ever overseen the creation of a cloned child although he has suggested as much in interviews.
Top Italian fertility doctor Severino Antinori arrested bbc.co.uk 2016-05-15 06:04 Agence France newsinfo.inquirer.net
3 Yahoo - Yahoo to Live Stream Video of First Quarter 2016 Earnings on Yahoo Finance on April 19, 2016 (0.01/2) --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ( : YHOO) will discuss the Company's financial results for the first quarter ended via live stream video. WHERE: The live stream will be broadcast from Yahoo's studio and will be available exclusively on Yahoo Finance at http://finance.yahoo.com/. The video will be archived after the event at https://investor.yahoo.net and will be available for 90 days following the broadcast. is a guide focused on informing, connecting, and entertaining our users. By creating highly personalized experiences for our users, we keep people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the world. In turn, we create value for advertisers by connecting them with the audiences that build their businesses. 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). and Yahoo Finance are the trademarks and/or registered trademarks of All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Yahoo - Yahoo Reports First Quarter 2016 Results investor.yahoo.net 2016-05-14 23:17 investor.yahoo.net
4 Man arrested for SW Houston shooting (0.01/2) The Houston Police Department arrested a suspect in connection with a fatal shooting May 8 in southwest Houston. Edis Lopez, 29, is charged with murder in the death of Jose Antonio Hernandez, 34. Hernandez was shot around 1 p.m. Sunday at his home in the 5800 block of Glenmont. Hernandez died at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital following the shooting. SEE ALSO : Man's headless body found on boat ramp, head still missing According to police, Hernandez was drinking with friends in his apartment complex parking lot when he was approached by someone with a gun. Police believe Lopez fired at Hernandez multiple times with a shotgun before fleeing the scene. Police did not disclose a motive in the incident. The Harris County District Attorney's Office did not respond to calls Friday. Glenmont is just outside of the 610 loop, near Westpark Drive. Lopez was taken into custody on Tuesday. He is being held without bond in Harris County jail. He is scheduled to appear in the 232 Criminal Court on June 17. Man accused of shooting judge won't stand trial in Houston chron.com 2016-05-14 19:12 William Axford www.chron.com
5 The case for rethinking hell Contact WND (0.01/2) Joel Richardson on why believes eternal conscious torment awaits the wicked Joel Richardson is joined by 2 Christian workers giving digital Bibles to refugees to Europe Daniel 11 cited as source of more information than any other part The reality on the ground Prophecy imminent? Or does the text reveal something else? Will Isaiah 17 soon to be fulfilled amid Syrian civil war? How has the Christian church inherited a distorted version of biblical hope? Could Bible prophecy reveal the next major war to unfold across the Middle East? Find out why terrorists put multi-million dollar bounty on Coptic priest Richardson: 'If I could only recommend 1 book this year, John P. Harrigan's would be it' What might we learn from Jesus' parable of the wise and foolish virgins? Dalton Thomas discusses serving Christians in the Middle East What is it like to live as an underground believer in the Middle East? Billy Ray, a Christian, recounts how ISIS swept into the region. What can we do as Christians in the midst of this? What is the primary sign that Jesus gave relating to the timing of the rapture? Discussing nationalism and the Kingdom of God Learn what God is doing in Israel and the Middle East Does Ezekiel 38-39 point to a coming invasion of Israel? Is it not the fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy? Joel Richardson interviews key Christian leader on whether downfall looming Joel Richardson on why believes eternal conscious torment awaits the wicked Exclusive: David Rives notes most changes are detrimental, not beneficial Exclusive: Richard Rives warns against pagan precepts prevalent in modern worship Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews author, pastor John Turnipseed Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews Richard Roberts, son of famous father Oral Joel Richardson is joined by 2 Christian workers giving digital Bibles to refugees to Europe Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews author, speaker, nutritionist Laura Harris Smith Daniel 11 cited as source of more information than any other part Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews apostolic minister Robert Heidler Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews Tony Kemp of Tony Kemp Ministries Exclusive: David Rives notes long-term Darwinian theory is neither observable nor repeatable Exclusive: Richard Rives reminds us 'by the law is the knowledge of sin' Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews mysterious, anonymous healer Exclusive: David Rives reminds us to marvel at lunar beauty Exclusive: Richard Rives warns against Christian leaders who make a 'business' of ignoring law Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews prophetic healing minister Katherine Ruonala Will Isaiah 17 soon to be fulfilled amid Syrian civil war? Exclusive: David Rives reminds us of massive distances in space Exclusive: Richard Rives warns against celebrating a fertility goddess Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews Tom Horn and Sharon Gilbert Exclusive: David Rives points to overwhelming probability of a Designer Exclusive: Richard Rives extorts us to choose obedience over iniquity Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews apostolic minister Robert Henderson Exclusive: David Rives reminds us matter is not created spontaneously, must come from a Creator Exclusive: Richard Rives returns to Ostia, ancient seaport of Rome Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews healing prophetic minister Rich Vera Exclusive: David Rives urges listeners to put their belief in the right place Exclusive: Richard Rives delves into fascinating history of 'Easter' Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews speaker, author, minister Clarice Fluitt Where did church pulpits come from? Contact WND wnd.com 2016-05-15 04:13 The Underground www.wnd.com
6 Man accused in judge shooting won't stand trial in Harris County (0.01/2) An Alief man suspected in a Houston slaying and the shooting of a state district judge in Austin will not face a murder charge in Harris County, officials said Friday. The Harris County District Attorney's Office dismissed a murder charge against Chimene Hamilton Onyeri, 28, clearing the way for him to be transferred first to Austin for a probation violation and then to Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he faces a racketeering charge that could land him behind bars for decades. In a wide-ranging indictment from Calcasieu Parish, prosecutors charged Onyeri and five other people in a crime ring beginning in 2008 that included several crimes including identity theft, passing counterfeit money and the 2015 slaying in Houston. The group is accused of using fraudulent gift cards embedded with stolen credit card numbers to buy products from the Apple stores in the Galleria, Sugar Land and Willowbrook malls. They are also charged with using a fraudulent debit card to bilk victims of thousands of dollars. In one instance, they allegedly stole more than $15,000 from an ATM in a Louisiana Wal-Mart over the course of five hours. Onyeri is at the center of the allegations and could face 50 years of hard labor if convicted in the Bayou State. His sentence may be lengthened because of the allegations in the Harris County shooting. Onyeri was charged in Harris County in the death of Jacobi Alexander at an apartment complex in the Alief area last May. That first-degree felony has been dismissed, but could be filed again, according to Onyeri's attorney. "They could always refile it if they think it's in their best interest," said Sam Adamo . He credited the Harris County District Attorney's Office with dismissing the charge after the delay of evidence and witness statements from the Travis County Sheriff's Office threatened to violate state law requiring the information to be released to the defense. The lawyer said Onyeri denies shooting Austin Judge Julie Kocurek on Nov. 6, who was seriously injured outside her northwest Austin home. "He knows he didn't shoot the judge, so he's confident they're not going to file that charge," Adamo said. "If they do, he knows he will beat it. " During that investigation, police got a tip that Onyeri was involved in the shooting and also bragged about a Houston murder, saying he stood over Alexander's body as he shot him in the head. Police found Alexander's body lying on the ground in a courtyard near a swimming pool. Onyeri was named as the primary suspect in Kocurek's shooting but he has not been charged. Court records show that Onyeri had a case before Kocurek in Austin, where prosecutors were seeking to revoke his probation in a fraud case, a move that could send him to prison for as long as 20 years. In that case, he and a friend were arrested during a traffic stop in 2012 for possession of 17 fraudulent gift cards embedded with stolen credit card numbers. Besides the case in Austin, Onyeri has long been in and out of trouble with the law in Houston. In 2013, he was acquitted by a jury during a trial on charges of armed robbery. He also was arrested and charged with murder in a 2008 shooting, but those charges were later dismissed. It was unclear Friday whether those allegations could also affect the charge in Louisiana.
Man accused of shooting judge won't stand trial in Houston chron.com 2016-05-15 04:03 By Brian www.chron.com
7 Pfizer restriction cuts off last source of execution drugs WASHINGTON, United States — A decision by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to restrict distribution of its products used in lethal injections has cut off the last remaining approved source of drugs for carrying out the death penalty, experts said. Capital punishment observers on Saturday hailed the move by New York-based Pfizer as “significant,” noting that it highlights the pharmaceutical industry’s opposition to the misuse of its products. Pfizer said in a statement on its website that its mission includes making products to enhance and save lives, and therefore the company “strongly objects” to their use in lethal injections. READ: Pfizer says it’s blocking use of drugs for lethal injections | Lethal injections face scrutiny after two-hour US execution The statement was posted Friday, according to various US media outlets including The New York Times. Specifically, Pfizer said it was imposing restrictions on wholesalers, distributors and direct purchasers of seven drugs that are used or considered for use in lethal injection protocols, barring these buyers from reselling them to correctional institutions for lethal injections. Government purchasers must certify that the products will only be used for “medically prescribed patient care,” the company said. Slowing executions Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, called the move “significant.” “It’s offensive to the medical mission of the pharmaceutical companies when states misuse these medications which are designed to save lives and improve the quality of lives by instead using them to kill prisoners,” he told AFP. Maya Foa, director of anti-death penalty group Reprieve, said that now more than 25 pharmaceutical companies have made moves to block the use of their products in executions. “This will mean that all FDA-approved manufacturers of all execution drugs have spoken out against the misuse of medicines in lethal injections and taken steps to prevent it,” she said in a statement. The United States stands alone among Western nations for its use of the death penalty, but the number of prisoners it executes has slowed to a trickle in recent years — partly due to a lack of drugs. In 2015, there were 28 executions carried out among the 31 US states with the death penalty. According to figures from the Death Penalty Information Center, 1,436 people have been executed since 1976 when the United States reinstated the death penalty, reaching a peak of 98 executions in 1999. Part of the recent drop in numbers is due to a European export ban that stopped pharmaceutical companies producing the drugs from sending them to US prisons. Prisons generally use a cocktail of three drugs in carrying out lethal injections. One knocks the condemned unconscious, another paralyzes muscles and a third stops the heart. Some of the lethal injection executions carried out since 2014 have been widely criticized after they made prisoners die slowly while gasping, groaning and convulsing. The US Constitution bans “cruel and unusual” punishment and defense lawyers have not hesitated to launch last-minute appeals questioning the effectiveness of various drugs, often successfully. Alternative methods A few states have tried to revive the pace of executions by passing measures that guarantee anonymity to pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the required drugs. The states of Georgia, Missouri and Texas have overcome shortages and restrictions by obtaining pentobarbital — which numbs the central nervous system including parts of the brain — from compounding pharmacies. Compounding pharmacies, which are not as strictly regulated as traditional drug makers, can combine, mix or alter drugs to create individually tailored medications. Other states, faced with the difficulty of obtaining drugs, have turned to old methods. Utah has approved the use of the firing squad if lethal injection drugs are unavailable, and Oklahoma — before putting a hold on executions — had approved the gas chamber.
2016-05-15 06:04 Agence France newsinfo.inquirer.net
8 How healthy really is your preneed firm? The Insurance Commission (IC) has ordered preneed firms to post their financial statements on their company websites to allow planholders to better monitor their financial state. Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel F. Dooc said preneed companies should put up and maintain websites through which planholders could easily access information concerning the firms’ financial health, as mandated under the Pre-Need Code. By November, preneed providers must post the following information on their websites: the latest approved annual statements, latest approved consolidated statement of trust fund, and audited financial statements filed within the past 30 days with the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Preneed firms’ websites should also contain an updated list of its directors and executive officers, the address of the main office as well as its branches and the latest certificate of authority. Companies that do not heed the IC’s order will be fined at least P50,000, on top of a basic penalty of P10,000 and P5,000 monthly thereafter if they do not post the mandatory content. As of May 4, the IC has issued certificates of authority for 2016 to 14 providers of education, life and pension plans: Ayala Plans Inc., Caritas Financial Plans Inc., CityPlans Inc., CocoPlans Inc., Eternal Plans Inc., First Union Plans Inc., Himlayang Pilipino Plans Inc., Manulife Financial Plans Inc., Mercantile Care Plans Inc., PhilPlans First Inc., St. Peter Life Plan Inc., Sunlife Financial Plans Inc., Transnational Plans Inc. and Trusteeship Plans Inc.
2016-05-15 05:48 Ben O business.inquirer.net
9 DBM execs face graft raps The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the indictment for graft of six officials of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in connection with the allegedly fraudulent procurement of inflatable rubber boats for the military in 2010. Charged in the Sandiganbayan were Budget Undersecretary Evelyn Guererro, Director Lourdes Santiago, procurement management officers Julieta Lozano and Mervin Ian Tanquintic, administrative assistant Alvin John Perater and ad hoc member Lt. Malone Agudelo. Included as a private respondent was Anthony Hernandez of Joavi Philippines Corp., the supplier of the substandard rubber boats. In an e-mailed statement, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said graft investigators discovered that the purchase of the rubber boats, used as rescue vessels, violated several provisions of the government’s procurement law. For one, Morales said, the rubber boats did not have inflation valves, over-pressure valves and roll-up floors as specified in the procurement plan.
2016-05-15 05:43 Marlon Ramos business.inquirer.net
10 China developing, arming manmade isles—US report WASHINGTON—China has reclaimed more than 1,295 hectares of land in the southeastern South China Sea. But the country’s focus has shifted to developing and arming those manmade islands to give it greater control over the maritime region without having to resort to armed conflict, according to a new Pentagon report. In its most detailed assessment to date of China’s island-building program, the Department of Defense said three of the land features on the Spratly islands now had nearly 10,000-foot runways and large ports in various stages of construction. And China has excavated deep channels, created and dredged harbors, and constructed communications, logistics and intelligence-gathering facilities. The report argued that the accelerated building effort did not give China any new territorial rights. But it said that the airfields, ship facilities, and surveillance and weapons equipment would allow China to significantly enhance its long-term presence in the South China Sea. “This would improve China’s ability to detect and challenge activities by rival claimants or third parties, widen the range of capabilities available to it, and reduce the time required to deploy them,” the report released on Friday said. Chinese officials have defended the land reclamation by saying they are Beijing’s territory, adding that the buildings and infrastructure were for public service use and to support fishermen. It accused the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries of carrying out their own building work on other islands. “China is using coercive tactics short of armed conflict, such as the use of law enforcement vessels to enforce maritime claims, to advance their interests in ways that calculated to fall below the threshold of provoking conflict,” the report said. The 1,295 ha only represents China’s reclamation in the Spratlys and does not include its building in the Paracels, further northwest, including the contested Woody Island, in its estimates. China has deployed antiaircraft missiles to Woody Island, which is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. The Pentagon declined to release details on the amount of increased reclamation in the Paracels or to provide a more concrete estimate of the increase in building in the Spratly islands, to some of which the Philippines has claims. The report also noted that China had continued to assert sovereignty over the East China Sea, including the Senkaku Islands, which are administered by Japan. Vietnam, China and Taiwan all claim the Paracels, and the three along with the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei claim all or parts of the Spratlys. The United States said it takes no sides in the territorial disputes, but supports freedom of passage through the region, which is one of the world’s busiest and richest sea lanes. China’s island building, the report concluded, is designed to walk right up to—but not cross —“the threshold of provoking the United States, its allies and partners, or others in the Asia Pacific region into open conflict.” More broadly, the report said that China was steadily increasing its role and power around the world, while continuing to modernize and build up its military and inventory of ships, missiles and aircraft. Specifically, it noted China’s plans to build its first overseas military facility in Djibouti to support its naval operations in the region. The report also repeats assertions made by Defense Secretary Ash Carter that continued provocation by China may only improve US relations in the Asia Pacific. “China’s increasingly assertive efforts to advance its national sovereignty and territorial claims, its forceful rhetoric, and lack of transparency about its growing military capabilities and strategic decision-making continue to raise tensions and have caused countries in the region to enhance their ties with the United States,” the report said. US officials have been increasingly concerned China’s activities could be a prelude to enforcing a possible air defense identification zone over the South China Sea, similar to one it declared over disputed Japanese-held islands in the East China Sea in 2013. As noted in previous year’s reports, China continues to target US government and defense department computer systems through cyber intrusions. The report said that in 2015, China used its cyber capabilities to spy on the United States and steal information from computer networks. “The information targeted could potentially be used to benefit China’s defense industry, high technology industries, and provide the CCP insights into US leadership perspectives on key China issues,” the report said.
2016-05-15 05:33 Associated Press globalnation.inquirer.net
11 Denied bathroom breaks, workers resort to diapers LOS ANGELES—Poultry workers in the United States are routinely denied bathroom breaks to the point of being forced to wear diapers while on the production line, a new report claims. The “vast majority” of 250,000 workers in the sector are mocked, ignored or threatened with being fired when they ask to go to the bathroom, Oxfam America said in the study. “Workers struggle to cope with this denial of a basic human need. They urinate and defecate while standing on the line; they wear diapers to work,” said the report, released on Tuesday. The US arm of the global antipoverty charity added that workers would take on dangerously low levels of liquids, enduring pain and discomfort while risking serious health problems. The group quoted anonymous workers at Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Pilgrim’s Pride and Sanderson Farms, which between them have 100,000 workers and account for 60 percent of the sector. Tyson, one of the biggest poultry firms in the world, said in a statement it would “not tolerate the denial of requests to use the bathroom” in its factories. “We’re concerned about these anonymous claims and while we currently have no evidence they’re true, we are checking to make sure our position on restroom breaks is being followed,” it said. Oxfam cites a survey of 266 workers in Alabama conducted by the antidiscrimination Southern Poverty Law Center which said “nearly 80 percent said they are not allowed to take bathroom breaks when needed.” “A recent survey in Minnesota revealed that 86 percent of workers interviewed said they get fewer than two bathroom breaks in a week,” Oxfam added. The charity added that the few employees who say they are allowed to relieve themselves whenever they wish work in plants that are unionized, around one-third of the total. Supervisors deny workers permission to leave the production line because they are under intense pressure to keep up with production or meet daily quotas, the report said. Workers were waiting an hour or more and then racing across vast, often slippery workshop floors to accomplish the task quickly enough to avoid being disciplined, Oxfam added. “While the poultry industry today enjoys record profits and pumps out billions of chickens, the reality of life inside the processing plant remains grim and dangerous,” the report went on. “Workers earn low wages, suffer elevated rates of injury and illness, toil in difficult conditions and have little voice in the workplace.” Oxfam called on the companies to deploy “floating” workers to step in temporarily when employees needed to leave the line, ensuring production would not be halted. Tyson Foods says it has met with Oxfam and has already complied with the request. Perdue, Sanderson and Pilgrim’s were not immediately available for comment.
2016-05-15 05:26 Agence France newsinfo.inquirer.net
12 Farmers hope Duterte will keep promises LUCENA CITY, Philippines—On the eve of the feast of San Isidro, the patron saint of farmers, a group in Quezon province said that future celebrations would be more meaningful if presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte would fulfill his campaign promise to uplift their lives. “Though we celebrate San Isidro’s fiesta with a Holy Mass and a gathering of relatives and friends, we still feel the troubling emptiness,” Maribel Luzara, leader of the farmers’ group, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Bondoc Peninsula, told the Inquirer on Saturday. She said like most Filipino farmers, they continued to struggle to own a piece of land to till through the government’s land reform program and for the return of the multibillion-peso coconut levy fund to the farmers. “[Duterte] promised us that he will finish the land reform program and distribute vast lands to farmers. He also promised to return to us the coco levy fund. He promised to change our lives… [so we can have a] dignified existence,” Luzara said. “We will be waiting for him to fulfill his promises. We want to truly celebrate the future feasts of San Isidro because we really have something concrete reasons to rejoice,” she said. Farmers’ support Jansepth Geronimo, spokesperson of the Kilusan para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan (Katarungan), said most farmers across the country supported Duterte’s candidacy. “They voted for him, most of them even campaigned for him because they believed he could really change their lives if he became president,” Geronimo said. Last month, Katarungan led 200 farmers from Quezon on an eight-day 122-kilometer protest march to Metro Manila to appeal to the Supreme Court to order the full implementation of the agrarian reform program in towns in the Bondoc Peninsula and to stop the revocation of land titles already given by the government to farmers in Sariaya town as part of land reform. The marchers also appealed to the high court to return the coconut levy funds that they said were forcibly collected from farmers by the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. In Lucban town, police have put in place all measures to secure the people attending today’s “Pahiyas,” a festival honoring San Isidro. Close to 200 policemen assisted by Army soldiers and volunteers will ensure the safety of the tourists, said Chief Insp. Reynaldo Kasilag, Lucban police chief. Vehicles will be barred from entering the town from 6 a.m., except those with official passes. Since Friday, residents along the procession route started adorning the front of their houses with farm produce, suman (rice cake) and kiping, the colorful rice wafer that has symbolized the local Maytime fiesta.
2016-05-15 05:21 Delfin T newsinfo.inquirer.net
13 Overseas voter turnout low; Comelec blames snail mail Blame it on the postal services. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Saturday announced that of the more than 1.3 million registered overseas Filipino workers, only 432,706 participated in the month-long overseas absentee voting (OAV). Comelec Commissioner Arthur Lim, the commissioner in charge of the OAV, said one of the factors for the low voter turnout was the inefficiency of the postal system in other countries. Despite the low turnout, Lim said the figure was still “satisfactory” and they were happy with the outcome of the elections. There were three methods of voting in the OAV—manual personal voting, automated personal voting and postal voting. Lim said they sent through air mail official ballots to around 30,000 registered voters all over the world, particularly in areas where there were small concentrations of Filipinos. He, however, said many of the voters did not receive the mailed ballots. “When we traced them, we were told they were ‘being delivered,’” said Lim. “Mostly kasi electronic mail na ang gamit.” Lim said all 58 certificates of canvass from 82 Philippine diplomatic outposts—which service over 200 countries—had already reached the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). “All COCs have been admitted for canvass by the NBOC,” he said. Apart from the inefficiency of the mailing systems, Lim also blamed the Filipinos’ high mobility and the distance of their residences from the embassies and consulates where they cast their votes. He said many employers also did not allow their Filipino employees to go out to vote.
2016-05-15 05:15 Tina G newsinfo.inquirer.net
14 Satur Ocampo, others urge Duterte to charge Aquino with graft Former Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo and his allies in the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives are urging presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to charge outgoing President Aquino and his top officials with graft in connection with the Disbursement Acceleration Program and Priority Development Assistance Fund, among other alleged irregularities. In a statement issued by Ocampo and Makabayan officials Liza Masa of Gabriela and Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis, the group said Duterte must “hold responsible” Mr. Aquino and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad for all the anomalous transactions they entered into while in office, specifically the disbursements made through the DAP and PDAF, or pork barrel, both of which were declared illegal by the Supreme Court in 2013. The Aquino administration disbursed an estimated P220 billion in pork barrel and P157 billion in DAP funds that were lodged as lump sum allocations in the annual budget. Aside from funding anomalies, Ocampo said Mr. Aquino should also be made to account for the death of the 44 police commandos in the Mamasapano massacre in January 2015 and the violent dispersal of farmer-protesters in Kidapawan last April. Ocampo said Duterte’s overwhelming victory was “the people’s expression of outrage and rejection of Mr. Aquino’s ‘daang matuwid’ government.” Ocampo said Makabayan was optimistic about Duterte’s “propoor and propeople” policies, such as restarting the peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front, release of political detainees, termination of labor contractualization, boosting farmer subsidies, and higher spending for education and other services. ‘Upheld the Constitution’ “Instead of pursuing what I call ‘neoliberal’ economic policies of the past administrations, Duterte should take the path of national industrialization and agricultural modernization to address the gross social inequality in the country,” Ocampo said. In a radio interview, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said calls to jail President Aquino “have no basis.” “The President has upheld the Constitution and the rule of law in doing his duty. If we recall, it was under his term that three active senators (Juan Ponce Enrile, Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada), other legislators and executives were charged and jailed. This is proof of his fairness and impartiality,” Coloma said. He said Mr. Aquino had laid a strong foundation for economic growth through good governance. “The President has always said: Good governance translates to good economics. It is important to have a positive mind-set rather than injecting negative ideas at this time,” Coloma said.
2016-05-15 05:12 Gil Cabacungan newsinfo.inquirer.net
15 Leni Robredo’s ride to victory: Bicol Express NAGA CITY, Philippines—The journey of Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo to a probable victory in the vice presidential race has confirmed the existence of a “Bicol vote,” a solid support base from her home region, according to political analysts here. Robredo, widow of former Naga City Mayor and Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, rode on the “Bicol Express,” with 64.5 percent of voters in the region choosing her as Vice President in Monday’s national elections. Rene Gumba, a political science instructor and former research associate at Ateneo de Naga University Social Science Research Center, said the Bicol vote became concrete after Robredo got the majority vote in the region. But Gumba said a Bicol vote should not be equated with Bicolanos solidly voting for a particular candidate. “We should equate a Bicol vote with the majority of Bicolanos campaigning and voting for a particular candidate,” he said. But Christopher Dy-Liaco, a businessman and senior adviser to foreign companies in the Philippines, believed there was indeed a Bicol vote. “If there were doubts about a Bicol vote before, Leni had proven [the nonbelievers wrong]. But the Bicol vote, per se, is not a regional vote. It’s not a command vote because Bicolano voters defied power broker impositions to vote for Chiz (Sen. Francis Escudero of Sorsogon province),” Dy-Liaco said. In the unofficial count, Robredo polled 1,499,923 votes, or 64.5 percent of the 2,325,418 votes cast in the six provinces of Bicol. Trailing her was Escudero, who garnered 476,483, or 20.5 percent of the votes cast in the region. Escudero, who placed fourth among six candidates for Vice President in the unofficial national count, conceded defeat a day after the elections. The third-ranked candidate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, whose wife’s family is from Tiwi town in Albay, conceded defeat to Robredo on Thursday. Small slices Other candidates rooted in or claiming affinity to Bicol got small slices of the Bicol pie. Cayetano, the running mate of the presumptive winner of the presidential election, Rodrigo Duterte, got only 3 percent of the vote; Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, whose roots are in Ligao City, also in Albay, had 2 percent; and Sen. Gregorio Honasan of Sorsogon received 1.5 percent. Bicolanos put Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, in third place with 8.1 percent of the total votes cast in the region. Marcos is trailing Robredo in the national count. During the Liberal Party’s campaign rally in this city on May 6, Robredo made a final pitch to fellow Bicolanos and asked them to rally behind her and other administration candidates. She said the Bicolanos’ dream of electing to high office a native of the region would be within reach if they would unite behind her candidacy. “We are almost there. Our dream of having the voice of Bicol heard in the national government is within reach,” she said. In that rally, Robredo said Bicol votes could help her beat her closest rival, Marcos, who was relying on the support of the “Solid North” or the Ilocano-speaking provinces in Northern Luzon, the bailiwick of the Marcos family. READ: Robredo banks on ‘United Bicol’ to foil Marcos’ ‘Solid North’ According to Dy-Liaco, the Bicol vote is a “thinking vote,” because it selects the best candidate who represents Bicol or pushes the sentiments and aspirations of Bicolanos. “It’s not a regional vote that’s based on localities, because if it is, Trillanes should have had more votes in Albay’s third congressional district (where his family hails from), or Gringo (Honasan) having more votes in Sorsogon. It is not a ‘blind vote’ that is based on mere regionalism,” he said. TVJ RELATED STORIES No ‘Bicol vote’ exists, but Bicolanos urged to rally behind Leni Leni Robredo makes final pitch for solid Bicol vote
2016-05-15 03:04 Juan Escandor newsinfo.inquirer.net
16 Scores & Stats NEW YORK -- Chris Sale still gets strikeouts. Getting quick outs is just as an important component to him being the best pitcher in baseball. Sale became the first eight-game winner in the majors Friday night by efficiently tossing a six-hitter and the Chicago White Sox scored seven times in the first three innings of a 7-1 victory over the New York Yankees Friday night. Sale (8-0) finished off his second complete game of the season and the 10th of his career by throwing a season-low 99 pitches. He joined Eddie Cicotte (1919), John Whitehead (1935) and Jon Garland (2005) as the only Chicago pitchers to begin a season by winning his first eight starts while becoming the first major leaguer to do so since Brandon Webb for Arizona in 2008. Sale had six strikeouts and did not issue a walk for the third time this season. He threw 71-of-99 pitches for strikes and allowed two earned runs or less for the sixth straight time. "He can go get it but to me this is a different guy," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of Sale, who led the majors with 274 strikeouts in 208 2/3 innings last year. "He can strike people out but I think you're seeing a more effective guy that can go deeper into games. I think the last couple of years he wouldn't have been able to do this, finishing off games. "Sale has yet to get a double-digit strikeout game this season but he also has gone at least seven innings in seven starts. He was at 33 pitches when he gave up a single to Mark Teixeira to start the fourth and needed only 66 more to help the White Sox (24-12) win for the eighth time in 12 games. "It's something we had talked about in spring training as far as adding that to his game. A guy like him, yeah he could strike guys out. If you want him to take that next step to being that ace, going out there for that seventh, eighth, ninth inning is huge," Chicago catcher Alex Avila said. Helping Sale quickly finish off his latest win was an offense who had a 3-0 lead through two innings and a 7-1 advantage through three. It marked the fourth straight start where Sale received at least six runs. Avila opened the scoring with an RBI single off Luis Severino (0- 6) and Jose Abreu added a two-run single. Adam Eaton added a two-run double in the third and Jimmy Rollins capped the scoring by reaching the second deck in right field with a two-run home run. "I've said a million times, I wouldn't be here without these guys," Sale said. "Six runs in four straight outings, I don't know if there's a starting pitcher in the league that would complain about that. "Sale's lone mistake was a 1-1 pitch to Chase Headley, who sent it over the left-field wall to start the second. He retired 15 in a row until the ninth but with runners on second and third, he retired Headley on a fly ball and Gary Sanchez on a ground ball to end it. "Sale is Sale," Yankees catcher Austin Romine said. "He’s going to make some guys make some awkward swings. He did what he normally does. He goes out there and attacks guys. We put some good swings on the ball, but it just didn't fall for us. "Being unable to do much off Sale turned out to be the lowest of New York's concerns. Severino exited one pitch after allowing the home run to Rollins and an MRI revealed he has a mild right triceps strain that will land the right-hander on the disabled list Saturday. Even without getting injured, it seemed Severino was headed for a rough night. He allowed a career-high seven runs, gave up seven hits and tied a career high with four walks while throwing 81 pitches in the second-shortest outing of his brief career. "He had no command," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "He was not throwing the baseball where he wanted. He walked guys. He left balls up. He missed his spots. No command. "NOTES: C Gary Sanchez became the sixth player to get a turn as the team's starting DH when he was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre to play against LHPs Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. To make room for Sanchez, the Yankees optioned LHP Tyler Olson to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre a day after recalling him. ... The White Sox officially requested waivers on LHP John Danks, who was designated for assignment last week. ... Chicago also purchased the contract of LHP Matt Purke from Triple-A Charlotte. ... CF Jacoby Ellsbury missed his seventh consecutive game and the Yankees are hoping to avoid placing him on the disabled list. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he thought Ellsbury was running better Thursday and it's possible he might return Saturday
2016-05-14 16:02 The Sports scoresandstats.newyork.cbslocal.com
17 Canada wildfire: Justin Trudeau visits Fort McMurray Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has visited Alberta to see the widespread damage caused by a wildfire. Among the worst hit areas was the town of Fort McMurray where nearly 90,000 people were forced to evacuate. Mr Trudeau met with emergency teams and volunteers - thanking them for their efforts. Rajini Vaidyanathan reports.
2016-05-15 02:56 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
18 MoneyWatch: Bank settles mortgage-loan case; Age group's cuts hit economy |A New York-based bank has agreed to pay a multimillion-dollar settlement to resolve allegations that it knowingly certified mortgage loans that violated federal rules. Also, a decline in spending by one age group is costing the U. S. economy billions, according to a new poll. Marlie Hall reports on the day's top MoneyWatch headlines.
2016-05-15 00:53 MoneyWatch: www.cbsnews.com
19 19 What graduation gifts can help class of 2016 into the workforce? What graduation gifts can help class of 2016 into the workforce? |As the class of 2016 prepares to graduate, there are plenty of more creative choices than money to mark the occasion and help the new entrant into the workforce. Jill Schlesinger reports.
2016-05-15 00:53 What graduation www.cbsnews.com
20 Sneak peek: Death of an Olympian |Olympic hero Dave Laut shot six times -- his wife pulled the trigger. Was it murder or self-defense? In her first TV interview, Jane Laut tells "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty she's been hiding a secret. Watch Saturday, May 14 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
2016-05-15 00:53 Sneak peek www.cbsnews.com
21 Hendersonville Community Band “Pops and Patriotic” Concert The Hendersonville Community Band conducted by Winford Franklin will perform it’s annual “Pops and Patriotic” concert on Sunday, May 8, 2016 at 3pm. The Hendersonville Chorale our special guest group under the direction of Mary Beth Shumate will also be performing. The location of this inspiring concert is at the Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall in Flat Rock. The tickets are $10 for adults, students are free and may be purchased at the Hendersonville Visitors Center on Main St., from any band member and at the door of the concert. It is open seating and plenty of accessible parking behind the hall. The familiar numbers performed by the band will bring back memories of days gone by but just as worthy today. They will have you humming [or singing] along while smiling and tapping your feet. The concert will open with “The Star Spangled Banner” which will set your red, white and blue patriotic mood as it always does. The show tunes will arrive on the scene with selections from “Bond…James Bond”arr. by Stephen Bulla; “Satchmo” [A tribute to Louis Armstrong] arr. by Ted Ricketts; “Somewhere” from West Side Story and written by Leonard Bernstein; ”My Heart Will Go On” theme from Titanic by James Horner featuring a vocal solo by Roberto Flores who is a bassoon player in the band; “Seventy Six Trombones” from The Music Man and written by Meredith Willson; “Spoon River” a melody based on a fiddle-tune by Grainger arr. by Robert Sheldon composer of the band’s own “The Blue Ridge”which was premiered at the band’s 25th anniversary concert in March; Joel Helfand, alto sax soloist will perform Sammy Nestico’s jazz tune “Persuasion”; Rounding out the band’s part of the program “Eternal Father, Strong To Save”” [The Navy Hymn”] by Claude T. Smith will give pause; followed by “Overcome” arr. by Bill Locklear. Our special chorale guests will be joining the band in setting our patriotic mood with the combined performances of “Irving Berlin’s America”; “America, The Beautiful” by Samuel Augustus Ward; “Battle Hymn Of The Republic” arr. by James Neilson; and the ever popular “Armed Forces Salute” arr. by Bob Lowden. The Hendersonville Chorale will also be performing other Americana selections on their own making this concert an afternoon of beautiful music to please everybody. Mom and the family will be forever grateful to her family for attending this spectacular concert on her special day. For more information on the concert, visit www.hcbmusic.com or call 828-692-8801
2016-05-14 20:28 www.thetribunepapers.com
22 Arrieta HBP riles Pirates; Cubs say not intentional CHICAGO -- This season's games between the Cubs and Pirates haven't been as competitive as many thought, but the rivalry has remained heated nonetheless. For the second time in as many series, both benches were warned Saturday after each side hit a batter. Editor's Picks Miguel Montero on Jake Arrieta's 11 K's: 'I call them Hall of Fame pitches' Catcher Miguel Montero happily raved about Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, who got called third strikes on six of his 11 strikeouts and improved to 7-0. Some Pirates thought Cubs starter Jake Arrieta' s fourth-inning pitch, which hit Jung Ho Kang , was intentional, though the Cubs vehemently denied it. Both sides agreed that Pirates starter Jeff Locke 's sixth-inning fastball, which nicked catcher Miguel Montero , wasn't intentional. But at that point, both benches were warned. "Anytime somebody like Arrieta hits somebody, you've got to assume automatically that one didn't just get away," Locke said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, after the Cubs' 8-2 win. "When he misses like that, maybe you raise an eyebrow or something. Jung Ho is as talented as anybody. You want to make good pitches to him, too, so maybe you get away from going in. ... I don't know what happened on the pitch. It got him pretty plush, though. " Montero, who was catching Arrieta on Saturday, had issues with that assertion. "That's really stupid," he said when informed of what Locke said. "Seriously? That's stupid to say. He didn't want to hit him. I guarantee you that he doesn't want to hit him. He was a little wild in that inning. He was hit a few times and was a little wild. " Arrieta's only rough inning came in the fourth, when the Pirates scored both their runs on three hits. Kang was hit one pitch after Arrieta threw a wild one that allowed a runner to move to third base. The idea that the Cubs would allow another base runner on purpose when already down 2- 0 didn't register with the home team. "Obviously, Jake was going through some command issues," Maddon said. "He hit Kang and that was unfortunate. I don't think the guy hit Miggy at all. He threw a lot of balls to that side of the plate. " Pirates manager Clint Hurdle wasn't sure what was purposeful and what wasn't. "I'm not good on judging intent," Hurdle said. "You (the media) can judge intent. " Locke hit Montero two innings later and was subsequently pulled from the game. That's when the warnings came from home plate umpire Brian Knight. "I don't think he was trying to hit me, either," Montero said. "I'm 100 percent sure on that. " The incidents Saturday, and the rhetoric after the game, added to the bad blood brewing between the teams. Last year's wild-card game featured several hit batsmen, including Arrieta. It was then that the benches cleared, and Sean Rodriguez of the Pirates was eventually kicked out of the game. Ten days ago in Pittsburgh, the two teams also were warned in a game with Arrieta on the mound after Pirates pitcher Kyle Lobstein hit Ben Zobrist with a pitch. Maddon yelled out at Lobstein, after which Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli also joined the fray. The Cubs are 5-0 against the Pirates so far this season, outscoring them 37-11 in the process. "After that amount of games, that is surprising, but every game is a different story," Arrieta said of that run differential. "We've fared well against them so far. We know the quality over there. That hasn't changed. " As for pitchers hitting batters, Maddon said he isn't interested in starting a season-long brawl over it. "The only people that are going to read into that is someone that wants to," he said. "Why would we want to hit anyone based on what happened last year? There are no dots to connect there. "
2016-05-15 00:44 Jesse Rogers espn.go.com
23 Yahoo - Yahoo Announces Board Changes and Agreement With Starboard --(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.
2016-05-14 23:17 investor.yahoo.net
24 WINNING NUMBERS for May 13, 2016 Lottery winning numbers TEXAS Lotto: 5/11 1-7-20-21-47-52 Estimated jackpot $7.75 million Winning tickets None Next jackpot 5/14 $8 million Pick 3 morn: 5/135-0-9 Sum: 14 Pick 3 day: 4-4-5 Sum: 13 Pick 3 even.: 2-9-9 Sum: 20 Pick 3 night:9-3-4 Sum: 16 Daily 4 morn.: 5/139-5-1-5 Sum: 20 Daily 4 day: 3-6-6-4 Sum: 19 Daily 4 even.: 1-6-9-7 Sum: 23 Daily 4 night: 6-7-7-5 Sum: 25 Cash 5: 5/136-16-31-32-33 Two Step: 5/12 6-15-27-33 Bonus Ball: 20 POWERBALL Powerball: 5/11 20-32-52-66-69 Powerball: 23 Estimated jackpot $40 million Winning tickets None Next jackpot 5/14 $50 million MEGA MILLIONS MEGA: 5/1320-21-38-54-66 Mega Ball: 7 Megaplier: 4 Estimated jackpot $161 million Winning tickets NA Next jackpot 5/17NA
2016-05-14 20:19 Texas Lottery www.chron.com
25 TV-radio listings: May 14 Television Col. baseball N. Carolina St. at Louisville FSSW noon Col. baseball LSU at Tennessee SEC noon Col. baseball Vanderbilt at Florida ESPN2 3 p.m. Col. baseball TCU at Baylor FSSW 3 p.m. Col. baseball Mississippi St. at Auburn SEC 3:30 p.m. Col. baseball Texas A&M at S. Carolina SEC 6:30 p.m. Col. baseball Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma St. FSSW Plus 7:30 p.m. Col. softball S. Florida vs. Tulsa ESPN 11 a.m. Col. softball Florida St. vs. Notre Dame ESPN 1 p.m. Col. softball Butler vs. St. John's FS2 2 p.m. Col. softball Oklahoma St. at Oklahoma FSSW Plus 2 p.m. Col. softball Auburn vs. LSU ESPN 4 p.m. Golf The Players Championship NBC 1 p.m. MMA UFC 198 prelims FS1 7 p.m. Motor sports Formula One qualifying NBCSN 7 a.m. Motor sports Xfinity qualifying FS1 9:30 a.m. Motor sports Xfinity race Fox 1 p.m. Motor sports IndyCar race ABC 2:30 p.m. Pro baseball Astros at Boston FS1 noon Pro baseball Minnesota at Cleveland FS1 3 p.m. Pro baseball Detroit at Baltimore MLB 6 p.m. Pro baseball Toronto at Texas FSSW 7 p.m. Pro baseball St. Louis at L. A. Dodgers MLB 9 p.m. Pro basketball WNBA: Phoenix at Minnesota ESPN 6:30 p.m. Pro soccer Real Salt Lake at Dynamo Root 7:30 p.m. Soccer Hannover 96 at Bayern Munich Fox 8:30 a.m. Soccer Eintracht Frankfurt at Werder Bremen FS2 8:30 a.m. Radio Pro baseball Astros at Boston 790 AM noonAstros in Spanish 94.1 FM Pro soccer Real Salt Lake at Dynamo 610 AM 7:30 p.m. Dynamo in Spanish 1010 AM
2016-05-14 20:19 Staff reports www.chron.com
26 Eurovision 2016: Israeli haircut disappoints, Ukraine backhands Russia Hovi Star, one of Israel’s most famous haircuts - and also a singer - did not emerge victorious at the 2016 Eurovision contest in Stockholm, Sweden on Saturday night but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort. Sparkling like he’d been attacked by a 12-year-old with a spray can of foam on Yom Haatzmaut three nights earlier, he took to the stage with “Made of Stars”, a ballad that was either dark or uplifting, and packed with nonsense lines like “you ride a black horse in the rain” and “silver fragments falling, we are made of stars”. Hovi was joined on stage by two acrobats trapped in a giant spinning metal hoop, though they could not rotate him to victory Saturday night, and he finished 14th out of a field of 26. A departure of sorts from the disco Euro pop techno show tunes that make up most of the fare at the singing contest, it was written by Doron Medalie, who penned “Golden Boy”, (“I’m a Golden Boy, come here to enjoy”) which Nadav Guedj and his golden winged sneakers rode last year to a 9th place finish. This year’s Eurovision was notable in part because it was the first time in its 60 year history that the final was broadcast in the United States (and in China). The spectacle – which is almost a hyper-concentrated version of nativist American stereotypes about weird, campy Europeans – seems tailor-made to win votes for Donald Trump, though the finale was shown on the Logo network, probably not a popular station with his base. Future historians though will teach our children that the real highlight was at the semi-finals on Thursday night, in the form of a naked Belarussian named Ivan, singing on stage to a wolf. In reality, it was a projected image of Ivan and the wolf, though the Belarus singer had actually performed naked with real wolves before, including, according to a Daily Mail article from April 2015, during a concert in Moscow in which “the wolf, named Shakira, didn’t miss an opportunity to take nibbles out of the naked performer”. The article quotes Ivan – who apparently performed in Tel Aviv in April (#BDSfail?) – as saying of his lupine sidekick that “the most important thing is to feed her sausages on time”. Alas, Ivan did not make it to the finals, proving that it takes more than performing naked with wild dogs. For an event known for its over-the-top performances, this feels like a betrayal. In general the semi-finals were more enjoyable - partly because they were shorter – but also because of a number of acts like the naked wolf whisperer, who didn’t win a golden ticket to the final 26 on Saturday night. One act that did make it through was Georgia’s indie rock band “Nika Kocharov and the Young Georgian Lolitaz” with “Midnight Gold”. The title sounds like it’s a song about drugs, but the lyrics – including “When I came to, your smell on me” and “Stains of mud on your skin”, sound either like they were written after a barnyard tryst with a pig, or by a man who had just murdered a woman he met on Tinder (available in Georgia). Luckily for Nika and the Lolitaz, Sweden’s process of extraditing suspects to non-EU countries is rather complicated, and requires approval of the government and Supreme Court. The acts brought to mind an article on Slate earlier this week prepping Americans set to watch the extravaganza for the first time, which said “this is the pop that cool forgot, born from countries that never had the black American traditions of blues and spirituals to draw on”. It’s a bit strange that even though hip-hop one of if not the most global genres of music (and fashion), especially in European countries like France and Belgium, on Thursday and Saturday nights in Stockholm it looked and sounded like pop music moved to Sweden in the 70s, bypassing the South Bronx completely. For the sake of full disclosure, this is not my first Eurovision viewing. A few months after moving to Israel, I watched Lior Narkis perform “Words for Love” (in the chorus he sings “I love you” in six languages – if you’re a female tourist on the beach in Israel, you’re likely to meet guys who can do this) at the May 2003 contest in Latvia. In my defense, I was at my then-girlfriend’s family home in Beersheba, and thought this is what everyone does in Israel, much like I thought “Nafis” and “Shipudei Sof HaDerekh” were the country’s finest restaurants, and the “Forum” the hottest nightclub in the Middle East. (Seven years later I would meet Lior Narkis and his entourage in Uman, Ukraine, where on the banks of a local lake we did tashlich and he said a prayer for my recently-deceased grandmother – in one language). In the end, with all of the theatrics and corny Euro pop, it was a deeply serious and political song that won the contest. Ukraine’s “1944” by Jamala is about the deportation of Crimean Tatars by Stalin’s USSR in the 1940s. Jamala’s great-grandmother and her five children were among those deported to Central Asia, and her experiences were reportedly reflected in the lyrics in Crimean Tatar that Jamala sings in the song. The fact that it went down to the wire, and Ukraine was head to head with Russia, winning with a song about Crimea, brought a bit of poetic justice to a competition that had by then stretched hours into the night. For Israelis though, there would be no such triumph. Still, perhaps they could take some solace in the performance of Amir Haddad, a French-Israeli singer and dentist who grew up in Herzliya, and finished in 6th place with “J'ai cherché”. In the meantime, like generations before us have said, next year in Ukraine.
2016-05-15 02:30 BEN HARTMAN www.jpost.com
27 City ends temporary hotel program for those with FEMA aid Three weeks after securing hotel accommodations for 127 families displaced by Houston's Tax Day flooding, the city has stopped subsidizing those who also have received aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, officials said Friday. The affected families, most from the hard-hit Greenspoint area, were notified Wednesday that the city would stop paying for their accommodations past Thursday night, according to the mayor's office. "FEMA is now here and financial assistance is available to those who register. It is time to let them do what they do best so the city is able to turn its attention to meeting longer-term recovery needs," Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement Friday. "We will not let people fall through the cracks. We will be here today as well as tomorrow. " The city added 40 families to its hotel roll over the last three weeks, bringing the number of households receiving assistance from the nonprofit Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund to 167. Nearly all of those families have registered with FEMA, according to the mayor's office, and more than half have received disaster recovery checks. Turner spokeswoman Janice Evans declined to comment on how many families the city was continuing to accommodate. Asked why officials decided to put up an additional 40 families, she said, "It reached 167 because there were other families that we became aware of that needed to be in housing. When the caseworkers identified those people and it was clear they needed help, then we moved them into hotels. " More than 1,900 apartments in the low-income Greenspoint area, 15 miles north of downtown, took on floodwater April 18. The city's hotel program cost roughly $1,000 per week per family, the city's flood recovery coordinator Bill Kelly estimated, for a total price tag of about $500,000. Turner said three weeks ago that the Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund had taken in more than $1 million. City officials have not provided a more exact figure when asked in the weeks since.
2016-05-14 19:56 By Rebecca www.chron.com
28 28 Luis Suarez hat-trick fires Barcelona to 24th Spanish La Liga title Granada: Barcelona clinched their 24th Primera Division title as top scorer Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick to inspire them to a 3-0 win at Granada on Saturday. Barcelona’s Luis Suarez celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the La Liga match against Granada at Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes in Granada on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images Suarez tapped home Jordi Alba’s cutback in the 22nd minute to put Barca in charge and tightened their grip on the game and the title by heading home Dani Alves’ cross in the 38th, before accepting a generous gift by Neymar to complete his treble late on. A third hat-trick in five games rounded off the Uruguayan’s most prolific season yet as he finished the season with 40 goals in 35 league games and became the first player aside from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to land the Primera Division’s top scorer accolade since compatriot Diego Forlan in 2009. Barca finish the season on 91 points, one ahead of Real Madrid, whose 12-game winning streak at the end of the season ultimately came too late to prevent the Catalans from retaining the title and collecting an eighth league trophy in 12 seasons. Granada mathematically sealed survival the week before by winning 4-1 at Sevilla. That was close The first incident of note arrived in the seventh minute from a well-rehearsed corner when Ivan Rakitic chipped the ball to Javier Mascherano at the near post and he glanced it towards Gerard Pique by the penalty spot. The defender’s header was tipped away by Andres Fernandez, with Barca players wrongly claiming the ball had crossed the line. Fernandez tipped over a stinging drive by Messi soon after and repelled another Pique header, while Neymar and Andres Iniesta both missed the target. Barca broke the deadlock midway through the first half through a magnificent sweeping move. Mascherano gave it to Neymar, who then passed to Suarez to tap in at the far post.
2016-05-15 02:17 By PA www.mid-day.com
29 India journalist arrested over Muslim yoga ban report A journalist in India is facing charges over a report he wrote saying Muslims were banned from being yoga teachers under government policy. Pushp Sharma's report appeared in March in the Milli Gazette, a newspaper aimed at India's Muslim community. It quoted what was said to be a government document that banned Muslims from travelling abroad to teach yoga for last year's World Yoga Day. Mr Sharma faces charges of fabricating the document, which he denies. His report was based on what he said was an official reply from a government ministry that promotes yoga and ayurveda medicine. The report said that, after several queries to the ministry, it replied saying that none of the 3,841 Muslims who had applied to become yoga teachers had been hired up to October 2015. A letter printed alongside the article, purporting to be from the ministry, said that 711 Muslims had applied to travel abroad as instructors during the first World Yoga Day last June, but none was selected "as per government policy". The letter does not include a government letterhead and contains a number of spelling mistakes, including an incorrect spelling of the word "yoga". The Milli Gazette confirmed Mr Sharma was arrested on Saturday morning. Its editor Zafarul- Islam Khan said the charges were "clear attempts to stifle the freedom of the press". Police in Delhi told NDTV that Mr Sharma was facing charges of "cheating, forgery and promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion or race". India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a yoga enthusiast who says he daily practises the ancient Indian art, lobbied the United Nations to declare 21 June World Yoga Day. The first event was held last year. His support for yoga, and creation of the new yoga ministry, was criticised as "a campaign to enforce Hindu rituals on all non-Hindus," one Muslim official told Reuters last year . After opposition from Muslim groups, a series of Hindu practices were dropped from the first World Yoga Day events in India. In response, a Hindu priest and MP for Mr Modi's BJP party, Yogi Adityanath, said anyone who opposed taking part should "live in a closed room or must jump into the sea".
2016-05-15 03:36 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
30 Ugandan Asians dominate economy after exile Drop by an upmarket hotel, cafe or restaurant in Uganda's capital, Kampala, and the chances are the owner will be an Asian from the Indian subcontinent. From running banks to farms to supermarkets to shopping malls, Ugandan Asians have regained their prominent role in the country's economy, following their mass expulsion more than four decades ago. About 50,000 Asians were forced to leave the country in 1972, on the orders of former military ruler Idi Amin, who accused them of "milking Uganda's money". At the time, they owned 90% of the country's businesses and accounted for 90% of Ugandan tax revenues. Since their return to the country in the 1980s and 1990s, Asians from the Indian subcontinent have once again become a pillar of the country's economy. After they were forced to leave Uganda, a large, prosperous community of Ugandan Asians found themselves scattered across the globe, many having left lost the businesses they had spent years working on. In the years which followed, Uganda's economy slumped. But when President Yoweri Museveni, who recently won a fifth term in office, seized power in 1986, he encouraged the exiles to return. Now, despite making up less than 1% of the population, they are estimated to contribute up to 65% of Uganda's tax revenues. One of those who came back is today the country's richest man, Sudhir Ruperalia, worth an estimated $800m. He spent time in Britain in the 1970s, where he says he worked a series of menial jobs before saving enough money to return to Uganda. "I started my business from scratch with $25,000 (£17,000) and since then we have built up into seven different sectors of the business. We employ more than 8,000 people in this country," he tells the BBC. The Ruperelia Group is in banking, insurance, hospitality, real estate, education, broadcasting and floriculture. On the whole Asian business ownership is more diverse than it was in the 1970s. Ali Shah Jivraj, the 28 year-old founder and CEO of Royal Electronics, tells me that while his ancestors were in farming, his business is in consumer goods, manufacturing of electronics and real estate. 1972 - 90% of total receipts 1985 - 30% 2016 - 65% Source: Indian Association of Uganda He says Ugandan Africans are now involved in farm ownership and shop-keeping, which in the past had been almost solely Asian sectors. Racial tensions, linked to the Ugandan Asians' economic dominance, do still exist, and have very occasionally spilled over into violence in the years since their return from exile. But overall, the black communities I met were mainly positive about the employment created by Asian business people. Among their main complaints were the special incentives offered to foreigners to do business in Ugandan, which they believe disadvantage locals. There is also a real concern over labour exploitation, given that there is no official minimum wage in Uganda. But as Chris Musiime, a local campaigner told me, many Ugandans are more worried about the Chinese, who are heavily involved in infrastructure projects. than South Asians. "Some Ugandans complain that the Chinese bring in their own workforce rather than employ and train locals," he tells the BBC. Others, who have worked for the Chinese in an unskilled capacity, speak of poor treatment and communication difficulties. "They complain that some Chinese treat Africans much worse than the Indians ever did in the 1960s and 1970s. " So, have Ugandan Asians developed more compassion and respect for their fellow Africans, having been accused of marginalising and even mistreating them in the past? The owner of Garden Earth Organic Farm, Nizar Sayani, seems to think so. He tells me he understands the problems of local people much better then he used to. "I understand how they live and you need to do that so that so we can all go forward joining hands. " But there is still a need for more integration, according to Paul Lakuma from Uganda's Economic Policy Research Centre. He says Uganda's Asian and African communities should not only cooperate through commerce, but could also benefit from more social integration and even marrying each other. "This has happened in other countries in the West Indies, such as Jamaica, where Asians and the locals have intermarried, producing stronger and stable economic systems," he says. "In this regard, cross-cultural marriage would minimize unnecessary tensions between the two groups. " Uganda's economy is expected to grow by up to 6% next year. Asian business people I met said the country had suffered too much following their exile and that black Africans were now too involved in the economy to let it fail again. They were not worried about history repeating itself. But with youth unemployment at more than 60% and a huge disparity between the haves and the have-nots, everyone, including the Ugandan-Asian community, is keenly aware of the challenges that lie ahead.
2016-05-15 03:36 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
31 Statins alert over IT glitch in heart risk tool Thousands of patients in England may have been wrongly given or denied statins due to a computer glitch. A third of GP surgeries have been told to contact people who may have been given an inaccurate assessment of their future risk of heart disease. The alert follows the discovery of a problem with a digital calculator for assessing heart risk and the need to prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs. The medicines regulator said the clinical risk to patients was low. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has launched an investigation. "We are working closely with the company responsible for the software to establish the problem and address any issues identified," said a spokesperson. "Clinical advice is that the risk to patients is low and only a limited number of patients are potentially affected. "GPs have been informed and they will contact individual patients should any further action be necessary. " The MHRA said the issue had resulted in incorrect results being produced for a proportion of patients. For the affected patients, the potential risk of cardiovascular disease could have been under or overstated, it said. The computer tool is used to help GPs assess the potential risk of cardiovascular disease in patients. GPs type in details including the patient's age, body mass index, whether they smoke and other health conditions, and the system calculates a percentage score stating their risk of having a heart attack in a decade. The IT company that makes the software, TPP, said it was working with the MHRA to ensure that clinicians were informed of any patients that may have been affected as soon as possible. "TPP is dealing with the issue involving the QRISK2 Calculator in SystmOne," TPP said in a statement. "The tool is intended to support GPs in assessing patients at risk of developing cardiovascular disease and in developing treatment plans. " The Royal College of GPs said the decision to prescribe statins to patients is never taken lightly and those who are prescribed them will undertake regular medication reviews. "We would advise our patients who take statins, and those who have cardiovascular problems but don't, not to panic as a result of this news," said Dr Imran Rafi. "But if they are concerned they should make a non-urgent appointment with their GP to discuss this. "
2016-05-14 19:47 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
32 Record amount of fake Viagra seized More unlicensed erectile dysfunction drugs were seized in the UK by the authorities last year than ever before - worth more than £11m. The Victoria Derbyshire programme joined a raid to find out why they are a problem. The market for unlicensed Viagra is huge and most of it heads for the internet, where pills are sold for £2 to £3 each. These tend to be imitations or a generic Indian version of the drug - Kamagra - which are shipped to the UK in bulk, packaged up and posted on. But what the computer-based consumers may not realise is the pills are made in unhygienic, unregulated locations and could contain toxic chemicals like lead and arsenic, the agency which regulates medicines says. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) conducted its biggest-ever operation last week in an attempt to find the fakes, with search warrants at 24 properties conducted by 50 officers across London. Speaking outside a suburban street where one of the raids was taking place, Danny Lee-Frost from the MHRSA says: "When you log on to a website and you see a picture of a scientist in a white coat and stethoscope, it all looks above board. But your medicines are not coming from a pharmacy, they are coming from a street like this. "We've recovered medicines that are being sold from a shed in a back garden that was damp and rotten, there were rats and mice crawling all over the stuff. " Viagra is a prescription drug, meaning it needs to come from a doctor or pharmacist. But doctors believe there are many more people buying it on the internet and using it in a completely unregulated way. Dr Hamed Khan GP said: "I've had a number of people who've had very serious side affects like visual problems, people could potentially faint, you could have dangerous reductions in blood pressure or even potentially heart problems. " So how do you spot a fake? At a counterfeit testing lab run by Pfizer - the drug company that makes Viagra - they examine products from around the world, and have found counterfeits in 111 countries. They can tell by the colour of writing on the pack, while the actual tablets might be a different shade of blue. They then test them by taking a small amount and looking at its chemical footprint. Pfizer vice-president Tommy Dolan says people may not know they are buying counterfeit products if they have nothing to compare them with. "Sometimes the match can be close enough that the counterfeit is reasonably good, other times due to a lack of medication or too much medication in the product or agents that have been added that shouldn't be in the product that are toxic, the patient could come to significant harm," he says. From 2014 to 2015 the MHRA seized fake Viagra valued at £3,890,516 from a yearly total of counterfeit drugs of £8,696,067. From 2015 to 2016 this had tripled to £11,205,342, making up 90% of counterfeit drugs seized that year. While no pills were found at the property we saw being searched, the agency has £25m of fake medicine collected over the past few years in its lock-up. Where is the demand coming from? Mr Lee-Frost says there is a strong youth market for the drug. "It's used by adult males who don't actually have the medical condition which this could be prescribed for. They use it as a sexual enhancement for the weekend. " Dr Hamed Khan adds: "Increasingly younger people have been trying to obtain Viagra as they see it as a sort of recreational drug almost and it boosts them psychologically, which it absolutely doesn't, it's a drug that only has physical effects and that misconception is leading to younger people trying it even if they don't need it. " After dozens of searches and three arrests, the agency finds some bags of pills, but it is not as much as they had hoped. They believe the only way to win is to stop people buying it. Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel.
2016-05-14 19:47 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
33 China's Cultural Revolution in posters China's Cultural Revolution was a golden age for propaganda posters if nothing else. Paul Crook, who was a teenager living in the capital Beijing during the 1960s, takes us through his collection from the time. Produced by Zoe Chen and Yuwen Wu
2016-05-15 00:42 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
34 Syria conflict: IS 'overruns hospital in Deir al-Zour'
Militants from the Islamic State (IS) group have briefly overrun a hospital complex in the eastern Syrian city of Deir al-Zour, reports say. Activists say about 35 pro-government fighters were killed and some medical staff taken hostage. More than 20 IS fighters were also reported killed. The attack was centred on al-Assad hospital, to the west of the city. Government forces retook the hospital after several hours, reports say, but the fate of the hostages is unclear. BBC Arab Affairs Editor Sebastian Usher says the latest offensive shows that IS, despite recent setbacks, can still threaten significant government territory. IS controls more than of half of Deir al-Zour and is seeking to capture the entire city. The group has been besieging government-held areas there for two years, trapping about 200,000 civilians. IS's Amaq news agency said its fighters had carried out a "major offensive" in Deir al-Zour early on Saturday, storming the hospital and cutting the route between a Syrian army base and the city's airport. It said it had also taken over a fire station, university accommodation, grain silos and territory near the al-Tayyam oil fields. A UK-based opposition news service, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says government forces retook the hospital after several hours of fierce fighting. Deir al-Zour is in an oil-rich area and on a vital supply route to the IS stronghold of Raqqa.
2016-05-15 00:42 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
35 Venezuela crisis: Maduro threatens seizure of closed factories The Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, has threatened the seizure of factories that have stopped production and the jailing of their owners. In a speech to supporters in the capital Caracas, he said the country had to recover the means of production, to counter its deep economic crisis. On Friday, he introduced a new, nationwide state of emergency. Opposition protesters have been rallying in Caracas to push for a recall vote to eject him from power. Mr Maduro said the state of emergency was needed to combat foreign aggression, which he blamed for Venezuela's problems. And he said military exercises would take place next weekend to counter "foreign threats". Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves but its economy has been severely hit by falling global oil prices. Its economy contracted by 5.7% last year and its official inflation rate is estimated to be topping 180%. There are severe shortages of food, medicines and basic goods which Mr Maduro argues are due to business leaders and the US waging an economic war against his government. The economic crisis that started three years ago has exacerbated this year, to the point that it has affected immensely the day-to-day life of every Venezuelan. On top of having to queue for hours every week to be able to buy the basic products, now Venezuelans have to cope with energy and water rationing almost daily. This, in a country that used to be one of the most developed nations in Latin America, with the highest consumption rates in the region. Venezuelans have lost interest in Mr Maduro's moves because of the economic crisis. The latest, like the state of emergency decree or the occupation of certain plants, are in fact already happening and have changed little for Venezuelans' daily lives. The threat to seize closed factories came after Venezuela's largest food and beverage company, the Polar Group, halted production of beer, blaming government mismanagement for stopping it importing barley. The group's billionaire owner, Lorenzo Mendoza, is a fierce critic of President Maduro. "We must take all measures to recover productive capacity, which is being paralysed by the bourgeoisie," Mr Maduro told a rally in Caracas. "Anyone who wants to halt [production] to sabotage the country should get out, and those who do must be handcuffed and sent to the PGV [Venezuelan General Penitentiary]," he said. "We're going to tell imperialism and the international right that the people are present, with their farm instruments in one hand and a gun in the other... to defend this sacred land," he added. On Friday he declared a full-blown state of emergency, expanding the state of "economic emergency" he had announced in January. In an address to the nation, he said the measures would be in place for three months but would likely be extended over 2017. He did not specify if there would be limits to other constitutional rights but he said the decree would provide "a fuller, more comprehensive protection for our people. " A previous state of emergency was implemented in states near the Colombian border last year. It suspended constitutional guarantees in those areas but did not suspend guarantees related to human rights. The Venezuelan Minister for Communication and Information, Luis Jose Marcano, said the state of emergency would allow the government more resources to distribute food, basic goods and medicines. But he added that it also created "mechanisms for the security forces to be able to guarantee public order needed because of the threats by armed groups". The opposition has collected and submitted a petition with 1.8 million signatures in favour of a referendum on Mr Maduro, but the National Electoral Board (CNE) has so far not verified them. The verification process was supposed to take five days but 12 days have already elapsed. Opposition activists say authorities are not letting them proceed to the next stage when they must collect another four million signatures. Addressing the crowds on Saturday, opposition leader and former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles said: "We want a country without queues, where we can find medicines. We want change. " He described Venezuela as a "time bomb that can explode at any given moment". According to the Venezuelan Constitution, if a referendum is held before the end of the year, a recall vote against Mr Maduro would trigger new elections. Opposition protester Marisol Dos Santos said there would be "a social explosion" if Mr Maduro did not let the recall referendum happen.
2016-05-15 03:36 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
36 South Texas bus crash kills eight and injures more than 40 A charter bus headed to a casino crashed in far South Texas on Saturday, killing eight people and injuring about 40 when it rolled over, officials said. Webb county spokesman Larry Sanchez said seven people died at the scene on US Highway 83 north of Laredo, the Laredo Morning Times reported. An eighth person died later at a hospital. The bus, identified as belonging to OGA Charters, originated in the Rio Grande Valley and was headed to a casino in Eagle Pass, about 125 miles (200km) north-west of Laredo, said Webb county volunteer fire department chief Ricardo Rangel. The bus company is based in San Juan in Hidalgo county. There was no answer at the bus company and no one immediately responded to a message left there. The fire department described it as a rollover involving one vehicle. Firefighters received the call late Saturday morning. By late afternoon, the highway at the scene remained closed. The crash is one of the deadliest bus accidents in Texas in several years, including one in January 2015 when two prison guards and eight inmates were killed after their prison bus struck a piece of displaced highway guardrail west of Odessa. The bus fell about 20 ft (six metres) before striking a Union Pacific freight train that was passing beneath. In 2008, 17 passengers died near Sherman when their bus plunged over a highway bridge on their way to a religious retreat in Missouri.
2016-05-15 01:52 Associated Press www.theguardian.com
37 How the global refugee crisis got so bad - in numbers The international human system that deals with refugees is so "broken" that the UN has called a summit to address it. But how did things get so bad? An explainer in numbers - featuring This Week's World presenter Emily Maitlis. You can watch This Week's World every Saturday on BBC Two and BBC World News
2016-05-15 01:51 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
38 Radiohead beat Skepta to score sixth number one album Radiohead have scored their sixth number one album with A Moon Shaped Pool. The band's ninth album fended off competition from Skepta, who debuts at number two with Konnichiwa. A Moon Shaped Pool, Radiohead's first album in five years, sold 50,000 copies in the past week, despite only being released on Sunday. Beyonce's Lemonade slides to number three, while last week's number one - Views By Drake - drops to number four. Soul singer Gregory Porter completes the top five, with his new album Take Me To The Alley. Other new entries in the top 20 include Jean Michel Jarre's Electronica 2: The Heart of Noise - which takes eighth place. James Blake's surprise release The Colour in Anything is new at number 13, while Andy Biersack - lead singer of the Black Veil Brides - lands at 16 with The Shadow Side, a solo project released under the name Andy Black. Adele's 25 slips out of the Top 10 for the first time since its release in November, going in at number 12 this week. Notable climbers include Elle King's Love Stuff, which soars 73 places to number 33 after her performance at Sunday's Bafta TV Awards. In the singles chart, Justin Timberlake fails to hit the top spot with Can't Stop The Feeling - the first single from his new album - which debuts at number three. Drake's One Dance remains number one for the fifth week, while Rihanna and Calvin Harris spend a second week at number two with This Is What You Came For. One Dance also passed the 600,000 sales mark this week, certifying it platinum. Both Sia and Mike Posner side one place, to number four and five respectively. New entries further down the chart include Drake & Rihanna's collaboration Too Good, while will.i.am scores his 39th top 50 hit with Boys & Girls feat. Pia Mia landing at number 26.
2016-05-14 22:05 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
39 39 Moody's downgrades Saudi Arabia credit rating over oil price slump Saudi Arabia’s credit rating has been downgraded by Moody’s because of the long and deep slump in oil prices. Moody’s Investors Service said it also downgraded Gulf oil producers Bahrain and Oman. It left ratings unchanged for other Gulf states including Kuwait and Qatar. Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter. Moody’s cut the country’s long-term issuer rating one notch to A1 from Aa3 after a review that began in March. Crude prices fell from more than $100 in mid-2014 to under $30 a barrel in February, although they have recovered into the mid-$40s. Benchmark international crude settled on Friday at $47.83 a barrel. “A combination of lower growth, higher debt levels and smaller domestic and external buffers leave the Kingdom less well positioned to weather future shocks,” Moody’s said in a note. Moody’s lowered Oman to Baa1 from A3 and Bahrain to Ba2 from Ba1. The ratings agency did not downgrade Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates or Abu Dhabi, but it assigned a negative outlook to each. Oil prices slumped because of production that grew faster than demand. Surging production from shale operators in the US contributed to the glut. So did the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which decided in November 2014, several months after prices began falling, to continue pumping rather than give up market share.
2016-05-15 01:48 Associated Press www.theguardian.com
40 China takes bizarre step to woo Muslims Contact WND (RT. COM) – Imagine Disneyland with a focus on Islam and communism. That’s the plan for World Muslim City, a new billion-dollar theme park being built by the Chinese government in an effort to make the world a little smaller. Despite China’s controversial treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority, who were banned from fasting during Ramadan last year, Chinese authorities are attempting to capitalize on the global Muslim market with the latest project. Women will have the option to wear traditional clothing and visitors are required to remove their shoes inside the “Golden Palace.” Breaking ground last year in the small northern city of Yinchuan, construction of the “World Muslim City” will take eight years to complete at a cost of almost US$4 billion, according to the China Daily.
2016-05-15 01:48 www.wnd.com
41 41 MLB daily notes: Fantasy rankings for Sunday In an effort to serve daily fantasy players and season-long fantasy players who use daily lineup settings, we present daily notes each day of the season. It's a daily version of our Fantasy Forecaster in which we project the best pitcher game scores, as well as the best team hitting matchups based upon a number of factors. GS: The pitcher's projected "game score," from Bill James' original formula, which accounts for history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days), opponent and ballpark. A game score of 50 typically is typically regarded a quality start; anything over 70 is exceptional, anything under 30 poor. A "*" means that the author has adjusted the projections. T: Pitcher throws left-handed or right-handed. Opp: The pitcher's opponent for the day. W-L: Pitcher's win-loss record. ERA: Pitcher's earned run average. WHIP: Pitcher's average number of walks plus hits surrendered per inning. Elite It's an odd day among the elite, as all three principles are displaying uncharacteristically high walk rates (each over 4.0 BB/9). It's a good thing for Jose Fernandez that he's also fanning hitters at a 12.8 K/9 clip. Sunday's foe is the Washington Nationals in the nation's capital. Be sure to check the lineups, as the Miami Marlins right-hander could be facing some reserves after playing a twin bill on Saturday. On the other hand, the same can be said for Joe Ross facing the Fish sticks. Fernandez tossed seven frames last time out, so if he can be pitch-efficient, he'll stick around on what appears to be a close game. There are other hurlers offering a better bang for the buck, however, and if it's just points you're after, Fernandez should lead the pack Sunday. Editor's Picks Daily MLB lineups, fantasy spin for every game ESPN provides projected and confirmed lineups, plus fantasy takeaways for each game, every day of the MLB season. For Sonny Gray to be successful he needs pinpoint control, as he's not especially dominant. His strikeout total in traditional fantasy leagues relies on volume, which he has delivered the past two seasons -- averaging 213 innings per year in that span. So far this season, Gray is disappointing both seasonal owners and those who trusted him in DFS. His velocity and strikeout rate are tracking with career norms -- it's his control that's the culprit. More walks not only result in more baserunners and runs but also fewer innings; perhaps Gray can regain some confidence by facing the Tampa Bay Rays and their 27 percent strikeout rate against right- handers. There's some risk, but based on his history, Gray deserves a look for cash play. Normally, seeing Felix Hernandez with a 2.27 ERA wouldn't be a cause for concern, but a 4.63 FIP and 4.50 xFIP is not very kingly. Upon closer inspection, Hernandez's average fastball has dropped 2 mph from last season, which has resulted in a big drop in swinging strikes induced -- lowering his K/9 to just 6.8. Making matters worse is a 4.1 BB/9. The natural reaction is to wonder if Hernandez is hiding an injury; after all, we're talking about a guy who has amassed eight consecutive campaigns of at least 200 innings, topping 190 in the two seasons before that. Sunday's opponent, the Los Angeles Angels , are struggling offensively, but they don't offer Hernandez the platform to push his whiffs closer to normal. Some will put it all together and recommend the Seattle veteran as a contrarian play. That's taking the notion of being contrary too far since, at minimum, you want some strikeout upside with a risky matchup. Solid There's not a lot in the solid tier, with two options that often visit the elite level saddled with dangerous road affairs. New York Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom challenges the Colorado Rockies in Coors Field, and Gerrit Cole and the Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up a weekend set in Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs (who are averaging over six runs a game). How about we turn our attention to some more DFS-friendly options? Over his last five outings, Masahiro Tanaka has fanned 29 with just a pair of walks, covering an impressive 35 2/3 innings. Home runs remain his Achilles heel, but Sunday's opponent, the Chicago White Sox are well below average when it comes to homers facing righties. Tanaka's high floor is ideal for cash action, with higher ceiling options more suitable for tournament play. If Tanaka epitomizes a cash anchor, Jon Lester is the poster boy for GPPs, as the Chicago Cubs southpaw faces the Pittsburgh Pirates -- owners of an eye-popping 0.390 weighted on base average (wOBA) against lefties, but also a team that's fanning at an above-average rate in these conditions. Fueling the Bucs' success against left-handers is a healthy 12 percent walk rate, which Lester combats with s stingy 2.0 BB/9. It's only 25 innings, but if you're a Kevin Gausman owner in seasonal formats, things are certainly looking good. The Baltimore Orioles right-hander's walk rate has dipped, but he's maintaining the same strikeout rate as last season. Gausman has a chance to pad that as he has a date with the punch out-prone Detroit Tigers at Camden Yards. The strikeout upside, combined with his facing a dangerous lineup when contact is made, renders Gausman another GPP candidate. Streamers Of the 30 scheduled starts, 17 qualify as streaming candidates at a projected game score between 46 and 52. Since it's Sunday, the most important factor is whatever you happen to need to win your head-to-head matchup. Here's a look at the more attractive spot starters. Lack of run support aside, Hector Santiago should do his job and keep the host Seattle Mariners in check as the Halos try to do some damage at Safeco Field against Felix Hernandez. There's some parallels with Trevor Bauer and the aforementioned Gausman, as both came into the league with strong pedigree but have yo-yoed between the rotation and bullpen. Bauer is making a pitch to remain a starter, though issuing fewer free passes would certainly strengthen his case. He's worth a start against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Matt Moore 's walk rate is another who could use some work, although the Tampa Bay southpaw is fanning hitters at an impressive 9.4 K/9 clip. The Oakland Athletics close out a weekend set at The Trop, sporting a weak 0.287 wOBA versus lefties. On paper, Danny Duffy has a great matchup facing the hapless Atlanta Braves in Kauffman Stadium; the visitors tote an anemic 0.240 wOBA versus southpaws while whiffing at a healthy 25 percent clip. The issue here is that Duffy is on a 50-pitch limit, so he's useless for DFS but in play for seasonal action if you need a late-week ratio boost. The Philadelphia Phillies are auditioning arms for the future. After a couple of spotty efforts, Adam Morgan earned a longer look with seven one-run frames, albeit against the offense- challenged Braves. He's in a good spot to make it two solid efforts in a row taking on the Cincinnati Reds in a home tilt. Matt Wisler is reminding doubters that he came up as a well-regarded prospect, too, and that they shouldn't be fixated on last season's inauspicious beginning to his major league career. Lefty swingers still give the Atlanta Braves right-hander difficulties, but in facing the Kansas City Royals , he has a decent chance to keep things in control. Eric Hosmer is swinging well, but fellow lefty Alex Gordon is scuffling, and switch-hitter Kendrys Morales traditionally hits better from the right side. Avoid This one's easy, as the game score prediction lines up exactly with the lowest six on the docket. Unless you're very desperate, reliever-turned-starter Cesar Ramos , Miguel Gonzalez , Sean O'Sullivan , Matt Cain , Rubby De La Rosa and Tyler Chatwood are all risks to blow up your ratios. If forced to pick one to use, it would be De La Rosa at Chase Field facing the San Francisco Giants. Hitter ratings account for the opposing starting pitcher's history (three years' worth as well as past 21 days) as well as ballpark factors. "LH" and "RH" ratings account only for left- and right- handed batters , respectively. Weighted on-base average (wOBA) is the primary statistic used in the calculation. Ratings range from 1-10, with 10 representing the best possible matchup, statistically speaking, and 1 representing the worst. So, for example, a 10 is a must-start rating, while a 1 should be avoided (if possible); a 1-2 is poor, 3-4 is fair, 5-6 is average, 7-8 is very good and 9-10 is excellent. A "*" means that the pitcher lacks requisite career major league data to produce an accurate hitter rating; these are the author's ratings. There's a lot of great alternatives to Coors Field, which actually makes stacking Rockies against Jacob deGrom a contrarian play. The more conventional stack is loading up on the New York Mets left-handers against Tyler Chatwood. Curtis Granderson , Michael Conforto and Lucas Duda are the standard three, with switch-hitter Neil Walker always in play against a right-hander -- and the same can be said for Yoenis Cespedes. Matt Cain's stifling of the Toronto Blue Jays last time out temporarily put the kibosh on rumors of his demise; doing it again will be a challenge against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the desert. Jake Lamb will be the primary beneficiary, with Chris Herrmann likely to be in the lineup somewhere as he has been playing outfield as David Peralta tends to his sore wrist. The big right-handed bats of the Toronto Blue Jays must be licking their chops with Cesar Ramos scheduled to take the hill in Globe Life Park. Ramos, a southpaw, is normally a reliever, but he has been pressed into starting duties as Cole Hamels nurses a groin injury. The New York Yankees are familiar with Miguel Gonzalez from their American League East battles during the right-hander's tenure with the Orioles. Even more relevant is that Gonzalez has a proclivity for giving up the long ball, which isn't a good thing in Yankee Stadium. Look for the Bronx Bombers to load up on left-handers and switch-hitters, rendering anyone donning pinstripes in play. As alluded to in the pitching notes, an all-out pig-pile on Matt Wisler isn't recommended. However, a mini-stack of Eric Hosmer and Alex Gordon could be a means of getting some exposure to a low-owned duo when there's so much chalk elsewhere. Most likely to hit a home run: There are a lot of choices, but we have to go with Josh Donaldson facing Ramos in Arlington. Most likely to steal a base: It's a Jon Lester day, so the no-brainer pick is Starling Marte .
2016-05-14 23:32 Todd Zola espn.go.com
42 Climate change protesters march on Washington oil refineries Hundreds of climate activists have marched to the site of two refineries in north-west Washington state to call for a reduction in reliance on fossil fuels. Meanwhile, a smaller group continued to block railway tracks leading to the facilities for a second day. Protesters in kayaks, canoes, on bikes and on foot took part in a massive demonstration near Anacortes, about 70 miles north of Seattle, to demand action on climate change and an equitable transition away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal. A day before, about 150 activists pitched tents and set up camp on nearby railway tracks to block the flow of oil flowing to the nearby Shell and Tesoro oil refineries. "We can't wait any more. We've got to do things now," said Clara Cleve, 76, of Edmonds. "Direct action is very effective. My grandchildren are not going to have a place to live unless we move quickly now. " Ms Cleve said she plans to spend another night in a tent on the tracks and is prepared to be arrested for trespassing if necessary. The protests are part of a series of global actions calling on people to "break free" from dependence on fossil fuels. Similar demonstrations are taking place in Los Angeles and Albany, New York, and in Washington, DC. In upstate New York, climate activists gathered at a crude oil shipment hub on the Hudson River in an action targeting crude-by-rail trains and oil barges at the Port of Albany. A group of activists sat on tracks used by crude oil trains heading to the port. Police did not report any arrests as of midday on Saturday. Albany is a key hub for crude-by-rail shipments from North Dakota's Bakken Shale region. In Washington state, organisers are targeting two refineries that are among the top sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the state. Tesoro has started shipping Bakken crude oil to its refinery, and Shell is proposing an expansion project that would similarly bring in Bakken crude oil by train. Officials at both Shell and Tesoro said in earlier statements that they respect the right of people to demonstrate peacefully, and that safety is their highest priority. A Shell spokesman also noted that the company, which employs about 700 workers at the refinery, is proud to be a part of the community and the refinery is a vital part of the region's energy infrastructure. BNSF Railway spokesman Gus Melonas said no trains were scheduled on Saturday but he declined to say whether any are expected to run on Sunday. "We had anticipated this and therefore adjusted scheduling with customers," Mr Melonas said. "At this point, we're allowing the protest on our property. " There were no arrests as of Saturday afternoon, authorities said. The tracks, which connect BNSF's mainline to Anacortes, serve the two refineries, as well as other customers who ship animal feed, steel and lumber by rail, Mr Melonas said. Crowd estimates of the march ranged from several hundred to about 1,000 people. Bud Ullman, 67, who lives on Guemes Island, participated in the march, which he described as good-spirited and peaceful. "The scientists are right. We have to get away from our dependence on fossil fuels, and it has to be done in a way that takes into serious consideration the impact on workers, families and communities," he said. The three-day event ends on Sunday and has included "kayaktivists" demonstrating on water, community workshops and an indigenous ceremony. "I'm here because there's nothing more important to me than protecting the Earth," said Elizabeth Claydon, 24, who lives in Seattle. "This is an urgent matter, and traditional ways are not working. "
2016-05-15 01:46 www.independent.ie
43 Mangyans now vote with more confidence BACO, Oriental Mindoro—On Election Day, Cristina Gonzago, a 56-year-old Mangyan Alangan, lined up in a precinct at Casillon Elementary School where the Mangyan used to vote with the Tagalog (lowlanders). The experience used to be an uncomfortable encounter with discrimination, she recalled. “We would separate ourselves from the Tagalog,” Gonzago said. “We are a shy people and we have observed that the non-Mangyan would be prioritized in voting. By the time we reach the start of the line, the precincts would be closing, and we would be unable to vote,” she said, smiling at the memory. It was a different story this time, said Manuel Mintaras, a Mangyan leader in the subvillage of Bagong Pag-Asa in Barangay San Ignacio here. More Mangyan felt encouraged to vote this year because the Commission on Elections (Comelec) had provided them with separate polling places. Using Mindoro Island for its pilot Philippines Indigenous Peoples’ Voting Project, the Comelec placed accessible voting centers (AVC) near Mangyan communities and assigned Separate Polling Places (SPPs) for them inside regular precincts. “So we avoid walking long distances to reach the precinct, where we experienced being [detained by some candidates], discriminated upon, and treated as second class citizens,” said Dindo Dumagol, a Mangyan volunteer for the election watchdog, Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente). Eight AVCs and 21 SPPs were set up in the Mindoro provinces in last week’s elections. Records showed that the island has 2,883 IP voters spread over 14 villages in Oriental Mindoro and seven villages in Occidental Mindoro. The Philippines has 181,767 registered IP voters, according to Comelec. Self-determination The project was a success, said Noel Merano, Lente’s project coordinator in Oriental Mindoro. “Overall, the project turned out to be efficient and effective [in encouraging wider participation from the group],” he added. There were still complaints of various forms of vote-buying and hamletting, but these were fewer than in past elections, Merano said. Lawyer Nona Ann Caritos, Lente executive director, said providing the Mangyan separate polling places was a product of years of consultations with the indigenous group and other indigenous people. “We recognize [the Mangyan’s] right to self-determination,” said Comelec Commissioner Luie Tito Guia, who was in charge of the project during its provincial launch in the capital city of Calapan last month. The Comelec passed Resolution No. 10080 to also address issues of intimidation and the “hakot” system, where candidates would virtually hold captive members of indigenous peoples’ groups, like the Mangyan, a few days before elections. “Pala-pala” In the 2004 elections, the Inquirer witnessed how candidates herded tribal folk in Paluan town in Occidental Mindoro to a “pala-pala,” a shed roofed with coconut leaves and fenced with wires. Sometimes the groups were held inside the local gymnasium, a cockpit arena or the homes of candidates or their supporters. They were fed and kept there until Election Day, when they were finally set free and expected to vote for the candidate who took them in forcibly. The practice had earned the tribal folk the moniker “hakot” (paid voters). Fr. Anthony Tria, SVD, who was assigned to the Mangyan Mission, stood by tribe members who wanted to stop the practice. “I hope the pilot project works,” said Florentino Gayadan, a sitio leader in Paluan town, who said he did not want to be treated like a pig being fattened for the kill. “I realized that (lowlanders) looked down on me,” he added. Indeed, in previous elections, the Mangyan reported cases of discrimination, harassment and threats from supporters of local candidates. Sworn statements The pilot project solicited the Mangyan’s participation through sworn statements. Those who did not consent to the SPP were instead provided express lanes for IP voters in polling precincts, a privilege also extended to persons with disabilities, pregnant women and the elderly, said Nestor Salvacion, an election officer of Pinamalayan town in Oriental Mindoro. The project was first launched in Metro Manila in March. “We want to create awareness in Mindoro to avoid negative reactions that comes from not understanding the project,” said lawyer April Rose Mabanes of the Comelec’s IP committee. Voting started at 6 a.m. and ended at 3 p.m. at the SPPs, and was held from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the AVCs, to give time for the transport of ballots for counting from the AVC to regular polling precincts at San Ignacio Memorial School here, about a kilometer away. The ballots from non-Mangyan voters and IP voters were later mixed to make the results of the IP vote confidential, said Dumagol. Around 60 Mangyan voted in the AVC, while 159 others used the SPP. Apart from the regular watchers assigned by the candidates, the personnel of the Commission on Human Rights and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) also observed the proceedings. “The project’s success will be taken to other parts of the country, with the lessons [learned] from this pilot,” Guia said, adding that elections are more about voters than candidates. The exercise, he said, serves as equalizer, where both the rich and the poor have a vote each to choose their leaders. RELATED STORIES Mangyan entrepreneur creates ecohaven in the mountains Mangyan Dutch is a culture bearer RELATED VIDEOS
2016-05-15 01:43 Madonna T newsinfo.inquirer.net
44 Two Reasons Why Donald Trump Resents Jeff Bezos | The American Spectator Donald Trump’s latest target is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos who he saw fit to claim was having “anti-trust problems” and “getting away with murder” on his taxes. To be precise, Trump told Sean Hannity: He’s got a huge antitrust problem because he’s controlling so much. He bought the Washington Post for practically nothing. He’s using it as a tool for political power against me and other people. We can’t let him get away with it. Amazon is getting away with murder, tax-wise. He’s using the Washington Post for power so that the politicians in Washington don’t tax Amazon like they should be taxed. For Trump to criticize Bezos about his taxes is sheer chutzpah. So long as Trump refuses to release his own tax returns, he is no position to criticize Bezos or anyone else where it concerns their taxes. There are two reasons Trump is targeting Bezos. First, Bezos is richer than Trump. In fact, Bezos is now the fourth richest person in the world with a net worth of $61.2 billion. Whereas Trump inherited his wealth, Bezos built his company from scratch. Be honest with yourself. If you had the choice between taking business advice from someone who changed the very nature of commerce as opposed to someone who filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy four times, you would be insane to trust the latter. Now Trump might have been able to tolerate Bezos’ success in business if Bezos were on board the Trump Train a la Carl Icahn. But Bezos is his own man and Trump claims Bezos is using The Washington Post “as a tool for political power against me and other people. We can’t let him get away with it.” And, if elected President, what sanction would Trump impose against those who would dare criticize him? Once again, Trump is showing his unfamiliarity with freedom of the press and that it is the prerogative of a free press to criticize those who hold power be it political or economic or both. Simply put, Trump believes he is above any criticism. But I’m sure if Trump owned a newspaper or other media enterprise, he wouldn’t be above using it against Bezos or any of his other adversaries, real or imagined. As usual, Trump’s allegations against Bezos are made up out of whole cloth. His allegations should be seen for what they are. Donald Trump resents that Jeff Bezos is more successful businessman than he is and because of it he has no need to worship at the altar of Trump.
2016-05-14 19:12 Aaron Goldstein spectator.org
45 Egypt jails 51 for protesting against Saudi islands deal Egypt has sentenced 51 people to two years each in prison for protesting against a decision last month to cede two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. There were 33 defendants present in the Cairo courtroom to hear the verdicts, while the rest were out on bail. Family and friends of the defendants cried in shock outside the courthouse, reports said. The decision to hand over the islands to Saudi Arabia sparked a backlash among many Egyptians. It was made by Egyptian president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi during a rare visit by Saudi Arabia's King Salman, during which the Saudi king announced plans for aid and investment in Egypt. Critics says President Sisi "sold" the uninhabited islands, Tiran and Sanafir, in return for the investments. Saudi-Egyptian island deal sparks anger But the Egyptian government maintains that the islands always belonged to Saudi Arabia, and were only being looked after by Egypt since the 1950s. Both secular and Islamist activists called for people to demonstrate against the transfer of the islands. Police dispersed the protests in April, arresting dozens of people, many of whom were later charged with participation in illegal rallies. Mr Sisi has faced increasing criticism in recent months on a range of issues, including Egypt's lacklustre economy. The president, a former army general, previously enjoyed broad support after winning the election in 2014, but has faced increasing discontent.
2016-05-15 00:08 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
46 Special polls peaceful, orderly, says military The special elections held on Saturday in several barangays in the Visayas and Mindanao were generally “peaceful and orderly, ” the military said. The Armed Forces of the Philippines Public Affairs Office (AFP-PAO) under Col. Noel Detoyato reported that as of press time, the special elections, particularly in Mindanao, proved to be without incident. Elections in these areas were declared a failure on May 9 due mostly to “security concerns.” The AFP-PAO reported that precincts in Pata Island, Sulu, “opened peacefully” as early as 7:30 a.m.; in Barangay Katuli, Sultan Kudarat, in Maguindanao at 7:10 a.m. and in Binidayan, Lanao del Sur, as early as 6:15 a.m. The Philippine National Police deployed its forces to 52 barangays in eight provinces where the special polls were to be conducted. On Friday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported an increase in the number of precincts that suffered a failure of elections, and raised the number of voters affected by the special polls to 18,504. The PNP identified the 52 clustered precincts as those located in 11 towns in Cebu, Marinduque, Sarangani, Antique, Northern Samar, Western Samar, Lanao del Sur and Sulu. According to the PNP, of the 52 barangays, 47 held special polls yesterday due to “security concerns” on May 9, namely, Barangays Roxas in Lope de Vega, Northern Samar; Barangay Nagpapacao in Matuguinao, Western Samar; all 26 barangays of Binidayan, Lanao del Sur; Barangays Daungdong, Kamawi Island, Likud, Niog-niog, Timuddas and Kayawan in Pata, Sulu; Barangays Gagguil, Gata-gata, Jinggan, Kamih, Pungud, Lihbug, Kabaw, Lubuk-lubuk, Pandakan, Tiptipon in Panglima Estino, also in Sulu; and Barangays Dilausan, Bangun and Dasumalon in Tamparan, Lanao del Sur. Due to misdelivered or insufficient number of ballots on May 9, special polls were also held Saturday in Barangay Gabi in Cordova, Cebu; Barangay Alobo in Sta. Cruz, Marinduque; Barangay Malalag in Maitum, Sarangani; Barangay Mabuyong in Anini-y, Antique, and Barangay Insubuan in San Remigio, also in Antique. TVJ RELATED STORIES ‘No proclamation until after special polls’ Comelec to hold special polls in Maguindanao, Agusan Sur and Negros Occidental villages RELATED VIDEOS
2016-05-15 01:37 Jaymee T newsinfo.inquirer.net
47 No cheating, PPCRV insists The poll watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) on Saturday said its audit tests had detected no irregularities so far in the election results transmitted to it, although critics continued to question the results of the tight race for the vice presidency. “We ran several tests, and I am happy to report that there is not a single anomaly found in the tests that we’ve had so far,” Ana de Villa Singson, PPCRV media and communications director, said at a press briefing. The transparency server that receives the results transmitted from the vote-counting machines is housed at the PPCRV command center at Pope Pius XII Catholic Center on United Nations Avenue in Manila and the group has access to the data. The PPCRV has been conducting irregularity tests on the server data since the Philippines began holding automated elections in 2010, but it usually releases the results a month or so after the polls, Singson said. This time, however, the PPCRV decided to release the results of its initial irregularity tests early because of the controversy generated by an alteration made to the transparency server script, which resulted in changes in the hash code. Officials said the alteration resulted only in a “cosmetic” change—the correction of the spelling of a candidate’s name—but critics continue to raise concerns about the integrity of the results, with the camp of Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, who is trailing Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo in the vice presidential race, demanding a public audit of the computer systems of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and its technology partner Smartmatic. READ: Comelec says ‘cosmetic’ change in script unnecessary / Ex-Comelec exec: ‘Cosmetic’ changes raised questions “We hope truly that the hash code issue is not used or overblown to undermine the credibility of an election [that] otherwise seems to be credible as of the date of our study,” Singson said. The PPCRV started the irregularity tests on data received as of Thursday, after 95.85 percent of clustered precincts had transmitted results. The PPCRV tested for precincts with multiple transmissions of results, Singson said. She said there were four clustered precincts—one in Parañaque and three in Basilan—where the election returns were placed under observation or investigation. This was likely due to the same machine sending two sets of mismatched data, she said. Singson said, however, that there was no irregularity. READ: No anomaly in transparency server – PPCRV She explained that the election returns in the four precincts could have been placed under observation because the system did not know which of the two sets of data to read for the precincts. Singson said this could happen if the election inspectors mistakenly sent the results of the vote testing conducted on the machines before the elections, as well as the election results. She also said that there were no precincts that transmitted results before the close of the polls at 5 p.m. on Election Day. There were also no precincts that reflected exactly 10 votes for Vice President, which would have indicated that the results of the final testing and sealing of the machines were the ones transmitted instead of the results of the actual voting, she said. The PPCRV also did not find return precincts where the undervote or overvote is greater than the number of voters using a particular position, she said. There were also no return precincts where the undervote or overvote is greater than 95 percent of voters using a particular position, she said. Singson also said the 2016 elections had the fastest transmission of results since the country began holding automated elections in 2010. In that year, the transmission reached 70 percent eight and a half hours after the polls closed, and in 2013 70 percent transmission was reached 22 hours after the elections ended, Singson said. But this year, 70 percent transmission was achieved four hours after the polls closed, she said. In 2010, she said, 90 percent transmission was reached after 30 hours. But this year, there was 90 percent transmission 14 hours after the balloting. The voter turnout was also unprecedented, Singson said. The Comelec recorded an 81 percent voter turnout in the country, and 37 percent for overseas absentee voting. TVJ RELATED STORIES PPCRV says 1.4M votes still to be transmitted Smartmatic’s defense: Comelec knew about tweak in script RELATED VIDEOS
2016-05-15 01:33 Leila B newsinfo.inquirer.net
48 404. Page Not Found - Bloomberg 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
2016-05-15 04:03 www.bloomberg.com
49 New documentary on the unseen actors of "Star Wars" |A new documentary, "Elstree 1976," takes viewers behind the scenes of the making of the original "Star Wars," meeting the bit players and extras under those iconic helmets, masks and makeup.
2016-05-14 23:20 New documentary www.cbsnews.com
50 Analysis: Intelligence agencies succeeding in penetrating Hezbollah The circumstances of Hezbollah "Defense Minister" Mustafa Badreddine's death are shrouded in mystery, as was most of his life in the underground. Hezbollah released an official statement on Saturday, saying that he was assassinated a few days ago by the rebels near the Damascus airport. Unlike in previous assassinations of its top commanders in which Israel was blamed, this announcement would apparently clear Israel of responsibility for the act. However, Arab media also quoted a Hezbollah MP in Lebanon, as well as several former Iranian generals, as saying that "the rebels" are working under the orders of "the Zionists. " Still, the announcement is a clear signal that the Shi'ite Lebanese organization doesn't wish to escalate its relations with Israel. It is still not clear how Badreddine was killed - there are reports that he died in an artillery blast, and others which claim he was hit by a missile, and even some reports that the missile was fired from an airplane. In any event, it is clear that those who planned and carried out the assassination had precise intelligence information. Especially since Badreddine knew he had enemies that would be happy to see him join his cousin and brother-in-law Imad Mughniyeh, who was assassinated eight years ago, also in Syria's capital in an operation attributed to the Mossad with the help of the CIA. While Israel has not officially responded to Badreddine's death, the official White House spokesman stressed that the US was not involved in the affair. Yet is is strange that so far no one has claimed responsibility for the operation, not even one of the Syrian rebel groups. The list of those who wanted him dead was long. In addition to the US and Israel, all of the rebel groups in Syria, France, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and others are glad that one of the most cruel and wanted terrorists in the world is dead. The possibility has also been raised that he was killed by one of his rivals within Hezbollah, but that is most likely disinformation being spread by some intelligence agency's psychological warfare department. Mustafa Badreddine was born in Beirut in 1962 and together with Mughniyeh was among the first to enlist into the ranks of Hezbollah, which was formed in Lebanon in the early 1980s at the initiative of Khomenei's Iran and Lebanese Shi'ite clerics. According to a document from the Israeli Intelligence Heritage and Commemoration Center at Glilot, before they joined Hezbollah, they were operatives of "Force 17," Fatah's special forces unit. During the same period, Mughniyeh married Sa'ada, Bedreddine's sister. Despite their young age - they were in their early 20s - they gained a reputation as bold and notorious terrorists who took part in a number of operations: car bombings, assassinations and airplane hijackings. Badreddine's "specialty" was putting together explosives and gas canisters in order to strengthen the blast and cause an especially large number of casualties. US and other western intelligence agencies attribute to Badreddin the building of car bombs for and direct involvement in dual terror attacks in 1983 that destroyed the headquarters of the multinational force in Beirut, killing 241 US Marines and 48 French paratroopers. Two years later he was arrested in Kuwait carrying a Lebanese passport under the name Elias Saab, and he was sentenced to life in prison together with 16 others after he was convicted of carrying out terror attacks against the embassies of the US and France, a power station, an attempt on the country's leader and more. Sixty-four people were killed in these acts of terror. The terror attacks were carried out simultaneously, and thus Badreddine can be considered "the inventor" of the tactic adopted years later by Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida. While in jail, his aggression and ruthless behavior were not softened. He attacked a prison guard with a razor and was sorry that he only butchered his face and did not succeed in decapitating him. His brother-in-law Mughniyeh and Iranian intelligence did everything they could to get him out of prison. They kidnapped American and Western hostages in Lebanon, attacked Kuwaiti targets and hijacked a Kuwaiti passenger plane. However, the Emir of Kuwait refused to give in. Only in 1990, amid the occupation of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's Iraq, Badreddine took advantage of the chaos and escaped back to Lebanon with the help of Iranian intelligence operatives. He was made Mughniyeh's deputy a few years later and was responsible (together with Talal Hamia) for external operations. A day prior to the IDF's withdrawal from Lebanon, he arrived, together with his brother-in-law and three other senior Hezbollah members, for a patrol of the border. Israeli Military Intelligence recognized Hezbollah's "Fab Five" and prepared an assassination mission, but it was not ultimately approved by then-defense minister Ehud Barak. In 2005, Badreddine served as the "project manager" of the assassination of then-Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, who was pro-western and pro-Saudi. The operation was carried out as a joint initiative of Syrian intelligence and Hezbollah. UN-sponsored International Criminal Court investigators found Badreddine and three other Hezbollah members to be those responsible for Hariri's murder and demanded that they be extradited and made to stand trial. The Lebanese government, under threat from Hezbollah, did not acquiesce to the ICC's request. Badreddine became even more alert and went further into the underground, gaining the nickname "the Shadowman. " However, this did not prevent him from enjoying life's pleasures. Posing as Sami Issa, he visited casinos, lived it up with women and being an avid diver, sailed in his fisherman's boat. After Mughniyeh's assassination in 2008, he was named Hezbollah's supreme military commander, which also made him responsible for avenging his brother-in- law's death through attempts to hit Israeli targets (most of which failed) in India, Georgia, Thailand, Cyprus and Burgas, Bulgaria. In the last attack, six people were killed, five of whom were Israelis. Mustafa Badreddine's death is a blow for Hezbollah that will further diminish the organization's already low morale due to the war in Syria. The assassination of the brothers-in-law shows that, despite their strict compartmentalization, Hezbollah is a group that intelligence agencies are succeeding to penetrate. This further compromises the feeling of security for Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and his patron, General Qassem Suleimani, the commander of the Iranian Quds Force. It is also an operational blow, but eventually Hezbollah will recover and a new military commander will be chosen, likely Talal Hamia.
2016-05-15 01:29 YOSSI MELMAN www.jpost.com
51 RSPCA to become 'less adversarial' under new boss The new chief of the RSPCA, Jeremy Cooper, has said the animal welfare charity had become "too adversarial" and will now be "a lot less political". A number of farmers and pet owners prosecuted or investigated by the RSPCA have accused it of being over-zealous in cases going back years . In 2012, it was criticised for spending £330,000 to privately prosecute a hunt. Mr Cooper told the Daily Telegraph the charity had made "mistakes" in the past and would now focus on "dialogue". He said all future decisions on illegal fox hunting prosecutions would be passed to the Crown Prosecution Service and it was "very unlikely" the RSPCA would privately prosecute a hunt. The charity's policy of bringing private prosecutions rather than referring alleged offences to the CPS had also been criticised in a parliamentary debate in 2013. Although members of an Oxfordshire-based hunt pleaded guilty in 2012 to unlawfully hunting foxes with dogs in a case brought by the RSPCA, the presiding magistrate called the charity's costs "staggering" and said the public could question whether the money could have been better spent. Mr Cooper said persistent criticism of the way the charity pursued its aims "hurts" and detracted from the "fantastic job" done by many of the organisation's 1,600 employees. Asked how policy would change under his leadership, Mr Cooper said: "We should look to fall back on education and advice wherever possible. "My style of advocacy is encouragement and dialogue... If you want to shout and use rhetoric, that's fine, but it isn't helpful to anybody. "We have made mistakes. We have to be honest about that. " Mr Cooper said a less political approach "doesn't mean we won't stand up for animals. But we are not a political organisation. " The Countryside Alliance welcomed Mr Cooper's comments. Spokeswoman Charlotte Cooper said: "We have been concerned for years about its dual role of both investigating and prosecuting cases. We have a big problem with that. "To say they will pass prosecutions to the CPS is very positive. It's what we've been calling for. " Mr Cooper said that the RSPCA's next big campaign would focus on the illegal puppy trade rather than fox hunting or badger culling. "Puppy trading is a real problem," he said. "It is about animal welfare. People may have had the perception we were becoming an animal rights organisation. It is not the reality now and it won't be in the future. "
2016-05-15 04:02 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
52 In pictures: The last nomadic people of Nepal The Raute are the last nomadic people of Nepal. Now numbering fewer than 150, they live in the forests of Accham's middle hills, where photographer Andrew Newey caught up with them. The Raute people live in temporary camps, hidden away from the villages, in remote parts of the forest. Their dwellings are basic tents made from wooden branches covered with leaves and cloth. These hunter-gatherers move camp every few weeks through the steeply wooded hills and mountains A Raute elder returns to camp with a monkey after a successful day's hunting. They are accomplished in the art of hunting monkeys, which they trap using a special net. Hunting is carried out only by males in the community Division of labour is based on gender. Women mostly carry out daily tasks such as cooking, washing, collecting water and firewood and beating the grains. A very typical scene in the Raute camp, with the whole family gathered around a fire. Despite immense pressure from the Nepalese government to conform, the Raute remain a secretive community deeply suspicious of outsiders. A pot of leaves from the forest boils on the fire. The Raute have a strong attachment to the forest and shun agriculture because they believe it is a sin to sow seeds. Once their forest home allowed them to be self-sufficient, but now they rely on government handouts. Young Raute girls grind corn using heavy wooden poles, while the infants help to tidy up. The Raute live in an area known as the middle hills, between the flat land of Nepal's southern Terai region and the Himalayas, and cut only common species of trees. Following two bear attacks in as many days, where one tribe member was killed and another seriously injured, the children are warned not to venture too deep into the forest. The area has lost much of its forest. And, although the remaining areas are protected by government legislation, the loss of this habitat along with many of the animals and plants on which the Raute depended for survival has pushed them into direct contact with their settled counterparts. All photographs by Andrew Newey .
2016-05-14 23:26 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
53 Lady Gaga denies she will play Cilla in Dionne Warwick film Lady Gaga's representative has denied the singer will play Cilla Black in a new film based on the life of soul singer Dionne Warwick. "Lady Gaga is not attached and will not appear in the project," her publicist told Variety. "Reports of Gaga starring in the project are false. " Earlier on Friday, Warwick had announced details of the film and its cast at a press conference at the Cannes film festival. The biopic, based on Warwick's autobiography, will cover an early period in her career in the 1960s. Former Destiny's Child singer LeToya Luckett will play Warwick, while Danny Glover will play her father. Lady Gaga's name had appeared on a poster for the film unveiled at the festival. Cilla Black, who died in 2015 aged 72, was Warwick's rival for many years, after Black's version of Anyone Who Had a Heart eclipsed Warwick's original. Cannes 2016: Reporter's diary Before the denial, a spokesman for Cilla Black's estate had commented: "We think Lady Gaga is fabulous! She's a great actress and we really look forward to seeing her portrayal. " Asked on Friday why she regarded Black as her nemesis, Warwick said it was "because she stole my music". Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis is also lined up to appear in the film as Marlene Dietrich, whose mentoring of Warwick earned her the nickname "Momma". Speaking about Luckett's casting, Dionne Warwick said: "She is perfect and she has exactly the right look. She will bring out what is needed for this part. " Luckett was an original member of Destiny's Child, appearing on the band's first two albums, but left in 1999. Warwick is one of the most successful singers of all time, best known for hits such as I Say a Little Prayer and Do You Know the Way to San Jose?
2016-05-14 13:11 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
54 High street shops that have come back from the brink When high street stores go into administration, it's easy to assume another brand has bitten the dust. People start mourning their products, their cafes, and even their easily accessible toilets. Many already assume that the eclectic mix of goods in BHS will be added to the nostalgia list, along with pick 'n mixes from Woolies, videos from Blockbuster and books from Borders But alongside the closures, there's another story happening. It's just nobody is shouting about it. Spending the day in Shrewsbury for BBC 5Live, I discovered that plenty of stores who went into administration are coming out the other side. Malcolm Winn works in the outdoor shop Blacks, and there's one question he's fed-up with people asking him: "People are always coming into the store and asking when we're closing. It's frustrating to keep having to explain to people that we've been bought, we're doing well, and we're here for the long-term. " On Christmas Eve 2011 it was a different story. The company couldn't pay its debts and its staff so Blacks Leisure Group entered administration. For Malcolm that was an incredibly difficult time: "It's very tough, not knowing if you've got a job in a week or a month's time. It's tough personally and also for your team - people who you consider to be friends. It's just the not knowing. But thankfully for us somebody did come along and purchase the company and here we are today. " That 'somebody' was JD Sports. It spotted something good in Blacks despite all the financial problems. Lee Bagnall who's in charge of the Outdoor division at JD told me: "We knew that we could put a proposition together that customers would like. "What we have done is reduce our cost base because we've used the JD muscle, and that's made us as an outdoor division a bit more nimble. We've been able to deliver the product to the customer that they want at the prices that they want to pay. " Along the main shopping streets in Shrewsbury there are lots of names we've heard in the headlines, but they are still trading. There used to be three Clintons card shops in this town, now there's just the one, but it's still here. There's an HMV, and a Game shop. On the second floor of the Pride Hill shopping centre there are lots of strange noises coming from the Hawkin's Bazaar shop. Its story is one of the most dramatic. There used to be nearly 130 stores and wholesale businesses, selling cheap gifts, before they went into administration. After the company came out of administration in January 2012, there were just eight. The existing management bought the company back from the administrators, and its new chief executive David Mordecai said they had learnt lots of lessons. It ended up stocking much more expensive products to boost the amount of money they made from each customer. "We included stuff like scalextrics and Hornby and drones", he told the BBC. "At the end of the day you need to stock what the consumers want. The idea was to stock some higher priced items to allow us not to worry so much about how many people were on the high street. " Administration was a painful way to learn that lesson, but now they have more than 30 stores. Small steps, but definitely growth. Nobody is saying going through administration is easy, as anyone working at BHS will be able to tell you. Malcolm Winn from Blacks understands how those 11,000 staff at BHS are feeling right now, and he has a positive message for them: "Be optimistic. It happened for us. Lots of companies are interested in BHS, so hopefully it'll happen to you too. "
2016-05-15 04:02 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
55 55 Bukovsky vs. the British Crown — vs. the Kremlin? | The American Spectator If a tree falls in the forest — no, if a legendary Soviet dissident goes on a hunger strike, and there is no media there to report on it, will it ever crash into world consciousness? Not so far. I find myself in some numbing degree of disbelief at the general silence over the fact that Vladimir Bukovsky is now 20 days into a hunger strike — his impasse with the British justice system becoming a life and death struggle in a frighteningly literal sense — amid scant news coverage and even less discernible sense of public urgency. Thank goodness for Claire Berlinski’s powerfully human cri de commentary that came out today at Ricochet. When Bukovsky, 72, who lives in Cambridge, UK, began his hunger strike on April 20, there was an initial flurry in the British press. It tapered off, and especially after the draconian measure taken on May 3 by the British High Court. The court went to the unusual and unusually totalitarian length of imposing a “reporting ban” on recent developments in Bukovsky’s libel suit against the Crown Prosecution Service, as explained here. Another greatly disturbing development is that should Bukovsky be medically unfit for his separate criminal trial on May 16, the court has reportedly threatened to try him in absentia. What is going on? It all started on April 27, 2015, when the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced in an unusual manner — no, a unique manner, as I will show below — that it would be prosecuting Bukovsky for “making” and “possessing” child pornography, five charges each, plus one charge of possessing a “forbidden image.” I have to pause for a moment to ask, incredulously: Is there a sentient person, naturally revolted by the thought of child pornography, even five or six images’ worth, going to believe for one minute that the British state, for decades having turned the blindest and hardest and most craven of eyes against the sexual despoilment and prostitution of generations of little British girls at risk at the hands of criminal Islamic “grooming” gangs, has suddenly developed some compelling interest in protecting the welfare of children, and thus turned its avenging sword on … Vladimir Bukovsky? The context, at least, is all wrong from the get-go. Is it possible that this all really started on March 17, 2015, the day Bukovsky, the greatest enemy of the old Kremlin extant, testified in the inquiry into the 2006 assassination of Putin-era defector Alexander Litvinenko, poisoned by polonium, probably at the behest of Vladimir Putin? Or did it start on whatever day it was that British prosecutors determined it was in the public interest to investigate Bukovsky — or perhaps on the day before that? We don’t know the answers to such questions; but asking them, thinking about them, is incumbent upon us. They take us to the larger and ghoulish dimension in which these legal machinations are playing out, and which Berlinski highlights in her essay. When these charges were first brought against Bukovsky in April 2015, she writes, Bukovsky couldn’t attend the initial hearing due to illness. She explains: “He was having complex heart surgery, after which he was in a medically-induced coma and hospitalized for four months. He survived, but was not expected to do so at the time.” So the point of the exercise wasn’t just to shut him up. He would soon be dead anyway. The point was to nullify his life, It was to prove to him, and to anyone tempted to emulate him, that the Kremlin will punish you for defying it even after your death. It will turn you, in the eyes of the world and of history, into a child molester. These charges, even if he is acquitted, as he expects to be, would tarnish any man with an ineradicable stain. No one will believe there could be that kind of smoke without fire. They call into doubt Bukovsky’s entire life, testimony, and legacy. He is all too aware of this. As Bukovsky told the Guardian last month: I went back to the website of the Crown Prosecution Service to see where, one day, this story began, publicly, at any rate. There are nearly 100 listings currently on the webpage for the News Centre of the British Crown Prosecution Service for East of England — Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire. Dating from January 2012 until the present, almost every single one of these nearly 100 press releases pertains to criminal cases that are over and done with; that is, cases that have already gone to court or been otherwise settled. For example: “Teenager convicted of two murders in Colchester”; “Couple guilty of road rage acid attack”; “Polish lorry drivers sentenced for immigration offenses”; “Teenager given caution following motorcycle incident last year”; and, “Three sentenced for burglaries across five counties.” But then there is the listing from April 27, 2015: “Vladimir Bukovsky to be prosecuted over indecent images of children.” To be prosecuted? Amid the shocking admixture of “Vladimir Bukovsky,” co-founder of the Soviet dissident movement, and “indecent images of children,” there is something odd, and uniquely so, about the headline: specifically, the words, “to be prosecuted.” There is no other such announcement of “to be prosecuted” anywhere else on the list. A small thing — perhaps. But it stands out on contemplating Bukovsky’s libel suit in which he accuses the CPS of, as the Guardian reported, “‘falsely and maliciously’ damaging his reputation and of abusing its powers.” It is also true that among these nearly 100 CPS listings there is a handful that have not come to trial or been otherwise concluded. But a different tack is evident in each one. In these half a dozen or so cases, the press release announces that the CPS “authorizes charges,” or, more commonly, “advises charges” (as well it might, particularly in cases involving dead bodies, even a headless, limbless torso). Am I right to see in the CPS announcement that Bukovsky is “to be prosecuted” something that is missing in the diffidence of “the CPS advises charges…”? Does this slight tonal shading between Bukovsky’s and these other cases mean anything? I don’t know. But given Bukovsky’s gigantic and unblemished renown for courage and conscience, forged in 12 years as a political prisoner of the Soviet dictatorship, it beggars belief to think that the announcement to press and public of these damaging, darkening charges, not proven, would just slip into view heedlessly, without the text being duly vetted. Bukovsky is a public person; the public has a right to know. But where did the routine aspect evident in the other press releases go? The libel suit Bukovsky filed against the CPS last August following his heart surgery does not simply duplicate the charges of the CPS criminal case against him and call them defamatory, which would be nonsensical. According to published reports, the libel suit targets the specific charge in the press release noted above that claims Bukovsky engaged in “making” pornography. This, Bukovsky argues, implies his presence and even participation in a scene of child sexual abuse. No such charge of “making,” as in creating, pornography is among those he will actually face in his criminal trial of May 16 (and to which he pleads not guilty). Hence, the claim of defamation, which he has sought to resolve in his libel suit against the CPS before facing the CPS’s criminal charges. The High Court said no — and then imposed the gag order on its having said no, and all the rest, apparently convinced that these developments in Bukovsky’s libel proceedings against the Crown Prosecution Service would be prejudicial to the Crown Prosecution Service’s criminal case against Bukovsky. Another question to ponder: Are we now peeking through a court-ordered blindfold at justice, transparent and impartial, or something else? 2016-05-15 04:05 Diana West spectator.org
56 Moscow cemetery brawl: Three dead and 90 arrested Three people have been killed and 23 taken to hospital after a mass brawl at a Moscow cemetery, apparently sparked by a dispute about jobs, police say. Russian news reports said up to 200 people took part in the brawl at the south-west Khovanskoye cemetery. Police said two of the victims died after being run over by a car as people escaped from the scene. Police spokeswoman Sofya Khotina said the three people in the car, who were armed with pistols, were arrested. The brawlers fired guns and fought with shovels, shovel handles, steel bars and baseball bats, Russian news reports said. More than 90 people were arrested, according to police. Reports said police officers fired into the air in an attempt to quell the violence. Police believe the brawl was caused by a territorial dispute between two different groups of workers, fighting over the cemetery's lucrative services business. Reports said they were from ethnic groups from ex-Soviet Central Asia and the Caucasus. The Khovanskoye cemetery is a massive 200-hectare (500-acre) site on Moscow's southwestern outskirts.
2016-05-15 04:01 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
57 'America's prophet' says revival nation's only hope Contact WND Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, whose “The Harbinger” book racked up months on the New York Times best-sellers list, is warning that America, through its Supreme Court and White House, has defied the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the only answer now is a revival. “We stand here at this critical hour between two altars, and two gods. The voice of the Lord cries out, ‘Choose you this day whom you shall serve,'” he said at the recent 2016 National Day of Prayer event in Washington. “Our choice is not between one candidate and another; it is between God and Baal.” Cahn, who at the recent “Washington: A Man of Prayer” event in Statuary Hall demanded from the U. S. Supreme Court justices to know where they got the authority to overrule God on marriage, noted, “70 years ago, the chaplain of the U. S. Senate said, ‘If the Lord is God then serve Him, but if Baal, then serve him and go to hell.” Here’s where to get “The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment,” “The Harbinger,” “The Mystery of the Shemitah,” all by Jonathan Cahn, as well as all of his Bible teachings “That warning is all the more critical today,” Cahn said. “We come to Washington not to seek the agency of government, but to seek the agency of the Holy Spirit. … There is no other way but revival. We commit ourselves to pray for that revival and not only to pray for that revival but by the power of God to walk in that revival.” He continued, “We have come here because our hope and our trust is not in man, it is in God. Specifically, our trust is in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God of Moses, Elijah, the Red Sea and the resurrection. The God of the impossible.” Cahn was dubbed “America’s prophet” a year ago by Dan Cummins, who organizes the “Washington: A Man of Prayer” event for members of Congress each year. At the Day of Prayer event, he reprised some of his warnings from the earlier “Washington: A Man of Prayer” event. “As ancient Israel turned away from her God and His ways, so, too, has America,” he thundered from the podium. “The city on hill, founded for the purposes of God, drove God out of its government, out of its culture, out of its public square. It celebrated ungodliness and called evil good and good evil. It lifted up the most innocent and helpless of its inhabitants and slaughtered them on the altars of self-obsession. “The last time we gathered, it was the day after the Supreme Court heard the case to decide the future of marriage,” he said. “Two months after we gathered here, America’s highest court struck down the order of God! “It must be asked, this day, Supreme Court justices, where do you get the authority to overrule the rulings of the Most High? By what authority did you strike down the laws of the Almighty? … You are neither the highest court nor the final authority. There is a Supreme Justice that does not sleep forever.” At the Day of Prayer event he continued, putting President Obama in his target. Travel to the Holy Land with Rabbi Cahn this year! To book your tour or for more information, use the special website or call Coral Tours at 1-866-267-2511 “Mr. President did you not lay your hand on the Word of God to assume the oath of your presidency. “Then how did you take the same hand and enact words that war against the very Word on which you swore your oath. And you uttered the words ‘so help me God.’ But on the day the order of God was struck down, you issued the order to illumine the White House in the colors of the rainbow to celebrate that striking down.” He continued, “Mr. President, by what authority did you take the sacred colors of God’s covenant, the colors of his throne and the colors of his mercy in the face of judgment, and turn them against the purposes of God. Does a president have the power to veto the ordinance of the living God?” See Cahn at the Day of Prayer: Watch Jonathan Cahn at the 2016 Washington: A Man of Prayer event: “Follow Baal and go to hell!” thundered Cahn just a year ago at the “Man of Prayer.” The speech became an Internet sensation, with more than 11 million people viewing it on just one of the social media sites where it was posted. Millions more saw it elsewhere. As demonstrate by the Supreme Court’s decision, Cahn’s warning was not heeded. Here’s where to get “The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment,” “The Harbinger,” “The Mystery of the Shemitah,” all by Jonathan Cahn, as well as all of his Bible teachings Last year, Cahn warned that America was exchanging “our light for darkness” by rebelling against God and was, therefore, inviting divine judgment. “If a nation’s high court should pass judgment on the Almighty, should you then be surprised God will pass judgment on the court and that nation? We are doing that which Israel did on the altars of Baal,” he said then. See his oration at Man of Prayer from 2015: Travel to the Holy Land with Rabbi Cahn this year! To book your tour or for more information, use the special website or call Coral Tours at 1-866-267-2511
2016-05-15 01:23 Bob Unruh www.wnd.com
58 North Korea detains Russian yacht A Russian yacht has been detained by North Korean coastguards in the Sea of Japan, Russia's foreign ministry says. Reports say the sailboat with five crew on board was intercepted as it was returning to Russia after participating in a competition in South Korea. Russian diplomats have demanded the crew's immediate release and an explanation. Russia is one of the few countries that has relatively friendly ties with North Korea. The yacht Elfin was on its way from South Korea's port city of Busan to Vladivostok in Russia's far east when it was detained 130km (80 miles) off the coast on Friday, the foreign ministry said. The vessel was taken into the North Korean port of Kimchaek and the crew were not in any danger, the ministry added. The Russian consul-general was waiting for permission to visit them, it said. Russia shares a short land border with North Korea.
2016-05-15 04:01 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
59 Greens would demand asylum seeker policy change under any deal with Labor Improving the treatment of people seeking asylum in Australia would be a key policy demand of the Greens if Labor relied on the party to form minority government, Richard Di Natale has said. Speaking on Sky on Sunday Di Natale rejected Labor’s claims it would not make a deal or agreement to form minority government with the Greens as unrealistic and “a lot of tough talk in the lead-up to the election”. “When faced with the prospect of governing, wiser heads will prevail and it makes more sense to enter into a responsible power-sharing arrangement with the Greens,” he said. When asked about the Greens’ policy priorities, Di Natale listed many including strong action on global warming, fighting inequality and a national anti-corruption watchdog. One of the priorities was “a more decent and compassionate treatment of those people legitimately seeking asylum”. Di Natale rejected the view that refugee policy was a binary of “stop the boats” or “open the floodgates” as a nonsense. Asked more directly about what policy concessions the Greens would seek from Labor, Di Natale cited stronger action on global warming and more humane refugee policy. “Labor wants to take $1bn out of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency,” he said. “They don’t want to do anything about those massive fossil fuel subsidies. That’s not a climate policy. “They’ve got a veneer of increasing the renewable energy target, nowhere near where it needs to be ... So the Labor party policy is a significant improvement on the Coalition’s policy... [but] the Labor party policy falls well short. “Don’t for a moment think we can’t get an improvement to refugee policy. There is a way through this. One of the things I commit to doing if there is the potential for power-sharing or a multiparty government is to improve what we’re doing to people seeking refuge and asylum in this country.” In July the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, won a major policy battle getting support from Labor national conference for a policy of towing back boats of asylum seekers and offshore detention. But, since the election was called on 8 May, Shorten has been forced to answer questions about numerous candidates who supported the Let Them Stay movement, which aimed to prevent 267 asylum seekers being returned to offshore detention . Labor supports regional processing but doesn’t want it to degenerate into indefinite detention. On Saturday, Shorten said: “I don’t understand why the government hasn’t tried harder with nations in our region ... I promise that we will make sure that we process these people and get them into nations in our region but we will not reopen the seaways.” It comes as Liberal candidate for Mackellar, Jason Falinski, repudiated a view he expressed in 2001 that asylum seekers who come by boat should be welcomed rather than shunned. According to the Fairfax report, Falinski said: “The Coalition committed to stopping the boats and that’s exactly what has been done through a strong border protection policy, which I wholeheartedly support.” Di Natale said Labor was wary of forming government with the Greens because it mistakenly believed the 2010 deal between Julia Gillard and the Greens had harmed Labor. In fact, it was “the chaos turmoil and internal division of the Rudd-Gillard governments” that ended what he said was a “very effective period of government”. He said he simply “did not buy” Labor’s talk it would not do a deal with the Greens, citing the former leader Bob Brown’s assessment that “these parties exist to attain power – the idea that they would walk away is not real world politics”. Di Natale said Labor would need to a deal with the Greens to form “responsible, stable government” because otherwise it would worry about “every piece of legislation on floor of parliament where you don’t know the outcome of that vote”. He also rejected the prospect Labor would prefer a return to the polls, a threat suggested by the Greens treasury spokesman, Adam Bandt , to force Labor to the negotiating table. “I think Australians want another election like they want a hole in the head,” Di Natale said. He effectively ruled out forming government with the Coalition, noting it would take a “Damascus road conversion” by the Coalition on refugees and global warming.
2016-05-15 01:19 Paul Karp www.theguardian.com
60 David Miliband wants work rights for refugees "Hellish," he tells me. And I am struck by the force of his language. This is the former British foreign secretary speaking - a man used to couching his language diplomatically when he talks of foreign lands. But this time, David Miliband, now president of the International Rescue Committee, doesn't even try to hide it. He is talking about a place in Kenya, with a population of approximately 330,000 - roughly the size of Leicester. But this is no triumphant city, it is a transit camp. And as Mr Miliband describes it, it is getting on for the worst place on earth. Dadaab was set up in 1992 to deal with a temporary crisis - an influx of refugees fleeing war- torn Somalia. That was nearly 25 years ago, but there are now three generations living in this sprawling site. All they pray for is that their children will get out of it. This, clearly, was never the idea. I ask him if it's a sign the humanitarian system has failed and he admits it's time for a new deal - one not for the faint-hearted. "The new deal, the new bargain is that a small number of people - probably up to 10% of the most vulnerable refugees - are relocated to the West," he tells me. "But then the large majority of people, the only real hope for them is to become productive residents of the countries that they've fled to. " UNHCR: Dadaab His new deal - in other words - is that we allow them to work. We give those that flock to our countries residency and we end the whole concept of the refugee camp. It is radical, and politically fraught - it is a huge ask. He agrees: "That's a massive call on the countries concerned, but if we can ensure they get international financial support and build up their economies then it becomes a chance to avoid situations like Dadaab. " Would any state would open their doors to a steady influx of people knowing they could all settle and work? I ask the President of the World Bank, Jim Kim, if it is really workable. "We're doing this now in Jordan but there's no question there are resentments," he says. "In Lebanon what we are hearing from local communities was that Syrian refugees were getting these food carts ... and there were hungry Lebanese right next to them who were getting nothing. "So we replicated the food programme for Lebanese residents. If you can resolve some of these issues of resentment, then I think it can be a good solution. " "If". A lot hinges on whether that resentment could ever be resolved. But you don't look for solutions that are so controversial unless the situation is desperate and that is the point here. When I heard David Miliband talk of "a new deal" I assumed he was talking in hyperbole. The New Deal, as any fan of American history will tell you, was President Roosevelt's way of rescuing an entire country on its knees after the Great Depression of the 1930s. Make no mistake, this problem is no less great in magnitude. There are currently 60 million displaced persons around the world. The average time someone remains a refugee is 17 - not weeks, not months but years. A total of 80% of refugees have remained without any economic status for over a decade. That is a huge number of wasted lives and a huge drain on a host country's economy and its taxpayers' money around the world. No-one is pretending there are easy - or even particularly palatable - solutions to what is possibly the biggest problem of our time. But the World Humanitarian Summit kicks off in Istanbul later this month. Expect to hear more of this kind of radical thinking.
2016-05-15 04:02 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
61 India's dying mother Can the sacred but toxic River Ganges be cleaned up? Justin Rowlatt travelled its length, from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, to see if it's possible to save the revered mother of Hinduism. TAP HERE to see what he found. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.
2016-05-15 04:02 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
62 Rosharon man gets life in prison for 2004 murder A Rosharon man was sentenced Friday to life in prison for his role in a 2004 murder that was solved 11 years later. Vith "Chino" Loch, 45, also must pay a $10,000 fine for the shooting death of then 28-year-old Soeuth "Mario" Nay. Harris County sheriff's deputies said the two men were seen arguing at an apartment complex in the 7300 block of Kingsway in southeast Houston. Later, they left together in Loch's truck and Nay was never seen alive again. A decomposing body was later found dumped in a bayou behind a salvage yard along the 1000 block of Northville, about 20 miles from the apartment building. Nay had been shot in the head. Loch was interviewed soon afterward, but there wasn't enough information at the time to link him to the crime. The case went cold after the leads were exhausted, sheriff's officials said. Deputies with the sheriff's cold case unit reopened the investigation in November 2014. They tracked down additional witnesses and found new details in the case, authorities said. Loch was charged with murder in March 2015. He was later arrested and eventually confessed to his role in the slaying, officials said.
2016-05-14 19:10 By Mike www.chron.com
63 EU referendum: Remain and Leave intensify push for votes The EU referendum campaign is moving up a gear this weekend as campaigners from both sides of the debate take to the streets to try to win over voters. PM David Cameron warned that leaving the EU would have a "devastating impact" on infrastructure projects. Billions in funding would be lost, he said in a speech in his constituency. Vote Leave's Boris Johnson, in Bristol, said the UK should leave because the EU has changed "out of all recognition from what we signed up for". Grassroots Out, which is also calling for the UK to leave the EU, is holding a series of nationwide events on Saturday, while the official Britain Stronger In Europe campaign said it was putting on about 1,000 events across the UK. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn encouraged his supporters at a rally in London to vote Remain, saying it was "not the European Union that's the problem - it's the Conservative government". The referendum takes place on 23 June, when voters in the UK will be asked whether they want the country to stay in or to leave the European Union. With less than six weeks to go until the vote, and with the polls putting Remain and Leave at roughly 50-50, both sides have all to play for. Campaigning in his Oxfordshire constituency, Mr Cameron said: "Vital projects across every region of the UK have been financed by the EIB [European Investment Bank]. "Not only would leaving the EU see us wave goodbye to this crucial funding - but, with a smaller economy hit by new trading barriers and job losses, it's unlikely we'd be able to find that money from alternative sources. " Mr Cameron said projects that had benefited from such funding included new trains for the East Coast Main Line, the M8 motorway extension between Edinburgh and Glasgow and the expansion of research and teaching facilities at Oxford University. The prime minister also unveiled a poster, which depicted an envelope on a doormat with wording saying an EU exit would cost the equivalent of "£4,300 for every household". The designated out campaign, Vote Leave, has accused Mr Cameron of "failing to be honest" with voters, saying the cost of staying in is "£4,600" per household, as membership costs "£50m" a day. "David Cameron knows that not a single British family would lose that amount of money if we Vote Leave. In fact they would prosper as we spend our money on our priorities," said Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott. In his speech, Mr Johnson said the UK's "aborted" negotiations with the EU showed it was "going in completely the wrong direction". "All our attempts at reform are hopeless unless we vote to leave," he added. "To those who say we can't do it, we can't survive on our own, I say 'yes we can' because we are the fifth biggest economy in the world. "This chance will not come again. This is the moment when we all have one equal vote, when everyone in this country can speak truth to power. And that truth is that we are better, braver, stronger and greater than those on the Remain side are currently saying that we are. " At a rally in London, Mr Corbyn - regarded as his party's most Eurosceptic leader in a generation - attacked the Conservative government as he sought to rally support for a Remain vote on 23 June. The Labour leader - who has been encouraged by some in the party to take a more prominent role in the campaign - said: "There is so much more the European Union could be doing if we had a government making the right choices and with the right priorities. "That is why we are voting to remain and reform, to work within Europe to improve people's lives here in Britain - the Tories are doing the opposite. " The cross-party Grassroots Out group - which lost to Vote Leave in its bid for the official campaign designation - held a series of events including a rally in Chester addressed by former Conservative cabinet minister Owen Paterson and UKIP migration spokesman Steven Woolfe. Mr Paterson said a vote to leave on 23 June would be the "safer choice". "If we vote to remain, we will be consigning ourselves to being a colony of an EU super state, with more integration and increasingly diminished British influence," he said. Lib Dem leader Tim Farron and Green MP Caroline Lucas were among the politicians taking part in the pro-Remain events. BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said Mr Cameron "seems to have more in common with them than with people in his own party". Our correspondent said internal Tory divisions over the EU were "becoming increasingly bitter" and party unity would be "a challenge, win or lose" after the referendum. Meanwhile, left-wing filmmaker Ken Loach has become the latest figure from the arts to express a view on the referendum, saying: "The EU, as it stands, is a neo-liberal project. How do we fight it best, within or without? "On balance, I think we fight it better within and we make alliances with other European left movements. But it's a dangerous, dangerous moment. "
2016-05-15 04:02 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
64 20 people you can bet on to be Donald Trump's vice president Donald Trump says there’s a 40 percent chance he picks someone from this year’s Republican presidential field as his vice president. But the odds-on favorite to win the veepstakes: Newt Gingrich. The former speaker of the house was a perpetual thorn in the side of the Bill Clinton administration. And he sounds like he’s relishing a shot at Hillary Clinton. Gingrich has lavished praise on Trump. The business mogul has not said much about the man named Newt. But oddsmakers and betting markets like Gingrinch’s chances nonetheless. SEE THIS: At home with Donald and Melania Trump In this unpredictable election season, bookies have some other strange options in mind for Trump. On betting site PaddyPower , you can place money on Mitt Romney (66/1), Lindsey Graham (80/1) and even Trump’s daughter (50/1) as of May 13. The site even lets you bet on Donald Trump (100/1) to be the GOP vice president in some kind of convention switcheroo. Some of the candidates with decent odds seem strange as well. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio (each 16/1) have better odds than more logical choices like elected offiials Joni Ernst, U. S. senator from Iowa, and Mary Fallin, governor of Oklahoma (each 20/1). And John Kasich has 9/2 odds (second to Gingrich) despite saying last month there’s “no way” he’d be Trump’s veep. HUH?: Donald Trump denies as he posed as his own spokesman The Democrats have some intriguing potential vice presidential candidates to bet on, too. Former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro (5/2) is the favorite despite saying being Clinton’s vice president is “not going to happen.” Tim Kaine (5/1), the junior senator from Virginia, and current Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (7/1) are behind Castro. But stranger options can be found down the line, suh as Joe Biden (16/1), Bernie Sanders (16/1), Bill Clinton (66/1) and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour (150/1) See 20 people you can bet on to be Trump's vice president in the gallery above.
2016-05-14 22:03 www.chron.com
65 Student unions split on leaving NUS in row over president Students at Exeter University have voted to stay in the National Union of Students after those at Newcastle and Lincoln voted to leave this week. Similar votes are taking place amid concerns of anti-Semitism after Malia Bouattia's election as president. Oxford and Cambridge are among others planning disaffiliation votes. Ms Bouattia has been accused of making anti- Semitic remarks, which she says were part of a political argument rather than one of religion. Surrey University Student Union has also voted to remain affiliated. At Exeter 5,334 students voted - just under 31% of those eligible and a high turnout for a student vote. Of these: Exeter's Students Guild president, Laura-Jane Tiley, who led the Stay Campaign said she believed Exeter students were best served by being part of the NUS. "It is great that we have been able to convince a majority of students voting that this is the case," she said. "Like the Leave campaign we do believe that the NUS needs to change, but that the best way of doing this is to remain a part of the organisation. " But the #Exiter campaign to disaffiliate complained that the referendum had "turned into an absolute farce" because of an over-pushy remain campaign, repeated visits from national officers including Ms Bouattia and dirty tricks. The national NUS had pumped "all its resources" into the Exeter vote, said an #Exiter spokesman. "We do not feel there was parity between both sides and on that grounds, we take the result with a pinch of salt. We will be asking for another referendum in 2016-17 with clearly defined regulations and enforcement of them," he added. Dominic Fearon, president of Newcastle University Student's Union, said Newcastle students' fears predated the election of Ms Bouattia. "It is clear that our students feel that the NUS no longer represents their views, does not prioritise correctly and is not effective at achieving change". He added: "The current discontent amongst students nationally can be measured in the number of student unions considering holding referenda on their membership. "We hope that the NUS will acknowledge their shortcomings and will work to become the national union that students deserve and can identify with. " Hayley Jayne Wilkinson, University of Lincoln Students' Union president, said: "For some time we have felt that the focus of debate within the NUS has been far removed from the issues that our students tell us are important to them every day on campus. " Ms Bouattia, 28, is the first black Muslim to hold the post of NUS president. She arrived in the UK aged seven and in her election speech, she said her family had been forced to flee their home in Algeria after "terrorists rained gunfire" on her school. She attended the University of Birmingham from 2006 to 2014 and has held the post of NUS Black Students Officer since 2014. Ms Bouattia's campaigns have included Why Is My Curriculum White? and she has opposed the government's Prevent counter-extremism strategy. In 2011, she co-wrote a blog for a Friends of Palestine campaign group saying that "the University of Birmingham is something of a Zionist outpost in British Higher Education". In 2014 she made comments about what she said were "mainstream Zionist-led media outlets". She has since said she is "extremely uncomfortable with insinuations of anti-Semitism", adding: "For me to take issue with Zionist politics is not me taking issue with being Jewish. " She has also been accused of not supporting a motion condemning so-called Islamic State. But the NUS says this was because she disputed the wording of the motion and not the principle. Other student unions planning disaffiliation votes include Warwick, Hull, Cambridge, Worcester, Loughborough, Oxford, and York.
2016-05-15 04:02 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
66 Early-morning DWI chase leads to fatal crash A suspected drunk driver fleeing police in north Houston killed a teenager and injured her prom date after running a red light Saturday morning, authorities said. A member of HPD's DWI Task Force spotted a man in a white pickup truck driving erratically around 1 a.m. Saturday, HPD spokesman Kese Smith said. They attempted to pull him over, but after initially stopping, he sped off. He made a U-turn, hopped a curb and barreled through the parking lot of a Fiesta grocery store, Smith said. The driver then turned onto the North Freeway service road, heading north. At Tidwell, the chase came to an abrupt end when the pickup driver ran a red light and slammed into a Dodge Charger. "The occupants of the Charger - a female occupant, was pronounced dead at the scene," Smith said. The vehicle's driver was taken to the hospital in serious condition. Jocelynn Valero, 18, and the 18-year-old driver were students at Yes Prep North Central high school. They had attended prom and then stopped at an IHOP. "Our entire community is mourning the heartbreaking loss of one of our bright shining stars and praying for the recovery of another student critically injured in the same incident. We hope that the person responsible for the reckless behavior that prematurely ended a precious life and endangered another will be held accountable through our justice system and we will support the investigation in every way possible," YES Prep leaders said in a statement. The crash turned the Charger into a mess of mangled metal and forced authorities to shut down the intersection for hours as they investigated the crash and cleaned up debris. The pickup's driver, meanwhile, received minor injuries, and was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Smith said he showed signs of intoxication. He has been identified as 27-year-old Edin Palacios-Rodas. Smith said he will likely face felony murder charges. "That's obviously one aspect of the investigation," he said. Jocelynn's death came just weeks after her brother, Jose Valero, was fatally shot outside a night club on the northwest side. The suspect is still believed to be at large. Saturday afternoon, some family members changed their Facebook profile pictures to one of Jocelynn in a purple gown with a tiara, standing alongside her brother Jose in a grey suit with a matching purple shirt and tie, perhaps from her quinceañera. A cousin of the family said the two tragic events so close together left the family distraught. The incident came just hours after a the death of 61-year-old man, the day after he was struck by another man fleeing police in a separate incident in southeast Houston. Fauzeya Rahman and Matt Dempsey contributed.
2016-05-15 04:06 By St www.chron.com
67 UGA Graduation at Sanford Stadium included Idol's Ryan Seacrest 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. 2016-05-15 04:03 www.ajc.com
68 Loretta Lynch: North Carolina on Her Mind | The American Spectator The same Obama administration that insists on giving billions to Pakistan after the country harbored the architect of 9/11 seeks to defund North Carolina after its government excluded males from its ladies’ rooms. Some evils demand immediate, unforgiving eradication, and not allowing the sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania, to use the stall next to your pre-teen daughter ranks as just such an offense. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, in comparing North Carolina’s law codifying common sense to Jim Crow, noted of her lawsuit against the Tar Heel State that “we retain the option of curtailing federal funding to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the University of North Carolina as this case proceeds.” If only Donald Trump couched his plan to reduce foreign aid in the context of recipient nations promoting restroom apartheid, then he might win plaudits instead of jeers. That itty, bitty change, like Vanilla Ice altering the ding-ding-ding-diggy-ding-ding base line of “Under Pressure” to the ding-ding-ding-diggy-ding-ding-cha of “Ice Ice Baby,” makes all the difference — between xenophobic and enlightened in this case. The 14-page lawsuit filed by the feds quotes a half-dozen North Carolina officials to advance its claims of discrimination but, conspicuously, refrains from quoting from a single federal law buttressing the novel notion that Congress ever passed any statute giving males the right to use women’s public restrooms. Lynch asserts this as settled law without citing a single law. Sometimes saying so little says so much. Bizarrely, the attorney general cites the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in demanding that states permit males in their ladies’ room. This makes about as much sense as screaming “civil rights” in an effort to take away arguably the most basic civil right, the right to vote. The elected state senators of North Carolina unanimously passed the bill in the upper chamber and 11 Democrats joined with a united Republican Party in the house to support it. No collection of federal legislators gave even a simple majority to any bill dictating (unconstitutionally) that states open the restroom doors based on gender identity rather than biological sex. But since pretend opts as the order of the day, Lynch demands we identify the Civil Rights Act of 1964, VAWA, and other federal laws in a manner at odds with reality. The same political leaders who believe people capable of transitioning into the opposite sex imagine that laws can morph into distinctly different entities, too (and without any legislative surgery required). And since when does the attorney general’s whim dictate the spending policies of the federal government? Even if a state law conflicted with a real federal law on this question, the Constitution remains silent on public bathrooms. The Ninth Amendment loudly addresses such conflicts: “The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” As if to maintain a safeguard against skimmers missing the point, the Framers almost redundantly added a Tenth Amendment, too: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The sensible North Carolina law does not dictate to private businesses that they must ban transgenders from using the bathroom of the sex they imitate. It pertains solely to bathrooms on state government property. Bank of America, Lowe’s, BB&T, and other businesses based in North Carolina remain free to set their own bathroom policies. The modest goal of the law pertains to North Carolina retaining the power to set the policies for the restrooms it funds. The expansive position of the feds seeks a one-size-fits-all solution on the question. Beyond this, Lynch demands North Carolina discriminate in favor of transgenders. “North Carolina does not treat transgender employees differently from non-transgender employees,” the state points out in its suit against the feds. “All state employees are required to use the bathroom and changing facilities assigned to persons of their same biological sex, regardless of gender identity, or transgendered status.” Ironically, in the same week that Lynch lamented the supposed conservative war on science, floating the idea of investigating global-warming “deniers,” she denied basic biology by characterizing “sex” as a social construct and “gender identity” as real. “External genitalia are, therefore, but one component of sex,” the Justice Department’s lawsuit against North Carolina strangely claims, “and not always determinative of a person’s sex.” Sure, and the 31-year-old man who identifies as 12 denied entry to the sixth-grade dance experienced bigotry of the worst sort. Every day, Loretta Lynch’s Justice Department discriminates by seeking to send defendants to sex-segregated prisons. The Violence Against Women Act she cites imposes stiffer penalties against malefactors who victimize women and provides additional funding to pursue prosecution of such crimes. Even the restrooms in the Robert F. Kennedy Justice Building corral men into one restroom and women into another one. Calling all this discrimination risks giving discrimination a good name.
2016-05-15 04:05 Daniel J spectator.org
69 13 ideas that Houston should steal from other cities The fourth largest city in the U. S. has much to adore. From some of the best restaurants on the planet to world-class museums, performing arts centers and houses of worship (including the one- of-a-kind- Rothko Chapel). Even the lack of zoning laws in a major urban center keep the Bayou City unique. SEE THIS: Beautiful temples, shrines and other houses of worship you can visit in Houston Still, Houston can’t have it all. For new Houstonians or anyone who’s traveled outside the rambling city, it’s not hard to think of concepts we miss from other parts of the world. The top thing we’re missing out on has to be walkable spaces. While Midtown and a few other neighborhoods have made forays in that direction, there are still far too many subdivisions without sidewalks. Perhaps a European-style pedestrian walkway isn’t feasible in this car-reliant city. Still, we can dream. Some city officials have dreams of a Japanese-inspired bullet train ushering passengers between the Lone Star State’s major cities. READ MORE: Houston really wants a bullet train to come through downtown What about something simpler like a great slice of pizza? (And we mean “great.” Something beyond greasy drunk food. A few pizzerias here live up to that standard, but not enough). Any sports fans would give their right pinky toe for a competent quarterback. (Would you have traded yours for Brock Osweiler?). Or maybe forget football altogether. Wouldn’t you rather have a Stanley Cup champion hockey team? See 13 things that Houston should steal from other cities in the gallery above.* * Since this is just a thought experiment, there's nothing too overtly political on the list (of course we acknowledge there's a political cost with any addition or subtraction to the city).
2016-05-14 22:18 Matt Levin www.chron.com
70 Kendall Dye shoots 7-under 65 to take Symetra Classic lead CHARLOTTE, N. C. (AP) — Kendall Dye birdied the last three holes Saturday for a tournament- record 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead in the Symetra Classic. Dye had nine birdies and two bogeys, one-putted the final five greens and finished with 24 putts. She had a 10-under 134 total at Raintree Country Club. "It was all about my putter," Dye said. "Normally, I find fairways and greens, but today it was hard work and I had to get up-and-down. Once I got a putter in my hand, I was making it or getting real close. It was nice to see them go in. " The 29-year-old former University of Oklahoma player changed her putting grip this week for the first time in more than 20 years. "I was tired of insanity, doing the same thing over and over and not seeing the ball go in, so I switched it up because it couldn't have got any worse," said Dye, who googled videos of Jordan Spieth. "I knew this course set up to my eye, it is a course similar to the one I grew up playing in Oklahoma City and you have to move the ball both ways and I love that. " She won on the Symetra Tour in 2014 and spent last season on the LPGA Tour. She opened the Symetra Tour season with a 10th-place tie, missed two cuts and tied for 23rd and 25th in the last two events. "I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn," Dye said. "A good finish on Sunday would just show me that I've been working on the right things and that I've been working hard. My big goal is to get my full card again. I know that I can compete out there (LPGA) and win out there. I just need to keep my head down and get after it. " Canada's Augusta James was second after a 67. She eagled the par-4 11th and birdied three of her last four, making a 30-footer on her final hole. Erica Popson was third at 6 under after a 69. Allie Knight (69), Veronica Felibert (69), Emma de Groot (71) and Mindy Kim (71) were 5 under. First-round leader Isi Gabsa had a 75 to drop into a tie for 20th at 2 under.
2016-05-15 01:12 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk
71 Three shot dead near beach in Mexican resort of Acapulco Three men have been shot dead in a popular tourist district in the Mexican resort city of Acapulco, authorities confirmed. Two 21-year-olds and a 27-year-old were killed on a street just off the beach, the Guerrero state prosecutor's office said. No further details were immediately available on the victims, and there was no word on a possible motive. Acapulco city and Guerrero state in general have experienced a wave of violence attributed to warring drug gangs. Authorities say at least two rival groups are fighting for control in Acapulco, which for decades was famed as a favourite beach destination for Hollywood stars and other tourists. The US government recently banned its employees from travelling there due to the violence.
2016-05-15 01:11 www.independent.ie
72 How Tajikistan's President Emomali Rakhmon consolidated his power On 22 May, the people of Tajikistan will vote in a popular referendum on constitutional amendments that could effectively make leader Emomali Rakhmon president for life. The bill removes the presidential term limit for "the leader of the nation", the title given to Mr Rakhmon. He is currently serving his fourth term - and has used previous constitutional changes to get around the two-term limit. His current term, which is supposed to be the last one, will end in 2020. But if the suggested amendments are adopted, he will be able to serve as many terms as he wishes. And Mr Rakhmon normally has no difficulty in getting re-elected, although according to international observers, most elections in Tajikistan haven't met democratic standards. Emomali Rakhmon has been in power since 1992, and has managed to increase his power by cracking down on political dissent and freedom of expression. Mr Rakhmon has substantial public support - and his rather serious face can be seen on posters across Tajikistan. People sing his praises and dedicate poems to him. And huge crowds turn up to presidential rallies - although attendance is obligatory for state employees. Mr Rakhmon's supporters are grateful the civil war of the 1990s is over - but life is not easy for most Tajiks. Tajikistan is the poorest country among post-Soviet states, with more than a third of its population living below the poverty line. Many Tajiks are forced to go to countries like Russia to find work, and their remittances make up half of the country's GDP. In contrast, the president's family members and close relatives are some of the richest people in the country, running major businesses and holding top government jobs. Mr Rakhmon's daughter Ozoda was recently appointed as the head of the presidential administration, while his son Rustam Emomali is the director of the anti-corruption agency. Many believe Rustam is being groomed to become his father's successor - and this view appears to be supported by the upcoming referendum. One of the suggested changes proposes lowering the age limit for presidential candidates from 35 to 30. This means that Rustam Emomali, who is 29, will be able to run for presidency in the next elections in 2020 should it be necessary. The constitutional amendments have been backed by the government and the courts. Umed Davlatzod, deputy minister of economy, said the changes would "provide guarantees in protecting human rights and freedoms, and attract the youth into the political life". The constitutional court, meanwhile, has ruled that the proposed amendments "will strengthen the constitutional regime" and "reflect the democratic development" of Tajik society. However, critics say the proposals reflect cementing authoritarianism rather than democratic development. Muhiddin Kabiri, a self-exiled leader of the main opposition Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP), told the BBC that the referendum is against democratic principles since it will ensure that power remains in one hand. "The elite want to secure their rule for good," he said. He claims his party was shut down last year because they were the only group that "could prevent one-man or one-family rule". The constitutional amendments put to the referendum propose to ban any parties based on religion, making the Islamic Renaissance Party illegal. That would end a peace deal agreed back in 1997. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, a civil war broke out in Tajikistan as different groups started competing for power. To end the bloodshed, the United Tajik Opposition (UTO), an alliance of political parties and local strongmen in which the IRP played a key role, signed a peace agreement with President Rakhmon. According to this agreement, the IRP and other opposition groups became legal and Mr Rakhmon had to share power with them. The opposition was supposed to have a third of all cabinet seats. But over time, UTO members were pushed out of the government. Key opposition figures fled the country, fearing persecution - but also faced threats abroad. Politician Mahmadruzi Iskandarov, who was in Russia, was brought to Tajikistan against his will in 2005 and jailed for terrorism. Another activist, Umarali Quvatov, was killed by an unidentified gunman in Turkey in 2015. Those who have tried to challenge the president from within Tajikistan have also faced difficulties. Zayd Saidov, a former minister of industry and one of the richest men in Tajikistan, was arrested in 2013 shortly after he announced his plans to start a new opposition party. And human rights activist Oynikhol Bobonazarova, who was nominated by the opposition as a presidential candidate during the 2013 elections, and who clearly posed little threat to the incumbent, says she was forced out of the race, Ms Bobonazarova failed to get enough signatures to enrol as a candidate - which she blamed on the police harassing her supporters and campaign activists. So, is Mr Rakhmon likely to become a de factor president for life, until he decides to hand power to his son? Tajikistan is officially a democracy, and the changes still need to be accepted on a referendum. But in Tajikistan elections and referendums rarely deliver surprise results, so few observers doubt that the popular vote will be overwhelmingly in favour of the proposed changes.
2016-05-15 04:02 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
73 Mastodon meal scraps revise US prehistory Stone tools and bones from a butchered mastodon, found at the bottom of a river in Florida, are shaking up the known history of humans in the region. A four-year investigation of the site has firmly concluded that humans lived there and, in particular, made a meal of a mastodon 14,550 years ago. This is more than a millennium earlier than humans were thought to have settled the south- eastern US. The findings are reported in the open access journal Science Advances . They reinforce the idea that humans settled the Americas well before the Clovis people arrived about 13,000 years ago. For many years, the Clovis were thought to have been "the first Americans". In fact, the mastodon tusk that is the centrepiece of the Florida haul, complete with apparent cut marks and accompanying tools, was first found and dated in the 1980s - but the discovery gained little traction. "[It] was an impossible date for the scientific community to accept at the time, because it was well accepted that the Americas were colonised by the Clovis people, who arrived on the continent over the Bering land bridge no longer than 13,500 years ago at the oldest," said Jessi Halligan, lead author of the new study and assistant professor of anthropology at Florida State University. That view, however, has gradually been revised as more and more evidence accumulates that humans arrived thousands of years earlier - perhaps as early as 16,000 years ago, when the last ice age was only beginning to thaw. But that evidence is sparsely scattered across the continent, and the new study provides the first comprehensive claim for such a presence in the south-east of the US. The researchers re-examined the original mastodon tusk in detail, as well as collecting a wealth of further evidence from the same murky sinkhole 10m under the waters of the Aucilla River. That additional haul included many more tools, animal bones, and dung samples whose chewed-up vegetable matter allowed for conclusive, accurate carbon dating. Before the river and sediments were laid down, this area appears to have contained a water hole where both animals and humans gathered. The mastadon was either hunted or scavenged, and butchered using tools like the small stone knives - called "bifaces" in archaeology - which were found at the scene. "These excavations were successful beyond our dreams," Dr Halligan told journalists in a teleconference. One of her co-authors, Prof Michael Waters from Texas A&M University, has been involved in the debate about human settlement of the Americas for many years. "The site is a slam-dunk pre-Clovis site with unequivocal artefacts, clear stratigraphy and thorough dating," he said. "The stone tools and faunal remains at the site show that at 14,550 years ago, people knew how to find game, fresh water and material for making tools. These people were well-adapted to this environment. " Follow Jonathan on Twitter
2016-05-15 04:02 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
74 Two-out triple in fifth by Champ Artigues pushes Aquinas past St. Charles for 2A title SULPHUR – It was obvious Saturday the Louisiana High School Athletic Association got the seeds right in Class 2A, as the teams battling for the state championship were so very evenly matched. It also was obvious why St. Thomas Aquinas was the top seed, as their brand of small ball and great pitching was just a bit better than their second-seeded counterpart. Champ Artigues hit a two-run triple in the fifth to break open a tight game, and Alex Egan pitched a complete game in the Falcons 3-1 win over St. Charles at McMurry Park. The victory was extra special for Coach Barrett Morgan, who was able to lead his alma mater to their first state baseball title in school history in just his second season at the helm. He wasn’t able to choke back the tears for very long. “It’s a dream come true. It’s all I ever wanted,” he said as he paused to collect himself. “Especially here at St. Thomas, because we’ve just never had the right group or the right culture. … It wasn’t just about teaching baseball; it was changing the culture. “Some people call us the country club because we have money and we don’t play hard and tough. It’s not that any more.” They needed to be hard and tough Saturday, especially after the top of the third when it looked like the Comets (29-10) might be the ones to break the game open. Nick Scioneaux led off with a single, and pinch-runner Justin DuBose advanced to second on an error. Two batters later, Lloyd Nash drove home DuBose and advanced to second on a throw home and to third on a bunt single by Dane Authement to put runners on the corners with one out. But Nash was thrown out at home after a grounder back to Egan for the second out, and Justin Ory popped out to second to end the inning. In the bottom half, the Kyle King singled with one out and scored on an RBI fielder’s choice by Hunter Stanley. That seemed to take a good bit of wind out of the Comets’ sails. “It was more than just one play, give them credit,” St. Charles coach Wayne Stein said. “We had trouble converting our plan from yesterday (a semifinals win over Riverside). Today was supposed to be a different plan, and we could just never turn the page.” In the bottom of the fifth, Aquinas (32-3) seized control for good. With one out, King reached on an error by second baseman Zack Weber, who had trouble fielding a hard-hit grounder. Reed Bolton was then hit by a pitch to set up Artigues’ heroics. He smacked a fastball down the right-field line that just got past Scioneaux at first, and then motored into third while the winning runs crossed the plate. “They were throwing me in all game … and I was just trying to hit the ball hard on the ground,” Artigues said. “I saw the pitch, barreled it up and executed for the team. I woke up this morning feeling good, and we have been preparing ourselves for this all year. “We knew this moment was going to happen for us. We knew it. This is unbelievable. I can’t even explain it. We’re a group of brothers. It’s awesome.” Meanwhile, Egan’s performance was good enough to win him Most Outstanding Player honors. In a complete-game effort, he allowed the one earned run on five hits. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter. “I just tried to command the zone really well, and I did that. But they could have hit it anywhere, and it wouldn’t have mattered. These guys have my back,” he said. “We were everywhere today. … This is more than I could ever ask for. I’m just glad to be a part of the first championship in our school’s history.” For St. Charles, the heartbreak was compounded by the fact this was their sixth trip to the championship game, and they’re yet to break through. They’ve lost three times in the Class 3A title game and now three times in the 2A championship, dating back to 1998. Overall, it has been a tough period of baseball for the New Orleans metro area, in general. This season marks the seventh time in past 15 years no team from the area has won a state title and the fourth time in five seasons it has occurred. “It’s not easy to get here. I told them that I loved them and I am proud of them, and I’m proud of our seniors for getting back here,” said Stein of a team that was making their first appearance in a state title game since three in a row from 2007 to 2009. (PHOTO GALLERY TO COME) 19 FOR 20 Over the past 20 seasons, there have been just 19 state champions in baseball from the New Orleans metro area. And in seven of those seasons, there have been none. 2016: None 2015: John Curtis (3A) 2014: None 2013: None 2012: None 2011: Jesuit (5A) 2010: Northlake Christian (2A) 2009: Northshore (5A), Northlake Christian (1A) 2008: None 2007: Jesuit (5A) 2006: Riverside (2A) 2005: Jesuit (5A) 2004: None 2003: Newman (2A), Country Day (1A) 2002: Jesuit (5A), John Curtis (4A) 2001: None 2000: John Curtis (4A), Newman (2A) 1999: St. Paul’s (4A) 1998: Pope John Paul II (2A) 1997: Rummel (5A), John Curtis (4A), Pope John Paul II (2A) ***************** Jim Derry can be reached at [email protected] or 504.232.9944. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/JimDerryJr . See More Sports News »
2016-05-15 04:04 Julie Boudwin highschoolsports.nola.com
75 Star Wars: Malin Head locals feel the force of legendary film As Obi-Wan Kenobi once said: "Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them. " The Jedi Master's words seem particularly relevant as the debate around Donegal's apparent Millennium Falcon rages on. As cast and crew of Star Wars Episode VIII landed on Malin Head to shoot scenes for the new film, excitement reached fever pitch in the village. "Is it, or isn't it? " was the question on everyone's lips, as a huge structure appeared on a cliff's edge. The entire shoot is top secret, with locals and landowners sworn to keep it that way. The space-age construction - at least 50ft (15m) across and 10ft (3m) high - is balanced precariously on cliffs a mile from Banba's Crown, a headland known for producing dramatic photographs of the Northern Lights. It is shielded by nets, with rescue boats deployed offshore as work intensified in the hours before filming. Access to the beauty spot will be closed over the weekend because of the eagerly awaited arrival of Hollywood actors. To make matters even more intriguing, effective no-fly zones are being implemented by the Irish Aviation Authority over some of the Republic of Ireland's most scenic headlands to facilitate the filming. Word of the arrivals spread fast and, over the past few days, crowds of Star Wars enthusiasts have been arriving for a glimpse of the set. John Joe McGettigan, from Carrigart in County Donegal, has been exploring the set in full Stormtrooper regalia, introducing himself with his rank in the Emerald Garrison of EG 1826. "It's absolutely fantastic to have Star Wars in Donegal, it's not a galaxy far, far away at all," he said. "Everybody has their own way of going mad, this is ours. " Not even the father-of-two's fanatical devotion to the films could get him closer than a mile to the supposed set of Han Solo's spaceship. "The shoot is top secret and I'd say the only way of getting into the set is on the Millennium Falcon itself," he said. Hugh Farren, the owner of Farren's Bar in Malin Head, marked the excitement with a mural of Yoda on the gable wall of the bar. He said there have been carloads of tourists stopping to take pictures of it. "I was going to stock up this morning and a young fella with a lightsabre was talking a photo of himself against it - it's been a real hit. " Hugh said the level of traffic in the village has not been seen since the Northern Lights brought busloads of tourists to the area. "At the moment we've got about 30 lorries going back and forth. "Locals are saying now we should have a one-way system - it's that busy. "If it's true what they're saying, it's looking like they may come back and it's just fantastic. "The thought of stormtroopers shooting at each other around Malin Head is just out of this world. " Hugh and others in the village are hopeful that local authorities will make the most of the potential to draw tourism and investment to the area. "It's a missed opportunity if we don't do something to say this is where Star Wars was filmed. " Hugh's brother Allie Farren, a campaigner for the tourist centre at Malin Head, said the spin-offs will be huge for the remote area. "It will help put Malin Head once again on the map," he said. "This will be bigger than the likes of Game of Thrones like we've seen in the north attracting loads of tourists. "Hopefully this will really benefit the area. "Everybody in this location is tied into the secrecy. "It's been a great talking point - Star Wars is one of the biggest movies of all time and for them to be in Malin Head is top class. " "It's a great occasion to shout from the rooftops how good an this area is," he said. Security is tight in Donegal, with only one country road leading to the location and access for eager fans closely guarded by teams of security. Donegal County Council is overseeing road closures on the Malin Head loop from 08:00 local time each morning until 21:00 at night on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Irish journalist Ciaran Byrne is reporting on the filming for Time Magazine. "Whatever is going on is obviously top-secret, but they've obviously been very taken with Ireland which is great," he said. "Anything associated with Star Wars tends to turn to gold. "It's a phenomenal global success that makes millions, if not billions at the box office, so the fact that it's come here is big news. " The film will shoot in Malin Head before returning to the southern tip, close to where scenes for Star Wars: The Force Awakens were shot on Skellig Michael's monastic hermitage in the Atlantic. Jedi Temple sets have been constructed on a mountain headland, Ceann Sibeal in County Kerry, with the filming expected to take place later this month.
2016-05-14 19:06 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
76 No one helps woman being beaten by man in broad daylight The incident occurred on a Philadelphia street in broad daylight. Although at least one person filmed what was happening, none of the bystanders bothered to intervene or even get help.
2016-05-15 04:10 By Arthur www.digitaljournal.com
77 British and Chinese: Divided by culture? The Queen caused an international stir when she was caught on camera describing a Chinese delegation as "rude". But was she merely echoing a common perception? The good news is that Chinese food remains as popular as ever, with surveys consistently showing the cuisine among the world's favourites. Meanwhile, China now sends more tourists abroad than any other country - their cash making a major contribution to the coffers of those host nations able to pull them in with the offer of beaches, beauty spots and heritage sites. Yet the increasing encounters between Chinese people and the rest of the world also provide more possibilities for cultural misunderstanding and for the perception of rudeness. "Their habit of spitting was the main problem," says Eddie Chan, who runs a Chinese health centre in central London. A long-time resident of the UK, he watched the first wave of Chinese tourists arrive and the reaction they provoked. "Chinese people are also not accustomed to queuing. Their behaviour getting on a bus can certainly seem rude to foreigners. " Jack Cheng believes it is also a matter of attitudes to bodily distance. He settled in the UK 10 years ago, having been raised in the south-eastern Chinese province of Guangdong, and he thinks his country's customs present a particular problem for the British. "To show you're being friendly with someone, you have to get really close in a physical way. But the British don't want to share their personal space with someone else. They find it rude. " No-one knows if the Queen felt her Chinese guests were getting too physically close, prompting her judgement that they were rude. But she might perhaps appreciate Switzerland's approach to this perceived problem. After repeated complaints of rude behaviour by Chinese tourists, one Swiss rail company created special carriages for visitors from Asia - acknowledging that they were really just aimed at the Chinese. A little more understanding is called for by Jieyu Liu, a sociologist at London's School of Oriental and African Studies. She argues that anyone's behaviour is determined by the time and place of their upbringing and that rules of etiquette are never universal. "A lot of Chinese people work in factories, with machines in the background," she says by way of example. "That's why Chinese people speak loudly and can appear rude when they talk loudly in public. " The perception of rudeness also cuts both ways, according to Eddie Chan. Chinese people, he says, often have an image of foreigners from films and the British in particular are imagined as being terribly polite, doffing their hats at passers-by and drinking tea with exquisite care. It comes as a shock when Chinese visitors arrive in the UK to find many conversations peppered with foul language and drivers with road rage shouting at anyone who pauses too long at a traffic light. There are also important differences in conversational habit. Chinese speakers tend to be indirect and subtle in their responses and can feel insulted when a suggestion is met with the simple answer "No". Of course, the increased travel between China and other countries might offer the hope that people will grow accustomed to each other's differences and change their behaviour accordingly so that the perception of rudeness diminishes. Yet seasoned observers of Sino-Western relations have their doubts. "We don't understand where they're coming from," says Rod Wye, a former Foreign Office official who spent 10 years at Britain's embassy in Beijing. Chinese history and more importantly, the way Chinese people perceive their history are just not appreciated sufficiently, he believes. "We will all get more sophisticated as there is more personal interaction. But there will always be misunderstandings and these will be construed as rudeness. "
2016-05-14 22:38 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
78 Lightning strikes kill 50 in Bangladesh More than 50 people across Bangladesh have died after being struck by lightning in the past two days, police say. Many of the dead were farmers who were killed as they worked in their paddy fields. Bangladesh is prone to electrical storms but this year they have been particularly severe. Experts suggest a general rise in temperatures and deforestation may be factors. Other victims included two students in the capital, Dhaka, who were struck as they played football, and a teenage boy who died when he went to collect mangoes. About 90 people have been killed by lightning since March, compared to a total of 51 people in the whole of 2015, Voice of America (VoA) reported . The head of Bangladesh's disaster management body Mohammad Riaz Ahmed told VoA he was "indeed concerned" by the rise in the number of deaths. He said further thunderstorms were predicted for later this month. Strong tropical storms regularly hit Bangladesh ahead of and during the monsoon season, which runs from June to September.
2016-05-14 14:07 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
79 Inside the world's biggest refugee camp Dadaab was meant as a temporary home for Somalis fleeing their country's civil war. Twenty five years later, it's home to 330,000 people - and the third biggest city in Kenya. This week, the Kenyan government announced plans to try and close it down. You can watch This Week's World every Saturday on BBC Two and BBC World News
2016-05-14 22:47 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
80 Opinion on Brexit divided among Britons living abroad June's EU membership referendum will have an impact felt far beyond Britain. Hundreds of thousands of Britons live elsewhere in the European Union, many of them for many years. They range from young economic migrants to those who have retired to a warmer climate. The Press Association spoke to Britons on the Costa Del Sol to see if they backed a yes or no vote to remaining in the EU. :: John Langton, 58, bar owner John Langton would vote to remain in the EU at the referendum if he was allowed to. Those who have lived abroad constantly for 15 years or more are barred from voting. It means that the Newcastle native, who has run Johnnies Bar in Benalmadena, near Torremolinos, for 22 years, cannot take part. Neither can his daughter, who was born and raised in Spain. But his sons, who both went to university in England, are eligible to vote. It is a situation the Geordie engineer-by-training is far from happy with, saying: "A prisoner on remand got a vote, but I was born in England, my father fought for the country and I can't have a vote because I've been outside the country for (more than) 15 years. I've paid all the taxes here but I'm a foreigner here and a foreigner in England. " Mr Langton came to Spain as an economic migrant when times were tough in England. He believes his bar would be OK even if Brexit happens, because he gets a lot of customers from places like Ireland and Denmark that are still in the EU. He said that some other British expats supported Brexit, but added: "I've had three businesses over here and it takes a long time to build it up and you are a foreigner, you have to adjust to this country. But is the divide going to be much bigger, is the Spanish Government going to help Spanish companies, or European companies, much better than they will the English? " He said he plans to vote remain partly because of the disruption an out vote would cause back at home - citing things like commodity prices, border controls and arguments with French air traffic controllers. He added: "I would vote to stay in because I think going backwards and forwards … it's like the United States, it's just another state. England's just another state and if we stick together, have transit, Ryanair flights, Easyjet flights, everything is built up for Spain. "You dial a number to the police if you get your handbag pinched here and you get an English speaker, you get a translator. Is that going to stop and be German or French? People don't realise what they are going in for, I don't think. " :: Gary Walker, 45, property owner Gary Walker is a convert to the No camp and blames Prime Minister David Cameron personally. The London taxi driver owns two apartments on the Costa del Sol. Like his brother Graham and father Joe, with whom he was enjoying some afternoon beers when we met, he makes around a dozen trips a year from his home in North London to the Mediterranean coast. Mr Walker said the "Prime Minister had "let us down" with recent rhetoric about the negative impact of leaving the EU. He said: "I was all ready to vote to stay in the EU, but where Cameron frightens you every single day, or tries to frighten you, now I'm voting out, because I wouldn't trust Cameron. "I don't trust anything that comes out of that man's mouth, I think that everything he does is a lie. "I think he just builds things up to suit his own purpose, every single day there is something to frighten us about staying in. Whereas the people who want us to leave, they are happy to let things flow. But he is trying to frighten us and that's why I'm voting out. " He said he did not have fears about his property in Spain should Britain vote to leave the EU and was also relaxed about the possible effect on business and trade. "If you look in any business throughout the world, anyone that will have a deal will get on and that's the way that I think it will be," he said. "If Britain wants to have a deal, they'll get on, if they don't want a deal then they won't get on. " :: Brian Hayhurst, 75, retired. Former publican Brian Hayhurst said the EU referendum could be "the biggest decision of our lives". Mr Hayhurst, from Huddersfield, said his biggest fear was losing access to the "brilliant" Spanish public medical system if Britain quits the EU. He cited its cheap prescriptions and well-trained doctors and said that having to pay for private medical care would hit him and his wife Elaine, 70. Yet like Mr Langton the grandparents of four are ineligible to vote, having lived near Fuengirola for the last 17 years. "It's the biggest decision of our lives I reckon and for us it could change everything," Mr Hayhurst said. "We may have to go finish up going back, it depends on how the Spanish treat us - depends how the English Government treats us too. " Mr Hayhurst said that political problems in Spain were also an issue. A general election in December left no party in overall control of the country and voters are due to go back to the polls in June. The country is split between several right and left-wing parties and Mr Hayhurst said there was uncertainty over who would take power and what their attitude to Brexit would be. "I'd like to ring (prime minister) Mariano Rajoy up and say 'look I've got a few questions for you, can you answer this one: if we were out, would we have to have a visa? Would the Gibraltar border be closed? Would we be allowed to stay here?' "(They are) big issues, massive issues and it's just unknown. Everybody has some strong views but no one knows. "
2016-05-15 01:08 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
81 Student loan calculator overhauled amid criticism A government loan repayment calculator, used by millions of students, is to be overhauled amid criticism of its sums. The calculator, used to work out university borrowing, was withdrawn a few weeks after a critic said it was operating with flawed assumptions. Female students particularly may have been given an overly optimistic view of earnings potential. The Student Loans Company said a revised calculator was now being built to accurately reflect earnings. The calculator forecasts the repayments graduates would be expected to make after students or would-be students are asked to insert their maintenance and tuition costs, their graduation date, course length and their own estimate of their expected earnings on graduation. Andrew McGettigan, a lecturer and education blogger, outlined his criticisms on 6 April. He identified two flaws in the calculator. The first is that graduate salary projections are based only on average male earnings data. Male graduates tend to earn more than their female counterparts on leaving university, and there are more women graduates than men. The second flaw is that the calculator assumes increments of 4.4% per year in salary in the first years after graduation. The Office for Budget Responsibility, which offers independent assessments to the Treasury, also said in its Economic and Fiscal Outlook report published in March that: "On an annual basis, headline average weekly earnings growth slowed from a recent peak of 3% in September to just 1.9%. " Under this system, many students may have been given an overly optimistic forecast of their earning potential following graduation, possibly leading them to borrow more than they might have done otherwise. The long-standing critic of education policy and the student loan system told BBC Radio 4's Money Box: "The calculators are giving people back very large cash totals, accumulated over 30 years. "It is important to take a step back and question how much you would have to earn to generate cash repayments of that level. " The Students Loans Company - a non-profit, government-owned organisation - had featured the calculator on its website but removed it at the start of May. It said that a revised repayment calculator was "being worked on" that would be based on the OBR projections of average earnings growth. It would also be based on a "more general reflection of earnings", rather than solely on male earnings. It said the calculator was intended as an indication of potential repayments only, and it could not be used as a personal quotation tool. Other calculators on consumer sites do ask for more detailed information, although they too have to make assumptions about likely earnings. You can hear the full story on Money Box on BBC Radio 4 at 12:00 BST on Saturday 14 May, and repeated at 21:00 on Sunday 15 May
2016-05-14 22:07 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
82 Poll reveals concerns among police officers about staffing levels Eighty-four per cent of police officers believe there are not enough of them to meet the demands placed on them, a survey found. Eighty per cent also said they sometimes felt unable to perform tasks because they have too much work to do, while 78% said there were not enough officers in their teams for them to do their jobs. The poll of 16,841 officers was conducted by the Police Federation of England and Wales in conjunction with the University of Nottingham in February this year. It further revealed that 58% of officers felt they did not have enough time to do their job to a standard they were proud of, and only 11% believed there were enough of them in their team to do their job properly. Just 13% said they had the time to engage in proactive policing, with the majority just reacting to incoming jobs. Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said the results were alarming and provided the continued evidence that the past cuts to policing were having a detrimental effect on the bedrock of the service, such as neighbourhood policing. He added: "This is not about us crying wolf; this echoes what we have been saying all along and we must ensure the public do not suffer as a result. "I know officers sign up to this job because they have a sense of duty and they passionately believe in what they do - they want to make a difference and want to support communities and help people. "What they don't want is to have to miss tasks, or not do things because of the sheer volume of work they are having to deal with. " Only 4% of respondents said they always get their rest breaks during work, with 53% saying they "never", or "rarely" did. More than a quarter said they had difficulty trying to book holiday, with 27% saying their annual leave requests were "often" or "always" refused. The results are due to be examined to see the impact demand is having on officers's welfare in light of reduced numbers. Mr White continued: "The information we have around the impact of these high demands on officer welfare is worrying. More and more emergency service personnel are suffering from mental health problems caused by the stresses of work and it is like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. "
2016-05-15 01:07 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
83 How the CIA got Nelson Mandela arrested A former CIA agent has told for the first time how he led South African security forces to Nelson Mandela on the day he was arrested back in 1962. Donald C Rickard, 88, who was officially working as U. S. vice consul in Durban at the time, said he learned that Mandela would be travelling from the city to Johannesburg on August 5. Rickard claims that he gave details of Mandela's route to his contacts in the police force, meaning they were able to set up a roadblock. Mandela's car was stopped en-route and agents recognized him in the back dressed as a chauffeur and took him into custody. Mandela, who ran the armed wing of the ANC and was advocating open rebellion and revolution against South Africa's government, was the most wanted man in the country at the time. After his arrest he was tried and given a life sentence, serving 27 years before he was released. Mandela went on to become president of a newly reformed South Africa and one of the most influential human rights figures in history. However, in an interview with filmmaker John Irvin which was published by The Sunday Times , Rickard said he had no regrets about having Mandela jailed. The agent firmly believed Mandela was in the pocket of Communist Russia and was planning to incite the Indian population in the Natal region, where he was based, to rise up. That, Rickard says, would have paved the way for a Soviet invasion, setting up a conflict between Russia and America that could have seen the region descend into chaos. He said: 'We were teetering on the brink here and it had to be stopped, which meant Mandela had to be stopped. And I put a stop to it.' Rickard, who retired from the CIA in 1978 and spent the rest of his life living in Colorado, passed away just weeks after giving his tell-all account, on March 30. He was born in Rangoon, Burma, in 1928 before being forced to flee with his parents and three brothers in 1942, during the Second World War. The family walked nearly 200 miles from their old home to India, according to The Pagosa Springs Sun, where they settled in Mussoorie for a number of years before moving to San Francisco. After graduating from Bucknell University with a degree in political science, Rickard went on to a job in the U. S. State Department. According to his obituary, Rickard was never officially associated with the CIA, but instead worked as a diplomat in countries including Pakistan, South Africa and South Korea. While rumors have long circulated about the CIA's involvement in Mandela's arrest, nothing has been confirmed until now. A retired South African intelligence official, Gerard Ludi, told Newsweek in 1990 that the CIA had a mole inside the Durban ANC branch that was feeding information to agents. The CIA has refused to comment on the rumors, and has also refused to release files it holds relating to Mandela or its activities around the time of his arrest. In 2014 Ryan Shapiro, a PhD student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, launched a lawsuit attempting to get access to that paperwork, but was denied. While Mandela has been linked to the Communist party many times over the years, he always denied belonging to the party. Following his death in 2013, the South African Communist party said he was a member of their central committee at the time of his arrest, though this was disputed by his family.
2016-05-15 01:07 Chris Pleasance www.dailymail.co.uk
84 Yahoo - Introducing Fair Play on Yahoo Sports Daily Fantasy Yahoo Launches Key Changes in Daily Fantasy to Help Level the Playing Field for Fans Including Entry Limits, Labeling of Veteran Players and No Scripting --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ:YHOO) today announced important changes to its Sports Daily Fantasy product to make contests more transparent and fun for all users. Changes include limiting entries to a max of 10 entries per user per contest (and in no event can a single user's entries make up more than 1% of total entries in a contest), clearly identifying Veteran players with a badge, and prohibiting the use of any type of scripting tool to upload or edit entries. "We first launched Yahoo Sports Daily Fantasy back in because it was an exciting addition to our product suite and because our users were clamoring for it," said , Head of Product for and Finance. "Yahoo Fantasy Sports has tens of millions of registered fans and we are making these changes today as the result of months of user experience and customer requests. values an environment that is transparent and trustworthy. We also want to provide the best Fantasy games for true sports fans. does both. " As daily fantasy continues to evolve, the labeling of a small percentage of "Veteran" players with a distinct badge is a key change that will make it easier for all players to know who they are playing against on Yahoo Sports Daily Fantasy. Veterans will be defined as users who have entered more than 1,000 contests within a single year, or who have entered more than 250 contests and prevailed in greater than 65% of them within a single year, or who have won a single prize of or greater more than three times within a single year. As a thank you to those users who have been so dedicated to Yahoo Sports Daily Fantasy, will be inviting Veterans to a special, free, invitation-only contest. has been a leader in fantasy sports for over 17 years. The changes made today will continue the tradition of fun and social user experiences that fans have come to expect from. is a guide focused on informing, connecting, and entertaining our users. By creating highly personalized experiences for our users, we keep people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the world. In turn, we create value for advertisers by connecting them with the audiences that build their businesses. 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).
2016-05-14 17:05 investor.yahoo.net
85 Yahoo - 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
2016-05-14 17:05 investor.yahoo.net
86 Potential choices for Clinton's, Trump's running mates What a presidential race it has been thus far. Needless to say, it's been full of drama , name- calling and insults. As time winds down for the Democrats and Republicans to pick their nominees, there is plenty of speculation about the candidates' respective running mates. OH, THE DRAMA: All of Donald Trump's best Twitter insults compiled ABC News asked a group of political experts and analysts to give their opinion on who could join in on the presidential drama. A number of names have floated around the political rumor mill, but all have varying lists rendering hosts of pros and cons. JUST KEEPS GOING: Donald Trump - Ted Cruz Twitter fight over wives continues Click through the gallery above to see the potential running mates for the Democratic and Republican front-runners, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
2016-05-15 04:03 By Heather www.chron.com
87 Two held on cyber crime offences Two men have been arrested in Merseyside over the alleged supplying of software for use by computer hackers. The suspects, both aged 21, were arrested shortly after 7.30pm on Thursday at separate addresses in Southport. The men were kept inside the properties in Moreland Drive and Old Park Lane as specialist officers from Titan, the North West regional organised crime unit, forensically examined electronic devices using a mobile cyber forensic lab provided by Europol. Both have since been taken to separate police stations in the region and will be interviewed on suspicion of committing cyber- crime offences. The investigation is supported by the National Crime Agency (NCA), Europol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), said Titan. Detective Superintendent Jason Hudson, head of operations at Titan, said: "These arrests are a significant step forward in our relentless fight against cyber-crime which is a type of criminality that really does affect us all. Not everyone will understand yet what cyber crime is or how it impacts on normal people but it is an increasing threat to anyone who uses the Internet and organised crime groups often sit behind it. "Cyber criminals who hack into your computer or that of your business or your bank account or your social network can do so from anywhere in the world. So it is vital that law enforcement agencies in different countries work together by sharing intelligence about potential offenders and pool resources and expertise to tackle this common goal. "That is why Titan is grateful for the assistance of the NCA here in the UK, the FBI in the United States, Europol and specialist companies from the private sector in supporting this investigation. It demonstrates just how well we work together to combat a global threat. "
2016-05-15 01:06 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
88 MPs warn of pension savings risk due to 'gaps' in regulation The retirement savings of millions of workers could be at risk due to "gaps" in the system of pension regulation, MPs have warned. The Commons Work and Pensions Committee said the success of the automatic enrolment (AE) programme - which has seen 6.1 million people enrolled into workplace pensions - could be undermined by a collapse in one of the savings schemes. In particular, it expressed concern about the development of "potentially unstable" master trusts which provide occupational pension schemes for multiple employers who are otherwise unconnected. The Pensions Regulator initially encouraged employers to enter such schemes as they were considered to be best placed to meet the standards necessary for "good outcomes" for savers. However, in evidence to the committee, the regulator expressed concern it was not able to exercise stronger regulation over them and that some of the smaller master trusts "may not be run by competent people". Pensions minister Baroness Altmann told the committee she shared concerns that there was no protection for winding up a master trust which failed, "which is why I am so exercised about it". The committee said the Government should now include legislation in the forthcoming Queen's Speech to give the regulator new powers to enforce minimum financial and governance standards and to protect the assets of members in the event of a trust winding up. "Gaps in pension law and regulation have allowed potentially unstable master trusts on to the market," it said. "Should one of these trusts collapse, there is a very real danger that ordinary scheme members could lose retirement savings. There is also a risk that faith in auto-enrolment as a whole will be undermined. " The committee also expressed concern that employees could be encouraged to opt out of auto-enrolment in order to invest in the new Lifetime Isa (Lisa), announced by Chancellor George Osborne in the Budget, leaving them worse off in retirement. "Whatever the attractions of the Lisa, it must not be presented as a direct alternative to AE. Savings under AE carry an employer contribution, which will not be available in the Lisa," it said. "Opting out of AE to save for retirement in a Lisa will leave people worse off. " Committee chairman Frank Field said: "Auto-enrolment has been a tremendous success that will ultimately see approximately nine million people newly saving, or saving more, in a pension. "Crucially now we must do much more to ensure that people's savings are put in the best possible place and are secure. " A Department of Work and Pensions spokesman said: "We welcome the committee's recognition that automatic enrolment has been a tremendous success and is enabling millions of people, many for the first time, to save for their retirement through workplace pensions. "We will consider the recommendations within the committee's report and will respond in due course. "
2016-05-15 01:06 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
89 'Boris Johnson more trusted than David Cameron' by EU referendum voters Voters trust Boris Johnson to tell the truth about Europe more than they trust David Cameron, a new poll reveals. The former London mayor, who has been touring the country in his Brexit battle bus, is better trusted than the Prime Minister by nearly half (45%) of people surveyed. Just a fifth (21%) said they trusted Mr Cameron more than Mr Johnson, according to the ComRes poll, commissioned jointly by the Sunday Mirror and The Independent. More broadly, Britons believe Leave campaigners are more likely to be honest (39%) than the Remain campaign (24%). As the EU referendum debate heats up, the poll shows Britain is still deeply divided with many voters still undecided on how they feel about the Brexit. But it suggests that after a hard week of campaigning led by Mr Johnson, the Leave campaign is managing to convince voters of some of its key messages including that Britain will be safer outside Europe. The poll found a third of people (33%) thought they would be personally better off if Britain stays in the EU, whereas 29% believed they would be better off if we left and 38% said they don't know. More than half (57%) said Britain could control is borders better outside Europe compared to just 27% who said remaining would better facilitate this. And 42% say national security would be stronger if Britain left - up 7% compared to a poll conducted in March. Just 38% believe it would be stronger if Britain remained. Despite months in which both sides have campaigned hard to convince the electorate how to vote on June 23, the poll of more than 2,000 people suggests the public still have very mixed levels of knowledge about Europe. More than three quarters (78%) of adults correctly say the UK pays more into the EU budget than it gets back. But three in five (61%) of those asked wrongly believed most British laws have to be approved by the European Parliament.
2016-05-15 01:06 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
90 Rare Queen photo released ahead of 90th birthday celebration show A third rare image of the Queen has been released as celebrations to mark the monarch's 90th birthday continue with a star-studded show in the grounds of Windsor Castle. The photo, seen publicly for the first time, shows a young, smiling, Princess Elizabeth with her sister and their father. Princess Margaret and George VI are each holding one of the Queen's beloved corgis. The colour photo was released a day after two black and white i mages from archive footage were published ahead of a gala show which will look back on the Queen's long reign, and feature an array of celebrities including Gary Barlow and Kylie Minogue. One of the photos shows a young Princess Elizabeth ready to go for a swim with her father. With her arms outstretched and a beaming smile, the future Queen stands alongside George VI on the edge of an outdoor swimming pool, ready to take a dip. In another she is seen looking intently as a bird rests on her arm. Ant and Dec will host the programme, featuring more than 1,500 performers from singers Katherine Jenkins and Dame Shirley Bassey, to actors Imelda Staunton and Dame Helen Mirren. The show will cover the Queen's early years, teenage life, Second World War and Coronation to the present day. Her love of horses will be represented, with more than 900 of the animals set to take part in the celebration. :: The Queen's 90th Birthday Celebration airs on Sunday at 8.35pm on ITV.
2016-05-15 01:06 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
91 Livonia - News This feed's current articles are shown below. Subscribe for updates to all the content available in this feed, or click through here to see the original article. Bidding on Gordie Howe International Bridge will soon begin among six business conglomerates. Service will accommodate an additional 50 vehicles at North Old Woodward garage A Plymouth-Canton bus monitor is charged with two counts of sex assault against a minor. A man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Canton is facing trial Owner Jeff Felts said the business has grown exponentially since he opened in his basement The second annual ceremony honored Livonia officers who’ve died in the line of duty. Garden City mayor talks about progress in each department last year, targets goals A Canton suspect is accused of pointing a gun at a woman and her two dogs. This is the third and final month of the summer with a Supermoon. It's when a full or new moon coincides with the moon's closest point to Earth in its orbit. Basically, the moon appears bigger and brighter than usual in the night sky. Garden City, Dearborn Heights combine efforts to host Relay for Life fight against cancer Garden City hosts run, walk for all ages, plenty of bacon to go around The Redford Jaycees are planning a Critter Crawl on May 21; police host an open house Former U. S. House Speaker John Boehner gave the commencement address at Madonna. “The Boy and the Bear” from Northland Center now sits at Southfield Public Library. Commission to discuss cap change on Monday. Also: Paid parking urged to address shortage. St. Mary Mercy Hospital in Livonia has been verified as a Level II center. Also: Snyder signs DeHoCo cleanup bill, city looking to hire election workers. The South Redford School Board voted unanimously to extend superintendent Brian Galdes contract on May 9. Redford Thurston student Ajai Shaw has battled kidney disease since age 9, fights to stay positve Curt Blankeship gave his time to Garden City youth sports for six decades The existing station is a single-story building built on a slab on a concrete Official says safety measures are in place, environmental study to be conducted pre-sale.
2016-05-14 19:06 rssfeeds.hometownlife.com
92 UFC 198 play-by-play and live results CURITIBA, Brazil – MMAjunkie is on scene and reporting live from today’s UFC 198 event. The card, which features heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum vs. fellow headliner Stipe Miocic, takes place at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass. Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT) for the preliminary card and10 p.m. ET for the main card. To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC 198 discussion thread. You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporters John Morgan ( @MMAjunkieJohnn ), Mike Bohn ( @MikeBohnMMA ) and Fernanda Prates ( @NandaPrates_ ) on Twitter. Enjoy the fights, everyone. * * * * Round 1 – Moicano with a quick jab. Tukhugov circles left on the outside. Tukhugov with his hands low, moving lightly on his feet. He rushes in with a right and slips the counter. Moicano firing in kicks to the body. Tukhugov catches one but can’t quite get Moicano to the floor. Tukhugov complains of a low kick, but referee Eduardo Herdy says to continue fighting. Tukhugov trying to leap in from distance, but Moicano timing him well to start and countering as he rushes forward. Tukhugov moving well, but crowd not liking the dancing. He moves forward and pushes Moicano to the floor. Tukhugov quickly rushes to get on top. Rubber guard for Moicano. He’s holding tight underneath. He shifts to an attempt on the arm. Tukhugov is trapped, but there’s no real pressure on the limb. Tukhugov waits through it. He postures up, but Moicano sweeps him to the floor and nearly gets the back. Tukhugov scrambles out after a tense moment. Moicano punches away. Wild ending. MMAjunkie gives the first to Moicano, 10-9. Round 2 – Tukhugov still moving well to start, bouncing on his feet and looking to rush with strikes. Moicano kicks the legs. Tukhugov very active on his feet, and he scores with a wild left hand. But Moicano covering well and countering with straight punches. Tukhugov complains of another low kick to the groin, but we fight on. Moicano looks upset at the charge, and he stalks. They trade big shots in the pocket. Tukhugov dives for a leg, but Moicano sprawls out. Moicano tries to grab the neck, but Tukhugov pulls away. Tukhugov with a spinning backfist. Moicano answers with a right straight. Moicano starting to load up on every shot. Tukhugov unleashes a combination, but Moicano again answers well. Moicano is holding the center and seems very comfortable. Tukhugov continues to rush in from the outside with mixed results. Round ends on the feet. Close again, but MMAjunkie gives it to Moicano, 10-9. Round 3 – Neither man can feel too comfortable about the scores. They both look to engage quickly. A quick scramble to the floor, but they pop back up Tukhugov misses with a left, and Moicano catches him with a counter that sees him stagger. Tukhugov looks to shoot. Great transitions on the position, but they end up separating on the feet. Moicano’s left eye is busted up Tukhugov still throwing wild bombs. Herdy calls time to check the eye. Didn’t seem that bad, and doctors say we can continue. Tukhugov again with a shot, and he winds up on top, but Moicano simply scampers back up. Big knee to the body for Moicano. Tukhugov still moving well and circling on the outside, but he’s tired. Mouth is open. Moicano kicks the legs. Tukhugov firing big shots. He works in on a takedown and again nearly gives up his back but gets free. Moicano kicks the legs. Another close round. MMAjunkie gives it again to Moicano, 10-9, and awards him the fight 30-27, but the fight was much closer than that would seem. Result : Renato Moicano def. Zubaira Tukhugov via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Recap : Renato Moicano takes split decision from Zubaira Tukhugov Photos : Renato Moicano vs. Zubaira Tukhugov photos Records : Moicano (10-0-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Tukhugov (18-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) Division : Featherweight Broadcast : UFC Fight Pass Referee : Eduardo Herdy Judging : Alessandro Viera (28-29, giving Tukhugov rounds 1 and 3), Glenn Trowbridge (29-28, giving Moicano rounds 1 and 2), Joseph Terrell (29-28, giving Moicano rounds 2 and 3) Round 1 – Chagas gets the center of the cage. He rushes forward with punches, but Moraes covers well. Moraes grabs the body and pushes the action to the cage, though Chagas pulls free. Chagas throwing with power to start. Moraes just slips away from a spinning high kick. Chagas stalking, and he lands with a Brazilian kick. Slick work so far from the underdog. Moraes with a front kick to the body. Moraes tries to slip inside but cant get the takedown. They trade kicks on the feet. Chagas chops the leg a bit. High kick from Chagas. Moraes topples to the canvas, but Chagas refuses to go there with him. A few more short punches on the feet, and Moraes topples again to the canvas. Chagas engages lightly but backs away Moraes up but looks shaky. Round ends on the feet, and MMAjunkie gives it to Chagas, 10-9. Round 2 – Moraes looking to rush out, but Chagas pushes him away. Moraes lands an overhand right. They trade stiff punches in the pocket. Chagas adds in a few more high kicks. He’s looking very confident, and Moraes looks surprised. Both men throwing big shots right now. Chagas briefly has the Thai clinch. He is starting to fade a bit. Front kick for Moraes. He’s starting to land with punches, especially as Chagas’ hands drop. Moraes gets inside and grabs the neck. He falls back, looking for the guillotine. Not there. Chagas waits through it and pulls his head free. Moraes with short punches from the back, but not a lot there, and we have a restart. Chagas fires a few kicks inside. Moraes shoots in for the takedown, but Chagas counters and gets to the back. Moraes smoothly transitions with a slick roll and finishes on top. Wild scrambles. MMAjunkie gives the round narrowly to Moraes, 10-9. Round 3 – Chagas looking to dig deep. He’s striking, but he gets caught off-balance and stumbles to the floor. Moraes happy to take top position. Chagas scrambles to full guard. Moraes stands over him and then dives in with a punch, moving back to top position. Moraes trying to work past the legs. He gets out to half-guard and then eventually to side control. Chagas spins and turtles. Moraes goes to work trying to get the hooks in. Chagas turns and tries for the leg. Not there, so Moraes again looking for the back. He’s in position but can’t get the hooks in. He finally does, and Chagas postures and hopes to escape. Moraes steps over the back anyway. He wants the choke. He slides off ad misses. Chagas finishes on top. Bell sounds on a wild fight. MMAjunkie gives the final round to Moraes, 10-9, awarding him the fight 29-28. Result : Sergio Moraes vs. Luan Chagas declared split draw (29-28, 28-29, 28-28) Recap : Sergio Moraes and Luan Chagas battle to split draw Photos : Sergio Moraes vs. Luan Chagas photos Records : Chagas (14-1-1 MMA, 0-0-1 UFC), Moraes (10-2-1 MMA, 4-1-1 UFC) Division : Welterweight Broadcast : UFC Fight Pass Referee : Osiris Maia Judging : Tony Weeks (29-28, giving Moraes rounds 2 and 3), Alessandro Vieira (28-29, giving Chagas rounds 1 and 2), Joseph Terrell (28-28, giving Chagas a 10-8 in round 1 and Moraes 10-9 scores in rounds 2 and 3) Round 1 – They circle a bit and look for angles. Cummins the first one to reach, but he’s short. He looks for a takedown, but Nogueira pushes him away. Cummins kicks the knee.vNogueira fires a left, but Cummins slips it and delivers an uppercut. Patient start from both men. Cummins keeping his hands high. He kicks the legs again. Punches traded, and Nogueira lands a big left. Cummins looks a bit staggered. Nogueira tries to rush forward and counter, but Cummins recovers and pushes him away. Cummins back to the leg kick. He stay with it. Nogueira trying to get past the kicks, but Cummins staying with them. Punches traded, and Cummins lands a right hand. Nogueira lands again, and Cummins is hurt. He’s trying to move and weave, but Nogueira all over him with punches. Cummins hits the floor. He’s trying to survive. Referee Leon Roberts giving him every possible chance to recover. It’s not happening. Nogueira just won’t stop. Roberts calls it off in the closing seconds. Result : Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Patrick Cummins via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:52 Recap : Antonio Rogerio Nogueira blasts Patrick Cummins for standing TKO Photos : Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Patrick Cummins photos Records : Cummins (8-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC), Nogueira (22-7 MMA, 5-4 UFC) Division : Light heavyweight Rankings : Cummins honorable mention Broadcast : UFC Fight Pass Referee : Leon Roberts Round 1 – Font throws out a few kicks to start. Lineker counters with a right hand. Font continues with the kicks, and Lineker pounds away with return punches. Big shots being throw early. Font stumbles a little as he slips away and resets. Lineker settling for the counters early, but he’s having success. Font with a big kick to the legs. He’s trying to keep range. Lineker keepings the pressure high. Big body shots from Lineker. Every shot coming with power. Font gets a knee inside. He’s trying to stick and move. They end on the feet, and MMAjunkie gives it to Lineker, 10-9. Round 2 – Font moving forward, but Lineker hits him with a few leg kicks. Font trying to use his range. Lineker continues to work the body with power shots while also kicking at the leg. Left hand comes up top, a well. Font moving on the outside. He kicks the leg. Lineker leaping in and out of range. Font fighting against the cage as Lineker stalks. Font just misses a big knee. He’s moving and trying to counter. Lineker just stalking from the center. He’s setting the tone. Font briefly trips him up but can’t get the fight to the floor. Lineker chops at the legs again. Round ends on the feet, and MMAjunkie gives it again to Lineker, 10-9. Round 3 – Both men pressing to start. Rounds have been close. Lineker still controlling from the center. Font still moving well against the cage, but Lineker is finding him. Font stumbles to the floor, and Lineker gets on top. Crowd chants as Lineker hunts the finish. Font ties things up underneath and scrambles up and back to his feet. Lineker catches a kick and pushes him back to the floor. Font gets guard. Lineker looking o tee off from the top. He’s trying to pass the legs, and he does move out to side control. Font foes manage to get back to his feet, but there’s less than a minute. Lineker asks for the crowd to get loud. They do, and he responds by pushing his opponent to the floor and teeing off util the end. MMAjunkie gives the final round to Lineker, 10-9, awarding him the fight 30-27. Result : John Lineker def. Rob Font via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-26) Recap : John Lineker’s powerful striking overwhelms Rob Font for decision win Photos : John Lineker vs. Rob Font photos Records : Font (12-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Lineker (27-7 MMA, 8-2 UFC) Division : Bantamweight Broadcast : FOX Sports 1 Referee : Kevin MacDonald Judging : Round 1 – Medeiros with a front kick to start. Another follows. Trinaldo gets inside and slams the action to the floor. Medeiros pops up and backs up to the fence to defend. They jockey against the cage. Trinaldo is on the outside. Referee Dan Miragliotta calls for action. Medeiros slips off the cage and moves to the outside. Lot of time in the clinch. Trinaldo can’t get it to the floor, and Medeiros backs away. Crisp jab from Medeiros. He’s moving well. Trinaldo inside again but can’t get the takedown. Trinaldo turns to punches and kicks, and he does land a few bog shots. Straight left buckles Medeiros’ legs. He tries to recovers, but Trinaldo is still coming. Big shots against the cage. He goes to the body. Medeiros barely hangin on. Trinaldo with a big knee at the end. MMAjunkie gives the first to Trinaldo, 10-9. Round 2 – Trinaldo out with a kick to the body. Medeiros looks to have recovered and is working straight shots. Trinaldo still firing heavy leather. Right hands score for Trinaldo. Medeiros standing in the pocket and answering back. Trinaldo moving and chops the leg. Trinaldo starting to tire. Still, he’s got big power every time he throws. They clinch, and Trinaldo ends up with a headlock. Nothing there, so they move back to the feet. Trinaldo with a bog left hand. These two are slugging it out. Trinaldo with a few kicks to the body. Medeiros gives one back. Trinaldo with combinations. Medeiros answering with his own. Trinaldo breathing heavy but throwing everything with power. Medeiros pops him with a right in the final seconds, and he hits the deck. Medeiros thinks choke but ends up going with punches until the bell. The late effort earns it for Medeiros on the MMAjunkie card, 10-9. Round 3 – Medeiros looks energized as he comes out. Trinaldo still dangerous. Trinaldo chops the legs a bit. Medeiros catches one and drives forward with a counter. Spinning kick to the body. Medeiros on the outside. Trinaldo with a bog left hand. Medeiros is hurt. Trinaldo is all over him. Bog shots to the head and body. Medeiros all heart against the cage. His knees are giving out. He finally crashes to the floor. He tries to look for something on his back. Trinaldo jumps on top with punches. Medeiros somehow to his feet, but he’s in trouble. No clue how he’s still standing. Trinaldo with knees to the body. Medeiros crashes to the floor again. Trinaldo can’t land clean enough to finish. Medeiros battles again to his feet. Trinaldo throws him to the canvas. Trinaldo slipping around to the back, but Medeiros somehow sweeps. No clue how he’s in there. Somehow, he survives the onslaught. Medeiros punches until the end, but MMAjunkie gives this round to Trinaldo, 10-8, and awards him the fight 29-27. Result : Francisco Trinaldo def. Yancy Medeiros via unanimous decision (29-26, 30-27, 30-26) Recap : Photos : Records : Medeiros (12-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC), Trinaldo (20-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) Division : Lightweight Broadcast : FOX Sports 1 Referee : Dan Miragliotta Judging : Round 1 – Result : Recap : Photos : Records : Marquardt (34-15-2 MMA, 12-8 UFC), Santos (12-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) Division : Middleweight Broadcast : FOX Sports 1 Referee : Judging : Round 1 – Result : Recap : Photos : Records : Brown (20-13 MMA, 13-7 UFC), Maia (22-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) Division : Welterweight Rankings : Brown No. 7, Maia No. 8 Broadcast : FOX Sports 1 Referee : Judging : Round 1 – Result : Recap : Photos : Records : Alves (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC), Barberena (11-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) Division : Welterweight Rankings : Alves honorable mention Broadcast : Pay-per-view Referee : Judging : Round 1 – Result : Recap : Photos : Records : Anderson (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), Rua (23-10 MMA, 7-8 UFC) Division : Light heavyweight Rankings : Anderson No. 13, Rua No. 14 Broadcast : Pay-per-view Referee : Judging : Round 1 – Result : Recap : Photos : Records : Justino (15-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Smith (8-6-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) Division : Women’s bantamweight Broadcast : Pay-per-view Referee : Judging : Round 1 – Result : Recap : Photos : Records : Belfort (25-11 MMA, 14-7 UFC), Souza (22-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) Division : Middleweight Rankings : Souza No. 4, Belfort No. 5 Broadcast : Pay-per-view Referee : Judging : Round 1 – Result : Recap : Photos : Records : Werdum (20-5-1 MMA, 8-2 UFC), Miocic (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) Division : Heavyweight Rankings : Werdum No. 1, Miocic No. 4 Broadcast : Pay-per-view Referee : Judging :
2016-05-15 01:05 MMAjunkie Staff rssfeeds.usatoday.com
93 Yahoo - Yahoo Sports Partners With NHL to Bring Fans Free, Live Out-of-Market Games & On-Demand Premium Content No Cable or Authentication Required, Alliance Offers New Opportunities for Advertisers to Connect with Fans --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ:YHOO) and the (NHL®) today announced a strategic alliance to deliver premium sports content to Yahoo Sports' millions of users. Now fans can access live, out-of-market games for free on , throughout the week, no cable subscription or authentication required. will offer unique advertising opportunities for brands to connect with their audiences, alongside and within this live and on-demand sports contents. Beginning , , in collaboration with the , will live stream an "Game of the Day" to hockey fans in the , up to four days a week, along with delivering in-game highlights for each game. This is in addition to the Wednesday and Sunday national games currently promoted by to its fans in partnership with. will also provide condensed games, "Best of the Day" and "Best of the Week" top plays and postgame highlights. also will continue to bring fantasy hockey highlights and our season-long game to fans around the world. "This alliance brings us one step closer to providing fans a live professional sporting event every day, on , completely frictionless and for free - no cable subscription or authentication required," said , VP, Media Partnerships at. "We remain committed to delivering the best digital content to our users and advertisers, and the NHL's premium content nicely complements our offering of live and on-demand partner content, including Yahoo/MLB's Game of the Day, content and our recently announced deal with the TOUR. " Building on the success of the NFL live stream on which drew more than 15 million viewers, is introducing new video advertising opportunities that will run within commercial breaks during the live streams of live sporting events, which includes and MLB games. Brands will have new ways to connect directly with an engaged audience of sports fans around this live video programming on , while using Yahoo's audience insights and retargeting capabilities to engage with viewers after a game concludes. The (NHL®), founded in 1917, consists of 30 , with players from more than 20 countries represented across team rosters, competing for the most revered trophy in professional sports - the Stanley Cup®. Each year, the entertains hundreds of millions of fans around the world. The League broadcasts games in more than 160 countries and territories through its rightsholders including /NBCSN in the , Sportsnet and in , and Viasat in the. The reaches fans worldwide with games available online in every country including via its live and on-demand streaming service NHL. TV™. Fans are engaged across the League's digital assets on mobile devices via the free app; across nine social media platforms; on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio™, and on NHL.com, available in eight languages and featuring an enhanced statistics platform powered by SAP, providing the definitive destination for hockey analytics. A historic media rights partnership between the and MLBAM has transformed the fan experience across the League's digital and broadcast assets, with an emphasis on deeper access into the game and enhanced storytelling. To celebrate the NHL's international diversity, the World Cup of Hockey will return in September, 2016, a best-on-best international tournament featuring eight teams comprised of the world's best hockey players. On Founder's Day in , the League will celebrate its Centennial anniversary, commemorating 100 years of hockey. The is committed to giving back to the community through programs including: Hockey is for Everyone™ which supports nonprofit youth hockey organizations across ; Hockey Fights Cancer™ which raises money and awareness for hockey's most important fight; NHL Green™ which is committed to the pursuit of sustainable business practices; and a partnership with the , which is committed to supporting the LGBT community and fighting homophobia in sports. For more information, visit NHL.com. and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the. All Rights Reserved. is a guide focused on informing, connecting, and entertaining our users. By creating highly personalized experiences for our users, we keep people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the world. In turn, we create value for advertisers by connecting them with the audiences that build their businesses. 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).
2016-05-15 04:02 investor.yahoo.net
94 Yahoo - Lexus Revs Up Basketball Fans with New Campaign on Yahoo Sports and Launches Bracket Challenge New campaign promotes the all-new 2016 Lexus GS F timed with the 2016 Men's College Basketball Tournament --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- (NASDAQ:YHOO) announced today that Lexus is a presenting sponsor of Tourney Pick'em and will also launch "GS F The Bracket," a custom Lexus branded game around the 2016 Men's College Basketball Tournament. In addition to Lexus connecting with fans through display, native and video advertising, "GS F The Bracket" asks fans to pick which games will reach a combined 60 points the fastest for an opportunity to win a GS F-inspired luxury vacation. "Working with , we have the opportunity to engage millions of college basketball fans and highlight the Lexus GS F," said , Lexus general manager of consumer and product marketing. "A car that goes 0-60 in 4.5 seconds deserves the spotlight while we give fans a fun and fast way to get into the games this month. " Every year, is the ultimate destination for millions of sports fans during the Men's College Basketball Tournament. As a sponsor of Sports' Tourney Pick'em, Lexus's digital campaign includes display ads driving to "GS F The Bracket" game, pre-roll video ads and branded integrations, and native ad placements targeted to the GS F audience. As part of this, Lexus will be integrated within the "Tourney Bracket Live" show on. "We're helping brands like Lexus connect with the millions of fans that visit every year to create brackets tied to one of their favorite basketball events," said , Chief Revenue Officer,. "Sports fans are incredibly passionate on and we're committed to bringing them new experiences that make their favorite games even better. " To sign up for "GS F The Bracket," fans can visit GSFtheBracket.com beginning. Each round, players can select which matchup will reach a combined 60 points the fastest. Fans are encouraged to make their picks for each round but can join the game at any point before. "The phenomenon of college basketball fans and their brackets create an unparalleled level of engagement each March," said , Chief Creative Officer, , agency of record for Lexus. "With ‘GS F The Bracket,' there's a logical connection between the speed of offense that sports fans find with college hoops and a high-performance car like the Lexus GS F. " is a guide focused on informing, connecting, and entertaining our users. By creating highly personalized experiences for our users, we keep people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the world. In turn, we create value for advertisers by connecting them with the audiences that build their businesses. 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). Lexus launched in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since that time, Lexus has expanded its line-up to meet the needs of global luxury customers. Lexus is now going beyond its reputation for high quality vehicles with the integration of innovative technology, emotional exterior and interior designs, and engaging driving dynamics and performance. With six models incorporating , Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers seven F SPORT models and two F performance models. In , Lexus vehicles are sold through 236 dealers who are committed to exemplary customer service.
2016-05-15 04:02 investor.yahoo.net
95 Car swept away in Buffalo Bayou A driver lost control of his car Friday night, running off Memorial Drive near Waugh and landing in Buffalo Bayou Friday night. A witness saw the accident around 8 p.m. and tried to help, but the car went out of reach, authorities said. The car sank. The Houston Police Department dive team attempted a rescue, but police said the water was flowing too fast and was too high for divers. They plan to continue the search Saturday.
2016-05-14 19:35 By Mike www.chron.com
96 Asia Times News & Features – Asia Times Pressured by the international community to impose stricter border controls to stem the flood of militants into Syria, Ankara has been erecting walls at key crossing points, but to no avail as surveillance data from the Municipality of Ankara Provincial Security Department revealed. Read More
2016-05-14 13:02 atimes.com
97 2 Houston-area educators snag prominent awards Two Houston-area teachers won a share of the $430,000 handed out at the 15th annual H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards Friday night in San Antonio. The program, designed to recognize top educators and school districts, has awarded more than $8 million since 2002. Galena Park ISD's Hilda Nanez , a teacher at Green Valley Elementary , was named a rising star, earning $5,000 for herself and $5,000 for her school. Teachers with less than 10 years of experience are eligible for the award. Nanez grew up in an immigrant family, speaking only Spanish. When she was switched to an English-only class in fourth grade, she went from straight As to struggling, according to her award entry with H-E-B. She wanted to ensure that other children didn't have that same experience. "When I was sinking I thought, 'When I grow up, I want to be a bilingual teacher and help kids like me be able to swim,'" Nanez told H-E- B. Nanez is a bilingual intervention teacher who provides students extra help on math and reading in both English and Spanish. She has already completed a master's in leadership with principal certification and hopes to become a principal someday. "As a principal, you can advocate for every single child on your campus," Nanez said. Clear Creek ISD's Tammy Verstrate of LaVace Stewart Elementary won in the leadership category, which honors teachers with 10 to 20 years in the classroom. She received a $10,000 check and her school gets a matching amount. Verstrate, who grew up in El Salvador during a civil war, remembers dodging rebel factions on her walk to school. Despite that, she said, "school was a place where I could be myself and I could shine. " She now works as a dual-language teacher, helping her young students master both languages. Her work has served as a model for the district's dual-language curriculum, according to H-E-B. "I believe it is our responsibility as teachers to close the achievement gap. So many students don't have resources at home, don't have opportunities," Verstrate told H-E-B. "We need to hold high expectations and let students know it doesn't matter their background, they can succeed. " H-E-B launched the Excellence in Education Awards program with the Texas Association of School Administrators in 2002 to support public education in Texas. It's now the largest program for educators in Texas, spotlighting best practices and celebrating successful educators.
2016-05-14 19:35 By Houston www.chron.com
98 The Times & The Sunday Times Get the story behind the headlines with 12 weeks for £12 With analysis from Henry Winter, Mike Atherton and Stuart Barnes. Get the story behind the headlines with 12 weeks for £12 From the FTSE 100 to SMEs to entrepreneurs. Get the story behind the headlines with 12 weeks for £12.
2016-05-14 20:25 www.thetimes.co.uk
99 Livia Firth cuts a glamorous figure in a sophisticated black dress She looked stunning in her mother's vintage coral dress when she accompanied her husband to the Chopard green carpet collection at the Cannes Film Festival earlier on Saturday. And Livia Firth, 46, underwent a costume change for the watch company's star-studded Gent's Party at Annabel's later in the evening, wowing in a classy black frock. The Italian-born beauty put on a close display with her actor husband Colin, 55, for the cameras as they posed with their arms around each other. Scroll down for video Livia's sophisticated dress had an embroidered chest piece with sheer sleeves and overlay. She matched the garment with a teetering pair of black heels for extra elevation. Her neatly styled chestnut tresses looked full of health and vitality, while her expertly applied make-up ensured she was at her glamorous best for the event. She decorated her perfect peepers with thick eyeliner and lashings of mascara and added a touch of sparkle to her look with some dangling earrings. Meanwhile, Colin was typically dashing in a navy suit with a monochrome tie and white shirt, finishing the ensemble off with some polished black leather shoes. Clean-shaven for the high-profile event, the star also ensured his short locks were perfectly-coiffed. The couple were joined by French actress Marion Cotillard, 40, who put on a vibrant display in a purple polo-neck top with burgundy PVC leggings. Earlier in the day, the Firths were joined at the green carpet collection by Caroline Scheufele, the artistic director and co-president of Chopard. Livia, who is the creative director of Eco-Age - which aims raise the profile of sustainability, ethics and social welfare - has been promoting the idea of sustainable fashion for some time and regularly wears recycled outfits for high profiles events. She told the Telegraph this month: 'The biggest message is every time you buy something, always think, “Will I wear it a minimum of 30 times?”. 'If the answer is yes, then buy it. But you’d be surprised how many times you say no. That should tell you something about how the current model in fashion is unsustainable - and needs urgent change.'
2016-05-15 01:02 Dan Cain www.dailymail.co.uk
100 Haiti protesters demand departure of interim president Protesters have marched in Haiti's capital to demand the departure of the country's interim president, who was supposed to leave office this weekend. The demonstration by former president Michel Martelly's Tet Kale political faction drew a few thousand protesters in central Port-au-Prince. Many chanted that interim president Jocelerme Privert was illegally trying to hold on to power. An accord in February that helped put Mr Privert in office called for a caretaker leader to make way for a voter-approved president on May 14. But another election date has recently fallen by the wayside. Mr Privert has suggested holding the repeatedly delayed run-off in October. Some demonstrators burned tyres and broke car windows. Police sprayed water from an armoured vehicle, scattering the crowd at a plaza near the grounds of Haiti's National Palace.
2016-05-15 01:01 www.independent.ie Total 100 articles. Created at 2016-05-15 06:05