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Total 100 articles, created at 2016-06-29 00:02 1 US military failed Americans in Benghazi, says House (2.31/3) A new report from Republicans in the House of Representatives finds that the US military failed to protect the four Americans who died in Benghazi. 2016-06-28 19:21 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 2 Reporter Concerned About Cost Of Benghazi Report (2.13/3) Washington Post national security reporter Adam Goldman pointed out that the money spent on the House Select Committee on Benghazi could have funded his area's public elementary school for three years 2016-06-28 20:22 2KB dailycaller.com 3 The UK's EU referendum: All you need to know (1.12/3) A guide to the UK's decision to leave the European Union following an historic referendum. 2016-06-28 21:26 23KB www.bbc.co.uk 4 State Made Marines Change Uniform 4
(1.07/3) TIMES During Benghazi A House report released Tuesday shows in the immediate aftermath of the Benghazi attacks, Department of State officials mulled over asking Marines, who were being considered for deployment, to take of 2016-06-28 20:22 3KB dailycaller.com 5 Jeremy Hunt suggests second EU referendum (1.06/3) Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt suggests a second EU referendum could be needed as he "seriously considers" a bid for the Tory leadership. 2016-06-28 21:26 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 6 Brexit: 'An unprecedented geopolitical shift' The result of the EU referendum puts Britain on a precipice where (1.06/3) it has never been before, writes historian Lord Peter Hennessy. 2016-06-28 19:21 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 7 Labour MPs pass no-confidence motion in Jeremy Corbyn (1.02/3) Labour MPs pass a no-confidence motion in Jeremy Corbyn by 172 votes to 40 - but Mr Corbyn says he will not resign. 2016-06-28 21:26 5KB www.bbc.co.uk
8 Crews Fighting to Contain Blaze After Freight Train Crash in Texas Video (1.02/3) Emergency crews are still responding to a fiery train crash in Texas that occurred this morning, resulting in the derailment of multiple freight cars and billows of black smoke. 2016-06-28 20:38 1KB abcnews.go.com 9 Reality Check: Does the UK have to trigger Article 50? (1.00/3) Chancellor George Osborne says the UK does not have to start the formal process of leaving the EU until a time of its choosing. Is he right? 2016-06-28 19:21 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 10 Leading scorers of Euro 2016 after pre- quarters
(0.01/3) Following are the leading scorers of Euro football championship after the end of pre-quarterfinals on Monday 2016-06-28 22:01 2KB www.mid-day.com 11 Morales reminds UP law grads: Be humble Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales served a sobering lesson in humility to newly minted graduates of her alma mater and one of the country’s top law schools—the University of the 2016-06-29 00:01 6KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 12 Luistro: Working with media like training dragon In his six-year stint as head of the Department of Education (DepEd), Secretary Armin Luistro’s relationship with the media since he first joined the DepEd in 2010 may be likened to that of 2016-06-29 00:01 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 13 Duterte urged: Save the children An international child rights group has urged President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to take action on the worsening malnutrition and child hunger in the country, as the National Nutrition Month in 2016-06-29 00:01 6KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 14 Reds march in Davao to back peace talks DAVAO CITY—At least 30,000 farmers, lumad (indigenous) people and Left-wing activists marched on the streets here on Tuesday to praise the peace-building efforts of the incoming 2016-06-29 00:01 4KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 15 PDI columnist in H’wood wins in CA journ awards “It was an honor to represent the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Philippines,” Entertainment columnist Ruben V. Nepales said about winning second prize in the 58th Annual Southern 2016-06-29 00:01 2KB entertainment.inquirer.net
16 Pushers give up en masse DAGUPAN CITY—Bonuan Gueset, a seaside community of over 23,000, is this city’s most populous barangay but ranked third in the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) list of villages in 2016-06-29 00:01 7KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 17 US high court’s one-line ruling only a temporary defeat for DACA+ “The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court,” this is the one-line ruling of the highest court of the land in the much awaited decision on Obama’s Executive Action on DACA extension 2016-06-29 00:01 4KB globalnation.inquirer.net 18 ‘Explosive’ Comelec meeting goes pfft Tuesday’s Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc meeting was “professional” and “civil,” probably since issues recently raised against its chair were not discussed. In a brief 2016-06-29 00:01 3KB newsinfo.inquirer.net 19 Beleaguered star slams kin over money matters Stress is the last thing Beleaguered Star needs right now. Still, relatives were unable to give BS much-needed respite from unnecessary tension and drama. While BS was away, Trusted Kin 2016-06-29 00:01 4KB entertainment.inquirer.net 20 West Indies conditions will be similar to India: Shami Medium pacer Mohammed Shami, who earned a recall to the Test side for the upcoming tour to the West Indies next month, on Tuesday said it is more important to focus on line and length as the Caribbean conditions are now similar to the subcontinent 2016-06-28 22:02 3KB www.mid-day.com 21 Twitterati go bonkers over Arvind Kejriwal's floral headgear Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was seen in a floral headgear in Goa on Tuesday and Twitterati had a field day making fun of the eye-grabbing wreath and the Aam Aadmi Party leader 2016-06-28 21:53 1KB www.mid-day.com 22 Anya Gallaccio breaks out with first permanent art work Artist Anya Gallaccio's "first permanent public work" sees her create a "ghost tree" from stainless steel. 2016-06-28 21:26 5KB www.bbc.co.uk
23 VIDEO: 300 Firefighters take part in DNR wildfire training exercise near Rainier Around 300 firefighters took part in the Western Washington Interagency Wildfire Training Academy session on JBLM timberlands off of Rainier Road, June 27, 2016. It was the final day of a week-long training exercise that combined practical experience with some classroom work held at nearby Rainier High School. 2016-06-28 21:26 2KB www.thenewstribune.com 24 Could pariah state Eritrea come in from the cold? Eritrea has endured a turbulent 25-year history since independence, but there may be hope for the future, says Mary Harper. 2016-06-28 21:26 6KB www.bbc.co.uk 25 Brexit: Who is affected by the falling pound? With the pound falling to its lowest level in more than 30 years after Brexit, who are the groups directly affected? 2016-06-28 21:26 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 26 Inside Britain's secret weapons research facility Dr Michael Mosley investigates Britain's most secretive and controversial military research base, Porton Down, on its 100th anniversary. 2016-06-28 21:26 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 27 Starting a business in the middle of a coup Paul Srivorakul started his business in the middle of a coup and it thrived, but what's the best way for firms to cope with uncertainty? 2016-06-28 21:26 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 28 Britain's African migrants who backed Brexit In our series of letters from African journalists, film-maker and columnist Farai Sevenzo looks at why some Africans living in the UK wanted to leave the European Union. 2016-06-28 21:26 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 29 Naked in the national interest Belarusians strip off at work after their president calls on the nation to "undress and sweat" for the economy. 2016-06-28 21:26 2KB www.bbc.co.uk
30 Ancient birds' wings preserved in amber Two wings from birds that lived alongside the dinosaurs have been found preserved in amber. 2016-06-28 21:26 3KB www.bbc.co.uk 31 Brexit: Berlin eyes Britain’s tech talent As businesses grapple with how to respond to Brexit, Germany's capital is keen to open new doors to Britain's tech-savvy talent pool. 2016-06-28 21:26 5KB www.bbc.co.uk 32 IDF reservists question 'harassment' tactics of Breaking the Silence The campaign which includes a video entitled “Breaking the Silence hunters,” introduces three IDF soldiers who say they were continuously pursued by the organization. 2016-06-28 21:20 4KB www.jpost.com 33 British Prime Minster Explains Expectations of Brexit Talks With EU Video David Cameron hopes the spirit of discussions to come will remain positive for both sides. 2016-06-28 20:48 1KB abcnews.go.com 34 'Stuck-in-traffic' pilot delays Air India flight, leaves Venkaiah Naidu enraged Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, on Tuesday was furious after he missed an 'important appointment' after the pilot of an Air India flight to Hyderabad did not turn up 2016-06-28 20:46 1KB www.mid- day.com 35 Blue Cross Exiting MN Obmacare Exchange About 103,000 people will have to find a new insurance policy because Blue Cross Blue Shield has announced in is leaving the Obamacare Exchange... 2016-06-28 19:22 2KB spectator.org 36 Voting against the tide: 'I feel very much in a minority' What's it like to vote against the trend of your area? 2016-06-28 19:21 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 37 Breaking News English Lesson English News Lessons: Free 26-Page lesson plan / 2-page mini- lesson - Italian Restaurant - Handouts, online activities, speed reading, dictation, mp3... current events. 2016-06-28 19:21 1KB www.breakingnewsenglish.com
38 In pictures: Pretoria burns amid SA mayoral protests Pictures of violent protests near South Africa's capital, Pretoria, prompted by anger at the ANC's choice of a mayoral candidate. 2016-06-28 19:21 614Bytes www.bbc.co.uk 39 Alice Gross murder suspect Arnis Zalkalns not checked Police did not check the record of a foreign murderer, believed to have killed Alice Gross, as they did not know how to as there was no policy to, an inquest hears. 2016-06-28 19:21 3KB www.bbc.co.uk 40 'Robot lawyer' fights parking tickets A chatbot programmed by a British teenager has successfully challenged 160,000 parking tickets since its launch last year. 2016-06-28 19:21 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 41 Standing ovation for SNP MEP Alyn Smith's 'I beg you' speech SNP MEP Alyn Smith receives a standing ovation from his European colleagues after he begs them not to "let Scotland down". 2016-06-28 19:21 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 42 In pictures: Glastonbury welcomes first muddy arrivals Glastonbury festival-goers are not deterred by the mud and rain. 2016-06-28 19:21 767Bytes www.bbc.co.uk 43 Free Ads for Democrats KMorgan 1300 posts 2016-06-28 20:22 7KB www.thetribunepapers.com
44 12-Year-Old Takes 2nd Joyride, Crashes Into Police Cruiser Video A Bangor, Maine boy who was recently accused of stealing a school bus was caught in another pursuit driving a van. 2016-06-28 20:38 1KB abcnews.go.com 45 American Red Cross Apologizes for Poster That Some Found Racist Video The American Red Cross issued an apology today for a poster that some people found offensive because it appeared to portray what appear to be white children as "cool" and children of color were "not cool. " 2016-06-28 20:38 1KB abcnews.go.com 46 80-Year-Old Cowboy Stops NYC Traffic Video Tod Mishler was issued two criminal court summonses for impeding traffic with his horses. 2016-06-28 20:38 1KB abcnews.go.com
47 FEMA: 1,000 Apply for W. VA Flooding Assistance So Far Video The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has received over 1,000 applications for assistance so far, following the devastating flooding that slammed West Virginia. 2016-06-28 20:38 1KB abcnews.go.com 48 Banks' bad loans may rise to 8.5% of assets by March: RBI Gross non-performing assets (GNPAs), or bad loans, of commercial banks may rise to 8.5 per cent of total assets by March 2017, from 7.6 percent in March 2016, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Tuesday based on 2016-06-28 20:38 4KB www.mid- day.com 49 Faucet-Turning Felines Suspected in Flooding Cat-astrophe Video An animal shelter in Florida suffered thousands of dollars' worth of damage from the running water. 2016-06-28 20:38 1KB abcnews.go.com 50 Volkswagen Reaches Settlement in Emissions Case Video The scandal came to light last September when Volkswagen admitted that some of its diesel vehicles used illegal "defeat device" software. 2016-06-28 20:38 2KB abcnews.go.com 51 The Pups Hit the Beach for Corgi Con Video Over 700 Corgis took over Ocean Beach in San Francisco to celebrate Corgi Con. 2016-06-28 20:37 1KB abcnews.go.com 52 Health officials give Whitewater Center update Health officials give an update Monday after water at the U. S. National Whitewater Center tested positive for a brain-eating amoeba. The amoeba killed 18-year old Lauren Seitz of Ohio. 2016-06-28 19:21 2KB www.charlotteobserver.com 53 Australians demand security after paralympian mugged A gold-medal winning Australian paralympian was mugged at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, less than two months from the start of Brazil's Olympic Games. 2016-06-28 20:31 3KB rss.cnn.com
54 Wimbledon: Djokovic, Federer win openers On day one at Wimbledon, three grand slam winners at different stages of their career -- Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Garbine Muguruza -- all won. 2016-06-28 20:25 5KB www.cnn.com 55 Sanders appointee to 'Post': Democratic platform should include 'occupation,' right to boycott James Zogby, a Sanders appointment to the Democratic platform committee, says Clinton's team stopped insertion of occupation language. 2016-06-28 20:23 7KB www.jpost.com 56 Congolese warlord sentenced to 18 years for war crimes Former Congolese Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba was sentenced Tuesday to 18 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Central African Republic. 2016-06-28 20:17 2KB rss.cnn.com 57 Rory McIlroy: Golfer pulls out of Rio Olympics amid Zika fears Rory McIlroy has become the highest-profile withdrawal from golf at Rio Olympics amid Zika virus fears. 2016-06-28 20:11 2KB rss.cnn.com 58 'Katdashians! Break the Musical!' is all you hoped for A musical melding the world's most famous reality TV family and the Broadway hit "Cats" sounds so zany that it's purrrrfect. 2016-06-28 19:54 1KB rss.cnn.com 59 Zakaria: The new divide in the Western world The divide over the Brexit vote is rooted in the central reality of our times -- a world being reshaped by globalization and technology, writes Fareed Zakaria. 2016-06-28 19:51 4KB rss.cnn.com 60 Gunmen storm hotel in Mogadishu; 15 killed, police say Gunmen stormed the Naso Hablod hotel in the Somali capital of Mogadishu Saturday after detonating a car filled with explosives at the hotel gate, police say. 2016-06-28 19:49 2KB rss.cnn.com 61 Rio de Janeiro hospital attack sparks new security concerns Rio de Janeiro's largest public hospital and one of the five designated to treat tourists during the upcoming Summer Olympic Games was attacked by armed gunmen during the weekend, leaving one person dead and two injured. 2016-06-28 19:40 2KB rss.cnn.com 62 KZN teacher suspended for corporal punishment A KwaZulu-Natal teacher has been suspended after a video of her beating Grade 12 girls in class circulated online. 2016-06-28 19:38 1KB www.news24.com 63 61% of Gauteng residents think SA going in the wrong direction The number of Gauteng residents satisfied with their local municipalities has declined since 2013, according to the 2015 Gauteng Quality of Life survey. 2016-06-28 19:38 5KB www.news24.com 64 Parliament looking at replacing Thoko Didiza Parliament has already started looking at replacements for MP Thoko Didiza. 2016-06-28 21:26 1KB www.news24.com 65 Curt Schilling Trashes ESPN On Reddit AMA Baseball legend Curt Schilling continued his trend of bashing his former employer ESPN during a Reddit "Ask Me Anything. " One user asked him about whether he viewed being cut out of the "Four Days 2016-06-28 20:22 1KB dailycaller.com 66 Arianny Celeste Shares Swimsuit Pictures UFC superstar personality Arianny Celeste continues to post swimsuit photos on Instagram. Her 2.2 million fans also clearly loved her latest two photos. (SLIDESHOW: These Are The Hottest Photos 2016-06-28 20:22 1KB dailycaller.com 67 Despite Orlando, Pentagon Claims ISIS Hasn't Won In A Year A Pentagon spokesman claimed Tuesday that Islamic State has not had a "strategic victory" in over a year. The Pentagon often defines success against ISIS in terms of its territorial control in its cor 2016-06-28 20:22 2KB dailycaller.com 68 Helium Running Low, Huge Deposit Found As the world faces a helium shortage, scientists say they have found a huge new deposit in the Tanzanian East African Rift Valley. Researchers from Oxford and Durham Universities teamed up with Nor 2016-06-28 20:22 3KB dailycaller.com 69 Man Sues Tesla, Claims Model X Is A Lemon An owner of three Tesla vehicles filed a lawsuit against the electric automaker in May, stating his Model X's doors malfunction and the autopilot feature was dangerous in the rain. Barrett Lyon n 2016-06-28 20:22 3KB dailycaller.com 70 Zombie Apocalypse Step 1: Find The Twinkie Factory If a zombie apocalypse were to kill off almost every human in the world and food production ceased forever, survivors would not have to worry about going hungry, at least for several decades. All t 2016-06-28 20:22 2KB dailycaller.com 71 What Happens To Sansa Stark In Season 7 Game Of Thrones? Sophie Turner's character became a major player on "Game of Thrones" this season, and after that explosive finale aired Sunday night, she opened up about what's to come for Sansa Stark. "I think Sa 2016-06-28 20:22 2KB dailycaller.com 72 Donald Trumps Clinton In Bill's Home State In New Poll Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump dominates Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton in her husband's home state of Arkansas in a new poll. In the state that former President Bill Clinton 2016-06-28 20:22 2KB dailycaller.com 73 Richard Branson Calls for Brexit Re-Vote Founder and chairman of Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson, said the company has lost about a third of its value since the Brexit vote Thursday. Branson said Britain will fall into a recession, 2016-06-28 20:22 3KB dailycaller.com 74 Judge: Clerks Cannot Refuse To Issue Gay Marriage Licenses A federal judge has negated part of Mississippi's new law that allowed clerks to refuse issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples based on their religious beliefs. U. S. District Judge Carlton 2016-06-28 20:22 3KB dailycaller.com 75 Metro Officials Quiet After 'Debris Fire' Injures Commuter Officials with the D. C. Metro left riders in confusion after smoke appeared to engulf the tracks at the Gallery Place metro station Monday, sending one person to the hospital. Metro officials never 2016-06-28 20:22 2KB dailycaller.com 76 Three Teenagers Are Making A KILLING By Hacking Tech Giants Three teenagers who make up the hacker group known as "OurMine" ran a cybersecurity clinic by infiltrating several of the biggest tech executives' social media accounts recently. One of the mem 2016-06-28 20:22 2KB dailycaller.com 77 Manziel's Shares Cell Phone Number On Instagram Infamous NFL partier Johnny Manziel appears like he might have accidentally given his cell phone number to the whole world. Manziel posted a picture of what appears to be himself with a new tattoo 2016-06-28 20:22 1KB dailycaller.com 78 VW owners in US to get up to $10,000 in emissions deal Volkswagen car drivers in the US affected by its emissions scandal are to get up to $10,000 in compensation after the firm agrees a deal with regulators. 2016-06-28 19:21 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 79 Study: Batteries Aren't Good Enough To Support Green Energy Storing enough electricity in batteries to support wind and solar power faces enormous physical problems, which could make it economically impossible, according to a study published Tuesday by chemi 2016-06-28 20:22 5KB dailycaller.com 80 It Takes 188 Mln Hours Of Paperwork To Comply With EPA Regs The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is not only costing heavy industries billions of dollars a year, the agency is also forcing companies to spend 188 million hours every year filing paperwork t 2016-06-28 20:22 3KB dailycaller.com 81 Death threats shadow minister Pat Glass will not stand again as MP A pro-Europe Labour shadow minister who had death threats made against her has said she will not stand again as an MP. Pat Glass did not attend the referendu... 2016-06-28 18:31 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk
82 Chris Cuomo Drinking Before Car Wreck In The Hamptons Chris Cuomo knocked a few back before he got behind the wheel of his convertible and wrecked, a new report claims. [caption id="attachment_5103853" align="alignnone" width="640"] (Photo: Justin Su 2016-06-28 20:22 1KB dailycaller.com 83 Supreme Court Will Not Rehear Friedrichs Case The U. S. Supreme Court decided against rehearing a case Tuesday that aimed to end mandatory union dues for all public- sector employees. Rebecca Friedrichs and nine other teachers were on the verge 2016-06-28 20:22 2KB dailycaller.com 84 Jackson References Jim Crow In Fighting For 'Underground' Rev. Jesse Jackson urged Dish Network to bring back Tribune Broadcasting and WGN, which carries "Underground," asking if Dish "is using the same kind of math with ratings that the old south employed w 2016-06-28 20:22 2KB dailycaller.com 85 Risk of suicide if autistic man accused of hacking extradited to US, court told An autistic man accused of hacking into US government computers would be at "high risk" of killing himself if he is extradited to America, a court heard. Lau... 2016-06-28 18:30 6KB www.dailymail.co.uk 86 National Union of Teachers calls for Government talks to avert strike action The Government is being urged to hold talks with union leaders in a bid to avert a planned strike by teachers in a row over pay and conditions. Members of th... 2016-06-28 18:29 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 87 Three arrests made after man racially abused on a tram Police hunting three people seen on camera racially abusing a man on a tram have made arrests. The victim, who appears to be mixed-race, had beer thrown at h... 2016-06-28 18:29 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk 88 U. S. first-quarter GDP revised up, Brexit risk to outlook By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON, June 28 (Reuters) - U. S. economic growth slowed in the first quarter but not as sharply as previously estimated, and while ther... 2016-06-28 18:29 6KB www.dailymail.co.uk 89 The Week in Photos Find this week's top photos from around the globe in ABC News' This Week in Pictures slideshow Week in pictures, this week in pictures, the week in pictures, photos news, news slideshow 2016-06-28 19:21 685Bytes abcnews.go.com 90 Stephen Crabb to launch Tory leadership bid on joint ticket with Sajid Javid Stephen Crabb is to launch a bid for the Conservative leadership - on a joint ticket with Sajid Javid as his number two. The Work and Pensions Secretary and... 2016-06-28 18:28 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk 91 Woman commits suicide over morphed picture on Facebook The family of a 21-year-old woman, who committed suicide after her morphed picture was uploaded on Facebook, has refused to take her body for cremation alleging lack of prompt action and demanding immediate arrest of the culprits behind the cyber crime 2016-06-28 19:27 2KB www.mid-day.com 92 Egypt deports Liliane Daoud, British- Lebanese talkshow host Egyptian authorities deport popular British-Lebanese TV talkshow host, Liliane Daoud, whose programme aired views critical of the government. 2016-06-28 19:21 3KB www.bbc.co.uk 93 Five facts about Icelandic football hey are the tiny nation who humiliated England 2-1 at Euro 2016 on Monday - so what do we know about Iceland? 2016-06-28 19:21 4KB www.bbc.co.uk 94 Parrot squawk 'evidence' in murder trial A prosecutor in Sand Lake, Michigan is considering whether the squawkings of a foul-mouthed African Grey Parrot may be used as evidence in a murder trial. 2016-06-28 19:21 1KB www.bbc.co.uk 95 Inside Falluja after IS: 'The air smelt of war' BBC Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen reports from inside Falluja after IS militants were pushed out of the city. 2016-06-28 19:21 3KB www.bbc.co.uk 96 US border authority seeks travellers' social media details Travellers seeking visa waiver entry to the US may soon be asked to list their social media profiles, if a Department of Homeland Security proposal is enacted. 2016-06-28 19:21 2KB www.bbc.co.uk 97 Andy Murray starts brightly with Wimbledon win over Liam Broady There were no first-round dramas for Andy Murray as he eased past countryman Liam Broady to open his Wimbledon campaign. After being taken to five sets in hi... 2016-06-28 18:24 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk 98 England players had 'absolute faith' in boss Hodgson, insists captain Rooney England captain Wayne Rooney insists Roy Hodgson commanded "absolute faith" from the dressing room, denying reports that senior players were unhappy with his... 2016-06-28 18:23 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 99 Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp delighted to sign Sadio Mane after four-year chase Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp tracked Sadio Mane for four years before finally managing to sign him. The 24-year-old became Liverpool's third most expensive... 2016-06-28 18:23 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk 100 Michelle Obama in Morocco to launch girls' fund US First Lady Michelle Obama launched a $100 million aid package in Morocco Tuesday to promote the education of girls in a country where half of females over... 2016-06-28 18:23 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk Articles
Total 100 articles, created at 2016-06-29 00:02
1 US military failed Americans in Benghazi, says House (2.31/3) The US military failed to protect four Americans who died in attacks on a US compound in the Libyan city of Benghazi, says a Congressional report. The Obama administration was criticised for lax security and a slow response to the 2012 attacks on a US compound, in the report by House Republicans. But they found no new evidence of wrongdoing by ex-Secretary of State and White House hopeful Hillary Clinton. The issue has long haunted her on the campaign trail. Islamic militants stormed the US compound in the Libyan city of Benghazi in 2012, killing four Americans including ambassador Chris Stevens. Earlier this year, Mrs Clinton said she took responsibility for the attack during an 11-hour hearing before the House Republicans committee on the matter. Military leaders have said they did not have sufficient intelligence on what was happening or the resources to respond quickly enough. In announcing the conclusion of the committee's investigation, chairman Trey Gowdy, a Republican from South Carolina, said: "Nothing was en route to Libya at the time the last two Americans were killed almost eight hours after the attacks began. " US help was too slow because of "an obsession with hurting the Libyans' feelings," he said. The report has "not found anything to contradict the conclusions of multiple, earlier investigations," Mrs Clinton's campaign said in a statement. Democrats, in their own report, said the State Department's security measures were "woefully inadequate" but Mrs Clinton had never refused requests for more security. They called the Republicans' report a "conspiracy theory on steroids, bringing back long-debunked allegations with no credible evidence whatsoever. " They accused the committee's Republican majority of targeting Mrs Clinton but Mr Gowdy said that was never the committee's aim.
The Latest: House GOP faults US military Benghazi response washingtontimes.com
The 5 most serious accusations from House Republicans’ Benghazi report washingtonpost.com 2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
2 Reporter Concerned About Cost Of Benghazi Report (2.13/3) Washington Post national security reporter Adam Goldman pointed out that the money spent on the House Select Committee on Benghazi could have funded his area’s public elementary school for three years. Goldman is upset over the $7 million price tag for the investigation. Linking to his own news story which declared the report ” confirms that Defense Department actions could not have saved the lives of four Americans killed,” Goldman asked, “For $7 million what did the Benghazi committee achieve?” For $7 million what did the Benghazi committee achieve? https://t.co/FiLFAWFYsd — Adam Goldman (@adamgoldmanwp) June 28, 2016 Following up that tweet, Goldman then linked to the budget for his local elementary school, $2.4 million. Noting the cost of the Benghazi committee could fund my local public elementary school for next three years. https://t.co/I5lh4QaMUA — Adam Goldman (@adamgoldmanwp) June 28, 2016 In response to that tweet, national security reporter for The Intercept Matthew Cole mockingly responded, “But what they could learn from the report has so much more value!” @adamgoldmanwp But what they could learn from the report has so much more value! — Matthew Cole (@matthewacole) June 28, 2016 Goldman replied, “You can’t put a price tag on the truth.” @matthewacole you can’t put a price tag on the truth. — Adam Goldman (@adamgoldmanwp) June 28, 2016 Some on social media pushed back. @adamgoldmanwp imagine the cost savings if they didn’t lie and try to cover it up!! — Bilford Wrimley (@Bilford_Wrimley) June 28, 2016 . @adamgoldmanwp So could the cost of Obama’s 2013 Christmas vacation. https://t.co/mEldplq7Z8 — neontaster (@neontaster) June 28, 2016 The Latest: House GOP faults US military Benghazi response washingtontimes.com
Benghazi committee releases investigation report ajc.com 2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
3 The UK's EU referendum: All you need to know (1.12/3) This article is designed to be an easy-to-understand guide now that the UK has voted to leave the European Union. A referendum - a vote in which everyone (or nearly everyone) of voting age can take part - was held on Thursday 23 June, to decide whether the UK should leave or remain in the European Union. Leave won by 52% to 48%. The referendum turnout was 71.8%, with more than 30 million people voting. It was the highest turnout in a UK-wide vote since the 1992 general election. England voted strongly for Brexit, by 53.4% to 46.6%, as did Wales, with Leave getting 52.5% of the vote and Remain 47.5%. Scotland and Northern Ireland both backed staying in the EU. Scotland backed Remain by 62% to 38%, while 55.8% in Northern Ireland voted Remain and 44.2% Leave. The European Union - often known as the EU - is an economic and political partnership involving 28 European countries (click here if you want to see the full list). It began after World War Two to foster economic co-operation, with the idea that countries which trade together are more likely to avoid going to war with each other. It has since grown to become a "single market" allowing goods and people to move around, basically as if the member states were one country. It has its own currency, the euro, which is used by 19 of the member countries, its own parliament and it now sets rules in a wide range of areas - including on the environment, transport, consumer rights and even things such as mobile phone charges. Click here for a beginners' guide to how the EU works. It is a word that has become used as a shorthand way of saying the UK leaving the EU - merging the words Br itain and exit to get Brexit, in a same way as a Greek exit from the EU was dubbed Grexit in the past. For the UK to leave the EU it has to invoke an agreement called Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty . Cameron or his successor needs to decide when to invoke this - that will then set in motion the formal legal process of withdrawing from the EU, and give the UK two years to negotiate its withdrawal. The article has only been in force since late 2009 and it hasn't been tested yet, so no-one really knows how the Brexit process will work, according to BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman. Mr Cameron, who has said he would be stepping down as PM by October, said he will go to the European Council next week to "explain the decision the British people have taken". EU law still stands in the UK until it ceases being a member - and that process could take some time. The UK will continue to abide by EU treaties and laws, but not take part in any decision-making, as it negotiates a withdrawal agreement and the terms of its relationship with the now 27 nation bloc. A lot depends on the kind of deal the UK agrees with the EU after exit. If it remains within the single market, it would almost certainly retain free movement rights, allowing UK citizens to work in the EU and vice versa. If the government opted to impose work permit restrictions, as UKIP wants, then other countries could reciprocate, meaning Britons would have to apply for visas to work. While there could be limitations on British nationals' ability to live and work in EU countries, it seems unlikely they would want to deter tourists. There are many countries outside the EEA that British citizens can visit for up to 90 days without needing a visa and it is possible that such arrangements could be negotiated with European countries. Again, it depends on whether the UK government decides to introduce a work permit system of the kind that currently applies to non-EU citizens, limiting entry to skilled workers in professions where there are shortages. Citizens' Advice has reminded people their rights have not changed yet and asked anyone to contact them if they think they have been discriminated against following the Leave vote. Yes. It is a British document - there is no such thing as an EU passport, so your passport will stay the same. In theory, the government could, if it wanted, decide to change the colour, which is currently standardised for EU countries, says the BBC's Europe correspondent, Chris Morris. The single market is seen by its advocates as the EU's biggest achievement and one of the main reasons it was set up in the first place. Britain was a member of a free trade area in Europe before it joined what was then known as the common market. In a free trade area countries can trade with each other without paying tariffs - but it is not a single market because the member states do not have to merge their economies together. The European Union single market, which was completed in 1992, allows the free movement of goods, services, money and people within the European Union, as if it was a single country. It is possible to set up a business or take a job anywhere within it. The idea was to boost trade, create jobs and lower prices. But it requires common law-making to ensure products are made to the same technical standards and imposes other rules to ensure a "level playing field". Critics say it generates too many petty regulations and robs members of control over their own affairs. Mass migration from poorer to richer countries has also raised questions about the free movement rule. Read more: A free trade area v EU single market No nation state has ever left the EU. But Greenland, one of Denmark's overseas territories, held a referendum in 1982, after gaining a greater degree of self government, and voted by 52% to 48% to leave, which it duly did after a period of negotiation. The BBC's Carolyn Quinn visited Greenland at the end of last year to find out how they did it. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said in the wake of the Leave result that it is "democratically unacceptable" that Scotland faces being taken out of the EU when it voted to Remain. A second independence referendum for the country is now "highly likely" , she has said. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the impact in Northern Ireland would be "very profound" and that the whole island of Ireland should now be able to vote on reunification. But Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers has ruled out the call from Sinn Féin for a border poll, saying the circumstances in which one would be called did not exist. David Cameron has said a new prime minister should be in place by the beginning of the Conservative party conference on 2 October. Nominations for a replacement leader will come from Conservative members of the House of Commons. If one nomination is received, the new leader is declared elected. If two nominations are made, both names go forward for the members of the party across the UK to vote on by post. In the event that three or more MPs are nominated for leader, a ballot of Conservative MPs is held "on the Tuesday immediately following the closing date for nominations". During the referendum campaign, the prime minister said the so-called "triple lock" for state pensions would be threatened by a UK exit. This is the agreement by which pensions increase by at least the level of earnings, inflation or 2.5% every year - whichever is the highest. If economic performance deteriorates, the Bank of England could decide on a further programme of quantitative easing, as an alternative to cutting interest rates, which would lower bond yields and with them annuity rates. So anyone taking out a pension annuity could get less income for their money. The Bank of England may consider raising interest rates to combat extra pressure on inflation. That would make mortgages and loans more expensive to repay but would be good news for savers. The Treasury previously forecast a rise of between 0.7% and 1.1% in mortgage borrowing costs, with the prime minister claiming the average cost of a mortgage could increase by up to £1,000 a year. The Treasury argued during the referendum campaign that UK shares would become less attractive to foreign investors in the event of Brexit and would therefore decline in value, but in the longer term shares typically rise with company profits. Big exporters might benefit from the weaker pound, so the value of their shares might well rise, while importers might see profits squeezed. Journalists and writers on social media have greeted the reintroduction of duty-free sales as an "upside" or "silver lining" of Brexit. As with most Brexit consequences, whether this will happen depends on how negotiations with the EU play out - whether the "customs union" agreement between Britain and the EU is ended or continued. Eurotunnel boss Jacques Gounon said last November the reintroduction of duty-free would be "an incredible boost for my business" but he later said that remark had been "light-hearted". Erik Juul-Mortensen, president of the Tax Free World Association (TFWA) said after the referendum vote "it is not possible to predict how Brexit will affect the duty free and travel retail industry, and it is wiser not to make assumptions about exactly what the impact will be. " No-one knows for definite. The EHIC card - which entitles travellers to state- provided medical help for any condition or injury that requires urgent treatment, in any other country within the EU, as well as several non-EU countries - is not an EU initiative. It was negotiated between countries within a group known as the European Economic Area, often simply referred to as the single market (plus Switzerland, which confusingly is not a member of the EEA, but has agreed access to the single market). Therefore, the future of Britons' EHIC cover could depend on whether the UK decided to sever ties with the EEA. Probably not, says BBC Europe correspondent Chris Morris , because there's no EU-wide law on vehicle registration or car number places, and the EU flag symbol is a voluntary identifier and not compulsory. The DVLA says there has been no discussion about what would happen to plates with the flag if the UK voted to leave. Could the necessary legislation pass the Commons, given that a lot of MPs - all SNP and Lib Dems, nearly all Labour and many Conservatives - were in favour of staying? The referendum result is not legally binding - Parliament still has to pass the laws that will get Britain out of the 28 nation bloc, starting with the repeal of the 1972 European Communities Act. The withdrawal agreement also has to be ratified by Parliament - the House of Lords and/or the Commons could vote against ratification, according to a House of Commons library report. In practice, Conservative MPs who voted to remain in the EU would be whipped to vote with the government. Any who defied the whip would have to face the wrath of voters at the next general election. One scenario that could see the referendum result overturned, is if MPs forced a general election and a party campaigned on a promise to keep Britain in the EU, got elected and then claimed that the election mandate topped the referendum one. Two-thirds of MPs would have to vote for a general election to be held before the next scheduled one in 2020. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg is not a European Union institution. It was set up by the Council of Europe, which has 47 members including Russia and Ukraine. So quitting the EU will not exempt the UK from its decisions. However, the UK government is committed to repealing the Human Rights Act which requires UK courts to treat the ECHR as setting legal precedents for the UK, in favour of a British Bill of Rights. As part of that, David Cameron is expected to announce measures that will boost the powers of courts in England and Wales to over-rule judgements handed down by the ECHR. However, the EU has its own European Court of Justice, whose decisions are binding on EU institutions and member states. Its rulings have sometimes caused controversy in Britain and supporters of a Brexit have called for immediate legislation to curb its powers. BBC Europe editor Katya Adler says the UK would have to start from scratch with no rebate, and enter accession talks with the EU. Every member state would have to agree to the UK re-joining. But she says with elections looming elsewhere in Europe, other leaders might not be generous towards any UK demands. New members are required to adopt the euro as their currency, once they meet the relevant criteria, although the UK could try to negotiate an opt-out. The UK Independence Party, which won the last European elections, and received nearly four million votes - 13% of those cast - in May's general election, campaigned for Britain's exit from the EU. About half of Conservative MPs, including five cabinet ministers, several Labour MPs and the DUP were also in favour of leaving. They said Britain was being held back by the EU, which they said imposed too many rules on business and charged billions of pounds a year in membership fees for little in return. They also wanted Britain to take back full control of its borders and reduce the number of people coming here to live and/or work. One of the main principles of EU membership is "free movement", which means you don't need to get a visa to go and live in another EU country. The Leave campaign also objected to the idea of "ever closer union" and what they see as moves towards the creation of a "United States of Europe". Prime Minister David Cameron wanted Britain to stay in the EU. He sought an agreement with other European Union leaders to change the terms of Britain's membership. He said the deal would give Britain "special" status and help sort out some of the things British people said they didn't like about the EU, like high levels of immigration - but critics said the deal would make little difference. Read more: What Cameron wanted v what he got Sixteen members of the PM's cabinet also backed staying in. The Conservative Party pledged to be neutral in the campaign - but the Labour Party, SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems were all in favour of staying in. US president Barack Obama also wanted Britain to remain in the EU, as did other EU nations such as France and Germany. Those campaigning for Britain to stay in the EU said it gets a big boost from membership - it makes selling things to other EU countries easier and, they argued, the flow of immigrants, most of whom are young and keen to work, fuels economic growth and helps pay for public services. They also said Britain's status in the world would be damaged by leaving and that we are more secure as part of the 28 nation club, rather than going it alone. Big business - with a few exceptions - tended to be in favour of Britain staying in the EU because it makes it easier for them to move money, people and products around the world. BT chairman Sir Mike Rake, a recent CBI president, said there were "no credible alternatives" to staying in the EU. But others disagreed, such as Lord Bamford, chairman of JCB, who said an EU exit would allow the UK to negotiate trade deals as our country "rather than being one of 28 nations". Morgan Stanley sources told BBC business reporter Joe Lynam that it had started the process of moving about 2,000 staff based in London to either Dublin or Frankfurt. Ahead of the vote, the president of the investment bank, Colm Kelleher, told Bloomsberg that Brexit would be "the most consequential thing that we've ever seen since the war". Yes, says BBC Europe editor Katya Adler. There will still be 27 other EU states in the bloc, and others wanting to join in the future, and the common language tends to be English - "much to France's chagrin", she says. Probably not, is the answer. It would depend on whether or not the UK decided to get rid of current safety standards. Even if that happened any company wanting to export to the EU would have to comply with its safety rules, and it's hard to imagine a company would want to produce two batches of the same products. Thanks for sending in your questions. Here are a selection of them, and our answers: The good news for Edward, from Cambridge, who asked this question, is we have been working on exactly such a list. Click here for the latest version. In answer to this query from Nancy from Hornchurch - the UK is one of 10 member states who pay more into the EU budget than they get out, only France and Germany contribute more. In 2014/15, Poland was the largest beneficiary, followed by Hungary and Greece. The UK also gets an annual rebate that was negotiated by Margaret Thatcher and money back, in the form of regional development grants and payments to farmers, which added up to £4.6bn in 2014/15. According to the latest Treasury figures, the UK's net contribution for 2014/15 was £8.8bn - nearly double what it was in 2009/10. The National Audit Office, using a different formula which takes into account EU money paid directly to private sector companies and universities to fund research, and measured over the EU's financial year, shows the UK's net contribution for 2014 was £5.7bn. Read more number crunching from Reality Check. David, from East Sussex, is worried about what will happen to his retirement plans. This is one of those issues where it is not possible to say definitively what would happen. At the moment, the large British expat community in Spain gets free access to Spanish GPs and their hospital treatment is paid for by the NHS. After they become permanent residents Spain pays for their hospital treatment. Similar arrangements are in place with other EU countries. If Britain remains in the single market, or the European Economic Area as it is known, it might be able to continue with this arrangement, according to a House of Commons library research note. If Britain has to negotiate trade deals with individual member states, it may opt to continue paying for expats' healthcare through the NHS or decide that they would have to cover their own costs if they continue to live abroad, if the country where they live declines to do so. Dee, from Launceston, wanted to know what would happen to EU laws covering protected species such as bats in the event of Britain leaving the EU. The answer is that they would remain in place, initially at least. After the Leave vote, the government will probably review all EU-derived laws in the two years leading up to the official exit date to see which ones to keep or scrap. The status of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas, which are designated by the EU, would be reviewed to see what alternative protections could be applied. The same process would apply to European Protected Species legislation, which relate to bats and their habitats. The government would want to avoid a legislative vacuum caused by the repeal of EU laws before new UK laws are in place - it would also continue to abide by other international agreements covering environmental protection. Martin, from Poole, in Dorset, wanted to know what taxpayers are likely to get back from the benefit curbs negotiated by David Cameron in Brussels. We don't exactly know because the details have not been worked out. HM Revenue and Customs have suggested about 20,000 EU nationals receive child benefit payments in respect of 34,000 children in their country of origin at an estimated cost of about £30m. But the total saving is likely to be significantly less than that because Mr Cameron did not get the blanket ban he wanted. Instead, payments will be linked to the cost of living in the countries where the children live. David Cameron has said that as many as 40% of EU migrant families who come to Britain could lose an average of £6,000 a year of in-work benefits when his "emergency brake" is applied. The DWP estimates between 128,700 and 155,100 people would be affected. But the cuts will be phased in. New arrivals will not get tax credits and other in-work benefits straight away but will gradually gain access to them over a four year period at a rate yet to be decided. Sophie from Peterborough, who asks the question, need not worry. We have consulted Alasdair Rendall, president of the UK Eurovision fan club, who says: "All participating countries must be a member of the European Broadcasting Union. The EBU - which is totally independent of the EU - includes countries both inside and outside of the EU, and also includes countries such as Israel that are outside of Europe. Indeed the UK started participating in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957, 16 years before joining the then EEC. " John, in London, is concerned about what will happen to house prices if "millions of EU citizens need to leave" the UK following the referendum, creating a flood of available housing. This is one of those questions where there is no clear-cut factual answer. But we can say that none of the main players are suggesting that citizens of other EU countries will be "sent packing" (to use John's phrase) after the Leave vote. There are a host of other variables that have an impact on property prices, including things like interest rates and the general state of the economy. Ged, from Liverpool, suspects "red tape" is a euphemism for employment rights and environmental protection. According to the Open Europe think tank , four of the top five most costly EU regulations are either employment or environment-related. The UK renewable energy strategy, which the think- tank says costs £4.7bn a year, tops the list. The working time directive (£4.2bn a year) - which limits the working week to 48 hours - and the temporary agency workers directive (£2.1bn a year), giving temporary staff many of the same rights as permanent ones - are also on the list. There is nothing to stop a future UK government reproducing these regulations in British law following the decision to leave the EU. And the costs of so-called "red tape" will not necessarily disappear overnight - if Britain opted to follow the "Norway model" and remained in the European Economic Area most of the EU-derived laws would remain in place. Ste, in Bolton, asked about this. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership - or TTIP - currently under negotiation between the EU and United States will create the biggest free trade area the world has ever seen. Cheerleaders for TTIP, including David Cameron, believe it could make American imports cheaper and boost British exports to the US to the tune of £10bn a year. But many on the left, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, fear it will shift more power to multinational corporations, undermine public services, wreck food standards and threaten basic rights. Quitting the EU means the UK would not be part of TTIP. It would have negotiate its own trade deal with the US. Paddy, from Widnes, wanted to know how leaving the EU will affect the number of doctors we have and impact the NHS. This became an issue in the referendum debate after the Leave campaign claimed the money Britain sends to the EU, which it claims is £350m a week, could be spent on the NHS instead. The BBC's Reality Check team looked into this claim. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that leaving the EU would lead to budget cuts and an exodus of overseas doctors and nurses. The Leave campaign dismissed his intervention as "scaremongering" and insisted that EU membership fees could be spent on domestic services like the NHS. Former Labour health secretary Lord Owen has said that because of TTIP (see answer above) the only way to protect the NHS from further privatisation was to get out of the EU.
Bitter backlash post EU referendum bbc.co.uk
EU Referendum: Did the polls all get it wrong again? bbc.co.uk Britain's EU Referendum Photos abcnews.go.com 2016-06-28 21:26 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
4 State Made Marines Change Uniform 4 TIMES During Benghazi (1.07/3) A House report released Tuesday shows in the immediate aftermath of the Benghazi attacks, Department of State officials mulled over asking Marines, who were being considered for deployment, to take off their uniforms, as officials were concerned American flags on the uniforms would damage diplomatic relations in the region. According to the 800-page report, as the situation in Benghazi was unfolding, State Department officials held a teleconference call to ostensibly decide the best response to the attacks. For a large part of the discussion, officials decided to talk about the origins of the attack, instead of weighing different rescue options. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough was in charge of the call. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was also on the call. When officials finally got to the topic of rescue plans, one State official raised the question of whether Marines on call should be deployed wearing civilian clothing, rather than military uniforms. In response to queries from investigators, Undersecretary of State for Management Patrick Kennedy justified the comments by saying the Americans flags on the uniforms of U. S. military personnel might have hampered diplomatic relations. In reality, Marines don’t actually have American flags on their uniforms, but that didn’t stop State Department officials from debating the question. During the investigation following the Benghazi debacle, one Marine commander told staff they continuously had to put on their uniforms, take them off and put them back on again, during the period of time when officials were considering deploying them to the area. The report states that none of the forces available to potentially land in Benghazi met their deployment deadlines, as the “Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team (FAST) sat on a plane in Rota, Spain for three hours, and changed in and out of their uniforms four times .” In the end, the military did not deploy to Benghazi. Four Americans died in the attack perpetrated by extremist Muslims. American Ambassador Chris Stevens was among those killed. Follow Jonah Bennett on Twitter Send tips to [email protected] . Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
The Latest: House GOP faults US military Benghazi response washingtontimes.com 2016-06-28 20:22 National Security dailycaller.com
5 Jeremy Hunt suggests second EU referendum (1.06/3) People should have their say on the terms of the UK's exit deal with the EU, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said. Mr Hunt, who said he was "seriously considering" a bid for the Conservative leadership, said this should be either through a general election or a second referendum. He called for a "sensible compromise" on free movement in exchange for single market access. Chancellor George Osborne said he would not try to replace David Cameron. But Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb is set to declare he will stand in the contest, and backbencher John Baron is considering taking part. The PM's resignation following the UK's vote to leave the EU has triggered a Conservative leadership contest, with Boris Johnson and Theresa May seen as the frontrunners. A source close to Mr Johnson said he would not call a snap general election if he becomes prime minister, adding that he believed the referendum result would give him the mandate he required to negotiate the UK's withdrawal from the EU. In an article for the Daily Telegraph, Mr Hunt said the UK should negotiate a "Norway plus" option for the UK with Brussels, which would see "full access to the single market with a sensible compromise on free movement rules". Leave campaigners say the UK will get access to the single market without having to accept free movement of people - but other EU leaders have said this will not be possible. Mr Hunt told the BBC the terms of any UK-EU trade deals would be a "huge decision" and that people should have the chance to give their verdict. He said this could either be through a referendum or as part of the Conservative manifesto for the 2020 general election, saying the government could wait until this time before triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which sets in place a formal two-year process for leaving. Nominations for the Conservative Party leadership will open on Wednesday and close the following day and a new prime minister and party leader will be unveiled on 9 September. Mr Cameron has said he will quit as prime minister and Conservative leader by October, after the UK voted by 52% to 48% to leave the EU. He had campaigned hard for a Remain victory. Ruling himself out of the contest, Mr Osborne, who campaigned to remain in the EU, said: "I don't think I can be the person to bring this party together at the moment. " Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: "I was full-throttled in arguing for remaining in the EU and because half my party wanted to leave the EU I don't think I can be the person to bring this party together, at the moment. " The chancellor said the right candidate to lead the party and the country was the person who is "able to articulate the clearest, crispest version of what relationship we are seeking" with the EU. His view, he said, was that the relationship should involve "the best possible terms of trade" for services and goods. Asked if he believed the next leader could be someone who campaigned for Remain, Mr Osborne said: "Absolutely. " But he said he was not backing any candidate "at the moment", saying his focus was on the UK's financial and economic situation. Business Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed to the BBC he would be supporting Mr Crabb, who was promoted to the Department for Work and Pensions after Iain Duncan Smith resigned from the government in March. Mr Baron, who represents Basildon and Billericay in Essex, is considering standing on his record as a long-time Brexit backer, to ensure the referendum decision is honoured. The party's 1922 committee will oversee the contest. Its executive has suggested the contest should follow the system used to elect David Cameron in 2005, which would see MPs pick two candidates to put to the wider membership. MPs wanting to stand need to be nominated by two others to get onto the ballot paper. If there are three or more candidates, a ballot or series of ballots will be held of all the party's 331 MPs to whittle down the field to two. In each round, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated. After that, a vote of the wider party - in which all Conservative members will have a say - will be held to choose the winner, with hustings taking place. The suggested timetable had been for a leader to be in place by 2 September, with nominations opening on Wednesday 29 June and closing by noon on Thursday 30 June. However, the Conservative Party's board and the 1922 committee extended the date of the result by a week to 9 September. It means the party will have a new leader in time for its autumn conference, which starts on 2 October - the deadline David Cameron had set when he announced his intention to resign. According to a YouGov poll for the Times, Home Secretary Theresa May is favoured by 31% of Conservative voters to become the next leader, against 24% for Mr Johnson. Another Leave campaigner, Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom told BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour she was "thinking very hard" about whether to throw her hat in to the ring. Asked if she was considering running - or if it would be better to stand aside and allow a May versus Johnson contest - she said: "I'm really thinking about it very hard. "
Britain's EU Referendum Photos abcnews.go.com 2016-06-28 21:26 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
6 Brexit: 'An unprecedented geopolitical shift' (1.06/3) Historian and constitutional expert Lord Peter Hennessy looks back at British history to evaluate the significance of the referendum result. The Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History at Queen Mary University of London was speaking to the BBC's Diplomatic Correspondent James Robbins. Never in our peacetime history have so many dials been reset as a result of a single day's events. The only thing comparable in my lifetime is the end of the British Empire, which, like this, was a huge geopolitical shift. But getting rid of the British Empire was done over many, many years and by and large in the time control of the British government of the day. It left very few scars on us. But this is sudden. This is guillotine time. This is quite extraordinary and in peacetime British history quite unprecedented. If we go back to the beginning, it took three attempts for Britain to join the European project. Harold Macmillan steered his cabinet towards the first application to join the European Economic Community in July 1961, an effort which failed because of opposition from French leader Charles De Gaulle. During Harold Wilson's second application in 1967, The Labour prime minister said we wouldn't take 'no' for an answer and ended up getting exactly that again from General De Gaulle. Ted Heath finally pulled it off with President Pompidou and the law was passed in 1972, leading to our admittance in January 1973. Ever since then it's been part of the warp and woof of British foreign policy and our attitude towards the world. It's part of Britain's notion of its ability to punch heavier than its weight internationally, and it has been central to so many calculations. That's why this vote is the most remarkable jolt to the system. Where it leads in terms of the psychology of British politics as well as the personnel of British politics and indeed the very survival of the United Kingdom as a union with Scotland is all up in the air. There never has been a day when so many moving parts were thrown up in one go and nobody knows where they will fall. We know one thing and one thing only - that within a few years we shall no longer be a member of the European Union. We know so little else about how it will play out, both in terms of the emotional geography of our politics and the emotional geography of our people. The referendum has revealed deeper fissures and deeper divisions than perhaps we realised were there. We know we've been a country ill at ease with itself for a very long time, with all sorts of divides, including those based on geography and wealth. But this process has thrown it into stark relief, and we're going to have to stand back and take a long and careful look at ourselves. We will need to re-examine the kind of society we are and the kind of relationships we want in the world. Looking to our relationship with the United States, ever since the Marshall Plan brought the Western European countries together after the Second World War to put a dollar curtain up against the Iron Curtain of the Soviet Union, the US has wanted us to be a good European player. They have also wanted us to be their number one friend. We were meant to be the hinge that joined the North Atlantic instinct with the European instinct. For this reason they will be horrified by this result. Their notion of who we are and the special ingredients of our special position in the world will be as much affected as we are by this. I suspect the feeling will be that they've got enough to worry about in the world with a resurgent Putin and Middle East in the state it is without their one dependable ally causing all this trouble. They will see Britain - instead of being its usual force for stability in the world as a great and mature democracy - as a bringer of instability to Europe, and they won't like it one bit. This result, on the other hand, is, of course, a victory for democracy. The greatest strength of any country is the degree to which it is an open society and this vote showed that on that index we excel. The sovereign will of the British people is what has prevailed in producing this enormous geopolitical shift. So it's three cheers for democracy and for the 72.2% voter turnout rate. While the consequences of it are very complicated, the will of the people will obviously have to be respected. But, my heavens, it becomes a nitty gritty slog from now on. In particular, the long-term consequences for our place in the world are very considerable indeed. In 2025, we will be out of the European Union and we could be shorn of Scotland. We will be a very different country. I hope to heaven - because I love this country deeply - that it doesn't turn narrowly inward-looking and resentful. That ain't what the British people are for. Britain's EU Referendum Photos abcnews.go.com 2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
7 Labour MPs pass no-confidence motion in Jeremy Corbyn (1.02/3) A motion of no confidence in Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been passed by the party's MPs. The 172-40 vote, which is not binding, follows resignations from the shadow cabinet and calls on Mr Corbyn to quit. Mr Corbyn said the ballot had "no constitutional legitimacy" and said he would not "betray" the members who voted for him by resigning. The leader's allies have told his critics to trigger a formal leadership contest if they want to challenge him. There were four abstentions in Labour's secret ballot. Labour's leader in Scotland, Kezia Dugdale, suggested Mr Corbyn's position was untenable, telling the BBC: "If I had lost the support of 80% of my MSPs I could not do my job. " Labour MP and Corbyn critic Wes Streeting said the vote was "unprecedented", adding: "I think Jeremy just has to accept now that his leadership is untenable. " But following the result the leader issued a statement saying the government was "in disarray" following the vote to leave the EU, adding: "Labour has the responsibility to give a lead where the government will not. " He added: "I was democratically elected leader of our party for a new kind of politics by 60% of Labour members and supporters, and I will not betray them by resigning. Today's vote by MPs has no constitutional legitimacy. "We are a democratic party, with a clear constitution. Our people need Labour Party members, trade unionists and MPs to unite behind my leadership at a critical time for our country. " The most recent resignations from Mr Corbyn's top team include shadow justice minister Andy Slaughter, and a senior figure in Labour local government is now calling for Mr Corbyn to go. Dave Sparks, a councillor in Dudley and a former chair of the Local Government Association, warned that if Mr Corbyn stays, Labour will be wiped out. He told the BBC that if the leadership does not change both its leader and its course, the party is looking at its support disappearing in England as it has melted away in Scotland. Mr Corbyn faced calls to resign at a stormy meeting in the House of Commons on Monday after more than 20 members of his shadow cabinet and a similar number of junior ministers walked out, questioning his performance during the EU referendum and ability to lead the party. Dame Margaret Hodge, the Labour MP who tabled the no confidence motion, said the Parliament Labour Party meeting had been "extraordinary". "I couldn't believe the strength of feeling, the overwhelming rejection of Jeremy as our leader, and the pleading with him that he should consider his position and go with dignity," she said. But one of Mr Corbyn's allies, newly promoted shadow health secretary Diane Abbott, said the no confidence vote "has no meaning". "MPs don't choose the leader of the Labour Party, the party does," she told Today. "I think it is really sad that colleagues have chosen to stage this three-ring circus because they don't want to have a leadership election because they are not certain of winning a leadership election. "The way to resolve this is to have a leadership election. " On Monday evening Mr Corbyn - who had also rebuked his party critics during a Commons speech - told grassroots supporters from the Momentum campaign group in a rally outside Parliament to stand up for the causes they believed in - including social justice, economic equality and human rights. "Don't let the media divide us; don't let those people who wish us ill divide us," he said. "Stay together, strong and united, for the kind of world we want to live in. " Speaking at the same event, Mr McDonnell accused a "handful of MPs" of trying to "subvert" the party and challenged them to put up or shut up. "The reason for this is that this is not about one individual. This is about the democracy of the (Labour) movement. " Mr Corbyn's deputy Tom Watson told him he had "no authority" among MPs and faced the prospect of a leadership challenge. The talks between the two men were described as "civil" by a spokesman for the leader, but a senior Labour source said Mr Corbyn was left in no doubt he had lost the support of the Parliamentary Labour Party. Several Labour MPs have cited the possibility of a general election in the next six months - following on from the election of a new Conservative leader - as the reason why Mr Corbyn must now consider his position. And on Monday morning he announced a reshaped shadow cabinet to replace those that had walked out. The new shadow cabinet line-up includes: Shadow cabinet: Who’s in, who’s out? The shadow cabinet walkouts - in a bid to oust Mr Corbyn - came after the sacking at the weekend of shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn, who told Mr Corbyn he had lost confidence in his leadership. But Momentum, the campaign group that grew out of Mr Corbyn's successful leadership bid, has said 4,000 people attended the rally outside Parliament, and Mr Corbyn has also been backed by the Unite, GMB and Unison trade unions.
UK's Labour leader Corbyn loses confidence vote digitaljournal.com 2016-06-28 21:26 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
8 Crews Fighting to Contain Blaze After Freight Train Crash in Texas Video (1.02/3) Transcript for Crews Fighting to Contain Blaze After Freight Train Crash in Texas Massive fireball lighting up the sky the result of a cargo train derailment in Texas early this morning. Witnesses say the train jumped the tracks in the town of panhandle which is just outside of Amarillo. Residents are being urged to cut back on their water usage so far fighters have an up quarter to battle us planes so far. There are no reported injuries and no word on whether this is actually a Hazmat situation. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
The Latest: Injuries reported in Texas train crash washingtontimes.com 2016-06-28 20:38 ABC News abcnews.go.com
9 Reality Check: Does the UK have to trigger Article 50? (1.00/3) The claim: The UK does not have to start the formal process of leaving the EU until a time of its choosing. Reality Check verdict: There is no legal limit on how long the UK can wait before it invokes the article. The article states that the exit negotiations would take up to two years but can be extended if all the EU countries agree unanimously that they need more time. In his first public statement since the referendum result, Chancellor George Osborne said "Only the UK can trigger Article 50. We should only do that when there is a clear view about what new arrangements we are seeking with our European neighbours. " However, European leaders have been quick to ask the UK to invoke it quickly. Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag: "We expect the British government to deliver now". "The summit on Tuesday is the appropriate moment to do so. " But German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was not in favour of pushing for a speedy withdrawal. "It shouldn't take forever, that's right, but I would not fight for a short timeframe," she said. So is there any obligation on the UK government to trigger it quickly? Article 50 is an article of the Treaty of Lisbon which came into force on 1 December 2009. The Lisbon treaty amended the previous two big European treaties, the Treaty of Rome and the Maastricht Treaty. It sets out , for the first time in the history of EU integration, the process by which member states could leave the EU. The article states that the negotiations would take two years, but they can be extended if all the EU countries agree unanimously that they need more time. The final exit deal has to be approved by the European Parliament and by the other EU leaders - excluding the UK - using a 'reinforced' qualified majority. That means it has to be agreed by "at least 72% of the members of the Council representing Member States comprising at least 65% of the population of these States. EU leaders have indicated that Article 50 will start a two-year negotiation period once the UK government informs the EU in writing or in person that it wishes to invoke it. But there is no legal limit on how long the UK can wait before it invokes the article. There are some suggestions that regardless of how long the UK waits, the other 27 EU countries would start the exit deal talks between themselves sooner rather than later. They would then present the result of those negotiations to the UK once it invokes Article 50. In January 2016 the director of Vote Leave, Dominic Cummings, told the Economist magazine the UK would not have to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty immediately after a leave vote and the final terms of Brexit could be put to voters in a second referendum. But the idea of a second referendum has been widely dismissed by politicians so far. If Article 50 is invoked, the European Commission would recommend, and the Council (representing member states) adopt, a decision authorising the opening of negotiations. With such a complex and unprecedented matter at hand, both the EU and the UK government would nominate a negotiating team and its head. How big the UK and the EU teams would be and what roles there would be within the teams is all yet unknown. Once the teams are in place, the negotiations would start. They are likely to be complex and could take a lot longer than two years, especially if the UK wanted to ensure that it retains a full access to the Single Market. However, if there is no unanimous agreement to extend the negotiations, the negotiations would stop and the UK would cease to be a member of the EU. Read more: The facts behind claims in the EU debate
Brexit: George Osborne says tax rises and spending cuts needed bbc.co.uk 2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
10 Leading scorers of Euro 2016 after pre- quarters (0.01/3) Paris : Following are the leading scorers of Euro football championship after the end of pre-quarterfinals on Monday, according to Xinhua: (From left to right): Gareth Bale, Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata Three goals - Gareth Bale (Wales), Antoine Griezmann (France), Alvaro Morata (Spain) Two goals - Denis Glushakov (Russia), Bogdan Stancu (Romania), Dimitri Payet (France), Romelu Lukaku (Belgium), Ivan Perisic (Croatia), Balazs Dzsudzsak (Hungary), Nani (Portugal), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Gareth McAuley (Northern Ireland), Mario Gomez (Germany), Robbie Brady (Ireland), Graziano Pelle (Italy) One goal - Olivier Giroud (France), Fabian Schar (Switzerland), Admir Mehmedi (Switzerland), Hal Robson-Kanu (Wales), Vladimir Weiss (Slovakia), Marek Hamsik (Slovakia), Ondrej Duda (Slovakia), Eric Dier (England), Shkodran Mustafi (Germany), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Jerome Boateng(Germany), Julian Draxler (Germany), Luka Modric (Croatia), Ivan Rakitic (Croatia), Burak Yilmaz (Turkey), Ozan Tufan(Turkey), Arkadiusz Milik (Poland), Jakub Blaszczykowski (Poland), Gerard Pique (Spain), Wes Hoolahan (Ireland), Ciaran Clark (Sweden, own goal), Emanuele Giaccherini (Italy), Birkir Bjarnason (Portugal), Adam Szalai (Hungary), Zoltan Stieber (Hungary), Jamie Vardy (England), Daniel Sturridge (England), Niall McGinn (Northern Ireland), Eder (Italy), Milan Skoda (Czech Republic), Tomas Necid (Czech Republic), Nolito (Spain), Axel Witsel (Belgium), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Iceland), Birkir Saevarsson (Hungary, own goal), Armando Sadiku (Albania), Aaron Ramsey (Wales) , Neil Taylor (Wales), Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Iceland), Alessandro Schopf (Austria), Arnor Ingvi Traustason (Iceland), Zoltan Gera (Hungary), Radja Nainggolan (Belgium), Ricardo Quaresma (Portugal), Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland), Jakub Blaszczykowski (Poland), Toby Alderweireld (Belgium),Michy Batshuayi (Belgium),Eden Hazard (Belgium), Yannick Carrasco (Belgium), Giorgio Chiellini (Italy), Wayne Rooney (England), Ragnar Sigurdsson (Iceland), Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Iceland).
Draw of Euro 2016 quarters mid-day.com 2016-06-28 22:01 By IANS www.mid-day.com
11 11 Morales reminds UP law grads: Be humble Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales served a sobering lesson in humility to newly minted graduates of her alma mater and one of the country’s top law schools —the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law. “Surely your being a graduate of UP does not give you license to belittle the capabilities of graduates of other law schools,” the brutally frank former Supreme Court justice told the UP College of Law Class of 2016. A UP law diploma may be laden with prestige, but it is never about “self- entitlement,” Morales reminded them. “I have come across UP graduates who have nothing to show but their diplomas,” she said. On Monday night, the UP College of Law bestowed an honorary doctorate degree on Morales, a respected jurist who was plucked from retirement by President Aquino in July 2011 to be the country’s top graft-buster. Thus, she counted herself as a member of this year’s graduating class. “I share this accolade with you, ladies and gentlemen of UP College of Law Class of 2016. Allow me to call you my batchmates henceforth,” she said in jest. Four Presidents The 105-year-old UP College of Law is one of the most prestigious law schools in the country. It has produced four Presidents, including Ferdinand Marcos, and many of its graduates have topped the notoriously difficult bar examinations. Taught in grand manner Morales was by turns doting and stern during her speech. She applauded the law graduates on their big day. Then she warned them not to rest on their laurels. “Then and now, being a UP law graduate presupposes that you have imbibed the twin virtues of honor and excellence not only in our academic pursuits but in your daily, ordinary tasks as well. You are distinguished because you were taught the law in the grand manner—the UP way, if you will,” she said. She said a UP diploma opened “a plethora of opportunities to jump-start your law career.” But it’s not enough. “Your diploma only provides you the key to opening that door of opportunity, but whether you stay, or overstay your welcome, depends entirely on your competencies and skills,” Morales said. Humiliating non-UP grad “It should be obvious to you now that graduates of other schools will be more than eager to engage you and prove to all that they are better,” she added. Morales cited her own words eight years ago when she penned a decision reprimanding Calamba City Regional Trial Court Judge Medel Arnaldo Belen for “humiliating” lawyer Melvin Mane in February 2006 for not being a UP alumnus. During a court hearing, Mane had been asked by Belen if he was a UP graduate. The lawyer then answered that he came from Manuel L. Quezon University, and that he was “very proud of it.” Belen retorted: “Then you’re not from UP. Then you cannot equate yourself to me because there is a saying and I know this, ‘not all law students are created equal, not all law schools are created equal, not all lawyers are created equal…’” Unbecoming a judge After Mane filed a complaint, the Supreme Court found Belen guilty of conduct unbecoming a judge and reprimanded him with a warning that any repetition of similar behavior would be dealt with more severely. Morales, recalling that case, quoted a portion of the decision: “An alumnus of a particular law school has no monopoly of knowledge of the law. By hurdling the bar examinations which this court administers, taking of the lawyer’s oath, and signing of the roll of attorneys, a lawyer is presumed to be competent to discharge his functions and duties as, inter alia, an officer of the court, irrespective of where he obtained his law degree,” she wrote. “For a judge to determine the fitness or competence of a lawyer primarily on the basis of his alma mater is clearly an engagement in an argumentum ad hominem [fallacy of attacking the character or circumstances of an individual advancing a statement],” the decision read. Nostalgic of own journey Turning personal, Morales, whose seven-year term will end in 2018, waxed nostalgic about her own journey upon completing her degree from the UP College of Law almost five decades ago. “Forty-eight years ago, I was sitting there anxious and fretful just like you— not knowing what life would bring and what destiny had in store for me. Yet, like you—a graduate of the UP College of Law—I was confident that no matter what curve balls would be thrown along the way, I was ‘ready, willing and able’ to take on the journey,” she said. Love of country Morales told the UP law graduates that the nation was banking on them “to keep in mind and heart the virtue of love of country” as they stepped up to be future leaders. “The country does not need the best leaders, for, more often than not, they become the best after engaging themselves in shady compromises and illicit activities. It is enough that leaders remain good in the purest sense of the word,” she said. “Corruption, I believe, remains the single biggest problem besetting the Philippines today,” Morales said. “That corruption is commonly observed to be increasingly becoming systemic is valid. No matter how many people we hold liable, no matter how many government officials we send to jail, if the system remains uncured, the vicious cycle of corruption will not stop,” she said. She concluded her speech by reminding the graduates of their duty to the nation. Give someone hope “My supplication to you, members of the UP College of Law Class of 2016, is to give someone hope when all hope is lost; not to turn law into an instrument of oppression; and to be true to one’s ideals,” Morales said. “These are our basic responsibilities in nation-building, our onus not only as lawyers but as simple citizens. Truth be told, start living your dream. UP has done its part. It is now your turn,” she said.
2016-06-29 00:01 DJ Yap newsinfo.inquirer.net
12 Luistro: Working with media like training dragon In his six-year stint as head of the Department of Education (DepEd), Secretary Armin Luistro’s relationship with the media since he first joined the DepEd in 2010 may be likened to that of the animated movie “How To Train Your Dragon.” “Over the past six years, I think the engagement with the media is like befriending a dragon. At first, as a dragon, you spit out fire and you look like you’re out to eat us all,” a calm and relaxed Luistro said in his speech at the farewell lunch that the DepEd hosted for the media at its headquarters in Pasig City. Luistro, who admitted to being “necessarily cautious if not suspicious” of the media in the early years of his term, said it was only after he listened to media’s countless questions that he eventually learned to understand that “you don’t need to kill the dragon and that you can befriend the dragon.” “That wasn’t easy for me—someone who’s new to government [service] and accustomed to private life,” said Luistro, president of De La Salle University before he accepted the education portfolio in 2010. Not all rosy Luistro’s engagements with the media since he took office weren’t all rosy, especially during his first interview in June 2010 after he officially became the head of the DepEd. Luistro even described that moment as a “very, very bad encounter.” At that time, the proposed sex education in schools was a hot topic. After then Education Secretary Mona Valisno turned over the post to him, Luistro was asked by reporters on his position on the proposal. Luistro was caught on camera saying: “You know, the media is not helping resolve the issues. They’ll pit us against each other and they won’t discuss the issues properly, calmly. We will talk about it without media, so don’t ask me about sex education because you’re not giving any help.” Media literacy He told reporters covering the DepEd that because of that incident, President Aquino ordered Cabinet secretaries to undergo a media literacy program. “I was blamed by the new secretaries. It was because of me that we needed to undergo such seminar,” Luistro said, drawing laughter from the DepEd officials and around 40 reporters at the event. “It was toward the end of my term that I realized that you were actually doing your job. For you not to ask questions will make you lazy. For us who are new [to government], it was a bit hard to see. Over time, I realized that the engagement is also a relationship,” he said. Great ride He pointed out that if it were not for media’s incessant questioning, the public would have not known of the reforms they have initiated in the department, most especially the landmark K-12 education reform program. Luistro, who steps down on Friday as the first education secretary to finish a six-year term, described his journey with the media at the DepEd as “a great ride.”
2016-06-29 00:01 Jovic Yee newsinfo.inquirer.net
13 Duterte urged: Save the children An international child rights group has urged President- elect Rodrigo Duterte to take action on the worsening malnutrition and child hunger in the country, as the National Nutrition Month in July approached. Save the Children on Tuesday made the call at the launch of a new video advertisement highlighting the effects of stunting on a child’s growth. The two-minute video advertisement dubbed “Reach” showed a Filipino child’s struggle and difficulty to reach high objects. Scheduled to be shown in Metro Manila cinemas this July to raise awareness on the issue, the video focused on chronic malnutrition among Filipino children and on the necessity for government support to confront the matter. It was also released along with a photo exhibit that showed how impoverished Filipino families deal with malnutrition among the young. An empty plate symbolizing the 1.5 million Filipino children, who have nothing to eat every day, was one of the highlights of Save the Children’s photo exhibit. Some kids eat only rice with noodles or sardines, according to the nonprofit organization. For a minimum wage earner, a P151 daily allocation is the maximum amount one can set aside to feed a family of five. Ideally, Save the Children said a P459 budget for food would give a child a complete meal for the entire day. Lack of income and food security, and the presence of violence and corruption in the community are among the major causes of the increasing malnutrition rate in the country. “We have plenty of laws and guidelines for health and malnutrition, but we also have plenty of data proving we’re not achieving targets,” said Dr. Anthony Calibo, national program manager of the Department of Health’s Integrated Management of Childhood Illness. “Nutrition has taken a backseat,” Calibo said. Worst in a decade Overall malnutrition or stunting rate for Filipinos aged at least 2 years old was at its worst in the last 10 years at 26.2 percent in 2015, the latest National Nutrition Survey showed. Data from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute also showed that one in every two children in the poorest quantiles was stunted, or whose height was below the World Health Organization reference for his or her age. Despite high economic growth, the stunting rate also increased from 30.3 percent in 2013 to 33.5 percent in 2015 among those under 5 years old. Dr. Amado Parawan, Save the Children Health and Nutrition advisor, said the stunting problem would reflect on a weak labor force in the future. The “Lahat Dapat” campaign, therefore, aimed to call on stakeholders to step up and support efforts to tackle the problem by scaling up cost- effective and affordable nutrition interventions, addressing the status of the community-based health and nutrition front-liners, ensuring budget allocation for health and nutrition programs, and supporting the “First 1,000 Days Bill” to be refiled in the next Congress. Political will Calibo said many people were hopeful that things might change in terms of the health and nutrition picture in the country under the new administration since President-elect Duterte had shown political will in addressing malnutrition and child hunger during his term as mayor of Davao City. The manager of the health department’s integrated management of childhood illness noted that in 2014, Davao City under Duterte became the country’s first city to sign and implement an executive order on the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition, which has four components— community outreach, out-patient therapeutic program, inpatient therapeutic program and treatment of acute malnutrition through supplementary feeding program. Parawan said Save the Children was hoping that hunger and malnutrition could be prioritized by the national government the way the group was supported by the local government units in Davao City. “Hopefully, incoming President Duterte can be a champion of it,” he said. Michael Rooijackers, Save the Children deputy country director, said the organization was positive that the next administration would continue “the battle against malnutrition” and include it among its priorities. Work with Church Despite Duterte’s attacks against the Catholic Church, a priest urged the incoming leader to work with the Church in fighting poverty. Fr. Anton Pascual, executive director of Caritas Manila, said Duterte and the Church could cooperate to reduce the poverty rate in the country to single-digit figures by the end of Duterte’s term. “We hope that the new administration responds proactively to this challenge of poverty reduction through education and job generation in the provinces, reducing the poverty to single-digit figures in six years,” he said. The call came amid Duterte’s attack against the Church, slamming it as a hypocritical institution. The tough-talking Duterte also said he would aggressively promote birth control at the risk of going against the Church. Last year, he cursed Pope Francis for causing traffic jams during his five-day visit. Pascual pointed out that the last five Presidents, including outgoing President Aquino, barely made a dent in reducing poverty in the country. The Philippines has a 26-percent poverty rate in the last 30 years, he said. “Both the Duterte administration and Caritas Manila prioritize Mindanao as an area of massive social development,” he noted. With a report from Julie M. Aurelio
2016-06-29 00:01 Maricar B newsinfo.inquirer.net
14 Reds march in Davao to back peace talks DAVAO CITY—At least 30,000 farmers, lumad (indigenous) people and Left-wing activists marched on the streets here on Tuesday to praise the peace-building efforts of the incoming administration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, the city’s outgoing mayor. In a video message shown during a forum later, Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison wished Duterte success as he welcomed the largest show of support for the resumption of peace talks between the government and the CPP-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). “Two days from now, when he takes his oath of office, we wish him success in all his efforts to serve the Filipino people,” Sison told the forum participants at Almendras Gym here. Silvestre Bello III, the incoming head of the government panel negotiating peace with the NDFP, said the resumption of the peace negotiations was tentatively set either for July 16-19 or July 23-26, in Oslo, Norway. Duterte was expected to appear during the gathering, but he and his security detail were not there as of early last night. Prospects bright Fidel Agcaoili, NDFP spokesperson who attended the forum, said prospects were bright that a peace agreement would be signed during the Duterte administration. “He called himself Left, a socialist, and with that, we trust that he will push for social justice,” Agcaoili said. “[We trust Duterte] to forge reforms— socioeconomic reforms, political and constitutional reforms—so that we can finally move on to end hostilities and disposition of forces.” “We hope fervently this time that something will happen,” he said. “Then we can truly say that this is a government of reconciliation and national unity.” Duterte plays a crucial role in achieving lasting peace in Mindanao, Sison said. 10-point agenda A 10-point Mindanao Peace Agenda to be presented to Duterte and described as “actionable” during the first 100 days of his administration will be tackled during the forum, said Sheena Duazo, secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan). The peace agenda includes: Implementation of genuine agrarian reform. Implementation of national industrialization and genuine and ecologically sound development. Generation of decent employment to ensure security of tenure and promote workers’ rights. Upholding of social, economic and democratic rights and welfare for women, urban poor, teachers and the transport sector. Respect for the rights of national minorities. Adoption of a nationalist, scientific and propeople culture. Adoption of a foreign relations policy based on sovereignty. Pursuit of full accountability of public officials and ending corruption. Upholding of equitable resource allocation for the people of Mindanao from the national budget and promote democratic consultations on federalism. Promotion of propeople and proenvironment proposals, and plans to develop small and medium enterprises. Slain NPA leader Sison remembered slain New People’s Army (NPA) leader Leoncio Pitao, alias Commander Parago, who died a year ago in the hinterlands of Paquibato District here. Some 100 marchers wore masks featuring the face of Pitao. A huge streamer read, “You may kill the revolutionary but not the revolution,” while others called on the government to resume peace talks and to free political detainees. Agcaoili offered a few minutes of silence to remember Pitao and all the fallen heroes who fought for national democracy.
2016-06-29 00:01 Germelina Lacorte newsinfo.inquirer.net
15 PDI columnist in H’wood wins in CA journ awards “It was an honor to represent the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Philippines,” Entertainment columnist Ruben V. Nepales said about winning second prize in the 58th Annual Southern California Journalism Awards, presented by the Los Angeles Press Club, on Sunday night at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. One of the biggest news competitions in the area, the Annual Southern California Journalism Awards this year received a record 1,011 entries. Other reputable publications that submitted entries include the Los Angeles Times and trade bibles, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Nepales, who writes the Only IN Hollywood column thrice a week for PDI, won in the entertainment news or feature category for his story, “Woody Allen hopes to direct till he’s 100,” which was originally published on Aug. 2 last year. The California-based writer expressed elation, adding that Only IN Hollywood was also a finalist in the best columnist or critic category (foreign correspondents). “I was honored to be up against columnists from the United Kingdom’s The Guardian and The Mail on Sunday, and Canada’s CTV National News,” he said via e-mail. First prize in the category was awarded to Mike Amor, Duncan McLeod and Ben Shaw of 7 Network Australia, for “Tracy Chapman.” Nepales said he felt “triple blessed” this year with a third nomination in the entertainment feature (online) category for “A Trailblazing Orchestra of Filipino Expats,” an article on the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (Faso)—the only Filipino symphony orchestra outside the Philippines, which was published by PositivelyFilipino.com. Nepales, the first Filipino member and board chairman (in 2012) of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), a group of international journalists that presents the annual Golden Globe Awards, was elected last June 7 to the HFPA’s board of directors. He previously served on the board from 2009 to 2012.
2016-06-29 00:01 Oliver M entertainment.inquirer.net
16 Pushers give up en masse DAGUPAN CITY—Bonuan Gueset, a seaside community of over 23,000, is this city’s most populous barangay but ranked third in the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) list of villages in Pangasinan province with the biggest number of drug pushers and users. So when incoming President Rodrigo Duterte warned anew that drug addicts would be dealt with severely during his administration, about 500 illegal drug abusers and peddlers came out in Bonuan Gueset and promised authorities that they would stop “at their own free will.” The scene has been played out in cities and towns in many other provinces and in Metro Manila since Duterte won the presidency last month on a campaign platform of punitive action against drug trafficking and addiction, criminality and government corruption. On Sunday in Cebu City, Duterte said drug addicts were better off dead if they could no longer be rehabilitated because they would eventually commit crimes to sustain their addiction. In Quezon City, outgoing Philippine National Police Director General Ricardo Marquez corrected public perceptions that the antinarcotics police operations started to intensify only after Duterte’s poll victory. From January to mid-June, “we already accounted for more than 18,000 illegal drug personalities and confiscated more than 680,000 grams of ‘shabu’ (methamphetamine hydrochloride),” Marquez said in a speech on Monday during retirement honors for him at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. President Aquino, who appointed Marquez to his post last year, attended the ceremony. Marquez also said 183 fatalities were tallied in “encounters between police officers and clandestine [drug] laboratory workers, drug pushers and users.” Promissory notes Ricardo Mejia, chair of Bonuan Gueset, said the drug users and pushers who turned themselves in signed promissory notes which, he pointed out, could incriminate them in a criminal complaint. He said he would not give authorities the notes which were “just for the purpose of cross-checking in the future when law enforcers furnish me a list again.” Mejia said signing the documents would not remove them from the list of illegal drug users and pushers because the village council would keep them under surveillance to make sure they kept their promises. “Night and day, [drug users and dealers] come to see me. This [Monday] morning, three people came to sign the promissory notes. Even those who were hardheaded have softened after seeing drug-related killings on television,” he said. “At first, they were afraid to come out in the open because they assumed I would send them to jail. But I told them that as long as they promised to stop, I would give them a chance,” he said. Chance to reform In his meetings with village residents, Mejia admitted that he had used drugs but was given a chance to reform. “I tell them: ‘I am not ashamed to admit to you that I once committed a mistake, but I have changed since then. I’m telling you this because I believe everyone is capable of changing for the better,’” he said. He said it would have been easy for him to just report everyone to the authorities and claim a P50,000 reward because the police and the PDEA regularly gave him a copy of a list of drug abusers and peddlers. “But I tell them, ‘I didn’t send anyone to jail. But if you get jailed, it’s your fault. If you get killed because you fought those who are arresting you, it’s your fault,’” he said. Mejia said that among those on the list were his son, brother, nephew and a grandson. “I told them—because they are my family—that if they don’t stop, I would not want them killed by those who are killing drug suspects. So, they have changed,” he said. Eastern Police District Anticipating a promise of a changed life and free rehabilitation, some 300 suspected drug users who were on the watch list of the Eastern Police District (EPD) in Metro Manila have given up over the past two days as lawmen mounted Oplan Sagip Bukas, Oplan Kapa and Oplan Tokhang. The watch list contains 710 names, Senior Supt. Ariel Arcinas, EPD spokesperson and chief of directorial staff, told the Inquirer. It included 200 from Pasig City, 100 from Mandaluyong City, 23 from Marikina City, and nine from San Juan City. “They are treated as victims here, not as suspects, who can change,” Arcinas said. Aida Concepcion, acting head of the Pasig Antidrug Abuse Council, said the city government would try to shoulder the rehabilitation of the suspected users. Admission fee for an eight-month program costs around P4,500, she said. Those who surrendered were told to attend spiritual, livelihood, medical and physical health seminars. Senior Supt. Jose Hidalgo, Pasig police chief, said that if they would not change after undergoing rehabilitation for three months, they would be held liable. “It is hard to change without intervention. When we heard we will be under the amnesty program, we thought it was the chance for us to change,” said 20-year-old John (not his real name), a company driver who was into drugs for 20 years. As the Marikina police under Senior Supt. Vincent Calanoga launched Oplan Tokhang (Operation Knock and Warn), 24 suspected drug users showed up at the police station on Monday and signed sworn statements “regarding their involvement in illegal drugs.” They vowed not to get involved again in any illegal drug activities. The police took their fingerprints and mug shots. Davao del Sur In Digos City, Davao del Sur province, at least 130 drug pushers and users surrendered to officials of Barangay Tres de Mayo on Monday afternoon. They feared for their lives, said the village chief, Oscar Bucol. Glen, 17, admitted that he started using drugs a year ago. Mar and his wife Perlas confessed that they had no jobs and were forced to sell drugs. Another pusher named Boyet disclosed that his source was an Army soldier. Supt. Dario Gunabe, provincial police chief, said charges would not be filed against those who gave up, but they would be placed under surveillance. They will be given livelihood assistance by the local government, while some will be endorsed for admission to a rehabilitation center, Digos Mayor Joseph Peñas said. Zamboanga City In Zamboanga City, more than 40 people, 23 of them pushers, surrendered to the police station in Barangay Ayala over the weekend and five more in the villages of Tetuan and Sinunuc. “Three of the 23 are classified as among the top 10 most wanted in Ayala,” said Chief Insp. Helen Galvez, spokesperson of the city police. Supt. Luisito Magnaye, the city police chief, said among those who surrendered in Tetuan were sons of barangay officials and tanod (watchmen). With reports from Jaymee T. Gamil in Manila; and Orlando B. Dinoy and Julie S. Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao
2016-06-29 00:01 Gabriel Cardinoza newsinfo.inquirer.net
17 US high court’s one-line ruling only a temporary defeat for DACA+ “The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court,” this is the one-line ruling of the highest court of the land in the much awaited decision on Obama’s Executive Action on DACA extension and DAPA program. After more than two years of waiting for the injunction to be lifted on the programs and looking forward to a decision on the merits, immigrant rights supporters were disappointed when the Supreme Court laid out its ruling in a deadlock vote of 4-4. But it’s only a temporary defeat; there are still legal ways to move forward with the executive action. Jose Antonio Vargas, a Filipino national, is the most outspoken advocate of the DREAM Act and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In 2012 when President Obama announced the DACA program for the first time, he was not included on the list of those qualified to apply even if he was only 12 years old at the time of his arrival in the US. The first DACA program in 2012 included a requirement that the applicant must be below 31 years old at the time of the application for deferred action under DACA. Jose just turned 31 years old in 2012 and lost the opportunity to apply for DACA. His hope of getting temporary relief under DACA was revived when in 2014, President Obama announced the DACA+ and the DAPA executive actions. For the DACA+ program, the age ceiling of 31 years old was eliminated, maintaining only the minimum age requirement of 15 and below at the time of entry into the United States. Jose would have qualified, but the anti immigrants would not allow the DACA+ and the DAPA program to push through. Conservative states filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration, and a 5th District Court Judge issued an injunction against its implementation. The litigation reached the Supreme Court, and there was a hearing on the merits. Unfortunately, on June 23, 2016, the Supreme Court did not issue a decision, but rather announced a per curiam ruling stating that the court was divided and that the judgment of the lower district court is affirmed. The arguments in favor of the DACA+/DAPA Executive Actions seemed to make more legal sense during the hearing. It obviously did not turn out that way. The split in the evenly divided Supreme Court shows the sharp ideological divide between the factions in it. The feeling is that it is a politicized court with an ultra-conservative right and a liberal left-wing faction. Had Justice Scalia not passed away recently, the conservatives would have had a clear victory. On the other hand, had Congress done its job and voted on President Obama’s replacement for Justice Scalia’s seat in the Supreme Court, it would not be inconceivable that the DACA+/DAPA Executive Actions would have been upheld. To put this in perspective, this is only a temporary defeat for the immigrants. There are still legal ways to move forward with Executive Action as no decision on the merits was issued. But to initiate a new action would take time, which the current president no longer has. Come November 7, a new president will be elected. Whoever is elected as the next president gets to nominate the next Justice for the Supreme Court vacancy. That single appointment can tip the balance of the Supreme Court’s ideological divide to the left (or to the right) for years and years to come; hence, the importance of voting for the right president in the coming November election. (Atty. Lourdes Santos Tancinco, Esq. is an immigration attorney with the Tancinco Law Offices, a San Francisco CA based law firm. She may be reached at 1 888 930 0808, [email protected] , facebook.com/tancincolaw, or through her website www.tancinco.com )
2016-06-29 00:01 Lourdes Santos globalnation.inquirer.net
18 ‘Explosive’ Comelec meeting goes pfft Tuesday’s Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc meeting was “professional” and “civil,” probably since issues recently raised against its chair were not discussed. In a brief interview with reporters after the three-hour meeting, Chair Andres Bautista—speaking in a hoarse voice—said the session with the other commissioners on Tuesday “was cordial.” He then quickly entered his office. But for Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, the meeting did not settle the issues the six commissioners had raised against Bautista in a strongly- worded memorandum on June 3. “There was no closure because it was not talked about. He has no voice so I suppose we have to wait,” she told reporters. Commissioner Al Parreno presided over the session since Bautista could barely speak. Topics taken up included the budget for the coming barangay elections and voting machines supplier Smartmatic’s request for payment. Act of protest Six of the seven commissioners attended the session, with only Commissioner Christian Robert Lim absenting himself as an act of protest. The conflict in the Comelec broke out in the open after the six commissioners under chair Bautista criticized him in a memorandum for “failed leadership.” They raised in the memo issues such as the delay in payment of election workers and a mall company’s “demand for damages” after the Comelec cancelled mall voting at the last minute before the May 9 elections. Focus on division cases Guanzon, Lim and fellow Commissioner Luie Guia had also said they were not participating in the barangay elections in October “in order to focus on the cases pending in their division.” Bautista came under even more fire after he flew to Japan over the weekend without the approval of the Comelec en banc (all members). Lim, the most senior commissioner, in a memorandum dated June 27, said the Comelec chair should not have issued a travel authority to himself and he should have sought the permission of the Comelec en banc. Collegial body “Based on existing guidelines, there is no instance where a chair applies and approves his own travel authority. This is simply a concept of checks and balances. The commission en banc remains a collegial body unlike the Office of the Ombudsman. Until the existing guideline is revoked by the Comelec en banc, and another is put in place, we all have to follow the guidelines we ourselves have enacted,” Lim’s memo read. Guanzon said she had a standing request for an executive session between Bautista and the six commissioners to thresh out their differences. “It’s up to him to set the meeting and set the tone, however he wants to do it. But we cannot just bury it and forget it—it’s better to talk about it,” she said. She added: “All of these are matters of public interest, the delays in promulgation, the investigation in the hacking of the [Comelec] website. It’s a matter of public interest. He [Bautista] is liable, responsible, that’s our question.” With a report from Toni Diane Bellen
2016-06-29 00:01 Julie M newsinfo.inquirer.net
19 Beleaguered star slams kin over money matters Stress is the last thing Beleaguered Star needs right now. Still, relatives were unable to give BS much-needed respite from unnecessary tension and drama. While BS was away, Trusted Kin took charge of financial matters. BS recently discovered that there were discrepancies in the accounting of the cash. BS is certain TK is the culprit. No amount of justification can change BS’ mind—which is sad because BS needs the help and support of loved ones. Here’s hoping BS and TK would be able to look beyond this intrigue and patch things up … for BS’ sake. Power player Controversial Personality doesn’t have much luck in the political arena. Finally, CP hit the jackpot. Alas, it wasn’t CP who topped the polls. Still, CP has somehow managed to inch closer to the corridors of power. CP now has several pals in high places. Will CP use these connections to silence persistent enemies—including Feisty Flame who is waging a relentless hate campaign? Now that CP wields considerable influence, the tide can certainly turn … Afraid. Power trip Speaking of power-tripping … Vociferous Luminary’s candidates failed to win in the last elections. Instead of sulking in one corner, VL swiftly went back to work. VL has found another padrino. VL is obviously grooming and tapping Longtime Friend, who reportedly has the ear of certain important personages. When someone slams the door, VL easily finds an open window. Rated A for Abilidad! Nose for news Promising Entertainer has been hogging headlines of late. PE is all over the place. PE’s face is constantly plastered on the small screen. Such omnipresence has a downside, though, because eagle-eyed viewers got a chance to scrutinize PE’s changing visage. Seems PE has had a nip here and a tuck there—specifically, a trimmer nose! Thing is, PE is a tad too young to go under the knife. Perhaps PE believes that age doesn’t matter when it comes to cosmetic enhancements. Scene-stealer From the Inquirer tabloid Bandera: Renowned for histrionic skills, Seasoned Celeb’s dramatic flair crossed over to real life. According to a spy, SC couldn’t find the receipt that was needed in the workplace. Hapless Employee asked SC to pay for the amount. SC got all fired up—insisting that the piece of paper was already with HE. It was a measly sum, really, but SC asserted that it was a matter of principle. HE was just as obstinate and suggested they check the CCTV footage to prove SC’s allegation. Over! That was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Huffing and puffing, SC stormed off the place. HE had no choice but to settle what SC supposedly owed the company. Top of talk shows For those who missed last weekend’s gabfests on TV. (And why we are moved, if we are moved.) Liza Soberano, asked why her grandfather calls Enrique Gil “Manu”: “Manugang!”(Too sweet. Beware of diabetes.) James Reid on his relationship with Nadine Lustre: “Love works in mysterious ways.” (Basta hindi sorrowful mystery ha.) Judy Ann Santos on feeling rusty on the set of the Cinemalaya film “Kusina”: “First shooting day namin kapang-kapa ako … Nanggaling kasi ako sa hosting.” (But she feels right at home in the kitchen.) James Yap on being a dad again when girlfriend Michela Cazzola gives birth next month: “Kailangang maging hands-on tayo.” (From MVP to diaper duty?) Matteo Guidicelli on rumors that Sarah Geronimo is pregnant: “Some people are just making up stories. That’s not true.” (Moving on …) Rocco Nacino on Baron Geisler and Kiko Matos’ recent bout: “I wish it went one more round, kahit pagod na sila. Nabitin ako!” (Draw? As in drawing?) Marian Rivera on doing fight scenes in “Encantadia 2016”: “Doon ako nae- excite, sa mga fight scenes … Isa ’yun sa mga gusto kong ginagawa kapag may soap ako.” (War freak, much?) Jake Vargas, asked about his love life: “Wala po … Puro trabaho … Nakatutok po ako sa family ngayon.” (Ho-hum.) Rhian Ramos on maintaining her figure: “‘Di ako nagra-rice or pasta unless cheat day ko, which is once a week.” (Carbs.) TV Patrol, Bandila, 24 Oras
2016-06-29 00:01 By the entertainment.inquirer.net
20 West Indies conditions will be similar to India: Shami Kolkata : Medium pacer Mohammed Shami, who earned a recall to the Test side for the upcoming tour to the West Indies next month, on Tuesday said it is more important to focus on line and length as the Caribbean conditions are now similar to the subcontinent. Mohammed Shami "I have played there earlier and I haven't found them (the wickets) to be that different. They are almost similar to India. Yes, in earlier times we would hear that the wicket is bouncy and all that but now the wickets are similar to those in Asia," Shami was quoted as saying by bcci.tv. "So there is no need to be excited as a fast bowler that you will get bounce and carry. According to me it is important to focus on line and length. " The Bengal pacer was sidelined for almost a year after undergoing a knee surgery. He was in the squad for the ICC World T20 but did not play any matches. A few days back Shami was involved in India's first pink-ball game at the Eden Gardens. Speaking about his experience with the pink ball, the 26-year-old said: "This was the first pink ball game and I was (also) preparing for bowling in the days (multi-day) match, (and) how that will work out. In the game, I took five wickets (in Bhowanipore team's first innings). I bowled a 15-over spell and I felt good (that I could do that). Shami also pointed out the difference between the red and the pink ball. "The red ball stops moving after some time, but we saw that the pink ball was moving all the time. We saw in the first innings that it was moving through all the 90-95 overs," he said. "The other thing is that we play with the red ball during the day while this was a day-night game; the last two sessions are under lights so that too plays a role in the movement of the ball. " The pacer also said he was excited to join the team and would try and give his best in the tour. I'm very excited to join the team. I'm thinking about the preparation. I just played a pink ball match and I am feeling good that I am able to bowl normally, like I used to earlier," he said. Asked about his preparations, he said: "I have played there before. I have an idea of the conditions and one will have to be prepared (to utilise those). The main preparation should be for getting your line and length perfect for the wickets there (as per what suits those wickets). " Shami added he enjoys reverse swing and said he would want to continue doing that in the tour. "Yes, it is an art like you said. And I enjoy bowling all the more when my ball starts to reverse. So I do wait for the time when the ball will start reversing and then we maintain it (the ball) and start using it," he said. "And once it starts reversing (getting the) line and length (right) is very important. And that is what I try to maintain, my line and length. "
2016-06-28 22:02 By IANS www.mid-day.com
21 Twitterati go bonkers over Arvind Kejriwal's floral headgear Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is regularly targetted on Twitter -- sometimes for his statements and sometimes for his actions. Earlier, he would be an easy target for his famous 'muffler'. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader arrived in Goa on Tuesday for a two- day visit to promote his party as an alternative to Congress and the BJP in the upcoming 2017 assembly polls. He spoke on a number of issues , but all that was junked on Twitter. After all, how could the Twitterati focus on anything else when Kejriwal's floral headgear was all they could notice. The eye-grabbing piece on the AAP leader's head occupying everyone's attention. Kejriwal was presented the floral headgear as a mark of respect by local fishermen. The floral wreath is worn by locals in the ongoing local festival of San Joao. Twitterati had a field day making fun of Kejriwal. Here are some of the funniest Twitter reactions:
2016-06-28 21:53 By mid www.mid-day.com
22 Anya Gallaccio breaks out with first permanent art work Former Turner Prize- nominee Anya Gallaccio has made her name creating transient works using organic material, famously placing hundreds of gerberas behind Perspex and coating gallery walls with chocolate. Her new work, however, could not be more permanent, cast as it is in metal. Untitled 2016 is a life-size stainless steel replica of a tree situated beside the Whitworth gallery in Manchester, it is the artist's "first permanent public work" - discounting a piece in Edinburgh, which she says is "more of a private public space". Informally, it is known as the "ghost tree", a reference to its inspiration, a dead tree which was felled during the recent renovation of the gallery. She says she chose to work in stainless steel, rather than her usual organic materials, for several reasons. "One of the main elements of the work on the building by [the architects] Muma was opening up the building to the park and bringing the outside in. "That was really exciting to me as someone who has often worked with nature and its relation to architecture or culture. "[Sir Joseph] Whitworth himself had a strong relationship to steel, to industry and to innovation, so working with steel seemed an obvious starting point. "I also really love the stainless steel mullings on the building, so it seemed like a way of acknowledging the building. "It's a circular thing. The tree is part of the gallery, in that it was commissioned by that institution, and it's now part of the park - it's a knitting of everything back together. " The piece came about after she was asked "to do a project" by the gallery's director Maria Balshaw. "We were talking about trees - when we discussed what I might do and what it might cost to make something of that scale, I was like 'okay, that's not going to happen'. "It's quite difficult to make that leap in scale because - to be brutal about it - financially, the whole narrative changes and it's hard to find people to back something when they don't know what it is. "So I forgot all about it. Amazingly, I got a phone call last spring saying 'we've raised the money and we want the sculpture'. I was like 'oh my gosh'. " Working in steel has brought a permanence that Gallaccio is not used to - she says that it was never her intention only to create transient works, but rather that "mostly, people don't give me the opportunity to make permanent things". "I've never sat down and thought 'no, I won't make a permanent thing', it's just often that isn't what I'm asked to do. " As a result, she says that "every now and again, I get a little nervous that people are going to get bored of [Untitled 2016], because I'm not used to my things knocking around for such a long time. "And you can't move it - it's here, it's fixed and it's not going anywhere. " However, she says that does not mean it is without a link to the works she is best known for. "Whilst it is a very physically present object materially, what I'm hoping is that, in using this mirrored material, optically it will shift and shimmer. "It changes with the light and with the weather. At the moment, it is reflecting the green grass, but in the winter it will be very different. "So whilst it is a permanent architectural structure, it has a more ethereal presence - and in that sense, it's conceptually consistent with my larger practice. "But I can see this hesitation that people will be like 'that doesn't look like an Anya Gallaccio sculpture' because it's not going to rot or fall down. " As it is a "very public" piece, she also hopes it will be taken to people's hearts. "I hope that people will love it and make it their own. "I think that it is open enough as an object to engender different kinds of conversation and dialogue. "There was a family here with a little girl, who went inside one of the triangles of the tree - and I wanted it to be like that, like a hall of mirrors. She was very excited to see 11 of herself. "It's a starting point for many different narratives - from the geeky material people, who can be amazed at the welding and the engineering, to others, like that little girl thinking it was like a Jack-in-the-Beanstalk fairytale tree. "For me, that's fantastic. It isn't just one thing. " However, she says she keeps returning to the fact it is so enduring and says that is something she isn't quite comfortable with yet. "I'm very proud but I feel a little anxious. "It's a bit showy-offy for me, because you can see it from everywhere. "I'll just have to get used to that. " Untitled 2016 is in Whitworth Park, Manchester.
2016-06-28 21:26 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
23 23 VIDEO: 300 Firefighters take part in DNR wildfire training exercise near Rainier Son Timothy and daughter Tracy Fabre deliver emotional statements during the sentencing of their father, Milton, on Friday in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma. The 81-year-old pled guilty to first-degree manslaughter for the fatal stabbing of his daughter, Tamara, and was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison George King, president of the Burley Community Club, discusses the history of the Burley Community Center. Volunteers from the Foss Waterway Seaport, the Marine Science and Technology Center and Stadium High faculty dig up the bones of a 23-foot female yearling humpback whale that had been buried for decomposition on a Gig Harbor farm. The skeleton will be reassembled and eventually hung at the Seaport. Sights and sounds as investigators follow up on a quadruple shooting on Dutterow Road SE. Downtown Sumner business owners LuAnn Iselin and Karen Flippin talk about the Gordon E. Andersen memorial at Heritage Park in downtown Sumner. Four people were shot and three dead after a shooting on Dutterow Road SE in Lacey. Gail Doyle's nephew, Ryan Berlin, visited Thurston County Superior Court on Tuesday, June 21 for the arraignment of James E. Stidd, the man suspected of killing Doyle. Ian Child of Sound Shellfish harvests geoduck (pronounced "gooey duck") on June 3, 2016, on private tideland just east of Zangle Cove in Thurston County. Some residents oppose the addition of more geoduck farms on Zangle Cove, which is located near Boston Harbor. Washington State University Provost Dan Bernardo kept calm and collected as a thousand honey bees formed a beard on his face. He said he wasn't nervous because paramedics and bee experts were there. The bee beard was part of an event launching a campaign to raise awareness of honey bee health and funding for a new Honey Bee and Pollinator Research Center at WSU. Kasandra Moffett, who was killed early Saturday in a car wreck in University Place, is remembered by her brothers Eric and Marice Cardey, and by her mother, Shirley Moffett at a vigil Monday evening at Franklin Park in Tacoma.
2016-06-28 21:26 www.thenewstribune.com
24 Could pariah state Eritrea come in from the cold? "The North Korea of Africa", "A giant slave camp", "Africa's fastest emptying country", "The cursed land", "Africa's most secretive and repressive state". These are just some of the labels applied to Eritrea in recent years. The problem with labels is they stick. They become the lens through which the country is viewed. Although many of these headline-grabbing descriptions are exaggerated and over-simplified, Eritrea is facing immense challenges, some of the most serious in its short, 25-year history. This month a United Nations-appointed Commission of Inquiry found that crimes against humanity, including enslavement, torture, murder, rape and enforced disappearance, have been committed on a "systematic and widespread" scale. It has recommended the UN Security Council refers the matter to the International Criminal Court. Eritrea, which has never held national elections, has no parliament, no opposition parties and no free press, acknowledges there have been "individual transgressions of human rights", but describes the accusations as "legally indefensible" and "politicised". It says the report is "entirely one-sided" because members of the Commission only spoke to Eritreans outside the country, many of whom have their own agendas. Just a week after the report was released, another bombshell hit Eritrea. There was a serious flare-up on its border with Ethiopia, perhaps the most significant since the devastating 1998-2000 border war in which tens of thousands died. Details of the latest clashes are murky. Eritrea says 200 Ethiopian troops were killed, Ethiopia says there was a "major engagement". Both sides blame the other for starting the violence. Eritrea celebrates 25 years of independence after war with Ethiopia Inside the secretive state of Eritrea Why do so many people want to leave Eritrea for Europe? Eritrea country profile Eritrea is in close proximity with another conflict. Just 40km across the Red Sea, a civil war has been raging in Yemen. As if these were not enough, there are a number of other serious problems in Eritrea. During the past few years, there has been a spike in people leaving the country. Many of them are young, seeking better opportunities and escaping long years of obligatory national service. In 2015, Eritrea - a relatively small country - was the biggest source of African migrants to Europe. This year, according to the UNHCR, Eritrea has slipped to joint fourth position, behind Nigeria, The Gambia and Somalia. In 2009, the UN imposed targeted sanctions on Eritrea for its alleged support for Al Shabaab Islamists in nearby Somalia. This led to further international isolation and hurt the country's economy, already damaged by the closure of its border with Ethiopia. Eritrea was left out in the cold, an international pariah. Ironically, some of these challenges, old and new, have started to lead to opportunities for Eritrea. Let's start with the easier ones. The conflict in Yemen has already led to stronger ties with some Gulf countries, especially those in the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthi rebels. Eritrea is providing the United Arab Emirates with what the foreign minister, Osman Saleh, describes as "logistical facilities" at its southern port of Assab. He said the UAE is helping to improve the port there, and will later work on the port in Massawa. There are also reports of supplies of desperately- needed fuel, something Eritrea denies. Europe is also engaging more, mainly because of the migrant crisis. It has announced a $227m "development fund" for 2016-2020, almost four times the sum it gave for a previous period covering 2009-2013. It says Eritrea can also benefit from its new Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, which aims to discourage so many people from leaving the continent. Some Eritrea experts, such as Cedric Barnes of The International Crisis Group, have argued that Eritrea and Ethiopia should use the latest outbreak of border violence as an opportunity to sort out once and for all the dispute that has run like a festering sore since 1998. This will not be easy. Eritrea feels betrayed by the UN and Western powers who failed to push Ethiopia to abide by an international border ruling in Eritrea's favour. Like Eritrea, Ethiopia has been accused of serious human rights abuses, a lack of democracy and repression of the media. But it is a key Western ally, and foreign powers may be reluctant to pressurise it in the same way as they do Eritrea. It is even more difficult to see how Eritrea could turn the UN Commission of Inquiry's findings into an opportunity, especially if some of its senior officials end up at the ICC. True, the ICC is viewed with great scepticism by many Africans who accuse it of disproportionately targeting individuals from their continent. Kenya's president and deputy president were voted into power after being indicted by the ICC. Sudan's Omar al Bashir became something of an African hero after he was charged. Eritrea has shown some signs of taking human rights more seriously. It has accepted 92 out of 200 recommendations put forward by the UN's latest Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights, although implementation is slow. This year, for the first time, it allowed the UN office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to visit a prison. Bizarrely, Western diplomats in Eritrea often have very different views from their governments. One went as far as describing Eritrea as a "perfect development partner" due to what was described as its relatively low levels of corruption, strong work ethic and lack of religious extremism in a region where many countries have been affected by Islamist violence. One elephant in the room is the question of who will succeed the country's first and only president, Isaias Afwerki, who is 70 years old. One Western diplomat said: "He is about the only African president who cares about his people, but he is like a stubborn camel leading his country in the wrong direction. " Although a growing number of people are arguing that it is probably wiser to engage with Eritrea than isolating it further, there will have to be huge shifts in attitude from all sides for constructive dialogue and lasting change to take place.
2016-06-28 21:26 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
25 Brexit: Who is affected by the falling pound? The pound has fallen to its lowest level in more than 30 years against the dollar, following the UK's vote to leave the European Union. Who is directly affected? The UK imported more than $625bn (£474bn) of goods and services in 2015; mainly from Germany, China, the Netherlands, the United States and France. A falling pound means that these imports will become more expensive - leading to price rises on the High Street. "The weak pound will have an impact on prices, especially clothing and electricals, where the majority is imported from abroad," says retail analyst Maureen Hinton of Verdict Retail. But this won't happen immediately as retailers buy the foreign currency they need to pay for their imports in advance, she says. The weaker pound is "probably not going to hit prices until later in the year". There has also been a warning that supermarket prices could rise if the pound's fall continues. Meanwhile, motorists are likely to find the cost of filling up with diesel or petrol is set to rise more quickly. "The fall in the value of the pound against the dollar is likely to make the wholesale cost to UK retailers higher," says the RAC's Pete Williams. "A price rise of around 2p per litre is likely in the next week. " Five changes to your finances after Brexit When you travel abroad, your pounds will now buy you fewer euros or dollars after the Brexit vote. The cost of accommodation will rise and your spending money won't go as far as it did last week. How much you lose out depends where the pound finally settles. Tour operators can impose surcharges when the cost of a package holiday rises because of currency changes or higher fuel costs - even after the holiday's been booked. The firm has to absorb the first 2% of any increase, though if the surcharge goes above 10% then you have the right to cancel the trip. When it comes to how much your flights will cost, this situation is less clear and depends on the airline and whether the price is in pounds or euros. Easyjet and Ryanair have argued that flights will become more expensive. But British Airways' owner - IAG - says Brexit will not affect business. How will Brexit affect your finances? Spain, Ireland and France are the most popular destinations for British expats. For those who are paid in sterling, their salaries and pensions are worth significantly less given the pound's fall against the euro, meaning their purchasing power will fall in the country they're living in. For much of 2015 the pound would buy you between €1.35-1.45. This year sterling has weakened against the euro - and has lurched further downwards since the Brexit vote to about €1.20. It amounts to a fall of about 11% in UK pension incomes for those expats in the EU. Of course, if you are currently working in the EU and paid in euros, then you're insulated from this. As for the future right to live and work in the European Union, nothing will change until the UK actually leaves the EU. After that it all depends on the deal that has been reached. Expats may lose their automatic right to work within the EU area and be asked to apply for Blue Cards. How does leaving the EU affect expats? The falling pound is good news for exporters because it means that their products become cheaper for foreign customers to buy, and thus more competitive. However, uncertainty surrounding what happens now is unsettling firms, who are calling for the government to ensure economic stability. Currently, UK companies are able to trade with the EU on a tariff free and quota free basis. What happens after the UK leaves the EU is unclear. Business Secretary Sajid Javid is holding a meeting on Tuesday with business leaders from the British Chambers of Commerce, CBI and Federation of Small Businesses. Mike Cherry, the national chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said his members wanted the government to "provide economic stability, for small firms to get the confidence to continue to drive economic growth and create jobs. "We will seek to ensure that the confidence of the UK's 5.4 million small businesses, which is already at its lowest level since 2013, does not fall any further. " Where can you invest in turbulent times?
2016-06-28 21:26 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
26 Inside Britain's secret weapons research facility As Porton Down marks its 100th anniversary, what really goes on inside Britain's most secretive and controversial military research base? Porton Down - also known as the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory - is where much of our top-secret military research is concentrated. It has a budget of £500m a year and employs more than 3,000 scientists. It is the most controversial, most misunderstood and, some say, most-feared scientific institution in Britain. Though many will have heard of Porton Down, few will have much idea about what goes on inside. So I was delighted when I was invited to go behind the fence, make a documentary about the research that goes on there. Set in more than 7,000 acres of English countryside, Porton Down was created 100 years ago in response to the German gas attacks of World War One. The first of these attacks against British troops involved the use of chlorine. Thousands of soldiers, who had no idea what they were facing, suffered severe chemical burns or died in agony. Chlorine was soon joined by mustard gas and phosgene. Lord Kitchener, Britain's secretary of state for war, demanded an immediate response. This led to the setting up of Porton Down. Scientists based there swiftly developed gas masks and began testing ways to launch similar gas attacks against the Germans. The result of this tit-for-tat was the death and injury of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. It is one reason why WW1 is sometimes called "the chemist's war". Horrified by what had been unleashed, the major world powers signed the Geneva Protocol in 1925, banning use of chemical weapons - but, oddly, not their development In the 1950s, during the Cold War, Porton Down scientists developed two novel chemical agents, the first of which is still sometimes used against humans. It's called CS gas (after the initials of men who discovered it), but it's better known as tear gas. Tear gas is non-lethal. It's used for crowd control in other parts of the world, but in the UK the only people who are ever deliberately exposed to it are British troops, as part of their training. I was curious to see what it was like. So, wearing a respirator I was led into a small airtight room filled with swirling clouds of gas. I took off my mask and tried to talk. The first breath was fine. The next was like inhaling fire. I immediately began to cough and gag and my only thought was to escape. I fled outside, lent against the fence and tried not to throw up CS gas is not particularly dangerous, but another chemical agent which was also developed at Porton Down during the 1950s certainly is. It's a nerve agent called Venomous Agent X or VX. Like other nerve agents, such as sarin (first developed by the Germans in the 1930s) even brief exposure rapidly leads to convulsions, paralysis and death. We were the first television crew to be allowed into one of Porton Down's most secure laboratories, where I watched a chemist carefully make up a bath of VX. The reason chemical agents such as VX and mustard gas are still manufactured on site is to test that equipment issued to troops is proof against attack. And that is because these chemical agents are still being used, particularly in the Middle East. In March 1988 at least 5,000 Kurds, men, women and children died at Halahbja after being attacked by Saddam Hussein's forces with sarin and mustard gas. More recently there is evidence (collected by Porton Down scientists) that sarin was used against civilians in Syria. Porton Down's mission is, these days, purely defensive. They are there to develop better ways to protect British troops and civilians against attack. Some of what they are doing feels distinctly sci-fi. They are, for example, working with Birmingham University on a device that can detect tiny fluctuations in gravity. The hope is that this will, in the future, enable them to see through walls and deep underground. Other research likely to have a more immediate impact is the use of "synthetic biology" to create body armour which would be more lightweight, flexible but which would still stop bullets. The idea behind synthetic biology is that by studying how animals create protective shells we will be able to grow ceramic body armour from first principles. One of the most chilling bits of research I saw, however, was their work studying potential biological threats. There is, for example, concern that a terrorist group might decide to attack us using a "dirty bomb" containing something like the ebola virus, which has a mortality rate of up to 90%. An experiment I watched in a Category IV laboratory (the highest level of security) suggests that ebola does indeed have the potential to be used as a weapon, although fortunately there are currently significant technical and practical barriers to its use. I am also cheered by the thought that looking forwards and successfully responding to new threats is what the scientists of Porton Down have been doing for the last 100 years. Source: Dstl, BBC Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.
2016-06-28 21:26 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
27 Starting a business in the middle of a coup Trying to start a new business is tough. There are the long hours as you try to get it off the ground, the difficulties of trying to find enough money to fund it and then you have to convince customers to trust you. But how about trying to establish a new firm in the midst of a coup? In a game of Top Trumps over who's had it hardest, Paul Srivorakul, founder and chief executive of aCommerce, would have an unbeatable hand. He started his online retail logistics firm in 2013 in the midst of a period of dramatic instability in the country of his birth, Thailand. After months of political turmoil, the country's military seized control of the government and suspended the constitution. The firm's Bangkok office was based near the very centre of the troubles in Lumpini Park, making for a terrifying start. "It was very scary. We had bullet holes here. The coup was actually happening in Lumpini Park and we could see that from here and that was very challenging. " Despite the dangers, Mr Srivorakul decided to persevere with setting up the company, a gamble which paid off. In fact, the company actually benefited from the precarious situation. "People stayed at home. They didn't go out and shop. Therefore they did more e-commerce," he says. Of course the troubles and their impact on Thailand weren't a good thing overall, he is quick to add. And while the business appeared to be unusually resilient, Mr Srivorakul says the experience taught him the importance of not being dependent on just one area, particularly in a developing country where arguably the risks can be higher. The firm now operates not just in Thailand, but also in other south-east Asian countries including the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia. Its business too is diverse, with the broad aim of helping online retailers reach their customers, it does marketing and website building, as well as supply chain and logistics. "We diversify by having other markets as well. So when there's an issue in one market, you minimise that risk," Mr Srivorakul says. It's something that Wasna Rungsanthong, chief executive of Narai Intertrade, a chain of shops which makes the Naraya range of bags and has a chain of shops selling a variety of goods from handbags to kitchenware, knows well. The firm, which she set up with her husband, now has 23 shops in Thailand and 14 in other countries. Nonetheless the ongoing uncertainty in Thailand, which has had a staggering 12 military coups since 1932, more than any other country in modern history, still affects sales. For her, one of the main risks is losing good staff during the turmoil. At the height of the recent troubles, the firm had no customers and as a result no work for their factories. But it didn't make a single staff member redundant, instead continuing to employ and pay all 4,000 employees. The loyalty shown by the firm to the staff meant they in turn were keen to help in keeping costs down. Little things such as remembering to turn off the lights, for example, and refusing to take additional payments for costs such as food and petrol helped to keep the firm's finances on an even keel. "We will not make our staff afraid. If we can solve any problem we will do," she says. For some businesses based in a sometimes unstable country, it's not just a matter of survival, but an opportunity to try and gain a competitive advantage. Siam Piwat, a huge shopping mall and real estate enterprise in Thailand, has a policy of actively trying to invest and expand whenever there's turmoil in the country. One of its properties is the vast Siam Paragon mall, one of the most talked about places on Facebook last year. While it may seem counter-intuitive, chief executive Chadatip Chutrakul says it makes sense because it's the cheapest time to do so. "All the construction costs will go down, and you know when we build it will take at least two or three years to complete. So by that time hopefully the economy would catch up, which it did every time. " In fact, despite the country's difficulties, growth in Thailand remains relatively robust. Gross domestic product grew 3.2% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2016, up unexpectedly from the previous quarter's 2.8% growth and despite significant exposure to China's slowing economy. Ho Ren Hua, chief executive of Thai Wah Group, a large food products business with operations across Asia, credits Thailand's private companies for helping drive this growth. He says the fact that they have largely continued as normal has helped drive the economy forward, while the ongoing volatility has forced firms to become more efficient. "I think the role of the private sector to continue to help deliver economic growth, innovating new jobs and services, it's increasingly important, for the future of Thailand. " Chief executive coach Steve Tappin says that while all business leaders hate an uncertain environment, there's a lot that global business leaders can learn from how Thai bosses have handled it. "Thailand is by far the only place where uncertainty is a big challenge - it's an issue that businesses everywhere are going have to get used to dealing with. " This feature is based on interviews by CEO coach and author Steve Tappin for the BBC's CEO Guru series, produced by Neil Koenig.
2016-06-28 21:26 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
28 Britain's African migrants who backed Brexit In our series of letters from African journalists, the film- maker and columnist Farai Sevenzo looks at why some Africans living in the UK wanted to leave the European Union. For months now, the question of whether the United Kingdom should leave the EU or remain could not be avoided, stoking fierce arguments between rich and poor, parents and children, old and young - and the African migrants eligible to cast a vote. Noises were made about what a Leave vote would mean for Africa's meagre trade deals with the EU, and whether life after Brexit would be vastly different to life before Brexit for Africa and her citizens. Trade, African economists argued, would change little but the duplication of aid packages from the EU and the UK would most likely increase as the UK sought to revive Commonwealth ties. Over in Johannesburg, people wondered why the local currency, the rand, kept falling against the British pound with all the financial uncertainty hanging like a mist over London's Square Mile; and in Kigali, money- transfer companies ceased trading in sterling for 24 hours so they could gauge the anticipated slide. Even as the dust settled last Friday morning on the UK's momentous decision to leave the EU, it was the voting intentions of Africans in Britain that made for fascinating reading. Some of them had argued to leave, and social media had been awash with the African Brexiteers' pleas for the severing of ties with Europe, including WhatsApp circulars setting out the reasons. London has been home to Africans since long before William Shakespeare wrote Othello. Later, Africans settled in the capital during the height of the British Empire and at its end, contributing hugely to the city's multicultural heartbeat. According to the 2011 census , about 1.8% of the population of England and Wales identified as black African. Farai Sevenzo "The African migrant who voted to leave was as fearful of the new arrivals, of his or her chances in a crowded job and housing market, as was his indigenous British neighbour" In comparison with the rest of the EU, Africans have long valued the opportunities available to them in the UK and the protection the law accords them. Despite many problems, a Race Relations Act of 1976 has tried to give them shade from the glaring heat of prejudice; they have educated their children, opened up places to worship, bought property and settled. They have generally felt safer over the years in the UK than in the other 27 EU countries. Better the devil you know, the pro-Brexit Africans said, arguing that the rest of Europe is notorious for its absence of colour in public office and cultural life - despite the many stars of African origin currently featuring in France's European football bonanza - and its marginalisation of generations of African migrants in forgotten high-rise estates. In any case, their argument went, the expansion of the EU had drastically reduced the job chances of Africans from the Commonwealth and beyond. Employers did not worry about visas for EU citizens, and a huge pool of labour with freedom of movement had simply locked out non-EU citizens from the skilled as well as the unskilled job market. Even the NHS and care sector, which had relied so much on African professionals, began to forget them in favour of the new EU arrivals. It was also feared that with Albania, Turkey, Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro waiting to join the EU, the African worker could tumble to the bottom of the working pile. And this argument was put across persistently. The referendum debate could not escape the thorny issue of immigration, and the African migrant who voted to leave was as fearful of the new arrivals, of his or her chances in a crowded job and housing market, as was his indigenous British neighbour. Senior politicians said during the debates that their constituents in London were bemoaning the lack of places for their children in local schools because of the burgeoning numbers coming from Eastern Europe, and such complaints were, in the case of Streatham in south London , also coming from the African-Caribbean community. Yet the Africans awoke to a post-Brexit Britain that was as full of prejudice to the non-EU citizen as to the EU citizen. Bitter graffiti appeared urging all foreigners to leave. More on Brexit and Africa People were targeted on the streets because they were black, brown, wore a turban or had an accent. One tweet, mentioned in parliament , read: "Go home. #WevotedLeave. Time to make Britain great again by getting rid of you blacks, Asians and immigrants. " Prejudice, it seems, has been released through the pressure valve of the referendum and the pro-Brexit voters did not count on that. And now there are more questions than answers as people wonder what will replace the EU as a trading and development partner. The Commonwealth lost its economic clout with the end of colonies. And China is decades ahead of the old colonial rulers in terms of influence on the African continent. Then there is a possible indicator of what the future may hold: Europe's opposition parties in France, Holland and Austria have lurched dangerously to the right, and the UK may not have escaped that trend. The African Brexiteers may find that life after Brexit may be little different to life before the referendum, except for the nagging uncertainty. More from Farai Sevenzo:
2016-06-28 21:26 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
29 Naked in the national interest When President Alyaksandr Lukashenko urged Belarusians "to get undressed and work till you sweat", there was every reason for his passionate appeal. After all, the country is experiencing one of the worst economic situations in decades. With the value of the rouble plummeting and rampant unemployment, what else there is to do but to work harder? But in the days after the president's speech, some Belarusians answered the call perhaps a little more literally than might have been anticipated by Lukashenko - who is informally called Daddy (Batska) by some of his countrymen. Dozens began posing for pictures at their workplaces well...undressed - and have been posting the images on social media with the hashtag #getnakedandwork (#раздеватьсяиработать). Join the conversation on this and other stories here . But it did not end up just with pictures. Some not-overly-dressed Belarusians went and recorded tongue-in-cheek songs about the president's message. Over the weekend, the hashtag was picked up outside of Belarus, and users, from Russia, Ukraine and Baltic states were seen posting undressed pictures of themselves at workplaces. Quite possibly, the recent hot weather in eastern Europe provided the incentive for more people to join in. Blog by Dmytro Zotsenko Next story Iranians are angry about big bonuses paid to bureaucrats Iranians have taken to publishing their payslips online, angered by revelations that managers in some state companies enjoy surprisingly high salaries. READ MORE You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending , and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending .
2016-06-28 21:26 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
30 Ancient birds' wings preserved in amber Two wings from birds that lived alongside the dinosaurs have been found preserved in amber. The "spectacular" finds from Myanmar are from baby birds that got trapped in the sticky sap of a tropical forest 99 million years ago. Exquisite detail has been preserved in the feathers, including traces of colour in spots and stripes. The wings had sharp little claws, allowing the juvenile birds to clamber about in the trees. The tiny fossils, which are between two and three centimetres long, could shed further light on the evolution of birds from their dinosaur ancestors. The specimens, from well-known amber deposits in north-east Myanmar (also known as Burma), are described in the journal Nature Communications. Co-author Prof Mike Benton, from the University of Bristol, said: "The individual feathers show every filament and whisker, whether they are flight feathers or down feathers, and there are even traces of colour - spots and stripes. " The hand anatomy shows the wings come from enantiornithine birds, which comprised a major bird grouping in the Cretaceous Period. However, the enantiornithines died out at the same time as the dinosaurs, 66 million years ago. Dr Steve Brusatte, a vertebrate palaeontologist at Edinburgh University, described the fossils as "spectacular". He told BBC News: " They're fantastic - who would have ever thought that 99-million-year-old wings could be trapped in amber? "These are showcase specimens and some of the most surprising fossils I've seen in a long time. We've known for a few decades that many dinosaurs had feathers, but most of our fossils are impressions of feathers on crushed limestone slabs. "Three dimensional preservation in amber provides a whole new perspective and these fossils make it clear that very primitive birds living alongside the dinosaurs had wings and feather arrangements very similar to today's birds. " The international team of researchers used advanced X-ray scanning techniques to examine the structure and arrangement of the bones and feathers. Claw marks in the amber suggest the birds were still alive when they were engulfed by the sticky sap. Dr Xing Lida, the study's lead author, explained: "The fact that the tiny birds were clambering about in the trees suggests that they had advanced development, meaning they were ready for action as soon as they hatched. "These birds did not hang about in the nest waiting to be fed, but set off looking for food, and sadly died perhaps because of their small size and lack of experience. "Isolated feathers in other amber samples show that adult birds might have avoided the sticky sap, or pulled themselves free. " Follow Paul on Twitter.
2016-06-28 21:26 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
31 Brexit: Berlin eyes Britain’s tech talent Over the weekend, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel was hurriedly convening a meeting of European leaders to assess the aftermath of Britain's choice to leave the EU, Cordelia Yzer was on the phone. The Berlin Senator for Economics and Technology was not chatting to fellow politicians, but with start-ups and global funds, who, in the wake of Brexit, are now considering Germany's capital as their base. "Those companies who have headquarters in London are aware that they need to be in the EU," she says. "We had competition in the last two or three years between London and Berlin. I am convinced that more funds will now make the decision in favour of Berlin. " Senator Yzer is not beyond doing some convincing herself. She intends to court many of the venture capital firms that poured more than €2bn (£1.6bn; $2.2bn) into the Berlin tech scene last year. "We will now take advantage [of Brexit]," she asserts. "And this is more than fair. " Berlin, a city with as good a claim as any to be considered the spiritual heartland of the European project, is mourning the loss of the UK , with which it has deep historical and cultural bonds as well as a strong trade partnership. But there may be just a touch of schadenfreude in the air too. "Brexit: 10,000 new jobs" ran the headline of the Berliner Kurier tabloid on Sunday, adding: "Might we emerge with [just] a black eye? " Indeed, many commentators and economists are betting on Britain not being allowed back into the single market, at least not with all the benefits it previously enjoyed. "Nobody wants to block the British," says Senator Yzer. "But they made the decision to quit. " The ex-mayor of London and Leave campaigner Boris Johnson, she adds, "will have to explain to the British the burden he put on them by making the decision in favour of Brexit". While financial services jobs could flow from London to Frankfurt, Berlin, which has a vibrant tech and small business scene, wants to nab that sector's finest for itself. If there is a mass migration from East London's "Silicon Roundabout" to the German capital, they will find a community with titans such as Soundcloud and Wooga, and one that is rapidly expanding. "We have more demand than we have office space at the moment," says Travis Todd, chief executive of Silicon Allee, a group currently building a six- floor campus for start-ups in central Berlin, which will house 2,000 workers. And more may be coming. "People are already asking, 'What is the alternative to London?'" he says. "If it's going to be much harder to get investment in London, to hire people in London, you are going to see a lot of those companies moving to places where they can do international business. " It's not just access to the single market that could lure young techies to Berlin - there's also an entrepreneurial and pioneering atmosphere, and few companies better encapsulate this than ResearchGate, a social network for the scientific community with more than 10 million users, and with high- profile investors such as Bill Gates. Its founder, Ijad Madisch, is as confounded by Brexit as many of his contemporaries are in London. "The young people all voted for being in the EU, and this is a clear signal," says Madisch, whose Superman cap and grey slacks belie his background as an accomplished virologist. "You cannot just negotiate this away. " Indeed the very idea of pulling up the drawbridge is an anathema to him. "This whole country thing is a very old thing," says Madisch. "I'm not a big fan of these separations between countries. But as entrepreneurs we always adjust to political environments. " Not everyone is so sure. On the other side of town, Artur Fischer runs the Berlin Boerse stock exchange, which promotes itself as being a gateway to European markets. He says talk of tech firms flocking to Berlin comes from those who "underestimate what makes London London". "There will not be a huge exodus in my opinion," he explains. "London has its own unique ecosystem, it attracts the best skill-set from the whole world, including Europe, and that's not going away. " One of the advantages London has is a large financial hub, as well as a tech scene, and a framework in which the two interact. This might not be so easy to replicate, says Fischer, and consequently, we might end up with a "fragmented situation" in Europe, where "we do not have another single centre which competes directly with London". Instead, business could be spread between Frankfurt, Milan, Paris and other cities. Ultimately, all business leaders in Berlin can do is try to make predictions - they don't know what kind of a deal will be struck between Westminster and Brussels, and they don't know how long it will take. But in the meantime, Senator Yzer is making her pitch directly to young Britons. "Young people who voted In are welcome in Berlin," she says, staring out of the window of her office, just a few steps away from the square in which John F Kennedy gave his iconic "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech. "They are welcome, their talent is more than welcome. It's a great place to live and we also speak English. "Berlin is a place where their dreams can come true. " You can hear more on this story on Business Daily.
2016-06-28 21:26 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
32 IDF reservists question 'harassment' tactics of Breaking the Silence Reservists on Duty launched a new campaign this week announcing the establishment of a new hotline for past and present IDF soldiers who have suffered from "harassment" from the Breaking the Silence group. “Reservists on Duty” was officially established earlier this year in January as a counter to the Breaking the Silence group, an NGO which provides anonymous testimonies of alleged IDF transgressions. Since its establishment, the group has expanded its activities to target the growing BDS movement, attracting the support of hundreds of IDF reservists, as well as the military brass and MKs from across the political spectrum. The campaign which includes a video entitled “Breaking the Silence hunters,” introduces three IDF soldiers who say they were continuously pursued by the organization and encouraged to give testimonies of their service in the IDF. In the video, the three soldiers, who served in elite units, say that following their discharge from the IDF they were contacted repeatedly by the Breaking the Silence group and encouraged to tell their stories of service in Operation Protective Edge. Asaf Goldshtoff, one of the soldiers said that a representative from the group called him numerous times and was told that the organization "collects experiences from soldiers and listens to their stories. " "What I understand today is that they take certain parts of the story and that is what they present to the public,” he said. Josh Levitan, a lone soldier from the UK, recounted a similar story and said that a representative from the group called him eight or nine times until he finally agreed to meet with him. "They didn't mention that they were going to record me," Levitan says in the video. "I felt that they really took advantage of the situation, where a fighter that is going through what people went through after Operation Protective Edge, he has a need for some help. " The video concludes with the question: "Is Breaking the Silence trying to pursue you? " and urges soldiers who have been contact by the organization to notify the Reservists on Duty hotline and report it. In less than 24 hours since the launch of the campaign the hotline had received dozens of calls, Amit Deri, chairman and founder of Reservists on Duty told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. “In the last six months we discovered that many soldiers came to us and told us that Breaking the Silence had tried to pursue them,” Deri said. “We want to investigate what we believe to be a phenomenon, that we found has been happening repeatedly.” Deri said he suspected that Breaking the Silence is receiving its testimonies through deceiving recently discharged soldiers. “Soldiers come from battle and they are in a difficult [emotional] state and believe that this group genuinely wants to listen to them, when in fact they have ulterior motives,” he said. “We suspect that they are receiving these testimonies through deception.” He added that his group does not accept anonymous testimonies, but rather only accepts stories from soldiers who are willing to go on record. Deri also called on the defense authorities to investigate the matter and look into how the NGO was acquiring contact information for the discharged soldiers. Deri noted that the Breaking the Silence testimonies, which have gained a lot of attention abroad are fueling the BDS movement. “This is a part of the overall fight against BDS – we see them as lighting the flame for the BDS [movement], whether they want to or not, but this is the reality,” he said. The group just returned from a month long visit in the US touring campuses and Jewish communities. “What we learned on our trip was that Jewish communities and organizations don’t hear the rational voice of the State of Israel,” he said. Citing the example that Hillel groups on campus have repeatedly invited Breaking the Silence representatives to speak on college campuses, he called on the Jewish organization to also invite Reservists on Duty to share their stories. “We want every Jewish organization on campus to work with us as well and let us share our stories and help them fight anti-Semitism,” he said. “If you really want to hear testimonies then speak with us, we are all IDF reservists, and hear our stories.”
2016-06-28 21:20 LIDAR GRAVÉ www.jpost.com
33 British Prime Minster Explains Expectations of Brexit Talks With EU Video Who can update all the explaining that Britain will be leaving the European he. I want that process to be as constructive as possible and I'm happy I've come. Can be as constructive as possible because of course well when leaving the European Union we must be turning our backs on Europe. These countries are on neighbor's home friends on allies are partners. I very much they will seek the closest possible relationship and something trendy. And cooperation and security but the betting that costs and that it could hold them. That's the spirit with the discussions I think we'll be held today. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate. 2016-06-28 20:48 ABC News abcnews.go.com
34 'Stuck-in-traffic' pilot delays Air India flight, leaves Venkaiah Naidu enraged Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, on Tuesday was furious after he missed an 'important appointment' after the pilot of an Air India flight to Hyderabad did not turn up. M Venkaiah Naidu. Pic/PTI He demanded an explanation from the airline saying how such things were happening. Sources said Naidu was going to Hyderabad to attend a meeting on the 'Swachh Bharat' campaign. The flight was scheduled to depart at 1.45pm but due to the non-availability of the pilot it could take off only at 2.30 pm. Soon after Naidu's tweets, Air India expressed regret for the inconvenience caused on Twitter. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said he had asked Air India to conduct an inquiry and take action.
2016-06-28 20:46 By mid www.mid-day.com
35 Blue Cross Exiting MN Obmacare Exchange About 103,000 people will have to find a new insurance policy because Blue Cross Blue Shield has announced in is leaving the Obamacare Exchange in Minnesota: BCBS is not the first insurer to leave the Minnesota exchange. PreferredOne dropped out in 2015. Nor is this the first BCBS to leave an exchange. That honor goes to BCBS of New Mexico which left that state’s exchange in 2015 when regulators there denied a requested 24 percent premium increase. Others that have dropped out are Moda Health Plan, which left the Alaska exchange and was forced out of Oregon’s exchange; thirteen of the 23 Obamacare Co-Ops that have shut down; and, of course, UnitedHealthCare, which will be leaving most of the exchanges it participates in by 2017. This is what happens when regulations like those found in Obamacare are forced on insurers: The young and healthy end up paying above market rates for insurance causing them to drop their coverage, thereby leaving insurance pools older and sicker and, hence, more expensive to cover. Premiums rise to cover the higher costs, causing even more young and healthy to drop their coverage, and the process, often referred to as a “death spiral,” repeats itself. In the process, a number of carriers suffer large losses, causing them to exit the market, as we are now seeing in the Obamacare exchanges. Fewer insurers means less competition which puts even more upward pressure on premiums. There is no consensus on how much premiums increase when an insurer leaves a market. Estimates vary from about five percent to eight percent. If you couldn’t keep the health plan you liked before Obamacare operational. And, apparently you can’t keep it after, either.
2016-06-28 19:22 David Hogberg spectator.org
36 Voting against the tide: 'I feel very much in a minority' The UK vote to leave the European Union split the country - with 51.9% voting Leave and 48.1% voting to stay. There were significant regional differences with Scotland voting decisively for Remain, and England voting strongly for Leave. So what's it like to vote against the trend of your area, when many of your friends and family might also be voting the other way? "I voted stay for a number of reasons, mainly keeping a united front in times of such uncertainty. The result today has shocked and scared me a lot. I feel very much in a minority. People did not so much try to change my mind as just explain why they were voting out. My family voted to remain as well. My friends were a mixed bag, which made for an interesting day on Facebook. But nothing to fall out over. I think everyone is just wondering what's going to happen next. The last thing I would like to add is that even though I'm not happy with result I do respect that the rest of the nation has spoken and that's something we have to live with now. Hopefully it can work out for the best. " "I'm 29 and voted to leave. I'm a patriot regarding the UK. I was up at 4:45 before my shift and felt a sense of relief when I saw the news. All the scare-mongering by the government and the rest of the world did nothing to dampen the voice of the people - who wanted, and I feel deserved, change from the failed political system. I'm not anti-Europe but against an unelected bureaucracy that can't be held accountable for their actions. Most of the people I work with and my friends also voted Leave, so I don't feel that I'm in a minority. If London was mainly for Remain, I think that's because it's what big business wanted. " "I voted Remain. I had the option to study abroad while at university and I work for a European company. I have a lot of colleagues and friends who are European. I'm quite shocked and worried about how this will affect our relationship with Europe and also my job. I also voted Remain for stability. The result wasn't a total surprise. I know a lot people where I live were voting to Leave. A lot of people said it was because the EU is undemocratic. We also see a lot of immigration in the south east. The rest of my family voted leave. We have to move forward together - I'm sure we'll be discussing the issue in the coming weeks. " "I voted Leave as I believe that the EU is going beyond what it was set up to do. The Eurocrats have far too much power, are not listening to the public and people feel disenfranchised. I am pleased we have been brave today, and our future is ours now to make better. Also concerned about what the future holds for the UK and whether there will be an economic downturn. I feel a sense of guilt to have voted differently if it brings job losses to some and another independence referendum in Scotland. My children voted to Remain. We do believe in personal choice but debates got heated at times. We need to try and heal the wounds this referendum has caused and work together for everyone's benefit. " "I woke up this morning fully expecting a Remain vote, possibly as much as 70% in favour. I could not believe my eyes when it was announced that at last we would be leaving the EU. Honestly I felt like I was 21 again (I'm 62). After all of the negative propaganda being put about, the scare stories of what would happen if we were to 'dare' to go it alone. The government didn't expect those working class people who usually don't turn out to vote to actually vote this time. Maybe if Cameron had listened to them and got a better deal from Europe then we might've had a different result. I did speak to people with different views, at work for example. I think a lot of people were voting on party lines or were believing the scare stories put out. I vote with what I think is right, whatever people around me might be voting. " Produced by Nathan Williams, BBC's UGC and Social News team
2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
37 Breaking News English Lesson A restaurant in the city of Modena, Italy, has been named as the best restaurant in the world. The restaurant Osteria Francescana was crowned number one at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony in New York. The ceremony is like the Oscars of the food world. Italian food is loved worldwide, but surprisingly, this is the first time an Italian eatery has won the annual prize. The Osteria Francescana came second in 2015 and third in 2013 and 2014. The chef and owner of the Osteria Francescana is Mr Massimo Bottura. He was very emotional on stage when he collected the award. He said: "I want to thank everyone because it has been so hard. Our job is all about art…in the kitchen. " Winning the award has been good for business. The Osteria Francescana is fully booked until November. Anyone who wants to eat there must make a reservation six months in advance. Customers will now fly to Italy just to eat at Mr Bottura's restaurant. The competition judges gave Bottura the award for his creative and original food and traditional ingredients. In particular, Bottura makes amazing shapes with cheese and creates, "forms and textures most diners will never have previously experienced. " One of his best-known dishes is a dessert called, "Oops, I Dropped the Lemon Tart". This is a pastry that the chef drops from half a metre and smashes on the plate.
2016-06-28 19:21 www.breakingnewsenglish.com
38 In pictures: Pretoria burns amid SA mayoral protests Pictures of violent protests near South Africa's capital, Pretoria, prompted by anger at the ANC's choice of a mayoral candidate. Photographs courtesy AFP, AP, Eyewitness News and Reuters
2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
39 Alice Gross murder suspect Arnis Zalkalns not checked There was no policy for checking foreign nationals' criminal records when a convicted murderer, who is suspected of going on to kill Alice Gross, was arrested five years before her death, an inquest has heard. Arnis Zalkalns was held in 2009 on suspicion of indecent assault, but faced no further action. He became the prime suspect in Alice's murder, after she disappeared in 2014. The inquest is examining why he was allowed to live unchecked in the UK. It is also looking at whether failures by the government and the police contributed to her death. Zalkalns, a Latvian national who first came to the UK in 2007, had been convicted of murdering his wife in his native country. When he first came to the attention of UK police two years later, Det Supt Michael Forteath said, there was "no routine checking of individuals entering the UK". Officers could have made a check, he said, but there was no policy, and the process was not widely known about. He said there were systems in place to ask for records information and intelligence from a suspect's country of origin, but checks were only done on around 1 in 14 suspects. "You would have to know you could undertake the check," he said. "You have to know how, what forms to use, to send to the central authority. " "You would have to believe the information you were asking for would have come back in enough time to be of use in the case you were dealing with. " During the hunt for Alice, who disappeared on 28 August 2014, police did carry out an initial criminal record check of Zalkalns' history and nothing came back. In September, after Arnis Zalkalns had become a suspect in Alice's disappearance, an initial check of his Latvian records came back with nothing because his murder conviction was considered "spent", the court heard. Vincent Williams, representing the Met, said the policy had now changed and the number of staff employed by the ACRO Criminal Record Office to handle criminal checks had grown from five in 2009 to 130 last year. The jury were told that requests for criminal records had increased so that 80% of foreign suspects were now checked. Alice's body was found by a search team in the River Brent, near her home in Hanwell, west London on the 30 September 2014. The inquest has already heard evidence that she had been sexually assaulted and asphyxiated. Zalkalns was found hanged a few miles from where her body was found. On Monday Alice's mother said she was stunned Zalkalns was not being monitored. Reading from a prepared statement at the Royal Courts of Justice, Rosalind Hodgkiss said the family wanted to "establish whether or not the systems for monitoring foreign offenders and cross-border sharing of information are robust". She added: "We appreciate that they may have changed significantly, but we remain stunned that a foreign national with a conviction for murder was not monitored, or even known about in any way. "This has destroyed much of our faith in our country's ability to protect its citizens. "The Home Office and the police forces nationwide should be doing everything they can to ensure that this should not be allowed to happen again. "
2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
40 'Robot lawyer' fights parking tickets A chatbot programmed by a British teenager has successfully challenged 160,000 parking tickets since its launch last year. About 250,000 people have used the free service so far, said its creator, Joshua Browder. The Do Not Pay bot currently works in the UK and New York in the US. It asks a series of questions to determine the validity of a penalty notice. It can also be used to work out compensation for delayed flights. Mr Browder told the BBC he hoped it proved bots could be useful. "Bots are a huge opportunity for public service," he said. "I'm very surprised it has been so successful, but I am not surprised that so many people have pushed back against their parking tickets. " Of the 160,000 successful challenges, 9,000 were from New York, where the bot launched in March 2016, reports Venture Beat. Mr Browder was inspired to build the bot, which he describes as "the world's first robot lawyer", after receiving "countless" parking tickets himself. It took him three months to program. The Stanford University student is currently building a new bot aimed at helping Syrian refugees by producing English documents based on Arabic text. However, Abhi Chirimar, the chief executive of online mental health community Instawell, said that in his experience there was no chatbot "silver bullet" for companies offering digital services across more than one platform. "Service developers need to be mindful of the pros and cons when designing chatbots," he said. "Chatbots need tactical conversation design to ensure that the average person feels comfortable throughout the process. "We realised early on that there isn't an easy 'silver-bullet' for our chatbot. "Now, a Facebook user and a Slack user are served up different chatbots for the same goal - get the right kind of help. "
2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
41 Standing ovation for SNP MEP Alyn Smith's 'I beg you' speech SNP MEP Alyn Smith received a standing ovation from his European colleagues after he begged them not to "let Scotland down". He was speaking in an emergency debate at the European Parliament in the wake of last week's EU referendum. The UK voted by 52% to 48% to leave the union after 43 years of membership. Mr Smith used his speech in Brussels to urge the EU to respect the will of Scotland after its electors voted by 62% to 38% to remain in the EU. He won applause form the chamber when he said he was "proudly Scottish and proudly European". Mr Smith went on to say: "I want my country to be internationalist, cooperative, ecological, fair, European. "And the people of Scotland, along with the people of Northern Ireland and the people of London, and lots and lots of people in Wales and England also, voted to remain within our family of nations. "I demand that that status and that esprit European be respected. "But colleagues, there are a lot of things to be negotiated. We will need cool heads and warm hearts. But please, remember this: Scotland, did not let you down. "Please, I beg you, chers collègues, do not let Scotland down now. " After his short address he received a standing ovation. The leader of UKIP and pro-Leave backer Nigel Farage did not join in the applause. MEP Mr Farage had earlier spoken to his fellow EU parliament colleagues. He told them that "the little people" had rejected "big politics" in order "to get their country back". Mr Farage believed the UK now offered "a beacon of hope" across Europe for other countries that wanted to leave the EU. He said: "When I came here 17 years ago and said I wanted to lead a campaign to get Britain to leave the European Union, you all laughed at me. Well, I have to say, you're not laughing now are you? "
2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
42 In pictures: Glastonbury welcomes first muddy arrivals It wouldn't be Glastonbury without mud, rain and traffic - but people arriving at the site in Somerset have refused to get bogged down. Some ticket-holders have been stuck in queues of up to 12 hours after traffic chaos hit all major routes to the site in Shepton Mallet. More than 100,000 people are due to descend on Worthy Farm for the event, which has already turned into a mudbath. 2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
43 Free Ads for Democrats By Leslee Kulba- The last formal meeting of Asheville City Council was characterized by items added to the agenda as the meeting proceeded. All had a decidedly Democrat flavor. With wall-to-wall news coverage of the Florida massacre, there would be outcry if city council did not somehow pay homage. However, inspired by a Facebook post by Councilman Cecil Bothwell on futile gestures, Mayor Esther Manheimer decided in lieu of a moment of silence to advocate for gun control and urge members of the public to vote for Democrat leaders that would further infringe the right to keep and bear. She specifically voiced her disapproval of “ridiculous” state laws passed by a Republican majority that prohibit municipalities from passing their own concealed carry laws, and consequently allow persons with guns to walk through city parks. She, of course, did not mention political parties by name. Bothwell followed with disdain for Republican leaders who are “trying to eliminate rules completely” and “just let everybody carry guns.” The legislative majority, he said, “doesn’t realize where most people in the country are.” It was hard for him to imagine why the United States couldn’t be as “sane” as Australia, England, Germany, France, and other countries with stricter gun laws; but instead continues with a “massive insistence that everybody have the right to have the firepower to kill as many people as possible.” He closed, saying, “What madness. What utter madness.” The words echoed the scenario Monday when Speaker Paul Ryan asked for a moment of silence on the House floor. Some Democrat leaders walked out, and following the moment of silence, some of the remaining Democrats heckled Ryan trying to break with the agenda to promote anti- gun legislation. Pundits have since observed the legislation in question, banning persons on TSA’s No-Fly List from getting gun permits, had absolutely nothing to do with the latest fifteen minutes of fame, as the perpetrator was not on the list. To be fair and balanced in reporting, if not in government, the opposition argues law-abiding citizens must be able to arm themselves. “The best defense is self-defense” speaks to personal responsibility, avoiding 30- minute police response times, and not falling into the trap of being a soft target sought out by perps. Besides, anybody who is going to commit cold- blooded murder is not going to be stopped by gun control laws. Memes on the Twitter machine to this effect include Chairman Mao saying, “I banned guns. Then I killed 49 million people;” a Native American woman saying, “If the government says, ‘You don’t need a gun,’ you need a gun;” and another phrase, “Making good people helpless won’t make bad people harmless.” Rather than reasoning about cause and effect in all other factors equal situations, the nation plays a political game. The right cites a high percentage, near 100, of mass shootings that have occurred, over some stretch of years, in gun-free zones. Then, the left makes the claim out to be a lie with research that, drawing different parameters, concludes only something like 92 percent of massacres have taken place where concealed carry is banned. Moving right along, the mayor asked approval, “to add one item to our consent agenda, and that is the resolution at all your desks setting an aggressive meeting schedule for our summer to help us examine a potential bond referendum.” The referendum is needed because the city’s projects cost more than revenues collected from fees and taxes and state and federal sources. For the city’s 2016—2017 budget, debt service, or principal and interest owed, is estimated at $12,145,694, or 7.5 percent of general expenditures. It is expected the people will be told the money is for some disadvantaged community or critical public safety or infrastructure upgrade, while elsewhere in the budget is funding for things like fru-fru streetscaping and corporate welfare. Voters will be assured the bond will keep debt capacity constant, as if the tax rate ought never be lowered. Next, Transportation Director Ken Putnam announced the NC DOT had decided upon the Least Environmentally Damaging routes for the I-26 connector. For those following, Section A will be widened to either six or eight lanes, Section B will follow Alternative 4B, and Section C will be built in accordance with Alternative F1. Putnam said those were the options city leadership and staff had supported. The DOT will begin acquiring rights of way in 2019, and construction should begin in 2021. Bothwell said making a signature bridge worthy of postcard photos would not require more materials, just more brain power. Julie Mayfield said at the last working group meeting, it was conclusively decided the bridge must be beautiful. Another addition to the agenda was a legislative update. One bill hand- wavily addressed was H483, which would protect property owners against changes in zoning approved after land has been purchased and developers from amendments to local ordinances enacted after a project has entered the design review process. Manheimer said a number of cities were uniting to oppose the bill, which could limit their powers to impose conditions on projects. Of more concern was a bill threatened by outgoing seven-term Senator Tom Apodaca that would cause members of Asheville City Council to be elected by district. Depending on how the lines are eventually gerrymandered, incumbents could be double-bunked. Apodaca was presumably reacting to complaints from under-represented business interests in the south. He is the only Republican serving in the legislative delegation, so the other members sat him down for a meeting and reached out to council, which happens to be all-Democrat. Manheimer said first and foremost, she does not want the bill filed; but if it must be, she would hope citizens would be able to give the proposal an up or down in a referendum and that an independent commission or city council would be allowed to draw the district lines. Bothwell said he had seen the proposed districts, and it appeared software had assembled them block-by-block on the basis of political party. For example, it lumped people in the Sunset Mountain community with those in Haw Creek, on opposite sides of a mountain. It also divided the Central Business District in half. Bothwell complained the Republicans preach limited government and local control, and legislate to the contrary. This was another instance of leaders choosing their voters, rather than the other way around. The legislators were saying, “Go pick your switch. We’re comin’ for you. You decide how bad it’s gonna be,” said Bothwell. Lastly, Mayfield noted there was no ruling on the city’s NC Supreme Court case trying to prevent the municipal water system from being taken over by the Metropolitan Sewerage District. City Attorney Robin Currin said the next date for rulings would be August 19, and the one following would be in late November. Bothwell said the city had been an “incredible steward” refurbishing and upgrading the water system. Then he called attention to absurd arguments from the state’s defense, like one justification for MSD control was lead in Flint, Michigan’s water.
2016-06-28 20:22 By Leslee www.thetribunepapers.com
44 12-Year-Old Takes 2nd Joyride, Crashes Into Police Cruiser Video Well as I raising before but this time was nearly deadly we showed you just a few weeks ago a school bus in Bangor Maine with a twelve year old drive eight. An eyewitness decided to hop on the bus and in managed to stop it but now the same eyewitness spotted the same boy and another joy arrived at this time and a man. That crash into a bang a police car which had blocked its. Way. I just couldn't believe it was him again and and I actually passed him first thought that the cop card just like rear ended the ban. That's way recorded it doesn't happen often. Officers are now looking into what the boy hit prior to the chase twelve year old was taken in the custody is now being charged. When driving to endanger alluding a police officer and theft. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
2016-06-28 20:38 ABC News abcnews.go.com
45 American Red Cross Apologizes for Poster That Some Found Racist Video Transcript for American Red Cross Apologizes for Poster That Some Found Racist American Red Cross apologizing for a pull safety poster that some say is racist and offensive. This posters entitled be cool follow the rules but it appears to portray white children as cool and children of color has not cool. See a picture the poster created a firestorm on Twitter the Red Cross says it removed the poster from the web site and their app and they have asked facilities to get rid of that poster as well. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
2016-06-28 20:38 ABC News abcnews.go.com
46 80-Year-Old Cowboy Stops NYC Traffic Video Cowboy on horseback. Causing quite a stir and traffic jam in the Outerbridge Crossing Todd Michelin. Who goes by the name doctor it was on all horse leading another horse when police stopped him drivers could not believe the rise as ms. Schuler and his. Horses trotted over the Staten Island bound lanes in heavy traffic at noon. Police force to ask what the rider and horse is as a line of traffic slowly followed behind. Police haven't seen horses for awhile. And so we come across a bridge area naturally. They didn't know what to do but there are very respectful. And I travel all across land the police or lawyers serve and protect. A Port Authority police gave Michelob summons for trespass and one for impeding traffic. Cowboys said she was traveling across the country and had camp out in south and board before crossing the bridge. He says he rides his horse around the area to raise awareness for child hunger. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
2016-06-28 20:38 ABC News abcnews.go.com
47 FEMA: 1,000 Apply for W. VA Flooding Assistance So Far Video Transcript for FEMA: 1,000 Apply for W. VA Flooding Assistance So Far Grim assessment of damage has West Virginia begins to recover from historic flooding thousands of homes and businesses are damaged or destroyed and at least 23 people have been killed. Hundreds of residents are living in emergency shelters across the state there's still no running water or electricity in many hard hit areas. There is however a bit of good news to campers were missing and presumed dead. Were found alive. Hundreds of volunteers are providing hot meals and clothing for residents who've lost everything members of the Marshall University football team hadn't pitched in to collect supplies. And there's this one woman who wanted to help expressing the frustration of many. When he do something. But it's so sad because you can't do anything. You know there's just nothing to do very. Sit tell people where there's filmed. We'll charity officials say they need bottled water cleaning supplies. And cash. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
2016-06-28 20:38 ABC News abcnews.go.com
48 Banks' bad loans may rise to 8.5% of assets by March: RBI Gross non-performing assets (GNPAs), or bad loans, of commercial banks may rise to 8.5 per cent of total assets by March 2017, from 7.6 percent in March 2016, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Tuesday based on "stress tests" it has conducted. "Risks to India's banking sector have increased since the publication of the last Financial Stability Report (FSR) in December 2015, mainly on account of a further deterioration in asset quality and low profitability," RBI said in its latest FSR 2016. "The gross non-performing advances rose sharply to 7.6 per cent of gross advances in March 2016 from 5.1 per cent in September 2015, largely reflecting re-classification of restructured advances to NPAs following an asset quality review (AQR). "The macro stress tests suggest that under the baseline scenario, the GNPA ratio may rise to 8.5 per cent by March 2017 from 7.6 per cent in March 2016," it said. "If the macro situation deteriorates in the future, the GNPA ratio may increase further to 9.3 per cent by March 2017," the report added. Banks are currently focusing on cleaning their balance sheets following the AQR that showed up around $35 billion of new bad loans since September, pushing gross bad loans to 7.6 per cent in March from 5.1 per cent in September 2015. Overall stressed assets - consisting of bad loans as well as restructured assets - rose to 11.5 per cent in March from 11.3 percent six months earlier. "The stress in the banking sector, which mirrors the stress in the corporate sector, has to be dealt with in order to revive credit growth," RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, who had ordered the banks' AQR last year, wrote in the report. Instead, non-banking finance companies (NBFC) have reported an improvement in most of their performance metrics, the FSR said. The gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio for the NBFC sector declined to 4.6 per cent of the total advances in March 2016 from 5.1 per cent in September 2015. "While the regulatory norms for the NBFC sector are sought to be brought closer to those applicable to banks, the performance of this sector (return on equity and return on assets) seems to be much better as compared to that of banks," the report said. It noted that loan growth of the NBFC sector was at 16.6 per cent for fiscal 2016, nearly double compared with the 8.8 per cent growth in aggregate credit across the banking sector. The aggregate balance sheet of the NBFC sector expanded by 15.5 per cent for fiscal 2016 compared with 15.7 per cent the previous year. The study, covering the 11,682 NBFCs operating as of March 2016, also found the capital adequacy ratio for NBFCs as a whole improved to 24.3 per cent as of March 2016 from 23.85 per cent in September 2015. In the connection, the report said stressed companies are deleveraging fast and number of "weak" companies are declining. The RBI survey showed the proportion of private non-financial leveraged companies that have negative net worth, or debt to equity ratio of more than 2, declined sharply from 19 per cent in March 2015 to 14 per cent in March 2016. The share of these companies in the total debt also declined from 33.8 per cent to 20.6 per cent. Similarly, the proportion of "highly leveraged" companies, with debt to equity ratio of more than 3, declined from 14.2 per cent to 12.9 per cent. Further, the share of "weak" companies -- defined as those having interest coverage ratio of less than 1 -- declined to 15 per cent as on March 2016, compared with 17.8 per cent in March 2015.
2016-06-28 20:38 By IANS www.mid-day.com
49 Faucet-Turning Felines Suspected in Flooding Cat-astrophe Video Now Playing: Shooting Victim Serves as an Inspiration for Classmates Now Playing: SCOTUS Rules People Convicted Of Domestic Violence Cannot Have Guns Now Playing: Crews Fighting to Contain Blaze After Freight Train Crash in Texas Now Playing: Pat Summitt at 2012 ESPY Awards: 'It Is Time to Fight' Now Playing: The Pups Hit the Beach for Corgi Con Now Playing: Boy, 10, Found Safe After Being Taken at Gunpoint Now Playing: Former Fraternity Member Accused of Sexual Assault Released After 1 Day in Jail Now Playing: FEMA: 1,000 Apply for W. VA Flooding Assistance So Far Now Playing: 10-Year-Old Taken at Gunpoint During Robbery in Dallas Now Playing: Devastating Storms Hit From the Dakotas to Texas
2016-06-28 20:38 ABC News abcnews.go.com
50 Volkswagen Reaches Settlement in Emissions Case Video We're here today to announce several development. In our ongoing investigation into Volkswagen's efforts to that they emissions rules. We're the most flagrant violations of our country's consumer and environmental laws in our country's history. For years Americans have been buying bolts like and cars thinking that their vehicles comply with the emission standards. But it's folks plaque that now acknowledges hundreds of thousands of those cars. Sold in this country where in fact pumping illegal lapels of nitrogen oxides into our atmosphere. Up to forty times the amount permitted not federal law. And to make matters worse it's Volkswagen now admits. These vehicles were equipped with software that Nast the true amount. Pollutants that the cars were emitting on the run insuring that the regulators failed to detect the problem. During environmental testing. Bad duping the regulators. Bulk slackened turned over half a million American drivers into unwitting accomplices. An an unprecedented assault. On our country's environment. Since learning of these violations the Justice Department has been working hand in hand with our federal state. And international partners to determine whether any prosper laws were broken and if so who broke. This January the Department of Justice filed a civil complaint on behalf at the EPA. Alleging that Volkswagen used illegal software to defeat emissions test. Today we're announcing a partial settlement in that case along with the related settlement was filed by the FTC. These two settlements which we're just filed earlier this morning in San Francisco. Are valued at up to fourteen point seven billion dollars. Additionally they set forth let Volkswagen busted. To compensate consumers and to mitigate the environmental teams each. Under these settlements alt slack and let's do three things first. The company must pay consumers to get these cars off the road. Secondly the company must find pollution reduction projects that are designed to offset the damage to its cost and third. The company must invest in projects. It will encourage Americans to expand their use of zero emissions vehicles in the future. We can't undo the damage that box went and calls to our air quality you can't suck and knocks out of the but what we can do is all set that image back reducing pollution from future sources. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
2016-06-28 20:38 ABC News abcnews.go.com
51 The Pups Hit the Beach for Corgi Con Video Transcript for The Pups Hit the Beach for Corgi Con Listen blood. Tariq on this learning how poignant. Lightness prairie gathering we got about the net and on gathering and and at last October calling it. Connecticut party did people actually. Lilian from Pollock an exact penny poses Cohen. Do it me. Few from Hawaii. And she is five years old Wednesday of the great time they get together again and AM legend straight in the that I can't find us. You know drinks and other campaigns that really happen. At present it is well I love them just. All the proceeds from these shirts that howls Eddie. If all goes to the rescue they've. I tend to do a very large group bought began there. Followed by content I had. Yeah its ailing banks being injured by hearing. And a half dozen pet pain headed in the hot didn't kind cat. I do they believe. People in. I can't fool is he winner pretty hot and hot pads. And it is a woman who's who. We have this gentleman hadn't really want to see proposed yeah. You want again this is what's coming around where. Really proud of them regularly back the next one to chat. Defend his crown. You don't have to haven't 46 I'm not used as an eleven play. This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
2016-06-28 20:37 ABC News abcnews.go.com
52 Health officials give Whitewater Center update North Carolina governor Pat McCrory discussed the U. S. National Whitewater Center on Monday. McCrory said that there needs to be a "total re-examination. " The U. S. Whitewater Center voluntarily closed its whitewater rafting activities after the water tested positive for a brain-eating amoeba. The amoeba killed 18-year old Lauren Seitz of Ohio. WBTV meteorologist Al Conklin with The Charlotte Observer weather forecast for June 27, 2016. American Airlines Flight 731 was evacuated at London's Heathrow Airport after smoke filled the cabin. Dog owners from across Charlotte brought their pets to the seventh annual Dogtopia K9 Support Dog Wash in Charlotte with a goal to wash and groom at least 150 dogs and to raise $5,000. All proceeds from the Dog Wash benefit the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s K9 Unit. The amoeba, Naegleria Fowleri, was found in most of the 11 water samples the CDC took Wednesday. The amoeba is commonly found in warm, open bodies of water. Dr. Marcus Plescia, director of the Mecklenburg County Health Department, discusses the results of water tests at the U. S. National Whitewater Center. Water samples from the U. S. National Whitewater Center have detected the waterborne amoeba suspected in the death of an Ohio teen who died after visiting the park. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Kirsty Coventry visited the Harris YMCA on Thursday. Before she could join a group of children on the outside waterslides, she was required to pass a swim test. Coventry, 32, trains with SwimMAC Team Elite in Charlotte and will represent Zimbabwe at the upcoming Summer Games in Rio. WBTV meteorologist Al Conklin with The Charlotte Observer weather forecast for June 24, 2016. CMPD Lt. Brian Sanders said at a press conference Thursday "as violent crime increases in the summertime, we can move resources in more of a real-time manner in order to make that happen. "
2016-06-28 19:21 www.charlotteobserver.com
53 Australians demand security after paralympian mugged Six-time Australian Paralympics athlete 47-year-old Liesl Tesch had her bike stolen at a bus stop near her hotel on Sunday morning by two men, who threatened her and sailing team member Sarah Ross with a pistol. In a statement Tuesday, Australian Olympic team Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller said the mugging was a "major concern" and called for extra police and security for athletes . "The Paralympic sailors were confronted by the men in broad daylight, it was 7.30 in the morning, and right near their accommodation. There were people around but no-one came to their assistance," she said. Questions have previously been raised over whether Brazil is ready to host the Olympic Games in August, as violence, governmental chaos and the worries about the Zika virus continue to plague the event. A 100,000 member security force is due to start work by the opening ceremony on August 5, but Chiller said she had written to the Rio organizers asking for them to be mobilized sooner. "This is not an isolated incident, athletes have been mugged while training and competing in Rio test events and we want our athletes protected," Chiller said. Also on Sunday morning, 20 masked gunmen raided Rio de Janeiro's Souza Aguiar hospital attempting to free an alleged drug kingpi n. In the shootout, one person was killed and two others injured. It is one of five designated hospitals which will treat tourists during the summer Olympics. Athlete 'shaken' by robbery The Australian Paralympic Committee released a statement on Monday which said both women were unharmed but shaken after the robbery, which they had reported to the police. Speaking to Australia's Nine Network, Tesch described how she was pushed to the ground by the gunmen who then rode off on her bike. "The guy in front of me, I think he said 'diner.' I speak sort of Spanish, so I pulled up my shirt and showed him I had no money. Then he said something else, I don't know what, and he lifted the gun up towards me," she said. Tesch, who became an incomplete paraplegic at the age of 19 after a mountain bike accident, won a gold medal in Mixed Two Person Sailing at the 2012 London Paralympic Games. She also won two silver medals and a bronze medal in wheelchair basketball at the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Games. The Committee's Chef de Mission Kate McLoughlin said in a statement the Australian Federal Police had advised their athletes to exercise a high degree of caution while traveling in Rio. "That advice is particularly important before the Paralympic Games period," she said. "We know there will be a hugely elevated level of security in place during the Paralympic Games but, for athletes and teams traveling there before the Games, there is a heightened need to be security conscious. "
2016-06-28 20:31 Ben Westcott rss.cnn.com
54 Wimbledon: Djokovic, Federer win openers As per tradition, the defending men's champion was the first to walk onto center court. Novak Djokovic is also the world's top-ranked player, but even that doesn't do him justice. At 29, the Serb is in his prime after becoming only the third man to hold all four grand slams at once, a feat he achieved by grinding his way to the French Open title three weeks ago. READ: Djokovic completes collection He was followed by Garbine Muguruza, who also triumphed at soggy and unseasonably cold Roland Garros. The Spaniard opened her grand slam account on the red clay, with the expectation of further prestigious titles to come the 22-year-old's way. Last -- but by no means least -- was Roger Federer. While Federer has long led the men with 17 grand slams -- a record seven of them coming at the All England Club -- the outlook for the Swiss isn't nearly as promising, which is only to be expected given his advanced years in tennis terms. He turns 35 in August, hasn't won a major for four years and lacks match practice, having skipped the French Open in the aftermath of a back injury which hampered an already interrupted campaign. All three progressed to the second round Monday in spring -- not summer -- conditions that are expected to persist at Wimbledon for the entire fortnight. Some forecasts suggest topping the 20C (68F) mark will be difficult, and a fair bit of rain is expected. At least, though, Wimbledon has a roof, unlike the French Open. Djokovic's outing against British wildcard James Ward was almost perfect for the twice defending champion: He struck plenty of balls -- no bad thing considering his dearth of grass-court tussles once again heading into Wimbledon -- and was tested late in the second set, but prevailed in straight sets 6-0 7-6 (7-3) 6-4. When Djokovic stormed to a 6-0 3-0 advantage, the threat of a triple bagel - - 6-0 6-0 6-0 -- loomed. Ward, however, rallied for 3-3 with a combination of power and finesse, even holding three break points at 5-5. Djokovic saved them all and cruised in the tiebreak against the world No. 177, ending the brief sequence of suspense. Of the trio, Muguruza's first-round foe, Camila Giorgi, was always destined to be the trickiest. One of the game's hardest, flattest hitters, the restrained Italian's lone title came on grass one year ago. "Plan B" doesn't exist for the 67th-ranked Giorgi but when her go-for-broke style is functioning, she barely needs one. Giorgi was at her booming best in the second set but couldn't maintain the momentum and fell 6-2 5-7 6-4 as Italy and Spain simultaneously faced off at football's European Championships across the Channel in France. Italy prevailed 2-0, which might have lightened Giorgi's mood. Giorgi was unable to recover from being broken in a five-deuce game at 1- 1 in the decider. A considerable hurdle was thus overcome by Muguruza, since first-time grand slam champions in the past five years on the women's tour have struggled in their next major. Her second-round opponent, qualifier Jana Cepelova of Slovakia, wouldn't appear to be as dangerous. Federer tested Federer -- upset this month at a pair of tournaments in Germany -- contested his first grand slam match since exiting to Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals. The rust was evident against Argentina's Guido Pella, who had never won a top-level grass court match. Yet Federer advanced 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 over the 52nd-ranked lefty to record a 303rd grand slam win, three behind Martina Navratilova for the all- time record. Pella will rue not capitalizing when he led 30-0 on Federer's serve at 6-5 in the second. While the grandeur may have lacked, there was no shortage of drama on Wimbledon's other grass courts. American 28th seed Sam Querrey, in Djokovic's quarter of the draw, outlasted Wimbledon giant killer Lukas Rosol 6-7 (6-8) 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-2 12- 10; Lucie Safarova saved three match points to defeat her close friend and doubles partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (7-3) 7-5; and Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin emulated Querrey by coming from two sets down to edge South African 20th seed Kevin Anderson -- who stretched Djokovic to five sets 12 months ago at Wimbledon -- 4-6 6-7 (13-15) 6-4 7- 6 (7-2) 6-3. British qualifier Marcus Willis, the world No. 772, upset former junior No. 1 Ricardas Berankis 6-3 6-3 6-4. Willis had to enter pre-qualifying due to his lowly ranking before playing in a second eliminator event. He is the lowest-ranked qualifier to win a round at a grand slam since a 923rd-ranked Jared Palmer at the 1988 U. S. Open. Earlier this year the 25-year-old planned to retire and coach full time but his new girlfriend told him not to quit. A good, and lucrative, move. He is guaranteed to pocket about $66,000 -- almost equaling his career prize money of $95,000 prior to Wimbledon -- even if he loses in the round of 64. His opponent? Federer. For Willis it's a dream matchup that should unfold on the aforementioned, hallowed center court. Who will win Wimbledon? Have your say on CNN Sports' Facebook page Get more Wimbledon news at cnn.com/tennis
2016-06-28 20:25 Ravi Ubha www.cnn.com
55 Sanders appointee to 'Post': Democratic platform should include 'occupation,' right to boycott WASHINGTON - The Democratic Party should recognize Israel's occupation of the West Bank and the rights of Americans to boycott Israeli policies, James Zogby, founder and president of the Arab American Institute and a Bernie Sanders appointment to the Democratic Platform Committee, told The Jerusalem Post in an interview on Monday. In the interview, Zogby reaffirmed his position that the party platform should update its language to reflect these views. But he also acknowledged that change is unlikely, at least this time around, after pushing for new wording in negotiations unsuccessfully over the weekend. According to excerpts of the platform draft agreed upon in St. Louis and acquired by the Post , the party will declare for the first time that Palestinians "should be free to govern themselves in their own viable state, in peace and dignity. " The new language is not satisfactory to Zogby, whose appointment by the Vermont senator and former presidential candidate was greeted with skepticism among some in the Israeli and Jewish American communities. "The fact that the word 'settlement' has become controversial is troubling," Zogby said. "And when every president also refers to settlements and says whatever language they use– that they are unhelpful, or contrary to the pursuit of peace– when you can't even use the word settlement in the platform, that's unsettling. " He added: "I'm told that saying Palestinians have a right to govern themselves is a major advance? " Zogby fought for additional language, and will continue to do so through the Democratic convention in July. But presumptive presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's envoys to the committee arrived in St. Louis for negotiations with Sanders' team carrying a precise message: Don't even try to insert language on Israel's occupation or settlement activity in the West Bank. Her committee members came prepared to negotiate aggressively on issues of climate change and criminal justice reform, Zogby said. But "nobody really came to me to negotiate this," Zogby continued. "They just came to me and said, 'we're going to win this and you're going to lose.'" "There's a fear to even talk about it in public," he added. President of the Arab American Institute Dr. James J. Zogby. (Photo credit: LARRY DOWNING/REUTERS) Neither term has ever been used in the Democratic platform– an aspirational document outlining where the party stands every four years. Most Israeli leaders and Jewish American establishment organizations reject the terms as reductive narrative constructs, pitting Israel as a colonial aggressor against collective Palestinian victims. Many sharply disagree that use of the term "occupation" is a fair or productive characterization of the root of the decades-old conflict. And leaders from both major US parties say that reference to an "occupation" predetermines the outcome of final- status negotiations toward two sovereign states. But those appointed to the committee by Sanders– Clinton's chief presidential primary rival– believe that her refusal to update the document represents a failure to accept the realities on the ground and the non- partisan, decades-old policy of the State Department under both Democratic and Republican administrations. The St. Louis meeting was only one of several negotiations. And Zogby says that, while language on Israel is largely "resolved" in the draft, he expects to continue the fight at a meeting in Orlando next month. "I certainly don't have any expectation that it will change," he said of the language. "But there are times when the discussion itself is important, and continuing the discussion is more important. Being silent will be the worst thing. " Zogby has long advocated for a recognition of Israel's presence in the West Bank as an occupation of Palestinian lands. His involvement in shaping the Democratic Party platform dates back to the 1988 elections, and ever since, he has played a significant policy role in consecutive Democratic administrations, promoting business investment in Gaza and the West Bank throughout the 1990s and securing appointments by US President Barack Obama to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom in 2013 and 2015. At the heart of Zogby's argument is that the platform is a useless political document unless it outlines strong policies that bridge voters with their candidates and, ultimately, their elected leadership. The platform committee is typically comprised of top policy wonks, he notes, who ultimately put their policy caps to the side to instead focus on the politics of the day. Clinton's appointees fought for a condemnation of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel– another first in the DNC platform– but the language was constructed such that Democrats only condemn its efforts to "delegitimize" the Jewish state. While Zogby does not support delegitimization efforts targeting the State of Israel itself, he does believe in the rights of those seeking to boycott Israel's West Bank occupation and settlement activity– and thinks a sizable portion of the Democratic base agrees with him. "I found it intriguing that, when they were describing the language, they were saying they were opposing the BDS movement only to the extent that it was delegitimizing Israel," Zogby said. "I found their description of it far less of concern than the [New York Governor Andrew] Cuomo language, for example, which outright condemns BDS actions, whether or not they're construed as delegitimizing Israel. " Earlier this month, Cuomo ordered a halt to all New York state business with entities working with or supporting BDS– part of a larger effort on the state and local effort to target the campaign. Ultimately, the St. Louis language declares that Democrats "oppose any effort to delegitimize Israel, including at the United Nations or through the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement. " Insertion of this new language was a top priority for Clinton, according to her aides. Not so for Team Sanders. "I still think that was unnecessary and in a way politically gratuitous," Zogby said. Clinton's convictions over what support for Israel looks like appear to have squashed any significant debate this year over platform language. But the lack of a fight may also be attributed to a lack of interest from Sanders, who has brought up the issue only a handful of times throughout a year of fierce campaigning. "Is it one of his top five issues? I don't dare guess that it is," Zogby said, while noting the issue is certainly of importance to the candidate. Zogby is among five Sanders appointees to the committee. Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, was offered six appointments, while the DNC itself chose four. The party's convention will be held in Philadelphia on July 25-28.
2016-06-28 20:23 MICHAEL WILNER www.jpost.com
56 Congolese warlord sentenced to 18 years for war crimes The International Criminal Court convicted Bemba of murder, rape and pillaging between October 2002 and March 2003, when forces under his command were sent to CAR to quell a coup attempt. The court found the crimes "to be of serous gravity," noting that some of the rapes were committed "against particularly defenseless victims" and "with particular cruelty. " "The arrest, conviction and sentencing of Jean-Pierre Bemba sends out a strong signal that those who commit crimes under international law will ultimately be held responsible for their crimes, " Amnesty International's Stephen Cockburn said in a statement Tuesday. "It also sends a clear message that impunity for sexual violence as a tool of war will not be tolerated and makes clear that military commanders must take all necessary steps to prevent their subordinates from committing such heinous acts," said Cockburn, a deputy regional director for west and central Africa. Bemba led the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (Mouvement de Libération du Congo) and became one of the Congo's four vice presidents in 2003 as part of that country's transitional government. Prosecutors say Bemba knew that MLC forces under his authority and control were committing or about to commit war crimes. More than 5,200 victims were authorized to participate in Bemba's trial and are eligible for reparations. Bemba was arrested by Belgian authorities in May 2008 and surrendered to the court the next month. He was convicted on March 21 of this year of two counts of crimes against humanity and three counts of war crimes. He will get credit for the eight years he has already spent behind bars. 2016-06-28 20:17 Radina Gigova rss.cnn.com
57 Rory McIlroy: Golfer pulls out of Rio Olympics amid Zika fears The sport is making a return to the Summer Games for the first time since 1904, and organizers have had to deal with other big names pulling out, notably major winners Adam Scott and Louis Oosthuizen. "After much thought and deliberation, I have decided to withdraw my name from consideration for this summer's Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero," McIlroy said in a statement. "After speaking with those closest to me, I've come to realize that my health and my family's health comes before anything else. "Even though the risk of infection from the Zika virus is considered low, it is a risk nonetheless and a risk I am unwilling to take. " While the symptoms of the virus -- which include a rash, headaches and joint pain -- aren't severe, Zika has been linked to microcephaly in newborn babies and some cases of the muscle-weakening disease Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. As well as McIlroy, Scott and Oosthuizen, three-time major winner Vijay Singh and Australia's Marc Leishman -- citing Zika -- have also decided not to compete . South Korea unveils anti-Zika uniform The Olympic Council of Ireland said in a statement that it is "extremely disappointed" not to be taking Rory to the Olympics but "respect his decision. " "Rory was set to be one of the big stars of Rio 2016," the organization said. "But now there is an opportunity for another Irish golfer to take up the chance to become an Olympian and participate in golf's historic return to the Olympic Games after a 112-year absence. " McIlroy failed to make the cut at last week's U. S. Open, as Dustin Johnson claimed his maiden major triumph. Olympics: Rio 2016's 'perfect storm' Fearing Zika, Olympic champion freezes sperm
2016-06-28 20:11 rss.cnn.com
58 'Katdashians! Break the Musical!' is all you hoped for 'Katdashians! Break the Musical!' is legit and playing at the Elektra Theatre in New York City. A reviewer for the New York Times quipped, "Some passersby might look at the marquee of the Elektra Theater in Times Square and ask, 'Why?' Others might do so and say, 'Why not?' It's that second group who should go in. " " And while the Times Neil Genzlinger writes that "it's all pretty stupid" he concedes "it's not without artfulness. " "Carmen Mendoza (Kim), Elliott Brooks (Khloe) and especially Bridget Kennedy (the spacey Kourtney) are all enjoyable, and there's even a theme, sort of," he says in his review. "The show is about empty fame and how addictive it is. At one point the family panics because no Google alerts have gone out about any of them for a whole hour. " The casting requirements for the show were posted by Playbill in April and read equally entertaining. The character of Kourtney Katdashian is described as "The oldest and least famous sister with a litter of kittens. Kourtney spends most her time worrying about, but never looking for, her puppet boyfriend who disappears often and trying to show emotion on her emotionless face. " Cue the cat hiss! The musical currently runs through July 16.
2016-06-28 19:54 Lisa Respers rss.cnn.com
59 Zakaria: The new divide in the Western world On Friday morning, Britan voted to withdraw from the European Union , a decades-old, deeply intertwined economic and political association. Then, Scotland's first minister proposed another vote to break away from Britain, ending the 300-year union between them. The leaders in Northern Ireland floated a similar idea. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that he would resign, and the head of the opposition Labor Party might be forced out as well. Oh, and global markets lost 2 trillion dollars of value in one day. The economic and political consequences of Brexit will become clearer in the weeks and months ahead. It seems that there is going to be considerable remorse and regret among those who voted for Brexit without really understanding what it meant. But however that plays out, there is one lesson we can take from the Brexit referendum that applies across the English Channel to other European countries, and across the Atlantic to the United States: We are now watching the emergence of a new political divide that is likely to shape the politics of the Western world for the next fifty years. Who voted for Brexit? According to the Wall Street Journal , two-thirds of Britons who did not finish high school. Who voted against it, in other words, to stay in Europe? Seventy percent of college graduates. Those who voted for Brexit were disproportionately older, white, working class, less educated and poorer. Those who voted to remain in Europe were younger, ethnically diverse, better educated and better off. These divisions will sound familiar to Americans because for the most part they mirror the divide we are seeing in this presidential election. The single factor that best predicts a Trump voter is a college degree. If you have it, you say you will vote against him. If you don't, you're for him. The Economist recently conducted a survey of "Europe's Little Trumps," the series of populists who are gaining ground across the continent. Looking at the data it concluded that "support for xenophobic populism is strongest among those who are older, non-university educated, working class, white and male. " Those against tend to be younger, educated, working in service and professional jobs, and comfortable with diversity. This divide is rooted in the central reality of our times -- a world being reshaped by the advance of globalization and technology. These forces produce enormous advances, but also enormous disruptions, rendering obsolete companies, indeed entire industries, within years. But it's not just about economics. The most disruptive element of all has turned out to be not the free and fast movement of goods, services, and information across the planet, but of people. The migration of people in and out of countries has produced an emotional backlash against immigration, refugees, and indeed the entire idea of globalization. Economic issues affect the head; identity issues hit the heart. This is the new divide in the Western world. On the one hand, there will be those who view an open world -- globalization and technological change -- as broadly beneficial. But others regard these forces as threatening and destructive. The latter want to have protections of varying kinds -- sovereignty, tariffs, and border controls, among others -- to make their countries great again. Parties that now contain elements of both will have internal conflicts, as is happening with Britain's Tories and the Republican Party in the United States. Donald Trump would like to remake the Republicans into a populist, protectionist, nationalist and xenophobic party. Whether or not he succeeds, his compatriots in Britain won a big battle on Friday. But the larger struggle will go on, and the new politics of our age will be not left versus right, but open versus closed. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion. Read CNNOpinion's Flipboard magazine.
2016-06-28 19:51 Fareed Zakaria rss.cnn.com
60 Gunmen storm hotel in Mogadishu; 15 killed, police say Following the car explosion, someone blew themselves up inside the Naso Hablod hotel as gunmen stormed the building, Somali police Capt. Aden Dahir said. Police responded and engaged in a gunbattle with the suspects for several hours, Dahir said. The Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack on its main broadcaster, Radio Andalus. Most of those killed and injured were civilians who were passersby and customers of nearby shops and a gas station, police said. The hotel is frequented by Somali government officials, lawmakers and security officers, Dahir said. Video on Twitter showed an ambulance, sirens blaring, speeding away from scene amid the sound of gunfire. The attack comes three weeks after suspected Al-Shabaab gunmen set off an explosion and stormed another popular Mogadishu hotel, killing at least 13 people, according to security officials. Three attackers were also killed. The June 1 siege occurred at the Ambassador Hotel, a popular spot for Somali politicians and Westerners. Two members of parliament, Mohamed Mohamud Gurre and Abdullahi Jama, were among those killed at the Ambassador, the Somali National News Agency reported at the time. The siege ended early the next day. Al-Shababb has used the tactic before in several assaults, including an attack at the Sahafi Hotel in the capital last year that left 15 people dead. The militants want to turn Somalia into a fundamentalist Islamic state. The group has been blamed for attacks in Somalia that have killed international aid workers, journalists, civilian leaders and African Union peacekeepers.
2016-06-28 19:49 Omar Nor rss.cnn.com
61 Rio de Janeiro hospital attack sparks new security concerns The attack deals another blow to a city struggling to show it's ready to host the games. The raid took place early Sunday morning at the Souza Aguiar hospital. According to local authorities, the group was trying to free an alleged drug kingpin known as "Fat Family," who had been taken to the hospital a week ago following a shootout with police and was under police surveillance. According to state news agency Agencia Brasil, more than 20 men broke into the hospital carrying assault rifles and hand grenades and wearing masks to cover their faces. Ana Paula dos Santos was in the hospital visiting her grandmother on the same floor when the raid took place. "I heard a loud explosion and saw gangsters and police officers running through the hallways," Dos Santos told CNN Monday. "I heard a lot of gunshots. " According to dos Santos, there were two police officers outside the suspect's room before the raid occurred. The gang succeeded in freeing the kingpin, Agencia Brasil reported . Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes called the incident "scary and unacceptable" and said he wanted to meet with state officials. In addition to being selected as one of the main emergency facilities for tourists visiting during the Olympic Games, the Souza Aguiar hospital is also the closest unit to Maracana Stadium, the city's football arena that will host the Rio 2016 opening ceremony on August 5th. Olympics: Rio 2016's 'perfect storm' The attack also came after Rio de Janeiro state governor Francisco Dornelles issued an executive order last week declaring a state of emergency and requesting additional funding to fulfill fiscal obligations during the games, including paying overtime for military police officer and completing a subway line.
2016-06-28 19:40 Flora Charner rss.cnn.com
62 KZN teacher suspended for corporal punishment Durban – A KwaZulu-Natal teacher has been suspended after a video of her beating Grade 12 girls in class circulated online, the provincial education department said on Tuesday. Education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwane visited the Prince Tokotoko High School in Nongoma on Tuesday morning, spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said. “The teacher was not at school and the principal tried to deny the allegations, but the school governing body told us that even last year they had to intervene in a similar situation. "This proves that there might have been many incidents at the school that were never recorded. " The footage, posted on Facebook, shows the teacher holding what appears to be a stick or a pipe. She summons the teenage girls to the front of the class, positions each of them behind a chair and hits each girl several times. Mahlambi hoped the suspension would serve as a lesson to other teachers in the province who were still using corporal punishment.
2016-06-28 19:38 www.news24.com
63 61% of Gauteng residents think SA going in the wrong direction Johannesburg - The number of Gauteng residents satisfied with their local municipalities has declined since 2013, according to the 2015 Gauteng Quality of Life survey. According to Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) executive director Rob Moore, the organisation's survey is the largest social attitudes survey ever conducted in Gauteng. “In 2013, 37% of respondents were satisfied with local government. In 2015, this is down to 34%. “However, in 2013, 51% were firmly dissatisfied with local government, which has dropped to 45%. It appears that more people are undecided – neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. Interestingly, at 43%, whites are more satisfied with local government than Africans at 33%.” GCRO said these results suggested a greater middle-ground of potentially undecided voters ahead of the August 3 local government elections. About 30 000 Gauteng residents took part in the survey. Satisfaction with national, provincial and local government In terms of politics, 61% of respondents agreed with the statement "The country is going in the wrong direction". "The 2015 results show that only 52% agree that the upcoming municipal elections will be free and fair, dropping from 66% who agreed that the 2011 elections were free and fair. " There were gains in local government satisfaction over the period of review. “When the survey started in July/August 2015, dissatisfaction with local government hovered around 55%. When fieldwork ended in April/May 2016, dissatisfaction with local government had declined to less than 40%.” National government however did not fare so well. Satisfaction levels started at 39% and climbed to 48% in February 2016. GCRO said President Jacob Zuma's axing of finance minister Nhlanhla Nene last year contributed to this. Some municipalities saw increases in local government satisfaction since 2013, notably Ekurhuleni, Mogale City and Westonaria. Others such as Tshwane, Emfuleni and Merafong saw declines. Lower levels of satisfaction with local government were a concern because they impacted negatively on respondents’ intention to vote. The survey found that 37% of those who felt they were treated with dignity and respect in recent interactions with government were satisfied with their municipality. Satisfaction with local government dropped to 20% for those who felt they were not treated well. It found that 58% of those happy with their councillor were also satisfied with local government generally. Among those dissatisfied with their councillor, only 16% were satisfied with local government. High satisfaction with services There had been high and stable levels of satisfaction with services such as water, electricity, waste, health, and education since the 2013 survey. A total of 83% of Gauteng respondents were satisfied with water services, 65% were satisfied with public health services, and 71% with local education. “High levels of service satisfaction do not translate into high levels of satisfaction with government. On an index of 13 services typically provided by local government, 59% of Gauteng residents are satisfied. However, only 34% are satisfied with the performance of local government generally,” GCRO said. The proportion of current business owners among Gauteng respondents for the survey fell from 11% in 2011 and 2013, to 8% in 2015. Of those who had tried to start a business, 45% said their business had failed, up from 34% in 2013. Racial attitudes soften In 2013, 66% of respondents agreed with the statement that “blacks and whites will never really trust each other”. In 2015 this dropped to 58%. When broken down by race, 62% of African respondents agreed that blacks and whites would never trust each other, down from 73% in 2013. The proportion of white respondents agreeing that blacks and whites would never trust each other increased from 40% in 2013 to 44% in 2015. Following the xenophobic attacks in Gauteng in 2015, the number of South Africans who agreed with the statement “Gauteng belongs to South Africans only, send all foreigners home” fell to 24% in 2015, from 38% in 2013 About 14% of respondents thought it was acceptable to be violent towards gays and lesbians. Quality of life in Gauteng improves The quality of life index for Gauteng showed overall improvement since 2011. However, the index varied significantly across race groups. Blacks were the only group that fell below the provincial average. The three municipalities with the highest recorded quality of life on the index were Randfontein, Mogale City, and Johannesburg. The GCRO is a partnership between the University of Johannesburg, the University of the Witwatersrand, the City of Johannesburg, the Gauteng government and organised local government in Gauteng.
2016-06-28 19:38 www.news24.com
64 Parliament looking at replacing Thoko Didiza Johannesburg – Parliament has already started looking at possible replacements for MP Thoko Didiza, National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete said on Tuesday. “There is about a minimum of three people who will be leaving us," she told reporters in Johannesburg. They were already "interacting with the relevant structures" to fill these vacancies. The ANC announced Didiza as its mayoral candidate for Tshwane last Sunday. This sparked a week of protests, looting, and destruction of property in several parts of the metro, apparently by ANC members unhappy with the decision. Five people were killed and scores arrested. - Find everything you need to know about the 2016 Local Government Elections at our News24 Elections site , including the latest news and detailed, interactive maps for how South Africa has voted over the past 3 elections, or download the app for iOS and Android .
2016-06-28 21:26 Lizeka Tandwa www.news24.com
65 Curt Schilling Trashes ESPN On Reddit AMA Baseball legend Curt Schilling continued his trend of bashing his former employer ESPN during a Reddit “ Ask Me Anything.” One user asked him about whether he viewed being cut out of the “Four Days in October” documentary as censorship. He replied, “No, I just look at that as another dumb ass move by dumb asses.” (RELATED: Curt Schilling Shuts Down Gun Control Supporters With This Simple Message After The Orlando Terrorist Attack) “The only danger is if you HAVE To work for someone you don’t respect and that doesn’t respect the 1st Amendment. This ‘represents our company’ bullshit is laughable. Why on earth would anyone care what people they don’t know, think?” he added. Schilling also claimed that he feels ESPN has an outright anti-conservative agenda. (RELATED: Curt Schilling: Let Our Soldiers Do Their Job) He was fired by ESPN after sharing a meme about transgender people on Facebook, and had previously been suspended for being outspoken on politics in the past. Follow David on Twitter and Facebook 2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
66 Arianny Celeste Shares Swimsuit Pictures UFC superstar personality Arianny Celeste continues to post swimsuit photos on Instagram. Her 2.2 million fans also clearly loved her latest two photos. (SLIDESHOW: These Are The Hottest Photos Of Ronda Rousey On The Internet) A photo posted by Arianny Celeste UFC® (@ariannyceleste) on Jun 27, 2016 at 8:07pm PDT A photo posted by Arianny Celeste UFC® (@ariannyceleste) on Jun 27, 2016 at 1:04pm PDT It’s not a secret why Celeste has risen to the top of the UFC world among its millions of fans. Paige VanZant, Ronda Rousey and she will continue to jockey to be the most popular star in the UFC world. Follow David on Twitter and Facebook
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
67 Despite Orlando, Pentagon Claims ISIS Hasn't Won In A Year A Pentagon spokesman claimed Tuesday that Islamic State has not had a “strategic victory” in over a year. The Pentagon often defines success against ISIS in terms of its territorial control in its core terrain of the Middle East. Jeff Davis’s remarks come just two weeks after the latest terror attack in Orlando, and months after two ISIS-inspired terrorists gunned down 15 in San Bernardino, California. Davis based his claims on ISIS’s loss of territory in Iraq and Syria. In the so-called losing year for ISIS, the terrorist group carried out thousands of attacks across the Middle East, Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. ISIS militants trained in Iraq and Syria gunned down 130 Parisians while they enjoyed a Friday night last November. A few months later, the terrorist group killed 32 and injured over 300 across the city of Brussels. ISIS’s affiliates continue to wreak havoc across the globe, swelling to nearly 7,000 in Libya, and bringing down a Russian airliner in the Egyptian Sinai peninsula. The terrorist group’s affiliate is reportedly surging in Afghanistan, and recently declared new chapters in Bangladesh and the Philippines. Despite the supposed lack of “strategic victory,” the terrorist group has superseded al-Qaida in the global jihad movement and the administration itself admits ISIS will be a menace for years to come. When Congress asked President Barack Obama’s own nominee take over all U. S. military operations in Africa if there was any strategy to deal with the largest affiliate in Libya, he replied , “I am not aware of any overall grand strategy at this point.” ISIS still holds major cities across major command and control networks across major cities in Iraq and Syria. ISIS only needs an internet connection in any of the many cities it controls to distribute its global propaganda that inspired the attacks in Chatanooga, San Bernadino, and Orlando. Follow Saagar Enjeti on Twitter Send tips to [email protected] Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
68 Helium Running Low, Huge Deposit Found As the world faces a helium shortage, scientists say they have found a huge new deposit in the Tanzanian East African Rift Valley. Researchers from Oxford and Durham Universities teamed up with Norway- based exploration company Helium One and found volcanic activity can heat certain rocks enough to release helium into gas fields closer to the surface, as reported by CBC News Monday. “We show that volcanoes in the Rift play an important role in the formation of viable helium reserves,” Diveena Danabalan from Durham University told Science Alert in an interview published Tuesday. “Volcanic activity likely provides the heat necessary to release the helium accumulated in ancient crustal rocks.” “We sampled helium gas (and nitrogen) just bubbling out of the ground in the Tanzanian East African Rift valley,” Chris Ballentine, geochemist at Oxford University told Live Science. “By combining our understanding of helium geochemistry with seismic images of gas-trapping structures, independent experts have calculated a probable resource of 54 billion cubic feet [1.5 billion cubic meters] in just one part of the rift valley.” “Global consumption of helium is about 8 BCf per year (nearly 8 trillion cubic feet) and the United States Federal Helium Reserve, which is the world’s largest supplier, has a current reserve of just 24.2 BCf (685 million cubic metres).” Ballentine told Live Science. “Total known reserves in the USA are around 153 BCf (more than 24 trillion cubic feet).” The news comes as a welcome discovery as the world has been facing a helium shortage. Phys.org reported in 2010 that reserves could have been tapped as early as 2035. The shortage was so severe that the BBC ran a story in 2013 where some scientists were asking if “wasting” helium on party balloons was a prudent decision. “We’re going to be looking back and thinking, I can’t believe people just used to fill up their balloons with it, when it’s so precious and unique,” Cambridge University chemist Peter Wothers told the BBC. Balloonsblow.org also ran a story compiling some quotes from scientists who think using helium to fill balloons is nothing but a waste of a finite resource. Helium has uses far more important than just filling up balloons for parties or making your voice sound like Mickey Mouse, it is also used for MRI scanners , nuclear energy and detecting industrial leaks . “This is enough to fill over 1.2 million medical MRI scanners,” Ballentine said in a press release Monday. Jon Gluyas of Durham University, one of the researchers working on this discovery, told Live Science that the find may only be a fraction of what’s available in the Tanzanian valley. Follow Craig Boudreau on Twitter . Any tips or info? Email Craig at [email protected] Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
69 Man Sues Tesla, Claims Model X Is A Lemon An owner of three Tesla vehicles filed a lawsuit against the electric automaker in May, stating his Model X’s doors malfunction and the autopilot feature was dangerous in the rain. Barrett Lyon now owns only a Model S and an original Roadster after Tesla quietly agreed to take his Model X back and settle the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges Tesla “rushed” the Model X into production before it was ready for market. Lyon is demanding the company issue a refund under California’s “Lemon Laws.” Other customers are also clamoring for refunds. Lyon’s lawsuit claimed the car’s doors opened and closed at random, often- times hitting his wife and damaging other cars — worse still, the lawsuit claimed, the Model X’s autopilot feature was particularly dangerous in the rain. He shared a video demonstrating the glitches in the car’s self-parking feature. WATCH: Lyon said he felt compelled to file the lawsuit after Tesla kept giving him “the runaround,” a claim confirmed by a Tesla spokesperson. “We are committed to providing an outstanding customer experience throughout ownership. As a principle, we are always willing to buy back a car in the rare event that a customer isn’t completely happy. Today, the majority of Model X owners are loving their cars,” the spokesperson said by email. Lyon’s claims come amid a growing cascade of problems for Tesla. Reports indicated earlier in June that the company may have forbidden Model S customers from talking to the government about problems with their cars. Reports of suspension problems and allegations the company forced customers to sign non-disclosure agreements prohibiting them from notifying the government about defects gained traction in April on the Tesla Motors Club forum in a thread titled “ Suspension Problem on Model S .” A Tesla customer posted a thread in the forum June 8 describing problems with the suspension in his 2013 Model S, writing that his Tesla failed at a relatively low speed and that the “left front hub assembly separated from the upper control arm.” The customer noted days after the original comment that Tesla offered to pay 50 percent of the $3,100 repair bill if they signed a “Goodwill Agreement” prohibiting them from telling anyone about the problems. Follow Chris on Facebook and Twitter Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
70 Zombie Apocalypse Step 1: Find The Twinkie Factory If a zombie apocalypse were to kill off almost every human in the world and food production ceased forever, survivors would not have to worry about going hungry, at least for several decades. All they’d have to do would be to find those questionable, golden cream-filled snack cakes Americans know and love: Twinkies. A private school in Maine, George Stevens Academy, has been preserving a Twinkie in a glass box for the last 40 years, supporting the theory that the iconic snack cake is virtually indestructible. The experiment kicked off in 1976 when a chemistry teacher decided to teach his class a lesson on food additives and shelf-life. The teacher, Roger Bennatti, sent his students to the store with some money. After they returned, Bennatti ate one of the Twinkies and placed the remaining cake on the blackboard, according to The Associated Press. Although Bennatti has since retired, the lone Twinkie still sits in the office of George Stevens Academy’s Dean of Students Libby Rosemeier. The Bangor Daily News reports the dessert is a tad discolored, but has maintained the same classic shape and does not appear to have mold. It’s not clear whether or not the Twinkie is still edible. But in the case of a zombie apocalypse, at least one student at George Stevens Academy will likely find out. Follow Elena on Twitter Send tips to [email protected] . Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
71 What Happens To Sansa Stark In Season 7 Game Of Thrones? Sophie Turner’s character became a major player on “Game of Thrones” this season, and after that explosive finale aired Sunday night, she opened up about what’s to come for Sansa Stark. “I think Sansa trusts Jon to make morally right decisions, but I’m not sure if she trusts him with the kind of political things,” Turner said during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter . “I don’t know if she trusts Davos completely, and he’s kind of an advisor.” “I think it’s more about being open with each other, like with Sansa writing to Littlefinger for the Knights of the Vale. I think Jon means they need to be more open with each other and tell each other what’s going on – and it’s very frustrating for Sansa to hear him say that. She knows he means it more about her than it is him talking about himself. And he really needs to trust her. Even more questionable than the alliance between Sansa and Jon is her working relationship with Littlefinger. Will the two become closer in season seven or will Sansa continue to keep him at arm’s length? “Yes, I think she’ll forever be wary of Littlefinger,” Turner said. “But I think she realizes now that he’s more loyal to her than she initially thought. He’s tried to prove that. If he truly is loyal to her, then he’s a wonderful, wonderful ally to have. But she’ll forever be skeptical and wary of his motives. She’s not stupid enough to follow him blindly.” “Game of Thrones” returns to HBO for a seventh season in 2017.
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
72 Donald Trumps Clinton In Bill's Home State In New Poll Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump dominates Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton in her husband’s home state of Arkansas in a new poll. In the state that former President Bill Clinton presided over as governor for eight years, Trump holds an 11-point lead. Trump holds 47 percent of frequent voters, Clinton only drew 36 percent of support, and Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson earned 8 percent of the vote. Nine percent of frequent voters said they didn’t know enough to make a decision. Over half of voters, 53 percent, stated their support came from trying to stop another candidate, and 41 percent of respondents said they voted for a candidate because they actually supported him or her. Interestingly, only 33.5 percent of frequent Arkansas voters approved of the job President Barack Obama has done, compared to the 55 percent found in a national poll published Monday. It should be noted that in a poll taken in Trump’s home state of New York, Clinton held a 21 point lead as of May. The poll drew from 751 frequent voters in Arkansas. Dr. Jay Barth, the professor in charge of the survey, added that he defined “frequent voter” as anyone who voted at least twice in the last four presidential elections. The poll surveyed those with cell phones in addition to landlines. Follow Phillip On Twitter Have a Tip? Let us Know Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
73 Richard Branson Calls for Brexit Re-Vote Founder and chairman of Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson, said the company has lost about a third of its value since the Brexit vote Thursday. Branson said Britain will fall into a recession, and called for a second vote on the “Good Morning Britain” tv program. “I don’t believe the public realized what a mess their vote would cause,” Branson stated on ITV’s morning breakfast program , which is co-hosted by former CNN anchor Piers Morgan. “There should be a second referendum, particularly once the terms are known about what our entry into Europe is going to cost us, the public will have all of the facts,” Branson suggested, before Morgan interrupted, “Here is the problem with this, we are supposed to be a Democracy, and 17 million people voted to leave.” Morgan continued, “When we lose a normal election, we don’t just say; Hey Ed Miliband lost the election, let’s have another throw at it; Why would we go against the Democratic results?” “We are heading towards a disaster. I don’t believe the public realized what a mess their vote would cost,” Branson replied. In an interview with the Guardian, Branson said he met a group of Chinese businessmen who had invested heavily in England, but were now going to stop investing and withdraw investments they already made. “Business people do not want politicians to completely and utterly wreck the hard work they’ve done for years and years and that is effectively what happened.” Branson blamed pro-Brexit politicians for causing chaos in global markets, and accused them of misleading the public. On the morning program, Branson asserted that, “When Brexiters told the public that people were exaggerating there would be a financial meltdown I think it’s been proven they were not exaggerating.” Branson does not have voting rights in the United Kingdom because he lives in the British Virgin Islands, but he employs 50,000 people in the U. K., and campaigned for Britain to remain in the European Union. On June 23, 51.9 percent of British citizens voted to leave the EU, with 48.1 voting to stay. Seventy-two percent of the voting public turned out to the polls, which is just over 33.5 million people. Follow Ted on Twitter Send Tips to [email protected] Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
74 Judge: Clerks Cannot Refuse To Issue Gay Marriage Licenses A federal judge has negated part of Mississippi’s new law that allowed clerks to refuse issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples based on their religious beliefs. U. S. District Judge Carlton Reeves issued a permanent injunction Monday that bans circuit clerks or staff clerks from refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, regardless of a new state law that would have allowed the refusal, The Clarion-Ledger reports. Republican Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed a bill in April that protects people who refuse service because of their sincerely-held religious beliefs on marriage, premarital sex and gender. The law came after the Obergefell ruling, where the Supreme Court recognized same-sex marriage nationwide, as well as a string of cases where people faced legal action for refusing to service gay weddings. The Mississippi law, HB1523 , specifically says that people can refuse service based on their belief that marriage is only between a man and a woman, that sex should remain within marriage, and that a person’s gender corresponds with their anatomy at birth. The bill’s advocates sought to protect wedding vendors such as florists or bakers who refused to service gay weddings as well as government employees like Kim Davis , the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, citing her religious beliefs. The judge’s Monday ruling keeps intact the other protections, like those for florists and bakers, but removes the protection for the Kim Davis-style clerks in Mississippi. “If this opinion by the federal court denies even one Mississippian of their fundamental right to practice their religion, then all Mississippians are denied their 1st Amendment rights,” said Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves. “I hope the state’s attorneys will quickly appeal this decision to the 5th Circuit to protect the deeply held religious beliefs of all Mississippians.” The law is scheduled to take effect Friday. “Mississippi’s elected officials may disagree with Obergefell, of course, and may express that disagreement as they see fit — by advocating for a constitutional amendment to overturn the decision, for example,” the judge wrote . “But the marriage license issue will not be adjudicated anew after every legislative session.” Send tips to [email protected]. Follow Casey on Twitter and like him on Facebook. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
75 Metro Officials Quiet After 'Debris Fire' Injures Commuter Officials with the D. C. Metro left riders in confusion after smoke appeared to engulf the tracks at the Gallery Place metro station Monday, sending one person to the hospital. Metro officials never released a statement on the smoke incident clarifying what occurred. Some officials told news outlets the smoke was caused by a “ smoldering debris fire ” or “smoldering stud-bolt” on the tracks, but officials did not elaborate. The incident caused what appeared to be massive amounts of smoke flowing into the station at Gallery Place in Chinatown, reports WJLA. The incident happened during rush-hour, causing hour long delays along the green and yellow lines. A rider went to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. Riders described a chaotic scene, attributing the incident to a track fire. “It’s actually not accurate to call this a fire,” Dan Stessel, a spokesman for the D. C. Metro, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “This was an electrical arc, which is a discharge of current when electricity jumps across a gap in a circuit. While the incident remains under investigation and a final cause has not been concluded, in this case, the point of arcing appears to be a rail fastener, which is a part that holds the rail in place.” Officials said the fastener was sent to a lab to be tested and all other necessary repairs to ensure track safety were completed last night. Officials added that pictures and videos of the incident showing smoke were actually caused by fire extinguishers. Scene at #galleryplace metro green line platform @nbcwashington @MartinDiCaro pic.twitter.com/euLenZOH4j — Caitlin Dysart (@CaitlinDysart) June 27, 2016 Another day on wack ass @wmata. Couldn’t even make my transfer. @unsuckdcmetro pic.twitter.com/wZAhx6pkwO — Miss Corinthians (@TheCarter87) June 27, 2016 Follow Steve on Twitter Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
76 Three Teenagers Are Making A KILLING By Hacking Tech Giants Three teenagers who make up the hacker group known as “OurMine” ran a cybersecurity clinic by infiltrating several of the biggest tech executives’ social media accounts recently. One of the members of the hacker syndicate revealed to TechCrunch that their overarching mission is to promote better security practices by exposing even the most famous techies’ online vulnerabilities. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Amazon CTO Werner Vogels and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek have all been victims (or students in OurMine’s view) to the internet intrusions. Pichai’s Quora account, a question-and-answer website that has Twitter capabilities, was hacked Sunday night. The tweet read “Hey,it’s OurMine,we are just testing your security, please visit OurMine to upgrade it.” A member of OurMine was sure to stress that this was not due to a password being reused after a recent security breach , but rather because of a vulnerability. Quora officials disagree and “are confident that Sundar Pichai’s account was not accessed via a vulnerability in Quora’s systems,” according to a statement . “This is consistent with past reports where OurMine exploited password leaks on other services to gain access to accounts on Twitter or Facebook. We also have no record of a report by OurMine pointing to a vulnerability.” While other hacker brigades like 4chan appear to be indiscriminate internet “trolls ,” OurMine strives to establish a quasi-business structure where they will sell their services. Compromising social media accounts is a way of advertising via ample amounts of publicity, exhibiting gumption, and proving that they can breach even some of the most well-known tech executives. A member of the OurMine group told TechCrunch they have 34 customers so far and are dropping the price of “social media scanning” from $99 to $30. Certain hackers are considered cybercriminals so earning the larger public’s trust might be a hard sell for OurMine. Follow Eric on Twitter Send tips to [email protected] . Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
77 Manziel's Shares Cell Phone Number On Instagram Infamous NFL partier Johnny Manziel appears like he might have accidentally given his cell phone number to the whole world. Manziel posted a picture of what appears to be himself with a new tattoo with the caption, “830-377-6275 dude…..suhhhhhhhh.” The post has since been deleted. (SLIDESHOW: This Gorgeous Olympian Loves To Show Off Lots Of Skin) um….what is this? pic.twitter.com/MM0kXF0HGe — Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) June 28, 2016 The latest post on his Instagram appears to be from the same house as the one in the deleted picture. (PHOTOS: Check Out The Model Manziel Scooped Up During Unemployment) A video posted by Johnny Manziel (@jmanziel2) on Jun 27, 2016 at 7:20pm PDT Looks like the chaos surrounding the former Cleveland Browns quarterback won’t be going away anytime soon. Follow David on Twitter and Facebook
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
78 78 VW owners in US to get up to $10,000 in emissions deal Volkswagen car drivers in the US affected by its emissions scandal are due to get up to $10,000 (£7,500) after the firm agreed a deal with regulators. The German car giant will offer to repair or buy back the affected diesel vehicles and pay owners between $5,000 and $10,000 in compensation. Last year, US regulators discovered that some VW cars were fitted with software that distorted emission tests. The German giant subsequently said 11 million cars worldwide were affected. The total deal will cost Volkswagen $14.7bn. It is expected to spend up to $10bn on buybacks and compensation, and will put a further $2.7bn into an environmental fund operated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as invest $2bn over the next decade into zero emission technology. Separately, the car firm has agreed to pay $603m to 44 US states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to resolve existing and potential state consumer protection claims. However, it is still facing billions of dollars more in potential fines with lawyers currently working on settlements for 80,000 three-litre diesel engines. Nonetheless, Volkswagen chief executive Matthias Müller described the settlement as "a significant step forward". "We know that we still have a great deal of work to do to earn back the trust of the American people. We are focused on resolving the outstanding issues and building a better company," he added. VW also said the settlement was within the €16.2bn (£12.6bn) it had already set aside for for the crisis. The huge settlement will affect 475,00 owners of the 2009 to 2015 Volkswagen diesel models of Jettas, Passats, Golfs and Beetles as well as the TDI Audi A3. Customers can choose to sell back their vehicle to Volkswagen, for its price last September before the scandal was revealed, or terminate their lease without incurring any penalty charges. They can also choose to have their vehicle modified free of charge and keep it. Customers who select any of the options will still receive compensation of between $5,100 and $10,000. They would also still be able to decline the VW offer and sue the firm on their own. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates said the VW scandal was one of the "most flagrant violations of our consumer's environmental laws in our country's history". "By duping the regulators, Volkswagen turned nearly half a million American drivers into unwitting accomplices in an unprecedented assault on our environment. "This partial settlement marks a significant first step towards holding Volkswagen accountable for what was a breach of its legal duties and a breach of the public's trust," she said. Arthur Wheaton, an automotive industry specialist at Cornell University's ILR School, said the settlement went a long way to addressing the uncertainty surrounding the carmaker since the scandal emerged. "It's expensive, but because Volkswagen has put a decent offer on the table it will avert many of the individual law suits. " Mr Wheaton also said the firm's $2bn investment into zero emission technology could "dramatically change VW's image". "The US is a forgiving market. It [the scandal] hasn't done any permanent damage and now it's likely to focus more on electric and battery cars in the US," he said. Last September, the EPA found that many VW cars being sold in America had a "defeat device" - or software - in diesel engines that could detect when they were being tested, changing the performance accordingly to improve results. The German car giant has since admitted cheating emissions tests in the US. Some models could have been pumping out up to 40 times the legal limit of the pollutant, nitrogen oxide, regulators disclosed. The provision VW made for the scandal pushed the car maker into its biggest ever annual pre-tax loss of €1.3bn for 2015, compared with a profit of €14.7bn the previous year.
2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
79 Study: Batteries Aren't Good Enough To Support Green Energy Storing enough electricity in batteries to support wind and solar power faces enormous physical problems, which could make it economically impossible, according to a study published Tuesday by chemists at Texas A&M. The study found that when electrons combine with the lithium ions in a battery, they distort the electronic structure of the device, essentially trapping unused energy in the battery, causing it to degrade rapidly. The research means that it may be inherently impossible to store large amounts of electricity cost effectively in a battery. “Fundamentally, when you have a battery, every time you use it, it starts to die a little bit,” Dr. Sarbajit Banerjee, a chemistry professor at Texas A&M, wrote in a press statement. “The more you use it, the more it dies. Eventually, it becomes unusable. Theoretically speaking, you expect a certain performance from a battery, and you rarely ever get there. People have been at a loss to understand all the factors that contribute to this lack of full capacity.” Banerjee’s team used one of the world’s most powerful soft X-ray microscopes to actually watch the “traffic jam” of ions that makes batteries an inherently inefficient way of storing electricity. “Cost-effective battery storage is the holy grail for wind and solar power advocates because they know that intermittency is a serious problem with these sources,” Travis Fisher, an economist at the Institute for Energy Research, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “128 years ago, we solved the physics of battery storage to fix the intermittency problem– however, the fact remains that no one has solved the economics of it. Still, we have many states and now the federal government mandating high levels of renewable generation, essentially gambling the grid on a breakthrough in battery technology that is at best uncertain. Banking on the hopes and dreams of the national environmental lobby and special interest groups is not sound energy policy.” America has less than 1 percent of the energy storage capacity necessary for wind and solar to meet the green goal of “100 percent green energy,” according to an analysis of federal data published last Saturday by The Daily Caller News Foundation . Without large-scale energy storage, the power grid needs demand for energy to exactly match supply to function. Power demand is relatively predictable, and conventional power plans, like nuclear plants and natural gas , can adjust output accordingly. Solar and wind power, however, can’t easily adjust output and provide power unpredictably relative to conventional power sources. The power they do provide generally doesn’t coincide with the times when power is most needed either. Peak energy demand also occurs in the evenings, when solar power is going offline. Without about 150 times more capacity to store power for later use, wind and solar simply won’t work. On an especially cloudy or windless day, the electrical grid can’t supply enough power from solar or wind alone. Wind and solar also run the risk of producing too much power, which can overload and fry the power grid. This is why electrical companies will occasionally pay consumers to take electricity. Germany paid wind farms $548 million to switch off last year to avoid grid damage. Adding conventional power plants which only provide power at intermittent and unpredictable times makes the power grid more fragile. This issue makes storing power with any batter inherently uneconomical for consumers. A Tesla Powerwall capable of powering a home costs $7,340 to buy , but a conservative analysis estimates that it will only save its owner a maximum of $1.06 a day. Such a battery would take almost 40 years, or roughly four times its warranty period, to pay for itself, according to analysis performed by the Institute for Energy Research. Tesla only offers five- to 10- year warranties on its Powerwalls, and predicts they will last for only 15 years. The lack of energy storage capacity is one of the reasons that solar and wind power still only accounted for 0.6 and 4.7 percent of the electricity created in America during 2015, according to the Energy Information Administration . Follow Andrew on Twitter Send tips to andrew@ dailycallernewsfoundation.org . Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-06-28 20:22 Energy Environmental dailycaller.com
80 It Takes 188 Mln Hours Of Paperwork To Comply With EPA Regs The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is not only costing heavy industries billions of dollars a year, the agency is also forcing companies to spend 188 million hours every year filing paperwork to comply with federal rules. To comply with EPA’s paperwork burden “it would take more than 94,200 employees working full-time (2,000 hours a year) to complete one year of EPA paperwork,” according to Sam Batkins, the director of regulatory policy at the American Action Forum (AAF). “Year after year of new regulatory costs have not only translated into shuttered power plants, but also new reporting and recordkeeping requirements. EPA’s paperwork burden now stands at 188 million hours,” Batkins wrote in a report on how much paperwork it takes to comply with EPA rules. “The agency’s burden has surged 23 percent since 2009 and 34 percent since 2002. See graph below,” he wrote. What’s ironic is the increase in the amount of paperwork it takes to comply with EPA rules comes as the Obama administration works to “streamline” the regulatory process. EPA paperwork requirements shot up 51.5 million hours for just twelve rules. What’s more is the EPA doesn’t always allow businesses to electronically file compliance paperwork. Batkins noted the EPA “imposes 777 forms from 420 different macro collections of information” and “only 67 of those 420 macro collections can be submitted electronically.” “This translates to 235 forms, or 30 percent, of EPA’s regulatory portfolio that must be submitted by hand,” he wrote. This isn’t the first time Batkins has tackled the federal government’s onerous paperwork requirements. Batkins previously reported an Affordable Care Act regulation and new food safety rules added the bulk of “an additional $61.2 billion in unreported costs” from federal regulations. Batkins also found seven rules did not report the costs of 43 paperwork requirements, which means federal agencies allow billions of dollars in regulatory costs to go unreported. The Obama administration has imposed massive regulatory costs on the economy. The White House says regulations impose nearly $1.8 trillion in compliance costs every year, but officials assure the public the claimed benefits of these rules greatly outweigh the costs. “In an administration that continues to collect regulatory records: most expensive year of regulation, highest number of major rules, and priciest single regulation, EPA’s paperwork plaudit only adds to the list,” Batkins wrote. “Although the agency is primarily known for the capital costs it imposes on industry, many of which are passed on to consumers, its paperwork burden shouldn’t be overlooked. With four major rules under review now, it’s likely 188 million hours isn’t the agency’s red tape ceiling,” he wrote. Follow Michael on Facebook and Twitter Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
81 Death threats shadow minister Pat Glass will not stand again as MP A pro-Europe Labour shadow minister who had death threats made against her has said she will not stand again as an MP. Pat Glass did not attend the referendum count after police received four threats about the North West Durham MP, who was promoted on Monday from shadow Europe minister to shadow education minister. She has written to the chairman of her constituency Labour Party, explaining that she found the last six months "very, very difficult" and described the referendum as "bruising". In the letter to Fraser Tinsley, she said it had been a privilege and an honour to serve the people where she grew up. Elected in 2010, she had not intended to serve beyond 2020, but has announced she will still step down if there is a general election before then, possibly as soon as October. She wrote: "Whilst I had always intended to do no more than two terms in Parliament I have found the last six months very, very difficult. "The referendum has been incredibly divisive, it divided families and communities and I have found it bruising in many respects. "It has had an impact on both me and my family as I am sure it has had on many others. " Threats against her were received by the police and a member of her family was sent a malicious email. The threats were taken seriously enough by the police for her to be warned, she said. Speaking earlier about the messages, she said: "Police advice was that it was best to avoid being in places I was expected to be and I decided not to attend the count. " She added: "To some extent people like me put ourselves out there but stuff directed at our families is beyond the pale. " It was understood she would normally ignore anonymous threats as the work of "keyboard warriors" but following the killing of her parliamentary colleague Jo Cox, Mrs Glass took them seriously. Durham Police confirmed they were investigating. A spokeswoman said: "Several pieces of information have come to our attention regarding malicious communication towards Pat Glass MP. "We have been working with Mrs Glass to progress enquiries while offering advice and support during the investigation. "A specific threat was dealt with by officers in Consett last week, working with Mrs Glass' office appropriate action was taken and the threat negated. "No specific instruction not to attend a count in Mrs Glass' constituency was ever discussed. " Mrs Glass campaigned for Remain and apologised after causing controversy in Derbyshire when she was recorded calling a local voter a "horrible racist". She had a majority of more than 10,000 at the last general election. In County Durham, where her constituency stands, Leave received 57.5% of the vote.
2016-06-28 18:31 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
82 Chris Cuomo Drinking Before Car Wreck In The Hamptons Chris Cuomo knocked a few back before he got behind the wheel of his convertible and wrecked, a new report claims. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Several sources told Page Six that the 45-year-old CNN anchor and brother of Gov. Andrew Cuomo was boozing at his wife’s magazine party in the Hamptons before he crashed his 1969 Pontiac Firebird convertible into a parked car. “They got him away from the scene fast,” a source told Page Six. “Everybody heard it. It was a full-blown drag race.” “I saw that woman rolling around posing and modeling on the car, and then I realized there were two cars, and they pulled into the street. We knew it was him. And then they peeled out and went to where the middle of the train station almost is, and right before that, he lost control, and ran into that Mercedes.” A video posted by Christopher C. Cuomo (@chrisccuomo) on Aug 25, 2015 at 2:03am PDT “He was drinking, and I believe that’s why he was sent home,” another source told the publication. “Everyone saw the state he was in. When he crashed, it got really quiet. (Photo: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) Cuomo’s wife told him to leave so he drove home with “a cracked radiator leaking fluid.” Meanwhile, a police report states that he was simply “distracted by someone yelling and waving.”
2016-06-28 20:22 Entertainment Editor dailycaller.com
83 Supreme Court Will Not Rehear Friedrichs Case The U. S. Supreme Court decided against rehearing a case Tuesday that aimed to end mandatory union dues for all public-sector employees. Rebecca Friedrichs and nine other teachers were on the verge of ending mandatory union dues for public-sector workers. The teachers looked likely to win but lost March 29 when the court came to a split decision, just weeks after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, believed to be the deciding vote. The teachers petitioned to have the case reheard but were denied. “The petition for rehearing is denied,” the Supreme Court said in its decision. The teachers argued before the Supreme Court Jan. 11 that being required to fund union activities violated their right to free speech. They hoped to end compulsory union dues by reversing the 1977 case Abood v. Detroit Board of Education. The California Teachers Association (CTA) is the union currently representing these teachers. It has noted mandatory union dues are a matter of fairness. Unions that get voted in as the exclusive representative for a workplace are required by law to represent all the workers regardless of whether they pay dues. “While we are disappointed that Rebecca Friedrichs’ case will not be the one to end mandatory union dues for America’s public servants,” National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix said in a statement to The Daily Caller News Foundation. “We expect that the Supreme Court will reconsider the constitutionality of forced unionism before too long.” Friedrichs has said her union has often fought for political ends, the likes of which she fundamentally disagrees. She learned early on how hard it was to fire bad teachers strictly because of union policies. The Supreme Court decision defaulted to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals because the justices were equally split four to four. A Supreme Court decision cannot be overturned, but since the final ruling defaulted to the lower-court it had a chance of being reheard. Follow Connor on Twitter Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
84 Jackson References Jim Crow In Fighting For 'Underground' Rev. Jesse Jackson urged Dish Network to bring back Tribune Broadcasting and WGN, which carries “Underground,” asking if Dish “is using the same kind of math with ratings that the old south employed when enacting laws that counted African-Americans as three- fifths of a man.” Jackson’s Rainbow Push Coalition made the demands in a letter obtained by the Hollywood Reporter . (RELATED: Chicago Seminary Launches ‘White Privilege Glasses’ Campaign) (Photo by Bill Pierce/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images) “Is Dish using the same kind of math with ratings that the old south employed when enacting laws that counted African- Americans as three-fifths of a man?” Jackson asked. “Dish is not taking into account that Underground has broken records for WGN America as their highest-rated original program in nearly 18 years, ranked as the top cable program on Wednesday nights throughout its run, and averaged 3 million viewers weekly.” “For far too long African-Americans have been underrepresented and unfavorably portrayed on television, silencing the significant contributions they have made to this country,” he added. “Underground is a crucial part of a brand-new day of diversity on television that sheds a bright light on the bravery, ingenuity and power of the African-American experience, and is being used as teachable moments in homes and history classes around the nation at a time when we need it most.” The show portrays the path that slaves took to find freedom via the Underground Railroad. WGN is scheduled to air a marathon of the show on July 2, but Dish network subscribers will not be able to see it.
2016-06-28 20:22 dailycaller.com
85 Risk of suicide if autistic man accused of hacking extradited to US, court told An autistic man accused of hacking into US government computers would be at "high risk" of killing himself if he is extradited to America, a court heard. Lauri Love, who has Asperger's Syndrome, is accused of stealing huge amounts of data from US agencies including the Federal Reserve, the Department of Defence, Nasa and the FBI. American authorities want the 31-year-old, who lives with his parents in Suffolk, to stand trial there over charges of cyber-hacking, which his lawyers say could mean a sentence of up to 99 years in prison if found guilty. But extradition to the US for legal proceedings and a possible long jail term could cause his health to deteriorate and lead to a mental breakdown or suicide, Westminster Magistrates' Court was told. His family and lawyers want him to face legal proceedings in the UK, where he can be close to his parents - described in the hearing as his "life support". And medical experts warned that he could be a suicide risk if transferred to America for trial Autism expert Professor Simon Baron- Cohen, from Cambridge University, said: "He doesn't want to die, but his mental health is so dependent upon being at home with his parents that being detained for an indefinite period in an American prison system he would experience a deterioration in his mental health so much that he would no longer be able to impose any restraint on his behaviour to stop him committing suicide. " Mr Love's father, a prison chaplain, said: "In regard to my son... Lauri is somebody who strikes me as somebody who will do this. The probability is quite high. " The court heard that Mr Love, an electrical engineering student at the University Campus Suffolk, is accused of working with others to carry out a series of sophisticated cyber attacks on computer networks in the US from the UK in 2012 and 2013, breaking in via the "back door" to access personal information of thousands of government staff, as well as credit card details. Peter Caldwell, prosecuting for the Crown Prosecution Service on behalf of the US authorities, said the hacks had "caused harm" by misusing people's personal data, and that Mr Love had bragged about it in online hackers' chat rooms under aliases such as "Peace" and "Root". But his lawyer Ben Cooper said Mr Love's case was a "paradigm" to that of Gary McKinnon, another alleged cyber-hacker with Asperger's who was eventually spared extradition after a decade-long battle when the Home Secretary intervened. Theresa May introduced a "forum bar", which allows courts to block extradition if it is in the interests of justice to have the person tried in Britain instead. Mr Cooper, who said the US justice system pressured people into pleading guilty, added that Mr Love's case was "almost identical" to Mr McKinnon's, telling the court: "If ever there was a case for the forum bar to succeed, this would be it. " During the hearing Mr Love, who is wanted in three US jurisdictions - New York, New Jersey and Virginia - sat in the dock making origami models of roses and an intricate geometric star. Rev Alexander Love told the court his son was "exceptionally gifted", but developed mental health problems while still at school, crippling him socially. The court heard that as well as Asperger's, which was diagnosed quite late in his life, Mr Love has suffered from depression, anxiety, psychosis and suicidal thoughts - including voices telling him to kill himself - as well as asthma and extremely bad and painful eczema. Mr Love now puts his hacking skills to good use, running a business with a friend advising companies how to beef up their cyber security. His father said: "He seems to be gainfully using his knowledge for the betterment of others, and I find that to be quite gratifying. " But, telling the court that "it is breaking my soul to be saying things like this", he added that his son says that if it wasn't for his parents he would have killed himself, saying: "We are keeping him going and we are becoming, in a sense, his carers. " He added: "We come home and on certain occasions we just don't know if Lauri is going to be alive... the possibility that he will take his own life is inordinately high. " Prof Baron-Cohen warned that Mr Love had already discussed taking his own life, and had even thought-up ways to prevent his methods being detected by authorities. Dr Thomas Kucharski, an American forensic psychologist and expert on mental health in the US prison system, warned of the impact of being kept in isolation - a likely result of Mr Love being extradited. He said: "It is widely recognised that isolation is a very detrimental process for people without any psychiatric condition, it is only magnified in someone with a psychiatric disorder. " He added that Mr Love would likely become "highly victimised", and it was "not likely" he would get the care he needs in the American correctional system. And Professor Michael Kopelman, a psychiatrist who has assessed Mr Love, added that there was a great risk that he would become unfit to plead. He said: "If his depression gets worse, if he becomes psychotic, if his eczema and asthma get worse, it may well affect his mood state to think rationally and instruct lawyers and be fit to plead. "There is a real risk, I cannot say that it will definitely happen. He will need to be continually monitored. " He added that he thought he would be fit to stand trial in his current state. The hearing continues on Wednesday, when Mr Love will give evidence.
2016-06-28 18:30 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
86 National Union of Teachers calls for Government talks to avert strike action The Government is being urged to hold talks with union leaders in a bid to avert a planned strike by teachers in a row over pay and conditions. Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) will walk out on July 5 in England after voting by more than 9-1 in favour of industrial action. The union said its demands were to increase funding to schools and education, guarantee terms and conditions in all types of schools, and to resume negotiations on teacher contracts to allow workload to be addressed. In a letter to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, the union called for "meaningful" discussions to tackle issues it said were negatively affecting education. Acting general secretary Kevin Courtney said: "No teacher finds taking strike action easy but the situation in our schools needs to be urgently addressed. School budgets are being cut to the bone. The effect on children's education is clear. Class sizes are going up, subjects are being removed from the curriculum, especially in the Arts, while teaching posts are being cut or not replaced. "Teachers' terms and conditions are being deregulated and worsened through the academy programme. Head teachers are spending time on school negotiations which should be spent on education. This is unnecessary, time wasting and ineffective. There is no evidence it leads to better results in schools and is fuelling the teacher retention and recruitment crisis. " An Education Department spokesman said: "We are already in regular and constructive talks with the National Union of Teachers on pay and conditions. It is disappointing that they have chosen to continue with this unnecessary and damaging strike, which less than a quarter of its members voted for, despite our ongoing commitment to formal talks addressing their concerns. "Industrial action causes disruption to children's education, to their parents who have to take time out of work to arrange childcare and also damages the reputation of the profession. We urge the NUT again not to proceed with this action and to work with us to resolve their dispute at the negotiating table instead of playing politics with children's futures. "
2016-06-28 18:29 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
87 Three arrests made after man racially abused on a tram Police hunting three people seen on camera racially abusing a man on a tram have made arrests. The victim, who appears to be mixed-race, had beer thrown at him and is abused by the youths as shocked commuters looked on during the incident on a tram in Manchester city centre on Tuesday morning. The footage emerged earlier on Tuesday and within hours police said three people, two men aged 20 and 18 and a boy aged 16, have been arrested on suspicion of affray. They are now in custody for questioning, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said. Footage shows one youth telling the victim: "Don't chat shit when you're not even from England, you little f****** immigrant. Get off the f****** tram now. Get back to Africa. " One of the youths, who all appear to be holding bottles of beer, then approaches and flicks alcohol from the bottle at his victim. As the youths get off, the victim says to himself: "Seven years in the military", as other commuters tell the three:"You are an absolute disgrace. A disgrace to England". The youths walk away shouting: "Salford! F****** immigrant! " Chief Inspector Gareth Parkin from GMP said: "I would like to thank the public for their help and support in this investigation, which has led to the swift arrest of these three people. "All hate incidents are treated with the upmost severity and this behaviour will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester. " Greater Manchester's mayor and police and crime commissioner Tony Lloyd said: "People across Greater Manchester will condemn racist attacks which have been reported in different parts of the country in the wake of the EU referendum result. "While Greater Manchester Police have said they have not seen an increase in reports of hate crime over the weekend, we are now starting to hear stories of people being abused because of their race, religion or nationality. "There is no room in Greater Manchester for hatred and division. We have worked hard, together, to build strong, cohesive, and welcoming communities. I encourage anyone who has been a victim of hate crime to come forward and report it. "Hate crime has no place in our society. The overwhelming majority of British people stand together against hatred and prejudice. These acts of racism are not in our name and will not be tolerated. " Anyone with information on the incident or other hate crime is asked to call to police immediately on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
2016-06-28 18:29 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
88 U. S. first-quarter GDP revised up, Brexit risk to outlook By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON, June 28 (Reuters) - U. S. economic growth slowed in the first quarter but not as sharply as previously estimated, and while there are signs of a pickup in the second quarter, analysts worry Britain's vote to leave the European Union could hurt activity later this year. Gross domestic product increased at a 1.1 percent annual rate, rather than the 0.8 percent pace reported last month, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday in its third GDP estimate. The economy grew at a rate of 1.4 percent in the fourth quarter. There are indications the economy has regained momentum in the second quarter, with retail sales and home sales rising in April and May, although business spending remains weak and job growth has slowed. But uncertainty following last Thursday's so-called "Brexit" referendum poses a risk to the growth outlook. "The test comes in the next few months as the turbulence in financial markets may affect consumers' behavior and also weigh on business investment," said Ryan Sweet, senior economist at Moody's Analytics in West Chester, Pennsylvania. "If financial markets settle down, the effect of the British referendum on the U. S. economy will be very small. " Brexit wiped off $3.01 trillion from global stock markets over two days. On Tuesday, global equities recouped some losses, with financial shares leading the rebound. U. S. stock indexes rallied, while prices for government debt fell. The dollar fell against a basket of currencies. Economists estimate that Brexit could subtract an average of two-tenths of a percentage point from U. S. growth over the next six quarters, with most of the drag coming through weak business spending as uncertainty causes companies to either delay or scale back capital projects. "Following the Brexit vote, we expect a stronger U. S. dollar and heightened financial market strains will weigh on domestic activity, but lower interest rates should provide some offset so that the net impact is a marginal negative," said Gregory Daco, head of U. S. macroeconomics at Oxford Economics in New York. Despite signs growth is gaining steam, economists say the Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise interest rates in the near-term, given the uncertainty over the implications of Brexit. Fed Chair Janet Yellen told lawmakers last week that data pointed to "a noticeable step-up" in GDP growth in the second quarter. The Atlanta Federal Reserve is currently estimating second-quarter GDP rising at a 2.6 percent rate. When measured from the income side, the economy grew at a 2.9 percent rate in the first quarter, the quickest pace since the third quarter of 2014. That was up from the 2.2 percent pace reported last month and reflected upward revisions to corporate profits. After-tax profits increased at a 2.2 percent rate in the first quarter, rather than the previously reported 0.6 percent pace. DOLLAR, OIL CONSTRAINT Economic growth in the first quarter was constrained by dollar strength and sluggish global demand. Output was also hampered by business efforts to reduce an inventory overhang, with a further drag coming from lower oil prices, which have unleashed deep spending cuts on capital goods such as equipment. There are indications that the model used by the government to strip out seasonal patterns from data is not fully accomplishing its goal. The economy has underperformed in the first quarter in five of the last six years. The government has acknowledged shortcomings with its seasonal adjustment model, and early this month said beginning in mid-2018, it planned to produce estimates of GDP and its major components that are not seasonally adjusted. These will be released together with the seasonally adjusted GDP estimates. First- quarter business spending on software, research and development was revised to show it rising at a 4.4 percent rate instead of falling at a 0.1 percent rate. Business spending on equipment fell at an 8.7 percent pace as opposed to the 9.0 percent rate reported last month. Still, overall business spending sliced off 0.58 percentage point from first-quarter GDP. Business spending has contracted for two consecutive quarters. Export growth was revised to show a 0.3 percent rate of increase instead of the previously reported 2.0 percent pace of decline. As a result, trade contributed 0.12 percentage point to GDP growth in the first quarter. It was previously reported to have cut 0.21 percentage point from GDP growth. Growth in consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U. S. economic activity, was revised down to a 1.5 percent rate, the slowest pace in two years. Consumer spending was previously reported to have increased at a 1.9 percent rate. The downward revision reflected weak spending on services such as transportation and recreation. But April and May retail sales reports suggest consumer spending has rebounded. Should financial markets continue to settle down after last week's global equities rout, consumer spending could gain further ground, also aided by lofty savings and rising house prices, which are boosting household wealth. A report from the Conference Board on Tuesday showed consumer confidence increased to an eight-month high in June. The survey was, however, conducted before last week's Brexit referendum. "Near-term market volatility may give households reason for pause, but consumer spending should remain a key support for the economy in the coming quarters," said Jim Baird, chief investment officer at Plante Moran Financial Advisors in Kalamazoo, Michigan. (Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
2016-06-28 18:29 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk
89 The Week in Photos Thousands of flamingo chicks have emerged from their nests at Salt Lake, which is home to the biggest flamingo colony in Turkey and the Mediterranean basin, in Aksaray, Turkey, June 28, 2016. 2016-06-28 19:21 ABC News abcnews.go.com
90 Stephen Crabb to launch Tory leadership bid on joint ticket with Sajid Javid Stephen Crabb is to launch a bid for the Conservative leadership - on a joint ticket with Sajid Javid as his number two. The Work and Pensions Secretary and the Business Secretary have teamed up in what Mr Crabb dubbed a "blue collar ticket" to take on favourites Boris Johnson and Theresa May. Mr Crabb is the first Cabinet minister to declare his intent to succeed David Cameron as prime minister and lead the negotiations of Britain's exit from the EU. The timetable for the contest looks set to be extended by a week - with Mr Cameron's successor now due to be unveiled on September 9. Meanwhile sources close to Mr Johnson, who fronted the successful campaign to leave the European Union, indicated that he would not call a snap election if he succeeded in the race to replace Mr Cameron. There has been speculation in Westminster that the new leader might go to the country to get a personal mandate to lead the country, although no election is required until 2020. Senior Tory Sir Nicholas Soames, a prominent supporter of the Remain campaign, said he was backing Mr Johnson to take the top job, with Michael Gove in the team despite his differences with them over Europe. "Gave @BorisJohnson proper stick during Campaign but only one way ahead now. Boris will be great PM. The Gover makes it a top team #GoBozza," he tweeted. Mr Crabb has lined up Attorney General Jeremy Wright to act as campaign manager, with a formal announcement of his bid expected on Wednesday morning. Hugely popular among colleagues, Mr Crabb comes from the sort of ordinary background that chimes with many voters - and Mr Javid is the son of a Pakistani bus driver who became a highly successful investment banker. Both men backed the Remain side although Mr Javid faced claims he was privately in favour of leaving the EU. Nominations for the contest are expected to open on Wednesday - with Mrs May, the Home Secretary, and Mr Johnson, the leading Brexit campaigner and ex-London mayor, vying to be favourite with the bookies. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said he is "seriously considering" a bid, as has former defence secretary Liam Fox, while Education Secretary Nicky Morgan is also rumoured to be thinking about entering the race. Whoever ends up in Number 10 will begin extracting the UK from the EU, after Mr Cameron said he would not initiate the process before handing over the reins despite pressure from Brussels for a swift departure. Chancellor George Osborne has ruled himself out, saying it was clear he could not provide the unity the party needed as the EU referendum had left him a divisive figure. Asked if someone from the pro-EU side could win, he told BBC Radio 4's Today: "Absolutely. "I am not backing any candidate at the moment but of course I was full-throttled in arguing for remaining in the EU and because half my party wanted to leave the EU I don't think I can be the person who can bring the party together. " He said the best PM would be "the candidate who is able now to articulate the clearest, crispest version of what relationship we are seeking - which in my view involves the best possible terms of trade for services and goods". Others who are considering throwing their hat into the ring include Brexit campaigners Andrea Leadsom and Priti Patel, according to reports. Whoever takes the leadership of the party - and the keys to Number 10 - will have to wait a week longer than previously thought. The executive of the 1922 backbench committee had recommended that it be concluded by September 2 "at the latest" but the Party Board argued that more time was required. "The Board and the 1922 Committee both agree that the leadership election should take place as speedily as practical considerations allow," a party spokeswoman said. "In order to ensure there is full participation by the membership, the Party Board recommends that the date of the declaration of the leader is the 9th September 2016. " MPs are expected to endorse the schedule - which will see nominations close on Thursday at midday - when they gather for the weekly meeting of the '22 in Westminster on Wednesday. The delayed timetable would mean Mr Cameron could continue as Prime Minister for the G20 Summit in China on September 4-5.
2016-06-28 18:28 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
91 Woman commits suicide over morphed picture on Facebook Salem: The family of a 21-year-old woman, who committed suicide after her morphed picture was uploaded on Facebook, has refused to take her body for cremation alleging lack of prompt action and demanding immediate arrest of the culprits behind the cyber crime. A Vinupriya, a Chemistry graduate, committed suicide by hanging in her house here yesterday after a morphed picture, showing her in an obscene fashion, was uploaded on Facebook by unidentified persons. Following the incident, a complaint was lodged on June 23 with the police but no action was taken, according to the victim's father, Annadurai, who said another semi-nude picture of Vinupriya was sent to him on his mobile following which she took the extreme step. Police said they have asked Facebook to block the morphed picture. "Till the time the accused is apprehended, I will not take home my daughter's body," Annadurai said, alleging that police were responsible for his daughter's death as action was not taken on time. The body is currently kept in a mortuary of a hospital. Annadurai wondered why action could not be taken based on the IMEI number of the mobile phone from which the morphed picture was sent to him. A senior police official today said the cyber crime wing was probing the case, adding "we will soon detect the culprits. " He said they have written to Facebook to block the morphed pictures with the help of the IP address. "All necessary action is being taken. We are taking the strictest action," he said.
2016-06-28 19:27 By PTI www.mid-day.com
92 Egypt deports Liliane Daoud, British-Lebanese talkshow host Egyptian authorities have deported a popular British- Lebanese television talkshow host, Liliane Daoud. Ms Daoud, a former BBC journalist, was detained by plainclothes policemen at her home in Cairo on Monday and put on a plane to Beirut. The move came hours after her contract was terminated by privately-owned OnTV. Her show, Al-Soura Al-Kamila (The Full Picture), controversially aired views critical of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and his government. Mr Sisi has cracked down on dissent since leading the military's overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. Ms Daoud's 10-year-old daughter, an Egyptian national, was at their home when her mother was led away by police. Officers reportedly confiscated Ms Daoud's mobile phone and British passport. There was no formal explanation for Ms Daoud's deportation, but a security official told the Associated Press (AP) that her residency permit had expired. Shortly before her arrest, Ms Daoud had written on Twitter: "I am announcing the official termination of my contract with OnTV after five years that began in 2011. " Ms Daoud's lawyer, Zyad el-Elaimy, said her first comment after landing in Beirut was that she would challenge the decision. "It's the first time someone is deported in this fashion in Egypt," Mr Elaimy told AP by telephone from Cairo. The Egyptian authorities, he added, were "not prepared to hear any diverse voices or to hear anyone who is supportive" of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak. "This is a campaign against respectable media and free journalism," said Al-Soura Al-Kamila's editor-in-chief, Amer Tamam. "All we were doing was presenting a respectable show... so we don't know what we are being punished for. " OnTV was sold last month by the billionaire businessman Naguib Sawiris to Ahmed Abou Hashima, a steel magnate and Sisi supporter. Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served briefly as interim vice-president after Morsi was ousted, praised Ms Daoud for her "professionalism, credibility and courage". "One day we may have enough self-confidence to understand the value of having different opinions," he wrote on Twitter. Satirist Bassem Youssef, whose TV show was taken off air for its criticism of the government, said her arrest was "just the beginning". "Egypt... can't tolerate the rest of the world,'' he wrote on Facebook. In May, the head of the Egyptian journalists' union and two other top members were recently charged with harbouring fugitives following a police raid of the union's headquarters that saw two journalists for an opposition website arrested. Also on Monday, the prominent feminist activist Mozn Hassan was banned from travelling to Beirut for a meeting of women human rights defenders. Nazra for Feminist Studies, which Ms Hassan founded, said she was barred due to her alleged involvement in a case in which non-governmental organisations have been accused of receiving foreign funds with the aim of sowing chaos.
2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
93 Five facts about Icelandic football They are the tiny nation who humiliated England 2-1 at Euro 2016 on Monday. On their way to the last eight of the European tournament, they've also beaten Austria and, in qualifying, the Netherlands, Turkey and the Czech Republic. Here are five facts about the underdogs who are doing a lot better in France than you might have thought. Heimir Hallgrimsson works as a dentist as well as co-managing the team. He works on a five square-mile (13 sq km) island called Heimaey, where there are fewer than 5,000 people and millions of puffins. He'll be taking on the team full-time after Euro 2016. His co-manager Lars Lagerback is not a dentist, or a doctor, or a postman. He's a full-time football manager from Sweden. He has also managed Nigeria and Sweden - and credits Roy Hodgson, the England manager who stood down after being beaten by Iceland, with shaping his style. Iceland has as many people as a small English city. 332,529 people, to be precise. That's about as many as live in the English cities of Leicester, or Coventry. England as a whole has a population of more than 53 million to pick and choose its footballers from. And this June, 10% of the Icelandic population were in France to support their team at Euro 2016. If 10% of England's population had gone, France would have had an influx of 5.3 million people. Or if you were to take the US as an example, 10% of its population would be 32 million people. Imagine that many people leaving the country to cheer on their football team. Iceland are punching above their weight. They don't have anywhere near as many people to choose from as England do. They have never even qualified for anything this big before. Here is their record in qualifying for recent major international tournaments: It's cold in Iceland. The average temperature in the warmest month is only 10-13C (50F-55F). But more pertinently than that, it's dark in Iceland. There are nearly 20 hours of night-time in December. It's not ideal for practicing football. So the country has ploughed money in to indoor facilities for the sport over the past 15 years. Iceland's football association (KSI) has overseen investment in 30 full-size all-weather pitches, seven of which are indoors, and almost 150 smaller artificial arenas. Now, people can train all year round - and they get labelled the "indoor kids". But that's not all. The KSI's media officer, Omar Smarason, says quality coaching through European football body Uefa has been vital for shaping the country's fairytale. "You can only do so much with a facility. You have to have capable people," he tells the BBC, his voice hoarse post-match. "From the age of four, every child has a Uefa-accredited coach. " That started 15 years ago, when Uefa came to the country for the first time. "A few players on this side are now the product of that. The current team is obviously a good generation. " Hannes Halldorsson was a film director before he turned professional as a goalkeeper. He directed the video for Iceland's entry to the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. Greta Salome & Jonsi performed Never Forget in Baku, Azerbaijan in May 2012, but the song came only 20th in the final. Iceland has been represented at Eurovision 29 times but it has never won and, therefore, never hosted the competition. Clips of Gudmundur Benediktsson shouting and screaming as his team netted a last-minute winner against Austria last week have bounded around the internet. His joy is infectious - you can listen here: But in just a few short days, he left his job at KR Reykjavik. The side has been doing pretty badly - it's lost most of its recent games. Gummi Ben, as he's known, was back at the microphone on Monday night. Maybe his team's upswing in fortunes will keep his spirits high.
2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
94 Parrot squawk 'evidence' in murder trial A prosecutor in Michigan is considering whether the squawkings of a foul- mouthed parrot may be used as evidence in a murder trial. Glenna Duram, 48, has been charged with murdering her husband, Martin, in front of the couple's pet in 2015. Relatives of the victim believe that the pet African Grey, named Bud, overheard the couple arguing and has been repeating their final words. The local prosecutor says it's unclear if the bird can be used as evidence. "It is something we are going to be looking at to determine if it's reliable to use or if it's information we need," Newaygo Country prosecutor Robert Springstead told the Detroit Free Press . Mrs Duram is accused of shooting her husband five times before turning the gun on herself in a failed suicide attempt. Mr Duram's ex-wife, Christina Keller, now owns Bud. She believes that he has been repeating the conversation from the night of the murder, which she says ends in the phrase "Don't shoot! ", with an expletive added. His parents agree with her. "I personally think he was there, and he remembers it and he was saying it", Mr Duram's father told local media. His mother, Lillian Duram, added: "That bird picks up everything and anything, and it's got the filthiest mouth around. " Mr Springstead said it is unlikely the bird could be called to the stand to testify as a witness during a trial.
2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
95 Inside Falluja after IS: 'The air smelt of war' The air in Falluja smelt of war. Fires were burning around the city centre. Some of them, according to Lieutenant Hassan, an Iraqi intelligence officer at the scene, were started by Iraqi troops. He said they would throw grenades into suspicious buildings. In one of them I could hear ammunition exploding. Falluja was virtually deserted, except for roving bands of cheerful Iraqi troops. Falluja: Embattled city of mosques IS may be down but it is not out Islamic State group: The full story All the civilians appeared to have left. I saw corpses of fighters from the jihadist group that calls itself Islamic State (IS), left where they died. Lt Hassan showed me what passed for law enforcement in Falluja under Islamic State. A Sharia (Islamic law) court had been set up in what had been a spacious villa in a well-to-do avenue. The lieutenant said they had captured official stamps and paperwork in the building proving that it had been used as a court. Next door in a similar villa, now badly damaged by fire, was one of half a dozen improvised prisons established in Falluja by IS. In what must once have been someone's sitting room were half a dozen steel cages. Two of them were only waist-height. It would have been agonising for an adult to spend more than a few minutes inside one of them. Presumably sentences were longer than that. Not every building was damaged but there was a lot of destruction. Whole suburbs looked as if they had been virtually deserted since IS seized Falluja early in 2014. Grass was growing in the streets and lines of houses looked as if they had been abandoned for a long time. Much of the population fled as the city was falling to IS. The Iraqi army has scored a major victory in Falluja. The town is less than an hour's drive from Baghdad when war doesn't intervene. It has been a stronghold for jihadists since the rise of al-Qaeda in Iraq during the early years of the American-led occupation after the 2003 invasion. IS grew out of al-Qaeda in Iraq, and since they seized Falluja it has been a bulwark of their power in the area close to Baghdad. Despite their defeat in Falluja, the jihadists of so-called Islamic State are still a force to be feared in Iraq. They still hold Mosul, the country's second city. Mosul has to be the next big objective of the Iraqi army - and most likely their allies in Shia militias. Some of the most feared militias are supported and often directed by Iran. In Falluja, the militias were not involved in the fighting for the city centre, but they hold much of the countryside close by. If IS chooses to stand and fight in Mosul, the Iraqi army will have a much harder job there than in Falluja. But the army's morale is high. Commanders and soldiers are delighted by a victory that goes part of the way to redeeming their rapid capitulation to IS in 2014.
2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
96 96 US border authority seeks travellers' social media details Travellers seeking visa waiver entry to the US may soon be asked to list their social media profiles - if a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposal is enacted. An update to application forms would ask users to identify what social networks they use and their "social media identifier" such as a username. However, revealing this information would be "optional". The changes would affect Esta and Form I-94W applications. The proposal was added to the Federal Register by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), part of the DHS, last Thursday. Any data travellers choose to share will be used "for vetting purposes, as well as applicant contact information", the proposal states. Public comment - which must be submitted by post - will be sought for 60 days before the CBP considers it further. "It's very hard to see travellers not filling out this item - even though it's optional - as they may fear not getting entry into the country," commented Joseph Lorenzo Hall, chief technologist at the Centre for Democracy and Technology. Mr Hall, who spotted the notice last week, added that he feels the measure could make it harder for people to enter the US. "Democracy in general requires having spaces free from government scrutiny and increasingly social life happens online," he told the BBC. "We would have a poor society if people were chilled from participating in social activity online so I really hope they rethink this. " A spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents pointed out that the proposal was not guaranteed to go ahead. "Just as with any change in entry requirements, the DHS will need to balance security issues against the need to encourage people to visit their country," he added. Last year, MSNBC published a memo in which it appeared that officials dropped a plan to vet visa - not visa waiver - applicants' social media activity. Recently, the United States updated its policy on visa waiver programs regarding visitors who had a second citizenship in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Sudan - or who had visited those countries within the last five years. Such individuals must now apply for a visa instead.
2016-06-28 19:21 BBC News www.bbc.co.uk
97 Andy Murray starts brightly with Wimbledon win over Liam Broady There were no first-round dramas for Andy Murray as he eased past countryman Liam Broady to open his Wimbledon campaign. After being taken to five sets in his first two matches at the French Open, Murray needed just an hour and 43 minutes to defeat 22-year- old wild card Broady 6-2 6-3 6-4. The 2013 champion will hope for more of the same from his next match on Thursday against Chinese Taipei's Lu Yen-hsun. Murray said of his performance: "I served pretty well. Offensively I thought I did some good stuff. Maybe defensively I could have done a little bit better. "But the first match is always tricky. Obviously Liam... we've never played each before although we've practised a lot and it's not that easy playing someone you know so well, but I did okay. "When we started the match we're both trying to win but it doesn't make it any easier. Y ou just want to go out and try to play a good match. " Murray said on BBC One: "L iam played better as the match went on. H e fought right the way through to the end and played some good stuff and it was a good experience for him. " This was Murray's first match against a fellow British player at a grand slam, and the first involving two British players since Tim Henman beat Greg Rusedski in the first round of the US Open a decade ago. Not since Henman defeated Martin Lee in 2001, meanwhile, had there been a meeting of home players at Wimbledon in the men's singles. It was a huge occasion for Broady, who made Marcus Willis-style headlines on day one last year when he came from two sets down to defeat Marinko Matosevic. He has practised a few times with Murray and admitted the first time he was so nervous he struggled to put the ball in the court. Broady soon found out why the world number two is such a formidable opponent, winning just one point in the first three games before getting on the board, no doubt much to his relief. Coach Ivan Lendl, back in Murray's box for the first time at a grand slam since their reunion, had stressed the need for his charge not to waste energy and would therefore have been very happy to see him keep his foot down and break serve again to clinch the set. Blustery conditions on Centre Court were not making it easy for either player, with Broady struggling to time his forehand. The wild card was being watched from the player box by his sister Naomi, the British number three, who lost to Elina Svitolina on Monday. It looked very much like Liam was heading the same way when he double-faulted to trail 3-1 in the second set. The Broady family have been split down the middle ever since Liam decided in 2012 to accept help from the Lawn Tennis Association against the wishes of his father Simon. Neither player had had anything to do with the governing body since Naomi was disciplined in 2007 after a picture of her in a nightclub was published on social media. But Liam has now parted ways with the LTA again, although amicably this time, in order to try to repair his relationship with his father, which he admitted is still "frosty". He was getting a warm reception from the Centre Court crowd and he pumped his fist to a great cheer after finishing a fine point with a forehand winner, but a game later Murray wrapped up the set. This was a stroll on the lawns for Murray and he jogged back to his chair after breaking serve again at the start of the third set. The first signs of frustration for the home favourite came as Broady did an excellent job of keeping him out on court. The Stockport player even had two chances to break the Murray serve but the 29-year-old lifted himself out of second gear to save them and clinched his first match point with a dinked forehand. It was a timely finish from Murray, with the Centre Court covers coming on seconds after the pair had walked off court, as rain arrived.
2016-06-28 18:24 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
98 England players had 'absolute faith' in boss Hodgson, insists captain Rooney England captain Wayne Rooney insists Roy Hodgson commanded "absolute faith" from the dressing room, denying reports that senior players were unhappy with his decisions at Euro 2016. Less than 24 hours after England were ousted from Euro 2016 by Iceland, a result and a performance that proved an embarrassment for all involved and the end of road for Hodgson, stories emerged about splits in the camp. There were suggestions that senior members of the squad were dissatisfied by some of Hodgson's tactical decisions and selection calls, particularly the recall of Raheem Sterling for the Iceland match, but Rooney acted quickly to dismiss them. In a statement released to Press Association Sport, the England skipper said: "In response to recent media reports, I'd like to say that is completely untrue. "On behalf of the players, we completely supported the England manager, but we understand his reasons for stepping down. "We had absolute faith in the build-up and throughout the tournament. " That chimed with Hodgson's own experiences. Asked at a downbeat final press conference if he was aware of any dissension in the ranks, the 68-year-old said: "If it was true then they disguised it well from me and coaching staff. "We had no indication from the players that they were anything but behind what we were doing, behind the game plans that we had. They tried hard to execute them. "I never go into details. I don't think that's a matter for the public. What goes in the dressing room stays in the dressing room, that's how it's always been with me and how it will continue to be with me. " England's players arrived back from France on Tuesday afternoon, their plane landing at Luton airport. Those from London clubs - Tottenham's Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Harry Kane, Chelsea's Gary Cahill and Arsenal's Jack Wilshere among them - and Leicester's Jamie Vardy left in separate cars waiting on the runway to collect them. There was no sign of any supporters waiting for the team. The remainder of the squad was then flown on to Manchester.
2016-06-28 18:23 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
99 Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp delighted to sign Sadio Mane after four-year chase Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp tracked Sadio Mane for four years before finally managing to sign him. The 24-year-old became Liverpool's third most expensive player when he completed a £30million move from Southampton. Klopp is delighted to have captured the Senegal international, who Press Association Sport understands has signed a five- year contract. "I have followed Sadio for a lot of years since his impressive performances in the Olympics in 2012, and then watched his development in Austria and in his time at Southampton," the Reds boss told liverpoolfc.com. "Since I came here I have spoken to the staff a lot about him and have always felt he could be a very good signing for us. "He has a lot of quality, works hard and has a very good goalscoring record. "When I spoke to him I could tell that he was passionate about joining the club and playing for our fantastic fans. "I think they will be just as excited about seeing him put on a Liverpool shirt as I am. "It is great that we have managed to sign him so he can work with us from the first day of pre-season. " Klopp was a major influence on persuading Mane to leave the Saints, for whom he scored 25 goals in 75 appearances. The forward admits he did not have to think twice when Klopp asked him to join. "I spoke with him and I think he played a big role in me coming to Liverpool and I want to thank him for all the confidence," the striker, who will wear the number 19 shirt, told LFCTV. "He said he wanted me to come and I didn't try to ask myself questions as I was convinced Liverpool was the right club for me. "It is the right club, right coach and right moment to change. "But I want to thank Southampton because they were amazing and if I am here today I can say it is because of Southampton. "I learned a lot and I worked with some nice people. " There has been some dispute between the clubs over Mane's fee, with Southampton saying privately it is £34m rising to £36m with add-ons but sources at Anfield have rejected those claims. Irrespective of the price tag, which puts the Senegal international behind only Andy Carroll (£35m) and Christian Benteke (£32.5m) in terms of the club's record signings, Mane is raring to go. "I am happy because it is not easy if you start after (pre-season has started)," added the forward. "I am very happy to sign for one of the biggest clubs in Europe. It's a club that has won a lot of trophies and has a big history. "I remember when I was younger I watched Liverpool v AC Milan (in the 2005 Champions League final): it was amazing and I was happy for Liverpool. "It was my dream to play at a big club and the dream has come true. "I am excited to play at Anfield in front of the amazing fans and I am looking forward to a great season together as a club. "I want the fans to be confident and I think this season will be special. " Mane is Klopp's fourth signing after centre-back Joel Matip, midfielder Marko Grujic and goalkeeper Loris Karius. He will join his new team-mates for the start of pre-season this weekend when the players who have not been involved in the European Championships are due to return ahead of their first friendly the following Friday at neighbours Tranmere.
2016-06-28 18:23 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk
100 100 Michelle Obama in Morocco to launch girls' fund US First Lady Michelle Obama launched a $100 million aid package in Morocco Tuesday to promote the education of girls in a country where half of females over 15 are illiterate. Visiting Marakech with actresses Meryl Streep and Frieda Pinto of the "Slumdog Millionaire" film, she told girls in attendance she wanted them to be part of a global conversation on female education. "We want to share this conversation with young girls around the world, particularly in the United States," she said. Obama, who was accompanied by her daughters Malia and Sasha, arrived on Monday evening in Marakech and was welcomed by King Mohamed VI. The first lady launched her "Let Girls Learn" education initiative in March 2015 to help adolescent girls across the world access a quality education. She has since travelled the globe to call for greater support for the millions of girls kept away from school or forced to abandon their studies. "She shared lots of things with us that will help us to work hard and focus on our education," Rihab Boutadghart, a beneficiary of the initiative, said after attending the launch in Marakech. Morocco has one of the lowest female labour force participation rates in the world, according to the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US government aid agency. The MCC used Obama's visit to announce a nearly $100-million (90 million euros) fund to tackle high drop-out rates among girls and make schools more "girl-friendly". The money, which will fund internships, girl-friendly bathrooms and training for teachers, is expected to benefit about 100,000 students, said the MCC. The Peace Corps said it would work with its volunteers and community leaders to advance girls' education and improve their employment prospects. USAID pledged to spend $400,000 through an NGO to establish five new dorms for girls across the country. Obama said she hoped the funds would "help these girls succeed in the workforce and fulfill their boundless promise". Over half of Moroccan girls aged over 15 are illiterate, despite efforts by the government and NGOs to promote their education, according to a 2014 study by the High Commission for Planning, a government body. But the same study said the rate of school attendance among girls of 7-12 years old had risen from 78 percent in 2004 to 94 percent in 2014. Obama says girls around the world face challenges that prevent more than 62 million from getting an education. The first lady spent Monday in Liberia, where she told girls to fight to stay in school despite financial pressures that cause the vast majority to drop out. She will continue her trip with a visit to Spain on Thursday, where she will deliver a speech on the education initiative before meeting Queen Letizia.
2016-06-28 18:23 Afp www.dailymail.co.uk
Total 100 articles. Created at 2016-06-29 00:02