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From Pac Man to " Pretty in Pink , " Dungeons and Dragons to Devo , Rush to " School House Rock " : If this pop culture laundry list brings back fond memories , then do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Ernest Cline ' s new novel , " Ready Player One . " Packed with ' 80s nostalgia , it is part intergalactic scavenger hunt , part romance and all heart , a love letter to growing up geek . Described as " Willy Wonka meets the Matrix " the book takes place in a dystopian future . The year is 2044 and the real world is an ugly place . People escape their grim surroundings by accessing the , kind of like the Internet on steroids . Hidden somewhere deep inside this virtual utopia is the ultimate golden ticket , the key to unlimited fortune and power , but to find it , players will have to unlock an increasingly difficult series of pop culture puzzles . It ' s an addictive read . The book has become a best seller and a movie is in the works . " Ready Player One " came naturally to author Cline . He ' s a self described geek , a fan of video games , manga and Monty Python . He wrote the 2009 cult classic movie " Fan Boys , " an ode to obsessed " Star Wars " fans . How serious is Cline ' s geek cred ? He has spent the last few weeks driving cross country to promote his book in a souped up DeLorean . Cline ' s tricked out car incorporates elements from his favorite movie vehicles , including " Back to the Future , " " Knight Rider , " " Buckaroo Banzai " and " Ghostbusters . " He ' s even got an " 88 " personalized license plate . Cline : The initial idea for the story came to me way back in the summer of 2001 . I was working a technical support job at the time , helping people use computers and the Internet , and so I spent a lot of time thinking about the future of the Internet . I believed it might evolve into a sprawling virtual universe , sort of a cross between World of Warcraft and Facebook . When I start imagining what sort of person would create such a virtual world , I pictured a Willy Wonka esque video game designer holding a grand video game contest inside his virtual world , and the rest of the story grew out of that first idea . Cline : That ' s hard to say . I feel like I was hit by all of geek culture at once while I was growing up in the ' 70s and ' 80s . Saturday morning cartoons like " Star Blazers " and " Robotech . " Live action Japanese shows like " Ultraman " and " The Space Giants . " I spent most of my childhood welded to my Atari 2600 , until I got my first computer , a 80 . I grew up immersing myself in all of these things , and they informed my whole adolescence . Cline : It did , in a way , because I was writing about everything I love . It took me a long time to write this novel , and I maintained my interest in the project by filling the story with things I ' m passionate about . I was also being lazy , in a way , since I didn ' t have to do a lot of new research . Now , all of the geeking out I ' ve been doing my entire life can retroactively be classified as " research " for my novel . Cline : Yes , I wrote the first draft of the screenplay adaptation earlier this year , and that ' s what Warner Bros . is using to find the right director . They ' re very excited about the reception the book is receiving , so the movie could go into production as early as next year . Fingers crossed . Cline : It was a lot more frustrating , because I had to give up control of the story to get the movie made , and so the end product didn ' t turn out exactly the way I ' d hoped . That experience actually motivated me to finish " Ready Player One , " because I wanted to see what would happen if I was able to have total control of my story , with no filters between me and the audience . Cline : Well , I ' ve wanted to own a DeLorean since I was 10 years old , but it always seemed like a silly daydream . Like owning the " A Team " van or something . But once I sold my novel , it occurred to me that I could finally buy a DeLorean and us it to promote the book , since the protagonist drives one in the story . I could pose with the car in my author photo , then drive it across the country on my book tour , thus making it a business expense ! It ' s one of the best ideas I ' ve ever had . When I bought the car , I knew I wanted to trick it out like the DeLorean in the book , which combines elements from Doc Brown ' s Time Machine , from " Knight Rider , " the " Ghostbusters " Ecto 1 , and " Buckaroo Banzai ' s " Jet Car . So I went on the Internet and found a Flux Capacitor , an Oscillation Overthruster , and a wide array of Ghostbusting equipment , including a screen accurate Proton Pack ( which rides shotgun ) . Then I installed a blue scanner on the front of the car and got some personalized ECTO88 license plates . Then I took my time traveling , Knight Riding , Ghostbusting Jet Car out on the road . It was a big hit at every bookstore I stopped at on my tour . Get a guided tour of Cline ' s tricked out 1982 DeLorean . Cline : I have no choice but to agree . I wrote the geekiest novel in history and it ' s now been on The New York Times best seller list for several weeks . From my perspective , it definitely seems that the geeks have inherited the Earth . It ' s changed my whole life . Cline : Neal Stephenson ' s new novel , " Reamde . " I managed to snag an advance copy and I can ' t put it down . Mr Stephenson is one of my favorite writers . Cline : Well , I ' ve started working on an outline for a possible sequel to " Ready Player One . " But at the moment , I ' m working on a geeky coming of age movie set in the late ' 80s . Sort of my version of " Dazed and Confused , " but instead of sex , drugs and rock ' n ' roll , my characters are steeped in Dungeons and Dragons , arcade games and comic books . It ' s going to be the nerdiest coming of age movie ever made . Read an excerpt from " Ready Player One . "

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Dear Hospitalist , I ' ve been having chest pain for the past three weeks . I get it right in the middle of the chest , it ' s worse when I move around , but goes away when I sit down and take a few deep breaths . My Dad died of a heart attack when he was 48 . I just turned 45 . I ' m scared ! What should I do ? Concerned in Chattanooga Dear Concerned , Writing an organized note is the most important thing any hospitalist can do . The subjective reflects the patient ' s concerns you can even quote the patient here . The objective includes vital signs , exam findings , labs , and diagnostic tests , like interpretation of an or . Do not confuse the sections and do not make assessments here . In your assessment and plan , ask yourself how each problem is doing better , worse , or the same ? and how you plan to address each . Convey your thoughts well , I cannot stress this enough . I recommend an " other " section for things like prophylaxis , peripheral access , family contacts , and code status , so they ' re always in the back of your mind . Do not forget to date and time your note . This is absolutely crucial . Did you get a D Dimer ? Argh . I hope you have another 30min so I can explain what that means . Dear Hospitalist , I just returned from a two week trip to Uganda and yesterday noticed high grade fevers and weakness . Today the fever persists and I feel even worse . My wife thinks I have malaria but I got vaccinated and took the medications given by the doctor I saw in travel clinic . How would you approach this situation ? I feel like I should play it safe and head to the Emergency Room . Sickly in Sacramento Dear Sickly , You never really " clear " a patient when doing a preoperative evaluation for noncardiac surgery . The goal is to make an objective assessment of risk and make recommendations to best optimize a patient before surgery . It ' s up to the surgeon to use that information to properly inform the patient about risks , benefits , and alternatives . Many hospitalists want to defer to cardiology , but it ' s best to keep it simple . If surgery is emergent , that trumps all . If there are active cardiac issues , fix those first . If there are no cardiac issues and the surgery is low risk , then proceed to surgery . The Revised Cardiac Risk Index is a very useful tool if you need to quote risk as percentages . Dear Hospitalist , I ' m currently hospitalized for blood in my stool . I was found to have a diverticular bleed , but haven ' t required any blood transfusions . Yesterday , I developed swelling in my right leg and an ultrasound revealed a new . I feel like I ' m stuck between a rock and a hard place . If I start a blood thinner , I might bleed . But if I don ' t , I could develop a blood clot in my lungs ! Please help ! Fearful in Fargo Dear Fearful , The trick to effective is getting good depth with each compression and keeping a good rate , about 100 compressions per minute . The Bee Gees ' " Stayin ' Alive is a good reference point . Before you start compressions , make sure you ' ve verified code status . There ' s nothing more embarrassing than cracking an elderly lady ' s sternum when she was all along . If they truly are full code , be sure to lower the bed and place a backboard to maximize your leverage . Chest compressions done well are extremely tiring . Never hesitate to tag out . You can always help assess for pulse while you recover . Make sure you know your algorithms . Dr Abby Johnson is a hospitalist at Boston University . Her column , Ask a Hospitalist , appears in over 2 newspapers worldwide . Stay tuned ! Need some more advice ? Ask a 4th Year Med Student ( Who ' s Checked Out for the Year ) Ask a July 1st Medicine Intern Ask a Surgical Intern , Part 1 Ask a Surgical Intern , Part 2

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Hopes that a peace process might take hold in Ukraine this year were quickly dashed by the resumption of heavy fighting last week around Ukraine ' s Donetsk airport . Now , as the tenuous ceasefire observed over the holidays falls apart , the question is whether this latest violation of the Minsk ceasefire agreement is the beginning of a separatist offensive to claim more territory . It certainly looks that way . On January 13 , the leaders of Donetsk People ' s Republic ( ) , one of the two breakaway pro Russian enclaves in Ukraine ' s Donbass region , issued Ukrainian troops an ultimatum to surrender Donetsk airport . Since then , the long standing derelict control tower , subject to months of shelling , has finally collapsed and with it any likelihood that this conflict will stay frozen over the winter . The assault triggered a Ukrainian counterattack , and erupted into a full scale conflagration . Ukraine ' s defense ministry has said it has withdrawn from the main terminal at Donetsk airport , but it is doubtful that separatist forces only have that in their sights anyway . After all , although the site holds symbolic value for both sides , it is a hulking ruin and of little strategic relevance . And the leader of , Alexander Zakharchenko , has made clear he believes the borders of his breakaway republic should include the entire Donetsk region , which is double the current territory he controls . Such ambitions are not likely to be realized during the freezing cold of January , but separatist forces are now engaged in combat north of Luhansk and as far south as Mariupol . It is difficult to see Russia ' s army sitting out on the sidelines as all this unfolds , leaving the stage set for another battle between Ukrainian and Russian regular forces as Ukraine ' s leadership and army are put to the test again . True , the separatist force barely numbers 25 , 000 30 , 000 , and only a fraction of it is combat capable . But the timing of this latest operation is clearly aimed at fostering instability in Ukraine at a moment of economic weakness , rather than taking advantage of any newfound military opportunity . Ukraine ' s cash reserves fell to 7 . 5 billion in December , while the political leadership is desperately awaiting a new tranche of funding from the , without which Ukraine may soon go bankrupt . Meanwhile , Ukraine faces an incredibly difficult year due to contraction , inflation , currency devaluation , and anticipated fiscal austerity measures . Since much of its army depends on volunteer donations to survive in the field , prolonged fighting will create unbearable strain , on the people and the country . And despite Russia ' s economic woes , as well as the impact of Western sanctions , nothing seems to have visibly constrained Moscow ' s policies in Ukraine . In retrospect , it is clear Russia had no intention of starting this year with negotiations , rather than military action to change facts on the ground . Russian leaders are for their part trapped in a dilemma of their own making . They are unable to secure Russian influence in Ukraine through the current agreement , in a manner that relieves sanctions , and satisfies separatist desires for a viable independent territory . Ukraine ' s President Petro Poroshenko , of course also lacks domestic political support for a genuine compromise with Moscow , having created a coalition government with his political rival . However , it is Russia that struggles under sanctions and must find a way out of the current situation . And unfortunately , the only way out for Moscow seems to be war . For Russia , the Minsk agreement is a dead end . The fact is that it should be for the United States as well . Making Russia stick to this agreement , despite its uselessness in achieving any path to settlement in the conflict , is a negotiating position that is unrealistic and has run its course . The pressure of sanctions is insufficient to coerce Russia away from using force , meaning that instead of a diplomatic victory , the West is witnessing Ukraine cede more territory to the separatists . Another defeat will shake its political system as well . How should the West respond ? The U . S . has no good choices , only hard decisions to make . The first priority should be to negotiate a new ceasefire to end the bloodshed . If separatist goals are truly limited , it should not take long . Then , the Minsk agreement should be scrapped as a basis for settlement . That is far from Ukraine ' s first choice , but it is not in a position to expect best outcomes , especially when its army is in retreat . Meanwhile , the West needs to work with Russian and Ukrainian leaders to come up with new terms . The framework will look similar to Minsk , but sanctions and economic woes have undoubtedly created strategic clarity in Moscow about the need for this conflict to end this year . Plus , the latest fighting will change Kiev ' s perspective as well . If all this proves unsuccessful , then there is nothing to stop Western leaders from providing more weapons to Ukraine , or imposing new hardships on Russia . The latest fighting demonstrates the limits of what those policies might accomplish for Ukraine . Russia has not been brought to heel . It is time to try for a new peace settlement .

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Reuters) - Liberia will hold a delayed presidential run-off vote on Dec. 26, the electoral commission chief said on Tuesday. Former soccer star George Weah faces Vice-President Joseph Boakai in the poll that was held up for several weeks by a court challenge by the candidate who came third in round one. The winner replaces Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as president in what will be, if it goes smoothly, Liberia s first peaceful handover of power in 70 years. The Supreme Court last week dismissed a complaint from third-place finisher Charles Brumskine s Liberty Party, which had said fraud had undermined the first round in October. Electoral Commission chairman Jerome Korkoya said campaigning could start immediately but must end by December 24. Liberians are eager for change after Nobel Peace Prize winning Sirleaf s 12-year rule, which sealed a lasting peace in a country that for decades had only known war, but which has failed to tackle corruption or much improve the lot of the poorest.

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Copy this code to your website or blog Russian forensic experts warned Monday it could take weeks or months to conclusively determine whether a bomb downed a Metrojet plane in the Sinai peninsula ? the scenario cited by a growing number of officials . Sen . Diane Feinstein ? the vice chair of the U . S . Senate Select Committee on Intelligence ? told " Meet the Press " there was a " strong probability " that a bomb caused the Airbus A321 to crash on Oct . 31 shortly after takeoff from Egypt ' s Sharm el Sheikh airport . Her comments echoed previous statements from U . S . and U . K . officials about the likelihood explosives played a role in the crash ? though Egyptian authorities have pushed back and warned against jumping to conclusions . Samples of debris from the plane have been flown to Moscow for analysis . Russia ' s Novosti news agency reported Monday that forensic sources said a completed expert analysis could take three to seven days " minimum . " Another forensic source was cited as saying the report into what downed the plane would take much longer . " The tasks for experts are : are there traces of explosives on the debris , and if yes , which explosives ? " one source was quoted as saying . " A two week time frame is more realistic . " The source said the " complicated " circumstances ? a blast at high altitude ? would suggest multiple tests and checks also must be done to rule out any contamination of debris . " Such a study can take months , " the source was quoted as saying . Egyptian officials inspect the crash site on Nov . 1 . Anadolu Agency Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Egyptian investigators have said they are analyzing a " noise " heard in the final second of the Airbus A321 ' s data recording ? and some reports have suggested it could be the sound of an explosion . One working theory about the crash has been the possibility a bomb or explosives were smuggled into the plane ' s luggage hold . A source at Egypt ' s Ministry of Civil Aviation told News that security cameras from the departure lounge and runway did not show any suspicious personnel or luggage in the vicinity of the doomed plane .

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Ronnie O ' Sullivan has again voiced his disaffection with snooker , claiming he is just ' using ' the game and has not yet committed to entering next month ' s World Championship . The 39 year old , who has won the Championship , the Masters and the Crucible title five times each , has struggled for much of his career with the mental aspect of the game and the demands of the tour circuit . His achievements in recent years are outstanding , winning the 2013 World Championship having barely played all season and the 2014 Championship despite suffering with a fractured ankle . Ronnie O ' Sullivan claims that snooker does not offer the financial reward and security that it once did O ' Sullivan also said that he has contemplated not entering the snooker World Championship next month O Sullivan celebrates winning the 2014 Championship but hit out at the prize money on offer to players O ' Sullivan Into Last 16 But as this year ' s Crucible build up begins , his commitment is once more in question . ' Snooker is no longer what it once was for me . I just use snooker , rather than letting it use me , ' he told the Guardian . ' I know it sounds crazy but I wasn ' t even sure if I was going to enter the worlds . I probably will but it ' s got to the point where I want to give snooker only 20 per cent of my time . ' It ' s not something I ' m that bothered about . It ' s probably one of my least favourite tournaments . Seventeen days is too long . ' But as a kid , I dreamed of being world champion . ( Then ) I thought if I can win three or four , that would be great . Three ? You ' re getting to be a great player . Four ? You ' re on a level with John Higgins , who is a master of the game . So I ' m really happy to have won it five times . ' It is a familiar refrain from O ' Sullivan . He threatened not to take up his place in the 2014 Masters , polling his Twitter followers for advice only to announce his entry around an hour later . The switch in the world rankings format , from points to a money list , played into O ' Sullivan ' s hands by allowing him to ' play the system ' as he put it in 2013 by focusing on the more lucrative tournaments . O ' Sullivan claimed the World Championship tournament is one of his least favourite events due to its length O ' Sullivan has won the World Championship five times already in a highly decorated career But he remains unhappy and even said he cannot achieve financial security through snooker ' s ' s ' prize money an extraordinary claim even for O ' Sullivan , especially as he has already noted : ' I could get by the rest of my life if I never worked again . ' He said : ' If you go back five or 10 years I used to get good sponsorship for my logos . I was on 350 , 000 even before I hit a ball . Now there is no money in snooker . The top players are suffering now . ' I don ' t want it to come across as if I ' m doing this for money . I just want what ' s fair . They can say ' you ' re getting this amount of prize money ' . But if you ' re a top player it ' s f s . I want my security , and snooker isn ' t going to give me that security . '

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Sandra Bland grew up expressing her faith and social activism is honoring the young woman whose life was tragically cut short . The DuPage African Methodist Church is renaming its annual diversity institute this year in honor of the 28 year old woman who grew up in the Lisle church . . . The place where Sandra Bland grew up expressing her faith and social activism is honoring the young woman whose life was tragically cut short . The DuPage African Methodist Church is renaming its annual diversity institute this year in honor of the 28 year old woman who grew up in the Lisle church . . . Bland , 28 , who was African American , was found dead in her jail cell three days after Encinia arrested her July 10 during a routine traffic stop about 55 miles west of Houston . Her death was ruled a suicide . The family has questioned that finding and was not happy with the outcome of the case involving Encina . A perjury charge isn t justice , Shante Needham , Bland s sister , said Wednesday . It s insulting . If he was going to be charged with anything it should have been assault , falsifying a police report or abusing his power as an officer of the law . They gave him the least charge of all . That s not good enough . My sister is not here anymore . The charge is not acceptable for my family . The family s attorney criticized the time it took for the grand jury to make a decision in Bland s case . Texas trooper charged with perjury in arrest of Sandra Bland Texas trooper charged with perjury in arrest of Sandra Bland . Jan . 6 , 2016 . ( ) Texas trooper charged with perjury in arrest of Sandra Bland . Jan . 6 , 2016 . ( ) I scratch my head over why it took six months to indict him , said Cannon Lambert , who is representing the family in a civil wrongful death lawsuit . I am confused and dismayed over why he wasn t charged with assault or battery . He grabbed her from the car . He said he was going to light her up with a Taser and then assaulted her . Encinia pulled Bland over for making an improper lane change near the university s entrance . The confrontation that ensued , which led to Bland s arrest on suspicion of assaulting Encinia , was captured on a dash camera video that went viral . Bland was taken to the Waller County jail in nearby Hempstead where she was unable to make 500 bail . Officials said hanged herself with a plastic bag . Black Lives Matter supporters , like Bland s family , have questioned why she had been arrested at all , with some questioning whether she had taken her own life . At the time Bland was stopped , she had just accepted a job at her alma mater , Prairie View A M University . What happened to Sandra Bland ? Videos trace her path from traffic stop to jail What happened to Sandra Bland ? ? Videos trace her path from traffic stop to jail . ? What happened to Sandra Bland ? ? Videos trace her path from traffic stop to jail . ? The grand jury s indictment came after it decided last month that no felony was committed by the Waller County sheriff ' s office or jailers in connection with Bland s death . We want someone held accountable , Lambert said . Encinia s being held accountable for a little bit but not for all that he did . So it s hard to feel satisfied in this situation . Ultimately , he acted out of line , Needham said . He abused his authority as an officer . If you look at the tape it says it all . A representative for Encinia could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday .

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Team spirit at was once so bad that Bobby Zamora wished that he could skip training and fast forward to match day . Zamora , who joined the club in January 2012 and was plunged straight into a relegation dog fight , says that the rifts in the squad then were so deep that he would have gladly missed the weekdays because of the animosity in the team . ' For myself , it was more a case of just wishing at times that you didn ' t have to go training for a week and could just turn up for a Saturday , ' said Zamora . ' Because when game time comes everyone is fighting for the same cause . Two seasons ago , during the week sometimes tempers could flare . ' Team spirit at was once so bad that Bobby Zamora wished that he could skip training sessions Recalling the negativity of 2012 and 2013 , when were a team characterised by their lack of fight , serves a purpose . For , though bottom of the table now with four points , with Liverpool coming to Loftus Road today and with manager Harry Redknapp under pressure , Zamora has some perspective . Bad though it may seem , things were infinitely worse then . Ironically , in 2011 12 , despite the rancour stayed up . However , the following season , with an equally bad atmosphere in the dressing room , they were relegated , with Redknapp overseeing only the latter half of the season before guiding the club back to the Premier League last May . ' Two and half seasons ago we stayed up with all that , ' said Zamora . ' And this season we ' re in a better position all round : the club , the players , the squad . And there are 31 games to go there is plenty of time to get out of this . ' The club has come on in terms of the squad , the management , the facilities , the training pitches . All aspects of the club are a lot better than two and half years ago . There are only four or five lads left from that time and there has been a big turnaround . There is a good togetherness . The lads all get on now . Rio Ferdinand has come and he has been impressed at how the lads are together . He was at Manchester United a long time and he can ' t believe the togetherness of the lads and the spirit . ' That said , Ferdinand and the new signings such as Eduardo Vargas , Mauricio Isla , Niko Kranjcar , Steven Caulker , Sandro and Leroy Fer will have to start delivering victories soon . spent significantly again in the summer despite the financial issues at the club . The latest financial results show a loss of 65 . 7million for the last season in the Premier League , on a turnover of 60m figures that are unlikely to improve after a season spent in the Championship . Striker Zamora has played six of ' s opening games back in the Premier League this season The fine for breaching the Football League ' s Financial Fair Play rules could be as much as 40m when the new figures are revealed and the Football League are threatening to relegate the club to Football Conference if they are relegated and fail to pay it . With the planned new 40 , 000 stadium in Old Oak being opposed by the current landowner , these are unsettling times at Loftus Road . Having Les Ferdinand seated alongside owner Tony Fernandes today as the newly installed Head of Football Operations does not help calm matters . Though Ferdinand was appointed by Redknapp as a coach at Tottenham , he is these days more associated with his last boss , Tim Sherwood , who along with Tony Pulis , would be a candidate to replace Redknapp . Redknapp has been unfortunate in that key signing Jordan Mutch is injured as is captain Joey Barton while Sandro is struggling for fitness . But losing Loic Remy on the eve of transfer deadline day to a well advertised buy out clause was less of a shock . Failing to support Zamora and Charlie Austen up front has been the obvious huge omission from the summer spending . Manager Harry Redknapp pictured with Les Ferdinand has a fight to keep the club in the top flight The only possible solution for all concerned is simply to stay up this season to avoid the multitude of looming issues . And Zamora insists it is far too early to be concerned and that the players are behind Redknapp . ' Harry has a wealth of experience . He ' s seen it all : relegations , promotions , finals , ' said Zamora . ' It really is crazy there is speculation with so many games to go . You can win two games and you ' re right back up there . ' ' We don ' t talk about the speculation at the minute because it ' s so early . You literally just need a couple of wins . Although they are tough games they can be won . He brought most of us in . Harry has supported us and wanted us here . Everyone is behind him and now we have just got to do our part on match day . ' face Liverpool , Chelsea and Manchester City in the next three weeks though you would imagine that the results against Aston Villa ( home ) , Newcastle ( away ) and Leicester ( home ) are more likely to define Redknapp ' s future . Zamora puts on a good positive front . ' Catch me in four or five months to have this conversation , ' he says . ' We ' ll have plenty of points on the board then , I ' m sure . The spirit is there . '

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Fri , 15 Jan 2016 11 : 56am , Los Angeles , Reuters The Force fails to get new ' Star Wars ' movie into top Oscars race Star Wars : The Force Awakens , may be the third biggest film ever at the global box office , but it failed to nab a best picture Oscar nomination on Thursday . The seventh installment of the space adventure saga created by George Lucas did get five nominations , but they were limited to original score and technical categories like visual effects and editing . Just a month after its release , The Force Awakens has taken 1 . 76 billion at the world box office , according to movie studio Walt Disney , which brought the franchise in 2012 for 4 billion . The film is on course to challenge 1997 romance Titanic ' s 2 . 18 billion haul to become the second most successful movie of all time . But popularity has rarely been a recipe for Oscar success . The 6 , 000 or so voters who make up the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have traditionally disdained big action adventure movies in favour of smaller art house fare such as The Artist , Birdman , and The King ' s Speech when choosing the best picture . Since 1990 , only the 2003 fantasy epic Lord of the Rings The Return of the Kings snapped that trend to win the top Oscar honour , although Avatar , still the biggest box office movie of all time , received a best picture nomination in 2009 . The Force Awakens , however , won almost universal praise from critics , and hopes were high that it might find a place in the best picture race this year . Yet on Thursday , Academy voters preferred action adventure Mad Max : Fury Road , giving it a best picture nod and nominations in nine other categories . OscarsSoWhite : Oscar 2016 slammed for being ' too white ' again The first Star Wars film , released in 1977 , is the only one in the franchise to receive a best picture Oscar nomination , although it lost out that year to Annie Hall . The handful of Academy Award honours for the previous six Star Wars movies have been in technical categories .

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Oscar nominations often lead to boost in movie revenues Winning an Oscar , or even just being nominated for one , is about much more than just reaping Hollywood bragging rights . It s about collecting a lot of extra cash . Numerous studies support the idea of an Oscar bump ? that getting an Academy Award , or even being a nominee , significantly boosts a film s bottom line . It could be good news for Wednesday s Oscar nominees with Boston ties : Spotlight , which focuses on the Globe s coverage of the clergy sex abuse scandal The Martian , which features Cambridge native Matt Damon and Joy , a Jennifer Lawrence movie filmed in the Boston area . Here s an overview of what studies have found in recent years : Nominations can be worth tens of millions of dollars Research firm IBISWorld analyzed data from 2006 through 2010 , and found that the average best picture Oscar winners saw a bump of 22 . 2 percent , or 20 . 3 million in box office revenue after being nominated . The movies received another 15 . 3 percent , or 14 million , boost after winning an Oscar . In a more recent analysis , IBISWorld found that movies nominated for best picture between 2008 and 2012 had an average budget of 56 . 9 million and an average box sales of 127 . 7 million , or 55 . 7 percent , profit . Small budget films tend to get the biggest boost The research company also found that low budget films typically receive a much larger payoff proportionally when they are nominated for or win an Oscar . For example , after the 2012 film Silver Linings Playbook was nominated for the 85th Academy Awards , the number of theaters screening the movie more than tripled , according to IBISWorld . Although the film was in theaters for more than six months , over half its ticket sales were made in the six weeks between its nomination and the Academy Awards ceremony . That movie made 236 . 4 million worldwide , or more than 11 times the 21 million it cost to make the film . Another study published in 1999 by the Stern School of Business at New York University found that movies that debut on 10 or fewer screens can expect an Oscar nomination bump that would boost sales by about 250 percent , while movies that open on more than 10 screens can expect a 30 percent boost . A 2001 study , authored by several finance and economics experts entitled What s an Oscar Worth ? found that a nomination or award for the top prizes , such as best picture and best actress actor , generally has a positive impact on a film s probability of survival in theaters , its market share of screens , and the average revenue per screen . However , a nomination or award for lesser prizes , such as best supporting actor actress , has little if any impact on these variables . Edmund Helmer , a data analyst at Facebook and founder of the film industry statistics blog BoxOfficeQuant , looked at Academy Awards data for 2000 through 2009 , and also found noticeable differences in the average Oscar bump depending on the award category . Release dates can impact the effect of the boost The What s an Oscar Worth ? study found support for the common industry practice of delaying a film s release until late in the year to enhance the probability of receiving a nomination and the resulting financial awards . The researchers said that the predicted payoff for a nomination for best picture increased from about 673 , 000 to about 7 . 8 million , as a result of delaying the theatrical release of the movie from the first to fourth quarter of the year , and a similar difference was also seen for best picture winning films , though on a larger scale . The Golden Globes may offer their own bump Helmer , in another analysis published in 2013 , found that , over the preceding 12 years , a Golden Globe win led to a box office boost of about 14 . 2 million , on average , which was significantly more than the average boost of about 3 million for an Academy Award win . The reason may have to do with the timing of the Golden Globes , which come before the Academy Awards at the beginning of each year , he said . The cause isn t certain , but there are two possibilities . The first is simply that , because Golden Globes occur earlier in the lifetime of the films they award , the impact of a Globe award is magnified , Helmer wrote . The second is that Golden Globes are in fact trial runs for the Oscar race , and films that get a nod in these trials end up getting massive free press as potential Oscar contenders . Matt Rocheleau can be reached at matthew . rocheleau globeweblink . Follow him on Twitter mrochele Get Today s Headlines from the Globe in your inbox :

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Missouri Michael and Steven Roberts didn ' t have two quarters to rub together a couple of decades ago . Now , the two African American business leaders estimate their holdings from hotels to stations are worth 1 billion . One St . Louis hotel they own once barred black people . Steven Roberts , left , and his brother , Michael , own a St . Louis theater that once segregated African Americans . " Black folks need legacy . We have to have examples of successes in order for us to be able to let the generations to come know that many of the successes that occurred by African Americans in this country can be seen and pointed out and can be emulated , " says Michael Roberts , the chairman and of The Roberts Companies . Michael and his brother Steven , who is three years younger , stroll through their office , complete with wood paneled doors , large leather chairs and a pool table fit for a king . Their office sits along a busy street in St . Louis called Kingshighway . " They used to call us the Kings of Kingshighway , because we own so much on this street , " Michael Roberts says . Their office is the culmination of hard work and a can do American business attitude to strive for greatness . They launched their business from a historically black neighborhood in north St . Louis . Roberts brothers share secrets of their success From a one room office , they created an empire now made up of 76 companies and 1 , 100 employees , many of them minorities . They own commercial real estate , stations , hotels , telecommunication companies and more . The name Roberts adorns all their properties . " We weren ' t rich . We weren ' t poor , but we just never had any money , " Michael says of their upbringing . They like to tell their story , encouraging people with new ideas to chase their dreams . If you don ' t have money , they say , don ' t let that stop you . " We tell folks , learn it , get your hands dirty you know , a little sweat equity , " says Steven Roberts , the president of The Roberts Companies . " For that college student , for that future entrepreneur . . . we ' re saying understand what your passion is , and understand what your product is , too . " Michael Roberts chuckles . He notes that his younger brother has always been good at " putting the meat on the bone . " He says he likes to tell youths and college students : " What would your life be like if you could eliminate the fear of failure , and where would you be at this point in life ? " There will be times , he says , when you will stumble , but don ' t let those hiccups get you down . " If you eliminate the fear of failure and if you use every moment to its fullest extent a very existential concept then you are able to take your ideas , your dreams , your aspirations , and you can pursue them with courage and confidence and bravado . " What are the challenges for black entrepreneurs , businesses ? The brothers operate on a simple business philosophy : You diversify or die . And they don ' t believe in a full retirement . " What other animal retires ? " Michael Roberts says . " If a lion retires today , tomorrow morning he becomes his brother ' s breakfast . " They point to their father as exhibit A . At 86 , he still comes to the office that his sons named after him , the Victor Roberts Building , a large complex complete with restaurants and retail stores . He worked 39 years in the Postal Service before retiring in the 1980s . He now keeps a keen eye on his now grown boys . He refuses a paycheck . " I suggest anyone who has a father , " Michael says with a laugh , " please hire them , because you can get them for free . " The two brothers also have served in public office , elected to the St . Louis Board of Alderman in the late 1970s . They recently walked through The Roberts Orpheum Theatre in downtown St . Louis . It symbolizes their quest for a legacy . Decades ago , their mother and other black people were only allowed to sit in the highest balcony . Now , the brothers own the theater . They stood on the stage and scanned the empty seats . Again , they laughed . " Mom can sit wherever she likes , " Michael Roberts said .

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By Amanda Froelich The rock legend’s latest song, Indian Givers, is about the pipeline and seeks to raise awareness about the Native water protectors in North Dakota. Since Donald Trump won the...

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Heather Briggins , from Parma Heights , recently was admitted to St . Joe ' s in labor at 39 weeks . She quickly handed her 3 ring bound birth plan book to staff . " Glitter got all over me , " said labor and delivery nurse Shannon Keyes . The cover consisted of a scrap book with a picture of Heather and her husband standing behind her , making a heart with his hands over Heather ' s pregnant abdomen . " After the well decorated cover was page after page of very organized well thought out plans , " Shannon continued . The first few pages contained very typical first time mother wishes : what music they wanted , who they wanted in the room , etc . Although page 15 stood out to Dr Flecher , the obstetrician on call . " She started to describe what she wanted to happen if she or the baby turned into a zombie , " Dr Flecher said pointing at an article . " I ' ve seen some ridiculous birth plans , but this was a first for me . " From the birth plan : " 24 . 2 If I were turned into a zombie I would want to still pursue a natural child birth unless there was undisputed scientific evidence that whatever caused the zombie apocalypse could transfer into my child . In such case , I would like my child removed immediately by whatever means necessary . " The birth plan goes on to describe what to do if the child is a zombie and Heather remains human : " 24 . 7 In such case where I am immune to the zombie pathogen but my child is not and has been verified by ultrasound to be a zombie , I would still like to continue my natural child birth as stated in 3 . 3 . " She does state that after she gives birth to her zombie child she would like to cancel the skin to skin contact and breastfeeding until a cure is found . " 24 . 11 In such case where we both become zombies , do what has to be done . "

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? Ken Starr would probably like a word , ma am Another day , another poll that shows Donald Trump with a double digit lead in the field . But in the past week , there s been a change in the discussion on the side . This week s Edge , a one of a kind measurement of media mentions from the New Analytics Company , shows that after a long drought , New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie is making it rain . The Edge scrubs television , radio , print , internet and social media for mentions of the 2016 candidates . The team at New Analytics has built unique tool to measure which candidates are being talked about the most and the data are compiled into a single score and provided to Fox News First . Christie had the largest single increase in media mentions of any candidate in the past week as domestic and international terror attacks dominated the press . Aside from playing up his anti terrorism bona fides from his tenure as a federal prosecutor in post 9 11 New Jersey , Christie has had good campaign news to tout as well . Christie landed some key endorsements in his must win New Hampshire primary campaign , including the state s largest newspaper . Here are their rankings for media mentions this week , with their decline from last week in brackets . You can view the full results here . Donald Trump , 25 . 51 2 . 47 Ben Carson , 14 . 33 . 22 Jeb Bush , ? 11 . 48 . 25 Ted Cruz , 9 . 71 . 57 Marco Rubio , 9 . 04 . 12 Chris Christie , 6 . 50 1 . 89 Carly Fiorina , 5 . 5 . 24 Mike Huckabee , 5 . 29 . 28 John Kasich , 4 . 68 1 . 14 Rand Paul , 4 . 56 . 56 Christie : Iran a greater threat than The Atlantic s Jeffery Goldberg talks with Gov . Chris Christie and observes the New Jersey governor has done some serious homework on foreign policy , but holds the arguable opinion that Iran is a greater threat than . If you re prioritizing the threats , which a president has to do , then I think that Iran is a greater threat than . He went on to explain , I believe Iran is moving toward obtaining a nuclear weapon . I have no proof at this point that is moving toward obtaining weapons of mass destruction . Christie may have won the Union Leader endorsement , but respected columnist Drew Cline makes a stout case for Marco Rubio . Totally retro , man In honor of 100 years of being the first in the nation primary , New Hampshire s secretary of state is using the original font for the centennial version . Oy The Hill : The Anti Defamation League ( ) on Thursday defended Donald Trump after the front runner s freewheeling speech before a group of Jewish Republicans drew criticism Trump , a billionaire real estate tycoon , ? garnered attention ? on Thursday for his remarks in a speech before the Republican Jewish Coalition ( ) , an audience addressed by several other candidates . The celebrity businessman appeared to touch on several Jewish stereotypes in his speech , including about being a good negotiator and having a tough business personality This room negotiates a lot . This room perhaps more than any room I ve ever spoken to . Trump instructed his medical physician to release his medical records , which he claims will show perfection . Power Play : ? Electability tests Donald Trump leads ? the ? field ? but there are concerns about his electability . Republican strategist Mike Shields and MoveOn . org s Ben Wikler join Chris Stirewalt to discuss the implications of Trump at the top of the ticket . Cruz , Rubio impress Pocket silk aficionado David Drucker says Sens . Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio wowed the crowd at the event : During a full day of speeches from more than a dozen contenders , all received an energetic reception from the 700 members in the audience at the Ronald Reagan Building a few blocks from the White House . But it was Cruz and Rubio who made an impression Cruz for the ideological fervor underpinning his foreign policy Rubio for a detailed address that touched the key pressure points important the national security hawks that dominate the ' s membership . Jeb treats donors to art show Miami Herald : Republican Jeb Bush , who lives in Coral Gables , is the only one planning an art themed affair Saturday ? Pop Art , Politics Jeb ? organized by friend and Miami celeb artist Romero Britto , complete with a custom made Britto portrait of the candidate with a background of white stars and blue and red stripes . When asked on Special Report with Bret Baier if he thought Trump could carry Florida as the nominee , Bush was , um , skeptical . Huckabee boosts ethanol Former Arkansas Gov . Mike Huckabee has an op ed in the focused on his support for federal regulations that require the use of ethanol in gasoline : Enough hypocrisy . Republicans cannot attack Obama for punishing farmers , and then support job killing regulations or double standards that hurt corn growers . Can Carson come back ? Mr Sunday talks with Ben Carson amid his falling poll numbers . Also on the docket , Rep . Michael McCaul , R Texas , chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee , talks terrorism in wake of recent turmoil both at home and abroad . Watch Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace at 2 p . m . and 6 p . m . on the Fox News Channel . ? Check local listings ? for broadcast times in your area . What would rock roll be without Led Zeppelin ? That was the question music lovers confronted on this day in 1980 . The late 1970s hadn t been a very happy times for lovers of real rock . The ubiquity of disco music had many music lovers feeling defeated ( if not riotous ) . But there was still hope in the form of Zeppelin , the dominant act of the era , which fused hard rock and Delta blues into some of best songs ever recorded . The quality of their product wasn t what it had been a decade before , but Zeppelin could surely still rock . When drummer John Bonham died of drunkenness in September of 1980 , however , the band dropped its studio album and cancelled its planned U . S . tour . The loss of Bonham , the powerhouse who defined the band s sound , proved too much . Thirty five years ago today , the surviving members of the band announced their breakup in a letter to fans saying we could not continue as we were . Obama Job Approval : Approve ? ? 44 . 1 percent Disapprove ? 51 . 0 percent Directions of Country : Right Direction ? ? 28 . 4 percent Wrong Track ? 63 . 0 percent

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Rolling Stone ) It didn ' t take long for everyone involved in the Rebecca Black story to start squabbling . Black whose song " Friday " hit Number 38 on Billboard ' s digital singles chart this week and her mother , Georgina Marquez Kelly , are accusing Ark Music Factory , which produced " Friday , " of copyright infringement and unlawful exploitation of publicity rights . A March 29 letter from Black and Marquez Kelly ' s lawyer Brian Schall to Ark Music Factory obtained by Rolling Stone alleges that Ark has failed to provide Black with the master recordings of her song and video has been exploiting her likeness and her song on YouTube , iTunes , Amazon and Ark ' s website created an unauthorized " Friday " ringtone and has been advertising Black as an exclusive Ark recording artist on its website . Rob Sheffield : Why Rebecca Black is a Demon Wizard Child Piper In an interview with Rolling Stone , Ark Music Factory founder Patrice Wilson denied most of the allegations in the letter . " I have met with Rebecca Black ' s mom and everything is fine , " he said . " She will get the masters and the song . They can have it all . " Marquez Kelly paid Ark 4 , 000 ( not 2 , 000 , as has been widely reported ) to produce the song , and according to Schall ' s letter , the agreement that she signed with Ark in November stipulates that Black has 100 percent ownership and control of " Friday , " including the master recording and the music video . Black shot the video for " Friday " in January , and the Ark team finished it a few weeks later . It was uploaded to YouTube on February 10 , but it only had around 4 , 000 views until it was posted on comedian Daniel Tosh ' s " Tosh . O " Comedy Central blog on March 11 , and comedian Michael J . Nelson tweeted about it . Overnight , it had gotten over 200 , 000 views , and by March 15 , it had over 5 million views on YouTube . And after her " Good Morning America " appearance on March 18 , she had evolved from a meme to a celebrity . What You Need to Know About Teen Viral Phenom Rebecca Black " She ' s not our exclusive artist , " said Wilson . " Once an artist meets with us and once they blow up , they have a choice to retain us or move on if they can . Rebecca is now signed with someone else . " Wilson added that he will remove Black from the Ark Music Factory website . But Ark ' s lawyer , Barry Rothman , cast doubt on the validity of the November agreement . " The agreement was not court approved , " Rothman said . " They say they own the composition . Nothing could be further from the truth . If they go forward and license it or attempt to copyright it in their name , that would be copyright infringement and we ' d act accordingly under the circumstances . " He added : " We ' re not prepared to engage them in producing documents just because they want them , without a court order or litigation . We ' d like to see Rebecca Black ' s career go forward and we ' re trying to accomplish that in the context of working through the legalities . " Wilson ' s Ark Music Factory partner Clarence Jey contended that Ark did act as a record label for Black , and distributed and promoted her with her mother ' s consent until it became clear that Black was going to make actual money . " Now they are turning it around and saying they were exploited , but clearly that is not the case when they were thanking me for forwarding them all the interviews with Rebecca and all the positive comments from YouTube , " said Jey . " I was calling Australia on my cell phone pretending to be Rebecca ' s agent and setting up radio interviews for Rebecca while Georgina was right next to me . If she thought I was exploiting this , she could have said it . " Why Rebecca Black ' s Much Mocked Viral Hit ' Friday ' is Actually Good " Georgina ' s trying to get the rights to things she doesn ' t have the rights to , " said Ark Creative Director Barry Wayne . Neither Marquez Kelly nor Schall returned calls for comment . Black is the first real success to come out of the Los Angeles based Ark , whose website was registered in August 2010 by Wilson . Ark ' s biggest successes other than Black are the singer Alana Lee Hamilton ' s " Butterflies , " which has close to 6 million YouTube views , and Kaya Rosenthal ' s " Can ' t Get You Out of My Mind , " which has 1 . 7 million YouTube views . " Suddenly , everyone is seeing big dollars and everyone is getting greedy and it sucks , " said Jey , who claims that his team wrote the music and lyrics to " Friday . " " My team just needs to be looked after to some extent . They need to be compensated for something . " He argued that Black should own the master recording for her vocals , but that Ark should have copyright for the song and composition . " We gave Rebecca 10 percent of the publishing , but she didn ' t even write a lyric . " Good Morning America " came over , I paid 400 for the make up artist and no one even thanked me for that . " And now it seems as though Ark ' s success may be its undoing . Wilson recently hired his own lawyer , and Jey alleges that Wilson won ' t give him access to the website . " Yesterday we were supposed to have a meeting at my attorney ' s place . I didn ' t hear from him all day . He sent me a text message late at night saying , ' Sorry , brother , I ' ve had a busy day . ' In the meantime he ' s going around saying I ' m not with Ark . " Copyright 2011 Rolling Stone .

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Los Angeles announced Tuesday the new retirement homes for the four remaining space shuttles three historic orbiters and the program ' s test vehicle . The space shuttle Atlantis will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida the Endeavour , at the California Science Center in Los Angeles the Discovery , at the Smithsonian ' s National Air and Space Museum Steven F . Udvar Hazy Center in Virginia and the test shuttle , Enterprise , at the Intrepid Sea , Air Space Museum in New York , Administrator Charles F . Bolden Jr . said during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center . The announcement was made on the 30th anniversary of the space shuttle program ' s first flight , made by the subsequently ill fated Columbia orbiter , and the 50th anniversary of Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human in space . More than 20 locations around the country sought one of the orbiters because of the potential tourist draw . The drama mirrored the bidding to host an Olympic games . Supporters of sites that were rejected expressed disappointment . U . S . Sen . John Cornyn , R Texas , said the Johnson Space Center in Houston should have been one of the retirement homes for an orbiter , " but it is clear political favors trumped common sense and fairness in the selection of the final locations for the orbiter fleet , " he said in a statement . He noted that Houston " played a critical role throughout the life of the space shuttle . " " Like many Texans , I am disappointed with ' s decision to slight the Johnson Space Center as a permanent home for one of the space shuttle orbiters , " Cornyn said . " There is no question Houston should have been selected as a final home for one of the orbiters even Administrator Bolden stated as much . Today ' s announcement is an affront to the thousands of dedicated men and women at Johnson Space Center , the greater Houston community and the state of Texas , and I ' m deeply disappointed with the administration ' s misguided decision , " Cornyn said . In Los Angeles , shortly after ' s announcement , California Science Center President Jeffrey Rudolph told reporters that the Endeavour would boost the center ' s annual 1 . 4 million visitors to about 2 million people a year . The center plans to use the orbiter as the centerpiece to a new air and space gallery , which would cost 200 million and is part of the center ' s 25 year master plan , Rudolph said . That price tag includes the 28 . 8 million that the center must pay to prepare and relocate the orbiter to Los Angeles , he said . The center hasn ' t hired an architect yet to design the new facility and is now planning a fundraiser , he said . " Obviously , we were thrilled . We got the word this morning , shortly before the announcement , " Rudolph said of his reaction to winning one of the shuttles . " The fact that the shuttle was created here in California had a lot to do with giving us a leg up " over the competition , Rudolph said . " It ' s a fitting place for this national treasure . " The center , which also features a Los Angeles charter school , is the most attended museum in southern California and one of the most attended in the country , Rudolph said . The Los Angeles center ' s existing air and space gallery is now home to the Mercury Redstone 2 capsule that carried Ham , a chimpanzee , on a suborbital flight , and the Gemini 11 capsule flown by astronauts Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon on an orbital flight . U . S . Sen . Barbara Boxer said she and Sen . Dianne Feinstein both California Democrats wrote to ' s Bolden last year asking that California become home to one of the shuttles because the state has a long history with the shuttle program . Beginning in 1972 , all five space shuttle orbiters were fabricated in Downey , California , and assembled in Palmdale , California , Boxer said in a statement . All of the space shuttles were tested at Edwards Air Force Base just outside of Palmdale , where 53 of ' s 133 shuttle missions landed , she said . The Endeavour will take its final flight on April 29 , and prior to this launch , it will have been used on 24 missions , orbited the earth 4 , 429 times and traveled 103 , 149 , 636 miles , Boxer said . " California has a long history of supporting the shuttle program and we are proud to welcome this inspiring symbol of American scientific achievement and ingenuity to the Golden State , " Boxer said in a statement . Audience members at the Kennedy Space Center cheered when Bolden announced the Atlantis would be assigned to that launch facility . Many people in the gallery were center workers , some of whom are likely to lose their jobs when the shuttle program ends . Because the announcement was being made at Kennedy , expectations were high that the visitor center would be awarded one of the shuttles . The Museum of Flight in Seattle also wanted one . In fact , one wall of a new space gallery where a shuttle would be housed was already erected in anticipation . Prior to Tuesday ' s announcement , the museum ' s president , Doug King , said museum officials didn ' t have any inside information . " I think that confident may be too strong a word . I think that hopeful is probably a better one , " he said . But on Tuesday , Washington state Gov . Chris Gregoire also said he was disappointed that the didn ' t select the Seattle museum for one of the retired shuttles . " The Museum of Flight put a tremendous amount of effort into landing a retired shuttle in the Pacific Northwest . As the home of modern day air travel and the 747 , which has gracefully transported shuttles for the last 30 years , Seattle would have been a perfect fit , " Gregoire said in a statement . " However , the full fuselage trainer , that every astronaut including Bonnie Dunbar has been trained on , will soon call the Museum of Flight home , " the governor said . " The largest of the trainers , this addition will allow visitors to actually climb aboard the trainer and experience the hands on training that astronauts get . Visitors will not be allowed in the other shuttles and this trainer is a true win for our dynamic museum . " Facilities in Chicago , New York , Dayton , Ohio , and Tulsa , Oklahoma , also put in requests for an orbiter , with hopes that such a historic artifact would inspire countless children in those areas to explore careers in science and engineering . Becoming home to an orbiter promises to be a boon for a community . The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex estimates a shuttle will bring in 200 , 000 more guests every year . The economic impact to the area is estimated at about 15 million . Each winning location has to fork over 28 . 8 million to for delivery of the vehicles . They also must guarantee a climate controlled building will be constructed to house their shuttle . That ' s still a bargain , officials at the bidding locations said , because of the return on investment they expect . One of the orbiters Discovery , the oldest was largely regarded as being Smithsonian bound . That was confirmed by Tuesday ' s announcement . The Enterprise , a test shuttle that never flew in space , is there now . It was be reassigned , at a discounted price , to one of the locations that didn ' t get either Endeavour or Atlantis . That location turned out to be the Intrepid Sea , Air Space Museum in New York . Only two more shuttle flights are scheduled : Endeavour on April 29 and Atlantis on June 28 , wrapping up a program in which the vehicles launched satellites , built a space station , and launched and repaired an orbiting telescope . After that , they become museum pieces . Two other shuttles were destroyed in flight accidents . The Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff on January 28 , 1986 , and the Columbia disintegrated during re entry on February 1 , 2003 .

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OSLO/ (Reuters) - All eight people on board a missing helicopter off the coast of Svalbard are Russians, the Russian Emergency Ministry told Reuters on Thursday. Rescue teams are still searching for the aircraft, which was first reported missing at around 1335 GMT.

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Twitter just before the show to share the sad news and dedicate her ? performance to him . It was a night of highs and lows for Vanessa Hudgens , who announced that her father died of cancer just before her highly anticipated performance in Fox ' s " Grease : Live . " The " High School Musical " alum took to Twitter just before the show to share the sad news and dedicate her ? performance to him . Boyz Men , who sang " Beauty School Dropout " and Joe ? Jonas , fronting the band ( his own band ) at the high school hop , added cameo heat . Stunt cast Eve Plumb ( who was Jan ? Brady ) , Barry Pearl ( Doody in the movie ) , and the film ' s Frenchy , Didi Conn , playing against Jepsen ' s , brought the old into the new . As the principal and the coach , Ana Gasteyer and Wendell Pierce were the show ' s other significant adults . 11 : 19 a . m . : An earlier version of this column misspelled the name of the group Boyz Men as Boys Men . Technically , the production , directed by Thomas Kail ( " Hamilton " ) and ranging ? over two stages and the studio backlot and smartly incorporated the audience into the action , was something of a marvel ? and relatively glitch free ? though the camera work , to be cinematic and possibly make the sets look as big as possible , veered uncomfortably , at times nonsensically between lenses and angles . This did the choreography no favors , especially . It ' s often the case in modern film musicals that nondancers are made to look like dancers by editing , but the direction here often had the effect of masking the dancing rather than focusing on it . See the most read stories in Entertainment this hour Read the story Robert Cary and Jonathan Tolins ' elaborations upon and additions to the original ? a string of hookups and breakups and sex jokes on the way to an O . Henry ending in which the greaser letters in track and the good girl goes ( a little bit ) bad ? were often beneficial , enriching or expanding characters or providing better motivations for their actions . There were self referential jokes as well ( " The television audience is pretty forgiving , " was one sly interpolation ) it is more a showcase for charisma than character .

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A rookie police officer shot and killed an unarmed 28 year old man in an unlit stairwell of a housing project in what New York ' s top cop said Friday was " a very unfortunate tragedy . . . involving an accidental discharge . " The victim , identified as Akai Gurley , was " a total innocent who just happened " to run into Officer Peter Liang in a " pitch black " stairwell at the Louis H . Pink Houses in Brooklyn late Thursday , New York Police Commissioner William Bratton told reporters . Shot once in the chest , Gurley died at a hospital later . Liang , with less than 18 months on the job and on probationary status , has been placed on modified assignment and stripped of his gun and badge pending an investigation . " A life was lost and my heart goes out to the family of the young man , " Mayor Bill de Blasio said . " It does appear to have been an accident . " The shooting comes amid strained police community relations after the July death of Eric Garner at the hands of police on Staten Island . The chokehold death of the unarmed 43 year old man sparked street protests , a review of police procedures and calls for a federal civil rights investigation . A grand jury will decide whether to bring charges against the officer . A few weeks later , the police shooting in Ferguson , Missouri , of unarmed teenager Michael Brown thrust into the forefront the issue of law enforcement ' s use of deadly force . A grand jury decision on whether to charge Officer Darren Wilson is expected soon . " What happened in Ferguson is different than what happened on Staten Island is different than what happened in Brooklyn , " de Blasio said . " Each of them has their own dynamic . " Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson , in a statement , said the shooting was " deeply troubling and warrants an immediate , fair and thorough investigation . " " Many questions must be answered , including whether , as reported , the lights in the hallway were out for a number of days , and how this tragedy actually occurred , " Thompson said . Liang and his partner were part of a " violence reduction overtime detail " at the Pink Houses , where a spate of serious crimes have been reported in recent months , including two robberies and four assaults , Bratton said . The officers had taken an elevator to the building ' s top floor to check on the roof and were taking the stairs down from the 8th floor , Bratton said , when the officer discharged the weapon . There were no lights in the stairwell leading up to the roof . Liang drew a flashlight and his weapon " for safety reasons , " the police commissioner said . The other officer did not draw his gun . In the darkened stairwell , Liang ' s gun discharged about the same time that Gurley , the father of a 2 year old child , and his girlfriend were entering the seventh floor landing , Bratton said . The lights on the seventh and eighth floors were not working , Bratton said . The police commissioner said the decision on when to draw a weapon is the discretion of officers " based on what they are encountering or believe they may encounter . So there is not a specific prohibition against taking a firearm out . But again , as in all cases , an officer would have to justify the circumstances that required him to or resulted in unholstering his firearm . " The shooting also is being investigated by police internal affairs . " This is a tragic situation , " de Blasio said . " It does appear to have been a very tragic accident . "

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Reuters) - Tropical Storm Lidia s death toll rose to at least seven people, including two children, as the storm doused various states in Mexico with heavy rain on Saturday and left a severe trail of damage in the Baja California peninsula, authorities said. The victims were either electrocuted or drowned while trying to cross streams, according to a report from the prosecutor s office in the state of Baja California Sur, home to the tourist area Los Cabos, that was cited by local media. The storm, which continued to churn through various states, particularly in Western Mexico, also cut off power and damaged homes and roads in Baja California Sur, where some 3,000 people were taken to shelter. Lidia was located 110 kilometers north of Punta Eugenia, moving at a speed of 19 kilometers per hour to the northeast with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour, the National Hurricane Center in the U.S. said.

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Brent up a fraction , U . S . crude steady near three month lows on surplus supply ( Reuters ) Brent crude oil futures rose in Asian trading on Friday , with U . S . crude holding unchanged near three month lows after a persistent supply glut cut prices by up to 13 percent since the start of November . Front month Brent futures for January had climbed 12 cents at 44 . 30 a barrel as of 0613 , following the previous session ' s 4 cent gain . U . S . crude ' s West Texas Intermediate ( ) futures held steady at 40 . 54 a barrel after edging up in earlier trades . It ended down 21 cents at 40 . 54 a barrel on Thursday . " Oil markets are really moving range bound . . . mainly because fundamentals have yet to change , " said Daniel Ang , an investment analyst at Phillip Futures Pte Ltd . " Markets are a bit fearful that Iranian oil could come in . " Ang separately said in a report on Friday that prices are " forming a descending triangle pattern which suggests possible drops in prices in the near term . " Crude futures have already lost around 60 percent of their value since mid 2014 as supply exceeds demand by roughly 0 . 7 million to 2 . 5 million barrels per day to create a glut that analysts say will last well into 2016 . Market data suggests that oil traders are preparing for another downturn in prices by March 2016 , as what is expected to be an unusually warm winter dents demand just as Iran ' s resurgent crude exports hit global markets after sanctions are ended . " Uncertainty is so high in the world ' s crude markets which are in rebalancing procedures . Prices will have high volatility in 2016 and particularly in the first half there is a high risk of falling prices , " Kang Yoo jin , commodities analyst at Investment and Securities based in Seoul , said in a report . Kang said expected stronger U . S . dollars if U . S . interest rates are hiked in coming months could weaken demand for dollar denominated crude futures oil as the contracts will be considered expensive to other currency holders . bank said on Friday : " The weakness in the front end of the curve has pushed the market to deep contango again . " The bank noted the spread between near month futures and December 2016 contract prices has hit a new record of nearly 8 a barrel . Asian shares looked set to hold on to this week ' s gains , while the dollar took a breather on Friday after stepping back from seven month highs as investors grappled with the prospects of higher U . S . borrowing costs and slower global economic growth . ( Reporting by Meeyoung Cho Editing by Ed Davies , Anupama Dwivedi and Michael Perry )

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Roger Federer arrives in London for the World Tour Finals with a point to prove . The 17 time grand slam champion , arguably the greatest player to ever pick up a racket , is outside the top four of the world rankings for the first time in a decade . Drops in form and fitness have plagued the once all conquering Swiss , but one prominent coach is confident Federer can return to the peak of the sport if he can address a niggling back problem . " He lost many matches because of the back , he lost confidence because of that and also he cannot practice the way he wants because his back is hurting . " He ' s been out of shape too many times in the year and at that level you cannot perform when you are out of shape . " Federer , who recently split from coach Paul Annacone , is appearing in the season ending showpiece for a record equaling 12th year in a row . The Swiss has also won the tournament more times than any other player in history , with Federer heading to London ' s O2 Arena in search of a record extending seventh title . Mouratoglou is confident Federer , currently down in seventh in the world rankings , still has what it takes to challenge the top players in the men ' s game . " His back is the main thing , " he added . " I cannot say he would be No . 1 still because the men are very close to each other . " I think Rafael Nadal has always caused problems to Roger , but he would be in the top three . " World No . 1 Nadal tops the bill at the World Tour Finals and is bidding for a first win at the event , while six time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic is looking to add to the titles he clinched in 2008 and 2012 . British fans will be disappointed that Andy Murray misses as he continues his recovery from a back injury , but 2009 U . S . Open champion Juan Martin del Potro will be in attendance . David Ferrer , Tomas Berdych and Federer ' s compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka will also take part in the eight man round robin competition . Frenchman Richard Gasquet completes the line up . The world No . 9 has benefited from Murray ' s withdrawal .

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Getty - Michael Bocchieri Opinion is an opinion platform and any opinions or information put forth by contributors are exclusive to them and do not represent the views of IJR. In July, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York overturned a ruling in Microsoft v. United States that forced Microsoft to hand over private email correspondence and other data to law enforcement from servers based in Dublin, Ireland. It was a victory for privacy because the Department of Justice (DOJ) was unable to force compliance of the Stored Communications Act . But last week, the expressed interest in re-hearing Microsoft v. United States , once again jeopardizing domestic and international privacy rights. If the decision is overturned, not only will Microsoft’s security be threatened, but so too will all foreign nations that house data owned by any US-based company. If the July ruling is indeed overturned, the Fourth Amendment will be seriously weakened and taxpayers will have no assurance that continued overreach by the will be stopped. Not only will future domestic investigations not need a warrant, but neither will those of an international scope. The utter lack of safeguards in place would point to a foreseeable overreach by U.S. investigators and the destruction of the nation’s diplomatic efforts. The U.S. government would assuredly be mad if a foreign country took private data and intelligence from our soil without a warrant. After all, the U.S. has started wars over more trivial matters. So why would any reasonable court believe that the U.S. has a special “hall-pass” to do whatever it pleases with other nations’ data? The root of the problem is the Stored Communications Act, which is part of the outdated Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). Under ECPA, any data held by U.S.companies fewer than 180 days old can be “legally” confiscated by the government. Of course, the problem with this antiquated policy becomes quite apparent when applied to a modern world - a world where data is consumed at ridiculous rates. was signed into legislation before personal computers were around and when a gigabyte of storage cost more than $200,000 . Nowadays, practically everybody uses a computer and a gigabyte of storage costs just 4 cents. If the Microsoft case is re-opened, the would have the ability to use ECPA’s outdated loopholes to circumvent the Fourth Amendment and force data-based companies to comply, regardless of whether or not they have a warrant. Thankfully, Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Dean Heller (R-Nev.) have already introduced a bipartisan bill that will rectify the problem. Their bill, the International Consumers Protection Act (ICPA), will repeal and replace the antiquated wording of ECPA. The legislation will distinguish between search warrants that seek data held abroad for U.S. persons as opposed to foreign citizens, with the objective of upholding the Fourth Amendment to preserve the privacy rights of Americans. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the co-sponsors explained that, “when technology companies receive demands from U.S. law enforcement to turn over data on behalf of foreign customers, they are forced to make a difficult decision: either comply with the demand and satisfy U.S. law and risk violating the privacy laws of the host country, or challenge U.S. law enforcement’s request in order to comply with the laws of the host jurisdiction.” No legislation should force companies to be placed in such a difficult position, especially given the fact that the legislation threatens the very rights that provided the foundation for the success of firms like Microsoft. has the potential to quell the DOJ’s temper tantrum while paving the way for future policy that will protect our data from the “oversight” of policy makers. This will foster the preservation and growth of law enforcement and consumer privacy while respecting the Bill of Rights. Congress can and will fix the problems with current law. Officials in the don’t need to mess it up any further by re-opening Microsoft v. United States . Instead, they should open their pocket Constitutions and take another look at the Fourth Amendment.

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Washington New disclosures that the Internal Revenue Service targeted liberals as well as conservatives in assessing applications for tax exempt status have reshaped perceptions of the scandal , shifting the focus away from Republican claims of political villainy . targeting included liberal groups Investigations by the , congressional committees , the Treasury inspector general ' s office and the continue , but Monday ' s revelations bolstered assertions by agency officials and Democrats that the problem was egregious mismanagement instead of intentional misconduct by the Obama administration . Shifting polls contradict key deposition " These groups are in some ways giving the appearance that their primary purpose is the common good , the common welfare . . . when they are actively engaged in political activity , for which they shouldn ' t be getting a tax deduction , " Pelosi said . However , Rep . Paul Ryan of Wisconsin argued too many questions remain unanswered to stop investigating whether politics played a role in the controversy . " What we still don ' t know is who ordered this kind of targeting , why did it take so long for them to clean it up ? " Ryan , the 2012 vice presidential nominee , told . Asked if the claim of political motivation now seemed less valid , he responded : " I don ' t know the answer to that , so we ' re going to let the facts take us where they take us . " In particular , Ryan said he wanted more details on why conservative oriented groups had their tax exempt applications stalled and experienced harassing behavior by the , such as having to answer inappropriate questions about the beliefs and activities of members . At the same time , he sounded like Pelosi in saying the bigger question involved the practice of targeting , rather than who specifically got targeted . " We know that the did target people based upon their political beliefs , " Ryan said . " Who cares whether they ' re right or left ? . . . The fact that they ' re targeting people for harassment based upon their political beliefs should be cause enough alone for outrage . " That ' s a big change from inferences by leaders in recent weeks that the Obama administration was likely behind the targeting that started in 2010 in an effort to subdue political rivals . With no evidence to date of any such connection , it was unclear how hard congressional committees would continue pushing the issue . The led House Ways and Means Committee has scheduled a hearing on Thursday on an initial review of the targeting by the agency ' s temporary leader , Daniel Werfel . President Barack Obama appointed Werfel to clean up the mess last month after an inspector general ' s audit uncovered targeting of applications that contained conservative themed words such as " tea party . " The audit by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration J . Russell George only cited the targeting of conservative groups , which it said ended in May 2012 . Read watchdog ' s report In his first substantive report on the agency , Werfel said Monday that its tax exempt unit used multiple lists of inappropriate criteria in assessing tax exempt applications until earlier this month , more than a year later than previously revealed . The " Be on the Lookout " or lists included liberal themed words such as " progressives " and other politically oriented terms such as " occupy " and " medical marijuana " in alerting workers to check for unacceptable political activities , according to copies made available by Democratic Rep . Sander Levin of Michigan . Werfel said he has suspended the use of lists in considering tax exempt applications for now . A statement by Levin questioned why George ' s audit focused only on lists that contained conservative labels . The inspector general ' s report " served as the basis and impetus for a wide range of congressional investigations , and this new information shows that the foundation of those investigations is flawed in a fundamental way , " Levin ' s statement said . A spokesperson for George later responded that the report focused only on criteria used to refer cases for extra scrutiny of potential political activity that would make groups ineligible for tax exempt status . Republicans have claimed the controversy amounted to political retribution against enemies of the administration , an accusation denied by the White House and the . McConnell : Obama administration a ' culture of intimidation ' In response to Levin ' s statement , House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep . Dave Camp , R Michigan , said the inclusion of " progressives " on a list did not prove that liberal groups underwent the same extra scrutiny of conservative groups cited in the inspector general ' s report . The release of George ' s audit last month ignited a political firestorm in Washington while fueling conservative mistrust of Obama ' s administration as an example of big government gone wild . Werfel noted Monday that his internal investigation , while still incomplete , found no evidence so far of intentional wrongdoing by personnel or involvement by anyone outside the . He also said no evidence had emerged that in appropriate targeting extended into other areas of the agency . Five managers have been replaced , from the previous acting commissioner whom Werfel succeeded to the head of the unit based in Cincinnati that handles tax exempt applications . In addition , Werfel created an Accountability Review Board to recommend within 60 days " any additional personnel actions necessary to hold accountable those responsible " for the targeting disclosed by the inspector general ' s report . White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday that Obama believes Werfel ' s report " is an important step in ensuring accountability for any staff that acted inappropriately , identifies the failures in their systems that allowed the misconduct to happen , and takes a forward looking systemic view at the agency ' s management . " In his audit that disclosed the misconduct , George said there was no evidence of a political motive . However , he is continuing to investigate the matter , along with the and the congressional committees . As part of his review , Werfel said 80 groups awaiting action on their applications for tax exempt status for more than 120 days could self register with the agency as long as they certified under penalty of perjury that they would comply with applicable laws and regulations . At the heart of the matter is what kind of organization can qualify for tax exempt status . Regulations limit such status to groups primarily involved in social welfare activities , while political groups are considered ineligible . Confusion over defining what constitutes political activity versus social welfare activity contributed to the targeting by the , Werfel said . An statement on Monday said the " safe harbor " option for self certification would apply to groups that " certify they devote 60 or more of both their spending and time on activities that promote social welfare . " " At the same time , they must certify that political campaign intervention involves 40 or less of both their spending and time , " the statement said . Applicants meeting those thresholds would get approval within two weeks of seeking self certification , it said . Earlier : What ' s a 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) ? Werfel said the would continue checking on tax exempt groups to ensure they were following the law . Separately , the House Oversight Committee , which has been aggressively investigating the matter , plans to meet on Friday to consider a resolution aimed at resolving questions about whether a key agency official must testify . Lois Lerner was the director of exempt organizations when the agency filtered applications for tax exempt status . She appeared before the committee in May and said she had broken no laws or regulations and then invoked her constitutional right not to answer questions . Lerner pleads the 5th Several committee Republicans questioned whether she waived that right by making her opening statement , and Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa said she could be called back at a later date if that were the case .

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Walking into the Khatmul Nabeen Masjid ( mosque ) , you can for a moment forget that you ' re in Afghanistan . Beautiful buildings , walkways , flowerbeds and even a grass soccer pitch . Mohammed Asif Mohseni is said to be behind the law . Young men and women , dressed in Muslim attire , walk around freely and with smiles . Smiles are a bit of a rarity in today ' s Kabul , a polluted city of survival and despair , so this was both shocking and refreshing to me . We didn ' t have an appointment but we were hoping to interview Mohammed Asif Mohseni , a conservative Shia cleric . He is said to be the man behind the controversial Shia state law , a law critics say strips Afghan Shia women of many rights . While security was checking our bags , one guard said that Mohseni had been waiting for us . I tried explaining that we did not have an appointment . Nonetheless , we were sent back to where Mohseni was waiting . Before entering the room I was cautioned by a guard to make sure none of my hair was showing below my headscarf . They were apologetic one even asked me to zip up my sweater higher because too much of my neck was exposed . I complied , tucking in my hair and zipping my sweater as high as it could go . Now paranoid about the design holes in my scarf that exposed parts of my hair , I took off my shoes to enter . As we walked in , Mohseni , an older man with a white beard wearing a Shia style turban called a " dulband " was sitting on a brown couch . He looked at the two men who brought us in and said , " These aren ' t the two I was waiting for . " I explained that we just showed up for an interview because we did not have a number to reach him . He smiled and said , " I guess you are in luck . " Mohseni welcomed us and asked me to translate his warm welcome to our Scottish cameraman . As the interview started , I noticed that Mohseni avoided my eyes . I wondered if it was because I was female . I was also prepared for verbal attacks a journalist friend told me that when he brought a western journalist to interview Mohseni a few days ago , the journalist ended up having more questions thrown at him than he was able to ask . But it didn ' t take long for Mohseni to warm up and explain why Shia state law is just and a part of Islam . Those who don ' t agree don ' t understand it , he said . " The law . . . which I created I see as correct for both men and women , " he said . " We have given rights to both men and women , even better than rights given to women in the West . We give women more in this law . " I asked him about reports that if a woman does not comply in having sexual relations with her husband , then the husband can refuse to feed her . " Yes , I said that , " Mohseni said looking me in the eye . " When a couple marries , sex is a part of marriage , and they agree to that . " He went on to explain that a woman isn ' t obliged to have sexual relations every single night or if she is told by her doctor to refrain . But otherwise it is her obligation and something she signed up for when she got married . He calls it the wife ' s duty . Mohseni added that a wife wearing makeup " prevents a man from thinking about other women on the streets and he can just think of his wife . " He continued : " It is natural that women ( wear makeup ) . Don ' t they in the West ? Their women wear it on the streets and in shops . Women should put make up on for their husbands as it will increase the love and attraction between the two . " The cleric also explained that a woman is not required to ask the permission of a man to leave the house if she has a job and needs to go to work . But they do need to get permission if they are leaving for other reasons . More importantly , he said , a couple needs to make clear the day they marry whether or not she will need permission to leave the home . If they disagree then they should not get married . According to Mohseni , the West is imposing its beliefs on the Muslim world because they don ' t understand . However , it ' s not just people in the West who are opposed to this law . Many Afghans , men and women , have vehemently resisted it . They fear it will set women back after the progress that has been made in the last seven years . Sima Samar , head of Afghanistan ' s Independent Human Rights Commission , has been working for a year now , trying to amend certain articles within the law . " I feel discriminated . Clear cut . I don ' t feel equal in this country , " she told us . Samar said the law does not represent Islam . It blatantly contradicts the constitution of Afghanistan , which states that men and women are equal . Critics have labeled the law as " Talibanistic , " but Samar says even many of the Taliban ' s actions were not enshrined in law . She admitted that a law for Shias is necessary but that it should be what is stated in Sharia or Islamic Law . " One of the very important pillars in Islam is justice , there is no justice in this law , " she said . Samar also pointed out the absurdities in the law , such as the edict on makeup . " If she doesn ' t ( put on make up ) , will the husband go complain to the police that she didn ' t put ( on ) the lipstick ? Or , ' I like red but she put on pink . ' " However , Samar didn ' t blame the clerics alone for creating the new law she blamed various parts of the government for allowing it to pass . " I think they all of them took the whole issue very superficially . And none of the state institutions , ministry of justice , parliament , senate and the office of the president , really didn ' t look at the law as serious as they should , " she said .

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The race had been scheduled to start at 3 : 15 p . m . , but a downpour soaked the track , delayed driver introductions and sent the Air Titan dryers into action . The forecast calls for thunderstorms throughout the afternoon . So it ' s unclear when the race will start , let alone finish . Television coverage will last on until 7 p . m . With the race now being delayed , is scheduled to shift to coverage for the Cincinnati Arizona game . If the race runs late , coverage will conclude on . ' ' If the finish were to bleed a little bit after 7 , 15 or 20 minutes , we would stay with the race and the crowning of the champion , ' ' Sports Group chairman Mark Lazarus told The Associated Press on Sunday . ' ' Other than that , we will move the race over . ' ' Sports paid 4 . 4 billion for its rights over a 10 year deal and the first year has seen coverage plagued by weather woes . Counting ' s debut in July at Daytona , eight races have been impacted by weather . later said there are ' ' too many variables in play right now ' ' to know when the race would air Monday , if necessary . Lazarus said ratings for races on while down compared to those on boosted the network to its highest third quarter ratings in network history . Lazarus said excitement for the Chase and the ratings would have been heightened had weather not meant late night endings and or mid race shifts to . He said he ' d like to see a similar Chase format in the Truck and Xfinity Series . ' ' We want to continue to refine the Chase and the competition , ' ' he said . ' ' We want them to continue to get people to understand the elimination , the brackets . ' ' He wants the back end of the Chase schedule on next season . Driver introductions are on hold because of rain .

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Scotland head coach Vern Cotter has named Grant Gilchrist as captain of a 33 man squad heading into the autumn internationals . The Edinburgh lock , who twice skippered his country in the summer , will now lead the Scots into battle against Argentina , New Zealand and Tonga next month . Gilchrist is joined in the squad by five of his Edinburgh team mates hot on the heels of their impressive 15 13 win at Bordeaux Begles in the Challenge Cup on Friday . Grant Gilchrist ( above ) has been selected by coach Vern Cotter to lead Scotland in the Autumn internationals Mark Bennett ( above ) of Glasgow Warriors is the only uncapped player in Cotter ' s 33 man Scotland squad But it is Glasgow Warriors , who emphatically upset much fancied Bath 37 10 at the Scotstoun Stadium in the Champions Cup on Saturday , that account for 17 of the players selected . Mark Bennett scored two tries as the Warriors mauled their Aviva Premiership opponents and he is the only uncapped player included . Former Clermont Auvergne coach Cotter began his Scotland reign with three consecutive wins over the United States , Canada and Argentina in June before his side slumped to a heavy 55 6 defeat against South Africa in Port Elizabeth last time out . He will be looking for signs of development this autumn , with a rematch against the Pumas at Murrayfield on November 8 , before they face the might of the All Blacks a week later at the same venue and then finish up against Tonga at Rugby Park , Kilmarnock , on November 22 . Cotter , who won the Top 14 and was a Heineken Cup runner up during an eight year spell with Clermont , will have been boosted by the strong form of both Glasgow and Edinburgh as well as signs that Greig Laidlaw is finding his feet at Gloucester after moving to the English side in the summer . Scotland coach Cotter ( above ) is expecting three difficult tests in Scotland ' s autumn fixtures ' We want to develop , and impose , our style , will , and strategy on our opposition . We want to play well , and enjoy playing in front of our home crowd , ' he told the official Scottish Rugby website . ' Argentina will offer us a very stern test , especially at scrum time . They have good variety and move the ball well from nine , through the middle of the paddock and out the back . ' The All Blacks have just won the Rugby Championship and are the best team in the world , so we ' ll have to be on our toes . ' He added : ' Tonga will be the final big test psychologically , having come through two big games , to play away from Murrayfield , and needing to put in a good performance at Rugby Park in Kilmarnock . ' It ' s essential that we show maturity , mental strength and adaptability throughout the series . '

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21st Century Wire says Some devastating news befell John Sidney McCain recently, as his staff announced that the Senator had been diagnosed with a brain tumor called glioblastoma discovered during recent testing at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. We wish the Senator well On Episode #195 Chickenhawk Nation of the with co-hosts Patrick Henningsen and Mike Robinson, we break down all the reasons why we think it s time for McCain to retire.The list is endless. We ll start with a real cancer of conflict the senseless truck bombing of Al-Kindi cancer treatment hospital in Aleppo, Syria. The attack carried out by the same freedom fighters that McCain was seen cavorting with during his secret trip to the Aleppo area in May 2013. The very same rebels he was supplying weapons to the Free Syrian Army (under the command of Jabbat al Nusra aka al Qaeda in Syria) would later order the bombing on this cancer treatment hospital. LISTEN: More @21WIRE:

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posted by Eddie Two people who were connected to the Flint water company investigation were both found dead in the space of a week this month. Water Treatment Plant Foreman, Matthew McFarland, and the woman leading the lead poisoning suit, Sasha Avonna Bell, were found dead within days of each other.weblink reports: The Flint water crisis began exactly two years ago, on April 2014, when Flint changed its water source from treated Detroit Water and Sewerage Department water to the Flint River – to which officials had failed to apply corrosion inhibitors. Almost immediately, Flint residents complained about the water’s color, taste and odor. In the following months, numerous water issues arose, with little to no governmental action to fix them. August and September 2014 boil-water advisories were issued by the city due to coliform bacteria detection On August 21, 2014 test showed the city’s water tested high for THMs, a chlorine byproduct of disinfecting water, with which long term exposure has been linked to cancer and other diseases. Though the city stated that the water was safe, the employees of the Flint Public Library declared the water undrinkable after noticing that the water from the faucets and toilets was discolored. On March 2, 2016, it was reported that the state of Michigan blocked Flint from returning to Lake Huron water from the Detroit water system when it agreed to grant the city an emergency loan of $7 million in April 2015 It was discovered that the high levels of lead were due to orthophosphate being omitted from the water treatment process, while using a pH of 7.4 and that the orange water was due to the high concentration of chloride in the Flint River water, which caused excessive corrosion of the cast iron mains pipes. Far from taking decisive action, governments denied that the water was toxic. While the local outcry about Flint water quality was growing in early 2015, Flint water officials filed papers with state regulators purporting to show that “tests at Flint’s water treatment plant had detected no lead and testing in homes had registered lead at acceptable levels.” The documents falsely claimed that the city had tested tap water from homes with lead service lines, and therefore the highest lead-poisoning risks; in reality; the city does not know the locations of lead service lines, which city officials acknowledged in November 2015 after the Flint Journal/MLive published an article revealing the practice after obtaining documents through the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. – Robin Erb, Flint doctor makes state see light about lead in water The net result is that over 10,000 children (mostly Black) were exposed to water contaminated with lead. Lead poisoning has devastating effects on the brain: Childhood lead exposure causes a reduction in intellectual functioning and IQ, academic performance, and problem-solving skills, and an increased risk of attention deficit disorder, aggression, and hyperactivity. According to studies, children with elevated levels of lead in the blood are more likely as adults to commit crimes, be imprisoned, be unemployed or underemployed, or be dependent on government services. – Julie Mack, Lead levels elevated for thousands of Michigan children outside of Flint A massive investigation is now underway and lawsuits are being filed. And things are turning uglier. Cover Up Now that the federal government opened an investigation on the issue, news emerging from Flint are downright sordid. First, in March, important documents went missing, the police openly admits that it was an inside job, and that the crime will most likely remain unresolved. Days before the federal government opened an investigation into the Flint water crisis, someone broke into a vacant City Hall office full of documents related to the embattled Michigan city’s water system. Nearly three months later, officials have confirmed that a went missing, but little else is known, according to the Flint Journal . Without suspects or a firm handle on what else may have been swiped, authorities told the paper last week that the crime may remain unsolved. No warrants have been issued in the case, but officials don’t shy away from speculative statements that stop just short of conspiracy theories. “It was definitely an inside job,” police chief Tim Johnson told the Journal. “The power cord (to the TV) wasn’t even taken. The average drug user knows that you’d need the power cord to be able to pawn it.” “It was somebody that had knowledge of those documents that really wanted to keep them out of the right hands, out of the hands of someone who was going to tell the real story of what’s going on with Flint water.” Days before the federal government opened an investigation into the Flint water crisis, someone broke into a vacant City Hall office full of documents related to the embattled Michigan city’s water system. – Washington Post, The mystery surrounding missing water files at Flint City Hall: ‘It was definitely an inside job’ On April 16th, Water Treatment Plant Foreman Matthew McFarland (who had been interviewed regarding the water crisis) was found dead at the young age of 43. Cause of death? Unknown. Already reeling from the news of criminal charges against one of its workers in the wake of the Flint water crisis, city workers are now dealing with the sudden death of a foreman at the plant. Water Treatment Plant Foreman Matthew McFarland, 43, of Otter Lake died suddenly on on Saturday, April 16, according to his obituary. The Lapeer County Sheriff’s Department said a friend found McFarland unresponsive at a home in Otter Lake. There were no signs of foul play. An autopsy did not determine a cause of death and police are awaiting toxicology reports. The investigation remains open. “My thoughts and prayers go out to Matt’s co-workers, his family and especially his children,” said Flint Mayor Karen Weaver. “He worked for the City of Flint for more than 18 years and we thank him for his devotion and service.” We all have been brought together by this water crisis and we are all mourning his death,” Weaver said in a statement. “In lieu of flowers, the family has expressed they would appreciate donations to establish a fund for (his children) Vance and Ella’s college expenses.” McFarland’s death comes as Flint’s water plant deals with news that Flint Utilities Manager Michael Glasgow is one of three men facing criminal charges in connection with the city’s water crisis. Glasgow is accused of tampering with evidence when he allegedly changed testing results to show there was less lead in city water than there actually was. He is also charged with willful neglect of office. Michigan Department of Environmental Quality employees Stephen Busch and Michael Prysby are charged with misconduct in office, conspiracy to tamper with evidence, tampering with evidence and violations of the Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’s office confirmed that McFarland was previously interviewed as part of its ongoing investigation into the city’s water crisis. – mlive, Flint water plant continues to reel with sudden death of foreman A few days later, a 19-year old woman leading the Flint water crisis lawsuit was found shot dead in her home. A culprit was arrested. Was he a patsy? A woman at the center of a bellwether Flint water crisis lawsuit was one of two women who were shot to death inside a townhouse earlier this week. Sasha Avonna Bell was one of the first of a growing number of people to file a lawsuit in connection to the Flint water crisis after she claimed that her child had been lead poisoned. Bell was found dead April 19 in the 2600 block of Ridgecrest Drive at the Ridgecrest Village Townhouses. Sacorya Renee Reed was also found shot to death in the home. An unharmed 1-year-old child was also found inside of the Ridgecrest home when Bell’s body was discovered and was taken into custody by child protective services. Police declined to confirm if it was Bell’s child discovered in the home. “Sasha was a lovely young woman who cared deeply for her family, and especially for her young child,” said her attorney Corey M. Stern. “Her tragic and senseless death has created a void in the lives of so many people that loved her. Hopefully, her child will be lifted up by the love and support from everyone who cared deeply for Sasha.” Bell’s case was one of 64 lawsuits filed on behalf of 144 children by Stern’s firm, New York-based Levy Konigsberg, and Flint-based Robinson Carter & Crawford. The lawsuit named six companies that had various responsibilities with respect to the treatment, monitoring, and safety of the Flint water prior to and during the Flint water crisis, according to her attorneys. The case also named three individual government, or former government, employees who played significant roles in the alleged misconduct that led to the alleged poisoning of thousands of children in Flint, her attorneys claim. The Bell case, however, played an important role in determining the future of the more than five dozen other lawsuits that were filed. – mlive, Woman in leading Flint water crisis lawsuit slain in twin killing. Everything about this story is revolting and dirty facts are emerging from everywhere. However, mass media largely ignores this story. Those that do are flooded with comments about “tin foil hats” and “conspiracy nutters”. It is as if shills are paid kill that story online … or maybe that poisonous lead has already done its debilitating, mind-numbing job. source:

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New Mexico Gov . Bill Richardson signed a bill Wednesday repealing the death penalty in his state , his office confirmed . New Mexico Gov . Bill Richardson signed legislation repealing the state ' s death penalty . " Regardless of my personal opinion about the death penalty , I do not have confidence in the criminal justice system as it currently operates to be the final arbiter when it comes to who lives and who dies for their crime , " Richardson said in a statement Wednesday . He noted that more than 130 death row inmates have been exonerated in the past 10 years , including four in New Mexico . " Faced with the reality that our system for imposing the death penalty can never be perfect , my conscience compels me to replace the death penalty with a solution that keeps society safe , " he said . With the governor ' s decision , New Mexico joins 14 other states that don ' t impose the death penalty . Several other states , including Colorado , Kansas , Maryland and Montana , are considering changes to their capital punishment laws . See which states have bills to do away with capital punishment The bill replaces the death penalty with life without the possibility of parole . New Mexico currently has two men on death row and has executed one person convicted child killer Terry Clark , in 2001 since the United States reinstated the death penalty in 1976 . As the legislation is written , it will not affect current death row inmates . " Throughout my adult life , I have been a firm believer in the death penalty as a just punishment in very rare instances , and only for the most heinous crimes . I still believe that , " Richardson , a Democrat , said . " The issue became more real to me because I knew the day would come when one of two things might happen : I would either have to take action on legislation to repeal the death penalty , or more daunting , I might have to sign someone ' s death warrant . " Rep . Gail Chasey , who first introduced House Bill 285 in 1999 , said the bill would relieve families of the burden of a lengthy death penalty trial and appellate phase and restore the focus to crime victims . " Every time there is a court hearing , a conviction , an appeal , the focus is on the defendant , but the family still has to go through it all again and again . It ' s very , very hard for the families . It reopens the wounds each time , " she said . The legislation will also spare the state cost of mounting a death penalty trial , which Casey said typically costs more than a non death penalty trial . " We can put that money toward enhancing law enforcement , public works , you name it , " she said . Richardson also said he was troubled by the fact that minorities are " over represented in the prison population and on death row . " Minorities make up more than half of the death row population nationwide , according to the Washington based Death Penalty Information Center , a nonprofit group that opposes the death penalty . The American Civil Liberties Union said Richardson ' s decision should " send a powerful message to other states " about the need to reevaluate " our error prone , discriminatory and bankrupting system of capital punishment . " Local and state law enforcement associations opposed the bill . Richardson agreed the death penalty is a tool to deter crime , but said it was not the only tool . " For some would be criminals , the death penalty may be a deterrent , " he said . " But it ' s not , and never will be , for many , many others . " The state legislature approved the measure last Friday . Prior to signing the legislation , Richardson received thousands of e mails and phone calls weighing in on the matter . As of noon Wednesday , the governor ' s office said it had received 10 , 847 phone calls , e mails and walk in comments from people who wanted to voice their opinions on the legislation . Of those , 8 , 102 were for a repeal of the death penalty and 2 , 745 were against it , according to Richardson ' s office . In addition , Richardson met Monday with more than 100 New Mexicans to discuss the issue , his office said . Other states also have considered repealing their capital punishment laws this year . In Kansas , state senators voted Monday to send such a bill back to committee , The Kansas City Star reported .

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World champion Sebastian Vettel apologized to Red Bull teammate Mark Webber after defying orders to snatch a " risky " victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday and go to the top of the driver standings . Webber had been poised for the 10th victory of his career and first since July as he led comfortably after the team ' s final pit stops , and was told to hold back to maintain his car until the finish at the Sepang circuit . Vettel , however , took the opportunity to edge past the veteran Australian and claim his 27th race win , having started from pole position for the second time in two events this season . " I want to say sorry to Mark , " the German told reporters , having been rebuked by his team boss Christian Horner on the radio as they dueled on the track . " This is silly Seb , come on , " Horner warned . " He was trying to save the car and tires , but I took a lot of risk in passing him when he was trying , " the 25 year old Vettel added . " I didn ' t ignore that , but I shouldn ' t have done it . " He later said on the Red Bull website : " I put myself above a team decision , which was wrong . I didn ' t mean to and I apologize . I ' m not happy I ' ve won , I made a mistake and if I could undo it I would . It ' s not easy right now and I owe apologies to Mark and the team . " Webber , who has often complained that triple world champion Vettel has favored status within the Austrian owned team , made his displeasure known at the postrace press conference . " The first part of went very well , " the 36 year old said . " In the end we got the right strategy , and it was about controlling the race , getting everything in the race right , but the team told me to turn the engine down . " But I want to race as well . Seb made his own decisions and he will have protection as usual and that ' s the way it goes . " See : Sepang interactive and latest standings He also added a statement on the team website . " There ' s a bit of history to this as well my mind in the last 15 laps was thinking about a lot of things , " Webber said . " Of course I ' m not satisfied with the result . This puts heat on a few people and unfortunately there ' s no rewind button . I know people want raw emotion from us after these situations and it ' s there , but we need to remain cool . There ' s three weeks until the next race , so time for us to work on things . " Horner said the incident was " frustrating . " " Formula One is both a team and an individual sport and sometimes there is a conflict between a driver ' s desire and a team ' s interest , " he said . " What happened today is something that shouldn ' t have happened . " Our position after that final pit stop was all about managing the race until the end and conserving our tires , getting the cars to the finish and achieving maximum points . " Team orders have long been a controversial part of F1 , and were banned in 2002 . However , that rule was dropped in 2011 after it became apparent that teams were finding ways around it . On Sunday , Lewis Hamilton benefited from team orders as he claimed his first podium finish for Mercedes after colleague Nico Rosberg was told not to attack him as both drivers were seeking to maintain their cars . Team boss Ross Brawn said on the radio : " Negative Nico , negative . Lewis ' pace is what we are asking him to do . He can go a lot faster as well , so please be in control as well . " " If I ' m honest he should be standing here , he ' s a great teammate and did a fantastic job , " Hamilton said of Rosberg , who outperformed seven time world champion Michael Schumacher at Mercedes the past three seasons . " We brought the car home and I ' m glad to get a result for them , but it ' s not the best feeling being up here . " The 2008 world champion almost made an embarrassing error when he tried to pit in the garage of his former team McLaren bringing back memories of when Jenson Button did similar soon after his move to the British marque . " I did a Jenson as he did that a couple of years ago , " the English driver said . " I ' ve had so many years making pit stops with McLaren , but I got it wrong , so a big apology to my teammate . " Button ' s disappointing season continued when he failed to finish in the points after being sent out from his final pit stop with a loose front wheel , having been fifth at one stage . His new teammate Sergio Perez scored his first points for McLaren as he came home ninth ahead of Toro Rosso ' s Jean Eric Vergne . Felipe Massa claimed fifth place but his Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso the race winner in Sepang last year and overall runnerup paid for an early mistake that broke his front wing and ended his 200th career grand prix as he stayed out on the track too long without getting it repaired . " Today we had a good car , and I don ' t think we were too far from the Red Bull pace , especially in the race , " the Spaniard said . " Looking now after the incident for sure it is the wrong decision ( to stay on the track ) . If this unlucky combination had not happened , and in lap three we stop , we change the tire and the nose and we win the race here , the team are heroes . " Romain Grosjean was sixth for Lotus ahead of teammate Kimi Raikkonen , who won the opening race in Melbourne last Sunday but this time started from 10th after being given a three place penalty for blocking Rosberg during Saturday ' s qualifying . The Finn was fastest in Friday ' s practice , but downplayed his hopes in the race . Nico Hulkenberg was eighth to earn Sauber ' s first points this season .

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Reuters) - Leading Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, who has said he wants to be a bridge between the British government and the new U.S. administration, will attend U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration later this month. Farage, who will attend the event as a guest of Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, spoke at a Trump rally in Mississippi during the U.S. presidential campaign and was the first British politician to meet the president-elect after his victory, ahead of Prime Minister Theresa May. Farage spent decades campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union and helped to force then Prime Minister David Cameron to call the June 2016 referendum that resulted in the Brexit vote. Trump has said Farage - the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) - would be great as Britain’s envoy to Washington, but the British government has dismissed the suggestion. Asked if he would be attending Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, Farage told Sky News: “I certainly am, I can’t wait.” “The governor of Mississippi has invited me and I’m there for a few days and it’s going to be a great, historic event. In America they’ve had a political revolution and it’s complete; the problem in Britain is our revolution is not complete because the same people are still in charge.”

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Reuters) - Hurricane Irma knocked out power to nearly 4 million homes and businesses in Florida on Sunday, threatening millions more as it crept up the state s west coast, and full restoration of service could take weeks, local electric utilities said. Irma hit Florida on Sunday morning as a dangerous Category 4 storm, the second highest level on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, but by afternoon as it barreled up the west coast, it weakened to a Category 2 with maximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour (177 kph). So far, the brunt of the storm has affected Florida Power & Light s customers in the states southern and eastern sections, and its own operations were not immune, either. We are not subject to any special treatment from Hurricane Irma. We just experienced a power outage at our command center. We do have backup generation, spokesman Rob Gould said on Sunday. FPL, the biggest power company in Florida, said more than 3.2 million of its customers were without power by 10 p.m. (0200 Monday), mostly in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. More than 200,000 had electricity restored, mostly by automated devices. The company s system will need to be rebuilt, particularly in the western part of the state, Gould said. That restoration process will be measured in weeks, not days. is a unit of Florida energy company NextEra Energy Inc. Large utilities that serve other parts of the state, including units of Duke Energy Corp, Southern Co and Emera Inc, were seeing their outage figures grow as the storm pushed north. Duke s outages soared to 390,000 from 60,000 in a span of four hours on Sunday evening, and the company warned its 1.8 million customers in northern and central Florida that outages could ultimately exceed 1 million. The company updated its website on Sunday evening with a warning to customers that outages may last a week or longer. Emera s Tampa Electric utility said the storm could affect up to 500,000 of the 730,000 homes and businesses it serves, and over 180,000 had already lost power. The utilities had thousands of workers, some from as far away as California, ready to help restore power once Irma s high winds pass their service areas. About 17,000 were assisting FPL, nearly 8,000 at Duke and more than 1,300 at Emera. Tampa Electric told customers on Sunday, however, that response crews were halting work because of the high winds. said on Friday that Irma could affect about 4.1 million customers, but that was before the storm track shifted away from the eastern side of the state. Its customers are concentrated in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. The utility said its two nuclear plants were safe. It shut only one of the two reactors at its Turkey Point nuclear plant about 30 miles (48 km) south of Miami on Saturday, rather than both, because the storm shifted. It plans to leave both reactors in service at the St. Lucie plant about 120 miles (193 km )north of Miami because hurricane-force winds are no longer expected to hit the sites. There is also spent nuclear fuel at Duke s Crystal River plant, about 90 miles (145 km) north of Tampa. The plant, on Irma s current forecast track, stopped operating in 2009 and was retired in 2013. In a worst-case scenario, the spent fuel could release radiation if exposed to the air, but a federal nuclear official said that was extremely unlikely. That fuel is so cold, relatively speaking, it would take weeks before there would be any concern, said Scott Burnell of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. As the storm has come ashore, gasoline stations have struggled to keep up. In the Atlanta metro area, about 496 stations, or 12.2 percent, were out of gasoline, according to information service Gas Buddy.

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On Wednesday’s Breitbart News Daily, SiriusXM host Raheem Kassam asked guest Frank Gaffney about a post he wrote on the Center for Security Policy blog, in which he endorsed a call by Jeanine Pirro of Fox News for House Speaker Paul Ryan to resign following the failure of the House Obamacare replacement bill. [As he wrote in the post, Gaffney stipulated that “health care is not my field, by any means,” so he did not mean to criticize the substance of the House bill. “I think what is of concern is that this was a doomed approach,” he said. “Paul Ryan, who is supposed to be helping President Trump get through his agenda in the House of Representatives and the congress more generally, should have known better. He either didn’t, which justifies removal on the grounds of incompetence, or did — in which case I think the argument is that he’s simply not a reliable partner for the president in getting this agenda done. ” “On either grounds, I think that it would be necessary for the country, not just for the Trump presidency but for the country, to have leaders in both the House and the Senate who want to ensure that the president’s projects, the president’s agenda, the president’s promises to the American people — which I think were momentous, not just for health care reform but in so many other respects, including the return to the prospect of peace through strength, which if course is near and dear to my heart, and I think yours Raheem — is going to be a necessary condition going forward,” he argued. “From a layman’s perspective, from a person who understands as a layman the importance of health care, this seemed to be a statist — well, ‘Obamacare Lite’ it’s been called — approach, when a free market approach seems to be called for,” Gaffney said. “I think that’s what Donald Trump set out to do. That’s what he promised the voters. It’s what I think you could get a majority of the Congress behind, if it is clear that in the process, you’re not going to abandon people who genuinely need health care support. ” “It goes back to kind of the fatal flaws of Obamacare, and just making it a little better at the margins, which is I think, at best, what you could say Ryan was up to. It was clearly unsatisfactory and was, as I say, doomed to fail,” he pronounced. Gaffney added compliments to Rep. Mark Meadows ( ) and the House Freedom Caucus for “ensuring that it did fail. ” “I think they’ve done a great service, despite all the brickbats being thrown their way, for President Trump as well as for the country,” he said. Gaffney conceded that choosing a possible replacement for Rep. Ryan as Speaker of the House was a difficult task. “I think there are a number of people who could probably command the support of the majority of the House,” he said. “It wouldn’t be for me to pick them. Some have been willing to serve in the past. Daniel Webster comes to mind, he seems to be a very presentable guy. It would be obviously up to him or others in the House to stand for this, if in fact Paul Ryan were to create a vacancy — which I hope he will do. ” Breitbart News Daily airs on SiriusXM Patriot 125 weekdays from 6:00 a. m. to 9:00 a. m. Eastern. LISTEN:

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California When director Antoine Fuqua rolls into a community to shoot a movie , he becomes part of that community . Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua began a program to foster young moviemakers in poor communities . This isn ' t the case of a Hollywood filmmaker cherry picking glamorous locations like Beverly Hills or Manhattan . Fuqua ' s interests lie a few miles away , in the grittier section of town . For his 2001 blockbuster , " Training Day , " he took stars Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke and shot in South Central Los Angeles deep in the ' hood . And last year , the housing projects in Brooklyn ' s Brownsville district were key to his latest feature , " Brooklyn ' s Finest . " Hawke stars once again , this time alongside Richard Gere , Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes . Although Fuqua carries himself with the confident ease of someone who enjoys a certain stature in the industry , he ' s at home in the projects . And he should be . He was raised in a Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , public housing complex , and hasn ' t forgotten what it ' s like to dream about making it out of the ghetto . Yet now that he ' s out , he wants back in . Watch more about how Fuqua mentors young filmmakers During the filming of " Brooklyn ' s Finest , " he initiated the non profit Fuqua Film Program an intense , 12 week moviemaking course eligible to young adults from Brownsville , ages 16 to 20 . Last year , three students got the chance to write , direct and edit their own short film . This year , he hopes to expand the program to 10 to 15 students . Down the road , he ' s looking to bring the project to his native Pittsburgh , then roll out to other urban areas . After all , in Hollywood , it ' s all about who you know and Fuqua wants to give neighborhood kids the opportunity to know him . Antoine Fuqua : We selected three kids four kids , actually ( one could not complete the program because he was sent to Juvenile Hall ) . . . . The concept was to have them write an essay to find out which ones really had the passion for filmmaking . Most of the applicants were 18 , 19 years old . Some lost their parents when they were 13 , 12 , 10 . A few were involved in gangs or someone in their family is involved in gangs . A young lady just wanted to find a way out of living in the projects , and she wanted to go to college . So it was a number of things I found compelling , but most of all , they all had a little bit of light and a little bit of hope in each letter . Fuqua : Right . " No excuses . " Exactly . That concept came from my parents and my grandmother the idea that you can ' t make excuses for things you don ' t have . You just have to go get ' em . . . . If they go after it as they did with the essays someone ' s going to hand you a tool and say , " Here you go . Now what ? " And then it ' s up to you to prove that you have what it takes . Fuqua : ( Laughs ) The next generation , yeah . They kind of took over the director ' s chair . I was over directing the actors , and I happened to turn around , and I just saw all these kids all around my monitor , and I said , " Well , sit down , go ahead . Put the headsets on . You know , if you ' re going to be here , you can listen and hear what ' s going on . " And they loved it . I ' d see them smiling , and laughing , and every time I yelled , " Cut ! " they were clapping . And then a few of them would yell , " Cut ! " and " Action ! " I like to just go in there and say , " This is all happening in your neighborhood , these two , three hundred crew members black , white , every other color . " You know , a crew is like a United Nations . It ' s an immediate opportunity to meet and greet people other than the ones you see every day in your community . We ' re there at four or five in the morning . We leave whenever we finish , which is normally in the middle of the night sometimes . So they see that dedication and that work ethic , and they see how we all get along and how we all have to communicate . And somewhere , I believe , it affects their behavior and how they deal with their lives . Fuqua : I ' m just like them . I come from the projects in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , in the Hill District , so I know what it feels like to walk into these concrete buildings ( the housing projects ) and think that ' s the world . My goal is to show them that ' s nothing that ' s a blip in the world . . . . Several people gave me opportunities . Mario Van Peebles was doing a little film in Pittsburgh and I was just a little kid running around , and I got to meet him . He was acting in it , and he was really nice and said hello to everybody . It wasn ' t a situation where they said , " Go away ! You can ' t be part of this . " Fuqua : Yeah , Denzel was giving them the real talking . . . . He ' s involved with the Boys and Girls Club , and he does a lot quietly people don ' t even know . When I shot " Training Day , " he was , " Absolutely you ' ve got to shoot down there in South Central where else you gonna shoot it ? ! " And I remember one day down on the set with Denzel , I was filming and I couldn ' t find him , and I looked up on the porch , and he was up there on the porch with all these older women , and they were cooking for him , and all the young kids were around , and he was just hanging out where all the people were . And that told me right away what kind of person he was . I don ' t know how many times he was in his trailer . He was always with the kids him and Ethan ( Hawke , his co star ) hanging out with everyone . And that influenced me a lot because I realized by watching the effect they had on these kids . Fuqua : I ' m satisfied when I hear them talking about wanting to go to Europe , or curious of who Caravaggio is the painter or tell me they saw a Kurosawa film last night , and they never saw him before . You know , it ' s like the world is starting to open up their eyes are opening up . Maybe one of those kids is going to be the next Steven Spielberg , or the next Denzel , or who knows the next Antoine .

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North Korea is to blow up a key part of its controversial Yongbyon nuclear reactor on Friday . Hyun Hak Bong ( right ) , North Korea ' s deputy negotiator to six party talks , crosses the border into South Korea on June 5 . The destruction of the plant ' s cooling tower is part of an agreement with the United States aimed at denuclearizing the Korean peninsula in exchange for loosening some restrictions on the highly secretive Communist country . Earlier this year , Pyongyang agreed to disable its nuclear reactor and provide a full accounting of its plutonium stockpile , " acknowledge " concerns about its proliferation activities and its uranium enrichment activity , and agree to continue cooperation with a verification process to ensure no further activities are taking place . North Korea has been taking Yongbyon ' s main reactor apart , but imploding the cooling tower is an exceptionally important psychological step given that the highly recognizable shape of the structure is synonymous with nuclear power plants . The United Nations ' nuclear watchdog , the International Atomic Energy Agency , says it would take a year to rebuild if North Korea decided to go back on its agreement , and that the construction could not be done in secret . Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice defended U . S . diplomacy toward North Korea last week , saying the deal with Pyongyang made Asia and the U . S . safer . Speaking at the Heritage Foundation , a conservative Washington think tank , Rice said that " North Korea will soon give its declaration of nuclear programs to China . " China is the host of the six party talks aimed at ending North Korea ' s nuclear program , along with Russia , South Korea , Japan and the United States . Rice spoke in advance of her upcoming trip to Asia where she will be attending a meeting of G8 foreign ministers and meeting with her Asian counterparts . Rice said once North Korea submits its declaration , President Bush will notify Congress he intends to remove North Korea from the U . S . list of state sponsors of terrorism and scrap some sanctions levied against North Korea because of nuclear concerns . But she noted that there would be no practical effect to loosening the restrictions because North Korea still was under the same sanctions because of other areas of U . S . law . Rice said a 45 day review would then begin to see if North Korea is telling the truth and living up to its end of the deal struck in the six party talks . " Before those actions go into effect , we would continue to assess the level of North Korean cooperation in helping to verify the accuracy and completeness of its declaration , " she said . " And if that cooperation is insufficient , we will respond accordingly . " The United States softened its demand that North Korea publicly admit to having a highly enriched uranium program and to providing Syria with nuclear technology , key unanswered questions that have left negotiations stalled for months . North Korea has already handed over about 18 , 000 documents on its nuclear past to the U . S . , which the U . S . says are critical to verify North Korea ' s claims . Rice said that the deal with North Korea wasn ' t perfect but offered the U . S . the best chance to learn about North Korea ' s nuclear history . " We must keep the broader goal in mind : the elimination of North Korea ' s nuclear weapons and programs , all of them , " she said . " North Korea has said that it is committed to this goal . We ' ll see . " Rice said that " no final agreement can be concluded " unless the U . S . verifies North Korea ' s claims .

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Muslims across respond with shock and outrage after San Bernardino massacre of 14 Faizul Khan ( 74 ) , an Imam at the Islamic Society of the Washington Area , said he was horrified by the San Bernardino shooting . He said he feared the shooting would strengthen calls to increase surveillance on mosques in the . Photograph : Jamal Saidi Reuters Muslim Americans fear their religion will be demonised and Islamophobia will spread after a young Muslim couple was accused of carrying out one of the bloodiest mass killings in the United States . Across the country , Muslim Americans responded with shock and outrage after a shooting in which authorities said Syed Rizwan Farook ( 28 ) , and Tashfeen Malik ( 27 ) , stormed a holiday party attended by San Bernardino County employees in California on Wednesday , killing 14 people and wounding 21 . I was at the gym yesterday while the shooting was taking place and all the TVs were showing that footage and all I could keep thinking to myself is God , I hope they don t have any Eastern descent , not just Middle Eastern , anything we d associate with a Muslim , said Adam Hashem ( 32 ) , in Dearborn , a Detroit suburb with one of the country s largest Muslim populations . We re all worried . We re all concerned , he said . It was the deadliest mass shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre three years ago . While the motivation remained unclear as authorities investigated the attack , details of Farook and Malik began to emerge . Farook was described as a second generation American born in Illinois and raised by Pakistani parents . Malik was born in Pakistan and lived in Saudi Arabia until she was introduced to Farook . San Bernardino police said they found pipe bombs and several thousands rounds of ammunition at the residence of the couple , who died in a shoot out with police . In Milwaukee , Wisconsin , the Attari Supermarket bustled on Thursday with customers shopping for Middle Eastern products . In every culture and in every religion there are bad apples that will spoil the rest of the apples . That has happened toward us , said Dawod Dawod , a 25 year old Muslim American , who manages the store that his family has owned for a decade . Police in shootout after at least 14 killed in California attack Between taking orders over the phone , Dawod said he was concerned that politicians will use the mass shooting as a way to further demonise Muslims . He noted Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump s endorsement of the idea of creating a Muslim database . It s scary . he said . Ninety nine per cent of Muslims are hardworking , good people . Muslim community groups condemned the massacre and urged the public not to blame Islam or Muslims . The Muslim community stands shoulder to shoulder with our fellow Americans in repudiating any twisted mindset that would claim to justify such sickening acts of violence , said Hussam Ayloush , an executive director at the Council on American Islamic Relations . Within hours of the shooting , his group had organised a news conference with Los Angeles Muslim leaders and the brother of suspected shooter Malik to condemn the assault . The speed at which they went on live television to do so underlined the depth of concerns in a community already buffeted by a rise in anti Muslim rhetoric this year and increased public scrutiny after the November 13th attacks in Paris that killed 130 people and were claimed by Islamic State militants . Some Muslims say they have felt singled out during a presidential race that has tapped a vein of anger and bigotry from comments by Trump to those by fellow Republican candidate Ben Carson , who said in September that Muslims were unfit for the presidency of the United States . There are some 2 . 8 million Muslims in the country . Some Muslims questioned whether this week s shooting will embolden supporters of Trump , who is current front runner to be his party s nominee in the November 2016 election and who has backed the idea of requiring all Muslims living in the to register in a special database as a counter terrorism measure . Critics have also accused Trump of stirring resentment toward Muslims by asserting that he saw thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating the destruction of the World Trade Center towers on September 11th , 2001 . That claim has been disputed by public officials . Faizul Khan ( 74 ) , an Imam at the Islamic Society of the Washington Area , said he was horrified by the San Bernardino shooting . Unfortunately people don t understand that we as Muslims we basically want to promote what is good and just for the entire humanity . He said he feared the shooting would strengthen calls to increase surveillance on mosques . Achraf Issam ( 22 ) , national spokesman for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association in Silver Spring , Maryland , said it makes no more sense to say that Islam led to the San Bernardino shootings than to say Christianity led to an attack on the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado last week by a suspect police have named as Robert Lewis Dear . No one one should say that , because this couple is Muslim , that it led them to commit those acts , he said . That sentiment was echoed by Sara Nabhan ( 20 ) , a junior majoring in biology at the University of Houston who was born in Jordan and came to Texas when aged 2 . Two people s actions do not constitute a whole population s actions , she said . Jersey City real estate agent Magdy Ali ( 52 ) , of Egyptian descent , said he uses the name Alex when working to avoid conflict with people who distrust Islam . He said he expects Trump to use Wednesday s massacre to push for anti Muslim measures such as monitoring of mosques . We are in a jam right now , he said .

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A federal civil complaint in Texas claims the defendants may have falsified prescriptions , lied to pharmacies and perhaps even broken the law , but they ' re not drug runners . They ' re officials from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice , responsible for executing death row inmates . The complaint , filed in October , is one example of the lengths death penalty states are willing to go to acquire drugs for lethal injections . Texas , which declined to comment on the pending case , is among 32 death penalty states scrambling to find new drug protocols after European based manufacturers banned U . S . prisons from using their drugs in executions among them , Danish based Lundbeck , which manufactures pentobarbital . " The states are scrambling to find the drugs , " says Richard Dieter , executive director of the Washington based Death Penalty Information Center . " They want to carry out these executions that they have scheduled , but they don ' t have the drugs and they ' re changing and trying new procedures never used before in the history of executions . " States have been forced to try new drug combinations or go to loosely regulated compounding pharmacies that manufacturer variations of the drugs banned by the larger companies . The suit against Texas alleges the state corrections department falsified a prescription for pentobarbital , including the patient name as " James Jones , " the warden of the Huntsville Unit " where executions take place , " according to court documents . Additionally , the drugs were to be sent to " Huntsville Unit Hospital , " which , the documents say , " has not existed since 1983 . " The suit said the pharmacy was unaware of the purpose for the order and when it found out it canceled the order before it was filled . The plaintiffs also allege the state did not produce a purchase order , instead using an individual employee ' s credit card to make the purchase . The pharmacy is asking the to return the drugs it sold the state . It is unclear whether they have . Maurie Levin , one of the attorneys representing the inmates , said , " We believe that ' s purchase of compounded pentobarbital from Woodlands Pharmacy violates numerous state laws . The vast majority of compounded drugs can only be mixed or sold pursuant to a doctor ' s prescription . did not get a prescription for its purchase of compounded drugs . There are exceptions to the requirement , but ' s purchase does not qualify for any of them . " Death row inmates say using untested drugs is " cruel and unusual punishment , " and several have filed federal lawsuits to delay executions until drug protocols have been reviewed . Ohio was set to execute Ron Phillips on Thursday using a two drug cocktail never before used in an execution . Ohio ' s Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said it " was unable to obtain a sufficient quantity of pentobarbital . " Instead it was set to use the sedative midazolam and pain killer hydromorphone in a lethal dosage . Ohio Gov . John Kasich stayed Phillips ' execution this week pending a review of possible organ donation to his family members . Missouri was set to use propofol , the infamous drug from the Michael Jackson case , in an execution last month , but the governor halted it after he was warned the European Union might halt shipments of the drug , leading to shortages for medical purposes . Deborah Denno , a law professor at Fordham University , said a new combination of drugs used in the execution of Florida inmate William Happ last month took 14 minutes to kill him instead of the usual seven . " There is absolute chaos among the states , " Denno said . " So , every few months it seems we see a different state using a different type of drug , or types of drugs . " Jim Petro , the Republican former attorney general of Ohio , presided over 19 executions but no longer supports the death penalty . " An attorney general is bound to follow the statute , " he said . " Duty is duty . " Dieter said using untested drugs amounts to experimentation on human beings : " They ' re guilty people who did these crimes , but that doesn ' t ameliorate our ethical obligations . "

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It gets more outrageous by the day for the Trump campaign when it comes to racism and racists. It appears Trump has assembled a political team and a fan base of individuals who are racist to the core. Take for example current Trump campaign spokesperson Katrina Pierson. Back in 2012, Pierson took to Twitter and lamented at the lack of pure breeds running for president in reference to President Obama, who has a father of Kenyan descent, and Mitt Romney, whose father was born in Mexico.Perfect Obama's dad born in Africa, Mitt Romney's dad born in Mexico. Any pure breeds left? #CNNDebate Katrina Pierson (@KatrinaPierson) January 20, 2012In her tweet, Pierson implies that having a parent born oversees somehow makes someone less American, or to put it in more eugenical terms, less pure. That s interesting, since Donald Trump s mother was actually born in Scotland. One can easily infer why she would find Scotland more acceptable to be born in than Kenya or Mexico.Pierson is in agreement on all of Trump s policies, including supporting the ban on Muslims from entering the United States. She also advocates using America s nuclear arsenal in some capacity against perceived enemies saying, What good does it do to have a good nuclear triad if you re afraid to use it? Katrina Pierson is not without a checkered history. She s been accused of collecting thousands of dollars in welfare benefits while working. She also made a recent appearance on where she wore a necklace made of bullets. After anti-gun advocates called her out, she promised to wear a necklace made of fetuses. Pierson also has an arrest record for shoplifting. Ironically, four years before her wacky tweet, Pierson sued her previous employer for racial discrimination.Donna Pierson s antics and her checkered history shouldn t be surprising. After all, she s helping steer one of the most racist and frightening presidential campaigns in American history. Let s hope that the country can find a few good laughs with these crazies and put them all in the dust bin of history when the time comes.Featured Image Via YouTube Screenshot.

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Tune in to the Alternate Current Radio Network (ACR) for another broadcast of The Boiler Room tonight 6:00 | 8:00 | 9:00 for this special broadcast. Join us for uncensored, uninterruptible talk radio, custom-made for bar fly philosophers, misguided moralists, masochists, street corner evangelists, media-maniacs, savants, political animals and otherwise lovable rascals.Join hosts Hesher and Spore along with Daniel Spaulding of Soul of The East, Funk Soul (ACR/21WIRE contributor) and Basil Valentine of Sunday Wire for the second chapter of the 100th episode of ROOM. Water the kids, put the plants to bed and get your favorite mead horn ready so you can drop deep into the Boiler Room with the crew. Tonight the gang is discussing American forces being sent into Syria, the utter insanity of the leftist media distracting their audience with false realities being sold to the highest bidder, the dilerbrate destruction of critical thinking among the population, Vault 7 releases from wikileaks and the wiretapping of (then) Presidential Candidate Trump.Direct Download Episode #100.2Please like and share the program and visit our donate page to get involved!Reference Links:

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A famous South Korean rock singer is just hours away from swimming into the diplomatic row over a small group of rocky islets in the East Sea , or the Sea of Japan . Kim Jang hoon is among dozens of amateur athletes who left the eastern port of Uljin Monday , bound for Dokdo , a largely uninhabited set of volcanic islands claimed by both South Korea and Japan , known by Tokyo as Takeshima . The group ' s 55 hour , 230 kilometer relay swim is expected to end Wednesday , on the 67th anniversary of Korea ' s independence from Japanese colonial rule . Before jumping into the water , singer Kim Jang Hoon told reporters : " I will never make such a comment as ' Dokdo is our territory ' when I arrive there . It ' s meaningless to do so because they are undeniably our territory , " according to the Yonhap news agency . The politically charged event comes days after Lee Myung Bak broke with convention to become the first South Korean president to visit the contested islands . Read more : What ' s behind island dispute ? " Dokdo is indeed our territory and a place worth staking our lives to defend . Let ' s make sure to safeguard ( the islets ) with pride , " he was reported to have told police officers stationed on the islands . Lee ' s visit inflamed Japan which recalled its ambassador to Seoul , Masatoshi Muto , and threatened to take the dispute to the International Court of Justice . " President Lee visited Takeshima , which is an inherent territory of Japan , both in the light of historical facts and based on international law . Therefore it is incompatible with the position of Japan , and so I made a strong protest on the matter , " Japanese foreign minister Koichiro Gemba told a press conference Friday . Read more : Man crashes Japanese embassy over disputed islands Japan has long claimed the islets as its territory , but Seoul said all Korean territory was returned after the country won independence from colonial rule by Japan in 1945 . According to a South Korean website on the islands , Dokdo has a population of three and amid the craggy rocks sit a lighthouse , lodge , helicopter landing pad , and a police station manned by South Korean officers . The recent flare up over who owns the islands even spilled onto soccer the pitch during the final days of the London Olympics . At the request of Japan , the International Olympic Commitee withheld the bronze medal from South Korean player Park Jongwoo after he held a banner during post match celebrations supporting South Korea ' s ownership of the islands . Dokdo Takeshima is one of several of disputed island chains in the region and fears are emerging that competing territorial claims in the South China Sea could create a new Cold War in Asia . China , Vietnam , the Philippines , Malaysia , Brunei and Taiwan all have claims in the area and tensions have risen in recent months .

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Juan Mata has described playing with Wayne Rooney as a ' privilege ' following the Manchester United captain ' s match winning display against Newcastle on Boxing Day . Despite playing in a midfield role , Rooney netted the first two and assisted Robin van Persie ' s third during the 3 1 victory , and Mata believes that he is more than capable of continuing to excel in a deeper position . ' I think he can play there , yes , ' declared Mata in a post match interview with . ' He can defend , he can attack , he can pass and he can score goals arriving into the box . Juan Mata ( left ) says it is a privilege to be playing alongside Manchester United team mate Wayne Rooney Mata combined with Radamel Falcao ( right ) to create Rooney ' s opener against Newcastle ' For us , he is a very important player and I feel privileged to play with such a player as Wazza . ' Rooney has been moved into midfield of late to accommodate Van Persie and Radamel Falcao up front . And Mata said he is enjoying playing alongside such an impressive array of attacking talent . ' I really enjoy playing with all players like that ( Rooney , Falcao , van Persie ) . As strikers , they offer you a lot of movement so you can pass the ball to them , ' he explained . Rooney then added his second goal of the game with half time approaching to double their advantage Rooney runs away with his arms outstretched after giving United a two goal lead on Boxing Day Robin van Persie ( right ) then added a third for United from a Rooney assist in the second half With fixtures coming thick and fast over the festive period , Manchester United have little time to rest ahead of their next game , as they travel to face Tottenham less than 48 hours after their win over Newcastle . And Mata has admitted that preparing physically for games in such a short space of time is a tough challenge . ' We just want to keep playing well , ' he continued . ' Physically it ' s difficult to be ready for Sunday ' s game but mentally we are ready . We now recover today and tomorrow ( Friday and Saturday ) and try to be the fittest we can for Tottenham . '

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Inspired Murray leads Britain to Davis Cup title , Belgium : The moment Andy Murray has pursued with fanatical zeal arrived , unforgettably , on Sunday when an outrageous lob arced over Belgium ' s David Goffin to seal Britain ' s first Davis Cup title for 79 years . Fittingly for a player who has almost single handedly guided his country to a 10th title , the indefatigable Murray ended Goffin ' s inspired resistance with a moment of sheer brilliance few could conjure to complete a 6 3 7 5 6 3 victory . It gave Britain a winning 3 1 lead and started a party that hundreds of visiting fans decked out in union flags and Scottish saltires will keep going long into the night in medieval Ghent . Murray , who looked close to exhaustion at the end of the three hour contest that was far closer than the scoreline suggested , collapsed on to the claycourt before being swamped by his team mates and captain Leon Smith . Sportingly he clambered to his feet to console Goffin who had gallantly clung on to the hope of keeping alive Belgium ' s chances of winning the title for the first time . Murray then saluted the ' Barmy Army ' , who roared his every winner over a weekend that rubber stamped his place in the chronicles of British sporting greatness . " I never thought we would have the opportunity to do this and I can ' t believe we have done it , " an emotional Murray , who became the first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years in 2013 , said on court . " The atmosphere was phenomenal . I imagine we ' ll have a party tonight . " World number two Murray , whose return to the Davis Cup team in 2013 sparked Britain ' s rapid rise from the depths of the competition , has won 11 live rubbers in this year ' s run , matching Ivan Ljubicic ' s total for Croatia in 2005 . He has won all eight singles he played while teaming up three times with brother Jamie for crucial doubles wins , one of which came on Saturday to put Britain 2 1 ahead . The small Scottish town of Dunblane , where the Murray brothers grew up , could justifiably claim its name should be inscribed on the trophy . " Andy has shown himself to be an absolute superstar . He will be the first to say that it is a team thing but what he has done is astonishing . I am proud of everyone , " captain Smith said . Murray was forced to play some of his best tennis against a dangerous opponent who was roared on by a soccer style crowd inside the claustrophobic arena . Goffin squandered a break point at 2 2 in the opening set and Murray then pounced , scorching a backhand winner off a weak second serve to move 4 2 ahead . Murray wrapped up the first set with a forehand winner but there was no chance of Goffin ' s challenge fading . The Belgian world number 16 played some sensational tennis to stay ahead in the second set but could not take the few chances that came his way . Murray broke in the 11th game when Goffin netted a forehand and clinched the set with a stupendous forehand winner . He wobbled briefly when he dropped serve early in the third set but the world number two responded to move 5 3 ahead before providing the most spectacular of climaxes .

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Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke by telephone with China’s top diplomat on Tuesday and affirmed the importance of a constructive U.S.-China relationship, and the two agreed on the need to address the threat posed by North Korea, the State Department said. Tillerson and Yang Jiechi, China’s state councilor who outranks the foreign minister, also discussed economics and trade as well as potential cooperation on counterterrorism, law enforcement and transnational crime, the State Department said in a statement.  The call appeared to be the latest effort by the world’s two largest economies to put relations back on an even keel after a rocky start following U.S. President Donald Trump’s November election victory. “Secretary Tillerson and State Councilor Yang affirmed the importance of a constructive bilateral relationship,” the U.S. statement said. “The two sides agreed on the need to address the threat that North Korea poses to regional stability.” The call follows a meeting between China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Tillerson on Friday, their first face-to-face encounter since Tillerson began his job at the start of this month. In that meeting, Wang stressed that common interests between China and the United States far outweigh their differences. Trump angered Beijing in December by talking to the president of Taiwan and saying the United States did not have to stick to the “one China” policy, under which Washington acknowledges the Chinese position that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of it. Trump also accused China of not doing enough to rein in its neighbor North Korea. However, in a phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping last week, Trump agreed to honor the “one China” policy, a major diplomatic boost for Beijing, which brooks no criticism of its claim to self-ruled Taiwan. “China hopes the two countries, following through on the spirit of the phone conversation, could uphold the principles of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation as well as enhance high-level exchanges,” Yang told Tillerson, according to China’s Xinhua news agency. China’s readout of the call did not mention any specific issues, with Xinhua noting only that they also “exchanged some views on a number of international issues.” On Saturday, China’s Commerce Ministry said it would ban all coal imports from North Korea until the end of this year after Pyongyang tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile in its first direct challenge to the international community since Trump took office. China announced in April it would ban North Korean coal imports to comply with U.N. sanctions aimed at starving Pyongyang of funds for its nuclear and missile programs. However, it made exceptions for deliveries intended for “the people’s wellbeing” and not connected to the weapons programs. Other areas of disagreement between the United States and China include trade imbalances and China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.

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Italy ' s World Cup captain Fabio Cannavaro has made a surprise decision to end his career in Dubai . The 36 year old has signed a two year deal with reigning United Arab Emirates league champions Al Ahli after failing to find a new club in Serie A following the end of his deal with Juventus . In a statement on its official Web site on Wednesday , the Dubai based club confirmed that Cannavaro would move to Al Ahli after the World Cup in South Africa , which starts on June 11 . " We announce that we have signed Fabio Cannavaro for two years , " Abdullah Al Nabooda , chairman of Al Ahli ' s board of directors said . " This deal with a player like Cannavaro is one of the most important deals for us because he ' s a player with great experience and talent , while he ' s also a leader on the field . " Cannavaro who has 132 caps for his country and led the Italians to victory over France in the 2006 World Cup final is planning to retire from international football after the South African tournament , which will be his fourth . He played at Inter Milan and Real Madrid before moving to Juventus in 2009 , and had hoped to earn a deal with his hometown club Napoli , where he began his career . " The option to extend my deal with Juventus has expired . I want Napoli , but they don ' t want me , " he told Italian sports paper Tuttosport last week . However , Cannavaro said he was now happy to make the move to the Middle East . " I am happy to sign for Al Ahli for the next season . I was already planning to go and live in Dubai , I love that city . It ' s a dream come true , " he told Italian newspaper La Gazetta dello Sport . Meanwhile , British media have speculated that Al Ahli is also interested in signing manager Harry Redknapp , 63 , from London based English Premier League side Tottenham next season .

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Marco Rubio unveils Florida support , rallies to take on Democrats An annual Florida fundraiser featured Marco Rubio He urged Republican stalwarts to rally ahead of the 2016 election It s not just the presidential race on the ballot , he reminded them Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio speaks at the Sunshine Summit opening dinner on Thursday in Orlando . Tom Benitez Orlando Sentinel His star in the presidential race on the rise , Marco Rubio dropped in Thursday on one of the groups that knows him best : the Republican Party of Florida . On the campaign trail , Rubio likes to note that he s twice defied the Florida establishment : in 2010 when he ran for the U . S . Senate against the sitting Republican governor and now as a candidate in the same race as former Gov . Jeb Bush . Rubio made sure to remind Republicans ? light heartedly ? of his track record Thursday night . Five years ago when this party was under different leadership , I couldn t even get a table , because I happened to be running against the then sitting governor of Florida for U . S . Senate , Rubio began , referring to Charlie Crist . Apparently he s now running for the Congress as a vegetarian . Yeah , he s running out of parties indeed . Rubio spoke at the party s annual Statesman s Dinner , a sold out fundraiser that drew nearly 1 , 000 people on the eve of the Sunshine Summit , a two day event featuring 13 of the 15 Republicans running for the 2016 presidential nomination . He played the role of motivator to party stalwarts ahead of the 2016 election . Tomorrow you re going to hear from a bunch of candidates running for president that are going to ask you to vote for them , and I ll be one of them , Rubio said . ( One out of six Republicans is running for president , he joked . ) Tonight , I want to talk to you about why the next president needs to be a Republican , because we simply cannot afford another four years like the last eight . Rubio spoke for a little more than 20 minutes , without notes , and kept his promise of not explicitly asking Republicans for their vote Thursday night . But he still deployed much of his campaign speech . One of several mentions of Democrat Hillary Clinton prompted boos from the crowd . Rubio was introduced by a longtime friend , state Rep . Jeanette Nu ? ez of Miami . We ve shared lots of laughs . We ve shared special moments . We ve shared the pain of loss , she said . And we ve even seen our children ? our older children ? grow up to be teenagers and have their own Instagram accounts , and I can tell you , that is far more scary than running for president of the United States . When he took the microphone , Rubio noted he had learned something new : I had no idea my kids had an Instagram account , so we re going to have to look into that . During his speech , Rubio didn t name a single of his rivals . Bush had also been invited to the dinner , but he campaigned instead in New Hampshire . Fans of both Bush and Rubio worked the room in Lake Buena Vista . Many were identifiable by lapel stickers pledging allegiance to one candidate or the other . The two men are scheduled to deliver remarks separately Friday . Earlier Thursday , Rubio unveiled a list of campaign chairmen in every Florida county , intended as a show of his widening home state support . Many of them are new to the political arena , state co chair Adam Hasner , a former state lawmaker , said in a statement underscoring Rubio s appeal to a younger Republican generation . Some of the notable Miami Dade County backers were familiar , however , including Miami Mayor Tom s Regalado , Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez and County Commissioners Esteban Bovo and Rebeca Sosa . Rubio still lags far behind Bush in endorsements , which Bush has assiduously courted all year . On Thursday , Bush announced more than 130 supporters in Palm Beach County alone . He s already lined up support from the state s three Cabinet members , most of the state Senate and more than 300 people in Miami Dade , both men s home county . It has been Rubio s strategy , though , to roll out his campaign slowly and methodically , in an effort to save money and not peak until just the right moment .

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Manchester United will not need another motivational speech from Wayne Rooney on Tuesday night to explain just how important the Cup could be in defining their season . Louis van Gaal ' s side face League Two Cambridge United at Old Trafford and could take another step on the road to Wembley which has opened up after the exits of Chelsea and Manchester City . And Rooney is desperate to win the one domestic honour that eludes him . Wayne Rooney is desperate to win the Cup with Manchester United . . . the only trophy that ' s eluded him Manchester United let a 3 1 lead slip to fall to a 5 3 defeat against Leicester in September Jamie Vardy celebrates scoring Leicester ' s fourth goal of the game against United Van Gaal revealed how the United captain was not afraid to tell team mates what was expected of them against Leicester City on Saturday in light of their 5 3 defeat by the same side in September . ' Rooney said before the start of the match , " Do you remember how we lost that ? " , ' said Van Gaal . ' Everyone wanted revenge . It ' s good and it is also that same feeling with Cambridge . ' Everything is against you at Manchester United and everything is in favour of the underdog . ' But , in spite of all the criticism we have had , we are still in the Cup and a lot of teams are not . ' Adnan Januzaj , Rooney ( centre ) and Robin van Persie ( right ) look on frustrated during the match Ryan Giggs ( left ) and Louis van Gaal ( right ) look on despondely as United fall to defeat at Leicester Luke Shaw ( left ) in action against Cambridge understands why Rooney is so desperate to win the Cup With Chelsea and City set to contest the title race , Van Gaal ' s only realistic hope of a trophy in his first season at Old Trafford lies with the Cup . Asked if Rooney has been emphasising the importance of the competition , defender Luke Shaw said : ' Of course he has . Wayne hasn ' t won it and he ' s going to want to win it this year . ' But the whole team look at it as a trophy we all want to win especially now it ' s the main priority because the league , I wouldn ' t say it ' s gone , but we ' re quite far away . '

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Remember those " Where ' s Waldo " books ? You know , the ones featuring a bespectacled , beanstalky character dressed in a red and white striped shirt and hiding in massive crowds . Objective : find him , turn page . A fascinating online project is using that same spot that one thing construct to try to save rhinos and other wildlife from poaching at a wildlife reserve in Namibia . Part of the MicroMappers effort , the Namibia project gathered 500 volunteers " digital rangers , " in the group ' s parlance over the weekend to sift through aerial photos looking for wildlife . The goal was to survey more land more quickly than on the ground rangers could , and to consequently protect rhinos and the like from poaching or other threats . The online army of volunteers , which included people from dozens of countries , surveyed more than 25 , 000 aerial photos shot by drones from Friday to Sunday , according to the group ' s website . They circled wildlife they found , and uploaded their findings . Volunteers could spend as much or as little time as they wanted . " It is challenging but a really fun challenge , " Patrick Meier , director of social innovation at the Qatar Computing Research Institute , which was behind the project , wrote in an email to me . " ( It ) makes me feel like a digital Indiana Jones or Sherlock Holmes . " So , pick your metaphor : Waldo , Jones or Sherlock . It ' s cool no matter how you describe it . The effort grows out of Meier ' s work with Ushahidi and others to help citizens map and analyze data in response to natural disasters , like the 2010 Haiti earthquake . It also builds on the citizen science movement , which seeks to involve everyday people in real scientific endeavors , from analyzing whale songs to mapping the structure of proteins . I love these projects not just for their do gooder potential , but also because they encourage people to get involved in the news , and to learn something new about the world . As Meier put it : " Hopefully now people know where Namibia is on the map ! " ( Sub Saharan Africa , by the way , northwest of South Africa and south of Angola ) . I asked Meier to answer a few questions about the Namibia wildlife project over email . The following is a copy paste version of that conversation , edited for length and clarity : Sutter : What ' s the name of the project and who ' s behind it ? Meier : It ' s called MicroMappers , a joint initiative between the Qatar Computing Research Institute and the U . N . ' s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( ) . In terms of the MicroMappers Wildlife Namibia deployment , this is a joint collaboration with the Qatar Computing Research Institute , Drone Adventures , Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve , Polytechnic of Namibia , and l ' cole Polytechnique F d rale de Lausanne . Sutter : How did it come about ? Meier : As a digital humanitarian response to Typhoon Pablo in the Philippines 2012 . We had experimented with micro tasking to analyze pictures posted on Twitter to support the U . N . ' s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ' rapid damage assessment efforts . After this largely successful response , called me up and asked me if I ' d be ready to replicate this effort ( micro tasking ) in future disasters . More recently , given the increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles ( UAVs , or drones ) in humanitarian response , we decided to develop the Aerial Clicker . The purpose of the Aerial Clicker is to crowdsource the analysis of aerial imagery for disaster response . The Qatar Computing Research Institute wanted to test the new Aerial Clicker but not in the middle of a disaster . Given our existing collaboration with Drone Adventures ( a group aiming to help citizens map the word with drones ) , I approached the latter and offered to help their partners in Namibia analyze their aerial imagery . This would help the rangers assess whether crowdsourcing could support their future wildlife monitoring and protection work while helping us test the Aerial Clicker in a nondisaster situation . Sutter : The MicroMappers said over the weekend that about 500 " digital rangers " participated in this project . Who are they what sorts of day jobs do they have , etc ? Meier : It ' s hard to say since many don ' t sign in to volunteer but , anecdotally , a combination of digital humanitarian volunteers and individuals who are interested in wildlife protection , from all ages and walks of life . I know that several U . S . schools are involved , since several teachers got in touch with me earlier . Here ' s a note I got from a woman who is participating : " I am very grateful and looking forward to being even a small part of MicroMappers . I donate to National Geographic and also make purchases that benefit conservation of land and the animals that habitate them , including purchases of the book ' Tigers Forever , ' etc . It was always my dream to go to Africa to help the wildlife in any way I could , but realistically that is not possible for most . So thank you so much for helping me to participate in this program , and giving us , the public , an opportunity to help , hopefully this can be another step towards stopping the poachers . " Sutter : What ' s the end goal ? Or what big questions are you hoping will be answered ? Meier : The big questions we ' re hoping to answer : Can the crowd accurately identify and trace features of interest in high resolution aerial imagery captured by ( drones ) ? Is the Aerial Clicker ready for prime time ( i . e . a deployment during a disaster ) ? Are the resulting traces of high quality enough to develop machine learning classifiers to potentially semi automate the identification of features in future deployments ? Sutter : Where do the images come from and who will analyze the findings ? Meier : The images come from Drone Adventures . We will analyze the results together with the rangers at Kuzikus Wildlife Reserve . Sutter : This seems like adult " Where ' s Waldo " to me but , I guess , with a purpose ? Meier : Yes , " Where ' s Waldo " with a purpose . Incidentally , one of our next pilots will likely be later this year in the Philippines . A local partner , called SkyEye , is doing some great work around the use of UAVs for disaster response . After major typhoons in the Philippines , one important element of disaster damage assessment is to determine how many coconut trees have been uprooted destroyed since this impacts local livelihoods and food security . To date , SkyEye has had to manually count destroyed coconut trees in the many aerial pictures they take . So what we want to do is to upload these images to the Aerial Clicker and launch a similar challenge to determine whether the crowd is able to accurately identify said coconut trees . We ' re also interested to explore whether these resulting traces can be used to create a machine learning classifier for destroyed coconut trees . In general , one of the main use cases for the Aerial Clicker is infrastructure damage assessment . That said , given the interest around the Namibia challenge , it ' s clear that our Clicker ( and the other Clickers ) could be used for applications beyond disaster response . In fact , an archaeologist who uses UAVs as part of his work got in touch to ask about potentially using the Aerial Clicker and crowdsourcing as part of his archaeology projects . We ' re psyched about all the other possible applications and keen to explore these and partner with others . This is very much in line with the mandate and focus of the social innovation program that I direct at the Qatar Computing Research Institute . Sutter : Have you gone digital game hunting yourself ? Is it hard ? Meier : Yes I have ( although I wouldn ' t use the word hunting ) . It is challenging but a really fun challenge makes me feel like a digital Indiana Jones or Sherlock Holmes . There are all those computing games for kids ( mostly ) that ask players to find certain hidden objects in made up pictures . It ' s all fictitious but this ( wildlife challenge ) is real , so you can have fun while doing something meaningful and learning a few things in the process . Hopefully , now , people know where Namibia is on the map ! And have learned a few things about wildlife issues in the country . Sutter : Tell me how this effort fits into the bigger picture both in terms of the crowdsourcing movement and environmental science ? Meier : I ' ve come into this from the digital humanitarian side of things but there are obviously important overlaps with citizen science , which is why I ' ve spent quite a bit of time learning from the pros in citizen science , like Zooniverse . ( I ' m collaborating with them on this other project , by the way , and we ' re hoping to pilot the initiative very soon ) . Zooniverse is really great for large scale citizen science deployments . In our case , MicroMappers seeks to support the " long tail " of citizen science or digital humanitarian projects , i . e . those projects which simply don ' t require hundreds of thousands of volunteers but rather a few hundred to a few thousand . That ' s where we fit in the bigger picture . Sutter : Is this new ? Or how does it push things forward ? Meier : Crowdsourcing the analysis of aerial imagery for wildlife protection is certainly new . I haven ' t heard of any other project like this . But what MicroMappers really pushes forward is how easy it is to become a digital humanitarian or a digital ranger , for that matter . The Clickers are specifically designed so that anyone can volunteer without prior experience or special skills . With MicroMappers , we ' re looking to democratize the digital humanitarian experience .

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Radio Neil ' Dr ' Fox has been re arrested on suspicion of three sexual assaults . It comes two months after the former Pop Idol judge was first arrested at the Magic offices in London following four earlier allegations of sexual assault against two women . The 53 year old presenter , known as Doctor Fox , was questioned today over a further three alleged sexual assaults involving different women after he returned to a London police station on bail . Radio Neil ' Dr ' Fox , who is facing four sexual assault allegations , has been arrested on suspicion of three further sexual assaults . The 53 year old was questioned at a central London police station today He said he ' strenuously ' denied the allegations after he was questioned by officers . Speaking to News , Fox said : ' ( I ' m ) obviously extremely upset about these allegations . ( I ) strenuously deny these allegations . ' ( I ' ve been ) with my legal team this afternoon trying to answer the police questions as best we possibly can , of course , and helping them as much as we can . ' Apart from that it is probably inappropriate that I say anything else at the moment . ' Two of the latest allegations , which involve different women , are said have happened in the 1990s , and the third is said to have happened in 2007 . He has been bailed to a date in March 2015 . Mr Fox was first arrested on Tuesday , September 30 , following four allegations of sexual assault against two women , including three ' non recent ' allegations and one from earlier this year . Mr Fox was first held by detectives on September 30 at the Magic offices in London just moments after coming off air . A spokesman for Bauer Media , which owns Magic , did not comment on his latest arrest He was questioned for more than seven hours over four alleged offences relating to two women . Three of the earlier claims are historic and the fourth relates to an incident earlier this year . Officers subsequently searched addresses in Fulham , west London and in the area of Littlehampton , West Sussex . A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police did not name the broadcaster , but confirmed that a 53 year old man had been arrested today for a further three alleged sexual assaults involving three different women . A spokesman for Bauer Media , which owns Magic , said : ' We have no comment to make on what is a police matter . ' Fox ( far right ) is perhaps best known as one of the judges on Pop Idol alongside Simon Cowell , Pete Waterman and Nicki Chapman . He has also presented a Channel 5 show based on the Top 40 Chart Following Fox ' s arrest in September , the company said the presenter would be off air ' to enable him to devote his full attention to dealing with these matters ' . A spokeswoman for Fox declined to comment . Mr Fox , who is known by nicknames ' Doctor Fox ' and ' Foxy , started his career in local radio before moving the Radio Luxembourg and later Capital . There he presented in a number of slots , rising to fame as a in the early 1990s . In 1993 he was given the job of hosting the Pepsi Network Chart on Sunday afternoon . The Top 40 show soared in popularity and at one time had a bigger audience than its Radio 1 rival . He was later rumoured to have been offered the coveted breakfast slot on Radio 1 , following the departure of Chris Evans . Earlier this month Neil Fox hosted Magic ' s London ' s Biggest Breakfast which was attended by Mayor Boris Johnson , who hosted a breakfast club at the event . He joined the commercial radio station in 2005 Fox went on to present a Channel 5 show based around the Pepsi Top 40 Chart and has won numerous awards throughout his career . But he is perhaps best known as one of the judges on Pop Idol , a forerunner of X Factor , alongside Simon Cowell , Pete Waterman and Nicki Chapman . The series ran on from 2001 to 2003 and set the format of talent shows based on audience voting for the next decade . Two years later Fox took the breakfast show chair on 105 . 4 Magic and has remained there ever since . A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said : ' On Tuesday , 30 September , officers from Westminster arrested a 53 year old man following four allegations of sexual assault against two women . ' Three of the allegations are non recent , one is from earlier this year . ' The man was arrested at a business address and taken to a central London police station . ' On Monday , 8 December , he returned on bail to a central London police station and was arrested for a further three sexual assaults involving different women . ' The man has now been bailed to return pending further enquiries to a date in March 2015 . ' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .

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Reuters) - President Donald Trump downplayed the severity of a potential government shutdown on Thursday, just two days shy of a deadline for Congress to reach a spending deal to avert temporary layoffs of federal workers. “We’ll see what happens. If there’s a shutdown, there’s a shutdown,” Trump told Reuters in an interview, adding that Democrats would be to blame if the federal government was left unfunded. Congress has until 12:01 a.m. on Saturday to pass a bill to fund the government or face a shutdown, which would temporarily lay off hundreds of thousands of federal workers. Republicans introduced a bill on Wednesday to fund government operations at current levels for one more week, giving them time to finish negotiations with Democrats on the plan for the rest of the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. Trump said a shutdown would be a “very negative thing” but that his administration was prepared if it was necessary. In a wide-ranging interview, he defended the one-page tax plan he unveiled on Wednesday from criticism that it would increase the U.S. deficit, saying better trade deals and economic growth would offset the costs. “We will do trade deals that are going to make up for a tremendous amount of the deficit. We are going to be doing trade deals that are going to be much better trade deals,” Trump said. Trump also said it would be unfair to offer a debt bailout to Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, because it was unfair to people in U.S. states. As part of the budget negotiations, Democrats have called for financial support to prop up Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program covering health insurance for the poor, but many Republicans are opposed to the idea. “I don’t think that’s fair to the people of Iowa, and I don’t think it’s fair to the people of Wisconsin and Ohio and North Carolina and Pennsylvania that we should be bailing out Puerto Rico for billions and billions of dollars,” Trump said. “ No I don’t think that’s fair.”

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MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said he was completely loyal to Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday. When asked if he was completely loyal, he told Reuters: Yes. Yes of course.

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A Missouri state representative is making national headlines today after he shared a video on Facebook of him decapitating a living chicken to drive home his disgusting opinion about abortion.In the grotesque video, state Rep. Mike Moon promotes his anti-abortion bill while he hangs a live chicken upside down from a tree branch.Mr. Moon then says, When the governor called for the second special session this year, I was right in the middle of my summer job. But like any good career politician, when I get the call, I m going back to work, he happily exclaims as he starts to slice into the neck of the chicken, causing it to writhe around and flap its wings.He then proceeds to mutilate the chicken, pulling out its heart while lecturing about the need to protect human lives. God gave us man dominion over life. He allows us to raise animals properly and care for them and then process them for food so we can sustain life. And that s what I m doing here with this chicken. So we ve been called back to this special session for the primary purpose of supporting life, protecting the unborn specifically. I think we need to get to the heart of the matter here. So today, I m filing a bill that will lead to the stopping of abortion in the state of Missouri and I hope you ll support it. The Springfield News reports that Moon s bill emphasizes that Missouri protect the right to life of all humans, born and unborn and to require due process of law before the life of any human, born or unborn, is ended prior to natural death. The National Abortion Rights Leauge didn t think the stunt was very funny and calls Moon out for playing political games with the healthcare of women. It was insulting watching Rep. Moon use the rights of women across Missouri as some kind of political prop, the organization said. His call to ban abortion is disturbing and dangerous, no matter what he does with that chicken. Hopefully, the backlash from this stunt will make Mr. Moon realize that women deserve access to healthcare, regardless of what he likes to do to chicken in the privacy of his own home.Feature image via Screen Capture

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A large group of pensioners , some in their late 80s , and at least one over 100 years old , gathered in Trafalgar Square today to protest about a lack of government funding for elderly visitors to music festivals . One octogenarian described how he and his wife ( 78 ) could no longer afford designer Wellingtons for trips to Glastonbury , and how the lack of a hearing aid loop at the outdoor venue had spoiled the music . " It ' s a disgrace , when there ' s a 4 kilowatt system , and you ' re stood next to the speakers as usual , and can ' t hear your wife speaking to you . What if there ' d been an emergency ? " he said . " The government should have a Wellington allowance for festival goers over 65 , at least . As for a hearing loop , well , should be standard equipment , surely ? " His wife complained about the lack of high seats on the portaloos . Other protesters had noticed that no pension payments could be collected at the giro caravan , and only child benefit and unemployment benefits were dealt with . " I had to use a mobile to get my pension sorted , " said one , " Mobiles aren ' t cheap , you know , and the burger stand had no discount for over 65s , either . Absolute disgrace . I fought in the war , you know . " The protesters denied having anything to do with some booing that had occurred during the Kaiser Chief ' s set . " Let bygones be bygones " , they said . " That war was over in 1918 , and the Kaiser is long dead . Just because a musical group cares to call themselves after a German , doesn ' t mean they ' re unpatriotic . We thought it was funny , really . We fought in the war you know . " Some pensioners had horror stories about a lack of prescription drugs available at the site , although they had discovered some other drugs which temporarily relieved arthritis pain . Several had broken skateboards , which they attribute to low pension payments . " We just can ' t afford to get them fixed . " They said . " You try riding one of these with a dodgy hip and no zimmer , see where that gets you . " Local Sir Init Forthemoney was not available for comment , as he had a luncheon engagement with his " secretary " .

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Use your ( arrow ) keys to browse more stories Milos Raonic celebrates his fourth round win over Stan Wawrinka at the 2016 Australian Open . The most intriguing match on tap for Wednesday at the 2016 Australian Open is the quarterfinal matchup between No . 23 seed Gael Monfils and No . 13 Milos Raonic . The red hot Raonic won the Brisbane International and reached the final of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship earlier in the month , and he has stayed on a roll in Melbourne . He knocked off No . 4 seed Stan Wawrinka in a five set classic on Monday ( 6 4 , 6 3 , 5 7 , 4 6 , 6 3 ) . Prior to that match , he hadn ' t dropped a set en route to the fourth round . The 25 year old Canadian looks poised for a huge year . Damien Cox of the Toronto Star believes the victory could be " career altering " for Raonic : That ' s the kind of win for Raonic that can be career altering . New level of belief . Monfils has also sliced through the competition on his way to the quarterfinals . He ' s lost just one set in Melbourne , and that came in his four set victory over Andrey Kuznetsov ( 7 5 , 3 6 , 6 3 , 7 6 7 4 ) in the fourth round . This is a tough match to predict because Monfils has won both of the previous meetings with Raonic , but they took place in 2011 and 2013 . Clearly , Raonic is a different player now than he was in the previous matches . Monfils ' loose , daring and athletic style is often difficult for opponents to handle . Prior to reaching the quarterfinals in this year ' s tournament , Gael Monfils had never made it beyond the fourth round at the Australian Open . However , when an up and coming player like Raonic gets on a roll such as the one he ' s enjoying presently , it ' s foolish to bet against him . Prior to the Mubadala World Tennis Championship , Raonic had never beaten Wawrinka . In a span of three weeks , he ' s defeated him twice . Expect Raonic to grab his first victory over Monfils on Wednesday . Here ' s a look at the entire singles schedule for Wednesday , along with predictions . You can view the entire schedule at AusOpenweblink . 2016 Australian Open Schedule for Wednesday , Day 10

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An acupuncturist who probed deeper than was necessary has been charged with sexual assault and sentenced to 20 months in jail , followed by three years on probation . The Supreme Court convicted Kang Van Lam , 59 , of sexually assaulting the women at his clinic in South Fraser . Lam will be required to provide a sample and will remain on the national sex offender registry for 20 years . The women who brought the charges against the acupuncturist have received Court protection to remain anonymous and refused to provide any details when questioned about the assault . However , the news of the trial and conviction encouraged other women to come forward with claims of assault they said they only became aware of after hearing about the other charges . These other claimants offered their stories on condition of anonymity . One woman claimed the doctor told her the acupuncture pins were too risky to apply in the more sensitive areas , and he would have to use a blunt instrument for probing into the sexual parts . It turned out the blunt instrument was a finger . Another woman expressed surprise at being told by the doctor that acupuncture was also applicable in the sexual areas . She said the doctor told her that the crucial nerves were located in the inner passages which had to be probed very sensitively . He used an instrument which the woman claimed felt much thicker than a finger . Yet another woman said she became suspicious when the doctor moved the blunt instrument in and out repeatedly instead of leaving it in one position . She was surprised that the experience was so pleasurable . She had always thought that any medical procedure would be painful and unpleasant . The only common theme in all the cases was that none of the women got to see the blunt instrument the doctor used except for the first one who only saw the finger . All the women agreed that the instrument felt much longer and thicker than a finger . Some women claimed that when they told the acupuncturist they could only afford a limited number of sessions , he offered to provide extra sessions at no charge . It turns out the doctor has a previous history of sexual offences . In 2007 , the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists suspended him from practising after several women complained to the police .

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Up until recently, we ve all been witnessing Donald Trump speak freely with nothing really prepared except for the usual crumpled sheet of paper he d pull out of his coat pocket to read the latest poll numbers to tell us how wonderful he is. However, with clinching the Republican nomination getting closer and closer, he s trying (and failing) to be more refined. Which includes using a teleprompter to read speeches that are prepared for him.During his foreign policy speech on Wednesday, it was painfully awkward to watch. You could hear him reading the speech, which did not come across naturally whatsoever. Watching his head swiftly move from side to side to give the illusion that he was speaking freely was more clumsy than a first date in the dark.Then came the moment when he was trying to be serious and speak about some foreign policy blunders, and he spoke about when some of our embassies overseas were compromised. However, his reading off the teleprompter proved this is probably the first time he has ever heard of the places of which he was speaking.For example, he read: Our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. But SAID: Our embassies in Kenya and Tan-ZANE-ia. Small blunder? Sure, but one that was surely noticed by all and just another example of Trump s clear ineptitude.Donald Trump has a pretty interesting way of pronouncing Tanzania. #tanzaynia weblink (@DOPEITSTOM) April 27, 2016Taking notice of this blunder was none other than, well, pretty much everyone- but also White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest. When questioned about the moment, Earnest quipped: Apparently phonetics are not included on the teleprompter. Watch here:"Apparently, the phonetics are not included on the teleprompter." @PressSec on Donald Trump foreign policy address.weblink (@cspan) April 27, 2016All in all, it shows how ill-prepared Trump is at not only addressing the nation, but also reading. Add this to the list of reasons not to vote for him, which is a very, very long list.If you want to torture yourself, you can watch the speech in full HERE.Featured Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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Wed, 26 Oct 2016 21:23 © Carlos Barria / Reuters The government abstained from the vote on a resolution calling for an end to the economic embargo against Cuba, for the first time in 24 years. The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution with 191 votes in favor on Wednesday. The only other abstention, besides the US, was Israel. The vote is non-binding but it can have political weight. Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez described the abstention as a "positive step for the future of improving relations between the United States and Cuba," according to Reuters. Rodriguez said in September that the embargo cost Cuba $4.6 billion last year, and the full damage over the length of the 50-year embargo was estimated at $125.9 billion. When it was first announced that the government would abstain from the vote, the entire General Assembly applauded. "Abstaining on this resolution does not mean that the United States agrees with all of the policies and practices of the Cuban government. We do not," Samantha Power the Ambassador to the United Nations told the General Assembly on Tuesday. "We are profoundly concerned by the serious human rights violations that the Cuban government continues to commit with impunity against its own people," she said, according to AP. The Obama administration began normalizing relations with the Communist-run country in at the end of 2014, easing trade and travel restrictions. On July 20, 2015, diplomatic relations were restored, and embassies in the two countries were reopened. Lifting the full embargo will take the support of the Republican-run Congress, which remains critical of the administration's efforts, arguing it offered too many concessions to Cuba and accepted little in return, especially on human rights and the restoration of expropriated property. Obama made the first visit to Havana by a president in 88 years in March.

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First published October 31, 2016 Iraq is going to invade and destroy Saudi Arabia. They would have done it back in 1990 except for waffling by George H.W. Bush who had initially authorized the move and then rescinded approval, according to statements made by former Congressman Ron Paul, based on WikiLeaks State Department hacks. Saddam was blocked in 1990, and that may well have been a huge mistake on the part of everyone involved. When the returned in 2003, it was Saudi cash that financed the Sunni Wahhabist was against the coalition government in Baghdad, a war that continues to this day, with the same cast of characters, the same Saudi cash, but they now call it “ISIS.” 5000 Americans died fighting Saudi paid jihadists. Saudi Arabia has always known that Iraq has only allowed them to continue their mischief so long as they served a purpose. When the war with Iran ended in 1988, that purpose had ended also. Saudi mischief in Iraq, playing tribe against tribe, pushing for Kurdish separatism and partnering with Israeli intelligence, ramped up as America scaled back her military presence under President Obama. By 2014, a logistics and command structure to destroy both Syria and Iraq had been established, headquartered in the Saudi embassies in Beirut and Amman and operating military operations centers, designed and built by the Israelis, at key locations in Turkey and quickly bolstered by satellite facilities across Iraq and Syria. The Saudi’s were feeling time getting away from them, their decades of military buildup, based on endless oil and investment performance, no long sustainable. They had to knock out Syria and Iraq, using Israel, Turkey and as surrogates, push the into destroying Iran and cleanse Yemen of threats. They bribed everyone they got near. Were the Saudi’s really the ones behind the Arab spring? Do we see the hands of Saudi Arabia when Israel channels Hamas fighters into the Yarmouk Camp, outside Damascus, to bolster forces? These are the telling events few see, but that prove the hypothesis and provide what is needed to predict a future that may well no longer include the Dark Kingdom. With a world obsessed with Islamic extremism and terror threats, why is no one looking at where it comes from, who finances, whose ideas are behind it and who it serves? With fingers pointing at the Mossad or and so many others, the real issue is Wahhabism and the real root of it all is Saudi Arabia. There is no version of 9/11 that doesn’t credit Saudi Mohammed Atta as planner of 9/11, whether assisted by Israeli art students or Osama bin Laden, depending on which theories you follow. The Saudi’s did it and American civil courts are busy now assessing the damages. Oil money and sovereign immunity and, oh yes, control of the Human Rights Council, from which Russia was just expelled, protect them also, despite their abuses and love of head chopping. Pro-Iran militias in Iraq What is playing out now will lead only one direction , to a stronger Iraq, one under Shiite control with the economically powerful Sunni families, quietly migrating to their second homes in Dubai and Qatar. The crippled military the saddled Iraq with will be gone, replaced by powerful Iranian-trained militias. The American-trained army joined ISIS. Had Prime Minister Maliki, back in 2014, been more aware of the threat, he would have moved against the Army. That, however, would have renewed the civil war, a war that could only have been ended with Iranian military intervention and Iran was still reeling with sanctions and the threat of American invasion. That threat is gone also. That world is gone, or soon will be as is being played out in Mosul and Aleppo. No one would have imagined Baghdad’s resolve or the partnership between Russia and Iran. Still in question is Turkey’s role. It is clear someone promised them Aleppo and Mosul, as is reflected in their military incursions into Syria and Iraq. If Saudi Arabia thinks Turkey will lift a hand to block Iraq’s wrath, they are delusional. Turkey knows it can have peace with Iran and that both share similar ideas about the Kurds. This far outweighs any Turkish ambitions to the South. Turkey may well be planning a new Ottoman Empire, but Saudi Arabia is not in the cards for Turkish occupation. Members of the Abbas combat squad, a Shia militia, trained with Iraqi soldiers in Basra This leaves the protection of the United States and the upcoming election. Is there any American political leader that would oppose Iraq were they to hit Saudi Arabia, by 2020 or 2021? The prediction is that Iraq will come out of this war intact and, if they do, with a victorious army for the first time genuinely answerable to Baghdad and reeling from the battle of Mosul, likely to leave 20,000 civilians dead in its wake or more, the national enmity for Saudi Arabia will know no bounds. The Sunni gangsters from Anbar that aligned with the Saudis are mostly dead, many beheaded by ISIS. The promised Kurdish state in Erbil, the so-called “Barzani Sultanate” will not be handed control of the massive Kirkuk oil fields and the Ceyhan Pipeline by ISIS, as may well have been planned. Without these assets, Erbil will still enjoy a strong commercial presence but will never be able to reach into the Kurdish diaspora and bring the millions home and under questionable rule, subject to Erbil’s deal making with everyone. Eventually Erbil will become a ghost town, the sons that returned will again migrate and Turkish ambitions, seemingly undone, will be fulfilled. As it appears now, Iraq will survive. Iraq also knows that what Saudi Arabia tried twice, they will try again and that the only way Iraq can be free is if Saudi Arabia falls. And then there is Iran. Iranian aircraft have carried out strikes against the Islamic State. (Photo: TomoNews US) Gordon Duff is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War who has worked on veterans and issues for decades and consulted with governments challenged by security issues, and is a senior editor and chairman of the board of Veterans Today, especially for the online magazine “ New Eastern Outlook .”

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Los Angeles ( Financial Times ) Walt Disney will incur a 200m writedown on John Carter , the action film based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel which has failed at the box office despite a 300m production budget and an extensive global marketing campaign . The film about an American civil war hero who journeys to Mars is shaping up to be one of Hollywood ' s costliest flops . It has generated 184m in global ticket sales but with about half its takings going to cinema chains , Disney has had to adjust its earnings guidance for the quarter to reflect the film ' s performance . The company said its " current expectation " is that its movie studio division will incur an operating loss of between 80m and 120m for the quarter following the release of the movie . The writedown deals a blow to Rich Ross , the chairman of Walt Disney Studios , who has been trying to improve returns at the division following a restructuring and a focus on films made under the Disney , Pixar and Marvel brands . The studio has better prospects for the rest of the year , when it will release Brave , the latest film from Pixar , and The Avengers , a superhero movie featuring characters such as Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk . Disney said the two movies had " tremendous potential to drive value for the studio and the rest of the company " . However , the abject failure of John Carter is not likely to be forgotten in an industry where a single flop can wipe out a studio ' s annual profits . Hopes were initially high for John Carter : Its director , Andrew Stanton , had made the critically lauded and commercially successful Finding Nemo and Wall E . But the director openly admitted to struggling with the transition from animated film making to live action directing . Meanwhile , Burroughs ' source material , which inspired filmmakers such as James Cameron , has failed to energise young , male cinema goers , a crucial demographic for any big budget action movie . The film comes a year after another costly Disney flop Mars Needs Moms but although it is likely to provoke some soul searching at the company , privately executives are standing behind Mr Stanton and saying the company will continue to take risks in the pursuit of creative success . John Carter was " greenlit " , or put into development , by the previous management regime at Disney ' s studio . Since the departure of Dick Cook , the former studio chairman , Disney has cut its marketing costs and reduced the headcount at its home entertainment division to reflect an industry wide slump in sales . It is also producing fewer movies , concentrating instead on distributing titles produced by DreamWorks , the movie studio created by Steven Spielberg , Pixar and Marvel , the comic book publisher it acquired in 2009 for 4bn . The Financial Times Limited 2012

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An Arkansas woman who was fed up with her husband ' s incessant snoring has been charged with attempted first degree murder after repeatedly stabbing him in his sleep with a butcher ' s knife . Dawn Weiser , of Springdale , plead not guilty in court on Wednesday after leaving her husband with a punctured spleen , lacerated liver and three other stab wounds from the attack . The 44 year old mother of two was sleeping in a spare room with her son after an argument earlier in the evening with her husband Doug about his snoring . Dawn Weiser ( left ) has been charged with first degree attempted murder for stabbing her snoring husband Doug ( pictured right ) She is alleged to have crept back into the bedroom in the early hours of the morning and began stabbing her husband with a butcher ' s knife . Her 43 year old husband was able to wrestle the knife from her and call police , after being stabbed several times . Mrs Weiser told police she awoke to a loud noise during the night and walked in to find her husband with stab wounds . She went on to insist that an intruder was responsible for the stabbing , despite her husband saying she was responsible for his wounds . Dawn Weiser tweeted about her husband ' s snoring before the attack Dawn Weiser is pleading not guilty to charges of attempted first degree murder after the attack with a butcher ' s knife Investigators say Dawn later confessed to stabbing her husband and hiding the knife and told police she couldn ' t stand being kept awake any longer . Dawn was so angry at her husband ' s snoring that she had spoken about it on social media . A week before the alleged attack she wrote on her Twitter account : ' A certain someone is about to have an appointment made to address . notnamingnames . ' Details of the attack , which took place on August 29th , came out as Mrs Wesier made her first court appearance on Wednesday on an attempted first degree murder charge . She pleaded not guilty and has been sent for trial in December . The court was told her husband filed for divorce a week after the alleged attack . Doug Weiser pictured fishing before the attack , which left him with three stab wounds

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By now you have seen, or at least heard about Meryl Streep s speech at the Golden Globes where she went after Donald Trump without even needing to say his name. If you haven t, well, what the hell have you been doing in the past 18 hours?Needless to say, Streep s speech has brought on a lot of controversy with many people coming out against her, including Donald Trump himself.Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn't know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a .. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017Hillary flunky who lost big. For the 100th time, I never "mocked" a disabled reporter (would never do that) but simply showed him . Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017"groveling" when he totally changed a 16 year old story that he had written in order to make me look bad. Just more very dishonest media! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017Which, by the way, is hilarious, because Meryl Streep is probably one of the most celebrated actors in all of Hollywood and is absolutely not over-rated because she s f**king phenomenal at her craft.However, with as much negativity thrown at Streep over her speech, there s been just as much defense. And one person who is standing up to defend the famed actress is none other than famed actor/director Ron Howard.Taking to Twitter, and taking aim at a few Twitter troll, egg profiles and all, Howard lays out some solid facts. He tweeted: Trump used his fame to speak out on issues years before he ran 4 office. why was he allowed & Ms Streep should keep quiet? no hypocrisy please. trump used his fame to speak out on issues years before he ran 4 office. why was he allowed & Ms Streep should keep quiet? no hypocrisy pls weblink Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) January 9, 2017Then when a troll responded:@RealRonHoward It would be nice if Streep had any idea of the facts! It's always disgusting when these celebs repeated the lies from the Deanne Tate (@deanne_tate) January 9, 2017Howard replied: Trump was a reality tv star spouting criticisms of a president & reinforcing the Birther Lie. but now celebs should b muzzled? @deanne_tate trump was a reality tv star spouting criticisms of a president & reinforcing the Birther Lie. but now celebs should b muzzled? Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) January 9, 2017Then, really laying the point home about Trump, Howard tweeted the next morning after Trump pathetically and expectedly responded to Streep: Trump takes the bait & calls Meryl Streep overrated?! Please Pres-Elect. Don t make this into the which is fun but not presidential Trump takes the bait & calls #MerylStreep overrated?! Please Pres-Elect. Don't make this into the which is fun but not presidential Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) January 9, 2017Which is exactly what all of this has become.To be blunt, Trump is an embarrassment to not only the nation, but himself, but he s too narcissistic to see it. He can t handle people criticizing him and calling him out on things he very much did.Good on Howard for defending Streep, as we all must because she was absolutely on point in her criticism. And if you don t like her calling out a bully, that says more about you than it does her.Featured photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Ferragamo

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Vancouver , British Columbia Holding the Olympic medal she and her mom always wanted , Joannie Rochette finally smiled and talked about when she was a young skater and desperately wanted to make her mother proud . Her mom , Therese , was her biggest supporter and sometimes her biggest critic , she said . She wasn ' t the best " coach , " and she was kind of picky , but she had such a good eye , Rochette said . She was always encouraging , too , even when she was finding fault . " And even though she ' s not here anymore , I ' m not afraid to say it , sometimes she was a pain in the ass , " Rochette said laughing , probably for the first time in days . Rochette made her mom very proud Thursday night , winning a bronze medal in the women ' s figure skating final , just four days after Therese Rochette died of a heart attack . Without her mother to support her , Joannie Rochette skated into Canada ' s collective heart by relying on all those years of training , all those years of committing jumps and spins to muscle memory . And when she needed it most , she relied on the memory of how her mom would always convince her that she was going to be on the Olympic medals podium . " It feels good for me to talk about her , " she said , joyfully recounting the many times her mom took her to practice and stay when the other moms left . She laughed when she told how her mom would assess a school test score of 98 with a " What about those other two points ? " " She was my biggest fan , my best friend . She was with me every step of the way , " she said . When things weren ' t going so well in the first week Rochette was here for Olympics training , she called her mom , seeking her advice on what to do about her triple Lutz . Her mom assured her it would be all right , that she just needed to visualize doing it well in her head , that this was something she had done for years . But doing what she did this week was something no person can ever be prepared for . To compete in the spotlight of the Olympics ' marquee event , in front of an expectant and hopeful home crowd , with the heartache of her mother ' s death so present would take strength most of us cannot imagine . But the people closest to her knew she had that strength . Her coach , Manon Perron , said there was never any doubt that Rochette would skate and never a doubt that she wouldn ' t be standing on the medals podium . " Never . . . because she was so ready and the goal was so strong , " Perron said , just like a proud mom . " I ' ve been with her since she was 12 so we just have to look into each other ' s eyes and we know right away . It was really hard on her because her mom was the biggest thing in her life , but she ' s not a quitter . " Rochette said she struggled more than she showed during Tuesday night ' s short program that captivated the skating world . When she stepped on the ice , her legs were shaking , she said . With mom in ' heart and soul , ' Rochette goes for medal " I don ' t know how I ever got through this whole program . I ' m sure my mom was there with me , " she said . Rochette was third after the short program 7 . 14 points behind Kim Yu Na of South Korea and 2 . 42 points behind Mao Asada of Japan who skated just before her . The free skate scores are weighted more and account for roughly two thirds of a skater ' s total . Kim made it impossible for Rochette to dream of gold with an amazing free skate that was the best ever under the 6 year old scoring system 150 . 06 . The score was so high it would have beaten seven skaters ' combined marks on its own . Her total of 228 . 56 is also a record . Asada then put up a 131 . 72 , virtually clinching silver . Rochette came on the ice , looking determined , to the hockey like cheers of the 14 , 000 at Pacific Coliseum . She needed a perfect skate for silver but on a triple flip , she stumbled and her chance for second place slipped away . Later in the program she had a bit of a shaky landing after another jump , but she stayed on her feet . After she finished she blew a kiss into the air , and came to the waiting area where she , in French , covered her heart with her right hand and spoke to her mother . Joannie Rochette opted to stay in the games , and two days later stirred a crowd with a courageous performance . Therese Rochette herself wrote of the bond she had with her daughter in an e mail interview with The Christian Science Monitor in January . She said that she was the first person her daughter called whenever a problem occurred , though Joannie didn ' t need a great amount of support , the Monitor reported this week . " The hurdles she faces motivate her to rise above them , " Therese Rochette wrote to the Monitor . " Joannie has always been naturally determined and persevering . " Joannie Rochette rose through the ranks of Canadian skaters , winning junior national titles before winning six straight senior national championships from 2005 to 2010 . In 2006 , she placed fifth at the Winter Olympics in Turin , Italy , and last year she finished second at the World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles , California . Liz Manley was the last skater to medal for Canada , earning silver at the 1988 Calgary Games .

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Bernie Sanders Could Replace President Trump With Little-Known Loophole Read this article and then share with your friends. By Matt Masur /weblink Here is exactly what we need to do to save our great society. The information here is what we’ve all been waiting for. By doing this we can make Bernie the president on Inauguration day rather than President-elect Donald Trump . Actually, no we can’t. There is no loophole that allows a random person to assume the office of president. That’s pretty basic common sense but yet you clicked or even shared this article anyway. Now that right there is the real point of this post… Our social media sites have been flooded with misinformation in the past few months. While this has always been a problem, it now appears to have exploded over this election season. We are seeing post after post stating just plain illogical things and this is not a problem unique to any one side. Even more dangerous are the posts that don’t appear to be far-fetched until you dig into the details. The big problem with that… People don’t dig for the details. There will be many people who clicked share on this post because of its headline. They may not even click to open the story. They will never actually read these words. Ironically these are the folks who need to hear it the most. As John Oliver correctly pointed out Sunday night, folks are being fed what they want to hear and they’re eating it up like a starving person. The most important thing in a functional society is a well-informed public. What we have now is not only uninformed but misinformed masses. That’s something that should scare us all. The most important thing in a functional society is a well-informed public. What we have now is not only uninformed but misinformed masses. How do we combat this problem? Easy, we have to do some work. While I could give a long dissertation on what exactly that means, no one has the patience to read it all, so here are five quick steps that’ll fit in a meme… 1. Read first. Then share. I myself am guilty of basing comments or even clicking share based on the headline. This is the worst thing any of us could do. Stop being lazy. 2. Check the source (and their sources). In the age of new media true and valid information comes from non-traditional sources but so does a lot of garbage. Any article that posts facts, figures or quotes should provide a source for that information. If there is no backup for their claims, move on. 3. Watch out for recycled stories. One thing that seems to be feeding into the misinformation problem is when old stories are being presented as happening now. Check the date on the story before you read on. You’ll be shocked to see how many are from another time and aren’t applicable to the current event you thought they were talking about. 4. If you care about facts, ignore the blatantly slanted. Having a slant or taking a position on a story is not wrong in itself. What is wrong is when these ideas are taken as unbiased fact. You can avoid all of this by simply avoiding those sites to start with. Any website with the words: Conservative, Liberal, Democrat, Republican, etc. in the title are just advertising how slanted they are. That’s ok if you choose to live in your side’s bubble but please don’t have any delusions that these stories reflect the whole picture. 5. Google it. God (and Sergey ) gave us Google for a reason. If you see a story that’s unbelievable or has no sources or even if it does, verify. See if the same facts are reported across multiple outlets. See if anyone disputes these facts. Read these pieces and then make up your mind. If we could all take these simple steps our society would be a better place. We all have opinions and leanings. There is nothing wrong with that but could we at least all come from a starting point based on facts and reality? The truth is, sharing illogical things begins to erode credibility and it makes you look foolish. Trust me, I speak from experience. Now go share this, please. 0.0 ·

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Kenny Dalglish ' s name is synonymous with Liverpool , one of England ' s most successful football teams , but after a disappointing second spell in charge as manager he has been sacked by the club ' s American owners . Liverpool confirmed Wednesday Dalglish has been relieved of his duties by Fenway Sports Group , headed by John W . Henry , who also owns baseball ' s Boston Red Sox . Dalglish won the English League Cup in February but despite huge outlay on players before the start of this season , his side struggled in the Premier League , finishing in eighth place their worst return for 18 years . A statement on the club ' s official website read : " Fenway Sports Group ( ) and Liverpool Football Club announced that Kenny Dalglish is to leave his post today as manager after having his contract terminated . " After a careful and deliberative review of the season , the club came to the decision that a change was appropriate . It is not a decision that was reached lightly or hastily . " The search for a new manager will begin immediately . " Liverpool ' s 2011 12 campaign was punctuated by controversy . Striker Luis Suarez was handed an eight game ban by the English Football Association for racially abusing Manchester United ' s French defender Patrice Evra . Dalglish and Liverpool ' s players wore t shirts in support of the Uruguayan , who maintained his innocence , but the club were forced to apologize when the striker refused to shake Evra ' s hand before Liverpool ' s game at Old Trafford in February . The Scot ' s relationship with the media became increasingly fractious and he walked out of several post match interviews towards the end of the season . Liverpool narrowly failed to secure a cup double earlier this month , losing 2 1 in the Cup final at Wembley by Chelsea , and then lost the final game of the season at Swansea . Despite his sacking , Dalglish said it had been an " honor and a privilege " to manage the club again . He said : " Of course I am disappointed with results in the league , but I would not have swapped the Carling Cup win for anything as I know how much it meant to our fans and the club to be back winning trophies . Cup success primes Chelsea for Champions League final " Whilst I am obviously disappointed to be leaving the football club , I can say that the matter has been handled by the owners and all concerned in an honorable , respectful and dignified way and reflects on the quality of the people involved and their continued desire to move the football club forward in the same way as when they arrived here . " I would like to thank all of the staff at the club for their effort and loyalty . I said when first approached about coming back as manager that I would always be of help if I can at any time and that offer remains the same . " Finally , I want to put on record my heartfelt gratitude to Liverpool ' s fans , who have always given me and the club their unwavering support . Without them neither the club nor I would have achieved anything . " Dalglish first joined Liverpool as a player in 1977 , winning six league titles and three European Cups . He became player manager in 1985 and led the club to a league and Cup double in his first season . Two more league championships followed before he resigned in 1991 , two years after the Hillsborough disaster in which 96 Liverpool fans were killed at an Cup semifinal . He returned as an ambassador in 2009 and helped coach Liverpool ' s young players . He was appointed manager for the second time when the club removed Roy Hodgson , now the England manager , in January 2011 . Dalglish oversaw an sharp upturn in fortunes as he led Liverpool away from the lower reaches of the Premier League , eventually finishing sixth , having spent big on striker Andy Carroll in January . Several more players arrived in expensive deals over the summer but have failed to make their mark at Anfield . Winger Stewart Downing , signed for a reported 31 million , failed to score or provide an assist in 36 Premier League games but has still been named in England ' s squad for Euro 2012 . Liverpool ' s owner John Henry said : " Kenny will always be more than a championship winning manager , more than a championship winning star player . " He is in many ways the heart and soul of the club . He personifies everything that is good about Liverpool Football Club . He has always put the club and its supporters first . Kenny will always be a part of the family at Anfield . " Our job now is to identify and recruit the right person to take this club forward and build on the strong foundations put in place during the last 18 months . "

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The numbers of the zombie population have drastically dropped in recent decades , because their primary food source , namely that of brains , has been found sadly wanting in our younger generations . Somewhere between the nineteen eighties and the year two thousand entire generations have been spawned that carry a peculiar birthmark . They all carry a sign on their foreheads that reads : Empty space to let ! " They suffer from a further congenital defect , in that they all seem to have a piggy bank for a heart . A kiss for Mummy is estimated at five bucks on today ' s market . The price for tomorrow is yet to be decided by their , Mister Justin Bieber . And Daddy ' s companionship is no longer appreciated , because the longer hours he works , the more allowance they stand to receive . To think that the combined noise of these Twittering brain dead idiots could be so deafening is astounding . Today ' s children have even learned to use a computer with only their left hand , because it is all they need to use the Control C function . There is a report somewhere , which states that over fifty percent of the original content on Twitter is created by one percent of its users , who obviously must be aliens to this planet ! Said aliens probably hail from the planet Bloggy in the Ludicron galaxy , west of Orion and reported to be his favourite peeing spot . Universities everywhere are striving to recover lost from masters of the renaissance , in an effort to revive originality once again , as it has become a lost art form . Teenagers have invented ! ! ? a word , that of F tard , which could be used to label them actually , for their combined vocabulary seems to consist primarily of the F word ( rhymes with such ) , the S word ( it ' s a hit ! ) and the B word ( you scratch it ! ) , with slight variations thereon and usually accompanied by lots and lots of rude gestures . Their main concerns are food , their joysticks " and the search for effective ways of becoming even more annoying to their parents . When asked what they want to become later on in life , they all steadfastly reply : A billionaire ! " , which would be eminently plausible if only they could sell their gigantic egos . But could someone please tell the poor schmucks that by the time they do finally grow up , their shares " on Facebook will be virtually worthless ! This report has used a lot of euphemisms , because the reality is actually much worse !

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Joseph Fiennes to play Michael Jackson in British show Updated 4 : 14 , Wed January 27 , 2016 Actor Joseph Fiennes has reportedly been cast to play late superstar Michael Jackson in a British made for movie about a road trip Jackson , Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando took after the September 11 attacks . Sometimes , casting directors can ' t win for losing when selecting actors for an anticipated film . It ' s too soon to see how the choice of Ben Affleck as Batman will play out , but you couldn ' t tell the Internet that . When the news arrived , nearly everyone was convinced that his portrayal would be so awful , it ' d make history . With " Fifty Shades of Grey , " fans were outraged over Dakota Johnson and Charlie Hunnam ( who dropped out and was replaced by Jamie Dornan ) being named as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey in the adaptation of E . L . James ' racy best seller . Jennifer Lawrence took criticism of her casting as rugged , resourceful " Hunger Games " heroine Katniss Everdeen in stride . " I ' m a massive fan too , so I get it , " the actress said in response to fans who thought she had the wrong look for the dystopian character . Some complained that Lawrence is " too big " and had the wrong hair color to properly fill the role , but that whining was quickly snuffed out by the positive reaction from fans , critics and the box office . The war to cast Marlon Brando or anyone in " The Godfather ' s " Corleone family was tougher than what was depicted in the film , insiders told Vanity Fair in 2009 . Paramount wanted " anyone but Brando " and dropped hints for stars like Laurence Olivier , Ernest Borgnine and Anthony Quinn . But director Francis Ford Coppola knew that Brando was the right man for the part , and after a screen test , executives did , too . Brit actors playing iconic Americans is commonplace these days , but in the late ' 30s , producers feared backlash if they cast then unknown English actress Vivien Leigh in the role of Scarlett O ' Hara . To bring Margaret Mitchell ' s " Gone With the Wind " character to life , Leigh would have to adapt a Southern accent and demeanor , and there was also the matter of her scandalous relationship with Laurence Olivier . But instinct paid off : Leigh wound up with an Oscar for her work . Johnny Depp promised to " reinvent " Tonto ' s relationship with " The Lone Ranger " in 2013 ' s summer flop of the same name , but audiences were wary . Casting Depp to begin with was sketchy , considering that the actor is not a Native American ( although he does claim some Native ancestry ) . That fact coupled with " Lone Ranger ' s " characterization of Tonto , which critics called heavily reliant on stereotypes , made Depp ' s promise a nonstarter . Hollywood ' s portrayal of Egyptian queen Cleopatra has been hotly debated , as some feel that casting a non woman of color most famously done in 1963 with Elizabeth Taylor is a classic example of Hollywood whitewashing . When Angelina Jolie was mentioned as a successor to Taylor ' s iconic performance , many vehemently disagreed , saying that it was time to cast a woman of color . Batman fans are a touchy bunch . When Heath Ledger was cast as The Joker in Christopher Nolan ' s " The Dark Knight , " the typical reaction was , " you ' ve got to be kidding . " Of course , Ledger turned in such an outstanding performance , he won an Oscar for the role . " Twilight " fans initially hated the very man they ' d grow to love . When little known Brit actor Robert Pattinson was cast as Edward Cullen in the adaptation of Stephenie Meyer ' s runaway bestseller , fans felt " unanimous unhappiness " over the man picked to fill the gorgeous , sparkling shoes of their favorite vampire . Of course , after five movies in , R Patz couldn ' t shake his " Twilight " fame . Given that Audrey Hepburn couldn ' t sing , her casting in 1964 ' s " My Fair Lady " was a head scratcher particularly when they could ' ve gone with Julie Andrews , who a ) could sing and b ) had played the role before . The drama came to a head at the 1965 Oscars , when the Academy gave Hepburn the cold shoulder and handed Andrews the Best Actress Oscar for " Mary Poppins . " When Anne Hathaway was revealed as the new Selina Kyle in " Dark Night Rises , " some moviegoers threatened to boycott as they filled comments sections with alternatives . But Hathaway was a lithe , cunning and sensuous Catwoman , all qualities her critics were positive the actress would never pull off . When Jennifer Lopez was picked to play Mexican American singer Selena in a biopic about the singer ' s sadly shortened life , critics shook their heads and a few even protested . How could Lopez , a Puerto Rican American who had yet to show any vocal range , take on the legacy of immensely talented Tejano songbird ? With lip syncing and commitment . " Selena " wound up being one of Lopez ' s standout performances . Before the world came to hate Ben Affleck as Batman , they bestowed their angst on Michael Keaton . When Tim Burton cast the actor known for his comedy in 1989 ' s " Batman , " reactions ranged from " disappointed to disturbed . " In retrospect , though , the 1989 film is a classic ( not solely because of Keaton but not in spite of him , either ) . Daniel Craig brilliantly embodied James Bond in 2012 ' s blockbuster " Skyfall , " but when he was first cast as 007 for 2006 ' s " Casino Royale , " even director Sam Mendes thought he was the wrong guy for the job . Mendes then had to eat his words as he watched Craig " go through that intense pressure and come through that with flying colors . " Jake Gyllenhaal ' s career has had its high points , but 2010 ' s " Prince of Persia : Sands of Time " was not one of them . Criticism of the film aside , the casting of Gyllenhaal in the title role was awfully suspicious . The Atlantic succinctly summed up what everyone was thinking at the time with the headline " Why is a White actor Playing ( the ) ' Prince of Persia ' title role ? " No one hated Tom Cruise ' s casting as Lestat in 1994 ' s " Interview With the Vampire " more than the character ' s creator , Anne Rice . The author publicly criticized the choice and said her readers were just as upset . " The very sad thing about Tom Cruise is , he does not have that kind of distinct voice . How is he possibly going to say those lines ? How is he gonna exert the power of Lestat ? " she said to Movieline . " I don ' t know how it ' s gonna work . " Somehow , Cruise ' s voice did the trick , and Rice changed her tune . Zoe Saldana ' s casting as music legend Nina Simone is a stunning choice , and not just because the actress hasn ' t shown any proclivity toward jazz ( or singing , for that matter ) . Physically , Saldana bears no resemblance to the icon , and none of the options present have been appealing to moviegoers : Either Saldana maintains her natural appearance and offers an inaccurate portrayal , or the actress would be made to appear darker . Judging from production photos , the creative team behind " Nina " went with the latter . Although it may be hard to make authenticity demands on fictional characters , " Thor " fans didn ' t hold back with their frustration over Idris Elba ' s casting in the 2011 film . When Kenneth Branagh tapped his fellow Brit to play Heimdall , some fans complained that a black man couldn ' t play a Norse god . Elba ' s response ? " We have a man who has a flying hammer and wears horns on his head . And yet me being an actor of African descent playing a Norse god is unbelievable ? I mean , Cleopatra was played by Elizabeth Taylor , and Gandhi was played by Ben Kingsley . " M . Night Shyamalan ' s " The Last Airbender " was a disappointment , from the casting on down . Although the cartoon that inspired the film was clearly populated with characters of Asian descent , the cast was oddly and noticeably white . Said one 16 year old fan , " ( The ) target age already loves the show , and they could take the ' risk ' of casting ethnically appropriate actors to the characters . . . . Instead , they have alienated the fans in a way that is not only racially inaccurate and offensive but untrue to the characters or archetypes . "

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In late 2007 , a social network called Juicy Campus started going viral at a handful of colleges . But unlike Facebook , which saw a similar buzz three years earlier as a fast spreading social network conquering one university after another , Juicy Campus encouraged its users to talk about each other , not themselves . Instead of posting party photos and calls for homework help , Juicy Campus was a social network designed to spread gossip about your peers . And to get the best gossip , Juicy Campus let its users post anonymously . You can imagine where that went . After posts of students ' sexual exploits and even personal threats began to spread across Juicy Campus , some colleges attempted to block their servers from accessing the site . Fortunately , Juicy Campus didn ' t last long and was dead by early 2009 because it couldn ' t generate enough advertising revenue to stay afloat . Today , there ' s a new resurgence in anonymous social networks and messaging apps , which seem to be gaining traction in light of Edward Snowden ' s revelations that the National Security Agency has access to just about everything we do online . Some big name investors are pumping millions into these startups , hoping one will be the next big thing to take off . There are apps such as Confide and Wickr that let you send self destructing text or photo messages . There ' s Telegram , which bills itself as a more private alternative to WhatsApp . And we ' ve all heard of Snapchat . But two other anonymous social networks seem to have captured the attention of plugged in techies and venture capitalists more than anything else : Whisper and Secret . Both apps have received heavy financial backing . Whisper recently raised a huge 30 million round , just months after raising 21 million . Secret snagged 8 . 6 million from big investors such as Google Ventures . And both apps have triggered a debate about whether or not anonymous apps that encourage the spread of gossip are good for the online community as a whole . By allowing users to post anonymously , these apps encourage such personal confessions as , " I have extreme feelings of rage when people around me chew or drink too loudly . " But they also may eventually enable hateful and defamatory gossip about people . There ' s also concern that people will post secrets and news that are just plain wrong , but get spun into the record as gospel . We ' re already seeing evidence of it , at least with Secret , which launched two months ago and has seen its share of scandalous posts . I can tell you that my feed alone , which comes from a network of friends in my iPhone ' s address book and " friends of friends , " is full of caustic gossip about venture capitalists , sexism in tech , and a healthy amount of explicit sexual fantasies . In short , it ' s not quite the kind of content a new startup with a fresh round of funding wants to be hosting . Secret has already taken a toll on some folks in the tech industry . Earlier this month , there was the case of Julie Ann Horvath , a former developer at GitHub who alleged harassment by her bosses after someone on Secret accused her of lying about her contributions to the company . Her tweets on the issue led to the suspension of one of GitHub ' s founders , pending an investigation . Legendary venture capitalist Marc Andreessen , who has invested in almost every major startup in recent years , from Facebook to the recent crop of Bitcoin payment apps , caused a stir the other day when he posted several tweets saying anonymous apps are bad for society . " There are other systems in past present designed to encourage negative behavior , tearing people down , making fellow souls sad , " he wrote in one tweet . Andreessen didn ' t call out Secret , Whisper or any other similar apps by name , but it was clear what he was talking about and that he views such apps as havens for negativity and hate . To its credit , Secret has tried its best to tamp down the nasty posts . Its app now shows a warning to users not to post anything defamatory or insensitive about other people . Otherwise , Secret says it has the right to remove such posts . Whisper doesn ' t seem to have the same scandalous cloud hanging over it that Secret does , mostly because it has a team of human editors monitoring posts for naughty content . Meanwhile , Whisper ' s broader strategy under its newly hired editor in chief , Neetzan Zimmerman , is to encourage its users to break news . In fact , Whisper has teamed with BuzzFeed editors to curate news and trends from its anonymous posts . Still , it ' s shaky to trust a nugget of news posted anonymously on an app used predominately by a younger audience . For example , Whisper in February claimed one of its users broke a story that actress Gwyneth Paltrow was supposedly cheating on her husband , singer Chris Martin . Whisper ' s claims were met with the appropriate skepticism , and a rep for Paltrow issued a statement saying the Whisper post was " 100 false . " ( However , she and Martin did announce their separation last month . ) Perhaps that taps into the essence of why Andreessen and others aren ' t convinced anonymous social networks can be a long term success . They may rise to popularity by allowing users to say whatever they want about anyone , without any repercussions . But over time you risk building a network full of lies and hate .

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A Federal Aviation Administration advisory panel is expected this week to recommend a significant rollback of restrictions on the use of electronic devices by airplane passengers during takeoff and landings . ' As the consumer electronics industry has exploded , ' the current rules have ' become untenable , ' according to a draft version of the new proposals . Under the new recommendations passengers can expect to be allowed to use their devices in ' Airplane Mode ' to read e books , listen to music and watch videos . A relaxing of F . A . A . rules means passengers could soon be allowed to read e books during takeoffs and landings but the ban on making phone calls will remain But the current ban will remain in place for things that require a data connection , such as making phone calls , sending and receiving e mails and texts or using Wi Fi , reports the New York Times . The panel will recommend its new policy to the F . A . A . by the end of the month and it is expected to come into effect next year . Existing regulations that require a blanket ban on the use of all electronics during takeoff and landings have become increasingly unworkable due to the large numbers of people now carrying such devices . Many passengers either forget to turn off their devices or ignore calls from flight attendants to power down . The current rules regarding the use of electronic devices during takeoffs and landings have ' become untenable ' due to the dramatic increase in the number of people using them Regulators have never been able to establish conclusively that electronic devices can cause the malfunction of cockpit instruments and any evidence of a link is largely anecdotal . Many airlines have already expanded their own use of wireless systems on board , offering live television and Wi Fi once the plane is above 10 , 000 feet . Some are understood to be considering proposals to stream content such as movies directly to passengers ' own devices . The F . A . A . advisory panel was supposed to report back in July , but requested an extension until the end of September due to the complexities involved . They want to present a single policy from ' gate to gate ' that would apply to all airlines , and all types of airplanes . ' We have to make sure the planes can handle this , ' Douglas Kidd , the head of the National Association of Airline Passengers and a member of the advisory committee told the New York Times . A change in F . A . A . regulations means passengers can expect to be allowed to read e books , listen to podcasts and watch videos during takeoffs and landings from next year ' There ' s a lot of pressure on the F . A . A . because passengers are very attached to their devices . ' The review does not included mobile voice communications , which are prohibited by the telecommunications regulators at the Federal Communications Commission because they interfere with transmissions between cell towers on the ground . More than two billion portable electronic devices will be sold this year , according to the research firm Gartner . Air travelers own a disproportionately large share of these devices , particularly smartphones and tablets , whose use is growing at the fastest rate . Shipments are expected to more than double by next year compared with 2012 , to 276 million units .

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Director John Brennan said on Monday that officials had " strategic warning " about the terrorist attacks in Paris that claimed the lives of more than 130 and injured hundreds more , also saying that Islamic State likely has more operations in the pipeline . " It s not a surprise this attack was carried out , from the standpoint of we did have strategic warning , " Brennan said at a Center for Strategic International Studies forum . " We knew that these plans or plotting by was underway looking at Europe in particular as a venue for carrying out these attacks . " Brennan did not assert that the or the West more broadly had specific indications about the shootings and suicide bombings in Paris , but he did warn that the Friday attacks were not likely a " one off event . " " This is something that was deliberately and carefully planned over the course I think of several months , " he said . " I would anticipate that this is not the only operation has in the pipeline . it s not going to content itself with violence inside of the Syrian and Iraqi borders . " The blunt comments from Brennan come as the Islamic State in a new video on Monday threatened all countries taking part in airstrikes against the terrorist group , specifically saying Washington could be a target , just as Paris was last Friday . " We say to the states that take part in the crusader campaign that , by God , you will have a day God willing , like France ' s and by God , as we struck France in the center of its abode in Paris , then we swear that we will strike America at its center in Washington , " a man in the video said , according to Reuters , which could not verify the video ' s authenticity . The video comes hours after U . S . warplanes bombed 116 oil trucks in eastern Syria , in a new effort to cut off the group ' s ability to transport crude oil that it has been producing in the country . Brennan also talked about how the global intelligence community has been hamstrung to a degree after new privacy protections were put in place in the wake of Edward Snowden ' s revelations on government surveillance . " In the past several years , because of a number of unauthorized disclosures and a lot of handwringing over the government s role in the effort to try to uncover these terrorists , there have been some policy and legal and other actions that are taken that make our ability collectively , internationally to find these terrorists much more challenging , " he said . " I do hope that this is going to be a wake up call particularly in areas of Europe where I think there has been a misrepresentation of what the intelligence security services are doing by some quarters that are designed to undercut those capabilities . " In another apparent allusion to the Snowden leaks , Brennan claimed that terrorist operatives have " gone to school " recently on techniques that render their communications more difficult to intercept . " There are a lot of technological capabilities that are available right now that make it exceptionally difficult both technically as well as legally for intelligence security services to have insight that they need to uncover it , " he said .

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A stunning series of images capture the moment a lion emerges bloodied but triumphant after fighting off a mating rival in a ferocious battle to win the female . The photos show a lioness trying to catch the eye of a male lion , as she attempts to abandon her mate . But her furious partner is having none of it and comes bounding over to claim his girl . In the ensuing fight the two male lions scrap angrily , but the spurned lion emerges victorious if a little bloodied and he moves his lioness on . The series of images show a lion emerging bloodied but triumphant after fighting off a mating rival in a ferocious battle to win the female The incredible set of images was taken by wildlife photographer Margot Raggett who was on safari in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya . She said : ' We ' d heard there was a mating pair of lions in an area and had already searched for them once that day with no success . ' So we returned in the afternoon and came across a single female lioness . Thinking she was one of that pair we were wondering where her mate was when out of the corner of our eyes we saw a male and female off to the left . ' Margot said the female bounded across to the pair , which she thought was odd behavior as normally mating pairs are left alone . But the lioness greeted them with affection . In the ensuing fight , which was all caught on camera , the two male lions scrap angrily as the females scatter The incredible set of images was taken by wildlife photographer Margot Raggett who was on safari in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya The photographer said that clearly the lioness was trying to leave her male for the other male but he was having none of it She added : ' Then suddenly out of no where a male appeared from within the bushes in the direction from which she ' d come , mad as hell . ' Clearly she was trying to leave him for the other male and he was having none of it ! He ran in , the females scattered and the ensuing fight is what ' s captured here . ' ' While it looks like one in particular comes off worse he in reality was the victor . ' It was him who came in to keep his girl and it is him at the end who has kept his female . The last few shots are of him moving her away from the male she ran to . ' Margot came across the incredible scene while looking for the pair of mating pair of lions she had heard was in the area The photographer said she had already searched for the mating lions once that day with no success but when she searched again she was treated to these stunning scenes of the fighting males The fight was sparked when a lioness was tried to catch the eye of another male and approached him The photos show a lioness trying to catch the eye of another male lion , as she attempts to abandon her current mate The lioness ' furious partner is having none of it and comes bounding over to the group to claim his girl Margot said that ' suddenly out of nowhere a male appeared from within the bushes in the direction from which she ' d come , mad as hell ' The lion that looked worse off with a bloody nose and urinating in pain was in reality the victor in the battle The lions that roam in Kenya are considered ' vulnerable ' a population reduction of up to 50 per cent is suspected to have occurred over the last 20 years The angry male showed no fear taking on his mating rival and ensuring he took home his girl Slightly scarred from battle , the triumphant lion leaves victorious and immediately moves his lioness away The series of photos ends with images of the lion moving his lioness away from the male she initially ran to ' It was him who came in to keep his girl and it is him at the end who has kept his female ' : The bloodied lion leaves the fight victorious

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As Arctic weather hits America there ' s one critter who ' s lapping up the sun . Munchkin the Shih Tzu is seen in a new video happily bounding along a boardwalk in Southern California , where temperatures are currently around 22 degrees Celsius . Wearing her comical teddy bear suit , the 8lb canine almost appears too hot at one point as she looks at the camera with her tongue hanging out . California dreaming : As a brutal cold chill hits America there ' s one critter who ' s lapping up the sun Breaking sweat : Munchkin the Shih Tzu is seen in a new video happily bounding along a boardwalk in the Southern California sun Too hot to trot : Wearing her comical teddy bear suit , the 8lb canine almost appears overheated at one point as she looks at the camera with her tongue hanging out Lookin ' at you : Munchkin took to the spotlight last fall when she debuted a rather unscary Halloween bear costume Bystanders as seen doing double takes as they spot the nippy animal in action . Munchkin took to the spotlight last fall when she debuted a rather unscary Halloween bear costume . Her owner Cindy Roth crafted the fluffy ensemble out of a plush toy . She then posted photographs and videos of Munchkin online , with many fans likening the animal to an ' adorable ' version of the Star Wars Ewoks . An 11 second film shows Munchkin bounding up to the camera completely unaware of how funny she looks . A dog ' s life : The canine takes a big yawn after a grueling day on the beach Internet fame : Munchkin has thousands of followers on Facebook and Instagram Chilling out : Munchkin seen out of her bear costume with a feline companion To make the costume , Roth measured Munchkin up and selected an appropriately sized toy . She also picked a teddy with matching sandy colored fur . She then cut the face , feet and back out of the soft bear and removed all of the stuffing except for the arms . To finish , Roth inserted Munchkin ' s front arms into the teddy ' s legs . Munchkin appears to have a penchant for dressing up and another photo shows her modeling a party hat , complete with pink feather trim . Her novel antics have secured her a burgeoning fan base , with her YouTube channel boasting more than eight million hits .

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A task force of European Union finance ministers was meeting in Brussels Friday to discuss proposed tougher measures intended to prevent another regional crisis on the scale of Greece ' s economic meltdown . The meeting comes as Germany ' s parliament voted in favor of a near trillion dollar eurozone rescue package after German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that the future of the common currency was in danger . " If the euro fails , then Europe too will fail . But if we manage to avert the danger , the euro and Europe will emerge stronger than before , " Merkel told lawmakers earlier this week to justify the 750 billion rescue package . Both houses of the German parliament approved the package on Friday although its passage through the lower house was backed by just 319 out of 622 lawmakers with 195 abstaining and 73 voting against a measure seen by some as a bailout for other countries at Germany ' s expense . On Thursday French President Nicolas Sarkozy denied reports of a rift between Paris and Berlin after Germany ' s unilateral ban imposed earlier this week on the naked short selling of eurozone sovereign debt instruments . Q A : What is ' naked short selling ' ? Following talks with Merkel and new British Prime Minister David Cameron in Paris , Sarkozy said the eurozone ' s two biggest economies were doing everything possible to work in harmony . " I told Angela Merkel . . . that we cannot have disagreements between Germany and France about subjects of this importance , " Sarkozy said . " We do everything so that we don ' t have disagreements together . That ' s why we talk together . " Fears over Europe ' s economic stability have triggered markets selloffs in recent days . New York ' s Dow Jones industrial average ( ) fell 376 points on Thursday in its biggest one day point loss since February 10 , 2009 . Thursday ' s point loss was equivalent to 3 . 6 , the biggest one day percentage loss since March 5 of 2009 . New York markets were mostly flat on Friday with the Dow marginally down . Asian markets followed Wall Street ' s lead earlier Friday with Tokyo ' s Nikkei down almost 250 points , or 2 . 45 percent , at 9 , 785 . European stocks , already down heavily for the week , sank lower in afternoon trading with London ' s 100 falling below 5 , 000 points , before recovering a little , down 0 . 6 percent at 5 , 041 . Friday ' s meeting in Brussels has been called by President Herman Van Rompuy with the goal of delivering " economic governance " reform across the 27 state economic and political bloc by October . " The recent crises and the risk for the stability of the euro area have underlined the interdependence among economies and exposed the vulnerability of Member States , in particular inside the euro area , " the European Commission said in a memo on Thursday . " Fiscal discipline , competitiveness gaps and private sector imbalances are also a matter for the as a whole . This is why there is a need for economic policy coordination across the . "

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For more than half a century , D Day and the military invasion known as Operation Overlord have been synonymous with the Allied victory in the Second World War . But new never before seen documents have revealed the codenames for these campaigns were changed almost three weeks before the invasion of Nazi occupied France . The top secret documents discovered among the possessions of a late Army officer involved in the planning of D Day were discovered when the officer ' s son presented his father ' s belongings to an expert on Antiques Roadshow . The urgent memo was sent to senior officers on May 19 , 1944 , 18 days before the June 6 raid , stating : ' Overlord should be swapped for Hornpipe and D Day should be referred to as Halcyon . ' The documents ( pictured ) show senior officers were briefed to use three replacement code names of ' Hornpipe ' , ' Halcyon ' and ' Ripcord ' The documents were discovered by Richard Wheeler when he cleaned out his parents ' home in 1999 and found his father Sam ' Moses ' Wheeler ( left ) had kept the secret documents . Pictured on the right is an illustration of Major Wheeler taken from a book about men who served in the Second World War The memo also said the codename ' Ripcord ' should be used to signal a 24 delay to the operation . The last minute change came following concerns the original codenames had been compromised when many of them , including Overlord , appeared in crosswords in a national newspaper . The Allied high command had referred to the the planned mass invasion of occupied France by the codename Overlord ever since it was conceived in 1943 . The remarkable development was discovered when Richard Wheeler was clearing out his late father Major Sam Wheeler ' s house and stumbled upon the documents . Major Wheeler had helped plan the logistics for D Day , which was masterminded by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery , and had somehow ended up keeping the papers , stamped ' top secret ' . Mr Wheeler took them to show experts at the ' s Antiques Roadshow at Durham Cathedral and they were left stunned when he explained what they were . Mr Wheeler , 67 , from Durham , said : ' My father joined the army at the outbreak of war and worked his way up through the ranks , eventually joining the 21st Army Group in 1944 . ' They were based at the army ' s headquarters in London and was responsible for the planning of the D Day invasions . ' My father was involved in the logistics of the invasion and so would have been close to these messages being passed back and forward . Labelled ' top secret ' , the files ( pictured ) were kept by Major Sam Wheeler , who was involved in planning the logistics of D Day , or as it was later called , Halcyon The documents ( pictured ) also stated the term ' Ripcord ' should be used for a 24 hour delay to the invasion ' It was only when I was clearing out my parents ' house following the death of my mother in 1999 that I found these documents . ' I showed a few of my friends but no one thought much of them . ' When I heard the Antiques Roadshow was coming to Durham I thought I would take them along and that ' s when people started getting excited about them . ' It ' s amazing to think I have had them for all these years and my father had them before me . ' Paul Atterbury , an expert on Antiques Roadshow , said : ' D Day is such a well documented moment in time that I was amazed that something new could come out of it . ' I was very intrigued when these documents were brought onto the Antiques Roadshow . They seem to suggest there was a different set of codewords used briefly in the run up to D Day . ' Our interpretation of what happened is that because of security fears a new layer of codewords were introduced . ' There was a risk that the Overlord codename had been compromised . There ' s a well known story of how Overlord and many other codenames appeared in a newspaper crosswords which aroused suspicion . Expert Paul Atterbury ( left ) and Richard Wheeler ( right ) discuss the remarkable discovery during the filming of Antiques Roadshow ' The documents make it very clear these are replacement codewords for the established ones in use . ' They say Overlord would have to be replaced with Hornpipe and D Day replaced by Halcyon . There was also a new codeword for ' delay ' , which was Ripcord . ' The documents were issued on May 19 1944 and we think they went into use very quickly . Because D Day was a success the replacement codenames were then abandoned and everyone went back to Overlord and D Day . ' The new codenames would only have been used by the very high echelons of officers . They were afraid the Germans might have picked up the existing codewords and know that something was about to happen . ' New codewords were quickly conceived and circulated on a need to know basis . The documents we saw definitely had signals sent that incorporated these words . ' These documents may exist in the national archives but no one has ever drawn attention to them . ' They are completely genuine and come from a very clear source with links to Montgomery ' s office . ' None of the many books published about D Day mention these codewords and as far as we know this story has never been told before . These documents could change history . ' The story will feature on the Antiques Roadshow on December 28 .

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Healthweblink ) The makers of Wonderful pomegranate juice say that the drink improves blood flow and heart health , prevents and treats prostate cancer , and works 40 percent as well as Viagra ( whatever that means ) . All for about four bucks a bottle . Those impressive claims helped the company rack up 91 million in sales in 2009 . They also earned the disapproval of the Federal Trade Commission ( ) . Last month , the agency sued Wonderful for making " false and unsubstantiated " health claims , and is asking the company to remove the claims from its ads . A 100 percent juice drink that contains antioxidants ( and no added sugar ) , is just one of many beverages that bill themselves as promoting better health . VitaminWater , kombucha tea , coconut water , and various brands of juice drinks made from acai , goji berry , and mangosteen have all used health claims in their marketing and some , like , have been the subject of scrutiny and legal action . The , along with the Food and Drug Administration ( ) , has been cracking down on food and beverage makers for allegedly overselling the health benefits of their products . In 2009 alone , the warned 17 companies that they were providing misleading nutritional information on their packaging or making overly specific health claims . Healthweblink : 25 diet busting foods you should never eat Not all of the products were drinks , but " the beverage category stands out , " says Bruce Silverglade , director of legal affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest , a consumer advocacy group based in Washington , D . C . " At first blush it seems that beverage products are certainly a large proportion of food products that make bogus health related claims . " Drinks such as have become increasingly popular with consumers in recent years , thanks in part to public health campaigns against soda that have been prompted by the obesity epidemic . " The trend is away from traditional soda pop toward products claiming to provide magical health benefits , " Silverglade says . Are the health claims true ? Yes and no . The federal government doesn ' t require companies to vet health claims with the agency before plastering them on product packaging ( as long as the claims are accompanied by a disclaimer about their uncertainty ) . But that doesn ' t mean the claims are invented most are based in research . The research is often funded by the manufacturers , however , and industry funded research can be prone to bias . A 2007 study found that research on health drinks that was funded entirely by beverage companies was between four and eight times more likely to find a favorable result than research with no industry support . " If a cell phone company told you they tested all the models and their model came out the best , would you believe it ? Probably not , " says Dr Lenard Lesser , M . D . , one of the co authors of that study and a researcher at . " The same is true with nutrition research , but the stakes are higher because we ' re putting our bodies at risk . " Where ' s the line between research and marketing ? Sounds great , hard to believe However far fetched the claims may sound , is standing behind them . ( Two weeks before the publicly announced its lawsuit , preemptively sued the , claiming that preapproval of ads featuring health claims violates the company ' s right to free speech . ) But are shoppers really convinced that can unclog their arteries , cure cancer , and lead to hotter sex ? There seem to be more than a few believers out there . " I started drinking after reading the studies two years ago , my triglycerides were almost 1000 ! , " one of Wonderful ' s 12 , 000 fans breathlessly posted on Facebook after the announced its lawsuit . " Working out everyday , drinking , and eating healthy , they are now less than 400 . Forget what the Feds say ! I believe ! ! ! " ( A triglycerides level of 400 is still nearly three times higher than what ' s considered normal . ) Most health beverage drinkers aren ' t as enthusiastic as the realtor from Alaska who posted the above testimonial . Quinton Ma , a 22 year old marketing coordinator at Gawker Media , in New York City , started to drink VitaminWater as a middle schooler because it seemed like a healthy alternative to soda . " I figured that if they were selling something that I could get extra vitamins from , it couldn ' t hurt to drink , " Ma says . " Once I learned they were really just cleverly marketed sugar waters , I stopped . " Healthweblink : You are what you drink But the fact is , even when people don ' t buy the health claims they often still buy the beverage . That ' s the paradox of products such as , Silverglade says : The health claims on these products strain the imagination , yet studies have repeatedly shown that health claims sell food . That ' s because these claims however improbable they may seem distract shoppers from the real nutritional information and hook consumers with buzzwords like " antioxidant . " This phenomenon is known as a " health halo , " an aura of healthfulness attached to a product based on labels like " low fat " " all natural " or " made with whole grains " that seduces consumers into overeating . According to a study by the , this halo effect can even lead people to overlook warning statements about the high sodium content of a product , for example . " A healthy halo develops around products like these , " says Frances Largeman Roth , R . D . , Health magazine ' s senior food and nutrition editor . " The health conscious consumer incorporates them into their lifestyle , thinking that they ' re doing a world of good for themselves . " Healthweblink : Food label know how : 5 mistakes even savvy shoppers make Ceating a health halo The makers of Wonderful have spent 34 million on scientific research on products and pomegranates . According to the ' s complaint , the studies has funded do not substantiate the company ' s claims , and a closer look at the research seems to bear that out . One of the most prominent claims , that can decrease arterial plaque by 30 percent , was taken from a single pilot study that included just 19 people and was funded by the makers of . Another claim , that drinkers experience a 17 percent improvement in blood flow , was taken from another funded study that included just 45 people and only lasted for three months . " These days it ' s possible for a food company to pay just about anybody to conduct a study , " says Silverglade . Michael Aviram , Ds . C . , a cholesterol researcher at Rambam Medical Center , in Haifa , Israel , defended his studies on pomegranates many of them funded by by noting that they were published in " very prestigious peer reviewed journals , " including the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Atherosclerosis . Dr Harley Liker , M . D . , a physician at Medical Center who has also led research funded by , directed all inquiries to a spokesman . " A grocery store is a designed marketing environment to get people to buy things , " says Lesser . " Lots of products are going to try to use health claims from research , often from their own industry , just to sell a product . " Healthweblink : 14 health products you probably don ' t need Iffy health claims don ' t mean that products like pomegranate juice should be avoided at all costs , says Keri Gans , R . D . , a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association . As long as consumers limit themselves to 8 ounce servings and products with no added sugar , juice can be an excellent source of vitamins and other nutrients , Gans says . But it ' s " not going to solve any of your health issues , " she adds . The bottom line is that consumers shouldn ' t believe everything they read on labels . " If they focus on consuming an overall well balanced diet , they might not need to focus so much on finding a product that makes false promises , " Gans says . Copyright Health Magazine 2011

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Kabul , Afghanistan Two American paratroopers went missing on Wednesday during a " routine resupply mission in western Afghanistan , " the led force in the country said Friday . The pair from the 4th Brigade Combat Team , 82nd Airborne Division are operating under ' s International Security Assistance Force . Initial reports indicate that 25 and Afghan forces have been wounded in the search for the two . " All available resources are being used to find the two missing paratroopers , " said the brigade operations officer , Lt . Col . Guy Jones . " Our rear detachment is doing everything they can to support the families during this difficult time while we continue the search with our Afghan and coalition partners . " U . S . Navy Capt . Jane Campbell of the Joint Command said , " We are committed to taking every measure possible to rescue or recover our missing service members . We continue to do everything we can to find them . " The service members disappeared near Afghanistan ' s border with Turkmenistan , in the town of Bala Morghab and the province of Baghdis , said Sayed Ahmad Sami , the provincial police chief . He said they appeared to have gone missing in the Morghab River , but he didn ' t have any details about what happened . Service members from 42 countries serve in the International Security Assistance Force , including military men and women from 28 countries , according to ' s Web site . U . S . military personnel account for the bulk of service members . Separately , military authorities reported other recent incidents : Two U . S . service members and a British soldier were killed in southern Afghanistan on Thursday in roadside bombings , and the British Defense Ministry said . Police in Kunduz province said more than 130 Taliban insurgents were killed in a weeklong Afghan operation that began on October 31 . Eight Taliban commanders and four Chechen fighters were among those killed , police said .

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Sportsmail take a trip into the Wimbledon ' Locker Room ' the place where you can find out some of the best of action on offer . Dan Evans is our pick in Brit Watch , plus we give the lowdown on the seed in danger . Discover which game is the ground pass bonus and find out the all important , weather forecast for Monday ' s opening day of drama at SW19 . Dan Evans , the British men ' s No 2 , has a winnable tie against Andrey Kuznetsov third up on Court No 2 . The 23 year old Russian is 30 places above Evans in the world rankings at No 114 but if the Birmingham born player can repeat his form from Queen ' s , where he beat world No 52 Jurgen Melzer , a home win is very plausible . Brit watch : Dan Evans , the British men ' s No 2 , has a winnable tie against Andrey Kuznetsov third up on Court No 2 Sloane Stephens , 18th seed , faces a real test in Maria Kirilenko . The Russian made the quarter finals in 2012 and was world No 10 last June . Her ranking , currently 87 , has suffered through an injury enforced absence . Seed in danger : American Sloane Stephens , 18th seed , faces a real test in Maria Kirilenko Dustin Brown against Marcos Baghdatis ( second on Court 12 ) could be a very entertaining duel . The dreadlocked Brown stormed Wimbledon last year when he beat Lleyton Hewitt , and less than a fortnight ago he destroyed Rafael Nadal in straight sets at Halle . Popular Baghdatis has made the semi finals here , of course . Ground pass bonus : Dustin Brown against Marcos Baghdatis ( second on Court 12 ) could be a very entertaining duel Some sunny spells , but with a risk of the occasional shower in the afternoon . Potential heavy rain or thunder storms later on . Maximum temperature 25 C . : BBC2 ' s coverage starts at 11 . 30pm , while BBC1 join in at 1 . 45pm . Today at Wimbledon is shown at 8pm on BBC2 . : 5 Live from 12pm . Plus . . . you can follow all the action as it happens , right here with Sportsmail .

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The Canadian Medical Association released a statement earlier today informing Canadians that it no longer cares if you get the flu shot , or what diseases you contract , even though your health is the reason , the only reason , that they slave all day in a cold laboratory . " Well sure the flu isn ' t deadly for the majority of the population , " the statement read . " I ' m sure you ' ll be fine because your immune system is so special right ? The organization , which represents the views of every doctor in the country , also noted that maybe they were being too harsh on the nation and admitted that they have to take some blame for assuming that you ' d be selfless enough to help prevent society ' s vulnerable from an early death . " Maybe you ' re so busy that you can ' t take five minutes out of your lunch break to protect yourself , children , and old people , " the statement continued . " Or maybe it ' s the elderly ' s fault for being so susceptible to death from the flu . How should we know ? We ' re only in constant contact with the world ' s foremost gerontologists . " Health Canada reports that only 32 of Ontarians and 27 of Quebecers opted to get the flu shot in 2011 , numbers that the believes are , " fine , just fine , as long as you don ' t expect our help when you get sick . It doesn ' t matter to us . Oh wait ! I forgot ! it ' s just a solemn oath that we all swore to heal the sick that dates back to over two thousand years ago . That ' s right . Go ahead , your " free health care will take care of you when you have to walk in to an with pneumonia and then contract a secondary infection . " " We ' ve made this literally as easy as it could possibly be and you people still won ' t protect yourselves , " the concluded . " Have it your way ! We ' re done pouring our blood , sweat and mercury into these shots for you ! We ' ll stop bothering you . You won ' t hear from us ever again . Although , you should know , it breaks your mother ' s heart when you don ' t take care of yourself ! Now that ' s actually the last you ' ll hear about it , we promise . " At press time , Canada ' s physicians had clarified their previous comments , stating that they were not angry , just disappointed .

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Resistance in Yemen : Courage , compassion and a lot of heart Catherine Shakdam is a political analyst , writer and commentator for the Middle East with a special focus on radical movements and Yemen . A regular pundit on and other networks her work has appeared in major publications : MintPress , the Foreign Policy Journal , Mehr News and many others . Director of Programs at the Shafaqna Institute for Middle Eastern Studies , Catherine is also the co founder of Veritas Consulting . She is the author of Arabia s Rising Under The Banner Of The First Imam In the darkest corner of southern Arabia , where no spotlights and no media have dared venture , because Riyadh has dropped down an iron wall , stands Yemen , a country interrupted a bleeding humanitarian black hole and an institutional wasteland . In the throes of a murderous onslaught against its people , against its sovereignty , and against its right to political self determination , Yemen has somehow managed to withstand the fury of the Saudi military coalition the underdog in a conflict which should have long wiped out all resistance . But Yemen is not just any country . If anything , Yemen has already proven that while its people bleed bright red , their strength remains forged in a metal which no conqueror in history ever managed to bring to heel . Yemenis are not a conquered people , nor are they a people of conquerors instead they are a kind and beautiful people . Yemen s very soul , its walls , and its monuments , its mountains and its valleys still carry the memory of time immemorial , when prophets walked the Earth , and God spoke miracles . The legend says it was Shem the son of Biblical patriarch Noah founded Sana a , the capital of Yemen . A historical gem , Sana a risks being forever annihilated by Riyadh all in the name of political feudality . It is not indeed restoration the kingdom seeks in Yemen former President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi long lost whatever claim he had on the presidency . It is political and institutional enslavement al Saud Royals are pursuing in Yemen , notwithstanding the anchoring of Wahhabism in Southern Arabia , the last religiously independent bastion in the region . Yemen today has been earmarked for destruction . For ten interminable months the kingdom has ravaged this impoverished nation , raining death , cruelty and abomination with every cluster bomb , and every explosion . The most under reported war of this past decade , Yemen has quite literally slipped through the cracks , ignored , abandoned and shunned for its fight has been against Wahhabi Saudi Arabia s imperialistic agenda , a nation made exceptional on account of its friendship with the United States of America . But if Yemen has been transformed into a grand pile of rubble , if its people have withered under the atrocities of a humanitarian blockade which has prevented food , medicine and all supplies to get through , tenacity and incredible resolve before adversity have allowed for a social rebirth the cornerstone of a social resistance movement which speaks of Yemenis strength of character . Where most people s knees would have buckled before the deaths , the rivers of blood and the pain of losing loved ones : Yemenis have anchored their feet deep in this land which is theirs , sharing in the hardship by leaning on one another . I have seldom witnessed such determination in the face of abject poverty , said Dr Riaz Karim , a philanthropist and founder of the ? Mona Relief Organization one of Yemen s most active independent NGOs . No communities have been spared war has decimated entire families , leaving behind agony and terrible memories filled with fire , fearful screams and the smell of burning flesh . War cannot be measured by the structural damages it causes war , burns in the heart of men long after the canons have been made quiet . Yemenis though have risen time and time again from the pyres lit by Saudi Arabia with grace and generosity , pulling together to resist together . We owe such bravery to be told , Dr Karim told me in an interview . In January , Riyadh ? targeted a police station in the heart of the Yemeni capital , killing at least 26 people and wounding 15 others . The toll is expected to rise , with locals saying as many as 30 others are unaccounted for and believed trapped under the debris . Last week , ? hospitals were bombed . Throughout this war , civilians have been systematically targeted in what people on the ground have called a clear attempt to erode Yemen s popular resistance movement . Yemeni hospitals seen as targets , people avoid them as much as possible ? weblink : t . co keYaUjRJK0 pic . twitterweblink SPY7btd8iz Haytham Ali Mohammed , a journalist turned social activist and human rights defender explained how most Yemenis have gone into survival mode over the past 10 months . Those communities in the highlands ( northern Yemen ) have gone back to the old ways . Many tribal leaders decided to fall back on tradition to see their people through , and this has led to the reopening of old trade routes in the mountains , and prompted alternative economies to be revived . It is by no mean flourishing but people are somehow managing , he told me over the phone . Divided by political loyalties the resistance in the North and Saudi collaborators in the South Yemen has witnessed the rise of an interesting breed of individuals : blockade runners . Since certain areas in Southern Yemen have benefited from the largess of Riyadh , Qatar and other regional powers , many in the North have been keen to act as a bridge in between the two zones , to offer those who have so little reprieve . Quietly , the resistance established a relay network across Yemen , allowing food staples and medicine to be caravanned across political lines a new form of humanitarian resistance . Aneessa al Dhahab , a trainee doctor , knows only too well the life line those volunteers have been for war torn communities . If not for them , my little brother would not have been able to get his insulin in between our use of alternative medicine and the supplies we are getting from the resistance we have been able to keep my brother healthy , she said . She added , My country might be broken but we are not ! If we all must die , then let us die free . A brave young woman from Northern Yemen , Aneessa has , like thousands others , joined in this resistance network , working alongside communities to bring solace to others and foster hope . Yemenis are incredibly resourceful you know there is this one community in Hajjah north of Sana a where people invented a system which helps them collect dew to meet their drinking water need when fuel became impossible to get to run the water pump . We will not be beaten by war . Indeed , if Yemen stands in ruin , its people have proven that nationalism can indeed move mountains when rooted in solidarity . This is the real face of Yemen . The statements , views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of .

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Opera star Andrea Bocelli backed out of singing at Donald Trump s inauguration after receiving death threats, The Mail on Sunday has learnt.The revelation came as another singer Broadway legend Jennifer Holliday last night pulled out of the President-elect s festivities after being threatened and branded an Uncle Tom : They were calling me coon, calling me house n***er, calling me Aunt Jemima, calling me all kinds of names and asking me to kill myself, the Grammy and Tony-winning singer told s Joy Reid on this morning s Joy. And that was from the black community. I wanted to sing on the mall for America Jennifer HollidayWhen blind tenor Bocelli announced he would not sing at this Friday s celebration, it was widely reported it was because fans had said they would boycott his concerts and records.But a source said the 58-year-old had been determined to press ahead and sing but had pulled out on the advice of his security team after receiving threats to his life.A source close to Bocelli, a friend of Trump s, said: Andrea is very sad to be missing the chance to sing at such a huge global event but he has been advised it is simply not worth the risk. SONG: MORE: MAIL

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This is the tournament that will see Lionel Messi , at the age of 27 , at his peak . Argentina have traditionally felt more comfortable when the tournament is played on their continent . They aim to win it . In their biggest rivals ' backyard . For Messi , this is his World Cup . The team revolves around Messi , although with team mates in attack such as Sergio Aguero , Gonzalo Higuain and Angel di Maria , Argentina are the Real Madrid of national teams : they enjoy playing on the break , with pace . Now or never : This summer ' s World Cup is the tournament which will see Lionel Messi at his peak Absolutely everything has been done to ensure Argentina , and Messi , arrive as serious contenders , including the appointment of a new coach . Despite a 4 1 win against Spain in September 2010 , then manager Sergio Batista failed to combine the footballing growth of ' The Flea ' with a team that worked . He failed in the Copa America held in Argentina in 2011 , losing to Uruguay in the quarter finals . Alejandro Sabella came in and lifted spirits without making too much noise . The four forwards ( Messi , Di Maria , Aguero and Higuain ) had been developing an understanding and would be sure starters . And in midfield , a combination of Javier Mascherano ' s tactical discipline and Fernando Gago ' s touch made them leaders on and off the pitch . Serious contenders : Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella talks tactics with Messi during Friday ' s training session In 571 minutes of World Cup football Lionel Messi has scored just one goal . Messi had Gago behind him and Aguero as his partner up front in both his titles with Argentina ( Under 20 World Cup and the Olympic Games ) . They were reunited under Sabella . Messi , alongside team mates who were on the same wavelength , began playing with freedom . He started becoming Barcelona ' s Messi . ' The only thing I said as soon as I joined the national team was that he had to be left in peace , ' says Sabella . ' He once missed a penalty and it was as if an asteroid had struck the Earth . Please ! ' Then they started , " What if he ' s depressed . . . what ' s happening to Messi ? " It turns out that he scored five goals in the following two matches . We have to understand that Messi is a human being . ' Sabella heeded advice from Pep Guardiola , the former Barcelona coach : ' Protect him with players who make his job simpler . ' And make him feel loved , he added . With that in mind , the new coach gave Messi the captaincy . Former captain Mascherano says : ' I was the one who gave it to him . I told him I would no longer be captain . I told Messi he had to be captain because of everything he represented for us . All smiles : Javier Mascherano ( right ) shares a joke with Fernando Gago , Maxi Rodriguez and Angel di Maria ' He was saying , " No ! How ? You are the captain ! " and I was saying to him , " No , Leo , it has to be you " . ' Captaincy suited Messi . That is if you ignore his early team talks . Barcelona ' s Gerard Pique recalls : ' He told me that in Argentina they have a tradition of captains giving speeches before each match . When it was his turn , he said , " There is no speech today . Come on , let ' s get on the pitch ! " In his first match as captain ! ' But , according to Manchester City ' s Pablo Zabaleta , Messi gradually adapted to the responsibilities . ' At the beginning he would speak to us on a more individual basis , ' says Zabaleta , ' but now he says , " This is Argentina , let ' s go for it from the start , remember the importance to the country " . ' Every king needs a coronation and Messi ' s came on a very hot day in Barranquilla , Colombia . Argentina had already lost to Venezuela and drawn with Bolivia in their World Cup qualifiers . Then Colombia scored . ' That match , when we came back with a spectacular second half performance by Lionel , was key , ' remembers Argentine writer Eduardo Sacheri . ' He made us win . It was epic : a Messi who can give no more , dying from the heat , on the brink of exhaustion . . . and he turned it around . We love those stories . ' At that moment Argentine society became reconciled with Leo . His performances under Sabella ( 20 goals in 22 games , when under previous coaches he had scored 17 in 61 ) matched those of the team . Messi , Di Maria , Higuain and Aguero scored 90 per cent of Argentina ' s goals in qualifying . The idea of not winning in Brazil does not enter Messi ' s head . It eats away at him that , although he feels he is No 1 , he has not yet made history . High spirits : Messi laughs as Argentina team mate Mascherano falls to the ground during training ' If we come back after the quarter finals they will lambast him again , ' reflects Sacheri . ' If he wins , maybe Diego ( Maradona ) will move aside . Or we put both on the altar , father and son . The advantage of Christianity is we can love more than one divine personality . ' Now that Messi has got used to being Messi , his goal is to win the World Cup . As if it were written in the stars .

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Fat ass fraud in a pants suit When Hillary Clinton won the New York primary in April, she called for raising wages and reducing inequality and building ladders of opportunity while sporting a $12,495 Georgio Armani jacket.It was just one small part of a major wardrobe overhaul that one fashion expert pegged as a six-figure operation, the New York Post reported.It wasn t just in New York, where Clinton was photographed recently leaving a Ralph Lauren store on 5th Avenue accompanied by longtime aide Huma Abedin, where Clinton sported fancy fashions.She also wore a $4,000 white jacket by Susanna Beverly Hills on the campaign trail in rural Iowa. She s had to have spent in the six figures on this wardrobe overhaul, Los Angeles-based image consultant Patsy Cisneros told the paper.For her campaign kickoff on Roosevelt Island, Clinton wore a custom blue silk Lauren suit that cost upwards of $2,200, according to the paper.For a New York funder, she opted for a beaded coat by Andrew Gn comparable to a $3,000 selling at Bergdorf Goodman.Her counterpart, real estate mogul Donald Trump, has been reported to favor Brioni suits that can cost more than $7,000. Via: Daily MailBut then again he s not hiding his net worth or preaching about the evils of inequality to his supporters.

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N20160922000251315.html ). We prohibit everything unless it can be demonstrated conclusively that it is to support humanitarian purposes.” In this context, the and China are engaged in another conflict related to coal trade between Beijing and Pyongyang. The is trying to stop this supply but, as the official representative of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of China Geng Shuang announced on September 28, this trade has been carried out in accordance with the regulations and resolutions, as well as the national laws and regulations of the PRC, and does not violate international law and resolutions on sanctions against Pyongyang, which permits the coal trade with the North. This statement was made in response to the speech of the Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel who announced that the was working to block the loopholes the North used to obtain foreign currency. In this context, Russel noted that the North had earned 1 billion dollars from coal sales to China every year, which was a third of the total sum of North Korean exports. However, an item on the possible export of the North Korean coal was included in the Security Council resolution with due account for China’s opinion. While the South is trying to present the case so that the Resolution 2270 adopted by the Security Council in March 2016 generally prohibits the import of North Korean coal, it actually concerns a ban on the supply that provides income that could be used for the development of nuclear and missile programs. As a result, the export volume of coal to China is increasing. On September 24, the Japanese Nihon Keizai Shinbun published an article, which stated that the import volume of coal from North Korea to China sharply dropped by 38% in April 2016 when compared to the same period of the previous year, and this trend had lasted until July. However, this indicator started to grow in August having increased by 27.5% year-on-year. The overall trade volume between North Korea and China has also increased by 30%. South Korean experts believe that the restoration of imports of North Korean goods to China has taken place due to the Chinese government relaxing its level of control, which reflects their dissatisfaction with missile defense system placement on the Korean Peninsula. Thus, the attempt to dictate unilateral sanctions to Beijing has failed so far. In addition, they often emphasize that “Beijing opposes unilateral sanctions that do not help in solving the issue.” This was announced on September 15 by the Foreign Affairs Minister of China Wang Yi during a telephone conversation with his Japanese colleague Fumio Kishida. The same position was expressed on September 22 during a meeting with the special representatives of China’s and the Republic of Korea’s governments, where they discussed countermeasures in respect of the fifth nuclear test conducted by Pyongyang. The South Korean party is reported to have demanded the adoption of stricter sanctions against Pyongyang from China, including the ban of the land transportation of cargo, but China refused. The concealed disagreement was reflected in the statement made by the General Secretary Ban Ki-moon who expressed his dissatisfaction with the delay in the adoption of additional sanctions in response to the fifth nuclear test of the DPRK. He stated that the Security Council had spent too much time on it. Meanwhile, China’s attitude in respect of the sanctions against the North is quite clear. According to a report by a Senior Research Fellow of the Sejong Institute Chun Jae-hon presented at the Forum in Seoul “Korean Unification and Security Issues”, China is not willing to support the sanctions against the DPRK, which will result in the fall of the current regime and deterioration of the living standards of North Koreans. According to the speaker, the fall of Kim Jong-un regime “is fraught with unpredictable consequences,” including integration of the both Koreas under the guidance of Seoul. Beijing does not want a united Korea, that would be an ally of the USA, to appear in on its border and it will do everything possible to prevent it. In fact, the Chinese government has restricted the level of sanctions in respect of Pyongyang all the while implementing the resolutions and not exceeding them by imposing additional unilateral measures, as the United States or its allies do. And it will not go beyond this level under any circumstance. Konstantin Asmolov, Ph.D. in History, Chief Research Fellow at the Center for Korean Studies of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, exclusively for the online magazine “ New Eastern Outlook ”.

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The is set to face annual budget cuts of about 50 million , which means the national broadcaster will potentially lose some 500 jobs before Christmas . Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull is expected to announce within the next week cuts between 200 million and 300 million to both the and . Mr Turnbull confirmed the ' s annual funding would be cut by five percent during an appearance on Q A on Monday night . Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull is expected to announce within the next week cuts between 200 million and 300 million to both the and The federal government announced a 9 million to the in its May budget . Mr Turnbull declined to put a dollar figure on the controversial cuts to the national broadcaster , but said they were ' relatively modest ' . ' It ' s about five per cent of the . . . it will average over five years about five per cent off the top , ' he said on the ' s Q A program on Monday . ' We ' re spending more than we are receiving . . . so we ' ve got to raise some more money and we ' ve got to spend less . ' There is no reason for the and to be exempt from that . ' Mr Turnbull confirmed the annual funding would be cut by five percent during an appearance on program Q A on Monday night The and both declined to comment on the budget cuts and opted to wait for an official government announcement . Mr Turnbull said he would have a lot more to say about the issue later this week , but denied the government was breaking an election promise and maintained savings could be found from administration cuts rather than cuts to programming . ' I have gone to considerable pains to ensure that the is well able to deliver these savings without cutting into the resources available to programming , through cutting back office costs , administrative , ' he said . ' Anyone here who has been in business . . . that could not manage to find five per cent out of efficiencies is not even trying . ' Mr Turnbull said he would have a lot more to say about the issue later this week , but denied the government was breaking an election promise ' s Media Watch broke the news on Monday night with sources telling the program cuts would see Friday ' s state based 7 . 30 editions axed , Lateline trimmed back , production in cut , 6 million will be sliced off radio and bureaus in Tokyo , Bangkok , New Delhi and New Zealand scaled back . The program said cuts at the will cost between 400 to 500 jobs before the end of the year . Oposition communications spokesman Jason Clare accused Mr Turnbull of weasel words . and both declined to comment on the budget cuts and opted to wait for an official government announcement ' They ' re cutting the guts out of the , ' he told on Tuesday . ' Julia Gillard was crucified for breaking one promise . Tony Abbott is a serial offender , he ' s broken every promise he made before the election . ' Mr Clare said any savings from back office efficiencies should be channelled back into the to invest in programs and content .

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Editor ' s Note : Lydia McAllister is a senior at Joplin High School in Joplin , Missouri . She writes for the school newspaper , The Spyglass , plays soccer and is an officer with the National Honor Society . Next year , she hopes to study journalism at the University of Missouri . Education Overtime is an seven week series that focuses on the conversations surrounding education issues that affect students , teachers , parents and the community . Joplin , Missouri Wednesday will be the first day of my last year of high school . Like any other senior , I ' m excited to be close to the end . But unlike students in other places , I ' m starting school year in a town that survived a tornado . May 22 , 2011 , is the day my life changed forever . Thinking back , no one could have known what would happen at 5 : 41 p . m . It was just another Sunday , just another thunderstorm . I was in the kitchen finishing an art project with the on in the background . A lady came on to say it was a " super cell . " Back to school in tornado ravaged Joplin On the front porch , my dad and little brother were watching the storm develop . The sky looked strange . Big black clouds gave way to smaller clouds that hung lower than they should . Everything was so still . The sky started to have an eerie , greenish tint , and the wind blowing south stopped and blew north . In that moment , I knew it wouldn ' t be just another thunderstorm . iReport Open Story : Joplin tornado We went down to the basement . My dad had to carry our dog , Belle , who was too old to take the stairs . Hearing the tornado pass through my house is a memory I keep buried . When most of it was over , we couldn ' t see much . My dad walked to the bottom of the stairs and looked up into what should have been our home , but it was gone . It was just sky . He cleared a path through the debris so he could stand in what should have been our living room . I ' ll never forget that image of him , the sky above him illuminated with lighting more raw and powerful than I ' d ever seen . The tears that streamed down his face let me know it was so much worse than I had thought . The days that followed were some of the hardest . We made trips back and forth to the house where we stayed . We salvaged what we could and picked apart the rubble that used to be our home . Old toys and school work I hadn ' t seen in years resurfaced and other things , I ' ll never see again . The stuff I really wanted , you could never find . The days were a blur we took photo albums and furniture from the basement to storage units and helped neighbors and friends anyway and everywhere we could . I was depressed , angry , bitter , frustrated . Why us ? Why Joplin ? More than anything , I hated that it only took the tornado minutes to tear apart my town , but it would be months before life could be anything close to normal . Impact Your World : How to help tornado victims All those times I ' d heard , " Life ' s not fair , " finally made more sense than it ever had before . Before we found a rental house , we stayed with family friends and then my grandparents . Their homes on the other side of town were fine . The rental is nothing like my old house , but my mom has managed to make it feel home y . I say " home y " because my home the house where I grew up and have memories in every room is just an empty lot right now , waiting to be rebuilt . It doesn ' t look like much now , but I love every inch what used to be there . My dad and I talked about the good and bad things that came from the tornado . The bad were a lot easier to list . In fact , I sat there trying to think of good things for a long time before my dad said , " For every bad thing the tornado has done , think of a good thing , too . That way you keep a balance . You always have to have a balance . " It ' s something I ' m working on . We ' ll have a new house . The whole town will be newer and nicer than before . All our friends and family are . It was always the kind of community where people helped each other , but now everyone knows it . I ' m more excited than usual to start school again . The normality that comes with the school year will be a welcome change from the wild card summer we ' ve been dealt . Our new school is in a mall , and it ' s a cool space to have your senior year . It ' s just juniors and seniors , so I won ' t be with my brother for his freshman year . But I ' ll have the same schedule I wanted before the tornado , and all the sports and activities are starting like usual . Joplin marching band tries to bring back the music The Friday before the tornado hit , my chemistry teacher , Mr Parker , had written on the board : If the world ends Sunday , there will be no school Monday . It was just a joke about end of the world predictions in the news , but our world would kind of end . It stopped spinning in those second the tornado was over us , and then started spinning faster than it had before . I think about the tornado every day , but it gets easier . The anger and resentment have worn off . The tornado ruined a lot of things , but we ' re still here . Our town is being rebuilt , and our schools are starting on time . Good things are still keeping the balance .

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A Democratic congressman from Mississippi plans to hold a hearing into how millions of dollars worth of supplies meant for Gulf Coast hurricane survivors ended up being given away as surplus property . Rep . Bennie Thompson says he ' ll hold a hearing into how supplies for Katrina victims were diverted . Rep . Bennie Thompson , chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security , called the situation " a debacle . " " We just think that needs to come and tell the committee how such a debacle could occur , and in the process , what are they going to do to assure Congress and the taxpaying public that it will never happen again , " Thompson said . The household goods were meant to help Gulf Coast households rebuild . But they sat in warehouses for two years before the agency declared them surplus property and gave them away in February . Thompson said he was stunned at how Mississippi officials made " a mockery of the whole process . " " I ' m disappointed that my state decided that prisoners had a higher priority than Katrina victims and has made no effort to correct it even when this mistake was made , " he said . " Any time items intended for victims of Katrina end up in the hands of the Department of Corrections or state employees , then clearly , Mississippi dropped the ball . " Watch victims tell why they need the items Thompson said his committee would " ask all the tough questions " and demand any documents associated with the matter . " So we are prepared , if necessary , to put those officials under oath , " he said . " We are prepared if necessary to subpoena any and all documents relative to this situation . " spokesman Marty Bahamonde said the agency welcomed any congressional hearing . " We always make ourselves available to answer the questions . That ' s something we are always ready to do , " he said . said it was costing more than 1 million a year to store the supplies , but officials have not been able to answer why the agency didn ' t get the supplies to Katrina victims . said the agency has launched an internal probe into the issue . Jim Marler , director of Mississippi ' s surplus agency , failed to return repeated phone calls over several months to explain what happened there . But spokeswoman Kym Wiggins said the agency was not told the items were still needed a statement that didn ' t sit well with groups working to rebuild the stricken coast . Bill Stallworth , executive director of the Hope Coordination Center in Biloxi , said he and other community leaders would have begged for the stockpiles had they known they were available . " When I hear people stand up and just beat their chest and say we ' ve got everything under control , that ' s when I just want to slap them upside the head and say , ' Get a grip , get a life , ' " said Stallworth , also a Biloxi city councilman .

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Heather Watson battled her way into the second round of the Paribas Open with a scrappy three set win over Julia Goerges in Indian Wells . The British No 1 had not won on the Tour since lifting the Hobart International title in January , but came through 6 4 5 7 6 3 against her German opponent . It should have been easier for Watson , who served for the match in the second set before losing the next five games , but the 22 year old overcame the setback to seal a last 64 clash with 29th seed Camila Giorgi . Heather Watson celebrates after winning a point against Julia Georges in the first round at Indian Wells Watson acknowledges the crowd after finally winning the match , after failing to serve out in the second set The British No 1 was made to work for her win , and admitted she was nervous , but came through to progress ' I was definitely a bit nervous , I think it showed closing out the second set there , but I kept fighting and was able to play the right way to finish the third set , ' Watson told Sport 2 . ' I just kept fighting . We both didn ' t play our best tennis but it was a good match . ' In an opening set that featured seven breaks of serve , with neither player holding in the opening four games , Watson stole a march on Goerges in the 10th game to go ahead . Georges fought back bravely from a set and a break down , and led in the third set before Watson responded In the end the Brit battled hard to win in three , and set up a match against Camila Giorgi Both players seemed to find some composure as the second set went with serve until a fantastic cross court forehand in the eighth game gave Watson a 5 3 lead . Goerges , though , capitalised on some loose play from Watson to take the next four games and force a decider . The world number 62 then broke at the start of the third , but Watson immediately levelled the match before then breaking decisively in the eighth game before closing out the match in two hours and 25 minutes .

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Oscar Pistorius has escaped returning to jail as he waits to appeal his murder conviction after telling a judge he needs daily internet access to study for an online law degree , writes Aislinn Laing in Pretoria . The 28 year old athlete said he had no income and no assets left after the fatal shooting of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on St Valentine s Day 2013 and is also actively job seeking from his uncle s mansion in Pretoria , where he lives under house arrest . He was granted bail pending an appeal in his case to the Constitutional Court , South Africa s highest tribunal , after agreeing to pay a reduced surety of R10 , 000 ( ? 460 ) and be electronically tagged . The athlete told the court he should remain at liberty because he has enrolled on a ? 4 , 200 law and business degree by correspondence at the University of London and needed daily access to internet . He also argued in an affidavit submitted to Pretoria s High Court that he would be severely prejudiced if he were sent back to Kgosi Mampuru Prison in Pretoria because of an anticipated delay before his case is concluded . Last week , Kevin Lerena , a professional boxer and friend of the sprinter , said he told him in a telephone conversation of the single cell he stayed in the prison s hospital wing : I don t want to go back to jail . It s a terrible place , so disgusting you can t imagine . Oscar Pistorius leaves the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ? Photo : Reuters Pistorius killed Steenkamp by firing four times through a locked lavatory door at his Pretoria home . He told his trial at Pretoria s High Court that he thought his girlfriend was in bed and he was confronting an intruder the state argued he killed her deliberately after an argument . The trial judge convicted him of manslaughter last September , saying the state had not proven his case and his account could be reasonably possibly true . The following month , she jailed him for five years but he was released on parole and into house arrest after serving just one year . Last week , South Africa s Supreme Court of Appeal ( ) overturned that conviction and replaced it with one of murder , saying the athlete formerly known as Blade Runner for his carbon fibre prosthetics ought to have known he would kill whomever he thought was on the other side of the door . On Tuesday , his legal team told a bail hearing that it would appeal that ruling to the country s highest tribunal , the Constitutional Court , on the grounds the five judges had stepped outside their remit by considering matters of fact rather than law . Pistorius s sentencing for the upgraded murder conviction , which carries a minimum term of 15 years , will be put on hold until April at least for the constitutional court to rule on whether it will accept the appeal . If it does , he could remain at liberty until the latter half of the year for a date to be set . If it does not , his sentencing will go ahead . Last week OscarPistorius was looking at 15 years behind bars , now he ' s out on bail for the next 4 months , studying law seeking employment Arguing to remain on bail and under house arrest at his uncle s mansion , Pistorius told the court he could no longer pay the original bail fee of R1m because he had no income and no assets , but agreed to pay R10 , 000 instead . Gerrie Nel , the prosecutor , called for him to be banned from leaving his uncle s home , arguing that with no fixed assets in South Africa and only R10 , 000 in surety , there was little to stop him absconding to Mozambique , where his family has business interests , or to Italy , where he used to train . Pistorius insisted in his affidavit that he was confident he would be vindicated by the fresh appeal , and in the meantime did not constitute a flight risk .

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Reuters) - Donald Trump’s vice president and top aides on Sunday joined the U.S. president-elect in criticizing an historic civil rights activist and lawmaker for questioning the legitimacy of his election win, opening up a new divide days before the inauguration. U.S. Representative John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” he thought hacking by Russians had helped Trump, a Republican, get elected in November. Lewis said he does not plan to attend Trump’s swearing in on Friday, the first time he would miss such an event since being elected to the House in 1986. Vice President-elect Mike Pence, incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and Trump spokesman Sean Spicer characterized Lewis’ remarks as disappointing and damaging to the reputation of U.S. democracy. “We honor the sacrifice that he made,” Pence said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “For someone of his stature not just in the civil rights movement but in voting rights to make a comment that he did not consider Donald Trump to be a legitimate president I think is deeply disappointing. I hope he reconsiders both statements.” Pence said he had attended both of President Barack Obama’s inaugurations. He said at a time when the country was facing challenges both at home and abroad, Americans should look for ways to come together and work together. The 76-year-old Lewis, who has been a civil rights leader for more than half a century, was beaten by police during a march he helped lead in 1965 in Selma, Alabama, drawing attention to hurdles preventing blacks from voting. He protested alongside leader Martin Luther King Jr. that day and on other occasions. The spat comes ahead of Monday’s federal holiday that honors King. Speaking on ABC’s “This Week”, Priebus said Lewis’ comments, given his position in society, were irresponsible. “We need folks like John Lewis, and others who I think have been champions of voter rights, to actually recognize the fact that Donald Trump was duly elected,” said Priebus. “I think putting the United States down across the world is not something that a responsible person does.” Outgoing White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said Obama believed that Trump was the freely elected president. McDonough, however, said concerns raised by Lewis and other Democrats about Russia’s interference in the election were not trivial. “My hope would be that the president-elect will reach out to...John Lewis, who has done so many things over the course of his life, to try to work this out,” McDonough said on CNN’s State of the Union. Such a gesture, he said, would show Americans that the nation is united and send a message to the Russians that “their efforts to divide us, to weaken us, to advance their own interests, at the expense of ours, are going to fail.” Trump’s aides defended his hard-hitting response on Twitter on Saturday that Lewis “should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested),” instead of complaining about the Nov. 8 election results. Lewis’ district encompasses Atlanta and the city’s main newspaper, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, told Trump he was “wrong” in his characterization of the area, which includes “many of Atlanta’s crown jewels as well as pockets of poverty.” “It was John Lewis that attacked Donald Trump. Donald Trump has a right to respond to that, and he did. And forcefully,” Spicer said on Fox News. But other Republicans and conservatives, like Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, had voiced support for Lewis on Saturday and his contribution not just to the United States, but to the world. At least 10 other Democratic U.S. politicians have said they also plan to skip the inauguration.

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Josephine Ruckinger had been estranged from family members for about 20 years . She burst back into their lives briefly with deadly consequences . Ruckinger and her husband , Jeffrey , both 43 , broke into an Ashville , Pennsylvania , home , where they shot and killed her mother and brother , before being killed by Ruckinger ' s father , according to Pennsylvania State Police . The woman ' s parents , John Sr . and Roberta Frew , had returned home from an evening out around 10 p . m . on Friday . They were sitting in the living room with their adult son , John Jr . , when their estranged daughter and her husband knocked at the door . When Roberta Frew answered , gunfire erupted , police said . Investigators believe Roberta , 64 , was shot by Ruckinger , while John Jr . , 47 , was shot in the left side of his chest by Ruckinger ' s husband . Both Roberta and John Jr . died at the scene of apparent gunshot wounds . Meanwhile , John Sr . , 67 , grabbed a . 22 caliber revolver from a back bedroom . He allegedly saw his daughter point a gun at him . He fired at least one round which , investigators believe , hit her in the head . Ruckinger ' s husband then fired shots at John Sr . , who responded in kind , Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement . Once " the immediate threats had been incapacitated , " John Sr . called 911 and waited , said police . Ruckinger was pronounced dead at a nearby trauma center . By the time police arrived , her husband had died . John Sr . was not injured . Investigators do not believe John Sr . recognized that one of the two alleged attackers was his estranged daughter at the time of the incident . A motive for killings is under investigation . A search of the Ruckingers ' car , parked at the bottom of the Frews ' driveway , turned up a large amount of ammunition , a gas can , and a can of lighter fluid . No charges have been filed against John Sr . , police said . Ashville is a rural community located approximately 90 miles east of Pittsburgh . Nevada teen arrested in killings of mother , brother 2 small caskets in Georgia and a mother charged with murder

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A drug addict who mugged frail pensioner Alan Barnes wept today as he heard lawyers will argue his attack was a ' hate crime ' . Prosecutors say Richard Gatiss deliberately targeted his 4ft 6in , visually impaired 67 year old victim out of hostility towards the disabled . The cowardly attack on Mr Barnes , from Gateshead , Tyne and Wear , shocked Britain in January and a fundraising campaign to buy him a new home made 330 , 000 in just a few days . Alan Barnes who suffers growth problems and is partially sighted was attacked by drug addict Richard Gatiss ( right ) in January . Prosecutors today called for the offence to be categorised as a disability hate crime Gatiss , 25 , also of Gateshead , appeared briefly at Newcastle Crown Court via a videolink from Durham Prison today , where he is being kept in segregation for his own safety . He will be sentenced on April 2 . The mugger sat hunched in his chair today as he followed proceedings and broke down in tears at one point . Nick Dry , prosecuting , said Gatiss struck in an area of sheltered accommodation for disabled and elderly people . He also made a partial admission to police that he knew of Mr Barnes prior to the attack . The court heard that , in Mr Barnes ' s opinion , he was attacked due to his disability . Mr Dry said if it was agreed that Gatiss specifically targeted Mr Barnes ' it can be inferred there is a general hostility towards people of disability ' . That could mean Gatiss was guilty of a disability hate crime , which would aggravate the assault with intent to rob charge that he admitted last month . Mr Dry added : ' It is pure inference that is sought by the crown . ' The attack on Mr Barnes sparked outrage around Britain and led to his neighbour , beautician Katie Cutler , organising a fund to help the 67 year old Donations flooded in from around the world and saw Mr Barnes given 330 , 000 to buy him a new home But Judge Paul Sloan suggested the claim of a general hostility towards disabled people was ' hollow ' and told the court the aggravating circumstances would be factored into the sentencing anyway . He said the prosecution must serve evidence to back up their claims within a week . Judge Sloan told Gatiss at the end of the 10 minute hearing he would continue to be remanded in custody and ' an immediate sentence of imprisonment is pretty well inevitable ' . It has previously been said in court that Gatiss was trying to get money to buy legal highs when he mugged Mr Barnes . His victim was shoved over and broke his collar bone but Gatiss fled empty handed when Mr Barnes called for help .

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Disturbing reports are emerging from Afghanistan that a 10 year old girl named Spozhmai was pre empted from carrying out a suicide bombing attack against a police station in Khanshin . Though Taliban forces are already deploying female operatives in a limited capacity , it was the first report of a young girl who was groomed for martyrdom . It represents the latest development in a long history of terrorist organizations ' use of children . reports suggest the girl is the sister of a Taliban commander . This is not unexpected . Indeed multiple Islamist groups specifically recruit within their own families . In Chechnya and Dagestan , we have seen sisters , brothers and cousins involved in terrorist operations , sometimes together . In both Afghanistan and Pakistan , various Taliban units have engaged in targeted recruitment of pairs of siblings . In our research over the past year into children being groomed for terrorist activity in Pakistan , several of the youth we encountered undergoing de radicalization and preparation for reintegration via the Sabaoon facility ( Pakistan ' s rehabilitation facility for child militants ) were recruited by relatives in the Pakistani Taliban . In almost all cases we have studied , the child recruits were genuinely unaware of what they were being asked to do what such operations could entail . Those who were aware displayed serious hesitation and were often given drugs by their recruiters to help them to comply . Some of the children changed their minds at the last minute and thus found refuge at Sabaoon . Duping children into carrying out a suicide attack is not a new tactic . In June 2007 in the southern Afghan province of Ghazni , the Taliban failed to deceive a 6 year old boy , Juma Gul , into being a suicide bomber . Putting the vest on him , the Taliban repeatedly told him that " flowers and food would appear once he pressed the button . " Walking toward his target , Juma hesitated . He decided not to press the button and instead called out for help from nearby Afghan National Army soldiers , who deactivated the device on his body . The incident was a watershed . Abdul Rahim Deciwal , the chief administrator for Juma ' s village of Athul , brought the boy and his brother to meet with the village elders , who expressed strong disapproval of the tactic and even began cooperating with forces to weed out the Taliban . Incidents such as these would appear to indicate that Taliban fighters are adopting the strategies of Iraqi insurgents , who have been known to use children to disguise bomb laden vehicles or dupe drivers into carrying improvised explosive devices , or IEDs , at times without their knowledge . In those cases , the would be bombers are detonated by remote control . This week ' s report of the attempted attack did not include a remote control detonator , and the 10 year old girl was unsuccessful in executing the mission of those who deployed her . Afghan security forces , however , have long been aware of this particularly insidious tactic . Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi has denied the group used child fighters , disclosing at the time of the Juma Gul incident that the Taliban had hundreds of adults ready for suicide missions . " We don ' t need to use a child , " he said . " It ' s against Islamic law , it ' s against humanitarian law . This is just propaganda against the Taliban . " Such statements are easily disputed . For example , in the publicly released documents seized from his Abbottabad , Pakistan , compound , Osama bin Laden acknowledged that " most of the work in Afghanistan ( has ) turned to the goal of luring and preparing the youth . " More recently , in November , there were media reports that Afghan police had pre empted a 12 year old bomber in the Panjwai district of Kandahar the child was allegedly wearing an explosive vest en route to a local girls ' school . When children are forced into terrorism , they become victimized and traumatized by their experiences in the process . In turn , they exploit and victimize others . Many remain in the movement until adulthood and beyond . And it ' s not just in their home countries : Efforts to groom children and adolescents as a future generation of militants has also been uncovered in diaspora communities within the United States and the . Perhaps the most well known case in recent times has been the disappearance of some 17 Somali American adolescent boys and young men from Minneapolis . Jonathan Evans , former director general of the British Security Service , or MI5 , warned that al Qaeda is targeting vulnerable youth even the very young in such communities as terrorist recruits , underscoring the need to protect children everywhere from exposure to violent extremism . Evans explained : " They are ( radicalizing ) , indoctrinating and grooming young , vulnerable people to carry out acts of terrorism . This year , we have seen individuals as young as 15 and 16 implicated in terrorist related activity . " Such realities pose serious challenges to countering violent extremism , especially when most efforts today place firm emphasis on undermining the allure of troublesome ideologies . Most of the children are not recruited on ideological grounds , and in cases where some children do appear to be under some ideological influence , it is clear they do not understand it . Whether for children recruited by the Pakistani Taliban , or young Somalis recruited in Minneapolis , there is a critical role to be played by families and communities in protecting young children from being vulnerable to the clutches of violent extremists . These efforts cannot be limited to a frame of counterterrorism . This is a challenge of basic child protection .

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Mario Balotelli ' s knack of attracting the wrong type of headlines shows no sign of abating with the Italian international facing a possible English Football Association charge for racially stereotyping Jewish and black people in a social media post . The is looking into Balotelli ' s reposting of a Nintendo character Super Mario image that underneath had the words " jumps like a black man and grabs coins like a jew . " Balotelli quickly deleted the Instagram image , before tweeting : " My Mom is jewish so all of u shut up please , " a reference to his foster mother , Silvia . He apologized Tuesday on Twitter explaining the post " was meant to be anti racist with humor . " He added : " I now understand that out of context may have the opposite effect . Not all Mexicans have mustaches , not all black people jump high and not all Jewish people love money . " I used a cartoon done by someone else because it has Super Mario and I thought it was funny and not offensive . Again , I ' m sorry . " Liverpool said they plan to speak to Balotelli , who has missed the club ' s last three games due to a groin injury he picked up on international duty in November . " We are aware of the posting which has since been promptly deleted by the player , " said Liverpool in a statement . However , former executive Simon Johnson called on the to punish the 24 year old Balotelli . " We abhor all forms of racism , wherever it is found , " Johnson , who is the current chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council , told the Daily Telegraph . " We call upon the to investigate this offensive social media post and to take action if appropriate if we are to succeed in kicking racism out of football . " Playing iIn Italy , Balotelli frequently faced racist abuse in stadiums , while in September Merseyside police investigated racist remarks on Twitter made to Balotelli after he posted a message during Manchester United ' s 5 3 defeat against Leicester City . Balotelli has yet to score a Premier League goal since joining Liverpool from Milan in the summer transfer window , though he did find the net against Ludogorets in the Champions League as well as against Swansea in the English League Cup . The minimum ban for race related rule breaches is five games under the ' s social media guidelines .

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Tragedy : Nicholas Dellaventura collapsed and died during football practice in July 2012 at St . Joseph by the Sea High School in Staten Island The enraged family of a Staten Island teenager who collapsed from heat stroke and died during practice last year are suing his school for 10 million negligence . Alleging that Nicholas Dellaventura , 15 , was ordered to carry on on the field , despite telling his coach and Gambino family associate Salvatore Ferraioli that he was ill , his parents are suing St . Joseph by the Sea High School and the Archdiocese of New York . Collapsing in July last year , Dellaventura ' s body temperature had soared to 110 degrees and the star freshman died hours after Ferraioli allegedly made him continue practice . The Dellaventura attorney , Ralph DeSimone told the New York Post that Ferraioli kept the 5 foot 8 , 210 pound offensive linesman on the field in the mid 80s heat even after he had tried to pull out due to illness . ' These kids were winded . . . Nicholas had pulled himself off the field because he couldn ' t do it anymore , and he was told to go back and finish the practice , ' said DeSimone . Ferraioli , who resigned in August 2012 after he was arrested and implicated in a Gambino gambling ring is alleged to have shouted somthing at Dellaventura that made him remain on the field . Dellaventura , a student at St . Joseph By The Sea , had finished a 90 minute workout with his teammates who then huddled round to listen to their coach , New York Archdiocese spokeswoman Fran Davies told the New York Post However , Ferraioli ' s lawyer denied that his client put the boy in any danger and alleged that Dellaventura ' s mother , Maria , knew her son was battling a fever caused by an infection . ' She sent him to practice knowing he had a fever , ' said McMahon to the New York Post . Dellaventura family attorney Ralph DeSimone said that the teenager was forced back onto the field after tying to leave in July 2012 DeSimone said that Dellaventura had a ' clean bill of health ' and that officials at the school did not react fast enough to save the teen when he collapsed . ' They did not call 911 right away . They did not administer any type of proper first aid to him when he was in distress . There ' s elementary things they could have done here that anyone with any kind of rudimentary training would have known , ' DeSimone said . ' If you treat the situation in the first 10 minutes , it ' s 100 percent survivable . ' However , athletic director Greg Manos said that the school followed state mandated protocols . ' There was no way that workout could have done that to Nicholas . He was running basic drills , ' said football coach Sean Cusick at the time . The sophomore from New York City ' s Staten Island was breathing and had a soaring temperature when paramedics rushed him to hospital , according to the . Dellaventura , a student at St . Joseph By The Sea , had finished a 90 minute workout with his teammates who then huddled round to listen to their coach , New York Archdiocese spokeswoman Fran Davies told the New York Post . Coaches and teammates then saw that Dellaventura was struggling to breathe and couldn ' t stand up from kneeling , Davies said . They gave him first aid and called paramedics . As they waited for the ambulance to arrive Dellaventura remained conscious and verbally responsive , Davies said . Several hours later he was pronounced dead at Staten Island University Hospital South . The boy ' s football coach , Rich Clark , told the Post that he was a ' really nice kid ' who always had a smile on his face . ' There are not enough nice things you can say about the kid . I feel like I lost a member of my family , ' he told the Post .

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N . H . ( ) ? ? Hillary Clinton has been here before , watching a political rival generate youthful enthusiasm with lofty proposals she believes are going unchallenged . So on Thursday , she took matters into her own hands . In the first head to head debate between Clinton and Bernie Sanders , the former secretary of state tried to systematically undermine the Vermont senator s plans for a government run ? health ? care system , his call for free college tuition and his foreign policy judgment . And she upbraided Sanders for his artful smear of the high dollar speaking fees she received from Wall Street banks and the implication she s beholden to the financial firms as a result . I really don t think these kinds of attacks by insinuation are worthy of you , Clinton said to Sanders . If you have something to say , say it directly . Clinton s fiery performance was a manifestation of the frustration growing inside her campaign for weeks . Her team believes Sanders is getting away with breaking his pledge to avoid negative attacks . And they think he s not being straight with Americans about the cost of his proposals , particularly his call for a single payer ? health ? care system . With the attention of a prime time television audience , Clinton set about trying to vet Sanders proposals on her own . When it comes to his calls for broader government involvement in domestic programs , Clinton said , The numbers don t add up . On foreign policy , she tried to poke a hole in Sanders argument that his vote against the invasion of Iraq is proof he has the judgment necessary to manage America s involvement in the turbulent Middle East . A vote in 2002 is not a plan to defeat , she said . Addressing her own readiness to be president , Clinton said : I ve been vetted . There s hardly anything you don t know about me . While the contest between Clinton and Sanders has grown more heated in recent weeks , Thursday s debate took the rancor to a new level . It followed Clinton s narrow victory in the Iowa caucuses and came just days before the primary in New Hampshire , where Sanders has for months maintained a large lead in preference polls . Clinton s allies don t believe her standing is nearly as precarious as it was during this stage of her 2008 primary fight against Barack Obama . They view Sanders as a candidate with narrower appeal , particularly once the primary calendar moves to states with more racially diverse electorates . But there are enough eerie echoes of that contest eight years ago to spark growing anxiety , as well as a determination to not underestimate Sanders . Even if Clinton believes his proposals are unrealistic , he s amassing enough campaign cash to keep the race going for months ? and potentially enough support among young voters and liberal Democrats to stay competitive in the delegate count . In Thursday s debate , Sanders was still finding his way in his new role as a viable presidential candidate . He continued to be more at ease when discussing economic issues and was still searching for a foreign policy argument that holds up next to Clinton . He reiterated his belief that as president , he could muscle big government programs through a divided Washington , even those that include tax hikes to pay for the costs . And he kept up his intense attacks on the same Wall Street banks from which Clinton accepted speaking fees , casting her decision to take the money as an example of what he sees as the inappropriate blending of politics and big business . Wall Street is an entity of unbelievable economic and political power , Sanders said . That s a fact . Even as the Democratic contest takes a more acrimonious turn , Clinton is mindful of the fine line she must walk between drawing sharp distinctions with Sanders and not turning off his supporters . She s still the front runner for her party s nomination and will need his voters ? particularly the young people flocking to his campaign ? in the general election . In the closing moments of the two hour debate , Clinton was asked whether she might pick Sanders as her running mate if she becomes the nominee . She demurred ? I think that would be a little presumptuous ? but said Sanders would have a voice in her administration . If I m so fortunate to be the nominee , the first person I will call to talk to about where we go and how we get it done will be Sen . Sanders , she said . Sanders , who has his own reputation as an all about the issues candidate at stake if the race devolves into personal attacks , returned the favor . Sometimes in these campaigns , things get a little bit out of hand . I happen to respect the secretary very much , he said . What had started as a contentious confrontation then ended with a happy handshake . ( ? Copyright 2016 The Associated Press . All Rights Reserved . This material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten or redistributed . )

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wants a society where only one point of view is accepted when the state takes more power over our speech , they re acting on the same knee jerk impulses . At the coaxing of President Francois Hollande and restaurateurs , Parisians have rallied behind the hastag TousAuBistrot , basically everyone to the bistro or back to the bar . European Union interior ministers have agreed to draw up plans for the systematic control of all people entering the bloc following the disclosure that the mastermind of the Paris terror attacks was able to slip into the country undetected . The passport was found next to the body of a suicide bomber at the French national stadium and investigators are trying to ascertain whether it was genuine . The state of emergency grants expanded powers to French security forces , including the ability to immediately place suspects under house arrest , conduct warrantless searches , and copy data from suspects phones and computers . In the long run , the pernicious ideology underpinning the Paris attacks can only be defeated by upholding the foundational values of the French Republic , he said in a statement . He was last seen driving toward the Belgian border when police stopped and questioned him a few hours after the attacks . The lower house of the French Parliament has voted to extend a state of emergency for three months after last week s deadly attacks . Two attackers were also killed . Police also seized 250 , 000 euros . The senate is expected to vote on the measures this Friday and the government then intends to hold a special vote of congress within three months to strengthen emergency powers in the constitution . Hollande said he would appeal to world leaders to form a wider coalition to go after , including meeting next week with U . S . President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin . In an address to the National Assembly Thursday , Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the extension would allow the government to stop dangerous proven activities and threats stemming from serious suspicions . For proof , he pointed to their history of executions , bombings , beheadings and added that the use of chemical and biological weapons can t be ruled out . The state of emergency , it s true , justifies certain temporary restrictions on liberties , Mr Valls said . The grim imagination of those giving the orders has no limit .

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Bekaa Valley , Lebanon He escaped the war , but life ' s no happier now for Omar . The 8 year old Syrian refugee longs for friends back in Qusayr , hard hit by a civil war that grinds on . He also misses days in school when the most he had to worry about was finishing his homework . " I work so I can bring money for my family , " says Omar . His mother , like other refugees , asked that their last names not be used as they are worried for their safety . Eddie Izzard : In Syrian refugee camps , another day of childhood is lost I met Omar on a hot , dusty day in Lebanon ' s wind swept Bekaa Valley . We were interviewing his mother when Omar and his 14 year old brother came zooming by on a motorbike . They had just finished gathering eggs at a nearby farm what little money the kids make is the only way their family is able to survive . The job is hard , but Omar went through an even more difficult experience recently . " They hit us , " he says timidly , describing how Lebanese boys his age beat him up . " They said to me , " he adds , embarrassed and close to tears , " ' Damn every Syrian . ' " Omar now faces a different kind of brutality a harsh reality reflected in the weary faces of kids all around . Their eyes make them seem far older . There ' s no childhood spark , with smiles few and far between . I ask a 15 year old girl what life ' s been like for her here . " Life ? " She asks unbelievingly as if the question were a farce . " We manage to live , but it ' s nothing like before . " She ' s forced to share a small tent with nine others . She says her circumstances are difficult , but at the same time , she feels blessed with what her family even has . In makeshift refugee camps such as this one , the overwhelming feeling is sadness . The Syrians interviewed say they can ' t believe their lives have come to this adding how they ' re not just destitute , but they ' re also facing discrimination . Bushra , a Syrian woman in her 40s , says she ' s still shocked at the kinds of hateful words she ' s heard since arriving . " Some people say to me , ' God bless Bashar al Assad ' s hands , ' " she says , " ' the hands that slaughtered you all you deserve worse . ' " Bushra says it ' s told as a joke , but she and her family aren ' t laughing . The United Nations says more than 600 , 000 Syrians have fled to neighboring Lebanon , a tiny country of about 4 million people . Aid workers warn resentment toward Syrian refugees is on the rise here . " The crisis entered its third year now , " says Patricia Mouammar with World Vision , a humanitarian aid and development organization . " And the Lebanese community even though very generous at the beginning of this crisis , now they cannot take the burden . " Mouammar says there are many reasons for increasing tensions . " Rent the prices of the rent have gone up , up to 400 in some areas , " she says . " Salary wages plummeted , and Syrian refugees are working for less , and they ' re sharing homes with multiple families . And everyone is feeling that everyone is feeling the burden on the Lebanese hosting communities . " Mouammar says her organization is " calling for the humanitarian aid to direct more assistance toward both communities the Syrian refugees and the Lebanese communities . " It ' s gotten so bad that some Lebanese families have even been displaced . Taha , a Lebanese father , says his family ' s former landlord kicked them out when a recently arrived Syrian family was willing to pay double the rent . His younger son ' s anger is clear as day . " The Syrians took our world away from us , " says 9 year old Iyad . " There ' s nothing left for us . " His father ' s outrage , however , is reserved for others . " We ' re not against Syrians we have to help the refugees , " Taha says . " But our government has to take care of us , too . " Pointing to his oldest , he says , " My son here , now he has to work too it ' s awful . " There ' s no indication the teenager has heard us . He sits and stares his hopelessness and exhaustion apparent . He isn ' t just drained . Like so many Syrian children , he ' s also desperate . Syrian refugees plead with U . S . secretary of state in Jordan Syrian refugees flood Jordanian town

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Steffon Armitage will not be considered for selection by England for the upcoming Six Nations but his form at No 8 means World Cup dream is over . Stuart Lancaster names his squad for the Six Nations later this month and will again ignore overseas based players , most notably Armitage , under guidelines . The England head coach , however , is expected to exercise the ' exceptional circumstances ' clause by selecting the Toulon back row in his pre World Cup training squad in May . Steffon Armitage has not been selected by England since he moved to France in 2011 Armitage is widely considered one of the best players in Europe , if not the world , and Lancaster has been impressed by his form at No 8 over the last year . It has been a problem position for England since Lancaster took charge in 2012 and he is keen to explore his options . Gloucester No 8 Ben Morgan won England ' s man of the series in the autumn but there are concerns over Billy Vunipola ' s fitness and big match temperament . With few other alternatives and given his form for Toulon , it is becoming harder to ignore Armitage . The former London Irish back row , 29 , won European player of the year last season Lancaster has been reluctant to bow to calls for the 29 year old to be selected as he has kept faith in captain Chris Robshaw and Northampton ' s Tom Wood on the flanks and Morgan and Vunipola at No 8 . But with the World Cup just eight months away and following a disappointing autumn series he wants his best players available for assessment in May . The Six Nations is likely to come too soon for Bath rugby league convert Sam Burgess but he too is likely to be picked for the end of season training camp , which will include over 40 players . Bath ' s Sam Burgess ( centre ) is also set to be selected by Stuart Lancaster for May ' s training camp Armitage saw a move to Bath fall through in October , seemingly scuppering his hopes of adding to his five England caps before or during the World Cup . But should he impress Lancaster in May then he may well be pulling on the Red Rose again come the World Cup kick off on September 18 .

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Matt Damon wins Golden Globe for ' The Martian ' Also see a complete of the presenters who will honor the 2016 Golden Globe nominees . " Not even Sean Penn will find me ! " he joked in a reference to the Oscar winning actor ' s recent interview with Mexican drug kingpin El Chapo . She said : " I am extremely surprised and overwhelmed " . There was some debate as to whether some films would be categorized in the drama or comedy categories , such as Joy and The Martian , though the Hollywood Foreign Press Association ruled them both as comedies . The nominations were announced last month , and the film Carol topped the list with five . But a win is a win , and although this awards season is far from predetermined , neither " The Martian " nor " The Revenant " were considered real frontrunners , especially against nominees like " Spotlight " , " Carol " , " Mad Max : Fury Road " , and " The Big Short " . Actors in both shows Christian Slater for " Mr Robot " and Gabriel Garcia Bernal for " Mozart in the Jungle " also won . Later in the show , Tom Hanks said on stage , " We recall when Ricky Gervais was a slightly chubby and kindly comedian " , with co presenter and " Toy Story " costar Tim Allen adding , " Neither of which he is now " . " They said I could say what I want again " . Kate Winslet was visibly shocked as she was announced as the first victor at the Golden Globes . Sylvester Stallone won best supporting actor for the " Rocky " sequel reboot " Creed " . " As a nominee , there ' s a nervousness that you feel " , he said . Best comedy series went to Amazon ' s " Mozart in the Jungle " , which won over the heavyweight " Veep " . The victory of " Wolf Hall " in the category of best movie or miniseries led to an global political pitch . " I ' d like to quash this ridiculous rumor going around that the only reason " The Tourist " was nominated was so the Hollywood Foreign Press could hang out with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie . And thank you for not taking my suggestion and ending the entire series on Chumbawamba , you picked the right song " . Dame Maggie Smith is nominated in the best actress in a comedy or musical category for her cantankerous role in The Lady In The Van while her Downton Abbey co star Joanne Froggatt is nominated for best supporting actress in a series , limited series or movie for her role as Anna Bates in the period drama . Joining Blanchett and Mara in the best drama actress category are Brie Larson , for her portrayal of a woman held captive with her son in " Room " , Saoirse Ronan for " Brooklyn " and Alicia Vikander for " The Danish Girl " . Inside Out was named best animated feature film while the best screenplay award was given to Aaron Sorkin for Steve Jobs .

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Dispatches from A s the moment of truth approaches, America’s two leading broadsheets, the and WaPo, continue relentlessly bashing Trump, shamelessly supporting a woman belonging in prison, not high office. A same day article discussed The Times’ latest anti-Trump broadside. WaPo featured two editorials hammering him, following so many others earlier, disgracefully accusing him of everything imaginable, while practically elevating Hillary to sainthood by comparison. “Will Republicans respect democracy,” WaPo editors asked? How can anyone knowledgeable about how America is run respect what’s nonexistent, not earlier or now? “The big question after Tuesday’s election…will be whether the nation’s leaders act to preserve our republic – or hasten a descent toward a banana republic,” said WaPo editors. They failed to explain governance resembles the way a crime family operates – a godfather (or godmother) atop the hierarchy, serving privileged interests exclusively. .. The “first priority (for the nation’s leadership) must be preserving and restoring the country’s democratic institutions…” WaPo editors claimed. How can it when none exist? America is a rogue state, run by its lunatic fringe, neocon extremists, waging endless wars of aggression, punishing ordinary people with neoliberal harshness, enforcing police state viciousness on resisters, a hair’s breadth from instituting full-blown tyranny – likely coming with Hillary in charge. .. WaPo editors are terrified about how multiple investigations of her wrongdoing might turn out – heading toward possibly indicting and impeaching her, ludicrously claiming: .. “There is no substantiated charge against Ms. Clinton that would warrant impeachment, or even talk of impeachment. Despite suggestions otherwise, there is also no imminent indictment against the Democratic nominee, or any available evidence suggesting that indictment is a realistic possibility… Instead, what the nation has seen over the closing days of this campaign is a party preparing to (mis)use extraordinary congressional powers for despicable political ends.” Fact: Volumes of evidence show Hillary guilty of war crimes, orchestrating coups, other international and constitutional law violations, racketeering, perjury, obstruction of justice, fraud, influence-selling pay-for-play, and jeopardizing national security by using her private server for classified State Department documents – enough to lock anyone up for life. Separately, WaPo editors said “Trump’s election would be a major threat to the economy” – a way over-the-top unjustifiable claim, saying: .. His “election would be a major new source of instability here and abroad…Suddenly, a man with a deep-seated hostility to, and incomprehension of, markets would be at the helm of the world’s preeminent market economy.” A billionaire business tycoon with no comprehension of markets? No one could become super-rich without a keen understanding of how they work – so what irks WaPo editors? .. They support jobs-killing trade deals like and TPP. Trump’s justifiable opposition riles them. They’re angry because he’s right accusing the (Wall-Street controlled) Fed of keeping interest rates near zero for political reasons, along with government agencies fudging economic data like GDP, monthly jobs numbers and inflation, among others – to make economic conditions look rosier than reality. .. Trump “failed to level with the public about the challenges before us, to provide a plausible sense of how he would improve things – or to demonstrate much of anything except the risks of entrusting him with management of an $18 trillion economy,” WaPo editors claimed. Agree or disagree with him, he presented a clearer agenda than Hillary – time and again proving she’s a serial liar, dishonest, untrustworthy, ruthless and dangerous. NOTE: CAPTIONS, EDITORS, • PAGE. . lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net . His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: Drive for Hegemony Risks III.” ( weblink ) Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com . = TODAY! LOSE, GAIN. PAGE.= free • safe • invaluable If you appreciate our articles, do the right thing and let us know by subscribing. It’s free and it implies no obligation to you— ever. We just want to have a way to reach our most loyal readers on important occasions when their input is necessary. In return you get our email newsletter compiling the best of The Greanville Post several times a week.

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SHANGHAI/ (Reuters) - State-run Chinese tabloid Global Times warned U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that China would “take revenge” if he reneged on the one-China policy, only hours after Taiwan’s president made a controversial stopover in Houston. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met senior U.S. Republican lawmakers during her stopover in Houston on Sunday en route to Central America, where she will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. Tsai will stop in San Francisco on Jan. 13, her way back to Taiwan. China had asked the United States not to allow Tsai to enter or have formal government meetings under the one China policy. Beijing considers self-governing Taiwan a renegade province ineligible for state-to-state relations. The subject is a sensitive one for China. A photograph tweeted by Texas Governor Greg Abbott shows him meeting Tsai, with a small table between them adorned with the U.S., Texas and Taiwanese flags. Tsai’s office said on Monday she also spoke by telephone with U.S. senator John McCain, head of the powerful Senate Committee on Armed Services. Tsai also met Texas Senator Ted Cruz. “Sticking to (the one China) principle is not a capricious request by China upon U.S. presidents, but an obligation of U.S. presidents to maintain China-U.S. relations and respect the existing order of the Asia-Pacific,” said the Global Times editorial on Sunday. The influential tabloid is published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily. Trump triggered protests from Beijing last month by accepting a congratulatory telephone call from Tsai and questioning the U.S.commitment to China’s position that Taiwan is part of one China. “If Trump reneges on the one-China policy after taking office, the Chinese people will demand the government to take revenge. There is no room for bargaining,” said the Global Times. Cruz said some members of Congress had received a letter from the Chinese consulate asking them not to meet Tsai during her stopovers. “The People’s Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves,” Cruz said in a statement. “This is not about the PRC. This is about the U.S. relationship with Taiwan, an ally we are legally bound to defend.” Cruz said he and Tsai discussed upgrading bilateral relations and furthering economic cooperation between their countries, including increased access to Taiwan markets that would benefit Texas ranchers, farmers and small businesses. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang on Monday urged “relevant U.S. officials” to handle the Taiwan issue appropriately to avoid harming China-U.S. ties. “We firmly oppose leaders of the Taiwan region, on the so-called basis of a transit visit, having any form of contact with U.S. officials and engaging in activities that interfere with and damage China-U.S. relations,” Lu said. In a dinner speech Saturday to hundreds of overseas Taiwanese, Tsai said the United States holds a “special place in the hearts of the people of Taiwan” and that the island via bilateral exchanges has provided more than 320,000 jobs directly and indirectly to the American people, her office said on Monday. Tsai said Taiwan looked to create more U.S. jobs through deeper investment, trade and procurement. Tsai’s office said James Moriarty, chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, which handles U.S.-Taiwan affairs in the absence of formal ties, told the Taiwan president in Houston that the United States was continuing efforts to persuade China to resume dialogue with Taiwan. China is deeply suspicious of Tsai, who it thinks wants to push for the formal independence of the island. The Global Times, whose stance does not equate with government policy, also targeted Tsai in the editorial, saying that the mainland would likely impose further diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Taiwan, warning that “Tsai needs to face the consequences for every provocative step she takes”. “It should also impose military pressure on Taiwan and push it to the edge of being reunified by force, so as to effectively affect the approval rating of the Tsai administration.”

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