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Senator Lindsey Graham was close with John McCain for many, many years, and today Graham delivered a heartfelt, emotional speech on the Senate floor this afternoon paying tribute to his friend. Graham talked about McCain’s sense of humor and some of the jokes he shared over the years, including how Arizona is the once place where “mothers tell their children you can never grow up to be president.” “I am gonna miss these dumb jokes,” he said. He reflected on everything he learned from McCain, including witnessing how “the captured warrior who was tortured became the statesman who forgave and healed.” “I remember him embracing a war that nobody wanted to talk about because he understood what it would cost to lose it,” he said. “I remember him supporting the surge when everybody was willing to get out of Iraq because they were so tired of it and saw no way forward. I remember the fighter.” Graham spoke of McCain as a healer and unifier who was graceful in defeat and accepting of failures before continuing: “To those striving as a young person, remember John McCain. He failed a lot, but he never quit and the reason we’re talking about him today and the reason I’m crying is because he was successful. In spite of his failures. For family and friends, the after action report would say a relationship with Maverick brought joy and difficulty. Both were your constant companion. He was a difficult man. He could be tough. But the joy that you received from being with him will sustain you for a lifetime. And I am so lucky to have been in his presence.” He even said at one point that people should try to follow in his footsteps, saying, “Be more like John McCain. I believe there’s a little John McCain in all of us. And a little John McCain practiced by a lot of people can make this a really great nation.” You can watch above, via CBS. [image via screengrab] Have a tip we should know? [email protected]<doc-sep>Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. will brief the media on Tuesday, Aug. 28, at 10 a.m. EDT, in the Pentagon Briefing Room (2E973). DAILY SCHEDULE: Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. brief the media at 10 a.m. EDT in the Pentagon Briefing Room (2E973). Both U.S. and foreign journalists without a Pentagon building pass must be pre-registered in the new Pentagon Visitor Management System to attend this briefing; plan on being escorted from the River Entrance Pedestrian Bridge or the Pentagon Metro Entrance Facility only. Please arrive no later than 45 minutes before the briefing; have proof of affiliation and photo identification. Please call 703-697-5131 for any questions and escort into the building. The briefing will also be streamed live on www.defense.gov/live. Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis hosts an enhanced honor cordon welcoming Minister of Defense Ryamizard Ryacudu of Indonesia, to the Pentagon at 2:30 p.m. EDT on the steps of the River Entrance. All journalists desiring to cover the cordon must obtain a wristband from security screening. Journalists without a Pentagon facility access card must go through security screening at the base of the River Entrance Pedestrian Bridge, and will be escorted to the cordon from there. Security screening will begin at approximately 1:45 p.m. EDT; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification. Journalists with a Pentagon facility access card, and whom have entered the building prior to 1:30 p.m. EDT, may go through security screening at the River Entrance to obtain their wristband. All journalists wishing to cover the honor cordon, including those with a Pentagon facility access card, must be in place no later than 2:15 p.m. EDT. Once security screening has been initiated at the base of the bridge, all journalists entering the building via the bridge for any reason, including those with a Pen WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 1: Cindy McCain looks on as a joint military service casket team carries the casket of the late Senator John McCain following his funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral, September 1, 2018 in Washington, DC. Former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush delivered eulogies for McCain in front of the 2,500 invited guests. McCain will be buried on Sunday at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) (CNN) — Sen. Lindsey Graham said Wednesday that President Donald Trump called him after he delivered an emotional farewell to Sen. John McCain on the Senate floor, telling the South Carolina Republican he “did right by his friend.” “He called yesterday after my speech and he couldn’t have been nicer. He said, ‘That was very sad. I just want to let you know you did right by your friend.’ I said, Thank you Mr. President.’” Graham told CNN’s Dana Bash in an interview on “Inside Politics” Wednesday, adding that the call from the President was “right out of the blue.” Never one to mince words, Graham admitted when Trump “says something bad about John, it pisses me off.” Asked by Bash how he squares his close friendship with McCain to his new relationship with Trump, Graham said, “If you know anything about me, I want to be relevant. I want to make sure that this President, Donald Trump, who I didn’t vote for, ran against, is successful.” He added, “To those who want me to say the only way you can honor John McCain is to fight Donald Trump and try to kick him out of office, I don’t agree. I’m going to do what I think is best for the country using what John taught me about the country.” During the 2016 campaign, Trump attacked McCain’s record of service, saying the Vietnam veteran was “not a war hero” because he was captured. Trump also blasted McCain for his deciding “no” vote on Republicans’ efforts to partially repeal Obamacare last year. McCain criticized Trump’s policies and politics. He called Trump’s Helsinki news conference with Vladimir Putin “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.” McCain also made clear he did not want Trump to attend his funeral service. “I regret the relationship between the two,” Graham said of the Arizona senator and President. “John is my dearest friend in the world and I’m going to try and help President Trump.” Besides his tribute speech on the Senate floor, Graham will read scripture at McCain’s memorial service at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on Saturday, and give a tribute in Annapolis, Maryland, at the Naval Academy service on Sunday.<doc-sep>(CNN) — Sen. Lindsey Graham took to the Senate floor Tuesday to give an emotional farewell to his friend and colleague, Sen. John McCain. “I have been dreading this,” the South Carolina Republican said, wiping away tears. “And now I am going to do this.” “My name is Graham, not McCain,” he said. “But I feel like a McCain. I don’t know if I have earned that honor, but I feel like it.” Surrounded by a dozen members of the Senate from both sides of the aisle, Graham shared “a few dumb jokes told over and over” and talked of his trip to Vietnam when McCain returned to the Hanoi Hilton, his prison for five-and-a-half years. “I remember being in front of his cell, and you can see the wheels turning and the memories coming back,” he said. “I saw a bunch of photos on the wall of the prisoners playing volleyball, sitting in the sun with sunglasses on. I said, ‘John, must not have been that bad after all,’ and he said with a smile, ‘I don’t remember it this way.’” And, in a moment that got chuckles from the room, Graham, as others before him, noted the late Arizona senator’s dry sense of humor. “The more he humiliated you, the more he liked you. In that regard, I was well served,” Graham said. Graham, standing next to the black velvet draped desk that was once McCain’s, appealed to his colleagues for help in the coming days. “It is going to be a lonely journey for me for a while. I am going to need your help, and the void to be filled by John’s passing is more than I can fill,” he said. When he left the floor, Graham was greeted by hugs from Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. Graham’s remarks were the first of what will be many times he will speak honoring his friend this week. Graham is scheduled to read scripture at McCain’s service Saturday at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, and will give a tribute Sunday in Annapolis, Maryland, at the Naval Academy service.<doc-sep>Following the death of his close friend and colleague Sen. John McCain, Sen. Lindsey Graham shared some of the late senator’s final words to him and elaborated on McCain’s legacy. “He had a romantic view of our nation to his last breath,” Graham told NBC’s TODAY Tuesday morning. “Literally almost the last thing he said to me was ‘I love you. I have not been cheated.’ He was not cheated.” Speaking to McCain’s legacy, Graham said the late senator showed politicians like himself and Americans “that it’s not about you.” “Country first means that even if it’s inconvenient for you and it makes you uncomfortable, you do it anyway,” Graham said. “Country first hurts, but it’s the right way to go.” Graham and McCain were two good friends who worked alongside each other in the Senate for more than 15 years. The two Republicans disagreed with each other on certain issues — memorably the Republican attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act last year — but emphasized that their political differences did not come in the way of their friendship. Graham explained on TODAY that McCain’s desk “is right by mine,” making it difficult for him to look over after the late senator’s death. Graham will speak on the Senate floor Tuesday about McCain and his legacy. He told TODAY hosts Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin that he plans to approach the difficult speech as he would an “after action report” in the military. “This man was the conscience of the Senate. He was at times the conscience of the nation,” Graham said. “If I had to pick one person in this great land to explain to someone from a different planet who are these Americans, it would be John McCain with an assist from (his speechwriter) Mark Salter.” McCain had a tumultuous relationship with President Donald Trump, whom Graham has defended in recent months. Trump released an official statement on the death of the late senator two days after his death, and the White House re-lowered its flags to half-staff amid pubic pressure to keep them there until McCain’s burial. Graham hesitated to criticize the President when asked about the kerfuffle. “It is all over now. The flag is down,” Graham said. “When the President mentioned John, he got applause. I hope he’ll remember how people feel about John.” “Clearly they had a tenuous relationship,” Graham said, “but he’s not the only one to have a tense relationship with John McCain.” Funeral services for McCain will begin this week. He will first lie in the Arizona State Capitol for a ceremony Wednesday (which would have been his birthday). Then he will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol on Friday. Services will take place around Washington, D.C., on Saturday. Correction August 29 The original version of this story misstated Lindsey Graham’s comments about John McCain. Graham said McCain was the “conscience” of the Senate and the nation, not the “conscious.” Get our Politics Newsletter. The headlines out of Washington never seem to slow. Subscribe to The D.C. Brief to make sense of what matters most. Please enter a valid email address. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again. Sign Up Now An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later. Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Contact us at letters@time.com.<doc-sep>

WASHINGTON — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the late Sen. John McCain’s pal on Capitol Hill, said Tuesday that he believed the Arizona Republican’s lasting legacy is that he “taught us how to lose.” “When you go around the world people remember his concession speech as much as anything else,” Graham said speaking of the night in November 2008 that McCain lost the White House to then-Sen. Barack Obama. “So he healed the nation at the time he was hurting.” Speaking on the Senate floor, with his voice cracking sporadically, Graham retold some of McCain’s favorite jokes, listed the lessons he learned from the six-term senator and reminded his audience of the times McCain’s policy positions were right. “I’m going to try and make this somewhat fun, even though I don’t feel in a funny mood right now,” Graham said. Graham pointed to his tie, noting it was a Naval Academy tie — McCain’s alma mater — and recalled how McCain would often say he wished Graham had been a member of his Naval Academy class. “I would have been sixth from the bottom, not fifth,” Graham said he would say. “So thank you very much John. Humiliation and affection were constant companions. The more he humiliated you, the more he liked you,” Graham explained. “In that regard I was well-served.” McCain also liked to joke that Arizona, the birthplace of three losing presidential candidates, is “the only place in the nation where mothers tell their children you can never grow up to be president,” Graham said. “Jeff remember that, maybe you can break the string,” Graham said to Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who has hinted he has future presidential ambitions. Graham called out other senators too, telling Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) that he could inherit McCain’s dumb jokes, while name-dropping Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), urging him to be patient, like McCain, with his colleagues. “He believed in climate change, Sheldon, and so do I,” Graham said. “But there’s a practical streak in John that I think made him very successful because you have to let people catch up to you. You have to have a rhythm and a pace.” The South Carolina reminded his fellow lawmakers when McCain had been right. “I remember him embracing a war that nobody wanted to talk about because he understood the cost to lose it,” Graham said, speaking of the Iraqi surge. “He talked about what would happen in Iraq if we left. He was right. He talked about what happened in Syria if we didn’t get involved. He was right,” Graham continued. “Why? Because warriors are the best, I believe, at making peace.” Graham formulated his speech like a military “after action” report, which he assigned the code name “Operation Maverick.” “The source of the report is me, his political wingman, code name ‘Old Jerk’ — you’ve all got your names and earned them like I did — who was lucky enough to walk in his shadow and witness history up close,” Graham said. Graham said he would characterize “Operation Maverick” as “wildly successful.” “It made the world a better place. It gave the nation something to talk about at a time when we can’t agree on anything. The only time MSNBC, CNN and Fox are saying the same thing.” “Not universal acceptance of the life of John McCain,” Graham remarked. “But pretty damn close.”

If you're looking for more proof that Bella Hadid and The Weeknd are officially back together, then their latest outing should help seal the deal. On Saturday, the couple — who've been dating on and off since 2015 — were spotted grabbing dinner with friends in Paris. Even though the pair steered clear of any PDA this time around, they clearly didn't seem to care if anyone saw them together. Bella and The Weeknd have been generating reconciliation rumors ever since they were spotted kissing at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The pair have yet to confirm anything, but all of their recent outings and social media interactions seem to suggest that they're back on. But don't just take our word for it — see for yourself ahead.<doc-sep>Products in this story are independently selected and featured editorially. If you make a purchase using these links we may earn commission. Almost one month after The Weeknd and Bella Hadid were spotted kissing at an afterparty, the pair took a stroll through the streets of Paris together The Weeknd Puts His Arm Around Bella Hadid as the Pair Enjoy a Romantic Stroll in Paris Romance is in the air! Almost one month after The Weeknd and Bella Hadid were spotted kissing at an afterparty in Cannes, France, the pair took a stroll through the streets of Paris together. Get push notifications with news, features and more. In addition to walking around with his hand wrapped around the 21-year-old model’s shoulder (see the photo on Entertainment Tonight), the stars were also shared some wine at a local cafe. Making it even sweeter: The Weeknd, 28, went on to pick up a couple of individually wrapped red roses. Neither Hadid nor The Weeknd (né Abel Tesfaye) officially documented their time together on social media, but on Thursday, Hadid shared a photo in which she posed with a pair of similar red roses. “Life,” she simply captioned the shot, in which she can be seen wearing a black zip-up jacket over a black top, which appeared to be the same outfit she was wearing while hanging out with the singer. Their most recent outing comes nearly one month after the pair were photographed sharing a kiss while at an afterparty in Cannes, France. One day after packing on the PDA, a fan account posted a photograph that appeared to show Hadid smiling as the pair enjoyed some time together while watching a screening at the Cannes Film Festival. Want to keep up with the latest from PEOPLE? Sign up for our daily newsletter to get our best stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox. SPL1695647_001 Bella Hadid and The Weeknd | Credit: Splash The model and the singer, who split up in November 2016, were also spotted together last month at Poppy nightclub’s Coachella pop-up during weekend one of the desert festival, where they packed on the PDA. “The Weeknd and Bella were sitting on each other’s laps and all over each other all night long. They definitely looked like they were fully back together,” an onlooker told PEOPLE. However, Hadid went on to cheekily deny a report that said the pair were “kissing all night,” writing on Instagram, “It wasn’t me.” The Daily Front Row "Fashion Los Angeles Awards" 2016 - Inside Bella Hadid and The Weeknd | Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty The Weeknd’s new album, My Dear Melancholy, appears to be partially inspired by the heartbreak he experienced in the aftermath of his relationship with Hadid.<doc-sep>Love is in the air and it's sweeping up everyone — including famous exes! (I apologize for that entire sentence, but I love love, and I won't apologize for it! Except that I kinda did! I don't know!) Bella Hadid and The Weeknd seem to have rekindled their romance, as the attractive twosome was seen snogging all over Cannes last month, and then whisked off to Paris for some more romantic times! Here's a pic someone caught of them in Paris on Thursday night: This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. And although their not officially a couple (at least, like, they haven't made a public statement?) (being a celebrity is so weird), The Weeknd did post some rather ~scandalous~ photos that seem to indicate they're very much back on. And by scandalous, I mean black and white photos of a woman holding sugar packet labeled "Sugar Daddy." Pay special attention to the nails: Instagram And now look at Bella's nails here: This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. I'm calling it: INSTA OFFICIAL. This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Laura Beck Laura Beck is a Los Angeles-based TV writer and frequent contributor to Cosmopolitan.com — her work has appeared in the New York Times, New Yorker, Jezebel, and the Village Voice. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>

Bella Hadid and The Weeknd's renewed summer romance just moved from Cannes to Paris. The former couple—who in early May were photographed making out and looking couply at a Cannes Film Festival party—had a date out in Paris yesterday. A fan took a photo of them at the restaurant having drinks, Hadid smiling at The Weeknd. The Weeknd also shared an Instagram story from their table. Hadid can be heard in the background saying, “You’re taking a video of the bubbles...” Fans also believed The Weeknd was with Hadid later. She shared a photo of herself—second photo in the postbalancing tomato sauce on her head inside a restaurant. He posted an Instagram story of his finished dinner, with what appears to be that same tomato sauce jar in the right corner. Instagram Instagram And to make it as official as possible, the two were photographed by paparazzi showing PDA in the street. Tesfaye had his arm around a grinning Hadid. Hadid and The Weeknd haven't officially commented on the dating rumors that sparked after Cannes. E! was told by a source in April though that Hadid and The Weeknd had been "secretly seeing each other recently" but weren't official. "They are just getting back to a good place," the source said. "She loves hanging out with Abel and they always have fun together and is very hopeful of their future relationship." All's well for now, it seems, at least in France. C'est la vie. Alyssa Bailey News and Strategy Editor Alyssa Bailey is the news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton).

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey was named to the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game roster on Sunday evening. Posey is a reserve for the National League. During the 2018 season, Posey has appeared in 74 games for the Giants. He is batting .285 with 18 doubles, a triple and five home runs. He has 27 RBI. He has walked and struck out 34 times. His on-base percentage is .367 with a slugging percentage of .412 and an OPS of .780. This will mark his sixth All-Star appearance in nine full seasons. He also made appearances in the All-Star Game in 2012, 2013 and each of the past three seasons (2015, 2016, 2017). The 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be played at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. on July 17th. It will be broadcast on FOX at 7:30 p.m. ET. The complete rosters for the 89th MLB All-Star Game are below: AMERICAN LEAGUE Starters C: Wilson Ramos, Rays 1B: Jose Abreu, White Sox 2B: Jose Altuve, Astros 3B: Jose Ramirez, Indians SS: Manny Machado, Orioles OF: Mookie Betts, Red Sox OF: Mike Trout, Angels OF: Aaron Judge, Yankees DH: J.D. Martinez, Red Sox Reserves C: Salvador Perez, Royals ^ 1B: Mitch Moreland, Red Sox ^ 2B: Gleyber Torres, Yankees ^ 3B: Alex Bregman, Astros ^ SS: Francisco Lindor, Indians ^ OF: Michael Brantley, Indians ^ OF: Shin-Soo Choo, Rangers ^ OF: Mitch Haniger, Mariners ^ OF: George Springer, Astros ^ OF: Nelson Cruz, Mariners ^ Pitchers RHP: Trevor Bauer, Indians * RHP: Jose Berrios, Twins * LHP: Aroldis Chapman, Yankees ^ RHP: Gerrit Cole, Astros ^ RHP: Edwin Diaz, Mariners ^ LHP: J.A. Happ, Blue Jays * RHP: Joe Jimenez, Tigers * RHP: Craig Kimbrel, Red Sox ^ RHP: Corey Kluber, Indians ^ LHP: Chris Sale, Red Sox ^ RHP: Luis Severino, Yankees ^ RHP: Blake Treinen, Athletics * RHP: Justin Verlander, Astros @ Final Vote candidates OF: Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox OF: Eddie Rosario, Twins SS: Jean Segura, Mariners SS: Andrelton Simmons, Angels OF: Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees NATIONAL LEAGUE Starters C: Willson Contreras, Cubs 1B: Freddie Freeman, Braves 2B: Javier Baez, Cubs 3B: Nolan Arenado, Rockies SS: Brandon Crawford, Giants OF: Nick Markakis, Braves OF: Matt Kemp, Dodgers OF: Bryce Harper, Nationals Reserves C: Buster Posey, Giants ^ C: J.T. Realmuto, Marlins * 1B: Paul Goldschmidt, D-backs * 1B: Joey Votto, Reds ^ 2B: Ozzie Albies, Braves ^ 2B: Scooter Gennett, Reds * 3B: Eugenio Suarez, Reds ^ SS: Trevor Story, Rockies ^ OF: Charlie Blackmon, Rockies ^ OF: Lorenzo Cain, Brewers ^ OF: Christian Yelich, Brewers ^ Pitchers LHP: Patrick Corbin, D-backs * RHP: Jacob deGrom, Mets ^ LHP: Sean Doolittle, Nationals ^ RHP: Mike Foltynewicz, Braves ^ LHP: Josh Hader, Brewers ^ LHP: Brad Hand, Padres ^ RHP: Kenley Jansen, Dodgers * LHP: Jon Lester, Cubs ^ RHP: Miles Mikolas, Cardinals * RHP: Aaron Nola, Phillies ^ RHP: Max Scherzer, Nationals ^ LHP: Felipe Vazquez, Pirates * Final Vote candidates 1B: Jesus Aguilar, Brewers 1B: Brandon Belt, Giants INF: Matt Carpenter, Cardinals INF/OF: Max Muncy, Dodgers SS: Trea Turner, Nationals ^ Player Ballot-elected * Choice of MLB @ Inactive<doc-sep>Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that Giants catcher Buster Posey will miss the 2018 All-Star Game. Posey has been dealing with right hip inflammation. The Giants will use the All-Star break to give him an injection to help alleviate the issue. Posey, 31, has hit .285/.367/.412 with five home runs and 27 RBI in 313 plate appearances this season. He has missed a handful of games over the last few weeks, explaining why his numbers are a bit lower than where they usually are. There’s no word yet on who will replace Posey on the NL All-Star roster. Willson Contreras is the NL’s starting catcher and J.T. Realmuto is one of the backups. The Pirates’ Francisco Cervelli, who recently returned after missing two weeks due to a concussion, could be added to the roster if the plan is to continue with three catchers. The Dodgers’ Yasmani Grandal, the Braves’ Kurt Suzuki, and the Cardinals’ Yadier Molina are other catching candidates. Follow @Baer_Bill<doc-sep>SAN FRANCISCO–Giants catcher Buster Posey was selected to his sixth All-Star Game, but he won’t be traveling to Washington, D.C. Instead, Posey will stay at home and receive a cortisone shot in his right hip after Sunday’s game to heal a nagging injury that he’s dealt with for much of the season. “It’s an honor to be selected to the All-Star Game and it’s not something you take for granted,” Posey said. “It’s a decision I didn’t come to lightly. Making that decision with the training staff just felt like that was going to be in my best interest and hopefully the best interest for the team as well.” Posey was voted onto the National League All-Star team as a reserve by fellow players, but he’ll skip the festivities and attempt to get healthy in time for the start of the second half of the season. Manager Bruce Bochy said the Giants have discussed the possibility of Posey receiving a cortisone injection for the last month and were hoping he would be healthy enough to play regularly through the first half before he needed more time off. Get San Francisco Giants news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Giants HQ newsletter. “It’s flared up on him and he missed some time because of it not too long ago and our hope is to make it through this week and then we can give him this injection,” Bochy said. “Hopefully four days off will get this thing cleared up.” Posey missed two games against the Chicago Cubs at the end of May due to hip soreness and rarely caught three games in a row during the month of June. “All of you can tell that it’s been bothering him,” Bochy said. “He’s been a warrior through this and he had missed some time earlier.” Bochy said he believes Posey’s power has been zapped by the hip inflammation, which helps explain why he has five home runs and his lowest slugging percentage (.412) since 2011. “This game is hard enough as I always say when you’re healthy and it’s the right hip, too,” Bochy said. “When you can’t quite get it to fire like you normally do, sure it’s going to effect your hitting and your throwing, all facets of the game.” Posey’s replacement for the All-Star game has not been announced.<doc-sep>Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey will miss the 2018 MLB All-Star Game due to a hip injury. NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic provided the context behind the issue: St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was announced as Posey's replacement. Posey was named as a reserve for the National League on Sunday. Molina joins Willson Contreras and J.T. Realmuto as the other NL catchers on the roster. Posey dealt with nagging ankle issues throughout spring training, which required a cortisone shot and a precautionary MRI. However, scans came back clean, and Posey was ultimately cleared to return to the field. Through 74 games so far this season, the five-time All-Star has slashed .285/.367/.412 with five home runs and 27 RBI a year after hitting .320 and ranking second in wins above replacement (4.3) among all catchers, according to FanGraphs.com. Should they keep Posey out of any games to allow his hip to heal, the Giants will pivot to 34-year-old Nick Hundley as their primary backstop.<doc-sep>

Giants catcher Buster Posey was selected to his sixth All-Star Game but will sit out with right hip inflammation, which has taken a toll on his swing and run production. Posey will receive a cortisone shot in his hip after Sunday’s game and rest during the four-day All-Star break, manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s an honor to be selected to the All-Star Game,” Posey said. “That’s not something you take for granted. It’s a decision I didn’t come to lightly. Making that decision with the training staff and medical staff, I felt that was going to be in my best interest and hopefully in the best interest for the team as well.” Bochy said the club discussed for a month the option of having Posey sit out the break. “He’s been playing with it. You could tell. All of you can tell,” Bochy said. “It’s bothering him. He’s been a warrior through this and had missed some time. ... The break will serve him well.” Posey, who has played 75 of the Giants’ 93 games, felt hip soreness during the three-city trip beginning in Houston in late May, and it has lingered. He said it bothers him both hitting and catching. “A lot of guys have stuff that bugs them,” Posey said. “It’s one of those things, some days it’s better than others, and you try to have more good days than not.” Posey is hitting .280 with five homers and 27 RBIs. He has two hits in his past 21 at-bats and three RBIs in his past 26 games. Bochy said the ailment is a reason for Posey’s subpar power numbers. “Without question,” Bochy said. “This game’s hard enough when you’re healthy. It’s the right hip, too. If you can’t quite get it to fire like you normally do, sure, it’s going to affect your hitting, your throwing, all facets of the game.” Cubs catcher Willson Contreras will start for the National League All-Stars after finishing about 250,000 votes ahead of Posey, who was selected in the player balloting. John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicle’s national baseball writer.

India had been on high alert amid warnings of retaliation by Pakistan (File) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced in Pakistan's parliament that the Indian Air Force pilot in its custody will be released tomorrow as a peace gesture. Earlier, the country had said it was prepared to release the pilot from its custody if doing so would ease tensions with India, its foreign ministry said Thursday. "We are ready to hand over the Indian pilot if it leads to de-escalation," the Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman told news agency AFP, attributing the statement to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. India has said that it expects the "immediate and safe return" of the pilot who was captured by Pakistan during an air combat on Wednesday. Sources have told NDTV that there will be "no deal" on the Indian Air Force pilot. The government would not ask for consular access. "We want him back. If Pakistan thinks that they have a card to negotiate with, they do not," sources said. Earlier today, the United States, United Kingdom and France have moved a fresh proposal at the United Nations Security Council or UNSC to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist. If the proposal in passed, Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed or JeM chief Masood Azhar will get the tag of being a 'UN-designated global terrorist', which in turn would subject him to global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo. The move comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after IAF fighter jets destroyed a major terror camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot, around 80 km from the Line of Control, in a pre-dawn strike on Tuesday. On Wednesday, New Delhi summoned the Pakistan envoy and lodged a strong protest over "unprovoked act of aggression by Pakistan", saying its jets had targeted military installations in India a day after Indian fighter jets crossed the Line of Control and carried out a strike at a major terror camp. India had been on high alert amid warnings of retaliation by Islamabad after IAF fighter jets destroyed a major terror camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot, around 80 km from the Line of Control, in a pre-dawn strike on Tuesday. New Delhi said it was a "non-military and pre-emptive" strike based on credible inputs that Jaish was training suicide bombers for more attacks in the country. Over 40 soldiers were killed on February 14 when a Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber attacked a security convoy. Here are the LIVE UPDATES On India-Pak situation after IAF strike on Pak terror camps: Mar 01, 2019 03:36 (IST) I had good conversations and I am hopeful that we can take down the tension there, at least for the time being, so they can begin to have conversations that don't portend risk of escalation to either of the two countries. So we're working hard on that: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Mar 01, 2019 03:35 (IST) We were and continue to be engaged with issue between India and Pakistan. I spent good deal of time on phone yesterday talking to leaders in both countries, making sure good information was exchanged, encouraging them to not take action that will escalate and create increased risk: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Feb 28, 2019 23:48 (IST) Russian President Vladimir Putin told Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a phone call that he hopes for a quick settlement of a crisis between India and Pakistan, the Kremlin said in a statement. Feb 28, 2019 19:42 (IST) There is enough evidence to show that F-16s were used in this mission through their electronic signatures. Parts of AMRAAM, air-to-air missile, which is carried only on the Pakistani F-16s was recovered east of Rajouri within the Indian territory: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor Feb 28, 2019 19:18 (IST) "We have been giving them befitting reply and will continue to do so": Major general Surendra Singh Mahal on ceasefire violations Feb 28, 2019 19:16 (IST) If Pakistan provokes us any further, we are prepared for any contingency: Major General Surendra Singh Mahal Feb 28, 2019 19:16 (IST) Our fight is against terrorism. We are ready to destroy terror installations until Pakistan backs terrorism: Major General Surendra Singh Mahal Feb 28, 2019 19:14 (IST) Navy deployed in high state of readiness to deter, prevent and defeat any misadventure by Pakistan. Can assure you of swift action when needed: Rear Admiral Gujral Feb 28, 2019 19:12 (IST) We are ready to act against inimical forces: Major General Surendra Singh Mahal Feb 28, 2019 19:12 (IST) Our mechanised forces are on standby. I want to assure the nation that we are fully prepared: Major General Surendra Singh Mahal Feb 28, 2019 19:11 (IST) Pakistan targeted brigade headquarters: Major General Surendra Singh Mahal Feb 28, 2019 19:10 (IST) Pakistan resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations: Major General Surendra Singh Mahal Feb 28, 2019 19:09 (IST) Pakistani bombs exploded in Indian military formation, but couldn't inflict any damage: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor Feb 28, 2019 19:08 (IST) Pakistani Aircraft targeted military formation: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor Feb 28, 2019 19:07 (IST) Indian Air Force detected a large package of Pakistan aircraft near West of Rajouri: Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor Feb 28, 2019 18:51 (IST) Joint press conference by armed forces to begin shortly. Feb 28, 2019 18:13 (IST) I pray and hope brave son of India Wing Commander Abhinandan will be reunited with his family tomorrow. The country is proud of his courage. - Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 28, 2019 Feb 28, 2019 17:48 (IST) "Pakistan PM has exhibited real statesmanship today. It is time for our political leadership to step up and take measures to de escalate the current situation. People of Jammu and Kashmir are living under unimaginable duress. How much longer will we suffer for? ": Mehbooba Mufti on Twitter. Feb 28, 2019 17:45 (IST) Very glad to know that #WingCommandarAbhinandan will be heading home. I'll wait for him to be back on Indian soil before I welcome him back but I'm greatly relieved that PM @ImranKhanPTI has announced the imminent release of our pilot.<doc-sep>There is mounting pressure on Mr Modi - who will face an election by the end of May - to say something about the current situation. Many have compared his silence to Prime Minister Imran Khan, who addressed the nation on Wednesday and called for dialogue with India.<doc-sep>Pakistan shot down two Indian Air Force aircraft after they crossed into its airspace, the army said. The incident comes amid an ongoing border crisis between the two nuclear powers. The Pakistani Air Force downed “two Indian aircrafts inside Pakistani airspace” after they crossed the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, the army’s spokesperson, Major General Asif Ghafoor, tweeted. It was later revealed that one of the machines was a MiG 21 fighter jet. In response to PAF strikes this morning as released by MoFA, IAF crossed LOC. PAF shot down two Indian aircrafts inside Pakistani airspace. One of the aircraft fell inside AJ&K while other fell inside IOK. One Indian pilot arrested by troops on ground while two in the area. — Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 27, 2019 According to the spokesperson, one aircraft fell inside the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir, while the other went down inside the territory controlled by India. Ghafoor stated in a press briefing that two pilots were “recovered and provided all necessary medical treatment.” The government later clarified that only one Indian pilot was captured. A video released by Radio Pakistan shows the man blindfolded with his hands tied behind his back. Islamabad also claimed it conducted airstrikes into Indian-held Kashmir. At the same time, media had reported on an Indian Mi-17 military helicopter crashing inside the Indian-controlled area of Kashmir. It is not clear if it was one of the aircraft downed by Pakistan. Read more There were also reports of India shooting down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet. However, Islamabad dismissed them as false. Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Pakistani Army stated that the military was acting “purely in self-defense.” “War is no solution. The people of both nations deserve to live in peace,” Asif Ghafoor said. Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, while on a trip to China, stated New Delhi wishes to avoid any “further escalation of the situation” and will “continue to act with responsibility and restraint.” Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated dramatically on Wednesday with reports of cross-border shelling along the Line of Control in Kashmir. Pakistani officials said that at least four civilians were killed from mortar fire. The Indian Army said that five of its soldiers were wounded during the shelling from Pakistan. On Tuesday, New Delhi sent a dozen jets to bomb what it said were terrorist camps on Pakistani soil. It was the first time since 1971, when the Indian Air Force crossed the LoC. Islamabad said that the raid failed to produce any damage on the ground and vowed to respond to any “misadventures” along the border with India. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!<doc-sep>“Here, [there was] no military necessity to release the video, and presumably it was released with the intent to humiliate the captive and, thus, the state of India, and, thus, Pakistan is in violation of Article 13,” she said. The article is applicable because international conflict has occurred despite the lack of a formal declaration, VanLandingham added.<doc-sep>

Tensions between two of the world's nuclear powers were raised dramatically Wednesday after Pakistan's air force said it shot down two Indian warplanes that crossed the disputed Kashmir border and captured each of the aircraft's pilots. Police officials in Indian-occupied Kashmir told Reuters two Indian pilots and a civilian on the ground died when the planes crashed. The officials did not confirm the planes were shot down by Pakistani forces. One of the pilots, named as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was subsequently shown in a video. India's government said it objected to "Pakistan's vulgar display". He was seen in two videos, one where he appeared blindfolded and bloodied, and then a second one showing him in custody with the blindfold removed, appearing visibly more relaxed, even complimenting his captors on a "fantastic" cup of tea. Raveesh Kumar, a spokesman for India's Ministry of External Affairs, also claimed an Indian plane shot down a Pakistani fighter jet -- although Pakistan denied any of its jets had been hit and photographic evidence had yet to emerge. INDIA LAUNCHES AIRSTRIKE IN PAKISTAN-CONTROLLED KASHMIR TARGETING 'TERROR CAMPS' The Pakistani official said one of the Indian planes crashed in the Pakistani part of Kashmir and the other went down in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor told the Associated Press one of the pilots was injured and was being treated in a military hospital. He did not elaborate on the pilot's injuries. Ghafoor said the other pilot was in custody. News sites out of Pakistan posted unconfirmed pictures and videos of one of the pilots who appeared blindfolded and with a bloody nose. Pakistan's information ministry also tweeted out apparent footage of one of the downed Indian jets as well as a message congratulating the Pakistan Air Force. A senior Indian police officer said earlier that an Indian Air Force plane crashed in the Indian-controlled sector of Kashmir. No information about injuries or deaths was immediately available. INDIA WARNS OF 'CRUSHING RESPONSE' AFTER KASHMIR SUICIDE BOMB ATTACK Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority said later it closed its airspace to all commercial flights as tensions with India escalated. Tensions have been simmering between the two nuclear-powers after India launched an airstrike Tuesday following a suicide bombing that killed more than 40 soldiers in India’s section of the disputed territory of Kashmir earlier this month. Indian air force spokesman Anupam Banerjee in New Delhi told the Associated Press he had no information on Wednesday's incident. GET THE FOX NEWS APP In a televised address, Imran Khan, the Pakistani prime minister, warned against further escalation between the two countries. "If we let it happen, it will remain neither in my nor [Indian prime minister] Narendra Modi's control," he said. Referring to air strikes by Pakistan earlier Wednesday, he said Pakistan had been obliged to respond to Tuesday's action by India. "Our action is just to let them know that just like they intruded into our territory, we are also capable of going into their territory." Sushma Swaraj, the Indian foreign minister, said India "does not wish to see further escalation of the situation." Residents on both sides of the de-facto frontier, the so-called Line of Control, said there were exchanges of fire between the two sides through the night. In Pakistan's part of Kashmir, hundreds of villagers have fled border towns. The airport in Srinagar, the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir, was closed in what was described as a "temporary and precautionary measure," an Indian official told the Associated Press. Asian News International reported that commercial flights between Indian and Pakistani airspace are affected. Its report said Pakistan immediately stopped domestic and international flight operations from Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Islamabad airports. Fox News' Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed

Who says nerds can't dance? The cast and crew of CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" proved both theories wrong Tuesday night, performing what star Kaley Cuoco declared in a series of heartfelt posts was the show's "final flash mob." The actress, who plays Penny, revealed that the cast and crew's surprise dance number, set to the Backstreet Boys' 1999 hit "Larger Than Life," had been in the works for months. Why that track? Cuoco said it's a "song that thanks the fans" but it's also the band's most tech-themed video, which dovetails nicely with the "Big Bang Theory" brand. Cuoco documented the emotional extravaganza, which she proclaimed "might be one of my favorite moments" from her 12 years on the show. She shared videos and photos from multiple angles on her Instagram page Wednesday. "I told you we'd got out with a bang!" she wrote. In the first of seven video clips in the one post, Cuoco and the other series regulars take a curtain call after an episode taping. (In hindsight, you can tell something's up since they're all dressed alike and wearing caps bearing the number "12" in honor of the show's twelfth and final season.) Then the curtain drops and they're off and dancing on the set of Leonard and Penny's apartment. Cuoco even posted friends and family in the audience to film the whole shebang from their perspective along with a crying emoji. The dance was apparently so hyped around the set that co-creator Chuck Lorre, who was on location for another project, deputized a crew member to film it so he could watch it live via FaceTime, earning an emotional response from Cuoco. "Yes. Chuck Lorre was on location and didn’t wanna miss our flash mob, so he FaceTimed in to watch us dance," she wrote with a crying emoji, adding, "no words . (Beware lots of #bts and teary vids to come during last remaining shows of #BBT)." Now, sadly, as you may have noticed, one of the core cast members was missing from the mob: Johnny Galecki (Leonard), who Cuoco said had hurt his ankle. "But he was cheering us on from the sides!" she volunteered. Kaley Cuoco on the end of 'The Big Bang Theory': 'I am already, like, losing it' 'I’m definitely doing OK': Mayim Bialik talks breakup, 'emotional' end of 'Big Bang' Can Sheldon even cry? 'Big Bang Theory' cast is 'super emotional' about the show ending, except Jim Parsons<doc-sep>Grab your tissues. The end of "The Big Bang Theory" is approaching and the reality of saying goodbye to the hit CBS comedy after 12 seasons is getting real for the cast and crew – except Jim Parsons. "I haven't cried yet," Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper, revealed to Ellen DeGeneres Thursday. "I have a very deep fear – seriously – that the most unexpected thing is going to happen. I'm going to absolutely lose my (expletive)." Kaley Cuoco replied: "Yeah, we're all scared of that." Want news from USA TODAY on WhatsApp? Click this link on your mobile device to get started The entire cast stopped by "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" Thursday ahead of the May series finale, including Parsons, Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Melissa Rauch, and Mayim Bialik. They revealed the tear-jerking roller coaster of emotions behind filming the series' last episodes. Related: 'The Big Bang Theory' will end with Season 12 in May 2019: 'A true labor of love' "We've been getting super-emotional," said Cuoco, who was deemed the most emotional by the cast. While filming a scene with Galecki over the holidays, Cuoco admitted that, "out of nowhere, I just started bawling." "The crew, all the camera guys and everyone, came out and they were like, 'We're so glad you cried, because we've been waiting to cry.' And then they all gave us this huge group hug and we all just cried for, like, 10 minutes," she said. Cuoco added: "If anyone hugs me about it, I just start crying" Related: Kaley Cuoco talks 'The Big Bang Theory' finale: 'I don't think I'll be able to keep a dry eye' Despite being on the other side of the emotional spectrum, Parsons knows his time for tears and sentimental sappiness may come. "It really is profound, the amount of time of your life, and it's, like, more than, I think, any of us can get a grip on," he said. "I'm worried something is going to trigger me, like deep down, something is going to be, like, 'Oh! I didn't know that was there! That hurts." Helberg joked, "In the unemployment line is where we will all break down." Related: 'Big Bang Theory' star Rati Gupta dishes on cast friendships, what's next for the show<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. The Big Bang Theory season 12 will be the final series of the CBS show and the finale date is fast approaching. CBS has not revealed exactly when the finale of Big Bang Theory will be but the best prediction is for May 2019. The Big Bang Theory season 12, which airs on Channel 4 sister network E4 in the UK, has 24 episodes, with episode 15 due to air on Thursday, February 21 at 8pm EST/7pm CST. When is The Big Bang Theory series finale? The precise date for the season 12 finale has not been revealed by either CBS or E4. However, every other season of The Big Bang Theory has ended between May 7 and May 24, so the finale date is likely to be one of the three Thursdays that fall in that time window. The Big Bang series finale date is likely to be either May 9, May 16 or May 23. Based on previous finale dates for the series, the final episode of The Big Bang Theory is most likely to end on Thursday, May 9 at 8pm EST (7pm CST) on CBS. HOW MANY EPISODES IN THE BIG BANG THEORY SEASON 12?<doc-sep>

(Picture: Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images) It’s almost time to say goodbye to The Big Bang Theory for good, as the series is due to come to a close at the end of season 12. Harry takes new swipe at royals saying families feel 'shame' over mental health Just like many other American TV shows, TBBT goes on mid-season breaks from time to time, and is just about to come back to UK screens after its latest one. So how many more episodes of The Big Bang Theory have we got left, and when will the last one air? How many more episodes of The Big Bang Theory are left? Once the show starts up again, there will be 14 episodes left to go until the show goes off the air for good. Its break started after the tenth episode of the 12th season, which was titled The VCR Illumination. So in total, there will be 24 episodes of season 12. In the States however, they’re a little bit ahead of us, and are already up to episode 15. So spoiler-phobes – beware! When will the finale of The Big Bang Theory air in the UK? The final episode of TBBT isn’t going to be shown in the UK until sometime in May 2019. Although there still isn’t an official date set, we do know that the series finale will take the form of a double bill, and that both parts will air on the same night. However, Eric Kapan, one of the TBBT’s producers, told Metro.co.uk that, at least as of February 15, the finale episodes haven’t even been written yet. He said: ‘We’re trying to approach it with a lot of care because there are a lot of people for whom this show is emotionally important.’ Kaplan added that: ‘There are people who see themselves in the characters and see their family members in them, and it helps them make sense of themselves and make sense of their loved ones and have an optimistic attitude about the challenges of their lives.’ ‘We want to honour that’. The Big Bang Theory airs Thursdays on CBS and returns to the UK Thursday February 21 on E4.

Previous Next 1 of 28 The slightly overdue Overwatch Summer Games 2018 are live from now until August 31 and will feature 6 new Legendary and 3 new Epic skins, 50-plus brand new Summer Games items, as well as all past exclusives in Summer Games Loot Boxes. The Games debuted on August 9 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Whether you live for competition like Overwatch League players or are gunning for fresh items, the Lúcio-centered Summer Games are a great time to amplify your skills and nab some seasonal loot. The Summer Games Exclusive Brawl, Lúcioball, includes a Competitive Play ladder structure and placement matches for players to show off their mastery. Head over to the Copa if you’re ready for intense competitive play. If you’re new to Overwatch or didn’t participate in the Games last year, let’s break it down! Each team will need to pilot three Lúcios, scoring goals on a playing field specifically modified to maximize use of his Wall Ride mechanic. To control the ball, you can use both melee attacks or sound waves. A new Ultimate, Turbo Boost Ultimate, can boost your movement speed and jump height. Combine with Crossfade and Amp it Up to navigate smoothly throughout the arena. Strategic use of all three movement specials can give your team the advantage they need– just keep an eye on the other three Lúcios! If you loved the Estádio das Rãs and Sydney Harbour stages from last year, you’ll enjoy revisiting them any time you’re not at the new Busan Stadium. It holds a shiny view of the surrounding area, unlike the real-world enclosed stadium of the same name in South Korea. There are over 200 cosmetic Summer Games items to collect. Favorite heroes are matched with sometimes fitting and sometimes comedic sportswear–if you ever wondered whether or not Roadhog was a Lacrosse bro, Blizzard has gifted us with a Legendary Skin to contemplate. D.va’s heart-shaped-glasses wearing Waveracer is already a fan favorite, Cabana Ana keeps it shady, and Gridironheart Reinhardt looms large as ever. Fastball Zenyatta and Catcher Winston seem well-suited to their existing mechanics. Three epic skins should catch the true collector’s eye: Mexicana Sombra, Éireannach Moira, and Kronor Brigitte all have national flair on their coats and some sharp sartorial silhouettes. New emotes reveal Lúcio as a skilled juggler, and most adorably, Boxing Bastion. The hero Wrecking Ball, or Hammond, is a recent mech option you should take the time to explore. Crack open a loot box to find all these skins, new voice lines, victory poses, and country flag player icons. Previous Summer Games Events items can be purchased with credits for a discount. If you can’t get enough in-game loot, check out the new Nerf line of Overwatch weapons. Grab some friends and break it down in sporty summer skins and gorgeous worldwide arenas with your favorite heroes! Editors' Recommendations<doc-sep>The Overwatch Summer Games 2018 are here and – of course – that means there are a whole host of new skins and cosmetics to unlock and enjoy. The event just went live and is scheduled to run until the end of the month, concluding on August 30. The event also sees the return of Lucioball, this time set in a new arena so you’ll have some fresh scenery in which to kick the ball around. Blizzard has teased out a bunch of the best new skins over the past week, with Waveracer D.Va making a particularly strong impression in the early going. (You can’t argue with boardshorts and ocean mech patterns, I suppose.) The men of Overwatch aren’t blessed with anything quite so sexy as last year’s Lifeguard McCree, but Fastball Zenyatta and Gridironhardt certainly bring a sporty cool factor to those respective characters. The game’s going all in on puns this patch, too, as the developers have finally renamed Buccaneer Junkrat to Bilgerat. Cabana Ana also suggests a bright future for fans of wordplay. Perhaps more significant than any of the summer items, this patch also sees the support rework go live. That means Mercy nerfs and buffs for just about everybody else with a healing option. No surprises, since these changes have been in the PTR for a good while, but they’re now here to shake up the live game. But hey, you’re probably here to see the new stuff – check out the highlight trailer below, and keep on scrolling for a closer look at all the coolest options. Summer Games 2018 legendary skins Waveracer D.Va Cabana Ana Catcher Winston Fastball Zenyatta Gridironhardt Reinhardt Lacross Roadhog SUMMER GAMES 2018 Epic SKINS Mexicana Sombra Tre Kronor Brigitte Ereannach Moira We’ve just seen the launch of Wrecking Ball, but it’s never too early to start speculating about more new Overwatch heroes. Follow that link for an entirely likely, realistic, all-but-guaranteed breakdown of what’s coming next.<doc-sep>Thousands of players are clogging up Overwatch’s server queues, creating long lines to get into the new seasonal event. It’s not something necessarily new for Blizzard and its Overwatch events, but fans are upset. “Some Overwatch players may be experiencing latency or disconnections,” Blizzard wrote from its customer support Twitter account. “We are investigating this now.” Related: Here are all the new skins in Overwatch’s 2018 Summer Games update Players are reporting queues up to 10,000 players long, alongside disconnections from the game. Some players said they were dropped from competitive Overwatch games, thereby losing season rank points and receiving small suspensions. Blizzard has not laid out a timeline for the fix—it might take a while given the hype for the Summer Games event. “It’s unknown to us at this time, but our engineers are aware of these reports and are looking into this,” Blizzard added. “Please be aware that customer service will be unable to modify win/loss in the game.” Blizzard customer service will notify fans through its Twitter account when the Overwatch log-in and disconnect issues are fixed. For Summer Games 2018, Blizzard added nine new skins, two highlight intros, one emote, and a whole bunch of new player icons and sprays. A new Lúcioball map set in Busan, South Korea was also added for the kick-off of new Copa Lúcioball and Lúcioball seasons.<doc-sep>

Overwatch Summer Games is live for its third year. First held in 2016 in celebration of the 2016 Olympics, the Summer Games unlocks content drops of exclusive summer-themed skins, as well as Lucioball. This year's Summer Games adds even more seasonal attire for Overwatch's diverse assortment of heroes and villains. You can start unlocking everything right now, but you'll only have until August 30. To make sure you don't miss anything, we've compiled all of Overwatch Summer Games 2018's updates below. Blizzard is also teaming up with Twitch to bring players several in-game summer rewards. You'll have to link your Blizzard and Twitch Prime accounts to unlock them. Until September 3, all Twitch Prime members can claim two loot boxes. Each box contain four random cosmetics for Wrecking Ball. So Many Skins, So Little Time To Unlock Them All It wouldn't be an Overwatch event without some new skins to unlock. We can expect to see all of the skins from the previous two years to make a return, so if you missed out on the past two Summer Games, now's your chance. Regardless of whether you already have everything from Summer Games Year 1 and Year 2, you can also set your sights on nabbing a few new skins. Both Waveracer D.Va and Gridironhardt Reinhardt have proven popular amongst fans, but you can also unlock Catcher Winston and Cabana Ana, as well as Lacrosse Roadhog and Fastball Zenyatta. There are new skins for Brigitte, Moira, and Sombra too. Gallery Grab Your Cleats, It's Time For Lucioball Fan-favorite Lucioball is back for a third year. The Rocket League-like mode pits two teams of Lucios against one another in a high speed, acrobatic match. It's a welcome change of pace from all the shooting and provides one of the best ways of practicing Lucio's movement speed and wallrunning abilities. This year, the Lucioball arena moves to Busan, South Korea. We'll keep you updated on any other new developments that come out of Overwatch Summer Games 2018. Overwatch is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

A week is a very long time in football. This time last week, the Blues were licking their wounds after forgetting how to win on the Gold Coast. But after yet another week of forensic examination, both inside and outside Princes Park, Carlton has finally won a game — and they couldn’t have been more impressive at Marvel Stadium on Easter Sunday. Stream Western Bulldogs v Carlton on KAYO SPORTS. Live & anytime in HD. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly > Carlton burst out of the blocks against Western Bulldogs before leading from start to finish to win their first game since Round 19 last year — 267 days ago — by 44 points. Fittingly it was No. 1 draft pick Sam Walsh who slammed home a goal right on the final siren to break the Blues’ 60-game drought without a three figure score. After winning only two games during a disastrous 2018, this was a win to savour for Carlton and Brendon Bolton, who has been under more pressure than any other man in football this season. It might have been all about the showdown between Brownlow Medal favourites Patrick Cripps and Marcus Bontempelli before the opening bounce, but it was all about the Carlton skipper and young gun Sam Petrevski-Seton by the final siren. Cripps continued to show why he is considered by some as the best player in the game right now, while Petrevski-Seton played like the two-time Brownlow medallist who he inherited the iconic No. 5 from. The West Australian duo tore the Western Bulldogs apart in the opening half, amassing 51 disposals between them before Cripps finished with 37 and Petrevski-Seton 35. It was almost as stunning as the result. Sam Petrevski-Seton played his best game in the navy blue against the Bulldogs. Photo; Quinn Rooney/Getty Images. Source: Getty Images But it didn’t come without a period of unease for long-suffering Carlton supporters. A sense of déjà vu swept through Marvel Stadium in the third quarter. After coughing up a three-goal lead in a low scoring affair at Metricon Stadium last weekend, lightning looked like it might strike twice on Sunday. Billy Gowers had two shots at goal — and missed both — before Sam Lloyd and Tory Dickson reduced the margin to three goals and the Dogs had all the momentum. But then Petreveski-Seton — the man of the moment — intercepted a switch kick from Caleb Daniel just inside the arc. He went back and added another layer to the best day of his football life. “PS, this is a big kick,” North Melbourne legend Wayne Carey said on Triple M. “That is a clutch kick from Sam Petreveski-Seton,” North Melbourne and Sydney great Wayne Schwass added. The Halls Creek product wasn’t the only green shoot who delivered when they needed it most on Sunday. With Carlton’s great white hope Charlie Curnow forced to withdrawal before the opening bounce due to another issue with his knee, Harry McKay showed why he was taken at Pick 10 in the 2015 National Draft. McKay terrorised the Western Bulldogs’ undersized defence. He kicked goals — slotting an equal career-high four goals — and he took big marks — reeling in “They say they take long for big guys … but let’s hope this is the year where McKay completely breaks out and comes a consistent key position performer,” Jason Dunstall said on Fox Footy. Get the ultimate AFL experience on your phone with the FOX FOOTY App. Download it NOW for FREE on iOS and Android! Harry McKay booted four goals for Carlton. Photo: Julian Smith/AAP Image. Source: AAP “He is just improving, each and every week. He could be a phenomena inside that forward line. He’s just a brilliant kick, he’s more skilled than people have given him credit for,” Gerard Healy added. On a weekend where St Kilda moved to the top of the ladder, where Port Adelaide stunned West Coast and Fremantle upset Greater Western Sydney, this wasn’t the biggest shock, but it will be the story to emerge from the Easter weekend. And in case the 22 in navy blue had forgotten how to sing the song, Carlton supporters started screaming out the lyrics in the dying moments, in another moment to savour. SILVAGNI RETURN Jack Silvagni, the son of Carlton legend and list manager Stephen Silvagni, hadn’t had a look in across the first month of the season, following a patchy 2018. But on Sunday afternoon, Silvagni showed he still has plenty to offer at AFL level. After being played here, there and everywhere last year, he played in attack against the Western Bulldogs, where he finished with 18 disposals, nine marks, four assists and a goal. HAYES DEBUT It took Will Hayes five years on Footscray’s VFL list to finally get a crack on the Western Bulldogs’ list. But it only took him two hours to show why he belongs at this level. The son of champion horse trainer David Hayes racked up nine touches in the opening quarter alone, before finishing with 21 for the day in a bright debut. SHOWING THE LOVE Carlton supporters erupted midway through the second quarter when Brendon Bolton ran down the boundary line, flanked by two bald, unathletic security guards who looked like the muscle men out of Ocean’s Eleven. They then stood as one and cheered the Blues off the ground at half-time. That themed continued across the second half, especially when Carlton looked home in the last quarter. They started singing the song at the 18-minute mark of the final term and some were still singing it long after the crowd dispersed. Re-live Western Bulldogs v Carlton in our live blog below. If you can’t see the blog, tap here.<doc-sep>Loading Having been denied victory with just seconds on the clock against Gold Coast in round four, Carlton fans would have been forgiven for wondering when their next win might arrive. The Blues had won just three matches since mid-2017, and the time since their most recent victory late last season had felt like an eternity. Ultimately though, the wait for four points lasted less than a week from Jack Bowes’ tumbling Carrara heartbreaker. Marc Murphy celebrates on the way to the Blues' first win for 2019. Credit:AAP And despite a brief flurry from the Bulldogs late in the third term, Blues fans had time to savour this breakthrough, which was effectively sewn up by early in the final quarter. Carlton lost Charlie Curnow - arguably their most exciting young player - to knee soreness before the game, but didn’t appear to miss him at all. The long-suffering Blues faithful were instead treated to the delight of first-round draft picks Harry McKay, Patrick Cripps, Sam Petrevski-Seton and Sam Walsh, all of whom showed their quality, giving Blues fans a taste of the brighter future they have been promised for years.<doc-sep>For the first time in 1051 days, Carlton can celebrate a score of 100. But more than simply nudging the scoreboard into three figures, they’re cheering the arrival of some long-anticipated ’green shoots’ taking root. Patrick Cripps, the competition’s premier ball-winner, was best-afield in Sunday’s 44-point routing of Western Bulldogs, a start-to-end performance that coach Brendon Bolton rightly labelled as mature. Below the 24-year-old club captain there were a host of contributors that Bolton wanted to celebrate. Harry McKay dominated inside 50, taking 11 marks and kicking four goals in an ominous display of his powers. First-year midfielder Sam Walsh again didn’t put a foot wrong, tallying 26 touches and kicking the goal to put them over 100 points. Lachie Plowman, Nic Newman and Liam Jones - who subdued Aaron Naughton while playing sore - all starred. And Sam Petrevski-Seton had 36 possessions in a career-best display. “That’s a standout game,” Bolton said of Petrevski-Seton. “It’s one that can give him a heap of confidence about what he’s capable of at this level. “He’s in his third year but he’s been building for a while. It shows it takes a little bit of time to get to that level.” It’s not too late to sign up for tipping and Pick 7 fantasy! There’s great weekly cash prizes and the automatic chance to win a Mazda BT-50... Register to play The Game tipping and fantasy today! Bolton lauded a third-term goal from the midfielder that sapped the Bulldogs of momentum in a crucial moment. “It takes mental toughness to go aback and slot that. And that’s what we’re talking about. The resolve,” he said. The Blues reviewed their last-out loss to Gold Coast heavily given the nature of the result, hoping it would galvanise their players. It did. “Last week was had to swallow because until the last 10 seconds we had the game,” Bolton said. “You could lose morale and sink but they were outstanding. “At training, we had to slow them down from doing extras. And they got the result.” While Carlton fans among the 35,069-strong crowd were already celebrating, Walsh’s snap to get the Blues to the century just as the siren sounded gave them an extra dose of euphoria. And why not given the 59-game streak of scores in double figures that had come to epitomise Carlton’s woes. Bolton wasn’t counting either the streak or the final score. “Not fussed,” he said. “I just care that we’re in front. It’s nourishment for our whole club, not just for our players.”<doc-sep>Carlton veteran Kade Simpson felt like “a proud big brother” on Sunday as the Blues’ young brigade led the way to a 44-point win over the Western Bulldogs. Simpson, who turns 35 next month, finished with 20 disposals but was content to play a support role as Harry McKay, Patrick Cripps, Sam Petrevski-Seton and a bevy of other players more than a decade Simpson’s junior guided Carlton to their first win of the season. Simpson said the win was a “relief” after the previous week’s heartbreaking loss to Gold Coast. “If you’re not going to sit back and enjoy the wins, why do you play footy?” he said.<doc-sep>

Carlton veteran Kade Simpson feels like a “proud big brother” as his baby Blues teammates take flight in the AFL. And he sees more wins in the side’s future after breaking their 2019 duck with a 15.11 (101) to 7.15 (57) win over the Western Bulldogs on Sunday. At Marvel Stadium, Brendon Bolton’s side finally made good on their promise they’ve shown in four tight losses this season. Simpson said he felt a mixture of relief and excitement. Live stream the 2019 Toyota AFL Premiership Season on KAYO SPORTS. Every match of every round. Live & anytime on your TV or favourite device. Try 14-Days Free Now > “We’ve got some reward for the effort we’ve been putting in,” he said. “The way the group dealt with it after a near miss against Gold Coast (was great). We were obviously flat but we went back to work, looked at the vision, got to work on what we had to work on. That showed today.” In an effort to move the latest loss, Bolton made his side watch the last minutes of the two-point defeat, stopping every point of the way where different decisions could be made. Simpson said the exercise was galvanising, adding onto little improvements made each week. MORE AFL NEWS AFL REPORT CARD: FOUR PERFECT SCORES, TWO BIG FAILS “We’ve been building,” Simpson said. “We’ve improved on a part of our game and developed our game with every loss we’ve had. “We’re such a young group. We’re still learning … what brand we want to play. “There’s nothing like game day and doing it under the heat and the pressure.” Simpson, 34, was three years older than any of his teammates on Sunday — and 16 years the senior of his youngest, Sam Walsh. He name-checked the effort of Sam Petrevski-Seton and typical of the growth occurring at the club. “I love seeing the young guys develop,” he said. “When they can do it on the big stage, it’s almost (like I’m) a proud big brother when some of the guys put on the performances they have. “We’ll enjoy (the win). “This is why you play football. “It’s only one win. We’re not getting carried away. “(But) If you’re not going to sit back and enjoy the wins, why do you play footy?”

Pascal Siakam is unaware of how his calf injury happened and is noncommittal as to whether he will play in Game 4. (1:02) PHILADELPHIA -- Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam suffered a right calf contusion and has been listed as doubtful for Game 4 of the Raptors' NBA Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. Siakam said Saturday he hurt the calf in the Raptors' 116-95 loss at Philadelphia in Game 3 on Thursday. Asked if he thought the injury could have occurred when he tripped Joel Embiid in the fourth quarter of Game 3, Siakam said he had no recollection. "I don't know exactly when it happened, but after the game I was just, like, really sore," Siakam said. "I think it calmed down a little bit, then I felt worse." Siakam hasn't been able to put the leg through much physical activity since Thursday. The calf has been undergoing treatment, including ice as well as light movement therapy, he said. A favorite to win the NBA's Most Improved Player award, Siakam, 25, has emerged as one of the Raptors' most consistent offensive producers behind Kawhi Leonard this postseason. In eight playoff games this spring, Siakam has averaged 22.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists, with an effective field goal percentage of 56.9. Siakam is also a versatile defender who has guarded all five positions for the Raptors at various junctures over the past two postseasons. Siakam's absence would challenge the Raptors because the team is already without reserve forward OG Anunoby, who underwent an emergency appendectomy just prior to the start of the playoffs. "With the OG out, it's not the ideal position for us," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. "We're a little thin there." Each scenario presents a different complication for Toronto. Nurse suggested Raptors backup guard Fred VanVleet as one option, noting the team had enjoyed success with pace and ball movement when VanVleet has played as part of a three-guard lineup. In 56 minutes on the floor with the starting backcourt and Leonard, lineups featuring VanVleet averaged 116.7 points per 100 possessions, with a net rating of plus-46.8. Yet replacing Siakam with a perimeter player would put the Raptors at a greater size disadvantage against a Philadelphia team that features exceptional length and has hurt Toronto on the offensive glass. "Size has been a problem," Nurse said. "We knew coming into the series that they would have size at a lot of positions." The Raptors could also opt to start backup big man Serge Ibaka, who has struggled in the series. Nurse also suggested as another possibility 6-foot-7 swingman Patrick McCaw, who has seen limited time on the floor since returning from a right thumb injury. Introducing McCaw into the starting lineup would enable the Raptors to preserve their current rotation, Nurse said. "[Siakam is] a big part to their team, but at the end of the day, it's the playoffs," Sixers forward Tobias Harris said. "We know that whatever the team presents, they have a team that has a lot of players that can do different things. So we have to be ready for whoever is on the floor and we'll be ready if he's on the floor or not." With the Raptors trailing 2-1 in the series and now potentially without their second-most-prolific scorer, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said it was imperative for the rest of the team to compensate in an effort to help leading scorer Leonard. "Kawhi has been unbelievable in the playoffs; Pascal's been unbelievable in the playoffs," Lowry said Saturday. "As other players around those guys, we need to step up in general, make some shots, be more aggressive, draw some more fouls, try to do some more things to help relieve the little bit of the scoring burden off of them." ESPN's Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.<doc-sep>Jalen Rose, Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce agree that losing Pascal Siakam is a huge blow for the Raptors and Rose insists if he's out for Game 4, the Raptors will lose. (1:48) PHILADELPHIA -- Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, who is nursing a right calf contusion, is playing in Game 4 of the conference semifinals between the Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. Raptors coach Nick Nurse had said that Siakam was a game-time decision. He tested the injury in pregame warmups. "Obviously we had a team meeting this morning," Nurse said. "He said it wasn't any worse than it was. It's a good start." Siakam bruised the calf in the Raptors' 116-95 loss at Philadelphia in Game 3 on Thursday. He did not dress for the Raptors' practice Saturday at Wells Fargo Center. In Toronto's eight games this postseason, Siakam has averaged 22.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists, with an effective field goal percentage of 56.9. Toronto trails the series 2-1.<doc-sep>The Toronto Raptors are down 2-1 in their second-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers, so they need all of their best players available. That was in doubt leading up to Game 4 due to a calf injury Pascal Siakam suffered during Game 3. At one point, he was listed as doubtful, but shortly before tip-off on Sunday afternoon the team announced he would be available to play. During Saturday's media availability, Siakam admitted that he wasn't sure when he suffered the injury. However, ESPN's Tim Bontemps points out that Siakam did attempt to trip Joel Embiid with the back of his right leg in the second half of Game 3. Siakam has come up huge for the Raptors as the team's second scoring option behind Kawhi Leonard. In a 116-95 loss to Philadelphia in Game 3, Siakam scored 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting while securing three rebounds. In the first three games of the series against the Sixers, Siakam has put together averages of 23.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals while shooting 34.5 percent from beyond the arc. The 2016 first round pick was a huge asset for the Raptors in their Game 1 win when he scored 29 points on an extremely efficient 12-of-15 shooting performance. If Siakam can't go, it's possible that veteran big man Serge Ibaka would slide into the starting lineup alongside Marc Gasol.<doc-sep>

Pascal Siakam is doubtful for Game 4 with a right calf contusion. If he is out, who should the Toronto Raptors start in his place? On Saturday afternoon, Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a woj-bomb right into the heart of the city of Toronto. He reported that Toronto Raptors power forward, Pascal Siakam, is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s contest against the Philadelphia 76ers with a right calf contusion. The injury is a tremendous blow to a Raptors team who already had their backs against the wall. After an embarrassing Game 3 loss, Game 4 is essentially a must-win for Toronto. Teams who take a 3-1 advantage win 95-percent of the time. If the Raptors lose Sunday afternoon, it’s basically over. Winning Game 4, on the road, was going to be difficult at full strength. If the Raptors are forced to do it without their second best player, it will be nearly impossible. But you can only play who is available, and Toronto can’t fold everything up due to an injury. Of course doubtful does not mean out, and there is still a chance Pascal Siakam is able to suit up. Nick Nurse revealed that there is “nothing seriously or structurally wrong with Siakam’s calf” while also clarifying he has not been ruled out yet. Depending on the chance of re-injury, Toronto better pump every ounce of cortisone that exists within a 25-mile radius and wrap that bad boy up as much as possible. With the season on the line, if Siakam can suit up, you better believe he will suit the [expletive] up. But sometimes you just can’t go. Lower-body injuries are nothing to play with, and if he’s limping around out there Siakam can actually be a liability. So who takes Pascal’s spot in the starting lineup if he can’t play? There are plenty of less than ideal options.

The Big Bang Theory is officially coming to an end after season 12, and it goes without saying that fans are pretty heartbroken. Not only did the sitcom have a huge following, but it has also been nominated for countless awards over the years. So, why exactly did CBS decide to pull the plug? It might have to do with its star Jim Parsons. According to Entertainment Weekly, the actor behind Sheldon Cooper was ready to leave the series. Parsons, who has a reported salary of $1 million per episode, could have made more than $50 million, including profits, if he stayed on for two more years. CBS was reportedly trying to negotiate the cast's salaries before announcing its cancellation. It certainly would have been hard to imagine The Big Bang Theory without Parsons, though. Not only is his character a fan favorite, but he has also taken home numerous Primetime Emmys for his role. His character even inspired the spinoff series, Young Sheldon, which premiered last year. While Parsons has yet to speak out about the cancellation, his costar Kaley Cuoco (Penny) recently shared a heartwarming message, reflecting on how the series has changed her life. "No matter when it was going to end, my heart would have always been broken in two," she wrote. "Drowning in tears, we promise to bring you the best season yet." The 12th and final season of The Big Bang Theory will premiere on Monday, Sept. 24, on CBS.<doc-sep>The Big Bang Theory is going out on top. Despite recent remarks by CBS that it was in talks for more seasons of the highly-rated series, the network, producing studio Warner Bros. TV and executive producer Chuck Lorre just announced that the comedy will end its run in May 2019 with its upcoming 12th season. The Big Bang Theory still will rank as the longest-running multi-camera series in television history per WBTV, spanning 12 seasons and a record-breaking 279 episodes, . Primetime-Panic Your Complete Guide to Pilots and Straight-to-Series orders See All “We are forever grateful to our fans for their support of The Big Bang Theory during the past twelve seasons. We, along with the cast, writers and crew, are extremely appreciative of the show’s success and aim to deliver a final season, and series finale, that will bring The Big Bang Theory to an epic creative close,” WBTV, CBS and Chuck Lorre Productions said in a joint statement. CBS The announcement about The Big Bang Theory coming to an end comes just two weeks after CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl said at TCA that “we don’t believe it’s the final season; we are in preliminary discussions to renew the show with the studio that produces it, Warner Bros.” I hear conversations about a possible two-year renewal were going on as recently as late last week. Eleven seasons in, The Big Bang Theory remains one of the biggest shows on television. Season 11 averaged 18.9 million viewers, even with Season 10. It was the second most watched series of last season, edging Sunday Night Football and only behind the now-canceled Roseanne. Among adults 18-49, Big Bang slipped a bit (4.4 in Live+7 vs. 4.9 last season) but still ranked as the second highest-rated entertainment program behind only NBC’s This Is Us. According to sources, the decision to end the series was largely a creative one made by the producers. It was perceived that Season 12 would be the show’s last when CBS in 2017 renewed Big Bang for seasons 11 and 12 after WBTV had closed new two-year deals with the cast. But then few expected that Big Bang would remain as strong in the ratings as it’s been, maintaining its viewership and top standing in the rankings when most broadcasting series have been sliding. To go beyond 12 seasons, Warner Bros. TV would’ve had to negotiate new contracts with the actors. The show’s original quintet are the highest-paid actors on TV with paychecks of around $1 million an episode. REX/Shutterstock There are no deals in place for next season between CBS and WBTV, between the studio and the cast as well as between the studio and the series’ creative staff. While this was not a business call as CBS and WBTV would’ve likely reached an agreement for more seasons, I hear that, with so many unknowns and not clear whether everyone wanted to come back, the producers had no desire to continue with the show creatively without the entire family on the show intact. That and the lure of leaving on top, as the highest-rated comedy on television, having achieved the milestone of longest-running multi-camera sitcom, sealed the decision to end the series. The final season of The Big Bang Theory will debut Monday, September 24 on CBS before moving to its regular time period on Thursday, September 27. “The Big Bang Theory has been the defining comedy of its generation,” Kahl said today. “All of us at the Network take exceptional pride in this series that uniquely combines creative genius, commercial ratings success, cultural influence and characters who became so popular, they are easily known by just one name. We’re incredibly grateful for our partnership with Warner Bros., Chuck Lorre Productions and a brilliant cast and crew that has made such a ‘big bang’ and lasting legacy on the television landscape.” . The Big Bang Theory, which debuted in 2007 and airs in syndication around the world, has received 52 Emmy nominations and 10 wins to date (though has never won for Outstanding Comedy Series), and 7 Golden Globe nominations. Since its off-network launch, Big Bang has been a syndication powerhouse and continues to deliver big ratings for TBS and the stations that carry it, with its success possibly marking an end of an era and may never be matched again. The Big Bang Theory is executive produced by Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady, Steven Molaro and Steve Holland. The series stars Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch. The Big Bang Theory is produced by Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc., in association with Warner Bros. Television. In 2015, the first-ever UCLA scholarship created by and named for a television series, The Big Bang Theory Scholarship supports undergraduate students in need of financial aid who are pursuing their higher education in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). And some fun facts: In addition to centering many of its episodes in the worlds of science and technology, The Big Bang Theory enjoys a healthy appreciation and support from the scientific community at large, including having a bee species (Euglossa bazinga), a jellyfish species (Bazinga Rieki) and a monkey at the Columbus Zoo (Dr. Sheldon Cooper) named in the show’s honor.<doc-sep>Jim Parsons has shared a message with fans following the news that The Big Bang Theory has been cancelled. The actor plays Dr. Sheldon Cooper in the long-running series and has won four Emmys and a Golden Globe during his 12-year stint on the show. Posting on Instagram alongside a photo of the main cast, Parsons wrote: “It is hard (nearly impossible, actually) to really accept that this is a picture of the first of the final 24 episodes we will shoot for The Big Bang Theory. I feel very fortunate that we have another 23 episodes to shoot this season because I am hopeful that with each and every one, my level of REALLY accepting this fact will sink in. Advertisement “Something else I feel grateful for – and this gratitude needs no time to “sink in” or become more “realised;” this grateful-feeling is always with me but is multiplied in this moment of us announcing our final season – but I feel such intense gratitude for our devoted viewers who are the ACTUAL reason we have been graced with the opportunity to explore these characters for 12 years of our lives.” He continued to thank the show’s crew and writers for making the show what it was, as well as the cast members who have appeared across the hundreds of episodes. “You are my playmates when we don’t feel like playing but have to because it’s our job to get out there and communicate and pretend we’re these other fictional people and we look into each other’s eyes and say these words and end up creating this weird, other reality that has enriched my life more than I will fully ever understand,” he wrote. “I will miss all of you and all of this more than I can say and more than I can know at this time.” It was reported earlier this week that The Big Bang Theory was cancelled after Parsons said he wanted to walk away from the show. If he had agreed to stay on for two more years, he and co-stars Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg would stand to make more than $50 million (£39 million).<doc-sep>

‘The Big Bang Theory’ Is (Finally) Canceled After 12 Seasons Photo: CBS Photo Archive / Contributor (Getty) If you’re anything like me, you’ve been waiting for this day for 12 long years: CBS has canceled The Big Bang Theory. Finally. The sitcom first debuted in September 2007 after its original pilot, which included two female lead characters, was not picked up by any network. Television executives felt the premise of the show had potential so a second pilot was filmed, which lead to CBS ordering a 13-episode first season. Little did they (or anybody else) know, The Big Bang Theory would rank as one of the most popular television shows of all-time. That run will be concluding, however, as Warner Bros. Television, CBS and Chuck Lorre Productions announced in a joint statement The Big Bang Theory will be canceled after its twelfth and final season. “We are forever grateful to our fans for their support of The Big Bang Theory during the past twelve seasons,” the producers said. “We, along with the cast, writers and crew, are extremely appreciative of the show’s success and aim to deliver a final season and series finale, that will bring The Big Bang Theory to an epic creative close.” No official word has yet been given as to why CBS decided to cancel The Big Bang Theory after nearly 300 episodes, although speculations have been swirling that Jim Parsons, who plays nerdy Sheldon Cooper, is no longer interested in participating after turning down a $50 million payday. Oh, come on, they’re all nerdy. Fellow cast members, like the always stunning Kaley Cuoco, who plays Penny, couldn’t help but voice their disappointment on social media (below) when news of the cancellation was made public. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bmy2eBbFk6z/?taken-by=normancook The final season of The Big Bang Theory will debut Monday, Sept. 24 at 8/7c on CBS before moving to its regular time period on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 8/7c. The show’s actors and producers have promised an “epic” series finale. Hopefully, the writers will finally address that whole broken elevator snafu before giving way to The Big Bang Theory spin-off prequel Young Sheldon, which will debut its second season directly after TBBT’s season premiere. It’s never going to end, is it?

Can I just talk for a sec about the fact that the weather is flat-out weird in October? Some days it’s hot AF; others, you’re frantically trying to find your favorite sweater. So it makes sense, then, that you might be working out inside a little more than usual. Luckily, Netflix has got you covered with a slew of new releases for October 2018 (including a super-spooky remake of Sabrina the Teenage Witch that's basically like a haunted Riverdale). Check these out while you’re logging miles on the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical, or just doing a few half-ass leg lifts on the floor. October 1: Angel Eyes Anger Management Billy Madison Black Dynamite This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Blade : Pretend you’re running away from freaky vampires with a serious treadmill hill workout while watching this heart-pounding thriller. Pretend you’re running away from freaky vampires with a serious treadmill hill workout while watching this heart-pounding thriller. Blade II Blazing Saddles This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Empire Records: The awesome music in this ‘90s flick is enough to keep you going on the elliptical, but dreamy Johnny Whitworth’s scenes don’t hurt either. The awesome music in this ‘90s flick is enough to keep you going on the elliptical, but dreamy Johnny Whitworth’s scenes don’t hurt either. Gotham: Season 4 Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain Kevin Hart: Seriously Funny Must Love Dogs My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rollercoaster of Friendship Mystic River New York Minute Once Upon a Time in America Pay It Forward Pee-wee's Big Adventure Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Rumble in the Bronx She's Out of My League Sommersby The Dead Pool The Devil's Advocate The Green Mile The Lake House The NeverEnding Story The Shining This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. V for Vendetta: Watch Natalie Portman kick some serious butt onscreen while you set a PR on the bike. Watch Natalie Portman kick some serious butt onscreen while you set a PR on the bike. Zack and Miri Make a Porno October 2: Joe Rogan: Strange Times MeatEater: Season 7 Monty Python: The Meaning of Life Monty Python's Life of Brian October 3: Truth or Dare (2017) October 4: Creeped Out The Haunting of Molly Hartley Violet Evergarden: Special: Extra Episode October 5: Big Mouth: Season 2 This content is imported from Facebook. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Dancing Queen: Shake your booty along with Justin Johnson and his crew as they break it down onstage (sometimes in drag). Shake your booty along with Justin Johnson and his crew as they break it down onstage (sometimes in drag). Élite Empire Games Little Things: Season 2 Malevolent Private Life Super Monsters Save Halloween Super Monsters: Season 2 The Rise of Phoenixes YG Future Strategy Office October 6: Little Things: Season 1 October 8: Disney's Sofia the First: Season 4 Mo Amer: The Vagabond October 9: Terrace House: Opening New Doors: Part 4 October 10: 22 July Pacto de Sangue October 11: Salt Fat Acid Heat Schitt's Creek: Season 4 October 12: Apostle Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil Feminists: What Were They Thinking? FightWorld ReMastered: Who Shot the Sheriff Tarzan and Jane: Season 2 The Boss Baby: Back in Business: Season 2 The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell The Haunting of Hill House The Kindergarten Teacher October 15: Octonauts: Season 4 The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments October 16: Ron White: If You Quit Listening, I'll Shut Up October 19: Accidentally in Love Ask the Doctor Best.Worst.Weekend.Ever. : Limited Series Derren Brown: Sacrifice Distrito salvaje Gnome Alone Haunted Hip-Hop Evolution: Season 2 Illang: The Wolf Brigade Larva Island This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Making a Murderer: Part 2 : If you're all about that true crime life, don't miss season two of this documentary series about Stephen Avery and Brendan Dassey, two men convicted of murdering a young reporter in their small Wisconsin town. You'll get so absorbed, you won't notice the minutes flying by on the elliptical. : If you're all about that true crime life, don't miss season two of this documentary series about Stephen Avery and Brendan Dassey, two men convicted of murdering a young reporter in their small Wisconsin town. You'll get so absorbed, you won't notice the minutes flying by on the elliptical. This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Marvel's Daredevil: Season 3: If you're here simply for the eye candy (ahem, Charlie Cox's butt), I don't blame you. But the crazy stunts will give you extra inspo to go harder during your strength training. If you're here simply for the eye candy (ahem, Charlie Cox's butt), I don't blame you. But the crazy stunts will give you extra inspo to go harder during your strength training. The Night Comes For Us Wanderlust October 21: Robozuna October 23: ADAM SANDLER 100% FRESH October 24: Bodyguard October 25: Great News: Season 2 October 26: Been So Long Castlevania: Season 2 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Dovlatov Jefe Shirkers Terrorism Close Calls October 27: Girl from Nowhere October 28: Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj October 30: Fate/EXTRA Last Encore: Illustrias Geocentric Theory The Degenerates October 31: Goldie & Bear: Season 2 GUN CITY Korin Miller Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Even with Netflix’s recommendation algorithm steadily serving you new movies, new TV shows, and original programming tailored to your binging habits, the streaming service’s firehose of content makes what’s coming and going difficult to parse. That’s why we break down each month’s additions (plus the roster from two months prior, and what’s about to bounce from the platform, just so you don’t miss a thing) with a spotlight on what to keep on your radar. Netflix’s own “new releases” category is an info dump. Consider us a picture-in-picture talking head, screaming recommendations at the screen. Available Oct. 1 Angel Eyes Anger Management Billy Madison Black Dynamite Blade Blade II Blazing Saddles Empire Records Gotham: Season 4 Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain Kevin Hart: Seriously Funny Must Love Dogs My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rollercoaster of Friendship Mystic River New York Minute Once Upon a Time in America Pay It Forward Pee-wee’s Big Adventure Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Rumble in the Bronx She’s Out of My League Sommersby The Dead Pool The Devil’s Advocate The Green Mile The Lake House The NeverEnding Story The beloved 1980s children’s fantasy film is the first adaptation of the novel of the same name. It’s fun and fantastical, but also contains one of the saddest scenes in children’s movie history: the death of hero Atreyu’s beloved horse Artax. Rewatch it over and over and feel the pain. The Shining V for Vendetta Zack and Miri Make a Porno Available Oct. 2 Joe Rogan: Strange Times (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Comedian Joe Rogan takes on sexual politics, American politics, pro wrestling and vegans in a new stand-up special shot in Boston. MeatEater: Season 7 (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Steven Rinella returns for more hunting and cooking expeditions in rugged locales with friends that include the likes of comedian Joe Rogan. Monty Python: The Meaning of Live Monty Python’s Life of Brian Available Oct. 3 Truth or Dare (2017) Available Oct. 4 Creeped Out (Netflix Original) From Netflix: This kids’ anthology series features spine-shivering tales of sinister neighbors, creepy ghouls, technology out of control and more. The Haunting of Molly Hartley Violet Evergarden: Special: Extra Episode Available Oct. 5 Big Mouth: Season 2 (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Carnal urges and teen angst abound as Nick, Andrew and friends pursue new crushes, tangle with the Shame Wizard and sample pot for the first time. Dancing Queen (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Yes, he owns a successful dance studio. But Justin Johnson also slays onstage as drag superstar Alyssa Edwards. It’s a fierce, full and fabulous life. Élite (Netflix Original) From Netflix: When three working class kids enroll in the most exclusive school in Spain, the clash between the wealthy and the poor students leads to tragedy. Empire Games (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Interviews with scholars and dramatic reenactments bring to life the origins and history-making achievements of the world’s greatest ancient empires. Little Things: Season 2 (Netflix Original) From Netflix: More fun ensues as Kavya and Dhruv’s relationship progresses amid conversations about their future and visits from family and friends. Malevolent (Netflix Film) From Netflix: A brother-sister team who fake paranormal encounters for cash get more than they bargained for when a job at a haunted estate turns very, very real. Private Life (Netflix Film) From Netflix: A couple coping with infertility struggles to keep their marriage afloat as they navigate the world of assisted reproduction and adoption. Super Monsters Save Halloween (Netflix Film) From Netflix: It’s Halloween, and the Super Monsters are ready to celebrate -- with candy, costumes and music to get you in the mood! Super Monsters: Season 2 (Netflix Original) From Netflix: With curious new student Spike in the mix, the Super Monsters use their powers to solve problems — and conquer their fears about growing up. The Rise of Phoenixes (Netflix Original: streaming every Friday) From Netflix: When a secret from the past rears its head, a respected court scholar must choose between avenging her family and staying true to the prince she loves. YG Future Strategy Office (Netflix Original) From Netflix: K-pop star Seungri, BIGBANG’s youngest member, tries to lead a team of bumbling staff at YG’s Future Strategy Office in this mockumentary sitcom. Available Oct. 6 Little Things: Season 1 Available Oct. 8 Disney’s Sofia the First: Season 4 Mo Amer: The Vagabond (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Arab-American comedian Mo Amer brings his worldly experiences to his debut Netflix Original stand-up special, Mo Amer: The Vagabond. Filmed at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, TX, Amer enlightens audiences about the truths of his first hand experiences as a refugee. From the American immigration policy and touring internationally without a passport to the time he went viral for sitting next to Eric Trump on a flight, this is Amer like you have never seen before. Available Oct. 9 Terrace House: Opening New Doors: Part 4 (Netflix Original) From Netflix: As Noah juggles his love triangle with Mayu and Yui, Shohei plans to confess to Seina — but Terrace House’s repeat member might have other options. Available Oct. 10 22 July (Netflix Film) From Netflix: After a pair of shocking attacks in Norway, survivors — and the country — rally for healing and justice. Based on true events. Pacto de Sangue (Netflix Original) From Netflix: An ambitious TV reporter uses risky and ethically questionable methods to report on gang wars and police corruption in the Amazon port of Belém, Brazil. Available Oct. 11 Salt Fat Acid Heat (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Chef and food writer Samin Nosrat brings her culinary manifesto of simple food rooted in tradition to the screen in a new cooking series. Schitt’s Creek: Season 4 Available Oct. 12 Apostle (Netflix Film) From Netflix: In this thriller, a man travels to a remote island in search of his missing sister, who was kidnapped by a murderous religious cult. Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil (Netflix Film) From Netflix: A solitary blacksmith is locked in a vicious rivalry with the devil until a little girl appears in their lives by chance. Feminists: What Were They Thinking? (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Revisiting 1970s photos of women that captured a feminist awakening, this film explores those women’s lives and examines the continued need for change. FightWorld (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Actor and martial artist Frank Grillo explores and experiences the diverse fighting techniques found in cultures around the world. ReMastered: Who Shot the Sheriff (Netflix Original) From Netflix: In 1976, reggae icon Bob Marley survived an assassination attempt as rival political groups battled in Jamaica. But who exactly was responsible? Tarzan and Jane: Season 2 (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Tarzan and Jane embark on a heroic adventure in the Brazilian rainforest, rescuing animals from an evil scheme and uncovering an ancient secret. The Boss Baby: Back in Business: Season 2 (Netflix Original) From Netflix: There’s a new threat to baby popularity: old people. But a revolutionary “stinkless” serum could give Baby Corp a competitive advantage. The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Wickedly talented baker and artist, Christine McConnell welcomes you into her terrifyingly delicious home to create delectable confections and hauntingly disturbing decor with the help of her colorful collection of creatures. The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix Original) Iconic horror director Mike Flanagan takes on Shirley Jackson in this series adaptation. The trailer alone is straight-up chilling, with the ever popular “let’s play a slowed-down creepy version of a song” in the background thing going on — in this case, “Our House” by Crosby Stills, Nash & Young. The Kindergarten Teacher (Netflix Film) From Netflix: A devoted teacher takes interest in a young student’s creative potential after hearing his poetry. But she soon crosses the line into obsession. Available Oct. 15 Octonauts: Season 4 The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments (Netflix Original) From Netflix: When a kingdom is taken over by tyrants, the deposed princess begins a quest to find a disbanded group of evil knights to help take back her realm. Available Oct. 16 Ron White: If You Quit Listening, I’ll Shut Up (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Ron “Tater Salad” White dishes out his signature brand of cynicism, riffing on sex, celebrity and the sinister habits of wild geese. Available Oct. 19 Accidentally in Love (Netflix Original) From Netflix: A popular singer decides to go back to school, becoming the center of attention there, and meets an ordinary female student with a dual personality. Ask the Doctor (Netflix Original) From Netflix: From exercise to infertility to sleep, a team of doctors share expert advice, bust medical myths and test the latest treatments. Best.Worst.Weekend.Ever. : Limited Series (Netflix Original) From Netflix: In this comedy series, teenage Zed and his pals face one ridiculous, hilarious predicament after another in their last weekend before high school. Derren Brown: Sacrifice (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Illusionist Derren Brown concocts a psychological experiment in which he tries to manipulate an ordinary person into taking a bullet for a stranger. Distrito salvaje (Netflix Original) From Netflix: A former guerrilla soldier tries to reintegrate into Colombian society and finds himself taking part in an entirely new kind of war. Gnome Alone (Netflix Original) From Netflix: A high-schooler teams up with living garden gnomes to stop tiny creatures from another world who want to eat everything in sight. Haunted (Netflix Original) From Netflix: From the Executive Producers of The Purge franchise and Lore, Haunted gives a chilling glimpse into the first-person accounts from people who have witnessed horrifying, peculiar, extraordinary supernatural events and other unexplained phenomenons that continue to haunt them. Hip-Hop Evolution: Season 2 (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Shad Kabango traces the growth of hip-hop subcultures in New York, the South and Oakland, California, in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Illang: The Wolf Brigade (Netflix Film) From Netflix: In 2029, a special unit of the South Korean police called Illang battles a terrorist group threatening to undo years of efforts to unify the two Koreas. Larva Island (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Stranded on a tropical island, two goofy larva buddies find slapstick fun in everything from discovering food to meeting new animal friends. Making a Murderer: Part 2 (Netflix Original) The critically-acclaimed documentary series gets a follow-up, with filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demo returning the Midwest to explore the post-conviction process after Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey’s murder trial. Marvel’s Daredevil: Season 3 (Netflix Original) From Netflix: With Wilson Fisk out of prison and back to corrupting Hell’s Kitchen, Matt Murdock must rise from the ashes. The Night Comes For Us (Netflix Film) From Netflix: After sparing a girl’s life during a massacre, an elite Triad assassin is targeted by an onslaught of murderous gangsters. Wanderlust (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Wanderlust looks at how we build and maintain happy relationships and asks whether lifelong monogamy is possible – or even desirable. Toni Collette plays Joy Richards, a therapist trying to find a way to keep her spark alive with her husband after a cycling accident causes them to reassess their relationship. As we meet her family, friends, neighbors and clients, remarkable yet relatable stories of love, lust and forbidden desire emerge. Available Oct. 21 Robozuna (Netflix Original) From Netflix: A boy and his homemade robot attempt to free their oppressed nation from an evil empire and its robot centurions in this exciting animated series. Available Oct. 23 ADAM SANDLER 100% FRESH (Netflix Original) From Netflix: Adam Sandler takes his comical musical musings back out on the road, from comedy clubs to concert halls to one very unsuspecting subway station. Available Oct. 24 Bodyguard (Netflix Original) From Netflix: After helping thwart a terrorist attack, a war veteran is assigned to protect a politician who was a major proponent of the conflict he fought in. Available Oct. 25 Great News: Season 2 Available Oct. 26 Been So Long (Netflix Film) From Netflix: A single mother in London’s Camden Town hears music when she meets a handsome stranger with a past. But she’s not sure she’s ready to open her heart. Castlevania: Season 2 (Netflix Original) From Netflix: As Dracula and his legion of vampires prepare to rid the world of humanity’s stain, an unlikely trio of heroes dares to stand in their way. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix Original)<doc-sep>

Welcome to your official look at what’s coming to Netflix in the United States throughout October 2018. It’s going to be a busy month for streamers with a slew of new movies, series, documentaries, and stand-up specials. We’ll start off with the highlights of the new releases then move onto the complete list of new titles added by Netflix. October 2018 New Release Highlights New Horror Highlights As it’s the month of Halloween, you can expect a bunch of great new horror titles to land throughout the month. We’ve gone through the list of horror movies on the way in more depth in our preview. Our first top horror pick of the month is the upcoming Sabrina series that looks to continue on the great success of The CW at successfully adapting Archie comics for a modern audience. The new series looks dark and utterly brilliant. Sticking with Netflix Originals, Mike Flanagan will be bringing his new series The Haunting of Hill House to the service on October 12th. Finally, we end with possibly one of the most influential Jack Nicholson movies of all time in the 1980 must-watch classic, The Shining. New Movies Most of the best movies coming out next month are horrors and we’ll start with the Blade movies which we weren’t too sure whether to count as horror or not. The action vampire series stars Wesley Snipes who battles the vampires using an assortment of weapons and witty quips. Netflix retains its crown at being the home of Adam Sandler with a selection of his back catalogue joining on October 1st including Billy Madison and Anger Managment. Plus we’re going to see Monty Python’s fabulous Life of Brian join Netflix in October too. New TV Series The list of new TV series from providers that aren’t Netflix is relatively small this month possibly because of how busy September was and the fact that the fall TV schedule has now switched again. Never-the-less fans of Sofia The First and Gotham will have their long waits ended as both series are getting the latest series added. We’re also getting the second season of Great News added to Netflix just months after the first dropped. We’ve still got our money on Netflix picking this show up for a third season so get watching. New Netflix Originals As is the case with most months now, Netflix Originals dwarf the offerings from third parties as Netflix places a special emphasis on them. There’s a lot to go through but we’re going to pick out three that should be on everyone’s lists. First up is the third season of undoubtedly the best of the Marvel shows on Netflix, Daredevil. Matt Murdoch is back facing his original enemy as Wilson Fisk now out of prison causing hell for the residents of Hell’s Kitchen. We’re also finally getting a proper new season of the anime series The Seven Deadly Sins and also getting the second season of the crass animated hit, Big Mouth. As always, this by no means represents the full list of titles that are going to be on Netflix. The best way to keep up with new releases is by keeping an eye on our What’s New on Netflix sections where we update every day with the new releases.

The Walking Dead Close this dialog window Streaming Options SPOILER ALERT: Read on only if you have already watched Sunday’s season 9 finale of The Walking Dead. Those that survived last week’s stealth ambush of the multi-community fair that left 10 zombified heads on pikes had to survive a winter blizzard on Sunday’s season finale of The Walking Dead. We saw King Ezekiel lead his followers out of a now-decrepit Kingdom for good — having to cross through Whisperers territory to reach the Hilltop. We also saw the Alexandria contingent struggling against snow and wind to get to safety, which included Negan rescuing Judith and Dog. How did the show stage these epic snowstorms? We asked showrunner Angela Kang how they pulled it off. And that’s not all we asked her. What about that mystery voice on the radio at the end of the episode? Why did they choose to say goodbye to the Kingdom? What are we to make of Carol breaking up with Ezekiel and what the future holds for those two? And what’s Alpha having Beta whip her arm all about? We inquired on all those topics. Plus: Kang also shares a tribute to comic-book Carol’s death that some fans may have missed. Read on for all the intel as the showrunner answers our season finale burning questions. (Also be sure to check out our interview with finale director Greg Nicotero, who reveals some hidden Easter eggs and homages.) TWD_916_GP_1113_0240_RT Credit: Gene Page/AMC ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You finally did it and brought winter to the show. Walk us through how you were able to pull this blizzard off, and the biggest hurdles you faced in doing so? ANGELA KANG: There were definitely a lot of logistical hurdles. The interesting thing about filming in Georgia is it does get really cold at the end of our year, but it doesn’t snow very much. And the type of snow that Georgia gets, it tends to be very light. It melts off right away and the environment doesn’t look quite the same as a place where it fully snows at the time of year we’re filming. The thing that gave me hope was that when I’m usually out there in November, everybody’s freezing their ass off. You see breath in the air. They all want giant jackets, so at the very least we could fake a certain amount of coldness outside pretty easily. And then, beyond that, I was like okay, I think a lot of it has to be done on stage. And I thought back to other movies and TV shows that I know have done snow on stage, and I’m like, it’s possible. It’s just not easy. So and we got this snow company that does a ton of the snow in various movies and TV shows. They’re working on NOSA4A2 for AMC. I think they might have done Band of Brothers. They work on Star Wars stuff. So they are experts in making non-snowy environments and sets look like they’re snowed over. And they use a variety of techniques. So every time you see snow in the episode, it might be a different kind of material. They use a particular type of material to have the really soft snowfall. They use something else for when you’ve got the blizzard conditions. They’re using a mix of things to have the stuff that people are walking through. The ice is with paraffin wax, which is amazing. So when they’re crossing the frozen river, all of that’s covered with wax. And then beyond that, there are the hurdles of the trees are not the right color for that time of year, so that was all VFX had to go in after the fact and color and de-saturate trees or put snow on the trees and things like that, so the images you’re seeing don’t break the illusion for you. What was the actual weather for you all as you were filming this in Georgia in November? The hilarious thing is, we had like the warmest November we’ve had in the entire time I’ve been on the show. So the actors are bundled up and they’re like, “We’re hot, we’re hot.” And I’m like, this is literally the only time this has ever happened. But our production design team built this amazing stage set on Pinewood Studios stage, so when we’re in the blizzard in Alexandria, and when we’re doing that kind of crossing through Whisperers’ territory at night, all of that’s on a stage. It’s all part of pieces of the same set. We faked Alexandria on a stage that was nowhere near Alexandria. So it’s just a testament to everybody’s really amazing hard work. Do you have a favorite snow scene or stunt or moment? As Matt Negrete and I were writing the script, he was like, “Wouldn’t it be fun to kill a zombie with an icicle?” I’m really happy that we were able to do that gag, and [director Greg Nicotero] did a great job making up that zombie and filming that moment. And the VFX team obviously came in and put the icicle in and all of that. I just loved seeing all of the frozen zombies, and I love it when Lydia comes upon that frozen walker in the lake. The interesting thing that comic book fans may or may not pick up on, is we’re actually doing an homage to Carol’s death in the comic book. She basically commits suicide by zombie, and we have Carol from the show — who’s well outlasted Carol from comic books — she’s watching this moment play out between Lydia and the zombie. And I just think that the production design of that scene, the way that Greg directed it, the way the zombie looks, all of that was very evocative. And then of course, Cassady who plays Lydia, and Melissa, they’re so wonderful and emotional. There’s so much rawness that they bring to their performance that I think it ended up being this really special scene that I really love. The Kingdom is no more, fallen into disrepair and rot. What made you want to shut down this pivotal location? I thought that it was interesting to do a twist that doesn’t exist in the books, and I think in some ways we wanted to have what was happening physically at the Kingdom, as well as on a very personal level with Ezekiel and Carol, all kind of mirror each other. I also really love having scenes with our characters together and having them be on adventures together. Having them so spread out in order to play the difficulty of getting from one place to the other, the people end up getting stuck in their communities, and so I thought, well here’s an interesting obstacle to play. An entire community shuts down at a time when there’s a certain lack of resources because of the state of the world, and also here is this new enemy that is saying, “All of this land is mine. Who cares if that’s your hunting land or your way to travel to each other? Who cares? This is all mine.” I thought it created these really interesting obstacles for the final episode. But going forward, I think having them unified but also dealing with what happens when basically an entire community is now refugees to your community and the strain that that can put on you, but also the help that you get from that, it just seemed like there was some really interesting areas for us to play with. TWD_916_GP_1114_0450_RT Credit: Gene Page/AMC We see later in the episode Negan putting himself at big risk to save Judith and giving her his coat and carrying her to safety, but what I found even more interesting was the scene earlier where he’s really needling Gabriel and company in the house about the Rosita and Siddiq situation. And what I liked about that is we’ve seen this new kinder, gentler Negan, but you put that scene in there to show that this guy does indeed still have rough edges, right? He’s certainly not a saint. No, he’s not a saint. Here’s something that I’ve been saying internally all along, and it’s something that Jeffrey and I have talked about. We’re playing this arc for Negan because so much time has passed. How can he be exactly the same person that he was at the end of All-Out War? He’s trying to become a part of this community now. So what does that mean? But Negan is Negan. The fun of Negan is that he has elements of him that are a little unpredictable. He’s a little raw, he’s a little inappropriate, he definitely has an edge. To me, you can’t strip away those things that are the defining characteristics of him, because otherwise what you’re really doing is creating a new character. For me, Negan always will have an edge. There are times where he’s suppressing the worst thoughts that he has in his head, ’cause I do think that that’s a part of him. He knows how to put on a show. He’s a showman, right? But that doesn’t mean that the person that he was for however many years before the apocalypse started just disappeared. I think that that’s a really important thing for the audience and for us as writers to keep in mind going forward. This is a person who has a really dangerous streak and kind of an a–hole streak. He can also be really darkly funny. That’s the core of who he is, and he’s never really gonna lose that. He can’t. That’s what makes him Negan. But we still have the leeway to play different kinds of stories for him and show the moments where there are more redeemable aspects of him, because I think that’s always been important to us on the show. Nobody is arch. You have to understand who they are as people. There are definitely people who are more indiscriminately brutal. But Negan is complicated: there’s the dangerous Negan, the jerk Negan, the really smart and strategic Negan. All of that is part of who he is. Carol tells Ezekiel at the end she’s going to Alexandria with Daryl and the others and tries to give him his ring back. Why does Carol break up with the King? We came at it from a perspective of Carol has had these chapters in her life. In a lot of ways, when Sophia died, that catapulted her into another chapter of her life. She had to question this abusive relationship she had, her feelings of inadequacy, her feelings of weakness. And she eventually became the badass, you can’t mess with me Carol that we know and love. But that all came at a cost. Having to kill and kill and kill and kill, it really took a toll on her. So she got to live out the fairytale chapter of her life. When we knew that Alpha would strike against Henry, we really talked about that in real life, it’s very common for couples that lose a child to break up. The grief can be overwhelming. It can reveal cracks in a relationship that maybe were there all along, or can create new cracks. So we wanted to play the emotional truth of that and the fact that, for Carol, part of that fairytale of being at the Kingdom, it was a package deal. It was Ezekiel. It was Henry. It was the place. It was all the people. And so when all of that falls apart, what she refers to as the thing that is always the thing that she kind of wants to revert to, which is, I just want to run away from it — it becomes a big part of her story going forward. There’s definitely a lot of fertile ground for Ezekiel, because the interesting thing with our show is we rarely kill a person the same way on the show that Kirkman did in the comic. Glenn is a notable exception. We definitely have a story that I’m really excited about telling for Ezekiel in season 10. I’ve talked to Khary about it.<doc-sep>When there’s an issue with the fireplace and the group is freezing, they decide to head out of the house and try to make it to another home. While walking in the treacherous weather, Judith hears the dog bark and runs away from the group towards the sound.<doc-sep>

(CNN) — The following contains spoilers about “The Walking Dead” season finale. “The Walking Dead” peaked early, it turns out, with the penultimate episode of the ninth season, which brutally killed off multiple characters and provided a much bigger shock than the relatively low-key finale that aired Sunday night. Other than a snowball fight that offered a dose of lightness after the previous hour’s carnage, the episode seemed most notable in setting the stage for another season’s worth of full-blown battle against the Whisperers; and perhaps more significantly, potentially expanding the role of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) by more fully incorporating him into the series. With the departure of Andrew Lincoln and deaths of several key players, activating Morgan might be the adrenaline jolt that “The Walking Dead” – which until the heads-on-a-pike moment, had been largely running on fumes – desperately needs. Morgan’s wry, foul-mouthed Negan also brings disarming humor to the series, in the finale teasing other characters about the soap-opera-like “love quadrangle,” as he put it, surrounding Rosita (Christian Serratos) and Gabriel (Seth Gilliam). The show has also found a playful dynamic in Negan’s relationship with the young Judith, which in some respects mirrors his unexpected bond with Rick Grimes’ other kid, the late Carl. Given the damage that Negan inflicted, fully incorporating him into the “Dead” community will have to be an act of necessity, and his interplay with Michonne (Danai Gurira) appeared to be laying the groundwork for that. “Common goal, common enemy,” he said, adding in regard to the bad guys, “No one ever thinks that they’re the evil one.” The story of “The Walking Dead” has been consistently punctuated by reloading, despite a steady stream of casualties and departures. The idea that virtually no one was safe elevated the show in its early seasons, creating a sense of genuine unpredictability Yet recent experience has suggested there are losses from which the program has struggled to rebound, and another huge blow is looming with Gurira expected to leave next season. Executive producer Angela Kang has restored some order to the storytelling, but the prospect of another protracted military-style campaign frankly provokes a greater sense of exhaustion than excitement. “We’ve come too far to give up,” Michonne said at one point during the finale. Perhaps so. But without exactly giving up, “The Walking Dead” nevertheless feels like a concept whose TV demise is creatively overdue, animated more than anything by AMC’s rather crass motivations to keep it plodding forward.

Get the biggest TV headlines straight to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice X Factor 2019 auditions have been dramatically 'axed' amid a major shake-up. All auditions have been scrapped at the last-minute, leaving hopefuls high and dry, according to North Wales Live . The next series of the ITV singing contest has been left in limbo with producers considering their options, including rumours All Stars and Celebrity versions are in the works. Simon Cowell previously claimed there would be a major overhaul of the show amid falling ratings - with the 2018 series suffering the lowest in 14 years. An insider said: “The X Factor has not been axed and will be back on ITV later this year.” (Image: Tuttle/Thames/Syco/REX/Shutterstock) (Image: Dymond/Thames/Syco/REX/Shutterstock) One venue in North Wales only discovered their services would not be needed at the last-minute. A spokesperson for Garden Den , who were due to hold auditions in Rhyl on March 21, said: "We heard a couple of weeks ago that ITV were uhmming and ahhing about the new series. "But we had no official confirmation from the production team at all. "We had a whole event planned around it, with about 60 acts lined up to audition. We spent a lot of money putting things together. "Thing is, they don't pay to use your venue, they just expect it and in return, you get the publicity. "The event was meant to be next week, and we finally got confirmation a couple of days ago. But it wasn't a statement or anything, literally just a phone call and that was it. "They said the X-Factor is 'not being aired, there won't be any auditions', nothing at all. It's been pulled. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Play now "They said Simon Cowell has other ideas, like a winner of winners competition, or a celebrity version of the show. "But all auditions across the country have been cancelled at the last minute while they decide what they are doing with it. "Sad thing is, everyone who agreed to do this will have lost out in some way, shape or form. "And there still hasn't been an official statement from them, or even a press release. We've had no guidance on what to say. And heard nothing since they hung up the phone." (Image: PA) Simon has spoken about his grand plan to get viewers back by having two bold new versions of the X Factor format. Cowell told The Sun: "I've had a meeting with ITV, I've told them what I think we'd like to do with X Factor because we've been waiting to have this opportunity. "The time feels right, and it will be a huge change. "We haven't exactly confirmed the dates or the order of the shows, but essentially there are going to be two versions of X Factor running this year." (Image: ITV) The fate of the judging panel has yet to be confirmed after Robbie Williams, Ayda Williams and Louis Tomlinson were introduced last year. One Direction star Louis has already admitted he doesn't know if he will return amid the planned shake-up. He reportedly threatened to quit, insisting that the singing contest should be for the public. (Image: ITV) Those hoping to become the next Leona Lewis, Olly Murs or One Direction may have to audition for Britain's Got Talent instead. There's also plans to bring a revamped BGT to the screens as well as Cowell goes on the offensive to reassert his show on the TV schedules. The music mogul reportedly wants to create a second series of Britain's Got Talent with past winners of the show competing against each other, along with the main series, which is currently in production. The Mirror has approached ITV for comment. Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webtv@trinitymirror.com or call us direct 0207 29 33033<doc-sep>Alexis Woolerton: Former X Factor contestant sings at local pub FREE now for the biggest moments from morning TV SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow for the biggest moments from morning TV When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. This year’s X Factor will be very different to the series that came before it. There have already been reports that Simon Cowell is considering a huge overhaul for the show. However, it seems as though the changes are already happening as it’s been claimed that the show’s auditions have been cancelled. It’s been reported that the next series of the singing contest has been left in limbo after it was revealed that the auditions wouldn’t be taking place. There have been rumours that there would be All Stars and Celebrity versions of the show, and that the show’s producers are now considering their options. Last year’s X Factor suffered their lowest ratings in 14 years, and they’re now trying to come up with new ways of bringing in more viewers. This has lead to reports that the show might not air in 2019. However, an insider revealed to the Daily Mirror: “The X Factor has not been axed and will be back on ITV later this year.” One venue which was going to host some of the auditions only just found out about the cancellation and they’ve been left in a difficult situation. A spokesperson for Garden Den, the venue in question, said: "We heard a couple of weeks ago that ITV were umming and ahhing about the new series. "But we had no official confirmation from the production team at all. X Factor 2019: Simon Cowell auditions ‘axed’ in MAJOR shake-up ahead of new series? X Factor 2019: Simon Cowell auditions ‘axed’ in MAJOR shake-up? "We had a whole event planned around it, with about 60 acts lined up to audition. We spent a lot of money putting things together. "Thing is, they don't pay to use your venue, they just expect it, and in return, you get the publicity. "The event was meant to be next week, and we finally got confirmation a couple of days ago. But it wasn't a statement or anything, literally just a phone call and that was it. They said the X-Factor is 'not being aired, there won't be any auditions', nothing at all. It's been pulled. "They said Simon Cowell has other ideas, like a winner of winners competition, or a celebrity version of the show. But all auditions across the country have been cancelled at the last minute while they decide what they are doing with it.” The spokesperson finished: "And there still hasn't been an official statement from them, or even a press release. We've had no guidance on what to say. And heard nothing since they hung up the phone." X Factor 2019: Simon Cowell to drastically change show Robbie Williams reveals who he wants on Celebrity X Factor<doc-sep>

Producers at the X-Factor have dramatically axed all first round auditions at the eleventh-hour. There has been uncertainty about the shows future following it suffering the lowest ratings in 14 years. And now the plug has been pulled on the singing contest, after it has been confirmed that Simon Cowell will definitely completely overhaul the whole show for 2019. Cowell has confirmed that the 16th series of the X Factor will comprise of two versions of the series - the much rumoured battle of the celebs , followed by a series featuring only star contestants from previous years. Which means hopefuls from North Wales and beyond will no longer be able to showcase their talents to scouts after the show undergoes a major revamp. A move which has left audition venues high and dry following the confirmation. (Image: ITV) A spokesperson for Garden Den , who were due to hold auditions in Rhyl on March 21, said: "We heard a couple of weeks ago that ITV were uhmming and ahhing about the new series. "But we had no official confirmation from the production team at all. "We had a whole event planned around it, with about 60 acts lined up to audition. We spent a lot of money putting things together. "Thing is, they don't pay to use your venue, they just expect it and in return, you get the publicity. "The event was meant to be next week, and we finally got confirmation a couple of days ago. But it wasn't a statement or anything, literally just a phone call and that was it. "They said the X-Factor is 'not being aired, there won't be any auditions', nothing at all. It's been pulled. (Image: ITV) "They said Simon Cowell has other ideas, like a winner of winners competition, or a celebrity version of the show. "But all auditions across the country have been cancelled at the last minute while they decide what they are doing with it. "Sad thing is, everyone who agreed to do this will have lost out in some way, shape or form. "And there still hasn't been an official statement from them, or even a press release. We've had no guidance on what to say. And heard nothing since they hung up the phone." ITV and Thames TV have been approached for comment.

In two matches against Mexico in April, the United States women's national team had little trouble, securing victories by the scores of 4-1 and 6-2. And with World Cup qualifying starting on Thursday night in the CONCACAF Women's Championship group stage, a similar score was expected between the two teams, with the talented USA squad rolling to victory, and that's just what we got. The USA started fast with an early goal but it was just a 1-0 lead at the break, and then the reigning World Cup champs went into fifth gear scoring five times to win 6-0. Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan both scored twice, while Tobin Heath and Julie Ertz also scored, both in the second half, putting the U.S. in first place in the group of an eight-team tournament where the top three advance to next summer's World Cup. The winning goal came just three minutes in from Rapinoe: Then early in the second half, Ertz finished a rebound from close: After that, it was Alex Morgan's turn with the star striker heading home a Rapinoe corner kick: And Heath made it 4-0 shortly after with this fierce header: Morgan and Rapinoe would both score again from close as the U.S. put up a half dozen on a regional rival. Next up is the team's second group stage match one Sunday against Panama, who beat Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 on Thursday. Live updates<doc-sep>Starting XI: Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan, Julie Ertz, Rose Lavelle, Crystal Dunn, Abby Dahlkemper, Becky Sauerbrunn, Kelley O’Hara, Alyssa Naeher It was a hot start for the United States as they opened up their World Cup qualifying campaign against Mexico with a third-minute goal from Megan Rapinoe. RAPINOE! The USWNT finds the back of the net only 3 minutes into the match. pic.twitter.com/wjj2V6wSvJ — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 4, 2018 But if they started off red hot, they cooled off over the rest of the first half. That’s not to say they did badly at all - they had flurries of nice one- and two-touch passing all through the midfield and Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan were clearly ready to bring the sauce. But as much as they both managed to take out Mexico’s midfield, Mexico’s defense committed to swarming any approach to their 18-yard box, particularly looking to congest any look from Tobin Heath from out wide. Julie Ertz was also in the center of the park for the US, but where Lavelle and Horan were working on a nice uptempo beat, Ertz was killing the vibe. She worked hard at ballwinning, but then couldn’t pick out the wide pass, or wouldn’t release early enough to take advantage of having numbers up high. Often she looked to her centerbacks so they could recycle the ball to Horan and have her start the team out from deep. Out wide, Kelley O’Hara and Crystal Dunn had some limited flank play action. They both had good picks on Mexico’s wide attackers as they stepped up to keep pressure in Mexico’s end, but were subdued in pushing deeper. O’Hara had more chances on her side, sometimes trying to overlap with Heath and stretch out Mexico’s back line, but Mexico really worked hard and stayed mostly disciplined to cut off any exploits from the right side. Sure they gave up a lot of corner kicks, but they gritted it out on the set pieces too. The one time Lavelle’s corner found Horan rising, the header looked mistimed and Horan flicked the ball well wide of the post. It was that determination and relentless work rate from Mexico that kept the scoreline at 1-0 throughout the half, despite the clear hunger from Rapinoe, Lavelle, Heath, Morgan, and Horan to get the ball on frame. Lavelle managed to dink the ball off the post in the 26’ and Rapinoe had a shot saved in the 37’ with a critical deflection from Mexico’s GK, Bianca Henninger. Lavelle was also doing her best to pry the back line open, sending some nice sharp passes through for Morgan that opened up gaps here and there. But Mexico recovered each time, and the half ended at 1-0. The second half started off almost the same as the first, with an early goal, this time from Julie Ertz. Ertz was in position to clean up a loose ball in the box and she made it 2-0 in the 46’. But if anyone watching thought things might repeat themselves with an early goal followed by a tense half of blocked shots, the United States blew that thought right out of the water. Alex Morgan got the rout truly started in the 57’ with a header off a Rapinoe corner kick. She made the run, left her defender flapping in the wind, and put the ball into a fairly open net to make it 3-0. Then Rapinoe set up Dunn for the overlapping run with a backheel in the 61’; Dunn took off to the deep left flank, put in the cross, and found Heath for a bullet header to make it 4-0. Then came the first sub of the night in the 66’, with Carli Lloyd coming on for Rose Lavelle. Ostensibly it was like for like, but Lloyd pushed higher into the front line with Alex Morgan to twin her presence in the box and add another big target, as if a rapidly tiring Mexico didn’t already have enough to deal with. Emily Sonett also came in for Kelley O’Hara, allowing O’Hara a rest as she returns from a long rehab after a series of injuries. O’Hara had said to press before the game that she was fully fit, but it seems wise to not push her to 90 minutes if you don’t have to, and Ellis definitely didn’t have to. The middle of the field lost a little bit of texture with Lloyd on, but Horan stayed deeper and looked to bypass Mexico with direct balls to Lloyd and Morgan to compensate. Mexico also couldn’t handle Lloyd’s fresh legs any time she picked up the ball in space and made a dash for the box, and she nearly managed to slip through off a give-and-go with Rapinoe. Rapinoe got her brace in the 70’, taking advantage of a ball popping loose from Lloyd’s challenge on Henninger as Mexico failed to clear a corner kick, and the scoreline was 5-0. Just taaaap it in. Just taaaap it in. @mPinoe bags her brace. pic.twitter.com/iamE5ewYnd — U.S. Soccer WNT (@ussoccer_wnt) October 5, 2018 The final US sub came on in the 77’ with Mal Pugh on for Heath. Heath had a scrappy night, battling up and down the right side with two and sometimes three players always trying to body her off the ball or try to take a bite out of her legs. Pugh had a couple of threatening moments late, looking to Horan to spring her runs into the box. The last goal was in the 80’ as Morgan got a brace of her own, this time when Becky Sauerbrunn got to take a holiday from center backing and make a deep flank run up the left into the space left behind by Mexico’s exhausted defense. She picked up the ball as it was tackled away from Morgan and gave it right back to her for the one-time finish, making it 6-0. The best part of the goal was Alex Morgan grinning in confused exhilaration at Sauerbrunn after she scores, asking “Where’d you come from? !” Then it was just a matter of shutting down the rest of the game. Dunn pressed higher into midfield, Pugh had a nice shot deflected away, and the final whistle blew. It was a fine, confident statement from the United States, who played a creative, free-flowing game for much of the night. The midfield stuttered here and there, mainly around Ertz, and it’s hard to say how the back line did without any real tests, but at the same time when it’s a World Cup qualifier, it’s probably best not to look a gift horse in the mouth. This was supposed to be the hardest game of the group and there were some general pre-game ideas that Mexico would create more chances than they did. But the US pretty much ran circles around their midfield, and so they now look to face Panama on Sunday riding high on a definitive win.<doc-sep>The U.S. women's national soccer team beat Mexico 6-0 in their first game of the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship at Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina Thursday. Watch highlights and see a recap of live updates from the game below. The 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship will serve as the CONCACAF qualifying tournament for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. Here is a look at the key moments from the game: Final: USA 6, Mexico 0. 80th minute. Alex Morgan scores her second goal of the game off a pass from Becky Sauerbrunn. USA 6, Mexico 0. 70th minute. Goal. USA. Megan Rapinoe scores on a rebound after a shot from Lindsey Horan. USA 5, Mexico 0. 61st minute. Goal. USA. Tobin Heath heads in goal number four for the USA. USA 4, Mexico 0. 57th minute. Goal. USA. Alex Morgan scores off a corner kick. USA 3, Mexico 0. 47th minute. Goal. USA. Julie Ertz scores on a rebound after a U.S. free kick to give the USA a two-goal lead. USA 2, Mexico 0. Halftime: USA 1, Mexico 0. 3rd minute: Goal. USA. Megan Rapinoe scores off a pass from Lindsey Horan to give the USA an early lead. USA 1, Mexico 0. Pregame information: The USA is in Group A alongside Mexico, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago. If the USA finishes first or second in its group, it will advance to the knockout stage of the tournament. The top three teams in the tournament will qualify for the World Cup, while the fourth-place team will advance to a playoff. The USA is the favorite to win the tournament. Portland Thorns players Tobin Heath, Emily Sonnett and Lindsey Horan are all with the U.S. team and could feature in the game. Thorns captain Christine Sinclair is representing Canada in Group B in the tournament. If you are looking to watch the USA play Mexico, here's what you need to know: What: The U.S. women's national soccer team will take on Mexico in the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship. When: Thursday, October 4 at 4:30 p.m. PST. Where: Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. TV Channel: Watch live on Fox Sports 2; In Spanish on Univision Deportes (In Portland: Comcast 615/660). Online: Stream live on Fox Sports Go. Live updates: -- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com 503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg<doc-sep>

Watch the highlights of goals and key plays as the U.S. women face Mexico in their first 2019 World Cup qualifier. The sprint to France began Thursday night, and the U.S. women's national team wasted little time in jumping out to a blistering pace as it tries to return to the World Cup stage. Megan Rapinoe scored in the third minute, and the U.S. broke things open with a five-goal second half, beating Mexico to start 2019 World Cup qualifying with a 6-0 win in Cary, N.C. Rapinoe scored twice, as did Alex Morgan, and Julie Ertz and Tobin Heath added goals as well, with the U.S. topping Concacaf's Group A after one match. The 2015 Women's World Cup champions returned to competitive action for the first time since being bounced in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Olympics by Sweden, and they proved a point in a region they've long dominated. The U.S. is now riding a 22-match unbeaten streak and has the look of a side that shouldn't be troubled too much in booking a ticket to France next summer. The U.S. looked to click early through its front line, pressuring in Mexico's final third in the opening couple of minutes. Rose Lavelle, Morgan and Heath combined on one foray forward, but Mexico held firm and didn't concede a chance on frame. That resistance didn't last long. After a failed clearance, Rapione touched home a cross from Lindsey Horan into an empty net from close range, giving the U.S. a dream start in the third minute before Mexico even had a meaningful piece of possession. Lavelle nearly made it 2-0 in the 11th minute after more strong work by Rapinoe, who sliced through the Mexico defense. The loose ball fell for Lavelle, who tried to curl a left-footed blast inside the far post and missed inches wide of the mark. The U.S. continued to dominate possession, marked by quick ball movement that kept Mexico on its toes. It struggled to create clear-cut chances, though, with the closes in the following 15 minutes a deflected through ball that nearly put Morgan in clear on goal but trickled out of play. Another poor Mexico clearance attempt in the 26th minute gifted Lavelle another good look at goal, with her rip from 16 years ricocheting off the left post. The U.S. kept up with its combination play, working largely down the right side through Lavelle and Heath, who created a pair of chances for Horan just after the half-hour mark, only for both of the shots from the edge of the box to be blocked before they could reach their intended target. Rapinoe missed a chance at her second in the 37th minute after Morgan's deft touch played her in on goal. Bianca Henninger made a fantastic, reflexive kick save to redirect the shot just enough by the far post, keeping the score at 1-0. The U.S. doubled its lead early in the second half off a set piece. After a free kick resulted in a looping header that hit off the crossbar, the U.S. was first to the loose ball in the box. It eventually fell for Ertz, who fired home from point-blank range to make it 2-0 in the 47th minute. Ertz was involved in a head-to-head collision five minutes later but was able to stay in the match and continue. Moments after Ertz's return, Mexico nearly gifted Heath the USA's third, with a wayward cross in its own half giving the American star a free look at goal from 20 yards. She lofted her shot over the bar, letting Mexico off easy. It became 3-0 soon after, though. Morgan was left wide open for a header at the goalmouth on Rapinoe's corner kick, and she redirected a clinical finish to pad the advantage. On the hour mark, the USA made it 4-0. Crystal Dunn weaved her way down the left flank before curling in a pinpoint cross for Heath in the center of the box. Her measured header beat Henninger to keep the floodgates open. It turned 5-0 in the 70th minute off a series of fortunate events for the U.S. Off another corner, a deflected header looped toward Henninger, but she couldn't get to it first under pressure from substitute Carli Lloyd. The ball hit off the goalkeeper's back and fell to an unmarked Rapinoe, who touched home a simple finish for her second goal of the night. The U.S. didn't relent.

Stateside's conversation with Douglas George, Consul General of Canada in Detroit Things got worse for trade between the U.S. and Canada as our neighbors to the north announced retaliatory tariffs in response to the Trump administration's tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada and other U.S. allies. President Trump is taking it personally, expressing his outrage and insulting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Twitter. PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, “US Tariffs were kind of insulting” and he “will not be pushed around.” Very dishonest & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2018 Over the weekend, Trump aides on Sunday morning news shows called Trudeau a backstabber who deserved a "special place in hell." Douglas George, the Consul General of Canada in Detroit, joined Stateside to tell us more about what this might mean for trade between Michigan and Canada. Listen above to hear what kind of impact these retaliatory tariffs might have on the U.S., why George says the tariffs will "hurt both sides," and how the international bridge between Michigan and Canada fits into the countries' trad relationship. (Subscribe to the Stateside podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or with this RSS link)<doc-sep>The major exception is Michigan, which runs a large trade deficit in goods with Canada and voted for Trump by a slim margin in 2017. Trump's trade complaints also include a fundamental misreading of the overall U.S. trade position with Canada. Trump insists that trade relations are unfair because of a large U.S. trade deficit in goods with Canadian producers, suggesting that Canada is "winning" on trade. That claim ignores a full accounting of the exchange of U.S. goods and services with Canada. Last year, goods exports totaled $282.5 billion; goods imports totaled $300.0 billion, for a trade deficit in goods of $17.5 billion, according to White House data. But the U.S. economy, and the bulk of jobs it produces, is much more heavily weighted toward the delivery of services, from the production of television and movies to the delivery of a college education. Those services also represent a major U.S. export. When a family from Montreal visits Disney World in Florida or a student from Toronto pays tuition to a university in Kansas, that exchange represents an export of U.S. services. As it does with most of the rest of the world, the United States runs a trade surplus in services with Canada. Last year, services exports were $58.7 billion; services imports were $32.8 billion, for a services trade surplus of $25.9 billion. That services surplus more than offset the deficit in goods, giving the U.S. an overall trade surplus with Canada of $8.4 billion. — Reuters contributed to this report.<doc-sep>LEFT: GettyImages-956884566 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to AFP journalists in Ottawa, Ontario, on May 9, 2018. (Photo by Lars Hagberg / AFP) (Photo credit should read LARS HAGBERG/AFP/Getty Images) CENTER: GettyImages-969072890 French President Emmanuel Macron holds a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Parliament on June 7, 2018 in Ottawa. - French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed support for "strong multilateralism" in Ottawa on June 7, 2018 before the G7 summit, where US President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies are sure to raise hackles. (Photo by ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo credit should read LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP/Getty Images) RIGHT: GettyImages-969250878 WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 07: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the Rose Garden at the White House on June 7, 2018 in Washington, DC. The two leaders met to discuss next week's summit with North Korea. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Trump: Having Russia in G7 would be an asset G7/Trump/Quebec/Canada/Pool Path 2 HOST TV has agreed to continue sending us their signal from the G7 despite Trump's early departure. We will monitor for editorial in case any of the other G7 leaders react to Trump's remarks regarding Russia rejoining the G7/8, using national security as a justification for tariffs, and the level of relationship between the president and our allies. • 4pm: The Chair's (Canada/Trudeau) Press Conference • 4:30pm: Italy Press Conference • 5pm: United Kingdom Press Conference • 5:30pm: France Press Conference Rx 762 Source HOST TV (treat as POOL, no need to font) QUEBEC CITY, QC - JUNE 09: US President Donald Trump speaks to the media after holding a press conference ahead of his early departure from the G7 Summit on June 9, 2018 in Quebec City, Canada. Canada are hosting the leaders of the UK, Italy, the US, France, Germany and Japan for the two day summit, in the town of La Malbaie. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) White House economic adviser Peter Navarro (C) walks through a hotel lobby as he heads to the Diaoyutai State Guest House to meet Chinese officials for ongoing trade talks in Beijing on May 4, 2018. - Top US and Chinese officials kicked off crucial trade talks on May 3 in Beijing but both sides sought to dampen expectations for a quick resolution to a heated dispute between the world's two largest economies. (Photo credit should read NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images) G7/Trump/Quebec/Canada/Pool Path 2 HOST TV has agreed to continue sending us their signal from the G7 despite Trump's early departure. We will monitor for editorial in case any of the other G7 leaders react to Trump's remarks regarding Russia rejoining the G7/8, using national security as a justification for tariffs, and the level of relationship between the president and our allies. • 4pm: The Chair's (Canada/Trudeau) Press Conference • 4:30pm: Italy Press Conference • 5pm: United Kingdom Press Conference • 5:30pm: France Press Conference Rx 762 Source HOST TV (treat as POOL, no need to font) QUEBEC CITY, QC - JUNE 08: Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau (R) speaks with U.S. President Donald Trump during the G7 official welcome at Le Manoir Richelieu on day one of the G7 meeting on June 8, 2018 in Quebec City, Canada. Canada will host the leaders of the UK, Italy, the US, France, Germany and Japan for the two day summit, in the town of La Malbaie. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) (CNN) — President Donald Trump on Saturday said he wanted to see the elimination of trade barriers between the United States and its closest allies amid tensions over the Trump administration’s move to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the EU, Canada and Mexico. Speaking during an impromptu news conference at the G7 summit in Canada on Saturday, Trump said his ultimate goal was the elimination of all trade duties. “Ultimately that’s what you want,” he said. “You want a tariff free. You want no barriers. And you want no subsidies. Because you have some cases where countries are subsidizing industries and that’s not fair.” Later Saturday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would with “absolute certainty” impose retaliatory measures on July 1 to answer Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum. He said the argument that Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum are a matter of national security are “kind of insulting.” Trudeau said Canadians are nice but added, “We will not be pushed around.” “I will always protect Canadian workers and Canadian interests,” Trudeau said. The remarks prompted Trump to accuse Trudeau of making “false statements” and to say the United States would not endorse the G7 communique. “Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our U.S. farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our U.S. Reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. Market!,” the President tweeted on Saturday. In a second tweet, Trump wrote, “PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, ‘US Tariffs were kind of insulting’ and he ‘will not be pushed around.’ Very dishonest & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!” Trump had warned hours earlier that the United States would not allow the continued imposition of trade barriers by other nations. “Great meetings and relationships with the six Country Leaders especially since they know I cannot allow them to apply large Tariffs and strong barriers to … U.S.A. Trade,” Trump wrote in a pair of tweets. “They fully understand where I am coming from. After many decades, fair and reciprocal Trade will happen!” “The United States will not allow other countries to impose massive Tariffs and Trade Barriers on its farmers, workers and companies,” Trump continued. “While sending their product into our country tax free. We have put up with Trade Abuse for many decades — and that is long enough.” Allied responses<doc-sep>In the midst of what appears to be a full-blown trade war between Canada and the US over steel and aluminum, and with Donald Trump taking his first steps on Canadian soil for the G7 summit, a familiar bugbear reappeared to haunt the negotiations. Canada charges the U.S. a 270% tariff on Dairy Products! They didn’t tell you that, did they? Not fair to our farmers! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2018 Whatever understanding Canada and the US may (or may not) have come to on their high-value trade in lumber or auto parts, they remain implacably opposed on the comparatively minor matter of milk. 01:12 Justin Trudeau's G7 comments that angered Donald Trump – video Trump has attacked Canada’s protected dairy industry before, calling it a “disgrace” and blaming it for widespread hardship among US farmers. Although the entire trade in dairy products between the two countries is worth less than US$600m, ideological division has sharpened the ongoing dispute. His negotiators have demanded the dismantlement of Canada’s openly dirigiste system of supply management in agriculture – a complicated nexus of production quotas and import tariffs designed to ensure Canadian dairy, egg and poultry farmers receive fair prices for their products. In what free-trading Americans like to call Soviet Canuckistan, the dairy industry is thriving like never before But the Canadians are no less determined to retain one of the last vestiges of their otherwise-abandoned collectivist traditions. Canadian cows are sacred, and the farmers who care for them enjoy outsized influence in national politics. Expert observers have said that Justin Trudeau’s government would abandon the treaty altogether before sacrificing supply management. “It’s just too sensitive for the Canadians,” Kevin Carmichael, a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, recently told CNBC news. Even so, the Trudeau government recently alarmed Canadian farmers by signalling a willingness to give on the issue in the face of insistent US demands. The dispute has acquired new urgency as the US dairy industry continues to suffer from a deep crisis of persistent overproduction, with farmers sinking into insolvency as farm-gate milk prices stick stubbornly below the cost of production. Last year, US farmers dumped almost 100m gallons of surplus milk. Recently, a surge in dairy-farmer suicides has caused national alarm, drawing attention to what the New York Times called “the widespread hopelessness afflicting the industry”. Representing a state suffering especially hard from farm failures and suicides, the US Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, recently echoed his Republican president in blaming Canada for the debacle. “Canada, when it comes to dairy, acts like China when it comes to trade,” Schumer told hard-pressed farmers in upstate New York. “They’re unfair. They put up barriers. They treat us bad.” Meanwhile, just across the St Lawrence river in what free-trading Americans like to call Soviet Canuckistan, the dairy industry is thriving like never before – and like none other in the developed world. Family farms milking an average of 80 cows each have prospered under a heavily regulated system that supports prices at sustainable levels by restricting domestic overproduction and keeping imports at bay. In 2016, Canadian farmers received an average price of C$0.79 a litre for milk, compared with C$0.49 on average for US farmers. The result is that dairying remains a key economic support of traditional rural life throughout central Canada. As critics of the system like to point out, hoping to inspire resentment among consumers annoyed by the price of milk, Canadian dairy farmers enjoy incomes 60% above average in the country. But to supporters, the uniquely prosperous, protected Canadian dairy industry stands as a model alternative to the increasingly disruptive and unpopular dynamic of unrestricted free trade in all things. Supply management enjoys strong government support in no small part because the policy obviates the need to subsidize farmers directly in the manner of the US and the EU – the two greatest culprits behind the current world dairy glut. “The system works so incredibly well,” said Bruce Muirhead, associate vice-president and professor of history at the University of Waterloo. “And the big thing about supply management is that it doesn’t cost the government a cent. Consumers pay the full cost of production.” Domestic critics have called supply management a grotesque distortion of free-market principles, complaining that the comparatively high price of Canadian milk sacrifices the interests of consumers in favour of producers and victimizes the poor. But no consumer or social policy group has taken up the cause, and all six parties currently represented in the House of Commons unanimously support supply management. As do Canadian consumers: an Ipsos poll this year by the Dairy Farmers of Canada reported that 75% of Canadians support even greater government efforts to defend the industry in the face of current US demands. As the trade minister, Chrystia Freeland, has pointed out, trade data flatly contradicts the claim that Canadian supply management is ravaging US dairyland – either because it unfairly restricts imports or because it dumps a subsidized surplus in US markets. In 2016, Canada imported dairy products from the US worth five times more than the small amount it exported there. “I would call that a pretty good deal,” she told the House of Commons. Canadian farmers point out that despite the tariffs that protect them, imports make up 10% of the country’s dairy consumption. By contrast, the US restricts dairy imports to 3% of domestic consumption. “That just screams hypocrisy to me,” Muirhead said. “I don’t understand how they can get away with these positions.” As a recent visitor to Wisconsin, “America’s Dairyland”, where low prices are forcing the closure of hundreds of dairy farms a year, Muirhead said he encountered no resentment against Canada among local farmers. “The president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union told me that what they really wanted was a supply-managed system like ours,” he said. Dairy deregulation has spread hardship wherever it has been implemented, Muirhead added. “Every single objective indicator says that in the case of dairy you cannot have a system that operates without production controls,” he said.<doc-sep>

“It’s not about Trump and Trudeau,” Stephen Kelly, who served as the U.S. consul general in Quebec City and the deputy chief of mission in Ottawa, told me. “This has been an irritant for many years.” Decades, in fact—and not just for the United States, whose dairy farmers would like access to the Canadian market, but also their counterparts in New Zealand and elsewhere. New Zealand had opposed Canada’s entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership over the supply-management system, but Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister at the time, agreed to dismantle the system in exchange for TPP membership. When the U.S. withdrew from the TPP, one of Trump’s first decisions as president, Canada withdrew that concession—other countries withdrew their concessions, as well—in the hopes that it could be put back on the table in the future if the U.S. rejoins the pact and demands compromises from the others. The Canadians aren’t entirely opposed to negotiating on the dairy industry if they are getting something in return: In its Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union, Canada agreed to import European cheese without tariffs. From Canada’s point of view, it is worth it for nearly tariff-free access to the 28-member bloc that is the world’s largest economy. “In a multilateral context, there was more to trade off. Now the problem is that Trump is dealing with this in a bilateral context where trade barriers are generally very low,” Christopher Sands, the director of the Center for Canadian Studies at Johns Hopkins University’s School for Advanced International Studies, told me. “Most tariffs are down to zero anyway. So, there’s not much for the U.S. to give in return for the change.” It doesn’t help that the U.S. subsidizes its own dairy industry heavily—up to $22 billion in 2015, according to one study. “The Canadians say, ‘Hey, wait a minute. You subsidize milk, too,’” Kelly, who is now a research scholar at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, said. “You’ve got all sorts of support programs for milk.” In other words, Canada props up its dairy industry through quotas that cap the amount produced, and imposes heavy tariffs on imports. The U.S. subsidizes its dairy industry, resulting in lower costs for U.S. consumers, but a supply glut. “From a geopolitical point of view, the trouble with supply management is it's kind of in your face: ‘You cannot enter our market. You foreigners cannot enter our markets unless you pay tariffs of like 200 percent,’” Kelly said. “Whereas subsidies are more insidious. They … probably are anti-trade in some sense, but they’re not as glaring. … We do it more subtly.” Those subsidies exist in the U.S. for the same reason Canada has a supply-management system: domestic politics. Harper’s conservative government could make a concession on the TPP because, Sands said, his party had almost no parliamentary seats in Quebec, the province with the greatest concentration of dairy farmers; he was dealing with a budget surplus with which he could simply provide the farmers with cash payments; and, in return, he could offer Canadian dairy farmers access to foreign markets. Trudeau, on the other hand, doesn’t have these advantages: Quebec provides Trudeau his second-biggest bloc of seats, including his own, making him politically vulnerable if he infuriates dairy farmers. He has no obvious olive branch to offer the dairy industry. Perhaps most importantly, he's in a budget deficit.

Once the bus stopped, the driver jumped off and set it alight, having already doused it in petrol. Police were able to smash the rear windows and get passengers off before the vehicle was engulfed in flames.<doc-sep>A crazed school bus driver with a criminal record hijacked a school bus full of children in Italy, threatened to kill them and set the vehicle on fire – all in a twisted effort to protest the drownings of migrants at sea, according to reports. Ousseynou Sy, 47, who is originally from Senegal but has been an Italian citizen since 2004, hijacked the bus with 52 middle schoolers aboard in the northern province of Cremona outside Milan, according to the Italian news agency ANSA. He has a rap sheet for drunken driving and sexual assault of a minor, The Local reported. Sy ordered a teacher to clamp the kids’ hands with plastic ties and subjected his passengers to about 40 minutes of terror as he railed at the government’s migrant policy and confiscated their cell phones. The unhinged driver said he wanted to kill himself and “stop the deaths in the Mediterranean,” sources told the news outlet. “No one will survive!” Sy said after hijacking the bus outside San Donato near Milan, according to Luca De Marchis, a commander with the paramilitary Carabinieri police force. The teacher at the Vailati di Crema school whom he ordered to tie up the children only attached the ties to four of five of them – and did so loosely so they could easily slip them off later. A 12-year-old boy who managed to break free called police on his phone, which he managed to keep during the ordeal, The Local reported. Sy poured gas in the bus and set it on fire after trying to ram a police roadblock, but police managed to stop the vehicle and free the children by breaking the back window, sources told ANSA. Twelve children and two adults were hospitalized with smoke inhalation, as was Sy, the sources said. A girl said Sy “handcuffed us and threatened us. He said that if we moved he would pour the gas and light the fire. He kept saying that people in Africa are dying and the fault is Di Maio and Salvini.” Luigi Di Maio, head of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement l, and Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-migrant Euroskeptic League, are the two partners in the populist government, which has closed ports to migrant rescue ships. Another girl said “he took our phones but one schoolmate managed to keep his. We were cuffed with electrician’s ties. He told us nothing would happen but threatened to pour the gas.” A teacher said that it was not the first time Sy drove a bus with students on board. “We knew him” the teacher said. “He wanted to get to the runway at (Milan’s) Linate (airport).” Sy faces possible charges of kidnapping, attempted mass murder, causing a fire and resisting arrest, judicial sources said. “It was a miracle they survived and we have to thank the Carabinieri for that,” Milan prosecutor Francesco Greco said, adding that prosecutors also were weighing terrorism charges. Sy has worked for the Autoguidovie bus company since 2004, according to a statement the company printed in La Repubblica. “Over the years he has never shown any imbalance, nor have we ever received complaints about his conduct as driver […] we were not aware of his criminal record,” the statement said.<doc-sep>The children said the driver had threatened to pour petrol on them. A bus full of schoolchildren was hijacked and set on fire by its own driver on Wednesday in an apparent protest against migrant drownings in the Mediterranean, Italian authorities said. All 51 children managed to escape unhurt before the bus was engulfed in flames on the outskirts of Milan, Italy's business capital. Police named the driver as Ousseynou Sy, a 47-year-old Italian citizen of Senegalese origin. "He shouted, 'Stop the deaths at sea, I'll carry out a massacre'," police spokesman Marco Palmieri quoted Sy as telling police after his arrest. A video posted on Italian news sites showed the driver ramming the bus into cars on a provincial highway before the fire took hold. Children can be seen running away from the vehicle screaming and shouting "escape". One of the children told reporters that the driver had threatened to pour petrol over them and set them alight. One of group managed to call the police, who rushed to the scene and broke the bus windows to get everyone to safety. Palmieri said some children were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure because they had bruises or were in a state of shock, but none suffered serious injuries. A teacher who was with the middle school children was quoted by Ansa news agency as saying that the driver had said he wanted to get to the runway at Milan's Linate airport. An unnamed girl was also quoted as saying that Sy blamed deputy prime ministers Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio for the deaths of African migrants at sea. The United Nations estimates that some 2,297 migrants drowned or went missing in the Mediterranean in 2018 as they tried to reach Europe. A Libyan security official said on Tuesday that at least 10 migrants died when their boat sank off the Libyan coast near the western town of Sabratha. The Italian government has closed its ports to charity rescue ships that pick up migrants off the Libyan coast. Salvini says this has helped reduce deaths because far fewer people are now putting to sea. Human rights groups say deaths might have increased with hardly any boats now searching for the would-be refugees.<doc-sep>A bus driver in northern Italy abducted 51 children and their chaperones Wednesday, threatening them over a 40-minute ordeal before setting the vehicle on fire when he was stopped by a police blockade, authorities said. Officers broke windows in the back of the bus and got all the passengers to safety without serious injury before the flames destroyed the vehicle, authorities said. As he was apprehended, the driver said he was protesting migrant deaths in the Mediterranean, Cmdr. Luca De Marchis told Sky TG24. De Marchis told Sky TG24 that the driver, an Italian citizen of Senegalese origin in his 40s, threatened the passengers, telling them that “no one would survive today” as he commandeered the bus carrying two middle school classes to a nearby gym in Cremona province, about 25 miles from Milan. Advertisement ANSA quoted one of the students as saying the driver took all their phones and ordered the chaperones to bind the students’ hands with cable ties, threatening to spill gas and set the bus ablaze. ANSA said the chaperones only loosely bound several students’ hands, not everyone’s. One of the students described his terror in an interview with La Repubblica TV, his face obscured due to his age. His name was not given. “We were all very afraid because the driver had emptied the gas canister onto the floor [of the bus]. He tied us up and took all the telephones so we could not call the police,” the student said. “One of the telephones, belonging to a classmate, fell to the ground, so I pulled off the handcuffs, hurting myself a bit, and went and picked it up. We called the carabinieri and the police.” Authorities said that an adult called an emergency operator, while one of the students called a parent, and they alerted authorities, who set up roadblocks. The bus was intercepted on the outskirts of Milan by three carabinieri vehicles, which were able to force it into the guardrail, De Marchis said. “While two officers kept the driver busy — he took a lighter and threatened to set fire to the vehicle with a gasoline canister on board — the others forced open the back door, breaking two windows,” De Marchis said. While the evacuation was still underway, the driver started the blaze. De Marchis credited the officers’ “swiftness and courage,” for getting all the children and their teachers out “with no tragic consequences.” Some of the passengers were treated at a hospital, mostly for cuts and scratches related to the evacuation, he said. Advertisement The driver was apprehended and was being treated for burns. ANSA identified him as Ousseynou Sy, and said he was being investigated on suspicion of kidnapping, intention to commit a massacre, arson and resisting law enforcement. The prosecutor’s office later said terrorism would be added as an aggravating circumstance, since the event caused panic. De Marchis said Sy had previous convictions, but did not specify their nature. ANSA reported that Sy, who became an Italian citizen in 2004, had been convicted in 2007 and 2011 of drunken driving and sexual molestation of a minor. Sky TG24 said he had worked for the bus company for 15 years without any employment-related issues. “Investigators must clarify how the transport company permitted such a delinquent ... to drive a bus, especially one carrying children,” said Riccardo De Corato, a Milan provincial security official. Advertisement Video showed firefighters dousing the bus that had been completely gutted by flames, leaving only the charred metal frame.<doc-sep>

A Senegalese native angry about Italy's migrant policy hijacked a bus with 51 children and their chaperones aboard Wednesday and took them on an hour-long drive before setting the vehicle ablaze, officials said. The driver, who is a citizen of Italy, allegedly said he wanted to kill himself and “stop the deaths in the Mediterranean,” ANSA reported. "He wanted to get to the runway at [Milan's airport],” a girl told ANSA. "He handcuffed us and threatened us. He said that if we moved he would pour out the petrol and light the fire.” “[The driver] kept saying that people in Africa are dying and the fault is [deputy prime ministers Luigi] Di Maio and [Matteo] Salvini,” she added. FRANCE TO DEPLOY TROOPS TO MAINTAIN SECURITY DURING PROTESTS The man, reportedly in his 40s, took the bus carrying two middle-school classes in Cremona province, about 25 miles from Milan, and drove for an hour before authorities intercepted the vehicle using three Carabinieri vehicles. Authorities were able to set up a roadblock based on information from an adult and a student who called a parent. "While two officers kept the driver busy — he took a lighter and threatened to set fire to the vehicle with a gasoline canister on board — the others forced open the back door," Commander Luca De Marchis told Sky24TV. The driver started the blaze as officers broke the glass in the back door of the bus, allowing the passengers to escape before flames engulfed the entire vehicle. Video of the incident’s aftermath showed a charred metal frame. INDIAN DIAMOND TYCOON ARRESTED IN LONDON OVER ALLEGED ROLE IN $2 BILLION BANKING SCANDAL Some passengers were taken to the hospital for cuts and scratches. The driver, who lived in Cremona and is married with two children, was being treated for burns. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The driver had worked for the bus company for 15 years without any employment-related issues, Sky TV24 reported. De Marchis said he had previous convictions, but he did not specify their nature other than to say they were not serious crimes. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kieron Pollard started his IPL season with scores of 21, 5, 7 and 17* in his first four games. Coming off the back of a poor season in 2018 where he averaged just 19.0 in 9 matches, the West Indian appeared dispensable considering the kind of resources Mumbai Indians had in their wings. Pollard, though, has changed his season around and how! In the last two matches, we have seen Pollard at his very best. From a game-changing 46* against Sunrisers Hyderabad to help win a low-scoring game to an outrageous 83 on Wednesday night against Kings XI Punjab, Pollard has established his place in the Mumbai Indians middle-order. Asked to lead the side in Rohit Sharma's absence, Pollard chose to step up and lead from the front to seal the run-chase himself. He came in at No. 4 with the Mumbai innings ambling along at leisurely pace. At 56/2 in almost 8 overs, Mumbai needed to get going and soon and Pollard made it happen with some sensational hitting. Knowing that the asking rate was creeping up, Pollard wasted little time to go on the attack. He hit Ashwin down the ground for a six and soon launched into Sam Curran whom he hit for two towering sixes and a four in the 12th over. Even as wickets kept tumbling at the other end, Pollard reached his half-century off 22 balls with his seventh six in the innings. As many as 42 of his 55 runs had come in sixes and the West Indian appeared determined to take Mumbai across the line. In the penultimate over, he went after Curran yet again and hit him for two more sixes and a four in a 17-run over. Though he was dismissed in the final over for 83 in 31 balls, he had done his bit to bring the equation down to a run-a-ball. A six and a four off the first two balls of the final over nearly took Mumbai home and Alzarri Joseph finished it for them. Pollard's 83 included 10 sixes and three fours with 72 of his 83 runs coming in boundaries. This is the second maximum number of runs in boundaries in this season after Johnny Bairstow slammed 90 of his 114 runs in boundaries against RCB. Pollard's strike rate of 267.74 is the fourth best strike rate in an innings in the season (minimum 40 runs). His overall strike rate in the season has gone up to 194.56 which is the second best for any batsman this year in the IPL after his countryman, Andre Russell, who has 212.39. Pollard has hit 17 sixes this season which is the third best after Russell and Chris Gayle who have 25 and 18 apiece. On his IPL captaincy debut for Mumbai Indians, Pollard put on a terrific batting display to take his side home in an incredible run-chase. He donned responsibility by walking in at No. 4 and ensured he had done the bulk of the work before walking back.<doc-sep>Kieron Pollard, standing in for Rohit Sharma, who missed out on the game due to leg spasm injury, promoted himself in the order. Kieron Pollard, standing in for Rohit Sharma, who missed out on the game due to leg spasm injury, promoted himself in the order. Kieron Pollard’s match-winning 83-run propelled Mumbai Indians to a three-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab on Wednesday. KL Rahul (100 of 64) and Chris Gayle Rahul who struck a 36-ball 63 powered Punjab to 197/4. But it was Pollard’s solo effort that brought his side back in the game. Pollard was dismissed in the last over but fellow West Indian Alzarri Joseph completed the job on the last ball of the match. Here are the best reactions- Pollard pollard pollard !!’! Boht hard boht hard boht hard !!!!!! @KieronPollard55 👊🏽👍🤙🏻 — yuvraj singh (@YUVSTRONG12) 10 April 2019 What a thriller this game was. I don’t know if I can handle last ball finishes anymore 🙈 Well played Mumbai 👍 Chin up @lionsdenkxip & congrats for the 💯 @klrahul11 #Saddapunjab #MIvsKXIP #VivoIPL — Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) 10 April 2019 Kieron Pollard is back. Back at his best. Sensational batting. Great finish…. — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) 10 April 2019 Witnessed one of d best Victory while chasing in d @IPL 👍 Clean hitting at its best by @KieronPollard55 Congratulations @klrahul11 on ur brilliant hundred. Great 2 see d way @MdShami11 bowled tonight. Exceptional talent he is.He looks in great shape @StarSportsIndia GudNight😴 — MANOJ TIWARY (@tiwarymanoj) 10 April 2019 Woah ! What a game. Pollard playing an innings to remember for a long long time on his captaincy debut #MIvKXIP — Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) 10 April 2019 Kieron Pollard was awarded the man of the match for his terrific innings. Speaking at the post-match presentation, he said, “I would like to thank God. Need to thank him for giving strength to me for doing the things that I do. Also love to thank my wife, it’s her birthday today and I want to dedicate this to her.” “We finished on the right end of the result and thanks to God for that too. Obviously, Rohit is the captain of the team and it was only a precautionary measure for the team. He should be back in the next game. I would gladly give it back to him and field at the boundary, while also thinking of what to contribute to the team,” he concluded.<doc-sep>Mumbai Indians got its wobbling Indian Premier League campaign back on track, defeating a star-studded Chennai Super Kings by 37 runs at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. After Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard’s quick-fire play at the fag-end propelled Mumbai Indians to 170-5, it restricted the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team to 133-8, bagging its second victory of the season. As it happened| All-round MI beats CSK by 37 runs The two teams came into the contest with contrasting results — Chennai Super Kings had won all of its last three games, while Mumbai managed a solitary win in between two defeats. But in front of a boisterous Mumbai crowd, the host side put up a spirited performance. More from the IPL Chasing 171, Chennai got off to the worst possible start, losing openers Ambati Rayudu and Shane Watson for just six runs. Though Suresh Raina tried to steady the ship, hitting a couple of boundaries and a six, his very nearly run-a-ball 16 was cut short, courtesy a stunning catch by Kieron Pollard off Jason Behrendorff. READ| Dhoni second CSK batsman to reach 4,000 IPL runs But with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and Kedar Jadhav (who played a knock of 58), stitching a partnership of 54 runs for the fourth wicket, Super Kings slowly crawled its way back into the contest. However, the Mumbai pace trio of Lasith Malinga (3-34), Behrendorff (2-22) and Hardik (2-9) tightened the noose with some tight bowling that choked an usually aggressive CSK middle-order. Dhoni's dismissal for a modest 12 off 21 balls piled further misery on the visiting side, with the required run rate going over 13 at one stage. Jadhav's 54-ball 58 gave Chennai hope but to no avail. His caught behind dismissal off Malinga nipped the chase in the bud. READ| At Wankhede, law of averages catches up with Dhoni Put in to bat, Mumbai got off to a slow start, and till the 18th over, the Chennai bowlers kept the lid on the scoring. But the script changed completely when in the last over, Pollard — unbeaten on 17 off 7 — and Hardik — 25 off 8 — collected 29 off CSK’s seasoned campaigner, Dwayne Bravo. Having lost openers Rohit Sharma and de Kock for less than 50 runs on the board, Mumbai recovered well through Suryakumar Yadav's 43-ball 59. Yadav added 62 runs for the fourth wicket with Krunal (42 off 32) before the two fell to Bravo and Mohit Sharma respectively but Pollard and Hardik's blitz eventually paved way for its victory.<doc-sep>

Kieron Pollard lauded Krunal and Hardik after the Pandya brothers played starring roles in a 37-run win for Mumbai Indians over defending champions Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. Krunal smashed a 32-ball 42 while Hardik blasted an unbeaten 25 off 8 balls and picked up 3 for 20 with the ball to end CSK's winning streak in the 2019 Indian Premier League. Pollard himself played an entertaining cameo and took a stunning catch to see off Suresh Raina as CSK faltered in their chase of 171. That moment when you pluck out a stunner. Pollard, you beauty #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/fqOuNCFQyl IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 3, 2019 Kieron Pollard is one of the most destructive batsmen in the T20 format but he has had to bat lower down the order below Krunal and Hardik. But Pollard said he did not mind because the brothers were doing a solid job for Mumbai Indians. "The Pandya boys have been batting well, so being the more experienced guy I have to take the initiative and try to do well whenever I come in," Pollard told the broadcasters after the match. Pollard said Hardik Pandya has him covered with the way he is batting now. "Hardik is phenomenal. For us it's just about encouraging him and giving him that opportunity. He practices like that," Pollard said. Hardik Pandya is adjudged the Man of the Match for his brilliant innings of 25* off 8 deliveries and bowling figures of 3/20 #VIVOIPL #MIvCSK pic.twitter.com/doSW8t1l5t IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 3, 2019 Hardik Pandya, who was named man-of-the-match, has played cameos in three matches for MI this season - he made 32 not out against Royal Challengers Bangalore and 31 before Kings XI Punjab before the 25 not out against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday. Pandya said he was focussed on improving his game and that it was a "fantastic feeling" to contribute for the team. "I was out for injury and then some other controversy award. I would want to dedicate this award to my family because that phase of my life wasn't easy. Now my only focus is on winning the IPL for MI and the World Cup for India," he said.

— Residents in the Carolinas are being warned to take precautions as Hurricane Florence approaches land. The National Hurricane Center predicts the storm will make landfall some Latest updates: According to the 11 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center, sustained winds from Hurricane Florence are at 140 miles per hour and the track -- which shifted north, still has Florence making landfall as a major hurricane in North Carolina. President Donald Trump has approved North Carolina's Emergency Declaration. In a statement Monday night, the administration says the president's actions "authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts." North Carolina State University will suspend all operations, including canceling classes, from 5 p.m. Wednesday through 5 p.m. Sunday because of the storm. Residence halls and dining facilities will remain open. Officials with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have canceled classes beginning Tuesday at 5 p.m. to allow students to travel home. Residence halls will remain open for students who live on campus and are not able to travel, officials said. Officials at East Carolina University tweeted Monday that classes starting after 12 p.m. Tuesday were canceled for the rest of the week. The University of North Carolina at Pembroke will be canceling classes and scheduled activities beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Officials said, "We strongly encourage students to leave campus when your classes end on Tuesday." Topsail Beach has declared a state of emergency as of 9 a.m. Monday and called for voluntary evacuations as of noon. Town officials said in a written statement that mandatory evacuations could be put in place if needed. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has ordered an evacuation of the state's entire coastline, starting at noon Tuesday due to Hurricane Florence. New Hanover County Emergency Management is recommending a voluntary evacuation for all of New Hanover County, including Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Wrightsville Beach and the City of Wilmington. But by Monday night, officials with Kure Beach ordered a mandatory evacuation by 8 p.m. on Wednesday. Evacuation ordered in Carteret County starting at 12 p.m. on Tuesday no iframe support! As forecasters expected, the storm has increased in strength and speed from earlier updates on Monday. According to WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner, the warm waters closer to the coast help storms like this strengthen. Florence will likely hit land as a Category 4 hurricane late Thursday evening before weakening again. "We expect Florence to, at the most, have winds top out at 150 mph," said Gardner. "That's not far from being a Category 5 hurricane, which has winds of 157 mph or higher." If Florence continues on its projected path, it will make landfall along the coast late Thursday. The Triangle shouldn't see major effects of Florence, like strong winds and rains, until overnight Thursday, but it is still too early to know the storm's timeline for sure. "The closer we get to Thursday and Friday, the better idea we'll have," said Gardner. As the storm gets closer to the center of the state, it should weaken to Category 1, but the effects could still be devastating for the Triangle. Rain and strong winds are the biggest threats from Florence, Garner said. Power outages, downed trees and a risk for flooding are all potential issues in the Triangle. Florence's strength this close to the coast is concerning. In the 1950s, Hurricane Hazel made history as the only Category 4 storm to make landfall in North Carolina, and there's a chance Florence could follow its example. “We haven’t seen anything like that approaching the coast, assuming this is close to being correct, since Hazel,” WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel said. "This is certainly going to make a stronger approach, in terms of wind speeds the way it looks now, than Fran did." Gardner said for this reason, forecasters will watch Florence very closely. Most forecast models show Wilmington and North Carolina right in the middle of the storm's path, but Gardner said we shouldn't take the red line in the center of the path too seriously. "The storm could hit anywhere in the cone of uncertainty, as far north as the Outer Banks and as far south as Charleston, South Carolina," she said. "The storm is almost double the size of the state of North Carolina." Gardner said the storm will move more slowly once it reaches land, which unfortunately produces more rain. "If it moves quickly, it brings stronger winds," said Gardner. "Neither is good." Timeline for central North Carolina Tropical storm force winds (above 39 mph) could begin in North Carolina by Thursday evening if the storms continues on its current path. Up to a foot of rain is likely for central North Carolina from Florence, and Gardner said some areas in the hurricane's cone could see up to 20 inches at worst. While late week flooding is a major concern for central North Carolina, eastern portions of the state could see devastating impacts early next week as small rivers begin to flood. In the Triangle, Gardner cautions that we could see trees through homes, flooded roads and countless power outages. Cooper: 'We want residents to be ready' Dare County issued a mandatory evacuation for visitors and residents Monday ahead of the storm. On Friday, Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency, making it possible to waive the state's transportation rules so North Carolina farmers can harvest and transport their crops to market faster. Cooper said that many North Carolina farmers lost a significant number of crops when Hurricane Matthew hit in 2016, so the state of emergency gave them time to prepare before the storm arrives. "We did it a little earlier than we normally would have because so many crops were in the field," Cooper said Sunday in exclusive interview with WRAL News. On Monday, he asked President Donald Trump to issue a disaster declaration for the state, which he said would allow relief supplies to flow into the state as soon as possible after the storm passes. The state of emergency also put North Carolina's price-gouging law into effect.<doc-sep>ASHEVILLE – The latest projected path for Hurricane Florence has the storm sparing no part of North Carolina as it makes an east-west track from the coast to the mountains. The National Hurricane Center's 11 p.m. projection says Florence's center will be around the state line near Flat Rock at 8 p.m. Sunday and headed west. It would be only a tropical depression at that point, meaning winds would be no greater than 39 mph, but it would carry lots of rain. But storm paths are harder to predict after they hit land, and projections of Florence's track over land have varied widely as the storm churns through the Atlantic Ocean toward North Carolina. Just earlier Tuesday, the path veered north into Madison County. Hurricane Florence: What to expect in WNC Western North Carolina will almost certainly see heavy rain from Florence, the National Weather Service says, but there is a lot of uncertainty about whether the region should expect major flooding or just a soggy weekend. "There's potential for many inches of rain. It's hard to nail down at this point how much," said Doug Outlaw, a NWS meteorologist based in Greer, South Carolina. Scott Krentz, also a meteorologist at the Greer office, said Tuesday afternoon there is a "low to medium" chance that the region would get 8 to 10 inches of rain -- more than enough to cause damaging floods. A weather service rainfall projection issued Tuesday called for 2 to 4 inches of rain over the next week for WNC counties roughly from Waynesville east. The state's westernmost five or six counties should see 1 to 2 inches, the projection said. The official NWS forecast for Asheville, for instance, still showed only a 50 percent chance of rain Saturday and again Sunday. Krentz said that's because there are still lots of unknowns about where Florence will go. More on Florence:Here's how to track Hurricane Florence as it barrels toward the Carolinas Private forecasts show higher rainfall totals from Hurricane Florence Some private forecasts show higher rainfall totals, and Outlaw says the truth is that no one can say for sure this far out in time. A forecast the NWS office in Greer issued early Tuesday put it this way: "Some impact from this system in our area will be possible late in the week, perhaps from late Thursday through the weekend, but uncertainty remains too high to be specific about the exact impacts or precise timing." Private forecasters were in disagreement as to what WNC might expect. AccuWeather said Tuesday afternoon there is a potential of catastrophic flooding in most of the region and major flooding on the western and southern edges of WNC. But The Weather Channel said most of the region should expect somewhere between light and moderate amounts of rain from Florence. At Buncombe County Emergency Services, "We've got our umbrellas halfway up," said director Jerry VeHaun. He said forecasters on a Tuesday afternoon conference call said a best case scenario for the Asheville area would be 1 to 3 inches of rain and a worst case scenario would be 4 to 8 inches. "That's about all they could tell us at this point. They said there's still a lot of uncertainty," VeHaun said. The lower end of the range would mean WNC residents might end up watching a lot of television or doing other indoor activities this weekend. The higher end might see some spending time in emergency shelters. "If it's more than 4 inches, we're going to have some flooding," VeHaun said. Many local first responders would ordinarily be headed to the coast to help out with hurricane recovery efforts there, VeHaun said. This time, "We can't send them east because if it comes up here they might be needed here," he said. Asheville city government had one spillway open at its North Fork Reservoir north of Black Mountain to free up space to store water if rains are heavy this weekend. Officials are monitoring Florence's progress and workers were clearing storm drains, a city spokeswoman said. It is especially difficult to predict a storm's path after it has made landfall and Florence is even more of a wild card because it is moving west-northwest, a very unusual track for hurricanes affecting North Carolina. "This system is following a path that it's hard to compare to," Outlaw said. "You have to go all the way back to Hurricane Hazel in 1954 to find a similar hurricane that followed a path like this." North Carolina evacuations: What to know if you leave because of Hurricane Florence Tuesday afternoon, the NWS' projected path for Florence showed it making landfall just south of Jacksonville, North Carolina, Friday and moving toward the center of the state. Somewhat ominously for WNC, the projection says Florence's track will bend a bit to the west after landfall, increasing the odds that it will have a major impact on WNC. Staff writer John Boyle contributed to this report.<doc-sep>Hurricane Florence is heading toward North Carolina’s coast, but will the storm hit Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina? If so, when? The National Weather Service page for Raleigh-Durham, NC reports that tropical storm conditions are expected on Friday, September 14, 2018 and possible for Saturday. Here’s the forecast as of September 14, 2018: So you can see how things progressed, here is the extended weather forecast for Raleigh Durham as of September 13, 2018, in the evening: Here’s an update from Friday morning: Hurricane #Florence made landfall early Friday, and deteriorating weather conditions are expected today. Heavy rain is expected to persist through the weekend, likely leading to catastrophic flooding across portions of #NCwx. Get the latest: https://t.co/2SQKH6G0vB pic.twitter.com/JsscexKJLC — NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) September 14, 2018 That’s a positive shift from the forecast earlier in the day on September 12, when NWS was reporting the possibility of hurricane conditions on Friday night (September 14, 2018) and Saturday for Raleigh-Durham. A look at Hurricane #Florence as it makes landfall near Wrightsville Beach #NCwx. Official landfall stats: 90mph Cat 1 Hurricane, 7:15pm (11:15 UTC), 958mb Pressure. Get the latest info: https://t.co/2SQKH6G0vB pic.twitter.com/dyuuSVLMPE — NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) September 14, 2018 You can see latest radar images for the hurricane here. River flooding across central #NCwx from #Florence is a major concern. Know your risks, have an evacuation plan, and pay close attention to the river stages and forecasts. Latest river info: https://t.co/xbX5BzUTvp pic.twitter.com/H7njCRbSah — NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) September 13, 2018 High winds and flooding remain concerns for central North Carolina. “Remember that the forecast “cone” indicates the range of possible paths for the storm’s center. The actual area impacted by Florence will be much larger!” the NWS advised. Get the latest spaghetti model plots here. See the hourly forecast for Raleigh, North Carolina here. See satellite imagery of the weather patterns over Raleigh here. Here's the latest track forecast for Hurricane #Florence, along with the current tropical hazards and flood watch areas. These will likely be expanded as Florence moves closer. #ncwx pic.twitter.com/hpcW91GbIQ — NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) September 12, 2018 The National Weather Service office serving Raleigh released this detailed handout on Hurricane Florence: “We face three critical threats from Florence: ocean surge along our coast, strong winds, and inland flooding from heavy rain,” Gov. Cooper said. “Wherever you live in North Carolina, you need to get ready for this storm now, and you need to evacuate if asked to.” Tornado Warning continues for Lucama NC, Stantonsburg NC, Black Creek NC until 9:00 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/yBMCy3niXv — NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) September 14, 2018 Here is the hazardous weather outlook for September 14, 2018 in the evening from NWS: “Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Raleigh NC 721 AM EDT Fri Sep 14 2018 NCZ026>028-041>043-077-151200- Franklin-Nash-Edgecombe-Wake-Johnston-Wilson-Harnett- 721 AM EDT Fri Sep 14 2018 …FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING… …TORNADO WATCH 373 IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON… …TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT… This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central North Carolina. .DAY ONE…Today and Tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards. Tornado Watch. Flash Flood Watch. Tropical Storm Warning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Saturday through Thursday. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards. Flash Flood Watch. Tropical Storm Warning.” Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina Extended Forecast 645 am… Latest rainfall forecasts indicate 10-15 inches of rain is expected to fall from Hurricane Florence across eastern portions of NC with localized amounts approaching 20 inches. #ncwx pic.twitter.com/briVCgt3j4 — NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) September 11, 2018 This is the detailed extended weather forecast for Raleigh Durham as of the evening of September 14, 2018: “Today (September 14, 2018) Tropical storm conditions expected. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some storms could be severe, with heavy rain. High near 80. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Tonight Tropical storm conditions expected. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 73. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible. Saturday Tropical storm conditions possible. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 79. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible. Saturday Night Showers. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 72. Breezy, with an east wind 15 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible. Sunday Showers. The rain could be heavy at times. High near 80. East wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible. Sunday Night Showers. Low around 72. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Monday Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 84. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Monday Night A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Tuesday A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Tuesday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 85.”<doc-sep>For the latest updates, read our Hurricane Florence live briefing here. ATLANTA — As Hurricane Florence gained muscle over the Atlantic Ocean on Monday and sped toward the shores of North and South Carolina, government officials in both states were taking few chances, exhorting more than a million residents and tourists in coastal areas to grab their essentials, jump into their cars and head inland as part of a great coastal emptying. The National Hurricane Center warned that the storm, which jumped to Category 4 strength on Monday with 140 mile-an-hour winds, could pummel the shore with life-threatening storm surges and soak a wide area with rains so heavy that freshwater flooding would become a major threat. It is expected to make landfall Thursday night near the North Carolina-South Carolina border. In Myrtle Beach, S.C., Tneah Brown was listening to the warnings. At work on Monday afternoon, she weighed the many complications that would soon flow from the order issued by Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina, calling on people in eight counties nearest the shore to get out. Ms. Brown knew that evacuation was necessary. She also knew it would not be easy. There was her pit bull puppy, Kaya, to think of. And her little sister. And her sister’s 3-week-old baby. And the question of whether her mother would join them as they rushed out of town by noon Tuesday, when the governor’s order takes effect.<doc-sep>

My people just informed me that this is one of the worst storms to hit the East Coast in many years. Also, looking like a direct hit on North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Please be prepared, be careful and be SAFE! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2018 Just had calls with South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam regarding the incoming storm. Federal Government stands by, ready to assist 24/7. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2018 Mannn. Due to this Hurricane heading to NC, we have to cancel Dreamville Festival. We’re working to get another date, but right now safety is most important. I appreciate everybody that was headed to rock with us. 30,000 + were expected. 🤯🤯 All tickets will be refunded. Bsafe — J. Cole (@JColeNC) September 10, 2018 The Storms in the Atlantic are very dangerous. We encourage anyone in the path of these storms to prepare themselves and to heed the warnings of State and Local officials. The Federal Government is closely monitoring and ready to assist. We are with you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2018 . @HomeDepot on Capital Boulevard in #Raleigh is sold out of generators. The store is getting an emergency shipment but no timetable on when it will arrive. @AceHardware stores also running low on flashlights, batteries, chainsaws and tarps. #ABC11 — Tim Pulliam (@TimABC11) September 10, 2018 Latest forecast from @NWSWPC Though, this far out, this is subject to change, the risk of extreme rainfall is increasing w/ #Florence. Flooding is a major cause of inland deaths w/ tropical wx. If you live in an area that floods, have a plan! #ncwx pic.twitter.com/yBZKKrdBde — Don Schwenneker (@BigweatherABC11) September 10, 2018 Ocean surge from our coast Strong winds that may be higher than we have recently experienced Inland flooding Hurricane Florence continues to be a dangerous Category 4 storm as it steams toward the U.S. East Coast, but a new wrinkle in the Gulf could affect its path.It's too early to know for sure, but a disturbance in the Gulf could form into Tropical Storm Joyce and potentially push Florence's track northward -- good news for many parts of North Carolina.That's just a possibility at this point, according to Chief Meteorologist Chris Hohmann.At 11 p.m., the storm's center was located about 465 miles south-southeast of Bermuda and about 1,085 miles east-southeast of Cape Fear. Florence hasn't intensified, and remains a Cat 4 but could be close to Category 5 strength by Tuesday. A Category 5 storm has the potential to cause catastrophic damage. Maximum sustained winds were clocked at 140 mph.The storm was moving west-northwest at 13 mph, and the track adjusted slightly to the north.Since reliable record-keeping began more than 150 years ago, North Carolina has been hit by only one Category 4 hurricane: Hazel, with 130 mph winds, in 1954.For many, the challenge could be finding a safe refuge: If Florence slows to a crawl just off the coast, it could carry torrential rains up into the Appalachian mountains, causing flash floods, mudslides and other dangerous weather across a wide area.National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham warned that Florence was forecast to slow down significantly and linger over the Carolinas once it reaches shore, dropping heavy rainfall as far as West Virginia. People living well inland should prepare to lose power and anticipate flooding and other hazards, he warned. "It's not just the coast," Graham said. "When you stall a system like this and it moves real slow, some of that rainfall can extend well away from the center. "Hurricane Florence remains a dangerous Category 4 with 140 maximum-sustained winds, and its track has shifted slightly north. A disturbance in the Gulf could form Tropical Storm Joyce and potentially knock Florence off its current path.President Donald Trump has approved North Carolina and South Carolina emergency declarations. "The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 100 North Carolina counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians," the president's declaration said.J.

Tesla Inc. has launched a new and cheaper Model 3 in Canada but with a software-limited range of only 150 km to qualify for electric vehicle (EV) discounts offered by the government. Tesla hasn’t been able to take advantage of Canada’s EV rebate because the base Model 3 sold in the country starts at C$47,000. Canada’s new C$5,000 incentive is only applicable for new EVs with base prices lower than C$45,000 and costing no more than C$55,000 after options. For a car maker to be eligible for incentives, "a vehicle must have a base-model manufacturer’s suggested retail price of less than $45,000 for passenger vehicles with six or fewer seats, and less than $55,000 for vehicles with seven or more seats," the Canadian government noted.<doc-sep>Keeping up with exactly which versions of Tesla are on sale at any given moment can be a tricky job, given Tesla likes to introduce and kill off certain models more frequently than Game of Thrones characters. Even so, a new version of the Model 3 destined for Canada caught our eye. Because officially, it has about the same amount of battery range as a ten-year old Nissan Leaf. Please feel free to check the date. No, it’s not April 1st. In a blog post on Tesla’s Canadian website, the entry-level Tesla Model 3 is described thusly: “2019 Model 3 Standard Range Range: 150km Qualifying OEM MSRP* before delivery centre fees and EV savings: $44,999” The price is the important bit here. See how it’s exactly ONE measly dollar under $45,000? Well spotted. In Canada, electric cars with a base price less than $45,000 qualify for a $5,000 government grant, to encourage folks to swap into new electric models. So, this Model 3 Standard Range ducks under the cost barrier, and will cost less than $40k to buy new. Not that anyone will buy it, of course – real world range is likely to be under ninety miles, and despite how good the Supercharger network is, that’s a big psychological barrier for people dropping sizeable cheques on family saloons. No, the clever bit is that as long as the base model in the family comes in at under $45k, every version of that same car gets the rebate. So, the next Model 3 in the line-up – the Standard Range Plus with a much meatier 240-mile range and a price of $53,700 – still qualifies for a discount. All because of its pointless twin. Clever, or just plain bonkers? Either way, be quick. It’ll probably be taken off sale by the time you’re done reading this sentence.<doc-sep>Enlarge Image Nick Miotke/Roadshow The Canadian government recently decided to offer a CA$5,000 incentive (about $3,720) for people purchasing electric cars. The catch is that there are some pretty specific price stipulations on which vehicles qualify for that incentive. Based on those limits, current Tesla models would have been ineligible and that would be a bummer. Leave it to the folks at the Big T to stick it to Canada by just barely squeaking under the CA$45,000 pricing limit with a model that nobody will buy, so that people can get the discount on the car they actually want -- aka the Model 3 Standard Range Plus -- thanks to a loophole. Electrek reported on Wednesday that Tesla will offer a Model 3 in Canada that has a software-limited range of just 150 kilometers (93 miles). If a sub-100 mile Tesla sounds kind of counter to Tesla's whole mindset, then you're probably right, but the critical figure about this model isn't the range, it's the price. This new Canadian standard Model 3 will set buyers back CA$44,999, which means it's eligible for the government incentive. But the incentive also allows for models that cost more than CA$45,000 if the base model is under that limit, as long as the higher trims don't exceed CA$55,000. Like the standard-range Model 3 in the US, Tesla is making ordering the 93-mile-range car in Canada a bit of a chore, likely in hopes that it won't eat into sales of the Standard Range Plus car, which sells for CA$53,700 before incentives. If you're reading this and thinking, hey, I bet that 150km range is just software-limited, you're totally right. But if you're thinking you could later pay to unlock the extra range found in the Standard Range Plus model, you'd be dead wrong. Tesla isn't allowing buyers to upgrade their range as it has in the past. So, the moral of this story is that Tesla can game Canada, but you can't game Tesla. Just pony up the extra eight grand and get the wildly superior Standard Range Plus model. We'll be curious to see how long the Canadian government goes with this, as it's not really in the spirit of the incentive, but hopefully it helps convince lots of Canadians to make the jump to electric cars. Originally published May 1. Update, May 2: Adds information about Tesla's unwillingness to offer later software-based range increases.<doc-sep>Tesla’s vehicle selling price doesn’t affect federal income tax incentives in the U.S., but the price makes a big difference in Canada. The original Tesla Model 3 Standard Range car’s $47,000 starting price tag (in Canadian dollars) was above the $45,000 selling price limit (before delivery fees) that determines whether that model and most other Model 3 versions qualify for the Canadian tax break in the form of a $5,000 rebate. The thing is, however, it’s hard to buy a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range in Canada or the U.S. You can’t buy the least-equipped Model 3 online, as you can with the Model S, the Model X, and all of the other (more expensive) versions of the Model 3. If you are set on buying the Model 3 Standard Range, you have to start with a phone call or a visit to a Tesla store to place your order. But even then, buying a Standard Range Model 3 wouldn’t qualify the owner for the $5,000 Canadian rebate. So Tesla altered the software of the Canadian version of the Model 3 Standard Range to limit the range to 150 kilometers (93 miles) per charge. On one hand, the range limitation looks like a counter-productive move for a company that wants to move tons of vehicles. But that move is a distraction from the actual strategy. The range modification raises the question of who would want the Model 3 Standard Range? Sure, it saves purchase price money and qualifies for a $5,000 rebate, but the range per battery charge is only 150 kilometers (93 miles). The price for the Standard Range Plus, which by observer consensus is the entry-level Model 3 Tesla wants you to buy, jumps to $53,700 Canadian or $39,500 in the U.S. For that relatively modest bump, you gain quite a bit. Standard upgrades with the Range Plus start with Tesla’s Partial Premium Interior, which includes premium seat material and trim, 12-way power adjustable heated front seats, upgraded immersive sound audio, standard maps and navigation, LED fog lamps, and a center storage console with four USB ports and two smartphone docks. The Model 3 Standard Range Plus Rear-Wheel Drive also gains Autopilot, Tesla’s base level autonomous vehicle software. And here’s the biggie, the Standard Range Plus has a 386-kilometer (240-mile) driving range, which is 24 miles more than the Standard Range model in the U.S. and more than 2.5 times the range-limited Canadian version. So the Model 3 Standard Range Plus is a great deal and Tesla expects to sell it in higher numbers than any other model or trim. But at $53,700 Canadian, at first glance, it appears that Canadian Standard Range Plus buyers wouldn’t qualify for the rebate. As long as the base model falls under $45,000 Canadian, the rebate is still available for upgraded versions of the same car that list for less than $55,000. So $53,700 works, and bingo, Canadian Tesla buyers who purchase the car most people will want, also qualify for the rebate. In the U.S., Tesla’s electric vehicle federal income tax incentive is winding down now that the company has sold more than 200,000 vehicles. The federal tax credit for Tesla vehicles delivered from January 1 to June 30, 2019, is $3,750, half the $7,500 credit in effect before Tesla topped 200,000 EVs. After June 30, any Tesla’s delivered From July 1 through December 31, 2019, will score a $1,875 tax credit for its purchaser. Editors' Recommendations<doc-sep>

Federal $5,000 rebate for individuals purchasing vehicles with a base MSRP* under $45,000 before including delivery centre fees. The following Tesla vehicles qualify for the federal incentive provided that they are also listed on Transport Canada’s website: 2019 Model 3 Standard Range Range: 150km Qualifying OEM MSRP* before delivery centre fees and EV savings: $44,999 Call or visit a Tesla store to order. 2019 Model 3 Standard Range Plus Range: 386km (EPA estimate) Qualifying OEM MSRP* before delivery fees and EV savings: $53,700 Order online *MSRP shown is based on the definition established by Transport Canada for the purposes of the iZEV program. This price excludes a $1,300 delivery and inspection fee and standard vehicle registration fees. By making the new base Model 3 available, which again is only through calling or visiting a Tesla store to order, Tesla also made the regular Model 3 Standard Range Plus with 386 km (240 miles) of range eligible for the incentive since it is technically an option on the same car that starts below $45,000 and doesn’t go over $55,000. We contacted Tesla for a comment about the situation and we will update if we get an answer. At the time of writing, Tesla’s Model 3 is still not shown as being available on Transport Canada’s website. (Update: It is now shown as available.) Update: Tesla is not allowing range upgrade on new 150 km Model 3 in Canada – DO NOT BUY Electrek’s Take We predicted that it will come since we have seen Tesla do something similar in Germany, but Tesla is doing it in an even more sneaky way here. What is interesting here is that Tesla can still do it while not even listing the base Model 3 at $44,999 and only making it available as some secret product that you need to know about to be able to order. The new version of the Model 3 is not available on Tesla’s Canadian online configurator: Also, Tesla massively reduced the range of the base version to do this. It slashed it in half to reduce the price of the car by just $2,000. It’s clear that they want to sell you an upgrade to a Model 3 Standard Range Plus. Hopefully, they will also offer an upgrade to the Standard Range for that $2,000. If that’s the case, I think it’s worth it, especially for my fellow Québécois who can add the $8,000 provincial incentive on top of it. Even though they had to do it in a shady way, the Model 3 Standard Range at $34,000 (~$25,000 USD) or the Model 3 Standard Range Plus at $40,700 are the two best electric cars you can buy for that price in Canada. I think that the Canadian’s government incentive structure was also a shady way to block Tesla buyers from getting access to the incentive so I am going to call fair play on Tesla’s part even if I think Tesla should have released the new base Model 3 with a more reasonable usable range and make the option available through its website like any other product. If you are looking to buy or lease a Tesla Model S, Model X, or Model 3 and you think Electrek helped you in your decision-making process, please feel free to use my code: frederic5610 – and get 5,000 miles (7,500 km in Canada) of free Supercharging for a limited time.

If you're not caught up, you still have until tomorrow to finish binging seasons one and two, available on Netflix . But you'll have to wait to stream season three on Netflix until after the season three finale in 2019.<doc-sep>Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart in Riverdale season 3 FREE now for the biggest moments from morning TV SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow for the biggest moments from morning TV When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Riverdale: Dramatic season three trailer tease satanic cult What time will Riverdale season 3 be released on Netflix? Riverdale season three premiered on October 10 in the US on The CW with episodes airing on a weekly basis first in the US on American channel The CW on Wednesdays. Netflix will release episodes from season three the next day (on Thursdays) for British fans. Episodes will be airing from 8am on Netflix on the day of release. Season three premiered on The CW on October 10 and then hit Netflix on October 11. The new season's broadcast format follows suit with the previous run which first aired in America before landing on Netflix in the UK. Netflix is headquartered in California and drops episodes at midnight there, which is 8am in the UK. All episodes will be airing on a weekly basis because it’s made by The CW, so binge-watchers will have to patient. Netflix distributes Riverdale outside America, so unlike Originals which are released in one go, it will be dropping episode by episode. WILL THERE BE ANOTHER SERIES OF RIVERDALE? Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones in Riverdale season 3 How many episodes are in Riverdale season 3? An episode count for Riverdale season three hasn’t been revealed as yet but it’s likely to be around 20-odd instalments or potentially shorter. Season two had 22 episodes with a midseason break over the Christmas period as well as a few mini-hiatuses during the second half of the cycle. Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre Sacasa recently confirmed that the season three midseason finale was at episode eight. He went on to announce that filming was taking place on the second half of the run on location in Vancouver, Canada. RIVERDALE SEASON 3 NETFLIX RELEASE DATE, CAST, TRAILER, PLOT What will happen in Riverdale season 3? The new series will see lots of changes in Riverdale with a shake-up at city hall following the election of Hermione Lodge’s (played by Marisol Nichols) as the new mayor. Her husband Hiram Lodge (Mark Consuelos) will be running roughshod over Riverdale now that he’s got free reign over the town. Despite his sinister plans for Riverdale, he will face opposition from his daughter Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) and her friends. The show will pick up with Archie Andrews’ (KJ Apa) arrest after Hiram framed him for murder. HOW TO WATCH RIVERDALE SEASON 3 ONLINE Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper in Riverdale season 3 Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse) and Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart) will be trying to help prove his innocence in court. There will be new villains to deal with in the form of the Gargoyle King as well as the mysterious cult known as The Farm. This season will see the arrival of Jughead’s mother Gladys Jones (Gina Gershon) and his younger sister Forsythia “Jellybean” Jones (Trinity Likins). Fans can also see more from Riverdale’s favourite couple Toni Topaz (Vanessa Morgan) and Cheryl Blossom (Madeleine Petsch). HOW MANY EPISODES ARE IN RIVERDALE SEASON 3? Riverdale: Lili Reinhart says season three is 'scariest yet' Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones in Riverdale season 3<doc-sep>Tonight is the Season 3 premiere of Riverdale. After all the ups and downs and twists and turns from Season 2, we’re ready to get started with Season 3 and really have no idea what to expect. Here is everything you need to know about how to watch Riverdale tonight. AIR DATE & TIME: The Riverdale premiere episode airs tonight, Wednesday October 10 at 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. Central) for an hour. LIVE STREAM: If you miss the episode, you can watch it later on The CW’s website or app. Or visit Heavy’s story here for more details about watching a live stream. TV CHANNEL FOR RIVERDALE: To find out what channel Riverdale is on for you, click here to go to TV Guide’s listings. Then change the “Provider” (right under TV Listings) to your local provider. You’ll be able to scroll down to see what channel The CW is on for you. OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: The official synopsis for the episode reads: “As the jury begins deliberations in his murder trial, Archie (KJ Apa) makes a surprising request about how he wants to spend his final days of summer. Betty (Lili Reinhart) is forced to deal with her problems head-on after a heated confrontation with Alice (Madchen Amick) and Polly (guest star Tiera Skovbye) brings up some dark secrets she’s kept hidden. Veronica (Camila Mendes) pleads with Hiram (Mark Consuelos) to step in and help Archie before a verdict is announced. Finally, Jughead (Cole Sprouse) leads the Serpents against the Ghoulies latest attack.” So this episode picks up near the end of the summer, about three months after Season 2 ended. Here’s quick refresher on Season 2. At the end of Season 2, we learned that Betty’s dad, Hal, is the Black Hood. However, Archie also believes there’s a second Black Hood out there. Turns out that second Black Hood was Tall Boy, who died in a shooutout with the police. Jug was beaten up and left in a hospital, but he is going to be OK after the Ghoulies-Serpents showdown. Cheryl has made Nana Blossom her legal guardian and she’s now emancipated from her mother and scheming uncle. But she learns that they were working with Hiram Lodge, which is a big problem. The last piece of Hiram’s plan was to buy Whyte Wyrm. So Veronica gets the $1 million she made ransoming Nick St. Clair. She buys Whyte Wyrm, but agrees to give it to her dad in exchange for Pop’s. Veronica is now on Team Andrews and switched to Fred’s mayoral campaign. She also pulled out of the student council race, just like Betty. And so did Reggie and Josie, leaving the race to Archie vs. Ethel. Near the end, FP announces that he’s retiring and hands the Serpents to Jughead. And Cheryl gets a red Serpent Jacket. Hermione wins the mayor election. But Hiram is planning for Claudius, Penny, and the Ghoulies to run drugs through the new prison, and he’s giving Penny a brothel one of these days. Archie wins the Student Council election, but he’s framed for a murder at Shadow Lake. So the season ends with his arrest.<doc-sep>

Riverdale season 3 release Riverdale: Dramatic season three trailer tease satanic cult What time does Riverdale 3 come out on The CW? Riverdale season three premiered in America on October 10 on The CW in the US. Episodes from season three will be airing on a weekly basis on Wednesdays. Season three episodes will be broadcast in the US at 8/7c which means 8pm Eastern Time and 7pm Central Time. It will be on at 8pm Pacific Time. What time will Riverdale season 3 be released on Netflix? The sexy teen drama drops on Netflix in the UK and Ireland the day after it comes out on The CW. So viewers on this side of the Pond saw the season three premiere on Thursday, October 11. The episode titled Labor Day landed on Netflix at 8am BST. Fans will have to take care to avoid spoilers. New episodes will land at the same time every Thursday on Netflix for the duration of the series. WHO IS IN THE CAST OF RIVERDALE SEASON 3? Riverdale season 3 is back tonight What will happen in Riverdale season 3, episode 1? Here is the official synopsis for the season three premiere to get fans ready for tonight and tomorrow. “AND THE VERDICT IS... As the jury begins deliberations in his murder trial, Archie (played by KJ Apa) makes a surprising request about how he wants to spend his final days of summer. “Betty (Lili Reinhart) is forced to deal with her problems head-on after a heated confrontation with Alice (Mädchen Amick) and Polly (guest star Tiera Skovbye) brings up some dark secrets she’s kept hidden. WILL THERE BE ANOTHER SERIES OF RIVERDALE? Riverdale: Lili Reinhart says season three is 'scariest yet' Riverdale season 3 is back tonight “Veronica (Camila Mendes) pleads with Hiram (Mark Consuelos) to step in and help Archie before a verdict is announced. “Finally, Jughead (Cole Sprouse) leads the Serpents against the Ghoulies latest attack. “Madelaine Petsch, Marisol Nichols, Luke Perry, Ashleigh Murray, Skeet Ulrich, Casey Cott, Charles Melton and Vanessa Morgan also star.” RIVERDALE SEASON 3 NETFLIX RELEASE DATE, CAST, TRAILER, PLOT Riverdale season 3 is back tonight

Get the latest North East What's On news delivered straight to your inbox - sign up for free email updates Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Ed Sheeran is coming to St James’ Park for three nights this weekend and here is some vital information for concert goers and those driving into Newcastle city centre. The superstar singer will be at the Newcastle United stadium on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and safety for the fans is a big priority. Tens of thousands of Ed Sheeran fans will be flocking to St James Park before the gates open at 5pm and pouring out when the concert ends at around 11pm. Roads around the stadium will close at the following times: Strawberry Place (between Barrack Road and St James’ Street): From 4pm to midnight Back St James Street: From 4pm to midnight Strawberry Lane: From 4pm to midnight Terrace Place (between St James’ Street and its western junction with Leazes Terrace): From 4pm to midnight Leazes Terrace: From 4pm to midnight Strawberry Place (between St James’ Street and Leazes Park Road): From 11pm to midnight St James’ Street and Terrace Place (between St James’ Street and its eastern junction with Leazes Terrace): From 11pm to midnight There are some tickets left (Image: PA) If you would like to join the crowds, standing tickets cost £82.50 (including a £7.50 booking fee). To buy a ticket, vists www.ticketmaster.co.uk Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour is the region’s biggest ever concert in terms of tickets on sale for all three nights. Do you have the ChronicleLive app on your phone or tablet? The ChronicleLive app allows you to tailor what news you consume and when as well as receiving breaking news alerts to your phone so you can be first to know about things happening in your area. The ChronicleLive app for iPad has also been updated with a fresh look and simple navigation.<doc-sep>This weekend around 180,000 thousand music fans will head to St James’ Park as Ed Sheeran plays three consecutive dates at Newcastle United's stadium. Ed Sheeran is performing at St James’ Park on Friday, June 8, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th as part of the Divide Tour and the stadium have given advice to fans on security, tickets, ID, bags, prohibited items, searches, food and drink and much more. Newcastle City Council has also announced a number of road closures throughout the weekend, designed to make it safer for fans going to and leaving the shows. We will have all the details of the security and travel arrangements to help you plan your day, as well as some previews of the songs he will play and who is supporting the ginger megastar. Follow our live updates below:<doc-sep>Get the latest North East news and updates delivered straight to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice If you think you’ve met Ed Sheeran this afternoon , prepare to be completely and utterly crushed. You see, there’s a bloke being driven around Newcastle who is the chart-topper’s double. The only - quite massive - difference is that it isn’t him. Instead, it is a cruel but admittedly funny prank played on Geordies ahead of the St James’ Park gigs this weekend. Metro Radio’s been driving a look-a-like around - and to be fair, a pretty good quality one - tricking people into thinking they’ve spotted the real deal. (Image: Twitter) And quite a few of us have fallen for it. Hook, line and sinker. Some even took to Twitter to boast about their spot. One tweeted a picture from a bus, saying: “Just casually passing @edsheeran in #Newcastle” But if you were duped, the good news is the real deal is in town - and well over 100,000 people will see him over the weekend.<doc-sep>

This is the incredible moment St James’ Park explodes into a wall of sound as Ed Sheeran hits the stage. Over three days, 180,000 people are set to descend on Newcastle to hear the chart-topping singer play. But it’s not just Ed who can make an incredible noise - his fans sound pretty stunning too. (Image: Newcastle Chronicle) As the sun set over the stadium, he opened with a crowd-pleasing rendition of ‘Castle on the Hill’. And as the last few bars died away, the roar from his fans was earsplitting even from a distance, as this video, shot from on top of the Eldon Gardens car park, shows. The sound of the crowd echoed throughout the city centre, and the feel-good atmosphere of thousands of people preparing to see their hero filled the city on Friday afternoon. (Image: Newcastle Chronicle) It’s fair to say, they were all pretty excited about the long-awaited gig, which filled the stadium on all three nights. Returning to Tyneside after two sell-out shows at the Metro Radio Arena last year, the star, famed for the likes of Shape of You and Galway Girl, is set to wow North East crowds across the weekend. Inside the stadium on Friday, the atmosphere was electric - and if you weren’t able to get tickets, here’s a taster of what you missed out on. We’ve captured the roar of football fans in St James’ Park from the same spot in the past, but it seems these music lovers can rival the Toon Army with their united voice.

Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook A provincial state of emergency has been declared in B.C. due to hundreds of wildfires burning around the province. There are now 48 wildfires of note, meaning these wildfires are highly visible or pose a potential threat to public safety. There are 1,500 properties under the evacuation order and 9,000 properties under evacuation alert. This means 3,050 people are on evacuation order with 18,720 on evacuation alert. Here’s a look at the fires burning around B.C. The largest wildfire burning in the province is the Shovel Lake wildfire at 50,831 hectares. It is burning about 6.7 kilometres north of Endako and Highway 16, and about 13 kilometres north of Stallako. Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen The massive Shovel Lake wildfire as seen from Fraser Lake Village. Twyla Lee WATCH: Provincial state of emergency declared in B.C. due to wildfires 3:18 Provincial state of emergency declared in B.C. due to wildfires Provincial state of emergency declared in B.C. due to wildfires – Aug 15, 2018 These photos of the Shovel Lake fire were taken Monday, about two kilometres away from the boundary: Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen Taken Monday, Aug. 13. Submitted by a Global News viewer. View image in full screen Taken Monday, August 13. Submitted by a Global News viewer. Burning nearby is the Island Lake wildfire at 13,000 hectares, the Verdun Mountain wildfire at 4,500 hectares, the Nadina Lake wildfire at 25,000 hectares, the Shag Creek wildfire at 9,300 hectares, the Narcosli Creek wildfire at 3,400 hectares and the Tweedsmuir Complex wildfires, estimated at around 35,000 hectares in size. Here is a look at the smoke in Burns Lake from the wildfires burning: This photo was taken August 14 looking south over Francois Lake from viewer Ron Scott’s cabin, which is close to the ferry landing. Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen Photo of the Francois Lake fire. Credit: Ron Scott. Ron Scott WATCH: Province continues to battle almost 600 wildfires 3:29 Province continues to battle almost 600 wildfires Province continues to battle almost 600 wildfires – Aug 14, 2018 Photos from Fraser Lake: Cori Dewijn spent Tuesday morning helping move cows from the path of the Nadina Lake fire, burning 60 kilometres south of Houston, 63 kilometres southwest of Burns Lake, and seven kilometres southwest of Parrott Lakes. Story continues below advertisement In an email, she said the Nadina Lake fire and the Verdun Mountain fire are closing in from both sides. “The people in the community were amazing as everyone pitched in to help each other as much as they could,” she said. Story continues below advertisement WATCH: Ottawa sending troops to help fight B.C. fires 2:26 BC Wildfires: Ottawa sending troops to help fight fire BC Wildfires: Ottawa sending troops to help fight fire – Aug 14, 2018 The scene in Vanderhoof. Incredible smoke and ash in the air. #BCwildfire pic.twitter.com/iKZcZlt13F — Richard Zussman (@richardzussman) August 15, 2018 An Erickson Air-Crane heavy-lift helicopter doused the flames of the Island Lakes wildfire, burning adjacent to Island Lake, south of Francois Lake. Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen Credit: Rene Crouse. Global News viewer Jessica Gessl has been evacuated from her home due to the Verdun Mountain fire, burning 17 kilometres southwest of Grassy Plains. She has now left her home with her fiance and her seven-month-old son.<doc-sep>Fire crews are continuing to work on containing the Shovel Lake wildfire that has grown to just under 80-thousand hectares in size. Crews will be able to send in planes to dump water on the wildfire because visibility from the smoke has cleared up. Kevin Skrepnek with the BC Wildfire Service says there has been growth but it’s not a bad thing. . @KevinSkrepnek says he has never seen this many wildfires burning at once during his time on the job. 22 new fires started yesterday and there are 50 fires of note. Currently there are 556 wildfires taking place in the province | @mypgnow #NorthernBC #WildFires — Jeff Slack (@Jeffslack369) August 17, 2018 “That change in size is reflective of some much better mapping of the fire. It’s not actually an indication that we have seen that much growth in the last few days. Having said that, [it is] certainly still very active out there. From what I am hearing from the field I think progress today has been generally good.” However, crews will be faced with challenges as dry and windy conditions are expected “On one hand we have that lack of rain in the forecast, so obviously that is going to be a challenge in terms of not getting a whole lot of assistance from mother nature,” added Skrepnek. “One the same hand right now, at least for the next three to five days, we are also not seeing any major adverse weather events either. Things are going to remain relatively static.” There are currently 556 wildfires burning in the province with 22 starting yesterday and 50 of note. The cost of the wildfire is estimated at $242 million.<doc-sep>More than 150 firefighters and thousands of residents will be closely watching the weather in northern B.C. on Friday as the largest wildfire in the province has people in nearby cities and communities on edge. The Shovel Lake fire prompted an "extreme fire behaviour warning" from the B.C. Wildfire Service on Thursday afternoon. 'It burns like gasoline' CBC News BC 0:30 Logger James Stump describes what it's like being near the Shovel Lake wildfire. 0:30 Officials said the 79,000-hectare (790 square-kilometre) fire — nearly seven times the size of Vancouver — was in danger of being whipped up by strong winds. Fire information officer Claire Allen said the fire held overnight, but gusts of up to 40 km/h are in the forecast for Friday. It’s a #Smokey morning in #Vanderhoof because of nearby #bcwildfires pic.twitter.com/8TjFjHTES9 —@wilfundal "The winds are what we're watching out for today," she said Friday morning. "Whenever we have something like that in the forecast, we have to be very, very careful — both in terms of fire behaviour as well as the safety of our firefighters out on the line." Extreme fire behaviour is characterized by a "fast-spreading, high-intensity crown fire" that can be very difficult to control, according to Natural Resources Canada. Firefighter Christian Garcia, from Mexico, deals with hotspots in an area burned by the Shovel Lake wildfire near Endako, B.C., on Aug. 16. The Shovel Lake wildfire, the biggest blaze in B.C., is more than 680 square kilometres in size. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press) A crown fire is one that burns through the treetops and along the forest floor. The smog has made it difficult for crews to fly over the fire and map a plan of attack. Smoke and ash from the fire has clouded over Prince George, leaving the sky a dark, burnt orange colour well into Friday morning. Street lights were still on in some parts of the city well after 10 a.m. Smoke and ash blankets Prince George, B.C. CBC News BC 0:32 Evacuees line up outside an emergency reception centre as smoke from the Shovel Lake wildfire floats over the city. 0:32 Darker yet again in Prince George at 9:10 AM. You can feel the smoke and ash the second you step outside. #CityofPG #BCWildfires pic.twitter.com/geKtWfLjIi —@Nicole_Oud Combined smoke from wildfires in western Canada is visible from NASA's DSCOVR satellite — which is about 1.6 million kilometres away. The clouds of smoke over North America during the past few weeks have been epic. On August 15, 2018, smoke was even visible to DSCOVR, a satellite about 1 million miles away. https://t.co/JbooAosaT2 #NASA #EPIC #AirQuality #wildfires pic.twitter.com/IcwqdWWIh6 —@NASAEarth Historic site threatened The Shovel Lake fire is burning west of Prince George, between Burns Lake and Vanderhoof. The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako urged residents to comply with evacuation orders after the wildfire service's warning on Thursday. The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako has been warned of the risk of extreme fire behaviour from the Shovel Lake wildfire burning west of Prince George. (Andrew Kurjata/CBC) Rob MacDougall, mayor of nearby Fort St. James, said the past few days have been "overwhelming on many fronts." "We haven't experienced the threat of fire in the past and so close," he said. Fort St. James National Historic Site is home to Canada's largest collection of fur trade-era wood buildings. Some are 130 years old. Maintenance teams from Parks Canada have set up a sprinkler system on the roofs of the buildings, wetting the grounds to prevent any sparks from flaming up in the park. Lyle Penner, who works with the park's maintenance team, has been going building to building, ensuring every structure has been sufficiently protected. "Some of these buildings ... are a critical part of Canadian history," he said. Fort St James historic site has sprinklers set up to protect buildings ~130 years old #bcwildfire pic.twitter.com/IqVp3cn52l —@akurjata Evacuation alert for Kimberley Late Thursday, the entire city of Kimberley and properties directly south and southwest of the city in the Regional District East Kootenay were placed on evacuation alert due to fires in that area. Around 7,400 people live in the southeast B.C. city. In a statement, Mayor Don McCormick said residents will be given as much advance notice as possible if they need to leave, but he cautioned there may be limited notice due to changing conditions. An evacuation order was also issued by the district Thursday for residents of 65 properties in the St. Mary Lake area. Members of the RCMP are helping residents leave their homes. More fire information: B.C. is in its third day of a provincewide state of emergency. There are nearly 600 wildfires burning across the province. People living in more than 1,500 properties have been forced to leave, while 9,500 more must be prepared to leave at a moment's notice. The Cariboo Regional District issued an evacuation order for 62 properties in the Dean River North area, including Itcha Ilgachuz Provincial Park, late Thursday. The evacuation route was listed as Highway 20 to Williams Lake. A local state of emergency has been declared in Zeballos — northwest of Tahsis — on northern Vancouver Island as several fires burn out of control in the area. Highway 93 South through Kootenay National Park may be impacted by wildfire smoke this weekend. Traffic has been reduced to 50 km/h through the area of the Wardle wildfire. Around 100 Canadian Armed Forces personnel were deployed early Thursday to an area west of Kelowna, working on the mop-up of contained fires. The Department of National Defence said it's working with the B.C. Wildfire Service to determine where and when to send other troops. Thirty-six new fires started between Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon, mostly sparked by lightning. B.C. wildfire map: B.C. evacuation map: With files from Yvette Brend, Andrew Kurjata, Michelle Ghoussoub and The Canadian Press Read more from CBC British Columbia<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email There are now more than 560 wildfires burning around B.C. More than 1,500 properties are under evacuation order and more than 9,000 properties are under an evacuation alert. WATCH: What will the state of emergency mean for the B.C. wildfire fight? 1:46 What will the state of emergency mean for the B.C. wildfire fight? What will the state of emergency mean for the B.C. wildfire fight? – Aug 15, 2018 Officials say a quarter of the fires sparked this season were caused by people, while the rest were caused by lightning. Story continues below advertisement The largest blaze is the Shovel Lake wildfire burning northeast of Burns Lake and southwest of Fort St. James. It is 50,831 hectares in size. Eerie on Hwy 97 between Quesnel and Prince George. Incredibly dark at just past 7pm. #BCWildfire pic.twitter.com/fjQFBnYpI8 — Richard Zussman (@richardzussman) August 15, 2018 The B.C. Wildfire Service says a planned ignition carried out Tuesday on this fire was successful on the west flank. The ignition secured the Hannay Road on the west side, and the objective Wednesday will be to secure this guard. The agency says the fire exhibited aggressive behaviour Tuesday on the southwest flank, driven by high winds in the late afternoon. Equipment and crews were pulled off the line and will be re-establishing objectives for the south flank. Story continues below advertisement Visibility will be an issue for the next few days with the increased smoke. The smoke is so thick in the surrounding region, it’s tricking street lights into coming on in Prince George. The Shovel Lake wildfire is a few hours drive away from Prince George. The sun set is supposed to be 8:20pm tonight in Prince George. This is what it looks like now. #BCwildfire pic.twitter.com/Q29BhlF0si — Richard Zussman (@richardzussman) August 15, 2018 READ MORE: First Nation near Fraser Lake frustrated about lack of firefighting support Ash is floating in the air in Prince George Wednesday morning due to the fires burning nearby. On Aug. 12, the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako declared a local state of emergency in the region. This will remain in place until Aug. 19 unless cancelled by order of the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako or the solicitor general. On Aug. 13, an evacuation order was expanded due to the Shovel Lake wildfire. The order is now in effect for east of the centre of Taltapin Lake to west of the Sutherland Angly FSR and Sutherland FSR, south of the Camsell FSR-Cunningham FSR Junction and Cunningham FSR-Marie North FSR Junction to Stella Rd and the north shore of Fraser Lake to the boundary of Nadleh Whut’en First Nation. Evacuees are asked to register at the ESS reception centre at the Back Entrance of the CN Centre in Prince George, located at 100-2187 Ospika Blvd. Story continues below advertisement WATCH: Province continues to battle almost 600 wildfires 3:29 Province continues to battle almost 600 wildfires Province continues to battle almost 600 wildfires – Aug 14, 2018 PHOTOS: The Shovel Lake wildfire: Erickson Air Crane heavy lift helicopter dousing flames for us on the Shovel Lake fire. Reports are over 50,000 hectares now! 😩#wildfires #fireforestfire #bcstrong pic.twitter.com/Us8gIKW9lc — Master Crouse (@CrouseMaster) August 15, 2018 Story continues below advertisement @weathernetwork I took this photo at 4pm today outside my office in #Vanderhoof. #BCWildfires. Smoke from the Island Lake and Shovel wildfires. pic.twitter.com/KPJkwaDOrX — Renee D (@ReneeD1979) August 15, 2018 Burning nearby is the Island Lake wildfire at 13,000 hectares, the Verdun Mountain wildfire at 4,500 hectares, the Nadina Lake wildfire at 25,000 hectares, the Shag Creek wildfire at 9,300 hectares, the Narcosli Creek wildfire at 3,400 hectares and the Tweedsmuir Complex wildfires, estimated at around 35,000 hectares in size. View image in full screen Highway 16 between Fort Fraser and Fraser Lake. Credit: Shawna Grey. Highway 16 between Fort Fraser and Fraser Lake. Credit: Shawna Grey. Highway 16 between Fort Fraser and Fraser Lake. Credit: Shawna Grey.<doc-sep>

The B.C. Wildfire Service has issued an "extreme fire behaviour" warning for the Shovel Lake fire burning west of Prince George. The service says it has notified the regional District of Bulkley-Nechako of that possibility late Thursday afternoon due to high winds expected over the next 24 hours. According to Natural Resources Canada, extreme fire behaviour is characterized by a "fast-spreading, high-intensity crown fire" that can be very difficult to control. The Wildfire Service says a crown fire is one that advances through the treetops, as well as along the forest floor. 'Evacuate immediately' "Some residents have chosen not to comply with evacuation orders. Due to the Extreme Fire Behaviour Warning, the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako urges all residents in areas under evacuation orders to evacuate immediately," the release reads in part. At more than 68,000 hectares (680 square kilometres) in size, the Shovel Lake fire is the largest wildfire burning in B.C. The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako has been warned of the risk of extreme fire behaviour from the Shovel Lake wildfire burning west of Prince George. (Andrew Kurjata/CBC) Fort St. James Mayor Rob MacDougall said the past few days have been "overwhelming on many fronts." "I think because it is so new. We haven't experienced the threat of fire in the past and so close, and so I think there's a bit of angst in the community," he said. Fort St. James National Historic Site is home to Canada's largest collection of fur-trade-era wood buildings. Maintenance teams from Parks Canada have set up a sprinkler system on the roofs of the buildings, and are wetting the grounds to prevent any sparks from flaming up in the park. Lyle Penner, with the park's maintenance team, has been going building to building, ensuring every structure has been sufficiently protected. "Some of these buildings are about 130 years of age and are a critical part of Canadian history," he said. Fort St James historic site has sprinklers set up to protect buildings ~130 years old #bcwildfire pic.twitter.com/IqVp3cn52l —@akurjata Evacuation alert for city of Kimberley A new evacuation alert was issued late Thursday for the entire city of Kimberley and other properties directly south and southwest of the city in the Regional District East Kootenay. The southeast B.C. city has about 4,500 residents. Mayor Don McCormick said in a statement that if an evacuation is needed, residents will be given as much advance notice as possible, but cautioned there may be limited notice due to changing conditions. An evacuation order issued late Thursday by the Cariboo Regional District covered 62 properties in the Dean River North area, including Itcha Ilgachuz Provincial Park, southwest of Prince George. Due to the immediate danger, members of the RCMP or other groups were going door to door. The evacuation route is Highway 20 to Williams Lake. An evacuation order was also issued by the Regional District of East Kootenay on Thursday night. Residents of 65 properties in the St. Mary Lake area have been told to leave their homes immediately, and members of the RCMP are helping. B.C. is in its second day of a province-wide state of emergency. There are nearly 600 wildfires burning across the province. The residents of about 1,500 properties have been forced to evacuate, while 9,500 more must be prepared to leave at a moment's notice. The federal government has promised to send 200 Canadian Armed Forces members to B.C. to help. A first team of 100 was deployed early Thursday to an area west of Kelowna to start the mop-up of contained fires. The Department of National Defence said it's still working with the B.C. Wildfire Service to determine where and when the other troops will be needed. Thirty-six new fires started between Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon, mostly sparked by lightning. With files from Andrew Kurjata and The Canadian Press Read more from CBC British Columbia

Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter by email with the day's key headlines and transfer news Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Croatia will not be disqualified from the World Cup, despite calls to have them removed from the final. England were eliminated from the competition after bowing out in the semi-finals to the Balkan nation on Wednesday night. Mario Mandzukic's goal in extra-time condemned England to their fate and sent Croatia into their first-ever showpiece final, where they will face France. However since the semi-final, there has been continual calls for Croatia to be thrown out of the competition. In fact, "World Cup Croatia disqualified" has become one of the most searched for terms in Google from users in the United Kingdom since the end of the game. (Image: AFP) (Image: AMA/Getty) We linked up with our friends at football.london to list the three key reasons why people want to see Croatia kicked out of the final - and also explain why it will not happen... Rebic shown two yellows but not a red? The theory: There was some confusion when Ante Rebic was booked in the first-half of extra-time as many were led to believe he had already been cautioned in the 48th minute. It had looked on the TV like Rebic was cautioned on two separate occasions, only for Rebic to walk off and continue playing in the game. Why there is no issue: However, it turns out that after a VAR review a Croatia player was indeed shown a yellow card by referee Cuneyt Cakir but it was to Mandzukic instead for throwing the ball away. Therefore a repeat of Graham Poll's fiasco from the 2006 World Cup, when the Croats momentarily benefited from the official failing to spot he booked Josip Simunic three times, was avoided. (Image: AFP) (Image: AFP) Should Vida have been allowed to play? The theory: Speaking of bans, one player who could have missed the semi-final was defender Domagoj Vida. Following Croatia's penalty shootout win over Russia at the quarter-final stage, video footage leaked of him alongside former teammate Ognjen Vukojevic, who is currently working as a scout for Dynamo Kiev, saying: "Glory to Ukraine". This sparked controversy as there were calls for Vida to be banned. Vukojevic, interestingly, was sacked by Croatia for the gesture but Vida was allowed to continue with the team. Why there is no issue: FIFA cleared the Croatian to play against England and he went on to produce a dominant display from the second half onwards to keep Harry Kane quiet. Any action that could be taken against Vida will be by Croatian authorities after the tournament. (Image: Youtube) (Image: REX/Shutterstock) Was the standard of refereeing up to scratch? The theory: A number of England fans were left unimpressed by Cuneyt Cakir's handling of the game, in particular how he failed to issue Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren a yellow card throughout the entire 120 minutes. The centre-back struggled up against the pace of Raheem Sterling and was forced to make a number of rash challenges - he even took out Harry Kane on one occasion - yet his name didn't go into the book once. Furthermore, some fans have argued that Perisic's equaliser shouldn't have stood due to a high boot. (Image: AFP) (Image: AFP) Why there is no issue: Referees have generally had a lenient approach to carding throughout the World Cup, which has been considered by many as the best tournament for officiating in some time. FIFA cannot replay a game based on disagreements over refereeing decisions. Regardless of whether an incorrect call was made or not, the result stands.<doc-sep>BE honest, it is easy to pick up a card in any football match these days, let alone at the World Cup. And with the World Cup winding up to its finale, fans are anxiously waiting until the yellow card count resets. 1 Mario Mandzukic is a booking away from missing potential semi-final Credit: Getty Images - Getty But surely yellow cards are wiped out at some stage? Yes. After the quarter-finals when, just like in the Champions League, players are given a clean slate and are ready to go again. Players who receive two yellows before the cut-off will serve a one-game ban. Was it always like this? No. FIFA first started wiping out yellow cards after the quarter-final round in the 2010 World Cup. By wiping yellow cards out ahead of the semi-finals, only a red card would prevent a player from missing the final. Fifa used to wipe out yellow cards after the initial group stage. But the governing body wanted to make sure vital players would not be suspended for the final. So instead of using a system that helps most teams it adopted a system that helps the best teams. MOST READ IN FOOTBALL CRYING BRU Fernandes breaks down in tears as Scholes slams Utd stars who 'accept losing' Revealed FLOP GEA De Gea let in 38th CONSECUTIVE penalty before missing own spot-kick in shootout Live Blog MAN UTD 1 (10) VILLARREAL 1 (11) Penalties heartbreak for United as De Gea misses in epic Exclusive THREE-PEAT De Bruyne has been nursing THREE injuries in build-up to Champions League final MAN UTD VERDICT Solskjaer blew chance to end trophy drought & it won't get easier than this Live Blog FOOTBALL NEWS LIVE Zidane QUITS Real Madrid, Antonio Conte leaves Inter Milan Live Blog RED DEVILS NEWS Europa League final build-up as Maguire NOT yet ruled out, Ronaldo LATEST JEEPERS KEEPERS Agony for Man Utd as De Gea misses after epic shootout goes down to GOALIES Man UTD RATINGS Cavani shines on big stage but Rashford and Fernandes go missing in final Pictured PAUL OR NOTHING Pogba gives Man Utd rousing Europa team-talk... but it falls on deaf ears Who was a major casualty of the previous yellow card system? In 2002 Germany captain Michael Ballack picked up a yellow card in the semi-final against South Korea, his second of the knockout round. He was suspended for the final that saw Germany lose 2-0 to Brazil. And infamously for England, Paul Gascoigne was left in tears after being booked in the 1990 semi-final against West Germany. But it was ultimately irrelevant as the Germans won on penalties and knocked England out. Who is banned from the semi-final? Yellow cards have now been wiped and only one player will miss their country's semi-final. That is Thomas Meunier of Belgium, who received his second tournament yellow card for a foul on Neymar in the quarter-final. Which country has the hottest girls left in the World Cup?<doc-sep>Croatia’s Domagoj Vida has avoided punishment from Fifa after being filmed saying “glory to Ukraine“ in the wake of his side’s quarter-final win over Russia. The defender, who scored Croatia's second goal deep into extra time, recorded the footage with Croatian scout Ognjen Vukojevic during the side’s celebrations in Sochi. In the video, posted on YouTube, Vida shouts out “glory to Ukraine” – a populist phrase that continues to be used by many Ukrainians after the events of 2014, when a pro-Russian government in Kiev was overturned, Russia annexed Crimea, and conflict broke out in eastern Ukraine. Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Show all 25 1 /25 Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings AFP/Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Russia Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Igor Akinfeev - 5.5 out of 10 Could do nothing about Croatia’s equaliser and the second goal was right in the corner, both goals weren't his fault. AFP/Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Mario Fernandes - 8 Came forward on the overlap with great pace and defended strongly against Mandzukic, scored the equaliser in extra time to take it to penalties. AFP/Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Ilja Kutepov - 5 Communication was lacking with Ignashevich at the back and defended way too deep in the second half, allowing Croatia to come at Russia repeatedly. AFP/Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Sergey Ignashevich - 5 Didn’t close Mandzukic down properly and gave him too much space which led to the equaliser. Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Fyodor Kudryashov - 6 Made some good clearances when the ball came in from the wings and came forward to give Russia options out wide AFP/Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Daler Kuzyaev - 5 Had a very quiet game especially in the second half when Russia couldn’t get the ball forward quick enough AFP/Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Roman Zobnin - 5.5 Created some chances in the first half but got held back in the second as he was asked to defend more. FIFA via Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Alexander Samedov - 5.5 Ran into space when Russia had an attack, was quick on the counter and unlucky not to have a better chance on goal FIFA via Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Alexander Golovin - 6 Started the second half strongly winning the ball in mid-field but Russia had too few attacks for him to make a difference Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Denis Cheryshev - 7 Scored the first goal with a spectacular left-footed strike and worked well with Dzyuba Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Artyom Dzyuba - 6 Was great up front for Russia, he got into space, held the ball up well, used his body to block defenders and set up Cheryshev for the first goal. Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Croatia Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Danijel Subasic - 5.5 Hardly had a chance to save the first goal but could have made a better effort to save it, perhaps stood too far off his line, made some great saves in extra time when Russia tried to level things. Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Sime Vrsaljko - 6 Got forward well and created chances with balls into the box, kept Russia quiet when they came down the left-hand side as well. AFP/Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Dejan Lovren - 5 Got a yellow card in the first-half for a poor challenge but defended well after the first gaol went in. Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Domagoj Vida - 7 Made two or three good blocks in defence when Russia looked threatening on the counter attack and scored the second goal from a corner in extra time. Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Ivan Strinic - 5 Loved to get forward which meant he left gaps at the back and Fernandes was able to get in behind him on multiple occasions. AFP/Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Luka Modric - 7 Worked extremely hard in the second half to recover the ball up the pitch, he placed lots of balls out wide and got himself in areas to shoot. His corner found Vida to give Croatia the winner. Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Ivan Rakitic - 7 Had his best chance from a free kick which he put high and wide, poor defending from him and Modric, led to the first goal. He kept pushing in the second half and scored the winning penalty to send Croatia through . Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Ante Rebic - 6 Was the driving force behind Croatia’s attacking players, early on he had a shot blocked and a header went wide but he created chances when Croatia looked slow and sluggish. Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Andrej Kramaric - 7 Scored the equaliser for Croatia, he found space in the box and finished his header clinically. Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Ivan Perisic - 5.5 Got into the box on numerous occasions and almost scored the opening goal when his header just went wide. AFP/Getty Images Russia vs Croatia: Player ratings Mario Mandzukic - 7 Made a great run into space on the right that led to the equaliser, his cross found Kramaric perfectly, but he did little else in front of goal. AFP/Getty Images Vukojevic, who earned 55 caps as a defensive midfielder before ending his international career after the 2014 World Cup, adds: “This victory is for Dynamo (Kiev) and for Ukraine.” The video has sparked a backlash in Russia, which continues to support the independence claims of Ukraine’s Russian-speaking minority. In 2014, the Crimean peninsula was annexed from Ukraine by Russia. While a number of countries have come to recognise Crimea as part of the Russian Federation, Ukraine continues to claim the region as an integral part of its territory. Given the political connotations, Vida’s post-match celebrations threatened to draw punishment from Fifa. However, after a brief review of the incident, the governing body confirmed that it had simply issued a warning to the defender over his comments. “We can confirm that FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has sent a warning to the player Domagoj Vida due to his video statement following the 2018 Fifa World Cup match between Russia and Croatia,” Fifa said. According to Fifa’s disciplinary code, political slogans are banned from the game while Section 54 states that: “Anyone who provokes the general public during a match will be suspended for two matches and sanctioned with a minimum fine of CHF 5,000 (£3,800).” Vida later played down his celebrations as a “joke”. “This victory is for Croatia. No politics,” he said. “It’s a joke. I’ve got friends there since I joined Dynamo Kyiv, I didn’t mean anything else. “I don’t why Russian fans might not get it. I like Russian people. It was just a joke.” Earlier in the tournament, Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri were disciplined after their controversial goal celebrations against Serbia were deemed to have breached Fifa regulations. Following a short investigation, Fifa opted to fine the pair “for unsporting behaviour contrary to the principles of fair-play during their goal(s) celebrations at the match Switzerland vs. Serbia.”<doc-sep>

A GROUP of England fans believe Croatia should be banned from the World Cup. Mario Mandzukic's extra-time goal broke English hearts to send Gareth Southgate's side packing in the semi-finals. 5 Mario Mandzukic sealed the Three Lions fate beating Pickford at the net in extra time Credit: AFP or licensors The Three Lions were just 45 minutes away from their first final since 1966 when Kieran Trippier's free-kick put England ahead. And supporters are clinging onto false hope by trying to suggest Croatia should be booted out of the competition and here's why. TV cameras appeared to show Ante Rebic receiving two yellow cards without being given his marching orders. The Croatia forward was certainly booked in the 48th minute but supporters questioned why he was still on the pitch when the ref brandished another in extra-time. Ivan Perisic scores ’controversial’ equaliser for Croatia in World Cup semi-final with England 5 Rebic picked up a yellow card in the 48th minute Credit: AFP or licensors 5 Striker Mandzukic was the man who received the extra-time booking Credit: AFP or licensors But it was in fact Mandzukic who was booked, with ITV footage failing to show the incident clearly. Former ref Graham Poll made the famous error at the 2006 World Cup when he booked Josip Simunic three times. Another controversial incident was the decision to allow Domagoj Vida to play. Just days before a video emerged of the defender shouting "Glory to Ukraine". England tried to score sneaky equaliser while Croatia celebrated Mario Mandzukic’s winner 5 Fans believe Vida shouldn't have been allowed to play in the contest Credit: EPA Ivan Rakitic believes ‘hundreds of millions’ will be supporting Croatia in World Cup final with France 5 Ivan Perisic raised his boot to score Croatia's equaliser Credit: Getty Images - Getty Croatia fans light flares and go crazy in Zagreb as their side set up World Cup final with France most read in football CRYING BRU Fernandes breaks down in tears as Scholes slams Utd stars who 'accept losing' Revealed FLOP GEA De Gea let in 38th CONSECUTIVE penalty before missing own spot-kick in shootout Live Blog MAN UTD 1 (10) VILLARREAL 1 (11) Penalties heartbreak for United as De Gea misses in epic Exclusive THREE-PEAT De Bruyne has been nursing THREE injuries in build-up to Champions League final MAN UTD VERDICT Solskjaer blew chance to end trophy drought & it won't get easier than this Live Blog FOOTBALL NEWS LIVE Zidane QUITS Real Madrid, Antonio Conte leaves Inter Milan JEEPERS KEEPERS Agony for Man Utd as De Gea misses after epic shootout goes down to GOALIES Man UTD RATINGS Cavani shines on big stage but Rashford and Fernandes go missing in final ZINE ENOUGH Zidane 'quits Real Madrid with immediate effect' after troubled Bernabeu season Pictured THE PINK PUNDIT Jamie Carragher forced to wear a PINK WIG on air after losing Man Utd bet There were calls for him to be banned from Fifa but he was cleared and produced a commanding display in defence. And finally fans were left furious with the official for failing to send off Dejan Lovren. The Liverpool man failed to receive a caution despite a number of rash tackles while viewers also thought Ivan Perisic should have been banned for his high boot for the equaliser.

Navratri 2018 Date: This year, the festival will be celebrated from October 10 to October 18. Navratri 2018 Date: This year, the festival will be celebrated from October 10 to October 18. Navratri or Navaratri, is one of the most anticipated Hindu festivals and is celebrated for nine-long days. It lays importance on the worship of Goddess Durga or Shakti, which represents the energy of the universe, in her nine different forms. Several states observe the festival and partake in the revelry and even though the stories differ, the core message remains the same – the victory of good over evil. ALSO READ: Navratri 2018: Head to these restaurants across India for a delicious Navratri fare While there are four seasonal Navratris, Sharad Navratri, the one observed post-monsoon, is considered the most auspicious. According to the Hindu calendar, it is celebrated in the month of Ashvin, that generally falls in September and October. This year the festival will be celebrated from October 10 to October 18. ALSO READ: Importance & Significance of Navratri Festival in India In the eastern and north-eastern states of India, the festival is referred to as Durga Puja. It is believed, that Goddess Durga battled with demon Mahishasura and defeated him. To celebrate her victory and Mahishasura’s defeat, the day is marked to worship and honour the Goddess. In North India, the nine-day festival is observed to celebrate the victory of Rama over Ravana. For nine days, Ramlila is enacted on stage, and on the tenth and final day, when Rama ‘kills’ Ravana with his bow, the festival is celebrated by burning effigies of Ravana and his brothers Meghnad and Kumbhakaran.<doc-sep>Navratri or the nine sacred days, is celebrated across the country to mark the most auspicious days of the lunar Hindu calendar. Also known as Maha Navratri, this festival falls in the lunar month of Ashwin during Sharad Ritu. The word Navratri is derived from Sanskrit which means nine nights - Nava (nine) Ratri (night). Celebrated with fervour and festivity all over north India, these nine days are dedicated to goddess Durga and her nine avatars. Each day of the festival also has a designated colour, which the devotees all over the country incorporate in their dresses during the nine-day festival. These colours are green, blue, red, orange, yellow, indigo, violet, pink and tints and hues of golden. IMPORTANT DATE: The auspicious festival begins on October 10, 2018 and will end on October 19, 2018. Although, it typically falls four times in a year, the Sharada Navaratri during autumn (September-October) is the most celebrated, and the Vasanta Navaratri during spring (March-April) is the next most significant Navratri. SIGNIFICANCE: It is believed that during this time, goddess Durga battled the demon Mahishasura, who represents egotism and emerged victorious to help restore peace and dharma. The nine-day festival ends with the celebration of Dussehra, which signifies the victory of good over evil. According to the legends, Dussehra goes back to the Ramayana. It signifies the day Lord Rama killed Ravana for abducting his wife Sita. Due to this, the festival is celebrated by burning effigies of Ravana. FOOD EATEN DURING THE FESTIVAL: Around the country the festival is celebrated with people fasting to seek blessings from the diety during the nine days. All the things that you can eat during this period are fried or boiled potatoes, kadhi prepared with kuttu atta and sea salt, aloo tikki, banana chips, makhane ki sabzi, fruits and fruit juices, sabudana kheer, curd, lassi and kuttu atta roti with kaddu sabzi or aloo sabzi. So, go forth, have a fabulous Navratri.<doc-sep>Navratri begins this week (Picture: Getty Images) The Navratri festival will begin on Wednesday 10 October 2018 and ends on Thursday 18 October this year. Navratri is a nine-night festival that ends with Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, which celebrates the victory of good over evil. Amazon mocked for AmaZen mental health 'cry closets' set up on factory floor During Navratri, the Goddess Durga, or the mother goddess, is worshipped in each of her nine forms, with each day having a different ritual associated with it. People will dress in a different colour each day of Navratri, which is decided based on what day of the week the festival starts and then it follows a fixed cycle. Dates and colours for Navratri festivals across India may very as tradition and religion take on different forms in different areas. Indian folk dancers participate in a ‘Garba’ dance rehearsal ahead of the forthcoming ‘Navratri’ festival, in Ahmedabad (Picture: Getty Images) The 10 days of Navratri: what colour you should wear each day and why Day 1: Pratipada (10 October 2018) The day Navratri begins is marked by the ritual Ghatasthapana which is performed to invoke the energy of the Goddess Durga. The goddess is worshipped on this day as Shailputri is an incarnation of the Goddess Pravati, her name meaning ‘Daughter of the Mountain’ which represents nature and purity. As Navratri starts on a Wednesday this year the colour to wear for this day is royal blue. Day 2: Dwitiya (11 October 2018) The goddess is worshipped as Brahmacharini who is the unmarried form of the Goddess Parvati. She undertook great penance to get Lord Shiva to marry her and she is associated with pious strictness. The colour for this day is yellow. Day 3: Tritiya (12 October 2018) On this day the goddess is worshipped as the married form of Goddess Parvati: Chandraghanta. The name is derived from the half-moon on her forehead, which looks like a bell. The colour for this day is green. Artists dressed like the characters of Ramayana performing during a roadshow on the occasion of 9th day of Navratri (Picture: Getty) Day 4: Chaturthi (13 October 2018) The goddess is worshipped as Kushmanda, who lived in side the sun and is believed to have created the universe, giving it light and energy. The colour to wear on this day is grey. Day 5: Panchami (14 October 2018) The goddess is worshipped on this day in the form Skandamta the mother of Kartikey. The colour is orange. Day 6: Shasthi (15 October 2018) The goddess is worshipped as Katyayani, which is the form of Goddess Parvati that morphs into to fight and destroy the buffalo demon Mahishasura and this day represents the warrior form of the goddess. The colour to be worn is white. (Picture: Arijit Sen/Hindustan Times/Getty) Day 7: Saptami (16 October 2018) The goddess is worshipped in the Kalaratri form, or the dark night. She is the form of the goddess that is fierce and represents the protection from all troubles, and the colour for this day is red. Day 8: Ashtami (17 October 2018) The form of the goddess worshipped on this day of Navratri is Mahagauri which is the younger version of Shailputri who had fair and perfect complexion. She represents beauty, grace and the cleansing of sins. The colour to wear to worship this day is sky blue. Day 9: Navami (18 October 2018) Goddess Durga is worshipped as Siddhidatri who embodies all eight siddhis – the supernatural powers. She granted Lord Shiva the powers when he worshipped her and it is believed that she will also bestow them onto her devotees. The colour people wear for this day is pink. Dussehra: Day 10 (19 October 2018) The victory of good over evil. On the final day of Navratri people wear any bright and colourful clothing. A male dancer performs as one of the nine avatars of Durga at Gyan Mancha (Picture: Samir Jana/Hindustan Times/Getty) Navratri is celebrated differently in different regions, for example, in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra people wear different colours of dress on each day. In South India, the Goddess Durga is worshipped for the first three days of Navratri, followed by Goddess Lakshmi for the next three days and ending with Goddess Saraswati on the final three days of Navratri. The most renowned and flamboyant Navratri celebrations occur in western India in Gujarat and Mumbai. In west Bengal, Navratri and Dussehra are celebrated as Durga Puja. In Western India, the festival is celebrated with nine nights of dancing – the traditional dances of Gujarat (garba and dandiya raas) are performed in circles with dancers dressed in colourful clothes. Goddess Durga statue at Dadar Workshop days ahead of Navratri (Picture: Getty) They decorate a small clay pot on the first day of Navratri, a small candle is kept in it, women dance around the pot (garba or womb) as it is regarded as the source of life. In Mumbai, dancing takes over in stadiums and clubs and the celebrations are given a modern twist with the ‘disco dandiya.’ People celebrate to the beat of Hindi pop music. In Delhi, the Navratri celebrations are characterised by the Ramlila plays that take place over the city. Huge effigies of the demon Ravan are burned on Dussehra as according to Hindu mythology in the Ramayana, at the beginning of Navrarti, Rama prayed to the Goddess Durga to grant him the power to slay Ravan. (Picture: Prasad Gori/Hindustan Times/Getty) He received the power on the eighth day and Ravan was defeated on Dussehra. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh celebrate Navratri as Golu, and they celebrate by displaying dolls as they are a symbol of feminine power. Over the course of Navratri people worship by fasting in the mornings, and in the evenings there is feasting and dancing.<doc-sep>Navratri 2018 is just around the corner and Indians across the country are looking to celebrate the 9-day festival with much fervour. Navratri 2018 starts on Wednesday, 10th October, 2018 and will end on Friday, 19th October, 2018. Sharad Navratri is said to be one of the most popular and significant Navratri of all Navratris. It is also known as Maha Navratri. It falls in the lunar month of Ashwin during Sharad Ritu. All the nine days of the festival are dedicated to the nine forms of Goddess Shakti and the festivity culminates on tenth day with Vijay Dashami or Dussehra. During these nine days, devotees observe fast to seek blessings from the deity. During the fasting period, while there are certain things that you are allowed to eat, some edibles are prohibited. As we prepare for the big celebration to commence, here are the foods that you must stock up for the fasting period. When Is Navratri 2018 | Navratri Date Here's a guide to when is Navratri 2018: (Also Read: Navratri Colours 2018 And Foods For All 9 Days Of Sharad Navratri) Day and Date Name of the day 10th October, 2018 (Wednesday) Pratipada 11th October, 2018 (Thursday) Dwitiya 12th October, 2018 (Friday) Tritiya 13th October, 2018 (Saturday) Chaturthi 14th October, 2018 (Sunday) Panchami 15th October, 2018 (Monday) Sashti 16th October, 2018 (Tuesday) Saptami 17th October, 2018 (Wednesday) Ashtami 18th October, 2018 (Thursday) Navami 19th October, 2018 (Friday) Dashami Navratri 2018: Foods That You Should Stock Up For The Fasting Period Fruits Fruits are the best way to make Navratri healthy. Load up on fruits like apples, figs, water chestnuts (singhara), bananas, pomegranate (anaar), kiwi, et al during the fasting period and save yourself from hunger and thirst. These hydrating fruits will help you keep energised through the day. (Also Read: How To Cook These Six Fruits Into Delicious Desserts During Navratri Fast) Navratri 2018: Fruits are the best way to make Navratri healthy Vegetables While there are no restrictions in terms of fruits, there are certain vegetables that might be restricted during the fasting period. Veggies like potatoes, lauki or bottle gourd, yellow pumpkin, arbi, cucumber, sweet potato and colocassia are allowed to eat during Navratri. As per Chef Manjusha Sinha, one can consume any root vegetable or tubers during these fasts. Here's a list of vegetables you can and cannot eat during Navratri fast. Spices It is said that one can have subtle spices like cumin, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorn, tamarind, nutmeg, kokum, dry pomegranate seeds, and ajwain in their fasting diet. Spices you cannot have are turmeric, hing, garam masala, dhania seeds etc. Here's a complete list of spices that you can and cannot eat during Navratri fasting. (Also Read: 10 Navratri Special Foods You Can Enjoy While Observing Navratri Fast) Navratri 2018: It is said that one can have subtle spices during Navratri Flours Since regular flours like wheat and all-purpose flour or maida are not allowed, flours like buckwheat (kuttu), amaranth and water chestnut flour (singhara atta) can be used as healthy and amazing alternatives. Oil Since mustard seeds or mustard oil is not allowed during Navratri, you could switch to ghee, vegetable oil or peanut oil to prepare food. Dairy products You can have dairy products like paneer, milk, yogurt, and cream, except commercially bought butter and cheese that have lots of salt in it. During the fasting period, one cannot have table salt, which is why it is best to avoid the two above mentioned dairy products. In case you want to eat butter, make it at home. Here's how you can make it salt-free yet tasty. Navratri 2018: You can have dairy products like paneer, milk, yogurt, and cream Other Navratri foods Other foods that you can have during Navratri fasting are sabudana (tapioca pearls), coconut water, makhane or fox nuts, almond milk, cashew milk, coconut, nuts like almond, cashew, raisins and walnuts. If you are observing fast this Navratri, make sure you choose the right foods to stay healthy and hydrated through the festival.<doc-sep>

Navratri: Thousands flock to streets in India for 2017 celebrations Navratri is a nine-night festival that ends with Dussehra on the 10th day - this year, that is Thursday, October 18. The dates of the celebration are determined by the moon, so they vary a little each year and by location. On each day of Navratri, the Goddess Durga is worshipped in each of her nine forms, with each day having a different ritual associated with it. However, the festival is celebrated differently and for different reasons in different regions. How Navratri is celebrated DAY 1: Pratipada The first day of Navratri is marked by the ritual Ghatasthapana which is performed to invoke the energy of the Goddess Durga. The goddess is worshipped on this day as Shailputri is an incarnation of the Goddess Pravati meaning ‘Daughter of the Mountain’ representing nature and purity, The colour to wear for this day is yellow. DAY 2: Dwitiya The goddess form Brahmacharini - the unmarried form of the Goddess Pavrati - is worshipped. The colour to wear on this day of Navratri is green. Navratri 2018 greetings: On each day of Navratri, the Goddess Durga is worshipped Navratri 2018: The festival is celebrated differently in different regions DAY 3: Tritiya On this day, the goddess is worshipped in the married form of Goddess Pavrati: Chandraghanta. The name is derived from the half-moon on her forehead, which looks like a bell. The colour for this day is grey. DAY 4: Chaturthi The goddess is worshipped as Kushmanda, who lived in the sun and is believed to have created the universe. The colour worn on this day is orange. Navratri 2018: The Goddess Durga. DAY 5: Panchami The goddess is worshipped on this day in the form Skandamta the mother of Kartikey. The colour worn is white. DAY 6: Shasthi The goddess is worshipped as Katyayani, the warrior goddess form morphed into a buffalo demon, Mahishasura. The colour to be worn is red. Navratri 2018: The dates of the celebration are determined by the moon DAY 7: Saptami The goddess is worshipped in the Kalaratri form, or the dark night. She is the form of the goddess that is fierce and represents the protection trouble. The colour for this day is royal blue. DAY 8: Ashtami The form of the goddess worshipped on this day of Navratri is Mahagauri, who represents beauty, grace and the cleansing of sins. The colour to wear to worship this day is pink. Navratri 2018: The festival that ends with Dussehra on the 10th day

Drake’s new double album, Scorpion, is out, and one of its recurring themes is fatherhood — specifically, Drake reportedly fathering the son of a French actress. “That shit is in stone, sealed and signed,” he raps in the song “March 14.” “She’s not my lover like Billie Jean, but the kid is mine.” Elsewhere on the album he works out his contentious feelings toward the child’s mother, his overwhelmed reaction to learning he was a dad, and his resentment at the publicity around the event. The news that Drake is owning his parental status is big — so big it’s overshadowed nearly everything else about the sprawling album, including what is apparently new vocals from the late Michael Jackson. But there’s a lot more to Drake’s rhymes on this subject than his own personal reflections on what it means to be a dad. It might be a stretch to say that the 2018 album Scorpion only spends as much time on fatherhood as it does because Lil Wayne wore Bape once — but then again, it might not. Such is the delightfully labyrinthine rap feud behind the story of Scorpion — which starts with “The Story of Adidon,” the mystifying killer diss track of Drake that Pusha T released in May. Like many rap artists, Drake is no stranger to beef. But the latest involving Pusha T and “The Story of Adidon” has left some fans and onlookers scratching their heads. Why was Drake in blackface? Where did Pusha get that photo? Does Drake really have a secret love child? And what’s all this about invoices and fashion wars, again? Pusha T dropped “The Story of Adidon” on YouTube without a lot of fanfare, but it immediately caused a sensation, garnering 2.5 million views in less than a day. And no wonder — was that Drake in blackface on the cover? (Yes. Yes it was.) Pusha’s track was a full-on Drake diss, containing lyrics like, “Let’s have a heart-to-heart about your pride / Even though you’re multi, I see that your soul don’t look alive.” The song mocks Drake’s dad, skewers Drake’s attitude toward blackness, and accuses Drake of being a deadbeat dad to Adonis, the son he’s rumored to have fathered with a French woman named Sophie Brussaux, a former porn actress, in October 2017. Drake seems to have publicly acknowledged the relationship at last in multiple tracks from his new album Scorpion, in which he raps that “the kid is mine,” apparently in response to the uproar. If Pusha going all in on Drake’s approach to fatherhood seems a little harsh, hold up. In fact, the feud between Drake and Pusha may be all about an entirely different set of rappers — but we’ll get to that in a minute. For now, let’s break down the many things happening in “Adidon,” and what led to Pusha turning in one of the most glorious installments in rap feuds since the halcyon days of 50 Cent. “Adidon” tackles complex, intermingled themes of fatherhood and blackness Pusha T’s thesis for “The Story of Adidon” is basically twofold: Drake’s confusion about his biracial identity has led him to adopt a hypocritical attitude toward fatherhood. The result, so sayeth Pusha, is that Drake is simultaneously abandoning his son while clinging to his own father for a sense of authentic blackness, even as he enjoys the privileges of wealth and his ability to “pass” as a white man. Pusha achieves this complex layering by structuring “Story of Adidon” after Jay-Z’s 2017 track “Story of O.J.” Pusha raps over the “Story of O.J.” backing track, and both songs explore the intersection of class, wealth, and black identity in America. Quoting O.J.’s famous apocryphal claim “I’m not black, I’m O.J.,” Jay-Z fills his video with cartoon racist stereotypes. The song serves as a wry critique on gentrification and modern attempts to use wealth to overcome one’s perceived blackness. The song also samples Nina Simone’s famous song “Four Women,” which explores the generational impact of slavery and skin-tone prejudice in America. Each woman is without a surname, left to speculate about who her father could have been based on the color of her skin. This basic theme — of being connected and/or disconnected from black identity through paternity — plays out directly in “Story of Adidon.” The name “Adidon” refers to Drake’s long-rumored upcoming partnership with Adidas. Pusha T’s track fuels rumors that Drake had intended to name his forthcoming sneaker line “Adidon,” a hybrid of Adidas and Adonis, after Brussaux’s 7-month-old son. Pusha thinks that’s a bit hypocritical of Drake, for a few reasons. For starters, he says Drake is a “deadbeat mothafucka, playin’ border patrol” when it comes to his alleged son. “Adonis is your son / and he deserves more than an Adidas press run, that’s real,” he admonishes. At the time of Pusha’s diss, Drake had yet to publicly acknowledge any connection between himself and Adonis. If he had been planning to do it with a line of shoes, it would have been an odd start to fatherhood; but in Scorpion, Drake instead defends his actions in what is apparently a direct response to Pusha. “I wasn’t hiding my kid from the world,” he protests, “I was hiding the world from my kid” — specifically from “empty souls” like Pusha who just want to “debate” him: From empty souls who just wake up and look to debate Until you staring at your seed, you can never relate Pusha argues on the track that it would also be in keeping with Drake’s history with his own father. See, Drake’s father, Dennis Graham, abandoned Drake and his mother in Toronto when Drake was 5 years old. Drake spent much of his rap career publicly working out his well-known issues toward his father in song. In recent years, however, the two seem to have fully reconciled. Drake frequently appears in his dad’s celebrity Instagram and put Graham’s picture on the cover of his 2017 song cycle More Life. Graham, for his part, recently got a giant tattoo of his son’s face. All good stuff, right? Not to Pusha.<doc-sep>Now that the dust has settled on the blockbuster release of Drake's fifth full-length Scorpion, it's time to take stock of 2018's watershed moment in hip-hop. We are of course referring to Drizzy's little tussle with Pusha T, which you may have heard a thing or two about if you're an avid reader of this publication. The historic rap feud finds its origins in a dispute over who wore the brand A Bathing Ape better back in 2006: Lil Wayne or Pharrell. Attentive readers may note that neither of these offended parties are Drake or Pusha T, but label loyalty runs thicker than blood in the world of hip-hop. Regardless of their friends' respective sartorial choices over a decade ago, it is fair to say that this year's shockingly fierce repartee between the two has well-eclipsed (pun intended) the initial clashes, giving way to the most notable rap beef in recent history. Now that both rappers have their new albums out into the world (and with Pusha himself indicating that the feud is "all over"), we're using a highly complex, scientific metric to judge who has emerged victorious in this landmark spat. Both Drake and Pusha are wonderful, but in the words of the great cult film Highlander, 'there can be only one.' Round One: The Backlog Before digging into the proverbial nitty-gritty, points should be allotted to both players for their sly digs that have been levied at each other over the past several years. Already covered extensively in our analysis of their beef, let's briefly revisit the highlights: Says Pusha on Drake's contractual mishaps: “Contract all fucked / I guess that means you all fucked up,” along with, “You signed to one n***a that signed to another n***a / That’s signed to three n***a, now that’s bad luck.” Says Drake on Nothing Was the Same-opener "Tuscan Leather": "Here's a reason for n*ggas that's hatin' without one / That always let they mouth run / Bench players talkin' like starters, I hate it." The ball in Pusha's court: “It’s too far gone when the realest ain’t real / I walk amongst the clouds, so your ceilings ain’t real / These n***as Call of Duty ’cause they killings ain’t real / With a questionable pen so the feeling ain’t real,” continuing with, “The bar’s been lowered / The well’s run dry / They beefing over melodies, but no, not I / See, I’m so top five / If they factor in the truth / I just might blow by.” The ball in Drake's court: “But really it’s you with all the drug dealer stories / That’s gotta stop, though / You made a couple chops and now you think you Chapo / If you ask me though, you ain’t lining the trunk with kilos / You bagging weed watching Pacino with all your n***a / Like, ‘This what we need to be on,’ but you never went live / You middle-man in this shit, boy, you was never them guys / I can tell, ’cause I look most of you dead in your eyes / And you’ll be tryna sell that story for the rest of your lives.” Score – Drake: 2, Pusha: 2 Round Two: L'Entrée de Boeuf Years of parries and exchanging blows now come to a head on "Infrared," the closing track on Pusha T's new album DAYTONA. “The lyric pennin’ equal the Trumps winnin’ / The bigger question is how the Russians did it / It was written like Nas, but it came from Quentin,” raps Pusha, referring to the claims of ghostwriting that have hovered over Drake like a vengeful spirit for years. Impressively, Drake dropped a response within 24 hours of the release of Pusha's latest. "Duppy Freestyle" lays into him, “And as for Q, man, I changed his life a couple times / N***a was at Kroger working double time / Ya’ll acting like he made the boy when I was trying to help the guy / Yeah, who gassed you to play with me? / Man, you made this shit easy as ABCs / Whoever supposedly making me hits, but then got no hits sound like they need me / My hooks did it, my lyrics did it, my spirit did it.” Which of course brings us to the infamous, instantly-iconic "The Story of Adidon." Like a cobra waiting patiently to snatch his prey, Pusha delivered this sermon of rage and hate, clearly intending for Drake to come for him. The rest (from unearthing a photo of Drake in blackface to revealing his secret child to lambasting his failed fatherhood to taking aim at innocent bystander Noah "40" Shebib's debilitating disease) is history. What was once an exchange of blows was revealed to be a grand design of Pusha; a lean, mean stratagem whose purpose was to eviscerate Drake's image in the public eye forever. 2 points for Pusha's well-placed bait, 5 points for Drake's efficient response, 15 points to Push for the greatest diss track of the decade. Drake's extremely-delayed response on Scorpion and sorry excuse of a press release regarding his blackface image are too pitiful to be scored. Score – Drake: 7, Pusha: 19 Round Three: The Albums Now that both full-lengths are here, it is only fair that we judge the quality of the records they released on purely musical terms (For a deatiled take on both, be sure to read our reviews of DAYTONA and Scorpion). Coming in the wake of Kanye West's embarrassing fall from grace, expectations were tense ahead of the release of DAYTONA, the first in West's G.O.O.D. Music rollout. Said expectations were instantly shattered by the sheer, expert musicality of the record itself. It is no stretch to say that this is the best release in Pusha's career since Clipse's Lord Willin', a perfect storm of a rapper at the peak of his powers, production of the highest caliber, and a sound edgy and dark enough to suit these troubled times.<doc-sep>The extremely long beef between the two rappers came back to life this year as they traded barbs over tracks. On Pusha’s album “Daytona,” he brought up all Drake’s ghostwriting drama. Drake name-dropped Pusha’s fiancee by her real name in “Duppy Freestyle,” which then caused Pusha to declare “all bets are off” and “everything else is fair game” before releasing his diss track, “The Story of Adidon.” In it, Pusha accuses Drake of hiding a son and abandoning him. He also used a real photo of Drake in blackface as the cover art. Drake had to clarify he took the photo as part of an art project highlighting the struggles of black actors.<doc-sep>Pusha T doesn't seem to have any bad blood towards Drake following their back-and-forth. In fact, he's actually interested in hearing Drizzy's latest opus, Scorpion. Pusha T recently sat down with the Guardian to discuss his latest album, Kanye West and of course, Drake. In terms of his feud with Drake, everything is done at this point and he believes that their back-and-forth was an incredible moment for hip hop. “He said what he said, I said what I said, now it’s done. It stayed how it was supposed to stay, just words,” Pusha T said. “It was definitely good for hip-hop. What has been more energetic than this?” Pusha T's view on the feud likely differs from Drake. Pusha T ultimately exposed Drake on "hiding a child" on his diss track which was later confirmed on Scorpion. When he was asked whether he'd listen to Drizzy's latest project, Push responded: "Hell yeah! I gotta have something to compare Daytona to, don’t I?" In addition to speaking on his beef with Drake, Pusha T also detailed his conversation with Kanye West after his infamous TMZ Live appearance. “Well, when he did TMZ, I flew to Wyoming the next day [to confront him]." He said, "We spoke about insensitivity. The actual messaging. Where I felt he went wrong. You can’t even paraphrase about situations and issues that are so personal to people. When it comes to death and real-life people and persecution and things where families have been divided, you have to be more careful.” Pusha T also revealed that he's already getting ready to put in work on his next album and 'Ye's been pressing him about it as well.<doc-sep>

On Tuesday evening — after a tumultuous Memorial Day weekend defined, in part, by lively celebrity feuds revolving around Kanye West — Pusha-T released a song, “The Story of Adidon,” about his nemesis, Drake. “Drug dealing aside, ghostwriting aside — let’s have a heart-to-heart about your pride,” Pusha begins. From there, it gets ugly. And now, for once, Drake is losing. “The Story of Adidon” is the third and, so far, most exhilarating entry in the most recent round of hostilities between Pusha-T and Drake. First, there’s “Infrared,” which Pusha-T released on Friday. Then, there’s “Duppy Freestyle,” which Drake released several hours after Pusha released “Infrared” and the rest of his most recent album, Daytona. “Infrared” and “Duppy Freestyle” were both exciting releases, but the rappers mostly rehashed old, familiar complaints about each other: Pusha-T accuses Drake of being a music industry hack who doesn’t write his own songs, and Drake retorts that Pusha-T is a broke nobody who routinely exaggerates his criminal past. Typical rapper shit. But “The Story of Adidon” is atypical. “The Story of Adidon” is exceptional. The song is a truly surprising and spectacular escalation of the hostilities that once favored Drake — but no longer. With “The Story of Adidon,” the musical feud has suddenly become a celebrity scandal. For one, the SoundCloud cover art for “The Story of Adidon” is a photo of Drake, smiling, in blackface. The photo is real, Pusha insists, and dates back to a 2008 photo shoot for some forgotten art project that everyone involved now likely regrets. The blackface photo is jarring and scandalous enough in its own right. As a feat of investigative journalism, the song itself is somehow more damning than the photo. Pusha dispenses with his familiar professional complaints against Drake to focus on various matters of paternity, physical fitness, and, most importantly, character. He accuses Drake of biracial self-loathing, which supposedly relates back to the photo of Drake in blackface, and which also explains why Pusha would choose to rap over “The Story of O.J.,” Jay-Z’s song about black stereotypes and racial disavowal. He reveals Drake’s relationship with Sophie Brussaux, a model who — having described Drake as a “Deadbeat ass dad” — seems to be raising Drake’s previously undisclosed child alone. Pusha disparages Drake’s own parents, especially his father, Dennis Graham, who left Drake’s mother, Sandi Graham, to raise the rapper in Canada while his father remained in the U.S. and saw his son only occasionally. Pusha suggests that Drake’s own paternity issues owe to a crippling pathology passed down to him from his parents. As if all of these critiques weren’t exceedingly personal enough, Pusha then mocks Drake’s longtime producer, Noah “40” Shebib, for suffering from multiple sclerosis — a morbid taunt that recalls 2Pac ridiculing the late Prodigy’s sickle cell anemia on “Hit ’em Up.” “The Story of Adidon” is perhaps the most disrespectful song that a rapper will release in this decade. It is difficult to imagine Drake topping Pusha’s insults, or even responding to them at all, since Drake’s edge has never fully sharpened to the point of irrevocable, full-throated cruelty — not even during Drake’s feud with Meek Mill, when the cruelest moment was an onstage meme slideshow. Drake has never been on the defensive quite like this, the subject of so many bewildering questions about blackface, secret children, and his producer’s well being. Pusha said that man is hiding a child. Well? Where is he? !

Subscribe to Push Square on For some, a huge part of the appeal for Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is its additional PlayStation VR mode. Much has been made of the VR content in Bandai Namco's aerial arcade action title, as the idea of dogfighting among the clouds sat in the virtual cockpit is a perfect fit. Luckily, Project Aces hasn't hastily slapped something together to placate PSVR owners -- the mode offers an impressive new perspective on the series' breakneck in-air gameplay. An enforced first person view keeps you firmly in the boots of the ace pilot, Mobius 1, in a short series of missions that take place several years before the events of the regular campaign. There are three missions to play in PSVR, all of which are a little less complex than some of the main game's tougher sorties. However, you'll appreciate the slightly lower difficulty, as piloting a fighter jet in virtual reality is a very intense experience, regardless of enemy threats. Controlling your aircraft is identical to how it all works in the base game, meaning those familiar with Ace Combat's flying should feel right at home. The effect VR has on the experience, though, is potentially overwhelming. When you're trying to pin down an enemy fighter, pitching and rolling all over the place, there's a possibility it'll cause some lightheadedness, as though you're actually feeling the effects of high g-force. Not everyone will be affected in this way, of course, but it's worth bearing in mind if you're prone to motion sickness. The good news is that some of the UI moves with you, providing you a point for your eyes to focus on. The radar normally affixed in the bottom left corner, however, now resides physically in the cockpit, meaning you'll need to glance down to get your bearings. The same goes for information regarding ammo and damage to your plane; it's made part of your aircraft, enhancing the feeling that you're really flying a supersonic jet. It's all been handled very smartly, and in some ways, you'll feel like a better pilot in VR because you can look all around you and out of the canopy to better locate your targets. Once you've completed the trio of missions, you'll unlock a couple of other modes of play in PSVR. Free Flight is a feature also found in the regular game in which you can fly in any of the three maps with no restrictions or enemies to worry about. The final mode is called Air Show, which places you aboard an aircraft carrier watching planes pulling off air stunts. You can pick and choose what you want to see as well as your position. It's a nice addition that's a welcome change of pace after the high octane missions. The only real downside to Ace Combat 7's VR component is that there isn't more of it. There's nothing stopping you playing through those three missions again, of course, but you'll probably be left feeling a little disappointed there weren't a few extra sorties to tackle. What is here is of a very high quality, make no mistake, and it certainly fulfills that fantasy of being an ace pilot. We hope this isn't the last we see of Ace Combat in PSVR, though, as this short but sweet experience proves it's a match made in heaven.<doc-sep>Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown released on console yesterday and so far the feedback and reviews suggest it’s every bit as fantastic as it looked. When we tried it out at EGX 2018 last summer, we were highly impressed with the presentation. Admittedly, with it being in development for so long, this could have easily gone either way. Fortunately, however, it is a pretty exceptionally polished flight game with a fantastic combination of realism and arcade style action. In a report via VentureBeat, however, it seems that the developers are still open to ideas for the game. VR At the time of writing, Ace Combat 7 does have VR. It is, however, exclusive to the PS4. Eagle-eyed viewing of the details, however, show that this is marked as ‘first on PS4’. This would, therefore, indicate that when the PC version releases (of February 1st) it may also include VR features. If not on release, then at least afterwards via a patch.  Is It Worth Playing? I’ve played the game in total for roughly 2 hours and while I will not pretend that this is enough to give you a full-representation, what I can say is that if you have been hankering for a flight combat game, this will definitely fill a void! It managed to perfectly straddle the gap between arcade and simulation while still appealing to both sets of fans. It is currently available on console, so you can get it now if you want. As above, however, PC owners will have to wait until February 1st. What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!<doc-sep>What is Ace Combat 7? Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a dogfighting simulator for the PlayStation 4 that follows on from the other games in the franchise. It has a huge overarching story that elevates from your average flight sim. The Ace Combat universe is similar to ours in many ways though with a lot more advanced technologies for you to play with. In this installment, you play "Trigger", a former pilot of the Osean Federation who has fallen on some hard times and has been demoted to a penal squadron. We can only assume we will be fighting our way up to being the best, as happens in all these games. It has a VR mode! While the whole game is not available in VR, it does give you two different PlayStation VR-only modes. The first mode is called Airshow. Essentially, it's a 360-degree experience where you can watch the game give you an airshow with all the different planes. You can move around anywhere in the show but you can't actually interact with anything, making it more like a YouTube VR video than anything else. VPN Deals: Lifetime license for $16, monthly plans at $1 & more The second mode is the one you want though. Ace Combat 7 comes with several VR exclusive missions that aren't connected to the main storyline but seem awesome in their own right. The gang over at PlayStation Underground have a great video showing what you can expect from the VR mode, and honestly, it looks pretty epic. The VR mode is said to lose some of its graphical fidelity to keep the game above 60FPS, but from the gameplay I've seen, it still looks amazing. It's HOTAS compatible Ace Combat 7 is, of course, HOTAS compatible. For those who don't know, HOTAS stands for Hands On Throttle And Stick, and it's a type of controller that allows you to immerse yourself into flight simulators like never before. Using a HOTAS in the normal game mode will help you be the best dogfighter you can be, but using it in VR brings a whole new level of immersion. There a lot of HOTAS controllers out there, but our own Essa Kidwell as put together the best HOTAS you can buy right now. If you have the money, I would recommend you grab one before the release of Ace Combat 7. Does it have multiplayer? Good news: Not only does it have multiplayer but it comes in a lot of variations. Not only do they have normal team deathmatch you would expect from a dogfighting game like this, but they have also included a Battle Royale style multiplayer mode for those who like that sort of thing. After all, Bettle Royale is all the rage right now so why not include it? The multiplayer is only up to eight players, so don't expect 100 plane sky battles. Even so, that should be more than enough to create mayhem in the skies above Strangereal (especially in a free-for-all mode). Bad news: there is not going to be any VR multiplayer. As an avid VR player, this makes me a little sad. Imagine having 8 player dogfights in VR where you can talk to each of your opponents, it would be amazing. We can only hope that as VR and the PlayStation VR, in particular, become ever more popular, we will see more full VR games instead of just small VR modes and VR experiences. The clouds are more cloudy In previous Ace Combat games, the clouds were two dimensional and just there for decorations. In Ace Combat 7, however, the clouds have really taken on a life of their own. Thanks to the Unreal 4 engine the game uses, the clouds are now dynamic and have their own flight paths, turbulence, and even lightning storms to make flying through them more difficult. One video I saw showed a player fly through a storm cloud. Their visibility reduced to near zero as the rain hit the screen and lightning flashed all around and you could see them struggling with the stick in the high turbulence. This kind of additional obstacle is a great way to make the game more exciting, especially if you can work out how to use it to your advantage when playing against others. When and where can I buy it? Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is due for release January 18 and is available for PlayStation and Xbox One, though the VR mode is, of course, a PS4 exclusive. The game is available on Amazon for $60 as well as the PlayStation Store as a digital download.<doc-sep>There are only a few days to go until Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown finally launches for PlayStation 4 with its additional support for PlayStation VR. If your excitement has reached fever pitch, whether you’ve pre-ordered or are just awaiting launch day to pick up your copy, PlayStation Underground has just released a new video where you can see some virtual reality (VR) footage in action. As most PlayStation VR players should be all too aware of by now, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown isn’t a fully fledged VR title. Bandai Namco has instead gone for an add-on approach, where the main campaign can only be played on a regular screen, with specific, custom made missions are available for VR players. That might be a little disappointing, but from what VRFocus has seen so far those missions are going to look impressive. And that certainly seems to be the response of PlayStation Underground judging by the video. It’s not all PlayStation VR footage so you’ll need to jump to around 5:10 to see the headset in action. Last week Bandai Namco announced that Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown will include a multiplayer mode, not just a single-player campaign. Up to eight players can go head-to-head in a free for all Deathmatch mode, a Team Deathmatch mode. Unfortunately, this mode seems to be only TV friendly, with VR gamers unable to take part. VRFocus has been looking forward to Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown for a while now, having previously previewed it in 2017, saying: “In its present state Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown promises high octane flying action for PlayStation VR players that’s sure to encourage legions of fans to try the VR compatibility. As long as Bandai Namco manage to provide enough content to satisfy then PlayStation VR is likely to have another killer exclusive title.” Originally due for release in 2017, the title was bumped to 2018, before being moved again with an official 2019 launch date. The title appeared in VRFocus‘ ‘Best PlayStation VR Games Coming In 2019‘, and for those looking for the most authentic experience why not pick up the Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown Edition, available at a suggested retail price of £74.99 GBP. Keep an eye out for VRFocus‘ review closer to launch.<doc-sep>

Share The Latest News Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is properly hyped up to be one of the great big releases this year in VR. While there are some features such as multiplayer mode in VR that might be rolling out in the future, we know that the game will take players into the cockpit of an advanced fighter jet and prepare them to face realistic flight combat in various VR missions. PlayStation has released a new VR gameplay of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown to show you how it all looks on PSVR. In the gameplay you can see all the trackers and indicators that shows where friendly and enemy targets are. You’ll also see speed and altitude indicators that helps you assist while combating enemies. Another cool feature about the VR mode is it provides you with freedom to look around from inside your cockpit. You can turn your head and see through skies in which ever direction. This can help you be more aware of your surroundings and even help track bogies in the sky. Your fighter jet will come equipped with heavy artillery such as rockets that you can lock on to enemy fighter jets. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is currently available for pre-order for $59.99 on the PlayStation store and is set to release on January 18, 2019. There is no news yet as to if the game will be released on other HMDs at a later date. More information will be provided in the near future about the game and updates.

When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up fornow for the biggest moments from morning TV Kate Middleton arrived at the V&A Museum in London last night to officially open a new photography exhibition. As the first royal patron of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Duchess of Cambridge, 36, has a keen interest in visual arts and photography. The budding photographer has taken many of the official portraits released by Kensington Palace of her children; Prince George, five, Princess Charlotte, three and Prince Louis, five months. The stylish royal got to explore a photography collection that looks at the invention of photography in the 19th century up to the present day.<doc-sep>Even in a museum renowned for its fashion exhibitions, the Duchess of Cambridge stood out in a stunning tweed dress on Wednesday evening. The former Kate Middleton looked like a living work of art during an appearance to herald the opening of a photography center at London's Victoria and Albert Museum. The duchess was stunning in a tweed dress. Samir Hussein / WireImage The 36-year-old wife of Prince William was on hand in her official capacity as royal patron to the museum, and as part of a return to official duties this month after being on leave since the birth of her third child, Prince Louis, in April. The duchess wore an off-the-shoulder Erdem-designed tweed dress accented with crystal and faux pearl embellishments. Completing the look were a pair of Jimmy Choo heels that matched the dress' burgundy belt. Check out those velvet shoes! Chris Jackson / Getty Images The dress comes with a price tag of more than $1,700. Kate ended her five months of maternity leave on Oct. 2 with a visit to London’s Sayers Croft Forest School and Wildlife Garden, planting seeds with students. On Tuesday, she joined her husband at the inaugural Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit. Wednesday marked the first trip to the Victoria and Albert Museum for the duchess — who has a degree in art history from St. Andrews University — since being named royal patron in March.<doc-sep>She’s been out of the ‘game’ for a while now but Kate Middleton is well and truly back. The Duchess of Cambridge was seen in her element at the official opening of a new photography centre at the Victoria and Albert Museum on Wednesday evening. The duchess, who was paying her first visit to the museum since becoming a patron in March, was given a tour of the exhibition at the design museum before meeting the curators and unveiling a plaque. But it’s her choice of dress that has left many people talking. The Duchess of Cambridge was seen in her element at the official opening of a new photography centre at the Victoria and Albert Museum on Wednesday evening (Picture: Rex) Sporting a mid-calf frock from British label Erdem’s SS18 collection, the mother-of-three stunned as she walked through the museum. She paired the dress with a small box clutch, maroon heels and £290 earrings also from Erdem. The duchess, who studied art history at university, showed her expertise in the field during her visit, according to Martin Barnes, the museum’s senior curator of the exhibition. ‘She is a really knowledgeable student in art history, so she understood about the technology behind the photos,’ he said. Kate was paying her first visit to the museum since becoming a patron in March (Picture: PA) ‘I really got a sense of her knowledge and interest in how it is relevant today but how its history informs its present.’ Displays in the new centre, the first phase of which more than doubles the amount of space in the museum dedicated to photography, will be drawn from the London museum’s collection of more than 800,000 photographs. More gallery space is set to be given over to photography in the museum by 2022. The first exhibition to be held in the centre – called Collecting Photography: From Daguerreotype to Digital – showcases photos taken from the 19th century, when the medium was first invented, up to the present day. Sporting a mid-calf frock from British label Erdem’s SS18 collection, the mother-of-three stunned as she walked through the museum (Picture: PA) She was walked through the museum by museum director Tristam Hunt (Picture: PA) The duchess, who studied art history at university, showed her expertise in the field during her visit (Picture: PA) Tristram Hunt, the former Labour MP who is now the director of the V&A, said: ‘Our new photography centre provides a world-class facility to re-establish photography as one of our defining collections. ‘In an era when everyone’s iPhone makes them a photographer, the V&A’s photography centre explores and explains the medium in a compelling new way.’ He also thanked the gallery’s ‘Kensington neighbour’ the Duchess of Cambridge for unveiling the official plaque. Mr Hunt thanked the duchess for unveiling the official plaque (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage) Visitors entering the new photography centre will pass a display of more than 150 cameras spanning 160 years (Picture: PA) The exhibition opens to the public on Friday and entrance is free (Picture: PA) Visitors entering the new photography centre will pass a display of more than 150 cameras spanning 160 years. The exhibition opens to the public on Friday and entrance is free. Got a story for Metro.co.uk? If you have a story for our news team, email us at webnews@metro.co.uk. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.<doc-sep>

Kate Middleton has arrived to the Victoria & Albert Museum wearing a stunning tweed Erdem dress, paired with a maroon belt, Jimmy Choo velvet pumps, and a Jimmy Choo box clutch. The frock is an off-the-shoulder, bouclé-tweed design by the British brand, which the Duchess of Cambridge has frequented at past formal events. She wore floral statement earrings by Erdem, too. The exact dress is currently sold out on Net-a-Porter (as usual), but you can shop similar styles here. Shop tweed dresses Iman off-the-shoulder embellished bouclé-tweed midi dress Erdem net-a-porter.com $2,328.00 Shop Now J Box clutch bag Jimmy Choo farfetch.com $1,150.00 Shop Now This marks the Duchess' first visit to the institution as its royal patron. She became the first royal to receive the role in March. "The Duchess' personal interest in photography, textiles and the visual arts, alongside her support for the role of art in supporting mental health and nurturing young people's creative talent, fits naturally with the collections and civic purpose of the V&A," the museum's director Tristram Hunt said at the time. Middleton is set to open the V&A's Photography Center during today's appearance. The Duchess is an avid photographer; she's captured many of her children's portraits released by the Palace. Kate previously appeared at the V&A in June 2017, when she memorably stepped out in a tweed Gucci dress, one of the best looks of her royal career. Karwai Tang Getty Images Today's event is the second engagement in a row for Middleton this week, as she just appeared with Prince William at the Global Mental Health Summit yesterday. For the occasion, she dressed an a pastel A-line dress by Emilia Wickstead. This also won't be the Duchess of Cambridge's last appearance of the week. On Friday, she's expected to attend Princess Eugenie's wedding with the rest of her family. (Princess Charlotte and Prince George are serving as a flower girl and page boy, respectively.) However, she might not show if her sister Pippa Middleton, who is pregnant with her first child, goes into labor. Kate's younger sister is reportedly due this month.

S weden have lost one of the world's best footballers in Zlatan Ibrahimovic but they are a better team for his retirement, according to captain Andreas Granqvist. Sweden face Switzerland in the World Cup last 16 here this afternoon and the winner will meet England or Colombia in the quarter-final. Ibrahimovic, who joined LA Galaxy from Manchester United in March, is widely regarded as the greatest ever Swedish player, scoring 62 goals in over a century of caps before retiring from international football two years ago. The 36-year-old hinted at a return before the tournament but a victory today would see Sweden progress further than they have since reaching the semi-final at USA '94. "We’ve lost one of the world’s best football players," centre-back Granqvist said. "But with Janne [Andersson, Sweden coach], we’ve built, laid a foundation over the two years of qualification. We fight for each other, we’ve shown that very clearly as a team -- we can be very strong, we can get good results. "Others have been allowed to take a step forward. We’ve lost one of the world’s best footballers, but we’ve done a good job and you can see that now we are in the final 16 of the World Cup." World Cup Matchday Preview, Tuesday July 3 Andersson's side has already seen off the Netherlands and Italy in qualifying and Germany in the group stage and he said: "Some results are truly fascinating and it shows the biggest nations will not win every time. That to me is a source of inspiration." Meanwhile, Arsenal's Granit Xhaka has said he is too experienced to fall for Swedish provocation after defender Mikael Lustig vowed to get him sent off. "My friends have told me what he said. It's no problem for me," the Swiss said. "It's part of the pre-match provocation but I've learned a lot in my time."<doc-sep>While Germany toppled, while South Korea wept, while Mexico slipped from ruin to relief, Sweden pulled off a Viking raid for the ages. They were not supposed to escape Group F, let alone win it. The post-Zlatan era was meant to be bleak, bereft of spontaneity and spark, but Sweden replaced those qualities with a newfound simplicity. Where once they served a king now they fight for each other. From this point, Sweden are free-rolling. No expectations, no pressure. Winning the group shuffled them on to the World Cup draw’s softer side featuring Russia, Croatia, Denmark and Japan as it stands. Sweden will battle Switzerland in St Petersburg on Tuesday for a place in the quarter-finals and will be filled with confidence after bludgeoning Mexico 3-0. There is an untranslatable Swedish word – lagom – used to describe a life that is balanced, well-rounded, just the right amount of this and that, and it is not a bad way to describe Janne Andersson’s team, one that has just enough quality and cohesion to trouble any side in the tournament. “We grew another little bit,” coach Andersson said after their triumph over Mexico. “I am not going to sit here and gloat having won a match or boast about a win. We don’t want to stir things up too much.” World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Guillermo Ochoa - 7/10 Unlucky to be penalised after mistakenly being judged to have handled the ball outside of his area. Struggled with the subsequent free-kick; palmed it clear as far as his own box. Put in a fine instinctive save to later deny Berg but could have maybe denied Augustinsson had he got a firm hand to the shot. AP World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Edson Alvarez - 5/10 Offered Mexico a bit of oomph going forward but defensively weak. Very poor positioning for Sweden's first goal and conceded an embarrassing own-goal for the third. EPA World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Carlos Salcedo - 6/10 Like his partner, often caught out of position when Sweden were on the break. Got away with it, though, thanks to the Swedes’ finishing. Still, stuck to the basics and kept Toivonen in particular under wraps. AP World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Hector Moreno - 5/10 See Salcedo. Oh, and to make matters worse, conceded the penalty which sealed Mexico's fate. Getty Images World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Jesus Gallardo - 6/10 Booked after just 15 seconds. Yes. 15 seconds. Made up for it moments later with a vital goalmouth block. Not that confident under the high ball. AFP/Getty Images World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Hector Herrera - 6/10 Plenty of aggression. Made his presence known to Sweden’s midfield. Made some smart touches and passes to kickstart Mexico’s counterattacks. REUTERS World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Andres Guardado - 6/10 Not short of confidence with his shot-making and passing. Always on the lookout for those incisive passes, even if they didn’t always come to fruition. Maybe a bit guilty of overplaying at times. AP World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Miguel Layun - 5/10 Flew under the radar somewhat. Out of Mexico’s three attacking midfielders, Layun struggled to leave his mark on the game. AP World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Carlos Vela - 6/10 Came close to breaking the deadlock with a curling strike outside the Sweden box. On more than one occasion he threatened with that left foot after stepping in from the wing. Getty Images World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Hirving Lozano - 6/10 Proved to be a handful coming in off that left flank. But missed his usual spark today. REUTERS World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Javier Hernández - 6/10 Impressed with his hold-up play and linked up well with his teammates. Effective when he was on the bar but saw far less of it than he will have wanted thanks to the hard work of Sweden’s backline. AFP/Getty Images World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Robin Olsen - 6/10 Saw little action between the sticks. Indeed, had just one save to make in the first half. REUTERS World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Mikael Lustig - 7/10 Comfortable in the air. Showed great fitness in getting up and down that right flank. Was always on the look-out for the overlap. AFP/Getty Images World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Victor Lindelof - 7/10 A very solid performance. Did all the basics right to keep the likes of Hernandez and Lozano quiet for much of the game. REUTERS World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Andreas Granqvist - 7/10 Dominating presence at the back. Strong in the air and firm in the challenge. Fantastic penalty. Led by example. Getty Images World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Ludwig Augustinsson - 7/10 Worked hard to get back whenever Sweden were caught on the break. Held his nerve to break the deadlock with a well-struck volley. EPA World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Viktor Claesson - 7/10 Threatened with a number of reliable and threatening deliveries into the box from the right flank. Everything you could want from a wideman. EPA World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Sebastian Larsson - 5/10 Picked up a yellow card for his challenge on Lozano. Looked composed on the balls at times. On other occasions, looked a little nervy and rushed. His game was brought to an early end after picking up an injury. REUTERS World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Albin Ekdal - 6/10 An unassuming display from the midfielder. Went missing for patches of the match. AFP/Getty Images World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Emil Forsberg - 7/10 Should have really put Sweden ahead early on with a close-range half-volley but ended up firing the ball into the crowd behind. Later on he put another volley over the bar despite being in acres of space. But a lively performance in all and made sure to keep Berg in the loop. EPA World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Marcus Berg - 7/10 Could have perhaps done better with his raised, opportunistic poke from a Sweden corner. Hit the side-net just before the break. Drew the penalty after being brought down by Moreno. Worked his socks off all game long. EPA World Cup: Mexico vs Sweden player ratings Ola Toivonen - 5/10 Some of his decision-making was off the mark, as best demonstrated by the occasional sloppy pass. Struggled to cut open the Mexican defence. Somewhat underwhelming. EPA If there is a slight imbalance in Sweden’s well-drilled 4-4-2 then it’s in attack. The diligent Marcus Berg has done OK and won a crucial penalty against the Mexicans while the erratic Ola Toivonen scored a fantastic yet futile goal against Germany, but the 31-year-old pair have shortcomings which have thus far been covered by their teammates, and in particular their captain. Sweden’s two victories over South Korea and Mexico came after penalties scored by their leader and hulking centre-half Andreas Granqvist, a man who looks more warrior than footballer, and who plays that way too. It is Granqvist’s mould of fight and grit that the team embodies. In Ekaterinburg they threw themselves into Mexico’s waves attack; Sebastian Larsson left on a stretcher, Berg hobbled off. It wasn’t always pretty but it was effective, switching between raiding Mexico’s half and fortifying their own, and always as one. This is a far cry from Sweden’s typical blueprint for success, like the freewheeling team of USA 94 which revolved around the unpredictable Tomas Brolin, or their 1958 finalists built around AC Milan’s brilliant forward trio of Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm, better known as Gre-No-Li. This summer Emil Forsberg was expected to provide that familiar Swedish spark, but the talented RB Leipzig winger – who topped the Bundesliga’s assists chart the season before last – has not shown that form yet at the World Cup, perhaps weighed down by the burden of being the expected talisman. And yet perhaps this is the natural response to Ibrahimovic’s departure, not to replace him but to regenerate into something new, to switch from flamboyant individualism to collective duty, to shift from a man greater than the team to a team greater than its men. Sweden go into the last 16 with nothing to lose, and having already won a significant triumph for simplicity.<doc-sep>

The former striker is eager to see the debate regarding whether or not the veteran frontman should be at the 2018 World Cup brought to a close Henrik Larsson is tired of the discussion regarding Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s absence from Sweden’s World Cup squad, and believes it's possible that the decision to overlook him will prove beneficial. During a lengthy build-up to this summer’s global showpiece in Russia, Ibrahimovic hinted at regular intervals that he was prepared to step out of international retirement and help his country. Ultimately, though, a 36-year-old now plying his trade in MLS with LA Galaxy has been left watching on from afar, with all parties coming to the conclusion that now is not the right time for a recall. Larsson is fully supportive of that decision, with the Sweden squad now free of distractions without Ibrahimovic and able to focus on bringing the best out of those at their disposal. The former Celtic frontman told Betfair: “He is the best player we ever had from Sweden so it is not strange that those questions [about a recall] came up. But I think it is good now for the group that they can focus on the team and the squad.” Larsson added on the endless debate surrounding a legendary figure with 116 caps to his name: “You guys are still talking about him even though he is not there. “A fit Zlatan, the way he was before his injury, I think any coach in the world would bring him. But he is not that. There is no point talking about that. It is about the players who are there. “The team is going to be different in the sense that everybody has to move. The opponent knew in the past that when the ball went up front it was going to him. Now they are not sure. “Is it coming short into the feet of either Ola Toivonen and Marcus Berg, who are going to be the two strikers, or are they going long?” While Ibrahimovic will not be involved at the 2018 World Cup, Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof will be. The 23-year-old endured a testing debut campaign at Old Trafford in 2017-18 as he struggled for regular starts, but ex-Red Devils loanee Larsson believes he will be a better player for that experience and those to come in Russia. He added: “I would not say he has been struggling. “Obviously there have been some games that have not been the best but he has not been playing much either. Article continues below “You have to give the boy a little bit more time. He is a very good central defender. The way he reads the game, the way he passes the ball and the speed he has. “Then it is just a question of getting used to the physicality you have in the Premier League. Next season, he is a clever player, so he is going to adapt. “He has not been playing week in, week out and you need to do that to get the self-belief.”

Aaron Rodgers is not going to let the Los Angeles Rams have all the fun on offense. In the fourth quarter, Rodgers threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling to give the Green Bay Packers the 27-26 lead. Rodgers has now thrown for 286 yards and one touchdown and Valdes-Scantling has posted two receptions for 45 yards and one score. Here's a look at the play. One point game with a little over 8 minutes to go in LA! (via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/hXQw4JcAbm — Pro Football Focus (@PFF) October 28, 2018 This is the first time since 2015 the Packers and Rams have faced off. In that game, the Packers beat the Rams 24-10 at Lambeau Field. However, running back Todd Gurley, a rookie at the time, shredded the Packers defense, rushing for 159 yards on 30 carries. Before Gurley's 208-yard performance vs. the Denver Broncos earlier this year, the 159 yards against the Packers was a career-best for him. In order for the Packers to win on Sunday, they will need Aaron Rodgers to be at his best. He is having a strong start to the 2018 season, recording 1,997 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and one interception in six games. He spoke to reporters earlier this week and he said these next five games will be very crucial for the Packers as they enter the second half of the year. “We’re going to have to play a lot better than we have to win those games,” Rodgers said. “This is an important stretch in our season. I’m not going to say it’s going to define our season but it’s definitely going to shake things out when we get on the other side of this and get back home in six weeks on where we’re at in the race and what we’re playing for.”<doc-sep>The Green Bay Packers find themselves in an unfamiliar position in Week 8 of the 2018 NFL season. Not only is the team expected to lose on the road against the Los Angeles Rams, but the game won’t be particularly close if the betting odds are any indication. L.A. is favored by nine points Sunday afternoon, according to OddsShark. Aaron Rodgers has never been this big of an underdog in his career as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. It might be hard to believe that Rodgers and the Packers could be getting so many points against any opponent, but the point spread makes plenty of sense when examining how each team has played this season. The Rams have been the NFL’s best team in 2018. That’s not in dispute. Los Angeles is the only remaining undefeated team, and they are the Super Bowl LIII favorites, even well ahead of the New England Patriots. Coming off a bye, the Packers have only won half their games. They are winless on the road, having allowed exactly 31 points in losses to both the Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions. Neither of those teams is the offensive force that the Rams have been. Los Angeles ranks second with 6.9 yards per play. Detroit is ninth in the NFL. No other team that Green Bay has faced ranks higher than 15th. Los Angeles hasn’t had a bad offensive game all season. The closest they came was a 23-20 win in Denver when Todd Gurley ran for 208 yards. The final score makes that game seem more competitive than it actually was. The Rams have scored more than 30 points in every other contest. While Green Bay has struggled on the road, Los Angeles hasn’t had any trouble winning at home. They’ve outscored opponents 107-54 at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, including a 12-point win over the Los Angeles Chargers and a seven-point victory against the Minnesota Vikings. You can be sure that the Rams will have no problem scoring at least 30 points, and possibly much more, Sunday afternoon. Photo: Mike McGinnis/Getty Images Green Bay is allowing 4.5 yards per rush, which ranks 23rd in the league. When you take out their games against the Buffalo Bills and Vikings, who have two of the worst rushing attacks in football, that average jumps to 4.78 yards per carry. The Packers won’t have an answer for Gurley. Josh Allen and Mitchell Trubisky are really the only two quarterbacks that have struggled against the Packers. Green Bay sacked them a total of 11 times in victories over Buffalo and the Chicago Bears. The other four quarterbacks that have faced the Packers have thrown for 10 touchdowns and three interceptions while all posting passer ratings above 100. Even C.J. Beathard had a big game when the Packers hosted the San Francisco 49ers in their last game, allowing him to post a 115.3 passer rating. Don’t expect the Packers to put much pressure on Jared Goff. He’s tied for 23rd in sacks, and the Rams might have the best offensive line in all of football. Rodgers should put up big numbers, but it’ll be tough for him to keep pace with this high-powered Rams’ offense on the road. Khalil Mack and Detroit’s NFC-leading pass rush had success against Green Bay’s offensive line. Aaron Donald could do the same and disrupt enough Packer drives to allow the Rams to pull away. The total is 56.5, and there should be plenty of points scored. It’s just that most of them will come from the Rams. Prediction: Los Angeles over Green Bay, 40-24<doc-sep>The Green Bay Packers and two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers come to the Coliseum on Sunday to play the unbeaten Rams. It’s the Packers’ first appearance against the Rams at the venerable stadium since 1978, and a return to the venue where the NFL’s most storied franchise won the first Super Bowl in 1967. It’s also a return for Rodgers, a Super Bowl-champion quarterback who has engineered some of the league’s most dramatic game-winning plays and drives. Fourteen years ago, Rodgers produced one of the best passing performances in college football history against one of the sport’s greatest teams. Advertisement On Oct. 9, 2004, Rodgers led seventh-ranked California and the nation’s top scoring offense against top-ranked USC, the defending Associated Press national champion. The only blemish on the Trojans’ 2003 record was a triple-overtime defeat at Cal. A year later, ESPN’s “College GameDay” set up at the Coliseum for the first time to see if Rodgers and coach Jeff Tedford’s Golden Bears could knock off Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White and Pete Carroll for a second year in a row. “We knew it was going to be a tough game and we were excited about the opportunity to compete with them,” Rodgers said this week, “and we had a legitimate chance to beat ‘em.” Rodgers matched an NCAA record by completing his first 23 passes against one of the best defenses in USC history. “It seemed like he hit everything,” Carroll said, “and that was an understatement.” Cal dominated the game statistically, outgaining USC 424 yards to 205. But the Trojans made a dramatic defensive stand for a 23-17 victory. USC went on to win the Bowl Championship Series title, but more than a decade later it’s Rodgers’ performance that stands out from the game. “I don’t care if you’re throwing against air,” Leinart said. “To go 23 of 23 is really difficult. … For him to do that against one of the best defenses in the country, he was phenomenal.” Advertisement :: Tedford was nervous before the game, but his anxiety lifted after he walked into the locker room and saw Rodgers smiling and calmly telling teammates, “Here we go.” “He was so confident about what was going on, he made everybody else feel that way around him as well,” Tedford said. The completions streak started modestly, a short pass to fullback Chis Manderino for 14 yards. Advertisement “We used it a lot to start the game throughout my career,” Manderino said. “A good little way to kick start and take some of the pressure off.” Rodgers mostly stayed with short passes. “Just taking whatever they gave him,” running back J.J. Arrington said. Aaron Rodgers returns the Coliseum on Sunday. This time he will be wearing a Green Bay Packers jersey instead of a California jersey. (Donald Miralle / Getty Images) Tight end Garrett Cross had been a teammate of Rodgers’ at Butte College in Oroville, Calif. He purposely included Rodgers on a recruiting tape that he sent to Cal coaches, hoping they would also take notice of the quarterback. Advertisement Against the Trojans, Rodgers and his tight end were in rhythm. Cross caught three passes in a row. “The ball was in the air coming at me when I turned around,” Cross said. “We had the timing down perfectly.” The streak grew to nine on a pass to receiver Burl Toler. “We all kind of had our turns getting our shots,” Toler said. “It wasn’t rare for us. It was business as usual.” Advertisement By the time receiver Geoff McArthur caught a 20-yard touchdown pass, the streak had reached 14. But Cal still trailed at halftime, 16-10. “He picked them apart,” said McArthur, who would finish with seven catches for 101 yards. “Dinks and digs, slants, back-shoulder fades. Everything in the book that you could draw up, we hit them with.” :: Rodgers was aware that he had not missed. “I knew what was going on,” he said. Advertisement So did Carroll. “We knew he was good,” Carroll said, chuckling, “but I didn’t think he was going to complete every pass.” USC players were confident but perplexed. “He had laser accuracy,” defensive tackle Shaun Cody said. “They were dinkin’ and dunkin’ us the whole game.” Said linebacker Dallas Sartz: “It was, ‘Here’s a five-yard out here, here’s a five-yard out there. Now back to the flat.’ It wasn’t like it was a landslide.” But the Trojans were frustrated. Advertisement “On the sideline, you’re talking about it,” defensive end Lawrence Jackson said. “’We’ve got to do something about this.’” They were talking on the field as well. “We were in the huddle and I remember one of the defensive linemen turned around and he was like, ‘What the hell are you guys doing back there?’” cornerback Kevin Arbet said. “And we were like,’It’s on you. It’s the pressure.’ “We almost started to fight, and we never did that. We were like, ‘What the hell is this?’” Advertisement Rodgers and the Golden Bears seemed to exploit the Trojans’ bend-but-don’t break defensive philosophy. “We felt like they were freaking sitting in on our freaking [team] meeting,” cornerback Justin Wyatt said, adding that Rodgers capitalized on the areas the Trojans conceded. “He was like, ‘I’m going to take every single one of them.’ And he took every single one of them.” The late Keith Jackson and Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts broadcast the game for ABC. Fouts, looking back, said their thoughts regarding Rodgers were the same as USC’s players and coaches. “When you’re on a roll like that,” Fouts said, “We’re just, you know, when’s he going to miss?” Advertisement :: Rodgers’ 23rd completion — which tied a record set by Tennessee’s Tee Martin — went to McArthur with 11 minutes left to play, and USC leading, 23-10. Two minutes later, he was forced to throw the ball out of bounds. “I think the guy in the first row [of the stands] caught the pass,” Cal receiver Chase Lyman said, laughing. “He still didn’t put the ball on the ground.” Advertisement<doc-sep>The Bucks Aren’t Just Beating the Heat, They’re Humiliating Them Milwaukee could have ducked Miami after being bullied by the Heat in the bubble. Instead, the Bucks faced their nemesis head-on, and have exacted sweet, unrelenting revenge against the team that eliminated them last postseason.<doc-sep>

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Ndamukong Suh isn't so sure Aaron Rodgers likes him. It's unlikely their upcoming run-in on Sunday at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum will lend any clarification. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers should have more mobility when the restrictive brace he has worn on his injured left knee comes off after the bye. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster "He usually doesn't talk to me," Suh said about Rodgers, whom he faced regularly in the NFC North as a member of the Detroit Lions. "But I don't really need a response. My response is when he's getting up from the ground. That's what I’m excited for, or giving him a nice L." The Los Angeles Rams are undefeated through seven games for the first time since 1985 and, as they hit the halfway mark of the season, are preparing to face a gauntlet of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks, starting with Rodgers and the 3-2 Green Bay Packers. Suh, who played five seasons in Detroit, has sacked Rodgers 2.5 times and has defeated him twice in their seven meetings. The Rams, however, are 0-4 against the two-time MVP, though Rodgers has never faced a Sean McVay-coached team. "The great ones, you try to slow them down," defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. "Certainly, you don't shut them out, but we've got to play really good pass defense, got to have a rush and all the things it takes." Rodgers is coming off a bye week after back-to-back performances in which he passed for 400 yards with no interceptions in a loss to the Detroit Lions and a victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Rams players said they were plenty familiar with Rodgers before studying him on film this week. "It's A-Rod," said cornerback Marcus Peters, who keenly remembered losing to the All-Pro quarterback as a rookie with the Kansas City Chiefs. "C'mon now. We all know what he's going to do." Said Aaron Donald, whom Rodgers defeated in 2015: "He's a great quarterback. Just from watching him, from growing up and watching him since I've been in the league." This season, Rodgers is ranked 10th in passing yards with 1,997. He has thrown 12 touchdowns and only one interception, despite playing through a knee injury. "He's an elite quarterback," said Suh, who has three sacks and two fumble recoveries. "Very smart, cadence-wise as well as situation-wise, tries to keep you always guessing." For the Rams' part, their 13th-ranked total defense appeared to hit its stride last Sunday in a 39-10 victory over the 49ers. After a fast start through the first two games of the season, which included six consecutive shutout quarters, the defense struggled to keep teams out of the end zone, giving up 31 points to the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks, and was unable to put together a complete performance between the pass and the run. Now, the Rams' pass and run defense both rank 12th in the league, giving up 227 and 100.1 yards per game, respectively. Part of the issue, players said, was building chemistry. "We're learning each other," safety John Johnson III said. "We're learning what our strengths and weaknesses are and we're going from there." The Rams added Suh and Peters in the offseason, along with Aqib Talib, who was put on injured reserve after Week 3 and has been replaced by Troy Hill and Sam Shields. At times, players tried to do too much, especially in the run game, and broke from assignments in an effort to make plays. "I think we had to hit a little adversity, teams scoring the ball, moving the ball on us," said Johnson, who has a team-high three interceptions. "But I think we're still growing and as long as we keep going up, I think we'll be in good shape." Best of NFL Nation • Bucs rookie to pay for family's bills • Texans aren't tipping hand with Watson plan • 'Aggressive' drivers part of Wilson's NY tests • Jags' Lawrence has typical rookie QB mistakes • Julio Jones' trade market: Four offers Against the 49ers, the Rams forced four takeaways that resulted in 24 points and sacked quarterback C.J. Beathard seven times. "Definitely feel like it's a positive coming off that performance," linebacker Mark Barron said. "It wasn't perfect, but we most definitely played a great game. It was definitely something we can build on."

NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>Instagram is investigating an issue that’s causing some of its most popular accounts to appear to lose millions of followers. “We’re aware of an issue that is causing a change in account follower numbers for some people right now,” Instagram wrote on Twitter this morning. “We’re working to resolve this as quickly as possible.” Popular YouTube creators, including James Charles and Zach Clayton, who each have millions of Instagram followers, began tweeting about the issue last night. Other popular Instagram users, including celebrities like Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez, saw losses in the millions. “Why did I just lose over half a million followers, Instagram,” Charles tweeted. “[What you doing], sis?” A report from Fast Company originally suggested that “Instagram took actions to remove millions of accounts the company believed to be inauthentic,” but it’s unclear if that’s the case following Instagram’s tweet about the issue. Many companies, including Instagram, do sporadic sweeps of their user bases to remove spam or inactive accounts. The company announced in November that it was gearing up to reduce the number of inauthentic accounts on the platform. “We will begin removing inauthentic likes, follows and comments from accounts that use third-party apps to boost their popularity,” a blog post from November reads. “We’ve built machine learning tools to help identify accounts that use these services and remove the inauthentic activity.” The Verge has reached out to Instagram for more information. Update, February 13, 9:35 PM ET: Instagram issued a tweet Wednesday night alerting users that the glitch should be fixed by 12PM ET on February 14. A rep for the company told The Verge there is no additional information about the problem at this time.<doc-sep>Last night, both Kylie Jenner and Ariana Grande lost millions of Instagram followers. Instagram tweeted about it this morning, but didn't clarify what the cause of the issue was. Kylie Jenner and Ariana Grande, two of the most followed people on Instagram, suddenly lost millions of followers each last night. Ariana, who had over 145 million, dropped to 142 million. Instagram @ArianaGrande And Kylie, who had almost 127 million, is now down to 124 million. Instagram @KylieJenner Other influencers like James Charles also saw a major dip in followers. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. why did I just lose over half a million followers @instagram wyd sis — James Charles (@jamescharles) February 13, 2019 While it might not seem like a big deal for Kylie and Ariana to lose a few million followers, it definitely is a big deal for influencers with less followers who depend on those numbers to make a living. As for an explanation, Instagram tweeted, "We’re aware of an issue that is causing a change in account follower numbers for some people right now. We’re working to resolve this as quickly as possible." This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. We’re aware of an issue that is causing a change in account follower numbers for some people right now. We’re working to resolve this as quickly as possible. — Instagram (@instagram) February 13, 2019 That makes it sound like it's an error in the way followers are being counted, not a massive purge of fake accounts, like some users thought it was. Follow Emma on Instagram. Emma Baty Emma Baty is the Associate Entertainment Editor at Cosmopolitan who focuses on movies and TV. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Ariana Grande and Kylie Jenner might be two of the most-followed people on Instagram, but both celebrities lost millions of followers on Wednesday evening. Grande, 25, dropped from 145 million to 142 million, while Jenner, 21, who had close to 127 million, went down to 124 million. They weren’t the only ones to suffer a drop in followers – influencers across the platform have noticed a major dip in the last few days. Beauty vlogger Jame Charles, for example, claimed on Tuesday that he’d lost more half a million followers, writing on Twitter: “Why did I just lose over half a million followers @instagram wyd sis [sic]”. Meanwhile, musician Curbi asked his fanbase on Twitter if they had lost any Instagram followers, after realising that he’d lost 8,000. 11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed Show all 11 1 /11 11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed 11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed Hide and reorder filters Filters are a core part of Instagram, but there are so many available it can be easy to get lost. You can change the order in which they appear, and even hide the ones you never use, to speed up your photo-sharing process. On the filters page, scroll to the end, tap Manage, then drag and drop the ones you want to reorder, and un-check the ones you want to hide. 11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed Never miss a post Instagram controversially ditched its reverse-chronological order feed for a new order determined by an algorithm, making it easy to completely miss some posts. To make sure you never miss a certain somebody’s updates, you can set up notification for them by visiting their profile, tapping the three dots in the top right-hand corner and selecting Turn On Post Notifications. 11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed Eat less data If you’re worried about how much of your mobile data Instagram saps, you can limit it by sacrificing the speed at which the photos and videos in your feed load. Go to your profile, tap the three dots in the top right corner, open Cellular Data Use and choose Use Less Data. 11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed See your Likes It’s easy to lose track of your friends’ old posts on Instagram, but if you know you Liked it, you’ll be able to track it down easily. Just go to your profile, hit the three dots at the top and select Posts You’ve Liked. You can also save posts in a folder only you can see by tapping the bookmark icon underneath it. Take a look at everything you’ve bookmarked by tapping the same icon that sits near the top of your profile. 11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed Find relevant hashtags Everyone knows you can expand the reach of your posts by using a number of relevant hashtags, but what those are aren’t always glaringly obvious. You can easily find the right ones for you by typing a keyword into Instagram’s search bar, selecting a hashtag from the list and swiping along the Related row that appears at the top of the screen. 11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed Clear your search history Whatever your reasons are, you can clear your recent searches by going to your profile, hitting the three dots in the top right and selecting Clear Search History. To go a step further and hide your Suggested searches too, go to the search page, tap and hold the account you want to hide, and choose Hide from the pop-up window. 11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed Hide photos you’re tagged in Tagged photos on Instagram aren’t as prominent as they are on Facebook, but anyone can still browse through other people’s pictures of you by visiting your profile and tapping the photo of you icon. If you’re tagged in a picture you don’t want other people to see, go to your profile, hit the photos of you icon, tap the three dots at the top of the screen and choose Hide Photos. 11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed Secure your account Make your Instagram account much harder to hack by enabling two-factor authentication, a security feature that protects you even if your login details are stolen. Go to your profile, tap the three dots, open Two-Factor Authentication and toggle it on. 11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed Share lots at once If you want to upload a bunch of related pictures and videos without flooding everyone else’s feed, you can shared them all as one post. Hit the + icon, select Gallery, choose Select Multiple, pick out up to 10 of the pictures and clips you want, tap Next and reorder them by dragging and dropping. 11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed Record hands-free Instagram Stories has been a massive hit since it came out last year, but you might not know that you can record Stories clips without having to hold one of your digits on the record key. On the Stores screen, just swipe through the options at the bottom until you get to Hands-Free. 11 useful Instagram features you didn't know existed Edit posts after publishing Most people know you can delete any of the images you’ve already posted, but not everyone is aware that you can also edit them. Instagram unfortunately doesn’t let you tinker with filters and effects, but you can change your original caption, tag people and update the location. The problem seemed to affect those with smaller followings too, with people on Twitter claiming they’d lost as little as 20 followers. Instagram responded to the complaints on Wednesday but did not provide an explanation for the issue, writing on Twitter: “We’re aware of an issue that is causing a change in account follower numbers for some people right now. “We’re working to resolve this as quickly as possible.” The Facebook-owned app went down on Wednesday in large areas of the UK, Europe and the US.<doc-sep>

IF YOU WOKE up this morning to check your Instagram and noticed something a little off, you weren’t the only one. Yes, you might have spotted some of your favourite influencer taking to social media this morning to bitch about a sudden loss of followers on their Instagram pages, well, Instagram has now released a statement saying they are investigating the issue. But what actually went on after we all went to bed last night and before we woke up? Early reports suggested that Instagram took actions overnight to rid the platform of accounts they believed to be fake. As we are increasingly aware, many Instagrammers buy followers through multiple website in the form of bot profiles, however, there are some that gain these bot followers unbeknownst to them. People were outraged, especially those who saw significant drop in their follower numbers. why did I just lose over half a million followers @instagram wyd sis — James Charles (@jamescharles) February 13, 2019 Source: James Charles /Twitter Whoops! We couldn't find this Tweet Whoops! We couldn't find this Tweet Influencers like James Charles took to Twitter to question what is now being called ‘The Purge’ complaining that he had lost over half a million followers in just a few hours. And he wasn’t the only one. The tweets of complaint have been coming in thick and fast, with people tagging Instagram to complain about losing as little as 20 followers overnight. Friends & I noticed our IG followings dip a little (some lost way more than others, prob spam accounts/inactive users) but while finding out what happened I searched 'Instagram followers' on Twitter...it's lots of people moaning like the world has ended coz they're -20, I can't! — Melanie Murphy (@melaniietweets) February 13, 2019 Source: Melanie Murphy /Twitter However, others were quick to comment saying that if some influencers had seen a dramatic drop in followers, it probably had something to do with how many fake accounts were following them in the first place. CEO of Social Chain, Steve Bartlett, couldn’t help but laugh at the state of panic people were in about the situation, saying: “I’ve woken up to an inbox full of messages of concerned people/influencers and brands who have in some cases lost millions of followers while they were asleep.” INSTAGRAM FOLLOWER CULL 📉 Last night Instagram removed inactive / bot accounts from all accounts, globally. I’ve woken up to an inbox full of messages from concerned people / influences and brands who have in some cases, lost millions of followers while they were asleep!🤭😅 pic.twitter.com/ItUXqqmwQT — Steven Bartlett (@SteveBartlettSC) February 13, 2019 Source: Steve Bartlett /Twitter Since the hysteria, Instagram have commented on the situation, releasing a statement earlier today saying the issue was being investigated. “We’re aware of an issue that is causing a change in account follower numbers for some people right now. “We’re working to resolve this as quickly as possible.” We’re aware of an issue that is causing a change in account follower numbers for some people right now. We’re working to resolve this as quickly as possible. — Instagram (@instagram) February 13, 2019 Source: Instagram /Twitter However, if the overnight ‘glitch’ was a deliberate act to shut down fake accounts then it shouldn’t have come as a surprise after, according to Fast Company, Instagram announced they would be doing so back in November. “We’re taking a number of steps to limit this kind of unwelcome behaviour,” they wrote at the time. “We will begin removing inauthentic likes, follows and comments from accounts that use third-party apps to boost their popularity. We’ve built machine learning tools to help identify accounts that use these services and remove the inauthentic activity.” Some of those affected by last night’s issue are now saying they’re seeing their follower numbers return to normal. While those who stand to profit from their follower numbers are right to be upset about the sudden dip in figures, if 'authenticity' really was as important as many of them like to repeatedly say it is, they'd be glad that their updated numbers are a true representation of their influence. All I'll say is, I'd be glad if Insta did a cull of my account - why I followed every cast member of every show I watched back in 2012 is beyond me. DailyEdge is on Instagram!

While devastating volcanic eruptions like the one on New Zealand’s White Island that killed at least five people may seem unusual, they’re more common than one might expect. On any given day, roughly 20 volcanoes are actively erupting, Janine Krippner, a volcanologist and postdoctoral researcher at Concord University in West Virginia, told MarketWatch in 2018. “This is normal — this is what our planet does,” Krippner said. Some tourism hot-spots are well-known for their geothermal or volcanic activity — such as Hawaii or Yellowstone National Park. That’s the case with New Zealand’s White Island, also known as Whakaari. The island’s frequent geothermal activity make it a popular spot for tour groups to visit. At the time of the eruption, a group of visitors from a Royal Caribbean cruise RCL, +3.92% was on the island as part of a shore excursion. Experts said that volcanic activity shouldn’t scare tourists away from a given location, but they also cautioned that travelers should go into their trips well-informed about the dangers volcanoes can pose. Also see:How ‘dry docking’ could ruin your $10,000 cruise vacation Tourists should check with a given destination’s local authorities and with the U.S. State Department to assess the risk a volcano poses in a given destination, said Bethany Torvell, editor of Safe Travels Magazine. Additionally, Krippner advised following local emergency agencies on Twitter TWTR, +1.49% and Facebook FB, -0.04% so that travelers can have easy access to emergency information in the event of a crisis. Don’t miss:What I learned after being robbed at gunpoint in Mexico Moreover, travelers visiting a volcanic area should come prepared with an emergency plan that includes possible evacuation routes and supplies such as goggles and a face mask, in case the situation takes a turn for the worst. “You need to understand the dangers and be willing and able to react should the need arise,” Torvell said. Here are some popular tourist destinations where travelers should consider preparing for a possible eruption: Mexico City Residents of Mexico City may be more concerned about earthquakes than volcanic eruptions, but both pose a significant risk to the Mexican capital. Getty Images/iStockphoto While it’s no stranger to seismic activity, the capital city of Guatemala’s northern neighbor could be the next victim of a major volcanic eruption. Mexico City is located in a valley within the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, a span of volcanos across the central-southern portion of Mexico. And in recent years, one volcano in particular has prompted concern among residents of Mexico City. Popocatépetl, a volcano located roughly 40 miles southeast of Mexico City, has periodically spewed rock, ash and lava over the past decade. Though the volcano has had 15 major eruptions since the 1500s, it hasn’t had a so-called “Plinian eruption” since the year 800, according to the Smithsonian Institute. Also known as Vesuvian eruptions, Plinian eruptions are among the most catastrophic of eruptions. Scientists have warned that recent eruptions Popocatepétl has experienced could quickly turn into this more-destructive class, which could have devastating effects on Mexico City. Naples, Italy Mt. Vesuvius is famous for its eruption that destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum, but these days it poses a risk to Naples. GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images Speaking of Vesuvius, what is perhaps the world’s most well-known volcano is indeed still considered an active volcano. It is on the list of 16 “Decade” volcanoes that were identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior as being important to study given their proximity to major cities and their explosive histories. While Naples itself might not be the most adversely impacted in the event of Vesuvius’ eruption, the Italian government has emergency plans in place to evacuate 700,000 people in the greater Neapolitan region were it to blow. Vesuvius isn’t the only volcano putting Naples at risk though. To the city’s west is the Campi Flegrei caldera — and a recent study warned that the volcano could be close to erupting again thanks to a build-up of energy over the past 60 years. Nearly 360,000 people now live above the caldera. Also read:Trump administration bans cruises from traveling to Cuba — leaving passengers high and dry Tokyo Mt. Fuji, seen here rising above the Tokyo skyline, has long served as a source of inspiration for Japanese artists. KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images The Japanese capital and home to more than 13 million people is just 60 miles northeast of Mt. Fuji. The famous volcano is considered one of the Three Holy Mountains, revered in Japanese culture and art. The volcano has become a popular destination for hikers — local governments recently had to set limits on the number of people who could climb Mt. Fuji because of overcrowding concerns. Mt. Fuji hasn’t erupted in more than 300 years, but some scientists have argued the devastating earthquake that hit Japan in 2011 could make an eruption more likely in the near future. In the event of an eruption, Tokyo would likely be covered in ash and the lives of around 8 million people could be at risk. An eruption could also paralyze transportation systems throughout Japan. Iceland Picturesque views like these have helped lure tourists to Iceland, but the island country still faces a significant risk from the many volcanoes that dot its landscape. Getty Images/iStockphoto The 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, a volcano in Iceland, didn’t cause any fatalities but did lead to major disruptions in air travel, resulting in a $1.7 billion loss for the airline industry. But the eruption also helped to make Iceland a prime tourist destination — particularly for sightseers looking to catch a glimpse of a volcano (and then enjoy the hot springs.) But that 2010 eruption could be indicative of eruptive events to come across the island nation. Scientists have warned that the decrease in ice could allow the Oraefajokull, Iceland’s largest active volcano, to warm and eventually erupt. Katla, another large volcano, has historically erupted following volcanic events at Eyjafjallajökull. Last year, seismic activity near the volcano prompted an influx of tourists. Seattle Mt.<doc-sep>Looming above Kilauea's glowing lava rivers and explosions of ash, is the most massive mountain on Earth. Measured from its deep ocean base, the Mauna Loa volcano is taller than Mount Everest. It takes up over half of the Big Island. And it's an omen of what's to come for Kilauea. Hawaii's currently erupting and youngest volcano, Kilauea, peers up at Mauna Loa from some 9,000 feet below. Its latest bursts of lava, which started in early May and have since rumbled through neighborhoods, remind us that Kilauea is next in line to become a dominant presence on the Big Island, like Mauna Loa. In the next 1,000 years or so, lava will almost certainly flow over nearly every inch of road and in every neighborhood on the volcano, as it continues growing. There's good precedent for this. Today, 90 percent of the volcano, located on the southeastern corner of the Big Island, is covered in lava that's less than 1,000 years old. Mauna Loa, though far more ancient, once behaved in much the same way. The volcano emerged from the ocean some 300,000 years ago, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) believes it has "grown rapidly upward since then." "There's no reason to expect the events of Kilauea will be very much different than those that took place at Mauna Loa," Stanley Mertzman, a geoscientist at Franklin and Marshall College, said in an interview. Kilauea sits to the right and below of Mauna Loa. Historic lava flows from both volcanoes are shown in light grey. Image: National Park Service "The only difference is there was no audience," said Mertzman of Mauna Loa, who has hiked to the snow-covered summit the volcano with his geology students. How big will Kilauea get? The first people landed on the Hawaiian islands some 1,500 years ago, when Mauna Loa was already the dominant Hawaiian mountain. Since then, however, Hawaiians have regularly witnessed Kilauea erupt and grow larger as molten rock poured into the sea. Since 1983 alone, Kilauea has added around 570 acres of new land to the Big Island, and geologists expect the volcano to continue adding layer upon layer, building out and up like Mauna Loa, which is Hawaiian for "Long Mountain." "If you look at Kilauea today and look back at the rather imposing Mauna Loa structure — that, simply, is what Kilauea will look like," said Mertzman. Snow-covered Mauna Loa looms over the Hawaiian countryside. Image: Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images It will be quite similar in shape (Hawaiian volcanoes mature into gentle-sloping profiles) and quite big, but it's less certain if it will ever meet Mauna Loa's extraordinary height and girth. The source of magma (underground lava) for Hawaiian volcanoes is a stationary "hot spot," a place underneath Earth's crust where rocks melt and then regularly ooze out, flowing up to the surface through subterranean channels. But exactly how that single hot spot ultimately feeds the Big Island's five volcanoes varies. Of these five volcanoes, four will erupt again, said Jess Phoenix, a geologist that has sampled, hiked over, and studied the Big Island's volcanoes. "That's a lot of demand on the hot spot," Phoenix, who is running for Congress in California, said. "So it would be interesting to see how Kilauea reacts." An artist's conception of the Pacific tectonic plate traveling over the hot spot. Image: usgs Mauna Loa isn't the only giant presence on the Big Island. Its snow-capped neighbor, Mauna Kea, while not taking up as much mass or girth as Mauna Loa, is around 800 feet taller. Kilauea could become the third huge Big Island mountain. "It's very possible that it could become the triplet," said Phoenix. But, she noted that Mauna Loa is truly exceptional. It would be hard to top. "It's extraordinary how big it is," she said. "It's the largest mountain on the planet." Kilauea, though, is keeping up a good pace. In 1955, the volcano poured lava over 4,000 acres of the island, said Phoenix. And as the last few weeks specifically have shown, the activity hasn't relented. Kilauea spraying lava out of the ground in 1955. Image: usgs "It's pretty active and there's no reason to see why that would change," said Phoenix, noting that molten rock will be brewing beneath its surface for hundreds of thousands of years. "It's going to take a while for that area to not be over the hot spot." In the long geologic perspective, Kilauea's lava flows "are happening pretty quickly," said Mertzman, even though there may be 10, 15, or 30-year intervals between significant lava eruptions. And during the periods when Kilauea stops erupting lava, that seems to be when Mauna Loa comes alive again. The large mountain may be ancient, but it's not nearly done. "If one is erupting, the other isn’t," said Phoenix. Mertzman said it's likely Mauna Loa will awaken sooner rather than later. "One of these days you’ll be writing about the eruptions on the summit of Mauna Loa," he said. "It’ll surely happen in your lifetime." Lava flows on Mauna Loa, both historic and ancient. Image: usgs And there's a good chance islanders will have to move out of the path of this creeping lava. According to the USGS, 90 percent of Mauna Loa's sprawling surface is covered in geologically young lava flows that have occurred in the last 4,000 years. Locals living on or near these volcanoes are well-aware of the risks here, and the continuing story of lava flows, close calls, and engulfed homes, said Phoenix. This is especially the case for gushing Kilauea, which is acting just as it should if it ever wants to grow into something approximating its looming predecessor, Mauna Loa. "That's why you don’t make your house out of the finest Italian marble," said Phoenix.<doc-sep>Dozens of people have died, hundreds are missing and many more homes were destroyed after separate volcanic eruptions in Hawaii and Guatemala that made headlines worldwide in recent months. And although those volcano eruptions are not part of a trend, experts have said, the volcanoes in question are far from the only dangerous ones in the world. When assessing which volcanoes are the most dangerous in the world, however, several factors come into play, including population density surrounding active volcanoes, the types of magma that emerge during eruptions and each volcano’s eruption history. For example, an explosive volcanic eruption in a remote area is not as dangerous as one in a populous region that requires mass evacuations. And volcanoes that go a long time without erupting pose a higher risk for eruption because of mounting pressure inside them. Magma content is one way to assess a particular volcano’s danger level, according to Stanley Mertzman, a geosciences professor at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. Mertzman says experts will look at the level of silica, a rock-forming compound that affects the thickness of lava and a volcano’s overall shape, according to the USGS. Silica can indicate how dangerous an eruption can be because it tends to crystallize into chains in cooling lava, increasing its viscosity, in turn creating thicker magma that can make a volcano erupt more explosively. “The degree of danger increases dramatically as silica content increases,” Mertzman tells TIME. “The higher the silica content, the greater the viscosity — the magma becomes stickier, thicker, much harder to stir.” Rising silica levels in magma also give way to pyroclastic flows, a quick-moving mixture of lava, ash, gas and rock pieces that can be deadly because they cause asphyxiation, Mertzman says. “Picture a hot avalanche of material.” Guatemala’s Fuego volcano eruption on Sunday, which killed at least 75 people, formed a pyroclastic flow. Unlike Fuego, the lava flow from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, which has been erupting for a month, is a type of basalt. It poses little danger to people, unless they get in the way — thousands of people have been evacuated in the last month and Kilauea has destroyed several homes. Regions where volcanic eruptions can be deadly include Indonesia, the Philippines, parts of South America and various volcanoes in the U.S. Below, see some of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes, based on their volcanic history, population densities and magma type. Mount Vesuvius Mt. Vesuvius as seen from above Sorrento. Bruno Brunelli—Getty Images Italy’s Vesuvius has been a menacing figure since an eruption in 79 CE buried the city of Pompeii. Over the last 17,000 years, the volcano has gone through eight major explosive eruptions that were followed by large pyroclastic flows, according to the Smithsonian Institute/USGS Global Volcanic Program database. Vesuvius’ last known eruption occurred in 1944. The Italian government has multiple plans prepared for a possible eruption in the future. At least six million people live in the vicinity of Vesuvius, according to the database. Mount Rainier Photo Taken In Naches, United States Yen-Tsung Chen / EyeEm—Getty Images/EyeEm A number of factors make Mount Rainier one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the U.S. The USGS points to Mount Rainier’s high elevation, chemical composition, proximity to Washington’s Seattle and Tacoma suburbs and the volcano’s ability produce intense pyroclastic flows, lava flows and volcanic ash. The heat from Mount Rainier’s lava flows could potentially melt the snow and ice on the volcano, causing a rapid downstream flow of mud, rocks and debris called lahar. Huge lahars are the greatest risk posed by an eruption at Mount Rainier, according to the USGS. More than two million people would be affected by an eruption, according to the Global Volcanism Program. Novarupta Volcano Chlaus Lotscher / Design Pics—Getty Images/First Light Located in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve, the Novarupta volcano was formed in 1912 in an eruption that was the world’s largest in the twentieth century, sending nearly 30 cubic kilometers of ash and debris into the air and producing such strong ash flow, it formed the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. While the immediate area surrounding Novarupta is not populous, the 1912 eruption formed an ash cloud that rained sulfurous ash across southern Alaska and parts of Canada. After three days, people in nearby Kodiak had succumbed to eye soreness and respiratory issues caused by ash fall, according to the USGS. The eruption that created Novarupta is not typical of the types of eruptions in the region, the National Park Service for Katmai said on its website. However, more than a dozen active volcanoes at remain under watch by volcanologists at Katmai in an effort to protect the public from harm. Mount Pinatubo Photo Taken In Philippines, Manila Krystine Alexi Manzanades / EyeEm—Getty Images/EyeEm Mount Pinatubo, situated in a populated region of the Philippines, became notorious after a 1991 major eruption that was the second largest eruption of the twentieth century, closely following Novarupta. While Pinatubo did not have a history of explosive eruptions prior to the eruption, the 1991 event killed at least 722 people after producing pyroclastic flows that formed a lake-filled caldera in the volcano. Today, more than 21 million people live within 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) of Pinatubo, according to the Global Volcanism Program. Mount St. Helens Southeast side of Mount St. Helens, showing Shoestring Glacier. This pre-1980 view of Mount St. Helens shows the volcano's southeast flank and the headwaters of the Muddy River before the May 18th, 1980 eruption. The broad forested area in the foreground is underlain by many layers of volcanic deposits, chiefly lahars and pyroclastic flows generated from past eruptions of Mount St. Helens. Science Source/USGS—Getty Images/Science Source The 1980 eruption of Washington’s Mount St. Helens was the deadliest and most destructive volcanic event in U.S. history. Fifty-seven people died in the eruption along with thousands of animals, and about 200 sq. miles of forest was destroyed. According to the USGS, Mount St. Helens’ history of explosive eruptions indicates that future episodes are highly likely to occur.<doc-sep>Nearly three weeks after the Kīlauea volcano erupted on Hawaii Island, it is still unclear how the aftermath will impact what is usually a busy summer season. Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau, says the island, one of the six major ones of Hawaii, has seen some cancellations of group travel bookings. “It’s not huge, but they are reconsidering,” he says. Potential visitors are worried about toxic gases being emitted from the volcano, he says. But he points out that the volcano has been active since 1983. “The safety level is basically where it has been in the last … years that it’s been continuously flowing,” he says. Still, hotels are worried about future bookings, he says. Travelers are showing trepidation, even though the volcanic eruption is contained to a small sliver of the island that is far from where tourists usually stay. The affected areas have been residential neighborhoods around the volcano. About 2,000 residents have been evacuated. New eruptions spew lava closer to power plant Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is one of the island’s most popular tourist destinations, and most of it is closed now because of the spewing lava and gases. The closure is costing the island $166 million in revenue, the National Park Service says. Norwegian Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean have cancelled stops at Hilo, Hawaii island’s port. Online travel agency Expedia.com says that demand for trips from San Francisco and Seattle to Kona on the west coast of Hawaii Island has been down about 35 percent for each originating airport since the May 3 eruption. That is compared to the two weeks prior to the volcanic eruption. However, from May 3 to 20 to the same time period last year, searches are up 20 percent. Travelzoo looked at search data for airfare, hotels, vacation packages, and activities from May 1 to May 27 of this year compared to last year. Searches for the state of Hawaii are down year over year. Searches for Hawaii Island are down 11 percent, according to Travelzoo. For Hilo on Hawaii Island, specifically, searches are down 27 percent. For the entire state, searches have declined by 21 percent. The only island seeing an increase is Kauai, with a 21 percent jump in searches. But Fareness.com, which studies airfares, says that compared to May of last year, searches for Hawaii have increased 53 percent. Interest in Kona, however, has fallen 50 percent year over year. Other islands seem to be benefiting, with Honolulu seeing a 55 percent increase in reservations. Bookings to the island of Kauai now make up 31 percent of all reservations in the state. Most hotel companies declined to comment on how the eruption has affected business. A spokeswoman at Fairmont Hotels said that cancellations have not been significant but that The Fairmont Orchid on Hawaii Island has received inquiries about the situation. The summer booking pace has slowed down a bit, she says, but the hotel expects it to pick up after the volcanic activity ceases. 'Laze': The latest threat in Hawaii Meanwhile, this week, Hawaii Governor David Ige made a plea to tourists to continue to consider Hawaii as a summer destination. “Travel is safe to the Hawaiian Islands,” he said. “We have a skilled contingent of scientists, geologists, meteorologists, and health experts whose work is being supported around the clock by emergency officials and law enforcement personnel from federal, state and county agencies. They are continuously scrutinizing the activity within Kīlauea volcano and providing clear, carefully thought-out advice with the purpose of keeping the public safe and informed.”<doc-sep>

Why Does Hawaii Have So Many? The Hawaiian Islands are a chain of volcanoes formed over millions of years. They’ve developed as the Pacific Plate — one of more than a dozen tectonic plates on the earth’s outer layer — slowly moves northwest over a stationary hot spot of magma under the earth’s surface. The hot spot partially melts an area under the Pacific Plate, sending magma to the ocean floor. Over time, lava accumulates and emerges above the ocean and builds islands. AP One volcano is still submerged: the top of Loihi is currently 3,189 feet below sea level. Scientists estimate it will take about 200,000 years for it to pop out over the sea at its current eruption rate. How Many Active Volcanoes? The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, part of the U.S. Geological Survey, defines an active volcano as one that has erupted within the past 10,000 years. Hawaii has five such volcanoes in addition to Kilauea, though Kilauea is the only one currently erupting. Three are on the same island as Kilauea: Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Hualalai. One is on Maui: Haleakala. The last is Loihi, which is underwater to Kilauea’s south. Have Others Erupted Recently? Mauna Loa, which stands 13,679 feet above sea level, erupted for 22 days in 1984. Lava cascaded down its eastern flank to get within 4.5 miles of Hilo, the largest city on the Big Island. Scientists say Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times since 1864, for an average of once every six years over the past three millennia. It’s also the world’s largest volcano, with a peak that extends 55,700 feet from its base under the sea. Coffee farms and the beach resort town of Waikoloa sit on the mountain’s western and northwestern flanks. AP To Mauna Loa’s northwest is Hualalai, which last erupted between the late 1700s and 1801. Eighty percent of Hualalai’s surface has been covered by lava in the past 5,000 years. On Maui, Haleakala volcano is believed to have last erupted sometime from 1480 to 1600. What About Oahu? Diamond Head is one of several volcanic craters on Oahu that scientists believe were formed up to 500,000 years ago. Diamond Head sits on top of a much larger volcano, called Koolau, that together with a second large volcano, Waianae, forms most of Oahu’s land mass. The Koolau and Waianae volcanoes are about 2 million to 3 million years old. No Oahu volcano is active. What Goes On Up There? The highest peaks on each island are considered sacred in Hawaiian culture because they represent the realms of the gods and goddesses. There are shrines at the summits of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Haleakala, including those honoring the heavens, the earth mother and ancestors. Ceremonies are sometimes performed at the summits. The top of Mauna Kea, which is only slightly taller than Mauna Loa at 13,803 feet, hosts about a dozen of the world’s most advanced telescopes. The observatories take advantage of clear weather and limited light pollution to peer deep into the night sky. Mauna Loa and Haleakala also have several telescopes. AP Watching the sunrise from the top of Haleakala and Mauna Kea has become a popular activity for tourists. Tourists also enjoy visiting the crater at Kilauea’s summit, which is 4,009 feet above sea level and inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Tourists also like to watch lava flowing down Kilauea into the ocean. But dangers posed by the current eruption have forced the National Park Service to close the summit area and Hawaii County officials have restricted the ocean entry point. Hotels, farms, cattle ranches, beaches and towns line the bases of the mountains. How Old Is the Oldest Volcano? Kauai and Niihau are the oldest of the eight main islands in the state of Hawaii. They were each formed about 5 million years ago. Erosion and landslides have produced dramatic cliffs on many of the older islands, like the Napali Coast on Kauai’s north shore. Molokai has the tallest sea cliffs in the world, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. They reach more than 2,000 feet above sea level. Small atolls and seamounts northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands are also believed to have been formed by the hot spot. The oldest atoll, Kure, is about 30 million years old. Thoughts on this or any other story? Write a Letter to the Editor. Send to news@civilbeat.org and put Letter in the subject line. 200 words max.

READ ALSO: Bravehearts climb 33 floors to douse flames READ ALSO: Feet on ground, residents gaze up anxiously for hour READ ALSO: Safety systems in place, yet highrise residents unsure of preparedness READ ALSO: Building podium prevents deploying of 90-m tall ladder I am safe.Thank You everyone.Let us pray for our firefighters who are at site risking their lives...🙏🏽 — Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) 1528889066000 MUMBAI: Fire broke out in a duplex penthouse at Worli's plush Beau-Monde Towers shortly after 2pm on Wednesday, and raged for over four hours, gutting the apartment. There was no one in the flat except the owners’ domestic help, who escaped unhurt. The flat’s owners, business couple Harish and Roopa Fabiani, are NRIs who live in Spain.Though the fire didn’t result in any casualties (except for two firefighters sustaining minor injuries), it once again highlighted the city’s lack of preparedness when it comes to highrise blazes: Almost the entire firefighting operations were conducted using the building’s own firefighting system, while the fire brigade’s much-touted 90-metre hydraulic platform ladder, though brought to the site, could not be pressed into service as it faced problems of access.A fire brigade source said that prima facie, a short circuit could not be ruled out as the cause of the blaze, though a probe has been ordered to formally ascertain the reasons.The fire brigade got a call from the building close to ten minutes past 2pm. Its personnel reached the site in a few minutes and shot straight for the penthouse, which is in Tower B (in all, BeauMonde has three towers). Shortly after, 95-odd residents emerged out of the tower and gathered around the main gate of the premises. A fire officer said several residents from the other two towers too reached the ground.Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone , who owns a flat at BeauMonde Towers , tweeted around 5pm, assuring fans of her safety. “I am safe. Thank you everyone. Let us pray for our firefighters who are at site risking their lives...” read the tweet.Firefighters faced an uphill task battling the blaze. Besides intense heat and smoke, they had to contend with strong winds at the height they were carrying out their operations. Every time the fire seemed to have been put out, it revived with renewed vigour. It was only about 5.30pm, almost three and a half hours after the blaze started, that the fire brigade could more or less bring the blaze under control. It took them about an hour more to begin cooling operations.The tower’s power supply has been disconnected. An officer said it will be restored after a detailed examination. He said the building’s firefighting system was in good condition and that is what was primarily used to control the fire. More than 2 lakh litres of water was used up, some of it coming from the fire brigade’s water tankers.Chief fire officer P S Rahangdale said, “The internal firefighting system helped tremendously to contain the fire. All highrises should maintain their firefighting equipment in a good condition.”A resident said, “As soon as we came to know of the fire, we switched off the electric and gas mains.”Local MLA Sada Sarvankar, who was at the spot, blamed the BMC’s building proposal department for sanctioning highrises though the city’s layout and also the fire brigade’s limitations makes tower blazes difficult to fight. He said he would place a calling attention motion before the state assembly during the monsoon session, demanding that no permission should be given for a highrise unless there is proof of fire safety and assurance from the fire brigade that they can battle blazes with their own equipment.The police too were at the site and maintained a bandobast. “We will conduct a detailed panchnama," said an officer. The building’s security personnel could be seen managing crowds and barring people from entering no-go zones of operations.<doc-sep>Over a dozen fire engines have been deployed to fight the blaze at Beaumonde Towers in Prabhadevi At least 90 residents were evacuated safely after a fire broke out this afternoon on the top floor of a high-rise building in Mumbai's Prabhadevi. The building houses some high-profile names , including Bollywood star Deepika Padukone.Officials said that the fire was seen on 33rd floor of the Beaumonde Towers at around 2.10 pm. In no time, thick black clouds of smoke were billowing out.More than a dozen fire engines have been deployed to fight the blaze. Reports said that there have been no damage to the flat of Deepika Padukone. She also has a office in the building, which is at a different floor.This is the third major fire incident in Mumbai this month.<doc-sep>MUMBAI: A major fire broke out at the Beaumonde Towers in Prabhadevi area on Wednesday.As per the initial reports, the fire was confined to 32nd and 33rd floor of the building located on Appasaheb Marathe Marg.About six fire engines, five water tankers were at the spot and efforts to douse the flames were still on. One hydraulic platform and ambulances were at the spot.Fire brigade had already rescued about 90-95 residents and no casualties were reported.Actress Deepika Padukone also owns a flat in the building.<doc-sep>Massive fire boroke out in BeauMonde Towers located in Mumbai's Prabhadevi. According to reports, no casualties were reported so far and more than 95 residents were safely rescued. Reports mention six fire engines, five jumbo tankers and an ambulance carrying out firefighting and rescue operations. The fire graded as Level-3 broke out on the 33rd floor in the tower's B wing. Actress Deepika Padukone owns a flat in the complex. You can follow the updates here: 18:05 pm: "Level - III fire in Beau Monde Towers at Appasaheb Marathe Marg in Worli's Prabhadevi locality is contained. There is intense heat and fire in some pockets, but it is contained," says the fire department. Level - III fire in Beau Monde Towers at Appasaheb Marathe Marg in Worli's Prabhadevi locality is contained. There is intense heat and fire in some pockets, but it is contained: Fire Brigade #Mumbaipic.twitter.com/AnuIOp8EhO - ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2018 17:22 pm: Deepika Padukone says that she is safe and offers a prayer for the firefighters risking their lives. I am safe.Thank You everyone.Let us pray for our firefighters who are at site risking their lives...🙏🏽 - Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) June 13, 2018 16:46 pm: According to Firstpost, this is the third time the same building has caught fire. The two other times were when the building was under construction. 16:34 pm: Visuals from the BeauMonde Towers at Appasaheb Marathe Marg in Prabhadevi locality in Worli. Spot Visuals: Level - III fire in Beau Monde Towers at Appasaheb Marathe Marg in Prabhadevi locality in Worli: 10 fire tenders, 2 quick response vehicles, 5 water tankers, 2 ambulances present at the site. No casualties reported. Firefighting operations underway. #Mumbaipic.twitter.com/OHt8CP2U3s - ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2018 16:31 pm: According to reports, the fire has now spread to the left side and the rear end of the tower. The top five floors are now engulfed in smoke. Rescue operations have been halted as the fire fighters are struggling to reach the height 16:00 pm: This is not the first instance of a fire catastrophe. According to an Indian Express report, around 29,140 fire incidents have been reported in the city from 2012/2013 till date. In these incidents, 293 people have lost their lives, while 925 have been injured. One of the most devastating fires occured last year at the city's Kamala Mills locality on December 29. The fire that originated in a pub led to the death of 14 people. The incident brought fire-safety violations rampant in the city under the scanner. 15:58 pm: Police to investigate cause of fire. Future course of action to be decided on the investigation, as per reports. 15:50 pm: Constructed by Sheth Builders, flats at the BeauMonde Towers stretch from 2,000-4,000 sq ft, depending on whether the flat is a 2BHK or a 5BHK. The market value of these flats range from Rs 16 crore to Rs 50 crore. 15:39 pm: According to reports Deepika Padukone is away for a shoot, while some members of her staff members were present at her place. 15:33 pm: Firefighting operations are underway. Police personnel, at least 10 fire tenders, 5 jumbo tankers, 2 hydraulic platforms & ambulances present at Beau Monde Towers in Worli's Prabhadevi locality where a level-III fire broke out. Firefighting operations underway. #Mumbaipic.twitter.com/XdMP6roNmC - ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2018 15:29 pm: Another video shows smoke billowing from the top of the tower. #WATCH: Level III fire breaks out in Beau Monde Towers in Worli's Prabhadevi locality. Firefighting operations underway. #Mumbaipic.twitter.com/su2hKDEGr3 - ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2018 15:24 pm: More visuals of the incident: Level II fire which had broken out in Beau Monde Towers in Worli's Prabhadevi, now becomes a level III fire. Firefighting operations underway. #Mumbaipic.twitter.com/sBub2FuLii - ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2018 15:18 pm: "Our staff & Fire Brigade is on the spot for assistance. They are trying their best to douse the fire and provide necessary help to people there," Mumbai Police tweeted. Our staff & Fire Brigade is on the spot for assistance. They are trying their best to douse the fire and provide necessary help to people there. - Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) June 13, 2018 15:16pm: Photos and videos of the incident are circulating on the social media. The Mumbai police have urged people to maintain peace and co-ordinate with the authorities.<doc-sep>

fire Level - III fire in Beau Monde Towers at Appasaheb Marathe Marg in Worli's Prabhadevi locality is contained. There… https://t.co/sc0AShsY4u — ANI (@ANI) 1528893011000 Latest Visuals: Level - III fire in Beau Monde Towers at Appasaheb Marathe Marg in Prabhadevi locality in Worli: 20… https://t.co/hjD64HICaP — ANI (@ANI) 1528890977000 Forgotten story of India's firefighters 01:57 I am safe.Thank You everyone.Let us pray for our firefighters who are at site risking their lives...🙏🏽 — Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) 1528889066000 #PrabhadeviFire: Fire that was brought under control has now started again; engulfs a major part of 33rd floor. LIV… https://t.co/mCO8oUMEoF — Mumbai Mirror (@MumbaiMirror) 1528887225000 #WATCH: Level III fire breaks out in Beau Monde Towers in Worli's Prabhadevi locality. Firefighting operations unde… https://t.co/rqFGuU3zMa — ANI (@ANI) 1528882791000 #PrabhadeviFire: Fire confined to duplex flat on 32nd and 33rd floor. Medical services rushed to the spot, no casul… https://t.co/Ib34aWkjI7 — Mumbai Mirror (@MumbaiMirror) 1528883910000 #PrabhadeviFire: 95 residents of the building have been evacuated safely. More details here: https://t.co/Hl7dCqLhoN https://t.co/derMt9Ehqv — Mumbai Mirror (@MumbaiMirror) 1528883295000 #FLASH | It is a level two fire: Mumbai Fire department More details here: https://t.co/Hl7dCqLhoN https://t.co/brBYp7kW4K — Mumbai Mirror (@MumbaiMirror) 1528881767000 #FLASH: Fire in a high-rise in #Prabhadevi; 6 fire engines, 2 water tankers have reached the spot. More details awa… https://t.co/H9f6ki6BOw — Mumbai Mirror (@MumbaiMirror) 1528880016000 A majorbroke out on the top floor of a high rise in Prabhadevi area in Mumbai on Wednesday afternoon. The fire brigade has reached the spot and the fire-fighting is underway.As per a fire department official, "The fire broke out at about 2 pm, on the 32 and 33rd floor of the building and the top two floors are badly affected. Five to six fire engines have been sent to the spot said officials of the fire brigade. There weren't many trapped in the flat where fire broke out. However, around 95 residents of the building have been evacuated safely. "As per the reports, the fire is reportedly spreading due to the wind. The fire fighting team finding it difficult to bring down the fire. Around 100 residents have been evacuated to safety by the rescue operations.20 fire tenders, 2 quick response vehicles, 5 water tankers, 2 ambulances present at the site. No casualties reported. Firefighting operations underway.Rescue operations are underway by the fire fighting team, as the blaze intensifies. As many as 100 people have been reported to be evacuated from the building. The fire has reached the other side of the building.Shiv Sena corporator Kishori Pednekar reached the fire spot. She alleged that the building security tried to douse the fire on their own initially. However, when they couldn’t manage to extinguish the fire, they alerted the fire department.The fire was initially brought under control but it has started again and now has almost covered one fourth of the top floor of the high rise.As per some media reports, the cause of fire has been reported due to short circuit in AC. However, none of the authorities have given any confirmation on the same.Deepika Padukone stays in the same building on the 24th floor. The fire incident has been reported in a duplex flat on the 32nd and 33rd floor of Beau Monde building. Firefighting operations underway.The level II fire that had broken out in Beau Monde Towers in Prabhadevi, now becomes a level III fire. Police personnel, at least 10 fire tenders, five jumbo tankers, two hydraulic platforms and ambulances present at the siteThe building is reported to be Beaumonde residential complex, where Bollywood star Deepika Padukone also owns a house.The apartment in that caught fire was unoccupied, the official further added.“It is a level two fire and we have dispatched six fire engines and two water tankers to the spot. So far there are no further updates on the causalities as the fire fighting is underway,” the fire department had earlier told Mirror.Four days back, a level-4 fire broke out inside Patel Chambers in Mumbai's Fort area.More details awaited

NEET 2018: Know what all documents are required during counselling NEET 2018: Know what all documents are required during counselling NEET 2018: With the declaration of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2018 on June 4, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) and various state authorities will start the counselling procedure to fill seats. Candidates will need to register separately with different counselling authorities for participating in the NEET 2018 counselling process. Only those candidates who qualify NEET 2018 by scoring the minimum qualifying percentage will be invited for the counselling. Candidates need to score a minimum of 50th percentile (40th percentile for SC/ST/OBC and 45th percentile for General-PH) in order to qualify NEET and become eligible for NEET 2018 counselling and admission. CBSE NEET counselling 2018: Tentative dates The first round of counselling: June 12 to 24 Last date of joining: July 3 The second round of counselling: July 6 to 12 Last date of joining: July 22 Mop-up round of counselling: August 12 to 22 Last date of joining: August 26 Transfer of vacant seats to Deemed & Central universities for the final mop-up round: August 27 Last date of joining: August 31 We will revise the schedule on this page only. NEET counselling 2018 – Documents required Candidates will need to bring following documents at the time of reporting to the college after AIQ counselling of NEET 2018. — NEET 2018 Admit Card — NEET 2018 Rank Letter or AIQ Rank Letter — Class 10 Certificate and Marksheet (for the date of birth proof) — Class 12 Certificate and Marksheet — ID Proof — Eight passport size photographs — Provisional allotment letter generated online after allotment. — Community Certificate (if applicable). CBSE NEET Counselling 2018: Seat reservations The NEET 2018 counselling will be held by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), on behalf of the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). The counselling will take place for admissions to 15 per cent All India Quota (AIQ) seats in Government medical and dental colleges across all states (except J&K), 100 per cent seats in Deemed and Central universities, seats reserved for Wards of Insured Persons (IP quota) in Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) medical colleges and seats at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune. NEET counselling 2018 for the remaining 85 per cent state quota seats (100 per cent in case of J&K) in Government medical and dental colleges and seats in other private and self-financing institutions in all states will be conducted by the respective state counselling authorities.<doc-sep>NEET UG Counselling 2018: This year, the cut-off for the general category stands at 50 percent, and 40 percent for other category candidates. NEET UG Counselling 2018: This year, the cut-off for the general category stands at 50 percent, and 40 percent for other category candidates. NEET UG Counselling 2018: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) released the result of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2018 today, on June 4 with Kalpana Kumari (Bihar 12th topper) obtaining the All India Rank 1 in NEET UG 2018 with 99.99 percentile. The exam was conducted on May 6 this year and over 13 lakh candidates had appeared for the same. This year, the cut-off for the general category stands at 50 percent, and 40 percent for other category candidates. MCI will soon start the counselling procedure for 15 per cent All India Quota seats. For the rest of the 85 per cent seats, which fall under state quota, counselling will be conducted separately by the concerned authorities on state level. Qualified candidates will now have to register for the counselling process online. The provisional merit list will be released on June 19. After that document verification will be done. DMER will then publish the revised merit list. Those who want to study in Maharashtra have to register for the online counselling at the official website of Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), dmer.org. NEET UG Counselling 2018: How to register Step 1: Log on to the official website mentioned above Step 2: Click on ‘NEET UG 2018: Online application form’ Step 3: In the provided fields, enter your application number/username and password Step 4: Click on login Step 5: Follow the further instructions 30 per cent seats at the disposal of the competent authority shall be reserved for female candidates in all the courses. This reservation shall be for all the categories like SC, ST, VJ, NT-1, NT-2, NT-3, OBC, Common, HA, MKB & DEF. NEET UG is conducted for admission to MBBS/BDS courses in India in medical/dental colleges run with the approval of the Medical Council of India/Dental Council of India. The exam was conducted in Hindi, English, Urdu, Gujarati, Marathi, Oriya, Bengali, Assamese, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada.<doc-sep>NEET 2018 Counseling Schedule has been released by the Medical Counseling Committee (MCC) on its official website - mcc.nic.in. Candidates who’ve scored minimum 50th Percentile (40th for SC/ST/OBC & 45th for General-PH) in NEET 2018 must register themselves separately to participate in the NEET Counseling 2018 Seat Allotment Process which is scheduled to be organized for filling medical and dental seats under 15% All India Quota (AIQ) seats in Government medical and dental colleges across the country (except J&K), 100% seats in Deemed and Central Universities, MBBS/BDS seats reserved for Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and seats reserved in the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune. Eligible candidates can read through the NEET 2018 Counseling Tentative Schedule below: NEET 2018 Counseling Schedule – Round 1: Registration, Choice Filling and Payment – 13th June 2018 to 18th June 2018 (5pm as per server time) Payment Facility will be available till 19th June 2018 (12 Noon) Choice Filling/Locking - 19th June 2018 (10am to 5pm as per server time) Processing of Seat Allotment – 20th June 2018 to 21st June 2018 Result – 22nd June 2018 Reporting – 23rd June 2018 to 3rd July 2018 NEET 2018 Counseling Schedule – Round 2: Registration, Choice Filling and Payment – 6th July 2018 to 8th July 2018 (5pm as per server time) Payment Facility will be available till 9th July 2018 (12 Noon) Choice Filling/Locking - 9th July 2018 (10am to 5pm as per server time) Processing of Seat Allotment – 10th July 2018 to 11th July 2018 Result – 12th July 2018 Reporting – 13th July to 22nd July 2018 NEET 2018 Counseling Schedule – Mop-Up Round: Display of Seat Matrix for Mop-up Round – 10th August 2018 to 11th August 2018 Registration, Choice Filling and Payment – 12th August 2018 to 14th August 2018 (5pm as per server time) Payment Facility will be available till 15th August 2018 (12 Noon) Choice Filling/Locking - 15th August 2018 (10am to 5pm as per server time) Processing of Seat Allotment – 16th August 2018 Result – 17th August 2018 Reporting – 18th August to 26th August 2018 Transfer of Non Reporting & Non Joining Vacant Seat to Deemed/Central Universities for Mop-up on 27th August 2018 The above schedule can be downloaded from the url mentioned below: https://mcc.nic.in/UG_Schedule18.pdf<doc-sep>Congratulations! You have successfully cast your vote Login to view result NEW DELHI: The Medical Counseling Committee (MCC) has released the schedule for National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test - NEET (UG), 2018 counselling on the official website - mcc.nic.in.As per the notice posted on the official website (mcc.nic.in) the six-day first round counselling process for 15% all India quota (AIQ) will be held from June 13 to June 18, 2018. The three-day second round counselling will be organised from July 6 to 8, 2018.The payment facility for the first round counselling will be available till June 19 up to 12:00 noon while the it will be available till July 9 (up to 12:00 noon) for the second round of counselling.The candidates can fill and lock their choice, for first round of counselling, on June 19 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The seat allotment process will be done on June 20 & 21, 2018. The result for first round counselling will be declared on June 22, 2018 and the students can report to their allotted colleges from June 23 to July 3, 2018.After holding the two-round counselling the MCC will organise the mop-up round from August 12, 2018.The candidates will be called as per their All India Rank (AIR)/merit list for admissions to approximately 60,000 seats.The result for NEET 2018 examination was declared last Monday i.e., June 4, 2018 in which around 7.14 lakh candidates have managed to cross the cut-off mark set by the exam conducting authority i.e., Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The NEET Examination for 2018 was conducted on May 6.<doc-sep>

NEET 2018 counselling: Candidates can find the entire schedule of the counselling at mcc.nic.in Candidates can find the entire schedule of the counselling at mcc.nic.in NEET 2018 counselling: The Medical Counseling Committee (MCC) has released the schedule for the NEET counselling at mcc.nic.in. The Central Board of Secondary Education had on June 4, announced the result and cut-off of the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) 2018. Candidates need to register separately with different authorities for participating in the NEET 2018 counselling process. Those who have qualified NEET 2018 by scoring the minimum qualifying percentage will only be invited for the counselling. Candidates should have earned a minimum of 50th percentage (40th percentile for SC/ST/OBC and 45th percentage for General-PH) in order to become eligible for NEET 2018 counselling round. NEET is the medical entrance exam held for admission in medical and dental colleges across India. The following is the detailed schedule for rounds of NEET 2018 counselling. NEET 2018: Round 1 Registration, choice filling and payment: June 13, 2018 to June 18, 2018(until 5 pm) Choice filling/locking: June 19, 2018 (10:00 am to 5:00 pm as per server time) Processing of seat allotment: June 20, 2018 to June 21, 2018 Result: June 22, 2018 Reporting: June 23,2018 to July 03, 2018 NEET 2018: Round 2 Registration, choice filling and payment: July 6 to July 8(until 5 pm) Choice filling/locking: July 9,2018(10:00 am to 5:00 pm as per server time) Processing of seat allotment: July 10,2018 to July 11,2018 Result: July 12, 2018 Reporting: July 13,2018 to July 22,2018 Display of Seat Matrix for Mop-up: August 10,2018 to August 11,2018 Mop-up round Registration, choice filling and payment: August 12, 2018, to August 14,2018(until 5 pm) Choice filling/locking: August 15, 2018(10:00 am to 5:00 pm as per server time) Processing of seat allotment: August 16,2018 Result: August 17,2018 Reporting: August 18,2018 to August 26,2018 Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), will conduct the NEET 2018 counselling on behalf of the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). The counselling will be conducted for admissions to 15 per cent All India Quota (AIQ) seats in Government medical and dental colleges across all states (except J&K), 100 per cent seats in deemed and central universities, seats reserved for Wards of Insured Persons (IP quota) in Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) medical colleges and seats at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune.

The preseason is complete and the deadline to cut to 53 is here. The Pittsburgh Steelers have some tough decisions to make before that deadline arrives on Saturday at 4pm EST. The Pittsburgh Steelers roster is mostly set from the returning players in 2017. However there are still some spots that are undecided as of now. Tough decisions loom for the coaching staff and GM Kevin Colbert ahead of the deadline. They not only decide who will be on the 53 man but also who to try to sign to the 10-man practice squad. The following prediction is a what I think the Steelers will end up doing. Quarterback (3) The Steelers are not going to keep four quarterbacks. There is no need to have four on the team and one of the four will be gone. That one, in this prediction, is Joshua Dobbs. Dobbs has done a great job in the preseason but likely is not enough to keep him a Steeler. The Steelers could look to trade Dobbs or just outright cut him. Should no one claim him, they could look to stow him away on the practice squad for a season.<doc-sep>4 cuts you should expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to make 4 cuts you should expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to make by Noah Strackbein The preseason is over and the Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty to reflect on. So, who’s making the 53-man roster? The final preseason game against the Panthers is a matter of formality. All that is left now is for head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert to begin shaping the final 53-man roster. In one week the 2018 regular season gets underway. Before we get to games that actually mean something, here are my final preseason thoughts and final roster projection: Think the Steelers are glad they didn’t sign Mychal Kendricks? Nice to see Marcus Allen make an appearance last week. Where has he been all pre-season? Vince Williams is the clear leader of the defense, and a bona fide Pro Bowler. Possibly a potential All-Pro. He is special. Jon Bostic and Tyler Matakevich are going to be very shaky. Matthew Thomas will certainly make the team. I wouldn’t be shocked if he isn’t lining up next to Williams by the end of the season. Terrell Edmunds reminds me a lot of Bob Sanders. That’s good and bad. With the injuries at tight end, don’t be surprised to see Jaylen Samuels line up at an H-Back/TE set. Landry Jones gets dealt. Personally, I’d hold onto him and deal Dobbs. I know fans have lofty expectations for the secondary. Approach with caution. Last year, Artie Burns regressed, Sean Davis was average and Morgan Burnett was nagged by injuries. If healthy, they can be good, but they need to drastically improve in takeaways. The offensive line depth is, well, concerning. I liked Ryan Switzer in college. Obviously, he will handle the return duties which will take pressure off Antonio Brown. My only question is why both Dallas and Oakland were so willing to trade him. Final Roster Projection QB – Ben Roethlisberger, Josh Dobbs and Mason Rudolph. RB – Le’Veon Bell, James Conner, Jaylen Samuels, Rosie Nix TE – Jesse James, Bucky Hodges (will look to add one or two more after final cuts unless Vance McDonald is healthy) WR – Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington, Ryan Switzer, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Justin Hunter OL – Maurkice Pouncey, David Decastro, Ramoun Foster, Marcus Gilbert, Alejandro Villanueva, B.J. Finney, Matt Feiler (will add one more after cut down. Maybe one and put Feiler on practice squad) DL – Cameron Heyward, Javon Hargrave, Stephon Tuitt, Daniel McCullers, L.T. Walton, Tyson Alualu LB – T.J. Watt, Bud Dupree, Anthony Chickillo, Vince Williams, Matthew Thomas, Jon Bostic, Tyler Matakevich, Keion Adams (potential to add one more) DB – Artie Burns, Joe Haden, Mike Hilton, Coty Sensabaugh, Morgan Burnett, Sean Davis, Terrell Edmunds, Cameron Sutton, Nat Berhe ST – Chris Boswell, Kameron Canady (will cut Berry and add punter) Practice Squad – Chuk Okorafor, Marcus Allen, Brian Allen, Joshua Frazier, Casey Sayles, Farrington Hugenin, Lavon Hooks, Trey Griffey (two more to be determined) I have left about six slots open for the team to add a few pieces after the cuts. I think they’ll look to add an interior offensive lineman who can kick out to tackle if needed as well as a tight end, even if McDonald can go. They’ll add a punter for sure, unless Berry has worked some sort of voodoo magic and makes the team. They might look at a veteran inside linebacker and potentially an outside backer and send Adams to the practice squad. They may also opt to place Marcus Allen and Josh Frazier on the 53-man roster as well.<doc-sep>

The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to rest several of their key starters against the Carolina Panthers in their fourth preseason contest of the year, and for 39 names on the roster, it could be the last live game action they see this season. The Steelers must reduce their roster to its 53-man limit by 4 pm on Saturday and many of the players on the sidelines Thursday night will be looking for a new job in the coming days. . Only one change has been made to the roster since Pittsburgh last took to the field, with wide receiver Ryan Switzer replacing Justin Thomas. Switzer has been given the same jersey number that Thomas had been carrying throughout training camp and he’ll be wearing No. 18 against the Panthers. After some of the returning veterans in the secondary opted for new numbers this offseason, there are changes to be aware of this year with Joe Haden, Sean Davis and Mike Hilton all sporting different looks. For those struggling to keep up with all of the new shirt numbers, our updated roster list should help you keep track of who’s who. Not every jersey number is exclusive to only one player, and there a handful of names who will be carrying the same number on offense and defense in preseason. For example, running back James Conner and defensive back Jamar Summers will both wear No. 30, while Parker Cothern and Larson Graham are both wearing No. 61. Before you rush out to buy the jersey of your favorite, undrafted rookie free agent, you might want to wait a few more weeks until the 53-man roster has been decided to see if they keep that number, let alone make the team. The final round of cuts is sure to free-up a few more jerseys, and it would be a surprise if there weren’t a few more number changes before the regular season begins.

Because apparently, it needs to be said: Don't put your fingers anywhere near a nurse shark's teeth. A woman who tried to hand-feed a shark is lucky she still has a hand. Yes, it bit her. IT'S A SHARK. Melissa Brunning of Perth, Australia, was on a holiday yacht cruise in Dugong Bay on Australia's coast, when four tawny nurse sharks (Nebrius ferrugineus) swam close to the back of the boat, Perth Now reported. Several of Brunning's companions dropped fish in the water near the sharks, one of which measured almost 7 feet (2 meters) in length. However, when it was Brunning's turn, she tried to feed the shark directly by hand. As the shark snatched the food, its jaws closed on her finger, and it yanked her into the water — a terrifying moment that one of her friends captured on video, according to Perth Now. [Images: Sharks & Whales from Above] In the footage, which was shared on Twitter by Australia's 7 News Melbourne on July 1, Brunning is seen bending toward the water, food in hand, as a nurse shark swims by. As it comes nearer, she puts her hand down into the water next to its head — and then screams as the shark bites down on her finger and pulls her in. "It happened so quickly," Brunning told 7 News Melbourne, and the pain was so excruciating that she initially thought her finger had been bitten off completely. "It felt like it was shredding off the bone," she said. "I couldn't even look at the finger because I thought it was gone." See more But after the shark released Brunning's finger, she found that it was still very much attached to her hand, though severely lacerated. Because the location where she was on holiday was so remote, she didn't seek treatment until nearly two weeks later, by which time her finger was badly infected, and X-rays revealed that she had suffered a torn ligament and a bone fracture, according to 7 News Melbourne. Tawny nurse sharks, also known as spitting sharks and sleepy sharks, are found in coastal waters spanning from east to west along Australia's northern coast. They are "relatively stout" sharks with blunt snouts holding rows of sharp teeth, and they can grow to be as long as 10.5 feet (3.2 m), representatives of the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries wrote in a species description. The accident was unquestionably harrowing, but labeling it a "shark attack," as 7 News Melbourne did, is misleading, as Brunning literally put a handful of food — and her hand — into the shark's mouth voluntarily; the animal simply reacted as it normally would in the presence of food, ecologist and shark researcher David Shiffman, a research fellow at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, wrote in a tweet on July 2. See more At least Brunning acknowledged her responsibility for the incident, adamantly affirming that it was entirely her fault, that the shark was blameless and that she was very, very lucky that her injury wasn't "a lot worse," she told Perth Now. Brunning said her future interactions with marine wildlife will be better informed thanks to her harrowing experience, as she intends to "respect marine life, and look at it in awe, but just leave them alone," Perth Now reported. Original article on Live Science.<doc-sep>An important lesson to remember: don't hand-feed sharks. That's what Melissa Brunning — the woman pulled off the back of a boat by a tawny nurse shark in Dugong Bay, Western Australia after the shark bit finger — has to say. "Life lesson - Don't feed sharks Kids," Brunning said in a Facebook post. Brunning, 34, was hand-feeding fish to a group of tawny nurse sharks off the back of a boat when one bit her and dragged her into the water, according to Australian’s 7 News. She initially thought her finger was bitten off due to the immense pain but despite the broken bone and torn ligament, the finger stayed intact. In a video of the incident that's gone viral, Brunning is seen with her hand underwater holding a fish. In the blink of an eye, she is screaming in pain as the shark pulls her into the water. Then, friends immediately pull Brunning back onto the boat. "Please let me assure you all, this is NOT a shark 'attack' this is me doing a silly thing and suffering a consequence," Brunny said in a post. "The water is their domain... and we should appreciate and admire them from a far."<doc-sep>EMBED >More News Videos Shark season is upon us, and a kayaker in Monterey Bay had an encounter she won't forget. AUSTRALIA (KGO) -- An Australian woman won't be feeding sharks ever again.Melissa Brunning was recently standing on the back of a boat hand-feeding fish to a group of "tawny nurse" sharks. They're usually a placid species but with powerful jaws and multiple rows of shark teeth.Melissa thought her finger was bitten off -- but it was just broken.She's OK, but says she'll now watch sharks from the inside of a boat, thank you.<doc-sep>

Send this page to someone via email They say you shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you, but a 34-year-old woman from Perth, Australia learned the hard way that the rules apparently don’t apply to sharks. On May 30, Melissa Brunning was on vacation off the northwestern coast of Australia in Dugong Bay, a remote spot known for its sharks and saltwater crocodiles. She was hand-feeding a group of two-metre tawny nurse sharks from a yacht, when one of them latched onto her finger and yanked her into the water. READ MORE: Jaw-dropping great white shark encounter with police: ‘Look at the size of this thing!’ “It happened so quickly,” she told local channel 7 News. “All I could really focus on was the fact that my finger is gone. He’d clamped on it and it felt like it was shredding off the bone.” Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "All I could really focus on was the fact that my finger is gone. He'd clamped on it and it felt like it was shredding off the bone." Story continues below advertisement The horrifying moment, all caught on video, shows Brunning screaming as she was dragged overboard before the boat’s crew and friends quickly pulled her back up. READ MORE: Drone captures great white shark approaching unsuspecting surfer in Australia Miraculously, she escaped relatively unscathed with all 10 fingers intact, but suffered a minor fracture and a torn ligament. “I came up and I couldn’t even look at my finger because I thought it was gone, and I thought if I looked at it I’d probably go into shock,” Brunning said. Brunning told local media she was wrong to try to feed the sharks, and said the experience has taught her to “respect marine life.”

If you’re plugged in online you may have heard of a certain Avengers: Endgame theory involving Ant-Man. Specifically, Ant-Man plunging into Thanos’ butthole and expanding his size in order to defeat the villain ... from the inside. That’s basically the extent of the “Thanus” theory, which is a less a theory than the internet’s new favorite Avengers meme. Even though it probably ... OK, most likely ... OK, most definitely won’t happen in the actual film, a live-action version of what only existed in Photoshops and one-liners has now emerged on the internet for all of our viewing pleasure. Though the Ant-Man-jumps-up-Thanos’-butt ending has reached new levels of buzz over the past few weeks, the theory first popped up before Infinity War even came out. According to KnowYourMeme, the joke started on Reddit, as loads of off-beat, shitpost tier theories oft do. On a post suggesting various ways to defeat Thanos, users speculated about Ant-Man shrinking down in size, crawling up Thanos’ various orifices (Thorfices) and expanding (from mouth to urethra specifically, or just entering inside of Thanos someplace else) until the purple villain exploded. It was a post about Ant-Man crawling into Thanos’ ear that the realization that Ant-Man would have to crawl into a more intimate part of Thanos’ anatomy sprung forth. Reddit user Rayhann specified “the one where you crawl up his ass and deeply violate his being.” For the record, Squirrel Girl didn’t explicitly crawl up Thanos’ ass, but the panel showcasing her victory has Thanos in a particularly compromising position. The concept of Ant-Man crawling up Thanos’ ass was out there, floating around far corners of the internet. But the theory made it to Twitter — the equivalent of emerging into the mainstream — just a few days after Infinity War. Scott Lang’s jarring absence from the movie prompted Twitter user @filmgloss to theorize just why Ant-Man didn’t make it into the movie. marvel saw the post about how ant man could defeat thanos by crawling into his ass and instantly growing in size and that’s why they didn’t put him in the movie, send tweet — c a t (@filmgloss) April 30, 2018 While this tweet did quite well, the screenshot of it on Tumblr did even better. Soon, other fandoms took notice and the meme proliferated throughout the internet. The theory culminated last summer when a reporter point-blank asked Paul Rudd about it. But renewed hype in the weeks before Avengers: Endgame have stirred up this theory turned meme. Subreddit r/dankmemes began to share memes about Ant-Man crawling up Thanos’s butt, some with fake screenshots of the Russo Brothers weighing in. Like Powerful Shaggy before it, the meme exploded when it went off Reddit and Tumblr and to Twitter, bringing awareness and merit to this quite shitpost-y shitpost. A Brazilian petition dedicated to making this moment happen in Avengers: Endgame has amassed over 35,000 signatures at the time of writing. With all the footage done, however, it isn’t super likely that the Russo brothers incorporate this outlandish theory, even in a post-credits scene. Correction (April 1): A previous version of this story credited the wrong creator of the video. YouTube user HELLO THERE created the Thanos video. We’ve edited the article to reflect this. That’s alright, though, as heroic internet denizen HELLO THERE created an incredibly accurate rendering of Ant-Man diving right into Thanos’ butt and expanding. We can rest easy knowing that some version of the scene exists in the world. Now we wait and see if Marvel incorporates it into the existing film. We’ll find out just how much Ant-Man matters in the final plan when Avengers: Endgame comes out on April 26. Update: Feeling gut pressure from the Marvel community, Josh Brolin, the actor behind Thanos, has weighed in a few times on the Thanus theory. On March 28 he posted an Instagram video of himself sitting on a toilet and trying to “flush Ant-Man.” Most recently, Brolin shared an explicit photo of Thanos on his Instagram. It’s a full nude from the back, with Thanos’ purple derrière on full display. Though it could easily be a tribute to how thicc Thanos’ ass is, Brolin made it clear that the Mad Titan’s voluptuous behind has something to do with Ant-Man. “Powerlifting Ant-Man squish,” read the hashtags.<doc-sep>As we get ever so closer to Avengers: Endgame being released on big screens around the world, fan theories about what will happen have been going into overdrive. Some theories sound pretty plausible and others are just ridiculous. But one idea seems to persist in comments sections everywhere and it has to do with Ant-Man. Advert 10 As we know, Paul Rudd's character (who was mysteriously absent from Infinity War) is able to shrink and grow in size thanks to his super-suit. As a result, fans are hoping he will be the one to save the Avengers by crawling inside Thanos and rapidly expand. Now, depending on who you look to for the theory, many reckon Ant-Man should enter through Thanos' bum, because that would prove to be both humorous and painful. Others suggest the superhero could technically enter through any orifice, be it the ear, the mouth, the nose, even the urethra. Either way, Thanos would end up as a big mess of purple liquid. Advert 10 Credit: Marvel/Disney The idea came around 2017, according to Vox, when fans were discussing the most painful ways for Thanos to be killed. When you wipe out half the population of the universe, surely, you deserve to be punished appropriately. The theory has gathered so much pace that Rudd was asked what he thought during a press interview for Ant-Man and the Wasp. Rudd seemed genuinely taken aback by the strange thought, but he didn't deny it did he? Case closed. When asked he if thought the idea would work, Paul simply replied with: "I don't know. But I think it's a question for Thanos. Advert 10 so paul rudd read my tweet about ant man crawling into thanos' ass and expanding OUT LOUD in an INTERVIEW and discussed it i'm in shock pic.twitter.com/YfBsPMnfoW - c a t (@filmgloss) July 21, 2018 "If there's one thing we learned from Infinity War it's that Thanos can take a lot of punishment. Now my mind is racing. It's an interesting [theory]." It most certainly is Mr Rudd and it's one that you're not disproving at the moment. Interesting, very interesting indeed. There's even an online petition calling for the scene to happen in Endgame. That might be taking things a bit far. Advert 10<doc-sep>

Ant-Man Exploding Thanos' Butt Is the Only 'Avengers: Endgame' Theory That Matters By Mike Redmond | Film | March 29, 2019 | Before we begin, I’d be remiss in my journalistic duties if I didn’t report that Vox published an actual explainer for an Avengers: Endgame theory where Ant-Man kills Thanos by crawling up his butt. This is our world now. You may have seen memes about Ant-Man crawling into Thanos’s butt and expanding. Here’s the theory behind them — and why it could work. https://t.co/H7F7DqNSKC — Vox (@voxdotcom) March 27, 2019 In fairness, the exploding anus theory has legs. In the rare moments when I’m not exhibiting laser-like focus on Meghan McCain, Ant-Man exploding Thanos’ colon is all I’ve been thinking about. My children barely have a father anymore. However, while the theory seems to have everything — plausibility, alien rectums, Ant-Man — Paul Rudd has some concerns. During an interview for Ant-Man and the Wasp, Rudd read a viral tweet on the most groundbreaking topic in the history of cinema and gamely played along. so paul rudd read my tweet about ant man crawling into thanos’ ass and expanding OUT LOUD in an INTERVIEW and discussed it i’m in shock pic.twitter.com/YfBsPMnfoW — c a t (@filmgloss) July 21, 2018 Rudd’s concerns are two-fold: Granted, yes, Ant-Man could obviously fit inside Thanos’ butt. He’s Ant-Man! That said, Thanos is stupid strong and would presumably have an equally as strong anus. On top of that, he’s wielding the Infinity Gauntlet, and I’m pretty sure the powers of a magic space glove would encapsulate even the most purple of asses. I ran the numbers. So as epically heroic as exploding Thanos’ butt might sound, there’s a high probability that Ant-Man would only crush himself against the inside of an alien sphincter. Rudd’s other concern is that this seems more like a question for Josh Brolin, who is definitely aware and has some thoughts on how this theory would play out. Yup, that’s probably how that would go. Sadly, we’ll never know if Ant-Man truly could murder Thanos through the a-hole because Marvel lacks the courage to show real dramatic stakes in its superhero films. Fortunately, the internet is here to fill our needs. Our weird, sick needs that we should probably talk to somebody about. This can’t be healthy. Dumb meme about the whole ant-man killing Thanos thing. Here you go. pic.twitter.com/plhqDjrapW — Jack #SobbleSquad (@ThatDubynDude) March 22, 2019 If anyone needs me, I’ll be caressing my journalism degree. It did good today. It did good … ← Ep. 3: Breaking Down 'The Act' and the Real-Life Gypsy Rose and Dee Dee Blanchard | March Madness: Best Chris Bracket, Round 4: Chris Evans and Keanu Reeves Could Face Off → Mike is a Staff Contributor living in Pennsyltucky. You can follow him on Twitter. Header Image Source: Marvel

The Scott Frost era was set to begin in Lincoln, Nebraska this weekend. Weather got in the way, unfortunately. Nebraska’s season-opening game against Akron was cancelled this weekend. Rain and lightning forced serious delays and, eventually, the contest had to be cancelled. New details have started to emerge from the cancelling. There was talk of the game being played on Sunday, but Akron didn’t want to. From ESPN.com: Amid severe weather on Saturday night, Nebraska was planning to move the Cornhuskers’ season opener in Lincoln to Sunday. Akron said no, according to Nebraska officials. Athletic director Bill Moos issued a statement on Sunday, saying “logistical challenges” forced the Zips to pull the plug. Akron stayed in southwest Omaha, some 40 miles from Memorial Stadium, on Friday night and had checked out of its hotel before busing to Lincoln on Saturday afternoon. The Akron players and coaches flew home to Ohio late Saturday night via charter from the Lincoln airport. A Sunday morning college football game would’ve been a lot of fun. It’s understandable that Akron wasn’t able to make it work, though. At this point, it’s unclear if Nebraska will add another game to its 2018 schedule. It’s possible the Huskers could find a team to play toward the end of the season if they’re trying to get bowl eligibility. Stay tuned.<doc-sep>In a statement Sunday evening, Akron athletic director Larry Williams said his team could not have made an overnight stay work without, among other challenges, spreading it out around several lodging options in the area because they had originally planned on flying home Saturday night. He said that arrangement "is not in the best interests of our team and student-athletes." Burton said his people helped determine the accommodations the Zips would have needed on short notice. "We were working on that, but Bill came back from the meeting with (Williams) and said, 'We're not playing the game tomorrow,'" Burton recalled. Akron's charter flight took off from the Lincoln airport just before 1 a.m. and landed in Ohio around 3:45 a.m. EST and Williams expressed skepticism that a Sunday restart would have happened even Akron stayed. "Thunderstorms were anticipated throughout the Lincoln area on Sunday, making even the opportunity to play very questionable," his statement said. Williams gave the most direct information about a potential makeup game in December, saying, "The University of Akron and The University of Nebraska are in discussions to make up the game in Week 14 of the college football season should either team need the game to become bowl eligible." Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}<doc-sep>For those who were wondering why the Akron vs. Nebraska game was cancelled ... (via @jeffbeavers13) pic.twitter.com/rBmyAl2Fmn — ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) September 2, 2018 Were you disappointed that weather prevented the Scott Frost era from its official beginning? You are not alone. But if anyone out there questions Nebraska’s decision to cancel the game during a dark and stormy night, one Husker fan’s photo may change your mind. Husker fan Jeff Beavers caught some of the worst of the storm in action. The photo shows some serious lightning in Lincoln with a view inside the sold-out Memorial Stadium. No wonder the Huskers called it off against Akron. After stormy weather beat down on Lincoln throughout Saturday night, it was announced at 9:55 that Nebraska's game against Akron has been cancelled. The Huskers will open their season against Colorado next weekend. If there are any adjustments to the 2018 football schedule, they will be announced at a later date. Ticket holders are encouraged to hold on to their tickets from Saturday night's game. There was a brief commotion about the game against Akron possibly being played on Sunday. Fox created the biggest stir when a line appeared on the crawl at the bottom of the screen saying Nebraska and Akron would play at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. That was news to Nebraska officials, however, who did not confirm it. Individuals connected to the Akron program knew nothing of it either, with one saying his expectation was that the team was flying out that night. It was not a total loss for the thousands of Nebraska fans that made the trip. Fans still got to see the new-look Huskers in warm ups as well as the first in-season Tunnel Walk. Colorado will be stiff competition Sept. 8 after a 45-13 blowout win over Colorado State. Quarterback Steven Montez completed 22-of-25 passes for 338 yards and four touchdowns.<doc-sep>Here we are in the aftermath of the 2018 Nebraska football kickoff that wasn’t. While nobody expected the Akron Zips to pull off an upset and best Scott Frost’s Cornhuskers, we’ll never know what may have been thanks to severe weather that forced the players from the field and eventually, the fans from the stands. However, that doesn’t mean the situation can't still be mutually beneficial. What’s important to remember is that the game did, in fact, begin. Jerry Fitschen’s 65-yard kickoff sailed over JD Spielman’s head, giving Nebraska possession at their own 25-yard line. While the game was cancelled and will not be made up, there’s still the matter of what technically did go down on Sept. 1, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska. According to the NCAA rulebook, four options are on the table. If a game is halted before the fourth quarter — we’ve already established it began and was halted due to severe weather — it can be resumed at a later date (the two schools have already said this isn’t happening), terminated with a determined final score, forfeited or declared a no-contest. In a non-conference game, both schools’ head coaches and athletic directors have to put their stamp of approval on the outcome. Let’s look at the scenario through the eyes of an athletic director, shall we? Ultimately, college football is a business. Akron athletic director Larry Williams and head football coach Terry Bowden no doubt saw Nebraska as an incredible opportunity: travel to Lincoln, get paid handsomely and perhaps pull off a program-defining upset in the process. But now that can’t happen. The teams didn’t play, they won’t meet, so how can we make this a win-win? Well, the check for $1.17 million that the Zips are due for their services isn’t cashable just yet. Those details are yet to be finalized. The easiest money Akron could possibly make is by giving the Huskers a one-point win and a free stamp on their punch card towards bowl eligibility. Remember, we’re talking business here. Akron’s coffers fill and Nebraska gets closer to making a bowl game look extremely attractive. Now, that being said, it’s not the type of win that Frost wants and swallowing a loss wouldn’t be easy for Bowden. However, there are some genuine benefits to this arrangement beyond the money. Regardless of which side you’re on, let’s remember a major positive: no players got hurt. There are no bumps and bruises to mend as a result of this scenario. Nebraska gets to keep its bye week allowing them to heal and regroup following their clash with Minnesota before what will be a fascinating showdown with Ohio State. Yes, Akron could’ve won in theory, but they’d likely head into week three of the season with a 1-1 record thanks to a loss thanks to Nebraska and a win over FCS opponent Morgan State just the same. Besides, it’s not like the Zips have to own the loss as anything other than what it would be, which is a business decision. Heck, it could be a rallying cry for the remainder of the year, though Akron’s not expected to be more than be a middle-of-the-road MAC team. Let’s be honest, that’s no small part of why this game was scheduled. Call it the “right” or “wrong” thing, but turn the lemons that were given to both sides last Saturday into lemonade. Let the Zips have their cash and in return, the Huskers get a very modest — though extremely important — victory. That sounds like a win-win in the end or at least as close as we’re going to get. — Written by Brandon Cavanaugh, FWAA member and part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Be sure to follow him on Twitter (@eightlaces), and keep up with the Quick N Dirty podcasts on his Patreon page. (Top photo courtesy of @HuskerFBNation)<doc-sep>

Go Big Read: Rainout is still the buzz for the Nebraska football team and other kernels Go Big Read: Rainout is still the buzz for the Nebraska football team and other kernels by Oliver VanDervoort The Nebraska football team has released its version of why the game Saturday was canceled but now Akron has given its official statement. Earlier Sunday, the Nebraska football team and the athletic program released a statement attempting to explain why Saturday’s game couldn’t be played. Unsurprisingly, the statement claimed the Huskers were ready and willing to make it work and the Zips were the ones who backed out. On Sunday evening, Akron released its own version of events and … basically confirmed what Nebraska had been saying. Athletic director Larry Williams released a statement that included talk about the inability to secure accommodation in and around Lincoln. Williams added that the only accommodations they would have been able to get would have split the team up. Apparently having the team in multiple locations would have not been “in the best interests of our team.” Akron AD Larry Williams releases a statement explaining why Akron chose not to stick around. As it relates to accommodations it’s worth noting that NU was exploring using on campus dorms to House the team. pic.twitter.com/XyrnfKanNC — Sam McKewon (@swmckewonOWH) September 3, 2018 This comes on the heels of reports that Nebraska was so keen on getting the game in that they were looking at possibly finding dorm rooms or other on-campus housing in order to get Akron to play the game on Sunday. Williams also said that the Zips and Huskers are still talking about finding a way to play the game. That would mean a week 14 matchup. Williams made it clear that so far the talks have only been if the teams need another game in order to become bowl eligible. It’s not clear if Akron would agree to travel all the way to Lincoln if they had week 14 free but didn’t need it to try and get to a bowl. If other reports are accurate, it would appear the Zips have the Huskers between a rock and a hard place. Those reports state the contract between Nebraska and Akron made the money the Cornhuskers offered to play the game, guaranteed once it kicked off. If that’s the case, then it’s a monumental good to have allowed the game to start, considering the weather that was already in the area. The game was delayed and eventually canceled immediately after the opening kick. Akron could now ask for an additional payout in order to make a return trek to Lincoln. One has to wonder if they would almost be able to hold the Nebraska football season hostage.

More than a quarter of Minnesota’s registered voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s state primary elections, with DFL voters nearly doubling the turnout of Republicans. About 902,000 of the state’s registered 3.2 million voters had cast primary ballots as of Wednesday morning with all but one precinct reporting. More than 582,000 of those primary voters filled out DFL ballots. The total number of voters was the highest in a state primary election since 1982, and the second highest going back to 1950. By percentage of registered voters, it was the highest turnout since 1994. Minnesota, you crushed it last night! With 100% Reporting: 902,119 people voted in the primary; the highest number of primary voters since 1982. Overall turnout was approximately 22.7%; the highest turnout percentage in a primary since 1994. Amazing! — Steve Simon (@MNSteveSimon) August 15, 2018 A record number of Minnesotans had cast absentee ballots and early votes prior to Tuesday’s elections, including about 14,000 in Ramsey County and nearly 15,000 in Minneapolis. Turnout in the Twin Cities also was high on Tuesday — more than 93,500 voters cast ballots in Minneapolis, while nearly 99,800 had voted in Ramsey County with all but one precinct reporting. RELATED: All statewide and local primary results High-stakes races for governor, two U.S. Senate seats, eight congressional districts, attorney general and several state House seats were on the ballot, as were nonpartisan contests for county, municipal and school board positions. Polling locations were recording high turnout throughout the day Tuesday, according to Ramsey County Elections Manager Joe Mansky. “All of the election judges I have talked to today have said that the number of people voting is really high, higher than we normally would have in a state primary,” Mansky said. Ramsey County Elections Head Judge Ernest Stone was stationed at a polling location at the El Rio Vista Recreation Center in St. Paul. Stone and other staff expected 250 voters throughout the day, but had recorded nearly 400 just after 5 p.m. Related Articles Voter ID requirement passes Minnesota Senate, faces hurdle in the House St. Paul policy aide Mai Chong Xiong aims for Ramsey County Board seat held by Jim McDonough “It was busier than what I anticipated,” Stone said. The previous high for primary election turnout in Ramsey County was in 2010, Mansky said, when 70,000 residents voted and 4,000 cast absentee ballots. County voters eclipsed both of those totals this year.<doc-sep>In an evening filled with history, a trans woman secured a major party gubernatorial nomination for the first time ever, the country is poised to send its first Muslim women to Congress, a major political party decided to run a guy with a mustache in a tough race, an important figure from the heady days of mid-aughts political blogging made a comeback, and big things happened in Minnesota for the first time since Prince died. These primaries set up a series of races that often defy national trends: Republicans having a real shot at winning in Connecticut and a near lock on Vermont, while risking major losses in more conservative Midwestern states. Here’s who won and who lost. Winner: Minnesota Democrats About a week before primary day, Rachel Cohen of the Intercept dropped a scoop indicating that Minnesota Attorney General (and clear frontrunner for the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nomination) Lori Swanson had illegally relied on her official staff to do campaign work. It was the kind of situation that appeared to run the risk of dirtying up the nominee in plenty of time for it to cripple her in November while also happening too close to primary day for the impact to sink in with the voters and get them to choose someone else. But that didn’t happen. Instead, Swanson drastically underperformed her poll numbers and finished third. The winner, Rep. Tim Walz, a Democrat who’s been holding down a reddish House seat, is probably the strongest candidate Democrats could field anyway and, in light of the scandal swirling around Swanson, is certainly stronger. This is still a tough race in November — Minnesota has been trending more conservatively in recent years — but the primary worked out very well for Democrats, and they are now more likely than not to win. Loser: Minnesota Democrats The exact opposite thing happened, meanwhile, in the race for Minnesota attorney general, where Rep. Keith Ellison won handily despite late-breaking domestic abuse allegations that are unverified as of now but certainly could get worse for Ellison and could hurt him even if they don’t. Furthering the contrast with the situation at the top of the ticket, Ellison is one of the most left-wing members of the House and has spent his career holding down an extremely safe urban district that gives him little obvious appeal to Minnesota swing voters in the rural Iron Range. Losing the AG race, even if it happens, is not the biggest deal in the world. But Ellison is a high-profile national figure thanks to his associations with Bernie Sanders, so any effort by Walz, who is at the top of the ticket, and the three Democrats running in tough Minnesota House races to distance themselves from Ellison could be poorly received by an important segment of the base. Then again, if Democrats are seen as not taking domestic abuse seriously, that could also be poorly received by an important segment of the base. A clear exoneration of Ellison would make for a happy ending to the story, but it’s possible this could evolve into an ugly situation. Winner: transgender visibility Christine Hallquist, who won the Democratic Party nomination to serve as governor of Vermont, is a definite underdog against popular incumbent Republican Phil Scott, who swept into office after the collapse of an effort to create a state-level Medicare-for-all plan and has impressed voters with his moderation. But it would be foolish to entirely count out the Democratic nominee in a heavily Democratic state running in a national political environment that’s favorable to Democrats. What’s more, Hallquist is breaking ground as the first openly transgender person to capture a major party gubernatorial nomination — a huge step forward in a country that just elected its first openly trans state legislator last fall. If she wins, she’ll have a mandate to pursue an aggressive progressive agenda including a $15-an-hour minimum wage, rural co-ops to provide high-speed broadband throughout the state, and, yes, another bite at the single-payer apple. But win or lose, her campaign will be the highest-profile political exposure for a trans person in American history. Loser: teens Elsewhere in the Vermont gubernatorial election, 14-year-old Ethan Sonneborn successfully got himself on the ballot despite being too young to vote. And he got crushed, finishing in a distant fourth place behind environmental activist James Ehlers and Brenda Siegel, the executive director of the Southern Vermont Dance Festival. People really did not want to vote for a teenager. Sonneborn’s campaign platform was mostly standard-issue Democratic fare, but unlike his rivals, he did come out in favor of a carbon emissions tax — an idea most experts tout as a highly efficient way to address an acute global crisis that is also famously unpopular with voters. So in theory, maybe he did so badly because of the carbon tax. But back in the real world, we all know it’s because he was 14. As a longstanding proponent of letting kids vote, I find this setback for the cause of youth political rights to be somewhat regrettable. It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that Hallquist was a stronger candidate than Sonneborn, but the poor kid even got beat by the Dance Festival lady. Winner: old-time bloggers Ned Lamont is back! Let me explain. Back when George W. Bush was president and long before content optimization strategy ruled the land, we had political blogs and a thing called “the Netroots.” And while Netroots figures had many causes, the highest cause of all was hating Joe Lieberman. Hatred for Lieberman ran so deep that even professional nice guy Ezra Klein once accused him of being “willing to cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in order to settle an old electoral score.” (This was basically accurate.) The great lost chance to kill off Lieberman’s career in electoral politics came in 2006, when he lost a primary challenge to business leader Ned Lamont. But then Lieberman, because he’s annoying, refused to endorse the Democratic nominee for Senate, choosing instead to run for reelection as the Connecticut for Lieberman party’s nominee. Republicans, facing an electoral tsunami that year, basically threw in the towel and let Lieberman soak up conservative votes. National Democrats, meanwhile, wanted to plow resources into beating Republicans and largely sat out the race. Lamont lost, Lieberman spent the 2008 cycle campaigning for John McCain, and then he was welcomed back with open arms by the Democratic caucus. Now somehow, 10 years later, Lamont is back! Connecticut is a solidly liberal state, but its economy has been weak lately and incumbent Gov. Dan Malloy is deeply unpopular. Malloy opted not to seek another term, and the state party really needed a nominee without ties to the incumbent governing regime. A nominee like, well, Ned Lamont, who will now once again get his shot at statewide office. Of course, given Malloy’s unpopularity, the Republicans also have a shot at just winning the race, and Lamont will have to bank heavily on the national GOP’s unpopularity to give him the W. Winner: mustaches It’s been a hard century or so for mustaches in American politics, which, though not exactly unheard of in today’s Congress, are normally limited to politicians taking it easy in safe seats. Randy Bryce, an ironworker and union organizer in Wisconsin whose early campaign ad went viral back when he was running against Paul Ryan, is bucking that trend by not only running in a tough district with a mustache but making it central to his political identity as @Ironstache on Twitter. Thank you to everyone who voted today! And a special thanks to all the #IronStache volunteers and staff who helped to get out the vote. #WI01 pic.twitter.com/OGCguEeROi — Randy Bryce (@IronStache) August 15, 2018 Bryce captured the imagination of the populist wing of the Democratic Party early but also gained establishment imprimatur as an official member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Red to Blue program.<doc-sep>Trump: At least in Republican primary politics, Tuesday once again proved he’s the king. Republican politicians on the ballot Tuesday who dissed him in 2016 raced to undo that, and those who didn’t do it convincingly enough lost their primaries. In Minnesota’s competitive governor’s race, Republican voters nominated a relative outsider, Jeff Johnson, over a former governor, Tim Pawlenty, as Pawlenty struggled to get out from under the fact he called Trump “unhinged and unfit” during the campaign. (Johnson has his own past problems with Trump, which we’ll get to in the loser section.) “The Republican Party has shifted,” Pawlenty said as he lost. “It is the era of Trump, and I’m just not a Trump-like politician.”<doc-sep>

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who once called Donald Trump “unhinged and unfit for the presidency,” lost to a lesser-known county official in the Republican primary, prematurely ending a bid to win back his old job. Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson, who won his party’s endorsement but still was considered an underdog, won by nearly 10 points over the former two-term governor and presidential candidate. Pawlenty struggled to reintegrate into a party that had shifted since he left office in 2011. “I think it is just further indication that the rules have changed, not just in Minnesota, not just in our party,” Johnson said. “People are expecting something different from candidates.” Johnson now faces Democratic Rep. Tim Walz, who one a three-way race on the Democratic side to replace outgoing Gov. Mark Dayton. Republicans need only the governorship to take full control of state government in Minnesota, a traditionally left-leaning state that had become a lone outpost of divided government in the conservative Upper Midwest. Big donors saw Pawlenty as the man to do it. Johnson had been viewed as a longshot given Pawlenty’s unparalleled name recognition and the money that quickly flowed to his campaign when he announced his campaign in early April. Pawlenty was the last Republican to win statewide in Minnesota with his 2006 victory for a second term. But voters were unwilling to coronate Pawlenty, who didn’t bother challenging Johnson at the state party convention. His loss effectively ends a political career that peaked with two terms as governor and a short-lived 2012 presidential bid. “Obviously not the result we hoped for and worked for,” Pawlenty said Tuesday night before congratulating Johnson on doing “a great job.” Pawlenty struggled to live down his October 2016 critique of then-candidate Trump, though he later assured Republican voters that he still voted for the president and supported the bulk of his policies. And the insults weren’t one-sided; Johnson once called Trump “a jackass” but positioned himself as a steadfast supporter of the president. His post-political career as a lobbyist for the nation’s largest banks came with the aura of establishment politician trying to force his way back into Minnesota. Several voters said they liked Pawlenty but believed he’d already had his time. For 21-year-old Republican voter Emma Glynn, Pawlenty’s two prior terms were a knock against him. Glynn said she’s concerned about the influx of refugees resettling in Minnesota — which is home to the largest population of Somalis outside of east Africa. While both GOP candidates have made a crackdown on illegal immigration cornerstones of their campaign, Glynn said she felt Johnson was better suited to put an end to refugee resettlement. “And if he’s not, at least he’s someone who’s new,” said Glynn, who works as a server in a restaurant and in a psychiatric group home. Democrats had expected Pawlenty to win, spending months preparing to face him in the fall. Pawlenty served as a foil in Democratic candidates’ advertising, with Walz saying “I won’t let Tim Pawlenty take us back” in one TV spot. A heavily liberal outside political group spent millions bashing Pawlenty in the lead-up to the primary, with millions more in advertisements reserved for the fall. Even for some Republicans, the reminders of Pawlenty’s tenure were enough to make them reconsider. “I have too many teacher friends that are very upset with what happened to schools back then,” 65-year-old Linda Speidel said, referencing the deep budget cuts to schools Pawlenty’s administration enacted in the midst of the recession. Walz said Johnson’s upset over Pawlenty changes nothing for Democrats as they turn to November. “The message that was coming out of Jeff Johnson’s campaign and Tim Pawlenty’s campaign were very similar. They were trying to out-Donald Trump each other,” he said. Walz narrowly defeated state Rep. Erin Murphy to capture his party’s nomination. Attorney General Lori Swanson, once considered a top contender, conceded early Tuesday night after late accusations against her — including that she pressured official employees to boost her political ambitions — led to disappointing results. Walz likely benefited from booming voter turnout, driven by a handful of other competitive Democratic primaries for attorney general and U.S. House races. In Minneapolis, where a crowded Democratic primary to replace Rep. Keith Ellison only added to voter excitement, elections officials had tallied nearly 75,000 ballots by dinnertime, far outstripping a recent high watermark of 51,000 in 2010.

Eric Gordon is thankfully back tonight for the Houston Rockets in their matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. There’s no Danuel House, who’s been sent back down to the G-League after a contract dispute with the team. In his stead is James Nunnally, who is active tonight. He has the 3-and-d skillset to succeed in H-town. Let’s see whether it materializes in actuality on the court. Rockets starters: Clark, Gordon, Tucker, Rivers, Harden. Nets: Graham, Kurucs, Allen, Harris, Russell. Officials: Wright, Blair, Ransom. — Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) January 17, 2019 Make sure you check out AK’s preview before the game. And go Rockets!! !<doc-sep>WHO: Brooklyn Nets (22-23) at Houston Rockets (25-18) WHAT: Let’s all watch and marvel as James Harden puts the Rockets on his shoulders...but, also, let’s get a win. WHERE: Toyota Center, Houston, TX WHEN: 8:00 p.m. EST HOW: YES, ATTSN-SW; NBA League Pass THE STORY: Game Preview There is no great blueprint for thwarting James Harden which is in large part due to his offensive versatility. He can go downhill where he either finishes or draws a foul or he can hit anyone anywhere anytime with a devastating stepback three. He can also pass out of whatever defense is thrown at him, he’s averaging 9.8 assists per game over his last three seasons. The key for the Nets is to shut down the guys around Harden, and with all of Houston’s injuries that looks like an increasingly easier task ... or easier that guarding Harden. One of the Rockets greatest strengths last season was their depth, but due to an underwhelming off-season and some untimely injuries, the starters who aren’t named James Harden are named Austin Rivers, Nene, and PJ Tucker and someone else. Beating the Celtics has an extra little kick to it, doesn’t it? The Nets took home a solid win against Boston on Monday night as D’Angelo Russell led his team to victory over what is now a completely disgruntled and frustrated Celtics team. You love to see it. Even though it got a little close there at the end, DLo’s 3rd Quarter was so scorching hot that it gave the Nets enough of a lead to hold off a Celtics comeback.<doc-sep>Nets vs. Rockets Prediction Will the banged-up Houston Rockets manage another cover at home when they host the Brooklyn Nets tonight at 8PM ET? Game Snapshot & Odds 531 Brooklyn Nets vs. 532 Houston Rockets Wednesday, January 16, 2019 8PM ET – Toyota Center Compare odds and from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our new NBA Odds & Betting Page. Public Betting Trends According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Rockets are the slight favorite at home, as they are getting odds of -4.5 points against the Nets. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 222.5 points. The public betting for this game currently has 93 percent going on the Rockets as the home favorite. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NBA Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game. Nets hit the road Following a 109-102 win at home over Boston on Monday, the Nets are back on the road tonight. Brooklyn has lost its last two road games by at least 17 points. The Nets are 22-23 on the season, 10-12 on the road, 24-21 against the spread and 23-22 with the over. Brooklyn is middle of the road on both offense and defense this season. The Nets are averaging 110.7 points per game while giving up 111.3 points per contest. Brooklyn has a fair amount of injuries as Allen Crabbe is out with a knee injury, Jared Dudley is out with a hamstring injury and Shabazz Napier and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson are both questionable. D’Angelo Russell is leading the team with 18.7 points and 6.3 assists per game while Spencer Dinwiddie is adding 16.7 points and 5.0 assists per contest. Rockets beat up The Rockets are coming off a 112-94 win over Memphis at home on Monday, but Houston is really dealing with a lot of injuries and it has caused them to go just 3-3 in their last six. The Rockets are now 25-18 overall, 16-6 at home, 22-20-1 against the spread and 24-19 with the over. Houston is averaging 111.3 points per game on offense this season while giving up 109.2 points per game on defense. Already without Chris Paul, the team is now without Clint Capela for a month due to a thumb injury. Eric Gordon is listed as questionable to return from his knee injury tonight. Capela, Gordon and Paul combine for nearly 50 points, 19 rebounds and 12 assists per game between them. James Harden is leading the team with 34.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists per contest. NBA Betting Trends Brooklyn The Nets have covered the spread in six straight Wednesday games, but 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games against a team with a winning home record. Houston The Rockets are 14-3-1 against the spread in their last 18 home games and 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 games on 1 day of rest. Prediction: Houston is beat up, but it didn’t keep the Rockets from earning a 112-94 win over Memphis on Monday. The Rockets have managed to be pretty solid at home, picking up lopsided wins over the Cavs and Nuggets, despite all the injuries. Getting Gordon back would be a help, but this is all about Harden. If he shoots respectable, he should be able to lead the Rockets to the win. Brooklyn is beat up as well and the Nets don’t have the player that can take over a game like Houston does. With the spread small, I will continue to take my chances on Harden and the Rockets at home. NBA Prediction: Houston Rockets -4.5<doc-sep>

The first time these teams met was a bit of a turning point for Houston. They went into the game 1-5 and had just lost James Harden for a few weeks due to a hamstring strain. They were disappointing and the narrative was turning into “Does this team actually care anymore?” Early on, you would have thought they still didn’t care. Brooklyn built a 14-point lead with 3 minutes left in the first half, and Rockets fans were rolling their eyes. Here we go again. Then the Rockets called timeout. Mike D’Antoni doesn’t have Gregg Popovich’s innate sense for when to call timeouts. Just when opponents start to make a run, Pop usually calls a timeout. MDA likes to wait to see if Houston can right the ship. Last year, that was a viable strategy as Harden and CP3 could usually win games on their own. But this season had already proven to be different. So MDA called timeout with his team down 14, and the Rockets decided that they were done screwing around. The intense timeout, led by Paul, involved players holding each other accountable. Houston then cut the 14-point lead to 5 by closing on a 13-4 run. Houston then built two separate 8-point leads in the second half only for Brooklyn to come roaring back. Finally, Houston held the Nets scoreless for five minutes in the fourth and pulled away. Why do I bring up that game? Well, it’s to show how different that game was from this one. Now, Houston isn’t in trouble in terms of cohesiveness. Instead, they’re in trouble due to injury. Four Rockets scored in double digits that night: Chris Paul, Eric Gordon, Clint Capela, and Carmelo Anthony. None of those dudes are playing tonight. Caris LeVert dropped 29 to lead the Nets in scoring. He’s not playing tonight either since he’s out with a foot injury. The Nets are no longer the laughingstock that Billy King made them. At 22-23, they are seventh in the East and have enough quality wins that I’m not going to list them. They are playing for real stakes right now and Nets fans should be really excited. Their youth is developing and that’s apparent throughout the roster. Their oldest starter is 27-year-old Joe Harris, who’s only in his fourth season. Rodions Kurucs has been a revelation as a rookie, and D’Angelo Russell has blossomed since leaving Los Angeles. They have the size (Jarrett Allen) and rebounding to make Houston’s night a long one. Both teams have alternated wins and losses over their last five games, so someone is going to start a streak tonight. Tip-off is at 7pm CT

THE United States is leaving the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley called it “an organisation that is not worthy of its name”, marking the latest withdrawal by the Trump administration from an international institution. Ms Haley said the US had given the human rights body “opportunity after opportunity” to make changes. She lambasted the council for “its chronic bias against Israel” and lamented the fact that its membership includes accused human rights abusers such as China, Cuba, Venezuela and the Democratic Republic of Congo. “We take this step because our commitment does not allow us to remain a part of a hypocritical and self-serving organisation that makes a mockery of human rights,” Ms Haley said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, appearing alongside Ms Haley at the State Department, said there was no doubt that the council once had a “noble vision”. “But today we need to be honest,” Mr Pompeo said. “The Human Rights Council is a poor defender of human rights.” The announcement came just a day after the UN human rights chief, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, denounced the Trump administration for separating migrant children from their parents. But Ms Haley, cited longstanding US complaints that the 47-member council is biased against Israel. She had been threatening the pullout since last year unless the council made changes advocated by the US “Regrettably, it is now clear that our call for reform was not heeded,” Ms Haley said. Still, she suggested the decision need not be permanent, adding that if the council did adopt reforms, “we would be happy to rejoin it.” She said the withdrawal notwithstanding, the US would continue to defend human rights at the UN. The move extends a broader Trump administration pattern of stepping back from international agreements and forums under the president’s “America First” policy. Although numerous officials have said repeatedly that “America First does not mean America Alone,” the administration has retreated from multiple multilateral accords and consensuses since it took office. Human rights groups have condemned the pullout, saying it will “make it more difficult to advance human rights priorities and aid victims of abuse around the world”. Likewise many people on social media have drawn a comparison to the President’s disturbing immigration policy, which sees young children separated from their parents. UN Human Rights Council: "You should stop removing children from parents at the border." Trump: *Removes entire country from the UN Human Rights Council. — Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) June 19, 2018 Sickening irony that Nikki Haley announced U.S. will withdraw from UN Human Rights Council on Juneteenth (which marks of the “end” of slavery June 19, 1865 ), as Trump Administration is tearing asylum-seeking families apart and locking their children in caged detention centers. https://t.co/xbsxraktUu — Derrick Johnson (@DerrickNAACP) June 19, 2018 Kids are being ripped away from their parents and thrown in jails but Trump still didn't think that was enough so he doubled down by pulling out of the UN Human Rights Council just to make sure everyone got the message. — jordan (@JordanUhl) June 19, 2018 . @realDonaldTrump 's abusive policy towards immigrant children and withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council signals the U.S. giving its approval to racism and child abuse.#keepfamiliestogether #resist #trump — Dr. DaShanne Stokes (@DaShanneStokes) June 19, 2018 Trump adviser Stephen Miller told the New York Times: “All day long the American people are going to side with the party that wants to secure the border. And not by a little bit. Not 55-45. 60-40. 70-30. 80-20. I’m talking 90-10 on that.” But the figures suggest something else. Two-thirds of Americans oppose the family separations. A CNN-SSRS poll revealed that even among those who approve of the job Mr Trump is doing as President, a quarter disapprove of the policy. An NBC-Wall Street Journal poll shows that support for Mr Trump’s immigration policies would make around half of voters oppose a candidate. And six in 10 Americans were against the idea of a border wall, CBS News found. The President’s approval rating on immigration is actually lower than his approval on the economy and his overall approval — with every group.<doc-sep>“There is always an argument for staying, which is that the United States will be in a better position to help defend Israel,” Mr. Abrams said. “But this council is hopelessly compromised, so leaving is the right choice.” The withdrawal comes as the Trump administration faces condemnation by rights groups and governments worldwide for its decision to separate children from their families at the border. On Monday, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for human rights, called for an immediate end to the practice, describing such a tactic as inflicting “abuse on children” and “unconscionable.” Mr. Trump has turned decades of American foreign policy on its head by attacking or undermining much of the rules-based order that the United States established after World War II. Previous administrations viewed the interlocking network of alliances, trade rules and international organizations as beneficial to the United States. But Mr. Trump has ripped up the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal — both of which were negotiated under the strong influence of world powers. He has also imposed tariffs on the United States’ closest allies and left the Group of 7 summit meeting this month in chaos and recriminations after he denounced Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada as “very dishonest & weak.” The Trump administration has made clear that it will not countenance the level of criticism and what it describes as slanted resolutions by the Human Rights Council that have historically been directed at the United States and Israel. On her first day as ambassador, Ms. Haley warned that “for those who don’t have our back, we’re taking names.” Rob Berschinski, a senior vice president at Human Rights First, another nonprofit organization, conceded that no one believed the human rights council was perfect. But, he said, leaving it is a mistake. “Countries like China, Russia and Venezuela will applaud this decision because we are freely giving up leverage over them that we previously had,” Mr. Berschinski said.<doc-sep>NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>Editor’s note: This is a longer read US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have announced the US was withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council (“HRC”). In doing so, they claimed the council was a roadblock to genuine global human rights protection. This move by the Trump administration has been anticipated for some time. In a sense, the elephant has left the room. But in doing so, the elephant has belled the cat on a number of serious issues regarding the HRC. Is the United States’ decision sound in terms of international human rights protection? Is it one that Australia, an HRC member from 2018-2020, should follow? What is the Human Rights Council? The UN Human Rights Council was established in 2006 to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights, which ran from 1947 to 2006. By the time of its demise, the commission was criticised from all sides for being overly politicised. The HRC’s 47 seats are divided between the five official UN regions in the following way: Africa (13); Asia (13); Latin America and the Caribbean (8); Western Europe and Other (7); Eastern Europe (6). The US (and Australia) is in the Western Europe and Other Group, known as WEOG. One-third of the council is elected each year by the UN General Assembly, and members serve three-year terms. No member may serve more than two consecutive terms. A member can also be suspended from the council in a vote of two-thirds of the UN General Assembly: Libya was suspended in 2011 after Muammar Gaddafi’s crackdown on Arab Spring protesters and armed dissidents. No other member has been suspended. The HRC meets three times a year for a total of around ten weeks. Its 38th session has just begun. It also meets for one-day special sessions at the initiative of one-third of its members. It has so far held 28 special sessions. The HRC’s functions include the drafting and adoption of new human rights standards, as arose in its first year with the adoption of new treaties dealing with the rights of people with a disability and the scourge of enforced disappearances, as well as the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007. The HRC also authorises independent investigations into particular human rights issues, either thematic (dealing with a human rights issue such as torture or LGBTI rights) or, more controversially, focused on a particular state. At the time of writing, there are 46 thematic mandates and 12 country mandates for these “special rapporteurs”. It has one major new function compared to its predecessor, the Universal Periodic Review (“UPR”), whereby the human rights record of every UN member is reviewed by the HRC (as well as all other “observer” nations) every five years. The US’ grievances against the HRC arise with regard to the human rights records of its members, and its politicised character. Its key red line concern seems to be the HRC’s “unconscionable” and “chronic bias” against Israel (to quote from this morning’s press conference). These issues are examined in turn below. HRC membership Membership criteria as they stand are very soft: candidates commit to the highest standards of human rights, and states should take into account a nominee’s human rights record when voting. Both of these rules are basically unenforceable. Human rights criteria were mooted as prerequisites for membership when the HRC was created. However, the UN’s nearly 200 members could not agree on substantive criteria, as they have very different views on human rights. The US, for example, wanted only “democratic nations” to be eligible. Such a criterion would have led to debates over the meaning of “democracy”, and would seem to prioritise civil and political rights over economic, social and cultural ones. A focus on the implementation of economic and social rights might have led to the exclusion from eligibility of the US itself. In any case, the “measurement” and respective ranking of human rights records across states is contentious. While comparisons between two states may lead to easy conclusions over which one is better or worse, it is a fraught exercise across the entirety of the UN membership. Procedural criteria, such as a nation’s record on ratification of human rights treaties, would be more objective. However, such criteria might have led to the exclusion of the two most powerful countries in the world – the US and China, which have both failed to ratify crucial treaties. Realpolitik indicates that such an outcome is very unlikely. In the press conference, Haley and Pompeo decried the presence of human rights abusers on the council, including China, Cuba, Venezuela and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Consternation has also commonly been expressed over the common presence of Saudi Arabia and Russia on the HRC. Certainly, none of those states is remotely close to upholding the highest standards of human rights. Haley and Pompeo went further, claiming that these states manipulate the HRC to shield abusers and target blameless states in its resolutions. So how bad is the HRC membership? Freedom House is a non-government organisation (NGO) that rates states as “free”, “partly free”, or “not free”, according to certain civil and political rights criteria, such as press freedom. While Freedom House’s methodology is assailable, I will use its rankings in assessing the current HRC, as the US itself historically uses them in making certain policy choices. According to its 2018 rankings, the HRC of 2018 contains 21 “free” states, 12 “partly free”, and 14 “non-free”. 2018 is in fact one of the worst years in terms of the numbers of non-free HRC members. Nevertheless, free states always outnumber unfree states on the HRC, and can easily pass or block any resolution with the cooperation of just a few partly free states, if they vote together. Any problem with “bad” resolutions on the HRC arises not from a preponderance of bad states, but from bloc voting within regions, like-minded groups and alliances. The phenomenon of clean slates Nevertheless, one can still fairly criticise the HRC for containing 14 non-free states. How do such states get elected?<doc-sep>

The United States is set to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council, with the US ambassador to the UN calling the organisation a "protector of human rights abusers and a cesspool of political bias". Ambassador Nikki Haley said the withdrawal was not a retreat from the US's commitment to human rights, but called the 47-member, international council “an organisation that is not worthy of its name". British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called the decision "regrettable" but said the UK was "here to stay". The US has long called for the body to reform, saying it allows members that have been accused human rights violations. Ms Haley pointed to the involvement of countries like China, Cuba and Venezuela in her speech on Tuesday. “Look at the council membership, and you see an appalling disrespect for the most basic rights,” Ms Haley said. Ms Haley also accused the council of maintaining a “disproportionate focus and unending hostility towards Israel" that shows it is "motivated by political bias, not by human rights". Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the UN human rights chief, called the announcement "disappointing, if not really surprising". "Given the state of human rights in today's world, the US should be stepping up, not stepping back," he said in a statement. ✕ US ambassador to UN Nikki Haley lashes out at UN hypocrisy Washington's withdrawal is the latest US rejection of multilateral engagement after it pulled out of the Paris climate agreement and the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which was signed with a number of other world powers. It also comes as the US faces intense criticism for detaining children separated from their immigrant parents at the US-Mexico border. Mr al-Hussein has called on Washington to halt the “unconscionable” policy. Diplomats have said the US's withdrawal from the council could bolster countries such as Cuba, Russia, Egypt and Pakistan, which resist what they see as UN interference in sovereign issues. Ms Haley, announcing the withdrawal at the State Department alongside Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, said that if the council does reform, the United States “would be happy to rejoin.” Twelve rights and aids groups, including Human Rights First, Save the Children and CARE, wrote to Mr Pompeo to warn the withdrawal would “make it more difficult to advance human rights priorities and aid victims of abuse around the world". “The US's absence will only compound the council's weaknesses,” they wrote. Human rights attacks around the world Show all 10 1 /10 Human rights attacks around the world Human rights attacks around the world China Escalating crackdown against human rights activists including mass arrests of lawyers and a series of sweeping laws in the name of ‘national security’. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Egypt The arrest of thousands, including peaceful critics, in a ruthless crackdown in the name of national security, the prolonged detention of hundreds without charge or trial and the sentencing of hundreds of others to death. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Gambia Torture, enforced disappearances and the criminalisation of LGBTI people; and utter refusal to co-operate with the UN and regional human rights mechanisms on issues including freedom of expression, enforced disappearance and the death penalty. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Hungary Sealing off its borders to thousands of refugees in dire need; and obstructing collective regional attempts to help them. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Israel Maintaining its military blockade of Gaza and therefore collective punishment of the 1.8 million inhabitants there, as well as failing, like Palestine, to comply with a UN call to conduct credible investigations into war crimes committed during the 2014 Gaza conflict. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Kenya Extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and discrimination against refugees in its counter-terrorism operations; and attempts to undermine the International Criminal Court and its ability to pursue justice. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Pakistan The severe human rights failings of its response to the horrific Peshawar school massacre including its relentless use of the death penalty; and its policy on international NGOs giving authorities the power to monitor them and close them down if they are considered to be “against the interests” of the country.

Get our LFC newsletter for the best Reds coverage Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up now Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice The same happens every year upon the release of the Premier League fixture list. Certain fixtures – Everton and Manchester United, primarily – are scanned. First day, last day, Boxing Day. But there are plenty of sub-plots hidden away in the 38-game schedule. Here are the things you might have missed. The impossible opening task After managing a total of 75 points last season, Liverpool's focus is to improve on that in order to get closer to Manchester City at the top of the table. A simple way of doing that is improving on the results of a previous year. But with a kind enough start – West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Leicester – Liverpool cannot do better than their efforts of 2017/18, as they took maximum points. Not until September 15, where the club will become the first visitors to Tottenham's new stadium, can the Reds look to improve on what happened in the previous campaign. It means even a perfect start will just about be par for Jurgen Klopp's side. Festive fears Klopp has often been a vociferous critic of the festive fixture pile-up, something which will soon be a thing of the past after the Premier League announced a winter break beginning the 2019/20 season. Two seasons ago, he had to deal with just 48 hours between a high-intensity game with Manchester City and a tricky trip to relegation threatened Sunderland. Last year, a similar scenario, with Leicester at home soon followed by Burnley at Turf Moor. But though there is more space between the festive fixtures of 2018/19 – four days – they involve a home game with Arsenal, and then a New Year's trip to champions Manchester City. (Image: Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) The wait to make amends It is hard to believe, but Liverpool have not beaten Chelsea at Anfield since 2012, when the Reds triumphed 4-1 days after their FA Cup final defeat. Similarly galling, perhaps, is the fact it will be over four years since Liverpool have beaten Manchester United in the Premier League. Both those waits will continue until December, at least. Liverpool won't face United until December 15, at Anfield, with the return game on February 23. The home clash with Chelsea is on April 13 – six years and 11 months since their last home win over the London side. (Image: ANTHONY DEVLIN/AFP/Getty Images) Ending on a high – but all isn't as it seems For the third successive season, Liverpool end their league campaign with a home game against a newly-promoted side. After Middlesbrough and Brighton, Wolverhampton Wanderers will be the visitors. After 3-0 and 4-0 wins to confirm their Champions League qualification, what price a 5-0? Pretty high, in fact. Though more will be known on May 12, after 37 games, the sense is Wolves will be looking at the higher reaches of the league, rather than lower down. Having already made some big moves in the transfer window, and supported by the work of super agent Jorge Mendes, the Championship title-winners should provide a sterner test than it seems on paper.<doc-sep>D efending champions Manchester City will kick off their campaign away at Arsenal, the Premier League confirmed as it released its fixtures for the 2018-19 season. The visit of Pep Guardiola's side to the Emirates Stadium for Unai Emery's managerial debut is the undoubted highlight of the opening weekend of the campaign, where newly-promoted Fulham are also handed a tricky assignment in the form of a London derby against Crystal Palace on day one. Though all fixtures remain subject to the whims of TV schedulers Tottenham, as expected, have been handed three away matches to start their campaign in the hope that their new 62,000-seat stadium will be ready in time for their first home game. It is yet to be decided who will be the manager of Chelsea come the opening day of the 2018-2019 season, but we do know that whoever the manager is, they will take charge of the Blues away at Huddersfield. Last season’s runners up Manchester United will start their quest for silverware at Old Trafford against Leicester whilst Liverpool will welcome West Ham to Anfield. Other fixtures worth looking out for are the first heavyweight clashes of the new season. The first north London derby of the season between Arsenal and Spurs will be played on December 1 at Arsenal, while the first Manchester derby will take place at the Etihad on November 10. The full confirmed list of every single Premier League fixture for next season can be found below<doc-sep>Liverpool will take on West Ham United at Anfield on the opening day of the 2018/19 Premier League campaign, with the fixture list released on Thursday. The Reds face off against Manuel Pellegrini’s Hammers—his first league game in charge of them—on August 11 as they begin their third full season under Jurgen Klopp, looking to improve on a fourth-placed finish last time out. With just a month to go until the new term kicks off, the Premier League have confirmed every fixture, and Liverpool will also play Crystal Palace, Brighton and Leicester in August. They first take on rivals Everton on December 1 at Anfield, and Man United on December 15, also at home. First five games West Ham, home Crystal Palace, away Brighton, home Leicester, away Tottenham, away Key Dates Opening day: West Ham at home First Merseyside derby: December 1, home First vs. Man United: December 15, home Boxing day: Newcastle United, home New Year’s Day: Man City, away Final day: Wolves at home The Reds have fared well on the opening day in recent years, undefeated in their last five with four wins, though they were held to a 3-3 draw away to Watford last season. Klopp’s side produced a dramatic 4-3 win at Arsenal at the beginning of 2016/17, with goals from Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane and a Philippe Coutinho brace sealing a crucial three points. In both 2013/14 and 2015/16 they recorded 1-0 victories over Stoke City, while they kicked off 2014/15 with a 2-1 triumph over Southampton, with Nathaniel Clyne scoring against his current club. Liverpool’s Premier League Fixtures, 2018/19 August 11 – West Ham United (H) 18 – Crystal Palace (A) 25 – Brighton and Hove Albion (H) September 1 – Leicester City (A) 15 – Tottenham Hotspur (A) 22 – Southampton (H) 29 – Chelsea (A) October 6 – Manchester City (H) 20 – Huddersfield Town (A) 27 – Cardiff City (H) November 3 – Arsenal (A) 10 – Fulham (H) 24 – Watford (A) December 1 – Everton (H) 4 – Burnley (A) 8 – Bournemouth (A) 15 – Manchester United (H) 22 – Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) 26 – Newcastle United (H) 29 – Arsenal (H) January 1 – Manchester City (A) 12 – Brighton and Hove Albion (A) 19 – Crystal Palace (H) 30 – Leicester City (H) February 2 – West Ham United (A) 9 – Bournemouth (H) 23 – Manchester United (A) 27 – Watford (H) March 2 – Everton (A) 9 – Burnley (H) 16 – Fulham (A) 30 – Tottenham Hotspur (H) April 6 – Southampton (A) 13 – Chelsea (H) 20 – Cardiff City (A) 27 – Huddersfield Town (H) May 4 – Newcastle United (A) 12 – Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) *All fixtures subject to change due to television programming and cup schedules<doc-sep>MANCHESTER UNITED manager Jose Mourinho is furious with Liverpool's advantageous Premier League fixtures, according to reports. Jurgen Klopp's side have been given six home games in the weekend slots that follow Champions League group matches next season. 4 Jose Mourinho is said to be angered by Liverpool's fixture list Credit: PA:Press Association But Man Utd, Manchester City and Spurs have got a split on those days - three home and three away. Liverpool's schedule should include less travelling, making their fixture list appear easier. And the Times claim Mourinho has been left "angered" by what is perceived to be a home advantage. They go on to say that Spurs chief Mauricio Pochettino and City boss Pep Guardiola are relaxed about the situation. 4 Jose Mourinho's side will be on the road after their Champions League group fixtures Credit: AFP or licensors 4 The Man Utd boss is said to be what looks to be an advantageous fixture list for Liverpool Credit: Getty Images The Champions League draw does not take place until August. It is only then that sides will know how far they will have to travel for the midweek games. The Portugues has made a number of complaints about his clubs' fixture schedules over the years. The full fixture list for the 2018/19 Premier League season was released yesterday. 4 Loris Karius' blunders cost Liverpool in May's Champions League final Credit: Alamy Live News Man Utd's 2018/19 Premier League fixtures August 11 Leicester (h) 18 Brighton (a) 25 Tottenham (h) September 1 Burnley (a) 15 Watford (a) 22 Wolves (h) 29 West Ham (a) October 6 Newcastle (h) 20 Chelsea (a) 27 Everton (h) November 3 Bournemouth (a) 10 Man City (a) 24 Crystal Palace (h) December 1 Southampton (a) 4 Arsenal (h) 8 Fulham (h) 15 Liverpool (a) 22 Cardiff (a) 26 Huddersfield (h) 29 Bournemouth (h) January 1 Newcastle (a) 12 Tottenham (a) 19 Brighton (h) 29 Burnley (h) February 2 Leicester (a) 9 Fulham (a) 23 Liverpool (h) 26 Crystal Palace (a) March 2 Southampton (h) 9 Arsenal (a) 16 Man City (h) 30 Watford (h) April 6 Wolves (a) 13 West Ham (h) 20 Everton (a) 27 Chelsea (h) May 4 Huddersfield (a) 12 Cardiff (h) Arsenal's new manager Unai Emery was given a nightmare start. He faces a baptism of fire against City at home on August 11 before a cross-London trip to Chelsea on August 18. Spurs will host Liverpool in a blockbuster first clash at the new White Hart Lane. Poch's side's first 'home' game of the season is against Fulham on August 18. But the club confirmed yesterday that will be played at Wembley while safety testing takes place at the new ground.<doc-sep>

Liverpool's Premier League campaign for 2018-19 will get under way with a home fixture against West Ham United. The Reds are set to kickstart their league season at Anfield for the first time since 2014-15 having been scheduled to face Manuel Pellegrini's team on August 11. Liverpool will host the first Merseyside derby of the season on December 1, with the return fixture at Everton's Goodison Park slated for March 2. Jürgen Klopp's side will also take on their other great rivals Manchester United at home first, the Anfield edition of that fixture coming on December 15, with a trip to Old Trafford following on February 23. Newcastle United are set to visit Anfield on Boxing Day, while the Reds will conclude their Premier League programme with a home clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers on May 12. Please note that all fixtures are subject to change for the purposes of television coverage or due to participation in European competition. August 11 – West Ham United (H) 18 – Crystal Palace (A) 25 – Brighton and Hove Albion (H) September 1 – Leicester City (A) 15 – Tottenham Hotspur (A) 22 – Southampton (H) 29 – Chelsea (A) October 6 – Manchester City (H) 20 – Huddersfield Town (A) 27 – Cardiff City (H) November 3 – Arsenal (A) 10 – Fulham (H) 24 – Watford (A) December 1 – Everton (H) 4 – Burnley (A) 8 – Bournemouth (A) 15 – Manchester United (H) 22 – Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) 26 – Newcastle United (H) 29 - Arsenal (H) January 1 – Manchester City (A) 12 – Brighton and Hove Albion (A) 19 – Crystal Palace (H) 30 – Leicester City (H) February 2 – West Ham United (A) 9 – Bournemouth (H) 23 – Manchester United (A) 27 – Watford (H) March 2 – Everton (A) 9 – Burnley (H) 16 – Fulham (A) 30 – Tottenham Hotspur (H) April 6 – Southampton (A) 13 – Chelsea (H) 20 – Cardiff City (A) 27 – Huddersfield Town (H) May 4 – Newcastle United (A) 12 – Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) Watch the Reds in style at Anfield next season with our matchday hospitality packages – on sale for all Premier League home fixtures now.

OK, originally this was going to be about the Atlanta Dream and how they would move on from the season-ending injury to Angel McCoughtry, their lone All-Star and best player. But honestly, the Dream have looked fine so far, winning all three games without her, and are likely to still get a top-two seed and a bye into the semifinals. Instead, let's talk about the Dallas Wings, because wow, what a mess. In the short WNBA season things can change wicked fast, and this Wings team is a prime example. Just a month ago they were flying high, having won seven of eight games to move to 14-9 on the season. Liz Cambage had set a new WNBA scoring record with 53 points, and with no clear-cut favorite they looked capable of making a deep playoff run. They haven't won since. Eight straight losses have sent them tumbling down the standings, where they're hanging onto the eighth and final playoff spot by just a thread. Oh, and they just fired their coach, Fred Williams, after he and team exec Gregg Bibb reportedly got into an altercation outside of the visitors lockerroom in D.C. on Sunday. Following the Wings' 93-80 loss to the Mystics, their eighth consecutive defeat, "Williams and Bibb had to be restrained by other Wings staffers, and Williams was screaming obscenities," HighPostHoops.com reported. With three games to play for each team, the Wings still hold a one-game lead over the Aces and own the tiebreaker between the two teams, so they do have the upper hand. Still, this is by no means over considering the two teams play each other once more, and the Wings also have road games with the Sun and Storm left. Taj McWilliams-Franklin is going to have her work cut out for her to turn this thing around quickly. Because assuming they still make the playoffs, it's going to be a quick turnaround with a single-elimination game staring them in the face. On another note, it would be a mistake not to acknowledge the announcement that Lindsay Whalen is set to retire at the end of this season. Most assumed it was coming once she decided to become coach at the University of Minnesota, but now it is official. This is the last run for one of the greatest point guards the league has ever seen. There will be time in the future to look back on her remarkable career with the Connecticut Sun and Minnesota Lynx, the latter of whom she's led to four championships, but for now, let's just enjoy however many games a true legend has left. 1. Seattle Storm (24-8) -- No movement It was a busy week for the Storm, but another successful one, as they went 3-1 to move to 24-8 on the season. Already owning the second-best record in franchise history, Seattle's magic number for clinching the No. 1 seed is just one. That means just one Storm win or one Dream loss gets the Storm a bye to the semi-finals and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. 2. Atlanta Dream (22-10) -- No movement Angel McCoughtry is unfortunately out for the season, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the Dream's last three outings. They've now won six in a row, including the last three without their All-Star and leading second-leading scorer. Which shows they're still going to be a problem heading into the playoffs -- especially with their stout defense. 3. Washington Mystics (20-11) -- Up 1 Well, well, well, look at the Mystics. After hitting a rough patch in the middle of July, Washington has bounced back with six straight wins to jump up into third place. Yes, one of those wins came by forfeit, but they also crushed the league-leading Storm by 23 on Thursday. This Mystics team just might be peaking at the perfect time. 4. Connecticut Sun (18-13) -- Up 1 The Sun are still mostly back, having won six of their last seven games. But they did have a slip-up this week against the Sky, which led to some drama on the sidelines. The Sky's blatant pursuit of the single-game assist record in a blowout led to Sun coach Curt Miller fuming about the "bush league" tactics. 5. Phoenix Mercury (18-14) -- Up 1 The Mercury have won consecutive games for the first time since late June, which is a good, obviously, and with the standings still quite jumbled, they're still in right there with a chance to snag a top-four seed. On the whole, they've still struggled without Sancho Lyttle, but Sunday's big win over the Sparks was an encouraging sign. 6. Los Angeles Sparks (18-13) -- Down 3 For the first time since the WNBA went to their new playoff format, the Sparks will be forced to play a single-elimination game. Now, the only question is, will it be one or two? Due to their current two-game skid, which included a loss to the Dream on Thursday, the Sparks cannot catch Atlanta for the No. 2 seed. But there's still plenty to play for, as Candace Parker and Co. will want to avoid having to play two single-elimination games just to make the semi-finals. 7. Minnesota Lynx (17-14) -- No movement They're still the Lynx, and they still have Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, but the signs are not good. They've beaten just one playoff team since the early July, and the injury list is growing, with Danielle Robinson now looking unlikely to be ready for the postseason. Against the top teams -- such as on Sunday against the Storm -- they just look a bit overmatched. 8. Dallas Wings (14-17) -- No movement Welp! (See above) 9. Las Vegas Aces (13-18) -- No movement Thanks to the Wings' absolute collapse over the last few weeks, the Aces are still alive in the playoff race. They're one game back of the Wings with three games to play, including a matchup Friday between the teams in Dallas. If the Aces can win that game, they really might have a chance of pulling this thing off considering the Wings' tough remaining schedule. 10. Chicago Sky (11-20) -- No movement The Sky became the third team eliminated from playoff contention with their loss to the Sun on Sunday. It's honestly surprising and a bit impressive they nearly made it to the final week before being officially eliminated, but that won't matter much to the team. Also, Courtney Vandersloot is still on pace to set single-season records for both assists per game and total assists. 11. Indiana Fever (5-26) -- No movement The Fever are pretty much just running out the clock here on another rough season. It's been nice to see Kelsey Mitchell's efficiency start to improve a bit here lately after a brutal July. She still hasn't been as good as she was early in the season, but things are at least moving in the right direction. Tiffany Mitchell has had some encouraging games lately as well. 12. New York Liberty (7-23) -- No movement The Liberty ended last season on a 10-game winning streak, and now they're in danger of doing the opposite to close out this campaign. They've lost nine in a row, with even Tina Charles' brilliance unable to lift them out of this rut.<doc-sep>After losing their eighth-straight game on Sunday, the Dallas Wings have relieved Fred Williams of his head coaching duties. Taj McWilliams-Franklin will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2018 WNBA season. McWilliams-Franklin served in the position of assistant coach since 2017. The move comes after the eighth-seeded Wings, struggling to hang on to the final playoff spot, lost their eighth game in row to the Washington Mystics. Dallas Wings President and CEO Greg Bibb issued the following statement: “Following today’s game, I made the decision to change direction in regards to our head coaching position. I felt this move was necessary. The season has not met our expectations. I have asked Taj to serve as our interim head coach and I have the upmost confidence that she and our staff will do everything possible to put us in the best position to win. I wish Fred the best moving forward. Our focus remains on qualifying for the playoffs and ultimately competing for a WNBA championship.” Today’s loss put the Wings’ playoff hopes in jeopardy. With the eight losses, plus the Las Vegas Aces returning to winning form, Dallas is now just one game ahead of the Aces in the standings.<doc-sep>

Jessica Hill/Associated Press The Dallas Wings fired head coach Fred Williams on Sunday. SB Nation's Matt Ellentuck and High Post Hoops' Howard Megdal reported Williams got into an argument with team president and chief executive officer Greg Bibb after Sunday's 93-80 defeat to the Washington Mystics. Bibb provided a statement about the move in the Wings' press release: "I felt this move was necessary. The season has not met our expectations. I have asked [assistant coach Taj McWilliams-Franklin] to serve as our interim head coach and I have the upmost confidence that she and our staff will do everything possible to put us in the best position to win. I wish Fred the best moving forward. Our focus remains on qualifying for the playoffs and ultimately competing for a WNBA championship." Even before the incident with Bibb, Williams was likely on shaky ground. The Wings have now lost eight games in a row, which has caused them to slip to eighth in the WNBA. Their seemingly comfortable gap on the ninth-place Las Vegas Aces for the final playoff spot has almost evaporated, as only one game separates the two teams. Liz Cambage's recent absence hasn't helped matters for the Wings. Cambage is an MVP candidate averaging 23.0 points and 9.6 rebounds, but she didn't play in the team's last two games due to a head injury. According to Basketball Reference, Cambage's 30.0 percent usage rate leads all WNBA regulars, so her absence has caused the Wings to scramble on the fly. Video Play Button Videos you might like Last year, Dallas finished seventh in the WNBA. Not only did the Wings get Cambage back from her WNBA hiatus in the offseason, but they also selected Connecticut star Azura Stevens in the first round of the 2018 draft. They should've been challenging for a top-four spot, not fighting for their playoff lives. Dallas has only three games left in the regular season, so firing Williams now may not make much of a difference. At least the Wings now have a bit more time to consider all of their options for Williams' permanent replacement.

KYLIAN MBAPPE is having a stunning World Cup. The French teenager announced himself on the world stage with a blistering performance in the 4-3 win over Argentina. 9 French superstar Kylian Mbappe is rumoured to be dating beauty pageant queen Alicia Aylies Credit: Goff Photos 9 The Martinique-born beauty was crowned Miss France in 2017 Credit: AFP or licensors 9 Alicia is rumoured to have been dating Mbappe since attending a PSG match in May Credit: Instagram @aliciaayliesoff 9 Alicia grew up in French Guiana after moving there with her mother when she was two Credit: Instagram @aliciaayliesoff And not only is Mbappe winning on the pitch and he's not doing bad off it, either. The 19-year-old, who scored two goals and won a penalty in that win at the weekend, is being supported in the stands by the stunning Alicia Aylies. Alicia, 20, was spotted at the Kazan Arena - the pair are rumoured to have started dating in May after Alicia was pictured at the Stade de France to see Mbappe in action for Paris Saint-Germain. Alicia was actually born in the Caribbean, in Fort-de-France, the capital city of French Caribbean territory Martinique. 9 Alicia also has brains as well as beauty, studying law at the University of French Guiana Credit: Instagram @aliciaayliesoff 9 Alicia entered took part in Miss Universe 2017 but was unplaced Credit: Instagram @aliciaayliesoff 9 She also won the Miss French Guiana award in 2016 Credit: Instagram @aliciaayliesoff 9 Alicia now splits her time between Paris and French Guiana 9 Kylian Mbappe scored twice to inspire France to beat Argentina - winning praise off Pele in the process Credit: EPA After her parents split when she was two, Alicia moved to South America to Matoury, French Guiana, with her driving instructor mother Marie-Chantal. She is a beauty pageant star having won Miss French Guiana in 2016 before winning Miss France in 2017 - becoming the first former Miss French Guiana to win the crown. Alicia was picked to represent France at Miss Universe 2017 and was one of the favourites to win the award. However, she ended up finishing unplaced in the competition, which was eventually won by South African Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters. Alicia isn't just beauty either - she has the brains to match. After graduating lycee (the equivalent of sixth form) with a qualification in science, she enrolled in the University of French Guiana, studying law. Alicia currently splits her time between Paris and Matoury as she pursues her beauty queen career. On Saturday she was pictured alongside another former Miss France winner, Rachel Legrain-Trapani. Rachel, 29, is the girlfriend of Benjamin Pavard, scorer of the goal of the World Cup so far. She won Miss France in 2007. Latest World Cup news WHAT A JEN How old is Jermaine Jenas and what's his net worth? MEDALS 1 CAPS 0 Stars who won World Cup without playing a single game, like Fulham's Areola HORROR ORDEAL Brit gang-rape victims bravely fought off attacker by biting him, say cops RU BEAUTY Who is Ruby Mae and how long has she been with Dele Alli? PRETTY WOMAN Amanda Holden spotted in £85 Forever Unique 'Pretty Woman' dress Cheap as kits Here's where you can get England's 2018 football kit the cheapest HIGH PRAISE Obama brands Messi 'wonderful' as he offers advice over World Cup struggles Quiz RUSSIA REWIND See how much you can remember about the craziest moments at World Cup 2018 Kylian Mbappe was hailed by Pele after the Frenchman matched a record held by the Brazilian legend since 1958. In scoring two against Argentina, Mbappe became the first teenager since the three-time winner to score two goals in World Cup match. He was also the first teenager to score two World Cup tournament goals since Michael Owen in 1998. Pele wrote on social media: "Congratulations, Kylian. Two goals in a World Cup so young puts you in great company! "Good luck in your other games. Except against Brazil!"<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up fornow for the biggest moments from morning TV The 20-year-old was spotted in the stands during the tense final game which saw France beat Croatia 4-2. And Mbappe’s girlfriend was ecstatic when her home nation was victorious as she uploaded a video on Instagram of herself celebrating. In the upload, the former Miss France filmed herself jumping up and down after the final whistle was blown. Alicia was delighted as she beamed to the camera and grabbed her friends in for a hug. The beauty appeared to be overwhelmed with emotion as she became tearful and cupped her hand over her mouth.<doc-sep>World Cup: Ferdinand praises for wonder-kid Mbappe FREE now for the biggest moments from morning TV SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow for the biggest moments from morning TV When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. The 20-year-old beauty queen is girlfriend to one of the French World Cup squad’s standout players and a clear rising star in international football. At just 19-years-old, Mbappe has broken through since the start of the tournament in Russia and has scored three goals in six matches. While he prepares for tonight’s final against Croatia, a trip down memory lane for Alicia is sure to have sent temperatures soaring. The sexy star, who was crowned Miss Guyana in 2016, competed in the 66th Miss Universe Pageant preliminary competition in Las Vegas last year and wasn’t afraid to show off her sensational figure. Who is Kylian Mbappe’s girlfriend Alicia Aylies? Flashing the flesh as she strutted across the stage in a black bikini, she ensured all eyes were on her as she put her cleavage front and centre. Showcasing her assets in the plunging swimwear, she also flaunted her enviably toned midriff and seemingly endless pins. Alicia added height to the look with towering platform wedges and wore the famous sash slung across her body bearing the word “France”. She ramped up the glamour with her brunette curls coiffed into ringlets and finished off with sultry smokey eye make-up and a pop of rosy pink lip gloss. Mbappe’s partner was snapped striking a sexy pose for the judges, placing one hand on her hip as she highlighted her trim hourglass curves. Kylian Mbappe girlfriend: Alicia Aylies stripped off for Miss Universe Kylian Mbappe girlfriend: Alicia Aylies stripped off for Miss Universe Kylian Mbappe girlfriend: Alicia Aylies flaunted her figure The hottest World Cup 2018 WAGs Fri, June 15, 2018 Russia World Cup 2018: The hottest WAGs. Play slideshow Instagram•Getty 1 of 23 The hottest World Cup 2018 WAGs Although she was hotly tipped at the the competition, she ended up not placing. A throwback on Alicia’s Instagram page also shows her posing backstage with Jamaica’s representative in the competition, Davina Bennett. The stunning pageant queens beamed for the camera, their arms hooked around each other’s waists. Alicia first sparked romance rumours with France ace Mbappe in May when she was spotted watching him play for Paris Saint-Germain. She currently splits her time between her hometown on the French island of Martinique in the Caribbean and Paris, where she is based for her modelling career. Kylian Mbappe girlfriend: Alicia Aylies is a former Miss France winner Kylian Mbappe girlfriend: Alicia Aylies' France beau is a breakout star of the World Cup 2018<doc-sep>Kylian Mbappe has become one of the world’s most-popular soccer players during this 2018 World Cup, helping lead his home country of France to a World Cup Final, set to be played this morning against Croatia. The 19-year-old phenom could see his stock rise even higher if he can have a big game this morning. A massive performance on soccer’s biggest stage would, obviously, send Mbappe’s superstar status to the moon. Mbappe has been playing really well for the last year or so. He plays for Paris Saint-Germain at the club level. He’s broken out over the last 12 months, especially at the World Cup. Some believe he’ll end up being the best player in the world. Regardless of what happens this morning, Mbappe seems to be headed toward international stardom. Mbappe is doing very well off of the pitch, too. He is believed to be dating Alicia Aylies. She’s a former Miss France winner and has a massive following on social media. Aylies has more than 350,000 followers on Instagram. Meet her below: She posted a message for France ahead of this morning’s World Cup Final game, too. Here it is translated from French to English: “How to describe this crazy emotion! We are in the final !! So proud of my country and our @france team !! I may not have lived the one of 1998 but I will be present for that of 2018! Go @teamfrance,” she wrote on Instagram. Mbappe and France are set to play at 11 a.m. E.T. this morning. They’re taking on Croatia for the World Cup championship. The game will be on FOX.<doc-sep>

France’s Kylian Mbappe does not have a wife, but has been linked to potential girlfriend Alicia Aylies. At just 19 years old, Mbappe was one of the youngest players to compete at the 2018 World Cup, so he has plenty of time. According to The Sun, Aylies was the 2017 Miss France, and was spotted attending a PSG match back in May. Aylies has also been seen in Russia supporting France in the stands. During the tournament, Mbappe has taken the world by storm both on and off the pitch. Not only has he been one of France’s top players, but he has agreed to donate the money he makes during the World Cup to charity. As for his stellar play, it has even surprised Mbappe. “It is unbelievable. It is the dream of dreams, the dream of the future, everything,” Mbappe told ESPN. “I don’t have the words. Not even in my wildest dreams, and I am a big dreamer, would I have imagined this. There is still one more step to take, but we are proud of what we have done.” Learn more about Mbappe’s rumored girlfriend. Alicia Won the 2017 Miss France & 2016 Miss French Guiana Aylies has won numerous pageants including Miss France in 2017, and Miss French Guiana in 2016. According to The Sun, she is the first person to win both contests. She also represented France in the 2017 Miss Universe contest. Aylies was born in Martinique, and won the contest over 29 other participants. Aylies was a bit surprised to have won as she was not entirely pleased with her performance, but noted it was a big moment for women of color in France. “I felt like I was not at the top of my game,” Aylies told Europe 1 (translated). “I was surprised, the emotion overwhelmed me at once. I was really moved. I felt like I was not in top shape…I felt stressed…People might need to see a Miss France of color.” Here’s a look at Aylies winning the crown in an emotional moment. Miss France 2017 – Crowning Moment 2017-03-21T17:47:43.000Z Dating Rumors Started After Alicia Attended a PSG Match in May & Was Also Spotted Attending the World Cup in Russia When Mbappe is not playing for the France national team, he can be seen playing for Paris Saint-Germain, commonly referred to as PSG. According to The Sun, Mbappe and Aylies were first linked in May when she was spotted attending one of the PSG matches. Aylies also attended some of France’s matches in Russia at the 2018 World Cup, and posted photos on Instagram from the match. Neither Mbappe or Aylies has publicly confirmed they are dating. According to The Express, Aylies was born on the French island of Martinique on April 21, 1998. Aylies’ dad, Philippe Allies, is an environmental manager, while her mom, Marie-Chantal Belfry, is a driving school instructor. Alicia Is Studying Law at the University of French Guiana In addition to her modeling career, Aylies is studying law at the University of French Guiana, per The Sun. She spends most of her time in either Paris or Matoury. Here’s how Madamenoire.com described French Guiana. Guyane is what it’s called in France, but if you’re not familiar, French Guiana is noted as an “overseas department” and a region of France. It’s located on the north coast of South America in the Guyanas. The official language of residents is French, but many speak Guianese Creole. Alicia Flew Into Russia to Watch France Win the 2018 World Cup https://www.instagram.com/p/BgPSb2sDVA9/?hl=en&taken-by=aliciaayliesoff According to the Express, Aylies flew into Russia to watch France take on Croatia in the final. Alicia witnessed a great match as France won the World Cup, and Mbappe scored a goal in the title game. The Express detailed Aylies travel to Russia.

New European copyright laws could outlaw memes on the internet, campaigners have claimed. Digital rights groups are petitioning against the Copyright Directive, a new law that is supposed to protect rights-holders from copyright infringement on the web, which the European Parliament will vote on later this month. Critics fear this will destroy the hugely popular internet culture of sharing and modifying recognisable images, often referred to as "memes" on social media. The pictures in question, which typically consist of scenes featured in popular films and TV series, may constitute a breach under the new law. Article 13 of the directive states that companies like Google and Facebook should “take measures to ensure the functioning of agreements concluded with rights-holders for the use of their works". Campaigners at Copyright 4 Creativity said the proposals risk censoring free speech because it is likely that technology giants, afraid of hefty fines, will automatically remove content they deem a risk, ridding social media of satire, commentary and inevitably would “destroy the internet as we know it”.<doc-sep>In some circumstances, the only thing capable of brightening up an otherwise miserable day is a good ol' meme. Although they're still a relatively recent invention, it's difficult to imagine a world without them - in fact, we never thought we'd have to think about it, at all. Until now, that is. Because experts have warned that memes could soon vanish from the Internet if new copyright laws come into place. According to the Sun, if the European Union puts its revamped copyright legislation - Article 13 - into practice, it could mean that websites are forced to filter out text, audio, photos and video shared by users against an ever-expanding database. Advert 10 And taking memes out of the equation, the law could also impact still or moving images that contain copyrighted music or posters in the background. Discussion platforms could be under threat, creatives and independent businesses might lose control of their work and democratised information could become a thing of the past. Advert 10 But privacy advocates warn the rules - which will be debated this month - violate the fundamental rights of Internet users and could be used to excessively censor the web. They also place everything we love in the firing line. A campaign against the law says the proposals could 'destroy the internet as we know it'. The Save Your Internet campaign website says: "Should Article 13 of the Copyright Directive be adopted, it will impose widespread censorship of all the content you share online." Advert 10 The duty to police this will be on the platforms that allow users to upload material - for example, social media or video platforms such as YouTube. What a pain in the backside. The EU suggests that these sites will need to adopt technology that can recognise and block work that belongs to someone other than the person sharing it. YouTube already has a Content ID system designed to flag copyrighted work, but entertainment companies claim that not enough is being done to protect their content. Credit: Instagram/YouTube Advert 10 The Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition has previously warned that: "Some requirements contained in Article 13 can enable abusive behaviour, thereby threatening freedom of expression and information". Non-profit The Electronic Frontier Foundation and 56 other rights organisations sent an open letter to lawmakers back in October highlighting their issues with Article 13. It said: "Article 13 appears to provoke such legal uncertainty that online services will have no other option than to monitor, filter and block EU citizens' communications if they are to have any chance of staying in business." Loading… Advert 10 Part of the message reads: "I'm calling on you to work with your colleagues to ensure that Article 13 is deleted, as I do not want my uploads to be monitored and blocked by filtering technologies, nor do I want big businesses to decide what content I can see or not. "My fundamental freedoms are at stake and I expect you to defend them."<doc-sep>Your most beloved memes could be banned under a new EU copyright law Is this finally the end for the glory that is Steamed Hams? You know what a meme is, right? Advertisement Metal Gear Solid 2 had some idea all the way back in 2001, but the modern meme is generally a lot less sinister than the wild conspiratorial noir fare served up by Hideo Kojima. For the uninitiated, a meme is a piece of cultural content in the form of an image, video, phrase or other that is spread via the Internet and often modified for humour purposes. Famous examples include the 'Steamed Hams' phenomenon inspired by a short scene between Principal Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers in The Simpsons. And here's arguably the best take on said meme: Clip via Matt Kern Genius, really. Advertisement And then there's the 'Distracted Boyfriend' one, in which a stock photo continues to be repurposed with seemingly endless possibilities: Let's not forget this bowling one and an inspired tweak that speaks to long-suffering Kanye West fans the world over: Alright, you get the idea. Advertisement Memes can be hit and miss, but they do bring joy and surreal escapism to many on a daily basis. Alas, that could be a thing of the past if a new copyright law from the European Union comes into play. The EU Copyright Directive, if implemented following a vote by Members of the European Parliament on 20 June, could lead to the outright banning of memes all across the web. The directive intends to protect the intellectual property rights of those who upload their material to the Internet. Advertisement Campaigners for Save Your Internet who are aiming to "stop the censorship machine" are urging people to contact MEPs before 20 June in order to bolster support to delete the directive, known as Article 13. Save Your Internet has warned that the proposed new law will require "all content uploaded to the internet to be monitored and potentially deleted if a likeness to existing copyright is protected." The campaigners have also stressed that the introduction of Article 13 would "destroy the internet as we know it" and give more power to big companies while further infringing on privacy. Speaking to the BBC, Executive Director of the UK's Open Rights Group Jim Killock described something of a less murderous Terminator system whereby machines will "zap anything they identify as breaking copyright rules", despite legal bans on laws that require 'general monitoring' of users to protect their privacy. Advertisement "Unfortunately, while machines can spot duplicate uploads of Beyoncé songs, they can't spot parodies, understand memes that use copyright images, or make any kind of cultural judgement about what creative people are doing. We see this all too often on YouTube already," noted Killock. "Add to that, the EU wants to apply the Robocop approach to extremism, hate speech, and anything else they think can get away with, once they put it in place for copyright. This would be disastrous."<doc-sep>

Internet interaction could forever be changed, according to digital rights groups, if the European Union passes revamped copyright legislation effectively banning memes, Wikipedia citation and other staples of the online world. The EU is set to vote on the new Copyright Directive, a draft legislation regarding a digital single market, later this month. In the update to European copyright law, greater onus is being put on so-called “information society service providers” to protect creative work by artists, academics and publishers of original content. READ MORE: ‘Brains linked to computers will kill our inner freedom’ - Zizek to RT on biohacking & identity loss The legislation would force websites and online platforms to “take measures to ensure the functioning of agreements concluded with rightholders for the use of their works.” However, Article 13 of the proposal is being criticized by some digital freedom activists who believe it could destroy the fabric of the internet. It’s being argued that memes, such a Grumpy Cat, Pepe the Frog and More Cowbell could be some of the more bizarre elements of the internet hit by the legislative overhaul. Reads that a new EU copyright law seeks to ban the use of memes. Immediately searches for appropriate #DragRace GIF. pic.twitter.com/2eJc5RNKli — William Lee Adams (@willyleeadams) June 8, 2018 "Memes 'will be banned' under new EU copyright law, warn campaigners" pic.twitter.com/jp3DCV4EzD — Chris Rose (@ArchRose90) June 8, 2018 The oppressive communist #EU wants to make memes illegal by banning those without copyright permission pic.twitter.com/zy1MQ7Llhp — Anonymous (@Anon_decoder) June 8, 2018 The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a digital rights organization based in San Francisco, described the proposal as “unworkable and dangerous”. Citing Wikipedia as an example of how the law could have a negative impact, the EFF said the online encyclopedia could be forced to stop submissions of information and images. The group said that if the law was applied in its strictest sense, videos of protests with music in the background, or even online adverts displaying the cover of a book, could be pulled offline. The group said the only country to embrace such a law is China, where online public discourse is routinely policed and inhibited. READ MORE: Bio-bots on horizon as scientists merge muscle cells with metal skeleton (VIDEO) “The collateral damage they [the EU] will impose on every realm of public life can’t be overstated,” the EFF warned. “The internet, after all, is inextricably bound up in the daily lives of hundreds of millions of Europeans and an entire constellation of sites and services will be adversely affected by Article 13.” With a vote on the article set to go ahead on June 20, Campaign group Save Your Internet has since set up a website to lobby members of the European Parliament. “Article 13 would restrict the ability of internet users to consume content. The days of communicating through gifs and memes, listening to your favourite remixes online might be coming to an end,” the group said. If you like this story, share it with a friend!

Eric Hartline / USA TODAY Sports There was some worry that rain would spoil Saturday night's Stadium Series game between the Penguins and Flyers, possibly even cutting it short after just two periods. Ultimately, though, fans got to see all three periods and then some in Philadelphia. The Flyers managed to rally and prevail in a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory against their cross-state rivals in the elements at Lincoln Financial Field. Philadelphia scored two goals late in the third period, including a game-tying goal from Jakub Voracek with 20 seconds remaining in regulation, to force the extra period. It only took a few minutes for Flyers captain Claude Giroux to seal the win with the golden goal in overtime. It was an exciting finish and a big-time win for the Flyers, who are still trying to hang tough in the Eastern Conference playoff race. But as is usually the case with these outdoor NHL games, it was as much about the spectacle and the atmosphere as it was about the actual game being played on the ice. The rain may have made things a little messier than planned, but the game still brought plenty of action and plenty of awesome visuals. Here are some of the best photos from the event. James Lang / USATSI Bill Streicher / USATSI Drew Hallowell / Getty Images Drew Hallowell / Getty Images Bill Streicher / USATSI Drew Hallowell / Getty Images Bill Streicher / USATSI Drew Hallowell / Getty Images Bill Streicher / USATSI Eric Hartline / USATSI Eric Hartline / USATSI Drew Hallowell / Getty Images Eric Hartline / USATSI Eric Hartline / USATSI Eric Hartline / USATSI Eric Hartline / USATSI Eric Hartline / USATSI BRUCE BENNETT / Getty Images Eric Hartline / USATSI Eric Hartline / USATSI BRUCE BENNETT / Getty Images Eric Hartline / USATSI Bill Streicher / USATSI<doc-sep>UPDATE (Saturday, 12:13 p.m.): The NHL sent out a press release on Saturday with an update on the status of the Penguins-Flyers game. The National Hockey League announced today that the start time of tonight’s 2019 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins at Lincoln Financial Field will remain at 8 p.m. ET. While we are expecting a chance of a relatively light amount of precipitation in and around the game window, current forecasts are indicating that we will have playable conditions. We will continue to monitor weather conditions throughout the day and if a different determination becomes necessary due to the weather conditions being worse than anticipated, we will adjust accordingly. It’s not often fans check the weather report before attending a hockey game, but that might be necessary for Saturday’s Stadium Series matchup in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Lincoln Financial Field in the annual NHL Stadium Series outdoor game on Saturday, February 23, 2019. The meeting takes place on the field the Philadelphia Eagles call home, and it might be affected by the outdoor elements. UPDATE (Saturday, 6:51 a.m.): Here is the updated weather forecast from Accuweather: Saturday : High of 45 degrees; Mostly cloudy, periods of rain late this afternoon; Chance of precipitation 64%. Saturday night: Low of 39 degrees; Cloudy, heavy rain developing; watch for flooding on streets and poor drainage areas; Chance of precipitation 80%. Sunday: High of 59 degrees; Considerable clouds, rain tapering off; breezy; Chance of precipitation 74%. “The rain can lead to soft ice, which can get chopped up more by the players' skates, and make play difficult,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Edwards told their website. “Standing water on the ice can also impact play.” There have been weather delays for NHL outdoor contests in the past. The 2011 NHL Winter Classic in Pittsburgh moved from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. due to wet weather, while sun glare caused the 2012 Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park between the Flyers and New York Rangers to be pushed back from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The crew installing the rink prepared for potential weather issues by installing a thicker sheet of ice, per NHL.com. "A thicker sheet just helps us if we do come into any type of weather," NHL senior manager of facilities operations Derek King told NHL.com. "A little thicker sheet helps on game day." "We want to provide them the same sheet of ice they'd have inside," King said. "Obviously it's a little harder for us to control that week, we can't control the environment. So we'll monitor the weather the best we can and make changes as the weather comes in." There is no word of a postponement from the NHL, which released a statement on Thursday indicating it is “really confident” the game “will go as planned,” per CBS Philadelphia. “Right now, if you look at the weather forecast — and it does change hour-by-hour — there’s no call for severe or heavy rain,” the NHL statement read. “So we’re really confident, based on what we’re reading right now, that the game will go as planned.” Philly.com laid out a couple of scenarios in case the rain prevents the game from being played as originally scheduled: Pushing the game to 6 p.m. Sunday seems to be the NHL’s easiest option. There will be an 8 p.m. Michael Buble concert at the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday, so the earlier start would help with traffic congestion in the stadium area. A 6 p.m. faceoff also would allow NBC to avoid competing fully with the Oscars, which will start at 8 p.m. on 6ABC. From 6 to 9 p.m., NBC has news and taped broadcasts of an Ellen DeGeneres special. The Sunday afternoon forecast calls for dry but windy conditions, with temperatures possibly reaching the 60s. That could be too warm for the hockey game, but that’s another problem. It’s beginning to look a lot like the #StadiumSeries! Rink production is underway at @LFFStadium. pic.twitter.com/bOuFIMkzGb — Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) February 11, 2019 Another key factor comes into play that hockey players never consider inside the confines of their home arenas — wind. The forecast indicates six mile-per-hour winds arriving from the east, which can reach up to 12 mph during the contest. In prior outdoor contests, the NHL used a “hard whistle” where teams switched sides mid-period so both teams are equally affected by the elements, per AccuWeather. “If you're skating with [the wind] and then you turn around and skate [into the wind] you really do notice it," Dean Matsuzaki, the NHL’s executive vice president of events, told AccuWeather’s ‘Everything Under The Sun’ podcast. The Flyers stand at sixth in the Metropolitan Division with 63 points, while the Penguins are in third in the same division with 71 points on the year. Here is what the NHL wants fans to know ahead of the outdoor matchup, per NHL Communications: • HeadHouse Plaza gates open at 5 p.m. ET & Main Gates open at 6 p.m. ET. • Due to anticipated traffic delays and security screening please plan on arriving early. • LIMIT WHAT YOU BRING: Make sure to dress warmly, re-entry is not permitted. No outside food or beverages will be permitted into the stadium on game day. • BAG POLICY: Fans are encouraged to limit the number of items they bring with them to the stadium. They will be able to carry (1) of the following style and size bag, package, or container at stadium plaza areas, stadium gates, or when approaching queue lines awaiting entry into the stadium: • Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12." • One-gallon clear plastic freezer bag (Ziploc bag or similar). • Small clutch bags, approximately the size of a hand but not larger than 4.5″ x 6.5″, with or without a handle or strap, may be carried into the stadium along with one of the clear bag options. • An exception will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection. Guests with these types of bags are encouraged to use the HeadHouse North Gate entrance. Prohibited items include but are not limited to: purses larger than a clutch bag, coolers, briefcases, backpacks, fanny packs, cinch bags, luggage of any kind, seat cushions, computer bags, umbrellas and camera bags, any bag larger than the permissible size or binocular and camera cases larger than 6.5″ x 4.5.″ • All bags are subject to search upon entry. • For a full listing of prohibited items and additional fan information about the 2019 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series™ please visit: https://www.nhl.com/fans/stadium-series/fan-guide<doc-sep>Can you believe it? The Flyers finally won an outdoor game! It really happened! And we’re here with a somewhat abbreviated selection of things we learned because, let’s be honest the conditions were far from favorable in this one and it’s hard to make too many notes about level of play when the ice is covered in puddles and all of the players can barely through their visors with all of the rain. But we’ve got a couple notes for you fine folks. All stats via Natural Stat Trick and NHL.com 1. Shots and all Normally this is a section that save for later in the article, but we’re just going to get it out of the way early. Let’s get weird. Anyway, this wasn’t the best night we’ve seen from the Flyers on the shot generation front. Things started out pretty rough, as the Flyers were out-shot 18 to eight and out-chanced 26 to 11 in the first period alone. They were able to come back some, and dominating in the third period (picking up 18 shots to the Penguins’ 10, and 32 attempts to their 16 across all situations) helped them pick up some ground, but they still closed out the game with an adjusted 40.92 CF%. So it seems this was an example of the Flyers being opportunistic, and making the most of their chances when they got them, and we can’t complaint too much, given the ultimate result, even if we know the overall process left a bit to be desired. 2. The Couturier line shines again Another day, another game where we have to extend a nod to Sean Couturier’s line for a bit of very good work. Let’s just get the first bit of flash out of the way, first, in the form of this nice feed form Oskar Lindblom to Couturier for the goal that tied things up for the Flyers the first time. COUTURIER TIES THE GAME! pic.twitter.com/6KeXSUWkVT — Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) February 24, 2019 All in all, the line looked solid across the whole of the night. The numbers for everyone on the Flyers (save Michael Raffl and Wayne Simmonds, who managed to crack 50 CF%) weren’t great, but Couturier and Lindblom registered 3.15 and 4.57 CF%Rel, and the two of them plus Jake Voracek combined for seven shots (accounting for just over 30 percent of the team’s 5-on-5 shots). It’s not a surprising outcome, as this line has performed very well, of late, but it was nice to see them continuing to produce on this this bigger stage. They’re tapping into something remarkable here, and they’re not showing any signs of slowing down. 3. The power play! Perhaps one of the more interesting quirks about this game is how little we have to say about the Flyers’ special teams. Not because they looked stale and uninteresting, but because we didn’t get to see a whole lot of them. With all of the chippiness that we saw in that game, it was more often than not no-calls or offsetting minors. So what we got were two Flyers power plays, and that’s just about it. They didn’t get a whole lot going on their first attempt, when Jack Johnson was sent off for tripping early in the first (which says a lot about how things were going for the Flyers, honestly, as this knocked the Penguins down to three defensemen), struggling to connect on all of their passes cleanly and generate much in the way of danger. It would take a two-man advantage before they could get another one back, late in the third with the goalie pulled on the Matt Cullen penalty, and it was pretty sweet. Just James van Riemsdyk, doing his thing. JVR on the doorstep! pic.twitter.com/puF9vocURw — Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) February 24, 2019 And, because we want to stretch this a little bit, the Flyers did a little bit more on the 6-on-5 man advantage inside the last minute of play in regulation. VORACEK SENDS THE GAME TO OVERTIME. pic.twitter.com/caAO0HBh7E — Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) February 24, 2019 They finally got that nice puck movement they had been looking for, and, in the most perfect moment of cosmic retribution, Jake Voracek shot it straight through the legs of Johnson (who, remember, went knee to knee with Nolan Patrick in the first period) and slipped it through Matt Murray. We can’t really beat around the bush, it was a masterpiece. 4. Brian Elliott, hello After all of the drama leading up to Elliott ultimately getting the start last night, we came into this one wondering how he would look. He had looked fine, his last two games coming in in relief, but he was still relatively freshly back from injury, and this was a concern. But, all of that said, he did alright As we noted earlier, the Penguins got the better of the shot share, registering 43 in total, so Elliott certainly had his work cut out for him. All told, he stopped 40 of those shots for a .930 save percentage, and really we can only begrudge him the third goal (as there were some weird bounces leading up to the first two, making things a little more difficult). He didn’t try to make any excuses for that one, after the game, citing the rain or wet equipment, he just said he didn’t catch it. All things considered, he did a fine enough job, keeping the Flyers in the game when the Penguins were dominating until they could put together a surge of their own, and get themselves to overtime. 5. Garbage time Something we’ve been sort of keying in on throughout these observations is that there was a lot that was pretty rough about this game. The ice wasn’t great. The players couldn’t see too well through their visors. And there were a lot of turnovers happening, particularly on the Flyers’ part, that made for a pretty difficult start to the game. There was a reason the Flyers were out-shot 18 to eight in the first period alone, and it was in part good work for the Penguins in keeping up aggressive play, but just as much it was the Flyers not being able to hold onto the puck or break out to save their lives. But we should also credit them for their ability to stick with it and cash in on their couple of opportunities late, when they really needed to. They didn’t get the better of play through the whole of the game, but they made the necessary push, and made their chances count. And, all that said, that made this kind of fun, right? They were down 3-1 late in the third and it didn’t seem unreasonable, considering how things had been going, that we were ready to pencil in the loss. And that makes the comeback just a little bit more exciting. Maybe it’s that, maybe it’s the setting, but it felt special. It was a big win. 6. Bonus: the only damn thing I know One of my favorite things, when watching hockey games, because I’m a child or something, is when the mics accidentally catch the players cussing at each other on the ice. I don’t know why, but it’s always a little bit funny. I wasn’t expecting any of that last night, but somehow the universe delivered a bit of it, with force. Up in the press box, we had bunch of televisions mounted above the rows of seats, on the delay, playing the NBC play-by-play. So we saw the gathering in the third that would ultimately send Evgeni Malkin and Robert Hagg off in real time. And then we saw it on TV when the broadcast caught up. And then, inexplicably, we had one of the officials caught telling someone “alright, get the fuck outta here” coming over the speakers, which, according to our friends at home, didn’t get picked up on their broadcast. I don’t know how it happened, but it was incredible.<doc-sep>

The Philadelphia Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Lincoln Financial Field in the annual NHL Stadium Series outdoor game on Saturday, February 23, 2019 (2/23/19) at 8 p.m. Eastern. FANS: It’s an outdoor rematch from two years ago, when the Penguins defeated the Flyers, 4-2, in front of 67,318 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Here’s what you need to know: What: National Hockey League Stadium Series Who: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins When: Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019 Where: Lincoln Financial Field Time: 8 p.m. Eastern TV: NBC Channel finder: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish Live stream: NBC Sports, fuboTV (free trial) The last time these two met… Matt Murray guzzled a sports drink through part of his postgame interview. It's not surprising the Pittsburgh Penguins goalie needed to rehydrate after such an intense outing. Murray made a career-high 50 saves and Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist to lead the Penguins to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night. "When you're out there, you don't really think about that," Murray said of the shot total. "You just do what you can to try to stop the puck." Jake Guentzel and Nick Bjugstad also scored and Kris Letang had an empty-netter for the Penguins, who snapped a four-game losing streak while winning for just the fourth time in 12 games. Pittsburgh entered holding the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Murray was a wall for the Penguins, withstanding an offensive flurry by Philadelphia that included a franchise-record 28 shots in the second period. "He was great, especially in the second period," coach Mike Sullivan said. "That's the type of game he's capable of." Jakub Voracek scored for Philadelphia, which lost for just the second time in 11 games. The Flyers could've pulled within four points of Pittsburgh with a victory, but now stand eight points behind the Penguins. The Flyers' disappointment stemmed from the defeat, but not their play. "We play like that, we won't have to worry about anything," interim coach Scott Gordon said. Flyers rookie goalie Carter Hart had his eight-game win streak halted, falling one game shy of setting an NHL record for consecutive victories prior to turning 21 years old. The 20-year-old also finished a game short of tying Pelle Lindbergh for the Flyers' rookie record for wins in a row. Hart had 24 saves. "I have to be better than today," Hart said. (The AP contributed to this report.)

What this means for other states, and the people who shop in them, is still unclear. There are 31 states that currently have laws that tax internet sales. But these laws may be more restrictive than South Dakota’s law, and so may not hold up in court. In the majority opinion, Justice Kennedy lauded South Dakota’s law as one that is designed not to impose “undue burdens” on interstate commerce. “This ruling is not a blank check for states,” Joseph Bishop-Henchman, the executive vice president of the Tax Foundation, wrote in an analysis of the ruling. States will now likely revisit their laws and try to model new bills after South Dakota’s so they can begin collecting sales tax on online purchases; some, including Vermont, Indiana, North Dakota, and Wyoming, have already passed laws similar to the one on the books in South Dakota. Congress now also may weigh in; it had previously been restricted by Quill from passing any sort of sweeping law. An amicus brief filed by four U.S. Senators argued that Congress has been unable to “reach a consensus” on a legislative solution, in part because of Quill. The ruling could be a huge boon for states that have recently struggled to bring in enough revenue. An estimate by the Government Accountability Office found that state and local governments could have collected about $8 billion to $13 billion last year alone if they could require sales tax from all remote sellers. But it may also lead to new court cases as states try to get aggressive in passing wider sales-tax rules. Massachusetts, for instance, has argued that companies have a physical presence in the state if users store “cookies” on their computers to buy their goods. The ruling will not make a difference for shoppers who use certain sites; in many Amazon purchases, for instance, the company already collects sales tax because it expanded its fulfillment centers and offices so rapidly that it has a physical presence in most states. But Amazon does not currently collect sales tax for items bought through its third-party sellers, which are stores that use Amazon to sell goods, but that take care of fulfilling orders and providing customer service on their own. Third-party sellers make up about half of all goods sold on Amazon, the company has said. This may be why President Trump has focused some of his criticisms of Amazon on the sales-tax issue, tweeting in August that “Amazon is doing great damage to taxpaying retailers.” (Two states, Washington and Pennsylvania, do currently collect sales tax on behalf of third-party sellers.) Third-party sellers on Amazon, and other merchants that have not been collecting sales tax in states where they don’t have a presence, are now scrambling to figure out what various states say about collecting sales taxes, and how to collect them. This could be a costly proposition for small merchants who sell across the country but who haven’t had to invest in tax attorneys before.<doc-sep>States can collect sales tax from online sellers even if those companies don’t have a physical presence in the state, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday morning in a case with far-reaching implications for the future of online commerce. The decision marks new territory dispute over the taxing authority of states in the internet age. Big online retailers have, in many cases, managed to avoid paying sales tax when selling goods to consumers because previously, courts said that a company must have a physical presence in the state to be taxed. “The physical presence rule has long been criticized as giving out-of-state sellers an advantage,” the ruling says. “Each year, it becomes further removed from economic reality and results in significant revenue losses to the States.” The case before the Supreme Court, South Dakota v. Wayfair, stemmed from a law South Dakota passed requiring online retailers to collect and remit sales tax even if they don’t have a physical presence in the state. The Supreme Court sided with South Dakota 5-4, overturning a previous ruling, Quill Corporation v. North Dakota. “Quill creates rather than resolves market distortions,” the ruling says. “In effect, it is a judicially created tax shelter for businesses that limit their physical presence in a State but sell their goods and services to the State’s consumers, something that has become easier and more prevalent as technology has advanced.” Justices Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch delivered the opinion while John Roberts, Stephen Breyer, Sonja Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan dissented. South Dakota brought the lawsuit against major online retailers for failing to comply with its new sales tax law, in an effort to get the Supreme Court to revisit the Quill decision. The law makes an exception for companies with less than $100,000 in annual sales or 200 transactions in the state, seeking to help smaller retailers compete with big e-commerce incumbents. “Startups and small businesses may benefit from the physical presence rule, but here South Dakota affords small merchants a reasonable degree of protection,” the ruling says. In the original lawsuit, South Dakota sued three major online retailers: Wayfair, Overstock, and Newegg. Although it is the poster child for big e-commerce, Amazon wasn’t involved in the lawsuit and the immediate decision doesn’t affect the company dramatically. But the resulting legislative fallout could have an impact. Today, the retail giant collects taxes in every state that has a sales tax. For the many third-party sellers on Amazon’s platform, it’s more of a gray area. Prior to the ruling, sellers were responsible for collecting sales taxes if they had a presence in the state. But some states, including Washington, have recently passed marketplace bills which force the company that provides the platform for sellers — such as Amazon, Etsy and, eBay — to collect sales tax rather than the asking the seller to do so. In the wake of the ruling, companies like Amazon will have to keep an eye on how each state handles sales tax legislation and whether they will have to collect the funds on behalf of third-party sellers. Scott Peterson, vice president of U.S. tax policy and government relations at Seattle sales tax automation company Avalara, doesn’t expect much variation between state laws. He predicted that South Dakota’s law will be a model for future legislation. “Any state that does something radically different from this should expect to immediately find themselves in court,” Peterson said. The market certainly thinks Avalara will benefit from the decision, as the newly-public company saw its shares spike 30 percent immediately following the ruling. Despite the historic ruling, the issue isn’t totally settled yet, Peterson said. The decision mainly focused on the physical presence argument. But the court remanded the South Dakota law back to the state Supreme Court to make sure it complies with another Supreme Court ruling: Complete Auto Transit v. Brady. That 1977 decision established a four-part constitutionality check for state taxing power. Nexus: There has to be some kind of connection between the taxpayer and the state. In South Dakota, retailers are subject to sales tax once they’ve made $100,000 in sales in the state. There has to be some kind of connection between the taxpayer and the state. In South Dakota, retailers are subject to sales tax once they’ve made $100,000 in sales in the state. Fair apportionment: The state may only collect tax on purchases within its borders. The state may only collect tax on purchases within its borders. No discrimination: The state can’t treat out of state retailers differently than in-state retailers. The state can’t treat out of state retailers differently than in-state retailers. Related to services: Retailers must in some way benefit from taxes collected. For example tax money goes towards roads, which benefit retailers shipping goods. “We’ve got a ways to go before the case is fully resolved,” Peterson said. “Every other state in the country now has to wait until the South Dakota Supreme Court issues a decision to see whether or not South Dakota’s law meets the standards of the Complete Auto Case.” Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) cheered the ruling in a statement. “As in so many other areas, technology has evolved faster than the law and left us with at times bizarre, unfair results,” she said. “This is a big win for local brick-and-mortar retailers, who will now get a chance to compete on a level playing field with out-of-state internet companies that have maintained an unfair edge by not collecting sales taxes.” Here is the full ruling: South Dakota v. Wayfair Supreme Court decision by Nat Levy on Scribd<doc-sep>

Shares of the online retail giants Amazon, Etsy, Overstock, and Wayfair tanked on Thursday after the Supreme Court ruled that states can impose sales on online purchases even if the business doesn’t have a physical presence there. The decision in the case, South Dakota v. Wayfair, reverses a 1992 ruling on Quill Corp. v. North Dakota that said sellers only had to collect state sales taxes if they had a warehouse or office in the state. The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled 5-4 that states can require online sellers to collect sales taxes. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the opinion, and Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch each filed concurring opinions. Modern e-commerce “does not align” with the physical presence required in the 1992 decision, Kennedy wrote. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote a dissenting opinion, in which he was joined by Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan. Moving ahead, states will be able to require retailers to collect state sales taxes on their transactions, whether they have a presence in the state or not. It could mean billions of dollars in additional taxes for big and small retailers alike. Currently, Amazon, for example, collects state sales taxes on the products it sells directly, but it doesn’t for third-party sellers except for in Washington and Pennsylvania, where state laws require it to. (We have a short explainer at what was at stake in South Dakota v. Wayfair here.) The decision might be a big hit to online retailers — or at least Wall Street thinks it will be. Bloomberg’s Joe Weisenthal tweeted a screenshot of share prices of Amazon, Etsy, Overstock, and Wayfair diving in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling: BREAKING: *STATES CAN REQUIRE INTERNET TAX COLLECTION, SUPREME COURT RULES *AMAZON, OVERSTOCK, ETSY, WAYFAIR DROP TO SESSION LOWShttps://t.co/lZpcffvKG1 pic.twitter.com/ReCuqqqED1 — Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart) June 21, 2018 Opponents of the Wayfair decision warned it will actually affect small retailers more than it does the big ones. Of course, those aren’t publicly traded. There’s a lot of cash at stake — not only for the companies involved but also, potentially, for state governments. The Government Accountability Office estimates that state and local governments could have collected up to $13 billion more in 2017 had they been allowed to require sales tax payments from online sellers, as Bloomberg notes. All but five states — Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon — impose sales taxes.

Baconoholics, there's a new reason to consider Chipotle Mexican Grill for your lunchtime rotation: The restaurant chain is looking to cook up a bacon-fortified menu. After testing Applewood Smoked Bacon in a trial run at the chain's test location in New York City, Chipotle is adding bacon to the menu at eight restaurants next month in Orange County, California – in advance of a possible full market deployment. Customers at the test restaurants will be able to add bacon to burritos, tacos, food bowls and salads. At The Bluffs location in Newport Beach, California, customers can also order a BLT quesadilla. "Consumers have always said 'everything tastes better with bacon,' and that is exactly what we confirmed in our New York test kitchen," Chris Brandt, Chipotle's chief marketing officer, said in a statement. "We found consumers added bacon to their traditional bowls, burritos, tacos and nachos while also enjoying new items such as the BLT quesadilla with bacon, lettuce, tomato and cheese grilled to perfection." That menu item is among experimental offerings available at Chipotle's Next test location along with avocado tostadas, nachos and Mexican chocolate shakes. More:Chipotle tests quesadillas, avocado tostadas, nachos, frozen palomas, chocolate shakes More:New Chipotle CEO brims with ideas to enhance menu, appeal to young diners More:Eat free at McDonald's for life with the McGold Card Nachos will also be coming to more of Chipotle's restaurants. The dish, topped with a new queso and a choice of meat, beans, salsas and lettuce, will arrive in all Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul restaurants in October. And in an ongoing deal: some restaurants in Dallas and Miami will be staying open later until 11 p.m., and customers can get $2 tacos with the purchase of any drink after 8 p.m. through Sept. 30. In select Indianapolis and Philadelphia restaurants, Chipotle customers can add regular-sized chips and a fountain drink to their entrée order for just $3. Follow USA TODAY reporter Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.<doc-sep>Chipotle is turning to bacon-loaded burrito bowls for some good news. Just as the burrito chain faces yet another major food-borne illness outbreak, some of its locations are now preparing to unleash a series of new menu items and deals that, perhaps ironically, are part of its long, ongoing comeback campaign from a food safety crisis in 2015. On Thursday, Chipotle announced it is testing two new menu items and promotions in select cities across the country as it continues to gradually change up its notoriously limited menu in hopes of improving sales. The big new food Chipotle is betting on? Bacon. That's right, the ever-ubiquitous fast food staple is headed for your burrito bowls (shown below), starting with an eight-restaurant test in Orange County, California this September, and if it's successful there, a full market test and potential national rollout. Along with trying out bacon, the company will expand its first-ever "build your own" nachos test run to all of its locations in Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul in October, according to a press release. Execs at the chain all but conceded bacon is low-hanging fruit. "Consumers have always said 'everything tastes better with bacon' and that is exactly what we confirmed in our New York test kitchen," Chris Brandt, chief marketing officer at Chipotle, said in a press release. "We found consumers added bacon to their traditional bowls, burritos, tacos and nachos while also enjoying new items such as the BLT quesadilla with bacon, lettuce, tomato and cheese grilled to perfection." (Quesadillas, however, are exclusive to the test kitchen location.)<doc-sep>Chipotle Mexican Grill is experimenting with bacon, nachos and longer store hours as it looks to reverse a sales slump and attract new customers after a series of food-safety incidents rattled its business. The fast-casual chain will conduct a test launch of Applewood smoked bacon at eight store locations in Orange County, California, this September, with plans for a larger market test if the trial run is a success. Chipotle will also test a build-your-own nachos menu item at Denver and Minneapolis-area stores this fall. In a separate pilot program, select Chipotle locations in Miami and Dallas will stay open until 11 p.m. through Sept. 30, beyond the chain’s normal operating hours. Customers at the store locations will be able to buy an order of tacos for $2 with the purchase of a beverage. "A cornerstone of our new strategy is to make Chipotle more culturally relevant and to meet our customers where they are with flavorful food they can feel good about eating," said Chris Brandt, Chipotle’s chief marketing officer. Chipotle is testing several potential menu items as part of new CEO Brian Niccol’s bid to revive the brand’s popularity with consumers. A 2015 E.coli outbreak and other food-safety incidents shook public confidence in the once-booming brand, while the chain’s trademark minimalist menu also drew criticism. The chain said in June that it had begun testing avocado tostadas, chocolate shakes and other potential menu additions at its test facility in New York City. Aside from fresh menu items, Niccol has emphasized faster order times as a key element of Chipotle’s turnaround. The company is adding delivery options through Chipotle’s mobile app at about 2,000 stores this year and plans to launch a new customer loyalty program in 2019.<doc-sep>

Chipotle is winning us over hard with this one. The Mexican-style chain is going to test out new bacon-loaded menu items made with Applewood smoked bacon. Bacon did so well in Chipotle’s New York City test kitchen that the brand is bringing the tasty pig parts as well as a new menu item to eight restaurants in California’s Orange County — the soon-to-be home base for the chain — this September. "Consumers have always said 'everything tastes better with bacon,' and that is exactly what we confirmed in our New York test kitchen," said Chris Brandt, chief marketing officer at Chipotle, in a press release. "We found consumers added bacon to their traditional bowls, burritos, tacos and nachos while also enjoying new items such as the BLT quesadilla with bacon, lettuce, tomato and cheese grilled to perfection.” Not only will Orange County customers be able to put bacon on their burrito bowls, tacos, and more, but 10 restaurants in Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul will test build-your-own nachos beginning in October. Meanwhile, Miami and Dallas Chipotle restaurants will now remain open until 11 p.m. to meet late-night demand. "A cornerstone of our new strategy is to make Chipotle more culturally relevant and to meet our customers where they are with flavorful food they can feel good about eating," Brandt concluded. "We know that Chipotle is a great place to start or end the night, which is why we're excited to test this pilot with our Miami and Dallas night owl fans." To celebrate this Chipotle news, check out these ridiculous bacon products.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Memphis Grizzlies at home, 99-95. The Thunder snapped their 4-game losing streak in one of the most gut-churning ways possible. After trailing to the lottery-bound Grizz for nearly the entire game, vacillating between apathy and incompetence, OKC came to life in the nick of time to get the win and administer some salve to the gaping flesh wound that is their post-ASW stretch. Down 10 with under 5 minutes to play, and showing virtually no signs at all that they might be able to string together enough baskets to even make a run at it, OKC rediscovered their secret defensive powers. Closing out the game on an 18-4 run, they forced Memphis to shoot 1-10 over that stretch, including 0-4 from three while committing 2 turnovers. OKC in the meantime barnburned its way to 56% shooting over that stretch, including 6-8 from the free throw line and Russell Westbrook’s stupefying 3-pointers that led to the win. In this stretch, Westbrook had 12 points, 3 rebounds, an assist and no turnovers. He shot 4-7 FG, 2-5 3FG, 2-2 FT. Avery Bradley in the same span was 1-5, 0-2 3FG, 2-2 FT, no assists and a turnover. https://t.co/31Pi8zhH1e — Brett Dawson (@BDawsonWrites) March 4, 2019 If you want an apt visual of this game, here you go. Seriously, hats off to any of you other Thunder fans who managed to make it through to the end of this dumpster fire of a win. By and large, it was bad. Really, really bad. The Thunder didn’t work to get good shots to take, didn’t hit the ones they did take, and the backcourt duo of Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schroder were a combined 7-26 for 21 points and 7 turnovers through 3 quarters. The only guys who showed any signs of competency were: Steven Adams , looking pleasantly spry and sprightly. Adams hustled his way to 13 points and 22 boards, including 8 offensive. Too bad he went 1-6 from the charity stripe, but otherwise, he was OKC’s best player on the night. Makes me happy to see him play like this. , looking pleasantly spry and sprightly. hustled his way to 13 points and 22 boards, including 8 offensive. Too bad he went 1-6 from the charity stripe, but otherwise, he was OKC’s best player on the night. Makes me happy to see him play like this. Abdel Nader (!) was the most competent shooter for much of the night, giving the team some much needed early offense, and finishing with 15 on the night, including 3-6 from three. (!) was the most competent shooter for much of the night, giving the team some much needed early offense, and finishing with 15 on the night, including 3-6 from three. It won’t show up in the box score, but Terrance Ferguson worked his butt off defensively, even as Grizzlies guard Avery Bradley got rolling. Undeterred, Ferg stayed with it and helped force Bradley into some key misses down the stretch that helped turn the tides. He then hit two huge FTs that iced the game. Nobody will likely say anything about it, but I kind of feel like Westbrook was playing hurt, but did it because Paul George was out. Or if George had been playing, I wonder if Russ would have sat this one out. He was oddly passive most of the night, even as he was taking on a bevy of guards he normally would have torn apart in the post. But by the looks of things, he knew he didn’t have it, and through some small miracle managed to hit the biggest buckets in the game. He buried a deep three to cut the lead to five with under 5 minutes to play, followed it up with a highly contested three (his 13th attempt of the night!) with a minute to go, knotting the game at 93, and then dropped in a cotton shot to give OKC their first lead since mid-2nd quarter. This is a game OKC probably should have lost, as they played as a ‘team’ that appeared to have just met 20 minutes before tip-off. But I kept telling myself, they only need one good quarter to take it against this Grizz team, and that’s what happened, even as they made us all sweat it out far too long. In my opinion, this isn’t a “pick it apart to figure out what went wrong” kind of game. Just about everything went FUBAR. But rather, it was a game OKC could have folded, but they pulled together just long enough to prevent that. It’s not cause for celebration to be sure, but it shows some resolve missing in the previous losses. This game changes little in the sense that OKC is still trending in the wrong direction, even as teams such as the Trail Blazers, Rockets, and Jazz are hot on their trails. But nothing worth fighting for comes easy, and OKC could have easily punted on this game after last night’s debacle, but they didn’t. And they used that defensive energy and focus to unspool a Grizzlies team primed for the upset. It’s not something you’d hang in a museum, but in the words of Nuke LaLoosh, it’s still better than losing. Next game: @ Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, March 5 at 7PM CST Also, Knob Creek Rye Manhattans, in case you were wondering, and yes, we started in early on them tonight.<doc-sep>The OKC Thunder ends their losing streak at four games with a home win against the Memphis Grizzlies. The OKC Thunder were missing Paul George for the third straight game. It was about as ugly as you could possibly imagine but a win none the less. Memphis Grizzlies 95 Oklahoma City Thunder 99 Oklahoma City couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat for most of the game shooting 35 percent as a team. On the second night of a back to back and backed into a corner, the Thunder would have to dig deep defensively at the end to avoid losing their fifth straight game. OKC entered the game in the four seed half a game back of Portland. With the win tonight, the Thunder move back to the three seed by way of tie-breaker with the Trail Blazers who are winless against Oklahoma City this season. The Thunder remembered how to rebound but there were a lot of missed shots to practice with. OKC collected 17 of their 53 rebounds on the offensive glass but again, a lot of missed shots gave a lot of opportunities. It is well established that the OKC Thunder have the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA. With a tough schedule and playoff seedings tight, every game and win becomes important regardless of opponent. Though it is still an NBA team, these are not the same Grizzlies that made seven straight playoff runs with Marc Gasol, Zac Randolph, Tony Allen, and Mike Conley all missing along with outstanding rookie talent Jaren Jackson. With that, let’s dive into the player grades.<doc-sep>So apparently the race to convey got a swift kick in the ass this weekend. The Memphis Grizzlies, on the second night of a back to back and without their three best players that actually started the season as Grizzlies (Mike Conley, Jaren Jackson Jr., Kyle Anderson), scared the hell out of the Oklahoma City Thunder IN OKC. It took a tremendous collapse (a 32-20 4th quarter for the Thunder) for OKC to win this game 99-95. Of course the Thunder not having their MVP candidate Paul George helped the cause of Memphis in this game, but again, Mike Conley was out. Jaren Jackson Jr. was out. Yet here we are, talking about a game that most though the Grizzlies would get blown out in that they were winning by eight heading in to the final frame before superior talent and coaching took over. Opportunity appears to indeed be one hell of a motivator. Here are some takeaways from a loss that prevents Memphis from earning consecutive victories for the first time in a month. Avery Bradley is the new (better) Jeff Green Look at any basic stat, advanced stat, whatever number you want, and it will say before Avery Bradley came to the Memphis Grizzlies he was very bad at basketball. Since his arrival in Memphis? He is back to being very good at basketball...or is he? That sounds stupid to ask after a game in which Avery drops 27 points on 19 shots, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Despite the increase in his numbers compared to his time with the L.A. Clippers, there are still signs he may be...less good than you think. Through 214 minutes with the Grizzlies, Avery Bradley is in the 0th percentile in on/off, per @cleantheglass at -25 points per 100 possessions. — Matt Hrdlicka (@theRealHrdlicka) February 28, 2019 That was, clearly, tweeted before the past couple of games, where surely that number has improved some. Avery has been a breath of fresh air (as have many of the new acquisitions) and there’s no denying he is creating on the perimeter better than just about every Grizzly wing has so far this season. Small sample size theater is at work here on both sides as well - it’s hard to say Avery Bradley sucks when he carries the team to a strong performance, but that stat above should be watched moving forward. On this night? Avery was at times the best player on the court...you don’t need numbers for that one. Your eyes should tell you that. That’s the Delon Wright we want to see Hey, supposed centerpiece of the Gasol trade. Looking good. While Jonas Valanciunas would like a word with the above statement, there’s no denying that of the three that came to Memphis in the deal for Marc (Wright/Valanciunas/C.J. Miles) it is Wright who is most likely to be in Memphis beyond the summer of 2020. He is a restricted free agent, so the Grizzlies have more control over his long-term future than they do Valanciunas and Miles, who have player options that could make them potential unrestricted free agents this summer. Wright hopefully will serve a similar role to Kyle Anderson, except in the back court - a player that can create, defend, and score in a variety of ways from a variety of positions. Her versatility carries value...but how much value remains to be seen. In this game, Wright showed why he should be in the Grizzlies long-term plans. 17 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists. More of that, please. Quick Hits Jonas Valanciunas is possibly a literal Lithuanian grizzly bear. He bodied Steven Adams , arguably the strongest player in the NBA, on several occasions in the post. 16 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks...he’s the anti-Marc. That doesn’t mean he is better than Marc - he isn’t. What he may be, though, is a better fit for the Grizzlies as they are now, and moving forward, than Marc. He bodied , arguably the strongest player in the NBA, on several occasions in the post. 16 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks...he’s the anti-Marc. That doesn’t mean he is better than Marc - he isn’t. What he may be, though, is a better fit for the Grizzlies as they are now, and moving forward, than Marc. C.J. Miles is alive? In what may be his best game as a Grizzly, C.J. Miles was the lone Grizzlies reserve player with a positive +/-. A flawed in-game stat to be sure, but considering he led the bench in minutes he contributed both as a shooter and as a defender to positive plays for Memphis. In what may be his best game as a Grizzly, C.J. Miles was the lone Grizzlies reserve player with a positive +/-. A flawed in-game stat to be sure, but considering he led the bench in minutes he contributed both as a shooter and as a defender to positive plays for Memphis. The Bruno Caboclo and Joakim Noah honeymoons may be over. Bruno had a team-worst -10 on the evening - the only starter in the negatives - and Joakim was 1-5 from the floor and only grabbed three boards in 16 minutes of play. These guys are going to have “meh” to bad nights - one was in the G-League two months ago, and the other was paid to leave the New York Knicks several months ago. But their successes played big parts in the Grizzlies recent run of good basketball. It makes sense that these two struggling would help lead to losses. The Memphis Grizzlies, now 25-40 on the season, will be back in action on Tuesday night when they take on the Portland Trail Blazers at FedExForum. Tip is scheduled for 7 PM CT. Follow @sbngrizzlies<doc-sep>

On a four-game losing skid and without Paul George the OKC Thunder rallied to erase a deficit and grab a must win. Three takeaways offer the details. On the second night of a back to back, the OKC Thunder returned home to Chesapeake Energy Arena to face the Memphis Grizzlies in a Sunday evening matchup. A late game surge gave the Thunder the push they needed to narrowly score a much needed win in an otherwise ugly contest. The OKC Thunder’s post-All-Star slump has seen the team suffer their first four-game slide since starting the 2018-2019 campaign 0-4. To say Sunday night’s home matchup against the lowly Memphis Grizzlies was a “must win” game for a team currently occupying a spot in the upper echelon of the hotly contested Western Conference would be a slightly exaggerated sentiment, however, having given up four straight, on the verge of giving up the three seed, and about to embark on a four-game road stretch, it certainly could not help but feel like it. Thunder fans expecting to see that sense of urgency from the team to start the contest, however, would be sorely disappointed as OKC once again came out flat at home against the Grizzlies, spending the majority of the game playing catchup to a Grizzlies squad that, coming into the night, sat 14 games under .500. Want your voice heard? Join the Thunderous Intentions team! Write for us! The OKC Thunder were once again without the services of February’s Western Conference Player of the Month and MVP candidate, Paul George, as he continues to nurse a strained rotator cuff. Billy Donovan again gave the starting nod to Dennis Schroder in an attempt to generate more offensive production, but going into the break, the Thunder trailed 52-46 on colder shooting than the blustery air outside Chesapeake Energy Arena. Through the first half, Oklahoma City logged a lackluster 34.8 percent field goal efficiency, shooting just 25 percent from beyond the arc and 61.1 percent from the charity stripe, while allowing Memphis to shoot 51.3 percent from the floor on 44.4 percent from deep and a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line. The Thunder were unable to make any substantive adjustments at halftime and saw the Grizzlies lead stretch to 13 points in the third and again in the fourth quarter off the hot hand of the newly acquired Avery Bradley. Memphis looked poised to steal the win on the road from the home team; however, Oklahoma City was able to string together several consecutive minutes of gritty basketball and escape with the win on the shoulders of gutsy defense and hustle plays that have characterized the OKC Thunder throughout a largely poor shooting first half of the season. Although OKC was able to walk away with the victory, several aspects of Sunday night’s performance are concerning for a “win now” team looking to make a deep playoff run. “Ugly wins” are still tallied the same in the win column, but this contest was truly ugly. TI offers three takeaways.

Spoiler notice: this review expressly doesn’t spoil any specific plot points in Avengers: Endgame whatsoever, but does discuss general themes, ideas, and cast members. It’s been just over a decade since Marvel Studios launched its flagship franchise of interconnected comics-inspired movies with 2008’s Iron Man, and even now it’s difficult to begin to evaluate how much that franchise has changed the face of filmmaking. After 10 years, 21 films, nearly a dozen television shows, countless tie-in comics and games and merchandising options and viral videos, and billions upon billions of dollars in earnings, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the Holy Grail that every major studio is questing after, usually with little success. The MCU films have set off a mania for interconnected multi-platform franchises and multi-film arcs, not to mention a still-growing tide of superhero stories in every possible medium. But while Marvel has expressly laid out a number of formulas that its competitors have struggled to imitate — from its highly specific mix of action and fast-paced snippy humor to its frequent, unapologetic visual and narrative nods to the most obsessive fans in its midst — it’s also beginning to break those formulas. Spider-Man: Homecoming followed up on the international hero-on-hero warfare of Captain America: Civil War with a personal little neighborhood story that dialed the MCU stakes way back and reset expectations for the franchise. Thor: Ragnarok placed its story in the hands of Taika Waititi, a comedian with a distinctively deadpan sensibility, and introduced indie-style emotional improv to the superhero world. Avengers: Infinity War let the heroes lose, and lose big — even killing off many of the series’ flagship characters at the end. But nothing so far has broken the Marvel formula quite like Avengers: Endgame, which follows Infinity War by diving deep into the previous film’s feeling of emotional loss and helplessness, exploring it at length, and then expanding into something that isn’t so much a Marvel story as a series of calculated payoffs for a decade of Marvel stories. Hero movies have a longstanding bad habit of faking a character’s tragic death for a few seconds of pathos, then immediately taking it back — and Marvel’s parent company, Disney, has a particularly bad track record with this trope, going all the way back to 1937. Avengers: Endgame puts the brakes on that by finally taking its own sweet time in exploring how heroes might deal with grief, loss, survivors’ guilt, and the pervasive feeling of failure. The crowded cast means that no one character gets much time to fully examine their feelings, but directors Anthony and Joe Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely make it clear that they’re all thinking about individual people who died in Infinity War, and how to navigate a future without them. Endgame spends so much time on these thoughts that it winds up turning into an extended superhero take on Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta’s excellently weird HBO series The Leftovers, about survivors navigating the wake of a mass worldwide disappearance. Endgame’s tone is mostly deeply somber — even when the protagonists formulate a plan and start taking steps, they’re grim and angry. The most purely comic-relief characters barely get out a few dark, barbed chuckle lines along the way, and many of the action scenes are brief and abortive. On top of that, the narrative ends up splitting to put a wide selection of characters in different places, chasing goals in ways that don’t always convey urgency. At times, Endgame feels like Inception, with the mind-bending sense of a dozen equally important things happening all at once, but without the sense of unity or a cohesive, well-modulated buildup. Endgame gives its characters a lot of downtime to consider the ramifications of their moves, or to explore personal sidetracks that drop the momentum off to nothing. All of which leaves Endgame feeling like an odd mess of a movie. If a film with this exact structure and pacing (and 181-minute run time) was made with original characters, critics would eviscerate it as self-indulgent, sloppy, and incoherent. Viewers would probably meet it with the kind of cult love and mass indifference that greeted similarly ambitious, effects-packed, narratively sprawling projects like Jupiter Ascending or Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. But these aren’t original characters. They’re beloved heroes who’ve been built up in the public eye for so long that anytime they cover new emotional ground, it can feel more significant than whatever the latest magical McGuffin or fight for the future of the universe might elicit. Generally, when a superhero glowers and grimaces and can’t express any emotion but fear and anger, it feels frustratingly familiar. But when endlessly striving Captain America (Chris Evans) or smart-mouthing Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) or swaggering god of thunder Thor (Chris Hemsworth) are reduced to that state, it feels like the world really has shifted in a meaningful way. And Endgame’s filmmakers pack their story with payoffs for the longest-term fans, reminding them how well they know these characters’ existing emotional arcs and deep-seated insecurities, and drawing those ideas out at length. Tony Stark’s constant war between arrogance and his heavy sense of responsibility, Thor’s buried insecurities, Steve Rogers’ deep-down ache for everything he lost when he was jolted out of his own time — they all get some screen time, ramped up to new heights by the latest crisis. Inevitably, not everyone gets an examination worth having, or a storyline that lives up to the 10-year buildup. Sidekick characters like Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) get plenty of screentime without doing anything new. Primary characters like Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) are key to the action in ways that become actively frustrating as they don’t develop past their familiar baselines. And the most-changed character, Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), goes through yet another significant evolution in his Hulk history, without ever contending with what the latest changes mean in this story, or could mean in future stories. And yet. The shadow of Infinity War is a stark, dark one, and Endgame only has one real job: to move the MCU forward past Infinity War’s climactic horror. Every moment of Endgame feels like it was made with that in mind — to convey the audience past the shock and into grief, anger, hope, and tremendous excitement. It was made for the kind of fans that will collectively gasp in shock at every significant twist (and there are a few huge ones), then cheer in relief at every climactic blow for the future integrity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With that in mind, Endgame doesn’t just play as a wild tangle of interacting plotlines and self-indulgent personal rabbit holes for these characters. It plays as an endless series of payoffs, in some cases for long arcs — like Tony Stark’s standoffish, dismissive relationship with Spider-Man (Tom Holland), whom he starts the film mourning in a passionate, personal way — and in other cases, for the tiniest of passing jokes from other MCU movies. The entire film is constructed of callbacks, references, reminders, and reminiscences. It’s full of catharsis for its characters and its audience, sometimes through immense battles, sometimes through elaborate low-key conversations between characters, and sometimes through tiny, abrupt moments. It feels like an anniversary project, a look back through the ol’ MCU scrapbook, and a big collective group hug after Infinity War. Endgame was never designed to stand on its own as a single well-crafted movie, and it was never designed to follow the MCU formula. It was designed to cap a decade of buildup around a single gigantic story. (Even if Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has confirmed that Endgame isn’t the final film in this arc — the upcoming Spider-Man: Far from Home is.) In that sense, it’s certainly a triumph: it’s ambitious, towering, and above all, daring in its difference. Much like Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it will inevitably anger some viewers, who won’t get the specific payoffs they wanted.<doc-sep>The superhero blockbuster revels in nostalgia, delights in special effects and continues to surpass expectations It’s been 11 years since Iron Man (2008) kickstarted the cinematic Marvel universe, followed by another 20 superhero films. Each has been underscored with the same brand of cocky superhero humour boasting larger-than-life special effects and eye-widening fight scenes. Once in a while, a comedy maverick like Taika Waititi has shaken things up (Thor: Ragnarok) or Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) has introduced us to the power of a proud black superhero. It wasn’t obvious initially, but the cross-pollination of characters across the 20-something films served a much larger and ingenious purpose than merely whetting pop cultural fans’ appetites. Avengers: Endgame is the spectacular culmination of all those factors. Avengers: Endgame Directors: Anthony and Joe Russo Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Bradley Cooper, Josh Brolin Storyline: In the aftermath of Thanos’ snap that wiped out half of all species, the Avengers work together to right all the wrongs in the world Never has a film franchise been able to capture the collective attention of audiences across the globe and consistently surpass expectations for so long. Though expectations for Endgame were sky-high, there was never any fear of failure. The final instalment of the third phase is a beautifully befitting farewell to much loved characters. In fact, the closure has been so definitive, it has evoked a mixed-bag of emotions: sadness for the end, a sense of fulfilment for what’s happened to the characters, and the joy of having been a part of something so great. To talk about Endgame’s plot is a major spoiler. The film picks up three weeks after the Thanos (Josh Brolin) snap that wiped out half the world’s population, everyone struggling to move on. Joe Russo hilariously appears as a dating support group participant. And five years later, the Avengers find a wildly complicated way to procure the Infinity stones that fuelled Thanos’ murder spree. In spite of an elaborate and often convoluted premise along with several convenient twists that further exacerbate their missions, the unlikely partnered-up superheroes persist. It’s especially when the odds are stacked against the heroes, that the Russo-brothers director duo know just when to deliver the punches. The result is an incredible adrenaline-spiking final fight sequence, with everyone good against everything bad. That’s not to say that three-hour-long film just chugs along until the ultimate brawl comes along. The camaraderie, emotional emphasis and individual arcs are testament to the care and consideration for each character. And the attention to detail is mind-blowing: when the Russos said IMAX is the format for the films, they weren’t exaggerating. There’s no other way to enjoy Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) lightening, Iron Man’s (Robert Downey Jr) lasers or Captain Marvel’s (Brie Larson) lit-up heroism. Though it’s unlikely there are any, but even the uninitiated will appreciate Endgame. A hard-core fan, though, will most likely be overwhelmed with the constant onslaught of nostalgia. The Russos go back in time to aid audiences in moving forward from the Avengers. It’s especially heightened in the presence of supporting characters — some CGI-effected to reverse time. From the get go, Endgame makes a revisit to phases one, two and three imperative thereby quite deliberately stretching the impact of this final chapter. Even in the conspicuous absence of end credit scene, a singular sonic moment harking back to the first Iron Man film drives that final sentimental nail in the coffin of our Marvel dreams. The series may be over but the Avengers’ magic will live on.<doc-sep>The wait is over, you can finally see this adorable panda cub (CNN) — Having set up a formidable task and then some with the finish of “Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame” rises to the challenge, delivering an epic finale that proves immensely satisfying. Without being too grandiose, it also feels like the culmination of everything Marvel has built in conquering the pop-culture universe. “Endgame” is a massive undertaking in more ways than one, in part because “Infinity War” essentially constructed a giant jigsaw puzzle, then left it unfinished. Running just over three hours (in a manner that mildly tests patience in the first hour, and bladders in the third), the sequel has more on its mind than just completing that story. Somehow, the film manages to set up Marvel’s future while nostalgically embracing its past, bringing a sense of cohesion to the decade-plus roster of movies that have led (remarkably, if you think back to “Iron Man” in 2008) up to this point. ’Avengers: Endgame’ and ‘Game of Thrones’ highlight peak-geek culture Give considerable credit to brother team Anthony and Joe Russo, who, coupled with their two “Captain America” movies and now this two-part epic, have directed roughly 10 hours of the most robust action that Marvel has conjured. They have done so, moreover, with as much attention to character in the screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely as the pyrotechnics and heroic crowd-pleasing moments, although rest assured, there are plenty of both before “Endgame,” well, ends. The plot, without giving anything away, obviously involves seeking to somehow undo the carnage that Thanos (Josh Brolin) has wrought, with the universe (and not incidentally, a whole bunch of lucrative sequels featuring disappeared heroes) hanging in the balance. The particulars of that get a bit tricky, not unexpectedly, but in a way that makes enough sense to support what follows. The exposition and set up does yield a somewhat labored stretch in the early going, but once the plan begins, it’s essentially a full-throttle ride thereafter. Marvel Studios 'Avengers: Endgame' The overall journey not only produces several genuine surprises – no small feat in this context – but plenty of humor, with an assortment of lighter moments to augment the stirring and, yes, emotional ones. The film also benefits, in some respects, from the casualties in “Infinity War,” creating a more tightly focused story. Not incidentally, those grappling with what to do next include the core members of the original “Avengers” movie: Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), only a small reminder of the assiduous work done since then. Even with the interlocking nature of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Endgame” feels like a triumph of narrative engineering – weaving in enough callbacks to earlier movies to delight even the nerdiest patrons. The tone also underscores the extent to which the studio has preserved the comics’ spirit, while translating them to the screen in a manner unimaginable when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created them. It’s a given that “Endgame” will be an enormous financial windfall to Marvel and its parent Disney, laying waste to box-office records with the kind of efficiency that Thanos would likely appreciate. To Marvel’s credit, though, the filmmakers have sought to reward movie-goers with a spectacle that’s epic in every way. And if an unavoidable part of the “Endgame” story is how much loot the movie amasses, it’s because the studio has brought all of its considerable resources to bear to give the audience its money’s worth. “Avengers: Endgame” officially premieres April 26 in the US. It’s rated PG-13.<doc-sep>

Rating: Director duo: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, and Josh Brolin. (No Spoilers) Superhero fatigue is a problem that many people think is starting to settle in. Are people sick of these films? Well, not if you're in the Marvel family it seems. Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame is undoubtedly the most anticipated film of recent years. After all, the multi-starrer superhero actioner is the final film to the Infinity saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). There's always a fear of disappointment when the expectations are as high as this. But Endgame gives fans everything they could hope for...and maybe more. This film is, above all, a great homage to over a decade long journey of the MCU. The film begins right after the shocking events of Infinity War. After supervillain Thanos (Josh Brolin) snapped half of life out of existence, the surviving Avengers - Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Captain Marvel, Ant-Man, Hawkeye and others - move toward the Endgame to claim back what they have lost. Will they succeed? A still from the film. (Image Source: YouTube screengrab) Director-duo Anthony and Joe Russo, once again, prove their prowess in making wonderful superhero films. They do an excellent job of connecting large-scale action to smaller, more emotional moments. The film starts off slowly but nicely, building the scenes for the main event. Despite the huge ensemble cast and the expensive special effects, the film is a human-sized affair. Not only are all of the characters nicely well rounded, but the direction and script are fantastic as well. It puts a large amount of the cast into a more personal story of loss, paranoia, and the definition of what should be justified and what it means to avenge. The film is not only confident but thought-provoking where the makers being aware of the influence of these characters over the decades, crafts into the storytelling wisely; one of the primary reason why Zack Snyder's Dawn Of Justice failed to communicate with its momentum. Endgame is a superhero drama that really understands that compelling characters and strong emotions are both far more important than spectacle. Endgame is one of the best films to come out of Marvel Studios. Josh Brolin as Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. (Image Source: YouTube) The visuals are the most stunning and you would be hungry for more as the film continues on. The final battle is spectacular. Endgame boasts yet another crowded cast and the directors balance the enormous amount of characters deftly and spend fair amount of time to focus on our superheroes' undying spirit in the most emotional Marvel film yet. Both Iron Man and Captain America are fleshed out much more than they have been before, despite how long the two have been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All the actors deliver great performances and great chemistry and you get what you expect from their characters. With so many characters and superheroes, each one of them gets a chance to shine. You will be particularly happy with the appearance of Antman and Thor! Despite a few heartwarming jokes and banter, the film never shifts from it's serious tone. All the actors hold strong emotional moments that will undoubtedly leave you teary-eyed and heartbroken. Avengers: Endgame is an outstanding Russo Bros. adaptation that works on many levels. The film is an incredible feat considering the fact it closes out the 10 plus years of MCU and opens up nicely new ways for future MCU films to come. Not flawless, to be sure, but it certainly has heart. The film will leave you laughing and will leave you surprised by the twists and turns. It will possibly leave you gasping shocked or screaming, and the ending will leave you emotionally overwhelmed, but in the end you will be awestruck. It is satisfying in all ways. A definite good-time at the movies. Watch 'Avengers: Endgame' trailer here:

Making a Murderer fans asked and Netflix answered. The wildly popular docuseries will return with 10 new episodes on October 19. Netflix released an animated clip containing the show’s release date and audio from the series. In it, a male voice can be heard saying: ‘When you’re fighting for your innocence and you need to prove that, it takes time.’ Viewers will get to take another look into Brendan Dassey and Steven Avery's lives post-conviction in Making a Murderer Part two Steven Avery, Brendan Dassey, their family and their respective legal teams will appear in Making a Murderer Part two on Netflix this October According to The Hollywood Reporter, in the second installment of Making a Murderer, filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos will travel back to Wisconsin to catch up with Steven Avery, co-defendant and nephew Brendan Dassey, their family and the legal teams working on their case post-conviction. In a joint statement about the upcoming season, Laura and Moira said: ‘Steven and Brendan, their families and their legal and investigative teams have once again graciously granted us access, giving us a window into the complex web of American criminal justice. ‘Building on Part 1, which documented the experience of the accused, in Part 2, we have chronicled the experience of the convicted and imprisoned, two men each serving life sentences for crimes they maintain they did not commit. We are thrilled to be able to share this new phase of the journey with viewers.’ The case isn't over. Making a Murderer Part 2. October 19. https://t.co/lsh3cpubpx — Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) September 25, 2018 Kathleen Zellner, Steven’s post-conviction lawyer, and Laura Nirider and Steven Drizin, Brendan’s post-conviction lawyers, will be introduced to viewers when Making a Murderer returns to Netflix. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know about Making a Murderer before part two premieres. When does Making a Murderer Part two premiere? Making a Murderer will be available for streaming on Netflix on October 19. Making a Murderer Season two trailer Prior to the official release of the season two trailer, Netflix released a short animated clip with audio from the upcoming season and the premiere date. It’s been viewed more than 400,000 times. The Making a Murderer: Part Two trailer was officially uploaded to YouTube on October 9 and has already amassed more than 7,000 views. What is Making a Murderer about? Making a Murderer is a documentary series that focuses on the arrest, prosecution and conviction of Steven Avery and his nephew, Brendan Dassey. Steven spent nearly two decades behind bars for the sexual assault and attempted murder of Penny Beerntsen. He was exonerated in 2003 only to be arrested again two years later for murdering Teresa Halbach. In 2007 he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Brendan, who has learning disabilities and at the time (aged 16) had a mental age of nine, was also charged in the murder after confessing to the crime under interrogation from police with no lawyer present. What was the content of those messages? Who deleted them? #MakingAMurderer pic.twitter.com/3sYa0yQ13l — Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) September 21, 2016 Brendan Dassey released from jail Brendan Dassey’s conviction was overturned in August 2016 after a federal judge ruled that he was unconstitutionally coerced into confessing to Teresa’s murder. In November of that year, Federal Judge William Duffin ordered that he be released within 90 days if Wisconsin prosecutors did not move forward with a retrial. In a matter of days, the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit blocked Brendan’s release while the appeal was being heard. The following month, seven Seventh Circuit judges ruled in favor of upholding the original conviction on Brendan’s case, stating that they felt police properly obtained the confession. The US Supreme Court rejected a motion to hear arguments in favour of overturning the Appeals Court ruling to reinstate the conviction. Brendan is being held in Columbia Correctional Institution. He’s serving a life sentence. It's taken a decade for courts to rule Brendan Dassey's confession involuntary. #MakingAMurderer pic.twitter.com/CH4q9Jbjxa — Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) September 14, 2016 Is Steven Avery still in jail? Steven Avery is still in jail following his 2007 conviction. He’s been sentenced to life in prison for murdering Teresa Halbach. His lawyer, Kathleen Zellner, filed an appeal against his conviction in 2016, alleging that his right to due process had been violated, according to The Express. According to NBC, in June 2018 the state of Wisconsin objected a request to have a new judge assigned to consider Steven’s case. He’s being held in Waupun Correctional Institution.<doc-sep>Netflix have revealed that the second chapter of their hit true crime documentary series Making a Murderer will be available globally on the streaming service from October 19. It's been almost three years since the first series launched, with countless similar true crime documentaries following in its wake hoping to capture some of the public appetite whipped up by the murder conviction of Steve Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey. Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos return to Wisconsin to pick up the story of the two men who, they believe, were wrongfully convicted. The first series was filmed across 10 years, following Avery's conviction for the rape and attempted murder of a woman named Penny Beerntsen in 1985. Avery spent 18 years in jail before being exonerated in 2003 on the basis of new DNA evidence. In 2005, both Avery and Dassey were charged with another murder, following the disappearance of photographer Teresa Halbach. Avery was found guilty of first-degree murder, while Dassey was convicted as an accessory to the crime. Avery maintains that he was wrongly convicted, and has petitioned for a retrial, but his appeal was rejected in 2011.<doc-sep>"Once somebody’s convicted, they have to move mountains to get out of prison." Along with NPR's hit podcast, Serial, Netflix's first season of Making a Murderer was responsible for a kind of true crime renaissance. It went from a genre full of covert devotees afraid of seeming creepy to a staple of casual conversations. Making a Murderer is still sparking those conversations and it's easy to see why. The story of Steven Avery—once wrongly convicted of murder only to be convicted again—is engrossing and unsettling. And it's far from over, so a new series begins streaming in October. ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website The series will be made up of 10 episodes examining continuing efforts to clear the names of Avery and his convicted accomplice and nephew, Brendan Dassey. While the trailer is brief, it takes fans right back to the heavy and often wrenching feel of the first season, embodied in the hashmarks indicating days in prison widening out to Avery's mugshot. ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website Over the footage we hear a woman saying that "Once somebody’s convicted, they have to move mountains to get out of prison." For this second look at Avery's ongoing efforts to gain his freedom, Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos once again headed to Wisconsin, where they followed Avery's and Dassey's families and the attorneys working his case. Many do believe Steven Avery is guilty as charged. The popularity of Season One even prompted production of Convicting a Murderer—a series involving prosecutors, police, and victim Teresa Halbach's friends and family. While Avery's lawyers in the first season attained a measure of celebrity, they're no longer on board. His new attorney is Kathleen Zellner, who specializes in overturning wrongful convictions. Viewers will follow Zellner's efforts to find the truth that might set her client free. Season Two of Making a Murderer begins streaming October 19.<doc-sep>

Netflix announced on Tuesday that "Making a Murderer" Part 2 will premiere October 19. The new season will be "over 10 episodes," and follow Kathleen Zellner, the postconviction lawyer for Steven Avery, the subject of the popular first season. More "Making a Murderer" is coming in less than a month. Netflix announced on Tuesday that part two of the hit documentary true-crime series will premiere on the streaming service on October 19, and released a teaser for the new season. You can watch the teaser below: Netflix also released story details for part two. The new season will be "over 10 episodes" and introduce viewers to Kathleen Zellner, the post-conviction lawyer for the subject of the first season, Steven Avery, "in her fight to prove that Avery was wrongly convicted and win his freedom." Netflix's "Making a Murderer" premiered in 2015 and captured viewers' attention with its real-life story of Avery, who served nearly two decades in prison after being wrongfully convicted of sexual assault and attempted murder. He was released in 2003 and exonerated, only to be convicted for the murder of Teresa Halbach in a different case two years later. Brenden Dassey, Avery's nephew, was also arrested and convicted in relation to that case. Since the release of "Making a Murderer" season one, a judge ruled in 2016 that Dassey's confession was coerced. Despite an order from the judge that he be released, Dassey remained behind bars due to an appeal from the Wisconsin Justice Department. In 2017, a panel voted to uphold Dassey's original conviction. Avery was also sentenced to life in prison. In 2017, the Wisconsin Circuit Court denied Zellner's appeal for a new trial for Avery.

Philippe Wojazer, AFP | A picture taken on July 14, 2018 shows French President Emmanuel Macron (R) walking ahead of then top security aide Alexandre Benalla at the end of the Bastille Day military parade in Paris. Since news surfaced that a top security aide to French President Emmanuel Macron was filmed assaulting protesters on May Day, it has dominated France's headlines in the most damaging crisis yet for Macron. FRANCE 24 takes a look back. Advertising Read more May 1: Violence mars the traditional May Day labour union rallies in Paris. Alexandre Benalla, a top security aide to President Emmanuel Macron, spends his day off tagging along with law enforcement to observe their operations. Footage posted to Twitter at 8:17pm shows Benalla, wearing a police armband, manhandling a woman and striking a man protesting on the Left Bank’s Place de la Contrescarpe. But the 26-year-old Benalla, his face partially obscured by a protective police helmet with visor, will not be identified publicly until July 18, when Le Monde breaks the story. May 2: Behind the scenes, the incident is a hot topic. Paris’s police chief learns of the video in the morning from an Élysée Palace staffer and Interior Minister Gérard Collomb learns of it after lunch, they will later say. Video grab taken on July 19, 2018, from footage filmed on May 1, 2018, shows a man identified as Élysée Chief Security Officer Alexandre Benalla wearing a police visor as he drags away a demonstrator during May 1 protests in Paris. Taha Bouhafs/AFP May 3: Patrick Strzoda, Macron’s chief of staff, addresses a formal letter to Benalla notifying the aide that he will be suspended for 15 days, from May 4 to May 19, for his “manifestly inappropriate behaviour” on May 1. “Your behaviour causes harm to the exemplary character expected, in all circumstances, of agents of the French presidency,” Strzoda writes, adding a warning that a subsequent lapse in exemplary behaviour would result in Benalla's termination. Headline news July 18: Le Monde identifies Benalla as the helmeted man in the May Day video assaulting two protesters. The newspaper also publishes comment from Macron Chief of Staff Strzoda confirming he had been informed, that he had immediately informed Macron who was travelling in Australia at the time, and that Benalla’s punishment included a 15-day suspension without pay and a demotion to an administrative role. Le Monde notes that Benalla remains a chargé de mission to the president and, although relegated to an administrative role handling security for events inside the Élysée Palace, worked to secure the July 14 Bastille Day parade and France’s July 16 World Cup victory parade, both held nearby on the Champs-Élysées. July 19: Élysée spokesman Bruno Roger-Petit in a taped statement calls the punishment “the most serious sanction ever pronounced against a chargé de mission working at the Élysée”. The remark about Benalla’s punishment is roundly mocked, given that past Élysée staffers have been sacked for faux pas when Benalla, controversially, had not. Élysée Chief Security Officer Alexandre Benalla is seen in the driver cabin (front L) of the bus carrying France’s World Cup winning football players as they arrive on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on July 16, 2018. Bertrand Guay, AFP Roger-Petit also says another man shown alongside Benalla in the video, Vincent Crase, an employee of Macron’s La République en Marche party, was notified that he would no longer collaborate in any way with the president. Refusing to answer reporters’ questions on the growing Benalla scandal himself, Macron addresses the affair in a single phrase. On a visit to Périgueux – where the French president is inaugurating an updated portrait of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic that graces France’s postage stamps -- Macron is asked whether the Benalla affair had sullied the Republic. He replies: “No, no, no, the Republic is unshakeable.” Also on July 19, the Paris public prosecutor’s office opens a preliminary inquiry into the May Day incident. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Collomb refers the case to the Inspection générale de la police nationale (IGPN), the disciplinary body that looks into police wrongdoing, in a bid to determine how Benalla and Crase wound up in the field alongside law enforcement on May Day. Three Paris police prefecture staffers are suspended for having passed along videosurveillance footage of the May 1 incident to Benalla. The lower-house National Assembly’s Law Commission calls a month-long commission of inquiry to shed light on the events of May 1. On June 17, 2017 Emmanuel Macron (C) rides a bicycle in the streets of Le Touquet, northern France, accompanied by Élysée senior security officer Alexandre Benalla (L). Christophe Archambault, AFP Fired and detained July 20: The Élysée Palace announces it will fire Benalla, saying the decision is based on new information. “In order to prove his innocence, Monsieur Benalla is said to have received a document from the police prefecture that he was not authorised to have in his possession,” it says, in apparent reference to the videosurveillance footage that saw the three police officers suspended. Minutes after the Élysée’s announcement, news breaks that Benalla has been taken into police custody for questioning. Vincent Crase is also detained. The Senate’s Law Commission calls a six-month commission of inquiry into the May Day incident. Changes of plans July 21: The three suspended police officers are also taken into custody for questioning. Benalla’s apartment in Issy-les-Moulineaux, a Paris suburb, is searched by police. Still detained by police, the disgraced aide reportedly has to cancel his wedding, planned for Saturday, July 21. An evening session of the National Assembly debating the government’s controversial constitutional reform bill is cancelled after heated arguments break out over news that Benalla had a badge giving him access to the chamber. July 22: Benalla, Crase and the three suspended police officers are placed under formal investigation. The Paris prosecutor’s office says Benalla will be investigated on counts of group violence, interference in public service, the illegal wearing of a police badge and complicity in the unauthorised use of surveillance footage. Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet announces that constitutional reform debate will be suspended, to be taken up again “at a later time in more serene conditions”. (It is ultimately postponed until September, at the earliest.) Macron meets with his prime minister, interior minister, government spokesman and state secretary for parliament over the Benalla affair. Through an intermediary, the president condemns Benalla’s “shocking and unacceptable behaviour”, says there had been a series of dysfunctions at the Élysée since May 1 and charges the presidency’s secretary general, Alexis Kohler, with working on an internal restructuring “so that it cannot happen again”. In the hot seat July 23: Hearings begin in the National Assembly’s inquiry into the Benalla affair with lawmakers questioning Interior Minister Collomb and, later, Paris Police Chief Michel Delpuech. Neither man had known beforehand that Benalla would shadow officers on May Day, they each tell a packed committee room. Both trusted the Élysée to take appropriate measures to sanction Benalla, they tell the inquiring lawmakers. France's Interior Minister Gérard Collomb poses for the press as he arrives to appear before the Law Commission of the lower house of parliament on July 23, 2018, in Paris. François Guillot, AFP July 24: Prime Minister Édouard Philippe defends the Élysée’s handling of the May Day incident, telling lawmakers on the floor of the National Assembly, “Nothing was covered up, nothing was omitted.” While accepting there may be questions as to the “proportionality” of the punishment handed down for Benalla, Philippe says the “swiftness” of the response is “not contestable”. Chief of Staff Patrick Strzoda acknowledges he imposed Benalla's suspension as well as a "demotion" that involved stripping him of responsibility for some elements of the president's security. He says that since no complaint was filed against Benalla, and that an analysis by the national police oversight body had not flagged any irregularities, he did not see any need to inform prosecutors. The first poll released since the scandal broke shows favourable opinions of Macron down four points since June to 32 percent, despite France’s intervening feel-good World Cup win.<doc-sep>Its impact - some are even calling it France's Watergate - seems overblown, perhaps inflated by a dearth of news ahead of the summer break, but Mr Macron's apparent anger at being targeted like this says as much about his style of leadership as the media itself.<doc-sep>Members of the French Parliament demanded answers Monday after a senior security aide to President Emmanuel Macron was indicted on charges of engaging in “gang violence” and impersonating a police officer. In what has become the biggest scandal to rock Macron’s 14-month-old administration, Alexandre Benalla was recorded on camera violently attacking a young man and a woman at a Workers’ Day demonstration as protesters clashed with riot police on May 1. He has since been fired. Macron, who knew of the alleged criminal assaults less than 24 hours after they happened, is now under growing pressure to explain why his office failed to report them to the public prosecutor’s office. The president’s office had claimed Benalla — who was wearing a police-issue helmet, visor and a police armband and was carrying a police-frequency radio — was authorized to join the operation as an “observer.” Police officials have denied this. Advertisement Benalla, 26, appeared before a judge on Sunday afternoon along with Vincent Crase, a member of Macron’s governing La Republique en Marche (the Republic on the Move) party, also charged with violence against protesters. Three senior police officers were indicted at the same time on charges of having illegally handed over video of the attacks to Benalla. Macron has made no public statement about the increasingly damaging scandal. After a crisis dinner at the Elysee Palace on Sunday, an unidentified advisor told French journalists that the president considered Benalla’s behavior “shocking and unacceptable.” On Monday, two senior officials, Interior Minister Gerard Collomb and Paris Police Chief Michel Delpuech, gave evidence at a hastily called inquiry at the National Assembly. President of the Laws Commission Yael Braun-Pivet waits for the arrival of French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb for a hearing about presidential security aide Alexandre Benalla at the National Assembly in Paris on July 23, 2018. (Francois Mori / Associated Press) Lawmakers want to know, among other things, why Benalla was suspended for two weeks, then allowed to return to his post, retaining job perks that included a luxury flat in central Paris. He was fired only after questioning by police in the aftermath of the publication Wednesday, by Le Monde news site, of video of the assaults. That was the first the public knew of the scandal. During more than two hours of quizzing by members of Parliament, Collomb said that he understood Benalla’s presence at the demonstrations as an “observer” was legitimate but that his violent behavior was “unacceptable.” He told the hearing he had no idea how Benalla obtained a police armband and radio. Both Collomb and Delpuech admitted knowing about Benalla’s attack for more than two months, but passed the buck back to the president’s office, saying as Benalla’s employer, the Elysee was responsible for reporting his actions to the prosecutor’s office. Asked why his officers had handed over video recordings of the assaults to Benalla, Delpuech suggested there were “unhealthy friendships” between the officers and Benalla. Advertisement Delpuech contradicted the Elysee spokesman and Collomb, insisting he had not given any authorization for Benalla to attend the protests and was “astonished” to discover he was present. Alain Gibelin, director of public order at the Paris police prefecture, also testified that Benalla had no official authorization to be with police at the protest. “The rules are simple: Only the police prefect can give an authorization. I repeat in a precise and formal manner: Mr. Benalla had no authorization whatsoever from the prefect of police to be present at this demonstration,” Gibelin said. He said he later discovered a subordinate officer had given Benalla a police helmet and visor; he said he had no idea how Benalla had obtained the armband and radio. He said those questions were the subject of a police disciplinary investigation. Three further investigations are underway: a criminal investigation overseen by a judge and separate parliamentary investigations in the National Assembly and Senate. Willsher is a special correspondent.<doc-sep>

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has ordered a shake-up of his office after acknowledging failings in the way the presidency handled a scandal over his top bodyguard who was filmed beating a protester on May Day, a source close to the Élysée has said. The bodyguard, Alexandre Benalla, was placed under investigation on Sunday for allegedly assaulting protestors at a May Day demonstration in a case that has sparked a political storm and brought the sharpest criticism Macron has faced since taking power 14 months ago. Benalla appeared before a magistrate along with a member of Macron’s centrist La République en Marche (LREM) party. Both men were mis-en-examen, the equivalent of being indicted, for “gang violence” after the assaults on demonstrators. Three high-ranking police officers who allegedly gave Benalla video surveillance footage of the incidents also appeared before the judge. They were indicted for misappropriation of the images and violating professional secrecy. The Élysée Palace, where Benalla worked as one of Macron’s inner circle as his security aide, has so far made no comment about the affair. Presidential aides said Benalla had been punished with a two-week suspension from his post in May but photos have emerged of him continuing to accompany the president on official visits. Le Monde also claimed that after he was suspended Benalla was given the use of a luxurious grace-and-favour apartment near the Seine in central Paris reserved for Élysée workers, and provided with a car and chauffeur. As the scandal gathered pace, Benalla, 26, was sacked on Friday and taken into police custody. He was due to marry his fiancee, Myriam, at 11am on Saturday at the town hall of Issy-les-Moulineaux, a south-western suburb of Paris, but was forced to cancel the wedding. About 50 guests had been invited to a reception lunch at a restaurant in the chic 16th arrondissement of the French capital. Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were not attending but several of the presidential team were expected. Instead, the groom faced questioning by police while other officers searched his home. According to Reuters, Macron met several members of his government on Sunday to discuss the case, a source said. “The president said the behaviour of Alexandre Benalla on May Day was unacceptable, shocking and that he could not allow the idea that someone in his entourage can be above the law,” the source said. Macron asked the secretary-general of the presidency, Alexis Kohler, to work on a reorganisation of his private office to prevent a similar event happening again, the source added. The scandal broke last Wednesday when a video emerged of Benalla hitting a demonstrator during the 1 May protest. He was wearing a riot police helmet with visor and a police armband but no uniform. Benalla, described as one of Macron’s confidants, was reportedly attending the march as an observer with another security officer, Vincent Crase, who works for Macron’s party. Benalla is seen on the video threatening, hitting and stamping on a young man who can be heard begging him to stop. Riot police had already hauled the young protester from the crowd and surrounded him when Benalla is seen rushing over to attack the man while police look on. Benalla then walked away. Crase, who was also wearing a police armband, is seen dragging and threatening a man. After publishing the first video of the incident last Wednesday, Le Monde newspaper posted a second video showing Benalla violently wrestling a young woman to the ground during scuffles with protesters. Two victims of the attacks have been identified and will be called to give evidence to the investigating judge. Benalla has also been charged with impersonating a police officer as well as complicity in the unauthorised use of surveillance footage. Public and political outrage has been fuelled by footage showing nearby riot police officers appearing to watch Benalla and Crase carry out the violence without intervening. The mounting scandal, including allegations of an attempted cover-up, is the biggest challenge to Macron since he took power 14 months ago. The interior minister, Gérard Collomb, is facing calls to resign after claims he knew of the violence but said nothing. He has since “severely condemned” the police officers’ behaviour and will appear before parliament on Monday to answer MPs’ questions about the affair. Some MPs have warned they will demand his resignation if he knew about the incident but kept it quiet.

"I love my wife but I can’t let her take away my life!" Dan Gasby wrote on Facebook. B. Smith’s husband is not backing down against people who have criticized his decision to date another woman while caring for his sick wife. Dan Gasby, 64—who has been the restaurateur and lifestyle guru’s primary caretaker since she was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease six years ago—opened up about his unconventional relationship with girlfriend Alex Lerner, 53, in a profile published in the Washington Post on Monday. Get push notifications with news, features and more. “If This Is Us and Modern Family came together, it would be us,” he told the Post of his family’s dynamic, which involves the trio living together in the couple’s East Hampton home when Lerner is visiting from Manhattan. Gasby has been the subject of criticism since he first went public with Lerner in December, but since the new profile came out, the critics have been especially vocal. Commenters on Facebook and Twitter have called their relationship “shameful” and suggest his choices qualify as cheating on Smith, 69. Gasby seemingly addressed specific bloggers and writers—some of which he feels are “spewing racist innuendo” because he is dating a white woman—who spoke out against him with a post on Facebook shortly after the Post article went live. https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBSmithstyle%20%2Fposts%2F10156753782096287&width=500 “To the idiots and ignorant people calling for my arrest and saying B is or has ever been abused I only wish someone in your immediate family has Alzheimer’s so you can see feel and experience the pain of millions of people across this country so you can know first hand what it’s like to care 24/7/365 for someone who can no longer care for themselves!” he wrote. B. Smith and her family grapple with Alzheimer's. Alex Lerner, B. Smith and Dan Gasby | Credit: Karsten Moran for The Washington Post via Getty Images He continued by asking the critics to consider what they would do if they were in a similar situation. “5-10 years from now when many of you who will have an almost predestined meeting with Alzheimer’s because of genetics, obesity, and a myriad of inflammatory diseases,” he wrote, “you’ll be wishing for someone to share moments with and ease the pain of loneliness and despair.” “I love my wife but I can’t let her take away my life!” he continued. RELATED: Family Fights to Save 6 Year Old with Childhood Alzheimer’s: ‘He’s the Light of My Life,’ Says Mom Some followers—many whom also care or have cared for a loved one with Alzheimer’s—have come to Gasby’s defense. “There are no right or wrongs to how a couple wishes to live in their love,” one commenter wrote on Facebook. “Anyone who steps outside of those restricting boundaries are seen as odd. The bottom line is everyone is happy. No one is hiding and everyone is getting along. I respect anyone who lives boldly.” B. Smith and her family grapple with Alzheimer's. Alex Lerner and Dan Gasby | Credit: Karsten Moran for The Washington Post via Getty Images Lerner and Gasby first met in the summer of 2017 at a Hamptons bar, and struck up a conversation. Romance didn’t come at first. “We were friends,” Lerner, a divorced mother of three, told the Post, adding that she had socialized with Smith previously at charity events. “I didn’t want to go out with a married man.” But at a breakfast with Gasby and Smith one morning, Lerner realized, “This is not a man cheating on his wife.”<doc-sep>Dan Gasby has been right by the side of his wife, iconic model and restaurateur B. Smith, as she lives with the ravages of Alzheimer's disease after being diagnosed in 2013. However, Gasby's revelation last month that he is in a relationship with another woman while still caring for his 69-year-old ailing wife — whose full name is Barbara Smith — has led to criticism from some of her upset fans. Gasby, 64, revealed in a Facebook post in December that he is in a relationship with Alex Lerner, 53, sparking a negative response from those who see it as inappropriate while his wife battles Alzheimer's. "To steal the title from 50 Cent & The Game 'Hate it or Love it!'" he wrote next to a picture with Lerner. "You can debate, but for me I’m just feelin’ great! Life’s to short to ask for a rebate so I’m gonna surf thru life before it’s toooo late!!! #whylie" Gasby has faced criticism for his relationship with Lerner, mixed in with support. "You don’t bring your mistress in the house where your WIFE lives. She’s not dead," one Facebook commenter wrote. "Dan you stay strong,'' another wrote. "No one can live your life but you." Gasby fired back at the critics with a Facebook post on Monday in which he addressed the "idiots and ignorant people calling for my arrest and saying B is or has ever been abused." "I only wish someone in your immediate family has Alzheimer’s so you can see feel and experience the pain of millions of people across this country so you can know first hand what it’s like to care 24/7/365 for someone who can no longer care for themselves!" he wrote. "B. Smith’s worst day is 10x better than you’ve experienced. "I love my wife but I can’t let her take away my life!" Alex Lerner, left, and B. Smith share a moment in the East Hampton home where she is cared for by daughter, Dana Gasby, husband Dan Gasby, and Lerner. Getty Images Gasby has also been open about the challenges of caring for Smith. In 2015, she became disoriented and wandered through the streets of New York City for more than 17 hours before being located. She has also suffered from seizures and multiple falls. He wrote about the experience of having a loved one living with Alzheimer's disease in an emotional Facebook post on Dec. 30. "No matter how much you’ve learned or been exposed to Alzheimer’s and dementia when the person you’ve been married to for what is closing in on 3 decades calls you Daddy and it ain’t a term of endearment but the actual belief you are her father it shakes you to your very core,'' he wrote. Of the 16 million family caregivers in the U.S., almost 60 percent suffer from high emotional stress and 40 percent suffer from depression, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Smith does not recognize her husband, daughter or Lerner. She speaks in jumbled sentences that make little sense and takes up to 45 minutes to get dressed with the assistance of Gasby's daughter, Dana, 32, according to a profile by The Washington Post. Gasby and Smith, who have been married since 1992, spoke with TODAY in 2015 about their relationship as her symptoms continued to worsen. The two became business partners, as well as husband and wife, after initially meeting when he was the executive producer of the Essence Awards and she was a model and lifestyle expert. "I deal with it in a practical way," she said. "I know that I’ve got a problem. Sometimes it makes me teary. But because I have great support with my husband and my family, you know, I’m doing fine." Gasby has fired back at critics upset over his relationship with Lerner while he still cares for his wife. Getty Images Gasby and his daughter care for her in their home in East Hampton, New York, where there is a room for Lerner when she visits from her home in Manhattan. "If 'This Is Us,' and 'Modern Family' came together, it would be us," Gasby told The Washington Post. In the years following Smith's initial diagnosis, she and Gasby also worked to spread awareness about Alzheimer's disease. Smith taped a public service announcement with the Brain Health Registry, urging people to go to its website to take cognitive tests and maybe sign up for a clinical trial. They were hoping the message would especially reach African-Americans, who are twice as likely as whites to develop the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.<doc-sep>Years before, while compiling their wills, Dan Gasby says he and B. Smith had a frank discussion about their futures should either of them become incapacitated B. Smith's Husband Insists She Told Him 'to Go on with My Life' Before Her Alzheimer's Worsened When Dan Gasby announced to the world in December that he had found love while caring for his wife of 26 years, Barbara “B.” Smith, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, things got ugly. Friends of the former cover model—who went on to success as a restaurateur, author and lifestyle icon—cried foul after Gasby wrote on Facebook in December that he was dating Manhattan chef Alex Lerner, 53. Their critics on social media said Gasby was cheating on his wife, and that he and Lerner should be “ashamed.” Get push notifications with news, features and more. But the naysayers don’t know the whole story, the former TV producer, 64, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “They say I am disrespecting her,” says Gasby, who is his wife’s main caretaker along with his daughter Dana, 32. But, he explains: “B. told me to live, to go on, as I’ve told her.” b-smith-2 Dan Gasby, 64, caring for wife B. Smith, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, at their home in East Hampton, New York. | Credit: Andres Kudacki Years before, while compiling their wills, he says the couple had a frank discussion about their futures should either of them become incapacitated. “B. asked me to go on with my life,” he says. “Anyone who says B. didn’t do that doesn’t know B. We wanted each other to be happy.” B. Smith and her family grapple with Alzheimer's. Alex Lerner (left) with B. Smith in East Hampton. | Credit: Karsten Moran for The Washington Post via Getty Images Smith was officially diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2013, but had begun exhibiting classic signs of the disease, including mood swings and increasing bouts of forgetfulness, for several years before that, he says. Her frightening diagnosis came while she was still in the midst of building her empire. Over the years she opened three eponymous restaurants, penned three cookbooks, hosted the nationally syndicated show, B. Smith With Style, and was the first African American woman to grace the cover of Mademoiselle magazine and launch her own brand of home goods at Bed, Bath and Beyond. b-smith Credit: Andres Kudacki To read more on Gasby, Smith, and Lerner, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday. But as time wore on, Gasby watched as the woman who knew every detail of her businesses down to the letter slipped deeper and deeper into the throes of the disease, which left him depressed and feeling like his own life was slipping away. “What we would like people to know is that when somebody has Alzheimer’s, how devastating it is, how 24/7 it is, how draining it is,” he says. Saying no to putting Smith in a home, he and his daughter, Dana, 32, help feed her, bathe her, dress her (which can take up to 45 minutes, says Dana) and keep her safe, he says. Finding a partner in Lerner, with whom he hosts a radio show on 77WABC, has helped him cope with the overwhelming responsibilities of caring for Smith.<doc-sep>The View's Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin criticized B. Smith's husband for opening up about his new girlfriend B. Smith’s Step-Daughter Says Friends Like Whoopi Goldberg 'Know Nothing' About B. 's Alzheimer’s Dan Gasby is in love with his girlfriend—but he also loves his wife, Barbara “B.” Smith. Smith, 69, the 1970s cover model who became a successful restaurant owner, cookbook author and television personality, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2013. She suffered symptoms of the disease years before that and is now, as step-daughter and caregiver Dana Gasby, 32, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue, a “physically strong toddler who speaks in gibberish,” who sometimes needs to be forced to shower and use the toilet. Get push notifications with news, features and more. Dan, 64, his wife’s other caregiver (they have no outside help), says he struggled with loneliness and depression as Smith’s Alzheimer’s progressed. “I was tired. I was miserable,” he tells PEOPLE. “I could have put my wife in an institution, but I love her. It’s just a different type of love now.” After Dan went public with his relationship with Alex Lerner, 53, whom he credits with saving him emotionally—and who helps with Smith’s care—he’s received death threats. He’s also been accused by strangers on social media of betraying the vows of his 26-year marriage and his race. (Lerner, a vegan chef and radio host, is white.) b-smith-2 Dan Gasby and B. Smith | Credit: Andres Kudacki The View’s Whoopi Goldberg used her talk show to castigate Dan for allowing The Washington Post to take video of Smith in her current condition. “I didn’t want to see B look like that,” said Goldberg. “I didn’t need to see that.” And The View co-host Sunny Hostin, who said she is a friend of Smith’s and Dan’s, criticized Lerner for having her own bedroom in Smith’s East Hampton home, which Lerner visits on weekends. “I find it very disrespectful that he is with his wife and disrespecting her by being with his girlfriend in their home,” Hostin said on air. ©mixmediaplus-2018-08-02 19.52.32-1_preview Alex Lerner and Dan Gasby | Credit: Danielle Franz/Mix Media Plus To read more on Gasby, Smith, and Lerner, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday. Dana, Dan’s daughter from a previous marriage and raised since the age of 5 by Smith, is having none of it. (Dan and Alex are scheduled to appear on The View on Thursday, according to an ABC spokesperson.) “These fraudulent friends know nothing. I have not seen them here,” says Dana, who moved back home three years ago to care for Smith. “They don’t call my family. I see them talking on TV and how do you know what your supposed ‘friend’ would want?” Dana, who fully supports the relationship between her father and Alex, says she hears Goldberg’s criticism of the video showing Smith’s day-to-day reality and wonders: is it “because you’re getting older and not happy with your health or whatever and you decide it’s not ok?”<doc-sep>

"If This is Us and Modern Family came together, it would be us," B. Smith's husband Dan Gasby said of his relationship with girlfriend Alex Lerner B. Smith’s Husband Has New Girlfriend While Caring for Her Amid Alzheimer’s Battle The husband of B. Smith is opening up about his relationship with another woman as he cares for the famed restaurateur and lifestyle guru amid her ongoing battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Dan Gasby, 64, first went public with his romance with Alex Lerner, 53, back in December, in a post on the Facebook page he shares with B. Smith, who he has been married to for 26 years. On Monday, The Washington Post published a profile of the trio, with Gasby and Lerner explaining in their own words how their relationship came to be. “If This is Us and Modern Family came together, it would be us,” Gasby told The Post. B. Smith and her family grapple with Alzheimer's. Alex Lerner and Dan Gasby | Credit: Karsten Moran for The Washington Post via Getty Images The two met in the summer of 2017 at a Hamptons bar, and struck up a conversation. Romance didn’t come at first. “We were friends,” Lerner, a divorced mother of three, told The Post, adding that she had socialized with Smith, 69, previously at charity events. “I didn’t want to go out with a married man.” But at a breakfast with Gasby and Smith one morning, Lerner realized, “This is not a man cheating on his wife.” “What I admire about him is that he takes care of her,” she explained to The Post. Lerner, in turn, has also begun taking care of Smith. She has a room in Gasby and Smith’s East Hampton home, where she stays when she visits from her Manhattan apartment. “If I can be compassionate to her … if I can do anything for her, it makes me feel good,” she told The Post, her voice “breaking,” according to the outlet. “If it is giving her something to drink, or making her something to eat — she loves to eat — I feel good.” 2016 Circle Of Sisters B. Smith and Dan Gasby | Credit: CJ Rivera/Getty Images Smith was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s six years ago, after Gasby noticed her become increasingly — and uncharacteristically — moody and forgetful. The news came as she was continuing to build her empire. Over the years, she opened three eponymous restaurants, wrote three cookbooks, and hosted the nationally syndicated show, B. Smith With Style. She also made history as the first African American woman to grace the cover of Mademoiselle magazine, as well as the first African American woman to launch her own brand of home goods (at Bed, Bath and Beyond.) Her restaurants have all closed now, with Smith and Gasby instead turning their attention to Alzheimer’s advocacy work. They even chronicled their experience with the disease in the 2016 memoir, Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help, and Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer’s. At the time, Gasby told PEOPLE that taking care of Smith was a round-the-clock job. “It’s the toughest thing I’ve ever dealt with,” he said. “Anybody who is an Alzheimer’s care giver knows exactly what other caregivers are going through. It’s 24/7. The complexity and the intensity of it is very tough.” Caring for Smith “is overwhelming most of the time,” Gasby admitted to PEOPLE then. “I’m taking it one day at a time,” he said. “It’s extremely difficult. At times I feel like I am between the Titanic and the iceberg and the water is cold and it makes a difference which one I get on.” RELATED: Family Fights to Save 6 Year Old with Childhood Alzheimer’s: ‘He’s the Light of My Life,’ Says Mom From there, it appears Smith’s health has only gotten worse. The Post reported that the disease has “ravaged [Smith’s] brain, jumbling her memories, [and] turning her sentences into alphabet soup.” Gasby has told Smith about his relationship with Lerner, though it doesn’t seem to register. His daughter from a previous marriage Dana, 32, has given her blessing to their relationship. “When he told me, I was like, ‘Thank God. I’m happy,’ ” Dana told The Post, explaining that her father has not abandoned Smith, who raised Dana since she was young. “B. is my mom … She’s in this house. She’s here every day.” Still, there have been critics of Gasby and Lerner’s coupling.

A recent episode of Priyanka Chopra’s television show, Quantico, in which ‘Indian nationalists’ plot a terrorist attack in Manhattan with the intention of blaming it on Pakistan, has angered several people online. Fans of the actor and the show posted comments on Twitter slamming their decision to include such a plot. In the episode, which aired on June 1, an MIT professor acquires uranium with which he plans to make a nuclear bomb. An India-Pakistan summit to be held in New York City is his target. “I don’t even know what sort of ridiculous narrative was this episode trying to set.. nonsensical stuff,” one person wrote on Twitter. “What kind of stupid a** episode is this? ?” wrote another. What the hell was this episode of #Quantico .. they tried to show ‘Indian nationalists’ (their term) trying to blow up Manhattan to frame Pakistan.. I don’t even know what sort of ridiculous narrative was this episode trying to set.. nonsensical stuff.. — Aadit Kapadia (@ask0704) June 3, 2018 What kind of stupid ass episode is this?? Indian nationals trying to frame Pakistan #Quantico pic.twitter.com/o097ecDETF — Dawn Marissa (@DawnMarissa1) June 4, 2018 Latest episode of Quantico is about Hindu men with Rudrakshas who are identified as Indian nationalists with knowledge of Indian government planning a Nuclear attack and blaming Pakistan and the Great priyanka chopra with FBI team stops it Mainstreaming fake narrative — யோகம்=சுழிமுனை (@duvijan) June 2, 2018 #Quantico playing India-Pakistan Game and Priyanka Chopra finds a Rudraksh! Seriously home grown things are shown on international level with Indian narratives. This is something which shivers our nerves. — BhavyaRW (@MeBhavya) June 4, 2018 #Quantico .. the episode show ‘Indian nationalists’ trying to blow up Manhattan to frame Pakistan, what sort of ridiculous narrative was this episode trying to peddle. Thanks @priyankachopra You Are Best. @UnSubtleDesi @jgopikrishnan70 @RubikaLiyaquat — B O S S ⚜ (@sudhir329) June 4, 2018 I wonder if "Work VISA" issued by @SushmaSwaraj permits @priyankachopra to spread propaganda narrative via "Quantico" that Indian nationals get involved in planting bombs against a friendly nation US. VISA get cancelled for phony excuses if it's regular people @MEAIndia — Nitish Kumar (@nkumar_) June 4, 2018 Priyanka stars in Quantico as Alex Parrish, who initially was an FBI trainee suspected of being a terrorist. The show also stars Josh Hopkins, Jake McLaughlin, Aunjanue Ellis, Yasmine Al Massri, Johanna Braddy, Tate Ellington, Graham Rogers, Anabelle Acosta, Russell Tovey, Pearl Thusi, Blair Underwood, Marlee Matlin and Alan Powell. Quantico was recently cancelled due to lacklustre ratings. Its third season will be its last. Priyanka, meanwhile, has signed her first Bollywood film in years, the Salman Khan-starrer, Bharat. She most recently appeared in the indie drama, A Kid Like Jake. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-tv_listing-desktop<doc-sep>Priyanka Chopra has apologised for an episode of US spy series Quantico which sparked a backlash from Indian fans. The episode in question sees Chopra's character, anti-terrorist officer Alex Parrish, discover that Hindu nationalists are trying to frame Pakistanis for a nuclear attack in Manhattan days before a summit is to be held in the New York district regarding Kashmir, the disputed Himalayan territory claimed by India and Pakistan. Following its broadcast on 1 June, Chopra has found herself at the centre of social media outrage which saw her branded "an insult to India." ABC has since called this criticism “unfair.” “I'm extremely saddened and sorry that some sentiments have been hurt by a recent episode of Quantico,“ Chopra said on Twitter. ”That was not and would never be my intention. I sincerely apologise. I'm a proud Indian and that will never change.“ ABC and Quantico's producers also issued an apology “to our audience who were offended by the most recent episode, The Blood of Romeo.” TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Show all 16 1 /16 TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Jessica Jones Starring:​ Krysten Ritter, Rachael Taylor, Carrie-Anne Moss, David Tennant Start date: 8 March, Netflix Netflix TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for The OA Starring: Brit Marling, Emory Cohen, Phyllis Smith, Patrick Gibson, Jason Isaacs Start date: 15 March, Netflix TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Trust Starring:Hilary Swank, Brendan Fraser, Donald Sutherland, Harris Dickinson, Anna Chancellor Start date: 25 March 2018, AMC (Sky Atlantic air date TBA) FX Productions TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for A Series of Unfortunate Events Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Malina Weissman, Patrick Warburton, Lucy Punch, Tony Hale, Nathan Fillion Start date: 30 March, Netflix TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Atlanta Robbin Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Malina Weissman, Patrick Warburton, Lucy Punch, Tony Hale, Nathan Fillion Start date: 30 March, FOX (UK air date TBA) Matthias Clamer/FX TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Legion Starring: Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, Aubrey Plaza, Jean Smart, Jemaine Clement Start date: 17 April, FOX 20th Television TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for The Alienist Starring: Daniel Brühl, Luke Evans, Dakota Fanning, Brian Geraghty Start date: 19 April, Netflix Warner Bros. Television Distribution TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Westworld Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Thandie Newton, Ed Harris, James Marsden Start date: 21 April, HBO TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Fear the Walking Dead Starring: Kim Dickens, Lennie James, Frank Dillane, Alycia Debnam Carey, Colman Domingo, Maggie Grace Start date: 23 April, AMC on BT TV Richard Foreman, Jr/AMC TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for The Handmaid's Tale Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Samira Riley, Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd Start date: 25 April, Hulu (Channel 4 air date TBA) Hulu TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Better Call Saul Start date: TBA, Netflix Netflix TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Call the Midwife series 7 Starring: Vanessa Redgrave, Kate Lamb, Stephen McGann, Leonie Elliott Vanessa Redgrave, Kate Lamb, Stephen McGann, Leonie Elliott Start date: TBA, BBC One TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for House of Cards Start date: TBA, Netflix Netflix TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for 13 Reasons Why Start date: TBA, Netflix TBA, Netflix TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for This Is Us season 2 Start date: TBA, Channel 4 TBA, Channel 4 Ron Batzdorff/NBC TV preview 2018: Everything to look out for Unforgotten series 3 Start date: TBA, ITV1 The spokesperson's statement continued: “The episode has stirred a lot of emotion, much of which is unfairly aimed at Priyanka Chopra, who didn't create the show, nor does she write or direct it,” Quantico is Chopra's first American series for which she became the highest-paid Indian actress on US television. She recently appeared in the big-screen remake of hit TV series Baywatch alongside Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. Follow Independent Culture on Facebook<doc-sep>Priyanka Chopra has come under fire after an episode in Quantico showed Indian nationalists trying to frame Pakistan in a terror plot (Photo via AP/File) Priyanka Chopra has come under fire after an episode in Quantico showed Indian nationalists trying to frame Pakistan in a terror plot (Photo via AP/File) US television studio ABC on Friday issued an apology after an episode of Quantico, which stars Priyanka Chopra in a lead role, triggered outrage among its Indian audience. The plot of the episode showed Indian nationalists trying to frame Pakistan in a terror plot. The company emphasised that Chopra, who came under fire, does not create, write or direct the show. “The episode has stirred a lot of emotion, much of which is unfairly aimed at Priyanka Chopra, who didn’t create the show, nor does she write or direct it,” said Walt Disney-owned ABC in a statement. “We inadvertently and regrettably stepped into a complex political issue. It was certainly not our intention to offend anyone.” What is the row over? Quantico, an American TV show, is a drama series about FBI recruits. An episode of the show, titled ‘The Blood of Romeo’, has sparked outrage among Indians for its storyline on Indians planning a terrorist attack in Manhattan and blaming Pakistan, days before a summit on Kashmir, reported news agency PTI. Indians have targeted the creators for showing India in a negative light and commenting on the India-Pakistan controversy without much understanding. Chopra, who plays FBI agent Alex Parrish on the show, has been at the centre of all the backlash, with people blaming her for agreeing to the role. Who is protesting? Social media users were quick to hit out at Chopra and ABC channel over the episode. They have asked people to boycott her work and the brands she endorses, such as Samsung Electronics Co. There are also users who have requested the Government of India to delete a particular scene in the show, in which Chopra holds up the sacred Hindu prayer beads as evidence that the plotter is Indian. What did ABC say “The episode has stirred a lot of emotion, much of which is unfairly aimed at Priyanka Chopra, who didn’t create the show, nor does she write or direct it,” said Walt Disney-owned company said. “The show has featured antagonists of many different ethnicities and backgrounds, but in this case we inadvertently and regrettably stepped into a complex political issue. It was certainly not our intention to offend anyone.” Priyanka Chopra apologises With angry fans slamming the actor, Priyanka Chopra posted an apology saying, “I’m a proud Indian and that will never change.” “I’m extremely saddened and sorry that some sentiments have been hurt by a recent episode of Quantico. That was not and would never be my intention. I sincerely apologise. I’m a proud Indian and that will never change,” she wrote on Twitter<doc-sep>An episode of Priyanka Chopra’s TV series Quantico where apparently "Hindu" extremists plot an attack in Manhattan with the motive of blaming it on Pakistan has drawn much flak and ridicule from most quarters. While a major portion of the criticism could be directed towards the abject stupidity of the contrived plot device —Chopra’s character Alex Parrish discovers a rudraksha mala on a terrorist believed to be Muslim but as Muslims don’t wear rudraksha, therefore, it must be a "Hindu" trying to do bad things and pin the blame on the other side — there is enough reason for impassioned reaction coming from people Losing credence A platform such as mainstream television or online streaming, and shows such as Quantico, which despite now being cancelled is one of the most recognised American television series globally, is the easiest tools to deliver any message. Although one could be crediting Chopra and her popularity or that of the show with a little too much, such depictions help not only mainstream but also legitimise concepts such as Hindu terror, which otherwise don’t have much credence. In a few months from now, India would observe the 10th anniversary of the heinous 26/11 attacks in Mumbai where 10 operatives from Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, an Islamic terrorist organisation based in Pakistan, carried out a series of coordinated shooting and bombing attacks. The attacks lasted four days leaving 164 people dead and over 300 wounded and had it not been for the bravery of Tukaram Omble, a former Army man and an assistant sub-inspector in Mumbai police, who laid down his life to capture Pakistan national Ajmal Kasab alive, the whole in Mumbai via a boat that originated from Pakistan were made to wear saffron wristbands or maulis as a part of the deception. During interrogation one of the LeT operatives, Abu Jundal, has also believed to have said that the terrorists were given IDs bearing Hindu names like Sameer Chaudhury and the plan would have perhaps succeeded had all the terrorists been killed. But Ajmal Kasab’s capture was a spanner in the works. Now, if someone from Quantico were to recreate this as fiction, they would probably be fooled by the maulis or the spatter of Hindi words that Kasab and company were taught to carry out the mission. In the last decade, even in the face of glaring evidence, there has been a great thrust to pin the 26/11 attacks on just about anyone but Pakistan. There have been conspiracy theories galore — some intangible and some tangible like the Aziz Burney book 26/11 RSS Ki Saazish (26/11: An RSS Conspiracy) — but much of it was mostly limited to television debates or panel discussions at literary festivals until now, perhaps. Terror distorted A small dialogue in Quantico can initiate the process of hyphenating Islamic terror and all other terrors, in this instance Hindu terror, without any grounding in reality and before you know it would become a thing. Most of the annoyance with the Quantico episode has been directed at Priyanka Chopra and this writer doesn’t find anything wrong with that. As an Indian, and also a Mumbaikar up until recently, Chopra should be aware of the price that her adopted city paid in 26/11 and the manner in which she agreed to be a part of the episode where she practically endorses a false narrative, which has also been peddled by Pakistan on international forums to absolve itself from the terror attacks, is rather immature. She could argue that this is fiction or that her character is imaginary and not "Indian" at that too, but like VS Naipaul felt, fiction never lies and reveals the writer totally. There is no fooling anyone of Priyanka Chopra’s nationality and the manner in which she or Alex Parrish associates Hindu symbols such as rudraksha with terror is an irreversible action. Big backlash Most newspapers and portals are reporting the backlash coming Priyanka Chopra’s way as the ire of Indian nationalists, which is unfortunate as today any emotion evoked by the word "nationalism" is bad. Most liberals, for the want of a better word, would equate an opposition to Quantico as a direct attack on Priyanka Chopra’s freedom of expression or creative liberty. Here, it's fine for a Mahesh Bhatt, whose own son, Rahul Bhatt, was questioned by the authorities for his connection with David Coleman Headley, the American terrorist who conspired in the plotting of 26/11 attacks, to endorse the book 26/11 RSS Ki Saazish in the name of freedom of expression, but anyone on the "other" side is a rabid right-wing stooge because the word "nationalism" comes into play. In an episode of My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, two Jewish women, Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) and Audra Esther Levine (Rachel Grate), engage in a rap battle to find out who is the real JAP (Jewish American Princess) and while they try to outdo each other’s achievements by harping how liberal they were, the can’t help but say in unison “Though, of course, I support Israel” as being liberal and progressive is assumed to be critical of Israel and sympathetic to Palestine. So, in essence, any nonsense can work, even lauded for if the opposition were based on a sentiment of nationalism the argument would never fly. (Courtesy of Mail Today) Also read: Veere Di Wedding is the story of every confused modern Indian woman today<doc-sep>

One of the latest episodes of ‘Quantico’ shows ‘Indian nationalists’ plotting an attack in Manhattan with the ulterior motive of blaming it on Pakistan. (Source: File Photo) One of the latest episodes of ‘Quantico’ shows ‘Indian nationalists’ plotting an attack in Manhattan with the ulterior motive of blaming it on Pakistan. (Source: File Photo) Priyanka Chopra’s American television drama series Quantico has landed itself in a soup after one of its episodes recently struck a wrong chord with the audience. The episode shows ‘Indian nationalists’ plotting an attack in Manhattan with the ulterior motive of blaming it on Pakistan. The episode, aired on June 1, shows an MIT professor, who is in possession of uranium, planning to attack an India-Pakistan summit in New York. ALSO READ | Vir Das’ tweet on Priyanka Chopra wins hearts on social media Subsequently, fans and followers of Chopra and the series called the narrative “stupid, ridiculous and nonsensical”. “What the hell was this episode of #Quantico .. they tried to show ‘Indian nationalists’ (their term) trying to blow up Manhattan to frame Pakistan.. I don’t even know what sort of ridiculous narrative was this episode trying to set.. nonsensical stuff..,” and “They try to wade into the India-Pakistan issue and come up miserably short.. the storyline is not just implausible, the narrative is faulty feels like them trying to create a false equivalence where none exists.. all this on a show with an Indian actress,” were some responses the episode garnered on social media. Check out some other reactions here. What the hell was this episode of #Quantico .. they tried to show ‘Indian nationalists’ (their term) trying to blow up Manhattan to frame Pakistan.. I don’t even know what sort of ridiculous narrative was this episode trying to set.. nonsensical stuff.. — Aadit Kapadia (@ask0704) June 3, 2018 I work in Manhattan. Thousands of Indians work in Manhattan. Plotting a bomb blast in Manhattan is as good as plotting it in New Delhi.#Quantico writers mom dropped him/her on head or Pro-Pakistan/Islamic radical views have entered Hollywood. And @priyankachopra how cud you? — Abhishek Vaishampayan (@a_vaishampayan) June 5, 2018 What kind of stupid ass episode is this?? Indian nationals trying to frame Pakistan #Quantico pic.twitter.com/o097ecDETF — Dawn Marissa (@DawnMarissa1) June 4, 2018 They try to wade into the India-Pakistan issue and come up miserably short.. the storyline is not just implausible, the narrative is faulty feels like them trying to create a false equivalence where none exists.. all this on a show with an Indian actress @priyankachopra .. sad — Aadit Kapadia (@ask0704) June 3, 2018 I can’t believe #Quantico brought up the Kashmir and relationship issues between India & Pakistan this way. Makes me laugh more than anything. Also they’re walking with a nuclear bomb in hand in the middle of Nyc and not scared it might blow up??? — J / (@quirkyresponse) June 4, 2018 Have you watched the episode? Let us know what you thought of it in the comments’ section below.

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, amid the ongoing FBI probe into sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, suggested the Senate needs to “move on” to another Supreme Court nominee whether Kavanaugh is innocent or guilty. Booker, D-N.J., days earlier backed the FBI’s re-opened supplemental background investigation into Kavanaugh. But amid speculation that the probe could come to an end any day now, Booker indicated Tuesday that it's too late for Kavanaugh. He said his "credibility" has already been challenged and his "temperament" revealed at last week's heated hearing with him and accuser Christine Blasey Ford. “Ultimately, not whether he's innocent or guilty -- this is not a trial -- but ultimately, have enough questions been raised that we should not move on to another candidate?” Booker, a potential 2020 presidential candidate, said on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Republicans seized on the remarks, with GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeting that it shows "Senate Democrats finally admit that they don’t even care about getting to the truth." “The case against Judge Kavanaugh grows weaker by the day," Judicial Crisis Network’s Chief Counsel Carrie Severino said in a statement to Fox News. "Not only should he be presumed innocent in accordance with our centuries-old values of fairness and justice, but all the witnesses who Dr. Ford places at the scene either don’t corroborate her allegations or refute them altogether." Booker’s comments come as new allegations surface against Kavanaugh, but also as questions are being raised about those allegations already made. Ford, who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, alleged that Kavanaugh, while at a high school party 36 years ago, pinned her down and tried to remove her clothing. Another, Deborah Ramirez, claimed that during their freshman year at Yale University, Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a dorm party. And Julie Swetnick, who is represented by Stormy Daniels’ attorney Michael Avenatti, claimed that Kavanaugh drugged the “punch” at parties, and participated in “gang” and “train” rapes while in high school. Swetnick has since walked back some elements of her account, and the names of witnesses she provided have not at this point supported her story. Kavanaugh has vehemently denied the allegations. President Trump, meanwhile, has ramped up his criticism of Democrats' handling of the confirmation process. At a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday evening, he accused Democrats of only knowing how to "obstruct, resist, demolish, destroy and delay" and claimed they'd been "trying to destroy Judge Kavanaugh" since the beginning. "Because they know Judge Kavanaugh will follow the Constitution as written," he said. But Booker on Tuesday slammed the nominee, noting that Kavanaugh’s “credibility has been challenged by intimates, by people who knew the candidate well as a classmate.” Amid the FBI probe, Democrats have also focused on Kavanaugh’s alleged aggressive behavior while drinking in high school and in college. Kavanaugh has denied being aggressive, though he has admitted to drinking beer while in high school and college. Booker opposed his nomination before any of the accusations surfaced. In July, at a press conference, Booker said supporting Kavanaugh would be “evil.” “In a moral moment, there is no bystanders,” he said this summer. “You are either complicit in the evil, you are either contributing to the wrong, or you are fighting against it.”<doc-sep>(CNN) — On Thursday morning, Cory Booker said he purposely broke the rules of the Senate. He publicly released 12 pages of emails sent by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh dealing with racial inequality. The documents were marked “committee confidential” – meaning that only members of the Senate Judiciary Committee (which includes Booker) could have access to them. “I understand the penalty comes with potential ousting from the Senate,” Booker said in making clear he planned to break the rules. “I openly invite and accept the consequences of my team releasing that email right now.” To be clear: Booker isn’t releasing these emails out of the goodness of his heart or solely because he thinks transparency is critically important when voting on a Supreme Court justice. That may well be part of his calculations. But the politics of all of this also plays a large part. Asked afterward about his decision to open himself up to possible expulsion from the Senate, Booker made his motivations quite clear: “A senior senator who is in leadership, I think he’s the number two in leadership has, in effect, called for my expulsion from the United States Senate and and again I just say, ‘Bring it.’ If he wants to go through that process I fully accept responsibility for what I have done, and again I’m new in this place. This senator has been around a long time. He’s in leadership. I think he was just like a lot of bullies are, a lot of talk and no action. And so let’s see what he does. I’m willing to accept responsibility for my actions, but I don’t know what, I don’t know what that senior senator will do.” Booker is talking here about Texas Sen. John Cornyn who is, indeed the second-ranking Republican in the Senate. Cornyn was particularly exercised about Booker’s decision, telling the committee that “running for president is no excuse for violating the rules of the Senate. … This is no different from the senator deciding to release classified information. … That is irresponsible and outrageous.” Cornyn is, without question, right about one thing: Booker is very likely running for president. And this decision to break the rules is a calculated one aimed at demonstrating that the New Jersey Democrat knows how to fight dirty – and is willing to do just that against President Donald Trump. Go back and read that full quote above from Booker. Change the “he” from Cornyn to Trump. Still works, right? “I just say, ‘Bring it.’” … “I think he was just like a lot of bullies are, a lot of talk and no action.” That’s not by accident. Booker, as well as Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), who made her own moment in a clash with Kavanaugh over the special counsel probe being run by Robert Mueller, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) all understand that they are on a very big stage right now. All politics is, in part, performance. But running for president relies more on performance than running for any other office. Anyone who has ever considered running for the nation’s top office knows that you need to be “on” in the big moments, show what you are made of when the people are watching. And Democratic base voters are VERY much watching this Kavanaugh hearing. They view Trump’s decision to nominate a solid conservative for the seat of swing vote Justice Anthony Kennedy as only the latest in a series of massive affronts committed by Republicans, beginning with their total refusal to even meet with Merrick Garland – President Barack Obama’s nominee to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the court. More than 140 people have been arrested for protesting the Kavanaugh hearing on Capitol Hill over the first two days of hearings. Booker knows that one of the biggest complaints from that base about the 2016 election was that Hillary Clinton simply played too nice with Trump. She and her campaign tried to stay within the established rules of a campaign. Trump refused to even acknowledge there were any rules. Clinton, in the mind of the Democratic base, was fighting with one hand tied behind her back. She would never “go there” on Trump because she and her team believed that getting down in the mud with Trump was a losing proposition – not to mention those sorts of tactics might do real damage to the health of our political process. Trump had no such concerns. He said and did whatever he believed it took to win. He brought a group of women who had accused Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct and sat them in the front row of a presidential debate with Hillary Clinton. He promised he would prosecute her if he was elected president. He suggested, repeatedly, that her health was failing and that she was simply not up to the demands of the job of president. He broke, literally, every rule. Did so with relish. And won. Which brings us to the positioning of Democrats for 2020 – and what 2018 has taught us about the state of the party. Democratic base voters want not just liberals, but fighters. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rather than Joe Crowley. Andrew Gillum rather than Gwen Graham. Ayanna Pressley instead of Michael Capuano. They want someone who will take the fight to Republicans – and to Trump in particular. Someone who will stand toe-to-toe with Trump and tell him, to his face, why he deserves to be impeached. Someone not afraid of, well, getting some mud on their shoes. Republicans pushed hard on the idea that Booker was not just grandstanding in advance of 2020, but was doing so under false pretenses. Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley’s office insisted the documents that Booker made such a show of releasing on Thursday morning had in fact been cleared to be released earlier in the day. Booker’s office responded by taking a victory lap, insisting that he had “shame[d] the committee into agreeing to make last night’s documents publicly available.” Who has the right in this is hard to tell amid the spin – and the possibility of miscommunication and mixed signals. But make no mistake: Booker got what he wanted here. Democratic activists won’t care about the timing of the release of the documents. They will remember Booker staring down the Republican Senate majority and President Trump. Remember, presidential politics is, at times, a performance. And Booker gave this one his all. What Booker did – with clear intent – on Thursday morning was to show he’s not going to be cowed by the rules of the Senate. Or by a bully. He’s going to say, “Bring it,” and get ready to scrap. UPDATE: This story has been updated with a response from Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley’s office, disputing Booker’s portrayal of his document release as breaking the Senate’s rules.<doc-sep>Oh my garden, I hope Cory Booker runs for president, just to watch him lose. Don't get me wrong, he's already running, and now every spartacus moment is just a sharp elbow to move his fellow lady senators, like Liz Warren and Kamala Harris, the hell out of the way. Booker the carnival barker has taken it upon himself to be the moral arbiter in the Kavanaugh circus, even calling on the judge to withdraw his name regardless of innocence or guilt. Why should he withdraw? Because his temperament doesn't seem very judgey, his language has been too coarse, and his credibility has been called into question. By Democrats, who before his name was formally announced, promised to do everything in their power to block his confirmation. Leak already public emails in a clumsy fartacus moment? That didn't work. Grandstand during the confirmation hearings to launch a few dozen new fundraising emails? Didn't derail anything. Leak a woman's name and personal information so the press could force her into the public square for a dual and sickening humiliation? Jury's still out on that one, but this isn't a court of law as Booker and Mazie Hirono have reminded us, so due process, presumption of innocence and basic decency are all out the window. Is it moral to leak someone's identity who prefers anonymity? Seems the only thing booker has learned in what he describes "this moral moment" is how to scrap objective standards for political gain. Draw blood now, use a tourniquet of excuses and rationalizations later when pesky facts get in the way. The fact is Booker is just trying to delay and buy time hoping Kavanaugh outrage fans voter flames so the senate falls into meddling democratic hands and Merrick Garland is rightfully seated on the high court. We still don't know exactly how this whole thing is going to shake out, all we know is Booker's ham fisted ambitions are just another chapter in the democratic playbook of how to lose the presidency.<doc-sep>

In a bizarre statement Tuesday, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) appeared to state that it didn't really matter to Democrats if Judge Brett Kavanaugh were guilty or innocent. 'He used language that frankly shocked' Booker said in a statement to the media Tuesday that it didn't matter whether Kavanaugh was guilty or innocent because he has shown himself to not be worthy of the "sacred institution" of the Supreme Court. "So my hope that beyond the vicious partisan rancor that is going on," Booker said, "beyond the accusations, we don't lose sight of what this moral moment is about in this country and ultimately ask ourselves the question is this the right person to sit on the highest court in the land for a lifetime appointment." "When their credibility has been challenged by intimates, people who knew the candidate well as a classmate," he continued. "When his temperament has been revealed in an emotional moment where he used language that frankly shocked a lot of us." Booker referred to the statement Kavanaugh made in defense of his character where he said that the false allegations were revenge for his role in the Ken Starr probe that led to former President Bill Clinton's impeachment. 'Not whether he’s innocent or guilty...' "And then ultimately not whether he's innocent or guilty," Booker asserted, "this is not a trial, but ultimately have enough questions been raised that we should not move on to another candidate, in that long list put together by the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society, move on to another candidate." "Because ultimately the Supreme Court is not an entitlement," Booker continued, "just because he went to Yale, or the president of your class, doesn't entitle you to the Supreme Court." "This is a sacred institution and the people who should be on it and whether you disagree with their political or judicial philosophy at all, the people who should be on the Supreme Court should preserve the integrity of the court," he concluded. Here's the video of Booker's admission: Republicans have charged that Democrats have tried to "move the goalposts" in their accusations against Kavanaugh, from trying to prove sexual harassment, to alleging that he committed perjury about how much he drank in college. Booker's statement supports the latter argument against Kavanaugh.

Gary Landers/Associated Press The Los Angeles Dodgers got help for their ailing bullpen by acquiring Ryan Madson on Friday. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the Washington Nationals traded Madson to the Dodgers. Per Jon Heyman of Fancred, the Nationals will receive a prospect in the deal. The Dodgers' bullpen has become a liability as the season has gone on, especially in the month of August. Closer Kenley Jansen was initially expected to miss a month with an irregular heartbeat prior to an Aug. 9 game against the Colorado Rockies. Since the Dodgers activated Jansen off the disabled list on Aug. 20, he's allowed 10 hits, seven earned runs and four homers in four innings. John Axford, Ross Stripling, Tony Cingrani, Daniel Hudson, JT Chargois and Erik Goeddel are currently on the disabled list. Los Angeles' entire relief corps has a 4.73 ERA with 14 homers allowed over 85.2 innings in August. Madson has struggled in 2018 with a 5.28 ERA in 49 games, but Los Angeles is at a point where it needs healthy arms that can help it get through the season's final month. Video Play Button Videos you might like A change of scenery could help get Madson back on track. The Dodgers will need him to be effective as they try to make up a two-game deficit in the National League West.<doc-sep>AP WASHINGTON (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers have bolstered their bullpen, acquiring right-hander Ryan Madson from the Washington Nationals for a minor league pitcher. The playoff-contending Dodgers made the trade Friday. They have Kenley Jansen as their closer, but he has been shaky since coming off the disabled list. Madson was 5-5 with five saves and a 4.08 ERA in 69 games for Washington. The 38-year-old recently came off the disabled list after being sidelined by nerve irritation that caused pain in his neck and back. Madson, who helped the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals win World Series titles, was acquired by the Nationals with fellow reliever Sean Doolittle from the Oakland Athletics in July 2017. For his career, Madson is 61-48 with a 3.45 ERA and 91 saves. More: What Andrew McCutchen brings to the Yankees Los Angeles (72-62) began the day two games behind Arizona in the NL West and 2 ½ games back in the wild card chase. Washington, which unloaded second baseman Daniel Murphy and first baseman Matt Adams at the July 31 trade deadline, received right-handed pitcher Andrew Istler from the Dodgers. Istler, 25, went 4-4 with a 2.37 ERA in 41 games (one start) between three levels of Los Angeles' minor league system. Additionally, the Nationals recalled left-handed pitcher Sammy Solis from Class AAA Syracuse.<doc-sep>The Los Angeles Dodgers, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2012, got some bullpen help on Friday when they acquired reliever Ryan Madson from the Washington Nationals. The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired RHP Ryan Madson (#50) in a trade with the Washington Nationals for minor league RHP Andrew Istler. — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 31, 2018 Madson, 38, has not had a great season for the Nats. He’s got a 5.28 ERA in 49 appearances, which is pretty terrible. They’re a far cry from the numbers he put up in 2017: overall, he had a 1.83 ERA, allowed 38 hits, and just nine walks and two home runs (!!) in 59 innings. His sparking performance for the Oakland Athletics is why the Nationals traded for him in July 2017. The walks and home runs are almost definitely the reason why Madson is struggling this year, not to mention his sharply increased hit total. In 44.1 innings, he’s given up 15 walks, six home runs, and 48 total hits. All of those are more than he gave up in the entirety of 2017, and the season still has a month left. It doesn’t seem like he’s finding the zone as often, and when he is, he’s throwing more meatballs that pitchers are teeing up. But Madson’s history since his 2015 comeback indicates that he’s a much better pitcher than he’s been showing. Different coaches, different teammates, and a different atmosphere could help. Ryan Madson has been traded to the Dodgers to give their bullpen a boost. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) Why would the Dodgers trade for a guy pitching as badly as Madson? Because they desperately need bullpen help. Over the last 30 days, the Dodgers bullpen has a 4.73 ERA, seventh-worst in baseball. Kenley Jansen, one of baseball’s most dependable closers, has struggled since coming off the DL with a heart issue. In his last four appearances, he has a 15.75 ERA, along with two losses and a blown save. Both Scott Alexander and Hyun-Jin Ryu have struggled in August. But mostly, guys are just injured. Three Dodgers relievers have gone on the disabled list in August, and the team needs bullpen arms. Story continues The Dodgers are just two games out of first place, but the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks stand between them and a punched ticket to the playoffs. They’re 2.5 games out of the wild card, with the Rockies just ahead of them. There’s still a month left for the Dodgers to fight for a playoff spot, and they’re doing whatever they can to plug holes in their roster. Now they’re just hoping it’ll be enough. – – – – – – Liz Roscher is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter at @lizroscher. More from Yahoo Sports: • 32 breakout star candidates for 2018 NFL season • Terez Paylor: Caylin Newton, the younger brother of Cam, already has a legacy as king of underdogs • Yankees get another big bat in deal for Andrew McCutchen • Usain Bolt makes his soccer debut<doc-sep>Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired reliever Ryan Madson from the Washington Nationals. One player is reported to be heading back to Washington in the deal, but his identity is not yet known. The Dodgers’ bullpen has been a train wreck of late and they’re hoping that Madson can help matters. Whether he can or not is an open question. His 2018 season has been among the worst of his career. He’s currently 2-5 with a 5.28 ERA while his strikeout rate has gone down and his walk and hit rate have shot up this year. Still, he’s a new face and some relievers have seen their seasons turn around with a change of scenery in the past, so why not take a gamble? Follow @craigcalcaterra<doc-sep>

The Dodgers acquired right-handed reliever Ryan Madson from the Nationals, the team announced Friday. In exchange for Madson, the Nationals received minor league pitcher Andrew Istler. To create room for Madson on their 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated lefty Adam Liberatore for assignment. Madson, 38, was placed on revocable waivers earlier this week and the Dodgers put a claim in hoping the reliever could help out their strained bullpen, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. Los Angeles could use Madson in a setup role or possibly as a closer if Kenley Jansen has trouble again with an irregular heartbeat. The Dodgers were originally interested in Madson three years ago when he was a free agent. However, Los Angeles backed away when bidding continued to rise, reports Gurnick. Madson signed a three-year, $22 million deal with Oakland. Madson has already been on the disabled list twice this year. He most recently returned from the 10-day DL on Monday after suffering back discomfort. This season, Madson has posted a 5.28 ERA with 40 strike outs in 44.1 innings pitched. He brings plenty of playoff experience after going 4-1 in with a 2.85 ERA in 46 postseason appearances. Madson has two World Series titles under his belt. He won the first in 2008 with the Phillies and another in 2015 with the Royals. The Dodgers (72-62) are fighting for a playoff spot and sit in third place in the NL West standings. They are two games behind the first-place Diamondbacks and a half game behind the Rockies.

She's remained candid on social media about her battles with kidney dysplasia. And Sarah Hyland took to Instagram on Thursday evening to show an excruciating side effect after being hospitalized due to the disease. The 27-year-old actress was dressed in a hospital gown and hair net, and used National Selfie Day as a way to show her followers the 'painful' reality surrounding her health. Oh no! Sarah Hyland took to Instagram on Thursday evening to show an excruciating side effect after being hospitalized due to the disease Sarah's swollen face was front and center in the image as she gave a tired gaze toward the camera wearing a blue-and-white hospital gown. 'Sometimes a selfie is more than just a good angle or feelin' cute. This time for #NationalSelfieDay, I've decided to share my truth. As painful as it is,' Hyland wrote. She wore a dark green eye mask across her forehead and still managed to look beautiful despite her woes. Powerful: She's remained candid on social media about her battles with kidney dysplasia 'So here is my face that was torn from work against my will,' she added. 'But I'm very grateful it was. Health should always come first.' The Modern Family starlet then shared a sweet video from bed as she cuddled up to her puppy. 'Can't wait to come back to my precious angel princess. She's perfect and knows exactly what I need at all times,' Hyland wrote. 'This was taken this past Sunday. Day before hospitalization. She was literally telling me to get treatment.' As a child, Hyland was diagnosed with kidney dysplasia (a condition that occurs when one or both of a fetus' kidneys do not develop normally) and in 2012 she underwent a kidney transplant. 'Can't wait to come back to my precious angel princess. She's perfect and knows exactly what I need at all times,' Hyland wrote In May, she revealed some of her health struggles, including how her weight has dropped to 87 pounds, with hopes to one day lift weights again. One positive constant in her life is boyfriend of nearly one year, former Bachelorette contestant Wells Adams. 'It’s been really weirdly normal,' he told People TV. 'That question gets asked a lot because you expect the answer to be like it’s crazy because it’s in the spotlight.' 'But for whatever reason, it’s been really nice and normal and wonderful.' The cute couple met on social media when he messaged her after a round of back-and-forth tweets.<doc-sep>After being hospitalized for unknown reasons, Sarah Hyland shared a selfie of herself at the hospital that's being described as "shocking" all over the internet. Fans are wondering if Sarah Hyland OK and, although the Modern Family actor hasn't given fans details about her condition or why she was hospitalized, the raw photo shows Hyland as almost completely unrecognizable. On Thursday, Hyland posted the selfie to her Instagram Story, in which she seems to be in the hospital and wearing a hospital gown. On the photo, she wrote, “Sometimes a selfie is more than just a good angle and feelin cute. This time for #nationalselfieday I’ve decided to share my truth. As painful as it is." She continued, "So here is my face that was torn from work against my will. But I’m very grateful it was. Health should always come first. #stayhealthymyfriends.” In an age when perfectly-filtered selfies have become all the rage, Hyland's post is so real and refreshing, even if audiences don't know all the details behind it or why she's in such pain. In an IG Story post that followed, Hyland shared a video of herself cuddling up with her dog which was taken on Sunday, the day before she was admitted into the hospital. "Can’t wait to come back to my precious angel princess. She’s perfect and knows exactly what I need at all times,” she wrote on the video. “This was taken this past Sunday. Day before hospitalization. She was literally telling me to get treatment." Instagram/Sarah Hyland; Screenshot/Bustle Fans are speculating that Hyland's condition may have to do with her battle with kidney dysplasia, which she has spoken about in the past. In 2012, the actor had to undergo a kidney transplant and explained how the illness and surgery affected her fluctuating weight. Last year, she addressed comments about her weight on social media, writing, “I haven’t had the greatest year. Maybe one day I’ll talk about it but for now, I’d like my privacy. I will say that this year has brought a lot of changes and with that, physical changes.” She continued, writing, "I love to be STRONG. (I’ll be using that word a lot) Strength is everything. Being strong has gotten me where I am. Both mentally and physically." A few months ago, Hyland tweeted about chronic illness, again, without giving away too many specifics regarding what exactly she was enduring. Now, fans are showing the actor their support and well wishes. According to MedicineNet, kidney dysplasia is a condition formed in the womb when "the internal structures of one or both of the baby's kidneys do not develop normally." Further, the illness causes fluid-filled sacs, or cysts, to replace normal kidney tissue. Side effects of the illness include pain, high blood pressure, and UTIs. Hyland's boyfriend, and former Bachelor star, Wells Adams has yet to comment on her hospitalization. However, the day before she was in the hospital, he posted a photo of the two on Instagram, writing, "I need a time turner so I can go back to this weekend in New York with you. Miss you like crazy @sarahhyland." Hyland has been a star on Instagram for quite some time now. She posts self-deprecating photos of herself trying to look like Beyoncé and captions about how she has a tendency to overthink everything. But she clearly also uses the platform to show how she means business, posting photos from March For Our Lives, city hall marches, and others in support of Time's Up. Hopefully she'll let fans know more about her health journey soon (not that she owes them that), and more importantly, feels better.<doc-sep>In honor of National Selfie Day, Modern Family star Sarah Hyland took to Instagram to reveal she was hospitalized by sharing a photo of her swollen face. "Sometimes a selfie is more than just a good angle or feelin cute. This time for #NationalSelfieDay, I've decided to share my truth. As painful as it is," Hyland, 27, captioned the Instagram story picture of her swollen face. "So here is my face that was torn from work against my will. But I'm very grateful it was. Health should always come first." Hyland was hospitalized June 18. In a second Instagram story post, she shared a video with her dog affectionately licking her face. The actress said her dog "knows" she's a bit under the weather. "Can't wait to come back to my precious angel princess. She's perfect and knows exactly what I need at all times," Hyland continued. "This was taken this past Sunday. Day before hospitalization. She was literally telling me to get treatment." Hyland didn't divulge the exact reason for her hospital stay, but has admitted to suffering from multiple health conditions in the past. She received a kidney transplant from her father, actor Edward James Hyland, in April 2012 due to her kidney dysplasia. The medical condition, which she was diagnosed with as a child, occurs in the womb when one or both of a fetuses kidneys fail to develop properly. "I was born with so many health issues that doctors told my mother I would never have a normal life," Hyland told Seventeen in 2015. "She said, "You're right, she won't—but it won't be because of her health.'" Hyland has frequently struggled with fluctuating weight, either appearing somewhat thin or slightly swollen due to medical issues. In 2017, she addressed her weight after fans accused her of being pregnant or anorexic. "This year has brought a lot of changes and with that, physical changes. I've basically been on bed rest for the past few months, I've lost a lot of muscle mass," Hyland tweeted. "My circumstances have put me in a place where I'm not in control of what my body looks like. I write this because I've been accused of promoting anorexia… And I want young girls to know that that's NOT my intention." "I don't mind when you say that I look pregnant," she added. "Or fat. Because I know that my face is swollen from medication that is saving my life. I'm a 26-year-old woman who goes through more than you could ever imagine on a daily basis. I am grateful for the life I live and you should be too." Representatives for Hyland didn't immediately return Newsweek's request for comment.<doc-sep>Sarah Hyland shared an honest selfie on #NationalSelfieDay. (Photo: Getty Images) Celebrities everywhere took part in #NationalSelfieDay on Thursday, sharing both their most glam and their bare-faced photos. But Sarah Hyland had a different kind of selfie to post, which revealed a startling update on her health. The 27-year-old, who has previously opened up about suffering from kidney dysplasia, took to her Instagram Story to share a photo of herself during her current hospitalization. Her battle with the chronic illness can often bring about physical changes, such as fluctuation in her body weight. However, this time it seems as though a swollen face is the painful symptom. Sarah Hyland took to her Instagram Story to share a photo of herself in the hospital. (Photo: Instagram/sarahhyland) “Sometimes a selfie is more than just a good angle and feelin cute,” the actress wrote. “This time for #nationalselfieday I’ve decided to share my truth. As painful as it is.” The puffiness in Hyland’s face and around her eyes is common for those with a kidney disease, as a result of the protein leaked into the urine and an increase in sodium retention. Although it’s something that Hyland has dealt with before, she reminds followers to always take health seriously, regardless of other sacrifices. “So here is my face that was torn from work against my will,” she continued. “But I’m very grateful it was. Health should always come first.” In a later post, Hyland shared that she has been in the hospital since Monday. Even though she admits to missing her dog, she’s luckily received an outpouring of love from fans wishing her a quick return to good health. @Sarah_Hyland saw your IG story sending you positive vibes and hope you’re ok! — Wandering Yogi (@mysoulsetssail) June 22, 2018 I truly hope you feel better, sending you all my love from france @Sarah_Hyland & thank you for always sharing your truth with us my sweetheart💞 — lea ⚓ #4UOutNow (@damnhyIand) June 22, 2018 @Sarah_Hyland I know what I feels like to be on and out of hospitals so often and to constantly be Ill over several years. I hope for your sake you feel better soon. With lots of love. — Sabrina Verlaque (@Verlaque4) June 22, 2018 Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Story continues • Emily Ratajkowski’s back at it with another super-skimpy selfie • Why Chloë Moretz is focusing on a relationship with herself: ‘You can give so much of yourself to other people’ • Cindy Crawford, 52, shares stunning makeup-free selfie Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.<doc-sep>

"Here is my face that was torn from work against my will. But I’m very grateful it was. Health should always come first,” Sarah Hyland wrote on Instagram Sarah Hyland Shares Photo from Hospital as She Reveals She Was ‘Torn from Work Against My Will’ Sarah Hyland has been hospitalized. While observing National Selfie Day, the Modern Family actress, 27, shared a “painful” photograph of her face in which she appeared to be wearing a hospital gown. “Sometimes a selfie is more than just a good angle and feelin cute. This time for #nationalselfieday I’ve decided to share my truth. As painful as it,” she wrote alongside the image. “So here is my face that was torn from work against my will. But I’m very grateful it was. Health should always come first,” she continued, adding the hashtag, “#stayhealthymyfriends.” IMG_0079 Sarah Hyland | Credit: Sarah Hyland/Instagram In a separate post, Hyland shared that she had been taken to the hospital on Monday, and seemed to indicate she has yet to be released. “Can’t wait to come back to my precious angel princess. She’s perfect and knows exactly what I need at all times,” she wrote alongside a video of her and her dog cuddling in bed, adding a heart-eyed emoji. “This was taken this past Sunday. Day before hospitalization. She was literally telling me to get treatment,” she added, making no mention of why she was hospitalized. Hyland’s rep did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. IMG_0080 Sarah Hyland | Credit: Sarah Hyland/Instagram The actress has previously discussed her health struggles, tweeting in March, “For those who are chronically ill and in chronic pain: Have you had the experience of doctors not listening to you? If so, how do you not tear their heads off with your bare hands?” Though the actress did not specifically state what caused her pain, she did share on Instagram that she will be taking it easy for the “next 6 to 8 weeks.” RELATED VIDEO: Wells Adams Gushes Over Relationship With Sarah Hyland: It’s So Normal Hyland has also been candid about her continuing battle with kidney dysplasia — which required her to undergo a kidney transplant in 2012 — and how it causes her weight to fluctuate. “I haven’t had the greatest year,” Hyland wrote in May 2017, after some of her followers began body shaming her for being too thin. “Maybe one day I’ll talk about it but for now, I’d like my privacy. I will say that this year has brought a lot of changes and with that, physical changes.” Lorraine Schwartz launches The Eye Bangle a new addition to her signature Against Evil Eye Collection - Arrivals Sarah Hyland | Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty

Not a month into the new season, and we’ve already seen the first cycle of 2019. Shortstop Jorge Polanco completed the feat for the Twins on Friday, becoming the first franchise player to do so since Michael Cuddyer in 2009 and the first major-leaguer to hit for the cycle since Brock Holt completed one for the Red Sox during Game 3 of the 2018 American League Division Series. Polanco started off with the most difficult part of a cycle — a triple — after getting a three-bagger off of the Phillies’ Nick Pivetta in the first inning. When he came up to bat again in the third inning, he roped a single to center field for his second hit of the night, but was left stranded on the bases after Pivetta made short work of the heart of the order. The Twins, meanwhile, trailed 5-2 after the Phillies’ explosive run in the first inning, and had only just gotten on the board with Max Kepler‘s two-run homer in the third. Nevertheless, Polanco continued to charge toward his first career cycle, this time with a 349-foot home run off of Pivetta in the fifth inning. He pounced on a first-pitch, 90.6-m.p.h. fastball and sent it out to the right field corner, barely clearing the wall for his first long ball of the 2019 season. The Phillies pulled Pivetta after five innings of four-run, four-strikeout ball, but Polanco still had something left in the tank for Pivetta’s replacement, lefty reliever Adam Morgan. With only a double left to collect, Polanco stepped into the batter’s box at the top of the seventh inning, worked a 1-1 count against Morgan, and bounced an 81.2-m.p.h. changeup down the third base line. The ball ricocheted into the left field corner, Andrew McCutchen ran to retrieve it, and Polanco was left standing on second base with the first complete cycle of the year. The Twins currently trail the Phillies 10-4 in the bottom of the eighth. Update: Polanco added to his total with a fifth base hit in the ninth inning. Per MLB.com’s Andrew Simon, he’s the first known player to reach 11+ total bases without scoring (or driving in) multiple runs.<doc-sep>","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","type":"rich","width":550,"__typename":"ExternalEmbedContent"},"$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({\"locale\":\"en-us\",\"slug\":\"jorge-polanco-hits-for-cycle\",\"type\":\"story\"}).parts.2":{"data":{"type":"id","generated":true,"id":"$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({\"locale\":\"en-us\",\"slug\":\"jorge-polanco-hits-for-cycle\",\"type\":\"story\"}).parts.2.data","typename":"ExternalEmbedContent"},"type":"oembed","__typename":"ExternalEmbed"},"$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({\"locale\":\"en-us\",\"slug\":\"jorge-polanco-hits-for-cycle\",\"type\":\"story\"}).parts.3":{"content":"Polanco got the triple out of the way early, when he launched a fly ball to center field in the first inning that caromed off the wall despite a leaping attempt by center fielder Odubel Herrera. Polanco followed that with a single up the middle in the third inning and lined his first homer of the year into the right-field corner in the fifth. The 25-year-old Polanco said that he knew the inning before his fourth at-bat that he needed a double to complete his first cycle, but those thoughts disappeared once he actually stepped into the batter’s box. 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After moving to the right-handed batter’s box for the first time against Phillies southpaw Adam Morgan, Polanco doubled down the left-field line on a 1-1 changeup over the heart of the plate to complete the feat. In the ninth inning, Polanco lined another single into right field for his career-best fifth hit, giving him the Twins’ only five-hit cycle since the team moved to Minnesota. The only other five-hit cycle in franchise history was by Joe Cronin, for the Washington Senators, on Sept. 2, 1929. 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a five-year, $25.75 million extension with two option years during Spring Training, leads the Twins with 11 hits through the first six games of the season, including a homer, two triples and three doubles. \"I feel really good at the plate,” Polanco said. “Just trying to take my pitches, waiting for my pitch in the zone, and getting base hits.\"","type":"markdown","__typename":"Markdown"},"$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({\"locale\":\"en-us\",\"slug\":\"jorge-polanco-hits-for-cycle\",\"type\":\"story\"}).parts.8":{"contentDate":"2019-04-06T01:59:30.519Z","description":"Jorge Polanco hammers a double down the left-field line to complete the first cycle of 2019 in the top of the 7th 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conditions lead to sloppy execution for pitchers, fielders** None of the things that Jake Odorizzi tried to do to gain any sort of feel for his pitches in Friday’s rainstorm worked -- and that was apparent on his first pitch of the game, which slipped out of his hand and nearly hit Andrew McCutchen in the head. “I was trying everything humanly possible to get a feel for the ball,” Odorizzi said. “Blowing, wiping -- the rosin bag was soaked with water. There was really not much I didn't try out there to try to find a grip. It was just slipping out right at the end. It was going every which direction.” Odorizzi lasted only two outs and 36 pitches before Baldelli pulled him from the game, and his struggles were a microcosm of the Twins’ overall pitching and fielding issues on a soggy Philadelphia night. Six Minnesota pitchers combined to walk nine batters, and the defense committed three errors and several more miscues, giving a potent Phillies attack too many chances for the Twins’ offense to keep up. “It wasn't a day where we went out there and executed, really, at all,” Baldelli said. “The effort was there and our guys kept at it, which I'm happy about. But as far as the way we executed, it definitely was not our best.” Several throws from the outfield were wild or mishandled. Marwin Gonzalez overran a foul popup and dropped a throw on a ground ball. Eddie Rosario held onto Rhys Hoskins ’ seventh-inning, bases-loaded single for too long, allowing Bryce Harper to alertly scamper home all the way from first base. And the Twins couldn’t close out innings, allowing seven runs to score with two outs. 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If we do, we're maybe still playing right now. But when you have runners on base and you have two outs, that's when you lock in and focus and try to make good pitches. Our guys have done that throughout all year. Just not tonight.” “Just one to forget for a lot of guys besides Jorge,” Odorizzi said. 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Fifth starter Martin Pérez was able to pitch on normal rest out of the bullpen, but lasted just 2 2/3 innings on 72 pitches, requiring Minnesota to dig deeper into its short bullpen than Baldelli had hoped. Every Twins reliever except Blake Parker and Taylor Rogers pitched at least an inning in Friday's game, and with four more games remaining on the road trip, Baldelli said that the Twins’ staff would discuss the possibility of roster moves to bring in bullpen reinforcements. “We definitely went through more of our guys than we probably planned or hoped for,” Baldelli said. “It's not about just tomorrow -- it's about figuring out how to get through the weekend and also go out there and compete and not just try to get through games, but try to field as competitive a staff as we can to not just cover innings, but win.” The Rochester Red Wings, the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate, are in Allentown, Pa., a little more than an hour’s drive from Philadelphia, which could alleviate the logistical difficulties of roster moves before Saturday’s scheduled day game.<doc-sep>The shortstop achieved the feat against the Phillies in Philadelphia. Jorge Polanco became the first Minnesota Twin to hit for the cycle in almost 10 years. The shortstop, batting second in the lineup, got his first hit in the 1st inning, smashing a triple off of Nick Pivetta. He followed that up with a 3rd inning single and then a 5th inning homer, before completing the cycle in the top of the 7th with a leadoff double. Polanco becomes the 11th Minnesota Twin to hit for the cycle, and the first since 2009. The last Twin to achieve the feat was Michael Cuddyer on May 22, 2009, against the Brewers in the last year of the Metrodome.<doc-sep>Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco got their game against the Phillies off to a good start of Friday with a lead-off triple. Subsequent hitters failed to drive Polanco in, but it turned out his triple was not all-for-naught — Polanco went on to become the eleven player to hit for the cycle in Twins history. After hitting the triple in the first inning, Polanco came up to bat in the third inning and hit a single. His next at bat was in the fifth inning, and he hit a home run. 4 at-bats 4 hits 1 cycle Congratulations, Jorge Polanco! #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/xYBLKQjdmW — FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) April 6, 2019 After that, of course, all he needed was a double for the cycle, which he hit in the top of the seventh inning. He’s the first player to hit for the cycle so far this year. Today’s feat makes Polanco the eleventh Twin to hit for the cycle. Can you guess the rest? You totally cannot, you liar. Here they are: César Tovar (9/19/72) Larry Hisle (6/4/76) Lyman Bostock (7/24/76) Mike Cubbage (7/27/78) Gary Ward (9/18/80) Kirby Puckett (8/1/86) Carlos Gómez (5/7/08) Jason Kubel (4/17/09) (4/17/09) Michael Cuddyer (5/22/09) In a way, we really won the Super Bowl here. Just squint a little.<doc-sep>

Very quietly, the Minnesota Twins won four of their first five games this season, and they managed to do that while hitting just one home run. Huh. Friday night against the Phillies (PHI 10, MIN 4), the Twins added their second and third home runs of the season, with Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco doing the honors against Nick Pivetta. Polanco's home run was part of a cycle, the first in MLB in 2019. Here are all four hits to complete the cycle, with a fifth hit thrown in for good measure: Polanco got the hard part out of the way early. He tripled in the first. Polanco then singled in the third, homered in the fifth, and doubled in the seventh to complete the cycle. It's the first cycle since Charlie Blackmon had one last September 30. Polanco's cycle is the 15th in franchise history and 11th since the franchise moved to Minnesota. Here are the team's last five cycles prior to Friday night: Michael Cuddyer: May 22, 2009 vs. Brewers May 22, 2009 vs. Brewers Jason Kubel: April 17, 2009 vs. Angels April 17, 2009 vs. Angels Carlos Gomez: May 7, 2008 vs. White Sox May 7, 2008 vs. White Sox Kirby Puckett: August 1, 1986 vs. Athletics August 1, 1986 vs. Athletics Gary Ward: September 18, 1980 vs. Brewers The Twins signed Polanco to a five-year, $25.75 million contract extension prior to spring training. He's a career .272/.330/.421 hitter and went into Friday's game 6 for 21 (.286) with two doubles and a triple on the young season.

HOLLYWOOD—Can you believe it after waiting what seemed like years, “The Young and the Restless” have finally brought Adam Newman back to the foray. I will admit Michael Munhey made the character iconic, and Justin Hartley came on board and made the character his own. That is very difficult to do in the soap arena and a rare accomplishment to say the least. Rather Mark Grossman can fill the shoes previously held by Munhey and Hartley only time will tell, but it looks like “Y&R” is finally looking to bring back a worthy villain to the soap world. So at last, the audience finally knows exactly what Victor has been up to with all those secret trips to Las Vegas. At first I thought it would be Victoria who would discover what dear ole dad was up to, but nope, it’s the one woman who I secretly think has always held a special place in Adam’s heart. That person is Sharon. Yes, Rey was hired by Nikki to find out exactly what her hubby was up to. Rey confronted a psychiatrist that Victor had apparently hired. As Rey and Sharon dug, Victor was forced to spill the truth to Sharon. Yes, he admitted that Adam Newman is very much alive and did not die in that cabin explosion. Sharon was flabbergasted by the revelation. Not just because Adam was alive, but Victor wanted her to travel back down a slippery slope to help Adam. Hmm, I see where this is headed, another complicated love triangle just when Sharon was in a happy place with Rey, her former lover Adam returns from the grave. Sharon is afraid to go down that rabbit hole, and once Rey learned all the mayhem Adam put Sharon thru, he should be worried if he regains his memory. Yes, Adam has amnesia and cannot remember anything before the explosion. So typical in the soap world America, but I sense Adam’s return is about to deliver some juicy stories in the coming weeks. Why? Melissa Claire Egan is slated to reprise her role as Chelsea Newman. Remember last time we say Chelsea she was on the run with Connor after being exposed by Phyllis of all people. This should be epic fun because it will give Nick something to do, not to mention it changes everything for Nick with Christian. Remember Christian is Adam’s son, not Nick’s, and Adam never came face-to-face with his child with Sage. Oh, this is perfect timing to see some iconic characters return to “Y&R” to infuse a bit of drama to the soap, which has been lackluster a bit lately. Kyle and Lola finally consummated their relationship, which has scorned Summer to a degree. I mean they’re married, and they have to work together, and it’s causing all types of friction at Jabot. It was just a matter of time before Summer’s antics came back to haunt her, but we also know how devious Summer can be when she wants something. Remember her seduction of Billy? In other relationship news in the Rosales family, it seems Mia and Arturo just can’t keep their hands off one another. They sunk their relationships and there isn’t much they can do to change the outcome at this point, but Paul cuffed Mia as the clues about her role in Lola’s attack came to light. And perhaps in one of the most out of left-field moves, I sense the writers might be pairing Cane and Traci? It feels that way, but I cannot be 100 percent certain. Also it is fun to finally see Devon move on after Hilary with Elena of all people, someone who has suffered an immense loss in her lifetime as well. So Adam Newman is about to be the catalyst for the return of some major “Y&R” characters, I’m sensing November sweeps will be epic compared to May sweeps.<doc-sep>The Young and the Restless spoilers reveal Sharon’s life changing drastically in the coming days. The news of Adam’s returns is shocking but nothing can prepare her for the things that follow. It’s Actually Him? ! Sharon (Sharon Case) truly loved Adam once so hearing he is alive and needs help shakes her to the core. How can she turn her back on someone who touched her life so deeply? Heck, they even kidnapped each other’s babies once upon a time. There is no bond stronger than that right? The only problem is, they have to find him first. Spoilers reveal Sharon gets her search started by making a round of calls to Adam’s phone. Sadly, all her calls go directly to voicemail. The good news is the voice on the message confirms it really is Adam. The bad news is, he definitely does not want to talk right now. Thankfully, Adam will want to touch base later. He sends a text to Sharon agreeing to meet. However, there are a few conditions. He must come alone and she cannot expect much. Adam has no idea who he really is and may not want to learn. Heck, even Nikki gets in on this one and can’t believe what Victor and Sharon are telling her, but it’s all good, Victor says. Nikki knows now so no need to argue. Sure, Victor. A Secret Meeting Sharon will oblige and head to the park to sit and wait for the man of the hour. Adam will show, but will he reintroduce himself? Not yet at least. Instead, he will lurk behind the tree to stalk this lady who claims to be his friend. Will this be a …continue reading on the next page —><doc-sep>Young and the Restless spoilers promise Adam Newman (Mark Grossman) is under suspicion of faking amnesia as soon as he returns. If he expected a red carpet welcome, nuAdam should think again. In fact, many in his family suspect from the get-go that he’s back to his old scamming ways. Here are some hot new Y&R spoilers for the week of May 13 and May 20 for the CBS soap. Young and the Restless Spoilers: Adam Newman Unwelcome in Genoa City The Y&R spoilers for the next two weeks say that the Newman family and those close to it are sharply divided on Adam Newman’s return. For instance, Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) doesn’t trust him one bit. He doesn’t want this stranger near Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) or their children. So, Billy has his guard up from the start. Other Young and the Restless spoilers say that Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) is more welcoming. He and Adam Newman had a pseudo father-son relationship at one point. So, he’s happy to see his former protege survived the big boom. And, of course, Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) and Victor Newman (Eric Braeden Gudegast) are thrilled. Y&R Spoilers: Adam Newman Faking Amnesia or Really Lost? One family member not happy to see Adam back from the dead is half brother Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow). Of course, Nick is thinking about Christian Newman and what this return means. Young and the Restless spoilers promise Nick wants to keep his adopted son at all costs. So, he doesn’t welcome the news and warns everyone that his brother is a schemer. In fact, Y&R spoilers say that Nick Newman is certain that Adam is running a con and this amnesia is fake. Why? Because Adam Newman is due back in prison to serve out a decade for attacking the prison guard. But, if he’s an amnesiac, Adam and Victor could try and appeal the sentence and put him at a mental health facility until he’s “cured” then let him loose. Adam Is a Known Con-Man on Young and the Restless, so… The last time that Adam Newman came back from Genoa City after dying, he was another person. But that was a knowing choice, remind Y&R spoilers. He was running the Gabriel Bingham scheme since he had a new face. Now, they are pretending this decade younger Adam Newman’s face is the same as the one that entered the cabin… Aside from that, Young and the Restless spoilers seem convinced that Adam truly lost his memories. Or he’s committed to this con deeply. If so, he tricked The Mustache and Sharon for sure. If Adam Newman is faking memory loss, he’s doing it very convincingly. Because he even fooled the psychiatrist, if that’s the case. Then again, it could be legit. Y&R Spoilers: Return Brings Back Others to GC Young and the Restless spoilers tease that the prodigal son’s return invites others to come back. Both Chloe Mitchell (Elizabeth Hendrickson) and Chelsea Newman (Melissa Claire Egan) are back soon. And both have ties to Adam. Unraveling his legal mess would be easier if Chloe admits setting him up for the murder charge – although she said back then she didn’t do it. Of course, Y&R spoilers promise that Chelsea has one of Adam’s two kids and seeing them might trigger his memories to return. Before the women are back, you can bet that Nick makes a big stink accusing Adam Newman of faking amnesia. And it will be hard to convince him otherwise since Adam’s return brings Nick inevitable heartbreak on the CBS sudsfest. See Soap Dirt for lots of more Young and the Restless spoilers.<doc-sep>

‘Young and the Restless’ spoilers indicate that With Rey Rosales (Jordi Vilasuso) and Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) hot on Victor Newman’s (Eric Braeden) trail, things are about to to heat up in a big way. Here’s what you need to know. ‘Young and the Restless’ Spoilers: Victor Tells All – CBS Releases Shocking New ‘Adam Is Alive’ Promo For the last few weeks, Victor has been acting incredibly out of character. Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) first noticed it when she found a bill for a psychiatrist. The Young and the Restless spoilers tease that it was not in his name and actually there wasn’t a name on it at all. We all know that he would not see one, so is Victor paying for someone else to see a psychiatrist? This all seemed fishy to her so that is one of the reasons that she hired Rey to help her find him and find out what is really going on. Rey and Sharon followed him all the way to Vegas to see him hanging out with some really shady characters. He is gambling and just acting differently; not at all like the Victor we know and love. In Vegas, Victor realizes that they are following him and he decides to confess everything that has been happening. What does he tell them? Y&R spoilers relate that things escalate quickly when Victor tells them that Adam Newman (Mark Grossman) is alive! This springs up a lot of questions for Sharon. Where has Adam been and is he the patient that Victor is taking care of? Does this mean that Adam’s mental health is not the best? If you all remember, the last time we saw Adam was when he was in the cabin and it exploded! Could he possibly have wounds that Victor has been paying for? Did he lose his memory or did something worse happen to him? There are so many questions that we are asking, along with Sharon. We should be able to get many of these answers in the next week or so. We know that Mark Grossman has been contracted to play Adam and from what we have read and heard, we know that Adam will appear again in May. As May is now here, we are ready to see what happened to Adam and if he is able to remember any of his friends and family. Things will definitely begin to heat up soon for the Young and the Restless. [embedpost postid=”9329″]

The Florida Gators take on Arkansas and have to beat the Razorbacks twice in the College World Series before Arkansas can manage one win. The teams are 2-2 versus each other this season with Florida taking the home series 2-1 and the Razorbacks with an 8-2 win in the SEC Tournament a few weeks ago. We will have live updates on tonight’s 8 p.m. game here. TV: ESPN Florida will start ace Brady Singer Friday night, the National Player of the Year in college baseball. The Razorbacks will counter with Isaiah Campbell. Neither pitcher had good outings against the other team when they faced them earlier in Gainesville. Arkansas has gotten to this point because of an explosive offense. They have scored at least eight runs in eight of their last 14 games. The Gators are 7-3 so far in the NCAA Tournament, but have only scored more than six runs in three of their last 17 contests. Singer is going to have his work cut out for him. Keep it tuned here for all the latest updates and follow along with our free message board chat with fellow GATORS FANS about the contest. Gators Lineup vs Arkansas 1 Deacon Liput SS 2 Nelson Maldonado DH 3 Jonathan India 3B 4 Wil Dalton RF 5 J.J. Schwarz 1B 6 Austin Langworthy LF 7 Blake Reese 2B 8 Brady Smith C 9 Nick Horvath CF Runs Hits Err Arkansas 5 11 1 Final Florida 2 3 2 SCORING ** Arkansas' Casey Martin scored from second on a single to right-center by Luke Bonfield in the first inning. ** Martin scores again on a single to right field from Dominic Fletcher. ** Martin scored for the third time on a fielder's choice third to first by Bonfield in the top of the fifth. ** Dominic Fletcher bombs a solo home run deep to right in the top of the fifth. ** Gators' Austin Langworthy scored on a Brady Smith single to right field in the bottom of the fifth. ** Gators' Blake scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth. ** Razorback Jax Biggers scored on an infield hit by Casey Martin. HOT POINTS ** Brady Singer at 29 pitches after the first inning. ** Razorbacks strand three runners through first two innings. ** Arkansas pitcher Isaiah Campbell strikes out the side in the second and has four K's in a row. ** Singer has 65 pitches after three innings. ** Arkansas stranded five base runners through first three innings. ** Campbell struck out six Gators the first time through the order (three innings). ** Campbell stays perfect by getting the first 12 Gator batters out. ** Singer will be replaced to start the sixth inning by freshman Tommy Mace. ** Razorback Casey Martin is 4-for-4 through six innings and scored three times. ** Freshman Tommy Mace through 3.0 innings, no earned runs and four strikeouts. Latest from the CWS: Brady Singer will start vs Arkansas / Freshmen battery was huge in CWS win over Texas Tech / Gators eliminate Texas Tech from the CWS Schwarz back in the swing of things There wasn’t a sight much more welcome than senior captain J.J. Schwarz belting a two-run home run into the left field bull pen for the Gators Thursday night. Schwarz, who missed about a month of baseball before playing his first game back in the College World Series opener on Sunday was understandably rusty. Maybe Thursday’s shot is a sign that he’s back and he kind of felt that way following the win over Texas Tech. “I definitely felt a little better, played a little more comfortable. But I think today (Thursday) was a good step in the right direction. Obviously you guys could tell I wasn't very comfortable the first couple of games. “A little rusty, but I think I'm definitely getting the hang of things again.” Schwarz’ absence has been noticeable in terms of just the way the team functions. He isn’t able to catch still because he can’t throw the ball well enough, but he is playing first and just having him back as a senior and team captain has been a big deal. It’s also very important for him. “I wouldn't miss this for the world,” he said about playing in Omaha. “So playing through injury, I don't have to think twice about it. It's a huge game. And obviously for a reason I'm going to be out there and impact the game with my teammates on the field.” Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan knows the importance of having Schwarz back. “You can see how they're pitching them,” O’Sullivan said. “First time back. Seeing a lot of breaking balls and a lot of spin. And he just demands a lot of respect. “And they pitch him differently. And I think he's our team captain. Everybody's excited he is back. And a lot of guys may not be playing (with his injury). He's playing with a broken finger. It's usually a four- to six-week deal and probably more towards the six-week part. The Gators aren’t in a good position having to beat the Razorbacks twice, but Florida has been in this position before and been able to fight through it. “It's definitely not a position we ideally want to be in to win two, Schwarz said. “We'd like to be in the driver's seat. We're not. Our backs are against the wall. I think we've shown it all year that we respond really well to when our backs are against the wall. “We're facing a very good Arkansas team and we're very familiar with them and they're very familiar with us. So it's going to be a battle.” O’Sullivan saw the matchup with Arkansas as inevitable. “When we started looking at the bracket, before we got out here, figured it would be probably a point in time we're going to play them,” O’Sullivan said. “If we were fortunate enough to play well enough to get to the second game or come out of the loser's bracket, that's what's happened. “I'm sure they feel the same way as we do. They're familiar with us; we're familiar with them. And (I’ve) got a great deal of respect for Dave and his program. “Let's be honest, we're going to have to play really well here the next couple of days if we want to move on. So the whole focus right now is just going to be tomorrow. I know Brady's starting. I know Isaiah Campbell is probably going to start. And we'll see what happens. Hopefully we can get a chance to play on Saturday. It's really that simple.” Join the discussion with fellow FLORIDA fans as the Gators look to advance in the College World Series HERE.<doc-sep>The Arkansas Razorbacks are going to the College World Series Finals. The Hogs defeated the Florida Gators 5-2 to advance to play either Mississippi State or Oregon State on Monday. The Bulldogs and Beavers play Saturday for the right to advance to face Arkansas, and the final series will be the best two of three. Arkansas received an incredible pitching outing from Isaiah Campbell, who threw 5.1 innings and allowed just two earned runs. Campbell recorded the most strikeouts in a College World Series game for Arkansas with eight, and he out-dueled the National Pitcher of the Year in Brady Singer from Florida. Offensively, freshman Casey Martin carried the Hogs, going 4-for-5 with three runs and one RBI. Dominic Fletcher also added a big-time home run. Man, that’s a sweet stroke. Florida has struggled offensively, and that carried over into Friday night’s game. Florida managed to record just three hits, and the top five hitters in the lineup finished just 1-for-20. Florida also made two costly errors.<doc-sep>Two costly errors and a rough start from starter Brady Singer combined with a ridiculous night from Razorback Casey Martin at the plate were enough to push No. 5 Arkansas (47-20) over the No. 1 Florida Gators 5-2, sending the Gators home from Omaha Friday night. The Razorbacks rode the arm of starter Isiah Campbell who likely had his best outing of the season against the Gators (49-21) as they struggled at the plate as well. Singer got behind quick on the pitch count. He threw 49 pitches through the first two innings and 65 through the third. He managed to strand seven Arkansas base runners through the first five innings of the game, but they also nibbled away for four costly runs on a night when Arkansas starter Isaiah Campbell was throwing B-B’s. Florida finished with just three hits as they were dumbfounded at the plate with Campbell on the mound and later with closer Matt Cronin. Martin was 4-for-5 scoring three times and the catalyst in the first five innings alone. Campbell (5.1 innings, 2 ER, 2 H, 8 SO, 0 BB) was just too much for the Gator batters mowing through the first nine batters easily. Runs Hits Err Arkansas 5 11 1 Final Florida 2 3 2 Martin hit a one-out bullet through the left side for a single to lead off the game in the first. Heston Kjerstad fouled out deep in right field and Martin moved to second. Luke Bonfield singled to right-center and Martin scored for the first time giving the Razorbacks a 1-0 lead after half an inning. Singer (5.0 innings, 4 ER, 7 H, 2 SO, 1 BB) would allow two on in the top of the second, but leave unscathed. He was up to 49 pitches through the first two innings. Martin opened up the top of the third with a line drive single to left field. Kjerstad hit one toward second base that Blake Reese couldn’t handle and there were two on and no out. Bonfield popped up to Deacon Liput at short for out one. Dominic Fletcher then lined a ball into right field scoring Martin. The Razorbacks had runners on the corners and one out. Singer struck out Carson Shaddy for out two and then enticed a ground out from Jared Gates limiting the damage. The Razorbacks could have had more, but led 2-0 after their half of the third. Campbell struck out two more Gators in the third in another 1-2-3 inning giving him six strikeouts the first time through the batting order. Singer finally got a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth with a spectacular diving stop and throw out by third baseman Jonathan India to end it. Martin had his third hit of the night with a double down the left field line to lead off the fifth inning. He advanced to third on a ground out to first by Kjerstad. Bonfield brings Martin home with a high chopper to third and India throws Bonfield out. Fletcher then planted a solo home run deep beyond the wall in right field and the Razorbacks led 4-0. Florida sophomore Wil Dalton was robbed of a single up the middle by an excellent play at second base in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, sophomore Austin Langworthy got the first hit and base runner of the night for Florida with a single to center. He was followed by a hit-by-pitch on Reese and the Gators had two on and two out. Brady Smith then stepped up and delivered an RBI single to right field scoring Langworthy and moving Reese to third. A wild pitch produced a run with Reese scoring and Smith moving to second. The Gators got two in the inning and left one on the base paths while cutting the Arkansas lead to 4-2. Freshman Tommy Mace took the mound for Florida Gates singled to lead off the sixth for the Razorbacks. Koch fouled out on the right side. Jax Biggers reached on a tough throw and error from Reese at second to Mace covering first and then both runners advanced to scoring position and one out. Mace struck out Cole swinging for out two. Martin singles with a slow roller to Reese who had no chance and Biggers scored and left runners on the corners with two outs. Mace struck out Kjerstad to end it, but the Razorbacks extended their lead to 5-2. India reached first on a throwing error by shortstop to lead off the bottom of the sixth. After Maldonado popped up, the Razorbacks made a change on the mound after a terrific night from Campbell and went with Jake Reindl. Reindl enticed India to pop up to center and Dalton to hot a sharp shot but right at left field and the Gators went down without a fight. Schwarz had high praise for Campbell after the game. “I would say he was throwing way more strikes, and his fastball was playing up,” Schwarz eluded to what was different than the last time the gators faced Campbell in Gainesville. “It was a lot harder than the radar gun was showing. And I think that was evident by our swings. “He was throwing his slider at the right times, and he was playing off his fastball. So it was a tough night for us.” O’Sullivan, known for his prowess for coaching pitchers, was highly impressed with the night Campbell had on the mound. “(He was) a lot better than I thought,” O’Sullivan said. “He had a perfect game through four (innings). Didn't walk anybody. Once we got him in the stretch, it seemed like he lost some of his command, but it was certainly different pitcher than we saw in Gainesville, that's for sure. “I mean it was 94, 96, he was pounding the outer half of the zone and threw enough off-speed pitches to keep us off his fastball. He was good, really good tonight.” Langworthy walked with one out in the bottom of the seventh. That was followed by a four pitch walk of Reese. Reindl then struck out Smith and seduced Horvath into a grounder to third where he stepped on the bag for out three and no scoreboard damage. Razorback closer Matt Cronin started the eighth inning and despite giving up a line drive single from Liput to lead off the stanza, he got the next three out to head back to the dugout. Bonfield registered a two-out single to right-center in the top of the ninth, but Mace left the ninth unscathed. The Gators finished the ninth inning at the plate without getting a man on. Lost on the night was the play of Mace (4.0 innings, 0 ER, 4 H, 2 SO, 1 BB) who could have been the starter in the contest. But, credit the Razorbacks and their 11 hits while really shutting down the Gators at the plate for the big win. Singer was complimentary of a team that has gotten the best of him three times in the last two seasons. “They're one of the best offensive teams I've ever faced,” said the Gators’ ace who will be leaving for the Kansas City Royals soon. “I don't know. I feel like in a career, a lot of teams will do that to certain people. Sometimes you're just unlucky. But they're one of the best offensive teams I've ever faced, if not the best.” “I think they're ultra-aggressive. I threw some pitches, but they capitalized on the bad ones. I think that's what a good hitting team does. I could have obviously made some better pitches, probably 0-2 especially. But they were just aggressive on the bad pitches.” The No. 5 Razorbacks, who finished 3-2 against Florida this year including beating the Gators in the SEC Tournament and the College World Series, has the utmost respect from Florida’s skipper. I really do like playing Arkansas, because they're always well coached,” O’Sullivan said. “They play extremely well. It's almost as if we're playing ourselves. “They're playing at a very high level right now.<doc-sep>

Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn had a simple message for his Razorbacks before they played Florida for a spot in the College World Series finals Friday night. "I don’t care if they have the best player in the SEC and the best pitcher in the SEC, we have to take it to them tonight," Van Horn said he told them. Isaiah Campbell, a 24th-round draft pick who got rocked by Florida three months ago, won his matchup against Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year and first-rounder Brady Singer in convincing fashion. Arkansas freshman third baseman Casey Martin went 4-for-5 and scored three times. His counterpart at third, SEC player of the year and No. 5 overall draft pick Jonathan India, was 0-for-4. The Razorbacks took it to them, just like Van Horn wanted, and earned their way into the best-of-three finals next week with a 5-2 win over the defending national champion Gators. Arkansas (47-19) has never gone to the CWS finals since the NCAA tournament went to its current structure in 1999. The Razorbacks were runners-up in 1979 in their only appearance in a championship game. Florida (49-21), the No. 1 overall seed, lost for the first time in eight NCAA elimination games. The Gators were looking to get to the finals for the second straight year and fourth time since 2005. Martin, who grew up three hours from Fayetteville in Lonoke (population 4,200), grew up watching the Razorbacks and choked up when discussing what it meant to be in the finals. "Honestly, I never thought I’d be here," he said. "I dreamed about it my whole life. Dreamed to play for this team. Dreamed to start my freshman year. I’m just super excited to play for these guys. Some careers end here and some don’t. I just want to do what I can for each of them." The run to the championship round might not have happened Friday if it hadn’t been for Campbell (5-6). The sophomore limited Florida to two hits over 5⅓ innings, more than atoning for his worst performance of the season when he faced the Gators in the teams’ SEC opening series in March. In that game, he lasted only an inning and allowed six runs in a game the Razorbacks lost 17-2. "I had it in the back of my mind when I woke up this morning," said Campbell, who was drafted by the Angels earlier this month. "I know I didn’t help the team at all in that start. It’s one of my worst starts of the year. I didn’t think about it too much once I got to the field. I was ready to give our team a chance to win." Campbell was at his best this time, matching his career high with eight strikeouts and leaving with a 5-2 lead. Meanwhile, Arkansas scored four times in five innings against Singer, who took both of the Gators’ losses in the CWS and was beaten for the second time this season by the Razorbacks. Campbell’s performance was the highlight so far in his comeback from bone spurs in his right (throwing) elbow, which forced him to take a medical redshirt in 2017. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder’s fastball touched the mid-90s and his cutter and slider mid-80s, and he struck out six of the first nine Florida batters and held the Gators hitless until there were two outs in the fifth. Asked if he thought Campbell was capable of such a performance, Gators coach Kevin O’Sullivan said: "I’ll answer that honestly. Yeah, he was a lot better than I thought. He had a perfect game through four. Once we got him into the stretch, he lost some command. He was certainly a different pitcher than we saw in Gainesville. He was 94-96 (mph) pounding the outer half of the zone and threw enough off-speed to keep us off his fastball." The Gators managed only three hits against Campbell, Jake Reindl and Matt Cronin — the fourth time this season they were held to three or fewer and first since May 13. Singer (12-3), the No. 18 overall draft pick by the Kansas City Royals, gave up Martin’s double and Dominic Fletcher’s 10th home run of the season before leaving in the fifth. The four earned runs against Singer were the most he’s allowed since Arkansas got to him for six on March 23 in what was his first loss of the season. "I think they’re ultra-aggressive," Singer said.

By PTI NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Saturday said she prefixed 'chowkidar' to her name on Twitter as she was doing "chowkidari" of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad. Asked by a Twitter user why she, being the foreign minister and the "most sensible" BJP leader, had added the 'chowkidar' prefix to her name on the microblogging site, Swaraj tweeted, "Because I am doing Chowkidari of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad." Because I am doing Chowkidari of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad. https://t.co/dCgiBPsagz — Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) 30 March 2019 Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the "Main Bhi Chowkidar" (I too am a watchman) campaign to blunt the Congress's "Chowkidar Chor Hai" (the watchman is a thief) jibe at him. He had prefixed his Twitter handle with 'chowkidar' and almost all BJP leaders and Union ministers including Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Nirmala Sitharaman followed suit. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been targeting Modi over alleged irregularities in the Rafale fighter jet deal. He has often used the "Chowkidar Chor Hai" slogan while accusing the prime minister of wrongdoings in the deal.<doc-sep>An Indian tweeter who calls himself @engineer_gt on Saturday asked foreign minister Sushma Swaraj why, despite being 'the only one most sensible' in the BJP, she wanted to call herself a chowkidar. 'Ma'm we thought you were our Foreign Minister. The only one most sensible in BJP. Why do you call yourself Chowkidar,' @engineer_gt asked. Sushma replied: 'Because I am doing Chowkidari of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad.' Around 2.25 pm, when the status of the minister's messages was checked, the minister's handle showed that her reply was pinned. Users generally pin their own tweets when they want visibility for it or want to send out a message. A pinned tweet, unless it is unpinned, appears as the topmost tweet on the user's page, thereby gaining visibility. The question to Sushma came after multiple tweets from the minister on an Indian couple who were stabbed in Munich. Sushma, as she has done several times before, was giving details on the case and the Indian consulate's effort to assist the family. The reply by her triggered a wave of 'well said Mam' tweets. It also elicited a response from @niiravmodi - his display name is Chowkidar Nirav Modi - who wrote: 'Madam, I am also doing chowkidari of my interest and Mota bhai interest. Bas jail Taj Hotel mein Rakhna hai.' Among these largely adulatory messages, were some tweets that asked how long the ministers would continue to call themselves chowkidars. @sushankmandal wanted to know: 'Ma'am aap chunawo se phele toh aapne aap ko chokidar nhi bolti thi. Yeh naam badalne wala natak kab tak chalega (You never called yourself chowkidar before the approaching of the elections, Ma'am. For how long will this name changing drama be on).' To be fair to @sushankmandal, he did mention that he knew that Sushma is a 'hardworking minister'. The oddness of the chowkidar prefix got a more nuanced poke from @chawlamanu. 'Madam you have been always doing that selflessly throughout your political career. It seemed a bit odd to us to see the salutation in front of your name,' he wrote. Many Sushma fans also admonished @engineer_gt for asking such a question. Neither Sushma, nor any ministry official had replied to the tweets till afternoon.<doc-sep>Sushma Swaraj/PTI External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has proved her wit time and again. This morning too she had a candid reply for a Twitter user who questioned her 'Chowkidar' prefix. A Twitter user asked Swaraj on the social networking site as to why she called herself Chowkidar. This comes after many ministers of the Modi government, including her, prefixed 'Chowkidar' in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' campaign. 'Ma'am, we thought you were our Foreign Minister. The only one most sensible in BJP. Why do you call yourself Chowkidar," he said in his tweet. To this, Swaraj responded: "Because I am doing Chowkidari of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad." Often known for her personal engagement with the social networking audience, Swaraj has been a popular face among the masses when it comes to displaying wit and humour. ALSO READ | 'I will have to consult volcano', Sushma Swaraj's Twitter comment leaves followers in splits ALSO READ | 'Mera Bharat mahaan, meri madam mahaan': Indian national Hamid Ansari, mother meet EAM Sushma Swaraj ALSO READ | Swaraj Kaushal takes on Twitter troll attacking Sushma Swaraj for Muslim appeasement by retweeting it<doc-sep>External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is known for her wit on Twitter. And she displayed it once again on Saturday morning when she replied to a question posed to her on the social networking site. Swaraj, who had changed her Twitter handle to Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ campaign, was asked why she called herself Chowkidar. In his question, the person wrote, “Ma’,m we thought you were our Foreign Minister. The only one most sensible in BJP. Why do you call yourself Chowkidar.” The person was replying to her tweet regarding the death of an Indian in a stabbing incident in Munich. In response to the question, Swaraj tweeted, “Because I am doing Chowkidari of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad.” Swaraj is known for her personal engagement with people on Twitter in addressing their concerns. This is one of the primary reasons that make her popular on the social media platform. In 2017, a Twitter user had written to her on the micro-blogging site saying, “I am stuck on mars, food sent via Mangalyaan (987 days ago), is running out, when is Mangalyaan-II being sent ? @isro” In response, Swaraj had tweeted, “Even if you are stuck on the Mars, Indian Embassy there will help you.”<doc-sep>

Sushma Swaraj is known for her prompt responses on Twitter to calls for help from Indians abroad. Highlights Sushma Swaraj was asked why she added ''Chowkidar'' to her Twitter handle Doing Chowkidari of Indian interests, Indian nationals abroad, she said She is known for prompt responses to calls for help from Indians abroad Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, who tweeted today that an Indian man was stabbed to death in Germany, responded to a person asking why she added the prefix ''Chowkidar(watchman)'' to her name on Twitter. A Twitter asked her why user she, the "most sensible" BJP leader, had added the word ''Chowkidar'' to her Twitter handle. "Because I am doing Chowkidari of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad," Ms Swaraj replied. Because I am doing Chowkidari of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad. https://t.co/dCgiBPsagz — Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 30, 2019 Sushma Swaraj said an Indian man died and his wife was injured after they were stabbed by an immigrant near Munich in Germany, Ms Swaraj said. "Indian couple Prashant and Smita Basarur were stabbed by an immigrant near Munich. Unfortunately, Prashant has expired. Smita is stable. We are facilitating the travel of Prashant''s brother to Germany. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family," Mr Swaraj tweeted. Sushma Swaraj, who is known for her prompt responses on Twitter to calls for help from Indians abroad, said she has asked Indian mission in Munich to take care of the couple's two children. Earlier this month, Ms Swaraj had put out an appeal on Twitter after four Indians were killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash. Ms Swaraj sought help with contacting the family of one of the victims, saying there was no response on her husband's number. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the "Main Bhi Chowkidar(I am also a watchman)" campaign earlier this month after attacks by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, adding the prefix to his Twitter account. On cue, many BJP leaders and ministers did the same. There is hardly a prominent BJP account without "Chowkidar" before their name.

Dinesh Karthik has been left out of the squad. (Reuters) The BCCI selection committee led by MSK Prasad has announced a 14-member squad for the first two One Day Internationals (ODIs) against the West Indies team. The Indian captain Virat Kohli has made a comeback and will lead the side for the first time in ODI cricket after the series in England. Rishabh Pant has been picked up for the first time in the ODI team but MS Dhoni will be the man behind the wickets. Dinesh Karthik has been left out of the squad. Kedar Jadhav who was crucial for India during the Asia Cup will not be a part of the side after injuring his hamstring again during the final of Asia cup. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested for the first two one-dayers again and the young Khaleel Ahmed will again get a chance to prove himself in the first two games if he is given an opportunity. Rohit Sharma will return to his role of vice-captain after having a successful run as the captain of the Indian team during the Asia Cup. It will be interesting to see if KL Rahul is given a chance to open the innings as both Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have been the pillars of the top order in the limited overs format. Ravindra Jadeja has also retained his spot after a good outing during the Asia cup. Here is the full squad: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma (VC), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni (wk), Rishabh Pant, R Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, KL Rahul.<doc-sep>Rishabh Pant has been included in the Indian squad for the first two ODIs against West Indies on October 21 (Guwahati) and 24 (Visakhapatnam). Pant was in the fray after a Test hundred against England at The Oval and a fine 92 against West Indies in the first Test in Rajkot. Virat Kohli, who was rested from the Asia Cup, returns for the first two ODIs of the five-match series and will be available throughout the series. Rohit Sharma, who led India successfully in the Asia Cup, has been named Kohli's deputy. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been rested for the first two matches against West Indies. Mohammed Shami returned to the ODI squad while Khaleel Ahmed has retained his place. Shardul Thakur, who had to leave the Asia Cup with an injury, has also been named in the squad. Ravindra Jadeja, who came on as a replacement during the Asia Cup and impressed with his all-round performances, has also retained his place in the team. Hardik Pandya is not yet fully fit and chief selector MSK Prasad said he will be ready for selection in the second week of November. India squad for first 2 ODIs vs West Indies: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma (Vice-Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, KL Rahul<doc-sep>Jason Holder will lead the Windies team against India in the upcoming ODI series, while Carlos Brathwaite will take charge in the T20I series. West Indies on Monday announced their 15-member squads for the upcoming limited-overs series. West Indies will play five one-day international matches and three T20 international matches against India. The squads do not include West Indies limited-overs heavyweights like Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine and Chris Gayle. Russell has been omitted from the ODI squad but has been included in the T20s. However, Kieron Pollard and Darren Bravo will be part of the teams for the T20I series. Gayle had made himself unavailable for selection, according to Courtney Browne, the chairman of the selection panel. The squads include three uncapped players – Chandrapaul Hemraj, allrounder Fabian Allen and pacer Oshane Thomas. While Hemraj features in the ODI squad only, Allen and Thomas are part of the T20 squad too. Opening batsman Evin Lewis, who had turned down a central white-ball contract last week, features in both squads. Here are the two squads: West Indies squad for ODIs Jason Holder (C), Fabian Allen, Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Oshane Thomas West Indies squad for T20Is Carlos Brathwaite (C), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Khary Pierre, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Oshane Thomas India vs West Indies Schedule 1st ODI: October 21, Guwahati 2nd ODI: October 24, Indore 3rd ODI: October 27, Pune 4th ODI: October 29, Mumbai 5th ODI: November 1, Thiruvananthapuram 1st T20: November 4, Kolkata 2nd T20: November 6, Lucknow 3rd T20: November 11, Chennai<doc-sep>Rishabh Pant Named in Indian ODI Squad for First Two Matches Versus Windies Hyderabad: Rishabh Pant’s impressive form in his recent Test outings against England and Windies has earned him his maiden call-up into the Indian ODI squad for the first two matches of the five-game series against Windies starting on October 21 in Guwahati. Pant has replaced Dinesh Karthik in the squad. In his 28 match List A career so far, Pant has scored 838 runs at an average of 28.09, with one century and five half-centuries. The 15-man squad also sees the return of Virat Kohli as captain after he sat out of the Asia Cup recently. Also back in the mix is fast bowler Mohammad Shami, who last played an ODI over a year ago. Shami has taken 91 wickets in 50 ODIs over his career at an average of 25.37. Hardik Pandya & Kedar Jadhav, who both picked up injuries during the Asia Cup, continue to be on the sidelines. Ravindra Jadeja, who was drafted into the Asia Cup squad after an injury to Axar Patel, has kept his place as has left-arm pace bowler Khaleel Ahmed. However, the selectors have chosen to rest the first choice fast bowling pair of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Both played the Asia Cup but were rested for the Test series against Windies. Squad (for first two ODIs): Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni (wicket-keeper),Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, KL Rahul.<doc-sep>

The BCCI has announced the squad for the first two ODIs of the upcoming ODI series against West Indies. The squad marks the return of regular skipper Virat Kohli, who skipped the Asia Cup that India won under the stand-in captaincy of Rohit Sharma. Rishabh Pant, who was not part of the ODI squad that toured the UAE for the Asia Cup, found a place along with first-choice limited-overs wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and could make his ODI debut. He replaces Dinesh Karthik, who was the backup keeper during the Asia Cup that India clinched last month, for the seventh time overall. The bowling attack has a few changes to it - Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, two of India's most trusted white-ball pacers, have been rested, with the likes of Shardul Thakur and Khaleel Ahmed making the cut. Mohammed Shami, who last played an ODI in 2017 against Australia, has been recalled to the squad. Hardik Pandya and Kedar Jadhav, who injured themselves during the Asia Cup, have been left out of the squad. While Pandya had injured his back, Jadhav had suffered hamstring issues. Ravindra Jadeja, who returned to the ODI setup recently and also scored his maiden Test century in the ongoing series against the Windies, has found a place in the squad. Axar Patel, who had injured his index finger, was replaced in the Asia Cup squad by Jadeja, while Pandya had made way for Deepak Chahar. The ODI series begins with the first game at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, on October 21. The five-match series ends with the ODI at Thiruvananthapuram on November 1. A three-match T20I series will be played after the five ODI Here's the complete squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni (wk), Rishabh Pant, R Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, KL Rahul

France clinched its second World Cup title with a 4-2 win over Croatia in a dramatic final in Moscow featuring a series of firsts and a pitch invasion orchestrated by Russian protest group Pussy Riot. France v/s Croatia, FIFA World Cup 2018 FINAL - How It Happened After the match, a host of awards were handed out to the top performers of the tournament. Here is the complete list of awards Young Player of the Tournament: Kylian Mbappe, France Golden Ball (Best Player of the Tournament): Luka Modric, Croatia Golden Boot (Top-scorer of the Tournament): Harry Kane, England (Six Goals) Golden Glove (Best Goal-Keeper of the Tournament): Thibaut Courtois, Belgium Also read An excellent match: PM Modi congratulates Macron after France lifts World Cup 2018 France led 2-1 at halftime courtesy of the first own-goal and the first video-reviewed penalty in a World Cup final. The own-goal off the top of Mario Mandzukic's head was the 12th of the tournament. That's double the previous World Cup record of six. Croatia rallied to equalize on a terrific left-foot strike by Ivan Perisic, but France took the lead right back when Perisic handled the ball in the area. Argentine referee Nestor Pitana initially didn't call the handball but awarded the spot kick after a video review. Antoine Griezmann converted the penalty to put France back in front. Also read France trounce spirited Croatia to lift World Cup after 20 years Four pitch invaders disrupted the game in the 52nd minute for about a minute before being dragged away by security and police. Punk rock group Pussy Riot quickly claimed responsibility for the pitch invasion via social media, saying it was a protest aimed at ending illegal arrests of protesters and to allow political competition in Russia. Play resumed and France quickly took a 4-1 lead with goals from Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe in the 59th and 65th minutes before Mario Mandzukic pulled one back for the Croatians in the 69th. Croatia was playing in its first World Cup final. For France, it was a first World Cup crown since winning on home soil in 1998. (Inputs from PTI)<doc-sep>Despite seeing his team bested in the World Cup final in a 4-2 loss to France, Croatia’s Luka Modric was awarded the Golden Ball trophy for best player at the tournament. Modric was the key cog in a Croatian midfield what was arguably the best we saw in Russia. In seven matches at the 2018 World Cup, the Real Madrid midfield orchestrator registered two goals and one assist while completing 368 passes. Unfortunately even Modric’s excellent form in the center of the park wasn’t enough to see Croatia over the line against a France team that simply outmatched it for quality during the 90 minutes plus stoppage time of the final. While awarding the tournament MVP to a player on the losing team in the final may seem counterintuitive, there’s actually a surprisingly long history of players who fail to lift the World Cup, garnering best player honors. The first time it happened was at the 1938 World Cup when Brazilian striker Leonidas received the honors, despite not even appearing in the final, in which Italy beat Hungary. It happened again at the 1950 World Cup when Brazil’s Zizinho got the Golden Ball in a tournament that saw Brazil bested by Uruguay in the final. At 1954 World Cup, Hungary’s Ferenc Puskas received the honor, despite his team losing the final to Germany. In the 1974 World Cup Dutch great Johan Cruyff was awarded the Golden Ball after captaining the celebrated “Clockwork Orange” Netherlands side of the early Seventies to a final in which it lost to Germany. Germany won the World Cup again in 1990, although Italy’s Salvatore Schillaci nabbed the Golden Boot, even though his team finished third. Story continues The last time France won the World Cup, back in 1998, the Golden Ball also went to a member of the side that lost the final, with Brazil great Ronaldo taking the honor. It happened again in 2002 with Germany’s Oliver Kahn taking the honor after his team lost that final to Brazil. In 2006, French great Zinedine Zidane overcame a notorious head-butt on Marco Materazzi and a losing final to Italy to claim the award. Uruguay’s Diego Forlane was on the third-place team in South Africa four years later but nonetheless went home with the Golden Ball. Even four years ago in Brazil, we saw a dejected Lionel Messi awarded the Golden Ball, despite Argentina having lost the final to Germany. And it’s not just soccer. In the 1969 NBA Finals, Los Angeles Lakers’ point guard Jerry West was named MVP, despite the Lakers being upset by the Boston Celtics in the series. Luka Modric of Croatia poses with his Golden Ball award after the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Getty Images) More World Cup on Yahoo Sports: • Here are the top 18 moments of the 2018 World Cup • Belgium beats England to claim third place • Why England is here to stay despite disappointing finish • Slideshow: France, Croatia fans go wild during World Cup final<doc-sep>7 Griezmann Barcelona Midfielder France Antoine Griezmann got his hands on the World Cup trophy after scoring four goals during the tournament and acting as one of France's most important players. He scored their second goal in the final just before half-time to send the eventual winners on their way and was name as the game's man of the match. "I thought about doing a Panenka like Zidane, but I preferred to open out my foot," he said. "I am really happy. It was a difficult game, Croatia played really well. We went in a little shy and we let go of that bit by bit and we were able to make the difference. It's something really big," he said after the final. He landed three man of the match awards during the tournament, the same number as Modric. He landed the award against Australia, and in the quarter-final against Uruguay to. Of his four goals, three of them came from the penalty spot. Griezmann, along with Modric who won the Player of the Tournament award, is for the first time in his career one of the favourites to win the Balon d'Or ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.<doc-sep>The Golden Boot award is given to the top goalscorers at the World Cup. Officially, the award was first given out in 1982, when it was called the Golden Shoe. It was renamed the Golden Boot in 2010. Before the official designation of the award, the World Cup has been littered with stars leading the competition in scoring, including the great Eusebio, Gerd Muller, Leonidas and Just Fontaine. Listed below are the Golden Boot winners and top scorers in each World Cup dating back to the first 1930 event. In the event of a tie, assists are used as a tiebreaker: 1930 Uruguay – Guillermo Stábile, Argentina (8) 1934 Italy – Oldřich Nejedlý, Czechoslovakia (5) 1938 France – Leônidas, Brazil (7) 1950 Brazil – Ademir, Brazil (8) 1954 Switzerland – Sándor Kocsis, Hungary (11) 1958 Sweden – Just Fontaine, France (13) 1962 Chile – Flórián Albert, Hungary (4) Valentin Ivanov, Soviet Union Garrincha, Brazil Vavá, Brazil Dražan Jerković, Yugoslavia Leonel Sánchez, Chile 1966 England – Eusébio, Portugal (9) 1970 Mexico – Gerd Müller, West Germany (10) 1974 West Germany – Grzegorz Lato, Poland (7) 1978 Argentina – Mario Kempes, Argentina (6) 1982 Spain – Paolo Rossi, Italy (6) 1986 Mexico – Gary Lineker, England (6) 1990 Italy – Salvatore Schillaci, Italy (6) 1994 United States – Oleg Salenko, Russia (6) Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgaria 1998 France – Davor Šuker, Croatia (6) 2002 South Korea/Japan – Ronaldo, Brazil (8) 2006 Germany – Miroslav Klose, Germany (5) 2010 South Africa – Thomas Müller, Germany (5) David Villa, Spain Wesley Sneijder, Netherlands Diego Forlan, Uruguay 2014 Brazil – James Rodríguez, Colombia (6) 2018 Russia – Harry Kane, England (6)<doc-sep>

The FIFA World Cup 2018 ended on Sunday at Luzhniki Stadium after a month of excitement and exhilaration. France won the World Cup for the second time and ended Croatia's dream with a 4-2 victory in the finals. A total of 32 teams participated in the tournament and overall 169 goals were scored. Let's take a look at the individual award winners declared after the final: GOLDEN BALL AWARD Midfielder Luka Modric on Sunday won the Golden Ball Award, becoming the first Croatian in World Cup history to do so. Modric led his team for the first time to the World Cup finals and he covered most distance in the entire 2018 WC. Eden Hazard stood second and Antoine Griezmann stood third in the list of tournament's best players. YOUNG PLAYER AWARD France and Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe won the FIFA Young Player Award. The French teenager (19 years old) scored 4 goals, including a stunner in the final. He also became the second youngest player after Pele in the World Cup history to score a goal in the final. GOLDEN BOOT AWARD England forward Harry Kane finished as the top scorer with 6 goals in seven games and won the Golden Boot Award. A majority of the goals he scored came in the group stages and he scored just a single goal in the knockouts. Kane scored a hat-trick against Panama and two goals against Tunisia, and one against Colombia. GOLDEN GLOVE AWARD Belgium Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois won the Golden Glove Award after conceding only 6 goals in 7 games. He blocked more than 25 attempts from his opponents, the most by any goalkeeper in the tournament. With a saving rate of more than 80%, this man made some unbelievable saves, especially in the match against Neymar and Brazil. FAIR PLAY AWARD Spain was sent packing out of the tournament in the first stage of the knockouts, but they were declared as the most disciplined team of the tournament and won the Fair Play Award.

Southwest has been teasing it would begin flying to Hawaii for over a year, and now, it's finally official: The ever-popular budget carrier is now offering flights to the country's most far-flung state, and tickets on some routes launched at as low as just $49 each way. On Monday, Southwest announced its first flights to Hawaii will begin on March 17 on its Oakland to Honolulu route, with service from other West Coast cities rolling out in the coming months. And in case you were concerned the budget carrier's ticket prices to the Pacific archipelago wouldn't be as low as you'd hoped, worry not. When tickets first went on sale upon the announcement, you could nab a round-trip ticket there from Oakland for under $100, but as you might guess, these prices are sure to sell out quickly (if they haven’t already). Southwest said the insanely low fares are an introductory deal that ends on Tuesday, with regular fares to follow. You can scope out the full lineup of new Hawaii flights on the airline's just-launched Hawaii ticket portal. Here's when the new Hawaii routes will begin flying, according to a press release from the company:<doc-sep>Southwest Airlines On March 4, 2019, Southwest Airlines began selling tickets to Hawaii from the US mainland. The long-awaited announcement included the four California cities Southwest will fly from, as expected (San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento and Oakland) and the destinations (Oahu, Maui, Lanai and The Big Island.) The announcement of service, which begins March 14, also included something else not everyone had been expecting—tickets as low as $49 each way. The flight dates and prices came as welcome news to consumers, particularly those who snagged the $49 tickets. No doubt they provided some solace as well to those stranded by an East Coast snowstorm that cancelled 2500 flights, leaving frustrated passengers to dream of Hawaiian beaches. (Full disclosure: I own stock in Southwest Airlines and Jet Blue.) In addition to launching service from Oakland and San Jose with fares as low as $49 and $79 each way to Hawaii (San Diego and Sacramento service will be announced later) Southwest said a little about what that service will look like. The airline says it will provide seating with an “industry-leading 32-inch seat pitch” on Hawaii flights, along with “Islands-inspired drinks and snacks,” WiFi enabled planes and “100% free inflight entertainment” including movies and live TV. Southwest has put up a dedicated web page for information at Southwest.com/Hawaii. Although long expected, Southwest’s market entry was not so welcome at competitive airlines that already serve the Hawaiian market, including Alaska, Hawaiian, Delta, United and American. Getty For Southwest itself, the stock market reaction was not particularly positive, as the stock (LUV) declined -0.51 (-0.94%). But the new announcement had a much more pronounced effect on Hawaiian Air (HA:NASDAQ), which dropped $3.24 (-10.94%). Alaska Air (ALK), one of the volume leaders in flights to Hawaii from the West Coast, dropped -1.81 (-3.0%). While it was a bad day for the stock market in general, the three other major US airlines flying to Hawaii also declined. American dropped -0.92 (2.66%), United dropped -2.61 (-3.0%) while Delta declined slightly, by -0.17 (-0.3%). The competition problem for Hawaiian, although the airline has been established in the islands for 90 years, is obvious. (Not widely reported: Southwest is now offering four interisland flights a day between Honolulu and Kona on an introductory basis for $29 each way.) The prospect of overcapacity and/or the dread “fare war” also potentially threatens revenues and profits at the other carriers. Getty The race to the bottom (err, the race to preserve market share in a low fare environment) has already begun. Southwest’s competitors have responded with fares from the US mainland to Hawaii for as low as $197 roundtrip. For less than two hundred dollars, you can fly roundtrip from San Jose (SJC) or Oakland (Oak) to Kahului, Maui (OGG), or from Oakland to Honolulu (HNL). All three $197 round trips are Alaska Airlines Saver Fares, their version of Basic Economy, so luggage will be extra. (Southwest has promised to continue their “two bags fly free” policy to Hawaii.) Similarly, American Airlines is offering non-stop roundtrips from Phoenix (PHX) or LAX to Kona (KOA) on the Big Island for $257, also in Basic Economy. Other low fares are available from Delta and Sun Country. Low fares mean less revenues and lower profits, of course. In extreme cases the loser of such a fare war may end up drastically cutting back its presence in Hawaii or retreating from the islands altogether, as Allegiant did in 2017. Obviously, this is not a possibility for Hawaiian Air. Less obviously, the new low fares may mean something else—damage to the elaborate loyalty and “elite” structure that the legacy airlines have built over the last 35 years. The Points Guy found some Southwest flights to Hawaii for $49 or 1,950 points each way, from San Jose and Oakland to Honolulu and Maui. I compared a Southwest flight from Oakland to Honolulu on March 19 with an American Airlines flight on that date, which demanded 22,500 points (or $173) versus 1950 (or $49) for Southwest. Even discounting the fact that the Southwest fare is a promotional one, and any possible discrepancy in point value, this is a huge difference. In some ways, it calls into question the value of loyalty to a particular frequent flyer program, which a number of analysts have pegged as actually more valuable than the airlines themselves. Why kill yourself sitting on planes, paying to upgrade to “elite” status, making “mileage runs”, charging everything to one loyalty card, and so forth for overvalued points, when you can buy a roundtrip to Paradise for $200? Or, if Hawaii is your leisure destination, why not fly the legacy carriers network to a California city, fly Southwest to the islands, and preserve those presumably precious miles for next time? Even with this announcement, Southwest has other sandals—er, shoes -to drop when in terms of Hawaiian announcements. The big question is when service from the Los Angeles and Orange County metro areas will begin. The 13 million people who live in those areas served by LAX, Burbank, Ontario, Long Beach and John Wayne/Orange County airports are currently left out of Southwest’s schedule, although competitors are now offering low fares from LA to the islands. In addition, a quick check of Southwest Vacations, the vacation package site of Southwest Airlines, shows that Hawaiian flights—and hotels, rental cars and other amenities—have not yet been integrated into the system. When it is, in addition to the current Southwest.com/Hawaii site, expect tens of thousands of Southwest customers to begin building Hawaiian vacation packages. Will Southwest’s entry into the market increase the pie for everyone? Or will the “Southwest effect” cut both prices and profitability for itself and its competitors? For the airlines, the battle for the Hawaiian market, and perhaps a larger war over the value of plum destinations like Hawaii to loyalty programs, has just begun.<doc-sep>

It’s official: Southwest Airlines is making travel to Hawaii more affordable than ever. Last week, Southwest received FAA approval to offer service to Hawaii, and the budget airline isn't wasting any time offering cheap flights to the Aloha State. Southwest Airlines $49 to Hawaii Credit: Dennis Macdonald/Getty Images On Monday, Southwest announced it will begin flights to and from the Hawaiian islands starting on March 17. To sweeten the deal, the airline is offering $49 one-way flights — or $98 round-trips — between California and Hawaii. The $49 flights are selling quickly, so any travelers who manage to book a $100 round-trip flight should consider themselves very lucky. However, even those who do not get the cheapest tickets can be happy about Southwest's entrance into Hawaii service. Considering a great deal on a Hawaii flight is $300, the slightly more expensive $79 and $99 one-way fares also being offered are still amazing. Routes, SFGate.com reported, include Oakland to Honolulu, which will begin daily flights on March 17, along with Honolulu to Oakland, which will begin once-daily flights a day later. On March 24, the airline will increase flights to twice daily between Honolulu and Oakland. The airline will then begin flights from Oakland to Kahului daily on April 7, along with Kahului to Oakland on April 8. The Kahului to Oakland route will then be flown twice daily in each direction as of April 10, SFGate.com reported. Finally, a San Jose to Honolulu flight will begin May 5, once daily in each direction. A San Jose to Kahului flight is also set to start on May 26, once daily in each direction. San Diego and Sacramento routes have not been posted yet, so anyone looking for a bargain should keep an eye out — when the flights between those cities and Hawaii are offered, more $49 fares could be available. Beyond mainland to Hawaii travel, Southwest is also starting interisland service four times daily in each direction between Honolulu and Kahului April 28. Additionally, Southwest will offer interisland service four times daily in each direction between Honolulu and Kona on May 12. Travelers who want to fly between islands can also get Inter-island fares are as low as $29 each way.

As expected, four-star defensive end Isaiah Foskey gave his pledge to Notre Dame football today, bringing the school’s class up to 22 players. Foskey was one of a number of blue-chip players to wait until National Signing Day today to make things official. As expected, Foskey appears to be the last member of this class for the Fighting Irish. Barring a surprise down the road, we have a good idea of what this group looks like. Brian Kelly and Notre Dame football announced the 2019 recruiting class this afternoon. Kelly spoke about the group moments ago. 16 of the 22 future Fighting Irish players are four-star recruits. Here is the full list of commits, with rankings from 247Sports. Asterisks indicate an early enrollee: -QB Brendon Clark (Midlothian, VA) – 3-star – No. 523 overall, No. 21 Pro-Style QB, No. 15 in Virginia -RB Kyren Williams* (Saint Louis, MO) – 4-star – No. 367 overall, No. 24 RB, No. 6 in Missouri -WR Cam Hart (Olney, MD) – 3-star – No. 647 overall, No. 83 WR, No. 11 in Maryland -OT Quinn Carroll* (Minneapolis, MN) – 4-star – No. 118 overall, No. 12 OT, No. 1 in Minnesota -OT Andrew Kristofic* (Gibsonia, PA) – 4-star – No. 183 overall, No. 17 OT, No. 1 in Pennsylvania -OT John Olmstead* (Metuchen, NJ) – 4-star – No. 185 overall, No. 18 OT, No. 4 in New Jersey -OC Zeke Correll* (Cincinnati, OH) – 4-star – No. 95 overall, No. 3 OC, No. 3 in Ohio -DE NaNa Osafo-Mensah* (Fort Worth, TX) – 4-star – No. 298 overall, No. 17 WDE, No. 37 in Texas -DE Isaiah Foskey (Concord, CA) – 4-star – No. 211 overall, No. 13 WDE, No. 28 in California -DE Howard Cross (Montvale, NJ) – 4-star – No. 337 overall, No. 24 SDE, No. 8 in New Jersey -DT Jacob Lacey* (Bowling Green, KY) – 4-star – No. 172 overall, No. 15 DT, No. 3 in Kentucky -DT Hunter Spears* (Sachse, TX) – 4-star – No. 328 overall, No. 23 DT, No. 39 in Texas -ILB Osita Ekwonu (Charlotte, NC) – 4-star – No. 212 overall, No. 14 ILB, No. 5 in North Carolina -OLB JD Bertrand (Roswell, GA) – 4-star – No. 366 overall, No. 19 OLB, No. 39 in Georgia -OLB Jack Kiser (Royal Center, IN) – 3-star – No. 416 overall, No. 21 OLB, No. 7 in Indiana -OLB Marist Liufau (Honolulu, HI) – 3-star – No. 464 overall, No. 28 OLB, No. 6 in Hawaii -CB Isaiah Rutherford (Carmichael, CA) – 4-star – No. 208 overall, No. 24 CB, No. 27 in California -CB KJ Wallace (Atlanta, GA) – 4-star – No. 295 overall, No. 30 CB, No. 30 in Georgia -S Kyle Hamilton (Atlanta, GA) – 4-star – No. 60 overall, No. 5 S, No. 9 in Georgia -S Litchfield Ajavon (Alexandria, VA) – 4-star – No. 230 overall, No. 19 S, No. 6 in Virginia -ATH Kendall Abdur-Rahman (Edwardsville, IL) – 3-star – No. 523 overall, No. 31 ATH, No. 8 in Illinois -P Jay Bramblett* (Tuscaloosa, AL) – 3-star – No. 1 P, No. 60 in Alabama The 22-man class is ranked No. 14 in the country, as of now.<doc-sep>It's nearly a wrap on Notre Dame’s class of 2019. 21 signees are officially on the board and one more is expected later today. The high school seasons are complete, the All-American games are done and 10 members from this class enrolled early in South Bend in January. So, looking at this class top to bottom, while adding the potential addition later today, here's my take on the 22 signees headed to play for the Fighting Irish.<doc-sep>ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 29: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish cheerleaders take the field before the game against the Clemson Tigers during the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) You’ve seen our 2019 class rankings, but now it is time to take a deeper dive and project how this Notre Dame football recruiting class will perform during their time in South Bend. Carlee North and I answered a ton of questions regarding this 2019 Notre Dame football recruiting class. Who will provide the most immediate impact? Who is most likely to become a first-round NFL Draft selection? Who will surprise fans the most? Who is the most underrated player in the class? What position group makes us the most excited? Who was the biggest surprise commitment? We answer all these questions below. Immediate Impact Carlee: DT Jacob Lacey — “I think he will be in the 2-deep on the defensive line and will have a ton of opportunities to make a splash impact right away.” Nathan: P Jay Bramblett — “The sexy answers would be Jacob Lacey and/or Kyle Hamilton, and they will likely contribute immediately. However, Notre Dame loses 5th year senior and captain Tyler Newsome going into 2019. Special teams is a highly debated subject between Notre Dame fans, and Bramblett comes to South Bend as one of the top punters in the 2019 class. He should start from Day 1.” Most Likely to be a First Rounder Carlee: S Kyle Hamilton — “I would have put him down for immediate impact, but with Gilman and Elliott coming back he wasn’t the first on my mind. With that said, when I think of the NFL down the road and what Kyle could accomplish at Notre Dame, with his size and skill set, I would bet a lot on this kid developing into a first round selection.” Nathan: S Kyle Hamilton — “This one is pretty clear cut for me. I mentioned in our recruiting rankings piece that I believe he is the best athlete Notre Dame has landed since Jaylon Smith. If I am correct in this assessment, Hamilton will be a surefire first round selection in the near future. He has length, speed to cover wide receivers, size to cover tight ends and the physicality to help in run support.” Player That Will Surprise The Most Carlee: WR Cam Hart — “A lot of people are pegging him as just a rotation piece or depth guy, but if he develops his route tree and in the weight room, Wide Receiver Coach Del Alexander could get a ton out of him. I love his length. He could surprise a ton of people based on his recruiting ranking.” Nathan: CB K.J. Wallace — “Maybe it is just recruiting fatigue by fans because he has been in the class so long, but Wallace is a guy I really like as a multi-year starter down the road. He doesn’t have great size or length, which could limit him to slot corner, but man can this guy blanket receivers. Todd Lyght has done an incredible job developing corners over the past several years, and Wallace should be no different.” Most Underrated Carlee: WR Kendall Abdur Rahman — “I love this guy’s athleticism. He can do it all, and I think he comes to Notre Dame with a chip on his shoulder. He will make his recruiting ranking look silly in a couple years and should be a huge name for the Irish.” Nathan: DL Howard Cross — “One thing I’ve consistently heard throughout the recruiting process is that the Notre Dame staff feels Cross could be the best of the defensive haul – which is saying something. His dad was a standout at Alabama and had a 13 year NFL career, so the bloodlines are there. Many people think this young man isn’t done growing, and if he adds a few inches to his frame; watch out!” Surprise Commitment Carlee: CB Isaiah Rutherford — “It was a big surprise when he gave he gave the Irish a look, because he actually eliminated them from his top group at one point. It seemed like staying closer to home was the choice, but he ended up visiting Notre Dame and fell in love. The coaching staff sealed his fate during his last visit to South Bend. Big snag out of California.” Nathan: DE Isaiah Foskey — “It wasn’t a surprise when he actually announced his intentions on National Signing Day, but early on in this process Notre Dame looked like an afterthought for the four-star defensive end. The Irish coaching staff always has a tough time pulling in talent from Northern California, and Foskey looked like the latest prospect to turn down the chance. However, he made his way to Notre Dame last summer, enjoyed his time, and then took only one official visit during the Fall – which was to South Bend. That sealed the deal for the Irish.” Best Position Group Carlee: Offensive Line — “You could make the argument about this group being the best in the Nation. From top to botom this group is filled with elite players in my eyes. Zeke Correll and Quinn Carroll are big time NFL talents along with Andrew Kristofic down the road. As for John Olmstead, he is just scratching the surface with his potential. I absolutely love this group.” Nathan: Defensive Line — “Not something you hear everyday at Notre Dame, right? Coach Mike Elston deserves a ton of credit for what he has done with this position group the last few recruiting cycles, and 2019 is no different. While the offensive line class gets most of the headlines for top position group, I would put my money on this defensive line class. Isaiah Foskey and NaNa Osafo-Mensah are big time pass rushing prospects that were coveted by many of the nation’s best football programs. Jacob Lacey is a gifted nose tackle prospect that moves like a 3-tech. Hunter Spears and Howard Cross offer the Irish unique versatility to play inside and out and have big time upside, specifically along the interior. This group could be special.”<doc-sep>

Today is national signing day which means the 2019 recruiting cycle is coming to an end. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish ended with a grand total of 23 commitments. Like usual, the Irish went all over the country to get the new players. It was a class thank ranked top 15 in almost all nationally rankings. Now with the class 100% complete, it is time to play the guessing game and project forward the next few years. Sleeper NaNa Osafo-Mensah. Notre Dame is always needing pass rushers it seems like and I do not think NaNa Osafo-Mensah is getting the love he deserves. His dimensions of 6’4 and 215 lbs stick out to me. There is room to add strength and to be a problem when rushing the passer. Biggest Reach I do not have a name for you, but I do have a position. Offensive line. I know it is often about having numbers along the offensive line. Notre Dame is taking four of them in this class. This means one or two are more than likely never going to see the field, hence being a reach. Impact Freshman I am not including punter Jay Bramblett from the list for this one and going with Jacob Lacey. Notre Dame showed they are willing to rotate in defensive lineman throughout the season. I think Lacey will benefit from being an early enrolle and play impactful snaps as a freshman. Class MVP Kyle Hamilton. I watched this guy’s highlight tape and he looks the part of a dominating safety. I just think he is the most sure thing that Notre Dame just pulled in. The size, speed and football focused attitude are all things pointing towards Kyle Hamilton being a star. Future Captain Marist Liufau. The players that Notre Dame signs from Hawaii are always betting than the star ranking given to them. I would expect to Liufau to come to Notre Dame with much to learn and weight to add. I also expect Liufau to be an impactful player on the field during his time in South Bend. I think of Robby Toma and Manti Te’o and see them as leaders. I’m guessing Marist Liufau will bring a great work ethic and outstanding leadership to Notre Dame. Well, there are my best guesses for the 2019 class. I think the Notre Dame coaching staff did a solid job. The class lacks the “star power” at the top but there are a bunch of good football players coming to Notre Dame.

Dr Jane Barton was educated at Oxford University, graduating with a degree in medicine in 1972. She worked as a GP in Dorset before joining the Gosport War Memorial Hospital in May 1988 as a clinical assistant. Her part-time role meant she had responsibility for the day-to-day medical management of the patients on two wards and also for prescribing the drugs needed. Dr Barton's manner was sometimes questioned with one grieving relative claiming she overheard her say: "We've got another weeper here", when she began crying. When she was brought before the General Medical Council over her role in the scandal, she claimed her long working hours and the intense pressure of the job had impacted on her performance. In a statement she said: "Anyone following this case carefully will know that I was faced with an excessive and increasing burden in trying to care for patients at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital. “Throughout my career I have tried to do my very best for all my patients and have had only their interests and wellbeing at heart.”<doc-sep>More than 450 people died after they were inappropriately given painkillers that were too powerful at Gosport War Memorial Hospital, a report has found. Campaigners are now calling for prosecutions after The Gosport Independent Panel inquiry found there had been a “disregard for human life” at the hospital. Dr Jane Barton was in charge of the practice of prescribing medicine on the wards and was found guilty of serious professional misconduct by the General Medical Council (GMC) for failing in her care of 12 patients between 1996 and 1999. She graduated from Oxford University in 1972 with a Bachelor of Medicine and was a GP at Forton Medical Centre in Gosport. The 70-year-old also worked as a clinical assistant in the Department of Medicine for Elderly People at Gosport War Memorial Hospital from 1988 until 2000. Patients under Dr Barton’s care had been transferred from an acute hospital after they had been admitted for a major illness or surgery. Others were under her supervision for rehabilitation after a fractured hip or a stroke. During her 12 years at the hospital Dr Barton signed 854 death certificates, 803 of which had been given opiates. A number of patients under Dr Barton’s care died from fractures, and where the cause of death should have been recorded as “accidental”, so a coroner could investigate, they were apparently reported as having stemmed from bronchopneumonia. A 2003 review of deaths of patients at Gosport examined Dr Barton’s medical records and found that she had a “conservative rather than active attitude towards clinical management" and preferred palliative care rather than recovery - even for people with fractures. An inquest in 2009 that looked into 10 deaths at the hospital found that medicine had been administered in a manner that had “contributed more than minimally” to five of the deaths. In 2010 the GMC panel found that Dr Barton had prescribed “potentially hazardous” levels of drugs to elderly patients and she was found guilty of serious professional misconduct. ✕ Former Bishop of Liverpool James Jones on Gosport hospital deaths: 'There was an institutionalised practice of shortening lives' The panel did not remove her right to practice medicine after receiving 200 letters of support. However she was given a list of 11 conditions, including not being able to administer opiates by injection. There is no suggestion that Dr Barton intentionally took lives. In 2002 her husband, Tim Barton, said she had been overworked and was under a huge amount of pressure. “Instead of trying to find a new Harold Shipman, it might be more constructive to ask why a part-time GP was looking after 48 beds,” he told The Sunday Times. “No one has seen any of the letters she sent saying, ‘You cannot keep sending me this number of patients, I cannot cope with this number’.” After the ruling Dr Barton said in a statement: “I am disappointed by the decision of the GMC panel. “Anyone following this case carefully will know that I was faced with an excessive and increasing burden in trying to care for patients at the Gosport War Memorial hospital. “None of the nurses who gave evidence were critical of my care of the patients in this inquiry. “The consultants who had overall responsibility for the patients never expressed concern about my treatment and working practices. “Throughout my career I have tried to do my very best for all my patients and have had only their interests and wellbeing at heart.” 'We demand justice': The families at the heart of Gosport scandal Show all 4 1 /4 'We demand justice': The families at the heart of Gosport scandal 'We demand justice': The families at the heart of Gosport scandal 177071.bin BRIJESH PATEL 'We demand justice': The families at the heart of Gosport scandal 177072.bin BRIJESH PATEL 'We demand justice': The families at the heart of Gosport scandal 177073.bin BRIJESH PATEL 'We demand justice': The families at the heart of Gosport scandal 177074.bin BRIJESH PATEL Here is a timeline of events: August 1998 - Gladys Richards dies in Gosport War Memorial Hospital after going in for rehabilitation following a hip operation. Her family report concerns about her treatment to the police and the coroner. 2001 - In the three years after Mrs Richards' family came forward, three more went to police and two more case were reported to the NHS ombudsman. July 2002 - The Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) criticised Portsmouth Healthcare NHS Trust, which ran the hospital, for excessive use of pain relief and sedative drugs. February 2005 - Hampshire Police detectives pass files of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) about the deaths of elderly patients. December 2006 - Hampshire Police announces that no-one would face prosecution over the deaths of patients at the hospital after a four-year inquiry. The CPS says that negligence could not be proven to a criminal standard and that there was no realistic prospect of conviction of healthcare staff. April 2009 - An inquest jury rules drugs given to five elderly people at the hospital contributed to their deaths. January 2010 - The General Medical Council finds Dr Jane Barton guilty of serious professional misconduct by a Fitness to Practise Panel. The panel found she made a catalogue of failings in her treatment of the patients, who later died, including issuing drugs which were "excessive, inappropriate and potentially hazardous". Instead of being struck off she was given a list of 11 conditions relating to her practice, including not being able to administer opiates by injection. March - Dr Barton retires from medical practice. August - The CPS announces that no criminal charges are to be brought against Dr Barton after finding there is insufficient evidence to mount a prosecution for gross negligence manslaughter in 10 key cases. September - Ann Reeves, the daughter of 88-year-old Elsie Devine, leads a protest march to Downing Street. April 2013 - A coroner rules that medication given to Mrs Richards contributed "more than insignificantly" to her death.<doc-sep>A retired GP accused of being responsible for 'hundreds of deaths' at Gosport hospital should be prosecuted, says the MP of one of the victims. Dr Jane Barton, 69, has been accused of prescribing deadly doses of diamorphine - a powerful opiate painkiller - to patients when she worked at the hospital near Portsmouth in the 1990s. The “brusque, unfriendly and indifferent” doctor is expected to be named as the person responsible for the shortening of possibly hundreds of lives, following a £13 million investigation, according to a report in The Sunday Times. Inquests in 2009 and 2013 into 11 of the deaths ruled medication prescribed by Dr Barton had contributed to six patients dying. Dr Barton was found guilty of "multiple instances of serious professional misconduct" by the General Medical Council in 2010 but was not struck off and soon retired.<doc-sep>In 1991, Anita Tubbritt, a staff nurse working nights on an elderly ward at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital in Hampshire, asked to have a quiet word with her local union representative. Mrs Tubbritt, along with a number of her colleagues, had become concerned over the way medical heroin was being administered to patients, who in their opinion did not require it. On Wednesday, more than 27 years later, those concerns were finally acknowledged, when an independent inquiry concluded that more than 650 patients’ lives could have been prematurely ended by the “institutionalised regime” of prescribing and administering opioids without medical justification. In arriving at that conclusion, the Right Rev James Jones, who carried out the inquiry, also uncovered almost 30 years of blunders, failures and alleged cover-ups, which leave the NHS, Hampshire Police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) with serious questions to answer. Making waves The nursing staff who first raised concerns about the medical care on the Redclyffe Annexe of the hospital were worried that patients, who were not in pain, were being placed on syringe drivers, which delivered consistently high doses of diamorphine and other strong opioids.<doc-sep>

Dr Jane Barton is the retired GP at the heart of the Gosport scandal, who signed off the medical prescriptions that potentially contributed to the early deaths of hundreds of patients. An independent inquiry, which started in 2014, has reviewed 833 death certificates signed by Barton, and found that 456 patients died and possibly 200 more had their lives shortened because of the routine practice at Gosport War Memorial hospital. The report said there was a “disregard for human life” and a “culture of shortening the lives” of a significant number of patients between 1989 and 2000. There is no suggestion Barton intentionally took lives. She retired as a registered doctor in 2010 and no longer practices medicine. The review, led by the former bishop of Liverpool James Jones, suggested that the 69-year-old prescribed the powerful painkiller diamorphine – the medical name for heroin – in a “brusque and indifferent” manner. Barton graduated from the University of Oxford in 1972 with a bachelor of medicine, before beginning work at the Gosport War Memorial hospital in Hampshire, where she practised from 1988 to 2000. Her husband, Tim Barton, told The Sunday Times in 2002 that she had been under a huge amount of pressure and was severely overworked. “Instead of trying to find a new Harold Shipman, it might be more constructive to ask why a part-time GP was looking after 48 beds,” he said. “No one has seen any of the letters she sent saying, ‘You cannot keep sending me this number of patients, I cannot cope with this number’.” She left the hospital in 2000 and became a family GP in Gosport. A 2009 inquest into 10 deaths at the hospital found the administration of medication “contributed more than minimally” to five of the deaths, with three of those not receiving “appropriate” medication for their symptoms. It found the skills of nursing and non-consultant medical staff “particularly Dr Barton, were not adequate”. In 2010 the General Medical Council (GMC) panel found that Barton prescribed “potentially hazardous” levels of drugs to elderly patients, while working at Gosport War Memorial hospital. It found Barton guilty of serious professional misconduct, stating she made a series of failings in her treatment of the patients, who later died, including issuing drugs which were “excessive, inappropriate and potentially hazardous”. But the GMC ruled the doctor would be allowed to continue working if she abided by certain conditions. Outrage at the decision led families to call for a public inquiry, and the decision was criticised by the then chief of the GMC for being too lenient. Barton said in a statement after that ruling: “I am disappointed by the decision of the GMC panel. “Anyone following this case carefully will know that I was faced with an excessive and increasing burden in trying to care for patients at the Gosport War Memorial hospital. “None of the nurses who gave evidence were critical of my care of the patients in this inquiry. “The consultants who had overall responsibility for the patients never expressed concern about my treatment and working practices. “Throughout my career I have tried to do my very best for all my patients and have had only their interests and wellbeing at heart.”

Princeton economist Alan Krueger died by suicide this past weekend at age 58, the university announced on Monday. Casual political observers probably know Krueger best for his four years of service in the Obama administration, first as assistant secretary of the Treasury for economic policy and then as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers — effectively the White House’s top economist. But to those in his field, Krueger was known for bringing a new level of rigor to economics research and puncturing a number of long-held pieties. His work with Berkeley’s David Card suggested that simplistic econ 101 predictions that minimum wage increases necessarily cause job losses don’t always hold true. His work on education with co-authors like MIT’s Joshua Angrist and Mathematica’s Stacy Dale brought new attention to the ways in which simplistic statistical analyses can lead to wrong conclusions, and popularized new methods for doing that analysis better. And his work and speeches in the Obama White House helped make economic inequality a mainstream issue of debate in the early 2010s, influencing American political life for years to come. Here are four big things that Krueger taught the world. Minimum wages don’t always cause job loss In introductory economics courses, students are typically taught that setting price floors — on milk, oil, or, perhaps most importantly, labor — causes supply to exceed demand. In the case of labor, what that means is that if there’s a minimum wage, employers’ demand for workers falls (because they cost more), and the supply of workers increases (because they’re promised more money), meaning there’s unemployment, with all the costs and suffering that entails. This conclusion was largely based on abstract theory, but it held sway for decades. This chart, from economist Lars Christensen, lays out this econ 101-type analysis as it applies to the minimum wage: Setting a minimum wage increases wages (Wmin > Weq), sure, but it also increases the supply of labor (N1 > Neq) while decreasing demand (N2 < Neq), and leading to a bunch of unemployment (N1 - N2). As a consequence, for years many economists assumed, almost without questioning, that minimum wages destroyed jobs. They might be worthwhile, sure, but you have to weigh the harm they do to the demand for labor against their benefits for workers who remain employed. In a paper first published by the National Bureau of Economic Research in 1993, Krueger and his co-author Card exploded that conventional wisdom. They sought to evaluate the effects of an increase in New Jersey’s minimum wage, from $4.25 to $5.05 an hour, that took effect on April 1, 1992. (At 2019 prices, that’s equivalent to a hike from $7.70 to $9.15.) Card and Krueger surveyed more than 400 fast-food restaurants in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania to see if employment growth was slower in New Jersey following the minimum wage increase. They found no evidence that it was. “Despite the increase in wages, full-time-equivalent employment increased in New Jersey relative to Pennsylvania,” they concluded. That increase wasn’t statistically significant, but they certainly found no reason to think that the minimum wage was hurting job growth in New Jersey relative to Pennsylvania. Card and Krueger’s was not the first paper to estimate the empirical effects of the minimum wage. But its compelling methodology, and the fact that it came from two highly respected professors at Princeton, forced orthodox economists to take the conclusion seriously. New York Times reporter Binyamin Appelbaum lays out some of the vitriolic reaction to the paper in a Twitter thread: The Nobel laureate James Buchanan wrote in the Wall Street Journal that Card and Krueger were undermining the credibility of economics as a discipline. He called them and their allies "a bevy of camp-following whores." — Binyamin Appelbaum (@BCAppelbaum) March 18, 2019 Card and Krueger expanded their results into a well-regarded book, Myth and Measurement, and then largely left the debate. “I’ve subsequently stayed away from the minimum wage literature for a number of reasons,” Card said in an interview years later. “First, it cost me a lot of friends. People that I had known for many years, for instance, some of the ones I met at my first job at the University of Chicago, became very angry or disappointed. They thought that in publishing our work we were being traitors to the cause of economics as a whole.” But the effects of their research have remained. Both critics and supporters of minimum wage increases have gotten a lot less theoretical and a lot more empirical. Some empirical economists (most notably UC Irvine’s David Neumark) still think minimum wages cause job loss; others (most notably UMass Amherst’s Arindrajit Dube) argue that the employment effects of most hikes in the wage are minimal, and swamped by the reduction in poverty that the increased wage itself generates. But all agree that this is an empirical question best answered through careful consideration of what actually happens. The most recent meta-analysis I’ve seen, reviewing studies published since 2000 (many of which wouldn’t have been written without Card and Krueger), concludes that the effect of most minimum wage increases on employment is small and potentially nonexistent, and that research in the wake of Card and Krueger has substantially lowered the average estimate of minimum wages’ effect on jobs. There are better ways to figure out what causes what Alan Krueger — along with Card and many other prominent microeconomists of their generation — was part of what their colleagues Joshua Angrist and Jörn-Steffen Pischke have termed the “credibility revolution” in economics. They quote in a 2010 paper their older colleague Edward Leamer as stating in 1983, “Hardly anyone takes data analysis seriously. Or perhaps more accurately, hardly anyone takes anyone else’s data analysis seriously.” Data analysis was so subjective, so easily pliable to one’s own pre-chosen conclusions, as to feel almost useless. Then a new generation of economists took it upon themselves to change that status quo, by carefully adopting better research designs better able to determine causation (not just correlation), and focusing heavily on actual experiments and quasi-experiments where it’s clearer what factor is causing what.<doc-sep>But, for me, his happiness research was top of mind. The cause of his passing hadn’t yet been made public; in retrospect, maybe I wanted to think about this sunny stretch of research to keep from entertaining the dark possibility that his sudden death at 58 might be because of suicide, as his family would later confirm. Or maybe I was just thinking about it because it was the subject of one the last major assignments he gave me more than a decade ago, when I was his undergraduate research assistant.<doc-sep>Economist Alan Krueger died over the weekend, at age 58. It is a major loss for the economics profession, and also for the low-income workers who were the focus of Krueger’s research. Krueger was a long-time professor at Princeton University. He also served as chief economist for the US Department of Labor under Bill Clinton and later chaired Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors. In economics circles, he is best known for his research on the effects of the minimum wage. Along with David Card, Krueger’s work revealed that raising the minimum wage did not necessarily have the negative effect on job creation that economists had assumed. Although their work is often disputed, it pushed the debate forward, and is frequently used to support minimum wage increases across the world. Krueger’s interest in the plight of low-income workers extended beyond the minimum wage. He also published influential research on the gig economy (paywall) and the rising share of men in the US who are unemployed and not looking for jobs. In each of the past two years, for Quartz’s annual review of economics research, we asked Krueger to highlight his favorite paper of the year. He pointed to studies about how to address the US’s opioid epidemic and how the lack of public school financing hurts poor students. Last year may have marked Krueger’s crowning achievement as an economist working for the public good. Along with fellow Princeton economist Orley Ashenfelter, Krueger published the paper, “Theory and Evidence on Employer Collusion in the Franchise Sector.” The study found that a majority of major food and service chains in the US, including McDonald’s, Burger King, Jiffy Lube, and H&R Block, had agreements between franchises that they would not recruit each other’s workers. So, for example, a worker at one McDonalds would never be recruited by a person starting another McDonald’s. Their research suggested these agreements had the effect of lowering workers’ wages by reducing competition between low-wage employers, impacting millions of workers. The reaction was swift. The research was a contributing factor to a probe by attorneys general in 10 states and District of Columbia. A number of franchises, including McDonald’s, have agreed to drop “no-poaching” agreements from their contracts since the research was released. “This paper has had an immediate policy impact, like no other paper I can think of, at least in recent memory, in labor economics,” Princeton economist Alexandre Mas told Quartz by e-mail. “It’s led to a national crackdown on no-poaching agreements which will likely have a measurable impact on worker wages and opportunities in the labor market.” The paper showed how academic economists can directly influence public policy. They may not know it, but millions of workers have Krueger to thank, in part, for making it easier to find a job in one of the most precarious sectors of the economy.<doc-sep>Alan Krueger, a groundbreaking Princeton University economist who served as a top adviser in two Democratic administrations, died over the weekend, according to a statement from the university. He was 58. The cause of death was suicide, Krueger's family said in a statement released by Princeton. “It is with tremendous sadness we share that Professor Alan B. Krueger, beloved husband, father, son, brother, and Princeton professor of economics took his own life over the weekend," the family said. "The family requests the time and space to grieve and remember him." Krueger was an expert on the labor market and, in particular, the impact of a minimum wage. His research concluded that a higher minimum wage did not generally slow hiring as many conservative critics have argued. After serving as a Labor Department economist under President Bill Clinton, Krueger worked for President Barack Obama as a top Treasury official and then as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers from 2011 to 2013. "Over the weekend, America lost a brilliant economist, and many of us lost a dear friend," Obama said in statement Monday in which he warmly remembered his former colleague. "Alan was someone who was deeper than numbers on a screen and charts on a page. He saw economic policy not as a matter of abstract theories, but as a way to make people’s lives better," Obama said, adding that, "through it all, he had a perpetual smile and a gentle spirit — even when he was correcting you." "That’s what made him Alan — a fundamentally good and decent man," Obama said. Krueger had been teaching at Princeton since 1987. His research extended to such issues as economic inequality and the consequences of opioid addiction for the job market. He also applied his economic work to some unconventional areas. Krueger found, for example, a surging wealth gap within pop music, illustrating in a 2005 paper how an increasing share of concert revenue was flowing to a narrow top sliver of recording artists. While serving under Obama, he developed and popularized the concept of the "Great Gatsby Curve." It showed that high economic inequality corresponds with low economic mobility on a generation-to-generation basis. In short, it meant that when economic disparities between the rich and everyone else are wide, people's ability to improve their financial health depends even more heavily on their parents' economic status. The curve was named after F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic literary character Jay Gatsby, who rose from being a poor Midwestern boy to a wealthy bootlegger. But Krueger was perhaps best-known for his research on the minimum wage with David Card. Their 1993 paper found that a rise in New Jersey's minimum wage had had no effect on employment in the state's fast-food sector compared with the same sector just across the state line in Pennsylvania. Admired in both economic and political circles, Krueger was known as an avid tennis player and for frequently taking time to discuss the nuances of public policy with reporters. Gene Sperling, who worked with Krueger in the Obama administration as the director of the National Economic Council, tweeted: "Just shocked, just stunned, so, so saddened." "Alan has been my friend and colleague for over 20 years — and one of the very most consequential economists of our generation," Sperling said. "His pathbreaking work on minimum wage was only one of many ways he used his genius for the good of all." If you or a loved one are looking for help, please call the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255.<doc-sep>

Former White House economist and Princeton University professor Alan Krueger, known for his extensive research on labor markets, died this weekend at the age of 58. A statement from Krueger’s family said the cause of death was suicide. Krueger earned prominence in economics circles for his deeply empirical yet relatable research on employment trends and income distribution. Through multiple roles in the White House, Krueger became a key figure in shaping public policy during two administrations. He served as President Bill Clinton’s chief economist at the Department of Labor and then chaired the White House Council of Economic Advisers under President Barack Obama. Most recently, Krueger had been teaching in his home state of New Jersey as a professor of political economy at Princeton University. “A valued member of the Princeton University community for over three decades, Alan will be deeply missed by his students and colleagues,” the university said in a statement Monday. Jason Furman, who succeeded Krueger as the head of the CEA, said that Krueger had been his teacher for more than two decades. “His convincing empirical research on the most important questions is a lasting legacy. A devastating loss,” Furman tweeted Monday. Studying Fast Food It was part of Krueger’s brand to translate economic concepts into relatable themes, a rare skill in a field sometimes clouded by academic jargon. At times, his research directly challenged the status quo. President Barack Obama gestures as he joke with outgoing chairman of his Council of Economic Advisers Alan Krueger in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, June 10, 2013. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) At the age of 32, Krueger unveiled one of his most notable findings: that higher wages don’t always translate into job cuts. In 1993 Krueger teamed up with economist David Card to survey 410 New Jersey fast food restaurants to measure the impact of the state’s new law raising the minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.05 per hour. Their observation: that New Jersey restaurants hired 2.76 more full-time-equivalent positions than comparable restaurants in Pennsylvania, where the minimum wage was still $4.25. Story continues Krueger and Card noted that “conventional economic theory” had long maintained that higher wages push management to cut jobs, but the New Jersey test pointed to “no evidence” of that relationship. Krueger expanded his research into many other topics. In 2007 he published “What Makes a Terrorist,” a book challenging the notion that most terrorists come from poor backgrounds. And in 2017, he detailed the negative impact of opioid prescriptions on male labor force participation. Card told Yahoo Finance that Krueger was “one of the most important leaders in the transformation of economics into a more empirical field,” adding that his list of research interests extended into compulsory schooling, segregated schools, and the diffusion of computer technology. “He was also incredibly influential in shaping what we as a field take as evidence, emphasizing credible research designs, the collection of new data and the importance of understanding where data come from, and its limitations,” Card said. Rockonomics Krueger also loved music, and frequently used the entertainment industry to illustrate economic concepts. Alan Krueger, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, speaks during a media briefing at the White House in Washington November 26, 2012. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) During his time at the CEA, Krueger relief heavily on music anecdotes to promote White House policy. In a 2013 speech, Krueger — a Bruce Springsteen fan — pointed to ballooning concert ticket prices as a parallel to income inequality in the U.S. Krueger said that the top 5% of performers rake in almost 90% of all concert revenues, illustrating the presence of “winner-take-all” economics. Krueger argued that unless the government increased access to education and health care, low-income and middle-class families would not see increased social mobility. “The music industry is an extreme example of a ‘super star economy,’ in which a small number of artists take home the lion’s share of income.” Even after his time in public service, Krueger continued to expand his thoughts on the music industry as they relate to today’s economy. He referred to these ideas as “rockonomics.” Krueger’s forthcoming book, “Rockonomics: A Backstage Tour of What the Music Industry Can Teach Us about Economics and Life,” is scheduled to be released on June 4. Princeton University said it will announce a public ceremony to remember Krueger’s life at a later date.

Varthamans a MiG-21 family: Son Abhinandan flies it, dad Varthaman flew it MUMBAI: For the Varthamans, flying the MiG-21 fighter aircraft is a sort of family tradition. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman downed a Pakistani F-16 plane before his MiG-21 Bison was hit during a dogfight.His father Air Marshal (retd) Simhakutty Varthaman also flew the MiG-21s and was an IAF test pilot, who retired five years ago, a family friend said here Friday.Abhinandan's grandfather was also in the IAF, he said.In an interview to PTI, Wing Commander (retd) Prakash Navale, who was a course-mate of Abhinandan's father at the National Defence Academy (NDA) during 1969-72, said the first time he saw the young pilot, held captive by Pakistan, was when he was a three-year-old toddler. "Myself and his father were then posted at the fighter training wing at Hakimpet, Hyderabad," said Navale, 66, who retired from the IAF in 1994 and now lives in Navi Mumbai. "Initially, I also passed out (from Air Force Academy) as a fighter pilot but later switched to helicopters. Myself and Air Marshal (retd) Varthaman were flying instructors for some time," he said.Like Navale, Air Marshal Varthaman is also a Sainik School alumnus. While Navale studied at Sainik School Satara, Air Mashal Varthaman is from Sainik School Amaravathinagar in Tamil Nadu.Navale said Air Marshal Varthaman was staying at Tambaram when he was doing the flying instructor's course there. "The Varthamans are very simple people and we have enjoyed many a hearty meal at their house," he said. "Air Marshal Varthaman is a through gentleman. His wife Shobha, a doctor, is a great lady. When my wife Aruna was pregnant, she used to visit us regularly and administer injections to her. We were blessed with our daughter Pooja due to Shobha's medical care," Navale said.Abhinandan's sister Aditi lives in France and has married a French national, he said.In 1982, Navale, then Flight Lieutenant, was awarded the 'Shaurya Chakra' for saving the life of then Odisha chief minister J B Patnaik from mob fury in Gopalpur.The award citation read: In this action, Flight Lieutenant Prakash Navale displayed determination, courage and presence of mind. Had he not flown out the VIP at that critical time, the situation could have taken a grave turn and could have resulted in serious consequences to the VIP and further break-down in the law and order situation.<doc-sep>He added that he did not want to talk about his capture but said that "all officers are trained for this and I am sure he will be with us shortly and join his unit again soon."<doc-sep>Welcome Home Wing Commander Abhinandan! The nation is proud of your exemplary courage. Our armed forces are an in… https://t.co/M8gC4mWWFX — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 1551458069000 NEW DELHI: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was brought to Delhi after Pakistan released him through the Attari-Wagah border late Friday night, underwent a series of medical tests as part of a "cooling down" process, officials said.Early Saturday morning, Varthaman met his immediate family members as well as several top officials of the Indian Air Force, they said.Varthaman arrived in the national capital around 11.45pm on Friday and soon after he was taken to the Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), a compact and specialised medical evaluation centre for aircrew of all the three services.Greet IAF pilot Abhinandan on his homecomingHe was captured by Pakistani authorities on February 27 after his MiG-21 Bison went down during a dogfight with Pakistani jets. But before his plane was hit, Varthaman shot down an F-16 of Pakistan air force.Wing Commander Varthaman is undergoing a series of medical tests as part of the "cooling down" process and it is expected to continue till Sunday. Once the health check-up phase is over, debriefing sessions will be arranged for him, the officials said.When he crossed over to India on Friday night, his right eye above his handlebar moustache appeared swollen.After he was captured , Varthaman showed courage and grace in the most difficult circumstances for which he was praised by politicians, strategic affairs experts, ex-servicemen, celebrities and others.A video circulating on social media showed how he was badly beaten up by a group of people after being rescued by Pakistani security personnel.Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the return of Varthaman, saying the nation is proud of his exemplary courage. "Welcome Home Wing Commander Abhinandan! The nation is proud of your exemplary courage. Our armed forces are an inspiration for 130 crore Indians," tweeted Modi on Friday night.Tensions between the two countries escalated after Indian fighters bombed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp near Balakot deep inside Pakistan early Tuesday.Pakistan retaliated by attempting to target Indian military installations on Wednesday. However, the IAF thwarted their plans.The Indian strike on the JeM camp came 12 days after the terror group claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir, which left 40 soldiers dead .<doc-sep>

Abhinandan's education BENGALURU: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman , the pilot who is suspected to be in Pakistan's custody and declared as a missing pilot is not the first from his family to serve in the Indian Air Force IAF ). His father, Air Marshal (retd) S Varthaman, who last served as Eastern Air Command chief, had even seen action during Kargil.An experienced test pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours on 40 types of aircraft to his credit, Varthaman senior had joined the IAF as a fighter pilot in 1973.The IAF, in 2011 had said, "During the Kargil conflict , Varthaman was the chief operations officer of Gwalior where he used his flight test experience to co-ordinate upgradation of the Mirage 2000 aircraft that proved instrumental in the success of the air campaign. "Incidentally, it was the Mirage 2000 that was the preferred choice for India to conduct pre-dawn air strikes in Pakistan on Tuesday, as a retaliation to which Pakistan sent in its F-16 fighters on Wednesday, while engaging with which his son, Abhinandan had to eject.Also, during Operation Parakram-launched after the 2001 Parliament attack-Varthaman was in command of an airbase in the western sector.Among the many key positions Varthaman held in his 41-year career, he was also posted as the Chief Test Pilot of Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), in Bengaluru. "It was during this time that his family was also here. Abhinandan went to school in Bengaluru for a brief while," a retired wing commander from ASTE, who is acquainted with Varthaman told TOI. "He still frequents Bengaluru, although they are settled in Chennai now. Varthaman, as test pilots are required to be, is a man of precision, but it is his composure that I recollect most," the officer said. Varthaman was also the Chief Flying Instructor at Fighter Training Wing, Hakimpet.

Stephen A. Smith is excited at the possibilities for the New York Knicks after they finalize the Kristaps Porzingis trade to the Dallas Mavericks. (1:22) The Dallas Mavericks have acquired All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis and three other players from the New York Knicks in exchange for a package that includes point guard Dennis Smith Jr. and two future first-round picks. Wesley Matthews and DeAndre Jordan, who both have expiring contracts and could be buyout candidates, will also go to the Knicks. Trey Burke, who is averaging 11.8 points per game this season, is headed to the Mavericks along with Porzingis, Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr. The deal came after Porzingis met with Knicks management Thursday and left franchise officials with the impression that he wanted to be traded, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The meeting lasted less than five minutes, league sources told ESPN's Ian Begley. New York had several offers for Porzingis before completing the deal with Dallas, sources said. The Knicks did call New Orleans about Anthony Davis, a source told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, but the Pelicans weren't interested in the Latvian. There was uncertainty over Porzingis' willingness to remain in New Orleans beyond his current contract, sources told ESPN. Knicks general manager Scott Perry acknowledged that the club had many conversations with a number of teams about potential trades prior to meeting with Porzingis. "We started to get a feel, we could see that he wasn't completely buying into what we were trying to do," Knicks president Steve Mills said during a post-trade conference call. "And again, [during Thursday's meeting] we wanted a confirmation from him whether he was completely in or out. He made it clear to us when he came in to meet with us that he no longer wanted to be part of our group. "... With the uncertainty of [his] status and coming off the injury as well, it made Feb. 7 [the trade deadline] a very important date for us. We felt that in the best interests of the organization, and the Knicks fan base too, that we had to make a move here. We feel very good about that move." The Knicks will get the Mavericks' unprotected first-round pick two years after they send one to the Atlanta Hawks to complete their draft-day deal for Luka Doncic and another first-round pick that is protected two years after that, sources told Begley and Wojnarowski. Those picks could come as soon as 2021 and 2023 if Dallas does not move into the top five this year. The Mavericks are hoping to re-sign the 7-foot-3 Porzingis, who will be a restricted free agent, to a long-term deal this summer, and they are confident that Doncic and veteran Dirk Nowitzki can play significant roles in making that happen, a source told ESPN. "He loves Luka and Dirk," a source told ESPN about Porzingis, whose other option would be to sacrifice millions by playing on a one-year qualifying offer. Porzingis spent time with Doncic in Madrid last summer while he rehabbed his ACL injury at the Real Madrid facility, sources said. "We obviously think Porzingis is a great young talent, similar in many ways to Dirk," coach Rick Carlisle said on the Mavs' flagship station 103.3 FM ESPN. "This is kind of a Dirk-and-[Steve] Nash type of situation, only these guys are taller." Porzingis took to Twitter after the trade to post a few emoji to go with a video of him and Doncic from Wednesday night's Mavs-Knicks game at Madison Square Garden. Late Thursday, Porzingis again tweeted to say: "New York will always have a special place in my heart. Grateful for everybody who made this journey so special for my family and I." There has been a strong disconnect between Porzingis and Knicks management in recent years, and it culminated in Thursday's meeting. He expressed concerns on the state of the franchise and his future with the organization, sources said. Porzingis, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, was averaging a career-best 22.7 points per game before he suffered a left knee injury during a breakout All-Star season in 2017-18. He also was averaging 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. Hardaway, 26, was leading the Knicks with 19.1 points per game this season, but New York wanted to move him because he is due $18.2 million next season and has a player option for $19 million in 2020-21. Lee, 33, is due $12.8 million next season. He has played sparingly this season due to the Knicks' youth movement but averaged 12.0 points per game as a starter last season. "There are other good players in the deal," Carlisle said. "Hardaway Jr. is a terrific shooter and a proven 2 guard in this league. Courtney Lee has been a guy that's been out of the rotation in New York, because they've been going young and all that kind of stuff, but he's a guy that can still play the game well. He's a good defender and shoots the ball well. And Trey Burke's resurrected his career." play 2:02 Woj breaks down impact of Porzingis trade Adrian Wojnarowski joins SportsCenter to dissect the Knicks trading Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks. By clearing their books of those contracts, ESPN's Bobby Marks projects the Knicks to have a league-high $71 million in salary cap space this summer -- enough to attempt to sign two maximum-salary free agents. New York will target the top players on the market, which is expected to include Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving. Some close to Durant see New York as a possible landing spot for the back-to-back NBA Finals MVP if he chooses to leave the Golden State Warriors, according to league sources. The Knicks (10-40) have struggled without the 23-year-old Porzingis, who has been sidelined for nearly a year because of his ACL injury. He was evaluated in January by the team's medical staff, which confirmed his knee is healing well. He recently worked out with a coach on the court for roughly 45 minutes. The workout included Porzingis shooting pull-up 3-pointers and dunking. Smith returned to the Mavericks lineup on Jan. 23 after a two-week absence while trade rumors swirled. While the team chalked up the six games missed to back soreness and an illness, Carlisle later acknowledged that "business stuff" was behind the absence. Sources told ESPN that Smith, a 2017 lottery pick who is averaging 12.9 points and 4.3 assists per game this season, had taken issue with some of Carlisle's tough coaching tactics and that the 21-year-old wasn't pleased with his role playing primarily off the ball due to Doncic's emergence as an All-Star-caliber playmaker. "Dennis Smith has had a really terrific year and a half in terms of growth," Carlisle said Thursday. "I mean, he tops it off last night with a triple-double [against the Knicks]. He's a tremendous young player, and New York is such an exciting environment for a guy like him. It'll be a great situation for him." Some in the Knicks' front office were enamored with Smith ahead of the 2017 NBA draft, sources said. The Knicks instead selected Frank Ntilikina with the No. 8 pick. Ntilikina's name has come up in recent trade discussions, including informal talks between New York and Dallas about the possibility of moving Porzingis, sources told ESPN. Mills said Thursday that he is looking forward to Smith and Ntilikina complementing one another. "He's very explosive. And we think the guy has a chance to be a really, really good basketball player in this league," Perry said. "So we're excited about handing him over to coach [David] Fizdale and his staff and letting him really work with him in the development and round out his game." New York will continue to try to trade disgruntled center Enes Kanter ahead of the Feb. 7 trade deadline, sources told ESPN. The 6-11 Jordan, an 11-year veteran, averaged 11.0 points and 13.7 rebounds per game for the Mavericks this season. The former Olympian and top defensive center was an All-Star selection in 2017, was named to the All-NBA team in 2016 and has twice been named to the All-NBA Defensive first team. Matthews averaged 13.1 points in 44 starts for the Mavericks this season, his 10th in the league. The Mavs waived rookie second-round pick Ray Spalding to create the roster spot necessary to make the trade. ESPN's Zach Lowe and Marc Spears contributed to this report.<doc-sep>The New York Knicks have agreed to trade All-Star power forward Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks. Early in the day there were multiple reports that Porzingis had informed Knicks brass of his issues with the team and its long-term plans. This was followed by reports the Knicks explore trades for him leading up to the deadline. However, nobody expected a deal to be consummated this quickly. First there was this: New York and Dallas are in deep discussions on a trade that would send Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks and Dennis Smith Jr. to the Knicks, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @WatchStadium. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 31, 2019 Then there was this: Sources: New York and Dallas have agreed in principle on a trade sending package around Kristaps Porzingis for Dennis Smith Jr. Wes Matthews, other contracts, and picks going to New York, and Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke among players going to Dallas. Sides finishing final terms. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 31, 2019 And finally we got this: Sources: Full players involved in Knicks/Mavericks deal: Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, Trey Burke to Dallas. Dennis Smith Jr., Wes Matthews, DeAndre Jordan and likely first-round draft pick compensation to New York. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 31, 2019 Boy, that escalated quickly. Porzingis departs New York after an acrimonious three-and-a-half year tenure with the Knicks. Murmurs of discontent first emerged when he infamously skipped an exit interview following the 2016-17 season. Then-team president Phil Jackson listened to offers for the Latvian leading up to the 2017 NBA Draft, but ultimately nothing came to fruition. After Jackson’s departure it seemed that the relationship between the presumed franchise player and the front office had been repaired, but over the last few months, new murmurs of Porzingis frustration emerged. While many (myself included) dismissed this as negotiating tactics, clearly there was fire to go with all the smoke. The Knicks will now be armed with beacoup cap space this summer. The Knicks could be staring at $74.6M in projected cap space for next season. That would be good enough for 2 max slots. — Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) January 31, 2019 Go big or go home, it seems. Also, perhaps far more shocking was Shams’ final bit of news regarding the deal. Sources: All-Star Kristaps Porzingis is planning to inform the Dallas Mavericks his intent is to sign the qualifying offer in restricted free agency this summer. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 31, 2019 There had been veiled threats that Porzingis would take this route, but coming off of an ACL tear and turning down the type of guaranteed money he can lock in this summer seemed fanciful. It seems many (myself included again, so don’t ever listen to me idiots!) were wrong to doubt Porzingis’ conviction in himself. The Knicks’ focus for the remainder of the season, barring any more unforeseen, Earth-shattering moves, will be to develop the remaining young core and prepare for the summer. Get ready. Hot takes are coming.<doc-sep>

Kristaps Porzingis is going to Dallas. (AP/Mary Altaffer) The New York Knicks agreed to trade center Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks in a deal first reported by Marc Stein of the New York Times. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN confirmed the deal was agreed upon by the Knicks. The Dallas Mavericks are nearing a trade to acquire Kristaps Porzingis from the New York Knicks, according to league sources — Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 31, 2019 The deal, which was made official on Thursday afternoon, includes seven players in total. The Mavericks will receive Porzingis, Tin Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke and Courtney Lee. The Knicks will receive Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews, along with two future first round draft picks. Porzingis will reportedly sign the qualifying offer this summer. Sources: All-Star Kristaps Porzingis is planning to inform the Dallas Mavericks his intent is to sign the qualifying offer in restricted free agency this summer. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 31, 2019 While the trade shocked many in the NBA world on Thursday, Knicks general manager Scott Perry said they were confident that the trade “improves the franchise. “As is standard for this time of year, we were exploring various options on potential trades,” Perry said, via ESPN’s Marc J. Spears. “Considering the uncertainty regarding Kristaps’ free agent status and his request today to be traded, we made a trade that we are confident improves the franchise.” Porzingis left impression he wanted out Story continues News broke earlier Thursday that the 23-year-old met with Knicks management to discuss the direction the franchise was headed. That conversation left the team with the impression he wanted to be traded, per an earlier Wojnarowski report. The 7-foot-3 Porzingis has been on the rehab trail since tearing an ACL in February 2018. He was reported in December to be “healing well,” but has been the subject of conflicting reports as to his return. Meanwhile the Knicks (10-40) have plummeted in the standings. Mavs swoop in for All-Star Not but 20 minutes before the trade news, the Mavs weren’t among the teams expected to be in on Porzingis. The move comes a week before the NBA trade deadline for a player who hasn’t played since a potentially career-altering injury. He was averaging a career-high 22.7 points per game in the first half of the 2017-18 season with 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. The Mavs are reportedly working to get a first-round pick to give the Knicks, per ESPN. Their protected first-round pick is now the Atlanta Hawks’ after a trade for Luka Doncic. The move sets the Knicks up to rebuild a roster. The Knicks could be staring at $74.6M in projected cap space for next season. That would be good enough for 2 max slots. — Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) January 31, 2019 New York offloads the contracts of Hardaway and Lee while contracts of Matthews and Jordan are expiring. More from Yahoo Sports: • Browns embarrassing 2011 draft attempt revealed • Kaepernick’s lawyer goes hard on NFL owners, Trump • Rams star gives janitor a once-in-a-lifetime gift • Wetzel: Brady wins even if he’s the biggest loser

Ford has confirmed plans to introduce an all-electric F-150 pickup in a couple of years, and it looks like it will have a little competition when it does. Literally. It’s called the Pickman and the tiny truck only costs $5,700. For good reason. It’s made by China’s Kaiyun Motors and has a 5.5 hp motor that's good for a top speed of just 28 mph, which classifies it as a low-speed or neighborhood electric vehicle (LSV/NEV). Regulations regarding their operation vary state to state, but they are street legal in some places. It's aimed mainly at commercial customers and has a range of 75 miles per charge. The company told Bloomberg that it plans to sell 10,000 Pickmans (Pickmen?) in the U.S. this year, after getting approval to market the vehicle. It’s already sold some under test program it’s been running for the past couple of years and has updated the product to better meet local expectations. One change from the original appears to be a switch from “suicide” style doors to conventional front-hinged ones. While the $5,700 version is a very basic vehicle, its options list includes features like air conditioning, heated seats and alloy wheels that can bump the price up near $9,000. One could arguably call it a half-ton, however, as the Kaiyun says the rear-wheel-drive vehicle can carry up to 1,100 pounds on its fully-independent suspension. (UPDATE: A U.S. based retailer has clarified that the current retail price starts at $8,950 and that options are extra. The $5,700 price cited by Kaiyun does not apply to the NHTSA-approved version, which can be operated on roads with speed limits of 35 mph and under.) Kaiyun isn't the only foreign automaker looking to make inroads into the U.S. market with a limited use utility vehicle. India's Mahindra has gained a lot of attention for its Roxor off-roader, which looks so much like a WWII Jeep that Jeep is suing the automaker for trademark infringement. FULLY-ELECTRIC FORD F-150 IN THE WORKS<doc-sep>Photo: Rivian Two big companies might be getting serious about electric truck and SUV startup Rivian, luxury automakers fall behind “mainstream” ones in reliability, Tesla scrambles to send Model 3s to China and more for The Morning Shift of Wednesday, February 13, 2019. Advertisement 1st Gear: Rivian Gets A Big Boost Real talk: the next big thing in electric vehicle development is the pickup truck. We’ve had EV sedans, EV sports cars and a huge onslaught of EV crossovers are on their way, but the first automaker to figure out how to translate electric torque to towing, hauling and off-roading will be on to something huge. American startup automaker Rivian made waves last year with two concepts, the R1T truck and R1S SUV. Both aim to be the first EV truck and proper rugged SUV on the market, and founder R.J. Scaringe wants to back it up with Michigan know-how and production at a former Mitsubishi plant in Illinois. Rivian might be getting a big push soon, Reuters reported last night, with potential investments coming soon from Amazon and General Motors. From the story: The deal would give Amazon and GM minority stakes in Rivian, the sources said. It would be a major boost for the Plymouth, Mich., startup, which aspires to be the first automaker with an electric pickup. If the negotiations conclude successfully, a deal could be announced as early as this month, the sources said, asking not to be identified because the matter is confidential. There is always a chance that deal talks fall through, the sources cautioned. “We admire Rivian’s contribution to a future of zero emissions and an all-electric future,” GM said in an emailed statement, declining to specifically comment on any talks with Rivian. Rivian declined comment. Amazon did not respond to requests for comment. While the report is unconfirmed by all parties for now, GM investing in a startup is not at all surprising—recall its acquisition of autonomous tech company Cruise Automation, for example. As for now, as that Reuters story notes, GM is counting on making as much money as possible from truck and SUV sales right now to pay for the expensive investment in the electric revolution that’s coming soon. Advertisement If it invested in, or even later acquired, Rivian to make electric trucks, it’d be way ahead of the game. As for Amazon’s involvement, here’s The Drive’s Ed Niedermeyer to explain it so I don’t have to: Advertisement Tesla’s also supposedly working on an electric pickup truck and so is Ford. Who comes to market first? 2nd Gear: Long-Term Dependability We all know J.D. Power studies have their issues, but they get attention. The latest long-term dependability study is predictable in some ways: Lexus stayed on top with fewest problems per vehicle, Automotive News reports. Porsche and Toyota tied for second place. But GM had a good showing this time with Chevrolet and Buick coming in third and fourth overall, way ahead of BMW, Audi, Mercedes and other luxury brands: Power said 2016 model year vehicles from mass market brands averaged 135 problems per 100 models surveyed, compared with 141 problems per 100 luxury vehicles studied. Lexus ranked on top for the eighth straight year even as it was tagged with more problems — 106 per 100 vehicles — than a year earlier (99 per 100). Porsche and Toyota ranked second in a tie (108 per 100), followed by Chevrolet and Buick. At the bottom of the U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, with an average of more than two problems reported per vehicle: Fiat, Land Rover and Volvo. Advertisement Good for Chevrolet, unless this means more Real People ads, in which case, please strap me to a rocket and fire me straight into the sun. 3rd Gear: Brexit Keeps Getting Better Ford’s probably next to bail from Great Britain over Brexit, citing trade uncertainties that make it impossible to plan for the future. Ford will join Nissan, which announced last week it will cease plans to build the X-Trail SUV there. Via Reuters: Ford Motor Co told British Prime Minister Theresa May that it is stepping up preparations to move production out of Britain, The Times reported on Tuesday. The automaker told the prime minister during a private call with business leaders that it is preparing alternative sites abroad, The Times said. Ford was not immediately available for comment. Ford, which operates two engine plants in Britain, last month said that it faces a bill of up to $1 billion if Britain leaves the Europe Union without a deal. Automakers and other manufacturers have warned about the toll a no-deal Brexit could impose, including higher tariffs, disruption to supply chains and threats to jobs. Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union on March 29. Advertisement Ford employs about 13,000 people in Britain at present. 4th Gear: Tesla Scrambles To Ship Cars To China Speaking of awesome decisions, let’s talk about America’s trade war with China for a bit. Tesla is preparing to double down on China, the world’s biggest EV market, this year, but it does not yet have its factory up and running there yet. So with America’s trade war truce with China ending March 1, it has to get as many new Model 3s as it can over there in the meantime to duck possibly devastating tariffs. Advertisement Via Bloomberg: Tesla Inc. is loading as many Model 3 sedans as it can onto vessels destined for the People’s Republic ahead of March 1, when a trade-war truce between presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping is scheduled to expire. Musk fears the two countries could ratchet tariffs back up, which would make the chief executive officer’s electric cars more expensive in China and boost costs of key components the country sends to his U.S. assembly plant. Other carmakers are at risk of seeing expenses rise again if the Trump-versus-Xi dispute flares back up. But Musk is in perhaps the most precarious position in the industry. Global giants such as BMW AG and Daimler AG can wiggle around the tariffs to an extent by boosting production at existing China factories, but Tesla’s manufacturing presence there was merely a muddy field as of last month. It won’t be assembling any vehicles in China until the end of 2019 at the earliest. “They’re uniquely exposed,” said Robin Zhu, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein. See, the Model 3 is quite expensive in China, and extra tariffs would not help that situation: The Model 3 is the linchpin of Tesla’s effort to appeal to a wider global audience, with Musk promising for years that a version eventually will be available for $35,000 before incentives. That’s generally in line with the average selling price of a vehicle in the U.S. But following through on that vow has bedeviled Musk. The cheapest version available now—almost three years since he first showed a concept of the car—is $42,900. In Europe, where deliveries are just getting underway, prices vary by country, with customers in Belgium paying a base price of 58,800 euros ($66,600), compared with 55,400 euros in Germany and 53,500 euros in France. In China, the Model 3 starts at 433,000 yuan ($63,900). Some of the best-selling electric cars in the market—the world’s biggest for battery-powered vehicles—can be had for less than a sixth of that price. Beijing Electric Vehicle Co.’s EC Series and Chery Automobile Co.’s eQ are listed at 65,800 yuan after subsidies. Advertisement The March 1 deadline on tariffs will be very interesting to watch. 5th Gear: GM Offers Reward To Expose Racists GM’s Toledo, Ohio powertrain plant is a hotbed of racism—nooses hung in public spaces, hateful graffiti, death threats against black supervisors and more. It’s incredibly shitty! Now the automaker is offering a big reward to expose some of the garbage humans behind all this. Via The Detroit Free Press: General Motors says it is offering a $25,000 reward to anyone who has information about racist graffiti and nooses found at a plant in Toledo, Ohio, nearly two years ago.<doc-sep>A person places items into the front trunk cargo area of the Rivian Automotive Inc R1T electric pickup truck during a demonstration at a reveal event at AutoMobility LA ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show. General Motors and Amazon are reportedly in talks to invest in Detroit start-up Rivian Automotive, and that indicates a massive shift in the "next and potentially imminent" electric vehicle market of pickup trucks, Morgan Stanley said Wednesday. "The highly lucrative and US-dominated pickup truck market" is a key focus for investors due to the "culmination of battery cost reduction, architecture, duty cycle, and price point," Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said. Jonas earned a wide following on Wall Street due to his early calls on Tesla and the rise of electric vehicles. Morgan Stanley featured Rivian earlier this week as the "next serious competition" for Tesla. The start-up's "clean sheet" approach could make it "the next Tesla," Jonas said. "We have focused considerable research effort on the theme of electric pickup trucks in recent days," Jonas said. Rivian emerged as the firm's top pick to challenge Tesla in the coming years due to Rivian's "access to talent & capital focused on the fastest growing segments of pickup trucks & SUVs," he said.<doc-sep>

Rivian, a Plymouth Township startup that made a splash at November's LA Auto Show, might be nearing the big time. Reuters reported Tuesday evening that Amazon and General Motors are nearing investments "that would value the U.S. electric pickup truck manufacturer at between $1 billion and $2 billion." The deal, giving GM and Amazon minority stakes in Rivian, could be completed this month. As always, Reuters' sources cautioned that things may fall apart. What is it? Rivian plans to make an all-electric pickup and an electric SUV, each of which is supposed to have range of roughly 250 to 400 miles. It unveiled its first concept vehicles — the R1T pickup and R1S SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The pickup is for outdoor fun, not work. Pricing at this early stage is ballparked north of $60,000, assuming that federal tax credits for electric vehicles remain in place. Origins RJ Scaringe, the founder and CEO, is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology grad. "Rivian" is derived from the Indian River in Florida, where Scaringe grew up. The company was founded in 2009, and Scaringe shifted from plans for a sports coupe to these vehicles. A Forbes story calls Scaringe "Tesla's worst nightmare." "By high school, he had become obsessed with the idea of building his own brand of automobiles, and he gained the knowledge to do so by earning his doctorate in mechanical engineering from MIT’s prestigious Sloan Automotive Lab," the article said. GM's coy comment After the Reuters report Tuesday, General Motors provided this statement to the Free Press: “We admire Rivian’s contribution to a future of zero emissions and an all-electric future.” That, pointedly, is not a denial. GM, which is rushing toward an electric and autonomous vehicle future, has partnered with big players including Honda and Japan's SoftBank on AV work; a venture involving Amazon (which has not commented, nor has Rivian), doesn't seem farfetched. Is this a good idea? Anton Wahlman, an investment analyst with Seeking Alpha, unloaded Wednesday on the possibility of GM making the investment. "GM does absolutely not need Rivian," he wrote. "I don’t know what someone at GM is smoking, but the idea of GM investing in Rivian seems to be total lunacy, from a basic strategic standpoint." He added: "GM has all the ingredients to make an electric pickup truck. It’s already tied for leadership in pickup trucks, and it’s got more electric vehicle experience than any other automaker. It also has lots of factory capacity. ... All an investment in Rivian would accomplish is to a feed a would-be competitor." On the other hand, Reuters auto industry editor Joe White's Wednesday newsletter said, "Rivian+GM+Amazon would be a formidable competitor to Tesla. Rivian's electric pickup truck design was a star of the LA Auto Show, and with GM and Amazon's backing, the Rivian truck could beat Tesla's planned e-pickup to market. Amazon could be a big customer for different types of vehicles designed using Rivian's 'skateboard' EV architecture, and it could provide other types of technology (Alexa? Data services?) that would help Rivian grow." Rivian operations Unlike electric vehicle maker Tesla, which has, at times, struggled to meet production targets and is based solely in California, Rivian, with about 560 staffers, has located its operations both in tech-center corridors in California, and in the industrial heartland, in Plymouth Township and at a former Mitsubishi manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois. Mark Vinnels, Rivian’s executive director of engineering, came from McLaren; Jeff Hammoud, vice president of design, is an Oakland University graduate who was design chief for Jeep. Do we need an electric pickup? Electric vehicles don't sell well in the United States, though Tesla has demonstrated interest and demand, and some electric vehicles have a luxury/prestige audience. Rivian is going for the hunting/fishing/hiking set. It also has Saudi investors. “Adventure is life,” Scaringe told Forbes. Those concerned about climate change worry that as pickups become a bigger and bigger share of of the U.S. vehicle fleet, their emissions will accelerate environmental damage. Ford, whose F-Series trucks have been America's best-selling vehicle for three decades, has said it will build a hybrid version of the F-150 — possibly a plug-in hybrid that can go miles on electricity alone — in 2020. A battery-only F-150 is expected after that. More:GM, Amazon reportedly ready to invest $1B-$2B in Rivian electric trucks More:'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says Contact Randy Essex: REssex@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@randyessex.

Relatives react at the scene where the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday killing all 157 on board, near Bishoftu, south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, March 13, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) Flight recorders from a doomed Ethiopian Airlines flight arrived in France for analysis Thursday as frustrated relatives of the 157 people killed stormed out of a meeting with airline officials in Addis Ababa. Sunday's crash was the second fatal flight for a Boeing 737 Max 8 in less than six months. More than 40 countries, including the U.S., have now grounded the planes or refused to let them into their airspace. After holding out for several days, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order grounding the planes Wednesday, saying they had new satellite data and evidence that showed the movements of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 were similar to those of Lion Air Flight 610. That flight crashed into the Java Sea off Indonesia in October, killing 189 people. Officials at Lion Air have said sensors on their plane produced erroneous information on its last four flights, triggering an automatic nose-down command that the pilots were unable to overcome on its final voyage. Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said its pilots had received special training on how to deal with that problem. "In addition to the basic trainings given for 737 aircraft types, an additional training was given for the Max version," Tewolde said. "After the Lion Air crash, questions were raised, so Boeing sent further instructions that it said pilots should know." Two men carry suitcases containing the flight recorders from the Ethiopian jet, into the French air accident investigation authority, March 14, 2019 Le Bourget, north of Paris. (Photo: Christophe Ena/AP) Tewolde said he is confident the investigation will reveal that the crash is not related to the safety record of Ethiopian Airlines, widely seen as the best-managed in Africa. Firm answers about what caused the crash could take months. The French air accident investigation authority, known by its French acronym BEA, said Thursday it will handle the analysis of the flight recorders, often referred to as a plane's black boxes, retrieved from the crash site. The BEA has experience with global air crashes, and its expertise is often sought whenever an Airbus plane crashes because the manufacturer is based in France. A BEA official told The Associated Press that the recorders have already arrived in France but gave no time frame on how long the analysis could take. Story continues In Addis Ababa, about 200 angry family members of crash victims left a briefing with Ethiopian Airlines officials, saying that the carrier has not given them adequate information. Officials said they have opened a call-in center that is open 18 hours a day to respond to questions, but family members said they are not getting the answers they need. People from 35 countries died. At the crash scene in Hejere, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Addis Ababa, growing numbers of family members arrived, some wailing or beating their chests as a bulldozer navigated piles of debris. Blue plastic sheeting covered the wreckage of the plane. (AP) Wreckage lies at the scene where the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday killing all 157 on board, near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, March 12, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr. See more photos below: A family member reacts at the scene where the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 plane crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday killing all 157 on board, near Bishoftu, south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, March 13, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) Ethiopian relatives of crash victims mourn and grieve at the scene where the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday killing all 157 on board, near Bishoftu, south-east of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia Thursday, March 14, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) Ethiopian relatives of crash victims mourn at the scene where the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday killing all 157 on board, near Bishoftu, south-east of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, March 14, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) An Ethiopian relative of a crash victim throws dirt in her own face after realising that there is nothing physical left of her loved one, as she mourns at the scene where the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday killing all 157 on board, near Bishoftu, south-east of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, March 14, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) Foreign investigators examine wreckage at the scene where the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday killing all 157 on board, near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia March 12, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) Rescuers work at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight crash near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 11, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) A boarding pass is seen at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 11, 2019. (Photo: Tiksa Negeri/Reuters) Rescuers work at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight crash near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 11, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) Flowers are seen at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 11, 2019. (Photo: Tiksa Negeri/Reuters) Clothing lies on the ground at the crash scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight crash near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, March 11, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 302 to Nairobi crashed early on Sunday near the town of Bishoftu, 62 kilometers southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people aboard. (Graphic: Reuters) Search workers carry a tyre at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 11, 2019. (Photo: Tiksa Negeri/Reuters) Wreckage is seen at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 11, 2019. (Photo: Tiksa Negeri/Reuters) A component from a computer is seen behind a police cordon at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 11, 2019. (Photo: Tiksa Negeri/Reuters) Relatives of the victims involved in a plane crash wait for information at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya, March 10, 2019. (Photo: Khalil Senosi/AP) In this image taken from video, rescuers search through wreckage at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, March 10, 2019. (Photo: Yidnek Kirubel/AP) Rescuers remove body bags from the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, March 10, 2019. (Photo: AP) Family members of the victims involved in a plane crash react at Addis Ababa international airport, March 10, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) Wreckage lies at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, March 10, 2019. (Photo: AP) A family member of a victim involved in a plane crash talks on a mobile phone at Addis Ababa international airport, March 10, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) Workers gather at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight crash near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 11, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) Relatives of the victims involved in a plane crash board a bus at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya, March 10, 2019, to travel to a hotel to receive more information. (Photo: Khalil Senosi/AP) A piece of the wreckage of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff lies at the scene at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, March 10, 2019. (Photo: Yidnek Kirubel/AP) Rescuers search at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff at the scene at Hejere near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, some 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, March 10, 2019. (Photo: Yidnek Kirubel/AP) Airplane parts lie on the ground at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight crash near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 11, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) Members of the Ethiopian community take part in a special prayer for the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 crash, at the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church of Canada Saint Mary Cathedral in Toronto, March 10, 2019. (Photo: Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP) A passenger passport lies on the ground at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight crash near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 11, 2019. (Photo: Mulugeta Ayene/AP) _____ Read more from Yahoo News:<doc-sep>Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes grounded around the world after an Ethiopian Airlines flight crash killed all 157 passengers. Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes grounded around the world after an Ethiopian Airlines flight crash killed all 157 passengers.... A British woman whose dad feared her flying is one of the first victims identified from the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that claimed the lives of passengers and crew from 35 countries. Joanna Toole, 36, originally from Devon, UK, died when the brand-new Boeing Max 8 went down just minutes after takeoff from Bole International Airport in Ethiopia, killing all 157 people on board. Ms Toole, one of many United Nations workers on the doomed flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, Kenya, worked for the fisheries and aquaculture department of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation. “Joanna was a very soft and loving person,” her father Adrian Toole told The Sun. “She had never really wanted to do anything else but work in animal welfare since she was a child. “Joanna’s work was not a job — it was her vocation. “Somehow that work took her into the international sphere and for the last 15 years she has been working for international animal welfare organisations. “That involves a lot of travelling around the world — although personally I never wanted her to be on a single one of those planes. “I’m on environmental campaigner myself — so partly it was because of the damage to the environment but also because it’s a dangerous occupation to be flying. Up until now she had been lucky.” There were 157 people, including eight crew, on board the flight. Ethiopia’s state broadcaster Fana Broadcasting Corporate said the passengers included 33 nationalities. Authorities said Canadians (18), Chinese (8), Americans (8), Italians (8), Indians (4), French (7), British (7), Dutch (5), Russian (3), Moroccan (2), Israeli (2), Belgian (1), Ugandan (1), Yemeni (1), Sudanese (1), Togolese (1), Mozambican (1), Norwegian (1) and Egyptians (6) were among the foreigners killed in the crash, along with Ethiopians (9) and Kenyans (32). At least one victim from Ireland has been confirmed. Four people on board held a UN passport. There were no Australians on board. A British man has spoken about the final hours he spent with his dad, British and Kenyan dual citizen Joseph Waithaka, 55, who was also killed. Mr Waithaka moved to the UK in 2004 and back to Kenya in 2015. He had been visiting relatives in London on Saturday, before flying back to Addis Ababa, his son Ben Kuria told the BBC. “I gave him a hug and shook his hand, because in my culture it’s more about the handshake than it is about the hug,” Mr Kuria said. “And I said we’ll probably see you at some point soon. We usually spend a bit more time saying goodbye, but yesterday it kind of just felt routine.” British Prime Minister Theresa May said she was “deeply saddened” to learn of the tragedy that claimed the lives of seven Brits. “I was deeply saddened to hear of the devastating loss of life following the plane crash in Ethiopia,” she said in a statement on Twitter. “At this very difficult time my thoughts are with the families and friends of the British citizens on board and all those affected by this tragic incident.” UNITED NATIONS TO FLY FLAGS AT HALF-MAST Married father of two Michel Ryan, from Ireland, has also been confirmed as a victim. The Irish Times reports the man from County Clare worked with the UN World Food Programme as global deputy chief engineer. Ireland’s prime minister Leo Varadkar said Mr Ryan was “doing life-changing work in Africa with the World Food Programme” and expressed his sympathies to Mr Ryan’s family, colleagues and friends. As many as 19 United Nations workers died in the crash, the UN Department of Safety and Security in Kenya said. That included workers with the Office of the High Commissioner on Refugees, World Bank, International Telecommunications Union, the UN Environment Program and others, according to AP. German national Anne-Katrin Feigl, who worked with the UN migration agency, has also been confirmed as a victim. The UN and its agencies will fly flags at half-mast today as a mark of respect. A spokesman for the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, said he was “deeply saddened at the tragic loss of lives”. “He conveys his heartfelt sympathies and solidarity to the victims’ families and loved ones, including those of United Nations staff members, as well as sincere condolences to the government and people of Ethiopia,” the spokesman said. “The United Nations is in contact with the Ethiopian authorities and working closely with them to establish the details of United Nations personnel who lost their lives in this tragedy.” More than 4700 officials have been gathering in Nairobi for the UN Environment Assembly from March 11 to 15. As more heartbreaking stories from the crash emerge, Slovakian MP Anton Hrnko said his family had died in the crash. “With deep sadness I announce that my dear wife Blanka, son Martin and daughter Michal died during the air disaster in Addis Ababa today in the morning hours,” he wrote on Facebook.<doc-sep>

See the recovery efforts in Gaza as ceasefire appears to hold 'Is everything I'm trying to do pointless? ': Syrians helpless in face of 'sham' election Brother of journalist detained in Myanmar says family is hopeful Report: US companies may have benefited from forced labor of Uyghurs Residents stand near stalls along a road amidst debris while strong winds batter Balasore district in Odisha state on May 26, 2021 as Cyclone Yaas barrels towards India's eastern coast in the Bay of Bengal. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP) (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images) France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame speak as they walk in the grounds of The Presidential Palace in Kigali on May 27, 2021, after their press conference and prior to their official luncheon. - French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Rwanda on May 27, 2021, for a highly symbolic visit aimed at moving on from three decades of diplomatic tensions over France's role in the 1994 genocide in the country. Macron is the first French leader since 2010 to visit the East African nation, which has long accused France of complicity in the killing of some 800,000 mostly Tutsi Rwandans. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images) Relative of detained Iranian-Americans fears they will not survive Ethiopian Airlines issued this image on their official facebook page. Pictured, the CEO visiting the crash site Accident Bulletin no. 2 Issued on march 10, 2019 at 01:46 PM Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO deeply regrets the fatal accident involved on ET 302 /March 10 on a scheduled flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. The group CEO who is at the accident scene right now regrets to confirm that there are no survivors. He expresses his profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of passengers and c (CNN) — All 157 people aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed soon after taking off Sunday morning from Addis Ababa have been killed, the airline said Sunday. The plane, en route to Nairobi, Kenya, lost contact at 8:44 a.m. local time, six minutes after taking off from Bole International Airport in the Ethiopian capital. Live updates Flight ET302 went down near Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa. The victims were of 35 different nationalities, an airline spokesman told CNN. Thirty-two Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight Americans, eight Italians and eight Chinese nationals were among the passengers. Seven French and seven UK nationals were also on board, the spokesman said. Nineteen United Nations staff members were among those killed, according to a UN statement. The victims worked for the World Food Programme, the Office of the High Commissioner on Refugees, the International Telecommunications Union, the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Organization for Migration in South Sudan, World Bank and UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, and the UN Office in Nairobi. Though it’s unclear why UN employees were on the plane, the UN Environment Assembly is scheduled to begin Monday in Nairobi. “My heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of all the victims — including our own UN staff — who perished in this tragedy,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. Mulugeta Ayene/AP A family member of a victim of the crash awaits news at Addis Ababa airport. The US National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to support the Ethiopian Accident Investigations Bureau’s investigation, with assistance from technical advisers from the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing and General Electric. Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde GebreMariam told reporters the pilot reported technical difficulties after takeoff and asked for clearance to return to Addis Ababa. He was given clearance to turn back, GebreMariam said, citing the air traffic controllers’ record. The pilot was a senior Ethiopian Airlines pilot who had flown more than 8,000 hours. He had an “excellent flying record,” GebreMariam said. The CEO visited the crash site Sunday. He said the plane “is now right inside the ground” and it was not possible to identify whether it was an emergency landing or a crash. He said there was still smoke at the site when he visited. “As it is a fresh incident, we have not been able to determine the cause. As I said, it is a brand new airplane with no technical remarks, flown by a senior pilot and there is no cause that we can attribute at this time.” “The routine maintenance check didn’t reveal any problems,” GebreMariam added.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman isn’t about to rest on his laurels. First he reached accords with several dozen of Saudi Arabia’s richest men, including ministers and family members. They were arrested in November and held until they agreed to part with significant chunks of their wealth, which freed them from their luxurious captivity in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton. And now the crown prince is going after bin Laden — of course not the Al-Qaida founder killed by U.S. Navy SEALs in 2011, but the family company, construction giant Saudi Binladin Group. Read more: Saudi Crown Prince Goes After the Bin Ladens | Saudi Arabia vs. Qatar: How MBS's Blockade Not Only Failed to Achieve Its Goals but Backfired Last week Reuters broke the story, reporting that Riyadh had seized management control of the company from bin Laden family members who were “swept up in an anti-graft drive.” Osama bin Laden was part of that family, but the company cut ties with him. >> Pakistan and Israel: Separated at birth? At its peak, Binladin Group, founded in 1931, employed more than 100,000 people in 537 companies. Mohammed bin Salman’s takeover began in January, when he forced the company to shake up its board of directors, adding two Mohammed cronies. Binladin Group is now set to hand over 35 percent of its shares to the state, losing its status as a family-owned publicly-traded company. It will become subject to the indirect management of Mohammed. Binladin Group will be laying off thousands of people, selling some of its companies, and taking part in infrastructure projects and projects the government favors, like the future city of Neom to be perched on the borders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. The company was harshly criticized in 2015 when a crane it was operating near the Great Mosque of Mecca collapsed and killed 107 people. Binladin Group was kicked off government projects and eventually had to delay paying salaries and meeting its debts. After the arrest of top people, and with the threat of seizure floating above it, the company didn’t have many choices. Binladin Group isn’t the only mega-company Riyadh has seized. Mohammed has also laid his hands on the assets of Waleed al-Ibrahim, the chairman of regional TV broadcaster MBC. Ibrahim was forced to hand over a majority stake in that company in exchange for his freedom. This week the Saudi government let Ibrahim leave the country for Dubai, where his company is based. The Saudi state reached a similar arrangement, though probably a much more expensive one, with the multibillionaire Alwaleed bin Talal. The government’s stated objective of seizing assets is to end the deep corruption that helped win the owners vast wealth. Still, it takes a lot of courage to target companies that spent generations with close links with the royals themselves. The crown prince had no guarantees that these extremely rich men would agree to his “compromises” rather than tap the Saudi courts (or international ones) to protect their rights. But the prince, who has made a terrific impression in the United States and elsewhere in the West, as a liberal leader with a modern vision, knows how to hit back at people he claims robbed the kingdom. Yet predictions of Mohammed provoking Saudi business leaders to rise against him haven’t panned out. The capitalists apparently realize they’d better work with the prince lest they lose what they have left; they may also still hope to win projects in the future, albeit at narrower margins. A different question is whether foreign investors will keep putting money into Saudi Arabia, where assets could suddenly get nationalized if the prince ever decreed it. Based on reports in the Saudi business press, foreign investments have not dried up, nor are there signs of it slowing. The temptations of investing in Saudi Arabia may be too great for the multinationals to steer clear of the country. Not a company in the world wouldn’t love a chunk of Mohammed’s dream future city, where $500 billion is expected to be invested, or a chance to build resorts on 50 Saudi islands in the Red Sea at a cost of tens of billions. Nor does the crackdown on Saudi human rights activists, some of whom were arrested this week for allegedly collaborating with foreign governments and harming the kingdom, seem to have dismayed foreign companies. Not even allegations that these activities were being run from embassies provoke a reaction from the countries involved. The Saudi vision involves diversifying income sources and reducing the kingdom’s dependence on oil. Those aren’t new goals, but they’ve been redefined by each royal family over the decades. This time there seems to be at least a chance that the vision will turn into a strategic plan supervised directly by the kingdom’s leader. The plan isn’t confined to shaking down the rich or seizing companies; it involves boosting employment for Saudis at the expense of foreign workers, developing tourism beyond religious tourism, increasing the percentage of women working and updating the universities’ syllabuses so students can learn professions relevant to the labor market.<doc-sep>Extremist group al-Qaeda has sent a warning to Saudi Arabia’s crown prince that his efforts to liberalise the conservative kingdom are “sinful projects”. “The new era of [Mohammad bin Salman] replaced mosques with movie theatres,” the Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) said in a statement. The group went on to condemn the prince for the Western “absurdities” which have “opened the door wide for corruption and moral degradation”. ✕ Hundreds gather outside Downing Street to protest against Mohammad bin Salman's UK visit The prince was given his title by his father King Salman a year ago. Since then he has sent shock waves through Saudi society, instigating wide-ranging social and economic reforms designed to wean the kingdom off its dependence on oil. Cinemas have reopened, the country’s long-standing driving ban for women is due to end later this month, and the prince has even publicly criticised Saudi Arabia’s religious establishment as out of touch with the times and promised a return to a more “moderate Islam”. The prince’s critics say the reforms are a smokescreen for his branch of the House of Saud to consolidate its power. Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Show all 12 1 /12 Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Tombs in Mada'in Saleh were decorated by Alexandrian masons in the first century with Greek, Roman and Persian symbols Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures The ancient Biblical city of Dedan is situated on the lip of an oasis Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Cliffs formed out of red and black sandstone have eroded into crazy, hallucinatory shapes such as elephants, mushrooms, and seals Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Ancient Dedan inscriptions. Holes in the rock floor denote a sacrificial spot from the time of the Dedanites Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures A street in the old town of Al-Ula Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Mada'in Saleh, the archaeological site with the Nabatean tomb from the first century Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Ahmed comes from a long line of imams descended from a grand tribal judge who arrived c1400 in Al Ula’s 'old town' Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures The cliffs in the distance: out of the flat desert, one after another, the ornate facades rise into sight, 111 of them, carved into perpendicular cliffs up to four storeys high Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures The temples of Mada'in Saleh near Al-Ula have survived for 2,000 years Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures 'Charles' is scratched on the oat-coloured mud wall not by Charles Doughty but by Prince Charles (in 2015, with his key) Nicholas Shakespeare Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Al Gharamil Saudi Arabia's hidden archaeological treasures Mada'in Saleh tombs Of particular ire to al-Qaeda, however, appears to be a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) event in the Saudi city of Jeddah which took place in April. “[Foreign] disbelieving wrestlers exposed their privates and on most of them was the sign of the cross, in front of a mixed gathering of young Muslim men and women,” it said. Recommended Protests against Saudi Prince risk further deterioration in Yemen “The corruptors did not stop at that, for every night musical concerts are being announced, as well as movies and circus shows.” The AQAP branch of the extremist organisation is currently battling Saudi forces who fight as part of an Arab coalition in neighbouring Yemen’s complex civil war. More than 10,000 people have died and eight million have been pushed to the brink of famine since Shia Houthi rebels seized control of the capital Sana’a in 2015.<doc-sep>(CNN) — Saudi Arabia released video said to be shot on Tuesday that showed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a meeting, amid recent speculation about his whereabouts. The kingdom provided CNN with video that it said showed the crown prince chairing a Council of Economic Affairs and Development meeting in Jeddah on May 29. State-run television aired video of the same meeting. CNN is unable to verify when the video was shot. The video was released amid speculation about the Crown Prince’s well-being following reports of gunfire near the royal palaces in Riyadh on April 21. Obtained by CNN Saudi authorities said this footage depicted a cabinet meeting led by the crown prince on Tuesday. State-run SPA media said at the time that an unauthorized, recreational drone flew over the area, prompting security personnel to deal with the situation in an unspecified manner. Social media videos seemed to show an attempt at shooting down the drone. The royal palaces of Riyadh are known for their high security. There were no casualties, Reuters reported, citing a senior Saudi official. But the incident led to speculation online about a possible coup attempt and questions about the whereabouts of King Salman and the Crown Prince. Kayhan, a conservative Iranian newspaper closely aligned with the Iranian regime, claimed it had seen a report by an unnamed Arab intelligence service that speculated about the fate of the Crown Prince. Iran and Saudi Arabia are bitter regional rivals. The anonymous blogger Mujtahidd, who has over 2 million followers on Twitter and has in the past predicted some major stories from the Saudi court, tweeted a day after the April 21 incident that the palace had been attacked by armed vehicles. CNN could not independently verify the claims. Since the April 21 incident, the kingdom has released various stills showing the crown prince carrying out official duties. The images contain no timestamp or marker to indicate when they were taken. The crown prince, known casually as “MBS,” is spearheading an ambitious plan to reform and transform the Saudi economy by 2030.<doc-sep>

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the 32-year-old media-savvy leader of the oil kingdom, has been unnaturally quiet recently, so much so that some in the Middle East media couldn’t help but wonder if he is dead. Bin Salman hasn’t been seen in the public eye since his meeting with the Spanish royal family in on April 12. On April 21, heavy gunfire was heard near a royal palace in Riyadh, the kingdom’s capital. Although Saudi Arabia’s state news agency claimed it was a security force shooting down a toy drone that had gotten too close to the royal property, some wondered if the gunfire was in fact a coup led by Saudi royals trying to topple King Salman, Bin Salman’s father. Some of Saudi Arabia’s enemies were pretty sure. Last week, the Iranian newspaper Kayhan reported that the Crown Prince was hit by two bullets during the attack and may actually be dead, citing “a secret service report sent to the senior officials of an unnamed Arab state.” “There is plenty of evidence to suggest that the absence of nearly 30 days of Muhammad bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, is due to an incident which is being hidden from the public,” the daily paper claimed. To add credence to the speculation, Kayhan pointed out that Bin Salman was not seen on camera when the new U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Riyadh in late April, while his father, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir were photographed. Iran and Saudi Arabia are longtime rivals in the Middle East competing for more dominant influence in the region. To dismiss the rumor, the Saudi royal family on Wednesday released a photo of Bin Salman at a cabinet meeting in Jeddah and confirmed that he is alive. Saudi crown prince during the cabinet meeting in Jeddah tonight —SPA pic.twitter.com/IMxJZ8e42u — Ahmed Al Omran (@ahmed) May 22, 2018 Bin Salman’s month-long disappearance from the media limelight contrasts his high-profile tour in the U.S. and Europe just weeks prior, during which he courted a number of American business titans to discuss business deals. Back home, the heir to the Saudi throne faces dangerous tension within the royal family. According to Iran’s PressTV, Bin Salman’s cousin, Bin Nayef, and Mutab Bin Abdullah, son of a late king, are both against his aggressive invasion into Yemen and blockade of Qatar. On Monday, an exiled member of the Saudi royal family, Prince Khaled bin Farhan, told the Middle East Eye that if his uncles—Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz and Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, in particular—were to stage a coup against the current king, “99 percent of the members of the royal family, the security services and the army would stand behind them.” Prince Khaled, who was given political asylum in Germany in 2013, said he had received a large number of emails from people within the police and army in Saudi Arabia in support of his call. On the mysterious gunfire in April, Prince Khaled said it “was not necessarily an attempt to bring down Mohammed bin Salman but rather an act of protest against him.” The April coup, if true, was most likely a move of retaliation against Bin Salman’s sweeping anti-corruption crackdown in November 2017, in which he detained dozens of wealthy royal members.

Coric, 21, considered one of the top young players in the game, said he had never before even come close to landing such a difficult shot. “I normally go somehow around my back,” he said. “But I just felt that I can do it. It was not such an important point, so I just did it. Honestly I never do it in practice as well, so I don’t know how it was that good, to be honest. It was really luck.” Moments earlier, the 18th-ranked Coric had landed a delicate forehand drop-shot winner to close out a close second-set tiebreaker. “He came up with some good stuff today,” Johnson said. The winner of the best-of-five series will meet either France, the defending champion, or Spain in the final. In Lille, France, Benoît Paire overcame nerves to win in his Davis Cup debut and Lucas Pouille won a five-set battle to give France a 2-0 lead over Spain.<doc-sep>Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images Croatia and France took control of their respective Davis Cup semi-final ties on Friday as they both surged into 2-0 leads. For Croatia, it was Borna Coric and Marin Cilic who did the damage against the United States, as they won in straight sets against Steve Johnson and Frances Tiafoe, respectively. Meanwhile, Benoit Paire put defending champions France into an early lead with a dominant performance against Spain's Pablo Carreno-Busta. Lucas Pouille then made it a perfect day for France, outlasting Roberto Bautista-Agut in a five-set epic. Here are the results from the opening day of the Davis Cup semi-finals and a look back at the best bits from the day's play. Davis Cup Semi-Final Scores Croatia 2-0 United States Video Play Button Videos you might like Borna Coric (CRO) bt. Steve Johnson (USA), 6-4 7-6(3) 6-3 Marin Cilic (CRO) bt. Frances Tiafoe (USA), 6-1 6-3 7-6(5) France 2-0 Spain Benoit Paire (FRA) bt. Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP), 7-5 6-1 6-0 Lucas Pouille (FRA) bt. Roberto Bautista-Agut (ESP), 3-6 7-6(5) 6-4 2-6 6-4 Saturday Schedule Croatia vs. United States Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic (CRO) vs. Mike Bryan and Ryan Harrison (USA) France vs. Spain Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut (FRA) vs. Marcel Granollers and Feliciano Lopez (ESP) Croatia, France in Control After Friday Rubbers Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images Following his deep run into the U.S. Open, the United States were without John Isner for this match, and that was always going to be a blow. The team's lack of depth showed on a challenging day here. Factor in Croatia were able to call upon two fine players in Coric and Cilic, and this was always going to be a difficult day on the Zadar clay for the Team USA representatives. Coric was at least tested by Johnson, as the underdog was able to ensure both of the opening sets were tight despite losses. In the third, there were signs of weariness from the United States representative, as the class of the 21-year-old showed. Coric was also able to delight the home crowd with this incredible shot: With Cilic to come after this win, the signs were positive for the Croatians. The former U.S. Open champion and current world No. 6 posed a massive challenge for 20-year-old Tiafoe, and his power was too much for the American to cope with in two lopsided opening sets. Tiafoe did take the third stanza to a tiebreak, although on the big points, Cilic was able to find another gear and ultimately a routine win. Despite falling 2-0 down overall, the USTA praised the effort of their man against Cilic: France don't appear to be ready to relinquish their title without a fight this year, with Paire putting down the hammer in his match. Following an even first set that the Frenchman eventually won, he blew Carreno-Busta off the court with some remarkable shot-making for the rest of the match, giving his country a quick first point of the semi-final. The competition Twitter account summed up just how dominant Paire was late in the match: The last match of the day proved to be the most gripping, as Pouille and Bautista-Agut played out a five-set thriller. After taking lead, the Spaniard was hauled back and overtaken by his opponent before Pouille dug in to level things up again, taking this one into a decider. In the end, perhaps willed on by the strength of the raucous home support, it was Pouille who clinched an even final set, putting France within touching distance of another final.<doc-sep>Last updated on .From the section Tennis France have reached back-to-back Davis Cup finals for the first time since 2002 Defending champions France secured their place in the Davis Cup final as they took an unassailable 3-0 lead over Spain in the semi-final in Lille. Julien Benneteau and Nicholas Mahut beat Marcel Granollers and Feliciano Lopez 6-0 6-4 7-6 (9-7) to wrap up the best-of-five tie. Benneteau retired from playing after the US Open but returned to help France reach their ninth final. They will face either Croatia or United States in the final in November. Croatia lead the tie 2-1 after America's Mike Bryan and Ryan Harrison beat Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic 7-5 7-6 (8-6) 1-6 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-5) in the doubles. Benneteau and Mahut are unbeaten in Davis Cup rubbers, and took just 18 minutes to clinch the opening set. Despite trailing 4-1 in the third set, they fought back to force a tie-break before Benneteau produced a backhand service return to ensure victory. Benneteau, 36, will take charge of France's team for the Fed Cup - the women's equivalent of the Davis Cup - from 2019.<doc-sep>The doubles team of Mike Bryan and Ryan Harrison kept the United States’ hopes alive with a marathon win over host Croatia in Davis Cup action on Saturday. Slideshow ( 3 images ) Down 2-0 after singles play, Bryan, the world’s No. 1 doubles player, and Harrison outlasted Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic 7-5, 7-6 (6), 1-6, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5) in a match that lasted nearly five hours. Dodig and Pavic are ranked fourth in the world in doubles. Croatia is looking to beat the U.S. for the fifth straight time and still has two chances to advance to the final in Sunday’s singles. No. 6-ranked Marin Cilic, who beat Davis Cup newcomer Frances Tiafoe in the second match, faces American Steve Johnson in Sunday’s first match. Borna Coric is scheduled to take on Tiafoe in the finale. The matches are being played outdoors on clay at Kresimir Cosic Hall in Zadar, Croatia. France 3, Spain 0 A pair of veterans helped host France clinch a return to the Davis Cup final for the defending champions. Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut, both 36, beat Marcel Granollers and Feliciano López, 6-0, 6-4, 7-6 (7) to assure the victory. Benoit Paire and Lucas Pouille both won their singles matches on Friday to open the 2-0 lead on the hard indoor surface at Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille, France. France, which was won the title 10 times, is looking to be the first repeat winner since the Czech Republic in 2012-13. --Field Level Media<doc-sep>

DENIS CHARLET/Getty Images France reached the final of the 2018 Davis Cup by winning the third rubber against Spain in the semi-final on Saturday. Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut saw off Marcel Granollers and Feliciano Lopez in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4, 7-6(7), at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille, France. It means the defending champions will meet either Croatia or USA in the final. The latter put a first win on the board after Mike Bryan and Ryan Harrison were taken to a fifth set by Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic before eventually winning, 7-5, 7-6(6), 1-6, 6-7(5), 7-6(5), at Sportski centar Visnjik in Zadar, Croatia. Sunday's Semi-Final Schedule Croatia vs. USA (2:1) Marin Cilic vs. Steve Johnson, 10 a.m. BST/5 a.m. ET Video Play Button Videos you might like Followed by: Borna Coric vs. Frances Tiafoe France vs. Spain (3:0) Lucas Pouille vs. Pablo Carreno Busta, 12 p.m. BST/7 a.m. ET Followed by: Benoit Paire vs. Roberto Bautista Agut Recap Benneteau and Mahut eased through by establishing control with an emphatic showing in the opening set. They didn't drop a single game, with their dominance detailed by Ian Chadband of the tournament's official website: "So completely outplayed were the Spaniards in the opening stanza indeed that they won only four points as Benneteau and Mahut fed off the crowd buzz to draw first blood in just 18 minutes." France captain Yannick Noah leaned on the veteran experience of the 36-year-old Mahut. His communication with Benneteau, also 36, was outstanding as France maintained an iron grip on the tie during the second set: To their credit, the Spaniards made France work for it in the third, forcing a tiebreak. It afforded Benneteau the chance to be the hero, per Chadband: "Benneteau missed two chances, one only a half-chance but the other a straightforward volley, to seal the victory but on the third match point, conjured up a dazzling service return winner off Lopez’s delivery." Things were closer from the start between Croatia and the U.S., despite the latter jumping into a two-set lead. Bryan and Harrison needed to win seven games to win the first and survive a tiebreak to take the second. Croatia's fight back treated the fans to more thrilling rallies: Finally, Bryan and Harrison managed to see it out: The U.S. still has something to play for on Sunday, even if hopes of reaching the final remain slim. Croatia will be confident Marin Cilic or Borna Coric can do enough to see them through. As for France, the champions show no signs of slowing down and again look set to be the dominant force in the competition.

Will Wright, partner at KPMG and joint administrator said: "We are pleased to confirm this sale which, after a complex process, secures the continued trading of the majority of the business.<doc-sep>MUSIC retailer HMV has been rescued from administration by Canadian retailer Sunrise Records in a move that buys out 100 stores, keeping 1,487 jobs. The deal though will see 27 unprofitable stores - including four under its Fopp brand - close immediately, resulting in 455 instant job losses. 3 A total of 27 HMV stores across the country are closing Credit: Getty - Contributor The affected stores are located across the country but include HMV's iconic store on Oxford Street in London. You can find a full list of all store closures in the box below. They include 23 HMV stores and four Fopp stores - a music and book retailer HMV purchased in 2007, which will now have just four stores left in the UK. In addition, 122 warehouse workers will have their jobs axed once they've assisted administrator KPMG with its winding down operations. The company said in a Twitter message: "HMV is built on the passion of our colleagues. We are sorry to have to say goodbye to some amazing people today. Thank you for your hard work and dedication over the years. We will miss you." The Sun has asked both KPMG and Sunrise Records what the deal means for shoppers rights in terms of refunds, gift cards, and prices. The 27 HMV stores that have closed HERE's a full list of the HMV stores that shut today as a result of the administration deal: Ayr Bath Bluewater Bristol Cribbs Chichester Exeter Princesshay Fopp Bristol Fopp Glasgow Byres Fopp Manchester Fopp Oxford Glasgow Braehead Guernsey Hereford Manchester Trafford Merry Hill Oxford Street Peterborough Queensgate Plymouth Drake Circus Reading Sheffield Meadowhall Southport Thurrock Tunbridge Wells Uxbridge Watford Westfield London Wimbledon And we've asked if the website has also been purchased as part of the deal. We'll update this story as soon as we hear back. HMV became the first high street casualty after Christmas as it collapsed into administration in December. It was the second time HMV had collapsed in recent years, having filed for administration in 2013. Which shops did we lose from the high street in 2018? A NUMBER of familiar high street names hit the rocks last year, including: Asda: the supermarket began consulting with staff over potential job losses last year which could total almost 2,500. the supermarket began consulting with staff over potential job losses last year which could total almost 2,500. Coast: collapsed into administration in October 2018, putting 300 jobs at risk. 24 standalone stores have been closed, while Karen Millen is understood to have bought the group's brand and website, saving around 600 roles. collapsed into administration in October 2018, putting 300 jobs at risk. 24 standalone stores have been closed, while Karen Millen is understood to have bought the group's brand and website, saving around 600 roles. Evans Cycles: up to 50 per cent of its locations will also close, leading to around 650 job cuts. up to 50 per cent of its locations will also close, leading to around 650 job cuts. Gaucho: the restaurant group prepared to file for administration in July 2018 facing the loss of 1,500 jobs. The Argentinian restaurant had been in talks with potential buyers since May 2018. the restaurant group prepared to file for administration in July 2018 facing the loss of 1,500 jobs. The Argentinian restaurant had been in talks with potential buyers since May 2018. House of Fraser: announced in early August that 31 of its 59 stores would be closing by January 2019. This meant 2,000 jobs were at risk - along with over 4,000 of its brands and concessions. It's now been confirmed that Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley has bought the company. announced in early August that 31 of its 59 stores would be closing by January 2019. This meant 2,000 jobs were at risk - along with over 4,000 of its brands and concessions. It's now been confirmed that Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley has bought the company. Ikea: The Swedish furniture store unveiled plans to cut 350 UK jobs over the next two years as part of a global transformation plan. But it will also add 500 new jobs in spring when the new Greenwich store opens. The Swedish furniture store unveiled plans to cut 350 UK jobs over the next two years as part of a global transformation plan. But it will also add 500 new jobs in spring when the new Greenwich store opens. Laura Ashley: the retail chain is expected to close around 40 stores under its new chairman. the retail chain is expected to close around 40 stores under its new chairman. New Look: is looking at plans to close 60 stores in the UK, with its owners considering a possible Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), which will allow it to restructure its business and pay-off its debts. is looking at plans to close 60 stores in the UK, with its owners considering a possible Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), which will allow it to restructure its business and pay-off its debts. Pets At Home: the pet chain is likely to cut some jobs next year, having earmarked 30 vet practices at its stores for closure. the pet chain is likely to cut some jobs next year, having earmarked 30 vet practices at its stores for closure. Prezzo: also announced plans to close 100 restaurants putting hundreds of jobs at risk. also announced plans to close 100 restaurants putting hundreds of jobs at risk. Toys R Us: went into administration earlier this year. The company, for many years a household name in retailing, faced the loss of 3,000 jobs. The owner of Sunrise Records, Doug Putman, said: "We are delighted to acquire the most iconic music and entertainment business in the UK and add nearly 1,500 employees to our growing team. "By catering to music and entertainment lovers, we are incredibly excited about the opportunity to engage customers with a diverse range of physical format content and replicate our success in Canada. "We know the physical media business is here to stay and we greatly appreciate all the support from the suppliers, landlords, employees and, most importantly, our customers." Your rights if you're made redundant IF you're being made redundant, you may be eligible for the below, according to GOV.UK. Redundancy pay: If you've been working for your current employer for at least two years, you're usually entitled to a statutory redundancy pay. If you've been working for your current employer for at least two years, you're usually entitled to a statutory redundancy pay. A notice period: According to redundancy law, you’re entitled to a minimum notice period of 12 weeks’ if employed for 12 years or more, at least one week’s notice if you have been employed between one month and two years, or one week’s notice for each year if employed between two and 12 years. If your employer doesn’t want you to work your notice period they can offer you a lump sum instead. According to redundancy law, you’re entitled to a minimum notice period of 12 weeks’ if employed for 12 years or more, at least one week’s notice if you have been employed between one month and two years, or one week’s notice for each year if employed between two and 12 years. If your employer doesn’t want you to work your notice period they can offer you a lump sum instead. A consultation with your employer: Employers always have to consult with employees before dismissing them on the grounds of redundancy. In short, your employer must tell you what’s going on and give you a chance to ask questions and raise objections. Employers always have to consult with employees before dismissing them on the grounds of redundancy. In short, your employer must tell you what’s going on and give you a chance to ask questions and raise objections. The option to move into a different job: Your employer might offer you "suitable alternative employment" within your organisation or an associated company. Keep in mind that you may lose your right to statutory redundancy pay if you unreasonably turn it down.<doc-sep>Sign up for our Exeter newsletter and you'll never miss a big story again Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Keep me updated Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice In a blow to Janner and Exonian entertainment fans and employees, both branches of HMV in Devon have shut for good. The shock announcement that Exeter and Plymouth were two of the 27 branches to close came despite Canada's Sunrise Records buying out the chain and saving the other 100. It has secured the jobs of 1,487 people in other UK counties, but for the South West only branches in Truro and Taunton remain south of Bristol. Tim Jones, chairman of the South West Business Council said: "You can't disguise it, this is a body blow for Exeter and Plymouth. "It is extremely worrying seeing flagship stores that bring people in to the city centres and are mainstays of retailing go one after the other." The next step now is the emptying of the huge HMV units, with Exeter's spread over two floors at the heart of its Princesshay shopping centre, and new occupier being sought. So what does this mean for the tonnes of stock sat inside the stores - and will there be a clearance? Find out below. (Image: Jamie Hawkins) What is the full list of branches which have closed (or will close)? Ayr Bath Bluewater Bristol Cribbs Chichester Exeter Princesshay Fopp Bristol Fopp Glasgow Byres Fopp Manchester Fopp Oxford Glasgow Braehead Guernsey Hereford Manchester Trafford Merry Hill Oxford Street Peterborough Queensgate Plymouth Drake Circus Reading Sheffield Meadowhall Southport Thurrock Tunbridge Wells Uxbridge Watford Westfield London Wimbledon (Image: PA) Are the closed branches reopening for a stock clearance sale? We asked KPMG, the auditor which oversaw the HMV administration process, to tell us what exactly is the plan for the thousands of DVDs, Blu-Rays, Vinyl records, Funko Pop! figurines and CDs sat abandoned in both Devon branches. And it's bad news for anyone expecting a bargain. Because there will be no clearance sale. We were told that any stock still in stores are awaiting suppliers to collect them. In Devon, it's up to the landlords of both Drakes Circus shopping centre (British Land) and Princesshay shopping centre (The Crown Estate) to help arrange their collection. Why did HMV collapse? HMV went into administration in December 2018 after a whopping 30% fall in demand for DVDs at Christmas. Much of this was blamed on viewing habits which have seen a switch to streaming services. At the time, the executive chairman of HMV - and its owner Hilco Capital which purchased the company in a 2013 rescue package - said a huge slump in the UK’s CD and DVD market made its situation "unsustainable". (Image: Jamie Hawkins) It blamed a “tsunami of challenges” facing the UK retail sector, and changing behaviour from customers. HMV said despite growing its market share through 2018, the sector expects to see the market fall another 17% in 2019, leading the directors to conclude it cannot continue to trade. When HMV went into administration in January 2013, the outlet in Torquay closed. Hilco, which already owned HMV Canada, acquired the UK HMV stores in a deal reported to be worth about £50million.<doc-sep>

HMV have confirmed two of their Bristol stores are included in the closures, which will take place with immediate effect. The stores, which have been described as unprofitable, include FOPP and HMV Cribbs. HMV Bath will also close. The closures mean 455 people have been made redundant, from the 27 stores which have closed. Today (Tues, Feb 5) FOPP, on College Green, was already closed to the public although the lights were on and people appeared to be inside. Music mogul Doug Putman entered the race to buy the entertainment retailer last week after it slid into administration after Christmas. Speaking today, Putman said: "We are delighted to acquire the most iconic music and entertainment business in the UK and add nearly 1,500 employees to our growing team. "By catering to music and entertainment lovers, we are incredibly excited about the opportunity to engage customers with a diverse range of physical format content and replicate our success in Canada. (Image: Jon Kent) "We know the physical media business is here to stay and we greatly appreciate all the support from the suppliers, landlords, employees and, most importantly, our customers." Will Wright, partner at KPMG and joint administrator, added: "We are pleased to confirm this sale which, after a complex process, secures the continued trading of the majority of the business. "Our immediate concern is now to support those employees that have unfortunately been made redundant." Neil Gostelow, partner at KPMG and joint administrator, added: "We are grateful for the support of all key stakeholders including the suppliers whose support throughout this process has been key in securing this sale." These are the locations HMV is closing with immediate effect:

Ben Simmons deflects questions on his beef with Jared Dudley and emphasizes that he's "not worried about it." (0:22) NEW YORK -- With All-Star big man Joel Embiid a late scratch because of left knee soreness, Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown said point guard Ben Simmons played one of his "most dominant games" of his young career in Thursday's 131-115 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Simmons, last season's Rookie of the Year, finished with a playoff-career-high in scoring with 31 points on 11-for-13 shooting. He followed up a Game 2 triple-double with 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals to give Philadelphia a 2-1 lead in their first-round series. Brown put the spotlight on Simmons' free throws as a sign of just how locked in he was. He started off 5-for-5 and went 9-for-11 overall, shooting well above his 60 percent average during the regular season. "Ben was exceptional," Brown said. "They started trying to foul him. I think at that point he had not missed a free throw, and he did miss the two after they intentionally fouled him, but then he made another two to follow up. "And so, whether you look at his confidence, his body language walking to the line or with just organic play, I give Ben a tremendous amount of credit. We needed it all tonight, especially without Joel." Coming into the game, Simmons and Nets reserve Jared Dudley exchanged verbal barbs, with Dudley saying that Simmons was merely "average" in half-court situations. Simmons shrugged off the remark, saying, "It's coming from Jared Dudley. Come on." Then, hours before tipoff, a "missing" poster mocking Simmons' nonexistent jump shot was affixed to a street sign outside Barclays Center. The poster jokingly offered a $26,620,450 reward for the retrieval of Simmons' shot -- the amount of the point guard's rookie contract. Brooklyn fans, naturally, made Simmons the target of their ire, lustily booing him whenever he touched the ball.<doc-sep>Photo : Elsa ( Getty ) Shockingly, the return of Jared Dudley did not tip the scales of the Nets-Sixers series. In Thursday’s Game 3, the Nets were lit up at home, 131-115, even with Joel Embiid in street clothes. Ben Simmons led Philly with 31 points on 11-of-13 shooting, and well-rounded box score aside, he also kept his satisfyingly stupid beef with Jared Dudley on the grill. While Simmons claimed after the game that he didn’t “really have energy for it,” the tape would suggest otherwise. Advertisement Here’s a fairly common Dudley celebration pose: Photo : Ezra Shaw ( Getty ) And here was Simmons, after a Dudley airball, in Game 3: Dudley, a career 39 percent shooter from three, has yet to connect in this series. He bricked both his attempts and finished with one rebound, two turnovers, and one foul in 16 minutes. After that foul call Dudley complained to the ref, and Simmons let him know he was amused. It was nice while it lasted, but given the Nets’ struggles with these no-Embiid lineups, this beef might now be cooked all the way through, and hurtling towards hockey-puck consistency.<doc-sep>Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons was the best player on the floor, helping his squad earn a 2-1 lead in a first round Eastern Conference playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday in Brooklyn. Photo by Peter Foley/UPI | License Photo April 19 (UPI) -- Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons erupted for 31 points, nine assists and four rebounds in a playoff win over. the Brooklyn Nets after Jared Dudley's insult. Dudley called Simmons an "average player in the half court" before the third game of the first round Eastern Conference playoff series. Simmons responded by leading his squad to a 131-115 victory Thursday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Dudley didn't score a point in the loss. Advertisement Simmons told reporters in his postgame news conference that he wasn't "worried about it," when asked about Dudley's comments. "We have the pieces to complete games," Simmons said. "I think everybody in our organization knows that. It's about everybody stepping and following the plan ... Just buying in to what we have built." The Sixers now hold a 2-1 lead in the series, despite playing Thursday's game without star center Joel Embiid. Philadelphia led by as much as 18 points in the win. Simmons made his presence felt early. The star guard scored his first basket at the 9:49 mark in the first frame, via hook shot. The shot sparked a run of eight points for Simmons in the next 2:37, helping the Sixers keep the game close. Philadelphia held a 32-24 lead after the first frame. Simmons added six more points in the second quarter and the Sixers led by six points at halftime. He added just two points in the third quarter, but caught fire in the final frame. The Sixers star went off for 15 points down the stretch, helping Philadelphia secure the vital road victory. Tobias Harris scored 29 points and had 16 rebounds for the Sixers. J.J. Redick chipped in 26 points in the win. D'Angelo Russell and Caris LeVert each scored 26 points for the Nets. "For us, we gotta find a way to get wins," Dudley told reporters. "Whether its Ben scoring 40 or someone else, we just can't have four or five guys kill us." The Nets host the Sixers in the fourth game of the series at 3 p.m. Saturday in Brooklyn.<doc-sep>UPDATE: Jared Dudley and Jimmy Butler have been fined $25,000 and $15,000 respectively for escalating an on-court incident,” the NBA announced Sunday. Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks was also fined $25,000 and suspended for one game for confronting referees in the locker room after the game. Neither Dudley or Butler were suspended, however. Game 5 between the Nets and Sixers should be a fun one. Original story below: Brooklyn Nets veteran Jared Dudley and Philadelphia 76ers youngster Ben Simmons have been throwing jabs at each other — metaphorically speaking — in the media all week. Those jabs manifested themselves on the court on Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn, making for a very entertaining Game 4 of the series that resulted in the 76ers grabbing a slight 112-108 win. What happened in Game 4? While the feud was built up in the first three games of the series, the pettiness continued in full force on Saturday afternoon. After nailing a three, Dudley made the same gesture as Simmons when he missed the game before. Later in the game, the two were getting visibly more aggressive with each other. Finally, it boiled over. After Embiid fouled Nets forward Jared Allen from behind midway through the third quarter — similar to how he fouled Allen in Game 2 of the series — Dudley came sprinting from behind to shove Embiid. Suddenly, both teams wound up in a scuffle that fell into the stands. When the whole thing was said and done, Dudley and 76ers guard Jimmy Butler were ejected from the game. Butler finished with 11 points and four rebounds when he was ejected, and Dudley left with eight. Embiid, though, seemed unbothered by the incident after the game. JOEL EMBIID CALLS JARED DUDLEY A NOBODY LMAO pic.twitter.com/LzLuZcxx94 — Drew Corrigan (@Dcorrigan50) April 20, 2019 “I mean, first of all, he’s a nobody,” Embiid said after the game. “When an opponent is trying to do something like that, that’s just to get us out of the game. I’m too valuable for my team. That’s why I didn’t react. I did not do anything.” Story continues Jared Dudley and Jimmy Butler were ejected from Game 4 on Saturday afternoon after a shoving match broke out in the third quarter. (AP/Frank Franklin II) 76ers escape with win Though tempers flared earlier in the contest, the Nets mounted a seven point lead midway through the fourth quarter and seemed poised to even the series. Yet a quick 8-0 run by Embiid brought Philadelphia back into control of the game. Then, thanks to a pair of critical 3-pointers from J.J. Redick and Mike Scott, the 76ers rolled to the four-point win at the Barclays Center. Embiid led the 76ers with 31 points and 16 rebounds in the win. Tobais Harris added 24 points, and Simmons finished with 15. Caris LeVert led the Nets with 25 points, while both D’Angelo Russell and Jarrett Allen finished with 21 points each. The Nets now trail the 76ers 3-1 in the series ahead of Game 5 on Tuesday night. How did this random rivalry start? In Game 1 of the Nets-76ers opening round playoff series, the 33-year-old Dudley held 22-year-old Simmons to just two points on 1-of-5 attempts. Dudley sat out Game 2 as he recovered from a calf strain, while Simmons posted a triple-double. In a practice the day after the game, Dudley fired the first shot at Simmons: “Ben is a great player in transition,” he said. “And once you get him into half court, he’s average.” He also said that Simmons is key to the Sixers’ offense, but that may have been too little, too late. Of course, the All-Star Simmons was asked about Dudley’s comments, to which he flippantly responded, “That’s coming from Jared Dudley.” Simmons then dominated the Nets on their home court in Game 3, which included this little gesture when Dudley air-balled a 3-pointer: Simmons' reaction after Dudley's airball 🤭 pic.twitter.com/lCXaZKrw4V — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 19, 2019 Friday morning, Simmons said he was done with the feud. More from Yahoo Sports:<doc-sep>

Were it not for the playoffs, Ben Simmons and Jared Dudley would exist as two distant planets in the vast expanses of the NBA universe. Simmons is an All-Star and one of the league’s brightest young talents. Dudley is a 33-year-old journeyman who was traded to the Brooklyn Nets last summer for Darrell Arthur. The postseason provides its own gravity, though, and these two seemingly unrelated entities have collided during the Philadelphia 76ers’ first-round matchup with the Brooklyn Nets. Somehow, the two are in the midst of an honest-to-goodness beef. A fabled beef, even. How did we get here? Who’s winning this bizarre (and fabled) showdown? The inciting incident. After Philadelphia evened up the series in Game 2, Dudley—who sat out that contest with a calf injury—talked to reporters about the team’s strategy for slowing Simmons down. “Ben Simmons is a great player in transition,” he said. “And once you get him into half court, he’s average.” Simmons’ rejoinder. When asked about the evaluation, Simmons scoffed. “That’s coming from Jared Dudley,” he said. “Come on.” Simmons may have been dismissive of Dudley to reporters, but he was pointedly aggressive in Game 3, putting up 31 points and 9 assists in the Sixers’ win. Dudley, meanwhile, scored 0 points in 17 minutes, and Simmons looked particularly pleased after Dudley airballed a shot from behind the arc. Ben Simmons had fun trolling Jared Dudley after Dudley called him an “average” half-court player 🙃 pic.twitter.com/SYJdgJLOrP — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 19, 2019 When asked about the beef after the game, Simmons gave his answer from the passing lane of the high road. “I don’t really have energy for it,” he said. “It’s done.” Dudley’s response. “Saturday’s Game 4 was a quiet affair, and both parties respectfully kept to themselves.” So begins the latest entry in my wildly unpopular basketball fan fiction series, NBA Players Getting Along. In reality, Dudley was a pest all afternoon, and he reacted to a made 3-pointer with the same celebration Simmons had used for Dudley’s Game 3 airball. Jared Dudley had a message for Ben Simmons 😂#WeGoHard | #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/90FR34uRe3 — NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 20, 2019 Dudley was probably still feeling the adrenaline rush of that made field goal when he got in the face of Sixers center Joel Embiid in the third quarter. He and Simmons tumbled into the crowd during the ensuing tussle, and the officials ejected Dudley and the Sixers’ Jimmy Butler, the latter of whom helped escalate the argument from a skirmish to a full-blown scuttlebutt. This left Simmons to continue the game without his foil, and he finished with 15 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds in a 112-108 win for Philadelphia. Who’s winning the feud? Simmons provided two key plays for the Sixers down the stretch. First, he found an open J.J. Redick for a go-ahead jumper. (Note: this kind of occurred in a half-court setting.) JJ knocks down the BIG triple when it counts! Sixers up 1! 🔥#PhilaUnite | #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/GgFaCKZ5ei — NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 20, 2019 Then, after the teams traded 3-pointers, Simmons stole the ball from Jarrett Allen and secured the win for Philly. Despite these late-game heroics, it’s obvious that the winner of the Simmons-Dudley showdown is Jared Dudley. Dudley averaged 4.9 points per game during the regular season. He is averaging 3 points in the postseason. The fact that he’s been able to generate a feud out of thin air despite those meager stats is a truly remarkable accomplishment. The Sixers and Ben Simmons may be up 3 games to 1, but Dudley has already managed the upset of the postseason.

A Supreme Court ruling Tuesday stating undocumented immigrants with criminal records can be detained indefinitely by U.S. authorities at any time after an initial arrest—even years later—generated outrage and disappointment from advocacy groups around the country. The case, Nielsen v. Preap, was decided by a majority of 5-4. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) brought the suit against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to the Supreme Court in October 2018. The case rested on whether or not the government can detain immigrants convicted of crimes at any time after their sentences and for any amount of time. A law passed by Congress in 1996 allowed for the detention of undocumented immigrants after their sentence was served, but that law had largely, until now, been interpreted as only applying immediately after sentencing. Tuesday's ruling means that application parameter no longer exists. "For two terms in a row now, the Supreme Court has endorsed the most extreme interpretation of immigration detention statutes, allowing mass incarceration of people without any hearing, simply because they are defending themselves against a deportation charge," Cecilia Wang, ACLU deputy legal director, said in a statement. "We will continue to fight the gross overuse of detention in the immigration system." Wang argued the case in front of the judges. We've lost a valiant battle in Nielsen v. Preap today. Two terms in a row now, #SCOTUS has ruled in favor of the most extreme interpretation of the mandatory immigration detention statute - which results in detention without any individualized hearing on flight risk or danger. pic.twitter.com/erSHioBvhn — Cecillia Wang (@WangCecillia) March 19, 2019 Justice Samuel Alito wrote the decision, joined by justices Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, John Roberts, and Clarence Thomas. The quintet are considered the court's conservative block. The liberal minority of Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader-Ginsberg, and Elena Kagan was represented in a dissent by Breyer which asked if Congress "meant to allow the government to apprehend persons years after their release from prison and hold them indefinitely without a bail hearing." "This is terrible news," said Slate writer Mark Joseph Stern. Oof. This is terrible news. SCOTUS rules 5–4 that ICE may arrest and detain an unauthorized immigrant *indefinitely* once he has been taken into criminal custody. Doesn't matter if he was released from custody months or even years ago. https://t.co/Ldw7cr9phY SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Never Miss a Beat. Get our best delivered to your inbox. — Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) March 19, 2019 In a late February piece for Slate, Stern argued that the court's decision in Jennings v. Rodriguez, where the court sent a case involving indefinite detention of immigrants back to lower courts, indicated the new majority was prepared to strip immigrants of Constitutional protections. We should all be concerned that Breyer found it necessary to explain these first principles to the court. So many rights flow from the Due Process Clause’s liberty component: not just the right to be free from arbitrary detention and degrading treatment, but also the right to bodily integrity and to equal dignity. Should the court rule that undocumented immigrants lack these basic liberties, what's to stop the government from torturing them, executing them, or keeping them imprisoned forever? That's what happened on Tuesday, Scott Hechinger, senior attorney and director of policy at Brooklyn Defender Services, said on social media: the majority ruled "in favor of *indefinite detention* for immigrants." “Last term Justice Breyer warned us that SCOTUS' conservatives want to strip immigrants of their constitutional rights.” Today he was proven right. He read his dissent from bench. But the majority including Trump’s 2 picks ruled: In favor of *indefinite detention* for immigrants. https://t.co/R5XAu2uo6u — Scott Hechinger (@ScottHech) March 19, 2019 The ruling was "a major setback for civil liberties," said the Asian Law Caucus, "but the battle isn't over." This ruling stands as a major setback for civil liberties but the battle isn’t over. We urge Congress to repeal the 1996 mandatory detention law, an anomaly to our legal system that runs counter to our shared ideals, and to protect the right to due process for us all. — Asian Law Caucus (@aaaj_alc) March 19, 2019 Despite the setback, the ACLU's Wang promised that the organization would continue bringing cases like Preap to the court. "We will never give up fighting against the senseless mass incarceration without a hearing," said Wang.<doc-sep>It is profoundly wrong to believe that, just because the president* is a vulgar talking yam, his policies are not succeeding in several important places. (Most of these policies, it should be noted, differ only in how crude they are from policies that would have been pursued by most Republican presidential candidates.) For example, on Tuesday, by the now-customary 5-4 margin, the Supreme Court handed a big victory to the administration* not only in Nielsen v. Preap, the case under consideration, but also to the administration*'s excessive hostility toward immigrant populations. From the AP: The issue in the case before the justices had to do with the detention of noncitizens who have committed a broad range of crimes that make them deportable. Immigration law tells the government it must arrest those people when they are released from custody and then hold them while an immigration court decides whether they should be deported. But those affected by the law aren’t always picked up immediately and are sometimes not detained until years later. In the case before the Supreme Court, a group of mostly green card holders argued that unless they’re picked up essentially within a day of being released, they should be entitled to a hearing where they can argue that they aren’t a danger to the community and are not likely to flee. If a judge were to agree, they would not have to remain in custody while their deportation case goes forward. That’s the same hearing rule that applies to other noncitizens the government is trying to deport. But the Supreme Court disagreed with the immigrants’ interpretation of federal law in a 5-4 ruling that divided the court along ideological lines. Looking at a statutory provision enacted by Congress in 1996, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that “neither the statute’s text nor its structure” supported the immigrants’ argument. The court’s conservative justices sided with the Trump administration. In other words, if you did a two-year bid 30 years ago for whatever, and you've been the choir director in a Trappist monastery since you got out of stir, ICE can now grab you up and detain you, theoretically, for the rest of your life. The Supreme Court just dropped its imprimatur on indefinite detention. (The plaintiff here was a guy who was busted twice for weed, did his time, and was released in 2006. Seven years later, ICE picked him up and locked him away. Since then, he won his deportation case and is still in this country.) John Moore Getty Images During the Court's last term, Justice Stephen Breyer, who took the unusual step of reading his dissent from the bench on Tuesday, warned us that the conservative majority was warming up to remove any semblance of constitutional protections from immigrants. Dissenting in a case called Jennings v. Rodriguez, Breyer wrote: Whatever the fiction, would the Constitution leave the government free to starve, beat, or lash those held within our boundaries? If not, then, whatever the fiction, how can the Constitution authorize the government to imprison arbitrarily those who, whatever we might pretend, are in reality right here in the United States? The answer is that the Constitution does not authorize arbitrary detention. And the reason that is so is simple: Freedom from arbitrary detention is as ancient and important a right as any found within the Constitution’s boundaries. In his dissent on Tuesday, Breyer somehow resisted the temptation to say he told us so but, he did tell us so. That is because we cannot interpret the words of this specific statute without also considering basic promises that America’s legal system has long made to all persons. In deciphering the intent of the Congress that wrote this statute, we must decide—in the face of what is, at worst, linguistic ambiguity—whether Congress intended that persons who have long since paid their debt to society would be deprived of their liberty for months or years without the possibility of bail. We cannot decide that question without bearing in mind basic American legal values: the Government’s duty not to deprive any “person” of “liberty” without “due process of law,”; the Nation’s original commitment to protect the “unalienable” right to “Liberty”; and, less abstractly and more directly, the longstanding right of virtually all persons to receive a bail hearing. I would have thought that Congress meant to adhere to these values and did not intend to allow the Government to apprehend persons years after their release from prison and hold them indefinitely without a bail hearing. We will have los desaparecidos in this country. We are on our way toward that. We probably have them now. Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page here. Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have the power to arrest people who aren’t US citizens and detain them for months or years, based on past convictions, with no chance of release on bond. They can do this even to green card holders, and even if the convictions were fairly minor and the immigrant completed the sentences (or paid the fines) years ago. That’s what the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in the case Preap v. Nielsen. In a 5-4 ruling along ideological lines, the Court’s conservative majority overruled a Ninth Circuit ruling that tried to limit which immigrants would be subject to mandatory detention without bond — something that a 1996 immigration law requires for immigrants with certain criminal histories or suspected terrorist ties. The court’s decision doesn’t create any new powers for ICE. In most of the country, immigrants were already ineligible for bond hearings if they were picked up for long-ago crimes, and often they were consigned to months of detention as they languished in a historically large court backlog. It just ends a brief period in which the West Coast, home of the Ninth Circuit, was the exception to that rule. Instead, the ruling is noteworthy mostly because of the court fight it sets up down the road. The court’s liberals appear increasingly worried that the mandatory-detention law itself is unconstitutional. “I fear,” wrote Justice Stephen Breyer in a dissent for the Court’s four liberals, that Tuesday’s ruling “will work serious harm to the principles for which American law has long stood” — principles that say that, as a rule, the government can’t detain anyone indefinitely without showing cause and that people who have served criminal sentences can’t be summarily reimprisoned for the same crime. Those principles don’t hold in quite the same way when it comes to the immigration system — even though detention and deportation may seem as harsh as criminal punishments, they’re technically part of a civil system that doesn’t give the same protections to defendants. But as immigration enforcement has swelled in the 21st century, that’s started to seem to some like cognitive dissonance. Even the conservative majority didn’t argue that mandatory detention as it exists is constitutional. Instead, it all but invited a challenge to the constitutionality of the law — even while using that law’s grammar to justify a policy that could result in detention of thousands more immigrants in the meantime. Mandatory detention without bond is legal. The question is whether it applies years after the crime. The 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) lays out certain categories of immigrants who are supposed to be picked up by federal immigration agents “when they are released” from criminal custody. (The categories are theoretically based on committing particularly serious or offensive crimes or having terrorist ties, but in practice, some of the grounds are so elastic that an immigrant won’t even know whether he qualifies just based on his criminal conviction.) Those immigrants then have to be detained. In a decision last year, the Supreme Court held that those immigrants were not allowed to demand bond hearings — they had to be detained until their cases were resolved, no matter how long that took. The decision Tuesday examined whether that was also true of immigrants who were detained by immigration agents long after they were released from criminal custody, The lead plaintiff in the case, Mony Preap, was a green-card holder who was picked up by ICE seven years after serving sentences for two minor drug convictions, then detained for months as ICE sought to strip him of his green card and deport him. Legally, the Court’s decision was a question of grammar: If the government was supposed to pick up mandatory detainees “when they are released,” but did not, would they still count as mandatory detainees? The conservative majority said yes, they would. Just as they did in the 2018 mandatory-detention ruling, the conservatives made a point of saying they weren’t considering whether or not the statute was constitutional because that wasn’t directly being challenged in this case. The implication is that at least some of the Court’s conservatives might believe that Congress gave the federal government unconstitutional amounts of power in 1996, but they’re not going to cross that bridge until they get to it. Immigration detention has metastasized — and liberals are beginning to question its underpinnings Unsurprisingly, Justice Breyer’s dissent for the liberals pointed out the real-world consequences of the grammar dispute: thousands of people with roots in the US might be whisked away by ICE for months or years with no court hearing. Under the Government’s view, the aliens subject to detention without a bail hearing may have been released from criminal custody years earlier, and may have established families and put down roots in a community. These aliens may then be detained for months, sometimes years, without the possibility of release; they may have been convicted of only minor crimes—for example, minor drug offenses, or crimes of “moral turpitude” such as illegally downloading music or possessing stolen bus transfers; and they sometimes may be innocent spouses or children of a suspect person. When the 1996 law was passed, there wasn’t yet an agency tasked solely with the arrest and deportation of immigrants in the US — that agency, ICE, wasn’t created until after 9/11. The amount of money currently spent on arrests, detention, and deportation of immigrants was hardly conceivable then. As immigration enforcement has ramped up generally, immigrants with old criminal convictions — including legal immigrants, even green card holders — have become especially appealing targets. Under Obama, immigrants with criminal records were targeted for deportation. Even though ICE isn’t as limited in who it can arrest now, it’s still constrained by how quickly it can track down and arrest people — and unlike immigrants who have stayed under the radar, ICE can use government databases to pick out people with criminal records who are potential deportees. Nor is there any incentive for ICE not to arrest someone because they couldn’t afford to detain the person.<doc-sep>This image was removed due to legal reasons. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Tuesday in favor of a Trump a dministration policy that allows U.S. border agents to indefinitely detain non-U.S. citizens facing deportation — even after they’ve completed any criminal sentences. Advertisement The case, Nielsen v. Preap., was first heard by the court in October. The law at the center of the case—a 1996 bill known as the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act—dictates that the federal government can detain convicted immigrants “when” they are released from jail or prison. (If you’re wondering, that bill passed the House 278-126 and the Senate 72-27 and was signed by President Bill Clinton.) The case heard by the justices concerned a pair of class-action lawsuits, one filed in California and one filed in Washington. One of the lead plaintiffs, Mony Preap, while not a citizen, had been a lawful permanent resident since 1981. According to the L.A. Times, Preap had two convictions for marijuana possession and was released from prison in 2006; he was then taken into custody by U.S. immigration authorities in 2013. Preap— who successfully concluded his fight against deportation—and his team won several cases in the lower courts before the federal government appealed the case to the Supreme Court. Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union argued to the justices in October that the law’s language implies immigrants can only be detained immediately following their release. However, lawyers for the the Trump administration put forth that the government should retain that power indefinitely. The arguments were heard on what was Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s second day on the bench. While he questioned the government’s lawyer on the indefinite nature of the detainment policy, he also turned around and wielded the vague language of the law against the ACLU lawyers. Likewise, Neil Gorsuch also took the government lawyers to task for the vague and over-reaching detaining powers the bill granted the government. Come Tuesday, their worries appeared to be assuaged or forgotten, as Kavanaugh and Gorsuch accompanied Justices Alito, Clarence Thomas, and John Roberts in voting in favor of the government being able to run around and detain immigrants whenever it pleases. Justice Alito wrote in his ruling that while class-action lawsuits won’t be able to win the case, he welcomed any future individual legal challenges. Given the financial realities faced by the folks most affected by his bullshit ruling on Congress’ bullshit law, his invitation here is, like the rest of it, bullshit.<doc-sep>

A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday bolstered the Trump administration’s power to arrest and indefinitely jail legal immigrants who committed past crimes that could trigger deportation, including those who completed their sentences years ago or were convicted of minor drug offenses. The court’s five conservatives pointed to a “mandatory detention” rule in a 1996 immigration law that said federal agents “shall take into custody” immigrants who have been convicted of certain crimes that would lead to deportation. Tuesday’s high court decision is the third in the last two years that strengthens Trump’s authority under the immigration laws. While the ruling interprets a 1996 law, it takes on added significance because the administration has been more aggressive in arresting and jailing immigrants. The justices in the majority said Congress feared it would be “too risky” to let terrorists or dangerous criminals go free while deportation was pending. But their opinion conceded the law is so broad it also sweeps in nonviolent “drug offenders and tax cheats.” The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, acting on an American Civil Liberties Union class-action suit in California, ruled in 2016 that these immigrants were not subject to mandatory detention if they were not “promptly” taken into custody after their release from a local jail or state prison. This spared those who had lived and worked legally in California, some for over a decade. But Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., speaking for the 5-4 majority, called this argument “hard to swallow” since local officials in so-called sanctuary cities do not alert federal agents when an immigrant is released. In the case, Nielsen vs. Preap, he said the law calls for mandatory detention of the immigrants without exception and regardless of when they are taken into custody. Last June, a 5-4 majority upheld the travel ban and said the president could deny entry to immigrants and visitors from several Muslim-majority nations. A few months earlier, the court ruled the government could hold immigrants for months or years without offering them a bail hearing. That decision, in Jennings vs. Rodriquez, was an offshoot of the case decided Tuesday. Justice Stephen G. Breyer, speaking for the court’s four liberals, read his dissent in the courtroom. “The greater importance of the case lies in the power that the majority’s interpretation grants to the government. It is a power to detain persons who committed a minor crime many years before,” he said. “And it is a power to hold those persons, perhaps for many months, without any opportunity to obtain bail.” He said the Constitution gave all people the right to a hearing if they were held by the government. “I would have thought that Congress intended to adhere to these values and did not intend to allow the government to apprehend persons years after their release from prison and hold them indefinitely without a bail hearing,” Breyer said. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan agreed. Joining Alito in the majority were Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil M. Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh. In a separate opinion, Thomas and Gorsuch said they would have thrown out the suit on the grounds the courts have no authority to review class-action suits challenging immigration enforcement. ACLU Deputy Legal Director Cecillia Wang, who argued the case, criticized the ruling. “For two terms in a row now, the Supreme Court has endorsed the most extreme interpretation of immigration detention statutes,” she said, “allowing mass incarceration of people without any hearing, simply because they are defending themselves against a deportation charge. We will continue to fight the gross overuse of detention in the immigration system.” Eduardo Padilla, one of the named plaintiffs, came to the United States in 1966 as an infant and became a lawful permanent resident in the Sacramento area. He has five children and six grandchildren, all of whom are U.S. citizens. Padilla had two convictions for drug possession, in 1997 and 1999, and served 90 days in jail in 2002 for having an unloaded pistol in a shed. In 2013, federal agents rearrested him over those crimes and held him for deportation. But he went free after the 9th Circuit ruled the “mandatory detention” provision did not apply to immigrants such as Padilla. He was released on a $1,500 bond because a judge decided he did not present a danger and was not likely to flee.

Violent crimes on BART jumped 69 percent in the past 10 years, even as they fell 7 percent across California during the same period, according to figures released this month by the state Department of Justice. Safety on BART is once again a paramount issue for customers after Sunday night’s killing of 18-year-old Nia Wilson on the train platform at MacArthur Station in Oakland. A transient parolee with a troubled history was arrested Monday and is expected to appear in court Wednesday to face charges that he stabbed Wilson in the neck in an unprovoked attack.<doc-sep>A BART passenger fatally stabbed an 18-year-old woman in the neck and wounded her older sister as they rode a train in Oakland late Sunday in what officials said appeared to be a “random” attack by a stranger. The double stabbing happened about 9:45 p.m. at MacArthur Station, which was quickly shut down for the night. The station reopened Monday morning. Agency spokesman Jim Allison said the second victim was taken to a hospital for treatment, while the suspect — described by witnesses as a heavyset white man in his 20s or 30s with short hair — fled and remained at large Monday. A motive in the violence was unknown. Relatives of the victims gathered at the station late Sunday night, hugging and crying after talking to police. Malika Harris identified the woman who died as her sister, 18-year-old Nia Wilson, who had attended Oakland High. A man who said he witnessed a portion of the train attack said he had his back to the victims when he heard a commotion. He said he saw one of the victims bleeding from her neck and the suspect “poking” the other woman. He said BART police arrived and began performing CPR on one of the victims. The man said he didn’t hear any yelling or arguing before the attack. Ebony Monroe, a cousin of the victims, described Wilson as a “beautiful, sweet person” who loved her cousins, fashion and doing makeup. Monroe said Wilson had a boyfriend who drowned in a lake two years ago, and that she was celebrating his birthday on Sunday. “She needs her justice … she was just an innocent kid, and she didn’t deserve this.” Monroe said. “And he did this for no reason.” Monroe said a witness described the suspect as coming “out of nowhere.” After the stabbing, AC Transit assisted BART in getting riders to their destinations. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy<doc-sep>Nia Wilson spent her last day doing what she did during so much of her life — shouting in the face of tragedy. Just hours before she was fatally stabbed with breathtaking suddenness on a BART platform last Sunday, the 18-year-old had been at a poolside barbecue in Martinez with her family. She was honoring the memory of her high school boyfriend who died two years ago. Last week marked what would have been his 18th birthday, and in typical fashion for a woman who posted verses about staying strong through storms, she was choosing assertive optimism over tears. But that optimistic life ended at 9:38 p.m. as Wilson and one of her sisters were boarding a train at the MacArthur Station, headed home to Oakland. Striding quickly behind them, a young man stabbed both in the neck with thrusts from the side, then, after standing to watch for a moment, dashed away. Wilson collapsed into the arms of her wounded sister Lahtifa, 26. People around them were still screaming when police arrived and pointed in different directions to where they thought the attacker had fled. In minutes, Wilson had bled out and was dead on the platform. John Lee Cowell was snared the next evening in a region-wide manhunt. By then a national furor had erupted over the possible racial implications of the crime, with many assuming that Cowell, who is white, had targeted Wilson because she was black. Police say they have no evidence that race was a factor, but by week’s end many, from local activists to Hollywood celebrities, had taken to social media to cite the killing as an example of the violent oppression of black people in America. Overshadowed in the furor was the history of two lives that wound utterly separate paths — and then, by the vagary of fate, intersected on that BART platform. Cowell, 27, now sits in Santa Rita Jail on murder and attempted murder charges, and has refused to speak to investigators about his possible involvement, motive or anything other than a request for a lawyer. Authorities say they have strong evidence in the form of lengthy video footage placing him at the scene and fleeing the station. Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle For Cowell, a guilty verdict would cap off a misbegotten life that was dealt a bad hand from an early age in Concord. Cowell’s father has done jail time for theft and drug crimes since Cowell was a child. His mother is a mentally ill felon. And since he was in middle school, Cowell has been in so much trouble he has rarely spent more than a few months at a time not being locked up. He had long been homeless when he was arrested Monday. Meanwhile, Wilson’s large, extended family is faced with having to plan a funeral instead of a party for her expected graduation in December from Dewey Academy high school. “I will never see my daughter again,” said her father, Amsar El Muhammad. “She will never be able to pursue her dreams. No parent would ever want to go through what I’m going through.” Growing up in a gritty stretch of East Oakland, Nia Wilson adopted the kind of edge kids gird themselves with to survive. Being a young, black woman in America, let alone a town awash with both poverty and wealth, carries a range of tough challenges, and friends say her daily walk to school was often an ordeal. Sometimes she and her classmates would get solicited by men. Crooks tried to rob them. Pimps tried to recruit them. Wilson responded to the challenges with buoyant confidence leavened by street-savvy assertiveness. “I’m not the kind of bitch that needs any kind of sympathy period,” she wrote in one Facebook post. “Ion need nobody to feel bad for me ... I then already been through storm & it ain’t no folding this way.” Marrika Lopes, one of Wilson’s Dewey Academy teachers, said that sort of spirit perfectly captured the woman she knew. “Nia was full of life,” Lopes said. “She had her ups and downs like everybody, but when she was up, she was up.” Wilson was her mother and father’s youngest child, and was adored by both of them, said her aunt, Johnette Wilson-Stitt. “She was a daddy’s girl and a mommy’s girl,” she said. Her parents were separated, and she typically lived with her dad, who works at Highland Hospital, or her grandmother. But Wilson recently spent about two weeks with her sister, Malika Harris. “She came to visit because she wanted to go swimming and stuff,” Harris said. “She loved to swim.” Harris laughed at their sisterly spats during that time, like Wilson taking her false eyelashes and makeup. Wilson’s mother, Alicia Grayson, also recalled her daughter’s love for beauty, recalling the young woman’s many posts on social media in which she looked immaculately made up and model-worthy. “Her makeup got on my nerves,” Grayson said with a chuckle last week. “I will miss that makeup.” Along with that attention to appearance was an ambition to not only join the military after graduation, but to train as an emergency medical technician. Harris said her sister had completed CPR training and showed a penchant for healing. Wilson’s young life was rocked two years ago when her boyfriend, Josiah “JoJo” Pratt-Rose, and his best friend, both 15, drowned in a lake outside Oakdale (Stanislaus County). The top of her Facebook page carries the names of the two boys in homage — JoJoWorld and JamariWorld — with the words, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” But that particular heartbreak was soon followed by another. Standing outside after Pratt-Rose’s funeral in downtown Oakland, 16-year-old attendee Reggin’a Jefferies was killed in a shooting that shocked the city. Wilson had been standing right next to the girl, Harris said. It was Pratt-Rose she was honoring on Sunday before Wilson herself became a victim while catching what she thought would be a routine BART ride home. Cowell, raised on the downscale side of northern Concord, showed little of the sort of ambition that illuminated Wilson’s life.<doc-sep>OAKLAND — He returned to the scene of the crime. After sneaking back onto the BART system less than 24 hours after allegedly stabbing two sisters in the neck, John Lee Cowell rode at least two busy evening commute trains through the East Bay on Monday evening as police scrambled to intercept him, even passing through the same station platform where the slashing occurred. For at least 40 minutes, Cowell, who police had described as armed and dangerous, rode the transit system in packed BART cars before a passenger spotted him at the Coliseum station and called police, according to police audio recordings. He eventually was arrested without incident at the Pleasant Hill station after transferring trains at least once, avoiding a BART police search. A review of two hours of BART dispatch audio raises questions about how Cowell, who BART police had identified as a suspect hours after Sunday night’s stabbing, reentered a transit system on high alert and how the department handled his capture once he was spotted. A violent felon with a long criminal history, Cowell was booked into Santa Rita Jail at 11:40 p.m. Monday on charges of first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon and violation of parole. The Concord transient is expected to be arraigned Wednesday in Oakland on suspicion that he fatally stabbed 18-year-old Nia Wilson, of Oakland, and critically wounded her sister Latifa on the MacArthur BART platform Sunday night. “Sometimes … you slip through the cracks,” said Daryle Allums, Nia’s godfather, who helped pass out 2,000 fliers Monday with Cowell’s face and description. “There was so much stuff happening (Monday), thank God for the community being aware. We can’t always depend on law enforcement to get out there and do it, we have to be a village and do our part too.” Authorities on Tuesday morning released a new booking mugshot of Cowell, 27, showing the former Concord resident with Band-Aids on his forehead and a “North Concord” tattoo on his chest peeking out from his red jail jumpsuit. According to KRON-TV, Cowell’s family released a statement Tuesday evening offering their deepest apologies to the Wilsons. “First and foremost, we want to let the Wilson Family know that our hearts go to them & are mourning for your family. This horrific tragedy never should have happened,” the statement reads in part, before asserting that Cowell “has been suffering from mental illness most of his life,” referring later to untreated bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The statement ends with a reference to threats and harassment since the stabbing aimed at Cowell’s aunt, who lives in Concord: “She too has lost 2 sons at young ages to tragic deaths. She, as our entire family is heartbroken for the Wilson Family. Our prayers go out to everyone in their family. ​​​” Related Articles Letters: Slow down growth | Elevate BART tracks | Post COVID? | Safety for all | Protect voters | Fight ‘Big Lie’ Letters: BART in SJ | Policing crisis | Mental health | Speed cameras | Asian American hate | Jan. 6 commission | ‘1619’ project Teens arrested in Oakland BART train robbery Twitter roasts San Jose BART extension plans: ‘Journey to the center of the Earth’ Exclusive: Video shows Bay Area man shoot BART officer before second cop tackles, shoots him The stabbing marked the second homicide on the BART system in two days and the third death in five days. The cluster of unrelated attacks marks one of the most violent stretches for the transit agency in recent history. Police were investigating two other deaths from assaults that occurred at the Bay Fair station and the Pleasant Hill station, respectively, BART has said. Aggravated assaults have risen 28 percent the first six months of this year (68) compared to the same time period last year (53), according to BART crime data released Tuesday. BART police are still piecing together Cowell’s motive — he refused to answer questions from detectives and requested a lawyer, BART police said. Also unknown was his whereabouts since the stabbing at 9:35 p.m. Sunday that Chief Carlos Rojas watched on surveillance video and called “one of the most vicious attacks” he had seen. According to dispatch audio, around 5:47 p.m. Monday, an anonymous passenger on a Richmond-bound train called BART police saying Cowell was on the train since the Coliseum station. The train was just leaving the 12th Street station in downtown Oakland when BART dispatch asked for a “train intercept” at the MacArthur station, two stops away. A BART official asked for the train to stay an “extended time” at the 19th Street station so officers could set up at MacArthur. However, radio traffic indicates that during this delay, Cowell walked across the platform and entered an Antioch-bound train. That Antioch train with Cowell on board would have arrived at the MacArthur station, the scene of the stabbing, at about 5:56 p.m., as police officers were waiting to intercept the Richmond train on the other side of the station. At the same time, Wilson’s family was leading a vigil for the slain woman at Mac Arthur station as well. BART police cleared the Richmond train and realized Cowell was gone and had entered the Antioch train, “probably at Rockridge now,” according to the audio. BART Deputy Chief Ed Alvarez said at a news conference Tuesday it’s possible Cowell may have actually exited the Richmond train at the busy MacArthur platform and walked across to the Antioch train there, just as officers attempted to search the Richmond train. By the time BART police learned Cowell was on a new train, which was just leaving the Rockridge station, dispatch at 6:06 p.m. set up another police stop for the Pleasant Hill station, four stops away with Orinda, Lafayette and Walnut Creek stations in between. Alvarez explained that officers were at the Pleasant Hill station already and it would have taken too long to drive in traffic to another station, and stopping the train for an extended period of time could have spooked the suspect and endangered passengers. “If a train sits there, that’s when people get antsy,” Alvarez said.<doc-sep>

EMBED >More News Videos Nia Wilson was just 18 years old when she was killed in an unprovoked stabbing at MacArthur BART station in Oakland. Fighting through sorrow, her friends, family, and the community at large are mourning the teenager who brightened the lives of those she knew, and has inspired many who never got the chance. EMBED >More News Videos John Cowell is accused of killing 18-year-old Nia Wilson and injuring her sister Letifah Wilson at MacArthur BART. He was arrested Monday afternoon at a different BART station in Pleasant Hill. EMBED >More News Videos Letifah Wilson spoke to ABC7 News about a brutal attack in which BART police say John Cowell stabbed both her and her sister at the MacArthur BART Station. EMBED >More News Videos Here's everything we know about the attack that claimed the life of 18-year-old Nia Wilson. CONTINUING COVERAGE ON DEADLY BART STABBING: OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- BART stabbing suspect John Cowell is facing first degree murder charges, violating parole, and assault with a deadly weapon for the killing of Nia Wilson and injury of her sister, Letifah.He has a long criminal history and at one point police arrested him at a BART station for a robbery case.BART riders are ultimately the ones who located Cowell Monday leading to his arrest by BART police at the Pleasant Hill Station. It's unclear how he got back into the system, but ABC 7 News Reporter Katie Utehs spoke with a woman who saw him at the Coliseum BART Station platform and he rode her train. "I don't know he just gave me a feeling in my stomach. I don't know. I don't know, I guess call it intuition," recalled Jaunice Reed about the moment she spotted Cowell.Reed walked by the suspicious looking man on the platform and recorded video Monday evening thinking the man could be the wanted murder suspect. "I sent the video to my husband who was waiting for me at MacArthur BART and he was like, 'No, I don't think that's him, you're just tripping' because maybe we're just looking at everyone thinking that's him, that's him," said Reed.Reed captured the beginning of the end of a nearly daylong manhunt for the man suspected of killing Nia Wilson and injuring her sister Latifah on Sunday night.At just 27 year's old Cowell's adult criminal history started at 18. It includes misdemeanor drug offenses, obstruction of a peace officer, and assault.In 2016 at the Lucky's in El Cerrito he was accused of shoplifting. "The loss prevention officer attempted to confront him, detain him and that's when the defendant reacted with a gun, a handgun," said Scott Alonso, Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office spokesperson.It turned out to be a toy gun, but Cowell also had a boxcutter knife. Police caught him at the El Cerrito BART station. He served his sentence in state prison and got paroled in May of this year. Contra Costa prosecutors say he's been mentally evaluated in the past. "He was evaluated by a doctor in the robbery case in October of 2016. he was found competent to stand trial," said Alonso.Reed watched Cowell closely on the train. He sat behind the conductor. At the 12th Street BART station she says two boys approached him. She says he ran off, but not before saying the N-word. "What I heard out of his mouth was 'something, something, something' I couldn't hear the first three words 'last night n-----,'" said Reed.When the train stopped at MacArthur Station the boys notified BART officers on the platform. Then at Pleasant Hill an uneventful arrest was captured by another BART passenger.We asked Reed how Cowell appeared. She said he avoided her camera. "Evil if anything, but not mentally ill," said Reed.Cowell is being held in the Santa Rita jail. He's scheduled for his first court appearance Wednesday morning.

The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Need the latest Foxes transfer news? Get FREE email alerts for Leicester City FC Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up! Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Gareth Southgate has been discussing the competition for places in his England side ahead of this summer's World Cup. His Three Lions side ran out 2-0 winners over Costa Rica at Elland Road in their final warm-up game ahead of next week's tournament in Russia. Leicester City pair Harry Maguire and Jamie Vardy started the clash, with the latter withdrawn after 61 minutes for Danny Welbeck. Welbeck then went on to score England's second, converting Dele Alli's cross-cum-shot, after Marcus Rashford opened the scoring with a superb dipping strike from distance. (Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire) Vardy endured a difficult time up front with Rashford, and Southgate knows that his side will need a multitude of options to be competitive in Russia. "If it's complicated it, it's in a really good way," Southgate said when asked if Thursday night's performance had any effect on his starting XI for Monday week's group opener against Tunisia. "We know certain decisions that we need to make. We need options. "We've got through the two games without any serious injury. "We've got to have players who can come in and change matches when we're out there and be able to shut games down. "I'm really pleased with the three week's preparation, we've given ourselves a really good platform."<doc-sep>The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter by email with the day's key headlines and transfer news Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Gareth Southgate is set to spring a major World Cup surprise by starting Ashley Young and Harry Maguire in England's opening game, writes John Cross in Repino. Southgate is preparing to kick off the Three Lions' challenge against Tunisia on Monday by fielding NINE World Cup debutants. Even Manchester United's Young, at 32 the oldest member member of England’s squad, has never played in the tournament. Leicester defender Maguire looks set to start ahead of Chelsea’s more experienced Gary Cahill on the left of a back three. (Image: Getty) (Image: Reuters) It all means Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling are the only members of Southgate’s potential starting team to have taken part in a World Cup before. Southgate used the line-up, in a 3-4-2-1 formation, in training on Thursday, and the versatile Young has appeared to get the nod over Tottenham's Danny Rose at left wing-back. Liverpool captain Henderson, who has also been in a straight fight with Eric Dier of Spurs for a place in midfield, also seems set to start. (Image: Reuters) (Image: Action Images via Reuters) Everton keeper Jordan Pickford is still to be told that he will be England’s No1 at these finals but there is no doubt in the players’ minds that he has got the job. Southgate gave the players a rousing talk before the session to impress upon them that their World Cup starts in earnest now. They had a session open to the public 24 hours earlier, Thursday was the first time he appeared to reveal his hand to the players. Southgate is committed to using a back three and that is set to be Manchester City duo Kyle Walker and John Stones plus Maguire, while Tottenham's Kieran Trippier and Young are in pole position to be the wing-backs. Rose might have been favourite but his lack of game-time has opened the door for Young. Spurs' Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard of Manchester United and Man City's Sterling will complete the midfield with captain Harry Kane, also of Tottenham, in attack. PROBABLE TEAMPickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire; Trippier, Alli, Lingard, Henderson, Young; Sterling; Kane.<doc-sep>The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Need the latest Foxes transfer news? Get FREE email alerts for Leicester City FC Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up! Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice England's starting XI for their World Cup opener against Tunisia has been revealed - and there is no place for Leicester City's Jamie Vardy. The Sun claim to have gotten hold of Gareth Southgate's starting XI for the Three Lions' tournament opener, against Tunisia on Monday week. There's no place for Foxes striker Vardy, with Southgate set to name Harry Kane up front with Raheem Stering operating in the number 10 role behind him. Vardy laboured in Thursday night's final warm-up game, a 2-0 defeat of Costa Rica at Elland Road , receiving little service with strike partner Marcus Rashford impressing. (Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images) There is a role for Harry Maguire, though, with Vardy's club team-mate set to play on the left of a back-three, as he did to good effect on Thursday evening. England are yet to concede with Maguire on the pitch and it looks like he will be partnering Kyle Walker and John Stones in Russia.<doc-sep>Gareth Southgate’s provisional plans for England’s opening match of the World Cup can be revealed, with Harry Maguire favoured over Gary Cahill in the proposed starting XI, no place for Eric Dier in midfield and Ashley Young beating Danny Rose to the left wing‑back role. Southgate has set up his team in training to operate with Jordan Henderson as the holding midfielder, which would mean Dier being restricted to a place on the substitutes’ bench in Monday’s game against Tunisia in Volgograd. Young has been awarded a place in Southgate’s provisional lineup and, barring a late change, Maguire has been preferred to Cahill in one of several borderline calls, despite the Chelsea captain’s improved recent form. Cahill was one of Chelsea’s more impressive players in their FA Cup final victory against Manchester United and followed that up with the man-of-the-match award in England’s warm-up game against Nigeria at Wembley. However, Southgate has been using Maguire in training to the left of John Stones and Kyle Walker in a central defence made up of three Yorkshiremen. Cahill, in turn, has lined up with Southgate’s back-up players when the first-team bibs have been handed out. As expected, England will play in a 3-3-2-2 system that will have Raheem Sterling operating centrally alongside Harry Kane in attack and be heavily reliant, in the absence of orthodox wingers, on Young and Kieran Trippier breaking forward as attacking wing-backs. Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard have been chosen to play as England’s advanced midfielders and Marcus Rashford will be a substitute even if the Manchester United forward is fit, as expected, after the knee injury that has stopped him training since the squad arrived here, outside St Petersburg, on Tuesday. That means Southgate is working on a side that will have nine players making their World Cup debuts, with only Sterling and Henderson out of the likely starting XI having been involved under Roy Hodgson in Brazil four years ago. Even without Rose or Dier, Southgate’s team would have a strong Tottenham flavour, with Kane, Trippier and Alli representing the team from White Hart Lane, but the proposed England side will not feature a player from any of the other London clubs. Southgate and his players have Friday and Saturday by the Baltic Sea to finalise their plans before flying to Volgograd to start acclimatising to the hotter weather. The manager has already shown he is not afraid to place his trust in inexperienced players and, if he keeps to his training-ground plans, that will manifest itself again in his team for England’s opening assignment in Group G. Maguire, for instance, is a relative newcomer to the side, with only five caps but the Leicester centre-half is one of Southgate’s favourites because of his ability to play out from the back. Maguire’s emergence is one of the reasons why Southgate decided Chris Smalling could be cast aside and, barring any late twists, the former Hull player is in line to start ahead of Cahill, a player with 60 caps over an eight-year international career. Jordan Pickford’s status as England’s first-choice goalkeeper will be confirmed in the Volgograd Arena and Southgate has chosen Alli and Lingard because the manager believes they carry more of a threat to the opposition than Ruben Loftus-Cheek or Fabian Delph. Fiver Although the two understudies played impressively in the 2-0 win against Costa Rica in Leeds last Thursday, Southgate wants players in that position who will make it their business to get into the opposition penalty area and, if necessary, run beyond the strikers. On that front Alli and Lingard are viewed as superior in a system designed, by Southgate’s own admission, to compensate for the fact that England do not have a natural playmaker in midfield. Instead the emphasis will be on Lingard and Alli to provide close support to the front two by playing between the lines. “It’s the position between their midfield and their defenders where it is hard for their defenders to pick you up,” Lingard, one of those making his first appearance in a major tournament, said. “But it is also playing behind the midfielder, who is always on the half-turn and that makes it hard for him to pick you up. It is always something I have done from a young age. I had to keep out of the battles and the tackles [because of size], so to play between the lines and in space, that was where I was most dangerous.” The emphasis will be on playing with speed and energy, with Young and Trippier encouraged to advance in the wide positions, Sterling and Kane dovetailing in attack and Alli and Lingard given the freedom to break forward. Henderson will have to sit back if, as now seems likely, he is selected as the deepest-lying midfielder. Dier has been a regular for England, captaining the side three times in the last eight months, but the system means there is space for only one player to operate as what Southgate describes as “the pivot”. Above all Southgate has emphasised the need for England’s players to relax after all those years when they appear to have been “weighed down” – to use Fabio Capello’s description – by the national team’s shirt. “You’ve just got to enjoy it, embrace the moment,” Lingard said. “You are with your team-mates playing football and it is a job you love doing. Southgate has come in with the mentality that, if we play with freedom, play without fear, we will enjoy our time more. So that is what we are going to do – enjoy our football, play with no fear and play exciting football at the same time.” England’s provisional starting XI (3-3-2-2): Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire; Trippier, Henderson, Young; Lingard, Alli; Sterling, Kane.<doc-sep>

ENGLAND’S starting XI for their World Cup opener against Tunisia has been revealed. The Sun Sport reports that Marcus Rashford will not start in England’s World Cup opener despite his wonder goal against Costa Rica in their recent friendly. And Jordan Henderson has beaten Eric Dier to play in England’s anchor role against Tunisia a week on Monday. Manchester United forward Rashford was the man of the match in England’s 2-0 victory over Costa Rica in their final warm-up match at Elland Road. Jesse Lingard, Kyle Walker and Harry Kane of England. Source: Getty Images Raheem Sterling is reportedly expected to play in the No. 10 role behind captain Harry Kane. Henderson, who is effectively vice-captain, was always ahead of Tottenham colleague Dier after Southgate decided to play with just one holding player in front of his back three. Rose is the one player who seems to have forced his way into the starting line-up during the last two warm-up games, preferred over Manchester United’s Ashley Young. Boss Southgate described Rose’s midweek performance as his best display since the Spurs star suffered a serious knee injury 16 months ago. Raheem Sterling during an England training session. Source: AFP But now he is returning to form and fitness, Southgate believes Rose’s qualities best suit his demand for buccaneering wing-backs who can provide the team’s width. Harry Maguire cemented his place in Southgate’s back three with his assured showing against Costa Rica and is set to edge out the more experienced Gary Cahill and Phil Jones. The Three Lions chief sees Rashford and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, as game-changers off the bench. And he is heartened by the way his demands to concede fewer free-kicks in their own half has been heeded. In six friendlies, England have let in only one goal from open play. This article originally appeared in The Sun.

In case you haven't heard, Amazon Prime Day is quickly approaching. The online sale is set to kick off on July 16 at 3 p.m. ET and it's offering loads of incredible deals. So, for those customers who are looking to up their technology game but can't decide which device to buy, here's what we know about Amazon Echo vs. Amazon Echo Dot. According to Digital Trends, there's not too many differences between the two smart speakers, but the differences they do have matter. While both of them feature the infamous Amazon-enabled voice assistant, Alexa, they do function differently. The Amazon Echo is great for music fans because of its cylinder speaker, while the Echo Dot caters mainly to voice command. There are a few other differences that might impact that shopping cart. Both items are about the same size in diameter, but the Echo's cylinder shape makes it a lot taller and heavier than the Echo Dot which resembles more of a hockey puck shape. In regards to speaker quality, listeners will get a louder and more defined sounds from the Echo, due to its larger and 360-surround speaker. Plus, obviously, the Echo is going to cost customers a bit more since it sells for $100 as opposed to the Echo Dot's $35 price tag. Basically, if you're looking to kick back at your house and chill out with some surround-sound tunes, the Echo might be your best bet. However, if you're wanting to take the speakers on the road with you or just want to order Seamless from your couch without picking up your phone, Echo Dot will definitely suit your needs. Is anyone else as excited about Amazon Prime Day as I am? Doubtful, but I'll let you believe so. July 16 will mark the fourth annual cyber sale courtesy of the online retailer, and it's shaping up to be better than ever. Not only has Amazon extended Prime Day to 36 hours, as opposed to its usual 30, but it's also being brought to countries far and wide including the U.K., Spain, Mexico, Japan, India, Italy, Germany, France, China, Canada, Belgium, and Austria. So how can you cop these high technology goodies? First of all, you need to be an Amazon Prime member to take part in the special online holiday. Then, just add the Echo or Echo Dot on your "watch" list on Amazon, and wait for that glorious notification that your item has gone on sale. Or, feel free to pop over to Amazon's Prime Day page on their website and click on all the featured sale items. In case you're not totally sold (pun intended) on the Echo or Echo Dot, there's another option that might tickle a customer's fancy. Amazon's Echo Show will also be on sale during Amazon Prime Day for $130, as opposed to its usual $300. With the Echo Show, the classic Alexa-enabled voice will still be present, but what makes this device different from its other Echo siblings is that it features a screen that allows people actually see videos, music lyrics, weather forecasts, to-do lists, and best of all it's completely hands free. To be honest, I think customers should buy all three products. Amazon Prime Day only happens once a year after all. Shopping in a store might be a nice experience to some people, but for me, there's nothing I love more than filling up a shopping cart in the comfort of my pajamas. Sadly, Amazon Prime Day kicks off on Monday, July 16 in the afternoon, so I guess I'll have to make some orders in the comfort of my work clothes. The online mega sale runs until Wednesday, July 17 at 3 a.m. ET, so mark your calendars, everyone and prepare to shop until you drop. Whether you opt for the big and bold Amazon Echo or the daintier Amazon Echo Dot, before you know it they'll be on your doorstep like it's Christmas in July.<doc-sep>Amazon Echo Dot vs. Google Home Mini You have just noticed a great price on an Amazon Echo Dot or Google Home Mini smart speaker. Should you buy one? The prices are intended to make them impulse purchases, because both Amazon and Google are desperate to get their foot in the door of your home. Voice assistants and smart home automation are expected to be the next big thing in tech, and both companies know that once you experience the convenience of a smart speaker in one room, you’re likely to want it in others. Amazon Echo Dot (2nd generation) MSRP £29.99 (€34) Before making a purchase, you really should do your homework. It all comes down to the hardware, the capabilities of their digital assistants, and the way they can do things such as play music and control other smart devices in your home. Part of choosing between the two platforms is deciding whether you trust Amazon or Google more with your data, or perhaps if you care at all. Both devices will give their respective makers a much deeper look into your life: Google’s prime objective is to make you a more attractive target for its advertisers; Amazon wants to know more about your life so it can sell you stuff directly. Echo Dot vs. Google Home Mini: The Hardware The Amazon Echo Dot and Google Home Mini are roughly the same size. The Echo Dot is a hockey puck-shaped plastic gadget with buttons on top, while the Home Mini hides its touch-sensitive controls under a dome of fabric. The Echo Dot is available in black or white, while you can pick up a Google Home Mini in chalk, charcoal, or coral (aka white, grey, or pink). Both speakers run off USB power and need to be connected all the time (third-party battery docks are available for the Echo Dot). Both are suitably low profile to fit in almost any location in your home. MSRP €59 You will want to place your smart speaker in the room where it is likely to be used most often, but engineers at Amazon and Google have crammed a bunch of microphones into each gadget so they’re actually pretty good at hearing commands even when you’re in a different room. That can feel a little invasive, knowing the speaker is listening all the time, but that is the deal you make when you invite one into your home. Both have a mute button that disables the microphones should you wish, but for maximum convenience and the ability to issue voice commands on a whim, you’ll want your smart speaker’s mics to be always active. If you plan to mute the mics regularly, the process is more straightforward with the Echo Dot, which has its buttons up top. On the Google Home Mini, the mute switch is on the back. What’s more, you must hold the device steady to flip the switch, but holding the sides can adjust the volume controls — a design that clearly presumes most users won’t be doing this often. Both speakers require you to use its respective wake word — either “Alexa” or “Hey, Google” — before giving a command, which then gets sent to a cloud service for interpretation and action. Both allow you to review your history of commands, listen to the audio picked up by the speaker, and delete individual commands if you wish. Amazon Alexa vs. Google Assistant The most pronounced difference between the two speakers is in their respective digital assistants: Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Note that both are constantly evolving and adding new features and capabilities, so any comparison is based on a snapshot in time. That said, tests of both products by TechHive and other tech publications all generally agree: Amazon Alexa excels as a tool for ordering stuff, while Google Assistant wins out when it comes to general search and information requests. Both platforms are pretty good when it comes to controlling other smart home devices and systems, although Amazon was more aggressive early on when it came to working with third-party developers. Google, however, has come a long way on that front. advertisement Ninety7 Vaux MSRP €63 So if you envisage your primary use to be adding items to your Amazon shopping cart — “Alexa, reorder coffee” — then Alexa is the way to go. If you want to use it less for shopping and more for information — “Hey Google, how long will it take for me to get to Sacramento by train?” — then Google might have the edge (Alexa responded to that query with driving time.) If you’re looking to control your other devices in your home, check to see which platform is the most compatible with what you have. More on that in a bit. Google Assistant is better at understanding mixed syntax and more complex queries. Combined with the voice it uses to respond, Assistant tends to feel a bit more natural. Amazon has been beefing up its information offerings, so you can now ask Alexa about things like the weather and traffic — the kind of information you’d normally head to Google for — but just like using Bing or Yahoo, the search and results are just not quite as strong. This is especially true if you use Google regularly and are accustomed to its results. With Google, you can also string commands together in a single sentence. With Alexa, you must give it one command at a time, waiting for it to respond before giving it another. One of the things I like best about a Google Assistant-powered speaker is that it shares relevant information with my Android phone. So, if I ask for the traffic to Belfast, it tells me and sends the route to Google Maps. Or when I ask where to buy Chinese food, it sends details on local restaurants. Alexa could do the latter, but not the former. In fact, if you use Google’s Gmail, calendar, and other apps, you will be able to do much more with a Google Home Mini than an Echo Dot.<doc-sep>(Pocket-lint) - Amazon has a blistering array of Echo speakers, suiting a full range of prices and uses. From the compact up to larger speakers for a fuller music experience, there's something for everybody. Plus, there's also a selection of devices with displays. There's also a burgeoning ecosystem of other Amazon smart devices that work in some way with Alexa - such as the Amazon Echo Wall Clock. We're detailing what they all do, what the differences are and highlighting the best prices to keep track of all the deals and sales. squirrel_widget_2683191 Dimensions: 144 x 144 x 133mm, 970g 144 x 144 x 133mm, 970g Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi supports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth (A2DP), 3.5mm audio in/out, Zigbee, Sidewalk Dual-band Wi-Fi supports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth (A2DP), 3.5mm audio in/out, Zigbee, Sidewalk Audio: 3.0-inch woofer and 2x 0.8-inch tweeter 3.0-inch woofer and 2x 0.8-inch tweeter Alexa: Yes (Always-on/always-listening/voice-activated) Amazon's latest flagship Echo changes the shape to a sphere and drops the cylinder design of previous models. The fresh look gives the Echo the chance to boost its audio credentials, taking the 3.0-inch woofer from the previous Echo and doubling the 0.8-inch tweeters. That means the speaker can offer stereo without pairing, powered by Dolby and automatically adapting the sound to suit the room you put it in. On top of that, it's smarter, with a Zigbee controller and Amazon Sidewalk, meaning it will be a better hub than previous Echos at this level, rivalling and surpassing the skills of the old Echo Plus. Like other Echos, it can be paired and grouped, and also works with the Echo Sub. squirrel_widget_167738 Dimensions: 148 x 99 x 99mm, 780g 148 x 99 x 99mm, 780g Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi supports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth (A2DP), 3.5mm audio in/out Dual-band Wi-Fi supports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth (A2DP), 3.5mm audio in/out Audio: 3.0-inch woofer and 0.8-inch tweeter 3.0-inch woofer and 0.8-inch tweeter Alexa: Yes (Always-on/always-listening/voice-activated) The 2019 Echo takes the quality of the 2018 Echo Plus with the same speaker configuration and design, introducing a new colour, but otherwise offering a higher-quality design and sound than the second-gen Echo. It doesn't have the Zigbee controller that you'll find on the Echo Plus, but that's a minor omission. The Amazon Echo has been replaced by the 2020 Echo, which sounds a little better and has greater connectivity. In many places, Amazon no longer sells the older Echo model. squirrel_widget_145812 Dimensions: 148 x 99 x 99mm, 780g 148 x 99 x 99mm, 780g Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi supports 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth (A2DP), 3.5mm audio in/out, Zigbee Dual-band Wi-Fi supports 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth (A2DP), 3.5mm audio in/out, Zigbee Audio: 3.0-inch woofer and 0.8-inch tweeter 3.0-inch woofer and 0.8-inch tweeter Alexa: Yes (Always-on/always-listening/voice-activated) The second-generation version of the Echo Plus appeared in 2018 and takes a shorter, wider stance, with a cloth-covered exterior. The design is essentially exactly the same as the third-gen Echo - as are the speakers inside. The Echo Plus 2 offers all the Alexa functions that all other Echo devices will offer you, but has a built-in Zigbee controller (like the largest Echo Show and the fourth-gen Echo), meaning you can directly connect to and control compatible smart home devices. It's a great all-rounder, but given the performance is now matched by the new Echo, you have to really need that Zigbee controller to justify the extra price. Also, since this one is now a little long in the tooth, you may have trouble finding it in certain locations. squirrel_widget_167730 Dimensions: 206 x 175 x 175mm, 3.5kg 206 x 175 x 175mm, 3.5kg Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi supports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth (A2DP), 3.5mm audio in/out, Zigbee Dual-band Wi-Fi supports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth (A2DP), 3.5mm audio in/out, Zigbee Audio: 3x 2.0-inch midrange, 1.0-inch tweeter, 5.25-inch woofer, Dolby Atmos, MPEG-H 3x 2.0-inch midrange, 1.0-inch tweeter, 5.25-inch woofer, Dolby Atmos, MPEG-H Alexa: Yes (Always-on/always-listening/voice-activated) The Echo Studio is the top dog for audio in the Echo range, expanding into a bigger unit designed to give much richer sound. It supports the new Amazon Music HD service, as well as offering support for Dolby Atmos and 3D formats from MPEG-H, like Sony 360 Reality Audio. Not only is this a music master, but it can also handle your TV audio and is compatible with wireless connections to Fire TV devices. It can be stereo paired, too. Aits heart, though, this is still an Alexa device, capable of all the features that Alexa brings, as well as offering a Zigbee controller so it can natively connect to smart home devices and control them. It's great value for money for such a high-performing speaker. squirrel_widget_2683192 Dimensions: 100 x 100 x 89mm, 328g 100 x 100 x 89mm, 328g Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio out Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio out Audio: 1.6-inch speaker 1.6-inch speaker Alexa: Yes (Always-on/always-listening/voice-activated) The 2020 Echo Dot follows the new Echo in moving to a spherical shape, moving on from the puck of the previous few generations. It sticks to the same speaker, however, so expect the audio performance to be similar. It also offers all the same functions, with the only real changes being the addition of greater Wi-Fi bands. There are neat character designs for kids, and a newly-refreshed version of the Echo Dot with Clock. squirrel_widget_145811 Dimensions: 43 x 99 x 99mm, 300g 43 x 99 x 99mm, 300g Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio out Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio out Audio: 1.6-inch speaker 1.6-inch speaker Alexa: Yes (Always-on/always-listening/voice-activated) The Echo Dot has been amazingly popular and the third generation was redesigned in 2018, ditching the hard plastic to match the Echo. It's a larger diameter than the original model it replaces and that gives space for a 1.6-inch speaker.<doc-sep>LOS ANGELES — With seven different choices in its Amazon Echo family, consumers are naturally confused about which smart speaker, if any, to buy. The entry-level Dot is the most affordable and Amazon's best seller, but has the worst sound. The video versions of Echo haven't caught on, but are now costing about the same as the regular, full-featured Echo. What to do? USA TODAY is here to help, with a guide to all seven speakers, pros and cons on each, and a summation at the end. Amazon's Monday/Tuesday Prime Day sale is expected to have the best deals on Amazon's own products, with especially good discounts on the Echo speakers. With a smart speaker, you can use your voice and the “wake” word commands “Alexa” to do a host of different things. Most often that's playing music or podcasts, getting weather reports, the morning news, recipes, and controlling your smart home. More:Are Amazon Prime Day sales a steal? We asked 4 pricing firms to find out More:Shopping with Alexa on Amazon Prime day will be hard. These tricks make it easier More:These stores are having amazing sales to compete with Amazon Prime Day Your guide to Echo speakers Echo Pre-Prime Day price: $99.99 Pro. Amazon improved the sound emanating from the Echo in its second generation, compared to the since- discontinued original Echo. It has a nice fabric design, supports Bluetooth streaming and has a standard audio jack. Con. Sound is better than before but still just ok. There are better sounding speakers out there. Echo Plus Pre-Prime Day price: $149.99 Pro. Aimed at those who want to use the unit for controlling your home automation. It comes with a free Philips Hue smart lightbulb. Con. Smart home controls can improve. Cylindrical speaker is not as attractive as latest regular Echo. Echo Dot Pre-Prime Day price: $49.99 Pro. Compact and cheap (and often discounted). Small size makes these easy to place anywhere, including on nightstands. Audio jack. Bluetooth support. Con. Poor sound quality for listening to music. Echo Dot Kids Edition Pre-Prime Day price: $79.99 Pro. Kid-friendly version of the Dot comes with red, green or blue protective case, and free one-year subscription of Amazon’s FreeTime Unlimited with protected child-centric content. Strong parental controls. Alexa caters answers to youngsters. Con. Critics fret about commercial offerings to kids and privacy concerns. Expensive. More:Kids were being rude to Alexa, so Amazon updated it Echo Show Pre-Prime Day price: $129.99 Pro. The first Echo with a display can show a range of video content, from movie trailers to news to song lyrics to a view from your security camera. And you can make “drop-in” video calls. Price has already been heavily discounted by $100. Con. Amazon-Google bickering means no YouTube on Echo Show and that means not much video content to watch. Echo Spot Pre-Prime Day price: $129.99 Pro. Alarm-clock sized Spot is like a cross between the Dot and Show, resulting in the second Echo with a screen. You can use Show for drop-in calls or for much the same content as the Show. Con. Screen is small. Formatting issues on some videos. Expensive. Amazon Tap Pre-Prime Day price: $84.99 Pro. Portable, battery-operated Bluetooth speaker lets you take Alexa on the go. Price is already discounted. Now voice activated, which means like the Echo devices it will respond to the “Alexa” wake word. Con. Middling speaker quality. Requires Wi-Fi, which may not always be available when you’re out and about. Our Picks Best overall Echo: Jefferson Graham: Echo. The speaker that started it all is still the best. And the sound differences between the small Dot and the larger Echo are too great to skimp for. However, our overall pick for a smart speaker isn't an Amazon product at all, if you're willing to spend a little more money. Ed Baig: Dot. It's the cheapest and even with the inferior sound, you can improve it dramatically by using Bluetooth and piping it to a better speaker. With the Dot, you can still can take advantage of just about all the various Alexa skills. Best overall connected speaker: Sonos One. For just about an extra $100, you get a smart speaker with stronger Hi-Fi than you'll hear on one of the smaller Amazon or Google units. And if you listen to music every day, it's money well spent. It's a more versatile speaker with better sound than any of the Echo speakers. It will let you play, for instance, music from Apple's subscription service, which no Echo can do, while also offering all the same full Alexa functionality. Amazon or Google? Amazon dominates the connected speaker market, with Google catching up with its Google Home speaker. Google's advantage is smarts — it can answer trivia, compute percentages and the like with more precision than Alexa can. And its speakers generally cost less than Amazon's. However, we (Graham and Baig) give the nod to Amazon. It built the smart speaker market from scratch and has made it a cornerstone of everything they do. More:How to choose the best smart speaker for you: shopper's guide More:Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod or Google Home: which is smarter about playing music? We tested them More:Which Kindle should I buy? Pros and cons of Amazon's ebook readers More:Tempted to buy an Amazon tablet or Fire TV? Read this first<doc-sep>

So you’ve decided: you want a smart speaker so a voice assistant can organise your day, play your music, update you on the weather and, most importantly of all, tell you jokes. There’s one problem: you don’t want to spend very much money. Surprisingly, that’s not a deal-breaker. You can get both Google Assistant and Alexa in a mini version of the full-sized Echo or Google Home devices for less than £50 each – and frequently even less than that. Which is better? Here’s everything you need to know, now updated for the new, shiny 2018 Echo Dot. Google Home Mini vs Echo Dot: Design Before I compare the two, I should point out that this is a fairly pointless metric. Both are designed to be small enough to tuck away and are definitely not ostentatious. With the first and second generations of Echo Dots, this was pretty open and shut. While the original Echo Dot is like someone cut the top off the original Amazon Echo, making it like a hockey puck put on weight, the Google Home Mini is a far more attractive proposition. A little bit smaller, more rounded and generally better looking, the Google Home Mini also has a more attractive way of showing it’s listening, where four lights appear through the mesh fabric on top. It’s a bit more understated than the Echo Dot, where a blue ring lights up around the edge of the device. But Amazon listened, and the 2018 Dot looks a whole lot nicer. It's still like somebody cut the top off an Amazon Echo, but this time it's the second generation. In other words, you get a smooth plastic top and a curved fabric side. It probably still goes to Google, purely because it's a bit smaller and easier to hide away. But it's no longer clear cut, and the new plumper Dot has advantages I'll get into in the next section. Winner: Google Home Mini Google Home Mini vs Echo Dot: Sound quality Whatever generation of Echo Dot you're talking about, it wins on a technicality. A huge technicality, but a technicality nonetheless: they have audio-out jacks, allowing them to connect to any speaker. That said, with the new Echo Dot, Amazon has won it anyway. While the first was tinny and weak, the new version is booming and incredibly impressive for a speaker its size. It punches above its weight and comfortably matches similarly-priced dumb speakers. That's pretty good going. Google Home Mini, meanwhile is perfectly fine for voices, but if you try pumping music out, you’ll quickly find it isn't fit for purpose. For reasons I can’t even begin to understand, Google decided to save the couple of quid it would have cost to match match Amazon and include a 3.5mm aux jack on the back. Yes, you can get it to stream music to a Chromecast Audio device, if you like, but that requires buying a Chromecast Audio on top of the Home Mini, and it’s only for music. Winner: Echo Dot Google Home Mini vs Echo Dot: Voice recognition and smarts This is where Google Mini regains the upper hand. In terms of voice recognition, I can only speak for myself, but I found Google far better at picking out specific phrases. This can make all the difference when you’re asking to hear an obscure album, or want answers to a tricky question. Speaking of tricky questions, it’s pretty obvious that Google Assistant is significantly smarter than Alexa too. This is pretty obvious after only a little use, with Alexa frequently apologising for not knowing how to answer a question, but it’s actually more alarming than that, with the Echo occasionally providing wrong answers by truncating response. Case in point. Ask them both how many hairs a cat has, and this is the response: Google Home Mini: “On the website catsinfo.com, they say there are approximately 60,000 hairs per square inch on the back of a cat, and approximately 100,000 per square inch on its underside.” Amazon Echo Dot: “A cat has 60,000 hairs.” Hmmmm. Winner: Google Home Mini Google Home Mini vs Echo Dot: Price Both the Google Home Mini and Echo Dot retail for £50, but in truth that price is rarely enforced, with both frequently on offer. Shop around, and you can often find either for as little as £35. That may not be true for the 2018 Echo Dot, but give it time. However you cut it, there’s nothing between them.

Our pop culture nightmare is finally over: Killing Eve is back for Season 2! Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s addicting drama finally returned last night with the first of eight all-new episodes. If you need to catch up on BBC’s critically acclaimed charmer, Season 1 is currently available on Hulu. If you missed last night’s Killing Eve Season 2 premiere, don’t worry. This article is a spoiler-free zone. Decider’s here to answer all your Killing Eve Season 2 streaming questions. When will Killing Eve Season 2 hit Hulu? Where can you watch Killing Eve Season 2, Episode 1? Here’s everything you need to know. IS KILLING EVE ON HULU? Yes! The first season of Killing Eve is now streaming on Hulu. IS KILLING EVE ON NETFLIX? Nope, sadly Killing Eve isn’t currently available to watch on Netflix. IS KILLING EVE SEASON 2, EPISODE 1 ON HULU? Nope, but we have some good news! You can stream the Season 2 premiere of Killing Eve on both BBC.com and AMC.com for free. No cable password required! You can also purchase Season 2 episodes of Killing Eve on Amazon for $2.99 (HD) or $1.99 (HD). WHEN WILL KILLING EVE SEASON 2 HIT HULU? *** UPDATE: Killing Eve Season 2 arrives on Hulu on December 18! *** No official announcement has been made, but we have a good idea of when you can expect to see Season 2 of Killing Eve premiere on Hulu. Season 1 of Killing Eve concluded on May 27, 2018, and the series was added to Hulu on December 1, 2018. Season 2 is scheduled to end on May 26, 2019. With that timeframe in mind, we expect Season 2 of Killing Eve to arrive on Hulu in December of 2019. Where to stream Killing Eve<doc-sep>Killing Eve is back for Season Two. A review of the premiere, “Do You Know How to Dispose of a Body?”, coming up just as soon as I can bring myself to put on these Crocs… “Normal is boring. I’m not normal, you know.” -Villanelle As with Barry, there were reasons to be concerned about Killing Eve returning for a second season. That first batch of episodes at times felt more like a magic trick than a TV show, constantly leaving me wondering how Phoebe Waller-Bridge was keeping everything floating with no visible wires. That precarious balance of comedy and action seemed hard to maintain over the long haul, particularly with Waller-Bridge departing to make a belated second season of Fleabag. While Season One ended on a traditional cliffhanger — Eve stabbing Villanelle in her Paris apartment — the show to that point had been so unconventional, that could have served as the thematic summation of this story of love, death and obsession. Eve gets so deep into Villanelle’s head that she becomes a killer herself. Bow, lower curtain, enjoy the applause. Fin. The Twisted Thrills of Killing Eve Season Two’s premiere isn’t without its bumps, particularly in how the show strains to work around the cliffhanger and keep Villanelle in play. But new showrunner Emerald Fennell also demonstrates a strong command of that delicate tone, what makes her two main characters tick and the strengths of her two stars. After Villanelle escapes Eve — while Eve, in a tense continuous take, escapes the assassins who have been sent to deal with the rebellious Villanelle — the two women are separated from each other for the rest of the premiere, as Fennell looks to unring some of the bells Waller-Bridge left for her. Some of this is relatively easy, like Carolyn un-firing Eve because she still has a useful skill set, on top of needing protection from Villanelle. Other parts take longer to reassemble, like Villanelle requiring a hospital visit for her knife wound, followed by an escape from her new doctors. Aimee Spinks/BBCAmerica The hospital interlude plays up the notion that Villanelle’s sociopathy has frozen her with the emotional maturity of a young girl. She winds up in the pediatrics ward and immediately wants a teddy bear and stickers. Soon, she is clad in a spare set of superhero pajamas belonging to her suite-mate Gabriel, a young boy newly orphaned after a car crash, complaining all the while about the jammies and the other wardrobe options available to her in the hospital. As Eve notes later to Carolyn, Villanelle loves a costume, but she likes costumes with style, and there are none to be found here. It’s in a pair of hospital scenes that Fennell proves how well she understands Villanelle, and how far she’s willing to push her behavior. Jodie Comer and the writing make Villanelle funny and cool and larger-than-life, but the first season also understood that she’s a monstrous killer who doesn’t think or care about the consequences of her actions. Season One moments like Eve finding the bodies of Villanelle’s victims in the hospital room or Bill being stabbed at the club were genuinely horrifying, which actually gave the series greater license to find humor in this world. In this episode, Villanelle is physically hobbled, but her personality is unchanged. So when she impersonates a doctor to rob a comatose patient’s wife, she thinks she’s actually doing a kindness to tell the woman that her husband is improving. Or, at least, it doesn’t occur to her that this false hope will only be more painful to this lady she just needs to get away from. Later, Gabriel weeps over the death of his parents and his own gruesome burn scars, and says he wishes he had died in the car wreck like everyone else. Villanelle hugs him in what for a moment looks like an expression of genuine empathy; but a moment later, she snaps the poor kid’s neck. It’s shocking — even antihero dramas like this usually draw a line at their main characters murdering children — but it’s also disturbing in its ambiguity. Was this another instance of Villanelle doing something cruel (and, in this case, irreversible) because she mistakenly assumed, based on Gabriel’s comments, that she was being kind? Was she just eliminating a witness, and Gabriel was doomed whether or not he expressed a desire to die? Or was this a bit of one-stop shopping for our stylish blonde monster? However you interpret it, it felt entirely like something she would do, and like something this show unfortunately needed to do as another reminder that this isn’t all fun and games, no matter how good Comer and Sandra Oh are with the crackling dialogue they’re given. (Villanelle, deadpan: “Yes. I am funny.”) Eve, meanwhile, continues to demonstrate how much Villanelle has come to infect her by getting into a brief tussle with a little boy at the train station candy shop. It’s a funny moment, but it’s got nothing on the delightful, unsettling, sustained laugh that Oh lets rip a few moments later when a woman at a bar mistakes Eve for a fellow recovering addict. The irony is that Eve is an addict, but she’s addicted to Villanelle, not booze or pills. When she gets back home, she suffers through extreme mood swings, first cooking manically and dancing along to “Kids in America” on the radio, then cowering in the tub for more than an hour. She’s lying about what happened in Paris to her husband Niko, to Carolyn, to everyone but herself (and the poor couple who are getting engaged right as Eve blurts out in front of them, “I think I might have killed her”). Though she’s adopted some of her nemesis’ personality traits, she’s not built to keep things bottled up inside her the way Villanelle is, and some of the fun of the premiere is in watching her struggle to shut up as Carolyn draws her back into the spy world. But she’s also much more comfortable when she’s back at work, even when she and Carolyn are eating fast food in a morgue to get over the smell of the corpses. The premiere is mostly concerned with reassembling the pieces and arranging the chessboard for whatever story Fennell has in mind. But Eve and Villanelle still feel like themselves, just as Killing Eve itself feels relatively intact, despite the behind-the-scenes shuffle. It’s a promising start to a season I was very worried about going in.<doc-sep>Killing Eve reveals one character’s secret in Nice and Neat. Here’s how to watch Killing Eve season 2, episode 2 live, on TV and online. There’s always a secret in spy thrillers, so find out how to watch Killing Eve online or live tonight, as the BBC America series reveals who has something to hide now. Tuesday’s installment is called “Nice and Neat,” which is somewhat ironic because nothing in the lives of the main characters is neat at the moment. Everyone’s in a chaotic mess, as Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) resumes her hunt for Villanelle (Jodie Comer). Eve has a new team around her to help with the investigation, but her biggest threat may not be the assassin she’s chasing — it could be someone much closer to home. Remember that this season of Killing Eve is being simulcast on both BBC America and its sister channel AMC, so both networks will be showing the episode. Below is all the information you need to watch Killing Eve online and live Sunday to catch the next episode of the season. Here’s how BBC America officially describes the episode: Carolyn introduces Eve to her new team before Eve briefs them on the Villanelle case. Villanelle, needing to lie low while she recovers, [finds] a Good Samaritan to take her in and care for her. Eve finds out a secret that Carolyn has been hiding from her. And here’s how you can watch “Nice and Neat” live, on TV or via live stream: Date: Sunday, Apr. 14 Start Time: 8:00 p.m. Episode: “Nice and Neat” TV Channel: BBC America or AMC Live Stream: Watch live on Fubo TV. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. You can also watch on the BBC America website or app. For the latest Killing Eve season 2 spoilers and news, plus more on everything happening in TV, follow the Television category at FanSided.<doc-sep>

Killing Eve returned to our screens last week and we’re already hooked! What can we expect to see in Season 2, Episode 2 Nice and Neat and how can we be sure to watch? Here’s what we know! Fans are so glad to have the hit drama that earned actress Sandra Oh a Golden Globe back on their screens! If you have been missing out on this series, you still have plenty of time to catch up as tonight is only Season 2, Episode 1 of Killing Eve. Thanks to the success of the first season, Killing Eve Season 2 is going to be bigger than the first! How so? The series is expanding! Season 2 won’t only air on BBC America, but it will also stream on AMC as they are sister networks. Tonight’s episode is titled “Nice and Neat” and here’s the synopsis, according to AMC: Eve briefs her new team on the Villanelle case, we’re too excited to see how that will go. Meanwhile, Villanelle is still needing time to recover, so she’s keeping a low profile. Will anyone help her out? The synopsis teases Villanelle will find someone who takes her in. If you often find yourself not being able to watch to watch an all-new episode, we’ve got great news! Series and season premieres are available early on AMC Premiere to all subscribers. Are you not subscribed to the service? Well, there’s really no better time than right now to sign up for a free trial. What do you have to lose? Nothing! But everything to gain! Don’t want to subscribe or have already passed your free trial period? That’s fine, you’ll just have to wait until tonight to watch. Here are all the details you need to know: Date: Sunday, April 14 Start Time: 7 p.m. Central Episode: Season 2, Episode 2 “Nice and Neat” Network: BBC America or AMC Where to watch: BBC America | AMC | AMC Premiere | Fubo TV

A mural of George Floyd is shown in the intersection of 38th St & Chicago Ave on March 31, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Community members continue preparations during the third day in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with multiple counts of murder in the death of George Floyd. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 01: President Donald Trump's lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani talks to journalists outside the White House West Wing July 01, 2020 in Washington, DC. Giuliani did an on-camera interview with One America News Network's Chanel Rion before talking to other journalists about Vice President Joe Biden and the news that Russian intelligence may have paid Taliban operatives to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Vigils & tributes to George Floyd one year since his murder ORLANDO, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: Former President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference held in the Hyatt Regency on February 28, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. Begun in 1974, CPAC brings together conservative organizations, activists, and world leaders to discuss issues important to them. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Here's what reported grand jury in Trump case may look like NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 09: People walk past the Trump Tower as the impeachment trial of Donald Trump begins in Washington on February 09, 2021 in New York City. After listening to nearly four hours of legal arguments, the Senate has voted on Tuesday to move ahead with the impeachment trial of former President Trump. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Report: US companies may have benefited from forced labor of Uyghurs WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 20: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the conflict in the Middle East from Cross- Hall of the White House on May 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. Israel and Hamas announced that they would agree to a cease-fire, which will take into effect on Friday, following days of fighting that claimed more than 200 lives. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) SAN JOSE, CA - MAY 26: A view of the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light-rail yard where a mass shooting occurred on May 26, 2021 in San Jose, California. A VTA employee opened fire at the yard, with preliminary reports indicating nine people dead including the gunman. (Photo by Philip Pacheco/Getty Images) A healthcare worker prepares to administer a Pfizer/BioNTEch coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine at The Michener Institute, in Toronto, Ontario on December 14, 2020. - Ontario, Canada's most populous province and one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, had 1,940 new cases and 23 deaths on Monday. The province is expected to give its next doses to nursing home workers as a priority, according to media reports. (Photo by CARLOS OSORIO / POOL / AFP) (Photo by CARLOS OSORIO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) 'Never seen levels like this': Union president on airline passenger misconduct Memorial Day weekend will bring rain and cool air for much of the East (CNN) — The woman who authorities say was caught on video tossing a bag of newborn puppies near a dumpster in Coachella, California, last week was arrested on Monday. Authorities have also now discovered dozens of dogs living in her home. Police arrested Deborah Sue Culwell, 54, outside her Coachella home, according to Riverside County Animal Services spokesperson John Welsh. Culwell could face up to seven counts of felony animal cruelty, Welsh said. Culwell was seen in the video leaving the seven newborn puppies in a plastic bag near a dumpster behind a NAPA Auto Parts store on Thursday afternoon, according to Riverside County Animal Services. Riverside County Animal Control Authorities are looking for the woman they say dumped a plastic bag full of puppies. Riverside County Animal Services officers discovered 38 dogs living in Culwell’s home, which were “not in great condition” and not friendly, Welsh said. Welsh said he didn’t know what breeds of dogs were at the home. The dogs have since been taken to the Coachella Valley Animal Campus. Puppies may ‘not have survived much longer’ Commander Chris Mayer with animal services said he was building an animal cruelty case against the woman with the help of the Riverside County Sheriff’s office and the District Attorney’s office. A passerby discovered the bag, and a store employee then contacted animal services. The puppies were about three days old and believed to be terrier mixes, animal services said. “If not for the Good Samaritan’s actions, the puppies may not have survived much longer,” said the county animal services in a release. “The mid-day temperatures in Coachella on Thursday were in the mid-90s range.” Animal Service’s veterinary team members cared for the puppies and found a rescue group to accept and bottle feed them, according to the release. “There is no excuse for dumping puppies,” Mayer said. “Especially in today’s age when we or other shelters would be willing to get these animals to foster parents or rescue partners. This was a shameful act.” CNN’s Hollie Silverman and Sonya Hamasaki contributed to this report.<doc-sep>A woman seen on video dumping a plastic bag filled with puppies in a Coachella trash bin on a day when temperatures were in the 90s was arrested Monday afternoon on suspicion of animal cruelty. A man rummaging through a dumpster behind a Napa Auto Parts store at 49251 Grapefruit Blvd. found the clear bag just after 1 p.m. Thursday and brought it into the business, according to Riverside County Department of Animal Services. The bag contained seven puppies, believed to be terrier mixes, which were about 3 days old, authorities said. Surveillance video released by authorities shows a woman in a tank-top and short skirt pulling up behind the store in a white Jeep Wrangler. Carrying the bag in one hand, she opens the lid of a receptacle used for recycling, peers inside and then closes it. She then tossed the bag atop an open, full trash bin next to it and drove away, authorities said. Afternoon temperatures in Coachella that day were in the mid-90s, according to the National Weather Service. Advertisement “There is no excuse for dumping puppies,” Riverside County Animal Services Cmdr. Chris Mayer said in a statement. “Especially in today’s age when we or other shelters would be willing to get these animals to foster parents or rescue partners. This was a shameful act.” John Welsh, a spokesman for Animal Services, told The Times that authorities had “full knowledge” of who the woman is. Authorities secured an arrest warrant for Deborah Sue Culwell, 54, of Coachella about 4 p.m., he said. Mayer drove to Culwell’s home and arrested her about 5:30 p.m. on suspicion of seven felony charges of animal cruelty and abandonment. Welsh said she has a history of criminal offenses, including embezzlement and vehicle code violations. Mayer said Animal Services officers are working with sheriff’s investigators to build “a strong animal cruelty case.” The man who brought the puppies inside the store is believed to be a transient, Welsh said. The man, identified only by his first name, John, found the puppies just a few minutes after they were discarded, Welsh said. “They would have been on their way to the dump,” said Welsh, adding that the puppies probably would have quickly suffocated if the man hadn’t found them. “It’s a shock that these pups survived.” Welsh said the bag containing the puppies was tied shut, and the animals had no ventilation. He said that he was personally horrified that the bag was clear and that the woman would have been able to see the puppies before discarding them. Advertisement The pups were taken to a Riverside County Animal Services campus, where they were cared for by veterinarians. The county partnered with MeoowzResQ, an organization in Orange that specializes in cat rescue. MeoowzResQ agreed to foster and bottle-feed the puppies, authorities said. Welsh said that although MeoowzResQ works with cats, authorities had to move quickly because of the puppies’ age, and the organization offered to help. Bottle-feeding a cat or a dog that young requires much of the same kind of care, he said. Welsh said it’s difficult for an animal that young to survive bottle-feeding and that if the animals die, the woman is at fault. “That’s on her,” he said. “That’s a horrendous, conscious decision someone made.” Advertisement City News Service contributed to this report. hailey.branson@latimes.com Twitter: @haileybranson<doc-sep>

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – A woman who dumped a bag containing seven 3-day-old puppies behind an auto parts store in Coachella on Thursday is being sought by Riverside County animal control and law enforcement officials. Officials say store surveillance video shows a woman with long dark hair, dressed in a dark blue or black tank top and skirt, pulled up in a Jeep next to a trash bin outside the Napa Auto Parts store at 49251 Grapefruit Blvd. just after 1 p.m. The video shows the woman getting out of the vehicle carrying a plastic bag. She walked toward a bin used for recycling materials, opened the lid and then dropped the bag in, and drove away, animal services officials said Friday in a press release. #NationalPuppyDay:Here are some of the very good pups taking over the internet A passerby saw the incident and contacted a store employee, who called the Riverside County Department of Animal Services. Officer Jose Cisneros arrived just before 2 p.m. and collected the puppies, believed to be terrier mix. The puppies were brought to a Riverside County animal campus where veterinarians cared for them. MeoowzResQ, a Southern California rescue group that specializes in kitten and cat rescue, has partnered with animal services to foster the puppies and take over bottle-feeding duties. Want news from USA TODAY on WhatsApp? Click this link on your mobile device to get started Temperatures in Coachella on Thursday were in the mid-90s, and if the passerby had not stopped and found the puppies when he did, they likely would have died in the heat, animal services officials said. Florida man arrested:Young alligator beaten, given cigarette on video Animal abuse:Man bound dog with duct tape, threw it into ditch to freeze, police say “The good Samaritan played a major role in saving these puppies’ lives,” animal services Commander Chris Mayer said. “His actions were humane and heroic.” Animal services spokesman John Welsh said no arrests have been made, but the woman is being sought on suspicion of animal cruelty. Mayer described the woman’s actions as “despicable.” He and the department are working with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and District Attorney’s office to find and arrest the woman. It is the second case of puppies being dumped in Riverside County in a month. In March, animal services reported two puppies were found in a trash bin at Desert Recycling in Thousand Palms. They were dehydrated and malnourished and taken to the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, where they were cared for by vets. “There is no excuse for dumping puppies,” Mayer said. “Especially in today’s age when we or other shelters would be willing to get these animals to foster parents or rescue partners. This was a shameful act.” Anyone with information about this incident should call Riverside County Animal Services at 951-358-7387. Animal cruelty:North Carolina man will not be prosecuted for abandoning his pet fish Police:Iguana swung above man's head, hurled at restaurant manager, police say Follow Sherry Barkas on Twitter: @TDSSherryBarkas

A commuter has described scenes of mass panic at Melbourne's Flagstaff station, where terrified passengers were in tears and calling relatives to tell them they loved them after a busker was mistaken for a gunman on a train. Key points: The busker was performing breathing exercises and a passenger thought his behaviour was suspicious The busker was performing breathing exercises and a passenger thought his behaviour was suspicious Critical incident police evacuated the station and searched the train during the busy morning peak Critical incident police evacuated the station and searched the train during the busy morning peak Witnesses said some passengers were in hysterics, fearing a terrorist attack Police said a musician, carrying an instrument in a duffel bag, was doing breathing exercises to prepare for his performance. Another passenger deemed his behaviour suspicious and wrongly thought his instrument bag was a rifle case. "Look, obviously people ring us with a lot of jobs and things that happen," Inspector Jacob Bugeja said. Police on the concourse of Flagstaff station after an incorrect report of a gunman sparked panic. ( AAP: James Ross "They saw someone acting unusual on the train. "They have seen a bag and were unsure what was in the bag and, coupled with the behaviour of the person, they were a bit worried and just wanted to let us know." Later, police said in a statement that CCTV footage had been reviewed and, as no offence had been detected, there would be no further police action. Student Sarsha Vadocz was on board the train when it was stopped at Flagstaff. She said being stuck on a stationary train seemed strange at first, but did not feel dangerous until critical incident police boarded. That sparked passenger panic, she said. Some dropped to the ground and others yelled there was a shooter on the train. Sarsha Vadocz praised the police response but said their initial actions caused some panic. ( ABC News: James Hancock "After over five minutes of being stopped, there were special response units running around everywhere, they had fully automatic weapons and riot shields and they were yelling at people to get back in the train," she said. "Everybody started panicking. There was a woman next to me in hysterics, she was calling her whole family, telling them that she loved them, that she wasn't sure what was going on. She thought it was a terrorist attack. "It was just really scary. "But the man [police officer] just calmly said for everyone to stand up, put their hands on their head and walk out of the train, and everyone walked in a single file line out of the station." Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 41 seconds 41 s Inspector Jacob Bugeja says a commuter thought the busker was behaving suspiciously Ms Vadocz said there was a muffled announcement telling passengers to stay in the carriage because "there's reports of a gunman". She was not sure if the announcement was made by the train driver or an announcement on the platform. A Metro Trains spokesperson confirmed an announcement had been made, which was the subject of an investigation. The spokesperson said during police incidents, drivers are encouraged to keep passengers updated. "This morning's incident at Flagstaff Station was a dynamic situation and Metro apologises for distressing passengers," the company said in a statement. Yelling police 'freak everyone out' Ms Vadocz said she thought police handled the situation well, apart from yelling at people to get back on the train at the beginning. "That could have been a little bit calmer, because it did freak everyone out, but as people were getting out of the train they handled it well and kept everyone calm and got out in an orderly fashion," the university student said. Inspector Bugeja acknowledged the police response might have caused fear, but officers did not know what they were walking into. "I think probably a little bit of the fear would have been created by police coming on the train in the first instance, as opposed to the actual incident," he said. Commuters at Flagstaff were diverted to Flinders Street while police investigated. ( AAP: James Ross "But … obviously we want to make sure there is no risk, so we want to deal with imminent risk first — in this circumstance there was none." City Loop trains were diverted through Flinders Street before returning to normal services after about half an hour, while police investigated. Loading "We managed to let people go fairly quickly and get about their day," Inspector Bugeja said. Ms Vadocz said the incident had shaken her up. Flagstaff station was evacuated for half an hour while police investigated. ( AAP: James Ross "It was a very scary experience, especially with everyone around me. "There were people crying and calling their families and telling them they weren't sure if they'd see them again." Officers remain at station to quell fears Another passenger, Siri Smith, also described heavily armed police evacuating the train. Loading "We didn't know what was going on but then we did see police enter onto the platform and there was also the gun squad there, so heavily armoured police officers wearing helmets and carrying huge protective guns, police with shields," she said. "They ushered us off the train. "We were all standing on the platform for about 10 minutes and that was when the police asked us to leave the platform." The station was evacuated, but later declared safe. ( ABC News: Karen Percy Ms Smith she said she thought the passengers on her carriage were relatively calm. "There were a few panicked people, I myself was a little bit frightened, but I felt pretty safe with all the police surrounding the area," she said. "A lot of people seemed pretty calm as well, but there were a few that did seem a bit panicked." Ms Smith said there was no announcement on the train or the platform to suggest someone had a gun.<doc-sep>Melbourne’s Flagstaff train station was evacuated on Thursday morning after Victoria police responded to a false alarm of a gunman, which may have been sparked by an Aboriginal busker with a didgeridoo in a bag. All trains were diverted from Flagstaff due to a police request at 8.30am, and witnesses said they saw heavily armed police at the station. Commuters were subsequently facing train service delays of up to 30 minutes, Metro Trains said. ⚠️ALL LINES: Delays up to 30 minutes after an earlier issue in the City Loop caused delays. Our Train Controllers are working to restore the timetable. See https://t.co/fE9E9Hyp10 — Metro Trains (@metrotrains) March 27, 2019 Insp Jacob Bugeja told reporters in Melbourne officers had spoken to the man, who had been seen “acting suspiciously”. “It was a busker. He was actually doing breathing exercises preparing for his act. It was a sports duffel bag,” Bugeja said. “There is no ongoing risk … From our perspective, it’s business as usual.” Aboriginal didgeridoo player Will Austin said he was approached by police at Flagstaff. “When you get swarmed by police at flagstaff station after reports of a gunman, looking suspicious on a mission and carrying a Yidaki and a bag full of artefacts. I’m not carrying no rifle or ammunition fellas. But seriously though, stay safe all you mob out there travelling through the city this morning!” he said on Facebook. Austin later cast doubt on whether he was responsible for the hold up. “People have got the narrative mixed up. I was stopped by the police, due to looking suspicious and carrying something that may have looked like a gun case. However I was not the one that caused the initial hold up. People have taken my post out of context, which is now out of my control,” he told the Guardian. Police have declined to confirm the nature of the musical instrument and have refused media requests to confirm who they were targetting. “As there was no offence detected, we will not be providing further commentary on the incident,” a police spokeswoman said. Allow Facebook content? This article includes content provided by Facebook . We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Allow and continue Bugeja said police were able to get access to CCTV footage and find the man within 20 minutes of the incident reports. Bugeja said it was important people contact Crimestoppers or ring their local police stations if they see suspicious activity. By 9am, police had given the area the all-clear. The police commissioner, Graham Ashton, said the original report to police said a rifle case had been spotted on the train. “We had a report concerned that there might be someone with a firearm on a train this morning heading into the city loop,” he told radio station 3AW. “Therefore we stopped the train at Flagstaff and [ordered] critical response team members to search the train. “After that [we] were content that there was no firearm on the train … Fortunately there was nothing to be found.” Before police gave the all-clear, numerous witnesses told radio and TV news that train drivers had made announcements that there was a man with a firearm at the station. Ashton said he was worried that these announcements could have caused panic. “We have to follow that up and be very careful about those communications,” he said. At 9.30am, Victoria police said there was “no ongoing threat” to the community. “Police will continue to investigate the incident, however at this time there is no ongoing threat to the community,” Victoria police said. “Police will remain in the area today to speak with any members of the public who may have concerns.” LATEST 9.30AM: Police responded to reports a man was allegedly carrying a firearm bag on a train at Flagstaff this morning. Police evacuated the train and Flagstaff Station about 8.30am. The area was searched and has now been cleared by police. pic.twitter.com/XcHLJYqx07 — Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) March 27, 2019 Construction worker Shannon Marrell was on the platform when police told him to evacuate. “I saw a whole heap of police barge down there with a Swat team in tow,” he told Guardian Australia. “They rushed us off the platform.” Commuter Julian Archer said a train driver announced that there was someone with a firearm at Flagstaff station. “All city loop trains suspended. Stay safe everyone this morning,” he said on Twitter.<doc-sep>A young indigenous man who was carrying a didgeridoo on a peak hour train says he may have been the man who was mistaken for a gunman. A young indigenous man who was carrying a didgeridoo on a peak hour train says he may have been the man who was mistaken for a gunman. Will Austin posted a selfie of himself holding the instrument following the dramatic shut down of Flagstaff Station this morning. He said he “might have looked a bit suspicious at the time”. “I was just travelling in to Parliament station this morning to run some cultural workshops,” he told 3AW. “I got stopped by police across the road from Flagstaff station and got searched and they found I didn’t have a rifle. MORE: BORCE A ‘LOVING, PROTECTIVE’ HUSBAND AND DAD SAYS DAUGHTER ONE NATION BID TO ‘CHANGE VOTING’ FOR CASH “The police were good. They were just doing their job. They opened up the didgeridoo case and then the bag with the artefacts in it. In the situation that they thought it was a rifle maybe they thought it was carrying ammunition. “I wasn’t doing any breathing exercises or not a well known busker in town so unsure it’s me that caused it. “Everyone’s on their toes at the moment, although it was a big ordeal for nothing in the end, it was good to see the police had such a quick response and everyone can go home safe.” The busker and his didgeridoo sparked a police operation at Flagstaff Station. After the incident, Mr Austin wrote on Facebook: “When you get swarmed by police at Flagstaff Station after reports of a gunman, looking suspicious on a mission and carrying a Yidaki and a bag full of artefacts.” “I’m not carrying no rifle or ammunition fellas. “But seriously though, stay safe all you mob out there travelling through the city this morning! “I think there was still someone was a gun! Hopefully police have got em.” Inspector Jacob Bugeja said a local man was going into the city to busk with his instrument, and a call was made by another passenger on the peak-hour Mernda train. “They’ve seen a bag and they were unsure what was in the bag and coupled with the behaviour of the person, they were a bit worried,” he said. “He was actually doing breathing exercises on the train.” He said police and Critical Response Team officers were able to quickly get to the scene, secure and search the site. “We encourage people to report that stuff to us, if they do see suspicious behaviour to contact Crime Stoppers or ring their local station or call triple-0,” he said. The experience from inside the train was terrifying, according to 18-year-old Sarsha Vadocz from Lalor. The train had been stopped for about five minutes when police with riot shields, large guns and bullet proof vests appeared beside their carriage and yelled at them to get away from the doors and get down. Critical response team officers walking into Flagstaff station. Picture: Twitter @ddeezy4 Police at Flagstaff station this morning. Picture: Twitter/sahuddo/Scott Hudson She said people were crying around her and calling their loved ones to say goodbye from the train. “We didn’t know what was going on,” she said. “Everyone was freaking out. “There was a woman beside me, she’s bawling her eyes out, she’s calling her whole family, she’s going ‘I’m not sure if I’m going’s to make it home, just tell my whole family I love them’.” “It was quite scary.” There was at least one announcement made over the loud speaker but the university student said it was too muffled to understand. The busker was not on the train by the time it arrived at Flagstaff, exiting earlier on the city loop. Police found him within 20 minutes of the incident. ‘PEOPLE JUST WANTED TO GET OUT’ Earlier, armed police swarmed Flagstaff station during this morning’s peak-hour rush, diverting services to Flinders St and sparking commuter chaos following reports of a gun case on a train. Trains were diverted out of the City Loop at 8.30am, Flagstaff station was given the all clear at 9am. The incident threw Melbourne’s train network into chaos, with major delays reported by Metro on all lines. As of 9.30am, there were 30 minute delays on all lines, but by 10.30am those had been reduced to minor delays. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell they had to take action quickly, stopping the train at Flagstaff and searching it. “We were concerned there might have been someone with a firearm on a train this morning, heading in towards the city loop,” Mr Ashton said. “They were after that (search) content that there was no fire arm on the train. “A rifle case was sighted originally as part of the report.” A man working on the construction site at the entrance to Flagstaff Station watched commuters stream out of the station in tears this morning. “People just wanted to get out of there, get off and get out of there,” Bryan Byrne said. “No one knew what was going on. People were crying.” Police are still at Flagstaff station this morning. Picture: AAP Image/James Ross Police response at Flagstaff Station. Picture: Twitter/Sam Parry @sam266 The 27-year-old ventured down to platform one, where he said police were congregating and looking down the tunnel. He said the impact of the emergency situation was obvious when he saw how many distressed people there were. One woman in a wheelchair was terrified when police boarded her carriage and told everyone to get on the ground because she could not. Mr Byrne said the young woman was very upset because she felt exposed when everyone dropped to the ground and had to evacuate before her usual stop. “I had to help the young woman find a cab,” he said. Commuters trying to leave Flinders St. Picture: Gigi Sam/Twitter Flinders St station flooded with commuters. Picture: Gigi Sam/Twitter Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton this morning briefed Premier Daniel Andrews on the incident. Mr Andrews praised critical incident officers for their swift response.<doc-sep>An indigenous leader carrying a didgeridoo and busker performing breathing exercises sent a Melbourne city train station into lock down this morning. Performer Will Austin was on the way to Parliament Station from Daylesford about 8.30am, when his train came to a halt at Flagstaff. Heavily armed police swooped on the station and evacuated it after reports a man was carrying a rifle case. Will Austin spoke exclusively to 9News Melbourne's Mark Santomartino this afternoon. (Nine) “People were running off the trains,” Mr Austin told 9News. He now believes the instrument case he was carrying may have sparked the chaos. “I had a big backpack with all my artefacts and I was carrying this, so of everyone that was running I probably looked suspicious I suppose waltzing around,” he said. Police chased Mr Austin, who had exited the underground platform, to Williams Street and requested to look inside his bag. Mr Austin was on a city-bound train when the scare unfolded. (Nine) The officers then explained to the performer they had stopped him because of his case. “Then I was on my way,” he said. Mr Austin posted a photo about the incident to social media writing, “when you get swarmed by police at Flagstaff station after reports of a gunman”. Police squads inside Flagstaff station (Scott Hudson/Twitter). (9News) However, he told 9News he was not sure if he was in fact the person who sparked the scare. “There’s still a bit of confusion around it,” he said. Police have since confirmed a Triple-Zero call was made about a busker, believed to be ‘Barefoot Trumpeter’ Phil Day, performing breathing exercises. “He was doing some breathing exercises while he was on the train back into the city,” Inspector Jacob Bugeja said. Metro this afternoon confirmed they are investigating reports a train driver referred to a “firearm” during an announcement made to passengers during the scare. “Announcements made during a police request at Flagstaff Station are being investigated, and Metro apologises for the distress caused to passengers,” a Metro spokesperson said. Mr Austin took to Facebook shortly after the scare this morning. (Nine/Supplied) Authorities declared the station safe about 9am, with services on the Loop quickly returned to normal. Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton earlier said he would follow up reports a train driver had told passengers there was a gunman on the loose in the rail system. "Oh dear... we'll pick that up, if that's the case, and follow it up with Metro," Chief Comm. Ashton told 3AW. "We have to be really careful about the sort of communications that are put out and when they're put out. You don't want people to be reacting in a way that might put their safety at risk. The scare unfolded about 8.30am today. (9News)<doc-sep>

Armed police respond to unfolding incident at Flagstaff station, with reports of a firearm involved. Armed police respond to unfolding incident at Flagstaff station, with reports of a firearm involved.... A Melbourne man has described how he was “swarmed by police” after they suspected he might be the person reportedly carrying a firearm on a city loop train this morning. But far from a gun, all Will Austin was carrying was a yidaki, the name given to a didgeridoo in East Arnhem Land. Armed police put the rail network into lockdown about 8.30 this morning after reports there was a man with a firearm at Flagstaff railway station in the CBD. With all trains at a standstill, Melbourne commuters quickly became paralysed with tens of thousands of people stranded. Police lifted the blockade at 9am and said the crisis was caused by a busker who was doing “breathing exercises” and carrying a duffel bag. Mr Austin said he was approached by police at Flagstaff station because his was carrying a yidaki in a long black bag. He is a founder of Yarn Bark, an Aboriginal-owned organisation focused on youth cultural mentoring and storytelling. In a Facebook post he described how he became caught up in the chaos. “When you get swarmed by police at Flagstaff station after reports of a gunman, looking suspicious on a mission and carrying a yidaki and a bag full of artefacts. I’m not carrying no rifle or ammunition fellas.” Unfazed by his run-in, he advised commuters to “stay safe all you mob out there this morning”. Mr Austin told news.com.au that cops honed in on him because he was travelling on a train passing through Flagstaff. The Party Games newsletter Get your political briefing from news.com.au's political editor Samantha Maiden. Sign up The Party Games newsletter Success! Check your inbox for details. See all newsletters “I got stopped by the police and searched due to looking suspicious and carrying something that may have looked like a gun case and I was on the same train,” he said. Mr Austin added he doesn’t believe he was the person being searched for given he hadn’t been undertaking any “breathing exercises” which the police said the busker had been doing at the time. The Daily Mail reported that Melbourne’s “barefoot busker”, a trumpeter named Phil Day was the man with the mistaken identity. When police approached him, the website said Mr Day apologised profusely that his breathing exercises had caused such a fuss. News.com.au contacted Victoria Police to clarify who was questioned this morning but they said they would “not be providing further commentary on the incident”. “In regard to anyone who may have been spoken to by police, privacy legislation prevents us from providing information based solely on an individual. Police have reviewed CCTV footage in relation to the incident and as no offence was detected, there will be no further police action.” Flagstaff station, in the heart of the financial district, was closed around 8.30am with footage emerging of armed police on platforms. Passengers on Twitter said there were rumours of a “man with a gun” with several saying train drivers had said there was a person with a firearm on the station. Police later confirmed a bag containing an instrument being carried by a busker was mistaken for a deadly weapon by on-edge commuters. Paddy Naughtin told AAP he was on the 8.19am train to Mernda when it was stopped. “A dozen cops (half heavily armed) came running past.” Construction worker Shannon Marrell said he was rushed out of the station as heavily-armed police stormed onto the platform. “I heard on the train that they had to duck, like they wanted everyone down,” he told reporters. But it was soon discovered to be a false alarm. “He was a local busker who was there to play an instrument in town,” Inspector Jacob Bugeja told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday. “There was a bag that the person was carrying and he had his tools to busk with him.” The man was doing breathing exercises on the train when he aroused suspicion, but police spoke to him about 20 minutes later in the city to confirm he did not have a weapon. The man’s bag was later described as a sports duffel bag that looks “nothing like” a gun bag.

OTTAWA, Ontario — Barry Trotz would neither confirm nor deny. Goalie Robin Lehner did not accompany the Islanders for Thursday night’s 4-2 win over the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre because of a suspected head injury. Trotz said Lehner is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Pressed about whether he was denying that Lehner has a concussion, Trotz said, “I can’t confirm or deny.” He did say Lehner was not ordered out of Tuesday night’s game by the NHL concussion spotter. “No, it wasn’t the spotter,” Trotz said. “It was the trainer and Robin both having a discussion.” Lehner was bowled over by Brady Tkachuk on Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s tying goal at 15:20 of the third period of the Islanders’ 5-4 shootout victory over Ottawa on Tuesday at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum. Lehner initially grabbed at his head while flat on his back after Tkachuk collided with him. As he was down, Pageau swept the puck into the open net. It initially was ruled no goal, but Ottawa successfully challenged that call, as it was ruled that the Islanders’ Brock Nelson pushed Tkachuk into Lehner. “Tkachuk was going to the net hard,” Trotz said. “If Nelson doesn’t touch him, does he still run into Robin? I think he does. But he had a little bit of a push from Nellie. He was trying to push him laterally a little bit. The rule states if the referees feel the player was pushed in, it’s a goal. Good challenge by them.” Subscribe to Newsday’s sports newsletter Receive stories, photos and videos about your favorite New York teams plus national sports news and events. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. Christopher Gibson, brought up from Bridgeport on an emergency recall, backed up Thomas Greiss on Thursday. Greiss relieved Lehner on Tuesday. “Robin goes down, it’s a 4-4 game and you’re looking at a possible three-on-three [overtime] and a shootout and you’re a little bit cold,” Trotz said. “[Greiss] goes, ‘OK, no big deal, I’ll just have to deal with it.’ That’s the great thing about Greisser. He doesn’t fret about the situation.” Lehner’s career began with Ottawa in 2010 and effectively ended with the Senators on Feb. 16, 2015, when a collision with teammate Clarke MacArthur left both with concussions. Lehner was traded to the Sabres after that season. He joined the Isles on a one-year, $1.5 million deal and detailed his battles with addiction and mental illness on the first day of training camp. He is 20-11-5 with a 2.19 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage and is a leading candidate for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance and dedication to hockey. Notes & quotes: Trotz broke up his top defensive pair of Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk in the second period, putting Devon Toews with Boychuk and Scott Mayfield with Leddy. “I’m looking for a little more from a few guys,” Trotz said. “Leddy and Johnny have had a few rough games.” . . . Right wing Cal Clutterbuck (upper body) missed his second game and Trotz said he is day-to-day . . . Left wing Matt Martin (upper body) was out of the lineup for a fourth straight game but rejoined his teammates for the morning skate . . . Defensemen Thomas Hickey, Luca Sbisa and Dennis Seidenberg and forwards Andrew Ladd and Josh Ho-Sang were the healthy scratches. Ho-Sang was brought up from Bridgeport on an emergency recall on Tuesday along with Michael Dal Colle, who was in the lineup for the second straight game. “We have a couple of emergency recalls,” Trotz said. “We have to send one back.”<doc-sep>OTTAWA, Ontario — The Islanders recalled goalie Christopher Gibson from Bridgeport on an emergency basis on Wednesday in what is probably not a good sign for Robin Lehner’s status, at least in the short term. The Islanders conclude a home-and-home series with the Senators on Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre and Lehner left Tuesday night’s 5-4 shootout win at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum at 15:20 of the third period with what appeared to be a head issue. Lehner was bowled over by Brady Tkachuk and was flat on his back in distress on Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s ensuing video-reviewed tying goal. Lehner was attended to by the medical staff, tried to skate off what was bothering him, but ultimately had to leave the game. The Islanders did not have an update on Lehner on Wednesday. Gibson, 26, is 3-4-3 with a 3.56 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage in 13 career NHL games with the Islanders. He is 18-9-1 with a 3.00 GAA and .857 save percentage for Bridgeport this season. Thomas Greiss, who made two saves in relief of Lehner then stopped both of the Senators’ shootout attempts to seal the win, is expected to start on Thursday night.<doc-sep>Lehner left Tuesday's game versus the Senators after getting knocked down by Brady Tkachuk, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports. Tkachuk broke hard to the net and was bumped into Lehner by Brock Nelson. The Senators scored on the play, and the review deemed there was no goaltender interference. Thomas Greiss came in as relief.<doc-sep>Robin Lehner has been a revelation on the ice, helping to pen a compelling tale for himself and the Islanders. But Lehner was pulled from the net for the first time this season after allowing three goals on 13 shots by the 3:18 mark of the second period in Sunday’s 4-1 loss to the Flyers at the Coliseum. While Islanders coach Barry Trotz has come to expect big saves from the free-agent signee, he contended the move to insert Thomas Greiss with his team trailing 3-0 was more an attempt to kick-start the club, which went on to lose for the third time in four games. “The first two goals, I think when Robin is really sharp, maybe he comes up with them,” Trotz said. “It was a little bit of [needing] a spark, a little bit that maybe we could change something. He’s been so great for us all year. So yeah, it was more to generate something. We needed a spark somewhere so just tried it.” Lehner, was signed by team president Lou Lamoriello in July to a one-year contract worth $1.5 million, revealed during training camp that he’s been undergoing treatment for alcoholism and bipolar disorder. The 27-year-old Swede is 20-11-5 this season with a 2.13 goals-against average. Matt Martin missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury, and fellow fourth-line winger Cal Clutterbuck departed in the third period, also with an upper-body injury after being hit in the side of the head by a puck while seated on the bench, and did not return. Linemate Casey Cizikas left the game briefly in the third, but Trotz said the center has been battling the flu. Defenseman Thomas Hickey and winger Tom Kuhnhackl were healthy scratches. After the Islanders scored only just goal for a second straight game, Trotz was asked if the team might consider recalling young forwards Josh Ho-Sang or Michael Dal Colle from AHL Bridgeport. “My first instinct is I think these guys deserve to grind that out a little bit,” he said. “It’s a thought. Some of the young guys have done a really good job. … We’ll just see where we’re at [Monday].” Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech ended Flyers goalie Brian Elliott’s shutout bid from just outside the crease with 4:45 remaining in the third period.<doc-sep>

OTTAWA, Ontario — The early prognosis doesn’t seem too bad, and Islanders goalie Robin Lehner was declared “day to day” by coach Barry Trotz on Thursday before his team swept a home-and-home with the Senators, taking a 4-2 victory. Lehner remained back in New York, where he had been bulldozed by Senators forward Brady Tkachuk late in Tuesday’s 5-4 shootout win and had to leave the game with a presumed head injury. Although Trotz said, “I can’t confirm or deny” that the injury was a concussion, it’s pretty clear Lehner was shaken up on the play. He wasn’t pulled from the game by the league spotter, but rather left the ice after a discussion with the team trainer. He assuredly at least went through the league-mandated concussion protocol. Forward Matt Martin made the trip and took part in the morning skate, but he missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury. He implied after the game that he would be ready to go soon. Winger Cal Clutterbuck missed a second straight game with an upper-body injury, and Trotz called him “day-to-day.” Clutterbuck was hit in the head with a puck while sitting on bench during Sunday’s 4-1 loss to the Flyers, and was not able to return. Veteran forward Andrew Ladd was a healthy scratch after he had played four of the previous five games since returning from a long-term injury. Trotz said this was not just part of trying to ease him back into the lineup, but more that he wanted a penalty killer and so he brought Tom Kuhnhackl into the lineup. “Without [Martin] and [Clutterbuck], we needed a penalty killer,” Trotz said. “Ladder has done it in the past, but it’s not there yet at this point.” About midway through the game, Trotz moved rookie defenseman Devon Toews up to the first pair with Johnny Boychuk and moved the struggling Nick Leddy down with Scott Mayfield. “Nick’s played a lot of hockey,” Trotz said. “Leds and Johnny were having a few rough games here. It hasn’t been really smooth for them. … So change it up a little bit.” Whenever Clutterbuck or Martin are ready to return, one of the Islanders emergency call-ups is going to have to be sent down. It’s likely going to be Josh Ho-Sang, who didn’t play in either game since being called up on Tuesday. The other call-up, Michael Dal Colle, has been impressive while skating on a “kids line” with Mathew Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier. “Every time he’s come up, he’s played really well,” Trotz said. “He’s pushing some of the veterans to earn their keep.”

The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, wants parents to protect their children from the addictive game as he stated that they we “irresponsible games”, during a visit to the YMCA in West London. A serious blow to the gaming industry, Prince Harry, named Fortnite, amongst other “addictive” games, to be banned. The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, wants parents to protect their children from the addictive game as he stated that they we “irresponsible games”, during a visit to the YMCA in West London. He also added that social media is “more addictive than drugs and alcohol”. Harry was speaking to mental health experts about the effects of social media and violent video games, reported Express, UK. “Parents don’t know what to do about their children’s addiction to Fortnite. The game shouldn’t be allowed. Where is the benefit of having it in your household? It’s created to addict, an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible. It’s so irresponsible,” said Harry. “Parents have got their hands up - they don’t know what to do about it. It’s like waiting for the damage to be done,” he added. Fortnite is a game where millions of players from around the world hunt for weapons to kill each other. Earlier, it ws also reported that, in the UK, children were turning up to school exhausted due to late nights on the game. Hence, teachers wanted parents to keep the games away from their children. Harry, who is presently heading to be a father himself, warned of a “global epidemic around young people’s mental health” and urged parents to get their children to engage with the world outside the internet, reported Express. Harry was also discussing about the ill effects of social media on the present generation. He said, “It’s more dangerous because it’s normalised and there are no restrictions to it. We are in a mind-altering time. Without that human connection, when you do have a problem you have nowhere to go, the only place you might go is online and you will probably end up getting bullied.” Harry was speaking from experience as his wife Meghan who was been trolled on Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.<doc-sep>It is due to report back on its findings later this year. Chairman Damian Collins told the BBC ahead of that: "We have invited Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, to give evidence to our investigation, which is examining the addictive nature of gaming, as well as links between gaming and gambling.<doc-sep>Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and sixth in line for the royal British crown, has sharply criticized the popular battle royale game Fortnite and called for it to be banned. The BBC reports that Harry's comments came at a YMCA event in London, just before the gaming BAFTA awards. "[Fortnite] shouldn't be allowed," he said. "Where is the benefit of having it in your household? It's created to addict, an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible. It's so irresponsible. It's like waiting for the damage to be done and kids turning up on your doorsteps and families being broken down." He also suggested that social media is "more addictive than alcohol and drugs." These comments come as the Epic Games-developed title continues to grow in popularity; it's arguably the biggest game in the world, having become a cultural sensation. Epic recently announced that Fortnite had crossed 250 million registered players, with a new concurrent player record of 10.8 million players. It's still going strong despite increased competition from the likes of Black Ops 4's Blackout battle royale mode and Apex Legends. The surge in popularity for Apex has led to competition between the two battle royales, with Fortnite even adopting some of Apex's more popular features. Prince Harry's comments come just after the World Health Organization (WHO) identified "gaming disorder" in its latest list of classified diseases. The disorder criteria list several qualities common among addictive traits, including impaired control over gaming, increased priority of gaming over the interests of daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite negative consequences. These comments don't seem to indicate what it is about Fortnite in particular that is problematic, but the game's popularity probably played a role. It has had other recent strife with celebrities thanks to several lawsuits over its use of dances, which have been dropped for now. For more on Fortnite, check out our Season 8 challenge guide.<doc-sep>

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is calling for the ban of popular battle royale game “Fortnite,” according to The Daily Express. The prominent member of the British royal family visited a YMCA in West London and spoke to mental health experts about addictive games and social media, saying that the latter is more addictive than drugs or alcohol. Prince Harry specifically called out Epic Games’ “Fortnite,” saying, “The game shouldn’t be allowed.” “It’s created to addict,” he said. “An addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible. It’s so irresponsible.” “Fortnite” was recently the target of a lawsuit for its loot boxes, which some have accused of being predatory and addictive in the past. And, “gaming disorder” is anticipated to pass as an addition to the International Classification of Diseases at next month’s World Health Assembly. Prince Harry urges parents to take action and have their children interact more with the outside world, while also acknowledging that many parents don’t know how to solve the dilemma. “Parents have got their hands up – they don’t know what to do about it,” he said. “It’s like waiting for the damage to be done.” The Duke also emphasized the dangers of reliance on social media to form connections. “It’s more dangerous because it’s normalized and there are no restrictions to it,” Prince Harry said, referring to social media. “We are in a mind-altering time.” “Without that human connection, when you do have a problem you have nowhere to go,” he continued. “The only place you might go is online and you will probably end up getting bullied.” The call just weeks after an Oxford researcher warned that a stronger reaction to fears of gaming addiction was coming.

Rumours were flying in late April when DJ Zedd and model Olivia Culpo were spotted together at Coachella, and her ex wasn’t happy about it. RELATED: Katy Perry Joins Zedd Onstage At Coachella To Perform ‘365’ Football player Danny Amendola, who was romantically linked to Culpo as recently as January according to People, appeared to throw shade at Zedd in one of his Instagram Stories. @DannyAmendola over here taking shots at @Zedd. Damn Amendola you petty af even after @oliviaculpo took you back. I’m weak this is too funny. 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/B0D8RH1sCA — Jessica (@jessicagmbl) April 19, 2019 In the video, Amendola is shirtless in bed with his laptop playing a scene from “Pulp Fiction” in which Bruce Willis is on-screen talking about “Zed’s chopper.” “Zed’s dead, baby, Zed’s dead,” Willis says in the scene. Amendola later deleted the video, but it was captured by a fan who uploaded it to Twitter. RELATED: Nick Jonas’ New Album Is All About His Breakup With Olivia Culpo In a subsequent Instagram post — which he likewise deleted — Amendola addressed his on-again, off-again relationship with Culpo, which he says is now switched to the “off” position. In the post, reports People, Amendola blasts his ex as “f**ked up” and blames her constant publicity-seeking as the reason for their split. “I believe there should be a boundary btw (sic) private life and social media. Olivia believes in fishbowl lifestyle. This fundamental difference was huge in our relationship,” he wrote. “If you’re my real friend you know I’m private. My mother, brother, father and nephew are closest to me in this world and you don’t see one picture of them and that’s for their protection from those who criticize and judge. I believe in nailing picture frames on the inside of my house to remind the ones I love that I care,” Amendola continued. “Olivia chooses and wants to be noticed on the internet and in Hollywood to make money. Which was hard for me to understand but quickly had to learn. Where as [sic] the cost of fame in this world doesn’t appeal to me,” he added. RELATED: Nick Jonas and Olivia Culpo Split After Almost Two Years Together “The only reason I’m writing this post is because, whether I like it or not, we lived in the public eye. Some of it is amazing! I’ve met some of the nicest people from all over the world and Olivia and I had some amazing times together… just like any other loving relationships we fought,” he wrote. However, Amendola does shoulder some of the blame for their arguments. “A lot of time it was my fault bc let’s be honest I can be an idiot. But! Yup! She’s f**ked up too! and if you cross me I’m a hard mfer to deal with,” he stated. “The universe brought her and I together to enjoy life, love and learn. We celebrated that as often as we could. And the sex was f**king crazy too.” Amendola then claimed that Culpo would become “so mad” at him when he didn’t share photos of her on Instagram, even though he thinks “this s**t is sometimes fake, sometimes toxic, but sometimes beautiful. And I felt like she had enough pictures online anyway.” He added: “Truth is I have a whole cellphone of funny, embarrassing, sexy pics IG would love to have. However, living a public image isn’t my choice, it’s something I’ve learned to deal with.” Amendola concluded by explaining why he’s decided to go public with his comments about Culpa. “Reading all these wild stories about her and I, and seeing Olivia with other men, I just wanted to personally clear the air out here,” he wrote, taking one final shot at Zed. “Not sure what’s in the future but the only thing I care about is her HAPPINESS. And if that’s dancing with scrony [sic] little f**ker, so be it. I’m happy too. With that said! Liv! My beautiful ex-Gf! Carry on IG.” According to Just Jared, after deleting the post, Amendola backtracked on his comments about Culpo. “What I meant to say yesterday was that the media and general public have no idea what goes on behind closed doors,” Amendola explained. “I don’t participate in fake intangibles that consume the public eye. I’m a private, single guy and if everyone’s happy – I’m happy. It’s not fun seeing your name attached to a click-bait headline story that is completely fabricated bulls**t..so when I saw this love triangle gossip I tried to clear the air. I take blame for the miscommunication! Good vibes only from me! ALL LOVE ❤️ always – DA.” The NFL player first went public about his relationship with Culpo back in 2016. They split up in March 2018, but got back together later that fall. At Coachella this year, TMZ obtained footage of Culpo dancing intimately with Zedd to Ariana Grande’s performance of “God Is A Woman”. Fast forward to her birthday, Culpo and Zedd were once again spotted “getting cozy” Page Six reported. The source added, Zedd “sat next to her for the entirety of the dinner. They were definitely into each other.” Others at the party included Canadian model Winnie Harlow, Jasmine Sanders, Dev Windsor and Danielle Herrington.<doc-sep>Could sparks be flying in the California desert? ! That's what pop culture fans are asking after Olivia Culpo and Zedd were spotted getting cozy on night three of the Coachella Music Festival. In video obtained by TMZ, it appears that the world-famous DJ had his arms wrapped around the supermodel as Ariana Grande performed "God is a woman." And while the footage alone is not enough to tell what's really going on between the two, E! News has a source who is able to shed some light. "Olivia has hung out with Zedd a few times recently. They met up at Coachella and had a great time, but they aren't seriously dating," a source shared with us. "Olivia was with Zedd backstage and went to his trailer to hangout before and after he performed. They will talk and text here and there but Olivia is still dating around."<doc-sep>With the help of a famous line from ‘Pulp Fiction,’ Danny Amendola just sent a message to Zedd after the DJ danced with the NFL wide receiver’s ex, Olivia Culpo, at Coachella. Zed’s dead, baby. Zed’s dead. Bruce Willis’ famous one-liner repeated as Danny Amendola, 33, watched Pulp Fiction on his laptop, which he filmed for his social media on April 18. It appeared to be more than a coincidence after an EDM DJ of (almost) the same name, Zedd, 29, was seen dancing with Danny’s ex, Olivia Culpo, 26, at Coachella on April 14. Danny remained silent throughout his clip, but the NFL wide receiver’s glowering stare — coupled with his intimidating six-pack that he decided to show — can safely be interpreted as shade. Zedd and Olivia sparked dating rumors after they were filmed getting cozy on the dance floor at Ariana Grande’s set in Coachella, and it seems like Danny hasn’t overlooked the headlines. Zedd was filmed with his arms wrapped around Olivia, and the two swayed back and forth to AG’s vocals. “They were together for the whole set. His arms were around her as they swayed together, and she would lean her head back on his chest,” an eyewitness told TMZ. Earlier that night, the model and her crew even hung out backstage at Zedd’s set. Olivia and Danny were linked together between 2016 and early 2019, but it’s been an up and down ride. They split in March 2018, were seen at a friend’s wedding together by June of that year, and Olivia confirmed they were officially back on in Sept. 2018. Their relationship took a turn by the next month, however, as Danny was seen wading in the water in Miami with CBS reporter Bianca Peters. Days later, Olivia revealed that she kept her ex-boyfriend’s birthday present — a $12,000 Rolex watch. Their second breakup appeared to be over when Olivia and Danny spent New Year’s Eve 2018 together, and grabbed sushi with pals on Jan. 12. And now we’re here, with Olivia and Zedd being music festival buddies and Danny fuming behind his laptop. “Danny can’t quit Olivia, he thinks she is too hot and feels that their chemistry is undeniable,” a source close to Danny EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife in January, before Olivia and Zedd were seen together. “Despite some mistakes he has made in their relationship, Danny feels lucky that Olivia has forgiven him and he believes they are destined to be together.”<doc-sep>It’s safe to assume that Zedd won’t be on any of Danny Amendola’s playlists this summer. The Detroit Lions wide receiver, 33, seemingly threw shade at Zedd, 29, after his ex-girlfriend Olivia Culpo was spotted getting cozy with the DJ at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Amendola shared a since-deleted video on his Instagram Stories on Thursday, April 18, of himself laying in bed shirtless while watching Pulp Fiction on his laptop. After showing off his rock-hard abs, he panned the camera over to the computer screen during an iconic — and relevant — quote. “Zed’s dead, baby. Zed’s dead,” Bruce Willis’ character, Butch Coolidge, could be heard saying before the NFL player ended the video. Amendola’s shady post came just days after a video surfaced of Zedd wrapping his arms around Culpo, 26, while watching Ariana Grande perform “God Is a Woman” at Coachella. The model was also seen backstage during the music producer’s Sunday, April 14, set at the festival in Indio, California. The athlete and Culpo started dating in February 2016, but Us Weekly broke the news in March 2018 that they called it quits. The on-off couple reconciled that June before going their separate ways again in October after Amendola was spotted flirting with sports reporter Bianca Peters in Miami. Things heated up again between the pair in late December when they spent New Year’s Eve together. “Olivia is totally infatuated with Danny and wants it to work,” a source told Us exclusively at the time. “She’s serious about him and always has been.” However, Amendola and Culpo’s romance apparently fizzled out once more, shortly before she was linked to Zedd. Us Weekly has reached out to Amendola’s rep for comment.<doc-sep>

Culpo and Zedd recently sparked romance rumors after they were spotted dancing together at Coachella last weekend Danny Amendola Seemingly Takes a Shot at Zedd After Reports the DJ Might Be Dating Olivia Culpo Danny Amendola is raising some eyebrows after he seemingly took a jab at Zedd, who may have caught the eye of the football player’s ex. Last weekend, the Russian-German DJ and Olivia Culpo sparked romance rumors after they were spotted getting very close at Coachella. In a video obtained by TMZ, Zedd, 29, was seen wrapping his arms around the model, 26, as they danced to Ariana Grande‘s “God Is A Woman.” Just days after their flirty encounter, Amendola, 33, appeared to share his thoughts about Culpo, whom he was last connected to in January, possibly moving on with Zedd — and what better way to do it than with a classic line from Pulp Fiction? While laying in his bed shirtless, Amendola recorded himself watching the film on his laptop and panned his phone towards the screen as Bruce Willis’ character talked about “Zed’s chopper.” Zedd, Danny Amendola, and Olivia Culpo From left: Zedd, Danny Amendola, and Olivia Culpo | Credit: Presley Ann/WireImage; Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic; Steve Granitz/WireImage The NFL player made sure to include Willis’ final line of “Zed’s dead, baby, Zed’s dead” — and his rock hard abs — before cutting off the clip. It has since been deleted from his Instagram Stories, but was captured by a fan on Twitter beforehand. Reps for Amendola, Zedd, and Culpo did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. Culpo and Amendola first made their relationship Instagram official in February 2016. In October 2018, however, a source told PEOPLE that Culpo and Amendola cooled off after the NFL pro was photographed getting close with Miami-based CBS sports journalist Bianca Peters. “Danny and Olivia did not officially split. Danny is playing both sides,” the insider told us at the time. “He’s saying that the day with Bianca was just him having fun. She’s a reporter, he’s a football player. I think in his mind he got caught so he’s trying to diffuse it.” 700061711TM00123_The_2017_E Olivia Culpo and Danny Amendola | Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty The source said that while Culpo was “blindsided” to see the photos of Amendola with Peters, it wasn’t likely she would cut things off completely. “She’ll probably be back in Miami for the next home game.” “Danny never viewed Olivia as an exclusive girlfriend,” the insider added. “She came to Miami or New England [when he played for the New England Patriots] all of the time and they dated, but it was more her putting in the travel effort than him. Olivia refers to Danny as her boyfriend but he doesn’t refer to her as his girlfriend. He could care less about making it official.” Days later, Culpo all but declared the relationship over by wearing a brand new men’s Rolex watch on her wrist the same day Amendola was celebrating his 33rd birthday. “Looks like this is my present now. HAPPY BDAY TO ME,” Culpo wrote over her new piece of jewelry. Celebrity Sightings In Los Angeles - April 15, 2017 Olivia Culpo and Danny Amendola | Credit: Pressphotodirect/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images A few months later at the end of December, things between the couple appeared to be heating up again. On New Year’s Eve, the model and Amendola both posted nearly identical video clips of fireworks going off on a beach, leading to speculation that the pair celebrated together and have reconciled.

The New Orleans Pelicans have “had discussions” about acquiring Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder in a trade, according to NBC Sports anchor Fletcher Mackel. The Pelicans reportedly like his talent but have major concerns about his pending legal issues, specifically a felony battery case from September. The Hawks have grown tired of Schroder and hope to start their rebuilding era with a different cog in place, hence the reason they drafted Trae Young with their lottery pick. Schroder is only 24 years old and has already shown the potential to be a scoring point guard after putting up a career-high 19.4 points and 6.2 assists per game last season, but his efficiency has been in question, shooting only 43.6 percent from the floor and a career-low 29 percent from deep in 2017-18. The Pelicans have already lost two of their starters in DeMarcus Cousins and point guard Rajon Rondo, which would only spell a potential replacement. Trading for Schroder would keep Jrue Holiday as the starting shooting guard, a role in which he’s thrived throughout last season, but absolute clarity on Schroder’s legal issues is a definite must if the Hawks hope to trade him. Despite two poor shooting outings from Young to start the Summer League, the Hawks remain confident he is their point guard of the future, and if they can negotiate a trade for Schroder, New Orleans might just have one of the vacancies plugged up.<doc-sep>The Atlanta Hawks are looking to move on from Dennis Schroeder, a disgruntled point guard who could also face a suspension next season. NBA source tells me #Pelicans have “had discussions” about acquiring Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder in trade. Unsure how far talks got. I’m told NOLA likes his talent, potential fit on court… but has MAJOR concerns about his pending legal issues (felony assault). pic.twitter.com/QkLrzvn30C — Fletcher Mackel (@FletcherWDSU) July 4, 2018 Perhaps one option would be to swap Schroeder for Solomon Hill, who played just 12 games last season due to injury (via Bourbon Street Shots): “Schroeder is still fairly young and can get to the rim with the best of them. However, it’s unclear how much value he actually provides to a team as analytics have painted a net negative every single year of his career … He is a potential buy-low opportunity if the Hawks want to get rid of him at any cost and will accept Hill without any picks.” Among those who appeared in at least 24 minutes per game last season, here is the complete list of players who averaged a higher assist percentage than Schroeder: Russell Westbrook, James Harden, LeBron James, John Wall, Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul and Ben Simmons. Now that Rondo is no longer with the Pelicans, the team will need a primary ballhandler and it’s unclear if guard Elfrid Payton (who recently signed with the team) could be that option. People inside the Pels organization believe Elfrid Payton could be one of the best backups in the league. He also gives them an option at starter if Rondo walks — Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) July 2, 2018 Schroeder is also a serviceable shooter, especially from midrange; last year, only six teams in the Western Conference made fewer midrange shots per game than the Pelicans. Among those who averaged at least five attempts per game from that area, only Kevin Durant, Khris Middleton, Klay Thompson and Bradley Beal shot a better percentage. The only players who averaged more field goals per game on deep midrange shots (15-to-19 feet from the basket) were Durant, Westbrook and Thompson. However, Schroeder ranks as one of the worst defensive guards in the league, per ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus. Tim Bontemps recently speculated that some other teams besides New Orleans that could trade for the German-born NBA player (via Washington Post): “Who is actually interested in trading for a point guard in a league where so many teams already have one? The Orlando Magic are one potential destination, and the Phoenix Suns are another, though there hasn’t been any reported interest from either thus far.” According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the Suns have thus far shown “no interest” in Schroeder. And if the Orlando Magic sign free agent guard Isaiah Thomas, there is no reason to add someone like Schroeder to their roster as well. Otherwise, the Milwaukee Bucks were reportedly interested in Schroeder last season before they landed Eric Bledsoe. The Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls could be interested in taking back a bad contract in exchange for draft picks, but Atlanta is tanking and likely wouldn’t send out a first-rounder just to get rid of Schroder. New Orleans could make the most sense for the point guard.<doc-sep>

John Amis/Associated Press The New Orleans Pelicans reportedly have interest in Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder, according to Fletcher Mackel of WDSU: Schroder, 24, averaged 19.4 points, 6.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game last season, shooting 43.6 percent from the field but just 29.0 percent from three. The Pelicans, who lost Rajon Rondo to the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, did sign Elfrid Payton this offseason. But Payton, who will be on his third team in six years, is a downgrade from Rondo. Schroder, meanwhile, would be an upgrade over Payton at point guard. It's less clear how much the Pelicans might be willing to give up for Schroder in a trade, especially considering his pending legal issues. Schroder could be facing felony aggravated battery charges following an alleged September fight in the parking lot of a shopping center, according to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Per that report, "Police said that a video recording of the incident showed Schroder 'initiate contact' with the victim and that all four arrested individuals later struck the victim with their hands and feet." Schroder was arrested and initially charged with a misdemeanor in the incident, but DeKalb Assistant Solicitor-General Tommy McNulty recommended more severe charges. Video Play Button Videos you might like "The victim's medical records ... indicate that the victim suffered a torn meniscus and a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)," McNulty wrote in a letter to DeKalb District Attorney Sherry Boston, per Cunningham. "These injuries require multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation. As such, this case should be handled by the District Attorney's Office." Schroder is facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

CHENNAI: The stalemate over the release of Tamil superstar Rajinikanth 's “Kaala” in Karnataka continued on Tuesday, with the Karnataka high court asking the film's producer to approach the state government for protection to release the film.A single judge of the high court, before whom the petition moved by producer K Dhanush and his wife Aishwarya Dhanush came up for hearing, observed that the court could not force anyone to screen “Kaala.”The petition had sought the court's intervention to help release the film in Karnataka and police protection for theatres screening it.The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) had earlier banned the release of the movie in that state.The court directed the producer to approach the state government for protection for theatres and for fans of the superstar. "The producer expects a dent in revenue to the tune of Rs 20 crore if the film is not screened in Karnataka, along with its worldwide release on Thursday, June 7," an industry source told TOI.<doc-sep>Rajinikanth’s Kaala will hit the screens on June 7. Rajinikanth’s Kaala will hit the screens on June 7. As Rajinikanth’s film Kaala is facing an imminent ban in Karnataka, the Superstar has confidently stated that the film will not have issues in the state. He further took on allegations of people opting to not screen the movie by saying that the audience definitely wants to see it. “I don’t think Kaala will face any issues in Karnataka. Not just Tamil people in Karnataka, but people who speak other languages also wish to watch the movie. I believe Karnataka government will provide adequate protection to the theatres and audience,” he said meeting the press on Monday in Chennai. Earlier the vice president of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce had stated that they aren’t against the release of Kaala. “When distributors are not ready to bring Kaala to Karnataka and exhibitors are not ready to screen it here what can we do. We held a meeting with distributors and exhibitors asking them to screen Kaala. But they refused, fearing a backlash from pro-Kannada groups. We even tried to convince pro-Kannada activists in vain,” said Umesh Banakar. But now, actor-producer Dhanush who is bankrolling Kaala has sought the courts to intervene and resolve the situation. Dhanush has filed a writ seeking the court to direct the state and the film chamber to allow the smooth release of the film. The plea also sought security for movie-goers, directors, producers and the cast of Kaala at theatres in Karnataka. While Prakash Raj has spoken in favour of the film, Kamal Haasan has received flak for not actively speaking up for Kaala’s release. Kamal who met Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday said that they did not discuss the controversy around Kaala at all. “Not a word was spoken about that. There are film chambers and business community who will take care of it (Kaala issue). And we (Kumaraswamy and Kamal) will see that good relationship exists between both the states. This is more important than movies if you ask me.” Notably, Rajini had backed Kamal when his film Vishwaroopam faced a ban in Tamil Nadu due to protesting Muslim groups. Helmed by Pa Ranjith, Kaala will hit the screens on June 7.<doc-sep>It was a typical day to mark the release of a Rajinikanth film. Rajinikanth fans across the country thronged to theatres that were playing his latest blockbuster Kaala. Barring Karnataka where the movie has not been released due to the Cauvery issue and the actor's statements, other places witnessed what many call organised mayhem. Fans waited all night getting ready to watch the first day first show, which began with them doing the milk ceremony for the poster. See the pictures below Earlier, in some respite for the movie, the Tamil Nadu government granted permission for all the theatres screening Kaala to conduct a special show from June 7 to June 10. The movie releasing in over 500 screens in Tamil Nadu has witnessed lacklustre response for the ticket bookings. If one goes by online ticket bookings trend, people can still find tickets available for the weekends, which is unusual for a Rajini movie. Despite the missing hype around the superstar movie, Rajinikanth's fans are prepared for the release of his movie after two years by erecting cut outs and banners beside decorating the theatres with festoons. The opening show of the Kaala begins as early as 4 am in some of the theatres in the city outskirts with full attendance. "I have not done any mistake. Please do not disturb those who want to watch the movie. I request your cooperation," he said in Kannada outside his Poes Garden residence. The 67-year-old actor expressed surprise over the stand of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce which is siding with the fringe groups seeking ban on his movie. The chamber has to ensure protection of interests of film producers and distributors, he noted. “I want to tell those who are protesting against the release of the movie that I had asked Karnataka to abide by the Cauvery Management Board, which is a Supreme Court ruling. I don't know what is wrong in it,” he said. "I also told dams must be administered by the board," he said, adding the efforts to stall the release of the movie "do not seem right". On Tuesday, Karnataka High Court has directed the state government to provide necessary security for peaceful release of Kaala which pro-Kannada groups threatened to stall over the actor’s remarks on Cauvery issue. Chief minister Kumaraswamy had requested the distributor of Kaala not to release it in "this kind of atmosphere," but said his government would follow the high court order on the issue. Meanwhile, the Madras High Court also gave a go ahead and refused to stall the release of Kaala on the allegation that it portrays the family of Mumbai don Thiraviyam Nadar in a bad light. The petitioner J Muthuramesh said that Thiraviyam Nadar moved to Mumbai in 1956 and helped many Tamils who migrated to that city. Claiming that Thiraviyam Nadar was at one point respected as a leader of a section of Tamils settled in Mumbai including in the slums of Dharavi, the petitioner said the director of the movie Pa Ranjith had made the film based on the life of Thiraviyam and portrayed him and his family in bad light. He sought the court's interference to stall the movie’s release.<doc-sep>

Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Tuesday shifted the responsibility of releasing Tamil actor Rajinikanth’s latest movie, Kaala, on its makers and distributors, asking them not to release the movie in Karnataka, considering the sensitive situation. His statements came even after the Karnataka high court asked the state government to provide security to theatres screening the film. The court heard the case after pro-Kannada groups demanded that the movie not be released in the state over remarks by Rajinikanth about the contentious Cauvery river water sharing issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Stating that it was the government’s duty to follow the court orders to provide security to centres screening the film, Kumaraswamy said, “in my personal opinion as a Kannadiga, in such situation where there is opposition, it is ideal if they will not release the movie." Kumaraswamy, who hails from the movie industry himself, said that there were many instances of Kannada movies being discriminated in the neighbouring state. “As a government we will take all necessary measures, but if some organisations protest and because of this people don’t turn up, under such circumstances and when they don’t allow our movies to be released, I feel they should not release the movie," Kumaraswamy said. The hardened stance of the chief minister comes a day after he met with veteran Tamil actor, Kamal Haasan, who offered to help bridge any differences between the two southern states, including in the Cauvery river water issue. The Cauvery river water issue, that has for generations defined relations between the two states, has taken another turn with the formation of the contentious Cauvery Management Authority (CMA), a body set up to implement the tribunal’s 2007 order on water sharing. This move has been vehemently opposed by Karnataka, one of the two main stakeholders in the dispute. Kumaraswamy said that the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) has asked the government not to give permission for the release of the Tamil film. “If they forcefully release the movie they will have to face the consequences. I am not saying this as a chief minister. However, personally, speaking as a Kannadiga, I will say that considering the situation in the state, the makers should themselves not release the movie," he said. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

Advertisement State of emergency declared for Maryland flooding Sunday's flooding worse than 2016 flood in Ellicott City, officials say Share Shares Copy Link Copy Heavy rain flooded many parts of Maryland Sunday, especially Ellicott City, washing away cars and leaving behind extensive damage, prompting Gov. Larry Hogan to declare a state of emergency for all of Maryland.Weather Alerts | Radar | More Weather | PHOTOS from Ellicott CityEllicott City again was flooded throughout Main Street and the surrounding area due to slow-moving storms.Howard County Police Chief Gary Gardner said officials responded to 1,100 calls for help in a six-hour period.Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman said Sunday's flooding was worse than the flooding in 2016. "There's no question that the damage done is worse than it was in 2016," Kittleman said. "I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say this is worse than 2016. I can tell you my heart is broken thinking about what people are going through here, and the people's lives who were devastated two years ago and they rebuilt, and now they're faced with the same daunting task again. "The governor issued the state of emergency Sunday night. "I would say it's as bad or worse than the storms two years ago. They say this is a once every 1,000-year flood, and we've had two of them in two years," Hogan said.Ellicott City was heavily flooded two years ago, leaving two people dead. Kittleman said officials were not aware of any fatalities related to Sunday's flooding. Police said a National Guardsman, Eddison Hermond, was reported missing overnight.Howard County Fire and EMS tweeted at the height of the storm that the water was above the first floor of some buildings.Mark Hemmis, owner of the Phoenix Emporium restaurant, said he and his staff moved everyone upstairs. "Since the water hit the front door, we took all the customers to the second floor and then the water came through behind us and kind of cut us off," Hemmis said.When asked to compare Sunday's flood to the flooding in 2016, Hemmis said, "I'd imagine this is worse. "SHELTER/PUBLIC ASSISTANCEThe Roger Carter Community Center, St. Peter's and St. Paul churches were open as shelters for people in need. Members of the public who have questions are asked to call the county's call center at 410-313-2900.Link: Flood-related information and recovery effortsAnyone in need of mental health services, or who needs to talk to someone, can call the Grassroots Hotline at 410-531-6677.VEHICLES TOWEDHoward County police was towing vehicles from Main Street Monday. The county did not immediately have information as to where the cars were being towed to, but that information was expected soon.HOW MUCH RAIN FELL?As of 8:15 p.m. Sunday, radar showed the bulk of the storm moving out of the Baltimore area. That's hours after the rain first started falling.WBAL-TV 11 Weather meteorologist Tony Pann said radar was estimating as much as 9 inches of rain since the storm started Sunday afternoon.The National Weather Service reported unofficial rain totals from trained weather spotters as follows:Baltimore CountyCatonsville - 9.71 inches 6:10 p.m. 5/27 Trained SpotterCatonsville - 4.60 inches 6:20 p.m. 5/27 Trained SpotterBentley Springs - 1.96 inches 3:02 p.m. 5/27 Trained SpotterHoward CountyEllicott City - 7.92 inches 7:11 p.m. 5/27 Trained SpotterEllicott City - 7.48 inches 6:40 p.m. 5/27 Broadcast MediaColumbia - 1.70 inches 4:45 p.m. 5/27 Trained SpotterMore than 6 inches of rain fell over two to three hours in July 2016. Coming back from that flood was hard. Some business owners said, after this flood, there's no coming back. "At the end of May, this is when we opened our door a year ago after the (2016) flood. And now, we're out. Thirty-nine years of business, and we're done. We can't afford to (come back), we took everything the last time, all of our savings and everything to rebuild," said Sherry Fackler-Berkowitz, owner of the Great Panes art glass studio.Hogan said he has directed the Maryland Emergency Management Agency and other state agencies to assist Howard County and Ellicott City to recover. "Our hearts and our thoughts are with the people of Ellicott City. They are strong. They came back last time. The state is here; we've already declared a state of emergency," Hogan said.DONATIONS/HOW TO HELPAs of Monday, the Howard County government is asking people to refrain from dropping off unsolicited donations. Anyone who would like to make a monetary donation can visit the Community Foundation of Howard County website for information.DO NOT GO DOWNTOWNKittleman urged people to avoid going to downtown Ellicott City. "Don't come to Main Street. Don't come down to see how things are looking. It's devastating. It's heartbreaking. And people's lives are devastated. Please don't come down and try to see what's happening. It's dangerous," Kittleman said.There was no water service or electricity in the downtown business district Sunday night.Kittleman said his current focus is helping residents, and he'll talk at a later time about why flood mitigation protections put in place over the last two years appear to have failed. "Ellicott City has been a strong, resilient community. It has demonstrated that over the last two years, we'll continue to demonstrate that. I have complete faith in the people of Ellicott City and Howard County. So I'm confident that we will be stronger again," Kittleman said.Video from 11 News crews and viewers showed swift-moving water. The National Weather Service said a flash flood warning has been issued for the area, calling it an "extremely dangerous situation" and urging motorists not to attempt to navigate flooded roads.Some Baltimore County roads were also flooded. A spokeswoman in Baltimore County said the fire department has received dozens of calls about cars stuck in high water and flooded basements.Baltimore County emergency officials said crews were dispatched to the Gunpowder Falls State Park off Belair Road for a swift-water rescue. Crews from the Kingsville VFC Swiftwater Team and Harford County Technical Rescue Team rescued three people. EMS were evaluating the victims, but they had no obvious injuries. "I am witnessing firsthand the effort of our first responders tonight. They continue put themselves at risk to preserve our safety. All I can say is thank you," Baltimore County Executive Don Mohler said.In southwest Baltimore, an estimated 100 homes around the Frederick Avenue corridor were impacted by flooding, according to the American Red Cross. The Red Cross said many of the homes sustained damage from flooding on the lowest levels of the homes, and in some cases, the water rose to the ceiling. A command post has been set up at the fellowship hall of the Still Meadow Evangelical Free Church to assist with feedings to those impacted by the flooding. BGE is also at the scene to assist homeowners whose furnaces and water heaters sustained damage. The Baltimore City Department of Transportation reported that Frederick Avenue is closed between North Bend Road and South Beechfield Avenue. Repair work may take several weeks or longer to complete in order to safely restore the roadway, the DOT said.Transportation officials said that anyone whose vehicle was towed should look on a side street or at the DOT's Pulaski lot. First check transportation.baltimorecity.gov before going. If it's not in the system, call 311.Citizens who use the MTA along Frederick Avenue should be aware that bus route diversions are also in effect along the CityLink Purple line.Frederick Avenue Detour Routes:Eastbound – Eastbound Frederick Avenue traffic will be detoured left on North Bend Road, right on Edmondson Avenue, right on Edmondson Avenue where it merges with Route 40, right on Athol Avenue,and left back to Frederick Avenue.Westbound – Westbound Frederick Avenue traffic will be detoured right on Athol Avenue, left on Edmondson Avenue, left on Edmondson as it splits from Route 40, left on North Bend Road, and right back onto Frederick Avenue.Refresh wbaltv.com and our app, and watch 11 News for urgent updates.<doc-sep>“You’ve got no right to take my property, or ruin it, and then say, ‘Oh, too bad, you can move your business up to the second floor,’ ” said Sally Tennant, who owns an eclectic shop called Discoveries and has been on Main Street for nearly four decades. She is among those who blame development upstream for the predicament.<doc-sep>

At a Glance A National Guardsman who went missing amid flooding in Ellicott City, Maryland, has been found dead. Flooding submerged parts of Maryland Sunday, prompting water rescues and shutting down roads. Main Street in Ellicott City saw extreme flooding for the second time in two years. A man attempting to save lives during extreme flooding in Ellicott City, Maryland, was found dead on Tuesday as the community cleans up the damage left behind by a second devastating flood in two years. The victim was identified as Eddison Hermond, 39, a member of the Army National Guard who was working to rescue people from the flood when he was swept away. His death was confirmed by the Howard County Police Department shortly after they announced via Twitter that a body had been recovered. (MORE: Alberto Strikes the Gulf Coast) "To have died helping somebody else is incredible. And I can't even imagine the loss his family is suffering," Nicholas Johnson, who owns a store nearby the spot where Hermond vanished, told Associated Press. On Tuesday, authorities issued a "precautionary health alert" after it was discovered early Monday that a broken sewer main spilled as many as 500,000 gallons of raw sewage about 2 miles from downtown Ellicott City, AP reported. The overflow had stopped by Tuesday, but residents were warned to avoid the area, the report added. Multiple water rescues were reported in Howard County, where Ellicott City is the county seat, according to NBC Washington. By Monday morning, the water had receded and residents surveyed the damage to their homes and businesses. Advertisement "I'm still a little numb," business owner Dave Carney told The Weather Channel during a Monday morning interview, fighting through tears. Much of the city had just finished rebuilding from 2016's catastrophic flooding that killed two people and submerged entire roads. On Sunday, water levels peaked even higher than two years ago. "If you look at the devastation and the damage, I would certainly say it's worse than 2016," Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman told the AP. "We've had areas that were not even damaged at all two years ago terribly damaged this time." Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency for Ellicott City Sunday evening via Twitter. "They say this is a once-every-1,000-year flood and we've had two of them in two years," Hogan said while surveying the damage. The floods came just two weeks after Hogan announced the county and state had been awarded $1 million in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be used for reducing flood risk in Ellicott City, according to AP.

OTTAWA — A Canadian court on Thursday froze plans to expand an oil pipeline that the government is about to purchase, ruling that the government’s National Energy Board had not adequately consulted with Indigenous people along the pipeline’s route or assessed the project’s potential effects on the waters off British Columbia. While the practical effect of the decision may be a comparatively short construction delay, the ruling added fuel to an already incendiary debate over the Trans Mountain pipeline that links Alberta’s oil sands to an oil tanker port near Vancouver, British Columbia. The pipeline also branches off to refineries in Washington State. After the pipeline’s owner, Kinder Morgan of Houston, abandoned its plans to add a second pipeline along the existing Trans Mountain route in April, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government stepped in to buy the 715-mile pipeline for 4.5 billion Canadian dollars, or about $3.4 billion. The sale is expected to be completed soon, possibly this week. Environmentalists and some Indigenous groups immediately called the ruling a major victory, and some of them urged Mr. Trudeau’s government to give up on plans for the expansion, which has drawn widespread protests driven by environmental concerns.<doc-sep>WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - A Canadian court on Thursday overturned approval of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion, ruling that Ottawa failed to adequately consider aboriginal concerns, in a blow to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s efforts to balance environmental and economic issues. FILE PHOTO: A workman walks past steel pipe to be used in the oil pipeline construction of Kinder Morgan Canada's Trans Mountain Expansion Project at a stockpile site in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada May 29, 2018. REUTERS/Dennis Owen/File Photo Trudeau’s government agreed in May to buy the pipeline from Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd for C$4.5 billion ($3.46 billion), betting it would win the court battle and expand Trans Mountain despite fierce political and environmental opposition. The decision also hurts Canada’s oil producers, who say the expanded pipeline is needed to address bottlenecks that have sharply reduced prices for their crude. Shares fell on the decision. The Federal Court of Appeal ruled that the National Energy Board (NEB) regulator wrongly narrowed its review of the project to exclude related tanker traffic. Additionally, the federal government failed to adequately consult First Nations, as required by law, it ruled. “The big takeaway is the duty to consult (indigenous people) is still the most important step in any major project,” said Andrew Leach, associate professor of business economics at the University of Alberta. Trudeau has portrayed himself as a friend to aboriginal people and tried to build national support for a carbon emissions reduction plan, even while backing Trans Mountain to support the oil industry. “It’s quite a slap to the government by the court on the grounds of reconciliation with First Nations,” said Kathryn Harrison, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia. “They’ve committed billions of dollars in taxpayers’ funds, doubling down on a project that the courts have just quashed.” Trudeau’s finance minister, Bill Morneau, said the government remains “absolutely committed” to building the project, adding the sale could close as early as Friday. “We know that we must diversify our economy and our markets for resources, and that’s why it was important” to buy the pipeline, Morneau told reporters in Toronto. In a statement, Kinder Morgan Canada President Ian Anderson said the court ruling was not a condition of the pipeline’s sale to Ottawa. He said the project is suspending construction. Kinder Morgan Canada shareholders voted on Thursday to approve the pipeline’s sale to Ottawa. Canada has the option to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court but Morneau said the government had made no decisions and needs time to study the ruling. An appeal to the higher court would drag out the project at least another couple of years, Harrison said. “Thankfully, the court has stepped in where Canada has failed to protect and respect our rights and our water,” Coldwater Indian Band Chief Lee Spahan said in a statement. “Our members will be hugely relieved.” The Trans Mountain expansion would nearly triple capacity on an existing line from Edmonton, Alberta, to a port in the Vancouver area for export. It was approved by the federal government in 2016. The court’s ruling is likely to amplify sentiments expressed by oil producers, such as Suncor Energy Inc, that they would hold off on further major investments in Canada’s oil patch until regulatory challenges abated. Shares of Canadian oil producers fell in Toronto, led lower by heavy oil producers MEG Energy Corp and Athabasca Oil Corp, which are especially hurt by price discounts connected to clogged pipelines. Further delays will harm Canada’s economy by limiting access to global markets, said Al Reid, executive vice-president of oil producer Cenovus Energy Inc. Renewed doubts about Trans Mountain place greater importance for Canada’s oil industry on two other pipeline projects. Enbridge Inc is rebuilding Line 3 from Alberta to a hub in Wisconsin, while TransCanada Corp is considering construction of Keystone XL from Alberta to Nebraska.<doc-sep>

A Canadian court "quashed" approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on Thursday, a major setback for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose government agreed to purchase the controversial project from Kinder Morgan for $4.5 billion Canadian dollars (U.S. $3.5 billion) in May. It's a stunning victory for Indigenous groups and environmentalists opposed to the project, which is designed to nearly triple the amount of tar sands transported from Alberta to the coast of British Columbia. The Federal Court of Appeal ruled that the National Energy Board's review—as explained by the Canadian Press—"was so flawed that the federal government could not rely on it as a basis for its decision to approve the expansion." The project has been at the center of widespread protests from environmental groups and First Nations ever since November 2016, when Trudeau approved a $7.4 billion expansion of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline that would increase the transport of Alberta tar sands oil from the current 300,000 barrels per day to 890,000 barrels per day and increase tanker traffic nearly seven-fold through the Burrard Inlet. Specifically, the court said it was an "unjustifiable failure" that the National Energy Board did not consider the environmental impacts of the increased tanker traffic. The court additionally concluded that the government "fell well short" with properly consulting with the Indigenous groups involved in the case, including the Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish on British Columbia's south coast. The ruling will force the National Energy Board to redo its review of the pipeline and the government to restart consultations with the Indigenous groups. It also means that the construction that has already began in central Alberta must cease. In effect, the court has halted the 1,150-kilometer project indefinitely and it will remain in "legal limbo until the energy regulator and the government reassess their approvals to satisfy the court's demands," CBC wrote about today's decision. Notably, the decision was made the same day Kinder Morgan's shareholders voted to approve the $4.5 billion sale to Canada, which means the country owns a proposed pipeline project that could be subject to years of further review, the publication pointed out. The court's judgment could be appealed a final time to the Supreme Court of Canada. The Minister of Finance Bill Morneau said that the government has received the ruling and will review the decision.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Minnesotans will be dealing with extremely-cold air next week for this time of year –- and even for this part of the world. Light snow will fall in parts of Minnesota Saturday, but then a whole lot more is in store for us come Sunday. RELATED: Time To Layer Up: Sub-Zero Temps Bring Frostbite Risk Potentially historic cold will arrive Tuesday through Thursday with highs 10 to 20 below and lows ranging from 25 to 30 below. Check out these dangerous wind chills Wednesday morning… pic.twitter.com/AXjfcx7OhW — NWS Twin Cities (@NWSTwinCities) January 27, 2019 A big storm is developing along the southern coast of Alaska and the northwest coast of Canada, which will move along a very fast jet stream flow. That will tap into some of the energy and temperature contrasts between the cold stuff locked in place in Minnesota, and the milder temperatures south, which will generate quite a bit of snow Sunday. Temperatures will be in the teens Saturday in southern Minnesota, but the northern part of the state will remain below zero for yet another day. The lows Saturday night in northern Minnesota will range between minus-20 and minus-32 degrees. Central and southern Minnesota will see lows in the minus-teens to low minus-20s. This is when we expect the snow to arrive across the region tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/NjjAvyCK5z — NWS Twin Cities (@NWSTwinCities) January 27, 2019 By 10 a.m. Sunday, that storm system will push into the state, with the Twin Cities seeing the first burst of snow by mid-afternoon –- and it will keep snowing until early Monday morning. The snowfall rate will be 1 to 2 inches per hour between 8 p.m. Sunday and 2 a.m. Monday. The storm system will be out of the state by 7 a.m., making for a slippery morning commute. Central Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, will see the most accumulation, with anywhere between 6 to 10 inches of snow. Northern and southwestern Minnesota could get about 2 to 4 inches. As the snow moves out, incredibly cold temperatures follow. In fact, temps between Tuesday and Thursday will be the coldest we’ve seen since January of 2014. Wind chills will range between minus-30 and minus-60 degrees, the latter in northern Minnesota.<doc-sep>Weather Winter Storm Watch Issued In Twin Cities Metro The winter storm could bring up to 9 inches of snow, with wind chills falling to 20 degrees below zero. Reply TWIN CITIES, MN — The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for much of central Minnesota, including all of the Twin Cities metro area. "Accumulating snow is expected between Sunday afternoon and Monday afternoon," says NWS. "Total accumulations of 5 to 9 inches appear possible with locally higher totals." The heaviest snow will fall south of Interstate 94. Expect blowing snow and wind gusts as high as 35 mph. Be prepared for wind chills as low as 20 below zero that could cause frostbite in 30 minutes. Drunk Driver Knocks Out Power, Gets Frostbite: Sheriff Here are all of the counties included in the winter storm watch: Benton, Sherburne, Isanti, Chisago, Wright, Hennepin, Anoka-Ramsey, Washington, McLeod, Sibley, Carver, Scott, Dakota, Nicollet, Le Sueur, Rice, Goodhue, Blue Earth, Waseca, Steele, Faribault, and Freeborn. Here are the chances for 4 inches and 8 inches late Sun-Mon. You can see the area most at risk for heavy snowfall is just south of I-94. #mnwx #wiwx pic.twitter.com/z9wOo5PpUZ — NWS Twin Cities (@NWSTwinCities) January 25, 2019 Here's the NWS forecast for the Twin Cities metro area: Sunday: Snow likely after noon. Increasing clouds, with a high near 7. Wind chill values as low as -19. North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east southeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. Sunday Night: Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 2. Wind chill values as low as -12. East southeast wind 10 to 15 mph becoming north northeast after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible. Monday: A 40 percent chance of snow before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 10. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.<doc-sep>As Punxsutawney Phil prepares to come out of his burrow and determine the fate of winter, residents in the Midwest have been dealt harsh weather blows, forcing the cancellations of flights and reaching possibly historic records. For the Chicago area and parts of Minnesota, snowfall was expected to peter off on Monday. However, the decrease in temperature prompted the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue windchill advisories and warn residents about the potential dangers of going outside without proper protection. Chicago Windchill, Snowfall Totals On Monday morning, the NWS forecasted that the snow would change to freezing drizzle before ending completely. Wind chills as low as 55 degrees below zero were possible, prompting a windchill watch. A windchill watch signifies the potential for a combination of cold air and wind to create "dangerously low wind chill values." The watch was issued for Tuesday evening through Thursday morning and included the following cities: Dixon DeKalb Aurora Elgin Wheaton Chicago Ottawa Oswego Morris Joliet Gary Valparaiso Although snow is bstarting to taper off, an overnight dump left several inches of snow in areas of Chicago. Herscher received the least amount of snow, according to WMAQ, with just half an inch, and Waukegan received the most, with 7.3 inches. O'Hare International Airport received 3.1 inches, according to WMAQ, and the airport posted on Twitter that nearly 600 flights were canceled. Other airlines reported delays averaging an hour. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Chicago. Airlines at O'Hare have canceled nearly 600 flights and are reporting delays avg 60 min . Please check flight status with carrier. — O'Hare Intl. Airport (@fly2ohare) January 28, 2019 Windchill, Snowfall Totals for Minneapolis On Monday morning, light and blowing snow was expected to diminish, according to the NWS in Minneapolis to diminish. However, the end of a winter storm warning was replaced with a windchill advisory, which was scheduled to go into effect on Tuesday morning. From Monday night into Tuesday morning, windchills were expected to fall between 25 degrees below zero and 35 degrees below zero. On Tuesday morning through Thursday morning, parts of western and central Minnesota could experience dangerous windchills as low as 65 degrees below zero. In east central Minnesota and west central Minnesota, windchills could fall as low as 55 degrees below zero. "The dangerously cold windchills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as five minutes," the NWS said. Ahead of the impending weather, the NWS issued windchill advisories from 3 a.m. CST until 3 p.m. CST on Tuesday and then again from 3 p.m. CST until 9 a.m. CST on Thursday. Target counties were identified as Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Goodhue, Hennepin, Ramsey, Rice, Scott and Washington. Windchill advisories were also issued for several other areas, scheduled to begin at midnight on Monday and lasting until 9 a.m. CST on Tuesday and then again from 9 a.m. CST on Tuesday until 9 a.m. CST on Thursday. The areas included in the advisories were: Martin County, Blue Earth, Faribault, Freeborn, Le Sueur, McLeod, Nicollet, Sibley, Steele, Waseca, Brown, Redwood, Renville, Watonwan, Lac Qui Parle, Yellow Medicine, Isanti, Kanabec, Meeker, Sherburne, Wright. Other windchill advisories: Jackson, Nobles, Rock, Cottonwood, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Pipestone : 6 p.m. CST Monday until 6 a.m. CST Tuesday, 6 a.m. CST Tuesday to 9 a.m. CST Thursday : 6 p.m. CST Monday until 6 a.m. CST Tuesday, 6 a.m. CST Tuesday to 9 a.m. CST Thursday Chippewa, Swift, Benton, Douglas, Kandiyohi, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pope, Stearns, Stevens, Todd : 9 p.m. CST Monday until 6 a.m. CST Tuesday, 6 a.m. CST Tuesday until 12 p.m. CST Thursday : 9 p.m. CST Monday until 6 a.m. CST Tuesday, 6 a.m. CST Tuesday until 12 p.m. CST Thursday Fillmore, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, Winona: 6:00 p.m. CST Monday until 12 p.m. CST Tuesday, 12 p.m. CST Tuesday until 12 p.m. CST Thursday The NWS described the weather between Tuesday and Thursday morning as a "historic cold" and explained that frostbite and hypothermia could occur if people didn't take precautions. "Record-low temperatures are possible in the Twin Cities Wednesday morning and Thursday morning," the NWS said. "The record for Wednesday is 30 below, and the record for Thursday is 27 below." Minneapolis received about four inches of snow overnight Sunday into Monday, according to WCCO, and parts of central Minnesota received as much as six inches.<doc-sep>

The heaviest snow is expected to fall Sunday evening through Monday morning. UPDATE 3:30 P.M. The National Weather Service has upped the snowfall potential for the Twin Cities as a snowstorm move through Minnesota this evening through Monday morning. "Snowfall amounts in the warning area can be expected to range from 6 to 12 inches," the winter storm warning update says. For the Twin Cities metro area, 8-12 inches is forecast, which is up from the earlier Sunday forecast that called for 6-8 inches. NWS Twin Cities "The greatest snow accumulations will stretch from west central Minnesota through the Twin Cities metro to around the Eau Claire area, with lesser amounts towards northern Minnesota, southwestern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin," the updated forecast says. "This system is expected to cause significant travel impacts, especially Sunday night through the Monday morning commute." Here's a look at the simulated future radar, which shows snow impacting the metro between 5-6 p.m. and exiting early Monday morning. Sunday 8 a.m. A winter storm will move through Minnesota today and exit Monday morning with snow totals ranging from 6-12 inches all the way from Fargo through St. Cloud, the Twin Cities and points southeast. NWS Twin Cities The highest totals are currently projected to pile up just to the southeast of the metro where locations like Red Wing, Rochester and Winona could see 8-12 inches. The majority of the Twin Cities is in line for 6-8 inches, although cities in the far southern metro east of 35W fall into the 8- to- 12-inch zone. NWS Twin Cities Northwest winds 15-25 mph and gusts up to 35 mph will cause significant blowing and drifting in western and southern Minnesota. The morning commute on Monday will likely be difficult, especially so if the snow continues through the early morning hours as the current computer models are suggesting. Here's the official forecast language for the winter storm and the extreme cold set to follow the snow. "Accumulating snow will occur across all of central and southern Minnesota into western Wisconsin Sunday afternoon through early Monday morning. The greatest snow accumulations will stretch from west central Minnesota through the Twin Cities metro to around the Eau Claire area, with lesser amounts towards northern Minnesota, southwestern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. This system is expected to cause significant travel impacts, especially Sunday night through the Monday morning commute. Snowfall amounts in the warning area can be expected to range from 6 to 8 inches. Snowfall amounts in the advisory area can be expected to range from 3 to 6 inches. Dangerous wind chills of 60 below zero to 35 below zero are expected Tuesday morning through Thursday morning in western and central Minnesota. Wind chills of 35 below zero and lower are expected Tuesday afternoon through Thursday morning in east central MN and west central Minnesota."

For once, I find myself writing my opening preamble with relative happiness following the events of last night’s episode of SmackDown Live. There have been interesting developments across the board, most surprisingly with the story between Aiden English, Rusev and Lana with English threatening to disclose information about “that night in Milwaukee”. Welcome to the most must-see Vulture Hound weekly review in history; welcome to… The SmackDown Review. Results: – Miz defeated R-Truth to reclaim Miz TV (all will be explained). – Sheamus beat Big E in singles action. – The team of Asuka and Naomi won a tag match against Many Rose and Sonya Deville. – Tye Dillinger beat Shinsuke Nakamura via DQ from Randy Orton. – Becky Lynch made Lana tap out to the Dis-arm-her. It’s a YES from me: The show was set to open with yet another thrilling instalment of MizTV, yet it wasn’t Miz on presenting duty. As a recently new mix-match duo R-Truth and, a now babyface Carmella, took the reigns in Miz’s place. The pair welcomed out Daniel Bryan to talk about his upcoming Super Show-Down matchup against Miz for a chance to fight for the WWE Championship. Miz eventually came out and asked what R-Truth was doing. Entertaining us, right? R-Truth declared because he beat Miz previously, he would have taken a title opportunity if Miz was a champion, but as he’s not, he took his show instead. Miz talked down Bryan before R-Truth interrupted him and challenged him to a match for the rights to the show. This was then made official by the general manager, Paige. The Miz was able to show a more ruthless side to himself, defeating R-Truth with Bryan’s finisher, the running knee, to retain the rights to MizTV. Rusev called out Aiden English after he was attacked last week. English recapped the rise of Rusev Day and blamed the team’s demise solely on Lana. Making things that little bit more interesting, he then asked Lana if she’d tell Rusev about the “one night in Milwaukee.” As stunned as the rest of us, Rusev claimed to not believe his former partner’s words alluding to the possible infidelity of his wife. In a later interview, English said he’ll show video evidence of what happened in Milwaukee next week. Tye Dillinger was punching away at Shinsuke Nakamura in the corner of the ring when Randy Orton pulled him down and attacked him. Orton hit the DDT off the apron onto the outside which was followed up by Nakamura hitting the Kinshasa on the helpless Dillinger. They say the best wrestling personas are an exaggerated version of one’s actual personality. So when Orton revealed he attacked Dillinger because he’s pissed off with the “perfect 10 crap”, I actually believed him. After years of being thrust into feuds he seemingly has no interest in, it finally appears as though WWE has found the right character balance for The Viper. The closing segment of the show featured AJ Styles in the ring signing his contract for Super Show-Down against Samoa Joe. Yet, the challenger was nowhere to been seen and appeared by video link at Styles’ house. The mind games continue, with Joe clearly pressing Styles buttons in more ways than one, the show went off the air just as the Samoan submission machine rang the doorbell to Style’s house. Ah hell no: The first match of the night was a solid bout between Sheamus and Big E which the former won with a Brogue Kick. It was straight to the point from Sheamus and Cesaro as they put the New Day in their place, stating they’re here to win matches and not just dance around and make jokes. It would be nice to see this feud gain a little more traction in the coming weeks though. A story with nothing to it saw Asuka and Naomi defeat Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose with the IIconics sat in on commentary. To be frank, it was a poor choice of match that simply acted as a buffer between the bigger stories. A video played from earlier in the day showing Becky Lynch attacking Charlotte Flair during a photoshoot and demanding the photographer to take her picture above Charlotte. While this did well to increase Becky’s status as the top heel, it doesn’t reflect how the fans feel about the underdog finally getting the break she deserved. This was followed by Lynch easily defeating Lana via submission later in the show. I guess we’ll wait and see how this one plays out further into her reign as SmackDown Women’s Champion. Share this: Twitter Facebook Pinterest Tumblr<doc-sep>What is WWE thinking? Seriously, what was the WWE thinking when they came up with one night in Milwaukee storyline that aired on SmackDown. While it's not exactly known what takes place on the tape, the part that Aiden English played seemed to show Lana coming to Aiden English's hotel room to tell him something. The tape than cut off, and Aiden English claimed he was saving it for the highest bidder to have. He even mentioned selling the rest of the tape to TMZ, which is a neat little call back to Lana leaking her and Rusev's engagement to TMZ a couple of years ago. It's also one of the worst segments WWE could think of, and is already looking like a no win situation. With that being said, and WWE seemingly content with continuing on with the one night in Milwaukee storyline, here are the 5 people that are going to come out looking the worst when all is said and done. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and tell us if you think WWE should go on with the storyline, or abandon it. #6 The SmackDown Live Women's Division What will this storyline do to the SmackDown Live Women's Division? If nothing else, this one night in Milwaukee storyline completely demeans the role of women on the SmackDown Live roster, and the overall women's revolution. Beyond that, WWE has painted Lana as being sexually promiscuous multiple times, which could mean they don't know what else to do with her. With that in mind, the women's division deserves better than a storyline like this, especially during the women's revolution. Not only does this demean women and the strides they have made in the last couple of years, it further hurts a female superstar that has already had that done in a storyline multiple times! #5 SmackDown Live What will this storyline do to SmackDown Live? Both Raw and SmackDown Live have both been having ratings trouble over the course of the last few weeks, and its hard to imagine a storyline like this helping anything. In fact, with Aiden English only releasing the tape bit by bit, and only doing it out of revenge, it's probably going to be a storyline that fans don't like Unfortunately for the WWE, that means fans are going to start tuning out more than ever, which is going to have a drastic effect on the mid card. In all honesty, Rusev Day was one of the last mid-card feuds the WWE Universe took seriously, and now it be anymore, due to what the company has done. In the end, the ratings are only going to dip further with a stunt like this, and they are going to have to end up abandoning it. Either that, or risk further damaging three mid-card stars with one of the worst storylines in the last decade or so. Rusev, Lana, and Aiden deserve better than this, and so does the WWE Universe. 1 / 5 NEXT<doc-sep>WWE has shared the following on Twitter teasing an Aiden English ‘One Night In Milwaukee’ segment, as well as a Becky Lynch Super Show-Down surprise, for tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live: The ‘One Night In Milwaukee’ segment will obviously be a continuation of Aiden’s tease from last week that something salacious happened with Lana in Milwaukee. Becky’s surprise could be… anything. The Lass Kicker has been on a wild tear as of late and is more on fire than ever. Lynch defends her WWE SmackDown Women’s Title this Saturday at WWE’s Super Show-Down against her friend, turned enemy, Charlotte Flair. One would think that whatever “surprise” she has in mind will be something to get under Flair’s skin.<doc-sep>Rusev Day is no more. Love it or hate it, that has something to do with something concerning Aiden English, Lana and Milwaukee. English didn’t say what went down with Lana in Wisconsin’s largest city, just that he would show Rusev - and all of us at home - video proof on SmackDown tonight (Oct. 2). The implication seemed clear, but it could be misdirection on the Artiste’s part or an attempt at a comedic swerve by WWE. Even if it does have something to do with the Ravishing Russian being unfaithful to Rusev, we don’t know if Aiden was involved or just got his hands on a tape. Sorry - I’m trying to be impartial, but I really don’t like this angle. So let’s get to the most (possibly only) fun part... Rusev being passive aggressively obsessed with Brew Town while promoting Mixed Match Challenge! Will the Lion of Bulgaria get the answers he needs so he can focus on Ravishing Rusev Day’s match against Day One Glow on Facebook tonight?<doc-sep>

Aiden English finally revealed his video evidence of what happened in Milwaukee on the latest episode of SmackDown Live. The video titled "One Night in Milwaukee" shown by English takes place in a trailer where Aiden is practicing a song for the crowd when Lana knocks on his door. He lets her in and she says that she needs to talk to him about something she's been wanting to say for awhile. The video ends with Lana saying "Aiden, I want you" before it's paused. English says that there is more to the tape but he's going to sell it to TMZ and doesn't want to "cheat on them." Lana tries to tell Rusev that it's not what it looks like before the Bulgarian Brute runs after English. Take a look at the "One Night in Milwaukee" video below. The rift between Rusev and English began in the weeks leading up to this year's SummerSlam. In an attempt to help Rusev and Lana, Aiden would inadvertently cause loses including title matches. After SummerSlam, Aiden was seemingly kicked out of Rusev Day where Lana and her husband didn't see a change in their fortuned. It wasn't until English came out to help them win a match on SmackDown Live that Rusev and Lana welcomed him back. However, English and Rusev fought The New Day for the tag titles at Hell in a Cell which they lost. Before a match on Smackdown Live, Rusev told English to stay in the back and walked off sparking a verbal tirade from Aiden that Lana would witness. After some coercing, Lana wouldn't tell Rusev what Aiden said so he could focus on his US Championship match against Shinsuke Nakamura. Unfortunately for English, he tried to hard to help and distracted Rusev enough for Nakamura to get the pin. Rusev blamed English again, leading to Aiden pulverizing his former friend with the mic before storming off. So what do you think of the "One Night in Milwaukee" video? Where do you see the feud heading? Let us know in the comments section below.

Read Story Transcript Canada needs to remove its garbage from the Philippines immediately — and pay restitution, an environmental studies professor says. "I would say that at this point the Canadian government should be financially compensating the Philippines government," Myra Hird, who teaches at Queen's University and directs a waste flow research program, told The Current's Anna Maria Tremonti. She says the Philippines have been "storing our waste for us" for years, and deserve compensation. More than 100 containers, labelled as recycling, were shipped to Manila by a Canadian company in 2013 and 2014. Customs inspectors later discovered the containers actually contained garbage, including soiled diapers, food waste and electronic waste. The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, says that if Canada doesn't take back tonnes of trash within the next week, he will "declare war" and ship the containers back himself. (Bullit Marquez/Associated Press) In a video broadcast on Tuesday, the Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte warned Canada to take back the containers within a week, or he'd ship them back himself. At an event in Montreal Wednesday, Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna said Canada is "working very hard to address the issue of the garbage. I think that there is a solution that can be found in the coming weeks." Philippines Ambassador for Canada Petronila Garcia did not respond to The Current's request for comment. Some environmental lawyers have argued the shipment of trash has violated Canada's international obligations. Kathleen Ruff, founder of the human rights and environment public advocacy campaign RightOnCanada, says Canada is in violation of the Basel Convention. "[It] states that the government of a country has the obligation of bringing back waste … when the waste was illegally shipped. There's no question about it that the shipment of this waste was illegal." Ruff cited the convention's definition of illegal waste, which she said includes waste that is "fraudulently or incorrectly represented, as these wastes were." "Canada is in the wrong." Click 'listen' near the top of this page to hear the full conversation. Written by Émilie Quesnel with files from CBC News. Produced by John Chipman, Sarah-Joyce Battersby and Danielle Carr.<doc-sep>President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened Canada with war top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Dozens of shipping containers filled with Canadian household and electronic garbage have reportedly been rotting in the port for up to six years. A total of 103 containers labelled as plastics were sent to the Philippines for recycling in 2013 and 2014, Montreal Gazette reported. However, Filipino customs inspectors noted the containers were actually filled with household waste. President Duterte said: “For Canada’s garbage, I want a boat prepared. “I’ll give a warning to Canada maybe next week that they better pull that thing out or I will set sail. “I will advise Canada that your garbage is on the way. “Prepare a grand reception. Eat it if you want to.” READ MORE: China told to ‘lay off’ Philippines’ islands by Manila Dozens of shipping containers filled with Canadian garbage are dumped near a Manila port A Filipino court has ordered the trash to be returned to Canada in 2016. However, Canada has been trying to get the Philippines to dispose of the waste there. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has previously said it is “theoretically possible” for the country to take the trash back. An inspection reportedly found the containers were filled with plastic bottles and bags, households garbage and adult nappies, BBC News reported. A Filipino court has ordered the trash to be returned to Canada in 2016<doc-sep>Share this Story: Philippines fiasco: Doctored paperwork obscures origin of garbage shipped to Manila Philippines fiasco: Doctored paperwork obscures origin of garbage shipped to Manila Other than being shipped from Vancouver, little is known about where the material really came from. Photo by Aaron Favila / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Article content A mysterious cargo of household garbage from Canada shipped with forged documentation has come to a diplomatic boil after five years on a Manila pier and now threatens to destroy relations with the Philippines. The origins of 103 containers shipped from Vancouver is shrouded in mystery. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Philippines fiasco: Doctored paperwork obscures origin of garbage shipped to Manila Back to video “All the paperwork was doctored,” said Jamie Kaminski, a director of Zero Waste Canada. “It was supposed to have come out of somewhere around Toronto, then I traced it back to somewhere out of B.C.” Zero Waste has been advocating to the provincial and federal government of Canada for the removal of the containers since then-Manila city councillor Numero Lim wrote to the non-profit’s director Buddy Boyd in 2015 complaining that the shipment contained a huge volume of mixed waste, including adult diapers. Four years later, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is fending off a threat of “war” over the putrefying mess by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Other than being shipped out of Vancouver, little is known about where the material actually came from. The containers were supposed to be filled with plastic bound for a sorting and recycling facility. “There are private companies that collect recycling materials in B.C. and ship them overseas. This is not uncommon,” said Dave Lefebvre, a spokesman for Recycle B.C. Plastics collected in Metro Vancouver are processed locally, he said. The containers have been impounded at the Manila International Container Terminal, where they have been declared a biohazard and continue to ooze garbage juice. “It’s a large volume of material, so it’s amazing that they couldn’t trace it back to somewhere,” said Kaminski. “There are only a handful of places in B.C. that can handle that kind of volume and that handle mixed waste.” The containers were sent to the Philippines by a Whitby, Ont.-based company owned by Jim Makris. The company, Chronic Inc., appears to be dormant. An official with the Philippines department of environment and natural resources, Juan Miguel Cuna, was charged with corruption for issuing six importation clearances to Chronic. The shipments by Chronic, which were declared as containing recyclable plastic scraps, totalled about 2,500 tonnes, according to Anthony Ho, a lawyer for the Pacific Centre for Environmental Law and Litigation. “When the Philippines authorities inspected those containers, they were found to contain household garbage,” he said. “We don’t know exactly where in Canada the waste came from, but the fact is that the shipments did originate from Canada and ended up in the Philippines.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Makris pleaded ignorance of the containers’ actual cargo to the Toronto Star, noting that he could have sent the material to landfill in Canada for half the cost of shipping it to Manila. Until 2016, the Canadian government did not have the legal tools to compel a shipper to take back waste, said Ho, who investigated the case on behalf of the human rights organization Right On Canada. “The applicable legislation came into effect in 2016, which now allows the Canadian government to tell shippers to take back waste and illegal traffic, but so far they haven’t taken any concrete steps to ensure these containers are taken back to Canada for proper treatment and disposal.” Chronic would be liable for those costs, he said. “For my client and their allies, the biggest mystery is not so much how it ended up there, but why hasn’t Canada done anything about it?” Ho asked. “How have we left it to rot for five years?” A Global Affairs Canada official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the negotiations with the Philippine government are still underway, told the Canadian Press on Wednesday it is expected that the garbage will be returned to Canada. rshore@postmedia.com Share this article in your social network Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Vancouver Sun Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Vancouver Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of Vancouver Sun Headline News will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Trending<doc-sep>

The Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, has said he is ready to “declare war” against Canada over scores of containers holding Canadian household rubbish and electronic waste that have been sitting in his country’s ports for more than six years. More than 100 containers of waste were shipped in batches from Canada to the Philippines in 2013 and 2014. Most of the containers remain in local ports, sparking protests from environmental activists. Philippine officials say they were falsely declared by a private firm as recyclable plastic scraps and have asked Canada to take the rubbish back. “I will declare war against them. I will advise Canada that your garbage is on the way. Prepare a grand reception. Eat it if you want to,” Duterte said in a televised meeting with local officials late on Tuesday. “Your garbage is coming home.” In a statement on Wednesday, the Canadian embassy in Manila said Canada was “strongly committed to collaborating with the government of the Philippines to resolve this issue.” The embassy also acknowledged a court order stipulating that the Canadian importer of the waste ship it back to the country. The dispute has weighed heavily on the two countries’ relationship. In 2016, a Filipino judge ruled that Canada must take back the 1,300 tonnes of waste, which was brought to the Philippines by an importer and intercepted by the country’s customs bureau. The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has said in the past that he discussed the problem with Duterte. Canadian regulations “prevented us from being able to receive the waste back in Canada”, Trudeau said in 2017. He said those legal barriers have been dealt with “so it is now theoretically possible to get it back”. Lingering issues, however, including the consequences of the commercial transaction, which “did not involve government,” were delaying the resolution of the problem, he added. The Associated Press contributed to this report

While Canadians generally hate the word ‘winter’, it’s not the case with the entire phrase that is ‘Winter is Coming.’ And Winter is indeed on its way, as many eager fans patiently await the Sunday premiere of the two-years-in-the-making-but-who-is-counting Game of Thrones Season 8. For those who don’t want Game of Thrones, or aren’t up to date, this piece may (or may not) contain spoilers. But also. You have less than a week to catch up. Seriously. What else will you talk about on Monday at work? Anyway, as our big day nears, and we welcome winter (and Jon Snow) with very open arms, Google has been keeping tabs of all of Canada’s questions regarding the new season, and all that has passed. So, who will win the Game of Thrones? See also Don’t worry, we don’t have an answer, and neither does Google Canada. But, they do say that it’s the question that has topped the minds of fans across eight spectacular seasons – “who will be left sitting on the Iron Throne at the end?” Google Canada took a look at the search interest in the top five houses still remaining in the running for the throne, and it’s probably not surprising that Canadians are most interested in House Stark, but interestingly, it’s House Lannister that generates the most questions in Canada. And here we thought we were nice. According to Google, here are Canada’s trending questions about Game of Thrones in the past 30 days: When does Game of Thrones premiere? Where is Game of Thrones filmed? Where is the Game of Thrones hidden throne in Tumbler Ridge? How long will Game of Thrones season 8 episodes be? What are the spoilers for Game of Thrones? What are the theories about Game of Thrones? Top-trending characters in Canada in the past 30 days: Joffrey Baratheon Arya Stark Danaerys Targaryen Khal Drogo Shae House Lannister questions Canada asked in the past 12 months: Who killed Joffrey Lannister? Tyrion Lannister quotes What are the Lannister words? What happened to Jaime Lannister’s hand? Lannister family tree Product tie-ins that Canada had questions about in the past 12 months: Game of Thrones Adidas Ultra Boost Game of Thrones scotch whiskey Game of Thrones Urban Decay Game of Thrones Sporcle Game of Thrones Oreos Wait… Game of Thrones Oreos? We’re Googling that. Get excited, Canada. WINTER IS ACTUALLY COMING OMG.<doc-sep>According to Bell Media, the season eight premiere last night of HBO’s Game of Thrones was viewed by 2.9 million Canadians, across all platforms. Bell says the final season premiere was viewed across “Crave’s linear, on demand, and streaming platforms.” Watch the Latest Apple Technology News Below The premiere also ‘smashed’ Canadian Entertainment Specialty and Pay TV linear viewership records, with an average audience of 2.1 million viewers, the most in history. Crave digital platforms saw the “largest night of streaming activity ever,” according to Bell Media, in an email to iPhone in Canada. As for Crave subscriptions, Game of Thrones helped drive direct-to-consumer subscriptions up 1,000% in the week leading up to yesterday’s premiere, with Sunday seeing a 3,000 spike in sign ups, which most likely was assisted by the Crave app being featured in the App Store. The Crave iOS app is the top downloaded app right now in the ‘free’ category. Crave says Game of Thrones “consistently ranks” as the top streamed title on Crave.ca and the Crave app, week-over-week. According to HBO in U.S., yesterday’s premiere of Game of Thrones attracted 17.4 million viewers, a multi-platform record.<doc-sep>

Canadians are turning to Google in high anticipation for the “Game of Thrones” season 8 premiere on Sunday, April 14. With the official trailer for the final season amassing over 53 million views to date on YouTube, Google has released the top questions Canadians are asking leading up to the new season premiere date. Related: The Weeknd Teams Up With SZA And Travis Scott On New Song For ‘Game Of Thrones’ In the past 30 days, Canada’s top trending question about the hit fantasy-drama series is, “When does ‘Game of Thrones’ premiere?” Other top trending questions include, “Where is ‘Game of Thrones’ filmed?” and “Where is the ‘Game of Thrones’ hidden throne in Tumbler Ridge?”, which makes reference to one out of the six replica Iron Thrones discovered in Tumbler Ridge, BC, which was hidden by HBO as part of a promotional contest. Related: Kit Harington Reunites With ‘Game of Thrones’ Co-Stars in ‘Saturday Night Live’ Monologue When it comes to search interest in the top five “Game of Thrones” houses, which still remain in the running for the Iron Throne, Canadians are asking the most questions about House Lannister, despite showing the most interest in Jon Snow’s House Stark. Related: Jimmy Fallon Questions Kit Harington About A Bunch Of ‘Game Of Thrones’ Rumours The top trending questions in the past 12 months include: “Who killed Joffrey Lannister?”, “What are the Lannister words?” and “What happened to Jaime Lannister’s hand?” Meanwhile, despite some characters being previously killed off of the show, the top trending characters in the past 30 days are Joffrey Baratheon, Arya Stark, Danaerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo.

Andrew Das: The central defender who scored the own goal, Thiago Cionek, was born in Brazil. He applied for Polish citizenship in 2011, relying on ancestral links, after a unsuccessful career in Brazil and (briefly) Portugal led him to try his luck in Poland. Poland kind of stumbled into the half there, still bummed about the own goal. Senegal, while not exactly scintillating, and definitely a bit lucky on the goal, will be pleased to have what it will consider a deserved lead. The goal also makes it 16 straight games with a goal to open the World Cup; the scoreless draw is the one thing no one is in a hurry to see return. 43’: Senegal Corner Goes Nowhere Corner for Senegal. Salif Sane headed it directly downward. Not the direction he sought. 39’: GOAL! Senegal Mane held the ball for a moment in the center, and passed to Idrissa Gueye. He fired at goal, and it caromed off Poland’s Cionek and into the net. Cionek grabbed his head in despair. The official scorer has that as an own goal, although the redirection by Cionek was inadvertent. Andrew Das: Brutal break for Cionek there. He had come back to provide cover for Pazdan, but when Pazdan went down to block the shot, Cionek lost sight of it for a quick second — just long enough for it to hit him in the left leg and wrong-foot Szczesny, who had no chance. That play started with Niang outmuscling Blaszczykowski at midfield, and the Pole doesn’t look right. He had called the trainer over on the last offside call, and during that brief break before the goal he sat down for some treatment on his right ankle while everyone else grabbed a drink. Worth watching his movements. 37’: Hurts on Both Sides Players on both sides were treated (including, worryingly for Poland, Lewandowski). Everyone else grabbed some water.<doc-sep>Poland and Senegal square off in a marquee Group H matchup on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. ET in the 2018 World Cup. The winner of this match will put itself in prime position to advance to the Knockout Stage. Poland enters this fixture at +125 on the money line, meaning you'd need to wager $100 on a Polish victory to win $125. Senegal is +245 (risk $100 to win $245), while a tie is +210. The Over-Under on total goals scored in this World Cup 2018 match is 2. Before you enter your 2018 World Cup picks, you have to see what European soccer expert David Sumpter has to say. Sumpter is an applied mathematician who wrote "Soccermatics: Mathematical Adventures in the Beautiful Game," a book that explains how math works inside the sport. Together with other experienced analysts, Sumpter developed the powerful Soccerbot model. The Soccerbot reads current odds and all team performance data, calculates key metrics and predicts upcoming matches. In nearly three seasons since its inception, the Soccerbot is up an incredible 1,800 percent on bookmakers' closing odds. The Soccerbot already called Brazil-Switzerland playing to a draw (+360), Argentina-Iceland ending in a draw (+385), and Iran upsetting Morocco (+275), just to name a few. Now, Soccerbot has digested the film, crunched the numbers and broken down every single player on Poland and Senegal's 2018 World Cup rosters. The model has released a very strong money-line pick, which it's sharing over at SportsLine. The model knows this is only Senegal's second World Cup appearance and first since 2002, when it lost in the quarterfinals to Turkey after defeating Sweden in the Round of 16. And in order to advance to the 2018 World Cup knockout stage, Senegal will need a victory in its opening match. Senegal is led by Kalidou Koulibaly. The 27-year-old center back will need to produce in order to survive Group H. But the model also knows Poland is at the World Cup for the first time since 2006 and will be making its eighth overall appearance. They are currently ranked eighth in the world and come to Russia 2018 with lofty aspirations. Poland is led by striker Robert Lewandowski, who gets his first taste of World Cup action. Lewandowski finished the season as the Bundesliga's top scorer for the third time with 29 goals, netting 41 times in all competitions. The 29-year-old striker is on pace to be the national team's all-time caps leader and is already the top scorer. So which nation takes the opener? Or will it end in a draw? Visit SportsLine now to see the strong Poland-Senegal money-line pick, all from a European soccer expert whose powerful model is up 1,800 percent in less than three years.<doc-sep>Moscow: Senegal became the first African team to win a match at the 2018 World Cup on Tuesday when they beat Poland 2-1, helped by two shocking errors in the European side's defence. Poland defender Thiago Cionek stuck out a leg and deflected Idrissa Gueye's wayward shot into the net in the 37th minute before goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny rushed unnecessarily out of his area and allowed M'Baye Niang to nip in and score into an empty net on the hour. Grzegorz Krychowiak headed Poland's goal in the 86th minute. The win took Senegal top of Group H with three points, along with Japan who also beat Colombia by the same score. Colombia and Poland are both without a point. Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia all lost their opening games. Poland's record scorer Robert Lewandowski got little change out of a well-drilled Senegal defence, led by Kalidou Koulibaly, and they sorely missed key defender Kamil Glik, still recovering from a training injury sustained two weeks ago. The first half hour was a sorry affair strewn with misplaced passes from both sides and neither of the dangermen, Lewandowski and Senegal's Sadio Mane, seeing much of the ball. The first shot on target produced the first goal as Senegal went ahead in the 38th minute. Niang won a challenge with Lukasz Piszczek, burst down the left and found Mane who in turn slipped the ball to Gueye. The midfielder's shot appeared to be going wide until the hapless Cionek stuck out a leg and deflected it past Szczesny. Lewandowski sprang into life five minutes after halftime as he won possession, burst clear and was up-ended by Salif Sane. He took the free kick himself and although he managed Poland's first shot on target, it was saved by Khadim N'Diaye. Poland appeared to be coming back into the game until the most embarrassing moment of the World Cup so far. Krychowiak sent a long ball back from deep inside the Senegal half, Szczesny rushed out of his area to collect the pass but Niang stole in to score to Polish disbelief. Krychowiak partially made amends with his goal but it was too late for the disappointing Poles.<doc-sep>

Don't miss a moment of the World Cup! Visit "My Teams" in your Settings and select your favorite team to set up scores and news alerts. Group H isn't going how most expected at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. On the same Japan shocked Colombia, Senegal pulled off a similar surprise against the No. 8 FIFA-ranked Poland, coming away with a 2-1 victory that was also controversial. Senegal led 2-0 on the hour-mark and held on late for three vital points, putting the Lions of Teranga in a first place tie with Japan in Group H while Colombia and Poland sit at the bottom. It took just 37 minutes for Senegal to score, coming on an own goal from Thiago Cionek, who inadvertently deflected Idrissa Gana's shot into the frame: Senegal then extended its lead to 2-0 on a bizarre goal from M'Baye Niang (60') in which he came onto the field and got behind the defense after he was waved back on by the official. Niang, who was off the field initially due to an injury, pounced on a loose ball and an unsuspecting defender to score a goal that makes you wonder if the ref should have allowed him back on at that moment: Grzegorz Krychowiak got one back four minutes from time with a header, and that was it: This is Senegal's second appearance at the World Cup and it's the second time the team has come away with a monumental win. The Senegalese team shocked the world in 2002 by defeating then-reigning champions France in the opening match of group stage play and advancing to the knockout stage. It's a speedy, confident side and they proved on Tuesday that it can make even more noise in this tourney. Up next for Senegal is a matchup against Japan on Sunday, and the winner of that game could likely book a spot into the next round. Poland meets Colombia the same day in what could be an unofficial elimination game. A second loss could prove costly for any of those team teams in Group H. Both matches can be streamed on fuboTV (Try for free). Relive Poland vs. Senegal match commentary

Forensic police investigate at the scene of a shooting in Liege, Belgium, on Tuesday. Officials said the gunman stabbed two female officers, stole their guns and used them to shoot both women plus a bystander. Photo: AP<doc-sep>What we know about Mexico club shooting Mexican police agents patrol near a nightclub in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Ro state, Mexico where 5 people were killed, three of them foreigners, during a music festival on January 16, 2017. A shooting erupted at an electronic music festival in the Mexican resort of Playa del Carmen early Monday, leaving at least five people dead and sparking a stampede, the mayor said. Fifteen people were injured, some in the stampede, after at least one shooter opened fire before dawn at the Blue Parrot nightclub during the BPM festival. / AFP PHOTO / STRSTR/AFP/Getty Images Nidhi Chaphekar, right, a 40-year-old Jet Airways flight attendant from Mumbai, and another unidentified woman after being wounded in Brussels Airport in Brussels, Belgium, after explosions were heard. The Indian flight attendant who was injured in the Brussels airport blasts is in stable condition and recovering, her airline Jet Airways said Friday, March 25, 2016. Chaphekar suffered burns and fractured her foot in the explosions on Tuesday. She has been treated at a hospital near Brussels. US President Donald Trump (R) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin talk as they make their way to take the "family photo" during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' summit in the central Vietnamese city of Danang on November 11, 2017. World leaders and senior business figures are gathering in the Vietnamese city of Danang this week for the annual 21-member APEC summit. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / JORGE SILVA (Photo credit should read JORGE SILVA/AFP/Getty Images) Passengers walk in Terminal 3 at O'Hare airport in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. Officials with the Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois State Police say the ramped up enforcement efforts involving more than 150 law enforcement agencies will end early Monday. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) Americans killed in Nice Brodie and Sean Copeland, the Americans killed in Nice, were in Nice to celebrate a birthday with the rest of their family, Sean's niece Haley Copeland posted to social media. Another niece, Heather Copeland, asked for prayers on social media for her family. Approved to report by Row's Anissa Wells. Heather Copeland tweeted: "I don't even know how to put this in words. Today was a very tradgic day for my family. My Uncle Sean and my cousin Brodie Copeland were killed today in a teriorist attack in Nice France while they were on vacation. A huge box truck ran over and killed 80 plus people and injured over 100. Please keep my family and all the other family's affected by the tragic event that occurred tonight in your prayers. #PrayForNice #PrayersForFrance" Haley Copeland tweeted her Facebook post: "By now many of you have heard about the 80 people that have died in nice, France today from a terrorist attack driving through a parade. 2 of those 80 people were American and those 2 people happen to be Uncle Sean and 11 year old cousin Brodie. They were there on vacation with my two other cousins and aunt celebrating a birthday. This is an extremely difficult time for my family and anyone who knows Sean and Brodie Copeland. Losing a love one is hard no matter the circumstances but losing a loved one in such a tragic and unexpected way in unbearable. Prayers are much appreciated. #CopelandFamily #nice" Italian police and forensics experts gather around the body of suspected Berlin truck attacker Anis Amri after he was shot dead in Milan on December 23, 2016. The Tunisian man suspected of carrying out the deadly Berlin truck attack at the Christmas market was shot dead by police in Milan on December 23, Italy's interior minister Marco Minniti said. The minister told a press conference in Rome that Anis Amri had been fatally shot after firing at two police officers who had stopped his car for a routine identity check around 3:00 am (0200 GMT). Identity checks had established "without a shadow of doubt" that the dead man was Amri, the minister said. / AFP / DANIELE BENNATI (Photo credit should read DANIELE BENNATI/AFP/Getty Images) Firefighters arrived on Eighth Avenue near the scene of a reported explosion on Monday morning in Manhattan, New York, December 11, 2017. (David Scull/The New York Times) Is it an act of violence or terror? LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 02: An ambulance leaves the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Ave. after a mass shooting at a country music festival nearby on October 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A gunman has opened fire on a music festival in Las Vegas, leaving at least 20 people dead and more than 100 injured. Police have confirmed that one suspect has been shot. The investigation is ongoing. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Investigators inspect a truck following a shooting incident in New York on October 31, 2017. Several people were killed and numerous others injured in New York on Tuesday when a suspect plowed a vehicle into a bike and pedestrian path in Lower Manhattan, and struck another vehicle on Halloween, police said. A suspect exited the vehicle holding up fake guns, before being shot by police and taken into custody, officers said. The motive was not immediately apparent. / AFP PHOTO / Don EMMERT (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images) A former US marine allegedly planned to carry out an attack on Pier 39 in San Francisco over the holidays, according to a criminal complaint filed in court in California today. Everitt Aaron Jameson had supported ISIS on social media and discussed his plans with undercover FBI employees to conduct a San Bernardino or New York style attack, using weapons and explosives, in San Francisco. A search warrant was executed at his home on Wednesday and authorities found his will, and a letter saying ìlong live Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,î saying ìyou all have brought this upon yourselves,î and charging ìyouíve allowed Donald Trump to give Al Quds away to the Jews,î in a reference to Jerusalem. He goes on to say ìWe have penetrated and infiltrated your disgusting country.î The FBI documents reveal that firearms, empty magazines, ammunition, and fireworks were also found at his Modesto home. The complaint also says Jameson was discharged from the Marine Corps for ìfraudulent enlistmentî for failing to disclose ìa latent asthma history.î In this grab made from a video obtained on the Twitter account of Victor Jay (@victorj_fr), police and emergency vehicles block a crossroad on May 29, 2018 in the eastern Belgian city of Liege, after a gunman shot dead three people, two of them policemen, before being killed by elite officers. / AFP PHOTO / TWITTER / Victor JAY / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE MANDATORY CREDIT « AFP PHOTO / TWITTER / VICTOR JAY » - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSVICTOR JAY/AFP/Getty Images (CNN) — Belgian authorities are investigating the killing of two policewomen and a passerby in the eastern city of Liege on Tuesday as a terror attack, the country’s prosecutor said. Belgian media, including CNN affiliate RTBF, are naming the gunman as Benjamin Herman. A spokesperson for the Brussels prosecutor told CNN the attacker, who was shot dead by police, was 31 years old and had the initials B.H. but declined to provide the full name. RTBF reported that Herman was let out of prison on temporary release on Monday. He had been serving time on drug offenses. It said he may have been radicalized while in jail. The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m., when the assailant stabbed two policewomen from behind before stealing their service weapons and using them on the officers, Liege Prosecutor Philippe Dulieu said at a news conference on Tuesday. After killing the two officers, the attacker continued walking through the street and opened fire on a parked vehicle, fatally wounding the driver inside, Dulieu said. According to the prosecutor, the suspect then took refuge in a local high school, where he held a woman hostage. When police intervened, the man opened fire, injuring several other officers, before he was shot dead.<doc-sep>Belgian broadcaster RTBF said the gunman was let out from prison on temporary release on Monday where he had been serving time on drug offences. It said that he may have been radicalised while in jail.<doc-sep>

A gunman on a police watchlist for contacts with Islamist extremists launched a suspected terror attack in Belgium this morning, shooting dead two female police officers with their own weapons before killing a bystander. The bloodshed in the eastern industrial city of Liege began around 10:30 am (9.30am Irish time) when the attacker armed with a knife repeatedly stabbed the two officers before using their own firearms to kill them, prosecutors said. Federal prosecutors said they had launched a terror investigation into the incident. Belgium remains on high alert after a string of attacks including twin suicide bombings in Brussels in 2016 claimed by the Islamic State group. We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences "Armed with a knife, the suspect followed and attacked two police officers, and used their own firearms to kill them," prosecutor Philippe Dulieu told a news conference. "He continued on foot, attacking a parked vehicle where he opened fire on a 22-year-old man in the passenger seat. The young man died. "He then continued and entered the Leonie de Waha school. He took a woman working there as hostage. "Police intervened. He came out firing on the police officers, wounding several before he was killed." A source close to the investigation said that the gunman was on a special police watchlist because of his contacts with radical Islamists. Sources named the attacker as Benjamin Herman, born in 1982, saying he had past convictions for robbery, violence and drug dealing. He was reported by Belgian broadcaster RTBF to have been released from prison on yesterday. "He is suspected of having been radicalised (in prison)... He has been reported or presumed to be belonging to the entourage of an Islamist recruiter," a source said. A Twitter user posted dramatic footage of the violent climax to the incident. As a group of armed officers approach the entrance to the school, the black-clad gunman bursts out with a gun in each hand, before collapsing under a deafening hail of police bullets. Liege police chief Christian Beaupere said it was "clear that the assassin's objective was to attack the police". He added that one of the four officers wounded in the attack had suffered a serious leg injury. Liege, a major city in Western Europe's former industrial heartland, was the scene of another bloody shootout in 2011. In that attack a former convict armed with grenades and an automatic rifle killed six people and wounded more than 120. We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences Prime Minister Charles Michel denounced what he called the "cowardly and blind violence" of the attack. "All our support for the victims and their loved ones. We are following the situation with the security services and the crisis centre," he tweeted. There was support from other European countries, with French President Emmanuel Macron condemning the incident as a "terrible attack" and expressing the "solidarity of the French people". British Prime Minister Theresa May said the UK "stands resolute with our Belgian allies against terror". A major security cordon was set up around the area, while panicked parents came to collect their children from the school complex. The governor of Liege province said all the children and staff were safe and unhurt. Belgium has been on high alert since authorities in January 2015 smashed a terror cell in the town of Verviers that was planning an attack on police. The cell also had links to Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the mastermind of the November 2015 Islamic State attacks on Paris that killed 130 people. Belgium further raised its terror alert level after the Paris attack and placed the capital Brussels on lockdown for a week. The country was then hit itself by IS suicide attacks on Brussels airport and a metro station, which killed 32 people in March 2016. The country's law enforcement agencies and intelligence services came under intense scrutiny for apparently missing a series of leads after the Paris attacks that could have led to the Brussels bombers.

In a statement Sunday evening, Akron athletic director Larry Williams said his team could not have made an overnight stay work without, among other challenges, spreading it out around several lodging options in the area because they had originally planned on flying home Saturday night. He said that arrangement "is not in the best interests of our team and student-athletes." Burton said his people helped determine the accommodations the Zips would have needed on short notice. "We were working on that, but Bill came back from the meeting with (Williams) and said, 'We're not playing the game tomorrow,'" Burton recalled. Akron's charter flight took off from the Lincoln airport just before 1 a.m. and landed in Ohio around 3:45 a.m. EST and Williams expressed skepticism that a Sunday restart would have happened even Akron stayed. "Thunderstorms were anticipated throughout the Lincoln area on Sunday, making even the opportunity to play very questionable," his statement said. Williams gave the most direct information about a potential makeup game in December, saying, "The University of Akron and The University of Nebraska are in discussions to make up the game in Week 14 of the college football season should either team need the game to become bowl eligible." Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}<doc-sep>The Scott Frost era was set to begin in Lincoln, Nebraska this weekend. Weather got in the way, unfortunately. Nebraska’s season-opening game against Akron was cancelled this weekend. Rain and lightning forced serious delays and, eventually, the contest had to be cancelled. New details have started to emerge from the cancelling. There was talk of the game being played on Sunday, but Akron didn’t want to. From ESPN.com: Amid severe weather on Saturday night, Nebraska was planning to move the Cornhuskers’ season opener in Lincoln to Sunday. Akron said no, according to Nebraska officials. Athletic director Bill Moos issued a statement on Sunday, saying “logistical challenges” forced the Zips to pull the plug. Akron stayed in southwest Omaha, some 40 miles from Memorial Stadium, on Friday night and had checked out of its hotel before busing to Lincoln on Saturday afternoon. The Akron players and coaches flew home to Ohio late Saturday night via charter from the Lincoln airport. A Sunday morning college football game would’ve been a lot of fun. It’s understandable that Akron wasn’t able to make it work, though. At this point, it’s unclear if Nebraska will add another game to its 2018 schedule. It’s possible the Huskers could find a team to play toward the end of the season if they’re trying to get bowl eligibility. Stay tuned.<doc-sep>Here we are in the aftermath of the 2018 Nebraska football kickoff that wasn’t. While nobody expected the Akron Zips to pull off an upset and best Scott Frost’s Cornhuskers, we’ll never know what may have been thanks to severe weather that forced the players from the field and eventually, the fans from the stands. However, that doesn’t mean the situation can't still be mutually beneficial. What’s important to remember is that the game did, in fact, begin. Jerry Fitschen’s 65-yard kickoff sailed over JD Spielman’s head, giving Nebraska possession at their own 25-yard line. While the game was cancelled and will not be made up, there’s still the matter of what technically did go down on Sept. 1, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska. According to the NCAA rulebook, four options are on the table. If a game is halted before the fourth quarter — we’ve already established it began and was halted due to severe weather — it can be resumed at a later date (the two schools have already said this isn’t happening), terminated with a determined final score, forfeited or declared a no-contest. In a non-conference game, both schools’ head coaches and athletic directors have to put their stamp of approval on the outcome. Let’s look at the scenario through the eyes of an athletic director, shall we? Ultimately, college football is a business. Akron athletic director Larry Williams and head football coach Terry Bowden no doubt saw Nebraska as an incredible opportunity: travel to Lincoln, get paid handsomely and perhaps pull off a program-defining upset in the process. But now that can’t happen. The teams didn’t play, they won’t meet, so how can we make this a win-win? Well, the check for $1.17 million that the Zips are due for their services isn’t cashable just yet. Those details are yet to be finalized. The easiest money Akron could possibly make is by giving the Huskers a one-point win and a free stamp on their punch card towards bowl eligibility. Remember, we’re talking business here. Akron’s coffers fill and Nebraska gets closer to making a bowl game look extremely attractive. Now, that being said, it’s not the type of win that Frost wants and swallowing a loss wouldn’t be easy for Bowden. However, there are some genuine benefits to this arrangement beyond the money. Regardless of which side you’re on, let’s remember a major positive: no players got hurt. There are no bumps and bruises to mend as a result of this scenario. Nebraska gets to keep its bye week allowing them to heal and regroup following their clash with Minnesota before what will be a fascinating showdown with Ohio State. Yes, Akron could’ve won in theory, but they’d likely head into week three of the season with a 1-1 record thanks to a loss thanks to Nebraska and a win over FCS opponent Morgan State just the same. Besides, it’s not like the Zips have to own the loss as anything other than what it would be, which is a business decision. Heck, it could be a rallying cry for the remainder of the year, though Akron’s not expected to be more than be a middle-of-the-road MAC team. Let’s be honest, that’s no small part of why this game was scheduled. Call it the “right” or “wrong” thing, but turn the lemons that were given to both sides last Saturday into lemonade. Let the Zips have their cash and in return, the Huskers get a very modest — though extremely important — victory. That sounds like a win-win in the end or at least as close as we’re going to get. — Written by Brandon Cavanaugh, FWAA member and part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Be sure to follow him on Twitter (@eightlaces), and keep up with the Quick N Dirty podcasts on his Patreon page. (Top photo courtesy of @HuskerFBNation)<doc-sep>For those who were wondering why the Akron vs. Nebraska game was cancelled ... (via @jeffbeavers13) pic.twitter.com/rBmyAl2Fmn — ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) September 2, 2018 Were you disappointed that weather prevented the Scott Frost era from its official beginning? You are not alone. But if anyone out there questions Nebraska’s decision to cancel the game during a dark and stormy night, one Husker fan’s photo may change your mind. Husker fan Jeff Beavers caught some of the worst of the storm in action. The photo shows some serious lightning in Lincoln with a view inside the sold-out Memorial Stadium. No wonder the Huskers called it off against Akron. After stormy weather beat down on Lincoln throughout Saturday night, it was announced at 9:55 that Nebraska's game against Akron has been cancelled. The Huskers will open their season against Colorado next weekend. If there are any adjustments to the 2018 football schedule, they will be announced at a later date. Ticket holders are encouraged to hold on to their tickets from Saturday night's game. There was a brief commotion about the game against Akron possibly being played on Sunday. Fox created the biggest stir when a line appeared on the crawl at the bottom of the screen saying Nebraska and Akron would play at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. That was news to Nebraska officials, however, who did not confirm it. Individuals connected to the Akron program knew nothing of it either, with one saying his expectation was that the team was flying out that night. It was not a total loss for the thousands of Nebraska fans that made the trip. Fans still got to see the new-look Huskers in warm ups as well as the first in-season Tunnel Walk. Colorado will be stiff competition Sept. 8 after a 45-13 blowout win over Colorado State. Quarterback Steven Montez completed 22-of-25 passes for 338 yards and four touchdowns.<doc-sep>

Go Big Read: Rainout is still the buzz for the Nebraska football team and other kernels Go Big Read: Rainout is still the buzz for the Nebraska football team and other kernels by Oliver VanDervoort The Nebraska football team has released its version of why the game Saturday was canceled but now Akron has given its official statement. Earlier Sunday, the Nebraska football team and the athletic program released a statement attempting to explain why Saturday’s game couldn’t be played. Unsurprisingly, the statement claimed the Huskers were ready and willing to make it work and the Zips were the ones who backed out. On Sunday evening, Akron released its own version of events and … basically confirmed what Nebraska had been saying. Athletic director Larry Williams released a statement that included talk about the inability to secure accommodation in and around Lincoln. Williams added that the only accommodations they would have been able to get would have split the team up. Apparently having the team in multiple locations would have not been “in the best interests of our team.” Akron AD Larry Williams releases a statement explaining why Akron chose not to stick around. As it relates to accommodations it’s worth noting that NU was exploring using on campus dorms to House the team. pic.twitter.com/XyrnfKanNC — Sam McKewon (@swmckewonOWH) September 3, 2018 This comes on the heels of reports that Nebraska was so keen on getting the game in that they were looking at possibly finding dorm rooms or other on-campus housing in order to get Akron to play the game on Sunday. Williams also said that the Zips and Huskers are still talking about finding a way to play the game. That would mean a week 14 matchup. Williams made it clear that so far the talks have only been if the teams need another game in order to become bowl eligible. It’s not clear if Akron would agree to travel all the way to Lincoln if they had week 14 free but didn’t need it to try and get to a bowl. If other reports are accurate, it would appear the Zips have the Huskers between a rock and a hard place. Those reports state the contract between Nebraska and Akron made the money the Cornhuskers offered to play the game, guaranteed once it kicked off. If that’s the case, then it’s a monumental good to have allowed the game to start, considering the weather that was already in the area. The game was delayed and eventually canceled immediately after the opening kick. Akron could now ask for an additional payout in order to make a return trek to Lincoln. One has to wonder if they would almost be able to hold the Nebraska football season hostage.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” led the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday, taking home four awards in the actor, film editing, sound mixing, and sound editing categories. Close behind with three wins each were “Roma,” “Black Panther,” and “Green Book,” which won best picture alongside gold for original screenplay and supporting actor. In addition to a foreign language film nod, “Roma” also took home directing and cinematography Oscars for Alfonso Cuaron, while “Black Panther” surprised with wins in production design, costume design, and original score. On the acting side, Olivia Colman won for actress, upsetting a competitive field that included Yalitza Aparicio, Melissa McCarthy, Lady Gaga, and frontrunner Glenn Close. Close had previously won the Golden Globe and SAG Award for her role in “The Wife,” so all eyes were on her to see if she could pull in her first win after seven nominations. As expected, “Bohemian Rhapsody” star Rami Malek won for actor. A star-studded list of presenters also took to the stage, including chef Jose Andres, Dana Carvey, Queen Latifah, congressman John Lewis, Diego Luna, Tom Morello, Mike Myers, Trevor Noah, Amandla Stenberg, Barbra Streisand, and Serena Williams. The evening also featured musical performances by Queen and Adam Lambert, as well as Jennifer Hudson, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, and Bette Midler. Read the full list of winners below. Best Picture “Black Panther” “BlacKkKlansman” “Bohemian Rhapsody” “The Favourite” “Green Book” (WINNER) “Roma” “A Star Is Born” “Vice” Director Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman” Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War” Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite” Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma” (WINNER) Adam McKay, “Vice” Lead Actress Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma” Glenn Close, “The Wife” Olivia Colman, “The Favourite” (WINNER) Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born” Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” Lead Actor Christian Bale, “Vice” Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born” Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate” Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody” (WINNER) Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book” Original Song “All The Stars” from “Black Panther” by Kendrick Lamar, SZA “I’ll Fight” from “RBG” by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice (WINNER) “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch Original Score “BlacKkKlansman,” Terence Blanchard “Black Panther,” Ludwig Goransson (WINNER) “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Nicholas Britell “Isle of Dogs,” Alexandre Desplat “Mary Poppins Returns,” Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman Adapted Screenplay “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Joel Coen , Ethan Coen “BlacKkKlansman,” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee (WINNER) “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Barry Jenkins “A Star Is Born,” Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters Original Screenplay “The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara “First Reformed,” Paul Schrader “Green Book,” Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly (WINNER) “Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón “Vice,” Adam McKay Live Action Short Film “Detainment,” Vincent Lambe “Fauve,” Jeremy Comte “Marguerite,” Marianne Farley “Mother,” Rodrigo Sorogoyen “Skin,” Guy Nattiv (WINNER) Visual Effects “Avengers: Infinity War” “Christopher Robin” “First Man” (WINNER) “Ready Player One” “Solo: A Star Wars Story” Documentary Short Subject “Black Sheep,” Ed Perkins “End Game,” Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman “Lifeboat,” Skye Fitzgerald “A Night at the Garden,” Marshall Curry “Period. End of Sentence.,” Rayka Zehtabchi (WINNER) Animated Short “Animal Behaviour,” Alison Snowden, David Fine “Bao,” Domee Shi (WINNER) “Late Afternoon,” Louise Bagnall “One Small Step,” Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas “Weekends,” Trevor Jimenez Animated Feature “Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird “Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson “Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman (WINNER) Supporting Actor Mahershala Ali, “Green Book” (WINNER) Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman” Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born” Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” Sam Rockwell, “Vice” Film Editing “BlacKkKlansman,” Barry Alexander Brown “Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Ottman (WINNER) “Green Book,” Patrick J. Don Vito “The Favourite,” Yorgos Mavropsaridis “Vice,” Hank Corwin Foreign Language Film “Capernaum” (Lebanon) “Cold War” (Poland) “Never Look Away” (Germany) “Roma” (Mexico) (WINNER) “Shoplifters” (Japan) Sound Mixing “Black Panther,” Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor and Peter Devlin “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali (WINNER) “First Man,” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis “Roma,” Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan and José Antonio García “A Star Is Born,” Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Jason Ruder and Steve Morrow Sound Editing “Black Panther,” Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker “Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Warhurst (WINNER) “First Man,” Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan “A Quiet Place,” Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl “Roma,” Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay Cinematography “Cold War,” Lukasz Zal “The Favourite,” Robbie Ryan “Never Look Away,” Caleb Deschanel “Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón (WINNER) “A Star Is Born,” Matthew Libatique Production Design “Black Panther,” Hannah Beachler (WINNER) “First Man,” Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas “The Favourite,” Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton “Mary Poppins Returns,” John Myhre, Gordon Sim “Roma,” Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez Costume Design “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Mary Zophres “Black Panther,” Ruth E. Carter (WINNER) “The Favourite,” Sandy Powell “Mary Poppins Returns,” Sandy Powell “Mary Queen of Scots,” Alexandra Byrne Makeup and Hairstyling “Border,” Göran Lundström and Pamela Goldammer “Mary Queen of Scots,” Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and Jessica Brooks “Vice,” Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney (WINNER) Documentary Feature “Free Solo,” Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (WINNER) “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” RaMell Ross “Minding the Gap,” Bing Liu “Of Fathers and Sons,” Talal Derki “RBG,” Betsy West, Julie Cohen Supporting Actress Amy Adams, “Vice” Marina de Tavira, “Roma” Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk” (WINNER) Emma Stone, “The Favourite” Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”<doc-sep>NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>

An Oscars winner's envelope is seen in a souvenir store outside the Dolby Theatre before the 91st Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, February 14, 2019. For the first time in 30 years, there was no host to usher the audience from category to category. The show, instead, started with concert-like performance by Adam Lambert and the band Queen and segued into a pseudo monologue featuring Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph. The evening also delivered a surprise win for "Green Book," which took home the Oscar for best picture, defeating strong competition from "Roma," "A Star is Born" and "Bohemian Rhapsody." The 91st annual Academy Awards was a night of firsts for many Oscar winners and for the categories in which they won. The glue holding the ceremony together was the announcements made by Randy Thomas, who has been the announcer for the program for the last 10 years. And a passionate musical performance from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, of "Shallow" from "A Star Is Born" provided some emotional charge. The awards ceremony itself celebrated diversity and inclusivity in the breadth of winners who took home the coveted statuette. For the first time awards for best costuming and best production went to African American nominees. Ruth Carter took home the Oscar for best costuming for her work on "Black Panther," and Hannah Beachler for production design, also for her work on the super hero film. Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma" won best foreign film, marking the first time a Mexican film has ever won in the category. Spike Lee was greeted with a standing ovation as the film industry veteran took the stage to claim his first Oscar for best adapted screenplay for his work on "BlacKkKlansman." Lee has previously been nominated for best documentary feature in 1998 for "4 Little Girls" and best original screenplay in 1990 for "Do the Right Thing." He received an honorary Oscar in 2016 for his directorial accomplishments. And the winners are...

Roman Reigns came out to the ring to kick off Monday night RAW and declared that he will be a fighting champion and will face Finn Balor in a title match tonight. Finn came out as well and Baron Corbin was quick to follow him out and protest Balor's title shot. Kurt Angle made his entrance and set up the title match as the main event between Balor and Reigns and also set up our first match of the night, Corbin vs. Bobby Lashley. #1 Baron Corbin vs. Bobby Lashley Lashley was in control early on and Baron threw Lashley out with a quick tackle, dropping him on the apron. The two were outside and Corbin steamrolled Lashley, dropping him to the floor as we headed for a commercial break. We returned to see Lashley in a submission move and struggling to get out before Corbin sent him shoulder first into the ringpost. Lashley sidestepped and Corbin charged into the post himself. Lashley hit a few clotheslines and a spinebuster for a near fall. Corbin bounced Lashley's neck off the top rope and set him up on the corner and Lashley leaped into a chokeslam backbreaker for a near fall. Lashley delivered a brand new finisher and got the three count. Result: Bobby Lashley def. Baron Corbin Backstage, Paul Heyman told Angle that Brock wants his contractual rematch. Angle said he's obligated to grant the rematch but it will be a long time from now since he has a fighting champion as opposed to Brock who sits at home. Heyman said the match should be at Hell in a Cell and Angle says "Forget about it", before walking off. 1 / 7 NEXT<doc-sep>Copy Link Icon WWE Raw: Live Updates, Results and Reaction for August 20 Brooklyn, New York Welcome to Bleacher Report's live coverage of WWE Raw on August 20. The red brand looks a lot different following the pay-per-view due to three titles changing hands. Monday's show will feature Seth Rollins, Ronda Rousey and Roman Reigns celebrating their Intercontinental, Women's and Universal Championship wins respectively. We will also begin to see the card for Hell in a Cell come together during the show. Make sure to keep it locked right here for live updates of all the action.<doc-sep>WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Aug. 20, 2018) from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, featuring the fallout show from the SummerSlam pay-per-view (PPV) that went down just last night in the very same building. Advertised for tonight: It’s time to see what’s next for new champions Roman Reigns, Ronda Rousey, Seth Rollins, and more! Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the Raw live blog kicks off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.) WWE RAW RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR AUG. 20 Hey. How you feeling? Are you still the same? Don’t you realize the things we did we did were all for real? Not a dream. I just can’t believe they’ve all faded out of view. Blue days, black nights, I look into the sky. The love you need ain’t gonna see you through. And I wonder why the little things you planned ain’t coming true. Telephone line, give me some time, because I’ve gotta liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks. The show opens with the newly-crowned Universal Champion Roman Reigns making his entrance. He soaks in the atmosphere a moment before saying he’s a man of his word-- he said he was going to beat Brock Lesnar, and he did it. He also said when he won it, he’d defend it, and that’s what he plans on doing TONIGHT. Typically he’d make it real easy and open it up to anyone that wants to step up, but he’s got one man in mind, a man that won this title here in Brooklyn and he got hurt and never had a chance to win it back. Since he won it in Brooklyn, he’s gonna defend it tonight, against Finn Balor! Enter Finn Balor. He greets Roman cheerfully and accepts his challenge, vowing to take his title back tonight. Reigns offers a hand to make it official and Finn shakes. Enter Constable Baron Corbin, here to poop on the party. He says the match isn’t gonna happen, and if Finn thinks he’ll be rewarded for the stunt he pulled last night, no-showing in favor of the Demon, an unprofessional and cowardly act. Plus with all the lights, smoke, and noise, Corbin couldn’t hear the bell ring and as far as he’s concerned the match never happened, so tonight he’s wrestling Finn Balor the man. The Big Dog tells Baron if he sucked as bad as he did last night he’d forget about it, too. Corbin says the only reason Roman is champion is because Brock Lesnar was more worried about Braun Strowman than he was about him. Reigns closes in on him and Kurt Angle makes his entrance to play peacemaker. He says Corbin let the Constable thing get to his head, and here on Raw he makes the matches, not Baron. He doesn’t care what the Lone Wolf thinks, but he does care what Brooklyn thinks, and he polls them on Roman’s prospective title match. They’re into it, so he makes Reigns/Balor official! Baron has a match tonight too, starting right now, against...Bobby Lashley! Walking Armageddon makes his entrance and we go to break. Constable Baron Corbin vs. Bobby Lashley Lashley with a go behind into a waistlock takedown, another takedown, holding on this time, Corbin breaks with a back elbow, standing switch, again, and Bobby hits another takedown. Baron gets into the ropes to force a break, but when he charges in, Lashley ducks under and hits a swinging neckbreaker before smashing his face into the turnbuckles from corner to corner. Big right hand, whip across, Corbin slides out and takes a breather. Bob out after him, smashing his face into the apron, putting him back in the ring and joining him, charging in, shoulder thrust in the corner and then mounted punches on the second. A lariat sends Baron to the floor, Lashley puts him back inside and springs to the apron but Corbin kicks his leg out from under him and puts him hard into the barricade! Stalking around after him, back in, half nelson chinlock applied, Bob fights out with body blows, whip reversed, Stinger splash dodged, leapfrog and Lashley takes the Lone Wolf out with a lariat! Calling for it, right hands clubbing away, front chancery but Baron shoves him off and through the ropes to the floor! Corbin slides out, levels Bob with a lariat and we go to break. Back from commercial, Corbin’s in control with the half nelson chinlock locked on and he throws Lashley into the post as he threatens to escape. Bob turns it around on him and puts him into the post, and they proceed to slug it out. Lashley off the ropes, lariats wipe the Lone Wolf out, belly-to-belly suplex, charging lariat, Baron gets an elbow up on a second but runs right into a spinebuster... NOPE! To the floor momentarily, Baron cuts him off with punches on the apron and sets him up top, jockeying for position, Lashley dives... COUNTERED WITH THE CHOKEBREAKER BUT BOB WON’T STAY DOWN! Pass to the floor and back in, Lashley catches him with a knee... DOMINATOR! IT’S OVER! Bobby Lashley wins by pinfall with the Dominator. Kurt Angle is shown watching backstage when Paul Heyman rolls up. Paul says he’s here with a very specific mission tonight. His client Brock Lesnar would like to invoke his contractually-obligated rematch clause. Angle asks if he’s kidding, and Paul says yes, no excuses for losing but Brock has his rematch and he wants to take it. Kurt says he’ll get his rematch but he’s not sure when given that Roman is a fighting champion with a full plate and it’ll be a long, long time before he gets it. Heyman agrees, he doesn’t want it next week, he wants it way, way down the road at Hell in a Cell. Angle says it’ll be a cold day in hell, or, as they say in Brooklyn-- forget about it.<doc-sep>It’s night one of the biggest afterparty of the summer. WWE spends another night in Brooklyn as Raw comes our way on Aug. 20 The Headliner(s) While I wasn’t as high on it as my boss, I was pretty thoroughly (sports) entertained during the main event of SummerSlam last night. The use of Braun Strowman not only served to draw the attention of fans who otherwise might have expressed their displeasure at seeing Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar close the show. It added an interesting element to a match we’ve seen a couple times already this year, which featured someone known to only use a few moves per match at this stage of his career. And it got us to Reigns: Universal Champion. So Raw’s top prize will be featured every Monday night, something we haven’t been able to say since early 2017. WWE.com’s official preview for this episode makes it clear The Big Dog will be in Barclays Center again tonight. And considering his verbal attacks on Lesnar’s schedule over the last several months, if someone steps to him and he doesn’t wrestle, he’d look like a bit of a hypocrite. But we’ll leave worry and speculation about Roman for later. Where do The Beast Incarnate and Mr. Monster in the Bank stand? Rumors said two things about Lesnar: he’d be on tonight’s show, and a pre-SummerSlam meeting with WWE brass would determine his immediate future with the company. He’s not listed on the dot com’s ticket page or the venue’s website, but the former’s preview does hint he’ll want to face Reigns again “sooner or later”. There were also dirt screen rumblings the Beast was interested in doing both UFC and WWE going forward, so... Even without his briefcase, Strowman and the new champ have a ton of history. Will he be more focused on getting revenge against Brock (with whom he’s also had a few run-ins) after Lesnar made a point of taking him out of the equation last night? And does his promise to cash-in face-to-face mean he’ll use his contract tonight, or does that (mostly) honorable means of using his Money in the Bank case only apply after title matches? If Lesnar is here, his interactions with Braun will be as interesting as any he has with Roman. It could be an indication Brock’s days as a special attraction are far from over, as it would continue to lay the groundwork for multiple matches, even if he’s headed to a few big money fights in UFC. And what about Paul Heyman? It looks like the Advocate never planned to leave Lesnar’s side, but maybe that’s changed now that he’s no longer “defending”? And while it almost certainly won’t be Reigns, could Heyman pick up a new client if the Beast is headed back to the Octagon? Lots of questions as the Big Dog wears a new collar to his yard tonight. The title scene As we say goodbye to one ultimate fighter with a top belt, we say hello to another. Ronda Rousey is Women’s Champ, having easily defeated Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam. The self-proclaimed Goddess was so thoroughly beaten, and clowned, its hard to imagine she’d even bother with her obligatory rematch - at least without a change in attitude and/or some serious back-up plans (not to mention her already announced bout for October’s Evolution show). And considering Rowdy just trounced a wrestler who ruled over a division five times in the last three years, it’s worth wondering how anyone will be booked to look like a real threat to the Baddest Woman on the Planet. Another new champ, Intercontinental Titleholder Seth Rollins, finally beat Dolph Ziggler - in no small part because of the back-up provided by Dean Ambrose. The Show-Off and his right-hand man Drew McIntyre certainly aren’t done with Seth and Dean. Question is, is Ambrose going to be content as the only Shield bro without a belt? The only straps which didn’t change hands at SummerSlam were the ones representing The B-Team’s Tag Team Championship. Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel’s win over The Revival on the Kickoff was presented as the latest lucky break of their remarkable run, so there’s plenty of reasons to believe other teams have a shot (Authors of Pain come to mind). Whether or not there are reasons to care about main roster tag wrestling is up to you. Other stuff to keep an eye on: - It was hell of a moment, but what does the return of the Demon mean for Finn Bálor? Hopefully not just an excuse for Constable Corbin to demand a rematch against the Irishman’s non-painted up form. Maybe the new fighting champ means he’ll get his long (and we do mean loooong) awaited chance to win back the red belt he never lost? - After a loss to the recently returned Ruby Riott last week, the Boss ‘n’ Hug connection needed to refocus. Considering how the weekend went regarding future pay-per-view (PPV) announcements and for the other half of their Horsewomen quartet, Sasha Banks and Bayley may need to make several new plans for the coming months. - Speaking of weekends which were pretty much a disaster, Elias had two concerts snuffed. One for unknown reasons, and the other by a busted guitar. At least he’s better off than the guy he’s feuding with... Bobby Lashley didn’t even get on-screen during SummerSlam. - But all those folks had a better time in New York than Kevin Owens. It’s the SummerSlam fallout show! What will you be looking for on Raw tonight?<doc-sep>

As promised, WWE delivered in a major way at SummerSlam. With very few disappointing matches on the card, all superstars from both RAW and SmackDown performed to the best of their ability. It truly feels like a new era on RAW. With Roman Reigns finally dethroning Brock Lesnar in his pursuit to the Universal title, it's given fans and the WWE locker room what they've wanted for over 500 days: A full-time, defending Universal Champion. There's no doubt that Reigns is perfect and fits the bill. Ronda Rousey, on the other hand, ended the reign of Alexa Bliss in rather quick and dominant fashion. With The Baddest Woman On The Planet now the RAW Women's Champion, the paradigm of the RAW Women's division is going to change drastically. Elias didn't have the best night, with his guitar breaking in half just as he was about to perform. With no Bobby Lashley to interfere, will things be different tonight? SummerSlam saw a range of unexpected moments and results, undoubtedly making it one of the most memorable editions in years. But the real question is, with all these crazy moments and title changes, what's going to be the fallout? It's not often that we get to say that the course of RAW is set to change going forward, but this time, it really feels that way. Here's what you should be looking forward to on this episode of RAW... #5 Is Finn Balor in line for a career resurgence? Was the return of Demon Balor an indication of a huge push? Heading into SummerSlam, Baron Corbin and Finn Balor were tied at 1-1. Neither superstar had much momentum on their side, but all of that changed when Balor came brought out Demon Balor after 10 months. It was a big shock to the WWE Universe and most definitely to Constable Corbin himself. In a matter of 95 seconds, Finn Balor crushed Corbin and derailed any momentum he had. However, one man's pain is another man's gain, and this could very well be the start of a huge career resurgence for Finn Balor. We're yet to see. 1 / 5 NEXT

top stories SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.<doc-sep>At a Glance Hector passed well south of the Big Island of Hawaii. Dangerous surf and rip currents will be the main threat on the island beaches. Hurricane Hector passed well south of the Big Island of Hawaii with only some peripheral effects expected in the islands. The tropical storm warning that was in effect for the Big Island has been discontinued. Building subtropical high pressure north of Hector will keep the hurricane on a generally westward course the next several days. This kept Hector's eyewall with its strongest winds and heaviest rain well south of Hawaii. Hector's intensity has ticked down since Monday, possibly due to the presence of dry air in the environment surrounding Hector, or somewhat marginal ocean heat content. Advertisement On Monday, Hector's maximum sustained winds peaked at an estimated 155 mph, just shy of Category 5 intensity, making it the strongest central Pacific hurricane since Ioke in 2006, according to Colorado State University tropical scientist Dr. Phil Klotzbach. (MORE: Hector Could Become a Typhoon Next Week) Deep tropical moisture behind Hector may produce locally heavy rain across the Hawaiian Islands into Friday. Some local flash flooding is possible in a few spots, particularly along east-, south- or southeastward-facing slopes of the Big Island. Breezy conditions and high surf were also observed. (MORE: Hector Won't Be the First Tropical Cyclone to Pass Near Hawaii's Erupting Kilauea Volcano)<doc-sep>Hurricane Hector: SHOCK graph shows storm could hit Kilauea top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Kilauea volcano in Hawaii is still spewing lava from its fiery depths as hot red rivers burn across Big Island. With a new eruption phase having set in during May, Kilauea continues to rage on and has formed an outcrop of new land one kilometre long. The Pacific islands are now under threat from encroaching hurricane Hector which is spinning with 135 mph winds just 2,000 miles away. The US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) are closely monitoring the storm, while the United States Geological Survey (USGS) monitors Kilauea. Where is the Kilauea volcano? Big Island's most active resident volcano sits in the south east of the island, where it is flooding the beach of Kapoho Bay. Well established channels of lava flowing into the ocean triggered worries recently as overflows began to push lava in new directions. As the volcano has progressed in recent months, thousands of people and hundreds of properties have been destroyed. There are fears that Hurricane Hector making landfall could further provoke the volcano, and hurricane force winds could be on track for a collision. Hurricane Hector landfall: Will Hector hit the Hawaii volcano? Will Hurricane Hector make landfall on Big Island? At the moment, Hurricane Hector is positioned near the Pacific Ocean, about 2,190 kilometres (1,360 miles) from Hawaii’s south point. The hurricane will continue to surge forwards towards Big Island, where it is likely the full force will batter the area. Kilauea is located around this part of the island, and will at least see some significant storms as a result. Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is right near the track of Hurricane Hector The possible impact of the hurricane on the volcano itself is up for debate, however, as scientists are at odds over the potential impact. Some researchers believe low pressure coming from hurricanes could have a knock-on effect for nearby volcanoes. Kilauea’s summit has recently seen some seismic activity which has resulted in some rim collapses. Hurricane force winds could prompt further cave-ins, as the summit at Kilauea remains unpredictable. Despite calming, the volcano is vulnerable to extraneous knock-on effects<doc-sep>Hurricane Hector: 120mph winds move towards Hawaii top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Hawaii’s main islands are at risk from a surging Hurricane Hector, which is now barrelling towards the Pacific Ocean. The hurricane, which was upgraded to a category three last night, could grow in strength again due to conditions surrounding the area, but a firm outlook is yet to be decided. It is feared a hurricane in Hawaii could trigger an eruption in the famously volcanic island chain. The impact of the hurricane remains yet to be observed, but currently Hurricane Hector is on course to glance off at least one Hawaiian island. Where is Hurricane Hector now? Hurricane Hector is still a little way off making landfall in the USA - currently sitting 1587 miles (2555km) away from the nearest island. As it stands, the hurricane is travelling at a speed of 12 kilometres per hour, making slow progress. Hector is not destined to make significant landfall until Wednesday next week, when it will brush Big Island late in the morning. Hurricane Hector 2018 path update: Where is Hurricane Hector? Hurricane Hector will remain a strong force to be reckoned with as it journeys towards Hawaii. Set to hit Big Island next Wednesday, Hector is expected to be downgraded from a major hurricane into a normal hurricane. At the moment, wind speeds in the storm system are reaching more than 110pmh and fierce winds extend out 15km from the storm's centre. The next three days will see Hurricane Hectors wind speeds slow down to 74 to 110mph. Hawaii's Big Island is most under threat from the hurricane What damage could Hurricane Hector cause? The National Hurricane Centre in the US has advised that there are no risks to land just yet, and there are no coastal watches or guards in effect. Currently a category three Hurricane, Hector would be able to cause serious damage if it was over land. Despite its distance, Hawaiian authorities have begun to prepare for potential damage, and have urged Hawaiians to do the same. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said in a news release: “Just as the city is going through its checklist ahead of any possible impact from Hurricane Hector, I’m asking Oahu residents and visitors do the same.” Kilauea volcano sits right in the path of Hurricane Hector<doc-sep>

At a Glance Hector will likely remain a major hurricane in the Pacific Ocean early this week. The center of Hector will likely track south of the Big Island Wednesday. High surf and rip currents will then spread through the island's south and east-facing beaches. A closer track could bring stronger winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding to at least parts of the islands. All interests in Hawaii should monitor the progress of Hector closely. This article is no longer being updated. Please click here to follow the latest updates on Hurricane Hector. Hurricane Hector remains a Category 4 hurricane in the central Pacific Ocean and, while expected to lose some intensity, is at least expected to brush by parts of Hawaii Wednesday. Hector is centered about 900 miles east-southeast of the Big Island of Hawaii. Hector is in an area with low vertical wind shear, which has allowed it to intensify into a powerful hurricane. The increasingly drier air along Hector's future path will induce slow weakening over the next few days. A southward dip of the jet stream in the northern Pacific Ocean well to the north is pulling Hector a bit north of due west over the next day or so. After that, subtropical high pressure will build back again north of Hector and bend it west again. (MORE: Hawaii's Hurricane History) Forecast guidance is now unanimous with a track of Hector's center south of the Big Island Wednesday, then continuing westward, remaining well south of the rest of the Hawaiian chain through Thursday. The key is how far south of the Big Island its center tracks. For now, the majority of forecast guidance suggests Hector's center will track sufficiently far south of the south point of the Big Island Wednesday to keep the strongest winds and heaviest rain of Hector's eyewall south of the Big Island. Advertisement However, the more north Hector tracks before turning westward again, the bigger direct threat the hurricane could pose to parts of the Big Island Wednesday. The Big Island could see tropical-storm-force winds (39-plus mph) by late Tuesday or early Wednesday, particularly on the southern tip of the island and eastward-facing coasts. Some outer bands of locally heavy rain may also spread into the Hawaiian Islands from mid-late week. We also can't rule out at least a few tropical-storm force gusts in other parts of the islands, again depending on how far north the center tracks. Increasing swells will lead to high surf and dangerous rip currents at east-facing beaches, spreading to south-facing beaches, regardless of the exact track. (MORE: Hector Won't Be the First Tropical Cyclone to Pass Near Hawaii's Erupting Kilauea Volcano) Several reconnaissance flights have been scheduled into Tuesday to help determine the large-scale weather pattern associated with Hector's future path. This could help improve forecast guidance early this week and allow for additional details on what impacts to expect from Hector. All interests in the Hawaiian Islands, particularly the Big Island, should monitor the progress of Hector. (MORE: Hurricane Preparedness Tips from NOAA)

Ubisoft has released a sizeable update for Rainbow Six Siege which brings the game up to version 2.2. The update doesn’t make any earth-shattering changes but it does introduce some granular-level tweaks and features that should benefit more dedicated players. First off, the update introduces a new toggle that allows players to switch between standard and advanced drone deployment. With standard deployment, the player’s viewpoint is immediately switched over to the drone camera as soon as the drone is deployed. However, if a player switched over to advanced, their viewpoint will stay with their operator after deploying the drone and will remain there until the player manually switches over to the drone’s point of view. The update also allows players to adjust their preferences for how they cycle through different viewpoints using Siege’s Observer Tool, and on PC it enables the rebinding of certain Operator Tool commands. PC players can now also reconfigure three separate key bindings presets: General, Operator Control, and Observer Control. More information on these new features can be found here. As for operator changes and bug fixes, update 2.2 implements all of the changes that Ubisoft previously detailed as part of its latest test server update. Major changes have been implemented for operators like Finka, IQ, and Blackbeard, while other operators like Twitch, Glaz, Dokkaebi, Frost, and Jackal have been given more subtle tweaks. Ubisoft also plans on implementing some major reworks for the operator Thatcher, but those reworks will be reserved for a future update. Finka Reduce ability duration from 20 seconds to 10 seconds Stun grenades will be replaced with Frag grenades Reduce Smoke’s Gas Canister damage modifier Aim down sights modifier from Adrenaline Rush reduced from -50% to -25% IQ Frag Grenades replaced with Claymore Electronics detection reduced from 20m to 15m Blackbeard Increase MK17 damage from 42 to 49 Reduce SR-25 damage from 72 to 61 Reduce the hit points on the Rifle Shield from 60 to 50 30% reduction in movement speed penalty when the Rifle Shield is equipped (He will move faster) Glaz Reduce OTS-03 damage from 85 to 71 Twitch Reduce FAMAS damage from 40 to 37 Jackal Increase footsteps scanning distance from 5m to 8m Frost Increase SMG damage from 43 to 45 Increase Super 90 damage from 32 to 35 Dokkaebi Claymore will be replaced with Stun Grenades Barbed Wire Slowing effect increased from 45% to 50% Bug Fixes Gameplay Fixed – Following certain steps, it is possible to peek an enemy without exposing your head – Following certain steps, it is possible to peek an enemy without exposing your head Fixed – Defuser can be stuck in a wall after dropping it during rappel animation – Defuser can be stuck in a wall after dropping it during rappel animation Fixed – Shield operators will have the ADS sensitivity while reloading – Shield operators will have the ADS sensitivity while reloading Fixed– When Maestro is hacked and using his turret, there’s no “Operated By” mention in the hackers observation tool Operators Alibi Fixed – Prismas are unable to deploy when thrown on a magazine – Prismas are unable to deploy when thrown on a magazine Fixed – Prismas will not deploy on certain carpets – Prismas will not deploy on certain carpets Fixed– Players get detected when shooting at Alibi’s Prisma gadget through the hologram Capitao Fixed– Capitao’s crossbow bolt can remain floating on the side while in use Doc Fixed– Doc’s Legendary skin has two less syringes in Terrorist Hunt Dokkaebi Fixed – Following certain steps, it is possible to reload three rounds in the BOSG 12 – Following certain steps, it is possible to reload three rounds in the BOSG 12 Fixed– Defender cannot identify any Attacker via hacked camera if any Attacker is using this hacked camera Maestro Fixed – If an Evil Eye is destroyed when Maestro is controlling it, he will not be able to shoot – If an Evil Eye is destroyed when Maestro is controlling it, he will not be able to shoot Fixed– Maestro’s Evil Eye loses its functionality after attempting to pick it up from higher ground Tachanka Fixed – Tachanka’s speed is significantly increased following certain steps – Tachanka’s speed is significantly increased following certain steps Fixed– Tachanka can exit the building during prep phase Valkyrie Fixed– When Valkyrie has thrown all her Black Eye cameras, she cannot connect to them with the gadget button Level Design Border Fixed– Drones can clip in 2F Offices from EXT Roof Clubhouse Fixed – The electrical panels in Utility Room do not have collision – The electrical panels in Utility Room do not have collision Fixed – Players are able to clip under the floor of 1F Pool Room – Players are able to clip under the floor of 1F Pool Room Fixed– Drones can clip in the wall from 1F stage Coastline Fixed – Players can vault onto purple tarps from EXT Rooftop – Players can vault onto purple tarps from EXT Rooftop Fixed– Operator’s feet can clip through a wall at 2F Penthouse Skyscraper Fixed – Player can fall out of world at EXT Peaceful Tree – Player can fall out of world at EXT Peaceful Tree Fixed– Attackers can fall or drop the defuser in an unreachable spot Villa Fixed – Players can CLIP through the wall at 1F Kitchen – Players can CLIP through the wall at 1F Kitchen Fixed – Drones can clip inside the wall at the bottom part of the dome – Drones can clip inside the wall at the bottom part of the dome Fixed – Gadgets, projectiles and drones have no collision with the wooden support beam in 2F Classical Hall – Gadgets, projectiles and drones have no collision with the wooden support beam in 2F Classical Hall Fixed – Players are able to plant the defuser on top of the boxes at 1F Dining Room preventing the defender to defuse it from the ground – Players are able to plant the defuser on top of the boxes at 1F Dining Room preventing the defender to defuse it from the ground Fixed – Drones clip into the ceiling at the “1F Art Studio” location – Drones clip into the ceiling at the “1F Art Studio” location Fixed – [PVP20_Italy][LD] Player get stuck in two corner of a barrel at B Wine Cellar – [PVP20_Italy][LD] Player get stuck in two corner of a barrel at B Wine Cellar Fixed– Drones can clip in 1F Pantry Stairs User Experience<doc-sep>Ghost Recon Wildlands' latest major update is now available on PC, Xbox One, and PS4, bringing with it Operation Archangel, a new Rainbow Six Siege crossover mission. Special Operation 2 is the second big update to arrive as part of Wildlands' latest season of content, and follows on from April's well-received Splinter Cell crossover. Its centrepiece is the new Rainbow Six Siege mission, which sees Twitch on an assignment to track down an Operative in the Wildlands. "Who is this Operative? Why are they here? ", asks Ubisoft, "Head over to Caimanes to launch Operation Revenge and find out." Players that successfully complete the mission will recieve the Caveira Gloves - which unlock the position of all nearby enemies in Campaign Mode. Special Operation 2 contains a lot more besides, however. For starters, there's Ghost Mode, a new permadeath PVE offering. This is playable either solo or co-operatively (and friendly fire is enabled), and limits players' load-outs to a pistol and one other primary weapon. Weapons can only be swapped at ammo boxes and Ubisoft says that "You'll need to really think about when to reload, since the remaining bullets in your clip will be lost." Rewards for Ghost Mode include Prestige Credits, earned upon reaching certain milestones. Ubisoft notes that Year 2 Pass holders will be able to access Ghost Mode from today, July 24th, and it will be open to everyone in a week's time. New customisation items include emotes and victory poses. Elsewhere, Wildlands' latest update introduces two new classes inspired by Rainbow Six Operators Doc and Smoke. Surgeon is an Assault class equipped with the MPD-0 Stim Pistol, which can be used to heal and even revive downed players. Toxic, meanwhile, is a Support class that can control a drone equipped with sulfur bombs - which steadily damage all players within the area of impact. Additionally, there are two new maps in the form of Elimination Mode's snowy Checkpoint map and Sabotage Mode's dusty, industrial Factory. Special Operation 2 also includes a welcome range of adjustments and quality of life improvements. AI teammates can now be toggled off to make all PvE campaigns solo, for instance, and The Trapper, Stalker, Guerilla, and Echelon classes have received balance tweaks. Wildlands' new Observer mode. Additionally, the update introduces new customisation options, enabling players to change the face and gender of their character and AI players. Further personalisation is possible through new emotes, voice lines and victory poses, which are unlocked through Battle Crates and equipped via a new Social Page. Rounding things off are a new Observer mode - which introduces tools such as a free-roam camera so that players can properly scrutinise a match as it unfolds - plus new Daily Challenges, and a revamp to the game's Prestige system. Wildlands' Special Operation 2 update is fully detailed in Ubisoft's exhaustive patch notes.<doc-sep>Ubisoft has shared some information for an upcoming patch for Rainbow Six Siege. The patch aims to balance both the pick and win ratio for Siege's Operators. The company reviewed and compiled data on Operators' usefulness and pick rate after Year 3 Patch 2.0. These numbers are only taken from ranked PC play at the Platinum and Diamond tiers. Ubisoft plotted all of Siege's Operators on two separate graphs, one for attackers and one for defenders. Each graph telegraphs an Operator's popularity and Win Delta. The Win Delta is the average win ratio for when an Operator is picked minus the average win ratio for when they are not. Sledge happened to come out with a normal pick rate and Win Delta, but every other Operator falls into one of four camps: under-picked and too strong, over-picked and too strong, under-picked and too weak, or over-picked and too weak. For attackers, Ash is most over-picked, Finka has the highest Win Delta (so she's usually on teams that win), Fuze is picked the least, and Montagne has the lowest Win Delta (so he's usually on teams that lose). Sledge is the closest the attackers have to an average. All things considered the attackers are pretty spread out. The same cannot be said for the defenders, who are stretched out between being too strong or too weak with very little in-between. Bandit is the most picked defender, and Tachanka--as no surprise to anyone considering the meme around him--is picked the least. Rook has the highest Win Delta out of all the defenders, while Tachanka, Kapkan, and Frost all share the lowest Win Delta (although Castle is not far behind them). Valkyrie, Pulse, and Smoke are the closest the defenders have to an average. To better balance the win ratio for Siege's Operators, Ubisoft has some changes planned for Finka, IQ, Blackbeard, Glaz, Twitch, Jackal, Frost, and Dokkaebi. The company is also updating how barbed wire works to promote certain defenders. Ubisoft has plans to watch Alibi, Maestro, Ash, Twitch, Jager, Bandit, Frost, Kapkan, and Castle going forward, to discern if there are any changes that can be made to affect their pick ratio, but there's nothing concrete planned so far. Below are the highlights of the changes coming to Rainbow Six Siege, and you can view the full patch notes on the Siege forums. Upcoming Changes: Finka Reduce ability duration from 20 seconds to 10 seconds Stun grenades will be replaced with Frag grenades Reduce Smoke’s Gas Canister damage modifier Aim down sights modifier from Adrenaline Rush reduced from -50% to -25% IQ Frag Grenades replaced with Claymore Electronics detection reduced from 20m to 15m Blackbeard Increase MK17 damage from 42 to 49 Reduce SR-25 damage from 72 to 61 Reduce the hit points on the Rifle Shield from 60 to 50 30% reduction in movement speed penalty when the Rifle Shield is equipped (He will move faster) Glaz Reduce OTS-03 damage from 85 to 71 Twitch Reduce FAMAS damage from 40 to 37 Jackal Increase footsteps scanning distance from 5m to 8m Frost Increase SMG damage from 43 to 45 Increase Super 90 damage from 32 to 35 Dokkaebi Claymore will be replaced with Stun Grenades Three of the developers behind Rainbow Six Siege held a Reddit AMA to answer questions and better explain the changes the team are making to the game. Rainbow Six Siege is available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.<doc-sep>

A new update is live for Rainbow Six Siege primarily focusing on balancing changes and bug fixes. The update launched first on PC before also coming to Xbox One and PS4. Called Patch 2.2, the update makes several gameplay changes. The first change affects how players deploy drones. Instead of immediately pulling into the drone camera's view upon deployment, players will have the choice between Standard and Advanced views. For Standard, the player's view changes to that of the drone upon deployment. For Advanced, the player's view remains with their Operator after throwing out a drone, and drone view will have to be manually switched to. Players also can now choose their preference for how they rotate through their team's Observation Tools. For Defenders, there are groups of Observation Tools, divided between the main collection of cameras and the groups of specialized cameras assigned to specific Operators, like Valkyrie. Before, Defenders rotated through all the cameras as one large group. Players can still do that if they prefer, or change their settings so the switch between different Observation Tool groups is manual instead of automatic. Ubisoft is also rolling out the first few Operator and item balancing changes outlined in the company's Designer's Notes. We've highlighted the major ones here, but the full list of changes and bug fixes can be found on Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege blog. Balancing Changes Finka Reduce ability duration from 20 seconds to 10 seconds Stun grenades will be replaced with Frag grenades Reduce Smoke’s Gas Canister damage modifier Aim down sights modifier from Adrenaline Rush reduced from -50% to -25% IQ Frag Grenades replaced with Claymore Electronics detection reduced from 20m to 15m Blackbeard Increase MK17 damage from 42 to 49 Reduce SR-25 damage from 72 to 61 Reduce the hit points on the Rifle Shield from 60 to 50 30% reduction in movement speed penalty when the Rifle Shield is equipped (He will move faster) Glaz Reduce OTS-03 damage from 85 to 71 Twitch Reduce FAMAS damage from 40 to 37 Jackal Increase footsteps scanning distance from 5m to 8m Frost Increase SMG damage from 43 to 45 Increase Super 90 damage from 32 to 35 Dokkaebi Claymore will be replaced with Stun Grenades Barbed Wire

Lt Commander DS Chauhan Lt CDR DS Chauhan dies in fire fighting efforts onboard INS Vikramaditya NEW DELHI: A young naval officer was killed in a fire that erupted in the engine room of the country's solitary aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya , while it was entering the harbour of the strategic Karwar base in coastal Karnataka after a deployment in the Arabian Sea on Friday morning.The officer, Lt Commander DS Chauhan , "bravely led the firefighting efforts" that brought the blaze in the engine room under control swiftly to "prevent any serious damage" to the combat capabilities of the 44,500 tonne carrier, which carries MiG-29K fighters and helicopters, said the Navy. "Lt Commander Chauhan, who hailed from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, fell unconscious due to inhalation of smoke and fumes. He was immediately evacuated to the naval hospital INHS Patanjali at Karwar, but could not be revived," said an officer. "The 30-year-old officer, who had done a specialised NBCDC (nuclear, biological, chemical damage control) course, had got married just about a month ago. He is survived by his wife and mother. The Navy has ordered a board of inquiry into the incident," he added.The mishap on board INS Vikramaditya comes shortly before it was slated to participate in the largest-ever "Varuna" naval exercise between India and France off Goa and Karwar from May 1 onwards. With both countries planning to deploy aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines, fighters and other aircraft for the exercise, the French nuclear-powered carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle will have a full complement of Rafale-M fighters, E2C Hawkeye early-warning aircraft, AS-365 Dauphin and other helicopters, as was first reported by TOI.INS Vikramaditya, or the refurbished Admiral Gorshkov inducted in November 2013 under a $2.33 billion deal with Russia, is India's largest and most powerful warship. With the 45 MiG-29Ks ordered for another $2 billion to operate from its deck, the carrier is also the costliest single weapon platform India has ever bought.The carrier, which is 20-storey tall with 22 decks, has a crew of 110 officers and 1,500 sailors. With a maximum range of 7,000 nautical miles at an economical 18 knots speed, the mammoth warship can carry 24 MiG-29Ks and 10 choppers like Kamov-31, Kamov-28, Chetak and Dhruv advanced light helicopters.<doc-sep>"Lieutenant Commander DS Chauhan bravely led the firefighting efforts in the affected compartment," the Navy said. (Photo: ANI) Karwar: A naval officer lost his life while endeavouring to bring down fire onboard the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. The incident happened when the ship was entering the harbour in Karwar, Karnataka. The officer lost consciousness during the firefighting efforts. He was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved. "Lieutenant Commander DS Chauhan bravely led the firefighting efforts in the affected compartment," the Navy said. The Navy said that the fire was brought under control by the crew without inflicting any severe damage to the carrier. An official enquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident. INS Vikramaditya is India's only aircraft carrier and the biggest ship in the Indian Navy.<doc-sep>To improve the performance of our website, show the most relevant news products and targeted advertising, we collect technical impersonal information about you, including through the tools of our partners. You can find a detailed description of how we use your data in our Privacy Policy. For a detailed description of the technologies, please see the Cookie and Automatic Logging Policy. By clicking on the "Accept & Close" button, you provide your explicit consent to the processing of your data to achieve the above goal. You can withdraw your consent using the method specified in the Privacy Policy.<doc-sep>

Indian Navy INS Vikramaditya INHS Patanjali Chetak helicopters The ship’s engine room had caught fire on Thursday;hails officer for ‘daring efforts’.A 30-year-old Indian Navy officer died on Friday during fire-fighting operation on, which had caught fire while entering Naval Dockyard in Karwar in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. Though the fire in the machinery compartment of the engine room was brought under control by swift action preventing any serious damage to the ship’s combat capability, Lieutenant Commander DS Chauhan lost consciousness owing to smoke and fumes. He was later rushed toin Karwar where he could not be revived.INS Vikramaditya is India’s only aircraft carrier. The ship was commissioned into the Indian Navy in November 2013 at Severodvinsk in Russia. A board of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident.The Indian Navy said Lt Cdr Chauhan’s “daring efforts” prevented the fire from causing major damage. Chauhan, who hails from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, got married only last month. He is survived by his mother and wife.Navy officials said Chauhan was known as a very brave officer and his sense of duty was exemplary. “We salute his courage and sense of duty and will make every effort to ensure that his supreme sacrifice does not go in vain. We shall be with his family forever and at all times,” Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said in his condolence message.Earlier called Admiral Gorshkov, INS Vikramaditya is often called floating airfield. The 44,500 tonne ship is 284-m long and 60 m high, which is like a 20-storeyed building. The ship has a total of 22 decks and it has the ability to carry over 30 aircraft comprising an assortment of MiG 29K/Sea Harrier, Kamov 31, Kamov 28, Sea King, ALH-Dhruv and

The Cleveland Browns need to get their roster down to 53 players by Saturday at 4:00 PM ET. Some NFL cuts may come in early, so we will begin to track them here in a live blog format. Please feel free to use the comments section to discuss cuts around the NFL who may be of interest to Cleveland. Scroll to the bottom of this post for a raw list of today’s reported cuts so far. Browns Roster Cuts Live Blog 4:25 PM: The Browns have named their initial 53-man roster! Check it out here. 4:09 PM: It sounds like CB Mike Jordan has been cut: Hearing the #Browns have cut CB Mike Jordan. — Josh Edwards (@JEdwar247) September 1, 2018 3:17 PM: Not sounding good for tight end Devon Cajuste: Doesn’t sound like #Browns TE and Hard Knocks star Cajuste, Devon is making the 53-man roster. Perhaps a practice squad addition. — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 1, 2018 2:28 PM: One minor name for the cut tracker: LB Brady Sheldon. LB Brady Sheldon, Cleveland Browns released per source — College2Pro.com (@BoMarchionte) September 1, 2018 2:00 PM: We are about two hours away from the 4:00 PM deadline! We will have the cuts delivered to you very quickly upon the Browns announcing them, along with a reaction column later and then also a peek at the waiver wire candidates. 11:42 AM: A semi-related Browns move from this morning: the Bills are cutting WR Corey Coleman. Per Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer, “they didn’t like his attitude from the minute he showed up there.” The #Bills cut Corey Coleman less than a month after acquiring him in a trade with the #Browns, source confirms. They didn't like his attitude from the minute he showed up there. #Browns still get the 7th rounder in '19 https://t.co/SgrCmAi934 — Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 1, 2018 11:35 AM: Summarizing a trade that happened earlier, the Chicago Bears were the team that emerged all of a sudden to acquire Khalil Mack from the Raiders. Reports say that Chicago was the only team willing to part with two first-round picks: By the end of the day: — The #Bears will have Khalil Mack, who will be the highest-paid defensive player in football. — The #Raiders will have 2 first-round picks and more, plus $23M more per year to play with that would’ve gone to Mack. — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 1, 2018 9:00 AM: The Browns have released punter Justin Vogel, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter: Bucs have released special teams captain Josh Robinson, per source. Browns released punter Justin Vogel, per source Britton Colquitt wins the job. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2018 10:05 PM (Friday): More teams than just Cleveland are after Khalil Mack, but per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, trade rumors in general for Mack should heat up more on Saturday: With less than 24 hrs to go before the cut-down day deadline, the trade market for #Raiders star pass-rusher Khalil Mack is robust, I’m told. There are enough teams interested where the chances of Mack being traded is very real. Oakland is gauging and listening. Tune in tomorrow. — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 1, 2018 7:18 PM (Friday): Shon Coleman was just traded to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2019 7th round draft pick. Going into training camp, Coleman was expected to compete for the starting LT position to replace the retired Joe Thomas. His time on the left side of the line was short lived as he was quickly moved back to the right, as the backup RT. Our story on it is up here. 6:44 PM (Friday): This evening, Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer is reporting that Cleveland will talk to the Raiders about Khalil Mack: The #Browns are expected to inquire about trading for #Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack, a league source tells clevelanddotcom https://t.co/VX9ocTXqV4 — Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 31, 2018 4:00 PM (Friday): The Browns have announced 14 roster moves to get down to 72 players. The biggest names on the list are QB Brogan Roback, WR Jeff Janis, and LB Justin Currie. They are no where near “shocks” or even “surprises” — they are just a little more noteworthy than the other cuts. 2:03 PM (Friday): According to Benjamin Albright on Twitter, the Browns have inquired about Khalil Mack, but “nothing is imminent” and he also would suggest that Cleveland is not the leader to get him, if he is traded. 1:34 PM (Friday): In other big news, the Los Angeles Rams have locked up DT Aaron Donald to a jaw-dropping contract extension: Long time coming: Rams and Aaron Donald finalizing a record 6-year, $135 million, including $87 million guaranteed, per source. Richest defensive deal in NFL history. Donald now tied to LA for next seven years. And he will be ready for Monday night opener vs. Raiders. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 31, 2018 The relevancy to the Browns is that “the market has been set” for the Raiders’ Khalil Mack and the new contract he will seek. The OBR has reported that the Browns are one of the teams looking to put a trade package together for Mack. 1:31 PM (Friday): We may have our first Browns cut in: agent Andy Ross says that Cleveland is releasing OL Anthony Fabiano: Anthony Fabiano is getting released from Cleveland. #browns #nfl — Andy Ross (@adross77) August 31, 2018 11:50 AM (Friday): A reminder that even after roster cuts are due, the Browns will be busy on the waiver wire with the top claim spot: A busy weekend of NFL moves is ahead. Remdiner: the waiver claim priority is the original 2018 draft order, a valuable tool to add some young talent. First five teams: 1. Browns 2. Giants 3. Colts 4. Texans 5. Broncos — Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 31, 2018 10:30 AM (Friday): As of Friday morning, the Browns’ roster was at 86 players. They’ll need to get down to 53 players, which comes out to 33 cuts. Cleveland began trimming their roster one day early last year, so we will be on the hunt for any cuts or player tweets. As a reminder, my final 53-man roster projection is here. List of Browns Roster Cuts So Far This raw list will be updated Friday and Saturday as news comes in: OFFENSIVE PLAYERS CUT QB Brogan Roback WR Jeff Janis - Contract terminated - Contract terminated WR C.J. Board - Waived/injured - Waived/injured TE Devon Cajuste TE Stephen Baggett OL Anthony Fabiano OL Avery Gennesy OL Fred Lauina DEFENSIVE PLAYERS CUT DL Jeremy Faulk DL Lenny Jones - Waived/injured - Waived/injured DL Blaine Woodson LB Justin Currie - Waived/injured - Waived/injured LB Brady Sheldon CB Mike Jordan CB Christian Boutte S Elijah Campbell S Derron Smith SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS CUT<doc-sep>EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - AUGUST 09: Brogan Roback #3 of the Cleveland Browns scrambles as Jordan Williams #79 of the New York Giants defends during their preseason game on August 9,2018 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) Is the Cleveland Browns starting offensive line becoming an issue again? by Dan Justik The NFL set 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sep. 1 as the deadline for trimming rosters down to 53 players. Find out which Cleveland Browns players have been released here. It’s a sad day around the league as NFL rosters are trimmed down to 53 players. Many who we have watched all offseason try and make an impression and land a job with the Cleveland Browns will get terrible news today. While there have been months of work and film study leading up to this day, the news will come in fast. We will do our best here at Dawg Pound Daily to keep you up to date with a list of players who were let go by the Browns. Some names cam through early as we saw on Friday that ‘Hard Knocks’ standout Brogan Roback was informed of his release and will not be the third quarterback behind Tyrod Taylor and No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield. Instead, it looks like they prefer the 34-year old Drew Stanton, who they see as a mentor for Mayfield during his first season in the NFL. Cleveland may try and get Roback on the practice squad as he showed a promising arm in his limited time on the field — that is, of course, as long as no team places a waiver claim for him. It also looks like another ‘Hard Knocks‘ star won’t make the cut as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has suggested tight end Devon Cajuste won’t make the team. One of the most surprising names on this list has to be defensive tackle Caleb Brantley. He had a shot to make the starting team, but instead hits the waiver wire. See our list below and see what other players missed the cut. Check back with us often as we will update this list whenever we see news break. Quarterback Brogan Roback Wide receiver Jeff Janis Wide receiver C.J. Board Tight end Stephen Baggett Offensive lineman Anthony Fabiano Offensive lineman Avery Gennesy Offensive lineman Fred Lauina Defensive lineman Lenny Jones Defensive lineman Jeremy Faulk Defensive lineman Blaine Woodson Punter Justin Vogel Linebacker Brady Sheldon Linebacker Justin Currie Safety Elijah Campbell Safety Derron Smith Cornerback Christian Boutte Tight end Devon Cajuste Cornerback Michael Jordan Linebacker B.J. Bello Defensive Lineman Caleb Brantley Running Back Matthew Dayes Offensive lineman Spencer Drango Offensive lineman Christian DiLauro Defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale Defensive lineman Zaycoven Henderson Running back Dontrell Hilliard Wide receiver Blake Jackson Defensive back Montrel Meander Defensive line Nate Orchard Defensive back Tigie Sankoh Wide receiver Da’Mari Scott Cornerback Simeon Thomas Fullback Dan Vitale<doc-sep>The Cleveland Browns purged their roster Saturday in order to get down to the league mandated 53 man limit. As is customary, there were some surprise cuts and retention on the active roster. From a recent draft pick standpoint, it is a big surprising to see cornerback Simeon Thomas cut so quickly. Thomas was a sixth round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He did not do much during the preseason but the Browns have kept draft picks in the past who had not shown much. He remains a candidate for the practice squad but the team has elected to trudge forward with young cornerbacks Denzel Rice and Jeremiah McKinnon instead of Thomas. It could be a position that the team considers in waivers as well. Defensive tackle Caleb Brantley was also cut. He was a sixth round draft pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. However, he was considered a talent better than the sixth round. His issues were legal. With the team having a need at defensive tackle, it makes the departure of Brantley that much more intriguing. The team did trade for defensive tackle Devaroe Lawrence of the New Orleans Saints Saturday. The decision to waive offensive lineman Spencer Drango was potentially even more baffling. Drango may not be great at any particular position but he is a young offensive lineman who is solid at multiple positions. His presence would have allowed a backup at a few positions rather than just guard or tackle. The NFL is in the worst shape that it has ever been in regarding the offensive line position. Teams are searching high and low for quality. There is some talk that Cleveland could move Joel Bitonio back to left guard and allow Desmond Harrison to play left tackle. The signing of veteran Earl Watford certainly made the situation a bit cloudy but Drango is a younger player. Join the largest Cleveland Browns fan community on Facebook. Click here and like our page today! Cleveland is rock solid at the running back position with Carlos Hyde, Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson. Matthew Dayes has shown a lot of promise in his limited opportunities as well though. It is a bit of a shame to see the team move on from him this off-season because he has a Duke Johnson-aspect to his game. He had eight carries for 77 yards and a touchdown as well as two receptions for 34 yards in the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions. From a numbers standpoint, it is not a surprise to see him waived. It is a surprise from the standpoint that he has talent. The biggest surprise was at the tight end and fullback positions. It was not necessarily a surprise to see Seth DeValve make the roster. Most people had assumed that, if the Browns were going to keep a fourth tight end, it would be Devon Cajuste. Cleveland did keep a fourth tight end - Orson Charles - while also releasing their fullback - Danny Vitale. Charles did play some fullback for the Bengals while he was there. Darren Fells was also listed as the starting fullback when Vitale was injured during the preseason. David Njoku and DeValve are primarily pass catchers so the team could ill afford to keep Cajuste, who has a relatively similar strength. It is not worth getting upset over any of these decisions though because 1.) it is unknown who the team plans to stash on their practice squad and 2.) there are likely more moves coming Sunday and Monday. Waiver claims begin Sunday and Cleveland is at the head of the line. For every corresponding waiver claim that they make, an equal subtraction must occur. Stay tuned to Cleveland Browns on 247Sports for more updates leading up to the regular season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers!<doc-sep>

UPDATE (9/2/18): The Browns made 5 waiver claims (and thus 5 more cuts) on Sunday, so the “new” 53-man roster can be found here. The original 53-man roster story appears below: The following players were cut by the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, trimming their roster from 71 players to the league-required 53 players. Make sure you react to all of the cuts in the comments section below! The final 53-man roster is also at the bottom of this post. Note: Here is a list the 14 players who were cut by the Browns on Friday. They also traded OT Shon Coleman on Friday. OFFENSIVE PLAYERS CUT RB Matthew Dayes - Had a strong final preseason game, team would love to get him back on the practice squad. - Had a strong final preseason game, team would love to get him back on the practice squad. RB Dontrell Hilliard FB Danny Vitale - Waived/Injured designation. The team is going without a traditional fullback, but veteran TE Orson Charles may take on that role. - Waived/Injured designation. The team is going without a traditional fullback, but veteran TE may take on that role. WR Da’Mari Scott WR Blake Jackson TE Devon Cajuste - The Hard Knocks darling didn’t make it, but could be a practice squad candidate. - The Hard Knocks darling didn’t make it, but could be a practice squad candidate. OL Spencer Drango - Drango has always been intended to be a backup, but he’s made a lot of starts the past few years due to injuries. Last year, he replaced Joe Thomas at left tackle. At playing nearly every snap this preseason while Kevin Zeitler was out, they decided to keep veteran Earl Watford (recently signed) instead. - Drango has always been intended to be a backup, but he’s made a lot of starts the past few years due to injuries. Last year, he replaced at left tackle. At playing nearly every snap this preseason while was out, they decided to keep veteran (recently signed) instead. OL Christian DiLauro DEFENSIVE PLAYERS CUT DL Nate Orchard - His final pick six against the Lions wasn’t enough. Orchard, a former 2nd-round pick, was a longshot last year, but stuck around for depth. Not in 2018. - His final pick six against the Lions wasn’t enough. Orchard, a former 2nd-round pick, was a longshot last year, but stuck around for depth. Not in 2018. DL Caleb Brantley - Probably the biggest “cut” on the list. He was often hurt this camp, and has a history of motivational issues. Maybe that was OK with Sashi Brown , but not with John Dorsey . - Probably the biggest “cut” on the list. He was often hurt this camp, and has a history of motivational issues. Maybe that was OK with , but not with . DL Zaycoven Henderson DL Daniel Ekuale LB Brady Sheldon LB B.J. Bello S Simeon Thomas - The only one of John Dorsey’s draft picks who was waived. He played tight coverage this preseason, but used his hands way too much. Should be a practice squad candidate. - The only one of draft picks who was waived. He played tight coverage this preseason, but used his hands way too much. Should be a practice squad candidate. S Montrel Meander S Tigie Sankoh CB Mike Jordan - One of two cornerback holdovers from a year ago, he saw some increased reps lately, but the team opted to keep their new guys instead like T.J. Carrie and E.J. Gaines. SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS CUT P Justin Vogel OTHER MOVES Acquired DL Devaroe Lawrence from the Saints in exchange for a 2019 7th round pick. FINAL 53-MAN ROSTER (as of 9/1/18) Pos Final Roster Friday & Saturday Cuts QB (3) Tyrod Taylor Baker Mayfield Drew Stanton Brogan Roback RB (3) Duke Johnson Carlos Hyde Nick Chubb Matthew Dayes Dontrell Hilliard FB (0) Dan Vitale WR (6) Josh Gordon Jarvis Landry Antonio Callaway Rashard Higgins Damion Ratley Derrick Willies Jeff Janis Da'Mari Scott C.J.