Tuesday

Allegation clouds Bobby Brown’s plan for violence shelter


ATLANTA — Singer Bobby Brown plans to build a shelter for domestic violence victims in honor of his late daughter while declining to directly address old allegations that he once hit his ex-wife Whitney Houston.

Brown is developing the not-for-profit Bobbi Kristina Brown Serenity House near Atlanta. The shelter will also offer a 24-hour crisis intervention line and an emergency transitional shelter.

On Monday, he received three proclamations from officials in Atlanta, Fulton County and the City of South Fulton acknowledging his plans.


Bobbi Kristina Brown, 22, was found unresponsive in a bathtub in 2015 and died after six months in a coma.

Her estate sued her boyfriend, Nick Gordon, for wrongful death, accusing him of assault and other offenses. An attorney for Gordon called the charges baseless, but after Gordon failed to defend himself in the civil case, a judge ruled against him in 2016 and ordered him to pay $36 million.

Bobbi Kristina Brown’s mother, Houston, died in 2012 after she drowned in a bathtub. Coroner’s officials ruled Houston’s death accidental and said heart disease and cocaine were contributing factors.

Last week, Brown denied to news reporters that his tumultuous marriage with Houston ever turned violent, despite a 2016 interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts in which Brown said he once hit her.

Asked again Monday about the allegations involving Houston, Brown did not answer directly, but instead described his own childhood experiences of domestic violence.

“I grew up in a domestic violence home,” he said. “I’ve seen it firsthand. It stopped after my mom was not going to have it anymore. They both would do it to each other. I’m happy that part of my life is over. I’m ready to move on. I’m becoming a better man, father and brother. This is all about being there for someone else, so they won’t have to go through it by themselves.”

Houston called police just outside Atlanta in December 2003 to report that Brown threatened to beat her and then hit her in the face, leaving her with a bruised cheek and a cut inside her lip. But Brown described the incident as a “little spat” saying the two were playfully “slap boxing” before Houston took one of his jabs a “little serious.”


A judge in May 2004 ruled there was enough evidence for Brown to stand trial on misdemeanor battery charges and set a deadline about two months later for Brown to turn himself over to authorities for fingerprinting. An Associated Press report from the time says Brown and Houston exchanged smiles during the hearing and left the courtroom arm-in-arm.

Brown turned himself in on July 11, 2004, a few hours before the court-imposed deadline, and was released after posting a $2,000 bond.

A notice from the Fulton County solicitor general’s office says the case was dismissed in December 2005. The reason prosecutors gave was: “Unable to contact the victim.”

Brown’s wife, Alicia Etheredge-Brown, said she doesn’t appreciate the old allegations against her husband getting fresh attention.

“It feels very hurtful,” she said. She added that, “everyone doesn’t have the platform that Bobby is on, so it’s exposed.”

She said they are currently looking at properties in Atlanta and plan to open a home in the next year.



City of South Fulton Mayor Bill Edwards said he supports Brown despite the old charges, saying it’s appropriate for Brown to receive a proclamation recognizing his plans for a shelter.

“You have to get to know the person for themselves. If you listen to the person and read between the lines, and you hear him today, that was genuine. That was not New Edition. That was a genuine love for his family. A genuine love for his daughter and for this movement to avoid domestic violence.”

Brown said he felt overwhelmed by the local officials’ support.

“I’m one of the happiest men on the planet earth right now,” Brown said. “It’s just beautiful that the mayor and city council have stepped up in support of my daughter’s passing.” MKH

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Monday

California wildfire death toll: 2 firefighters, great-grandmother, 2 children


REDDING, California — Two young children and their 70-year-old great-grandmother died in the wildfire that swept into the city of Redding with devastating speed, their family said Saturday, and a bulldozer operator who died working to contain the fire was identified as an 81-year-old man from a small community east of Sacramento.

A tearful Sherry Bledsoe confirmed the deaths of her grandmother, Melody Bledsoe, and her children, James Roberts, 5, and Emily Roberts, 4.

The fatalities brought the death toll to five since the so-called Carr Fire started burning Monday. It exploded Thursday, jumped the Sacramento River and entered the Redding city limits.


The Shasta County Sheriff’s Department identified the bulldozer operator as Don Ray Smith of Pollock Pines. He was overtaken by flames while on the job and his body was found Thursday.

Authorities previously identified another firefighter fatality as Redding Fire Department Inspector Jeremy Stoke, who was killed on the job Thursday night. Details have not been released.

Donna Araiza, founder of the Alyssa Araiza “Wings of Angels” organization for seriously ill children, said Stoke regularly donated to her group, as well as the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“He and his wife, Alyson, were always supporting us,” Araiza told the Record Searchlight, Redding’s daily newspaper. “He was a generous and a good man.”

The Bledsoes lived near the Keswick Estates neighborhood, and their home, like many around it, was reduced to ashes. The tragedy leaves Ed Bledsoe without his wife and the great-grandchildren he doted on.

“He lost everything. Everything. You can’t lose more than family. And then you lose everything on top of that?” said Don Kewley, whose girlfriend is one of the Bledsoes’ granddaughters. “The man’s got the shirt on his back and the pants on his waist. Like that’s it.”

Ed Bledsoe had headed out for supplies Thursday thinking the flames were far away, but while shopping he received a desperate call from his great-grandson. The boy said he had to come back to the home. Flames were closing in.

“We need your help,” the boy said, according to Jason Decker, who is the boyfriend of another Bledsoe granddaughter.


Kewley said the family believed the area was not in imminent danger and Melody Bledsoe had no car.

Ed Bledsoe rushed home, but was turned back by police. The fire was raging and there were walls of flames.

Decker took the day off work Friday and drove his motorcycle to the home to look for members of the family but only found the smoldering remains of the house.

A day later, what remained of the Bledsoe property was surrounded with crime scene tape.

Decker said his own children played with James and Emily and they had trick-or-treated together.

“I don’t even have any more tears to cry,” Decker said. “But I keep finding them.”   /kga

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Disney parks around the world to go straw-free next year


After hotel chains, restaurants and airlines, Disney has announced plans to eliminate plastic straws across all its owned and operated parks around the world by mid-2019.


In a blog post, Disney outlined a broad plan to join the global fight against plastic pollution that will include banning single-use plastic straws and stir sticks at theme parks around the globe.

The move is expected to amount to the reduction of 175 million straws and 13 million plastic stirrers annually.


At its hotels and onboard cruise ships, the company also announced a plastic reduction strategy that will include transitioning to refillable in-room amenities.

Plastic bags will be reduced at their parks and onboard cruise ships, and guests will be offered the option to purchase reusable bags.

Disney follows fellow tourism and hospitality players like Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and Royal Caribbean cruise line in committing to phasing out the use of single-use plastic straws which are non-recyclable and are choking the ocean’s marine life. JB

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Sunday

WATCH: Chris Hemsworth bares ripped abs in ‘Men in Black’ training video


As with the many Chrises in superhero movies, Chris Hemsworth has impressed with his heavenly body worthy of Thor, god of thunder.

The Australian actor continues to maintain his muscular figure as seen in a video he shared while doing an outdoor workout routine in London.



— Chris Hemsworth (@chrishemsworth) July 27, 2018

Hemsworth, 34, showed off his swift punches and some kicks with personal trainer Luke Zocchi, who also got the actor ripped as Thor in the Marvel movies.

According to an interview with Elite Daily in April 2016, Zocchi revealed that Hemsworth would do heavy weights six days a week and pack in 3,500 calories a day, which has translated to 20 pounds of muscle. The workouts are not more than hour-long as he does high intensity training.

“Men in Black” is set for a spinoff to be released in 2019, over 20 years since it first hit theaters in 1997, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The movie will feature new characters and a cast that includes Hemsworth, his “Thor: Ragnarok” co-star Tessa Thompson, Liam Neeson and Kumail Nanijani. Emma Thompson will reprise her role as chief of the Men in Black Organization. Production was scheduled to begin this month in London. JB


source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Upcoming budget-friendly iPhone may have thinner bezel than iPhone X


An upcoming budget-friendly iPhone may have a thinner bezel than the high-end iPhone X.

The reported budget-friendly, 6.1-inch LCD iPhone may get thinner bezels through a piece of technology called “Full Active LCD” from Japan Display, according to supply-chain outlet Macotakara via 9to5Mac.

Japan Display’s Full Active LCD technology comes with the proprietary Pixel Eyes feature, which essentially allows for thinner displays on devices. A Full Active screen also makes a thinner bezel possible. The upcoming 6.1-inch iPhone may have a bezel as thin as 0.5 millimeter. As a point of reference, the iPhone X has a 1-mm bezel.

The Japanese company introduced mass production of its Full Active LCDs in 2017, according to a statement. Given the amount of time it takes to adopt a new technology, it appears timely for new iPhones to incorporate these new displays.

Meanwhile, Macotakara mentioned Apple may have encountered production issues with the 6.1-inch devices. This means the release of the the 6.1-inch iPhones may get pushed back to November.  Alfred Bayle /ra

source: technology.inquirer.net

Friday

Kristen Stewart to star in new, female-directed 'Charlie's Angels'


LOS ANGELES - "Charlie's Angels" are returning to the big screen next year for a third outing, this time with a female director and a multi-racial trio of women led by Kristen Stewart.

"Twilight" star Stewart, along with rising British actresses Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska, will play the lead roles in the latest movie reboot of the 1970s crime caper, to be directed by Elizabeth Banks, Sony Pictures said on Thursday.

" 'Charlie’s Angels,' for me, is one of the original brands to celebrate the empowered woman since its debut in the '70s. This film honors the legacy of Charles Townsend and his agency while introducing a new era of modern and global Angels," Banks said in a statement.

Banks, who also directed "Pitch Perfect 2," is also a co-producer and co-writer and she will play the role of the avuncular Bosley, which was played by a man on both the original television series and in two movie versions.

The new "Charlie's Angels" marks a trend in Hollywood to entrust more women with directing big budget fare, and towards ethnic diversity. Scott is of Indian descent, while Balinska is mixed race.

"Charlie's Angels" first appeared on U.S. television in 1976, starring Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith as sexy private detectives sent on missions by their unseen boss, Charlie Townsend.

The series spawned a 2000 movie adaptation starring Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore, who returned for a 2003 sequel "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."

The new movie is expected to be released in September 2019 but the title and plot details were not announced. — Reuters

Thursday

Hopes rise again for a drug to slow Alzheimer’s disease


CHICAGO — Hopes are rising again for a drug to alter the course of Alzheimer’s disease after decades of failures. An experimental therapy slowed mental decline by 30 percent in patients who got the highest dose in a mid-stage study, and it removed much of the sticky plaque gumming up their brains, the drug’s makers said Wednesday.

The results have been highly anticipated and have sent the stock of the two companies involved soaring in recent weeks.

The drug from Eisai and Biogen did not meet its main goal in a study of 856 participants, so overall, it was considered a flop. But company officials said that 161 people who got the highest dose every two weeks for 18 months did significantly better than 245 people who were given a dummy treatment.


There are lots of caveats about the work, which was led by company scientists rather than academic researchers and not reviewed by outside experts. The study also was too small to be definitive and the results need to be confirmed with more work, dementia experts said. But they welcomed any glimmer of success after multiple failures.

“We’re cautiously optimistic,” said Maria Carrillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Association, whose international conference in Chicago featured the results.

“A 30 percent slowing of decline is something I would want my family member to have,” and the drug’s ability to clear the brain plaques “looks pretty amazing,” she said.

About 50 million people worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer’s is the most common type. There is no cure— current medicines just ease symptoms. Some previous efforts to develop a drug to slow the disease may have been tried too late, after much damage had already occurred. The new drug aimed sooner, in people with early Alzheimer’s, and the drug works at an earlier step in formation of the sticky brain plaques.

Study participants were given one of five doses of BAN2401 or a dummy treatment via IV. After one year, the companies said the drug didn’t meet statistical goals. But after 18 months, they saw a benefit in the highest dose group.

What makes it tricky, though, is that they used a new way to measure mental decline, a scale that combines parts of three other widely used tests. This is the first study to use that measure, and it’s unclear how much of a difference a 30 percent slowing of decline makes — whether it allows someone to continue to bathe or feed himself, for instance.

“It’s intriguing, but these are designs we’re not used to seeing,” and it will require more study for doctors to feel comfortable with this as a measure of success, said one independent expert, Dr. Julie Schneider of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

On one traditional measure of thinking skills, those at the highest dose declined 47 percent less than people given a dummy treatment.


Brain scans added evidence that the drug might be effective. All participants had signs of the sticky plaques that are the hallmark of Alzheimer’s at the start of the study, but 81 percent of people on the highest dose saw all signs of them disappear after 18 months, an Eisai official said.

Side effects leading to discontinuation of treatment occurred in 19 percent of those on the high dose and 6 percent of the dummy treatment group. Cases of brain swelling, which have been seen in other treatments targeting the plaques in the brain, occurred in two people in the placebo group and 16 of those in the high dose group.

Other dementia experts were encouraged.

“That’s a very hopeful outcome. It means we may be on the right track,” said another scientist with no role in the work, Dr. Stephen Salloway, neurology chief at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

Dr. Reisa Sperling, a neurologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said it’s important to realize that this is not a cure, just possibly a slowing of decline.

“We’re not suddenly returning people back to their pre-Alzheimer’s baseline,” she said.

Dr. Lynn Kramer, chief medical officer of Eisai’s neurology unit, said the companies would talk with regulators about further studies.

Shares of Biogen, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Eisai, based in Tokyo, soared after July 5 when they announced that the drug had slowed the progression of early Alzheimer’s disease for certain patients. Biogen’s stock jumped 19.6 percent in one day, its biggest move in 14 years, and has continued to rise. Eisai rocketed 40 percent in two days.

Biogen stock gyrated in aftermarket trading after the study results were released. After switching between gains and losses several times, it fell 6.5 percent.  /muf

source: technology.inquirer.net

Wednesday

YouTube tests out an ‘Explore Tab’ of its own


YouTube is at it again, experimenting with a new feature on a small group of its users. The last time it experimented in this manner, it prompted a backlash from the Creator community due to a “lack of communication,” an issue which has since been addressed in a blog post from CEO Susan Wojcicki.

This time around, the company has gone about it with a slightly different approach, communicating its plans for a new Explore Tab through various social media channels.


The new Explore Tab rolled out to 1 percent of iPhone users on Monday, replacing the Trending section.

As with the tab in Instagram, this space hopes to introduce users to new channels, topics or creators based on what they’ve previously watched. This may sound like the Home tab, however that’s where previously viewed material is shown, rather than personalized recommendations.

The feature is explained on Creator Insider, an informal channel started by YouTube employees. Wojcicki notes that this is where the team can post weekly updates and respond to concerns, while it also “provides a more behind-the-scenes look at some of (its) product launches.”

It has yet to be seen whether this will ever roll out globally; for now, it remains an experiment. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Ryan Lochte’s future? Even he isn’t sure what’s next


FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — Ryan Lochte doesn’t know when he’ll be in another race.

And that worries him.

What’s next for Lochte is a mystery, even to himself. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s decision to suspend the 12-time Olympic swimming medalist because he broke a rule by getting an intravenous infusion of vitamins will keep him from competing in any major meet through July 2019.


So essentially, the only opponent he’ll be facing other than training partners as he preps for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is rust.

“I’m worried about that 100 percent,” Lochte said Monday, shortly after USADA announced his ban. “I know I’ll be able to swim in 2020, but in swimming, you have to compete. You have to race. It doesn’t matter how well you train. That doesn’t matter. It’s how you compete when you get on those starting blocks. And the less chance I have of getting on those blocks, the worse it’s going to be for me.”

The suspension was handed down by anti-doping officials, who made clear that Lochte was not taking any banned substance. His mistake was getting an IV that exceeded the legal level of 100 milliliters — something he and his wife did together at a Gainesville, Florida, clinic on May 24 in an effort to bolster their immune systems after their infant son got sick.

Lochte posted a photo of the scene on his Instagram account, and USADA opened an investigation after seeing that image.

Lochte cooperated with the USADA probe, but apparently was shown no leniency. His penalty: A 14-month sanction, going back to the date of the photo. It will cost him the chance to swim at this week’s U.S. national championships, the Pan Pacific Championships later this year, and next year’s world championships.

Hence, his concern about rust.

“It’s something I’ll have to deal with,” Lochte said.


He said he will continue his daily training regimen. It’s possible Lochte could race in some unsanctioned events during the suspension — he said he would review options. He hasn’t raced often since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where he left in shame after his story about how he and three teammates were victims of an armed robbery unraveled and ultimately led to him being suspended for 10 months by U.S. officials.

“As soon as you get to a certain point or level, in any kind of sport career, you’re always going to have an eye on you,” Lochte said. “I think I’ve learned it the hard way, definitely — especially since Rio. And now this.”

And now, he’s on the deck again, over what he insists was an honest mistake. He simply didn’t know the rule about IVs. Under most circumstances, athletes cannot receive IVs unless related to a hospitalization or when allowed under the terms of a USADA-approved exemption, and Lochte fell into neither of those categories.

So instead of heading to California to compete at nationals, Lochte was holding a news conference inside a hotel conference room in South Florida — vowing that this experience will only stoke his fire to be at those 2020 Tokyo Games.

“I definitely made myself a better person after Rio,” Lochte said. “I was back in training. I was feeling good. I was swimming fast. My son being born, everything was happening, everything was perfect. And then this happened. And it’s devastating. But we’re a family, we’re going to stick together and we’re going to get through this.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Tuesday

Man firing into Toronto cafes shoots 14 people, killing 1


TORONTO  — A man firing a handgun into restaurants and cafes as he walked along a Toronto street shot 14 people, killing one of them, before dying after an exchange of gunfire with police late Sunday, police said.

Police Chief Mark Saunders said the shooting in the city’s Greektown neighborhood was not random and he did not rule out terrorism as a motive.

“Other than the shooter we have a young lady that is deceased,” the police chief said.



Saunders also said a 9-year-old was in critical condition.

A video from one witness shows a man dressed in black clothes and a black hat walking quickly and firing three shots from the sidewalk into at least one shop or restaurant. Toronto’s Greektown is a lively residential area with crowded Greek restaurants and cafes.

The condition of the other victims was not known yet, police spokesman Mark Pugash said.

Witnesses heard many shots and described the suspect walking past restaurants and cafes and patios on both sides of the street and firing into them.

John Tulloch said he and his brother had just gotten out of their car when he heard about 20 to 30 gunshots.

“We just ran. We saw people starting to run so we just ran,” he said.

An army of police, paramedics and other first responders soon descended on the scene, while area residents, some in their pajamas, emerged from their homes to see what was happening.

Toronto Councillor Paula Fletcher told CP24 she heard that the gunman was emotionally disturbed.


“It’s not gang related. It looks like someone who is very disturbed,” Fletcher said.

Councillor Mary Fragedakis also said she heard the gunman was disturbed.

Fletcher said for this to happen in an area where families gather for dinner is a tragedy.

Mass shootings are rare in Canada’s largest city.

“We were so used to living in a city where these things didn’t happen,” Toronto Mayor John Tory said. “But there are things that happen nowadays and they are just unspeakable.”

This past weekend Toronto police deployed dozens of additional officers to deal with a recent spike in gun violence in the city. Tory said the city has a gun problem.

“Guns are too readily available to too many people,” Tory said.

Police urged people to come forward with video or witness testimony.

The mass shooting comes a few months after a driver of a van plowed into pedestrians on a Toronto sidewalk, killing 10 people and injuring 14. Authorities have not disclosed a motive. But they have said the arrested driver, Alek Minassian, posted a message on social media referencing a misogynistic online community before the attack.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Monday

Molinari survives wild day to win British Open


CARNOUSTIE, Scotland — Francesco Molinari didn’t get the loudest cheers for the best golf at British Open.

He was overlooked for so much of Sunday playing alongside Tiger Woods, who caused pure pandemonium at Carnoustie by taking the lead in the final round of a major for the first time in nine years.

Molinari settled for the best cheer of them all.


The last one.

Amid so much chaos — seven players atop the leaderboard, six of them still tied on the back nine — Molinari played a steady hand by going the entire weekend without a bogey and finishing with a 5-foot birdie putt that secured his place in history as Italy’s first major champion.

“Clearly, in my group, the attention wasn’t really on me, let’s put it that way,” Molinari said, the gleaming claret jug in front of him. “If someone was expecting a charge, they probably weren’t expecting it from me. But it’s been the same the whole of my career.”

His charge was a 2-under 69 in the strongest wind of the week, the only player from the last four groups to break par.

Woods lost the lead with one bad swing that would have been even farther left of the 11th green had it not crashed into the fans, leading to double bogey. He followed that with a bogey and never caught up. He had to settle for a 71.

Jordan Spieth, tied for the lead in his bid to go back-to-back in the British Open, failed to make a single birdie and shot 76, his highest score Sunday in a major.

Kevin Chappell made two double bogeys, the last one on No. 17 that derailed his hopes. Kevin Kisner made his double bogey early. Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose each made a run with eagles on the par-5 14th hole, McIlroy with a 50-foot putt , Rose with a second shot that bounced off the base of the pin. They ran out of holes.

Xander Schauffele, the last hope to keep alive the American streak of five straight majors, was one shot behind until he sent a long iron to the right of the 17th and failed to make a 15-foot putt for par.


Molinari clinched it with a driver that skirted the edge of a pot bunker, leaving him a lob wedge from 112 yards to 5 feet. He poured it in, raised his right fist and shook it lightly before slamming it for emphasis.

Then, he waited in the trailer to see if anyone could catch him. At one point, he went over to the practice green, but not to prepare for a playoff.

“I probably would have felt sick watching on TV,” he said.

Molinari finished at 8-under 276, the lowest score in eight Opens at Carnoustie, the course where Jean Van de Velde threw away the British Open with a triple bogey on the last hole in 1999, where Padraig Harrington twice hit into Barry Burn on the last hole to make double bogey and still won.

“Just disbelief, to be honest,” the 35-year-old said. “To go the weekend bogey-free, it’s unthinkable. Playing with Tiger was another challenge. But I felt really good this morning. I felt I was ready for the challenge.”

Woods had every reason to believe he would cap a most improbable comeback from four back surgeries.

His red shirt blazing against the yellow grass of a dry Scottish summer, Woods hit driver into the wind on the par-4 fourth to set up birdie. Into the wind on the par-5 sixth, three deep bunkers to the right and out-of-bounds to the left, he got to the front of the green with a driver and a 3-wood for another birdie.



And just like the Woods of old, the players he was chasing started to collapse.

Spieth gambled with a shot to clear the burn on No. 6 and went into a gorse bush, making double bogey. Schauffele chopped up the next hole for double bogey.

Woods had the lead.

And then he lost it with two bad holes. Still in range, he couldn’t get close enough for a birdie when it mattered. It was the first time since the 2007 U.S. Open that he trailed going into the final round of a major, had the lead and didn’t win.

His anger over his mistakes was tempered by perspective, comparing it to Serena Williams losing in the finals at Wimbledon.

“The beginning of the year, if they’d have said, ‘You’re playing The Open Championship,’ I would have said I’d be very lucky to do that. Serena and I are good friends. I’m sure she’ll probably call me and talk to me about it because you’ve got to put things in perspective. … I know that it’s going to sting for a little bit here, but given where I was to where I’m at now, blessed.”



It might sting even worse for Spieth. One day after a bogey-free round of 65 to share the lead, he had a birdie-free round at the worst time. His best chance was at the 14th, where he three-putted for par from about 40 feet.

“When you put yourself in position enough times, it goes your way sometimes, it doesn’t go your way sometimes,” Spieth said, who goes to the PGA Championship in three weeks for a chance at the career Grand Slam.

The victory adds to Molinari’s best stretch of golf.

Now at a career-best No. 6 in the world, he has won three times and been runner-up twice in his last six tournaments. One of those was three weeks ago at the Quicken Loans National when he shot 62 in the final round and Woods, the tournament host, presented him the trophy.

This round wasn’t flashy, and neither is Molinari. He saved par with 8-foot putts on the 12th and 13th, two of the most pivotal putts all day.

But not the most memorable.

“That putt on the last, I’ll never forget,” he said.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Sunday

From high school drop-out to Korean gaming superstar


A high school drop-out dubbed the “Michael Jordan of eSports” has helped make South Korea a major power in video-gaming, and is now leading its push to be recognized by the mainstream.

The bespectacled, floppy-fringed “Faker”, real name Lee Sang-hyeok, is the world’s top “League of Legends” gamer and in hyper-wired Korea, he enjoys similar fame and fortune to top basketball or baseball players.

Faker, 22, will be one of the biggest stars at next month’s regional Olympics, the quadrennial Asian Games in Indonesia, where eSports will be held as a demonstration event for the first time.


It marks a step forward in gaming’s efforts to be considered a genuine sport, possibly even gaining a slot at the Olympics in the future, good news for global eSports powerhouses like South Korea.

The South enjoys ultra-fast broadband and a vibrant internet culture, and internet cafes armed with powerful high-end computers catering to school-age gamers can be found on many street corners.

“eSports player” consistently ranks among children’s most popular future jobs, coming eighth in an education ministry survey of elementary school pupils last year, higher than “scientist.”

Faker started playing video games in elementary school, and excelled at “League of Legends”, an online battle game introduced by Riot Games in 2009.

As he climbed the online LoL rankings speculation mounted about his identity, and he formed a team with friends to compete at amateur tournaments.

He dropped out of high school after being offered a job as a professional, making his debut in 2013 and thrashing top players one after another as he made his way to stardom.

eSports ‘fully embraced’

Korea’s eSports scene is reminiscent of Germany’s soccer culture, with grassroot talents nurtured from a young age, some of them making their way to amateur leagues and, after years of competition and effort, professional teams.


Many leading firms have their own eSports teams, with Faker believed to be paid at least 3 billion won ($2.6 million; P142 million) a year by his sponsor SK Telecom, the South’s top wireless operator.

“This is a country where eSports has been fully embraced as a type of sport among youth, and even college sports championships have eSport events,” said Kim Cheol-Hag, secretary general of the Korea eSports Association.

Last year, eSports was ranked the third most popular sport among South Koreans aged 15 to 29 after soccer and baseball, according to a survey by Nielsen Korea.

Multiple TV channels are dedicated to broadcasting eSports competitions, held at large football stadiums to roars from tens of thousands of fans, or sleek special arenas designed to showcase the games.

“Playing games became a full-time career in the South in the mid-2000s when many pro eSports teams were established, ahead of other countries,” Kim said.

With 25 million players, which is half the population, the South is the world’s sixth-biggest video game market.

But many South Korean players and coaches have been hired to work for top teams around the world, including China and the United States, eSports’ two biggest markets.

“Now the U.S. and China have the same systems and have caught up with us,” Kim told AFP. “But we have know-how and culture that has been accumulated for decades helping us stay at the top of the game”.

‘Improve your social standing’

South Korea’s obsession with video games dates back to the 1990s when Starcraft, a U.S, science fiction strategy game, enjoyed huge popularity, so much so that the South accounted for more than half its worldwide sales.

Nowadays, teenagers hoping to become professional players, or popular among their game-crazed peers, flock to a growing number of private, after-hours schools coaching them how to play video games better.

A typical “game academy” features a rows of teenagers or men in their 20s playing “Overwatch” or “League of Legends”, with a coach, usually a former pro, watching their performances and suggesting better moves.

“If you become a good gamer, it can improve your social standing and help you make more friends,” game academy student Kim Han-eol told Seoul’s YTN news channel.

Six other players will accompany Faker to Indonesia next month to compete.

“The Asian Games is not an event only watched by gamers but something watched by the whole nation,” Faker told reporters. “I will win the game no matter what.” JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Saturday

Chris Cornell statue to be erected in Seattle


SEATTLE — The late grunge pioneer Chris Cornell will be remembered in the city where he was born.

Cornell’s wife on Friday announced a statue will be erected Aug. 29 at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture. The announcement comes on what would have been Cornell’s 54th birthday.

Vicky Cornell commissioned sculptor Nick Marras to create a life-size bronze statue of her late husband in his signature boots, dog tag and long locks. She says it is her family’s gift to “the tight-knit community that gave him his start.”

The Grammy-winning lead vocalist for Soundgarden and Audioslave was found dead in a Detroit hotel room hours after a Soundgarden concert May 18, 2017. A medical examiner determined the 52-year-old had killed himself.

Cornell was born and raised in Seattle. MKH

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Friday

Brazilian cops nab celeb surgeon ‘Dr. Bumbum’ after patient dies


RIO DE JANEIRO — Police arrested celebrity plastic surgeon Denis Cesar Barros Furtado on Thursday, five days after he went on the run following the death of a patient he gave injections to enlarge her buttocks.

Known as “Dr. Bumbum” — Brazilian slang for backside, Furtado was arrested at an office complex in Rio de Janeiro’s Barra de Tijuca neighborhood. Police also arrested his mother, Maria de Fatima Barros, who worked with him.


Police said Furtado performed the buttock enhancement procedure on bank manager Lilian Calixto at his Rio home last Saturday. Calixto fell ill during the procedure and Furtado rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she died hours later.


Police said the exact cause of her death has not been determined.

Furtado disappeared after he dropped Calixto off at the hospital and a judge issued a warrant for his arrest.



Inside a police station on Thursday, Furtado told reporters he was innocent of any wrongdoing.

“There was an occurrence with the patient,” he said.

In a video aired by the G1 news portal, Furtado said, “A fatality has occurred — a fatality that could happen to any doctor.” G1 said the video was posted on a social media site after Furtado’s arrest.

The doctor’s lawyer, Naiara Baldanza, said in a statement that “any conclusion regarding the death of Lilian Calixto and my client’s responsibility in this fatality is premature.”            /kga

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Thursday

No LeBron, but ESPYs attendees abuzz about newest Laker


LOS ANGELES — LeBron James was absent from the ESPYs, but was still the talk of the town on the red carpet under a sizzling sun in Los Angeles.

“There’s a buzz around this city,” Lakers teammate Josh Hart said.

James was nominated for Best NBA player for the 14th straight year at the ESPYs on Wednesday night.


“I think he’s going to do great things,” soon-to-be NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens said. “I can see everywhere he’s gone they’ve increased their wins. I expect nothing less.”

Athletes and celebrities offered suggestions on how James can settle into life as a new Angeleno. He has yet to speak publicly about his new team since leaving Cleveland for the West Coast.

“It’s limitless,” rapper G-Eazy said. “This is Los Angeles. There’s everything you could ever dream of here.”

Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon suggested the two do a beach day.

“He’s probably going to be training around where I live so we’ve got to go to Manhattan Beach, obviously,” the bronze medalist said.

Rippon, who recently skated nude for a photo shoot, offered to teach James how to soar on the ice if it’s of interest to the newest Lakers superstar.

“LeBron should know that if he ever needs a lesson, I’ll help him out,” Rippon said.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Chocolate mallows—inspired by our Sapporo trip

On a recent family trip to Japan, I was amazed at Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido. It’s probably the most unique airport I’ve seen.

Part carnival, part shopping mall, it has everything to keep waiting passengers entertained, prodding arriving passengers to spend a few hours there before proceeding to their hotels in the city, and departing ones to arrive there early, so they can have time to enjoy all the facilities before boarding their flights.


Imagine a world of chocolates, for instance, which occupies an entire section of the airport. Here, one shop after another sells pastries, ice cream and chocolates, particularly Japan’s famous Royce brand.

There’s also a showcase factory where visitors can view the many stages of chocolate making, as well as a museum that traces the origins of cacao.

My daughters were ecstatic over the Hello Kitty Happy Flight, which reminded them of their childhood. Here their favorite Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty, My Melody and Little Twin Stars greeted them in every corner.

In the pretend airplane, Hello Kitty was dressed as a flight attendant, while at the European Plaza, Sanrio characters posed beside replicas of famous landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

There was also a short musical presentation starring Sanrio characters.

Back in the Chocolate World, we viewed a display of vintage chocolates cans and packages. Some of the chocolates may no longer be in the market, while others have modernized their wrappers and packaging.

I was especially drawn to Whitman’s chocolates in the familiar yellow sampler box, with its assortment of nougats, chocolate-dipped nuts and vanilla cups.

Milky Way and Baby Ruth bars in old-fashioned wrappers also triggered feelings of nostalgia.

Also on display was a recipe for King Mallows, made with marshmallows and Nestlé’s milk chocolate bar. I remember that chocolate bar well—a thin block of chocolate emblazoned with the word Nestlé on it, its wrapper clearly branded Nestlé in bright red color.


Unfortunately, Nestlé seems to have stopped production of this variant.

Still, the recipe looked so enticing. Hence, soon after returning to Manila, I tested it in my kitchen, using Nestlé’s semisweet chocolate morsels as substitute for the chocolate bar. Not only did the recipe work, the chocolate marshmallow bars were also scrumptious.

Here’s the recipe. With only two ingredients (plus the shortening for greasing the pan), it’s easy and simple to make. The hardest part is waiting for it to chill in the refrigerator before cutting it into squares and gobbling it up.



Nestlé’s King Mallows

The original recipe for this used king-size Nestlé milk chocolate bars. Since it’s no longer in the market, you can use Nestlé semisweet chocolate morsels instead.

Ingredients
Shortening, for greasing the pan, or nonstick cooking spray
2 12-oz packs Nestlé semisweet chocolate morsels
2 c mini marshmallows



Use the shortening to lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 8x8x2-inch pan, or use a pan of similar size. Alternatively you can spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt one pack of chocolate morsels in a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is smooth.

Spread the melted chocolate on the greased pan. Sprinkle the mini marshmallows on top of the chocolate. Melt the second pack of chocolate morsels in a double boiler, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Spread over the marshmallows.

Cover the pan and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours, or until firm. Before serving, cut into squares. Makes about 16 squares.

Cook’s tips:

Make sure the chocolate morsels are at room temperature, not cold, before you melt them. If the morsels are cold, or have been chilled, they won’t melt easily.

If you’ve chilled the chocolate morsels, take them out of the refrigerator and let them rest at room temperature for one to two hours before melting them.

Melt the morsels one pack at a time so they’ll be easier to stir.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Wednesday

In China, yellow robots deliver snacks to your home


BEIJING, China – Along a quiet residential street on the outer edges of Beijing, a yellow and black cube about the size of a small washing machine trundles leisurely to its destination.

This “little yellow horse” is an autonomous delivery robot, ferrying daily essentials like drinks, fruit and snacks from the local store to the residents of the “Kafka” compound in the Chinese capital.

Equipped with a GPS system, cameras and radar, the robots are seen by their creator as the future of logistics in China, where he says one billion packages will eventually be delivered every day.

Travelling at a less than overwhelming three kilometres (two miles) per hour — a slow human walk — the robot has room for improvement, said one customer as she removed a packet of nuts from its bowels.

“The weak point is that it cannot deliver directly to the door like a human,” said the customer, who does not live on the ground floor.

“But it’s still quite practical. The robot delivers relatively quickly,” she said.

The robot takes advantage of Chinese consumers’ love of cashless payments and smartphone shopping.

China is the world’s biggest online shopping market with more than half of its population making at least one smartphone purchase per month, according to professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. This compares to 14 percent in the rest of the world.

Whether buying electronics or toilet paper, avocados or clothes, Chinese are used to simply tapping a button on their smartphone and getting a home delivery — sometimes several per day.

To get a delivery via the “little yellow horse,” the customer selects the desired products, taps in the address and pays via their phone.

The supermarket staff place the items in the robot, and the robot bustles off.



One billion packages

Liu Zhiyong, founder and CEO of Zhen Robotics, which manufactures the robot, sees a bright future for his yellow creation.

“At the moment, there are 100 million packages delivered every day in China. It will be one billion in the future,” Liu told AFP.

“There will not be enough humans to make the deliveries. We need more and more robots to fill this gap in manpower. And to reduce costs,” added the CEO.

These costs are especially high in the last kilometre of a delivery, where precision is key and a customised service is required to get the product to the front door.

At the moment, the yellow robots in the Kafka compound have little to trouble them, moving along a wide pavement with no obstacles — and no cars.

Weighing 30 kilograms (around 65 pounds) and with a theoretical top speed of 12 kilometres per hour on their six wheels, the robots have four cameras constantly scanning the world around them and a laser tele-detection system allowing them to avoid obstacles.

Liu’s firm has already signed up Suning, a large electronics firm that also runs a network of small supermarkets.

But not everyone is convinced the robots are a long-term logistics solution.

Shao Zhonglin, former deputy secretary-general of the China Express Association, noted they were useful “over a short range.”

“It’s not certain however that they can be a broad solution for the final kilometre of delivery. Because the client still has to come down to get his package,” added Shao.

“Plus the costs remain quite high: buying and maintaining the robots, operating costs, etc.”

‘Not resellable’

But Zhen Robotics is convinced the costs will come down over time.

CEO Liu also says the robot will soon be equipped with the necessary technology to operate a lift, meaning it will no longer be confined to ground-floor deliveries.

In the meantime, deliveries in China are increasingly being made by autonomous means. In recent months, several firms have received the green light to operate drones, either to deliver directly to the customer or to ferry goods between hubs.

And Liu has a warning for anyone trying to vandalise or steal the yellow robot.

“With GPS, we are constantly tracking them, cameras are filming and it can sound an alarm,” he said.

“Anyway, what would a thief do with it? It’s not exactly resellable.”

source: technology.inquirer.net

Tuesday

Johnny Depp settles lawsuits involving former managers


LOS ANGELES — Johnny Depp has settled lawsuits with his former business managers that put a spotlight on the actor’s lavish lifestyle.

Depp’s representatives said on Monday that the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star had settled litigation filed against The Management Group, which he accused in January 2017 seeking more than $25 million over alleged financial abuse and negligence. No details of the settlement were released.

Depp had accused the firm of filing his taxes late, costing him $7.5 million in penalties. The firm denied filing the returns late, and said Depp’s taxes were paid when the star had money available to pay them.


The firm also countersued and argued that Depp was solely to blame for his money troubles, spending more than $2 million. That lawsuit said Depp paid more than $75 million to buy and maintain 14 homes, including a French chateau and a chain of islands in the Bahamas, as well as a 150-foot yacht, private jet travel and expensive art collection.

The cases had sparked name-calling on both sides, with a spokesman for Depp’s former managers calling the actor a “habitual liar” in August 2017.

Lawyers for The Management Group declined comment Monday.

A statement released by a Depp spokesperson said that settling the case, which had been scheduled to begin trial next month, would allow him to focus on touring with his band, Hollywood Vampires, and promoting the latest film based on J.K. Rowling’s books, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”

The film is scheduled to be released later in November. MKH

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Monday

With flags, song, pride, French celebrate unifying victory


PARIS — It was a victory for all of France and the home crowd did it justice, pouring into Paris’ Champs-Elysees Avenue by the tens of thousands to celebrate in an explosion of joy.

France’s 4-2 win over Croatia in the World Cup final in Moscow on Sunday marked the second time in 20 years that France has won the World Cup, and came at a time when the people feel needy.

“It represents enormous things,” said Goffrey Hamsik, dressed in a hat resembling a rooster — the French national symbol — and a shirt with the No. 10 for Kylian Mpappe, the 19-year-old breakout star who hails from the Paris suburb of Bondy.


"We’ve had lots of problems in France these past years,” he said, recalling deadly terror attacks. “This is good for the morale … Here, we are all united. We mix. There is no religion, there is nothing, and that’s what feels good.”


Troublemakers marred some of the festivities at the top of the Champs-Elysees, breaking the window of a major store, throwing bottles, temporary barriers and even a bicycle at riot police as the celebrations wound down close to midnight. Police responded with water cannon and tear gas. BFM-TV reported that the store was pillaged.

Earlier, people wrapped in flags and dressed in crazy hats, and one man spotted totally nude except for the Tricolor, marched down the avenue where France displayed its military might a day earlier for Bastille Day.


Revelers set off smoke bombs in the national colors — blue, white and red — obscuring Napoleon’s triumphal arch. People climbed atop every newspaper kiosk and bus stop in the area to wave flags and lead the crowds below in cheers. The national anthem, the Marseillaise, rang out, cars honked horns and cherry bombs cracks.

A young man sprayed a fire extinguisher on the crowd on a late hot afternoon.


Hundreds of police in riot gear were discretely lined up on side streets to monitor revelers. Typically, celebrations in France end up with some broken shop windows and other destruction, and Sunday was no exception. Tear gas was lobbed at one point on the Champs-Elysees. About 4,000 police watched over the fan zone — packed to its 90,000 capacity — during the match, then moved to the Champs-Elysees and neighboring streets.

As night fell, The Eiffel Tower flashed 1998-2018 to mark France’s two World Cup titles.

The Arc de Triomph was awash in the national colors, lit with the rooster, the faces of the winning team and the words “Proud to be Blue,” or French.


The celebrations were spread across the nation.

For all the crazy antics — and some revelers who got out of control — a sense of patriotism and unity was almost visceral.

Antoine Griezmann, the France striker who scored one of the goal’s Sunday, told a news conference two days before the final, televised on BFM TV, that pride in country is in short supply.

“We say it so little … We should be proud to be French,” Griezmann said.

Mahmoud Bourassi was among those taking a longer-term view and he had some sobering thoughts about France’s run to the title and the festivities it has sparked.


Bourassi runs a youth center in Bondy — Mbappe’s home that was among those scarred by riots in 2005 that exposed the fissures of France that have yet to heal — and he knows the teenage star of the tournament.

“All this euphoria and effervescence, it’s positive but it’s emotional and ephemeral,” he said ahead of France’s win. Bourassi said sports is a “catalyst to bring people and nations together.”

But, he added, it must be built on.

“What we’re seeing is magic, exceptional. But what are we going to do with it tomorrow?”

That is a question for President Emmanuel Macron, who was in Moscow celebrating with the team on victory night, and will receive the squad more formally on Monday at the presidential Elysee Palace.

Revelers celebrated the moment.

“We’re happy. It took 20 years … It’s the pride of the nation. It unites everyone. It federates,” Frederique Pourquet said as she and her friend left the Champs-Elysees.

The win “shows that the French people are consolidated and the work of all France,” said Omar Bzi.

Hajar Maghnaoui, of Asnieres, north of Paris, said “It’s a way to bring the French people together, and also the world.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

England’s Harry Kane wins World Cup Golden Boot


England’s Harry Kane won the World Cup Golden Boot award as top scorer with six goals.

The Tottenham star topped the chart by two goals ahead of a group including Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe, who both scored in France’s 4-2 defeat of Croatia in Sunday’s final.

Kane is the first England player to win the coveted prize since Gary Lineker 32 years ago.


He scored twice against Tunisia in England’s first match in Russia and then bagged a hat-trick in a 6-1 romp against Panama.

Manager Gareth Southgate rested Kane for the third group game against Belgium but the captain returned to score from the penalty spot against Colombia in the last 16.

He failed to add to his tally in England’s next three games — the 2-0 quarter-final win over Sweden, the 2-1 semi-final loss to Croatia nor the 2-0 third-place play-off defeat by Belgium.

Joining Griezmann and Mbappe on the four-goal mark were Russia’s Denis Cheryshev, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku.

World Cup top scorers:

6 goals: Kane (ENG) – Golden Boot winner

4 goals: Cheryshev (RUS), Ronaldo (POR), Griezmann (FRA), Lukaku (BEL), Mbappe (FRA)

3 goals: Cavani (Uruguay), Costa (Spain), Dzyuba (Russia), E. Hazard (Belgium), Mandzukic (Croatia), Mina (Colombia), Perisic (Croatia)


2 goals: Aguero (Argentina), Coutinho (Brazil), Granqvist (Sweden), Inui (Japan), Jedinak (Australia), Khazri (Tunisia), Modric (Croatia), Musa (Nigeria), Neymar (Brazil), Salah (Egypt), Son Heung-min (South Korea), Stones (England), Suarez (Uruguay)

source: sports.inquirer.net

Sunday

60th win: Pacquiao KOs Matthysse for WBA welterweight title


Manny Pacquiao is back at the top of the welterweight division after knocking out Lucas Matthysse in the seventh round of their championship fight for the WBA World welterweight title Sunday at Axiata Arena.

After flooring Matthysse in the third and fifth round, Pacquiao landed the decisive left uppercut that put away the Argentinian for good, prompting referee Kenny Bayless to stop the fight 2:43 into the seventh.


This is Pacquiao’s first knockout win in nine years after he stopped Miguel Cotto for the WBO World welterweight title in 2009.

“We did a good job in training. We were not pushing hard. We controlled ourselves,” said Pacquiao in the ring interview after the fight.

Pacquiao scored his first knock down midway through the third round landing with a couple of shots to the face of Matthysse.


The Filipino legend got his second knock down in the fifth when Matthysse, after absorbing a right cross to the head, knelt with just five seconds to go in the round.

The WBA belt is Pacquiao’s new welterweight title after he held the WBO strap twice.

Pacquiao joined IBF champion Errol Spence and WBO champion Terrence Crawford atop the welterweight division.

source: sports.inquirer.net


Saturday

Demonstrators mock Donald Trump; protest his visit to the UK


LONDON — Thousands crammed the streets of central London on Friday to vent their anger over Donald Trump’s first official visit to Britain, blowing horns, waving banners and hoisting a bright orange effigy of the U.S. president on their shoulders

Filing past palaces of high-end commerce — Apple, Burberry, Brooks Brothers — marchers criticized Trump’s policies on immigration, climate change and torture, as well as his treatment of women. Some carried more than one sign, unable to choose which policy they hated the most.

The Rev. Nigel Sinclair, a 53-year-old Church of England preacher, came in what he called his Sunday vicar’s outfit, carrying a sign that showed how Trump’s ideas differ from those of Jesus Christ. Susie Mazur, 29, from Salisbury in southwestern England, crocheted a Donald Trump pin-cushion and wore it on her head, winning praise from fellow protesters.


“People coming here nowadays feel very hopeless about what is happening. They don’t like what is happening in the U.K., in America, across the world — there are so many problems,” Mazur said. “Everyone has the same goal. What they want is to stop hate, basically.”

As Trump met with Prime Minister Theresa May at her country retreat outside the city, the protesters gathered outside embassies, offices and homes carrying signs that read, “Human rights have no border,” and “Mother Earth unites us,” before marching past the shops of Regent’s Street on their way to Piccadilly Circus and finally Trafalgar Square, which the city calls a “center of national democracy and protest.”

Not everyone was protesting against Trump, however.

Augustine Chukwuma Obodo, who wore a “Make America Great Again!” hat and a “Trump for President in 2020” shirt, said he wanted to make clear that not everyone found the protests amusing. Obodo, a Nigerian living in London, said he wanted to add his voice to those who are quieter, but believe Trump is doing a good job on issues such as pushing NATO members to increase their defense spending.

“America is not a cash point,” he said.

The day began with a giant balloon that caricatured Trump as a screaming orange baby flying outside the Houses of Parliament. The diaper-clad infant, with a quiff of hair and a mobile phone for tweeting, was the centerpiece of demonstrations.

“Depicting Trump as a baby is a great way of targeting his fragile ego, and mocking him is our main motivation,” said Matthew Bonner, one of the organizers of the balloon flight. “He doesn’t seem to be affected by the moral outrage that comes from his behavior and his policies. You can’t reason with him, but you can ridicule him.”

Hundreds crammed Parliament Square to take in the spectacle. Deborah Burns, 43, of Newcastle in northern England, brought along her 10-year old daughter, Monica Siddique.

“I think it’s a good way to stop Trump from being mean to the rest of the world,” Monica said of the balloon. “He says, ‘Oh, this is a free world.’ But then he goes and builds walls. … He acts like a baby.”

Some Americans living in London came to see the balloon, wearing the Stars and Stripes draped over their shoulders. Other spectators just came to take pictures as the balloon floated overhead for two hours.

“It’s a very British way of protesting — we don’t like to throw stones,” said Phil Chapman, 59, of Hayfield, a village in Derbyshire. “It’s far easier to protest in a pleasant way. If you can do that with humor, you will get more attention.”

Trump criticized London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who refused to prevent the balloon from flying, in an interview published Friday.

“I think he has not been hospitable to a government that is very important,” Trump told Britain’s Sun newspaper. “Now, he might not like the current president, but I represent the United States. I also represent a lot of people in Europe, because a lot of people from Europe are in the United States.”

Khan, who has been a target of Trump’s ire before, said his job was to make sure the protests were peaceful, not to be a censor or the “arbiter of good taste.”

“The idea that I would stop a blimp or a balloon flying over London because it may cause offense, and thereby curtail the rights people have to protest when it’s not unsafe, it’s not un-peaceful, I think people would find a bit astonishing,” Khan told the BBC.

Anger over Trump’s visit has been simmering ever since May invited the president for a state visit just a week after his inauguration last year. The event, which would normally include glittering horse-drawn carriages and a state dinner hosted by the monarch, morphed into a two-day “working visit” with much less pomp and circumstance amid concern about security and crowds in central London.


Trump avoided the protests by largely staying away from the capital. After a black-tie dinner 60 miles (100 kilometers) outside London, he spent Thursday night at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Regents Park, then flew by helicopter to May’s country retreat, Chequers, for his meeting with the prime minister, followed by another flight to Windsor Palace for tea with Queen Elizabeth II.

He then headed for Scotland, where he was to spend the weekend at one of his private golf clubs.

Ahead of Trump’s arrival, hundreds of people gathered in Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, to protest the U.S. president’s U.K. visit.

Among them was Emily Bryce, who proudly carried a homemade banner written in Gaelic, in recognition of Trump’s Highland roots. “Donald Trump, son of the devil,” it read.

“It’s a disgrace that Theresa May has allowed Trump to visit the U.K. and to meet the queen,” the 67-year-old Bryce said.

A march in support of Trump was planned for Saturday in London, starting at the U.S. Embassy on the south bank of the River Thames and ending near the prime minister’s residence at Downing Street. But on Friday, the crowds belonged to those who oppose his policies.

Placards reading “Dump Trump,” and “Can’t comb over sexism,” were raised high by the boisterous crowds in the capital.

Phil Bond, 65, a musician, said he knew it was unlikely that the demonstrations will make any difference to Trump, but he believes people in the United States will notice.

“If enough people come out, it might make a difference,” he said.  /muf

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Matthysse will have ‘no respect’ as he aims to beat Pacquiao


KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Argentinian Lucas Matthysse will have “no respect” as he seeks to knock out Manny Pacquiao and defend his World Boxing Association welterweight title in Sunday’s showdown that could cap an illustrious career for the Filipino sports icon.

Both fighters were comfortably below the 147-pound limit when they stepped on a scale Saturday ahead of their match, dubbed the “Fight of Champions.”

An 11-time champion across eight divisions, Pacquiao weighed in at a trim 146 pounds while Matthysse tipped the scales at 146.7 pounds.

“I know Manny Pacquiao brings an intense energy in a fight, so we are ready for that. All we need to do is just to keep composed, make sure that he is ready to catch Manny at the right time and have no respect for Manny,” Matthysse’s trainer, Joel Diaz, told The Associated Press after the weigh-in.

The main advantage for Matthysse, known by his nickname “The Machine” for winning 36 out of his 39 matches by knockout, is his strength and ability to deliver power punches from both hands, Diaz said.

“All I can say is this…it’s not going to be an easy fight for Manny Pacquiao. If Lucas lands any punches on Pacquiao, he will hurt him because he hits real hard,” Diaz added.

“Lucas Matthysse is stepping up to the level of opposition. He’s fighting against a legend and he’s in the best shape of his life. Everything is at stake for him. He is defending his title and secondly, he knows by beating Manny Pacquiao, it will be in the history books.”

“Pacman” Pacquiao, who turns 40 in December, returns to the ring a year after his shock decision loss to Australia’s Jeff Horn in Brisbane.

Pacquiao, 39, has won 59 times, including 38 by knockout, and lost seven times (three by knockout) along with two draws.

Pacquiao was greeted by hundreds of excited Filipino fans as he flexed on stage Saturday after the weigh-in. He smiled and appeared relaxed in contrast to a grim-looking Matthysse as they posed for the cameras.

Pacquiao didn’t speak after the weigh-in but the words on his long sleeve t-shirt reflected his determination to seek a 60th victory: “Fight On.”


It will be the first time since 2001 that Pacquiao is fighting without longtime trainer Freddie Roach, who was dropped in the run-up to the Malaysian fight and replaced with former assistant coach and friend Buboy Fernandez.

A once impoverished rural boy who turned into one of the world’s wealthiest sportsman and now a Filipino senator, Pacquiao’s rags-to-riches story has inspired many in his country. His biggest supporter on Sunday will be President Rodrigo Duterte, who will arrive in Malaysia to watch the match ahead of an official visit.

Pacquiao is “110 percent fit” physically and mentally, his conditioning coach Justin Fortune told the AP after the weigh-in. The Australian said age isn’t a barrier for Pacquiao and that he has been able to juggle the sport along his political duties and other multiple interests.

“He’s in great condition. For 16 years, Pacquiao has been at the top, No. 1 of world champion. His longevity at this level in this sport is unprecedented,” Fortune said.

“Every fight for Pacquiao is the same way: very, very important fight. We take every fight seriously. Matthysse is a dangerous guy as was with every other fighter that Manny fought.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Friday

Fifa’s Van Basten critical of Neymar’s World Cup theatrics


MOSCOW — Neymar’s play-acting at the World Cup made him the butt of plenty of jokes, and also earned the Brazil striker some criticism from FIFA technical director Marco van Basten.

Van Basten, himself one of greatest forwards in the history of the game, said Thursday diving and faking injury is “not a good attitude” and works against Neymar and his team.

“If you are acting too much I think everybody will understand that it’s not going to help you,” the Netherlands great said. “I think he (Neymar) personally should understand his situation.”

Van Basten was asked about Neymar’s theatrics at a briefing with experts appointed by FIFA to analyze tactics and technical trends at the 64-game tournament. One factor they agreed could help explain Neymar’s frustration in Russia: Playmakers face more well-organized defensive lines which are better than ever at denying them space to work.

“The amount of square meters to play in is unbelievably difficult,” Van Basten said.



Neymar was calculated to have spent almost 14 minutes on the turf injured or simulating injury during Brazil’s five games at the tournament.

Some dramatic rolling falls before coming to a stop started a trend in online videos of youth soccer teams practicing faking injury when their coach called out Neymar’s name.

Asked if Neymar had become a joke, Van Basten said “he makes people laugh so also I think that’s a positive thing. It’s always nice if we have some humor in the game.”

Once the world’s best center forward with AC Milan and the Dutch national team, Van Basten has sympathy for players in his old position at this year’s World Cup.



Tight and compact defenses like Sweden and Iceland made it “very, very difficult for the No. 9 to get the ball, to make goals, to influence the game,” he said.

“Normally we say you can play between the lines,” Van Basten said. “But today it’s nearly impossible to get in between the lines. So coaches will have to find solutions. These things go in waves.”


He singled out Croatia playmaker Luka Modric for “reading the game, guiding the game” and leading his team to Sunday’s final against France.

NATIONAL IDENTITY

FIFA panel member Andy Roxburgh said an “incredible variety” of national styles were seen despite most stars playing in Europe.

“Yes, we’ve got globalization. Yes, the influence of the Champions League on players,” the former Scotland coach said. “But all of these players have been brought up within their own country so they have a certain mentality about them.”

Still, the influence of Pep Guardiola’s coaching philosophy was seen across the tournament, Roxburgh said.



Teams favored “high intensity pressing” with players showing “speed of action and speed of thought.”

KEEPERS KEY

Guardiola’s belief in goalkeepers expertly passing the ball with both feet is also shared at the World Cup.

“They are not only there to save the ball and catch the ball,” FIFA goalkeeping adviser Pascal Zuberbuehler said. “They make a lot of decisions from behind, and they know and feel when they have to make the game faster.”

Zuberbuehler, Switzerland’s goalkeeper at the 2006 World Cup, noted England’s Jordan Pickford made more than 50 passes — “a massive high quality from him”— in the semifinal match against Croatia.

It’s an evolution of the “sweeper keeper” role Manuel Neuer showcased in Germany’s 2014 title-winning team.

SET PIECES

With goals from open play at a premium, set pieces from corners and free kicks became more important.

Roxburgh praised England as “kings of the corner kick” at a tournament where teams were rewarded for attention to detail, and delivery of high-quality crosses.



Video review also helped set-piece teams by acting as a deterrent against wrestling and shirt-pulling opponents.

“People now have the freedom to move a little bit more,” Roxburgh said.

BELGIUM BEST

Belgium outwitting Brazil in the quarterfinals was perhaps the best tactical game plan.

Praising Belgium’s tactical flexibility, Roxburgh said “the way (coach) Roberto Martinez set them up was fantastic.”

A 2-1 win in Kazan was built on midfielder Kevin De Bruyne being given a more attacking and central role, and forward Romelu Lukaku playing wider to the right.

AFRICA’S DECLINE

A player in Nigeria’s 1994 World Cup team, Emmanuel Amunike, sees African soccer failing to keep pace. All five teams failed to advance from the group stage in Russia.

“The reality is that dreams without a plan is just an illusion,” the FIFA technical panel member said.

Amunike said Africa’s talent lacks a structure to teach coaches who can develop young players.

“What are the materials we have provided for the African coaches to grow in their knowledge?” he asked.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Thursday

Trump rattles NATO, knocking its value, assailing Germany


BRUSSELS  — Under fire for his warm embrace of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump jolted the NATO summit Wednesday by turning a spotlight on Germany’s ties to Russia and openly questioning the value of the military alliance that has defined American foreign policy for decades.

Trump declared that a joint natural gas pipeline venture with Moscow has left Angela Merkel’s government “totally controlled” and “captive to Russia.” So, in a stroke, he shifted attention away from his own ties to the Kremlin just days before he meets one-on-one with Putin.

With scorching language, the president questioned the necessity of the alliance that formed a bulwark against Soviet aggression, tweeting after a day of contentious meetings: “What good is NATO if Germany is paying Russia billions of dollars for gas and energy?”


German Chancellor Merkel hit back immediately, not only denying Trump’s contention but suggesting that his comfortable upbringing in the U.S. gave him no standing to spout off on the world stage about Germany.

Drawing on her own background growing up in communist East Germany behind the Iron Curtain, she said:

“I’ve experienced myself a part of Germany controlled by the Soviet Union, and I’m very happy today that we are united in freedom as the Federal Republic of Germany and can thus say that we can determine our own policies and make our own decisions and that’s very good.”

Trump demanded by public tweet that members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization “must pay 2% of GDP IMMEDIATELY, not by 2025” for their military efforts. He then rattled U.S. allies further by privately suggesting member nations should spend 4 percent of their gross domestic product on the military — more than even the United States currently pays, according to NATO statistics.

It was just the latest in Trump’s demands and insults that critics fear will undermine a decades-old alliance launched to counter-balance Soviet aggression after World War II. And it came just days before Trump planned to sit down with Putin in Finland at the conclusion of what has become a contentious European trip.

Trump has spent weeks berating members of the alliance for failing to increase military spending, accusing Europe of freeloading off the U.S. and even raising doubts about whether he would come to members’ defense as required if they were ever attacked.

Trump’s tongue-lashing accelerated during a pre-summit breakfast, when he traded his usual long-distance Twitter attacks for a face-to-face confrontation with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

“We’re supposed to protect you against Russia but they’re paying billions of dollars to Russia and I think that’s very inappropriate,” Trump said, repeatedly describing Germany as “captive to Russia” because of the energy deal. He urged NATO to look into the issue.


Trump’s harsh words for Merkel, whose country has hosted tens of thousands of U.S. troops that have been key to post-WWII stability in Europe for seven decades, struck at the core of the alliance. West Germany joined NATO in 1955 and was a critical factor in the alliance’s success in facing down the Soviet Union until its collapse. Reunified with the East, Germany became the largest European economy in NATO in 1990.

The president’s beef was with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would bring gas from Russia to Germany’s northeastern Baltic coast, bypassing Eastern European nations like Poland and Ukraine and doubling the amount of gas Russia can send directly to Germany. The vast undersea pipeline is opposed by the U.S. and some other EU members, who warn it could give Moscow greater leverage over Western Europe. It’s expected to be online at the end of 2019.

Environmental-conscious Germany is trying to reduce its reliance on coal and is phasing out nuclear power by 2022, so it hopes to use natural gas to partially fill the gap until the country’s electricity grid can cope with fluctuating levels provided by renewable energy.

Hours after the breakfast, Merkel and Trump appeared to play nice as they met along the summit’s sidelines. Trump told reporters the two had a “very, very good relationship” and congratulated Merkel on her “tremendous success.”



While Trump went after Germany for its ties to Russia, he himself has been accused by critics of being too eager to improve relations with Moscow. He’s also dismissed the U.S. intelligence community’s assessment that Russia tried to undermine Western democracy by meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to help him win.

Trump also lobbed fresh complaints about allies’ “delinquent” defense spending and suggested at one point that NATO allies commit to spending 4 percent of their GDP on defense — twice the goal they’ve set for 2024.

“I have great confidence they’ll be spending more,” he said.

However, a formal summit declaration issued by the NATO leaders Wednesday reaffirmed their “unwavering commitment” to the 2 percent pledge set in 2014 and made no reference to any effort to go higher.

Trump has repeatedly mischaracterized the spending target, wrongly describing it as a fee that countries pay to NATO or the U.S. rather than their own military. NATO estimates that 15 members, or just over half, will meet the benchmark by 2024 based on current trends.

Back in the U.S., Democratic congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer issued a joint statement describing Trump’s “brazen insults and denigration of one of America’s most steadfast allies, Germany,” as “an embarrassment.”

“His behavior this morning is another profoundly disturbing signal that the president is more loyal to President Putin than to our NATO allies,” they wrote.

Sen. Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican, also criticized Trump’s rhetoric.

“I do believe everybody should get to 2 percent quickly, but the NATO alliance is something that’s very important to the United States and our citizenry, and things that are said to try and create instability, all that it does is strengthen Putin,” Corker said, describing concerns “about conciliatory things that could occur in Helsinki” when Trump sits down with the Russian president.

But Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, a strong supporter of the president, said the pipeline issue strikes at the “heart of NATO unity.”

“The pipeline gets cheap Russian gas to Germany while bypassing smaller Eastern European nations, allowing Russia to pressure them while Germany is held harmless,” he tweeted, adding: “No amount of preening in Berlin will cover this nakedly selfish policy.”  /muf

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Croatia reaches World Cup final for 1st time, beats England 2-1


MOSCOW — When the final whistle blew and they knew they were going to their first World Cup final, the Croatians ran to their exuberant fans, jumping in their iconic red-and-white checkered jerseys.

Mario Mandzukic scored the winning goal in the 109th minute and Croatia shocked England 2-1 Wednesday.


Croatia, the first team in 28 years to come from behind to win a World Cup semifinal match, will play France for the title on Sunday in its biggest sporting moment since becoming an independent nation in 1991.

France, which won its only title at home in 1998, will have an extra day of rest after beating Belgium 1-0 on Tuesday. Croatia will be coming off its third straight extra-time match.



Defender Sime Vrsaljko kept the score even by heading a shot off the goal line about 10 minutes before Mandzukic scored.

Kevin Trippier curled in a free kick for England in the fifth minute. Ivan Perisic tied the score in the 68th minute.



But football will not be coming home, and there will be no title to match the 1966 triumph at Wembley Stadium. Harry Kane & Co. will deal with the same disappointment that felled Shearer and Platt, Gazza and Wazza, Beckham and Gerrard.

source: sports.inquirer.net