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Marissa Mayer Pregnant with Identical Twin Girls

Nancy Clayson
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Marissa Mayer Pregnant with Identical Twin Girls

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has announced she is expecting twin girls in December, but plans to take “limited” time off.

In a blogpost, Marissa Mayer, 40, said that because this was “a unique time in Yahoo’s transformation”, she planned to take a similar approach to when she had her first child and “work throughout”.

Marissa Mayer famously returned to work two weeks after giving birth to her son.

In its corporate blog, Yahoo said it was “extremely happy” for Marissa Mayer.

Photo AP
Photo AP

Marissa Mayer has been chief executive for three years at Yahoo. She is in the process of changing the company’s focus away from the traditional desktop and towards mobile and video adverts, in order to increase sales.

In the company’s last earnings report, Marissa Mayer said she was encouraged by an increase in revenue from that division, despite recording a net loss of $21.6 million in Q2 2015.

Yahoo is also in the midst of spinning off its stake in China’s Alibaba.

Marissa Mayer said she was surprised by the news that she was expecting twins, since there is no history of it in her family, but that she and her husband, start-up investor Zachary Bogue, had “embraced” it and they were “very excited”.

“Moving forward, there will be a lot to do for both my family and for Yahoo; both will require hard work and thoughtful prioritization,” she wrote in her post.

Marissa Mayer added: “However, I’m extremely energized by and dedicated to both my family and Yahoo and will do all that is necessary and more to help both thrive.”

Asian Markets Continue to Fall over China Fears

Clyde K. Valle
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Asian Markets Continue to Fall over China Fears

Asian shares continued to fall on September 2, with Shanghai opening down more than 4% amid continuing worries about China’s growth.

On September 1, data suggesting China’s manufacturing sector was shrinking at its fastest pace in three years ignited a global market sell-off, resulting in US stocks closing down nearly 3%.

The Shanghai Composite recovered some ground to trade down 3.6% to 3,054.17.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was lower by 1.7% to 20,818.22 in early trade.

Chinese markets will close at the end of September 2 for a two-day holiday to commemorate the end of World War Two.Asian markets react to China economic data 2015

Mainland Chinese stocks have lost nearly 40% of their value since June, despite attempts by the government and regulators to prop up the market.

Meanwhile, data showing US factory activity fell to a more than two-year low in August added to the already grim sentiment among investors.

Crude oil futures also continued downwards after an 8% fall in US trade, amid concerns about slowing demand from China.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index was up 0.8% to 18,296.67 after leading the region’s losses in the previous session, down nearly 4%.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was lower by 1.2% at 5,036.60 points as economic growth figures for the second quarter came in below expectations.

The economy expanded 0.2% from the previous quarter and was up 2% compared with the same period last year.

Economists were expecting quarterly growth of 0.4% while the annual rate was forecast to be up 2.2%.

In South Korea, shares were also lower after government data showed exports fell 4.3% in July, while imports rose 0.7%.

That led the current account surplus to fall to $9.5 billion in seasonally adjusted terms from a record high of $10.7 billion in June.

South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index was down 0.3% at 1,908.50.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC9TWKNul2w

Guatemala Corruption Scandal: Congress Removes Otto Perez Molina’s Immunity

Diane A. Wade
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Guatemala Corruption Scandal: Congress Removes Otto Perez Molina’s Immunity

Guatemala’s congress has voted to remove President Otto Perez Molina’s immunity following corruption allegations.

The vote paves the way for possible prosecution in a corruption scandal that has sparked huge protests in recent months.

Crowds outside Congress cheered to celebrate the news.

Prosecutors last week accused President Otto Perez Molina of masterminding a scheme to defraud the customs service of millions of dollars. He denies wrongdoing.Otto Perez Molina Guatemala corruption scandal

The resolution was passed by 132 votes in favor, well clear of the two-thirds majority needed to pass the motion in the 158-member congress.

Under Guatemalan law the president will be automatically removed from office if remanded in custody.

Otto Molina Perez’s former vice-president and a string of top officials have been force to resign over the scandal.

It comes as Guatemala prepares for presidential elections on September 6.

Investigators have alleged that officials received a cut from bribes paid by businesses seeking to evade import duties.

Kevin Rudd Drawn into Hillary Clinton Email Scandal

Diane A. Wade
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Kevin Rudd Drawn into Hillary Clinton Email Scandal

Australia’s ex-PM Kevin Rudd had “hoped for a sympathetic call” from then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after he was deposed in 2010, an email has revealed.

Kevin Rudd had already been phoned by President Barack Obama.

Part of the email sent by former US ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich is blocked out.

The email was among 4,000 released by the US State department on August 31 from Hillary Clinton’s private email server.

Photo AAP
Photo AAP

“I spoke at length with former PM Rudd on Monday,” Jeffrey Bleich wrote in June, 2010.

“Although he did not raise the issue, his aide called Edgard afterward and noted that Rudd had not heard from S, (shorthand for Secretary of State) and would have hoped for a sympathetic call.

“I have no strong point of view on this one. He has received such a call from POTUS (The President of the United States) already. (The next sentenced has been suppressed).

“But, I think he and S had a good relationship and he may want to talk to her about his future career goals.”

Hillary Clinton, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 2016 presidential election, says no classified information was sent or received on her personal email account, however, 125 emails were deemed confidential by the state department.

The former secretary of state’s opponents have accused her of putting US security at risk by using an unsecured computer system.

Hillary Clinton has admitted that her decision to use a private email server at her New York home was a mistake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isRmxMFofq4

Gilbert Flores: Video Shows San Antonio Police Shooting Man with Hands Up

Nancy Clayson
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Gilbert Flores: Video Shows San Antonio Police Shooting Man with Hands Up

A video footage obtained by local media in San Antonio appears to show police in Texas shooting and killing a man who had his hands up.

In the video, Gilbert Flores, 41, is seen outside a house with his arms raised before shots are fired and he falls.

Police say the man was armed and officers first attempted to subdue him with a stun gun.

A series of fatal police shootings in the last year have sparked protests and increased scrutiny on police tactics.

Photo Bexar County Sheriff's Department
Photo Bexar County Sheriff’s Department

Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood said the video was “disturbing” but told people not to “rush to judgement” over what may have happened.

Police said the officers were responding to a domestic dispute involving a woman who had been cut in the head with a knife. She had been holding a baby who may also have been harmed, they said.

The officers involved, Greg Vasquez and Robert Sanchez, have been placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated by the sheriff’s department.

“Certainly, what’s in the video is a cause for concern,” said Sheriff Susan Pamerleau, adding that the investigation must be allowed to run its course.

The fatal shooting a year ago of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked protests and a national debate about police use of force.

There has also been increased awareness in recent days of the dangers facing police, with four officers killed while on duty in the last eight days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJgR0Yhf6Dw

And Then There Were None Named World’s Favorite Agatha Christie Novel

Sonia Pantiss
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And Then There Were None Named World’s Favorite Agatha Christie Novel

And Then There Were None has been named the world’s favorite Agatha Christie novel in an online poll run by the author’s estate.

The 1939 murder mystery received 21% of the votes, with Murder on the Orient Express and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd coming second and third respectively.

Fans were asked to choose a favorite to mark the 125th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s birth on September 15.And Then There Were None voted world favorite Agatha Christie novel

And Then There Were None depicts 10 strangers stranded on an island, all accused of getting away with murder.

As members of the party start to die mysteriously, the survivors realize they may be harboring a murderer among their number.

The book – which does not feature Agatha Christie’s famous detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple – has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, making it one of the most popular novels of all time.

And Then There Were None received 21% of the votes in the online poll which attracted more than 15,000 respondents.

Agatha Christie’s grandson Mathew Prichard, who is also the chairman of Agatha Christie Ltd, said: “It has been genuinely exciting to see fans from all around the world cast their votes for the World’s Favorite Christie.

“In And Then There Were None, my grandmother has crafted a staggeringly complex plot, which has baffled, entertained and surprised readers since it was first published in 1939 and will, I hope, do so for years to come.”

And Then There Were None was also one of Agatha Christie’s own favorites, even though it tested her writing skills.

World Stocks Plunge on China Manufacturing Data

Clyde K. Valle
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World Stocks Plunge on China Manufacturing Data

Global stock markets have been hit by renewed fears over China’s economic growth, with the main indexes falling sharply.

Wall Street traded sharply lower, with the Dow Jones down more than 300 points, or 1.9%, at 16,215.

European markets also fell, with the London’s FTSE 100 closing down 3% and France’s CAC 40 and Germany’s DAX about 2.4% lower.

Earlier, figures for August showed China’s manufacturing contracted at its fastest pace in three years.World stocks crash 2015

The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) dropped to 49.7 from 50 in July. A figure below 50 indicates contraction.

It follows recent turmoil in the markets sparked by concerns over a slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy.

Energy companies led the way down on the Dow, with Chevron and Exxon Mobil down about 3%. This followed a fall in the oil price, which was down more than 4% at $51.89.

Before Tuesday’s fall, the price of oil had risen by about 25% in the past three trading sessions.

The S&P 500 was also down about 2% at 1,934.18, while the tech-heavy NASDAQ was 1.6% lower at 4,699.21.

Global markets sustained heavy losses in August – for both the UK’s FTSE 100 and the US’s S&P 500, it was the worst month since May 2012.

As well as the weak China factory data, investors are unsure about the US Federal Reserve’s next move. Many had penciled in the a rate rise – the first move since the financial crisis – for September. However, given the recent stock turmoil, analysts seem less certain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5rEQfKVLxQ

China Stock Market Hit by Weak Manufacturing Data

Clyde K. Valle
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China Stock Market Hit by Weak Manufacturing Data

China’s stock market has continued its recent slide after fresh data provided further evidence of a slowdown in the country’s economy.

According to an official survey, China’s manufacturing activity contracted at its fastest pace in three years in August.

As a result, the mainland’s benchmark Shanghai Composite share index fell by 1.2% to 3,166.62.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index dropped 2.2% to 21,185.43.

The slowing of the world’s second largest economy and the extreme volatility on the mainland stock markets have weighed on global equities over the past few weeks.

Chinese mainland stocks have been on a steep downward slide over the past few months, shedding almost 40% since June.China manufacturing

Any fresh indication that China’s woes are set to continue is likely to frustrate Beijing’s attempts to reassure traders and stabilize the Shanghai and Shenzhen markets.

Chinese authorities have injected money into the markets, allowed the state pension fund to start buying up shares and lowered lending rates.

So far though, none of those measures have managed to push the markets back into positive territory.

China has also cracked down on people accused of spreading online “rumors”, and who the authorities say have been “destabilizing the market”.

Shares were also lower elsewhere in Asia. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index saw the region’s biggest losses, closing the day down 3.8% at 18,165.69.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 ended 2.1% lower at 5,097.40.

Traders in Sydney were cautious as any slump in China is likely to have an effect on Australia, which relies on the country as its main export destination.

The decision by Australia’s central bank not to cut interest rates also contributed to the downbeat mood.

In South Korea, the benchmark Kospi index also fell, dropping 1.4% to 1,914.23.

Affected by the slowdown in China, Seoul reported on September 1 that exports fell 14.7% in August from a year earlier, worse than expected and the biggest drop in six years.

Eurozone Unemployment Falls to Lowest Rate in Three Years

Clyde K. Valle
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Eurozone Unemployment Falls to Lowest Rate in Three Years

Eurozone unemployment fell in July 2015 to its lowest rate in more than three years, Eurostat figures have shown.

According to the EU statistics agency, the unemployment rate in the currency union fell to 10.9% in July from 11.1% the month before.

The fall was helped by a sharp fall in Italy’s unemployment, where the jobless total fell by 143,000.

It is the first time the unemployment rate in the eurozone has been below 11% since February 2012.

The wider 28-member EU saw the unemployment rate fall to 9.5%, the lowest rate since June 2011.

The lowest unemployment rate was in Germany, at 4.7%. Greece had the highest unemployment rate, at 25%, the latest available data from May showed, followed by Spain at 22.2%.Eurozone unemployment rate

The rate of youth unemployment across the eurozone also declined to 21.9% in July from 22.3% a month earlier.

A survey released earlier on September 1 suggested that growth in the eurozone’s manufacturing sector had eased slightly in August, despite factories barely raising prices.

The closely-watched Markit eurozone manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) was 52.3 last month, below a preliminary reading that suggested it had held steady at July’s reading of 52.4. However, it has remained above the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction for more than two years.

There was some good news within the data. Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland and Italy all saw strong growth, with Germany’s manufacturing PMI reading jumping to 53.3 in August from 51.8 a month earlier.

The manufacturing figures come almost six months into the European Central Bank’s (ECB) €60 billion-a-month bond-buying program designed to inject new life into the eurozone economy and combat low inflation, which is currently sitting at 0.2%.

With inflation still far from the ECB’s target rate of just below 2%, and looking likely to stay there for the foreseeable future, speculation is growing the bank will have to extend its stimulus program beyond the planned completion in September 2016.

Canada Entered Recession in Q2 2015

Clyde K. Valle
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Canada Entered Recession in Q2 2015

Canada has entered recession in Q2 2015, official figures have shown.

The Canadian gross domestic product (GDP) fell by an annualized rate of 0.5% between April and June.

That follows a contraction of 0.8% in Q1 2015, meaning the economy has seen two consecutive quarters of negative growth, the usual definition of recession.

The data will be a blow for PM Stephen Harper, who faces elections on October 19.

The economy is expected to dominate the election debate.Canada recession 2015

The last time Canada was in recession was during the financial crisis of 2008-2009.

As an oil exporting country, Canada has been hit by a fall in the price of the commodity.

US crude oil prices are currently trading at about $47 a barrel, less than half last year’s level of $107 a barrel, pushed lower by a fall in global demand, particularly from China.

However, the Canadian figures also showed that trade in June was much brisker, leading analysts to suggest the worst may be over.

Tuesday’s data also showed business in the arts and entertainment sector increased by 6.4% in June, mainly as a result of Canada hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKM59f2ngss

Joy Beverley of Beverley Sisters Fame Dies at 91

Sonia Pantiss
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Joy Beverley of Beverley Sisters Fame Dies at 91

Joy Beverley of Beverley Sisters fame has died at the age of 91.

The British singer was the eldest sister in the trio, who were known for songs including Little Drummer Boy.

Joy Beverley died on August 31 after suffering a stroke last week her son, Vince Wright, told the Express and Star.

Joy, born Joycelyn V. Chinery in 1924, and the twins Babs and Teddie, born in 1927, were brought up in Bethnal Green in east London.

Their parents were George and Victoria Beverley – who performed as music-hall duo, Coram and Mills.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

During the Second World War the girls were evacuated to the Midlands. There they secured a contract to become “Bonnie Babies” in an advertising campaign for the bedtime drink Ovaltine.

After the war the siblings were given their own TV show.

They were the first British female group to break into the US top 10 and enjoyed chart success with Christmas records like I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.

Other favorites included Bye Bye Love and Always and Forever.

They all retired after Joy married Billy Wright, then captain of the England football team, at Poole Register Office in 1958.

The trio reunited in the 1980s, resurrecting old songs such as It’s Illegal, It’s Immoral Or It Makes You Fat for gay clubs and variety shows.

The sisters entered the Guinness Book of Records in 2002, as the world’s longest surviving vocal group without a change in the lineup.

Joy Beverley is survived by her twin sisters, three children, Vince, Vicky and Babette, as well as three granddaughters and one grandson.

China Market Crisis: Fresh Manufacturing Data Confirms Slowdown

Clyde K. Valle
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China Market Crisis: Fresh Manufacturing Data Confirms Slowdown

According to fresh economic data, the Chinese factory activity contracted at its fastest pace in three years in August, confirming the slowdown in the country’s economy.

The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) dropped to 49.7 from 50 in July.

A figure below 50 indicates contraction.

The weak data is likely to add to global concerns over China’s economy losing steam and could send Asian and global shares down further.Chinese factory data August 2015

A separate private Caixin/Markit index also released on Tuesday puts the PMI number even weaker, at 47.3, the weakest reading since 2009.

The fresh economic data is also likely to undermine efforts by Beijing to reassure investors and calm markets.

Chinese mainland stocks have been on a steep downward slope over the past months, shedding almost 40% since June.

Authorities have injected money into the markets, allowed the state pension fund to start buying up shares and lowered lending rates.

So far though, none of those measures have managed to push the markets back into positive territory and analysts have warned that the more Beijing’s intervention fails to have an impact, the more likely it is that future ones will be shrugged off by investors.

Migrants Stage Protest at Sealed Keleti Train Station in Budapest

Diane A. Wade
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Migrants Stage Protest at Sealed Keleti Train Station in Budapest

Crowds of migrants have been protesting outside Keleti train station in Hungary’s capital Budapest after police sealed off the terminal to stop them travelling through the EU.

Hundreds of people chanted “Germany” and waved train tickets after being forced to leave Budapest’s Keleti station.

Officials said Hungary was trying to restore order and enforce EU rules.

Austrian police said 3,650 migrants arrived in Vienna from Hungary on August 31, with most heading for Germany.

Hungarian officials had earlier appeared to abandon efforts to register them under EU rules, which mean they should seek asylum in the first EU country they enter.

About 1,000 migrants congregated outside Keleti station, in the east of the city, as it was evacuated on September 1.Migrants protest Keleti train station

It was closed briefly and public announcements said no trains would be leaving.

The station soon reopened to non-migrant passengers, with lines of police preventing migrants from entering the main entrance.

The move came amid chaotic scenes after hundreds of migrants had tried to board services to Austria and Germany.

Some complained that they had paid hundreds of euros for tickets, and called for the station to be reopened so that they could continue their journey.

The number of migrants entering Europe has reached record levels, with 107,500 arriving in July alone.

Germany expects to take in 800,000 migrants this year – four times last year’s total.

Many of the migrants have been waiting at Keleti (East) station for days. Reporters said they are mainly Syrians, Afghans and Eritreans.

Under the EU’s Dublin Regulation, asylum seekers must register in the first EU member state in which they arrive. However, the protocol has been widely abused, as many of those who reached Hungary first arrived in Greece, where they failed to claim asylum.

The Berlin government has already said it is suspending the Dublin rule for Syrians who have travelled to Germany.

Some 1,400 people had arrived in Munich by September 1, after travelling through Austria, and more were due.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on August 31 called for greater EU co-operation on the issue and implicitly called for other countries to welcome more refugees.

“If Europe fails on the question of refugees, then it won’t be the Europe we wished for,” she said.

The risks for migrants travelling through Europe were highlighted last week by the deaths of 71 people, who were found in a lorry that had travelled to Austria from Budapest.

Most of the dead were thought to be Syrians fleeing the country’s civil war.

Hundreds more people drowned in the Mediterranean last week while trying to reach Europe from Libya.

Bangkok Bomb Attack: Police Arrest Second Foreign Suspect

Roy Siemens
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Bangkok Bomb Attack: Police Arrest Second Foreign Suspect

Thai police have arrested a second foreign suspect in connection with the deadly bombing at Bangkok’s Erawan Shrine on August 17, PM Prayuth Chan-ocha has revealed.

The male suspect was arrested in Sa Kaeo province, east of Bangkok on the border with Cambodia, Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters.

“He is a main suspect and a foreigner,” the prime minister was quoted as saying.

A foreign man was arrested in Bangkok on August 29 over the blast at Erawan Shrine, which killed 20 people.Bangkok bomb attack suspects

Bomb-making materials and 10 passports were found at the apartment in Nong Jok on the outskirts of Bangkok, police said.

Thai military authorities have been interrogating him, but they have not yet released his name or nationality.

It is unclear whether either of the two arrested men are the prime suspect, who seen on a security camera leaving a backpack at the crowded shrine shortly before the bombing on August 17.

On August 31, Thai police issued arrest warrants for two suspects – a 26-year-old Thai Muslim woman, Wanna Suansan, and an unnamed foreign man.

However, a woman who claims to be Wanna Suansan told a reporter she was living in Turkey and had last been in Thailand three months ago.

Speaking to AFP news agency by telephone, Wanna Suansan said she was living in the central Turkish city of Kayseri with her husband and that she was “shocked” to have been named as a suspect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCbhw4rwmU

Palmyra’s Temple of Bel Destroyed by ISIS, UN Satellite Images Confirm

James J. Williams
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Palmyra’s Temple of Bel Destroyed by ISIS, UN Satellite Images Confirm

According to the United Nations, a satellite image confirms that Palmyra’s Temple of Bel in northern Syria has been destroyed.

There had been earlier reports of an explosion at Palmyra’s main temple, which is held by ISIS militants.

Syria’s antiquities chief had earlier said the basic structure of the 2,000-year-old site was intact.

However, UN satellite analysts UNOSAT say the image shows almost nothing remains.

On August 31, Maamoun Abdul Karim, the head of the Syrian Department of Antiquities and Museums, had said the Temple of Bel suffered a large explosion, but that he believed most of the site had remained intact.Temple of Bel satellite image

Witnesses had struggled to get close to the site to confirm the extent of the damage.

ISIS has previously targeted historical sites in areas under its control in Iraq and Syria, regarding their ancient temples and sculptures as heretical.

The sale of looted antiquities is one of the group’s main sources of funding. It has also been accused of destroying ancient sites to gain publicity.

Authorities removed hundreds of statues and priceless objects before ISIS tightened its grip on Palmyra earlier this year.

Last week, it was confirmed that another site at Palmyra, the Temple of Baalshamin, had been blown up.

UNOSAT released satellite images showing the extent of the damage, proving that parts were heavily damaged or completely destroyed.

ISIS militants seized control of Palmyra in May, sparking fears for the World Heritage site.

Earlier this month the group murdered 81-year-old Khaled al-Asaad, the archaeologist who had looked after the Palmyra ruins for 40 years.

The world-famous Greco-Roman ruins of Palmyra are in the desert north-east of the Syrian capital, Damascus.

The Temple of Bel is dedicated to the Palmyrene gods and was one of the best-preserved parts of the ancient city of Palmyra.

Syrian government forces have sought to drive ISIS out of the Palmyra area in recent months and there has been fierce fighting in nearby towns.

Hillary Clinton Email Scandal: 7,000 Pages Released by State Department

Diane A. Wade
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Hillary Clinton Email Scandal: 7,000 Pages Released by State Department

Thousands of pages of Hillary Clinton’s emails while secretary of state have been released, including many that have been censored after being deemed classified.

Hillary Clinton, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 2016 presidential election, has been under fire for using a private computer server for work emails while in office.

She says no classified information was sent or received.

However, some 150 emails were deemed confidential by the State Department.

Hillary Clinton’s opponents have accused her of putting US security at risk by using an unsecured computer system.

The former secretary of state has admitted that her decision to use a private email server at her New York home was a mistake.

Hillary Clinton served as Secretary of State between 2009 and 2013.

Photo Facebook
Photo Facebook

The emails – the details of which were found among more than 7,000 pages of her correspondence released by the department late on August 31 – were partly censored.

The State Department said about 150 of the messages had to be censored because they contained information considered to be classified.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner was quoted by AFP as saying the process of re-evaluating the remaining unreleased emails was continuing.

However, the vast majority of the correspondence concerned mundane matters of daily life at workplace, including phone messages and relays of daily schedules.

Associated Press says the emails revealed that Hillary Clinton and her aides were acutely aware of the need to protect sensitive information.

More than a quarter of Hillary Clinton’s work emails have now been released, after she provided the State Department with 30,000 pages of documents last year.

Polls indicate that the email scandal has affected Hillary Clinton’s ratings, though she remains the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.

New Zealand Flag Design Contest Finalists Unveiled

Diane A. Wade
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New Zealand Flag Design Contest Finalists Unveiled

New Zealand has unveiled the four finalists in the country’s public competition to design what could be its new national flag.

The response has been muted, with many dismissing them as too conservative, even boring.New Zealand flag design finalists

All but one of the designs – which could end up replacing the existing Union Jack-emblazoned flag – uses the national silver fern symbol. The fourth shows the curving koru Maori symbol. Two are by the same designer.

New Zealanders will have the chance to choose their favorite design in a referendum later this year. Then in 2016, another referendum will be held to decide whether to scrap the existing flag and replace it with the winner.

Netflix to Drop Thousands of Movies after Ending Epix Deal

Sonia Pantiss
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Netflix to Drop Thousands of Movies after Ending Epix Deal

Netflix will drop thousands of titles after the streaming service decided not to renew a deal with movie distributor Epix.

Removed titles will include the Hunger Games and Transformers movies.

Netflix, which has more than 60 million subscribers worldwide, said it wanted to focus on exclusive content.

Rival service Hulu will take on the Epix catalogue.

“Our subscribers have been asking us for more, and more recent, big movies,” Hulu said.Netflix ends Epix deal

“We listened. Through this new deal with Epix, we are proud to now be able to offer a huge selection of the biggest blockbusters and premium films.”

Netflix’s deal with Epix – which was worth a reported $1 billion – runs up until the end of September 2015, at which point the films will disappear from the service.

Explaining the move to subscribers, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos wrote: “While many of these movies are popular, they are also widely available on cable and other subscription platforms at the same time as they are on Netflix and subject to the same drawn out licensing periods.”

Ted Sarandos then went on to list a variety of exclusive shows coming up on the service, including new work from Ricky Gervais, Idris Elba and Adam Sandler.

He also praised an upcoming Netflix-made documentary about Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.

As competition between video on demand (VOD) services intensifies, Netflix’s decision may appear to be an unlikely move.

As well as signing content deals, VOD services are investing heavily in creating original content. The platform is seen by some in the industry as a welcome alternative to the commissioning processes and priorities of established cable networks and film studios.

The approach is reaping dividends. At this year’s Emmy awards, Netflix enjoyed 34 nominations, while Amazon – a major VOD player too – earned 12.

Yahoo, a minor player at this stage, earned one nomination for Community – a comedy that had been cancelled by NBC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JZzpF0Ws-I

Barack Obama Becomes First President to Appear on Bear Grylls Show

Nancy Clayson
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Barack Obama Becomes First President to Appear on Bear Grylls Show

Barack Obama will trek through the wilderness in Alaska this week with TV adventurer Bear Grylls, the NBC channel has announced.

The president is due to tape an episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls to observe the effects of climate change on the area, the channel said.

Barack Obama is the first president to appear on Bear Grylls’ show, to be aired later this year.

The president is on a three-day tour of Alaska aimed at highlighting the pace of climate change.

Photo NBC
Photo NBC

It is part of his administration’s efforts to build support for new legislation significantly capping carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the US, as well as raise attention to the ways climate change has damaged Alaska’s natural landscape.

Barack Obama follows several other high profile figures, including actresses Kate Winslet and Kate Hudson, who have tested their survival skills on the show.

Bear Grylls – a former British special forces soldier – puts celebrities through their paces in remote forests and mountains across the world, “pushing their minds and bodies to the limit to complete their journeys”.

This week Barack Obama will become the first sitting US president to visit the Alaskan Arctic, where he is due to address foreign ministers from Arctic nations at a conference on climate change.

Barack Obama is also scheduled to visit glaciers and meet fishermen and native leaders to discuss rising sea levels, shrinking glaciers and melting permafrost in Alaska.

Before he departed for Alaska, Barack Obama announced he was changing the name of Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America, to its original native Alaskan, Denali.

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama unveiled plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions from US power stations by nearly a third within 15 years.

Hurricane Fred Hits West African Islands of Cape Verde

Diane A. Wade
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Hurricane Fred Hits West African Islands of Cape Verde

Hurricane Fred has hit the island nation of Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa with winds of up to 85mph.

Cape Verde’s government has grounded all flights until further notice.

No hurricane has ever been recorded further east in the tropical Atlantic.Hurricane Fred Cape Verde 2015

A hurricane warning has been issued by the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC), which predicts coastal flooding due to strong wind and heavy rains from Monday and overnight into Tuesday.

The NHC says the last time a hurricane was recorded hitting Cape Verde was 1892, although it cautions that records were less exact before the advent of weather satellites in the mid-1960s.

Hurricane conditions are occurring in islands in north-eastern Cape Verde, with northern and north-western islands due to be hit if the hurricane holds its current course, it adds.

The NHC has warned of flash flooding and mudslides as the storm moves across the islands.

Hurricane Fred is forecast to gradually weaken from Tuesday onwards, and will not affect other West African countries.

Cape Verde consists of 10 significant volcanic islands, nine of which are inhabited.

Ukraine Protests: Violent Clashes over Autonomy Deal Outside Parliament

Diane A. Wade
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Ukraine Protests: Violent Clashes over Autonomy Deal Outside Parliament

One Ukraine’s national guardsman has been killed and about 100 injured in violent protests outside Ukraine’s parliament, the interior ministry said.

Clashes between nationalists and riot police erupted after members of parliament gave initial backing to reforms for more autonomy in the rebel-held east.

National guardsmen were pelted with fire crackers and petrol bombs as explosions were heard.

The reforms are part of a peace plan to end fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Protesters led by the populist Radical Party and the ultra-nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) party – who fear the loss of the east to Russian-backed separatists – gathered outside parliament on August 31.

After a rowdy debate, 265 members of parliament out of 450 backed the first reading of the decentralization bill, granting more powers to areas of Donetsk and Luhansk.Ukraine parliament protest

The Ukrainian Interior Minister, Arsen Avakov, said some 30 people have been detained, including a Svoboda member who confessed to throwing a grenade.

He bitterly criticized Svoboda leader Oleh Tyahnybok, writing on Facebook that several explosive devices had been thrown by people wearing Svoboda T-shirts.

A policeman’s leg was torn off below the knee in the blast, Interfax Ukraine reported, while journalists at the scene were also reported injured.

Almost 7,000 people have died since the conflict in eastern Ukraine broke out in March 2014, after Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.

Pushing through greater autonomy for the rebel-held areas is a key part of the Minsk peace deal, originally signed in February.

During the summer, fighting between Ukrainian army forces and the rebels has escalated. But the two sides agreed last week to halt the violence on September 1, the day children in the region return to school.

Although the number of ceasefire violations appears to have fallen in recent days, OSCE monitors have warned that neither side was respecting the truce.

Under the draft constitutional changes going through parliament, there will be a special law covering local government in rebel-held areas.

However, parliament speaker Volodymyr Hroysman was adamant that would not mean special status for Donetsk and Luhansk, which rebel leaders have declared republics.

If President Petro Poroshenko is to succeed in pushing through the reforms, he will need the support of 300 members of parliament, seen as a tall order for the Ukrainian leader.

Petro Poroshenko is due to address the nation on the proposals and the violence outside parliament on August 31.

MTV VMA’s 2015: Full List of Winners and Nominees

Sonia Pantiss
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MTV VMA’s 2015: Full List of Winners and Nominees

2015 MTV Video Music Awards full list of winners and nominees:

Video of the Year

Beyoncé – 7/11
Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – Bad Blood
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk
Kendrick Lamar – Alright

Best Male Video

Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk
Kendrick Lamar – Alright
The Weeknd – Earned It
Nick Jonas – Chains
Best Female Video

Beyoncé – 7/11
Taylor Swift – Blank Space
Nicki Minaj – Anaconda
Sia – Elastic Heart
Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do
Best Hip-Hop Video

Fetty Wap – Trap Queen
Nicki Minaj – Anaconda
Kendrick Lamar – Alright
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – See You Again
Big Sean ft. E-40 – IDFWU

Best Pop Video

Beyoncé – 7/11
Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
Taylor Swift – Blank Space
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk
Maroon 5 – Sugar
Best Rock Video

Hozier – Take Me To Church
Fall Out Boy – Uma Thurman
Florence + the Machine – Ship To Wreck
Walk the Moon – Shut Up and Dance
Arctic Monkeys – Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?
Artist to Watch

Fetty Wap – Trap Queen
Vance Joy – Riptide
George Ezra – Budapest
James Bay – Hold Back The River
FKA Twigs – Pendulum

Best Collaboration

Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – Bad Blood
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – See You Again
Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – Love Me Harder
Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj – Bang Bang

Video With a Social Message

Jennifer Hudson – I Still Love You
Colbie Caillat – Try
Big Sean ft. Kanye West and John Legend – One Man Can Change the World
Rihanna – American Oxygen
Wale – The White ShoesMTV VMA winners 2015
Best Art Direction

Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – Bad Blood (Charles Infante)
Snoop Dogg – So Many Pros (Jason Fijal)
Jack White – Would You Fight For My Love (Jeff Peterson)
The Chemical Brothers – Go (Michel Gondry)
Skrillex & Diplo – Where Are U Now with Justin Bieber (Brewer)

Best Choreography

Beyoncé – 7/11 (Beyoncé, Chris Grant, Additional choreography: Gabriel Valenciano)
OK Go – I Won’t Let You Down (OK Go, air:man and Mori Harano)
Chet Faker – Gold (Ryan Heffington)
Ed Sheeran – Don’t (Nappy Tabs)
Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar – Never Catch Me (Keone and Mari Madrid)

Best Cinematography

Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar – Never Catch Me (Larkin Sieple)
Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud (Daniel Pearl)
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – Bad Blood (Christopher Probst)
FKA Twigs – Two Weeks (Justin Brown)
Alt-J – Left Hand Free (Mike Simpson)

Best Direction

Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – Bad Blood (Joseph Kahn)
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk (Bruno Mars and Cameron Duddy)
Kendrick Lamar – Alright (Colin Tilley & The Little Homies)
Hozier – Take Me To Church (Brendan Canty, Conal Thomson)
Childish Gambino – Sober (Hiro Murai)

Best Editing

Beyoncé – 7/11 (Beyoncé, Ed Burke, Jonathan Wing)
Ed Sheeran – Don’t (Jacquelyn London)
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – Bad Blood (Chancler Haynes at Cosmo Street)
A$AP Rocky – L$D (Dexter Navy)
Skrillex & Diplo – Where Are U Now with Justin Bieber (Brewer)

Best Visual Effects

Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – Bad Blood (Ingenuity Studios)
FKA Twigs – Two Weeks (Gloria FX, Tomash Kuzmytskyi, and Max Chyzhevskyy)
Childish Gambino – Telegraph Ave. (Gloria FX)
Skrillex & Diplo – Where Are U Now with Justin Bieber (Brewer)
Tyler, The Creator – F—— Young/Death Camp (Gloria FX)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04Y2gpOhaOE

Kanye West Is Running for President

Sonia Pantiss
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Kanye West Is Running for President

Kanye West said he will run for president in 2020 as he received the lifetime achievement award at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards.

During his rambling speech, Kanye West said: “I have decided in 2020 to run for president.”

Cheered on by his wife Kim Kardashian, Kanye West got an extended standing ovation when he was picking up the Video Vanguard lifetime achievement award.

The rapper also appeared to confess to smoking weed before taking the stage.

“I will die for the art, for what I believe in and I ain’t always gonna be polite.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

“I rolled up a little something. I got the answer. We’re the millenials bro.”

Taylor Swift won video of the year for Bad Blood.

She also took best pop video for Blank Space.

Taylor Swift was crowned queen of the MTV Video Music Awards.

She won four of her 10 nominations, including Video of the Year for Bad Blood with Kendrick Lamar and Best Pop Video for Blank Space.

She also buried the hatchet with rapper Nicki Minaj, embracing her former rival on stage during a brief version of Bad Blood.

The show was hosted by Miley Cyrus.

Miley Cyrus released her new album for free after coming off stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le_H_UYriUk

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