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Netflix to Drop Thousands of Movies after Ending Epix Deal

Sonia Pantiss
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0
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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0
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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0
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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0
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

Slow-Melting Ice Cream Could Become Available in 3 to 5 Years

James J. Williams
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Slow-Melting Ice Cream Could Become Available in 3 to 5 Years

Scottish scientists have developed a new ingredient that could prevent ice cream melting in hot weather.

A naturally occurring protein can be used to create ice cream which stays frozen for longer in hot weather.

The scientists estimate that the slow-melting product could become available in three to five years.

The development could also allow products to be made with lower levels of saturated fat and fewer calories.Slow melting ice cream to be developed

Teams at the Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee have discovered that the protein, known as BsIA, works by binding together the air, fat and water in ice cream.

It is also said to prevent gritty ice crystals from forming – ensuring a fine, smooth texture.

The team developed a method of producing the protein – which occurs naturally in some foods as a friendly bacteria.

The researchers also had the prospect of reducing the sugar content and could be used in other foods such as chocolate mousse and mayonnaise to help reduce the calories.

They believe using the ingredient could benefit manufacturers too as it can be processed without impacting on performance and can be produced from sustainable raw materials.

ISIS Destroys Part of Palmyra’s Temple of Bel

Roy Siemens
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ISIS Destroys Part of Palmyra’s Temple of Bel

ISIS has destroyed part of Palmyra’s Temple of Bel, which is considered the most important temple at the ancient Syrian site, activists and witnesses say.

The extent of the damage to the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel is not clear but local residents have described being shaken by a large explosion.

The reports come a week after ISIS blew up another Palmyra temple.

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

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

“It is total destruction,” one Palmyra resident told the Associated Press news agency.

Photo Wikipedia
Photo Wikipedia

“The bricks and columns are on the ground.”

“It was an explosion the deaf would hear,” he went on, adding that only the wall of the temple remains.

The temple was dedicated to the Palmyrene gods and was one of the best preserved parts of the site.

It was several days after the initial reports of the destruction of another part of the site, the Temple of Baalshamin that ISIS itself put out pictures showing its militants blowing up the temple.

Satellite images have confirmed the destruction.

For the extremists, any representation implying the existence of a god other than theirs is sacrilege and idolatry.

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

Khaled al-Asaad’s family told Syria’s director of antiquities that he had been beheaded.

UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova praised Khaled al-Asaad, saying ISIS “murdered a great man, but they will never silence history”.

The ancient city of Palmyra is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was a major tourist attraction before Syria descended into civil war.

UNESCO has condemned the deliberate destruction of Syria’s cultural heritage as a war crime.

The modern city of Palmyra – known locally as Tadmur – is situated in a strategically important area on the road between the Syrian capital, Damascus, and the eastern city of Deir al-Zour.

ISIS has used Palmyra’s theatre to stage the public execution by children of more than 20 captured Syrian army soldiers.

The militant group has ransacked and demolished several similar sites in the parts of neighboring Iraq which they overran last year, destroying priceless ancient artifacts.

The UN estimates that over 250,000 people have been killed in Syria since the war began in 2011.

Over 4 million people have fled Syria and 7.6 million are displaced inside the country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY5Ef-BtW2I

Mount McKinley’s Name Changed Back to Denali

Diane A. Wade
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Mount McKinley’s Name Changed Back to Denali

The name of Alaska’s Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America, has been changed back to its original native Alaskan, Denali, President Barack Obama announced.

The mount’s name change comes after decades of controversy.

Denali translates to High One and is used widely by locals.

The 20,237ft (6,168m) peak was named by a gold prospector in 1896 after he heard that William McKinley had been nominated to become the US president.

Photo AP
Photo AP

Barack Obama announced the change ahead of a three-day visit to Alaska to highlight climate change.

“With our own sense of reverence for this place, we are officially renaming the mountain Denali in recognition of the traditions of Alaska Natives and the strong support of the people of Alaska,” Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said in a statement announcing the change.

The statement went on to note that McKinley had never set foot in Alaska.

Alaska has been attempting to change the name to Denali for decades. However, its attempts to change it at a federal level have been blocked by Ohio, William McKinley’s home state.

It is unclear if Ohio will attempt to stop this name change.

William McKinley was the 25th president of the United States. He was assassinated early in his second term in 1901.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwF58xZlCu4

Bangkok Bomb Attack: Police Issue Two New Arrest Warrants

Roy Siemens
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Bangkok Bomb Attack: Police Issue Two New Arrest Warrants

Police in Bangkok have found bomb-making materials in a second flat, after the arrest of a suspect in the explosion at the city’s Erawan Shrine.

Police spokesperson Prawut Thavornsiri said they had found “parts to make bombs and electric charges”.

Two new arrest warrants have also been issued, for a 26-year-old Thai woman and a foreign man.

The August 17 blast, which the government called the worst such attack in Thailand, killed 20 people.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

On August 29, bomb materials were found in the home of an unnamed foreigner who was detained, police said.

The search of the second apartment in Bangkok’s Min Buri district at the weekend was prompted by information from the detained suspect, according to the Bangkok Post.

“We found fertilizer bags, watches, radio controls,” Prawut Thavornsiri said.

“These are bomb-making materials… nobody would keep urea fertilizer and gunpowder unless they wanted to make a bomb.”

In the suspect’s home on August 29, police said they had found detonators, ball bearings and a metal pipe they believed was intended to hold a bomb.

The detained man is not, however, the suspect seen in CCTV footage at the Erawan Shrine just before the explosion.

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

Malaysia Protests: Najib Razak Refuses to Resign and Calls for Unity

Diane A. Wade
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Malaysia Protests: Najib Razak Refuses to Resign and Calls for Unity

Speaking in a public address to mark Malaysia’s National Day, PM Najib Razak said he refuses to resign after mass protests, calling for national unity.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets at the weekend, urging the prime minister to step down over allegations he took hundreds of millions of dollars of public funds.

Najib Razak said such protests were “not the proper channel to voice opinions in a democratic country”.

He has denied pocketing $700 million of public money.

The payments, first revealed by the Wall Street Journal, came from the 1MDB state investment fund, which Najib Razak set up on coming into office in 2009.

Najib Razak has removed several leading officials who had criticized his handling of the scandal.

Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency has effectively cleared the prime minister, saying the money was from foreign donors.

Police says about 25,000 people took part in the two-day demonstration at their peak, though Bersih [Clean] – the pro-democracy group behind the rallies – put the figure at 300,000.

During his National Day speech, Najib Razak said it was clear the rest of Malaysia backed the government.

“We will never allow anyone from within or from outside, [to] simply walk in and steal, ruin or destroy all that we have built so far,” the state news agency Bernama quoted the prime minister as saying.

Photo AP
Photo AP

“Let us all remember, if we are not united, lose our solidarity and cohesion, all problems will not be resolved, and everything we have laboriously built will be destroyed just like that.”

Najib Razak said protests which “disrupt public order and only inconvenience the people” did not reflect maturity and were “not the proper channel to voice opinions in a democratic country”.

His coalition, Barisan Nasional, has governed Malaysia since independence 58 years ago.

However, the coalition’s support has declined in recent elections, and its critics have accused it of arrogance.

The movement against Najib Razak has been driven by influential former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed who was also at the rally in Kuala Lumpur on August 30.

Mahathir Mohamed, who led Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 and was formerly a Najib razak ally, said it was untenable for him to continue in his position.

“There’s no more rule of law. The only way for the people to get back to the old system is for them to remove this prime minister,” he said.

“We must remove this prime minister.”

The rally in Kuala Lumpur was deemed illegal, but was allowed to go ahead, and ended peacefully late on Sunday.

Previous rallies held by the Bersih movement have been dispersed by police using tear gas and water cannon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy2ZHNNFesI

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

Wes Craven Dies from Brain Cancer Aged 76

Sonia Pantiss
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Wes Craven Dies from Brain Cancer Aged 76

Hollywood horror legend Wes Craven has died from brain cancer at the age of 76.

Wes Craven reportedly died at his Los Angeles home on Sunday, August 30.

He wrote and directed A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984. His Scream franchise was reported to have grossed more than $100 million in the US.Wes Craven dead at 76

Wes Craven wrote, directed and edited his first film, The Last House on the Left, in 1972.

A tweet from his Twitter account featured a picture of the director with the dates 1939-2015.

Wes Craven was credited with reinventing the teen horror genre when the first movie featuring Freddy Krueger was released in 1984 starring a then-unknown Johnny Depp.

He had more recently signed deals to develop television programs, including the new Scream series for MTV.

Wes Craven had also been working on a horror novel series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPBffK0JUyc

Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev in Workout Session at Sochi Residence

Nancy Clayson
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Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev in Workout Session at Sochi Residence

The Kremlin has released footage of President Vladimir Putin and PM Dmitry Medvedev sharing a morning workout at a government residence in Sochi.

Video and still images released by Russian state news agency Tass show Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev in tracksuits lifting weights.

Photo Reuters
Photo Reuters

Later the Russian leaders shared a breakfast, barbecuing some of the food themselves.

Vladimir Putin is known in Russia for his strong-man image and has previously been pictured fishing, horse-riding, and hunting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXmt16sg3Io

China Stock Market: 197 People Arrested for Spreading Rumors

Clyde K. Valle
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China Stock Market: 197 People Arrested for Spreading Rumors

A total of 197 people have been arrested in China for spreading rumors online about the recent stock market crash and fatal explosions in Tianjin, according to state news agency Xinhua.

A journalist and stock market officials are among those arrested, Xinhua said. It gave no other details.

Chinese shares fell by nearly 8% after a week of volatile trading that spread fear to global markets.

The Tianjin explosions killed 150 people – with 23 still missing.China arrests over stock market rumors

A total of 367 people remain in hospital after the August 12 blast at a Tianjin warehouse where large amounts of toxic chemicals were stored. Twenty are in critical condition, according to Xinhua.

Separately, the UK’s Financial Times says Chinese leaders feel they mishandled their stock market rescue efforts.

The publication, quoting an account of a meeting of senior regulatory officials on August 27, said the government had decided to abandon attempts to boost the stock market and instead step up efforts to punish people suspected of “destabilizing the market”.

Chinese authorities tightly control information online and have previously prosecuted internet users for spreading rumors.

The rumors described by the latest statement include reports that a man had jumped to his death in Beijing due to the stock market slump and that as many as 1,300 people were killed in Tianjin blasts, Xinhua said.

The news agency said “seditious rumors about China’s upcoming commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II” were also among the offences.

A journalist was also arrested along with several stock market officials, according to a Xinhua report. The journalist, Wang Xiaolu, is accused of “spreading fake information” about the market slump, the report said.

Xinhua said Wang Xiaolu confessed that he “wrote fake report on Chinese stock market based on hearsay and his own subjective guesses without conducting due verifications”.

In 2013 China introduced a possible three-year sentence for spreading rumors – the sentence was supposed to apply to anyone who posted a rumor that was reposted 500 times or viewed 5,000 times.

Suzuki and VW Alliance Has Terminated, International Court Rules

Clyde K. Valle
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Suzuki and VW Alliance Has Terminated, International Court Rules

An International Chamber of Commerce’s ruling has settled a four-year dispute between carmakers Volkswagen AG and Suzuki Motor over their failed partnership.

The court ruled that VW should sell its 19.9% stake in Suzuki.

Japan’s Suzuki first requested the sale of VW’s shares in 2011 after a plan to collaborate on new technology failed, but the German firm had refused.

Suzuki’s chairman Osamu Suzuki said it “used to feel as if a small bone were stuck in my throat…I feel so refreshed now”.

“It was a precious experience,” he said.

“I learned there are different types of companies.”Suzuki and VW alliance terminated

Asked about future partnerships with VW Osamu Suzuki said “you will not remarry someone you have divorced”.

For its part, Volkswagen said: “We welcome the fact that there is now clarity. The co-operation between the two companies has now been ended.”

VW and Suzuki had agreed to work together on fuel efficient cars but Suzuki accused VW of withholding information it had promised to share, while VW objected to a Suzuki deal to buy diesel engines from Fiat.

As part of the 2009 agreement, VW bought the Suzuki stake as a way of it gaining access to the Indian market for small cars, where the Japanese firm had a leading position.

Suzuki said it planned to buy back the shares from VW at a “reasonable” price, which one analyst told Reuters was likely to be Friday’s closing price of 4,151.5 yen ($34.1).

In a statement, Suzuki said it did not foresee any financial impact on its full-year earnings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGPjc9dxasQ

Austria Migrant Truck: Syrian Children Vanish from Braunau Hospital

Diane A. Wade
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Austria Migrant Truck: Syrian Children Vanish from Braunau Hospital

Three Syrian children and their families, who were rescued from a minivan containing 26 migrants in Austria, have disappeared from the hospital where they were being treated, police say.

The children were taken to hospital in the town of Braunau am Inn on August 28 suffering from severe dehydration.

Their discovery came a day after 71 bodies, thought to be migrants, were found on a dumped truck in Austria.

Several European countries have called for urgent talks on the migrant crisis.

Austrian police said they stopped the minivan in Braunau, which sits on Austria’s border with Germany, on August 28 and arrested its Romanian driver.

The children – two girls and a boy aged between one and five years old – were said to have been crammed in the back along with other migrants from Syria, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.Austria migrant minivan

Police said they were critically ill and almost unconscious when they were found.

The children and their families disappeared from the hospital at some point on August 29.

Authorities believe they may have tried to cross the border into Germany, rather than face deportation back to Hungary.

Separately on August 30, Hungarian police said they had arrested a fifth man over the deaths of the 71 people who were found in the abandoned truck in Austria on August 27.

The man is the fourth Bulgarian to be held over the find near the Hungarian border. The other man is Afghan. Authorities believe the men are low-level members of a human trafficking gang.

Officials said the 59 men, eight women and four children – thought to be mainly Syrians – had probably died of suffocation two days earlier.

It is the latest in a series of tragic events as more and more migrants attempt to reach Europe by land or by sea. A record number of 107,500 migrants crossed the EU’s borders last month.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU1-Glh8ss4

Great Reviews on The Top 3 Smartwatches at Gearbest

Ricky Robinson
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Great Reviews on The Top 3 Smartwatches at Gearbest

GearBest is more than just a shopping site, it’s designed for gadget lovers by gadget lovers. They have a passion for all kinds of cool and fun gadgets, including smart phones, smart watches, car electronics, RC Quadcopters, LED flashlights, consumer electronics, etc. GearBest not only offers a large selection of the latest gadgets, but also aims to keep the price at the lowest worldwide. If you find identical gadgets elsewhere which are cheaper than the free shipping prices, you can submit a price match request on the product page, and you will get a price match within 48 hours.

Imасwеаr m7

Imасwеаr m7
source: GearBest.com

Thе M7 iѕ аn Andrоid smartwatch (nоtе: it’s nоt thе ѕаmе as Andrоid Wear) thаt соmеѕ оut in thе hореѕ of соmрlеtеlу rерlасing уоur Android or iOS ѕmаrtрhоnе (аѕ ѕееn аt Gizmо China).

It comes еԛuiрреd with 2G, 3G WCDMA саll аnd browsing funсtiоnѕ аnd hаѕ a 1.6-inсh touch screen display.

Likе thе ѕесоnd-gеn Samsung Gеаr 2, thе wаtсh аlѕо bundled a 5MP саmеrа. Aesthetically ѕреаking, the M7 is quite rеminiѕсеnt оf thе Omаtе Truеѕmаrt, but itѕ аllоу bоdу ѕееmѕ a littlе bit mоrе refined. Even so, it lооkѕ ԛuitе сhunkу and big compared tо current рrоduсtѕ such аѕ the Mоtо 360 оr ASUS ZenWatch.

Aѕ уоu саn ѕее in the pictures, thе wаtсh аlѕо has thrее рhуѕiсаl buttоnѕ, the top оnе bеing thе роwеr button, whilе thе lower one iѕ thе hоmе buttоn. The button in the middle iѕ асtuаllу thе 5MP саmеrа.

gearbest-immacwear-m7-smartwatch-buttons

The intеrnаl ѕресifiсаtiоnѕ оf the M7 inсludе a 1.2GHz рrосеѕѕоr, 512MB оf RAM, 4GB of internal ѕtоrаgе and a 600mAh bаttеrу рumрing lifе intо thе dеviсе, аlthоugh wе’rе not being tоld hоw muсh it will last.

GV18 Aplus

gearbest-GV18-Aplus-Smart-Watch-Phone-1427401117489-P-2466581
source:GearBest.com

GV18 Aрluѕ Smаrt Wаtсh Phоnе is a ѕmаrtwаtсh thаt iѕ gооd with juѕt Android Smart Phоnеѕ fоr nоw. It accompanies mоѕt rесеnt innоvаtiоn that lеt smart watch аnd рhоnе to соnvеу intuitively. GV18 Aрluѕ Smаrt Wаtсh hаѕ thе Bluеtооth inѕight innоvаtiоn that gives high dаtа processing аnd mоrе steady business ореrаtiоn рrоfiсiеnсу.

GV 18 Aрluѕ Smаrt Watch расkѕ a decent 1.54 inсh TFT HD LCD fullу touch screen with resolution 240 x 240 рixеlѕ. It соmеѕ with Stainless Steel wаtсh case that оffеrѕ great durability and аwеѕоmе feel оn your wriѕt.

GV18 Aplus hаѕ tурiсаl pin buсklе ѕtriр аnd hаѕ ԛuаlitу rubbеr mаtеriаl thаt mаkеѕ it very соmfоrtаblе tо wеаr. GV18 Aрluѕ mеаѕurеѕ оf 5.31 x 2.87 x 2.28 inches. It iѕ vеrу light in wеight thаt is оnlу 50 grаmѕ.

gearbest-GV18-Aplus-Smart-Watch-Phone-details

Aѕ wе mеntiоnеd already, the GV 18 Aplus Smаrt Wаtсh hаѕ nоt a powerful but a 0.3 M pixels оf camera thаt lеtѕ you to frееlу take рiсturеѕ thrоugh it аnd уоu саn rеmоtе соntrоl your ѕmаrtрhоnе аѕ well. It has CPU 533MHz MTK6260A fоr quick processing оf fеаturеѕ whаt thе dеviсе hаѕ got under thе hооd with memory оf 128MB storage + 64MB (ROM) and the bеѕt раrt is, you can also еxtеnd the memory uр to 32 GB viа TF саrd. To kеер the device running longer аnd ѕаfеr, thеrе iѕ a 450 Mа high-capacity polymer bаttеrу.

ZGPAX S29

GearBest-ZGPAX-S29-Smart-Watch-Phone
source: GearBest.com

Thе Smаrtwаtсh ZGPAX S29 iѕ thе sister оf thе ZGPAX S28 but better with a Cаmеrа 2MP оn it. Thiѕ watchphone hаѕ thе ѕаmе fеаturеѕ thаn the S28, whiсh means it саn ассерt a sim саrd GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz, a SD Cаrd uр tо 8GB, аnd hаѕ a battery оf 450mAh. Yоu will bе able to synchronise your соntасtѕ, uѕе the реdоmеtеr, thе саmеrа, the ѕlеер monitor, thе ѕеdеntаrу rеmindеr, аnd еvеn rесеivе nоtifiсаtiоnѕ frоm thе mоѕt famous social аррѕ like Fасеbооk, Twittеr, еtс if you download the арр through thе QR Cоdе оn the smartwatch. Thе ZGPAX S29 Watchphone iѕ a great аltеrnаtivе as you can use it indереndеntlу frоm уоur ѕmаrtрhоnе or соnnесtеd to it!

Bangkok Bomb Attack: Adem Karadag Charged in Connection with Erawan Shrine Blast

Roy Siemens
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Bangkok Bomb Attack: Adem Karadag Charged in Connection with Erawan Shrine Blast

Thai police have charged a suspect, who was named on a fake Turkish passport as Adem Karadag, in connection with the bomb attack that killed 20 people in Bangkok about two weeks ago.

Officers say the suspect, who was charged with illegal possession of weapons, was involved in the attack.

However, they say he is not the man seen on CCTV footage leaving a bag at the Erawan Shrine before the explosion.

The bomb tore through the crowded shrine on August 17, injuring more than 100, mostly tourists.

The man, who was described as a 28-year-old foreigner by police, was arrested in Nong Jok on the outskirts of Bangkok on August 29.

Thai army chief General Udomdej Sitabutr said the man had so far not co-operated with investigators.Adem Karadag charged in Bangkok bomb attack

“We have to conduct further interrogations and make him better understand so he will be more co-operative – while we have to be careful not to violate the suspect’s rights,” he told the AFP news agency on August 30.

The man’s nationality has not been confirmed but local reports suggest he could be from Turkey. Police said they found a large number of forged Turkish passports at his apartment.

Bomb-making materials also discovered in the property included ball bearings and piping, similar to what was used in the shrine attack, police said.

Police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said the man “is a culprit in the same network” as those behind the blast.

However, national police chief Somyot Pumpanmuang downplayed any suggestion that the suspect was connected to terrorism.

“He is a foreigner, but it’s unlikely he is an international terrorist. It’s a personal feud,” Somyot Pumpanmuang told a televised news conference.

“He got angry on behalf of his friends and family members,” he added without elaborating.

Meanwhile, Thai police have faced criticism for an image of a suicide bomb vest that was shown on television during the national broadcast announcing the suspect’s arrest on August 29.

The image caused a stir on social media and police later said it had nothing to do with the bombing or the suspect. Thailand’s ruling military accused broadcast media of inserting the erroneous picture.

A reward of one million Thai baht ($28,000) has been offered for information related to the Erawan Shrine attack.

Police released a photofit of the man seen leaving a bag at the site shortly before the blast, showing the suspect with dark hair and glasses.

Officials said at the time of the attack that they suspected it had been planned a month or more in advance and involved at least 10 people.

Erawan shrine is a popular destination for Chinese and Thai tourists.

Fan Dies After Falling from Upper Deck During Atlanta Braves Game

Clyde K. Valle
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Fan Dies After Falling from Upper Deck During Atlanta Braves Game

A baseball fan died after falling from the upper deck into the lower-level stands at Turner Field on August 29 during a game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees.

The man was given emergency medical treatment including CPR at the scene but Atlanta police later confirmed his death.

He fell close to the where the players’ wives and families sit and many could be seen in tears.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

Police said the man was in his early 60s but they have not named him.

A security guard said the man appeared to be hanging on to a wire but then fell on to the lower seats during the seventh inning.

An Atlanta Braves statement read: “We have received confirmation that the fan involved in an accident at this evening’s game has passed away. The Atlanta Braves offer their deepest condolences to the family.”

Another fan died in a fall in 2013 at Turner Field that was later ruled to be a suicide.

Miyuki Harwood: Missing Hiker Found Alive After Nine Days in Sierra Nevada

Nancy Clayson
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Miyuki Harwood: Missing Hiker Found Alive After Nine Days in Sierra Nevada

Hiker Miyuki Harwood, who was missing for nine days in California’s rugged Sierra Nevada, has been found alive after nine days.

Miyuki Harwood, 62, failed to return from a solo hike on August 21 and fellow hikers alerted authorities.

Foot, helicopter and drone searches had failed to find her but she was finally located near Courtright reservoir in Fresno County on August 29.

Rescuers said Miyuki Harwood had suffered broken bones but was conscious and “very grateful” to be found.

California Highway Patrol flight officer Rusty Hotchkiss told reporters: “She was really at the end of the time period when we thought she could survive.”Miyuki Harwood hiking Sierra Nevada

He said Miyuki Harwood had heard nearby rescuers on Saturday morning.

“She heard them talking, she heard voices and she grabbed a whistle she had with her. That alerted the rescuers to find her,” Rusty Hotchkiss said.

He said she had crawled for two days down to the creek.

Miyuki Harwood, from Orangevale in California’s Sacramento County, has been taken to hospital for treatment.

She had reportedly had no food and had been drinking water from the creek using a water filter.

The rescue effort had been hampered by smoke from a wildfire in the Kings Canyon National Park.

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

Portugal Shooting: Three People Killed in Quinta do Conde After Domestic Row

Nancy Clayson
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Portugal Shooting: Three People Killed in Quinta do Conde After Domestic Row

Three people have been shot dead and another wounded after a domestic row near Lisbon, Portugal, media and officials say.

Two of the victims were police officers, officials say.

The incident took place in Quinta do Conde, 18 miles south of the capital Lisbon.

A 77-year-old man is said to have opened fire after a row over a barking dog.Quinta do Conde shooting

The man reportedly tried to take his own life with a hunting rifle and was arrested and taken to hospital.

A plainclothes officer who lived in the area was shot dead as he ran to investigate the row, and a patrol officer then called to the scene was shot in the head and killed.

The third victim was reportedly the son of the plainclothes officer who was trying to help his father.

The son was seriously injured in crossfire and died of his wounds in hospital.

One neighbor told the Lusa news agency the gunman had threatened to kill a neighbor if the dog did not stop barking “but it never crossed our mind he would try to do it”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPv1Jg_ZCCY

Katrina Anniversary: New Orleans Remembers Victims 10 Years Later

Diane A. Wade
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Katrina Anniversary: New Orleans Remembers Victims 10 Years Later

New Orleans marks the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with multiple events across the city.

At a memorial service, Mayor Mitch Landrieu recalled how residents had turned to each other for support.

Former President Bill Clinton later spoke at a concert in New Orleans.

Hurricane Katrina killed nearly 2,000 people and displaced one million in 2004. It was the most expensive natural disaster in US history and caused destruction along the Gulf coast.

In New Orleans, the failure of the levee system left about 80% of the city under water.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu led a sombre tribute to the 83 unidentified victims whose bodies lie in mausoleums at the city’s Hurricane Katrina Memorial.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

“Though they are unnamed, they are not unclaimed because we claim them,” he said.

“We saved each other,” the mayor added.

“New Orleans will be unbowed and unbroken.”

Residents and community activists also gathered at the levee in the Lower Ninth Ward, where storm waters broke through and flooded the district.

After speeches, a parade took place through the neighbourhood, with some participants in colourful Mardi Gras dress.

Throughout the day, thousands took part in traditional musical parades through the city’s streets.

Former President Bill Clinton later spoke at a free concert at New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center.

He said the sheer magnitude of what had been accomplished in rebuilding the city should not be underestimated, but that more work needed to be done so that the lines that divided communities – such as race and wealth – could be erased.

A ceremony was also held at the Superdome arena that housed thousands of displaced people after the storm.

President Barack Obama visited the Lower Ninth Ward on August 27, praising “the extraordinary resilience of this city and its people”.

Although New Orleans has largely recovered from the disaster, some – particularly from the African-American community – feel left behind.

On August 28, former President George W. Bush visited the city. His administration was criticized at the time over its slow response and the issue remains a source of deep resentment in New Orleans.

Kyle Jean Baptiste Dead: Le Miserables Actor Falls from Fire Escape

Sonia Pantiss
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Kyle Jean Baptiste Dead: Le Miserables Actor Falls from Fire Escape

Kyle Jean-Baptiste, the first African-American and youngest person ever to play the lead role in Les Miserables on Broadway, has died in a fall, a show spokesman has said.

Kyle Jean-Baptiste, 21, fell from a fire escape after Friday evening’s performance at the Imperial Theatre, said representative Marc Thibodeau.

The actor made history performing the role of ex-convict Jean Valjean in the musical.

A statement described him as a remarkable young talent.

Photo Twitter
Photo Twitter

The notice placed on Facebook said: “The entire Les Miserables family is shocked and devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of Kyle, a remarkable young talent and tremendous person who made magic — and history — in his Broadway debut. We send our deepest condolences to his family and ask that you respect their privacy in this unimaginably difficult time.”

In May, Kyle Jean-Baptiste announced on Twitter he would be joining Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Les Miserables as Courfeyrac and understudying Jean Valjean. He first went on stage in that role on July 23.

Kyle Jean-Baptiste told Playbill magazine: “This was my dream since I was a little boy.”

His last performance in the role was on August 27.

The circumstances of Kyle Jean-Baptiste’s death are unclear. Some reports have said he was at his mother’s home at the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7duj5qM_Sd0

Lebanon Protests: Thousands of You Stink Activists Attend Rubbish Rally in Beirut

Diane A. Wade
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Lebanon Protests: Thousands of You Stink Activists Attend Rubbish Rally in Beirut

Thousands of Lebanese people took Beirut streets in protest at a government they say is corrupt and ineffective.

Security was high amid fears the demonstrations could turn violent, as similar protests did last weekend.

Organizers of Saturday’s mostly peaceful rally demanded the environment minister resign within 72 hours.

The government’s failure to solve the crisis over the disposal of rubbish led to the “You Stink” campaign.

The protesters have been calling on the government to hold snap parliamentary elections, and also want the interior minister held to account for excessive force by police at least week’s protests.

They poured into a major square in central Beirut, waving Lebanese flags and shouting anti-government slogans.Lebanon rubbish rally

Many wore t-shirts with the words “You Stink”. Some were playing music and singing.

The rally was mostly peaceful although a small group of masked youths tried to break through barbed wire to reach the prime minister’s office. They set fire to rubbish and pelted police officers with stones and plastic bottles.

Barricades and barbed wire were installed around government buildings as security was increased ahead of the rally.

Amnesty International urged the security services to show restraint and called for an investigation into last week’s violence.

Rubbish has been piling up on the streets of Beirut since Lebanon’s largest landfill shut down last month with no ready alternative.

This led to the creation of the You Stink movement, which blames political paralysis and corruption for the failure to resolve the crisis.

The cabinet failed to reach agreement on August 25 on a way forward, saying the fees quoted by private waste management companies were too great.

Lebanon has been without a president for more than a year, while members of parliament have extended their own terms until 2017 after failing to agree on a law on fresh elections.

The conflict in neighboring Syria has also exacerbated political and sectarian divisions, and resulted in the arrival of 1.1 million refugees, putting a strain on the economy and public services.

How to Prevent a Hangover? Drink Less Alcohol, Say Scientists

Kathryn R. Bown
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How to Prevent a Hangover? Drink Less Alcohol, Say Scientists

A recent Dutch research suggests that drinking water does not prevent a hangover the next day.

Instead, the study concluded, the only way to prevent a hangover is to drink less alcohol.

More than 800 students were asked how they tried to relieve hangover symptoms, but neither food nor water was found to have any positive effect.

The findings are being presented at a conference in Amsterdam.

A team of international researchers from the Netherlands and Canada surveyed students’ drinking habits to find out whether hangovers could be eased or if some people were immune to them.

Among 826 Dutch students, 54% ate food after drinking alcohol, including fatty food and heavy breakfasts, in the hope of staving off a hangover.hangover cure

With the same aim, more than two-thirds drank water while drinking alcohol and more than half drank water before going to bed.

Although these groups showed a slight improvement in how they felt compared with those who hadn’t drunk water, there was no real difference in the severity of their hangovers.

Previous research suggests that about 25% of drinkers claim never to get hangovers.

So the researchers questioned 789 Canadian students about their drinking in the previous month and the hangovers they experienced, finding that those who didn’t get a hangover simply consumed “too little alcohol to develop a hangover in the first place”.

Of those students who drank heavily, with an estimated blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.2%, almost no-one was immune to hangovers.

According to lead author Dr. Joris Verster, from Utrecht University, the relationship was pretty straightforward.

“The more you drink, the more likely you are to get a hangover.

“Drinking water may help against thirst and a dry mouth, but it will not take away the misery, the headache and the nausea.”

Dr. Joris Verster said part of the problem was that scientists still do not know what causes a hangover.

“Research has concluded that it’s not simply dehydration – we know the immune system is involved, but before we know what causes it, it’s very unlikely we’ll find an effective cure.”

He said the next step was to carry out more controlled trials on hangovers.

The paper is presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology conference.

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