Seven prison officers with involvement in the escape of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman have been charged on July 18, Mexico’s Attorney General has announced.
Officials said a further 15 people were being investigated.
El Chapo Guzman escaped from a Mexico’s maximum security prison through a tunnel that surfaced in his cell and ran 1 mile to a building outside the prison walls.
His Sinaloa cartel is responsible for much of Mexico’s trafficking of drugs to the US.
Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto, who has just arrived back from an overseas trip, said he shared the sense of frustration and anger of the Mexican people about the escape.
Enrique Pena Nieto said: “We are not going to resolve this only with anger and filling ourselves with fury. The only way to reverse this is with a recapture.”
He said that all those who had participated in the escape would be punished with “the full weight of the law”.
So far the government has fired two prison officials and the prison’s warden.
A poll in the newspaper Reforma said 88% of Mexicans believed the escape was an inside job, and 65% blamed the authorities’ incompetence rather than El Chapo Guzman’s cunning.
Many Mexicans have been discussing whether the government should have agreed to a US request to extradite Joaquin Guzman on the basis that American prisons would have been harder for Guzman to break out of.
First arrested in Guatemala in 1993, Joaquin “Shorty” Guzman spent nearly a decade in another maximum-security Mexican jail before escaping, reportedly in a laundry basket.
He was on the run for 21 years during which he continued to build his drug-trafficking empire.
El Chapo Guzman was arrested in 2014 after a series of high-profile arrests of associates and covert surveillance by the US authorities.
He had been tracked by a special unit of trusted Mexican Marines to a series of safe houses.
El Chapo Guzman was finally found with his family at a seaside condominium in a resort town, Mazatlan.
Nairobi’s Westgate shopping mall, in which 67 people were killed in a 2013 attack by al-Shabab militants, has reopened.
Armed al-Shabab militants entered the mall in September 2013 and fired on shoppers, leading to a siege over four days.
About half the shops are opening again after an extensive refurbishment.
The reopening comes a week before President Barack Obama visits Nairobi – a sign, the city’s governor said, that the capital was safe.
“Exactly 22 months ago we had one of the saddest days in Kenyan history,” Governor Evans Kidero said.
Photo AFP/Getty Images
“As a nation we cried, we mourned, but Westgate is back.”
Somali Islamist group al-Shabab said it carried out the attack in response to Kenya’s military operations in Somalia.
CCTV footage showing terrified shoppers fleeing the gunmen and cowering behind counters. Many were shot as the attackers walked down the aisles of a supermarket.
All four gunmen are believed to have died during the assault.
Parts of the mall were badly damaged by fire and remained off-limits as journalists toured the building earlier in the week. It is not clear if those sections are reopening.
Since the Westgate siege, al-Shabab has launched a number of high-profile attacks, including one on a university in Garissa, north-east Kenya, in which close to 150 people died in April.
Earlier this week, the State Department issued a travel warning to US citizens that extremists could target a summit in Nairobi in late July, which will be attended by Barack Obama.
Dozens of drivers in California have been forced to abandon their cars as a raging wildfire blows across Interstate 15 (I-15).
The fast-moving blaze began north of State Route 138 in the Baldy Mesa area on July 17, forcing both lanes of the I-15 – the main road between Southern California and Las Vegas – to shut down.
The fire, in the Cajon pass, left at least 20 vehicles on the I-15 in flames. It broke out at the start of the weekend during peak travel time.
There have been no confirmed reports of injuries.
Footage from news helicopters shows dramatic pictures of people walking away from the flames, covering their faces and trying not to breathe in the noxious smoke and fumes.
Several lanes of the road were closed, causing traffic to back up for miles.
Dozens of vehicles have been abandoned – and some are completely engulfed in flames.
Firefighters asked evacuating motorists to leave their keys in the cars – in the hope that they could clear the cars once the fire is under control.
Aircraft are dropping flame retardant chemicals on the fire.
The I-15 is the main road linking Los Angeles and Nevada, and is particularly busy at the weekends as southern Californians head to Las Vegas.
Wildfires are common in California, but have been exacerbated by the four-year drought gripping the state.
Jules Bianchi has died, nine months after suffering severe head injuries in a crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
The French Formula 1 driver had been in a coma since crashing his Marussia car into a recovery vehicle in wet conditions in Suzuka last October.
The 25-year-old’s family said: “Jules fought right to the very end, as he always did, but today his battle came to an end.”
Marussia, now known as Manor, said the team was “devastated”.
Jules Bianchi is the first F1 driver to die from injuries sustained in a Grand Prix since Brazilian triple world champion Ayrton Senna was killed at Italy’s Imola circuit in 1994.
He died in hospital near his parents’ home in Nice in the south of France.
His family said: “We thank Jules’s colleagues, friends, fans and everyone who has demonstrated their affection for him over these past months, which gave us great strength and helped us deal with such difficult times.
“Listening to and reading the many messages made us realise just how much Jules had touched the hearts and minds of so many people all over the world.”
Jules Bianchi made his F1 debut with Marussia in 2013 and was also a member of the Ferrari young driver academy after previously working as a test driver for the team.
The accident happened when Jules Bianchi’s car slid off the track and into a crane picking up German driver Adrian Sutil, who had crashed at the same spot one lap earlier.
A working group of the sport’s governing body, the FIA, investigated the accident and found that as Jules Bianchi went off the track into the run-off area, he “applied both throttle and brake together, using both feet” over-riding the fail-safe mechanism. His front wheels had also locked.
It also said that Jules Bianchi “did not slow sufficiently to avoid losing control”.
A 1933 footage showing Queen Elizabeth II performing a Nazi salute has been published by The Sun.
Buckingham Palace said it was “disappointing that film, shot eight decades ago… has been obtained and exploited”.
The Sun has released the footage which shows the Queen aged about 7, with her mother, sister and uncle.
The newspaper has refused to say how it got the footage but said it was an “important and interesting story”.
The black and white footage, which lasts about 17 seconds, shows the Queen playing with a dog on the lawn in the gardens of Balmoral, the Sun says.
The Queen Mother then raises her arm in the style of a Nazi salute and, after glancing towards her mother, the Queen mimics the gesture. Prince Edward, the future Edward VIII, is also seen raising his arm.
The footage is thought to have been shot in 1933 or 1934, when Hitler was rising to prominence as Fuhrer in Germany but the circumstances in which it was shot are unclear.
A Buckingham Palace source said: “Most people will see these pictures in their proper context and time. This is a family playing and momentarily referencing a gesture many would have seen from contemporary news reels.
“No one at that time had any sense how it would evolve. To imply anything else is misleading and dishonest.”
The source added: “The Queen and her family’s service and dedication to the welfare of this nation during the war, and the 63 years the Queen has spent building relations between nations and peoples speaks for itself.”
Buckingham Palace was not denying the footage was authentic but that there were “questions over how this video has been released”.
Dickie Arbiter, a former Buckingham Palace press secretary said the Palace would be investigating.
“They’ll be wondering whether it was in fact something that was held in the Royal Archives at Windsor, or whether it was being held by the Duke of Windsor’s estate,” he said.
“And if it was the Duke of Windsor’s estate, then somebody has clearly taken it from the estate and here it is, 82 years later.
“But a lot of questions have got to be asked and a lot of questions got to be answered.”
Sun managing editor Stig Abell said he did not accept Buckingham Palace’s accusation that the footage has been “exploited”.
He said the newspaper had decided to publish the story because it was of great public importance and the involvement of Prince Edward gave it “historical significance”.
The then Prince of Wales faced numerous accusations of being a Nazi sympathiser and was photographed meeting Hitler in Munich in October 1937.
Stig Abell said: “We are not using it to suggest any impropriety on behalf of them. But it is an important and interesting issue, the extent to which the British aristocracy – notably Edward VIII, in this case – in the 1930s, were sympathetic towards fascism.
“That must be a matter of national and public interest to discuss. And I think this video and this footage animates that very clearly.”
Queen Elizabeth was 13 when World War Two broke out and she later served in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service.
In June 2015, the Queen made a state visit to Germany where she visited the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and met some of the survivors and liberators.
Anders Behring Breivik has won a place to study political science at Oslo’s university.
The 36-year-old Norwegian admitted killing 77 people when he bombed central Oslo and then went on a shooting spree at a youth camp on a nearby island in 2011.
Anders Behring Breivik has been studying certain course modules since first applying to the University of Oslo in 2013, but he will now be taught as a full student.
The mass killer will have no contact with staff or students as he studies from his cell.
In 2012, Anders Behring Breivik was sentenced to the maximum 21 years in prison for carrying out Norway’s worst massacre since World War Two.
This jail term can be extended if he is deemed to remain a danger to society.
The university’s rector, Ole Petter Ottersen, said that Norwegian inmates “have a right to pursue higher education in Norway if they meet the admission requirements and are successful in competition with other applicants”.
Writing on the university’s website, Ole Petter Ottersen admitted that the university had faced “moral dilemmas” about Anders Behring Breivik’s admission.
The rector added that the university had students whose family members had been killed by Anders Behring Breivik. However, he said that the university would abide by its rules “for our own sake, not for his”.
As he studies from his prison, Anders Behring Breivik will be subject to strict regulations. He will be allowed no access to internet resources or receive any personal guidance from tutors. All communication with the university will take place via “a contact person in prison”.
Anders Behring Breivik first applied to study in 2013 but did not meet entry requirements as he had never completed secondary school. Instead, he was allowed to study certain political science modules.
His deadly rampage at a Labor Party youth camp on Utoya Island was found by an Oslo court to have been a premeditated act of terrorism.
Anders Behring Breivik harbored extremist right-wing views and claimed he had reacted against what he saw as a Marxist-Islamic takeover of Europe.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been criticized for appearing to be unsympathetic when a 14-year-old Palestinian refugee described what her life was like under threat of deportation.
Angela Merkel had told Reem Sahwil that not all migrants can stay in Germany.
However, Reem Sahwil has defended the way Angela Merkel dealt with her after she burst into tears while talking about her future.
Angela Merkel “listened to me and she also told me what she thinks about it, and I think that’s OK,” Reem Sahwil told ARD TV.
The conversation took place during a government-organized forum for young people, which was filmed and then broadcast.
In the video, Reem Sahwil tells Angela Merkel that her family had been waiting four years to gain permanent residency in Germany.
They were told they would have to return to a camp in Lebanon imminently – only to receive a last-minute temporary German residency permit, she said.
“I would like to go to university,” said Reem Sahwil, in fluent German.
“It’s really very hard to watch how other people can enjoy life and you yourself can’t. I don’t know what my future will bring.”
Angela Merkel replied that “politics can be tough”, adding: “You are an extremely nice person but you also know that there are thousands and thousands of people in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.”
Germany could not manage if all of them wanted to move there, she said.
When Reem Sahwil began to cry, Angela Merkel went over to her and began stroking her on the back and telling her she had done well to highlight the difficulties facing refugees in Germany.
Within hours of the video being broadcast, the term #Merkelstreichelt (Merkel strokes) trended on Twitter.
Some social media users complained that Angela Merkel had “petted” the girl and failed to show enough sensitivity, although others defended the leader’s reaction.
Germany says it expects 400,000 asylum applications by the end of 2015 – more than double the amount it received in 2014.
The right-wing Pegida group has marched against what it calls the Islamization of Germany, and the country’s newest political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), has called for tighter immigration control.
Greek firefighters are battling wildfires on the eastern outskirts of Athens, and more fires in the southern Peloponnese peninsula which have forced villagers to flee.
The fire outside Athens spread quickly on a hillside and blanketed parts of the city in thick smoke.
Crews fought to keep the flames away from nearby residential areas.
Separately, several villages were evacuated in the Peloponnese as wildfires burned through rural land.
The flames, near the town of Monemvassia, forced one fire-fighting aircraft to make an emergency landing, according to reports.
“It’s hellish right now, there are hundreds of pockets of fire,” Iraklis Trichilis, mayor of the town of Monemvassia, earlier told Skai television.
The blaze outside the capital, fanned by strong winds, burned through woodland on Mount Hymettus, forcing some residents to flee their homes, Kathimerini newspaper said.
Although forest fires are not unusual in Greece, local media say these are bigger than in recent years.
James Holmes, who killed 12 people and injured 70 others when he opened fire in a packed Colorado cinema in July 2012, has been found guilty of murder.
James Holmes, 27, was found guilty on 24 counts of murder and multiple counts of attempted murder for the massacre at a Batman premiere in Aurora.
The man had pleaded not guilty due to insanity – his defense said he was controlled by his schizophrenia.
Prosecutors have said they will now seek the death penalty.
The panel of nine women and three men rejected the claim that James Holmes was legally insane.
Dressed in a blue shirt and cream-colored trousers he showed no emotion as Judge Carlos Samour took an hour to read through each of the 164 charges for murder and attempted murder, plus one count of possession of explosives.
There were two murder counts for each of the 12 victims.
During the 49-day trial with more than 250 witnesses, the court heard James Holmes entered the cinema in Aurora where The Dark Knight Rises was being screened, armed with an assault rifle, a shotgun and a pistol.
There were 400 people in the screening when Holmes, dressed head-to-toe in black body armor, entered through an emergency exit and appeared by the screen.
James Holmes’ victims included two servicemen, a man celebrating his 27th birthday and an aspiring broadcaster who had survived a mall shooting in Toronto. Several died shielding friends or loved ones.
The youngest killed was a 6-year-old girl whose mother suffered a miscarriage and was paralyzed in the attack.
On July 14, prosecutor George Brauchler ran through an account of the massacre.
Referring to the cinema-goers, he said: “They came in hoping to see a story of a hero dressed in black, someone who would fight insurmountable odds in the name of justice and trying to protect others.
“Instead a different figure appeared by the screen dressed all in black.
“And he came there with one thing in his heart and in his mind – and that was mass murder.”
James Holmes’ defense lawyer Dan King said his client had “lost touch with reality” and said “mental illness caused this to happen”.
He had been presented as a promising student studying for a PhD in neuroscience at the University of Colorado, having graduated from the University of California at Riverside.
James Holmes had no previous criminal record.
His defense called a pair of psychiatrists, including a nationally known schizophrenia expert, who concluded Holmes was psychotic and legally insane.
But two state-appointed doctors found otherwise. They testified that no matter what James Holmes’ mental state was that night, he knew what he was doing was wrong.
The prosecution argued that James Holmes’ detailed preparations, including the booby-trapping of his apartment with explosives before he left for the cinema, showed an awareness of what he was doing.
James Holmes was pictured at his first court appearance looking disorientated with dyed red hair in an apparent reference to Batman villain the Joker.
Deciding on James Holmes’ punishment could take the rest of the summer, Judge Carlos Samour has said.
German parliament is debating a motion on whether to allow negotiations on Greece’s €86 billion bailout deal.
Opening the debate, Chancellor Angela Merkel warned of “predictable chaos” if deputies did not back the plan.
The deal is expected to be passed despite opposition from the left and some members of Angela Merkel’s conservative party.
Greece’s parliament has already voted in favor of hard-hitting austerity measures required for a third bailout deal.
On July 16, the European Central Bank (ECB) raised the level of emergency funding available. This has paved the way for Greek banks, which shut nearly three weeks ago, to reopen on July 20.
However, credit controls limiting cash withdrawals to €60 a day will only be eased gradually, officials say.
Eurozone ministers have also agreed a €7 billion bridging loan from an EU-wide fund to keep finances afloat.
Chancellor Angela Merkel told German lawmakers ahead of today’s vote that the deal was hard for all sides, but said it was the “last” attempt to resolve the crisis.
“We would be grossly negligent, indeed acting irresponsibly if we did not at least try this path,” she said.
A number of eurozone countries require parliamentary approval to go ahead with bailout talks, including Austria, which is also voting on July 17. Both the French and Finnish parliaments have already backed the deal.
Meanwhile, there have been fresh calls for Greek debt relief measures from International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde – echoing a call from Greek PM Alexis Tsipras.
Christine Lagarde told France’s Europe 1 the IMF would participate in a “complete” Greek package that includes debt restructuring, as well as an “in-depth reform” of the Greek economy.
Greece has debts of €320 billion and is seeking its third international bailout. Last month it became the first developed country to fail to make a repayment on a loan from the IMF.
The Greek bank closures have been one of the most visible signs of the crisis.
From July 20, a weekly limit on withdrawals may replace a daily cap, Greek Deputy Finance Minister Dimitris Mardas suggested.
“If someone doesn’t want to take €60 on Monday and wants to take it on Tuesday, for instance, they can withdraw €120, or €180 on Wednesday,” he told Greek ERT television.
The announcements from the ECB and the Eurogroup came after Greek lawmakers passed tough reforms on taxes, pensions and labor rules as part of the new bailout deal.
A rise in value added tax (VAT) from 13% to 23% will kick in on July 20, affecting food and drink in restaurants, taxi fares, selected supermarket items, public transport and plane and ferry tickets.
PM Alexis Tsipras faced opposition to the deal from lawmakers within his left Syriza party. He is widely expected to announce a cabinet reshuffle on July 17.
The house of Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez, who was killed after shooting dead four Marines in Chattanooga, Tennessee, has been searched by police.
The attacks at two US Navy sites on July 16 were being investigated as an “act of domestic terrorism”, said a district lawyer.
The FBI has said it has no indication of what Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez’s motive was at this stage.
A female sailor remains in a serious condition in hospital.
Two others were also injured.
Police have sealed off the area around the house in which the gunman lived as they attempt to piece together what led to the attacks.
Eye-witnesses said two women were led away from the house in the Hixson suburb of Chattanooga in handcuffs.
The FBI has said it has no indication that Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez, 24, was linked with any international terrorist organisations or that others were involved.
FBI agent Ed Reinhold told a news conference the gunman initially fired from inside his Ford Mustang at about 10:45 local time at a US Navy recruitment centre in the east of the city.
He then drove to a US Navy reserve centre about 7 miles away where he got out of his car before fatally shooting the Marines.
He was shot dead on Amnicola Highway.
President Barack Obama said the attack was “heartbreaking”.
A blog that Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez wrote was monitored by the SITE Intelligence Group which checks on extremist activity, and could provide a useful lead for investigators.
In a post written on July 13, he said: “This life is short and bitter” and that Muslims should not let “the opportunity to submit to allah… pass you by”.
Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez is believed to have been born in Kuwait, but has lived in the US for several years.
He was arrested earlier this year in Chattanooga for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Officials told AP that Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez was not known to federal law enforcement before the attacks.
He left this message in his school yearbook: “My name causes national security alerts. What does yours do?”
A statement from the US Department of Homeland Security said it was “enhancing the security posture at certain federal facilities, out of an abundance of caution”.
Samsung C&T shareholders have approved a $7.7 billion all-stock takeover offer from Samsung’s de facto holding company Cheil Industries on July 17.
One of South Korea’s most controversial mergers will see Samsung C&T taken over by holding company Cheil Industries, another part of the Samsung group.
The merger is strongly opposed by some of Samsung C&T’s shareholders, led by US hedge fund Elliott Associates.
For Samsung’s founding family, the move is a crucial step in consolidating control of the conglomerate.
Shareholders in Cheil Industries approved the merger earlier on Friday.
Elliott Associates, which is the second largest single shareholder in C&T, says the takeover significantly undervalues the company’s stock.
The hedge fund had filed several unsuccessful law suits to stop the vote from going ahead.
The takeover is key to consolidating the Samsung founding family’s control of the multi-headed conglomerate.
It is of particular significance as it comes ahead of a generational power transfer at Samsung.
The business empire’s patriarch Lee Kun-hee has been in hospital since May 2014 and his son Lee Jae-yong is to take a bigger leadership role.
Typhoon Nangka made landfall in southern Japan on July 16.
Authorities urged at least 350,000 people to leave their homes.
Typhoon Nangka hit the island of Shikoku, bringing torrential rain and winds of up to 115 mph.
Kyodo news agency reported at least two deaths while broadcaster NHK said at least 31 were injured.
Nangka has since weakened and been downgraded to a tropical storm, but officials have warned of continued strong winds and storms in the area.
As of July 17, the Japan Meterological Agency warned of high waves, gales and thunderstorms in many parts of the main island of Honshu, as the storm headed north.
Typhoon Nangka is currently moving slowly at 10mph with a maximum sustained wind speed of 60mph, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Rust and corrosion on your vehicle will not only look terrible, it can also cause some serious damage. The key is to prevent rust from forming on internal components throughout the engine, as well as on the exterior paint of the car. But how can you go about doing so? Check out the tips below to always maintain your vehicle in tip-top, rust-free condition both inside and out.
General, basic maintenance can go a long way in protecting your vehicle from rust and corrosion. You can start by washing your car at least once every couple of weeks, or once a week when it is exposed to salt, such as during the harsh winter months or if you live in a tropical climate.
In addition to cleaning off dirt and debris that could eat away the car’s paint and cause rust, you can further protect the paint by waxing your vehicle regularly. Once every few months should suffice, or you can do it more often, if necessary.
To fix problems on the exterior of your vehicle before they worsen, purchase plasti dip colors from a site like autobodynow.com, which you can then apply to your vehicle and will make it look like new.
Use a Rust-Preventing Spray
If your car is exposed to conditions that could lead to rust easily, you can coat the entire vehicle in a rust-preventing spray, which is easy to find and use. Just make sure that you maintain dry metal surfaces throughout the car so that this spray will work at its best. So, again, when you wash your car, take time to thoroughly dry it off before applying products like wax.
Cover Your Car During Long Periods of Inactivity
If you do not plan on using your car for an extended period of time, it will be susceptible to rust formation if it will be left out in the elements instead of inside a dry and clean garage.
In this case, wash your vehicle and apply a rust-preventing spray and then use a car cover to completely cover and protect the vehicle from the elements, including debris kicked up by passing cars on the road.
Already Have Rust? Use Rust Removal Products
In the unfortunate event that your car already has rust or corrosion, rest assured that there are still steps that you can take to bring it back to a state of looking great. To prevent the rust from getting worse and causing further issues, use one of the many products on the market that are specifically designed to remove rust from cars. These products are typically able to not only remove the rust, but also prevent future rust from forming, giving you double the protection.
Because rust is unsightly and it can do a lot of damage to your car, it is wise to take active steps to prevent its formation in the first place. Thankfully, there are plenty of products to choose from that will prevent rust and help you remove it from your vehicle very easily.
Greece will receive a €7 billion bridging loan from an EU-wide fund to keep its finances afloat until a bailout is approved, eurozone ministers have agreed.
The loan is expected to be confirmed on July 17 by all EU member states.
In another development, the European Central Bank (ECB) agreed to increase emergency funding to Greece for the first time since it was frozen in June.
The decisions were made after Greek lawmakers passed tough reforms as part of a eurozone bailout deal.
The bridging loan means Greece will be able to repay debts to the ECB and IMF on July 20.
Greek banks, which have been closed for nearly three weeks, could also reopen on July 20, Greek media reported, although credit controls will remain in place.
Eurozone leaders agreed on the bailout in principle in Brussels on July 13, on the condition that the Greek parliament passed reforms on taxation increases and pension curbs by July 15.
The €7 billion bridge loan was agreed in a conference call on July 16 to tap the EU’s EFSM emergency fund.
At a news conference on July 16, ECB President Mario Draghi said emergency funding – ELA – to Greek banks was being raised by €900 million over one week.
“Things have changed now,” he said.
“We had a series of news with the approval of the bridge financing package, with the votes, various votes in various parliaments, which have now restored the conditions for a raise in ELA.”
Greek PM Alexis Tsipras won the parliamentary vote in the early hours of Thursday by 229 votes to 64, but needed the support of opposition lawmakers to do so.
His left-wing Syriza-led government is expected to survive, despite losing its majority after 38 Syriza lawmakers rejected the reforms.
It paves the way for eurozone finance ministers to open detailed talks on the bailout, worth up to €86 billion, and on July 16 they said they agreed “in principle” to start negotiations.
Finland’s parliament on July 16 approved the bailout talks – one of a number of eurozone states which require a mandate from their own parliament for Greece to secure new funds.
Germany’s parliament is due to vote on the deal on July 17.
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Copies of one of the biggest free trade deals are sitting in separate rooms of the Capitol. With access to only staffers and members of congress, many are wondering about the secrecy behind the deal. Unfortunately, this is how negotiations work when it comes to trade deals.
The Secrecy Surrounding TPP
Because this document is classified, official parties viewing it aren’t able to make copies or take notes that they’ve made while viewing it out the door with them. Leaders of the twelve countries involved in the deal are so fearful that their negotiations will be undercut, they don’t want what anything to be leaked until the full deal has been completed. Critical opponents of TPP say that they’ve worked in the past with both the Busch and Clinton administrations, and the current Obama administration has been the most secretive. Opponents of the deal aren’t the only ones pressuring for more details. A 100,000 bounty was recently announced by WikiLeaks for any text surrounding the TPP negotiation.
What is this Massive Deal About?
The TPP is a deal that includes 12 nations such as Australia, Japan, Mexico, Canada, and the United States to name a few. If passed, it would join together 40 percent of the world’s economy. The U.S. has been integral in the negotiations since the early stages of Obama’s first term in office. However, all that hard work could be undone if a vote to place it on the “fast track” fails to go their way. Most of the support for the deal comes from the larger business community and manufacturers. Voting in support could mean that manufacturers could sell products overseas. It would also mean an increase in world-wide competitiveness and being able to create more jobs. However, many question what this would mean for the American worker and if they would lose out on employment opportunities being outsourced to other countries.
Hard to Comprehend
President Obama has had his hands full with ISIS and Iraq. However, the TPP agreement is something that he’s been involved in since the beginning. He’s even a master with the dialogue and text. When it comes to Americans comprehending the proposal, even if the majority of them had a chance to review the TPP deal, it probably wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense. Texts in regards to trade negotiations are blanketed by extra wording, brackets and notes. Many times the words are only decipherable to those familiar with this sort of deal. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in April, President Obama said the agreement would be available for review when it’s done. In the meantime, negotiators working on the trade are barred from sharing any information on the text and details inside the trade deal. Countries involved in the negotiations are also banned from talking freely about it. They even make certain pacts before the process begins. In addition to setting off political alarms, the talks would grind to a halt if any information was divulged. Representatives from large corporations and labor union leaders are able to get more information about the agreement than that of the general public.
Congress Has Taken Special Interest in the Deal
Congress has increased their interest in the TPP agreement in recent months. However, during 2012 to March 2015, only 40 House members and three senators chose to take part in the negotiating text briefings. As the Democratic opposition became more apparent, the text of the TPP agreement was move into the Capitol. Lawmakers are now able to review it any time they choose. Because some members of Congress say that it’s so riddled with dense text and jargon, they feel the trade staffers should be able to take it with them for further review.
Leaked Drafts of the Text
While the TPP agreement has been kept secretive, there are some leaked drafts of the text. Some of the items of note include more restrictions than the recent international standards and major changes to the copyright laws of other countries. When asked why the public should care what’s inside the text, the TPP could raise numerous concerns in regards to due process, freedom of expression, innovation, and the future of the Internet’s world-wide infrastructure.
TLC has decided to cancel reality show 19 Kids and Counting following Josh Duggar scandal.
The channel is not moving forward with an 11th season of the reality show featuring Duggar family.
The show “will no longer appear on the air,” the network told The Associated Press on July 16.
“We spent the past month and a half in thoughtful consideration about what is the best way forward here,” said Marjorie Kaplan, group president of TLC, Animal Planet and Velocity networks.
In a move to redirect the attention and public outcry, TLC also announced it has teamed with two prominent child-protection organizations for an ongoing campaign to raise awareness about child abuse.
The multi-platform initiative will begin with a one-hour, commercial-free documentary likely airing in late August, the network said. It will include the participation of Jill and Jessa Duggar, two of the sisters Josh Duggar touched inappropriately, as well as other survivors and families affected by such abuse.
Since 2008, 19 Kids and Counting – TLC’s most watched, averaging 3.2 million viewers – had chronicled the family life of Arkansas couple Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their children, now numbering 19. It was pulled from the network in May when reports surfaced that 27-year-old Josh Duggar, the oldest child, had abused four of his sisters and a baby sitter a dozen years earlier, when he was a teenager. He has never been arrested or charged in connection with the molestations.
Josh Duggar apologized for unspecified actions on a Facebook post and resigned from the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group, where he had worked as a lobbyist.
19 Kids and Counting had ended its 10th season when the scandal broke.
Hours after Greece’s parliament passed tough reforms required for a third bailout deal, the eurozone ministers have met to discuss on emergency funding to keep Greek banks afloat.
The Eurogroup was also due to discuss next steps in negotiating the bailout.
The Greek government is expected to survive, despite losing its majority after 38 lawmakers voted against the reforms.
Later, the European Central Bank is to consider easing a funding squeeze on Greek banks, allowing them to reopen.
Greece is facing an immediate cash crisis, with banks there closed for more than two weeks.
The European Commission has proposed giving Greece a €7 billion “bridging” loan from an EU-wide fund to help the government pay its mounting debts.
Eurozone ministers have agreed in principle to extend the loan to Greece, according to an unnamed official speaking to Bloomberg. The loan will be announced on July 17 after national parliaments have voted on the bailout deal, the official added.
Eurozone leaders agreed on the bailout in principle in Brussels on July 13, on the condition that the Greek parliament passed reforms on taxation increases and pension curbs by July 15.
PM Alexis Tsipras won the parliamentary vote by 229 votes to 64, but needed the support of opposition lawmakers to do so.
The vote paves the way for eurozone finance ministers to open detailed talks on the bailout, worth up to €86 billion.
Finland’s parliament on July 16 approved the bailout talks – one of a number of eurozone states which require a mandate from their own parliament for Greece to secure new funds.
Germany’s parliament is due to vote on the deal on July 17.
Passionate opposition came from within Alexis Tsipras’ own Syriza party, with parliamentary speaker Zoe Constantopoulou calling the measures “social genocide”.
Former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis was another vocal opponent.
In his address to parliament Alexis Tsipras said: “I acknowledge the fiscal measures are harsh, that they won’t benefit the Greek economy, but I’m forced to accept them.”
Since capital controls were imposed and the banks shut on June 29, Greeks have been limited to withdrawing €60 a day.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, known for his hardline approach, told national radio he would submit a request for parliament to reopen negotiations on the third bailout with “full conviction”.
He also said he believed a temporary “Grexit” – Greece leaving the eurozone – would perhaps be a better option.
Meanwhile Slovakia’s Finance Minister Peter Kazimir said in a tweet he welcomed “the positive vote” but said “this is the easier part of the deal”.
By July 22, Greece must also commit to a major overhaul of the civil justice system. It has to agree to more privatization, to review collective bargaining and industrial action, and make market reforms, including Sunday trading.
The Greek parliament vote on July 16 approved:
VAT changes including a top rate of 23% to take in processed food and restaurants; a 13% rate to cover fresh food, energy bills, water and hotel stays; and a 6% rate for medicines and books
An increase in corporation tax from 26% to 29% for small companies
An increase in luxury taxes on big cars, boats and swimming pools
An end to early retirement by 2022, increasing the retirement age to 67
Opponents of the bailout measures took to the streets of Athens in mainly peaceful protests ahead of the vote on Wednesday. However, one group threw petrol bombs at police officers who responded with tear gas.
Unions and trade associations representing civil servants, municipal workers and pharmacy owners also went on strike on July 15.
Uber has been fined $7.3 million in California for not giving regulators enough information about its service and operations.
A judge at the California Public Utilities Commission – the regulator that allows the company to operate in the state – said Uber had not filed all the reports required by the body.
The taxi booking app was accused of withholding details on incidents such as accidents.
Uber has been involved in legal battles around the world over its operations.
The San Francisco based company’s services in cities such as Portland, Oregon have been suspended after a disagreement with the city, while its service of offering unlicensed taxi drivers has been banned in countries like Germany and Italy.
Uber’s app allows passengers to request rides from drivers in the area and its fares are generally lower than those of traditional taxis.
The company has also been accused of not giving data on how often it provided access to disabled passengers in California.
Uber has defended its operations in the state by saying it has given enough information to the commission.
After the ruling, Uber said that it would appeal against the decision.
Uber has up to 30 days to appeal before its license to operate in California is suspended.
Amber Heard has been charged with smuggling dogs into Australia.
The incident captured global attention after Australia’s agriculture minister angrily ordered the pooches to get out of the country or face death.
Johnny Depp’s wife was charged this week with two counts of illegally importing Pistol and Boo into Australia and one count of producing a false document, the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions said on July 16.
The importation charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of 102,000 Australian dollars ($75,000). The false document charge, which relates to information on an incoming passenger card, carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and a fine of AU$10,200.
The scandal began in May, after Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce accused Johnny Depp, 52, of smuggling the couple’s Yorkshire terriers aboard his private jet when he returned to Australia to resume filming of the fifth movie in the Pirates of the Caribbean series.
Australia has strict quarantine regulations to prevent diseases such as rabies from spreading to its shores. Bringing pets into the country involves applying for a permit and quarantine on arrival of at least 10 days.
Best Team U.S. Women’s Soccer – FIFA (WINNER)
New England Patriots – NFL
Connecticut Huskies – NCAA Women’s Basketball
Golden State Warriors – NBA
Chicago Blackhawks – NHL
Ohio State Buckeyes – FBS
Best Male Athlete Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (WINNER)
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
JJ Watt, Houston Texans
Best Play (bracket-style) Odell Beckham catch vs. 16. Albany goalie lacrosse goal (WINNER)
Bahamas Bowl Hail Mary vs. 15. Dwayne Bravo cricket catch
Lionel Messi goal vs. 14. Jerian Grant dunk
Malcolm Butler INT vs. 13. Josh Sheehan triple back flip
Stephen Curry step back 3 vs. 12. Ameer Abdullah TD run
Ronda Rousey armbar vs. 11. Gerald Green dunk off the glass
Tyler Ennis goal vs. 10. Shoni Schimmel circus shot
Kevin Pillar catch vs. 9. Jeremy Menez goal
Best Comeback Athlete Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots (WINNER)
Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
Lindsey Vonn, Skiing
Best Female Athlete Ronda Rousey, MMA (WINNER)
Breanna Stewart, UConn Basketball
Lindsey Vonn, Skiing
Serena Williams, WTA
Best Moment Lauren Hill
Jimmy V Award for Perseverance Devon and Leah Still
Pat Tillman Award for Service Danielle Green
Icon Award
Derek Jeter
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage
Caitlyn Jenner
Best Championship Performance LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (WINNER)
American Pharoah, Race Horse
Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
Lauren Haeger, Florida Softball
Best Male College Athlete Marcus Mariota, Oregon Football (WINNER)
Jack Eichel, Boston University Hockey
Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin Basketball
Logan Stieber, Ohio State Wrestling
Dansby Swanson, Vanderbilt Baseball
Best Breakthrough Athlete Mo’ne Davis, Little League Baseball (WINNER)
Odell Beckham Jr, New York Giants
Cardale Jones, Ohio State Buckeyes
Jordan Spieth, PGA
Best NBA Player Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (WINNER)
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
James Harden, Houston Rockets
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Best Record-Breaking Performance Peyton Manning throws record-509th touchdown pass (WINNER)
Lauren Chamberlain hits 91st home run in NCAA softball
Devin Hester takes punt in for 20th touchdown return
Klay Thompson scores 37 points in a single quarter
Best Upset Mississippi over Alabama, FBS (WINNER)
Georgia State over Baylor, NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
Kansas City Royals wins AL Pennant
Best Fighter Ronda Rousey, MMA (WINNER)
Donald Cerrone, MMA
Terence Crawford, Boxing
Gennady Golovkin (GGG), Boxing
Floyd Mayweather Jr, Boxing
Best Jockey Victor Espinoza (WINNER)
Javier Castellano
Joel Rosario
Best Game Patriots vs. Seahawks, Super Bowl (WINNER)
A’s vs. Royals, MLB AL Wild Card
Spurs vs. Clippers Game 7, NBA Western Conference Quarterfinals
Best Coach/Manager Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors (WINNER)
Geno Auriemma, UConn Huskies
Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Blue Devils
Urban Meyer, Ohio State Buckeyes
Best Comeback Athlete Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots (WINNER)
Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
Lindsey Vonn, Skiing
Best International Athlete Lionel Messi, Barcelona/Argentina (WINNER)
Novak Djokovic, ATP
Lewis Hamilton, Formula One
Lydia Ko, LPGA
Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid/Portugal
Best NFL Player Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (WINNER)
Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys
JJ Watt, Houston Texans
Best MLB Player Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels (WINNER)
Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians
Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
Best NHL Player Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks (WINNER)
Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
John Tavares, New York Islanders
Best Driver Kevin Harvick, NASCAR (WINNER)
Erica Enders-Stevens, NHRA
Lewis Hamilton, Formula One
Juan Pablo Montoya, IndyCar
Will Power, IndyCar
Best WNBA Player Skylar Diggins, Tulsa Shock (WINNER)
Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx
Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks
Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
Best Male Golfer Jordan Spieth (WINNER)
Rory McIlroy
Billy Horschel
Best Female Golfer Lydia Ko (WINNER)
Stacy Lewis
Inbee Park
Best Male Tennis Player Novak Djokovic (WINNER)
Marin Cilic
Roger Federer
Stan Wawrinka
Best Female Tennis Player Serena Williams (WINNER)
Simona Halep
Petra Kvitova
Maria Sharapova
Best Female College Athlete Missy Franklin, Cal Swimming (WINNER)
Taylor Cummings, Maryland Lacrosse
Lauren Haeger, Florida Softball
Micha Hancock, Penn State Volleyball
Breanna Stewart, Connecticut Basketball
Best Male Action Sports Athlete Ryan Dungey, Motocross (WINNER)
Tucker Hibbert, SnoCross
Nyjah Huston, Skateboarding
Mark McMorris, Snowboarding
Josh Sheehan, Freestyle Motocross
Best Female Action Sports Athlete Kelly Clark, Snowboarding (WINNER)
Paige Alms, Surfing
Stephanie Gilmore, Surfing
Laia Sanz, Enduro/motorbike
Best Male Athlete with a Disability Krige Schabort, Triathlon (WINNER)
Joe Berenyi, Cycling
Josh Pauls, Sled Hockey
Mike Shea, Snowboarding
Andy Soule, Nordic Skiing
Best Female Athlete with a Disability Becca Meyers, Swimming (WINNER)
Kendall Gretsch, Triathlon
Oksana Masters, Nordic Skiing
Tatyana McFadden, Track and Field
Greta Neimanas, Cycling
Best Bowler Jason Belmonte (WINNER)
Parker Bohn III
Mike Fagan
Best MLS Player Robbie Keane, Los Angeles Galaxy (WINNER)
Obafemi Martins, Seattle Sounders
Lee Nguyen, New England Revolution
Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls
Caitlyn Jenner accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs on July 15.
While receiving the award, Caitlyn Jenner has called on sports people to help change attitudes towards transgender people.
But boxer Evander Holyfield doesn’t seem to get it.
Caitlyn Jenner, who used to be known as Bruce Jenner, received a standing ovation after winning the “courage” award at a ceremony in LA.
Speaking on stage at the ESPYS, which honors sportspeople, Caitlyn Jenner said: “Trans people deserve something vital, they deserve your respect.”
Afterwards, former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield said: “I just know that’s Bruce Jenner and I’ll leave it at that.”
Photo AP
Others on the red carpet reacted differently though.
Little League baseball pitcher Mo’ne Davis, who is 14, described Caitlyn Jenner as “brave to have the courage to get through a lot of those things”.
Although some think say college basketball player Lauren Hill, who died of brain cancer in April, was more deserving of the honor.
ESPN has also denied rumors Caitlyn Jenner was given the award in exchange for plugs on her new reality show, calling the claims “completely false”.
In her 10-minute acceptance speech, Caitlyn Jenner asked the audience, which included football, basketball, baseball and ice hockey stars, to make transgender equality one of their issues too.
Caitlyn Jenner, 65, said what sport stars say and do is “absorbed and observed by millions of people, especially young people”.
The former Olympian told them about trans teenagers who are bullied, beaten up, murdered or kill themselves, mentioning two people deaths that particularly touched her.
“If you want to call me names, make jokes and doubt my intentions, go ahead because the reality is I can take it,” Caitlyn Jenner said.
“But for thousands of kids out there coming to terms with the reality of who they are they shouldn’t have to take it.”
Caitlyn Jenner described the last few months as “a whirlwind” after confirming she was transgender in April.
She thanked her family for their support, with daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner wiping away tears in the audience.
The Arthur Ashe award is named after the tennis player who died from AIDS in 1993 after a blood transfusion.
Caitlyn Jenner said she had met Arthur Ashe a few times and knew education was important to him.
“Learn as much as you can about another person to understand them as well as you can,” she said.
Caitlyn Jenner’s new show I Am Cait starts this July.
