1.3 million Venezuelans who signed a petition for a referendum to oust President Nicolas Maduro will need to turn up at regional electoral offices to confirm their identity, the National Electoral Council (CNE) has ruled.
Voters will have five days from June 20 to have their signatures checked.
According to Venezuela’s opposition, the CNE is working in tandem with government to slow down the process.
The opposition blames the government for Venezuela’s serious economic crisis.
The petition was handed over to the electoral authorities on May 2.
The opposition said it had the signatures of 1.85 million voters backing a recall referendum, many more than the 197,000 needed at this initial stage. The CNE said there were 1.97 million signatures.
Nicolas Maduro’s government said there was widespread fraud in the process.
It said the names of thousands of dead voters and children were on the petition, which has been confirmed by CNE President Tibisay Lucena.
More than 600,000 signatures have been invalidated by the electoral bodies.
The other voters who signed the petition will need to have their identities checked between June 20 and 24.
Opposition leader Henrique Capriles urged voters to get ready to comply with the CNE demand and go to government offices to have their identities checked later this month.
Tibisay Lucena warned that the process would be immediately suspended until order was restored if there was “any act of violence, trouble or aggression”.
Former Voice contestant Christina Grimmie has died at the age of 22 after being shot following a concert in Orlando, officials in Florida say.
Christina Grimmie was taken to a local hospital tonight in Orlando after being shot by a male suspect, who proceeded to shoot himself.
According to officials, the male attacker opened fire when the singer was signing autographs.
The assailant was tackled by Christina Grimmie’s brother.
In 2014, Christina Grimmie finished third during season six of The Voice.
Police say Christina Grimmie was shot about 22:45 local time on June 10 at The Plaza Live in Orlando.
The attacker, whose name has not been released, had two guns.
A police investigation is now under way.
After news of Christina Grimmie’s hospitalization, The Voice tweeted: “We are heartbroken. @TheRealGrimmie is a loved member of our family. Our thoughts are with her and her family. #PrayForChristina.”
Thousands of fans are attending a farewell procession for Muhammad Ali in his home city of Louisville, Kentucky.
Onlookers lining the roadside waved, took photos and chanted “Ali, Ali” as a cortege led by the hearse carrying his coffin drove through the downtown area.
The boxing legend and rights activist died on June 3 at the age of 74.
The cortege is taking Muhammad Ali’s body past key sites in his life, ahead of an interfaith memorial service.
Will Smith and ex-boxer Lennox Lewis will be among the pallbearers, while former President Bill Clinton will deliver one of the eulogies.
Thousands of free tickets for the memorial service, taking place at a major sports centre, were snapped up within half an hour.
The motorcade procession began at about 10:35 local time, more than an hour behind schedule, and is taking the coffin past his childhood home, the Ali Center, the Center for African American Heritage and then down Muhammad Ali Boulevard.
Fans threw flowers at the hearse and rose petals were scattered along the route.
The procession, expected to take about 90 minutes, will end at the Cave Hill Cemetery where Muhammad Ali will be laid to rest in a private ceremony.
The funeral service at the KFC Yum! Center is due to begin at 14:00 local time.
Billy Crystal will also deliver a eulogy, while sports journalist Bryant Gumbel, the daughter of civil rights activist Malcolm X, Attallah Shabazz, and Muhammad Ali’s wife, Lonnie, and daughters, Maryum and Rasheda, are also expected to speak.
Among those expected to attend the service is King Abdullah of Jordan.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended June 9 prayer ceremony and had been due at the service, but reports say he has cut short his visit to the US.
The reasons for his departure are not clear, though there are reports of differences with the funeral’s organizers.
President Barack Obama will not be there, as he is to attend his eldest daughter Malia’s graduation.
In a video message, Barack Obama said: “This week we lost an icon. A person who for African Americans, I think, liberated their minds in recognizing that they could be proud of who they were.”
June has just begun, and the hot weather of July and August will soon be upon us. It feels like this winter lasted forever and spring never really got started. So you might only just be starting to come out of hibernation mode! Don’t worry if you think you are slightly behind with getting your home all ready for summer. This guide is here to help you remember everything you need to do.
Test Your Air Conditioning
Before the summer heat really kicks in, you will need to check your air conditioning system. If you wait until it gets too hot and find that it doesn’t work, you could be in for a sweaty few days until a repairman can make it! You don’t have to do anything too complicated to test it. Simply switch it on and leave it for an hour or two. If it seems to be doing the job, then everything should be just fine. However, if there are any unexplained noises or it does not cool down your home sufficiently, you may need to install a new air conditioner. If the problem is small, you might be ok fixing it yourself. You will also need to remember that some air conditioning units will need servicing every couple of years. This will keep them free from many common issues. Do you think it is time to upgrade to a new unit or system? Check on consumer websites before you buy one to see their excellent product reviews.
Summer will see an increase in the pest and creepy crawly population outside. Under no circumstance should they make it into your home! There are a few ways you can make your home pest-proof. Before the weather turns for the better, check your doors, windows, and any other entry ways into your house. If you notice any gaps or cracks, they will need to be filled in. Otherwise, they are the perfect opening for little insects to crawl through. Cracks in the wall can be blocked up with some filler. If you notice a gap in a door or window, you may have to replace the frames so that everything fits tightly. Another way to prevent any insects squatting your property is to double check your plumbing. Leaky pipes can create a water source that pests can use to survive. Fix leaks and clean up puddles and pools of water so that there is nothing in your home keeping pests alive. Remember to clean up straight away after cooking and baking. If you need to leave food out to cool down, don’t leave it out long enough to attract vermin.
You probably won’t have opened your windows at all through the winter. That means your home will be full of a lot of stale air. If it stays in your house while the weather gets hotter, it can create quite an unpleasant atmosphere. It can increase the temperature of your home too. To make your home fresh in time for summer, air it out. Check the weather forecast and see when the next bright day will be. When it comes, open all your windows to get a load of fresh air into your rooms. It’s not only great for your home, but it can help your health as fresh air isn’t so full of dust and particles!
The freezer needs to be ready to be filled with ice cream and popsicles! Take a look through all the food that is in there and see if there is anything that needs to be thrown out. If you have portions of leftover meals that have been in there more than a couple of months, they will be past their best. Check the use by dates on any packaged food. Generally speaking, nothing should be frozen for more than a few months. If you can remember putting something in there last summer, it needs to go in the bin, unfortunately. Once you have cleared out old food, defrost it to get rid of any excess ice. Once you have made some room in your freezer, you can fill it with lots of summer treats!
Smarten Your Garden
Not many people take care of their garden and other outdoor areas through the winter. So by the time summer rolls around, there is a chance your flowerbeds and lawns might be looking a bit tatty. So before you can invite anyone over for garden parties and outdoor playdates, you’ll need to smarten up your garden. Mow the lawn so that it looks neat and trim. Go around your flowerbeds and take out any weeds. If you have any patches of soil that are completely empty, dig them to turn the soil over. It can also be worth adding fresh compost to it before you sow any seeds. Once the soil is ready, plant seeds and bulbs. If you have any wooden garden furniture, give it a coating of wood stain so that it will be able to survive any rain showers.
Bringing some plants and flowers from your garden into your home will make it feel extremely summery indeed! You can keep it simple and just pick some flowers to arrange in a vase. This would make a fantastic centerpiece for your dining room table. If you feel very green-fingered, you can add pot-plants to all your rooms. Once you have the windows open, and a light breeze makes the plants’ leaves rustle, you’ll feel like you’re outside in a park! If you want something to do with your kids, have a go at drying flowers to make pretty decorations.
Take down heavy drapes from your windows as these can trap hot air in your rooms. This is great when you need to stay warm through winter, but it can quickly make your home turn stuffy through the summer months. Instead, replace them with some thin drapes made from soft cotton or silk. If they are in light pastel shades, they will look extra summery. Summer is also the perfect time to paint your home as the warm air will help the paint dry quickly. Think about the rooms you use most often in summer. For example, conservatories and summer rooms. Paint these in light colors to make them feel extra summery. Buy some bright tea and bath towels so you can add some color throughout your home. The brighter your home is, the more summery you’ll feel!
Buy Summer Necessities
Summer means lots of bees and wasps, so get stocked up on lots of anti-sting medication. Insect repellant will also come in very handy as well, especially if you are planning on lots of barbecues and outdoor dining. One of the most important products to stock up on is sunscreen. If you have young children in your family, make sure you have plenty of high SPF brands. Remember to also buy lots of aloe vera in case someone gets sunburnt. It’s not just medical stuff you need to stock up on, though! Buy some disposable plates and cutlery in case you decide to have a spontaneous picnic. Getting fresh towels and blankets ready now will also help if you decide to head to the beach for a day out. And kids will really appreciate a garage full of cricket sets, frisbees, and balls!
Now is the time to get your home ready for summer. Otherwise, it’ll already be time to start the winter preparations!
First impressions leave a mark. When you are immersed in the world of online dating chat rooms, a first impression is often garnered from a user’s screen name, also known as a “handle.” Handles for dating chat rooms vary as much as colors here on earth, and they give potential dates a small glimpse into your dating intentions and your personality. Since often people are looking for different things when it comes to online dating, it is important to send the right message. Woah, that’s a lot of pressure! Don’t worry, there are a few tips for crafting a witty, creative dating chat room name that will adequately reflect who you are and what you are looking for. Don’t forget to have fun!
Embrace Your Hobbies and Interests – Especially if you want to attract dates with similar interests, using hobby lingo provides a bit of insight into how you spend your time. A few examples include:
HikingtheTrails85
FootballFrenzy-62
Dog_and_CatLover77
Include your Year of Birth – If you want to attract singles in the same age bracket as yourself, it will help to employ the common practice of including your year of birth within your handle as with the above examples. For instance, if someone sees the handle HikingtheTrails85, they will probably assume that the person behind the screen was born in 1985.
Keep it Casual – It is recommended to avoid extremely telling information such as first and last name or location when crafting your handle for dating chat rooms. This information can be shared once you connect with a specific user and do not need to be public information.
Avoid Strong Language – In certain dating chat rooms, strong language and sexual references within a handle can get you quickly booted out the door. Be sure to check the specific rules for the chat room that you are joining so that you are welcomed with open arms!
Ask for a Friend’s Advice – Are you having trouble being objective about yourself? You might consider asking a friend to describe you in their own words. What adjectives did they use? Fun, carefree, focused, sexy? Use another’s view of your many attributes as a jumping off point for crafting a handle for online dating chat rooms.
Use a Name Generator – If after pondering the previous tips, you are still drawing a blank, there are several chat room name generators available online. With most of these, you will answer a few questions about hobbies and interests and a name will be generated for you.
Think Outside the Box – If you are having trouble coming up with a screen name. Ask yourself a few of the following questions.
Do you have a favorite flower, tree, color?
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
What accomplishment of yours are you most proud of?
Do you have a favorite author, book character, or fictitious location?
What can you do really well?
What is your favorite band, song, or even song lyric?
Pick a few answers and weave them together to form a unique screen name for dating chat rooms.
Bernie Sanders has announced he will meet Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton “soon” but has not endorsed her.
After speaking with President Barack Obama, the Vermont senator said he and Hillary Clinton would be meeting to discuss their common goal of defeating Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump.
Bernie Sanders virtually has no path left to the Democratic nomination but has not formally dropped out.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has captured enough delegates to become the nominee.
Speaking outside the White House after his meeting with President Obama, Bernie Sanders detailed a list of issues he plans to bring to the Democratic convention in July.
Bernie Sanders said the United States, as the wealthiest nation in the world, should not have students in huge amounts of debt and seniors and veterans without adequate social security benefits.
Before his talks with Bernie Sanders, President Obama said he hoped the Democrats would “pull things together” after Hillary Clinton became the party’s presumptive nominee for president.
Photo Getty Images
Bernie Sanders has said he will participate in the District of Columbia primary on June 14, despite pressure to step down from party figures.
Barack Obama stopped short of calling for Bernie Sanders to drop out, instead saying the Vermont senator had made Hillary Clinton a “better candidate”.
The president has officially endorsed Hillary Clinton and called for the party to unite against Donald Trump.
Speaking on NBC’s Tonight Show, Barack Obama admitted the race had been “ouchy”.
However, the president went on to say that this was welcome.
“It was a healthy thing for the Democratic Party to have a contested primary,” he said.
“I thought that Bernie Sanders brought enormous energy and new ideas. And he pushed the party and challenged them. I thought it made Hillary a better candidate.”
Barack Obama added: “My hope is, that over the next couple of weeks, we’re able to pull things together.”
Hillary Clinton won four out of six primaries on June 7.
Hillary Trump has pitched to Bernie Sanders’ supporters: “Bernie Sanders must really dislike Crooked Hillary after the way she played him. Many of his supporters, because of trade, will come to me.”
However, Bernie Sanders said his campaign would not support Donald Trump, “a candidate whose major theme is bigotry”.
During his interview, Barack Obama said he was “worried” for the Republicans, saying the US needed a “healthy two-party system”.
Pedro Pablo Kuczynski appears to have won the majority in Peru’s cliff-hanger presidential election after all were counted.
According to the electoral commission, economist Pedo Pablo Kuczynski received 50.12% of votes, against 49.88% for his rival, Keiko Fujimori.
About 50,000 ballots must first be settled by an electoral court before a winner can be officially declared.
Keiko Fujimori has yet to concede, but Pedro Pablo Kuczynski tweeted his thanks to the Peruvian people: “It’s time to work together for the future of our country.”
This has been the tightest fought election in Peru in five decades.
As the last few votes were counted, the candidates remained neck-and-neck, with Pedro Pablo Kuczynski leading by a tiny margin.
The closeness of the result came as a surprise after polls in the run-up to the election had suggested Keiko Fujimori had a comfortable lead.
Analysts said corruption scandals in Keiko Fujimori’s Popular Force Party may have dented her support since April, when she comfortably won the first round of voting.
Keiko Fujimori is the daughter of Peru’s former President Alberto Fujimori, who is in jail for crimes against humanity.
Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who is an ex-Wall Street financier, said he would use his international financial experience to promote economic growth.
He has the support of prominent figures such as Nobel-Prize-winning novelist Mario Vargas Llosa and left-wing candidate Veronika Mendoza, who came third in the first round of voting.
However, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski he has faced scrutiny over his close relationship to Peru’s business elite.
Lenovo has unveiled two smartphones – the phab2PRO and the moto Z.
The phab2PRO uses special cameras to scan its surroundings.
Its sensors allow it to make sense of objects and close-by spaces, allowing graphics to be intelligently added to real-world views.
The moto Z uses magnets to add optional hardware modules to the phone’s rear including a speaker and a projector.
Analysts said the innovations might prove a tough sell.
That would complicate Lenovo’s efforts to turn around sales of its own phones and those of the Motorola division it bought from Google for $2.8 billion in 2014.
The announcements were made at an event in San Francisco, where bendy smartphone and tablet prototypes were also revealed.
Lenovo is currently the world’s sixth bestselling smartphone-maker, according to IDC, after being overtaken by two other Chinese brands, Oppo and Vivo towards the start of the year.
The company reported in May that it had swung to a loss of $128 million in its last financial year.
It acknowledged at the time that it was having problems integrating Motorola.
The Phab2Pro is the first device to use Google’s Tango technology.
Google has developed a system that adds depth-sensing and motion-tracking cameras to the normal front and rear photo lenses.
Lenovo suggested this opened up several possibilities, including: video games in which characters could be superimposed over a view of a room; directions that could be drawn over a view of a store to show where goods are; the ability to see and move 3D models of furniture over a view of a home to help with interior decoration.
However, an on-stage demo proved problematic.
A game of virtual dominos – seen superimposed over a view of a real desk – saw the pieces repeatedly freeze part way through their intended run.
An effort to use the sensors to get the dimensions of a real-world table took several attempts to get the software to lock onto the object.
This raises questions about whether the tech is ready to go on sale as planned in September.
The Moto Z introduces the concept of Moto Mods – snap-on parts that connect to the back of the phone via 16 small metal pins.
Examples of modules it plans to offer alongside the phone include:
a projector capable of creating a 70in (178cm) display
a loudspeaker made by the audio specialist JBL
a power pack developed by Incipio that offers 22 hours of extra battery life “without adding bulk”
Lenovo said it was working with others to create new modules and also urged developers to create more following the phone’s release later this summer.
LG already has an alternative modular handset on sale – the G5 – and Google is working on Project Ara, a design that will allow several parts to be added at once.
They mark a break with a trend that has seen phone manufacturers integrate components as closely together as possible to maximize battery life and computing power.
Lenovo also showed off several concept devices at its presentation.
These included a smartphone and tablet with flexible screens.
This allowed the handset to be wrapped around a person’s wrist so that it did not have to be held, and a tablet to be folded in half, making it easier to use one-handed.
In addition, Lenovo briefly showed off a revised model of its smart shoes.
It said the Intel processor-equipped footwear could track its wearer’s movements and calorie burn.
Lenovo did not, however, say when any of these might go on sale.
President Barack Obama has officially endorsed Democratic Hillary Clinton as the party’s presidential nominee.
Barack Obama’s endorsement came after meeting Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders who has been battling Hillary Clinton for the nomination.
President Barack Obama and outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a rare joint interview for CBS’ 60 Minutes
Speaking in a video tweeted out by Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama said she may be the most qualified person “ever” for the role of president.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are set to start campaigning together soon.
The two ran against one another for the Democratic nomination in 2008 and Barack Obama later made Hillary Clinton Secretary of State.
Speaking to Reuters following the endorsement, Hillary Clinton said Barack Obama’s endorsement “means the world”.
Hillary Clinton said: “It is absolutely a joy and an honor that President Obama and I, over the years, have gone from fierce competitors to true friends.”
Muhammad Ali’s family and fans are attending a Muslim prayer service to honor the boxing legend in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
The two-day funeral was planned by Muhammad Ali in the years before his death, according to a family spokesman.
Muhammad Ali, “The Greatest”, wanted the Muslim prayer service, known as a Jenazah, to be “a teaching moment”, according to Imam Zaid Shakir, who is leading the service.
The legendary boxer died on June 3 at the age of 74.
More than 14,000 people have tickets to the event at the site of Muhammad Ali’s last fight in Louisville in 1961.
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has been taken to hospital after falling unconscious at home just days after his frail appearance at a funeral for Joe Frazier
American Muslims attending the service and watching on TV say they hope that the public prayers will help Americans to become more familiar with Islam and its practices.
In 1964, Muhammad Ali famously converted to Islam, changing his name from Cassius Clay, which he called his “slave name”.
He first joined the Nation of Islam, a controversial black separatist movement, before later converting to mainstream Islam.
Muhammad Ali traveled the world as a boxer and speaker, and inspired Muslims around the world.
The funeral will continue on June 10 with an interfaith memorial service and procession through Louisville passing key locations such as Muhammad Ali’s childhood home, and a museum dedicated to him.
Tickets to attend the June 10 service sold out only an hour after they went on sale.
World leaders and celebrities will attend, including former President Bill Clinton and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. President Barack Obama will not be able to attend due to his eldest daughter’s graduation on the same day.
Silvio Berlusconi is to have heart surgery after an attack that could have killed him, his doctor says.
The former Italian prime minister will undergo surgery by the middle of next week to replace a defective aortic valve, Dr. Alberto Zangrillo told reporters in Rome.
Silvio Berlusconi, 79, served as prime minister four times but has since been convicted of tax fraud and bribery.
His political influence has waned since he left office in 2011.
Dr. Alberto Zangrillo said Berlusconi had “arrived at the hospital in a severe state”.
“He risked his life, he risked dying and he knew it… We have identified in an exact and certain way a pathology of aortic valve that is called aortic insufficiency,” the physician said.
“There’s only one way to correct it, which is the substitution of the aortic valve.”
Alberto Zangrillo added that his patient had been shocked by the news.
“At the beginning he didn’t want to believe it,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.
“For a man who wants to live to be 130, this is a very unpleasant jolt.”
Silvio Berlusconi, a billionaire businessman who leads the Forza Italia party, was taken into hospital for tests in his home city, Milan, earlier this week.
A spokeswoman for the party said at the time Silvio Berlusconi’s condition was not life-threatening.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, the world’s longest-reigning living monarch, celebrates 70 years since ascending to the throne.
The celebrations began with a religious ceremony in the capital Bangkok, led by 770 Buddhist monks, an auspicious number.
King Bhumibol, 88, is revered by Thais, for whom he has been a figure of stability through the country’s decades of political upheaval.
However, the monarch is in poor health and has not been seen in public for months.
On June 7, King Bhumibol had heart surgery, with what the palace said were “satisfactory results”.
The procedure, known as balloon surgery, was to widen his arteries after tests showed the king had insufficient blood in the heart muscles, the statement said.
King Bhumibol has spent much of the past few years in hospital, and his health is closely watched by Thais.
“The relationship between Thais and the King is deep, more than one can actually begin to explain,” Col. Winthai Suvaree, a spokesman for the royalist junta, said to Reuters.
“He is a father to the land.”
Several hundred people had gathered outside the palace on June 9 to wish the king well.
The king is not expected to make a public appearance.
King Bhumibol’s popularity stems partly from his long reign and service to Thai people, but also because he is seen as an arbiter in politics.
Thailand has been wracked by political strife in recent years and is currently governed by a military-led government.
Strict lese majeste laws ban any criticism of the king or the royal family.
Death can occur for many reasons because there are many life threatening illnesses in the world. When that happens, you have to accept it and move on with your life. What you can’t accept is a loved one’s death due to another person’s negligence. Although doctors do their best, they can make mistakes. And when they do, they can be fatal. The obvious step when this happens is to file suit, and you will need a lawyer. Here are the reasons why it is better to use a specialist.
After a friend or family member dies, there is always a period of grieving. You might not show it outwardly, yet it still happens regardless. There is nothing wrong with mourning because it is natural. The only issue is that it stops you from thinking clearly. When you have something else on your mind, you can’t concentrate. And, you need to concentrate so that you can build a good case. That is why a wrongful death attorney is a good choice. They didn’t know the person, and they have no need to mourn. It allows them to focus on the case and get the best possible result.
They Know Where To Look
An important factor in bringing a wrongful death lawsuit is providing evidence of negligence. After all, the court won’t take you at your word. They will want proof, and they will want irrefutable proof or as close as possible. Because you are a novice, you won’t know where to look to find the evidence. Lawyers are different. Due to their experience, they know what calls to make and what buttons to press. If there is any negligence, they will be able to find the trail.
The reason they can find things you can’t is their superior resources. Wrongful death lawyers have a variety of tricks up their sleeves to help them find what they need. A good lawyer will use a mixture of research and contacts, for example. If they have been practicing the law for a while, they will inevitably know people in the right places they can squeeze. Also, they have an entire firm at their disposal. So, instead of one person looking for details, they have dozens of people all focused on your case. As the saying goes, many hands make light work.
They Know How To Negotiate
The odds are high that your case won’t see the inside of a courtroom. Hospitals can’t afford the publicity, plus they want to settle the matter out of court to avoid sanctions. Just because they are on the back foot doesn’t mean they are down. To do that, you need to play hardball. Lawyers understand the game, and they aren’t afraid to play. They won’t jump at the first offer because it is a lot of money. They will bide their time and wait for the deal that suits your needs. It sounds easy, but it is harder to achieve than you would imagine.
If you don’t think you need a wrongful death attorney, you might want to reconsider.
Songwriters Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard are suing Ed Sheeran for $20 million over his single Photograph.
The California-based musicians claim the track has a similar structure to one of their songs.
They allege Ed Sheeran’s ballad, released as a single in 2015, has the same musical composition to their song Amazing.
Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard say they wrote their track in 2009.
In court documents, that include musical note comparison and chord breakdowns of the two songs, the musicians claim the chorus of Photograph shares 39 identical notes with Amazing.
They say the similarities are “instantly recognizable to the ordinary observer”.
The court documents say that Photograph has sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide.
It says it also features prominently in Hollywood drama Me Before You, released last week, as well as trailers for the movie.
Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard’s song Amazing was adapted into a single of the same name for Matt Cardle, the winner of The X Factor in 2010.
Matt Cardle’s version of the track has more than one million views on YouTube, while Ed Sheeran’s music video for Photograph has 208 million.
Documents in the copyright infringement case were filed on June 8 at LA’s federal court in the Central District of California.
Other named defendants being sued include Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid, who is credited as a co-writer on Photograph, as well as various divisions of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Warner Music Group and its subsidiary, Atlantic Recording Corporation.
Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard, and their publishing company HaloSongs, want a trial and damages of more than $20 million, as well as royalties from the song.
They are using the same lawyers who won a case for the family of the late soul singer Marvin Gaye.
They successfully sued Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for copyright infringement last year over their single Blurred Lines, winning a $7.4 million settlement.
Photograph was the fifth single from Ed Sheeran’s 2014 album x (pronounced multiply).
The court documents say Ed Sheeran had called the song “the one that will change (his), kind of, career path”.
The singer has written and co-written tracks for artists like One Direction, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber.
British songwriter Martin Harrington has written tracks for Emma Bunton (What Took You So Long), 5ive (Let’s Dance) and Kylie Minogue (Love at First Sight) as well as working with Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, Westlife, Busted, Atomic Kitten and Blue.
Thomas Leonard’s writing credits include Safe Place to Hide by Backstreet Boys as well as songs by Zero 7 and Echosmith.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has banned Maria Sharapova for two years for using prohibited drug meldonium.
Maria Sharapova was provisionally banned in March after testing positive for meldonium at January’s Australian Open.
Meldonium, a heart disease drug, which 29-year-old Russian says she has been taking since 2006 for health issues, became a banned substance on January 1, 2016.
The five-time Grand Slam winner said she “cannot accept” the “unfairly harsh” ban – and will appeal.
Photo Getty Images
Maria Sharapova will challenge the suspension, which is backdated to January 26, 2016, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
In a statement, Maria Sharapova said the tribunal concluded her offence was “unintentional” and that she had not tried to use a “performance-enhancing substance”.
However, she claimed the ITF had asked the tribunal to impose a four-year ban, adding it “spent tremendous amounts of time and resources trying to prove I intentionally violated the anti-doping rules”.
The tribunal ruling said Maria Sharapova tested positive for meldonium in an out-of competition test on February 2, as well as in the aftermath of her Australian Open quarter-final defeat by Serena Williams on January 26. It treated both results as a single anti-doping violation.
The ITF will not appeal against the tribunal’s decision.
Nike, which suspended its relationship with Maria Sharapova in January, said it would “continue to partner” the Russian, based on the tribunal’s findings.
Maria Sharapova was Forbes‘ highest-paid female athlete for 11 consecutive years, until Serena Williams moved above her in 2016.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said in April that scientists were unsure how long meldonium stayed in the system, and suggested athletes who tested positive before March 1 could avoid bans, provided they had stopped taking it before January 1.
Maria Sharapova had already admitted she continued taking the substance past that date, saying she was unaware it had been added to the banned list as she knew it by another name – mildronate.
In reaching its verdict, the ITF recognized Maria Sharapova had not intentionally broken anti-doping rules, as she did not know that mildronate contained a banned substance from January 2016.
France has released a mobile phone app to alert the public in the event of a terrorist attack ahead of the Euro 2016 soccer tournament, which starts on June 10.
The app will alert geo-located users “in case of a suspected attack”, the French interior ministry said in a statement.
The government said the app was developed after November’s attacks in Paris, which killed 130 people.
Users will be able to sign up to receive alerts in up to eight different “geographical zones” in addition to their present location.
Alerts will offer a brief description of what has happened as well as advice on how to stay safe.
They will not cause the phone to vibrate or emit any sound in order to ensure that anyone hiding at the site of an attack does not alert the attackers, Metro News reported.
The government has stressed that users’ privacy will be protected.
Later versions of the app will also alert users to other types of emergencies beyond attacks, including floods and industrial accidents, officials said.
The app is available to download for phones running both iOS and Android operating systems.
Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has thanked her supporters for helping her reach a historic moment for women – the nomination for president.
“Tonight’s victory belongs to generations of women and men who struggled and sacrificed to make this moment possible,” Hillary Clinton told cheering crowds at a rally in New York.
“Thanks to you, we’ve reached a milestone.”
The former secretary of state hailed “the first time in our nation’s history that a woman will be a major party’s nominee”.
Earlier, Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary in New Jersey, cementing her hold on her party’s nomination.
Hillary Clinton went on to win South Dakota and New Mexico, while her rival Bernie Sanders found victory in the Montana and North Dakota caucuses.
Six states have been voting in primaries on June 7 but the race in California will count the most.
Bernie Sanders had been hoping for a win in that state but early results indicated a significant lead for Hillary Clinton.
Five bicyclists have been killed and another four injured in a hit-and-run incident in Kalamazoo City, Michigan, police say.
The cyclists were struck by a blue Chevrolet pickup truck that was seen being driven erratically only minutes earlier, police in Kalamazoo said.
The crash happened just before 7 p.m. on June 7, the 5500 block of North Westnedge Avenue, located between West F and West G avenues. Earlier reports indicated children were among the victims, but that is not the case, said Kalamazoo County prosecutor Jeff Getting during a nighttime briefing.
Photo WZZM
The driver of the truck, a 50-year-old man from Michigan, fled the scene and was arrested nearby soon afterwards.
A hospital spokesman said one of the injured cyclists was in a serious condition.
Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeffrey Getting told a news conference there had been a number of alerts about the pickup truck’s erratic driving, but that a police chase was not under way when it crashed.
The extent of victims’ injuries are unclear. Carolyn Wyllie, a spokeswoman at Bronson Methodist Hospital, told WZZM 13’s Alex Shabad hospital staff are assisting two people from the crash. Their conditions and identities are unknown.
Borgess Medical Center also is treating two patients — one person in critical condition, the other in fair condition, spokesman Lew Tysman said.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand has undergone heart surgery, the Thai Royal Household Bureau announced.
The 88-year-old king, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, has had a lengthy spell in hospital in Bangkok and has not been seen in public for months.
King Bhumibol is widely revered and seen as an arbiter in the country’s divided political arena.
Thailand is preparing to celebrate 70 years of his reign on June 8.
The king was treated for narrowing of the arteries with “satisfactory results”, the palace said in a statement.
Doctors performed a procedure known as balloon surgery to widen the arteries on June 7 after tests had shown insufficient blood in the heart muscles, the statement said.
In the past month, King Bhumibol has also been treated for a buildup of fluid surrounding the brain and a swollen lung.
An X-ray on June 4 showed less fluid around the brain, the statement said.
King Bhumibol’s health is closely watched in Thailand as he is seen as a unifying symbol and pillar of stability in a society that has suffered increased political divisions and violence.
Turmeric is one of the most effective natural supplements that you can find today. Various studies have shown that Turmeric and Curcumin indeed have many benefits to the body and mind. The best turmeric curcumin offers us a natural, safe and effective anti-inflammatory agent to help ward off and treat diseases. Some of the amazing and proven health benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin include:
Naturally anti-inflammatory
Inflammation is the process that helps the body fight and remove foreign bodies such as infection as well as repairing the damage after. Inflammation prevents pathogens such as bacteria and fungus from taking over the body. Short-term inflammation is beneficial but long term or chronic inflammation can be a problem. Sometimes the inflammation may also be inappropriately deployed against the body tissue. A product that can fight chronic inflammation is important in preventing and treating diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease and other degenerative conditions. Curcumin is a strong anti-inflammatory that targets multiple steps in the inflammatory pathway making it as effective as some anti-inflammatory drugs.
Antioxidant capacity
Oxidative damages are believed to be part of the aging process and the damage caused by many diseases. Free radicals and highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons react with important organic substances. Antioxidants, protect the body against free radicals. Curcumin is a potent antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals because of its chemical structure. It also boosts the activities of your body’s antioxidant enzymes dramatically increasing your antioxidant capacity.
Prevention and treatment of Cancer
The commonalities among the different forms of cancer are the uncontrolled cell growth. Research as shown that Curcumin is a beneficial supplement in cancer treatment as it affects cancer growth and development. The supplement can reduce the growth of new blood vessels in tumors, the metastasis and the death of cancerous cells. High-done Curcumin with an absorption enhancer can help treat cancer in humans although this is yet to be tested properly. However, it can prevent cancer from occurring in the first place.
Delaying Aging and fighting chronic diseases
There is obvious benefit in longevity since Curcumin helps prevent cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and heart disease among others. Curcumin is a very important and popular anti-aging supplement. Curcumin does more than just prevent disease. It helps manage oxidation and inflammation, which all play a role in the aging process. Remember to get supplements that contain Bioperine, which enhances Curcumin absorption.
If you’re lucky enough to have a motorcycle, you’re probably riding it around constantly, enjoying its economic and convenient value to the fullest. However, like all vehicles you have to park it on the street. This can be problematic depending on your area’s busyness and crime.
Accidents can and will happen, even when your prized motorcycle is stationary and out of the way. So what happens if your bike gets hit by another car while parked?
Let’s take a look below.
Do You Know Who Did It?
If you didn’t actually see someone strike your bike, then they are being a good Samaritan by telling you, or a good Samaritan happened to be in the right place to capture the hit-and-run driver’s info. While people shouldn’t strive to be hit and run drivers, according to USA Today, it happens more often than any insurance company or motorcycle owner is willing to admit. Assuming that either you saw it or someone saw it and let you know (a witness), you have the ability to make them pay for it. Any specifics like vehicle type and color, and ideally, a license plate number will be your best bet in getting the at-fault party to pay for damages.
Photo Flickr
What is the State Law?
If another driver is able to claim that your bike was parked too far out in the street, or if they can say that both parties were equally negligent (say your kickstand wasn’t secure or you were parked on a hill), then you have to be careful. According to the Insurance Information Institute, insurance liability differs from state to state, and if you are even partially negligent or you happen to reside in a no-fault state, then under certain accidents and claims you might not be able to have the other driver pay (or pay fully) for their damages.
It’s important to know your state’s law, and also what you’re covered for when you actually obtain quotes. Your policy can always step in but you will need to compare motorcycle insurance quotes from a handful of different providers to truly know what you’re getting coverage-wise.
Can You Prove It?
As terrible and pessimistic as it is to say, can you prove that someone actually knocked over your bike? You obviously have the best of intentions, but what if someone made a claim against you that had no backing? Would you really want to be liable for any claim or remark that someone made about you even if they didn’t have any proof? The road goes both ways in this scenario in that if you can’t prove someone else hit your bike and knocked it over, then you may have a hard time getting their policy to pay.
Comprehensive Coverage?
You’ll obviously want to sort things out as quickly as possible if your bike is hit while parked, but rest assured you’ll be covered with a comprehensive package. Comprehensive coverage for motorcycles is the same as if a car was damaged during a hit and run; someone else is at fault, so they should pay. If fault cannot be determined (or you can’t prove it), then you’ll still be covered from a comprehensive point of view.
The only thing that you’ll be on the hook for in a worst-case scenario is your deductible, and you might even be able to get that back if you can prove fault is on the other party.
While you might get upset with the legal system of some states, and possibly even lose faith in other motorists on the road, you can at least be at ease when it comes to the protection and maintenance of your motorcycle. As long as you have quality coverage then you know you’ll be covered in any incident. Paying anything, even a few hundred dollars toward your deductible in an incident you didn’t cause, is annoying, but it’s small change compared to not having adequate coverage and having to pay big dollars should the hit-and-run driver get away scot-free.
Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has reached the required number of delegates for her nomination, an AP tally suggests.
The count puts Hillary Clinton on 2,383 – the number needed to make her the presumptive nominee.
Hillary Clinton will become the first female nominee for a major US political party.
However, rival Bernie Sanders said Hillary Clinton had not won as she was dependent on superdelegates who could not vote until July’s party convention.
Hillary Clinton reached the threshold with a big win in Puerto Rico and a burst of last-minute support from superdelegates, AP reported.
Superdelegates are party insiders who can pledge their support for a candidate ahead of the convention but do not formally vote for them until the convention itself.
At an appearance in Long Beach, California, shortly after the news broke, Hillary Clinton said: “We are on the brink of a historic and unprecedented moment but we still have work to do.
“We have six elections tomorrow and we’re going to fight hard for every single vote, especially right here in California.”
Voters will go to the polls for Democratic primaries on June 7 in California, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and New Jersey.
The nominee for either party is not officially named until the parties’ respective conventions.
Bernie Sanders has vowed to stay in the race until the convention, and his campaign team said the Vermont senator would attempt to win back superdelegates who have pledged their support to Hillary Clinton.
His spokesman Michael Briggs said it was too early to call the Democratic contest.
“It is unfortunate that the media, in a rush to judgement, are ignoring the Democratic National Committee’s clear statement that it is wrong to count the votes of superdelegates before they actually vote at the convention this summer,” Michael Briggs said.
“Our job from now until the convention is to convince those superdelegates that Bernie is by far the strongest candidate against Donald Trump.”
Hillary Clinton, a former secretary of state, New York senator and First Lady, leads Bernie Sanders by three million votes, 291 pledged delegates and 523 superdelegates, according to AP’s count.
She has won 29 caucuses and primaries to his 21 victories – and an estimated 2.9 million more voters have backed her during the nominating process.
That gives Hillary Clinton a significantly greater lead over Bernie Sanders than Barack Obama had over her in 2008 – he led by 131 pledged delegates and 105 superdelegates at the point he clinched the nomination.
Veteran US photojournalist David Gilkey and his Afghan translator Zabihullah Tamanna have been killed in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.
David Gilkey of National Public Radio (NPR) and Zabihullah Tamanna were travelling with the Afghan army when they came under fire and their vehicle was hit by a shell, NPR said.
The attack also killed the driver of the vehicle, an Afghan soldier.
Two other NPR employees travelling with David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna were unharmed, the radio network said in a statement.
The vehicle David Gilkey, 50, and Zabihullah Tamanna, 38, were travelling in was struck by shellfire near the town of Marjah, NPR said.
Photo Facebook
Zabihullah Tamanna was a photographer and journalist in Afghanistan, as well as a translator.
Michael Oreskes, senior vice president at NPR, paid tribute to the photographer.
He said: “David has been covering war and conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11. He was devoted to helping the public see these wars and the people caught up in them. He died pursuing that commitment.
“As a man and as a photojournalist, David brought out the humanity of all those around him. He let us see the world and each other through his eyes.”
David Gilkey is the first US journalist outside the military to be killed in the conflict in Afghanistan.
He received a series of awards during his career, including a 2007 national Emmy for a video series about US Marines from Michigan serving in Iraq.
In 2011, David Gilkey was named still photographer of the year by the White House Photographers’ Association, one of nine first-place awards he received from the body.
His work on an investigation into veteran medical care and his coverage of the Ebola crisis helped secure awards for NPR.
In 2015, David Gilkey received the Edward R. Murrow Award for his coverage of international breaking news, military conflicts and natural disasters.
A recent study has suggested that men with larger waistlines could be at higher risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer.
Research on 140,000 men from eight European countries found that a 4in larger waist circumference could increase the chances of getting the cancer by 13%.
Men were most at risk when their waist was bigger than 37in, the University of Oxford study found.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men.
Weight loss could be a potential factor in regaining erectile function by losing 5 to 10 percent of the body weight
The study, which was presented at the European Obesity Summit in Gothenburg, Sweden, looked at the association between body measurements in men in their 50s and prostate cancer risk over 14 years.
In that time, there were about 7,000 cases of prostate cancer, of which 934 were fatal.
The researchers found that men with a higher body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference had an increased risk of high grade prostate cancer, an aggressive form of the disease.
For example, men with a waist size of 37in had a 13% higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer than men with a waist of 33in.
Scientists also observed a higher risk of dying from prostate cancer with increased BMI and increased waist circumference.
