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.
Former Olympian Bruce Jenner, now known as Caitlyn Jenner, accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS on July 15.
Caitlyn Jenner received a standing ovation from some of the sporting world’s biggest stars after her 10-minute speech during the annual awards honoring the year’s top athletes and moments.
She also urged acceptance for others who are transgender.
“This transition has been harder on me than anything I can imagine,” said Caitlyn Jenner.
Photo AP
Abby Wambach of the US soccer team that won the Women’s World Cup presented the trophy to Caitlyn Jenner, whose voice broke as she thanked members of her famous family, including stepdaughters Kim and Khloe Kardashian. Tears welled in the eyes of Caitlyn Jenner’s younger daughter, Kylie, whose sister, Kendall, wiped a tear from her eye.
“I never wanted to hurt anyone else, most of all my family and my kids,” said Caitlyn Jenner, who admitted that until earlier this year she had never met another transgender person.
Caitlyn Jenner urged the crowd that included football, basketball, baseball and hockey players to remember what they say and do is “absorbed and observed by millions of people, especially young people”.
A video traced Caitlyn Jenner’s life from the time when she was known as Bruce Jenner to her current transition. She was shown applying makeup, buttoning her blouse in her closet and fastening the strap on her heeled shoes.
Caitlyn Jenner didn’t walk the red carpet outside the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles, and she didn’t appear backstage to talk with reporters, as most of the previous Ashe award recipients have done.
George Bush Sr. has been admitted to hospital after breaking a bone in his neck in a fall at his home in Maine.
The former president’s spokesman, Jim McGarth, said he was in a stable condition and his hospital stay was expected to be brief.
George H.W. Bush, who has Parkinson’s disease and cannot use his legs, celebrated his 90th birthday last year with a sky dive.
The 91-year-old had to go to hospital at the end of last year with shortness of breath.
Jim McGrath said George H.W. Bush, the oldest of the four living former US presidents, would need to wear a neck brace following his fall on July 15 in Kennebunkport.
Solar Impulse 2 has been grounded until next year, the Swiss team trying to fly the solar-powered plane around the world has announced.
Solar Impulse’s batteries were damaged on the last leg of the journey from Japan to Hawaii and will take several months to repair.
The solar-powered plane will be kept at its Pacific stop-over at Kalaeloa airport while the maintenance is undertaken.
Once the work is done there will be some test flights before the global quest resumes in 2016, the team says.
That is likely to be in April, and would see Solar Impulse 2 fly from Hawaii to the West Coast of the US.
It should then have a sizeable weather window to try to cross America, the Atlantic, and make its way back to Abu Dhabi, UAE, where the circumnavigation began in March 2015.
The suspension will be a disappointment but the project has already met a number of its key objectives.
Pilot Andre Borschberg smashed aviation records when he steered Solar Impulse 2 from Nagoya to Kalaeloa at the beginning of the month.
Flying just on the power of the Sun, Andre Borschberg completed the 7,200km in 118 hours.
Not only did this set several new marks for manned solar aeroplanes, but it surpassed with ease the absolute aviation record for the longest duration solo flight in an un-refueled vehicle.
However, in achieving this mammoth feat, Andre Borschberg’s plane experienced damaging overheating in its lithium-ion battery system. Although the battery units performed as expected, they had too much insulation around them, making temperature management very difficult.
Engineers on the project have not been able to make the quick repairs that might allow Solar Impulse 2 to have a crack at completing the round-the-world journey this year.
The University of Hawaii and the US Department of Transportation have agreed to continue to host Solar Impulse 2 in a large hangar at Kalaeloa airport while the maintenance proceeds.
District Judge John A. Kronstadt has cut more than $1 million from the damages Pharrell Williams was ordered to pay after the Blurred Lines copyright trial.
The case revolved around the question of whether Pharrell Williams and his co-writer Robin Thicke had copied Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit Got To Give It Up.
In March, a jury ruled that they had, and awarded Marvin Gaye’s family $7.3 million in damages.
However, District Judge John A. Kronstadt has now slashed that to $5.3 million.
The cut comprises a reduction in actual damages from $4 million to just under $3.2 million, and a drop in the profits that Pharrell Williams has to turn over from about $1.6 million to about $358,000.
The judge also gave Marvin Gaye’s family a 50% cut of future earnings from the song, but rejected a request that would have temporarily blocked sales and performances of the track.
Judge Kronstadt’s ruling also refused a request by Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams’ lawyers for a new trial.
In March, jurors found that rapper TI, who received a songwriting credit and a share of the royalties for his verse on Blurred Lines, did not commit copyright infringement – but Judge Kronstadt ruled that other elements of the jury’s verdict mean he must be included in the judgment.
He also found that found that Interscope Records, Universal Music Group and Star Trak Entertainment were liable.
Marvin Gaye family lawyer Richard Busch said he was “thrilled” the court had affirmed the jury’s decision on copyright infringement.
“As far as the reduction in damages, we are reviewing that, and the Court’s analysis on that issue, and will be discussing internally our options,” he added.
Pharrell Williams’ lawyer Howard King added: “While we certainly respect the diligence and care devoted by the court throughout these proceedings, we must agree to disagree on the conclusions.”
“We look forward to exercising our further remedies and ultimately achieving clarity on the difference between inspiration and copyright infringement.”
Nominated for record of the year at the 2013 Grammys, Blurred Lines was a No 1 on both sides of the Atlantic and one of the biggest-selling songs of the year.
Since its release, Blurred Lines has earned nearly $16.5 million in profits, according to court documents, with Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke making more than $5 million each.
At the trial, Pharrell Willliams contended that he was only trying to mimic the “feel” of Marvin Gaye’s music and insisted he did not use elements of his idol’s work.
The ruling paves the way for the next phase of the showdown when Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams are expected to take the dispute to an appeals court.
Amber Heard has been summoned to appear in court over allegations that she smuggled the couple’s dogs into Australia.
Johnny Depp’s came under fire in April for failing to declare Yorkshire terriers Pistol and Boo to authorities on their arrival in Brisbane.
Australia has strict animal quarantine laws to prevent importing infections.
At the time, a minister said the dogs would be put down if they stayed.
“It’s time Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States,” agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce said.
The dogs left Australia unharmed at few days later.
However, a subsequent Senate hearing was told that Johnny Depp and Amber Heard could be sentenced to as long as 10 years in jail, or be forced to pay a fine of up to $265,000 if they were found guilty of illegally importing then.
Johnny Depp is currently filming the latest installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise on Australia’s Gold Coast.
It is Amber Heard who has been ordered to appear in court, Australia’s department of agriculture confirmed.
“Ms Amber Heard was served with a summons issued by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions on July 14,” a statement read.
“The CDPP’s action follows an incident where a biosecurity officer attended a Gold Coast property in April and found two dogs alleged to be illegally imported.
“All animals entering Australia must have an import permit, and have undergone relevant testing and health checks signed off by a government veterinarian from the exporting country to ensure pests and diseases from overseas are not brought here.”
Amber Heard previously criticized the way the case had been handled, and suggested she would not return to the country.
“I have a feeling we’re going to avoid the land Down Under from now on, just as much as we can thanks to certain politicians there,” Amber Heard told Australia’s NBC.
“I guess everyone tries to go for their 15 minutes, including some government officials.”
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has attacked the EU over the terms of a bailout offered to Greece.
The IMF said Greece’s public debt was now “highly unsustainable” and urged debt relief on a scale “well beyond what has been under consideration to date”.
On July 14, the IMF made public advice it had given to the Eurogroup of finance ministers at the weekend.
That advice included proposals that would see some of Greece’s enormous debt written off.
The IMF study said EU countries would have to give Greece 30-years to repay all its European debt, including new loans, and a dramatic extension on the maturity of its debts. Without such extensions creditors might have to accept “deep upfront haircuts” on existing loans, the IMF added.
The split between the IMF and Greece’s European creditors over how best to deal with the country’s debt crisis has been hinted at before, but this is the first time such a disagreement has been made public.
One senior IMF official said the fund would only participate in a third bailout for Greece if EU creditors produce “a clear plan”.
The current deal “is by no means a comprehensive, detailed agreement”, the official said.
Under the new bailout terms, eurozone governments will contribute between €40 billion and €50 billion to Greece’s new three-year bailout, the IMF is expected to contribute another major chunk and the rest will come from selling off state assets and the financial markets.
The split between the IMF and the EU comes just hours before the Greek parliament is due to vote on a raft of economic reforms demanded of the Eurogroup over the weekend as a condition of a third Greek bailout.
The measures – which face resistance from PM Alexis Tsipras’ own lawmakers – include taxation increases and pension curbs.
Greece owes about 10% of its debt to the IMF.
It has missed two deadlines for repayment to the fund and is the first EU country ever to do so.
The IMF also said it regarded forecast rates of growth for Greece as unrealistically high.
Its analysis, released on July 14, pointed to Greek government debt reaching a peak of close to 200% of GDP or national income – over the next two years, which it called “highly unsustainable”.
On July 14, Alexis Tsipras said in an interview on state television that he did not believe in the bailout offered but was willing to implement it to “avoid disaster for the country” and the collapse of the banks.
The conditional agreement to receive up to €86 billion ($95 billion) from the EU over three years depends on further economic reforms – including the labor markets, banks and privatization – being passed after July 15.
Hard-liners in Alexis Tsipras’ own Syriza party are likely to rebel and the junior coalition party, the Independent Greeks, have offered only limited support for the reforms
Meanwhile, unions and trade associations representing those including civil servants, municipal workers and pharmacy owners have called or extended strikes to coincide with Wednesday’s parliamentary votes.
Greece also faces an immediate cash crisis. Banks have been shut since June 29.
Alexis Tsipras warned banks are unlikely to reopen until the bailout deal is ratified, and this could take another month.
A suggestion of providing Greece with emergency funding under the EU-wide European Financial Stability Mechanism has been opposed by Britain, which is not part of the euro but is an EU member.
China’s economic growth beat expectations in Q2 2015, but it was still the weakest showing since the global financial crisis.
The world’s second largest economy grew 7% from a year ago – matching growth in Q1 2015, which was the lowest since 2009 when it fell to 6.6%.
A weaker property market and factory production have hampered growth.
Meanwhile, Beijing has rolled out a series of stimulus measures amid the slowdown.
The central bank cut interest rates for the fourth time since November last month to boost economic activity.
Economists are, however, continuing to call for more easing despite the better-than-expected numbers as volatility in the stock markets has sparked concerns of financial turmoil in China.
Growth was expected to dip below the 7% mark and come in at 6.9% for Q2 2015.
The mainland’s benchmark index, the Shanghai Composite, had lost almost a third of its value in the three weeks from mid-June.
The positive growth figures failed to excite investors with the index down 2.4% to 3,830.49 points, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was lower by 0.5% to 24,995.95.
On a quarterly basis, China’s economy expanded 1.7% from April to June, compared to the 1.4% revised figure in Q1 2015.
The government has also had to respond to suggestions that the better data may have been “inflated”.
The National Bureau of Statistics said on July 15 that the data reflecting the positive changes in the economy was “hard won”, and accurate.
Julian Evans-Pritchard, China economist at Capital Economics said that while actual growth is “almost certainly” a percentage point or two slower than the official figures show, it does point to signs of a stabilizing economy.
“More broadly, with the drag from the structural slowdown in property and heavy industry now easing, we think that growth is on track to slow only gradually over the course of the next few years,” he said in a note.
Industrial production and retail sales in June were all above forecasts, while fixed-asset investment, a major driver of the economy, also beat expectations in the period.
President Barack Obama has called for criminal justice reforms including curbing the use of solitary confinement and voting rights for felons.
The president said lengthy mandatory minimum sentences should be reduced – or thrown out entirely.
“Mass incarceration makes our entire country worse off, and we need to do something about it,” he said.
Barack Obama urged Congress to pass a sentencing reform bill by the end of 2015.
On July 16, Barack Obama will be the first sitting president to visit a federal prison – part of week-long focus by the White House on the criminal justice system.
Speaking to a gathering of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Philadelphia, Barack Obama discussed investments in education, alternatives to trials and prison job training programs.
US Attorney General Loretta Lynch has been tasked with reviewing the overuse of solitary confinement, Barack Obama said.
“Do we think it makes sense to lock people up in tiny cells for 23 hours a day? It won’t make us safer and stronger.”
The US should not be tolerating overcrowding in prisons, gang activity or rape, which Barack Obama called “unacceptable”.
Criminal justice reforms have been a subject of rare agreement between Republicans and Democrats in Congress.
He noted that African Americans and Latinos disproportionately make up most of the prison population.
On July 13, Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 46 prisoners, many of whom were serving time for non-violent drug offences.
“If you’re a low-level drug dealer, or you violate your parole, you owe some debt to society … but you don’t owe 20 years,” Barack Obama said.
The president said for what the US spends on keeping people in prison per year, $80 billion, there could be universal pre-school, doubled salaries for high school teachers or free tuition at US public colleges or universities.
This week’s focus on criminal justice signals a renewed bid by Barack Obama’s administration to tackle what he sees as a lack of fairness in the system.
“Communities that give our young people every shot at success, tough but fair courts and prisons that seek to prepare returning citizens to get that second chance…That’s what we’re here to build,” he said.
The last significant changes to the criminal justice system in the US came in 2013 when Attorney General Eric Holder dropped mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders.
Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says she has been barred from public office for 12 months.
Maria Corina Machado, who is a former congresswoman, said she was given 15 days to appeal against the decision.
It was not clear on what grounds she was barred but the move could prevent her from standing again for congress in December’s parliamentary election.
Maria Corina Machado led a major street protest against the government in early 2014.
Government opponents have accused President Nicolas Maduro of bullying the opposition ahead of the elections.
Another leading opposition figure, Daniel Ceballos, a former mayor who is also running for parliament, was also banned from holding public office.
Venezuelan media said Daniel Ceballos was disqualified for not presenting a sworn wealth declaration.
Maria Corina Machado was stripped of her seat in the National Assembly last year after accepting an invitation from Panama to speak before the Organization of American States (OAS) to give her account of the wave of unrest which spread through Venezuela in early 2014.
The state prosecutor’s office then charged Maria Corina Machado of taking part in an alleged plot to kill President Nicolas Maduro.
Laibach will be the first foreign band to perform in North Korea, director Morten Traavik has confirmed.
Morten Traavik has arranged for the group to play two concerts in Pyongyang in August in front of 2,000 people.
The concert will include some of Laibach’s hits over their 35-year career and North Korean folk songs.
The controversial Slovenian band has been slated by some critics because of its ambiguous use of political and nationalist imagery.
But admirers say that their tendency to wear military uniforms on stage is a critique of totalitarian ideology.
Norwegian director Morten Traavik says that in North Korea they will be uncontroversial – even performing songs from The Sound of Music.
Also on their playlist is one of this year’s most popular hits in North Korea, performed by the all-girl band Moranbong: We Will Go To Mount Paektu.
Mount Paektu is the tallest peak on the Korean peninsula and is the mythological birthplace of the whole Korean nation.
The Laibach performances on August 19 and 20 – which coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Korean peninsula’s liberation from Japanese colonization – would never have been possible without Morten Traavik’s contacts and artistic direction.
He is one of the few Western directors regularly to have arranged artistic and cultural exchanges with North Korea and over the last five years has won the trust of the authorities.
Despite its extremist reputation individual members of Laibach have not been vetted by the North Korean authorities because the director has given his word that they will not cause an upset.
The director argues that much of misunderstanding surrounding the band stems from their tendency in the 1980s and 90s to wear military uniforms on stage.
Joan Sebastian, a leading figure in the Latin music world, died on July 13 at the age of 64.
The Mexican singer-songwriter had bone cancer.
Joan Sebastian was known for his sentimental love songs, which he often performed on horseback.
After a childhood of poverty in rural Mexico, Joan Sebastian decided to dedicate his life to music and went on to have a series of hits, which won him five Grammy awards and seven Latin Grammys.
He passed away at his ranch in Juliantla, in the western Mexican state of Guerrero.
Born Jose Manuel Figueroa, Joan Sebastian was often referred to as “The People’s Poet” for his lyrical compositions about love and betrayal.
He said he realized he wanted to become a singer at an early age, leaving the Catholic seminary where he was training to become a priest to pursue his musical ambition aged 17.
He was a fan of Mexican bull riding (jaripeo) and often performed at rodeo events, earning him the nickname of King of Jaripeo.
Joan Sebastian released more than 50 albums in his career mixing Mexican ranchera music and Latin pop.
Among his most famous songs are Tatuajes (Tattoos) and Secreto de Amor (The Secret of Love).
His popularity extended to much of Latin America and the US.
At the height of his fame he also starred in the Mexican soap opera Tu y Yo (You and Me) along with his former wife, Maribel Guardia.
He had eight children with a number of different women.
Two of his sons were killed.
One was shot dead as he tried to control the crowd after one of his father’s concerts in Texas, the other was killed in a fight outside a nightclub in the Mexican city of Cuernavaca.
The singer was first diagnosed with bone cancer in 1999.
Joan Sebastian continued to perform until 2014, when he announced during a performance in Zacatecas that he was again receiving treatment for a recurrence of the cancer.
The Las Vegas coroner’s office has confirmed that B.B. King died of natural causes primarily stemming from Alzheimer’s disease.
B.B. King’s death was also attributed to coronary artery disease, diabetes, heart failure, high blood pressure and brain damage from low blood flow.
Two of B.B. King’s daughters had alleged the blues legend was poisoned by long-time associates.
“We can say with confidence that Mr. King died of natural causes,” said Clark County coroner, John Fudenberg.
B.B. King died on May 14 at the age of 89.
Coroners said they determined B.B. King’s cause of death after conducting an autopsy, toxicology tests and consulting a neuropathologist.
They also found that, while B.B. King had suffered strokes, they did not kill him.
B.B. King’s daughters, Karen Williams and Patty King, alleged in May that he had been given “foreign substances to induce his premature death” by his business manager Laverne Toney and his personal assistant, Myron Johnson.
His daughters added that “King was sequestered from all family members” in the week before his death, and that Laverne Toney and Myron Johnson were the only people with him.
The coroner found no evidence to prove the allegation of poisoning.
“Ms Toney and Mr. Johnson are very happy that these false and fictional allegations that were made against them by certain of Mr. King’s children have been dispelled,” said Brent Bryson, a lawyer for B.B. King’s estate.
“Hopefully we can now focus on the body of musical work that B.B. King left the world, and he can finally rest in peace.”
The coroner added: “Our condolences go out to the family and many friends of Mr. King, and we hope this determination brings them some measure of closure.”
B.B. King was born on September 16, 1925, to sharecroppers and worked in the cotton fields as a child before picking up the guitar.
Considered one of the world’s greatest players, he was known for his sharp single notes and vibrato on the electric guitar he christened Lucille.
With hit songs such as The Thrill Is Gone, Three O’Clock Blues and Darlin’ You Know I Love You, he influenced generations of guitar players. B.B. King was later inducted to both the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
B.B. King was married twice and had 15 natural and adopted children, 11 of whom are still alive.
According to a United Nations AIDS report, the goal to get HIV treatment to 15 million people by the end of 2015 has already been met.
The landmark figure was reached in March – nine months ahead of schedule.
It follows decades of global efforts and investment to get antiretroviral drugs to those in need – such as people living in sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2000, when the UN first set goals to combat HIV, fewer than 700,000 people were receiving these vital medicines.
According to UNAIDS, which has a report out today, the global response to HIV has averted 30 million new HIV infections and nearly eight million AIDS-related deaths since the millennium.
Over the same time frame, new HIV infections have fallen from 2.6 million per year to 1.8 million, and AIDS-related deaths have gone down from 1.6 million to 1.2 million.
Meanwhile, global investment in HIV has gone up from $4.8 billion in 2000 to more than $20 billion in 2014.
And concerted action over the next five years could end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, says UNAIDS.
However, progress has been slower in some areas.
A major gap seems to be in awareness of HIV status, which is the biggest barrier to treatment access, says the report.
And treatment access for children has lagged behind adults – although this is now improving.
The proportion of children living with HIV who receive antiretroviral therapy almost doubled between 2010 and 2014 (from 14% to 32%), but coverage “remains notably lower than it does for adults”, says the report.
Even though new HIV infections have gone down, there is still an unacceptable number of new HIV infections each year, contributing to the burden of the epidemic.
In 2014, sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 66% of all new HIV infections. And at the last headcount, there were an estimated 25.8 million people in this region living with HIV. The estimated count for the whole world was 36.9 million.
This year sees the switch from Millennium Development Goals to broader Sustainable Development Goals.
Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations said: “The world has delivered on halting and reversing the AIDS epidemic.
“Now we must commit to ending the AIDS epidemic as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
The report says the next five years will be critical and recommends front-loading investment to “sprint” towards an ambition of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
At least 27 Hindu pilgrims have been killed in a stampede on the banks of a holy river in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, local officials say.
The pilgrims had gathered to take a dip in the Godavari River at the start of the Maha Pushkaralu festival.
The stampede occurred at 08:00 AM local time in the Rajahmundry district.
Nearly 24 million pilgrims are expected to take part in the 12-day festival. Pilgrims believe that taking a bath in the river will rid them of their sins.
“The incident happened as the first set of worshippers were coming out of the river after taking a dip and then got in the way of others who wanted to be in the water at an auspicious time,” AFP news agency quoted senior police official A Srinivasan Rao as saying.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who bathed in the river at the festival on Tuesday morning, said in a series of tweets that he was monitoring the situation and urged people not to panic.
Deadly stampedes during religious gatherings are fairly common in India.
In October 2013, 115 people died during a stampede at a Hindu festival in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.
