The Grand Slam rules state: “Players shall not at any time physically abuse any official, opponent, spectator or other person within the precincts of the tournament site.
“The referee, in consultation with the Grand Slam chief of supervisors may declare a default for either a single violation of this code.”
Novak Djokovic was the heavy favorite to win the men’s singles title at the US Open, which is being played behind closed doors and is the first Grand Slam to take place since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
Going into the match against 20th seed Pablo Carreno Busta, Novak Djokovic had not lost a singles match in 2020.
Novak Djokovic was aiming for an 18th Grand Slam triumph to move closer to rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who are not playing in New York, in the race to finish with the most men’s major titles of all-time.
A second lockdown currently in place the Australian city of Melbourne and its surroundings has been extended by two weeks, with officials saying new Covid-19 cases had not dropped enough.
Victoria State Premier Daniel Andrews said the restrictions would be in place until September 28, with a slight relaxation.
A gradual easing of the measures will be implemented from October.
Victoria has been the epicenter of Australia’s second wave, accounting for 90% of the country’s 753 deaths.
Australia has recorded a total of 26,000 cases in a population of 25 million.
The greater Melbourne area entered a second lockdown on July 9 after a rise in cases. A 3 mile travel limit and night time curfew was imposed while shops and businesses were closed.
The current stage four lockdown was originally set to end on September 13.
Melbourne’s curfew will be expanded from 21:00 to 05:00. Single people will be allowed to form a bubble and visit each other, and the current travel limit will not apply to these meetings.
Premier Andrews said at a news conference: “There is only one option and that is to do this in a series of steady and safe steps. You can’t run out of lockdown. Because all you are doing is running into a third wave and we’ll all be locked up again.
“We can’t open up at this time. If we were to we would lose control very quickly… I want a Christmas that is as close to normal as possible and this is the only way, these steps are the only way that we will get to that point.”
If the daily average number of cases is between 30 and 50 by September 28, Melbourne will enter stage three of restrictions.
Under this stage, public gatherings will increase to five people from two households and there will be a staged return to schools for some years and specialist schools.
If the daily average number of cases falls below five by October 26, then the curfew would be ended.
Outside of the greater Melbourne area, the rest of Victoria State will have restrictions eased slightly quicker.
From September 13, up to five people from two households will be able to gather outdoors. Outdoor pools and playgrounds will open and religious services can be conducted outdoors with a maximum of five people.
The announcement comes a day after anti-lockdown protests were attended by hundreds of people across Australia.
In Melbourne, about 300 people marched through the city in defiance of the measures.
Premier Andrews said: “It is selfish to protest and it is unlawful. Any behavior from anyone that contributes to more virus than less and more restrictions than less is not in anyone’s interests.”
President Donald Trump has announced he refuses to condemn Russia over the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, saying he has not seen proof.
He said the case was “tragic” but urged reporters to focus instead on China, which he said was a bigger threat to the world than Russia.
Germany and NATO say there is “proof beyond doubt” that Alexei Navalny was attacked with a Novichok nerve agent.
Alexei Navalny’s team says he was poisoned on the Kremlin’s orders. However, Russia denies this.
On September 5, the Russian foreign ministry suggested that if a Novichok-type nerve agent had indeed been used, it did not necessarily originate in Russia.
Alexei Navalny – an anti-corruption campaigner who has long been the most prominent face of opposition to President Vladimir Putin in Russia – is in a coma in a Berlin hospital having been airlifted there from Siberia, where he fell ill.
Speaking at a press event on September 4, President Trump said he had yet to see evidence of poisoning in the case.
He said: “So I don’t know exactly what happened. I think it’s tragic, it’s terrible, it shouldn’t happen. We haven’t had any proof yet but I will take a look.”
President Trump also stopped short of criticizing Vladimir Putin and said Beijing posed a greater threat.
He said: “It is interesting that everybody’s always mentioning Russia and I don’t mind you mentioning Russia but I think probably China at this point is a nation that you should be talking about much more so.”
Tests at a military laboratory in Germany show “beyond doubt” the presence of a Novichok nerve agent, the German government and NATO say.
On September, NATO called for Russia to disclose its Novichok nerve agent program to international monitors. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said members were united in condemning the “horrific” attack on Alexei Navalny.
Jens Stoltenberg said it required an international response, but gave no further details.
The US National Security Council has pledged to “work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable”.
The brief statement released by the foreign ministry on September 5 noted “multiple hostile statements made against Russia” over Alexei Navalny’s illness.
However, experts in Western states and NATO had, it said, for years worked on compounds used to make Novichok nerve agents.
“For example, in the USA, over 150 patents were officially issued to developers of technologies for their combat use,” the Russian foreign ministry said.
Under the 1992 Chemical Weapons Convention, Russia and the US committed themselves to eliminating all of their nerve agents and other chemical weapons. The US is expected to destroy its final stockpile be the end of 2023 while Russia officially completed the process in 2017.
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement in Alexei Navalny’s case.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Germany had not yet shared any findings with Moscow prosecutors and said Russia had “nothing to hide”.
Meanwhile a toxicologist in Omsk – where Alexei Navalny was initially treated after the plane he was flying on made an emergency landing – insisted no poison had been found by doctors who examined him there.
“Any external factors could have triggered a sudden deterioration. Even a simple lack of breakfast,” said Alexander Sabayev, chief toxicologist for the Omsk region.
Alexei Navalny fell ill last month while on a flight from Siberia to Moscow.
The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk and Russian officials were persuaded to allow him to be airlifted to Germany two days later.
A nerve agent from the Novichok group identified by Germany in the Navalny case was also used to poison ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury. They both survived but a local woman, Dawn Sturgess, died after coming into contact with the poison.
George Washington University professor Jessica Krug, who said she lied about being black, will not teach classes this semester, the university has confirmed.
The white associate professor whose work focuses on Africa and the African diaspora admitted in a blog post that she was in fact a white Jewish woman from Kansas City.
The post read: “I have built my life on a violent anti-black lie.”
Jessica Krug’s colleagues said they were “shocked and appalled” by her admission.
In a Medium post published on September 3, Jessica Krug said she had falsely assumed identities “that I had no right to claim: first North African Blackness, then US rooted Blackness, then Caribbean rooted Bronx Blackness”.
Image source: GWU
In a statement, George Washington University said Jessica Krug would not teach classes and acknowledged “many students, faculty, staff and alumni are hurting.” It said it was “reviewing” the case.
Jessica Krug’s employment status at the university is unknown. She has not commented.
Her colleagues at GWU’s Department of History released a joint statement calling for her to resign from her post or for the university to remove her tenure.
The statement said: “She has betrayed the trust of countless current and former students, fellow scholars of Africana Studies, colleagues in our department and throughout the historical discipline, as well as community activists in New York City and beyond.
“The discipline of history is concerned with truth telling about the past. With her conduct, Dr. Krug has raised questions about the veracity of her own research and teaching.”
A student at GWU who was due to start Jessica Krug’s class on Latin American history on September 7 told the Washington Post: “It just breaks my heart that these students came in, very bright-eyed and eager, to learn about Latin heritage and the history. We all placed a lot of trust in her.”
Jessica Krug’s academic work includes the 2018 book “Fugitive Modernities: Kisama and the Politics of Freedom”, focuses on the politics and culture of African and African diaspora societies.
Her case bears strong parallels to race activist Rachel Dolezal, a white woman who claimed to be black. After her parents outed her in 2015, she said she “identified as black”.
Jessica Krug described her behavior as “the very epitome of violence, of thievery and appropriation, of the myriad ways in which non-Black people continue to use and abuse Black identities and cultures”. She added that she had continued the pretence even in her personal relationships.
She cited mental health issues and trauma experienced in her early years, although she said this was not an excuse for her actions.
According to media reports, Jessica Krug also used the name Jessica La Bombalera as an activist. In one video posted earlier this year, she berated white New Yorkers for failing to “yield their time for Black and Brown indigenous New Yorkers”.
The first report on the Russian coronavirus vaccine, named Sputnik-V, says early tests showed signs of an immune response.
The report published by medical journal The Lancet said every participant developed antibodies to fight the virus and had no serious side effects.
Russia licensed the vaccine for local use in August, the first country to do so and before data had been published.
However, experts say the trials were too small to prove effectiveness and safety.
But Moscow has hailed the results as an answer to critics. Some Western experts have raised concerns about the speed of Russia’s work, suggesting that researchers might be cutting corners.
Last month, President Vladimir Putin said the vaccine had passed all the required checks and that one of his own daughters had been given it.
Two trials were conducted between June and July, The Lancet paper said. Each involved 38 healthy volunteers who were given a dose of the vaccine and then a booster vaccine three weeks later.
The participants – aged between 18 and 60 – were monitored for 42 days and all of them developed antibodies within three weeks. Among the most common side effects were headaches and joint pain.
The trials were open label and not randomized, meaning there was no placebo and the volunteers were aware they were receiving the vaccine.
According to the report: “Large, long-term trials including a placebo comparison, and further monitoring are needed to establish the long-term safety and effectiveness of the vaccine for preventing Covid-19 infection.”
A third phase of trials will involve 40,000 volunteers from “different age and risk groups,” according to the paper.
Russia’s vaccine uses adapted strains of the adenovirus, a virus that usually causes the common cold, to trigger an immune response.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of a Russian investment fund behind the vaccine, said during a news conference that the report was “a powerful response to the skeptics who unreasonably criticized the Russian vaccine”.
He said that 3,000 people had already been recruited for the next phase of trials.
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said Russia would start vaccinations from November or December, with a focus on high-risk groups.
However, experts warned that there was still a long way to go until a vaccine could enter the market.
According to the WHO, there are 176 potential vaccines currently being developed worldwide. Of those, 34 are currently being tested on people. Among those, eight are at stage three, the most advanced.
No professional sports team likes the idea of being viewed as a little brother. Unfortunately, since the Clippers relocated to Los Angeles, they have been in a pretty big shadow of the Los Angeles Lakers.
It is understandable for a team with 16 championships to overshadow a franchise without even one NBA Finals appearance, but that has not always been the case. In fact, in the first half of the 2000s, most notably before and after the Lakers’ title run, the flashiest team in the city was the Clippers. How did they pull that off? A slew of youngsters, some not even old enough to drink, were making waves as the upstart to the establishment winning titles.
Prior to the 2001-2002 season, the Los Angeles Clippers traded for Elton Brand. This move gave them one of the most exciting young nucleuses in basketball, as he was joining Corey Maggette, Darius Miles, Quentin Richardson, and Lamar Odom. The Lakers are winning championships with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, but this was the cool, young, and hip team grabbing the younger generation. For a franchise looking to make the rest of the league take notice, this was a beautiful opportunity.
Every player brought something different to the table, as the Clippers looked to do more than make headlines. They wanted to compete, and they did that for the first time in decades.
Elton Brand
When the Chicago Bulls traded Elton Brand to the Los Angeles Clippers, the franchise believed that they had their centerpiece. He was a dominant force for the Chicago Bulls in his first two seasons in the NBA, and the Clippers needed the go-to guy to throw the ball to in the post.
Brand played like a number one player for the Clippers from the beginning. He only had one season where he took over the scoring load, but he was a consistent 20 points and 10 rebounds type of guy almost every single night. Injuries started to catch up to him after a few years, but he was a major reason why the Clippers became relevant once again.
The left-hander from New York City was viewed by many as a guy who had no flaws. He was a 6’10” forward who could point guard if he needed to. Another top-five pick on the team, he hit the ground running with the Clippers in his very first season. There were times in which he would run the offense, and there were also times in which he would be looked at as a scorer.
Brand and Odom might have had more hype, but Corey Maggette was the glue to the Los Angeles Clippers team of that era. He was the one guy who ended up sticking around for the majority of his prime, and he was able to have quite a bit of success. He was capable of playing multiple positions, and that allowed him to stay on the floor when going up against nearly every team.
It is hard for younger players to swallow their pride and fill in where needed, but Maggette was fine coming off the bench if that made the most sense. His ability to give many different players a breather and play multiple positions added to roster flexibility. Today he runs a children’s basketball league and has taken over responsibilities for the community to fill the void when Kobe Bryant tragically left this world. We’re all thankful and lucky to have such an amazing human being like Corey Maggette still.
Darius Miles
The excitement surrounding Darius Miles when he came out of high school in the 2000 NBA Draft certainly had Clippers fans excited. He had all the potential in the world, but it was never truly developed with the Clippers. He would have some highlights here and there, but he was mostly a guy at the bench still learning the game of basketball at the highest level. That is expected for a guy who only played two seasons of the Clippers, and was with the Cleveland Cavaliers by the time he was 21 years old.
Quentin Richardson
Used mostly as a bench player for the Los Angeles Clippers, Richardson was able to provide some scoring punch when he caught fire. He was perhaps the most unheralded of the younger players that helped make up the exciting core, but he became a fan-favorite with his ability to get on a roll.
Shooting was always a major part of the game, as he shot 35% from three-point land during his four seasons with the team. In his final season with the Clippers, he was able to average over 17 points per contest.
An exciting time for the franchise
There are no championship banners for the Los Angeles Clippers during this era, but they were still exciting in the eyes of many. They just missed out on the playoffs in the 2001–2002 season, and there was finally the breakthrough they needed in 2005-2006. The younger core started to mature by then, which led to a 45-win season. Only Brand and Maggette were still around for the playoff appearance, but it showed just how exciting that collection of talent was during that time.
For a franchise with no NBA titles and very few bright spots overall, fans still remember these guys decades later. Not all of them panned out, but the Clippers turned into a team that had just as much attention from casual fans as the Lakers for the first time.
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden have clashed over the violence that has erupted at protests in Portland, Oregon.
President Trump blamed the Democrat mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler, for allowing the “death and destruction of his city”.
However, Joe Biden said the president was “recklessly encouraging violence”.
A man was shot dead in Portland on August 29 as elsewhere in the city a pro-Trump rally clashed with Black Lives Matter protesters.
Portland has become a flashpoint for demonstrations against police brutality and racism since the police killing of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 triggered a wave of national and international outrage.
Mayor Ted Wheeler warned against people coming to the city to seek revenge amid a flurry of social media posts.
He said: “For those of you saying on Twitter this morning that you plan to come to Portland to seek retribution, I’m calling on you to stay away.”
The mayor also hit back at President Trump’s criticism, saying it was the president who had “created the hate and the division”.
He said: “I’d appreciate it if the president would support us or stay the hell out of the way.”
Some activists have called for Mayor Wheeler’s resignation, saying that he was not capable of resolving the protests.
In a series of tweets on August 30, President Trump said that “Portland will never recover with a fool for a mayor”, and suggested sending federal forces to the city.
He also accused Joe Biden of being “unwilling to lead”.
The president tweeted: “…The people of Portland, like all other cities & parts of our great Country, want Law & Order. The Radical Left Democrat Mayors, like the dummy running Portland, or the guy right now in his basement unwilling to lead or even speak out against crime, will never be able to do it!”
In response, Joe Biden said in a statement: “[President Trump] may believe tweeting about law and order makes him strong – but his failure to call on his supporters to stop seeking conflict shows just how weak he is.”
Law and order is a major theme of Donald Trump’s bid for re-election, painting the Democrats and their candidate Joe Biden as soft on crime.
Earlier, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said Democrats officials in Portland had allowed “lawlessness and chaos” to develop, saying “all options” were on the table to resolve the situation.
Democrats have responded by saying the violence is happening under President Trump’s presidency, and accuse him of worsening the situation with his rhetoric.
Police are investigating the shooting in Portland, which has seen months of demonstrations.
Portland police said in a statement: “Portland Police officers heard sounds of gunfire from the area of Southeast 3rd Avenue and Southwest Alder Street. They responded and located a victim with a gunshot wound to the chest.”
According to Oregon Live, a “camouflage gear” with “thin blue line patches” was seen next to the body – a common sign of support for the police.
Another image shows police trying to restrain a man who was apparently with the person who was shot.
Police have not identified the dead man or specified whether the shooting was directly linked to the clashes which broke out elsewhere in the city.
The founder of the far-right group Patriot Prayer identified the victim as Aaron “Jay” Danielson, adding that he was “a good friend and a supporter”, the Associated Press reports.
The shooting came amid fights between the Trump supporters and BLM protesters in Portland.
Tension rose after a convoy of some 600 vehicles flying flags and carrying an estimated 1,000 Trump backers gathered at a mall in Clackamas County on the outskirts before entering Portland’s downtown.
According to police, 10 people were arrested over the clashes.
Before the worldwide COVID virus pandemic hit in early 2020, retail gasoline prices were already relatively low compared to the prior four years. But once the historically unique economic impact of the virus sank in, the cost of a gallon of fuel dropped by about 50 percent for most consumers. Plus, that entire and massive plunge in value took place within a four-week window of time. Necessity of the mother of invention, as the old saying goes. In this case, millions of individual investors started thinking about investment opportunities in oil, assuming COVID wouldn’t last forever and that per-gallon costs would eventually bounce back.
It’s important for every investor to understand the way the health crisis affect the fuel market, who some of the key players are, how the overall economic shutdown is continuing to change the world, and what at the pump prices are likely to do in the near future. The good news for people who wish to turn a crisis into an opportunity is that oil prices still have room to rise before they’re back at pre-crisis levels. Anyone who wants to know how to buy crude oil should consider such diverse methods as ETFs (exchange-traded funds), corporate stocks, futures, options, and CFDs (contracts for difference).
The COVID Effect on Recent Prices
Why did a worldwide virus lead to a huge drop in the price of crude, and by extension, gasoline? The primary factor was economic shutdown, which took place in most developing and developed nations. With millions of people either not working or doing their jobs from home, there was a gigantic drop in the need for vehicle fuel, which meant an over-supply situation. Like a 1,000-pound boulder in a pond, the value of the world’s most preferred fossil fuel sank about 50 percent within a couple of weeks.
The Iran Effect
Political turmoil in producer nations can lead to unusual changes in the energy markets, as the recent Iranian situation clearly demonstrates. After the U.S. pulled out of a large international coalition and decided to impose trading sanctions on Iran, the market reacted quickly, anticipating a possible oil shortage if Iran decides to cut production in retaliation for the U.S. move. For at least 30 years, the volatile leadership in Iran has wreaked havoc on the worldwide energy markets, which is one reason investors always keep a close eye on that nation’s financial news.
OPEC+ and Russia
There has been a recent change at the top of the global energy-producing hierarchy. For decades, Saudi Arabia, as the leading member of OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), was in near-total control of international supply. However, OPEC is now only number three in a trio of the globe’s top petroleum producers, which includes the U.S. at the top and Russia in the second spot. But investors should remember that OPEC still has a lot of power because its members act in unison, while U.S. and Russian producers do not.
The Economic Shutdown
In the second half of 2019, the per-barrel cost of crude petroleum sat at about the $55 mark. Now that the virus effect is slowing, that $55 level is still about $12 above the current $43 cost. That’s good news for anyone who still wants to take part in what could be a rise back to the normal, or at least pre-crisis values.
Prices at the Gas Pump
For consumers who worry about their monthly transportation budgets, there is an upside and a downside. As the national and world economies rebound and employment numbers get back to financially healthy levels, the price of petrol at the pump is also going back to its 2019 averages, slowly but surely.
For Investors to Consider
Before heading to your favorite trading platform to place orders for fuel-based CFDs, futures, and industry stock shares, consider some key facts about recent price activity and industry behavior, including the following:
Since 2014, the price, in U.S. dollars, of a barrel of crude oil dropped from $104 to $30.
The huge fall in per-barrel values were only partly due to COVID-related factors.
The new trio of top producers, the U.S., Russia, and OPEC are the predominant influencers behind global production and supply.
When the world economy is doing well, per-barrel prices usually go up due to increased industrial demand.
Natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes can have profound temporary effects on the industry.
At-the-pump costs for consumers are affected by at least a half-dozen factors, including retail demand, inflation, supplies, economic headlines in producing countries, and political turmoil. That makes it difficult to predict future market behavior.
Chadwick Boseman, best known for playing Black Panther in the hit Marvel superhero franchise, has died of cancer aged 43.
The actor died at home in Los Angeles with his wife and family by his side, a statement posted on social media said.
Chadwick Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago but had not made the information public.
The news has left fans and the film world stunned. Get Out director Jordan Peele, said it was “a crushing blow”.
“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,” his family said in the statement.
“From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more – all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.”
However, it will be as the titular Black Panther in the blockbuster 2018 film he will be best remembered.
Chadwick Boseman stars as the ruler of Wakanda, a fictional African nation with the most advanced technology on earth.
As well as winning critical praise and taking more than $1.3 billion at cinemas worldwide, the film was widely seen as a cultural milestone for having a largely black cast and a black director, Ryan Coogler.
In 2019, Chadwick Boseman said the film had changed what it means to be “young, gifted and black”.
Black Panther was the first superhero film to get a nomination for best picture at the Oscars.
Chadwick Boseman also played the same role in other Marvel films Captain America: Civil War,Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
A sequel was in the works and due to come out in 2022, with Boseman set to return.
The news of his death came as a shock to many as Chadwick Boseman never discussed his diagnosis publicly.
However, fans started raising concerns over the actor’s health this year due to noticeable weight loss.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided to resign for health reasons.
Shinzo Abe, 65, said he did not want his illness to get in the way of decision making, and apologized to the Japanese people for failing to complete his term in office.
He has suffered for many years from ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, but he said his condition had worsened recently.
In 2019, Shinzo Abe became Japan’s longest serving prime minister. His current period in office began in 2012.
Shinzo Abe will remain in his post until a successor is chosen.
In 2007, he resigned abruptly from an earlier term as prime minister because of his struggles with ulcerative colitis, a chronic condition that he has lived with since he was a teenager.
Shinzo Abe has a reputation as a staunch conservative and nationalist, and for stimulating growth with his aggressive economic policy known as “Abenomics”.
The prime minister has strengthened Japan’s defenses and boosted military spending, but has been unable to revise the constitution’s pacifist Article 9, which bans a standing army for anything other than self-defense.
Shinzo Abe said his health started to decline as his ulcerative colitis made a resurgence around the middle of July.
He was now receiving a new treatment for the condition which had to be administered on a regular basis and would not give him enough time to carry out his prime ministerial functions, he added.
Shinzo Abe said he could not make any mistakes in terms of important decision making, and therefore had decided to step down.
He said: “I made a judgement I should not continue my job as a prime minister.
“I would like to sincerely apologize to the people of Japan for leaving my post with one year left in my term of office, and amid the coronavirus woes, while various policies are still in the process of being implemented.”
Shinzo Abe also expressed regret at not fulfilling his core pledges – forcing North Korea to return Japanese citizens abducted decades ago; sorting out a territorial dispute with Russia; and overhauling the constitution to give more power to the military.
Speaking on the final night of the Republican convention, President Donald Trump has warned Joe Biden will “demolish” the American dream if he wins the White House in November.
The president depicted his Democratic challenger as “the destroyer of American greatness”.
Donald Trump said the Democrats would unleash “violent anarchists” upon US cities.
Joe Biden has a steady single-digit lead in opinion polls over President Trump with 68 days until voters return their verdict.
The end of the RNC heralds a 10-week sprint to Election Day, and the coming campaign is widely expected to be one of the ugliest in living memory.
On August 27, President Trump asked voters for another four years in office, vowing to dispel the coronavirus pandemic that has ravaged the US economy and quell civil strife ignited by police killings of African Americans.
He accepted the GOP’s re-nomination from the South Lawn of the White House.
Donald Trump said: “This election will decide whether we save the American dream, or whether we allow a socialist agenda to demolish our cherished destiny.”
He added: “Your vote will decide whether we protect law-abiding Americans, or whether we give free rein to violent anarchists, agitators and criminals who threaten our citizens.”
His reference to the sometimes violent racial justice protests that have swept the nation in recent months came as hundreds of Black Lives Matter demonstrators gathered outside the White House gates.
Some of their shouts and car horns could be heard on the South Lawn despite new fencing being erected this week along the White House perimeter to keep protesters at a distance.
President Trump said the Democrats at their party convention last week had disparaged America as a place of racial, social and economic injustice.
He said: “So tonight,I ask you a very simple question – how can the Democrat party ask to lead our country when it spends so much time tearing down our country?
“In the left’s backward view, they do not see America as the most free, just and exceptional nation on earth. Instead, they see a wicked nation that must be punished for its sins.”
In a blistering attack on his opponent’s decades-long political life, Donald Trump continued: “Joe Biden spent his entire career outsourcing the dreams of American workers, offshoring their jobs, opening their borders and sending their sons and daughters to fight in endless foreign wars.”
While President Trump portrayed his challenger as “a Trojan horse for socialism”, Joe Biden’s lengthy record as a political moderate was a hindrance for him as he competed to capture his party’s nomination.
Donald Trump mentioned Joe Biden more than 40 times; the Democrat did not once name Donald Trump in his speech last week, though criticism of the president permeated Joe Biden’s remarks.
Hurricane Laura’s winds battered Louisiana killing at least six people.
Winds of up to 150mph caused severe damage, with power cuts to more than half a million homes and a chemical fire from an industrial plant.
However, the feared 20ft storm surge was avoided as the hurricane, Louisiana’s biggest, tracked further east.
Laura has now been downgraded to tropical storm status.
The hurricane has since crossed into Arkansas. At 19:00 local time on August 27, the National Hurricane Center said the storm had weakened to maximum sustained winds of 40mph , but was still bringing heavy rainfall.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said the state “did not sustain and suffer the absolute, catastrophic damage that we thought was likely,” but stressed they had still suffered “a tremendous amount of damage” and warned people to remain vigilant.
He tweeted: “Now is not the time to let your guard down. #Laura has left hazards like flooded roads, downed power lines and displaced wildlife in our communities that no one should take lightly. Everyone needs to remain vigilant and be safe. #lagov#HurricaneLaura”
At least six people are known to have died after the storm crashed into the US, Gov Edwards told reporters.
Of those, four were killed by falling trees. One man drowned in a boat that sank and another died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator in his home, authorities said.
There was more structural damage from winds than anticipated, but the water damage was less than feared.
A barge had collided with a bridge in the city of Lake Charles, quite close to where a suspected “chlorine chemical fire” at an industrial plant was being attended by emergency services.
Governor Edwards said people should stay off the roads where possible, as outer bands of the storm were still causing high water levels and winds.
Some 1,500 people, including National Guard troops, are being deployed in rescue and clean-up missions.
President Donald Trump was briefed at the FEMA in Washington and said he would go to the area at the weekend.
The president said he had been prepared to postpone his speech at the RNC on August 27 to travel to the region but added: “We got a bit lucky. It was very big and very powerful but it passed quickly.”
Vice-President Mike Pence, who joined President Trump at FEMA, said: “While this was a major storm with devastating impact it was not as bad as it could have been.”
President Trump will visit the states affected at the weekend.
Laura and another storm, Marco, earlier swept across the Caribbean, killing 24 people.
Nearly 900,000 homes and businesses lost power as the storm hit the US.
Hurricane Laura was one of the strongest to ever hit the US Gulf Coast, striking as a category four with winds of up to 150mph .
Governor Edwards said it was even more powerful than Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 storm that devastated New Orleans and killed more than 1,800 people.
It made landfall shortly after midnight local time near the district of Cameron, in Louisiana. It tracked north, just east of the Texas-Louisiana border.
As yet, there have been no casualties confirmed in Texas. Governor Greg Abbott toured the area hit by the storm with the US Coast Guard on August 27, and said the state was “ready to help communities rebuild”.
When looking into car insurance plans, the variety of options, prices, and coverage may cause confusion. The overwhelming amount of information can cause car owners to not fully understand the coverage that works best for their car, causing them to either be too covered or undercovered.
As you go through the car insurance process, you’ll need to ask a few questions to yourself and a representative to get the full picture. We’ll go over five of those questions in this article to help you better understand exactly what coverage you need and what you are able to afford.
What type of driver are you?
There are car insurance plans that cater to all types of drivers. When purchasing your plan, you need to ask yourself what you’ll be using your car for primarily. Do you use it for long road trips? To commute to work daily? Casually? Or, is it a car that needs a special type of coverage, such as an antique car?
Whatever your circumstances are, you’ll need to ask an insurance representative which type of coverage is best for you. For example, people who tend to drive on the safer side prefer a plan from Nationwide car insurance, as they offer benefits for those who drive safely.
How much can you afford?
Depending on your car and circumstances, your auto insurance premiums can increase or decrease. Typically, the nicer car you have, the more your premiums will be. Or, if you have a past accident on record, your premiums can increase as well. Other factors for price increases may include the type of coverage you choose, your location, the number of drivers on your policy, and more.
Make sure you can afford the coverage you choose before purchasing a plan. But, don’t cheap out on insurance either just to save a few dollars every month, as an accident can end up costing you more in the long run.
What type of coverage do you need and who is covered?
There are different types of coverage for auto insurance plans. The main types include:
Auto liability coverage
Collision coverage
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
Personal injury protection
Medical payments
Comprehensive coverage
You can learn more about the specifics of each coverage by researching the basics of auto insurance. Based on where you live, some types of coverage may be required — or not. There are also different minimum coverage amounts required in every state. As you get ready to purchase an auto insurance plan, make sure you have all the coverage you need for your car and driving habits.
Are there any possible discounts?
Many auto insurance companies offer a variety of discounts for their policyholders. Some discounts may include student discounts, safe driver discounts, military discounts, bundled discounts, low mileage discounts, training discounts, auto-pay discounts, and more. Simply ask a representative what discounts may be available.
What is your risk assessment?
You should understand what your risk assessment is before purchasing an auto insurance policy. Risk assessment is the way policymakers determine how much of a risk you and/or your car holds as a policyholder. This is based on demographics, driving records, the car itself, and more. Your risk assessment will help the insurance company determine how much to charge you every month.
Once you determine the answers to these five questions, you’ll be able to understand what auto insurance policy you’re purchasing much better. The more you know about auto insurance plans, the easier it will be to make claims, changes, and payments in the event of an accident.
Around the world, there are many areas where attention must be paid to basic human rights. From the right to life and liberty to freedom of work and education, there are many areas where human rights can be improved. Aseil Al-Shehail, independent consultant and human rights advocate, shares the meaning of being a human rights advocate. She explores the most critical human rights issues and explains how basic protections can help people live healthy and dignified lives.
Human Rights Advocacy
Human rights advocates must be able to promote their initiatives using their communication skills. They need to be compassionate toward disadvantaged people and have respect for all individuals. Human rights advocates need to have diplomatic skills and the ability to promote their causes by contacting governments and those that can help affect change. Finally, human rights advocates need to possess a deep conviction to support their causes despite potential opposition.
Focus Areas for Human Rights Advocates
In many countries, liberties are being curtailed and people have become victims of violence and oppression.
Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights
One important area of focus, for human rights advocates, is economic, social, and cultural rights. People must be allowed to work in satisfactory conditions. They also need an adequate standard of living and to have their physical and mental well-being supported. Finally, everyone should have the right to education and cultural freedom.
Economic rights are another crucial piece of the puzzle. Every citizen needs to have the right to work and the right to choose their own jobs. They must not be compelled to work in specific capacities at the government’s choosing. They must receive fair and equitable pay for their efforts, and they must have safe and healthy working conditions.
A living wage is another important institution. Many countries do not mandate that full-time workers receive a wage adequate to support themselves with a decent living. This is an area that requires significant change.
Workers have the right to reasonable working hours, time off for vacations, rest days, and family leave, as needed.
Employees should have the right to form and participate in trade unions. These unions need to be able to organize on a national and international level, as desired. Workers need to have the right to strike when their rights are not being respected.
Family rights are essential as well. All young people must be respected regardless of their parentage. Families need to be supported, and marriage must be a matter of free will for both parties. The age of legal marriage needs to be restricted to protect young women from exploitation. Expecting and new mothers need to be accounted for in the workplace.
All children should have the right to special measures of protection. They should be protected from social and economic exploitation. If they are able to work, the conditions must be strictly observed. Countries need to set age limits for working youth and to restrict their hours to allow for economic and social development.
Civil and Political Rights
Civil and political rights are another key area of focus. The United Nations holds that every person should have the right to freely determine their political status. Governments need to take their citizens’ rights into consideration when planning policies. They need to respect their citizens as human beings while helping them participate in the political process. This applies not only to democratic countries, but to governments of all types.
All people should have the right to practice their political beliefs and to avoid oppression from government sources. Political and civil rights must be given equally without regard to race, color, sex, language, religion, political opinion, national origin, property, or birth. There are many countries around the world where these rights are under assault, and human rights advocates like Aseil Al-Shehail are instrumental in preserving them for everyone.
People must be able to dispose of their own wealth and resources in any way they see fit. They must not be denied their means of subsistence.
When rights are violated, there must be clear direction for recourse. The case must be heard by a competent legislative, administrative, or judicial authority, and fair remedies should be prescribed.
The right to life is also protected by the United Nations and by human rights advocates. It is imperative that no human being be deprived of their life arbitrarily. While some countries, like the United States, have not abolished the death penalty for serious crimes, strict rules must be followed. Additionally, military service must be performed under certain rules, and where countries require compulsory military service, the rights of conscientious objectors need to be respected.
Finally, one of the most basic human rights, that is still being withheld in some places, is slavery or forced labor. This practice must be abolished globally.
Supporting Fair Conditions for All
When human rights advocates work together, they will be able to enhance living conditions globally. Basic human rights will be protected, and people will be able to live their lives free of oppression. For many, this may simply be an idealized vision of the world, but human rights advocates, like Aseil Al-Shehail, it is not just a vision, it’s a responsibility.
During recent weeks the world witnessed several landmark events. Leaders of nations big and small were forced to make difficult decisions. The global nature of the pandemic and the ensuing crisis changed the face of globalization itself. These changes often had mixed results. Here is a quick look at some of these trends.
Global commerce vs. local priorities
While the pandemic was spreading, most countries shut off their borders to all but essential movement. However the restrictions soon expanded into the economic and other domains. In March India placed a ban on the global export of hydroxychloroquine, a drug that showed promise for treating coronavirus. The US government stopped the export of masks to Canada under the Defense Production Act. Widespread logistical issues caused fears about international cooperation breaking down. Most of these challenges were caused by the disruption of key global supply chains.
Governments and firms are now looking at models that can shift their reliance away from overseas suppliers. Large corporations are trying to move from global just-in-time supply to more controllable local sourcing. The Harvard Business Review predicted in May that public opinion about globalization is likely to permanently change.
Empowerment of leadership
Many world leaders did their utmost to combat the impacts of COVID-19. However, some countries seemed to have exceptionally effective strategies. Nations that suffered fewer losses from the pandemic greatly credited their national leaders for their effective policies and timely response. These leaders became exceptionally popular and empowered. For example, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen quickly closed off the country’s borders and initiated a lockdown in early March. This helped reduce the number of effective cases considerably. According to a July poll by the statistics portal Statista, 76% of the Danish people now support her.
Vietnamese President Nguyễn Phú Trọng issued a guidance on outbreak prevention and detection as early as January 21. In June the IMF reported that because of this proactive approach Vietnam will make a quicker economic recovery than other countries in the region. The president gained considerable popularity for his proactive decisions.
One trend has been consistent globally. Populations have depended on their national leaders to make sound judgments, and follow them up with decisive action. Narratives from around the world give evidence that in a crisis people are willing to empower their leaders with unbounded trust and support. In coming years we are likely to see a new wave of global leadership characterized by bold decisions and bolder actions.
Gender and leadership
Female state leaders might be seen in a different light after the pandemic. A June publication by The Harvard Business Review mentions that countries with women in leadership have suffered six times fewer confirmed deaths from COVID-19 than countries with governments led by men. This indicates that the role of gender in world leadership is likely to change.
International collaboration
The global media was quick to highlight the “me first” kind of behavior from prominent leaders of the world. Yet, there was plenty of cross-border cooperation motivated by a “let’s work together” ideology. This was particularly evident in the scientific community. Scientists in Australia and China collectively analyzed the COVID-19 genome. They made it freely available to help speed up the global vaccine research. To this end health experts from all continents regularly share information on various online communication platforms. Clinical trials are being conducted on a global scale.
Flow of information
In some ways the present crisis has brought nations closer together, and unified them with a stream of essential data. In March a team of 300 engineers joined forces to build a 3D-printed ventilator on Facebook under the Open Source COVID-19 Medical Supplies initiative. In May UNESCO organized a global hackathon to find solutions for controlling COVID-19. More than 165 participants from 26 countries contributed to the event. Some of the ongoing open source projects to fight the crisis are unprecedented in their global scale and scope. The Institute of Management Development predicts that the world may well become more globalized, at least in terms of the flow of ideas and solutions, if not products.
The gig economy
While corporations try to find ways to localize the supply of materials, the exact opposite is taking place in human resources. Organizations big and small are seeking remote workers and gig workers. Gig work is now being done at scale. With cost-effectiveness a priority, organizations are no longer averse to hiring overseas and temp workers. It is easy for businesses to send money online to pay their contract workers regardless of geography. The reliance on full-time workers is in decline. According to Deloitte’s ‘Future of Work Accelerated’ report, 60% of organizations are estimating an increase on the reliance of gig workers. These new trends are powering the gig economy.
About the author:
Hemant G is a contributing writer at Sparkwebs LLC, a Digital and Content Marketing Agency. When he’s not writing, he loves to travel, scuba dive, and watch documentaries.
President Donald Trump’s senior adviser Kellyanne Conway has announced that she is resigning from her post at the end of August.
In a statement, Kellyanne Conway, 53, said she was stepping down to focus on her children, giving them “less drama, more mama”.
Kellyanne Conway’s husband, George, an outspoken critic of the president, will also be stepping back from political activism.
She added that her decision was “completely my choice”, and that she would announce future plans “in time”.
The announcement came hours after one of Kellyanne Conway’s daughters, Claudia, 15, tweeted that her mother’s job had “ruined [her] life”.
Kellyanne Conway, who is still scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention on August 26, informed President Trump on August 23.
A Republican strategist and veteran pollster, Kellyanne Conway was the first woman to manage a successful presidential campaign, spearheading President Trump’s effort in 2016.
As senior counselor at the White House, Kellyanne Conway acted as political adviser to President Trump and maintained a highly influential position in the administration.
In contrast, George Conway is a co-founder of The Lincoln Project – a Republican political action committee working to prevent the re-election of President Trump in 2020.
“The past four years have allowed me blessings beyond compare,” Kellyanne Conway said in a statement.
“[George and I] disagree about plenty but we are united on what matters most: the kids,” she added.
“Our four children are teens and tweens starting a new academic year, in middle school and high school, remotely from home for at least a few months,” she continued.
“As millions of parents nationwide know, kids ‘doing school from home’ requires a level of attention and vigilance that is as unusual as these times.”
Claudia Conway’s tweet about her mother went viral over the weekend.
She tweeted: “my mother’s job ruined my life to begin with. heartbreaking that she continues to go down that path after years of watching her children suffer. selfish. it’s all about money and fame, ladies and gentlemen.”
Claudia Conway later tweeted that she was taking a “mental health break” from social media, saying “this is becoming way too much”.
Kellyanne Conway is one of President Trump’s most ardent supporters, but has long been a controversial figure. She has become well known for sparring with journalists in defense of the president.
George Conway has publicly disparaged the president, describing him as “incompetent”. President Trump, in response, has called him a “stone cold LOSER” and said that he had turned down George Conway for a job in the justice department.
A mass rally of the Belarusian opposition have been held in the capital Minsk, two weeks after a disputed election gave President Alexander Lukashenko another term in office.
Correspondents in the Belarusian capital said tens of thousands filled the central square despite a heavy police presence.
The protesters say President Lukashenko stole the election and want him to resign.
Alexander Lukashenko, 65, has vowed to crush unrest and blamed the dissent on unnamed “foreign-backed revolutionaries”.
Recent protests were met with a crackdown in which at least four people were killed. Demonstrators said they had been tortured in prisons.
According to official results, Alexander Lukashenko – who has ruled Belarus for 26 years – won more than 80% of the vote in the 9 August election and opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya 10%.
There were no independent observers and the opposition alleges massive vote rigging.
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who was forced to flee to neighboring Lithuania the day after the election, vowed to “stand till the end” in the protests.
According to pro-opposition media, 100,000 people poured into Independence Square on August 23. State TV put the crowd at 20,000.
After gathering in the square, some demonstrators moved towards the “Hero City” war memorial and the presidential palace. They were blocked by a security cordon before dispersing.
State TV released a video showing President Lukashenko arriving at the presidential palace by helicopter, wearing a flak jacket and carrying an automatic weapon.
Similar demonstrations were held in other Belarusian cities. Meanwhile in Lithuania, thousands of people – including President Gitanas Nausėda – formed a human chain from the capital Vilnius to the Belarusian border in solidarity with those protesting in Minsk.
More human chains were planned in the Estonian capital Tallinn and in Prague in the Czech Republic.
This weekend’s rally in Minsk follows the country’s biggest protest in modern history on August 16, when hundreds of thousands filled the streets. Strike action in key factories across Belarus is also keeping up the pressure on the president.
President Lukashenko insists he won the election fairly and has ruled holding another poll. On August 22 he accused NATO of “trying to topple the authorities” and install a new president in Minsk.
He said he was moving troops to Belarus’s western borders to counter a NATO build-up in Poland and Lithuania, and vowed to “defend the territorial integrity of our country”.
NATO responded by saying it posed “no threat to Belarus or any other country”, and had “no military build-up in the region”.
Alexander Lukashenko has also accused an opposition council – set up by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya to organize peaceful transition – of trying to seize power. Two of its members were questioned by police on August 21.
However, a coronavirus-related lockdown imposed by the South African government reportedly meant Fredie Blom was unable to buy tobacco to roll his own cigarettes on his 116th birthday.
His family said he died of natural causes in Cape Town on August 22.
“Two weeks ago oupa [grandfather] was still chopping wood,” family spokesman Andre Naidoo told AFP news agency.
“He was a strong man, full of pride.”
But within days Fredie Blom shrank “from a big man to a small person”, he added.
Andre Naidoo said the family did not believe his death was related to Covid-19.
Germany is using three pop concerts to enable scientists to investigate the risks of such mass indoor events during the pandemic.
Some 4,000 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 50 were urged to sign up for August 22 study in Leipzig, carried out by Halle University.
Singer-songwriter Tim Bendzko agreed to perform at all three successive gigs.
The study came as Germany recorded its highest number of Covid-19 infections since the end of April.
More than 2,000 cases were recorded in Germany in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 232,082, the Robert Koch Institute reported.
The concert study, called Restart-19, was created “to investigate the conditions under which such events can be carried out despite the pandemic”, researchers said.
Scientists planned to run three different scenarios with some 4,000 visitors at the Quarterback Immobilien Arena in Leipzig during the course of August 22.
The first aims to simulate an event before the pandemic; the second with greater hygiene and some social distancing; and the third with half the numbers and with each person standing 1.5 meter apart.
Each staged scenario involves arrivals and departures from the stadium and performances by Tim Bendzko “in order to depict spectator behavior as realistically as possible.”
All participants are being tested for Covid-19, and given face masks and tracking devices to measure their distancing. Exactly how many volunteers came forward to participate remains unclear.
German researchers are reportedly using fluorescent disinfectants to track what surfaces audience members touch the most.
The project received 990,000 euros ($1.17 million) funding from the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony with the aim of helping to pave the way for the resumption of major indoor sporting and music events by ascertaining realistic levels of risk.
Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister of Economics and Science, Prof. Armin Willingmann, said before the event: “The corona pandemic is paralyzing the event industry.
“As long as there is a risk of infection, major concerts, trade fairs and sporting events cannot take place. This is why it is so important to find out which technical and organizational conditions can effectively minimize the risks.”
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been moved to Germany from Siberia for medical treatment.
The prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin is in a coma after drinking what his supporters suspect was poisoned tea; they accuse the authorities of trying to conceal a crime.
Doctors treating Alexei Navalny in Omsk had insisted on August 21 that he was too ill to be moved.
However, they later said his condition was stable enough for the flight. His wife Yulia Navalnaya is traveling with him.
On August 22, Alexei Navalny’s medical evacuation flight – paid for by the German non-governmental organization Cinema for Peace – landed at Tegel airport in Berlin. He is being treated at the Charité hospital in the German capital.
The founder of the Cinema for Peace Foundation, activist and filmmaker Jaka Bizilj, told reporters outside the hospital that Alexei Navalny’s condition was “very worrying”.
“It’s not only about the question if he will survive this,” Jaka Bizilj said.
“It’s a question what kind of damage there is, if he will survive this and come back to normal fully.”
Alexei Navalny’s personal doctor, Anastasia Vasilieva, was not allowed to see him while he was in hospital in Russia. But she said she was hopeful he could recover now that he was in Germany.
She said: “I’m sure that they can treat him and do everything to eliminate this toxic agent from his body.”
Medical staff treating Alexei Navalny at the hospital in Omsk said before his flight that his life was not in immediate danger.
His spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, earlier tweeted: “Massive thanks to everyone for their support. The struggle for Alexei’s life and health is just beginning.”
Kira Yarmysh said it was a pity that doctors had taken so long to approve his flight as the plane and the right documents had been ready since August 21.
Alexei Navalny fell ill during a flight from Tomsk to Moscow on August 20, and his plane made an emergency landing in Omsk.
A photograph on social media appeared to show the Russian opposition leader drinking from a cup at a Tomsk airport cafe before the flight. His team suspects a poisonous substance was put in his tea.
Disturbing video appeared to show a stricken Alexei Navalny howling in agony on the flight.
The head doctor at the hospital where Navalny was being treated in Omsk, Alexander Murakhovsky, warned late on August 21 that doctors did not recommend flying “but his wife insists on her husband being transferred to a German clinic”.
“The patient’s condition is stable,” deputy chief doctor Anatoly Kalinichenko was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
“As we’re in possession of a request from relatives to permit him to be transported somewhere, we have now taken the decision that we do not object to his transfer to another in-patient facility,” he added.
Doctors said earlier that no poison had been found in Alexei Navalny’s body, suggesting his condition might be the result of a “metabolic disorder” caused by low blood sugar.
Health officials then indicated that traces of an industrial chemical had been found on his skin and hair. The local interior ministry told the Rapsi legal news agency that the chemical was usually included in polymers to improve their elasticity, but its concentration was impossible to establish.
Alexei Navalny has consistently exposed official corruption in Russia. He has served multiple jail terms.
Foreign leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France’s President Emmanuel Macron have expressed concern for him.
In the US, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has described the incident as “unacceptable” and vowed that, if elected, he would “stand up to autocrats like Putin”.
Even in the wake of the massive Texas Tech University women’s basketball scandal, TTU’s Senior Associate General Counsel Ronny Wall continues to fight to keep some of the ugly truth a secret.
Ronny Wall is now stalling the release of the personnel file of former Texas Tech women’s basketball strength and conditioning coach Ralph Petrella.
Ralph Petrella resigned at the end of the basketball season and is now accused of harassing five players on the women’s basketball team.
In her response to Ronny Wall’s ongoing abuse of the Texas Public Information Act, Dolcefino Consulting Director of Operations Kelsey Galbraith questioned Wall via e-mail, asking: “Are you just ignoring the purpose and spirit of the Texas Public Information Act like Texas Tech ignored the Marlene Stollings issue?”
Ronny Wall fought for a year to keep the exit interviews of the basketball players from the public. It was those interviews that blew the scandal wide open a few weeks ago. They are an ugly review of what was allowed to go on in Lubbock for two years.
RonnyWall has been busted twice for overcharging for public records in the Dolcefino Consulting legal battle. Tech has been trying to block the planned sworn testimony of Ronny Wall on the subject of who destroyed records relating to the firing of former head football coach Mike Leach.
In both cases public records were released accidentally. The records accidently released in the Dolcefino Consulting case expose the shoddy investigation, the manipulation of sworn testimony, and the conspiracy to cheat Leach out of $2.5 million dollars.
The legal fight over the Leach records has been going on for two and a half years and Dolcefino Consulting has already spent a quarter of a million dollars to expose the unfair firing of Coach Leach. Austin Judge Paul Davis is set to rule next month on a request to punish Tech for refusing to let us put Ronny Wall under oath.
Former White House’s chief strategist Steve Bannon has been arrested and charged with fraud over a fundraising campaign to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.
Steve Bannon and three others defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with the “We Build the Wall” campaign, which raised $25 million, the DoJ said.
He received more than $1 million, at least some of which he used to cover personal expenses, it alleged.
Steve Bannon, 66, is due to appear in court later.
He was a key architect of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory. His right-wing anti-immigration ideology fuelled Donald Trump’s “America First” campaign.
Steve Bannon was reportedly arrested on a 150-foot yacht in Connecticut by agents from the US Postal Inspection Service, which investigates fraud cases.
Responding to Steve Bannon’s arrest, President Trump said he felt “very badly” about it. He also said he had had no involvement with “We Build the Wall”.
“I said, ‘This is for government; this isn’t for private people’ – and it sounded to me like showboating and I think I let my opinion be very strongly stated at the time,” the president said.
The “We Build the Wall” campaign pledged to use donations to build segments of the border barrier – whose construction was a key Trump promise during the 2016 election – on private land.
However, Audrey Strauss, the acting Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), said Steve Bannon, Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea had “defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretence that all of that money would be spent on construction”.
Steve Bannon had received more than $1 million through a non-profit organization he controlled, at least some of which he used to cover “hundreds of thousands of dollars in his personal expenses”, the DoJ said.
Meanwhile, Brian Kolfage – founder of “We Build the Wall” – covertly took $350,000 for his personal use, the statement said.
“While repeatedly assuring donors that Brian Kolfage, the founder and public face of We Build the Wall, would not be paid a cent, the defendants secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle,” Audrey Strauss said.
SDNY Inspector-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett said the four created “sham invoices and accounts to launder donations and cover up their crimes, showing no regard for the law or the truth”.
“This case should serve as a warning to other fraudsters that no one is above the law, not even a disabled war veteran or a millionaire political strategist,” he said.
Steve Bannon and the three others launched the scheme in December 2018, the DoJ said, and during the campaign Brian Kolfage said that all of the money donated would go towards construction while Bannon publicly said: “We’re a volunteer organization.”
All four defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Steve Bannon will appear in court in the SDNY. Brian Kolfage and Andrew Badolato will appear in separate courts in Florida and Timothy Shea will appear in Colorado.
Steve Bannon is the sixth former senior aide to Donald Trump to face criminal charges – after ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, veteran political operator Roger Stone, ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, ex-deputy campaign manager Rick Gates and ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been hospitalized and is now unconscious suffering from suspected poisoning, his spokeswoman has said.
Alexei Navalny fell ill during a flight and the plane made an emergency landing in Omsk, where doctors said he was in a coma and they were trying to save his life.
The anti-corruption campaigner’s team suspects something was put in his tea at an airport cafe.
The Kremlin said that it wished Alexei Navalny a “speedy recovery”.
Alexei Navalny, 44, has for years been among President Vladimir Putin’s staunchest critics.
In June, the opposition leader described a vote on constitutional reforms as a “coup” and a “violation of the constitution”. The reforms allow President Putin to serve another two terms in office, after the four terms he has already had.
Kira Yarmysh, the press secretary for the Anti-Corruption Foundation, which Mr Navalny founded in 2011, tweeted: “This morning Navalny was returning to Moscow from Tomsk.
“During the flight, he felt ill. The plane made an urgent landing in Omsk. Alexei has toxic poisoning.”
She added: “We suspect that Alexei was poisoned by something mixed into [his] tea. It was the only thing he drank since morning.
“Doctors are saying that the toxic agent absorbed faster through the hot liquid. Right now Alexei is unconscious.”
Kira Yarmysh said later that Alexei Navalny was on a ventilator and in a coma, and that the hospital was now full of police officers. All of his belongings were being confiscated, she added.
She also said that doctors were initially ready to share any information but then they later claimed the toxicology tests had been delayed and were “clearly playing for time, and not saying what they know”.
Diagnosis would be “towards evening”, Kira Yarmysh was told.
BothAlexei Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, and doctor, Anastasia Vasilyeva, have arrived at the hospital.
Yulia Navalnaya was initially denied access to her husband because authorities said the patient had not agreed to the visit, Kira Yarmysh said, although she was later allowed on to the ward.
Dr. Anastasia Vasilyeva said they were seeking to transfer the opposition leader to a specialist poison control center in Europe, but hospital doctors were refusing to provide records of his condition.
The Tass news agency quoted one source at the Omsk Emergency Hospital as saying: “Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny, born in 1976. Poisoning intensive care.”
However, the deputy head physician of the hospital later told media that it was not certain Alexei Navalny had been poisoned, although poisoning was “naturally” one of the diagnoses being considered.
Anatoly Kalinichenko said that doctors were “genuinely trying to save [Alexei Navalny’s] life”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said it wished the critic a speedy recovery – as it would all citizens in such circumstances – and that the authorities would consider approving treatment abroad if it were requested.
Video footage on social media shows Alexei Navalny being taken on a stretcher to an ambulance on the airport runway.
Other disturbing video appears to show a stricken Navalny in pain on the flight.
Another photograph on social media purports to show him drinking from a cup at a Tomsk airport cafe.
The Interfax agency said the cafe owners were checking CCTV to see if it could provide any evidence.
Alexei Navalny made a name for himself by exposing official corruption, labeling Vladimir Putin’s United Russia as “the party of crooks and thieves”, and has served several jail terms.
Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has received more responsibilities in the government, South Korea’s spy agency claims.
Kim Jong-un still maintains “absolute authority”, but handed various policy areas to others to reduce his stress levels, the spy agency reportedly said.
Kim Yo-jong is now “steering overall state affairs”, the National Intelligence Service added.
However, South Korea’s spy agency has been wrong about North Korea in the past.
The claims were reportedly made during a closed-door briefing on August 20 to South Korea’s National Assembly.
Lawmakers then discussed the assessment with journalists.
The agency was quoted as saying: “Kim Jong-un is still maintaining his absolute authority, but some of it has been handed over little by little.”
Kim Yo-jong now has responsibility for Pyongyang’s policy towards the US and South Korea, among other policy issues, and is “the de-facto number two leader,” it added, although it stressed that Kim Jong-un had “not selected a successor.”
The North Korean leader’s decision to delegate was in part to “relieve stress from his reign and avert culpability in the event of policy failure,” it said.
However, some analysts have been skeptical of the intelligence, with website NKNews noting that Kim Yo-jong appeared to have missed two important meetings this month, leading to speculation from some observers that she may have been demoted.
Kim Yo-jong is the younger sister of Kim Jong-un and the only one of his siblings considered a close and powerful ally.
Born in 1987, she is four years younger than Kim Jong-un. The two of them lived and studied in Bern, Switzerland, at the same time.
Kim Yo-jong first gained international attention in 2018, when she was the first member of the Kim dynasty to visit South Korea.
She was part of the delegation to the Winter Olympics, where North and South competed as a joint team.
Kim Yo-jong also worked alongside her brother at international summits, including his meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, China’s Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump.
Whatever your personality is, silver bangles are one of the best ways to express who you are. With several styles to choose from, every woman is sure to find a piece that suits them. Bangles, unlike bracelets, are solid pieces with no flexibility that can be easily stacked on the arm to achieve a chic yet classy look. Most women will shy away from wearing silver bangles for fear that they will not pull it off, but with these simple tips, any woman can look stylish in silver bangles:-
Variety
Before any other tip, every woman should have a variety of bangles in their jewelry boxes. Given that bangles are cheaper compared to other jewelry, money should not be an excuse for not owning several pieces in different styles. Pick up different designs, colors, sizes, and materials which will allow you to play around and change your style over time.
The Bigger the Better
Silver bangles for women come in different sizes and designs. While you may want to play it safe by picking tiny minimal pieces, larger and chunkier sizes show a chic and bold woman. The piece may look larger than your wrist which makes it look delicate and sleek especially when worn on short or sleeveless tops. If you choose to go bold and pick the chunky silver bangle, consider how big it is before pairing it up with more pieces which could end up making it look messy and overdone.
Stack Up
Show off your charming spirit by stacking up several silver bangle pieces. You do not have to reach for other types of bangles or jewelry if you have a variety of silver bangles for women to play around with. Simply stack several identical pieces as you would with bracelets or mix up several sizes and styles with balance as you see fit for your look.
Mix and Match
Once again, investing in variety turns out to be a great idea. In this case, mix up your silver bangles with other metal designs such as gold and bronze or pick up pieces that have other colors or gems in them. If you are looking to appear mysteriously interesting, this should be on top of your styling hacks. Keep in mind the rules of color and temperature when playing mix and match with your silver bangles to pull off a perfect look. For example, while gold may look appealing when matched with red, silver bangles will look better if matched with pieces that are cooler such as pale pastel.
Consider the Occasion
Like other fashion choices, wearing silver bangles for women is highly influenced by the occasion. While your beautiful clanking stack of silver bangles may look very stylish at a party, the noise from your pieces will only draw scowls from your colleagues at work or in a meeting. On the other hand, one chunky piece will keep your feminine bold style intact at a formal event. To keep true to your love for silver bangles for women, invest in a variety to suit every occasion with ease and decorum.
Less is more
This might be confusing given the earlier tip to go big or even choose stacks. But you might need to keep this in mind if you are going to be a flawlessly stylish silver bangle queen. With unique designs, stacking too many silver bangles will definitely look too busy and overdone, taking away the essence from your pieces and do little in communicating what your style is. So, as much as you love all your pieces, keep it moderately chic.
What Next?
You now have all the top tips on how to style silver bangles for women to help you showing off your elegance. All that is left to do is build your collection with a variety, keep it moderate, bold and stylish regardless of the occasion.
