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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics/merkels-conservatives-make-big-concessions-to-spd-in-coalition-deal-idUSKBN1FR0HS
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Merkel's conservatives make big concessions to SPD in coalition deal
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Merkel's conservatives make big concessions to SPD in coalition deal
By Michelle Martin, Andreas Rinke7 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday her conservatives had made painful concessions to the Social Democrats (SPD) to secure a coalition deal that should give Europe’s powerhouse a new government after months of political paralysis.
In a move that heralds a shift in Germany’s euro zone policy, the SPD will take the finance ministry, a post held until recently by conservative Wolfgang Schaeuble, widely loathed in the euro zone’s indebted periphery during his eight-year tenure for his rigid focus on fiscal discipline.
SPD leader Martin Schulz, who now needs his party’s grass roots to approve the deal in a postal ballot, said this week that the SPD had ensured the coalition would stop “forced austerity” and set up an investment budget for the euro zone.
(For a graphic on Merkel's coalitions click tmsnrt.rs/2AdhTpO)
Ceding the crucial finance ministry shows the high price the conservatives had to pay to renew the ‘grand coalition’ with the SPD that has governed Germany since 2013, and secure Merkel’s fourth term in office.
“After so many years in which Wolfgang Schaeuble held the finance ministry, himself becoming an institution, it was hard for many of us that we couldn’t hold on to that ministry,” Merkel said.
“The question of who gets what job wasn’t an easy one,” she said, adding that her Christian Democrats (CDU) would take the helm at the economy ministry for the first time in decades.
For the SPD, Schulz said the deal marked a “fundamental change of direction in Europe”, adding: “Germany will take an active and leading role in the European Union again.”
Bruised by its worst election result in the post-war era, the SPD had planned to revamp itself in opposition and only agreed to the coalition talks reluctantly. Its 464,000 members still have the chance to veto the deal in a postal ballot whose results will be announced on March 4, party sources said.
Related CoverageGerman SPD's Schulz optimistic membership will back coalitionFactbox: Social Democrats compromise to secure German coalition dealSee more stories
Schulz highlighted policies that the SPD had pushed through, notably reducing the scope for short-term work contracts and increasing student loans and minimum wages for trainees - as demanded by the party’s leftist youth wing, which has drummed in new members in the hope that they will vote against the deal.
CDU CHANCELLOR, SPD GOVERNMENT?
Julian Reichelt, editor of Germany’s biggest selling paper, Bild, suggested the SPD had got the better end of the deal, tweeting: “This is the first SPD government led by a CDU chancellor.”
While the talks have dragged on, Europe’s biggest economy has moved into overdrive, offering increased scope for government spending and investment.
Investors and partner countries had been alarmed at Merkel’s struggle to assemble a government at a time when Europe faces multiple challenges, including the need for euro zone reform and Britain’s looming departure from the EU.
In their 177-page document, the parties laid out plans to develop the euro zone’s bailout fund into a full-blown European Monetary Fund anchored in EU law - and therefore outside the direct control of national government - and support budgetary means to shield the euro zone from crises.
They said they would be prepared to pay more into the EU budget. “We want a (European Union) budget for future spending geared toward bringing more benefits for Europe,” they wrote, adding that they backed structural reforms championed by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The SPD also gets the high-profile foreign ministry as well as the labor, justice, family and environment portfolios.
Slideshow ( 9 images )
Schulz is expected to become foreign minister, despite having previously vowed not to take a cabinet position under Merkel.
The daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung said that Schulz, tarnished by the SPD’s poor election result, would quit as party leader, and that parliamentary floor leader Andrea Nahles was ready to take over. Schulz declined to comment.
Hamburg Mayor Olaf Scholz, a down-to-earth, pragmatic politician who was worked well with Merkel in the past, is slated to take over as finance minister, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.
Slideshow ( 9 images )
FRAGMENTED PARLIAMENT
Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) will get the economy, defense, education and agriculture ministries while their Bavarian allies, the Christian Social Union (CSU), will provide the interior minister, with an added “homeland” portfolio, in the form of Horst Seehofer, who talks tough on migration.
The conservative bloc and the SPD began talks about renewing their alliance only after Merkel failed to agree a coalition last November with two smaller parties in the fragmented parliament.
Support for the two blocs that have dominated German post-war politics has waned even further since the election, and their alliance means the mantle of biggest opposition party now falls to the upstart anti-immigrant, eurosceptic Alliance for Germany (AfD).
After a final negotiating session lasting some 24 hours, the parties ultimately agreed to cap arbitrary fixed-term labor contracts at 18 months, down from 24, and to limit their renewal.
Conservatives balked at the SPD’s demand for a complete ban, arguing that firms needed flexibility to be competitive.
On healthcare, the parties agreed to set up a commission to work on a joint fee structure for private and public patients to examine whether it was feasible, a negotiating source said.
Doctors currently tend to get more money for treating private patients, and so often favor them over public patients.
Florian Hense, an economist at Berenberg, said the labor and healthcare reforms, along with more generous pension entitlements, could be expensive. “Germany may pay a price for them with slightly reduced trend growth and a less solidly financed budget after the next recession.”
That prospect may be a way off, however. The DIHK Chambers of Industry and Commerce raised its 2018 growth forecast for the German economy to a robust 2.7 percent as consumers with rising wages, secure jobs and low borrowing costs spend more while exports and company investments rebound.
“Companies have never been more upbeat,” DIHK said in its latest business survey, adding that German firms are boosting investment plans at an unprecedented pace.
But the BDI industry association said the agreement was “heading towards redistribution rather than shoring up the future”.
Alice Weidel, parliamentary leader of the AfD, tweeted: “Things could not get worse for Germany,” calling the coalition deal “insane” as it did not contain an upper limit for migration.
Additional reporting by Holger Hansen, Michael Nienaber, Joseph Nasr, Thorsten Severin, Andrea Shalal and Thomas Escritt in Berlin and Jan Strupczewski in Brussels; Writing by Michelle Martin; Editing by Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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ef244b9d087915fb3b384ec6d381dee6
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics/support-for-merkels-bloc-hits-record-low-afd-at-new-high-poll-idUSKBN1KN2U7
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Support for Merkel's bloc hits record low, AfD at new high: poll
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Support for Merkel's bloc hits record low, AfD at new high: poll
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
FILE PHOTO: A partly visible election campaign poster of Germany's anti-immigration party Alternative fuer Deutschland AfD reads "vote AfD" as Angela Merkel, German Chancellor and leader of the Christian Democratic Union party CDU, appears partially on a changing advertising board in Bonn, Germany, September 14, 2017. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo
BERLIN (Reuters) - Support for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc has slumped to a record low after a bruising internal row over migration policy, with support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) hitting a record high, a poll showed on Thursday.
The ARD DeutschlandTrend survey put support for Merkel’s conservative alliance - her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian allies, the Christian Social Union (CSU) - at 29 percent, down one point from the beginning of July.
Merkel, who has led Germany since 2005, only narrowly averted the collapse of her coalition government last month after a row between the CDU and the CSU over immigration policy.
The conservative sister parties rule in a grand coalition with the left-leaning Social Democratic Party (SPD).
The anti-immigration AfD gained one point in the ARD DeutschlandTrend survey, conducted by pollster Infratest Dimap, to a record high of 17 percent.
In last September’s federal election, the CDU/CSU bloc won 32.9 percent of the vote and the AfD surged into the national parliament for the first time with 12.6 percent, making it the third largest party. The SPD came second with 20.5 percent.
The survey put support for the SPD at 18 percent, unchanged from early July. Infratest Dimap polled 1,508 voters across Germany from Monday to Wednesday of this week.
The survey also showed that two SPD politicians - Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz - were respectively Germany’s most popular and second most popular politicians. Merkel came third.
Support for the far-left Left party was unchanged at 9 percent, the poll showed. The business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) were down one point at 7 percent and the ecologist Greens up one point at 15 percent.
Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Robin PomeroyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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f37742e71853c4af150be183a5cbd30e
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-president-idUSTRE81G0HC20120217
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German president resigns in setback for Merkel
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German president resigns in setback for Merkel
By Noah Barkin, Madeline Chambers7 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - Angela Merkel’s hand-picked choice for the ceremonial post of president resigned Friday in a scandal over political favors, dealing a blow to the German chancellor in the midst of the euro zone debt crisis.
In a curt five-minute statement at the Bellevue presidential palace, Christian Wulff acknowledged that he had lost the trust of the German people, making it impossible to continue in a role that is meant to serve as a moral compass for the nation.
“For this reason it is no longer possible for me to exercise the office of president at home and abroad as required,” said Wulff, standing next to his wife Bettina.
The search for a successor to Wulff could become a distraction for Merkel at a time when her government is embroiled in tough talks on a second bailout package for Greece, although analysts said they expected any impact on the negotiations to be limited.
Merkel postponed a Friday trip to Rome, where she was to hold talks on the debt crisis with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, to deal with the fallout from Wulff’s departure.
She made a brief statement after his announcement, saying she regretted his departure and would seek talks with opposition parties to find a candidate to replace him.
The chancellor is riding a wave of popularity in Germany for her handling of the crisis, but the departure of Wulff raises questions about her judgment because she forced through his appointment in 2010 over a strong opposition candidate most Germans favored.
He is the second president to step down in less than two years. His predecessor, former International Monetary Fund chief Horst Koehler, resigned unexpectedly after coming under fire for comments he made about the German mission in Afghanistan and failing to get strong backing from Merkel.
The resignation is likely to embolden the opposition Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens, who have shied away from criticizing Merkel too strongly in recent months.
Despite her vow to find a consensus candidate to replace Wulff, the choosing of a successor could prove divisive at a fragile time for Europe. Greece needs the new aid deal to avert a chaotic default that could push it out of the euro zone. Berlin is playing a decisive role in shaping the package.
How much of a distraction the Wulff saga becomes depends on how fast a successor can be agreed. A vote in the 1,244-seat Federal Assembly must take place within a month, or by March 18.
Related CoveragePossible candidates for German presidencyTimeline: Exodus of top Merkel allies from power
“This won’t be without consequences for Merkel, her reputation will suffer from it,” said Gerd Langguth, political scientist at Bonn University.
Carsten Brzeski, an economist at ING, said the resignation was unlikely to have an impact Greek bailout negotiations.
“However, domestic political pressure on Angela Merkel could increase again and will not make her life any easier,” he said.
Merkel won a second term in 2009 and will not face another federal election until the autumn of 2013. But her party faces battles to hold onto power in the states of Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein in regional votes due in March and May.
ONCE SEEN AS RIVAL
A member of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as premier of the western state of Lower Saxony, Wulff was once seen as a potential rival to Merkel and many in Germany saw his appointment as a ploy by the chancellor to push him out of the political arena.
He has long cultivated a schoolboy image, but his reputation took a hammering when the Bild newspaper reported late last year that he had misled the state parliament about a cheap 500,000 euro ($650,000) home loan from a businessman friend before becoming president.
Last month he admitted making a “grave mistake” by threatening the editor of top-selling Bild with “war” if he published the story about his private finance dealings.
Since then, there has been a constant stream of new revelations that have chipped away at his credibility, leading the German media to mock him and even invent a new verb in his honor. “Wulffen” - or literally “to Wulff” -- means to be evasive without telling a clear lie.
Wulff has been one of the main targets at this year’s carnival celebrations in the Rhineland where politicians are traditionally lampooned.
German President Christian Wulff makes a statement in the presidential residence Bellevue Palace in Berlin, February 17, 2012.
REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz
One float in the city of Mainz has an effigy of him with a black eye and plaster on his forehead slumped at the edge of a boxing ring. In Cologne, where the biggest processions take place, Wulff is dressed up as a grey rabbit on the butcher’s table about to be carved up.
On a trip to Rome earlier this week and in a briefing with a small group of journalists Thursday, Wulff made clear he planned to hang onto his post.
But the situation changed dramatically in the evening when state prosecutors in Hannover, the capital of Lower Saxony, asked parliament to end his legal immunity over accusations he accepted favors in a prelude to opening an investigation.
It is the first time ever that prosecutors have wanted to investigate a German president and the move triggered direct calls from opposition parties for the 52-year old Wulff to go.
“The office of the presidency has been damaged. Mr. Wulff’s resignation was necessary but it came too late,” leaders from the opposition Left Party said in a statement.
ANTI-COMMUNIST ACTIVIST
The leading contender to succeed him is Joachim Gauck, an anti-Communist human rights activist in East Germany who ran against Wulff in 2010 and embarrassed Merkel by forcing the election in the Federal Assembly into a third round.
Wolfgang Kubicki, a senior figure in the Free Democrats (FDP) who rule in coalition with Merkel, said many in his own party had broken ranks and backed Gauck two years ago.
“He would be able to restore confidence in this office,” Kubicki said, stressing the importance of securing a broad majority in the Assembly, in which Merkel’s coalition parties hold a razor-thin majority.
Other potential candidates include Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere, Labor Minister Ursula von der Leyen, Bundestag President Norbert Lammert and possibly Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, though shifting him to Bellevue palace would leave a gaping hole in Merkel’s cabinet in the midst of the euro zone sovereign debt crisis.
Merkel has been criticized in the past for what has often looked like a concerted policy of sidelining capable figures in her party who she sees as potential rivals.
Former Hesse state premier Roland Koch abruptly resigned in 2010 after realizing Merkel would never give him a cabinet job. The chancellor sent Guenther Oettinger, former CDU state premier in Baden-Wuerttemberg, to Brussels where he now serves as Energy Commissioner.
The moves have left Merkel as the undisputed leader of the CDU, but some conservatives worry that the party has now become overly dependent on her and lost its identity and traditional values.
A poll last week showed 77 percent of Germans approve of the job Merkel is doing. Support for her conservatives has pushed up to its top level since mid-2009, pulled higher by the popularity of the pastor’s daughter from the former East Germany.
Additional reporting by Stephen Brown, Andreas Rinke, Sarah Marsh and Brian Rohan; Writing by Noah Barkin; Editing by Jon BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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87696fb8de9eb0a9565e0d9f525004d9
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-protests/pressure-grows-on-german-spy-chief-over-chemnitz-protests-idUSKCN1LO0M0
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Pressure grows on German spy chief over Chemnitz protests
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Pressure grows on German spy chief over Chemnitz protests
By Paul Carrel3 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - Pressure grew on Germany’s domestic spy chief on Saturday after he expressed scepticism that migrants had been hounded in Chemnitz after the fatal stabbing of a German man - remarks that are reviving strains in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government.
Slideshow ( 4 images )
Germany has been deeply shaken by the most violent right-wing protests in decades after the Aug. 26 killing of the German man in Chemnitz, in the eastern state of Saxony, for which two immigrants were arrested.
Friday’s comments by Hans-Georg Maassen, head of the BfV domestic intelligence agency, aggravated tensions about whether politicians and the authorities are being too complacent in the face of rising xenophobia in Germany, where many thought the lessons of its Nazi history had long been learned.
Maassen said he was skeptical about “media reports on right-wing extremists hunting down people in Chemnitz”, adding that a video circulating showing that happening could have been faked.
The mass-selling daily Bild, in its Saturday edition, called Maassen’s remark “the most explosive quote of the year”.
His comments undermined Merkel, who had said pictures had shown “hate and ... the persecution of innocent people”.
After a batch of opposition politicians called on Friday for Maassen to go, members of the ruling parties - Merkel’s conservatives and the left-leaning Social Democrats (SPD) - raised doubts about him on Saturday.
Stephan Weil, SPD premier of the state of Lower Saxony, questioned whether Maassen was still up to his job. “For me, the question marks are growing,” Weil told the Funke media group.
Patrick Sensburg, a lawmaker with Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), said Maassen would have to explain himself to a parliamentary committee that oversees Germany’s spy agencies, which meets behind closed doors on Wednesday.
“President Maassen will now have to explain how he came to his assessment and why he made it known via the media,” Sensburg told the Handesblatt business daily.
The row over whether or not migrants were hounded in Chemnitz has inflamed tensions over immigration in Merkel’s ‘grand coalition’ only two months after she reached a truce with her Bavarian sister party on the same issue.
Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), said on Friday he had no reason to doubt Maassen’s assessment. On Wednesday, Seehofer said: “Migration is the mother of all problems.”
Merkel’s spokesman, asked on Friday about her trust in Maassen, said: “Mr Maassen has an important and responsible role.”
Merkel on Thursday accused the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party of using violent protests over the Chemnitz stabbing to stir up ethnic tension.
Editing by Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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9c1c3806cbef7ea4fa71ce668ff17e19
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-pumpkin-race/paddle-your-own-pumpkin-german-racers-swap-boats-for-vegetables-idUSKCN1MD27P?mc_cid=0b6966e1ae&mc_eid=%5BUNIQID%5D
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Paddle your own pumpkin: German racers swap boats for vegetables
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Paddle your own pumpkin: German racers swap boats for vegetables
By Reuters Staff1 Min Read
Slideshow ( 3 images )
LOHMAR, Germany (Reuters) - With a look of apprehension, a blond woman clad in a wetsuit wobbles her way onto a lake in western Germany in a huge, hollowed-out vegetable.
Paddle held aloft, she’s a contestant in the Krewelshofer lake’s annual pumpkin race, held for the third time on Wednesday over a 35-meter (115-ft) course.
Grown specially for the race, the pumpkins must weigh at least 250 kilograms (550 pounds) and, to minimize the risk of capsizing, more for heavier participants.
“It was hard fighting against the wind to get anywhere, but when you are in the groove it works. I imagined it would be more difficult,” said competitor Mailin Matuschek.
“I actually thought that after a few meters you would fall in,” chimed in her sister Jana-Mai.
The fastest racers in six categories get 200 euros ($230) in prize money, or 300 euros if they paddled in their own pumpkins - enough to buy a boat for next year.
Reporting by Clare Watson; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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6726e7c41728cbd5c4a8a038eab24900
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-qatar/qatar-eyes-germanys-energy-finance-sectors-with-10-bln-euro-investment-idUSKCN1LN0ZJ
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Qatar eyes Germany's energy, finance sectors with 10 bln euro investment
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Qatar eyes Germany's energy, finance sectors with 10 bln euro investment
By Andrea Shalal, Riham Alkousaa4 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - The Gulf state of Qatar said on Friday it would invest 10 billion euros ($11.6 billion) to strengthen its ties with Germany over the next five years, including the possible creation of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal.
Slideshow ( 5 images )
Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani announced the funding boost for its long-term trading partner and Europe’s largest economy at a bilateral investment conference in Berlin. Germany is Europe’s biggest energy consumer.
The head of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which ranks among the top 10 sovereign funds in the world, said the fresh funds would facilitate additional investments in the German financial sector, as well as in promising developments in information technology, artificial intelligence and healthcare.
The latest investment pledge comes on top of 25 billion euros Qatar has already invested in key German companies such as Volkswagen AG, Siemens AG, Deutsche Bank and others.
“To express our trust in the strength of the German economy and the importance of investing in it, I announce the intention of Qatar to pump investments that amount to 10 billion euros into the German economy in the next five years,” al-Thani said.
He said the overall volume of German-Qatari trade had dipped slightly in 2017 after doubling to around 2.8 billion euros, but he expected further growth in coming years.
Yousuf Mohammed al-Jaidah, chief executive of the Qatar Financial Centre, said Qatar was offering incentives to foreign companies as it tried to triple the current level of foreign direct investment in the country.
Qatar is hosting the 2022 World Cup, which offers opportunities for investment in construction, engineering and logistics, officials said. Qatari Economy Minister Ahmed Bin Jassim din Mohammed al-Thani said Qatar could also be a useful hub for the reconstruction of Iraq and other war-torn regions.
ENERGY
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the energy sector offered promising opportunities to expand business ties, adding that Qatar’s LNG supplies would help diversify supply sources.
“From my point of view, the energy sector in particular offers considerable potential to expand our economic ties,” Merkel told the emir and other conference participants.
She said Germany was already linked with LNG terminals in the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland, but her government was working to expand the LNG network within Germany, and German companies were working toward a potential local LNG terminal.
Qatar’s energy minister Mohammed al-Sada on Thursday threw his support behind the possible cooperation of Qatar Petroleum, the world’s top supplier of LNG, in the project.
On Wednesday Qatar Petroleum said it was in talks with Germany’s RWE and rival Uniper about the potential LNG terminal.
The German LNG Terminal consortium comprising Dutch gas network operator Gasunie, German tank storage provider Oiltanking and Dutch oil and chemical storage company Vopak are developing a plan with a funding decision due by the end of 2019.
Christian Sewing, chief executive of Deutsche Bank, underscored close ties with Qatar - which holds a 6.1 percent stake in the German bank - had helped give the bank room to restructure and “do its homework.”
Reporting by Andrea Shalal, Riham Alkousaa and Michelle Martin; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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7ed970da51f9b89eaaa5fd9cbf77b09a
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-renewables-hydrogen/germany-scraps-renewable-fee-on-green-hydrogen-to-encourage-new-technology-idUKKBN28C1XP?edition-redirect=uk
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Germany scraps renewable fee on green hydrogen to encourage new technology
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Germany scraps renewable fee on green hydrogen to encourage new technology
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany’s government on Wednesday lifted a charge levied on power prices to support renewable energy for producers of so-called green hydrogen, part of a bid to encourage the nascent technology for low-carbon fuels.
The Berlin cabinet decided to waive the renewable energy fee under the EEG feed-in tariff law for electricity derived from wind and solar sources following an economy ministry initiative, government sources said.
Green hydrogen, which is produced via electrolysis while conventional hydrogen is produced using fossil fuels, is meant to help decarbonise energy used in industry, transport and for heating buildings.
Germany hopes to close the cost gap between the two products within 10-15 years, helped by a 9 billion euro ($10.8 billion) national strategy it passed earlier this year to meet long-term climate goals and transform its industries.
The draft law said hydrogen could be key to building up climate-neutral energy sources and storage, but that it was important to cut its costs.
“In view of the currently still high costs of hydrogen production, a market ramp-up - and the associated reduction in investment costs through economies of scale and learning effects - is only possible through creating cost-cutting framework conditions,” it said.
The government estimated that between 230 and 290 projects would apply for the waivers up to 2030.
The government also intends to monitor effects of the measure in 2022 and look into further activities to boost green electricity in power systems.
The EEG surcharge was introduced to support the expansion of carbon-free green power from wind and solar plants.
The government capped it earlier this year to help household customers for whom it makes up a fifth of their power bills, and because renewable production costs have fallen steeply.
Reporting by Markus Wacket in Berlin and Vera Eckert in Frankfurt; Editing by Thomas Seythal and Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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c8b4779fc604dc2cb6e4b3948628ce13
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-russia-idUSKCN0V90XH
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Bavarian leader defends planned visit to Putin in Moscow
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Bavarian leader defends planned visit to Putin in Moscow
By Michelle Martin4 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - Bavarian state premier Horst Seehofer on Sunday defended his planned visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow against warnings it could undermine German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refugee policy.
Bavarian Prime Minister and head of the Christian Social Union (CSU) Horst Seehofer makes a speech at the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party congress in Karlsruhe, Germany December 15, 2015. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Seehofer, a Merkel ally who has sharply criticized her for letting in so many migrants from the Middle East and elsewhere, said the trip starting on Thursday had been agreed with the chancellor and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
German-Russian relations are tense amid concern that Moscow is trying to stoke popular discontent here over claims by a 13-year-old German-Russian girl of having been kidnapped and raped by migrants in Berlin. Prosecutors said on Friday they had proof the claim was false.
The Ukraine crisis and Syria’s civil war have also soured bilateral ties, and German media have accused Moscow of secretly cooperating with far-right anti-immigrant parties that have been gaining support in Germany and other European countries.
“We have prepared this trip very carefully ... and we are not pursuing any parallel foreign policy,” Seehofer told ZDF television, adding it was primarily motivated by the good relations - especially in trade - between his rich state and Russia.
Critics across the political spectrum were not reassured.
“Seehofer has clearly positioned himself against the chancellor in the debate on refugees - I really hope he doesn’t go on this trip,” said Roderich Kiesewetter, a foreign policy spokesman for Merkel’s conservatives in parliament.
“If Seehofer goes, he needs to warn the Russians that they need to stop the hybrid falsification of information and the undercover financing of radical right-wing networks,” he told the newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
Deputy Niels Annen from the Social Democrats, Merkel’s junior coalition partner, told the same newspaper: “Foreign policy is made in Berlin, not in Munich”, referring to the state capital of Bavaria.
Juergen Trittin, foreign policy spokesman for the opposition Greens, told Welt am Sonntag that Seehofer would meet a “kindred spirit” when he visits Putin.
“One organizes resistance among the conservatives to a humanitarian refugee policy while the other uses his propaganda network to mobilize hundreds of German-Russians to hold hostile demonstrations outside German refugee homes,” he said.
The Berlin rape case led to an unusual war of words last week when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused German authorities of “sweeping problems under the rug” by covering up the rape case.
Steinmeier hit back with a sharp warning to Moscow not to exploit the case for “political propaganda” and to influence the politically sensitive immigration debate in Germany.
Bavaria, the first stop in Germany for migrants coming along the so-called Balkan route, has borne the brunt of the influx and its government calls the burden unbearable.
Seehofer’s Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party to Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), has been among the strongest voices demanding that Merkel close the frontiers and send back migrants with no right to political asylum.
Seehofer has even threatened to file a complaint against the government’s refugee policy with Germany’s Constitutional Court. In the ZDF interview, he said Bavaria would have to decide by the end of February if it goes through with this threat.
Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Michelle Martin; Editing by Tom HeneghanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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ed6a45d21337b1b687cdaaaf5372ab60
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-russia/german-business-group-says-u-s-mustnt-sanction-europes-use-of-russian-gas-idUSKCN1P50SR
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German business group says U.S. mustn't sanction Europe's use of Russian gas
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German business group says U.S. mustn't sanction Europe's use of Russian gas
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - Any attempts by the United States to stop Europe buying Russian gas via additional sanctions against Moscow would be an attack on the continent’s sovereignty, a German business group said on Friday.
The United States has threatened, but not so far levied, sanctions against European companies participating in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which is being built by a consortium led by Russian state gas giant Gazprom GAZP.MM.
The pipeline, which would carry gas straight to Germany under the Baltic Sea, is driving a wedge between Germany and its allies as it would deprive Ukraine of the lucrative gas transit fees it currently enjoys.
“If the U.S. decided to sanction the use of Russian gas, that would be an attack on German and European sovereignty,” Wolfgang Buechele, chairman of the German Committee on East European Economic Relations, told a new year news conference.
Any move in that direction should draw a sharp response from Berlin, he said.
“I believe the Nord Stream 2 project is in the pure interests of not just Germany but also of Europe,” Buechele said of the pipeline, which would feed into Europe-wide gas transmission networks.
The German Committee on East European Economic Relations is an umbrella group representing German firms doing business in Eastern Europe.
Nord Stream 2 has also divided Germany's political class. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, bound by friendship to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has senior roles in the Nord Stream 2 holding company as well as at state-owned energy firms Gazprom GAZP.MM and Rosneft ROSN.MM.
Others, especially in Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, are notably cooler on the project, which, though owned by Gazprom, numbers German energy company Uniper UN01.DE and BASF-owned BASFn.DE oil company Wintershall [WINT.UL] among its financial investors.
Buechele said Europe had no alternative to Russian gas, adding that the liquefied natural gas that Washington has touted as an alternative was both more expensive and more harmful to the environment.
“We need these resources in the long term,” he said.
Germany’s manufacturing sector is heavily reliant on exports to Russia and was hard hit hard by EU and U.S. sanctions levied after Russia invaded and annexed parts of neighboring Ukraine, and again after U.S. sanctions were ratcheted up late last year.
The committee said it expected trade with Russia to stagnate this year - even as trade with neighboring Poland, with less than a third the population, reached a record high of 120 billion euros ($138 billion) last year, twice the volume of Germany’s Russia trade.
Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Thomas Escritt; Editing by Riham Alkousaa and Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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32270c808eadd6d40d4d0954a6c0823a
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-russia/germany-disconcerted-by-russian-readiness-to-cut-eu-ties-if-hit-with-sanctions-idUSKBN2AC0ZL
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Germany disconcerted by Russian readiness to cut EU ties if hit with sanctions
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Germany disconcerted by Russian readiness to cut EU ties if hit with sanctions
By Reuters Staff1 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany’s Foreign Ministry on Friday described as “disconcerting” comments from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Moscow was ready to sever ties with the European Union if the bloc hits it with new economic sanctions.
“These statements are really disconcerting and incomprehensible,” a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told a regular government news conference in Berlin. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert added: “I can only underline that.”
The ministry spokeswoman pointed to remarks by Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who did not rule out new sanctions, but at the same time stressed the importance of dialogue with Russia.
Relations between Russia and the West have come under renewed pressure over the arrest and jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, which has sparked talk of possible new sanctions.
Reporting by Paul Carrel; editing by Thomas Seythal, Kirsti KnolleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-saudi-arms-airbus/airbus-considers-legal-action-against-germany-over-saudi-ban-sources-idUSKCN1SB0JA
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Airbus considers legal action against Germany over Saudi ban: sources
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Airbus considers legal action against Germany over Saudi ban: sources
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - Airbus is considering suing the German government as its freeze on arms exports to Saudi Arabia means the company is unable to complete a border security system for the Gulf state, two people familiar with the matter said.
FILE PHOTO: The Airbus logo is pictured at Airbus headquarters in Blagnac near Toulouse, France, March 20, 2019. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo
In October, Germany decided to reject future arms exports licenses to Saudi Arabia over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and to freeze deliveries of already approved equipment - a move that infuriated allies and defense companies.
Airbus is looking at taking legal action against Berlin over the security system for the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen - a contract worth some 3 billion euros ($3.36 billion), of which around 1 billion euros remains open, the sources said.
“We are looking at an action for failure to act,” said one source familiar with the matter, speaking on Sunday on condition of anonymity. “We want to force the federal government to decide now.”
Airbus declined to comment.
The German government has said it could not comment on any potential corporate compensation claims as a result of the Saudi arms export ban until any materialize.
It was not immediately clear where in Germany or when any lawsuit would be filed.
In late March, Germany extended the ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia until the end of September, with a few exceptions.
The border system for Saudi Arabia consists of radars, drones and command posts for guards.
“We are not talking about an offensive weapon here, but about a border security system,” the source said.
Airbus, which had to make risk provisions of 300 million euros due to non-completion of the contract, feels an obligation to take legal action to show its customers, shareholders and suppliers that it is doing everything it can to complete the contract, the source said.
In February, company sources told Reuters that Airbus had decided to redesign the C295 military transport aircraft it builds in Spain to remove German components following Germany’s freeze on arms exports to Saudi Arabia.
Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Tim Hepher; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-security-arrests-idUSKBN15G406
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German prosecutor: Tunisian suspected of planning attack was asylum seeker
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German prosecutor: Tunisian suspected of planning attack was asylum seeker
By Reuters Staff1 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - The Tunisian man arrested in Germany on Wednesday on suspicion of recruiting for Islamic State and building up a network of supporters to carry out a terrorist attack was an asylum seeker, prosecutors said in a statement.
The man had already been in Germany between 2003 and April 2013 and re-entered the country as an asylum seeker in August 2015, prosecutors said.
Reporting by Michelle Martin; Editing by Joseph NasrOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-security-facebook-idUSKBN2080ZD
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Zuckerberg ready for Facebook to pay more tax as welcomes rules review
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Zuckerberg ready for Facebook to pay more tax as welcomes rules review
By Paul Carrel3 Min Read
MUNICH (Reuters) - Facebook FB.O Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg accepts that global tax reforms mean it may have to pay more taxes in different countries, excerpts of a speech he is due to deliver in Germany on Saturday show.
Cross-border tax rules are set to be rewritten after 137 states sought last month to avoid a new trade war over the global multiplication of taxes on digital services, prompted by some countries preparing to go it alone.
“I understand that there’s frustration about how tech companies are taxed in Europe. We also want tax reform and I’m glad the OECD is looking at this,” Zuckerberg is expected to tell the Munich Security Conference.
“We want the OECD process to succeed so that we have a stable and reliable system going forward. And we accept that may mean we have to pay more tax and pay it in different places under a new framework,” he added.
Amazon AMZN.O, Facebook and Google GOOGL.O have strained existing rules because they are able to book profits in low-tax countries like Ireland, no matter where their customers are.
Government officials agreed last month to negotiate new rules for where tax should be paid and what share of profit should be taxed, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said.
EUROPEAN VISIT
A growing number of countries are preparing national digital taxes in the absence of a major redrafting of the rules, despite Washington’s threat of retaliatory trade tariffs because it sees such levies as discriminatory against big U.S tech groups.
Zuckerberg’s speech excerpts gave no further details on tax rates. Facebook says it pays all the tax it should and that this has averaged more than 20% over the last five years.
In Britain, Facebook paid just 28.5 million pounds ($37.2 million) in corporation tax in 2018, despite generating a record 1.65 billion pounds in British sales, media reports said.
Tax officials have only a few months ahead of an early July deadline they set for a deal on the complex technical parameters. They aim to reach a full deal by the end of 2020.
During his visit to Europe, Zuckerberg is due to meet the EU’s digital and industry chiefs on Monday.
That comes two days before European Competition and Digital Commissioner Margrethe Vestager and Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton are set to announce the creation of a single European data market aimed at challenging the dominance of U.S. tech giants such as Facebook, Google and Amazon.
Additional reporting by Douglas Busvine in Berlin; Writing by Paul Carrel in Munich and Keith Weir in London; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-security-facebook-idUSKBN2090MA
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Treat us like something between a telco and a newspaper, says Facebook's Zuckerberg
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Treat us like something between a telco and a newspaper, says Facebook's Zuckerberg
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
MUNICH (Reuters) - Online content should be regulated with a system somewhere between the existing rules used for the telecoms and media industries, Facebook FB.O CEO Mark Zuckerberg told global leaders and security chiefs on Saturday.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Zuckerberg said Facebook had improved its work countering online election interference, and expanded on his previous calls for regulation of social media firms.
“I do think that there should be regulation on harmful content ... there’s a question about which framework you use for this,” Zuckerberg said during a question and answer session.
“Right now there are two frameworks that I think people have for existing industries - there’s like newspapers and existing media, and then there’s the telco-type model, which is ‘the data just flows through you’, but you’re not going to hold a telco responsible if someone says something harmful on a phone line.”
“I actually think where we should be is somewhere in between,” he said.
Slideshow ( 4 images )
Facebook and social media giants including Twitter TWTR.N and Alphabet's Google GOOGL.O have come under increasing pressure to better combat governments and political groups using their platforms to spread false and misleading information.
Zuckerberg said he now employed 35,000 people to review online content and implement security measures.
Those teams and Facebook’s automated technology currently suspend more than 1 million fake accounts each day, he said, adding that “the vast majority are detected within minutes of signing up.”
“Our budget is bigger today than the whole revenue of the company when we went public in 2012, when we had a billion users,” he said.
“I’m proud of the results but we will definitely have to stay vigilant.”
Reporting by Jack Stubbs and Paul Carrel; Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-security-idUSKBN13O2LJ
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Suspected Islamist who worked for German domestic spy agency arrested
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Suspected Islamist who worked for German domestic spy agency arrested
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German citizen employed by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has been arrested on accusations that he made Islamist declarations on the internet and revealed internal agency material, the agency said on Tuesday.
A spokesman for the Bundesverfassungsschutz (BfV) declined to provide details on the man’s position at the agency or say when he joined. He also declined to comment on a report in Die Welt newspaper that the 51-year-old had planned to explode a bomb at the agency’s central office in Cologne.
“There is no evidence to date that there is a concrete danger to the security of the BfV or its employees.”
“The man is accused of making Islamist statements on the Internet using a false name and of revealing internal agency material in Internet chatrooms,” he said.
The suspected mole also offered to share sensitive data about the BfV which could have endangered the agency’s work, the spokesman said, without elaborating.
Der Spiegel magazine reported on its website that the agency first became aware of the man’s activities about four weeks ago.
The spokesman said the suspect had not previously attracted attention, adding: “The man behaved inconspicuously during his employment process, training and in his area of responsibility.”
German authorities have ramped up their surveillance of potential militant Islamist groups and individuals after two attacks claimed by the Islamic State group in July.
The BfV estimates there are about 40,000 Islamists in Germany, including 9,200 ultra-conservative Islamists known as Salafists, Hans-Georg Maassen, who leads the agency, told Reuters in an interview earlier this month.
“We remain a target of Islamic terrorism and we have to assume that Islamic State or other terrorist organizations will carry out an attack in Germany if they can,” he said at the time.
Police have arrested several suspected Islamic State sympathizers in recent weeks, including a 20-year-old Syrian refugee who had tried to cross into Denmark with potential bomb-making materials.
Reporting by Andrea Shalal; editing by Ralph BoultonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-security-idUSKCN0X701U
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German spy chief says Islamic State wants to attack but no specific plot known
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German spy chief says Islamic State wants to attack but no specific plot known
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - Islamic State wants to carry out attacks in Germany and the security situation is “very serious”, the head of the country’s domestic intelligence agency (BfV) told a Sunday newspaper, adding that he knew of no concrete plot to strike.
Hans-Georg Maassen from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) gestures during an interview in Berlin, Germany August 4, 2015. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch
The militant group released a video on Tuesday suggesting it may carry out further attacks in the West after the Brussels bombings and Paris attacks, naming London, Berlin and Rome as possible targets.
Hans-Georg Maassen told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag the group wanted to carry out attacks against Germany and German interests, but added: “At the moment we don’t have any knowledge of any concrete terrorist attack plans in Germany.”
He said Islamic State propaganda was aimed at encouraging supporters to take the initiative to stage attacks in Germany.
Maassen said there were several cases linking Germans returning from Syria to attack plans and warned that the danger posed by jihadists from Germany remained “virulent”.
The newspaper cited a response from the German government to an inquiry from the opposition Greens as saying arrest warrants had been issued for 76 suspected Islamists believed to be prepared to use violence.
Of the more than 800 people security authorities know have travelled to Syria and northern Iraq from Germany in recent years, around 130 have died, it said.
Around a third of the people who have travelled to the region since 2012 are now back in Germany and about 70 of the returnees actively took part in fighting or completed military training, it added.
Maassen said Germany had avoided a big attack so far thanks to the successful work of security agencies and luck such as a bomb detonator not working properly on one or two occasions.
In 2014, a German man described as a radical Islamist was charged with planting a pipe bomb -- which never exploded -- at Bonn train station in 2012. In 2006, two suitcase bombs left by Islamist militants on trains in Cologne failed to explode.
Asked how many Islamists in Germany were considered highly dangerous, Maassen said there were about 1,100 Islamists who were seen as a potential terrorism risk.
Maassen said his agency was aware of about 300 attempts by radical Islamists to recruit refugees.
“I’m particularly concerned about the many unaccompanied minors -- this group is being deliberately targeted,” he said, adding that he saw a “huge radicalisation potential” in these attempts to recruit people.
The newspaper also said criminal Arab clans were trying to recruit refugees and quoted Sjors Kamstra, senior public prosecutor in Berlin, as saying: “The refugees come here and have no money and they’re being shown how they can get their hands on some money very quickly if they’re unskilled.”
He said many of the refugees could not speak German so were particularly susceptible to recruitment if someone addressed them in their mother tongue.
Reporting by Michelle Martin; Editing by Helen Popper and Ros RussellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-security-iran/saudis-dont-want-to-de-escalate-tensions-with-iran-zarif-says-idUSKBN2090KB
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No dialogue for now as Saudis, Iranians camp on positions
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No dialogue for now as Saudis, Iranians camp on positions
By John Irish3 Min Read
MUNICH (Reuters) - Iran and Saudi Arabia appeared no closer to bridging their differences on Saturday with both sides sticking to their positions and regional facilitator Oman seeing no breakthrough before U.S. elections in November.
FILE PHOTO: Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends a news conference following a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (not pictured) in Moscow, Russia, December 30, 2019. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina
Tensions in the Gulf region stepped up after the killing in early January of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani by the United States in Iraq. European and Arab states have since scrambled to avert a full-fledged conflict between the two sides.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud both attended the Munich Security Conference on Saturday and took part in a session on defusing tensions in the Gulf.
But the two were kept apart with Zarif even claiming that his Saudi counterpart had asked to reshuffle the schedule so that he wouldn’t have to meet him.
“I believe our neighbors, especially Saudi Arabia, do not want to (de-escalate),” Zarif said, adding that he believed Riyadh was firmly under the influence of the U.S. campaign to put maximum pressure on Tehran.
He said the Saudis had reached out to Iran after the killing of Soleimani, but when Iran had responded the contact had ended. He suggested the United States had pressured Riyadh.
When asked about possible contacts with Iran, Prince Faisal said there had been neither private messages nor direct contacts. He said the ball was in Iran’s court, especially as it had been behind attacks on the kingdom, including drone and missile strikes on its oil facilities in September.
“Our message to Iran is to change its behavior first before anything is to be discussed,” he said after Zarif had left the room thirty minutes earlier. “Until we can talk about the real sources of that instability, talk is going to be unproductive.”
After Washington withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Trump began a policy of “maximum pressure”, saying a broader deal should be negotiated on nuclear issues, Iran’s missile program and Iranian activities in the Middle East.
U.S. sanctions have crippled Iran’s economy, slashing its oil exports. Iran has long said it will not negotiate with Washington while sanctions are in place.
Zarif said French and Japanese efforts to bring Iran and the United States around the negotiating table had “fallen on deaf ears” because Trump believed Iran was on the verge of economic collapse.
“He is wrong,” Zarif said. “Everything they want is about regime change.”
Oman, often considered as a facilitator for talks between Washington and Tehran, appeared downcast on the prospects.
“The reality is there are no messages,” Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah said after meeting Zarif earlier in the day. “I’m not anticipating anything (will happen) in the next six months,” he said, referring to upcoming U.S. elections.
Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Paul Carrel and Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-security-nato-idUSKBN2AJ24G
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China's rise to define transatlantic ties, NATO chief says
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China's rise to define transatlantic ties, NATO chief says
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
FILE PHOTO: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addresses a news conference following a virtual meeting of defence ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 17, 2021. John Thys/Pool via REUTERS/
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Friday for Europe, Canada and the United States to uphold the international rules-based order that Russia and China are challenging, and described Beijing’s rising power as a defining issue.
The growing power of China is reshaping the priorities of the Atlantic alliance, which traditionally focused on the threat from Russia but now is seeking a consensus among Western nations that Beijing is no longer a benign trading partner.
“China and Russia are trying to re-write the rules of the road to benefit their own interests,” Stoltenberg told the online Munich Security Conference, which U.S. President Joe Biden addressed earlier on Friday.
“The rise of China is a defining issue for the transatlantic community, with potential consequences for our security, our prosperity and our way of life,” Stoltenberg said from Brussels via video link.
Although Russia is set to remain NATO’s main adversary during this decade, the alliance is considering including China in NATO’s official master strategy document, its “Strategic Concept”, to face up to its military rise.
The 30-member alliance could also forge closer ties with non-NATO countries such as Australia and Japan, Stoltenberg said.
Reporting by Robin Emmott; Editing by Sabine Siebold and Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-security-trial-idUSKBN15A1D2?il=0
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German court jails girl who stabbed policeman in name of Islamic State
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German court jails girl who stabbed policeman in name of Islamic State
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German court jailed a teenage German-Moroccan girl on Thursday for stabbing a policeman at a train station on the orders of Islamic State (IS) militants.
Safia S., a dual citizen aged 16, was convicted of attempted murder and being an IS supporter by a regional court in the northern city of Celle.
Her defense lawyer said he would appeal the six-year prison sentence, which he called “unquestionably high”, at the federal high court in the southwestern city of Karlsruhe.
The girl’s father, identified only as Robin S., told the newspaper chain RedaktionsNetzwerk that prosecutors carried out a “show trial” against his daughter because she was Muslim.
“If she had been a punk, she would have gotten a maximum of two years,” RND quoted the father as saying. He said the girl regretted her actions and that she deserved another chance.
Germany has been on edge over Islamist violence because of a spate of attacks over the past year, the worst being a truck that rammed into an outdoor Christmas market in Berlin on Dec. 19, killing 12 people.
During the trial, which began in October, Safia’s lawyer argued that she lacked the capacity to know she was doing wrong.
Prosecutors said Safia S. traveled to Istanbul in January last year where she met members of Islamic State, and that they planned to help her enter territory it controlled in Syria.
While in Istanbul, they said, she received orders to carry out a “martyrdom attack” in Germany, where investigators said they believe she was radicalized.
Safia’s father said the girl must have become radicalized very quickly. “You couldn’t tell anything. She was normal, like always,” he told RND. “She wore a head scarf, but she was also a fan of Justin Bieber and played soccer.”
Then aged 15, she stabbed and seriously wounded the policeman at the train station in Hanover in February after she was brought back to Germany by her mother, prosecutors said.
A now 20-year-old German-Syrian man, named only as Mohamad K., was sentenced to 2-1/2 years in prison as an accomplice after failing to inform police despite knowing of Safia’s plan.
Reporting by Michael Nienaber and Joseph Nasr editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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05fb84879529fbded613e6941023379a
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-security-usa-europe-analysis-idUSKBN15X0RM
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Washington PR offensive fails to quell Europe's anxiety over Trump
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Washington PR offensive fails to quell Europe's anxiety over Trump
By Noah Barkin6 Min Read
MUNICH (Reuters) - One month into the unusual presidency of Donald Trump, his most senior cabinet members were deployed to Brussels, Bonn and Munich this week to reassure nervous Europeans that everything would be okay.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence gestures as he arrives in Munich, Germany, February 17, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle
The Europeans heard from Defense Secretary James Mattis that the NATO military alliance was not “obsolete” after all, despite Trump’s repeated suggestions to the contrary.
And they were told by Vice President Mike Pence that Russia would be “held accountable” for its actions in Ukraine, despite Trump’s friendly overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But if the aim of the visits was to reassure Europe that the pillars of U.S. foreign policy are fully intact, they fell short of the mark, European diplomats, politicians and analysts gathered in Munich said.
“What we heard here is not reassuring,” Ruprecht Polenz, former head of the foreign affairs committee in the German parliament, told Reuters after Pence’s speech to the Munich Security Conference. “There is absolutely no vision for how we are going to work together, going forward.”
Pence was the highest-ranking member of the Trump team to travel to Europe and his address was eagerly awaited. Eight years ago in the same hall, his predecessor Joe Biden made headlines with a promise to “reset” relations with Russia.
But unlike Biden, Pence came to Munich with a fatal handicap: the perception, fueled by the circumstances surrounding the recent resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn, that he is not part of Trump’s inner circle.
“His mission was always going to be hard, but it was made even more so by the questions about his lack of influence inside the White House,” said Derek Chollet, a top defense policy adviser to former president Barack Obama who is now with the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
“ROBOTIC SALUTE”
Slideshow ( 6 images )
The vice president tried to tackle these doubts head-on by making clear at the start of his speech that he was speaking for Trump.
But then he went on to mention the president 19 times in the course of the 20-minute speech, prompting one audience member, the author and historian Robert Kagan, to dismiss the address as a “robotic salute to the man in power”.
“Pence and Mattis and Tillerson can come here and talk about the importance of the transatlantic relationship and NATO - and that is all good,” said Elmar Brok, head of the foreign affairs committee of the European Parliament and a party ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“But we don’t know what’s coming on Twitter tomorrow morning,” he said, referring to Trump’s penchant for spilling out policy statements via social media.
Flynn’s resignation has deepened the mystery over who Trump will listen to on foreign policy, although his chief strategist Steve Bannon and son-in-law Jared Kushner are both seen as influential.
One European diplomat likened the challenge of figuring out who to listen to in the Trump administration to the task of “Kremlinologists” during the Cold War.
Ulrich Speck, a foreign policy analyst at the Elcano think tank in Brussels, said the conundrum that Henry Kissinger evoked when he famously asked who he should call when he wanted to talk to “Europe” seemed to have been turned on its head.
“Now Europe is asking who it should call if it wants to talk to the United States,” Speck said.
Besides his reassurances on NATO and Russia relations, Pence tried to assuage fears that the United States is moving away from democratic values under Trump, who has attacked the media and judiciary repeatedly since taking power a month ago.
“This is President Trump’s promise,” Pence said. “We will stand with Europe, today and every day, because we are bound together by the same noble ideals – freedom, democracy, justice, and the rule of law.”
EU SUPPORT
This message was welcomed, but others went down poorly.
Pence raised eyebrows by suggesting that the nuclear deal between the world’s major powers and Iran, which has strong support across Europe, was freeing up resources for Tehran to promote terrorism.
And his repeated references to “radical Islamic terrorism” irked some who feel the Trump administration is targeting all Muslims in its fight against extremists. Merkel explicitly warned against this in a speech just before Pence spoke.
Some audience members were also dismissive of Pence’s promise to relegate Islamic State to the “ash-heap of history”, saying such hyperbolic rhetoric was better suited to a U.S. election campaign than a European audience.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault expressed his displeasure with the fact that Pence had not sent a message of support for the European Union, something Munich organizer Wolfgang Ischinger had called on the vice president to do before the conference.
Trump has praised Britain’s decision to leave the EU and suggested other countries follow, stirring concerns that he could abandon decades of U.S. policy and actively encourage the disintegration of the 28-member bloc.
“I was struck that he never mentioned the EU,” said Ayrault.
Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton and John Irish; Editing by Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-security-verizon/german-government-cancels-verizon-contract-in-wake-of-u-s-spying-row-idUSKBN0F11WJ20140626
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German government cancels Verizon contract in wake of U.S. spying row
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German government cancels Verizon contract in wake of U.S. spying row
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government has cancelled a contract with U.S. telecoms firm Verizon Communications Inc VZ.N as part of an overhaul of its internal communications, prompted by revelations last year of U.S. government spying.
A sign of Verizon Wireless is seen at its store in Westminster, Colorado April 26, 2009. REUTERS/Rick Wilking
Reports based on disclosures by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden alleged Washington had conducted mass surveillance in Germany and had even eavesdropped on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone.
Berlin subsequently demanded talks with Washington on a “no-spy” deal, but these collapsed after the United States appeared unwilling to give the assurances Germany wanted.
Germany also launched an overhaul of its internal communications and secure government networks. This is one of the first actions involving a U.S. firm to result.
“The pressures on networks as well as the risks from highly developed viruses or Trojans are rising,” Germany’s Interior Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
“Furthermore, the ties revealed between foreign intelligence agencies and firms in the wake of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) affair show that the German government needs a very high level of security for its critical networks.”
Verizon has been providing network infrastructure for the German government’s Berlin-Bonn network, used for communication between ministries, since 2010, the statement said. The contract is set to expire in 2015.
The government said Deutsche Telekom AG DTEGn.DE would replace services provided by Verizon, and noted Deutsche Telekom was already responsible for the most sensitive communications between ministries or between the government and German intelligence agencies.
Information on the value of the contract was not immediately available.
According to reports and documents published last year, Verizon was obliged to turn over international and domestic calling records of its customers to U.S. intelligence agencies.
Verizon is the second-biggest U.S. telephone company behind AT&T Inc T.N in terms of revenue.
Detlef Eppig, head of Verizon’s German unit Verizon Germany said on Thursday: “Verizon Germany is a German company and we comply with German law.”
Verizon did not receive any demands from Washington in 2013 for data stored in other countries, the company said.
“The U.S. government cannot compel us to produce our customers’ data stored in data centres outside the U.S., and if it attempts to do so, we would challenge that attempt in a court,” it added.
The firm declined to comment on whether there had been requests in previous years.
Reporting by Thorsten Severin; Additional reporting by Marina Lopes in Washington D.C.; Writing by Alexandra Hudson; Editing by David Holmes and Eric WalshOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-security/the-west-is-winning-u-s-tells-china-france-wary-idUSKBN20908M
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'The West is winning,' U.S. tells China; France wary
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'The West is winning,' U.S. tells China; France wary
By Robin Emmott, John Irish4 Min Read
MUNICH (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended on Saturday his nation’s global role despite misgivings in Europe, vowing that Western values would prevail over Russian and Chinese desires for “empire”.
Seeking to reassure Europeans troubled by U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America first” rhetoric, his ambivalence over the NATO military alliance and tariffs on European goods, Pompeo said there was no crisis in Western leadership.
“I’m happy to report that the death of the transatlantic alliance is grossly exaggerated. The West is winning, and we’re winning together,” he said in a speech at the Munich Security Conference, listing U.S. steps to protect liberal democracies.
Pompeo’s Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, accused him of telling “lies, not based on facts” about Beijing’s intentions.
Pompeo had been, in part, responding to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who on Friday accused the United States, Russia and China of making the world more dangerous.
French President Emmanuel Macron told the conference of international leaders, lawmakers and diplomats he was not surprised by Steinmeier’s speech and had liked it.
“We cannot be the United States’ junior partner,” Macron said, adding that while he supported NATO, Europe needed to be able to tackle threats in its neighborhood and at times act independently of Washington.
“I’m impatient for European solutions,” Macron said.
Trump’s decision to pull out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, as well as the Paris climate accord, have undermined European priorities, while moves such as recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital have weakened European diplomacy, envoys say.
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Pompeo defended the U.S. strategy, saying Europe, Japan and other American allies were united on China, Iran and Russia, despite “tactical differences.”
Pompeo, however, reiterated Washington’s opposition to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline under construction between Russia and Germany under the Baltic Sea, a project backed by the government of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Citing Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, cyber threats in Iran and economic coercion by China, Pompeo said those countries were still “desiring empires” and destabilizing the rules-based international system.
Wang responded to Pompeo by saying: “All these accusations against China are lies, not based on facts.”
But he added that Beijing was willing to sit down with Washington for “serious dialogue” and seek a less confrontational relationship.
POLICY OF DEFIANCE
Macron said the West’s policy of defiance toward Russia in recent years had failed and, as nobody wanted to confront Moscow directly, the only option was to have a closer dialogue to resolve differences.
“I hear the defiance of all our partners, I’m not mad, but I know that being defiant and weak ... is not a policy, it’s a completely inefficient system,” Macron told the conference.
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“There is a second choice, which is to be demanding and restart a strategic dialogue because today we talk less and less, conflicts multiply and we aren’t able to resolve them, he added.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, who spoke immediately after Pompeo, focused his remarks solely on China, accusing Beijing of a “nefarious strategy” through telecommunications firm Huawei.
“It is essential that we as an international community wake up to the challenges presented by Chinese manipulation of the long-standing international rules-based order,” Esper said.
He said Washington is working with technology companies in the United States and allied nations to develop alternatives to Chinese 5G vendors and is testing them at U.S. military bases.
He added that it was not too late for Britain, which last month said it would allow Huawei a limited role in building its 5G networks, to take “two steps back,” but said he still needed to assess London’s decision.
Additional reporting by Paul Carrel; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Helen PopperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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5c42c24830a7ea694d35ff5661d9e0f0
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-shooting-motive-idUSKBN20E11R
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German state minister: Shooter had xenophobic motive, his mother is dead
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German state minister: Shooter had xenophobic motive, his mother is dead
By Reuters Staff1 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - The interior minister of the German state of Hesse said on Thursday that there was a xenophobic motive to the shooting in Hanau and said the suspected perpetrator and his mother had been found dead with shot wounds at his home.
Peter Beuth said investigations were ongoing as to whether there were any letters of confession - on which newspaper Bild has reported. He added that he could not say who was visiting the shisha bars at the time of attack.
Beuth said the perpetrator was in legal possession of arms and was a sports marksman.
Reporting by Michelle Martin; Editing by Paul CarrelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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f09cca569317befcb127a7d46f0a821f
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-shooting-trial/german-court-sentences-synagogue-gunman-to-life-in-prison-idUSKBN28V1PI?via=webuproar
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German court sentences synagogue gunman to life in prison
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German court sentences synagogue gunman to life in prison
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German court on Monday sentenced a man to life in prison for killing two people in a shooting attack near a synagogue in eastern Germany on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur last year.
The Naumburg Higher Regional Court found the man, referred to by authorities only as Stephan B., guilty of murder, attempted murder and incitement, a court spokesman said.
Stephan B., who live-streamed the shooting in the city of Halle on the internet, had confessed to the crime and to a far-right, anti-Semitic motivation.
Prosecutors said he aimed to kill as many as possible of the more than 50 worshippers inside the synagogue. Only his poor aim and the unreliability of his homemade firearms spared nine other people from being wounded during his half-hour rampage, according to the intended victims.
Life imprisonment in Germany has an indeterminate length and can be changed to parole after 15 years.
But the court’s sentence includes a provision for preventive detention, which denies release after the completion of the prison sentence to protect the public from dangerous offenders.
The World Jewish Congress welcomed the ruling.
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“I commend the German justice system for imposing the harshest possible sentence on a heartless, vicious anti-Semite who attempted to murder Jews in a synagogue on the holiest day of the Jewish year, and took the lives of two innocent people who happened to be in his way,” WJC President Ronald Lauder said.
“The speed, follow-through and decisiveness of this trial is a definitive example of how the judicial system must respond to such horrific violence, making crystal-clear there is no place for such hateful, harmful rhetoric or behaviour in society.”
Anti-Semitic crimes are particularly sensitive in Germany due to the legacy of the Holocaust.
Their number rose by 13% last year, the interior minister said in May, blaming right-wing radicals.
Reporting by Kirsti Knolle and Michael Nienaber; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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272b2b8071aaad787815d47ae5ba47ee
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-stabbing-islamic-state-idUSKBN12U06D?il=0
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Germany looking into claimed Islamic State link after fatal stabbing
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Germany looking into claimed Islamic State link after fatal stabbing
By Michael Nienaber3 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is looking into a claim by Islamic State that one of its followers was responsible for a fatal stabbing in the German city of Hamburg two weeks ago in which a young couple were attacked.
A spokesman for the Federal Public Prosecutor said on Sunday investigators were checking the claim in a statement published by the militant group’s Amaq news agency over the weekend.
“We are looking into this and are evaluating the credibility of the content,” the spokesman said. He noted that it appeared a bit unusual that the claim was published two weeks after the attack. “This differs somewhat from the pattern,” he said.
The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, which is responsible for investigating crimes concerning national security, will decide in coming days if it has grounds to take over from local authorities, he added.
In the attack, an unknown perpetrator set upon a young couple sitting under a bridge at the Alster river in central Hamburg. He stabbed the 16-year-old man repeatedly from behind and kicked his 15-year-old female companion into the river.
The stabbing victim died of his injuries shortly afterwards in hospital while the young woman managed to escape.
In its claim of responsibility, the group said: “A soldier of the Islamic State stabbed two individuals in Hamburg city on the 16th of this month. He carried out the operation in response to calls to target the citizens of coalition countries.”
A police spokeswoman in Hamburg said local investigators were checking the statement and its credibility, but she added that the claim of responsibility raised a number of questions.
“At this point, it is important to point out that the murder squad is still investigating in all directions,” she said.
In a statement issued shortly after the attack, police had said the attacker was of “southern appearance”, aged between 23 and 25 years, with stubble. They added the background of the attack was unknown.
Experts say it is not clear how close the connection is between groups and individuals proclaiming allegiance to the Islamic State militant group.
The Islamist organization is increasingly under pressure from regional and international forces in its Middle East heartland of Syria and Iraq.
In July, the group claimed responsibility for two attacks in the German state of Bavaria - one on a train near Wuerzburg and the other at a music festival in Ansbach that wounded 20 people.
In mid-October, police arrested a Syrian refugee suspected of planning a bomb attack on an airport in Berlin. The 22-year-old man committed suicide in prison shortly after his arrest.
Officials said Jaber Albakr spoke to a member of Islamic State in Syria by telephone about a possible target a day before German police discovered explosives in his apartment.
Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Susan Fenton and Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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b9301373651f7828f01bf0e8f66851c5
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-swinefever-oie/germany-should-ring-fence-swine-fever-outbreak-to-limit-trade-fallout-oie-idUKKBN26129T?edition-redirect=uk
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Germany should ring-fence swine fever outbreak to limit trade fallout: OIE
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Germany should ring-fence swine fever outbreak to limit trade fallout: OIE
By Sybille de La Hamaide3 Min Read
PARIS (Reuters) - Germany should follow Belgium’s example and contain the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) locally to wild animals to limit trade restrictions on pigmeat exports, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Thursday.
FILE PHOTO: Pigs are pictured at an ecological pig farm in Germering west of Munich, southern Germany, January 12, 2011. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle
A case of ASF has been confirmed in a wild boar near the German-Polish border in the state of Brandenburg, raising concern that some countries will impose import bans on German pigmeat or from regions where it has been found.
ASF is harmless to humans but deadly for pigs and outbreaks in eastern Europe and China have severely disrupted the pork industry there.
“It is very bad news but the fact that it is in a wild animal and not on a farm and that the outbreak is close to Poland which is already infected is less problematic,” Monique Eloit, Director General of the Paris-based OIE, told Reuters.
“Still, having ASF in wild animals maintains a high risk that it passes to a farm,” she said.
Germany is one of the European Union’s top pigmeat exporters along with Spain and its main export markets are China and South Korea.
Asian countries including China regularly impose bans on pork from regions where ASF has been discovered, causing painful loss of business. South Korea has already said it would ban pork leaving Germany from Sept. 10 onwards.
Belgium, which discovered an outbreak of ASF in 2018, set up a large no-go zone around the outbreak to control wild boar and allowed shooting to lower the number of animals.
It also built a fence to avoid it spreading to France.
This prevented geographic spread and it reaching farms, so Belgium was able to re-open some export markets including India, Vietnam and Singapore.
“I would think that the Germans will do the same. They have been preparing themselves for a while. They saw that the eastern front was approaching,” she said.
The state of Brandenburg said it will impose a 15-km quarantine zone around the area where the case was found and banned hunting while a search for any more dead wild boar is made.
Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; editing by Gus Trompiz and David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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26bc26c6190f6ea6638501524c05430e
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-swinefever/germany-and-poland-discuss-new-action-to-prevent-swine-fever-idUSKBN1ZK186
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Germany and Poland discuss new action to prevent swine fever
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Germany and Poland discuss new action to prevent swine fever
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
HAMBURG (Reuters) - Germany and Poland are discussing new action to prevent the spread of the pig disease African swine fever (ASF) in wild boars in Poland close to the German border including border fences and increased hunting of the animals, Germany’s agriculture ministry said on Tuesday.
FILE PHOTO: Pigs are seen in a piggery at a village near Warsaw April 10, 2014. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo
Poland recorded 55 outbreaks of ASF in wild boars in December, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said. The disease was found only 30 kilometers from Germany, one of Europes major pork exporters.
ASF is harmless to humans but often deadly in pigs. It originated in Africa before spreading to Europe and Asia and has already killed hundreds of million pigs, while reshaping global meat and feed markets.
Asian countries including China regularly impose import bans on pork from regions where it has been discovered, causing huge loss of business for meat exporters. Wild boars are spreading ASF and there are fears infected animals could bring the disease into Germany, threatening Germany’s huge pork exports to China.
Germany’s agriculture minister Julia Kloeckner and Polish agriculture minister Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski met in Berlin and agreed new measures to jointly contain the ASF outbreak in Poland and prevent it spreading to Germany, the German agriculture ministry said.
“Discussions include setting up a fenced corridor along the border to prevent infected wild boar moving into Germany,” the ministry said.
The two countries will discuss whether Germany’s civil defense force should help setting up fencing.
German regional state governments in Brandenburg and Saxony have already started building fences along the Polish border in an attempt to stop infected wild boar roaming into Germany.
The two ministers also agreed to prepare a joint statement about “a drastic reduction in the wild boar density, for example through shooting as an effective preventative measure.”
Germany has already relaxed some restrictions on wild boar hunting.
Germany’s government is also considering new regulations allowing temporary anti-wild boar fencing to be set up to seal off an area should a case be found in Germany, the ministry added.
Reporting by Michael Hogan, editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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b5eb72df2a9c1cb8b1c1a636e8da840b
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-telecoms-5g-government/germany-wont-bar-any-5g-vendors-on-up-front-basis-spokesman-idUKKBN1WT1CP?edition-redirect=uk
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Germany won't bar any 5G vendors on up-front basis: spokesman
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Germany won't bar any 5G vendors on up-front basis: spokesman
By Reuters Staff1 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has set rules governing 5G mobile networks that will not exclude any equipment vendors on an up-front basis, government spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Monday.
“Essentially our approach is as follows: We are not taking a pre-emptive decision to ban any actor, or any company,” Seibert told a news conference.
Officials said that a detailed ‘security catalogue’, setting technical and governance criteria for 5G networks, would be published shortly.
Reporting by Douglas Busvine; editing by Thomas SeythalOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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f698c6c9be4ce6051d026c6833c743e6
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-trial-bvb/bombs-were-for-money-not-to-kill-borussia-dortmund-suspect-says-idUSKBN1EX1KW
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Bombs were for money, not to kill, Borussia Dortmund suspect says
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Bombs were for money, not to kill, Borussia Dortmund suspect says
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German-Russian man admitted on Monday that he had staged bomb attacks on the team bus of Borussia Dortmund football team last April but said he had done so only as part of a money-making scheme and not to harm or kill anyone, his lawyer said.
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The 28-year-old man, identified as Sergei W., has been charged with 28 counts of attempted murder for detonating the roadside bombs in a plan to reap profit when the club’s share price dropped.
He could face life imprisonment if convicted.
The team were heading to the club’s stadium for a Champions League match against AS Monaco on April 11 when the explosives detonated. The club’s Spanish defender, Marc Bartra, was wounded and the match was delayed by a day.
Defense lawyer Carl Heydenreich told journalists outside a state court in Dortmund that his client deeply regretted what he had done and that he had planned the attacks to trigger a fall in BVB’s share price from which he could profit.
It had not been his intention to harm anyone.
Prosecutors have said the defendant bought about 44,000 euros ($52,700) worth of options on the day of the attack which he could have sold at a profit when the share price dropped.
“Whether it’s greed. This is the question. He said he acted for financial reasons,” Heydenreich said as his client stood before the court.
“I believe it’s not conceivable that someone using this kind of equipment can then say ‘I’m just doing it to scare people’ and then benefit from it,” said Alfons Becker, the club’s lawyer, referring to the explosives the accused had planted.
($1 = 0.8352 euros)
Reporting By Reuters TV; Writing by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Richard BalmforthOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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bdb8b15a2e8b5b85d71773862f849c79
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-truck-identity-idUSKBN1491FP?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29
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Berlin police uncertain arrested Pakistani was truck driver
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Berlin police uncertain arrested Pakistani was truck driver
By Reuters Staff1 Min Read
A general view shows the scene where a truck ploughed into a crowded Christmas market in the German capital last night in Berlin, Germany, December 20, 2016 REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch
BERLIN (Reuters) - The Berlin police chief said on Tuesday it was not clear if the Pakistani man arrested after a deadly trunk rampage at a Christmas market was the driver of the vehicle.
“As far as I know it is in fact uncertain whether that really was the driver,” said Berlin Police President Klaus Kandt.
Berlin police said on Twitter that they were being vigilant as the suspect had denied involvement in the incident, which police have said was a deliberate attack.
“The temporary arrested suspect denies the offense,” Berlin police tweeted in English. “Therefore we are particularly alert. Please be also alert,” they urged the public.
Reporting by Michelle Martin and Paul Carrel; Writing by Joseph NasrOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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b6880579d60900841c01f5079bbc0106
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https://www.reuters.com/article/southkorea-usa-military-idUSL3N2804OK
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Trump considering withdrawing up to 4,000 U.S. troops from South Korea -report
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Trump considering withdrawing up to 4,000 U.S. troops from South Korea -report
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
SEOUL, Nov 21 (Reuters) - The United States is considering withdrawing an armed forces brigade from South Korea if Seoul does not agree to a U.S. demand to contribute more to the cost of stationing troops in the country, a South Korean newspaper reported on Thursday.
The United States broke off talks with South Korea on Tuesday after demanding Seoul raise its annual contribution for U.S. troop costs to $5 billion, over five times what it is currently paying, according to South Korean lawmakers.
U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted that South Korea pay more - and has also suggested pulling the troops out altogether.
“I understand that the U.S. is preparing to withdraw one brigade in case negotiations with South Korea do not go as well as President Trump wants,” a diplomatic source in Washington with knowledge of the negotiations was cited as saying by South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.
There are about 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea. A brigade is about 3,000-4,000 troops, Chosun said, and a potential reduction would be within the bounds of the National Defence Authorization Act for fiscal year 2019, passed by the U.S. Congress.
None of the funds authorized by the act may be used to reduce the total number of U.S. military in South Korea below 22,000 unless the Secretary of Defense certifies the necessity to Congress committees.
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun said on Wednesday he believed the United States should continue to station troops in South Korea, when asked if he would continue to advocate for the presence of U.S. military personnel in the country if he is confirmed as Deputy Secretary of State.
“South Korea is among our most important alliance partners. That doesn’t mean anybody gets a free ride. We have a tough burden-sharing negotiation that we’re in the middle of with the South Koreans,” Biegun said. (Reporting by Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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b40fd7ec2672dddfa922a471aeb98186
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https://www.reuters.com/article/southkorea-yanolja-investment/south-korean-firm-yanolja-that-reinvented-love-hotels-gets-booking-gic-funding-idINKCN1TB2KB?edition-redirect=in
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South Korean firm Yanolja that reinvented love hotels gets Booking, GIC funding
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South Korean firm Yanolja that reinvented love hotels gets Booking, GIC funding
By Hyunjoo Jin5 Min Read
SEOUL (Reuters) - Yanolja’s gentrification of South Korean love hotels has brought the company a valuation of more than $1 billion from investors keen to capitalize on the globalization of a novel approach to short-stay accommodation, its chief executive told Reuters.
The budget hotel and online booking platform operator reached the valuation having secured $180 million from U.S. peer Booking Holdings Inc and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte Ltd, Yanolja confirmed on Tuesday.
It aims to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) as early as next year, CEO Kim Jong-yoon said in an earlier interview.
“I can proudly say we transformed the industry.”
Yanolja’s emergence comes at a time of flux among hoteliers with legislators at loggerheads with market disruptors such as Airbnb Inc - through which private homeowners can let rooms for short-term stay - while a government campaign to reduce working hours promises to free up more leisure time for short breaks.
Love hotels have occupied a peculiar space in the broader market, offering privacy for as little as a few hours at minimal cost for, for instance, young couples living with their parents.
However, a popular association with extramarital affairs, prostitution and hidden cameras has sullied their reputation, exacerbated by their often garish decor and muted lighting.
A couple looks at South Korea's accommodation-booking app on a mobile phone during a photo opportunity in Seoul, South Korea May 17, 2019. REUTERS /Hyunyoung Yi
Yanolja - meaning “Hey, let’s play” - sought to dispel any stigma with its bright, modern franchised budget hotels, targeting millennial couples but also budget tourists seeking short-term accommodation.
“Previously, many people were not able to go to motels out of embarrassment,” Kim said. “But we’ve drawn in guests even for travel. That’s the biggest change.”
The firm, which began as an online search portal for love hotels, also lists hotel, pension and guest house rooms on its website at prices ranging from 50,000 won ($41.86) a night at budget hotel Ben-Hur to 200,000 won at five-star Hyatt.
It has entered a strategic partnership with Booking whereby the latter’s Agoda brand can list Yanolja accommodation, while Yanolja customers will be able to book worldwide through Agoda and other Booking brands, Yanolja said in a Tuesday statement.
Booking and GIC were not immediately available for comment.
Yanolja has become the eighth South Korean unicorn to have valuation of more than $1 billion, in a country dominated by large conglomerates like Samsung and Hyundai.
“It’s a unique example which breaks away from the traditional notion of love hotels,” said tourism professor Lee Hoon at Hanyang University in Seoul.
“But the domestic market is not big enough. Yanolja can survive only if it goes global and scales up,” Lee said.
Yanolja aims to expand in hotels in Southeast Asia where it invested $15 million in ZEN Rooms last year, bringing it into competition with Indian budget hotel operator Oyo, backed by Airbnb and Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp.
“We are very keen to go global,” said Kim.
MAJOR SHIFT
Yanolja was founded in 2005 by former love hotel housekeeper and valet Lee Su-jin, whose search portal evolved into an advertising platform for love hotel operators seeking to replace customers lost after the 2004 passing of an anti-prostitution law.
A decade later, Yanolja claimed to be the first company to offer a reservation platform for mobile phones for its own and others’ love hotels, a major shift in an industry which relied on walk-in customers.
The platform allowed it to expand its target guests to shoe-string travelers from home and abroad, in a country where Airbnb-type options are limited to foreign guests. Listings later ballooned as hoteliers turned to Yanolja to fill rooms after a political dispute caused a drop in Chinese demand.
South Korea’s online travel sales nearly doubled in five years through 2018 to $21.8 billion, Euromonitor data provided to Reuters showed. Sales by mobile made up nearly half of the total, the third-biggest proportion globally, Euromonitor said.
Yanolja’s revenue nearly doubled to 188.5 billion won last year, from a year earlier, but the firm is still losing money on a consolidated basis, said CEO Kim. It aims to sell shares in an IPO by 2022 at the latest, he said.
Yanolja intends to increase offerings and raise efficiency through technology such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things, in a hotel industry Kim deemed conservative.
“The accommodation market is huge in South Korea and overseas, and there is enormous opportunity for change,” said Kim, formerly of McKinsey & Co, 3M Co and Alphabet Inc’s Google. “This is just a beginning.”
Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin with additional reporting by Heekyong Yang; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Grant McCool/Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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5a0116d25595353a395bc90e53bba45f
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https://www.reuters.com/article/southsudan-oil/update-1-south-sudan-resumes-pumping-20000-bpd-from-oilfield-suspended-since-2013-sudan-idUSL8N1VI0J2
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UPDATE 1-South Sudan resumes pumping 20,000 bpd from oilfield suspended since 2013 - Sudan
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UPDATE 1-South Sudan resumes pumping 20,000 bpd from oilfield suspended since 2013 - Sudan
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
(Adds details from trip to oilfields)
KHARTOUM, Aug 27 (Reuters) - South Sudan has resumed pumping 20,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude from the Toma South oilfield, where production had been suspended since 2013, the Sudanese oil minister Azhari Abdulqader said. Production at five of the previously suspended oilfields was expected to reach 80,000 bpd after maintenance work is completed by the end of the year, Abdulqader told a news conference in Khartoum.
South Sudan’s oil output currently stands at 130,000 bpd and is expected to reach 210,000 bpd by year-end, he added.
South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 when output peaked at 350,000 bpd but two years later plunged into civil war. At the time fighting started, production was at about 245,000 barrels per day.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced an estimated quarter of South Sudan’s population of 12 million and ruined its economy that heavily relies on crude oil production.
South Sudan’s oil is shipped to international markets via a pipeline through Sudan.
The area in which Toma South oilfields lie saw the most intense fighting between rebels and government troops, damaging oil production facilities.
During a visit on Saturday to Toma South, some 20 miles to the border with Sudan, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, South Sudan’s Oil Minister, said the resumption of production in blocks 1, 2 and 4, will bring an additional output of 45,000 barrels per day.
He said the operator of the fields, Greater Nile Petroleum Operation Company, and staff from his ministry were working to ensure full production.
“They will be here in Toma South working seven days a week, 24 hours a day to make sure that the production is not interrupted and also to make sure the central processing facility is operational,” Gatkuoth said.
The return to production and pumping is part of a cease fire and power-sharing agreement that was reached earlier this month when President Salva Kiir, rebel leader Riek Machar and other rebel groups signed a peace deal meant to end the civil war. “I can tell everyone, the production can be more if peace is there and if we are determined to nourished it,” Abdulqader said. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelziz, Additional reporting by Denis Dumo; writing by Sami Aboudi and George Obulutsa)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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2728961392cf9299a3613e7a1308448a
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https://www.reuters.com/article/space-business-idUSN1217919220100412
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Global space business grew 7 pct to $262 bln in '09
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Global space business grew 7 pct to $262 bln in '09
By Andrea Shalal-Esa5 Min Read
* Market grew 40 pct in five years
* Government space budgets grew 16 pct from 2008
* Forecasts more reliance on commercial services
WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - The global space business grew to $261.6 billion in 2009, expanding 7 percent from 2008 and 40 percent over the past five years at a time when other industries were slammed by recession, according to a report released Monday by the nonprofit Space Foundation.
The industry continued expanding in early 2010, reflecting greater demand for a wide range of space-related products and services -- including low-cost GPS hardware embedded in cars and phones, communications services, and control of a growing number of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Recent increases in space spending by the U.S. government and its use of more commercial services bodes well for the industry at large, according to the report, which was released at the annual National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.
“As the second half century of the space age gets under way, the future of global space activities looks as diverse as it does bright,” the report said. “This generation of space activity will solidify the role of commercial space while expanding the global reach of the industry.”
The companies in the Space Foundation Index shared in the general stock market recovery in 2009, returning by mid-March 2010 to their levels of June 2005. The Index tracks the stock market performance of companies that derive a large amount of revenue from space-related assets and activities.
Companies in the index include Alliant Techsystems Inc ATK.N, Boeing Co BA.N, Computer Sciences Corp CSC.N, GenCorp Inc GY.N, Harris Corp HRS.N, Lockheed Martin Corp LMT.N, Loral Space & Communications Inc LORL.O, Northrop Grumman Corp NOC.N, Raytheon Co RTN.N, Comtech Telecommunications Corp CMTL.O, EchoStar Corp SATS.O, Iridium Communications Inc IRDM.O British Sky Broadcasting Group BSY.L, and Sirius XM Radio Inc SIRI.O.
The report pointed to a growing role for the private sector through increased public-private partnerships, greater reliance on commercial services, and continued space technology spinoffs into non-space industries.
Research on board the International Space Station (ISS), and increasing government space activity around the world were two burgeoning sectors with near-term commercial potential.
USING SPACE TO FIND CHEAP GAS ON EARTH
“The variety and number of activities will likely grow, as space products and services are integrated deeply into consumer electronics and daily necessities,” the report said.
Consumers were already using space-enabled services to find the nearest -- and cheapest -- gas station, or pre-order lunch from a nearby restaurant, and more such applications were likely to emerge in coming years.
Growing use of unmanned vehicles, which rely on space-enabled communications and positioning links, would also offer new opportunities for the space industry, it said.
Commercial satellite services increased 8 percent to $90.58 billion in 2009, representing about 35 percent of the global space economy; while global government spending on space increased 16 percent in 2009 to $86.17 billion, accounting for 33 percent of the space economy, according to the report.
U.S. government space spending increased 11 percent to $64.42 billion in 2009, boosted in part by $1.23 billion in stimulus spending directed toward space activities.
The report included for the first time data on government space budgets for the European Union, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Nigeria and South Africa, reflecting the continued growth of the space economy outside of the United States.
Spending on space infrastructure, including launch services, spacecraft manufacturing and ground equipment totaled $83.63 billion in 2009, or about 32 percent of the overall market.
Launch rates increased 42 percent from 2005 to 2009, with Russia leading with 37 percent of the 78 launches reported, followed by 31 percent for the United States, 9 percent for Europe, 8 percent for China and 5 percent for a consortium that comprises U.S., Russian, Ukrainian and Norwegian interests.
Japan, India, North Korea and South Korea each had less than 4 percent of the launches, the report said. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa. editing by Maureen Bavdek)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/space-exploration-china-mars-factbox/mission-to-mars-the-race-for-the-red-planet-idINKCN24O08P?edition-redirect=in
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Mission to Mars: the race for the Red Planet
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Mission to Mars: the race for the Red Planet
By Reuters Staff4 Min Read
(Reuters) - China is scheduled to launch an unmanned probe to Mars on Thursday, aiming to demonstrate its technological prowess as it makes a bid for global leadership in space with its first independent mission to visit another planet. [nL3N2EU04F]
Here are some facts about missions to Mars by China and other countries:
- China’s unmanned Mars probe, named Tianwen-1 after “Tianwen”, or “Questions to Heaven”, comprises an orbiter, lander and rover to be delivered by the powerful Long March 5 rocket. If successful, it will make China the first country to orbit, land and deploy a rover in its inaugural mission.
- The Long March 5’s journey through space will take about seven months, while landing will take seven minutes. China’s probe will carry several scientific instruments to observe the planet’s atmosphere and surface, searching for signs of water and ice.
- In 2003, China became the third country to put a man in space with its own rocket after the former Soviet Union and the United States. In 2011, a joint Mars mission with Russia failed when the Russian spacecraft carrying the probe failed to exit the Earth’s orbit and disintegrated over the Pacific Ocean.
(Open here in an external browser to see a collection of graphics on space missions)
- Six spacecraft are currently orbiting Mars - three American, two European and one Indian. NASA has two operational spacecraft on the surface.
- The United Arab Emirates launched its first mission to Mars, the Hope Probe, from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center on July 20. The first Arab mission to the Red Planet, it is due to arrive there in seven months and head into orbit to gather atmospheric data.
- NASA has already sent 4 Martian rovers to the Red Planet, having learned crucial lessons from the Curiosity rover that landed on the planet’s surface in 2012 and continues to traverse a Martian plain southeast of 820-foot-deep (250-meter-deep) Jezero Crater, once thought to have been a lake the size of Lake Tahoe.
- NASA’s InSight spacecraft, the first robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of a distant world, touched down safely on the surface of Mars in November 2018 with instruments to detect planetary seismic rumblings never measured anywhere but Earth.
- NASA is planning the launch of a fifth rover, named Perseverance, this year. Four-wheeled and car-sized, the robotic rover will scour the base of Mars’ Jezero Crater, once the craft lands in February 2021. The mission will carry equipment that can turn carbon dioxide, which is pervasive on Mars, into oxygen for breathing and for use as a propellant.
- The Soviet Union is the only other country to successfully land a rover on Mars. In 2016, a European space probe was destroyed on impact when it attempted a surface landing. Attempts by China and Japan to send orbiters around Mars were unsuccessful. Another launch initially planned for this year, the EU-Russian ExoMars, was postponed for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Compiled by Karishma Singh; edited by Jane WardellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spacex-funding-idUSL4N2K3520
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SpaceX finalizing new funding round at minimum valuation of $60 bln- Business Insider
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SpaceX finalizing new funding round at minimum valuation of $60 bln- Business Insider
By Reuters Staff1 Min Read
Jan 28 (Reuters) - Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX is nearing a funding round in February that could value the company at a minimum of $60 billion, Business Insider reported on Thursday, citing three people familiar with the matter.
The latest round is expected to price each share between $325 and $350, the report said. (bit.ly/39rlnoU)
The company was previously valued at $46 billion in a funding round in August, according to the report.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya SoniOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spain-banks-idUSL8N1CY21I
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UPDATE 2-Spain's downtrodden banks show glimmers of light in mixed quarter
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UPDATE 2-Spain's downtrodden banks show glimmers of light in mixed quarter
By 4 Min Read
* Caixabank’s Q3 net profit up 15 pct, beats forecasts
* Sabadell’s Q3 net profit down 3 pct, beats forecasts
* Popular posts tiny Q3 profit, shares down 7 pct
* Lenders improve capital ratios, NII stabilizes (Adds analyst comment, share prices, details)
By Jesús Aguado and Angus Berwick
MADRID, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Spanish banks showed some signs of recovery on Friday with Caixabank, the country’s third largest lender, bucking a trend of shrinking European lending margins and beating profit forecasts.
However, the market punished Spanish problem child, Banco Popular, for posting worse-than-expected lending income and withholding bad loan figures mid-way through cleaning up its toxic property portfolio.
By contrast, Caixabank, along with mid-sized Banco Sabadell , both posted improvements to their bad loan and capital positions as they continue to repair balance sheets battered by years of economic and financial strife.
All three banks have seen their lending income, which makes up the bulk of their revenues, steadily slip over the past year due to the ultra low interest rate environment and a price war in Spain that has spurred a wave of cost cutting.
The shrinking pool of profits that European banks can make on loans has caused worries at a time when regulators have been demanding ever higher levels of capital.
But on Friday there were signs that net interest income, a measure of earnings on loans minus deposit costs, had begun to stabilize as Caixabank reported a rise against both the second quarter and the year before, and Sabadell’s beat forecasts.
Caixabank posted a 15 percent rise in third-quarter net profit from a year earlier to 332 million euros driven by gains in its trading division, outstripping a forecast of a 7 percent fall in a Reuters poll of analysts. Its shares rose 0.5 percent by 1100GMT against a 0.7 percent fall on Europe’s banking index .
WEAK LINK
Shares in Popular, the listed bank with the biggest exposure to Spain’s troubled real estate sector, had fallen 7.4 percent by 1100 GMT. In June it secured a 2.5-billion-euro ($2.7 billion) capital hike to clean its books and has said it expects losses of 2 billion euros over the full year.
For the second quarter in a row Popular, Spain’s sixth-largest lender, notched a tiny profit in the thousands of euros. Its net profit of 416,000 euros slightly missed forecasts.
Analysts at Jefferies said its share slump after its “messy” results mainly owed to a five percent fall in net interest income from the second quarter and a lack of disclosure over its bad loan book.
Popular CEO Pedro Larena and other executives declined to reveal the bank’s non-performing loan ratio for the third quarter at a group level when pressed by reporters at a results presentation and by analysts later on a conference call.
Popular, whose shares have fallen more than 60 percent in the past year, had the highest rate of non-performing loans among Spain’s large banks with a ratio of 12.3 percent in the second quarter.
Sabadell, Spain’s fifth largest bank, had a near 3 percent fall in profit in the months from July to September against the year before, which was better than forecasts and was up by 27 percent on the second quarter, thanks to lower provisions.
Shares in Sabadell, however, fell close to 5 percent as analysts highlighted weaker lending income and net profit in Britain where it owns British bank TSB.
All three banks managed to boost their fully-loaded common capital tier one ratio, a closely-watched measure of a bank’s strength. ($1 = 0.9164 euros) (Editing by Alexander Smith)
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spain-banks-results-idUKL5N17V0Y1?edition-redirect=uk
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UPDATE 3-Spanish banks' income drop overshadows capital improvement
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UPDATE 3-Spanish banks' income drop overshadows capital improvement
By Angus Berwick, Jesús Aguado4 Min Read
* BBVA net interest income fell 6 pct vs Q4
* Caixabank lending income fell 2.4 pct quarter on quarter
* Shares in both banks fall following results (Adds details and quotes from BBVA’s CFO and CEO, Caixabank’s chairman)
BARCELONA/MADRID, April 28 (Reuters) - Spain’s BBVA and Caixabank both reported a fall in net interest income in the first three months of the year, overshadowing capital improvements and sending their shares lower on Thursday.
BBVA and Caixabank have contrasting business models, with BBVA drawing the majority of its revenue from abroad and Caixabank chiefly focused on Spain. But they face a similar challenge in raising earnings from loans as interest rates remain at historic lows.
Net interest income at BBVA, Spain’s second biggest bank, fell 6 percent versus the fourth quarter of last year to 4.15 billion euros ($4.7 billion). However, this was up 13.3 percent from a year earlier.
For Barcelona-based Caixabank, the most acquisitive bank during Spain’s financial crisis, lending income fell 2.4 percent quarter on quarter and 10.4 percent year on year to 1.02 billion euros.
This mirrored a similar trend at Spain’s biggest bank Santander, which on Wednesday reported a 3.3 percent fall in first-quarter net interest income from the three previous months.
Shares at Caixabank were down 2.9 percent at 1140 GMT, while BBVA fell by 8.4 percent as the lender was also hit by one-off charges in the United States.
“The market’s interpretation is that the results are disappointing, but we hope that they will improve in future quarters,” BBVA’s Chief Executive Officer Carlos Torres told a news conference in Madrid.
BBVA’s Chief Financial Officer Jaime Saenz de Tejada said the slowdown in the quarter owed to “fundamental changes” weathered by Spain’s commercial banking sector, where margins have shrunk compared to the previous three months.
GREAT CHALLENGES
Profitability ratios remained under pressure at both banks. While BBVA posted a slight increase of its return on tangible equity ratio to 7.0 percent from 6.4 percent, this measure dipped to 3.7 percent at Caixabank from 4.3 percent in the previous quarter.
This compared to profitability ratios of around 20 percent before Spain’s financial crisis in 2008.
BBVA’s first-quarter net profit fell 54 percent from a year earlier to 709 million euros and missed analysts’ forecasts. Its year-earlier profit had been bolstered by 583 million euros in one-off capital gains. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a net profit of 844 million euros.
Caixabank’s net profit was 273 million euros, down 27 percent and below the 282 million expected by analysts polled by Reuters.
“We are in a more favourable business climate than a few years ago thanks to the recovery of the Spanish economy, but it is a climate still full of uncertainty and great challenges,” Caixabank’s Chairman Isidre Faine told shareholders in Barcelona.
Both Caixabank and BBVA are trying to limit the damage to their bottom lines and offset other factors such as rising regulatory expenditure and margin erosion from increased competition by cutting costs in Spain, but they have also undertaken deeper changes.
Like many of its European rivals, BBVA is trying to resolve this equation by embracing more efficient digital banking. Caixabank, meanwhile, is trying to raise loan volumes through acquisitions. Last week it launched a full takeover bid for Portugal’s Banco BPI.
The pressure on the banks’ core businesses overshadowed the higher capital ratios reported in the first quarter, also in line with improvements at Santander.
BBVA’s capital ratio under the strictest “fully-loaded” core tier one criteria at the end of March had risen to 10.54 percent from 10.33 percent in December while Caixabank’s ratio rose to 11.64 from 11.55 percent. ($1 = 0.8809 euros) (Editing by Julien Toyer, Keith Weir and Alexander Smith)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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c9db2c4feb4f929e561d660937bf7c7f
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spain-bonds-idINL6E8JVCFB20120831?edition-redirect=in
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Spain loses bank support
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Spain loses bank support
By John Geddie, Gareth Gore, IFR5 Min Read
LONDON, Aug 31 (IFR) - Spain is beginning to lose the support of its banks as last-resort buyers of government debt, with lenders selling out of their holdings at the fastest pace in more than two years in July, ratcheting up pressure on the European Central Bank to step in and put an end to the country’s burgeoning debt crisis.
The sales are a blow to Madrid, which was increasingly reliant on domestic banks to buy its debt after an exodus of foreign investors. Domestic lenders, under political pressure to support the sovereign, used cheap loans from the ECB to buy an extra EUR87bn of debt between December 2011 and March this year.
But that support has begun to ebb, with Spanish banks selling over EUR17bn of debt since then, according to ECB data. In July alone, domestic lenders reduced their holdings by EUR9.3bn, in part to meet an outflow of deposits, signalling that money is now too tight to support the sovereign.
“The spike in yields that we saw in July is consistent with deposit outflows and a local sell-off of sovereign paper,” said Sohail Malik, senior portfolio manager for European Credit Management’s special situations team. The firm has USD9.5bn in assets under management. “Ultimately, you need one entity to assume a huge amount of supply and that can only be the ECB.”
Yields on Spanish 10-year government bonds hit a euro-era record high of 7.7% in July. While they have since come down after ECB President Mario Draghi signalled the central bank might be willing to buy Spanish debt, there are as yet no concrete plans for a rescue. The ECB meets again this Thursday.
“We saw some improvement after the Draghi speech, so the rally must have been backed up by opportunistic hedge funds and trading books of banks,” said Malik. The yield on 10-year debt is currently about 6.6%. “But the endgame is that we need an entity to absorb a huge amount of supply.”
Madrid is planning a further seven debt auctions before the end of the year, the next coming on Thursday. The sovereign has already completed about two-thirds of its planned EUR86bn of debt issuance this year, but the final slog could be difficult if the ECB fails to buy and domestic banks continue to shrink their holdings.
DEPOSIT RUN
Spanish banks are facing problems of their own. Data released last week showed that customers withdrew EUR74bn of deposits in July alone - equivalent to 4.7% of total deposits and the biggest monthly outflow since records began. Since June last year, clients have withdrawn EUR233bn (see chart), or 13% of the total then.
A need to raise cash to meet those withdrawals may have prompted the recent bond sales, as other assets owned by banks - mainly loans and mortgages - are far less liquid. Spanish bank bond holdings are dominated by Spanish government debt, but also include those of other countries.
Foreign banks and other investors are also showing few signs of increasing their purchases of Spanish sovereign debt. BNP Paribas, the second-biggest bank in the eurozone and one of the biggest holders of government debt from the region, recently announced plans to impose limits of EUR10bn per country to reduce its exposure.
“We need to have a portfolio of sovereign bonds; that isn’t something we will change,” executive board member Alain Papiasse told IFR. “But, given new regulatory constraints, holding some government debt can hurt our capital ratios. For that reason we globally reduced our exposures by 35% since June 2011.”
Treasurers and senior bankers at other European lenders say either they have introduced similar limits already or they intend to do so. That will restrict their ability to buy foreign government debt, even if fundamentals improve or prices prove alluring.
“It’s completely rational to be limiting your exposures to each of these countries given the uncertainties still out there,” said one head of financial institutions for EMEA at a US investment bank. “It is what I would do if I were in their shoes.”
Spain does seem to be a unique case, however. Banks in other eurozone countries have largely left their government bond holdings intact in recent months, according to ECB data - although French banks did reduce their holdings by EUR6.9bn in July. Italian banks actually increased their holdings by EUR345m.
All eyes will now be on Draghi this Thursday for any details of a possible bond-buying programme for Spain and others. After the August meeting, he said: “The Governing Council, within its mandate to maintain price stability over the medium term and in observance of its independence in determining monetary policy, may undertake outright open market operations of a size adequate to reach its objective.” (Reporting By John Geddie and Gareth Gore; Editing by Owen Wild)
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spain-economy-outlook-cenbank/update-3-bank-of-spain-sees-recovery-halting-in-q4-but-ups-2021-growth-forecast-idUSL8N2IR39N
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UPDATE 3-Bank of Spain sees recovery halting in Q4 but ups 2021 growth forecast
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UPDATE 3-Bank of Spain sees recovery halting in Q4 but ups 2021 growth forecast
By Belén Carreño3 Min Read
(Adds comments from Bank of Spain governor)
MADRID, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Spain’s recovery from its worst-ever economic contraction likely halted in the last three months of this year because of new restrictions imposed to curb the resurgence of COVID-19, the Bank of Spain said in a report on Friday.
The central bank said the planned rollout of vaccines from January slightly improved next year’s outlook from its previous forecast released in September, but that it would take until at least 2022 for national output to reach pre-pandemic levels.
Speaking in the Senate, Bank of Spain Governor Pablo Hernandez de Cos also warned that the budgeted increase of some taxes next year could hinder fledgling recovery, potentially leading to lower tax revenues than projected by the government.
Its central projected scenario foresaw gross domestic product falling 0.8% in the fourth quarter from the previous three-month period. Its forecast ranged from a 3% contraction to a 0.6% expansion.
“The fourth quarter is worse than we expected in September,” Oscar Arce, the central bank’s chief economist, told reporters on Friday. “The intensity of the second (COVID-19) wave surprised us.”
However, the bank said Spain would perform better than most of the euro zone, for which an average contraction of 2.2% is expected in the fourth quarter.
“We have mixed signals, some indicators pointing to an acceleration and others to a fall,” Arce said.
The government still expects the economy to eke out some quarter-on-quarter growth, based mainly on recent jobs data.
The central bank projected an economic slump of between 10.7% and 11.6% this year, narrowing its forecast range from the 10.5% to 12.6% predicted in September.
It raised its forecast for next year to a growth of 4.2% to 8.6% from its previous range of 4.1% to 7.3%, thanks to the impact of EU recovery funds.
The central bank expects the aid to contribute an extra 1.3 percentage points to GDP growth in 2021, with its central scenario pointing to a 6.8% expansion next year. That is still a far cry from the 9.8% predicted by the government, which expects a stronger boost from the EU aid.
Spain has been one Europe’s hardest-hit countries by the pandemic, with over 1.7 million infections and 47,344 deaths. The second wave arrived at the end of the third quarter, bringing various restrictions, but no new nationwide lockdown across the country, which has a tourism-dependent economy. (Additional reporting by Inti Landauro and Nathan Allen; editing by Andrei Khalip and Jonathan Oatis)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spain-economy/update-1-spanish-economy-to-gradually-slow-down-through-2022-as-consumer-demand-wanes-idUSL8N28Q24R
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UPDATE 1-Spanish economy to gradually slow down through 2022 as consumer demand wanes
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UPDATE 1-Spanish economy to gradually slow down through 2022 as consumer demand wanes
By Jesús Aguado3 Min Read
(Adds details and quotes from Bank of Spain director general)
* Economy seen expanding 0.4% in Q4, same as in Q3
* Keeps economic outlook unchanged for 2019-21
* Bank of Spain sees Spain’s GDP growing 1.5% in 2022
* Sees 2019 deficit at 2.5% before falling to 1.4% in 2022
MADRID, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Spain’s economic growth is likely to gradually slow down between 2019 and 2022 due to lower consumption and weaker business investment, the central bank said on Monday.
In its economic outlook for 2019-2022, the central bank expected GDP to grow 1.7% next year and 1.6% in 2021 - unchanged from its previous forecasts.
It said that in the fourth quarter, the economy should expand at a pace of around 0.4%, in line with the third quarter.
Spain’s economy - the euro zone’s fourth largest - has consistently outperformed much of Europe since it emerged from a five-year slump in 2013, and the 2019 forecast of 2% growth still points to a growth well above the projected 1.2% growth rate for the currency bloc.
But the Bank of Spain warned: “It is expected that, along the projection horizon, GDP growth will continue to show, as has been the case since mid-2017, a gradual slowdown path,” it said.
“This slowdown ... is due to smaller contributions by external and domestic demand alike to output growth.
“Despite the relative strength of domestic demand, this variable is expected to lose momentum in the coming years,” it said, also pointing to “a projected sharper increase in imports than in that of exports”.
The projections, which are part of the forecasts submitted by euro zone countries to the European Central Bank last Thursday, also included an initial growth projection of 1.5% for the Spanish economy in 2022, when it also expected unemployment to slip to around 12.5% compared to this year’s projected 14.3%.
Bank of Spain director general Oscar Arce also said that domestic political uncertainty regarding new economic policies persisted, given the lack of a government after an inconclusive election in November - Spain’s second this year.
The bank increased its budget deficit forecasts to 2.5% of gross domestic product this year from 2.4% previously and forecast a 1.4% deficit in 2022.
It also expected the EU-harmonised inflation rate to gradually increase to 1.6% in 2022 from 0.8% in 2019. (Reporting by Jesus Aguado; Editing by Jose Elías Rodriguez, Andrei Khalip and Alison Williams)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spain-gdp-idUSL5N1KJ27V
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UPDATE 1-Spanish growth picks in Q2 as GDP reaches pre-crisis levels
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UPDATE 1-Spanish growth picks in Q2 as GDP reaches pre-crisis levels
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
(Adds details, inflation)
MADRID, July 28 (Reuters) - Spanish growth sped up in the second quarter, underscoring forecasts that gross domestic product could expand by at least 3 percent in 2017 for the third year running thanks to robust exports and spending by Spanish households.
Spain’s output grew 0.9 percent in the April to June period from the previous three months, data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) showed on Friday, in line with forecasts and up from 0.8 percent in the first quarter.
Spain’s economic worth rose above the high seen at the beginning of 2008, just before a property market crash pushed the country into a prolonged double-dip recession.
The preliminary INE figures gave no breakdown of the main GDP drivers.
But exports have grown strongly in recent months, while the pace of job creation has remained healthier than many analysts had initially projected this year, helping to extend a household spending rebound.
That is in spite of higher consumer prices this year compared with 2016, as a rise in global oil costs contributed to a squeeze on family incomes in Spain, which is highly dependent on energy imports.
“We believe consumer spending growth appeared to regain some momentum in the second quarter, continuing to ride on the back of strong employment creation and a comfortable financial climate,” Raj Badiani, economist at IHS Markit, said in a note.
Spain’s economy has so far appeared to shrug off any fallout from Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, which is expected to have knock-on effects on several fronts.
Spain is a holiday destination favoured by many Britons, for instance, raising concerns that a fall in the pound would put off some visitors.
Four years after emerging from a deep economic slump that sparked mass unemployment and sent many businesses to the wall, the Spanish economy is one of the fastest-growing in the euro zone.
After initial expectations of a slowdown from 3.2-percent growth in 2015 and 2016, the government has had to hike growth projections twice this year and now forecasts the economy to expand by at least 3 percent in 2017.
Potential headwinds are still lurking, however, with interest rates around the world on the rise and increasing political risks, including in Spain, which is now run by a minority government.
Unemployment, even though it is falling, also remains very high at 17.2 percent.
On an annual basis the economy grew by 3.1 percent, up from 3 percent in the first quarter, and also in line with forecasts, INE said. (Reporting by Sarah White and Paul Day; Editing by Alison Williams)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spain-mango-idUSL8N1AL6RI
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Spanish retailer Mango to open megastore in Cuba
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Spanish retailer Mango to open megastore in Cuba
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
Aug 4 (Reuters) - Spanish fashion group Mango is set to open its first megastore in Cuba before the end of the year after a recent thaw in the country’s diplomatic relations with the United States, a source close to the company said.
Mango’s sales grew by 15.3 percent in 2015, the Barcelona-based unlisted company reported in May, driven by a focus on opening megastores internationally. Its megastores range in size from 800 to 3,000 square metres.
The brand, a rival of Spanish Inditex-owned label Zara, opened 63 megastores in 2015 and plans to have opened 45 more before the end of 2016.
The new Cuban store will be in Manzana de Gomez, a shopping centre situated in Havana’s historical centre. Mango already operated a smaller franchise in the city, which opened 20 years ago.
Spanish companies from ferry operators to hotels are among foreign players rushing to invest in the Caribbean island following a detente between Havana and Washington in December 2015 after decades of hostility. (Reporting by Catherine Bennett, Editing by Sarah White and Alexandra Hudson)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spain-politic-catalonia-france/frances-occitanie-region-calls-for-spain-and-catalonia-peace-talks-idINKBN1CX0CO?edition-redirect=in
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France's Occitanie region calls for Spain and Catalonia peace talks
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France's Occitanie region calls for Spain and Catalonia peace talks
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
People celebrate and wave Catalan separatist flags in front of the Catalan regional government headquarters after the Catalan regional parliament declared independence from Spain in Barcelona, Spain, October 27, 2017. REUTERS/Yves Herman
PARIS (Reuters) - Spanish and Catalan leaders should open talks as soon as possible to safeguard civil peace, the head of France’s Occitanie region, which borders Catalonia, said on Saturday.
Madrid on Friday sacked Catalonia’s regional government to block its push for independence and called a snap election in the region on Dec. 21 in a bid to draw a line under Spain’s worst political crisis in 40 years.
“Our region... has a special history with Spain, and we have had close ties with our neighbour Catalonia for decades,” Occitanie president Carole Delga said in a written statement.
Occitanie includes the Pyrenees-Orientales, whose territory was part of Catalonia until the signing of a treaty to end a war between France and Spain in 1659. The Catalan language is still spoken by a few people living in the French region.
“Faced with this deadlock situation, I want to stress the need to find a way to open talks as soon as possible, notably to safeguard the civil peace,” Delga added.
Occitanie is France’s second-biggest region with a total population of more than 5 million people. It was created in January 2016 and comprises two former regions, including the cities of Toulouse and Montpelier.
Separately, the nationalist president of the Corsican Assembly, Jean-Guy Talamoni, said on Twitter that he recognized the “birth of the Republic of Catalonia” but called for European authorities to mediate between Madrid and Barcelona.
“On the European side, what’s troubling is this unfailing support for Madrid, which has used extremely violent means to prevent peaceful people from voting,” Talamoni later said on France Info radio station.
Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy praised the police for carrying out their duties and upholding the law while they attempted to prevent the banned independence referendum taking place.
Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain and Elizabeth Pineau; editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spain-politics-catalonia-puigdemont/catalonias-puigdemont-calls-prison-sentences-for-separatist-leaders-an-atrocity-idUKKBN1WT0WP?edition-redirect=uk
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Catalonia's Puigdemont calls prison sentences for separatist leaders an 'atrocity'
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Catalonia's Puigdemont calls prison sentences for separatist leaders an 'atrocity'
By Reuters Staff1 Min Read
Former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont talks to the media during European Parliament Elections, outside EU Parliament, in Brussels, Belgium May 26, 2019. REUTERS/Yves Herman
MADRID (Reuters) - The former head of Catalonia’s regional government Carles Puigdemont said on Monday that the prison sentences for the separatist leaders on trial for a failed 2017 independence bid were an “atrocity.”
“It is time to react ... for the future of our sons and daughters. For democracy. For Europe. For Catalonia,” he wrote on Twitter.
Puigdemont was the head of the Spanish region at the time of the independence bid but was not part of this trial because he fled to Belgium, where he now lives in self-imposed exile.
Reporting by Ashifa Kassam and Jose Elias Rodriguez; Editing by Ingrid MelanderOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spain-property-idUSL8N1DI5QR
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Spain's property market goes through the roof
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Spain's property market goes through the roof
By 6 Min Read
* Home prices at pre-crisis levels in some areas
* Construction supporting economic growth
* Fears it could slow if interest rates rise
* Hotels and resorts give yields of up to 11 percent
* Boom fuels mergers at property firms
By Andrés González and Robert Hetz
MADRID, Dec 27 (Reuters) - According to a Spanish proverb, it is a bad idea to start building a house from the roof. But that is just what a Spanish firm is doing -- and business is booming.
Faced with a lack of available land in big cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, construction firm La Casa por el Tejado is building new apartments on rooftops -- a sign that Spanish property is bouncing back eight years after a brutal crash.
Home prices are nearing pre-crisis levels in downtown areas of major cities, rents and mortgages are surging, the prices of hotels and resorts are sky-rocketing and a round of mergers and acquisitions have broken out among major property investors.
Though the market overall is still a long way from its giddy peaks, before the global financial crisis, few would have predicted today’s recovery when a decade-long boom ended in 2008, destroying two million jobs and holing the economy.
“In Spain, we have identified more than 4,000 buildings which have available roof tops to build on,” said La Casa’s founder, Joan Artes, whose firm hoists prefabricated apartments by crane onto building roofs.
“At a time when we lack space to build, we’re talking of more than two million square meters.”
The revival has helped Spain to become one of Europe’s few economic success stories, with estimated growth of 3 percent next year. Construction accounts for 10 percent of gross domestic product.
But there are concerns that the market could slow if interest rates rise. Enrique Losantos, who heads the Spanish operations of real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle, says the main risk would come from a change in monetary policy.
European Central Bank interest rates are still at rock bottom but it is due to start cutting its asset purchase program next year. The U.S. Federal Reserve has already raised interest rates and signalled a faster pace of increases in 2017.
“Some deals are made at very low yields and could suffer if there is some sort of shock on interest rates,” said Losantos.
Yields in the residential market stand at 5.9 percent or closer to 3 or 4 percent in downtown Barcelona and Madrid or for premium homes, according to property website Idealista. It is 7.4 percent and 8.4 percent respectively for office and shopping space.
Those yields compare to just 1.4 percent of Spain’s 10-year debt
TOURISM BONANZA
A new eldorado with yields of up to 11 percent is now taking the centre stage: hotels and tourist resorts.
Leading the pack is Hispania, partly owned by billionaires George Soros and John Paulson, which has bought 16 hotels in Spain, mostly in the Canary Islands and in the Balearic Islands.
In a recent presentation to investors, the firm said its 1.1 billion euros investment in 10,532 hotel rooms was landing an average annual return of 10.1 percent, compared to 6.5 percent and 4.4 percent for its office and residential assets.
Hispania has recently bought 4 more hotels in Ibiza and Lanzarote for a total investment of 113 million euros, from which it expects returns of between 8 and 10.2 percent.
Miguel Vazquez, managing partner at real estate consulting firm Irea, which recently advised German investment fund Aquila on the acquisition of a small boutique hotel in Madrid’s Letras neighbourhood, says around 1.8 billion euros is expected to be invested in hotels in 2016, or 20 percent of the total investment in real estate, compared to just 7 percent in 2014.
However, he said a “mini-bubble” was forming around luxury hotels in Madrid where the lack of properties on offer and the high demand from institutional investors for those assets was driving prices up very rapidly.
The five-star Villamagna hotel and its 150 rooms was sold for a record 180 million euros earlier this year, or 1.2 million euros per room.
The competing Ritz hotels, just a few hundred meters away on Paseo Castellana sold last year for 132 millions euros, or less than 1 million euros per room.
“At this price, you can’t have a high yield,” Vazquez said, adding that yields have now fallen to around 5 percent in Madrid for those luxury assets.
M&A BOOM
Mergers and acquisitions are also heating up, with at least two dozen players, both property firms and investors, expected to disappear in a wave of consolidation driven by rising real estate prices rather than a desire to cut costs.
Premium real estate firm Colonial, one of the few big names that made it though the crisis, is rumoured to be considering a takeover of boutique investor Axiare.
Asset manager Pimco has raised its stake in mid-sized property investor Lar, while sources say that Neinor, a Madrid-based property developer partly owned by U.S. private equity fund Lonestar, is considering an initial public share offer.
“It is fundamental to gain size. So there will be mergers and acquisitions and at the end of the day, just a dozen big groups will remain,” said Colonial Chairman Juan Jose Brugera. He declined to comment on Axiare.
Neinor Chairman Juan Velayos also declined to comment on specific plans for his company, including a potential listing, but said the rebound had just started, with new promotions expected to reach 200,000 a year, from 50,000 currently.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spain-property-rent-idINL8N2HA2VO?edition-redirect=in
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Rental supply surges in Madrid and Barcelona as pandemic shakes up property market
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Rental supply surges in Madrid and Barcelona as pandemic shakes up property market
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
MADRID, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The number of flats for rent has soared 115% in Madrid and 92% in Barcelona since March, one of Spain’s largest property portals, Idealista, said on Monday, as tourists vanished from the city centres and some local residents followed suit.
Nationwide, the number of flats advertised for rent soared 63% between March and September, an Idealista spokesman said, as general uncertainty delays people’s decisions and flats left empty during the spring lockdown finally hit the market.
Homes used for short-term holiday rentals had already flooded Spain’s residential market within weeks of the country’s first lockdown in March.
A second influx of properties has followed as locals faced with dwindling income or the possibility of remote work return to their home towns, opt for cheaper flats shared with more people, or move back in with their families, according to several real estate agents interviewed by Reuters.
However, the abundance of properties on the market is not matched by long-term demand, and has not hurt year-on-year price growth, with rents swelling 12% in the third quarter compared to the same period last year, Fotocasa, another major online property portals, said in a statement on Monday.
But rental prices did stumble slightly, Fotocasa noted, dropping 0.7% in the third quarter compared to the second quarter. (Reporting by Clara-Laeila Laudette Editing by Ingrid Melander and Raissa Kasolowsky)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spain-renewables-ipo-idUSL8N2KU7RW
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Spanish energy companies to carry the torch for renewable deals
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Spanish energy companies to carry the torch for renewable deals
By Isla Binnie, Abhinav Ramnarayan5 Min Read
MADRID/LONDON, March 1 (Reuters) - Several Spanish clean energy companies are planning stock market listings or stake sales within the next two years, taking advantage of a market boom in green assets to raise funds to build more wind farms and solar parks.
Rising demand for environmentally friendly investments is focusing attention on Spain’s under-exploited solar and more established wind sector, helped by government targets in line with international requirements to decarbonise economies and stem climate change.
International groups Acciona and Repsol have started the process of spinning off energy units that could be valued in the billions of euros. Acciona plans a listing and Repsol has given itself 1-1/2 years for an IPO or stake sale to a partner.
Madrid plans to preside over a tripling of its installed solar power generation and a boost to wind which will add 60 gigawatts (GW) in new capacity this decade. The European Union as a whole wants to reduce its planet-warming emissions to net zero - no more than can be absorbed by carbon-sucking trees or other technology - by 2050.
Iberdrola, Spain’s biggest power firm, will plough some of its 150 billion-euro investment plan for the next decade into tripling its renewable capacity worldwide.
With sunny Spain at the forefront of Europe’s shift to renewables, many clean power developers there are hiring banks to evaluate whether to sell shares to private bidders or on stock markets, financial sources say.
Newer firms Capital Energy and Opdenergy have joined the queue looking for ways to raise funds, according to bankers familiar with those situations.
Capital Energy has hired Goldman Sachs and UBS to advise it on a potential share sale, while Opdenergy has taken on Santander and Citi, people familiar with the matter said. A spokesman for Capital Energy said the company was analysing several financing options. Opdenergy declined to comment.
The banks declined to comment or were not immediately available for comment.
“Renewables is a sector with ... high growth, high visibility and unlike many other growth sectors – these companies are already making a profit,” said Philip ten Bosch, co-head of global power investment banking at Citi.
He added that valuations for pure play clean energy firms are at a clear premium to more diversified utilities, providing the rationale for a spin-offs, though he declined to discuss specific names.
Record levels of money has built up in funds that require strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials, stoking demand for green stocks.
But government bond yields have risen in recent weeks, taking some steam out of growth stocks like renewables, and bankers said this has muddied the investment case slightly, though demand for ESG remains strong.
“Those who have the best assets and the best strategy will have more options but some look opportunistic,” said one banker involved in some of these situations.
S&P Global’s Clean Energy Index has fallen 8% so far this year, although it has held on to 94% growth over the past 12 months, in spite of pandemic-induced recession. GRAPHIC 1
SPAIN’S SOLAR SURGE
Going green is a global trend, but Spain stands out for fast growth partly motivated by a sharp fall in the price of solar panel technology that has helped erase the memory of painful subsidy cuts in 2013.
Madrid plans to preside over the installation of more than 39 gigawatts (GW) of solar photovoltaic technology by 2030, more than triple its current fleet.
And financial investors are now so keen for a ray of sunshine that they are buying into projects before they are built, said Peter Dickson, partner and technical director at London-based investment fund Glenmont Partners.
“An infrastructure investor will normally try not to take too much development risk,” Dickson said.
But this has changed as the market became more competitive, he said.
Strong financial backing has become more important for developers, said Tomas Garcia, Senior Director of Energy and Infrastructure Advisory at Jones Lang LaSalle.
“Development is becoming more capital intensive and more sophisticated, so some smaller developers will need to get that capital and a more professional approach from an international investment fund, for example.” (Editing by David Evans)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spain-rights-transgender-idUSL8N2K93M2
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Spain considers making it easier to officially change gender
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Spain considers making it easier to officially change gender
By Clara-Laeila Laudette3 Min Read
MADRID, Feb 3 (Reuters) - People in Spain wishing to change their official gender will no longer have to undergo medical and psychological exams or years of hormone treatment if a bill from the Equality Ministry on Wednesday is taken up by the government and becomes law.
Spain currently requires transgender people to have hormone treatment for two years before they can change their gender on administrative records, a precondition criticised by the European Court of Human Rights.
An official at the Equality Ministry, which is run by the far-left party Unidad Podemos, said the state should not “submit trans people to blackmail” in this way.
However, the news sites El Confidencial and elDiario said some ministers from Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialist party, Podemos’ coalition partner, were not in favour of allowing people simply to declare their own gender.
Debates are taking place in many Western countries over whether self-determination of gender is the only way to guarantee transgender equality and avoid systemic abuse.
Some feminists argue that broadening access to gender identity could dilute women’s fight against the structural disadvantages they face worldwide.
“This is the Equality Ministry’s draft, but it’s not the government’s draft,” a Socialist government source said, adding that other ministries still needed to make their views known.
“The state is working towards a text that provides normative quality and legal certainty.”
The “Transgender Law” and its twin, the “LGBTI Law” will be ready for cabinet review by mid-February, the Equality Ministry said.
Spain’s LGTB Federation and other associations defending transgender and non-binary rights welcomed the bills in a joint statement as “solid bases guaranteeing legal security on which to build strong legislation ... in favour of equal rights”.
The new legislation would also afford parents of babies born with intersex characteristics one year before having to specify their child’s sex on civil records, and prohibit gender-assignment surgery on infants, in line with international recommendations.
“Too often, these operations are done before intersex infants’ gender has had time to manifest itself. They grow up, and it turns out they weren’t operations but amputations,” a second source at the Equality Ministry said. (Reporting by Clara-Laeila Laudette; additional reporting by Emma Pinedo and Belen Carreno; Editing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/spain-usa-torture/spain-may-decide-guantanamo-probe-this-week-idINLT53678920090329?edition-redirect=in
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Spain may decide Guantanamo probe this week
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Spain may decide Guantanamo probe this week
By Tracy Rucinski3 Min Read
* Some Guantanamo detainees were Spanish
* Case could proceed even if prosecutors say no
* President Barack Obama has ordered prison to close
MADRID, March 29 (Reuters) - Spanish prosecutors may decide this week whether to press ahead with a probe into six former Bush administration officials in connection with the torture of detainees at the U.S. military’s Guantanamo Bay prison, court sources said.
The criminal investigation into the officials, who include ex-U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, would likely focus on whether they violated international law by providing a legal justification for the torture.
Spanish prosecutors were asked to review the case by Baltasar Garzon, a High Court judge who came to world prominence when he issued an international warrant for the arrest of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1998.
Garzon asked for the review following a complaint filed by Spanish lawyers, who could pursue the case in court even if prosecutors decide not to take it further, as occurred in the Pinochet case.
Spain’s law allows it to claim jurisdiction in the case because five Spanish citizens or residents who were prisoners at Guantanamo Bay say they were tortured there.
The U.S. detention camp in Cuba was set up to hold foreigners captured after U.S.-led forces invaded Afghanistan to root out al Qaeda and its Taliban protectors in response to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 against the United States.
In one of his first acts in office, U.S. President Barack Obama set a one-year deadline for shutting the prison where about 245 people are still detained and which has been widely viewed by the international community as a stain on the U.S. human rights record.
According to Spanish law prosecutors recommend whether to proceed with cases and determine whether any trial would come under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
While there is no set deadline for a decision, a recommendation could come before Friday, a court official said.
One of the lawyers who filed the complaint which triggered the review told Reuters:
“It’s not that we think the High Court might accept the complaint, they must accept it,” Gonzalo Boye said.
The complaint filed by the Association for the Dignity of Inmates also names John Yoo, the former Justice Department lawyer who wrote secret legal opinions saying President George W. Bush had the authority to circumvent the Geneva Conventions, and Douglas Feith, the former undersecretary of defense for policy.
The other Americans named are William Haynes II, former general counsel for the Department of Defense; Jay Bybee, Yoo’s former boss at the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel; and David Addington, chief of staff and legal adviser to ex-Vice President Dick Cheney.
Boye said the six Americans had well-documented roles in approving illegal interrogation techniques, redefining torture and abandoning the definition set by the 1984 Torture Convention. (Editing by Matthew Jones)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/sphereNews/idUSN1419383720070815?sp=true&view=sphere
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Tiger to design own course in North Carolina
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Tiger to design own course in North Carolina
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - Two days after winning his 13th major title, Tiger Woods announced plans for the design of his first golf course in the United States.
Tiger Woods of the U.S. celebrates making his birdie putt on the eighth hole during the final round of the 89th PGA Championship golf tournament at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma August 12, 2007. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith
The world number one, who launched his own design company last year and has a project under way in Dubai, will be creating a layout at The Cliffs at High Carolina near Asheville.
“My goal is to design a handful of very unique courses around the world and The Cliffs is a perfect fit for my first American design,” Woods told reporters at the picturesque site in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
“Seeing what they’ve created with some of the world’s best designers is very inspiring and I’m looking forward to adding my own style into the mix.”
The Cliffs at High Carolina is the eighth community within a collection of private, master-planned residential developments in the Carolina Preserve.
Woods will be following in the footsteps of renowned designers such as Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Fazio who have already produced Signature Golf Courses in the area.
“When I first visited High Carolina, I loved the site and the spectacular 50-mile views of the Asheville area and the Blue Ridge Mountains,” Woods said.
MOUNTAIN VIEWS
“When I got to the top of the mountain and looked across those meadows, I knew this would be the site of my first American design. I hope this will become one of the most talked about views in the country.
“The land lends itself to a walking golf course.” the 31-year-old American added. “Walking is integral to golf, and it will be very unique to have a walking golf course at elevations up to 4,000 feet.”
Woods, who clinched his 59th PGA Tour title by two shots at the PGA Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Sunday, created Tiger Woods Design last November.
He announced his first project the following month, a development in Dubai that will include a 7,700-yard, par-72 championship course, golf academy, clubhouse and 80-suite hotel. It is scheduled for completion in late 2009.
“There are golfers everywhere who may never get a chance to play a links course in Scotland, a tree-lined course in America or the sand belts of Australia,” Woods said.
“Hopefully I can bring some of those elements into their backyards. I’ve been working very hard over the last decade to get a feel for all kinds of courses and really understand the best elements of design.”
Tiger Woods Design is based in Windermere, Florida.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCABRE85O0RJ20120625?edition-redirect=ca
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Madrid Olympic bid under fire as crisis bites
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Madrid Olympic bid under fire as crisis bites
By Clare Kane6 Min Read
MADRID (Reuters) - Madrid is pressing on with its third successive bid to host the Olympic Games even though more and more Spaniards are questioning the multi-million-euro expense as an economic crisis shrinks budgets for hospitals and schools.
Europe has pledged up to 100 billion euros ($125 billion) in aid for Spain’s ailing banks and the euro zone debt crisis threatens to push the country to needing a full-blown bailout. Economic woes already prompted Rome to cancel its 2020 Olympic bid.
“The country isn’t up for anything at the moment, we’re about to rescue our banks, we’re on the verge of a full bailout. It seems to me highly irresponsible that politicians are still caught up in this madness,” said Diego Casado, who writes for popular blog Madrid Me Mata (Madrid Kills Me), outspoken in its opposition to the Games.
The Madrid 2020 Candidacy Committee argues that the Games could kick-start the economy by creating between 300,000 and 350,000 jobs, in a country where almost one in four is unemployed.
Various groups, including Spain’s Indignados, whose sit-ins in squares last year helped to inspire the worldwide “Occupy” protest movement, say they are opposed to the Olympics. While few formal protests have taken place, critics expect these to increase as spending cuts bite and the Games bid progresses.
Madrid has yet to put a figure on how much hosting the Olympics would cost Spain, but it is expected to be lower than the projected 9 billion pounds ($14 billion) of public money London will spend on this summer’s Olympics, and the record $42 billion China spent on the 2008 Beijing Games.
Small opposition party Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD), has submitted a bill to Madrid’s assembly proposing the city take back its bid.
“We think that with the economic situation in Spain as it is at the moment and likely will be in the future - because we think this crisis is going to last a long time - this is not the most appropriate time for the Olympics,” UPyD spokesman Luis de Velasco said.
“Resources are always limited and if put resources into the Olympics, there are other things that you can’t do.”
Spain has said it will make around 45 billion euros ($56.41 billion) of public sector cuts in 2012.
In Madrid alone, the government has promised to save over a million euros this year by slashing its budget for public festivities by more than 60 percent.
The city ended 2011 with more than 6 billion euros of debt.
Critics of the Madrid bid point to twice bailed out euro zone member Greece, which hosted the 2004 Olympics in Athens at a cost of 15 billion dollars.
BEACH BAR OR LONG-TERM INVESTMENT?
One Indignados group said it might take future action against the Olympics.
“If we compare the forecasts for (the benefits from) previous big events with the actual results, we find that it’s nothing more than Chinese whispers,” the Indignados said in a report after discussing the Games at an assembly in Madrid’s center point Puerta del Sol.
“The Olympics facilitate a model of economic growth that is not what Spain needs. It’s the ‘beach bar’ growth model - let’s throw up a beach bar and make some money ... When the Olympics are over, there won’t be anything left,” said blogger Casado.
But Ferran Brunet Cid, an economics professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, which hosts the Olympic Studies Centre, said the bid was a worthwhile long-term investment for Madrid.
Even if the city does not host the 2020 Games, it would benefit from an increased presence on the world stage that a bid brings, he said.
“You have to do things well, excellently, and that’s what we’re missing (in Spain) to be competitive. You have to be excellent ... The Games also help with that,” he said.
Barcelona’s 1992 Games turned it from an industrial city to a European tourist magnet, and Madrid with its numerous art galleries and attractions could benefit even more than its Catalan counterpart.
Juan Garcia, of Ecologists In Action, said Madrid was failing to maintain sports facilities for the public at present and that he was unconvinced by the jobs argument.
“They’ve said that the infrastructure for the 2020 Games is already built, so no jobs will be created for that.”
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Organizers say more than 80 percent of sports venues and 90 percent of the necessary infrastructure, including hotels and transport, already exist, meaning: “the investment budget of public bodies for the Games will be the lowest in recent history”.
Brunet Cid said a well-organized Games could create 20,000 to 30,000 permanent jobs.
Organizers say more than 80 percent of the Spanish population support the Games and 75 percent of Madrid residents, meaning the city has more public backing than its two rivals for the 2020 Games, Istanbul and Tokyo.
“Young people see the Games as opportunity for development and progress in these difficult economic times,” the committee told Reuters.
“Because of this we don’t think the economic situation will decrease support, but rather the opposite will happen.”
In its Working Group report, however, the International Olympic Committee said: “careful attention would need to be paid to Spain’s economic outlook,” although it rated the city’s application as “strong”.
Brunet Cid pointed out Madrid’s financial situation today was “much, much better” than Barcelona’s in the 1980s, when the coastal city bid for the Games.
“This is not the end of the world ... Madrid is not the Titanic.” ($1 = 0.6427 British pounds) ($1 = 0.7977 euros)
Editing by Fiona Ortiz and Robin PomeroyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCABRE8610ZV20120702?edition-redirect=ca
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Tour de France: Cavendish scripts impressive win in second stage
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Tour de France: Cavendish scripts impressive win in second stage
By Gilles Le Roc’h3 Min Read
TOURNAI, Belgium (Reuters) - A leaner Mark Cavendish showed he was still too talented for the rest of the Tour de France bunch, outpacing his rivals for victory in the 207.5-km second stage in Tournai on Monday.
Sky Procycling rider Mark Cavendish of Britain celebrates winning the second stage of the 99th Tour de France cycling race between Vise and Tournai, July 2, 2012. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
The Briton did not need any help to upstage Andre Greipel and Matthew Goss on a podium reminiscent of the last world championships in Copenhagen, when the Manx missile also beat the Australian and the German for gold.
It was the world champion’s 21st stage victory on the Tour and an unusual one as he had to fend for himself, while previously he could rely on the ‘train’ formed by his former HTC Columbia team mates.
It was also a striking reply to those who doubted his chances in a Team Sky devoted to the overall success of fellow-Briton Bradley Wiggins.
“The team this year is for the yellow jersey. It’s a new configuration and I knew it wouldn’t be easy,” Cavendish told reporters.
“I’m much more alone but I’m much more relaxed in a sense. I came into the sprint with the least pressure I ever had on the Tour,” he added.
“I’m happy to win a stage like today’s to show I’m the world champion and to show I could do it without a team to help me.”
The Briton had already proved in his three stage victories on the Giro d’Italia that he could handle any kind of race finish and he again manoeuvred perfectly in the final yards of this long ride from Vise.
FINISHING POWER
Since the Italian Tour, Cavendish has lost three kilos to prepare for the Olympic road race, held on a bumpy course, and many of his rivals had wondered how it would affect his finishing power.
It did not, as Greipel and Goss found out.
While Greipel’s Lotto Belisol team mates and Goss’s Orica Greenedge partners tried to organise and lead their strong men out for the final sprint, Cavendish came back on his own from the middle of the bunch to stick to Greipel’s wheel and beat him on the line.
The victory made the Isle of Man rider the sixth most successful on the Tour in terms of stage wins, and he is now only one victory short of seven-times champion Lance Armstrong and vintage French sprinter Andre Darrigade.
In the points classification, Cavendish trails first stage winner Peter Sagan of Slovakia by 15 points but he pledged to defend the green jersey so dearly won a year ago even if his main goal of the season remains the Olympic title in London.
“I’ll keep trying. This is the Tour de France, the biggest race in the world, the most important event in cycling. I cannot say the Games are more important. Let’s say they’re level,” he said.
Swiss Fabian Cancellara stayed out of trouble to retain the overall leader’s jersey won in the prologue.
“I’m glad to return to France with the yellow jersey on. I hope to have better legs tomorrow because it’s a hard stage we have marked down with my team management a while ago,” he said.
Tuesday’s third stage takes the peloton to Boulogne-sur-Mer over 197 km of a bumpy, tricky ride especially as rain is forecast.
Additional reporting by Mark Meadows; Editing by Alison WildeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCABRE8771AH20120808?edition-redirect=ca
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Nairobi planning to bid for 2024 Olympics: Kenyan PM
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Nairobi planning to bid for 2024 Olympics: Kenyan PM
By Karolos Grohmann2 Min Read
LONDON (Reuters) - Kenya’s capital Nairobi is planning to bid for the 2024 Olympics and become the first African city to host the Games, the prime minister said on Wednesday.
“Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, speaking at the Kenya National House today, announced that the Republic of Kenya will be starting the process of pitching to host the Games of the 33rd Olympiad in 2024,” a Kenya House announcement said.
“If successful, these Games will be the first ever held in Africa.”
The International Olympic Committee will elect the 2024 host city in 2017, with official campaigning to start two years earlier.
There have been African bids in the past, most recently with Egypt’s Cairo unsuccessfully bidding for the 2008 Olympics that were awarded to Beijing.
South Africa’s Cape Town had also bid for the 2004 Games, staged by Athens. The country did, however, host the 2010 soccer World Cup, the first to be held on the African continent.
The 2016 Olympics will be held in Rio de Janeiro - the first in South America - while Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul are bidding for the 2020 Games, with a decision to be taken next year.
Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCAKBN0ML10B20150325?edition-redirect=ca
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Munich would have got 2022 Games 'on silver platter'
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Munich would have got 2022 Games 'on silver platter'
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
BERLIN (Reuters) - Munich would have easily defeated Beijing and Almaty in the race to stage the 2022 Winter Olympics if they had gone ahead with a bid, according to German sports chief Alfons Hoermann.
“It is bitter that Almaty and Beijing are the only ones left,” he told a regional event on Tuesday evening. “It is now clear that Munich would have been served the Games on a silver platter.”
The unusually bold statement from the German Olympic Confederation president (DOSB) comes only days after he announced Hamburg as Germany’s bid for the 2024 summer Olympics.
Munich, which failed to land the 2018 Olympics, did not even launch a bid for 2022 after the DOSB’s plans where resoundly rejected in referendums by the local population in 2013.
This is not the first time German sports officials have expressed regrets for what they consider a missed opportunity as the list of candidates for 2022 decreased, leaving just two cities, neither of which has the winter sports tradition and infrastructure of Bavaria’s Alps.
Kazakhstan’s Almaty and Beijing are the only runners remaining from an initial six with Krakow, Stockholm, Lviv and Oslo all pulling out citing cost concerns or lack of local support.
“We have to develop from a country of doubts to a country of opportunities,” Hoermann, who succeeded current IOC President Thomas Bach as DOSB chief, said.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has voted in a number of reforms to attract more cities to bid for future Olympics, will elect the hosts in July.
Reporting by Karolos Grohmann. Editing by Patrick JohnstonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Busy McIlroy returns to scene of first U.S. win
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Busy McIlroy returns to scene of first U.S. win
By Andrew Both3 Min Read
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy does not usually play five successive weeks of tournament golf, but he could not resist returning to the site of his first PGA Tour victory for this week’s Wells Fargo Championship.
May 9, 2015; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; Rory McIlroy hits his approach to the 14th hole during the third round of The Players Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass - Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
McIlroy announced his arrival to an admiring American audience when he shot a final round 62 at Quail Hollow in 2010, a year after his first professional win at the European Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic.
He has played the PGA Tour event every year since, finishing outside the top-10 only once with a missed cut in 2011.
“It doesn’t seem that long ago (2010) but great to be back,” McIlroy told reporters after playing in Wednesday’s pro-am with Grace Vaughan, a 16-year-old with a blood disorder who won an essay contest to play with any professional of her choosing.
McIlroy opted to compete this week but his busy schedule means he will reluctantly miss the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial tournament in early June, two weeks before the U.S. Open.
The Northern Irish world number one loves the event at Muirfield Village in Ohio so much that he wrote Nicklaus a letter to apologize for his absence.
By coincidence, he then met Nicklaus on Monday at the Bears Club in Florida, where they both have their primary residence.
“The first thing he (Nicklaus) said to me was that he’d received my letter and I said to him I wanted to write rather than phone or just advise the tour. He seemed pretty taken back to get my letter and that made me feel good,” McIlroy, 26, said.
The four-time major winner heads a strong field at Quail Hollow that includes nine of the world’s top 20.
LOW SCORING ON THE CARDS
Australia’s former world number one Adam Scott felt the course was set up well and that low scores would be possible, but not guaranteed.
“It’s not soft. It’s not firm. It’s just nice,” the Australian said while patiently signing hundreds of autographs on his way from the 18th green to the clubhouse.
The tournament is being played two weeks later in the schedule this year and American Webb Simpson, who lives adjacent to the seventh hole, believes the later time slot has helped the course condition after a wretched February of snow and ice.
“The course has appreciated a couple more weeks,” Simpson said. “The course is beautiful and the greens super fast.
“Even if this place wasn’t my home, I would still have this as one of my top courses of the year.”
Strong though the field is, few regular PGA Tour events attract all the big names and this week is no exception.
Among those missing are Tiger Woods, Masters champion Jordan Spieth and Players Championship winner Rickie Fowler.
Editing by Mark Lamport-StokesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Moscow runs low on beer necessities for thirsty World Cup fans
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Moscow runs low on beer necessities for thirsty World Cup fans
By Jack Stubbs3 Min Read
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Beer-guzzling soccer fans risk drinking parts of Moscow dry, with some bars and restaurants in the Russian capital saying they are running low and having to wait longer than usual for fresh supplies.
FILE PHOTO: A view shows a horn of a soccer supporter and a glass of beer at a cafe in central Moscow, Russia June 15, 2018. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo
Moscow has been transformed by the World Cup, with singing, chanting and beer-swilling fans overwhelming some of the packed bars and restaurants around the Kremlin and Red Square.
“We just didn’t think they would only want beer,” said one waiter at a upscale eatery in central Moscow who asked not to be identified for fear of scaring off future customers.
The waiter said his restaurant ran out of draft lager on Monday and deliveries are taking longer than usual, at least 24 hours, because suppliers’ stocks are also running low.
“There are really a lot of people in Moscow ... and they are all drinking,” he said. “It’s hot, and it’s football.”
Beer sales in Russia have fallen by around a third over the past as duties have risen and rules been tightened on sales and advertising. Brewers had not been expecting a major reversal of the trend this year.
Baltika, the Russian unit of Carlsberg, said although there was an increased risk of supply disruption during the World Cup, its business had not been affected.
Heineken said sales were so far going well and it did not yet see any challenges supplying its beer.
Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s biggest brewer and an official FIFA sponsor for the World Cup, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Dmitry, a barman at trendy courtyard bar Gogol, said visiting soccer fans had drunk 800 liters of beer in three days, downing the cheap lager before moving on to more expensive bottled beers.
Gogol was taking three deliveries on Tuesday to replenish supplies, he said, as workers busily unpacked boxes of beer, vodka and whiskey from a nearby van.
“The sun makes them thirsty,” he said of his customers. “In Russian we say ‘to the bottom!’ I like that these guys are embracing our culture.”
Ivan, a Croatian in Russia to see his team take on Argentina on Thursday, said he had yet to encounter any shortages.
“There is beer everywhere,” he said, swigging from a can of Russian Zhiguli lager whilst sitting on a bench near the Bolshoi Theater. “Some places yes, some places no. You just have to know where to find it!”
Additional reporting by Maria Kiselyova in Moscow and Phil Blenkinsop in Brussels; Editing by Alexander Smith and John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Doping: WADA submits request to have RUSADA dispute held in public
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Doping: WADA submits request to have RUSADA dispute held in public
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
(Reuters) - The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Monday submitted a formal request to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to have the hearing to resolve its dispute with the Russian Anti-Doping Agency over non-compliance held in public.
WADA barred Russians from competing under their country’s flag at major international events for four years as punishment for having tampered with laboratory data that could have identified drug cheats.
Russia’s appeal against the sanctions, which were handed down last December, will be heard by CAS.
“WADA’s investigations on Russia, and this latest case of non-compliance, have generated huge interest around the world,” WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said in a news release.
“It is WADA’s view – and that of many of our stakeholders – that this dispute at CAS should be held in a public forum to ensure that everybody understands the process and hears the arguments.”
According to WADA, any CAS decision in relation to the non-compliance, the proposed consequences or proposed reinstatement conditions will be binding and must be recognised and enforced.
Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Golf: Horsfield wins English Open for first European Tour title
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Golf: Horsfield wins English Open for first European Tour title
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
(Reuters) - Sam Horsfield sealed his maiden European Tour crown on home soil on Sunday, winning the English Open in Birmingham after a final round of 68 to finish ahead of Belgian Thomas Detry.
FILE PHOTO: Golf - French Open - Le Golf National, Guyancourt, France - June 29, 2018 England's Sam Horsfield in action during the second round REUTERS/Charles Platiau
Overnight leader Horsfield was on course for a comfortable victory but the 23-year-old had to endure a nervy finish after Detry took the lead with a fine birdie on the penultimate hole to come into contention.
But a bogey on the final hole meant that the Belgian handed the advantage back to Horsfield, who fired a birdie on the 17th and parred the final hole to go 18-under for the tournament.
“I can’t (describe my emotions). It’s crazy,” Horsfield, whose first victory came in his 65th European Tour appearance, told reporters.
“I made a bad bogey on the 15th. On the 17th... I hit a great shot there.”
Horsfield began the day with a birdie in the first hole, before adding gains in the third, sixth and seventh to turn in at 33.
He added two more birdies on the back nine with bogeys on the par-three fifth and 15th holes the only blemishes on his card on the day.
Detry finished at 17-under after his final round 66 at the Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel and Country Club.
“I’ve got nothing to be disappointed about. I played some really good golf today,” Detry said.
“The greens were getting trickier towards the end and I over-read that putt on the 18th. But I’m very pleased with the way I finished those last few holes.
“Another missed opportunity but I’ll move on and try to win next week.”
Detry was three shots ahead of a trio including Alexander Bjork, Chris Paisley and Oliver Farr who were joint-third.
Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Report: Canadiens' Gallagher to have CT scan on jaw
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Report: Canadiens' Gallagher to have CT scan on jaw
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
Aug 19, 2020; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Brendan Gallagher (11) controls the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period in game five of the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher will undergo a CT scan on his jaw on Thursday afternoon, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported.
Gallagher, 28, was injured after being cross-checked near the chin by Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Matt Niskanen in the third period of Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round series on Wednesday in Toronto.
Gallagher was bleeding from his mouth following the hit by Niskanen, who was not whistled for a penalty. Niskanen, however, will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Thursday.
Gallagher’s availability for Friday’s Game 6 of the series is not immediately known. The Flyers hold a 3-2 edge in the series.
“We’re still waiting for feedback medically,” Canadiens interim coach Kirk Muller told reporters in the team’s Zoom call on Thursday.
Gallagher, who shared the team lead in goals (22) with Tomas Tatar in the regular season, scored for the first time in the playoffs in Montreal’s 5-3 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Niskanen, 33, has yet to record a point but sports a plus-2 rating in eight games this postseason.
--Field Level Media
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Zarco handed pitlane start penalty following Morbidelli crash
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Zarco handed pitlane start penalty following Morbidelli crash
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
FILE PHOTO: MotoGP - Austrian Grand Prix - Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria - August 15, 2020 Reale Avintia Racing's Johann Zarco during qualifying REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo
(Reuters) - Avintia Ducati’s Johann Zarco will begin the Styrian Grand Prix from the pitlane after he was penalised for his role in a crash with Petronas Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli at the Red Bull Ring over the weekend, MotoGP said on Friday.
Zarco, 30, was involved in a high-speed crash with Morbidelli, 25, at turn three in Spielberg, with their cartwheeling bikes missing Yamaha duo Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales by inches.
Zarco and Morbidelli were summoned to a stewards’ meeting at the track on Thursday to discuss Sunday’s accident.
“After evaluation it was determined that there was evidence of irresponsible riding from Johann Zarco, which has resulted in a penalty. The Frenchman will start his next race from pitlane,” MotoGP said in a statement.
Some rivals blamed the Frenchman for taking an unusual line while braking into turn three, although Zarco denied making a deliberate move.
Zarco fractured his wrist in the crash and required surgery. He missed Friday practice at the Red Bull Ring but is set to race on Sunday after MotoGP confirmed he had passed a medical exam.
Zarco had to wait 48 hours after his operation before his fitness test and he has been cleared to take part in Saturday’s Free Practice 3 (FP3) session.
Reporting by Arvind Sriram and Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Mark Potter and Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Golf: Johnson in command and looking to close deal at Northern Trust
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Golf: Johnson in command and looking to close deal at Northern Trust
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
(Reuters) - Dustin Johnson continued his red hot play at Northern Trust Open on Saturday curling in a 40-foot eagle putt on 18 to give him a five shot cushion going into the final round of the FedExCup playoffs opener.
Aug 22, 2020; Norton, Massachusetts, USA; Dustin Johnson lines up a putt on the fifth green during the third round of The Northern Trust golf tournament at TPC of Boston. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Johnson’s third round seven-under 64 while impressive was almost greeted with a yawn after the sensational 11-under 60 the big-hitting American carded on Friday that shot him to the top of the leaderboard where he has remained.
Sitting five back are Harris English after returning a 66 for the second straight day and Scottie Scheffler, who returned a 67 a day after shooting a 59, just the 12th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history.
It was another cool, confident display from Johnson at the TPC Boston piling up five birdies before dropping his first shot in two days with a bogey at the 13th.
But Johnson would close in style with a birdie at 17 and an eagle at 18.
It will mark the second time in as many tournaments Johnson has held the 54th lead but will be looking for a different result after failing to close the deal at the PGA Championships.
Certainly Johnson will not be under as much pressure as he was at Harding Park where he started the final round with a one shot advantage, but he knows he cannot be complacent on layout where low scores are there for the taking.
“Obviously I’m in a great position and like where I’m at, but I’m still going to have to go out and shoot a good score,” Johnson told reporters. “You can go low out here and guys are going low every day, especially with the conditions we have.”
This week’s tournament, open to the top 125 golfers in the season-long points standings, is the first of three playoff events that culminate with the Sept. 4-7 Tour Championship in Atlanta and the $15 million prize to the FedExCup champion.
Only the top 70 in the standings after this week go on to the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields outside Chicago, and from there the top 30 move on to Atlanta.
There was no moving day charge from Tiger Woods, who plodded his way to a two-over 73.
Woods got his day off to a positive start with a birdie at the second and ended on an upbeat note with another at 18 but in-between the 15-time major winner collected five bogeys to leave him just three strokes off the bottom of the leaderboard.
It was an equally disappointing outing for Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irishman taking a pair of triple bogeys on his outward nine on way to a three-over 73.
The defending FedEx Cup champion opened his round with a birdie but gave that back and more when his third shot at the second, a chip from just off the green, ricocheted off a rock into the water hazard on way to an eight.
Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Report: 77 false positives all negative
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Report: 77 false positives all negative
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
FILE PHOTO: Small bottles labeled with "Vaccine" stickers stand near a medical syringe in front of displayed "Coronavirus COVID-19" words in this illustration taken April 10, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
All 77 positive COVID-19 tests reported from a testing lab in New Jersey were negative on a retest, according to multiple reports.
Eleven teams were impacted by the testing error, which prompted fears of an NFL outbreak. The Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and New York Jets all had at least 10 players informed of positive tests.
All of those players were negative on follow-up testing, ESPN reported Monday.
Players and coaches who were informed of the positive tests are cleared to report to their teams on Monday, including Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
BioReference, which the NFL hired to conduct all of its COVID-19 testing, feeds tests into five labs for processing on a daily basis. One of the labs -- in New Jersey -- was the only one to produce false positives over the weekend. BioReference and the NFL have not commented directly on what might have caused the issue.
Daily testing is set to expire on Sept. 5.
The chaotic weekend prompted by false positives is likely to lead to discussions about altering the process of switching the testing service.
--Field Level Media
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Diversity-themed games can change player behaviour, says study
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Diversity-themed games can change player behaviour, says study
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Holding professional sports games with diversity themes, such as LGBT rights, can help change the discriminatory behaviour of athletes, according to an academic study released by an Australian university on Thursday.
Themed matches and rounds of matches in sports leagues around issues such as racism, sexism and homophobia have become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly in North America.
The study led by Melbourne’s Monash University looked at the impact of LGBT pride themed ice hockey games on athletes and found that players who took part were less likely to use homophobic slurs.
“Players who used homophobic slurs during a pride match said it felt like they were swearing in front of their grandmothers,” said lead author Erik Denison of the Monash School of Social Sciences.
“The games seem to help athletes notice their language and become aware of the harm it could cause. We were surprised the games could have this effect on language because most diversity education programmes fail to change behaviours.”
The study surveyed players from eight teams in the semi-professional Australian Ice Hockey League and asked them about their use of, and exposure to, homophobic language.
It found that players that took part in the LGBT-themed matches were around 20% less likely to have used a homophobic slur over the previous two weeks compared to athletes who did not take part in the contest.
Further, the athletes who took part in the themed game were 15% less likely to have heard one of their team mates use homophobic language in the previous two weeks.
A 2015 international report “Out On The Fields”, co-authored by Denison, found that 80% of people of all sexualities had witnessed or experienced homophobia in a sporting environment.
Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Tigers hang on to nip Cubs. 7-6
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Tigers hang on to nip Cubs. 7-6
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
Austin Romine had three hits, scored a run and drove in two more and the Detroit Tigers pounded out 18 hits while holding off the visiting Chicago Cubs 7-6 on Wednesday.
Aug 26, 2020; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers catcher Austin Romine (7) hits a RBI double during the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Miguel Cabrera and Jonathan Schoop each had three hits, a run scored and an RBI, while Cameron Maybin also rapped three hits and scored a run. Niko Goodrum drove in two runs for Detroit, which took two games in the three-game series.
Nico Hoerner had three hits, two runs scored and an RBI and Kyle Schwarber hit a solo homer for the Cubs.
Chicago scored three runs in the ninth but left a runner stranded at first as Buck Farmer recorded three outs after allowing four consecutive hits.
Joe Jimenez (1-1) gave up a run in one inning of relief but picked up the victory. Ryan Tepera (0-1), who allowed three runs while getting just one out, took the loss.
Chicago starter Jon Lester allowed one run on eight hits in five innings. Detroit starter Michael Fulmer gave up two runs on three hits in three innings.
Chicago outfielder Jason Heyward, who is Black, chose not to play after being in the original lineup as a protest against racial injustice.
The Cubs scored two runs in the third on Anthony Rizzo’s RBI single and Javier Baez’s sacrifice fly.
Detroit scored a run in the fourth but wasted an opportunity for a bigger inning. Jorge Bonifacio led off with a single and moved to third on Maybin’s double. Romine singled to bring home Bonifacio with still no outs.
Maybin was tagged out in a rundown trying to score on Isaac Paredes’ tapper. Lester also retired the next two batters to escape further damage.
Schwarber made it 3-1 in the sixth with his blast to left off Jimenez.
Detroit took a 6-3 lead with five runs in the bottom of the inning.
Maybin and Romine hit back-to-back doubles to get the rally started. Following two groundouts, Schoop hit an RBI single to tie the game. Schoop advanced on a Cabrera single and scored on Jeimer Candelario’s single to left. Goodrum’s two-run double brought in the last two runs of the inning.
--Field Level Media
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NBA ready to resume games after players' racial injustice boycott
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NBA ready to resume games after players' racial injustice boycott
By Frank Pingue, Amy Tennery5 Min Read
(Reuters) - The National Basketball Association (NBA) said on Thursday it hopes to resume play in a day or two after a boycott by players protesting racial injustice and police brutality, while President Donald Trump denounced the league.
NBA Executive Vice President Mike Bass said the league is “hopeful” it will resume games Friday or Saturday after the protest, which was sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and led to game cancellations in other sports as well.
The NBA players, a majority of whom are Black, decided not to extend the boycott in a meeting on their quarantined campus at Disney World in Florida, where games have occurred due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump, during a briefing on Hurricane Laura on Thursday, criticized the NBA for postponing six games in response to the players’ action. “They’ve become like a political organization and that’s not a good thing,” Trump said.
The basketball players’ protest began when the Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the court for Game 5 of their playoff series against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
The Bucks players said they were unable to focus on basketball due to demonstrations and violence in Kenosha, which is about 40 miles (60 km) south of Milwaukee.
The police shooting of Blake reminded Americans of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in May.
Related CoverageNHL postpones games, joins waves of protests against racial injusticeTrump says NBA has become like a political organization
That incident sparked anti-racism demonstrations and civil unrest across the United States and globally as well as prompted a national reckoning on race and justice that has rippled through U.S. life.
After the player boycott on Wednesday, the NBA postponed all three games on that day’s schedule as well as three playoff games on Thursday.
The National Hockey League (NHL), which faced social media criticism for not immediately delaying matches too, on Thursday postponed playoff games for that day and Friday.
“We understand that the tragedies involving Jacob Blake, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others require us to recognize this moment,” the NHL and its players’ association said in a joint statement.
Several National Football League teams canceled their practices on Thursday, while Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and the Women’s National Basketball Association postponed games on Wednesday. The women’s league delayed its Thursday games as well.
“While our passions continue to run high, we are proud that our players and clubs, League and Union, are taking time to have the difficult conversations about these issues that affect the Black community and other communities of color in America,” the NFL and its players’ association said in a joint statement.
FILE PHOTO: Aug 26, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; The court and benches are empty of players and coaches at the scheduled start of an NBA basketball first round playoff game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Orlando Magic, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Ashley Landis/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
WHITE HOUSE VS PLAYERS
The episode highlighted existing animosity between the White House and players. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, told Politico he would contact NBA star LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers about the player protests, and he told CNBC players were lucky to have enough money that they could skip work to protest.
James, a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player who in 2018 accused Trump of trying to use sports to divide Americans, wrote on Twitter: “Change doesn’t happen with just talk!! It happens with action and needs to happen NOW!”
Trump said this month that some NBA players are “very nasty” and “frankly very dumb.” In 2018, he said to NFL players who took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality: “Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country.”
Since the NBA restarted its pandemic-interrupted season, courts have had “Black Lives Matter” painted on them and many players have worn jerseys with social justice slogans. NBA referees marched on Thursday at the Disney campus in support of the players.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump’s Democratic challenger in the Nov. 3 presidential election, and his running mate Senator Kamala Harris - the first Black woman on a major-party ticket - praised the actions of the NBA players.
Kenosha police shot Blake, 29, in the back seven times at close range in an incident captured on video. Blake was left paralyzed by the shooting and is being treated for his injuries.
Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Additional reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Susan Heavey in Washington; Writing by Will Dunham; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Burnes, Holland get nods in Pirates-Brewers opener
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Burnes, Holland get nods in Pirates-Brewers opener
By Reuters Staff4 Min Read
The Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers are set to play baseball Friday at Miller Park, but that doesn’t mean they are overlooking the civil unrest and Black Lives Matter protests that have spread across the country.
FILE PHOTO: Aug 22, 2020; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Derek Holland (45) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The latest incident to raise voices about social injustice occurred when Wisconsin man Jacob Blake, who is Black, was shot in the back by police in Kenosha last Sunday and reportedly left paralyzed from the waist down. Several sports teams and leagues have postponed games this week.
The Brewers, in the same state as the unrest in Kenosha, are back on the field after postponing their home game Wednesday against Cincinnati as a show of solidarity. Those teams played a doubleheader Thursday, with the Brewers getting swept.
Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said the Brewers are taking their lead in social matters from reliever Devin Williams, the only Black player on the club.
“Devin has been a voice,” Counsell said. “Maybe not publicly, but I know for me he’s been a very important voice. THE most important voice.”
Pittsburgh, which played a day game Wednesday before other sporting events were postponed, has not missed any games because of the unrest, but the team is remaining aware.
“The dialog is ongoing,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “It has always been ongoing. We talk about events that happen. The one thing that our group and the Pirates organization wants to make sure we do is continue to learn and to grow and be very thoughtful about what’s going on in the world.”
For the Pirates, the opener of this four-game series is their fourth game in three days in three cities against a third opponent. They lost to the White Sox in Chicago Wednesday, swept a makeup doubleheader Thursday in St. Louis and now will be in Milwaukee.
Pittsburgh might not be the most welcome club for the Brewers, who last weekend got swept by the Pirates by a combined 24-11 in the final three games of a road trip.
The Pirates had won just four games before that sweep, and coming out of that series had four of their seven wins against Milwaukee. Since that series, they lost twice to the White Sox in Chicago before the two games in St. Louis.
In the opener Friday, Pittsburgh left-hander Derek Holland (1-1, 6.17 ERA) is scheduled to face right-hander Corbin Burnes (0-0, 3.42 ERA). Both starters last pitched in the teams’ series last weekend.
Holland was the winner Saturday when he gave up one run and four hits in five innings, with three walks and five strikeouts. Overall, he is 2-0 with a 2.01 ERA in 13 career appearances against Milwaukee, four of them starts.
Burnes was the starter Sunday in Pittsburgh. He got a no-decision, allowing three runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and two walks.
“Early on, I just didn’t have my best stuff going,” Burnes said. “Made a few too many mistakes early in the count and they capitalized. ... Just left a few too many pitches in the middle of the zone they got to. After those first two, I kind of settled in there and threw the ball all right.”
In his career against the Pirates, Burnes is 2-0 with a 3.43 ERA in 13 appearances, with last weekend being his only start against Pittsburgh.
--Field Level Media
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Cycling: Tour's COVID-19 exclusion rules toughened on odd race day one
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Cycling: Tour's COVID-19 exclusion rules toughened on odd race day one
By Julien Pretot3 Min Read
NICE, France (Reuters) - French health authorities introduced stricter regulations for exclusions from the Tour de France in the event of coronavirus cases, hours before the race began in unusual conditions on Saturday.
Cycling - La Course by Tour de France - Nice, France - August 29, 2020. Fans wearing protective face masks take pictures at the start. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
The government’s interministerial crisis committee has ruled that a team should be pulled out if two or more of its members test positive within seven days, race organisers said on Saturday.
Until now, this year’s race, which began in Nice on Saturday, was operating under International Cycling Union (UCI) guidelines for teams to be excluded if two or more riders were to test positive over the same period.
The new regulations from the committee, which overrules the UCI, cover support staff as well as riders, organisers told Reuters.
Tour teams comprise eight riders and a maximum of 22 support staff.
Organisers, however, said that the Lotto Soudal team, which saw two staff members test COVID-positive on Thursday, remained in the race because the stricter measure did not take effect until Saturday.
Organisers have admitted there is a risk of the race not reaching Paris as numbers of coronavirus cases have been rising steadily in France since the beginning of the August.
The race’s opening day was unusually quiet in Nice, a city on COVID-19 red alert.
While thousands of fans from all over the world traditionally gather in the start area for the ‘Grand Depart’, there were only small crowds in Nice as the peloton emerged in a highly-protected ‘bubble’.
The giant podium at the start was placed 200 metres from barriers, preventing any intrusion, and the fans were in equally low numbers at a rain-hit finish on the Promenade des Anglais.
There were also hundreds of hotel rooms still available at the weekend -- a rarity for a Tour de France Grand Depart.
Riders were puzzled, but understanding.
“We can’t complain, we’re happy to be here because it’s important to ride the tour -- for the riders, for the teams,” said former world champion Philippe Gilbert.
“It’s complicated everywhere, for everyone. In companies, in society in general, so it’s the same for cycling.”
“There are a lot of restrictions but we’re all doing our best to produce a good show. We miss the fans, the hot weather, but we just have to deal with it,” said Italian Daniel Oss.
Reporting by Julien Pretot; editing by John Stonestreet and Ian ChadbandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Bucks finish off Magic to reach Eastern semifinals
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Bucks finish off Magic to reach Eastern semifinals
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton recorded double-doubles Saturday afternoon as the Milwaukee Bucks returned to the court and made short work of the Orlando Magic 118-104 to finish off a 4-1 win in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando.
Aug 29, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; The Milwaukee Bucks celebrate defeating the Orlando Magic in game five of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Three days after walking out to protest the recent shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., the Bucks led by as many as 21 points in coasting to a fourth straight win that vaults the top seed into an Eastern semifinal matchup with the fifth-seeded Miami Heat.
The best-of-seven between the Bucks and Heat tips off Monday night.
Antetokounmpo put up game-highs in points (28) and rebounds (17) in leading the Bucks to their second straight first-round series win after they had been eliminated there in eight consecutive trips to the postseason.
Middleton chipped in with 21 points, 10 rebounds and a team-high seven assists, as Milwaukee rebounded from a shocking 122-110 loss to its eighth-seeded opponent in Game 1 with four victories by an average of 14.5 points.
The Magic, who had a losing record (33-40) in the regular season, were led by Nikola Vucevic’s 22 points and 15 rebounds.
Milwaukee bolted out to as many as a 10-point lead in the first quarter and 17-point advantage in the second period.
Down 21 in the third quarter and 90-79 entering the final period, the Magic used a 3-pointer from Evan Fournier to climb within 96-93 with 7:39 to play.
But Marvin Williams countered with a three of his own for the Bucks to double the margin, and Milwaukee never led again by fewer than six.
Antetokounmpo hit 11 of his 17 shots en route to his 28 points for the Bucks, who outshot the Magic 45.5 percent to 39.4.
Antetokounmpo and Middleton bombed in three 3-pointers apiece, and Williams connected on four in five attempts to account for all 12 of his points off the bench.
Brook Lopez added 16 points, George Hill 11 and Eric Bledsoe 10 for the Bucks, who lost two straight in the regular season to Miami before beating the Heat 130-116 earlier this month after the restart.
Fournier finished with 18 points, D.J. Augustin 15, Markelle Fultz 14 and Terrence Ross 13 for the Magic, who bowed out of the playoffs in the first round for the fourth consecutive time.
--Field Level Media
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NHL roundup: Lightning put Bruins on verge of elimination
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NHL roundup: Lightning put Bruins on verge of elimination
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
Ondrej Palat scored two goals to lead Tampa Bay to a 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon in Toronto, putting the Lightning on the cusp of reaching the next round in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Aug 29, 2020; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Lightning players Ondrej Palat (18) , Victor Hedman (77) and Tyler Johnson (9) celebrate after defeating the Boston Bruins in game four of the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Nikita Kucherov collected a pair of assists and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 29 saves for the Lightning, who lead 3-1 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal.
The Bruins, outscored 10-2 in the last two games, were guilty of surrendering a couple of prime scoring chances early and paid the price when Palat opened the scoring -- the third straight game in which the Lightning forward has scored.
After falling behind 3-0 by the end of two periods, the Bruins, the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners for the best regular-season record, got on the board thanks to Jake DeBrusk’s power-play goal at 7:04 of the third. But that was close as they could get.
Islanders 3, Flyers 1
Leo Komarov scored the tie-breaking goal in the final seconds of the second period for New York in a win over Philadelphia in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series in Toronto. The Islanders lead the best-of-seven series two games to one.
The Islanders scored the final three goals of the game. Matt Martin scored the game-tying goal earlier in the second and Anders Lee added an insurance goal in the third. Goalie Semyon Varlamov made 26 saves.
Tyler Pitlick scored in the first for the Flyers. Goalie Carter Hart recorded 26 saves.
Golden Knights 3, Canucks 0
Robin Lehner made 31 saves to record his second shutout in three games and Vegas Golden Knights took a 2-1 lead in their Stanley Cup playoff series against Vancouver in Edmonton.
Alex Tuch and Zach Whitecloud netted first-period goals, while Mark Stone added the insurance marker early in the third period for the Golden Knights, who have claimed shutout victories in both wins in this series.
Lehner didn’t have his busiest night, but he was key during the first period, especially midway through the frame by making big saves on Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson during a Vancouver five-on-three power play. The Canucks controlled the shot clock in the first period but it was the Golden Knights who did all the scoring, thanks to goals 83 seconds apart by Tuch and Whitecloud.
--Field Level Media
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Dodgers set National League record for home runs in a month with Bellinger's blast
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Dodgers set National League record for home runs in a month with Bellinger's blast
By Reuters Staff1 Min Read
Aug 30, 2020; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel (left) congratulates first baseman Cody Bellinger (right) after hitting a two run home run against the Texas Rangers in the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Dodgers hit three home runs in the first three innings of Sunday’s game against the host Texas Rangers to set a National League record for homers in a month with 57.
Cody Bellinger slammed the record-breaking homer with a two-run shot into the right-field seats off Kyle Gibson in the third inning. The Atlanta Braves held the old NL mark of 56, set in June 2019.
The New York Yankees hold the major league record after slugging 74 in August of last year.
Corey Seager started the power display with a first-inning homer off the right-handed Gibson. Will Smith hit a solo shot in the second as the Dodgers tied the record.
Bellinger’s record-breaking blast off Gibson made it 4-0.
--Field Level Media
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Tennis: Keys makes quick work of Babos to advance
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Tennis: Keys makes quick work of Babos to advance
By Reuters Staff1 Min Read
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Australian Open - Second Round - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 22, 2020. Madison Keys of the U.S. reacts during the match against Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo
(Reuters) - Madison Keys needed just 55 minutes to beat Timea Babos 6-1 6-1 and advance to the second round of the U.S. Open on Tuesday as the 2017 finalist looks to claim her elusive first Grand Slam title.
The hard-hitting American won 92% of her first serve points and never faced a break point while playing smothering defense against the overmatched Hungarian.
The 25-year-old Keys, who drew comparisons to 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams when she joined the tour in 2009, has been consistently ranked in the top 25 and won five titles.
But the lack of a Grand Slam title has cast a shadow over her career.
She fell to fellow American and friend Sloane Stephens in the final at Flushing Meadows three years ago, her closest brush with Grand Slam glory.
The absence of six of the top 10 women’s players at this year’s tournament could open the door for the seventh seeded Keys, who will face either Jil Teichmann of Switzerland or Aliona Bolsova of Spain in the second round.
Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Nuggets edge Jazz in Game 7 on late basket by Jokic
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Nuggets edge Jazz in Game 7 on late basket by Jokic
By Reuters Staff4 Min Read
The Denver Nuggets survived a frantic finish to complete a rally from a 3-1 postseason deficit Tuesday night, getting a go-ahead hoop from Nikola Jokic with 27.8 seconds remaining for an 80-78 victory over the Utah Jazz in Game 7 of their Western Conference first-round series in the NBA bubble near Orlando.
Sep 1, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Monte Morris (11) brings the ball up court against Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the first half of game seven of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The 4-3 win vaults the third-seeded Nuggets, who had never previously rallied to win a series from down 3-1, into a second-round matchup with the second-seeded Los Angeles Clippers, beginning Thursday night.
After sixth-seeded Utah forged a 78-all tie on a Rudy Gobert dunk with 47.5 seconds left, the Nuggets went to Jokic inside against the Jazz’s ace defender, and the Denver big man came through with a short hook shot in the lane for the game’s final points.
The Jazz had two subsequent possessions.
First, the Nuggets stripped the ball from Donovan Mitchell with 8.4 seconds to go. But rather than try to run out the clock, Denver rushed the ball up the floor and watched Torrey Craig miss a contested layup with 4.4 seconds remaining.
Gobert rebounded and got the ball to Mike Conley, who had a good look at a potential game-winning 3-pointer just before the final horn but had the shot rim out.
In winning for the third straight time after falling behind 3-1 in the series, the Nuggets prevailed despite getting just 17 points on 7-for-21 shooting from Jamal Murray, who suffered a bruised thigh in a collision with Utah’s Joe Ingles in the second quarter and was never the same.
Jokic paced the Nuggets with a game-high 30 points, completing a double-double with 14 rebounds.
Michael Porter Jr. chipped in with 10 points off the bench for Denver, which won despite shooting just 37.3 percent and scoring only 30 points in the second half.
After a slow start, Mitchell led the Jazz with 22 points, shooting 9-for-22, while Gobert had 19 to complement a game-high 18 rebounds.
Mitchell connected on a pair of 3-pointers (on eight attempts), giving him 33 treys in the seven games and allowing him to break Stephen Curry’s single-series postseason record of 32, set in 2016. Murray wound up with 32 3-pointers in the series, though he was just 1-for-6 from long distance on Tuesday.
Jordan Clarkson added 10 points for Utah, which had never previously lost a playoff series in which it led 3-1.
After Mitchell’s 13 third-quarter points had rallied the Jazz into contention after they had trailed by as many as 19, Conley and Gobert combined for all the points in an 8-0 run to begin the fourth period and give Utah its first lead since the first quarter at 68-65.
Denver subsequently regained a four-point lead on two consecutive hoops by Murray, the latter making it 78-74 with 1:43 to go.
But Utah made one last charge, rallying into a 78-all tie with 47.5 seconds to go on hoops by Royce O’Neal and Gobert, both assisted by Conley, setting up the wild finish.
Mitchell was held to two points in the first 22 minutes, during which the Jazz fell behind by as many as 10 in the first quarter and 19 in the second.
-Field Level MediaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Team Ineos are off their game, says rival boss Vaughters
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Team Ineos are off their game, says rival boss Vaughters
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
(Reuters) - Team Ineos lack their usual strength and will not be able to control the Tour de France as they usually do, rival team manager Jonathan Vaughters said on Wednesday.
Slideshow ( 2 images )
The British outfit, formerly Team Sky, have dominated the Tour de France in the past decade, winning seven of the last eight editions with Chris Froome taking four GC titles.
With Froome and 2018 winner Geraint Thomas both left out of this year’s team, Colombia’s Egan Bernal is the sole leader as he tries to retain the title he won last year.
One of the most notable aspects of the opening four stages of the race has been the sight of Ineos riders tucked in the peloton rather than driving the pace off the front.
Instead it is Jumbo-Visma, the Dutch team of favourite Primoz Roglic, which has been far more pro-active.
“Ineos are off their game. They’re not what they have been in the past years,” Vaughters, general manager of EF Pro Cycling, said in an interview with Eurosport and GCN.
“It’s going to be a harder race for them to win. If Bernal wins, which he very much could do because I think he’ll be pretty incredible the third week of the race, it’ll be more of an individual win rather than a crushing team win.”
Ineos/Team Sky’s Tour victories have been masterminded by team boss Dave Brailsford and Nicolas Portal but sporting director Portal died suddenly of a heart attack in March.
Brailsford said in the Tour build-up that he was an impossible man to replace.
While Jumbo Visma so far look like the form team, Vaughters says they could burn out if they are not careful.
“Jumbo-Visma are obviously doing a lot better and showing their strength early,” the American said. “The risk is they fry themselves in the first 10 days and don’t have anything left.”
Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Serena battles through second-round test at U.S. Open
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Serena battles through second-round test at U.S. Open
By Amy Tennery3 Min Read
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Serena Williams battled her way through to a 6-2 6-4 victory over Russia’s Margarita Gasparyan in the second round of the U.S. Open on Thursday, as she continued her bid for a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title.
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A dominant Williams sailed through the first set at Arthur Ashe Stadium, closing out the first game with one of seven aces in the match before breaking her unseeded opponent’s serve on the second game to take an early 2-0 lead.
The 38-year-old American showed little sign of weakness, aside from a single double fault and a trio of unforced errors, as she finished off the set in just 35 minutes.
Momentum shifted during the second set, however, as Gasparyan, 26, went on the offensive and the six-time champion committed four double faults.
The unseeded Russian drew Williams to the net and sent a forehand pass winner whizzing by her, before forcing her into an error on the next point to break her serve and narrow the lead 3-2.
Williams retaliated, breaking her serve, but Gasparyan refused to back down, eventually leveling the score 4-4.
Williams, a crowd favourite who this year must play without her legions of fans cheering her on, clawed her way back, managing to close out a lengthy 16-point game to hold her serve and retake the lead 5-4, psyching herself up shouting “Come on!” inside the empty stadium.
Related CoverageSerena faces old foe at U.S. Open: Her inner critic
“It wasn’t that frustrating,” Williams said after the match.
The second-set setback “could help me know what not to do next time.”
The retractable roof of the stadium was put in place after the competitors warmed up due to rain in Flushing Meadows, and the two played in almost pin-drop silence, with spectators barred from the sprawling Queens campus amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
During a changeover toward the end of the contest Williams told the chair umpire she felt like she was “sprinting” to manage her on-court towel, one of the many new health requirements of the COVID-19 era.
“I don’t have enough time,” she said. “I don’t want to get a warning but this is not normal.”
She next faces fellow American Sloane Stephens in the third round. Williams said Stephens, who won the tournament in 2017, is “a great competitor.”
“I’ve just got to get ready for the match,” said Williams. “Always going to be intense. Always going to be, you know, who I am on the court, so that’s the only thing I can do.
“And the only difference is I’m playing such a good player so early, so I have to bring, you know, what I can even more.”
Reporting by Amy Tennery; Editing by Jacqueline Wong & Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Highlights: U.S. Open day five
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Highlights: U.S. Open day five
By Reuters Staff4 Min Read
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Highlights of the fifth day at the U.S. Open in New York on Friday. The Grand Slam is being played without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Times ET; GMT-4):
FILE PHOTO: Sep 3, 2020; Flushing Meadows, New York, USA; A view of the match between Vasek Pospisil of Canada (L) and Milos Raonic of Canada (R) in Louis Armstrong Stadium on day four of the 2020 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
1840 SHAPOVALOV SURVIVES FRITZ SCARE
Canada’s Denis Shapovalov rallied from 5-2 down in the fourth set to beat American Taylor Fritz 3-6 6-3 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2. Shapovalov will next face Belgian David Goffin for a place in the quarter-finals.
1815 KONTAVEIT BRUSHES LINETTE ASIDE TO ADVANCE
Estonia’s 14th seed Anett Kontaveit booked a spot in the fourth round with an emphatic 6-3 6-2 victory over Poland’s Magda Linette, breaking her four times and smashing 14 winners past the 24th seed.
1800 MANNARINO MATCH DELAYED BY HEALTH OFFICIALS
Fifth seed Alexander Zverev’s third round match against France’s Adrian Mannarino was delayed by health officials, the USTA said.
The match began 2-1/2 hours behind schedule while organisers conducted a “collaborative dialogue” with health officials, the governing body said in a statement.
Mannarino was one of 10 players who had contact with Benoit Paire before the Frenchman pulled out of the tournament after testing positive for COVID-19.
“Given the sensitivity of the medical issues involved, the USTA is not able to provide further details,” the statement added.
1530 EVANS LOSS ENDS BRITISH HOPES
Dan Evans became the final Briton to be knocked out of the singles draw after he suffered a 4-6 6-3 7-6(5) 7-6(1) defeat by Frenchman Corentin Moutet.
The result was followed by fellow Briton Cameron Norrie’s 7-6(2) 4-6 6-2 6-1 loss to Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
1451 OSAKA OVERCOMES KOSTYUK TEST TO ADVANCE
Japan’s former champion Naomi Osaka was pushed in her third-round encounter by teenager Marta Kostyuk, of Ukraine, and needed over two-and-a-half hours before she prevailed 6-3 6-7(4) 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Kostyuk, who is ranked 137 in the world, smashed 36 winners to Osaka’s 30 but also tallied 51 unforced errors to fall to the fourth seed.
1445 GOFFIN THROUGH, GARCIA OUT
Belgian seventh seed David Goffin moved into the fourth round with a 6-1 7-6(5) 6-4 victory over Filip Krajinovic, firing 36 winners and eight aces past the Serbian.
Caroline Garcia, who knocked out top seed Karolina Pliskova in the second round, was beaten in straight sets by American Jennifer Brady who won 6-3 6-3 without dropping serve while ocnverting three break points.
1420 KERBER MARCHES INTO LAST 16
Germany’s Angelique Kerber was largely untroubled as she dispatched American Ann Li 6-3 6-4.
The 17th seed has booked a place in the last 16 at Flushing Meadows for the first time since she won the title in 2016.
1400 MCNALLY BATTLES PAST ALEXANDROVA, MERTENS THROUGH
American teenager Caty McNally raced past 21st seed Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia in the final set tiebreak to win 4-6 6-3 7-6(2) in a second round match that was interrupted by rain on Thursday.
The result means 11 American women have progressed to the third round of the tournament this week.
Belgian 16th seed Elise Mertens also finished her second round match on Friday, beating Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-3 7-5.
1240 MARTIC THROUGH TO LAST 16 IN STRAIGHT SETS
Eighth seed Petra Martic of Croatia beat Russian Varvara Gracheva 6-3 6-3 to become the first player to move into the last 16 of the U.S. Open.
Martic, who beat Gracheva in Prague on clay last month, hit fewer winners but broke six times while the Russian made 33 unforced errors.
1110 PLAY UNDERWAY AT FLUSHING MEADOWS
Play began in bright sunshine with the temperature hovering around 26 degrees Celsius (87.8°F), with an expected high of 31 degrees.
Compiled by Rohith Nair and Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis and Ian ChadbandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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MLB roundup: O's end 19-game skid vs. Yanks in DH split
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MLB roundup: O's end 19-game skid vs. Yanks in DH split
By Reuters Staff13 Min Read
Rookie Ryan Mountcastle homered and drove in three runs, and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the visiting Yankees 6-3 in the second game of a doubleheader Friday night to end their 19-game, head-to-head losing streak against New York.
Sep 4, 2020; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Rio Ruiz (14) throws the ball to first base in the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
The Yankees beat the Orioles 6-5 in nine innings in the first game of the twin bill, New York’s 18th straight victory in Baltimore. The Yankees’ last loss at Camden Yards before Friday’s nightcap came on July 10, 2018.
The road winning streak was a franchise record for New York against any team. The Yankees just missed matching the longest head-to-head road winning streak vs. a single opponent, with the mark of 19 set by the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Cincinnati Reds from 1947 to ‘49.
Jorge Lopez (1-0) pitched five innings and got the win for the Orioles, with all three runs he allowed being unearned. Cesar Valdez earned his first major league save by throwing two shutout innings.
In Game 1, Miguel Andujar and Clint Frazier each had RBI singles for the Yankees in the top of the ninth to give New York the victory.
Phillies 5, Mets 3
Roman Quinn hit a strange tiebreaking single with two outs in the seventh inning and Philadelphia continued its surge with a victory over host New York.
The Phillies won their fifth straight game and improved to 10-1 in their last 11 games, thanks to Quinn’s odd hit.
After Phil Gosselin doubled with two outs and nobody on, Quinn hit a ground ball up the middle off Jared Hughes (1-2) that required shortstop Andres Gimenez to make a diving stop. As Gimenez lunged to his right, the ball caromed off his bare right hand during his dive and deflected off his glove into center field as Gosselin raced home.
Twins 2, Tigers 0 (Game 1)
Josh Donaldson and Jorge Polanco hit first-inning home runs and Randy Dobnak pitched five shutout innings for his sixth win of the season to lead Minnesota to its third consecutive victory, defeating Detroit in the first game of a doubleheader in Minneapolis.
Dobnak (6-2) limited the Tigers to just four singles and a walk over five innings while striking out four. The six wins moved him into a tie for the major league lead with Shane Bieber (Cleveland), Max Fried (Atlanta) and Yu Darvish (Chicago Cubs).
Tyler Duffey struck out two of the three batters he faced in the sixth and Taylor Rogers pitched around a lead single by Jeimer Candelario in the seventh to garner his eighth save in 10 tries. Matthew Boyd (1-5) allowed two runs on four hits over six innings while striking out eight.
Twins 3, Tigers 2 (Game 2, 8 innings)
Jorge Polanco went 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored and Marwin Gonzalez singled in the winning run in the eighth inning as Minnesota completed a doubleheader sweep of Detroit in Minneapolis.
Gonzalez drove in catcher Willians Astudillo, who began the inning at second base, with a one-out single to center off reliever Joe Jimenez (1-3) to break a 2-2 tie. The game was a makeup of an Aug. 28 postponement at Tiger Stadium, with Detroit serving as the home team and batting second.
Sergio Romo (1-1) pitched a hitless seventh to pick up the win. Trevor May struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth to garner his second save as Minnesota extended its win streak to four games.
Dodgers 10, Rockies 6
AJ Pollock hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth, and Joc Pederson and Mookie Betts followed with insurance homers later in the frame as Los Angeles rallied twice in the late innings to beat visiting Colorado.
The Dodgers have won 17 of their last 18 against the Rockies at home and a dominating 24 of their past 28 overall against their National League West rival.
Will Smith and Max Muncy also hit home runs for the Dodgers, who have gone 9-0-1 in their last 10 series against the Rockies. Kevin Pillar hit a grand slam for the Rockies, who also got homers from Raimel Tapia and Sam Hilliard.
Angels 6, Astros 5 (11 innings)
Shohei Ohtani’s one-out single in the bottom of the 11th inning scored Mike Trout from second base to lift Los Angeles to a victory over Houston in Anaheim, Calif.
Angels reliever Matt Andriese (2-2) pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings to get the victory. Trout tied Tim Salmon’s Angels franchise record by hitting his 299th career homer.
The Astros trailed 5-2 going into the ninth, but rallied for three runs in the inning, ultimately tying the game on Kyle Tucker’s two-out RBI double that scored pinch runner Myles Straw.
White Sox 7, Royals 4
Jose Abreu’s two-run double in the sixth inning opened up a close game and Chicago defeated host Kansas City.
Abreu extended his hitting streak to 18 games, tied for the longest in the majors this season with Baltimore’s Anthony Santander, while Eloy Jimenez had three hits and an RBI for Chicago.
Codi Heuer (2-0) got the win in relief, and Alex Colome got his eighth save. Brady Singer (1-4) took the loss for the Royals. He allowed five runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Braves 7, Nationals 1 (Game 1)
Ronald Acuna Jr. returned from a hamstring injury to belt a pair of home runs and pace Atlanta to a win over Washington in the first game of a doubleheader.
It was the fifth straight win for Atlanta and the seventh consecutive loss for the Nationals.
Darren O’Day (3-0) pitched one scoreless inning for the win after starter Tommy Milone allowed one run on six hits over four innings for the Braves. Washington starter Austin Voth (0-5) remained winless after giving up five runs, seven hits and three home runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Nationals 10, Braves 9 (Game 2)
Trea Turner hit a solo homer in the sixth inning to break a tie game and help send Washington to a win at Atlanta in the second game of a doubleheader, snapping its seven-game losing streak.
Turner’s blast came against reliever Will Smith (2-1). Turner has hit safely in 24 of his last 27 games.
Michael A. Taylor drove in three runs for the Nationals, and Trea Turner homered. The Braves got a grand slam from Freddie Freeman as well as homers from Austin Riley, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Travis d’Arnaud.
Cubs 4, Cardinals 1
Willson Contreras drove in four runs and Yu Darvish struck out 11 over seven innings to power host Chicago past St. Louis.
The National League Central-leading Cubs dropped the Cardinals into a second-place tie with the Milwaukee Brewers at 4 1/2 games back.
Darvish (7-1) held the Cardinals to just one hit -- a Matt Carpenter homer -- in his seven innings. He didn’t issue a walk. Reliever Jeremy Jeffress pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his fifth save. Darvish has allowed no more than one run in each of his past seven starts. He has held the Cardinals to two runs in 13 innings in two victories against them this season.
Padres 7, A’s 0
Zach Davies recorded his sixth win of the season with seven shutout innings, and San Diego hit three home runs in a victory at Oakland.
Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Luis Campusano -- making his major league debut -- went deep for San Diego. Tatis finished with two hits, two runs and three RBIs, and Trent Grisham added three hits. Davies allowed four hits and four walks while striking out five.
The game was the first for the A’s since being quarantined following a positive coronavirus test on pitcher Daniel Mengden last week. Oakland hadn’t played since dropping both ends of a doubleheader at Houston on Aug. 29.
Rays 5, Marlins 4
Michael Perez’s three-run double highlighted a four-run fourth inning as first-place Tampa Bay beat Miami in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Yoshi Tsutsugo was 2-for-2 with a solo homer, two runs and two walks, and Joey Wendle added two hits, a walk and a stolen base for the Rays, who have won 21 of their last 25 games overall.
Starter Josh Fleming (3-0) stayed perfect in his third career start, but the left-hander yielded four runs on seven hits in five innings and was helped by a stellar performance from the bullpen. Rays relievers Ryan Thompson, Pete Fairbanks, Diego Castillo and Nick Anderson fired four scoreless innings, allowing only one hit.
Brewers 7, Indians 1
Keston Hiura ripped a go-ahead RBI double to ignite a four-run seventh inning and belted a two-run homer in the eighth to lift visiting Milwaukee past Cleveland.
The late offense allowed Corbin Burnes (2-0) to pick up the win. The right-hander permitted one unearned run on three hits while striking out seven in six innings. Luis Urias and Ryan Braun each had an RBI single and Ben Gamel collected three hits to propel the Brewers to their fifth win in seven contests. The result gave Craig Counsell sole possession of third place on the franchise’s all-time managerial wins list with 423.
Tyler Naquin scored a run on a fielder’s choice and had one of the four hits for the Indians, who have lost three of their last five games overall and seven of their last nine at home.
Reds 4, Pirates 2 (Game 1)
Nick Castellanos hit a solo homer and visiting Cincinnati jumped out to an early lead as it topped Pittsburgh in the opening game of a doubleheader.
Jose Garcia and Jesse Winker each added an RBI single for the Reds. Luis Castillo (1-5), in his eighth start of the season, finally got his first win. He gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings, with eight strikeouts and two walks.
Gregory Polanco hit an RBI double and Colin Moran had an RBI single for Pittsburgh.
Pirates 4, Reds 3 (Game 2)
Anthony Alford hit a two-run triple and flashed some slick baserunning to score on a wild pitch Pittsburgh earned a split with Cincinnati, winning a game in which the Reds were the home team though the game was in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh came by the winning run in a relatively anticlimactic manner. At 3-3 heading into the fifth, Kevin Newman and Adam Frazier singled, and Newman scored when Bryan Reynolds bounced into a double play.
Cincinnati’s Trevor Bauer (3-3) lost his third straight start. He gave up four runs, just one earned, and six hits in six innings, with seven strikeouts and two walks. With the game tied at 2-2 in the fourth, Alford took a big lead and deftly scored on a Bauer wild pitch that wasn’t very wild -- it got away from catcher Tucker Barnhart but barely made it onto the grass cutout.
Blue Jays 8, Red Sox 7 (Game 1)
Travis Shaw went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and Danny Jansen hit a two-run homer as visiting Toronto held on to defeat Boston in the first game of a doubleheader.
Randal Grichuk added two hits and two RBIs for the Blue Jays. A.J. Cole (2-0) allowed a walk in one inning to get the win. Anthony Bass earned his fifth save with a perfect seventh.
Yairo Munoz hit a two-run homer and was 3-for-3 with three RBIs for the Red Sox in the seven-inning game.
Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 2 (Game 2)
Tzu-Wei Lin and Michael Chavis supplied key RBI hits and Boston defeated Toronto to gain a doubleheader split.
The Red Sox, as the visiting team in the nightcap, ended a five-game losing streak and stopped the Blue Jays’ winning streak at three games. Yairo Munoz had three hits in each game for Boston.
Rowdy Tellez hit a solo home run for the Blue Jays. Ross Stripling (3-2) made his first start for Toronto, and he allowed three runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Mariners 6, Rangers 3
Yusei Kikuchi pitched six strong innings as Seattle returned from a three-day break with a win over visiting Texas.
J.P. Crawford hit a three-run homer for the Mariners, who won their third in a row. Seattle had a three-game midweek series against the Oakland Athletics postponed because of a positive COVID-19 test in the A’s organization.
Kikuchi allowed one run on two hits with no walks and seven strikeouts to post his second consecutive victory. Texas right-hander Kyle Cody (0-1), who was making his first major league start, took the loss despite not allowing an earned run in three innings. Cody gave up one hit, walked two and struck out two.
Diamondbacks 6, Giants 5
Ketel Marte tied a career high with three extra-base hits as part of a 4-for-5 evening, and Arizona held on for a win over host San Francisco in the opener of a four-game series.
Marte homered and doubled twice, and Daulton Varsho added a two-run single as Arizona ended a five-game losing streak overall and an eight-game losing road skid.
The Giants, who had won three of four, matched the Diamondbacks with 12 hits, including Brandon Belt’s solo home run in the seventh inning.
--Field Level Media
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Still without deal, Clowney switches agents - report
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Still without deal, Clowney switches agents - report
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
With the NFL season kickoff less than a week away, free-agent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has fired agent Bus Cook, according to ESPN.
The former No. 1 overall draft pick reportedly now will work with Kennard McGuire as he tries to find a team that will meet his contract demands this season.
Clowney fired Cook once before, according to ProFootballTalk. That came in the 2019 offseason, though Clowney rehired Cook before being traded from the Houston Texans to the Seattle Seahawks.
Cook is best known as the longtime agent of retired quarterback Brett Favre. Kennard’s clients include Carolina Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
Clowney has been linked to the Tennessee Titans and Seahawks, but on Friday reportedly met with New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton in Houston for a private dinner.
Seattle, where Clowney played in 2019, and Tennessee both would be looking to pay him around $12 million per season, per Yahoo Sports. He reportedly turned down an offer earlier this offseason that could have been as high as $18 million from the Cleveland Browns.
Clowney reportedly was looking for $21 million per season when free agency opened, but found the market wanting.
Clowney has tallied 32 sacks in 75 career games. He also has a noteworthy injury history, which includes microfracture surgery on his knee and core muscle surgery after the 2019 season.
Clowney, 27, played in 13 games for the Seahawks last season, registering three sacks, 31 tackles and 13 quarterback hits.
Field Level MediaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Pironkova surprises herself with comeback run in New York
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Pironkova surprises herself with comeback run in New York
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
NEW YORK (Reuters) - There were times when Tsvetana Pironkova thought she had played her last top-level tennis match after taking a break from the tour in 2017 but the Bulgarian has surprised herself with a run to the last-16 at the U.S. Open without dropping a set.
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - 17/1/17 Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova reaches for a shot during her Women's singles first round match against Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
The 32-year-old, who gave birth to son Alexander in 2018, eased past Croatian 18th seed Donna Vekic 6-4 6-1 on Saturday to reach the second week at Flushing Meadows for the second time.
“It feels amazing. Of course, unexpected. But just super happy,” Pironkova, a 2010 Wimbledon semi-finalist, told reporters.
Playing her first professional tournament since Wimbledon 2017, Pironkova used her special ranking after maternity leave to enter the main draw in New York.
“There was a time maybe for one-and-a-half, two years after I became a mom where I didn’t really picture coming back to the tour at all,” she said.
“But then I started thinking about tennis more and more. Also having this opportunity of the special ranking gives you more motivation. My first tournament is actually main draw in U.S. Open. That is a huge opportunity.”
Pironkova said she was trying to strike a balance between motherhood and tennis, taking notes from fellow professional Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko.
“I’m good friends with Kateryna Bondarenko ... and she’s also back on the tour after she gave birth to her second child,” she said.
“We kind of exchanged some experience even after she was back on the tour after her first child. It’s helpful to have fellow mothers on tour.”
Pironkova will next face France’s Alize Cornet for a place in the quarter-finals.
Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Renault to be named Alpine from 2021 F1 season
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Renault to be named Alpine from 2021 F1 season
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
FILE PHOTO: SEAT President and CEO Luca de Meo attends the 89th Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland March 5, 2019. REUTERS/Pierre Albouy
(Reuters) - Renault will rename its team Alpine from the 2021 season, the Formula One team said in a statement here ahead of the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday.
The team will take on the new name and also have a new color scheme with the French national colors of red, white and blue replacing yellow and black.
“Alpine is a beautiful brand, powerful and vibrant, that brings a smile to the faces of its followers,” new chief executive Luca de Meo said in a statement.
“By introducing Alpine, a symbol of French excellence, to the most prestigious of the world’s automotive disciplines, we are continuing the adventure of manufacturers in a renewed sport.
“We are bringing a dream brand alongside the biggest names, for spectacular car races made and followed by enthusiasts. Alpine will also bring its values to the F1 paddock: elegance, ingenuity, and audacity.”
Loss-making Renault, under De Meo, had announced a new organisational structure focused on core brands rather than geographical regions, with Renault F1 team principal Cyril Abiteboul overseeing one of the four divisions.
Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Djokovic urges angry fanbase not to turn on U.S. Open line judge
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Djokovic urges angry fanbase not to turn on U.S. Open line judge
By Reuters Staff3 Min Read
(Reuters) - Novak Djokovic has pleaded for compassion for the line judge he inadvertently struck in the throat with a ball at the U.S. Open on Monday after the female official faced a backlash from fans of the world number one on social media.
FILE PHOTO: Sep 6, 2020; Flushing Meadows, New York, USA; Novak Djokovic of Serbia and a tournament official tend to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic against Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain (not pictured) on day seven of the 2020 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
The Serb was disqualified in the fourth round after he hit a ball to the back of the court in frustration after dropping serve in the first set against Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta, sending the official to the floor.
A section of Djokovic’s fans took to social media to hurl abuse at the official after her Instagram username was carried by Serbian media.
“Shame on you. Old lady full of evil,” read one of the messages left on her Instagram account, while other users accused her of faking the injury and “bad acting”.
Djokovic on Tuesday defended the official on Twitter, while thanking fans who had left him positive messages of support.
“Please also remember the linesperson that was hit by the ball last night needs our community’s support too. She’s done nothing wrong at all. I ask you to stay especially supportive and caring to her during this time.
“From these moments, we grow stronger and we rise above. Sharing love with everyone. Europe here I come.”
With the line judge screaming out in pain as she fell to the ground, a horrified Djokovic ran over to her and apologised.
A tournament spokesman told Reuters later that the line judge appeared to be okay and was not brought off-site.
Tournament referee Soeren Friemel came out on to the Arthur Ashe Stadium and spoke to chair umpire Aurelie Tourte and Andreas Egli, the Grand Slam supervisor, before a long chat with the three-time former U.S. Open winner.
Djokovic pleaded his case for 12 minutes but the Grand Slam rules are clear, and his fate was already sealed.
Britain’s Tim Henman, who suffered a similar fate in 1995 at Wimbledon, said Djokovic would learn from the experience.
“Djokovic has had plenty of examples in the past where he has cut it pretty fine on the court,” Henman told The Times.
“Unfortunately for him he has got it wrong this time and suffered the harshest penalty.
“I think he will take this on board because he is a bright individual. Going forward he won’t be hitting balls and throwing his racket because he knows what the reaction will be.”
Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru and Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Richard Pullin/Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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MLB roundup: Braves set NL runs record in 29-9 rout
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MLB roundup: Braves set NL runs record in 29-9 rout
By Reuters Staff9 Min Read
Adam Duvall had his second three-home run game of the season, including his fourth career grand slam, and the Atlanta Braves set a modern-era (since 1900) National League record for runs scored in a 29-9 win over the visiting Miami Marlins on Wednesday.
Duvall was 3-for-4 with five runs and a franchise-record-tying nine RBIs. He also hit three homers against Boston on Sept. 2, and has 13 long balls on the year -- including nine in his past 10 games. He became the first Braves player ever with two career three-homer games -- both in an eight-day span.
Atlanta broke the NL record of 28 runs set by the St. Louis Cardinals against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 6, 1929. The modern major league record of 30 was set by the Texas Rangers in 2007 against the Baltimore Orioles, also in the first game of a doubleheader.
The loser was Marlins starter Pablo Lopez (3-4), who gave up seven runs on four hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings. Marlins reliever Jordan Yamamoto was hammered for 13 runs (12 earned) on 11 hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings.
Brewers 19, Tigers 0
Luis Urias drove in five runs and Corbin Burnes gave up one hit in seven innings as Milwaukee cruised to a shutout victory over host Detroit.
Burnes (3-0) struck out 11 while collecting his third straight win for the Brewers. Tyrone Taylor had four hits, including his first homer, while scoring and driving in three runs apiece. Orlando Arcia also had four hits and scored three runs, while Avisail Garcia scored three runs and drove in two more and Jedd Gyorko hit a pair of solo homers. Ryan Braun also homered among his three hits and drove in three runs.
Matthew Boyd gave up seven runs on eight hits in three-plus innings for the Tigers.
Padres 5, Rockies 3
Wil Myers drove home the tying run with a triple in the sixth inning, then scored the winning run and a later insurance run as San Diego completed a three-game sweep with a victory over visiting Colorado.
The Padres earned their fourth consecutive win overall and their fifth straight over the Rockies. San Diego finished with a 7-3 edge in the teams’ season series.
Padres right-handed starter Zach Davies moved into a tie for the major league lead with his seventh win. Davies (7-2) allowed three runs on five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in six innings. Trevor Story gave the Rockies a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with a one-out homer off Davies, the shortstop’s 10th of the season.
Reds 3, Cubs 0
Trevor Bauer struck out 10 batters over 7 2/3 scoreless innings, and Cincinnati held on for a win over host Chicago.
Bauer (4-3) scattered three hits and walked none to earn his first victory in four starts. He notched double-digit strikeouts for the third time this season and the first time since Aug. 7 against Milwaukee. Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish (7-2) took the loss after giving up three runs on two hits in six innings.
Slideshow ( 5 images )
The Reds won for the second time in the past five games and the fourth time in the past 10. Chicago was shut out for the first time this season.
Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 4
Chris Taylor and AJ Pollock delivered run-scoring singles in the top of the 10th inning, and Los Angeles held on for a win over Arizona in Phoenix.
The National League West-leading Dodgers earned their second consecutive 10-inning victory over Arizona and seventh consecutive win against the Diamondbacks. Arizona has lost five in a row overall and dropped 18 of the past 20 games.
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks in five innings. Jake McGee (3-1) pitched a scoreless inning of relief to earn the win.
Mets 7, Orioles 6
New York overcame a four-run deficit, when Pete Alonso capped the comeback with the tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning of a win over visiting Baltimore.
The win salvaged a split of the two-game series for the Mets. Jeff McNeil had three RBIs, including a two-run homer in the fourth for the Mets. Michael Conforto and Andres Gimenez also homered for New York.
The Orioles had their four-game winning streak snapped. Ryan Mountcastle was 4-for-4 with an RBI single for the Orioles while DJ Stewart homered and finished 3-for-3.
White Sox 8, Pirates 1
James McCann homered twice and drove in four runs as the Chicago walloped host Pittsburgh for a split of their two-game series.
The White Sox outhit Pittsburgh 11-4. Yoan Moncada added an RBI double, Nick Madrigal a two-run single and Yasmani Grandal an RBI single for Chicago.
Dane Dunning (1-0), making his fourth career start and first against the Pirates, allowed three hits, walked one and struck out three in six-plus innings for his first win. Pittsburgh rookie JT Brubaker (1-1) got rocked for seven runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings, with five strikeouts and two walks.
A’s 3, Astros 2
Slideshow ( 5 images )
Ramon Laureano, suspended earlier this season for charging the Houston dugout, got a measure of revenge with a two-out, walk-off single in the ninth inning, giving host Oakland a win in a matchup of the American League West’s top two teams.
The win was the third in four days for the A’s over the Astros, pushing the Oakland advantage to 5 1/2 games atop the division. The clubs conclude a five-game set and their 10-game season series on Thursday afternoon.
Seeking his first major league win in just his second game, Houston starter Luis Garcia was pulled after five innings with a 2-0 lead. He allowed just one hit, walked two and struck out four. The Astros have lost seven of their last eight.
Yankees 7, Blue Jays 2
Gleyber Torres had a home run, a double and four RBIs, and New York defeated Toronto to salvage the finale of a three-game series in Buffalo.
Deivi Garcia (1-1), a 21-year-old making his third career major league start, allowed two runs, five hits and no walks while striking out six in seven innings. The right-hander made his longest major league start to earn his first win.
The Yankees ended a five-game losing streak with their sixth victory in their past 21 games. The Blue Jays had a three-game winning streak stopped. They have won 10 of their past 15 games and hold a two-game lead over the Yankees for second place in the American League East.
Giants 10, Mariners 1
Mike Yastrzemski hit a three-run homer and Tyler Anderson pitched six scoreless innings as San Francisco completed a sweep of a two-game interleague series against visiting Seattle.
Evan Longoria also drove in three runs for the Giants, who won their fifth consecutive game and have scored four or more runs in each of their past 11. Anderson (2-3) allowed three hits, walked one and struck out four.
Mariners left-hander Nick Margevicius (1-3) gave up seven runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out six.
Royals 3, Indians 0
Danny Duffy pitched into the sixth inning and Nicky Lopez had three hits and an RBI to help visiting Kansas City earn a shutout win over Cleveland.
Duffy (3-3) found himself locked in a modest pitchers’ duel with Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco (2-4). The Kansas City left-hander allowed four hits, struck out four and overcame four walks over 101 pitches in 5 2/3 innings to keep the Indians in check. Carrasco also threw 101 pitches, though he lasted seven innings.
The Royals posted a second straight win over the Indians after losing seven in a row. Three Royals relievers held Cleveland batters to two hits over 3 1/3 innings. Greg Holland pitched the ninth for his third save.
Rangers 7, Angels 3
Isiah Kiner-Falefa had four hits, including one during a five-run fifth inning, leading Texas to a win over Los Angeles in Arlington, Texas. Kiner-Falefa raised his season average to .322, tied for fourth in the American League.
Reliever John King (1-0), the third of seven pitchers used by Texas, gave up one unearned run in two innings to get the victory, the first of his major league career in just his second game.
The Angels got a home run from Matt Thaiss, his first of the season, but otherwise missed opportunities, going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
--Field Level Media
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Rossi quashes retirement talk
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Rossi quashes retirement talk
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
(Reuters) - Seven-times MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi has dismissed speculation he will be retiring from the sport at the end of the season, saying he is on the verge of signing a new deal with Petronas Yamaha.
FILE PHOTO: MotoGP - Czech Republic Grand Prix - Masaryk Circuit, Brno, Czech Republic - August 9, 2020 Monster Energy Yamaha's Valentino Rossi reacts after the race REUTERS/David W Cerny/File Photo
Rossi, 41, will leave the Yamaha factory team at the end of the season but is poised for a seat at the satellite Petronas Yamaha outfit in a straight swap with young Frenchman Fabio Quartararo.
The Italian said he expects an announcement on his new deal at the Catalan Grand Prix in two weeks.
“It’s not true,” Rossi said ahead of his home San Marino Grand Prix this weekend.
“We take time with Yamaha because we are not in a hurry and we have something to fix. But we are very close to signing and I will race with Petronas next year.
“I want to say 99% because it’s not signed. But I think that maybe in Barcelona we can give the announcement.”
After enduring three difficult races in a row, championship leader Quartararo will be out to build on his three-point advantage at the top of the standings.
In his rookie season last year, the Frenchman battled with world champion Marc Marquez until the final lap at Misano before crossing the line in second place.
“Honestly, it’s still difficult to believe that we’re still leading the championship. It’s crazy,” said Quartararo.
“I’m confident because it’s a track that I like, I feel comfortable, let’s see. For sure I will give my maximum to fight for victory and the podium.”
Pramac Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia and LCR Honda Castrol’s Cal Crutchlow have been declared fit for this weekend’s race.
Bagnaia missed the last three races due to a knee injury while Crutchlow is recovering from arm surgery.
Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Formula One needed Vettel to stay, says Hamilton
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Formula One needed Vettel to stay, says Hamilton
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
(Reuters) - Formula One needed Sebastian Vettel to stay and Racing Point, who become Aston Martin F1 next season, made a smart move in signing him, according to six times world champion Lewis Hamilton.
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The 35-year-old Briton said at the Tuscan Grand Prix on Thursday that Vettel’s move from Ferrari to the Silverstone-based team, announced earlier, was exciting for the sport.
“It’s quite a big shift from Ferrari to an up-and-coming team,” Hamilton told Sky Sports television at the Mugello circuit.
“But I think Formula One really needs to keep the great driver that he is in the sport so I’m really happy that he’s continuing and not stopping.
“I’m just really happy for him because it’s not been the easiest of journeys at Ferrari, and I think he’ll learn so much from there.”
Racing Point have said four times world champion Vettel will drive for them in 2021 and beyond, replacing Mexican Sergio Perez.
Vettel, 33, told reporters he had come close to retiring before signing the deal.
His staying means the sport will have three multiple world champions still racing, with Spain’s double champion Fernando Alonso returning after two seasons out to drive for Renault, who will be renamed Alpine F1.
“I think it’s one of the smartest moves that Aston Martin could do and I’m excited to see what he contributes and how he helps progress that team forward,” said Hamilton.
The Briton, who leads team mate Valtteri Bottas in the championship by 47 points after eight races, said experience counted for a lot.
Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Factbox: Daniil Medvedev v Dominic Thiem
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Factbox: Daniil Medvedev v Dominic Thiem
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
(Reuters) - A look at the key facts and records of Russia’s Daniil Medvedev and Austria’s Dominic Thiem before their U.S. Open semi-final on Friday (prefix number denotes seeding):
FILE PHOTO: Sep 9, 2020; Flushing Meadows, New York,USA; Dominic Thiem of Austria serves against Alex de Minaur of Australia (not pictured) in a men's singles quarter-finals match on day nine of the 2020 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
3-DANIIL MEDVEDEV
Age: 24
ATP ranking: 5 (Highest ranking: 4)
Grand Slam titles: 0
Career ATP titles: 7
2019 U.S. Open performance: Runner-up
Best U.S. Open performance: (Runner-up 2019)
ROAD TO SEMI-FINAL
First round: Federico Delbonis (Argentina) 6-1 6-2 6-4
Second round: Christopher O’Connell (Australia) 6-3 6-2 6-4
Third round: J.J. Wolf (U.S.) 6-3 6-3 6-2
Fourth round: Frances Tiafoe (U.S.) 6-4 6-1 6-0
Quarter-finals: 10-Andrey Rublev (Russia) 7-6(6) 6-3 7-6(5)
Medvedev, who lost to Rafa Nadal in the 2019 final, has not dropped a set in this year’s tournament and is the favourite to claim his maiden Grand Slam title on Sunday.
No player in the Open era has won the U.S. Open men’s title without dropping a set.
2-DOMINIC THIEM
Age: 27
ATP ranking: 3 (Highest ranking: 3)
Grand Slam titles: 0
Career ATP titles: 16
2019 U.S. Open performance: First round
Best U.S. Open performance: Semi-finals (2020)
ROAD TO SEMI-FINAL
First round: Jaume Munar (Spain) 7-6(6) 6-3 retired.
Second round: Sumit Nagal (India) 6-3 6-3 6-2
Third round: 31-Marin Cilic (Croatia) 6-2 6-2 3-6 6-3
Fourth round: 15-Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada) 7-6(4) 6-1 6-1
Quarter-finals: 21-Alex de Minaur (Australia) 6-1 6-2 6-4
The 27-year-old is the highest surviving seed and has been in top form as he chases his maiden Grand Slam title.
Thiem has finished runner-up at a Grand Slam three times -- at this year’s Australian Open and at the French Open in 2018 and 2019. His previous best effort at Flushing Meadows was his run to the quarter-finals two years ago.
HEAD TO HEAD: Thiem leads 2-1
2019 Medvedev d Thiem 6-3 6-1 (Montreal, hard)
2019 Thiem d Medvedev 6-4 6-0 (Barcelona, clay)
2018 Thiem d Medvedev 6-2 3-6 7-6(2) (St. Petersburg, hard)
Compiled by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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b5d85b71c03395d03be4579beb6d4591
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https://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCAKBN2622LM-OCASP?edition-redirect=ca
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Motor racing: Perez handed one place grid drop for Tuscan GP
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Motor racing: Perez handed one place grid drop for Tuscan GP
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
Formula One F1 - Tuscan Grand Prix - Mugello, Scarperia e San Piero, Italy - September 11, 2020 Racing Point's Sergio Perez during practice REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
(Reuters) - Racing Point’s Sergio Perez will have a one-place grid drop for Sunday’s Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello as a result of a collision with Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen in Friday practice.
The Mexican sent Raikkonen into the gravel after the contact in the day’s second session, bringing out red flags due to debris on the track at the Italian circuit which is hosting a grand prix for the first time.
Stewards ruled the Mexican, who had been leaving the pits, was wholly to blame but reduced the penalty from the usual three positions.
Perez had argued that the Mugello pit lane was long and he had already reached a high speed by the time of the incident and had been unable to take a different approach.
“It’s very tough to see another car when you’re coming out of the pit lane and the angle to re-join the track is difficult too,” he said.
“I knew he was close, but it’s very difficult to judge the distance between cars and I couldn’t avoid him sadly.
“It just shows that it’s going to be tricky on this narrow circuit this weekend and we know that track position is going to be very important here.”
Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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99f1d4128aca79c946448d93e9a4e7f0
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https://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCAKBN2630WQ-OCASP?edition-redirect=ca
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Saints, Kamara agree to $75 million extension - report
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Saints, Kamara agree to $75 million extension - report
By Reuters Staff2 Min Read
FILE PHOTO: Jan 5, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs the ball against Minnesota Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes (26) and defensive end Stephen Weatherly (91) during the second quarter of a NFC Wild Card playoff football game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Running back Alvin Kamara and the New Orleans Saints have reached agreement on a five-year, $75 million extension, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Kamara, 25, is reportedly due $77.13 million total, with a $15 million signing bonus, in a deal that keeps him in New Orleans through the 2025 season.
Kamara is due to earn a $2.13 million base salary in the final year of his rookie deal, per Spotrac.com.
His new contract puts him just behind Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey in terms of annual value. McCaffrey signed a four-year, $64 million extension in April that will average $16 million per season.
Also Saturday, running back Dalvin Cook and the Minnesota Vikings reached agreement on a five-year, $63 million extension, Rapoport reported.
Kamara rushed for 797 yards and added career lows in receiving yards (533) and total touchdowns (six) last season while being hampered by knee and ankle injuries. He played in 14 games, starting nine.
A three-time Pro Bowl selection and 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Kamara has rushed for 2,408 yards and 27 touchdowns in 45 career games (25 starts) with the Saints. He also has 243 receptions for 2,068 yards and 10 scores.
The deal comes on the eve of the Saints opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which is scheduled to be played Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
Field Level MediaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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820c3fdab2869b0c4f5f1c9b800d83ab
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https://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCAKBN2640VS-OCASP?edition-redirect=ca
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U.S. Open offers glimpse of tennis' future in pandemic era
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U.S. Open offers glimpse of tennis' future in pandemic era
By Amy Tennery3 Min Read
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Open finishes on Sunday having largely pulled off what was once seen as impossible: hosting an international sports mega-event amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
FILE PHOTO: Sep 12 2020; Flushing Meadows, New York, USA; Naomi Osaka of Japan celebrates with the championship trophy after her match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus (not pictured) in the women's singles final on day thirteen of the 2020 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
With 6,500 coronavirus tests and more than 25,000 temperature checks administered, the tournament offered a glimpse into how tennis could adapt in the global, deadly pandemic era.
Months after its famed Flushing Meadows venue hosted a field hospital amid a surge of COVID-19 cases, the 2020 U.S. Open kicked off with no fans in attendance and numerous rules in place designed to mitigate health risks.
Masks were required and high-fives banned, with signs reminding those in attendance to maintain proper social distancing. Inside the cafeteria, staff members slid cups of coffee to patrons from behind a clear, plastic shield, and patrons were asked to stand apart from one another.
“These four weeks have been able to demonstrate to the world how our sport can return to play safely,” said Tournament Director Stacey Allaster. “New York rallied. The U.S. Open rallied.”
However, there were moments of controversy.
France’s Benoit Paire was pulled from the tournament the weekend before it began after testing positive for COVID-19, with a handful of other players forced into “enhanced protocol” - otherwise referred to as the “bubble within the bubble” - after having contact with him.
Top doubles player Kristina Mladenovic, who had bristled at the enhanced protocol, was later pulled from the tournament after neighboring Nassau County, New York, issued a quarantine order.
But since the start of play none of the 365 competitors at the U.S. Open tested positive for the virus, which has ravaged the United States, claiming more than 190,000 lives.
There were four positive tests among members of the support staff on site as of Friday.
“On the moments where we perhaps thought it wasn’t going to happen, the adversity was there, I remember speaking to Billie (Jean King). She said, ‘Stace, remember who you serve,’” said Allaster. “We’re serving our sport. It’s been an unbelievable privilege.”
The top contenders will be back in Grand Slam competition later this month at Roland Garros, which was postponed due to the outbreak. Unlike the U.S. Open, the tournament plans to allow a limited number of spectators, a decision Allaster said she trusts.
Her advice to French Open officials? “Stay the course.”
“Stay focused that this is an invisible enemy,” she said. “From the moment you open the doors for staff, for partners, for the athletes and their support team members, be guided by medical science and the doctors.”
Reporting by Amy Tennery; Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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0a852a3cdd1cc90cdfb38938c6a0ac5d
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https://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCAKBN2650V1-OCASP?edition-redirect=ca
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COVID-19 hotspot Victoria on track to host Australian Open: Premier
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COVID-19 hotspot Victoria on track to host Australian Open: Premier
By Ian Ransom2 Min Read
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Victoria state is on track to host the Australian Open tennis Grand Slam and the traditional Boxing Day cricket test during the home summer as COVID-19 infection rates fall, Premier Daniel Andrews said on Monday.
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Australian Open - Fourth Round - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 27, 2020 - Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka celebrates a point during his match against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
A second wave of infections had raised doubts about whether the Jan. 18-31 Australian Open and the cricket match could go ahead in Melbourne, Victoria’s state capital, which has been under strict lockdown for several weeks.
However, Victoria on Monday recorded 35 new COVID-19 cases, its lowest single-day rise in new infections in nearly three months.
Asked at a media conference whether the state was on the “right trajectory” to host the two major sports events, Andrews said: “I think we are.
“But I don’t think it’s going to be the Boxing Day test like it normally is, nor do I think the Australian Open will be exactly the same as it is (usually).
“For instance, teams coming from overseas, players coming from overseas ... they’re all going to have to quarantine. It’s not going to be an ordinary summer from that point of view.
“But we’ll get as many people as we can there provided it’s safe.”
The Australian Open, held at Melbourne Park, is tennis’s first Grand Slam of the year.
Organisers hope 400,000 people will attend the two-week event, about half normal capacity, and have ruled out holding the tournament outside Melbourne.
Australia are scheduled to play India in the Dec. 26-30 Boxing Day test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, one of cricket’s most iconic fixtures.
Last year’s test between Australia and New Zealand drew over 80,000 people on day one and over 200,000 across the match’s four days.
Andrews said the government was talking with organisers about having crowds at the events.
“We just have to work out what a safe crowd would be. It is too hard to say now what that number is,” he said.
Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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05de98ddf120a9b11a6831f5a9910e99
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/28/boys-buried-snowplow-rescued/19604601/
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Two boys buried by snowplow rescued from snowbank
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Two boys buried by snowplow rescued from snowbank
NEWBURGH, N.Y.— Two boys whose parents became alarmed when they didn't come home from playing in the snow were found hours later buried in a snow bank. Officials say a plow operator moving snow didn't realize they were there.
Authorities in Newburgh, north of New York City, say the parents of the 9-year-old and 11-year old boys called police just before midnight Wednesday. The children had been out, possibly trying to build a snow fort.
Officials searching a snow bank nearby found the boys around 2 a.m. Thursday. They were conscious and suffering from exposure. The boys were taken to the hospital, where one remains under observation.
Authorities say a snow plow operator had been clearing a parking lot by pushing snow over, and didn't see the boys on the other side of the pile.
MORE FROM USA TODAY
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1694a9af42b494ed714be371c60d46dc
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/28/crowd-protests-grand-jury-decision-black-friday-st-louis/19624337/
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Arrests across nation as protesters target Black Friday
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Arrests across nation as protesters target Black Friday
RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Mo. — One of the St. Louis area's most popular shopping malls was closed for more than an hour on Black Friday when people protesting the grand jury decision in the Michael Brown case marched into the Galleria and lay down on the third floor.
It was one of several protests around the country that targeted the rush of crowds in downtown shopping centers and suburban malls, some causing temporary or early closures and leaving broken storefront windows. Protests in the San Francisco area shut down a key commuter train for about an hour, while those in Seattle attempted to stop the city's tree-lighting ceremony. At least three dozen people were arrested.
Near St. Louis, police arrested 16 people, including 15 protesters who were from outside Missouri, after a protest that started at shopping malls ended up in front of the Ferguson police headquarters, which had issued a warning to leave the streets. Ferguson is the town where a white police officer, Darren Wilson, shot Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, in August. A grand jury on Monday decided not to charge Wilson, a decision that has set off days of protests in major cities.
Earlier in the day, more than 100 protesters marched through the busy Galleria mall, chanting "Black lives matter" and urging shoppers to skip shopping to show solidarity with their cause.
Police were on hand Friday in expectation of the protesters. Shoppers were asked to leave after the protesters lay down.
"I thought they were very peaceful," said Sarah Jeffords-Haas, who walked around the protesters on the floor of the mall.
"This is no longer a protest, it's an uprising," said Kymone Freeman, who wore a plastic pig snout while he led the protesters through the mall.
Shoppers and mall employees stopped to watch the protesters and some shops — including Kids Foot Locker and Hallmark — closed their security gates after the protest began around lunchtime.
Some mall workers cheered as the protesters walked by their shops. Two off-the-clock Macy's employees still in their smocks even briefly joined the marchers, enthusiastically chanting "no justice, no peace" before returning to the department store.
One of the Macy's employees said she didn't fear being reprimanded or losing her job.
"I don't care if they try to fire me," said Lisa Jones, who lives in Ferguson. "I got the right to speak."
Cbabi Bayoc, of St. Louis, brought his three children to take part in the demonstration.
"I brought my kids to show them what peaceful protest and engagement looks like," he said.
Protesters later descended on the Chesterfield Mall and West County Center, a mall in Des Peres, Mo.
DeRay McKessen, one activist that helped coordinate the protesters, said the mall operators briefly shut down the malls after they arrived to protest.
As one group of young protesters left the West County Center chanting, an older man who was shopping yelled at them to "Go home!"
One of the young protesters responded, "We are home!"
They then drove away.
PROTESTS HALT SAN FRANCISCO TRAIN LINE
In Oakland, a "Black Lives Matter" protest snarled the San Francisco Bay Area Regional Transit system after about two dozen of the 100 demonstrators chained themselves to train cars at the West Oakland station.
The action shut down service between East Bay and San Francisco for more than two hours, and delays persisted throughout the system all afternoon. Police made 14 arrests.
Protests in San Francisco started downtown, converging on the shopping area of Union Square, where demonstrators attempted to disrupt the tree-lighting ceremony. It then wound down to the Mission district. An Apple Store, a Bank of America location and a news van were vandalized during the protests, and a RadioShack was broken into. Police were out in riot gear.
SEATTLE MALL SHUTS EARLY
As rain fell in Seattle, more than 200 marchers chanting "hands up, don't shoot" or "black lives matter" blocked traffic and forced the closing of the downtown bus tunnel for about an hour, reducing King County Metro service, officials said.
Five people were arrested for assaulting officers and damaging an officer's bicycle.
Demonstrators swept into Westlake Mall, chaining the doors and shutting down the Metro station, before moving on to occupy the top floor of nearby Pacific Place. The mall closed early. The tree-lighting ceremony started early after protesters surrounded the area.
In late afternoon, police reportedly were using pepper spray and percussion grenades to disperse demonstrators as they continued to march in the streets.
CHICAGO: BLOCKED TRAFFIC
In Chicago, about 200 people gathered near the Magnificent Mile shopping district for what activists called "a day of awareness and engagement," including a push for more transparency from Chicago police.
Police arrested at least five people outside Macy's flagship store in New York City after some of the 150 protesters blocked traffic. But across the Brooklyn Bridge, a "Hands Up, Don't Shop" protest fizzled when no one showed up.
Contributing: Michael Winter, Laura Mandaro, Ashley Stewart and Elisa Hahn in Seattle, and the Associated Press
MORE FROM USA TODAY
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/29/ferguson-protesters/19660827/
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Ferguson protesters lead 'Time' magazine's 'Person of the Year' ballot
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Ferguson protesters lead 'Time' magazine's 'Person of the Year' ballot
The protesters who have continued to keep national attention focused on the decision of a St. Louis County grand jury to not prosecute a white police officer have climbed to the lead in Time magazine's balloting for "Person of the Year.''
They lead a field that includes the new prime minister of India, a Nobel Prize winner and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
With only a week remaining before the balloting ends, the protesters have captured 10.7% of the votes cast on the magazine's website and Facebook page.
Time editors, who make the final selection, noted that the protests disrupted Black Friday shopping in major cities, such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle.
"Since 1927, Time has named a person who for better or worse has most influenced the news and our lives in the past year,'' the news magazine notes on its website.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently in second place with 10% of the vote followed by student activist Joshua Wong of Hong Kong at 7.3%, Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan at 5.3%, and Putin at 4.7%.
Ebola doctors and nurses are No. 6 with 4.4% of the vote.
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2ec94b10e63f5fe81a354aa3e0007ccd
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/30/cold-flu-medicine-safety/19360711/
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Danger in the cold and flu aisle: How to stay safe
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Danger in the cold and flu aisle: How to stay safe
Behold the cold and flu aisle, stocked with dozens of products that promise to ease stuffy noses, coughs, fevers and sore throats.
It's a popular place this time of year. Seven out of 10 Americans turn to such non-prescription remedies when they have colds and flus, market research shows.
For most, it's a safe enough practice. But many adults and children end up in danger after misusing such products. The consequences can range from increased blood pressure to drowsy driving, liver damage to death.
"Just because something is over the counter, doesn't mean it's not medicine. ... It has risk," as well as potential benefits, says Angela Golden, a nurse practitioner in northern Arizona and immediate past president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
The association is among several groups representing health professionals, consumers, drug stores and drug makers that are conducting an awareness campaign about the safe use of one especially common ingredient: acetaminophen. The pain and fever reducer in the brand-name drug Tylenol is in more than 600 prescription and over-the-counter medications, including many cold and flu remedies.
"It's a really safe medicine when used correctly," Golden says. The problem is that too much acetaminophen damages the liver. Acetaminophen overdose is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Overdoses, which can be fatal, often occur when people take more than one acetaminophen-containing product at a time.
But acetaminophen is not the only concern. Decongestants, antihistamines and cough medicines also can cause trouble — and should not be given to children ages 2 and under, the FDA says. Manufacturers stopped making them for infants and toddlers after deaths were reported. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend them in children under age 4.
Even use in older children requires a lot of caution, says Henry Spiller, director of Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus.
One reason is that children often get medication from more than one person — parents and other caregivers. The frequent result, as shown in recent study by Spiller and colleagues: They get doubled-dosed.
"It happens more than you'd think," he says, and is good reason to limit use — and to make sure caregivers communicate about all medications. If you think a child has been accidentally overdosed, call a poison control center (1-800-222-1222), he says.
Other safety tips for adults and children:
Treat only the symptoms you have: If you just have a stuffy nose, you might want a decongestant, but there's no reason to take a multi-symptom product that adds a cough suppressant, antihistamine and fever reducer, Golden says.
Know your dose: Read and stick to the recommended doses on packages and pay attention to daily limits. For adults, the daily acetaminophen limit is 4,000 mg, the FDA says, and some doctors and drug makers recommend less. Doses for children vary by age and weight. Check package instructions and use only the measuring devices that come with the medication, Spiller says.
Know your health risks: Decongestants can cause blood pressure spikes, so are not recommended for people with high blood pressure and some other conditions. Heavy drinkers are at higher risk for liver damage from acetaminophen. And while some people can safely take a nighttime cold formula with a sedating antihistamine and drive the next morning, others stay groggy longer and should avoid the medications or stay home, Golden says
Don't double up: Take only one medication containing acetaminophen at a time. Be aware that the drug is in many prescription painkillers, including Vicodin and Percocet, as well as many over-the counter drugs.
Store drugs safely: Put them up and away from children.
Consider alternatives: Cough and cold remedies do not shorten or cure illnesses, and there are lower-risk ways to get symptom relief. Among them: rest and fluids, saline nasal sprays for congestion and salt-water gargles for sore throats. If you think you might have the flu — the clue is a sudden high fever accompanied by chills and aches — you should call your health provider right away to see if a prescription medicine might be in order, Golden says.
Here's what the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests for symptom relief in small children:
• For a stuffy nose: Saline nose drops or sprays. For infants, use a suction bulb to remove mucus.
• For cough: Honey — half a teaspoon for children ages 1 to 5, a full teaspoon for children 6 to 11. Honey is not safe for babies under age 1. You can try cough drops for children ages 4 and over.
• For fever: Acetaminophen only for babies up to 6 months; acetaminophen or ibuprofen for older children. Children should not take aspirin.
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706bd64b0b0bc34d1f17fad59c6f3ac7
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/30/schools-adopt-digital-library-program/19701285/
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Virtual library helps low-income schools teach reading
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Virtual library helps low-income schools teach reading
COCOA, Fla. — While home sick, Christopher Jamian-Fleck logged onto the tablet computer he earned last school year, after becoming one of Emma Jewel Charter Academy's top readers.
His grandmother had suggested he read, knowing Christopher was feeling antsy about staying home. So the 8-year-old visited his school's "virtual library" and opened a book about Mount Rushmore, diverging from his favorite subjects of sports and UFOs.
Thanks to a digital library program being rolled out in local schools, similar electronic books will soon be a click away for tens of thousands of students. Within the next few weeks, the program will be available at about 30 low-income elementary schools and four specialty programs in Brevard.
And Christopher, who initially struggled with reading, is hooked. Since logging on almost a year ago, he's read about dinosaurs and Nessie, the Lock Ness Monster. Last year he was reading below grade level. But now, as a second grader, he's advanced well above.
What's helped is a feature of the myON program that reads the story, highlighting the words as a digital voice says them out loud.
"He wasn't a reader before this, and now he's enjoying it so much," said his grandmother Marcy Fleck. "He finds out things he never knew he was interested in. And he can go at his own pace."
Digital libraries
For Emma Jewel, which opened last school year in Cocoa's historically black Diamond Square neighborhood, myON has taken on a significance role: As its school library.
A traditional "bricks and mortar" library was not financially feasible for the charter school, which is publicly funded but operates independent of the school district, said Principal Thomas Cole, who founded the school with his wife, Kimberly Harrell-Cole.
"It was a financial decision," he said. "One of the blessings is the fact that the United Way came along and brought the myON program. It gives students access to over 20,000 books, right at their fingertips."
The program also serves a second purpose: To give students access to and experience with digital devices. It's an increasingly important skill for academic and employment success.
About 98% of students at Emma Jewel receive free or reduced-price lunch, an indicator of poverty. For some families, the Internet may be another bill they can't afford. "They may not even have a computer," Cole said.
The school has taken steps to fill the technology gap — with laptops that rotate between classes, and with Kindles, which are e-reading devices.
Last year, middle school students were allowed to bring the Kindles home, but they now stay at school due to an increase in enrollment — there's not enough to go around. Emma Jewel now serves about 300 students in grades K-8.
Home access is a critical challenge to the digital library and reading movement in education, said Kara Dawson, a professor of educational technology at the University of Florida.
"You want students to be able to take literacy home with them," she said, explaining that families may not have a device they can use, or know how to use it well. "If they don't have access at home, that's problematic."
Dawson said there's "pros and cons" to the digital innovation: From the the barriers of technology, to the benefits of a program that can read out loud to students, or allow them to increase the font size, which some research has shown can help students with dyslexia.
Cole said that the myON program — along with volunteers who use it to read one-on-one with students — is a key effort at the school, which received an "F" school grade last year because of low tests scores.
In addition, teachers are focusing on instruction, and ensuring students learn the material the first time they see it, instead of through remediation or tutoring, which was a heavier focus last year.
"Anytime they get them more time reading, it's added to the instructional time," Cole said. "The more time that is spent reading or focused on academics is a benefit for us, and myON is that benefit for us."
Expanding program
Since the myON program was introduced in January, more than 4,200 students at seven pilot schools have used it — and read nearly 80,000 books.
The United Way of Brevard is championing the digital reading program, paying the $7,000 annual per-school cost for the pilot schools, an expense they hope to eventually hand off to Brevard Public Schools. The non-profit expects to continue funding Emma Jewel's program for the foreseeable future.
The pilot program has been so well received that Brevard Public Schools decided to expand it this winter. Unlike Emma Jewel, the program is intended to supplement, but not replace, traditional libraries at district schools.
And in at least one case, it appears to be sparking interest in school libraries: One principal noticed an uptick in books being checked out after myOn was rolled out.
Brevard is paying for an annual subscription for 26 additional low-income schools and four specialty education programs, a total cost of $172,800. Federal money earmarked for low-income schools is paying the expense, which will be reviewed annually, said Teresa Wright, director of Brevard's Early Childhood and Title I programs.
"We're hoping that students will have access before the holidays," she said, so students can use myON during winter break. "Reading is like a sport, the more you practice the better you get."
United Way President Robert Rains said that myON was initially met with some resistance. The non-profit initially introduced it to school district and Emma Jewel leaders, along with the possibility of paying for pilot programs.
"If you have a limited amount of funds, you can buy books or you can buy a subscription like myOn," Rains said. "The first thought is: 'I want those books in my library.'"
But he said that the metrics have proven helpful, It monitors the complexity of reading, and short quizzes after each book measures comprehension.
Plus, it gives students access to thousands of books — expanding options for individuals who want to read story after story on, say, dinosaurs. And at some schools, teachers are assigning students different books on the same subject, to better match different reading levels.
"It's better," said Emma Jewel third grader Vahreion Kirkman, comparing the program to traditional books. "I get to slide it. Sometimes it reads you to you."
Saturn Elementary is among the pilot schools using myON as an extra reading program — student use it when they have free time, or after classes have finished for the day.
"Kids are getting to choose the books that they get to read," said Principal Michael Miller, explaining that it's helped emphasize the fun of reading.
So far, Saturn students have read more than 23,000 books, twice the number of other pilot schools. In part, Miller credits the school's reading challenges, and its celebrations of reading success.
"There's been no requirements on the kids," he said. "They love the program and they've really done well with it."
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e6e407788c78ba47c98fa926aec828f1
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/01/backlash-melissa-etheridge-comments-breast-cancer-genes/19487549/
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Singer's breast cancer comments prompt backlash
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Singer's breast cancer comments prompt backlash
Doctors, genetic counselors and women are challenging comments by singer Melissa Etheridge implying that genes for breast cancer could be turned on or off by diet, calling such assertions inaccurate and hurtful and worrying they may influence millions of people because of her celebrity.
But Etheridge — a breast cancer survivor with a mutation in one of the genes — said in an interview with USA TODAY that she's been misunderstood, and "I was sad there was such a negative response to what I said."
She most recently shared her views in the current issue of AARP Magazine, which describes itself as the world's largest-circulation magazine, with more than 35.2 million readers. In a graphic with an article on how she and singer Sheryl Crow beat cancer, Etheridge is quoted as saying: "I have the BRCA2 gene but don't encourage women to get tested. Genes can be turned on and off. I turned my gene on with my very poor diet."
Twenty doctors, other breast cancer experts and leaders of FORCE, a support group for women with the genetic mutation, signed a letter to the editor of AARP Magazine saying Etheridge "presents information that is dangerously misleading to your readers," and that it's "equally troubling" that she seems to discourage women from genetic testing. The National Society of Genetic Counselors submitted a similar letter, and scores of patients are criticizing her comments on social media.
Doctors say everyone is born with two copies of genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2, but those with a mutation in one of the genes have a much higher lifetime risk of breast and ovarian cancers — up to an 87% lifetime risk for breast cancer. This is "not because the gene is 'turned on' but because they lack a working copy of one of the genes involved in preventing cancer development," the experts wrote.
"At this point, we don't have a way to turn on or off BRCA1 or 2," said oncologist Susan Domchek, director of the Basser Research Center for BRCA at the University of Pennsylvania. "While eating a healthy diet is a good idea for anyone, it does not impact what happens with the gene. There's nothing you can do to make that bad copy into a good copy."
Etheridge, 53, of Los Angeles, acknowledged she shouldn't have used the words "turn genes on."
"I should have said 'gene expression,' " she said. "From what I understand, there are nutritional and environmental factors that contribute to gene expression."
Celebrity doctor Dean Ornish, founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, agreed lifestyle changes can affect gene expression. Ornish is submitting a column on the widening controversy to Time and The Huffington Post saying, "Whether or not someone chooses to have a (preventive) mastectomy, changing diet and lifestyle may reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. These lifestyle choices provide an opportunity to empower, not blame."
"The BRCA genes play a role. The lifestyle factors play a role," Ornish said in an interview. "If we're just victims of our genes, then we're powerless."
On the testing issue, Etheridge said it's up to a woman if she wants to get tested, but "if someone asked me personally, I would not encourage them to get tested." She said she got tested on the advice of a doctor.
Domchek countered that "genetic testing can be a lifesaving intervention" because women with the mutation can choose stepped-up screening with breast MRIs as well as mammograms, preventive double mastectomies and surgery to remove their ovaries.
"Not looking doesn't mean the gene mutation is not there," said Judy Garber, director of the Cancer Risk and Prevention Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Katie Pass of Louisville underwent preventive surgery to remove both breasts last year after learning in 2009 she had the BRCA2 mutation, placing her among around one in 300-500 people with either of the BRCA mutations. Breast cancer seemed to stalk her family, killing her mother when Pass was 8.
Pass called Etheridge's comments "absolutely ridiculous."
"I don't think that diet and exercise alone can keep you from getting cancer," said Pass, 32, adding that Etheridge should have thought more about what she said. "There are some people who will listen to her. Celebrities have a big impact on society."
Amy Clukey, outreach coordinator for FORCE in Louisville, agreed, saying she conversed with Etheridge on Twitter about the nutrition issue. "So many of us have seen family members die," she said. "They don't cause their own cancers. It doesn't matter how much green tea you drink or how much yoga you do. This is victim-blaming."
Etheridge said, "The last thing I want to do is blame people."
But she said she deeply believes in the power of good nutrition and would encourage other people who are so inclined to look into it as well. She said she began adopting a more balanced, alkaline diet during chemotherapy, which involves eating more vegetables, fruits and whole grains and less processed foods.
Etheridge said she's not surprised by the backlash — or the support she's gotten from some women with the mutation. "I knew all along there would be people who disagreed. I never wanted that to stop me from saying anything," she said. "I can't control the way people understand something."
Robert Love, editor in chief of AARP Magazine, said in a statement that his magazine didn't "take a position or prescribe medical recommendations for breast cancer testing or treatment" and "did not intend for the views expressed in the article to be interpreted as medical advice." Love pointed out that in the same story Crow recommended regular mammograms and testing.
Etheridge said she never meant to stir up controversy about testing and nutrition, but added: "If I can start a conversation, if there's thought and introspection on this subject, that's got to be a good thing. I know I'm walking a very fine line. Believe me, I know this is hard. I mean no ill will."
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8a847556d0111f0db5db4a4611e16eac
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/01/ntsb-boeing-787-dreamliner-fire-boston-japan-lithium-battery/19735719/
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787 lithium battery short circuited in Boston plane fire
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787 lithium battery short circuited in Boston plane fire
WASHINGTON -- The manufacture of lithium-ion batteries allowed contaminants and other defects in batteries aboard Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes, including one battery that erupted in smoke and fire in Boston in 2013, federal investigators said Monday.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined in a 110-page report that a short circuit within one cell cascaded throughout a battery and caused the fire in a Japan Airlines plane parked in Boston on Jan. 7, 2013.
The problem resulted from Boeing's failure to design for the most severe effects of a short circuit, and from the Federal Aviation Administration's failure to identify the problem while certifying the plane, according to the NTSB report.
The precise cause of the short circuit has never been found in the Boston incident or a similar smoldering battery Jan. 16, 2013, that prompted an All Nippon Airways flight to make an emergency landing in Japan.
But after FAA grounded the planes for three months, Boeing redesigned the batteries with ceramic insulation between the cells, a steel box to contain any short circuit and a tube to carry smoke and flammable electrolytes overboard.
In March 2014, Boeing and FAA declared the Dreamliner safe after a comprehensive review of its certification.
The battery problem came at a time when deliveries of the innovative plane were gathering steam, with 49 planes worldwide, including six to United Airlines.
Lithium-ion batteries are common in phones and laptops because they are lighter and more efficient than typical nickel-cadmium batteries. The batteries contributed to the Dreamliner, with its composite fuselage, being 20% more fuel efficient than comparable planes.
But in safety assessments for the batteries, Boeing projected cells might vent once in 10 million flight hours. The problems in Boston and Japan occurred after about 52,000 flight hours.
The NTSB determined that the short circuit didn't result from overcharging, external short circuiting, external heat or its installation. NTSB found :
-- GS Yuasa, Boeing's Japanese subcontractor that manufactured the battery, didn't test it under the most severe conditions possible during flights, and tested a battery different from the final design that was certified. Tests involved driving a nail into a battery or heating it with an electrical pad to induce a short circuit.
--GS Yuasa's production facility had welding that allowed foreign debris to potentially get into the batteries, with inspections that couldn't reliably detect defects such as wrinkling in cell wires.
-- FAA didn't recognize that a short circuit in one cell of a battery could spread throughout the battery in what is called a thermal runaway, as happened in Boston and Japan.
The result in Boston was a thermal runaway with heavy smoke pouring from the plane's auxiliary battery in the electronics bay toward the rear of the plane, with "a fire with two distinct flames at the electrical connector on the front of the case," according to the NTSB report.
Kenneth Quinn, a spokesman for GS Yuasa, said the company respected the NTSB's report, but added that the "root cause of this internal short circuit remains elusive."
"We remain fully confident, however, in the quality and safety of our batteries, our state-of-the-art manufacturing processes and our highly skilled and trained employees," said Quinn, a Washington aviation lawyer.
To prevent similar problems in the future, the board recommended:
-- FAA work with the industry to modify safety standards for lithium-ion batteries, with better testing to detect batteries overheating.
-- Boeing establish better oversight of its supplies, to ensure industry standards are applied in manufacturing.
-- GS Yuasa review its manufacturing to prevent defects.
Quinn said the company is eager to continuously improve quality in its battery manufacturing, and will study the NTSB's findings and recommendations carefully.
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865ad9469130fa0c32027de1cd200828
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/03/texas-missing-brains/19819601/
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Mystery of missing University of Texas brains solved
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Mystery of missing University of Texas brains solved
AUSTIN -- The mystery of the missing brains at the University of Texas
appeared solved Wednesday afternoon.
UT officials released a statement saying the 100 brains believed missing from a neuroscience lab were actually destroyed in 2002 as part of routine disposal of biological waste.
"We believe the workers disposed of between 40 and 60 jars, some of which contained multiple human brains, and worked with a biological waste contractor to do so safely," the statement read.
University officials also denied earlier claims that the missing brains had surfaced at another university and said they had "no evidence" that one of the missing brains belonged to Charles Whitman, the infamous UT campus sniper, "though we will continue to investigate those reports."
The missing organs, which represent about half of the university's original collection, had been stored in jars of formaldehyde in a closet in the university's Animal Resources Center, where studies of human brains also occur, prior to the building's renovation, it said.
The brains have been used by neuroscience students to study everything from Huntington's disease to Parkinson's disease, depression, strokes and other disorders.
The Animal Resources Center originally got the organs in 1986 from the Austin State Hospital, formerly known as the Texas State Lunatic Asylum, under a "temporary possession" agreement.
The specimens were assembled by Dr. Coleman de Chenar, a resident pathologist at ASH. They were taken from deceased patients at the hospital from the 1950s through the 1970s, when surgical lobotomies and electroshock therapy were common.
The collection included brains of patients inflicted with dementia, meningitis and Down's syndrome, as well as post-encephalitic Parkinson patients who had been infected with the flu virus around 1918.
The realization that some of the brains had vanished stemmed from the research of a local photographer, Adam Voorhes, who became fascinated with the all-but-forgotten collection and started asking questions. His photo book, Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital, is due out this month.
All identifying data was removed from the specimens when the center took them in.
Charles Whitman, 25, killed 16 people, including his mother and wife, before he was fatally shot by police in 1966.
Whitman, who had complained of debilitating headaches, irrational thoughts and "violent impulses," had suspected he suffered from mental illness and left a note requesting his brain be studied.
He said he hoped that there would be an autopsy on his body "to see if there is any visible physical disorder."
De Chenar performed Whitman's autopsy and found a small tumor in his brain and purportedly added the organ to the collection. Thus, Whitman's body was buried in a family plot in Florida, but his brain stayed behind in Austin.
A state commission report on the shootings later found that "the highly malignant brain tumor conceivably could have contributed to his inability to control his emotions and actions."
As for the missing organs, the university said in a statement that it will investigate "the circumstances surrounding this collection since it came here nearly 30 years ago" and is "committed to treating the brain specimens with respect." It says the remaining brain specimens on campus are used "as a teaching tool and carefully curated by faculty."
The 100 remaining brains at the school have been moved to the Norman Hackerman Building, where they are being scanned with high-resolution resonance imaging equipment.
"As researchers and teachers, we understand the potential scientific value of all of our holdings and take our roles as stewards of them very seriously," the statement said.
Contributing: Associated Press
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980582b6727757d4b16488e355d9022c
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/04/washington-home-birth-children-removed/19877193/
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Couple fight for custody of children after home birth
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Couple fight for custody of children after home birth
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The parents of three young children are petitioning child protective services, saying the state of Washington unlawfully removed the children from their home after the mother gave birth to the two youngest in an unassisted home delivery.
Parents Erica May Carey and Cleave Rengo decided to give birth at home without assistance or prenatal medical care, a decision influenced by their Christian beliefs. The couple, which do not have a Washington state marriage license but say they took their vows in the eyes of God, had a 10-month old son when Carey gave birth.
"I've done a lot of research about other women who have done it and they said the spiritual experience was so much more wholesome," Carey said. "It was just us. We wanted to preserve that sanctity and sacredness in our birth."
Carey never had an ultrasound, avoiding the scan to protect her womb, she says. It wasn't until immediately after the birth of their second son that the couple realized a twin daughter was on the way.
"I said, 'Erica look!' and she looked at her belly. There was an outline of a small baby in her belly. That's when I discovered we were having twins," Cleave remembered.
The young couple now had three children, all under the age of one year. Erica breastfed all three. Soon after, however, paramedics showed up when someone reported the birth.
According to Carey and Rengo, the paramedics suggested taking the newborns to the hospital for a check up, but they refused, worrying about the twins' health with fragile immune systems among patients fighting disease.
The next day, CPS showed up for the first of several visits.
Officers noticed the 10-month-old's eczema, the couple say, which they treated with natural remedies like probiotics and coconut oil.
They say CPS pushed them to switch to steroid creams, which the couple refused as well.
"It's a very harsh treatment and can have very negative side effects. It can cause damage to bones, the muscular system and liver," Carey said.
"They wanted the authority in my household. I told them, 'I'm a Christian and God gave me the authority in my household'," Rengo said.
Soon after, CPS took all three children.
In a petition filed Tuesday, the couple's attorney calls the seizure "unlawful, unconscionable, and inexcusable." Though there were calls to the home about domestic issues prior to the children's birth, the petition claims no evidence of "clear and present danger," rather that CPS is trying to impose their standards of "proper parenting."
As the petition continues, the couple's oldest son not only has eczema, he is also "suffering from pneumonia" while in state custody.
"That's our flesh and blood," Carey said.
Rengo and Carey missed their son's first birthday last week, and they see their children only once a week. The twins are now eight weeks old.
"Every time it's like torment to my soul when they pull them away from my breasts," Carey cried. "Those are my babies. They're our children. They have no right to them."
The Department of Health and Social Services says it couldn't comment on the exact case, but it doesn't remove children because of home births.
"Due to confidentiality, we cannot discuss details, except to say that a court determined a child's safety required removal from the home," said the agency in a statement.
It said: "No policy of Children's Administration would allow a child to be taken due to a home birth. A home birth is not in any way a child safety risk factor in the view of Children's Administration."
The story was previously made public by a site called Medical Kidnap, which posted the story of the couple on Facebook. It's gained intense interest in the state.
MORE FROM USA TODAY
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76ec45fe502ddb2d640aca082d191aff
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/06/kostigen-weather-myths/19946433/
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9 weather myths debunked
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9 weather myths debunked
Bad forecasts are one thing, but weather myths can be even more dangerous and last a lifetime, or longer.
Here are some tales of weather folklore to help you separate fact from fiction:
1. It's too cold to snow.
Snow can occur at any temperature below freezing. Besides cold air, there also has to be moisture in the air to create snow. Since warmer air can hold more moisture than colder air, larger snowstorms tend to occur when temperatures are in the 20s Fahrenheit. Still, snowflakes can form at any temperature below freezing.
2. Salt melts ice.
It doesn't. Salt (or sugar, or many soluble substances) lowers the freezing point of water (from below 32ºF). This can prevent ice from forming, but it doesn't melt it.
3. You lose more heat through your head.
Your head emits the same amount of relative heat as your other body parts. So despite what your mother may have told you, body heat does not discriminate when escaping. To be sure, you should still wear a hat to ward off the cold. Just don't sacrifice protecting other areas of your body.
4. Brandy and cognac warm your body temperature.
Don't let the image of that flask collar under the chin of a Saint Bernard fool you: Alcohol constricts blood vessels and minimizes blood flow to your skin. That means it reduces your body's ability to warm up. Instead, drink warm, non-alcoholic beverages to battle the cold.
5. Placing large Xs on your windows with duct tape will make them stronger when storm winds blow.
The only thing taping the surfaces of windows does is create larger shards of glass if a window were to shatter. Instead, use storm shutters and close your drapes or blinds (or both). Window coverings can help prevent debris from blowing into your home. Flying debris is the biggest cause of injury and death during storm winds.
6. Open your windows a crack during a tornado so your house won't implode.
There is no scientific evidence that air pressure builds enough inside your home to cause an explosion. Moreover, leaving your windows open — even a little — increases the chances that debris can blow in, or that strong winds can wreak havoc on debris inside your house.
7. Ration your drinking water.
Your body is the best tell-tale of how much water you need. So continually hydrating even if you're low on supply is the best way to stay healthy. Drinking what you need now and finding more later is the best survival tactic.
8. Lightning doesn't strike the same place twice.
It can and has. Even individuals have been struck more than one time. Which provides a keen lesson: scramble for safe shelter during thunderstorms.
9. You can get electrocuted by touching someone who has been struck by lightning.
The electrical charge produced by lightning travels through a person — in an instant — and grounds itself in the earth. So, unless you are connected to a person when he or she is struck, you have no fear of getting zapped.
Why stop at nine? Because it's a lucky number of course. And if you believe that, well, go back and re-read this column.
Thomas M. Kostigen is the founder of The Climate Survivalist.com and a New York Times bestselling author and journalist. He is the National Geographic author of "The Extreme Weather Survival Guide: Understand, Prepare, Survive, Recover" and the NG Kids book "Extreme Weather: Surviving Tornadoes, Tsunamis, Hailstorms, Thundersnow, Hurricanes and More!" Follow him @weathersurvival, or e-mail [email protected]
MORE FROM THOMAS M. KOSTIGEN:
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26548aa393bed91ad62000afe983adc4
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/09/judge-to-decide-fate-of-oswalds-original-casket/20125477/
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Judge to decide fate of Oswald's original casket
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Judge to decide fate of Oswald's original casket
FORT WORTH —The original casket that Lee Harvey Oswald was buried in days after allegedly assassinating President John F. Kennedy in 1963 is at the center of a trial that began in Fort Worth on Monday.
"This is an interesting case; it has historical implications," said Gant Grimes, attorney for Robert Oswald, Lee Harvey Oswald's brother. "Parts of it are fascinating, but the facts are simple: One party sold what another party owned."
The alleged assassin was exhumed in 1981 to make sure he was actually buried in that casket. After confirming the remains belonged to Lee Harvey Oswald, his original $300 pine box was too badly damaged by water for reburial.
"Did you know then what happened to the original coffin you purchased?" Grimes asked Robert Oswald, now 80.
"No, sir," he testified. "I just assumed it had been destroyed because it was not reusable."
But the Baumgardner Funeral Home, which purchased the first funeral home that buried Oswald in 1963, kept the casket in storage until it decided to auction it in 2010 through a California firm, Nate D. Sanders Fine Autographs & Memorabilia.
An unnamed buyer purchased the crumbling wood coffin for $87,468, but the sale was stopped after Robert Oswald filed this lawsuit.
The funeral home's attorney argued that Oswald purchased the casket to give to his brother essentially as a "gift," and never actually owned it.
"At the time he bought the casket," attorney Brett Myers said in opening statements, "he would never see the casket again, and it would remain in the ground forever and ever. Under Texas law, your honor, that's a gift."
"Texas law says if a man dies without a will, then his estate gets it — not Robert Oswald," Myers continued. "His widow and daughters are not bringing suit."
But Robert Oswald said that Lee Harvey's widow, Marina, asked him to make funeral arrangements after Jack Ruby shot and killed Oswald in the basement of Dallas police headquarters Nov. 24, 1963.
Oswald testified on a video deposition rather than appearing in the courtroom because of declining health. The video — which lasted 77 minutes — showed Oswald answering questions from his attorney. The elder Oswald was wearing glasses, and said it was difficult to see some exhibits.
Several times, he struggled to hear the attorney's questions, but he appeared to have a sharp memory of dates and what transpired.
"It's just bad taste, and as far as I know, it was sold by a bunch of scoundrels," Oswald said.
He testified that he used a cashier's check for $710 to purchase Lee Harvey's casket, vault, suit and flowers for the 1963 funeral. Oswald therefore argues that he is the rightful owner of the casket, and said it shouldn't have been sold.
"If they had contacted you and said the coffin existed, what would you have done?" Grimes asked his client.
"Destroy it," Robert Oswald testified.
"Why?" Grimes asked.
"Logic," Oswald responded. "Just plain common sense. Why keep it?"
But Robert Oswald admitted he has sold other items that once belonged to his infamous brother, including letters written by him.
"Why has this bothered you so much?" Grimes asked Robert Oswald.
"Number one: I own the items," Oswald answered. "I have the right to sell them versus Baumgardner (Funeral Home) did not have the right. People have been collecting historical letters for years and years. I know of no case where anyone has ever bought a used coffin."
But in a sworn affidavit, JFK historian Farris Rookstool III said he contacted Robert Oswald on March 15, 1993, to warn him that the coffin had not been destroyed, but rather was being kept in storage by the funeral home.
"I told Robert that the Baumgardners were attempting to sell the coffin and the funeral registry out the back door," Rookstool wrote in a sworn affidavit. "I then told Robert that since he paid for the casket and burial, then perhaps it's still his property, and maybe he should take legal action."
But 17 years later, Oswald said he had no recollection of that early warning.
GRIMES: "Were you friends with Mr. Rookstool?"
OSWALD: "No, sir."
GRIMES: "Did you exchange Christmas cards with him?"
OSWALD: "That's possible. If someone sent us a Christmas card, we would send one back."
GRIMES: "Is it possible you spoke to Mr. Rookstool and don't remember?"
OSWALD: "I don't think so."
The 80-year-old is also suing for mental anguish.
Robert Oswald's 53-year-old son, Robert Edward Lee Oswald, testified that the sale of the casket has caused added stress to his father's high blood pressure and ailing health.
"It was very difficult to talk to him sometimes because he was withdrawn," the younger Oswald said. "He was under a lot of stress and anxiety."
Attorney Brett Myers, representing Baumgardner Funeral Home, said the elder Oswald has made between $50,000 and $60,000 selling items like letters that once belonged to Lee Harvey Oswald.
Still, at issue in this case is who actually owned the casket.
Allen Baumgardner, who purchased the Miller Funeral Home that originally buried Lee Harvey in the early 1970s, testified that the coffin belonged to his company since no one else claimed it.
GRIMES: "Why did you sell it?"
BAUMGARDNER: "I didn't want to keep it anymore."
GRIMES: "Is selling the only option to not keeping it?"
BAUMGARDNER: "Yes, sir."
GRIMES: "You couldn't have just thrown it away?"
BAUMGARDNER: "No, sir."
GRIMES: "Why not?"
BAUMGARDNER: "It's part of history. Artifacts."
GRIMES: "If it was part of history, why did you store it for 30 years instead of donating it to a museum?"
BAUMGARDNER: "I did talk to some museums, but what they wanted to do was take it and keep it, and if the museum closed down they couldn't tell me what would happen to it. So I kept it myself."
He and his wife offered to sell it to The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, but Baumgardner said the curator eventually declined.
During the 30th anniversary of the JFK assassination in 1993, Baumgardner said he had offers to purchase the casket for $10,000 to $15,000, but turned them down because they weren't high enough.
"At what point do you believe that you acquired possession to this?" Grimes asked.
"When nobody claimed it," Baumgardner replied.
The funeral home owner admitted that he didn't try to contact Robert Oswald or the deceased's widow, Marina, to alert them that the casket had been saved.
GRIMES: "You knew Marina owned the casket…"
BAUMGARDNER: "I just figured she didn't want it."
GRIMES: "Why?"
BAUMGARDNER: "She never claimed it. There has to be a statute of limitations on everything."
GRIMES: "Why not ask an attorney?"
BAUMGARDNER: "I didn't think it was necessary."
GRIMES: "You didn't want to know, did you?"
BAUMGARDNER: "I didn't really think about it."
"Allen Baumgardner owns it now," Myers explained. "Who has standing to challenge whether Baumgardner owns it? That's the estate of Lee Harvey Oswald. Who are the beneficiaries of the estate of Lee Harvey Oswald? That would be Marina and his two daughters."
The trial resumes Tuesday in Tarrant County's 67th District Court. It is a bench trial in which the judge will decide the outcome rather than a jury.
Attorneys said they expect Judge Don Cosby to issue a final ruling in a couple of weeks.
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