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[] | 2016-08-26T13:01:44 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | The operation in Jarablus is aimed at cleaning the Turkish borders from terrorist groups and support the territorial integrity of Syria | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fhotspots%2Fterror%2F24-08-2016%2F135420-turkish_army_syria-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/0/1/58701.jpeg | en | null | Turkish Army invades Syria. What is the real goal of the operation? | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru photo archive
The forces of the Turkish army have struck at least 224 blows on 63 targets of Islamic State militants in Syria (the organization is banned in Russia), CNN Turk reports with reference to a source at Turkish military circles.
The Turkish artillery attacked Syria at 04:00 local time and struck 224 blows on 63 targets.
Armored formations of the Turkish army were concentrated in the area of the Syrian city of Jarablus. At 08:30 local time, Turkish armored vehicles set off towards Jarablus to cleanse the city from ISIL terrorists.
Earlier, Turkish NTV channel reported that Turkey had officially informed Russia about the start of the operation in the north of Syria.
Special forces and armored formations of the Turkish army have already crossed the Turkish-Syrian border. Turkey currently uses tanks, artillery and aviation to attack the positions of Islamic State terrorists in Syria.
According to Turkish news agency Anadolu, the operation in Jarablus is aimed at cleaning the Turkish borders from terrorist groups and support the territorial integrity of Syria.
The authorities of the country said that the goal of the military operation is to reduce the flow of migrants and deliver humanitarian aid to the population. According to officials, Turkey uses "intense gunfire" against terrorists.
Terrorists captured Jarablus in 2013. In March of this year, the Syrian troops, with allies' support, liberated the city of Palmyra that was seized in the summer of 2015.
In just a few months, ISISL terrorists destroyed ancient temples of Bel and Baalshamin, as well as the Monumental Arch of Palmyra from II-III centuries BC.
Russian experts evaluated restoration works at nearly $600,000. The work will take about 12 months.
Pravda.Ru asked President of the Institute for the Middle East, Yevgeny Satanovsky, to comment on the real goals of the operation.
"The official goal is, of course, to struggle against the Islamic State. At the same time, the pro-American Kurdish opposition claims that Turkey is attacking primarily the Kurds. The groups of the Islamic State are located at least 20 kilometers away from the positions that the Turkish army currently occupies," the expert told Pravda.Ru.
When asked about the cause that could push Turkey towards the anti-terrorist operation in Syria all of a sudden, Mr. Satanovsky said Ankara had never struggled against terrorism before. "Ankara had commercial relations with Daesh. The fact that Turkey is technically a member of the anti-terrorist coalition, does not mean anything," said the expert.
Yevgeny Satanovsky said that Turkish security services always provided support to the Islamic State, while Erdogan's relatives made their fortune on illegal oil trade with the Islamic State. All those operations were conducted under the guise of Turkey's anti-terrorist struggle.
According to the expert, it is natural that Erdogan never asked Russia to help Turkey in the struggle against terrorism. "Why would Russia help Turkey here? We have different goals in Syria. Erdogan needs to strike the Kurds, rather than terrorists. This is what he is doing right now," concluded the Orientalist.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/hotspots/terror/24-08-2016/135420-turkish_army_syria-0/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/5117d88a272ae0e6aebf0521d97e3d1f576d5d29700fc125a7555020f0039b92.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:09:14 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | In the Tyumen region of Russia, a 18-year-old athlete took his own life after a quarrel with his girlfriend. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fsociety%2Fstories%2F25-08-2016%2F135432-boxing_champion-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/0/8/58708.jpeg | en | null | Young Thai boxing champion hangs himself on pull-up bar | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | In the Tyumen region of Russia, a 18-year-old athlete took his own life after a quarrel with his girlfriend.
The young man was staying with his grandparents. After breaking up with his girlfriend, the young man went to the spots ground and hung himself on a pull-up bar.
His body was found only early in the morning.
The man, named as Alexander Molosnikov, was known in the region for winning the regional 2015 Thai boxing championship when he was 17 years old. This year, Alexander won a silver medal at an Open Championship of the Sverdlovsk region.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/society/stories/25-08-2016/135432-boxing_champion-0/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/120b90798b6cd7f8e43c8c62b086d0860e0dc0dbe31566258740ce6b638424fa.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:50:43 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Brzezinski explains why Americans, Europeans and Russians are loathed by so many in every corners of the globe. It's worth quoting him extensively on this point | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F29-08-2016%2F135460-brzezinski_vision-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/2/9/58729.jpeg | en | null | Brzezinski vision for a power sharing world stymied by ignorant American leaders | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | By John Stanton
"A constructive U.S. policy must be patiently guided by a long-range vision. The alternative...and especially the quest for a one-sided militarily and ideologically imposed outcome, can only result in prolonged and self-destructive futility. For America, that could entail enduring conflict, fatigue, and conceivably even a demoralizing withdrawal to its pre-20th century isolationism. For Russia, it could mean major defeat, increasing the likelihood of subordination in some fashion to Chinese predominance. For China, it could portend war not only with the United States but also, perhaps separately, with either Japan or India or with both. And, in any case, a prolonged phase of sustained ethnic, quasi-religious wars pursued through the Middle East with self-righteous fanaticism would generate escalating bloodshed within and outside the region, and growing cruelty everywhere." Brzezinski, 2016
[American exceptionalism] is a reaction to the inability of people to understand global complexity or important issues like American energy dependency. Therefore, they search for simplistic sources of comfort and clarity. And the people that they are now selecting to be, so to speak, the spokespersons of their anxieties are, in most cases, stunningly ignorant. Brzezinski, 2010
Since the next twenty years may well be the last phase of the more traditional and familiar political alignments with which we have grown comfortable, the response needs to be shaped now. During the rest of this century, humanity will also have to be increasingly preoccupied with survival as such on account of a confluence of environmental challenges. Those challenges can only be addressed responsibly and effectively in a setting of increased international accommodation. And that accommodation has to be based on a strategic vision that recognizes the urgent need for a new geopolitical framework. Brzezinski, 2016
I am very worried that most Americans are close to total ignorance about the world. They are ignorant. That is an unhealthy condition...Brzezinski, 2010 *
Zbigniew Brzezinski's likely to be prophetic piece Towards a Global Alignment sets forth what he believes to be the likely future geopolitical construct which will see the USA-Europe, China and Russia as the dominant global powers and regional powers on the world stage. There is no guarantee of this outcome if the USA does not lead the way in constructing such a world through an altruistic approach to sharing power with its many former adversaries. A US national security strategy that seeks lopsided military and economic global power over its challengers is doomed to fail in the long term, the former national security advisor thinks.
Whoops! Forgot About India
Brzezinski has neglected to include India in his Nostradamian thesis. Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, has taken a page out of China's playbook and is cutting trade deals with regional neighbors as well as Russia and the USA. India seeks to boost exports as it desperately needs to export more to boost income at home.
India is hedging its bets with China, keeping a wary eye on the China-Pakistan relationship, and like other G-20 member states, doing some chest thumping before that group meets on September 4. India's Act East Policy seeks to tighten economic and diplomatic ties with the ASEAN countries. Modi's defense minister Manohar Parrikar is set to visit Washington, DC, shortly to sign agreements allowing the US to use Indian military bases for logistics and humanitarian operations, maritime cooperation and cybersecurity. He also is bringing a wish list of military equipment India seeks to purchase from defense giants Lockheed and Boeing. India is also in the market for the latest technologies included on the new US Ford Class aircraft carriers (advanced radars and electromagnetic aircraft launch systems) for its own indigenous brand of carrier. And it has cozied up to the US position on the South China Sea which most assuredly has upset Chinese leadership.
So India is clearly making an attempt become the fourth power pole with USA-Europe, Russia and China.
In Other News
Meanwhile, in the background, China has broken with its history and will now join the melee in Syria in a humanitarian or military advisory capacity. The July 15 attempt to overthrow the Turkish government is still reverberating across Western Asia. Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Libya and Syria are little more than piles of rubble as 2016 comes to a close. The Islamic State is set to be pulverized anywhere is exists and any civilians or intact structures in close proximity to Daesh will be eliminated. The internally displaced and refugee populations continues to grow in ebbs and flows and is taxing the governments and citizens of Europe, Lebanon, Iran and Turkey. Add to this boiling stew the USA's own immigration issues with Mexico and Central America, a stumbling global economy and climate change and it's no wonder people everywhere are nervous drawing comparisons to events leading up to both WWI and WWII.
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter typically mentions some of these matters in his speeches and always reminds his audiences that the top five threats are Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and the Islamic State/Garden variety terrorism. The USA and Russia are at loggerheads and information warfare is well underway between the two Cold Warriors. Both are modernizing portions of the nuclear triads most notably the USA: The USAF seeks a ground based strategic deterrent (GBSD) ICBM to replace its silo based Minuteman III's. The USAF and Northrop Grumman are developing the B-21 bomber and are set to field upgraded nuclear bombs in Europe in a decade.
Beneath all of this is a burning hatred set ablaze by the historical activity set by the three power centers Brzezinski believes must settle the world: USA-Europe, China and Russia. And as for India hatred-of-others quotient, its defense minister recently said, "Going to Pakistan is the same as going to hell."
Brzezinski explains why Americans, Europeans and Russians are loathed by so many in every corners of the globe. It's worth quoting him extensively on this point because it is a remarkable statement/admission coming from someone who designed the Carter Doctrine which is responsible for embroiling the USA in so many conflicts in the Persian Gulf region.
"Periodic massacres of their not-so-distant ancestors by colonists and associated wealth-seekers largely from western Europe resulted within the past two or so centuries in the slaughter of colonized peoples on a scale comparable to Nazi World War II crimes. Let just a few examples suffice. In the 16th century, due largely to disease brought by Spanish explorers, the population of the native Aztec Empire in present-day Mexico declined from 25 million to approximately one million. Similarly, in North America, an estimated 90 percent of the native population died within the first five years of contact with European settlers, due primarily to diseases. In the 19th century, various wars and forced resettlements killed an additional 100,000. In India from 1857-1867, the British are suspected of killing up to one million civilians in reprisals stemming from the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The British East India Company's use of Indian agriculture to grow opium then essentially forced on China resulted in the premature deaths of millions, not including the directly inflicted Chinese casualties of the First and Second Opium Wars. In the Congo, which was the personal holding of Belgian King Leopold II, 10-15 million people were killed between 1890 and 1910. In Vietnam, recent estimates suggest that between one and three million civilians were killed from 1955 to 1975.
As to the Muslim world in Russia's Caucasus, from 1864 and 1867, 90 percent of the local Circassian population was forcibly relocated and between 300,000 and 1.5 million either starved to death or were killed. Between 1916 and 1918, tens of thousands of Muslims were killed when 300,000 Turkic Muslims were forced by Russian authorities through the mountains of Central Asia and into China. In Indonesia, between 1835 and 1840, the Dutch occupiers killed an estimated 300,000 civilians. In Algeria, following a 15-year civil war from 1830-1845, French brutality, famine, and disease killed 1.5 million Algerians, nearly half the population. In neighboring Libya, the Italians forced Cyrenaicans into concentration camps, where an estimated 80,000 to 500,000 died between 1927 and 1934. More recently, in Afghanistan between 1979 and 1989 the Soviet Union is estimated to have killed around one million civilians; two decades later, the United States has killed 26,000 civilians during its 15-year war in Afghanistan. In Iraq, 165,000 civilians have been killed by the United States and its allies in the past 13 years."
America: Home of the Stupid
Brzezinski states that the USA must tame this beastly world and that's only going to work if it shares the leadership mantle it has held for so long. But his own legitimate concerns with the intelligence of America's leaders and its people and their ability to deal with complex matters at home and abroad suggests that the USA will likely reach back to the heady post 911 days during which "full spectrum dominance" of the world was the USA's mission.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are both tragicomic circus acts polluting the airwaves with banalities and clichés lending weight to Brzezinski's thesis that the USA and its leaders are stunningly ignorant. The US media machine, beginning with its sickening support for the 2003 Iraq War and now ending with its equally horrid coverage of the US presidential campaign and its practice of squalid 1950's anti-Russian and Chinese, dumbs down the American populace even further.
It is dark in the USA. There is not a leader or citizen brain in the country with a lightbulb on, or that can be switched on, to deal with the issues of the day.
Perhaps this is why Deep States or Shadow/Double Governments exist. And maybe it's why soft/hard coups happen.
John can be reached at captainkong22@gmail.com
* Thanks to Mike Whitney for publishing a piece at Counterpunch drawing attention to ZB's work | http://www.pravdareport.com/world/americas/29-08-2016/135460-brzezinski_vision-0/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/298698ec47452dcabcb702854a3ad9057345928a75d3bd4cfe0db7d14277a044.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:09:59 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | During a campaign rally in Nevada, US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke about the dangers of right-wing forces in power | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F26-08-2016%2F135443-hillary_clinton_putin-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/1/4/58714.jpeg | en | null | Hillary Clinton calls Putin 'grand-godfather of extreme nationalism' | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | AP photo
During a campaign rally in Nevada, US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke about the dangers of right-wing forces in power, as well as about problems of racism.
Clinton noted that her rival Donald Trump supported the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin. As for relations with Russia, the views of Donald Trump come contrary to the views of all American presidents, from "Truman to Reagan."
"He talks casually of abandoning our NATO allies, recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea, giving the Kremlin a free hand in eastern Europe. American presidents from Truman, to Reagan, to Bush, to Clinton, to Obama have rejected the kind of approach Trump is taking on Russia. And we should, too," Clinton said.
According to Hillary Clinton, Vladimir Putin is the "grand-godfather of this global brand of extreme nationalism."
Hillary Clinton cracked down on Donald Trump's immigration program too. "One of Britain's most prominent right-wing leaders, Nigel Farage, who stoked anti-immigrant sentiments to win the referendum, to have Britain leave the European Union, campaigned with Donald Trump in Mississippi - Farage has called for a bar on the children of legal immigrants from public schools and health services. He has said, women are - and I quote - worth less than men. And he supports scrapping laws that prevent employers from discriminating based on race. That's who Donald Trump wants by his side when he is addressing an audience of American voters," Hillary Clinton said.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/americas/26-08-2016/135443-hillary_clinton_putin-0/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/eea5ee6d484eb0e1699c0da91c1d9cfe58a1f536e94e6420a7eda9bfd287aebe.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T12:50:52 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Uzbek President who has been staying in power since 1991 has suffered a stroke | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fussr%2F29-08-2016%2F135454-uzbekistan_president-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/2/3/58723.jpeg | en | null | President of Uzbekistan, 78, suffers brain hemorrhage | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | AP photo
The daughter of Uzbek President Islam Karimov wrote on her Instagram account that her father was hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage.
Currently, Islam Karimov remains in the intensive care unit. Doctors cannot predict his health condition for the nearest future.
Islam Karimov's daughter Lola Karimov asked people to respect the family's right to privacy.
"I will be very grateful to those people, who will support my father in their prayers," she wrote.
Islam Karimov is 78 years old. He was born on January 30, 1938 in Samarkand. Karimov has been Uzbekistan's first President since the country gained independence in 1991.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/ussr/29-08-2016/135454-uzbekistan_president-0/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/b72cac01fc881d23ec9a9949ac0c4787838ca4ca8da28eeb1cc6dc84e747e4e9.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:10:20 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | Ex-president of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk, in an interview with "112 Ukraine" TV channel, predicted a possible "death of Russia." | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fussr%2Fukraine%2F23-08-2016%2F135411-ukraine_russia-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/6/9/6/58696.jpeg | en | null | Ukraine's ex-president predicts Russia's death | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru photo archive
Ex-president of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk, in an interview with "112 Ukraine" TV channel, predicted a possible "death of Russia."
"If the crazy idea to subjugate Ukraine occurs to the Kremlin, it will be the last day of Russia's life. The whole world will isolate her, not only with sanctions," Kravchuk said.
In his opinion, Ukraine will never surrender, whereas Russia will not have enough strength to take it.
The politician did not specify, why he had such fantasies about the enslavement of Ukraine by Russia. Kravchuk added that Ukraine would be able to get rid of Russia's influence. The ex-President of Ukraine believes that Ukraine has been able to get rid of its dependence on Russia in energy, politics, as well as in the socio-economic field.
Leonid Kravchuk, 82, also said that Ukraine should have conducted the process of de-communization immediately after the collapse of the USSR. The politician is convinced that the Ukrainian people were the "main destroyer of the USSR", when Ukraine voted for independence in 1991.
"Ukraine can be proud that it was the country that destroyed the Soviet Union in 1991 - the last and the most terrible empire," Kravchuk said.
Noteworthy, ex-President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, 85, has made a sarcastic joke about Kravchuk's statement about the role of Ukraine in the collapse of the USSR.
"The prime responsibility for the breakup of the USSR lies on Yeltsin's team," Gorbachev told NSN, RIA Novosti reports.
Gorbachev also noted that Kravchuk could make such a statement because of his advanced age.
"Well, I don't know, maybe Leonid Makarovich said such a thing because of his age. I feel my age showing influence on my way of thinking sometimes as well," Gorbachev said.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/ussr/ukraine/23-08-2016/135411-ukraine_russia-0/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/1ac3e8c08678bd91debf7c6c91f878d033c6ce08d2b09fd6c53a8e127d20aad4.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T12:51:27 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The joint US-Russian operation will target the militants who refused to lay down their arms and leave Aleppo | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fhotspots%2Fterror%2F30-08-2016%2F135468-russia_usa_aleppo-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/3/6/58736.jpeg | en | null | Russia and USA ready for joint operations to destroy terrorists in Syria's Aleppo | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | As a result of negotiations between Moscow and Washington to resolve the crisis in Syria, the parties consider a possibility of carrying out a joint operation in Aleppo in mid-September.
"The parties discuss the possibility of launching coordinated attacks on militants in Aleppo in the middle of September," a source told Interfax in Geneva.
Also read: China and India to oust Russia from Syria?
The joint US-Russian operation will thus target the militants who refused to lay down their arms and leave Aleppo. The militants will be blocked and destroyed, said the source.
The eastern part of Aleppo remains under the control of armed groups, while the west of Aleppo is controlled by government forces. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the population of the 2-million-strong Aleppo has reduced to 700,000.
Noteworthy, on August 26, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Anatoly Antonov offered Japan to join the humanitarian operation in Syrian Aleppo.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/hotspots/terror/30-08-2016/135468-russia_usa_aleppo-0/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/3dddcd85ebe58b987b3e3fa5be1f66e5c41d5a630765dace22ffbb1586d1a0a7.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:05:55 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | Russia completes the tests of stratospheric weapons for long-range bombers. The weapons are said to be capable of striking targets at a distance of 1,000 kilometers | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Frussia%2Feconomics%2F24-08-2016%2F135419-stratospheric_missile-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/0/0/58700.jpeg | en | null | Russia tests stratospheric missile to destroy fleets | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Russia completes the tests of stratospheric weapons for long-range bombers. The weapons are said to be capable of striking targets at a distance of 1,000 kilometers.
The Russian long-range supersonic missile-bombers Tu-22M3 with the variable geometry of wings, (NATO reporting name Backfire) will be equipped with X-32 cruise missiles. The missiles will be nearly invulnerable to enemy's air defenses and interceptors. After launch, the X-32 will be able to gain altitude of up to 40 kilometers and reach the stratosphere before swooping down at a steep angle to strike the target.
According to representatives of the Russian defense industry, the tests of the new missile are about to be finished. Employees of the Tactical Missiles Corporation, which is part of Rainbow Design Bureau, have confirmed the information, but withheld further comments.
Reportedly, the X-32 cruise missile is designed to eliminate enemy ships and radar stations.
Equipped with inertial navigation system and radio-detecting homing head, the state-of-the-art cruise missile has high precision guidance independent of GLONASS coordinates. It is assumed that the new missile will be able to hit targets at a distance of up to 1,000 km, but its own speed will be not less than 5,000 km/h. The combination of the speed and the flight path makes the new missile literally invulnerable to anti-aircraft systems and enemy fighters.
The X-32 continues the existing line of the X-22 missile, which, until recently, was considered the main caliber for the Tu-22M3 supersonic bomber, as well as for the discontinued Tu-22M2.
Back in the Soviet era, the arsenal of the Russian Navy had more than a dozen of regiments of Backfire aircraft. The Russian Air Force had a similar amount of such aircraft as well.
Navy historian Dmitry Boltenkov says that each air regiment consisted of 20 Tu-22M aircraft that had the capacity of launching 40 or 60 X-22 missiles. The targets for the attacks could be aviation strike groups of the United States. As a result of such a massive attack, an aircraft carrier would be destroyed with her entire support group.
The work on the X-32 started in the early 1990s, but the first launches of the weapon were conducted about ten years ago.
Noteworthy, Russia's State Rocket Center named after Academician Makeyev develops a new ballistic missile. The company has already received a government contract to carry out the development work for the creation of the new ballistic missile. Experts believe that the new missile will be built for fifth-generation nuclear submarine "Husky."
The new missile is said to replace the Bulava strategic system (developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering). The Husky fifth-generation submarines are to replace Project 885 "Yasen" subs. For the time being, it is only known that "Husky" multipurpose nuclear submarines will be armed with "Zircon" hypersonic missiles. The project is conducted by Malachite Design Bureau (St. Petersburg).
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru
Russia tests monster Topol ballistic missile | http://www.pravdareport.com/russia/economics/24-08-2016/135419-stratospheric_missile-0/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/6ebd3098608de80b732902bc90d40b03928ae09acf85cae6654041e3a700f956.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:51:33 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Residents of the village of Chersky, Yakutia, complain of polluted tap water in their homes | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fsociety%2Fstories%2F30-08-2016%2F135470-tap_water_oil-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/3/8/58738.jpeg | en | null | Tap water turns into oil in Siberian village | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Residents of the village of Chersky, Yakutia, complain of polluted tap water in their homes. Instead of hot water, there is fuel-like mixture smelling of gasoline, people complain.
In later August, an oil spill occurred in the area, where the village is located, Life reports. According to villagers, two dozen cubic meters of oil polluted the river, from where the water is delivered to residents via public water supplies.
Fifteen apartment buildings have been left without water supplies as a result of the disaster.
Public utility services currently try to eliminate consequences of the ecological catastrophe. Oil has already been removed from the site of the spill, fuel has been pumped out of the water supplies, the pipes have been washed.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/society/stories/30-08-2016/135470-tap_water_oil-0/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/fb506c22940eb33693e5b9da5f42210289fc8c57e908967021b4b5bdcc88e22f.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:51:47 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | The Russia Card in the US elections | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fopinion%2Fcolumnists%2F31-08-2016%2F135474-clinton_russia-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/4/3/58743.jpeg | en | null | Clinton and the Russia Card in the US elections | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Observing the US elections from the outside, it becomes clear that Hillary Clinton's campaign is starting to look lacklustre, desperate, out of steam, harangued, beleaguered and in short, a "weiner" short of a barbecue. The same adjectives could be applied to Senator Clinton herself. Let us examine her credentials for the position of POTUS.
Hillary Clinton's insolence towards the Russian Federation while she was still Secretary of State was commented on in this column after she called Russia's strategy in Syria "despicable" when all Russia was doing, and is doing, in a nutshell, is helping the legitimate government of the country fight terrorists.
This includes helping the police and ambulance services and fire brigade to protect the civilians from being massacred, raped, beheaded, slaughtered by demonic hordes in many cases trained by the United States of America, the country which stood back and looked on while Islamic State grew up on its watch in Iraq and then spread to Syria. In contrast, Russia is conducting a successful anti-terrorist operation. One side supports and nurtures and trains terrorists, the other does something about it.
Backing the wrong side
So in criticizing Russia's policy, Hillary Clinton is showing a blatant disregard for the public services in Syria which are trying to do their job protecting the innocent civilians and in taking the side of terrorists who have raped nuns and raped little girls after forcing them to watch their parents having their throats slit and who have raped them before and after the girls were themselves beheaded, she is sending out a message that she does not know what she is doing. She's backing the wrong side and trying to worm her way out of the mess.
For someone who has reportedly studied international relations, Hillary Clinton's grasp on international affairs is extremely weak, as we saw in her pitiful comments in Libya upon the murder of Muammar al-Gaddafy, the man who took Libya from the poorest nation in Africa and gave it the highest Human Development Index in the continent. What did Hillary Clinton do? She practically giggled over his death and then masterminded the monumental balls-up which saw the country slide into chaos, where it remains today. Complete with ISIS.
Sooo 1990s
Not a very good business card. And now on the campaign trail, what do we see? Do we see an exciting, dynamic lady leading with interesting new ideas, opening fresh lines of debate on public services, launching new economic challenges? No, we see a very ordinary, sometimes manic-looking Hillary Clinton pressing the same, tired old buttons, playing the Russia Card in her attempt to win over her people through the manipulation of fear. That is soooo 1990s.
The way it works is like this. Using the Goebbels-style mantra that if a lie is repeated often enough it becomes perceived as the truth, she creates a "them" (Russia) to justify the "us" (U.S.), lets the media surf the hype and work its magic and wave its wand, and creates an ogre, so that her people will cower in fear and allow her to tell them she will keep them safe, if they vote for her. Bullshit meter off the scale...
The puerile statues of Trump dotted all over the sidewalks denote an even more worrying fact - that the Clinton campaign is based on negativity against Trump, demonology against Trump and ridiculing Trump but not on any policies. If Trump is ridiculous, he is at least far more aware of where the hearts and minds of the international community stand, and that is with Russia, that is with the United States of America, that is with a multilateral world coming together, taking decisions together, fighting climate change together, achieving development together through investment in people and not through deployment of troops.
America was great once
America was great once. It fought for social causes, fought for the worker, fought for racial equality, fought for women's rights, fought for children's rights, provided public services in communities where decent, hard-working folk could make a living and live in peace. Take a leaf out of Hillary Clinton's book and look at it. We have Islamic State in Iraq, Islamic State in Syria, Islamic State in Libya, we have the United States of America training and siding with terrorists, we have Iraq reduced to the status of a failed state, ditto Libya and if Russia wasn't helping President Assad fight this scourge, the same would be true of Syria. And who does Senator Clinton criticize?
America is not great today. It stands alone, is universally hated, Americans traveling abroad prefer to say they are Canadians, America is seen as the pariah of the international community, covering for Israel's war crimes and human rights outrages, it is seen as a country which makes a mockery out of international law and internally, public services hardly exist in some areas, are failing badly in others and in many cities the streets are no-go areas.
What is this? It is the America of Hillary Clinton, whose policies are wish-washy, failed, tired, stale and outdated. It is a pity because ten years ago Hillary Clinton, like Barack Obama, promised so much.
What we see today is their highly disappointing legacy, reminding us of a brilliant political cartoon printed just after Obama and Clinton came to power, in which the democrat and republican Establishment were giggling together about promises of change.
And what we see today is that a vote for Clinton is a vote for more of the same. Time for a breath of fresh air? To date, how many countries has Trump trashed? None. He denounces terrorists rather than siding with them and he understands that the entire world wants and demands a fresh start and a frank, trustworthy interlocutor. Change? With Clinton, certainly not. With Trump, maybe. But only with the people behind him and not ridiculing someone who is trying to try. Give the guy a hand, not a kick in the face.
At least he stands as someone who for once is prepared to listen. And that is a very good start. In Russia, he has an interlocutor who has a massive popularity index. Russians vote for Putin in democratic exercises, free and fair democratic exercises, and Clinton has a problem with that?
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Pravda.Ru
Twitter: @TimothyBHinchey
timothy.hinchey@gmail.com
*Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey has worked as a correspondent, journalist, deputy editor, editor, chief editor, director, project manager, executive director, partner and owner of printed and online daily, weekly, monthly and yearly publications, TV stations and media groups printed, aired and distributed in Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Portugal, Mozambique and São Tomé and Principe Isles; the Russian Foreign Ministry publication Dialog and the Cuban Foreign Ministry Official Publications. He has spent the last two decades in humanitarian projects, connecting communities, working to document and catalog disappearing languages, cultures, traditions, working to network with the LGBT communities helping to set up shelters for abused or frightened victims and as Media Partner with UN Women, working to foster the UN Women project to fight against gender violence and to strive for an end to sexism, racism and homophobia. A Vegan, he is also a Media Partner of Humane Society International, fighting for animal rights. He is Director and Chief Editor of the Portuguese version of Pravda.Ru. | http://www.pravdareport.com/opinion/columnists/31-08-2016/135474-clinton_russia-0/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/bca30a90ac690cc409c0f448fc92402d6c3fb924458774b6af966816efbdd8f6.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T08:52:21 | null | 2012-02-28T00:00:00 | The Russian currency is nearly seven centuries old. It appeared in the 13th century and for the next two centuries successfully drove out of circulation coins of other countries that people in ancient Russia used to acquire... | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fbusiness%2Ffinance%2F31-08-2016%2F120630-russian_ruble-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/0/6/46706.jpeg | en | null | The Russian ruble: The coin with a scar | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru photo archive
The Russian currency is nearly seven centuries old. It appeared in the 13th century and for the next two centuries successfully drove out of circulation coins of other countries that people in ancient Russia used to acquire material goods. In addition, the foreign money made of silver was quickly repurposed into the new Russian ruble. The name was given to the currency because of the scar that emerged during the coin production. The ruble was made according to the ancient method where the coin was poured into a mold in two steps.
The progenitor of the modern ruble did not have a neat appearance, and had an ugly scar on the edge. Previously, there was another theory of the origin of the term "ruble." They say that the hryvna, the former currency in circulation in Russia, was allegedly severed into pieces to obtain change. The verb "sever" ("rubit'" in Russian) gave the name to the new monetary unit. However, this theory has failed when historians found that both the ruble and hryvna in ancient times were of the same weight - 200 grams.
The popularity of the new coins quickly gained momentum, which is not surprising given that earlier in Russia skins of fur-bearing animals - squirrels, foxes and martens - were used as currency along with foreign coins that eventually were replaced with featureless silver bullion - the hryvna. Hryvna was convenient as a currency because at that time Russia was divided into separate kingdoms, each of them lived its own life. It was with hryvna that the ruble, the first mention of which appeared in the Novgorod birch bark documents in 1281-1299, had to struggle with.
For a long time, the monetary unit was used equally in Kiev Rus. The approach to the ruble from the start was creative. These coins, although had the same name, looked differently in all the principalities, depending on the preferences and fantasies of the ruling prince. Only in the Moscow principality the coins were similar to those of Novgorod. Coins were minted in silver and copper. The wire was struck with a chisel to flatten it, then a coin would be cut off. One can imagine how ugly the forefathers of the modern Russian ruble looked. However, their appearance was saved by the original image that the artisans in Russia took great care of. The old coins depict warriors with axes and swords, roosters, leopards, riders with falcons or even men in broad-brimmed hats.
The standoff between the ruble and the hryvna ended with the victory of the latter in 1534 under the rule of Elena Glinsky, the mother of Ivan the Terrible. It was then that the ruble acquired the status of the single monetary currency of the entire Russian state, which remains to this day. A century later, during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the coins first displayed the word "ruble". At the time, only Moscow mint house was engaged in the production of coins, and the ruble began acquiring its characteristic features. For example, the face of the coin displayed a two-headed eagle, and the reverse side displayed the tsar on top of a horse.
With the loss of individuality the ruble coins lost their value. Under Tsar Aleksey Mikhailovich the actual value of the ruble was 64 silver kopecks. In 1656, in order to save money, the coins were minted exclusively of copper. This experiment ended with a riot called "The Bronze rebellion" that was suppressed through bloodshed. A year later, copper coins were devalued and removed from circulation.
Emperor Peter I was smarter than his father, and began to produce rubles that were 100 percent silver. Along with those, ostensibly for the convenience of the people in the trade, he introduced copper and silver coins. The issuance of this money had a positively effect on the treasury.
The paper ruble appeared in 1769, during the reign of Catherine the 2nd, who, being a frugal ruler, was saving money for a war with Turkey and dramatically reduced the production of silver coins. The worst year for the single currency of Russia was 1915. Then, the ruble was printed only on paper and depreciated catastrophically, which, however, did not prevent it from surviving the collapse of the Russian Empire and stepping into the "bright socialist future."
Incidentally, the USSR in 1923 issued rubles minted from gold. It did not last long, and most of them have been spent on payments to other states. The last Soviet rubles with a new design were released in 1991, and a year later the ruble continued its story in a completely different country - the Russian Federation, where it survived a denomination in 1998, and met the new millennium in its updated form.
Looking at the history of the survival of the ruble that has recently been increasingly devalued, one would want to believe that it deserves the status of the reserve currency, at least at the regional level. Unfortunately, at this moment, the ruble does not even have an official symbol. The Bank of Russia is to blame since it has not yet selected the winner of the contest "Ruble Mark", held back in 2006.
In this difficult situation, the ruble received support from the people who created a mark informally used in RuNet and called "Tarbeev - Lebedev mark." The symbol of the ruble is the capital letter "R", crossed below the semicircle. Maybe the adoption of the new mark will end the crisis and the ruble turns into the ancient and courageous "coin with a scar."
Maria Snytkova
Bigness
Read the original in Russian | http://www.pravdareport.com/business/finance/31-08-2016/120630-russian_ruble-0/ | en | 2012-02-28T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/2d6d815341b503f0177f39e124b66433f28abbcbbc3c89612e13deba29e3b217.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:58:59 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | The news about the Russian Air Force leaving the Iranian Hamadan air base came as a surprise. Indeed, the Russian aviation started bombing the Islamic State in Syria from the Iranian base a few days ago | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Frussia%2Fpolitics%2F23-08-2016%2F135412-russia_iran_hamadan-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/6/9/7/58697.jpeg | en | null | Hamadan: Russia in and out of Iran | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Tupolev.ru
The news about the Russian Air Force leaving the Iranian Hamadan air base came as a surprise. Indeed, the Russian aviation started bombing the Islamic State in Syria from the Iranian base a few days ago. Many assumed that the deployment of Russian military aircraft in Iran came as a sign of a higher level of military and political partnership between Russia and Iran. All of a sudden, it was reported that Russia was not using the Iranian base anymore. What happened?
In fact, I would not see a big surprise here. When dealing with Iran, one does not need to be too credulous, even if Russia and Iran share common goals in Syria.
Suffice it to say that Iran has no consensus about the permissible extent of partnership with Russia. This was fully demonstrated during the parliamentary debate on the use of the air base in Hamadan by the Russian military. A significant part of Iranian MPs were against it. They referred to the Iranian Constitution, which prohibits the provision of the national territory to foreign military bases. The leaders of the country then had to prove that the admission of the Russian military aviation to Hamadan was strictly a temporary measure. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that such an explanation was not satisfactory for all. To crown it all, there are many people in Iran who are directly opposed to building close cooperation with Russia.
Noteworthy, the Iranians were offended by Russia's "non-gentlemanly behavior" in this matter. Tehran believed that Russia would keep the use of the base in Hamadan a secret. Iran did not understand the exaltation in the Russian media. Apparently, publicity was not part of their plans.
However, Moscow was forced to publicly acknowledge its presence in Hamadan. It was Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who admitted it, as he was commenting on statements from Washington officials, who said that the deployment of Russian military aircraft in Hamadan could violate the embargo on the supply of combat aircraft to the Islamic Republic of Iran. It was the Americans, who made the adequate information appear for the general public. This is a very important fact, in my humble opinion.
In this context, I would assume that the story of Hamadan can show Washington the existence of powerful forces in Teheran that are prepared to turn their back on Russia.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said, for example, that his country had already developed its own system of long-range air defenses and will soon be able to waive relevant supplies from abroad. Rouhani alluded to the fact that the shipment of the Russian S-300 air defense system may be the last.
The strange situation around Hamadan may indicate that Iran is not too much reliable a partner. Tehran has its own interests, and Iranian policy-makers are very good at maneuvering. There is a line of countries that want to be friends with Iran - Russia is not alone on that list.
In this regard, we should pay special attention to China that demonstrates an intention to be actively involved in the operations in Syria on the side of President Bashar Assad, and therefore, on the side of Russia and Iran.
It is also possible, though, that China may strengthen the positions of the Iranian officials who are opposed to the development of cooperation with Russia. For example, China could help Iran build its own air defense systems and other types of hardware. It would be logical to expect them to compete for the minds and hearts of Iranians, many of whom, incidentally, do not mind friendship with their "sworn enemies" - the Americans.
Noteworthy, it was announced a few days ago that China set up its army base in Djibouti, in close proximity to Yemen. Yemen is a zone of special interests for Iran: in Yemen, Iran supports the forces that show resistance to the Saudi coalition. China's emergence as an ally of Tehran at this point may have far-reaching consequences.
Dmitry Nersesov
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/russia/politics/23-08-2016/135412-russia_iran_hamadan-0/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/42b1e983d0b81b8b9cc20ed7e7078a5b33aebd5d0800b013a9d49a7277b18d52.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T10:52:26 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Until recently, the official page of Pravda.Ru on Facebook was developing actively with over 10,000 people joining us on a monthly basis | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fopinion%2Fcolumnists%2F31-08-2016%2F135478-facebook_pravda-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/4/6/58746.jpeg | en | null | Facebook destroys 'Pravda' in act of information war | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Until recently, the official page of Pravda.Ru on Facebook was developing actively with over 10,000 people joining us on a monthly basis. The page had the official status assigned by the social network.
Yet, all is fair in war. All the principles of freedom of speech that US-based Facebook shareholders proclaim are just a screen to gain political scores. Not that long ago, Facebook managers admitted to manipulating the selection of news reports in Democrats' favor. In Alexey Navalny's hacked email, we could see intrusive inquiries from the head of Facebook Russia offering him assistance to promote his account.
The election campaign in Russia is underway, and our readers know which position Pravda.Ru takes in this political process.
We have never had any illusions about Facebook's excessive Russian-language advertising in all contextual advertising networks, or why the social network restricts the rights of those users, whose thoughts differ from the opinions of Facebook Ukraine, let alone US shareholders.
For this particular reason, the word "hohol" (translates as "copped" - an offensive epithet of Ukrainians used by Russians, literally meaning "crest", like a bird's) that was frequently used by Russian and Ukrainian great writer Nikolai Gogol, is deemed offensive if used on Facebook. At the same time, the words "katsap" (translates as "goat-like face" - an offensive epithet of Russians used by Ukrainians; literally - "like a goat (ukr. "kak tzap"), "moskal" (a pejorative term for the Russians in the Ukrainian language), or "vatnik" (an outspoken follower of Putin, who aims to compensate his meaningless life by glorifying the motherland) are quite normal and their use on Facebook are OK. This approach shows how Facebook violates its own rules in Russia, inciting and propagandizing hatred in international relations.
In general, we were expecting such a decision, after Ukrainian President Poroshenko included chairman of Pravda.Ru Board of Directors on the restrictive list of Russian media executives.
This is a common information war: to destroy a page on the social network with more than 235,000 subscribers. Business is business.
We have created a new page of our publication on Facebook. We know that there are many ideological fighters there, who receive grants to conduct this type of warfare. Well, we will be more careful.
For the time being, we invite you to subscribe to our new page on this social network: https://www.facebook.com/pravdaonline/
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/opinion/columnists/31-08-2016/135478-facebook_pravda-0/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/c0d844c83a81476fc1ab1b61db17a2843bd049da04a93c87880bfafe73bb656d.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:07:03 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | The head of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu, explained the goal of the unscheduled inspection of combat readiness of the Russian Armed Forces | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Frussia%2Fkremlin%2F25-08-2016%2F135433-russian_troops-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/0/9/58709.jpeg | en | null | Defense Minister explains Putin's move to hold unscheduled combat readiness of troops | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | AP photo
The head of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu, explained the goal of the unscheduled inspection of combat readiness of the Russian Armed Forces, which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Defense Minister Shoigu, Putin ordered to test the ability of the Southern Military District to deploy self-sufficient military groups to contain crisis situations. The check will also assess the potential of Western and Central military districts in the south-western strategic direction.
"During the first day, we need to check their ability to perform the activities specified by the degree of combat readiness. Later, the units will be taken to range grounds and training areas, where they will be prepared for challenges of the drills," Shoigu said.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/russia/kremlin/25-08-2016/135433-russian_troops-0/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/482bf1ac738b483e4b458e9a2cf7fe58931e27e55abf1c94e0f952b3be18bc79.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T10:50:52 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | In Moscow, a driver received a fine for crossing a full-line | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fsociety%2Fstories%2F29-08-2016%2F135451-car_shadow-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/2/0/58720.jpeg | en | null | Moscow driver fined for shadow of his car | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: drive2.ru/d2boy
In Moscow, a driver received a fine for crossing a full-line. However, the photo made by traffic cameras showed that the vehicle was traveling without any violation of traffic rules.
The man could not understand the reason, for which he was fined. Having studied the traffic cam photo in detail, he realized that it was the shadow of his vehicle that crossed the full line.
"Cameras want us to pay fines even if car shadows violate traffic rules," the man wrote on drive2.ru website.
The "violation" occurred on August 25 on the Moscow Ring Road (MKAD). The man has already submitted a complained to the traffic police and is awaiting a response.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/society/stories/29-08-2016/135451-car_shadow-0/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/a990195d30b04e93a3a7142667066fe635754975ec7cec909d285b11a53c81df.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:00:22 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | Two-time Olympic champion in pole vaulting, Russian athlete Yelena Isinbayeva, said that her election to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was a victory for the whole of Russia. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fvideo%2F23-08-2016%2F135417-rio-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/preview/article/4/1/7/135417_b.jpeg | en | null | Isinbayeva to deprive US of 2024 Olympics | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Two-time Olympic champion in pole vaulting, Russian athlete Yelena Isinbayeva, said that her election to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was a victory for the whole of Russia.
"I was very proud that we have defeated the circumstances and that out country won, because election to the IOC is not my personal victory, but that of the whole country," Yelena Isinbayeva claimed. Isinbayeva received 45 out of 70 votes for her support. She was introduced as a member of the International Olympic Committee at the closing of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Interestingly, that the United States may now lose the right to host the Olympics in 2024 because of the US-led anti-Russian campaign in sport, as Reuters reported citing a senior source at the IOC. It goes about Los Angeles, a candidate city for the summer Olympics in 2024, which struggles for the right to host the Olympics along with Paris, Rome and Budapest. "The bid from the USA may come across protests on the part of several IOC members, who remain angry about the important role that America has played in bringing doping charges against Russian athletes," the unnamed source said. The hosting city for the Summer Olympics 2024 will be announced in September 2017.
Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/video/23-08-2016/135417-rio-0/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/6b05a01f6837e588ac87fcdbdcbf016d542da7c21da9f528b651a9327ec14738.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:04:33 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | The European Commission has got down to investigation of intra-group transactions of the US corporations, which violate tax law in the territory of the EU. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fvideo%2F25-08-2016%2F135442-apple-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/preview/article/4/4/2/135442_b.jpeg | en | null | EU dares to investigate US companies’ violations | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | The European Commission has got down to investigation of intra-group transactions of the US corporations, which violate tax law in the territory of the EU. The US in its turn believes that the stance of EU does not correspond with international agreements and regulations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in transfer pricing.
The European Commission investigates tax practice of Apple, Amazon.com and Starbucks Corp. Apple attracted attention of taxmen with its activity in Ireland, where the minimum corporate tax rate among the EU countries is offered.
The case is that the European Commission has started considering legitimate tax reliefs in some countries as a kind of government assistance since 2014, however such aid contradicts with the ban within the EU itself. Thus, additional payments may be collected from companies which have reliefs in some countries. The US Department of the Treasury has already claimed that it violates existing international practice and sets a dangerous precedent, as the decision will cover the period before 2014 when Brussels announced about its new approach for the first time.
The US Treasury Department officials believe that the problem on international companies evading tax paying really exists, but it should be settled on a multilateral basis. Thus, the EU may face reciprocal symmetrical steps.
Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/video/25-08-2016/135442-apple-0/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/3e85b0ad9a4994ca73f3b66c14db6c2d300a6468b7be12bd9e62fe5b68968be6.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:48:15 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | The practical significance of such experiments is obvious: not all people live in easily accessible places. Many live far from hospitals or even roads | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fscience%2Ftech%2F26-08-2016%2F135448-drones-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/1/9/58719.jpeg | en | null | The future of drones: Human factor excluded | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: ecagroup.com
A peculiar feature of industrial revolutions is about increasing production by reducing the use of plain physical labor. The farther our civilization develops, the more a person is replaced by various machines. The commercial use of drones is another opportunity to make security, monitoring, transport services and documentary footage more effective. The United States has adopted a set of rules regulating the use of drones.
Dura lex, sed lex
The rules were slightly tighter than expected. In particular, the FAA restricted the allowable weight of civilian drones for commercial purposes to 19.5 kilograms. More importantly, pilots are supposed to always remain in the drone flight observation zone. Specifically, this rule restricts the possibility to use drones for delivering cargoes.
In addition, drones can be used only during the day, maximum - at dusk. They can be used at an altitude of 400 feet above the ground (many hoped for at least 500 feet). They will not be allowed to work for those people who are not involved in the drone control system - that is, leasing will be a problem. Drones can not be piloted from a traveling car - this can be possible only in "sparsely populated areas."
A pilot will have to be certified to pilot drones. The certification will be carried out by relevant agencies that ensure safety in aviation and transport (TSA). Certification involves passing certain tests; a pilot must be at least 16 years of age.
From imperfection of laws to perfection of technology
Despite the restrictions, the reaction to the rules was mostly positive. The rules will thus serve as the ground for further development and use of drones. To crown it all, one needs to solve technical problems associated with autonomous flight, takeoff and landing.
These are the key problems for the drone industry. Drones may either follow predetermined flight algorithms or navigate in space independently, in accordance with the terrain. The first option is easier, but the second one is more promising and generally more reliable.
The above-mentioned rules are applicable only on the territory of the United States of America. Therefore, US drone producers may try to experiment with autonomous flight systems in "third world" countries.
Ensuring autonomy of operation is a highly important aspect. The operating time for most drones is limited to their battery life. It requires constant human intervention, whose function is to charge or replace batteries. Therefore, the autonomous charging system would be highly important.
Rules are made to be broken
The new rules for the industry have made many manufacturers think of the way to avoid the requirement about the drone to remain in pilot's sight. A person can not always be close to the drone, so a drone should be made more autonomous.
The adopted rules exclude the use of drones for monitoring fires, natural disasters, or patrolling remote construction sites. Of course, no one wants a drone to fall on their head, but this is a very promising technology.
According to Alex Harmsen, one of the founders of Iris Automation, drones should be able to recognize obstacles and make decisions on how to overcome them. The solution lies in the production of specific software and components for drones.
Quite a natural solution attracted the attention of a number of funds (Bee Partners and Y Combinator) that hope to convince the FAA and related agencies regulating transport activity and security to remove restrictions on the use of drones.
The issue of drone security remains very serious. For example, a year ago, a drone fell on a child during US Open tennis competitions. In another incident, a drone fell on a woman, causing her severe bodily harm. The danger of the use of drones in populated areas is obvious.
However, manufacturers assure that new technologies will not let a drone collide with another drone, a tree or a building. In late June, Flirtey Inc., a well-known UAV maker, demonstrated a working model of a coastal delivery drone. The drone, made of aluminum and 3D-printed parts, was launched from a barge in the Bay of Delaware. The drone delivered ashore medical components, including blood samples, insulin and first aid kits.
The practical significance of such experiments is obvious: not all people live in easily accessible places. Many live far from hospitals or even roads.
Farhat Izmailov
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/science/tech/26-08-2016/135448-drones-0/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/1b5bb09e89e4ee8b460b5d20e8768b942b24abdfdecfff887f0389cd36195ae6.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:08:27 | null | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | Experts of the state-run corporation Roscosmos started designing a new superheavy rocket on the basis of the "Energia-Buran" program | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fscience%2Ftech%2F22-08-2016%2F135397-russian_superheavy_rocket-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/6/8/4/58684.jpeg | en | null | Russia starts designing main superheavy rocket for lunar program | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru photo archive
Experts of the state-run corporation Roscosmos started designing a new superheavy rocket on the basis of the "Energia-Buran" program.
The new rocket is said to be built with the use of the existent RD-171 rocket engine. "We do not consider using hydrogen circuits on the first and second stages of this carrier. We intend to take the third stage from the currently-operating Angara rocket," a representative for the corporation told the Izvestia newspaper.
According to General Director of Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, Vladimir Solntsev, the new rocket will be able to deliver about 80 tons of payload into low support orbit. Its further evolution on the basis of RD-171 engines implies the possibility of increasing the carrying capacity up to 120 tons and, if necessary, to 160 tons. It will be possible to increase the payload by changing the rocket structure and expanding the capacity of the engine.
Thus, the creation of the new superheavy rocket will be possible within five to seven years. According to the official, the projected rocket will be the main carrier for the future lunar program.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/science/tech/22-08-2016/135397-russian_superheavy_rocket-0/ | en | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/c8a0575dd8c1f802b229af450d17fabbe70676b3821abb5b329ce8aa48e4cd40.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:11:10 | null | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | Russian warships the Serpukhov and the Zeleny Dol of the Black Sea Fleet launched "Caliber" cruise missiles from the Mediterranean Sea | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fasia%2Fsyria%2F19-08-2016%2F135387-russian_ships_missiles_mediterranean-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/6/7/7/58677.jpeg | en | null | Russian warships launch cruise missiles from Mediterranean Sea. Video | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru
Russian warships the Serpukhov and the Zeleny Dol of the Black Sea Fleet launched "Caliber" cruise missiles from the Mediterranean Sea to strike terrorist targets in Syria. Earlier, it was reported that Russia had requested the overflight of cruise missiles above the territories of Iraq and Iran.
The small missile ships launched the missiles to destroy targets of Jabhat en-Nusra terrorist organization (banned in Russia), TASS reports.
As a result of the attack, a command post and a terrorist base in the area of Dar Taaza were destroyed. The missile attack also destroyed a plant for the production of mortar ammunition and a large warehouse of weapons in Aleppo.
According to the Russian Ministry for Defense, the missile flight corridor had been planned over unpopulated areas.
In October of 2015, warships of the Russian Navy attacked targets in Syria from the Caspian Sea, when 26 cruise missiles were launched in total. In November 2015, the Caspian flotilla ships struck another blow on terrorist targets in Syria, when 18 cruise missiles were launched to strike targets in the provinces of Raqqa, Idlib, Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor.
Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/asia/syria/19-08-2016/135387-russian_ships_missiles_mediterranean-0/ | en | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/f32479a118fdd598ed8a72ddf88e8d4dad2c562ce194c583d1fe8926fc11927e.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:55:10 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | Olympics: Rubgy | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fsociety%2Fstories%2F25-08-2016%2F135428-rio_olympiad-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/0/5/58705.jpeg | en | null | Rio Summer Olympiad: Sometimes 'little beat big' real good | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | You have to travel back 50 years to appreciate this gem. You have to visit China to know its origins. The year was 1975. In Hong Kong some ex-patriotic Brits longing for some nostalgic enterprise promoted the first ever overseas Rugby Sevens Tournament. The launch was a huge success. The Sevens format has blossomed ever since in the former British colonial city. From there Rugby Sevens has branched out to major cities all over the world. It is now a professional league.
There is more to this story; much more. One of the few invitees to the inaugural event was a small nation. Fiji, like its Pacific Islander kin, Samoa and Tonga, revels in the sport. Rugby union is more than a national pastime. Some say the 'the hooligans game played by gentlemen' is the Fijians' religion. That descriptor does not even come close to capturing the nation's essence and devotion to rugby. If you have been there and saw the Fijians engaged in a tight scrum up front and personal you would know the truth: they are a rugby nation. The game is their pursuit of excellence; and it shows.
Fiji is the Rugby Sevens Champion
Fiji is the reigning Rugby Sevens champion. They are repeat champions having won the tournament twice consecutively; and they were winners many times before that. When the Olympic Committee announced that 'Sevens' would be introduced as a trial sport, rugby aficionados cheered around the world. Nowhere was the news more welcome than in Fiji. At last, the islanders had a chance to showcase their sporting prowess; maybe even win a medal as a matter of course.
To medal was a tall order. The competition was stiff. Traditional powerhouses like New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, France and South Africa were all in attendance. Argentina, an up and coming force was also there. So were the swift and sure footed Japanese. Anyone of the aforementioned squads could prove to be an obstacle. A loss to one of the group even in the preliminary stages could upset the Fijian master plan. Their climb to the medal podium would get steeper.
That was not the case in Rio though. Throughout the stages from inception to the final, Fiji manhandled all opposition; and they did so with ease. Not once did the Sevens maestros even get a scare en route. Japan who faced the Fijians in one semi-final saw their storied tournament rise crash to pieces. Earlier the Japanese shocked the mighty and favored Kiwis in their group with a win. Their margin of victory was slim. Against Fiji, the Japanese looked more than diminutive vis-à-vis the giants from Fiji. In the end, the game Japanese fell on their swords; but only after they were crushed on the rugby pitch.
Britain thrashed
That left only one more match to ascend the pinnacle. Great Britain, fresh from their victory over South Africa in the other semi-final could prove to be the Fijians tournament spoiler in the final. The Brits proved to be anything but a worthy match for the marauding Fijians. The score, 43 - 7, though high still understated the Fijians total field domination. Whenever a Brit ventured into Fijian territory with the ball he was met with fierce resistance. The tackler's intent was not to stop the carrier. No, not at all. In Fijian rugby annals, you drive your opponent back 10 meters; then pounce after he coughs it up between his ears. All he can do then is watch you sprint the length of the pitch for another try.
That is the way it happened in Brazil. At the closing whistle, the once heralded and favored Brits limped off both bruised and bewildered. Not surprising. When your opponent's average weight is 17 stone of rock hard muscle and they all sprint 100 meters in 11 seconds, even scoring a single try would be seen as a success; and that is all the Brits managed: one lone try.
The Fijian Cinderella story does not end there. As reigning Olympic Sevens champions, the Fijians finally achieved a milestone. The win marked the first time ever that the tiny nation medaled; and its color happened to be gold. On the podium, each Fijian bowed then took a knee. The victors remained humble while Britain's representative at the summer games, Princess Anne, bestowed them with their prized possession.
Sometimes 'little does beat big' really good. That is something special for us all to savor, especially when we see 'little' comports themselves with a grace and dignity that 'big' most times feigns.
Montresor | http://www.pravdareport.com/society/stories/25-08-2016/135428-rio_olympiad-0/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/984e2ca663cfc98969bedec77263e07148669da3e666b92497eb9fa6d1a85570.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:10:29 | null | 2016-08-20T00:00:00 | More medals for Russia | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fsociety%2F20-08-2016%2F135393-russophobic_olympics-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/6/8/1/58681.jpeg | en | null | RIO - Russophobic Incomplete Olympics: 48 medals despite the blanket ban | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | RIO - Russophobic Incomplete Olympics: 48 medals despite the blanket ban
Despite the blanket ban on clean Russian athletes who have never taken any illegal substance in their lives, the medals keep on rolling in. The tally is now up to 48!
They tried to humiliate Russia by imposing an unfair blanket ban including on clean athletes who have never taken performance enhancers in their lives. They did not succeed. Russia now has a total of 48 medals - 13 Gold, 16 Silver and 19 Bronze.
The latest medals were as follows: Gold: Team event in Synchronized swimming; Silver: Aleksei Denisenko, Men's Under 68 kilogram Taekwondo; Aniuar Geduev, Men's Freestyle Wrestling, 74 kilogram category; Bronze: Vladimir Nikitin, Men's Bantamweight boxing (56 kilogram); Ekaterina Bukina, Women's freestyle wrestling, (75 kilogram), Vitaly Dunaytsev, Men's Light Welterweight boxing (64 kilogram), Women's water polo team event.
Russia now has 41 medals - 12 Gold, 14 Silver, 15 Bronze
Gold: Beslan Mudranov, Men's Judo, Under-60 kilogram; Yana Egorian, Women's fencing individual sabre; Khasan Khalmurzaev, Men's Judo Under 81 Kilogram; Inna Deriglazova, Women's Fencing, Individual foil; Men's Fencing, Foil team; Women's Fencing, Sabre team; Ekaterina Makarova, Elena Vesnina, Tennis, Women's doubles; Aliya Mustafina, Artistic Gymnastics, Women's Uneven Bars; Roman Vlasov Men's 75 kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling; Davit Chakvetadze in Men's Wrestling, Greco-Roman 85 kilogram; Evgeny Tishchenko, Men's Heavyweight Boxing 91 kilogram; Natalia Ishchenko/Svetlana Romashina,Women's Synchronized Swimming Duets; Team event in Synchronized swimming.
Silver: Women's Artistic Gymnastics team (Daria Spiridonova, Seda Tutkhalian, Maria Paseka, Aliya Mustafina, Angelina Melnikova); Sofya Velikaya, Women's fencing individual sabre; Yuliya Efimova, Swimming, Women's 100 metres breaststroke; Women's Archery team (Tuiana Dashidorzhieva, Ksenia Perova, Inna Stepanova); Vitalina Batsarashkina, Women's 10 metres Air Pistol, Shooting; the Men's Artistic Gymnastics team (Ivan Stretovich, Nikita Nagorniy, Denis Abliazin, David Belyavskiy, Nikolai Kuksenkov); Olga Zabelinskaya, Road Cycling, Women's Individual Time Trial; Yulia Efimova, Swimming, Women's 200 metres breaststroke; Women's Team Sprint in Cycling (Anastasiya Voinova/Daria Shmeleva); Sergey Kamenskiy, Rifle, 50 meters 3 Positions Men; Maria Paseka, Artistic Gymnastics, Women's Vault; Denis Abliazin, in the Men's Artistic Gymnastics Vault; Valeriya Koblova Zholobova, Women's Wrestling, Freestyle 58 kilogram category; Natalia Vorobeva, Women's Wrestling, Freestyle 69 kilogram category; Aleksei Denisenko, Men's Under 68 kilogram Taekwondo; Aniuar Geduev, Men's Freestyle Wrestling, 74 kilogram category.
Bronze: Safin Timur, Men's fencing individual foil; Vladimir Maslennikov, Shooting, Men's 10 metre air rifle, Natalia Kuziutina, Judo, Women's Under 52 Kg; Anton Chupkov, Swimming, Men's 200 meters breaststroke; Aliya Mustafina, Artistic Gymnastics, Women's Individual All-Round; Fencing, Women's Épée Team; Evgeny Rylov, Swimming, Men's 200 meters backstroke; Kirill Grigoryan, Men's 50 meters Rifle Prone; Stefaniya Elfutina, Sailing, RS:X Women; Denis Dmitriev, Cycling Track, Men's Sprint; Denis Abliazin, Men's Rings, Artistic Gymnastics; Sergey Semenov, Men's 130 kilogram Greco-Roman Wrestling; Roman Anoshkin, Men's Kayak Canoe Sprint, Single 1000 meters; David Belyavskiy, Artistic Gymnastics, Men's Parallel Bars; Anastasiya Beliakova, Women's lightweight boxing, 57-60 kilogram; Vladimir Nikitin, Men's Bantamweight boxing (56 kilogram); Ekaterina Bukina, Women's freestyle wrestling, (75 kilogram); Vitaly Dunaytsev, Men's Light Welterweight boxing (64 kilogram); Women's water polo team event.
R I O - The Russophobic Incomplete Olympics, after the international sports authorities picked and chose which Russian athletes could compete at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, giving non-Russians a better chance of getting a medal in the modalities from which (clean) Russians were excluded.
Non-Russians can be found guilty of doping and compete at the Olympic Games while Russian athletes who have never taken any illegal substances are banned arbitrarily under a blanket ban excluding them from competing. This renders the medals won by athletes competing in modalities from which the Russians were excluded meaningless and those who win in these competitions will know that they were achieved in R I O - the Russophobic Incomplete Olympics.
Nevertheless, growing is the medals stash won by the remnants of Russia's Olympic team - those who were not arbitrarily excluded, in many cases without any justification whatsoever because they had never taken any illegal substance while of course western athletes who have had issues with doping can compete freely.
How did it come about? Probably in a conversation like this:
Hey! Suppose we ban Russia from the Games?
What? Why?
Well it's part of an all-inclusive plan against the Russian Federation, because they're getting too big for their boots and are starting to screw up our plans to invade Iran and get the Central Asian energy reserves.
OK then how do we do it?
Well there's this guy who has an ax to grind with the authorities and for a hundred thousand bucks he'll say what we want.
OK so what does the guy have to say?
Well he says that the security services dope the athletes and switch the samples.
What all of them?
No of course not, the percentage is the same as everywhere else, like hey man you know as well as I do that the thing is not the doping, the thing is not getting caught, but people don't know that and this guy will say what we want.
What then?
Well we get some as*hole to write a report - any Canadian will do - and then we say the Russians are all dope heads and we impose a blanket ban on them.
Yeah well some sports federations are not going to like that because they know it's bullsh*t.
OK then we ban the main athletes so they can't get any medals and we let the federations allow a token number into the Games. Then we plant people in the stadiums and pavilions to boo them when they appear.
OK let's do it...
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Pravda.Ru
Twitter: @TimothyBHinchey
One further question: Why is Kosovo competing as an independent federation and why aren't its athletes competing for the Republic of Serbia, of which Kosovo is a part? | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/society/20-08-2016/135393-russophobic_olympics-0/ | en | 2016-08-20T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/ec14fafcd2e356398487d8f199913eb937a963eda4285c0daa1c4b023f21d9f1.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:08:01 | null | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | Russia's heroic medals tally | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fsociety%2F22-08-2016%2F135402-russia_heroic_tally-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/6/8/9/58689.jpeg | en | null | RIO - Russophobic Incomplete Olympics: Russia's heroic tally | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | RIO - Russophobic Incomplete Olympics: Russia's heroic tally
Despite the blanket ban on clean Russian athletes who have never taken any illegal substance in their lives, fifty-six medals came home to Moscow - 19 Gold, 18 Silver, 19 Bronze.
They tried to humiliate Russia by imposing an unfair blanket ban including on clean athletes who have never taken performance enhancers in their lives. They did not succeed. Russia's medals tally was, in a word, phenomenal.
The last two days brought no less than ten medals - six gold, two silver and two bronze. Gold - Women's Handball; Abdulrashid Sadulaev; Men's Wrestling Freestyle, 86 kilogram category; Margarita Mamun, Individual all-round Rhythmic gymnastics; Aleksandr Lesun, Men's individual modern pentathlon; Team Group all-round rhythmic gymnastics; Soslan Ramonov, Men's freestyle wrestling, 65 kilogram category. Silver - Yana Kudryavtseva, Individual all-round rhythmic gymnastics; Misha Aloian, Men's Flyweight boxing (52 kilogram). Bronze - Vladimir Nikitin, Men's Bantamweight boxing ( 56 kilogram); Vitaly Dunaytsev, Men's Welterweight boxing(64 kilogram).
Russia now has 56 medals - 19 Gold, 18 Silver, 19 Bronze
Gold: Beslan Mudranov, Men's Judo, Under-60 kilogram; Yana Egorian, Women's fencing individual sabre; Khasan Khalmurzaev, Men's Judo Under 81 Kilogram; Inna Deriglazova, Women's Fencing, Individual foil; Men's Fencing, Foil team; Women's Fencing, Sabre team; Ekaterina Makarova, Elena Vesnina, Tennis, Women's doubles; Aliya Mustafina, Artistic Gymnastics, Women's Uneven Bars; Roman Vlasov Men's 75 kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling; Davit Chakvetadze in Men's Wrestling, Greco-Roman 85 kilogram; Evgeny Tishchenko, Men's Heavyweight Boxing 91 kilogram; Natalia Ishchenko/Svetlana Romashina,Women's Synchronized Swimming Duets; Team event in Synchronized swimming; Women's Handball; Abdulrashid Sadulaev; Men's Wrestling Freestyle, 86 kilogram category; Margarita Mamun, Individual all-round Rhythmic gymnastics; Aleksandr Lesun, Men's individual modern pentathlon; Team Group all-round rhythmic gymnastics; Soslan Ramonov, Men's freestyle wrestling, 65 kilogram category.
Silver: Women's Artistic Gymnastics team (Daria Spiridonova, Seda Tutkhalian, Maria Paseka, Aliya Mustafina, Angelina Melnikova); Sofya Velikaya, Women's fencing individual sabre; Yuliya Efimova, Swimming, Women's 100 metres breaststroke; Women's Archery team (Tuiana Dashidorzhieva, Ksenia Perova, Inna Stepanova); Vitalina Batsarashkina, Women's 10 metres Air Pistol, Shooting; the Men's Artistic Gymnastics team (Ivan Stretovich, Nikita Nagorniy, Denis Abliazin, David Belyavskiy, Nikolai Kuksenkov); Olga Zabelinskaya, Road Cycling, Women's Individual Time Trial; Yulia Efimova, Swimming, Women's 200 metres breaststroke; Women's Team Sprint in Cycling (Anastasiya Voinova/Daria Shmeleva); Sergey Kamenskiy, Rifle, 50 meters 3 Positions Men; Maria Paseka, Artistic Gymnastics, Women's Vault; Denis Abliazin, in the Men's Artistic Gymnastics Vault; Valeriya Koblova Zholobova, Women's Wrestling, Freestyle 58 kilogram category; Natalia Vorobeva, Women's Wrestling, Freestyle 69 kilogram category; Aleksei Denisenko, Men's Under 68 kilogram Taekwondo; Aniuar Geduev, Men's Freestyle Wrestling, 74 kilogram category; Yana Kudryavtseva, Individual all-round rhythmic gymnastics; Misha Aloian, Men's Flyweight boxing (52 kilogram).
Bronze: Safin Timur, Men's fencing individual foil; Vladimir Maslennikov, Shooting, Men's 10 metre air rifle, Natalia Kuziutina, Judo, Women's Under 52 Kg; Anton Chupkov, Swimming, Men's 200 meters breaststroke; Aliya Mustafina, Artistic Gymnastics, Women's Individual All-Round; Fencing, Women's Épée Team; Evgeny Rylov, Swimming, Men's 200 meters backstroke; Kirill Grigoryan, Men's 50 meters Rifle Prone; Stefaniya Elfutina, Sailing, RS:X Women; Denis Dmitriev, Cycling Track, Men's Sprint; Denis Abliazin, Men's Rings, Artistic Gymnastics; Sergey Semenov, Men's 130 kilogram Greco-Roman Wrestling; Roman Anoshkin, Men's Kayak Canoe Sprint, Single 1000 meters; David Belyavskiy, Artistic Gymnastics, Men's Parallel Bars; Anastasiya Beliakova, Women's lightweight boxing, 57-60 kilogram; Vladimir Nikitin, Men's Bantamweight boxing (56 kilogram); Ekaterina Bukina, Women's freestyle wrestling, (75 kilogram); Vitaly Dunaytsev, Men's Light Welterweight boxing (64 kilogram); Women's water polo team event; Vladimir Nikitin, Men's Bantamweight boxing ( 56 kilogram); Vitaly Dunaytsev, Men's Welterweight boxing(64 kilogram).
R I O - The Russophobic Incomplete Olympics, after the international sports authorities picked and chose which Russian athletes could compete at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, giving non-Russians a better chance of getting a medal in the modalities from which (clean) Russians were excluded.
Non-Russians can be found guilty of doping and compete at the Olympic Games while Russian athletes who have never taken any illegal substances are banned arbitrarily under a blanket ban excluding them from competing. This renders the medals won by athletes competing in modalities from which the Russians were excluded meaningless and those who win in these competitions will know that they were achieved in R I O - the Russophobic Incomplete Olympics.
Nevertheless, growing is the medals stash won by the remnants of Russia's Olympic team - those who were not arbitrarily excluded, in many cases without any justification whatsoever because they had never taken any illegal substance while of course western athletes who have had issues with doping can compete freely.
How did it come about? Probably in a conversation like this:
Hey! Suppose we ban Russia from the Games?
What? Why?
Well it's part of an all-inclusive plan against the Russian Federation, because they're getting too big for their boots and are starting to screw up our plans to invade Iran and get the Central Asian energy reserves.
OK then how do we do it?
Well there's this guy who has an ax to grind with the authorities and for a hundred thousand bucks he'll say what we want.
OK so what does the guy have to say?
Well he says that the security services dope the athletes and switch the samples.
What all of them?
No of course not, the percentage is the same as everywhere else, like hey man you know as well as I do that the thing is not the doping, the thing is not getting caught, but people don't know that and this guy will say what we want.
What then?
Well we get some as*hole to write a report - any Canadian will do - and then we say the Russians are all dope heads and we impose a blanket ban on them.
Yeah well some sports federations are not going to like that because they know it's bullsh*t.
OK then we ban the main athletes so they can't get any medals and we let the federations allow a token number into the Games. Then we plant people in the stadiums and pavilions to boo them when they appear.
OK let's do it...
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Pravda.Ru
Twitter: @TimothyBHinchey
One further question: Why is Kosovo competing as an independent federation and why aren't its athletes competing for the Republic of Serbia, of which Kosovo is a part? | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/society/22-08-2016/135402-russia_heroic_tally-0/ | en | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/804e77c7c170216f8c92e144f858c480f7c1a9c99ee7c1a2aaa89759dad24160.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T12:52:35 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | The Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation believes that the Russian athletes suffered from an act of discrimination on nationality grounds | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Frussia%2Fpolitics%2F31-08-2016%2F135481-russia_paralympic-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/4/8/58748.jpeg | en | null | Russia to defend Paralympic athletes at UN | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru photo archive
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia would condemn the non-admission of the Russian national team for the Summer Paralympic Games.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation said that Russia would raise the issue at the United Nations, RIA Novosti reports.
According to Lavrov, the exclusion of Russian Paralympic athletes from the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro violated the UN "sport beyond politics" principle. The Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation also believes that the Russian athletes suffered from an act of discrimination on nationality grounds.
Those who made the decision to exclude the Russian Paralympians should be held accountable for their move, Lavrov said.
The head of the International Paralympic Committee Philip Craven said earlier that the IPC decided to exclude Russia from the Paralympic Games 2016, which will be held in Brazil on September 7-18.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/russia/politics/31-08-2016/135481-russia_paralympic-0/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/36da153bdb181c7cf971eb913428f7b2487190c6f8cbc07863f7442877808027.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:50:45 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Nasal Spray against Hepatitis | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fscience%2Ftech%2F29-08-2016%2F135461-spray_hepatitis-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/3/0/58730.jpeg | en | null | Team from Coimbra develops Nasal Spray against Hepatitis B | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Researchers from the Neuroscience and Cell Biology Center (CNC) and the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra (UC) in Portugal developed a vaccine for hepatitis B in the form of a nasal spray.
The genetic vaccine designed is advantageous for developing countries where there is a scarcity of health professionals, responsible for the administration of injectable vaccines. The nasal route allows one to reduce the high human and financial costs of these countries, associated with complications arising from the administration of injection, particularly infections caused by the reuse of syringes.
New transportation systems created
Olga Borges, coordinator of the project published in the journal "Molecular Pharmaceutics," explains that transportation systems (polymeric nanoparticles) capable of carrying therapeutic molecules from the nasal mucosa to the interior of cells were created. "The results obtained in mice have shown that the developed formulation is effective intranasally. "
The work developed a new composition for vaccine based on "plasmids", which are theoretically more resistant to temperature changes than the "antigen" (immune stimulators) of the vaccines currently marketed.
Vaccine based upon Plasmids
Plasmids are small, circular molecules that transmit genetic information (DNA) into the cells by activating the body's defense mechanisms to fight the hepatitis B virus the "fighters" are called "antibodies" and appear in the blood, nasal and vaginal mucosa.
"The nanoparticles which are developed may also be used in the composition of vaccines that prevent sexually transmitted diseases, because they induce the production of antibodies by the body at the level of the vaginal mucosa more effectively than injectable vaccines," explains the also professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra.
The project, which had the collaboration of the University of Geneva, is part of a line of research on vaccines started in 2003, the nanoparticles being developed over four years by Filipa Lebre, PhD student of the Faculty of Pharmacy at UC.
Article Link:
Coimbra, August 29, 2016
Cristina Pinto
University of Coimbra
Translated by Olga Santos
Portuguese version
Pravda.Ru
Coimbra | http://www.pravdareport.com/science/tech/29-08-2016/135461-spray_hepatitis-0/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/3f2659000302def406107ae03faf9d37fa51d158ee394e33f02b33a7eee6f2a1.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T12:51:30 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The Russian government will develop a domestic analogue of Wikipedia on the basis of the Great Russian Encyclopedia | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Frussia%2Fkremlin%2F30-08-2016%2F135466-russia_wikipedia-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/3/4/58734.jpeg | en | null | Russia to create its own Wikipedia | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: REX
The Russian government will develop a domestic analogue of Wikipedia on the basis of the Great Russian Encyclopedia and other Russian scientific books, a document signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said. The document was published on the website of legal information.
A special committee will supervise the implementation of the project. The committee includes Deputy Minister of Communications and Mass Media Alexei Volin, representatives of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture and the Russian Academy of Sciences. Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko will chair the committee.
The document states that "the national scientific and educational interactive encyclopedic portal" is to be developed on the basis of the electronic version of "Great Soviet Encyclopedia" and other Russian scientific encyclopedias.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/russia/kremlin/30-08-2016/135466-russia_wikipedia-0/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/bc38e8466d17dac326fea31148d8f972c3a1b120e0c7be202914de5029054800.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T10:51:27 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The Russian army has passed into service a new generation of 30-mm ammunition for automatic guns | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Frussia%2Feconomics%2F30-08-2016%2F135463-russian_army_new_ammo-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/3/1/58731.jpeg | en | null | Russian army passes into services ammunition of new generation | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Mil.ru
The Russian army has passed into service a new generation of 30-mm ammunition for automatic guns. A peculiar design feature of the new ammo is the use of master devices made of plastic. The plastic devices increase the combat efficiency of the guns.
Also read: Russia tests stratospheric missile to destroy fleets
Deck-based air defense systems will receive cartridges with high-explosive, incendiary and fragmentation-tracer shells. Aircraft guns will receive cartridges with high-explosive, incendiary, multi element, armor-piercing tracer shells, the press service of Tehmash, the manufacturer of the new ammunition said.
The Russian army has also adopted new cartridges for anti-aircraft missile and artillery complex Palash.
Also read: Russia's new missile to overcome any type of missile defense system
Earlier, it was reported that the tests of new ammunitions for 30-millimeter guns were supposed to be finished before the end of 2015. General Designer of NPO Pribor, a part of Tehmash Concern, Oleg Chizhevsky, said that the new ammunitions were expected to dramatically improve the survivability of guns.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/russia/economics/30-08-2016/135463-russian_army_new_ammo-0/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/ca420e486526561d953324763d63f080a0937ded93efcbdd68c321cda3333c74.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T14:50:40 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Lamentably, when it came to some of the worst behavior of the Summer Games Americans took Gold | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fopinion%2Fcolumnists%2F29-08-2016%2F135458-rio_olympics-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/2/6/58726.jpeg | en | null | Rio Roundup - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Americans | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | By Guy Somerset
I have a confession to make...I love the Olympics. Always have, always will.
You tell me at least since 1970 the whole thing has been commercialized to the extent it is only an excuse for network television to momentarily break from continual advertisements, and I concede. You say the "human interest angles" have been overplayed such that coverage often devolves into treacly hokum P. T. Barnum would blush to ballyhoo, and I agree. You point out sportscaster Bob Costas may not even be an actual human but rather the physical embodiment of quivering emotional pap, and I acknowledge we should put scientists on the matter immediately.
Even so, I love the Olympics because in spite of their innumerable failings the majesty of what they (at least are intended to) represent combined with the broad scope of their inclusion means every so often genuine instances of gallantry and greatness break through. In the Summer Games at Rio there were 205 participating nations with a combined total of over 11,000 athletes in 306 events. By the very magnitude of such an array some authentic moments were bound to overcome the hype.
The Good
A friend who was son of the Finance Minister to Liberia participated in the games some years ago and one of the things he said to me about the experience while raising funds for his teammates was, "There is a reputation a lot of us in the Olympics are rich, which is true, but a lot of us aren't either.
This was brought to mind in the situation of American Gwen Jorgensen. That young lady was a successful swimmer and runner at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned a Master's Degree in Accounting. She did what most people do afterward, getting a job and getting married. However she also had a dream to be an Olympian.
To that end years ago she took a leave from her job, her husband ended his own career and they moved into a small apartment above a bicycle shop. Interviewed a few days prior Jorgensen was optimistic about winning but insisted representing her country was the main goal of endless hours training. Watching her husband cooking rice on a small stove in the background highlighted exactly the sort of unglamorous reality and generally unwitnessed sacrifice becoming a champion entails. Yet on August 20, Jorgensen won the first United States Triathlon Gold and for a moment everyone knew her name.
One name you might not have heard is Andreas Toba. Participating for Germany in Men's Gymnastics he severely injured his knee during qualifications for the floor event and sustained what was later revealed as a torn ACL. Toba went down in agony, tears in his eyes, and had to be assisted from the floor; his Olympics and possibly his athletic career seemingly over.
Nonetheless, only hours later Toba was back on the mat for the pommel horse. Knowing if he withdrew Team Germany would fail to make the finals he mounted the apparatus and completed his routine which included a purposeful landing on his damaged leg.
Teammate Fabian Hambüchen (as well as anyone who saw it live) described this as nothing less than amazing. Germany eventually placed seventh in the event from which they would have otherwise been disqualified but not for this sacrifice. For his part, Toba brushed off claims he was in any way a hero; but then, heroes always do.
The Bad
Unfortunately, just as there is a flipside to every coin, there is a backside to every medal. Overall boorish behavior was at a minimum yet there were examples of the poorest of sports.
Continuing with the All-Arounds, one of the most unsavory aspects of the Rio games were the robberies, and there were a lot of them: The Russian Olympic Team Fan House was robbed literally during the Opening Ceremony, Chinese journalists likewise had their hotel rooms ransacked for expensive electronics, inside the Olympic Village itself the British Team had several bags containing gear go missing, another competitor for Team Britain was robbed at gunpoint (which caused its delegation to advise athletes not to go out at night), three Swedish tourists were mugged, Portugal's Education Minister was held up at knifepoint, a Chicago physician was relieved of cash by a man with a gun, a News Corp. photographer had $40,000 of equipment stolen (the thief later caught impersonating the cameraman inside a venue!) and there were hordes of teen pickpockets (and prostitutes) who made sure citizens of every nation got the equivalent of a Rio Robbery Participation Medal.
On an individual level we had the same old problems arising from Middle East feuds between cousins. This happens almost every four years in some form or another. In 2016 it was when an Egyptian crybaby Islam El Shehaby refused to shake the hand of his Israeli opponent following categorical defeat in a first-round Judo match. The surly weakling simpered off to (an inspiring) chorus of taunts from the audience (of all nationalities) who were disgusted by El Shehaby's demeanor. International Olympic Officials, and to their credit the Egyptian Team, soon sent the disgraced man home to lick his wounds.
The Ugly...Americans
Lamentably, when it came to some of the worst behavior of the Summer Games Americans took Gold. There was so much to be ashamed of and by such high profile participants that there is little wonder a trope of "the Ugly American" exists or that so much of the world has such low opinions of so many.
Lilly King was the first offender. Watching a preliminary swim in the 100m Breaststroke she saw Russian Yulia Efimova win her Semifinal and do what innumerable others have done, namely wag her finger in a Number One sign. Oddly, this common gesture immediately sent King into a paroxysm of rage. She mocked her fellow competitor. She gave interviews. She verily foamed at the mouth.
The media, looking for a rivalry to play up, used the adolescent to promote the event (as well as giving pundits one more reason to tell us all to fear and loathe Russia). By the time of their confrontation in the 100m Final the stage was set for some serious unsportsmanlike conduct, which King delivered.
In an admirable display of athletic prowess Lilly won Gold. Although instead of congratulating the second place finisher, she proved herself a lout. Initially came a fist pump in Efimova's direction. Admittedly, anyone can get carried away. Then she purposefully waded against the divider in front of Efimova to make sure the cameras could capture her doing it again for posterity. Extremely offensive, but King is still a 19-year-old child. Later she leaned into the lane and smashed the water with a clenched fist. Poor sportsmanship, personified; something not helped by her hometown supporters who proved equally embarrassing.
First, there is the fact Efimova was previously banned for doping; a ban she served and a mistake she admitted. Second, current issues surrounding Meldonium are at least as political as they are performance-enhancing. Many Western athletes don't take it while many Eastern athletes do. (Tennis player Sharapova was sanctioned this year for the substance, despite its having been legal decades.) Third, if Efimova was taking the drug (an assertion not yet proved) it seems the reason would be health problems to which she has alluded but not fully explained publicly (and may provide grounds for its use).
Following the spat, in individual competition between the two women Efimova earned another Silver Medal in the 200m Breaststroke; an event King did not even overcome the preliminary.
Hope Solo was goalie for the American Women's Soccer Team which had been reigning Gold Medal Champions. Following an exciting match with Sweden, including two periods of Extra Time, the game would be decided by kicks. Solo, already scorned by the many Brazilians in the stands due to her Zika comments, would be the center of attention. In the deciding shoot-out there was a (spectacularly) brief moment one could have some empathy for Hope. The Americans had missed their final kick, the Swedes were taking theirs, everyone in the stadium despised Solo. It was a situation in which a man might feel sorry for anyone; there is a special place in any heart for the lone figure against a united mob.
And then...and then...just as ever she finds a way to do, Solo managed to make a hostile crowd hate her even more. Instead of facing the challenge bravely, Hope decided to play mental games by pretending she had an issue with her gloves, then conferring with her coach, then changing the gloves. This wasn't "gamesmanship," this was rank cowardice and pathetically juvenile antics to delay the inevitable. I'm not ashamed to say I would have forgone the goal just to have seen Hope Solo take a soccer ball going full speed directly to her square-jawed face. (Which isn't a misogynistic thought by the way, since she married a career-criminal and apparently enjoys having him rough her up from time to time.)
Sadly, fans had to settle for the score which went in Sweden's favor. With an unexpected American defeat its organization had an opportunity to show some poise by congratulating their betters. Instead for weeks the team stood behind Solo (as they always, shamefully, despicably do) and her comments the Swedes didn't deserve victory because they played a defensive game. This is why the world despises a certain sort of American and why sometimes even those of us living in America have to agree.
By now everyone knows about Ryan Lochte and the robbery / extortion / vandalism / all of the above which occurred just preceding the end of the games. The series of events is in dispute. For the record, anytime someone begins an account with any variation of the phrase, "Now I was really drunk but here is what happened..." you should take everything after the ellipsis with a large shaker of salt.
The rough version is Lochte and chums arrived at a service station in their taxicab after a night of heavy drinking. They may or may not have committed minor vandalism by busting into a locked bathroom. When they attempted to leave someone in uniform ordered them to halt and then pulled a gun. All the swimmers raised their hands and got on the ground before money was taken from them. Lochte, through his alcohol haze the morning after, remembered this as a robbery. The service station owner characterized it as compensation for the broken bathroom lock. Beyond this, no one knows for sure.
Unfortunately, the press made the matter into a black and white issue even though it is more obscure than grainy video of the encounter. Lochte has since apologized for conflating issues. Brazil, wailing as only a sleazy whore can at an insult to her supposed virtue, has insisted its people are the true victims. (How Lochte is responsible for Rio's failure to provide aforementioned citizens with running toilets or functioning government has not as of this time been addressed by its Third World leadership.)
Clearly Lochte was wrong in speaking about something he could only vaguely recall. More obviously, the gaggle of hysterics at NBC News was worse by trying to make an inherently ambiguous happenstance into an unequivocal narrative. (A new low was when Matt Lauer described someone taking money from another at point of a gun as not coercion but a "negotiated solution." This might explain the otherwise baffling salary he is paid by the network.) Still we have to include Lochte in this list of unseemly Americans if for no other reason he made the team look like a bunch of liars rather than what they were: fraternity brothers on a bender who got into water deeper than is found in any swimming pool.
Finally, at times like these it is good to recall that not all (not even most) Americans behave this way. Although it can be admitted the celebrity class are of the caliber of Hope Solo, the common class of Americans are much more akin to the United States Women's Water Polo team.
Moments after winning Olympic Gold Medals, they gave them away. As the anthem died down and the crowds filtered out, every single one approached their leader and hung the trophies about his neck. Only two weeks ago the brother of Coach Adam Krikorian unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack. To attend to family matters Krikorian had departed Rio for several days. However, he found the strength to return and finish the job of seeing his team through to victory. "I was just thinking about my brother, thinking about how hard this journey has been," Krikorian was quoted as saying. "It hasn't been easy."
Seeking out genuine moments of Olympic greatness over the course of the games is never easy. Yet when you find them they are worth far more than gold.
Guy Somerset
Guy Somerset writes from somewhere in America | http://www.pravdareport.com/opinion/columnists/29-08-2016/135458-rio_olympics-0/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/01e0aebc70c62dfe4d947aa7b6664791a595659bdbe0800c526436cd8d549dc9.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T14:50:51 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | UEFA, Leagues, soccer, scores | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fsociety%2F29-08-2016%2F135459-uefa_leagues-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/2/8/58728.jpeg | en | null | UEFA Leagues: They're off! | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | The Champions and Europa Leagues are to kick off in September. How are the teams faring, now that the national championships have begun?
UEFA National Championships
Prem'er Liga - Russia - After 5 games
Spartak Moskva leads with 13 points, followed by CSKA (11), both teams unbeaten, while Terek Grozny is in third. Spartak won away at Anji 2-0, while CSKA came away from Tomsk 1-0 winners. Terek received and beat Rostov 2-1.
La Liga - Spain - After 2 games
Three totallists after two games in La Liga - UD Las Palmas with nine goals scored and three against: FC Barcelona (7-2), Suarez on three and Messi on two and Real Madrid (5-1) with Cristiano Ronaldo yet to get on the score sheet.
Premier League - England - After 3 games
Three totallists with 9 points from the first three games - both Manchester teams (City, where Aguero has three goals and United, where Ibrahimovic has also scored three goals) and Chelsea FC.
Bundesliga - Germany - After 1 game
The first game of the season took place this weekend in the Bundesliga, pride of place going to Bayern's 6-0 thrashing of Bremen, with a hat-trick by Lewandowsky.
Serie A - Italy - After 2 games
Genoa CFC tops the list of four teams with maximum points from the first two games, followed by Juventus, UC Sampdoria and US Sassuolo Calcio.
Ligue 1 - France - After 3 games
No totallists in France, but three teams share top spot after three games, namely EA Guingamp, AS Monaco FC and OGC Nice. Monaco imposed the first defeat of the season on PSG (3-1).
Primeira Liga - Portugal
The first of the six games between Portugal's Big Three (FC Porto from the city of Oporto in the north, and Lisbon's two giants Sport Lisboa e Benfica and Sporting Club de Portugal. Sporting is in top position after receiving and beating FC Porto in Lisbon 2-1 and has 9 points from 3 games. Second is SL Benfica with 7, having been held last week by one of the two Vitórias, in this case third-placed Vitória FC (Setúbal), also on 7. Fourth is SC Brage (7), followed in fifth by the other Vitória, Vitória SC from the city of Guimarães (6), the same as sixth-placed FC Porto.
In Turkey, Galatasaray AS has 6 points from two games; in the Netherlands, Feyenoord has 12 points from the first 4 games; in Romania, FC Steaua Bucureşti is first with 13 points from 5 games.
Champions League 2016-2017
The Groups, the schedules, the results and the scorers from the beginning to the end of the season.
The Groups
Group A Arsenal FC (England) FC Basel 1893 (Switzerland) Paris Saint-Germain (France) PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria)
Group B Besiktas JK (Turkey) FC Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine) SL Benfica (Portugal) SSC Napoli (Italy)
Group C Celtic FC (Scotland) FC Barcelona (Spain) Manchester City FC (England) VfLBorussia Moenchengladbach (Germany)
Group D Club Atlético de Madrid (Spain) FC Bayern München (Germany) FC Rostov (Russia) PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Group E AS Monaco FC (France) Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Germany) PFC CSKA Moskva (Russia) Tottenham Hotspur FC (England)
Group F Borussia Dortmund (Germany) Legia Warszawa (Poland) Real Madrid CF (Spain) Sporting Clube de Portugal (Portugal)
Group G Club Brugge KV (Belgium) FC Kobenhavn (Denmark) FC Porto (Portugal) Leicester City FC (England)
Group H GNK Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) Juventus (Italy) Olympique Lyonnais (France) Sevilla FC (Spain)
Total: 32 clubs
4 clubs competing: England, Germany, Spain
3 clubs: France, Portugal
2 clubs: Italy, Russia
1 club: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Netherlands, Poland, Scotland, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine
The schedule
Group Phase
Matchday 1 September 13/14
Matchday 2 September 27/28
Matchday 3 October 18/19
Matchday 4 November 1/2
Matchday 5 November 22/23
Matchday 6 December 6/7
Round of 16
First Legs February 14/15 21/22
Second Legs March 7/8 14/15
Quarter-finals
First Legs April 11/12
Second Legs 18/19
Semi-Finals
First Legs May 2/3
Second Legs May 9/10
Final June 3
The venue for this year's final is Cardiff, Wales, UK - at Cardiff's National Stadium
Europa League 2016-2017
The groups, the matches, the standings and the schedules.
The groups
Group A FC Zorya Luhansk (Ukraine) Fenerbahçe SK (Turkey) Feyenoord (Netherlands) Manchester United FC (England)
Group B APOEL FC (Cyprus) BSC Young Boys (Switzerland) FC Astana (Kazakhstan) Olympiacos FC (Greece)
Group C FSV Mainz 05 (Germany) AS Saint-Étienne (France) Qäbälä FK (Azerbaijan) RSC Anderlecht (Belgium)
Group D AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) Dundalk FC (Republic of Ireland) FC Zenit (Russia) Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (Israel)
Group E AS Roma (Italy) FC Astra Giurgiu (Romania) FC Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic) FK Austria Wien (Austria)
Group F Athletic Club (Spain) KRC Genk (Belgium) SK Rapid Wien (Austria) US Sassuolo Calcio (Italy)
Group G AFC Ajax (Netherlands) Panathinaikos FC (Greece) R. Standard de Liège (Belgium) RC Celta de Vigo (Spain)
Group H FC Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) KAA Gent (Belgium) Konyaspor (Turkey) SC Braga (Portugal)
Group I FC Krasnodar (Russia) FC Salzburg (Austria) FC Schalke 04 (Germany) OGC Nice (France)
Group J ACF Fiorentina (Italy) FC Slovan Liberec (Czech Republic) PAOK FC (Greece) Qarabag FK (Azerbaijan)
Group K AC Sparta Praha (Czech Republic) FC Internazionale Milano (Italy) Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC (Israel) Southampton FC (England)
Group L FC Steaua Bucureşti (Romania) FC Zürich (Switzerland) Osmanlispor (Turkey) Villarreal CF (Spain)
The schedule
Group phase
Matchday 1 September 15
Matchday 2 September 29
Matchday 3 October 20
Matchday 4 November 3
Matchday 5 November 24
Matchday 6 December 8
Round of 32
First Legs February 16 Second Legs February 23
Round of 16
First Legs March 9 Second Legs March 16
Quarter-Finals
First Legs April 13 Second Legs April 20
Semi-Finals
First Legs May 4 Second Legs May 11
Final May 24
This year's Europa League Final will be held at the Friends Arena, Solna in Sweden
See also 2015-2016 Champions League Competition
http://www.pravdareport.com/news/society/05-05-2016/134330-spanish_champions-0/
See also 2015-2016 Europa League Competition, won by Sevilla FC
http://www.pravdareport.com/news/society/06-05-2016/134346-europa_league-0/
See also the entire history of the Euro UEFA 2016 competition, won by Portugal 1-0 in the final
http://www.pravdareport.com/news/society/08-07-2016/134955-france_portugal-0/
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Pravda.Ru
Sports Editor
timothy.hinchey@gmail.com
Twitter: TimothyBHinchey
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey specialized in long distance running as a teenager and in 1974, at 16 years of age, achieved a time of 13.30.01 in the five thousand meters and a year later, a time of 28.00.21 in the ten thousand meters in regional competitions, however he chose not to enter competitive sport and preferred to play football (Soccer), handball, tennis, judo, Krav Maga, table tennis and badminton in his free time. Today at 58 years of age, he continues to play the same sports as a participant and maintains an active interest in all modalities as a spectator and commentator, beginning and ending each day with a routine of TaiJi. | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/society/29-08-2016/135459-uefa_leagues-0/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/332dbaebbb0c36c314835d7711fe0f62c751d895b5d6b8ddf79be21d50d2edb1.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:10:10 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Ukraine's parliament is to consider a bill to ban imports of Russian "propaganda" books | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fussr%2Fukraine%2F26-08-2016%2F135444-ukraine_russian_books-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/1/5/58715.jpeg | en | null | Ukraine works on bill to ban Russian books | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Ukraine's parliament is to consider a bill to ban imports of Russian "propaganda" books.
The Ukrainian authorities have not specified the criteria of "propaganda" yet, but Deputy Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kirilenko promised that the bill would outlaw around 60% of Russian literary production.
If Ukraine adopts the bill, each book will need to receive official permission from a special public commission to be imported to Ukraine.
According to Kirilenko, the new restrictions will affect only the books that describe Ukraine as a failed state and those that describe the events of the last few years.
Also read: Ten things foreigners need to understand about Russians
"A special public commission will be set up to give permission for import to every book that Ukraine officially receives from the Russian Federation," the official said.
According to the RT, the criteria for establishing "anti-Ukrainian" literary works, as well as the personnel of the public committee have not been announced yet. It was only said that the members of the committee would represent various sectors of the Ukrainian society.
Noteworthy, on April 21, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed the law banning the demonstration of Russian films made after 1 January, 2014. The law affects feature films, television series and television programs.
In December 2015, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine published the updated list of 83 Russian and world culture personas that were considered "dangerous" for the country. The list included directors Karen Shakhnazarov and Pavel Lungin, actors Vasily Lanoviy, Valentin Gaft, Oleg Tabakov, musicians Vadim Samoylov Julia Chicherina and others.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/ussr/ukraine/26-08-2016/135444-ukraine_russian_books-0/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/34afe51e2b7370986453a0cd501db41450d2ba933ca1b51abdd65adc73d6427a.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T12:51:29 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | An unprecedented amount of dead fish have washed up on Chernoistochinsk lake in Nizhny Tagil on August 27 and 28. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Frussia%2Feconomics%2F30-08-2016%2F135467-dead_fish-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/3/5/58735.jpeg | en | null | Thousands of dead fish washed ashore in Russia's Sverdlovsk region | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | AP photo
A large-scale environmental disaster has occurred in the Sverdlovsk region of Russia, URA.Ru reports.
An unprecedented amount of dead fish have washed up on Chernoistochinsk lake in Nizhny Tagil on August 27 and 28.
The lake is the main source of drinking water for residents of the city of Nizhny Tagil. The locals complained of putrid odor and unpleasant taste of water in the middle of the outgoing summer. As it turned out, the water did not meet organoleptic standards.
The city administration requested financial assistance for the region. According to preliminary calculations, the region needs 11 billion rubles to ensure supplies of drinking water to local residents.
According to URA.Ru, the prime suspect for the disaster is LLC Vodokanal-NT (Water Channel Nizhny Tagil). A week earlier, an administrative investigation was launched against the company into violations of water use rules for wastewater discharge into water bodies. The company has also repeatedly exceeded concentrations of chloride ions, suspended solids and aluminum in the water.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/russia/economics/30-08-2016/135467-dead_fish-0/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/649c39edde0c44e4a6f7726ff49ee72c5029ca391a5557f714f40ba5c16ea81c.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:58:11 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | The Turkish army has started liberating the city of Jarabulus on the north of Syria with air support of the international coalition | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fvideo%2F24-08-2016%2F135427-turkey_syria-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/preview/article/4/2/7/135427_b.jpeg | en | null | Turkey invades Syria. To destroy whom? | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | The Turkish army has started liberating the city of Jarabulus on the north of Syria with air support of the international coalition. Turkey's Armed Forces carried out at least 224 strikes against 63 targets of the ISIS fighters. The Turkish artillery started operation at 4 a.m. local time.
At the moment armored units of the Turkish army are concentrated in the area of the Syrian city of Jarabulus. Turkey currently uses tanks, artillery and aviation to attack the positions of terrorists. As the Anadolu agency reported, 'operation in Jarabulus is aimed at cleaning the Turkish borders from terror groups and support of the Syrian territorial integrity'.
The country's authorities stated that they intend to reduce migrants' flow and provide population with humanitarian aid due to this military operation. Before that, Turkey had officially informed Russia on the operation in the north of Syria. As Pravda.Ru reported, Jarabulus had been seized by terrorists in 2013.
Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/video/24-08-2016/135427-turkey_syria-0/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/1234373a8e60ce764f9a5d4e1966c80684f947e559b0d4b2314b30abdbca40a1.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:09:03 | null | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | American officials warned Moscow and Damascus that they would take necessary measures to defend US military men in Syria | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fasia%2Fsyria%2F22-08-2016%2F135399-american_military_men-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/6/8/6/58686.jpeg | en | null | US warns Russia about efforts to defend American military men in Syria | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | AP photo
American officials warned Moscow and Damascus that they would take necessary measures to defend US military men in Syria, new commander of US forces in Iraq and Syria, General Stephen Townsend said.
We've informed the Russians where we're at ... (they) tell us they've informed the Syrians, and I'd just say that we will defend ourselves if we feel threatened," said Townsend.
In addition, the top US commander said that the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia) would be destroyed already in 2017, although he admitted that such plans may seem too ambitious, CNN says.
A few days earlier, Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis of the US Navy said that the US-led coalition aircraft allegedly forced Syrian fighters leave the area of Hasaka - a city in the northeast of Syria. The Pentagon does not exclude the possibility of military operations near US forces and allies in response to actions of the Syrian military.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/asia/syria/22-08-2016/135399-american_military_men-0/ | en | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/6ccf7585b9966d9bb5f3a681717d5d13053e33c2bfc82fe62ef10fb66506eff1.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:08:15 | null | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | On August 22-27, Ukraine and the USA will conduct an observation flight above the territory of the Russian Federation under the Open Skies Treaty | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Feurope%2F22-08-2016%2F135398-open_skies_russia-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/6/8/5/58685.jpeg | en | null | USA and Ukraine to hold observation flight above Russia | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru photo archive
On August 22-27, Ukraine and the USA will conduct an observation flight above the territory of the Russian Federation under the Open Skies Treaty, Interfax reports with reference to to Acting Chief of the Russian National Center for Nuclear Risk Reduction, Sergei Zabello.
The flight will be carried out with the use of the US observation aircraft OC-135B, equipped with surveillance equipment and aerial cameras. The aircraft will take off from the airport of the city of Ulan-Ude.
In turn, Russia expects to carry out observation flights on board the Tu-154M Lk-1 observation aircraft over the US and Canada.
The flight over the United States will be conducted on August 22-27; the aircraft will take off from the Open Skies airport at Wright Patterson, Ohio. The maximum range of the flight will make up 4,900 kilometers.
The observation flight over Canada will be carried out on August 29-September 3 (from the Open Skies airfield in Trenton). The maximum range will make up 5,400 kilometers.
The aircraft used for overflight are equipped with optical systems, infrared sensors and radars. All the equipment has pre-specified resolution limits.
The Open Skies Treaty was signed in 1992 to control arms, prevent and resolve crises within the OSCE. The document was signed by 34 countries; Russia ratified the treaty in 2001.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/europe/22-08-2016/135398-open_skies_russia-0/ | en | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/c46eac680c87a9b9cf01be7234deef5e0d338d0b674daaac10b898f249c2238c.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:51:36 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The ever-young and promising politician Ilya Yashin has concocted another political report. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Frussia%2Fpolitics%2F30-08-2016%2F135473-united_russia_report-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/4/1/58741.jpeg | en | null | United Russia in sight of clumsy, cheap anti-Russian propaganda | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | The ever-young and promising politician Ilya Yashin has concocted another political report. As "usual," the day before the official publication, the report has "leaked" and appeared in public access on the Internet.
It is amazing that after so many leaks, the people from the Russian opposition have not learned to follow the rules of information security. It appears that they are simply unable to learn from their mistakes. This may explain their two-percent rating.
The new report by Ilya Yashin carries an expressive title - "Criminal Russia." The topic of the report is corruption inside the ruling United Russia party. The topic is served with great fanfare, as always. The report promises sensational revelations, shocking facts and nothing but the naked truth that will shatter the "bloody regime."
We have seen quite a number of such reports before, but the "regime" is still there. The election campaign to the State Duma continues along with the fight against corruption, including, inter alia, within the framework of the election campaign. A number of corrupt candidates no longer appear on election lists.
However, Yashin's report says that the fight against corruption in the ranks of United Russia heralds even more problems. "Numerous criminal cases and arrests of United Russia members have unveiled the scale of the problem, but the problem remains unsolved, because it has become systemic over the years," the author of the report writes.
According to the above, the conclusion is obvious: the systematic struggle against corruption with the use of legal methods is useless. Instead, one needs a revolution, a coup that would crush the regime on the way to bright future.
Russian lawmaker Irina Yarovaya has expressed her point of view about attempts to use the fight against corruption as a cover for the activities that deem destructive for the country. "We are very concerned about what is happening in Ukraine, where the whole system of state power has been destroyed under the pretext of the fight against corruption," she said. However, the report by Ilya Yashin pulled the lawmaker's words out of context to make them look as if Yarovaya is opposed to anti-corruption struggle per se.
Actually, Ilya Yashin's report entirely consists of distorted facts, misinterpreted quotes and events. Quotes, corrupt officials and facts of corruption are real, but their interpretation transforms the report into a collection of lies from beginning to end.
In fact, the main goal of the report is to make people believe that they need to urgently rebel against the regime, if they want to stay alive. To achieve this goal, one may cut quotes, distort facts and misinterpret words. Making a mountain out of a molehill is a good technology indeed.
Ilya Yashin has not conducted any investigations or studies. His report is based on the information that he found on the Internet. He did not even analyze the collected information. Mr. Yashin tends to shout a few cheap propaganda slogans, such as, for example, "United Russia is a party of thieves!" or "Putin, leave!" The promising politician produces clumsy, old-school anti-Russian propaganda, served as an "expert opinion," albeit not too cleverly. Boring. This explains the rating of only two percent.
Read article in Russian
politonline.ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/russia/politics/30-08-2016/135473-united_russia_report-0/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/82e63d5468e418698aeda31f9a79a7b951fb2ff0e7d7e34dd89d285d9b65e170.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:48:20 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | The US authorities have raised concerns about snap drills of the Russian army, which had been initiated by the President Vladimir Putin. As they noted in Washington, they keep a close eye on the situation. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fvideo%2F26-08-2016%2F135449-drills-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/preview/article/4/4/9/135449_b.jpeg | en | null | US panics at Russian army drills | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | The US authorities have raised concerns about snap drills of the Russian army, which had been initiated by the President Vladimir Putin. As they noted in Washington, they keep a close eye on the situation. They also demanded Russia to implement all of its obligations.
Michelle Baldanza, spokeswoman of the Pentagon, claimed that the US 'expects that Russia will implement all the corresponding obligations under existing agreements and provide its neighbours with necessary assurances and data on the scale and character of these acts'.
As Pravda.Ru reported, the exercises, which started on 25 August, are the biggest ones for the last year and a half. They involve the Southern, Western, and Central military districts, the Northern fleet and Chief Commands of the Aerospace and Airborne Forces. Military attaches of various countries were provided with information on the drills. Lithuania, Ukraine and Poland expressed their dissatisfaction with it. The exercises are being held under strict compliance with the Vienna Convention, where the OSCE countries exchange data on the military forces, defence planning and military budgets.
According to the Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu, troops' regrouping will allow us to estimate 'readiness of the Southern military district to promptly deploy self-sufficient troops to deal with crisis situations,' while the Western and Central military districts will be checked for capability of 'building up forces in the south-western strategic direction'.
Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/video/26-08-2016/135449-drills-0/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/69cbb648aade2656d48fdc419bd3fbb24d23eb81000a10e13d8a924dbd0a7961.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:01:18 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | The Iranian military intercepted the US Nitze missile destroyer in the Strait of Hormuz. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fvideo%2F25-08-2016%2F135441-iran-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/preview/article/4/4/1/135441_b.jpeg | en | null | Iranian military detains US destroyer | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | The Iranian military intercepted the US Nitze missile destroyer in the Strait of Hormuz, the Pentagon representatives reported. The incident took place on 23 August.
It is known that the Iranian high-speed boats approached Nitze at dangerous distance, despite numerous warnings. Two motorboats came within 300 yards of the ship. Beside that, the Nitze Command tried to contact the boats by radio not less than 12 times and sounded the alarm thrice in an attempt to warn the navy of Iran that they do not understand their intentions and consider their course as unsafe. The destroyer fired 10 flares towards the Iranian vessels and had to change its course several times. Later after the warnings, military vessels of Iran slowed down and sheered off.
The Pentagon official claimed that acts of the Iranian navy were unsafe, unprofessional, and violated international law and rules at sea. The State Department noted that two missile destroyers Nitze and Mason were going across the Strait of Hormuz under routine operations.
Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/video/25-08-2016/135441-iran-0/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/8afaf9cf788868423369e81882b41907a4624b0d798e1029b79cfc28f29befa9.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:00:48 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | Landmark legal case against cultural terrorism | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fsociety%2Fstories%2F23-08-2016%2F135413-cultural_terrorism-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/6/9/8/58698.jpeg | en | null | A legal first against cultural terrorism | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | The first international trial resulting from the destruction of historical and religious monuments, namely the wanton destruction of the monuments in the Malian city of Timbuktu in 2012, has resulted in a plea of guilty by the accused, Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi and brings attention to the deliberate targeting of cultural heritage during armed conflict.
In June and July of 2012, Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi and his co-perpetrators wantonly destroyed monuments classified as world heritage, national heritage of Mali and African heritage in Timbuktu, buildings which were described by the ICC Prosecutor in the trial at the International Criminal Court at The Hague, Fatou Bensouda, as being "of immeasurable value", namely the mausoleums of Moslem saints. All except one of the monuments described were classified as World Heritage.
In July 2012, the Mausoleums of Sidi Mahmoud, Sidi Mokhtar and Alpha Moya were destroyed in Timbuktu, the intellectual and spiritual capital for the propagation of Islam through northern Africa in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Added to these were the Mausoleums of the Al Hassan and Al Houseyni twins, destroyed on December 23, 2012.
Guilty of a war crime
Al-Mahdi was a member of Ansar Dine and was directly involved in the desecration of mausoleums in the ancient city of Timbuktu in 2012 and admitted he was guilty of the war crime of destroying historical and religious monuments during armed conflict. ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said "These buildings were deliberately destroyed by Mr. Al Mahdi and his co-perpetrators before the very eyes of the people of Timbuktu, who looked on powerlessly," adding that "Today's trial is ... all the more historic in view of the destructive rage that marks our times, in which humanity's common heritage is subject to repeated and planned ravages by individuals and groups whose goal is to eradicate any representation of a world that differs from theirs by eliminating the physical manifestations that are at the heart of communities."
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon declared that this is a landmark case because "it draws our attention to an increasingly worrying trend of deliberate destruction of cultural heritage in situations of armed conflict"... "Such attacks represent a callous assault on the dignity and identity of entire populations and their religious and historical roots."
A final decision and a sentence will be passed on al-Mahdi after the due legal procedure has been completed.
Not the end of the story
However the case of al-Mahdi is not the end of the story. Recently, UNESCO warned that the old towns of Djenné, also on the UNESCO list of world heritage, are still at risk today due to increased insecurity in the region, inclusing attacks on supplies to protect the ancient buildings.
The Old Towns of Djenné have been inhabited since around 250 BC, later becoming an important market center and a staging post on the Trans-Saharan gold route. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the Old Towns of Djenné became an important learning center for the propagation of Islam in the area. It was enrolled in the World Heritage List in 1988.
The main town of the Djenné Circle is called Djenné, which is one of the oldest towns of Sub-Saharan Africa and it is located 130 kilometers southwest of the regional capital Mopti, 570 kilometers northeast of the capital city of Mali, Bamako.
The Old Towns of Djenné are in fact four archaeological sites: Djenné-Djeno, Hambarkétolo, Kaniana and Tonomba, symbolizing the typical African city and also Islamic architecture in this region of Africa. One of the main characteristics is the use of earth in the architecture, and the Mosque is a prime example of this. Many buildings have singular features, namely their vertical style, ornamental façades and buttresses.
Archaeological wealth
The towns have revealed several archaeological finds, including funerary jars, grinders, metal scoria, millstones, pottery artefects and buildings in curcular or rectangular shapes.
Djenné-Djeno, Hambarketolo, Tonomba and Kaniana bear witness to pre-Islamic civilizations on the inland Delta of the Niger. Djenné-Djeno itself has many houses built in traditional round mud brick (djénné ferey) and the many artefects discovered make this a major archeological site and an important learning center for the study of industrial and craft techniques.
The constructions are characterized by the decorated porch, supporting pilasters and a potige in the center, a motif indicating the position of the main entrance. It is a singluar example of earthen architecture. The building techniques using Earth were passed down from generation to generation.
Heroic population protected ancient manuscripts
During al-Mahdi's reign of terror, many ancient manuscripts dating from the thirteenth centuries, covering subjects such as religious studies, science, astronomy, mathematics, architecture and medicine, music, poetry, literature, children's rights and women's rights were also destroyed. However, many survived, due to the fact that the local population took them from their museums before the onslaught by extremists and selflessly buried them in safe places or hid them in their homes, despite the risk of being killed for so doing.
Irina Bokova, at the time, described the heritage of Mali as "a source of strength and confidence for the people of Mali as they consolidate the foundations of peace".
This is an important step towards underlining the collective responsibility of the present generations in preserving, at least, what has been bequeathed to us from the past so that we can, again at the very least, pass on what we inherited to the future. It seems that as far as contributing anything meaningful, we are not doing very well.
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Pravda.Ru
Twitter: @TimothyBHinchey
timothy.hinchey@gmail.com
*Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey has worked as a correspondent, journalist, deputy editor, editor, chief editor, director, project manager, executive director, partner and owner of printed and online daily, weekly, monthly and yearly publications, TV stations and media groups printed, aired and distributed in Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Portugal, Mozambique and São Tomé and Principe Isles; the Russian Foreign Ministry publication Dialog and the Cuban Foreign Ministry Official Publications. He has spent the last two decades in humanitarian projects, connecting communities, working to document and catalog disappearing languages, cultures, traditions, working to network with the LGBT communities helping to set up shelters for abused or frightened victims and as Media Partner with UN Women, working to foster the UN Women project to fight against gender violence and to strive for an end to sexism, racism and homophobia. A Vegan, he is also a Media Partner of Humane Society International, fighting for animal rights. He is Director and Chief Editor of the Portuguese version of Pravda.Ru. | http://www.pravdareport.com/society/stories/23-08-2016/135413-cultural_terrorism-0/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/6aaca8ee31f156e93f9c9a14d329d71c2312e10d248c12d9970f2630270b20df.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:09:48 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | Russia will hold its own sports competitions for the team of Paralympic athletes, who were excluded from the Paralympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Frussia%2Fkremlin%2F25-08-2016%2F135434-putin_paralympic-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/1/0/58710.jpeg | en | null | Putin: Russia will hold its own Paralympic Games | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Russia will hold its own sports competitions for the team of Paralympic athletes, who were excluded from the Paralympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, President Vladimir Putin said.
"I want to say to our Paralympians: of course, we will support you. We will organize special competitions where you will be able to show all your skills. Prizes for the winners will be the same as they would have been for the Paralympic Games," Putin said, Zvezda TV channel reports.
Putin also stated that the exclusion of the Russian Paralympic team was an act of anti-humanism that became possible due to the interference of politics in sports.
"We have witnessed how humanistic foundations of sport and Olympism can be brazenly violated by politics, how traits such as greed, and perhaps even cowardice, take precedence over the principles of Olympism," Putin said.
Earlier, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told reporters that Russia would appeal against the decision to remove the Russian team from the Paralympic Games in Rio at a federal court in Switzerland, RIA Novosti reports.
"We will file a lawsuit at a federal court in Switzerland. Individual lawsuits are also possible. This is absolutely a political decision, and we do not understand how an organization that should be engaged in the development of Paralympic sport can make such a decision," Mutko told reporters.
Russian Paralympic athletes will not be able to perform at the 2016 Paralympic Games after the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected Russia's appeal against the decision of the International Paralympic Committee, which excluded the Russian team from the competitions and disqualified the Paralympic Committee of Russia on the basis of the McLaren report.
Also read: WADA report: Olympic rats do not ask questions
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/russia/kremlin/25-08-2016/135434-putin_paralympic-0/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/19e0db81863df45402ddec145fb7dded30fce92fa41d1c673c282c091ca2af82.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T18:49:14 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Viktor Medvedchuk, Representative of Ukraine in the Minsk contact group, claimed that the Crimea is part of Russia and it will not return under control of the Kiev authorities. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fvideo%2F26-08-2016%2F135450-crimea-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/preview/article/4/5/0/135450_b.jpeg | en | null | Ukraine recognizes Crimea as part of Russia | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Viktor Medvedchuk, Representative of Ukraine in the Minsk contact group, claimed that the Crimea is part of Russia and it will not return under control of the Kiev authorities.
Medvedchuk explained during his interview with the Radio Liberty, that de facto 'it [Crimea] belongs to Russia. Do not expect that the peninsula will be returned to Ukraine'. He also pointed out that the Kiev authorities had repulsed residents of the Crimea by themselves.
As he said, 'in case the Ukrainian authorities had wanted to return the peninsula, they would not have stopped power supply, would not have shut off water, would not have announced economic blockade, and would not have impeded cargo traffic'.
As Pravda.Ru reported, the Crimean status was also recognized by the first President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk on 24 August. 'Now it's part of the Russian federal system,' former head of the state highlighted.
Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/video/26-08-2016/135450-crimea-0/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/cd70e6ca96e930d274a119b6ad320aacd14e82183606b704b6cb3638d3f1852f.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T10:50:50 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | According to Western journalists, Moscow targets Europe because the European Union has been losing support among the population as an association | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Feurope%2F29-08-2016%2F135452-new_york_times_russia-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/2/1/58721.jpeg | en | null | New York Times claims Russia shows influence on many Europeans | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: REX
The New York Times, in a recent editorial, claimed that Russia was showing influence on residents of the European Union.
Russia's powerful weapon is to spread false news, the newspaper wrote. According to Western journalists, Moscow targets Europe because the European Union has been losing support among the population as an association.
At the same time, the popularity of right-wing groups in Europe has been growing, and Russia tries to take advantage of the situation to spread ideas about the ineffectiveness of liberal democracy and the inability of European governments to cope with various crises, the publication said.
It was also noted that English-language Russian media showed influence on the outcome of the Brexit vote. In addition, the paper blames Russia for the survey that revealed negative attitude of Czech citizens to the United States and the EU.
The article in the US newspaper also mentions the discussion of Sweden's entry into NATO. Swedish authorities said that social networks contain "distorted and false information" that confuses people about their attitude to the issue. It is acknowledged that the Swedes have failed to detect the source of "misinformation," but "many analysts and intelligence experts in the US and Europe point to Russia, the newspaper wrote.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/europe/29-08-2016/135452-new_york_times_russia-0/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/012848183b47e1f24c26d6e9cd4be49eb3fb07ad17db1d595823899f95299c8f.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T12:50:50 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | According to sources close to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, military conscription committees have already received secret directives on the subject | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fussr%2Fukraine%2F29-08-2016%2F135453-ukraine_mobilization-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/2/2/58722.jpeg | en | null | Ukraine secretly announces 7th large-scale mobilization | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | AP photo
Ukraine is working on the seventh wave of mobilization. According to sources close to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, military conscription committees have already received secret directives on the subject.
"We do not know where a provocation may occur - in the Crimea or in the Donbas. All were ordered to prepare for urgent mobilization," an unnamed source said.
However, representatives for military enlistment offices of Ukraine do not confirm the information. "There was no order from the president about the mobilization. Preparations are being conducted according to schedule: medical examinations and contractual enlistment - everything goes as usual. There are enough men, who sign military service contracts, but we do not know whether there are enough resources to replace the demobilized," deputy commissar of the Kiev Military Conscription Committee, Igor Slyusarenko told Vesti.
Deputy Military Commissar of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Sergie Polutsigan, rejected the information about urgent mobilization as well.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko stated earlier that he did not exclude another wave of mobilization in the event of full-scale hostilities. Should Ukraine announce mobilization, military enlistment offices will call up those who fought in the first, second and third waves.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/ussr/ukraine/29-08-2016/135453-ukraine_mobilization-0/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/123bf49b0e9538a35e38a31a7fc1835aa67de5d954199d60d4bc0b2799884cd0.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:08:50 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | The man, who took several people hostage at an office of Citibank in Moscow on August 24 has been taken for interrogation. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fhotspots%2Fcrimes%2F25-08-2016%2F135431-moscow_bank_hostages-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/0/7/58707.jpeg | en | null | Bankrupt man with box of salt threatened to explode bank in Moscow | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru photo archive
The man, who took several people hostage at an office of Citibank in Moscow on August 24 has been taken for interrogation.
"The FSB took the man for questioning," an official told RIA Novosti.
FSB officers also took the fake bomb that the man was threatening to explode during the attack on the office of the bank. The Federal Security Service will continue investigating the case, the official added.
On Wednesday night, a man threatened to explode a bomb in the office of Citibank on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street 15. The man, about 50-55 years of age, had a box on his neck with wires sticking out of the box.
There man took four people hostage. After negotiations, the man released all the hostages and surrendered to police. The fake bomb contained nothing but salt.
The man was later identified as Aram Petrosyan, an entrepreneur. He told the police that he did not intend to kill anyone, but only wanted to attract attention to the problem of bankruptcy. Before committing the crime, Petrosyan posted a video on YouTube, in which he said that he was ready to violate the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation because of his bankruptcy. "Believe me, I have nothing to lose. All that I had I have already lost," the man said.
In the video, the man also asked President Putin to recognize the notion of bankruptcy as a disease.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/hotspots/crimes/25-08-2016/135431-moscow_bank_hostages-0/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/9bf4e83ba6641ce973b4588ae56b3d0bd836ec53cc80532c33a278a963c7ced9.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:06:47 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | Italian opposition calls to carry out early election and lift anti-Russian sanctions after referendum on approval of the constitutional reform. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fvideo%2F23-08-2016%2F135416-italy-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/preview/article/4/1/6/135416_b.jpeg | en | null | Italy to lift anti-Russian sanctions after PM’s resign | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Italian opposition calls to carry out early election and lift anti-Russian sanctions after referendum on approval of the constitutional reform. According to MPs, Matteo Renzi's statement on conduct of parliamentary elections in 2018 regardless of the referendum's results evidences his reluctance on taking responsibility.
Thus, if Renzi remains to be in the minority and leaves his office, Rome will go the length of rapprochement with Moscow and veto further anti-Russian sanctions. MEP from the Five Star Movement Fabio Massimo Castaldo explained that Renzi's resign will allow to start a serious and constructive dialogue with Russia. 'We should lift absurd sanctions, which are not only useless politically, but also negatively reflect on the economic indices,' he said.
Another Italian opposition party, the Northern League, demands early election after the referendum and change of the county's foreign policy. The Senator Paolo Tosato pointed out that 'Renzi should step down as he has no political will and lobbies interests of some political groups rather than interests of the people'.
Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/video/23-08-2016/135416-italy-0/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/24b1a6e298123df996d7d8a336f9ece2ef50b5c39c1d4f84de16bf429baaebfe.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:02:12 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | Russia completes testing of stratospheric weapons for long-range bombers, which are capable of striking targets at a distance of up to 1,000 kilometers | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fvideo%2F24-08-2016%2F135426-russia_new_missile-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/preview/article/4/2/6/135426_b.jpeg | en | null | Russia's new missile to strike from stratosphere | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Russia completes testing of stratospheric weapons for long-range bombers, which are capable of striking targets at a distance of up to 1,000 kilometers. Soon the Russian long-range supersonic missile-bombers Tu-22M3 with variable-sweep wing, (NATO reporting name is Backfire) will be equipped with the X-32 cruise missiles. They will be nearly invulnerable to enemy's air defense and interceptors.
After launch, the X-32 will be able to gain altitude of up to 40 kilometers and reach the stratosphere before swooping down at a steep angle to strike the target.
As representative of the Russian military industrial complex reported, the tests are about to be finished, while the missile itself is complete. The state-of-the-art cruise missile has high precision guidance independent of GLONASS coordinates. It is assumed that the new missile will be able to hit targets at a distance of up to 1,000 km, but its own speed will be no less than 5,000 km/h. The cruise missile X-32 is designed to eliminate hostile vessels, radar stations and other radiocontrast facilities, which expose bombers on radars.
Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/video/24-08-2016/135426-russia_new_missile-0/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/e2ae6b10f189fc08320488d757bba2f56e878e55cd3cf7b7484235221a40f183.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:09:37 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | Two-time Olympic champion in pole vaulting, Russian athlete Yelena Isinbayeva, said that her election to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was a victory for all Russia | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fsports%2Fother%2F23-08-2016%2F135408-isinbayeva_ioc-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/6/9/3/58693.jpeg | en | null | Yelena Isinbayeva, now IOC member, to take Olympics 2024 from USA | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | AP photo
Two-time Olympic champion in pole vaulting, Russian athlete Yelena Isinbayeva, said that her election to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was a victory for all Russia.
"I was very pleased (to go on stage at the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics - ed.). I was very proud that we have defeated the circumstances. My election to the IOC is a victory for the whole country, it is not my personal victory," Yelena Isinbayeva said, R-Sport wrote.
Isinbayeva received 45 out of 70 votes for her support. She was introduced as a member of the International Olympic Committee at the closing of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Interestingly, the United States may lose the right to host the Olympics in 2024 because of the US-led anti-Russian campaign in sport, Reuters reported citing a senior source at the IOC.
It goes about Los Angeles, a candidate city for the summer Olympics in 2024. LA struggles for the right to host the Olympic Games in 2024 with Paris, Rome and Budapest.
"The bid from the USA may come across protests on the part of several IOC members, who remain angry about the important role that America has played in bringing doping charges against Russian athletes," the unnamed source said.
The hosting city for the Summer Olympics 2024 will be announced in September 2017.
Because of WADA accusations (the organization is funded by the USA), Russia lost nearly a half of its athletes during the Olympic Games in Rio. Despite the lack of evidence, most of the Russian track-and-field athletes, the entire weightlifting team and representatives of other sports were excluded from the 2016 Summer Olympics.
It is worthy of note that IOC President Thomas Bach had asked WADA chief Richard McLaren to provide all available information proving violations of the anti-doping law in Russian sports. McLaren refused to provide any evidence by saying that it was "unimportant," Bach told reporters.
At the same time, McLaren provided the results of his infamous report to the US Anti-Doping Agency. As a result, US sports officials demanded the IOC should exclude Russia from the Olympics entirely.
To crown it all, Russian pranksters called WADA and USADA officials, having introduced themselves as representatives of the Ukrainian government. During the prank call, the Western sports officials acknowledged that the anti-doping scandal against Russia was purely political. They also admitted that their ultimate goal was to exclude the Russians from all competitions.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/sports/other/23-08-2016/135408-isinbayeva_ioc-0/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/79655972421b98c115dc93b6846f040dfaad991e2feb77061dfdf0ecbec40330.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T14:50:42 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Needless to say, the overwhelming majority of the world's Muslims are peaceful and they denounce these horrible acts of terrorism | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fsociety%2Fstories%2F29-08-2016%2F135456-denounce_terrorism-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/2/5/58725.jpeg | en | null | Why denouncing terror attacks is not enough | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru photo archive
By Harun Yahya
Past several months of the world, saw horrific scenes of violence, terrorism, clashes and even a coup attempt. From Istanbul to Baghdad, Dacca to Medina, Gaziantep to Ankara, innocent people were struck and targeted by unimaginable evil. I hope that very soon these atrocities come to a definitive halt and the world finally sees the days of love and harmonious co-existence that it has been longing for.
Terrorism should always be strongly condemned regardless of the underlying reasons of this horrible act, as there can be no excuse or justification for terror. Slaughtering defenseless people simply because they had differing ideas or just because they used offensive remarks is nothing short of sheer barbarism.
Those who perpetrate their outrageous massacres using the name of 'Islam' and calling it 'jihad' are actually murderers according to the Qur'an as the Qur'an states that killing defenseless, innocent people is outright tyranny. God bans terrorism and all similar acts of violence and condemns those who are engaged in such acts. Ironically this barbaric, violent and horrible radicalism is acting in the name of Islam.
Needless to say, the overwhelming majority of the world's Muslims are peaceful and they denounce these horrible acts of terrorism. Yet, this doesn't change the fact that radicalism is spreading and growing like a cancer in the Islamic world. For this reason, if peaceful Muslims merely settle with condemning such acts and then retreat into the background without trying to understand the reasons for it, or working to cure the illness, the onset of more disasters will be inevitable.
Furthermore, many Muslims who consider themselves peaceful believe in the very same superstitions that feed the ideology of the radicals. If a Muslim doesn't resort to violence, but still harbors a blind enmity toward the non-believers, refers to non-Qur'anic resources as justification for his bigoted mindset, he is but another prisoner of the same false ideology. For this very reason, the first step should involve understanding the nature and causes of radicalism and finding ways to solve it within Islam.
Terrorism will not end by rallies, or condemnation by world leaders, or simply by saying 'Islam is the religion of peace'. The Islam of the Qur'an - freed from the fabricated hadiths and traditional interpretation of the bigots - is the religion of peace, and there is coexistence, freedom of thought and expression in the Qur'an. However, Islam of radicals and bigots is far beyond this, and to solve this problem, it is imperative that the Islamic world is shown these facts persistently, with evidence from the Qur'an, and sufficient explanations and through educational campaigns. Indeed, a wide-ranging campaign is urgently needed to purge the Islamic world from the superstitions inflicting it. The support of the Western world is certainly important, but the real duty in this undertaking lies upon Muslims.
The best way of freeing people from this bigoted philosophy is a systematic and accurate education program. It is essential for religious education in Muslim countries to be based on only the Qur'an. New generations must learn the faith from the Qur'an itself, not from fundamentalist books consisting of superstitious hadiths.
The fanatical perspective, also referred to as fundamentalism, leads people into darkness. Fanatics are excessively devoted to their own ideas and reject all other ideas and are often all too willing to implement policies of violence when they regard that as necessary.
Since they are blind to the truth, they have no compunction about responding to contrary ideas with aggression. For that reason, the people of the world are increasingly divided into thousands of groups that have adopted violence as a philosophy of life, and each one regards itself as on the right path, while admitting no right to exist to any of the others. As a result, war and conflict go on endlessly.
All this turmoil can be brought to an end through serious measures being taken in the field of education across the world. Muslims who follow the true path as described in the Qur'an settle matters with gracious talk, which makes the disturbing aspect of other parties' attitude clear and lets them know how they feel. In that sense, there is no need to say that any form of violence is in no way acceptable or lawful while handling dissent; that should be clearly understood by all. And ultimately, the Qur'an reveals the value Islam attaches to human life and the outrageous nature of taking life in one verse:
"... If someone kills another person, it is as if he had murdered all mankind. And if anyone gives life to another person, it is as if he had given life to all mankind..." (Qur'an 5:32)
Harun Yahya
The writer is a TV commentator who has authored more than 300 books translated into 73 languages on politics, religion and science | http://www.pravdareport.com/society/stories/29-08-2016/135456-denounce_terrorism-0/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/df780e491ab1565d9ec2e77616683d3d1cce9fc110bb0f7b56fd49c1b0976b63.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:07:48 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | The International Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeal from Russian Paralympians, which means that Russian Paralympic athletes will not be able to participate in the 2016 Paralympic Games | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fsports%2Fgames%2F23-08-2016%2F135409-russia_paralympic_games-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/6/9/4/58694.jpeg | en | null | Russian Paralympic athletes excluded from Paralympic Games 2016 | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | AP photo
The International Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeal from Russian Paralympians, which means that Russian Paralympic athletes will not be able to participate in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio on September 7-18.
CAS has thus rejected the complaint against the decision of the International Paralympic Committee (IPS), which had previously suspended the Russian Paralympic athletes from the Games.
The infamous McLaren report indicated that 35 positive samples of Russian Paralympians disappeared in 2012-2015. WADA then recommended the International Paralympic Committee (IPS) should exclude Russian athletes from the Paralympics 2016. On August 7, the IPS agreed with the position of the agency. The Russian Paralympic Committee later filed a complaint to CAS.
In Russia, the latest decision from the IPS was called inhuman, cowardly and low. According to the Russian Paralympic Committee, none of the athletes, whose names appeared in the McLaren report, were included in the national team for the Paralympics 2016. Moreover, the IPC has no evidence, and the decision was based entirely on the conclusions made by the McLaren committee that can hardly be called objective or accurate.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/sports/games/23-08-2016/135409-russia_paralympic_games-0/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/b885bc16931e86171313a1bde1b2b0e95aa73dd7e131d40868662d7b4889e069.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T18:51:34 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | What happened to the US "tough guy" in recent years? Why do people consider him a traitor now? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F30-08-2016%2F135472-mccain_putin-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/4/0/58740.jpeg | en | null | John McCain readies to become Putin's friend | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | On August 29, Senator John McCain turned 80 years old. The US made McCain a hero: a son of a soldier, a military pilot, he had spent five years living in a pit as a POW in Vietnam. McCain, a classic Republican, had the reputation of an honest patriot, who always defends America's interests. What happened to the US "tough guy" in recent years? Why do people consider him a traitor now?
John McCain has been serving as Arizona Senator for 30 years. During all these years, the senator's slogan has been "Country First." Most Americans perceived this short phrase as an expression of the nation's priorities. About two years ago, McCain chaired the Senate Armed Services Committee, which is a key department in the adoption and implementation of financial and reform programs of the US Army, US Air Force and US Navy. The appointment gave him an opportunity to make his anti-Russian dreams come true.
McCain's love for Russia: A perfect fairytale
When speaking about Russia, McCain can be particularly eloquent. "Russia is a gas station masquerading as a country. It's kleptocracy. It's corruption. It's a nation that's really only dependent upon oil and gas for their economy, and so economic sanctions are important," he said once on CNN. McCain despises Putin. Many remember John McCain's letter to Pravda.Ru from September 19, 2013, in which he urged Russians not to believe Putin. "He is not enhancing Russia's global reputation. He is destroying it. He has made her a friend to tyrants and an enemy to the oppressed, and untrusted by nations that seek to build a safer, more peaceful and prosperous world," McCain wrote.
"The United States needs to combat that with strength," the senator argued on Late Night three years later. "(Putin) has got his thugs in Eastern Ukraine and they beat up people," McCain said. The senator lobbied a project to support the fascist regime in Ukraine with lethal weapons and said that Europe should support the new Ukrainian regime economically and financially.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in 2016, McCain said that Putin was not interested in becoming a partner of the West. According to the senator, Putin's goal was to reestablish Russia as a major power in the Middle East. "He wants to use Syria as a live-fire exercise for Russia's modernizing military. He wants to turn Latakia province into a military outpost from which to harden and enforce a Russian sphere of influence - a new Kaliningrad or Crimea. And he wants to exacerbate the refugee crisis and use it as a weapon to divide the transatlantic alliance and undermine the European project. The only thing that has changed about Mr. Putin's ambitions is that his appetite is growing with the eating," John McCain said.
Obama is not good for McCain for letting Putin establish himself on the world stage. In a statement on his website, McCain said that the US president, instead of meeting Putin, should give the Russian president to understand that the United States will not join the Russian Federation under any circumstances, if Russia continues cooperating with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Bomb shell: McCain supports Trump
McCain's official support for Donald Trump in the presidential race came as a bombshell for the United States. Yet, Trump did not flatter McCain for the support in return. "He's not a war hero. He's a war hero 'cause he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, OK? Perhaps he's a war hero, but right now he's said some very bad things about a lot of people," Trump said in July 2015. Most likely, Trump had Putin in mind too.
Why do many Americans consider McCain a traitor? The answer is surprisingly simple: McCain started primaries for the sixth mandate of the Arizona senator.
"Much bigger win than anticipated in Arizona. Thank you, I will never forget!" Donald Trump tweeted after his victory in the state. The tweet was meant for John McCain too. John McCain has placed his bet on Donald Trump and vice versa - those were very clever moves.
However, Trump shares different positions on many foreign policy issues, especially on Russia and Ukraine. Some of his statements, for example about "obsolete NATO," make the American establishment shudder. The American establishment wonders whether Trump acts as an agent of Vladimir Putin.
Many Republicans ask McCain to stop supporting the odious candidate. How can McCain support Trump if Trump is about to recognize Crimea as Russia's territory, they wonder.
John McCain has not lost his mind in that pit in Vietnam, as President Putin said. McCain has now joined the new trend, and Moscow may expect some reconciliatory activity from US Senator John McCain.
Lyuba Lulko
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/world/americas/30-08-2016/135472-mccain_putin-0/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/2379192981102a7cc7caa9ea13eb02847b82697003dc741e7c731e8a75512ac8.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:55:36 | null | 2005-12-20T00:00:00 | Herbal cells may settle down and parasitize on the organism of a human or an animal | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fscience%2Fmysteries%2F23-08-2016%2F9418-mutation-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/5/8/1/6581.jpeg | en | null | Terrible mutations may turn humans into plants or animals | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru photo archive
Herbal cells may settle down and parasitize on the organism of a human or an animal
Geneticists say that mutations seriously change the set of chromosomes, and people with mutations can thus hardly be called humans. In Yerevan in the former Soviet republic of Armenia, 18-year-old girl Narine Aivasyan shocked doctors with her unusual disease. The girl complained about an abscess on her wrist that had been hurting her for a long period already. When doctors opened the bandage on Narine's hand they saw two very thin thorns sticking out of the hand.
The girl failed to enter a higher education institution after she left school, and had to help her mother about the house and assisted her in a store where the woman worked. The girl was fond of pot plants and devoted much time to looking after her plants. Once, Narine pricked herself on a cactus while watering plants. Some thorns got stuck in her wrist. The parents immediately disinfected the wound but it still festered and even expanded. Narine was reluctant to visit a doctor. She had to go to a hospital in a month when a point of a thorn emerged on the skin right on the place of the red wound. Doctors easily removed the strange object, but more thorns turned up on the same spot soon.
Head of the immunology and virology laboratory at the Armenia research center Tigran Davtyan says the world medicine has never known before that herbal cells may settle down and parasitize on the organism of a human or an animal. Deeper study of the thorns removed out of the girl's wrist confirmed their vegetative origin. It turned out that the thorns belonged to a cactus that many people had at home.
The only way to save the girl was to perform an operation to remove the fistula to stop the cactus from parasitizing all about the organism. The wound healed up after the operation and did not trouble the girl for four years.
Narine's mother says the girl could not recover from the shock for a very long period and feared that the thorns might reappear. The tragedy made the girl reserved and unsociable. But still she kept on looking after her pot plants.
One day Narine noticed her wrist turned red once again but she would not confess to her parents that the disease reappeared. The girl felt her forearm swell and soon a thorn as thick as a match burst her skin.
This time a fistula appeared in a sinew zone. Narine clenched her fists, the muscles pushed new thorns out and doctors removed them with pincers. At that, the wound was not bleeding. Doctors removed from 70 to 100 thorns from the girl's arm every day. But they still appeared later, which suggested there were two or three parasite cells still staying in the girl's organism. Doctors from many countries stated there was not a surgical but rather a microbiological problem.
When researchers studied the bigger thorns they arrived at a conclusion that they were no longer of vegetative origin. As a result of mutation, the patient got new unknown cells, some sort of a hybrid of a human and a plant. In other words, the young girl was turning into a cactus.
Experts believe the terrible metamorphosis sounds warning for mankind. “Evolution and progress seriously damage the human immune system. People become more vulnerable to unknown parasites and viruses,” Tigran Davtyan says.
Now the girl is 26. When Narine had blood poisoning some people rumored she died. But parents of the girl told doctors Narine was alive but felt too bed. The strange disease made her extremely apathetic and pessimistic as she knows that doctors obviously cannot help her.
In Kazakhstan, a woman from a remote village gave birth to her third son who turned out to be a very unusual being. The baby was covered with hair from top to toe. Only his cry resembling that of a normal baby proved that he was a human being. Ayaulym, the mother of the unusual baby did not reject him. She took the boy to the village where her family lived. The baby suffers from hypertrichosis, an infrequent genetic disease described in medicine literature. Patients suffering from it have too much hair on the face and body. There are just few people in the world having the diagnosis. Unfortunately, there is still no treatment for the disease.
Until the boy turned five, his parents did not take him to doctors. Being absolutely despaired they had no notion that some treatment for the disease could actually exist. The family lived in isolation, but neighbors soon learnt that a strange being resembling a monkey but speaking the human language was living next door.
Doctors say the boy did not at all feel shy when parents took him to the hospital for the first time. Ablai, this is the name of the unusual boy, is a very active child. Other children staying on treatment at the hospital got used to the unusual boy and even played together. Now the boy is nine years old. Unfortunately, Ablai cannot go to a public school. The local administration sent the boy to a correction educational institution though his intellectual abilities are normal.
People in Kazakhstan have already got used to the fact that healthy parents may from time to time give birth to abnormal babies. They explain the phenomenon with closeness to nuclear testing areas. There are 19 nuclear testing areas in the republic.
Student Alexander Rybakov from the University of St.Petersburg usually feels hurt when strangers mistake him for an old man. Sometimes even co-students at the University think he is an old professor because the young man looks very much like an elderly. At the age of eight Alexander for the first time felt he had some cardiovascular system problems. At the age of twelve, the boy had a bald spot on the head; the face was covered with a web of wrinkles by the age of sixteen. It seemed Alexander jumped over the traditional maturing stages and turned into a pensioner right after being a teenager.
At first, doctors registered that Alexander's internal organs were wearing out too quickly. At the age of 14 the boy's height was much lower than that of other children of his age. Many of callous senior students at school mocked at the boy. But Alexander was very wise for his young age and never took the mockery very much to heart. After graduation from the university Alexander will become a programmer which will give him a chance to work at home.
Viktor Michelson from the Russian Academy of Sciences Cytology Institute says there are two varieties of the ageing syndrome. When patients suffer from Werner's disease they all of a sudden begin to grow old in the young age. When patients have progeria, they look like very old people already at the age of 12. In both cases, people have their ageing gene affected. In other words, their biological clock goes several times quicker. The only treatment that medicine offers to children who turn into elderly is cure of senile diseases typical of the syndrome.
Several months ago, a 13-year-old girl who looked like a very old woman died of a stroke in the city of Orenburg. A boy from Kazakhstan became wrinkled overnight at the age of four.
Some researchers believe that decoding the ageing gene may solve the secret of eternal youth.
It is not clear for sure why babies come to this world being invalids. Geneticists state that inheritance and parents' mode of living are the cause of babies' inborn disability just in fifty percent of instances. It is known that 90 mothers of 100 reject their babies with inborn pathologies right after childbirth.
Doctors say that today half of babies in children's homes in Russia have inborn pathologies. It is typical of modern young mothers to reject their unhealthy babies. These young mothers at the age of 15-18 as a rule smoke a lot, take drugs and suffer from anemia and consequently cannot give birth to healthy babies. Even doctors persuade young mothers to reject their abnormal babies. It is a heavy burden for parents in this country to bring up invalid and abnormal children. The government pays miserable disability pension. Children having abnormalities will not be accepted to public schools even if they have normal intellectual abilities. But if attending a correction school, these children will never have a chance to enter a higher education institution and thus will not have a proper profession and employment. It is particularly distressing that children suffering from diseases and abnormalities unknown to medicine do not have a chance to be accepted in the society even as invalids.
Parents who reject their babies because of their abnormality do not realize that they deprive them of normal life immediately after birth. Parents should remember that they are responsible for their babies' fates. Even abnormal and invalid babies need love and care to survive in the world. Today, medicine may help cure many of slight inborn pathologies to give a happy life to parents and their babies. Parents are the only people who may help children with pathologies be brave and optimistic when they are not welcomed in the society.
Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/science/mysteries/23-08-2016/9418-mutation-0/ | en | 2005-12-20T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/f9f10588a4e4ad2a29981f6df2d343d07554d187aa69aed557cc40659e6f1f56.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T08:52:24 | null | 2002-11-05T00:00:00 | Vladimir Putin is a relative of all royal families of Europe | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fhistory%2F31-08-2016%2F1528-putin_genealogy-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/4/5/58745.jpeg | en | null | Mysterious genealogy of Russian President Putin | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: YouTube screencap
Vladimir Putin is a relative of all royal families of Europe.
Russian president Vladimir Putin was a mystery almost for everyone during the moment of his election. He seemed to be a man with no past, inspired with the symbol of the new epoch, but deprived of historic roots. The research, which was conducted by journalists from the Russian city of Tver, became a sensation. As it became known, the parents of the Russian president came from the Kalininsky area of the Tver region.
The president’s family tree is not traced after Putin’s grandfather Spiridon Putin, who left the Tver governor for St.Petersburg at the age of 15. Vladimir Putin’s grandfather was a serious, reserved man of immaculate honesty. Spiridon Putin became a good cook. He worked in fancy restaurants in St.Petersburg before the revolution of 1917. Later, he was invited to cook for Lenin himself. When Lenin passed away, Spiridon Putin started working at one of Stalin’s dachas. Putin’s grandfather managed to survive the horrid period of the Soviet history. When he retired, he was living and cooking at a holiday camp of the Communist Party. Vladimir Putin tells about his grandfather that he was a man, who liked being silent most of his time.
The researchers did not manage to trace the origin of this last name – Putin. The world-wide web knows only one Putin – Vladimir Vladimirovich. So, using online search engines is absolutely not good for that. No other scientists of history, no dictionary mentions anything about the name Putin amid tens of thousands of other names.
On the other hand, there has been recently a surprising fact discovered. Vladimir Putin looks like Prince Mikhail Tverskoy. They both are not tall, with little hair and similar noses. Is Putin an offspring of the Tver prince? This hypothesis was getting more and more real. The name Putin is not mentioned amid the Russian names. This means that the name is of the artificial origin.
This name has appeared recently, somewhere in the middle of the 19th century. All Putins originally came from the clan of Putins from the Tver region. Illegitimate offsprings of noble families were often given cut names. For example, Russian writer Pnin was an illegitimate son of Field Marshal Repnin. There were lots of other occasions like that – Betskoy instead of Trubetskoy, Gribov instead of Griboyedov. The new names of unofficial clan branches were formed by means of deduction: a syllable was simply taken out of it.
The family book of the Tver region mentions the name of Putyanin – a clan of Russian princes. This clan gave a lot of outstanding military leaders to Russia, as well as artists, politicians and priests. This is one of the oldest clans in the Russian history. If President Putin is a descendant of the Putyatins clan, this means that Vladimir Putin has a relation to all royal families of Europe.
Gennady Klimov
Maria Orlova
Based on the materials from Karavan newspaper | http://www.pravdareport.com/history/31-08-2016/1528-putin_genealogy-0/ | en | 2002-11-05T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/904e5bb71493746f9c5cebb71fab85f989170e45eb4314c20052c2fd494104c0.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:06:12 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | In 2016, burkini, Islamic swimsuit, produced a social explosion on French beaches. The French Themis grossly violated the rights of Muslim women in black | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fsociety%2Fstories%2F26-08-2016%2F135446-burkini-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/1/7/58717.jpeg | en | null | What lies beneath the burkini | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru photo archive
The first underwater nuclear explosion was carried out at Bikini Atoll in 1946. In 2016, burkini, Islamic swimsuit, produced a social explosion on French beaches. The French Themis grossly violated the rights of Muslim women in black: if they want to express their religious beliefs, they need to leave a public beach.
After the terrorist attack in Nice, several municipalities in France banned the wearing of burkini. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls supported the initiative. Is the ban based on Islamophobia, the threat to lose national identity or the fear of suicide bombers? Whatever it is, the French are struggling against the form - they do not know what to do with the content.
Many in France were outraged with the recent incident on Cote d'-Azur, when French police officers forced a Muslim woman in burkini to take her swimsuit off. "The people around were watching the police telling her to take it foo," angry people were blogging. However, the police officers offered the woman a choice - either take the burkini off or leave the beach. The woman chose to stay.
France no longer a Christian nation
There is ample evidence to the fact that today's France is changing its usual European appearance. Thus, at the Abbey of Saint-Denis, speaking French is forbidden twice a week, (Thursday and Saturday).
The French are concerned about the Islamization of their country. "In fact, this is just fear," Nadezhda Uzunova, researcher at the Center for Euro-Atlantic and Defence Studies at RISI told Pravda.Ru. "People have fear, after all those acts of terrorism. They have the fear of those who look different. They see a threat in Muslim fashion."
There is another point of view. Esther Benbassa of the Greens saw the initiative of local authorities as an act of "religious persecution." She believes that the more the French prohibit and condemn these outfits, the more it will turn into a symbol of identity. Noteworthy, the Koran does not dictate all those Muslim scarves and veils. The wearing of those clothes varies and depends on the climate. To crown it all, one must bear in mind the fact that historically, France is a Christian nation, where all Muslims are originally aliens.
Nevertheless, the Group against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) appealed the ban on wearing the burkini. The human rights activists claimed that the ban violated the rights of women, and reminded that a third of those killed in the Nice attack were Muslims. Yet, the court dismissed the appeal, having ruled that the wearing of burkini in present circumstances" could be seen not just as a "religious symbol." The court order also said that the French Republic had the priority of secular rules of conduct in public places over religious customs.
The form and the content
In fact, the French struggle against Islamic swimsuits is a struggle against the form, but it is the content that is dangerous. Islamic extremism has been gaining strength in the country, and the French government does not know what to do about it.
Many mosques in France are funded by radical Islamic groups, such as, for example, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) and the Morocco-based "Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (GICM). French intelligence services believe that the GSPC follows global jihadism goals and strives to position itself as a division of Al-Qaeda (banned in Russia).
Why not look into the problem of French prisons, where 70 percent of inmates are Muslims? In the past, one could convert to Islam to get married. Nowadays, young people see Islam as a tool of social integration, especially in Muslim-populated areas.
"There is, of course, the danger of cultural enslavement, - says Nadezhda Uzunova. - The French aggressively assert their beliefs." The expert notes that many are annoyed by pinchbeck religiosity, people see it as a challenge from Muslims. "The trend to wear black overalls is a recent phenomenon that appeared with the development of political Islam. During the 1960s and the 1970s Muslims were coming to Europe in an attempt to integrate themselves into the European society. Nowadays, it is a form of bad manners for them."
Lyuba Lulko
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/society/stories/26-08-2016/135446-burkini-0/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/c6da5161db4b82898b58e31891abbdc78e91ba2501604b102fc5f93e2dfef568.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:58:35 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | Analyzing Turkey and options | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fopinion%2Fcolumnists%2F25-08-2016%2F135429-turkey_celebrate-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/0/6/58706.jpeg | en | null | Turkey, Let Us Not Celebrate Yet! | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | So many would like this to happen - to see Turkey go, to leave NATO, to break its psychological, political and economic dependency on the West. Now that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his allies are quarreling with the United States and the EU, there is suddenly great hope that Turkey may thoroughly re-think its position in the world...
So many would like this to happen - to see Turkey go, to leave NATO, to break its psychological, political and economic dependency on the West. Now that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his allies are quarreling with the United States and the EU, there is suddenly great hope that Turkey may thoroughly re-think its position in the world, strengthen its ties with Russia and China, renew the historic friendship with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and improve its relationship with Iran.
André Vltchek
Could this be really happening, so suddenly and so unexpectedly? If only Turkey were to join BRICS, if it decided to leave NATO and wrestle itself out of that deadly embrace of the West, the entire world would change!
Let's not celebrate just yet
Many people around me are already celebrating. But I am not joining them. I'm still waiting. I know Turkey well. I have worked closely with Turkish people for more than 20 years. Five of my books were translated and published there, and in Istanbul, I have appeared on countless television talk shows.
And honestly: the more I know Turkey, the less I understand it!
It is one of the most complex countries on Earth. Turkey is unpredictable, full of contradictions and shifting alliances. Nothing is really what it appears to be on the surface. And even under the surface, the currents are often merging, separating, and even reversing their course.
To write about Turkey, to write fairly and in-depth, requires jogging through a minefield. In the end, you always get it wrong! You make a huge amount of Turkish people unhappy, no matter what you say. It is mainly because there seems to be no simple, objective truth. And various 'camps' disagree with each other, fundamentally and passionately.
That is why I am surprised how many foreign analysts are suddenly daring to pass (often patronizing) judgments on the recent events in Turkey. How certain many of them sound!
Many of the people who don't know Turkey well are now indeed celebrating. Everything seems to be clear to them: 'The Turkish President changed his course and decided to apologize to Russia for downing its jet near the Syrian/Turkish border. Then the West orchestrated a deadly military coup. Erdoğan said: "Enough is enough," exposed the plot and went to St. Petersburg to embrace President Putin and Russia.'
I wish it were that simple. I wish I could be now joining in the celebration!
Instead, I am sitting down in front of my computer and writing this essay about Turkey, a country which I love, but for so many years have failed to comprehend.
***
I met Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Istanbul headquarters of his (then) party - Refah Partisi, RP - when he was the Mayor of this the largest Turkish city. It was the end of the 90's and in that period I was busy trying not to get killed while covering the 'Yugoslav War', moving between Sarajevo, Pale, Belgrade and the frontlines. While most of my comrades-journalists would travel by train to Vienna (there were no flights and foreigners were not allowed to drive) to get a break, I always opted for Istanbul, taking slow trains through Bulgaria and Edirne. I felt that I had to learn about and get to understand the Ottoman Empire, if I truly wanted to comprehend the Balkans.
Meeting Erdogan
In those days, Mr. Erdoğan managed to horrify many of the middle and upper class pro-Western and secular dwellers of Istanbul. He belonged to an Islamist party in a city that was always looking towards Europe. But in the end, he introduced some sweeping social reforms and dramatically improved its infrastructure, from the garbage recycling system, to transportation. UN-HABITAT gave him a double thumbs-up. I wanted to talk to him, to hear what he had to say. And he agreed.
Instead of a religious fanatic, I found a self-centered, highly driven and pragmatic politician, a populist.
"Do you speak Turkish?" he asked me instead of greeting.
"Not well," I replied. "Just a few words."
"You see!" he shouted, triumphantly. "Your Turkish sucks, but you can pronounce the name of my party, Refah Partisi, perfectly, without any accent! Isn't that already proof of how important, how indispensable we are?"
I wasn't sure about that... I was trying to comprehend, to follow his logic. I have to admit that I felt more comfortable in a trench in Yugoslavia, than being there, in Istanbul, facing this overpowering man who was obviously on his great ego trip.
But he kept 'delivering'. And the Turkish people, many of them, kept voting for him, until in 2003 he became the Prime Minister, and in 2014, Turkey's President.
***
Islamist or not, and since 2003, Erdoğan has not been rejected by the West; he was the de facto leader of the country which has been a staunch and unapologetic member of the mightiest Western alliance - NATO. And he made no attempts to break the ties.
Periodically, Turkey had some minor quarrels with the West, its partners and 'client' states, but nothing that would really jeopardize the alliance. After the 2010 deadly raid on a Turkish ship headed for Gaza, Erdoğan confronted Israel, but mainly just verbally. The military ties were not severed: for instance, Turkey did not stop training Israeli combat pilots at its military airport outside Konya.
Were there too many contradictions? Most definitely!
***
In Turkey, it is actually extremely difficult to figure out 'who is who?' Allegiances are shifting and the positions of individuals and organizations keep changing.
During one of her visits to Turkey as Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton allegedly asked the Turkish government to shut down Aydinlik Gazetesi, this important socialist and nationalist newspaper. On several occasions, Aydinlik interviewed me. I also interviewed its Chief Editor and other staff members. I worked closely with its affiliated television station, Ulusal Kanal, the home base to one of the most prolific Turkish documentary filmmakers (and my friend) Serkan Koc.
Serkan and his comrades helped greatly during the filming of my documentary for the South American television station TeleSUR: on the 2013 Gezi Park uprising in Istanbul, and on ISIS being trained and supported in the 'refugee' camps and in the border area with Syria, around the city of Hatay.
I was explained to how the terrorists were trained at Apaydin refugee camp, as well as at a notorious NATO facility right outside the city of Adana - the Incirlik Air Base. On three occasions, I managed to film and photograph both facilities, often risking my life.
But ask the hard-core left in Turkey, particularly Communists, about both Aydinlik and Ulusal Kanal, and the answers you will get would be very far from being unanimous!
And ask the Aydinlik people about the plight of the Kurdish people and about the PKK, and you would get some derogatory, or at least extremely critical declarations.
Of course most of the Kemalists, and almost all nationalists, are against the Kurdish struggle for independence or even for some sort of autonomy. They believe that there should be one strong, secular Turkish state, full stop, and that the PKK is just a terrorist group.
On the other hand, many Turkish Communists have embraced the Kurdish plight, and are very critical of the nationalists and their media.
But where does the PKK really stand, politically? Well, it all depends on who you ask! Some say that it is the Kurdish nationalist movement, and that it is indisputably 'left wing'. Others strongly disagree, openly defining it as the 'fifth-column', and even as a CIA implant.
But the "Kurdish Issue" is not the only one on which almost no one in Turkey seems to agree. Ask about the Armenian genocide, and you will soon realize that you have just parachuted yourself right into the middle of (already mentioned above) a minefield. Even most of the Turkish left wing will decisively reject the "genocide" definition. You may lose most of your friends by just bringing the Kurdish and Armenian "issues" into the conversation, in one single night.
Confusing? Not yet, it gets much worse. If you were to drive, before 2014, to Silviri Prison, some 80 kilometers from Istanbul, on the European side, you'd understand what real confusion is! This high-security facility used to hold hundreds of Turkish high-level military generals and officers, as well as some intellectuals and activists. All of them were there because of the so-called Operation Sledgehammer (in Turkish: Balyoz Harekâtı), an alleged failed military secularist coup dating back to 2003.
But who were the generals, and what was really behind their arrest? I met the families of some of them, and I filmed their testimonies. Several of them were strongly opposed to Mr. Erdoğan and his AKP Party. Some believed in Turkish "Eurasianism", while others (although very few and not always openly) were opposed to Turkey's membership in NATO.
The generals were always uncomfortable
Whatever it was, the government found the generals and their allies 'uncomfortable', even dangerous. The case against them was most likely fabricated and was heavily criticized at home and abroad. But it had a strong backer, the Cemaat movement, which is an Islamist movement led by the exiled cleric and (then) AKP's close ally, Fethullah Gülen!
Not surprisingly, after AKP and Gülen had fallen out with each other in 2014, the accused were released from prison, and on 31 March 2015 all 236 suspects were acquitted.
And now President Erdoğan accuses Fethullah Gülen of being behind the latest, aborted bloody coup, demanding his extradition from the United States back to Turkey! How quickly, how fundamentally things change in this country!
To make it all even more complicated, my left wing Turkish colleagues - investigative journalists - asked me as early as in 2012 to help them to investigate the activities of Cemaat Movement in general and of Fethullah Gülen in particular, in Africa (where I was then based), mainly in connection with them building schools and spreading all sorts of dangerous forms of an extremist religious teaching. In those days, Fethullah Gülen was still seen in Turkey as a close ally of both the United States and AKP!
At some point, AKPs' 'New Ottomanism' went a 'bit out of control', as far as the West was concerned, but overall Turkey stayed on course, supporting the West and its imperialist policy in the region. And in the recent past, the main ally of the AKP (although its arch-enemy now), Fethullah Gülen, was part of that 'good course'.
My friend, Yiğit Günay, an author, historian and journalist educated in Cuba, explained several months before the latest coup:
"The policy was called the Neo-Ottoman-ism. The idea was that the AKP government, or Turkey itself, would work as a sub-contractor of the Western imperialism in the region, and as a sub-contractor it would expand its own zone of influence, in those regions that you had just defined. In those days there was also the Gülen movement based in the United States. Right now the government and they are enemies, but back then they were allied. The Gülen movement was particularly active in Africa, because their main claim to fame is opening schools and universities. And they have a huge amount of money. I read a report that in 2013, the movement had some 130 "chartered schools", in the United Sates alone... And if you have chartered schools, you get millions of dollars paid to you by the US tax payers. They are also very well organized; they have huge companies; they are wealthy. And they use this wealth to increase their influence.
Practically, when the Arab Spring began, the current president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the AKP were very skeptical. They didn't understand what really was going on, until the Americans told them...
"Don't worry: it is us who are doing it..."
There was a point when the NATO jets began bombing Libya, and Erdoğan made a speech, basically saying: "What the fuck is NATO doing, bombing Libya?" And two days later, Turkey became part of the mission. The Americans told him "Are you stupid? Don't you see what's going on?" And he promptly changed his mind.
But the main idea behind all this was: The Arab Spring was basically pro-AKP. It was what is called the "regime change", all over the region. The new regimes were predominantly Islamist, and so the AKP had a chance to gain influence inside them."
All that I have written above is just to illustrate the complexity of the Turkish political labyrinth.
There is almost nothing constant here; shifting sands come to mind as the most suitable metaphor.
***
Now where is Turkey actually heading?
Is it really possible that it may finally turn east?
Of course there are great hopes! Of course such hopes could at least, partially, be justified. But I am cautious, and not yet ready to celebrate.
The West is perfectly aware that "losing Turkey" would be a mighty blow to its geopolitical interests, read: to its totalitarian imperialist designs. It is highly unlikely that it would let this enormous country with one of the most strategic geographical locations on Earth, go easily and peacefully.
If the Turkish President does not yield to the West, if he decisively pulls his country out of NATO, if he shuts down the Incirlik Air Base (with its 50 or so nuclear warheads), and especially if he then shares Turkish military facilities with the Russians, the West will definitely act forcefully, even brutally. What would be on the 'menu' this time: an assassination attempt, another military coup or some externally provoked unrest? We don't know, but we can guess: there would be appalling bloodshed.
And where, on what side would the Turkish intellectuals stand: all those renowned journalists, artists and academics? They are often very brave (Chomsky and I called them, in our recent book, 'some of the most courageous on Earth'), but where are their real political allegiances? Some of them are pure socialists, even Marxists, but definitely not all. Many are actually looking straight towards the West: Paris, London, New York and Berlin.
One of my Turkish publishers and a friend, now deceased, the internationally renowned Turkish physical chemist and molecular biophysicist Oktay Sinanoğlu (often called the "Turkish Einstein"), was one of the most outspoken critics of Western imperialism. But he was also, for many years, a professor at Yale University, and his last years were spent mainly at his beachfront property in Florida. His love for Turkey was, for my taste, too 'long distance", too "platonic".
Turkish intellectuals cannot even agree which writers to admire. Two most famous contemporary Turkish novelists, a Nobel Prize for Literature laureate Orhan Pamuk, and Elif Shafak, are seen by many as just two mediocre literati who totally sold out to the West, portraying Turkey as has been expected from them by their foreign publishers and public.
Many young and educated Turks have lately been heading to Latin America, to learn about the new revolutionary trends, governments and movements there. Others are travelling to Asia. For instance, Istanbul-based intellectuals are much more cosmopolitan than their shockingly Euro-centric and provincial counterparts in Athens. But European secularism and liberalism are still the main reference point and even the goal for most of the urban Turks.
They may be 'against NATO' and 'against US foreign policy', but it's often uncertain what are they actually for.
Would they support the government, if it were to decide to kick out NATO and embrace Russia and China instead? Would they want Turkey to join BRICS?
Mr. Erdoğan is a shrewd, pragmatic politician. He knows all about trading and 'bargaining chips'. He knows what his country is worth - to the West and its imperialism, and to those who are opposing it!
His popularity at home is soaring, reaching almost 70%. He has a clear 'moral mandate' when criticizing the West for either supporting (or even triggering) the recent coup, or at least for doing nothing to protect the Turkish 'legitimate government' in a time of great crisis.
And the West is now taking his threats seriously, for the first time!
Based on past experience, Erdoğan may now begin extremely hard bargaining with Washington, Berlin and other Western capitals. The recent 'shifting towards the East' could just be an extremely effective bluff.
Both Obama and Putin know that. That is why US officials are not really 'concerned' about the nukes stored in Turkey. That is why Putin was very polite, while meeting Erdoğan in St. Petersburg; polite but not much more.
Everyone is waiting for Turkey's next move. And Mr. Erdoğan may take his time to actually make one. Time is on his side. He may now play both - imperialist and anti-imperialist - camps against each other. Whatever works!
Russia and China (apart of being on the right side of history) can offer a lot, practically: The new Silk Road all the way from the Pacific Ocean to Istanbul, complete with high-speed rail links, IT corridors, pipelines, as well as the total revamp of the troubled Turkish energy sector, just to mention some of the 'goodies'.
Turkey would expect the West to offer more, much more, to match and to beat what is on the offer from the East.
Unfortunately, it seems that all this has nothing to do with ideology, or even with simple 'right and wrong', it is just some cold pragmatism and practical calculations.
But as I wrote at the beginning of this essay: I still don't feel that I really understand Turkey! And even some of my Turkish comrades are now writing to me, telling me that 'they cannot understand it, either!'
Anything can change there. People can change. The pragmatic father of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, was a true Turkish nationalist, but strongly influenced by the 'secular West'. Furthermore, in order to keep his nation strong, united, and independent, he had to fight the Western powers, and accept a great amount of military and economic help from the Soviet Union.
The President of Turkey is now holding the future of the region and the world in his hands. He is well aware of it. He can make history with a single stroke of the pen.
Just in case he makes a good decision, I am keeping a bottle of good champagne in my fridge. It is well chilled and ready to be popped open, at any moment. I hope; I truly hope that soon there will be an occasion for the cork to hit the ceiling!
Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. His latest books are: "Exposing Lies Of The Empire" and "Fighting Against Western Imperialism". Discussion with Noam Chomsky: On Western Terrorism. Point of No Return is his critically acclaimed political novel. Oceania - a book on Western imperialism in the South Pacific. His provocative book about Indonesia: "Indonesia - The Archipelago of Fear". Andre is making films for teleSUR and Press TV. After living for many years in Latin America and Oceania, Vltchek presently resides and works in East Asia and the Middle East. He can be reached through his website or his Twitter. | http://www.pravdareport.com/opinion/columnists/25-08-2016/135429-turkey_celebrate-0/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/618358464dbf9c9796ccd42150a48c04ef39aa8b915a7ca7717bb87d588b7c58.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:05:35 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | Russia faces the task to build a gas pipeline bypassing Ukraine by 2019. For the time being, though, things are right where they started | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Frussia%2Feconomics%2F25-08-2016%2F135436-gazprom_russia_gas-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/1/1/58711.jpeg | en | null | EU tries to twist Gazprom's arms before freezing in winter | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Russia faces the task to build a gas pipeline bypassing Ukraine by 2019. For the time being, though, things are right where they started. It has been reported recently that Gazprom was going to close the department in charge of the South Stream project. The state of affairs with the Nord Stream-2 project leaves much to be desired too. The Turkish Stream does not show signs of life either. What is happening?
Russia's ten-year gas contract with Ukraine expires in 2019. Chances to sign the contract again with the sitting Kiev government are slim. Ukraine currently transits about 40 percent of Russian natural gas supplies to Europe, which meets 10 percent of the European demand for fuel.
Why does the EU want to freeze?
We all remember the trouble that Eastern Europe experienced in the winters of 2006 and 2009 because of the price war between Russia's Gazprom and Ukraine's Naftogaz. However, Brussels, Berlin and Paris were not freezing: Brussels officials would not be hindering the construction of the bypass pipeline today otherwise.
The ultimate goal of the EU is clear: Russia should not build a pipeline bypassing Ukraine, as Kiev would lose a source of its income, and the EU would lose its leverage for Moscow. The worse it is for Russia, the better it is for the West - this is a well-known postulate. The third energy package of the EU therefore demands the owner of the pipeline and the gas supplier be different subjects. This is a weapon against Gazprom. If there were a Western energy corporation in Gazprom's place, such as Shell or BP, we would not see any form of the Third Energy Package.
In addition, the European Union is obsessed with the idea to switch to other sources of fuel supplies, for example from Qatar or Iran. Supplies of liquefied natural gas from the United States are also possible. Yet, the above options require considerable investments that the EU can not afford.
For the time being, the EU has TANAP - the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline, approved by the European Commission. This project is designed for raw materials from Azerbaijan. The project is being implemented, but its capacity will not relieve Europe from its fuel dependence on Russia.
Why does Russia want to build a bypass pipeline?
Russia's goal is to build the gas pipeline. The use of the Ukrainian gas pipeline is futile for Russia. Ukraine steals gas from Russia, complaining that Gazprom reduces pressure at the entry point in the Ukrainian system. Naftogaz officials claim that Gazprom is unable to maintain stable pressure in the system due to inadmissible condition of parts of Russia's gas transportation system. Russia does not waste time for justifications, but Europe does not send its observers to the "point of entry" either, and one may only wonder why.
What does Russia have? She has the South Stream project that has been suspended because of the position of Bulgaria (i.e. the European Commission). One billion dollars have been spent to build the pipeline on the bottom of the Black Sea. According to RBC, Gazprom is closing the department that was in charge of the South Stream project. About 100 employees will lose their jobs. It means that the project is going to be shut down, but the existing part of the pipeline can be used for the Turkish Stream. Turkish President Erdogan will never forget John Kerry wishing him stability during the first hours after the attempted coup. No enemy is more dangerous than a neglected ally.
Russia also has the Nord Stream-2 project that goes through the stage of legal registration. The Americans will obviously try to slow it down, and we can already see it in the protests from Poland and Ukraine. Poland, in the face of the Antimonopoly Committee, said that a joint venture of Gazprom and European gas companies (Shell, Uniper, Wintershall, OMV and Engie) would further strengthen the position of Russian companies in the European market. In turn, Ukraine asked the participants to agree the implementation of the project with the Ukrainian side, "to prevent violations of law about the protection of economic competition."
The Nord Stream pipeline does not pass through the territory of Poland. As for Ukraine, none of the participants of the consortium wanted to invest in the modernization of the Ukrainian gas transportation system.
There is another solution to the problem - the above-mentioned pipeline from Azerbaijan to Europe. Putin must have discussed the issue at the meeting with his Azeri counterpart in Baku on August 8. Interestingly, the European Commission made Azerbaijan an exception from the "Third Package", and suppliers are now eligible to participate in shipments and control infrastructure in the European Union.
Lyuba Lulko
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/russia/economics/25-08-2016/135436-gazprom_russia_gas-0/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/ab762ecc2739dd001fbcacef2fbd9b021d770bddef2c18d5956a3feea03aef04.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:05:14 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | The US and South Korea have started joint Ulji Freedom Guardian drills, which are to last till September. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fvideo%2F23-08-2016%2F135407-korea-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/preview/article/4/0/7/135407_b.jpeg | en | null | US and South Korean drills: DPRK ready to nuke | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | The US and South Korea have started joint Ulji Freedom Guardian drills, which are to last till September. The North Korean authorities suspect that real aims of the exercises are to carry out an unexpected strike against the Republic and seize its territory.
In this regard the Democratic People's Republic of Korea threatened to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike, in case slightest signs of aggression are noticed. As the General Staff claimed, North Korea is ready to turn the stronghold of provocateurs into flames. It was also noted that the situation on the Korean peninsula is so tense, that a nuclear war may be waged any moment.
South Korea believes in its turn that the North one may go the length of provocations by itself. The Seoul authorities connect it with escape of some North Korean diplomats to South Korea from London and Moscow as well. Given tense situation on the peninsula, the authorities of South Korea call on the citizens to be on alert because of possible provocations and cooperate with the government if needed.
Before that, North Korea had threatened the US with a nuclear strike. The statement was made after the Americans had deployed their bombers at the Guam base.
Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/video/23-08-2016/135407-korea-0/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/55d4457c4a0855be46182b7aa3650737874f2c06c3d0bffe9eb2ba4d90377568.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T12:51:03 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | The US State Department is to publish a new portion of Hillary Clinton's electronic mail messages. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F29-08-2016%2F135455-hillary_clinton-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/2/4/58724.jpeg | en | null | Hillary Clinton may switch White House for prison | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | The US State Department is to publish a new portion of Hillary Clinton's electronic mail messages.
The documents will be reviewed by the end of the next month. According to lawyers the process will not be completed before the presidential election in the United States.
Clinton's rival, Republican candidate Donald Trump, insists on the need to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the case of the former Secretary of State.
In turn, Hillary Clinton is trying to divert attention from the scandal by making absurd statements. Speaking to voters in Nevada, she accused Russian President of disseminating nationalism.
Noteworthy, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said that Hillary Clinton's entire campaign was an act of anti-Russian hysteria.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/americas/29-08-2016/135455-hillary_clinton-0/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/871eba985a719c8f77a35531f559ac166a47bfd997f6c21249ab1ed7b18cddf3.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T10:51:26 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The leader of the Democratic minority in the Senate Harry Reid believes that Russia has set a target to falsify the results of the upcoming Nov. 8 general election in the United States | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F30-08-2016%2F135464-democrats_russia_elections-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/3/2/58732.jpeg | en | null | Democrats believe Russia wants to forge US November elections | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | AP photo
According to The New York Times, the leader of the Democratic minority in the Senate Harry Reid believes that Russia has set a target to falsify the results of the upcoming Nov. 8 general election in the United States.
In his letter to FBI Director James Comey, Harry Reid wrote that "evidence of a direct connection between the Russian government and Donald Trump's presidential campaign continues to mount."
According to Reid, one needs to investigate the circumstances including any "complicit intermediaries" between the Russian government, the leakers and "any U.S. citizen."
However, the senator did not specify how Russians could manipulate the voting process in the United States.
Also read: US president already picked for Americans by someone else
Harry Reid believes that the White House does not expose all the information about recent incidents of cyber attacks against the US Democratic Party.
The politician paid attention to the fact that Republican candidate Donald Trump has made a number of staff changes in his team. "Recent staff changes within the Trump campaign have made clear that the Trump campaign has employed a number of individuals with significant and disturbing ties to Russia and the Kremlin," Reid wrote.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/americas/30-08-2016/135464-democrats_russia_elections-0/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/ecfe7c339c69de12c5ccc96825ac007fb450547408952bfc1b74efa5fc0b3b80.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:07:35 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | Buying a new car has become a luxury for many Russians again. The cost of cars in the first half of 2016 has ncreased by 18% | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fbusiness%2Fcompanies%2F24-08-2016%2F135423-new_cars_russia-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/0/2/58702.jpeg | en | null | Buying new cars becomes luxury to most Russians | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Buying a new car has become a luxury for many Russians again. The cost of cars in the first half of 2016 has ncreased by 18% compared with the same period last year. At the same time, incomes of the population have decreased.
From January to July of 2016, average prices for new cars in Russia reached the level of 1.356,000 rubles (about $20,000). Price tags for certain brands have gained 28-40%. For example, a high line Renault SUV cost about 700,000 two years ago, but now they are selling at nearly 1.5 million rubles.
According to the National Bureau of Credit Histories, the first half of 2016 recorded the highest dynamics of increase in arrears on auto loans of 1.4%.
It is worth noting that one can receive a loan at 9.9% or even lower, but such loans are still unaffordable to many, given the current level of the population income.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/business/companies/24-08-2016/135423-new_cars_russia-0/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/4e2bce755e2bcded4053ba2adc86950312a3bfff75c9b16dfd97e0ccc962e9d4.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:10:39 | null | null | The Japanese Ministry of Defence is going to request a record-breaking budget of 5.17 trillion yens for the 2017 fiscal year.
According to the Kyodo agency, it is connected with escalation on the Korean peninsula | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fasia%2F19-08-2016%2F135389-japan-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/6/7/8/58678.jpeg | en | null | Japan’s Defence Ministry requires budget over $50bln for 2017 | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru photo archive
The Japanese Ministry of Defence is going to request a record-breaking budget of 5.17 trillion yens for the 2017 fiscal year.
According to the Kyodo agency, it is connected with escalation on the Korean peninsula, where China keeps testing missiles. Thus, Japan's military expenses will increase 2.3% against the current fiscal year.
Analysts note that about 14 billion yens ($140m) are planned to be spent on the purchase of the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor missiles, which are designed jointly by Japan and the US.
Beside that, the Japanese authorities will start modernizing the Patriot PAC-3 surface-to-air missile systems, which are deployed in the territory of the country. About 98.7 billion yens ($980m) will be allocated for this aim. Launchers and radar systems are also expected to undergo modernization. It should increase the blast radius and target accuracy under simultaneous launch of several missiles.
Japan also plans to deploy mobile missile launchers on the remote Sakishima archipelago (Okinawa) in the East China Sea. A permanent garrison of 2,000 soldiers will be set on the islands in the nearest two years.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/asia/19-08-2016/135389-japan-0/ | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/a60cf22087bc576373bc24a14505ba653c5a55a34116fb8a27c1c82af1822c86.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:04:52 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | Some prefer sadomasochism. They do not mind others calling their country a land of the monkeys and the whole region - a latrine (América Latrina) | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F23-08-2016%2F135414-american_swimmers_rio-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/6/9/9/58699.jpeg | en | null | American party in Rio: There's no sin below the equator | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | AP photo
This heartbreaking story made headlines in all American newspapers and television channels. When American swimmers were robbed at a gas station in Rio de Janeiro, the reports about the incident appeared as "breaking news" in most of US publications. It has been recently revealed, however, that the Americans initiated the robbery and accused the Brazilian police of violence.
Lochte's legend about the criminal police
Olympians Ryan Lochte, James Feigen, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz reported to the police, that "police officers" stopped their cab at a gas station in Rio on August 14. According to Lochte, one of the men put a gun to his head, took the money ($ 700) and personal belongings. However, the police, having studied surveillance camera videos, concluded that it was the Americans themselves, who broke the door to the bathroom and came into conflict with gas station personnel. Being in a state of alcoholic intoxication, the US athletes damaged equipment inside the station. After the gas station employees demanded the athletes should pay for the damage that they caused, the Americans tried to escape. One of the guards, threatening with a pistol, forced the swimmers to stay and called the police.
The court prohibited the four athletes from leaving Brazil for the time of the investigation of the incident. However, Lochte, who is said to be the one who started it, had already escaped. On Friday, Bentz and Conger got permission to leave Brazil. Feigen left the country too, having paid $10,000 in donations to "institutions". In accordance with the law of Brazil, one can make donations (charity) to avoid criminal prosecution for minor offenses. Yet, the case is far from being closed. False alarm and the destruction of property is pending - both offenses are punishable with up to six months in prison or a fine.
The Americans had a party in Rio
Brian Winter, an expert at the Research Center of the Americas in Washington, DC (Council of the Americas) told BBC Brasil that the story would be forgotten in a few days, but it was important to reveal all the facts.
It would be sad if Brazil forgets the story indeed. The story has affected the image of Brazil as a democracy with strong legal and security agencies. A variety of Western publications have been doing their best to stain this image throughout the Rio Olympics. The story started a lot earlier, when the case for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff was opened six months ago. One must admit that Washington has a habit of overthrowing objectionable governments during Olympic periods - suffice it to recall Georgia's aggression or the Ukrainian Maidan.
"There is no sin below the equator"
The goal of such campaigns is to dramatically reduce the self-esteem of the people and their faith in their own values. Green water in pools, Zika virus, street crime, dirty cities, bad builders, "police impotence" and so on - anything comes in handy. In fairness, it should be said that the Americans accommodated Olympic athletes in Lake Placid prison in 1980 (the reconstruction of sports facilities, as well as the construction of the Olympic Village had not been completed in time). The Americans pollute their cities (Detroit, Chicago) and experience ecological disasters on a regular basis (the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico). What right do the "exceptional" Americans have to educate other nations on violence? Have they forgotten the Boston marathon bombings, or Black Lives Matter, or mass school shootings, or the Orlando gay bar massacre, etc, etc?
In the XVII century, Caspar Barlaeus, a Dutch national, said when describing excesses of colonial policy: there is no sin below the equator. According to Barlaeus, any act of dishonesty committed there does not stain gentleman's name, especially if there is a need to topple the leftist regime that integrated itself into the economic bloc with Russia and China (BRICS) and established regional blocs (MERCOSUR, SELAC) on the basis of independent Latin American states. This country has huge reserves of shelf oil, and the new government of CIA informer Michel Temer intends to bring it all to the US of A.
Will the Brazilians answer? Will they prove that they live in a legal state, where one should not insult the police? If the story had happened in the USA, the athletes would most likely have been jailed. Yet, it all happened in Rio, so they are certain that they can get away with it, because "there is no sin below the equator."
We would like to note here that the Brazilians have the complex of the American backyard (sindrome vira-lata): the gringos are a model of democracy, and in Brazil everything is bad, the Brazilian police is bad and corrupt, but all American sheriffs are honest and respectable people.
Perhaps, some prefer sadomasochism. They do not mind others calling their country a land of the monkeys and the whole region - a latrine (América Latrina).
As for the behavior of the American swimmers, this is an example of how "respectable" Americans behave. And these "exceptional" individuals are convinced that their arrogance and impudent behavior contributes to the image of the police state, where they come from. We doubt so.
Lyuba Lulko
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/world/americas/23-08-2016/135414-american_swimmers_rio-0/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/ed70e0ece2cd2ecbea46c71bc5caff986f008845b7e6c7812737238a8887670c.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:48:12 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Turkey has invaded Syria. What would happen if Russia suddenly decided to strike Ukrainian troops in the Donbas | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fworld%2Fasia%2Fsyria%2F26-08-2016%2F135447-turkey_syria-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/1/8/58718.jpeg | en | null | Invading sovereign states, ignoring UN | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | AP photo
Turkey launched Euphrates Shield military operation in Syria on August 24. The official purpose of the operation is to destroy Islamic State militants in the border zone. However, the UN has not authorized the operation, and the Syrian authorities said that Turkey violated Syria's sovereignty.
The press secretary of the UN Secretary General called the actions of the Turkish armed forces in Syria an invasion and said that Ankara did not coordinate its actions with the United Nations.
It just so happens that Turkey has ignored international law and acts similarly to the USA that does not need any permission from any international organization to invade sovereign states.
How important can the declarations from the UN be? Will they entail any real action? Pravda.Ru spoke about it to senior officer at the Center for Military-Political Studies at the Moscow State University for Foreign Relations (MGIMO), Doctor of Political Science, Mikhail Alexandrov.
"Nothing will follow. It's just a formal statement. In general, Syria's sovereignty is violated by anyone who will take the trouble, except for Russia and Iran that operate in Syria in coordination with the Syrian government. The UN has shown the reaction because Turkey's actions do not fit into the Western strategy," the expert told Pravda.Ru.
"The US, in turn, has reluctantly swallowed the pill, because the Americans are forced to reconcile with Turkey now after the conflict associated with the attempted coup. The Turks, of course, took advantage of the situation - they took advantage of the US support for their own purposes," said the expert.
When asked what would happen if Russia suddenly decided to strike Ukrainian troops in the Donbas, Mikhail Alexandrov said:
"In this case, the UN Security Council would gatherer for a meeting immediately to condemn Russia. Yet, Russia can not invade other countries, but they can."
Erdogan calls Putin
On August 26, Russian and Turkish presidents, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, conducted a telephone conversation. The presidents discussed the situation in Syria and agreed to continue personal communication conversation. The conversation was initiated by President Erdogan.
"The leaders had a detailed exchange of views on the state of affairs in Syria. They noted the importance of joint efforts in the fight against terrorism," a message from the Kremlin said. In addition, the presidents discussed "issues of further development of Russian-Turkish cooperation in political, trade and economic spheres in light of the agreements reached at the meeting in St. Petersburg on August 9."
Meanwhile, Anatoly Antonov, Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia offered Japan to join the humanitarian operation in Syria's Aleppo, the press-service of the department said.
The official held a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Russia Toyohisa Kodzuki. Anatoly Antonov informed the Japanese Ambassador on the progress of humanitarian operations in Aleppo and invited colleagues from the Ministry of Defense of Japan to join the operation.
The officials also exchanged opinions about the situation in the Asia-Pacific region and the Korean Peninsula.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister stressed the importance of political and diplomatic settlement of the situation on the peninsula to prevent tensions in Northeast Asia. The Russian official also drew attention to negative influence of the deployment of US missile defenses on the military-political situation in the region.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/world/asia/syria/26-08-2016/135447-turkey_syria-0/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/1de04f05e0e84fbbede341c2de837719e62f4190fdc54e74817d5ededd10c6b2.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:48:55 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | The ongoing conflict in Syria is no longer seen as the conflict with Bashar Assad, the "outcast." The Syrian conflict has now evolved into the geopolitical struggle against radical Islamists | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fworld%2Fasia%2Fsyria%2F25-08-2016%2F135437-china_india_russia_syria-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/1/2/58712.jpeg | en | null | China and India to oust Russia from Syria? | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Bashar al-Assad's Syria is not isolated anymore. Russia, China and India have supported the Syrian president in many ways, and it is clear that Syria is close to the end of the war, while the powers that be get ready to snatch up pieces of the Syrian pie. There is no friendship in geopolitics, and Russia comes across serious competition in Syria.
Syria no longer isolated
Saturday's visit of Indian Foreign Minister Mobasher Jawed Akbar to Damascus put emphasis on India's support for the Assad government in the Syrian conflict. Interestingly, Chinese officials stated last week that China was going to double military cooperation with Bashar Assad. India preferred not to sit on its hands and sent its top official to Syria.
Unlike China, the West sees India as a democracy. Therefore, the visit of the Indian foreign minister to Syria came as an effort of the "international community" to take the war-torn country out of isolation.
Syrian president urged India to "play the role of growing power" to stabilize West Asia. An agreement was signed to further improve security talks, dnaindia.com said. The publication noted that New Delhi was concerned about the growing threat of terrorism coming from ISIL terrorist group. The website reminded that the terrorist act in Dhaka killed 29 people last month.
During the meeting, Assad welcomed India's objective approach to the conflict in Syria, and the leaders agreed that terrorism was a global problem, said dnaindia.com with reference to diplomatic sources. Akbar said that the time to restore the destroyed Syrian cities would soon come, and Assad invited India to participate in their reconstruction.
India's interest in the stability in West Asia stems from the fact that more than seven million Indian nationals work in the region. Their safety remains a major concern for the government, in addition to the country's energy needs, the website said.
Beijing and New Delhi engage into Syrian competition
It is interesting, however, that a year ago, New Delhi did not think about either Indian migrants or many joint projects in the region. Some of them were large-scale projects, such as, for example, the Tishreen hydroelectric station under the control of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), or the Steel Plant in Hama province. Now New Delhi intends to finish those projects, if Damascus guarantees safety.
The above-mentioned prospects suggest that the war in Syria is nearing its end. Moreover, it is clear who is going to promote their businesses in the post-war Syria. The changes were made possible after Turkey admitted Bashar al-Assad's presence in the transition government. The Americans no longer want to topple Assad either. Arab monarchies, however, still remain opposed to Assad's role in the post-war Syria.
Last week, China expressed its support for the Syrian president. China's policy will be aimed at strengthening cooperation with Syria in the fight against the threat of terrorism, the chief of the Office of International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of China Guan Youfei said. He said that China was going to strengthen anti-terrorist policy against the militants in Syria to thereby support the Assad government.
Syria is a grateful friend. Assad supports Beijing on the South China Sea dispute. Damascus supports India on the issue of Kashmir by claiming that Kashmir remains an integral part of India. As for Russia, Assad supports Russia's reunification with the Crimea.
Moscow has to do all the "dirty work"
As we can see, the ongoing conflict in Syria is no longer seen as the conflict with Bashar Assad, the "outcast." The Syrian conflict has now evolved into the geopolitical struggle against radical Islamists.
The West, Turkey and Arab monarchies are not likely to be among those who will be sharing pieces of the Syrian pie. The pieces will be distributed between Russia, China and India. Beijing and New Delhi have something that Moscow does not have - billions of dollars in investment. Moscow is waging war in Syria, but Beijing and New Delhi are not. Russia bears political responsibility, and they do not. Thus, the Russians will do all "the dirty and hard work", whereas the Chinese and the Indians will enjoy the results.
Moreover, they will be able to attract Iran and Turkey to the reconstruction of Syria, regardless of who comes to power in Damascus after Bashar al-Assad. This is quite possible indeed, given China's past experiences in Africa and Latin America.
Russia should not put all eggs in one basket in Syria. Russia should negotiate and promote mutually beneficial economic projects, otherwise Russia will be shown the door because "the Moor has done his duty."
"The recent trilateral meeting of the presidents of Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan has given a new impetus to the implementation of the North-South transport corridor," Boris Volkhonsky, deputy head of the center for Asia and the Middle East at RISI told Pravda.Ru. "Syria is not far from this corridor, which should become a center for the integration of the vast region, including the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia and Northern Europe, with India joining the project.
"The fact that China has "soft power"- investment - and Russia has "hard power" is not a question of competition - this is a question of complementarity," the expert said.
Lyuba Lulko
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/world/asia/syria/25-08-2016/135437-china_india_russia_syria-0/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/bc970fe5171b65ee674fae7ba131564cbb1ef0419e98ccfb1033987ecf472105.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:08:38 | null | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | North Korea may strike a preemptive nuclear blow on the USA and South Korea to scorch out the citadel of the provocateurs | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fhotspots%2Fconflicts%2F22-08-2016%2F135396-north_korea_nuclear-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/6/8/3/58683.jpeg | en | null | North Korea warns of preemptive nuclear strike | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru photo archive
A representative of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army said that the DPRK would strike a pre-emptive nuclear blow on the armed forces of South Korea and the United States in case of aggression against Pyongyang in the course of joint US-South Korean exercises Ulji Freedom Guardian. The drills start on Aug. 22 and will last before September.
The authorities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) suspect that the real objective of joint military exercises between the US and South Korea is a surprise attack on the DPRK.
"A nuclear pre-emptive strike will scorch out the citadel of the provocateurs," a statement from the General Staff of the Korean People's Army said.
The North Korean officials also said that the army of the republic was fully prepared for the possible attack. "The state of affairs on the Korean peninsula is so tense, a nuclear war can start any moment," the statement also said.
"From now on, we will raise our deadly weapons even higher to permanently put an end to the intrigues of the American imperialism and South Korean puppets to unleash a nuclear war," North Korean military officials said in a statement.
At the same time, South Korean officials stated that it could be North Korea that could instigate provocations. The South Korean authorities believe that it could be possible in connection with the as several North Korean diplomats escaped to South Korea, including from Moscow and London.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/hotspots/conflicts/22-08-2016/135396-north_korea_nuclear-0/ | en | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/774034c68187b54700d563f9580efe4a737c6aacbf600523055303c92ba1b436.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:04:11 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | It is a pity that Ukraine has Independence Day, but it does not have independence. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fworld%2Fussr%2Fukraine%2F24-08-2016%2F135425-ukraine_independence-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/0/4/58704.jpeg | en | null | Ukraine's 25 years of independence: A tail without a lizard | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru photo archive
On August 24, Ukraine pompously celebrates the 25th anniversary of its independence. Ukrainian flags and embroidered shirts in the streets of Ukrainian cities dance before your eyes. After the military parade and eloquent speeches about the special way and the choice of the Ukrainian people, the president of the sovereign country will go to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande to receive the next portion of recommendations.
"In light of the lethal danger that Ukraine was facing in connection with the coup d'état in the Soviet Union on 19 August 1991" to "continue the thousand-year tradition of state building in Ukraine", "on the basis of the right to self-determination under the UN Charter and other international documents," the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic proclaimed the independence of Ukraine on August 24, 1991.
On December 1, 1991, the Ukrainians went to the polls to take part in the referendum, at which they were offered to answer the following question: "Do you confirm the declaration of Independence of Ukraine?" The same day, the Ukrainians had to elect their president, even though the-then Ukrainian Constitution did not envisage the position of president.
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The results of the All-Union referendum from March 17, 1991 were completely ignored, even though 80 percent of Soviet citizens and 83.5 percent of Ukrainian citizens took part in the referendum, in which 76.43 percent of Soviet and 70.2 percent of Ukrainian citizens voted to preserve the renewed Soviet Union. Alas, Mikhail Gorbachev wanted to ruin the country, while Boris Yeltsin, Leonid Kravchuk and Stanislav Shushkevich were craving more power. Thus, the will of the people of the world's largest and one of the most powerful states was swept under the carpet.
What has Ukraine achieved in 25 years of its independence? In 25 years of independence, Ukraine, formerly one of the most developed and advanced countries of the former USSR, has turned into a failed state that has lost its territorial integrity and can be compared to a number of poorest countries of Africa and Asia.
"It is tempting to attribute most of the losses to Maidan II and the ensuing civil war, but it is not quite correct. Maidan of 2013-2014 brought the main trends of the Ukrainian development to their logical conclusion," political strategist Vasily Stoyakin believes. "The main trends were about Ukraine's aspiration to build the post-occupation society after the country obtained independence as a result of the process that the country did not depend on at all.
There were no other grounds for the existence of independent Ukraine. According to the expert, Ukraine did not know what to do with its freedom. Ukraine did not know that the only difference between its new life and the "colonial" past was about the right to find new masters. "They found the new masters, but, unfortunately, the new masters had no intention to claim any responsibility for anything," Vasily Stoyakin said.
Under these conditions, Ukraine saw the rise of the new elite in the form of oligarchic bourgeoisie. The new elite proved to be quite effective to restore a part of the industrial potential. At the same time, it was too dependent on the West, but most importantly, its power was illegitimate inside the country.
Ukraine's 25: 15 years of revolutions and crises
"However, nearly all positive aspects that Ukraine has demonstrated during 25 years of its independence are associated with the activities of Leonid Kuchma. It was Kuchma, who built the political and economic system of power of big national capital. However, being a technocrat, Kuchma did not try to change the ideology of the country's development. His presidency thus created a generation of consumers, who sincerely believed that the whole world was supposed to tolerate their quirks and support them financially. The collapse of the state and economy was inevitable," the expert said.
One can give many facts and figures to illustrate the things that have changed in Ukraine during 25 years, but only three would be enough, economist Alexander Okhrimenko believes. In the early 1990s, the average salary in Ukraine was at the level of about $20. Before Maidan, it was already nearly $480, but now - just $200. "During 25 years of independence, the Ukrainian economy was growing (along with the income of the population) in 1993-1998, 2001-2004, 2006-2008 and in 2010-2013. In total, it makes up only ten years. The remaining 15 years were the years of crises and revolutions," the expert said.
Let us compare GDP per capita in 1992: Ukraine - $1,511, Kazakhstan - $1,480. Today, the same numbers in Ukraine (data for 2015) make up a little more than 2,000 dollars, and in Kazakhstan - more than 10,000 dollars. How so? The answer is simple: there were no revolutions and civil wars in Kazakhstan. Prior to the "revolution of dignity," GDP was nearly 4,000, which was still not enough. Yet, the wars of oligarchs destroy the economy of Ukraine. As soon as they conclude a truce, the inflow of foreign investment grows along with GDP. When oligarchs arrange another Maidan, life in Ukraine turns into ruins.
"Here and now, when Ukraine celebrates 25 years of independence, a natural question arises: how will the country celebrate the 50th anniversary? Will Ukraine exist in another 25 years?" says Alexander Okhrimenko. After Maidan, the economy of Ukraine has been falling apart. All the talking about the EU market and Europe's love for Ukraine was nothing but shallow talking. The US State Department has made the Ukrainian government its puppets, whose main objective is to accommodate the Ambassador of the United States. In such circumstances, the standard of living from 2013 will seem a dream for many generations of Ukrainians, who will only be left to wonder why their grandfathers made those Maidan riots happen.
However, many people in today's Ukraine slowly realize that the "revolution of dignity" was not a revolution at all, but a coup that triggered a civil war. The leader of the Radical Party, Oleg Lyashko, has recently said that "the EU has deceived Ukraine as the free trade zone only works on paper." At a party conference, Lyashko told colleagues that Ukrainian goods have practically no chances to find themselves in Europe, while made-in-EU goods can be found in Ukraine easily. "The authorities are ready for anything to receive another loan from the IMF - they are ready to raise utility tariffs and the retirement age, to indiscriminately sell state property, to lift the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land and so on. We do not need financial help - we need jobs. When the Ukrainians have well-paid jobs, they will be able to help others," Oleg Lyashko said.
Ukraine wants to sit on two chairs
Noteworthy, the coup that ended with the toppling of President Viktor Yanukovych started when he refused to sign the association agreement with the European Union.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was living like lizard's severed tail: the country was trying to pretend that it was living its own life, independently from the main organism. The tail has not grown back. Ukraine was trying to sit on two chairs. The country started selling out its sovereignty. Today's Ukrainian sovereignty is all about its symbols - the anthem, the coat of arms, the position of the president and other souvenirs.
"As part of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was on the list of most industrially developed countries. Today, we have a territory that has returned to its roots - embroidered shirts and gardens. Ukraine's industry is going down in history. The world's most powerful missile, Voevoda, and the biggest plane of the planet, "Mriya," can now be found in non-decommunized museums. They will soon disappear from the public eye completely, as one should not irritate the minds of the residents of the most European of all European countries with monsters of the Soviet past. As for the "achievements" of the past quarter of the century, one should mention the exodus of the people, the loss of the Crimea and the war in the Donbas, where people fight not to accept their "happiness."
Can a protectorate have an Independence Day? Political analyst Konstantin Bondarenko gave the following answer to this question: "Dominion countries do not have independence days. There is just Canada Day, Australia Day and so on. The dominions have a complex system of relations with their mother country, the recognition of the sovereign rights of the monarch, etc. At the same time, the dominions have absolutely independent foreign and domestic policies, the financial system and so forth. Ukraine is not a dominion, because Ukraine does not have independent foreign and domestic policies. The country has no sovereign financial system either. Ukraine is a protectorate. Therefore, Ukraine's Independence Day is a luxury that a number of countries do not have."
It is a pity that Ukraine has Independence Day, but it does not have independence.
Yuri Grigoruk
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/world/ussr/ukraine/24-08-2016/135425-ukraine_independence-0/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/0fb92f51359225113c44ed9fc75d1346170fde03a72984e9f52671a8c3b8dfb6.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:56:04 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | US Constitution and its death | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fopinion%2Fcolumnists%2F25-08-2016%2F135439-constitution_united_states-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/1/3/58713.jpeg | en | null | The constitution of the United States is dead | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | One of the tragedies of the "if it bleeds, it leads" mentality of America's corporate-controlled media is the fact that oftentimes the greatest threats to freedom do not come from incidents that make headlines, but from those that do not.
For example, in a recent Pravda.Ru article, Banned in America (June 27, 2016), I discussed the Supreme Court's ruling in Utah vs. Strieff-a ruling that Justice Sotomayor accurately and passionately condemned as an unwarranted (and continuing) dilution of the Fourth Amendment's prohibition against "unreasonable searches and seizures"
I was not alone. Since it was a decision rendered by America's "highest court," the potential repercussions of Strieff were debated and analyzed throughout the national media.
But it is an obscure case from the State of Indiana that recently sounded the death knell for the United States Constitution, especially when it comes to protecting the rights of the poor and/or racial minorities.
Brutality
According to the website of WNDU, a television station in Northern Indiana, in July 2012, three white, South Bend police officers entered the home of an African-American family without a warrant, and "punched and tased an innocent teen in a case of mistaken identity." Even though an investigation later confirmed that the officers had illegally entered the home and used excessive force, all they had to do was take "remedial training."
But the story gets more egregious. I have stated in numerous Pravda.Ru articles that America's corrupt and racist legal system will work harder to rationalize and/or cover-up injustices than it will to pursue justice, especially if these injustices serve the system. So it was not surprising that, just a few days ago, a "good-ol' boy" federal jury in Fort Wayne, Indiana awarded this family the insulting sum of one dollar as compensation for the violation of their constitutional rights.
Corrupt and racist system
A South Bend civil rights activist not only condemned this verdict as a "travesty of justice," but also perceptively stated that had this incident happened to a family living in the predominantly white, upper-middle class suburbs, the award would certainly have been much greater.
It gets even worse. WNDU also reported that, thanks to this jury's minuscule "award," an attorney has filed a brief with the court demanding that the victims of this police misconduct pay the officers' legal fees.
It is not difficult to discern the dangerous ramifications of such a demand, or to realize that I am not exaggerating when I say that this case could indeed signal the death of the Constitution.
The death of the Constitution
One ramification is that future victims of constitutional rights violations might become more reluctant to pursue such claims in court if they risk having to pay the very people who victimized them.
But even if one is willing to take that risk, there is also the very real prospect that fewer attorneys will be willing to file such claims when even a favorable outcome will fail to cover their fees or costs.
Perhaps the most dangerous ramification of all is the message being sent to the law enforcement community that judges and jurors are more than willing to view the protection and preservation of constitutional rights as a joke, and that the costs for violating them will be no more than a cup of coffee.
I know that regular readers of Pravda.Ru might accuse me of hypocrisy, particularly since, in my article The Perils of Agenda-Driven Justice (June 2, 2016), I argued that the legal system should be more focused on finding truth than sending "messages." However, as that article points out, I was primarily discussing cases where, despite evidence of a person's innocence, agenda-driven prosecutors tried to convict them anyway.
In the case this article discusses, the culpability of the police officers was established. It was an agenda-driven jury that sent the message that the constitutional rights of the poor and/or racial minorities are essentially valueless in the legal system's eyes.
Is it any wonder that African-Americans, and indeed many Americans, have lost faith in the legal system? Constitutional rights are only as safe as the system that is supposed to protect them, which means in America, they are no longer safe at all.
David R. Hoffman, Legal Editor of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/opinion/columnists/25-08-2016/135439-constitution_united_states-0/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/67a4eebf176040f6449e7e81ff403c0b2d4c587fc73a509c1d920987845167cd.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:07:18 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Spokesman for UN Secretary General Stephane Dujarric de la Rivière called Turkey's actions in Syria an invasion | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fasia%2Fsyria%2F26-08-2016%2F135445-un_turkey_aggressor-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/1/6/58716.jpeg | en | null | UN declares Turkey aggressor | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | AP photo
Spokesman for UN Secretary General Stephane Dujarric de la Rivière called Turkey's actions in Syria an invasion and noted that Ankara did not coordinate its actions with the United Nations.
The authorities of Syria have recently filed a complaint at the UN about Turkey's illegal actions. According to Syrian officials, the actions of the Turkish army violated Sirya's sovereignty.
On August 24, the Turkish army with the support of the aviation of the international coalition started liberating the city of Jarabulus in northern Syria. According to Turkish news agency Anadolu, the operation in Jarabulus was launched to cleanse Turkish borders from terrorist groups and support Syria's territorial integrity.
Representatives for the Turkish authorities said that the purpose of the military operation in Syria was to reduce the flow of migrants and deliver humanitarian aid to the population.
Earlier, President of the Institute for the Middle East, Yevgeny Satanovsky, told Pravda.Ru that Turkey invaded Syria to destroy Kurds, rather than terrorisrts.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/asia/syria/26-08-2016/135445-un_turkey_aggressor-0/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/2bb95a2c2f0a157b956e58e1801f56f794327503ce1f48d1eba2c25f9a99ba6b.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T10:51:23 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | For the first time in the history of space exploration, Russia's new space probe will land in the area of the south pole of the Moon. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fscience%2Ftech%2F30-08-2016%2F135465-russia_spacecraft_moon-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/3/3/58733.jpeg | en | null | Russia's new spacecraft to land on south pole of the Moon in 2019 | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Russia will launch its spacecraft to the Moon in late 2019. The spacecraft will be the first space probe built within the scope of "Luna-Glob" lunar program, Acting General Director of NPO named after Lavochkin, Sergei Lemeshevsky said.
"The work is underway. Yes, there are red tape problems. The date for the launch - November-December of 2019 - depends on the ballistics, as it is problematic to delay the launch further. We have our schedule that has been coordinated entirely. We fully understand that one should do all the work in a timely manner," said Lemeshevsky.
Antenna and a development-design tests for the new spacecraft have been completed. The engines and propulsion elements have been tested as well. "The import substitution problem for the project has been solved. Our main goal now is to master the soft landing technology," the official added.
For the first time in the history of space exploration, Russia's new space probe will land in the area of the south pole of the Moon.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/science/tech/30-08-2016/135465-russia_spacecraft_moon-0/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/c07cc13c77534f988d615ba5cb85d4fc4c470da82e3cb0e00e363f2067a3a452.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:09:25 | null | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | After the presidential election in April 2017, France will take the course for rapprochement with Russia to ensure stability in the country and prevent new terrorist attacks | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Feurope%2F24-08-2016%2F135424-france_russia-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/0/3/58703.jpeg | en | null | France to become Russia's key European ally after presidential election | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: Pravda.Ru photo archive
After the presidential election in April 2017, France will take the course for rapprochement with Russia to ensure stability in the country and prevent new terrorist attacks.
A source in the administration of The Republicans party told the Izvestia newspaper that France was preoccupied with economy, social issues and unemployment three months ago. At present, the country and all parties are primarily concerned about security, protection of national borders and the struggle against terrorism. The need to combat the threat of terrorism made many candidates revise their attitude to Russia. French officials believe that it is possible to defeat radical Islamic forces in cooperation with Moscow.
According to the newspaper, The Republicans originally considered anti-Russian sanctions ineffective. Initially, the issue of anti-Russian sanctions was associated with the implementation of the Minsk Accords. Currently, all agree that restrictive measures are not a solution to political problems, and the implementation of the Minsk agreements can not depend only on one side. The lifting of sanctions, members of the French party believe, will change the economic situation in France.
Noteworthy, French ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy announced his plans to run in next year's presidential election.
French political scientist Xavier Moreau said in an interview with Pravda.Ru that Nicolas Sarkozy had good changes to win the upcoming presidential election in France. Sarkozy wants to have good relations with Russia, the expert said.
"In 2007, he was a candidate from the United States. Now he believes that the USA has betrayed him, because the American candidate now is Alain Juppe. He wants his revenge, and it is possible that he will continue his policy of improving ties with Russia. The high point of his career as president was in the field of international relations, when Sarkozy was assisting in the regulation of the war with Georgia," the expert told Pravda.Ru.
Speaking of Sarkozy's nearest rival, Alain Juppe, the expert called him a dangerous competitor for France. "If nothing changes, it means that our submission to the United States will continue, so I think that Juppe is a very dangerous candidate for France," the political scientist said.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/europe/24-08-2016/135424-france_russia-0/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/1d4d6abe686a5d965d8662e270881e9289c5f4339f6bf38d27bdcbe23563b147.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:51:29 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The complex operation consisting of three sophisticated techniques at once lasted for 6 hours. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fscience%2Ftech%2F30-08-2016%2F135469-heart_surgery-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/3/7/58737.jpeg | en | null | Russian doctors conduct world's first-ever tricomponent heart surgery | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | Source: REX
Doctors of the Scientific Research Institute of Blood Circulation Pathology named after Academician E. N. Meshalkin have successfully conducted the world's first-ever tricomponent heart surgery.
The specialists of the Research Institute of Blood Circulation Pathology in Novosibirsk have successfully operated a 48-year-old man, who had chronic aortic dissection, deteriorated aortic valve and coronary artery disease. The complex operation consisting of three sophisticated techniques at once lasted for only six hours.
The patient was brought to the hospital six weeks ago. The man was in critical condition and could die without surgery. The man's heart had several pathologies - deterioration of the aortic valve, coronary arteries and the ascending aorta.
During the operation, the doctors realized that the aortic valve had to be removed due to the degree of its deterioration. In a regular situation, the patient would have received a prosthetic aortic arch and adjacent blood vessels. The procedure would have also included the Bentall-De Bono surgery (to replace the the aortic root) and a coronary artery bypass surgery, Alexander Bogachev-Prokofiev, the head of the center of new surgical technologies of the hospital said.
However, the patient was planning to lead an active life without taking anticoagulants after surgery. The drugs are supposed to be taken after the installation of mechanical prostheses.
As a result, the severely affected aortic valve was replaced with another arterial valve of the patient that the doctors transplanted from his pulmonary artery. It took the surgeons 1.5 hours to complete this stage of the surgery, which set a record compared to other clinics.
The operation became possible owing to the extensive experience of the surgeons of the institute, who have conducted more than a thousand of such surgeries before.
The six-hour surgery of this complexity became the first in the world surgical practice. In addition to the Ross operation, the patient received a prosthetic aortic arch and a coronary bypass surgery. Twelve days later, the man was discharged home.
The replacement of the aortic valve with the pulmonary one will let the patient avoid taking blood thinners continuously. The man will be able to do sports and lead an active way of life.
It is worthy of note that Novosibirsk scientists also developed an artificial heart - a mechanical circulatory support device.
The device created by specialists of the Research Institute of Blood Circulation Pathology named after Meshalkin is 3-5 times cheaper than foreign analogues. The use of the device lowers the risks of blood clots.
The device currently undergoes tests. In the autumn of 2016, cardiologists plan to implant the device in laboratory animals.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/science/tech/30-08-2016/135469-heart_surgery-0/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/454fce40a7ef50c9b7aa9511452b4ea25dc211423503a5d45ec640ba4916fa3f.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T12:52:35 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Russian Minister for Natural Resources and Environment Sergei Donskoi exposed the list of Russian cities with dirtiest air | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Frussia%2Feconomics%2F31-08-2016%2F135480-moscow_air-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/4/7/58747.jpeg | en | null | Moscow air named Russia's dirtiest | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | AP photo
Russian Minister for Natural Resources and Environment Sergei Donskoi exposed the list of Russian cities with dirtiest air.
In an interview with Vedomosti, the official said that the situation with air pollution was most severe in Moscow, Norilsk, Irkutsk, Chita, Dzerzhinsk, Krasnoyarsk, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk.
"In November, we plan to publish the environmental rating of Russian cities. The purpose of the report is not only about assessing the current state of affairs in terms of the pollution of air or water bodies. The report will also assess the dynamics of the pollution and the measures that municipal authorities take in this respect," the official said.
The minister also said that Moscow was ranked Russia's most polluted city last year as well, although it is obvious that the level of air pollution in the capital is the highest.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/russia/economics/31-08-2016/135480-moscow_air-0/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/9459666665ddf8a43a5cc077513f5b946b09eb0dea79887110358e4c1de720db.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:51:31 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | French President Francois Hollande expressed his regrets about the deterioration of relations with Russia | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pravdareport.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Feurope%2F30-08-2016%2F135471-hollande_russia-0%2F.json | http://pravda-team.ru/eng/image/article/7/3/9/58739.jpeg | en | null | French President Hollande hopes to bury the hatchet with Russia | null | null | www.pravdareport.com | AP photo
French President Francois Hollande expressed his regrets about the deterioration of relations with Russia. Hollande said that lifting the sanctions against Russia was a common interest for both Russia and France.
During the speech before ambassadors at the annual conference of the French Foreign Ministry, Francois Hollande said that the crisis in Ukraine changed the relations between Russia and Europe and caused damage to both sides. Mutual sanctions caused most damage to joint economic projects, the French president said.
"We are all interested in finding the best way out of this situation as soon as possible," Francois Hollande said.
He referred to historical ties between France and Russia and said that the two countries were always maintaining close and friendly relations. Hollande also set out a hope that the French-Russian relations would return back to normal. Francois Hollande noted that Russia should take responsibility for solving crises on the international arena, particularly in Ukraine and Syria. He also expressed a hope that the Norman Quartet of Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine would resume its work soon.
The outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis complicated relations between Russia, the EU and the USA. In the summer of 2014, the West introduced economic sanctions against Russia. In response, Moscow imposed counter-sanctions against Western countries.
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru | http://www.pravdareport.com/news/world/europe/30-08-2016/135471-hollande_russia-0/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.pravdareport.com/f9a6bbd087dce1a74bf8aa4778f5b216c75e8bee35667396ff8864b94307a084.json |
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] | 2016-08-30T12:48:19 | null | 2016-08-30T11:50:27 | Classic examples of | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fwhat-s-on%2Fgigs-music%2Fthe-uk-names-its-top-40-driving-songs-which-one-is-your-favourite-1-8095610.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8095609.1472554290!/image/image.jpg | en | null | The UK names its top 40 driving songs - which one is your favourite? | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Classic examples of 'dad rock' dominate a top 40 chart of the UK's favourite songs for the open road.
Steppenwolf's rousing single Born to Be Wild - which was released in 1968 and coined the phrase 'heavy metal' - was the nation's top choice.
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, which stayed at the No 1 spot for nine weeks in 1975/76, was runner-up.
And the Beach Boys' surf tune I Get Around took the third spot in a poll of 2,000 UK adults by National Express.
The Top 10 was completed by I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by the Proclaimers, Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen, Highway to Hell by AC/DC, Take It Easy by the Eagles, Thin Lizzy's The Boys Are Back In Town, Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd and I Drove All Night by Cyndi Lauper.
Top 40 Songs for the Road
1. Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf
2. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
3. I Get Around - Beach Boys
4. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
5. Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
6. Highway To Hell - ACDC
7. Take It Easy - Eagles
8. The Boys Are Back In Town - Thin Lizzy
9. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
10. I Drove All Night - Cyndi Lauper
11. Mr Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra
12. Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
13. Hotel California - Eagles
14. Ace Of Spades - Motorhead
15. Here I Go Again - Whitesnake
16. I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
17. Road To Nowhere - Talking Heads
18. Paradise City - Guns 'n' Roses
19. On the Road Again - Willie Nelson
20. Drive My Car - The Beatles
21. America - Simon and Garfunkel
22. Where The Streets Have No Name - U2
23. Roar - Katy Perry
24. The Passenger - Iggy Pop
25. Get Lucky - Daft Punk
26. Little Red Corvette - Prince
27. Radar Love - Golden Earring
28. Shut Up and Drive - Rihanna
29. Heart of Gold - Neil Young
30. Green Onions - Booker T and the MGs
31. Pompeii - Bastille
32. Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers
33. R U Mine? - Arctic Monkeys
34. Stronger - Kanye West
35. Hundred Mile High City - Ocean Colour Scene
36. Rock You Like A Hurricane - Scorpions
37. Midnight City - M83
38. Let Me Ride - Dr. Dre
39. Roadrunner - Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
40. Low Rider - War
A spokeswoman for National Express, who commissioned the research to inspire people looking to explore Britain and beyond this summer, said: "There are few things more exhilarating than the open road, and our poll shows it's the classic hits that get people fired up.
"It's interesting to see so many American rock greats, such as The Eagles and Bruce Springsteen, are continuing to provide the soundtrack to the Great British roads."
Have you got something to share on the story? Were you there? What do you think? - Send your pictures, videos or story and we'll publish the best × Continue the story The UK names its top 40 driving songs - which one is your favourite? Loading ... Add up to 3 photos or 1 videos to the story There's been a problem uploading your files. Please try again. By uploading your file you agree to our Terms and Conditions × Continue the story Sign in to contribute sign in shape the news in your area... | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/what-s-on/gigs-music/the-uk-names-its-top-40-driving-songs-which-one-is-your-favourite-1-8095610 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/d24da80a5707e7ffa2220fccf0b41003b7b3ffc2099d25d0e098831486be2cdf.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T12:51:46 | null | 2016-08-19T18:05:09 | Most people think it’s the end of the world if they have a garden that’s in shade and give up on the idea of gardening at all. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Flifestyle-etc%2Fgardening-getting-the-best-from-a-plot-in-the-shade-1-8077287.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8077280.1471536152!/image/image.jpg | en | null | GARDENING: Getting the best from a plot in the shade | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Most people think it’s the end of the world if they have a garden that’s in shade and give up on the idea of gardening at all.
However, more and more of us in urban or suburban homes have this to contend with – sunlight not blocked by trees but by other buildings.
Meconopsis, the Himalayan blue poppy.
You can have a lush garden in semi shade or shade – most people think of hostas, which thrive in light-medium shade but will not tolerate dry conditions – and there’s the slug/snail problem, so I haven’t listed them.
The amount of sun/shade will change with the seasons – really examine where the sunshine hits as the days wear on.
We see ‘full sun’, ‘partial sun/shade’, ‘dappled sun/shade’ and full shade on plant labels – this is what they mean.
Full sun: six full hours or more of direct sunlight at any time of the day.
The shield fern.
Partial sun/shade: Three-six hours of sunlight each day, usually morning and early afternoon sun.
Dappled sun: Similar to partial shade, only the light is filtered through a deciduous tree.
Light shade: Shadow cast by a building, wall, hedge, or tree on a site exposed to the sky and open to light.
Full shade: Less than three hours of direct sunlight, best if it’s morning light.
Deep shade: Dense kind of shade found under evergreens or shrubs that do not allow any direct light to penetrate.
Suitable plants:
Light and dappled shade: Campanula, Stachys, golden rod, Aquilegia, foxglove, bleeding heart, Pulmonaria, Brunnera, Ajuga, Tiarella, forget-me-nots.
Full shade: Pachysandra terminalis, box, ivy, ferns, Hebe rakaiensis, Phillyrea angustifolia, Ajuga, Bergenia x schmidtii. Griselinia littoralis, Hydrangea quercifolia, Mahonia, Pittosporum tenuifolium, Sambucus, Epimedium, Galium odoratum, Luzula, Euonymus fortunei Emerald Gaiety, x Fatshedera lizei Variegata, Lonicera nitida Baggesen’s Gold, Hydrangea seemannii, Lonicera henryi, Pileostegia viburnoides, Schizophragma integrifolium.
Deep shade: Butcher’s broom, Iris foetidissima, wood spurge, spring bulbs, snowdrops, winter aconites, Vinca.
Dry shade: Alchemilla mollis, barrenwort, cranesbill geraniums, Hellebores, masterwort, Astrantia, ivy, Cyclamen, Viola labradorica, sweet rocket, Convallaria, Pulmonaria, Rubus tricolor, Symphytum, Vinca, Waldsteinia ternata, ferns such as Dryopteris filix-mas, Polypodium vulgare or Polystichum setiferum, Fatsia japonica.
Damp shade: Bleeding heart, Monarda, Astilbe, Actaea, Solomon’s seal, toad lily, Himalayan blue poppy, Heuchera, Deinanthe caerulea, Maianthemum racemosum (American spikenard), Saxifraga stolonifera (strawberry saxifrage), Gentiana asclepiadea (willow gentian), Rheum, Rodgersia.
JOBS TO DO THIS WEEKEND
Sow hardy annuals directly into borders. They will overwinter and flower next summer.
Propagate perennials by dividing once they have finished flowering, but only in areas with some rain and duller weather, to avoid drying out problems.
Don’t be worried by bright green, heavily-armoured looking insects on your plants – these are harmless shieldbugs, which do not require control.
Get in qualified tree surgeons to remove large shrubs and trees that were casualties of winter waterlogging and summer drought. Remove stumps wherever possible, as rots could spread to other plants.
Ventilate conservatories to their maximum to prevent soaring temperatures. Use shading if necessary. Damp down greenhouses on hot days to maintain humidity levels.
Clearing out fallen leaves and debris regularly from ponds will help to keep down algal growth, as there will be fewer nutrients available from rotting organic matter. Barley straw pads or extract may also be beneficial.
Don’t cut off the flowerheads of ornamental grasses. These will provide winter interest.
Remove and destroy any Nicotiana showing signs of downy mildew. This shows up as yellowish blotches on the upper surface of the leaves.
Take cuttings of herbs such as rosemary, sage or mint now to bulk up supplies. Put cuttings in moist, well-drained potting compost (one part grit to one part compost) and place in a cold frame. Established chives can be divided now.
GET IN TOUCH
For more on these topics, plus cook what you grow, traditional recipes, North East information, environmental news and more, log on to www.mandycanudigit.co.uk (now smartphone friendly), www.sunderlandecho.com/gardening, follow me on Twitter @MandyCanUDigIt or you can like me on Facebook at Mandycanudigit | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/lifestyle-etc/gardening-getting-the-best-from-a-plot-in-the-shade-1-8077287 | en | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/40591ddf08de753ed1de1ce8d9614de3e657c63faceec6a8512f0797cd575ea9.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T13:11:16 | null | 2016-08-25T14:51:47 | Leaders at English Martyrs school praised hard-working students for an excellent set of GCSE results. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fenglish-martyrs-hail-excellent-gcse-results-1-8088825.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8088818.1472133077!/image/image.jpg | en | null | English Martyrs hail “excellent” GCSE results | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Leaders at English Martyrs school praised hard-working students for an excellent set of GCSE results.
There were scenes of jubilation and relief this morning when teenagers opened their results after weeks of waiting.
Olivia Bennison with her GCSE at English Martyrs School Picture by FRANK REID
The school achieved a pass rate of 63% for students earning five or more top A* to C grades including maths and English, and 66% in all subjects.
Headteacher Stephen Hammond said: “Our students are to be congratulated on these results.
“The fact that 66% of our students have achieved five or more A*-C grades is something of which we are very proud.”
Top performing students include straight A girl Olivia Benson, 16, who achieved five A* and five As.
The fact that 66% of our students have achieved five or more A*-C grades is something of which we are very proud. Stephen Hammond, headteacher
She said: “I’m really, really pleased with them. I wasn’t expecting to do this well and thought a lot of exams had gone pretty bad but apparently not.”
Another high flier was Sarah Storey who achieved four A*s and five As.
And Berand Dos Santos, originally from Portugal and who joined English Martyrs three years ago with English as his second language, gained two A*, six As and three Bs.
Berand, of the Hart Lane area, said: “I didn’t expect so much to be honest.
GCSE results day at English Martyrs School Picture by BERNADETTE MALCOLMSON
“I would have been buzzing with a C in English but I got a B.”
Berand is off to Hartlepool Sixth Form College in September where he has been awarded a football scholarship and to study A-levels.
Martin Antoszczak, 16, who hopes to become a surgeon, secured two A*, six As and two Bs. He said: “I didn’t have any particular expectations so I’m obviously happy and pleased with my results.”
And Elizabeth Shanks achieved nine grade A passes and an A* in English Language.
GCSE results day at English Martyrs School Picture by BERNADETTE MALCOLMSON
As well as the large number of students who are staying on to study A Level courses, many are beginning apprenticeships and employment.
Two students, Alisha Dixon and Patrick Mulvey, have been fast tracked onto the Caterpillar Apprenticeship Scheme in an outstanding opportunity.
Elizabeth Shanks with her GCSE at English Martyrs School Picture by FRANK REID | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/english-martyrs-hail-excellent-gcse-results-1-8088825 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/30629056ab9e9e93520b9fee99f2eb3bcfbfad4cc96769fa04446e46daf69780.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T13:05:53 | null | 2016-08-22T18:26:40 | Nissan has signed a deal with Lucasfilm as Star Wars fans eagerly await the release of Rogue One. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fwhat-s-on%2Ftv-cinema%2Fqashqais-to-take-on-the-death-star-nissan-joins-forces-with-star-wars-for-rogue-one-project-1-8082939.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8082938.1471886922!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Qashqais to take on the Death Star? Nissan joins forces with Star Wars for Rogue One project | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Nissan has signed a deal with Lucasfilm as Star Wars fans eagerly await the release of Rogue One.
The car manufacturing giant, which employs thousands of workers at its Sunderland plant, is one of five well-known brands including General Mills, Gillette, Nissan and Verizon to join a global promotional campaign for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which opens on December 16.
"We are extremely pleased to be working with such a remarkable group of promotional partners for 'Rogue One,'" said Lynwen Brennan, general manager of Lucasfilm.
"This first in a series of Star Wars standalone films represents an exciting new era for bothStar Wars and Lucasfilm, and the partners joining us on this exciting journey have each designed a stellar campaign capturing the spirit and camaraderie of 'Rogue One.'"
"With their specific, custom-designed campaigns and innovative programs, the five internationally respected global brands are poised to complement the tempo and tone of the overall marketing campaign of this first-ever standalone Star Wars story."
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be the second Disney-made film to hit the screens since the entertainment giant took over the franchise.
It doesn't follow on from the last film, The Force Awakens, however, but is a separate standalone film set between the prequel and original trilogies.
It charts the beginnings of the Rebellion, where a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction. | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/what-s-on/tv-cinema/qashqais-to-take-on-the-death-star-nissan-joins-forces-with-star-wars-for-rogue-one-project-1-8082939 | en | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/7afa13385cb4e261e164049a949f022329ad6059286b332c256d6cfd39a33ea5.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T13:11:47 | null | 2016-08-25T08:00:00 | Middlesbrough endured a frustrating night as they exited the EFL Cup at Fulham last night – a big comedown following the weekend Premier League victory at Sunderland. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fmiddlesbrough-fc%2Finjuries-to-full-backs-may-force-boro-into-transfer-swoop-after-cup-exit-1-8087170.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8087167.1472084064!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Injuries to full-backs may force Boro into transfer swoop - after cup exit | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Middlesbrough endured a frustrating night as they exited the EFL Cup at Fulham last night – a big comedown following the weekend Premier League victory at Sunderland.
Danish midfielder Lasse Vigen Christensen scored an extra-time winner for the Londoners, who came from behind to win 2-1 – and injuries added to Boro’s woes.
Fulham made 10 changes for the tie but still saw his team recover from going 1-0 down to a goal from David Nugent after eight minutes.
A 54th-minute own goal from Julien De Sart provided Fulham’s equaliser and they completed victory through Christensen’s smart finish in the 113th minute.
Boro manager Aitor Karanka was annoyed at seeing his side crash out to a side from a lower league.
He said: “I’m disappointed because I said before the game this trophy is very important for the club.
“I have to apologise to our crowd because they came here midweek and it’s an important trophy for this club, we respect this trophy a lot. So this has been difficult.”
Karanka made six changes for the tie but does not believe his selection can be blamed for the result.
“They made 10 changes so it’s not a good explanation,” he added.
“Sometimes you think the game is going to be easy because the other team plays with 10 different players and you score the first goal. That was the biggest mistake.
“We thought we were better than the other team, we relaxed on the pitch. This kind of attitude reminds me of the past.”
Middlesbrough’s disappointment was made worse by injuries to two full-backs – Fabio Da Silva and George Friend – which leaves Karanka with a problem ahead of Sunday’s trip to West Brom.
It could force the Boro chief into the transfer market but he insists he will not make any knee-jerk decisions.
He said: “I don’t know if I’ll bring in one or two or three. But I won’t say today because we lost the game we need five players. It’s the same as I said two weeks ago.”
There were only eight minutes on the clock when new signing Fabio, a £2million buy from Cardiff, crossed from the left and Nugent glanced home a header from close range to put the visitors ahead.
The goal came at a cost for Karanka’s side, however, as Fabio pulled up with an injury soon after and had to be replaced by Friend.
The equaliser came after 54 minutes following a flowing move which ended with Ryan Tunnicliffe finding Scott Malone on the wing.
Boro keeper Brad Guzan made a stunning save from the left-back’s deflected shot but the ball hit De Sart to end up in the net for a cruel own goal.
Five minutes later and Fulham almost snatched the lead - but this time Guzan was able to tip Woodrow’s effort over the bar.
Tiring Boro were dealt another injury blow, too, when substitute Friend had to go off injured in the 90th minute as the tie went to extra-time.
Fulham continued to impress as Jozabed tested Guzan with a volley after 100 minutes and substitute Matt Smith thundered a header narrowly over the bar - before Sean Kavanagh’s effort beat Guzan only to be blocked on the line by Ben Gibson.
The goal was coming and it duly arrived in the 113th minute when Christensen swept home from close range following another excellent low cross from the left by Malone. | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/football/middlesbrough-fc/injuries-to-full-backs-may-force-boro-into-transfer-swoop-after-cup-exit-1-8087170 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/c605ed3591514e39861abd73aa6a48cc07c82fbedb65459cf8aac8a45d4430f5.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T13:10:19 | null | 2016-08-26T12:00:00 | A shopping centre manager is celebrating after reaching ten years in charge. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fbusiness%2Ften-years-at-the-helm-for-hartlepool-shopping-centre-manager-1-8090331.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8090712.1472210684!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Ten years at the helm for Hartlepool shopping centre manager | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | A shopping centre manager is celebrating after reaching ten years in charge.
Mark Rycraft, 45, joined the team at Middleton Grange in Hartlepool in 2006 and said: “I’ve loved working as manager at Middleton Grange, but I can’t quite believe it has been 10 years already.”
As I move into my second decade here, we’ll be looking to continue to improve the customer experience for all of our shoppers, and everyone in the town who comes to Middleton Grange Mark Rycraft
The shopping centre has changed significantly during Mark’s decade in charge. He said: “We’ve had some amazing new retailers come to the centre, and as we worked to lead the way on sustainability we also spearheaded the installation of solar panels.
“One of the biggest ongoing challenges that I have experienced during my time at Middleton Grange is keeping up the high level of customer satisfaction for local people - and those visiting Hartlepool - by working to open new stores as well as introducing our free Sunday parking.”
He described the opening of the H&M store and the on-site playroom as particular highlights. He also worked extremely hard to become a community ambassador for the centre.
“Moving from place to place throughout my career, I felt it was important to immerse myself within the town and really get to know Hartlepool,” he said.
Mark co-founded the Defibs 4 Hartlepool campaign, has become a Teach First Mentor, is a member of Hartlepool Round Table, and also founded the North East Shopping Centre Forum.
He is now looking to the future at Middleton Grange and said he had seen efforts to enhance the mix of stores and brands “really start to pay off”.
He added: “As I move into my second decade here, we’ll be looking to continue to improve the customer experience for all of our shoppers, and everyone in the town who comes to Middleton Gra)nge.” | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/business/ten-years-at-the-helm-for-hartlepool-shopping-centre-manager-1-8090331 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/4918a1f22dd2bfa60de4b11356b996043797fa6784bb6ac7960d420539dd7904.json |
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] | 2016-08-28T20:50:38 | null | 2016-08-28T19:09:59 | Achraf Lazaar has signed a five-year deal at Newcastle United. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fnewcastle-utd%2Fachraf-lazaar-tells-of-his-pride-at-newcastle-move-1-8093572.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8093571.1472407916!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Achraf Lazaar tells of his 'pride' at Newcastle move | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Achraf Lazaar has signed a five-year deal at Newcastle United.
The defender has joined from Italian club Palermo in a £3million deal.
Lazaar was at St James's Park on Saturday to see his new club beat Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0 in a Championship fixture.
The 24-year-old Morocco international said: "I am very happy to be at Newcastle United.
"I'm proud to sign here because Newcastle is a great team in England."
Lazaar will compete with Paul Dummett for a place at left-back.
Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez added: "Achraf is a good, young player with international experience who has grown his game in Italy.
"He gives us width on the left, has a good left foot and will add great competition to the squad."
Have you got something to share on the story? Were you there? What do you think? - Send your pictures, videos or story and we'll publish the best × Continue the story Achraf Lazaar tells of his 'pride' at Newcastle move Loading ... Add up to 3 photos or 1 videos to the story There's been a problem uploading your files. Please try again. By uploading your file you agree to our Terms and Conditions × Continue the story Sign in to contribute sign in shape the news in your area... | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/football/newcastle-utd/achraf-lazaar-tells-of-his-pride-at-newcastle-move-1-8093572 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/85e46e11dcac21018d3cbe0ff22033c6c716b952244595eb44a607dfa14ed046.json |
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] | 2016-08-27T14:50:06 | null | 2016-08-27T14:39:42 | Craig Hignett has made one change to his Hartlepool United team for today’s League Two clash with Newport County. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fhartlepool-utd%2Fhartlepool-united-newport-county-pools-make-one-change-1-8092418.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8092417.1472305298!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Hartlepool United-Newport County: Pools make one change | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | The types of cookies we, our ad network and technology partners use are listed below:
Revenue Science ► A tool used by some of our advertisers to target adverts to you based on pages you have visited in the past. To opt out of this type of targeting you can visit the 'Your Online Choices' website by clicking here.
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Local Targeting ► Our Classified websites (Photos, Motors, Jobs and Property Today) use cookies to ensure you get the correct local newspaper branding and content when you visit them. These cookies store no personally identifiable information.
Grapeshot ► We use Grapeshot as a contextual targeting technology, allowing us to create custom groups of stories outside out of our usual site navigation. Grapeshot stores the categories of story you have been exposed to. Their privacy policy and opt out option can be accessed here.
Subscriptions Online ► Our partner for Newspaper subscriptions online stores data from the forms you complete in these to increase the usability of the site and enhance user experience.
Add This ► Add This provides the social networking widget found in many of our pages. This widget gives you the tools to bookmark our websites, blog, share, tweet and email our content to a friend. | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/football/hartlepool-utd/hartlepool-united-newport-county-pools-make-one-change-1-8092418 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/88b75e9cc047a5c1ccdb5b517c147809ff51398418eaaa7ae1a9ed884d3e0dfb.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T13:13:03 | null | 2016-08-26T09:00:50 | Craig Hignett has been in charge at Hartlepool United for six months now - but how has he influenced the Pools team? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fhartlepool-utd%2Ffive-ways-craig-hignett-has-affected-hartlepool-united-in-his-six-months-in-charge-1-8087911.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8087909.1472121582!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Five Ways Craig Hignett Has Affected Hartlepool United In His Six Months In Charge | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Craig Hignett has been in charge at Hartlepool United for six months now - but how has he influenced the Pools team?
SportMail examine five key areas that have changed under the guidance of the Pools boss
Attack, Attack, Attack
As a former striker it is perhaps not surprising that Hignett likes his team to play on the front foot.
In the recent 3-3 draw at Crewe Alexandra, when Pools clawed back two late goals to snatch a point, Hignett could have shut up shop and settled for a point.
Instead, he reverted to a 4-2-4 formation and urged his team to push for a winner.
To some that may seem bizarre, but the Pools boss is intent on attacking and entertaining football.
His summer recruitment reflected this as he brought in Padraig Amond and Lewis Alessandra to strengthen his striking options.
In the early stages of the season Hignett has encouraged Alessandra and Nathan Thomas to push high up the flanks, with Amond playing off the last man and Billy Paynter playing a poachers role.
Full-backs Carl Magnay and Jake Carroll have also been encouraged to bomb forward by the Hartlepool boss as he plays with a far from conservative style.
Flexible Formations
There are many managers who stick with one formation regardless of the opposition, but Hignett isn’t one of those managers.
We mentioned his switch to a 4-2-4 against Crewe, but that wasn’t the only change in shape he made during the game.
Having started in a 4-4-2, Pools moved to a 4-3-3 when they went 3-1 behind and these flexible formations have been seen regularly in the opening weeks of the season.
Hignett has made no secret of the fact that 4-3-3 is his preferred formation, but he has been open to changing this.
Against the Railwaymen, Hignett started in a 4-4-2 to match up to the hosts and he did similar when Pools travelled to Preston North End in the EFL Cup.
His willingness to be flexible in how his side line-up will ultimately see Pools better equipped to deal with their opponents, while the ability for the side to seamlessly change shape during the game means United can react to events as they happen.
The change in shape worked at Crewe, and it probably won’t be the last time Hignett changes things around during a game.
Clear Recruitment Policy
It’s sometimes hard to forget that Hignett is only just entering his first full season as a manager.
His recruitment policy for this summer resembled that of a gaffer with far more experience than himself as he snapped up his intended targets early on in the window.
The players brought in by Hignett – including Alessandra, Amond, Nicky Deverdics and Toto Nsiala – are all ambitious players with experience of League Two.
Instead of picking up other teams’ cast-offs, Pools have secured a high calibre of talent with a number of clubs also keen to sign Amond and Deverdics.
Hignett clearly knows the players available and if he keeps on doing his research he’s sure to continue to recruit some exciting players.
Never Say Die
Having fallen behind in their first three league encounters it could have been easy for Hartlepool to fall apart.
But Hignett has instilled a confidence into his squad which sees them continue to believe – and so they should believe.
The boss insists he always believes that his side will fight their way back into the game, and the players now evidently share that belief.
Settled Squad
Hignett did his businesses early this season, bringing in five new players by the start of July.
This meant that the Pools squad had plenty of time to gel before the new season started which should prove beneficial going forward.
Previous seasons have seen Pools sign players late on in the window or sign players on emergency loan deals, thrusting new players into the squad and risking disrupting squad harmony.
While Hignett has been aided by the abolition of the emergency loan window, it is still rare for a manager to have the vast majority of his playing squad in place by the start of July.
This shows that Hignett had a clear plan for how he wanted to shape his squad and wanted time for new players to bed-in before the start of the campaign.
The Pools manager has spoken of high spirits in the camp this season and this is likely down to the settled nature of his playing squad. | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/football/hartlepool-utd/five-ways-craig-hignett-has-affected-hartlepool-united-in-his-six-months-in-charge-1-8087911 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/562fb9b05b8ce42f9cf1f57aba8cc13503f5c8a52bc4d7fa09fd5efdebeab2d4.json |
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] | 2016-08-31T10:51:07 | null | 2016-08-31T10:56:05 | Winger Mustapha Carayol has left the Riverside Stadium after his contract was terminated by mutual constent. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fmiddlesbrough-fc%2Fmustapha-carayol-has-middlesbrough-contract-terminated-1-8097496.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8097495.1472637346!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Mustapha Carayol has Middlesbrough contract terminated | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Winger Mustapha Carayol has left the Riverside Stadium after his contract was terminated by mutual constent.
Carayol, 27, will now join up with Nottingham Forest on a two-year deal.
The Gambian international made over 50 appearances for Boro after joining from Bristol Rovers in 2012, netting 12 times.
Having previously spent time on loan at Brighton, Leeds and Huddersfield, Carayol has now departed on a permanent basis.
Elsewhere, Aitor Karanka expects it will be a quiet deadline day for the Teessiders after they completed most of their business early in the summer.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Karanka hinted that he is happy with the squad he has.
“I’m relaxed,”he said.
“We have been prepared and the club has worked very hard over the summer to do what we wanted to do, and for this reason I am relaxed and happy.” | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/football/middlesbrough-fc/mustapha-carayol-has-middlesbrough-contract-terminated-1-8097496 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/fd53fd082a0c9633963e4375cc7446c7c6b0e7524132f3b2466a3d73a235dc90.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T13:09:24 | null | 2016-08-26T12:15:13 | Families in the North East were greeted with glorious sunshine as they awoke this morning - and will be hoping it lasts through the weekend. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fwill-the-sunshine-last-through-bank-holiday-weekend-1-8090681.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8090680.1472210202!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Will the sunshine last through Bank Holiday weekend? | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Families in the North East were greeted with glorious sunshine as they awoke this morning - and will be hoping it lasts through the weekend.
But forecasts suggest it might be better to get your dose of outdoors early in the weekend, as it isn't expected to last.
After fine and sunny start this morning, there may be some fair weather cloud later in the day, but it is expected to remain dry and be less humid than it has recently.
Tonight is expected to remain clear and turn chilly, with patches of mist and fog possible by dawn tomorrow.
Saturday will be another fine day with sunny spells, light winds and patchy cloud. The odd shower is possible, but most places will remain dry. The maximum temperature is forecast to be 21 °C.
Sunday will see scattered showers among some sunny spells. Further showers are forecast for Monday, heavy at first, but easing later.
Tuesday is expected to be mostly dry, although winds will strengthen and cloud thicken later in the day. | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/will-the-sunshine-last-through-bank-holiday-weekend-1-8090681 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/cf1d3dfb9b3d57804711fe30e7a78636ee5d2329ff5c0abc1386782b47b07d40.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T13:10:47 | null | 2016-08-25T16:57:33 | Inspirational teenager Charlotte Hall fought back from a shock heart attack during her GCSE exams to earn nine passes. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fhartlepool-student-charlotte-celebrates-gcse-results-after-battling-back-from-shock-heart-attack-1-8089354.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8089353.1472140638!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Hartlepool student Charlotte celebrates GCSE results after battling back from shock heart attack | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Inspirational teenager Charlotte Hall fought back from a shock heart attack during her GCSE exams to earn nine passes.
Charlotte was at home in bed during the middle of her exams when she was struck with the coronary which left her hospitalised for a week.
I was really scared because I didn’t know what was going on Charlotte Hall
But the determined sixteen-year-old amazingly returned to English Martyrs school just a week after being discharged to sit two more exams.
Charlotte, who got her results yesterday, said: “I was really scared because I didn’t know what was going on.
“I knew something was wrong as I had pain in my jaw, chest and arm.
“I was usually really healthy.” Charlotte, of Rift House, alerted her mum and was taken to North Tees hospital in Stockton.
It was not until she was transferred to James Cook hospital in Middlesbrough that doctors confirmed she had suffered a heart attack.
It was discovered Charlotte had a hole in her heart which had not been picked up on before.
She spent the whole of the May half term week in hospital after sitting around half of her exams before the break.
Charlotte was forced to miss a number of exams but summoned up the strength to sit her chemistry and history papers to the amazement of her teachers.
Victoria Parker, her head of house, said: “We were obviously mortified that someone her age could possibly have a heart attack.
“To happen when it did was awful for her but she showed the ultimate resilience, enthusiasm and dedication to her studies.
“I think it is a miracle she was even able to come back to school and sit the exams she did.”
Charlotte received an A* in design and technology, three As, four grade B and one E.
“I’m really happy,” she said. Charlotte, who is now on long-term medication and waiting to hear about an operation to close the hole in her heart, added: “I’m on the mend now.”
She will be back at English Martyrs’ sixth form to study A-level maths, English literature, RE and psychology in September.
Education chiefs at Hartlepool Borough Council say indications are results overall are down on last year in line with the national picture – although some schools reported improvements.
Mark Patton, assistant director (Education), said: “Pupils in the town have every reason to be proud of their achievements, which reflect a lot of hard work by themselves and by the staff in their schools.
“Some of our schools are reporting improvements on last year, others a slight dip.
“I want to thank the school staff, parents and carers of all our students for the support they give their young people to help them to achieve at school.”
Councillor Alan Clark, Chair of the council’s Children’s Services Committee, added: “I’d particularly like to congratulate High Tunstall College of Science who have backed up their recent Ofsted report with improved GCSE results.
“St Hild’s Church of England School has also bucked the national trend by improving its GCSE results.
“In the coming days – as soon as we have received results from all schools – we will be taking a close look to establish a fuller picture in Hartlepool.” | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/hartlepool-student-charlotte-celebrates-gcse-results-after-battling-back-from-shock-heart-attack-1-8089354 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/074c683e1d2c89a8a37187e83d2815543446f871e295b7018da2a3c8cabe6875.json |
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] | 2016-08-28T20:50:40 | null | 2016-08-28T19:51:12 | Sam Allardyce has named his first squad as England manager - but there is no place for Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fsunderland-afc%2Fno-place-for-jermain-defoe-in-sam-allardyce-s-first-england-squad-1-8093624.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8093623.1472410368!/image/image.jpg | en | null | No place for Jermain Defoe in Sam Allardyce's first England squad | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Sam Allardyce has named his first squad as England manager - but there is no place for Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe.
Former Sunderland boss Allardyce has named three strikers in his squad for the game against Slovakia, with Harry Kane (Tottenham), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester) all included.
Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney are classed as midfielders in Allardyce's first squad, but there is no place for 33-year-old Defoe.
The Sunderland striker admitted it would have been a "dream" to have been recalled.
The 33-year-old scored from the penalty spot in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Southampton, his second goal in three Premier League starts this season.
Defoe, capped 55 times by England, scored 18 goals last season under Allardyce and he has carried that form into this season, leading to calls for his first international action since 2013 - but he has not made the squad.
Ahead of the announcement, Defoe said: "It is nice to score and it is always at the back of your mind when you score goals, that is what you get judged on.
"We will see what happens, I just want to keep working hard, keep scoring my goals."
When asked is he had spoken with Allardyce, Defoe added: "No. You have to do it right, he can't treat me any different just because he was my manager last season!
"The squad gets announced today, if I am in it will be a dream, if not, I will just continue to play well and try and get my goals.
"I've always said, first and foremost concentrate on my club football and then see what happens after that."
Despite his advancing years, Defoe says there is no reason why he can't be an England player again as long as he keeps scoring in the Premier League.
Defoe added: "Lets be realistic, if I am scoring goals in the Premier League then why not?
"There is no difference between Premier League and international football. If you get a chance in a game, you have to score."
England squad to face Slovakia:
Goalkeepers: Forster (Southampton), Hart (Man City), Heaton (Burnley).
Defenders: Cahill (Chelsea), Clyne (Liverpool), Jagielka (Everton), Rose (Tottenham), Shaw (Man Utd), Smalling (Man Utd), Stones (Man City), Walker (Tottenham).
Midfielders: Alli (Tottenham), Antonio (West Ham), Dier (Tottenham), Drinkwater (Leicester), Henderson (Liverpool), Lallana (Liverpool), Rooney (Man Utd), Sterling (Man City), Walcott (Arsenal).
Strikers: Kane (Tottenham), Sturridge (Liverpool), Vardy (Leicester). | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/football/sunderland-afc/no-place-for-jermain-defoe-in-sam-allardyce-s-first-england-squad-1-8093624 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/008bfe543a2717c6cc950c49a2dd368dddf500f2d6c0d0c793a8527218a8bd09.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T13:12:39 | null | 2016-08-26T08:20:31 | Jordan Pickford is set for an extended run in the Sunderland side after the elbow injury suffered by number one Vito Mannone. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fsunderland-afc%2Fjordan-pickford-aims-to-build-on-dream-home-debut-for-sunderland-1-8089928.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8089927.1472168371!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Jordan Pickford aims to build on ‘dream’ home debut for Sunderland | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Jordan Pickford is set for an extended run in the Sunderland side after the elbow injury suffered by number one Vito Mannone.
The 22-year-old Washington-born keeper will start against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium tomorrow afternoon.
And Pickford is looking to build on his first clean sheet picked up on his home first-team debut at the Stadium of Light against Shrewsbury Town.
The Sunderland fan admits it was a dream come true to play in front of the fans he used to sit alongside.
“It is a dream to play at the Stadium of Light, as a young lad I used to come to games all the time,” said Pickford.
“Finally, to have achieved that dream is great.”
Last season, Pickford played against Arsenal in the FA Cup and Tottenham Hotspur and Watford in the Premier League - but those were all away from home.
Wednesday’s win over League One Shrews was his first game on home soil.
His catching and distribution - which helped lead to Adnan Januzaj’s winner - stood out, while he made a superb save from Newcastle United loanee Ivan Toney.
“It was great moment, for me,” said Pickford.
“A good result and I am happy to get my first clean sheet.
“The other games [against Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Watford] were hard and this was a tough test too.
“We got there in the end, though, and it is really good to get into the next round of the cup.”
Pickford looks set for an extended run in the side, with Mannone out with a troubling elbow injury.
There were fears that he had suffered a suspected fractured elbow after injuring his arm in training on Tuesday but the full extent of his injury is yet to be determined.
He is set to see a specialist, with Mannone suffering from a lot of swelling.
Paul Bracewell, assistant manager, said: “In terms of the bone, they said it wasn’t a fracture, but there’s still a lot of swelling there, so the scan will probably give us a good indication in terms of if there is any ligament damage.”
Jordan Pickford and Duncan Watmore have been selected for England Under-21 duty. They will face Norway in an U21 Euro qualifier against Norway at Colchester United’s Community Stadium on Tuesday 6 September (KO 5.45pm). | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/football/sunderland-afc/jordan-pickford-aims-to-build-on-dream-home-debut-for-sunderland-1-8089928 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/d8aa32db748b6d8ffba4f56fd8f7eab149d96130b403e8dd002ed4b71f0f75a1.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T13:04:09 | null | 2016-08-25T13:52:24 | “People have said they feel like Deloris Van Cartier is not too dissimilar to myself – she’s a strong black female with a big voice” – when it comes to finding a new actress to take the lead in Sister Act, you could say there’s ‘nun’ better than Alexandra Burke. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fwhat-s-on%2Ftheatre%2Finterview-alexandra-burke-on-heading-to-sunderland-with-sister-act-1-8088500.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8088492.1472129512!/image/image.jpg | en | null | INTERVIEW: Alexandra Burke on heading to Sunderland with Sister Act | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | “People have said they feel like Deloris Van Cartier is not too dissimilar to myself – she’s a strong black female with a big voice” – when it comes to finding a new actress to take the lead in Sister Act, you could say there’s ‘nun’ better than Alexandra Burke.
The former X Factor star has stepped into the shoes of Whoopi Goldberg, who played the disco diva turned nun-on-the-run in the film of the same name.
Now a new tour of the comedy tale is hitting the road with direction and choreography from Strictly Come Dancing’s Craig Revel Horwood, and has already racked up rave reviews in its first few weeks.
Channelling her inner Deloris follows Alexandra’s success in the role of Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard. And she says she’s enjoying getting in the habit.
“I am over the moon with the reaction so far – I think it’s natural to be nervous and apprehensive about what people will think, especially as the show is still within its first month but I honestly couldn’t have hoped for better.
“We as a cast are learning every day and always seek to improve so to know that already it has been so well received is just great.”
Like many, Alexandra was a fan of the 1992 film which spawned the musical.
“I watched the film when I was a lot younger and loved it,” she said. “What really sold the show to me was the soundtrack, so am I so pleased it has been turned into a musical and that I am a part of it.”
Those disco tracks lend themselves perfectly to Alexandra’s powerful vocals which led to her winning the X Factor in 2008.
Speaking about belting out those big tunes, she said: “I love it. A lot have people have said they feel like Deloris Van Cartier is not too dissimilar to myself – she’s a strong black female with a big voice, a huge personality and a passion for music. I have such a broad taste in music, so being able to get on stage each night, step into Deloris’s shoes and into the 70s is amazing.”
She added: “The show is actually quite different to the film, but the storyline is still the same. It’s filled with so much energy and has such a fun factor about it. The storyline is so unique, it’s not something you expect to see – a disco diva in a convent. It definitely adds a new dimension to the plot. The detail that has gone into this show is incredible. There’s so many comical parts throughout and the cast’s delivery is just phenomenal.”
Treading the boards is a new direction for the singer, whose X Factor win led to hit singles Hallelujah, Bad Boys and Broken Heels, as well as her own headline tours.
But despite the album releases, she says theatre has always interested her.
“It was always something I wanted to do but I just wasn’t sure when,” she said. “When the opportunity to star as Rachel Marron in the Bodyguard first came along I remember being apprehensive about taking it on because it was out of my comfort zone and I didn’t have much acting experience, if any at all.
“But it is honestly the best decision I ever made. I can’t even begin to explain just how much I have learnt from musical theatre. I think any artist who gets offered the opportunity to be part of a show should grab it with both hands.
“My confidence has grown immensely as a result and I have made some great friends throughout my journey so far. I am so thrilled to now be onto my second show and playing the new part of Deloris Van Cartier. I get to perform to a theatre of people day in day out, doing what I love, singing - I feel truly blessed that I am in position to do this.
“It is not a change of direction forever, my music is still the most important thing to me and along with the show’s schedule I do try and factor in time in the studio to work on my own material, which I hope to release towards the back end of 2017.”
It was her own music which last brought the star to the Empire for her headline All Night Long tour in 2011.
“I cannot wait to come back,” she said. “It is a completely different experience being part of a show as opposed to your own show.”
•Sister Act is at Sunderland Empire from September 5-10. Tickets available from the Box Office, via the ticket centre on 0844 871 3022 or at www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/what-s-on/theatre/interview-alexandra-burke-on-heading-to-sunderland-with-sister-act-1-8088500 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/b3180f44f12466298ffdb80d3e69bdc9c7c232c780885e11478acb22d92c5807.json |
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] | 2016-08-30T06:49:40 | null | 2016-08-30T06:00:00 | Bosses at Hartlepool Marina are under fire for letting a pub use disabled parking spaces for outdoor seating. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fhartlepool-residents-upset-after-marina-disabled-bays-used-for-outdoor-seating-1-8094564.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8094562.1472479349!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Hartlepool residents upset after Marina disabled bays used for outdoor seating | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Bosses at Hartlepool Marina are under fire for letting a pub use disabled parking spaces for outdoor seating.
Managers at the The Compass Rose say they have obtained three out of 11 parking spaces from marina owners, Mandale Group, to use for outdoor seating.
The benches in the disabled bays outside of The Compass Rose.
Martin Slimings, 65, from Truro Drive, was taking his elderly mother Audrey Slimings to her favourite cafe at the marina earlier when he found the disabled bays he regularly parks in has been made into an outdoor seating area.
Mr Slimings, whose mother is 92 and visits the cafe in the marina every week, said he always parks in the bays outside of pub because it is closest to the cafe.
On his last visit he was forced to park further away after the bays were blocked by tables and chairs - meaning his mother had to walk further. He said: “I understand that it is a good business opportunity, but it was 10am in the morning when I was down there.
“The pub wasn’t even open, but because of the benches there we had to park further away.
“I understand that the marina has more than the required amount of disabled bays, but not all of them are located close enough to the places that disabled people may want to go.
“I am sure it is all above board, but I feel like disabled and vulnerable people in society are thought about last.”
When The Compass Rose was contacted for comment a spokesman said Mandale Group, had sold the spaces to businesses to use as seated areas - something Mandale disputes. The firm says it is not selling any bays.
A spokesman for The Compass Rose said: “Mandale made us an offer to see if any business wanted to buy some of the disabled bays, so we have bought three and are in the process of turning it in to an outdoor seating area.”
Joe Darragh, estates director at Mandale, said the firm was looking to improve the outdoor seating area and added that, out of the 11 disabled bays provided, only three have been used for outdoor seating.
He said: “We are aware that some premises have been putting tables and chairs in the disabled bays in the car park to make the most of the summer weather, but there is still access to disabled bays. “We don’t want anybody upset, so we are going to provide a better facility there to improve it for everybody.
“We will be doing is creating new disabled parking area after that all the car parking across the front of Navigation Point is removed and seating areas created.” | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/hartlepool-residents-upset-after-marina-disabled-bays-used-for-outdoor-seating-1-8094564 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/ae63d449266ea5a01337a6cd273a6be3faab13ee2083d59148f53f3ad22fdae4.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T13:08:37 | null | 2016-08-26T13:02:30 | A man is being hunted after he exposed himself before urinating down the side of the counter and on the floor of a busy McDonald | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fa-man-exposed-himself-and-urinated-in-front-of-children-in-town-centre-mcdonald-s-1-8090817.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8090816.1472213147!/image/image.jpg | en | null | A man exposed himself and urinated in front of children in town centre McDonald's | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | A man is being hunted after he exposed himself before urinating down the side of the counter and on the floor of a busy McDonald's.
The incident took place at around 4.40pm on Saturday at the branch in Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough
The incident happened in full view of the restaurant, with several children there.
The suspect is described as a white male, of slim/medium build, aged in his early thirties, with fair, receding hair.
He was wearing a black jacket with a black polo shirt underneath which had white detailing on the collar and a white logo.
The man was in company with another man at the time of the incident.
Any witnesses or anyone with information regarding the identity of the man is asked to contact PC Andrew Anderson on the non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org. | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/a-man-exposed-himself-and-urinated-in-front-of-children-in-town-centre-mcdonald-s-1-8090817 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/5a7976190874d576603adc2a17bcf5d676ec2b70f6f664c3283fd4b16ca06bbc.json |
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] | 2016-08-29T10:50:45 | null | 2016-08-29T09:55:44 | Toto Nsiala can play in Hartlepool United’s opening match in the Checkatrade Trophy – despite his red card in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Newport County. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fhartlepool-utd%2Ftoto-nsiala-can-play-in-notts-county-v-hartlepool-united-checkatrade-trophy-tie-1-8093632.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8047040.1472410595!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Toto Nsiala can play in Notts County v Hartlepool United Checkatrade Trophy tie | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Toto Nsiala can play in Hartlepool United’s opening match in the Checkatrade Trophy – despite his red card in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Newport County.
That is just as well given that Craig Hignett’s most experienced central defenders, Matthew Bates (ankle) and Rob Jones (back) both look like missing Wednesday’s EFL group match at Notts County.
The fans could see the effort the lads put in and they were with us CRAIG HIGNETT
Nsiala’s early bath looked like costing the summer signing from Grimsby his place for the trip to Meadow Lane.
But an unexpected loophole means his ban will not kick in until Saturday when Pools visit Stevenage, giving boss Craig Hignett the chance of getting Bates or Jones – or both – fit for the League Two fixture.
Scott Harrison and debutant Liam Donnelly finished Saturday’s match as the central defensive pairing after coming on as second-half subs.
But Donnelly is away this week on Northern Ireland U21 duty, though Harrison could well start on both Wednesday and Saturday after a fine performance.
“Rob Jones won’t be fit, he needs a few more days with his back,” said Hignett.
“Batesy turned an ankle and I would have rested him anyway, there is no point risking him.”
Hignett had no complaints about the decision to send off Nsiala.
Pools had just gone 1-0 up through Nicky Featherstone only for Nsiala to handle under pressure from Jon Parkin just outside the home area.
It denied the giant Newport forward a goal-scoring opportunity and the defender saw red from ref Andy Haines.
“No doubt about it, it was a sending-off,” admitted Hignett who saw Sean Rigg equalise from the resulting free-kick.
“But then for 87 minutes we play with 10 men and the lads put an unbelievable shift in.”
Pools fell behind to a Parkin stunner but with the home fans roaring on the side, Padraig Amond’s 38th-minute header squared up the score at 2-2.
“If you put effort in like that the crowd will get behind you,” said Hignett, who toyed with the idea of bringing on Harrison straight away but, in the end, waited until just before the hour mark.
“The fans could see the effort the lads put in and they were with us.
“The lads felt comfortable and we spoke at half-time about keeping shape and discipline and we were dangerous – our gameplan was working a treat.
“Trevor [Carson] hasn’t really been tested that much and we were defensively excellent.
“After Toto was sent off, we thought about putting Scotty on straight away, but Nicky can use the ball there and come out of defence with it.
“He was fine at the back.
“I wanted to try and keep all my forwards on, but if they started to lump it long against our centre-halves I would have put Scott on.
“I thought they would do that straight away, but they didn’t.
“In the end I didn’t need to use him until later on because we coped with what they threw at us.
“Newport wanted to play football and pass it and it was a good football game.” | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/football/hartlepool-utd/toto-nsiala-can-play-in-notts-county-v-hartlepool-united-checkatrade-trophy-tie-1-8093632 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/4bdf37f9eb660630647e5dfd74dbc2bcfb7c87dc5cee35ca94989f18339d0233.json |
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] | 2016-08-28T10:50:34 | null | 2016-08-27T19:05:27 | Jermain Defoe will find out on Sunday whether he has done enough to earn an England recall. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fsunderland-afc%2Fsunderland-boss-david-moyes-backs-jermain-defoe-for-england-call-up-1-8092699.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8092698.1472321225!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Sunderland boss David Moyes backs Jermain Defoe for England call-up | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Jermain Defoe will find out on Sunday whether he has done enough to earn an England recall.
Defoe has scored twice in three Premier League games for Sunderland this season ahead of former Black Cats boss Sam Allardyce naming his first England squad on Sunday.
The 33-year-old put Sunderland 1-0 up from the penalty spot in the 80th minute before Jay Rodriguez equalised five minutes from time for Southampton.
Moyes said: "I wouldn't be surprised at all, because Jermain Defoe is a goalscorer.
"He has that ability to score out of very little.
"And Sam knows him, he knows him better than me because he has worked with him for longer than I have.
"From what I've seen, he is a really good pro and that's what I like about him.
"He wants to do things right, and he wants to stay in good condition.
"He is certainly not someone who is just playing out the latter days of his career.
"I'd love to have a Sunderland player in the England squad.
"We started at Everton like that, then I hoped to have two players in the England squad, then three, and build it up into a squad of top international players.
"If Jermain Defoe gives us the start we need, I will be thrilled."
Defoe was tripped by Jose Fonte for the penalty.
Moyes added: "He had one or two sniffs of chances as well, and he put one away against Man City the other week as well.
"He took his penalty kick terrifically well, and we are going to need his goals.
"I haven't seen it [the penalty] yet. But some people say yes and some people say no, so if it is a split decision the referee has to call it one way or the other.
"He's a really good finisher, and we just need to keep a check on him because he is carrying a bit of a thigh strain."
New signing Javier Manquillo, 22, made his debut for Sunderland after arriving on a season-long loan from Atletico Madrid.
Moyes added: "I thought the right-back played very well today on his debut, so there were some pluses.
"I thought Adnan [Januzaj] had some great moments for us, and there were moments where you could see what a great player he is.
"We have to raise our quality and make sure that we are winning games, not drawing or losing them."
Have you got something to share on the story? Were you there? What do you think? - Send your pictures, videos or story and we'll publish the best × Continue the story Sunderland boss David Moyes backs Jermain Defoe for England call-up Loading ... Add up to 3 photos or 1 videos to the story There's been a problem uploading your files. Please try again. By uploading your file you agree to our Terms and Conditions × Continue the story Sign in to contribute sign in shape the news in your area... | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/football/sunderland-afc/sunderland-boss-david-moyes-backs-jermain-defoe-for-england-call-up-1-8092699 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/d6fc94f9f3bf32df1bf24ffe0f60cea13afe5e165710ed399ab8edd0650382be.json |
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] | 2016-08-31T06:49:49 | null | 2016-08-31T06:00:00 | Operators of a Hartlepool care home say they have addressed areas that official inspectors found need improvement. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Froom-for-improvement-at-hartlepool-care-home-say-inspectors-1-8096592.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8096590.1472576462!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Room for improvement at Hartlepool care home say inspectors | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Operators of a Hartlepool care home say they have addressed areas that official inspectors found need improvement.
Queens Meadow Care Home in Stockton Road was inspected by regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in July as part of its new national programme of inspections.
We have already addressed the few areas the CQC highlighted as requires improvement Home spokesman
It found the home, which cares for 54 residents, including some with dementia, required improvement.
It was rated Good under the headings of how caring and effective it is, but requiring improvement due to some issues with safety, responsiveness and leadership.
During the two day inspection in July, the CQC team spoke with eight residents, eight relatives, a visitor and numerous staff, as well as looking around the building and spending time in the communal areas.
It found safety checks had not always been carried out and some areas of bathrooms could not be kept fully clean because they had surfaces that were not sealed.
Care records were not always sufficiently detailed to make sure people received personalised and consistent care.
And although the provider carried out regular monitoring of the service, some identified shortfalls had not always been addressed so improvements had not been made.
On the plus side, residents and relatives said they felt the home is safe and comfortable and described staff as caring and friendly.
The CQC said there were enough staff to support people’s needs and dignity was promoted.
There were also a number of in-house activities and social events.
Debbie Westhead, the CQC’s deputy chief inspector for adult social care in the north, said: “If we find that a service requires improvement, we will expect them to provide us with a full plan setting out how they will address the issue.
“We will share our findings with local commissioners, and we will return in due course to check that they have made the required improvements.”
A spokesperson for the home said: “We’re delighted to see our staff mentioned several times as ‘caring’, ‘friendly’, ‘lovely’ and ‘smashing’.
“The staff always strive to provide first class care at Queens Meadow Care Home and we’re pleased the report recognises their hard work.
“We have already addressed the few areas the CQC highlighted as requires improvement and, as always, we will continue to find ways to improve our high level of service based on external feedback from residents and their relatives.” | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/room-for-improvement-at-hartlepool-care-home-say-inspectors-1-8096592 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/69880135fe6092527d94cbc85a265a972550d1ab58f5c264139efd0f6c14dc1c.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T13:07:02 | null | 2016-08-24T17:34:14 | Flipping fantastic - it’s National Burger Day on Thursday, August 25. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fwhat-s-on%2Feating-out%2Fsix-places-that-really-cut-the-mustard-for-national-burger-day-1-8086759.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8086756.1472056432!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Six places that really cut the mustard for National Burger Day | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Flipping fantastic - it’s National Burger Day on Thursday, August 25.
We relish any opportunity to don our stretchy waistbands and get stuck in. But don’t get in a pickle if you’re stumped about where to take a bite out of the national day.
One of Saucy Burger's creations
We’ve ‘sauced’ some of the best places in the area where you can celebrate with a meat treat.
•Saucy Burger, Hylton Riverside, Sunderland.
The Willy Wonka of burger joints, Saucy Burger serves everything from Monster Munch to Honey Nut Cheerios with its burgers. Best wear a bib! Get a 20 percent off voucher at https://nationalburgerday.co.uk
•Holy Smokes, Derwent Street, Sunderland
Holy Smokes
Never ones to shy away from meat (they even serve some versions in metal bin lids), Holy Smokes is offering a half price deal on all its burgers on National Burger Day. Ones to look out for include the Dirty Elvis, served with cheese, onion rings, peanut butter, BBQ sauce and bacon. Leave your diet at the door, folks.
•Fat Hippo, Saddler Street, Durham City
Famed for its tender patties, Fat Hippo is offering three limited edition burgers on National Burger Day. They are: the Bubba Gump, served with Cajun shrimp; the Hog Rider served with cheese, hog rasher and smoked chilli jelly and Buffalo Soldier served with cauliflower fritters. The North East chain, which also has branches in Newcastle, is also offering 20 percent off food and drinks all day (only exclusions are items on lunch menu or if a customer goes for the Hippo Hour offer)
•No 2 Church Lane, opposite Sunderland Empire
A newcomer to the burger scene, No 2 Church Lane offers a good range of vegetarian and vegan burgers, as well as the classics. With options such as roast beetroot, goat’s cheese and honey-glazed walnut served on a potato roll, animal-lovers needn’t miss out on the fun. With around 70 beer options, it’s a great place for a pint to wash it down with too.
•Longhorns, above the Dun Cow, Sunderland
You won’t be shortchanged at Longhorns on National Burger Day. They’re offering buy-one-get-on-free on its Burgercue menu.
•Bavaria, Vine Place, Sunderland
Fancy a burger that thinks outside the box? German bierkeller Bavaria serves its burgers as a choice of buffalo, wildboar or kangaroo. | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/what-s-on/eating-out/six-places-that-really-cut-the-mustard-for-national-burger-day-1-8086759 | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/70bc9cc514262ee84bc917c9d8702cc434b163c67be261145fdd01cb32ce2e69.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T13:02:34 | null | 2016-08-10T16:28:55 | An historic glasshouse at a North East hotel is being brought back to life after being closed to the public for 70 years. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fhistoric-glasshouse-recreated-as-part-of-5-2m-development-at-north-east-hotel-1-8061450.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8061446.1470842883!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Historic Glasshouse recreated as part of £5.2m development at North East hotel | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | An historic glasshouse at a North East hotel is being brought back to life after being closed to the public for 70 years.
Around £160,000 has been invested in recreating the glass structure at Wynyard Hall, near Hartlepool, in time for its opening in September.
Wynyard Hall
The 31-metre glasshouse, which dated back to the 1840s, is a highlight of the newly-developed kitchen garden at the luxury hotel and spa and the original was frequently used until the 1940s when it fell into disrepair.
Towering seven metres high and using 224 glazed sections, the huge construction took more than six weeks to build and, mirroring the original glasshouse, has been built against a Victorian redbrick kitchen garden wall, which has been painstakingly restored.
In the 1840s, the original greenhouse was one of the largest lean-to glasshouses in the UK and was used to grow exotic delicacies, such as pineapples, for generations of the Londonderry family.
Built bespoke for Wynyard Hall by Oldham firm Hartley Botanics as part of a new Edible Garden at the hotel – which will supply the restaurant, café and farm shop with organic fruit and vegetables to eat and to take away – the Glasshouse will also be used for day to day propagation of unusual plants such as wasabi, kiwi and lemon grass.
In the second half of the Glasshouse, there will be an event space for workshops with scarecrow making, pumpkin carving and jam and chutney making already planned for the autumn.
There will also be a florist, offering workshops and bouquets for prospective brides, a Victorian-style tuck shop and a retail space selling plants and garden gifts.
Wynyard’s estate manager Sara Fortune said: “We wanted to bring a bit of Wynyard history to life – and create a community hub at the heart of the estate. “It’s so exciting to see it finally come to fruition.”
The new Glasshouse and Edible Garden is part of a £5.2million development plan at Wynyard Hall, which has seen a new visitor centre, farm shop and rose garden open in the last 18 months. | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/historic-glasshouse-recreated-as-part-of-5-2m-development-at-north-east-hotel-1-8061450 | en | 2016-08-10T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/8584161450e4751d132f9ed069e31bb7c1d44bb2546319c1f2b897af4e884e7b.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T13:07:33 | null | 2016-08-20T11:00:00 | A performing arts academy is opening its doors for people to find out more. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fwhat-s-on%2Fopen-day-for-would-be-students-to-find-out-more-1-8079228.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8079227.1471687796!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Open day for would-be students to find out more | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | A performing arts academy is opening its doors for people to find out more.
The Val Armstrong School of Performing Arts, based in Whitby Street South, Hartlepool, is planning an open day on Sunday, September 4, from 4pm to 6pm.
Academy owner Val Armstrong said: “On this day people can come along and meet our new team member along with the remaining members of the faculty.”
The academy is also the home of the Urban Rockz and boys department and has enjoyed huge success in recent years. Val won the Lifetime Contribution honour at this year’s Best of Hartlepool Awards.
Judges heard how she “brought so much love, affected so many people, and made such a difference to young lives in Hartlepool.
Her dance school had nine students who had appeared in the West End production of Billy Elliot.
Numerous other students have represented her academy in modelling and acting commercials throughout Europe.
As well as hosting an open day, the academy’s students are also “working for our new spectacular production for February next year,” Val added.
Have you got something to share on the story? Were you there? What do you think? - Send your pictures, videos or story and we'll publish the best × Continue the story Open day for would-be students to find out more Loading ... Add up to 3 photos or 1 videos to the story There's been a problem uploading your files. Please try again. By uploading your file you agree to our Terms and Conditions × Continue the story Sign in to contribute sign in shape the news in your area... | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/what-s-on/open-day-for-would-be-students-to-find-out-more-1-8079228 | en | 2016-08-20T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/2f7c257c67297aef27c135495b3d030eb228cd56c9af186f80db77bbbbd7347d.json |
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] | 2016-08-29T10:49:27 | null | 2016-08-29T10:41:59 | Campaigners are calling on councils and other authorities to raise awareness of the dangers of people jumping into water from bridges and harbour walls. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fcalls-to-make-youngsters-more-aware-of-water-dangers-after-incidents-at-hartlepool-marina-1-8094076.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8094074.1472463697!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Calls to make youngsters more aware of water dangers after incidents at Hartlepool Marina | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Campaigners are calling on councils and other authorities to raise awareness of the dangers of people jumping into water from bridges and harbour walls.
The call to combat so-called ‘tombstoning’ comes just days after it was revealed that youngsters are risking their lives by swimming among the boats in Hartlepool Marina.
The yachts which will visit Hartlepool will be worth up to �200,000, and will average 11 metres in length.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents dozens of councils and fire and rescue authorities across the country, has reported a summer holiday surge in the activity known as tombstoning.
The LGA is calling on the Government to raise awareness of the dangers of jumping into water and of cold water shock by extending a campaign run by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to schools across the country.
The campaign is currently targeted at men aged between 18 and 29, but the LGA believes it should be rolled out to schools to make younger people aware of the risks.
The Mail reported on Saturday that police have received 21 calls since the beginning of this month about young people swimming at the Marina.
Simon Blackburn, chairman of the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, said: “Jumping into water may appear enticing during warm weather, but you should never jump off any structure directly into the sea or a river as you can never be sure how deep the water is below.
“Shallow water, unseen objects, hitting something on the way down or simply landing badly can lead to people being killed or paralysed.
“The message is clear - if you don’t know that the depth of the water is safe or you cannot see what is below the surface, don’t jump.”
Five people last week died during a beach day trip to Camber Sands in East Sussex.
Mr Blackburn added: “Young people across the country, not just those living near the sea, need to be aware of the dangers.” | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/calls-to-make-youngsters-more-aware-of-water-dangers-after-incidents-at-hartlepool-marina-1-8094076 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/b38e621cf86eeeb524ebc6c8f358d206f0090f6ae6758475f2c219050cf57510.json |
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] | 2016-08-31T08:51:08 | null | 2016-08-31T09:00:12 | You could never accuse Hartlepool United of having a love affair with the EFL Trophy. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fhartlepool-utd%2Fhartlepool-united-hope-for-better-fortunes-in-football-league-cup-starting-at-notts-county-1-8095849.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8095848.1472559337!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Hartlepool United hope for better fortunes in Football League Cup starting at Notts County | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | You could never accuse Hartlepool United of having a love affair with the EFL Trophy.
Pools, one of the minority of clubs NEVER to grace Wembley, kick off on the road to the Twin Towers - or should that now by the Arch - at Notts County this evening.
It is the first match in Group F with Craig Hignett’s team also taking on Sunderland U23 and League One Rochdale.
Pools have taken part in every season of the EFL Trophy, in its various guises, Associate Members Cup, Freight Rover, Sherpa Vans, Leyland DAF , Auto Windscreens, LDV Vans and Johnstone’s Paints.
Lots of different names and not a lot of success where Pools have been concerned.
The only real flirtation with glory in this competition for League One and Two clubs came almost three decades ago.
Pools won 1-0 on a blustery night at Roker Park to oust Sunderland, courtesy of Brian Honour’s goal direct from a corner, and went all the way to the Northern semi-final in 1988, only for Preston North End to win 2-0 at the Vic.
Bar that, the seasons have been largely barren - Sheffield United won on penalties to dump out Pools this time last season.
Will the Checkatrade Trophy be any kinder to Pools?
We will have some idea by November 8 when the group stage is complete.
Certainly, the tournament is different this time.
The invitation of the Premier U23 sides created controversy and much moaning from fans from many lower league clubs.
While the EFL Trophy will still feature the clubs of Leagues One and Two, it was extended to include 16 so-called category one Premier League academy teams.
Some big clubs have declined, though Premier neighbours Middlesbrough and Sunderland are among those invitees to take up the place.
Initially, there will be 16 groups of four clubs, each of which will include at least one side from each of Leagues One and Two, along with one invited academy team.
Pools meet League Two rivals Notts County tonight, host Sunderland on October 4 and Rochdale on November 8.
The top two from each group go to the knockout stages with the final set for Wembley Stadium on Sunday, April 2.
The arrival of the U23 teams comes with potential financial compensations.
Thanks to the backing of the richest league in the world, the Checkatrade Trophy has a £1.95million prize pot, including £10,000 per win and £5,000 per draw during the groups.
If Pools can pull in 20 grand then that should mean they will reach the knock-out stages.
It might not mean the club would be in love with the competition but it would be good to see it on more friendly terms. | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/football/hartlepool-utd/hartlepool-united-hope-for-better-fortunes-in-football-league-cup-starting-at-notts-county-1-8095849 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/6577864816d200f6be71a4145d9203af62f1904f64c325813c610a01c466c60d.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T12:53:28 | null | 2016-08-22T06:00:00 | A fund set up by a Hartlepool woman is rapidly closing in on a major milestone. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcommunity%2Ffund-closes-in-on-massive-milestone-in-hartlepool-woman-s-memory-1-8078347.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8078341.1471604403!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Fund closes in on massive milestone in Hartlepool woman’s memory | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | A fund set up by a Hartlepool woman is rapidly closing in on a major milestone.
And today, the people behind the Kay Smith Fund issued a rallying call to the Hartlepool public to help reach £200,000 raised in her memory.
Leaza Cafferkey
It’s ten years since Kay, from the Dyke House area of town, died after a year-long battle against breast cancer, aged 37.
She created the charity cause herself while she was battling the disease.
Since then, the money raised by the Kay Smith Fund has helped to fund a breakthrough in the early detection of breast cancer.
It has also paid for a child bereavement service based at Hartlepool & District Hospice and Kay’s niece Leaza Cafferkey said: “It is amazing. I am really proud.”
Kay thought a lot about what bereavement does to the rest of the family, especially the young ones, and that is the forte of the hospice’s bereavement service. Children find these things very difficult Mick Sumpter
The total raised in Kay’s name now stands at more than £185,000.
Leaza added: “It is very humbling to know that so many people knew about Kay and what she believed in.”
She thanked Mick Sumpter, and John and Bev Rooke, for spearheading the fund’s charity nights which are held every October.
The annual event raises huge amounts for the cause and Leaza said “A massive thanks to those three”.
Michael Sumpter
There was also praise for the many other people who have gone out of their way to back the charity.
“People have climbed Ben Nevis and done the Cleveland Hills walk”, she said. “There are lots of people to praise including all the ones who always come along to the charity do in October.”
Inspirational Kay started the fund to support others going through similar situations to her.
Part of the proceeds helped to support research at the University Hospital of North Tees into the early detection of breast cancer.
Fundraisers who climbed Ben Nevis to raise money for the cause.
It also funds a child bereavement counsellor at the hospice.
Money is still being raised with two significant events on the way shortly.
One is a coast to coast bike ride which is coming soon and the other is the October charity day which will be held on a date yet to be fixed.
Fund trustee Mick Sumpter said Kay would have been “blown away” by the fundraising in her memory, especially with the support for the hospice as she thought a lot about the effect that bereavement would have on children.
“The fund continues and it is still going strong. Kay thought a lot about young people and families and how they felt about bereavement and death.
“She thought a lot about what bereavement does to the rest of the family, especially the young ones, and that is the forte of the hospice’s bereavement service. Children find these things very difficult.”
Leaza urged people to continue to support the fund by sending donations to Pappa Caff’s in Tower Street, Hartlepool. | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/community/fund-closes-in-on-massive-milestone-in-hartlepool-woman-s-memory-1-8078347 | en | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/55302b04785f1855666f064c1e5398f3d358252abe31cd379f8acced938d92f1.json |
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] | 2016-08-27T14:50:08 | null | 2016-08-27T14:13:55 | Lamine Kone returns to the Sunderland starting line-up for today | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fsunderland-afc%2Fsouthampton-v-sunderland-afc-team-news-everton-target-lamine-kone-returns-to-the-starting-line-up-1-8092402.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8092401.1472303751!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Southampton v Sunderland AFC team news: Everton-target Lamine Kone returns to the starting line-up | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | Lamine Kone returns to the Sunderland starting line-up for today's game at Southampton.
The 27-year-old centre-back, who is wanted by Everton, has been out with a back injury and missed the games against Middlesbrough and Shrewsbury Town.
Manager David Moyes has been adamant Kone - who turned down the offer of a new improved contract 24-hours before complaining of a bad back - will not be leaving the club this summer.
Kone partners new £8million signing Papy Djilobodji at the heart of Sunderland's defence, with Javier Manquillo making his debut at right-back.
Steven Pienaar and Fabio Borini have shaken of knee and toe injuries, respectively, to start today's game at St Mary's Stadium.
Jeremain Lens, who missed the EFL Cup win with a foot injury, returns to the bench.
Southampton (4-2-3-1): Forster, Cedric, Fonte (C), Van Dijk, Targett, Emile-Hojbjerg, Davis, Tadic, Romeu, Redmond, Austin.
Subs: McCarthy, Yoshida, Clasie, Long, Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse, Bertrand.
Sunderland AFC (4-2-3-1): Pickford, Manquillo, Djilobodji, Kone, van Aanholt, Rodwell, Pienaar, Gooch, Borini, Januzaj, Defoe (C).
Subs: Stryjek, Khazri, Watmore, Lens, McNair, Love, Asoro.
Referee: Lee Mason (Greater Manchester) | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/football/sunderland-afc/southampton-v-sunderland-afc-team-news-everton-target-lamine-kone-returns-to-the-starting-line-up-1-8092402 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/2b2378a4b5e248f2cbb66b2ae952e41e46108b77147e7062220a1d89d46bb8ed.json |
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] | 2016-08-30T08:49:42 | null | 2016-08-30T09:00:00 | A selfless Hartlepool couple raised hundreds of pounds for a cancer charity when they shunned presents for their Golden Wedding anniversary. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fgolden-hartlepool-couple-s-generous-gift-to-help-others-1-8094004.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8094002.1472544475!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Golden Hartlepool couple’s generous gift to help others | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | A selfless Hartlepool couple raised hundreds of pounds for a cancer charity when they shunned presents for their Golden Wedding anniversary.
Kind Joan and Ged Hanlon celebrated 50 years of marriage with a party surrounded by family and close friends.
Joan and Ged Hanlon on their wedding day in 1966
But instead of asking for gifts, they asked well-wishers to give to a collection for Marie Curie cancer care in memory of Joan’s brother-in-law who died of the disease in June.
They were delighted with the total which came to £300 and has now been presented to Hartlepool’s Marie Curie fundraising group.
Joan, 66, said: “It is in loving memory of Alan Greenhow. He was my sister’s husband and was found to have a tumour on his pancreas which the hospital could not do anything about.
“He was such a caring and loving man. Marie Curie and Macmillan nurses helped a lot with the care they gave the family.”
Ged, 68, said: “When we sent out the invitations for our anniversary we said no presents and just asked for a donation to Marie Curie.”
Lisa Wild, the charity’s, community fundraiser for the Teesside area, explained the money will be used to help nurses care for people with a life-limiting condition.
She said: “It will help to fund our services in the North East including across Teesside. Our nurses go into people’s homes and provide support to anyone living with terminal illness to enable them to stay at home or wherever they want to be and be able to stay with their families.”
And Lisa said she was delighted to receive Joan and Ged’s generous donation.
She added: “It is an amazingly kind thought and is really very kind and generous.
“It was a lovely thought to not have presents and to think of us by giving us a donation instead.
“We really appreciate it.”
Joan and Ged, of Clavering, were married at St Teresa’s RC Church in Hartlepool on August 6, 1966.
They have sons Gerard, Paul and Andrew, nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Ged worked as a locomotive engine driver at the steelworks and Joan worked at a chicken factory in Brenda Road before bringing up the family.
Ged said of the last 50 years: “It’s been brilliant. I would marry her again tomorrow.”
Marie Cure is looking for more fundraising volunteers in Hartlepool. For details call (0191) 2191243. | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/golden-hartlepool-couple-s-generous-gift-to-help-others-1-8094004 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/e04213bafe85803a82056185553391746603292cf633377759cc022beceb2fa7.json |
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] | 2016-08-26T12:50:09 | null | 2016-08-08T11:27:35 | A tea fanatic could be in for a job of a lifetime after a top brew brand launched a bid for a new trainee buyer. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hartlepoolmail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Ftrending%2Fcuppa-load-of-this-brew-brand-offers-tea-fans-the-perfect-job-1-8056427.json | http://res.cloudinary.com/jpress/image/fetch/w_300,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/webimage/1.8056426.1470658011!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Cuppa load of this - brew brand offers tea fans the perfect job | null | null | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk | A tea fanatic could be in for a job of a lifetime after a top brew brand launched a bid for a new trainee buyer.
The lucky candidate will be able to travel the world tasting hundreds of teas each week and will be tasked with tasting and selecting teas and coffees for the brand.
The new apprentice will begin working in the tea tasting room for Taylors of Harrogate, which makes the Yorkshire Tea brand.
Inside the tasting room they will be organising samples and preparing tasting batches until their palate is trained up enough to pick out the delicate sensitivities of different brews.
They will also be taught the jargon of the tea world, before spending six months of their initial training visiting tea plantations in places such as Malawi, Kenya, India and China.
Henry Boocock, who has worked for Taylors for the past five years said it was the perfect job.
Henry, an international business graduate, said: "It was never a job that I'd even thought about.
"But I was looking for something different - and this ticked all the boxes.
"I enjoyed drinking tea but had never considered it as a career, so came to it with a clean slate.
"Tasting is something you have to learn. They say 95% of us can technically be trained as a professional taster. It's about teaching your tongue as a muscle to pick up the skill.
"When we're evaluating different teas, we use words and phrases in a way I'd never heard them used before.
"Sometimes, for example, we'd say a tea was brisk, gutty or useful - which means it would be a good tea for us. But if you were ear-wigging on the conversation a few eyebrows might get raised."
Henry added despite being in the job for five years there is still more he needs to learn.
He said: "I've been here for five years now and although I'd say I'm technically confident, there's still a lot to learn.
"Because tea is an agricultural crop, it’s always changing, subject to changes in the climate or conditions it's grown in. We can't be blasé and expect a certain tea to always taste the same, we have to ensure the quality is kept up.
"Being able to taste so many different types of tea, being spoilt for choice in types, flavours and infusions, is great. The world of tea is so much more than the cup you drink every day.
"Having all that at my fingertips makes me feel very lucky - and travelling to the origins is very special. You get to see first hand the social and environmental impact our projects are having around the world."
Applications for the role of trainee tea buyer close on Wednesday. For more information, click here.
Have you got something to share on the story? Were you there? What do you think? - Send your pictures, videos or story and we'll publish the best × Continue the story Cuppa load of this - brew brand offers tea fans the perfect job Loading ... Add up to 3 photos or 1 videos to the story There's been a problem uploading your files. Please try again. By uploading your file you agree to our Terms and Conditions × Continue the story Sign in to contribute sign in shape the news in your area... | http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/trending/cuppa-load-of-this-brew-brand-offers-tea-fans-the-perfect-job-1-8056427 | en | 2016-08-08T00:00:00 | www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/6217083623255a5d486b6224a6ec1a504ace0af8c7850de5a0ff1b447dea083d.json |
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