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Monday, August 29, 2016
Sevilla signs Sirigu on loan from Paris SG
On Friday, French capital football club Paris Saint-Getmain announced they loaned Italian goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu to Spanish club Sevilla F.C. till the season end.
29-year-old Sirigu started his career in Italy and joined the Parisians five years ago, in 2011. After playing 60 Serie A matches from 2009 to 2011, Sirigu became the first-choice goalkeeper at PSG for four years, playing 145 matches.
In five seasons at Parc des Princes, Sirigu has won four consecutive Ligue 1 titles, three Trophée des Champions, three Coupe de la Ligue, and two Coupe de France. Sirigu has played seventeen international matches, debuting in 2010.
Last season, German goalkeeper Kevin Trapp joined PSG and became their first-choice keeper. Lacking playing time with PSG, Sirigu signed the contract with Sevilla on Friday, after passing the medical tests hours before.
Per the agreement between the clubs, PSG has not included an option for Sevilla to buy the player.
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Claudio Bravo signs Manchester City
On Thursday, Spanish football club FC Barcelona announced their first-choice goalkeeper, Claudio Bravo, was sold to English club Manchester City F.C. for €18 million on a four-year deal. Manchester City is obliged to pay million as add-ons.
33-year-old Claudio Bravo joined the Catalonians in the 2014 summer transfer window from Real Sociedad to replace Víctor Valdés. Bravo conceded only 43 goals in 75 matches for the club.
In 2014, Bravo did not concede a single goal in nine consecutive league matches and set a new La Liga record for consecutive minutes without a concession. That season, he conceded only eighteen goals and won the Zamora Trophy awarded to the goalkeeper with the lowest goal-conceded-per-match ratio. He was named in the La Liga Team of the Season.
In two seasons at Camp Nou, Bravo won eight trophies — two La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys, and one each of UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and Super Copa de España. Last year, Bravo led Chile to their maiden Copa América title and successfully defended the title this year in the Centenario edition of the tournament. He was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament in both tournaments.
After signing Manchester City, Bravo said, "It is not easy to leave a club like Barcelona where I had two fantastic years, but the opportunity to work with Pep Guardiola was too good to refuse."
Earlier on Thursday, Barcelona announced signing Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen from AFC Ajax for million.
Bravo faces Barcelona in the Champions League group stage, as the draw on Thursday placed Barcelona and Manchester City both in Group C.
Saturday, August 27, 2016
FC Barcelona signs Jasper Cillessen
On Thursday, Spanish football club FC Barcelona announced signing of Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen from Dutch capital football club AFC Ajax for €13 million on a five-year deal. Per the agreement, Barça is obliged to pay add-ons of million.
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27-year-old Cillessen made his professional debut for his boyhood club N.E.C in 2010. A year later, he joined Ajax for .2 million. Spending five years at the Amsterdam ArenA, Cillessen has won three Eredivisie titles in a row.
Cillessen made his last appearance for Ajax on Wendsday, losing 4 (5 on aggregate) against Russian club FC Rostov in the UEFA Champions League's qualifying round. Cillessen underwent his medical tests on Thursday. Afterwards, he posted on Instagram saying, "Dreams do come true!"((es)) Cillessen was to be presented at Camp Nou on Friday.
Thursday, August 25, 2016
North Korea fires balistic missile from submarine
North Korea test fired a ballistic missile from a submarine yesterday, which landed in the Sea of Japan after travelling approximately 500 km (about 300 miles), according to officials of South Korea and the US.
The missile was fired from a submarine off North Korea's east coast near Sinpo, officials said, and was reportedly North Korea's first successful launch after missiles only traveled a small distance in previous tests. The South Korean military accused the North Korean government of using the test to increase military tension during the annual South Korean–US joint military drills, which involve 80,000 South Korean and US troops. North Korea has threatened a preemptive nuclear strike saying the drills were practice for an invasion.
This came on the same day as a meeting between the leaders of China, Japan, and South Korea where, according to Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan, they "urge[d] North Korea to exercise self-restraint regarding its provocative action, and to observe the UN Security Council's resolutions". Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the test's intrusion into Japan's air defense identification zone "a grave threat to our country’s security."
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
6.2 Magnitude Earthquake hits central Italy
At 3:36am this morning, local time a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck about 10 kilometres southeast of Norcia, Italy. The quake hit at a depth of 10 kilometres, and was felt all the way to Rome, about 100 miles (150 km) away from the town of Norcia.
120 or more people are dead, officials have said, including children, and around 100 people are reported missing. The death toll has risen over the course of the day, and is expected to rise further as scores of people remain unaccounted for. The 6.2 magnitude quake has effected the central towns of Norcia, Pescara del Tronto, Accumoli and Amatrice. Sergio Pirozzi, Amatrice's mayor, remarked, "Half the town no longer exists", as most of it has been reduced to rubble. Mayor Pirozzi went on to say rescue teams were digging with the "[hope] that most people were alive."
After hearing about the devastating effects of the earthquake, Pope Francis postponed a weekly address on religious teachings, instead dedicating a prayer session in Saint Peter's Square for those effected by the disaster. "[L]earning that there are children among the victims, I am deeply saddened," Pope Francis told his public.
Authorities have compared today's earthquake in central Italy to the 2009 earthquake that killed over 300 people in Abruzzo, Italy. Italy's Civil Protection agency characterized the earthquake as "severe".
Monday, August 22, 2016
On the campaign trail in the USA, July 2016
The following is the third edition of a monthly series chronicling the U.S. 2016 presidential election. It features original material compiled throughout the previous month after an overview of the month's biggest stories.
In this month's edition on the campaign trail: two individuals previously interviewed by Wikinews announce their candidacies for the Reform Party presidential nomination; a former Republican Congressman comments on the Republican National Convention; and Wikinews interviews an historic Democratic National Convention speaker.
Contents
Summary[edit]
As July started, presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton met with the FBI to discuss the private e-mail server she used as Secretary of State. A few days later, FBI Director James Comey held a press conference where he announced that charges would not be appropriate against Clinton. He noted, however, that Clinton had acted carelessly in installing a private e-mail server for State business and had risked compromising State secrets. Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump tweeted that the lack of charges in the case showed "the system is totally rigged!" Polls from the early part of the month gave Clinton a slight lead in the race. She led the July 4 Real Clear Politics average 44.9% to 40.3%. At this time, media interest in the running-mate selections of Trump and Clinton intensified. The Washington Post speculated that New Jersey governor Chris Christie and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich were the leading contenders to be Trump's running mate. However, other reports pointed to Indiana governor Mike Pence, who confirmed he would accept the position if asked. Trump commented that ten names were on the shortlist including some not mentioned in the media. In later days, General Michael Flynn was floated as a possibility in reports. Gingrich, Flynn, and Pence were apparently finalists for the position, with Pence believed to be the favorite. For the Democrats, Senator Cory Booker, Congressman Xavier Becerra and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro received mention as potential running mates for Clinton, but the shortlist reportedly included Senators Elizabeth Warren, Tim Kaine, Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
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Trump speaks at a July Iowa rally with Mike Pence's name affixed to his logo
Image: Max Goldberg (flickr).
Image: Max Goldberg (flickr).
On July 7, Trump arrived in Washington D.C. and met with Republican members from the House of Representatives and Senate. During the meeting, Trump reportedly told the attendees if they did not support his candidacy, they were, in effect, supporting Clinton. Trump agreed to allow his former rival, Senator Ted Cruz, to speak at the convention, but he did not secure an endorsement from Cruz. The next day, both Trump and Clinton canceled campaign events as an African American shooter in Dallas killed five police officers. Trump's state chairman in Virginia blamed the shooting on Clinton and others "who label police as racists." In the aftermath, Trump proclaimed himself the "law and order candidate." Ahead of its convention, the GOP platform committee approved a socially conservative platform that opposed same-sex marriage and identified pornography as a "public health crisis." The convention's host, Ohio governor John Kasich, a former presidential rival of Trump, would not endorse Trump and claimed through a spokesman that Trump had asked Kasich join the presidential ticket in May, but Kasich had declined. Trump's spokesman denied the claim. Another former rival, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, said he might vote for Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson instead of Trump. On the other side, Hillary Clinton's principle rival, Senator Bernie Sanders, dropped his campaign and officially endorsed Clinton. Clinton also seemingly received support from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who called Trump "a faker" and wondered why he has "gotten away" with not releasing his tax returns. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy questioned whether the country was "well served" with a Supreme Court justice openly discussing her political views. Trump referred to Ginsburg's comments as "highly inappropriate." Ginsburg later apologized.
Trump announced he would officially name his running mate on July 15. Though Pence was the favorite to receive the nod, Trump met with Senator Jeff Sessions, and had additional meetings with Christie and Gingrich. According to multiple news reports, Trump's daughter Ivanka, her husband Jared Kushner, and financier Sheldon Adelson all tried to convince Trump to select Gingrich, while campaign manager Paul Manafort favored Pence, and pollster Tony Fabrizio wanted Flynn. CNN reported Trump had offered the position to Pence, who accepted. According to NBC, the purported leak of the news had left Trump "seething." Due to the July 14 attack in Nice, France, Trump postponed the planned announcement. Both CNN and NBC reported Trump was looking for ways to get out of the selection of Pence. The campaign denied the report. The New York Times alleged the Pence selection was revisited because Christie had begged the campaign to reconsider its decision and replace Pence with himself. On July 15, Trump officially announced via Twitter that he had selected Pence. Through the selection, Trump said he hoped to unify the party. Manafort said the ticket would appeal to former supporters of Sanders. As the GOP convention approached, Manafort declared the #NeverTrump movement "gone," as the GOP rules committee voted not to unbind delegates. Clinton announced she would reveal her vice presidential selection after the GOP convention. The Washington Post tapped Vilsack as the favorite.
RNC[edit]
As the GOP convention began in Cleveland, Ohio, Trump trailed Clinton in the July 18 Real Clear Politics average 40.6% to 43.8%. Although Ohio was hosting the convention, the state's delegates were not placed in the front as is tradition. This was believed to be punishment for Governor Kasich's refusal to endorse Trump or attend the convention. Manafort called Kasich's absence a "big mistake" and "embarrassing [to] his state." With the release of the lineup of speakers showing many members of Trump's family, former RNC chairman Michael Steele called the convention "a [Trump] family affair."
On the opening day, on the floor of the convention at Quicken Loans Arena, anti-Trump delegates unsuccessfully attempted to force a roll call vote on the convention rules. Protests outside were relatively minor with only 24 arrests throughout the entire convention. During the convention speeches, delegates frequently chanted "Lock her up!" in reference to Hillary Clinton. Patricia Smith, mother of diplomat Sean Smith who died in the 2012 Benghazi attack, blamed Clinton for her son's death and exclaimed, "Hillary belongs in prison. She deserves to be in stripes." In his speech, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani commented Clinton "would go to jail" if he were allowed to prosecute her. In the prime-time opening-night speech, Trump's wife Melania delivered a speech that initially received acclaim. However, this changed once the media pointed out some lines were nearly identical to those from the speech of First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
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The Trump campaign spent most of the second day of the convention explaining away the plagiarism flap as speechwriter Meredith McIver took the blame for the passages and offered to quit. Trump requested she remain. Trump officially received the presidential nomination on the second day of the convention and Pence received the vice-presidential nomination. Christie delivered a speech in which he held a mock trial prosecuting Clinton in absentia before the delegates. He was followed with prime-time speeches by Trump's children Tiffany and Donald Jr.
On the third day, The New York Times released a transcript of an interview with Trump in which he criticized NATO and questioned whether the US should honor the treaty if member nations do not contribute their share of funds. Several Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, said they disagreed with Trump's comments. Disagreements seeped into the convention as well when Cruz gave a speech in which he did not endorse Trump. When his refusal became evident, a chorus of boos erupted from the delegates, continuing until he left the stage. The speech overshadowed that of Pence who accepted the vice-presidential nomination later that night. Cruz received almost universal condemnation from prominent Republicans. However, Gingrich, who spoke after Trump's son Eric, who followed Cruz, commented he did not take the speech to show a lack of support for Trump. Manafort and Donald Trump Jr. claimed it had helped Republicans unite behind Trump.
On the last day of the convention, after a formal introduction from Ivanka, Trump accepted the GOP nomination and delivered, CNN noted, the longest nominee acceptance speech in 40 years. In the speech, Trump emphasized "law and order", and referenced his proposals of building a wall along the southern border and banning immigration from nations with a history of terrorism. Trump described the legacy of his opponent Clinton as one of "death, destruction, terrorism, and weakness." President Barack Obama criticized the speech, accusing Trump of basing it on fear and inaccurately painting a bleak portrait of the nation. Nevertheless, a CNN/ORC instant poll showed 57% of respondents who watched the speech received it favorably and 56% were more likely to vote for Trump. According to pundit Joe Trippi, the speech and overall convention provided the GOP with about a 5.9% bounce in the polls, one point higher than the average. Most polls at this time showed Trump leading Clinton.
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Tiffany Trump
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Chris Christie
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Newt Gingrich
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Eric Trump
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Ivanka Trump
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Friday, August 19, 2016
Naked statues of Donald Trump appear in various US cities
A number of statues depicting US presidential candidate Donald Trump without his clothes on were erected in various US cities yesterday morning.
The statues were unveiled in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cleveland and Seattle. Titled "The Emperor Has No Balls", the project was devised by the anarchist collective INDECLINE, presenting present Trump in an unflattering and humiliating way.
A spokesperson for INDECLINE told The Washington Post the project was inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson story "The Emperor's New Clothes" which depicts a vain and overconfident leader. The spokesperson also said the project is meant to poke fun at the tendency for those in authoritarian positions to raise monuments of themselves.
The statues are credited to a Las Vegas-based artist called Ginger, who said he was approached by INDECLINE because of his pervious work designing monsters for horror movies and haunted houses. A video of Ginger creating these statues went up on INDECLINE's YouTube page.
The New York City statue became a busy tourist spot until the parks and recreation department took it down. A spokeswoman for the NYC parks and recreation centre stated: "NYC Parks stands firmly against any unpermitted erection in city parks, no matter how small."
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Podolski announces retirement from international football
Yesterday, Poland-born German football player and Galatasaray S.K. forward Lukas Podolski announced retirement from international football.
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Debuting internationally in 2004, Podolski has won 129 international caps, Germany's third all time most capped player after Lothar Matthäus and Miroslav Klose. 31-year-old Lukas Podolski is the third top-scorer for Germany, netting 48 goals.
Four years ago, Podolski became the youngest player to make 100 international appearances for Germany aged 27 years 13 days. He was part of the German squad for the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament in France making his final appearance for Germany against Slovakia which was his seventh major tournament.
Podolski won the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Podolski was awarded Best Young Player in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, hosted in Germany. Podolski said, "I feel like my focus has shifted [...] My time is over [...] I arrived in Germany as a two-year-old boy with basically only a football under my arm and am now a world champion. That is more than I could ever have dreamt of."
German football manager Joachim Löw said, "Just like Basti [Bastian Schweinsteiger], Lukas was always a constant for me. We have always relied on him and still do to this day. He is a role model in terms of his professionalism and attitude, and he always puts the team’s success ahead of anything else."((de)).
Podolski was the fifth player to retire from Germany's 2014 World Cup squad. Last month, German captain Bastian Schweinsteiger announced retirement from international football. Other players who left the German national squad after winning the World Cup are Philipp Lahm, Miroslav Klose, and Per Mertesacker.
Podolski announces retirement from international fotball
Yesterday, Poland-born German football player and Galatasaray S.K. forward Lukas Podolski announced retirement from international football.
Debuting internationally in 2004, Podolski has won 129 international caps, Germany's third all time most capped player after Lothar Matthäus and Miroslav Klose. 31-year-old Lukas Podolski is the third top-scorer for Germany, netting 48 goals.
Four years ago, Podolski became the youngest player to make 100 international appearances for Germany aged 27 years 13 days. He was part of the German squad for the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament in France making his final appearance for Germany against Slovakia which was his seventh major tournament.
Podolski won the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Podolski was awarded Best Young Player in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, hosted in Germany. Podolski said, "I feel like my focus has shifted [...] My time is over [...] I arrived in Germany as a two-year-old boy with basically only a football under my arm and am now a world champion. That is more than I could ever have dreamt of."
German football manager Joachim Löw said, "Just like Basti [Bastian Schweinsteiger], Lukas was always a constant for me. We have always relied on him and still do to this day. He is a role model in terms of his professionalism and attitude, and he always puts the team’s success ahead of anything else."((de)).
Podolski was the fifth player to retire from Germany's 2014 World Cup squad. Last month, German captain Bastian Schweinsteiger announced retirement from international football. Other players who left the German national squad after winning the World Cup are Philipp Lahm, Miroslav Klose, and Per Mertesacker.
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Ukrainian troops on Crimean border on high alert after rising tension with Russia
Ukrainian troops on the crimean border were put on full combat alert on Thursday, said Ukrainian officials, after tensions rose between Russia and Ukraine over the preceding several days.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed on Wednesday to have captured over the preceding weekend a group of Ukrainian saboteurs with 20 explosive devices among Russian accusations of Ukrainian military actions in Crimea, an area that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. A video on Russian state television allegedly showed one Yevyen Panov confessing to be part of the Ukrainian military in Crimea to commit "acts of sabotage". In the process of foiling this plot, the FSB claimed, a Russian soldier and a secret services agent died. Petro Poroshenko, president of Ukraine, put his own troops on high alert, suggesting the accusations were just preparing an excuse for further military actions against Ukraine.
Sergey Aksyonov, appointed head of Crimea by Russia, stated to Russian state media, "With saboteurs I think we should act as farmers do with crows who spoil the crops. Kill them and hang their bodies at the border to put off others, and make them understand that Russia will not allow anyone to risk the lives of peaceful citizens or servicemen in Crimea", while Poroshenko compared Russia's actions in Crimea and easter Ukraine to the Great Terror in which Stalin sent perhaps a million political dissidents and others to their deaths.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Labour Party UK members win right to vote in leadership contest
On Monday morning the High Court of Justice of England and Wales ruled the UK Labour Party's National Executive Committee (NEC) has no right to bar the — reportedly — around 130,000 members who joined the party after January 12 from voting in the party's leadership election this month.
This comes after an NEC decision last month that people who had not been members for six months at the time of the leadership election would have to pay a £25 registration fee to vote. The case was instigated by five people who were told even though they belonged to the party the new rules meant they weren't eligible to vote in this leadership election; they argued the decision to exclude them from the election was against labour party rules and a breach of contract. They have since announced they will appeal the ruling, despite Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell urging them not to.
The leadership contest is between incumbent leader Jeremy Corbyn, who lost a vote of no confidence motion within the parliamentary wing of his party 172, and MP (Member of Parliament) Owen Smith. Both candidates have been running campaigns to encourage more people to join the party and vote for them.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Midget car racer Bryan Clauson dies aged 27
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
US racing driver and Carmichael, California native Bryan Clauson died Sunday night from injuries sustained after a crash during Saturday's Belleville Midget Nationals quarter midget race in Kansas. He was 27 years old.
On lap 14 of the race, Clauson took the lead when he collided with a lapped car in turn four and hit the track's guardrail. The contact forced his car into a roll, landing on its side, where it was struck by Ryan Greth's car. The race was suspended under a red flag as track workers removed Clauson from his vehicle, a process that took 30 minutes to complete. He was airlifted to Bryan Medical Center West in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he was reported to be in critical condition. On Monday, Clauson's family released a statement to United States Auto Club (USAC) officials announcing Clauson had died from his injuries. USAC CEO Kevin Miller stated, "This is truly one of the darkest days in the 60-year history of the United States Auto Club. Not only have we lost one of our greatest USAC champions, we've lost a true ambassador for all of motorsports."
The race was the 116th of the year for Clauson as part of a campaign known as the Circular Insanity Tour, in which he attempted to run 200 races in 2016. Entering the Belleville Nationals, he had won 27 feature races. He was a three-time USAC National Midget and two-time USAC National Sprint Car champion with over 170 wins in USAC-sanctioned events, including a Chili Bowl Nationals win in 2014. He competed in stock car racing, driving in NASCAR and the ARCA Racing Series, winning a race in the latter. He ran 26 Busch Series (now Xfinity Series) races in 2007 and 2008 for Chip Ganassi Racing, recording a best finish of fifth at Kentucky Speedway in 2008. In 2008, he attempted three Sprint Cup Series races for Ganassi, but failed to qualify for all three. Clauson also ran three Indianapolis 500 events, one of which included the 100th running in 2016, where he finished 23rd.
In the previous night's race, Clauson crashed into Morgan Frewaldt's car in a similar location to his accident on Saturday. Clauson's team reported he was sore after the impact, but he tweeted his thanks to his safety equipment and chassis manufacturer for keeping him safe.
He is survived by his parents, Tim and Diana, his sister, Taylor and his fiancé, Lauren Stewart.
Manchester United signs Pogba, now costliest player in history
Yesterday, English football club Manchester United F.C. announced signing Frenchman Paul Pogba from Italian club Juventus F.C. Pogba rejoined The Red Devils on a five-year contract for €105 million making him the most expensive footballer of all time by breaking the previous fee record of Gareth Bale's transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Spanish capital club Real Madrid.
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23-year-old midfielder Paul Pogba made his professional debut for United in 2011 after graduating from their academy. He played only seven games before leaving for Juventus the next year. Spending four years with the Old Lady, Pogba has won four Serie A titles, three Italian Super Cups, and two Coppa Italia trophies as well.
Pogba has played 38 games for the French side, netting six goals. Last month he collected a silver medal with the national team finishing runners-up at the UEFA Euro 2016, losing 1 to Portugal. This year, Pogba was named in the FIFA FIFPro team of the year as well as the UEFA team of the year.
After signing the five-year contract, Paul Pogba said, "I am delighted to rejoin United. It has always been a club with a special place in my heart and I am looking forward to working with [United manager] José Mourinho." Mourinho praised Pogba and said Pogba "will be a key part of the United team".
Pogba has been allotted the number 6 jersey. Previously, Manchester United signed Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Eric Bailly.
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Paralympics bans Russian athletes from Rio Games after doping scandal
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has confirmed the ban on all Russian athletes from the games in the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio today.
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"The Russian Paralympic Committee will not be able to enter athletes into the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games", IPC President Sir Philip Craven told a Rio de Janeiro press conference today. "It is our responsibility to ensure fair competition. That is vital to the integrity and credibility of Paralympic sport. I believe the Russian government has catastrophically failed its athletes. The medals over morals attitude disgusts me." The international committee considered arguments from the Russian committee before confirming the ban.
This comes after the publication of the McLaren report, which described state-sponsored doping in the Russian team. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has also claimed the doping cover-up operation was sponsored by the state, with samples destroyed to eliminate evidence of doping. Drug test laboratory director turned whistleblower Dr Rodchenkov acknowledged the state security forces — in the words of the WADA report — "actively imposed an atmosphere of intimidation on laboratory process and staff". He also claimed he was part of state-organised doping at the Sochi Winter Olympics, destroying urine samples and giving athletes banned drugs.
Russia has denied these allegations, Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko calling WADA's doping report, when it first came out, "unverified sources, on unverified facts". According to Russian news agency Tass, Mutko said Russia would appeal today's IPC ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Russian gold medal winner Yuriy Borzakovskiy expressed scepticism of the allegations, saying "The report itself contains a lot of allegations but not many facts [...] The pressure [to expel Russia from the Olympics] is very much political."
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Russian vice-consul reportedly shoots mugger dead in Rio
The Russian Vice-Consul for Rio de Janeiro — by reports disputed by the Russian Consul — on Thursday shot dead an attacker, after two individuals attempted to commit a robbery.
As reported, Brazilian lawyer Marcos Cesar Feres Braga — so-named by the Daily Mail newspaper — working for the Russian Consulate, was driving with his family through the suburb of Barra da Tijuca near the main Olympic Park complex when the incident occurred. According to reports from the Rio newspaper O Globo, the 60-year-old man, his wife, and his daughter were stopped in traffic due to the Olympic torch procession in a nearby neighbourhood. Two individuals on motorbikes approached and used a gun to smash the car window. Braga, trained and considered an expert — according to reports — in jujutsu, took control of the attacker's firearm and proceeded to shoot dead the alleged attacker, while the second suspect fled the scene.
Rio de Janeiro's homicide branch has released a statement in relation to the incident. "The vice consul got into a physical struggle with the assailant and during the fight the aggressor's weapon fired shots. The assailant died of his wounds on the spot."
However, Russia's Consul General Vladimir Tokmakov has released a statement claiming no Russian diplomats or employees of the consulate general were involved in the incident. "Information circulating in the Brazilian press about the alleged shooting [...] of a Brazilian national by a Russian diplomat during an armed robbery does not reflect reality".
Australian swim team pulled from Rio training pool when water turns 'soupy'
Concerns about water quality at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games have expanded to include the inside training pool: top Australian swimming coach Michael Bohl moved his Olympic athletes from the main training pool on Thursday citing fear of infection.
The team had a pre-booked session in the training pool where they would have practiced uninterrupted. However, during the session the water in the pool turned, as Bohl described, "cloudy" and "soupy looking". Concerned about his athletes' health, he moved them from the training pool to the busier, but cleaner, main competition pool.
Bohl took his concerns to officials and was told the matter would be looked into.
This comes off the back of other water concerns in Rio, particularly in the Guanabara Bay venue for outdoor water events. An Associated Press-commissioned study found Rio's Olympic waterways contained as much as 1.7 million times worse viral levels than the emergency threshold in Europe or the US. As a result, athletes were advised to keep their mouths closed and avoid putting their heads underwater or risk falling ill.
Swimming events at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games are to begin today.
Friday, August 5, 2016
Emirates plane crash-lands in Dubai
On Wednesday, an Emirates Boeing 777 crash-landed in Dubai with 282 passengers and 18 crew on board, according to the airline. This resulted in the death of a firefighter, Jasim Issa Mohammed Hassan, who died fighting the fire at the crash. The Director-General of the UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority, Saif Al Suwaidi, praised Jasim Issa Mohammed Hassan's sacrifice in saving hundreds of passengers.
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According to passenger accounts, the pilot announced an emergency landing minutes before the crash. Then the airliner, flight EK52, was engulfed in smoke at landing and soon after burst into flames. Passengers spoke of their fear.
The airport was shut down for four hours after the incident and all crew members and passengers on the flight from India were accounted for and safe, with fourteen reported hospitalised with minor injuries.
The cause of the crash has not been officially announced, however reports indicate the plane's landing gear may not have deployed as the plane landed. An aviation safety consultant, in remarks to Australia's ABC News, noted safely and efficiently evacuating all the passengers was a significant achievement, considering the size of the aircraft.
The airline said two people on the flight were Australian, eleven from the United Arab Emirates, 24 from the the UK, and 226 from India. The co-pilot of the crashed plane was an Australian with approximately 7,000 hours flying experience, according to Emirates chairman Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who also said the crash was not due to any fault in security.
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