Saturday, August 6, 2016

Liverpool destroy Barcelona at Wembley (0-4)

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Bad image shown by Barcelona in their last pre-season game. Luis Enrique's boys suffered a huge defeat against Liverpool that were more prepared and showed more desire in the game.

The first half didn't start well. Klopp's players had more pace and Coutinho, Mane and Firmino were incredibly dangerous. It was the forty million signing from Southampton Mané ho opened the score. Ter Stegen, who defended Barcelona's goal in the first half, didn't have any chance to stop him. Arda Turan lost a ball in midfield and from there it all went even worse. Messi had Barcelona's best chance of the match, but his shot hit the post. Suarez had given him a very good assist.
Barcelona were patient, recovered the ball and ended the second half with better feelings. But they started the second one in the worst possible way. Two consecutive goals. Claudio Bravo was in goal by then but he wasn't the one to blame. Barcelona started the second half really slowly and Henderson -with Mascherano's help- and Origi put the 3-0 in a couple of minutes.
With only a few minutes to gol, Grujic scored a header and put the 4-0. A day to forget for Barcelona at Wembley.

Greens remove reference to Jewish group in new policy to revoke status of charities that violate human rights

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At its party convention in Ottawa Saturday, the Green Party of Canada passed a resolution to add to its policies the revocation of charitable status from organizations complicit in international rights violations.
A last-minute kerfuffle on the convention floor resulted in an amendment, supported by leader Elizabeth May, to broaden what was originally a motion to specifically revoke charitable status from the Jewish National Fund.
Despite accusations that the motion was reduced to a “mere platitude” and the JNF had bullied May into supporting a “watered-down” version of the resolution, other Greens suggested it was strengthened since more organizations’ practices could be examined.
May had told the National Post in June the original motion contained factual errors and she did not support it.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
May, despite appearing in a list of “sponsors” of the resolution, had said she would try to be as persuasive as possible in asking party members to vote it down.
The submitter of the resolution, Corey Levine, said the JNF violates international human rights law and the resolution isn’t without precedent: the Green Parties of England and Wales and Scotland adopted similar resolutions.
But another member speaking out against the policy characterized it this way: “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
The JNF’s Canada branch has held charitable status since 1967. It posted revenues of $29 million in 2014, according to the Canada Revenue Agency.
The organization, whose supporters have been levying a robust email campaign against the Greens, says it collects money to use for development projects in Israel, including parks and community centres.
But the original Green resolution alleged the JNF is complicit in the dispossession of land from Palestinians, including building projects on occupied territory and not allowing the sale or lease of land to non-Jewish people.
The CEO of JNF Canada, Josh Cooper, defended the organization in June saying it is recognized as an NGO by the UN and its projects are open to all Israeli citizens, whatever their religion.
Another resolution being voted on Sunday morning could result in even stronger backlash if adopted.
It would add support for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel to the Green policy book.
If it passes, it will put the Green Party at odds with a House of Commons motion from earlier this year.
In February, the House passed a Conservative motion 229-to-51, with strong Liberal support, condemning the “demonization and delegitimization of the State of Israel” and any actions by Canadian groups or individuals to promote the BDS movement.
May wasn’t in Ottawa the day the motion passed but has said she wouldn’t have voted in favour because of freedom of speech concerns.

Syria rebels 'break government siege' of Aleppo

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Rebel factions in Syria say they have broken a weeks-long government siege of Aleppo, amid scenes of rejoicing in the crucial northern city.
Sources close to government forces denied that they had been pushed aside and said they had driven the rebels back from an artillery base.
UK-based opposition activists say the rebels have indeed managed to link up with their comrades in eastern Aleppo.
But the rebels have so far failed to establish a secure route, they add.
The rebel coalition includes an al-Qaeda affiliated group.
Government forces cut Aleppo's rebel-held areas off in July, with some 250,000 people living under siege.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based opposition news service, said the rebels had broken the siege but the route was "not fully secure yet".
On Friday, the rebel groups said they had stormed an artillery base in the city.
But the Syrian army said it had repelled the assault and inflicted heavy casualties on the rebels.
Meanwhile, a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters seized most of Manbij - a key Syrian city - from so-called Islamic State.

Friday, August 5, 2016

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Monday, August 1, 2016

Russian helicopter shot down, killing five on board

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A Russian military helicopter has been shot down in Syria killing all five on board - the deadliest single incident for Russia's military since its air campaign began last September.
The Mi-8 transporter was brought down by rebels, Russia says, in northern Idlib province.
It was returning from delivering humanitarian aid to the besieged city of Aleppo, the defence ministry said.
It is not clear which group brought the helicopter down.
An alliance of forces, including hardline jihadist factions, is the dominant power in Idlib.
Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra) is among those active in the province, and so-called Islamic State has vowed to carry out jihad against Russian forces.
The helicopter was carrying three crew and two officers.
Pictures on social media, purportedly of the latest Russian helicopter downing, showed burning wreckage and bodies, with armed men milling around.
Footage showed at least one body being dragged away. Another is seen apparently being trampled on.

Sunday, July 31, 2016

Heavy rains flood parts of Fort McMurray, closing roads and causing power outages

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After going through hell, Fort McMurray is going through high water, as heavy morning rainfall floods parts of Gregoire, downtown and Thickwood.
People who had spent weeks clearing smoke fumes out of their homes woke up to flooded basements and leaking roofs. The high waters formed pools on the road that are deep and wide enough to make regular traffic impossible.
Roads throughout the city have been closed, as work crews scramble to divert flooding with barriers and use vacuum trucks to suck up the rising waters. Power outages have been reported across the city.
For the first time since May’s wildfires, the municipality activated the Regional Emergency Operations Centre around 11 a.m. A state of emergency has not been declared by any level of government.
No evacuations, mandatory or voluntary, have been announced for any area of Wood Buffalo, although the municipality is asking people to restrict travel and respect any barricades.
Flooding has closed Gregoire Drive and Mackenzie Boulevard, as well as Morrison North. The bypass along Memorial southbound is becoming impassable. Traffic lights have lost power, meaning intersections are to be treated as four-way stops.
Roads that have no barricades but are flooded should be avoided; the ground underneath will likely be slippery and could have unseen debris.
Environment Canada is warning low-lying areas will continue to see localized flooding, and washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts should be avoided. Campers should move away from low-lying areas.
“It looks like this summer wants everyone saying we’re Fort McMurray strong to see how strong that is,” said Lester Defina, a Gregoire resident who spent Sunday morning laying a tarp over the roof of his mobile home. The 33-year-old man had recently removed smoke fumes from his home after May’s wildfire.
“I figured I should cover the roof before the wind and rain gets even worse,” he said. “If I have to evacuate again, I hope this time I remember to close the window.”
Earlier Saturday afternoon, Environment Canada issued rainfall warnings for the entire municipality except Fort Chipewyan, as well as parts of Lac La Biche County.
In an update posted at 10:38 a.m. Sunday, Environment Canada anticipates between 30 and 40 millimetres of rainfall will fall on most of the area. Yet, thunderstorms will localize even heavier rains, meaning some areas could have up to 100 millimetres of rainfall.
Fort McMurray, Wabasca and Slave Lake are expected to see the heaviest rainfall, although there is uncertainty regarding where intensity will be highest.

Ghazala Khan’s response to Donald Trump: ‘He doesn’t know what the word sacrifice means’

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Donald Trump has asked why I did not speak at the Democratic convention. He said he would like to hear from me. Here is my answer to Donald Trump: Because without saying a thing, all theworld, all America, felt my pain. I am a Gold Star mother. Whoever saw me felt me in their heart.
Donald Trump said I had nothing to say. I do. My son Humayun Khan, an Army captain, died 12 years ago in Iraq. He loved America, where we moved when he was 2 years old. He had volunteered to help his country, signing up for the ROTC at the University of Virginia. This was before the attack of Sept. 11, 2001. He didn’t have to do this, but he wanted to.

When Humayun was sent to Iraq, my husband and I worried about his safety. I had already been through one war, in Pakistan in 1965, when I was just a high school student. So I was very scared. You can sacrifice yourself, but you cannot take it that your kids will do this.
We asked if there was some way he could not go, because he had already done his service. He said it was his duty. I cannot forget when he was going to the plane, and he looked back at me. He was happy, and giving me strength: “Don’t worry, Mom. Everything will be all right.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring a bicycle kick on his first Red Devils appearance.

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Ibrahimovic, 34, met Antonio Valencia's cross with a typically athletic volley as United beat Galatasaray 5-2.
The Turkish side bossed the remainder of the half and led thanks to goals from Sinan Gumus and Bruma.
But a much-changed United side turned the match around through Wayne Rooney (two), Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata.
And Swedish striker Ibrahimovic believes the future is bright for the Red Devils, who continue to be linked with a £100m move for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.
"There is something big on the go, it's going to be very interesting this year," he said. "Let us say that if Pogba comes too, it's going to be very interesting.
"I'm going to help the team as much as I can and do what I'm good at, creating chances and scoring goals."
Manager Jose Mourinho used 22 players and will leave Gothenburg with as many questions as answers as he ponders his starting XI for next Sunday's Community Shield, which sees his FA Cup winners face Premier League champions Leicester at Wembley.
Ibrahimovic led the line in the first half, with Rooney behind him and Anthony Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan either side.
But half-time replacements Marcus Rashford, Ashley Young and Jesse Lingard looked far sharper and led to United's revival after a sleepy first 45 minutes.
Rooney equalised with a clean volley from another Valencia cross before Rashford won a penalty with an individual run from near halfway, and captain Rooney converted.
Valencia then made another goal as Fellaini drifted a header into the corner and Mata - who was sold by Mourinho at Chelsea - collected Michael Carrick's clever ball to slide in.
World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger - one of nine players reportedly told they can leave the club - did not feature.

Manchester United: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Blind, Shaw, Schneiderlin, Herrera, Mkhitaryan, Rooney, Martial, Ibrahimovic. Subs: Johnstone, Romero, Darmian, Jones, Rojo, Fellaini, Carrick, Lingard, Mata, Young, Memphis, Rashford.

Fury as Trump mocks Muslim soldier's mother Ghazala Khan

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Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump drew outrage from Republicans and Democrats by mocking a dead Muslim soldier's mother who stood silently as her husband attacked him in a speech.
Mr Trump suggested Ghazala Khan may not have been allowed to speak.
Senior politicians said this was no way to talk about the mother of a hero.
In an impassioned speech at last week's Democratic National Convention, Khizr Khan said Mr Trump had sacrificed "nothing and no-one" for his country.
His son Humayun Khan was killed by a car bomb in 2004 in Iraq at the age of 27.

Mr Trump responded to the criticism in an interview with ABC's This Week.
"If you look at his wife, she was standing there," he said, "She had nothing to say... Maybe she wasn't allowed to have anything to say. You tell me."
But former president Bill Clinton, the husband of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, said: "I cannot conceive how he can say that about a Gold Star mother."
Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Kaine said Mr Trump's remarks were inappropriate.
"He was kind of trying to turn that into some kind of ridicule," he said, quoted by AP. "It just demonstrates again kind of a temperamental unfitness. If you don't have any more sense of empathy than that, then I'm not sure you can learn it."
Some Republicans also rounded on their candidate.
Ohio Governor John Kasich, a former rival to Mr Trump for the Republican nomination, tweeted: "There's only one way to talk about Gold Star parents: with honour and respect."
Khizr Khan said in an interview on Saturday that Mr Trump was "devoid of feeling the pain of a mother who has sacrificed her son", the New York Times reported.
Ghazala Khan said on Friday that she did not speak during her husband's speech to the Democratic National Convention because she was still overcome with grief and could not look at her son's photos without crying. source