RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian police charged American swimmer Ryan Lochte on Thursday with filing a false robbery report over an incident during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
A police statement said Lochte would be informed in the United States so he could decide whether to introduce a defence in Brazil.
The indictment will also be sent to the International Olympic Committee’s ethics commission, the statement said.
Lochte initially said that he and fellow swimmers Jack Conger, Gunnar Bentz and Jimmy Feigen were robbed at gunpoint in a taxi by men with a police badge as they returned to the Olympic Village from a party Aug. 15. However, security video suggested the four actually faced security guards after vandalizing a gas station restroom.
Lochte left Brazil shortly after the incident. Three days later, local authorities took Conger and Bentz off an airliner heading to the United States so they could be questioned about the robbery claim. They were later allowed to leave Brazil, as was Feigen, after he gave testimony. Feigen, who initially stood by Lochte’s testimony, was not charged.
Lochte has since acknowledged that he was highly intoxicated and that his behaviour led to the confrontation. It is not clear from the video whether a gun was ever pointed to the athletes.
Under Brazilian law, the penalty for falsely filing a crime report carries a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison. Lochte could be tried in absentia if he didn’t return to face the charge.
The United States and Brazil have an extradition treaty dating back to the 1960s, but Brazil has a long history of not extraditing its own citizens to other nations and U.S. authorities could take the same stance if Lochte is found guilty.
That is currently the case of the head of Brazil’s football confederation, Marco Polo del Nero, who faces charges in the wide-ranging scandal entangling international soccer’s ruling body, FIFA. He has not travelled outside Brazil for more than a year to avoid being arrested by U.S. authorities somewhere else.
The charges in Brazil raise questions about the future for Lochte, who is planning to take time off from swimming but wants to return to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He has 12 Olympic medals, second only to Michael Phelps among U.S. male Olympians.
Lochte lost four major sponsors early this week over the controversy, including Speedo USA and Ralph Lauren. But on Thursday he picked up a new sponsor — Pine Bros. Softish Throat Drops. Pine Bros. said people should be more understanding of the swimmer and said he will appear in ads that say the company’s product is “Forgiving On Your Throat.”

Lochte charged with false report of robbery at Rio 2016


RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian police charged American swimmer Ryan Lochte on Thursday with filing a false robbery report over an incident during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.


Nearly five years ago today, in one of my first meetings with Stephen Harper as his newly appointed director of policy, we were leafing through cabinet binders containing hundreds of pages of policy analysis and briefing material. We were preparing for an upcoming cabinet retreat to help plot the course for the new majority government's mandate.
The agenda was heavy, but I was sure that I'd combed through every last presentation and that nothing was missing.
As the prime minister paged through a lengthy memorandum to cabinet, he paused midway through page 64 where he'd placed a flag. He then proceeded to ask a particularly obscure question of fact.
I stammered out a reply, hoping it was the right one. Alas, he turned to page 126 of the document, and informed me that my answer was different than the one contained in footnote 37, asking if I was sure whether I was correct.
I knew then that I was in the presence of a leader whose attention to detail, capacity for hard work, and insistence on excellence was unmatched. He was determined to do the best possible job at his job, and he expected no less from his staff.
Our many subsequent interactions only served to confirm that impression, as Harper proceeded to follow through on nearly every commitment he had made to voters while steering the country through turbulent international waters.
And what a legacy he left for Canada.
Harper's Conservative government lowered taxes, resulting in the lowest federal tax burden in 50 years.
Harper guided Canada's economy through the worst global recession since the Great Depression, adding more 1.3 million new jobs since 2009.
New free trade agreements opened doors.
Harper's careful stewardship of finances resulted in the largest and longest infrastructure plan in Canadian history, making record investments in research, innovation and skills training - all while balancing the budget.
The Conservative government created new support for families, and the disabled, though the tax system. It rebalanced the justice system and implemented measures to protect children. It gave authorities new tools to fight terrorism here and abroad.
While enhancing support for the military and veterans, he spoke out against Russia's illegal occupation of Ukraine and staunchly defending Israel's right to exist.
Harper never lost focus on what mattered most to him - standing up for ordinary Canadians who work hard, pay their taxes, and play by the rules.
There was certainly no shortage of people who quibbled with Harper's style, or his unwillingness to cater to media demands, or his inability to project a sunny, carefree disposition.
But here's what I know from experience: Stephen Harper spent every minute of his political career working to make our country stronger and the best place in the world to live. When he left office, Canada had the wealthiest middle class in the world. We were the envy of the developed world.
In the end, that's Harper's legacy - a better, stronger Canada.
- @reicurran


Nearly five years ago today, in one of my first meetings with Stephen Harper as his newly appointed director of policy, we were leafing through cabinet binders containing hundreds of pages of policy analysis and briefing material. We were preparing for an upcoming cabinet retreat to help plot the course for the new majority government's mandate.


Nathan Deslippe was an ambitious entrepreneur with a thriving career and promising future.
William Joles was looking for work and a place to crash after returning to London after an unsuccessful stint out West.
The two men, both 27, had known each other for years, bonding over a shared passion for leadership and life coaching.
Joles sometimes showed up for dinner at the Deslippe family home, where he earned a reputation for having a huge appetite, while Deslippe had some of his friend’s furniture in his downtown apartment.
Deslippe’s parents weren’t surprised when their son opened his home to Joles and tried to get him a job with the technology company he worked for.
But the friendship took a tragic turn when Deslippe was found dead inside his downtown London apartment over the weekend and Joles was charged with killing his roommate.
“He refused to give up on his friend,” Deslippe’s mother, Mona Lam-Deslippe, said Monday.
“He had so many friends because he cared for so many people. It was unfortunately this caring that caused this situation.”
The homicide — London’s third of the year — left Deslippe’s family, friends and colleagues in shock.
“We’re just not able to make any sense of it,” said Deslippe’s father, Tim Deslippe. “It just seems like such a senseless death.”
Police found Deslippe’s body in his 18th-floor unit after receiving a 911 call to 323 Colborne St. Sunday around 10 a.m. Joles was arrested at the scene and charged with second-degree murder Monday.
Lawrence Field, a friend of both men, said Joles called him Sunday morning, asking him to come to Deslippe’s apartment.
Field said he arrived around 6:30 a.m. to find Joles and a woman in the lobby. The three started to go upstairs, but when the elevator didn’t work Field opted to go home rather than climb the 18 flights.
As he was leaving, Field said Joles, who smelled like alcohol, embraced him.
“He was like, ‘This is the last hug you’re going to get,” said Field, whose boss called him a few hours later, saying police had showed up looking for him.
Field said he met with investigators and turned over his phone.
Joles is also charged with forcible confinement, assault and uttering threats. The charges stem from a related event at the same location, London police said.
A woman who lives in the unit directly below Deslippe’s said she didn’t hear anything strange Saturday and Sunday morning, but saw men hanging out and drinking on the balcony sometime during the night.
Police hadn’t revealed how Deslippe died and were awaiting the results of an autopsy.
Friend Amir Farahi said he last talked to Deslippe shortly before midnight Saturday.
“He was just telling me he’s chilling,” said Farahi. “It seemed like he was just settling down, relaxing.”
Friends remember Deslippe as a community-builder who was close to his father, a principal with the London District Catholic school board, and his mother, the founder of MLD Solutions Inc., a technology and consulting company, and a prominent member of London’s technology community.
“Her son was a heck of a lot like her,” technology analyst Carmi Levy said of Deslippe. “He was a good soul.
“Things like this don’t happen to people like him.”
A graduate of Catholic Central high school, Deslippe worked as an account manager at Voices.com, a London technology company, where his co-workers covered his desk with flowers and messages scrawled on Post-it notes Monday.
“He was dearly loved . . . Every time you go by his desk, there’s more things piled on his desk. It’s sad,” said company spokesperson Trisha Beausaert, who confirmed Joles had interviewed with the company.
Moving back to London nearly two months ago, Joles was staying with Deslippe but had found his own place for October, said Deslippe’s family.
Joles, who attended Central secondary school, studied police foundations at Fanshawe College before enrolling in criminology at King’s University College for two years. He worked as a security guard for private companies and at a London bar before going to Western Canada.
Visitation for Deslippe is Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Forest Lawn Funeral Home and Cemetery.
The funeral is 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Peter’s Basilica in London
— With files by Free Press reporter Jennifer O’Brien
dcarruthers@postmedia.com
twitter.com/DaleatLFPress
--- --- ---
Nathan Deslippe of London is remembered as an ambitious young man who hoped to open a business combining yoga and craft beer
Dreamer found dead “was going to go far”
A dreamer who made things happen.
That was Nathan Deslippe, say those who knew him.
Besides working for a London tech company, teaching yoga, running two of his own start-ups and volunteering in the community, Deslippe was toiling away at his most ambitious project yet.
The 27-year-old, found dead Sunday in the downtown London highrise where he lived, had planned to open a wellness centre that offered a yoga classes, life coaching and served craft beer.
He was busy developing a business plan with his mother, Mona Lam-Deslippe, and even had yoga instructors lined up.
“He was a big vision guy,” said Arthur Gonzales, a friend since high school. “We need to have more people like Nathan.”
Networking came easy to Deslippe, whom friends say was at ease mingling with young professionals as he was with politicians and business leaders.
“He lit up the room, that’s why he was good at networking,” said friend Rob Anderson, who had planned to work out with Deslippe at the gym on Monday.
“He offered so much to London. He was proud of this city,”
News of Deslippe’s death prompted a massive show of support on social media Monday.
A sharp dresser with a taste for bow ties, Deslippe devoured self-help books by gurus like Tony Robbins. His social media feed was peppered with inspiration quotes.
But Deslippe’s top passion was yoga.
“He literally tried to get everyone into yoga,” said friend Amir Farahi.
Deslippe had recently started teaching a Thursday night yoga class at Anderson Craft Ales, where participants gathered for drinks in the brewery’s bar after their sessions.
“He wanted to test it there and prove the concept,” Anderson said of his friend’s idea to pair yoga and suds.
Lam-Deslippe, an accomplished London businesswoman, had complete confidence in her son’s concept of building a culture around nurturing the body and mind.
“It was a very well-rounded holistic approach,” she said. “That’s why I believe that he could have made it work by building that culture.”
Deslippe was even ambitious when it came to pet ownership. He created social media accounts for his beloved Gyzmo, a chihuahua- pomeranian mix, in the hopes the dog would become the next online star.
The word friends and family used most to describe Deslippe? Inspiring.
“He always tried to motivate people to do their best,” said father Tim Deslippe.
“He was going to go far.”
Dale Carruthers, Free Press Reporter

'Such a senseless death'; Friendship takes tragic turn as roommate charged with


Nathan Deslippe was an ambitious entrepreneur with a thriving career and promising future.


NEW DELHI — Police in Bangladesh killed three suspected militants Saturday, including a man they identified as a Canadian accused of masterminding a deadly attack on a cafe in Dhaka last month.
Top counterterrorism official Monirul Islam said police raided a two-story house in Narayanganj district near Dhaka and killed the suspects early Saturday.
The dead included Tamim Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi-born Canadian, who police believe was one of two masterminds of the July 1 attack on a popular restaurant in Dhaka that left 20 people dead.
The militants belonged to the banned group Jumatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh, or JMB, Bangladesh’s police chief A.K.M. Shahidul Hoque told reporters.
Chowdhury was the mastermind of the July 1 attack and another attack on an Eid congregation outside Dhaka on July 7 marking the end of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, he said.
Bangladesh police have been conducting raids across the country to hunt down those behind the attacks.
The police chief said security officials raided the house acting on a tip that Chowdhury, along with other suspects, was hiding in the building. The suspects opened fire at officials who retaliated, he said.
A SWAT team made the final push and fatally shot the suspects after they failed to surrender. Haque said the team asked them to give themselves up but they went on firing.
The Islamic State group had claimed responsibility for the restaurant attack, but authorities have denied that all along, saying it was the act of the JMB and that the ISIL has no presence in the Muslim-majority country.
The attack on the upscale Holey Artisan Bakery killed 20 people, including 17 foreigners. The July 7 attack on the prayer gathering north of Dhaka left four people dead, including two police officers.
Global Affairs Canada said in a statement Saturday it is aware of news reports that Chowdhury was killed in Bangladesh.
“Canadian officials are in contact with Bangladeshi authorities to gather additional information,” said Global Affairs spokeswoman Diana Khaddaj in an email. “No further details can be provided at this time.”
Also, the family of a Toronto university student who was detained in Bangladesh after surviving the cafe attack said Friday that the young man had been transferred to prison.
Tahmid Hasib Khan’s family has maintained the 22-year-old’s innocence ever since the July 1 attack.
Khan is a permanent resident of Canada and an undergraduate student studying global health at the University of Toronto.
He had arrived in Dhaka on July 1 to celebrate Eid with his family, and planned to travel to Nepal to begin an internship with UNICEF the following week.
He was with friends at the Holey Artisan Bakery when five gunmen attacked. Security forces stormed the restaurant on July 2, killing the gunmen and rescuing the remaining hostages.
Khan was taken into custody for questioning immediately after the attack, and police formally announced his arrest at the beginning of August.
Part of the narrative around Khan’s case are media reports that quote hostages from the restaurant as saying Khan was ordered to hold a gun during the attack, and that he was photographed doing so.
Global Affairs Canada has said Canadian officials are monitoring Khan’s situation.
With files from The Canadian Press

Bangladesh police kill 3, including Canadian suspect in Dhaka attack


Police in Bangladesh killed three suspected
militants Saturday, including a man they
identified as a Canadian accused of
masterminding a deadly attack on a cafe in
Dhaka last month.


Dear Amy: My best friend and I are high school seniors and I strongly dislike her boyfriend.
He treats her horribly, tells her "no promises" about cheating on her when they're arguing, entertains other girls and doesn't shut it down and then makes jokes about it. Recently she asked who the girl he was texting was, and he said, "Oh, I don't know. I have three."
When I told him he's made her cry, he bragged to his friend about how cool that is. She doesn't open up to him because she says he doesn't care. They fight over the same things over and over. She knows she should leave, but she can't imagine her life without him and she wants more time with him.
She used to tell me that since he doesn't cheat on her it's fine, but now she says things like she doesn't know if he's cheating or not. At this point, I don't think she'd leave him even if he did cheat. She puts up with this and I don't know if it's because she does love him or if it's because he's her first boyfriend. No matter what I do I can't make her see that he's not good for her and she deserves so much more. She doesn't believe that there's someone out there who's going to show her what she's been missing.
I hate watching her hurt herself. I get so angry over this, I've even cried because she was crying over him.
Do I stay out of it or do I help her? Nothing I say or do changes her mind. How can I be a better friend and help her out? -- Sad Best Friend
Dear Sad: According to the very helpful website loveisrespect.org, 1 in 5 teens report being in a toxic or abusive dating relationship. Based on what you say, I would put your friend in this category.
Continue to support her, but understand that she may continue to stay with him, even though he is an emotionally abusive jerk. Understand that on many levels she knows this, but she is making a calculation: She would rather have stale crumbs from this guy than be on her own. You can help make sure she knows she deserves better.
She sounds vulnerable and insecure. You should continue to be her supportive friend but you can stop urging her to leave (this choice needs to come from her). Only continue saying to her, "You deserve so much better..."
Some abusive relationship patterns start with that first relationship, and, unfortunately, if she thinks this is acceptable or "normal," she may continue to have relationships with guys who bully and treat her badly.
You cannot change this, but you should continue to be her loyal friend, even if this is incredibly frustrating and hard for you. Urge her to do some research about relationships; loveandrespect.org offers a very helpful online chat, as well as a free texting hotline: text loveis to 22522 or call 866-331-9474.
Dear Amy: I'm almost divorced. I've known my daughter's boyfriend's mother since we both were teenagers.
She has been divorced for five years. We've had this unspoken thing for each other for more than 30 years. We met for drinks and hit it off, just talking about our kids. Is it wrong to take this relationship to the next level? -- Wondering
Dear Wondering: You say: "I'm almost divorced." I say: On some level, all married people are almost divorced.
When you are all-the-way divorced, you should feel free to take this relationship to the next level.
Dear Amy: In your column, you commented about the "subtle and shifting hurts" that you have experienced on Facebook.
I'm a 61-year-old attorney. I'm married with three children. You would think I would be immune to the "hurt" you mentioned. I'm not. Facebook can really be a hurtful venue. And your usage of the words "subtle" and "shifting" was, in my opinion, an exact description of how it feels.
I think I have learned a ton about myself and other people over the course of the last two years, as a result of that hurtfulness. Well said!
Thank you. -- Big Fan
Dear Fan: Social media expands our circles, increasing the number of people who have access to us. These people can easily make (or break) our day.
Because this is a new way of interacting, we all need to arrive at new ways of coping. I'll happily pass along suggestions from readers.

High school friends face boyfriend tension


Dear Amy: My best friend and I are high school seniors and I strongly dislike her boyfriend.


LOS ANGELES -- The famous human ancestor known as Lucy walked the Earth, but it was her tree climbing that might have led to her demise, a new study suggests.
An analysis of her partial skeleton reveals breaks in her right arm, left shoulder, right ankle and left knee -- injuries that researchers say resulted from falling from a high perch such as a tree.
Lucy likely died quickly, said John Kappelman, an anthropologist at the University of Texas at Austin, who published the findings Monday in the journal Nature.
"I don't think she suffered," Kappelman said.
But several other researchers, including Lucy's discoverer, disagree. They contend most of the cracks in Lucy's bones are well documented and came after her death from the fossilization process and natural forces such as erosion.
How Lucy met her end has remained a mystery since her well-preserved fossil remains were unearthed more than four decades ago. Her discovery was significant because it allowed scientists to establish that ancient human ancestors walked upright before evolving a big brain.
Lucy was a member of Australopithecus afarensis, an early human species that lived in Africa between about 4 million and 3 million years ago. The earliest humans climbed trees and walked on the ground. Lucy walked upright and occasionally used her long, dangling arms to climb trees. She was a young adult when she died.
Tim White, a paleoanthropologist at the University of California, Berkeley, called the study's conclusion a "misdiagnosis." The Texas researchers "appear to have focused only on the cracks that they could attribute to an imagined fall, ignoring the additional abundant cracks," White said in an email.
The split highlights the difficulty of pinpointing a cause of death from fossilized remains. Scientists rarely know how early humans died because skeletons are incomplete and bones tend to get crushed under sand and rocks.
Over the years, Lucy's discoverer Donald Johanson has tried to solve the mystery.
Lucy's skeleton, which is 40 per cent complete, was recovered in Ethiopia in what was an ancient lake near fossilized remains of crocodiles, turtle eggs and crab claws.
"There's no definitive proof of how she died," said Johanson of Arizona State University.
The Texas team examined Lucy's bones and used high-tech imaging. Kappelman said the scans revealed multiple broken bones and no signs of healing, suggesting the injuries occurred around the time of death.
He reconstructed her final moments: The 3-foot-6-inch (1.06-meter) Lucy fell from at least 40 feet and hit the ground at 35 mph. She landed on her feet before twisting and falling. Such an impact would have caused internal organ damage. Fractures on her upper arms suggest she tried to break her fall.
Kappelman theorized that Lucy's walking ability may have caused her to be less adept at climbing trees, making her more vulnerable to falling from heights.
Not everyone agrees that her tree-climbing skills were lacking. Other scientists point out that there have been documented falls by chimpanzees and orangutans, which spend more time in trees than Lucy's species.
"Without a time machine, how can one know that she didn't just get unlucky and fall?" William Harcourt-Smith of the American Museum of Natural History said in an email.

Did fall from tree kill famous human ancestor Lucy?


The famous human ancestor known as Lucy
walked the Earth, but it was her tree
climbing that might have led to her
demise, a new study suggests.


NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Alicia Keys attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Nick Cannon attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Sean Diddy Combs attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Ariana Grande attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for MTV)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Bebe Rexha attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for MTV)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Social media star Baddie Winkle attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Hailey Baldwin arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Cassie attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Farrah Abraham arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Winnie Harlow arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Model Taylor Hill attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West attend the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Nicki Minaj attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: JoJo attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Jaden Smith attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Nick Jonas attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Rita Ora attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Britney Spears attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Jenni "JWoww" Farley attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Naomi Campbell attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Ashley Graham attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Beyonce and daughter Blue Ivy arrive at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
The MTV Video Music Awards have given us some of the most memorable red carpet looks - good and bad. This year was no disappointment. From feathers to turbans, sparkle and more see the most daring looks from the 2016 MTV VMAs red carpet.
NEW YORK -- Accompanied by daughter Blue Ivy sporting a big tulle train, Beyonce was angel-winged and green-feathered Sunday night on the white carpet of the MTV Video Music Awards, one of the wildest celebrity fashion parades of the year.
Sparkling from head to toe in the shade of mint, huge green jewels hanging from her ears, the queen wore her hair back and braided. Her hive of fans was pleased, breathless on Twitter, as her 4-year-old princess walked in gold, high top sneakers on, showing off a dainty jeweled head band worn at the front with two long braids.
From sparkly Superman T-shirts to bejeweled high top kicks, the VMAs is an anything-goes carpet, an opportunity for names large and smaller from TV, music and elsewhere to strut and clown for throngs of cameras live from Madison Square Garden.
Beyonce and Blue posed with Sybrina Fulton, Lezley McSpadden and Gwen Carr, the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, among others. Collectively, they're in the Mothers of the Movement, women of colour who lost children to violence and appeared in Beyonce's "Lemonade" visual album holding photos of their lost sons.
Nicki Minaj slayed in sexy royal blue, a clingy mermaid-style gown with a crisscross front and huge side cutouts. Walking in the tight outfit proved a challenge. Her accessory was Meek, wearing a black zip jacket with red rose appliques and a huge rectangle diamond necklace.
More subdued was Amber Rose in a black, double-breasted pantsuit, bra top out. Kim Kardashian also opted for black as she posed with hubby Kanye West, casual in a white short-sleeve T-shirt and white pants.
Britney Spears was in black, too, a form-flattering dress with a long open slash from the shoulder to the hip, her blonde locks long and loose.
Swinging her famous high ponytail, Ariana Grande blew kisses at the cameras in a tiny, flirty lace top off the shoulders with a pair of wide black trousers and black choker. Speaking of walking, Rita Ora had no trouble in towering platform shoes with a sheer black skirt with red feather accents and a black leather motorcycle jacket.
The impersonating cast of "RuPaul's Drag Race," meanwhile, did what they do best, walking as Lady Gaga in her meat dress, Spears and her famous snake (this one a fake) and Lil' Kim with one nipple covered only by a blue pastie.
The guys represented. Rapper Desiigner was bare-chested in a salmon suit, his eternally huge smile on his face and glittery chains around his neck. Nick Cannon was in white, including a turban, to go with his sleeveless T and long shorts, while 2 Chainz wore a red and green stripe bandanna scarf with a tasseled white long-sleeve shirt.
One of the evening's hosts, DJ Khaled, wore a sharp David August black suit.
The VMAs attracted many in MTV's reality stable, including "Teen Mom OG" Farrah Abraham as full-on Wonder Woman. The night also attracted a few supermodels, including Naomi Campbell in a short ivory dress and Joan Smalls in a clay red crop top.
Four of the Final Five gymnastics stars from the Rio Olympics also walked the carpet -- Simone Biles, in a sequined red mini by designer Sherri Hill, Aly Raisman, in a girly floral overlay dress, Laurie Hernandez in blue and Madison Kocian in aqua.
Teammate Gabby Douglas was in a hospital for treatment of a mouth infection from a previous injury, said her publicist, Lesley Burbridge.
Historic multi-gold winning Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps was chill in a simple pair of black pants, white shirt and a black jacket as photographers shouted, "Where are your medals?"
Later, he introduced Future, revealing it was the Atlanta rapper and singer he was listening to when making his now-famous Phelps face, a grimace before a race that went viral on social media.

MTV VMAs: The most daring looks from the red carpet


TORONTO -- Canada's insatiable appetite for the Tragically Hip sent the rock band's entire discography back onto the Billboard charts last week.
All 17 Hip albums, ranging from their debut EP to their most recent "Man Machine Poem," found spots on the Billboard Canadian Albums in the wake of the much-anticipated national broadcast of their final tour stop in Kingston, Ont.
Topping the list was the band's 2005 release "Yer Favourites," a greatest hits compilation that was chosen by their fans through a vote on the band's website. The album saw its total consumption rise 238%, pushing it up a spot from second place a week earlier.
Also finding positions in the Top 10 were this year's "Man Machine Poem," holding steady at No. 6, 1992's "Fully Completely," which climbed to eight from 39, and 1989's "Up To Here," which shifted to ninth place from 28 last week.
The Hip's other albums, which include a number of live concert recordings, also found spots on the chart.
Billboard's Canadian album chart is tallied by Nielsen Music and based on album sales, digital song sales and audio on-demand streams.
Interest in the Hip skyrocketed earlier this year when frontman Gord Downie revealed he has terminal brain cancer, but planned to launch a tour across much of the country anyway.
Tickets to the shows sold out almost immediately, leading to CBC picking up a national broadcast of the final tour stop in Kingston. The concert quickly became a major event as fans made plans to host viewing parties and some local communities organized their own public screenings.
CBC's broadcast of the concert averaged just over four million viewers, according to the network.
Overall, the band's total album sales rose 157% from the previous week, Nielsen Music reported, while digital song sales were up 342% and online streams are up 185%.

All 17 Tragically Hip albums land on Billboard's Canadian albums chart


Canada's insatiable appetite for the Tragically Hip sent the rock band's entire discography back onto the Billboard charts last week.


The middle of the CFL season is upon us, and, as always there are plenty of storylines that have been building and should keep fans of the three-down loop entertained for the second half.
With that in mind, here is our hurry-up version of a mid-season report:
— The main story on the field, if you can forget about all the coaches’ challenges for a moment, has been the parity. Aside from the juggernaut Stampeders and lowly Roughriders, the other seven teams are all within six points of each other. That means the crossover is in play and the playoff races are going to go down to the wire.
— The other notable story on the field is how well the visiting teams have played. Road teams are a ridiculous 24-15-1 this season, but for how much longer can they keep it up? And will it be in a team’s best interest to finish third in its division so it can play its two playoff games on the road? Good luck convincing a head coach of that, no matter how many road teams end up winning the rest of the way.
— Now, about those coaches’ challenges. Unfortunately, that has been a significant storyline this season. The league made a move last week, taking away the “freebie” challenge and putting a team’s first timeout on the line. Fans need to remember that the CFL is being innovative when it comes to coaches’ challenges, and there will be growing pains.
— The biggest problem now with challenges are the ones that are supposedly happening “away from the play.” That happened on Sunday night, when the Stampeders had Tommie Campbell’s 115-yard interception return touchdown wiped off the board due to Joe Burnett’s bump of Matt Coates past the five-yard buffer zone. I realize and understand everyone’s frustration, but why aren’t the players being held more accountable in this? STOP TAKING PENALTIES.
— Another big story so far has been the woes of Chris Jones, who guided the Eskimos to the Grey Cup and then left for the Roughriders eight days later. Some believe he has taken on too much in the Saskatchewan capital, where he serves as general manager, head coach and even defensive co-ordinator. The Riders are 1-8 following a massive roster overhaul that began in the winter and has yet to stop. The franchise is moving into its brand new stadium next year and there better be some progress before this season ends.
— Who’s the league’s most outstanding player so far? Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell has to be the front-runner considering how he’s guided his team. Edmonton’s Mike Reilly is on pace to top the 6,000 yard passing mark, which would be quite the feat. Ottawa’s Trevor Harris could rally in the second half and make a run considering how well he has played when not injured. Edmonton’s Adarius Bowman is almost at 1,000 receiving yards, and the season is only half over. Ottawa’s Chris Williams, meanwhile, isn’t far behind. And don’t forget about Hamilton’s Brandon Banks, who already has three return touchdowns.
— Will anyone be riding to the rescue? The first NFL cut deadline was on Tuesday and players with CFL ties have and will become free over the next week. Most players cut this week will look for other opportunities south of the border, but if a team can convince one of its former players or draft picks to come north immediately it could have a big impact on the standings.
INSIDERS SAY
CFL coaches and managers give their anonymous thoughts on what they’re talking about behind closed doors:
OK, I’m biased, because we needed Calgary to lose in our division. Them winning is bad for us. But if I was Hamilton, I would be (bleeping) pissed about the officiating in that game. I saw the stats and Hamilton had three times as many penalties as Calgary. Three (bleeping) times more. Look, we know they can justify throwing flags on every play. There’s always something. But to call 15 or 16 on one club with only three or four on another. That’s (bleep) ... Edmonton’s going to sweep Calgary ... What did I think about those live mics? I hated it. Too much information can get out. I’m just a dumb coach, but I can tell you how to market our game better. Throw fewer flags and let’s get rid of all of this challenge delay (bleep) ... Most underrated players in our league? (Ian) Wild is one for sure. He has great football instincts. (Luke) Tasker down in Hamilton is another one. He’s really a great route runner ... I don’t do much with the neg list, but my guy told me he thinks Montreal has the worst group of prospects if you look at all nine teams ... So, I can only pick four? The best four receivers in our league, including one Canadian? (Adarius) Bowman and (Duron) Carter. Those two are the hardest for us to defend against. Then I’ll go with (Naaman) Roosevelt in Saskatchewan. My Canadian would be Shawn Gore. He really jumps out on film this year ... If B.C. doesn’t do something about their field-goal kicking, they won’t get a home playoff game in our division ... CFL.ca has too many milleniannls, or whatever they call themselves, from Toronto writing about our league. Most of them think the world stops at the Ontario border. They think being controversial makes them smart. Well, who gives a (bleep) if Matthew Cauz isn’t sold on the Bombers? How many times has he worn a jock strap?
LATE HITS
TSN finally got its wish to put live microphones on the field, which is something it has wanted to do since the new broadcast agreement was signed several years ago. There were a few funny moments during the Stampeders-Ticats clash on Sunday night and fans definitely learned just how complicated play calls are. There were concerns following the contest that too much was given away and Mitchell said every team should have to do it to make it a level playing field. That’s fair and it would be fun for the fans to see how their favourite team calls a game. All in all, it was a good look inside the huddle. Let’s have more of it ... It was either sour grapes or the most coincidentally timed tweet in Twitter history. Just moments after Redblacks GM Marcel Desjardins got hit while standing on the sidelines last Thursday night, former Ottawa defensive end Shawn Lemon, who had a public spat with Desjardins following his off-season release, basically wrote that he just got a good birthday present. Lemon said he was out for his birthday supper and didn’t know what had happened. Lemon wasn’t happy that Ottawa Sun scribe Tim Baines wrote about the coincidence because he proceeded to block him on Twitter ... Thank goodness the Duron Carter saga is over. It’s too bad he got suspended for something that should have been a fine and it sure is interesting the arbitrator finally made his decision the week the Alouettes are playing the Redblacks. The whole thing was a mess.
PENTON’S PREDICTION
Illegal contact will not be reviewable next season. The coaches have gone and ruined the spirit of the rule, and fans have had enough of the long delays. The league, therefore, will likely act in the off-season and eliminate this challenge, which is too bad.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
“Hey @JustinTrudeau do you need tickets for tomorrow’s @BCLions @REDBLACKS @CFL game? DM me.”
– Lions receiver Marco Iannuzzi (@iannuzzimarco) is always thinking of Canadian politicians
BY THE NUMBERS
97 – Coaches’ challenges so far this season
102 – Coaches’ challenges during the entire 2015 season
4-0 – Calgary’s home record
11-24-1 – Combined home record of the league’s other eight teams
BOSS BLUNDER
(The following paragraph appeared in the Aug. 3 CFL Blitz)
“It didn’t matter in the end, but Anthony Calvillo needs to eliminate one play from his playbook.
It happened in the middle of the third quarter of the Alouettes’ 41-3 demolition of the Roughriders on Friday night. Montreal was looking at second-and-one from its own 44 yard line, and Calvillo, the offensive co-ordinator, had quarterback Kevin Glenn line up in the shotgun.
Glenn then handed off to Brandon Rutley, but Roughriders defensive end Justin Capicciotti was there to bring down the ball carrier before he had a chance to think about getting a first down. The result was a one yard loss and a punt.”
Well, the Alouettes did it again on Friday night against the Bombers, handing off out of the shotgun, and they turned it over. When are they going to learn?
SMOOTH MOVE
In an “only in the CFL moment” relayed by Bombers communications boss Darren Cameron, a couple of Bomber fans were waiting to shake head coach Mike O’Shea’s hand after last Friday’s game in Montreal.
When O’Shea found out the two men were waiting outside the locker-room, he instead invited them into the locker-room, where he was meeting with quarterbacks coach Buck Pierce. O’Shea offered the fans a couple of beers, and they shot the breeze for an hour.
Can you imagine something like that happening in the NFL? Not a chance. That’s what makes the CFL so great, and kudos to O’Shea for giving those two Bombers fans an experience they won’t soon forget.
POWER RANKINGS
1. (1) Calgary
Weren’t they supposed to get a little worse with a rookie head coach and the losses of several key players? Guess not.
2. (3) B.C.
Those in the know starting noticing this from the start of the season. The Lions play with grit and determination.
3. (2) Hamilton
It was a valiant effort against the Stamps that ultimately came up just short, but the Ticats need to get a run game going.
4. (5) Winnipeg
That’s four in a row for the league’s second hottest team and for Matt Nichols, who was thrown only one interception in that time.
5. (4) Ottawa
Something’s rotten in the nation’s capital, where they’ve lost two straight. Canadian depth and many defensive changes are problems.
6. (6) Edmonton
That wasn’t exactly a commanding victory over the Green and White. They needed more momentum than that going into their Calgary battles.
7. (7) Montreal
The Alouettes were unable to follow up their fine performance in Ottawa and have now gone more than a year without back-to-back wins.
8. (8) Toronto
Ricky Ray returns and the offence is mostly healthy, but now they have to play two games in six days against two physical teams.
9. (9) Saskatchewan
There were signs of life from the Riders in the second half against the Eskimos, and some new players look good.
THE WEEK AHEAD
B.C. at Toronto — Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Ricky Ray is back, but the Lions are for real and playing some physical football right now. Lions by 6.
Ottawa at Montreal — Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
The Alouettes are 2-9 in their last 11 games, while the RedBlacks are 3-1 on the road. RedBlacks by 9.
Winnipeg at Saskatchewan — Sunday, 3 p.m. EDT
Riders have won 11 straight Labour Day Classics, but all good streaks must come to an end. Bombers by 12.
Edmonton at Calgary — Monday, 3 p.m. EDT
The Stampeders are a much better team right now than their colleagues to the north. Stampeders by 13.
Toronto at Hamilton — Monday, 6:30 p.m. EDT
The tired Argos will be playing their second game in six days, which will make it easy for Zach Collaros and Co. Ticats by 10.
Last week: 2-2
Overall: 19-21

CFL Blitz: Parity reigns at halfway point of 2016 season


The middle of the CFL season is upon us, and, as always there are plenty of storylines that have been building and should keep fans of the three-down loop entertained for the second half.


SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium — Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has clinched pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix ahead of 18-year-old Dutchman Max Verstappen, while championship leader Lewis Hamilton will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid.
Cheered on by a large contingent of Dutch fans, Verstappen beat Sebastian Vettel’s leading time to move into contention, only for Rosberg to beat Verstappen’s mark and clinch his 28th career pole.
Kimi Raikkonen placed third, ahead of Vettel.
Rosberg, who trails Hamilton by 19 points in the title race, has a great chance to close the gap.
Hamilton’s grid penalties increased to 55 places after Mercedes had further engine changes, following those made during Friday’s practice.
With nothing to gain, Hamilton did only four laps early in qualifying before rolling into the team garage.

Lewis Hamilton to start Belgian Grand Prix 55 places back after grid penalties


Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has clinched pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix ahead of 18-year-old Dutchman Max Verstappen, while championship leader Lewis Hamilton will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid.


BERLIN — Swiss media are reporting that a wingsuit flyer who fatally crashed in the Alps on Friday was broadcasting live on Facebook when the accident happened.
A video posted online shows a man readying his wingsuit before pocketing his phone and taking off. After a few moments, a shout can be heard and the sound of impact.
The video couldn’t immediately be verified.
The Zurich daily Blick reports that followers watching the video reacted with horror. Some sent messages asking that he “write or say something.”
Bern cantonal police said the body of a 28-year-old Italian citizen was recovered near Kandersteg, a popular BASE jumping location. Police spokeswoman Jolanda Egger declined Saturday to confirm the man’s identity, citing privacy rules. She said the cause of the accident was still being investigated.

Wingsuit flyer’s death live-streamed on Facebook: Report


Swiss media are reporting that a wingsuit flyer who fatally crashed in the Alps on Friday was broadcasting live on Facebook when the accident happened.


Blue Jays left fielder Melvin Upton Jr. hit a two-run triple in the bottom of the eighth inning which Minnesota Twins right fielder Max Kepler miss-played, resulting in a dramatic 8-7 comeback victory for Toronto.
With one out in the eighth and the Jays trailing 7-6, Upton launched a Ryan Pressly offering to right that Kepler failed to field cleanly. Kevin Pillar, who hit a double, scored from second to tie the game and Upton made it all the way home on Kepler’s error to give the Jays the lead and ultimately the win.
Jays’ closer Roberto Osuna came in to pitch a perfect ninth inning to preserve the victory while picking up his 29th save.
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Jays starter Marcus Stroman gave up nine hits through six innings, the majority of them grounders that found holes though the infield. Stroman’s downfall was allowing the lead-off runner to reach base in four of the six innings he pitched. The Twins jumped ahead 5-0 after the top half of the fourth and the Jays chipped away, scoring a run in the bottom of the fourth, two in the sixth, three in the seventh and two in the eighth courtesy of Upton’s heroics.
With Toronto trailing 5-1 in the sixth, first baseman Edwin Encarnacion hammered a 1-1 offering from Minnesota starter Ervin Santana over the wall in left centre to score two runs and bring the Jays to within two, his 36th homer of the season. Josh Donaldson had previously walked.
Stroman was replaced by Bo Schultz to start the seventh and while Schultz managed to get the first two hitters, he walked outfielder Max Kepler and then gave up a home run to third baseman Trevor Plouffe to right field on a 3-2 pitch, a 96-MPH fastball, the Twins taking a 7-3 lead.
Twins second baseman Brian Dozier, batting lead off, went 3-for-5 with two RBI.
The Twins jumped into a 1-0 lead in the first as lead-off hitter Brian Dozier smacked a single to right, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice fly and then with Kepler batting, scored on a wild pitch by Stroman. Stroman dug himself out of a big jam in the third, giving up a lead off single by No.9 hitter Danny Santana followed by a single by Dozier. He then got Joe Mauer to hit into a 1-6-3 double play and enticed Kepler to ground out to first to end the inning with no runs allowed.
Plouffe lead off the fourth for the Twins with a walk and then moved to third on a single by Eddie Rosario and scored on a Miguel Sano single. Rosario then scored on a double to right by Eduardo Escobar, all with none out. After getting the next two batters out, Stroman gave up a double to Dozier down the left field line to score two more, the Twins taking a 5-0 lead.
The Jays finally got to Minnesota starter Ervin Santana in the fourth when Edwin Encarnacion walked with one out and was hit home via a Michael Saunders two-out double to the corner in right field. A fan tried to grab the ball (which would have resulted in a ground rule double) but missed allowing Encarnacion to score.
Down 7-3 in the seventh in the bottom of the seventh, third baseman Donaldson came to the plate with the bases loaded and two out, prompting Twins manager Paul Molitor to pull Santana, who had thrown 111 pitches, for right-handed reliever Ryan Pressly. Donaldson then smacked a single to gap in right centre, scoring Melvin Upton Jr. from third and Devon Travis from second, moving Jose Bautista to third. After fouling off a couple of Pressly offerings on a 3-2 count, Encarnacion hit a single to left to score Bautista, moving Donaldson to third. Troy Tulowitzki lined out to second to end the inning with the score 7-6 Minnesota.

Kepler's failed fielding puts Blue Jays over Twins


Blue Jays left fielder Melvin Upton Jr. hit a two-run triple in the bottom of the eighth inning which Minnesota Twins right fielder Max Kepler miss-played, resulting in a dramatic 8-7 comeback victory for Toronto.


TORONTO -- Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe is taking a lap around the dance floor.
The 29-year-old Oakville, Ont., native will appear on the upcoming season of "Dancing with the Stars."
"Oh boy, we are really doing this!" the star driver tweeted Tuesday. "Trading Stop n Go boots for dance shoes!"
Oh boy, we are really doing this! Trading Stop n Go boots for dance shoes! Any tips, @h3lio? @DancingABC #DWTS https://t.co/XN9bIkp74r — James Hinchcliffe (@Hinchtown) August 30, 2016
ABC says Hinchcliffe's partner will be Sharna Burgess.
Other stars on the roster this season include controversial American swimmer Ryan Lochte, former NFL receiver Calvin Johnson Jr., former "Brady Bunch" star Maureen McCormick, former Texas governor Rick Perry and rapper Vanilla Ice.
The season premieres Sept. 12.
Hinchcliffe was the 2011 IndyCar Series rookie of the year and has four victories over six seasons.

Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe taking a spin on 'Dancing with the Sta


Canadian IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe is taking a lap around the dance floor.


In this March 16, 2005 file photo, actor Gene Wilder speaks about his life and career at Boston University in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
In this April 9, 2008 file photo, actor Gene Wilder listens as he is introduced to receive the Governor's Awards for Excellence in Culture and Tourism at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
Actor and author Gene Wilder autographs copies of his new book 'The Woman Who Wouldn't' at Barnes & Noble Bookstore at The Grove on March 17, 2008 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images)
Gene Wilder and his wife Karen Boyer watch as Shahar Peer of Israel takes on Anna Chakvetadze of Russia during day ten of the 2007 U.S. Open at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 5, 2007 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Actor Gene Wilder poses as he signs copies of his autobiography "Kiss Me Like A Stranger", at Waterstone's, Oxford Street on June 7, 2005 in London, England. (Photo by MJ Kim/Getty Images)
This file photo taken on September 7, 1984 shows US actor and director Gene Wilder of the movie "The Woman in Red" during the 10th American Film Festival of Deauville. / AFP PHOTO / Mychele DANIAUMYCHELE DANIAU/AFP/Getty Images
LOS ANGELES -- Gene Wilder, the frizzy-haired actor who brought his deft comedic touch to such unforgettable roles as the neurotic accountant in "The Producers" and the deranged animator of "Young Frankenstein," has died. He was 83.
Wilder's nephew said Monday that the actor and writer died late Sunday at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, from complications from Alzheimer's disease.
Jordan Walker-Pearlman said in a statement that Wilder was diagnosed with the disease three years ago, but kept the condition private so as not to disappoint fans.
"He simply couldn't bear the idea of one less smile in the world," Walker-Pearlman said.
Wilder started his acting career on the stage, but millions knew him from his work in the movies, especially his collaborations with Mel Brooks on "The Producers," "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein." The last film -- with Wilder playing a California-born descendant of the mad scientist, insisting that his name is pronounced "Frahn-ken-SHTEEN" -- was co-written by Brooks and Wilder.
"One of the truly great talents of our time," Mel Brooks tweeted. "He blessed every film we did with his magic & he blessed me with his friendship."
Gene Wilder-One of the truly great talents of our time. He blessed every film we did with his magic & he blessed me with his friendship. — Mel Brooks (@MelBrooks) August 29, 2016
With his unkempt hair and big, buggy eyes, Wilder was a master at playing panicked characters caught up in schemes that only a madman such as Brooks could devise, whether reviving a monster in "Young Frankenstein" or bilking Broadway in "The Producers." Brooks would call him "God's perfect prey, the victim in all of us."
But he also knew how to keep it cool as the boozy gunslinger in "Blazing Saddles" or the charming candy man in the children's favourite "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." His craziest role: the therapist having an affair with a sheep in Woody Allen's "Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex."
He was close friends with Richard Pryor and their contrasting personas -- Wilder uptight, Pryor loose -- were ideal for comedy. They co-starred in four films: "Silver Streak," "Stir Crazy," "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" and "Another You." And they created several memorable scenes, particularly when Pryor provided Wilder with directions on how to "act black" as they tried to avoid police in "Silver Streak."
In 1968, Wilder received an Oscar nomination for his work in Brooks' "The Producers." He played the introverted Leo Bloom, an accountant who discovers the liberating joys of greed and corruption as he and Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) conceive a Broadway flop titled "Springtime For Hitler" and plan to flee with the money raised for the show's production.
Matthew Broderick played Wilder's role in the 2001 Broadway stage revival of the show.
Though they collaborated on film, Wilder and Brooks met through the theatre. Wilder was in a play with Brooks' then-future wife, Anne Bancroft, who introduced the pair backstage in 1963.
Wilder, a Milwaukee native, was born Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1935. His father was a Russian emigre, his mother was of Polish descent. When he was 6, Wilder's mother suffered a heart attack that left her a semi-invalid. He soon began improvising comedy skits to entertain her, the first indication of his future career.
He started taking acting classes at age 12 and continued performing and taking lesson through college. In 1961, Wilder became a member of Lee Strasberg's prestigious Actor's Studio in Manhattan.
That same year, he made both his off-Broadway and Broadway debuts. He won the Clarence Derwent Award, given to promising newcomers, for the Broadway work in Graham Greene's comedy "The Complaisant Lover."
He used his new name, Gene Wilder, for the off-Broadway and Broadway roles. He lifted the first name from the character Eugene Gant in Thomas Wolfe's "Look Back, Homeward Angel," while the last name was clipped from playwright Thornton Wilder. A key break came when he co-starred with Bancroft in Bertolt Brecht's "Mother Courage," and met Brooks, her future husband.
"I was having trouble with one little section of the play, and he gave me tips on how to act. He said, 'That's a song and dance. He's proselytizing about communism. Just skip over it, sing and dance over it, and get on to the good stuff.' And he was right," Wilder later explained.
Before starring in "The Producers," he had a small role as the hostage of gangsters in the 1967 classic "Bonnie and Clyde." He peaked in the mid-1970s with the twin Brooks hits "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein."
He went on to write several screenplays and direct several films. In 1982, while making the generally forgettable "Hanky-Panky," he fell in love with co-star Gilda Radner. They were married in 1984, and co-starred in two Wilder-penned films: "The Lady in Red" and "Haunted Honeymoon."
After Radner died of ovarian cancer in 1989, Wilder spent much of his time after promoting cancer research. He opened a support facility for cancer patients called "Gilda's Place." In 1991, he testified before Congress about the need for increased testing for cancer.
Wilder guest-starred on two episodes of NBC's "Will & Grace" in 2002 and 2003, winning a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding guest actor on a comedy series for his role as Mr. Stein, the boss of Will Truman, played by Canadian Eric McCormack.
Wilder is survived by his wife, Karen, whom he married in 1991.
RIP Gene Wilder pic.twitter.com/TuMQheQCa4 — Gilbert Gottfried (@RealGilbert) August 29, 2016
"Good Day Sir!"
RIP Gene Wilder — Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) August 29, 2016
Rest in Peace, Gene Wilder... 💔 — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) August 29, 2016
Gene Wilder as one of my earliest heroes. Blazing Saddles, Willy Wonka, are CLINICS on comic acting. Sad to hear of his passing. — Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) August 29, 2016
so sad to learn of the passing of my good friend, gene wilder... such an incredible man... i'll miss you ❤ — Harry Connick Jr (@HarryConnickJR) August 29, 2016

Gene Wilder, star of Mel Brooks movies, dies at 83


Willow Smith has hailed her famous parents Will and Jada Pinkett Smith as her greatest inspirations in life.
The 15-year-old appears alongside her brother Jaden, 18, in the September issue of Interview magazine, for which they sat down for a chat with Pharrell Williams, and Willow admits she has always looked up to their parents.
"Growing up, all I saw was my parents trying to be the best people they could be, and people coming to them for wisdom, coming to them for guidance, and them not putting themselves on a pedestal, but literally being face-to-face with these people and saying, 'I'm no better than you, but the fact that you're coming to me to reach some sort of enlightenment or to shine a light on something, that makes me feel love and gratitude for you,'" Willow recalled. "They always give back what people give to them."
Jaden echoed his sister's thoughts, adding: "I 100% agree with Willow on that one. My parents are definitely my biggest role models. And that's where me and Willow both pull all of our inspiration from to change the world. It all comes from a concept of affecting the world in a positive way and leaving it better than it was than when we came. I feel like that enters into all types of different areas because there are so many different outlets that life has to offer for us. That goes into technology, into music. That goes into science, into spirituality, into education."
Both Willow and Jaden are very active on social media, and frequently use it as a medium to get across their latest campaign. And one thing the pair can always be sure of is that they are being their true selves - something that is severely lacking on many online profiles, according to Willow.
"I know so many kids who literally are, like, Instagram-famous. They have done nothing but post pictures on Instagram," Willow said. "And they have followings. People love to see them in person, but it's only because they post on their Instagram. It's literally crazy. Kids will paint a picture of themselves that is so far beyond who they actually are. It's like they're wearing someone else's skin."
Jaden concurred, proving the pair's incredibly close bond transcends into their beliefs and thoughts on a daily basis.
Speaking about their connection, Willow admitted she finds it "crazy" that she loves her brother so much.
"It's crazy, the sibling dynamic," she remarked. "Throughout us realizing ourselves and realizing each other, we just opened our eyes and were like, 'Damn, you are the yin to my yang.' Not a lot of siblings have that opportunity, because they're always being pushed together so much. They need their time apart in order to realize themselves and realize who they are."


Willow Smith has hailed her famous parents Will and Jada Pinkett Smith as her greatest inspirations in life.


Dear Amy: My wife and I have been together for about 14 years. We have four children, ranging in age from teens to a toddler. We are both 36.
Over the past year or so we have had a few bumps in the road, including having an unexpected child who was born with health problems, my wife's family moving in with us (we later had to evict them), an arrest (mine), and her having a manic episode and being committed to a mental hospital for six days. She has been regulated on her meds and seems to be doing a lot better with everything.
She's a stay-at-home mom. When I get home I give her a break; she goes into her room and listens to music, writes in her journal or goes on social media sites.
While this is fine with me, over the last few weeks it's becoming an issue. I feel ignored.
I did something I shouldn't have done, and I read her journal. I had to see what was wrong with her.
Her journal noted that she has always had self-esteem issues. It also stated that she has been trying to make herself more attractive, because she craves attention (which I try to give her), that she has become bored, and sees risky behaviour approaching.
She didn't write anything more for two days. The next entry was about how I was jealous of a male friend of ours because they message a lot on Facebook. She wrote that she has no interest in him or anyone else. She said that I need to get past it.
I believe all of this is leading us to a path of divorce, lies and cheating.
Should I bring this all up? Should I try to change something I'm doing? I don't know where to go from here and how to fix this.
I honestly feel she still loves me but maybe isn't in love with me anymore. I want her to be happy. Thoughts? -- Worried
Dear Worried: My first thought is that the main thing you can change is to get your face out of your wife's private diary. If you are concerned about lying and cheating, perhaps you should look in the mirror. Reading her diary is disrespect of the first order.
Your wife might be approaching another manic episode. If you are worried about this, you should discuss it with her. If you are jealous of her friendship with another man, you should be honest about it, and then consider trusting her if she says she isn't into him.
You have glossed over your own actions -- you mention you were arrested, but you don't say why.
She is expressing some things in her diary that she should (also) express to you, but she has the right to her private thoughts and expressions. You two should see a therapist together to discuss your considerable family stressors and work on how to communicate more effectively and respectfully.
Dear Amy: I have a friend I have been seeing once a week for coffee. It feels like a one-sided friendship to me, in that she spends most of the time talking about herself.
I am a good listener and ask her questions, but sometimes I feel like I'm more her therapist than her friend.
I've decided after months of this that I was going to make myself less available, and that has worked out.
I had not seen her for several months until a few weeks ago, and the same pattern is there, but the rub is this: She will barely look me in the eyes! I don't know what to make of it. I keep thinking if she didn't want to see me, she'd make excuses, but she doesn't.
But whether she's talking about herself or listening to me, she won't make eye contact. It's just really weird, and it makes me feel like something is wrong with me. I'm thinking about just coming right out and asking her. What would you suggest? -- Friend
Dear Friend: Eye contact is a sign of intimacy and comfort.
By all means, ask your friend why she won't meet your eye.
Dear Amy: "Sad" was an older sister who was worried about her teen sister's use of the drug "Molly."
I appreciated your answer, but you weren't strong enough. A girl in our town overdosed on this drug. It is very dangerous. -- Worried
Dear Worried: New and synthetic drugs seem to be flooding into our communities. It is terrifying.


Dear Amy: My wife and I have been together for about 14 years. We have four children, ranging in age from teens to a toddler. We are both 36.


Britney Spears wants to have three more children.
The 34-year-old singer is mother to 10-year-old Sean and nine-year-old Jayden with ex-husband Kevin Federline. But while she doesn't have a man in her life right now, Britney foresees a bigger family in her future.
Toxic star Britney made the admission during her appearance on James Corden's Carpool Karaoke on Thursday night, telling the host she is "so jealous" of him having two little ones.
"Mine are nine and 10, they're not babies anymore!" Britney exclaimed. "I want more, I would like to have like three more.
I have to find the right guy first, and then... you know."
She then burst into an impromptu rendition of Ace of Base's song All That She Wants (is another baby).
Britney has been married twice before - a 55-hour union with childhood friend Jason Alexander following a Vegas wedding, and to dancer Kevin from 2004 to 2007.
She was also engaged to Jason Trawick and was reportedly set to wed ex-boyfriend Charlie Ebersol, but told James she won't walk down the aisle again.
"I think I might not do the whole men thing anymore. I won't do the men thing, or get married, I'm just done with men," she vowed. "I might French kiss someone but I'm not going to marry anyone - I don't believe in marriage any more."
Britney and James belted out her songs Oops!... I Did It Again, Toxic and her biggest hit Baby One More Time, for which the duo donned school uniforms to recreate the infamous video for the track, with James even sporting a blonde, plaited wig.
Britney's appearance on the Late Late Show's Carpool Karaoke comes amid a busy week for the star. On Friday morning, the singer released her ninth studio album Glory and tweeted her excitement by writing: "It's here!!! #GloryOutNow."
The hashtag is just one of those that will trigger the use of a specially created Britney emoji, which shows a close-up cartoon version of the singer's face. Among others that will cause the emoji to feature are #BritneyCarpool, #BritneyonCorden and #BritneyCarpoolKaraoke.
Britney is also capitalising on her upcoming performance at Sunday night's (28Aug16) MTV Video Music Awards, with the hashtags #BritneyVMAs and #BritneyOnVMAs also triggering the emoji.

Britney Spears talks kids, being single on ‘Carpool Karaoke’


Britney Spears wants to have three more children.


LOS ANGELES — The horror movie Don’t Breathe has reason to let out a big sigh of relief. Audiences turned out in droves for the late summer thriller, which brought in US$26.1 million, according to studio estimates released Sunday.
That’s more than double the early predictions for how the scary pic would perform and far above the modest production budget, which was reportedly less than $10 million. Stage 6 Films produced and Sony’s Screen Gems oversaw distribution.
Don’t Breathe is about a group of Detroit teens who chose the wrong house to rob — that of a blind, vengeful veteran. It stars Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette and was directed by Fede Alvarez, who is known for the Evil Dead remake.
Sony Pictures Marketing Chief Josh Greenstein noted how rare it was for a film in this genre to have resonated so deeply with critics. The current Rotten Tomatoes score is a very fresh 86%. It also continues Sony’s summer of seeing successes with original films that cost very little to make.
“This marks a string of very profitable hits for Sony with very modest budgets. The Shallows, Sausage Party and now Don’t Breathe were all incredibly profitable because they were made for modest budgets and did incredibly well at the box office,” Greenstein said.
It’s also the latest horror success for Hollywood this summer, which has seen films like Lights Out, The Conjuring 2, and The Purge: Election Year thrive while their bigger budget, spectacle-driven counterparts flailed.
“As it turns out horror is the least scary genre this summer, especially to the bean counters in Hollywood,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for box office tracker comScore. “(They) can almost always be counted on to make money.”
Horror films, Dergarabedian said, perform very well on home video too.
Don’t Breathe effectively unseated Suicide Squad from its three-week run atop the box office. This weekend, the comic book film Suicide Squad grossed $12.1 million, bringing its domestic total to $282.9 million.
Laika’s Kubo and the Two Strings took third place in its second weekend in theatres with $7.9 million. The $60 million film has now earned $24.8 million domestically.
Sausage Party, meanwhile, continued to have a ball at the box office, earning $7.7 million for a fourth place finish and an $80 million domestic total.
The poorly reviewed Jason Statham-led sequel “Mechanic: Resurrection,” meanwhile, placed fifth in its opening weekend with $7.5 million, according to Lionsgate. The first film opened to $11.4 million in 2011.
Among specialty releases, the Barack and Michelle Obama first-date movie Southside With You launched in 813 theatres to an estimated $3.1 million, while The Weinstein Company’s Roberto Duran boxing biopic Hands of Stone opened in 810 theatres to $1.7 million.
Overall the box office was up 32 per cent from this weekend last year when Straight Outta Compton opened. Next weekend closes out the summer movie season with the release of the sci-fi film “Morgan” and the romantic drama The Light Between Oceans.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. Don’t Breathe, $26.1 million ($1.9 million international).
2. Suicide Squad, $12.1 million ($19.6 million international).
3. Kubo and the Two Strings, $7.9 million ($1.5 million international).
4. Sausage Party, $7.7 million ($1.6 million international).
5. Mechanic: Resurrection, $7.5 million ($6.1 million international).
6. Pete’s Dragon, $7.3 million ($3.5 million international).
7. War Dogs, $7.3 million ($5.3 million international).
8. Bad Moms, $5.8 million ($6.3 million international).
9. Jason Bourne, $5.2 million ($56.8 million international).
10. Ben-Hur, $4.5 million ($6.3 million international).
———
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theatres (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:
1. Jason Bourne, $56.8 million.
2. Ice Age: Collision Course, $50 million.
3. The Secret Life of Pets, $24.6 million.
4. Suicide Squad, $19.6 million.
5. Lights Out, $9.6 million.
6. Bad Moms and Ben-Hur, $6.3 million.
7. Mechanic: Resurrection, Finding Dory, and The Shallows, $6.1 million.
8. Tunnel, $5.7 million.
9. War Dogs, $5.3 million.
10. Line Walker, $4.8 million.
———
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
———

'Don't Breathe' scares away the competition


The horror movie Don't Breathe has reason to let out a big sigh of relief. Audiences turned out in droves for the late summer thriller, which brought in US$26.1 million, according to studio estimates released Sunday.


Looking to take a cruise anytime soon? Avoid Wednesdays, but set your alarm on Thursday morning.
According to a study by CruiseWatch.com, prices for cruises drop the most on Thursdays. The cruise search engine analyzed more than 600,000 cruise price reductions during the last year. The data suggested there were more than twice as many price drops on Thursdays than on the slowest day, Sunday.
The study found that Wednesday had 34% more price hikes than any day of the week, while weekends were quiet.
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"Cruise prices fluctuate with demand and supply," said Britta Bernhard, co-founder of CruiseWatch.com, in a statement. “When a sailing is not sold out, most cruise lines will discount the cabins rather than sailing empty. These price drops can make for some incredible deals. But you need to find them and book quickly."
CruiseCritic.com editor-in-chief Carolyn Spencer Brown suggests booking a cruise as early as possible or just before sailing to save money.
“Beyond any particular day of the week, the tried and true tip for scoring the best deal is to either book as early as possible, or just before the cruise,” she said via email. “If you want added-value extras – like airfare, gratuities or cabin upgrades – bundled into your fare, book early. If you’re after the cheapest possible price and don’t care what kind of cabin you have – or whether you have access to sold-out restaurants and tours – then book late to take advantage of last-minute deals.”
As with travel in general, booking during so-called “shoulder seasons” is often a great way to save on a cruise. With the kids out of school in summer, cruises in July and August can be quite expensive. But September and October are often quieter, with better deals. January, February and March are also high season for folks wanting to escape Canada for the Caribbean, so choosing a warm-weather cruise for April could save you a ton of money.
jim@jimbyerstravel.com

Why you should only book a cruise on a Thursday


Looking to take a cruise anytime soon? Avoid Wednesdays, but set your alarm on Thursday morning.


Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s spin doctors need to think back to when they were kids.
And to recall if it ever worked to complain to Mom and Dad, when they were caught doing something stupid, that “all the other guys were doing it, too.”
Remember what Mom and Dad used to say, Liberal spin doctors?
They would say: “And if all the other guys jumped off a cliff, would you do that too?”
That’s why their latest attempt to bury the limo and vanity photographers’ expense controversy involving Liberal cabinet ministers, by claiming the Conservatives did it too, and they were even worse, is so dumb.
First, feeding this information to The Hill Times just keeps the story alive.
Second, of course the Tories spent more. They were in power for almost a decade, compared to nine months for the Liberals.
Third, the New Democrats have compiled a helpful record of quotes from Liberals reacting to Tory ministerial spending when they were in power.
On Bev Oda’s $16 orange juice:
“It reveals a government that’s off its game, quite frankly, and taking liberties with the public’s patience and the public’s purse.” (Then Liberal deputy leader Ralph Goodale, April 23, 2012, Postmedia News.)
On Conservative cabinet ministers using photographers:
“The money spent by Conservatives on vanity photographers could have kept the Veterans Affairs office in Cape Breton open.” (Liberal MP Mark Eyking, iPolitics, Feb. 19, 2015)
On what type of vehicles Conservative cabinet ministers were using:
“They’re afraid to roll into Parliament in their black little limos today.” (Liberal MP Scott Andrews, Huffington Post, May 3, 2012).
Do the Liberals -- the party that gave us former cabinet minister David Dingwall unforgettably saying he was “entitled to my entitlements” regarding his job at the Royal Canadian Mint -- really want to drag this out?
Is their argument the Lexus ES 300 luxury sedan Health Minister Jane Philpott was being chauffered around in isn’t a limo, really the hill they want to die on?
Or that Environment Minister Catherine McKenna saved taxpayers’ money by spending $6,600 for a photographer in Paris, instead of bringing one from Canada?
Seriously, federal Liberals. Seriously.
We can almost hear Mom and Dad sending you to your room without supper, right now.

Liberals: Have some cheese with that whine


Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s spin doctors need to think back to when they were kids.


Model Ashley Graham is sick of men sending her explicit pictures on Instagram.
The buxom beauty, who this year became the first plus-size model to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine's famous Swimsuit Issue, is an active Instagram user but has problems with unwanted messages from men.
In particular, she feels creeped out that some men send her unsolicited pictures of their nether regions.
"I really think it's weird when they (men) send me penis pictures (on Instagram)," Ashley tells the New York Post's Page Six gossip column. "It irks me deep inside. Don't do it, I'll block you."
The model was speaking to the publication while attending the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in New York City on Sunday.
While there she visited Manhattan's iconic Tick Tock diner, where she was treated to a performance from Nick Jonas, who performed his track Bacon in front of an audience of diners including Ashley and his brother Joe Jonas, who was with his DNCE bandmates.

Model Ashley Graham says getting penis pics is 'really weird’


Model Ashley Graham is sick of men sending her explicit pictures on Instagram.


TORONTO — Josh Donaldson only played the part of a Viking on TV, but he did lay waste to the Minnesota Twins’ pitching staff on Sunday afternoon.
The Toronto slugger, who made a cameo appearance on the History television show Vikings earlier this year, smacked three home runs off three different pitchers in front of 47,444 delighted fans to lead the AL East leading Blue Jays to a 9-6 victory over the Twins.
The Jays, who picked up the series sweep, came back to win for the second time in as many games.
In the third, Donaldson launched a solo home run off Minnesota starter Kyle Gibson to the second deck in left to give the Jays a 2-1 lead and then hammered a two-run homer to centre in the seventh off reliever Pat Light to put Toronto ahead 6-5. Donaldson was up to his old tricks again in the eighth when he crushed a homer to centre, this time off of Alex Wimmers.
It was his first career three-home run game.
The Rogers Centre faithful celebrated the milestone hit with chants of “MVP! MVP!” and by throwing hats on to the field — the baseball version of a hat trick. The 2015 AL MVP jumped out of the dugout and waved in acknowledgment.
Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki also hit a home run for Toronto, a solo job in the sixth, while Jose Bautista went 3-for-5, including a double.
Donaldson’s hat-trick marked the 21st time in Jays history a player hit three dingers.
It was a roller coaster type day for the third baseman. The Bringer of Rain fouled a Gibson offering pitch hard off his knee early in the game, made a throwing error to second which resulted in the eventual first run by the Twins and in the bottom half of the inning, and then smashed two home runs.
He has now reached base in 23 of his last 24 starts and ranks second in the American League with 85 walks (Mike Trout had 90 prior to Sunday’s games).
Reliever Scott Feldman picked up the win in relief for the Jays.
R.A. Dickey started and went six innings, giving up five runs (three earned). Light earned the loss.
The Jays went all fundamental in taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, when Bautista led off with a double to left-centre, a ball that either Minnesota outfielder Robbie Grossman (left) or Danny Santana (centre) should have caught. Instead, they collided and the ball hit the turf.
Donaldson, who earlier fouled a ball off his right knee in very painful fashion, flew out to centre to move Bautista to third and then Edwin Encarnacion brought Bautista home with a sacrifice to centre.
Twins manager Paul Molitor replaced Santana with Eddie Rosario after the inning as Santana left the game with an AC joint sprain as a result of the collision with Grossman.
Twins right fielder Max Kepler, who made the key diving error that allowed Melvin Upton Jr. to score the winning run on Saturday, hit into a 1-4-6 double play in the third inning to score Eddie Rosario from third, tying the game 1-1.
Donaldson made a throwing error in the top of the third that contributed to the Twins’ first run, but he made up for that with a line drive home run in the bottom half of the inning, smacking a 92 MPH, four-seam fastball by Gibson over the left field fence into the second deck for a 2-1 Toronto lead.
Kepler was the architect of the Twins’ second run when he hit a grounder back Dickey with one out in the fifth that scored Rosario from third, tying the game 2-2. The next batter, third baseman Trevor Plouffe, smacked a single to left to score Brian Dozier. The Twins jumped ahead 5-2 when DH Miguel Sano hit a single to left-centre, scoring Joe Mauer and Plouffe, who had moved to second on a wild pitch.
Leading off the sixth, Tulowitzki sent an 89 MPH two-seam fastball from Gibson just over the wall in deep centre to pull the Jays to within two. The next batter, Kevin Pillar, doubled into the gap between left and centre. The Toronto centre-fielder was moved over to third on a Melvin Upton Jr. grounder to short and then scored when Devon Travis stroked a single over the second baseman in right.
That prompted Molitor to pull Gibson from the game for reliever Pat Light who got Thole to hit into a double play to end the inning.
Bautista picked his third hit of the day, a single, to lead off the seventh and Donaldson followed with his second homerun on a 95 MPH four-seam fastball. With two out and two on in the same inning, Saturday’s hero, Upton Jr. smacked a double from reliever J.T. Chargois to score Tulowitzki and Pillar, making the score 8-5 Jays.
Jays’ closer Roberto Osuna gave up three hits and a run in the ninth.
Jays now head out on a crucial 10-day, nine game road trip starting on Monday with three in Baltimore and three in Tampa Bay and New York, with a day off on Thursday.
SBuffery@postmedia.com

Donaldson homers three times in Jays' triumph over Twin


TORONTO — Josh Donaldson only played the part of a Viking on TV, but he did lay waste to the Minnesota Twins’ pitching staff on Sunday afternoon.


HARDAN, Iraq -- Surrounded by smoke and flames, the sound of gunshots echoing around him, the young man crouched in the creek for hours, listening to the men in his family die.
On the other side of the mountain, another survivor peered through binoculars as the handcuffed men of neighbouring villages were shot and then buried by a waiting bulldozer. For six days he watched as the extremists filled one grave after another with his friends and relatives.
Between them, the two scenes of horror on Sinjar mountain contain six burial sites and the bodies of more than 100 people, just a small fraction of the mass graves Islamic State extremists have scattered across Iraq and Syria.
In exclusive interviews, photos and research, The Associated Press has documented and mapped 72 of the mass graves, the most comprehensive survey so far, with many more expected to be uncovered as the Islamic State group's territory shrinks. In Syria, AP has obtained locations for 17 mass graves, including one with the bodies of hundreds of members of a single tribe all but exterminated when IS extremists took over their region. For at least 16 of the Iraqi graves, most in territory too dangerous to excavate, officials do not even guess the number of dead. In others, the estimates are based on memories of traumatized survivors, Islamic State propaganda and what can be gleaned from a cursory look at the earth.
Still, even the known numbers of victims buried are staggering -- from 5,200 to more than 15,000.
Sinjar mountain is dotted with mass graves, some in territory clawed back from IS after the group's onslaught against the Yazidi minority in August 2014; others in the deadly no man's land that has yet to be secured.
The bodies of Talal Murat's father, uncles and cousins lie beneath the rubble of the family farm, awaiting a time when it is safe for surviving relatives to return to the place where the men were gunned down. On Sinjar's other flank, Rasho Qassim drives daily past the graves holding the bodies of his two sons. The road is in territory long since seized back, but the five sites are untouched, roped off and awaiting the money or the political will for excavation, as the evidence they contain is scoured away by the wind and baked by the sun.
"We want to take them out of here. There are only bones left. But they said 'No, they have to stay there, a committee will come and exhume them later,'" said Qassim, standing at the edge of the flimsy fence surrounding one site, where his two sons are buried. "It has been two years but nobody has come."
IS made no attempt to hide its atrocities. In fact it boasted of them. But proving what United Nations officials and others have described as an ongoing genocide -- and prosecuting those behind it -- will be complicated as the graves deteriorate.
"We see clear evidence of the intent to destroy the Yazidi people," said Naomi Kikoler, who recently visited the region for the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. "There's been virtually no effort to systematically document the crimes perpetrated, to preserve the evidence, and to ensure that mass graves are identified and protected."
Then there are the graves still out of reach. The Islamic State group's atrocities extend well outside the Yazidi region in northern Iraq.
Satellites offer the clearest look at massacres such as the one at Badoush Prison in June 2014 that left 600 male inmates dead. A patch of scraped earth and tire tracks show the likely killing site, according to exclusive photos obtained by the imagery intelligence firm AllSource Analysis.
Of the 72 mass graves documented by AP, the smallest contains three bodies; the largest is believed to hold thousands, but no one knows for sure.
------
ALL THEY COULD DO WAS WATCH THE SLAUGHTER
On the northern flank of Sinjar mountain, five grave sites ring a desert crossroads. It is here that the young men of Hardan village are buried, under thistles and piles of cracked earth. They were killed in the bloody IS offensive of August 2014.
Through his binoculars, Arkan Qassem watched it all. His village, Gurmiz, is just up the slope from Hardan, giving a clear view over the plain below. When the jihadis swept over the area, everyone in Gurmiz fled up the mountaintop for refuge. Then Arkan and nine other men returned to their village with light weapons to try to defend their homes.
Instead, all they could do was watch the slaughter below. Arkan witnessed the militants set up checkpoints, preventing residents from leaving. Women and children were taken away.
Then the killings began. The first night, Arkan saw the militants line up a group of handcuffed men in the headlights of a bulldozer at an intersection, less than a kilometre (half mile) down the slope from Gurmiz. They gunned the men down, then the bulldozer plowed the earth over their bodies.
Over six days, Arkan and his comrades watched helplessly as the fighters brought out three more groups of men -- several dozen each, usually with hands bound -- to the crossroads and killed them. He didn't always see what they did with the bodies. One time, he saw them lighting a bonfire, but he couldn't see why.
Finally, the jihadis brought in artillery and prepared to make an assault on Gurmiz. Arkan and his comrades fled up the mountain to where their families had taken refuge.
Now, since IS fighters were driven out of the area, the 32-year-old has returned to his home. But he's haunted by the site. As documented by the aid group Yazda, which has mapped the Sinjar sites, the graves are in a rough pentagon flanking the crossroads, largely unprotected. Around one of them is a mesh fence and a wind-battered sign. As Arkan spoke at the site, a shepherd herded his flock nearby.
"I have lots of people I know there. Mostly friends and neighbours," he said. "It's very difficult to look at them every day."
------
"THIS BODY IS WEARING MY FATHER'S CLOTHES"
As IS fighters swarmed into the Sinjar area in early August 2014, Talal fled his town along with his father, mother, four sisters and younger brother. They and dozens of other men, women and children from his extended clan converged on an uncle's farm outside the town of Tel Azer. They prayed it was remote enough to escape the killings that were already engulfing so many Yazidis.
It wasn't.
The jihadis fired at the house from a distance. Then they rolled up in their vehicles and shot one man in the head as they stood in the yard. They surrounded the farmhouse, ordered everyone outside and demanded the impossible: Convert.
The Yazidi faith, one of the region's oldest, has elements of Christianity and Islam but is distinct. Yazidis worship the Peacock Angel, fallen and forgiven by God under their tradition, and their shrines feature carved images of the birds and references to the sun. Muslim extremists condemned them as "devil worshippers" and over the centuries have subjected them to multiple massacres -- 72, by the Yazidis' count.
In its own propaganda, the Islamic State group made clear its intention to wipe out the Yazidi community. In an issue of its online English-language magazine Dabiq, it scolded Muslims for allowing the Yazidis to continue existing, calling their ancient religion a form of paganism. It quoted Quranic verses to justify killing the Yazidis unless they become Muslim.
Thwarted in their halfhearted attempt at conversions, the fighters separated about 35 teenage girls and young women from the rest, crammed them into a few cars and drove away. The militants herded the older women and young children into the farmhouse and locked the door.
Then they lined the men and teenaged boys against the wall of the stables -- around 40 in all, including Talal.
There were too many of them, too bunched up, to efficiently mow down, so the fighters then ordered them to lie on the ground in a row, Talal said. That was when his uncle told him to make a run for it. Talal bolted into his uncle's hayfield, as did several other men. The militants fired at them, and the bullets ignited the hay, dry from the summer sun. The fire covered Talal's escape, and he took shelter in a nearby creek.
There he hid, listening as the gunmen shot his family to death. He eventually fled toward the mountain, joined by three others who had survived the massacre. Four out of 40.
Back at the farm, the gunmen eventually left and the women and children emerged, looking around with growing horror.
Nouri Murat, Talal's mother, found her husband. His body was untouched, but his head was shattered. Her daughters, she said, were confused at first. "This is strange, this body is wearing my father's clothes," one of them said. As Nouri frantically searched around the property for any surviving menfolk, her 9-year-old daughter Rukhan lay down beside her father's corpse.
Finally, other women persuaded the family to head to the mountain before the Islamic State fighters returned.
As they began the long walk north, Nouri noticed Rukhan's bloody fist. Fearing her daughter was wounded, she pried open the girl's clenched fingers. Inside were a handful of her father's teeth.
------
"THEY DON'T EVEN TRY TO HIDE THEIR CRIMES"
Nearly every area freed from IS control has unmasked new mass graves, like one found by the sports stadium in the Iraqi city of Ramadi. Many of the graves themselves are easy enough to find, most covered with just a thin coating of earth.
"They don't even try to hide their crimes," said Sirwan Jalal, the director of Iraqi Kurdistan's agency in charge of mass graves. "They are beheading them, shooting them, running them over in cars, all kinds of killing techniques, and they don't even try to hide it."
No one outside IS has seen the Iraqi ravine where hundreds of Shiite prison inmates were killed point blank and then torched. Satellite images of scraped dirt along the river point to its location, according to Steve Wood of AllSource. His analysts triangulated survivors' accounts and began to systematically search the desert according to their descriptions of that day, June 10, 2014.
The inmates were separated out by religion, and Shiites were loaded onto trucks, driven for a few kilometres (miles) and forced to line up and count off, according to accounts by 15 survivors gathered by Human Rights Watch. Then they knelt along the edge of the crescent-shaped ravine, according to a report cited by AllSource.
"I was number 43. I heard them say '615,' and then one ISIS guy said, 'We're going to eat well tonight.' A man behind us asked, 'Are you ready?' Another person answered 'Yes,' and began shooting at us with a machine-gun. Then they all started to shoot us from behind, going down the row," according to the Human Rights Watch account of a survivor identified only as A.S.
The men survived by pretending to be dead.
Using their accounts and others, AllSource examined an image from July 17, 2014, that appeared to show the location as described, between a main road and the railway outside Mosul. The bodies are believed to be packed tightly together, side by side in a space approximately the length of two football fields end to end, in what the AllSource analysis described as a "sardine trench." Tire tracks lead to and from the site.
"There's actually earth that has been pushed over and actually moved to cover parts of the ravine. As we look across the entire ravine we only see that in this one location," said Wood. "Ultimately there are many, many more sites across Iraq and Syria that have yet to be either forensically exhumed or be able to be detailed and there's quite a bit more research that needs to take place."
The key, Wood said, is having photos to indicate a grave's location taken soon after its creation.
Justice has been done in at least one IS mass killing -- that of about 1,700 Iraqi soldiers who were forced to lie face-down in a ditch and then machine-gunned at Camp Speicher. On Aug. 21, 36 men convicted in those killings were hanged at Iraq's Nasiriyah prison.
But justice is likely to be elusive in areas still firmly under IS control, even though the extremists have filmed themselves committing the atrocities. That's the case for a deep natural sinkhole outside Mosul that is now a pit of corpses. In Syria's Raqqa province, thousands of bodies are believed to have been thrown into the giant al-Houta crevasse.
Conditions in much of Syria remain a mystery. Activists believe there are hundreds of mass graves in IS-controlled areas that can only be explored when fighting stops. By that time, they fear any effort to document the massacres, exhume and identify the remains will become infinitely more complicated.
Working behind IS lines, local residents have informally documented some mass graves, even partially digging some up. Some of the worst have been found in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour. There, 400 members of the Shueitat tribe were found in one grave, just some of the up to 1,000 members of the tribe believed to have been massacred by IS when the militants took over the area, said Ziad Awad, the editor of an online publication on Deir el-Zour called The Eye of the City who is trying to document the graves.
In Raqqa province, the bodies of 160 Syrian soldiers, killed when IS overran their base, were found in seven large pits.
So far, at least 17 mass graves are known, though largely unreachable, in a list put together from AP interviews with activists from Syrian provinces still under IS rule as well as fighters and residents in former IS strongholds.
"This is a drop in an ocean of mass graves expected to be discovered in the future in Syria," said Awad.

'There are only bones left'; ISIS buried thousands in 72 mass graves


Surrounded by smoke and flames, the
sound of gunshots echoing around him,
the young man crouched in the creek for
hours, listening to the men in his
family die.