It’s the farcical comedy which leaves critics stony-faced. But now Mrs Brown’s Boys has been voted the best British sitcom of the 21st century, beating Ricky Gervais’s observational masterpiece, The Office.
Mrs Brown’s Boys, starring Brendan O’Carroll as the foul-mouthed Dublin widow, topped the Radio Times poll which asked readers to choose the funniest shows broadcast since 2000.
Described as “the worst comedy ever made” by one reviewer, the broad humour of O’Carroll’s creation, initially unveiled on a RTE Ireland radio series, has been labelled sexist and homophobic.
But the BBC1 show, which O’Carroll described as a reaction against the politically-correct “alternative comedy” revolution of the 80s, has become the most-watched programme on Christmas Day and even spawned a feature film.
The troupe of largely extended family members – O’Carroll’s wife Jennifer plays his fictional screen daughter – honed their characters through live stage performances, adding to the anarchic atmosphere of the television episodes, which often embrace mistakes.
O’Carroll said of the poll victory: “It vindicates the fans’ belief in the show. They have kept us on the air – it certainly wasn’t the reviewers.”
He added: “There is an audience out there that comedy forgot, that Are You Being Served? audience has been left behind. Us winning this award proves that.”
The show was rewarded with a Bafta in 2012 as critics began to accept its merits.
Radio Times readers voted from a shortlist of the 40 funniest shows broadcast since 2000, compiled by critics and experts from the British Film Institute.
When the 14,000 votes were counted, the unashamedly populist Mrs Brown’s Boys finished ahead of the understated charms of The Office, first broadcast in 2001 and widely regarded as the most influential comedy of the century.
Peter Kay has two entries in the top 20 with Car Share and his breakthrough Channel 4 sitcom Phoenix Nights
The poll suggested that the comedy audience has yet to fully embrace funny women. Miranda, the sitcom vehicle for the comedy actress Miranda Hart appears at number 8 ahead of Raised By Wolves, the loosely autobiographical Channel 4 family series written by Caitlin Moran and her sister Caroline.
But the poll is dominated by male performers and writers. Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan has three entries with Count Arthur Strong, The IT Crowd and Black Books all featuring.
Armando Iannucci’s The Thick of It, The Inbetweeners and Jack Whitehall’s Bad Education are other sitcoms in the list which have been expanded into feature films.
James Corden’s hit BBC romantic comedy Gavin & Stacey, co-written with Ruth Jones, remains highly regarded and makes the top ten. ITV has a one entry with Benidorm.
Best British sitcom of the 21st century:
1. Mrs Brown’s Boys
2. The Office
3. Peter Kay’s Car Share
4. Count Arthur Strong
5. The IT Crowd
6. The Thick of It
7. Gavin & Stacey
8. Miranda
9. Raised by Wolves
10.Outnumbered
11. Peep Show
12. Black Books
13. Green Wing
14. The Inbetweeners
15. Bad Education
16. Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights
17. Yonderland
18. Twenty Twelve/W1A
19. Benidorm
20. Detectorists

Mrs Brown’s Boys voted best British sitcom of the 21st century


It’s the farcical comedy which leaves critics stony-faced. But now Mrs Brown’s Boys has been voted the best British sitcom of the 21st century, beating Ricky Gervais’s observational masterpiece, The Office.


Council bosses have closed the doors of a multi-million pound seafront leisure centre “until further notice.”
Haven Point in Pier Parade is shut to the public due to “unforseen circumstances.”
As yet it is unclear what has forced the closure of the venue which was opened less than three years ago at a cost of £16m.
However, is has been rumoured there are problems with the water tank.
A statement from South Tyneside Council on its website reads: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, Haven Point will be closed until further notice. Sorry for any inconvenience.”

South Shields’ Haven Point closed to the public


Council bosses have closed the doors of a multi-million pound seafront leisure centre “until further notice.”


Courtesy of Seeso
You can be forgiven for thinking that the new show from Dan Harmon, creator of Community and Rick and Morty, might come off as niche. Available on the new comedy streaming service Seeso, Harmonquest features comedians playing Pathfinder — a tabletop role-playing game similar to Dungeons and Dragons — in front of a live audience and behind a table furnished with character sheets, snacks, and myriad colorful dice. The adventures that the team plays through are then animated in post — much like The Ricky Gervais Show — to illustrate the fantastical, quirky brio of the game. In other words, it’s a gathering of nerds transformed into a cartoon.
Chief among those nerds is Spencer Crittenden. He looks too socially awkward to be a comedian, with his big, beautiful, bushy beard and monotone voice. On Harmonquest, Crittenden is producer, writer, and “game master” — he runs the show. So how did someone like him become such a prominent figure on a television series built around a precarious device like improv? To answer this question, we must first examine the intense cult of personality built around Harmon.
Like Joss Whedon, Harmon has an unusually ardent fan base for a TV showrunner, and he’s cultivated the kind of celebrity usually reserved for pop idols or movie stars. At CommuniCon, an event where fans got to meet the stars and crew of Community, Harmon was treated like a king. On Twitter, Community groupies hang on his every word. And then there’s the long-running Harmontown: a live comedy show hosted by Harmon at the NerdMelt Showroom in Hollywood, recorded every week in front of a live audience and made available as a free iTunes podcast and paid-subscription video podcast. It’s more or less a platform for Harmon to say and do as he pleases.
Harmontown's talk ranges from trivial personal complaints to conceptual comedy riffs to political issues — the laid-back, shoot-the-shit atmosphere allows for anything to happen. Harmontown is also like group therapy, for both Harmon and the audience members he invites to the stage to talk about their physical and emotional problems. His tendency to veer into digressions is managed by “comptroller” Jeff Davis, an improv comic perhaps best known for appearances on Whose Line Is It Anyway?; the show is at its most entertaining when it features comedian guests. Regulars have included Harmon’s ex-wife Erin McGathy and Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley), while the likes of Robin Williams, Laraine Newman, and John Oliver have appeared as well.
Harmon occasionally talked about Dungeons and Dragons on the podcast, then eventually decided, in the middle of a show, to try playing it live. He asked the audience in front of him if anyone was a dungeon master — the organizer of an RPG game responsible for narrating the adventure and administering its details, rules, and challenges. One young man waited to see if anyone else would volunteer before raising his hand: the shy, soft-spoken Crittenden. He’d mostly attended for the chance just to try talking to Harmon about D&D after the show.
“That’s what tipped the scale in me going there,” Crittenden says. “I’m an anxious person — I would never go and do something fun on my own like that.”
The hosts liked Crittenden so much they invited him back, and before long D&D was a regular improvised segment on Harmontown. The chemistry between the three men is evident. Crittenden had no comedy experience. He’s not a trained public speaker. But his laid-back nature and mastery of the game make him an excellent complement to the loquacious Harmon and irreverent Davis.
Harmonquest, then, is essentially a Harmontown spin-off, and its appeal for fans is obvious. But why should anyone else watch? For those who appreciate a good pen-and-paper fantasy game, it’s fascinating to watch comedians improvise their way through a session. They imbue the humorless RPG mechanics with a levity that’s nonetheless respectful. It’s also interesting to see a game that ordinarily takes place entirely in the imagination of its players come to life in animated form.
Courtesy of Seeso
Harmonquest appeals on another level: comedy. The Hollywood Reporter recently described a resurgence in the mainstream appeal of D&D. It listed a host of celebrities who are avid players, including comedian Patton Oswalt and Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward. That makes sense: Improv and RPGs share “overlapping skill sets,” says Crittenden. “You’re coming at something from a new perspective, trying to see it in different ways. That’s what comedy is: looking at something from a funny angle. It’s the same mental gymnastics.”
As game master, Crittenden is solely responsible for devising the Harmonquest adventure on which the players riff. “If Dan, as executive producer and cast member, knew the story, that would betray the spirit of what we were trying to do, and so I was basically on my own to write everything,” Crittenden explains.
Harmon created the show and acts as executive producer, but got so busy with other projects early on in its development that he handed the reins to Crittenden, who now more or less runs Harmonquest on his own. When Crittenden found out that he’d be in control, he didn’t take it well. In fact, he started to hyperventilate. “I’m afraid of things changing,” he says, “but the flip side is that when things change for me I have a good time adapting.”
Crittenden believes a “gentle learning curve” made it easier for him to produce the show, thanks to Harmon’s guidance. “By the second episode, I started to get into the swing of things and getting more comfortable giving notes and stuff,” he says.
Attending that serendipitous Harmontown taping has paid off. In the last few years, Crittenden has come out of his shell. A documentary that followed Harmontown’s 2014 tour exemplifies Crittenden’s slow but sure-footed acclimatization in becoming the podcast “treasure,” to borrow one listener’s term. One endearing scene in the film shows a cute girl asking for Crittenden’s autograph, her eyes shining with excitement. After she leaves, he can’t hide his pleasant surprise from the camera. Crittenden has gone from his simple role as game master to unofficial podcast co-host. He’s gone from playing D&D in basements to playing it with professional comedians. He’s gone from zero television experience to guest-starring on Community and writing and producing Harmonquest.
“I was able to grow into that space,” he says, fully acknowledging his blessings. “I don’t think that’s a chance everyone gets.”
Crittenden’s friendship with Harmon has been an essential part of his development. And, he says, he isn’t the only one benefiting from Harmon’s mentorship. “He wants to cultivate relationships with young, talented, creative people and help them succeed.”
In addition to Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland, who was virtually unknown before he came onboard that show, Harmon has helped others who are not yet in the public eye. “There’s stuff happening behind the scenes and projects that haven’t come to fruition or they’re in back-development hell,” Crittenden explains. This may come as a surprise given Harmon’s reputation for being irascible on set. But Crittenden insists these collaborations come from Harmon’s genuine desire to help people refine their ideas. “It’s really cool and charitable and kind. It’s fundamentally benevolent.”

A Star Is Roleplayed: How Dungeon Master Spencer Crittenden Became the Lord of Harmonquest


How did someone like Spencer Crittenden become such a prominent figure on a television series built around improv?


Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a National Heroes Day commemoration at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes' Cemetery) in Taguig city, Metro Manila in the Philippines August 29, 2016. REUTERS/Erik De Castro
MANILA Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday promised rewards running to tens of thousands of dollars for information leading to the capture of police officers protecting drug syndicates and warned corrupt officials they would face "a day of reckoning".
In a National Heroes Day speech, Duterte said there would be no let-up in a "war on drugs" in which - according to police figures - more than 1,900 people have been killed since he came to power two months ago.
Police say the toll of about 36 people a day is a result of drug dealers resisting arrest or gang feuds.
Duterte railed against critics who have complained that the poor who trade drugs to make a living are being targeted by the police, but added that army generals, city mayors, governors and police involved in the drug trade must also be stopped.
"I consider the fight against drugs a war, there is a crisis in this country, it is drugs ... it has infected every nook and corner," he said in the speech to retired and serving soldiers, government officials and foreign diplomats.
Singling out corrupt policemen known as "ninjas", who take pay-offs from drug lords, Duterte said he was placing a 2 million peso ($43,000) bounty on their heads, telling their colleagues to "squeal on your friends".
Duterte, who won a May election on a promise to wipe out drugs and dealers, last month named about 160 officials, judges, police and soldiers who he said were protecting drug traffickers or selling drugs in their communities.
The United States, a close ally of the Philippines, said last week it was "deeply concerned" about the reports of extra-judicial drug killings and it urged Duterte's government to ensure that law-enforcement efforts "comply with its human rights obligation".
The crackdown and some strongly worded criticism Duterte has made of the United States since coming to power present a dilemma for Washington, which has been seeking to forge unity among allies in Asia in the face of an increasingly assertive China, especially in the strategic South China Sea.
This month, two U.N. human rights experts urged Manila to stop the extra-judicial executions and killings. Duterte responded by threatening to leave the United Nations.
In his speech on Monday Duterte scoffed at accusations that he was trampling on human rights and said law enforcers should not worry about criminal liability while acting on his campaign.
"KILL THEM"
In the early hours of Monday a suspected drug lord and his wife were shot dead by a gunman as they stepped off a ferry in the central province of Iloilo, national police spokesman Dionardo Carlos said.
Police said the man, Melvin Odicta who was also known as "Dragon", was returning from Manila where last week he had met the interior minister to deny accusations that he was the region's top drug dealer.
National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa said on Friday he did not believe Odicta, telling officers: "Who are they fooling?"
In a speech to thousands of drug users and pushers the previous day, dela Rosa encouraged them to kill drug lords because they were getting rich at the expense of the poor.
"You want to kill them, then kill them, you can kill them because you are their victims here. You know who are the drug lords here, go to their houses, pour gasoline, set it on fire, show them you are angry at them."
He later apologized for the comments.
(Reporting by Karen Lema and Manuel Mogato; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Philippines' Duterte offers reward for corrupt police linked to drugs


Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday promised rewards running to tens of thousands of dollars for information leading to the capture of police officers protecting drug syndicates and warned corrupt officials they would face "a day of reckoning".


Shining bright:First-ranker holder L. Gopika Murthy with President Pranab Mukherjee, Governor Vajubhai R. Vala and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the NLSIU convocation in Bengaluru on Sunday; (right) second and third rank-holders Shreya Prakash and G. Deekshitha.— photos: Special arrangement
They secure top three ranks; clinch 18 of 22 gold medals
Girls came out with flying colours at the 24th convocation of the premier National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, on Sunday. They bagged 18 of the 22 gold medals and secured the top three ranks.
As many 571 students were awarded degrees, master’s degrees, diplomas, and PhDs. The convocation was presided over by chief guest President Pranab Mukherjee, Justice T.S. Thakur, and guests of honour Governor Vajubhai R. Vala and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
First-ranker holder L. Gopika Murthy, whose family is based in Thiruvanthapuram in Kerala, bagged 11 gold medals. Incidentally, Gopika dropped out of her engineering course to pursue law. “The shift from science to social science was a challenge, and I spent most of my time at the law school studying,” she said. Gopika is now set to pursue her Master’s in Commercial Law from Oxford University, for which she has got full funding.
Shreya Prakash from Delhi, who clinched three gold medals and bagged the second rank, is now working with a New Delhi-based organisation that works with the government on law reform initiatives. “I always wanted to work in the public policy arena and make a difference. I am glad to be getting the opportunity to do so,” she said.
Gold medallist and third-rank holder G. Deekshitha from Chennai plans to work with a Mumbai-based corporate law firm. “After spending five years in the university, I realised there are so many options. One must try them all options before settling for the one that suits you best,” she said.

Girl power all the way at NLSIU convocation


Girls came out with flying colours at the 24th convocation of the premier National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, on Sunday. They bagged 18 of the 22 gold medals and secured the to


Sheffield Star Retro published the sad story of James Stuart Swift on January 23 as ‘War baby that a proud soldier dad never saw’.
I had researched Stuart in detail for my book Great Sacrifice: the Old Boys of Barnsley Holgate Grammar School in the First World War and had just discovered that two boxes containing many love letters between Stuart and Maude, as well as their wedding photographs, photos of their son, Stuart’s medals and other memorabilia, had been donated to Barnsley Archives.
Peter Swift places a wreath, with a photo of the baby that his relative never saw, on Stuart Swifts grave
Readers might be interested to learn what has happened since.
Stuart attended the Holgate for three years before being admitted to Ackworth School in Hemsworth, where his family paid full boarding fees for three years because they were not Quakers.
When he left school in 1907, Stuart worked for the Midland Bank, following in his father’s footsteps.
He enlisted in the Sheffield City Battalion on September 11, 1914, aged 28.
Stuart Swift's son, James Stuart Morton Swift, as a little boy
Stuart married Alice Maude Watkinson of Sheffield in April 1915 and he became a father to James Stuart Morton Swift on March 27, 1916.
The Swift Collection confirmed my fear that he never saw his son before he was killed on the first day of the Somme.
Stuart had not been given leave to return home since going to Egypt in December 1915.
Even becoming a father did not give him any special privileges while the Army were preparing for the Big Push on the Somme.
The wreath for Stuart Swift containing photographs of him and his wife Maude, plus Maude with their baby, James
Stuart wrote: “I so long to see the little chap myself, everyone seems to think he is a fine specimen.
“It is nice to think of our little love being of such a happy disposition; I am glad he has such winning ways. I can see he takes after his little mother in those respects.”
In his last letter to Maude, written on June 27, 1916, he wrote: “ I am eagerly looking forward to getting your next letter as I expect to get the promised photo you are sending of your dear self and our little darling. Of course I have tried to picture him to myself but have no idea what he is like.”
Tragically, the proud new father did not receive it.
Serendipity inspired Peter Swift, whose grandfather was Stuart’s cousin, to buy a copy of The Star that week in January and he was amazed to see my article with photographs of Stuart.
We have been able to share more information since then as he has been researching the Swift family for some time but had not previously known about Stuart’s education or seen any photographs of him.
Peter’s children planned to take him to the Somme for the centenary commemorations for his 70th birthday present.
In a very poignant gesture, Peter took a print of the photograph of Maude with their son to place on Stuart’s grave in Luke Copse British Cemetery, reuniting them after 100 years.
Celia Wolfe, the archivist at Ackworth School, was very helpful to me while researching my book, allowing me to use their information about Stuart and letting me copy photographs of him as a schoolboy.
She also visited the Somme for July 1 as her husband Ray’s grandfather was one of the many men killed in action that day and she was visiting the graves of several old scholars of Ackworth to leave tributes.
I exchanged emails with Celia while she was in France and was able to tell her about the wreath and photos left by Peter, who had seen the wooden cross she had left. Celia paid a return visit to Luke Copse to see them for herself and was very moved.
I organised a Somme centenary commemoration for July 1 at Silverwood Scout Camp in Silkstone (originally Newhall Camp where the Barnsley Pals were billeted and trained).
I am very grateful to Paul Unsworth and his team of scouting volunteers, who allowed me to use the site free and provided practical help.
I paid tribute to Stuart along with many Old Boys of the Holgate and other local men who died in the Somme offensive on my display in the Billingham Centre and by laying photographs of the men on the altar in the beautiful outdoor chapel, where I held a Remembrance Service.
Celia and Ray had responded to my publicity, asking if anyone would like a relation to be remembered, and Christopher Gascoigne, father of eight young children, was one of 12 stories read by students from Horizon Community College and relations of three of the men.
Music played included Reveille and The Last Post on bugles sounded by twin brothers from Horizon and two popular songs from the First World War sung by Class 5 from Silkstone Primary School, to the delight of all attending.
On July 17, I received an email from Claire Marr from Cheshire, who had been shown the Retro article. Claire hoped that I might be able to help her fill in some gaps in her own family history or even have a photograph of her grandfather.
She shared some interesting details from her own family history research and reviewing my own highlighted the sad story of Stuart’s older sister Muriel Morton Swift, his only sibling.
She had married Percy Guest Wadsworth in 1911 but they did not have any children, although according to Stuart’s letters they had wanted them.
After Muriel died in 1921, aged only 40, Percy got married again to Alice Mary Beckett and they had two sons.
Percy died in 1928, aged 52, when Claire’s father was only three years old, so he didn’t remember her grandfather. Alice remarried and she never discussed her background or how she had met Percy – there were no family photos.
I wondered if Muriel and Percy might be on Stuart and Maude’s wedding photos.
I asked Peter if he had a copy of their wedding certificate to find out if Muriel had been a witness because Stuart had been for her.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t and, since the men in the photos are wearing uniform, they must be friends of Stuart’s rather than one being Percy.
I wish I could have found a photograph for her as I know from personal experience how precious it is to know what our ancestors look like.
If anyone reading this article is related to the Swift, Morton, Wadsworth or Beckett families, I would love to hear from you to fit some more pieces of the extended family puzzle together.
We will continue to remember them all.
*Jane’s book is published by Helion and Company. Website: www.helion.co.uk
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Sheffield Star Retro published the sad story of James Stuart Swift on January 23 as ‘War baby that a proud soldier dad never saw’.


Barnsley soldier's moving letters about son he never saw


Republican Gov. Paul LePage unleashed an obscene tirade on a Democratic legislator, leaving him a voicemail message that said "I am after you" and telling reporters he wished it were 1825 so he could challenge the lawmaker to a duel and point a gun between his eyes.
The governor later apologized to "the people of Maine" but not to the legislator.
LePage said in the Thursday voicemail that he wanted to talk with Rep. Drew Gattine of Westbrook about the legislator calling him a racist. Gattine has denied calling LePage a racist.
"I want you to prove that I'm a racist," LePage said, adding that he had spent his life helping black people and calling Gattine a vulgar name related to oral sex. "I want you to record this and make it public because I am after you."
LePage, who's white, was accused of making racially insensitive comments Wednesday at a town hall in North Berwick, where he said photos he's collected in a binder of drug dealers arrested in the state showed that 90 percent of them "are black and Hispanic people from Waterbury, Connecticut; the Bronx; and Brooklyn." He displayed the binder at a Friday news conference.
The governor issued a public apology to "the people of Maine" on Friday for the vulgarity but said he was right to defend himself against Gattine because he considers being called a racist worse than any insult.
House and Senate Democrats and the Maine Democratic Party on Friday questioned LePage's capacity to lead. LePage said he would not resign unless several of his political opponents, including Gattine, did as well.
Drew Gattine Joel Page / AP Maine Democratic state Rep. Drew Gattine, on Jan. 14, 2014. Maine Democratic state Rep. Drew Gattine, on Jan. 14, 2014. (Joel Page / AP) (Joel Page / AP)
Assistant House Democratic Leader Sara Gideon called for a "political intervention" from members of both parties to either ensure that the governor "gets the help that he needs" or that he's removed from office.
Gattine said Friday that the governor left him another voicemail Friday morning, asking him to debate him at a town hall meeting next week. Gattine said the governor didn't apologize.
After leaving the voicemail on Thursday, LePage invited reporters to the governor's mansion, where he said he wished he and Gattine could face off in a duel.
"When a snot-nosed little guy from Westbrook calls me a racist, now I'd like him to come up here because, tell you right now, I wish it were 1825," LePage said, according to the Portland Press Herald. "And we would have a duel, that's how angry I am, and I would not put my gun in the air, I guarantee you, I would not be (Alexander) Hamilton. I would point it right between his eyes because he is a snot-nosed little runt and he has not done a damn thing since he's been in this Legislature to help move the state forward."
Police in Westbrook said Friday that they had received a citizen complaint about the voicemail. A police official said the complaint came from someone who didn't live in the city. It's unclear if there will be an investigation. Gattine said he didn't plan to file a police report.
Gattine has clashed with the governor on how to address welfare reform, drug addiction and eligibility for developmental disabilities programs.
Gattine said he wasn't concerned about his safety, but he called the voicemail a distraction and the latest of LePage's personal vendettas against lawmakers. Gattine shared the voicemail's audio with the Press Herald.
"The fact is he sits around fantasizing about having duels with legislators or obsessing over the race of people who are arrested for crimes," Gattine said.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree said in a statement that it's "embarrassing" that LePage is contributing to the "steady loss of civility in politics." Michael Thibodeau, the Republican president of the Maine Senate, also rebuked LePage, saying it "damages our public institutions when inappropriate comments come from either party."
LePage, in his second and final term as governor, has a history of drawing attention for his blunt remarks. In January, Paul LePage said drug dealers with names like "D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty" are getting Maine's white girls pregnant. He later apologized, saying he meant to say "Maine women" and not "white women."
LePage has compared his style to that of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, whom he supports, though he recently said Trump was his third choice for president after Chris Christie and Jeb Bush.
"I was Donald Trump before Donald Trump became popular, so I think I should support him since we're one of the same cloth," he told a radio show host in February.
LePage this week called the father of a dead Muslim U.S. Army captain a "con artist" for criticizing Trump. LePage's daughter Lauren has been hired by Trump and vice presidential candidate Mike Pence to work as the state's coalitions director.
Associated Press

Maine governor leaves obscene voicemail for lawmaker, later suggests gun duel


Tunisia's new Prime Minister Youssef Chahed takes an oath of office, during the country's new government swearing-in ceremony in Tunis on August 27, 2016. By STRINGER (TUNISIAN PRESIDENCY/AFP)
Tunis (AFP) - Tunisia's new Prime Minister Youssef Chahed and members of his cabinet were sworn in on Saturday, the presidency said, after approval from parliament.
The prime minister and his 26 ministers swore to "work devotedly for the good of Tunisia" and to "respect its constitution and laws", it said.
Chahed, at 40, is the country's youngest prime minister since independence from France in 1956.
He is also the seventh premier in less than six years since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Parliament late Friday approved the cabinet line-up, with 168 out 195 lawmakers who attended the session voting in favour, 22 against and five abstaining.
The new cabinet will take up office on Monday after a hand-over ceremony from former premier Habib Essid.
Chahed was appointed by President Beji Caid Essebsi early this month after lawmakers passed a vote of no confidence in Essid's government following just 18 months in office.
The new prime minister is a member of the president's Nidaa Tounes party and a liberal who was local affairs minister before his nomination.
He and his cabinet -- which includes women, "young" ministers, three members of the Islamist Ennahda party and several independents -- will have to tackle pressing economic and security challenges.
While Tunisia is considered a rare success story of the Arab Spring, the authorities have failed to resolve the issues of poverty, unemployment, regional disparities and corruption that preceded Ben Ali's fall.
The North African country in January witnessed its worst social unrest since the 2011 uprising.
Tunisia has also been rocked by a wave of jihadist attacks, including two that killed dozens of foreign tourists last year.

Tunisia's youngest premier since independence sworn in


Tunis (AFP) - Tunisia's new Prime Minister Youssef Chahed and members of his cabinet were sworn in on Saturday, the presidency said, after approval from parliam


Bradley Wells just can’t stop scoring – but the tactical brain of boss Dave Frecklington is likely to have a huge impact on Spalding United’s promotion prospects this season.
A third double of the opening weeks from Wells – taking his tally to eight goals in just five games – turned the Tulips’ nightmare start into a derby-day dream come true.
Having conceded after 80 seconds, Spalding showed their spirit to hit back thanks to a couple of close-range finishes.
They took control before the break and Frecklington’s changes ensured that lead was protected.
He has already admitted the plans may not be pretty – but they are effective and it’s all about getting the right results.
It was clear that the big danger would come from Stamford playmaker David Bell’s long-range passes and creative skills.
So, from the start of the second half at 2-1 up, Matt Varley was given a holding role in front of Spalding’s defence.
Three minutes later, Bell was introduced to substitute Sam Downey who didn’t let him out of his sights in a man-marking job.
When Bell tried to push forward with time running out, Varley was already in position to deal with it.
Wells was left on his own up front and Stamford could not break down Spalding’s strong unit of organisation and commitment.
Joy at the final whistle
Although the Daniels may have levelled in first-half stoppage-time when Delroy Gordon’s far-post header hit the woodwork, they failed to create a clear-cut chance after Frecklington changed his formation.
Bell’s corner was cleared off the line by skipper Nathan Stainfield and then keeper Michael Duggan pushed the ball over the bar.
But the only threat came from set-pieces and Duggan was never truly tested thanks to plenty of protection.
Andrew Wright had three attempts at the other end and Wells’ hat-trick opportunity was halted by Peter Denton – mainly because the striker looked too tired to make yet another run.
Wells had done his job – nodding in Paul Walker’s assist and then taking a touch before finishing it off again from Varley’s long throw-in.
The early advantage came when Denton’s goal-kick was flicked on and Ryan Robbins slotted low past Duggan.
It was a typical derby – full of challenges and a few times when tempers flared.
Stamford were fortunate as Tom Batchelor escaped a red card for an apparent stamp on Wells following a foul on the halfway line.
But Spalding got what they deserved for their efforts.
SPALDING UNITED
4-4-2: Duggan 7; Lemon 6 (sub Downey 48 mins, 7), Spafford 7, Stainfield 7, Field 7; Walker 7, Varley 7, Whitehead 7, Wright 7; Lockie 7 (sub Cullingworth 71 mins), Wells 8. Subs not used: Costa, Acar.
STAMFORD
4-3-1-2: Denton 6; Gordon 6, Batchelor 5, Malone 4 (sub Miller h-t, 6), Luto 6 (sub King 59 mins, 6); Duffy 6, Bell 7, Hill 6; Brown 6 (sub Mulready 71 mins); Robbins 6, Smith 6. Subs not used: Hartley, Sandy.
REFEREE
Matthew Law.
GOALS
Robbins (1 min, 0-1); Wells (8 mins, 1-1); Wells (42 mins, 2-1).
BOOKINGS
Walker, Spafford, Whitehead (fouls); Batchelor (unsporting behaviour); Downey (kicking ball away).
ATTENDANCE
317
STAR MAN
Bradley Wells – another double.
ENTERTAINMENT
★★★★
WHO’S NEXT
Mickleover Sports (A) – Emirates FA Cup first qualifying round, Saturday.

DERBY DAY: Match verdict and video highlights


Bradley Wells just can’t stop scoring – but the tactical brain of boss Dave Frecklington is likely to have a huge impact on Spalding United’s promotion prospects this season.


Bradley Wells just can’t stop scoring – but the tactical brain of boss Dave Frecklington is likely to have a huge impact on Spalding United’s promotion prospects this season.
A third double of the opening weeks from Wells – taking his tally to eight goals in just five games – turned the Tulips’ nightmare start into a derby-day dream come true.
Having conceded after 80 seconds, Spalding showed their spirit to hit back thanks to a couple of close-range finishes.
They took control before the break and Frecklington’s changes ensured that lead was protected.
He has already admitted the plans may not be pretty – but they are effective and it’s all about getting the right results.
It was clear that the big danger would come from Stamford playmaker David Bell’s long-range passes and creative skills.
Joy at the final whistle
So, from the start of the second half at 2-1 up, Matt Varley was given a holding role in front of Spalding’s defence.
Three minutes later, Bell was introduced to substitute Sam Downey who didn’t let him out of his sights in a man-marking job.
When Bell tried to push forward with time running out, Varley was already in position to deal with it.
Wells was left on his own up front and Stamford could not break down Spalding’s strong unit of organisation and commitment.
Although the Daniels may have levelled in first-half stoppage-time when Delroy Gordon’s far-post header hit the woodwork, they failed to create a clear-cut chance after Frecklington changed his formation.
Bell’s corner was cleared off the line by skipper Nathan Stainfield and then keeper Michael Duggan pushed the ball over the bar.
But the only threat came from set-pieces and Duggan was never truly tested thanks to plenty of protection.
Andrew Wright had three attempts at the other end and Wells’ hat-trick opportunity was halted by Peter Denton – mainly because the striker looked too tired to make yet another run.
Wells had done his job – nodding in Paul Walker’s assist and then taking a touch before finishing it off again from Varley’s long throw-in.
The early advantage came when Denton’s goal-kick was flicked on and Ryan Robbins slotted low past Duggan.
It was a typical derby – full of challenges and a few times when tempers flared.
Stamford were fortunate as Tom Batchelor escaped a red card for an apparent stamp on Wells following a foul on the halfway line.
But Spalding got what they deserved for their efforts.
SPALDING UNITED
4-4-2: Duggan 7; Lemon 6 (sub Downey 48 mins, 7), Spafford 7, Stainfield 7, Field 7; Walker 7, Varley 7, Whitehead 7, Wright 7; Lockie 7 (sub Cullingworth 71 mins), Wells 8. Subs not used: Costa, Acar.
STAMFORD
4-3-1-2: Denton 6; Gordon 6, Batchelor 5, Malone 4 (sub Miller h-t, 6), Luto 6 (sub King 59 mins, 6); Duffy 6, Bell 7, Hill 6; Brown 6 (sub Mulready 71 mins); Robbins 6, Smith 6. Subs not used: Hartley, Sandy.
REFEREE
Matthew Law.
GOALS
Robbins (1 min, 0-1); Wells (8 mins, 1-1); Wells (42 mins, 2-1).
BOOKINGS
Walker, Spafford, Whitehead (fouls); Batchelor (unsporting behaviour); Downey (kicking ball away).
ATTENDANCE
317
STAR MAN
Bradley Wells – another double.
ENTERTAINMENT
★★★★
WHO’S NEXT
Mickleover Sports (A) – Emirates FA Cup first qualifying round, Saturday.

DERBY DAY: Match verdict as Spalding United take points


Today in History
Today is Tuesday, Aug. 30, the 243rd day of 2016. There are 123 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Aug. 30, 1861, Union Gen. John C. Fremont instituted martial law in Missouri and declared slaves there to be free. (However, Fremont’s emancipation order was countermanded by President Abraham Lincoln).
On this date:
In 1862, Confederate forces won victories against the Union at the Second Battle of Bull Run in Manassas, Virginia, and the Battle of Richmond in Kentucky.
In 1905, Ty Cobb made his major-league debut as a player for the Detroit Tigers, hitting a double in his first at-bat in a game against the New York Highlanders. (The Tigers won, 5-3.)
In 1935, the film “Anna Karenina,” MGM’s version of the Tolstoy novel starring Greta Garbo, opened in New York.
In 1945, U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrived in Japan to set up Allied occupation headquarters.
In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, which was intended to promote private development of nuclear energy.
In 1963, the “Hot Line” communications link between Washington and Moscow went into operation.
In 1967, the Senate confirmed the appointment of Thurgood Marshall as the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 1983, Guion S. Bluford Jr. became the first black American astronaut to travel in space as he blasted off aboard the Challenger.
In 1984, the space shuttle Discovery was launched on its inaugural flight.
In 1986, Soviet authorities arrested Nicholas Daniloff, a correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, as a spy a week after American officials arrested Gennadiy Zakharov, a Soviet employee of the United Nations, on espionage charges in New York. (Both men were later released.)
In 1989, a federal jury in New York found “hotel queen” Leona Helmsley guilty of income tax evasion, but acquitted her of extortion. (Helmsley ended up serving 18 months behind bars, a month at a halfway house and two months under house arrest.)
In 1991, Azerbaijan (ah-zur-by-JAHN’) declared its independence, joining the stampede of republics seeking to secede from the Soviet Union.
Ten years ago: Hurricane John lashed tourist resorts with heavy winds and rain as the dangerous Category 4 storm marched up Mexico’s Pacific coast. Actor Glenn Ford died in Beverly Hills, California, at age 90. Naguib Mahfouz (nuh-GEEB’ mah-FOOS’), the first Arab writer to win the Nobel Prize in literature, died in Cairo, Egypt, at age 94.
Five years ago: National Guard helicopters rushed food and water to a dozen cut-off Vermont towns after the rainy remnants of Hurricane Irene washed out roads and bridges in a deluge that had taken many people in the landlocked New England state by surprise. Libyan rebels said they were closing in on Moammar Gadhafi and issued an ultimatum to loyalists in his hometown of Sirte (surt), his main remaining bastion: Surrender, or face attack.
One year ago: The White House announced that President Barack Obama would change the name of North America’s tallest mountain peak from Mount McKinley to Denali, bestowing the traditional Alaska Native name on the eve of a historic presidential visit to Alaska. Jake Arrieta pitched the sixth no-hitter of the season and second against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 10 days, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 2-0 victory. Tokyo won the Little League World Series, defeating Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, 18-11. Neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks, 82, author of “The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat,” died in New York. Movie writer-director Wes Craven, 76, who startled audiences with suburban slashers like “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Scream,” died in Los Angeles.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor Bill Daily is 89. Actress Elizabeth Ashley is 77. Actor Ben Jones is 75. Cartoonist R. Crumb is 73. Olympic gold medal skier Jean-Claude Killy is 73. Actress Peggy Lipton is 70. Comedian Lewis Black is 68. Actor Timothy Bottoms is 65. Actor David Paymer is 62. Jazz musician Gerald Albright is 59. Actor Michael Chiklis is 53. Music producer Robert Clivilles is 52. Actress Michael Michele is 50. Country musician Geoff Firebaugh is 48. Country singer Sherrie Austin is 45. Rock singer-musician Lars Frederiksen (Rancid) is 45. Actress Cameron Diaz is 44. Rock musician Leon Caffrey (Space) is 43. TV personality Lisa Ling is 43. Rock singer-musician Aaron Barrett (Reel Big Fish) is 42. Actor Raul Castillo (TV: “Looking”) is 39. Actor Michael Gladis is 39. Rock musician Matt Taul (Tantric; Days of the New) is 38. Tennis player Andy Roddick is 34. Singer Rachael Price (Lake Street Dive) is 31. Rock musician Ryan Ross is 30. Actress Johanna Braddy (TV: “Quantico”) is 29. Actor Cameron Finley is 29.
Thought for Today: “If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German theologian (1906-1945).


Today is Tuesday, Aug. 30, the 243rd day of 2016. There are 123 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Aug. 30, 1861, Union Gen. John C. Fremont instituted martial law in Missouri and declared slaves there to be free. (However, Fremont’s emancipation order was countermanded by President Abraham Lincoln).
On this date:
In 1862, Confederate forces won victories against the Union at the Second Battle of Bull Run in Manassas, Virginia, and the Battle of Richmond in Kentucky.
In 1905, Ty Cobb made his major-league debut as a player for the Detroit Tigers, hitting a double in his first at-bat in a game against the New York Highlanders. (The Tigers won, 5-3.)
In 1935, the film “Anna Karenina,” MGM’s version of the Tolstoy novel starring Greta Garbo, opened in New York.
In 1945, U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrived in Japan to set up Allied occupation headquarters.
In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, which was intended to promote private development of nuclear energy.
In 1963, the “Hot Line” communications link between Washington and Moscow went into operation.
In 1967, the Senate confirmed the appointment of Thurgood Marshall as the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 1983, Guion S. Bluford Jr. became the first black American astronaut to travel in space as he blasted off aboard the Challenger.
In 1984, the space shuttle Discovery was launched on its inaugural flight.
In 1986, Soviet authorities arrested Nicholas Daniloff, a correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, as a spy a week after American officials arrested Gennadiy Zakharov, a Soviet employee of the United Nations, on espionage charges in New York. (Both men were later released.)
In 1989, a federal jury in New York found “hotel queen” Leona Helmsley guilty of income tax evasion, but acquitted her of extortion. (Helmsley ended up serving 18 months behind bars, a month at a halfway house and two months under house arrest.)
In 1991, Azerbaijan (ah-zur-by-JAHN’) declared its independence, joining the stampede of republics seeking to secede from the Soviet Union.
Ten years ago: Hurricane John lashed tourist resorts with heavy winds and rain as the dangerous Category 4 storm marched up Mexico’s Pacific coast. Actor Glenn Ford died in Beverly Hills, California, at age 90. Naguib Mahfouz (nuh-GEEB’ mah-FOOS’), the first Arab writer to win the Nobel Prize in literature, died in Cairo, Egypt, at age 94.
Five years ago: National Guard helicopters rushed food and water to a dozen cut-off Vermont towns after the rainy remnants of Hurricane Irene washed out roads and bridges in a deluge that had taken many people in the landlocked New England state by surprise. Libyan rebels said they were closing in on Moammar Gadhafi and issued an ultimatum to loyalists in his hometown of Sirte (surt), his main remaining bastion: Surrender, or face attack.
One year ago: The White House announced that President Barack Obama would change the name of North America’s tallest mountain peak from Mount McKinley to Denali, bestowing the traditional Alaska Native name on the eve of a historic presidential visit to Alaska. Jake Arrieta pitched the sixth no-hitter of the season and second against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 10 days, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 2-0 victory. Tokyo won the Little League World Series, defeating Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, 18-11. Neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks, 82, author of “The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat,” died in New York. Movie writer-director Wes Craven, 76, who startled audiences with suburban slashers like “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Scream,” died in Los Angeles.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor Bill Daily is 89. Actress Elizabeth Ashley is 77. Actor Ben Jones is 75. Cartoonist R. Crumb is 73. Olympic gold medal skier Jean-Claude Killy is 73. Actress Peggy Lipton is 70. Comedian Lewis Black is 68. Actor Timothy Bottoms is 65. Actor David Paymer is 62. Jazz musician Gerald Albright is 59. Actor Michael Chiklis is 53. Music producer Robert Clivilles is 52. Actress Michael Michele is 50. Country musician Geoff Firebaugh is 48. Country singer Sherrie Austin is 45. Rock singer-musician Lars Frederiksen (Rancid) is 45. Actress Cameron Diaz is 44. Rock musician Leon Caffrey (Space) is 43. TV personality Lisa Ling is 43. Rock singer-musician Aaron Barrett (Reel Big Fish) is 42. Actor Raul Castillo (TV: “Looking”) is 39. Actor Michael Gladis is 39. Rock musician Matt Taul (Tantric; Days of the New) is 38. Tennis player Andy Roddick is 34. Singer Rachael Price (Lake Street Dive) is 31. Rock musician Ryan Ross is 30. Actress Johanna Braddy (TV: “Quantico”) is 29. Actor Cameron Finley is 29.
Thought for Today: “If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German theologian (1906-1945).
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


Parents worry that they won’t be able to afford their child’s medication. They drive to pharmacies miles away from their homes just to get the best deal on EpiPens. School nurses watch as families weigh the risk of sending their child to school without this life-saving medication because they cannot afford it.
I heard from one family whose child’s allergy is so severe that it takes two EpiPens to treat an allergic reaction. That means the family has to pay for two EpiPens for school, two more to have at home and an additional two for the grandparents’ home. Sure, it’s expensive. But they do it because the alternative is terrifying. I experienced that firsthand.
My daughter, Abigail, is one of millions of Americans who suffer from a life-threatening allergy. I’ll never forget the scary day we discovered Abigail’s nut allergy. She had eaten a cashew and suddenly started to swell up. We were worried her throat would close as we rushed her to the emergency room. She now carries an EpiPen with her everywhere.
The EpiPen saves lives and provides peace of mind for patients and parents. However, an alarming and unjustified rise in the price of this medication has put life-saving treatment out of reach for many of the consumers who need it most.
In 2009, two EpiPens cost $100. Now, Mylan Pharmaceuticals is charging as much as $600. And as anyone who relies on an EpiPen knows, that $600 isn’t a one-time expense. EpiPens must be replaced every year whether they are used or not, because the medication in the device expires.
So what caused this dramatic price increase? Here’s one possible answer: It’s happened at the same time that Mylan has gained more market power.
Last fall, a competing drug was recalled from the market, and a generic version failed to receive approval this spring. That leaves people with severe allergies with no practical choice but the EpiPen. That’s why, as Ranking Member of the Antitrust Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have called on the committee and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate these outrageous price increases.
Days after I called for these investigations, Mylan announced it would expand its EpiPen patient assistance programs. While this action by Mylan is welcome relief to many who are struggling to afford this lifesaving medication, it won't fully address the root of the problem.
The burden of the EpiPen price increases and other prescription drug increases -- including vital medications like insulin and Naxolone -- persists for American families, taxpayers and employers. We cannot rely on public outcry as the only solution to high prescription drug prices. And I’ve introduced multiple pieces of legislation that would help protect American consumers from the rising prices of prescription drugs.
EpiPen packs cost hundreds of dollars less in Canada, and Sen. John McCain and I have introduced legislation that would help Minnesota families save money. The Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act would require the Food and Drug Administration to establish a personal importation program that would allow people to import a 90-day supply of prescription drugs from an approved Canadian pharmacy.
Other bills I’ve introduced would change current laws that give pharmaceutical the upper hand in bargaining prices for prescription medication, expand access to cost-saving generic drugs and deter pharmaceutical companies from blocking cheaper generic alternatives from entering the marketplace.
It’s this simple: If you have a life-threatening illness then you should have access to affordable lifesaving medicine. But with the price of EpiPens on the rise, that’s not the case for many who suffer from severe allergies. The cost for families is too high. That’s why I’m going to keep fighting to bring the price of prescription drugs down.

Column: The cost of the EpiPen price increase


Islamic State axe attacker planned to move to Germany - sources
VALERIK, Russia, Aug 31 (Reuters) - An Islamic State supporter who was shot dead in Russia after he attacked police officers with an axe had planned to travel to Germany to join members of his family there, two people who knew him told Reuters.
Usman Murdalov, 21, and his friend Sulim Israilov, 18, armed themselves with axes and attacked a traffic police post near Moscow on Aug. 17. In a video posted online a day later, they professed loyalty to Islamic State.
The two people who knew him said that Murdalov, up to the point when he left his home village in the Russian region of Chechnya on Aug. 12, had been making arrangements to travel to Germany to join his father and his step-mother who moved there three months earlier.
Germany has seen a spate of violent attacks in the past few months, including two blamed on Islamists. Security officials have said that people with extremist links, some of them Chechens, are getting into Germany by passing themselves off as migrants and asylum seekers.
Ingo Decker, head spokesman for the interior ministry of the German state of Brandenburg, declined to comment on Murdalov or his family, but said the state had been dealing with large numbers of Chechen refugees for years.
"A large majority of those refugees come from the Islamic republics of Russia, and they generally come through eastern Europe," Decker said.
"Nearly all the Islamists and suspected terrorists that we are tracking in our state come from these regions, not generally from Iraq or Syria."
GERMAN PLANS
Chechnya is a mainly Muslim region of southern Russia which is the scene of a low-level Islamist insurgency. Russian security officials have said about 10,000 people from Russia and other ex-Soviet republics are fighting in the Middle East in the ranks of jihadist groups. There are no figures for the number of Chechens, but they make up a significant contingent within Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
In the village of Valerik, where Murdalov had his family home, a relative said that Murdalov had successfully applied to the Russian authorities for a passport so he could travel to Germany.
"He did not have a visa," to enter Germany, the relative said. "His family, who left earlier, didn't have visas either."
A neighbour in Valerik, who knows the family, also said Murdalov was planning to go to Germany, following his family.
"They went there illegally by car through Poland. That's for sure," the neighbour said, adding that he did not know their current location.
People in the village said they could not explain why Murdalov had scrapped his plan to travel to Germany.
He was last seen in Valerik on Aug. 12, when he and Israilov said they were leaving for the nearby Caspian Sea resort of Izberbash for a break.
Five days later, the two attacked the police post in Balashikha, a town near Moscow and about 1,900 km (1,200 miles) from Izberbash. They injured two police officers, one of whom later died in hospital. Murdalov and Israilov were shot dead.
A day later, Islamic State media channels released a video purporting to show Murdalov and Israilov before the attack.
"We are in Moscow on the orders of our emir, our caliph, Omar al-Baghdadi, who ordered us to do everything in our power," one of the men said in the video, referring to the leader of Islamic State.
"We are calling this a revenge operation, revenge because you are killing our brothers, because you are killing our brothers and sisters every day in Iraq and Syria."
People pledging allegiance to Islamic State have staged violent attacks in Russia's mainly Muslim north Caucasus region, but the Balashikha attack was the first time Islamic State sympathisers had mounted an attack so close to Moscow.
COLLEGE DROPOUT
Relatives of Murdalov and Israilov said neither man had exhibited signs of radicalisation. They said they could not understand what could have changed in them to make them carry out the attack.
Murdalov and Israilov worked together at a small manufacturing company in Valerik producing windows and doors, according to relatives. The business is owned by Murdalov's family.
The relatives said that Israilov's parents divorced when he was a baby. He was raised by his father and his father's second wife, whom he believed to be his biological mother. He only found out she was his step-mother when his biological mother visited him, unannounced, at his school, when he was a teenager.
Israilov had been in his second year at a teacher training college in Grozny, the Chechen capital, where he studied physics and information technology.
He was expelled from the college due to poor academic performance on Feb. 24 this year, according to a document seen by Reuters.
A college official said she did not know what happened to him. "He used to have good marks but later he got worse," she said.
Israilov's aunt, who did not want to be identified, said the police visited the family and told them he died in the attack.
"We didn't want to believe it because a person who was supposed to be in Izberbash turned out to be in Moscow and, furthermore, in such circumstances."
RUSSIAN INFLUX
Decker, the Brandenburg interior ministry spokesman, said the state was aware of about 80 suspected Islamist extremists in its jurisdiction, including several dozen with previous combat experience. Most were from the North Caucasus, which includes Chechnya.
Those Islamists melt into the growing number of Russian citizens - many of them Chechens - who enter Germany seeking asylum. Applications recorded in Brandenburg from Russians in the first six months of this year stand at 1,764, already exceeding the number for the whole of 2015.
Security officials said many people who pose a potential security threat enter Germany via Poland, a border that has only very limited immigration controls because the two countries are part of the European Union's free movement zone.
Anja Ducklauss-Nitschke, deputy chief of Germany's federal police union, said it was practically impossible to even determine if the Murdalov family was in Germany given the lack of controls at the German-Polish border.


VALERIK, Russia, Aug 31 (Reuters) - An Islamic State supporter who was shot dead in Russia after he attacked police officers with an axe had planned to trave...


Islamic State axe attacker planned to move to Germany - sources


Ruth Pederson, a Grand Forks middle school teacher of more than 20 years, had prayed Sunday night for a good first day of class after summer vacation.
As that first Monday of the year went on and the excited special education instructor marveled at how much the kids had grown over the break, it became clear her prayers had been answered. What wasn't yet clear was the extent.
Not long after Pederson left school, she discovered she'd won the lottery—a $100,000 Powerball with Power Play prize from numbers drawn on Saturday.
"I remember thinking, 'Oh, my feet are sore, I should sit,' " she said Tuesday evening as she drove back from Bismarck, where she'd claimed her winnings earlier that day. "It was about 10 minutes to 4 p.m., so I had about 10 minutes left and had forgotten I had the ticket. I looked at it, then looked at another teacher and asked, 'Do you think four white balls and a Powerball is good?' "
Pederson described herself as an occasional lottery player and said her son had been the one to eventually explain that she'd won the drawing on the "quick pick" ticket.
She spent the second day of the school year on her trip to Bismarck. Calling in absent from her classroom wasn't easy, even with the circumstances.
"It was really hard to leave and know a substitute was there taking care of my kids," Pederson said, "but the principal told me to go!"
While in Bismarck, she took the time to pose for a photo with a giant check made out for her winnings.
Though she said the whole experience has been a good time, Pederson said the most enjoyable part about winning the lottery has been watching the reactions of the people she's told about it.
"I've never heard so many expletives!" Pederson said. "Then the giggling and the laughing that people do, it's just really hilarious to hear everybody's reactions. And what's so fun about it is that everybody says, 'My goodness, it's just so fun to hear good news!' And then more laughter."
When it comes to the winnings, Pederson said she plans to defer to "North Dakota conservatism" and spend "just a bit" updating her house. From there, she plans to put the rest in the bank to plan ahead for a rainy day.
"It's not going to change my life, but what it does is it gives me a little breathing room," Pederson said. "I really thank my lucky stars and I thank God—I've hardly unfolded my hands in prayer, I'm so grateful."

Grand Forks teacher wins $100,000 Powerball lottery drawing


Video Bronze Boot game
CHINO VALLEY – Usually when you ask a coach or the quarterback if they just played the perfect game, they hedge no matter how dominating the score. There’s always something to improve on, to get better at. Perfection is not meant to be achieved.
Chino Valley’s coach and quarterback weren’t going to go there. Asked if the host Cougars just played the perfect game after defeating Camp Verde 52-0 to open the football season.
“Yes, yes, it was a great feeling,” Chino Valley head coach Wade Krug said.
“Yeah, there were a few parts that I could like work on, but it was pretty good,” Chino Valley senior quarterback Josh Fisher said.
The Cougars claimed the Bronze Boot trophy that Camp Verde had won a year ago. The schools have played each other for years, but last year decided to formalize the rivalry by awarding the winner a Bronze Boot trophy. The Cowboys won last year’s game, 26-12.
Chino Valley rushed for 262 yards and Camp Verde turned the ball over five times, including three straight times on three consecutive offensive plays in the third quarter.
The Cowboys were held to 41 yards rushing in the game.
“I don’t know the last time we pitched a shutout, but defensively it was a great night,” Krug said.
It was Chino Valley’s first shutout since Sept. 17, 2010, when they defeated South Pointe 42-0.
“We flat beat ourselves tonight,” Camp Verde head coach Steve Darby said. “You can’t turn the ball over that many times. I don’t want to take credit away from Chino, they got a good team this year and I wish them luck the rest of the season.”
Fisher led Chino Valley on its opening drive, running the final 23 yards for a touchdown. He finished the game with 94 yards rushing, scoring two touchdowns, and added 60 yards passing and a score.
The defenses held the next three series and it looked to be a defensive game, but Camp Verde being forced to punt out of its end zone set Chino Valley up at the Camp Verde 22-yard line. Seven plays later Michael Paulus scored on a 1-yard run.
On Camp Verde’s second play of the ensuing drive quarterback Payton Sarkesian tried to pass to Matt Newtown, but it was incomplete. However, the officials ruled it was a lateral. Chino Valley’s Colton Sandberg picked up the ball and ran 26 yards for the touchdown and a 20-0 lead with 8:03 to play in the first half.
Chino Valley scored again on a Fisher to Gavin Thompson 18-yard touchdown pass with 16 seconds left in the half for a 27-0 lead, and they never looked back.

Chino Valley claims Bronze Boot (VIDEO and PHOTOS GALLERY)


MIAMI COUNTY — With only 12 weeks of service under his belt, U.S. Representative Warren Davidson addressed the Miami County Chambers of Commerce about his plans for the next congressional session at its annual legislative luncheon at the Crystal Room in Troy on Tuesday.
Davidson broke down his pick for president when one audience member asked, “Hillary (Clinton) or (Donald) Trump?” during the question-and-answer session following his 20-minute talk.
“That’s not a hard choice. I spent a whole year saying anybody but Clinton,” Davidson shared. “You know for the vast majority of people I know that have served in the military, it’s just hard to imagine someone who said of Benghazi, ‘At this point, what difference does it make?’ Who lied to families about a YouTube video to cover political tracks and policies — to have that person to serve as our commander in chief is just really hard to imagine.”
Davidson enlisted in the Army and earned an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He served as an Army officer. He served in The Old Guard, 75th Ranger Regiment and the 101st Airborne Division.
Davidson said Clinton’s handling of the Benghazi attacks disqualified her as his pick for presidential candidate.
“If she wins, I hope she has the dignity to appoint someone else as Commander in Chief,” he said. Davidson also attacked Clinton’s economic policy and her support of more government control in business.
Davidson said he met with Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s vice presidential candidate, at a rally in Dayton. Davidson said many of his congressional cohorts had many good things to say about Pence and his political background.
Davidson also stressed the importance of the presidential influence on the U.S. Supreme Court.
“There’s a lot at stake in this election including the 9th justice — should we keep nine, I’m OK if we have two (Clarence) Thomas and (Samuel) Alito — and rebuild from there,” Davidson said.
Davidson also spoke of his support for Speaker Paul Ryan’s “A Better Way” plan which he called the Republican’s “offensive playbook” to address changes in six areas: poverty, national security, economy, Constitution, health care and tax reform. For more information, visit www.better.gop.
Davidson spoke about one piece of legislation called the V.A. Accountability Bill which would give Congress the same health benefits as veterans.
“That’s not to punish Congress with bad health care, it is meant to lead by example,” Davidson said. “We are going to be covered with the same things our vets are covered with. Everywhere in the country we have vets, everywhere in our country we have representation. We need to lead by example and get this fixed.”
Davidson hopes this bill, along with other bills currently held up in the Senate, can move forward in the next Congressional session which begins next month.
U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson was sworn in as a member of the United States House of Representatives by House Speaker Paul Ryan on June 9, 2016.
Davidson was elected to serve as a representative of Ohio’s 8th Congressional District to fulfill the remainder of former Speaker of the House John Boehner’s term. Davidson will be on the ballot again in November against Democratic candidate Steven Fought. Fought will appear on the Democratic special election primary ballot on Sept. 13.
For more information about Rep. Warren Davidson, visit https://davidson.house.gov. Davidson has a district office in Troy at 12 S. Plum St. The Troy office phone number is (937) 339-1524. His D.C. office address is: 1011 Longworth HOB, Washington, D.C. 20515 and phone number is (202) 225-6205,
Davidson http://dailycall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Davidson-1.jpg Davidson
By Melanie Yingst [email protected]
Reach Melanie Yingst at [email protected] or follow her @Troydailynews
Reach Melanie Yingst at [email protected] or follow her @Troydailynews

Davidson breaks down personal pick for president


After months of rumours, Apple has all but confirmed that the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be officially unveiled on 7 September.
The tech giant has confirmed plans for a major media event in San Francisco next Wednesday where it is expected to take the wraps off the newest version of its groundbreaking mobile.
A second-generation iWatch is also expected to be revealed at the event.
Rumours around the iPhone 7’s specifications have been flying around for months. It is expected to be slimmer and lighter than the current iPhone 6S and there is a suggestion it could be waterproof.
Leaked photos also suggest it could do away completely with a headphone jack, replacing the traditional tangle of white wires with wireless Bluetooth-connected headphones.
There is also speculation that the larger 7 Plus will come with a dual-camera system.
It is likely to get a full HD 1080p edge-to-edge screen and a larger battery to keep users online for longer and address criticisms about the longevity of the iPhone 6.
Speculation about processing power has ranged from a dual-core processor like the 6S up to an unlikely hex-core but RAM is expected to remain at 2GB. Whatever the hardware, it’s likely to come with iOS 10 and the variety of functionality upgrades that brings with it.
Pricing is expected to follow Apple’s trend of keeping the cost of new handsets stable so the iPhone 7 will cost around £539 but that’s likely to come with 32GB of storage, a jump over its predecessor’s 16GB.

iPhone 7 launch date confirmed - and it’s soon


After months of rumours, Apple has all but confirmed that the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be officially unveiled on 7 September.


Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton waves after being introduced by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) during a rally at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 357, union hall in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Thursday, August 4,... REUTERS/Steve Marcus
WASHINGTON Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid is calling on the FBI to conduct a quick and thorough investigation into concerns the Russian government is trying to undermine the U.S. presidential election, including by tampering with official election results.
"The prospect of a hostile government actively seeking to undermine our free and fair elections represents one of the gravest threats to our democracy since the Cold War," Reid said in a letter to FBI Director James Comey.
"It is critical for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to use every resource available to investigate this matter thoroughly and in a timely fashion," Reid added. The letter, dated Aug. 27, was obtained by The New York Times and posted on its website on Monday.
Comey, speaking at a cyber security conference on Tuesday, declined to give details about what the FBI was investigating in connection with the political hacking but indicated the agency was closely watching what foreign countries are doing.
"We take very seriously any effort by any actor, ... especially nation states, that moves beyond the collection of information ... and offers the prospect of an effort to influence the conduct of affairs in our country, whether that is an election or something else," he said.
Reid's letter follows a spate of hacking attacks targeting U.S. political databases, including some that officials and cyber security experts have blamed on hackers with links to the Russian government.
The FBI discovered breaches in voter registration databases in Illinois and Arizona but did not specify who might have been behind it.
Officials and cyber security experts say recent breaches at the Democratic National Committee and elsewhere in the Democratic Party were likely carried out by people within the Russian government. Kremlin officials have denied that.
Reid, a Democrat, said that the threat of Russian government tampering in the election was "more extensive than widely known and may include the intent to falsify official election results."
He also voiced concerns about possible Russian government efforts to manipulate Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign ahead of the Nov. 8 election, and to use it as a vehicle to advance the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
(Reporting by Dustin Volz and David Alexander; Editing by Frances Kerry)

Top Democrat urges FBI probe of allegations Russia seeking to influence U.S. vote


Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid is calling on the FBI to conduct a quick and thorough investigation into concerns the Russian government is trying to undermine the U.S. presidential election, including by tampering with official election results.


Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton waves after being introduced by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) during a rally at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 357, union hall in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Thursday, August 4, 2016. REUTERS/Steve Marcus
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid is calling on the FBI to conduct a quick and thorough investigation into concerns the Russian government is trying to undermine the U.S. presidential election, including by tampering with official election results.
"The prospect of a hostile government actively seeking to undermine our free and fair elections represents one of the gravest threats to our democracy since the Cold War," Reid said in a letter to FBI Director James Comey.
"It is critical for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to use every resource available to investigate this matter thoroughly and in a timely fashion," Reid added. The letter, dated Aug. 27, was obtained by The New York Times and posted on its website on Monday.
Comey, speaking at a cyber security conference on Tuesday, declined to give details about what the FBI was investigating in connection with the political hacking but indicated the agency was closely watching what foreign countries are doing.
"We take very seriously any effort by any actor, ... especially nation states, that moves beyond the collection of information ... and offers the prospect of an effort to influence the conduct of affairs in our country, whether that is an election or something else," he said.
Reid's letter follows a spate of hacking attacks targeting U.S. political databases, including some that officials and cyber security experts have blamed on hackers with links to the Russian government.
The FBI discovered breaches in voter registration databases in Illinois and Arizona but did not specify who might have been behind it.
Officials and cyber security experts say recent breaches at the Democratic National Committee and elsewhere in the Democratic Party were likely carried out by people within the Russian government. Kremlin officials have denied that.
Reid, a Democrat, said that the threat of Russian government tampering in the election was "more extensive than widely known and may include the intent to falsify official election results."
He also voiced concerns about possible Russian government efforts to manipulate Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign ahead of the Nov. 8 election, and to use it as a vehicle to advance the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin.


American actor Gene Wilder (L) performs alongside compatriot Rolf Saxon, October 2, during the rehearsal of a scene from Neil Simon's 'Laughter on the 23rd Floor'.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Gene Wilder, whose kinky curls and startling blue eyes brought a frantic air to roles in the movies "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles," died on Monday at the age of 83, his family said.
Wilder, whose best work came in collaborations with director-writer Mel Brooks and actor Richard Pryor, died at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, from complications of Alzheimer's disease, the family said in a statement.
Wilder's nephew, Jordan Walker-Pearlman, said the actor had chosen to keep his illness secret so that children who knew him as Willy Wonka would not equate the whimsical character with an adult disease.
Wilder's barely contained hysteria made him a go-to lead for director-writer Mel Brooks, who cast him in "Blazing Saddles," "Young Frankenstein" and "The Producers" in the 1960s and '70s.
Besides his classic collaborations with Brooks, Wilder paired memorably with comedian Richard Pryor in hits "Silver Streak" and "Stir Crazy."
Wilder also was active in promoting ovarian cancer awareness and treatment after his wife, "Saturday Night Live" comedienne Gilda Radner, whom he married in 1984, died of the disease in 1989.
He helped found the Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Center in Los Angeles and co-founded Gilda's Club, a support organization that has branches throughout the United States.
Brooks noted Wilder's death by tweeting, "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."
Born Jerome Silberman to Russian immigrants in Milwaukee, Wilder studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre in Bristol, England, and then studied method acting at the Actors Studio.
A leading role in a play that also starred Anne Bancroft, who was dating her future husband Brooks, led to Wilder becoming a top member of Brooks' stock company of crazies, some of whom branched out with Wilder into other film ventures.
Wilder's first movie role was a small part as a terrified undertaker who was abducted by Bonnie and Clyde in Arthur Penn's 1967 film of the same name.
The following year he was panic-stricken Leo Bloom to Zero Mostel's conniving Max Bialystock in Brooks' "The Producers," picking up an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.
While it initially got a tepid response, the movie with its over-the-top song "Springtime for Hitler," went on to become a cult favorite and, years later with a different cast, a monster hit on Broadway.
Wilder was a last-minute fill-in as the "Waco Kid" in Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" in 1974, and with Brooks wrote the screenplay for "Young Frankenstein" released later that year, also to big box office returns.
The two were nominated for best screenplay Oscars, but lost to Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo for "The Godfather Part II."
With Brooks alumni Madeline Kahn and Marty Feldman, Wilder made his directorial debut with 1975's "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother," and directed several other movies with uneven results.
Wilder's title role in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" earned him a Golden Globe nomination in 1971, and he was nominated again in that category in 1976 for "Silver Streak."
He won an Emmy in 2003 for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for appearances on "Will and Grace."
Wilder's memoir, "Kiss Me Like a Stranger: My Search for Love and Art," was released in 2005 and he collaborated with oncologist Steven Piver on the book "Gilda's Disease" in 1998.
He was hospitalized in 1999 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma but was said to be in complete remission in 2005.
Wilder lived in Stamford in a house built in 1734 that he had shared with Radner, writing and painting watercolors with his wife Karen Boyer, whom he married in 1991.

Gene Wilder, star of 'Willy Wonka,' 'Blazing Saddles,' dead at 83


Police in Blackpool want to speak to this woman after the theft of a pensioner’s handbag in the resort.
Money and bank cards were stolen from the elderly woman’s bag at an address on St Annes Road, Blackpool.
The victim’s son, aged 61, met the woman outside Ma Kelly’s Public House on Lytham Road at around 11.15pm on Friday August 19.
They travelled back to the man’s address on Lytham Road, when the woman told him she was going out to make a phone call.
However, the woman didn’t return and the man then discovered that bank cards and around £60 cash had been stolen from his 80-year-old mother’s bag.
PC Ian Byrne from Blackpool Police said: “If you recognise this woman or have any information that could assist us, please get in touch.”
Anyone with information can all police on 101 quoting incidentLC-20160820-0108. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.


Police in Blackpool want to speak to this woman after the theft of a pensioner’s handbag in the resort.


Some hawkers who sell at the toll booths on the Accra Tema Motorway say the governing National Democratic Congress' (NDC) risks losing their votes in the upcoming polls if city authorities eject them from the area.
The hawkers who ply their trade along the busy highway claim that they are forced to sell on the motorway due to the lack of jobs in the country.
The hawkers mainly sell to drivers, passengers and the toll booth attendants. They sell everything from edibles like plantain chips, ice cream, bread and household items like tissue paper.
They seem unperturbed about the danger of trading at the peril of their lives.
“People do not have enough money these days, because after deducting your expenses, you are left with just a small fraction of money which cannot be enough to fend for yourself; I know it is dangerous to be selling here but I cannot stay home and starve and even if it means been ran over by a car in my quest to get some money to fend for myself, its better but God will not let it be so'' Maame Yaa, a peanut seller told Citi News.
Unemployment Factor
For Kwabena Appiah, who sells plantain chips, the unavailability of a designated place for selling coupled with the unemployment situation has forced them on the streets where they try to make ends meet. He told Citi News: “We won't get anywhere else to sell our stuff should the authorities sack us from here; I cannot go and sit in the market, this is the only place I can stand and sell''
He revealed that the Mayor of Accra tried sacking them from the area but failed.
For Kofi who also sells chips, their selling at the toll booth is rather a benefit to most drivers who ply that stretch of road.
“The market these days is no longer lucrative, If I had finished school and working now, it would have been good, much better than this hot scorching sun that we find ourselves in'' he lamented.
He told Citi News, their wares have been seized several times by the municipal assembly leading to loss of revenue.
Blackmail or not?
As the elections draw closer, most of the traders are threatening to vote out the current administration should there be any attempts to sack them from the toll booths.
“As for the elections, we now know what's happening because it is not the adults who will be voting, majority of the voters are we the youth , we can only vote for them when we see a change in the economy'' said plantain chips seller Kwabena Appiah.
Most of the traders who spoke to Citi News dared the municipal assembly to try sacking them and risk losing their votes.
“They can never eject us from this place after all they haven't created enough jobs for us to benefit from and even when they do such jobs are always created outside the country so they dare not try it”, Esther, a tissue paper seller told Citi News.
For Maame Akyia, who sells iced water, the hardship in the economy was taking a toll on her finances as she's had to take on more to cater for her children. She was however to quick to add that, she will resist any attempts by the authorities to eject them from the area.
She however had some advice for the Electoral Commission (EC) saying “I will surely vote in this year's elections but the EC must be extra diligent in their work this year because we are very serious, we cannot be working for people to take the glory; we don't want any situation where there is chaos because someone slept on the job''
Meanwhile efforts to reach the Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly for comments on this development were not successful.
-citifmonline


Some hawkers who sell at the toll booths on the Accra Tema Motorway say the governing National Democratic Congress' (NDC) risks losing their votes in the upcomi


To register for up to two tickets to the event (first come, first serve), go to: www.donaldjtrump.com/schedule/register/wilmington-oh/.
WILMINGTON — Rarely, if ever, has a Clinton welcomed a Trump with open arms. But history will be made Thursday when Clinton County rolls out the red Republican carpet for 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump.
The visit was announced and tickets made available to the public Monday evening via Trump’s website. He will speak at a noon rally Thursday at the Roberts Centre; gates open at 9 a.m.
“We’re absolutely thrilled that Mr. Trump is coming to Clinton County,” said Clinton County GOP Chairman Tim Inwood. “This may be Clinton County, but as he showed in the primary, it’s Trump country, as he handily carried the county.”
Ensuring safety
Staff at the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office met Tuesday morning with Secret Service. The local deputies will assist Secret Service in securing the Roberts Centre, said Clinton County Sheriff Ralph Fizer Jr., “to make sure everyone has a pleasant rally with hopefully no incidents.”
Fizer noted this is not the first time a national candidate has held a public rally at Roberts Centre, mentioning Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and sitting Vice President Dick Cheney. In addition, Ohio Gov. John Kasich gave his annual State of the State address at the Roberts Centre in early 2015.
While helping provide security at a presidential campaign rally is a big responsibility, the sheriff also can appreciate the event as an event, saying it is “neat” to have Trump visit Clinton County.
Wilmington Chief of Police Duane Weyand said Tuesday that his department will be engaged in security, too.
Impact on local economy
Clinton County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Debbie Stamper said it’s difficult to put a dollar figure on the local economic impact of such an event.
“While the majority of attendees will drive in for the day and return home, we are keenly aware of the opportunity it presents to showcase the Roberts Centre,” Stamper said. “You never know how much future business may be cultivated.
“And there will, of course, be spending at our local eateries and gas stations, another positive takeaway.”
In the national spotlight
“This is an exciting opportunity for the people of Wilmington and southwest Ohio to participate in the political process and hear first-hand from a presidential candidate,” said Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, a Republican of Clarksville in Clinton County.
“Ohioans probably know better than anybody the importance of the presidential election and understand just how vital Ohio is to determining the next president. Every person in Ohio holds a great deal of influence over the future direction of our country, which is a privilege that not every state can claim.”
“I encourage men and women in Wilmington to attend the rally and show the entire nation the kind of spirit and enthusiasm that our city shares.”
Clinton County Commissioner Mike Curry said it’s always a good thing when a national candidate visits the community and “sees what we’re about.”
“It’s a good opportunity for our community to be in the spotlight again,” said Curry.
He plans to be at the mid-day Thursday event. Curry declined to say how he feels about Trump as a presidential candidate.
Clinton County Commissioner Patrick Haley said anytime a presidential candidate comes to Clinton County, it puts a spotlight on the local community, “which I think is a good thing for a variety of reasons.”
He said he thinks Trump has run an effective anti-status quo campaign.
“Many people in America feel there is a time for change, back to a more conservative philosophy, and that has broad appeal to the electorate,” said Haley. He is going to attend the rally where he anticipates a massive turnout from the region.
Clinton County Commissioner Kerry Steed has registered for event tickets. He said Trump is a businessman who knows how to turn failure into success — something that Clinton Countians have had to address after devastating job losses in 2008-09.
Trump “exhibits a lot of qualities we need for success in this country,” added Steed.
The abilities to build businesses and serve customers and take the business risk everyday provide motivation to improve, work hard and look toward the future, he said.
First-year Wilmington Mayor John Stanforth said he has been invited to be on the stage at the rally. “That was a shock,” he said.
“Boy, am I glad he’s coming to Clinton County,” said Stanforth, a Republican.
“He is our presidential candidate,” the mayor said, wondering aloud about members of political parties who do not get behind the party candidate after the primary elections.
Two weeks in the making
Inwood told the News Journal that the local Republican organization first heard about a possible local visit by Trump about two weeks ago.
“He’s coming to the national American Legion convention in Cincinnati and we were given a heads up that the campaign was looking for another venue in Southwest Ohio,” Inwood said. “Clinton County was very appealing to them and we got confirmation today (Monday) that he’s coming here.”
Inwood said he hasn’t been told what Trump may be speaking about, but he pointed out that “all his speeches are newsworthy.”
Local reaction from all sides
Within less than 24 hours of posting the story about Trump visiting Wilmington on the News Journal’s Facebook page, the story had reached more than 50,000 people with more than 700 shares. The comments on the page ranged from pro-Trump to not-so-pro-Trump:
“Just printed our tickets!” — Steve Bowman
“Russel Burchett and I will be there! Just got our ticket confirmation!” — Shannon Ross
“I’m sure it will be astonishingly excellent.” (with smiley face) — Tim Miller
“I’ll beat him to his punch line — he’s bringing DHL back.” — Scott Fitzsimmons
“You couldn’t pay me to go see either candidate. lol” — Kelly Ely
“Eeeeewwww …” — Kristie Cleaver
Reach Tom Barr or Gary Huffenberger at 937-382-2574.
http://wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_RGB_Election-Logo-2016cmyk-2.jpg Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, shown at a veterans’ gathering earlier in the campaign, is in southwest Ohio to speak in Wilmington as well as at the national American Legion convention being held in Cincinnati. http://wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_trump.jpeg Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, shown at a veterans’ gathering earlier in the campaign, is in southwest Ohio to speak in Wilmington as well as at the national American Legion convention being held in Cincinnati. DonaldJTrump.com
Presidential candidate to speak in Wilmington Thursday


Skyrocketing real estate markets across the Lower Mainland and Southern Vancouver Island are dragging the rental market with them.
Frances Bula recently wrote in The Globe and Mail, “as people are shut out of the housing market, more people have no choice but to remain as renters who are competing for a limited supply of housing in a system that has treated renters like second-class citizens for decades.” She’s right, and for people who are young, non-white, have mental health issues, unemployed, recent immigrants, poor, disabled, or have pets, finding a safe, affordable home can seem nearly impossible in markets with vacancy rates around 0.6 per cent like Victoria.
With constrained real estate mobility, people have little choice but to stay in suites that would have previously been viewed as shorter-term student rentals and I am getting increasingly concerned about where the young people in my riding are going to live this coming school year. A representative from Camosun College told us he too is very worried about the situation and described it as a complete crisis with some students living in cars and others forced into over-crowed, expensive shared suites.
We so desperately need more designated long-term rental units in B.C. Spaces that people can make their home, places that welcome children and pets and have some outdoor space. Homes for people who will rent for large portions of their life, either by necessity or choice.
Co-operative housing arrangements are another promising avenue to bridge the gap between the rental and homeownership markets. They provide shareholders with a long-term, sustainable home and create diverse communities, supporting multi-generational residents of varying income levels.
Unfortunately, few co-operative housing developments have been built in B.C. since the 1990s when the federal government released its social housing responsibility to the province and existing units have multi-year waitlists. Given our current housing crisis, and the province’s new Housing Priority Initiatives Fund, I think the B.C. Liberals, in conjunction with municipalities and the federal government, need to step in to help housing co-operatives with land acquisition and planning costs.
Each level of government has various tools available to them that they can use to tackle the housing crisis from different angles. To guide these initiatives we need, and have needed for years, more comprehensive data about the trends impacting our housing market. The information about buyer nationality that the province began collecting this June is a start, but making major policy decisions based on five weeks of data – as the B.C. Liberals did with Bill 28 – is far from ideal.
Knowing that we are going to be faced with challenging housing decisions for years to come, we need to start collecting more data now so we can design informed policy for the future. Determining who is purchasing homes, and how many, in BC would allow the government to identify the flow of foreign investments, the role corporations are playing, and whether we are seeing speculation in our market coming from other regions in Canada. Tracking house flipping (when investors buy a house to quickly resell it at higher price) is an important aspect of understanding an over-inflated market. Imposing a sales tax on homes sold within one or two years of purchase could be an effective way of curbing house flipping but, again, it is a policy that should be founded in comprehensive data.
Studying the impact of Airbnbs, I suspect, would shed a lot of light on changes happening in the rental market. Airbnb has already said it’s open to some restrictions tailored to tight rental markets, including banning hosts from using the popular online platform to run a business renting out multiple units, but governments (municipal and provincial) will need solid data to move forward with such policies.
Long-term and ongoing data collection is vital to the future of homes in B.C. – the sooner we start the better.
Andrew Weaver is MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and the BC Green Party leader.


Data is needed to address community's rental needs


WASHINGTON—Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump announced he’ll be making a speech on illegal immigration on Wednesday in Arizona, after a week of speculation that he might be softening his hard-line promise to deport 11 million people living in the United States illegally.
The speech, posted in a tweet late Sunday, was initially set for last week in Phoenix, but was pushed back as Trump and his team wrestled over the details of what he would propose. There has been debate within his campaign about immigrants who haven’t committed crimes beyond their immigration offences.
The candidate’s shifting stance hasn’t made it easy for top supporters and advisers, from his running mate on down, to defend him or explain some campaign positions. Across the Sunday news shows, a parade of Trump stand-ins, led by vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence, couldn’t say whether Trump was sticking with or changing a central promise to use a “deportation force” to expel immigrants here illegally. And they didn’t bother defending his initial response Saturday to the killing of a mother as she walked her baby on a Chicago street.
Questioned on whether leaving key details on immigration policy unclear so late in the election is a problem, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus demurred: “I just don’t speak for Donald Trump.”
It was a striking look at Trump’s leadership of a team he had said would help drive him to victory in the Nov. 8 election.
Surrogates speak for and back up their presidential nominee. But Team Trump’s struggled to do so even as they stayed tightly together on the details they know: Trump will issue more details on the immigration plan soon, the policy will be humane, and despite his clear wavering, he’s been “consistent” on the issue. Any discussion of inconsistencies or potentially unpresidential tweeting, Pence and others suggested, reflected media focus on the wrong issue.
Asked whether the “deportation force” proposal Trump laid out in November is still in place, Pence replied: “Well, what you heard him describe there, in his usual plainspoken, American way, was a mechanism, not a policy.”
Added Trump’s campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway: “The softening is more approach than policy,” adding that on immigration, Trump “wants to find a fair and humane way.”
The Indiana governor, Conway and other surrogates said the main tenets of Trump’s immigration plan still will include building a wall along the southern U.S. border and making Mexico pay for it, no path to status adjustment or citizenship for people here illegally and stronger border enforcement. Pence also did not answer whether the campaign believes, as Trump has said, that children born to people who are in the U.S. illegally are not U.S. citizens. That, he said, “is a subject for the future.”
Native-born children of immigrants, even those living illegally in the U.S., have been automatically considered American citizens since the adoption of the 14th Amendment in 1868.
Trump has focused lately on deporting people who are in the U.S. illegally and who have committed crimes. But who Trump considers a criminal remained unclear Sunday.
Trump in recent days has suggested he might be “softening” on the deportation force and that he might be open to allowing at least some immigrants in the country illegally to stay, as long as they pay taxes.
But by Thursday, he was ruling out any kind of legal status — “unless they leave the country and come back,” he told CNN.
Recent polls indicate Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is ahead in some of the most competitive and pivotal states. The first presidential debate is set for Sept. 26.
His surrogates on Sunday refused to comment on Trump’s reaction to the fatal shooting of NBA star Dwyane Wade’s cousin Friday, as she pushed her baby in a stroller in Chicago.
Trump’s first tweet about the shooting ended this way: “Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!”
A few hours later, he followed up with a tweet offering condolences to Wade and his family.
Asked whether the initial tweet was presidential or appropriate, GOP officials and campaign advisers instead talked about reducing crime or said they were pleased Trump followed up with a tweet of condolence and empathy.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the media “focus on process … instead of the message.” He said the killing of someone pushing a stroller “is unacceptable in an American city” and that “the level of violence in Chicago is unacceptable.”
Pence appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Priebus was on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Christie was interviewed on ABC’s “This Week” and Conway was on Fox and CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Wednesday speech could clarify Trump's immigration policy


The speech, pushed back to Wednesday, comes as Trump mulls softening stance on illegal immigrants