Aug 28, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; San Diego Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) carries the ball as Minnesota Vikings cornerback Terence Newman (not pictured) and linebacker Anthony Barr (55) defend during the second quarter in a preseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
MINNEAPOLIS—The Vikings have their own thoughts about U.S. Bank Stadium. So does their first opponent in the new digs, the San Diego Chargers.
Several Chargers were asked after Sunday's 23-10 exhibition loss to the Vikings what they thought of the spanking new stadium, particularly its turf field.
Two of the Chargers were injured during the game, and one of them, running back Branden Oliver, suffered a torn Achilles' tendon. Oliver waved off the Pioneer Press in the locker room, where his lower leg was in a protective boot, but others piped up about the stadium and the field.
-- Running back Melvin Gordon: "It's amazing. It's a wonderful stadium. The field was good. Didn't have too many problems with it. It was slippery. It will take a (few) games for the turf to lay down. Being on it for the first time, we ran into a couple of problems. I think after five or six games it will be perfect. It's just new. It has to be broken in a little bit. When I caught the ball, I kind of got stuck (in the turf) a little bit. It's high. It's got to get matted down."
-- Wide receiver Keenan Allen: "I thought the stadium was nice. The field was new, so it will take breaking in. It was mushy. It will firm up."
-- Nose tackle Brandon Mebane: "I thought it was a nice stadium—reminded me of Indy's a little bit. Nice locker room. Everything was good. Everything was solid."
-- Running back Danny Woodhead: "It's a very cool stadium. They obviously did a lot to it. It looks great. There are different things that remind you of other stadiums. Maybe the windows remind you of Indy. I didn't notice anything (about the turf). I didn't have any problems with it."
-- Running back Dreamius Smith: "The stadium is all right. That field, in my opinion, wasn't the best field I've played on. It was soft, slippery, all of the above. You've got to get used to it, I guess."
-- Punter Drew Kaser: "The stadium is awesome. It really is one of the best facilities in the NFL. I felt the field needs to get broken in a little more. There was a great atmosphere out there, great fans. Minnesota deserves something like that. I was joking around with our long snapper on the sidelines. I said I really wanted the first punt in the stadium and I got it. I felt that was pretty cool. The field was a little slick. It doesn't affect me as much as other people. I take two steps and punt the ball."
-- Outside linebacker Melvin Ingram: "Great stadium. Real nice stadium. The turf was slick. It's brand new. It's supposed to be. The more they play on it, better it will get."
-- Free safety Dwight Lowery: "It's a nice stadium, for sure. It reminds me a little bit of New York's, from a visitor's perspective. How it lays out and looks. A little bit Indianapolis, too. Those are the two I've been to that it reminds me of. The field needs to be broken in. The first thing I noticed when we got here (Saturday to practice on it) was that the field was a little bit unpredictable. There hasn't been much action on it. It's an NFL game, and guys are getting action on it. It'll firm up. The more you play on it, the better it will get."
The Pioneer Press is a Forum News Service media partner.

SANSEVERE: Chargers like stadium better than new turf


Millennium Award recipient Britney Spears performs a medley of songs at the 2016 Billboard Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 22, 2016. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
NEW YORK—Britney Spears is hitting up pop culture one more time, releasing a new album, singing retro karaoke hits and about to take the MTV Video Music Awards stage for the first time since 2007.
Spears, 34, who became a teen pop phenomenon with breathy, sexually-charged hits like "Toxic" and "Oops!.. I Did it Again," released new album "Glory" on Friday ahead of a much anticipated return to the VMA show on Sunday, Aug. 28, in New York.
She also became the latest superstar to ride, sing and chat with U.S. talk show host James Corden for his viral "Carpool Karaoke" segment, where both donned the schoolgirl uniforms that shot her to fame as a 16-year old in the 1998 music video for "... Baby One More Time."
Spears dominated pop music before undergoing a personal and career meltdown in 2006-2007 that included shaving her signature blonde locks, losing custody of her two children and being placed under a court-ordered conservatorship.
She made a comeback in late 2008 and for the past three years has been performing a nightly show in Las Vegas. But the new album and the anticipation surrounding her VMA performance have thrust her back in the national spotlight.
Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield said "Glory" was "another fantastic comeback" for Spears, in which she "goes back to the fizzy electro-stomp mode she does best."
"Glory" was top of the iTunes charts in more than 40 nations on Friday, including Saudi Arabia, Chile and Russia.
Billboard's Jennifer Keishin Armstrong said that with the single and music video for "Make Me", Spear had "reclaimed her standout talent, a distinctive dance style that combines cheerleader precision with slinky bits of burlesque."
Spears will perform "Make Me," with rapper G-Eazy, at the live VMA show, her first appearance there since her halting performance of "Gimme More" in 2007 when her career hit a low.
"She has had such a huge impact on this show throughout her career, so for us to have her back is a no-brainer," said Garrett English, executive producer of the VMA show.
"She embodies what the VMAs is to a large extent and she has had some of the biggest moments on this stage, and I think Sunday night will be the same," English added.
Spears is also to be the subject of a 2017 TV biopic for the Lifetime cable channel that will chart her rise to fame along with her stumbles, and her romances with Justin Timberlake and ex-husbands Jason Alexander and Kevin Federline.

Oops! Britney Spears does it again in latest pop culture comeback


Aug 26, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Minnesota Twins left fielder Robbie Grossman (36) can't reach a ball hit for a home run by Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Darwin Barney (not pictured) in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 26, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier (2) forces out Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) at second but can't turn a double play in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
TORONTO—Justin Smoak and Russell Martin each had five RBIs, Francisco Liriano earned his first win for the Blue Jays and Toronto used four home runs to defeat the Minnesota Twins 15-8 on Friday night.
Smoak, Martin, Josh Donaldson and Darwin Barney homered for the Blue Jays. Donaldson added three RBIs.
The Blue Jays (72-56) entered Friday tied for first place in the American League East with the Boston Red Sox
Trevor Plouffe homered for the Twins (49-79), who lost their eighth game in a row and Kurt Suzuki had three RBIs.
Twins left-hander Pat Dean (1-4) allowed eight hits, one walk and six runs in three innings.
Liriano (7-12) allowed two hits, four walks and four runs (three earned) in five innings to go 1-1 in four starts for Toronto after a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The left-hander struck out seven.
Joe Biagini allowed a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Eddie Rosario to cut Toronto's advantage to 6-5.
Barney led off the four-run Toronto sixth with his fourth homer of the season.
Pat Light replaced Andrew Albers after shortstop Jorge Polanco's throwing error on Ezequiel Carrera's grounder
As Jose Bautista struck out, Carrera stole second and took third on a throwing error by the catcher, Suzuki.
Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion walked to load the bases and Martin hit a three-run double for a 10-5 Toronto lead.
The Blue Jays added five runs in the seventh against Michael Tonkin and Michael O'Rourke, who allowed Martin's 15th homer, a two-run shot.
Smoak and Donaldson had RBI singles in the inning.
The Twins scored twice in the eighth against Aaron Loup on a sacrifice fly by Suzuki and an RBI single by Rosario.
Loup allowed a sacrifice fly to Max Kepler in the ninth.
Plouffe hit his eighth homer of the season with two out in the first inning to give the Twins a 1-0 lead.
The Blue Jays came back with five runs in the second inning, three on the 14th homer of the season by Smoak and two on the 30th home run of the season by Donaldson.
Troy Tulowitzki, Melvin Upton Jr. and Bautista hit singles in the inning.
The Twins cut the lead to 5-2 with an unearned run in the third on walks to Kurt Suzuki and Robbie Grossman, an error by Liriano on an infield trickler by Eddie Rosario and Plouffe's sacrifice fly.
Singles by Upton, Darwin Barney and Smoak restored Toronto's four-run lead in the bottom of the third.
Suzuki hit a two-run double in the fourth to reduce Toronto's lead to 6-4. It scored Kepler and Eduardo Escobar, who had walked.


Aug 28, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) throws the ball during the first quarter in a preseason game against the San Diego Chargers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 28, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back C.J. Ham (30) carries the ball during the fourth quarter in a preseason game against the San Diego Chargers at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings won 23-10. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 28, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end MyCole Pruitt (83) catches a pass against the San Diego Chargers in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings won 23-10. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota defeated San Diego 23-10 Sunday in the first preseason game at the new stadium before a sellout crowd of 66,143. The regular-season opener is Sept. 18 against Green Bay.
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater returned after sitting out one preseason game with an apparent sore shoulder, and he looked crisp. Playing the first half, Bridgewater completed 12 of 16 passes for 161 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph with 1:18 left in the half.
The touchdown put the Vikings up for good at 12-10. It was the final of three straight completions by Bridgewater totaling 68 yards. He set up the score with tosses of 19 yards to Charles Johnson and 22 to Stefon Diggs.
Starters not playing for the Vikings were running back Adrian Peterson, tackle Matt Kalil, defensive end Everson Griffen, cornerback Xavier Rhodes and linebacker Eric Kendricks.
Perhaps the only concern surrounding Bridgewater was having been sacked three times.
Joe Berger, battling John Sullivan for the starting center job, played the entire first half while Sullivan did not see action.
In the first half, the Vikings lost safety Antone Exum, who was carted off with a leg injury. Suffering a leg injury in the second half and not returning was tight end MyCole Pruitt.
Pruitt apparently was hurt when he was hit and fumbled early in the third quarter. After Pruitt caught an 11-yard pass from backup quarterback Shaun Hill and took it to the Chargers' 3, he lost the ball and it was recovered in the end zone by wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson to give Minnesota a 20-10 lead.
The only times the Vikings trailed came in the second quarter. The Chargers went up 7-6 when running back Melvin Gordon went up the middle for 39 yards and a touchdown with 9:04 left in the half. Then Josh Lambo kicked a 32-yard field goal with 2:28 remaining for a 10-6 lead.
The Vikings had taken a 6-0 lead in the first quarter on field goals of 23 and 33 by Blair Walsh. Walsh later had a 23-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter for a 23-10 lead.
It marked the first time Walsh had kicked in a home game of any sort since missing a 27-yard field goal with 22 seconds left in a 10-9 playoff lost to Seattle last January at TCF Bank Stadium.

Vikings open new stadium with preseason win


Beyonce performs a medley of songs during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards in Inglewood, California August 24, 2014. REUTERS/Kevork Djansezian
NEW YORK—The divas of pop and R&B look set to steal the show at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, with Beyonce leading all nominations for her testament to female empowerment "Lemonade," and excitement building over performances by Rihanna and Britney Spears.
But don't count out Kanye West, the rapper with a talent for the unpredictable, who is a contender for the coveted video of the year award and who will be seated in the front row just a short leap from the VMA stage.
VMA organizers won't say whether Beyonce, West, or sultry eight-time nominated British singer Adele will sing during Sunday's live show from New York's Madison Square Garden.
That's because the annual VMAs thrive on surprises and controversy.
"The culture around the show is that every artist has the latitude to express themselves in whichever way they want to, and we sort of light that candle and hold on for dear life," said VMA executive producer Garrett English.
"There is a volatility to it, a massive creative expectation and a lot of one-upmanship that happens, and from that a lot of spontaneity happens and we are good with that," he added.
Beyonce dominates the VMA nominations, with a career-best 11 nods for videos from her visual album "Lemonade" and its bold songs about betrayal, revenge and race.
The R&B singer's politically-charged "Formation" will compete for video of the year prize with Adele's 2015 comeback single "Hello," Canadian rapper Drake's "Hotline Bling," Justin Bieber's "Sorry" and West's sleeping nude celebrity look-alikes in "Famous."
The winners are voted on by fans.
Confirmed performers include Nicki Minaj, who will join Ariana Grande for Grande's new song, "Side to Side," Nick Jonas who will sing "Bacon" with Ty Dolla $ign, and the Chainsmokers with Halsey on their summer hit "Closer."
Spears, 34, will return to the VMA stage for the first time since her humiliating 2007 showing with "Gimme More" when her personal and professional life was falling apart.
This time, with a newly-released album already a hit, Spears is one of the most-talked about celebrities ahead of Sunday's show.
Rihanna will open the show and is expected to perform a career retrospective marking her lifetime achievement award in the form of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard prize.
One of pop music's biggest names isn't expected to attend. Taylor Swift, who has dominated music award shows for the past decade, didn't get a single VMA nomination this time.

Divas, disruptors set to dominate MTV Video Music Awards


Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a nun who dedicated her life to helping the poor, will be made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church at a Vatican ceremony on September 4th.
Pope Francis cleared the way for sainthood for her last December. Teresa's compassion reached out to slum-dwellers, famine sufferers and AIDS victims, and won her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
Born in Yugoslavia in 1910, Teresa traveled to India at age 18 and taught geography at a convent school. Twenty years later she opened her first school in the Calcutta slums.
She was honored by many world and religious leaders including the Pope, Indian Premiers Indira Gandhi and Narasimha Rao, and British Queen Elizabeth II.
Teresa died in 1997 at the age of 87.

Mother Teresa to be made Roman Catholic saint on Sept. 4


NEW YORK—It could have been a scene straight out of a horror movie.
A woman trying to sell crickets and worms on a crowded New York City subway car became frazzled Thursday, Aug. 25, by some teenagers and let the critters loose on riders, then urinated on herself, according to social media posts and news reports.
Riders on the subway train were locked in close quarters with the critters for half an hour during rush hour on Wednesday evening after a passenger pulled the train's emergency brake while they were on the Manhattan Bridge.
The teenagers had pushed the woman as she offered the creepy-crawlies for sale, and she tossed the container holding them into the air, the New York Post reported, citing witnesses. It was unclear if the teens pushed her accidentally.
After the crickets were set free, some of them jumped on passengers, according to the Post.
"Never seen a crowd get so panicked so fast, everyone rushed to the other side of the train," one rider, Ezra Mechaber, wrote on Twitter. "Mass hysteria in a locked, enclosed space is something else."
Some people whipped out smartphones and began recording.
In one video posted online, the woman yelled, "Why'd you have to hit me?" and "My crickets!"
In another, the woman is seen screaming uncontrollably as riders tried to consol her.
The D train, which connects the boroughs of the Bronx with Brooklyn via Manhattan, was stopped on the bridge spanning the East River. After it began moving again, police officers met the train at the next station.
No one was injured, and the woman was taken to a hospital for psychiatric observation, the New York Daily News reported. Police did not release her name.

Panic on NY subway train as crickets, worms let loose


U.S. Senator John Thune (R), right, U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R), second from right, and U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem (R), top center, speak with constituents following their remarks during a panel called "Check-in From Washington, DC" during Dakotafest on Wednesday morning east of Mitchell. (Matt Gade/Republic)
MITCHELL, S.D.—The U.S. Senate majority is up for grabs in 2016, and one of South Dakota's Republican senators is less optimistic than his counterpart.
In an interview last week, U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds said he's "very concerned" about the possibility his party could lose its existing 54-46 U.S. Senate majority.
"If we lose any of those and pick up enough to get to 51, we're OK," Rounds said. "If we go to 50-50, then whoever is the next vice president breaks the tie on who the majority leader is.
"So with the challenges between Donald Trump and Hillary, who knows how that's going to come out? Right now, it's not looking good for Donald Trump. He's got an uphill battle ahead of him."
Rounds estimates approximately four or five of the 24 Republican Party Senate seats are in play this November, but he said the Nevada seat being vacated by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid could swing back in the direction of the GOP. Including the Nevada Senate seat, only 10 Democratically-held seats will be on the ballot this year.
According to the poll-analysis website FiveThirtyEight, several Republican-held U.S. Senate seats are a tossup. Voters in Florida, Illinois, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin could push Republican incumbents out the door in favor of Democratic challengers.
If the Republicans lose the Senate, Rounds said operating in the minority could be a matter of limiting the amount of "damage" caused by the next president.
"But if the Democrats control the senate, and if we have a Democrat president, then we've got real problems because that means that the president will appoint the next Supreme Court Justice and maybe the next three Supreme Court justices," Rounds said.
And Rounds said any liberal appointee would "change the direction of our country for several generations to come."
But Thune, South Dakota's senior senator and the third-ranking Senate Republican, was more optimistic about his party's chances.
"We have a strong field of candidates across the country this year, which is why I'm confident Republicans will maintain the majority in the next Congress and continue to build on what we've accomplished over the last 20 months," Thune said Wednesday in a statement.
Thune, a two-term senator, is one of the 24 Republicans facing a challenger this year. Thune's challenger is Democrat Jay Williams, of Yankton, but FiveThirtyEight's June projection estimated a Democrat has a 2 percent chance of winning South Dakota this year.
Thune pointed to what he called the "strong, results-oriented message" of his party, which he said Republicans will express to the American people in the coming months.
For Thune, there's more at stake than a Democrat-led Senate.
Thune is currently the chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, a post he would lose in January if the 2016 elections don't go the way Republicans hope. And Thune expressed pride in the work the committee has been able to achieve under his leadership.
"The Commerce Committee has played an integral role in some of the Senate's biggest accomplishments: passing the first long-term highway bill in nearly a decade, passing a security- and consumer-focused aviation bill and enacting first-of-their-kind railroad reforms that will improve rail service for South Dakota agriculture producers and small businesses," Thune said.
And Thune's hoping to maintain that forward momentum in 2017 if given the opportunity.
"There's more work to be done, and I look forward to continuing it next year," Thune said.

S.D. senators concerned Republicans could lose Senate majority


Donated blood is seen being transferred into test tubes at United Blood Services in Fargo, N.D., in this file photo.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended on Friday, Aug. 26, that all blood donated in the United States and its territories be tested for Zika virus, as it moves to prevent transmission of the virus through the blood supply.
The agency's move to expand its previous guideline for blood screening comes after Florida officials on Tuesday announced the first case of Zika transmitted by mosquitoes in Pinellas County, some 265 miles from Miami, where the first locally transmitted U.S. cases were reported.
The FDA last month ordered blood banks in Florida's two most densely populated counties—Miami-Dade County and Broward County—to stop collecting blood.
The FDA also recommended that nearby counties implement the same measures.
Zika was detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas. The virus poses a risk to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects. It has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly in Brazil.
Health officials warned pregnant women last week not to travel to Miami Beach after Florida confirmed the mosquito-borne Zika virus was active there.
The agency had recommended in February that blood should no longer be collected from regions where the Zika virus is circulating, and that blood needed for transfusions be obtained from areas of the country without active transmission.
The FDA has authorized the emergency use of several investigational Zika screening tests, including products made by Hologic Inc and Roche Holding AG.

FDA wants donated blood tested for Zika virus


TAMPA, Fla.—North Carolina's far east coast could see tropical storm-force winds from a weather system expected to pass near its Outer Banks region on Tuesday, Aug. 30, before it turns out to sea, U.S. forecasters said.
The tropical depression, which has yet to be named, could strengthen into a tropical storm later on Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. As of morning, it was blowing winds of 35 mph and was located about 135 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C.
The state's Outer Banks region could see heavy rainfall and a minor storm surge, the National Weather Service in Newport, N.C., said in a weather advisory. Little impact was expected elsewhere in the state.
Forecasters were also tracking another tropical depression developing off the coast of Cuba, which was expected to churn towards Florida's Gulf Coast later in the week. The hurricane center expected it would strengthen into a tropical storm on Tuesday.
On its current path, the system could make landfall on Florida's north-central Gulf Coast on Thursday, bringing storms into Georgia and the eastern Carolinas on its way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Florida planned to raise the activation status of its State Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday to begin preparing.
Forecasters warned the system could dump five to 10 inches of rain over much of Florida by Friday, and some areas could be pounded by up to 15 inches of rain.

N. Carolina, Florida brace for brewing tropical systems


Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) is tagged out by Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano (22) in the eighth inning at Progressive Field on Monday night. Photo by David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
CLEVELAND—Jason Kipnis' RBI single with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning broke a scoreless tie and gave the Cleveland Indians a 1-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.
The loss was the 11th in a row for the Twins.
The win went to reliever Zach McAllister (3-2), who came into a bases-loaded, two-outs situation in the top of the 10th and got the third out.
Abraham Almonte led off the bottom of the 10th with a bunt single against reliever Brandon Kintzler (0-1). Chris Gimenez, after failing on two sacrifice bunt attempts, pushing the ball foul both times, swung away and singled to right field, moving Almonte to second.
Rajai Davis hit a grounder to third baseman Miguel Sano, who tagged out Almonte going to third. Indians manager Terry Francona challenged the call, but after a video review, the out call was upheld.
That left Gimenez at second and Davis at first with one out.
Kipnis then lined a single to left-center field, scoring Gimenez with the winning run, and the only run of the game.
The Twins at least they snapped their streak of having given up eight or more runs in their last six games in a row.
The Indians have been mired in an extended slump. In a six-game trip to Oakland and Texas that concluded Sunday, Cleveland scored one or no runs in six of the seven games. They have now scored one or no runs in seven of their last eight games.
That trend continued as Twins pitchers held the Indians scoreless on five hits through nine innings. Twins starter Hector Santiago pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings with three hits, two strikeouts and four walks.
Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer was even better than Santiago. Bauer pitched six scoreless innings with five hits, four strikeouts and one walk. However, neither starter was involved in the decision.
Neither team had a runner reach third base until the top of the seventh. Andrew Miller, in relief of Bauer, gave up an infield single to Jorge Polanco leading off the inning. Eddie Rosario struck out, but a bloop single to center by Juan Centeno sent Polanco to third.
But with runners at first and third and one out, Miller struck out the next two batters, pinch-hitter Robbie Grossman and Brian Dozier, to end the inning.
Bauer and Santiago traded zeroes in the first five innings. Bauer held the Twins scoreless on four hits, but three of the four hits came with two outs and nobody on base.
Santiago held the Indians scoreless on two hits. Neither team had a runner reach third base in the first five innings.
The Indians' best chance to score came in the fifth. Jose Ramirez led off with a double, but Brandon Guyer struck out, Almonte popped out and Roberto Perez grounded out to end the inning.
NOTES: Indians RHP Danny Salazar has been placed on the Paternity List. To replace Salazar on the roster RHP Shawn Armstrong was recalled from Triple-A Columbus. . . The Indians' team batting average at Progressive Field is 55 points higher than their batting average on the road. They are hitting .293 and averaging 5.8 runs per game at home and hitting .238 and averaging 4.1 runs per game on the road. . . The Twins have placed OF Danny Santana on the disabled list with a sprained left shoulder. He suffered the injury when he collided with left fielder Robbie Grossman in the first inning of Sunday's game. . . To replace Santana on the roster the Twins called up OF Logan Schafer from Triple-A Rochester.

Twins lose 11th straight, fall to Cleveland in 10th


Traffic flows from southbound Interstate 29 to eastbound Interstate 94 in Fargo, N.D. in this file photo.
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Transportation Department on Friday, Aug. 26, issued a proposed rule that would require trucks and buses to be equipped with devices that would limit their speed, a move it said could save both lives and fuel.
"There are significant safety benefits to this proposed rulemaking," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. "In addition to saving lives, the projected fuel and emissions savings make this proposal a win for safety, energy conservation, and our environment."
Under the long-delayed proposal, all new U.S. trucks and buses weighing more than 26,000 pounds would need to be equipped with a speed-limiting device.
The department said the maximum allowable speed would be decided after the agency receives public input. Publication of the proposal kicks off a 60-day comment period.
It said both vehicle manufacturers and the companies that purchase and operate the vehicles would be subject to the rule.

U.S. details proposed rule to require speed-limiting devices for trucks, buses


The Minnesota State Fair crop art display in the Agriculture Horticulture Building had a number of art works depicting Prince, and Donald Trump, two celebrities very much in the news this past year, Thursday, August 25, 2016, including this artwork of Prince by Susanne Devitt of Minneapolis, and Donald Trump by Dawn Busch of St. Anthony. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)
A Prince seed art entry by Suzanne Mears at the seed art exhibit at the Agricultural Building at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Friday, August 26, 2016.(Pioneer Press: John Autey)
ST. PAUL—When it comes to crop art at the Minnesota State Fair, the race wasn't between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. It was between Trump and Prince.
And the winner was Prince.
Much like Marshmallow Peeps diorama contests, the crop art competition displayed at the Fair's Agriculture-Horticulture building is often driven by pop culture, with seedy tributes to recent celebrity deaths or inspired by people in the news.
This year, the recently late and long-time great rock star Prince took the title as the favorite subject for crop artists, with works ranging from a mashup between Prince and the logo from the "Hamilton" musical, a Prince glyph turned into a seed necklace and a seed art version of the album cover art of Prince's "HITnRUN Phase One."
But coming in a close second was Republican presidential candidate Trump, who was the inspiration for a crop art depiction of the cartoon character Richie Rich spouting quotes like, "I'm yuge," and "I don't like losers."
There was also a Trumpian chicken declaring "The sky is falling!" and Trump as a Pokémon Go character called "Evil Trumpachu."
But even if you count the crop-art depiction of Ronald Reagan in heaven saying, "I said tear down the wall," the Prince-inspired seed art entries outnumbered the Trump references seven to five.
Prince's image also could be seen at the Fair's Creative Activities building, woven into ribbon-winning rugs.
Despite making history as the first woman presidential candidate of a major party, we didn't see any crop art versions of Clinton. But there was one that featured a quote from President Jimmy Carter, and another depicted Trump critic Khizr Khan waving a copy of the U.S. Constitution.
And poor David Bowie. He's another pop-music icon who died in the past year, but he didn't rate a crop art portrait at the State Fair. But there was a version of Abe Vigoda, the longtime character actor who died in January.
Nick Rindo said he's not surprised that Prince inspired so many crop artists, even though it can be hard to find purple seeds among the crops grown in Minnesota.
"Prince is a natural fit. It just makes sense. There's nothing more Minnesota than Prince," Rindo said.
After methodically sorting purple corn kernels by hue, Rindo did a version of "Purple Rain" Prince emerging from a purple lotus flower.
"I tried to make the whole thing out of purple seeds, which proved to be very difficult," he said.
Former Pioneer Press artist David Steinlicht, who did the Prince album cover in crop art, said that if you were really serious about getting a crop art blue ribbon, you'd probably avoid what other people are doing and try to come up with something different or unusual.
"In the past, I've worried about what other people would do," said Steinlicht, who now lives in Canada. But he said crop art takes so long to create, "you want to do something that appeals to you to put in that much effort."
"That illustration kind of spoke to me," Steinlicht said of the Prince album cover image that he re-created in seeds.
As far as why Trump attracted so many entries, well, there's the hair.
"I use corn husks as hair," said Laura Melnick, a longtime crop artist from St. Paul, who did the Trump as Richie Rich entry. "You can draw your own conclusions on whether it works."
"Trump is just so out there and so obvious. He's given us so much to work with," said Teresa Anderson, a crop artist from St. Paul who did Ronald Reagan commenting on Trump.
Anderson said she once saw a crop art entry that depicted Democratic Minnesota Sen. Al Franken as the Joker.
But in general, when crop artists get political, they tend to be left leaning, say many of the competitors.
Crop art competitor Cathy Camper said that's been the trend as a new generation of younger crop artists started getting interested in the medium. Over the years, Camper has done crop art portraits of Malcolm X, Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie and Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.
"Where else can you have your artwork viewed by thousands of people?" she said.
"We get a lot of grief from right-wing blogs," Anderson said.
"I wouldn't mind seeing Republican crop art," Melnick said. But "Republicans don't do it."
The Pioneer Press is a Forum News Service media partner.


WASHINGTON—Democrat Hillary Clinton called on Friday, Aug. 26, for voters to reject the "bigotry" of Donald Trump's White House campaign, releasing a television ad criticizing his efforts to appeal to black voters and saying she was reaching out to people from all parties who are troubled by his candidacy.
The ad shows video of Trump's controversial pitch to black voters, in which the Republican candidate urges them to support him by asking, "What do you have to lose?" It also shows headlines about a racial discrimination lawsuit the New York real estate mogul faced in the 1970s.
Clinton's presidential campaign said the ad, released a day after she gave a speech accusing Trump of fueling America's "radical fringe," would air in the hotly contested states of Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Polls give Clinton a wide margin over Trump among Hispanic voters, but he is on a pitch to reduce her advantage by stressing he would create jobs for all.
Trump pressed on with trying to broaden his appeal to minority voters on Friday, as he met with Hispanic business leaders at his signature hotel in Las Vegas.
"We've been doing very, very well with the Latinos. We've been doing amazing, far, far greater ... than anyone understands. They want to see jobs come in, we're going to bring jobs. They want to see things happen," Trump said.
He said the country's GDP growth rate of 1.1 percent in the second quarter was not a good sign for the U.S. economy. "The country has some very, very serious problems," he said.
Clinton, meanwhile, followed up on Thursday's tough speech by saying that Trump's temperament and divisiveness made him unfit for the White House.
"I am reaching out to everyone, Republicans, Democrats, independents, everyone who is as troubled as I am by the bigotry and divisiveness of Donald Trump's campaign," she told MSNBC, adding she was asking "fair-minded Americans to repudiate this kind of divisive demagoguery" at the Nov. 8 election.
Clinton attacks came during a difficult week for her campaign, as the release of new emails from her time as secretary of state revived criticism of her decision to use a private address and server rather than a government one.
The emails also stoked scrutiny of her family's charitable foundation, including accusations that major corporate and foreign donors gave money in hopes of securing more access to then-Secretary Clinton. Her campaign says no donors received any special favors.
Republican National Committee spokesman Sean Spicer told MSNBC Clinton was only talking about Trump and race this week to deflect attention from that controversy.
Trump countered her rhetoric on Friday by releasing a video showing Clinton in the 1990s discussing a crime bill and referring to "super-predators," or at-risk youth she said needed to be brought under control. The video also shows U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Clinton's main opponent in the Democratic primary this year, calling that phrase a "racist term."
Controversial statements
In targeting what she terms Trump's bigotry, Clinton hopes to remind voters of controversial statements he has made over the course of the campaign. Those include describing some Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists, suggesting a judge could not be fair because of his Mexican-American heritage, and proposing a temporary ban on Muslim immigration to combat terrorism.
Trump has tried to sidestep these dust-ups by saying Democrats have failed minorities with their economic policies, leaving them living in poverty and attending failing schools.
Jennifer Hochschild, a professor at Harvard University who focuses on race and immigration, said she did not think Trump could fix his relationship with black and Hispanic voters.
"General cluelessness about racial dynamics will diminish any possible black support that comes from Trump's emphasis on job creation," Hochschild said in an email. "And Clinton has a lot of deep roots among black politicians."
Trump also has been criticized for vowing to deport millions of people living in the United States illegally. In recent days, he had appeared to hold out the possibility of toning down his hardline stance, although his precise plans on immigration have been harder to pin down.
On Thursday, he denied he would loosen his proposed immigration restrictions.

Clinton attacks Trump's outreach to black voters in new ad


NEW YORK -- The man who shot and killed John Lennon in New York City nearly 36 years ago has again failed to persuade a state parole board to release him from prison on parole, officials said on Monday.
Mark David Chapman, 61, will remain behind bars at a maximum-security prison in Erie County near Buffalo, New York, after his request for parole was rejected for the ninth time since 2000.
Chapman, an obsessed fan of the musician and his former group the Beatles, was convicted of shooting Lennon as he arrived with his wife, Yoko Ono, at his apartment building on Manhattan's Upper West Side on Dec. 8, 1980.
Chapman received a sentence of 20 years to life after pleading guilty to a second-degree murder charge. His petition for parole has come up every two years since 2000.
"In spite of many favorable factors, we find all to be outweighed by the premeditated and celebrity seeking nature of the crime," the New York Board of Parole said in a statement on Monday rejecting Chapman's request.
Chapman will next appear for a parole hearing in August 2018, according to online state records.

John Lennon's killer denied parole for 9th time


Case Closed: Court roundup for Aug. 25, 2016, Grand Forks County


Shannon James, 21, of the Navajo Nation in Big Mountain, Ariz., rides a horse Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016, next to a protest camp near Cannon Ball, N.D. Michael Vosburg / Forum News Service
BISMARCK — After a week free of clashes with law enforcement, protesters of the Dakota Access Pipeline say removal of a roadblock leading to their camp is long overdue, and the American Civil Liberties Union is considering legal action if it doesn't happen.
For protesters, the roadblock perpetuates what they say is the misconception that their activities are inherently dangerous or violent — a perception many blame on comments made by authorities and state officials and media coverage — as opposed to the peaceful, prayer-heavy demonstrations that take place daily at the camp and construction site.
But a North Dakota Highway Patrol spokesman said that with hundreds of protesters still camping just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and occasionally marching up the road to the pipeline construction site, the checkpoint that's been in place since Aug. 17 is for their own safety to limit southbound traffic through the area.
Authorities and state officials also counter that while the majority of protesters are peaceful, there has been unlawful activity, with Gov. Jack Dalrymple and the Morton County Sheriff's Department both citing numerous criminal acts including trespassing on private property, blocking the highway, damaging construction equipment and threatening officers and contractors.
'Spinning a false narrative'
Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault II said Friday that reports of criminal activity by protesters have been "extremely exaggerated," and he attributed the incidents that have occurred to pent-up frustration about 500 years of unjust treatment of Native Americans and sensitivity about the ancestral lands and water supply they fear a pipeline leak would spoil.
Dallas Goldtooth, an organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network who is helping lead the camp, said the camp is committed to nonviolence and he objects to the statements about criminal activity made by state officials.
"What we are seeing is the state and specifically the governor spinning a false narrative that only creates resentment and potential danger for all parties," Goldtooth said.
As an example of criminal activity, officials point to incidents of laser pointers used against aircraft that were observing the protest during early morning hours of Aug. 17 and Aug. 21. Goldtooth said he wasn't aware of any use of lasers, but questioned whether it could have been people using flashlights to see what was flying overhead the camp at night. Goldtooth said he observed aircraft flying over the camp at a low altitude with no lights on after midnight, which he equates to "mental warfare."
"It might not have been a laser, it might have just been curious people looking to see what that noise was," he said. "If you need to conduct surveillance or get an idea of numbers, you can come ask, you can come by the camp, or you can try to do something in the daylight. But not in the middle of the night."
Lt. Tom Iverson, a Highway Patrol spokesman, said the agency's plane has been surveilling the area "to kind of monitor if there's any people coming onto the roadway, if we need to send officers down if the roadway is blocked."
Roadblock staying put
As the Standing Rock tribal council did last week, the ACLU on Friday called on Dalrymple and Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier to remove the concrete barricade about six miles south of Mandan where authorities are allowing only local traffic and emergency responders to continue south on Highway 1806.
Iverson said the checkpoint is meant to ensure the safety of the protesters about 30 miles to the south.
"Although there may not be anybody on the roadway right now at this point, it's completely unpredictable," he said, adding, "By no means is this meant to limit anyone interested in protesting down there. You just have to go around and take a separate route to get there."
Jennifer Cook, policy director for the ACLU of North Dakota, said forcing protesters to drive an extra 15 miles to reach the camp violates their First Amendment rights. Cook noted the state has no similar roadblock south side of the protest area.
"Apparently they're not concerned about people going down the other way," she said.
Tribal officials and protesters say the roadblock hurts the economy by making it more difficult to reach the Prairie Knights Casino and Resort near Fort Yates, inconveniences those who travel to or from the reservation for work and cuts off access to popular recreational spots along the Missouri River, which they worry will boost resentment toward Native Americans.
Morton County spokeswoman Donnell Preskey said the roadblock will remain until Kirchmeier is assured there won't be people on the road or vehicles parked alongside it.
Activity subsides
Authorities are prepared if Dakota Access resumes construction and things escalate again, with a main goal of keeping protesters, workers and officers safe, Kirchmeier said earlier this week.
He said windows were broken out of one of the company's bulldozers at the pipeline site, fences were cut on private property and a gate was torn down during the first few days of the protest that began Aug. 10, but there hadn't been any reports of additional damage since the company stopped construction and law enforcement withdrew from the protest site last week.
A federal judge said Wednesday he would rule on or before Sept. 9 on Standing Rock's request for an emergency injunction to halt construction. Dakota Access spokespersons did not return messages seeking comment Friday, and Kirchmeier couldn't be reached for comment.
If Dakota Access decides to resume construction, opponents plan to use nonviolent direct action such as holding hands and forming a chain to block workers and delay construction, Goldtooth said. Organizers are emphasizing training in nonviolent direct action to keep the protest peaceful, he said.
Goldtooth, a member of the Lower Sioux Dakota Nation in Minnesota who has family members from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, said arrests that result from civil disobedience shouldn't be considered violent or not peaceful.
The demonstration against Dakota Access has resulted in 29 arrests so far for disorderly conduct or trespassing. In its request for a temporary restraining order to keep protesters from interfering with construction or access to the site, Dakota Access said at least two protesters were armed with knives while others threw bottles and rocks at vehicles or made threats.
A hearing was scheduled Thursday to determine whether a preliminary injunction should be issued against the protesters, but Hovland delayed it until Sept. 8, extending the restraining order he had granted Aug. 16.
Permit under review
Protesters at the main campsite — estimates have fluctuated from 500 to 2,000 or more — don't have permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to occupy its land there, but they have applied for a permit that is now under review, corps spokeswoman Eileen Williamson said Friday.
While Dalrymple has called for federal officials to take some responsibility for the protest, Williamson reiterated that the corps has no law enforcement function.
"It's the activity that occurs while they're there that becomes a law enforcement interest," she said.

Dakota Access protesters reject 'unlawful' label


DENVER — They had survived brain damage, paralysis and the deaths of their children. For four years, they met in secret as a group. Now, they were finally prepared to settle with the Aurora movie theater that became the site of one of the deadliest massacres in U.S. history.
Marcus Weaver kept a calm facade, but writhed with anxiety within. His dreams often return him to the theater, the sounds of gunshots and the feeling of his friend’s lifeless body slumped against him. After he escaped, he found a bullet hole in his shoulder.
On a conference call, the federal judge overseeing the case told the plaintiffs’ attorneys that he was prepared to rule in the theater chain’s favor. He urged the plaintiffs to settle with Cinemark, owner of the Century Aurora 16 multiplex where the July 20, 2012, shooting occurred. They had 24 hours.
But before that deadline, the settlement would collapse and four survivors of the massacre would be ordered to pay the theater chain more than $700,000.
The Los Angeles Times corroborated this account with four parties who were present at the settlement conference but declined to be identified because the negotiations were private.
A separate set of survivors had just suffered a devastating defeat in state court, where a jury of six decided that Cinemark could not have foreseen the events of that night, when James Holmes killed 12 people and injured 70 others in a 10-minute rampage at a screening of “The Dark Knight Rises.”
The survivors, some of whom had two or three attorneys with them, were told that the state case had decided the issue — Cinemark was not liable for the shooting, and U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson, who oversaw the federal case, was about to issue an order saying as much.
The federal lawsuit was effectively over.
But Jackson wanted the survivors and Cinemark to end the case with a settlement. It was 8 a.m. June 23. For the next eight hours, attorneys for both sides inched closer to a deal.
At 4 p.m., Cinemark’s attorneys presented a settlement offer. Before it was read, a federal magistrate cornered Weaver to speak with him one-on-one. He asked Weaver to remember the slow pace of change in the civil rights movement, and told him that changing theater safety would also be slow.
“It was the biggest smack in the face,” Weaver said. “He was basically telling us, you’re right, they’re basically at fault, but there’s justice and then there’s true justice.”
It wasn’t a good deal, Weaver thought: $150,000 split among the 41 plaintiffs.
Weaver leaned in close to his attorney.
“That’s it?” he asked.
“That’s it,” Phil Hardman replied.
But the settlement would achieve the one thing Weaver had been pushing for, an acknowledgment that the theater chain would take new measures to protect patrons. Still, something was worrying him.
“It was the 12th hour, we were all feeling the same way. We all knew they were liable. We knew they were at fault,” Weaver said. “(The settlement) was a slap in the face. But I said, ‘Let’s go for it because it’s better than nothing.’”
The deal came with an implied threat: If the survivors rejected the deal, moved forward with their case and lost, under Colorado law, they would be responsible for the astronomical court fees accumulated by Cinemark.
The choice for the survivors was clear, Weaver said.
“Either seek justice and go into debt, or take that pitiful offering of money and the improved public safety,” Weaver said.
The plaintiffs and their attorneys all seemed to agree. They decided on a split of $30,000 each to the three most critically injured survivors. The remaining 38 plaintiffs would equally share the remaining $60,000.
Attorneys with Cinemark drafted a news release to distribute the next day.
Then one plaintiff rejected the deal.
The plaintiff, who had been gravely wounded in the shooting, wanted more money than the proposed share of the settlement. The Times is not naming the plaintiff because the plaintiff could not be reached for comment.
Weaver’s vision briefly blurred. The eight hours they had spent negotiating the deal, the weeks of the failed state court trial, the four years of anger at the theater since the shooting — all of it was for nothing.
“It was done then,” Weaver said.
He removed himself as a plaintiff immediately. So did 36 other people. Four plaintiffs remained on the case the next day, June 24, when Jackson handed down the order that Cinemark was not liable for the damages.
The court costs in the state case were $699,000. The costs in the federal case are expected to be far more.
“A blind guy in a dark alley could have seen (the state verdict) coming,” Hardman, Weaver’s attorney, said.
Several plaintiffs and attorneys, including those who would not comment on the settlement negotiations, expressed frustration with the way the state case was handled.
In that case, a New York attorney representing 27 people paid one expert $22,000 to testify. Cinemark paid five experts $500,000 to testify. Most damaging to their case, the state plaintiffs were not permitted to enter a crucial piece of evidence before the jury — a May 2012 warning from the Department of Homeland Security to theater chains nationwide concerning the potential for a mass-casualty attack on a theater.
“I strongly think that this guy was trying to make a name for himself and he wanted to get ahead of the curve,” Weaver said. “You’ve got this guy from New York representing people in Colorado who were probably misguided, to be honest.”
The case put forward in state court was so weak, the federal plaintiffs felt, that a rumor circulated among them that the case was a setup by Cinemark designed to fail.
“That’s ridiculous,” said Marc Bern, the attorney who argued the state case and is known for representing rescue workers from the Sept. 11 attacks. “We had all the resources possible. The only expert we needed was a security expert.”
In August 2015, Holmes was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, avoiding the death penalty.
Weaver, 45, has married and had a child since the shooting, a blue-eyed girl named Maggie. He still goes to therapy, which he said has helped him. The way the case ended, however, will never leave him.
“Theaters aren’t any safer,” Weaver said. “It’s almost like everything was for naught.”

Aurora massacre survivors end up owing theater $700K after suing


Meat is seen in the galley of the New Imperial Star casino cruiser at Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, China, April 15. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo
A coal ship waits to be loaded at the port in Gladstone, Australia, in 2011. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz/File Photo
The New Imperial Star casino cruiser is seen at Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, China, on April 15. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo
A Chinese crew member passes time by playing a game inside the banquet room of the New Imperial Star casino cruiser at Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, China, April 15. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo
HONG KONG/SINGAPORE/MUMBAI—Unpaid, underfed, and thousands of miles from home on a rusting tanker, captain Munir Hasan says he is a victim of a shipowner who has slashed costs in the face of an eight-year shipping downturn.
Marooned on the medium-sized tanker Amba Bhakti that is moored close to Shanghai and is in urgent need of repair, Hasan claims he and his crew of four from India and Bangladesh have not received their wages from the owner, Varun Shipping, since February and are now owed tens of thousands of dollars.
Hasan said the crew has had to rely on handouts of basic food, such as rice and noodles, from V.Ships, a company that had operated the ship under contract for the owner before resigning in July.
"In the last 29 years of my sea career, I have never faced such a situation," said Hasan, a 50-year-old sea captain from Bangladesh. Reuters couldn't independently confirm certain aspects of Hasan's account.
Varun has not responded to repeated queries from Reuters via email, and it declined to comment when reached by phone. When a Reuters reporter went to its offices in Mumbai, India on Aug. 18, company officials declined to comment on the matter, saying that management was busy.
Scott Moffitt, a V.Ships representative based in Singapore, told Reuters via email on Aug. 4 that it terminated three ship management contracts with Varun, including the one for the Amba Bhakti, "due to unpaid fees, including crew wages."
Moffitt said that V.Ships "became increasingly worried about their (the crew's) plight" and that "legal arrangements are under way to secure the back wages."
Enforcement difficult
The crew's predicament underscores the desperate time faced by an increasing number of seafarers working on so-called "sweatships" around the world, as the shipping industry faces its worst downturn in 30 years.
Slack demand at a time when the size of the fleet of ships was increasing, drove dry cargo charter rates for products like coal and iron ore to historic lows earlier this year. It has led to the collapse of several shipping firms and has left many others fighting for survival.
The result is that crews and their support groups, such as the International Transport Workers Federation, are finding it difficult to force ship owners, many of whom cannot be easily located, to meet basic obligations. While "minimum working and living standards for all seafarers" were set in 2013 by the International Labour Organization, enforcing them isn't easy.
Overall, shipping costs in the industry have come down by 20-30 percent from their peaks almost two years ago, shipping sources say. This has been achieved through savings in many areas, including fuel costs, reducing length of port stays, and cuts in provisions, crew travel costs and spending on equipment.
But the overcapacity in the industry is so great that it isn't enough. Charter rates for tankers or container ships often don't cover operating expenses, and both shippers and the analysts who follow them largely agree there won't be any real improvement until 2018-2020.
For example, the average payment for a capesize bulk carrier capable of carrying 170,000 tonnes of iron ore or coal has been $5,393 per day so far this year, according to data from shipping services firm Clarkson. And yet, accountancy firm Moore Stephens pegs daily operating costs for a similar capesize ship at around $7,300 per day.
Not all shippers have cut crew provisions drastically, though a number say they have been reducing costs.
Duncan Telfer, commercial director at Swire Pacific Ltd's Swire Pacific Offshore, which owns around 85 offshore support vessels, said his company was trying to trim costs where reasonable, without compromising crew safety.
"There are many ways of cutting costs. Bottled water is an example. Is it really necessary to have bottled water if you have potable water available on-board?" he asked.
Detaining ships
The number of ships being seized and held by the authorities because they are unsafe is rising. For example, there were 202 ships detained last year by the U.S. Coast Guard for environmental or safety deficiencies, up from 143 in 2014, the USCG said in its 2015 annual report.
Rear Admiral Paul Thomas, assistant commandant for Prevention Policy at USCG, told Reuters that because of the low shipping rates and overcapacity, "vessel maintenance can take a back seat in order to minimize operating costs."
Shipping executives contacted in Singapore and Hong Kong also said some shippers were cutting back on food and drink costs. They said crews had faced a shift from steak to cans of spam meat, and from fresh to canned fruit, among other cost reductions.
Jason Lam, inspector for the ITF in Hong Kong, says in the first seven months of the year he dealt with 115 ship safety cases, a faster pace than the 161 cases recorded in all of 2015 and 126 in the whole of 2014, usually involving unpaid crew wages or poor working conditions. He said it was clear that some shipping companies are "refusing to supply their ships" because of the weak shipping markets.
In one case, the New Imperial Star - a large passenger ship that was used for gambling cruises in the South China Sea - failed Hong Kong safety inspections and has been detained in port since November, according to Hong Kong Marine Department records.
The ship was sold to a buyer in an auction by the Hong Kong authorities on Tuesday and the proceeds will be partly used to pay outstanding wages. The identity of the new owner couldn't immediately be ascertained.
The telephone number of the ship's previous owner, Hong Kong registered Skywill Management Limited, was not operable this week, and the company has differing addresses listed in Hong Kong company directories.
'Low on provisions'
In another case, the Five Stars Fujian, a coal carrier, has been sitting near the Great Barrier Reef, off Australia's east coast, for a month with supplies diminishing and salaries going unpaid.
The ITF in Australia said that there were 21 Chinese men onboard as of Aug. 14, and that the crew hadn't received wages since June and were now "very low on provisions."
The Hong Kong Shipowners Association said last week that it was "extremely concerned about the seafarers on the vessel, and that its crew had "effectively been abandoned by the owner."
There were no signs of the firm at Five Stars Fujian Shipping's registered address in Hong Kong.
Back at the Amba Bhakti, the crew have turned to outside groups for help.
Reuters has viewed an email that Hasan sent on Aug. 2 to the Mission To Seafarers, an international crew support group, and the ITF, in which he said that they had been "held up on board ... without wages for six months," adding: "We are requesting your immediate help to save our families."
In response, the ITF has been pressing the owners and organizing support for the crew.
The sailors have been employed on various contracts lasting from two to nine months to meet international rules governing minimum crew levels even though the ship has been languishing near Shanghai for three years. The main and auxiliary engines that would power generators and deck equipment need to be repaired.
Two crew members had already given up and gone home, including the ship's chief engineer, Mohammed Abdul Mazid, according to Hasan. Reuters was unable to reach Mazid for comment.
Hasan said Mazid left the ship in tears to return to Bangladesh in July despite being owed $73,000 in back pay.

Shipowners slash costs, leaving some crews unpaid, unsafe as downturn bites


Greater Manchester Police failed to record a massive 38,000 reported crimes last year, a damning new report claims.
And while Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabularies says that the force, which covers the Wigan borough, has made improvements since its last inspection, there is still much room for improvement.
The watchdog’s latest Crime Data Integrity Inspection judges the force “inadequate” saying that it is particularly under-recording too many reports of rape, other sexual offences and violence.
The inspectors say the force needs to “act promptly to improve the accuracy of its recording of these reports and to provide all victims with the service to which they are entitled and deserve.”
Numbered among the shortcomings are reports of crime reported directly to public protection investigation units are not always being recorded; and the force is incorrectly cancelling some recorded sexual offences (excluding rape), and offences of robbery and violence.
The report reads: “Some of these failings are a consequence of officers and staff not understanding their responsibilities for crime-recording, including the cancellation of recorded crime records. They are, in addition, underpinned by limited supervision by the force to support officers and staff in making good and prompt crime-recording decisions.”
The 38,000 unrecorded crimes, the report says, represents a rate of 85.49 per cent. The 14.51 percent of reported crimes that go unrecorded include serious crimes such as sexual offences and rape.
It says that the recording rate for violent crime is a particular cause of concern at only 75.36 per cent, meaning “that on too many occasions the force is failing victims of crime.”
But it does acknowledge that the force has implemented improvements on the back of the last inspection in 2014.
Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling said: “In the past two years we have made significant improvements in recording crime with an increase in accuracy from 68 per cent to 85 per cent. This means that in well over eight out of 10 cases, crime is accurately being recorded.
“Although we have made significant progress, we recognise that there is still more work to do to ensure that we are where we want to be. One of the key developments will be the introduction of a new IT system that will allow officers to record crime at the first contact. So when the victim rings us to report a crime, it will automatically be recorded.”
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Greater Manchester Police failed to record a massive 38,000 reported crimes last year, a damning new report claims.


Police blasted for failing to record 38,000 crimes


With GCSE Results Day finally upon us, hundreds of thousands of teenagers across the country will be weighing up their options for the future.
Although A-levels remain the traditional educational route after GCSEs, they are not the only option. More and more students are turning towards apprenticeships and further education as real alternatives.
Many of the teenagers picking up their results have already been in education for the best part of 12 years.
But, these days teenagers, up to the age of 18, are legally required to stay in education, training or get a job with accredited training, something the government calls 'raising the age of participation'.
Being in further education or training doesn’t mean teenagers have to stay in the same school. There are lots of options.
So, for those students who didn’t do so well in their GCSEs, or don’t find the prospect of another two years at school studying A-levels appealing, here are our top three options for life after GCSEs.
Do an apprenticeship
Apprenticeships have had some mixed press. The quality and rates of pay have been in the news, but there are lots fabulous apprenticeship opportunities out there and lots of organisations who can help, and offer you the right information; checkout The Student Room’s new Apprenticeship Hub it’s full of accurate and up-to-date information and it can even help to dispel some of those apprenticeship myths.
We found a fabulous apprenticeship scheme with national company, Be Wiser Insurance - they offer a starting salary of £14,000. There are other companies doing similar, so do your homework.
Do a traineeship
Not quite ready for an apprenticeship? Need to work on your skills? Don’t worry there are lots of opportunities for you to complete a traineeship – Have a look at what a company like EDF Energy can offer you.
Go to your local college
There are two types of college – 6th Form college and Further Education college. 6th Form Colleges are mostly geared up for students between 16 and 18 years old, and tend to concentrate on academic education. Further Education colleges are generally much bigger than 6th Form colleges and offer a wider range of subjects, including vocational education (Btecs and NVQs), and they’re not just for teenagers. Further Education colleges offer adult education and higher education too.
The GOV.UK website can help you find more information about courses offered by schools and colleges in your area if you’re between 14-19.
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With GCSE Results Day finally upon us, hundreds of thousands of teenagers across the country will be weighing up their options for the future.


A teenager has been charged with murder after a man died from multiple stab wounds.
Daniel Bamford, 18, of Harvey Lane, Golborne, has been charged with the murder of a 42-year-old man and with wounding with intent after two people were stabbed in Darwen.
Officers were called by the ambulance service to Hazel Avenue at around 4.15pm on Thursday following reports a man and woman had been stabbed.
The man, 42, was pronounced dead at the scene having suffered a number of injuries.
A 42-year-old woman was also wounded and taken by ambulance to the Blackpool Victoria Hospital. She has since been released after receiving treatment.
Three males from Liverpool aged 15, 16 and 43 were arrested on suspicion of murder at a nearby address on Frances Street. They have since been released no charge.
A further three men aged 17, 18, and 33 were arrested in Liverpool on Friday afternoon.
The 18-year-old was being held on suspicion of murder and being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, while the other two were being questioned on suspicion of assisting an offender and being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.
A further three men aged 19, 23 and 44 were arrested later that day (Friday, August 26) in St Helens, Merseyside. All were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Following investigation, detectives charged Bamford who has been remanded in custody to appear at Preston Crown Court on Monday.
The remaining men aged 17, 19, 23, 33 and 44 have all been bailed to October 25.
Following formal identification, police can confirm the name of the deceased as Michael Keen, 42, of Darwen. A post mortem revealed he died from multiple stab wounds.
Detective Supt Paul Withers, from the Force Major Investigation Team, said: “A man has sadly lost his life and my thoughts remain with Mr Keen’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.
“While we have made a number of arrests and since charged a man, we would continue encouraging people to come forward and help with our enquiries.
“If anyone has any information about this incident that could help us I would urge them to either speak to a local officer or to call us direct.”
Anyone with information can contact police on 101 quoting incident reference 917 of August 25th.
Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers.org.
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A teenager has been charged with murder after a man died from multiple stab wounds.


This week, F1’s 2016 Limited Edition hits pole position on Xbox One, Tropico 5’s Complete Collection is let loose on PS4 and Overcooked sizzles on Xbox One.
Elsewhere, Reigns and Midnight Star Renegade land on smartphone and tablet
F1s 2016 Limited Edition
GAME OF THE WEEK:
Title: F1 2016 Limited Edition
Platform: Xbox One
Genre: Racing
F1s 2016 Limited Edition
Price: £41.99
ASIN: B01GCBP6MW
Startlingly real racing action
Yet again, Lewis Hamilton is leading the way again in the F1 stakes this year, and now you can step onto the virtual circuits in F1 2016, putting you in control of his high-speed destiny or, indeed, any of the other drivers on this year’s racing roster. This annual racing release has been tweaked and tinkered with to pull further away from the competition, delivering an excellent racing experience that handles just as brilliantly as it looks. We’ve got the introduction of the safety car and virtual safety car this year, as well as the Baku circuit in Azerbaijan and the new Haas F1 team, while under the hood there’s the usual ultra-realistic career mode for players to tackle, as you, your agent, engineer and team search for the perfect recipe for success. It’s perhaps one for seasoned drivers, offering the most intense on-track action, and will no doubt lead to a few race-ending crashes, realised in superb 1080p high definition. F1 gaming continues to feel fresh, and this 2016 iteration will give you renewed vigour to step into the pits and find your own high-speed path to glory.
89%
Title: Tropico 5 Complete Collection
Platform: PS4
Genre: Strategy
Price: £31.99
ASIN: B01H39NXPE
An awesome island adventure
Packed with a host of new gameplay features and new artwork designed from scratch, Tropico 5 has taken the series in a new direction - dynasties! You, as El Presidente, must first take control of the infamous island of Tropico during early colonial times and then guide it through the centuries as the world changes and moves ever forward. You’ll need to tackle the changing needs of your people, as well as opposing governments and factions, all the while laying the foundations for your own dynasty. Can you survive both World Wars, prosper through the Great Depression, rule as an iron-fisted dictator through the Cold War and advance your country to modern times and beyond? From advanced trading mechanics and technology, to scientific research trees and island exploration, Tropico 5 is a fabulous tycoon experience, which sticks to the series’ well worn path with the addition of some excellent add-on packs in this PS4 Complete Collection. Whether you’re forging your own way in the ultra-liberating sandbox mode or tackling the challenges together with pals online, this is an island adventure you can’t refuse.
85%
Title: Overcooked
Platform: Xbox One
Genre: Arcade
Price: £12.79
ASIN: N/A - Download from Xbox Store
You’ll be desperate for seconds
Overcooked is a chaotic co-op cooking game that charges you to work as a team as you and your fellow chefs prepare, cook and serve up a variety of tasty orders before the baying customers storm out in a huff. In single player mode, you’ll toggle between two chefs, carefully maximising your time for all the tasks you need to complete to get your dishes prepped. You have the option of controlling both with the two controller sticks, but this is pretty tough to wrap your head around. Your cooking environments don’t make it any easier, too, as you might be slinging ingredients from one fast moving truck to another or even slipping around in an icy arctic location. The co-op local multiplayer is where the action becomes totally crazy, and you’ll need well-planned teamwork to progress through each increasingly difficult scenario. The pursuit of culinary perfection and deep strategic elements complement the fun cartoon visuals perfectly, and this is a game that’ll keep you hungry for more.
85%
Title: Reigns
Platform: iPhone/iPad
Genre: Strategy
Price: £2.29
ASIN: N/A
A strategy card game that proves it’s tough at the top
Reigns is an interesting little app concept. Essentially a leadership simulator, in your position of power you are constantly approached by people “cards” from your kingdom and must take decisions for each differing request that maintain a balance of respect from the church, the community and the army, as well as keeping your bank balance healthy. You’ll generally find your finger swiping left to answer negatively to a request and right for positive. You can also hold your swipe to see more details about what you’re about to say. Random events and special cards will also throw some tasty challenges into the mix, and as you build harmony across the board, your score (or years in charge as ruler) increases. Get it wrong, and your castle will be stormed and you’ll be killed, only to start again from scratch as a brand new leader. It’s an interesting premise with slick, simple controls that will present all sorts of dilemmas for you to deal with before you get off the bus for work!
80%
Title: Midnight Star Renegade
Platform: iPhone/iPad
Genre: Shooter
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)
ASIN: N/A
On-rails shooter star struggles to shine
The original Midnight Star has been crunched and compressed in Renegade to try to recreate the high-energy on-rails shooter experience that worked so well first time out. Alien annihilation is the name of the game as you move through each set-piece, tapping on the screen to shoot, pinching to zoom and using other buttons on-screen to shift your viewpoint or throw grenades. Renegade forces more control upon your character by making your swipe to move as well as all the above, and it does make the action overwhelming at times. Rather than becoming fantastically frenetic, it actually makes the whole experience of bit of frustrating mess. And, with stripped back game modes, repetitive level designs and similar enemies, the boiling down of Midnight Star results in a title that may be fun for an hour or two, but quickly loses its lustre.
62%
WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT?
As gamers’ Pokemon Go creature collections have probably swelled significantly over the mobile app’s first few weeks of launch, the coffers of developers Niantic have become similarly stuffed. Estimates from Sensor Tower suggest that global revenues for the game have surpassed 200 million dollars in the app’s first month of availability. This commercial performance eclipses that of Clash Royale, another highly successful gaming app with in-app purchases, which registered 120 million dollars of revenue in the same time frame.
Meanwhile, in the charts this week, No Man’s Sky stormed enjoyed intergalactic sales success, debuting at the number one and nudging GTA V down to second, while Uncharted 4 also toppled down from two to five.
GAME CHART ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. No Man’s Sky
2. Grand Theft Auto V
3. Overwatch
4. LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
5. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
6. Rocket League
7. FIFA 16
8. Doom
9. Call of Duty: Black Ops III
10. Minecraft: Xbox Edition
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) 2016 UKIE Ltd

Games Central: Startlingly real racing action in F1’s 2016 Limited Edition


This week, F1’s 2016 Limited Edition hits pole position on Xbox One, Tropico 5’s Complete Collection is let loose on PS4 and Overcooked sizzles on Xbox One.


A puppy had to be rescued by firefighters after falling down a sewer.
The golden Labrador was walking with its owner on a field off Helen Street, Golborne, when it fell down the hole.
The cover was not on the manhole and the puppy, named Bailey, fell around 10ft into water.
Crews from Wigan and Leigh fire stations were called at 1.50pm today.
Specialist water rescue equipment was used to get into the sewer and rescue the dog.
Bailey, who is less than a year old, spent around an hour in the sewer and was not hurt.
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A puppy had to be rescued by firefighters after falling down a sewer.


Puppy trapped after falling down a sewer


Tributes have poured in for a teenager who died after taking drugs at a music festival.
Friends and family of Lewis Haunch, 17, took to social media to say goodbye to the “kind and innocent” teenager following his death at the weekend.
The teenager, from Leigh, was rushed to hospital after collapsing at Leeds Festival at around 4.45pm on Saturday and died a short time later.
West Yorkshire Police have said it appears Lewis, a former Lowton High School pupil, had taken an unknown substance just before he collapsed.
Erica Mcguinness said: “This morning my life changed forever; finding out that my best friend has passed away has to be one of the hardest, if not the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with.
“Words can’t describe how much I’m missing you already and the hurt I’m experiencing trying to take it all in. Couldn’t ask for a better best friend and I’m just devastated it got cut too short.
“Nobody will ever replace you, I hope you look down on me and your other friends and be proud.”
Joe Heaton added: “Just in absolute shock and speechless and can’t stop crying. My cousin Lewis died last night far too young.
“At just 17 years old, he was taken far too early from us all.
“What a kind innocent young man, who would never cause any harm to anybody.”
Charlie Heaton wrote: “Absolutely devastated that my cousin, one of the most harmless, nicest lads I know has been taken, can’t begin to describe the feeling.
“RIP Lewis, everyone is gonna miss you pal.”
Thomas Wright said: “Never expected anything like this too happen, you’re about too be missed by loads bro, missing you already lad sadly missed.
“RIP Lewis Haunch. Love you loads bro.”
Lewis was taken to St James’ Hospital by ambulance in a critical condition after collapsing at the festival. Despite receiving emergency treatment, he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.
Police enquiries into his death and how he obtained the substance he took are ongoing but two males, both aged 17, have been arrested in the Greater Manchester area on suspicion of drugs offences. Both have since been released on police bail.
Leeds Festival’s Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Keith Gilert said, “Our thoughts are naturally with the family of the young man at this time.
“They were made aware of the incident by officers as soon as possible and were assisted to attend the hospital as quickly as possible. We will continue to support them through this difficult time. We are currently investigating the death and how he obtained the substance he took.
“At this time the indications are that the man consumed drugs immediately before he collapsed.
“I would though like to take this opportunity to remind anyone attending the Festival that there is no safe way to take drugs.
“Taking any illegal drug carries a risk to health and we would always advise people against it, but I would ask that people are particularly conscious of the risks following this young man’s death.”
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Tributes have poured in for a teenager who died after taking drugs at a music festival.


Tributes paid to teenager after festival drugs death


The words icon and iconic tend to be so overused these days as to make them almost worthless.
Yet how else would you describe Blackpool’s grand old lady… that 518ft 9in seaside structure whose first sighting has thrilled generations of visitors whether they arrived by charabanc, excursion steam train or – as is more likely today – by coach or car.
True, its stature – currently ranked the world’s 103rd tallest freestanding structure – might have diminished in the eyes of the record book compilers yet the promenade attraction remains a firm family favourite and seems set to do so for decades to come.
Incredible then to think that Blackpool Tower has been teasing hard-earned cash from the pockets of the resort’s holiday crowds, season in, season out, since 1894.
Inspired by, and modelled on, the much taller Eiffel Tower in Paris, Blackpool’s more down-to-earth version has always sold itself as much on what is on offer below the stunning steelwork as the spectacular views atop.
When it was being built, many people predicted its failure and it did end up costing twice the original £150,000 estimate.
John Bickerstaffe, the driving force behind the Victorian venture, and a key figure in Blackpool’s civic life, almost went bust building the unique attraction.
But his faith in the project was well placed and once the turnstiles started spinning, his company made a profit every single year that the venue existed as an independent public entity.
In this fascinating history, author Peter Walton has definitely reinforced publisher Amberley’s reputation for an entertaining and authoritative take on nostalgia.
There is not a hint of textbook dryness in Walton’s style and his accounts of progress and challenges, notably during the earlier decades, paint as many pictures in the mind’s eye as the 16 pages of sepia photographs in the centre of the book.
And accuracy seems fairly assured in this particular tale well-told as Walton readily acknowledges his debt during research to ‘the stalwarts of Blackpool history’ for their goodwill and active collaboration, including the ready access he was given to the Tower archives.
Anyone who has ever been on the edge of their (restricted legroom!) seat, while hooked on the thrills and spills of the subterranean circus or marvelled at the grace of the dancers swirling across the polished floor of the ornate ballroom housed above, should find plenty to interest them in this ‘bricks and mortar’ account of the iconic – there goes that word again – entertainment emporium.
(Amberley, paperback, £14.99)
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The words icon and iconic tend to be so overused these days as to make them almost worthless.


Book review: Blackpool Tower: A History by Peter Walton


People found carrying powerful laser pointers should be arrested even if they are not using them, the head of the UK’s aviation regulator has said.
Andrew Haines, chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), said new legislation is needed to cut the number of laser attacks on aircraft.
There have been a number of incidents in Wigan borough in recent years in which these potentially blinding lights have been shone at passing aircraft including the police helicopter, leading to several prosecutions.
The most up-to-date local figures show 16 similar incidents occurred in the borough in 2013/14.
More recently there has been a bigger problem in Wigan with youngsters shining the pens at motorists, including in April, a fire crew attending a 999 call in Platt Bridge.
Mr Haines believes the misuse of lasers is a tougher issue to solve than near misses involving drones because the former are “a deliberate attempt to cause harm”.
Under the existing Air Navigation Order 2009, it is an offence to act in a manner “likely to endanger an aircraft”.
Mr Haines expressed his frustration at the difficulty in prosecuting people under this law because of the requirement to “find the person undertaking the task and...demonstrate intent”. There is also a lesser offence of shining a light at an aircraft but the CAA boss called for the law to be toughened so anyone found carrying a laser pointer can be arrested.
Mr Haines said: “We and Balpa, the pilots’ trade union, are very keen that the Government introduces legislation which means that the mere possession of these high-powered lasers by individuals not licensed for them would be a criminal offence. Why does Joe Bloggs walking down the street need a laser that can pop a balloon at 50 miles, that can cause permanent damage to a pilot?”
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People found carrying powerful laser pointers should be arrested even if they are not using them, the head of the UK’s aviation regulator has said.


From poet John Keats to Prince Charles, and from life-changing scientists to prize-winning authors, some of the world’s most famous people have relied on ‘bedders’ to see them through their toughest student days at Cambridge.
In her fascinating account of just some of the hundreds of working-class women who have looked after the students of Cambridge University, Catherine Seymour, whose grandmother and great-grandmother were bedders, reveals their secret lives, heartaches and joy.
For centuries, the university’s bedders – the equivalent at Oxford is a ‘scout’ – have cleaned, tidied, made beds, dispensed advice and physical aid, and offered a reassuring maternal presence to generations of nervous, lonely students.
Bedders still look after today’s Cambridge students but the work they do, and the young people they care for, have changed over the last decades.
Until the 1980s, bedders carried buckets of coal up the stairs to light fires in the rooms of the fellows as well as dusting, tidying, taking away rubbish and, in some colleges, making the students’ breakfasts.
It was hard work but it came with privileges and offered an experience unlike other jobs available to working-class women. Some of the bedders had previously worked in shops or as waitresses, cleaners, factory hands and other low-paid manual jobs.
The college offered them family-friendly hours, starting work early but allowing them to get home in time for lunch and to make an evening meal for their children. Often bedders would pay neighbours to look after their pre-school youngsters.
In the first half of the 20th century, some of the upper class (male) students saw their bedders as simply servants but for many others, these women who instructed them on everything from dressing properly to combing their hair, were the only warm, motherly presence in an otherwise cold, paternalistic environment.
In turn, many bedders enjoyed their glimpse into a world they knew little about and during her research Seymour discovered that the women appreciated the genuine return of affection from students who often left gifts for them at Christmas, term ends and after graduation.
And for some of the bedders who got to know their students well, graduation was almost like watching their own children leave home.
In these unique, vivid and often moving stories, inspired by the accounts of bedders from the 1920s to the 1960s, we meet women who endured the Second World War and then had to contend with poverty, ill health and bereavement.
For 16-year-old Joyce, who lived in one of the poorest streets in Cambridge, the college building where she was about to start work represented privilege, wealth, a life she would never live. What she never expected was to find herself mothering, chastising and sometimes even covering up for ‘her boys.’
These hard-working women loved, lost and loved again. But their friendships gave them strength, and their work gave them happiness, and even a lasting connection with their charges, some of whom would go on to run the country.
As much a social history as the individual stories of the bedders, The Staircase Girls is a memorable and eye-opening glimpse into the remarkable lives of a very special group of women.
(Pan, paperback, £7.99)

Book review: The Staircase Girls by Catherine Seymour


From poet John Keats to Prince Charles, and from life-changing scientists to prize-winning authors, some of the world’s most famous people have relied on ‘bedders’ to see them through their toughest student days at Cambridge.


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Can you match these stars to the year they switched on the Blackpool Illuminations?


Showbiz royalty Dame Barbara Windsor has been announced as this year’s guest of honour at the Illuminations Switch-On ceremony.


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The borough’s teenagers are celebrating incredible exam successes in their GCSEs.
At Fred Longworth High School in Tyldesley, Lauren Dawes and Megan Walsh both swept the board by getting the top grade in every subject they sat.
Students get their GCSE exam results at Standish Community High School
Both Megan and Lauren ended up with 11 A*s and could not hide their delight and surprise at how well they had done.
Megan said: “I have worked really hard for this, but was shocked at the results.
“The teachers were really supportive and I wouldn’t have done it without them.”
At St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School a stunning 75% of pupils received five A to C grades including English and Maths.
Star pupil Lauren Dawes from Fred Longworth High School, who got straight A*s in her GCSEs
Head Teacher Mark Dumican commented: “We are tremendously proud of all of our pupils and their achievements. The results reflect their hard work and effort, and also the commitment of the staff, who have worked tirelessly on their behalf. What a fantastic way for our students to end their five here.”
At Up Holland High School 73 per cent of pupils achieved five A to C grades including English and Maths, an increase of around 15 per cent on last year’s results.
Headteacher Mrs Barton said: “This reflects the hard work of our pupils and staff. Not only are there some fantastic individual results here and the percentage of pupils achieving A* to C grades across all subjects shows the entire cohort performed above expectations.”
Vishal Chahwala, who attends Up Holland High School, was also celebrating as he racked up an incredible 12 A*s in his GCSEs.
Star pupil Megan Walsh from Fred Longworth High School, who got straight A* grades in her GCSEs
At Shevington High School 71 per cent of their students have five A to C grades - nine per cent up on last year.
The achievements of teenagers who secured hauls of top grades is all the more pronounced as nationally the number of very high achievers has fallen this year.
Tweet your pictures to us @WigToday
Abby Glaze with her results of 10 A* and one A at Standish Community High School
Pupils celebrating at Up Holland High School
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The borough’s teenagers are celebrating incredible exam successes in their GCSEs.


In the final, chaotic months of the Second World War, a young German soldier pits himself against the remnants of the brutal SS in a bid to save the woman he loves.
But it’s a race against time as the merciless Soviet army is closing in with only one single-minded aim… to wreak revenge on their despised German enemy.
Irish-born William Ryan, author of a string of crime novels set in 1930s Stalinist Russia, moves out of what has become his ‘home’ territory and into the dying days of the Second World War in a thrilling, beautifully written and breathtakingly powerful story of evil, inhumanity, love, hope and redemption.
One man’s crusade to right the wrongs of his countrymen and repay a haunting personal debt becomes a gripping battle for survival in an Upper Silesian village in central Europe where he grew up.
In 1944, Paul Brandt, a soldier in the German army, returns wounded and consumed with guilt from the bloody chaos of the Eastern front to his village home in Silesia, annexed from Poland by the Germans.
Brandt’s face is badly disfigured by a Soviet explosion during the retreat from Russia and he has lost both an arm and his enthusiasm for life. But, deeply ashamed of his enforced military service with the Wehrmacht and haunted by an event at the start of the war, he is determined to make amends.
Much has changed in his village where the residents live in the dark shadow of an SS rest hut, a luxurious retreat for the Nazis who manage the nearby concentration camps. Modelled to look like a pre-war holiday camp, the rest accommodation is run by a small group of female prisoners who, against all odds, have so far survived the war.
When, by chance, Brandt glimpses one of these prisoners, he realises that she is a face from his guilty past and he knows he must find a way to access the hut. His fate has been tied to Agneta Gruber since their arrest five years before and now he must do all he can to protect her.
As a wounded German hero, Brandt secures a job as the rest hut’s steward but, with the Russian offensive moving ever closer, the days of the Nazi ‘holiday camp’ and its SS inhabitants are numbered.
And while hope for Brandt and the female prisoners grows tantalisingly close, the danger is also now greater than ever. Because in a forest just to the east, a young female Soviet tank driver awaits her orders to advance…
Ryan moves up a gear in this brilliant, emotionally-charged story which combines a poignant romance with an edge-of-the-seat thriller. But what impresses most is the author’s powerful writing which blends taut action sequences with passages of soaring literary beauty.
Inspired to write the novel by photographs of some of the worst perpetrators of the Holocaust relaxing and enjoying themselves at the real-life Silesian rest hut at a time when Auschwitz was at its most lethal, Ryan wrote this story from the heart.
And Brandt’s one-man mission, set amidst the terror, uncertainty and turmoil of the disintegrating Nazi machine, is certainly portrayed with mesmerising atmosphere and shocking veracity.
The dark and ever present threat of the ruthless SS masters and the approaching menace of the Soviet army are thrown into stark relief by the quiet power and unquenchable flame of enduring love.
A modern classic from a master storyteller…
(Mantle, hardback, £16.99)

Book reviews: The Constant Soldier by William Ryan


In the final, chaotic months of the Second World War, a young German soldier pits himself against the remnants of the brutal SS in a bid to save the woman he loves.