(CNN) Team Europe has showed its hand -- now it's over to you Team USA.
Chasing a fourth straight Ryder Cup triumph, Europe unveiled Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Belgian rookie Thomas Pieters on Tuesday for the golf showdown that tees off at Hazeltine on September 30.
The trio join nine players who have already qualified for the team after finishing in the top positions in the European points list
The inclusion of both Westwood and Kaymer, two highly-experienced players, was expected with the European team already boasting five rookies.
"Narrowing it down to those three wildcards has been a very difficult process, but I said that I was going to look to experience and with Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer I had two former world No. 1s," Europe captain Darren Clarke told reporters.
Clarke enjoyed the support of many high profile European players, world No. 1 and Rory McIlroy (pictured) part of a group that included Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Grame McDowell.
Clarke enjoyed the support of many high profile European players, world No. 1 and Rory McIlroy (pictured) part of a group that included Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Grame McDowell.
Clarke has also served a vice captain twice, in 2010 and 2012. He assisted Jose Maria Olazabal (R) during Europe's incredible comeback at Medinah in 2012, when it retained the trophy 14½ to 13½ having trailed 10-6 going into Sunday's singles.
Clarke has also served a vice captain twice, in 2010 and 2012. He assisted Jose Maria Olazabal (R) during Europe's incredible comeback at Medinah in 2012, when it retained the trophy 14½ to 13½ having trailed 10-6 going into Sunday's singles.
Clarke's last Ryder Cup appearance as a player was perhaps the most memorable. Playing just six weeks after his wife Heather had succumbed to cancer, Clarke was roared on by a vociferous home crowd at the K Club in Dublin, Ireland. An emotional Clarke won three out of three points as Europe repeated a huge victory margin of nine points.
Clarke's last Ryder Cup appearance as a player was perhaps the most memorable. Playing just six weeks after his wife Heather had succumbed to cancer, Clarke was roared on by a vociferous home crowd at the K Club in Dublin, Ireland. An emotional Clarke won three out of three points as Europe repeated a huge victory margin of nine points.
More success followed in 2004 when Europe trounced the U.S. team 18½ - 9½ at Oakland Hills. Clarke won 3½ points out of a possible five in the biggest winning margin since 1981.
More success followed in 2004 when Europe trounced the U.S. team 18½ - 9½ at Oakland Hills. Clarke won 3½ points out of a possible five in the biggest winning margin since 1981.
After a year's postponement due to the 9/11 tragedy in New York, Clarke was back on the winning side in 2002 when Europe regained the trophy thanks to a 15½ - 12½ victory at the Belfry near Birmingham.
After a year's postponement due to the 9/11 tragedy in New York, Clarke was back on the winning side in 2002 when Europe regained the trophy thanks to a 15½ - 12½ victory at the Belfry near Birmingham.
Clarke has been involved in seven Ryder Cups as a player and a vice captain and has lost only once -- in 1999. The infamous "Battle of Brookline" was punctuated by moments of controversy as the U.S. stormed back from a deficit of 10-6 going into the singles to win 14½ to 13½.
Clarke has been involved in seven Ryder Cups as a player and a vice captain and has lost only once -- in 1999. The infamous "Battle of Brookline" was punctuated by moments of controversy as the U.S. stormed back from a deficit of 10-6 going into the singles to win 14½ to 13½.
Clarke's first Ryder Cup appearance came in 1997 when Europe defeated the United States by a score of 14½ to 13½ at Valderrama in Spain under the captaincy of the late, great Seve Ballesteros.
Clarke's first Ryder Cup appearance came in 1997 when Europe defeated the United States by a score of 14½ to 13½ at Valderrama in Spain under the captaincy of the late, great Seve Ballesteros.
Clarke beat off competition from Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez (pictured) to become captain, with Denmark's Thomas Bjorn also under consideration by Europe's five-man selection panel that included former skippers Paul McGinley, Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie.
Clarke beat off competition from Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez (pictured) to become captain, with Denmark's Thomas Bjorn also under consideration by Europe's five-man selection panel that included former skippers Paul McGinley, Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie.
Darren Clarke will be Europe's Ryder Cup captain for the 2016 battle against the United States. The Northern Irishman has a storied history in the competition, featuring five times as a player and twice as a vice captain. He has been on the losing side just once, in 1999.
Darren Clarke will be Europe's Ryder Cup captain for the 2016 battle against the United States. The Northern Irishman has a storied history in the competition, featuring five times as a player and twice as a vice captain. He has been on the losing side just once, in 1999.
"The last was very difficult. Graeme McDowell and Luke Donald had an argument with their experience to join that, but they would admit that they have not been on top of their game.
"It came down to Thomas Pieters and Russell Knox and the phone call to Russell was one of the hardest I have ever had to make.
"But, given his form, I found it impossible to leave Thomas out."
Hazeltine is the host venue for the 2016 Ryder Cup.
Westwood, 43, has played in every Ryder Cup since 1997 and has won 23 points in the process.
He went unbeaten in 2004 and 2006 and tied Arnold Palmer's record in 2008 after making it 12 matches without defeat at Valhalla.
"I'm incredibly proud," Westwood told reporters after being confirmed in the team.
"When I look back over my career, the Ryder Cup has provided most of the very special moments.
"Myself and Darren are very close and I was very relieved and thrilled to get the pick.
"It's going to be a very tough task. The US is going to be very strong but we are equally as strong -- it's a good mix of experience of youth.
"I think it's going to be a very close contest."
JUST WATCHED Europe's historic Ryder Cup comeback Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Europe's historic Ryder Cup comeback 02:56
Germany's Kaymer played a starring role in 2012 at Medinah - - holing the winning putt to cap off an improbable comeback victory.
The two-time major winner, made his debut in the competition in 2010 and is already relishing another opportunity to lead Europe to glory.
"The first time I played the Ryder Cup, it was very overwhelming," Kaymer told reporters. "2012 was a very special one for me because I really got to know the feeling of what the Ryder Cup means.
"I really didn't want to miss out in 2016 and I'm really glad Darren gave me his trust. I am really glad for Thomas Pieters too -- I played with him last week and was really impressed.
Martin Kaymer will be hoping for more celebrations at this year's tournament.
"I put all my heart in it -- that's all you can ask for and all I can give. It was a bit of a relief to get the phone call from Darren.
"Now is the time to start to prepare and I'm really excited. It's almost the end of the year but it's a massive highlight. I can promise I will play with everything I have because it means a lot to me."
Pieters finished fourth at the Olympics and second at the Czech Masters. The 24-year-old impressed Clarke while playing alongside him at the Made in Denmark tournament where he won the title after opening rounds of 62 and 71.
Thomas Pieters will make his Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine.
Spain's Sergio Garcia adds yet more experience while rookies Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Andy Sullivan and Chris Wood are all included.
US captain Davis Love III will reveal three of his four picks on September 11, and will make his final selection on September 25.

Ryder Cup 2016: Westwood, Kaymer and Pieters get Europe wildcard picks


Team Europe is chasing a fourth straight Ryder Cup triumph -- and captain Darren Clarke reckons he's got just the men to do it when the competition gets underway at Hazeltine on September 30.


Story highlights 10-year-old girl killed Wednesday
Her mother is one of three accused in the murder
(CNN) Candles, flowers and stuffed animals mark the memorial for a 10-year-old girl, who New Mexico police said was brutally murdered. Three people arrested in the case include her own mother.
Victoria Martens had just started fourth grade at an Albuquerque elementary school and celebrated her 10th birthday Tuesday. On Wednesday, she was killed in what police described as a "horrific" crime.
Friends and family honored the victim during a vigil Thursday, with one person saying Victoria Martens will always be remembered by her smile.
Albuquerque Police identified the suspects in her killing as Victoria's mother, Michelle Martens, her mother's boyfriend, Fabian Gonzalez and Gonzales' cousin, Jessica Kelley.
Michelle Martens was charged in court Thursday with kidnapping and child abuse resulting in death
According to a criminal complaint obtained by CNN, officers arrived to discover two adults with minor injuries and saw a third adult attempt to flee the family apartment by jumping off a balcony.
Read More

10-year-old girl killed in gruesome murder, mother under arrest


Candles, flowers and stuffed animals mark the memorial for a 10-year-old girl, who New Mexico police said was brutally murdered. Three people arrested in the case include her own mother.


NEW YORK/LAS VEGAS Jan 8 Media companies that are starting to allow their programs onto Internet-delivered TV and mobile devices are putting limits on digital rights as a safety hatch if problems arise with the new distribution systems, executives say.
The debate over digital rights that determine how and when content is consumed is adding a new layer of complexity to negotiations between media companies and distributors, leading to drawn-out wrangling and programming blackouts in some cases.
Such disputes are not new, but the need to hammer out a variety of digital rights is making talks more complicated.
Media companies are considering joining streaming-only services, or launching their own like HBO and CBS, to attract young people who do not subscribe to traditional pay TV packages. But programmers also fear the packages could become so popular that they undercut current, more profitable deals with cable companies.
The unveiling of Dish Network Corp's video streaming service, Sling TV, at the Consumer Electronics Show this week marks a turning point as Walt Disney Co offered its sports juggernaut ESPN in a package that does not require a traditional TV subscription.
One catch is that ESPN has a clause that lets it get out of Sling TV if the service signs up a certain number of subscribers, technology news website Re/code reported, citing anonymous sources. ESPN declined to comment on the specifics of the agreement.
Some content providers that are considering joining video streaming services are mulling caps that would trigger new negotiations if viewership reaches certain levels, said two media executives who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Executives at various media companies said they have a new check list of questions for digital rights to Web-only television, mobile apps or on-demand programming. Distributors want more rights to air shows over a variety of services but there is also more pressure to monetize programming.
Now programmers are asking: Is the content viewed in the home or outside the home? Is there video on demand? Do payment terms change if the number of subscribers skyrocket?
CBS Corp, which was involved in a contract dispute with Dish late last year, granted Dish Showtime video-on-demand content but only within the home.
Satellite and cable providers say they want to satisfy consumers' demands. "We want our customers to have the ability to watch content on the screen of their choice and the location of their choice," said Cox Communications CEO Patrick Esser. "All of that is a negotiation."
Dish CEO Joe Clayton said his company had no choice but to embrace new technology.
"When the economy changes, consumers taste changes, technology changes, the competition changes, guess what? You better change," said Clayton. "A lot of media companies don't want to change their business model."
For Sling TV, Clayton said "we don't have a cap on what we are going to sell," but he declined to offer specific details on agreements with programmers.
Dish has been involved in numerous contract disputes in recent months with media companies ranging from CBS to Time Warner Inc's Turner Broadcasting, to Twenty-First Century Fox, whose news and business cable networks have been blacked out to Dish's 14 million customers since late December.
Clayton said his company's role as "disruptors and pioneers, especially in technology" has led to disputes with programmers.
The digital rights battle comes as profit margins are thinning for many cable and satellite companies, which are trying to keep subscribers as programming costs rise. Rights for sporting events, in particular, have soared.
The average cost for a cable company to carry a network has risen from 25 cents a month per subscriber in 2010 to 30 cents in 2014, SNL Kagan estimated.
"When programmers and broadcasters ask for 200 or 300 percent increases, somebody's got to say 'whoa,'" said Clayton.
At the same time, the growth in pay TV subscriptions - once tied to a robust housing market - is at a near standstill. MoffettNathanson Research estimates quarterly subscriber losses of about 0.1 percent over the past two years.
"People love television. They want it all and it's getting expensive," Charter Communications CEO Tom Rutledge said.
"Operators ... are trying to control costs and programmers are not growing, so they are trying to make up for that." (Reporting by Jennifer Saba in New York and Lisa Richwine in Las Vegas; Editing by Richard Chang)

Media embracing digital TV with strings attached


Media companies thatare starting to allow their programs onto Internet-delivered TVand mobile devices are putting limits on digital rights as asafety hatch if problems arise with the new distributionsystems, executives say.


She last performed at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2014, captivating the audience with a 16-minute medley of songs from her BEYONCÉ album.
And now Beyoncé will hit the stage again on Sunday to perform hits from her album Lemonade, MTV has confirmed.
The 34-year-old has not commented on the surprise performance as of yet, though the Los Angeles Times reported that she 'has been in top-secret rehearsals' for the show.
Center stage: Pop star Beyonce is set to make a surprise appearance at the MTV VMAs on Sunday
It's already a big night for Beyoncé and her wildly popular album Lemonade, as the star has been nominated for 11 awards.
Beyoncé's Formation is up for Video of the Year as well as Best Pop Video, Best Choreography, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.
Hits Hold Up, Freedom (with Kendrick Lamar), and Sorry are also nominated for a collection of awards.
And Beyoncé's HBO hour-long visual album Lemonade has been nominated for Breakthrough Long Form Video.
Unforgettable: The hitmaker last performed at the 2014 VMAs wowing crowds with a show over 16 minutes long that incorporated songs from her BEYONCÉ album, above
Queen Bey hinted at her upcoming performance this week, as she shared a throwback video from the 2000 VMAs.
The video featured Beyoncé interviewing popular performer Aaliyah on the red carpet, and was seen as a tribute to the star on the 15th anniversary of her death.
Of course Beyoncé was paying tribute to the late hitmaker, who is long considered to be one of the music industry's biggest innovators.
Her night: Queen Bey is nominated for 11 awards, with popular video Formation getting nominations for Video of the Year, Best Pop Video, Best Choreography, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing
Attention, Beyhive! Beyoncé will reportedly be surprising viewers with a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday (pictured on the Formation World Tour in June)
But the choice of clip was also a hint from Beyoncé that she would be returning to the VMAs stage.
In addition to Beyoncé's surprise performance, other performers include: Rihanna, Britney Spears, Future, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, Nick Jonas with Ty Dolla $ign, and the Chainsmokers with Halsey.
The MTV Video Music Awards will air Sunday at 9pm on MTV.

Beyonce to performe at MTV VMAs after 'secret rehearsals'


The 34-year-old hitmaker last performed on the VMA stage in 2014, with a medley of songs from her BEYONCÉ album, in a show that was over 16 minutes long.


MERCERVILLE, Ohio — South Gallia did dig deep to rally from a late third-set deficit to take a two-games-to-one lead.
However, the visiting Symmes Valley Vikings dug deeper to charge back for the match win.
Unfortunately for the Rebels, they couldn’t put the Vikings away with that 2-1 sets advantage — and the Vikings stormed back to win in five games on Monday night inside a sweltering South Gallia High School gymnasium.
The Rebels lost 25-22, 6-25, 28-26, 18-25 and 8-15, as the non-league contest marked their 2016 volleyball season opener.
Symmes Valley, a member of the Southern Ohio Conference Division I, is 2-1 on the year.
The young Rebels, after a dismal second set in which they only scored six points, staved off a pair of set points (25-24 and 26-25) by the Vikings to rally for the third-game win (28-26).
But a potential clinching game four got away from them, as the Vikings broke a 16-16 tie to score six straight service points — part of nine of the last 11 to force the decisive fifth game.
And, in that fifth set, South Gallia led early at 4-2 and 5-4, but four straight Viking points put Symmes Valley on top for good — as the guests punctuated the triumph by scoring the final six.
Simply put, too many mistakes did the Lady Rebels in — primarily attack and service errors.
Especially in games four and five.
“We’re a young team and we missed 17 serves and 36 hits. We have to focus on getting our hits in and our serves in,” said first-year head coach Sarah Wright. “We got down on ourselves when we had some mistakes and that cost us. I made some rotational errors, which I plan to fix. We’re going to work on things tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday in practice and be ready to compete on Thursday.”
As for Monday, the Rebels rallied from an 18-14 deficit in the opening game to forge a 19-19 tie, as they then broke ties at 21-21 and 22-22 by scoring the final five points.
Olivia Hornsby had a pair of aces, sandwiched around a kill by Taylor Burnette to end the first game.
After leading 2-0 in game two on back-to-back Burnette aces, the Rebels scored just four more points the remainder of the set.
But the Rebels returned from their second-set sleepwalk with an awakening in the third, leading the game until the Vikings went ahead 21-18 — before scoring four consecutive points to regain the cushion at 22-21.
South Gallia did have the Vikings at set point 24-22, but a Rebel attack error — along with back-to-back service aces by Symmes Valley’s Hannah Gates — put the Vikings back in front 25-24.
An exchange of attack errors made it 26-25, as Rachal Colburn collected a thunderous kill for the Rebels to tie it once again at 26-26.
Erin Evans ended the third, and pushed the Rebels ahead two games to one, with a jumping tip kill.
However, with the tilt tied 16-16 in game four, South Gallia gave away too many serves and scoring opportunities on errors — amassing only 10 points the rest of the way.
Hornsby had 13 service points to pace the Rebels, as Evans added eight along with seven assists and five kills.
The sophomore middle hitter Colburn amounted a team-high six kills and two blocks, as Burnette served up a team-high four aces.
Burnette was also an excellent 12-of-13 serving for 92-percent, and 50-of-60 passing for 83-percent.
Gates garnered 22 points with seven aces for the Vikings, while Cierra Ross set for 24 assists.
Taylor Webb with 13 kills and Kinley Patterson with a dozen led the Lawrence Countians in kills.
Webb also registered four blocks.
The Rebels return home, and open Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division action, against Federal Hocking on Thursday.
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106
South Gallia’s Rachal Colburn goes up for a block over Symmes Valley’s Kinsey Kazee (11) during Monday night’s non-league volleyball match at South Gallia High School. http://mydailysentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.29-SG-Colburn.jpg South Gallia’s Rachal Colburn goes up for a block over Symmes Valley’s Kinsey Kazee (11) during Monday night’s non-league volleyball match at South Gallia High School. Paul Boggs/OVP Sports


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Jury’s still out on Columbus man’s 2nd murder trial


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Impressive as it was, the rush of medals in Rio was not the only astonishing factor in Team GB’s success. Did you notice the number of athletes who asserted that they owed it all to their country?
Of course, they achieved so highly for their own satisfaction, and for their families too, but many were clear: pride in Britain was a part of the motivation.
Oscar Wilde described patriotism as “The last refuge of the scoundrel”, however, something has clearly changed. The patriotism shown in the interviews following a medal success was somehow healthy. It was a patriotism that celebrated success, not a gloating that others had failed, or an assertion that sporting success made us somehow superior to other nations.
The jingoism associated with patriotism has gone.
The reason I think the new patriotism is ‘healthy’ is that these athletes were not saying ‘my country right or wrong’, but expressing gratitude for the support that the nation had given them. After all, in crude terms, each gold medal cost us in the region of £5 million, but of course that is to discount the totality of the return on National Lottery money that investment in young people can bring.
For those with short memories, and those who think we have become too medal obsessed, I invite you to view the table for the Atlanta Games of 1996. Great Britain won one gold and was 36th in the table. Would anyone like to go back to that state of affairs?
Another lesson of the Olympic success was the clear benefit of effective organisation. Again, many medal winners acknowledged the contribution of the coaches and doctors supporting them.
There is, or was, something un-British about this. Once, success was something gained by the right class of person who had good breeding. British success was the result of improvisation, pluck and individual brilliance. We left it to foreigners to be organised.
Then we were confronted with the gold medal machine of ‘systems’, in particular the US college system.
We now have very efficient ‘systems’ of our own and it has taken us high in the medals table.
The whole country can learn from this. Perhaps we should appoint performance directors, similar to those in elite sport, to other walks of life.
If we have suddenly acquired the knack of getting organised, it may, in the startling words of one of our successful rowers, be ‘beyond worth it’.
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Impressive as it was, the rush of medals in Rio was not the only astonishing factor in Team GB’s success. Did you notice the number of athletes who asserted that they owed it all to their country?


Opinion: A new kind of patriotism emerges as Rio atheltes show gratitude to nation


The Flagbearer of the Progressive People's Party, (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, has urged the people of the Volta Region to vote for jobs and not based on allegiance.
According to Dr. Nduom, the Volta Region has not been rewarded for their unflinching support to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) so they should endeavour to vote for someone who has the ability to create jobs and strengthen the cedi.
“Volta region is one region I hold dearly to my heart. The people of the Volta region are a hardworking people who will do wonders when given the opportunity that is why this year everywhere I go the people tell me they are voting for jobs and not on allegiance”.
He therefore asked the people to join the many Ghanaians who have decided to vote for jobs in the December 7 elections by voting for Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom and the PPP.“Everywhere I go, people say they are seeking for jobs, most people have identified Edwumawura as the solution, why don't you join them in delivering the jobs Ghanaians need?”
Dr. Nduom was addressing a mini rally at Peki Avatile to outdoor Felix Lartey as the PPP's parliamentary candidate for the South Dayi district.
Responding to loud cheers from the crowd, Felix Lartey, asked the people of South Dayi to support him to make his dream of using his position as a member of parliament to lobby for development for the area.
“I am seeking your mandate to go to parliament not to enrich myself, but to use my position to lobby for development for South Dayi. This constituency has been neglected for far too long despite our unflinching support to the NDC. So I am asking you to change the pattern just to feel real development”.
He implored on the crowd gathered to vote for Dr. Nduom for president and also vote for him to go to parliament.
Dr. Nduom was accompanied by the Chairman of the Council of Elders of the PPP, Mike Eghan Snr, National Chairman, Nii Allotey Brew Hammond, National Secretary, Murtala Mohammed and Mr. Ladi Nylander.
– citifmonline

Vote For Change, Forget Allegiance Nduom Tells Voltarians


The Flagbearer of the Progressive People's Party, (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, has urged the people of the Volta Region to vote for jobs and not based on allegi


Three unnamed police officers at the East Legon Police station in Accra have been implicated a $160, 000 gold scam being investigated by the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards (PIPS) Bureau.
The officers are alleged to be part of a syndicate that includes some unlicensed gold dealers.
The alleged scammers reportedly sold a quantity of gold to a French national, Atrous Yazid and his partner for $160, 000 but before the buyers could leave the country, the alleged scammers forced and took the gold from them.
“Soon after we paid the money, three policemen in uniform, one in civilian clothes, jumped on us beat my friend took the cold from us and put us in cells for one day,”
Ringleader of the syndicate have reportedly been let lose.
Yazid and his business partner say they are frustrated even though the PIPS Burearu have taken up the matter.
This is coming at a time when there are continuing reports of police involvement in crime.
Recently, an ex-police officer was arrested for allegedly taking part in an attempted robbery in Wa, the Upper West capital.
The ex police constable, Ernest Koranteng, was part of a gang of highway robbers who attempted to snatch a motorbike from its owner.
Last week two police officers were part a botched robbery attempt of a GCB Bank Bullion van in the Donkokrom, in the Eastern Region.
The officers were arrested but they escaped, a situation that kickstarted clashes between unhappy residents and police force.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), John Kudalor, ordered the withdrawal of his men the from the town following the clashes.
-myjoyonline


Three unnamed police officers at the East Legon Police station in Accra have been implicated a $160, 000 gold scam being investigated by the Police Intelligence


The acting chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddy Blay, on Sunday urged Christians at the Muzama Disco Christo Church to at least continue praying for President John Mahama till after the elections, by which time he would have been defeated and kicked out of office.
According for him, praying for the president would help him steer the affairs of the country with wisdom. Let us pray for the incumbent president that God would give him wisdom to rule this country till we say good bye to him on 7th December,” he noted
He entreated Christians to also pray for the country's judges to master confidence as they go about their work without fear or favour.
He also urged them to pray for the Electoral Commission in order for them to act appropriately to ensure a free and fair election.
He said praying for the Electoral Commission, judges and the president's exit would help Ghana to be peaceful prosperous when Nana Akufo -Addo takes office in 2017.
“I know the Musama church is a benevolent church since my childhood days. I want you to continue helping Ghanaians from this hunger and crisis that we are facing as a nation as we prepare to go to the polls in December. Pray that the election would be peaceful. Pray for the EC and the judges to work without fear or favour. We need peace before, during and after the elections” he noted.
He was addressing a congregation of the Muzama Disco Christo Church on their peace festival celebration at Gomoa Eshiem in the Central Region.
The NPP's Parliamentary Candidate for the Gomoa West constituency, lawyer Kojo Kom Abban on his part, said a Nana Akufo-Addo administration would need the support of Christians to make Ghana better.
“We in the NPP believe in prayers and are ready to work church leaders when voted to lead this country. Nana Akuffo Addo would lead Ghana to the promise land when we all pray for his victory in 2016,” he stated.
The head pastor of the Muzama Disco Christo church, MocknajeEba Jehu-Appiah Akaboha IV, in his sermon, prayed for a peaceful election and wished the party the best of luck in the elections.
In attendance were the NPP's National Campaign Chairman Peter Mark Manu, supported by Central Regional executives of the party.
– citifmonline

Pray For Mahama Till He Exits In December Freddie Blay To Christians


The acting chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddy Blay, on Sunday urged Christians at the Muzama Disco Christo Church to at least continue


SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Twelve South Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery by Japan’s military in World War II have sued the Seoul government over a deal it reached with Tokyo to pay the victims, saying it doesn’t go far enough to establish Japan’s responsibility.
The plaintiffs are each seeking 100 million ($90,000) from the South Korean government, which they say failed to hold the Japanese government legally responsible when it agreed to the settlement in December, a spokesman from the Seoul Central District Court said Wednesday. He didn’t want to be named, citing office rules.
The lawsuit was submitted days after South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said surviving victims will each be eligible to receive around 100 million won from a foundation that will be funded by the Japanese government. The ministry said the families of deceased victims will receive about 20 million won ($18,000), and added it expects the Japanese government to soon transfer a promised 1 billion yen ($9.9 million) to the Seoul-based foundation launched in July.
Many in South Korea believe the Seoul government settled for far too less in the sex slave deal and that Japan still hasn’t acknowledged legal responsibility for atrocities during its colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. Several South Korean victims, including at least six of the plaintiffs who sued the South Korean government, said through local media they will reject payments offered from the foundation.
Under the December agreement, which was described by both governments as “irreversible,” Japan pledged to fund the foundation to help support the victims. However, Japan said it didn’t consider the 1 billion yen it promised to the fund as compensation, saying such issues were settled in a 1965 treaty that restored diplomatic ties and was accompanied by more than $800 million in economic aid and loans from Tokyo to Seoul.
South Korea, in exchange, vowed to refrain from criticizing Japan over the issue and will try to resolve a Japanese grievance over a statue of a girl representing victims of sexual slavery that sits in front of the Japanese Embassy in downtown Seoul.
Historians say tens of thousands of women from around Asia, many of them Korean, were sent to front-line military brothels to provide sex to Japanese soldiers. At the time of the sex slave deal, Seoul said there were 46 surviving South Korean victims.

Ex-wartime sex slaves sue South Korea over deal with Japan


There is nothing quite as comforting right now as a small, traditional Canadian political scandal.
In case you missed this one, here’s a quick summary: Health Minister Jane Philpott has been using a pricey car service to get around town.
Not only is the service expensive (It uses Lexuses! Lexi? Luxury cars, anyway.) it is owned by a Liberal supporter. So money was flowing directly from the government to someone who contributed to help getting Philpott elected.
Shades of expensive orange juice!
There will now be recriminations. Money will be paid back (including for the Air Canada executive lounge membership Philpott also billed to the government) and statements of regret will be read and there will be promises to never, ever do this kind of thing again.
What’s comforting about this particular scandal?
Well there’s its relatively small nature. While we can’t have our politicians running around living in luxury at public expense, at least so far the luxury has only extended to four figures. It could have been much worse.
Consider the UK’s expenses scandal of not too long ago. The amounts were higher, the number of MPs involved was sizable.
There was also a degree of shamelessness that you wouldn’t think to associate with the Brits. One MP simply billed for “moat cleaning” and got away with it for years.
But it’s comforting on another level.
It’s familiar and understandable.
It’s wrong, of course, but it’s not hard to imagine ourselves, given access to an essentially blank cheque for travel going a bit bonkers. Even if you wouldn’t, you know friends or family who would be tempted. Fly in coach or upgrade to business class where there are fewer shrieking babies and your knees can move more than 0.7 degrees?
Finally, it seems like a minor problem compared to what most of the rest of the world is going through right now.
Brazil is dealing with a crisis that has unseated its prime minister along with broad corruption. Britain has no idea how to handle Brexit. The United States election… well, the less said, the better.
We have a lot of serious problems here in Canada, and we also have to deal with petty spending scandals when they crop up among our parliamentarians. But it could be worse. Just remember that it could be much, much worse.

Painful Truth: The comfort of small scandals


In 1953, when Roy Baker of Troy was an education major at Union College in Kentucky, he wasn’t as concerned about avoiding the draft as he might have been. His grades were six-tenths of 1 percent below the cutoff, so there was no student deferment for him.
His attitude, however, of being drafted as the Korean War was coming to a close caused no alarm: “I was ready to go, didn’t fuss with ‘em, packed my bags and took off to Fort Knox.”
His elementary school and high school years had been spent at the Oneida Baptist Institute , so during basic training Baker reports, “I heard words I’d never heard before – from the drill sergeant . He was demanding, goaded us, but it was worth it.
“I was smart enough not to volunteer to be a truck driver because they end up pushing a wheelbarrow, but I did volunteer for office work ‘cause I’d had typing in high school and college. I was a pretty good typist.”
After eight weeks at Fort Knox, Baker was shipped to Furth, Germany, as a member of Company K, 39th Infantry Regiment. Korea had signed the truce 30 days before he left for Germany. His unit, however, was on alert, standing ready to hold back the Russians if in their greed for more of Germany after World War II, they had their sights set on West Germany. In terms of the particulars of that possible conflict, Baker says, “It wasn’t into my thinking. That was above my pay grade. I just knew we had to hold the line. We went on maneuvers every day where we played like we were going to war- and we were ready to go if we were needed.”
Baker had never been to Western Europe before and with his conservative background, he was “shocked at seeing Black men with white German girls.” He loved the landscape, at least as much as he was able to see from the back of a tandem truck, but he used the extensive German rail system to travel to winter resort places when he was on leave. And he learned enough German to get by: to order food, to greet Germans, and to get to places he needed to get to.
A plus in his military service was a relationship with an avid tennis player, the manager of the NCO club at Furth, who watched him playing basketball on the company team and determined that he was a natural athlete. He felt Baker needed to add tennis to his array of athletic skills, so he took him to his home and , as Baker says, “treated me like his son.”
Of the Korean War, Baker says, “South Korea came back stronger than it was. I try not to think about North Korea. It’s a threat, ready to pop open. I can’t predict, but Kim Jong-Un presents tremendous danger. He’s going to let something off and start World War III. Russia and China are pulling the strings on North Korea, and I say let the two of them settle it. If we do get in a war, we ought not to do it piecemeal. We need to stay in until we get it finished.”
When Baker returned to Fort Knox after his deployment to Germany, his time was up in the regular Army and he served for six years in the Army Reserves. He headed off to Eastern Kentucky University to earn his undergraduate and graduate degrees. One year he lived in the same dorm at Eastern as did his father, Preston Baker, a teacher and principal in Clay County, Kentucky, for 50 years. Father and son graduated together in 1961: Preston with his B. S. and Don with his M.A.
Baker’s first teaching job was in Clay County, Ky., “up a holler at a two-room school called Bright Shade. I taught a total of 25 students in grades 5, 6, 7, and 8.” His pay for the year was $2,600, so when Tipp City School District was searching for teachers at EKU, Baker readily accepted the offer of $4,050.
Baker worked for 11 years in Tipp City as a teacher and principal, enjoying each of the 800 students and working well with the faculty. Until his last two years as principal when he had a secretary, he had no support staff in the school except students who would come in by the hour and help with some of the paperwork.
So he went into business for himself.
This is one more story about a period in American military history, the Korean War Era.
http://dailycall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Blevins_Vivian_cmyk-2.jpg
Vivian Blevins Contributing Columnist
Vivian Blevins is a consultant for the Training Solutions Group Inc. who teaches courses in writing and literature for major telecom company employees. Reach her at (937) 778-3815 or [email protected]
Vivian Blevins is a consultant for the Training Solutions Group Inc. who teaches courses in writing and literature for major telecom company employees. Reach her at (937) 778-3815 or [email protected]


BIRMINGHAM Bears captain Ian Bell has signed for Australian Big Bash team Perth Scorchers to play in the 2016/17 competition, which gets underway in December.
The Scorchers are the most successful team in the history of the Big Bash – winning in 2013/14 and 2014/15 and runners-up in the two preceding years – with Bell joining them for all group games and the potential knock-out stages.
Ian Bell said: “The Scorchers have been a force in every season of the Big Bash and I’m really excited about joining up with the team in December and making in The Furnace my home ground.
“I’ve spent a good amount of time in Perth on tours with England, but also playing grade cricket for the University of Western Australia during the early part of my career.
“It’s a fantastic city and I’m looking forward to returning with my family and hopefully playing a key role for the Scorchers in BBL6.”
Bell, 34, was the top scorer for Birmingham Bears in this year’s NatWest T20 Blast with 489 runs in 13 innings at an average of 40.75.
He registered five half centuries in the group stages, with a best of 80 against Notts Outlaws at Edgbaston in July.
In 2015 he became only the third Englishman to have won five Ashes series and has won 118 Test, 161 One-Day International and eight International T20 caps to date.
Justin Langer, Head Coach of Perth Scorchers, said: “It’s exciting to be able to add a player of Ian’s top-level experience and quality to our squad.
“With 22 Test centuries and a One-Day International average close to 40, he’ll bolster our batting options.
“He’s played at the international level for more than decade so brings experience and leadership having captained his county side Warwickshire and the Birmingham Bears. We’re delighted to have him on board.”

Bears skipper Bell signs for Perth Scorchers


A red traffic light stands in front of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington September 30, 2013. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan
WASHINGTON Last year 35,092 people died in traffic crashes in the United States, a 7.2 percent year-on-year increase that runs counter to a five-decade trend of declining fatalities, the U.S. Transportation Department said.
U.S. officials said lower gasoline prices combined with job growth increased the number of miles driven last year by the highest rate in nearly 25 years. Distracted driving was cited in about a tenth of traffic fatalities in 2015, the U.S. DOT said.
Data "showed traffic deaths rising across nearly every segment of the population," the department said in a statement.
The number of fatalities was near preliminary estimates issued nearly two months ago.
The last time U.S. traffic fatalities rose at a greater rate was in 1966, when they went up 8.1 percent. That was two years before the federal government required seat belts in cars.
While the number of fatalities rose in 2015, driving is far safer now in the United States than it was in the past. In 1966, the fatality rate - measured as deaths per miles driven - was five times higher than today. In that year, nearly 51,000 people were killed on U.S. roads.
Almost half of passenger vehicle occupants killed last year were not wearing safety belts, although the belts are standard equipment in all cars and required to be worn in some U.S. states, the DOT said.
“Solving this problem will take teamwork, so we’re issuing a call to action and asking researchers, safety experts, data scientists, and the public to analyze the fatality data and help find ways to prevent these tragedies," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
Almost one in three fatalities involved drunk drivers or speeding, the DOT said.
The number of vehicle miles traveled in the United States rose 3.5 percent in 2015 from a year earlier, the DOT said.
In 2005, U.S. traffic deaths were 22 percent higher, at 42,708.
(Reporting by Mohammad Zargham in Washington and Bernie Woodall in Detroit; Editing by Chris Reese and Steve Orlofsky)

U.S. traffic deaths rose 7.2 percent in 2015: Transportation Dept.


Last year 35,092 people died in traffic crashes in the United States, a 7.2 percent year-on-year increase that runs counter to a five-decade trend of declining fatalities, the U.S. Transportation Department said.


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


BEIJING An American businesswoman held in China since March last year has been charged with spying, China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, the latest development in a case that has added to U.S.-China tension.
Sandy Phan-Gillis, from Houston, Texas, who has Chinese ancestry and is a naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested in March 2015 and had been held without charges since then.
"Based on our understanding, Phan-Gillis, because of her suspected crimes of espionage, has been charged according to law by the relevant Chinese department," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters at a regular briefing.
"China is a country ruled by law. The relevant Chinese department will handle the case strictly according to law," she said, without elaborating.
It is unclear what violations the charge covers.
The government has chided the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for saying her detention violated international human rights norms.
The U.S. State Department has urged China to resolve the case "expeditiously".
The charge comes amid heightened tension in U.S.-China relations, dogged by issues from differences over territorial disputes in the South China Sea to the sentencing in the United States of a Chinese national for conspiracy to hack sensitive military information.
The Chinese man, Su Bin, 51, was jailed for 46 months in July after pleading guilty to conspiring to hack into the computer networks of major U.S. defense contractors.
U.S. President Barack Obama will arrive in China on Saturday for a G20 summit in the city of Hangzhou.
Phan-Gillis had said in a letter transcribed by a U.S. consular official in China that her detention was because of politics and not for any crime.
She visited China on a trade delegation from Houston and was detained while attempting to cross from the southern city of Zhuhai to Macau. Her husband, Jeff Gillis, has said she is not a spy or a thief.
China's state secret law is extremely broad, encompassing everything from industrial data to top leaders' birthdays. Information can also be declared a state secret retroactively.
There is no independent oversight of China's law enforcement authorities or courts, which answer to the ruling Communist Party.
(Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Robert Birsel)


An American businesswoman held in China since March last year has been charged with spying, China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, the latest development in a case that has added to U.S.-China tension.


Sir Sean Connery turned 86 earlier this week ... here are 23 facts you might not know about the former 007 actor
1. Despite being known as Sean, the actor’s first name is Thomas, and he was referred to as Tommy in his youth.
2. His first job was as a milkman with the St Cuthbert’s Co-Operative Society in Edinburgh.
3. Sir Sean worked as a coffin polisher before going into acting.
4. He reportedly placed third in the Mr Universe contest in 1953 although there is some dispute over whether he finished third in the Junior class, or failed to place in the ‘Tall Man’ classification.
5. He turned out for Edinburgh junior side Bonnyrigg Rose in his youth.
6. He has a tattoo reading ‘Scotland forever’ which he got at the age of 16 when he enrolled in the Royal Navy.
7. Connery attended dancing lessons for 11 years under the tutelage of Swedish dance Yat Malmgren.
8. He donated his $250,000 salary from his role as King Richard in 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves to charity.
9. His film production company, Fountainbridge Films, is named after the area of Edinburgh where he was born and grew up.
10. Following his discharge from the Merchant Navy due to stomach ulcers, he worked as a nude model for art students in Edinburgh
11. He received the Freedom of Edinburgh in 1991.
12. He turned down an offer to portray Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings series claiming he couldn’t understand the novels and wasn’t keen on filming in New Zealand for 18 months.
13. His favourite Bond film is From Russia with Love, as confirmed to ABC News in 2002.
14. Connery turned down the chance to play the role of the Architect in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. The role eventually went to Helmut Bakaitis.
15. Bond author Ian Fleming was initially against the idea of the ‘unrefined’ Scots actor portraying 007, and was said to favour Cary Grant. But he later changed his mind admitting Connery was ‘ideal’ for the role after seeing his performance in Dr No - and adapted future novels to give Bond a Scots background.
16. Sir Matt Busby is said to have offered Connery a contract at Manchester United in the early 1950s, but Connery turned it down, believing that there was more career longevity in acting than football.
17. He met fellow actor Michael Caine in 1954, during a party for the King’s Theatre production of South Pacific. The pair have remained friends ever since.
18. He was once stopped by a policeman for speeding. The cop’s name? Sergeant James Bond.
19. During his time as a milkman, he delivered milk to Fettes School in Edinburgh - the same school attended by James Bond in Fleming’s novels, following his expulsion from Eton.
20. Connery was considered for a cameo in 2012 Bond movie ‘Skyfall’, but director Sam Mendes and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli felt it would be ‘too distracting’ for the audience. Albert Finney was selected instead.
21. Steven Seagal once broke Connery’s wrist in a martial arts lesson during filming for Never Say Never Again.
22. Connery was asked to portray King Edward I in Braveheart, but was too busy working on Just Cause. Patrick McGoohan took the role instead.
23. His 93rd and last film was 2003’s The League of Extraordinary Gentleman - although he officially retired in 2006.

23 things you didn’t know about Sir Sean Connery


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THE PLAINS, Ohio — The perfect start continues.
The Gallia Academy volleyball team won all three of its matches at the Athens Invitational on Saturday, defeating Circleville, Waterford and Miami Trace to move to 4-0 on the year.
The Blue Angels’ began the day facing the team that eliminated them from the 2015 postseason, the Lady Tigers of Circleville. GAHS defeated CHS 25-19 in the opening game, but the Lady Tigers answered with a 25-17 victory in the second game. Gallia Academy took the deciding third game by a 25-17 count, earning a bit of revenge over Circleville.
GAHS faced Waterford next, and disposed of the reigning three-time Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division champion by consecutive counts of 25-14.
In the final tilt of the quad-match, GAHS was matched up with Miami Trace, and the Blue Angels topped the Lady Panthers by scores of 25-17 and 25-18.
For the quad-match, GAHS senior Carly Shriver led the Blue Angels with 25 service points, followed by Ashton Webb and Jenna Meadows with 19 each. Ryleigh Caldwell posted 13 service points, Alex Barnes added nine, while Grace Martin had seven and Brooke Pasquale finished with one.
Grace Martin led the Blue and White at the net with 21 kills and eight blocks, while Webb added 16 kills and four blocks. Meadows finished with 13 kills, Barnes chipped in with 10 kills and one block, while Caldwell had nine kills and one block. Rounding out the Blue Angels’ net attack were Shriver with five kills and Hunter Copley with one.
Shriver also had a team-high in assists, with 47 for the day, while Peri Martin was next with 16. Meadows led the Blue Angel defense 31 digs, followed by Webb and Pasquale with 25 each, and Grace Martin with 21.
GAHS resumes Ohio Valley Conference play on Tuesday, when Fairland visits Centenary.
In the other matches from the quad, Circleville defeated both MTHS and WHS 2-0, while the Lady Panthers claimed a 2-1 victory over Waterford.
In the tri-match at the Athens Invitational, Eastern fell to both Huntington Ross and the host Lady Bulldogs. The Lady Eagles are now 2-2 on the year.
Alex Hawley can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2100.
Gallia Academy sophomore Ashton Webb (11) attempts a spike in front of senior teammates Carly Shriver (20) and Brooke Pasquale (10) during the Blue Angels’ OVC victory over Chesapeake, on Thursday in Centenary. http://mydailysentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.30-GA-Webb.jpg Gallia Academy sophomore Ashton Webb (11) attempts a spike in front of senior teammates Carly Shriver (20) and Brooke Pasquale (10) during the Blue Angels’ OVC victory over Chesapeake, on Thursday in Centenary. Alex Hawley/OVP Sports

Blue Angels win Athens Invitational quad-match


THE PLAINS, Ohio — The perfect start continues.
The Gallia Academy volleyball team won all three of its matches at the Athens Invitational on Saturday, defeating Circleville, Waterford and Miami Trace to move to 4-0 on the year.
The Blue Angels’ began the day facing the team that eliminated them from the 2015 postseason, the Lady Tigers of Circleville. GAHS defeated CHS 25-19 in the opening game, but the Lady Tigers answered with a 25-17 victory in the second game. Gallia Academy took the deciding third game by a 25-17 count, earning a bit of revenge over Circleville.
GAHS faced Waterford next, and disposed of the reigning three-time Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division champion by consecutive counts of 25-14.
In the final tilt of the quad-match, GAHS was matched up with Miami Trace, and the Blue Angels topped the Lady Panthers by scores of 25-17 and 25-18.
For the quad-match, GAHS senior Carly Shriver led the Blue Angels with 25 service points, followed by Ashton Webb and Jenna Meadows with 19 each. Ryleigh Caldwell posted 13 service points, Alex Barnes added nine, while Grace Martin had seven and Brooke Pasquale finished with one.
Grace Martin led the Blue and White at the net with 21 kills and eight blocks, while Webb added 16 kills and four blocks. Meadows finished with 13 kills, Barnes chipped in with 10 kills and one block, while Caldwell had nine kills and one block. Rounding out the Blue Angels’ net attack were Shriver with five kills and Hunter Copley with one.
Shriver also had a team-high in assists, with 47 for the day, while Peri Martin was next with 16. Meadows led the Blue Angel defense 31 digs, followed by Webb and Pasquale with 25 each, and Grace Martin with 21.
GAHS resumes Ohio Valley Conference play on Tuesday, when Fairland visits Centenary.
In the other matches from the quad, Circleville defeated both MTHS and WHS 2-0, while the Lady Panthers claimed a 2-1 victory over Waterford.
In the tri-match at the Athens Invitational, Eastern fell to both Huntington Ross and the host Lady Bulldogs. The Lady Eagles are now 2-2 on the year.
Alex Hawley can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2100.
Gallia Academy sophomore Ashton Webb (11) attempts a spike in front of senior teammates Carly Shriver (20) and Brooke Pasquale (10) during the Blue Angels’ OVC victory over Chesapeake, on Thursday in Centenary. http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.30-GA-Webb.jpg Gallia Academy sophomore Ashton Webb (11) attempts a spike in front of senior teammates Carly Shriver (20) and Brooke Pasquale (10) during the Blue Angels’ OVC victory over Chesapeake, on Thursday in Centenary. Alex Hawley/OVP Sports


(Repeats to fix formatting. No changes to text)
By Carl O'Donnell and Lauren Hirsch
Aug 26 One day after a short seller claimed that St. Jude Medical Inc's heart implants are vulnerable to deadly cyber attacks, investors appear most concerned about whether the accusation will derail St. Jude's $24 billion planned deal for Abbott Labs to buy it.
St. Jude's stock at one point fell around 3 percent on Friday, though it ended the day slightly up, following a drop of around 5 percent on Thursday after Muddy Waters Capital leveled the accusation against St. Jude. The stock continues to trade well below its price on Wednesday of around $82 per share.
St. Jude called the allegations "false and misleading."
St. Jude in April agreed to sell itself to Abbott, and the deal was widely considered a slam dunk before the cyber security concerns were raised.
"It's hard to imagine that this could scuttle the deal," said one investor, who asked to remain anonymous because he wasn't authorized to speak with the press. "But there are a few paths that could lead to problems."
Abbott could decide to back out of the St. Jude deal or push for a lower valuation "if they were to conclude remediation steps must be taken with St. Jude's technology," Jason Mills, an analyst at Canaccord Genuity, said in a note.
One concern being voiced is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could demand a full-scale product recall, which in turn could trigger a "material adverse change" clause in St. Jude's merger agreement.
That would give Abbott the ability to walk away from the deal, according to investors and analysts interviewed by Reuters.
If the deal were called off due to an adverse event, St. Jude would probably fall below the approximately $60 per share that it was trading at before the Abbott deal was announced, investors said.
A forced recall, though, is unlikely, according to Mills. The FDA issued its first guidance on managing cybersecurity in medical devices only eight months ago, and is still seen primarily as playing an advisory role in the area.
The more likely solution to any concerns about cyber security would be a software update, which is relatively inexpensive, said another investor, who asked not to be named because he wasn't authorized to speak with the press. (Reporting by Carl O'Donnell in New York; Additional reporting by Mike Erman in New York; Editing by Eric Effron and James Dalgleish)

RPT-Whiplashed investors stay skittish about St. Jude


One day after a short seller claimed thatSt. Jude Medical Inc's heart implants are vulnerable todeadly cyber attacks, investors appear most concerned aboutwhether the accusation will derail St. Jude's $24 billionplanned deal for Abbott Labs to buy it.


Brackley Town maintained their encouraging start to the Vanarama National League North campaign with a 1-1 draw at Gainsborough Trinity on Monday.
Steve Diggin’s 14th minute goal was cancelled out by the home side just before the half hour mark and, try as they might, neither side did enough to find the winner.
Diggin’s first goal of the season was created by Ellis Myles’ driven cross, athletically struck on the half volley. Keeper Jonathan Hedge failed to deal with it under Lee Ndlovu’s muscular threat and the ball ran through to Diggin who unerringly found the gap between defender and post from ten yards with a crisp finish.
Either side of the goal Saints appeared in complete control of the game and so it was against the run of play that Jarman fired the 27th minute equaliser in off the post as Saints failed to clear Trinity’s first corner of the game.
Both sides used second half substitutions to good effect injecting fresh legs on a hot afternoon but the defences were on top. Trinity replacement Gavin Rothery’s header grazed the outside of his own post from Glenn Walker’s corner in the closest effort on goal in a frustrating second period.
Matt Lowe’s far post header from another corner was off target and Lee Ldlovu could not convert a good opportunity after a defensive error provided a sighting on goal.
After the opening phase Saints did not match the intensity of play achieved in recent games but nevertheless accrued another away point to keep the points tally ticking over.

Diggin delivers as Saints maintain encouraging start


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MASON, W.Va. — They aren’t unwanted guests when they are invited by the host.
Point Pleasant ended up spoiling a regularly scheduled Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division golf match Monday night with a 28-stroke victory in a quad match held at Riverside Golf Course in Mason County.
The Black Knights were invited by host Wahama to play along in a league tri-match against both Eastern and South Gallia, but PPHS dominated the event after posting the top five scores en route to winning tally of 163.
Eastern ended up second in the quad match with a 191, while Wahama posted a 225 for third place and SGHS did not have a team score with only two participants. In TVC Hocking play, Eastern finished the night 1-0, the White Falcons were .500 at 1-1 and SGHS ended the evening with an 0-1 mark.
Point Pleasant senior Doug Workman won medalist honors with an even par round of 35, while teammate Colby Martin was the runner-up with a 40. Matt Martin and Bryce Tayengco rounded out the winning quad tally with respective efforts of 43 and 45.
Dylan Tayengco shot a 45 for the Black Knights also Haley Pierson also carded a 53 for the victors.
In the actual TVC Hocking match, John Little came away with medalist honors with a 10-over par round of 45. Teammate Kaleb Honaker and South Gallia’s Curtis Haner shared runner-up honors with identical efforts of 46.
Ryan Harbour and John Harris completed the Eagles’ winning total with respective rounds of 47 and 53. Nick Durst and Garrett Chalfant also fired efforts of 56 and 65.
Anthony Ortiz led Wahama with a 51, followed by Walker Stanhope with a 55 and Gage Smith with a 59. Jace Heckaman rounded out the WHS tally with a 60, while Kaleigh Stewart and Caitlyn Harrison added respective rounds of 67 and 70.
Besides the effort by Haner, SGHS also received a 66 from Bryce Nolan.
Bryan Walters can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2101.
Eastern junior Kaleb Honaker sinks a putt on the second hole during Monday night’s TVC Hocking golf match at Riverside Golf Course in Mason, W.Va. http://mydailysentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.31-EHS-Honaker.jpg Eastern junior Kaleb Honaker sinks a putt on the second hole during Monday night’s TVC Hocking golf match at Riverside Golf Course in Mason, W.Va. Bryan Walters/OVP Sports


Charlie Manuel has accomplished a lot in his baseball career, but the World Series-winning manager has his sights on one more championship -- in Japan.
Long before he managed the Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies, whom he led to the 2008 World Series championship, Manuel was a star in Nippon Professional Baseball. Manuel played here for six years, won the 1978 Japan Series with the Central League's Yakult Swallows and was the Pacific League's MVP the next year with the Kintetsu Buffaloes, with whom he played in two straight Japan Series.
Currently a senior advisor with the Phillies, the 72-year-old Manuel travels around, evaluating all the team's players and their top amateur draft candidates. But he is eager to get back on the field and in uniform.

FEATURE: World Series-winning manager Manuel eager for NPB return


Police avert a showdown by denying permission for open debate on alleged corruption in pushkaram works
: Palnadu region, once a hotbed of faction politics, simmered with tension on Monday after MLAs belonging to the Telugu Desam and the YSR Congress braced up for a public debate on allegations of corruption during Krishna Pushkarams.
With TDP MLA from Gurazala Y. Srinivasa Rao accepting a challenge thrown at him by Macherla MLA Pinneli Ramakrishna Reddy for an open debate on the premises of Agricultural Market Yard at Dachepalli, prohibitory orders were clamped in Dachepalli-Nadikudi, Piduguralla and other towns by the Guntur Rural police who were on the edge throughout the day.
Superintendent of Police, Guntur Rural, K. Narayan rushed to Dachepalli and monitored the situation.
“We have denied permission for any open debate. If they want to have a debate, let them have it in a TV studio,’’ Mr. Narayan said. Both the MLAs have been placed under house arrest and many other leaders have been taken into preventive custody. Shops and other commercial establishments remained closed.
Police had to use mild force to disperse followers of Piduguralla and Dachepalli ZPTC members who broke off the police cordon at Dachepalli. DSP, Gurazala, Nageswara Rao said that cases under Sections 356, 324 IPC have been registered.
It began with Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy alleging that large-scale corruption had taken place during the execution of civil works in Krishna Pushkaras and challenged Mr. Srinivasa Rao to face a CBI inquiry. Further, he also accused the ruling party of seeking to derive political mileage by painting all the ghats yellow and vowed that he would never take a dip in those ghats. True to his word, Mr. Reddy took a holy dip at a ghat in Nalgonda district.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao retorted by saying that he would face an inquiry and accepted the challenge for an open debate scheduled for Monday.
“I have never shied away from any challenge by the Opposition. Lakhs of people had a holy dip in the ghats developed in Palnadu and this is making the YRSC nervous. Mr. Reddy had gone to Telangana to take a dip and now to divert public criticism, he has started levelling baseless allegations against me,’’ said Mr. Srinivasa Rao.

Gurazala, Macherla MLAs put under house arrest


: Palnadu region, once a hotbed of faction politics, simmered with tension on Monday after MLAs belonging to the Telugu Desam and the YSR Congress braced up for a public debate on allegations of corru


Jennifer Lopez has broken her silence following her breakup from Casper Smart with a cryptic photo from the set of Shades of Blue.
The singer and actress starts in the ABC cop drama, and she shared a snap of herself in costume as she posed in front of a piece of street art in New York City.
The telling graffiti by anonymous artist UncuttArt featured the words 'PROTECT YO' HEART', while the design featured the shape with spikes coming out of it.
It comes as it seems J-Lo and her man are reportedly back on friendly terms following their recent breakup after five years together.
The 47-year-old singer and the 29-year-old dancer - who have been together since 2011, despite a brief separation in 2014 - called time on their romance, and while their relationship is now "amicable", it's still not clear if a reunion is on the cards.
According to TMZ, Casper is keen to rekindle their romance after their most recent fight, but J-Lo is said to be adamant this is the end for the couple.
WireImage Jennifer Lopez Casper Smart at the premiere of The Perfect Match
A source previously told PEOPLE: "Jennifer and Casper have split. They have not been together for a few weeks. It wasn't anything dramatic and they were on good terms – it just came to a natural end.
"They will remain friends and they see each other, but they are not together. It was very amiable."
Sources close to Casper told TMZ that the break-up hasn't happened but others have told the gossip website the relationship is over.
In 2014, the pair were reported to have split but some sources claimed they were actually spending time at Jennifer's house when they were supposed to have separated.
WireImage Source close to Casper have denied it
The pair were seen at her Las Vegas show a few weeks ago.
Jennifer - who has eight-year-old twins Max and Emme with her ex-husband Marc Anthony - first got together with Casper when he was a back-up dancer on her tour in 2011.
The star has previously admitted her divorce from Marc in 2014 was the "biggest disappointment" of her life.
FameFlynet The couple have reportedly ended their relationship
She said: "It was devastating and awful. I think both Marc and I thought at the time we would be together for the next 40 years until we die."
It was the biggest disappointment of my life so far. [But] I felt like at that time I had lost my way a little bit, of who I was in trying to make the marriage work.
"I had been married twice before and I didn't want this to be a failure ... I just put all my heart and soul into that and forgot who I was as an individual a little bit."

Jennifer Lopez breaks silence after Casper Smart split and says 'protect your heart'


The singer shared the cryptic message on Instagram as she posed in costume on the set of Shades of Blue


CENTENARY, Ohio — It’s always important to set the tone early.
The Gallia Academy volleyball team started fast and claimed a 3-0 victory over Ohio Valley Conference guest Fairland, on Tuesday night in Gallia County.
The Blue Angels (5-0, 2-0 OVC) charged out to a 10-1 lead in the opening game and never looked back, rolling to the 25-7 victory, while keeping Fairland (1-3, 1-1) from recording a single service point.
The Lady Dragons gained a little momentum in the second game and played right with the Blue Angels, exchanging the lead four times within the first 15 points scored. However, GAHS took the lead at 9-8 and never relinquished it, cruising to a 25-17 win.
“We have to work on coming out with the same level of intensity,” third-year GAHS head coach Janice Rosier said. “When we win big and then come out in the second set, we tend to drop our intensity a little bit. We’re working on fixing that.”
In the third game, Fairland never led but was able to hang close to the Blue Angels for the earlier part of the game, trailing by just two (11-9) after 20 points played. Gallia Academy ended the third game with a 14-5 run, capping off the 25-14 victory and the 3-0 match win.
“Our serves were really good tonight, for the most part,” Rosier said. “We started from the serving line and we got (Fairland) out of system. Once we got them out of system, our girls converted.”
Leading the GAHS service attack was Jenna Meadows, with 14 points and five aces. Ashton Webb marked 13 points with eight aces, Carly Shriver added 12 points and four aces, while Alex Barnes finished with five points and three aces. Ryleigh Caldwell recorded four service points in the win, while Peri Martin had two points, both of which came on aces.
At the net, GAHS was led by Webb with eight kills, followed by Grace Martin with seven kills and one block. Meadows had six kills, Caldwell and Barnes each chipped in with four, while Hunter Copley marked one kill in the victory. Shriver had a game-high 20 assists, while Webb marked a team-best 20 digs.
Fairland’s service attack was led by Emily Chapman with five points, followed by Nicole Wagner and Bailey Roland with three each. Taylor Webb and Jenna Stone each marked one point in the setback.
GAHS will have back-to-back road games next, visiting Rock Hill on Thursday and River Valley on Saturday.
“We’re going to practice hard tomorrow,” Rosier said. “We’re just trying to improve. We are without our senior Hannah McCormick right now, she’s out with an injury. We’re trying to see what lineup works without her and figure it out until she can get back in.”
The Blue Angels will clash with the Lady Dragons again on September 27, at FHS.
Alex Hawley can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2100
Gallia Academy senior Jenna Meadows (24) spikes the ball over Fairland’s Bailey Roland (11) during the Blue Angels’ 3-0 victory, on Tuesday night in Centenary. http://mydailyregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_9.1-GA-Meadows.jpg Gallia Academy senior Jenna Meadows (24) spikes the ball over Fairland’s Bailey Roland (11) during the Blue Angels’ 3-0 victory, on Tuesday night in Centenary. Alex Hawley/OVP Sports


CENTENARY, Ohio — It’s always important to set the tone early.
The Gallia Academy volleyball team started fast and claimed a 3-0 victory over Ohio Valley Conference guest Fairland, on Tuesday night in Gallia County.
The Blue Angels (5-0, 2-0 OVC) charged out to a 10-1 lead in the opening game and never looked back, rolling to the 25-7 victory, while keeping Fairland (1-3, 1-1) from recording a single service point.
The Lady Dragons gained a little momentum in the second game and played right with the Blue Angels, exchanging the lead four times within the first 15 points scored. However, GAHS took the lead at 9-8 and never relinquished it, cruising to a 25-17 win.
“We have to work on coming out with the same level of intensity,” third-year GAHS head coach Janice Rosier said. “When we win big and then come out in the second set, we tend to drop our intensity a little bit. We’re working on fixing that.”
In the third game, Fairland never led but was able to hang close to the Blue Angels for the earlier part of the game, trailing by just two (11-9) after 20 points played. Gallia Academy ended the third game with a 14-5 run, capping off the 25-14 victory and the 3-0 match win.
“Our serves were really good tonight, for the most part,” Rosier said. “We started from the serving line and we got (Fairland) out of system. Once we got them out of system, our girls converted.”
Leading the GAHS service attack was Jenna Meadows, with 14 points and five aces. Ashton Webb marked 13 points with eight aces, Carly Shriver added 12 points and four aces, while Alex Barnes finished with five points and three aces. Ryleigh Caldwell recorded four service points in the win, while Peri Martin had two points, both of which came on aces.
At the net, GAHS was led by Webb with eight kills, followed by Grace Martin with seven kills and one block. Meadows had six kills, Caldwell and Barnes each chipped in with four, while Hunter Copley marked one kill in the victory. Shriver had a game-high 20 assists, while Webb marked a team-best 20 digs.
Fairland’s service attack was led by Emily Chapman with five points, followed by Nicole Wagner and Bailey Roland with three each. Taylor Webb and Jenna Stone each marked one point in the setback.
GAHS will have back-to-back road games next, visiting Rock Hill on Thursday and River Valley on Saturday.
“We’re going to practice hard tomorrow,” Rosier said. “We’re just trying to improve. We are without our senior Hannah McCormick right now, she’s out with an injury. We’re trying to see what lineup works without her and figure it out until she can get back in.”
The Blue Angels will clash with the Lady Dragons again on September 27, at FHS.
Alex Hawley can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2100
Gallia Academy senior Jenna Meadows (24) spikes the ball over Fairland’s Bailey Roland (11) during the Blue Angels’ 3-0 victory, on Tuesday night in Centenary. http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_9.1-GA-Meadows.jpg Gallia Academy senior Jenna Meadows (24) spikes the ball over Fairland’s Bailey Roland (11) during the Blue Angels’ 3-0 victory, on Tuesday night in Centenary. Alex Hawley/OVP Sports


WASHINGTON In a foreign policy speech meant to reach out to Republican and independent voters, Democratic President Hillary Clinton on Wednesday will argue for a robust commitment to U.S. leadership in the world and tout the idea of "American exceptionalism."
A Clinton aide said she would contrast her foreign policy approach with that of Republican Donald Trump, who puts the emphasis on what he calls an "America first" vision that includes a crackdown on illegal immigration and opposition to multinational trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Clinton, a former secretary of state, plans to appear at 12:30 EDT (1630 GMT) at a convention of the American Legion veterans' group in Cincinnati.
"In her remarks to the American Legion, Hillary Clinton will make the case for American exceptionalism and call for maintaining America's military and diplomatic leadership in the world," the Clinton campaign aide said.
"She will argue for maintaining America's strong commitment to the alliances that keep us safe, the values that make us great, and the men and women in uniform who represent the best of our country," the aide added.
In a comment that has sparked criticism from many Republicans, Trump has called the U.S.-led NATO military alliance obsolete although he has since pledged to work with NATO to defeat Islamic State.
Clinton, who will face Trump in the Nov. 8 U.S. election, has racked up endorsements from a number of prominent Republicans, including Brent Scowcroft, a national security adviser to two Republican presidents and Richard Armitage, a deputy secretary of state under George W. Bush.
Clinton will appear with James Clad, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense under Bush. Clad will announce his endorsement of Clinton at the Cincinnati event, according to the Clinton aide.
In an effort to bolster his own foreign policy credentials, Trump announced on Wednesday he will travel to Mexico to meet President Enrique Pena Nieto.
The use of the phrase "American exceptionalism" is an attempt to court Republican voters who not only are wary of Trump but also some who differ with Obama’s foreign policy.
In a comment that was heavily criticized by Republicans, Obama was asked at an April 2009 news conference if he believed in "American exceptionalism." He said he did believe in it "just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism."
He has since unequivocally embraced American exceptionalism but Republicans have used the 2009 comment to hammer what they see as a foreign policy approach that is overly deferential to U.S. allies and multinational institutions.
In a statement endorsing Clinton, Clad echoed the Democratic candidate's criticism that Trump, a New York businessman with no experience in government, as lacking the temperament and judgment to serve as commander-in-chief.
"In razor sharp contrast to her opponent, Secretary Clinton is ready, steady and prepared," Clad said in a statement released by the Clinton campaign.
(Reporting By Caren Bohan; Editing by Richard Balmforth)

Courting Republicans, Clinton to tout 'American exceptionalism'


In a foreign policy speech meant to reach out to Republican and independent voters, Democratic President Hillary Clinton on Wednesday will argue for a robust commitment to U.S. leadership in the world and tout the idea of "American exceptionalism."


Last updated on: August 26, 2016 20:09 IST
An Indian man who is serving a three-year sentence in Pakistan for illegally entering the country faces "threats" to his life in prison, Pakistan Human Rights Commission has said and asked the government to ensure his safety.
Hamid Nehal Ansari, 31, a Mumbai resident, was convicted in February in Kohat, a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
Ansari went missing in Pakistan in 2012 where he had allegedly gone to meet a girl he had befriended on the Internet, authorities last month admitted that he has been in army custody and facing a trial in military courts.
"The former, a young Indian engineer, illegally entered Pakistan because he wanted to help an internet friend, a young girl, and was arrested in 2012. The authorities denied any knowledge of him for a long time and eventually disclosed that he was tried by a military court and sentenced to three years' imprisonment," HRCP Secretary General I A Rehman said.
He said the Peshawar high court is hearing his petition for the inclusion of the pre-trial period of detention in Ansari's imprisonment term, but now concern has been raised about "threats" to his life in prison.
"The government must ensure his safety and it will be proper to start preparing for Ansari's repatriation to India," he said.
According to the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, 56 cases of enforced disappearances occurred in January this year, 66 in February, 44 in March, 99 in April, 91 in May, 60 in June and 94 in July. That is, 510 cases in the last seven months, or an average of 72.86 cases per month.
In reference to the report the commission said, "No review of disappearances can be complete without taking notice of the plight of Hamid Ansari..."
The commission has said although many more instances of enforced disappearance are not reported, the number of cases received by the commission is high enough for the government to abandon its complacency.
"The government of Pakistan should take a fresh look at the problem that has caused endless agony to thousands of families over the last many years," Rehman said, adding the government cannot pretend to be ignorant of the fact that enforced disappearances is still a major human rights issue in Pakistan and that a thorough reappraisal of the efforts to solve it is overdue.
The commission has also decided some 480 cases this year. Of them 111 were dropped for not being enforced disappearances and 372 persons were traced - 189 persons said to have returned home on their own.
The commission however does not tell where these people were during the period they could not be traced by their families.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan had issued instructions for such people to be interviewed so that those responsible for their disappearance could be identified and punished.

Pak HRC asks government to ensure safety of Indian prisoner


An Indian man who is serving a three-year sentence in Pakistan for illegally entering the country faces 'threats' to his life in prison, Pakistan Human Rights Commission has said and asked the government to ensure his safety. | Pak HRC asks government to ensure safety of Indian prisoner


ISTANBUL (AP) — The Latest on developments in the Syrian conflict, following Ankara’s incursion into the war-torn state last week (all times local):
7:55 p.m.
A senior U.S. military commander says the United States has made it clear to all of its partners fighting the Islamic State — including Turkey and the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters — that they must keep their focus on IS and stop fighting each other.
Gen. Joseph Votel, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday that he is working to prevent such clashes.
In recent days, Turkish forces have attacked Syrian Kurds aligned with the U.S., saying they had failed to move east of the Euphrates Rivers. Votel said the Kurds have now lived up to their commitment to move east, suggesting the threat perceived by the Turks has been alleviated.
___
7:10 p.m.
Kurdish officials are saying that Syrian Kurdish fighters and the Turkish military have agreed on a temporary cease-fire in the volatile northern Syrian region, near the town of Jarablus.
Shervan Darwish, a spokesman for a branch of the predominantly-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces in northern Syria, says the Jarablus branch of the SDF agreed to the cease-fire with the Turkish military on Tuesday.
There was no immediate confirmation from Turkey.
Polat Can, a Kurdish representative to the international coalition fighting the Islamic State group, said on Twitter that the U.S.-led coalition would oversee the cease-fire with the Jarablus Military Council.
He described the agreement as “provisional.”
The U.S. is backing both Kurdish fighters and Turkey in the multilayered Syrian war, even as the two sides have exchanged fire inside northern Syria over the past three days.
___
6:10 p.m.
Pressure is building for the United Nations to condemn Syria over the use of chemical weapons in the country’s civil war, now in its sixth year.
The Security Council is set to discuss on Tuesday a report by weapons inspectors that found the Syrian government deployed chemical weapons on at least two occasions and is suspected of deploying them in at least three other instances.
Human Rights Watch, in a statement, called on the Security Council to impose sanctions on the Syrian government over the chemical weapons’ use and to refer the case to the International Criminal Court.
The report also found that the Islamic State group, which is already under U.N. sanctions, was behind at least one chemical attack.
___
3:05 p.m.
A spokesman for Kurdish-led forces in Syria is reporting clashes between the fighters and Islamic State militants near the northern town of Manbij, which was until recently held by the extremist group.
Shervan Darwish, a spokesman for the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syria Democratic Forces, says the militants carried out a two-pronged attack on villages south and west of Manbij, using at least three car bombs.
Darwish says the militants took advantage of clashes between Kurdish-led forces and Turkey-backed Syrian rebels advancing from north of Manbij. The Kurdish-led forces, aided by airstrikes from the U.S-led coalition, repelled the attack initially but Darwish says clashes continued on Tuesday.
The Kurdish-led forces seized Manbij from IS earlier this month after a 10-week campaign.
Turkey then sent its troops, aiding Syrian rebels to move in on the next IS-held town, across it borders, prompting clashes between the two U.S.-allies and raising concerns they would distract from the fight against IS.
___
2:20 p.m.
Turkey’s presidential spokesman has called on the U.S. to “revise” its policy of supporting Kurdish forces battling Turkish troops in Syria after Ankara’s incursion last week into the war-torn state.
The comments by Ibrahim Kalin published on Tuesday by the pro-government Daily Sabah came a day after the U.S. urged Turkish troops and Kurdish forces in northern Syria to halt their fighting, saying it hinders efforts to defeat the Islamic State group.
Kalin says that the “Americans should revise their policy of supporting (the Kurdish-led force) at all costs.”
The battle in northern Syria now pits U.S. ally Turkey against the Kurdish-led force — a U.S.-backed proxy that is the most effective ground force battling IS militants in Syria’s 5-year-old civil war.
___
11:30 a.m.
French President Francois Hollande has criticized Turkey’s “contradictory” military intervention in Syria and warned Russia not to become a “protagonist” in the war.
Hollande, in a diplomatic speech Tuesday, said “multiple, contradictory interventions carry the risk of a general inflammation” of the fighting that has devastated the country.
He said he could understand Turkey’s concern about protecting its borders and fighting the Islamic State group, but criticized actions against Kurdish rebels allied with the U.S.-led coalition against the extremists. France is part of that coalition.
Hollande called for cooperation with Russia and said he would invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to France in October, saying Russia should be “a player in negotiations, not a protagonist in the action.”
Hollande said “the absolute urgency is a halt to fighting and a return to negotiations.”

The Latest: US urges Turkey, Syrian Kurds to focus on IS


MIDDLEPORT — News last week of Imperial Electric’s plans to expand its workforce and facilities spread quickly throughout Meigs County and the Ohio Valley.
It even went as far as Capitol Hill.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, visited Imperial Electric Co. in Middleport on Tuesday to highlight the company’s recently announced expansion. During his visit, Brown met with company leadership and workers before taking a tour of the plant.
*** To watch video of Brown visit’s to Imperial Electric, click here.***
Last week, Nidec Corp., Imperial Electric’s parent company, announced a $3.2 million investment in the Middleport plant to keep the facility open and to update aging equipment.
“Nidec’s decision to expand Imperial Electric’s Middleport operations is a direct reflection of the strength of its Ohio-based workforce,” Brown said. “I’m committed to expanding public-private partnerships throughout the state that create opportunities for increased investment in manufacturing and in workers.”
Imperial Electric manufactures elevator engines and other products used by the elevator industry.
Mark Venoy, plant manager of the Middleport facility, said the company has already begun its expansion by adding 18 new employees.
“At this time, we’ve more than doubled our employment here,” he said. “Most of those new employees have already been brought on board and training is ongoing.”
Venoy also said local contractors and services will begin working on the physical aspects of the facility. He added that the expansion of both jobs and facilities have provided a boost to the morale of the workforce.
“The facility was an older facility and needed some attention,” he said. “(Nidec) plans to do some physical things to the facility, such as a new roof, paint and lighting, which will spruce up the place a lot. We have a lot of longtime employees here, those who have been with us 30 to 40 years. They’ve seen what’s happened here and it’s definitely improved morale.”
Pradeep Sood, president of Nidec Corp.’s elevator and drive systems business platform, said the company is happy with its $3.2 million investment.
“We’re already seeing benefits of our strategy to modernize the Middleport facility, taking advantage of its central location and highly skilled workforce,” he said.
Brown said it’s important for elected leaders to support local manufacturing jobs because it leads to increased wealth for its workers, which then spreads to the local economy and beyond.
“(Imperial Electric) makes a lot of products and this company hires a lot of workers,” Brown said. “For every manufacturing job in Meigs County, there are other jobs that are supported by it or that it supports in the whole supply chain. The local restaurants and the local hardware store all do better because people here are making a good wage. That’s why manufacturing is so important to our state.”
In 2012, after Nidec Corp. acquired Imperial Electric, questions reportedly arose as to the value of investing in an outdated facility in southeastern Ohio — one that required a major overhaul in terms of equipment so that it could keep pace with the expanding elevator industry.
Brown said he has been a strong supporter of American manufacturing. He authored the Revitalizing American Manufacturing and Innovation (RAMI) Act, which was signed into law in December 2014. The bill created a national network of manufacturing innovation made up of advanced manufacturing hubs to bring together industry, universities and community colleges, federal agencies, and all levels of government to leverage resources and spur innovation.
Brown’s office also hosts a series of manufacturing camps each summer to get a new generation of Ohioans interested in manufacturing jobs.
“I’m hopeful for the future because of some potential expansion (at Imperial Electric),” he said. “One of my jobs representing Ohio in the U.S. Senate is to help companies expand, find markets, deal with rules and regulations and train their workforce at community colleges … whatever it takes.”
Venoy said he’s been delighted with the job expansion and looks forward to the planned improvements to the Middleport facility.
“We definitely want to be a part of bringing manufacturing jobs to southeastern Ohio, especially Meigs County,” he said. “We’re really excited for what the future holds for us.”
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, listens to Meigs County community leaders and business owners during a roundtable discussion Tuesday at Imperial Electric in Middleport. http://mydailysentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Brown.jpg U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, listens to Meigs County community leaders and business owners during a roundtable discussion Tuesday at Imperial Electric in Middleport. Michael Johnson | Ohio Valley Publishing U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, seated at the top, talks about Imperial Electric’s plans to add jobs and upgrade its equipment during a roundtable discussion Tuesday at the plant in Middleport. Seated (from left of Brown) is Middleport Mayor Sandy Iannarelli; David Morgan, IBEW International representative for District 4; Debra Mullens, production control employee at Imperial Electric; Brian Dingey, manufactured motor production employee; Perry Varnadoe, Meigs County Economic Development; Mark Venoy, plant manager; Tim King, owner of King Ace Hardware; Jenny Donahue, of Sen. Brown’s office; and Randy Smith, Meigs County commissioner. http://mydailysentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_Roundtable.jpg U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, seated at the top, talks about Imperial Electric’s plans to add jobs and upgrade its equipment during a roundtable discussion Tuesday at the plant in Middleport. Seated (from left of Brown) is Middleport Mayor Sandy Iannarelli; David Morgan, IBEW International representative for District 4; Debra Mullens, production control employee at Imperial Electric; Brian Dingey, manufactured motor production employee; Perry Varnadoe, Meigs County Economic Development; Mark Venoy, plant manager; Tim King, owner of King Ace Hardware; Jenny Donahue, of Sen. Brown’s office; and Randy Smith, Meigs County commissioner. Michael Johnson | Ohio Valley Publishing

Senator lauds Imperial Electric expansion