BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — In a 14-hour session that was less electric than expected, Brazil’s suspended president proclaimed her innocence at her impeachment trial Monday, branding her vice president a “usurper,” calling the drive to oust her a “coup” and warning senators that history will judge them harshly if they oust a democratically elected leader on false charges.
Dilma Rousseff’s much anticipated appearance before senators who will decide as early as Tuesday whether to permanently remove her from office was characterized by the same defiance she has shown throughout an impeachment process that has divided Latin America’s most populous nation. But it was also more civil than the three previous impeachment trial sessions, when lawmakers from both sides got into heated exchanges.
“I know I will be judged, but my conscience is clear. I did not commit a crime,” Rousseff told senators who listened intently, in contrast to the chamber’s usual raucousness.
She also pleaded with all 81 senators to keep her on the job in her closing remarks. “I need all of you, regardless of political parties,” she said. The response of the lawmakers was tepid.
In the middle of her second term, the left-leaning leader has been accused of breaking fiscal rules in 2015 to hide problems in the federal budget. She has denied any wrongdoing.
Rousseff reminded those in attendance that she was re-elected in 2014 with more than 54 million votes, asserting that at every moment since she has followed the constitution and sought to do what was best for Brazil.
Brazil’s first female president is a former guerrilla fighter who was jailed and tortured during the country’s dictatorship, and Rousseff drew a connection between her past and the situation today.
“I can’t help but taste the bitterness of injustice,” she said.
During her 30-minute opening speech, Rousseff argued that in early 2015 opposition lawmakers began creating a climate of instability by refusing to negotiate and throwing what she called “fiscal bombs” in the face of the government’s declining revenues as the once booming economy continued its slump.
She said the impeachment process had exacerbated the recession in Latin America’s largest economy, and she blamed the opposition, which has argued that she has to be removed for the financial climate to improve.
Rousseff blasted interim President Michel Temer as a “usurper.” Her vice president turned arch-enemy, Temer took over when the Senate voted in May to impeach and suspend Rousseff for up to 180 days while a trial was prepared. He will serve out Rousseff’s term until December 2018 if she is removed, but still faces risks of having his mandate cancelled at Brazil’s top electoral court.
Referring to Temer, Rousseff said Brazilians would never have elected a man who named a Cabinet of all white men in a country that is more than 50 percent non-white. The Cabinet that Temer put in place has been roundly criticized for its lack of diversity, and three of his ministers were forced to step down within a month of taking office because of corruption allegations.
Rousseff asserted she paid a price for refusing to quash a wide-ranging police investigation into the state oil company Petrobras, saying corrupt lawmakers conspired to oust her to derail the investigation into billions in kickbacks at the oil giant.
The investigation has led to the jailing of top businessmen and politicians, including in her Workers’ Party. But they have plenty of company: Watchdog groups estimate 60 percent of the 594 lawmakers in both chambers are being investigated for wrongdoing, many for corruption related to the Petrobras probe.
Rousseff said it was “an irony of history” that she would be judged for crimes she did not commit, by people who were accused of serious crimes.
“I ask that you be just with an honest president,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. Her voice also changed when she made a reference to “the betrayal, the verbal insults and the violence of the prejudice” that she says she has endured.
Watching the proceedings, Rousseff’s mentor and predecessor as president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is himself under investigation and will later this year stand trial for alleged obstruction of justice in the Petrobras probe, said his protegee “said what she had to say.”
After Rousseff’s speech, more than 50 senators from both the opposition and her bloc of supporters began questioning her. Her appearance is to be followed by a Senate vote on whether to remove her permanently from the presidency, expected as early as Tuesday, possibly going into Wednesday.
For Rousseff to be removed, at least 54 of the 81 senators must vote in favor. Counts by local media say at least 52 senators will vote for removal, while 18 are opposed and 11 have not said one way or another. In May, the same body voted 55-22 to impeach and suspend her.
As questioning of the suspended leader wore on, only a few senators were paying attention to Rousseff’s answers, which tended to be lengthy.
Rousseff’s appearance came on the fourth day of a trial that has seen name-calling, shouting and a declaration by Senate President Renan Calheiros that “stupidity is limitless.”
The process began late last year, with the Chamber of Deputies approving impeachment charges in April and the Senate in May.
The drama has consumed Brazil, with the proceedings continuing even during the Aug. 5-21 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. On Monday, several hundred supporters demonstrated outside Congress, cheering when Rousseff arrived. A huge wall was erected to separate her supporters and pro-impeachment activists.
In Sao Paulo, another protest that was blocking one of the city’s main arteries was scattered by police using stun grenades.
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Associated Press writer Mauricio Savarese reported this story in Brasilia and AP writer Peter Prengaman reported from Rio de Janeiro.
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Mauricio Savarese on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MSavarese
Peter Prengaman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/peterprengaman
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This story has been corrected to show that the Senate voted 55-22 to suspend the president in May.

Brazil’s president proclaims innocence at impeachment trial


RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian officials say an Irish businessman arrested at the beginning of the Rio Games in a ticket-scalping probe has been released on bail.
Rio’s department of penitentiaries said on Sunday that Kevin Mallon left the Bangu prison complex late Saturday on condition that he doesn’t leave Brazil.
Investigators are still building a case against Mallon that also involves the president of the Olympic Council of Ireland, Patrick Hickey. The 71-year-old OCI leader was arrested on Aug. 17 in his hotel room.
Mallon is the head of the British ticket and hospitality provider THG Sports. He was arrested with hundreds of tickets, including some that were officially allocated to Ireland’s committee.
Police believe sports executives and businessmen plotted to transfer the tickets illegally and set high fees disguised as hospitality packages.

Irishman in Rio Games ticket-scalping probe released on bail


LEXINGTON, Miss. (AP) — A man has been arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in connection with the deaths of two nuns who were slain in Mississippi, police said.
Rodney Earl Sanders, 46, of Kosciusko, was charged in the deaths of Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill, both 68, Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain said in a statement released late Friday night.
Their bodies were discovered Thursday after they failed to show up for work at a clinic in Lexington, Mississippi, about 10 miles from where they lived.
“Sanders was developed as a person of interest early on in the investigation,” Lt. Colonel Jimmy Jordan said in the statement.
Sanders was being held in an undisclosed detention center awaiting his initial court appearance.
Meanwhile, in the poverty-stricken Mississippi county where the two nuns were slain, forgiveness for their killer is hard to find, even if forgiveness is what the victims would have wanted.
Sisters Margaret Held and Paula Merrill were nurse practitioners who dedicated their lives to providing health care to people in the poorest county in the state. And as authorities sought the killer, many residents wondered how they will fill the hole the women’s deaths have left.
“Right now, I don’t see no forgiveness on my heart,” said Joe Morgan Jr., a 58-year-old former factory worker who has diabetes and was a patient of Merrill’s at the clinic where the two nuns worked.
He said Merrill would want him to forgive whoever killed the women, but he hopes the perpetrator is arrested, convicted and executed.
“She doesn’t deserve to die like this, doing God’s work,” Morgan said, shaking his head. “There’s something wrong with the world.”
Both women worked Man, 46, faces 2 at the clinic, where they gave flu shots, dispensed insulin and provided other medical care for children and adults who couldn’t afford it.
Their stolen car was found abandoned a mile from their home, and there were signs of a break-in, but police haven’t disclosed a motive.
Authorities have not said how the women were killed, but the Rev. Greg Plata of St. Thomas Catholic Church in Lexington, where the nuns had led Bible study for years, said police told him they were stabbed.
The state posted a reward of $20,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Plata said both nuns’ religious communities have asked that people pray for the killer or killers. Asked about people’s struggles to forgive, the priest said: “Forgiveness is at the heart of being a Christian. Look at Jesus on the cross: ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.'”
On Friday, a handwritten sign on the front door of Lexington Medical Clinic said it was closed until Monday.
The clinic and the nuns’ home in Durant are in Holmes County, population 18,000. With 44 percent of its residents living in poverty, Holmes is the seventh-poorest county in America, according to the Census Bureau.
The slayings did more than shock people and plunge the county into mourning. They leave a gaping hole in what was already a strapped health care system.
Dr. Elias Abboud, who worked with the sisters for years and helped build the clinic, said it provided about 25 percent of all medical care in the county.
The two nuns cultivated relationships with drug company representatives, who often left extra free samples, according to clinic manager Lisa Dew.
“This is a poor area, and they dignified those who are poor with outreach and respect for them,” Plata said. “They treated each person as a child of God.”
Merrill’s sister Rosemarie, speaking by telephone from her Stoneham, Massachusetts, home, said her sister had been in Mississippi helping the poor since 1981 and had previously worked in Holly Springs, where she used to ride around on a moped and was instrumental in locating the source of a tuberculosis outbreak.
Merrill was raised in the suburbs of Boston and came from a working-class family, her father a laborer and her mother a bookkeeper, her nephew David said. He said his aunt had worked with Held for many years.
“We always considered Margaret just part of the family,” he said. “The word ‘sister’ has many meanings, and they fulfilled all of them.”
Rosemarie Merrill said she doesn’t know what will happen to the clinic now and worries about the effect on health care in Holmes County. She said her sister and Held would often go into the clinic on Sundays after Mass or on their days off.
“It’s just going to be a disaster,” she said.
Genette Pierce, who works at a home health and hospice business a few doors down from the clinic, said: “Their patients — all of them — they’re going to be lost without them right now.”
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Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana in New Orleans contributed to this report.

Man faces 2 capital murder charges in Mississippi nun deaths


WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump isn’t making it easy for top supporters and advisers, from his running mate on down, to defend him or explain some campaign positions.
Across the Sunday news shows, a parade of Trump stand-ins, led by vice presidential nominee Mike Pence, couldn’t say whether Trump was sticking with or changing a central promise to boot the roughly 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally, with the help of a “deportation force.”
And they didn’t bother defending his response Saturday to the killing of a mother as she walked her baby on a Chicago street.
Pence and other Trump surrogates insisted the GOP presidential nominee has been “absolutely consistent” on his immigration policy and in coming weeks will outline more details that line up with his principles of tightening U.S. laws in a “humane” way.
Asked whether the “deportation force” proposal Trump laid out in November is still in place, Pence replied: “Well, what you heard him describe there, in his usual plainspoken, American way, was a mechanism, not a policy.”
The Indiana governor said the main tenets of Trump’s immigration plan will include building a wall along the southern U.S. border and making Mexico pay for it, no path to legalization or citizenship for people here illegally and stronger border enforcement. Pence also did not answer whether the campaign believes, as Trump has said, that children born to people who are in the U.S. illegally are not U.S. citizens.
“The whole question of anchor babies, as it’s known, the whole question of citizenship, of natural-born Americans is a subject for the future,” Pence said.
Native-born children of immigrants, even those living illegally in the U.S., have been automatically considered American citizens since the adoption of the 14th Amendment in 1868.
Trump has focused lately on deporting people who are in the U.S. illegally and who have committed crimes. But who Trump considers a criminal remained unclear Sunday.
“Those are the things that Donald Trump is going to answer. And this is not a simple question,” said Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman who’s had a difficult relationship with Trump.
Pressed on the question, Priebus replied: “I just don’t speak for Donald Trump.”
Trump’s campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, said the candidate has said that people who want to be in the U.S. legally must apply through legal means.
“We all learned in kindergarten to stand in line and wait our turn, and he is not talking about a deportation force,” she said. “But he is talking about being fair and humane, but also being fair to the American workers competing for jobs.”
Other Trump stand-ins, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, spoke similarly, a striking indication that even they don’t know the answer to such a critical question just as Trump has promised to streamline the campaign for the grueling final stretch.
Recent polls indicate Clinton is ahead in some of the most competitive and pivotal states. The first presidential debate is set for Sept. 26.
Trump in recent days has suggested he might be “softening” on the deportation force and that he might be open to allowing at least some immigrants in the country illegally to stay, as long as they pay taxes.
But by Thursday, he was ruling out any kind of legal status — “unless they leave the country and come back,” he told CNN.
His surrogates on Sunday refused to comment on Trump’s reaction to the fatal shooting of NBA star Dwyane Wade’s cousin Friday, as she pushed her baby in a stroller in Chicago.
Trump’s first tweet about the shooting ended this way: “Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!”
A few hours later, he followed up with a tweet offering condolences to Wade and his family. “They are in my thoughts and prayers.”
Asked whether the initial tweet was presidential or appropriate, GOP officials and campaign advisers instead talked about reducing crime or said they were pleased Trump followed up with a tweet of condolence and empathy.
Christie said the media “focus on process … instead of the message.” He said the killing of someone pushing a stroller “is unacceptable in an American city” and that “the level of violence in Chicago is unacceptable.”
Pence appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Priebus was on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Christie was interviewed on ABC’s “This Week” and Conway was on Fox and CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
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Follow Laurie Kellman on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/APLaurieKellman
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What political news is the world searching for on Google and talking about on Twitter? Find out via AP’s Election Buzz interactive. http://elections.ap.org/buzz

Trump stand-ins struggle to speak for and defend nominee


SKOKIE, Ill. (AP) — A new teacher who made a music video to welcome his students has become a bit of a star with his fourth-graders.
Dwayne Reed’s video was posted on YouTube this week and has already been viewed more than a half-million times and earned him an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
The 25-year-old Reed just began teaching at Stenson Elementary School in the Chicago suburb of Skokie.
In his video, Reed wears a lab coat and sings, “Welcome to the fourth grade. So happy to meet you. Can’t wait till I see you.”
Reed says he wants his students to know they are important and loved and that they can be leaders.
He says students love the video and even introduced themselves to him using his lyrics.

Welcome to the fourth grade: Teacher’s rap targets students


SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — Three former Salvadoran military officers who Spanish courts wanted to put on trial for their alleged roles in the killing of six Jesuit priests were freed from prison late Friday after the Supreme Court denied their extradition, their lawyers said.
The court had decided to deny their extradition earlier this month, but they were not freed until Friday.
Lawyer Carlos Guzman Segovia criticized the court for the delay and warned of further legal action.
Former sergeants Tomas Zarpate Castillo and Antonio Ramiro Avalos Vargas, as well as Cpl. Angel Perez Vasquez were released. Col. Guillermo Alfredo Benavides remained in custody.
The court decided Benavides should resume serving a 30-year sentence that was imposed in 1991 for his role in the killings, but suspended under a general amnesty in 1993.
They were accused of involvement in the 1989 killing of six priests, five of whom were Spanish, and two of their employees at their residence on the campus of Central American University.
The Spanish court altogether had requested the extradition of 17 former military men. Twelve remain fugitives and the court has not decided on the requests for their extradition. An additional one is in custody in the U.S. awaiting extradition to Spain. The four who were in held in El Salvador were captured in February.
The killings occurred during El Salvador’s civil war.

Lawyers: 3 former Salvadoran military officers released


CHICAGO (AP) — Two brothers have been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of the cousin of NBA star Dwyane Wade as she was walking to register her children for school, Chicago police announced Sunday.
Darwin Sorrells Jr., 26, and Derren Sorrells, 22, also were charged with attempted murder in Friday’s shooting.
Nykea Aldridge, a 32-year-old mother of four, was pushing her baby in a stroller near the school when two men walked up and fired shots at a third man but hit Aldridge in the head and arm. She wasn’t the intended target, Cmdr. Brendan Deenihan said at a news conference Sunday, but rather a driver who had just dropped off passengers in the neighborhood.
There is video of the incident, Dennihan said, but no weapon was recovered and police don’t know where the weapon is.
Chicago has been in the throes of a major uptick in gun violence this year, largely centered in a few South and West Side neighborhoods, after years of seeing declines. This July alone, there were 65 homicides — the most that month since 2006.
Superintendent Eddie Johnson said the suspects are an example of the city’s problem with repeat offenders, which he has spoken about frequently in recent months. Darwin Sorrells was sentenced to six years in prison in January 2013 on a gun charge and was released early on parole, while Derren Sorrells is a known gang member who also was on parole, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.
“They don’t care who they shoot and they don’t fear the consequences,” he said, noting as he has in the past that about 1,400 people are driving 85 percent of the city’s gun violence. He added that the city has gotten very good at predicting who will be the perpetrators and the victims of gun violence.
Wade, whose charitable organization, Wade’s World Foundation, does community outreach in the Chicago area, signed with the Chicago Bulls in July after 13 years with the Miami Heat. He and his mother, pastor Jolinda Wade, participated Thursday via satellite in a town hall meeting in Chicago on gun violence hosted by ESPN.
Wade has reacted to his cousin’s shooting only online, tweeting Friday: “My cousin was killed today in Chicago. Another act of senseless gun violence. 4 kids lost their mom for NO REASON. Unreal. #EnoughIsEnough.”
Wade also tweeted Saturday morning: “The city of Chicago is hurting. We need more help& more hands on deck. Not for me and my family but for the future of our world. The YOUTH!” adding in a following tweet, “These young kids are screaming for help!!! #EnoughIsEnough.”
It is not the first time Dwyane Wade’s family in Chicago has been affected by gun violence. His nephew, Darin Johnson, was shot twice in the leg in 2012 but recovered.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence sidestepped questions Sunday morning on CNN’s “State of the Union” about the flow of guns into Illinois from his state. Chicago police have said a fifth of the guns used in Chicago crimes are from Indiana. When asked about it, the Republican vice presidential candidate instead brought up failing schools in Chicago and his running mate Donald Trump’s pledge to create jobs.

2 Chicago men charged in shooting of NBA star Wade’s cousin


NEW ORLEANS (AP) — U.S. Coast Guard officials say one person has been rescued and crews are searching for two others after a small plane crashed into a lake near a New Orleans airport.
Multiple media reports say Coast Guard personnel responded to the scene Saturday night after the aircraft crashed in the vicinity of the Seabrook Bridge near Lakefront Airport. The airport is located adjacent to Lake Ponchatrain, about 10 miles northeast of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana.
Coast Guard officials say the Cessna training flight crashed about 8:30 p.m.
The person rescued was transferred to a New Orleans hospital in unknown condition.
No further details were immediately available.

1 rescue, water search ongoing after New Orleans plane crash


DURANT, Miss. (AP) — The Latest on the killing of two nuns in Mississippi (all times local):
1:30 a.m.
Authorities say they have charged a 46-year-old man in connection with the deaths of two nuns who were killed in Mississippi.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain said in a statement Friday night that Rodney Earl Sanders of Kosciusko has been charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill, both 68.
Their bodies were discovered Thursday after they failed to show up for work at a clinic in Lexington, Mississippi, about 10 miles from where they lived.
Lt. Colonel Jimmy Jordan says “Sanders was developed as a person of interest early on in the investigation.”
Sanders is being held in an undisclosed detention center awaiting his initial court appearance.
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3:45 p.m.
Services have been scheduled for two nuns who were killed in Mississippi.
The bodies of Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill, both 68, were discovered Thursday after they failed to show up for work at a clinic in Lexington, Mississippi, about 10 miles from where they lived.
The Catholic Diocese of Jackson says a wake will be held Sunday at St. Thomas Church in Lexington. A memorial Mass is scheduled Monday at the Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle in Jackson.
The diocesan chancellor, Mary Woodward, says the memorial service will be “an opportunity for the diocesan community and friends to celebrate the lives of these two remarkable women.”
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3:10 p.m.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has increased the reward by $20,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the deaths of two nuns.
Sister Paula Merrill and Sister Margaret Held were found dead Thursday in their homes in Durant. Authorities have not released a motive or cause of death, but the Rev. Greg Plata said police told him the sisters were stabbed.
The Holmes County Crime Stoppers chapter had initially put up $2,500, so the total reward money is now $22,500.
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2 p.m.
The sister of a nun who was killed in rural Mississippi says her sister was called to “serve the underserved.”
Rosemarie Merrill on Friday described her sister Paula and the second nun who was killed with her, Margaret Held, as generous women who would give you the shirt off their backs.
Both women were found dead Thursday.
Rosemarie Merrill says her sister moved to Mississippi in 1981. For a time when she lived in Holly Springs, Mississippi she would ride around town on a moped. She was instrumental in locating the source of a tuberculosis outbreak in the town while she was there.
The clinic where the women worked served underinsured and uninsured people in the poorest county in the state.
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1:30 p.m.
A minister in Mississippi says a memorial Mass will be held for two Catholic nuns were found slain inside their home.
Father Greg Plata said Friday that the nuns, Sister Paula Merrill and Sister Margaret Held, had led Bible study for years at St. Thomas Catholic Church. He says Held will be buried in Wisconsin and Merrill will be buried at her congregation’s headquarters in Nazareth, Kentucky.
He says the sisters’ work as nurses dignified the poor.
Authorities have not released a motive or cause of death, but Plata said police told him the sisters were stabbed.
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12 p.m.
People in the Mississippi community where two nuns were killed say they are having a hard time finding forgiveness, even though that’s what the sisters would have wanted.
Joe Morgan Jr. says he was a patient of Sister Paula Merrill and last saw her about four months ago.
Morgan went to Lexington Medical Clinic where the sisters worked as nurses on Friday in hopes of talking to grieving staff members, but a handwritten sign in the front door says the clinic is closed until Monday.
Morgan says the nuns would’ve wanted him to forgive whoever killed them, but right now he doesn’t have any forgiveness. Also slain was Sister Margaret Held. Both nuns were 68.
Authorities have not released a motive or cause of death, but the Rev. Greg Plata said police told him the sisters were stabbed.
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9:45 a.m.
Authorities say autopsies are being done on two nuns who were found slain in their Mississippi home.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain said the autopsies would be done Friday on Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill. The women were nurses who were found in their home Thursday when they didn’t show up for work at a clinic that helps poor people.
Authorities have said they found a car that was missing from their home and towed it to a crime lab for analysis. Authorities have not released a motive or cause of death, but the Rev. Greg Plata said police told him the sisters were stabbed.
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3 a.m.
Friends say two nuns who were found slain in their Mississippi home “would do anything for anybody.”
Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill were found dead Thursday morning when they didn’t report to work at the nearby clinic where they provided flu shots, insulin and other medical care for children and adults who couldn’t afford it.
Dr. Elias Abboud, who worked with the sisters for years and helped build the Lexington Medical Clinic, says he’s not sure what will happen to the facility in light of their deaths.
Authorities didn’t release a cause of death, but the Rev. Greg Plata said police told him the nuns were stabbed. Their bodies were taken to a state crime lab for autopsies.

The Latest: Man, 46, charged in deaths of 2 Mississippi nuns


NEW DELHI (AP) — Police in Bangladesh say they have killed three suspected militants, including an alleged masterminds of a major attack on a cafe last month that left 20 people dead.
Top counterterrorism official Monirul Islam said police raided a two-story house in Narayanganj district near Dhaka and killed the suspects early Saturday.
The dead included Tamim Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi-born Canadian, who police believe was one of two masterminds of the attack on a popular restaurant in Dhaka.
Police said they opened fire after the suspects started firing when the raid began.
Bangladesh police have been conducting raids across the country to hunt those behind the attack.

Bangladesh police kill 3, including suspect in Dhaka attack


BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — On what could prove to be her last day as Brazil’s president, Dilma Rousseff mounted a forceful defense of her time leading Latin America’s most populous nation, warning senators that ousting her would hurt a young democracy while defiantly promising to go down fighting in what many see as a losing battle.
Rousseff, who has been suspended since May, delivered a 30-minute address Monday at her impeachment trial in the Senate, then sat for questioning by senators that ran for more than 14 hours, until just before midnight. The Senate was scheduled to begin proceedings for a final vote on whether to remove her permanently Tuesday.
Some exchanges were heated, but most were civil and traversed themes that the country has been wrestling with since an impeachment measure was introduced in the lower House of Deputies late last year, polarizing the nation.
Opposition senators accused Rousseff of breaking fiscal responsibility laws to hide holes in the federal budget, saying that exacerbated a recession that has led to 10 percent inflation and daily announcements of layoffs.
She called that nonsense, contending she broke no laws and noting previous presidents used similar accounting measures. She said she was forced to make tough choices on the budget in the face of declining revenues and a refusal by opponents in Congress to work with her.
If anything, she said, the impeachment process had hurt the economy, placing the blame on the opposition, which has argued that she has to be removed for the financial climate to improve.
“I know I will be judged, but my conscience is clear. I did not commit a crime,” Rousseff told senators, who listened intently in contrast to the chamber’s usual raucousness.
Watching the proceedings, Rousseff’s mentor and predecessor as president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is himself under investigation, said: “She said what she had to say.”
Yet many top leaders, including Silva, have acknowledged that Rousseff’s chances of surviving the Senate’s final vote are slim.
For Rousseff to be removed, at least 54 of the 81 senators need to vote in favor. Counts by local media say 52 senators have said they plan on voting for removal, while 18 are opposed and 11 have not said one way or another. In May, the same body voted 55-22 to impeach and suspend her.
“I need all of you, regardless of political parties,” Rousseff said in her closing remarks to senators, urging them to keep her on the job. Their response was tepid.
Earlier, Rousseff had sharp words for her vice president, Michel Temer, who took over when she was impeached and suspended and will finish her term if the Senate permanently removes her.
She called him a “usurper,” and argued Brazilians would never have elected a man who named a Cabinet of all white men in a country that is more than 50 percent non-white. The Cabinet that Temer put in place in May has been roundly criticized for its lack of diversity, and three of his ministers were forced to step down within a month of taking office because of corruption allegations.
“I’m not sure when, but at some point he began to change,” said Rousseff, who has repeatedly accused Temer of being the ringleader pushing for her ouster.
Temer, who stayed out of sight Monday, issued a statement calling “lies” many of the claims made about him over the last several months. The statement said Temer would not raise the retirement age to 70 or 75, eliminate sick pay or roll back labor laws.
“These and other lies were attributed in an irresponsible and frivolous way to the interim government,” it said.
Temer’s finance minister, Henrique Meirelles, has said his priority is to curb government spending and pass a pension reform.
But Monday was about Rousseff, who often appeared to be holding court, dominating the conversation as she contended that Brazil’s democracy was at stake.
Brazil’s first female president is a former guerrilla fighter who was jailed and tortured during the country’s dictatorship, and she drew a connection between her past and the current situation.
“I can’t help but taste the bitterness of injustice,” Rousseff said of the impeachment effort.
She reminded those in attendance that she was re-elected in 2014, garnering more than 54 million votes, which she says should be not silenced.
Rousseff asserted that impeachment was the price she paid for refusing to quash a wide-ranging police investigation into the state oil company Petrobras, saying that corrupt lawmakers conspired to oust her to derail the investigation into billions in kickbacks at the oil giant.
The investigation has led to the jailing of top businessmen and politicians, including in her Workers’ Party. But they have plenty of company: Watchdog groups estimate 60 percent of the 594 lawmakers in both chambers are being investigated for wrongdoing, many for corruption related to the Petrobras probe.
Rousseff said it was “an irony of history” that she would be judged for crimes she did not commit, by people who were accused of serious crimes.
“I ask that you be just with an honest president,” she said during her initial address, her voice cracking with emotion.
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Associated Press writer Mauricio Savarese reported this story in Brasilia and AP writer Peter Prengaman reported from Rio de Janeiro.
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Mauricio Savarese on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MSavarese
Peter Prengaman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/peterprengaman

Brazil’s Rousseff defends self ahead of Senate’s ouster vote


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


FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — A police official in Sierra Leone says three officers were detained and questioned in connection with the shooting deaths of two demonstrators this month.
Assistant Superintendent Brima Kamara told a radio show on Friday the officers were “under close police watch pending further investigations” of the killings.
Residents of the northern town of Kabala staged a demonstration on Aug. 16 against the relocation of a youth village that was to provide skills training for young people. Police used tear gas and fired live rounds after the demonstration turned violent and several government offices were burned and looted.
A separate protest less than a week later resulted in two more deaths.
The U.S. Embassy on Friday warned U.S. citizens of “the ongoing possibility for spontaneous demonstrations throughout Sierra Leone.”

Sierra Leone: Police officers detained over deadly protests


NEW ORLEANS (AP) — U.S. Coast Guard officials say one person has been rescued and crews are searching for two others after a small plane crashed into a lake near a New Orleans airport.
Multiple media reports say Coast Guard personnel responded to the scene Saturday night after the aircraft crashed in the vicinity of the Seabrook Bridge near New Orleans Lakefront Airport. The airport is located adjacent to Lake Ponchatrain, about 10 miles northeast of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana.
Coast Guard officials say the Cessna training flight crashed into Lake Ponchatrain about 8:30 p.m.
The person rescued was transferred to a New Orleans hospital in unknown condition.
No further details were immediately available.

1 rescued, 2 missing after plane crash in New Orleans lake


CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines (AP) — Muslim extremists supporting the Islamic State group have freed eight fellow militants in a daring attack that also allowed 15 other inmates to escape from a provincial jail in the southern Philippines.
Police say about 20 heavily-armed fighters of the Maute militant group stormed the Lanao del Sur provincial jail in Marawi city before nightfall Saturday, disarmed the guards and rescued their eight comrades, including three women. The attackers also seized two rifles from guards.
Police said Sunday the eight militants were arrested by army troops and police when they were caught with a homemade mortar shell in a van in Lanao del Sur’s Lumbayanague town.
The Maute group is a new band of armed Muslim radicals, who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Filipino militants free 8 comrades, 15 others in jail attack


DURANT, Miss. (AP) — The Latest on the killing of two nuns in Mississippi (all times local):
1:30 a.m.
Authorities say they have charged a 46-year-old man in connection with the killing of two nuns who were killed in Mississippi,
Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain said in a statement Friday night that Rodney Earl Sanders of Kosciusko has been charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill, both 68.
Their bodies were discovered Thursday after they failed to show up for work at a clinic in Lexington, Mississippi, about 10 miles from where they lived.
Lt. Colonel Jimmy Jordan says “Sanders was developed as a person of interest early on in the investigation.”
Sanders is being held in an undisclosed detention center awaiting his initial court appearance.
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3:45 p.m.
Services have been scheduled for two nuns who were killed in Mississippi.
The bodies of Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill, both 68, were discovered Thursday after they failed to show up for work at a clinic in Lexington, Mississippi, about 10 miles from where they lived.
The Catholic Diocese of Jackson says a wake will be held Sunday at St. Thomas Church in Lexington. A memorial Mass is scheduled Monday at the Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle in Jackson.
The diocesan chancellor, Mary Woodward, says the memorial service will be “an opportunity for the diocesan community and friends to celebrate the lives of these two remarkable women.”
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3:10 p.m.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has increased the reward by $20,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the deaths of two nuns.
Sister Paula Merrill and Sister Margaret Held were found dead Thursday in their homes in Durant. Authorities have not released a motive or cause of death, but the Rev. Greg Plata said police told him the sisters were stabbed.
The Holmes County Crime Stoppers chapter had initially put up $2,500, so the total reward money is now $22,500.
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2 p.m.
The sister of a nun who was killed in rural Mississippi says her sister was called to “serve the underserved.”
Rosemarie Merrill on Friday described her sister Paula and the second nun who was killed with her, Margaret Held, as generous women who would give you the shirt off their backs.
Both women were found dead Thursday.
Rosemarie Merrill says her sister moved to Mississippi in 1981. For a time when she lived in Holly Springs, Mississippi she would ride around town on a moped. She was instrumental in locating the source of a tuberculosis outbreak in the town while she was there.
The clinic where the women worked served underinsured and uninsured people in the poorest county in the state.
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1:30 p.m.
A minister in Mississippi says a memorial Mass will be held for two Catholic nuns were found slain inside their home.
Father Greg Plata said Friday that the nuns, Sister Paula Merrill and Sister Margaret Held, had led Bible study for years at St. Thomas Catholic Church. He says Held will be buried in Wisconsin and Merrill will be buried at her congregation’s headquarters in Nazareth, Kentucky.
He says the sisters’ work as nurses dignified the poor.
Authorities have not released a motive or cause of death, but Plata said police told him the sisters were stabbed.
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12 p.m.
People in the Mississippi community where two nuns were killed say they are having a hard time finding forgiveness, even though that’s what the sisters would have wanted.
Joe Morgan Jr. says he was a patient of Sister Paula Merrill and last saw her about four months ago.
Morgan went to Lexington Medical Clinic where the sisters worked as nurses on Friday in hopes of talking to grieving staff members, but a handwritten sign in the front door says the clinic is closed until Monday.
Morgan says the nuns would’ve wanted him to forgive whoever killed them, but right now he doesn’t have any forgiveness. Also slain was Sister Margaret Held. Both nuns were 68.
Authorities have not released a motive or cause of death, but the Rev. Greg Plata said police told him the sisters were stabbed.
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9:45 a.m.
Authorities say autopsies are being done on two nuns who were found slain in their Mississippi home.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain said the autopsies would be done Friday on Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill. The women were nurses who were found in their home Thursday when they didn’t show up for work at a clinic that helps poor people.
Authorities have said they found a car that was missing from their home and towed it to a crime lab for analysis. Authorities have not released a motive or cause of death, but the Rev. Greg Plata said police told him the sisters were stabbed.
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3 a.m.
Friends say two nuns who were found slain in their Mississippi home “would do anything for anybody.”
Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill were found dead Thursday morning when they didn’t report to work at the nearby clinic where they provided flu shots, insulin and other medical care for children and adults who couldn’t afford it.
Dr. Elias Abboud, who worked with the sisters for years and helped build the Lexington Medical Clinic, says he’s not sure what will happen to the facility in light of their deaths.
Authorities didn’t release a cause of death, but the Rev. Greg Plata said police told him the nuns were stabbed. Their bodies were taken to a state crime lab for autopsies.


PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Republican Gov. Paul LePage unleashed an obscene tirade on a Democratic legislator, leaving him a voicemail message that said “I am after you” and telling reporters he wished it were 1825 so he could challenge the lawmaker to a duel and point a gun between his eyes.
The governor later apologized to “the people of Maine” but not to the legislator.
LePage said in the Thursday voicemail that he wanted to talk with Rep. Drew Gattine of Westbrook about the legislator calling him a racist. Gattine has denied calling LePage a racist.
“I want you to prove that I’m a racist,” LePage said, adding that he had spent his life helping black people and calling Gattine a vulgar name related to oral sex. “I want you to record this and make it public because I am after you.”
LePage, who’s white, was accused of making racially insensitive comments Wednesday at a town hall in North Berwick, where he said photos he’s collected in a binder of drug dealers arrested in the state showed that 90 percent of them “are black and Hispanic people from Waterbury, Connecticut; the Bronx; and Brooklyn.” He displayed the binder at a Friday news conference.
The governor issued a public apology to “the people of Maine” on Friday for the vulgarity but said he was right to defend himself against Gattine because he considers being called a racist worse than any insult.
House and Senate Democrats and the Maine Democratic Party on Friday questioned LePage’s capacity to lead. LePage said he would not resign unless several of his political opponents, including Gattine, did as well.
Assistant House Democratic Leader Sara Gideon called for a “political intervention” from members of both parties to either ensure that the governor “gets the help that he needs” or that he’s removed from office.
Gattine said Friday that the governor left him another voicemail Friday morning, asking him to debate him at a town hall meeting next week. Gattine said the governor didn’t apologize.
After leaving the voicemail on Thursday, LePage invited reporters to the governor’s mansion, where he said he wished he and Gattine could face off in a duel.
“When a snot-nosed little guy from Westbrook calls me a racist, now I’d like him to come up here because, tell you right now, I wish it were 1825,” LePage said, according to the Portland Press Herald. “And we would have a duel, that’s how angry I am, and I would not put my gun in the air, I guarantee you, I would not be (Alexander) Hamilton. I would point it right between his eyes because he is a snot-nosed little runt and he has not done a damn thing since he’s been in this Legislature to help move the state forward.”
Police in Westbrook said Friday that they had received a citizen complaint about the voicemail. A police official said the complaint came from someone who didn’t live in the city. It’s unclear if there will be an investigation. Gattine said he didn’t plan to file a police report.
Gattine has clashed with the governor on how to address welfare reform, drug addiction and eligibility for developmental disabilities programs.
Gattine said he wasn’t concerned about his safety, but he called the voicemail a distraction and the latest of LePage’s personal vendettas against lawmakers. Gattine shared the voicemail’s audio with the Press Herald.
“The fact is he sits around fantasizing about having duels with legislators or obsessing over the race of people who are arrested for crimes,” Gattine said.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree said in a statement that it’s “embarrassing” that LePage is contributing to the “steady loss of civility in politics.” Michael Thibodeau, the Republican president of the Maine Senate, also rebuked LePage, saying it “damages our public institutions when inappropriate comments come from either party.”
LePage, in his second and final term as governor, has a history of drawing attention for his blunt remarks. In January, Paul LePage said drug dealers with names like “D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty” are getting Maine’s white girls pregnant. He later apologized, saying he meant to say “Maine women” and not “white women.”
LePage has compared his style to that of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, whom he supports, though he recently said Trump was his third choice for president after Chris Christie and Jeb Bush.
“I was Donald Trump before Donald Trump became popular, so I think I should support him since we’re one of the same cloth,” he told a radio show host in February.
LePage this week called the father of a dead Muslim U.S. Army captain a “con artist” for criticizing Trump. LePage’s daughter Lauren has been hired by Trump and vice presidential candidate Mike Pence to work as the state’s coalitions director.
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Associated Press writers Patrick Whittle and David Sharp in Portland contributed to this report.
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This story has been corrected to show that LePage said he wished it were 1825, not 1812.

Maine governor leaves obscene voicemail on lawmaker’s phone


ASCOLI PICENO, Italy (AP) — Mourners in Italy prayed, hugged, wept and even applauded as coffins carrying victims of the country’s devastating earthquake passed by at a state funeral Saturday, grieving as one nation after three desperate days of trying to save as many people as possible.
In the central town of Ascoli Piceno, they gathered to bid farewell to 35 of the 291 people confirmed dead so far after the quake that struck a swath of countryside early Wednesday at the foothills of the central Apennine mountains.
The caskets of 35 people had been brought to a community gym — one of the few structures in the area still intact and large enough to hold hundreds of mourners. The local bishop, Giovanni D’Ercole, celebrated Mass beneath a crucifix he had retrieved from one of the damaged churches in the picturesque area of medieval stone towns and hamlets.
Emotions that had been dammed up for days broke in a crescendo of grief. One young man wept over a little girl’s white coffin. Another woman gently stroked another small casket. Many mourners were recovering from injuries themselves, some wrapped in bandages. Everywhere people knelt at coffins, tears running down their cheeks, their arms around loved ones.
“It is a great tragedy. There are no words to describe it,” said Gina Razzetti, a resident at the funeral. “Each one of us has our pain inside. We are thinking about the families who lost relatives, who lost their homes, who lost everything.”
As all of Italy observed a day of national mourning, with flags at half-staff, Bishop D’Ercole urged residents to rebuild their communities.
“Don’t be afraid to cry out your suffering — I have seen a lot of this — but please do not lose courage,” D’Ercole said in his homily. “Only together can we rebuild our houses and our churches. Together, above all, we will be able to restore life to our communities.”
President Sergio Mattarella and Premier Matteo Renzi joined grieving family members, stopping to speak to some of them.
When the caskets were brought out of the gym, the mourners applauded, a traditional Italian way of honoring people who die in tragedy.
The bishop recalled the heartbreaking story of 9-year-old Giulia Rinaldo, whose embrace apparently allowed her younger sister Giorgia to survive.
He said 15 hours after the quake struck Wednesday, he returned to the church in Pescara Del Tronto to recover its crucifix. Close by, firefighters were using their hands to dig out the two sisters.
“The older one, Giulia, was sprawled over the smaller one, Giorgia. Giulia, dead, Giorgia, alive. They were in an embrace,” D’Ercole said.
Giulia was among those buried Saturday, while her younger sister had her fourth birthday at a hospital, trying to recover from the traumatizing ordeal.
“The melancholy grabs on to your heart. You feel a sense of weakness, of depression,” said Fiore Ciotto, a resident of Ascoli Piceno who attended the funeral. “An event like this weakens you physically and mentally.”
Across the area, a cool retreat for those seeking to escape Italy’s hot summers, many of the dead were children and elderly people, some of them visiting grandparents before school resumed.
The magnitude 6.2 quake struck at 3:36 a.m. Wednesday and was felt across a broad swath of central Italy, killing at least 291 people and injuring nearly 400. Nobody has been found alive in the ruins since Wednesday, and hopes have nearly vanished of finding any more survivors.
Before Saturday’s mass funeral, the president visited Amatrice, which bore the brunt of destruction with 230 fatalities and a town turned to rubble and dust. Eleven others died in nearby Accumoli and 50 more in Arquata del Tronto, 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Amatrice.
Mattarella arrived by helicopter and was shown the extent of the damage in Amatrice by its mayor, Sergio Pirozzi. The president thanked rescue workers who have been working around the clock, some barely taking breaks for sleeping.
Saturday’s funeral involved most of the dead from Arquata del Tronto.
As deep as their anguish was, Saturday’s mourners at least had coffins with bodies to honor and bury. Many of the dead from Amatrice are now in a refrigerated morgue in an airport hangar in Rieti, the provincial capital that is 65 kilometers (40 miles) away, awaiting identification.
On Tuesday, a memorial service — without the bodies — will be held for the dead of Amatrice on that battered town’s outskirts.
Hundreds of people have been left homeless by the quake, with many spending their nights in tent cities and a gym in Amatrice, where volunteers are working to provide basic amenities.
With families unable to remain in the houses in Amatrice that were damaged but still standing, two persons were detained Saturday for suspected looting, the mayor said.
Overnight, residents were rattled yet again by a series of aftershocks. The strongest, at 4:50 a.m., had a magnitude of 4.2, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, while the Italian geophysics institute measured it at 4.
The Italian institute says the earthquake caused the ground below Accumoli to sink 20 centimeters (8 inches), according to satellite images.
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Gera reported from Rome. Frances D’Emilio contributed reporting from Rieti.
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This story has corrected that the president’s first name is Sergio.

Italy buries quake dead, recalls sisters embracing in rubble


NEW DELHI (AP) — CORRECTS: Bangladesh police kill 3 militants, including suspect behind last month’s Dhaka cafe attack. (Corrects APNewsAlert to show police now say 3 instead of 4 suspects were killed.)


RODANTHE, N.C. (AP) — Beachgoers, boat captains and business owners on North Carolina’s Outer Banks warily eyed a potent tropical weather system Monday that could rain out one of the last busy weeks of the summer.
The first system was expected by forecasters to become a tropical storm before brushing the North Carolina coast Tuesday, bringing heavy rain and high winds to barrier islands popular for serene beaches.
Another tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico could hit northern Florida as a tropical storm later in the week and possibly head toward the Atlantic coast, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. They cautioned that the storm’s exact path remained uncertain days in advance.
Coastal Dare County in North Carolina could face winds of up to 45 mph with higher gusts and heavy rain that could flood low-lying areas from through Wednesday, according to an emergency management news release. To the south, Carteret County officials also warned of flooding and advised residents to monitor forecasts.
A tropical storm warning was issued for areas of the coast from Cape Lookout to the Oregon Inlet along the Outer Banks.
“I would advise everybody to take a look at the weather,” Dare County emergency management director Drew Pearson said when asked whether visitors should keep their travel plans. “They need to make those decisions based on what they see in the weather forecast.”
Tourists sought to take the approaching storm in stride.
Visitor Katherine Vega, 45, of Springhill, Tennessee, said she could handle a day indoors during her vacation. By Monday afternoon, she had already fled the Atlantic’s swelling waves and strengthening currents off Hatteras Island in Buxton.
“We were just knee-deep, and there were a few times where we had to run out because it kept sucking us in,” she said, adding she’d watch movies with her husband until the storm blows through.
“We came from Tennessee,” she said with a shrug. “There are tornado threats over there.”
As of Monday night, the first depression was about 125 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras with top sustained winds of 35 mph and moving to the northwest. It was expected to become a tropical storm by Tuesday but not grow stronger than that, said National Weather Service meteorologist Shane Kearns in eastern North Carolina.
“Anything is possible, but we’re not really seeing any kind of significant strengthening for the storm,” he said in an interview.
The second depression was about 240 miles west of Key West, Florida, with maximum winds of 35 mph. It was moving west, but forecasters expect it could curve back to the northeast in the coming days. Authorities at some locations in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area of Florida were hauling out sandbags Monday to offer residents amid predictions of heavy rains.
On North Carolina’s Outer Banks, business owner Jennifer Scarborough said her biggest concern was that the first storm could saturate the area before another blow by the second storm.
“The second storm is the one I’m more worried about,” she said. “I’m definitely keeping an eye on it and planning accordingly. … If we have a lot of rain in a short amount of time that could be a problem. “
Roads along the thin barrier islands are prone to flooding and damage from erosion, including the two-lane N.C. Highway 12 that is the area’s main north-south artery.
“N.C. 12, our lifeline on Hatteras Island, even in a winter storm has some challenges,” Pearson said.
Scarborough, who manages Hatteras Harbor Marina and owns the Harbor Deli next door, said she’s receiving concerned calls from customers and that some captains are canceling fishing trips for Tuesday and Wednesday. With Labor Day approaching, the week represents one of the last busy stretches of summer for the area.
“It’s definitely making people think twice about coming here,” she said.
In the central Pacific, Hurricane Madeline strengthened Monday into a Category 3 storm about 630 miles (1,015 kilometers) east of Hilo, Hawaii. Top sustained winds reached 115 mph (185 kph) as Madeline moved west-northwest at 10 mph (17 kph). A hurricane watch was posted for Hawaii County and those in the main Hawaiian Islands were urged to monitor the storm’s progress.
Elsewhere in the Pacific, Hurricane Lester became a powerful Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph) while churning west at 14 mph (22 kph) about 1,375 miles (2,210 kilometers) west of the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico. It posed no immediate threat to land.
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Drew reported from Raleigh, North Carolina.

North Carolina warily watching 2 tropical weather systems


NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — About 400 students have returned to Sandy Hook Elementary School for the first time since a shooting rampage there killed 20 first-graders and six educators.
A new 86,000-square-foot school opened Monday in Newtown, Connecticut. It replaces the one torn down after the 2012 shooting.
The $50 million replacement was built on the same property but not in the old footprint.
About 70 current Sandy Hook students attended the old school when the shooting occurred. School officials say about 35 of them were in the building at the time, but none witnessed the shootings. Those students are now fourth-graders.
After the shooting, the students were sent to a school in neighboring Monroe.
The gunman killed his mother before driving to the school, where he killed himself as police arrived.

New school opens at site of Sandy Hook shooting rampage


NEW ORLEANS (AP) — U.S. Coast Guard officials say one person has been rescued and crews are searching for at least one more after a small plane crashed into a lake near a New Orleans airport.
NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune, WWL-TV and WBRZ-TV report that Coast Guard personnel responded to the scene Saturday night after the aircraft crashed in the vicinity of the Seabrook Bridge near Lakefront Airport. The airport is located adjacent to Lake Ponchatrain, about 10 miles northeast of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana.
Coast Guard officials say the Cessna training flight crashed about 8:30 p.m.
The person rescued was transferred to a New Orleans hospital in unknown condition.
No further details were immediately available.

Small plane crashes into lake near New Orleans airport


LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on reports of a shooter and evacuations at Los Angeles airport (all times local):
10:15 p.m.
Police say no gunman has been found and no shots were fired at Los Angeles International Airport after reports of an active shooter brought a scare to hundreds of travelers.
Los Angeles police spokesman Andy Neiman said Sunday night that the reports were spurred by loud noises only, and police are still investigating to find the source of them.
The reports caused people to pour on to sidewalks and out on to the tarmac at the airport.
Later, people could be seen walking back into the airport and flights starting to take off again.
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9:40 p.m.
Police say they are searching the terminals and social media posts show many people fleeing Los Angeles International Airport amid rumors of a possible shooting.
Airport police say they are searching terminals on Sunday night, but there is no confirmation of any shootings or injuries.
Scores of people could be seen on social media and on TV news running from the terminal out on to the sidewalks and streets. Many other evacuees are standing on the airport tarmac.
Airport police say traffic to the terminal area has been closed.

The Latest: Police find no gunman at Los Angeles airport


DURANT, Miss. (AP) — The Latest on the killing of two nuns in Mississippi (all times local):
1:30 a.m.
Authorities say they have charged a 46-year-old man in connection with the killing of two nuns who were killed in Mississippi.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain said in a statement Friday night that Rodney Earl Sanders of Kosciusko has been charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill, both 68.
Their bodies were discovered Thursday after they failed to show up for work at a clinic in Lexington, Mississippi, about 10 miles from where they lived.
Lt. Colonel Jimmy Jordan says “Sanders was developed as a person of interest early on in the investigation.”
Sanders is being held in an undisclosed detention center awaiting his initial court appearance.
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3:45 p.m.
Services have been scheduled for two nuns who were killed in Mississippi.
The bodies of Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill, both 68, were discovered Thursday after they failed to show up for work at a clinic in Lexington, Mississippi, about 10 miles from where they lived.
The Catholic Diocese of Jackson says a wake will be held Sunday at St. Thomas Church in Lexington. A memorial Mass is scheduled Monday at the Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle in Jackson.
The diocesan chancellor, Mary Woodward, says the memorial service will be “an opportunity for the diocesan community and friends to celebrate the lives of these two remarkable women.”
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3:10 p.m.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has increased the reward by $20,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the deaths of two nuns.
Sister Paula Merrill and Sister Margaret Held were found dead Thursday in their homes in Durant. Authorities have not released a motive or cause of death, but the Rev. Greg Plata said police told him the sisters were stabbed.
The Holmes County Crime Stoppers chapter had initially put up $2,500, so the total reward money is now $22,500.
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2 p.m.
The sister of a nun who was killed in rural Mississippi says her sister was called to “serve the underserved.”
Rosemarie Merrill on Friday described her sister Paula and the second nun who was killed with her, Margaret Held, as generous women who would give you the shirt off their backs.
Both women were found dead Thursday.
Rosemarie Merrill says her sister moved to Mississippi in 1981. For a time when she lived in Holly Springs, Mississippi she would ride around town on a moped. She was instrumental in locating the source of a tuberculosis outbreak in the town while she was there.
The clinic where the women worked served underinsured and uninsured people in the poorest county in the state.
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1:30 p.m.
A minister in Mississippi says a memorial Mass will be held for two Catholic nuns were found slain inside their home.
Father Greg Plata said Friday that the nuns, Sister Paula Merrill and Sister Margaret Held, had led Bible study for years at St. Thomas Catholic Church. He says Held will be buried in Wisconsin and Merrill will be buried at her congregation’s headquarters in Nazareth, Kentucky.
He says the sisters’ work as nurses dignified the poor.
Authorities have not released a motive or cause of death, but Plata said police told him the sisters were stabbed.
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12 p.m.
People in the Mississippi community where two nuns were killed say they are having a hard time finding forgiveness, even though that’s what the sisters would have wanted.
Joe Morgan Jr. says he was a patient of Sister Paula Merrill and last saw her about four months ago.
Morgan went to Lexington Medical Clinic where the sisters worked as nurses on Friday in hopes of talking to grieving staff members, but a handwritten sign in the front door says the clinic is closed until Monday.
Morgan says the nuns would’ve wanted him to forgive whoever killed them, but right now he doesn’t have any forgiveness. Also slain was Sister Margaret Held. Both nuns were 68.
Authorities have not released a motive or cause of death, but the Rev. Greg Plata said police told him the sisters were stabbed.
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9:45 a.m.
Authorities say autopsies are being done on two nuns who were found slain in their Mississippi home.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain said the autopsies would be done Friday on Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill. The women were nurses who were found in their home Thursday when they didn’t show up for work at a clinic that helps poor people.
Authorities have said they found a car that was missing from their home and towed it to a crime lab for analysis. Authorities have not released a motive or cause of death, but the Rev. Greg Plata said police told him the sisters were stabbed.
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3 a.m.
Friends say two nuns who were found slain in their Mississippi home “would do anything for anybody.”
Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill were found dead Thursday morning when they didn’t report to work at the nearby clinic where they provided flu shots, insulin and other medical care for children and adults who couldn’t afford it.
Dr. Elias Abboud, who worked with the sisters for years and helped build the Lexington Medical Clinic, says he’s not sure what will happen to the facility in light of their deaths.
Authorities didn’t release a cause of death, but the Rev. Greg Plata said police told him the nuns were stabbed. Their bodies were taken to a state crime lab for autopsies.

The Latest: Man, 46, charged in deaths of 2 Mississippi nuns


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This Week's High School Baseball Tournament Brackets


It happens about as often as an eclipse. OK, maybe that's an exaggeration. In this stat-astic video, see how often a college football team has started the preseason number one and finished the season with a ticker tape parade.

VIDEO - AP poll: the anomaly of starting, finishing No. 1


Friday Night's High School Football Zero Week Scores


Whitesboro Softball Tournament Not Starting until 1 p.m. Saturday


The musical Save The Last Dance For Me is on at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal.
From the team that brought you Dreamboats and Petticoats, the show is a nostalgic, feelgood journey that will transport you to a golden era of music as we follow two sisters through the summer of ‘63.
It features smash hits including the title song, Teenager In Love, Sweets For My Sweet, Can’t Get Used to Losing You and many more, plus a script by Birds Of A Feather writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran.
Call the box office on 0115 9895555.
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The musical Save The Last Dance For Me is on at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal.


All-rounder Shiv Thakor, who has been one of the positives in a disappointing season for Derbyshire, has committed his future to the county by signing a new contract.
But it looks as if he has played his last game of the campaign because of a suspected stress fracture of the back, which will keep him out of the final three County Championship matches.
It is a blow for the 22-year-old, who has signed a new three-year contract that will keep him at Derbyshire until 2019. He has made amends for an underwhelming debut season with the county by displaying the quality that marked him out as a player to watch at his former club, Leicestershire.
He has delivered in all forms of the games, scoring 606 runs, including two centuries, at an average of 68 in nine first-class matches in which he also took 22 wickets at 31 apiece.
Thakor has been listed as one of six standout performers under the age of 23 in the two divisions of the County Championship, so Derbyshire were keen to secure his services on a longer deal.
Said head coach John Sadler: “Shiv is a big player for us across all three formats and someone we can build our team around. He worked extremely hard over the winter and has reaped the rewards this season. He has been brilliant and he is only going to get better and better.
“He’s a young player who is coming of age and to secure his services for the next three years is brilliant for the club.
“Unfortunately, he now has what might be a stress fracture of the back. It looks like he is going to have to spend a bit of time on the sidelines which is a shame because he’s been massive for us this year.”
Derbyshire’s four day captain, Billy Godleman, is another player to signal his commitment to the club by signing a new two-year contract, and the opener is on course to pass 1,000 first-class runs for the second season running.
Godleman scored a century in the second innings of the latest Championship game against Essex, and his tally of 849 runs in ten matches at an average of 47 shows how important he has become after his breakthrough season in 2015.
Sadler said: “Billy has been a rock at the top of the order. He has been a consistent performer over the last few years and continues to improve, both as a cricketer and as a person. He is now an experienced senior player and a leader within the dressing room that the younger players can learn and gain advice from.”

Derbyshire’s standout star Shiv Thakor out for season but signs new contract


All-rounder Shiv Thakor, who has been one of the positives in a disappointing season for Derbyshire, has committed his future to the county by signing a new contract.


September gets under way at The Flowerpot in Derby with a visit to the King Street venue from Kate Bush tribute act Cloudbusting.
Launching the autumn season at the King Street-based venue, Cloudbusting are a group of five talented musicians who love to perform the music of the legendary Kate Bush.
They focus on performing the music exactly to the original to bring all those classic songs to the live stage.
You can expect to hear all the favourites including Running Up That Hill, Wuthering Heights, Babooshka and many more.
Having performed at many venues up and down the country as well as festivals across Europe, they are no strangers to the stage and are receiving huge recognition whereever they have been performing, including the only official Kate Bush fan club.
Then, on Saturday, September 3, the visitors to The Flowerpot will be Skinny Molly.
RAW Promotions are proud to present a band who are currently touring Europe to promote their latest studio album Here For A Good Time.
Featuring the former Lynyrd Skynyrd and Artimus Pyle Band guitarist Mike Estes, Skinny Molly was founded by Estes and Nashville studio drummer Kurt Pietro.
Originally put together to do a one-off tour of Europe in 2004, Skinny Molly has, 12 years later, become one of the hardest working and popular rock bands out of the southern United States.
Solidifying the current line-up in 2008, the band boasts guitarist Jay Johnson (formerly of Blackfoot/Rossington Band), and Grand Ole Opry stalwart bassist Luke Bradshaw.
This line-up has toured relentlessly, their first jaunt found them crossing three continents in 30 days on the strength of their debut CD No Good Deed.
In 2012, word of their legendary live shows reached Ruf Records president Thomas Ruf, and Skinny Molly immediately embarked on recording their first CD for the label, the critics’ favourite Haywire Riot.
Doors open for both of these gigs at 8pm.
Admission is £12 for Cloudbusting and £13 for Skinny Molly.
Advance tickets for both of these gigs at the venue are available from The Flowerpot and RAW Promotions.
You can also go online at www.rawpromo.co.uk
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September gets under way at The Flowerpot in Derby with a visit to the King Street venue from Kate Bush tribute act Cloudbusting.


Paceman Tony Palladino and all-rounder Greg Cork have signed new deals to tie them to Derbyshire.
The 33-year-old Palladino has committed himself to a two-year contract that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2018 season. Alongside his playing duties with the first team, he will also take up a coaching role.
Palladino has claimed 258 wickets across all formats for Derbyshire since joining the county from Essex in 2011.
So far this season, he has bagged 26 wickets at an average of 36 in 11 Specsavers County Championship games, with his best bowling figures being 5-83 against Glamorgan.
Head coach John Sadler said: “Tony is one of our most experienced and knowledgeable players in the dressing room and can offer a lot, both on and off the field. He continues to take wickets and provides us with a consistent and reliable performer with the ball. He will now also play a key role in coaching and providing advice to the younger guys in their developments.”
Palladino said: “I’m delighted to sign the new two-year deal. I believe I still have plenty to give both on the field and also helping the guys off it as we push for success.”
Meanwhile Cork, son of ex-England all-rounder and Sky Sports TV pundit Dominic Cork, has signed a one-year contract extension with Derbyshire until the end of the 2017 season.
Cork, who made his first-team debut in 2014, has played 13 games for the county, taking 13 wickets with best bowling figures of 2-17 against Somerset in a List A fixture in 2015.
The 21-year-old has played 19 games in total for the second XI this term, scoring 362 runs, including a highest score of 73 against Lancashire. He has also claimed 17 wickets, with best bowling figures of 3-21 also coming against Lancashire.
Sadler said: “Greg has worked extremely hard over the summer, and his game continues to improve. He’s taken wickets and scored runs for the second XI this summer and is developing into a genuine all-rounder across all forms.
“Greg may have had limited opportunities in the first team this season, but we believe he has plenty of potential and can produce matchwinning performances for Derbyshire in the future.”

Fresh deals for Derbyshire duo Tony Palladino and Greg Cork


Paceman Tony Palladino and all-rounder Greg Cork have signed new deals to tie them to Derbyshire.


Arsene Wenger is preparing to splash the cash if today’s rumour mill is to be believed.
The Arsenal boss has confirmed, according to SFR Sport via the Daily Express, that he wants to sign Germany defender Shkodran Mustafi.
But the Daily Mirror say the Valencia man could set the Gunners back by a whopping £50m.
Elsewhere, the Daily Telegraph reports that Manchester City will allow goalkeeper Joe Hart to leave, having agreed to sign Claudio Bravo from Barcelona.
The deal for the 33-year-old is said to be worth up to £17m.
The Liverpool Echo say Everton want to land Hart, but could be held up by a chain of goalkeeper transfers, with Barca keen to secure Ajax stopper Jasper Cillessen.
Sky Sports report that the Toffees are in talks with Porto over 26-year-old Algerian forward Yacine Brahimi.
And in the Guardian, Jurgen Klopp says panic buying would make him an ‘idiot’ after Liverpool’s defeat at newly promoted Burnley.
According to Press Association reporter Sean Taylor, Barnsley have made an improved offer for Chesterfield winger Gboly Ariyibi.
The Spireites are said to have slapped a £3m asking price on the American-born youngster, but with his contract due to expire next summer it seems unlikely they’ll receive that much.

Football rumours: Wenger wants German ace, Hart can leave City, Gboly to Barnsley?


Arsene Wenger is preparing to splash the cash if today’s rumour mill is to be believed.


Fresh from a summer of festival appearances at the likes of Secret Garden Party, Field Day and Great Escape, electronic five-piece Nimmo have announced a UK headline tour for the autumn.
And they will make a stop at Stealth in Nottingham on October 12.
Nimmo have been creating a steady buzz over the last year, supporting the likes of Years and Years and Jack Garrat, and becoming a fixture on various ‘ones to watch’ lists.
The video for their latest single, My Only Friend, is available to watch at http://bit.ly/2aYwQuA
Tickets for their Nottingham gig are available at http://bit.ly/2bG978r
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Fresh from a summer of festival appearances at the likes of Secret Garden Party, Field Day and Great Escape, electronic five-piece Nimmo have announced a UK headline tour for the autumn.


Nimmo taking a Stealth-y approach as part of upcoming UK tour


The age-old adage goes something like this: the fastest horse wins the Guineas, the luckiest horse wins the Derby, and the best horse wins the St Leger.
Sadly, that isn’t the case in this day and age. Breeding operations place more emphasis and value on speed than the kind of stamina attributes required to win Doncaster’s historic race. A Champion Stakes or the Arc are more likely to be on the agenda of the top 10f and 12f 3yos, rather than a tilt at the 14f Classic. So there is little chance of revisiting the days when Guineas, Derby or Oaks winners in the mould of Oh So Sharp (1985), Reference Point (1987) and User Friendly (1992) landed the spoils.
However, the Ladbrokes St Leger is still a big deal. It is still the jewel in the crown of a four-day festival ranked among the best in the country. One that will attract more than 65,000 enthusiastic racegoers to Town Moor next week and equate to a £25 million shot in the arm for the Doncaster economy.
It might have become fashionable to knock the race in some snooty quarters. But Leger Day is a day out beyond compare for the many doyens of Donny. And let’s face it, the race is still a Classic, for heaven’s sake. The oldest too, dating back to 1776, and one that still forms the last leg of a Triple Crown, as revered as it elusive.
Who can forget the fervent anticipation of four years ago when the crowds flocked to witness Camelot’s bid to become the first horse since Nijinsky way back in 1970 to land the Guineas/Derby/Leger hat-trick? And equally the burst-balloon-type deflation of Aidan O’Brien’s colt failing.
Who can forget either the high drama of just 12 months ago when the winner, Simple Verse, was controversially disqualified on the day, only to win the race back on appeal, leaving O’Brien, trainer of the runner-up-come-winner-come runner-up, Bondi Beach, with more heartache?
Oh yes, the St Leger continues to give, make no mistake about that. So what might the race have in store this time round?
Not surprisingly, it again revolves around O’Brien, the best trainer in the business. Notwithstanding his disappointments of 2012 and 2015, he has saddled four winners since 2001 when Milan strode to probably the most impressive victory I have seen of the great race. And a week on Saturday, he will send out the red-hot favourite, IDAHO, third in the Derby and winner of York’s Great Voltigeur Stakes, one of the main trials for the Doncaster showpiece.
A class act, the son of Galileo is almost sure to win if he stays the 14f trip. But his pedigree, his style of running and the patient way he is generally ridden instil sufficient doubts to suggest you should cast your net in search of better value.
There is still time for supplementary entries to throw a spanner in the works. But at present, Idaho’s chief rival in the market is MUNTAHAA, trained by another successful patron of the race, John Gosden, who has fielded three winners since 2006. Another not exactly bred to relish the Doncaster distance, he has made rapid improvement this term, culminating in a taking pillar-to-post triumph over 13f at Chester two weeks ago. It was only a Listed handicap, but the son of Dansili had to defy a mammoth mark of 108 against older, more seasoned rivals and also the tight turns of a track far from sure to suit such a big, long-striding colt. He’s a player.
Two horses who were behind Idaho at Epsom, RED VERDON and ALGOMETER, might well get closer faced with an extra 2f, and don’t rule out the favourite’s own stablemate, HOUSESOFPARLIAMENT, reversing Voltigeur placings. He is guaranteed to stay and will relish the galloping expanse of Town Moor. Similar comments apply to a third O’Brien contender, Royal Ascot winner SWORD FIGHTER, while ORMITO is no mug and VENTURA STORM would have to be considered if the ground turned on the Soft side.
It’s a head-scratcher that makes punters grateful the Leger Festival is not all about the main event. Classy, competitive racing abounds on all four days, while the Leger Legends contest on the opening day, featuring past jockeys, continues to delight the crowds and raise valuable money for racing charities in equal measure. Last year, it was won by Tony McCoy no less. This year, two more ex-champions, Richard Hughes and Joseph O’Brien, Aidan’s son, are in the line-up.
Day two on the Thursday is DFS Ladies’ Day, highlighted, appropriately, by a couple of Group races for fillies, the Park Hill Stakes, where Sir Michael Stoute’s ABINGDON will be primed to continue her progression, and the Sceptre Stakes, which has been earmarked by Charlie Hills for his lightly-raced 3yo, JADAAYIL.
The historic Doncaster Cup for stayers is the star attraction on the Friday when PALLASATOR will be a warm fancy to repeat his 2015 success. Vying for the limelight are three crack 2yo contests, including the Flying Scotsman Stakes won so spectacularly by the mighty Frankel six years ago. The 5f Flying Childers Stakes could throw up a thrilling duel between the unbeaten filly MRS DANVERS and Mark Johnston’s YALTA, while the Mallard Handicap on the same day might be a target for Roger Varian’s MONOTYPE.
The supporting card on Leger Day itself includes the Champagne Stakes, one of the leading juvenile heats of the season, in which RIVET and PEACE ENVOY would be interesting, and the 7f Park Stakes, which might yield as striking a winner as last year with NEMORALIA aiming to follow in the footsteps of Limato.
I’m hoping too that there might be openings over the four days for ANOTHER TOUCH, HAGGLE, EL VIP and CARTMELL CLEAVE. If not, best of luck in finding a few winners of your own.
Spectacular autumn schedule ensures the Flat season no longer fizzles out
Autumn is fast approcahing, but gone are the days when the Flat season fizzled out during September and October. On the contrary, next week’s Ladbrokes St Leger Festival at Doncaster is followed by a veritable feast of action across the world to wrap up what has been another compelling campaign on the level. Newmarket’s under-rated three-day Cambridgeshire meeting is swiftly followed by a sensational Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe day in France. Back to Newmarket it is for the two day Future Champions extravaganza. On to Ascot next for the Qipco Champions Day finale, and we haven’t even mentioned the global giants of the Breeders’ Cup in the USA and the Melbourne Cup in Australia. I love Jumps racing as much as the average racing Joe, but I couldn’t even have a National Hunt horse on my mind until late October at the earliest.
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The age-old adage goes something like this: the fastest horse wins the Guineas, the luckiest horse wins the Derby, and the best horse wins the St Leger.


It’s the oldest swinger in town -- but Doncaster’s St Leger is still a big deal


Nottingham was transported back to a golden era this week, reminding us of the music and magic brought to us during the swinging sixties, writes Daniel Bailey.
Starring Blue’s Antony Costa and Lola Saunders of X-Factor fame, Save the Last Dance for Me takes theatregoers on a nostalgic, feelgood journey of song and dance while following the trials and tribulations of two teenage sisters on a summer holiday.
Full of freedom and high spirits, Jennifer and Marie embark on a trip to the seaside for the first time without their parents, meeting a handsome young American who invites them to the local US Air Force base.
Things don’t run smoothly though as the doe-eyed siblings soon realise the complications of inter-racial relationships and that life and love can be much more complicated as it seems.
Costa, part of one of the biggest boy bands of the noughties, was the big draw as Milton, with Saunders, making her theatrical debut, playing the part of brassy Jennifer.
Ex-fishmonger Lola showed exactly why she’s made for a career in theatre as she looked completely at home on stage, wowing the audience with her powerful vocals and soulful tone.
Elizabeth Carter impressed as sweet teen Marie, while Wayne Robinson (Curtis) brought appreciative gasps with a chiselled physique which more than complemented his great singing voice.
The constantly-playing jukebox was a nice touch during scenes providing some background music, while the Lowestoft-themed props provided a colourful British seaside feel to the show.
Rock ‘n’ Roll classics included Elvis’s Viva Las Vegas, Can’t Get Used to Losing You, A Teenager in Love, Please Mr Postman and Save the Last Dance for Me, plus a superb acapella rendition of Sweets for my Sweet.
Save the Last Dance runs until Saturday, August 27. For tickets visit www.trch.co.uk.
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Nottingham was transported back to a golden era this week, reminding us of the music and magic brought to us during the swinging sixties, writes Daniel Bailey.


Sorry, we're having problems with our video player at the moment, but are working to fix it as soon as we can
Yorkshire's latest Radio 1 stars The Sherlocks had a muddy great time at Leeds Festival - they drew a crowd of more than 6,000 fans then camped out with them.
The Sheffield indie four piece turned down a five star hotel and proved they are a real band of the people.
After packing out the Festival Republic stage they decided to pitched a tent in one of the muddy camp sites.
360 PHOTO: Take a look around the muddy camp site where hundreds of music fans also pitched their tents at Leeds Festival - CLICK HERE.
Frontan Kiaran Crook, aged 20, revealed: "We played our set then decided to camp through the night. We had an option to go into a five star hotel, with a jacuzzi and everything, but we decided to camp.
"We just love it."
He then joked: "We ended up camping next to the Red Hot Chili Peppers- I could hear Anthony snoring.
"But no, seriously, we love it. We love a bit of mud. We just thought, we might as well have the full festival experience."
Melvin Benn, Reading and Leeds Festival boss, said: "I didn't know The Sherlocks went and pitched up in the camp site. It doesn't surprise me. It's what my kids do. They want to be in the public camp site. Anybody who thinks the VIP area is the place to be, I can tell you it's a bit more boring."
Other Yorkshire bands who played at Leeds over the weekend included Sheffield's The Wired and Liberty Ship, Leeds band Dusk, Fighting Caravans, York based Faux Pas and many more.
The Sherlocks played to over 6,000 people then camped out with fans in muddy fields at Leeds Festival.
The Sherlocks, also featuring Kiaran's brother, drummer Brandon, 23, guitarist Josh Davidson, 22, and his brother and bassist Andy, 17, recently played the biggest music festival in the world, SXSW in Austin, Texas.
They also played at Reading Festival at the weekend but said Leeds, their Yorkshire homecoming, was the highlight of their year.
Kiaran added: "Leeds Festival is really important to us. It's given us a chance to pick up new fans. We had a blast. The tent was packed. It exceeded what we thought it would be.We're going on tour next month, starting in Brighton and finishing in Stockton, with a sold out gig in Leeds.
"It would be nice to do the NME/Radio 1 stage next year, I think that's where we are heading."
The Sherlocks at Leeds Festival
Brandon added: "We are at home when playing Leeds festival. Now we need to get an album out while we've got momentum behind us."
The Sherlocks, who will record their debut album later this year, begin a 16-date UK headline tour later this week, including a sold out show at The Wardrobe in Leeds, on Tuesday, September 20.
For full dates and tickets visit thesherlocksmusic.co.uk
The Sherlocks on stage at Leeds Festival

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Leeds Festival stars The Sherlocks camp in mud with fans


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Belper Town Wind Band entertained visitors at Hall Leys Park, Matlock, last weekend. The musical sets were interspersed with a war time sing-along provided by entertainer Johnny Victory of Derby. During its summer tour, the band has visited Crich, Nottingham, Alderwasley, Little Eaton, Chatsworth and finally Matlock. Musicians wishing to join the band are welcome. Contact Eric Moore on 07855231112 for more information.


Here are today's top-flight soccer stories from Bank Holiday Monday's newspapers
Manchester United look set to miss out on Monaco defender FABINHO, who is expected to stay in the south of France, reports the Daily Express.
JAMES RODRIGUEZ will cost Chelsea £60million, according to the Daily Mirror, who write that the Premier League club have had a bid rejected by Real Madrid.
The Mirror is also reporting that Everton midfielder JAMES MCCARTHY is close to leaving the club with Crystal Palace a potential destination.
Palace are also closing in on Chelsea striker Loic Remy, according to Sky Sports.
Another player that could leave Stamford Bridge is Kurt Zouma, with the Daily Mail reporting that German side Schalke are chasing the 21-year-old.

Your soccer transfer speculation: August 29


The Sacrifice is the final film in the Sculpting Time season at QUAD in Derby.
Andrei Tarkovsky’s final film, from 1986, screens from Sunday, August 28 – Tuesday, August 30. The Sacrifice (12A) explores a deeply personal statement on humanity’s self-destruction and the end of the world.
Starting on the precipice of World War III, the story is about Alexander, a journalist and former actor and philosopher who, on the outbreak of war, turns to God and offers himself up as a sacrifice to change the world and stop the war. The Sacrifice is a heart-breaking but ultimately reaffirming film.
Ticket prices are £8.20 or £7 concessions. Tickets can be bought from QUAD box office on 01332 290606 or online http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/whats-on/film.aspx
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The Sacrifice is the final film in the Sculpting Time season at QUAD in Derby.