Is Afghan hound Tea the world’s most photogenic dog?

Clinton Requests For Facts of New FBI Email Investigation

Hillary Clinton has insisted the FBI clarify without delay why it is implementing a new investigation into her use of emails.

 She said that Americans “deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately”.

The FBI says it has new emails about her use of a private server when she was secretary of state.

The new investigation was announced 11 days before the election. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said the move was the “biggest political scandal since Watergate”.

A probe into the separated husband of top Clinton aide, Huma Abedin, led to the discovery of the latest emails.

The FBI earlier launched an investigation into whether former high-flying congressman Anthony Weiner forwarded sexually explicit emails to a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina. Consequently, devices belonging to Abedin and Weiner were appropriated.

FBI director James Comey disclosed the discovery of the new emails in a letter to Congress on Friday.

The director said that he did not know yet the implication of the findings. But the FBI would investigate if any of the emails held confidential information.

Democrat presidential candidate Mrs. Clinton said she was assured the investigation into the emails would not alter the FBI’s initial finding in July.

The FBI determined she should not be incriminated for her use of a private email server as secretary of state. Clinton held the position from 2009 to 2013.

She told reporters on the campaign trail in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday: “It’s imperative that the bureau explain this issue in question, whatever it is, without any delay,”

While James Rubin, a senior media adviser to Clinton’s campaign, told the BBC on Saturday that “when all of this is over, this is going to be a gigantic tempest in a teapot”.

He also insinuated that to avoid the FBI from being criticized by the Republicans after the election, they decided to send the letter now.

On the other side, Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters at a rally in Iowa: “It’s everybody’s hope that justice, at last, can be delivered.”

“The FBI would never have reopened this case at this time unless it were a most egregious criminal offense.”

He likened the latest incident to that of the 1970s Watergate scandal that swamped former Republican President Richard Nixon.

The FBI has already determined the Democratic candidate had confidential information on a private email server.

In July, Comey cleared Clinton of any criminal wrongdoing. However, he said Mrs. Clinton’s managing of confidential material during her time as secretary of state was “extremely careless”.

The disclosure that she held sensitive material while violating federal rules by operating her own email server out of her upstate New York home has stalked her campaign since last year.

John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman, condemned the FBI’s “exceptional” timing.

Paul Ryan, the House of Representatives Speaker, described the FBI pronouncement “long overdue”.

The highest-ranked elected Republican repeated his call for the Director of National Intelligence. He asked him again to stop classified updates for the Democratic candidate.

“She was entrusted with some of our nation’s most important secrets, and she betrayed that trust by carelessly mishandling highly classified information,” he said.

She said sorry

The New York Times first disclosed the then-secretary of state’s private email server in March 2015.

She did not immediately convey regret. She stated that “convenience” was the main reason for her “hdr22@clintonemail.com” address.

Shortly after that, she apologized in an interview with ABC News. She has since said sorry to voters several times.

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Duterte Says God Got Him To Stop Swearing

God spoke to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on a flight from Japan on Thursday. The president said he has promised to stop swearing after God warned him that the plane would crash if he kept using foul language.

The former mayor is known for profanity that has included flare-ups targeted at U.S. President Barack Obama and Pope Francis. He said he heard a voice and recognized it was God, telling him to clean up his act.

Duterte appeared at a news conference on Thursday upon arrival in his home city of Davao. He said he was looking at the skies while he was on the flight home. Everybody was asleep but a voice said that, “you know, if you don’t stop epithets, I will bring this plane down now”.

“And I said, ‘who is this?’ So, of course, it’s God. OK.

“So, I promise God … not to express slang, cuss words and everything.”

Duterte appeared as an aggressive, insensitive, alternative candidate in a May election which he won by a big margin. He owed much of his success to his unsophisticated style and promises to attack problems vital to ordinary people, like crime and drugs.

Once he took office, he was advised to act more presidential. However, it was an advice not heeded for long. Duterte continued his eruptions of profanity with passion when he began hearing foreign criticism of his deadly war on drugs.

 

He has called U.S. President Barack Obama a “son of a bitch”. He also used the same words in disparaging the pope.

He called U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon a “devil”, he told Obama to “go to hell”, and said “fuck you” twice to the European Union, while raising his middle finger.

Duterte also used the same language in Tokyo on Tuesday when talking about his annoyance with foreign criticism of his drug war.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said that Duterte is certainly entitled to his opinions about his own relationship with a supreme being.” However, he declined to say whether Duterte’s promise might make it easier to deal with him.

Duterte’s foreign affairs adviser Alan Peter Cayetano said that the president was tired and seemed preoccupied during the flight back from Japan.

Cayetano told reporters on Friday that Duterte felt it was a message from God.

He said that he always felt that Duterte is a deeply spiritual person. He’s not religious, but he believes in God, he added.

The Philippines is largely Roman Catholic.

 

 

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Singer Gets Apology From Sixers For National Anthem Booting Incident

The Philadelphia 76ers apologized to a recording artist on Friday for a rushed decision to deny her from singing the US national anthem at their season opener this week. The team barred the singer from singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the last-minute because she was in a “We Matter” jersey.

Sevyn Streeter said the team told her that she could not take the court because of her shirt. She was informed only moments before she was slated to sing the national anthem. A 76ers’ dance team member went on to sing the anthem.

“We are sorry that this happened. After receiving feedback from our players, basketball operations staff and ownership group, we believe that the wrong decision was made, and Sevyn should have been welcomed to sing,” the Sixers said in a statement.

“We apologize to her, and in an effort to move the conversation forward, we have reached out to offer her an opportunity to return and perform at a game of her choice. We are waiting to hear back.”

The Sixers originally refused to say why Streeter did not perform on Wednesday. They only said that the team supports consequential actions to drive social change.

The team said in a separate statement that they use their games to bring people together, to strengthen communities and to build trust. Further, they will continue to leverage their platform to positively affect the community. They also said they will move from symbolic gestures to action.

Preceding this incident, a woman sang the national anthem while kneeling at center court. She wore a “Black Lives Matter” shirt beneath an opened shirt. This happened last week at the opening of a preseason game between the Sixers and host Miami Heat.

Protests during the national anthem have been a burning matter in recent months. This type of protest started when National Football League quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to not stand for its playing.

Kaepernick has mentioned police brutality and racial injustice among the motives for his protest. Several athletes from varying sports have since followed his lead in different ways, including linking arms during the anthem.

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Elvis Presley Breaks Record; Overwhelms Madonna in Album Charts

The late King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley holds a new music title for having the “Most Number One albums by a solo artist”; ranking next to the Beatles, which currently holds 15 Number One albums in their belt.

The “Wonder of You” made it as his 13th album to the top of the chart, breaking Lady Gaga’s and Michael Buble’s song records. Until recently, Elvis and Madonna tied the spot for having 12 number one albums respectively.

Elvis would be “so thankful”

The Official Charts Company presented the award to Elvis’s widow, Priscilla Elvis who said that the late singer would be “so thankful” for the accomplishment.

She also said that she is “proud of all he has accomplished and so grateful to the UK fans who have kept his legacy alive with all of their support”. Priscilla also wishes that the fans would continue listening to her husband’s music and “love his music as much as I do.”

The Rock and Roll King died in 1977, his vocal performances in his newest album are accompanied by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Songs that shattered records

Similarly, other artists also made it to the top records for their song albums.

Status Quo’s Aquostic II, “That’s A Fact” secured a spot at number seven. Whereas, Sia’s new deluxe edition of “This is Acting”, raised to the spot of number eight from previously being on top 35.

It was followed by “The Serenity Of Suffering’, Korn’s 12th album released, granting the band their first UK Top 10 album since 2002. The top 10 goes to the cast recording of David Bowie’s musical Lazarus.

Meanwhile, new records ended in top 25 this year; Starting with Jimmy Eat World’s “Integrity Blues” which is at number 21. Trailing behind at number 23 is from The Pretty Reckless, “Who You Selling For”. Also, Melanie C’s Version of “Me” got the spot of number 25.

The highest new record goes to Clean Bandit’s “Rockabye” featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie.

Similarly, the top five chart singles remain undaunted for the week. Still clinging to the number one spot is Little Mix’s “Shout Out to My Ex”. Drake ends the record in his “Fake Love” which is at number 37, his 20th time staying on top 40.

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Venezuela Government Threats Cause Erratic Protest Participaton

Despite strong opposition to Venezuela’s incumbent President Nicolas Maduro, the strike on Friday was subtle than usual. The Venezuelan government gave an ultimatum to close down businesses who will participate in the protest.

12-hour ‘shutdown’

The Democratic Unity Coalition, Venezuela’s government opposition called for a 12-hour shutdown. A political tactic to pressure the administration to pursue the recall referendum to veto their most hated socialist leader.

To ensure businesses will stay open, the government assigned intelligence agents to inspect businesses. They also dispatched the agents outside Polar, the country’s major food and beer private company to make sure it will operate normally.

However, business owners, facing threats if they backed up the strike, allowed their employees to freely decide whether to come in for work or not.

The second-in-command of the presiding Socialist Party, Diosdado Cabello said, that they are after big companies, who will echo “a coup d’etat like in 2002”. Cabello released his statement pertaining to the short-lived coup of the former President Hugo Chavez in 2002.

People support the strike but…

In San Cristobal, the western city of Venezuela serves as one of the focal points where hostility against President Maduro is the strongest. An insurance agent, Adolfo Diaz, aged 38, who works in the city, summarized Venezuelan’s sentiment in saying; “The strike is a good pressure tactic, but if I don’t work, I don’t eat”. He said while trying to get to work despite the scarcity of buses available for commuters.

Furthermore, the transport system in San Cristobal was deeply affected by the previous demonstration. According to witnesses, protesters and police collided in a violent encounter. Also, the government fined two businesses that decided to remain closed during the protest on Friday.

Meanwhile, in Caracas, Venezuela’s main capital, traffic was lighter compared to the Wednesday’s protest. Tens of thousands anti-Maduro protesters attended the previous protests where they rallied in the main highway of Caracas. But Friday’s protest was ‘patchy’, streets were almost empty for a weekday since most students choose to stay at home.

Correspondingly, stores of commodities like bakeries and pharmacies were open. Consumers lined up to buy basic goods such as bread and flour, of which the country lacks sufficient supplies since the start of the economic crisis.

One unemployed resident, who was standing in a bakery line in Eastern Caracas, Eduardo Martinez aged 51, stated that he supports the opposition but does not want to participate in the shutdown.

Practical reasons

Most of the businesses that stayed open opt to choose the practical decision.

This is true in the situation of Alfonso Brito, aged 54 and a Café Owner. For the businessman, he could not afford to lose another day’s profits from his café. According to the shop owner, only a handful of people were able to buy from his shop. He also added that he already lost so much during the Wednesday’s protest, to close his shop again.

Businesses are democratic

In Venezuela’s second largest city, Maracaibo, streets were practically empty. Leydy Nava, an associate in a real estate company said, “We have to support the Democratic Unity … in my company we obeyed the strike”.

Carlos Larrazabal, the Vice-President of Venezuela’s largest umbrella company group, Fedecamaras, said in a Reuter’s interview that their companies remained open. They allowed their employees to decide whether they will come to work, displaying the democratic essence of their company. However, tension can be seen outside the company where government stationed troops to inspect and observe.

Opposition leaders are planning another protest next week in the Miraflores presidential palace. They pledged to carry out a political trial for Maduro in the National Assembly.

If Maduro lost to the recall referendum, it will prompt another presidential election, threatening to end the 17 years of socialist rule.

Starvation in an oil-rich country

Venezuela’s boasts of the largest oil reserves worldwide. Nonetheless, it is suffering three years of recession. Residents endure skipping meals as inflation rates are at its highest.

President Maduro, aged 53, defends himself by blaming the US-led “economic war” and the decreasing value of oil prices globally.

Opposition leaders accused the OPEC nation’s president of staging a “coup”, controlling the government institutions and arresting people who are planning to push the referendum.

On the other hand, Maduro said that his opponents are trying to illegally remove him from power.

The Wednesday demonstration showed Venezuela’s unified effort to oust the incumbent president. Local authorities confirmed a total of 97 protesters arrested, 82 people injured including 26 policemen. Also, seven policemen are facing human rights violation.

Miguel Acevedo, a tax official, said that “The only thing the opposition wants is to ruin the country”. He interpreted the erratic display of support on Friday’s demonstration as “the country said no to the opposition.”

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Report Says Seventy-five Percent of Internet Usage in 2017 Will Be Mobile

According to media buying agency Zenith forecast this week, seventy-five percent of internet usage in 2017 will be mobile. The number is up slightly from this year. This is due to an increasing number of consumers around the world that access the web on tablets and smartphones.

Zenith earlier projected that 71 percent of internet consumption would be mobile in 2016. It released its “Mobile Advertising Forecasts” report on Thursday. The report said 60 percent of global internet advertising money in 2018 will come from mobile advertising.

In 2018, mobile advertising spending will total $134 billion. This “is more than what will be spent on magazine, newspaper, outdoor and cinema advertising put together,” it said.

Zenith is a unit of French ad agency Publicis Groupe SA. The media agency had projected global mobile advertising expenditure to be $71 billion in 2016.

Brands are rushing to Facebook, Google and Snapchat where they can market to viewers. This is because more ad money shifts to the digital realm from television.

“In four years, you’ve gone from 40 percent to 70 percent (of total internet usage) in mobile,” said Scott Singer, a digital media executive and managing director of innovation consultancy firm DDG Inc.

Major shift of advertising to mobile

This trend is leading a shift in ad spending to mobile and fueling deals in the media, communications and entertainment businesses, he added.

The escalation of mobile data consumption, including video, is forcing telecommunications companies to merge content and digital distribution. They are waging that they can entice viewers to online video and other content that are transmitted over their internet and wireless networks. Furthermore, they can draw advertisers to grow ad revenue.

AT&T Inc said on Saturday it intends to buy media company Time Warner Inc for $85.4 billion to expand into content distribution. Verizon Communications Inc has offered to acquire internet company Yahoo Inc.

Both companies plan to leverage user data to assist marketers in delivering targeted ads.

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Russia Out of UN Human Rights Council

On Friday, the General Assembly voted Russia off the U.N. Human Rights Council. It was a stunning reproach to the country that is increasingly being blamed of war crimes over its actions in Syria.

The Human Rights Council is the UN’s foremost body charged with protecting and promoting human rights. The 193-member General Assembly voted 14 members to the 47-nation council.

Russia received 112 votes. Hence, the country lost its regional seat to Hungary, which had 144 votes, and Croatia, which received 114 votes.

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin made light of the significance of the loss.

“It was a very close vote and very good countries competing, Croatia, Hungary. They are fortunate because of their size, they are not exposed to the winds of international diplomacy. Russia is very exposed. We’ve been on council a number of years, I’m sure next time we’ll get in,” he said.

The U.S, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, China, Japan, Brazil, Rwanda, Hungary, Cuba, South Africa, Tunisia,. and U.K. also won seats on the council. Beside Russia, Guatemala was the only country contending for a seat to not be elected.

Strong opposition against Saudi Arabia and Russia

Human rights groups had cried out for countries to refuse the candidacies of Saudi Arabia and Russia. Saudi Arabia has been faulted of arbitrary attacks against civilians in Yemen. But Saudi Arabia’s election was an inevitable conclusion since it was running unchallenged for its regional seat.

U.N. director at Human Rights Watch Louis Charbonneau said that in rebuffing Russia’s bid for re-election to the Human Rights Council, U.N. member nations have sent a strong message to the Kremlin concerning its support for a regime that has committed so much atrocity in Syria.

Baroness Anelay, Britain’s Human Rights Minister, said she was pleased with her country’s re-election to the council.

Anelay said in a statement that the UK has been a keen advocate of the crucial work of the Council since its inception and that her country is honored to continue to serve as a member.

 

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Boy Wakes Up From Coma Speaking A Language He Was Never Fluent In

For Reuben Nsemoh, life’s been full of ambiguities lately.

Following a concussion he suffered in a soccer game, the suburban Atlanta teen was troubled about his difficulty in concentrating. He was worried over whether he’ll ever get to play his favorite sport.

But the million dollar question is: how is it that he’s suddenly speaking fluent Spanish?

Another player accidentally kicked the 16-year old in the head during a game that put him in a coma.

When Nsemoh woke up, he did something he’d never done before: speak Spanish like a native.

Although he could already speak some Spanish, his parents said that he was never fluent in the language until his concussion.

But he’s starting to lose his fluency in Spanish as his English is coming back slowly.

Brain injuries can change a person’s speech pattern and give them a different accent. This extremely rare condition is called foreign accent syndrome. The first known case was documented in 1941. It involved a Norwegian woman who began speaking with a German accent after she suffered injuries to the brain during a German bombing run.

Since then there have been a few dozen reported cases.

In Australia, a former bus driver got in a car accident that left her with a broken jaw and back. When she regained consciousness, she was left with something absolutely surprising: a French accent.

Three years ago, police found a Navy veteran passed out in a Southern California motel. He had no memory of his previous life when he woke up and spoke only Swedish.

And early this year, a Texas woman has been speaking with a British accent ever since a jaw surgery.

Dr. Karen Croot, one of the few specialists in foreign accent syndrome, said a few years ago that the condition is an impairment of motor control. “Speech is one of the most complicated things we do, and there are a lot of brain centers involved in coordinating a lot of moving parts. If one or more of them are damaged, that can affect the timing, melody and tension of their speech,” she added.

 

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Passengers Evacuated as American Airlines Jet Catches Fire at Chicago Airport

An American Airlines jet had to abort take off and evacuate passengers through its emergency chutes on Friday. The plane caught fire moments prior to takeoff from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, authorities said.

No serious injuries were reported.

The airline said in a statement that an “engine-related issue” prevented the takeoff of American Airlines Flight 383. The Boeing 767 was bound for Miami with 161 passengers and a crew of nine.

The flight crew reported that a tire had blown-out while the plane was rolling down the runway before takeoff was canceled, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The FAA or the airline did not mention a fire.

However, footage from WLS-TV, Chicago’s ABC News affiliate station, showed an American Airlines jet on the ground with flames and large clouds of black smoke rising from one side of the aircraft. Emergency slides had been deployed and passengers gathered about the aircraft. They watched the blaze as fire trucks sprayed water on the flames.

Passenger Hector Gustavo Cardenas posted a video clip on Facebook showing passengers yelling at each other to move faster as they head down the aisle to the emergency exit slide.

The Chicago Department of Aviation confirmed in a statement that the city fire department acted in response to an aircraft fire concerning American Airlines Flight 383. They also verified that the passengers were evacuated from the plane. Moreover, it said that there was no crash involved in the incident.

A flight attendant and seven passengers were taken to a hospital for evaluation of minor injuries, the company said.

According to an American Airlines spokeswoman, the injuries were typical of those related with evacuating a commercial jet. None of them involved burns or smoke inhalation.

Incident causes major disruption of airport operations

The incident required the closing of at least three of the airport’s eight runways, the city Aviation Department said.

About two hours following the incident, the airport had experienced 170 delays of inbound flights and 130 departing flights. This was reported by the flight-tracking website FlightAware.com

Based on web tracking sites and a live feed of tower conversations from liveatc.net, operations later resumed on the north side of O’Hare airport, one of the world’s busiest.

 

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