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Czech state looks to undo lithium deal with Australian firm

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech government is looking to back out of a deal that could give an Australian company the right to mine a huge deposit of lithium, a key component in electric batteries. Acting Prime Minister Andrej Babis says his industry and trade minister has been asked to find a way to make the memorandum of understanding, signed last year with European Metals Holdings, not legally binding. Babis said Wednesday he would prefer a Czech state-run company to explore the local deposit. Europe's biggest deposit of lithium was recently found in the northwestern part of the Czech Republic. EMH has had an exclusive license to explore for the element and was seeking permission to mine. It has been planning to open a mine at Cinovec, on the German border.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 23:33:00

Czech state looks to undo lithium deal with Australian firm

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354837

Board says fatal shooting by Ohio police was OK use of force

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Police in Ohio's capital city say two officers who fatally shot a black man last summer followed department policy on using force. Columbus police on Wednesday announced the review board's findings about the conduct of officers Samuel James and Marc Johnson in the shooting of 30-year-old Kareem Ali Nadir Jones last July . Police say they spotted Jones walking between cars and behaving erratically, then fired when his behavior escalated into a perceived threat. Police say body camera video shows Jones reaching for a gun in his waistband. His sister has said she thinks Jones was trying to toss the gun. The officers weren't charged but face a lawsuit alleging the shooting was unjustified and they conspired to provide misleading information about what happened. The local police union has denied those allegations.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-30 23:52:00

Board says fatal shooting by Ohio police was OK use of force

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444417

Kuemper makes 28 saves, Kings shut out Stars 3-0

DALLAS (AP) — Darcy Kuemper picked up his ninth career shutout. He handed off the credit to his teammates with the Los Angeles Kings. Kuemper made 28 saves to help Los Angeles beat the Dallas Stars 3-0 on Tuesday night. "The guys made it so easy in front of me that it was just fun to go out there and play," he said. The 27-year-old Kuemper made his second straight start in place of Jonathan Quick, who is out with an upper-body injury. Kuemper got his second shutout and improved to 7-1-3 in his first season with Los Angeles. "I'm just excited for the opportunity to play a couple in a row," Kuemper said. Paul LaDue, Drew Doughty and Alec Martinez scored as Los Angeles (27-18-5) earned its second straight win. The Kings are among a group of playoff contenders with 59 points, one point behind Dallas. Ben Bishop made 39 saves for the Stars (28-19-4), who dropped their second straight game, but retained a tenuous one-point lead for the Western Conference's first wild card. "I think the desperation of playing a team ahead of us in the standings really brought the best out of us tonight," Kuemper said. "Against a line as scary as their top line is, we hardly gave them anything." Dallas star Jamie Benn did not record a shot on goal. Alexander Radulov, who came into the night with 16 points in nine games, and Tyler Seguin failed to connect on any of their eight shots. "I thought tonight we were the worst group of guys out there," Seguin said. The Stars have been outscored 7-1 in their last two games, including a 4-1 loss to Toronto right before the All-Star break. "The game before the break (Toronto) came in and checked us hard with no response, and today the same thing," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. "So the concern is how do we respond to getting played hard. Instead of getting excited and digging in, we go the other way." Dallas came up empty on each of its four power plays against the NHL's best penalty killers. "(Dustin Brown) does the job on the penalty kill, and he's done that all year," Kings coach John Stevens said. "He's critical to the success on the power play, taking a beating in net front." LaDue scored his first NHL goal just 3:05 into the game. Anze Kopitar skated from behind the net almost to the left point and passed across to LaDue in the right faceoff circle. He sent a wrist shot inside the left goalpost. "I kind of saw a spot open and just tried to shoot to that part of the net," LaDue said. "It ended up making it through a few sticks and into the net." Los Angeles increased its lead to 2-0 after Radulov was sent off for holding a stick in the second. Doughty's shot from above the right circle deflected in off Bishop as Stars defenseman Stephen Johns tried to prevent the puck from crossing the goal line. The Kings were unable to score during a four-minute power play midway through the second. Los Angeles stopped two Dallas power plays in the closing minutes of the period and the first minute of the third. Nine seconds after Brown left the penalty box, Martinez scored on a snap shot from the left circle. NOTES: Brown had 11 shots on goal. . Los Angeles has stopped 86 percent of opponents' power plays. ... Quick is on injured reserve. ... LaDue's goal was his first in 24 career games. His father, Jay, got to see the goal because the Kings' dads made the trip to Dallas. ... Stars D Dan Hamhuis played in his 1,000th career game. UP NEXT Kings: Visit Nashville on Thursday. Stars: Travel to Arizona for a game on Thursday.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

Kuemper makes 28 saves, Kings shut out Stars 3-0

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354739

London fire commissioner says it will take weeks for high-rise building in inferno tragedy to be searched and 'cleared'

LONDON (AP) — London fire commissioner says it will take weeks for high-rise building in inferno tragedy to be searched and 'cleared'

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 15:40:00

London fire commissioner says it will take weeks for high-rise building in inferno tragedy to be searched and 'cleared'

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3188532

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/images/category/580888eb17740.jpg

Global Industrial Potato Graders Market - Increase in Manual Labor Costs to Promote Growth

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--Technavio’s latest market research report on the provides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2018-2022. defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006201/en/ Technavio has published a new market research report on the global industrial potato graders market from 2018-2022. (Graphic: Business Wire) According to Technavio market research analysts, the global industrial potato graders market will grow at a CAGR of close to 5% during the forecast period. The increase in manual labor costs for grading potatoes is a major factor driving the market’s growth. Over the years, there has been an increase in wages and labor costs in various industries. Potato processing is considered a labor-intensive process as many small-scale manufacturers use manual methods for grading potatoes. Owing to the increase in wages, many potato processing firms are shifting their focus toward mechanizing their operations by installing industrial potato graders. This will help them reduce their overall processing costs and improve profitability. This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: Save more with Technavio. Buy2 reports and get the third for FREE: In this report, Technavio highlights the adoption of PLC-based automation for potato grading as one of the key emerging trends driving the global industrial potato graders market: Adoption of PLC-based automation for potato grading The need for automation of various processes has been growing in the food industry. In industrial potato graders, automation is primarily used to reduce human intervention, improve potato grading efficiency, and ensure minimal errors. It also helps in increasing the grading speed and reducing operational costs. Automated systems use programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) developed by various companies for enhanced monitoring and process control during grading operations. According to a senior analyst at Technavio for research, “Many potato producers have started using automated potato graders for the smooth running of their production lines. For instance, in January 2017, Neumiller Farms installed a new PLC-based potato grading system in its potato grading facility in Illinois, US. Similarly, in May 2017, Atlantic Potato Distributors announced its plan to add an automated grading and bagging line to its potato-packing facility in New Brunswick, Canada.” Looking for more information on this market? Technavio’s sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Global industrial potato graders market segmentation This market research report segments the global by product (size graders and weight graders) and key regions (the Americas, APAC, and EMEA). The size graders product segment held a market share of over 78% in 2017 and is expected to grow further during the forecast period. Size graders are of two types, namely roller graders and screen graders. The demand for uniformly sized potatoes is increasing among potato processing industries to eliminate issues related to overcooking and undercooking. This is expected to lead to an increase in the market growth of industrial screen graders during the forecast period. EMEA held the largest share of the global industrial potato graders market in 2017, accounting for a market share of over 39%. Strategic alliances between potato processing companies and industrial potato grader vendors are increasing in EMEA. This is expected to drive the growth of the market in the region. About Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio’s report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio’s comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at . View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006201/en/ CONTACT: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 www.technavio.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CANADA ILLINOIS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MANUFACTURING OTHER MANUFACTURING NATURAL RESOURCES AGRICULTURE RETAIL FOOD/BEVERAGE SOURCE: Technavio Research Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 01:37 PM/DISC: 04/23/2018 01:37 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006201/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 01:37:00

Global Industrial Potato Graders Market - Increase in Manual Labor Costs to Promote Growth| Technavio

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413576

Hawaii's 'last princess' fights for control of her fortune

HONOLULU (AP) — Every day, tourists flock to a downtown Honolulu palace for a glimpse of the way Hawaii's royal family lived, marveling at its gilded furniture, lavish throne room and grand staircase made from prized koa wood. But few know Iolani Palace — America's only royal residence — has relied in part on the generosity of a descendant of that family while the relic of the monarchy's rule now serves as a museum. Multimillionaire heiress Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawananakoa, considered by many to be Hawaii's last princess, has paid the palace's electric bills for the past six years. But the intensely private Native Hawaiian, whose $215 million fortune includes race horses and real estate, is no longer in a position to fund her pet charities, including the palace and various Native Hawaiian causes. A court struggle is playing out for the 91-year-old's fortune. Her longtime lawyer persuaded a judge to appoint him trustee, arguing a stroke over the summer left the heiress impaired. She claims she's fine, and has since fired that lawyer and married her girlfriend of 20 years. Since the court battle began, the electricity payments have stopped, Iolani Palace Executive Director Kippen de Alba Chu said. Officials who run the palace completed in 1882 have relied on a backup plan to pay the light bill and stay open. Also disrupted, according to court documents, were funds earmarked for a Native Hawaiian nursing student's scholarship and materials to repair a damaged crypt at the Royal Mausoleum, where members of Hawaiian royalty are buried. Over the years, Kawananakoa has used her money to fund protesters fighting a giant telescope on a mountain some Native Hawaiians consider sacred; to challenge a contentious Honolulu rail project; and to support the Merrie Monarch Festival, a prestigious hula competition. She also has donated items owned by King Kalakaua and Queen Kapiolani for public display, including Kalakaua's nearly 14-carat diamond pinky ring. Kawananakoa is the granddaughter of the late Prince David Kawananakoa, who was named an heir to the throne. She has no official title or real power in the state, but that doesn't matter to many Native Hawaiians, who see her as a link to when Hawaii was its own nation — before American businessmen, backed by U.S. Marines, overthrew the Hawaiian kingdom 125 years ago. "She was always called princess among Hawaiians because Hawaiians have acknowledged that lineage," said Kimo Alama Keaulana, assistant professor of Hawaiian language and studies at Honolulu Community College. "Hawaiians hold dear to genealogy. And so genealogically speaking, she is of high royal blood." Some note that Prince David has other living descendants and say the heiress is held up as the last tie to the monarchy simply because of her wealth. Kawananakoa's riches come from being the great-granddaughter of James Campbell, an Irish businessman who made his fortune as a sugar plantation owner and one of Hawaii's largest landowners. But Kawananakoa's supporters say she is the closest connection to the throne because, although they were already related, the prince's widow formally adopted her as a daughter. Last princess or not, Kawananakoa's inheritance wields tangible power — and some worry about it falling into the wrong hands. In July, her longtime attorney James Wright filed an emergency petition seeking to be named successor trustee to all of her trust assets, saying in court documents that Kawananakoa is "impaired as a result of an acute stroke." Two days later, a judge granted the request. In August, attorney Michael Lilly wrote a letter to the judge saying he now represents Kawananakoa and he strongly contests any contention she is incompetent. Lawyers for the heiress dispute she had a stroke, saying in court papers it was a transient ischemic attack, which has similar symptoms but caused no permanent damage. Wright's court filings also raise allegations that Veronica Gail Worth, Kawananakoa's 64-year-old wife, physically abused her. Neither Kawananakoa nor Worth responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press. However, Kawananakoa's attorney said in court papers the abuse claims are false and that Kawananakoa fell and "struck furniture, which caused the bruising, which is not uncommon at someone her age." A judge in September appointed a special master to independently investigate the heiress's mental capacity and the abuse allegations. Kawananakoa largely avoids airing her personal life, and some who know her say even her Oct. 1 wedding at the home of a retired state Supreme Court justice came as a surprise. But she has occasionally drawn attention over the years, including in 1993, when one of her horses won $1 million in New Mexico's All American Futurity. Five years later, furor erupted after Kawananakoa sat on a palace throne for a Life magazine photo shoot. She damaged some of its fragile threads, but repairs were made and the throne was returned to the palace throne room. Still, the uproar led to Kawananakoa's ouster as president of Friends of Iolani Palace, a position she held for more than 25 years. Some Hawaiians, such as well-known activist Walter Ritte, aren't interested in revering her genealogy or wealth. Hawaiians, especially those who live in poverty, can't relate to her, Ritte said. "She has given some money here and there," he said. "She could have done a lot more for Hawaiians." The court battle focusing on Kawananakoa's age and health has others reflecting on her as a final living reminder of Hawaii's monarchy and as a symbol of a proud Hawaiian national identity that has endured. "It is fair to say that Abigail Kawananakoa is the last of our alii," said Keaulana, using the Hawaiian word for royalty. "She epitomizes what Hawaiian royalty is — in all its dignity and intelligence and art." Palace officials will be watching the case. A hearing is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 8. ___ Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 15:38:00

Hawaii's 'last princess' fights for control of her fortune

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355222

I-Pod injury a stark reminder of dangers of halfpipe

ASPEN, Colo. (AP) — It certainly wasn't the first time Iouri Podladtchikov had elicited gasps from a halfpipe crowd. This time, though, there was nothing to celebrate. A mere two weeks before he was to defend his Olympic title, the snowboarder called I-Pod bashed his face against the halfpipe and skidded lifelessly to the bottom. Though he was diagnosed with a broken nose and no brain or neck trauma, Sunday's injury at the Winter X Games still served as a stark reminder of the stakes involved in the beautiful, dangerous sport of professional snowboarding. "There's no doubt it's a risky game, especially at the highest level," said coach Bud Keene, who worked with Shaun White during the previous three Olympics. "We watch people like Shaun and Ayumu (Hirano) execute amazing, acrobatic runs, flawlessly and seemingly effortlessly. The truth is, they're putting the pedal down, and when you're punching it, there's a certain amount of hope that things will work out. "Modern halfpipe riding is a mixture of talent, strength and crazy." Seemingly no big name in the sport, which has grown exponentially since it was introduced to the Olympics in 1998, is immune to torn-up knees, broken wrists, busted ankles and, in the worst-case scenario, trauma to the head and neck. White is coming back from a gruesome injury that occurred when he slammed his face on the wall of a halfpipe in New Zealand last October. Eight years ago at Winter X, he slammed his head into the halfpipe during a training run but was still allowed to compete; he won on the way to his second Olympic title. Not everyone escapes unharmed. The two most high-profile cases involved Kevin Pearce, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a 2009 training accident, and halfpipe skier Sarah Burke, who was killed in a training accident in 2012. I-Pod's wreck stands out not only because he is the defending Olympic champion who patented the Yolo Flip, which has become widely viewed as the toughest trick on the halfpipe, but because it came on a national telecast during the biggest contest this side of the Olympics, less than two weeks before the Pyeongchang Games are set to start. Podladtchikov laid motionless at the bottom of the nearly silent halfpipe for about 20 minutes while medical personnel stabilized his neck and placed him into the sled for a trip to the hospital. The rest of the riders, waiting at the top of the pipe, conceded it was jarring but said there was nothing to be gained by thinking about it too much. "I tried to block it out," said Jake Pates, who was the next to go after I-Pod was taken off. Remarkably, the level of risk and riding after the accident rose to levels nobody has seen in a halfpipe contest. Hirano, the defending Olympic silver medalist, won after becoming the first rider to land back-to-back 1440-degree spins in a contest. He was closely pursued by Australian Scotty James, who landed three double corks on his second-place run, capping it with a switch backside double cork 1260, a hugely difficult and technical trick that involves him both taking off and landing a two-flip jump while he's traveling backward. In the aftermath of I-Pod's injury, the question became why would they put themselves at risk so close to the Olympics? The answer is partly in the history and importance of the X Games, an ESPN production that brought snowboarding to the masses and without which, the sport wouldn't have grown as it has. "I had to do this," said Hirano, who won his first gold medal at the event. "I had to be here." Not present, however, was White, who came to the X Games to practice but withdrew to rest up before heading to South Korea this weekend to start his training there. It was a calculated move by the best-known figure in the sport, who is seeking to become the first three-time Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding. "That's why if you see any top competitor not doing it, it's because they don't want to risk injury," said White's coach, 2002 Olympic bronze medalist JJ Thomas. "This is a night event. Korea is a day event. The pipe is a lot harder (at night). It's big risk, big reward." It figures to keep getting more difficult and, therefore, more dangerous. The runs Hirano and James put down in Aspen, along with a massively difficult run that White used to score a 100 and win a qualifier in Snowmass a few weeks earlier, have set the bar for what it will take to win this Olympics. "When you're as capable as they are, and work as hard at it as they do, then once the bell rings, those injuries sort of melt away," Keene said, "and everybody's going for it."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

I-Pod injury a stark reminder of dangers of halfpipe

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353951

National Hockey League

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 49 34 12 3 71 175 125 Boston 48 29 11 8 66 157 119 Washington 49 29 15 5 63 150 138 Toronto 51 28 18 5 61 162 146 Pittsburgh 52 28 21 3 59 156 155 New Jersey 49 25 16 8 58 147 147 Columbus 50 27 19 4 58 133 140 Philadelphia 49 24 17 8 56 141 141 N.Y. Rangers 50 25 20 5 55 153 151 N.Y. Islanders 51 25 21 5 55 173 184 Carolina 50 23 19 8 54 139 155 Florida 48 20 22 6 46 136 159 Detroit 48 19 21 8 46 126 146 Montreal 49 20 23 6 46 129 156 Ottawa 48 15 24 9 39 125 168 Buffalo 50 14 27 9 37 115 166 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Vegas 48 32 12 4 68 164 128 Winnipeg 50 29 13 8 66 164 136 Nashville 47 29 11 7 65 145 123 St. Louis 51 30 18 3 63 148 130 Dallas 50 28 18 4 60 155 134 San Jose 49 26 16 7 59 145 138 Minnesota 50 27 18 5 59 147 142 Anaheim 51 25 17 9 59 144 142 Calgary 49 25 16 8 58 137 135 Colorado 48 27 18 3 57 157 139 Los Angeles 49 26 18 5 57 139 121 Chicago 49 23 19 7 53 146 136 Edmonton 49 22 24 3 47 135 157 Vancouver 49 19 24 6 44 127 159 Arizona 50 12 29 9 33 118 172 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Monday's Games No games scheduled Tuesday's Games Minnesota 3, Columbus 2, SO Pittsburgh 5, San Jose 2 Florida 4, N.Y. Islanders 1 Anaheim 3, Boston 1 Carolina 2, Ottawa 1 New Jersey 3, Buffalo 1 Tampa Bay at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Montreal at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Chicago at Nashville, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Vegas at Calgary, 9 p.m. Colorado at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Wednesday's Games N.Y. Islanders at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. San Jose at Detroit, 8 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington, 8 p.m. Thursday's Games Toronto at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Montreal at Carolina, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Boston, 7 p.m. Florida at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Vegas at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Calgary, 9 p.m. Dallas at Arizona, 9 p.m. Colorado at Edmonton, 9 p.m. Chicago at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Friday's Games Washington at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Detroit at Carolina, 7 p.m. San Jose at Columbus, 7 p.m. Vegas at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 10:57:00

National Hockey League

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354609

Major League Soccer

All Times EDT EASTERN CONFERENCE W L T Pts GF GA Atlanta United FC 8 3 2 26 27 17 Columbus 7 3 4 25 18 10 New York City FC 7 3 3 24 26 19 New York 7 3 1 22 26 12 Orlando City 6 5 1 19 22 20 New England 5 4 4 19 22 19 Philadelphia 5 5 3 18 15 16 Chicago 4 7 2 14 18 24 Toronto FC 3 7 1 10 14 20 Montreal 3 10 0 9 14 29 D.C. United 2 5 3 9 14 18 WESTERN CONFERENCE W L T Pts GF GA Sporting Kansas City 7 2 4 25 24 13 Los Angeles FC 6 3 3 21 24 19 Portland 6 3 2 20 19 17 FC Dallas 5 1 5 20 17 11 Real Salt Lake 6 6 1 19 17 26 Houston 5 4 3 18 27 20 Vancouver 4 5 5 17 19 27 LA Galaxy 5 6 1 16 16 19 Minnesota United 5 7 1 16 16 22 San Jose 2 7 3 9 18 23 Seattle 2 6 2 8 7 12 Colorado 2 7 2 8 13 20 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie. ___ Friday, May 25 FC Dallas 1, Toronto FC 0 Houston 3, New York City FC 1 LA Galaxy 1, San Jose 0 Saturday, May 26 Real Salt Lake 1, Seattle 0 New England 3, Vancouver 3, tie Philadelphia 0, New York 0, tie Chicago 2, Orlando City 1 Minnesota United 2, Montreal 0 Portland 3, Colorado 2 D.C. United 1, Los Angeles FC 1, tie Sunday, May 27 Columbus 0, Sporting Kansas City 0, tie Wednesday, May 30 Atlanta United FC 1, New England 1, tie Philadelphia 3, Chicago 1 Real Salt Lake 2, Houston 1 FC Dallas at LA Galaxy, 10:30 p.m. Friday, June 1 Vancouver at Colorado, 9 p.m. Saturday, June 2 LA Galaxy at Portland, 5 p.m. Houston at Montreal, 7:30 p.m. New York at New England, 7:30 p.m. Orlando City at New York City FC, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Atlanta United FC, 7:30 p.m. Toronto FC at Columbus, 7:30 p.m. Los Angeles FC at FC Dallas, 8 p.m. San Jose at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Seattle at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m. Sunday, June 3 Minnesota United at Sporting Kansas City, 8:30 p.m.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 11:48:00

Major League Soccer

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444769

Machine Tools Procurement Research - Market Trends and Spend Analysis by SpendEdge

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--, a global procurement intelligence advisory firm, has announced the release of their ‘ .’ The insights and data in this report provide a strategic analysis of the supply markets, factors influencing purchasing decisions, procurement best practices, pricing models, supplier landscape, and an analysis of the supplier capability matrix for the . This report breaks down the data and analysis behind the procurement of machine tools and acts as an all-inclusive guide for making smart purchasing decisions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006241/en/ Machine Tools Procurement Report. (Graphic: Business Wire) “The growth of end-user industries such as aerospace and automotive will influence the growth of the machine tools category,” says SpendEdge procurement analyst Tridib Bora. “Also, the rise in production facilities and the expansion of manufacturing plants will drive the growth of the market in the APAC region,” added Tridib. Looking for more insights from this report? SpendEdge sample reports are free of charge and provide insights that focus on cost-saving aspects of procurement and optimization of category spend. Procurement analysts at SpendEdge highlight the following top three market trends that are contributing to the growth of the Global Machine Tools Market: Increasing use of automation across different machine tools Rising focus on sustainability during procurement of machine tools Incorporation of 3D printing technology for machine tools manufacturing This report is available at USD 1000 discount for a limited time only: Increasing use of automation across different machine tools In the recent years, the machine tools category is shifting toward automation. The buyers in the market are increasingly adopting automated machine tools to reduce the spend on human resource. With the help of automation, the buyers can minimize their labor costs. Rising focus on sustainability during procurement of machine tools Globally, the buyers are focusing on the procurement of environmental-friendly machine to reduce the increasing carbon footprints. This facilitates synergies among the buyers and suppliers to reduce the overall carbon footprint. Incorporation of 3D printing technology for machine tools manufacturing The suppliers in the machine tools category are incorporating 3D printing technology for fabricating and manufacturing machine tools. This helps the suppliers improve the efficiency of buyers production process. to gain detailed insights into the current market trends. Get unlimited access to all our reports. Our Insights platform provides ready-to-use procurement research reports, latest supplier news, innovation landscape, markets insights, supplier tracking, and much more at the click of a button. We also reports to meet clients’ requirements. Related Reports: About SpendEdge SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are a preferred procurement market intelligence partner for Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence that helps sourcing and procurement professionals make informed decisions. These innovative procurement solutions help enterprises transform structural capabilities, improve execution efficiency, and fast-track time to savings. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006241/en/ CONTACT: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Consultant US: +1 630 984 7340 hello@spendedge.com KEYWORD: INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENERGY UTILITIES MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING SOURCE: SpendEdge Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 03:31 PM/DISC: 04/24/2018 03:31 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006241/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 03:31:00

Machine Tools Procurement Research – Market Trends and Spend Analysis by SpendEdge

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413736

Healogics, Inc. Names Allan Woodward, MBA as New Chief Financial Officer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2018--Healogics, the nation’s largest provider of advanced chronic wound care services, today announced that it has appointed Allan Woodward to serve as Chief Financial Officer. In this role, Woodward will be responsible for the planning and oversight of the financial strategy for the company, the ongoing development of appropriate control systems and all reporting measures. Woodward will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer, David Bassin. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006045/en/ Allan Woodward, Chief Financial Officer at Healogics, Inc. (Photo: Business Wire) “Allan’s extensive experience in financial leadership roles, combined with his knowledge of the healthcare industry makes him an invaluable asset to our team. We are thrilled to welcome him as our new CFO,” said Bassin. Over the course of his career, Allan has held several financial leadership roles in healthcare-based organizations. His most recent experience includes his service at eviCore Healthcare as the Senior Vice President of Finance and Strategy over the post-acute care and consumer engagement programs. He was responsible for all financial activities of the business unit, including the creation of financial structures for all product expansions and the development of alternative provider reimbursement initiatives. Woodward earned his MBA from the University of Missouri and his Bachelor of Science from Middle Tennessee State University. About Healogics Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., Healogics and its affiliated companies manage a network of 700 outpatient Wound Care Centers® across the United States and multiple locations in the United Kingdom. Healogics currently has more than 3,000 employees, including nearly 300 employed providers (Healogics Specialty Providers). In addition to the company’s network of outpatient Wound Care Centers, Healogics providers partner with over 400 skilled nursing facilities to care for patients with chronic wounds. More than 300,000 patients were treated by Healogics providers in 2017. For additional information, please visit Healogics.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006045/en/ CONTACT: Healogics, Inc. Leslie Niblock, 904-524-2695 Director, Corporate Communications Leslie.Niblock@healogics.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA FLORIDA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SENIORS WOMEN EDUCATION UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY DATA MANAGEMENT INTERNET SOFTWARE TELECOMMUNICATIONS HEALTH MANUFACTURING OTHER MANUFACTURING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE HUMAN RESOURCES COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH OTHER SCIENCE OTHER COMMUNICATIONS CONSUMER FAMILY SCIENCE GENERAL HEALTH MEN SOURCE: Healogics, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/23/2018 12:03 PM/DISC: 04/23/2018 12:03 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180423006045/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 00:03:00

Healogics, Inc. Names Allan Woodward, MBA as New Chief Financial Officer

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413530

Fed set to raise rates as Powell gives 1st news conference

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve's first meeting under Jerome Powell's leadership will likely end Wednesday with an announcement that the Fed will resume its modest interest rate hikes. But investors will be most attuned to what Powell signals at his first news conference about whether and how he might steer the Fed's policymaking differently from his predecessor, Janet Yellen. Will he, for example, be inclined to step up the pace of Fed rate hikes? Powell hasn't yet tipped his hand. Speaking to Congress last month, the new chairman said his "personal outlook" on the economy had strengthened since December, when the Fed's policymakers collectively forecast three rate hikes for 2018, the same as in 2017. That comment helped send stocks tumbling because it suggested that the Fed might be about to accelerate the gradual pace it had pursued under Yellen. More aggressive rate increases would likely slow the economy and make stocks less appealing. Yet when he testified to Congress again two days later, Powell tempered his view: He stressed that the Fed still thinks it has room to maintain a moderate pace of rate hikes, in part to allow Americans' average wages, which have stagnated for years, to pick up. The impression was that he might not favor raising rates faster than Yellen did after all — at least not yet. That said, few doubt that the Fed will announce when its policy meeting concludes that it will resume raising rates, after having most recently done so in December. A healthy job market and a steady if unspectacular economy have given the Fed the confidence to think the economy can withstand further increases within a still historically low range of borrowing rates. The financial markets have been edgy for weeks, and Powell's back-and-forth comments have been only one factor. A sharp rise in wage growth reported in the government's January jobs report triggered fears that higher labor costs would lead to higher inflation and, ultimately, to higher interest rates. Stocks sank on the news. But subsequent reports on wages and inflation have been milder, and the markets appear to have stabilized. The February jobs report pointed to an unusually robust labor market: Employers added 313,000 jobs, the largest monthly gain in 1½ years. The unemployment rate remained at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent. Other measures of the economy, though, have been more sluggish. Consumer spending, the economy's primary fuel, has slowed this year and has led many economists to downgrade their forecasts for growth in the January-March quarter. Some now envision an annual growth rate of just 1.7 percent for the quarter. Forecasts for all of 2018, though, still predict an acceleration later this year, driven in part by the stimulative effect of the sweeping tax cuts President Donald Trump pushed through Congress in December and a budget agreement in January to raise government spending by $300 billion over two years. If economic growth does pick up and the job market remains healthy, the Powell Fed is viewed as likely to accelerate its rate hikes, from the three it projected in December to four this year. Even after five rate increases over the past 27 months, the Fed's benchmark rate remains in a still-low range of 1.25 percent to 1.5 percent, up from a record low near zero as recently as December 2015. The Fed's slighter higher key rate has, however, contributed to higher consumer loan rates, including for home mortgages. Some economists say they think Powell will try to demonstrate at the start of his tenure that he is serious about keeping inflation under control, a central responsibility for any Fed leader. "Powell will want to make sure he establishes his credentials as an anti-inflation chairman," said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at California State University, Channel Islands. Besides announcing its rate decision Wednesday, the Fed will update its quarterly forecasts, which will show its expectations for growth, unemployment, inflation and the expected pace of its rate increases over the next three years. Even if the Fed doesn't explicitly predict four rate hikes for 2018, it could effectively signal as much by upgrading its expectations for growth. The Fed's December estimate for economic growth in 2018, as measured by the gross domestic product, was 2.5 percent, an upgrade from its 2.1 percent forecast of three months earlier. Now, with the tax cuts and spending increases in place, might the Fed raise that growth forecast even further? In his news conference after the Fed's meeting ends, Powell will be able to shape perceptions of the central bank's likely direction under his stewardship. It won't be without risk. Any serious misstep could unnerve global financial markets. But Powell's testimony to Congress last month drew strong reviews. "Powell delivered a solid performance before Congress, worthy of William McChesney Martin," said David Jones, an economist who has written books on the Fed, referring to the longest-serving Fed chairman, whose tenure stretched from 1951 until 1970. The plain-spoken Martin once suggested that the Fed's key function was to take away the "punch bowl" just when the party is really warming up. "Powell is well-prepared for this job, and I think he will be a Martin-type guy who will describe the Fed's actions in plain, understandable terms," Jones said.

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2018-03-20 00:16:00

Fed set to raise rates as Powell gives 1st news conference

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385704

Teen who used 'affluenza' defense set for release April 2

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A 20-year-old who as a teenager used an "affluenza" defense regarding a drunken-driving wreck that killed four people is set to be released April 2. Ethan Couch has served almost two years in jail for a revoked probation and is to be freed from the Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth, Texas. He's been serving a 720-day sentence after his 2016 probation revocation for attending a party where alcohol was served. Couch was 16 when the truck he was driving killed pedestrians in June 2013. A psychologist at his manslaughter trial blamed his actions on "affluenza," or irresponsibility due to family wealth. His mother, Tonya Couch, awaits trial on charges of hindering apprehension of a felon and money laundering after she fled to Mexico with Ethan in 2015. She's free on bond.

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2018-03-20 10:18:00

Teen who used 'affluenza' defense set for release April 2

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385942

Man who called police on black women golfers denies racism

YORK, Pa. (AP) — A man who called police on a group of black women golfers accused of playing too slowly at a Pennsylvania golf club denied to dispatchers that he was acting out of racism. In one of two recordings of calls to police posted by the York Daily Record, the caller says the group was "holding everybody up" and one of the women had accused the Grandview Golf Club of racism. He said no weapons were involved "other than her mouth." The golf club in York apologized following the April 21 incident. The women were club members and described the experience as demeaning and discriminatory.

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2018-05-31 07:50:00

Man who called police on black women golfers denies racism

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444609

Josh Homme apologizes again for kicking photographer

NEW YORK (AP) — Queens of the Stone Age frontman Joshua Homme has apologized for second time after a photographer said he kicked her camera while she photographed the band's concert. Homme says in a video posted to his band's Facebook page early Monday that he doesn't have any excuse or reason to justify what I did." Photographer Chelsea Lauren said on Instagram that she sought medical treatment after the camera smashed into her face from the kick Saturday night at a radio station's annual Christmas event. Video posted to social media shows Homme swinging his leg and connecting with the camera while playing guitar at the Forum near Los Angeles. Homme first apologized Sunday, saying he was "in a state of being lost in performance" and thought he was kicking lighting equipment. He says in the new video that he's "truly sorry and I hope you're OK." He adds, "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life ... I want to be a good man but I think last night I definitely failed at that." ____ Online: Homme's video apology: https://www.facebook.com/pg/QOTSA/posts/?ref=page_internal

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2017-12-12 05:16:00

Josh Homme apologizes again for kicking photographer

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318209

2 dead after tree branch falls on crowd at fireworks show

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (AP) — Authorities say two people have died after a tree branch fell on spectators during a fireworks display in western Illinois. The Rock Island County Sheriff's Office says the branch fell from a large oak tree outside the county courthouse in Rock Island around 9:40 p.m. Tuesday. Dozens were sitting near the tree watching the fireworks when the branch fell about 25 feet (8 meters) and crushed some of the spectators. Some of those who weren't hurt tried to lift the branch to free the people trapped beneath. Authorities said 61-year-old Daniel Mendoza Sr. of Rock Island was pronounced dead at the scene. Seventy-two-year-old Lawrence Anderson of Moline died at a hospital. Authorities have not provided the causes of death. Five other people were injured.

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2018-07-05 01:39:00

2 dead after tree branch falls on crowd at fireworks show

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474377

LeBron gets triple-double, Cavs beat Bucks without Lue

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James scored 40 points as part of his third triple-double in four games and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 124-117 on Monday night as coach Tyronn Lue began his leave of absence to address health issues. Lue said Monday in a statement he been dealing with chest pains and loss of sleep, and that tests have offered no conclusion about what the issue is. Associate head coach Larry Drew will run the team in Lue's absence. James scored 17 points in the third quarter and finished with 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his 16th triple-double this season and 71st of his career. The four-time MVP took over in the third beginning with back-to-back 3-pointers. After not getting a foul called on a third attempt, he finished Cleveland's next possession with a massive dunk. He was fouled attempting another dunk and made both free throws the following time down. Milwaukee cut a 17-point lead to 117-109, but James drove the length of the floor for a dunk with just over a minute left. Cavaliers All-Star forward Kevin Love returned after missing six weeks because of a broken left hand and scored 18 points in 25 minutes. He sparked a 10-0 run in the second quarter with two 3-pointers Giannis Antetokounmpo had 37 points and went 11 for 11 at the foul line for Milwaukee, which is seventh in the Eastern Conference. Khris Middleton had 30 points, making 11 of 16 from the field. Milwaukee guard Jason Terry was given a Flagrant-1 foul for hitting Ante Zizic in the face with an open hand while the rookie center was putting up a shot in the lane. Zizic made both free throws, helping spark a run that built a double-figure lead. Lue, 40, led Cleveland to the 2016 NBA championship after taking over for David Blatt midway through that season. The Cavaliers (41-29) are third in the Eastern Conference and have endured roster shake-ups, injuries and other distractions as they try to reach the NBA Finals for the fourth straight time. No timetable has been given for when Lue will return. He missed the second half Saturday, the second time this season he left a game because he wasn't feeling well. Lue also sat out a game against Chicago at home in December. GOING OUT ON A HIGH NOTE The Cavaliers honored former Browns tackle Joe Thomas, who attended the game after holding a retirement press conference Monday. James embraced Thomas, who received a standing ovation in an on-court tribute during a timeout. TIP-INS Bucks: Antetokounmpo picked up his second foul at the 5:58 mark of the first quarter and went to the bench. He scored 10 points in the second, including a one-handed dunk off an alley-oop pass from Eric Bledsoe. ... C Tyler Zeller (sore ribs) missed his second straight game. Cavaliers: G Kyle Korver scored 12 points after missing Saturday's game because of a family matter. He's also been dealing with a sore right foot. ... Drew hopes F Tristan Thompson, who hasn't played since March 3 because of a sprained right ankle will return this week. ... Larry Nance Jr. (sore right hamstring), Rodney Hood (strained lower back) and Cedi Osman (strained left hip flexor) are also out. UP NEXT Bucks: Host Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. Cavaliers: Host Toronto on Wednesday. ___ More AP basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

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2018-03-20 22:00:00

LeBron gets triple-double, Cavs beat Bucks without Lue

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385931

Granderson's homer in 10th gives Blue Jays win over Red Sox

TORONTO (AP) — Curtis Granderson hit a walk-off homer in the 10th inning to give the Toronto Blue Jays a 4-3 win over Boston on Tuesday night and hand the Red Sox their season-worst third straight defeat. Boston (17-5) still owns the best record in the majors. Granderon's his third home run of the season came off Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel (0-1), a towering solo blast off the facing of the third deck in right field. He went 3 for 5 with three RBIs. Tyler Clippard (3-0) worked a scoreless 10th for the win. Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna was handed a 3-1 lead in the ninth but allowed the Red Sox to tie it, his first blown save in seven chances. Hanley Ramirez singled to begin the ninth, went to third on a one-out hit by Rafael Devers and scored on Eduardo Nunez's single to right. It was the first run off Osuna this season. Jackie Bradley Jr. struck out and Nunez stole second before Christian Vazquez walked to load the bases for Brock Holt, who scored Devers with an RBI single to left. Left fielder Granderson threw out Nunez at the plate to prevent Boston from taking the lead. Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ struck out a season-high 10 over seven innings. Happ walked none and allowed four hits and one run in his longest outing of the season. Boston's Rick Porcello allowed three runs and three hits in seven innings. Porcello walked three, two more than he'd walked in his previous four starts combined, and struck out a season-high nine, including five straight in the third and fourth. Porcello extended his scoreless innings streak to 14 by pitching around a one-out walk in the first but couldn't escape the second. The Blue Jays put runners at the corners with none out before Kevin Pillar opened the scoring with a fielder's choice grounder, with Steve Pearce coming home ahead of the throw by third baseman Devers. Three batters later, Granderson hit a two-run single that bounced off Devers' glove and rolled into shallow left field. Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and is 0 for 11 with eight strikeouts over his past three games. TRAINER'S ROOM Red Sox: SS Xander Bogaerts (left ankle) went 2 for 3 with an RBI in a six-inning stint with Triple-A Pawtucket, and remains on track to rejoin the Red Sox on Friday. Blue Jays: 3B Josh Donaldson (right shoulder) could begin a minor league rehab assignment later this week, manager John Gibbons said. Donaldson has been working out at Toronto's minor league facility in Dunedin, Florida. SOMBER TRIBUTE Before the game, the Blue Jays honored the victims of Monday's deadly van attack in Toronto and the first responders who rushed to the scene. Players from both teams stood in front of the dugouts as four Toronto police officers and two paramedics stood between second base and the pitcher's mound and were introduced to cheering fans. Following a video message and a moment of silence, a group of high school students sang the national anthems. Blue Jays pitcher Marco Estrada greeted the first responders as they left the field A blue banner reading "#TORONTOSTRONG" was hung from the second deck in center field, and similar signs were hung on the wall behind home plate. The same message was also printed in white on the back of the mound. UP NEXT Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (2-0, 3.45) is 1-3 with a 5.67 ERA in eight career games against Toronto. Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez (1-2, 3.86) will face his fourth AL East opponent in five starts when he takes the mound Wednesday. Sanchez has faced New York twice and Baltimore once. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

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2018-04-25 10:22:00

Granderson's homer in 10th gives Blue Jays win over Red Sox

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413830

Rinne stops 35 in Predators' 4-0 win over Sabres

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Pekka Rinne stopped 35 shots for his eighth shutout of the season and the Nashville Predators set a franchise record by earning a point in their 15th consecutive game with a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night. Mike Fisher and Ryan Johansen scored goals 4:34 apart in the second period, and Filip Forsberg and Ryan Hartman sealed the victory by scoring in the final four minutes. The NHL-leading Predators improved to 14-0-1 in their past 15, and also extended their team-best road winning streak to nine straight. Rinne won his 11th straight to match his personal best in a stretch in which he's allowed just 18 goals. The shutout was the 51st of his 12-year career and third in nine games. And Rinne also improved to 40-9-4 in becoming the NHL's seventh goalie to win 40 games in a season three or more times. The Predators haven't lost in regulation since a 3-1 defeat to Detroit at home on Feb. 17. And they improved to 12-0-3 in their past 15 road games since a 3-0 loss at Vegas on Jan. 2. The Sabres were unable to build off a 5-3 win over Chicago on Saturday and lost in rookie coach Phil Housley's first meeting against his former team. The Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman spent the previous four seasons as a Predators assistant coach. Buffalo ranks last in the Eastern Conference and had its NHL-worst home record drop to 11-21-5. Minor-league call-up Linus Ullmark stopped 28 shots, starting in place of Robin Lehner, who was sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Ullmark had little chance on Fisher's goal that opened the scoring 12:29 into the second period. Fisher and teammate Scott Hartnell were both parked in front when Fisher deflected in Mikka Salomaki's shot from the blue line. The Sabres challenged the goal by arguing Fisher interfered with Ullmark. The goal was allowed to stand despite a replay showing Fisher nudged the back of Ullmark's skate in the crease and also got a hand on the goalie's glove. There was no disputing Johansen's goal. Ullmark stopped Viktor Arvidsson's initial shot from the right circle. The rebound fell at Ullmark's his feet where Forsberg chipped the puck to Johansen, who snapped it in the open left side. The first period was lively with both teams putting their speed on display. Arvidsson nearly scored 7 seconds in on a breakaway off the opening faceoff. Buffalo's Jack Eichel burst up the left side and behind the Predators defense to drive across the crease only to have his shot stopped by Rinne's left pad. Rinne also got an assist from Kevin Fiala who got his stick out to stop Justin Bailey's attempt to tap in a bouncing puck in the crease. NOTES: Rinne joined a list of three-time 40-game winners led by former New Jersey goalie Martin Broduer, who reached the milestone eight times. Washington's Braden Holtby is the only other active goalie to win 40 games three times. The other three-time 40-game-winners were Terry Sawchuk, Jacques Plante, Mikka Kiprusoff and Evgeni Nabokov. ... Sabres RW Kyle Okposo returned after missing three games with a concussion. ... With 10 games left, the Predators inched closer to matching franchise records for most wins (51) and points (110) set in 2006-07. UP NEXT Predators: Host Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. Sabres: Host Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday in matchup of NHL's two worst teams. ___ More NHL hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey

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2018-03-20 09:40:00

Rinne stops 35 in Predators' 4-0 win over Sabres

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385900

Germany's Merkel says migration deal is no about-turn

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel is rejecting suggestions that an agreement to set up "transit centers" on the border with Austria, from which some asylum-seekers would be returned to other European countries, marks a turnaround in her migration policy. The agreement among Merkel's conservative bloc hinges on other countries taking back migrants they've previously registered, as well on as the chancellor's center-left coalition partners. Merkel said people would be kept in the new centers for 48 hours at most. Merkel refused to close Germany's borders as the migrant influx peaked in 2015 but has since significantly toughened her stance. She backed a wider but later-aborted proposal for border facilities over two years ago. Asked by ARD television Wednesday whether she has now become a "sealing-off chancellor," Merkel replied: "No. A clear no."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-04 08:00:00

Germany's Merkel says migration deal is no about-turn

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474299

AP sources: Doctors believe Wentz tore ACL, out for year

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Carson Wentz threw a touchdown pass a few plays after suffering an injury that could ruin a special season for the Philadelphia Eagles, and then stuck around to greet teammates and celebrate a division-clinching victory with them. It's always team-first for No. 11. Two sources familiar with the injury told The Associated Press that doctors believe Wentz tore his left anterior cruciate ligament in a 43-35 comeback win over the Rams on Sunday and will miss the rest of the season and playoffs. Wentz, a favorite in the NFL MVP race, will have an MRI on Monday to confirm the severity of the injury. Both people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information. After the game, Wentz's left knee was wrapped in a brace. He was driven in a cart up the tunnel at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and then hobbled to one of the team buses. "I don't know anything until we evaluate him (Monday)," Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. Wentz wrote on Twitter: "NFC East Champs! So proud of the resiliency of this team. Such a special group of men. And I greatly appreciate all the prayers! I know my God is a powerful one with a perfect plan. Time to just lean in to him and trust whatever the circumstances! #Proverbs3:5-6" Wentz was hurt late in the third quarter at Los Angeles. Backup Nick Foles rallied the Eagles (11-2) to a win that secured the NFC East title and put them in first place in the conference with three games remaining. "Everyone is really excited about the win but you have your starting quarterback go down, it's emotional," Foles said. "It's emotional for me. I work with him every day so I'm dealing with that." The Eagles have overcome several key injuries and now have to move forward without their most indispensable player. Nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters, return specialist/running back Darren Sproles, star linebacker Jordan Hicks and special-teams captain Chris Maragos already went down for the season. But they're not the franchise quarterback. "It (stinks) more so for Carson as a person and a friend and a teammate and what he puts into the game and his preparation," safety Malcolm Jenkins said. "But as a team we have all our goals in front of us." Wentz is the latest NFL star to go down in a season in which several high-profile players have been sidelined. Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Kam Chancellor, Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt and quarterback Deshaun Watson, Giants receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall, Chiefs safety Eric Berry, Browns tackle Joe Thomas and Vikings running back Dalvin Cook and quarterback Sam Bradford each sustained season-ending injuries. After starting all 16 games as a rookie, Wentz made a giant leap this year. He passed for 3,296 yards, 33 TDs and only seven interceptions. Wentz again was spectacular against the Rams before he got hurt after getting hit hard as he scrambled into the end zone on a play that was called back because of holding. He stayed in the game and threw a 3-yard TD pass to Alshon Jeffery on fourth down four plays later, setting the franchise record for most TD passes in a season. "It shows how tough he is," Pederson said. Foles replaced Wentz the next drive after the Rams took a 35-31 lead. He led the Eagles to a pair of field goals on consecutive drives. Second-year pro Nate Sudfeld is Philadelphia's No. 3 quarterback. Wentz arrived in Philadelphia as the No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft out of North Dakota State. On Sunday, he outperformed Rams quarterback Jared Goff, the No. 1 pick in that draft. Despite the injury, Wentz celebrated the victory over the Rams (9-4) with teammates. "He's one of the leaders on the team. He was there congratulating and celebrating with everyone," Foles said. Foles, a third-round pick by former Eagles coach Andy Reid in 2012, is in his second stint in Philadelphia. He replaced an injured Michael Vick in 2013 and led the Eagles to an NFC East title during Chip Kelly's first season as coach. Foles tied an NFL record with seven TD passes in a game at Oakland in November 2013 and finished that season with 27 TDs and only two picks. The Eagles lost at home to New Orleans in the playoffs. Foles went to the Pro Bowl and was the offensive MVP. But Kelly traded Foles to St. Louis for Sam Bradford after the 2014 season. Foles spent a year with the Rams, a season with the Chiefs and returned to Philadelphia as a free agent this season. "I'm absolutely ready to go — need be," Foles said. "I prepare every day." ___ AP Sports Writer Bernie Wilson contributed to this report from Los Angeles. ___ For more NFL coverage: http://pro32.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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2017-12-11 15:45:00

AP sources: Doctors believe Wentz tore ACL, out for year

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3317783

Horford, Smart lift Celtics over Bucks 92-87 for 3-2 lead

BOSTON (AP) — Al Horford had 22 points and 14 rebounds, Marcus Smart made an impact in his first game since mid-March and the Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 92-87 on Tuesday night for a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series. Smart came off the bench and had nine points, five rebounds, four assists and three blocks in his first game since undergoing right thumb surgery. He played 25 minutes wearing a protective splint and had a key assist late from the bottom of a scrum beneath three Milwaukee players. Terry Rozier added 16 points and five assists for Boston. The home team has won all five games in the first-round series, and Game 6 is Thursday in Milwaukee. Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 23 points, Jabari Parker added 17 points and eight rebounds, and Giannis Antetokounmpo had a series-low 16 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists. The Celtics led by 16 before Milwaukee rallied to make it 74-70 with 7:33 left. Middleton scored later and was fouled to get Milwaukee within 84-79, but he failed to complete the three-point play. A few possessions later, Smart managed to squeeze out a pass to Horford with three Bucks draped over him, and Horford easily dropped in a layup to make it 86-79 with 28.1 seconds left. Milwaukee got within 87-84 after a layup by Eric Bledsoe, but the Celtics hit enough free throws the rest of the way to secure the win. The Bucks entered the game shooting an NBA playoff-best 54 percent from the field, but they hit just 37 percent for the game (32 of 87). Boston needed an energy boost after slow starts to Games 3 and 4, and Smart gave the Celtics exactly that. He checked in for the first time late in the first quarter. Less than a minute later, he deflected a pass and won a scramble on the floor for the loose ball. A few possessions later, he was helping protect the rim, getting his hand in to deny an alley-oop dunk attempt by Antetokounmpo. He was also active on the offensive end, helping drive the ball into the interior of Milwaukee's defense, like when he tossed an alley-oop to Horford late in the third quarter . TIP-INS Bucks: F John Henson missed his third straight game with back soreness. ... Scored 15 points in first quarter. It was low for a quarter in the series, excluding the Game 1 overtime period (eight points). Celtics: Finished with 18 turnovers. ... Outscored the Bucks 32-28 in the paint. DROUGHT AND A RUN The Celtics went without a field goal from Rozier's 3-pointer with 9:14 left in the third until Jaylen Brown hit from beyond the arc with 4:26 to go in the period. Boston's only points during the shooting slump came on a pair of free throws by Tatum with 6:36 left. It allowed Milwaukee to go on a 12-2 run, trimming Boston's lead to 58-52. STILL BEEFING Rozier and Eric Bledsoe got tangled up with 9:33 left in the third quarter. Rozier bumped Bledsoe near the baseline. Bledsoe responded with a hard shove. They then got face-to-face and had to be separated. Bledsoe was assessed a flagrant foul and Rozier was issued a technical foul. It was the continuation of some off-court chiding between the pair. Rozier called Bledsoe "Drew Bledsoe" when asked about him after Game 1. Bledsoe has since responded by saying "Who?" whenever he's asked about Rozier. ___ More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

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2018-04-25 10:13:00

Horford, Smart lift Celtics over Bucks 92-87 for 3-2 lead

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413828

Firefight rattles Mexican city of La Paz

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A lengthy shootout has rattled the Mexican resort city of La Paz as police and suspects exchanged extended rounds of gunfire. The prosecutor's office in the state of Baja California Sur reports there were no deaths, but says five people were arrested and 10 guns were confiscated. The office said Tuesday that the gunfight occurred after police came under fire from a house on Monday. Some of the suspects were wanted on murder, drug, weapons and other charges. Police found eight rifles and 65 ammunition magazines at the house. Baja California Sur was once a peaceful state home to the twin resorts of Los Cabos, but now has Mexico's second-highest murder rate, at 69 per 100,000 inhabitants.

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2018-01-31 01:58:00

Firefight rattles Mexican city of La Paz

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354377

The Latest: Chestnut downs a record 74 franks for 11th title

NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on the annual Nathan's Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest. (all times local): 1 p.m. Defending champion Joey "Jaws" Chestnut chomped down a record 74 franks and buns to take home his 11th title at the annual Nathan's Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest. The renowned competitive eater from San Jose, California, takes home the coveted Mustard Belt and surpassed the previous mark of 72 dogs and buns he downed last year. The heat wasn't a factor; the National Weather Service put the temperature at 83 degrees with a heat index of 91 degrees. Miki Sudo said after eating 37 dogs and buns that the heat may have slowed her down in winning the women's competition. That didn't stop the Las Vegas eater from easily beating out second-place finisher Mischelle Lesco of Tuscon, Arizona, who chowed down 28 wieners and buns. ___ 11 a.m. Miki Sudo (MIHK'-ee SOO'-doh) downed 37 franks to win her fifth straight title in the women's competition of the annual Nathan's Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest. The Las Vegas competitor fell short of the 41 hot dogs she consumed last year but still beat out second-place finisher Michelle Lesco, of Tucson, Arizona. Lesco chowed down 28 wieners and buns. Thousands of attendees braved 83-degree temperatures and a heat index of 91 degrees to witness the annual July Fourth competition on the Coney Island boardwalk. Ten-time winner Joey "Jaws" Chestnut will confront 20 other men during the men's competition later Wednesday for the coveted Mustard Belt. Sudo was a fan favorite, drawing big cheers from the crowd during her performance, which was slightly delayed after she requested new water to soak her buns. ___ 12:05 a.m. It's frankly amazing. Chowdown champions will face off Wednesday at Nathan's Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest, where the men's record stands at 72 frankfurters and buns in 10 minutes. Ten-time winner Joey "Jaws" Chestnut will confront 20 other men on New York's Coney Island boardwalk. He set the record last year. Miki Sudo (MIHK'-ee SOO'-doh) is seeking a fifth women's title in a row. The 19-woman field includes record-holder Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas. Sudo downed 41 franks and buns last year. Thomas' record is 45, but she managed 30 last year. The event attracts thousands of in-person spectators and is televised on ESPN. Last year, animal rights activists tried to unfold a banner amid the crowd. Five protesters were taken into custody for questioning and released.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-04 00:00:00

The Latest: Chestnut downs a record 74 franks for 11th title

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474371

National Hockey League

All Times EDT EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 72 49 19 4 102 260 202 Boston 71 45 17 9 99 239 184 Toronto 72 43 22 7 93 243 204 Florida 70 36 27 7 79 212 216 Montreal 73 26 35 12 64 182 232 Ottawa 71 26 34 11 63 197 244 Detroit 72 26 35 11 63 184 224 Buffalo 72 23 37 12 58 172 236 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Washington 72 41 24 7 89 225 214 Pittsburgh 72 41 26 5 87 237 218 Columbus 73 40 28 5 85 205 203 Philadelphia 73 37 25 11 85 218 215 New Jersey 72 37 27 8 82 217 215 Carolina 72 31 30 11 73 194 225 N.Y. Rangers 72 32 32 8 72 208 231 N.Y. Islanders 72 30 32 10 70 231 262 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Nashville 72 48 14 10 106 236 178 Winnipeg 72 43 19 10 96 240 189 Minnesota 72 41 24 7 89 224 206 Colorado 72 39 25 8 86 231 209 Dallas 73 38 27 8 84 209 197 St. Louis 72 39 28 5 83 201 193 Chicago 73 30 34 9 69 208 223 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Vegas 72 46 21 5 97 244 199 San Jose 72 40 23 9 89 219 199 Anaheim 73 37 24 12 86 206 197 Los Angeles 72 39 27 6 84 207 181 Calgary 73 35 28 10 80 202 217 Edmonton 72 31 36 5 67 201 231 Vancouver 72 25 38 9 59 186 236 Arizona 71 23 37 11 57 170 228 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Sunday's Games Colorado 5, Detroit 1 Vegas 4, Calgary 0 Tampa Bay 3, Edmonton 1 Carolina 4, N.Y. Islanders 3 Philadelphia 6, Washington 3 Winnipeg 4, Dallas 2 St. Louis 5, Chicago 4, OT Anaheim 4, New Jersey 2 Monday's Games Columbus 5, Boston 4, OT Nashville 4, Buffalo 0 Florida 2, Montreal 0 Los Angeles at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Calgary at Arizona, 10 p.m. Tuesday's Games Columbus at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Dallas at Washington, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Edmonton at Carolina, 7 p.m. Florida at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Colorado at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Vancouver at Vegas, 10 p.m. New Jersey at San Jose, 10:30 p.m. Wednesday's Games Montreal at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Arizona at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Boston at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Anaheim at Calgary, 9:30 p.m. Thursday's Games N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Arizona at Carolina, 7 p.m. Florida at Columbus, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Washington at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Edmonton at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Nashville, 8 p.m. Vancouver at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Colorado, 9 p.m. Vegas at San Jose, 10 p.m.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 10:13:00

National Hockey League

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385932

Late poet Helen Dunmore's collection wins Costa book prize

LONDON (AP) — A poetry collection by the late British writer Helen Dunmore has won the lucrative Costa book prize . "Inside the Wave" was published two months before the poet and novelist died of cancer last year at age 64 and reflects on the intertwined worlds of life and death. Author Wendy Holden, who chaired the judging panel, on Tuesday called the collection "life affirming and uplifting." Open to writers based in Britain and Ireland, the Costa prizes are awarded in five categories, with one chosen as the overall book of the year. Dunmore's poems beat four other finalists for the 30,000-pound ($42,000) prize: Gail Honeyman's debut novel "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine"; Rebecca Stott's memoir "In the Days of Rain"; John McGregor's novel "Reservoir 13" and children's book "The Explorer" by Katherine Rundell.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 04:16:00

Late poet Helen Dunmore's collection wins Costa book prize

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354429

Volkswagen suspends executive over monkey trials

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Automaker Volkswagen has suspended its head of external relations and sustainability in response to the controversy over experiments in which monkeys were exposed to diesel exhaust. The company said in a statement Tuesday that Thomas Steg was stepping away from his duties at his own request. The statement said the company was "drawing the first consequences" as it investigates the activities of EUGT, the entity backed by Volkswagen and other carmakers that commissioned the monkey experiment. The move follows a report in The New York Times that the now-disbanded EUGT commissioned the test to show how Volkswagen's diesel technology was succeeding in controlling emissions. But the test was done with a vehicle rigged to cheat on emissions tests. The practice was exposed in 2015, toppling then-CEO Martin Winterkorn.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 20:31:00

Volkswagen suspends executive over monkey trials

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354192

The top iPhone and iPad apps on App Store

App Store Official Charts for the week ending January 28, 2018: Top Paid iPhone Apps: 1. Pocket Build, MoonBear LTD 2. Minecraft, Mojang 3. Heads Up!, Warner Bros. 4. Minds On Physics the App - Part 1, Physics Classroom, LLC 5. The Room: Old Sins, Fireproof Games 6. Getting Over It, Bennett Foddy 7. Plague Inc., Ndemic Creations 8. Geometry Dash, RobTop Games AB 9. Bloons TD 5, Ninja Kiwi 10. NBA 2K18, 2K Top Free iPhone Apps: 1. Splashy!, Voodoo 2. Knife Hit, Ketchapp 3. YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream, Google, Inc. 4. Instagram, Instagram, Inc. 5. Messenger, Facebook, Inc. 6. Snapchat, Snap, Inc. 7. Facebook, Facebook, Inc. 8. Sweatcoin - Coin For Sweat App, Sweatco Ltd 9. Netflix, Netflix, Inc. 10. Google Maps - GPS Navigation, Google, Inc. Top Paid iPad Apps: 1. Minecraft, Mojang 2. The Room: Old Sins, Fireproof Games 3. Procreate, Savage Interactive Pty Ltd 4. Geometry Dash, RobTop Games AB 5. Notability, Ginger Labs 6. Toca Life: Pets, Toca Boca AB 7. My Town : Bakery, My Town Games LTD 8. Pocket Build, MoonBear LTD 9. GoodNotes 4, Time Base Technology Limited 10. Octodad: Dadliest Catch, Young Horses, Inc. Top Free iPad Apps: 1. Netflix, Netflix, Inc. 2. YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream, Google, Inc. 3. Run Sausage Run!, Crazy Labs 4. Kick the Buddy, Chill Fleet 5. ROBLOX, Roblox Corporation 6. Color by Number: Coloring Book, Fun Games For Free 7. Messenger, Facebook, Inc. 8. UNICORN - Color by Number Game, AppsYouLove 9. Google Chrome, Google, Inc. 10. Facebook, Facebook, Inc. _ (copyright) 2018 Apple Inc.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 05:02:00

The top iPhone and iPad apps on App Store

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354448

First lady embraces moment in spotlight during state visit

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump is embracing her moment in the spotlight for the French president's state visit. She traded in her usual dark sunglasses for a white wide-brimmed hat that quickly became a trending topic on social media. She has thrown herself into planning the state dinner for President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte. All eyes will be on the former model again Tuesday when she steps out in a designer gown to greet the Macrons as they arrive for dinner. Seeing the gown is typically the highlight of a state dinner. But for once, it may pale in comparison to the hat. The hat bobbed up and down across the bottom of TV screens as the first lady took her seat for the president's news conference with Macron.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 00:00:00

First lady embraces moment in spotlight during state visit

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413567

Serena Williams launches fashion collection of her own

NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams has launched a fashion collection soon after participating in her first major tennis tournament in 16 months, dressed in a black "warrior princess" catsuit, no less. But don't look for her French Open outfit among the athleisure, office and evening clothes on her new namesake website , the only place her duds are available. Following collaborations with HSN and Nike, Williams' "Serena" line includes an "S'' motif and comfortable price points. The letter adorns bralettes and high briefs, along with a T-shirt with the name of her childhood home, Compton. She says she hopes to inspire women to own their own "s'' words, like strong, sexy, sophisticated, sassy, smart, silly and spontaneous. Prices range from $40 for the logo T-shirt to $215 for a gold and black anorak jacket.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-30 00:00:00

Serena Williams launches fashion collection of her own

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444536

Matheson's first of season wins it for Panthers in OT

DETROIT (AP) — Mike Matheson scored his first goal of the season and the Florida Panthers won in overtime for the first time this season, taking a 2-1 decision from the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night. Matheson drove the rebound of a Nick Bjugstad shot into the net behind Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard at the 2:02 mark of the overtime period for the winner. Florida improved to 1-2 in OT, rallying from a 1-0 third-period deficit for the victory. Vincent Trocheck also scored for the Panthers, while Henrik Zetterberg scored for the Wings, who are 0-5 in overtime. Ending a 22-game goal drought, Zetterberg opened the scoring at the 18:27 mark of the first period. Panthers defenseman Matheson blocked Zetterberg's original shot, but the Detroit captain picked up the rebound and snapped a low shot through the pads of Florida goalie James Reimer. The Panthers tied the score during a third-period power play at the 10:11 mark. Florida center Jonathan Huberdeau went down after being cross-checked by Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall, but as he lay on the ice, Huberdeau slipped a pass back across the front of the net to Trocheck, whose quick shot banked into the Detroit net off the outstretched glove of Wings goalie Jimmy Howard. NOTES: Panthers C Aleksandr Barkov, who leads the team with eight multi-point games, returned to the lineup after missing Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche with an upper-body injury. ... Red Wings D/RW Luke Witkowski saw his first action since the conclusion of his 10-game NHL suspension for returning to the ice to rejoin a fight Nov. 9 against the Calgary Flames, and fought twice with Panthers C Micheal Haley, who leads the NHL with nine fighting majors. UP NEXT Panthers: In Chicago Tuesday to face the Blackhawks in the second game of their five-game road trip. Red Wings: Play the fourth game of a five-game homestand Wednesday against the Boston Bruins. ___ More AP NHL: www.apnews.com/tags/NHLhockey

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 11:37:00

Matheson's first of season wins it for Panthers in OT

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318415

After huge win, will Putin try to stay in power for life?

MOSCOW (AP) — Now that President Vladimir Putin has overwhelmingly won re-election for another six years, some are wondering whether he will try to stay in power in Russia for life. Chinese leader Xi Jinping recently managed it, scrapping term limits — and was among the first world leaders to congratulate Putin on his victory Sunday. Leaders across the former Soviet Union also have guaranteed themselves lifetime presidencies. It wouldn't be that hard for Putin to follow suit. He would have to change Russia's constitution to get rid of term limits, but he has both houses of parliament at his service to rubber stamp it. Putin has faced this question before. In 2008, he had reached his limit of two four-year terms and couldn't run again. So he anointed loyal associate Dmitry Medvedev as his approved candidate for president, and Medvedev named Putin to the post of prime minister, where he continued to call the shots for the next four years. While president, Medvedev changed the constitution to extend presidential terms to six years instead of four. That paved the way for another 12 years of Putin after he returned to the presidency in 2012. When his new term expires in 2024, Putin may find a malleable successor and create a new role for himself to keep running Russia from behind the scenes. Experts say Putin is keeping all options open but probably won't make a decision until midway through his term. He has insisted on respecting the constitution, and said Sunday night he has no plans to change it — "yet." Whatever happens, he's not likely to do away with elections. Although he has stifled serious opponents, Putin likes elections because they give him democratic legitimacy in the West. He laughed off the option of taking a six-year break after 2024 before moving to reclaim the presidency in 2030. The 65-year-old leader responded to a reporter: "It's a bit ridiculous, let's do the math. Shall I sit here until I turn 100? No!"

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-19 00:00:00

After huge win, will Putin try to stay in power for life?

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385700

The Latest: Shooter in car wash jealous rampage has died

MELCROFT, Pa. (AP) — The Latest on (all times local): 4 p.m. Police say the shooter in a deadly rampage at a Pennsylvania self-serve car wash has died. Trooper Robert Broadwater says in a statement that 28-year-old Timothy Smith was pronounced dead at a hospital just before 9 p.m. Sunday. Smith suffered an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in the early Sunday shooting at Ed's Car Wash in Melcroft, a town about 55 miles (90 kilometers) southeast of Pittsburgh. He had been on life support. Friends say Smith was a jealous ex-boyfriend of 25-year-old victim Chelsie Cline. Also killed were 27-year-old William Porterfield, 23-year-old Courtney Snyder and 21-year-old Seth Cline. Another woman survived with minor injuries. Cline had recently gotten involved with Porterfield. Porterfield's father tells the Tribune Review his son had a run-in with the shooter in the hours before the killings. ___ 10:15 a.m. The father of one of four people gunned down by a woman's jealous ex-boyfriend says the shooter had an altercation with his son at a bar hours before the deadly rampage. Scott Porterfield tells the Tribune Review he's seen security footage from Tall Cedars lounge in Donegal, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Pittsburgh, that shows the shooter placing his hand on his son Billy Porterfield's shoulder early Sunday morning. He says a staff member asked Timothy Smith to leave. Police say Smith soon after shot and killed Porterfield and three others at a self-serve car wash. Twenty-five-year-old Chelsie Cline, 23-year-old Courtney Snyder and 21-year-old Seth Cline were killed, while another woman survived with minor injuries. Porterfield's wife says that Chelsie Cline became involved with Porterfield last week. ___ Information from: Tribune-Review, http://triblive.com

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

The Latest: Shooter in car wash jealous rampage has died

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354454

IS commander detained in Lebanon after crossing from Syria

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon's police say they have detained a Syrian citizen who was a military commander with the Islamic State group in the central Syrian province of Homs. The Internal Security Forces said in a statement Tuesday that the man was detained earlier this month in the northern town of Zgharta after entering Lebanon illegally from Syria. It identified him as a Syrian citizen born in 1982 without giving his name. The statement said the IS fighter confessed to being "a military cadre" who took part in many battles in Syria including the capture of the historic town of Palmyra that the extremists held for months and destroyed some of its invaluable archaeological sites. IS carried out many deadly attacks in Lebanon in recent years that left scores dead.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 21:14:00

IS commander detained in Lebanon after crossing from Syria

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413252

Revel Consulting Hires Harshit Parikh as Managing Director to Meet Rapidly Growing Demand for Integrated Digital Solutions

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Revel Consulting today named Harshit (Harsh) Parikh as managing director to lead the firm’s rapidly growing technology services offering. The move comes on the heels of the full-service digital consultancy tapping David Overcash in 2017 as its first chief commercial officer. Parikh will report to Vikas Kamran, Revel’s CEO, and work closely with Overcash to integrate the firm’s ambitious strategies into its work with clients across multiple industries with new technology-backed solutions for digital strategy, transformation and experiences. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006218/en/ Harshit Parikh, Managing Director, Technology, Revel Consulting (Photo: Business Wire) “Harsh is a true leader who knows what it takes to build teams that can architect, implement and run comprehensive digital transformation initiatives, and we’re excited to have him on board,” said Kamran. “While large legacy firms struggle to reformat to meet today’s reality, Revel’s digital native status puts us on the fast track to becoming the industry’s premier full-service digital consultancy. Pairing Harsh’s deep technology expertise with the commercialization strategies we’re putting in place sends the signal that we’re not slowing down any time soon.” Parikh is a seasoned technology executive with nearly 20 years of experience leading large engineering teams, architecting complex technical solutions across multiple service offerings and platforms, and building and scaling geographically distributed teams to deliver them. “As Revel continues to expand its technology services and partnership strategy, we set our sights high in finding a leader with the perfect blend of operational, technical and client service expertise,” said Overcash. “Some called it an impossible dream, but when we found Harsh, we knew we wanted him on the team as we turn our mission into reality.” A true digital native, throughout his career, Parikh has advised clients on a diverse range of initiatives, including digital marketing, technology strategy & roadmap, enterprise solution architecture, CMS platforms, data platforms, commerce solutions, dev ops & custom development; and led several global, technology-driven digital transformation initiatives for Fortune 500 clients. His technical expertise includes building large scale distributed cloud native solutions on Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, as well as platform solutions such as Adobe, Sitecore, Salesforce, Drupal/Aquia, Hippo and Contentful. Early in his career, Parikh held software development and technical architect roles at Microsoft and Accenture. Prior to joining Revel, Parikh spent the last 10 years with SapientRazorfish and held several key leadership positions, most recently as senior technology director for the company’s technology services offering. He also led SapientRazorfish’s Marketing Technology Capability Group for the firm’s West region, where his cross-functional team provided technology solutions for several of the company’s largest clients across the region, and headed up the technology disciplines for firm’s Seattle and Los Angeles offices. Previously he led the firm’s Sitecore practice nationally and was part of the Sitecore Partner Advisory Board. “Revel’s been digital since day one, which positions the firm to accelerate in today’s changing consulting market and makes it a powerful draw,” said Parikh. “Very few firms are digital natives, able to respond at the pace the market demands and put the right pieces in place to deliver the full set of solutions companies are looking for. I’m excited I can be part of Revel as the firm does just that.” About Revel Consulting Revel is a full-service digital consultancy led by thinkers, designers, storytellers and makers excited by the limitless opportunities each tomorrow brings. From its offices in Seattle and San Francisco, the firm develops innovative business models, designs powerful user experiences, activates seamless operations, and manages the technology platforms that bring true digital transformation to life. With empathy as its guiding principle, Revel’s human-centered business philosophy attracts and inspires people to create substantial value and achieve more together. To learn more, visit www.revelconsulting.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006218/en/ CONTACT: For Revel Consulting Sam Butler sam@35thAvenuePartners.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA WASHINGTON INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY DATA MANAGEMENT NETWORKS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONSULTING COMMUNICATIONS MARKETING SOURCE: Revel Consulting Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 12:21 PM/DISC: 04/24/2018 12:21 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006218/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 00:21:00

Revel Consulting Hires Harshit Parikh as Managing Director to Meet Rapidly Growing Demand for Integrated Digital Solutions

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413677

Major Splatoon 2 Update Arrives Tonight

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--Nintendo’s dropping some fresh (and free!) new content for on Nintendo Switch tonight! After downloading a major new update (Version 3.0) to the Splatoon 2 game at 6 p.m. PT, players will have access to a huge amount of new content. This includes the addition of more than 100 pieces of new and returning gear, new songs, the introduction of a challenging new X Rank for the top-performing players in Ranked Battle, weapon balance adjustments and the return of Callie of the famous Squid Sisters. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005662/en/ X Rank is an extremely challenging Ranked Battle experience targeting the best-of-the-best players. (Photo: Business Wire) “As promised when the game was first announced, we are determined to provide players with new experiences and content in Splatoon 2,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Through these regular updates, we are ensuring that both players old and new will log on to fun new experiences.” X Rank is an extremely challenging Ranked Battle experience targeting the best-of-the-best players. Players who are S+10 in the current Splatoon 2 ranking system will automatically be registered as X Rank after downloading the update. Players who are X Rank will battle for an X Power level. Once a month, 500 players with the highest X Power level for each of the four different Ranked Battle modes will be announced within SplatNet 2, a service of the Nintendo Switch Online app for mobile devices. X Power levels will be reset every month. During this reset, players whose X Power level ends up lower than a set threshold will rank down to S+9. This new system encourages players of all ranks to enjoy improving their play and maintaining their skills, as opposed to simply focusing on ranking up. The first X Power reset is currently scheduled for May 31, and any future resets will take place on the final day of that month. As part of these periodic resets, the rotation of eight selected stages in Ranked Battle (with two stages rotating every two hours), the addition of new weapons and the introduction of new stages will also occur. In fact, tonight will also see the return of the popular stage Camp Triggerfish, along with four additional weapons. In addition to X Rank, when Version 3.0 goes live this evening, this new update adds more than 100 pieces of gear – some new, some returning from the original Splatoon game – as well as new songs from Chirpy Chips, a popular in-game chiptune-style band featured in the first game. The update will also include some weapon balance adjustments, bug fixes and other changes. Fans of the Squid Sisters will need to sit down, as the software update also marks the long-awaited return of Callie. Once players meet a certain condition after downloading the update, Callie will appear in Tentakeel Outpost in Octo Canyon. As exciting as it is to see the Squid Sisters reunited, Callie will also offer recent multiplayer stats about the player’s character. For complete notes about Version 3.0 additions and instructions about how to download the updates, visit the official Nintendo customer support site. For more information about Splatoon 2, visit https://splatoon.nintendo.com/ or https://splatoonus.tumblr.com/. Check out ongoing Splatoon 2 Inkling Open tournament activity at https://e3.nintendo.com/splatoon-2-inkling-open/. Remember that Nintendo Switch features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about other features, visit https://www.nintendo.com/switch/. About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo Switch ™ system and the Nintendo 3DS ™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System ™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.5 billion video games and more than 710 million hardware units globally, including Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, as well as the Game Boy ™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS ™ family of systems, Super NES ™, Nintendo 64 ™, Nintendo GameCube ™, Wii ™ and Wii U ™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names, such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Zelda and Pokémon. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Americas. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at https://www.nintendo.com/. Note to editors: Nintendo press materials are available at https://press.nintendo.com, a password-protected site. To obtain a login, please register on the site. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005662/en/ CONTACT: GOLIN Eddie Garcia, 213-335-5536 egarcia@golin.com or Rich George, 213-335-5554 rgeorge@golin.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA WASHINGTON INDUSTRY KEYWORD: WOMEN ENTERTAINMENT ELECTRONIC GAMES TECHNOLOGY CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ONLINE RETAIL HARDWARE SOFTWARE AUDIO/VIDEO CHILDREN TEENS RETAIL MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT ONLINE CONSUMER MEN SOURCE: Nintendo Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 08:00 AM/DISC: 04/24/2018 08:01 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424005662/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 20:01:00

Major Splatoon 2 Update Arrives Tonight

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413667

Safety, Income & Growth Originates New Ground Lease in Atlanta

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2018--Safety, Income & Growth Inc. (NYSE:SAFE), the leading company focused on ground leases, announced it has originated a new ground lease on two office buildings, 100 & 200 Glenridge Point, in the Central Perimeter submarket of Atlanta, Georgia with repeat client Richmond Honan. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006386/en/ 100 Glenridge Point (Photo: Business Wire) The transaction marks the third time Richmond Honan has utilized a SAFE Ground Lease™ solution and represents SAFE’s fourth successful ground lease in Atlanta, GA. The ground lease features fixed annual rent escalations over 99 years with periodic CPI-based adjustments. The two adjacent Glenridge Point buildings are both five stories and total 185,000 sf. The property is well-located at the intersection of GA-400 and I-285, near three hospital systems, three MARTA transit stations, and multiple corporate headquarters. “We are building strong momentum in the Atlanta marketplace. The SAFE Ground Lease™ provides a low-cost, long-duration solution that continues to enable clients to unlock value and achieve better returns,” said Greg Camia, Senior Vice President in the Atlanta office. Safety, Income & Growth Inc. (NYSE: SAFE) is the first publicly traded company that focuses on acquiring, owning, managing and capitalizing ground leases. The Company seeks to provide safe, growing income and capital appreciation to shareholders by building a diversified portfolio of high quality ground leases. The Company, which is taxed as a real estate investment trust (REIT), is managed by its largest shareholder, iStar Inc. Additional information on SAFE is available on its website at www.safetyincomegrowth.com. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006386/en/ CONTACT: Client Contacts: Tim Doherty, 212-930-9433 Executive Vice President Head of Ground Lease Investments tdoherty@istar.com or Greg Camia, 678-339-2014 Senior Vice President Investments gcamia@istar.com or Investor Relations Contact: Safety, Income & Growth Inc. Jason Fooks, 212-930-9400 Vice President Investor Relations & Marketing investors@safetyincomegrowth.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA GEORGIA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: REIT CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY COMMERCIAL BUILDING & REAL ESTATE OTHER CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY SOURCE: Safety, Income & Growth Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 05/30/2018 04:30 PM/DISC: 05/30/2018 04:30 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006386/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 04:30:00

Safety, Income & Growth Originates New Ground Lease in Atlanta

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444539

Ruling: Kansas law targeting Israel boycotts chills speech

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a Kansas law barring state contractors from participating in boycotts against Israel, saying the state law violates their free speech rights. U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree wrote in his decision that the U.S. Supreme Court has held that the "First Amendment protects the right to participate in a boycott like the one punished by the Kansas law." Several states have enacted laws in recent years amid an increasingly visible movement protesting Israel's policies toward Palestinians. Backers of boycotting Israeli companies argue they're defending Palestinians' human rights, while boycott critics contend the goal is to destroy the Jewish state. The judge granted the request from the American Civil Liberties Union to block enforcement of the Kansas law while the case proceeds. Crabtree found it is "highly likely" that the Kansas law is invalid. "A desire to prevent discrimination against Israeli businesses is an insufficient public interest to overcome the public's interest in protecting a constitutional right," Crabtree wrote. The ACLU brought the lawsuit on behalf of Esther Koontz, a math and science curriculum coach at a Wichita public school. She is seeking to overturn a law that took effect in July that prohibits the state from entering into contracts with individuals or companies participating in a boycott of Israel. Twenty-four states have such policies, including California, Alabama and Texas, according to Palestine Legal, a non-profit advocacy group that aims to protect the rights of people who speak out for Palestinian freedom. The measure had strong bipartisan support in Kansas. ACLU attorney Brian Hauss said the court recognized the harms imposed by the "misguided law," which imposes "an unconstitutional ideological litmus test." "This ruling should serve as a warning to government officials around the country that the First Amendment prohibits the government from suppressing participation in political boycotts," Hauss said. The ACLU has also filed a legal challenge to a similar law in Arizona prohibiting contractors from boycotting Israel, but this is the first court ruling in the country dealing with such laws, said ACLU attorney Doug Bonney. Departing Gov. Sam Brownback, who signed the policy into law, said he thinks the ACLU will ultimately lose the case. Brownback, a Republican, said the federal government has passed such laws for years. He cited laws against trade with Iran or limits on investments in South Africa during apartheid. Brownback is stepping down as governor Wednesday to become U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. State officials have described Israel as an important trading partner, with Kansas exporting $56 million worth of products there in 2016 while buying $83 million worth. Brownback made an unpublicized visit to Israel last summer, during which he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Crabtree wrote that he is not persuaded by the state's argument that enjoining the Kansas law will cause Israeli companies to refuse to do business in Kansas, or with Kansas companies, and thus harm the Kansas economy. The lawsuit said Koontz, who lives about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Wichita in Newton, is a Mennonite and the wife of a pastor. She decided to boycott Israeli products and services to "support the Palestinians' struggle for equality." A Kansas State Department of Education official told Koontz in August that she could not be paid as a teacher trainer because she refused to certify that she was not participating in a boycott of Israel. The lawsuit names state Education Commissioner Randy Watson as the defendant. In his ruling, Crabtree wrote that Koontz and other members of the Mennonite Church have "banded together" to express collectively their dissatisfaction with Israel and influence governmental action. The law's legislative history reveals that its goal is to undermine the message of those participating in a boycott of Israel, the judge wrote. This is either viewpoint discrimination against the opinion that Israel mistreats Palestinians, or subject matter discrimination on the topic of Israel — both impermissible goals under the First Amendment, Crabtree said. State Rep. Randy Powell, a conservative Olathe Republican who pushed for the law, said he remains confident that it's constitutional. "It still allows for freedom of speech. It still allows individuals to boycott," he said. "But any state can choose to do business with who they wish." ___ Associated Press Writer John Hanna contributed to this report from Topeka.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 04:40:00

Ruling: Kansas law targeting Israel boycotts chills speech

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354431

Following Trump order, IRS shifts on health care mandate

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS says it's following President Donald Trump's executive order on health care by easing enforcement of the unpopular Obama-era requirement for people to have coverage or risk fines. Trump directed federal agencies to ease the health law's rules after he took office. An IRS spokesman says the IRS had planned to start rejecting returns this year on which the taxpayer failed to indicate whether or not he had coverage. But the IRS says it will keep processing such returns, as it has in the past. Many of the law's supporters consider the coverage requirement essential for nudging younger, healthy people into the insurance pool to keep premiums in check. The IRS says the requirement is still the law.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 22:50:00

Following Trump order, IRS shifts on health care mandate

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095846

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YJ Link Co., Ltd. Launches Smart Conveyor System

SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2018--YJ Link Co., Ltd., a company specializing in the manufacturing of Board Handling Equipment in SMT Line and serving global corporations in 45 countries as their main clients, announced that they have developed the Smart Conveyor System through improvement of the operational system of individual facilities and network interface in line with the rapidly-changing SMT market due to Industry 4.0. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180531005051/en/ smart line system (Graphic: Business Wire) YJ facility, which composes the SMART SMT LINE, is connected to the line control PC through LAN communication, and the customer can convey PCB information and operational orders to each YJ facility through the line control PC. In addition, YJ smart facility, which enables the operator to monitor the status of the equipment in the line in realtime through the web server (mobile unit and PC, etc.), is being highlighted as the next-generation SMT solution to enhance customers' productivity and competitiveness. In particular, the company independently developed the microcontroller-based “MICOM (Embedded)” to provide full factory automation and fully-integrated management technology to customers. YJ smart facility, to which MICOM is applied, is a system capable of controlling motor and digital signals, and higher and more advanced equipment operation control with higher work efficiency through the application of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for the facility interface. Core YJ smart facility technology, to which MICOM is grafted, can --automatically change models, --provide production history management and processing of an unlimited amount of data through LOG file, --provide realtime line monitoring for maintenance and repair of, and preventive services for, the facility, and --provide an environment for the establishment of a Manufacturing Execution System (MES)-linked integrated management system. Along with this, YJ Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) has been drawing extensive attention as the interests of countless customers throughout the world are being focused on smart factory. In addition to the PCB loader and unloader that compose the SMT LINE, YJ AGV also automatically inputs and releases the magazine rack by linking to the customer’s material warehouse. It increases the productivity of the customer’s manufacturing line by securing the operator resources. Meanwhile, YJ Link Co., Ltd. is also spreading its reputation as a socially-responsible corporation that safeguards the dreams of children under difficult circumstances through regular contributions to ChildFund Korea. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180531005051/en/ CONTACT: YJ Link Co., Ltd. Leon Kim sales@yjlink.com KEYWORD: ASIA PACIFIC SOUTH KOREA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY HARDWARE OTHER TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING OTHER MANUFACTURING SOURCE: YJ Link Co., Ltd. Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 05/31/2018 03:00 AM/DISC: 05/31/2018 03:00 AM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180531005051/en

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 15:00:00

YJ Link Co., Ltd. Launches Smart Conveyor System

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444940

Mominul out for 176 in Bangladesh 1st innings vs Sri Lanka

CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (AP) — Captain Mahmudullah held together the Bangladesh innings after Mominul Haque was dismissed for 176 to help the home side reach 467-7 at lunch on the second day of the opening test against Sri Lanka on Thursday. Mahmudullah was batting on 49 with Sunzamul Islam on 23 at the lunch break. Earlier, Rangana Herath inspired Sri Lanka get back into the game early in the morning session. The veteran left-arm spinner struck twice to dismiss Mominul and Mosaddek Hossain in the first seven overs of the day. Bangladesh resumed the day on 374-4. Mominul added just one run to his overnight tally while Mosaddek made 8. Mehidy Hasan then counterattacked to keep Sri Lanka frustrated, but was run out for 20 trying to score a third run.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

Mominul out for 176 in Bangladesh 1st innings vs Sri Lanka

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355194

Law enforcement official tells AP that man had explosive device strapped on when it exploded in New York City subway

NEW YORK (AP) — Law enforcement official tells AP that man had explosive device strapped on when it exploded in New York City subway .

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-11 21:37:00

Law enforcement official tells AP that man had explosive device strapped on when it exploded in New York City subway

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318051

BC-US--Index, US

NEW YORK (AP) — Standard and Poor's Stock Indexes for Monday Close Change MidCap 400 1888.20 Down 2.66 500 Stocks 2659.99 Up 8.49 100 Stocks 1176.45 Up 5.63

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 06:14:00

BC-US--Index, US

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318227

Palestinian leader calls US ambassador a 'son of a dog'

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The Palestinian president has called the U.S. ambassador to Israel a "son of a dog," in an angry rant against the Trump administration. In a speech Monday, President Mahmoud Abbas pre-emptively rejected an expected White House peace proposal. He criticized the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the American plan to move its embassy to the city and the cutting off of hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. He also condemned Ambassador David Friedman's close ties with the West Bank settler movement, describing him as a "son of a dog." "Some say wait for their plan," Abbas said. "What shall we wait for? No, we will not wait, and we will not allow that."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 02:58:00

Palestinian leader calls US ambassador a 'son of a dog'

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385757

Gunmen kill 15 at Nigeria church, including 2 priests

YOLA, Nigeria (AP) — Officials in Nigeria say gunmen have killed 15 people in an early-morning attack on a Catholic church, including two priests. The attack took place in Ayar-Mbalom, a community in Benue state. Terver Akase, a media aide to the Benue state governor, says the attackers also burned down 50 houses. President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement calls the violation of a place of worship "vile, evil and satanic" and an attempt to stoke religious conflict. Benue state in central Nigeria has seen a series of attacks in recent weeks, many linked to a long-running dispute between farmers and herdsmen. A few days ago 10 people were killed by alleged herdsmen in the state.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 23:47:00

Gunmen kill 15 at Nigeria church, including 2 priests

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413358

BC-TEN--French Open Results

BC-TEN--French Open Results TEN--French Open Results PARIS (AP) — Results Wednesday from the French Open at Stade Roland Garros (seedings in parentheses): Men's Singles Second Round David Goffin (8), Belgium, def. Corentin Moutet, France, 7-5, 6-0, 6-1. Marco Cecchinato, Italy, def. Marco Trungelliti, Argentina, 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-1. Pablo Carreno-Busta (10), Spain, def. Federico Delbonis, Argentina, 7-6 (0), 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4. Roberto Bautista-Agut (13), Spain, def. Santiago Giraldo, Colombia, 6-4, 7-5, 6-3. Novak Djokovic (20), Serbia, def. Jaume Antoni Munar Clar, Spain, 7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-4. Fernando Verdasco (30), Spain, def. Guido Andreozzi, Argentina, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Grigor Dimitrov (4), Bulgaria, def. Jared Donaldson, United States, 6-7 (2), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 10-8. Matteo Berrettini, Italy, def. Ernests Gulbis, Latvia, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Kei Nishikori (19), Japan, def. Benoit Paire, France, 6-3, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Gilles Simon, France, def. Sam Querrey (12), United States, 1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-1. Damir Dzumhur (26), Bosnia-Herzegovina, def. Radu Albot, Moldova, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 1-6, 7-5. Alexander Zverev (2), Germany, def. Dusan Lajovic, Serbia, 2-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. Women's Singles First Round Simona Halep (1), Romania, def. Alison Riske, United States, 2-6, 6-1, 6-1. Second Round Katerina Siniakova, Czech Republic, def. Kateryna Kozlova, Ukraine, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4. Barbora Strycova (26), Czech Republic, def. Ekaterina Makarova, Russia, 6-4, 6-2. Yulia Putintseva, Kazakhstan, def. Jennifer Brady, United States, 6-4, 6-3. Qiang Wang, China, def. Petra Martic, Croatia, 6-1, 6-1. Madison Keys (13), United States, def. Caroline Dolehide, United States, 6-4, 6-1. Naomi Osaka (21), Japan, def. Zarina Diyas, Kazakhstan, 6-4, 7-5. Mihaela Buzarnescu (31), Romania, def. Rebecca Peterson, Sweden, 6-1, 6-2. Elina Svitolina (4), Ukraine, def. Viktoria Kuzmova, Slovakia, 6-3, 6-4. Petra Kvitova (8), Czech Republic, def. Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino, Spain, 6-0, 6-4. Anett Kontaveit (25), Estonia, def. Alexandra Dulgheru, Romania, 7-5, 6-2. Caroline Wozniacki (2), Denmark, def. Georgina Garcia Perez, Spain, 6-1, 6-0. Men's Doubles First Round Lukasz Kubot, Poland and Marcelo Melo (1), Brazil, def. Marco Cecchinato, Italy and Marton Fucsovics, Hungary, 6-4, 7-5. Gregoire Jacq, France and Benjamin Bonzi, France, def. Scott Lipsky, United States and Tennys Sandgren, United States, 6-2, 6-4. Maximo Gonzalez, Argentina and Nicolas Jarry, Chile, def. Paolo Lorenzi, Italy and Mischa Zverev, Germany, 6-1, 6-2. Stephane Robert, France and Calvin Hemery, France, def. Donald Young, United States and Matthew Ebden, Australia, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (6). Marcel Granollers, Spain and Pablo Cuevas (11), Uruguay, def. Daniel Nestor, Canada and Jeremy Chardy, France, 7-5, 6-2. Steve Johnson, United States and Jack Sock, United States, def. Nicholas Monroe, United States and John-Patrick Smith, Australia, 7-6 (6), 6-4. Nicolas Mahut, France and Pierre Hughes Herbert (6), France, def. Robert Lindstedt, Sweden and Marcin Matkowski, Poland, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (6). Evgeny Donskoy, Russia and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela, Mexico, def. Aisam Qureshi, Pakistan and Jean-Julien Rojer (7), Netherlands, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-4. Leonardo Mayer, Argentina and Joao Sousa, Portugal, def. Constant Lestienne, France and Geoffrey Blancaneaux, France, 7-6 (3), 6-3. Santiago Gonzalez, Mexico and Marcelo Demoliner, Brazil, def. Roman Jebavy, Czech Republic and Andrei Vasilevski, Belarus, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (8), 7-6 (2). Feliciano Lopez, Spain and Marc Lopez (12), Spain, def. Andres Molteni, Argentina and Guillermo Duran, Argentina, 6-3, 6-4. Daniele Bracciali, Italy and Andreas Seppi, Italy, def. Philipp Petzschner, Germany and Maximilian Marterer, Germany, 2-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4. Guido Pella, Argentina and Diego Schwartzman, Argentina, def. Antonie Hoang, France and Ugo Humbert, France, 6-3, 6-3. Rajeev Ram, United States and Ivan Dodig (9), Croatia, def. Hans Podlipnik, Chile and Jackson Withrow, United States, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. James Cerretini, United States and Marcelo Arevalo-Gonzalez, El Salvador, def. Jan-Lennard Struff, Germany and Ben Mclachlan (14), Japan, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3. Women's Doubles First Round Kristina Mladenovic, France and Timea Babos (1), Hungary, def. Shuai Zhang, China and Ajla Tomljanovic, Australia, 6-1, 6-4. Kveta Peschke, Czech Republic and Nicole Melichar (13), United States, def. Shuai Peng, China and Christina McHale, United States, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (3). Makoto Ninomiya, Japan and Eri Hozumi, Japan, def. Polona Hercog, Slovenia and Alison Van Uytvanck, Belgium, 6-0, 6-4. Yi-Fan Xu, China and Gabriela Dabrowski (5), Canada, def. Fiona Ferro, France and Tessah Andrianjafitrimo, France, 6-3, 6-1. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, United States and Latisha Chan (4), Taiwan, def. Virginie Razzano, France and Jade Suvrijn, France, 6-4, 6-1. Katerina Bondarenko, Ukraine and Aleksandra Krunic, Serbia, def. Abigail Spears, United States and Alicja Rosolska (15), Poland, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (2). Sorana Cirstea, Romania and Sara Sorribes Tormo, Spain, def. Elena Vesnina, Russia and Jelena Ostapenko (10), Latvia, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia and Lucie Safarova, Czech Republic, def. Belinda Bencic, Switzerland and Marketa Vondrousova, Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-4. Ana Isabel Medina Garrigues, Spain and Arantxa Parra Santonja, Spain, def. Alison Riske, United States and Johanna Konta, Britain, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3). Zhaoxuan Yang, China and Hao-Ching Chan (8), Taiwan, def. Su-Wei Hsieh, Taiwan and Andrea Petkovic, Germany, 6-4, 6-4. Tatjana Maria, Germany and Heather Watson, Britain, def. Manon Arcangioli, France and Sherazad Reix, France, 6-3, 6-4. Renata Voracova, Czech Republic and Taylor Townsend, United States, def. Jessika Ponchet, France and Sara Cakarevic, France, 6-4, 6-1. Johanna Larsson, Sweden and Kiki Bertens (9), Netherlands, def. Alla Kudryavtseva, Russia and Veronika Kudermetova, Russia, 7-5, 6-2. Venus Williams, United States and Serena Williams, United States, def. Shuko Aoyama, Japan and Miyu Kato (14), Japan, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. Darija Jurak, Croatia and Donna Vekic, Croatia, def. Coco Vandeweghe, United States and Ashleigh Barty (7), Australia, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Anastassia Rodionova, Australia and Nadiia Kichenok (16), Ukraine, def. Mandy Minella, Luxembourg and Anastasija Sevastova, Latvia, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Belarus and Ying-Ying Duan, China, def. Olga Savchuk, Ukraine and Ana Bogdan, Romania, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Samantha Stosur, Australia and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russia, def. Lidziya Marozava, Belarus and Lesley Kerkhove, Netherlands, 6-3, 6-4. Mixed Doubles First Round Matwe Middelkoop, Netherlands and Demi Schuurs, Netherlands, def. Michael Venus, New Zealand and Hao-Ching Chan (6), Taiwan, 6-3, 6-2.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 02:00:00

BC-TEN--French Open Results

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444468

The Latest: Trump denounces 'Russian connection non-sense'

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local): 6:45 a.m. President Donald Trump is renewing his attack on the "fake news media" amid the widening controversy surrounding the ouster of his national security adviser and talk of Congress investigations of purported Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election last year. Trump posted a pre-dawn message on his verified Twitter account Wednesday complaining, "The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred." He said, "This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign." He added in the post that "@MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great!" The latest tweet follows a pattern of social media messages that Trump has sent, chastising news organizations both during his campaign for the White House and in the more than three weeks since his inauguration. __ 6:30 a.m. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is likening President Donald Trump to Andrew Jackson, saying he's what the American people wanted when they elected him. The Kentucky Republican tells MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that voters "wanted a different kind of president." He adds that "I like what he's doing," particularly his emphasis on lessening government regulation of business. McConnell also said he considers Neil Gorsuch, the man Trump picked to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, to be "the single best circuit court judge in the nation." He did disagree with Trump, who has asserted that millions of illegal votes in the election caused him to lose the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton. "There is voter fraud in the country," McConnell said. "But there is no evidence that there was significant enough vote fraud to affect the outcome of the election." __ 3:15 a.m. Just six days into his presidency, Donald Trump was informed his national security adviser had misled his vice president about contacts with Russia. Trump kept his No. 2 in the dark and waited nearly three weeks before ousting the aide, Michael Flynn, citing a slow but steady erosion of trust, White House officials said. Flynn was interviewed by the FBI about his telephone conversations with Russia's ambassador to the U.S., a sign his ties to Russia had caught the attention of law enforcement officials. But in the White House's retelling of Flynn's stunning downfall, his error was not that he discussed U.S. sanctions with the Russian before the inauguration — a potential violation of a rarely enforced law — but the fact that he denied it for weeks, apparently misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other senior Trump aides about the nature of the conversations. White House officials said they conducted a thorough review of Flynn's interactions, including transcripts of calls secretly recorded by U.S. intelligence officials, but found nothing illegal.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 20:23:00

The Latest: Trump denounces 'Russian connection non-sense'

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095735

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Israel preparing to extradite man wanted for murder in US

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel is preparing to extradite a 63-year-old citizen to the United States, where he is wanted on suspicion of killing his mother. The state prosecution says Monday it has asked the court to declare Thomas Joseph Gross fit for extradition. The American extradition request says Gross travelled to Florida in 2012 to visit his mother. The night before his return to Israel he allegedly drugged her and stabbed her to death in her car outside her Lakewood Ranch home. The next morning he called 911, saying he had found her body, and tried to portray the scene as a suicide or robbery gone wrong. Gross' Israeli lawyer says he was previously questioned and released by authorities and the extradition is a shaming attempt by his sister over an inheritance battle.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-11 20:15:00

Israel preparing to extradite man wanted for murder in US

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3317997

How major US stock indexes fared on Tuesday

The stock market slumped Tuesday to its worst loss since August, giving back some of the big gains it has posted since the beginning of the year. Health care companies slumped following news that Amazon was teaming up with JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway on a health care venture. Banks, industrial companies and energy stocks also accounted for a big slice of the market's losses. Bond prices fell, sending yields to their highest level since April 2014. On Tuesday: The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 31.10 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,822.43. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 362.59 points, or 1.4 percent, to 26,076.89. The Nasdaq slumped 64.02 points, or 0.9 percent, to 7,402.48. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks gave up 15.29 points, or 1 percent, to 1,582.82. For the week: The S&P 500 is down 50.44 points, or 1.8 percent. The Dow is down 539.82 points, or 2 percent. The Nasdaq is down 103.29 points, or 1.4 percent. The Russell 2000 is down 25.24 points, or 1.6 percent. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 148.82 points, or 5.6 percent. The Dow is up 1,357.67 points, 5.5 percent. The Nasdaq is up 499.09 points, or 7.2 percent. The Russell 2000 is up 47.31 points, or 3.1 percent.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 05:58:00

How major US stock indexes fared on Tuesday

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354493

Suns guard Isaiah Canaan breaks ankle in gruesome injury

PHOENIX (AP) — Suns guard Isaiah Canaan has broken his left ankle in a gruesome injury against the Dallas Mavericks. The backup point guard's ankle gave way on a baseline drive to the basket in the final seconds of the first quarter Wednesday night. His foot was pointing in the wrong direction as he tumbled to the court, and there were groans from the crowd and looks of shock from his Phoenix teammates as trainers rushed to him. Canaan was loaded onto a stretcher and wheeled off the court. In his fifth NBA season, Canaan was signed by the Suns on Dec. 13 after being waived by Houston on Oct. 28. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 13:03:00

Suns guard Isaiah Canaan breaks ankle in gruesome injury

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355171

Congress seeks normalcy, heads back to work after shooting

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The business of the House was resuming a day after a rifle-wielding attacker opened fire on Republican lawmakers practicing for a charity baseball game, critically wounding House GOP Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana and hitting aides and Capitol police. The assailant, who had nursed grievances against President Donald Trump and the GOP, fought a gun battle with police before he, too, was shot and later died. Colleagues said Scalise, who had been fielding balls at second base, dragged himself away from the infield, leaving a trail of blood before they rushed to his assistance. He was listed in critical condition Wednesday night at a Washington hospital, which said he will require several more operations. The shooter was identified as James T. Hodgkinson, a 66-year-old home inspector from Illinois who had several minor run-ins with the law in recent years and belonged to a Facebook group called "Terminate the Republican Party." Capitol Police officers who were in Scalise's security detail wounded the shooter, who was taken into custody. He later died of his injuries, Trump told the nation from the White House. "Everyone on that field is a public servant," Trump said, his tone somber, America's acrimonious politics set aside for the moment. "Their sacrifice makes democracy possible." After visiting Scalise Wednesday evening at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Trump tweeted: "Rep. Steve Scalise, one of the truly great people, is in very tough shape - but he is a real fighter. Pray for Steve!" Lawmakers noted their good fortune in having armed protectors on hand — "Thank God," they exclaimed over and over — and said otherwise the shooter would have been able to take a huge deadly toll. Across the Potomac River in Washington, the shocking events left the Capitol horrified and stunned, and prompted immediate reflection on the current hostility and vitriol in American politics. Lawmakers called for a new dialogue on lowering the partisan temperature, and Trump urged Americans to come together as he assumed the role of national unifier for one of the first times in his presidency. Proceedings were canceled for the day in the House, and instead Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California issued their own calls for unity. "An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us," Ryan said, to prolonged applause. On Thursday House proceedings were to resume as usual, and lawmakers were returning to the Capitol in search of some semblance of normalcy. Shortly after the shooting, Bernie Sanders, the former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, said on the Senate floor that the shooter apparently was a volunteer for his campaign last year. Sanders said he denounced the violence "in the strongest possible terms." Scalise, 51, the No. 3 House Republican leader, was first elected in 2008. The popular and gregarious lawmaker is known for his love of baseball and handed out commemorative bats when he secured the job of House whip several years ago. Texas Rep. Roger Williams said that one of his aides, Zack Barth, was shot but was doing well and expected to fully recover. Two Capitol Police officers sustained relatively minor injuries. A former congressional aide was hospitalized. The shooting occurred at a popular park and baseball complex in Alexandria, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, where Republican lawmakers and others were gathered for a morning practice about 7 a.m. They were in good spirits despite the heat and humidity as they prepared for the congressional baseball match that pits Republicans against Democrats. The popular annual face-off, which raises money for charity, is scheduled to go forward as planned Thursday evening at Nationals Park in Washington. Hodgkinson has been in the area since March, living out of his van, said local FBI Special Agent In Charge Tim Slater. Democratic former Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille said he had spoken often with the man on recent mornings at the nearby YMCA. Hodgkinson's apparent Facebook page included strong criticism of Republicans and the Trump administration. But Slater said authorities were still working to determine a motive and had "no indication" Hodgkinson knew about the ball practice ahead of time. The GOP lawmakers' team was taking batting practice when gunshots rang out and chaos erupted. Scalise was fielding balls at second base when he was shot, according to lawmakers present. Rep. Mo Brooks, an Alabama Republican, said his colleague "crawled into the outfield, leaving a trail of blood." "We started giving him the liquids, I put pressure on his wound in his hip," Brooks said. The gunman had a rifle and "a lot of ammo," said Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, who was at the practice. Texas Rep. Joe Barton, still in his baseball uniform, told reporters that Scalise's security detail, Capitol Hill police and then Alexandria police returned fire in a battle that lasted as long as 10 minutes and included dozens of shots. "The security detail saved a lot of lives," he said. "It was scary." Lawmakers took cover in the dugout. Barton said his son, Jack, got under an SUV. Texas Rep. Mike Conaway described what sounded like an explosion, then lawmakers scattering off the field as police roamed in search of the gunman and engaged him. "The guy's down to a handgun, he dropped his rifle, they shoot him, I go over there, they put him in handcuffs," Conaway said, adding that if the shooter had "gotten inside the fence, where a bunch of guys were holed up in the dugout, it would have been like shooting fish in a barrel." Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina said he had just left the practice and encountered the apparent gunman in the parking lot before the shooting. The man calmly asked which party's lawmakers were practicing and Duncan told him they were the Republicans. The man thanked him. The wounded Capitol Police officers were identified as David Bailey, who was treated for a minor injury, and Crystal Griner, who was shot in the ankle. Also wounded was former congressional aide Matt Mika, who now works for Tyson Foods in its Washington office. Mika's family said the lobbyist was shot multiple times and was in critical condition following surgery. The event raised questions about the security of members of Congress. While the top lawmakers, including Scalise, have security details, others do not and they regularly appear in public without protection. The last time a lawmaker was shot was when Democratic Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona was hit in the head and grievously injured while meeting with constituents at a supermarket parking lot in 2011. Following the Giffords shooting, lawmakers have held fewer open town halls and have been advised to increase security at such events. ___ Associated Press reporters Eric Tucker, Matt Barakat, Meghan Hoyer, Sarah Brumfield, Michael Biesecker, Mary Clare Jalonick, Ken Thomas, Vivian Salama, Stephen Ohlemacher, Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor in Washington and Alexandria, and Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 00:00:00

Congress seeks normalcy, heads back to work after shooting

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3188568

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Protesters oppose return of disputed art in Catalonia

LLEIDA, Spain (AP) — Clashes have erupted between police and protesters in Spain's northeastern Catalan city of Lleida after a judicial ruling ordered the city's museum to return 44 pieces of religious art to the neighboring regional government of Aragon. Regional police cordoned off the area around Lleida Museum early Monday as technicians prepared to remove the disputed artwork. Several hundred people turned up to protest the transfer and there were brief scuffles and police baton charges as officers tried to move them further away from the museum. An Aragon provincial court had given till Monday for the museum to hand over the art — which was originally housed in the region's Sijena monastery — following a 2015 court ruling. Catalonia bought the art from nuns in 1983 but the court ruled the sale illegal.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-11 00:00:00

Protesters oppose return of disputed art in Catalonia

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3317917

Environment, gender equality on agenda at G7 Canada meeting

TORONTO (AP) — Climate change will be on the agenda for this year's Group of Seven summit in Quebec despite Canada's difference of opinion with the Trump administration. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's personal representative for the summit said in an interview Wednesday that implementation of the Paris climate accord will be discussed even though U.S. President Donald Trump has pulled the U.S. out of the agreement. Peter Boehm said if countries agreed on everything, there wouldn't be a reason to meet. The June gathering of leaders from seven wealthy democracies will mark Trump's first trip to Canada. Gender equality and women's empowerment will also be major themes. Boehm is hosting a meeting with the representatives of each country in Waterloo, Ontario, and says Trump's representative is happy with Canada's focus.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 22:54:00

Environment, gender equality on agenda at G7 Canada meeting

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354819

US official says Russia deployed missile in treaty violation

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia has deployed a cruise missile in violation of a Cold War-era arms control treaty, a Trump administration official says, a development that complicates the outlook for U.S.-Russia relations amid turmoil on the White House national security team. The Obama administration three years ago accused the Russians of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by developing and testing the prohibited cruise missile, and officials had anticipated that Moscow eventually would deploy it. Russia denies that it has violated the INF treaty. U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that the missile became operational late last year, said an administration official, who wasn't authorized to publicly discuss the matter and demanded anonymity. The deployment may not immediately change the security picture in Europe, but the alleged treaty violation may arise when Defense Secretary Jim Mattis attends his first NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday. It also has stirred concern on Capitol Hill, where Sen. John McCain, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, called on the Trump administration to ensure U.S. nuclear forces in Europe are ready. "Russia's deployment of nuclear-tipped ground-launched cruise missiles in violation of the INF treaty is a significant military threat to U.S. forces in Europe and our NATO allies," McCain, R-Ariz., said in a statement Tuesday. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "testing" Trump. Trump's White House is in a difficult moment, with no national security adviser following the forced resignation Monday night of Michael Flynn. He is accused of misleading Vice President Mike Pence about contacts with a Russian diplomat while President Barack Obama was still in office. Meanwhile, a U.S. defense official said Tuesday that a Russian intelligence-collection ship has been operating off the U.S. east coast, in international waters. The official was not authorized to discuss an intelligence matter and so spoke on condition of anonymity. The ship had made a port call in Cuba prior to moving north, where it has been monitored off the coast of Delaware, the official said. The New York Times, which was first to report the missile deployment, said the Russians have two battalions of the prohibited cruise missile. One is at a missile test site at Kapustin Yar and one was moved in December from the test site to an operational base elsewhere in the country. The State Department wouldn't confirm the report. It noted that last year it reported Russia was in violation of its treaty obligations not to possess, produce or flight-test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, or to possess or produce launchers for such missiles. "The administration is undertaking an extensive review of Russia's ongoing INF treaty violation in order to assess the potential security implications for the United States and its allies and partners," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. John Tierney, executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said strategic stability on the European continent is at stake. "If true, Russia's deployment of an illegal ground-launched cruise missile represents a very troubling development and should be roundly condemned," Tierney said. Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, sees little reason for the U.S. to continue adhering to the INF treaty, in light of Russia's violations. He has recommended building up U.S. nuclear forces in Europe, which currently include about 200 bombs that can be delivered by aircraft. The U.S. withdrew land-based nuclear-armed missiles from Europe as part of the INF deal. The treaty has special significance in the recent history of arms control agreements. Signed in December 1987 by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, it has been credited with helping accelerate an end to the Cold War and lessening the danger of nuclear confrontation. It stands as the only arms treaty to eliminate an entire class of U.S. and Russian weapons — nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles of intermediate range. The Obama administration had argued for maintaining U.S. compliance with the treaty while urging the Russians to halt violations. At the same time, the Pentagon developed options to counter Russian cruise missile moves, some of which would have involved bold military action. At his Senate confirmation hearing in February 2014, Ash Carter, who headed the Pentagon until last month, said disregard for treaty limitations was a "two-way street," opening the way for the U.S. to respond in kind. He called Russia's violations consistent with its "strategy of relying on nuclear weapons to offset U.S. and NATO conventional superiority."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 16:36:00

US official says Russia deployed missile in treaty violation

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095534

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The Latest: Meek Mill freed from jail after 5-month battle

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Latest on the court order that rapper Meek Mill be released from jail on bail (all times local): 6:55 p.m. Rapper Meek Mill is out of jail after being held behind bars for five months for probation violations. Mill took off in a helicopter shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday from the prison outside of Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Tuesday directed a Philadelphia judge who had jailed him to immediately issue an order freeing him on bail while he appeals decade-old drug and gun violations. Mill was sentenced in November to 2 to 4 years in prison for violating probation. A team of lawyers and public relations consultants had waged an all-out battle to get him freed on bail. Philadelphia's district attorney believes Mill should get a new trial because of questions raised about the credibility of his arresting officer. ___ 4:30 p.m. Pennsylvania's highest court has ordered a judge to free rapper Meek Mill on bail while he appeals decade-old gun and drug convictions. The Supreme Court directed a Philadelphia judge who had jailed him to immediately issue an order releasing him on unsecured bail. Mill was sentenced in November to 2 to 4 years in prison for violating probation. Mill issued a statement saying his five months in jail have been "a nightmare" and thanking all his supporters. A team of lawyers and public relations consultants had waged an all-out battle to get him freed on bail. Prosecutors say they believe Mill should get a new trial because of questions raised about the credibility of his arresting officer.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-16 00:00:00

The Latest: Meek Mill freed from jail after 5-month battle

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413742

Reactor plan investor denies Flynn inauguration texts

WASHINGTON (AP) — A nuclear reactor investment firm that once hired Michael Flynn as a security adviser is denying a report from a congressional whistleblower that Flynn sent text messages during President Donald Trump's inauguration saying the company's Mideast reactor project was "good to go" and that U.S. sanctions hobbling the project would be "ripped up." A senior scientist with ACU Strategies informed the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight committee that phone records showed no communications by Flynn, then Trump's national security adviser. Last week, Maryland Democrat Rep. Eljjah Cummings said the whistleblower's account raised concerns about the blurring of Flynn's private and public interests and his efforts to reel back financial sanctions against Russia. ACU's plan to build reactors across the Mideast had been stymied by those sanctions.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-11 23:35:00

Reactor plan investor denies Flynn inauguration texts

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318113

New case of measles reported in Kaohsiung, over 100 exposed

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- A new case of the measles has been verified in Kaohsiung and over 100 people are believed to have come in contact with the victim, announced the Kaohsiung Department of Health on Tuesday (April 24), according to a CNA report. The latest confirmed case of the measles is a 24-year-old man, according to the city's Department of Health. After coming into contact with an infected person in early April, he had received a measles, mumps, rubella vaccination (MMR) vaccination on April 5. However, on April 15 he developed symptoms of an upper respiratory infection and then developed a fever on April 18, when he sought treatment at the hospital. He was officially diagnosed with the disease yesterday. Since he was infected, there are believed to be a total of 129 people who have come in contact with the victim, and they will be closely monitored until May 7, when the incubation period for the disease should end. The total number of people being monitored for infection in Kaohsiung now stands at 1,069. That brings the total number of confirmed cases of the measles in Taiwan this year to 23, including 16 domestic infections and 7 from overseas, according to CDC statistics.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 10:10:00

A new case of measles has been confirmed in Kaohsiung, over 100 people had come in contact with victim

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413809

US consumer prices rose 0.6 percent in January, biggest increase in nearly four years

WASHINGTON (AP) — US consumer prices rose 0.6 percent in January, biggest increase in nearly four years.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 21:31:00

US consumer prices rose 0.6 percent in January, biggest increase in nearly four years

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095777

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Do not miss one of the best meteor showers of 2017

TAIPEI(Taiwan News)- The Geminids is coming back; it will peak on the night of 13 Dec and the morning of 14 Dec. The Geminids are associated with the near-Earth object 3200 Phaethon, an asteroid that may have undergone a collision with another object in the distant past to produce the stream of particles that Earth runs into — creating the meteor shower. The asteroid orbits the sun every 1.4 years. It occasionally comes close to Earth and passes very close to the sun, inside of Mercury's orbit and only 0.15 astronomical units from the sun. The Geminids are considered one of the best meteor showers every year because the meteors are bright, and the peak can see meteors stream across the sky at rates as high as 120 meteors in an hour. You can catch the Geminid meteor showers with merely your bare eyes.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-11 14:41:00

The geminids shower will deliver dozens of shooting stars in an hour.The Geminids is coming back; it will peak on the night of 13 Dec and the morning of 14 Dec.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3317740

Tigers top prospect Perez expected to miss at least 3 months

DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Tigers pitching prospect Franklin Perez is expected to miss at least three months with a right lat strain. The Tigers say Perez was injured in a minor league game Sunday. There is no surgery recommended at this point, but the recovery is expected to take a minimum of 12 weeks. Perez, a 20-year-old right-hander, was acquired by Detroit in the trade that sent Justin Verlander to Houston last season. Perez went 6-3 with a 3.02 ERA across two levels of the minors last year. He made 10 starts at Class A and six at Double-A. Baseball America tabbed Perez as Detroit's top prospect this offseason. The rebuilding Tigers aren't expected to contend this year, but Perez figured to be a prospect to watch, no matter where in Detroit's system he ended up pitching. ___ More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 09:05:00

Tigers top prospect Perez expected to miss at least 3 months

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385887

Tuberculosis behind him, Thiago Silva aims high at World Cup

LONDON (AP) — When Thiago Silva moved to Russia more than a decade ago, tuberculosis nearly derailed his career. This year, the Brazil defender will be back in the country playing at the World Cup. The 33-year-old Silva joined Dynamo Moscow in 2005 but soon felt chest pain that needed to be checked out. It was found to be tuberculosis, which put him in the hospital for five months. Russian doctors even considered removing part of his lungs. "That would have ended my career, I needed guardian angels to take me away," Silva said this week at the Brazilian team's training camp in London. "I was a bit overwhelmed in a friendly we played against Russia this year. It is different for me to play there. I hope I can erase that by lifting the World Cup trophy." Silva, who now plays for Paris Saint-Germain alongside Brazil teammate Neymar, never played a match for Dynamo but ended up being the captain of his national team at the last World Cup. In Russia, though, Silva may struggle to find a starting position under coach Tite. Another PSG player, Marquinhos, and Inter Milan defender Miranda have started most of Brazil's matches in the last two years. When Silva had his health issues in 2005, it was Dynamo coach Ivo Wortmann who stopped the defender from having surgery on his lungs. "I knew Thiago from Brazil, took him to Porto B and approved his transfer to Russia," Wortmann, who is also Brazilian, told The Associated Press. Silva's mother, Angela, and his wife, Isabelle, also thought the surgery was unnecessary. "I told them no one would open my husband up and end his dream," Isabelle said. "I am not a doctor, but no one believed he should go through surgery. "To see him wearing the Brazil shirt is a victory for us all, especially those that know him from those days." Silva recovered and signed again to play for Wortmann, this time at Brazilian club Fluminense. "When Thiago arrived I said he would play, be one of the best, go to a World Cup and win it," Wortmann said. "Tite makes the captaincy go around, so we never know who the captain will be. But if Brazil reaches the final and wins it, there is no one better than Thiago to lift it. His perseverance is an example to us all." Silva is just happy to be part of the team. "If I get to wear the badge again it will be a great honor," Silva said. "But if I don't I will try to lead in the same way."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 00:01:00

Tuberculosis behind him, Thiago Silva aims high at World Cup

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444421

Lottery won't appeal Powerball ruling keeping name private

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire Lottery says it won't appeal a judge's ruling that allows a woman who won a Powerball jackpot worth nearly $560 million to keep her identity private. The lottery said in a statement Monday that rather than appeal it believes the state Legislature should take up any possible changes in laws affecting the lottery. The woman signed her ticket after the Jan. 6 drawing. She then learned that she could have shielded her identity by writing the name of a trust. Lawyers said she was upset after learning she was giving up her anonymity by signing the ticket, which the lottery commission acknowledged isn't spelled out on the ticket, but is detailed on its website. She sued the state lottery commission to stay anonymous.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 02:07:00

Lottery won't appeal Powerball ruling keeping name private

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385738

Expanded Conference Glance

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Tampa Bay 49 34 12 3 71 175 125 17-5-1 17-7-2 9-3-1 Boston 47 29 10 8 66 156 116 16-5-4 13-5-4 10-1-2 Washington 49 29 15 5 63 150 138 18-7-1 11-8-4 8-4-3 Toronto 51 28 18 5 61 162 146 13-8-2 15-10-3 6-4-1 New Jersey 49 25 16 8 58 147 147 13-8-3 12-8-5 5-6-1 Columbus 49 27 19 3 57 131 137 16-8-0 11-11-3 8-5-2 Pittsburgh 51 27 21 3 57 151 153 17-7-1 10-14-2 10-4-0 Philadelphia 49 24 17 8 56 141 141 13-9-4 11-8-4 5-2-4 N.Y. Rangers 50 25 20 5 55 153 151 17-8-3 8-12-2 7-6-3 N.Y. Islanders 51 25 21 5 55 173 184 13-8-3 12-13-2 7-7-1 Carolina 50 23 19 8 54 139 155 11-7-4 12-12-4 6-5-3 Florida 48 20 22 6 46 136 159 11-8-3 9-14-3 6-4-1 Detroit 48 19 21 8 46 126 146 10-10-7 9-11-1 6-9-2 Montreal 49 20 23 6 46 129 156 12-10-5 8-13-1 9-6-2 Ottawa 48 15 24 9 39 125 168 9-11-5 6-13-4 5-8-3 Buffalo 50 14 27 9 37 115 166 6-13-3 8-14-6 3-5-2 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Vegas 48 32 12 4 68 164 128 19-3-2 13-9-2 11-1-1 Winnipeg 50 29 13 8 66 164 136 17-3-1 12-10-7 7-5-2 Nashville 47 29 11 7 65 145 123 16-4-3 13-7-4 10-3-2 St. Louis 51 30 18 3 63 148 130 17-10-0 13-8-3 7-4-1 Dallas 50 28 18 4 60 155 134 17-7-1 11-11-3 7-10-0 San Jose 48 26 15 7 59 143 133 14-7-3 12-8-4 12-2-3 Calgary 49 25 16 8 58 137 135 12-11-3 13-5-5 8-5-3 Colorado 48 27 18 3 57 157 139 18-7-1 9-11-2 7-6-1 Los Angeles 49 26 18 5 57 139 121 12-9-3 14-9-2 6-9-3 Minnesota 49 26 18 5 57 144 140 17-4-4 9-14-1 8-8-0 Anaheim 50 24 17 9 57 141 141 14-9-3 10-8-6 8-5-5 Chicago 49 23 19 7 53 146 136 12-10-3 11-9-4 5-7-2 Edmonton 49 22 24 3 47 135 157 11-13-1 11-11-2 10-2-0 Vancouver 49 19 24 6 44 127 159 8-13-3 11-11-3 5-9-1 Arizona 50 12 29 9 33 118 172 6-15-3 6-14-6 1-7-5 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Monday's Games No games scheduled Tuesday's Games Florida 4, N.Y. Islanders 1 Carolina 2, Ottawa 1 New Jersey 3, Buffalo 1 Minnesota at Columbus, 7 p.m. San Jose at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Boston, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Montreal at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Chicago at Nashville, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Vegas at Calgary, 9 p.m. Colorado at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Wednesday's Games N.Y. Islanders at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. San Jose at Detroit, 8 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington, 8 p.m. Thursday's Games Toronto at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Montreal at Carolina, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Boston, 7 p.m. Florida at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Vegas at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Calgary, 9 p.m. Dallas at Arizona, 9 p.m. Colorado at Edmonton, 9 p.m. Chicago at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Friday's Games Washington at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Detroit at Carolina, 7 p.m. San Jose at Columbus, 7 p.m. Vegas at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 10:35:00

Expanded Conference Glance

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354577

Texas officer defends actions in videotaped December arrest

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A white Texas police officer says he regrets asking a mother why she didn't teach her son not to litter during the December arrest of the black woman and her two teenage daughters. Fort Worth police officer William Martin spoke publicly for the first time Wednesday in his appeal of a 10-day suspension for excessive force in the incident that was viewed millions of times after a cellphone video was posted on social media. Martin, who has already served the suspension, defended his physical actions, including use of force. Police responded after a neighbor allegedly choked Craig's young son after seeing him litter. Martin is seen wrestling Jacqueline Craig and one of her daughters to the ground before arresting them and another daughter. Charges against them were later dropped.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-06-15 02:00:00

Texas officer defends actions in videotaped December arrest

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3188062

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Inkster selected US captain for Solheim Cup for 3rd time

Juli Inkster has been selected U.S. captain for the Solheim Cup for a record third time. Inkster has led the Americans to victory over Europe in 2015 in Germany and last year in Iowa. Another victory in 2019 in Scotland would make Inkster the first Solheim Cup captain with a 3-0 record. Catriona Matthew of Scotland previously was selected European captain for the matches that will be played in September 2019. Inkster's first time as captain was in 2015, and her U.S. team staged the largest comeback in Solheim Cup history. Next year's Solheim Cup will be at Gleneagles, where Europe won the Ryder Cup in 2014. The Americans lead the series 10-5.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 21:56:00

Inkster selected US captain for Solheim Cup for 3rd time

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354263

Tiger Woods hopes he's close to putting his game together

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — The two biggest figures at the Memorial, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, managed to carve out some private time at the back of the 10th tee amid a mass of people Wednesday at Muirfield Village. Some of it was just catching up. The two most prolific winners of major championship had not seen each other since April at the Masters. And the tournament host had some encouraging words. Nicklaus complimented Woods on his swing, and then told him what Woods has felt for the last few months. "He was saying that my swing is starting to look a little bit better," Woods said. "And I said, 'Yeah, I'm really not that far away,' and he totally agreed. He just kept urging me to be patient with it because he could see that I've made some pretty big strides this year, and not far away from putting it all together." The Memorial presents such an opportunity. Woods has won at the course Jack built a record five times. The most recent victory was in 2012, when he took command from behind the 16th green by turning a potential bogey into a chip-in birdie that Nicklaus still thinks is one of the best shots he ever saw. The most recent appearance? That's different. Woods last played the Memorial in 2015. In the last few months before a series of back surgeries, Woods shot 85 in the third round, the worst score of his career. Because an uneven number of players made the cut, Woods teed off Sunday morning as a single and shot 74. "I tried, and unfortunately on this golf course, hitting it as bad as I did, it just wasn't good enough," Woods said. As for playing as a single? Woods smiled. "I didn't want to have anyone watch me play the way I was playing," he said. Rory McIlroy was standing at the side of the room as Woods spoke, listening to a player with 90 victories worldwide talking about the time he signed his name to an 85 on his scorecard. McIlroy recalled his highest round at 83 in the South African Open in 2007, his seventh tournament as a pro. McIlroy climbed the steps to the stage as Woods was leaving and said to him, "Aside from your 85, you have won here five times." Those are the memories Woods hopes to draw from when the Memorial begins Thursday on a Muirfield Village course in its usual mint condition. The tournament is two weeks before the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, and it has the kind of field that makes it feel like a mini-major. Only two players from the top 10 in the world are missing: Jon Rahm and U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka. Justin Rose is coming off a victory at Colonial, his ninth consecutive year with a victory somewhere in the world. Justin Thomas is making his debut at No. 1 in the world, an achievement that doesn't come with a trophy but one that meant enough to him that he stayed up later than usual when he got home after The Players Championship to see the world ranking page with his name at the top. He took a screen shot. "Seeing every golfer in the world behind my name is a pretty fun thing," Thomas said. Dustin Johnson, who doesn't appear to be concerned with much in life, conceded he was eager to get back the No. 1 ranking he held for 15 months. This is his first tournament since he lost the No. 1 spot to Thomas. Nicklaus was around the first and 10th tee boxes during the pro-am to greet them all, a list that includes Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler. Woods has made strides since his return from a fourth back surgery, including a runner-up finish at the Valspar Championship in March, and an exciting charge at Bay Hill that ended with a tee shot out of bounds on the 16th hole. Nicklaus suggested on Tuesday that Woods has to learn anew how to win because it has been five years since his last victory. McIlroy understood what he meant, having gone 18 months between victories until he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational. McIlroy started this year with good chances at Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and then he broke through at Bay Hill. "As long as you put yourself in contention more and more and keep knocking on the door, sooner or later you're going to step through," McIlroy said. "And then with that, experience will do great things for you going forward." Woods hasn't been within five shots of the lead going into Sunday since Bay Hill. He never got going at the Masters or at Quail Hollow, and while he had a season-best 65 in the third round at The Players Championship, he still was 11 shots out of the lead. The idea this week is to get in range. "The last few times that I've had a chance, I've felt very comfortable," he said. "Hopefully I can just shoot the low round when I need it."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 03:43:00

Tiger Woods hopes he's close to putting his game together

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444507

Madonna loses battle to prevent auction of Tupac letter

NEW YORK (AP) — Pop star Madonna has lost her battle to prevent an auction of her personal items, including a love letter from her ex-boyfriend, the late rapper Tupac Shakur, a pair of worn panties and a hairbrush containing her hair. Last year, a judge ordered Gotta Have It! Collectibles to pull the items from its impending rock 'n' roll-themed auction after the Material Girl sought an emergency court order. In a decision revealed Monday, the judge dismissed the case on grounds the statute of limitations to recover the items had passed. The auction house told The New York Times it had done due diligence on the items and was confident Madonna had no claim. The company says the auction will be in July. Starting bid for the Tupac letter is $100,000. ___ Information from: The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 09:16:00

Madonna loses battle to prevent auction of Tupac letter

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413791

EU ready to hit back if Trump imposes anti-EU trade measures

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union said Monday that it stands ready to hit back "swiftly and appropriately" if U.S. President Donald Trump takes unfair trade measures against the 28-nation bloc. The EU's warning comes less than 24 hours after Trump expressed his annoyance with EU trade policy, saying it "may morph into something very big." The standoff contrasted sharply with relations during the administration of Barack Obama, when both sides sought to create a massive free trade zone between the EU and United States that was argued could yield over $100 billion a year for both sides. When Trump won the presidential election in November 2016, those hopes evaporated as the new president talked about protecting American jobs and going against multilateral trade deals that he portrayed as detrimental to his "America First" policies. On Sunday, Trump said in a British television interview that "the European Union has been very, very unfair to the United States, and I think it'll turn out to be very much to their detriment." He insisted that his trade issues with the EU "may morph into something very big from that standpoint, from a trade standpoint." In the past, he has hinted at punitive measures against trading partners he thought were abusing the U.S. market. Trump last week approved tariffs on imported solar-energy components and large washing machines in a bid to help U.S. manufacturers, particularly against competition from China and South Korea. His administration has also pulled out of a Pacific trade deal and is looking to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. EU chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas retorted Monday that "the EU stands ready to react swiftly and appropriately in case our exports are affected by any restrictive trade measure from the United States." Schinas said that "while trade has to be open and fair it also has to be rules-based." The issues also came to the fore during last week's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In 2016, official figures show, the EU imported 246 billion euros ($304 billion) in goods from the U.S. while exporting some 362 billion euros ($448 billion) to the country. Trump has taken aim at that U.S. deficit of 116 billion euros ($143 billion). In services, the U.S. deficit is much smaller, of only about 13 billion euros ($16 billion). The EU and Germany both called for cooperation Monday. German government spokesman, Steffen Seibert, noted that Chancellor Angela Merkel set out in Davos last week why her government wants "an even stronger, more competitive, more self-confident EU that takes over even more international responsibility." "But that is not directed against anyone, including the United States of America," Seibert told reporters in Berlin. "We try for solutions, strive for cooperation that is advantageous for both partners." ___ Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-29 21:30:00

EU ready to hit back if Trump imposes anti-EU trade measures

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353894

Husband of woman whose slaying inspired marches confesses

PARIS (AP) — The husband of a woman who was found burned and strangled near her usual jogging route in eastern France has confessed to killing her accidentally, a defense lawyer says. Attorney Randall Schwerdorffer told reporters Tuesday that 34-year-old Jonathann Daval "caused the death" of 29-year-old Alexia Daval in October. Schwerdorffer says his client told police he strangled his wife "accidentally" following a marital dispute. Daval reported her missing on Oct. 28, telling police she hadn't returned from a job. Her body was found two days later. The killing prompted marches and memorial runs in Alexia Duval's honor. In November, Jonathann Daval appeared distraught and in tears while reading a tribute to his wife at one march.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 04:10:00

Husband of woman whose slaying inspired marches confesses

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354424

400 NYC public school teachers to see Broadway's 'Hamilton'

NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of public school teachers in New York City have landed tickets to the hottest show on Broadway. Some 400 teachers from schools in all five boroughs will attend Wednesday night's performance of the sold-out, Tony Award-winning musical "Hamilton." The teachers were selected by the city's Department of Education and via a lottery held by Teach For America-New York, a nonprofit educational organization. Barclays is also involved in the performance for educators through a partnership with the organization and the Education Department. The Broadway show's organizers hope the musical's message of diversity and inclusiveness will resonate with educators and their students. The teachers going to the show are educators who teach a variety of subjects in schools across the city.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 19:56:00

400 NYC public school teachers to see Broadway's 'Hamilton'

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095722

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/images/category/580888eb17740.jpg

Trump administration delays expansion of clean water rule

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is delaying implementation of an Obama-era clean water rule by another two years to give the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers more time to do away with it. The move Wednesday follows a Supreme Court ruling last week that legal challenges to the Waters of the U.S. rule be decided in federal district courts. That will result in the lifting of a stay issued by an appeals court blocking the 2015 rule from going into effect. By moving the effective date to 2020, the administration buys itself more time to issue a replacement. The rule expanded the definitions under which wetlands and small waterways are regulated under the Clean Water Act — prompting opposition from agribusiness, mining and industry groups.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 05:53:00

Trump administration delays expansion of clean water rule

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354986

Trump to herald economic progress in State of the Union

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will herald a robust economy and push for bipartisan congressional action on immigration in Tuesday's State of the Union address, as he seeks to rally a deeply divided nation and boost his own sagging standing with Americans. The speech marks the ceremonial kickoff of Trump's second year in office and is traditionally a president's biggest platform to speak to the nation. However, Trump has redefined presidential communications with his high-octane, filter-free Twitter account and there's no guarantee that the carefully crafted speech will resonate beyond his next tweet. Still, White House officials are hopeful the president can use the prime-time address to Congress and millions of Americans watching at home to take credit for a soaring economy. Though the trajectory of lower unemployment and higher growth began under his predecessor, Trump argues that the tax overhaul he signed into law late last year has boosted business confidence and will lead companies to reinvest in the United States. Considering the strength of the economy, Trump will step before lawmakers Tuesday night in a remarkably weak position. His approval rating has hovered in the 30s for much of his presidency and at the close of 2017, just 3 in 10 Americans said the United States was heading in the right direction, according to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. In the same survey, 67 percent of Americans said the country was more divided because of Trump. It's unlikely Trump will be able to rely on a robust legislative agenda to reverse those numbers in 2018. Congress has struggled with the basic function of funding the government, prompting a brief government shutdown earlier this month that was resolved only with a short-term fix that pushed the spending deadline to Feb. 8. Against the backdrop of the spending fight, Republicans and Democrats are also wrestling with the future of some 700,000 young immigrants living in the United States illegally. Trump has vowed to protect the so-called Dreamers from deportation, but is also calling for changes to legal immigration that are controversial with both parties. "We're going to get something done, we hope bipartisan," Trump told reporters Monday, before giving his speech a practice run-through in the White House map room. "The Republicans really don't have the votes to get it done in any other way. So it has to be bipartisan." Though Democrats are eager to reach a resolution for the young immigrants, the party is hardly in the mood to compromise with Trump ahead of the midterm elections. Lawmakers see Trump's unpopularity as a key to their success in November, and are eager to mobilize Democratic voters itching to deliver the president and his party a defeat at the ballot box. Seeking to set the tone for their election-year strategy, party leaders have tapped Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy, the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, to deliver a post-speech rebuttal aimed at casting Democrats, not Trump, as champions of the middle class. Democrats are also looking to make their mark in other ways. A handful of lawmakers are planning to boycott the president's remarks. And several Democratic women plan to wear black to protest sexual harassment, an issue that has tarnished several lawmakers in both parties. Trump himself has been accused of assault or harassment by more than a dozen women, accusations he has denied. The Wall Street Journal reported this month that the president's lawyer arranged a payment to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, to prevent her from talking about her alleged encounter with the future president. First lady Melania Trump, who has largely stayed out of the spotlight following those allegations, will attend Tuesday's address, according to the White House. She'll be joined in the audience by several guests whose stories amplify the president's agenda, including an Ohio welder who the White House says will benefit from the new tax law and the parents of two Long Island teenagers who were believed to have been killed by MS-13 gang members. ___ Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-30 14:30:00

Trump to herald economic progress in State of the Union

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354102

National Hockey League

All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 50 34 13 3 71 176 128 Boston 48 29 11 8 66 157 119 Washington 49 29 15 5 63 150 138 Toronto 51 28 18 5 61 162 146 Pittsburgh 52 28 21 3 59 156 155 New Jersey 49 25 16 8 58 147 147 Columbus 50 27 19 4 58 133 140 Philadelphia 49 24 17 8 56 141 141 N.Y. Rangers 50 25 20 5 55 153 151 N.Y. Islanders 51 25 21 5 55 173 184 Carolina 50 23 19 8 54 139 155 Florida 48 20 22 6 46 136 159 Detroit 48 19 21 8 46 126 146 Montreal 50 20 24 6 46 130 159 Ottawa 48 15 24 9 39 125 168 Buffalo 50 14 27 9 37 115 166 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Vegas 48 32 12 4 68 164 128 Winnipeg 51 30 13 8 68 167 137 Nashville 48 29 12 7 65 146 125 St. Louis 52 31 18 3 65 151 131 Dallas 50 28 18 4 60 155 134 San Jose 49 26 16 7 59 145 138 Minnesota 50 27 18 5 59 147 142 Anaheim 51 25 17 9 59 144 142 Calgary 49 25 16 8 58 137 135 Colorado 48 27 18 3 57 157 139 Los Angeles 49 26 18 5 57 139 121 Chicago 50 24 19 7 55 148 137 Edmonton 49 22 24 3 47 135 157 Vancouver 49 19 24 6 44 127 159 Arizona 50 12 29 9 33 118 172 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Monday's Games No games scheduled Tuesday's Games Minnesota 3, Columbus 2, SO Pittsburgh 5, San Jose 2 Florida 4, N.Y. Islanders 1 Anaheim 3, Boston 1 Carolina 2, Ottawa 1 New Jersey 3, Buffalo 1 Winnipeg 3, Tampa Bay 1 St. Louis 3, Montreal 1 Chicago at Nashville, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Vegas at Calgary, 9 p.m. Colorado at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Wednesday's Games N.Y. Islanders at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. San Jose at Detroit, 8 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington, 8 p.m. Thursday's Games Toronto at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Montreal at Carolina, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Boston, 7 p.m. Florida at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Vegas at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Calgary, 9 p.m. Dallas at Arizona, 9 p.m. Colorado at Edmonton, 9 p.m. Chicago at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Friday's Games Washington at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Detroit at Carolina, 7 p.m. San Jose at Columbus, 7 p.m. Vegas at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 11:43:00

National Hockey League

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354632

Walcott double leads Everton to 2-1 win over Leicester

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Theo Walcott scored his first goals for Everton in a 2-1 Premier League victory over Leicester on Wednesday. The former Arsenal winger's first-half double put the home side in control before Jamie Vardy's penalty ensured a nervous finish for the hosts. The victory provided some respite for Everton, which had slipped to within five points of the relegation zone after failing to win its previous six league games. Leicester's lack of potency in attack could be attributed to the absence of Riyad Mahrez, who reportedly did not train Tuesday after being the subject of a bid from Premier League leader Manchester City. However, there was no excuse for Leicester's defensive frailties, with Everton taking full advantage. Cuco Martina poached the ball from his opposing full back Ben Chilwell on the edge of the Leicester box, allowing Gylfi Sigurdsson to square for Walcott, who finished neatly from close range to give Everton the lead after 25 minutes. Walcott, who had made just six Premier League appearances for Arsenal this season before joining Everton earlier in January, continued his fine start with the Toffees when he doubled the lead six minutes before the break. Wayne Rooney's cross to the back post was headed back across goal by Michael Keane, with Walcott timing his arrival perfectly to volley past Kasper Schmeichel. Leicester pulled a goal back in the 71st when Vardy converted from the spot after Rooney tugged back Wilfried Ndidi, but Everton held on for the win. Leicester, which hadn't conceded in its three previous league games, drops to eighth in the table with 34 points, three clear of Everton which stays ninth. There was an additional boost for Everton as full back Seamus Coleman made his first Premier League appearance for 319 days having recovered from a double fracture of his leg.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-01 05:50:00

Walcott double leads Everton to 2-1 win over Leicester

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354975

DeRozan scores 23 as Raptors beat Timberwolves 109-104

TORONTO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 18 points and 11 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors rallied from a 13-point deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-104 on Tuesday night. Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka each scored 15 points and Jakob Poeltl had six of his 12 points in the fourth quarter as the Raptors won their 14th straight home meeting with the Timberwolves. Minnesota has not won in Toronto since Jan. 21, 2004, when current Timberwolves star Andrew Wiggins was eight years old. Toronto is 19-4 at home this season, the second-best record in the NBA behind San Antonio (21-4). Jimmy Butler scored 25 points, Wiggins had 15 and Jeff Teague and Gorgiu Dieng each finished with 14 but the Timberwolves lost for the fourth time in five games. Taj Gibson scored 12 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 11 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota. The Timberwolves went 1-8 on the road in January. They're 12-16 away from home this season. Trailing 80-78 to begin the fourth, Toronto tied it on a fast break dunk by Norman Powell. Wiggins replied with a layup, but Poeltl's layup sparked a 12-2 Raptors run over the next three minutes, putting Toronto up 92-84 with 7:46 remaining. Wiggins made his first 3 with 1:01 left, capping a 7-0 Minnesota spurt that cut the gap to two, 103-101. Following a Toronto timeout, DeRozan's short jumper pushed the lead back to four points. Wiggins missed a 3 with 21 seconds left and DeRozan was fouled after grabbing the rebound. He and Valanciunas each made a pair of free throws in the final seconds. Making his lone appearance of the season in his home city, Wiggins shot 7 for 22, going 1 for 6 from 3-point range and coming up empty on a dunk in the fourth. TIP-INS Timberwolves: Wiggins missed his first six shot attempts before connecting on a jumper. ... Dieng made his first six shots before missing. Raptors: G Fred VanVleet flew home to Rockford, Illinois, following Sunday's home win over the Lakers to attend the birth of his first child, a girl. VanVleet was excused from practice Monday and rejoined the team shortly before game time Tuesday. He finished with 10 points. ... F C.J. Miles (right knee) was not available. ... Toronto has 18 assists on 19 first-half baskets. ... Lowry led the Raptors with nine assists. UP NEXT Timberwolves: Host the Bucks on Thursday. Minnesota lost at Milwaukee earlier this season. Raptors: Visit Washington on Thursday. Toronto has won seven straight road meetings with the Wizards. ___ More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

DeRozan scores 23 as Raptors beat Timberwolves 109-104

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354619

Photo of the Day: Taipei night skyline from Fudekeng

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- An American contributor to the New York Times, Chris Horton, captured this photo of Taipei's skyline at night from Fudekeng (福德坑) on May 29. Horton, who is based in Taipei, said that he snapped the photo while cycling through Fudekeng Reserve Park at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. To the right of Taipei 101 is the new 48-story Taipei Nan Shan Plaza tower, which is now the second tallest building in the city and the third tallest in Taiwan. Taipei skyline at night. (Photo by Chris Horton)

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 15:09:00

Photo of Taipei's skyline at night from Fudekeng Reserve Park.Photo of Taipei's skyline at night captured from Fudekeng Reserve Park.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444930

Vera Katz, who helped turn Portland into hipster haven, dies

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Vera Katz, a Jewish refugee elected to three terms as Portland's mayor and helped transform it from a sleepy backwater into a trendy city known for its public transit, eco-conscious design and live-work architecture style, died Monday. She was 84. Katz was diagnosed with acute leukemia this month after undergoing dialysis for more than a dozen years following cancer treatment. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden called Katz an "indomitable woman" who left a lasting impact on Oregon and its largest city. She also served as first female speaker of the Oregon House. A visionary urban planner with the ability to reach across the aisle, Mayor Katz oversaw plans for the internationally known Pearl District and neighborhoods along the Willamette River that changed the city into a hipster haven and international tourist destination. A champion of the arts, Katz also oversaw construction of Lan Su Yuan, an intricate Suzhou-style Chinese garden in the heart of the city's old town that draws visitors from around the world. "Vera Katz was more than a pioneer. She was a force. She escaped the Nazis. She battled cancer. She ran the House. She ran the city. She was a natural leader. Vera led and people followed," said Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney. "Oregon has lost a great human being." Katz was born Vera Pistrak to Russian exiles in Dusseldorf, Germany, on Aug. 3, 1933, just as the Nazis were seizing power. When she was an infant, her family escaped to Paris and then, when she was 7, the family crossed the Pyrenees by foot into Spain. She arrived in America on a Greek steamboat and grew up as a poor refugee in New York City. "My mom was the embodiment of the American dream: coming with nothing and making life better not just for herself but for the countless others she touched," her son, Jesse Katz, said in a statement. In 1964, Vera Katz moved to Portland with her husband, Mel, and worked as a stay-at-home mother. She didn't become active in politics until age 34, when she volunteered for Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign. Within five years, Katz was elected to the state Legislature and eventually became the first female speaker of the House, a job she kept for three terms. She went on to serve three terms as Portland's mayor, from 1993 to 2005 — a critical period for a city that was on the cusp of evolution. In both roles, Katz espoused progressive causes such as gender equality and gay rights long before they were mainstream and championed education, the arts and labor rights. She sponsored a landmark school reform bill in the state House and helped pass gun control legislation. Katz was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 and an aggressive form of uterine cancer in 2004. Treatment for the cancer was successful but left her reliant on dialysis three times a week for 13 years, her family said. Earlier this month, she was diagnosed with acute leukemia and entered hospice. A memorial will be held in January. ___ Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus .

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-12-12 05:59:00

Vera Katz, who helped turn Portland into hipster haven, dies

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3318223

Wednesday's Major League Linescores

AMERICAN LEAGUE Toronto 000 002 002—4 6 1 Boston 001 012 02x—6 11 1 Gaviglio, Oh (7), Tepera (8) and Maile; Rodriguez, Barnes (7), Johnson (9), Kimbrel (9) and Vazquez. W_Rodriguez 6-1. L_Gaviglio 2-1. Sv_Kimbrel (18). HRs_Toronto, Hernandez (8). Boston, Nunez (4), Martinez (18). ___ Chicago 000 000 001—1 5 2 Cleveland 205 200 00x—9 13 0 Lopez, Volstad (3), Avilan (4), Rondon (5), Fry (6), N.Jones (7), Soria (8) and Narvaez; Kluber, Beliveau (7), Marshall (8), B.Taylor (9) and Gomes. W_Kluber 8-2. L_Lopez 1-4. HRs_Chicago, Sanchez (3). Cleveland, Ramirez (17), Encarnacion (13). ___ Houston 000 020 001—3 7 0 New York 100 022 00x—5 8 1 Keuchel, McHugh (6) and Stassi; L.Severino, Robertson (8), Chapman (9) and Romine. W_L.Severino 8-1. L_Keuchel 3-7. Sv_Chapman (12). HRs_Houston, Stassi (5). ___ INTERLEAGUE Washington 001 000 100—2 7 0 Baltimore 000 000 000—0 4 0 Scherzer, Doolittle (9) and P.Severino; Hess, Castro (7), Hart (8), Wright Jr. (9) and Sisco. W_Scherzer 9-1. L_Hess 2-2. Sv_Doolittle (13). HRs_Washington, Harper (18). ___ NATIONAL LEAGUE St. Louis 000 000 200—2 8 1 Milwaukee 000 010 20x—3 10 1 Reyes, Gant (5), Lyons (7), Tuivailala (7) and Kelly; Guerra, Jeffress (7), Hader (8), Knebel (9) and Kratz, Pina. W_Jeffress 5-0. L_Tuivailala 1-1. Sv_Knebel (5). HRs_St. Louis, Bader (5). Milwaukee, Yelich (7). ___ Cincinnati 000 402 001—7 12 0 Arizona 301 000 000—4 13 1 Romano, W.Peralta (6), Hughes (7), Garrett (7), Iglesias (8) and Barnhart; Corbin, Salas (7), Chafin (8), McFarland (9) and Murphy. W_Romano 3-6. L_Corbin 5-2. Sv_Iglesias (9). HRs_Cincinnati, Schebler (6), Duvall (10). Arizona, Goldschmidt (7), Murphy (7).

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 09:54:00

Wednesday's Major League Linescores

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444668

Expanded Conference Glance

All Times EDT EASTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Tampa Bay 72 49 19 4 102 260 202 26-8-2 23-11-2 15-7-2 Boston 71 45 17 9 99 239 184 25-7-5 20-10-4 15-5-2 Toronto 72 43 22 7 93 243 204 25-8-2 18-14-5 13-6-3 Washington 72 41 24 7 89 225 214 25-9-2 16-15-5 13-7-3 Pittsburgh 72 41 26 5 87 237 218 26-8-1 15-18-4 15-6-1 Columbus 73 40 28 5 85 205 203 24-11-2 16-17-3 13-10-3 Philadelphia 73 37 25 11 85 218 215 18-13-6 19-12-5 11-7-5 New Jersey 72 37 27 8 82 217 215 18-14-3 19-13-5 12-9-1 Florida 70 36 27 7 79 212 216 22-11-3 14-16-4 13-6-2 Carolina 72 31 30 11 73 194 225 16-14-6 15-16-5 9-10-5 N.Y. Rangers 72 32 32 8 72 208 231 20-13-4 12-19-4 9-8-3 N.Y. Islanders 72 30 32 10 70 231 262 16-14-4 14-18-6 10-12-2 Montreal 73 26 35 12 64 182 232 17-12-8 9-23-4 10-9-5 Ottawa 71 26 34 11 63 197 244 15-14-6 11-20-5 8-11-4 Detroit 72 26 35 11 63 184 224 13-14-8 13-21-3 6-13-4 Buffalo 72 23 37 12 58 172 236 11-21-5 12-16-7 10-8-3 WESTERN CONFERENCE GP W L OT Pts GF GA Home Away Div Nashville 72 48 14 10 106 236 178 25-7-4 23-7-6 17-4-2 Vegas 72 46 21 5 97 244 199 25-9-2 21-12-3 17-3-2 Winnipeg 72 43 19 10 96 240 189 26-7-2 17-12-8 13-8-2 Minnesota 73 41 24 8 90 227 210 24-6-7 17-18-1 11-11-0 San Jose 72 40 23 9 89 219 199 21-11-3 19-12-6 19-4-3 Colorado 72 39 25 8 86 231 209 25-9-2 14-16-6 10-10-3 Los Angeles 73 40 27 6 86 211 184 19-14-3 21-13-3 11-10-4 Anaheim 73 37 24 12 86 206 197 22-10-5 15-14-7 11-6-7 Dallas 73 38 27 8 84 209 197 24-10-3 14-17-5 11-13-0 St. Louis 72 39 28 5 83 201 193 21-15-0 18-13-5 10-10-3 Calgary 73 35 28 10 80 202 217 15-17-4 20-11-6 10-9-3 Chicago 73 30 34 9 69 208 223 17-15-4 13-19-5 7-10-3 Edmonton 72 31 36 5 67 201 231 16-17-3 15-19-2 13-9-1 Vancouver 72 25 38 9 59 186 236 12-18-6 13-20-3 6-16-1 Arizona 71 23 37 11 57 170 228 14-20-4 9-17-7 7-10-6 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Sunday's Games Colorado 5, Detroit 1 Vegas 4, Calgary 0 Tampa Bay 3, Edmonton 1 Carolina 4, N.Y. Islanders 3 Philadelphia 6, Washington 3 Winnipeg 4, Dallas 2 St. Louis 5, Chicago 4, OT Anaheim 4, New Jersey 2 Monday's Games Columbus 5, Boston 4, OT Nashville 4, Buffalo 0 Florida 2, Montreal 0 Los Angeles 4, Minnesota 3, OT Calgary at Arizona, 10 p.m. Tuesday's Games Columbus at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Dallas at Washington, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Edmonton at Carolina, 7 p.m. Florida at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Colorado at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Vancouver at Vegas, 10 p.m. New Jersey at San Jose, 10:30 p.m. Wednesday's Games Montreal at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Arizona at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Boston at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Anaheim at Calgary, 9:30 p.m. Thursday's Games N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Arizona at Carolina, 7 p.m. Florida at Columbus, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Washington at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Edmonton at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Nashville, 8 p.m. Vancouver at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Colorado, 9 p.m. Vegas at San Jose, 10 p.m.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 10:52:00

Expanded Conference Glance

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385974

Several Capitals players end droughts in 5-3 win over Flyers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chandler Stephenson, Andre Burakovsky and T.J. Oshie ended lengthy goal droughts to help the Washington Capitals rally past the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3 on Wednesday night. Stephenson scored twice after going without a goal for 28 games, Burakovsky scored on the power play after coming up empty for 10 games and Oshie lifted his arms and looked to the sky when he scored on the power-play to end his 13-game dry spell. Devante Smith-Pelly scored Washington's fifth goal on 20 shots to chase Philadelphia starter Michal Neuvirth midway through the third period of a game the Capitals trailed 2-0 after one. Braden Holtby stopped 27 of the 30 shots, including an important glove save early on Travis Konecny and several saves against Flyers captain Claude Giroux. The Capitals avoided what would have been their first four-game home losing streak since 2010 on the heels of their NHL-best 10-game home winning streak that ended Jan 11. No. 2 pick Nolan Patrick, Konecny and Jakub Voracek scored for Philadelphia. Alex Lyon made his NHL debut in relief of Neuvirth, stopping five shots in preparation for what could be his first start Thursday at New Jersey. The Flyers got off to a hot start when Patrick made the most of his promotion to second-line center by scoring on a 2-on-1 rush with Wayne Simmonds just 1:18 in. Holtby robbed Konecny on another rush, but the young forward scored to make it 2-0 at 7:50 as he followed up Sean Couturier's initial shot. As much as Philadelphia dominated the first period, Washington took over in the second, starting with a mistake by Neuvirth when he lost the puck under him. Stephenson poked it in to get the Capitals on the board and scored on a breakaway 47 seconds later to tie it at 2. Stephenson's two goals in under a minute came after he scored two in his first 36 games this season. With Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald in the penalty box for slashing, Lars Eller won a faceoff and a puck battle before directing it on net for Burakovsky's first power-play goal of the season 14:32 into the second to give the Capitals the lead. It was all Capitals from there, though Flyers fans filled the arena with "E-A-G-L-E-S" chants days before the Super Bowl. NOTES: Smith-Pelly replaced healthy scratch Jakub Vrana, who has one point in 13 games. Smith-Pelly's goal was his first since Jan. 2. ... Patrick had his first career multipoint game. ... Neuvirth and Lyon were Philadelphia's goaltending tandem because Brian Elliott is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. UP NEXT Flyers: Visit the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. Capitals: Visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night. ___ Follow Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno ___ For more NHL coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

Several Capitals players end droughts in 5-3 win over Flyers

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355141

Construction Chemicals Procurement Research - Market Trends and Spend Analysis by SpendEdge

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 24, 2018--, a global procurement intelligence advisory firm, has announced the release of their ‘ . ’ The insights and data in this report provide a strategic analysis of the supply markets, factors influencing purchasing decisions, procurement best practices, pricing models, supplier landscape, and an analysis of the supplier capability matrix for the . This report breaks down the data and analysis behind the procurement of construction chemicals and acts as an all-inclusive guide for making smart purchasing decisions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006238/en/ Construction Chemicals Procurement Report (Graphic: Business Wire) “The increase in building and infrastructural developmental activities worldwide will influence the growth of the global construction chemicals market,” says SpendEdge procurement analyst Anil Seth. “Also, the manufacturers of construction chemicals have created a wide distribution channel in the market using both physical retail stores and online retailing, ” added Anil. Looking for more insights from this report? SpendEdge sample reports are free of charge and provide insights that focus on cost-saving aspects of procurement and optimization of category spend. Procurement analysts at SpendEdge highlight the following top three market trends that are contributing to the growth of the Global Construction Chemicals Market: Increase in demand for ready-mix concrete solutions Rise in adoption of eco-friendly and non-hazardous construction chemicals Increase in R&D spend and focus on technological innovations by leading suppliers This report is available at USD 1000 discount for a limited time only: Increase in demand for ready-mix concrete solutions In the last couple of years, there has been a considerable demand for ready-mix solutions. These solutions help the buyers avail high-quality concrete as per their requirements. It also reduces management effort associated with the mixing of concrete. Rise in adoption of eco-friendly and non-hazardous construction chemicals The demand for eco-friendly and non-hazardous construction chemicals is increasing due to the growing awareness on safety and health. This further helps to enhance the environmental safety and helps end-users comply with safety regulations. Increase in R&D spend and focus on technological innovations by leading suppliers Globally, the suppliers are increasingly investing in R&D initiatives to develop new products with enhanced capabilities. This provides the buyers access to a wide range of enhanced products that are best suited to meet their business requirements. to gain detailed insights into the current market trends. Get unlimited access to all our reports. Our Insights platform provides ready-to-use procurement research reports, latest supplier news, innovation landscape, markets insights, supplier tracking, and much more at the click of a button. We also reports to meet clients’ requirements. Related Reports: About SpendEdge SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are a preferred procurement market intelligence partner for Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence that helps sourcing and procurement professionals make informed decisions. These innovative procurement solutions help enterprises transform structural capabilities, improve execution efficiency, and fast-track time to savings. View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006238/en/ CONTACT: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Consultant US: +1 630 984 7340 hello@spendedge.com KEYWORD: INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MANUFACTURING CHEMICALS/PLASTICS CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY OTHER CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY SOURCE: SpendEdge Copyright Business Wire 2018. PUB: 04/24/2018 04:15 PM/DISC: 04/24/2018 04:15 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180424006238/en

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2018-04-25 04:15:00

Construction Chemicals Procurement Research – Market Trends and Spend Analysis by SpendEdge

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413737

Quick challenge for Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The nation's most restrictive abortion law is headed for a showdown before a federal judge only hours after it was signed by Mississippi's governor. U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves late Monday scheduled arguments Tuesday morning over whether he should immediately block the law after a request by the state's only abortion clinic and a physician who works there. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed House Bill 1510 on Monday, immediately banning most abortions after 15 weeks of gestation. How quickly will the effects of the law be felt in Mississippi? Dr. Sacheen Carr-Ellis of the Jackson Women's Health Organization stated in court papers that a woman 15 weeks or more pregnant is scheduled for a Tuesday afternoon abortion. The law and responding challenge set up a confrontation sought by abortion opponents, who are hoping federal courts will ultimately prohibit abortions before a fetus is viable. Current federal law does not. Some legal experts have said a change in the law is unlikely unless the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court changes in a way that favors abortion opponents. "We are saving more of the unborn than any state in America, and what better thing can we do?" Bryant said in a video his office posted on social media. The law's only exceptions are if a fetus has health problems making it "incompatible with life" outside of the womb at full term, or if a pregnant woman's life or a "major bodily function" is threatened by pregnancy. Pregnancies resulting from rape and incest aren't exempted. Mississippi previously tied with North Carolina for the nation's strictest abortion limits at 20 weeks. Both states count pregnancy as beginning on the first day of a woman's previous menstrual period. That means the restrictions kick in about two weeks before those of states whose 20-week bans begin at conception. "We'll probably be sued in about half an hour," Bryant said to laughter from supporters as he signed the bill. "That'll be fine with me. It'll be worth fighting over." Bryant's prediction was accurate. The state's only abortion clinic and one of the physicians who practices there sued in federal court within an hour, arguing the law violates other federal court rulings saying a state can't restrict abortion before a child can survive on its own outside the womb. The Jackson Women's Health Organization, in a lawsuit handled by the Center of Reproductive Rights, argued the measure is unconstitutional and should immediately be struck down. "Under decades of United States Supreme Court precedent, the state of Mississippi cannot ban abortion prior to viability, regardless of what exceptions are provided to the ban," the suit states. The suit says the clinic performed 78 abortions in 2017 when the fetus was identified as being 15 weeks or older. That's out of about 2,500 abortions performed statewide, mostly at the clinic. Carr-Ellis, in a sworn statement, says she'll have to stop providing abortions to women past the 15 week ban, or else lose her Mississippi medical license, as House Bill 1510 requires. She says women shouldn't be forced to carry their pregnancies to term against their wills or leave the state to obtain abortions. "A woman who is pregnant should have the ability to make the decision that is best for her about the course of her pregnancy, based on her own values and goals for her life," Carr-Ellis said in the statement. Republican legislative leaders Lt. Gov Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn both attended Bryant's private signing ceremony "The winners (today) are those babies that are in the womb, first and foremost," Gunn said. "Those are the ones we're trying to protect." When asked if the state is prepared to bear the cost of a lawsuit, Gunn said, "Absolutely." "I don't know if you can put any value on human life," Gunn said. "We are all about fighting to protect the unborn. Whatever challenges we have to take on to do that, is something we're willing to do." Opponents, though, predicted the attempt to allow states to restrict abortion before viability would fail. "We certainly think this bill is unconstitutional," said Katherine Klein, equality advocacy coordinator for the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi. "The 15-week marker has no bearing in science. It's just completely unfounded and a court has never upheld anything under the 20-week viability marker." The bill was drafted with the assistance of conservative groups including the Mississippi Center for Public Policy and the Alliance Defending Freedom. "We believe this law should be a model for the rest of the country," Jameson Taylor, acting president of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, said in a statement. Both Republican-controlled chambers passed the bill overwhelmingly in early March, by a vote of 35-14 in the Senate and 76-34 in the House. The U.S. Senate failed to pass a 20-week abortion ban bill in January. With 60 "yes" votes required to advance, the bill failed on a 51-46 vote. ___ Follow Jeff Amy at: http://twitter.com/jeffamy . Read his work at https://www.apnews.com/search/Jeff_Amy .

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2018-03-20 11:43:00

Quick challenge for Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3385999

Slain North Korean played complicated role in ruling dynasty

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A failed attempt to sneak into Japan to visit Disneyland in 2001 may have doomed the leadership dreams of the half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, who was assassinated this week in an airport in Malaysia. Banished from his dictator father's favor, the exiled Kim Jong Nam frequented casinos, five-star hotels and traveled around Asia, with little say in North Korean affairs. That ended Monday when he was killed in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Officials in South Korea say they believe the attack was carried out by North Korean agents. Despite multiple reported assassination attempts over the years, Kim Jong Nam was still a member of the most important family in North Korea, a direct blood descendent of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung. Estranged for years from his relatives, the 45-year-old gambler and playboy played a key, if complicated role in the dynasty that has ruled for three generations since North Korea's foundation in 1948. Here's a look: __ PARENTS Kim Jong Nam is the eldest son of Kim Jong Il, the second member of the Kim family to rule North Korea. Kim Jong Il had three known sons with two different women. Jong Nam was born from his father's unofficial relationship with North Korean actress Sung Hae Rim. Kim Jong Il forced Sung to divorce her first husband and live with him, but Kim Il Sung — the first leader of North Korea and Kim Jong Il's father — never accepted Sung as his daughter-in-law. Kim Jong Il reportedly kept Kim Jong Nam's 1971 birth a secret from his father for several years. Sung was reportedly forced to leave North Korea and died in Moscow in 2002. Despite his mother's exile, some foreign experts believed that Kim Jong Nam would end up inheriting power because of a traditional Korean value system that favors the eldest son as heir. Unlike his mother, Kim Jong Nam eventually won the affection of his grandfather, who died in 1994, according to South Korean media reports. __ BROTHERS AND SISTERS Kim Jong Nam's two younger brothers share a mother: Kim Jong Il's Japan-born mistress, the dancer Ko Yong Hui. Ko's links to Japan, which colonized the Korean Peninsula in the early part of the 20th century, led some to believe that Kim Jong Nam would outpace his siblings in the succession race. Ko immigrated to North Korea in the 1960s from Japan, where she had lived among the ethnic Korean minority. She died in Paris in 2004. Kim Jong Un eventually won the succession race and became the North's supreme leader in late 2011 upon the death of his father. Believed to be in his early 30s, Kim Jong Un has carried out a series of high-profile executions and purges, and outside experts say few can now challenge his rule. Kim Jong Nam's other half-brother, Kim Jong Chol, was once viewed by some outsiders as a potential candidate for leader. But a former sushi chef of Kim Jong Il said the late leader derided the middle son, known as a huge fan of rock guitarist Eric Clapton, as "girlish." The brothers also had at least two known sisters. One is Kim Yo Jong, who shares a mother with Kim Jong Un and who is currently working as a top propaganda official. Another sister, Kim Sol Song, was born from Kim Jong Il's relationship with another woman, Kim Yong Sok. There has been little information about Kim Sol Song, but unconfirmed rumors in the South say she is being detained. __ AUNT AND UNCLE Kim Jong Nam's aunt, Kim Kyong Hui, is Kim Jong Il's younger sister. She was reportedly behind the expulsion of Kim Jong Nam's mother to the then Soviet Union in the 1970s. Kim Kyong Hui and her husband Jang Song Thaek then acted as Kim Jong Nam's caretaker. But Jong Nam gradually lost favor with his father. He reportedly spent too much money at a Pyongyang hotel and made wild shopping excursions to China. When he was detained in Tokyo for trying to enter the country with a fake Dominican passport, he sported a diamond-encrusted Rolex watch and carried wads of cash. Kim Kyong Hui and Jang were believed to have played a major role in grooming Kim Jong Un as the next leader. After Kim Jong Un took power, the two initially enjoyed great power. Jang was seen as the country's No.2 until he was stripped of all posts and executed in a sudden purge for alleged treason in 2013. Kim Kyong Hui, who was reportedly seriously ill, disappeared from the public eye. __ Follow Hyung-jin Kim on Twitter at twitter.com/hyungjin1972

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 00:00:00

Slain North Korean played complicated role in ruling dynasty

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Magic use big 3rd quarter to run away from Lakers, 127-105

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Marreese Speights scored 21 points in his second start of the season, Evan Fournier added 19 and the Orlando Magic ran away from the Los Angeles Lakers in the third quarter Wednesday night for a 127-105 victory. Winning for only the fourth time in 24 games, the Magic made a franchise-record nine 3s in a 43-point third period, their highest-scoring quarter of the season. They shot 18 for 32 (56 percent) from behind the arc in the game. With 15 points and six assists, Elfrid Payton was one of seven players to score in double figures for the Magic (15-35). Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson scored 20 each for the Lakers, who never led after the first quarter. When Payton's three-point play gave the Magic a 66-53 lead 93 seconds into the third, Lakers coach Luke Walton yanked all five of his starters out of the game. But the Lakers (19-31) never again got the margin under 11. Mario Hezonja hit a 3-pointer, Fournier quickly followed with two more and Jonathon Simmons added two more 3s to help the Magic finish the period on a 22-13 run for a 20-point lead. They led by 29 early in the fourth. The Lakers, who had won eight of 11, were down by 12 when three straight baskets by Clarkson got them back in the game midway through the second. Speights scored Orlando's final 10 points of the half, including a couple of 3-pointers, to leave the Magic with a 58-51 halftime lead. TIP-INS Lakers: It was Clarkson's sixth straight game of 15 or more points. ... Rookie G Lonzo Ball missed his eighth straight game with a sore left knee. ... The Lakers, the worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA, went 4 of 20 from long range. Magic: F Aaron Gordon missed a second straight game (his 11th of the season) with a strained left hip flexor. ... The Magic shot 54 percent. UP NEXT Lakers: Play at Brooklyn on Friday night, the fourth stop on a five-game road trip. Magic: Home on Saturday night against Washington. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

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2018-02-03 07:00:00

Magic use big 3rd quarter to run away from Lakers, 127-105

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355119

Injured Sane out for '6, 7 weeks,' Man City says

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says Leroy Sane will be out for "six, seven weeks" after sustaining ankle ligament damage during the team's FA Cup win over Cardiff. Sane's absence leaves the Premier League leaders short of attacking options in a crucial part of the season, with the Germany winger potentially missing up to 11 matches in four competitions. That includes the League Cup final. With Gabriel Jesus also injured, Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva will shoulder the attacking burden for City. The 22-year-old Sane, who has scored 11 goals and set up 14 more in all competitions this season, was injured by a challenge from Cardiff defender Joe Bennett, who was shown a yellow card for the tackle and later sent off for a second bookable offense.

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2018-02-03 00:00:00

Injured Sane out for '6, 7 weeks,' Man City says

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354275

Missouri man seeks second reprieve from Supreme Court

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri death row inmate whose life was spared by a last-minute stay of execution four years ago is asking the U.S. Supreme Court for another reprieve, claiming the process of killing him could cause blood-filled tumors to burst inside his head. Russell Bucklew is scheduled to die by injection Tuesday evening for killing a former girlfriend's new boyfriend during a violent rampage in 1996. He would be the first Missouri prisoner put to death since January 2017. Bucklew, 49, was within an hour of execution in May 2014 when the U.S. Supreme Court halted it over concerns about Bucklew's rare medical condition, cavernous hemangioma. The ailment causes weakened and malformed blood vessels, tumors in his head and throat and on his lip, and vein problems. His attorney, Cheryl Pilate, is again asking the Supreme Court to intervene, claiming Bucklew's condition has only gotten worse. The tumor on Bucklew's lip has grown substantially since 2014 and is now the size of a grape, Pilate said. She believes the internal tumors have grown, too, and will likely rupture and bleed during the execution, potentially causing Bucklew "to choke and cough on his own blood during the lethal injection process." Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley disagrees, writing in his filing to the Supreme Court that the growth in Bucklew's mouth shrunk 10 percent between 2010 and 2016. The condition also compromises his veins, and Pilate said the fatal injection couldn't be administered in the typical way through an arm vein. Hawley wrote that the lethal dose of pentobarbital could be administered through a leg or other vein instead of the arm. Pilate also has asked for clemency from Republican Gov. Eric Greitens. A spokesman for the governor declined comment. Bucklew's appeals have suggested that if the execution is carried out, the state should use lethal gas instead of an injection of pentobarbital. Missouri law still provides for the option of lethal gas, but the state no longer has a gas chamber and has not used the method since 1965. None of the 20 inmates executed since Missouri began using pentobarbital in 2013 have shown obvious signs of pain or suffering. Bucklew became angry when his girlfriend, Stephanie Ray, ended their relationship in 1996. Hawley said in court filings that Bucklew slashed Ray's face with a knife, beat her and threatened to kill her. She took her children and left. Over the next two weeks, Bucklew stalked Ray, even as he stole a car, firearms, two sets of handcuffs and duct tape. He eventually found out where she was staying and broke into the southeastern Missouri trailer home of Michael Sanders, Ray's new boyfriend, fatally shooting him. When Sanders' 6-year-old son came out of hiding, Bucklew shot at the boy and missed. Bucklew pistol-whipped Ray, put her in handcuffs and dragged her to his car, where he raped her. Police pursued Bucklew — a chase ending in a gunfight that wounded an officer. Once in jail, Bucklew managed to escape and went to the home of Ray's mother, where he attacked her with a hammer before he was finally captured. Some civil rights organizations have joined in asking that Bucklew be allowed to live out his life in prison. In a letter last week to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union wrote that executing Bucklew "would be egregious, torturous, and in violation of the U.S. and international law prohibiting torture, cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-03-20 12:02:00

Missouri man seeks second reprieve from Supreme Court

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3386057

IS attack on military academy in Afghan capital kills 11

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Islamic State militants attacked Afghan soldiers guarding a military academy in the capital on Monday, killing at least 11 troops and wounding 16. The attack, which began before dawn and continued well past daybreak, was the latest in a wave of relentless violence in Kabul this month unleashed by the Taliban and the rival Islamic State group that has killed scores and left hundreds wounded. President Donald Trump condemned the recent spate of violence, saying "innocent people are being killed left and right," including children. After previously expressing support for Afghan efforts to reach a political settlement with the insurgent group, Trump said "there's no talking to the Taliban." Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said a suicide bomber struck the military unit guarding the academy, setting off a gunbattle. Two of the attackers were killed in the gunbattle, two detonated their suicide vests and one was arrested by the troops, he said. Waziri confirmed that 11 soldiers were killed. He said "the attack was against an army unit providing security for the academy and not the academy itself." The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, which calls itself Khorasan Province, claimed the attack in a statement carried by its Aamaq news agency, saying its fighters targeted the academy. The academy, known as Marshal Fahim National Defense University, is sometimes called "Sandhurst in the Sand" — a reference to the British academy. Named after Mohammed Fahim, the country's late vice president and a military commander of the Northern Alliance that fought the Taliban, the academy was inaugurated in 2013 after British forces oversaw the development of its officers' school and its training program. The academy was also the site where the highest-ranking U.S. military officer to be killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq lost his life, in August 2014. Army Maj Gen. Harold J. Greene, then deputy commander of the transition force in the country, was shot and killed by an Afghan soldier in a so-called "insider attack" that was later claimed by the Taliban. The same academy was also attacked in October last year by a suicide bomber who killed 15 officers. The attacker was on foot and detonated his suicide vest as the on-duty officers were leaving the facility. That attack was also claimed by the Taliban. President Ashraf Ghani denounced Monday's attack, saying the "Taliban must choose between Islam and terrorism." Neighboring Pakistan also condemned Monday's attack, saying it "reiterates its strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, especially the series of heinous attacks within the last week in Afghanistan." Both the Taliban and IS have stepped up attacks in recent weeks, in what analysts say is a campaign of violence intended to undermine the U.S.-backed government. On Saturday, a Taliban attacker drove an ambulance filled with explosives into the heart of the city, killing at least 103 people and wounding as many as 235. The Taliban claimed the ambulance attack, as well as an attack a week earlier in which militants stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul, killing 22 people, including 14 foreigners, and setting off a 13-hour battle with security forces. Masoom Stanekzai, the head of Afghanistan's intelligence service, said five suspects have been arrested for their involvement in the hotel attack. A sixth suspect had fled the country, he said. He also said that four people have been arrested in connection with Saturday's ambulance attack. The recent attacks have underscored the weaknesses of Afghan security forces more than 16 years after the U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban. They also raise questions about Trump's strategy for winning America's longest war, which was announced in August but has changed little on the ground. That strategy was based on ramping up military pressure on the Taliban to eventually force them into peace talks with the government. But in a meeting with visiting ambassadors on Monday, Trump said "we don't want to talk with the Taliban." The Taliban have been waging an insurgency since they were driven from power by U.S. and Afghan forces after the Sept. 11 attacks. In recent years, they have seized districts across the country and carried out near-daily attacks, mainly targeting Afghan security forces and the U.S.-backed government. They say they are open to direct peace talks with the United States, something Washington has long rejected. The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan emerged in 2014, as the U.S. and NATO were winding down their combat mission and around the time that IS declared its self-styled Islamic caliphate, headquartered in Syria and Iraq. Its followers have clashed with both Afghan forces and the Taliban. ___ Associated Press writers Maamoun Youssef in Cairo and Patrick Quinn in Beirut contributed to this report.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

IS attack on military academy in Afghan capital kills 11

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353911

Gaultier fetes smoking, Saab channels Gaudi in Paris couture

PARIS (AP) — A tardy Naomi Campbell triggered a dangerous media scrum as she entered Jean-Paul Gaultier's couture ode to smoking in Paris Wednesday. It raised the heat in the already scorching atmosphere on the final day of Paris fall-winter shows. Temperatures reached heatwave levels and sweating fashionistas fanned themselves with Gaultier-branded fans. Here are some highlights of the couture collections. GAULTIER'S ODE TO SMOKING It's been banned in public — but smoking evidently has not been outlawed as a source of fashion inspiration. The unusual homage by Jean-Paul Gaultier to one of the world's dirtiest, and most glamorous, habits made for a typically tongue-in-cheek collection of 73 varied looks. A black bison tuxedo jacket had the words "Gaultier Smoking" emblazoned on the front. It was a play on words on the French translation on "tuxedo," which is "le smoking" — and one that continued in myriad black and white deconstructions of tuxedo looks. A surreal variation on the red Fez hat from Morocco — a country famed for its shisha pipes — also made an appearance. It covered the face, and from eye slits, the red tassels seemed to hang down like tears. Tulle mouth masks followed white plume boas representing plumes of smoke. But the final creation — a giant silver bridal veil — was the most creative look. Its shimmering, five-meter (16-foot) train was so diaphanous, it licked the air and evoked rising smoke. Pedro Almodovar's muse, actress Rossy de Palma, applauded from the front row. ___ ELIE SAAB Elie Saab took his itinerant couture inspiration to Barcelona this season. The famed Modernist architecture of Antoni Gaudi — and its organic lines — were the focus of many of the Lebanese designer's gowns. Oversize rounded shoulders, which were sometimes dramatically raised from the body, were a new silhouette variation on the house's bread-and-butter cinched waist looks. The industrious Saab couture atelier had got to work to weave the signature crystals, sequins and pearls together to — as the program notes put it — depict "the sinuosity of organic forms." The swirling stone reliefs of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs venue, inside the Louvre palace, accentuated the clothes' architectural lines. ___ PARIS FASHION GETS TOUGHER ON PRESS Certain Paris Fashion Week houses pride themselves on careful image control and restrictive press access. As privately held brands, this is their right — although it can sometimes be excessive and lead to accusations of elitism. Invitations are sent to carefully selected journalists and buyers, and some houses prefer smaller venues. The system is thought to increase the mystery and cachet of the clothes. Like Balenciaga, Maison Margiela under John Galliano is one of many with a highly strict policy. For the second season Maison Margiela extended their media clampdown to all photographic agencies, bar two, sending out a note explaining they would be handling the photography mainly "in-house" for Wednesday's morning show. The unusual move means that almost all images of the couture are now under the direct control of the Maison Margiela house. ___ Thomas Adamson can be followed at www.twitter.com/ThomasAdamson_K

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-07-04 23:55:00

Gaultier fetes smoking, Saab channels Gaudi in Paris couture

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3474357

Azeglio Vicini, Italy's coach at 1990 World Cup, dies at 84

ROME (AP) — Azeglio Vicini, who coached Italy to a third-place finish as host of the 1990 World Cup, has died. He was 84. The Italian soccer federation said Wednesday that Vicini died in his hometown of Brescia, without providing further details. Vicini coached Italy from 1986-91 and also guided the Azzurri to the semifinals of the 1988 European Championship. During the 1990 World Cup, Italy's only loss was a penalty shootout defeat to Argentina and Diego Maradona in the semifinals. The federation said that a moment of silence will be observed to mourn Vicini before Wednesday's Italian Cup semifinal match between AC Milan and Lazio, and before all Serie A matches this weekend. Vicini is survived by his wife and three children.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 19:17:00

Azeglio Vicini, Italy's coach at 1990 World Cup, dies at 84

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354758

Trump visiting Supreme Court as justices weigh travel ban

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is making his first Supreme Court visit at a moment of high legal drama. The justices are weighing what to do with the president's ban on travelers from six mostly Muslim countries. But the reason for his high court trip Thursday is purely ceremonial, to mark Justice Neil Gorsuch's ascension to the bench. Trump has no role in the courtroom ceremony, but presidents often make the trip to the court from the White House to honor their nominees. While the dispute over the travel ban and other controversies have simmered during Trump's first few months in office, his choice of the 49-year-old Gorsuch for the Supreme Court won widespread praise in the legal community as well as unanimous Republican support in the Senate. A federal judge first blocked Trump's initial travel ban in early February. The president issued a revised version in March. It never took effect after judges in Maryland and Hawaii put it on hold. Two federal appeals courts have since upheld those lower court orders. The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to allow the ban to take effect immediately. Gorsuch actually has been a member of the high court since April, and he even issued his first opinion on Monday. The investiture ceremony typically takes place before a new justice's first day on the bench, but Gorsuch was confirmed and sworn in on a tight schedule. He filled the seat that had been held for nearly 30 years by Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February 2016. The high court seat was vacant for nearly 14 months after Senate Republicans refused to take up President Barack Obama's nomination of Judge Merrick Garland.

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2017-06-15 15:45:00

Trump visiting Supreme Court as justices weigh travel ban

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Dutch bank ABN Amro sees profits grow in fourth quarter

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch bank ABN Amro says its underlying net profit, which strips out exceptional items, rose 23 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016 to 333 million euros ($351 million). The bank, which has been restructured and re-privatized following its bailout by the Dutch government in 2008 during the global financial crisis, said Wednesday that operating income for the fourth quarter rose 7 percent to 2.2 billion euros ($2.3 billion). CEO Kees van Dijkhuizen says that in the last quarter the bank "achieved loan growth in all of our major loan books: we were the number one provider of new mortgages in the Netherlands for the second consecutive year."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2017-02-15 17:12:00

Dutch bank ABN Amro sees profits grow in fourth quarter

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3095564

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Brazil coach rejects trip to capital to avoid politicians

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil coach Tite pledged not to take the national team to the capital Brasilia to pose with politicians in this election year due to widespread accusations of corruption against several of them. "I won't go at all. Neither before the World Cup nor afterward. Neither winning nor losing (the title)," Tite, whose real name is Adenor Bacchi, answered TV Record in an interview aired on Saturday. Since 1970, Brazil has a tradition of visiting the president before or after World Cups so players can receive medals of merit at the presidential palace. Brazilian President Michel Temer's popularity is at single digits after a series of corruption allegations against him in recent months. Temer has survived because the Chamber of Deputies rejected two requests to suspend him from office and put him on trial. The Brazil general elections are in October. Tite says he has no problem working under Brazil football boss Marco Polo del Nero, who has been suspended by FIFA after graft charges. "I have total autonomy with the team," Tite said. The Brazil coach, who took over after the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, also said he was sorry for not having four years to prepare for the World Cup in Russia in June, but believes his relationship with the players was "100 percent."

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-28 01:29:00

Brazil coach rejects trip to capital to avoid politicians

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353774

Nets beat 76ers 116-108 to snap 4-game skid

NEW YORK (AP) — Spencer Dinwiddie scored 27 points, D'Angelo Russell added 22 in his best performance since returning from knee surgery, and the Brooklyn Nets snapped a four-game skid with a 116-108 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night. Rookie center Jarrett Allen, making his first start at home, had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Nets, who took charge of a close game with an 11-0 run early in the fourth quarter. Dinwiddie had six points during the spurt and a pair of recent 76ers contributed the other five points in the first meeting since a trade between the teams last month. Joel Embiid had 29 points and 14 rebounds for the 76ers, who dropped their third straight and fell back to .500 at 24-24. Ben Simmons scored 24 and J.J. Redick had 20 in his return from a seven-game absence with a leg injury. Simmons was 9 of 10 for 18 points in his first 14 minutes but the Sixers couldn't build much of a lead in part because of Russell, who recently returned from a two-month absence and felt good enough to play on both nights of a back-to-back. Neither team led by double digits through three quarters and the 76ers were ahead 92-91 in the opening minute of the fourth before Nik Stauskas — traded by Philadelphia along with Jahlil Okafor to Brooklyn in December — made a 3-pointer. Dinwiddie followed with three free throws and another 3, and Okafor scored inside to cap the run and make it 102-92 with 7:09 to play. Embiid tried to bring the Sixers back, bulling his way for consecutive baskets that cut it to 111-107. But soon after he fouled Allen and DeMarre Carroll, who made all four free throws to keep Brooklyn safely ahead. TIP-INS 76ers: Coach Brett Brown said he expects No. 1 draft pick Markelle Fultz, who appeared in just four games before a right shoulder injury, to play again this season. Brown just can't predict when. "It's just an answer that I can't give anybody, we can't give anybody, nor can he," Brown said. "I mean at the end of the day it's going to be when he feels good about himself and feels good about his shoulder, and that's almost the bottom line. We'll help him, but really he's got to feel comfortable that he can go be himself and none of us should begrudge him for that." Nets: Coach Kenny Atkinson said the Nets hope reserve guard Caris LeVert (left groin) could return Friday, but starting forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (right groin) will be out a couple more games. ... Carroll scored 15 points and has matched his career best with 12 straight games in double figures, set in 2014-15 for Atlanta. NUMBERS GAME Brown said the only reason Okafor wasn't playing in Philadelphia before the 76ers dealt him to the Nets in December was because of the big men ahead of him in a crowded frontcourt the last couple of seasons. "What everybody should really hear is, he's just so young. He was drafted third for a reason," Brown said. "He's a hell of a player and for us in the time and the moment that we're in and with Joel, etc., the court time just wasn't available." SUPPORT FOR SAM Atkinson was discussing the 76ers' young talent when he pivoted to praise Sam Hinkie, the former Philadelphia executive whose strategy of building through the draft was heavily debated. "I think of Sam Hinkie, there should be a management award for him, or a management study on what he did," Atkinson said. "We can argue you like it, you don't like it, but I was around him. I really like him as a person and I just think he did a phenomenal job and thinking long term like that, to have that vision that most of us don't have, let's be honest, I don't think he gets enough credit." UP NEXT 76ers: Host the Miami Heat on Friday. Nets: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. ___ More AP basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

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2018-02-01 11:19:00

Nets beat 76ers 116-108 to snap 4-game skid

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355134

Independence an issue in Greenland parliamentary election

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Voters in Greenland are going to the polls in a parliamentary election that has featured discussion on what the sparsely populated Arctic island needs to do to become independent from Denmark. Residents of the semi-independent Danish territory harbor hopes of independence, but know the economy, which depends mainly on fisheries, needs to improve. Another debated issue in the election for the 31-seat parliament is upgrading three airports to allow international flights land in Greenland and therefore increase tourism. Prime Minister Kim Kielsen's center-left Siumut party said during the campaign that English, not Danish, should be taught as a second language in schools to allow the island's 56,000 inhabitants become more international. Recent polls have Kielsen's party neck-and-neck with the left-leaning Inuit Ataqatigiit. They are likely to form a governing coalition.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-24 21:29:00

Independence an issue in Greenland parliamentary election

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413258

Mother of G League player who died sues NBA, Pistons

DETROIT (AP) — The mother of a G League basketball player who died in March after collapsing on the court during a game has filed a lawsuit accusing the NBA and the Detroit Pistons of negligence. Zeke Upshaw played for the Grand Rapids Drive, a G League affiliate of the Pistons. He collapsed during a game at Grand Rapids on March 24 and died two days later . The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The NBA and Pistons are named as defendants, along with SSJ Group and The DeltaPlex Arena. The lawsuit alleges that medical personnel at the game failed to attempt lifesaving measures in a timely fashion. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-05-31 01:14:00

Mother of G League player who died sues NBA, Pistons

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3444453

AP BOOK EXCERPT: The Tet Offensive's first 36 hours

EDITOR'S NOTE — It was just after 2 a.m. on Jan. 31, 1968, when the crackle of celebratory fireworks in South Vietnam's capital gave way to the pounding of machine guns, grenades and rockets. As the country celebrated Lunar New Year, communist forces launched a wave of surprise attacks that became known as the Tet Offensive and would change the course of the Vietnam War. From Saigon to Hue to Nha Trang, North Vietnamese and Vietcong forces attacked the major population centers that they had until then avoided. From the jungles and rice fields of the north, an estimated 80,000 fighters brought the war south with coordinated attacks on 39 of South Vietnam's 44 provincial capitals, 64 district headquarters, nearly every allied airfield and Saigon. In Saigon, fighting raged across the city, including an ambitious attack on the American Embassy. While the battles went on for a month in some place like Hue, the Tet Offensive was ultimately seen from a strictly military standpoint as a defeat for the communist forces. But the campaign had a lasting impact on the war, raising questions about Washington's strategy and deepening the American public's doubts about U.S. involvement in the campaign. The AP's Peter Arnett reported on the Vietnam War from 1962 until its end in 1975. On the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive, the AP is publishing this edited extract from his book "We're Taking Fire: A Reporter's View of the Vietnam War, Tet and the Fall of LBJ." ___ TET: THE FIRST 36 HOURS The blast of strings of exploding firecrackers jerked me awake as Vietnamese neighbors continued their celebrations into the early hours of the morning. It was Saigon, January 31, 1968, the first day of the year of the traditional lunar calendar, Tet Nguyen Dan, and the most important Vietnamese festival. Amid the cacophony I noticed a loud, methodical rat-tat-tat that shook our apartment shutters as though someone was banging on them with a hammer. I'd heard that sound before in the battlefield, the roar of a heavy-caliber machine gun, and it seemed to be shooting up Pasteur Street just three room-lengths away. A weapon that lethal had not been discharged in Saigon since the overthrow of President Ngo Dinh Diem four years earlier. I opened my bedroom window and watched as war came to Saigon from the jungles and paddy fields and peasant villages where it had lingered for years. Red tracer bullets zipped through the sky and firefights were erupting near the centers of power in South Vietnam's capital, the presidential palace and the American Embassy. As the sounds of exploding grenades and rockets vibrated through the darkness, I bundled my wife Nina and my young children, Elsa and Andrew, and our maid into the bathroom, which I hoped was safer than the rest of our small apartment, and I covered them with mattresses from the beds. I phoned The Associated Press office, and bureau chief Robert Tuckman answered, his voice high-pitched and excited: "They're shelling the city, for God's sake." I told him I was on my way. I wasn't the only one so rudely awakened in total surprise at around 2:30 that morning. Only those in the know — the attacking Vietcong guerrillas and North Vietnamese military forces and their allied clandestine networks in the city — had any idea of what was happening. By quietly moving combat troops through the supposedly secure countryside into the heart of Saigon, they were able to strike without warning. Gen. William Westmoreland, the increasingly confident commander of all American combat forces fighting in Vietnam, was asleep in his comfortable villa at Tran Quy Cap street when attacks began all around his neighborhood. Just nine weeks earlier, the general visited the United States on the orders of President Lyndon Johnson to participate in a "success offensive," a concerted effort to bolster public support for the war. In an address at the National Press Club, he asserted that the Vietcong were "unable to mount a major offensive" and that the point was reached "when the end begins to come into view." But on this early morning, Westmoreland was stuck, unable to reach his Saigon headquarters as gunfire roared in the street outside. By telephone, he learned of the spiraling crisis, particularly a fierce attack on the six-story American Embassy at Thong Nhut street several blocks away. Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker was similarly blindsided by the ferocity of the enemy attacks, particularly the assault on his embassy. He was asleep in his villa four blocks away when his security team rushed into his bedroom and ushered him down to the basement in his pajamas. Wearing his bathrobe, he was soon loaded into an armored car and driven to a safe house. Bunker had been in South Vietnam less than a year, and in that time, he had worked closely with Westmoreland and endorsed his views. In Washington, D.C., half a day behind Vietnam in time, it was the early afternoon of January 30. President Johnson was presiding over a meeting of his closest security advisers, their biggest Vietnam concern the struggle to avoid the loss of the U.S. Marine combat base of Khe Sanh that over the weeks had been threatened by a growing number of North Vietnamese troops. Nearly half of all American combat troops in Vietnam were being moved to the northern provinces to support Khe Sanh and other border bases. It was during the meeting that President Johnson first heard the alarming news from Saigon. His special assistant for national security affairs, Walt Rostow, returned after taking a call from the National Military Command Center. It was 2:35 p.m. Rostow, a hawk on Vietnam who late in 1967 had used the phrase "light at the end of the tunnel" to describe the war policy's successes, announced, "We have just been informed that we are being heavily mortared in Saigon. The presidential palace, our bachelor officers' quarters, the embassy and the city itself have been hit." The minutes of the meeting record President Johnson as responding, "This could be very bad. What can we do to shake them from this? ... What comes to mind in the way of retaliation?" Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, the primary architect of early war policy whose growing doubts about the morality of the American effort had led to his announced replacement, gave little weight to the initial information, suggesting it should be handled as "a 'public relations' issue." Around the same time, William Colby, the CIA's chief of the Far East Division, at work at the agency's Langley, Virginia, headquarters, received a flash message from Saigon station reporting that "a violent attack against the American Embassy is in progress with the attackers possibly within the embassy itself." Colby advised them in a flash return message that the Communications Center should button up its steel doors. Colby was a former CIA station chief in Saigon, a confidant of the slain President Ngo Dinh Diem, and a proponent of a counter insurgency strategy that relied less on American combat troops. Within days, he would be on his way to South Vietnam to help pick up the pieces of a crumbling policy. As the 3 million people of Saigon became abruptly aware of the brutal enemy intrusion in their Tet holiday celebrations, there was confusion within the South Vietnamese security ranks. Many of the military police primarily responsible for city protection were at home celebrating with their families. President Nguyen Van Thieu, who was also the commander of Vietnam's armed forces, was on a Tet holiday with his family and could not be immediately located. A month earlier, the American military command had handed over the security of the nation's capital entirely to the Vietnamese paramilitary police forces, and Thieu's authority was necessary to facilitate supporting troop movements from outside. Vice President Nguyen Cao Ky complained later, "Catastrophe loomed. In expectation of the usual Tet truce, half of our armed forces had gone on leave. To make things worse, most of our army's combat forces were not deployed in or near big cities." General Westmoreland was particularly unhappy about President Thieu, who had been informed of security concerns in the northern region and had agreed to cancel the Tet cease-fire there a day earlier. The day passed with no notice of the cancellation, and according to Westmoreland, "I telephoned the American Embassy to find that the South Vietnamese government had provided its press officer with a release but that the press office was shut tight, closed for Tet. President Thieu had departed to pass the holidays in My Tho, his wife's hometown in the Mekong Delta. Such a lackadaisical attitude on the part of the government was shocking and frustrating yet indicative of the state of mind, to near euphoria, that envelops the Vietnamese at Tet." Not all the Vietnamese, however, were euphoric celebrants, certainly not the Vietcong who were violating their own announced seven-day Tet truce with surprise attacks across the country. We would soon learn that the Saigon attacks were just the point of the spear. The Vietcong and the North Vietnamese, who had until now avoided attacking major population centers, were using an estimated 80,000 fighters in a coordinated assault against 39 of South Vietnam's 44 province capitals, 64 district headquarters, almost every allied airfield, and Saigon. A puzzle was that the only American installation attacked was the embassy. I said goodbye to my family to begin my reporting day, and opened my apartment door as a burst of heavy machine-gun fire flashed through the darkness in the direction of the presidential palace two blocks away. I waited for a break in the shooting and stepped out into the lamplight, raising my arms in a friendly gesture to the invisible gunners behind the sandbags just down the street. I was in shirt sleeves and slacks and I smiled and shouted "journalist" in Vietnamese. There was no reaction, so I just walked past them on my way to the AP office. Our staff were on the telephones, reporting what best they could to our news headquarters in New York City. The American Embassy was under attack; so was Tan Son Nhut airport and the main Saigon radio station, the presidential palace, and Vietnamese security installations. We needed eyewitness stories, bureau chief Tuckman told me. I was joined by reporter colleague John Nance and photographer Joe Holloway, grabbing the keys to the office mini-jeep and setting off across the embattled city, the night sky bright with tracer bullets and the swinging arcs of parachute flares. We drove up a side street behind the presidential palace to get closer to the action. A South Vietnamese soldier stepped out in front of the jeep and signaled us to turn back, indicating that the Vietcong had moved into a nearby unfinished building, after their attack by rockets and hand grenades against the palace gate had been repulsed. As we turned, a hail of bullets splattered the street around us, sending us quickly on our way. One of the Vietcong combatants who fired at us was a woman, Vu Minh Nghia, 21 years old, who was among the eight Vietcong attackers who survived. She told her captors her assault team had sneaked into Saigon the previous evening, worried by the last-minute order to attack the well-defended palace. They were briefly fighting around the gate, she said, before retreating to the nearby house after seven of their number were killed. They were shooting at anyone who approached until later in the day when they gave up. When I returned to the AP office at 4:30 a.m. I received a call from Barry Zorthian, the chief of the joint U.S. information office, offering me a scoop, a phone interview with a top American official trapped in his two-story cottage in a corner of the courtyard of the embattled embassy. "We just want you to get the story straight, Peter," Zorthian said. There were gunshot sounds and explosions in the background when I interviewed George "Jake" Jacobson, the veteran embassy coordinator, who told me that several enemy commandos had blown a hole in the embassy wall an hour or so earlier and were roaming the grounds outside his cottage, firing bazooka shells at the façade of the shiny, new eight-story embassy chancery building. And the attackers were exchanging fire with snipers in buildings across the street. "They know I am here," Jacobson, a courtly older man, told me in a whisper on the phone. He said his upstairs bedroom windows were already shot out by a rocket. He had armed himself with a hand grenade for a last-ditch stand. He was a cool one, a veteran of nine years' service in Vietnam. His last comments to me were that, "The Vietcong are calculating a big splash all over the world with their activities." I was intrigued by these comments from a senior official crouching in his bedroom and fearing for his life but also figuring out a credible explanation for what was going on — that it was a communist publicity stunt. As I wrote the story for the AP, I could hardly believe the audacity of the Vietcong, who were not only assaulting the American Embassy, but also launching vigorous attacks against a dozen other targets across Saigon, all at a time when conventional wisdom had them pushed to the ropes. The fate of George Jacobson and that of the embassy itself in the developing battle became an immediate priority for our coverage because it was the highest profile target in the first hours of the offensive, and it was just five blocks away from the AP office. We set off for the embassy on foot, heading up Tu Do street past the towering red-brick Roman Catholic basilica, noticing security men in the adjoining park hiding behind trees; but they made no effort to stop us. Bursts of rockets and the crack of small arms drew us down Thong Nhut Boulevard, past the headquarters of the Texas construction giant RMK-BRJ to Hai Ba Trung street, and the corner of the block where the embassy, behind an eight-foot concrete wall, loomed above us in the darkness. We edged along the street and crouched down as small as we could make ourselves. The boulevard was a shooting gallery; gunfire crackled over our heads and thudded into tree trucks and walls. American military police from the 716 battalion had occupied an upper floor of an apartment building across the street and were directing fire into the embassy grounds. The Vietcong inside were returning fire. The senior Marine guard at the embassy, Staff Sergeant Ronald Harper, was taking cover in the floodlit lobby when a rocket smashed into a window next to the wooden door, wounding a fellow Marine in the arms, face and legs. A few seconds later the attackers dropped a hand grenade through the broken window as another rocket exploded against the door. Harper said later, "I figured the Vietcong were coming in. I moved back to the armory to get my 9mm Beretta submachine gun, then I helped move my buddy upstairs. I figured we were in for it." He returned and fired a test burst from his machine gun and backed into the corner of the lobby, able to see through the steel grills in the open window. As more rockets thumped into the fragile concrete latticework on the embassy façade, Harper said, bits of searing, hot metal took their toll on these trapped in the embassy. "One Marine guard fell dead; six others were wounded," including himself. The first glow of a gray dawn lit the scene. We saw a bullet-riddled black Citroen sedan in the middle of the street, its driver slumped over the steering wheel. Outside the embassy gate were two other immobilized vehicles. There was concrete rubble scattered near them and a haze of dust in the air from the blasting the Vietcong had done to make their way into the embassy grounds. I wondered what had happened to George Jacobson, and I was told by a Marine captain, Robert O'Brien, who had arrived with Marine guard reinforcements, that he had been in radio communication with Jacobson and the handful of embassy staffers in the chancery on overnight duty. He said, "I've relayed to them the word from command headquarters they would have to hold out because a counterattack would be too dangerous in the darkness." Inside the embassy, the duty officer, 32-year-old Allan Wendt, was asleep in a cot in room 433 on the fourth floor of the embassy when the attack began. He later recalled, "Suddenly the building was hit by a loud explosion. Automatic weapons fire broke out and rockets began to thud into the building. I quickly retreated to the more secure and better equipped communications room where a specialist, James A Griffin, was on duty. A call to the ground-floor Marine security guard post revealed that at least one Marine guard, Staff Sergeant Ronald W. Harper, was alive and functioning. The Vietcong attackers, at that point, were not in the building. I placed and received phone calls from the White House Situation Room, the State Department operations center, and the American military command in Saigon. I spoke regularly to embassy officers at the off-site command post setup by Ambassador Bunker. As the siege wore on, we pleaded with the U.S. military command for relief. We were told an armored column was on its way. It never arrived. One helicopter finally did land on the roof and evacuated a wounded Marine. But to my consternation, I also discovered that two armed American military personnel including a Marine whose presence I had not detected, also took off on the chopper, leaving the lone Marine on the ground floor and a few civilians and me to fend for ourselves." (There is no available record on whether this incident was followed up.) As the morning brightened, John Nance and I, still concealed near the outside wall, saw military policemen crawling along the exposed gutters and the sidewalk next to the embassy wall up ahead of us, moving into position for a counterattack while others were gathering in formation to assist them. A dozen Huey helicopters came in low over the gardens at the Saigon zoo end of the street, heading towards us. I realized they were going to attempt an infantry assault against the embassy. Nance, who had taken shelter behind one of the immobilized vehicles, watched as an MP rose to his feet and slammed his shoulder against the wrought iron embassy gate. It swung open and the military policemen rushed inside as the roar of exploding hand grenades and automatic weapons fire erupted. I could see the first of the helicopters hovering over us, trying to land on the embassy roof. In a barrage of gunfire from the courtyard it pulled away and was gone, and soon many of the soldiers who had stormed through the gate were back outside, pointing to the middle floors of the chancery building. Not only were the Vietcong inside embassy grounds, but they had apparently penetrated the embassy itself and were upstairs. I asked a disheveled officer if he was sure and he said, "My god, yes, we're taking fire from up there. Keep your head down." I ran to the construction building down the street where the night porter let me use the phone to send my story. Ed White calmly took my dictation, and I returned to the corner of Hai Ba Trung where newspaper and television colleagues were assembling to cover one of the most sensational actions of the whole war. An hour later, a second helicopter assault was launched, and we saw soldiers from the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division jumping to the chancery roof and beginning their descent through the building. I saw correspondent Howard Tuckner of NBC and his cameraman Vo Huynh follow a military police squad through the front gate into the embassy grounds, and we were all soon joining them, gasping at the evidence of the fierce struggle inside. A large hole had been blasted through the protective wall, the Great Seal of the United States was bullet-riddled and knocked down from above the door, and the lobby was a tangled wreck. There was a score of dead Vietcong in green and brown clothing and red armbands and several dead Americans, their blood splashed on the pathways and walls. We heard gunshots from the rear of the courtyard. We saw a pale George Jacobson emerge from his villa, the victor over a lone, wounded Vietcong gunman who had entered his house and hidden in a bathroom, and then attempted to kill him with an automatic weapon. Using a hand gun thrown up to him as he leaned from his upstairs bedroom, Jacobson killed his attacker who was coming up the stairs. Nineteen of the Vietcong attackers were killed and one was captured. Five American soldiers died. When Westmoreland arrived at the scene soon afterwards, anxious to return to a scene of normality, he instructed Allan Wendt to have the embassy cleaned up and the employees back at work by noon. Wendt said later, "This was quite unrealistic. Fighting was raging all over the city." At mid-morning, the 32-year-old diplomat drove home in his bullet-scarred car parked at the back of the chancery. Its windshield was shot away but at least he could drive it. In a report to the Department of State a few weeks later, Wendt said, "The attack on the embassy revealed our lack of military and civilian preparedness. As civilian duty officer, I was ill-prepared. I was given no useful intelligence. I had no training in the use of weapons or first aid. I was lucky to survive; the odds were against it. But a few good decisions saved us. At the first shot, a quick-thinking Marine at an adjoining building in the compound had rushed across the compound and closed the embassy's thick wooden doors. The architecture of the building with its lattice work concrete absorbed the rocket rounds fired into it. The Vietcong attackers were not of World War II caliber and fortunately for us were hit by Vietnamese and American personnel firing down on them from adjoining rooftops." A concerned President Johnson — glued to the three wire service news printers running in his office, checking the evening newspapers and watching television news — was impressed by Westmoreland's strident assertions of victory while standing amid the bloody carnage of the American Embassy courtyard and saying that no Vietcong had penetrated the inside of the chancery. The general described the enemy attacks across the city as "a diversion" to draw attention away from what he described as the "real intentions" of the enemy, which he said were to secure a victory against the Marine combat base at Khe Sanh. Westmoreland had warned for weeks that the communists were looking to achieve a success at Khe Sanh similar to that of the 1954 battle of Dien Bien Phu, also an isolated stronghold located in a border area. The major defeat there had forced the French to withdraw from Vietnam after a 10-year struggle to re-establish its colonial territories following World War II. In Washington, President Johnson saw Westmoreland's confident assertions of victory as an antidote to the rising clamor of criticism in Congress and in the media over war policy. He messaged Saigon that the general should give two news briefings each day rather than the planned single appearance. Accordingly, Westmoreland appeared at the press center auditorium where the official daily late afternoon briefing, nicknamed "the five o'clock follies," was being held. He doubled up on his optimism, describing the massive attacks as "a major go-for-broke offensive, but I anticipate that the enemy will shortly run out of steam." He also announced that the important central Vietnamese city of Hue had been cleared of enemy forces. But officials later had to retract that statement because the old imperial capital had already fallen to Vietcong and North Vietnamese troops after a few hours' battle. Control would be relinquished there only after a brutal 24-day struggle primarily fought by U.S. Marines. And fighting was continuing in several other provincial capitals including Kontum, Ben Tre, Phan Thiet, Ban Me Thuot and Can Tho, all indications that this was more than a communist diversion but a major offensive planned and implemented over several months while America's attention was on the northern provinces. Westmoreland would soon personally experience the persistent dangers existing in Saigon at this time. He was required to move to the headquarters of the American military assistance command because his own residence remained insecure. Lewis Sorley, who wrote a biography of the general, quoted Brigadier General Zeb Bradford, then a field grade officer and aide-de-camp: "It was humiliating for Westmoreland. He couldn't get out of his own headquarters. That first day, the senior generals assembled in a makeshift dining room for the evening meal. The mood was grim, even despondent. It appeared that all that had been achieved over the years had been for nothing. The gloom was made complete when a stray bullet smashed through the window in the room where the generals were eating. With as much dignity as possible these senior officers had to evacuate themselves to a safer part of the building." In the morning of day two of the offensive, Associated Press photographer Eddie Adams and an NBC television crew encountered General Nguyen Ngoc Loan, the cold-eyed national police chief, on a street near the An Quang pagoda. He was directing a cleanup operation by some of his uniformed and heavily armed police units, and stopped to chat with the newsmen. General Loan had friends in Washington. President Johnson, at the White House meeting where he first learned of the Tet Offensive, was urged to make sure General Loan kept his job as national police chief, despite criticism from American officials in Saigon who had previously sparred with him over security issues and his heavy-handed behavior. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara said, "I recommend that we need to keep General Loan in charge of the Saigon police. He should not be removed, as some of our people in the State Department are recommending. At least until we find someone better." CIA Director Richard Helms said, "I agree." McNamara said, "He is the best security chief since Diem's time. He has cleaned up Saigon well." Secretary of State Dean Rusk said, "He is a good police chief, but he has been rather uncooperative with some of our people." Standing alongside General Loan in the late morning heat on a street empty of traffic and civilians, as gunfire echoed around the silent buildings, Adams saw a group of helmeted police talking loudly as they approached with a handcuffed Vietnamese man in civilian clothes in their midst. They placed him in front of the general who questioned him briefly. Adams saw that the police chief was holding a .38-caliber revolver in his right hand, and watched as the officer's right arm swung up. So, too, did Adams' hands swing up, clutching his camera. He snapped a picture as General Loan murdered the prisoner standing in front of him with a single shot to the head. The general turned to Adams and said, "These guys kill a lot of our people, and I think Buddha will forgive me," and walked away. The NBC crew, camera rolling, caught the whole sequence of events on film. I was at the Saigon AP bureau when Adams returned with his film. He was pale-faced, wide-eyed. "I just saw something unbelievable. But I don't know if I got the picture," he said. Fifteen minutes later his film emerged from the darkroom, revealing the horrifying image Adams had captured, the photo of South Vietnam's top police official with his outstretched arm holding a firearm inches from the face of a man whose head had been snapped back the split second a bullet entered his brain. The photograph was quickly fed into the Associated Press's international news distribution service and used widely in newspapers and on television. The victim was later identified as Nguyen Van Lem, said to be the leader of a clandestine Vietcong execution squad that was targeting Saigon government officials. The photograph of his public execution by one of those officials brought home to the world the horrors of a continuing brutal war that had emerged into the daylight of South Vietnam's biggest cities from the shadows of the countryside. Many thousands of communist soldiers were killed in the first month of the offensive, with the Saigon government and the American command claiming a decisive victory based on the body-count formula that was in use to chart the progress of the war. But allied casualties were also high. In the first month's combat, more than 2,100 American soldiers died, along with 4,000 South Vietnamese troops killed and tens of thousands of Vietnamese civilians killed and wounded. But the psychological victory went to the communists who had achieved almost complete strategic surprise in the Tet Offensive, with some military commentators soon labeling it "the worst intelligence failure for the United States since the attack on Pearl Harbor." Harry McPherson was a special counsel for President Johnson who served in his administration from 1965 to 1969 and was with him in the White House as the Tet Offensive ran its course. He reflected on the rapidly growing controversies in the early days of the Tet Offensive battle, in an interview for the Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas. "There were competing views and opposing phenomena all over the place," he said. "The embassy in Saigon and the military operation in Saigon were telling us that we had really beat the hell out of the enemy and they have taken tremendous casualties. They lost an enormous number of people including some of their best people. They surfaced a lot of assets, to use a military phrase. A lot of people who were in the infrastructure in South Vietnam and living apparently normal lives while being VC agents came out into the open and were either killed, captured or at least identified and chased out of their villages. They (the enemy) lost a lot; they did not achieve what they expected to achieve or hoped to achieve at the outset. The South Vietnamese did get a momentary shot in the arm; they did work harder. When it was over they got together more effectively. A number of citizens efforts were begun for the first time. All of this was a plus. "The negative was tremendous and was underplayed by Saigon. The negative was essentially here in this country. It was the feeling on the part of vast numbers of Americans, particularly after Westmoreland and Bunker had come back in the fall of the previous year and said things were just looking really good. I believe they used the expression 'light at the end of the tunnel.' After all of that, and after a tremendous commitment for three years — air power, 550,000 men, and all the rest of it — that this crowd (the Vietcong) was still able to mount a major offensive that smashed into cities and secure hamlets and such things. That they were able to hold Hue for a long time while the U.S. Marines encircled them. They were able to get into Saigon and terrorize the population, all that, and the awful picture you may remember of General Loan, the national police chief, executing a VC on the street. "The terrible quality of the war in Vietnam came home to people. It appeared that these guys didn't want to quit at all and were never going to quit, and that our crowd was as caught off guard as ever." ___ "We're Taking Fire" by Peter Arnett is exclusively available at Amazon.com.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-01-31 13:19:00

AP BOOK EXCERPT: The Tet Offensive's first 36 hours

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3354673

The Latest: White House stands by VA nominee Jackson

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump's pick to be secretary of Veterans Affairs (all times local): 9:20 a.m. The White House is standing behind Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump's choice to be Veterans Affairs secretary amid growing questions about his qualifications. Spokesman Hogan Gidley is praising Jackson, who is Trump's White House doctor and a Navy rear admiral, for serving as a physician to three U.S. presidents, both Republican and Democrat. He says Jackson has a record of "strong decisive leadership" and is "exactly what's needed at the VA." Senators have been discussing plans to delay Jackson's confirmation hearing, saying more time may be needed to review whether Jackson can manage a massive agency of 360,000 employees serving 9 million veterans. The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. ___ 1:46 a.m. Senators are discussing plans to delay the confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump's pick to be Veteran Affairs secretary over growing questions about the nominee's ability to manage the government's second-largest department. The hearing for Ronny Jackson, Trump's White House doctor, is scheduled for Wednesday. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal says some Republicans have told him that they think the hearing should be postponed, which he says deserves consideration. Blumenthal says he thinks there may well be a need for more time, in fairness to Jackson, so that he and the administration have an opportunity to answer these questions fully and fairly. Blumenthal declined to discuss why more time might be needed. White House and VA officials are also discussing a delay with key allies outside the administration.

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2018-04-24 21:36:00

The Latest: White House stands by VA nominee Jackson

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413274

Vietnam veterans recall all-female Tet Offensive squad

HUE, Vietnam (AP) — As a 19-year-old scout and spy for the communist forces in South Vietnam, Hoang Thi No remembers the determination and spirit of her 11-member team of young women who took part in the audacious Tet Offensive that turned the tide of the Vietnam War 50 years ago. "If we didn't fight the enemy, they would destroy us all," she said. "We were young and weren't afraid. ... Once we had a strong ideology, we could do anything." Her unit was known as the Perfume River Squad for the river that runs through Hue, Vietnam's cultural capital and third biggest city. Four of them died in the fighting that raged through the city for most of that February; two died later in the war. They were part of a mobilization of as many as 80,000 fighters — regular soldiers from Communist North Vietnam, guerrillas of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, known as Viet Cong, and village militia — who launched virtually simultaneous surprise attacks on more than 100 cities, towns and U.S. military bases in South Vietnam the early morning hours of Jan. 31, 1968. Official U.S. statistics for a month of fighting put the death toll at more than 58,000 enemy combatants, 3,995 American soldiers and 4,954 allied South Vietnamese troops plus 14,300 civilians. "Psychologically, the war turned against the Americans at that point," said Alan Dawson, at the time a 26-year-old U.S. Army journalist in South Vietnam. "That attack in the Tet Offensive was really the moment that the final outcome of the war was decided to the communist advantage." After an initial period of chaos, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces rallied to overwhelm the communist attackers, largely through the use of superior firepower. Had the offensive been nipped in the bud everywhere, it might have been more clearly recognized as a major military defeat for the communists. But the tenacious Vietnamese guerrillas in Hue held out for about a month, helped by the work of the Perfume River Squad. "Our duties were to enter the city to get information of movements and important locations of the enemy," No said. "We also mobilized local people to support the revolutionary forces by stocking up food and digging secret trenches and tunnels, getting ready for the fight. When the offensive started, we guided our major forces to various top important locations to fight the U.S Army in Hue city." On Wednesday, No joined her comrades in Hue in marking the anniversary of the offensive with speeches and patriotic songs. No suffers from a thyroid condition that doctors attribute to contact with Agent Orange, the herbicide that U.S. warplanes sprayed over large parts of Vietnam to try to deprive the communist forces of jungle cover. The veterans, mostly in their 70s and 80s and some wearing their combat medals, looked happy just to get together, chatting in the hallways before the formalities, laughing as they shared wartime stories and posed for group photos taken with their smartphones. The hall where they were meeting was about a kilometer (half a mile) from Hue's famous Citadel, scene of the fiercest fighting, whose walls are still pockmarked with bullet holes among the moss. Communist military planners of the Tet Offensive had hoped their attacks would incite a popular uprising to upset the balance in what had become a very costly and increasingly conventional war since the escalation of the U.S. military presence in 1965. They also believed that a show of strength would weaken American political will, which they were well aware was wilting under pressure from anti-war sentiment back home. Seeking to maximize psychological impact, they targeted high-profile targets in Saigon, the South Vietnamese capital now called Ho Chi Minh City. They included the Presidential Palace, Tan Son Nhut air base and most dramatically the U.S. Embassy, where sappers penetrated the outer perimeter but were shot down before they could get to the main building. Dawson said the Americans and South Vietnamese knew an attack was coming, but didn't understand the scope of it. "The Viet Cong, for example, smuggled weapons into Saigon by the thousands; rifles, grenades, that kind of thing, including even in mock funerals they had, and they got the weapons in coffins into Saigon." U.S. Marines spearheaded an allied effort to clear the communists in bitter house-to-house fighting in which neither side paid much heed to the safety of civilians. Dramatic footage of the harrowing fighting dominated U.S. television coverage, with devastating political effect. In March, embattled U.S. President Lyndon Johnson announced he would not run for another term and put limitations on bombing as a prelude to peace talks. The fighting dragged on for seven more years, fueling U.S. street protests and convulsing American politics, before the North prevailed and the last Americans evacuated in 1975.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-02-03 00:00:00

Vietnam veterans recall all-female Tet Offensive squad

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3355168

Jazz musician, Nazi camp survivor, Coco Schumann dies at 93

BERLIN (AP) — Heinz Jakob "Coco" Schumann, a jazz guitarist who survived Nazi concentration camps to return to his musical career in Berlin after World War II, has died. He was 93. The dpa news agency reported Monday his record label Trikont said Schumann died Sunday in Berlin. Schumann made a name for himself as a young musician in Berlin's underground jazz and swing scene in the 1930s. He was arrested in 1943 after authorities learned his mother was Jewish, and deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia. There, he played in a band known as the "Ghetto Swingers" before being transferred to Auschwitz in 1944, where he played music to entertain guards. After the war he emigrated to Australia, before returning to Berlin in the mid-1950s and re-establishing his career.

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2018-01-29 19:04:00

Jazz musician, Nazi camp survivor, Coco Schumann dies at 93

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3353836

US sailor accused of stealing grenades from Navy ship

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A U.S. sailor has been arrested on allegations of stealing grenades from a San Diego-based Navy ship. Federal prosecutors say Gunner's Mate Second Class Aaron Booker was detained Tuesday in Great Lakes, Illinois. He is accused of possessing 20 concussion hand grenades reported missing from the USS Pinckney guided missile destroyer. Booker could not be reached for comment. It was not clear if he had a lawyer. Court documents say the grenades were discovered missing Feb. 8, 2017. Booker was tasked with checking the temperature of the ship's locker where the grenades were kept. He was later sent for duties in Illinois. In April, an off-duty law enforcement officer in Arizona found a military-issued backpack on the side of a highway with "GM2 BOOKER" written on it containing 18 grenades.

www.taiwannews.com.tw

2018-04-25 07:56:00

US sailor accused of stealing grenades from Navy ship

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3413754