BBC NEWS - The year in protests: From Chile to Lebanon, what happened next?

Every continent including Antarctica saw demos this year, with many likely to spill over into 2020.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-50822363

BBC NEWS - 'The closest thing on Earth to interplanetary travel'

Justin Rowlatt lands in a dazzling white and blue world to join scientists checking up on Antarctic ice.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-50856270

BBC NEWS - The most read BBC News stories of the last decade

From the 2011 riots to the last general election, we look back at the website's most popular pages.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-50671343

BBC NEWS - The studios teaching Trans women how to be more feminine

Nicole Thornbur goes to specialist studios in Manchester which teach Trans women how to be more feminine.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50854359

Toddler rushed to hospital after being bitten on face by dog

The toddler was taken to hospital on Sunday morning to be treated.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

Black Caps tip hand by opening with Blundell instead of Raval

New Zealand appear set to open with Tom Blundell in the Boxing Day Test after he replaced Jeet Raval a warm-up match against a Victoria XI.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Toddler rushed to hospital after being bitten on face by dog

The toddler was taken to hospital on Sunday morning to be treated.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Airstrikes on rebel-held town in north-west Syria kill 8

Airstrikes on a rebel-held town killed eight people and wounded more than a dozen Saturday in Syria's north-west.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Legion of Christ finds 33 priests, 71 seminarian sex abusers

In a multi-generational chain of abuse, a third of the priestly abusers were themselves victims of the Legion's late founder, the Reverend Marcial Maciel, while others were victims of his victims.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Victory hope to build off 'excellent' derby performance

Victory's Christmas derby win over City could be the result that kick-starts the rest of their season, but Robbie Kruse knows stringing wins together will be the key.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

BBC NEWS - Cuba names Manuel Marrero Cruz as first prime minister since 1976

Tourism minister Manuel Marrero Cruz is Cuba's first prime minister since Fidel Castro in 1976.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-50881820

BBC NEWS - Quilombo cuisine: Rescuing the ancient cuisine of African slaves

The Quilombo diet is organic, gluten-free and practically lactose-free. It has its roots in African traditions and uses fresh ingredients.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-50856961

BBC NEWS - The teenage activists taking after Greta Thunberg

These three teenagers are passionate about issues they see around them, and are training to be activists at The Advocacy Academy in London.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-50857719

Sweltering Queensland summer heatwave sparks health warning

About 200 Queenslanders will seek emergency care over the next four weeks for heat-related symptoms.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

Teenager dies, another man in hospital with stab wounds after gang fights in Melbourne's west

A teenager died at 1.30am on Sunday after what police believe was a fight between a two groups of teens.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

'I accept the criticism': Scott Morrison apologises for family holiday

The Prime Minister rejected criticism that his government was not doing enough to tackle climate change in the wake of the NSW bushfires.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

NASA Television to Air Boeing Starliner Spacecraft Landing

NASA and Boeing will provide live coverage of the landing on Sunday, Dec. 22, of the company’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, on return from its Orbital Flight Test for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

December 22, 2019
from NASA http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-television-to-air-boeing-starliner-spacecraft-landing

Sweltering Queensland summer heatwave sparks health warning

About 200 Queenslanders will seek emergency care over the next four weeks for heat-related symptoms.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Cuba names first prime minister since Fidel Castro in 1976

The new Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, will have a five-year term and has been credited with experience in negotiating with foreign investors.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Star Wars sequel starts strongly as maligned musical Cats flops

Despite lacklustre reviews, the final installment in the Star Wars saga has attracted a sizeable audience on its opening weekend.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Teenager dies, another man in hospital with stab wounds after gang fights in Melbourne's west

A teenager died at 1.30am on Sunday after what police believe was a fight between a two groups of teens.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

After smashing glass ceiling, Sherrock claims an even bigger scalp

Fallon Sherrock continued to send shockwaves through the male-dominated world of darts, producing a stellar display to defeat the world No.11.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

New on Sports Illustrated: Report: LeBron James Doubtful For Sunday's Game vs. Nuggets

LeBron James has a thoracic muscle strain and is doubtful to play in Sunday's in the Lakers' matchup against the Nuggets.

LeBron James has a thoracic muscle strain and is doubtful to play Sunday in the Lakers' matchup against the Nuggets, according to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell.

Head coach Frank Vogel said Saturday that the injury occurred in Los Angeles' loss to the Pacers on Tuesday night and that James played through the injury in the team's loss against the Bucks on Thursday.

James played 37 minutes and registered his seventh triple-double of the season against Milwaukee.

After playing in a career-low 55 games last year, the 15-time All-Star has not missed a game this season. 

James is scoring only 25.8 points per game, his lowest mark since the 2015-16 season, but he's averaging a career-high 10.6 assists.

The Lakers are 24-5 on the season, the second best record in the NBA. If James does miss Sunday's game, Alex Caruso, Quinn Cook and Rajon Rondo will likely assume more of the ball-handling duty.

December 22, 2019 at 05:24AM
Report: LeBron James Doubtful For Sunday's Game vs. Nuggets

Scientists probe underground for gas in the Otway Basin

Scientific studies have found rock conditions are right for substantial gas reserves in the Otway Basin.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

New on Sports Illustrated: Four-Time All-Star Ian Kinsler Retires One Hit Shy of 2,000

Ian Kinsler will retire from baseball, just a single hit shy of joining the 2,000 hit club.

Only 287 players in the 100-plus year history of Major League Baseball have ended their careers with 2,000 or more hits. Ian Kinsler will walk away from the game, just a single hit shy of joining that club.

After 14 seasons, Kinsler is retiring from the sport. He told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal that a herniated cervical disk that ended his 2019 season in August played a role in his conclusion.

“To be honest, it was a factor in my decision,” Kinsler told Rosenthal. “My pride wouldn’t let me go halfway at something that I’ve been doing at 100 percent for my whole baseball life.”

Rosenthal reports that the 37-year-old Kinsler will remain with the Padres, the last of his five teams, in a front-office role. He is still owed more than $4 million from the club, but the two parties will work out a financial agreement.

Drafted in the 17th round in 2003, Kinsler ends his career as a four-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner and 2018 World Series champion as a member of the Boston Red Sox.

He spent the first eight years of his career with the Rangers, before playing with the Tigers, Angels, Red Sox and Padres.

“I’m excited about the next step,” he told Rosenthal. “My family is ready. I’m ready. The timing’s right.”

December 21, 2019 at 06:55AM
Four-Time All-Star Ian Kinsler Retires One Hit Shy of 2,000

BBC NEWS : Is Barbie's makeover working?

Barbie has been given a makeover to be more diverse and empowered - but will that give her a place under the Christmas tree?


December 21, 2019 at 06:13AM

from BBC News - Business
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50829046

Star Citizen: Is this £200m game becoming too ambitious?

In development since 2012 Star Citizen wants to build an entire universe for game players.

from BBC News - Technology https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-50729366

What's best fit? Cats mount case for more home games

Geelong are doing their own research to test their argument to play more home games at GMHBA Stadium.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Queensland's 'Fitbit for cows' on way to Brazil

Brazil's cattle are about to get an earful as Queensland's "Fitbit' for cows hits the South American plains.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Scientists probe underground for gas in the Otway Basin

Scientific studies have found rock conditions are right for substantial gas reserves in the Otway Basin.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Whoops! Boeing capsule launches to wrong orbit, skips space station

It was a major setback for Boeing, which had been hoping to catch up with SpaceX, NASA's other commercial crew provider.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

'Huge honour': Head coach rookie Mikel Arteta appointed Arsenal boss

New Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is confident he will have the side challenging for top honours again after being appointed on a three-and-a-half-year contract.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

With weedkiller on the nose, councils using goats as chewers of choice

Goats will eat almost anything but tend to leave native vegetation, which makes them an ideal solution when it comes to removing invasive species.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

With weedkiller on the nose, councils using goats as chewers of choice

Goats will eat almost anything but tend to leave native vegetation, which makes them an ideal solution when it comes to removing invasive species.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

BBC NEWS - How to cope with an eating disorder at Christmas

New advice is released to help those living with eating disorders over the festive season.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50836434

NSW RFS on high alert Saturday as temperatures predicted to hit 46 degrees

Our photographers Nick Moir, Kate Geraghty, Alex Ellinghausen and Dean Sewell covered the day of ferocious bushfire activity and searing heat across the state.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

BBC NEWS - Child prodigies: How geniuses navigate the uncertain journey to adulthood

Child prodigies are lauded for their gifts, but the road to adulthood can be harder than it seems.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50856999

BBC NEWS - Why is India passing more death sentences?

India is to hang four men for the 2012 Delhi gang rape - but globally there are now fewer executions.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-50811366

BBC NEWS - Why China could be football's biggest headache

How one post from Arsenal's Mesut Ozil led to Chinese TV pulling the club's Manchester City match.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-50872030

New on Sports Illustrated: Report: NBA Sends Teams Proposal for 2021-22 Sweeping Season Changes

The NBA has reportedly sent its teams a proposal listing possible sweeping scheduling changes for the 2021-22 season.

The NBA has reportedly sent its teams a proposal listing possible changes for the 2021-22 season. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the proposal includes a 78-game regular season, an in-season tournament, play-in tournaments for the seventh and eighth playoff seeds and a re-seed of the final four playoff teams based on regular-season records. 

Earlier Friday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the in-season tournament could happen as soon as 2021-22, the league's 75th anniversary season.

The NBA needs the approval of two-thirds of the teams (23) and the NBPA to agree to the calendar changes. In order for the changes to be implemented in 2021-22, they need to be passed at the league's Board of Governor's meeting in April.

The sweeping changes to the NBA schedule could have a major impact on the league.

As Sports Illustrated's legal analyst Michael McCann wrote in November, the league appears to be banking on the idea that some of the proposed changes are popular in other leagues. But the possible changes are not without complications. 

McCann noted that significant negotiations would be necessary, not only between the NBA and NBPA but also between the league and its broadcast partners and sponsors. Teams would also need to tweak their contractual understandings with sponsors, venues, food and beverage providers, and regional sports networks. The availability of arenas and other schedule-related conflicts would likely be revisited.

The CBA between the NBA and its players would also need to be modified or amended, according to McCann. 

The current CBA runs through the 2023-24 season, with a mutual opt-out clause after the 2022-23 season.

December 21, 2019 at 06:09AM
Report: NBA Sends Teams Proposal for 2021-22 Sweeping Season Changes

Horses for courses: Toorak College gallops to VCE success in equine studies

Students at Toorak College in Mount Eliza achieved standout results in the Equine Studies subject, with a quarter of the class at the independent girls school achieving a score in the unit that ranked them in the top 9 per cent of the state.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Life imprisonment for 2 terrorists in Faizabad court blast case

Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Dec 21 (ANI): Two terrorists, Mohammad Tariq and Mohammad Akhtar, were given life imprisonment and fined Rs 50,000 each by a special court here on Friday for their inv

from Latest Breaking News RSS feed – Big News Network
via READ MORE

Horses for courses: Toorak College gallops to VCE success in equine studies

Students at Toorak College in Mount Eliza achieved standout results in the Equine Studies subject, with a quarter of the class at the independent girls school achieving a score in the unit that ranked them in the top 9 per cent of the state.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

Woman dead, another in hospital after branch hits car in South Melbourne

One woman died and two others were hurt after a large eucalyptus branch fell on their car as they drove along Kings Way about 9pm on Friday night.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

BBC NEWS - Son of Russian spies feels "relief" to be Canadian

Alexander Vavilov, whose parents were Russian spies, spoke out after a court ruled he is Canadian.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-50873329

BBC NEWS - Reunited siblings team up for family game show

A DNA test brought the Wheeler siblings back together after almost 50 years apart.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-50751904

The schools punching above their weight in the HSC

Its students might be in the bottom quartile of disadvantage but this Sydney school's strategy of focusing on literacy in the early years of high school is paying off for its graduates.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

New on Sports Illustrated: Rockets vs. Clippers Live Stream: Watch Online, TV Channel, Start Time

Find out how to watch the Rockets vs. the Clippers when they meet Thursday night in Los Angeles.

The Rockets head to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers in a showdown of two teams looking to find their groove. Both teams underwent drastic changes during the offseason. While one team has benefitted from their roster overhaul more than the other, both are possible challengers to the Lakers with some consistency.

How to Watch:

When: Thursday, Dec. 19

Time: 10:30 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Live Stream: fuboTV (try for free)

With an 18–9 record through the first third of the season, the Rockets are about what everyone expected they would be. They're a talented team, but are still trying to develop some chemistry and figure out how to operate with two superstars who demand the ball. The addition of Russell Westbrook to pair with James Harden was a curious one considering how similar they are to each other. So far, both are scoring tons of points, but the overall game plan just hasn't formed the consistency needed to climb to the top of the conference. In the team's most recent win over the Jazz, Westbrook dropped 31, while Harden added 28. It's clear that the dynamic duo is producing like the team want. Now it's just a matter of finding that consistency against the top teams.

The Clippers (21–8) are one of those top teams that Houston will judge its progress against. The Kawhi Leonard and Paul George experiment is going really well. Now that both are finally healthy and playing together, the Clippers are thriving. While they trail the Lakers by 3.5 games in the Western Conference, the Clippers have to be pleased with their progress and chemistry this early on. Both Leonard and George are averaging right around 25 points, while Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams are very productive, adding about 19 points a game. The development of a burgeoning NBA power should only get better with time. A matchup against the Rockets will be a good test of exactly where they stand in regards to contenders for a top playoff seed. 

December 20, 2019 at 06:00AM
Rockets vs. Clippers Live Stream: Watch Online, TV Channel, Start Time

New on Sports Illustrated: What's Next in the James Wiseman Saga?

Wiseman has withdrawn from the University of Memphis and reportedly signed with an agent, making him ineligible to play in NCAA games.

James Wiseman is now a professional athlete. The former University of Memphis Tigers freshman, who had been suspended by the NCAA for allegedly accepting $11,500 in moving expenses from Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway while Wiseman was in high school and Hardaway was a high school basketball coach, announced on Friday that he had withdrawn from the university. The Athletic's Shams Charania reports that Wiseman has signed with an agent. The signing renders Wiseman ineligible to play in NCAA games.

Wiseman’s short stay at Memphis attracted a considerable amount of attention from NCAA enforcement officers and attorneys hired by Wiseman and the NCAA.

The Wiseman-NCAA battle formally began on Nov. 8 when his attorneys sought and obtained a temporary restraining order from a judge in Shelby County (Tennessee). The order effectively blocked the NCAA from suspending Wiseman. Although the NCAA had not yet suspended Wiseman, the non-profit organization expressed that it would likely do so.

The pending suspension primarily concerned events that had occurred in 2017. At the time, Hardaway was a coach at Memphis East High School. He allegedly paid $11,500 in expenses for Wiseman and his family to move from Nashville to Memphis. Several months later, the University of Memphis hired Hardaway and later signed Wiseman as a top recruit.

The NCAA objected to the payment of expenses not because Hardaway would be hired by Memphis months later, but because the NCAA classified Hardaway as a representative of Memphis’s athletic interests (also known as a “booster”). Hardaway, the third overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, is a legendary alumnus of the university and its basketball program. Boosters include persons who promote a school’s athletic program. Under NCAA rules, boosters are generally forbidden from conferring money or items of value to a university’s student-athletes or its recruits.

About a week after obtaining a temporary restraining order, attorneys for Wiseman negotiated a resolution of sorts with the NCAA. Wiseman withdrew his litigation and accepted the NCAA’s authority to suspend him. The NCAA suspended Wiseman 12 games, a suspension the NCAA upheld on Wiseman’s appeal. The suspension would have expired on January 12, meaning the 11th-ranked Tigers planned on Wiseman playing in postseason tournaments.

More controversially, the NCAA also required that Wiseman “donate” $11,500 to a charity. Obviously, a “required donation” is tantamount to a fine—a curious punishment for a player who, as an amateur, can’t be paid. NCAA rules also do not contemplate player fines.

Wiseman finishes his collegiate career having played in three games. The 7’1, 240-pound center averaged 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in those games. Wiseman is widely expected to be selected among the top three picks in the 2020 NBA draft.

The Wiseman saga will continue to play on in at least five ways:

1) Wiseman can now sign lucrative endorsement deals and profit from the use of his name, image and likeness. If it hasn’t already happened, it won’t take long for representatives of major sneaker, apparel, food, beverage and video game companies to contact Wiseman’s agent and present offers.

A player projected to be a top three pick in the NBA draft can expect multi-million-dollar endorsement offers from companies in those and other industries.

The days of worrying about NCAA eligibility are officially over for Wiseman. He’s now a pro and can become a very wealthy 18-year-old in a matter of days.

2) The timing of Wiseman’s announcement is really bad for the NCAA. While the NCAA fends off legal and policy attacks on its system of amateurism, Wiseman just highlighted the power of players to render the NCAA irrelevant.

Consider the context of Wiseman’s decision. California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed the Fair Pay to Play Act, which beginning in 2023 will make it illegal for California colleges to deny college athletes opportunities to hire agents and license their names, images and likenesses. Other states are exploring similar legislation. NCAA president Mark Emmert was in D.C. earlier this week hoping for members of Congress to propose an NCAA-friendly bill on name, image and likeness while offering an ambiguous message at an Aspen Institute forum.

Meanwhile, the G League is paying players more and giving them greater publicity, and NBA players are helping G Leaguers unionize. Watching it all unfold are LaMelo Ball and R.J. Hampton, two 18-year-old American basketball stars who are getting paid to play in Australia’s National Basketball League while preparing for the 2020 NBA draft.

It would not be surprising to see elite high school basketball stars increasingly turn away from playing in college. Even without eligibility to enter the NBA out of high school, they can, as 18-year-olds, play professionally, get on TV, make good wages and sign endorsement deals. They also just saw the NCAA impose a five-figure fine—ahem, required donation—on Wiseman, whom NCAA amateurism rules forbid from being paid for his highly marketable basketball talents and identity.

This is a not a good fact pattern for the NCAA.

3) Will Wiseman ever make the “required donation”? It’s not clear if Wiseman or his family have complied with the NCAA punishment that he “donate” $11,500 as a condition to him returning to play.

If he hasn’t paid the amount and refuses to do so, the NCAA might experience difficulty enforcing this supposed obligation. The NCAA claimed in writing that Wiseman “must donate $11,500 to a charity of his choice.” This was strange wording. A donation is a voluntary act. Merriam-Webster defines a donation as “the making of a gift.” We are not legally obligated to make gifts.

Unless Wiseman has contractually agreed to make the donation, it is probably not one that the NCAA can legally enforce. The NCAA no longer has any leverage over Wiseman. He’s a pro.

4) Will Wiseman return to school? As a basketball player, the answer to this question is clearly “no.” As a student, we’ll see. A number of NBA players and other pro athletes have pursued studies and completed college degrees during the offseason. With more and more schools offering online courses, starting or returning to college are much more feasible.

The larger point: college is not a “one shot” deal. A player who leaves school and turns pro hasn’t foreclosed the chance to return there, or at another university, as a student. He or she wouldn’t receive an athletic scholarship, but they might have earned enough money to pay tuition or they might receive other kinds of scholarships and aid.

5) Will Hardaway or Memphis be punished? While Wiseman is now beyond the long reach of the NCAA, the same can’t be said of Hardaway or the University of Memphis. As detailed by Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde, the NCAA could punish both for violations related to moving expenses. Hardaway, for example, could be suspended given his role in the controversy.

The NCAA might also punish Memphis for playing Wiseman against Illinois-Chicago on Nov. 8 and Oregon on Nov. 12 while he faced a pending punishment.

To that point, the NCAA previously warned Memphis that the school “ultimately is responsible for ensuring its student-athletes are eligible to play." The NCAA also has the power of the Restitution Rule. Under this rule, the NCAA can compel a school to share television receipts for games played by a player whom the NCAA declares ineligible but who defied the NCAA by playing through a court injunction that is later vacated.

Here, as part of a settlement with the NCAA, Wiseman petitioned for the judge to dismiss the lawsuit and thus vacate the injunction. Also, the NCAA had not yet suspended Wiseman. Under those circumstances, the NCAA would probably decline to pursue a penalty under the Restitution Rule. We’ll see.

Michael McCann is SI’s Legal Analyst. He is also an attorney and Director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law.

December 20, 2019 at 05:47AM
What's Next in the James Wiseman Saga?

New on Sports Illustrated: Thunder Players At Site of OKC Shooting, Team 'Never in Danger'

Thunder players were attending a private movie screening at Oklahoma City's Penn Square Mall on Thursday afternoon when a shooting occurred there.

Thunder players were attending a private movie screening at Oklahoma City's Penn Square Mall on Thursday afternoon when a shooting occurred there. However, the players were never in danger, according to a team spokesman. 

"Thunder security was made aware immediately. The team was never in danger and was safe during the entirety of the event," a team spokesman told The Athletic's Erik Horne.

According to Oklahoma City police, there was an altercation between two people inside a shoe store at the mall. During the altercation, one of the people pulled a gun, shooting another person in the chest.

"This appears to be an isolated incident that began as a disturbance between individuals," OKC police tweeted shortly after the incident.

One victim was located inside of the mall following the shooting and is currently in critical condition.

The mall was in lockdown, but a number of patrons were reportedly shown on TV broadcasts exiting one side of the building.

The Oklahoma City police is continuing to clear the mall and is advising people to avoid the area.

Oklahoma City police described the suspect as a black male, wearing gray sweatpants, red, exposed underwear and no shirt. He was seen fleeing from the Foot Locker area, but his location is currently unknown.

December 20, 2019 at 05:30AM
Thunder Players At Site of OKC Shooting, Team 'Never in Danger'

Rahul Dravid meets George Harrison: what makes Kane Williamson tick

New Zealand will be relying heavily on their member of cricket's fab four in the Boxing Day Test.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

'A golden year': Cummins ready to go to 'next level' as $3 million man

Already a significant name in Australian cricket, Pat Cummins is set to become a commercial force in India after securing a mega Indian Premier League contract.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

The schools punching above their weight in the HSC

Its students might be in the bottom quartile of disadvantage but this Sydney school's strategy of focusing on literacy in the early years of high school is paying off for its graduates.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Behrouz Boochani overstays NZ visa

The refugee travelled from PNG on a temporary one-month visa to speak about his book at a literary festival in Christchurch.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

'Perfect fodder for a populist': How impeachment affects Trump's re-election bid

Despite the stain of impeachment, Trump is ending his third year in office in a better position than he did his first or second.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Two leadership blunders in the otherwise trivial affair of the PM's holiday

Scott Morrison made no mistake in wanting a family holiday, the mistake was in the timing and the bizarre, unnecessary mystery about his sudden absence.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Former Labor MP Milton Orkopoulos walks free from jail

The former NSW cabinet minister spent 11-and-a-half years behind bars for child sex offences.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Brawl in court after teen jailed for Laa Chol's 'senseless' murder

Tears and violence in the Supreme Court on Friday after the teenager found guilty of murdering law student Laa Chol was jailed for at least 20 years.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Compulsory business education floated to stop collapses

A report out of Kate Carnell's insolvencies inquiry suggests founders don't know what they're in for when times get tough.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Jakarta holds first official Christmas carols to 'spread joy'

The provincial government wants all faiths to know they are welcome in the Muslim-majority city.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

BBC NEWS - New Zealand destroying military-style guns after ban

It will be illegal to possess rifles and military-style guns after 21 December in New Zealand.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-50856962

BBC NEWS - How Beitar Jerusalem's football club owner took on racism and won

For decades Israel's Beitar Jerusalem football club was known for violence and racism among some of its fans. So how did the new owner wipe out racism?


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-50826242

Compulsory business education floated to stop collapses

A report out of Kate Carnell's insolvencies inquiry suggests founders don't know what they're in for when times get tough.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Business https://ift.tt/2Q1R7WF
Read More

Thomas Elsaesser, Film Scholar With a Broad View, Dies at 76

By BY RICHARD SANDOMIR from NYT Movies https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/19/movies/thomas-elsaesser-dead.html?partner=IFTTT
An erudite German-born essayist, Mr. Elsaesser was as enthusiastic about the films of Fassbinder as he was about Hollywood melodramas.

Russia Seeks to Build Local Force in Northeast Syria

Russia has been working to establish a new military force in the Kurdish-majority, northeastern part of Syria with the aim to deploy those troops and hardware to areas along the Syria-Turkey border

from Latest Breaking News RSS feed – Big News Network
via READ MORE

BBC NEWS : How the scramble for sand is destroying the Mekong

The Mekong river is being damaged by sand extraction, adding to calls for limits on sand usage.


December 19, 2019 at 05:31AM

from BBC News - Business
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50629100

Tech trends 2020: New spacecraft and bendy screens

From new spacecraft to bendy screens, what to watch for in tech in 2020.

from BBC News - Technology https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50143881

Former Labor MP Milton Orkopoulos walks free from jail

The former NSW cabinet minister spent 11-and-a-half years behind bars for child sex offences.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

Brawl in court after teen jailed for Laa Chol's 'senseless' murder

Tears and violence in the Supreme Court on Friday after the teenager found guilty of murdering law student Laa Chol was jailed for at least 20 years.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

Indonesia increases sentence for Polish tourist in Papuan protest

Jakub Skrzypski was arrested in August last year in Wamena in easternmost Papua province and was accused of plotting against the Indonesian state.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

No evidence of 'lesbian mafia' plot against Stajcic, report finds

Former Matildas coach Alen Stajcic was not the target of a concerted campaign by a so-called 'lesbian mafia' to have him sacked, an independent report has found.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Mirvac, John Holland to develop $800m Waterloo metro station project

Mirvac and John Holland consortium have won the tender to build the $800 million Waterloo metro station with an office, residential, including affordable homes.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Mirvac, John Holland to develop $800m Waterloo metro station project

Mirvac and John Holland consortium have won the tender to build the $800 million Waterloo metro station with an office, residential, including affordable homes.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Business https://ift.tt/2EAHMQc
Read More

'No phones, no laptops': The Sydney schools that topped HSC mathematics

Matching James Ruse for HSC maths is no easy task, but for this school, a select group of students did just that.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

NSW weather : RFS prepare for bushfires as extreme heatwave hits state

NSW weather : RFS prepare for bushfires as extreme heatwave hits state

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

Putin To Hold Annual Year-End Marathon News Conference

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to hold his annual news conference on December 19, a marathon event that comes after a summer of protests that rocked Moscow and other Russia

from Latest Breaking News RSS feed – Big News Network
via READ MORE

New on Sports Illustrated: The Quandary Facing Recruiting Outlets in a Fluid Era of Transfers in College Football

Recruiting outlets such as 247Sports and Rivals are searching for a solution to fix what’s becoming a glaring peculiarity: The sites do not include even high-profile transferring players into signing class rankings.

Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts and Justin Fields have something in common. Well, let’s be honest, they have a lot in common. They’ve captained their teams to the College Football Playoff, were prolific enough to earn a trip to the Heisman Trophy ceremony and each started their careers at another school. There is something else they have in common: They were not factored into the team recruiting rankings of their new schools.

That may be changing soon enough. In an era of college football marked by marquee transfers, recruiting outlets such as 247Sports and Rivals are searching for a solution to fix what’s becoming a glaring peculiarity: The sites do not include even high-profile transferring players into signing class rankings. “I think we are working towards transfers becoming a part of our team rankings,” says Barton Simmons, 247Sports’ director of scouting, “but it’s going to be a challenge.”

During the opening day of the NCAA’s early signing period Wednesday, thousands of high school and junior college players turned verbal commitments into binding pledges, their individual star ratings creating the all-important team ranking. Clemson brought home the No. 1 class in 247Sports’ composite rankings while Alabama landed at No. 2 and Ohio State No. 3. Recruiting is no exact science, as they say, and that goes for team rankings. After all, these are basically a compilation of predictions. Even worse, the predictions are of teenagers evaluated sometimes from afar by recruiting reporters who can be partial to their region or territory. That said, a team’s final ranking is at least an indicator of its talent haul compared to its peers, stacked side-by-side in a 1-through-130 pecking order.

Team rankings have proven to produce on-field results, too. Of the 11 teams to advance to the first six College Football Playoffs, eight of them signed at least two top-10 classes over the previous four years. The four CFP participants this year—LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Clemson—all rank inside the top 11 of the 2020 team rankings as Wednesday wound down. Missing from those rankings are potential transfers who will join the team in the spring and summer. While transfers don’t impact a team’s ranking, they do affect a team’s roster management. Transfers count as part of the signing class, a reason many coaches avoid using all 25 of their spots during the two signing periods, leaving a couple open for transfers.

That happened in Baton Rouge a year-and-a-half ago. Burrow, recent winner of the Heisman Trophy, transferred from Ohio State to LSU in May 2018 and counted toward the Tigers’ 2018 signing class that ranked 15th nationally. His addition didn’t impact that ranking. Another example is Hurts’s move from Alabama to Ohio State this past year. The Sooners’ 2019 class was ranked sixth nationally—it excluded a quarterback who helped lead the Tide to consecutive national championship games. “The way coaches view it, if you get Hurts, that’s like getting a five-star even if you’re only getting him for one year,” says Woody Wommack, a longtime Rivals recruiting analyst.

Rivals officials have discussed incorporating some sort of “transfer impact rating,” says Mike Farrell, Rivals’ national recruiting director. Farrell, half-joking, says he’s trademarking that name—transfer impact rating—so as to prevent his competition from stealing it. What will the impact rating entail? It’s hard to say, he admits. Rating or ranking transfers is tricky from an evaluation standpoint. College programs are often cloaked in secrecy. Practices are mostly closed, off-the-field behavior is normally buried and game tape is sometimes non-existent. In fact, many transfers have rarely played in a game at all, like Burrow, a third-stringer for the Buckeyes for much of his time in Columbus. “Joe Burrow is a great example,” Simmons says. “What do you do with Joe Burrow? The process has to be using our resources and connections and find out about what a staff thinks about a guy. How much can you really trust that?”

Simmons’s outfit at 247Sports has started rating—not ranking—transfers, he says, but those ratings do not factor into overall team numbers. However, times are changing, and Simmons expects that 247Sports will soon incorporate at least some transfers into a team’s ranking. “We’ve got to find a solution,” he says. “I think probably as much as anything, a transfer would be treated as a regular prospect in how his rankings affects the class.” But there are other things to take into account like eligibility remaining and immediate impact ability, all of which “needs to be baked into a player rating,” Simmons says. That’s why using a prospect’s star rating from high school doesn’t always work. Fields, who has three more years of eligibility remaining after transferring from Georgia to Ohio State this offseason, cannot be ranked the same as Hurts, who is playing his final year.

The bottom line, recruiting experts all agree, is that something must change. The rate of transfers is so high that ignoring them cannot continue. It’s somewhat glaring. This year, Kentucky signed Auburn transfer Joey Gatewood, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound quarterback who signed out of high school as a four-star and top-50 ranked prospect nationally. UK’s 2020 class is ranked 23rd nationally and buried at the bottom of its signees is Gatewood—with no rating or ranking listed, a non-factor in that No. 23. “It’s become such an integral part of roster building,” Simmons says. “The transfer market has become something that changes the fortunes of teams.”

The old motto in college football of “winning signing day” is beginning to shift, experts say—you must win the transfer season, too. The transfers portal, implemented last year, has only increased this trend, one that began more than a decade ago. In 2008, the transfer rate in FBS football was 11.2%, or about 1,225 players. In 2018, the transfer rate was 13.6%, or about 1,604 players. Graduate transfer numbers have ballooned too, from 70 in 2014 to 168 in 2017. Not all of them are successful. Just like high school busts, there are transfer portal misses. Take former Ohio State quarterback Tate Martell, who not only lost the starting QB job at Miami but was moved to receiver. Quarterback Brandon Wimbush, transferring from Notre Dame to UCF, lasted just a couple of games as the starter before seeing the bench.

Many coaches anonymously polled for this story are actually against having transfers count towards a team’s signing class ranking. “They are an instant grab,” says one FBS assistant. “Others you recruit and work for an extended period of time.” However, there are many who believe a high-profile enough player should impact a ranking in some way. “I’ve had some say, ‘Why aren’t we getting credit for this?!’” Wommack says.

Well, maybe soon they will. For now, transfers are unaccounted-for bonuses. And if you got guys named Burrow, Hurts and Fields, the bonus is quite nice.

December 19, 2019 at 06:02AM
The Quandary Facing Recruiting Outlets in a Fluid Era of Transfers in College Football

New Star Wars film cops worst reviews since Phantom Menace

'The film has no more use or appeal when examined in isolation than would a sparkplug or a distributor cap,' went one viral review.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

'No phones, no laptops': The Sydney schools that topped HSC mathematics

Matching James Ruse for HSC maths is no easy task, but for this school, a select group of students did just that.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Chinese universities replace 'freedom of thought' with Xi's teachings

Based in Shanghai, Fudan University had enjoyed some political as well as geographical distance from the seat of Communist power in Beijing.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

NSW weather : RFS prepare for bushfires as extreme heatwave hits state

NSW weather : RFS prepare for bushfires as extreme heatwave hits state

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

A sinking city and the physics of cricket: some of the best explainers for 2019

From the geopolitics of outer space to the finer points of cricket, no issue has been too complex for us to explain. Here are some of our most popular explainers for 2019.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Charges of influencing a witness dropped against Sydney lawyer

The DPP on Thursday withdrew a charge of influencing a witness against solicitor Eidan Havas, who says he is now considering civil action against the police.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

BBC NEWS - Is the Netherlands becoming a narco-state?

The murder of a prominent lawyer ended a common misconception: that drug cartels only kill their own.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50821542

BBC NEWS - The Sudanese brides who undergo genital mutilation for love

Women who want to pretend to be virgins before their weddings are opting for "re-circumcision" in Sudan.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-49580860

BBC NEWS - Why India shuts down the internet more than any other democracy

India shut down the internet 93 times this year, and a blackout in Kashmir is the world's longest.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-50819905

BBC NEWS - How the scramble for sand is destroying the Mekong

The Mekong river is being damaged by sand extraction, adding to calls for limits on sand usage.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50629100

‘Cats’ Review: They Dance, They Sing, They Lick Their Digital Fur

By BY MANOHLA DARGIS from NYT Movies https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/18/movies/cats-review.html?partner=IFTTT
Tom Hooper’s movie is not a catastrophe. It’s not even an epic hairball.

BBC NEWS : Japan's workplaces rethink 'drinking with the boss'

In Japan, fears of harassment claims mean some bosses are hesitant to organise after-work drinks.


December 18, 2019 at 05:41AM

from BBC News - Business
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50568595

Why India shuts down the internet more than any other democracy

India shut down the internet 93 times this year, and a blackout in Kashmir is the world's longest.

from BBC News - Technology https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-50819905

A sinking city and the physics of cricket: some of the best explainers for 2019

From the geopolitics of outer space to the finer points of cricket, no issue has been too complex for us to explain. Here are some of our most popular explainers for 2019.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

Charges of influencing a witness dropped against Sydney lawyer

The DPP on Thursday withdrew a charge of influencing a witness against solicitor Eidan Havas, who says he is now considering civil action against the police.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

Lothario who infuriated Basil in Fawlty Towers

Nicky Henson, the actor best remembered for his cameo as a playboy in the famous comedy series, has died aged 74.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

New on Sports Illustrated: Akim Aliu Accepts Apology From AHL Equipment Manager After Blackface Incident

Colorado Eagles equipment manager Tony Deynzer wore blackface in an Akim Aliu costume for Halloween in 2011

Akim Aliu accepted an apology from equipment manager Tony Denzer on Tuesday after Deynzer apologized for wearing blackface at a Halloween party in 2011.

Deynzer, an equipment manager for the Colorado Eagles—the Avalanche's AHL affiliate—put on blackface and wore an afro-style wig to the organization's Halloween party eight years ago. Aliu, who was a member of the minor-league team at the time, was told to show up late to the party. When Aliu arrived, Deynzer popped out of the corner in blackface and Aliu's jersey.

Aliu met with Deynzer and the Eagles last week after he disclosed the incident to The Wall Street Journal's Andrew Beaton on Dec. 11. 

"Listening to Akim was both emotional and inspirational and a very moving moment in my career," Eagles owner Martin Lind said in a statement. "I let him know how sorry we were as an organization and how it in no way reflects our values. I was appreciative that Akim was willing to take my call and listen to what we had to say." 

"My conversation with Mr. Lind was a tough one but a necessary one .... I believe that we must confront racism head on," Aliu said in the joint statement. "I believe the time for big positive change in the sport has arrived and that this moment can be used to promote diversity, inclusiveness, and safety in the sport and our community."

Aliu has been a central figure in revealing a troubling pattern of racism in hockey. He tweeted on Nov. 25 that former Flames head coach Bill Peters directed racial slurs at Aliu in 2009. Peters resigned on Nov. 29. 

The 30-year-old forward and current free agent met with commissioner Gary Bettman on Dec. 9. The league then released a plan to combat racism and inappropriate behavior throughout the sport.

December 18, 2019 at 05:49AM
Akim Aliu Accepts Apology From AHL Equipment Manager After Blackface Incident

New on Sports Illustrated: Shero: Devils' Poor Start Led to Trade of MVP Taylor Hall

Trading Taylor Hall to the Coyotes was a simple hockey decision based on the team's poor start and the strong likelihood he was going to test the free-agent market next summer.

NEWARK, N.J. — Trading Taylor Hall to the Arizona Coyotes roughly 18 months after the forward won the NHL MVP award for leading the Devils back to the playoffs was a simple hockey decision based on the team's poor start and the strong likelihood the player was going to test the free-agent market next summer.

Devils general manager Ray Shero said Tuesday the trade of Hall to the Coyotes 24 hours earlier for two draft picks and three prospects was a hard day for him because of his feelings for the player. It was not a hard decision, he added.

Shero said numerous teams had called to inquire about acquiring the 28-year-old left wing, and the lines of communication remained opened with several of them until the deal with Arizona was finalized Monday.

Shero said trading Hall had nothing to do with the Devils realizing they would not be able to sign the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft before July 1. He also insisted Hall neither asked to be traded or nor said he wanted out of New Jersey, where he played the past three-plus seasons.

''From our standpoint, it was the right time and the right move for us and certainly for Taylor,'' said Shero, noting Hall is going to a playoff contender.

Much was expected of the Devils this season. They drafted Jack Hughes with the No. 1 overall pick in June and he joined a lineup that included Hall and Nico Hischier, the No. 1 overall pick in 2017. New Jersey also acquired Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban from Nashville and signed Wayne Simmonds as a free agent.

Things went south quickly. The Devils lost their first six games (0-4-2) and won two of their first 11 (2-5-4). Coach John Hynes was fired earlier this month and Hall was traded Monday. New Jersey has a 10-17-5 record, second worst in the league.

''This was a decision we made that what's best for us as to where we are,'' Shero said. ''It may have been a harder decision if we were five or three points out of a playoff spot or at the (trading) deadline; then what do you do? I don't think that was that hard a decision based on where we want to go and making sure we have assets coming to us that we like.''

In return for Hall and forward Blake Speers, the Devils got Arizona's first-round pick in the 2020 draft (top-three protected), Arizona's third-round selection (conditional) in 2021, defenseman Kevin Bahl and forwards Nick Merkley and Nate Schnarr.

The deal has been anticipated for days. Hall was held out of the Devils' games at Colorado and Arizona on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Shero said he spoke to Hall about a possible deal early last week.

Hall was leading the Devils in scoring with six goals and 19 assists for 25 points. He was limited to 33 games by a knee injury last season, finishing with 11 goals and 26 assists. His career year was in 2017-18 when he had 39 goals and 54 assists in getting New Jersey back to the playoffs for the first time since reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012.

''Taylor Hall never asked for a trade. Never,'' Shero said. ''He has never turned anything down. I didn't turn anything down. I want to be clear about that. His legacy here in New Jersey is important and important to me. He was all-in with this team.''

Teammates knew a trade was imminent when Hall was scratched those two games last week.

Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood was shopping for Christmas gifts Monday and he didn't find out about the deal until four hours after it was announced.

''He knew it was coming. We knew it was coming,'' Blackwood said. ''It was just a matter of time before it came together.'''

Veteran defenseman Andy Greene said Hall was popular and is going to be missed, but this is the business side of the game when a team struggles.

''Those things happen because of us in this locker room and how we played dictated that,'' Greene said. '''We still have what, 50 games left. We can't sit there and say let's play the rest of the year out. There's way too much time.''

Kyle Palmieri, who was the right wing on the line with Hall, said the trade was a shock even though he knew it was coming.

''He was guy who was looked to as a leader and that was how he played and carried himself,'' Palmieri said. ''It's tough to see any teammate go but a guy who has been here for a while, and obviously one who had such a big impact on and off the ice.''

December 18, 2019 at 05:22AM
Shero: Devils' Poor Start Led to Trade of MVP Taylor Hall

'Lost a lot of respect and trust': New NAB chief's plan to rebuild bank's reputation

NAB's new chief executive Ross McEwan says the bank is looking at five key focus areas after a tumultuous past few years.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Business https://ift.tt/2Z0CZBm
Read More

Facebook takes Instagram fact-checking global

But, as with its flagship social network, Facebook's fact checkers will not evaluate posts from politicians on Instagram.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Nightclub owner awarded $90,000 over defamation by police

Melbourne nightclub owner Martha Tsamis has been awarded $90,000 in damages by a Supreme Court judge following a five-year battle with Victoria Police over defamatory comments made by a former senior officer.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

If you like absurd and crass humour, then this is the show for you

With so many entertainment options, it's easy to miss brilliant streaming shows, movies and documentaries. Here are the ones to hit play on, or skip.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Serving up talent: five male rising stars

There's a thrilling change of guard underway in tennis.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Woman creates history at world darts championship

Fallon Sherrock was left speechless after creating history by becoming the first woman to beat a man at the world darts championship when she defeated Ted Evetts.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

'Lost a lot of respect and trust': New NAB chief's plan to rebuild bank's reputation

NAB's new chief executive Ross McEwan says the bank is looking at five key focus areas after a tumultuous past few years.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Jazz fan banned for life over alleged racial heckling sues for $146m

The fan, who allegedly yelled "racial" remarks at Russell Westbrook, claims his heckling was of the same kind as that of the other audience members.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

BBC NEWS - Vienna State Opera: Top ballet academy 'encouraged pupils to smoke'

Dancers at Vienna State Opera's academy were encouraged to smoke to stay slim, a report finds.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50831698

BBC NEWS - Refugee camps: Pregnant and living in a wet tent

As charity Médecins Sans Frontières warns of a health emergency in refugee camps, one expectant mother living in Lesbos spoke to BBC of her fears.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-50826733

BBC NEWS - Andrew Garrido taught himself piano on a paper keyboard

Pianist and musician Andrew Garrido has played concert venues across Europe, but he only started playing the piano ten years ago when he made his own paper keyboard to practise on.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-50788871

Nightclub owner awarded $90,000 over defamation by police

Melbourne nightclub owner Martha Tsamis has been awarded $90,000 in damages by a Supreme Court judge following a five-year battle with Victoria Police over defamatory comments made by a former senior officer.

from Sydney Morning Herald - National
Read More

BBC NEWS : 'Mortgage prisoners' sue over 'unfair' rates

Homeowners, including former customers of Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley, claim they have been overcharged.


December 18, 2019 at 05:30AM

from BBC News - Business
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50821132

BBC NEWS : 'We swapped the Christmas do for a conference'

For Craig Unsworth, there are alternatives to the traditional, boozy festive party.


December 18, 2019 at 05:31AM

from BBC News - Business
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50820482

BBC NEWS : How much do the British spend on a night out?

Sarah, 30, says she could have paid for a holiday with the money she blew on one expensive night out.


December 18, 2019 at 05:32AM

from BBC News - Business
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50821110

BBC NEWS : How charity apps may be making us more generous

There are more ways than ever to give to charity - so are these innovations spurring our generosity?


December 17, 2019 at 05:38AM

from BBC News - Business
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50572939

BBC NEWS : How much should bosses be paid?

Do stock options encourage good performance or are they just another way to boost executive pay?


December 18, 2019 at 05:43AM

from BBC News - Business
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50577858

BBC NEWS : CEO Secrets: 'We help banish bad muzak!'

Brian D'Souza, the boss of a company called Open Ear, says he is helping to improve in store music.


December 18, 2019 at 05:47AM

from BBC News - Business
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50780173

BBC NEWS : The US steps up the hunt for crucial rare earths

The US is stepping up the hunt for crucial rare earth metals, to lessen its dependence on China.


December 18, 2019 at 05:46AM

from BBC News - Business
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50826045

Instagram e-cigarette posts banned by ad watchdog

British American Tobacco and three other vaping companies have posts promoting e-cigarettes banned.

from BBC News - Technology https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-50821476

BBC NEWS - The hotel room that's deliberately hard to stay in

Artist Christopher Samuel wants visitors to get a taste of what disabled people have to put up with.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-50670333

‘Parasite’ Advances as Nine Oscar Shortlists Are Released

By BY KYLE BUCHANAN from NYT Movies https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/16/movies/oscars-shortlist-parasite-cats.html?partner=IFTTT
The South Korean sensation made the list of contenders in two categories, while Taylor Swift’s “Cats” song was snubbed.

How charity apps may be making us more generous

There are more ways than ever to give to charity - so are these innovations spurring our generosity?

from BBC News - Technology https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50572939

Indonesia Steps Up Investigation After Militant Attack on Police

WASHINGTON/PALU - Police in Central Sulawesi say they are continuing their hunt for members of a militant group suspected of attacking local police officers last week.

Authorities in the Indo

from Latest Breaking News RSS feed – Big News Network
via READ MORE

New on Sports Illustrated: Terrell Suggs and Janoris Jenkins Claimed Off Waivers, Josh Gordon Suspended Again

Also, the NFLPA’s victory over the NFL and the Jaguars, J.J. Watt’s chances of returning by the end of the season, Panthers giving Will Grier a shot and more NFL news and notes.

Week 15 is winding down, with a lot on the line for the Saints tonight …

• The Chiefs claiming veteran LB Terrell Suggs off waivers makes sense on a few levels. First, the team just lost DE Alex Okafor, who played 80% of the team’s defensive snaps against New England last week, to a torn pec. Second, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo coached Suggs as a Ravens assistant in 2013 and ’14. And third, as the No. 26 team in the waiver order, Kansas City knew by claiming him, and the $353,000 left on his contract, they’d block him from going back to Baltimore or to New England, which brings value, even if he refuses to report. 

Can he still play? It’s a fair question. His playing time was steady (he was in on 69% of Arizona’s defensive snaps through 13 games) through the year, and he posted 5.5 sacks over that time. And the Chiefs have Frank Clark and Chris Jones, so (again, providing he reports) they won’t be asking him to move mountains there.

• The other big waiver claim: The Saints were awarded Janoris Jenkins, who shot his way out of New York last week, in part because of insensitive comments directed at a fan on Twitter (comments he later explained were part of his “culture”). At this point, Jenkins is more of a competitive piece to add to a good corner group in New Orleans, rather than some sort of fix. The Saints moved backup Johnson Bademosi to IR to make room for Jenkins, who should push up-and-down No. 2 corner Eli Apple for playing time (This move was in part due, I’m told, to Apple having a bad few weeks). New Orleans picks up the $1.19 million left on his deal for 2019, and essentially has a $11.25 million option on him for ’20. It’s fronted by a $1 million roster bonus, which is due in March and creates an early decision point for the team.

• Josh Gordon, who caught a 58-yard pass agains the Panthers on Sunday, has been suspended indefinitely for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy—almost a year to the day from when he was suspended while on the Patriots lat season. To be clear, what Gordon is dealing with is bigger than football, and should be treated as such. But a buzzword describing why New England moved on from him in October: Dependability. The Patriots built a role for him in the offense before losing him to suspension, and the signs were troubling enough that the team didn’t want to roll the dice on his availability down the stretch and into the playoffs this season. Losing Gordon led a makeover of the receiver room (with Mohamed Sanu coming in, and rookie Jakobi Meyers taking on a more prominent role ahead of first-round pick N’Keal Harry’s return).

• The NFLPA’s victory over the NFL and the Jaguars forced the team to repay fine money to about 10 different players both currently on Jacksonville and not (including a whopping $700,000 to Dante Fowler). The arbitrator ruled that it was permissible for teams to require players to rehab year-round but not that they do all the rehab on site. I’m told Fowler’s fines were incurred during the January-March window of the 2018 season—which is a “dead period” for players during the year, after season’s end, but before teams open their offseason program.

• The union actually made attempts to settle with the Jaguars and the league over the last few months but was rebuffed. The offer, as I understand it, entailed the players having their fine money repaid, and bargaining between the parties to reach settlement terms. It seems crazy to me that the NFL and a team wouldn’t want this to go away, rather than fight it for months. But that’s the chose they made.

• After Sunday’s win, the Texans now have a game lead on the Titans, and J.J. Watt is eligible to return off of IR for the teams’ Week 17 rematch. Whether he can get back that fast from his torn pec remains to be seen, but that’ll certainly be something to watch over the last 13 days. My understanding is Houston’s not counting on it, which is to say getting anything from Watt would be a bonus.

• The Panthers are planning to start Will Grier the next two weeks, because the team sees that he’s made progress to the point where they are OK putting him in a game situation. Coming out of West Virginia’s Air Raid, Grier never had a shot at unseating Kyle Allen as Cam Newton’s backup in the spring or summer because he simply wasn’t ready to play—but he is now. His command of the Norv Turner/Scott Turner offense is where it needs to be, which opens the door for the team to get a better look at what the new coaching staff will have in 2020 in the third-round pick.

• This week’s MMQB led with Cowboys’ Sean Lee, and I asked him if this will be his final NFL season: "I think it's game-to-game, it's year-to-year. There are times I feel that I can play forever. There are times where I feel that as you get older this game gets harder. I take it one week at a time and try to help any way I can. I love playing. I love being a part of it."

• Falcons QB Matt Ryan had an interesting answer when I asked if the players in Atlanta are in any way playing to keep the band together (Dan Quinn included) in 2020: "I think experience has taught me you're playing for your job every week and every opportunity you have to put yourself on film and go out and compete, you're playing for your livelihood. Guys understand that from a coaching perspective, too. Everybody is in this to win games and I know we all love playing for Dan."

Question or comment? Email us at talkback@themmqb.com.

December 17, 2019 at 05:55AM
Terrell Suggs and Janoris Jenkins Claimed Off Waivers, Josh Gordon Suspended Again

New on Sports Illustrated: Blackhawks Suspend Assistant Coach Marc Crawford Until Jan. 2 Following Investigation

The Chicago Blackhawks have suspended assistant coach Marc Crawford until Jan. 2, 2020 after conducting an investigation into allegations of misconduct.

The Chicago Blackhawks have suspended assistant coach Marc Crawford until Jan. 2, 2020 after conducting an investigation into allegations of misconduct in previous coaching positions, the team announced Monday. 

"Through our review, we confirmed that Marc proactively sought professional counseling to work to improve and become a better communicator, person and coach. We learned that Marc began counseling in 2010 and he has continued therapy on a regular basis since," the team said in a statement. 

"We have determined that Marc will remain suspended from team activities until January 2, 2020, at which time he will resume his assistant coaching duties, subject to his continued compliance with his contractual obligations and team expectations. In addition, he will continue with his counseling moving forward."

Crawford has been away from the team since early December after former NHL forward Sean Avery told the New York Post that Crawford kicked him after he was whistled for a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty when he played for Crawford with the Los Angeles Kings during the 2006–07 season. A year ago, former NHL defenseman Brent Spoel alleged Crawford used similar physical violence on him. 

"Players like Sean Avery, Harold Druken, Patrick O'Sullivan and Brent Sopel have had the strength to publicly come forward and I am deeply sorry for hurting them. I offer my sincere apologies for my past behavior," Crawford said in a statement. 

"I got into coaching to help people, and to think that my actions in any way caused harm to even one player fills me with tremendous regret and disappointment in myself. I used unacceptable language and conduct toward players in hopes of motivating them, and, sometimes went too far. As I deeply regret this behavior, I have worked hard over the last decade to improve both myself and my coaching style."

The issue with Crawford comes after Calgary coach Bill Peters resigned following accusations he directed racist slurs at a Nigerian-born player with one of Chicago's minor league teams a decade ago. Other players claimed Peters kicked and punched players behind the bench during his recent time with Carolina.

Akim Aliu said Peters ''dropped the N bomb several times towards me in the dressing room in my rookie year because he didn't like my choice of music.''

The 58-year-old Crawford joined Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton's staff in June. He was the interim head coach for Ottawa at the end of last season. He was also previously the head coach for Colorado, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Dallas, leading the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup in 1996.

December 17, 2019 at 05:27AM
Blackhawks Suspend Assistant Coach Marc Crawford Until Jan. 2 Following Investigation

Furniture retailer Zanui rescued from collapse to trade in time for Christmas

The company suddenly entered administration in late October, leaving a number of shoppers out-of-pocket, unable to process returns, refunds or any orders.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Business https://ift.tt/35oha0N
Read More

'A frenzy of self-righteousness': Top Australian businessman laments rise of 'intolerant' views

Influential businessmen and Orica chairman Malcolm Broomhead has lamented the state of "discussion and debate" in society, saying it presents a problem for most global economies.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Business https://ift.tt/2PUGLYu
Read More

Outgoing 97.3FM breakfast crew win final radio ratings for the year

Just weeks after the station announced they wouldn't be returning in 2020, the 97.3FM breakfast crew have topped the final radio ratings for 2019.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Zaha earns Palace a draw with Brighton

Wilfried Zaha rescued a Premier League point for Crystal Palace against rivals Brighton with a superb strike past Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan at Selhurst Park.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Keeping on eye on your home when you're out, without installing cameras

Linksys' home motion detector is camera free, but on the other hand it isn't very smart.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Furniture retailer Zanui rescued from collapse to trade in time for Christmas

The company suddenly entered administration in late October, leaving a number of shoppers out-of-pocket, unable to process returns, refunds or any orders.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

The results are in: We're a nation of jeans and sneaker wearers

One of Australia's biggest retailers has released the top-selling items of 2019.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Teammates' support kept me going during exile, says Stokes

England's World Cup hero and their Ashes saviour at Headingley, Ben Stokes is acutely conscious of how starkly his life has turned around in 2019.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Struggling for new books for your kids? Here are some for range of ages

If you're looking for some magic reading for the young readers in your family, here's a selection of books for children to teens from the past year.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

New Zealand call up Jamieson for injured Ferguson

New Zealand have called up rookie quick Kyle Jamieson as a replacement for Lockie Ferguson for the final two Tests against Australia.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

Essendon extend captain Heppell's contract

The new deal means the star midfielder extends his stay through to at least the end of 2022 at the club.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

'A frenzy of self-righteousness': Top Australian businessman laments rise of 'intolerant' views

Influential businessmen and Orica chairman Malcolm Broomhead has lamented the state of "discussion and debate" in society, saying it presents a problem for most global economies.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More

BBC NEWS - Meet Hong Kong's grannies forced to collect cardboard

Granny Orchid, 63, collects boxes on the streets of Hong Kong seven days a week, to earn extra cash.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-50784231

BBC NEWS - The fight to stop Venice from flooding

A system of floodgates for Italy's lagoon city has been delayed for years and mired in corruption.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50814519

BBC NEWS - Lesbos migrant camp children 'say they want to die'

An increasing number of children are self-harming and attempting suicide in a Greek migrant camp.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50814521

BBC NEWS - Little Women: Cast talk friendship and the Golden Globes

The cast discuss women and the Golden Globe nominees as well as the new film.


https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

from BBC News - World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-50814518

BBC NEWS : How an economist helped thousands get a new kidney

Kidney exchange has helped thousands get a new kidney, and led to the Nobel Prize for Alvin Roth.


December 17, 2019 at 05:43AM

from BBC News - Business
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50632630

New on Sports Illustrated: Wofford Shocks Depleted No. 17 North Carolina

North Carolina played without injured starters Cole Anthony and Leaky Black, and dropped to 6-4 on the season.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—Wofford traveled to Chapel Hill and shocked a ranked North Carolina team again, getting 19 points from Trevor Stumpe and riding a 16-0 run in the second half to a 68-64 win over the 17th-ranked Tar Heels on Sunday.

Storm Murphy added 15 points and Messiah Jones had 13 points for the Terriers (7-4), who went on the road to beat North Carolina for the second time in three years.

Wofford, a 12-point underdog, made four 3-pointers during its decisive spurt, a 6-minute stretch in which the Tar Heels missed 10 consecutive shots.

Garrison Brooks had 17 points and 12 rebounds for North Carolina in its first regular-season game at Carmichael Arena since Jan. 4, 1986.

Brandon Robinson added a career-high 16 points for the Tar Heels, who lost their third straight game. They cut Wofford's lead to 65-61 with 51.5 seconds remaining but got no closer.

North Carolina (6-4) played without starters Cole Anthony (right knee) and Leaky Black (sprained right foot). The school said treatment plans are being evaluated for Anthony, the second-leading scorer among freshmen nationally, who is averaging 19.1 points.

December 16, 2019 at 05:13AM
Wofford Shocks Depleted No. 17 North Carolina

API calls off Sigma Healthcare takeover chase

Australian Pharmaceutical Industries has called off its pursuit of fellow pharmacy operator and distributor Sigma Healthcare, saying the merger was no-longer an attractive proposition.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Business https://ift.tt/2LXIhIp
Read More

Sales momentum continues for Woolworths as board braces for wage scandal grilling

The company head said sales momentum had continued across the company, including its food, department stores, and drinks division.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Business https://ift.tt/34sp47T
Read More

The Midas touch: Hedge fund billionaire has another money-making machine

Eight years ago, Citadel Securities was looking like a failed experiment. Now its booming, and Ken Griffin is vaulting up the world's richest people list.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Business https://ift.tt/2qToVg7
Read More

I've always bowled well at MCG, says Siddle

Paceman Peter Siddle says he would love to receive a call-up for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, where the Victorian has enjoyed great success.

from Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Read More