South Africa’s Ace Magashule: Arrest warrant issued for ANC official
Governing party official Ace Magashule is accused of corruption, which he denies.- Advertisement –
Coronavirus: British Athletics to continue athlete funding during pandemic | Athletics News
Hannah Cockroft, Jonnie Peacock and Sammi Kinghorn remain on the Paralympic programme while Jemma Reekie and Andrew Pozzi are included in Olympic podium potential funding.This year’s Tokyo Olympics was postponed until 2021 because of the pandemic and athletes will be supported, having been before it was rescheduled.World class programme director Steve Paulding said: “The last few months have provided many challenges for everyone, so we are pleased to be able to retain all the athletes who were on the world class programme last year, for 2021.- Advertisement – “Additionally, we are delighted to be looking at creating alternative ways to support several athletes via a Tokyo Support Package.“These discussions are taking place following a year in sport which has been like no other we have experienced.“We want to engage and support as many athletes as possible who have shown real potential for Tokyo during the disrupted season, but we have not been able to add to the Olympic WCP.“So, we will aim to support a limited number of athletes in accessing the support which will help them achieve this.” Dina Asher-Smith, 200m world champion, is just one of the British athletes who will maintain their world class funding – Advertisement – British Athletics has kept all current athletes on its world class funding programme for next year.No athlete has lost their place on the programme as the sport battles the coronavirus crisis.Sir Mo Farah, a four-time Olympic champion, 200m world champion Dina Asher-Smith and world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson are all included in Olympic podium funding.- Advertisement –
Twitter takes down QAnon conspiracy theorist accounts
Twitter has removed more than 7,000 accounts linked to the “QAnon” movement over abuse and harassment concerns, saying Tuesday it will limit the spread of conspiracy theories by its supporters.Members of the informal, pro-Donald Trump group believe — with no credible evidence — that the United States has been ruled for decades by a criminal organization involving people they describe as the Satan-worshipping global elite, including Hollywood stars and the “deep state”.The right-wing group is also convinced of a secret plot against Trump, and its members have targeted his political opponents on social media with harassment. Topics : The FBI has identified QAnon as a potential domestic terrorism threat, according to US media.QAnon members have recently been involved in protests against measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus, especially lockdowns and face masksTwitter said it would help stop the spread of QAnon conspiracy theories by, among other things, making sure the Twitter algorithm does not highlight sites and tweets associated with their accounts.It will also “block URLs associated with QAnon from being shared on Twitter.”Some 150,000 accounts will also be hidden from trends and search on Twitter, a spokesperson said.Supporters of the group claim that “Q” or “QAnon” is a mole in the president’s inner circle who has decided to reveal tidbits of intelligence concerning the global conspiracy on fringe internet platforms.While it originated on the edges, QAnon has built a growing following on mainstream social media platforms too. Some QAnon adherents are even running for Congress this November.Twitter’s decision comes after nearly 1,000 advertisers announced they were boycotting Facebook, demanding more aggressive action against content that promotes violence and hate.In April, Facebook removed 20 accounts, five pages and six groups linked to QAnon.
“We’ve been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behavior that has the potential to lead to offline harm,” Twitter said.”In line with this approach, this week we are taking further action on so-called ‘QAnon’ activity across the service,” it added.”We will permanently suspend accounts Tweeting about these topics that we know are engaged in violations of our multi-account policy, coordinating abuse around individual victims, or are attempting to evade a previous suspension.”A spokesperson said that the social media giant had decided to act because QAnon followers were causing increasing harm.
Could a Messi departure unlock Barcelona rebuilding project?
Marketing losses But the business of football is never as straightforward as that. “At 854 million euros, Barca have the highest turnover among the biggest European clubs,” said Gay de Liebana. “The main core of their income comes from marketing [381 million euros] and TV rights [298 million euros] so it’s clear that the departure of Leo Messi will negatively affect Barca’s figures.” Without Messi, Gay de Liebana believes that Barca’s sponsorship contracts, including deals worth 55 million per year with Rakuten and 19 million euros with Beko, could be significantly reduced. And without Messi — and assuming a return to the days of pre-coronavirus attendances at La Liga matches — will there still be so many tourists travelling to watch a game at Camp Nou and buying a Messi replica jersey as a souvenir? The departure of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner — as well as the possible transfer of Suarez who, according to the press, is not in Koeman’s plans for the 2020-2021 season — would thus mark a major blow for Barca’s marketing income while considerably reducing the club’s payroll. With 100 million euros per year more in its coffers and a relatively cut-price replacement in the dressing room Koeman’s Barca may well be able to begin the reconstructive surgery the team so urgently needs if it is to bounce back from that mauling by Bayern and regain the Spanish title from Real Madrid. The focus, naturally enough, has been on the football ramifications for Barcelona: how would a Messi exit affect them on the pitch as they try to rebuild under new coach Ronald Koeman?But equally important for the Barca board is the financial implication of allowing the 33-year-old, who earns over 100 million euros ($118 million) in salary and bonuses per year, to take his brand to another club. The Catalans, however, are in deep financial difficulty. Quite apart from the 200 million euros it claims to have “lost” since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Barca have been carrying a net debt of nearly 200 million euros since 2019. Bottom line “Negotiate, agree, and smile,” wrote FC Barcelona journalist Xavier Bosch in a column in Mundo Deportivo on Tuesday, asking everyone to “act intelligently”.That may be harder done than said in the world of football, where passion often overrules economic pragmatism.Not surprisingly the supporters do not want to see the player nicknamed La Pulga (The Flea) leave, even though his performances in the last year suggest a slight waning of his considerable powers.But his transfer could be the real starting point on and off the field for the reconstruction of a club that not so long ago was the yardstick and envy of the world.”I like Messi a lot, but I like Barca even more,” former club president Joan Gaspart told the Marca sports daily last week. “It is the club that is in control, not the player. If Messi leaves for an amount lower than that of his clause, it will be more humiliating than the 8-2″ against Bayern, he said. According to Football Leaks, Messi’s annual gross salary in 2018, including bonuses, was more than 100 million euros, almost double that of his former teammate Neymar.The Brazilian, who left Barcelona for Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a world record fee of 222 million euros, is paid around 52 million euros in salary per year.”There has been a lot of talk about the fact that Barca have a very high payroll but a large part of that sum was intended for Leo and Luis Suarez,” economist and FC Barcelona specialist Juan Maria Gay de Liebana told AFP.So in simple terms, even if they recruit another high-profile replacement, Barcelona could slash a chunk of cash from the payroll. And that might give Koeman, who arrived in August to replace Quique Setien, some wiggle room in recruiting new players to fulfill his vision for the team. Barcelona would be shattered if Lionel Messi left the club he has graced since he was a boy, but could the departure of arguably the world’s top player create the financial conditions to rebuild?The Argentinian maestro, who has been with the club since he was 13, handed in a transfer request after Barca’s humiliating 8-2 thrashing by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.After all the highs of his 21 years with the club, this was one step too far for Messi. 
The club has taken out a loan of 140 million over five years with an American investment fund to help pay off the debt.And it has a massive player payroll, reported to be 542 million euros in the 2018-2019 season.So, in simple commercial terms a transfer fee, even if well below the 700 million euros quoted in his disputed release clause, would be a welcome windfall. Topics :
Governor Wolf Signs Law to Increase Penalties for Endangering Children
June 29, 2017 Bill Signing, Human Services, Press Release, Public Safety, Results Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today signed House Bill 217, renewing the commonwealth’s commitment to the safety of its children and increasing penalties for those who carelessly and flagrantly endanger them.Act 12, House Bill 217, introduced by Representative Rob Kauffman and passed unanimously by both the House and Senate, will strengthen Pennsylvania’s child endangerment laws and further protect children from abuse and mistreatment.“Our children are the most precious and vulnerable members of our society,” Governor Wolf said. “We need to protect them from harm and ensure that they can grow up in a safe environment so that they can develop into successful and happy adults. This bill will strengthen the child endangerment laws in Pennsylvania – and will help to ensure that Pennsylvania’s children have the chance to live and grow safely.”The new law allows the courts to take into account the age of a child who is put in danger, as well as the degree of harm done in order to more accurately reflect the reality of the situation when deciding how to prosecute those who harm children.Age and level-of-harm distinctions will work by increasing the penalty based on the degree of harm the child is placed in by the individual and increasing the penalty by one grade if the child is under six years old. The bill also requires the court to consider ordering an individual convicted of endangering a child to undergo counseling. Governor Wolf Signs Law to Increase Penalties for Endangering Children
SHARE Email Facebook Twitter
Intelligence
CAPTION: Italian State Railways received the first of 20 Class E412 three-system locomotives at a ceremony in the Vado Ligure works of Adtranz. Present were Rolling Stock supremo Mario Moretti and Transport Minister Claudio Burando. Able to run in Austria and Germany, the 200 km/h locos are also able to run under 1·5 kV DC catenary in FranceCAPTION: Sri Lanka Railway last month put into traffic the first of 10 diesel locos rehabilitated by Adtranz and fitted with new Caterpillar Series 3312 engines
Caravan Revisited
I hope a lot of you were able to attend the Reds Caravan last Thursday at the Y. If you didn’t, I hope you were able to listen to the broadcast on WRBI. A good-sized crowd was present to see the Reds in person.The Reds management is planning on a much better performance from the Reds this season. Walt Jocketty stated that after 2 losing seasons the Reds should not be dwelling on rebuilding, but should be planning to win. Area fans are sure hoping this is true. It still may be a steep climb since the Reds are in the same division as the Chicago Cubs.
Auxiliary Gyms
I know a lot of taxpayers get excited when a school system is talking about adding an auxiliary gym. If you would have been with me last Monday when it was pouring down rain, you would understand why the school’s athletes need the extra facility.Practicing at Batesville High School that day indoors were: basketball, volleyball, boys & girls track, tennis, and possibly one other. The weight room was over flowing. Both gyms (old and new) were in use and there were people in the wrestling room. Had there not been the additional facilities that Batesville added, student athletes would have been risking their health practicing in the rain or they would have had to miss a practice altogether. This may not seem important, but almost all of Batesville’s opponents these days have these facilities and it would have put our athletes at a disadvantage to miss a practice.All coaches thank the Batesville Community School Corporation as well as the athletes performing for them! The facility is fantastic.
Whittington turns on power
The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt had filled the runner-up berth on his two previous outings, most recently behind Intense Style at the Curragh, where he was a long odds-on favourite. Sent off as the 1-2 market leader in the hands of Joseph O’Brien, the Rip Van Winkle colt tracked the pacesetting pair of Dandyleekie and Spirit Of Wedza before moving powerfully to the front a furlong and a half out. Dick Whittington got off the mark at the third time of asking with an impressive success in the Lynn Lodge Stud EBF Median Auction Race at Navan. Press Association
The race was over from there, as he came four and a quarter lengths clear of market rival Dandyleekie. The jockey said: “I should have won on him the first time out but he was quite green with me and he nearly beat a nice horse of Ger Lyons’ that day (Cappella Sansevero). The ground was too soft for him last time out. “He wouldn’t be out of place next week (at Royal Ascot). That lad has five-furlong pace and he is by a sire that is going places.” Dick Whittington remains entered in the Coventry Stakes and the Norfolk Stakes at Ascot. Shipyard looked booked for second when More Questions swept up to him in the Come Racing Friday 11th July Handicap, but Andy Oliver’s 3-1 favourite has been running over further and he battled on well under Gary Carroll to score by a head. There was another tight finish in the www.navanracecourse.ie Handicap and it went to 10lb claimer Ian Queally on the Pat Flynn-trained Les Darcy (25-1), who collared Shinyhappyjohn on the line for a nose verdict. Harry Rogers’ eight-year-old Calm Bay (16-1) won on turf for the first time as he led all the way in the Follow Navan Racecourse On Twitter Apprentice Handicap, giving Keith Moriarty his maiden success on his first ever ride. Moriarty is based with Tommy Stack and has been riding on the pony racing circuit for more than five years. Rogers said: ” He is a good young lad and he did what he was told. I couldn’t get a jockey for this horse and Keith’s dad was on the phone to me first and then Keith was on the phone every day to get the ride. It is great to see someone get a chance and I’ll use him again. The horse was down in the weights and hopefully he will go to Bellewstown now.” Aidan O’Brien was expected to complete a double on the day with Just Gorgeous in the Rotary Club Of Navan Handicap, but the favourite disappointed and it was stable companion Beyond Brilliance (10-1), the mount of Ana O’Brien, who swooped late to score by a neck. 
Windies Test players could miss out on CPL
SOME members of the West Indies Test team could miss out on a chance to play in the Hero CPL next year as the league is likely to start in August when the regional side will be on tour in England.According to Peter Russell, CPL COO, the decision to start the league at a later date was made with the intention to attract the best available talent for the rapidly growing twenty20 league.Russell made the revelation Thursday while addressing media at the Queen’s Park Oval, explaining that he foresees the CPL getting started in early August and concluding during the first week of September.“We will have the same teams and we will play a total of 34 matches, just as we had this past year. Where we start and where the finals are to be played is still to be worked out,” he said, also indicating that he is thinking that the finals will be held in Trinidad and Tobago.“We would love for T&T to host the finals because it is our number one venue,” he said.“We love the energy of the finals here with the packed ground and stuff, so that will be great.”Russell said officials of the CPL have already visited the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba and talks will be held as to the possibility of hosting matches at the venue.He also indicated that the CPL would be in the United States.“We are definitely going back to US because it was hugely successful. We had 30,000 fans attending the six games there and this was a record for cricket at Broward. It is brilliant for the people of America as they showed by their attendance that they want cricket there.”(Sportsmax.com)