Jack Ma, Chinas richest man confirmed Communist
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afp25 jack ma founder of chinese tech giant alibaba is among the worlds richest people but he has now emerged as a member of another club chinas 89-million-strong communist party1 he is not the first nor likely the last chinese super-rich capitalist to join the party which counts property titan xu jiayin and wanda group founder wang jianlin among its billionaire members1 but mas membership had not been known until now as chinas richest man had previously suggested that he preferred to stay out of politics1 in mondays article the peoples daily said ma was a party member who has played an important role in pushing chinas belt and road global trade infrastructure initiative a pet project of president xi jinping1 he has also been honoured as one of the outstanding builders of socialism with chinese characteristics in zhejiang province where alibaba is based the daily said1 joining the party can be helpful to private businessmen and women in the country as they navigate a complicated business environment where the state-led economy dominates many industries and private business can be unwelcome1 xi has renewed a push to expand the communist partys influence in private business requiring any company with more than three party members to set up a party cell or lacking numbers join with nearby firms1 three in four private companies already host party organisations1 the billionaires communist bona fides were revealed by the peoples daily the partys official mouthpiece in an article praising contributors to chinas development1 xi is pushing to further intertwine the party and business with the latest rewrite to the rules for party organisations published sunday by official news agency xinhua1 in private companies party cells should guide and supervise the enterprise to strictly abide by national laws and regulations the draft order says according to xinhua1 ma did not reveal his communist party membership in paperwork filed for alibabas 2014 initial public offering on the new york stock exchange. it is not known if ma was a member at the time1 a spokeswoman for alibaba declined to comment1 ma who announced in september that he would step down as head of alibaba next year has previously indicated he preferred to keep the chinese state at arms length1 my philosophy is to be in love with the government but never marry them he said at the world economic forum in davos in 20071 but party members must hold up their right fist and recite an oath upon joining1 be loyal to the party work actively fight for communism all ones life always be prepared to sacrifice everything for the party and people and never betray the party they recite1 we must do a good job in the education and management of party members and guide them to play an active role xi told officials in shanghai earlier this month noting the increase in private employment and new types of employment1

Barcelona sweat over Messis injury
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afp25 barcelona now face an anxious wait over the arm injury suffered by their talismanic player lionel messi especially as the clasico against real madrid comes up next weekend1 in the 26th minute at the camp nou he awkwardly fell on his right arm his right arm but not before the argentinian had doubled barcas lead with a curling left-footed finish1 philippe coutinho had opened the scoring and luis suarezs penalty which he also earned made sure of victory before a three-goal flurry in the final 11 minutes1 pablo sarabia and luis muriel twice reduced the deficit to two either side of a sweeping volley from ivan rakitic1 any joy at jumping above in-form sevilla however was tarnished by the injury to messi1 before the clash against madrid next sunday inter milan visit in the champions league on wednesday but messis involvement there would seem unlikely1 he fell to the ground following a tussle with sevillas franco vazquez and as his right hand tried to cushion the landing his elbow appeared to buckle1 messi was helped off the pitch by medical staff and despite having his right arm heavily strapped while barca played for nine minutes with 10 men he finally trudged off down the tunnel1 if the injury proves serious the timing could hardly be worse given ernesto valverdes team face a difficult run of fixtures over the next month1 up till the 26th minute when he was substituted messi was pivotal in the game against sevilla at camp nou. he scored and then went off injured as barcelona beat sevilla 4-2 on saturday to move back to the top of la liga1 even without messi they might be confident of seeing off madrid whose early-season dip has only deepened while barcelona have sparked a rival1 since drawing at home to athletic bilbao last month to make it three games without a win they have blown tottenham away at wembley taken a point away to valencia and now eased past sevilla who came into the weekend top of the table1 barca fans had chanted dont touch the badge before kick-off after president josep maria bartomeu had announced earlier on saturday that plans to change the club crest had been shelved1 they were soon celebrating a goal too as coutinho bent a sumptuous right-footed shot into the far corner with only two minutes on the clock1 messi doubled the advantage racing clear on the counter-attack before jinking inside and curling into the bottom corner with his left foot. it was his last significant contribution1 ousmane dembele was his replacement but suarez took on the mantle too quick to his own heavy touch and brought down by sevilla goalkeeper tomas vaclik. suarez buried the penalty1 the game seemed up but marc-andre ter stegen had to make a brilliant double save to deny sarabia and then wissam ben yedder with his thigh1 sarabia gave sevilla hope with 11 minutes left his shot deflecting off clement lenglet and in but rakitic ensured there was to be no late drama with a well-timed volley. muriel added what proved only to be a consolation in injury time1 after inter and real whose poor form continued with a loss at home to levante earlier on saturday barcas schedule includes the return tie against inter in italy as well as la liga games against real betis and atletico madrid1

Nishikori faces Nadal in US Open semi-final
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afp25 two-time champion novak djokovic ended john millmans fairytale us open run on wednesday beating the 55th-ranked australian in straight sets to book a semi-final clash with japans kei nishikori1 he lifted the trophy in 2011 and 20151 nishikori the 21st seed advanced with a 2-6 6-4 7-6 75 4-6 6-4 victory over marin cilic the man who beat him in the 2014 final1 millman who stunned five-time champion roger federer in the fourth round kept djokovic running and was kept running himself for 2 hours 49 minutes on another hot humid night on arthur ashe stadium1 you survive on the court then thrive with a win said djokovic who converted just four of his 20 break points and made 53 unforced errors before he was finally able to accomplish what federer couldnt in seeing off millman1 very tested said djokovic who admitted that like many he was surprised to find himself facing millman not federer across the net1 but millman is the kind of a player that makes you miss the balls makes you win the point earn the point1 he doesnt miss a lot himself so he just runs left right gets a lot of balls. tactically youve got to find the right balance between being patient but constructive in the point but at the same time be aggressive and take the chance when you have a shorter ball. its easier said than done1 it was clear that it could be a long night when the players battled for more than 15 minutes in the sixth game of the opening set millman saving four break points1 the aussie saved another four in the opening game of the second set and as the duel continued both players were clearly feeling the effects of long entertaining rallies1 millman his clothes soaked made the unorthodox request to go change after the fourth game of the second set djokovic agreeing1 he was apologizing he felt very sorry that he has to leave the court and change. i said man go ahead1 the serbian star who ended a 54-week title drought with his 13th grand slam title at wimbledon defeated the tenacious aussie 6-3 6-4 6-4 to reach his 11th us open semi-final in his last 11 appearances1 i gave it a crack said the 29-year-old millman who has battled a litany of injuries in his career1 i definitely left it all out there today and pulled up a bit short. novaks a champion. hes played a lot of grand slams and he knows how to win them1 japans nishikori who missed last years us open after a season-ending wrist injury joined compatriot naomi osaka in reaching the semis the first time that a japanese man and woman have reached the last four in the same grand slam1 nishikori stunned then-world number one djokovic in the semi-finals in 2014 to become the first man from an asian country to reach the championship match of a major1 but he hasnt returned to a grand slam final since falling in the us open semis in 20161 against cilic he laboured for 4 hours and 8 minutes1 i dont know why but its always a battle with marin said nishikori who stretched his career record over the seventh-seeded croatian to 9-61 nishikori appeared to be in control of the fifth set with a break for a 3-1 lead1 he had two game points for a 5-2 lead but a double fault and a backhand wide opened the door for cilic who stormed through shouting got it when he secured the break to narrow the gap to 4-31 but nishikori broke cilic in the final game capturing the match with a blistering service return1 i try to fight every point said nishikori who boasts an impressive record in decisive sets1 especially in the end i really focus on every point he said but added i wish i dont go to five sets every time1 i needed that rest said djokovic who finally gained the decisive break in the penultimate game of the final set then served it out at love1

The Earth ecosystem risks major transformation for worse: Scientists
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afp25 the earths forests deserts landscapes and vital ecosystems risk a major transformation in the next century due to climate change international scientists have warned1 in the next 100-150 years these changes will likely extend to savannas deserts and woodlands upsetting ecosystems and imperiling plant and animal life particularly in areas like europe and the united states researchers warned in the journal science1 if we allow climate change to go unchecked the vegetation of this planet is going to look completely different than it does today and that means a huge risk to the diversity of the planet said co-author jonathan overpeck dean of the school for environment and sustainability at the university of michigan1 the report is based on fossil and temperature records from a period that began 21000 years ago when the last ice age ended and the planet warmed seven to 13 degrees fahrenheit 4-7 degrees celsius1 but experts say their predictions are conservative since this historical warming caused by natural variability took place over a much longer period from the last glacial maximum 21000 years ago until the early holocene about 10000 years ago1 but human-caused climate change is different. the burning of fossil fuels like oil and coal emits heat-trapping gases around the planet. the earth is currently heating up at much quicker pace1 were talking about the same amount of change in 10-to-20 thousand years thats going to be crammed into a century or two said stephen jackson director of the us geological surveys southwest climate adaptation center1 ecosystems are going to be scrambling to catch up1 some of these changes are already under way in the southwestern united states where massive wildfires are destroying pine forests and transforming swaths of territory into shrubland1 every continent except antarctica was included1 the most significant changes were seen in the mid-to-high latitudes of north america europe and southern south america1 these were regions that had been most covered in glaciers and which warmed up the most as the climate shifted1 researchers calculated that if little is done to contain current emissions the probability of large-scale vegetation change is greater than 60 percent1 however if greenhouse gasses are limited to levels targeted in the 2015 paris agreement the probability of large-scale vegetation change is less than 45 percent1 shifting landscapes would affect not only the forests but drinking water river flow and water recreation1 and the loss of forests could unleash even faster global warming because important carbon sinks would disappear1 a lot of the carbon now locked up by vegetation around the planet could be released to the atmosphere further amplifying the magnitude of the climate change overpeck said1 researchers described their work as the most comprehensive study to date based on pollen and plant-fossil records from 594 sites worldwide dating back to between 21000 and 14000 years ago1

Trump threatens U.S. government shut down
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afp25 u.s. president donald trump said sunday that he was prepared to shut down the government if democrats fail to support his demand for more spending on border security including a wall on the mexican border1 he called for an end to the visa lottery system which provides visas for 50000 immigrants a year but which trump maintains is riddled with abuse1 he also urged an end to what he calls the catch and release approach of letting undocumented arrivals remain in the us while their applications are being processed1 calling for a purely merit-based immigration system trump added we need great people coming into our country1 i would be willing to shut down government if the democrats do not give us the votes for border security which includes the wall he tweeted1 he eventually signed the bill averting a shutdown crisis though the bill provided only 1.6 billion for a small stretch of border fencing and will keep the government open only until september 30 the end of the current fiscal year1 securing democrats support moreover is not likely to be easy particularly amid widespread anger over a trump immigration policy that for a time was separating parents from their children including infants at the border1 the administration was forced to backpedal and under federal court order has been scrambling to reunite those separated1 but doubling down trump tweeted sunday that there are consequences when people cross our border illegally and that many people are just using children for their own sinister purposes1 the president had threatened in march to veto a 1.3 trillion spending bill because it lacked funding for heightened security including the 25 billion trust fund he wanted for a border wall1

Vote rigging claims 48 hours to Zimbabwe elections
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afp25 allegations of voter fraud are mounting in zimbabwe less than 48 hours to the first polls since former leader robert mugabe was ousted last year1 zimbabwes military generals shocked the world in november when they seized control and ushered mnangagwa to power ending mugabes 37-year reign in a few short days1 mnangagwa 75 who promises a fresh start for the country is the front-runner with the advantage of covert military support a loyal state media and a ruling party that controls government resources1 but chamisa 40 who has performed strongly on the campaign trail hopes to tap into a young population that could vote for change as zanu-pf has ruled since the countrys independence from british colonial rule in 19801 elections under mugabe were marred by fraud and violence and this years campaign has been dominated by accusations that the vote will be rigged1 the mdc has raised allegations of a flawed electoral roll ballot paper malpractice voter intimidation bias in the zimbabwe electoral commission zec and free food handed out by the ruling party1 but campaigning has been relatively unrestricted and peaceful compared with previous elections and some analysts point to pressure for the vote to be judged credible to draw a line under the isolation of the mugabe era1 the international community is looking for an election that will provide sufficient excuse to re-engage with zimbabwe said showers mawowa an analyst at the southern african liaison office rights advocacy group1 there are a lot of political and economic interests at play that are converging around the prioritisation of stability1 mawowa said the risk of violence or military intervention could be highest after polling day1 there is reason to be anxious about whether or not the military will accept an opposition victory particularly because they recently executed a de facto coup he said1 post-election violence might be a possibility with the opposition making it clear that they are not going to accept an outcome that they would have not won1 polling accuracy in zimbabwe is uncertain but a recent afrobarometer survey of 2400 people put mnangagwa on 40 percent and chamisa on 37 percent with 20 percent undecided1 mnangagwa who is accused of involvement in election violence and fraud under mugabe has vowed to hold a fair vote and invited in international observers including the previously-banned european union team1 president emmerson mnangagwa mugabes former ally in the ruling zanu-pf party faces opposition leader nelson chamisa of the mdc movement for democratic change party in a landmark vote for the southern african nation1 zimbabwe shall never be the same again. we preach peace we preach unity and we preach tolerance1 chamisa has launched blistering attacks on mnangagwa and accused the much-criticised zimbabwe electoral commission zec of trying to fix the election1 but he vowed not to boycott the vote saying his party would still win1 we have a zec that has chosen to throw away the whistle as a referee and joined another team he said on wednesday. winners dont boycott. victory is inevitable1 the next government must tackle mass unemployment and an economy shattered by the mugabe-backed seizure of white-owned farms the collapse of agriculture hyperinflation and an investment exodus1 previously solid health and education services are in ruins and millions have fled abroad to seek work1 life expectancy has only just recovered to its 1985 level of 61 years1 we need to see jobs said rest maphosa one resident of the capital harare. i will be patient even if it takes me eight hours standing in the queue because what i want is to vote1 with 5.6 million registered voters the results of the presidential parliamentary and local elections are due by august 41 a run-off vote is scheduled for september 8 if no presidential candidate wins at least 50 percent plus one in the first round1 in 2008 then opposition leader morgan tsvangirai pulled out of the run-off after attacks orchestrated by the state claimed the lives of at least 200 of his supporters1 mugabe now a frail 94 was finally ousted as he tried to position his wife grace 53 to be his successor1 in his only press interviews since his fall he admitted only that some errors were done under his rule adding that he now thought his country was topsy turvy1 this is the new zimbabwe we want. we shall continue to grow and grow he said opening a chrome processing plant this week1

Trumps Cohen hush money tape released
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afp25 donald trump can be heard discussing with his personal lawyer how to buy the rights to the story of a playboy model who says she had an affair with the now president on a tape released tuesday night by cnn1 now the recording is available for the world to listen to1 it involves karen mcdougal a former playboy model who says she had a months-long fling with trump after they met in 2006 shortly after trumps wife melania gave birth to their son barron1 in the tape trump and cohen talk about buying the rights to mcdougals story which she had sold a month earlier to the national enquirer for 150000. the tabloid never published the story1 in the at-times muddled recording cohen says he wants to set up a company to acquire the rights off american media the company that owns the enquirer1 during the campaign the trump team denied any knowledge of the deal between mcdougal and american media1 but in the tape candidate trump expresses no surprise when the issue comes up and cohen talks about essentially reimbursing the company for what it paid mcdougal1 the existence of the tape secretly recorded by his former longtime attorney michael cohen two months before the 2016 election was reported last week by the new york times which said the fbi seized it during a raid on cohens office this year1 when it comes time for the financing which will be cohen says at which point trump interrupts and says what financing1 well have to pay cohen says according to a cnn transcript of the conversation which also addressed other business issues between the two men1 we wont pay with cash trump asks according to the cnn transcript of a segment that is particularly hard to hear1 cohen is then heard saying no no and it is not clear what is said next1 the tape made in september 2016 two months before the election was provided to cnn by cohens attorney lanny davis1 cohen who has fallen out with trump is under federal investigation in new york for his business dealings and reportedly whether hush payments violated campaign finance laws1 i need to open up a company for the transfer of all that info regarding our friend david cohen says apparently referring to david pecker the head of american media1

Trump aide Manafort sent to jail
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afp25 donald trumps former campaign chief paul manafort was sent to jail friday pending trial on a series of federal charges1 the revocation of manaforts bail was a fresh sign of the looming collision course between mueller and trump with the white house increasingly worried that the president could face obstruction of justice charges and an impeachment effort in congress1 manafort 69 had been under house arrest while awaiting trial in both the us capital and virginia. he has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him which also include obstruction of justice1 trump condemned the treatment of manafort a veteran washington political consultant as he sought to paint muellers team as well as the federal bureau of investigation which mueller once ran as deeply biased and illegitimate1 wow what a tough sentence for paul manafort who has represented ronald reagan bob dole and many other top political people and campaigns trump wrote on twitter1 didnt know manafort was the head of the mob he said. very unfair1 earlier trump lashed out at the entire investigation labelling it a ridiculous witch hunt after a justice department watchdog report revealed that several fbi investigators had sent anti-trump text messages during the 2016 campaign1 there was no collusion there was no obstruction and if you read the report what youll really see is bias against me trump said1 manafort who is facing trial later this year on money laundering charges involving his work for ukraine that predated the 2016 presidential election saw his bail revoked by judge amy berman jackson over claims he was trying to influence witnesses in his case1 manafort who is facing money laundering and tax evasion charges among others was the first former trump campaign aide to be jailed in the sprawling probe led by special counsel robert mueller since may 20171 muellers team has been seeking to interview trump as well and questions they have submitted to the white house indicate that they are also investigating whether trump has illegally interfered with the probe1 on friday trump sought to make use of the justice department inspector generals report on the 2016 investigation into hillary clintons use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state to erode confidence in muellers operation1 while the ig report made almost no mention of mueller or any alleged wrongdoing by trump the president claimed it exonerates him while his lawyer rudy giuliani said mueller and his team themselves should be investigated1 the report yesterday may be more important than anything. it totally exonerates me trump told journalists in front of the white house1 the report faulted the fbi and its former director james comey whom trump fired in may 2017 over the handling of the clinton email probe1 it said comey who cleared clinton of allegations of mishandling classified materials was insubordinate and guilty of bad judgment1 it also showed several agents involved in both that investigation and the subsequent russia meddling probe repeatedly expressing anti-trump bias in private text messages1 that is probably the tip of the iceberg trump said. there was total bias i mean total bias1 he referred to comey and other senior fbi officials as the scum at the top of the bureau and as total thieves1 he is one of 20 people and three companies already indicted by mueller who is investigating whether members of the campaign colluded with russia during and after the election1

Rodman, Kim Jong Uns friend going to Singapore for summit
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afp25 flamboyant former us basketball star dennis rodman has said he will fly to singapore to support his friends donald trump and kim jong un at their historic peace summit on tuesday1 rodman has made five trips to pyongyang since kim took power and once called him his friend for life1 thanks to my loyal sponsors from @potcoin and my team at @princemrketing i will be flying to singapore for the historical summit the former chicago bulls forward tweeted late friday1 ill give whatever support is needed to my friends @realdonaldtrump and marshall kim jong un1 cannabis cryptocurrency potcoin also sponsored rodman to visit north korea in 20171 the message included a photo montage of rodman standing between kim and trump who is giving a thumbs-up. the us and north korean flags appear in the background and the trio stand above the word unite in large capital letters1 in a subsequent tweet rodman wrote to all americans and the rest of the world im honored to call @potus a friend. hes one of the best negotiators of all time and im looking forward to him adding to his historic success at the singapore summit1 that tweet included a picture in which the basketball star stands next to a broadly smiling trump1 his tweet came after the white house thursday ruled out any role for the high-profile retired player in the hotly-anticipated talks with the north korean leader with whom rodman has struck up an unlikely friendship1 rodman is great on the court but negotiations should be left to those who are good at it trump is the best white house spokesman hogan gidley told fox news on thursday1 gidley said he expected trump and kim to have an amazing conversation without dennis rodman in tow1 trump confirmed that rodman would not be attending the summit as he met with visiting japanese prime minister shinzo abe1 i like him. hes a nice guy. no he was not invited trump told reporters1 after the summit was first announced in march rodman said on twitter he had great respect for both men1 rodman first visited north korea in 2013 with members of the harlem globetrotters basketball team and in 2014 put together a team of north korean basketball players for an exhibition match marking kims birthday1 his last trip was in june 2017 when he gave kim a copy of trumps best-selling book the art of the deal1 rodman also appeared twice on trumps pre-presidential reality tv show celebrity apprentice1 the white house had earlier shot down any suggestion that the five-time nba champion rodman would be present for the negotiations1

Irelands pro-abortion campaigners win by a landslide
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afp25 ireland voted by a landslide to ditch its strict abortion laws in a landmark referendum that prime minister leo varadkar said had finally lifted decades of stigma and shame1 hugging celebrating singing and cheering wildly thousands crammed into the courtyard of dublin castle where the official result was declared chanting yes yes yes1 wonderful wonderful today is wonderful said 65-year-old eileen shields who had been ostracised for falling pregnant outside of marriage when she was 181 the crowds cheered and popped champagne corks as the result was announced. women and men wearing repeal tops and yes badges waved irish flags and placards reading thank you with love hearts on1 speaking through tears stasia clancy 64 said this is like an explosion of the repression and the suppression of the last 100 years1 at dublins rds count centre 40-year-old nurse ruth bowie wept at the results1 she told afp i had to leave my country to get the healthcare that i needed when i was told that my baby wouldnt survive outside the womb and ive told my story over and over again just in the hope that this day would come and its finally come1 veil of stigma lifted1 the final results of fridays referendum showed 66.4 percent voted for removing the constitutional ban while 33.6 voted against1 some 1429981 votes were cast for yes. the turnout was 64 percent1 among the 40 constituencies the pro-choice vote peaked at 78 percent in dublin bay south while rural donegal was the only one to vote against liberalising abortion by 52 percent1 more than 66 percent of voters in what has been a traditionally staunchly catholic country backed repealing the constitutional ban on terminations triggering scenes of tearful jubilation in dublin on saturday after a divisive and often emotional campaign1 no more stigma. the veil of secrecy is lifted. no more isolation. the burden of shame is gone1 he said saturday would be remembered as the day ireland stepped out from under the last of our shadows and into the light. the day we came of age as a country1 his government proposes allowing abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and between 12 and 24 weeks in exceptional circumstances1 varadkar said he wanted the law in force by the end of the year and health minister simon harris told afp that the cabinet would meet on tuesday to approve the drafting of legislation1 crumbling church influence1 the result is another hammer blow to the roman catholic churchs authority in ireland coming three years after referendum voters backed legalising same-sex marriage by 62 percent1 the churchs influence has crumbled in recent years due to a series of child sex abuse scandals1 the referendum comes three months before pope francis visits ireland for the world meeting of families1 an exit poll for the irish times newspaper suggested 70 percent of women and 65 percent of men voted to overturn the ban1 people over 65 voted 60 percent against. however all other age groups backed the proposal with support at 87 percent among voters aged 18 to 241 ailbhe smyth 71 co-director of the official together for yes campaign said real-life testimonies from women affected by the ban had helped swing the vote1 a quiet revolution has taken place varadkar said in a speech at dublin castle1

Sports abayas now the craze for Saudi women
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afp25 colourful and oozing defiance a sports-friendly version of the abaya gown was once considered a symbol of cultural rebellion in conservative saudi arabia but it is fast becoming the new normal1 some cultural purists vented fury online calling it a breach of tradition but opposition has been largely muted following recent comments from powerful crown prince mohammed bin salman that the abaya any abaya is not mandatory in islam1 until a formal edict comes however designers such as eman joharjy are cashing in on the growing popularity of the so-called sports abayas as many women push back against traditional attitudes of equating chastity with dress code1 there is a big demand joharjy told afp at her fashion studio in jeddah1 having them in different colours is empowering1 akin to a zippered jumpsuit sports abayas envelop a womans body but offer greater mobility for sporting activities in contrast to the classic baggy version where tripping on the hem of the flowing garment is a common risk1 the 43-year-olds designs come in colours like pistachio green beige and white more tolerable in the kingdoms scorching heat and she uses natural fabrics including french poplin that do not cling to a sweating body1 one of the early pioneers of the trend joharjy said she was branded a social outlier and jeered by some as batman when she began designing and donning sports abayas publicly in 20071 there was a little bit of rebellion but i designed it for myself because its practical she said1 you zip up and are ready to go1 soccer-themed abayas1 joharjy has defied a popular maxim in saudi arabia if its not black its not an abaya1 abayas have evolved over the years with new patterns fabrics and embellishments and they are sometimes worn in the kingdom with baseball-style caps over headscarves1 the latest fad is an eye-catching ensemble of soccer-themed abayas in the colours of the local teams a new way for female sporting fans to cheer for their favourite players1 such fashion trends are gaining momentum amid the kingdoms liberalisation drive including a historic royal decree allowing women to drive from june and enter sports stadiums for the first time1 the government is also seeking to jump-start womens sports and is moving toward compulsory physical education classes for girls after a ban was lifted in 20141 pictures of female athletes running in the garb in the red sea city of jeddah went viral last month setting off a new debate on sartorial freedoms for women in a country where the typically all-black body-shrouding garment is obligatory in public1 women exercising in public were long a target for the kingdoms austere religious police which has largely been neutered in recent years1 and the once-unthinkable idea of doing away with the abaya appears to now be gaining traction1 the laws are very clear and stipulated in the laws of sharia that women wear decent respectful clothing like men prince mohammed told cbs television last month1 this however does not particularly specify a black abaya. it is entirely left for women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire to wear1 modest look1 muslim cleric sheikh ahmed bin qassim al-ghamdi added a new wrinkle to the debate when he dismissed the long-held view that black was the only colour for abayas permissible in islam1 the cloak is meant for maintaining a modest look and it does not have to be black the former chief of the religious police in the holy city of mecca told saudi-owned al-arabiya television last month1 but the risk of a social backlash is real in a society steeped in conservatism1 they look like cleaners a tweet said in response to viral images of athletes dressed in sports abayas1 their purpose is not sports. we have all been running in full body veil tweeted another1 back at joharjys studio a longtime client marwa al-hadi walked in wearing one of her designs with magenta sneakers1 abaya is like the indian saree it is part of our identity joharjy told her as they weighed in on the future evolution of the garment1 but at the same time if god did not want women to do sports we would not have muscles or a body1 hadi nodded1 it is no ones business to stop and question what im wearing she said1 saudi officials recently announced that women would be able to participate next year in the riyadh international marathon previously a male-only event1

Yolanda, 9, Martin Luther King Jrs grandchild joins gun protest in US
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afp25 yolanda renee king the nine-year-old granddaughter of civil rights icon martin luther king jr. brought many to tears on saturday with a surprise appearance at the washington d.c rally by american students calling for gun control from congress and president donald trump1 i have a dream that enough is enough she said referencing her grandfathers famous 1963 i have a dream speech on ending racism1 and that this should be a gun-free world period1 watch yolanda speak1 martin luther king jr.s granddaughter yolanda renee king speaking at the march for our lives in washington d.c1 democracy now @democracynow1 demanding action on gun control from lawmakers more than one million americans turned out for emotional nationwide protests on saturday fuelled by teenagers at a florida high school where 17 people were shot dead last month1 politicians either represent the people or get out cameron kasky a 17-year-old from marjory stoneman douglas high school in parkland florida told the crowd at a huge rally in washington1 stand for us or beware the voters are coming said kasky one of the leaders of a dynamic and passionate student movement which has emerged following the february 14 shooting at his school1 large crowds also turned out for demonstrations in atlanta boston chicago dallas denver los angeles miami minneapolis seattle and other cities more than 800 in all according to the organizers of the march for our lives1 mayor bill de blasio said 175000 people took part at the new york rally tweeting these students will change america1 but the largest protest was in washington where organizers told nbc news the crowd was estimated at more than 800000 people the largest gun control rally in the united states since the million mom march in 20001 the main stage for the event in washington was set up near the us capitol and lawmakers were the target audience as speakers delivered blistering warnings that the time has come for stricter gun laws1 my grandfather had a dream that his four little children will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character yolanda told a rapt crowd1 the people demand we prohibit the sale of high-capacity magazines. the people demand universal background checks1 we are going to take this to every election to every state and every city said another stoneman douglas student leader david hogg1 march organisers included a link for people to register to vote on their marchforourlives.com website as they seek to transform their nascent movement into a potent political force1 signs carried by protestors lambasted lawmakers who oppose tougher laws and the national rifle association nra the powerful us gun lobby1 these kids are right said jeff turchin a 68-year-old retired garment manufacturer who came to washington from new york to attend the rally1 theyre basically saying the nra is paying off these republicans turchin said of the party of president donald trump which controls the senate and house of representatives1 the washington rally kicked off with andra day singing rise up and also featured a performances by jennifer hudson whose mother brother and seven-year-old nephew were shot dead in 20081 holding a poster reading never again the slogan for the march miley cyrus performed the song the climb1 but the most riveting appearances were by the stoneman douglas students1 emma gonzalez 17 took the stage wearing a green military-style jacket and ripped jeans and delivered a eulogy for the 14 students and three adults slain by 19-year-old gunman nikolas cruz1 tears rolling down her face she then stood in silence at the podium for a full four and half minutes as the crowd fidgeted and some cried out were with you emma1 since the time that i came out here it has been six minutes and 20 seconds gonzalez finally said the exact amount of time cruz spent spraying bullets inside her school before fleeing1 fight for your lives before its someone elses job gonzalez said. get out there and vote1 the people demand a law banning the sale of assault weapons kasky said1

Naomi Osaka wins first WTA title
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afp25 unseeded naomi osaka has won her first wta title and simultaneously she logged the record as the first japanese player to win the indian wells final routing russian daria kasatkina 6-3 6-2 on sunday3 i just knew that she was going to fight for every point too said osaka. so i couldnt afford to lose points based on nerves and i had to keep making the right decisions3 osaka captured the title on her first match point by blasting a backhand into the open side of the court3 the japanese dynamo improved to 13-4 on the season two days after her biggest previous win a dominating semi-final triumph over world number one simona halep3 she was only the fourth unseeded player to reach the indian wells final with the most recent before her being kim clijsters in 20053 the loss ends a brilliant run in the california desert by kasatkina who was playing in her second final in a row after a runner-up finish in dubai3 she was much better today than me so she really deserved to win kasatkina said. of course we were both nervous at the beginning because the biggest finals so far3 but during the match she was able to manage her nerves and stuff and i was still a little bit tight during the match. so it is what it is3 kasatkina was two points from defeat against venus williams in the semi-finals but rallied for the upset triumph3 kasatkina who wasnt even born when williams first competed at indian wells said she really felt the nerves getting to her on the big stage in the final3 world number 44 osaka rolled over kasatkina breaking her serve four times and winning the battle of the 20-year-old rising stars in just 70 minutes3 i mean i already forgot what he told me. i was so nervous that i really forgot she said3 osaka blasted five aces made three double faults and won 79 percent of her first-serve points3 i wasnt really trying to hit hard today said osaka who was born in osaka japan but is a dual citizen after living in america since the age of three3 i felt like it would be better for her to take my pace3 so i wanted her to do whatever she wanted to do and i was going to sit back and see what she does3 like osaka kasatkina was playing in her first indian wells final. this was the first time both indian wells finalists were under age 21 since serena williams beat clijsters in 20013 the opening set was even until osaka blasted two aces to take a 4-3 lead. she then broke kasatkina to make it 5-3 and finished it off with another strong service game3 osaka pounced on kasatkina from the beginning of the second set starting with an opening break of serve3 she also broke kasatkina to go up 4-1 with another precision forehand winner down the line and never looked back3 kasatkina is now 1-3 in wta singles finals winning in charleston last year and finishing runner-up last year in moscow and this year at dubai3 she called her coach to come down from the stands for advice at one point but couldnt remember after the match what he told her3

Naomi Osaka wins first WTA title
News & Trends •
afp25 unseeded naomi osaka has won her first wta title and simultaneously she logged the record as the first japanese player to win the indian wells final routing russian daria kasatkina 6-3 6-2 on sunday3 i just knew that she was going to fight for every point too said osaka. so i couldnt afford to lose points based on nerves and i had to keep making the right decisions3 osaka captured the title on her first match point by blasting a backhand into the open side of the court3 the japanese dynamo improved to 13-4 on the season two days after her biggest previous win a dominating semi-final triumph over world number one simona halep3 she was only the fourth unseeded player to reach the indian wells final with the most recent before her being kim clijsters in 20053 the loss ends a brilliant run in the california desert by kasatkina who was playing in her second final in a row after a runner-up finish in dubai3 she was much better today than me so she really deserved to win kasatkina said. of course we were both nervous at the beginning because the biggest finals so far3 but during the match she was able to manage her nerves and stuff and i was still a little bit tight during the match. so it is what it is3 kasatkina was two points from defeat against venus williams in the semi-finals but rallied for the upset triumph3 kasatkina who wasnt even born when williams first competed at indian wells said she really felt the nerves getting to her on the big stage in the final3 world number 44 osaka rolled over kasatkina breaking her serve four times and winning the battle of the 20-year-old rising stars in just 70 minutes3 i mean i already forgot what he told me. i was so nervous that i really forgot she said3 osaka blasted five aces made three double faults and won 79 percent of her first-serve points3 i wasnt really trying to hit hard today said osaka who was born in osaka japan but is a dual citizen after living in america since the age of three3 i felt like it would be better for her to take my pace3 so i wanted her to do whatever she wanted to do and i was going to sit back and see what she does3 like osaka kasatkina was playing in her first indian wells final. this was the first time both indian wells finalists were under age 21 since serena williams beat clijsters in 20013 the opening set was even until osaka blasted two aces to take a 4-3 lead. she then broke kasatkina to make it 5-3 and finished it off with another strong service game3 osaka pounced on kasatkina from the beginning of the second set starting with an opening break of serve3 she also broke kasatkina to go up 4-1 with another precision forehand winner down the line and never looked back3 kasatkina is now 1-3 in wta singles finals winning in charleston last year and finishing runner-up last year in moscow and this year at dubai3 she called her coach to come down from the stands for advice at one point but couldnt remember after the match what he told her3

Trump conman, idiot, says Gilliam film director
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afp25 monty pythons terry gilliam could be forgiven for thinking the whole donald trump presidency is a joke on him1 for years i was saying we are getting to the point of having a complete conman for a president the film director and animator told afp and now here we are1 for somebody who likes turning things upside down i should be enjoying this but trump is an idiot said the maker of brazil and fear and loathing in las vegas1 and humour is no defence. not even the pythons in their 1960s pomp could match the surreal madcap nature of the presidency he insisted its absurd1 the reality is funnier than anything one can do gilliam laughed1 the life of brian their classic satirical take on a false messiah now seems all too prophetic he said completely relevant to the world we are living in1 it makes me feel like ive gotten very old and i am living through a nightmare he added1 for his latest project gilliam 77 is directing the opera benvenuto cellini in paris1 its so crazy and there is no way you can do anything. so i have become apolitical i am candide he said referring to voltaires naively optimistic hero. i am going to be tending my garden thats what i am going to do1 yet the madness of it all still gets gilliams famously brilliant brain going1 look at america under trump look at england under the conservatives it is just a joke. britain is part of europe and to think it can be great britain again is utterly foolish1 nor is gilliam now a british citizen afraid to call out his old friend and fellow python john cleese for supporting brexit telling afp bluntly he is an idiot1 but even the political climate cannot curb gilliams boundless optimism and creative fire for long1 at 77 he is still fizzing with ideas with a stack of projects in his sights including a musical1 this is a man after all who renounced his american citizenship in protest at george w. bush1 the movie has gone down in hollywood history as one of the most cursed projects ever beset by such a string of disasters that the saga spawned an acclaimed documentary1 im free gilliam declared i was the prisoner of don quixote for 26 years1 the best thing about it being finished is that i like it because i thought for all those years i would only disappoint myself. but its great adam driver of star wars fame and jonathan price are extraordinary the whole cast is wonderful he said1 metoo mob rule1 gilliam has dedicated the movie to the actors jean rochefort and john hurt neither of whom lived long enough to play don quixote1 ever the mischief maker the director said the film includes scenes of women behaving inappropriately1 it is his little jab at the metoo movement which he claims has morphed into something ugly and dangerous1 its like when mob rule takes over the mob is out there they are carrying their torches and they are going to burn down frankensteins castle1 its crazy how simplified things are becoming. there is no intelligence anymore and people seem to be frightened to say what they really think. now i am told even by my wife to keep my head a bit low he said ignoring her advice1 while gilliam condemned harvey weinstein as a monster he claimed that he was not alone. the mogul was exposed because he is such asshole he said1 i think some people did very well out of meeting with harvey and others didnt. the ones who did knew what they were doing. these are adults we are talking about adults with a lot of ambition1 harvey opened the door for a few people a night with harvey thats the price you pay said gilliam who is in paris to direct an opera benvenuto cellini next week1 he said power had always been abused in the film world and i dont think hollywood will change. power takes advantage it always does1 the great irony he said was that while metoo has been in full flow a self-confessed pussy-grabber is the president of the us and is just walking around unchallenged he added1 in fact the maker of time bandits the fisher king and 12 monkeys is on a high having finally finished the man who killed don quixote after nearly two decades of development hell1

Trump lawyer slams $20m claim on Stormy Daniels
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afp25 donald trumps lawyer claimed porn actress stormy daniels is liable for at least 20 million for violating a nondisclosure agreement that prevents her from discussing an affair with the president1 the settlement agreement provides for liquidated damages of one million dollars 1000000 per instance of breach the court filing says1 daniels signed the agreement pertaining to an alleged affair a decade earlier shortly before the 2016 election leading to allegations that the payment amounted to an illicit contribution to trumps campaign1 lawyer michael avenatti filed a lawsuit on behalf of daniels whose real name stephanie clifford earlier this month seeking to toss out the confidential settlement1 the suit alleged that daniels began an intimate relationship with trump in the summer of 2006 that continued well into 20071 on july 12 court proceedings will get under way to decide whether daniels can dissolve the agreement1 the white house has denied any sexual encounter between trump and daniels who has offered to return the 130000 she received so that she can be free to speak openly and freely about her prior relationship with the president and the attempts to silence her1 she is also asking to be allowed to publish text messages photos and videos relating to the president avenatti said in a letter to cohen1 using the pseudonyms peggy peterson and david dennison daniels and trump were to sign the agreement along with essential consultants1 but trump never signed providing the basis for avenattis attempt to have it thrown out and release daniels from her obligations1 a lawyer for michael cohens essential consultants limited liability company which paid daniels 130000 under the agreement made the filing which said that daniels violated the deal at least 20 times1 the fact that a sitting president is pursuing over 20m in bogus damages against a private citizen who is only trying to tell the public what really happened is remarkable. likely unprecedented in our history. we are not going away and we will not be intimidated avenatti wrote on the social media site1 the filing today is yet another bullying tactics from the president and mr cohen. they are now attempting to remove this case to federal court in order to increase their chances that the matter will be decided in private arbitration thus hiding the truth from the public he wrote1 according to the court filing essential consultants began an arbitration proceeding as provided for by the agreement at the end of february1 trump has ample reason to want to keep the affair quiet1 the issue could hurt the president with religious voters who were key to his electoral success and appears to have already caused strains between the president and first lady melania trump1 earlier friday the white house condemned any threat against daniels after the porn stars lawyer claimed she was threatened with physical violence if she revealed details of the alleged tryst1 obviously we take the safety and security of any person seriously said press secretary sarah sanders1 the white house certainly would condemn anyone threatening any individual but i have no knowledge of that situation she said1 white house officials have tried to deflect questions about the alleged affair pointing to previous denials by the trump campaign1 avenatti took to twitter on friday to criticize the court filing1

Naomi Osaka wins first WTA title
News & Trends •
afp25 unseeded naomi osaka has won her first wta title and simultaneously she logged the record as the first japanese player to win the indian wells final routing russian daria kasatkina 6-3 6-2 on sunday3 i just knew that she was going to fight for every point too said osaka. so i couldnt afford to lose points based on nerves and i had to keep making the right decisions3 osaka captured the title on her first match point by blasting a backhand into the open side of the court3 the japanese dynamo improved to 13-4 on the season two days after her biggest previous win a dominating semi-final triumph over world number one simona halep3 she was only the fourth unseeded player to reach the indian wells final with the most recent before her being kim clijsters in 20053 the loss ends a brilliant run in the california desert by kasatkina who was playing in her second final in a row after a runner-up finish in dubai3 she was much better today than me so she really deserved to win kasatkina said. of course we were both nervous at the beginning because the biggest finals so far3 but during the match she was able to manage her nerves and stuff and i was still a little bit tight during the match. so it is what it is3 kasatkina was two points from defeat against venus williams in the semi-finals but rallied for the upset triumph3 kasatkina who wasnt even born when williams first competed at indian wells said she really felt the nerves getting to her on the big stage in the final3 world number 44 osaka rolled over kasatkina breaking her serve four times and winning the battle of the 20-year-old rising stars in just 70 minutes3 i mean i already forgot what he told me. i was so nervous that i really forgot she said3 osaka blasted five aces made three double faults and won 79 percent of her first-serve points3 i wasnt really trying to hit hard today said osaka who was born in osaka japan but is a dual citizen after living in america since the age of three3 i felt like it would be better for her to take my pace3 so i wanted her to do whatever she wanted to do and i was going to sit back and see what she does3 like osaka kasatkina was playing in her first indian wells final. this was the first time both indian wells finalists were under age 21 since serena williams beat clijsters in 20013 the opening set was even until osaka blasted two aces to take a 4-3 lead. she then broke kasatkina to make it 5-3 and finished it off with another strong service game3 osaka pounced on kasatkina from the beginning of the second set starting with an opening break of serve3 she also broke kasatkina to go up 4-1 with another precision forehand winner down the line and never looked back3 kasatkina is now 1-3 in wta singles finals winning in charleston last year and finishing runner-up last year in moscow and this year at dubai3 she called her coach to come down from the stands for advice at one point but couldnt remember after the match what he told her3

Hollywood honours Lionel Richie
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afp25 four-time grammy winner lionel richie cemented his legacy in hollywood wednesday plunging his feet and hands into a wet paving slab at the forecourt of the iconic tcl chinese theatre1 this is almost beyond the childhood dream richie told afp at the ceremony on hollywood boulevard a time-honored tradition launched in the 1920s1 when i first came to this town the holiday inn was back there right behind me and the first thing i did was ran out the room came downstairs and put my feet in all the hands and feet on the ground. now my hands and feet are going into this thing its almost beyond belief1 late night talk show host jimmy kimmel fresh off his oscars hosting duties presented the ceremony while veteran actor samuel l. jackson was on hand to support richie who told the crowd the honor was an out of body experience1 lionel brockman richie jr. was born on june 20 1949 and raised on the private historically black tuskegee institute university campus in alabama where his family had worked for generations1 a high school tennis star he accepted a scholarship to study at the institute but dropped out and seriously considered becoming a priest for a while1 he formed a series of bands and while still at college in 1968 joined aspiring motown group the commodores playing saxophone and singing1 he went on to write some of his most enduring songs for the group including still sail on easy and three times a lady which earned a 1979 american music award and a peoples choice award1 the 68-year-old r1 alongside michael jackson and prince he was one of the most successful male solo artists of the 1980s with a run of 13 consecutive top ten hits in the us billboard charts five of them number ones1 he scored a major hit with all night long and won an oscar for say you say me written for the film white nights. his grammys include the 1985 song of the year prize for we are the world co-written with jackson1 richie managed a nine-year streak of writing at least one number one single a year a feat matched only by irving berlin enjoying much of his success internationally with a particularly strong following in the arab world1 but his run came to an end in 1987 and richie took some time out coming back in the 1990s with mixed results1 despite the runaway success of hello richie has said he came to resent being classified as a balladeer and chose simply to follow his artistic senses1 i developed into something that even i did not know who i was he said at a songwriters hall of fame gala in new york in 20161 all the songs that i created were the songs that they told me would ruin my career1 an avid gardener richie has said that if he werent a musician he would be a landscape architect or interior designer1 he later wrote lady for kenny rogers and had a huge hit alongside diana ross with endless love which became the most successful single in motown history topping the us charts for nine weeks1

Outrage as doctor performs brain surgery on wrong person
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afp25 there has been an outpouring of rage in the social media after a neurosurgeon at kenyas largest hospital performed brain surgery on the wrong patient2 health minister sicily kariuki also suspended the chief operating officer of the hospital lily koros over the blunder. lily koros had suspended the four medics2 it was the latest scandal to hit the hospital in recent weeks after allegations of staff sexually assaulting patients and the theft of a baby2 an investigation by the daily nation newspaper revealed that two men had been taken to the hospital last sunday2 the kenyatta national hospital which admitted the horrific error has suspended the doctor as well as two nurses and an anaesthetist according to a statement on friday2 hours into the surgery doctors discovered there was no blood clot in the brain of their patient and that they were in fact operating on the wrong man the newspaper reported2 the hospitals chief operating officer lily koros issued a statement announcing the suspension of four medics who were at work on that night. the hospital also expressed regret over the incident2 the hospital deeply regrets this event and has done all it can to ensure the safety and well being of the patient in question read the statement from the hospital adding the patient was in recovery and progressing well koros said2 kenyatta national hospital is kenyas oldest and largest hospital and also serves as a teaching hospital2 the two men were wheeled into the hospital unconscious. one needed head surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain while the other only required nursing and medication to heal a trauma swelling in his head medically known as closed head injury2

Outrage as doctor performs brain surgery on wrong person
News & Trends •
afp25 there has been an outpouring of rage in the social media after a neurosurgeon at kenyas largest hospital performed brain surgery on the wrong patient2 health minister sicily kariuki also suspended the chief operating officer of the hospital lily koros over the blunder. lily koros had suspended the four medics2 it was the latest scandal to hit the hospital in recent weeks after allegations of staff sexually assaulting patients and the theft of a baby2 an investigation by the daily nation newspaper revealed that two men had been taken to the hospital last sunday2 the kenyatta national hospital which admitted the horrific error has suspended the doctor as well as two nurses and an anaesthetist according to a statement on friday2 hours into the surgery doctors discovered there was no blood clot in the brain of their patient and that they were in fact operating on the wrong man the newspaper reported2 the hospitals chief operating officer lily koros issued a statement announcing the suspension of four medics who were at work on that night. the hospital also expressed regret over the incident2 the hospital deeply regrets this event and has done all it can to ensure the safety and well being of the patient in question read the statement from the hospital adding the patient was in recovery and progressing well koros said2 kenyatta national hospital is kenyas oldest and largest hospital and also serves as a teaching hospital2 the two men were wheeled into the hospital unconscious. one needed head surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain while the other only required nursing and medication to heal a trauma swelling in his head medically known as closed head injury2