Mets promote Tim Tebow to Advanced A due to 'chase rates and exit velocity'
These are testing times for the New York Mets, with the team well off the pace in the National League East, star players injured and veteran players unsettled. And now Tim Tebow is creeping his way towards the major leagues. The Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL star is still a long way from an MLB appearance but he has been promoted from the Low A Columbia Fireflies to the Advanced A St Lucie Mets. Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) Tebow was batting just .222 at Class A Columbia, but Sandy Alderson says the Mets were impressed by his improving exit velocity, metrics. pic.twitter.com/hCZNayrGFx“It’s not like he’s tearing up the league, but at the same time all of the indications are positive in terms of various things we look at – chase rates and exit velocity,” Alderson told ESPN.
Source:The Guardian
June 25, 2017 19:41 UTC
Schumer: new Democratic 'agenda' will 'resonate with the middle class'
That resonate with the middle class … and unite Democrats. That’s what I’ve been working on for months.”Amidst that work, Schumer said, he had been “talking to Trump voters”. Asked on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday about the Georgia defeat, Sanders said: “Well, it’s more than the special election. Schumer said: “This economic message platform is going to resonate. Asked about calls for the California congresswoman to step down, Schumer said: “Yes, look, you always blame … they always blame the leader.
Source:The Guardian
June 25, 2017 19:30 UTC
Cyber-attack on UK parliament: Russia is suspected culprit
Fewer than 90 email accounts with weak passwords are believed to have been hacked in ‘sustained’ attackThe Russian government is suspected of being behind a cyber-attack on parliament that breached dozens of email accounts belonging to MPs and peers. Fewer than 90 email accounts belonging to parliamentarians are believed to have been hacked, a parliamentary spokesman said. Amid fears that the breach could lead to blackmail attempts, officials were forced to lock MPs out of their own email accounts as they scrambled to minimise the damage from the incident. The number of states who might mount such an attack on the UK is limited, and, in addition to Russia, includes North Korea, China and Iran. The attack on the Houses of Parliament sought to gain access to accounts protected by weak passwords.
Source:The Guardian
June 25, 2017 19:30 UTC
Gatwick Hotel: the last days of a halfway house – an audio photo essay
Melbourne’s Gatwick Hotel, a rooming house for disadvantaged people, is closing its doors. For decades the property has offered affordable, safe accommodation to those in need but has also endured sustained criticism from local businesses and politicians. Here are some of the people who have recently called it homeby Kristina Kukolija and Sandy Rogulic
Source:The Guardian
June 25, 2017 19:30 UTC
Confederations Cup: Germany reach semi-final after video replay confusion
The world champions, Germany, reached the Confederations Cup semi-final on Sunday with a 3-1 victory over a Cameroon side reduced to 10 men after further confusion with experimental video replays. There were signs of a comeback by Cameroon when Vincent Aboubakar’s flicked header slipped through Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s raised hands. But Werner scored again in the 81st minute to secure a 100th victory for Joachim Löw in his 150th match in charge of Germany. Cameroon goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa prevented Germany from extending their lead by blocking Kimmich’s shot from a tight angle. It was the latest by a Germany goalkeeper in the World Cup warm-up tournament.
Source:The Guardian
June 25, 2017 19:20 UTC
Glastonbury 2017: 'the best one yet', declares organiser Emily Eavis
This will be the last Glastonbury for two years, with a fallow year planned for 2018 to give the land – and the neighbours – a break. Michael and Emily Eavis were adamant the festival would return again in 2019, and confirmed they had already booked acts for their 50th birthday in 2020. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Michael Eavis joins the Avalonian Choir for a pro-feminist event organised by the White Ribbon Alliance on the Park Stage. We’ve been through so many struggles to get here.” Despite his five decades curating Glastonbury, Eavis said he still had a wishlist of bands he was hoping to entice to the festival. Eavis described the new festival venture, to be called The Variety Bazaar, as the “last big gamble of my life”.
Source:The Guardian
June 25, 2017 18:29 UTC
The Guardian view on abuse in the Church of England: a reputation deservedly damaged | Editorial
The report of Dame Moira Gibb into the Church of England’s handling of the abusive bishop Peter Ball makes shocking reading. Lord Carey’s message to the diocese after Bishop Ball was arrested urged prayers for the bishop and said nothing about victims. Lord Carey nevertheless gave Peter Ball £12,000 from church funds, leading to loud complaints from the brothers, who had wanted £20,000. Lord Carey’s only objection to a full rehabilitation of Bishop Ball as a retired bishop was that it might provoke unfavourable publicity. Lord Carey’s successor, Rowan Williams did nothing to help Bishop Ball but very little and very slowly to hinder him either.
Source:The Guardian
June 25, 2017 17:48 UTC
The Guardian view on policing and cuts: something has to give | Editorial
Promising to spend more money on policing has repeatedly proved politically popular and effective in modern Britain. Whether extra spending on police is actually an effective use of public money is a different question, however, especially when resources are tight. As prime minister in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher lavished money on policing, yet crime rose consistently throughout her period in office and policing controversies over issues such as complaints, violence, race and accountability soared. Long before the current counter-terrorist concerns and the intense recent politicisation, the police watchdog, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, was pointing to the impact of spending cuts on the “cornerstone” areas of community and neighbourhood policing. It is a mistake to think about police cuts in exactly the same way as other cuts in public services.
Source:The Guardian
June 25, 2017 17:48 UTC
UK heart disease deaths fall by over 20% since indoor smoking ban
Figures collected by PHE’s Local Tobacco Control Profiles network show that while there were 32,548 deaths from heart disease attributable to smoking in 2007-09, there were 25,777 between 2013 and 2015 – a fall of 20.8%. “The smokefree legislation has been extraordinary in the way we now experience and enjoy pubs, clubs, restaurants and so many other public places. It was undoubtedly the single most important public health reform in generations,” he added. The decline in smoking-related heart deaths is especially significant because smoking still accounts for about one in every six deaths in England – about 79,000 people a year. Smoking-related deaths are three times more likely to occur among poorer people than those from better-off backgrounds, research showed.
Source:The Guardian
June 25, 2017 17:29 UTC
Dawid Malan stars on debut as England win series against South Africa
The Middlesex left-hander’s brutal debut innings of 78, followed by a professional shutout by the bowlers, took England to a 19-run victory over South Africa in Cardiff and with it a Twenty20 series win. With Joe Root and Ben Stokes rested completely, England have made little secret of their intention to widen the selection net. Morgan had said before the series that confronting De Villiers would be the perfect test of the 20-year-old’s temperament. At the other end Malan had glowed with confidence. The wrist-spinner, whom Malan took for five fours in total, eventually celebrated his demise, however, when long-on was picked out, and just when thoughts had been turning to the 29-year-old becoming the first centurion on debut.
Source:The Guardian
June 25, 2017 17:18 UTC
Federer warms up for Wimbledon with ninth Halle title
Federer dropped just nine points on his serve as he beat Zverev 6-1, 6-3 epa/tyler larkinOver the course of just 53 minutes in Halle this afternoon, Roger Federer showed why he is the favourite to win a record eighth Wimbledon title at the age of 35. Federer’s 6-1, 6-3 victory over Alexander Zverev, the 20-year-old from Germany, sealed a ninth Gerry Weber Open championship. It also guaranteed the No 3 seeding at the All England Club, although he is undoubtedly the man to beat this year. A marker was also set down in Birmingham, where Petra Kvitova triumphed at the Aegon Classic with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win against Ashleigh Barty, of Australia. The two-times Wimbledon champion was playing only her second tournament since being stabbed in her racket-holding left hand by an intruder at her home in the Czech…
Source:The Times
June 25, 2017 17:03 UTC
Malan’s debut 78 sets up England’s series victory
Malan’s 78 from 44 balls was the highest T20 score by an Englishman on debut Geoff Caddick/AFPHaving been asked to bat on a good-paced pitch, England were indebted to an eye-catching debut innings of 78 from Dawid Malan as they clinched this three-match Twenty20 series with victory against South Africa in Cardiff. Afterwards, their bowlers, with the quicker ones using the short ball to great effect, squeezed the tourists to the extent that they managed only 162 for seven chasing 182 to win. All this despite England resting their captain Eoin Morgan, with Jos Buttler taking the reins. Malan struck the ball to all corners and launched one huge six down the ground Stu Forster/GettyThey had given a debut to Malan but not to Somerset’s Craig Overton. That caused some consternation down in the West Country, with Somerset coach Matthew Maynard tweeting about a “broken word”, because it had been reported that Morgan had said he would…
Source:The Times
June 25, 2017 17:03 UTC
Turkish police break up gay pride protest in Istanbul
Police thwart LGBT activists’ attempted parade planned in defiance of an official ban from local authoritiesTurkish police have thwarted an attempt by gay pride activists to hold a parade in Istanbul in defiance of an official ban from the local authorities. “We are not scared, we are here, we will not change,” the Pride committee said in a statement on Sunday. “We are here again to show that we will fight in a determined fashion for our pride.”In one of the biggest LGBT events in the mainly Muslim region, the 2014 Gay Pride parade in Istanbul drew tens of thousands of people. Eleven activists went on trial in Istanbul this week for defying last year’s ban on the Pride march, but they were all acquitted. “We are not alone, we are not wrong, we have not given up,” the Pride Committee’s statement said on Sunday.
Source:The Guardian
June 25, 2017 17:01 UTC
Blue shark captured after Mallorca beach panic
Shark was first spotted close to beaches at Cala Major and Can Pastilla, then discovered to have serious head woundA blue shark whose presence in shallow waters off the coast of Mallorca caused panic over the weekend and led to the evacuation of beaches on the Balearic island, has been captured. Appetite for shark fin soup 'causing decline of blue sharks in UK waters' Read moreLifeguards raised the red flag, ordered swimmers out of the water and closed the beach after the sighting. It was not clear if the shark was injured before or after it was spotted near the beach. Shark species facing extinction - in pictures Read moreOne witness posted an account of the beach incident on Facebook. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, the shark is hunted for food and its fins are used for shark fin soup.
Source:The Guardian
June 25, 2017 17:00 UTC
Palestinian event in London faces ban over Hamas links
One of the biggest Palestinian events in Europe scheduled to start in less than a fortnight is in doubt after intervention by the British government. Palestinian Expo, which includes political discussions, concerts, comedy acts, workshops, a food court and other events, is scheduled to run at the QE2 centre in London on the weekend of 8 and 9 July. The organisers, Friends of Al-Aqsa, wrote to the department complaining about the proposed ban. Ismail Patel, founder of Friends of Al-Aqsa, said the department was unlawfully interfering in the event. Since doubt was cast on the event on 14 June, only a further 300 have been sold, the organisers said.
Source:The Guardian
June 25, 2017 16:52 UTC