News in Monday, July 25th, 2016 (US) ~ The News of The World

WORLD

RUSSIA: The International Olympic Committee on Sunday ordered individual sports federations to decide whether Russian competitors should take part in the Rio Games after failing to agree on a complete ban over Russia's state-run doping.

TURKEY: Human rights group Amnesty International said Sunday it had "credible evidence" of the abuse and torture of people detained in sweeping arrests since Turkey's July 15 coup attempt.

AFGHANISTAN: Kabul was plunged into mourning Sunday after its deadliest attack for 15 years killed 80 people and left hundreds maimed, reigniting concern that the Islamic State group was seeking to expand its foothold in Afghanistan.

GERMANY: The teenager who shot dead nine people at a Munich shopping mall spent a year planning the rampage but selected his victims at random, officials said Sunday.

FRANCE: A senior policewoman claimed that France's interior minister pressured her to alter a report into security at the Nice fireworks display.

EGYPT: The first solar-powered plane to circle the world took off from Cairo on Sunday for Abu Dhabi, on the final leg of its historic journey.

Democrats converge on Philadelphia for Clinton nomination

Democrats converge on the City of Brotherly Love to elevate Hillary Clinton this coming week as the party's nominee who will battle Republican Donald Trump in 2016's presidential election. The Democratic National Convention kicks off on Monday in Philadelphia with the party more unified than the Republicans, whose fissures were laid bare this week as they confirmed brash billionaire Trump as their flag-bearer. But frustrations are nevertheless swirling as delegates bicker about the Democratic nominating process and new hiccups over Clinton camp emails. "Next week in Philadelphia we will offer a very different vision for our country," she pledged. "One that is about building bridges, not walls, embracing the diversity that makes our country great." Her quest received a boost Saturday when she introduced Tim Kaine of Virginia as her running mate, a savvy Spanish-speaking senator with a bright smile but "a backbone of steel", according to Clinton. Kaine "is everything Donald Trump and (Republican running-mate) Mike Pence are not," she said. The 58-year-old Kaine, from a crucial battleground state, delivered a rousing speech in Miami, Florida, laying out sharp contrasts between Clinton and the Republican nominee. "She doesn't insult

people, she listens to them," he told the Miami crowd. "She doesn't trash our allies, she respects them. And she'll always have our backs." Following the appearance Trump tweeted that he had seen "Crooked Hillary and Tim Kaine together.

Trump says US could pull out of WTO

Republican White House nominee Donald Trump suggested Sunday that the United States could pull out of the World Trade Organization if he is elected president. The New York billionaire made the comments during a wide-ranging interview with NBC television's "Meet the Press," his first since being crowned as his party's presidential nominee. Trump, who has already threatened to renegotiate or rip up the North American Free Trade Agreement, also doubled down in the interview on recent comments questioning the US commitment to its NATO allies. He said he would slap punitive import taxes of up to 30 percent on firms that moved manufacturing activities abroad, citing NAFTA partner Mexico as an example. When show host Chuck Todd objected that such plans would be challenged at the WTO, he responded: "Doesn't matter. We'll renegotiate or pull out. These trade deals are a disaster, Chuck.

Southern California fire mushrooms

A fire burning out of control in Southern California has grown to a massive 20,000 acres, officials said Sunday, as residents in an area north of Los Angeles were forced to evacuate. The blaze, which has been dubbed the "Sand Fire" after a nearby neighborhood, is only 10 percent contained, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). Local media reported that a burned body had been recovered in the city of Santa Clarita, located some 35 miles from downtown Los Angeles, although it was unclear if the individual had died in the blaze. The fire has been burning in California's Santa Clarita Valley since Friday,

but has now shifted to threaten more populated areas such as the Sand Canyon neighborhood of Santa Clarita, county fire officials said, according to the Los Angeles Times. At least 1,500 homes are threatened, the Times reported. Orange flames could be seen lapping at the night sky early Sunday, as a number of roads remained closed and health officials warned of poor air quality and hazardous smoke. More than 900 firefighters are battling the blaze and residents have been evacuated, NWCG reported.

United States in Brief

PARTY CHAIR: Embattled Democratic Party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Sunday she is resigning, following a leak of emails suggesting an insider attempt to hobble the campaign of Hillary Clinton's rival in the White House primaries Bernie Sanders. Her departure has long sought by Sanders.

SHOOTING: Police in Florida are investigating a shooting that happened early Sunday near a nightclub in downtown Orlando. Orlando Police say the shooting happened near the Venue 578 nightclub and that three people were injured, one critically. The two other victims had minor injuries. (AP)

YAHOO: Yahoo is near a deal to sell its core online assets, ending a 20-year run as an independent company for one of the most storied names on the internet. Media reports said Yahoo, which introduced many users around the world to the internet, was close to selling its main assets for $5 billion.

ALIENS: Filmmaker James Cameron and Hollywood star Sigourney Weaver were surprised by a fan proposing to his girlfriend as they celebrated the 30th anniversary of sci-fi classic "Aliens." The pair were swapping nostalgia and behind-the-scenes anecdotes at San Diego Comic-Con when the man got down on one knee during the audience Q&A section and popped the question.

STAR TREK: "Star Trek Beyond" boldly went to the top of the box office in its weekend debut, sending "The Secret Life of Pets" to the doghouse in the number two spot. Paramount's "Star Trek Beyond," the latest installment in the 50-year-old franchise, beamed up $59.6 million in gross receipts, according to estimates released by industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.

SPORT

SATURDAY'S SCOREBOARD

MLB: INTERLEAGUE

San Francisco 2, N.Y. Yankees 1 (12 inns)

MLB: AMERICAN LEAGUE

Seattle 14, Toronto 5

Baltimore 5, Cleveland 2

Minnesota 11, Boston 9

Houston 7, L.A. Angels 2

Texas7,KansasCity4

Oakland 4, Tampa Bay 3

MLB: NATIONAL LEAGUE

Pittsburgh 7, Philadelphia 4

Washington 3, San Diego 2

Cincinnati 6, Arizona 1

Miami7,N.Y.Mets2

Milwaukee 6, Chicago Cubs 1

L.A. Dodgers 7, St. Louis 2

Colorado 8, Atlanta 4

MLS

Los Angeles 2, Portland 1

Montreal 5, Philadelphia 1

New England 1, Chicago 0

Orlando City 2, Columbus 2

Toronto FC 4, D.C. United 1

Vancouver 0, Houston 0

FC Dallas 1, Colorado 1

MLB: The Chicago White Sox have suspended All-Star pitcher Chris Sale for five days for "insubordination" after the left-hander reportedly destroyed "throwback" uniforms he didn't want to wear.

KEN GRIFFEY JR.: Ken Griffey Jr. has been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Griffey, the first No. 1 draft pick to be selected for enshrinement, played 22 big-league seasons with the Mariners, Reds and White Sox and was selected on a record 99.32 percent of ballots cast. (AP)

SOCCER: Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes scored early goals and the Los Angeles Galaxy ended the Timbers' nine-match unbeaten streak with a 2-1 Major League Soccer victory in Portland on Saturday.

GOLF: Brandt Snedeker drained a seven-foot eagle putt the final hole Saturday to cap a six-under par 66 that gave him a one-stroke lead in the US PGA Tour's Canadian Open.

TENNIS: Gael Monfils and Ivo Karlovic advanced to the Washington Open final in sweltering conditions Saturday. The 29-year-old Frenchman ripped ill German teen Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-0 in one hour. Ivo Karlovic advanced by defeating US fifth seed Steve Johnson 6-4, 6-4.

VENUS: Venus Williams will play for her 50th WTA title in Stanford. Williams defeated tenacious Alison Riske 6-1, 7-6 (7-2) to reach the championship match, where she'll face Briton Johanna Konta.