News in Friday, July 22th, 2016 (US) ~ The News of The World

WORLD

RUSSIA: The international sports tribunal on Thursday rejected an appeal by Russian athletes against a Rio Olympics ban amid mounting pressure for action over state-run doping in Russia.

BRAZIL: Brazilian police have broken up an alleged terrorist group sympathetic to the Islamic State organization that was planning to target the upcoming Olympic Games, officials said Thursday.

TURKEY: Turkey imposed a three-month state of emergency on Thursday, strengthening state powers to round up suspects behind the failed military coup and suspending a key European rights convention.

ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe'swar veterans, who have played a crucial and sometimes violent role supporting President Robert Mugabe, on Thursday denounced him as "dictatorial" in the latest sign of growing national instability.

SYRIA: At least 51 civilians, including 15 children, were killed in bombardment of several rebel-held areas across Syria on Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

CUBA: Cuba said Thursday there is "nothing to fear" regarding security as direct flights resume between the communist island and the United States, part of their historic rapprochement.

FRANCE: The French parliament definitively adopted a set of contentious labor reforms on Thursday which sparked months of violent protests against a package seen as a threat to cherished workers' rights.

Trump raises anew NATO questions

Donald Trump has raised new questions about his commitment to the defense of NATO allies on the eve of his acceptance of the Republican presidential nomination, The New York Times reported. In an interview with the newspaper on Wednesday, Trump also expressed little willingness to speak out against purges or civil rights crackdowns by authoritarian allies like Turkey, the Times said. "I don't think we have the right to lecture," the Times quoted him as saying during the 45 minute interview in adowntown Cleveland hotel suite. "Look at what is happening in our country," he said.

"How are we going to lecture when people are shooting policemen in cold blood?" The Times said that Trump re-emphasized the hardline nationalist approach that he has taken during his campaign, describing how he would force allies to shoulder defense costs that the United States has borne for decades. Asked about Russian activities that have alarmed the Baltics, NATO's newest members, Trump said that if Russia attacked them, he would decide whether to come to their aid only after reviewing whether those nations "have fulfilled their obligations to us." "If they fulfil their obligations to us, the answer is yes," he said.

A cornerstone of the 28-member trans-Atlantic alliance is its Article 5 commitment that an attack one member state is an attack on all, a pledge invoked after the September 11, 2001

attacks.

Cruz upends Republican convention

Onetime presidential challenger Ted Cruz shocked the Republican convention by thumbing his nose at Donald Trump and urging Americans to "vote their conscience," sending the 2016 nominee's bid to unify the party careening off course. Cruz received a standing ovation as he took the stage, but cheers turned to boos when it became clear the senator from Texas did not come to Cleveland to endorse his former rival. Trump himself tipped the drama needle into the red by striding into the arena shortly before Cruz finished speaking, giving a thumbs up to people in the arena and surveying the remarkable scene of delegates thrown into turmoil by the Texan's remarks. "We deserve leaders who stand for principle, who unite us all behind shared values, who cast aside anger for love," said Cruz, effectively listing criticisms leveled at Trump. "If you love our country and love your children as much as I know that you do, stand and speak and vote your conscience," he said as the crowd erupted into yells of anger. The two men fought a bitter and at times deeply personal primary campaign, in which Trump mocked Cruz's wife and tarred his rival with a nasty nickname: "Lyin'Ted."

Big Mac latest casualty of Venezuela shortages

McDonald's said it has stopped selling Big Macs in Venezuela, making the iconic hamburger the latest casualty of severe food shortages triggered by an economic crisis. "At McDonald's Venezuela we are working to resolve this temporary situation. Together with our supplier we are evaluating the best options to allow us to continue offering quality products," the company said in a statement. It did not give details on the reason for the suspension. Venezuelan media reports said McDonald's was no longer able to source the thin slice of bread that separates the sandwich's two meat patties. The company's restaurants are still serving their other menu items, although they also suspended sales of french fries for 11 months last year because of shortages. Venezuela's economy is mired in crisis because of the global plunge in the price of oil.

United States in Brief

HEALTH INSURANCE: The government moved to prevent two mega-mergers in the health insurance industry, saying they would sharply reduce competition and harm millions of consumers. The Department of Justice sued in the Washington, DC federal district court to block Aetna Inc's $37 billion takeover of Humana Inc., and Anthem Inc's $54 billion merger with Cigna Corp.

PROBE: The Secret Service said it was investigating a supporter and informal advisor to Donald Trump after the man called for Hillary Clinton to be "shot for treason." Al Baldasaro, a New Hampshire state representative, told conservative talk radio host Jeffrey Kuhner on his Tuesday show that "Hillary Clinton should be put in the firing line and shot for treason."

FLAG BURNING: Police arrested 17 people outside the Republican National Convention in Cleveland after protesters tried to burn American flags.

FACEBOOK MESSENGER: Facebook said Wednesday the number of users of its Messenger application had topped one billion, a key milestone as it seeks to expand the platform to new services.

COSBY: Disgraced television legend Bill Cosby is seeking to appeal his sexual assault case yet again to avoid standing trial. Cosby's attorneys filed the notice of appeal asking Pennsylvania's Superior Court to overturn a ruling that denied his third bid to have the casetossedonJuly7.

HOLLYWOOD STAR: ALos Angeles-based street artist has taken Donald Trump to his word, building a wall - but around the Republican presidential hopeful's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The 6-inch wall, made of wooden planks and topped with barbed wire, was put up Tuesday evening around the controversial mogul's star by the artist known as Plastic Jesus.

MICHELLE OBAMA: Already famous for her toned arms, we now know Michelle Obama has pipes to match. The first lady toured the White House grounds with "Late Late Show" television host and British comedian James Corden for his "Carpool Karaoke" segment, belting out hits like Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" and Beyonce's "Single Ladies." The sing-along session -a recurring bit on the late-night talk show that's featured stars like Justin Bieber, Adele and Elton John- included banter about the Obama family's secret service code names, Snapchat and life after theWhite House.

SPORT

WEDNESDAY'S SCOREBOARD

MLB: INTERLEAGUE

Tampa Bay 11, Colorado 3

Toronto 10, Arizona 4

Boston 11, San Francisco 7

MLB: AMERICAN LEAGUE

Minnesota 4, Detroit 1

Cleveland 11, Kansas City 4

Houston 7, Oakland 0

Seattle 6, ChicagoWhite Sox 5 (11 inn)

N.Y. Yankees 5 Baltimore 0

L.A. Angels 7, Texas 4

MLB: NATIONAL LEAGUE

Cincinnati 6, Atlanta 3

Chicago Cubs 6, N.Y. Mets 2

Washington 8, L.A. Dodgers 1

Philadelphia 4, Miami 1

Milwaukee 9, Pittsburgh 5

St.Louis3,SanDiego2

TENNIS: Top seed John Isner and French second seed Gael Monfils cruised into the third round of the ATP and WTA Washington Open but former world number one Caroline Wozniacki dropped out due to injury while leading. Isner fired 14 aces and dropped only three points on his first serve in a 6-3, 6-4 romp over Australian qualifier James Duckworth. Monfils fired 10 aces and lost only two points on his first serves in a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Taiwan's Lu Yen-hsun. Wozniacki was leading 7-5, 3-4, when a left arm injury forced her to retire from her second-round match against Aussie top seed Samantha Stosur, the 2011 US Open winner.

MLB: Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Koji Uehara of Japan was placed on MLB's 15-day disabled list with a right pectoral muscle strain.

NBA: Spanish basketball star Marc Gasol will miss the Olympics in Rio because his injured right foot has not healed in time, the Spanish Basketball Federation said Thursday.