U.S. finishes behind Jamaica, Kenya in gold-medal count at worlds
Even with its sixth straight title in the men's 4x400-meter relay, the United States still finished behind Jamaica and Kenya with only six gold medals at this year's world championships.
Jamaica again proved it is much more than just Usain Bolt when the country's women's team defeated the Americans on Sunday in the 4x400 relay to win its seventh gold medal and deny Allyson Felix a 10th world title.
"Every year they make the U.S. relay team a favorite. But now we have the A-plus game," said Shericka Jackson, who added gold to an individual bronze in the 400.
Like the botched handoff in the men's 4x100 relay on Saturday, the American women also lost valuable time with a hesitant handover in their duel with Jamaica.
"This one hurts more because we have such a rich legacy and history in the 4x400," Felix said. "It's not often that we lose it."
In the men's relay, Jamaica led coming into the finishing straight but LaShawn Merritt timed his lap to perfection to earn gold while Jamaica slipped out of the medals. It was the only relay victory for the U.S. team, with the other three going to the Jamaicans.
Both Kenya and Jamaica won seven gold medals during the nine-day competition, one more than the Americans.
It was the second time in a row the United States failed to win the most gold medals. It was the first time that Kenya and Jamaica were at the top.
"There were pockets of great moments and pockets where we expected to do a lot better than we did," said Felix, already looking ahead to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. "The biggest thing we take away is just being hungry for next year," Felix added.
Overall, however, the United States finished with 18 medals, the most of the championships. Kenya had 16 and Jamaica had 12.
Kenya got its last gold from Asbel Kip-rop, who won his third 1,500m in a row.
The Kenyan took the lead halfway through the finishing straight and the rest of the pack sprinted for silver. Another Kenyan, Eli-ah Ma-nan-goi, came in second and Abda-laati I-gui-der of Morocco got bronze.
On a big day for Ethiopia, Al-maz Ay-ana stunned Gen-ze-be Di-ba-ba to win the 5,000 meters and deny her teammate a second gold medal at this year's worlds.
Ayana went fast through the middle of the race in an effort to dull Di-ba-ba's finishing kick. She was so fast, though, she threw off the favorite well before the final lap and won by about 100 meters.
At the line, a disappointed Di-ba-ba could not even hold off Sen-be-re Te-fe-ri, another teammate. Ay-ana won in a championship record of 14 minutes, 26.83 seconds for a massive victory of 17.24 seconds over Te-fe-ri. Di-ba-ba was right behind in third to complete the Ethiopian sweep.
Di-ba-ba, already the 1,500 world champion, was seeking to win a second gold, much like her big sister Ti-run-esh did at the 2008 Olympics at the Bird's Nest.
Ethiopia's great day started early, with another Di-ba-ba excelling.
Ma-re Di-ba-ba, no relation to Gen-ze-be and Ti-run-esh, captured the first women's marathon gold for Ethiopia at the world championships, holding off He-lah Kip-rop of Kenya in a race that was settled by a 100-meter sprint.
The 25-year-old Ma-re Di-ba-ba patiently waited for the right time to make her move, constantly checking her watch before breaking away in the shadow of the stadium. Di-ba-ba finished in 2:27:35, edging Kip-rop by one second in the closest women's marathon finish ever at the worlds.
With the last throw of the competition, Kathrina Mo-li-tor of Germany won the javelin competition, sweeping past home favorite Lyu Hui-hui with a throw of 67.69 meters.
Derek Dro-uin of Canada won the men's high jump title in a jump-off, clearing 2.34 meters after the last three competitors fouled out at 2.36 without missing at any previous heights. Boh-dan Bon-da-renko of Ukraine, the 2013 champion, and Zhang Guo-wei of China shared silver.
Beverley Sister Joy dies aged 91
Joy Beverley, one third of the vocal harmony group the Beverley Sisters, has died at the age of 91.
The singer, from Bethnal Green in London, was the eldest sister in the trio, who were known for songs including Little Drummer Boy and the Irving Berlin standard Sisters.
They had their own BBC TV show in the 1950s and were made MBEs in 2006.
Joy was also married to Wolverhampton Wanderers' star Billy Wright until his death from cancer in 1994.
She died on Monday after suffering a stroke last week her son, Vince Wright, told the Express and Star."We all thought the world of her and we are devastated she is gone," he said.
"She was a very bubbly, but private, character. We are all going to miss her terribly, she has been a part of our lives for so long now it really is going to be a big loss for all of us."
Android Wear smartwatches to work with iPhones
Google has made its Android Wear operating system compatible with Apple's iOS mobile platform.
It means users will be able to pair Android-powered smartwatches with iPhones for the first time.
The move greatly increases the potential market for the devices, and could pose a challenge to the Apple Watch itself.
But one expert suggested demand would be limited because Google was only able to offer a restricted set of features.
"What this does is give people who don't want to fork out the premium price for an Apple Watch an alternative," said Ben Wood, chief of research at the consultancy CCS Insight.
"It could also appeal to people who want a smartwatch that looks more like a circular-faced classical watch.
"But Apple will always reserve the best features for its own platform, just as we previously saw with Pebble's watches, which can also connect to iOS but have similar limitations."
Global stock markets hit by weak Chinese data
Renewed fears over growth in China have hit global stock markets, with the main indexes falling sharply.
Wall Street traded sharply lower, with the Dow Jones down more than 300 points, or 1.9%, at 16,215.
European markets also fell, with the UK's FTSE 100 closing down 3% and France's Cac 40 and Germany's Dax about 2.4% lower.
Earlier, figures for August showed factory activity in China contracting at its fastest pace in three years.
The official manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) dropped to 49.7 from 50 in July. A figure below 50 indicates contraction.
It follows recent turmoil in the markets sparked by concerns over a slowdown in the world's second-largest economy.
"The importance of today's announcement is that the slowdown is hitting the larger state-backed firms who typically take longer to feel the pain," said Josh Mahony from online trading firm IG Index.
"There are precious few signs that China is beginning to recover, and while [the People's Bank of China's] action can provide a temporary reprieve, we are yet to see any evidence that it is doing any good to the economy," he added.
Kentucky clerk defies Supreme Court order on gay marriage
A Christian official has refused to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples in Kentucky despite exhausting all of her legal options.
Two gay couples earlier denied licenses have requested Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis be held in contempt of court. But they asked a district judge to punish Ms Davis by fining her, rather than sending her to jail.
The US Supreme Court on yesterday rejected the argument that her faith prevented her from carrying out her duty. Despite court orders to continue issuing licences, Ms Davis turned away two gay couples seeking marriage licences on this morning.
Ms Davis, who cannot be removed from post because she is an elected official, stayed inside her office with the blinds closed as the couples demanded to see her. She eventually came out, but she said she would not issue any licences.
"Under whose authority?" she was asked. "Under God's authority," she said.
Dozens of reporters and activists, both supporters and opponents of gay marriage, filled the waiting area of the Rowan County clerk's office, alternatively chanting "do your job" and "stand firm".
One of the men seeking a licence, David Ermold, said he and his partner would not leave the office until they were married. "Then you're going to have a long day," Ms Davis replied.
Since the court legalised gay marriage nationwide two months ago, Ms Davis has refused to issue any marriage licences to anyone. The American Civil Liberties Union sued her on behalf of two gay couples and two heterosexual couples.
In making its ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court also denied her request for a stay while she pursues an appeal.
Utilities Union Signs Five-Year Agreement With Water And Sewerage
EXECUTIVES of the Water and Sewerage Corporation IN THE Bahamas on Friday agreed to a new five-year industrial agreement with members of the Bahamas Utilities Service and Allied Workers Union (BUSAWU).
WSC chairman Bishop Lester M Cox contended that the contract signing brought an end to an arduous two-year process, noting it’s all about reconciliation, about bringing some type of unity between directors and employees because they all have to work together at the end of the day.
Enshrined in the contract are allowances for members exposed to adverse conditions, the establishment of minor breaches to cut applications of major breaches, and a statute of limitation on minor breaches.
Additionally, the contract provided an adjusted scope to the corporation's salary scale. It now sits on par with industry standards. Merit pay and performance review systems were negotiated and approved by the two sides.
The new contract allows for a Christmas bonus to employees of $700 plus four days pay for 2016 and 2017 respectively.
There are also provisions for two lump sum payments to be made to employees, a $2,400 payment to coincide with Friday's signing and an unspecified increment payment in March, 2017.
The contract also mentions a review of salary scales, scheduled for January, an automatic increment disbursement in July, 2016, and a pro-rata increment - all to change from the anniversary of the employee's start date - to be paid out in January, 2017.
The deal signed by the WSC and the BUSAWU affects roughly 350 of the corporation's 437 employees.
According to Mr Cox the agreement signals the dawn of a new day at the corporation, adding that employees now have the incentive to perform and work towards WSC's "overarching goal of good service".
Mr Cox explained that in the wake of the financial settlement between the two sides, he believed it put employees in a "comfortable and secure enough position" to approach their respective tasks with the "expected passion".
He added: "What we are trying to do at WSC is simple: give the best possible service as possible to our customers. The more comfortable and happy our employees are, the better they will perform and work towards that goal.
WSC and representatives of the BUSAWU have been locked in contentious negations for some time, with both sides maintaining that their stances and needs superseded the other's.
Public invited to create coastal clean-up groups
THIS September the public is invited to join the Department of Environment and Maritime Affairs (DEMA) is cleaning the country’s shores.
Whether with a school, business, organisation or church, everyone is welcome to get involved with International Coastal Clean-up Day on Saturday, September 19.
A press release on Monday (August 24) explained that the aim is to coordinate underwater, beach or bush clean-ups across the country.
They should take place between 7am and 9am to beat the heat on September 19.
Attendees must make sure they have gloves, water, trash bags, a first aid kit handy in the event of cuts or scrapes and a data form to document the type of trash collected.
The date form is not mandatory, but anyone that uses it should submit a copy to DEMA after their clean-up.
For anyone to register their commitment in taking part they can contact Amy Avenant, DEMA Environment Outreach Co-ordiantor, by no later than September 11 on 338-4176 or 341-4321.
On or a few days before the event participants should arrange for proper disposal of the collected trash.
Following the event they should submit the following information to DEMA: organisation name, number of clean-up participants, location of trash collection (and whether it was underwater/beach/bush), number of bags collected, amount of time spent collecting trash and photographs of you or your organisation and the trash collected.
"Want to help out but unable to organise such an initiative? Chat to Amy regarding donation of supplies (trash bags, gloves etc)” the press read.
"Please help us in the fight for trash-free seas. Together we can all make a difference!”
DEMA has registered this event with the Ocean Conservancy which works to keep the ocean healthy to keep people healthy.
More information can be found at www.oceanconservancy.org/
When a slump hits a vast iron ore mine in Australia
Australia's iron ore industry has hit a slump after decades of boom fuelled by rampant demand from China. This is threatening the livelihoods of thousands of miners and entire communities dependent on these vast opencast mines.
At Perth Airport, jut after 5 o'clock in the morning, the boarding gate is a sea of fluorescent yellow and blue. This is a regular shuttle service to Fortescue Metals' Cloudbreak mine - the passengers are fly-in-fly-out workers and they come dressed for the job.
In just under two hours they'll land 11,000km (6,800 miles) away at one of the giant iron ore mines in the Pilbara, where the red dirt hides untold riches.
But times have changed. The price of ore has plummeted, down around 70% from its 2013 peak.Every mine worker boarding Flight 1970 knows what that means: cost cuts. They've seen hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cuts across the industry already and more are likely to come.
X Factor rates drops
The number of viewers watching the opening episode of this year's X Factor series has fallen by well over one million, in comparison to last year.
Overnight viewing figures revealed an average of 7.6 million tuned in to watch the 12th series launch, with new judges Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw.
The show dominated Saturday night TV, with nearly 40% of viewers tuning in.
An average of 8.9 million people watched the opening episode on the same weekend last year.
Last year, the talent show faced competition from BBC One's Doctor Who, with the newly arrived Peter Capaldi.
This year, it was scheduled opposite the National Lottery: Five Star Family Reunion and Casualty, which achieved audience figures of 2.7 million and 4.1 million respectively.
India Economy Slowly Growing
India's economy grew at an annual rate of 7% between April and June, official figures have shown.
This is slower than the 7.5% growth recorded for the previous quarter, and lower than expected.
India and China - which also posted 7% growth in the second quarter - are now the joint fastest growing major economies in the world.
But some economists have expressed concerns that India's official figures do not accurately reflect true growth.
"At face value, today's GDP figures for [the second quarter] suggest that India matched China as the world's fastest-growing major economy last quarter," said Shilan Shah at Capital Economics.
"But the GDP data remain inconsistent with numerous other indicators which suggest that, at best, the economy is in the early stages of recovery after three years of tepid growth.
"The official GDP data are overstating the strength of the economy, most probably by a significant margin."