'Our time is now': I’m running for office because of George Floyd Image copyright Getty Images The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers has sparked a movement to close racial divides worldwide. But for Zina Fizer, who lives and works in the city where Mr Floyd was killed, the flashpoint for what is now a global movement is acutely personal. Racing Post to temporarily suspend publication of print edition The Racing Post, the sport’s trade newspaper, will “temporarily suspend” publication of its print edition from Friday, leaving a number of its journalists “temporarily stood down” while the operation’s news service continues online. The Racing Post launched in April 1986 and has been the sport’s only daily newspaper for most of the 22 years since the closure of the Sporting Life in 1998. It also produces a separate print edition for display on the walls of Britain’s 7,000 betting shops. The closure of all shops earlier this week as a result of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus, along with the end of racing behind closed doors in Ireland, appear to be behind the decision to suspend print operations. “I know many of you will share our enormous disappointment that this is the last edition of the Racing Post for a while,” Kerr says in his letter to readers. “At some point in the coming weeks or months, when the worst of this disease has passed, horse racing will resume.
As Trump refuses to commit to a peaceful transition, Pentagon stresses it will play no role in the election "The Constitution and laws of the US and the states establish procedures for carrying out elections, and for resolving disputes over the outcome of elections ... I do not see the US military as part of this process," Milley said in the letter to two members of the House Armed Services Committee. "In the event of a dispute over some aspect of the elections, by law U.S. courts and the U.S. Congress are required to resolve any disputes, not the U.S. Military," Milley added.
Jamaal Bowman: Political newcomer shakes up NY 'status quo' Image copyright Reuters A political newcomer in New York has sent a shockwave through the Democratic party establishment by declaring victory over a 31-year incumbent. Jamaal Bowman, 44, a former Bronx school principal, has a solid lead over Eliot Engel in the 16th district. His campaign is being likened to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's stunning victory in a neighbouring New York congressional district two years ago. Final results may take weeks, but Mr Bowman's lead appears insurmountable.
Coronavirus: 'Nature is sending us a message’, says UN environment chief Nature is sending us a message with the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing climate crisis, according to the UN’s environment chief, Inger Andersen. Andersen said humanity was placing too many pressures on the natural world with damaging consequences, and warned that failing to take care of the planet meant not taking care of ourselves. Leading scientists also said the Covid-19 outbreak was a “clear warning shot”, given that far more deadly diseases existed in wildlife, and that today’s civilisation was “playing with fire”. They said it was almost always human behaviour that caused diseases to spill over into humans. CNN Poll: Most say winner of November presidential election should choose the next Supreme Court justice That finding comes as a plurality of the public says that President Donald Trump's choices for the court have changed it for the worse (38% say so) and most disapprove (at 54%) of the Senate's rules changes that have allowed Supreme Court nominees to move forward to a vote with the support from a simple majority rather than the traditional 60 votes. All told, 59% say the winner of the upcoming presidential election should choose the person to fill Ginsburg's seat, including 97% of Democrats, 59% of independents and 17% of Republicans. In March 2016, opinions broke the other way, with 57% saying that President Barack Obama should have been the one to fill the vacancy created by the death of Antonin Scalia rather than the president elected in November. In the new poll, 41% say Trump should make an appointment to the seat now. Asked to rate the ideological leanings of the current court, 44% say it is about right, 34% too conservative and 22% too liberal.
Gas Forge He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger is immoral. Why? Because anger looks to the good of justice. Johanna Konta dwelling on uncertain future with Olympics delay Tennis, already frozen in the sunshine, took another hit on Tuesday – along with the rest of sport – when the Tokyo Olympics were postponed, and Johanna Konta is feeling the chill more than some. The British No 1 is no more than “hopeful” about Wimbledon, which is due to start on 29 June, shortly before the now delayed Olympics. Konta, still working through rehab on a knee injury that has slowed her progress for more than a year, said: “Even just a few weeks ago, who knew we would be in this situation, constantly changing – and changing rapidly? Everyone is hopeful that the constant change could bring us a change for the better as well.” The men’s and women’s tours, already shut down until 7 June with only a tentative commitment to resume in time for Wimbledon, now have seen the non-grand-slam centrepiece of their season crumble.
Michael Williams: Four arrested after Black man's body found burning in a ditch in Grinnell, Iowa One of men arrested, 31-year-old Steven Vogel, who is White, was already in jail on unrelated charges and is now facing charges of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Just after 5:30 p.m. last Wednesday, authorities received a report of a fire in a roadside ditch near the small city of Kellogg in central Iowa. Responding personnel found a body on fire and put out the flames. The dead man was identified as 44-year-old Michael Williams of Grinnell, authorities said.
John Bolton: Trump sought Xi's help with re-election Image copyright Reuters US President Donald Trump tried to get China's Xi Jinping to help him secure re-election, ex-National Security Adviser John Bolton's new book says. Mr Bolton says Mr Trump wanted China to buy agricultural produce from US farmers, according to details of the forthcoming book previewed by US media. Trippin’ out on olives: a food lover’s guide to the Peloponnese When I first went to Greece, some 30 years ago, I was a teenage backpacker and survived on biscuits and scrumped (delicious) lemons. I didn’t discover the joys of Greek food until I lived there as an English teacher after university. At the time supermarkets, such as they were, only sold canned and frozen food. I had to develop a new way of shopping: in markets, grocers and butchers, buying what was fresh, local and in season. This seems unremarkable now but for a South London boy at the time it was a revelation. It took me a few days to develop the courage to even buy tomatoes.