Flushing Meadows darling Del Potro thanks crowd for epic win

Juan Martin Del Potro produced a stunning comeback to reach the U.S. Open quarter-finals on Monday, a feat he believes was impossible without the backing of a partisan crowd.

The Argentine, who lifted the trophy in New York in 2009, has been a Flushing Meadows favorite and needed all the support he could get against Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem.

“I‘m getting good energy from the crowd in every match,” he had said before his 1-6 2-6 6-1 7-6(1) 6-4 win on Grandstand court.The 24th-seed, whose career has been plagued by multiple injuries, said he was about to retire when he drew some energy from the crowd as Thiem was cruising to victory.“I was thinking to retire in the middle of the second set because I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t move well,” said Del Potro, who called the doctor twice during the opening set.

“Dominic was dominating the match so easy.”Del Potro started to play better, and a break early in the third set gave him the extra confidence he needed to believe in his chances.

Source: Flushing Meadows darling Del Potro thanks crowd for epic win

BREAKING: Two more arrests connected to Manchester suicide bombing

BREAKING

Two more men were arrested in Manchester this morning after police carried out raids in the city – bringing the total number in custody to eight.

One man was detained when officers searched a property in Withington, south Manchester.

The second man was arrested in another part of the city – just days after Salman Abedi, 22, detonated an improvised explosive device at Manchester Arena.

Police also carried out an armed raid on a block of flats in Blackley, in the north of the city, and a woman was held but later released without charge.

Islamic State, now being driven from territories in Syria and Iraq by Western-backed armed forces, claimed responsibility for the attack on Monday night.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: ‘This morning we have been carrying out searches at an address in the Withington area and a man has been arrested.

These searches are connected to Monday’s attack on the Manchester Arena, but this is a fast moving investigation and we are keeping an open mind at this stage.

‘Another man has also been arrested in the Manchester area this morning in connection with the investigation, bringing the total number of men in custody to eight.

‘A woman who was arrested in Blackley on Wednesday evening has since been released without charge.’

It comes as police made a string of arrests in connection with Monday’s terror attack.

Among those arrested in the city yesterday were an uncle of suicide bomber Salman Abedi, while the killer’s mother is also reported to be in police custody.

Officers fear that a bombmaker could still be at large after a search of a flat used by Abedi in the city centre yielded no traces of explosives used in the attack.

Abedi’s brother, Ismail, was the first person to be arrested in connection with the atrocity on Tuesday. He is still being questioned by detectives.

Armed police and troops carried out raids in Manchester, Wigan and Nuneaton in Warwickshire yesterday, while authorities in Libya arrested Abedi’s father and younger brother.

Officers found explosives which could be used for imminent attacks, but The Independent reports that more explosives could still be unaccounted for by police.

Chief constable Ian Hopkins said it is ‘very clear’ that police are investigating ‘a network’ linked to the bomber.

Early today a controlled explosion was carried out during a raid in Manchester’s Moss Side district.

Source: Two more arrests connected to Manchester suicide bombing | Daily Mail Online

ADF soldier guilty of sexually assaulting 4 officers continues to serve – only fined $700

A Non-Commissioned officer in the Australian Defence Force was found guilty of sexually assaulting four of their superior officers earlier this year.

As punishment, he was fined only $700 and dropped just one rank.

A clipping from the Army News reveals the light punishment for the offender, which saw $2800 of their $3500 fine suspended, leaving the total owing at $700.

It is in stark contrast to two other rulings for the month of March, one which saw an Officer dismissed for going AWOL for eight days, and another which saw an Officer who embezzled $27,000 dismissed, jailed for 180 days and fined almost the full amount they stole.

The court ruling for the NCO explains: ‘The member was accused of assaulting four superior officers, by touching three of the officers on an intimate place and by an intimate act on the other superior officer.’

The member was also accused of an act of indecency on one of the superior officers.

‘The member pleaded guilty to the charges and was found guilty of the charges.

‘The member was reduced in rank by one rank and fined $3500 (with $2800 suspended and the balance to be paid in one lump sum).’

In 2015, it was revealed 22 members of the Australian Defence Force accused of rape were still serving or employed within Defence.

Of this number, revealed in published answers to a Senate Estimates hearing, the Department of Defence revealed 11 members were serving in the Navy, nine were in the Army, one in the Air Force and one serving in the Australian Public Service.

The highest rank of a permanent Defence Force member accused of rape is a Colonel equivalent, and their rape allegation is more than 20 years old, though the Department claim it only came to light in 2015.

Allegations of sexual abuse within the Defence Force stretch back decades and are constantly emerging.

In 2011, Australian Defence Force Academy Cadet Daniel McDonald, then 21, filmed himself having sex with a female cadet without her knowledge.

The video was broadcast to a number of other colleagues, and McDonald was sentenced to two year-long good behaviour bonds by the ACT Supreme Court.

During his trial, McDonald’s bail conditions were loosened to allow him to continue studying at ADFA, provided he did not come within five metres of the woman involved.

He was not sacked until November 2013, when he was found guilty by a court, though he had been suspended since June 28 that year.

In 2013, the Jedi Council – which saw members of the ADF circulate videos and images of women they had slept with – came to light.

Accompanying the clips were often derogatory comments which included personal details about the women.

Ringleader Hastings Fredrickson, who dubbed himself the Wolf of Woolloomooloo, was sentenced to a 15-month sentence for his actions, but spent no time behind bars.

In response, then-Chief of Army David Morrison released a viral YouTube Video addressing the allegations.

In the sternly worded clip he said: ‘Those who think it is okay to behave in a way that demeans or exploits their colleagues have no place in this Army.

He noted female soldiers were ‘vital to us maintaining our capability now and into the future’.

‘If that does not suit you, then get out,’ he said in the address to Defence personnel.

‘You may find another employer where your attitude and behaviour is acceptable but I doubt it.’

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Defence for comment.

Source: Army officer guilty of sexual assault fined just $700 | Daily Mail Online

Trump, Turnbull engage in lovefest

Donald Trump was late for the party, but nobody seemed to mind.

Mr Trump kept Malcolm Turnbull waiting for three hours for their scheduled meeting, but the Australian Prime Minister enthusiastically appeared to lap up every moment with the US president in New York on Thursday.

Mr Trump reciprocated with kind words for Mr Turnbull and Australia.

Both leaders wanted the world to see during their night out on the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier they were mates, despite a Washington Post report that Mr Trump had described their testy January phone call as the “worst call by far.”

“We get along great. We had a very, very good call,” the president said.

“It was a little bit of fake news – that’s the expression.”

Mr Turnbull agreed.

“Exactly right,” the prime minister said.

The refugee deal struck with the Obama administration that reportedly so upset the president was now “all worked out”, Mr Trump said.

Mr Trump and Mr Turnbull were scheduled to meet three hours earlier in Manhattan’s Peninsula Hotel, but the president scored the biggest victory of his 100 or so days in the White House when the US House of Representatives voted to repeal Obamacare on Thursday.

Mr Trump stayed longer in Washington DC to hold a press event to celebrate the win and the delayed meeting was switched to the Intrepid, where a black tie event honouring the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea against the Japanese was held.

Seven Australian and US veterans of the World War II battle, all aged in their 90s and some in wheelchairs, were celebrated.

The event, organised by the American Australian Association, raised $US2.5 million for college scholarships for Australian and US veterans.

Golfer Greg Norman, News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch and actor John Travolta were among the 700 guests.

First Lady Melania Trump sat between her husband and Australian billionaire businessman Anthony Pratt, who announced during the event Pratt Industries would spend $US2 billion in the US to create 5000 high-paying jobs.

Mr Pratt said Mr Trump had made “America the greatest place in the world to manufacture”.

Mr Trump gave him a standing ovation, but later had a dig.

“That’s peanuts for Anthony,” Mr Trump said.

“You can do better than that.”

Mr Pratt is apparently only one of the many friends Mr Trump has in Australia and the president vowed to visit.

“One of the great, great places,” he enthused.

“I have so many friends there. I will be there. We will be there absolutely.”

Before the event Mr Trump and Mr Turnbull spent 40 minutes in private together and were joined by their wives towards the end of the meeting.

Their meeting was described as “very warm, lengthy and productive” discussing national, regional and global security including the threat posed by North Korea.

During his address Mr Trump went off script and back to that phone call.

“We really didn’t have a rough phone call,” he said.

But, with a twinkle in his eye, he conceded it may have got a little rough.

“It got a little bit testy, but that’s OK,” the president said.

“We have a very good relationship and I’m very proud of the relationship.

“Thank you very much Malcolm.”

Source: Trump, Turnbull engage in lovefest | Perth Now