President Obama nominates Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court

President Obama on Wednesday nominated Merrick Garland to serve on the Supreme Court, setting up a protracted political fight with Republicans who have vowed to block any candidate picked by Obama in his final year in office.

Garland, 63, is a longtime Washington lawyer and jurist who is chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Considered a moderate, Garland is widely respected in the D.C. legal community and was also a finalist for the first two Supreme Court vacancies Obama filled.

[LIVE updates on Obama’s pick: Reactions from the GOP and more]

In announcing his choice in the White House Rose Garden, Obama said he followed “a rigorous and comprehensive process” and that he reached out to members of both parties, legal associations and advocacy groups to gauge opinions from “across the spectrum.”

He said Garland “is widely recognized not only as one of America’s sharpest legal minds, but someone who brings to his work a spirit of decency, modesty, integrity, even-handedness and excellence.”

With Garland standing by his side, Obama said choosing a replacement for the late justice Antonin Scalia, who died suddenly last month, is “not a responsibility that I take lightly.”

“I said I would take this process seriously, and I did,” the president said. “I chose a serious man and an exemplary judge.”

“To find someone with such a long career in public service, marked by complex and sensitive issues, to find someone who just about everyone not only respects but genuinely likes, that is rare,” Obama said. “And it speaks to who Merrick Garland is, not just as lawyer but as a man.”

Despite “a political season that is even noisier and more volatile than usual,” Obama urged the Senate to take up the nomination, saying that lawmakers should treat the process “with the seriousness and care it deserves.”

After Obama introduced him, Garland promptly became emotional as he thanked the president. “This is the greatest honor of my life,” Garland said, “other than Lynn agreeing to marry me 28 years ago.”

He added that “a life of public service is as much a gift to the person who serves as it is to those he is serving. And for me, there can be no higher public service than serving as a member of the United States Supreme Court.”

Seven sitting Republican senators voted to confirm Garland in 1997: Dan Coats (Ind.), Thad Cochran (Miss.), Susan Collins (Maine), Orrin Hatch (Utah), James M. Inhofe (Okla.), John McCain (Ariz.), and Pat Roberts (Kan.).

GOP lawmakers, though, have said since Scalia’s death that Obama should leave the choice of a new justice to his successor and that they have no intention of holding a hearing or a vote on the president’s pick.

Speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon, Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said “the next Supreme Court justice could dramatically change the direction of the court” and Americans deserved to “weigh in” before that happens.

Garland is a Chicago native who graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. After becoming a partner at the law firm Arnold & Porter, he joined the Justice Department, where he handled the drug investigation of then-D.C. Mayor Marion Barry as an assistant U.S. attorney in the District.

Ascending the ranks, Garland became principal associate deputy attorney general, where he supervised the massive investigations that led to the prosecutions of the Unabomber and the bombers of the federal building in Oklahoma City.

Garland was appointed to the D.C. federal appeals court by President Bill Clinton in April 1997 and confirmed on a 76-to-23 vote. In February 2013, Garland became chief judge of the D.C. federal appeals court.

[Meet Merrick Garland: Here’s his story]

Jamie Gorelick, a former deputy attorney general who worked with Garland at the Justice Department in the Clinton administration, considers her former colleague “supremely qualified” for the high court.

Gorelick praised Garland’s role at the Justice Department in supervising the Unabomber and Oklahoma City investigations.

“We had a lot of very seasoned prosecutors, but when you have a matter that is both substantively difficult and cuts across the department, a really talented person such as Merrick will lead those,” said Gorelick. She added that Garland is a “brilliant lawyer and judge” who is known to be highly collegial even with colleagues across the ideological spectrum.

Initial reaction from interest groups supportive of the president was mixed. National Organization for Women President Terry O’Neill praised Garland for “ a rigorous intellect, impeccable credentials, and a record of excellence.”

But she also said his record on women’s rights was “more or less a blank slate. Equally unfortunate is that we have to continue to wait for the first African American woman to be named. For this nomination, the so-called political experts ruled that the best choice for the highest court in the nation was a cipher — a real nowhere man.”

[The Fix: Republicans won’t confirm Garland]

A four-page document circulated Tuesday afternoon among a small group of the administration’s allies, with the heading, “Read What Republicans Had to Say About President Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee, Merrick Garland, Before He Was President Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee,” highlighted the support he has enjoyed from lawmakers in the past.

“Garland has had a distinguished legal career, and prior to the GOP’s historically unprecedented obstruction, was a favorite of Senate Republicans alongside progressives,” the briefing material says. “When earlier Supreme Court vacancies occurred in the seats now filled by Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch said he would be ‘very well supported by all sides’ as a SCOTUS nominee.”

The document notes that when Obama was filling the first Supreme Court vacancy of his tenure, Hatch was quoted at the time as saying that Garland would be a “consensus nominee” who “would be very well supported by all sides.” The briefing material includes previous descriptions of Garland by leading news organizations as a potential nominee who would attract support of Democrats and Republicans alike.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Garland’s colleague on the D.C. Circuit, once said that “anytime Judge Garland disagrees, you know you’re in a difficult area.”

Democrats are also preparing to make the Republicans’ opposition to filling the vacancy an issue in the fall election. Speaking in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday night, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton said in her victory speech that one of the reasons the presidential race matters so much is because the Supreme Court appointment has such enormous policy implications.

“Together, we have to defend all of our rights — civil rights and voting rights, worker’s rights and women’s rights, LGBT rights and rights for people with disabilities — and that starts by standing with President Obama when he nominates a justice to the Supreme Court,” she said, prompting large cheers from the crowd.

[Brace yourself for a long battle about the future of the court]

While the question of who sits on the nation’s highest court is not traditionally a top-tier election issue, Democrats are hoping to use it as part of a broader narrative about Republican resistance to the president’s policies.

David Greenberg, a professor of history and journalism and media studies at Rutgers University, noted that Richard Nixon first elevated the Supreme Court as an electoral issue in 1968, when he attacked then-Chief Justice Earl Warren and his fellow justices.

“It was putting a liberal-dominated court at the center of the liberal establishment he was attacking,” Greenberg said, for “bringing about all these cultural changes” in the country.

At the moment, more Americans appear to be sympathetic to the White House’s argument. Sixty-three percent of Americans said the Senate should hold hearings on Obama’s nominee to replace Scalia, while 32 percent said it should not hold hearings and leave it to the next president, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released last week. Majorities of Democrats and independents supported holding hearings, while Republicans were more evenly split (46-49) and over half of conservative Republicans said hearings should not be held (54 percent).

Administration officials are hopeful that the GOP senators who are most vulnerable this November — Sens. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Mark Kirk (Ill.) and Pat Toomey (Penn.) — may lobby their leaders for a vote if they come under fire back home for blocking the nominee.

“The success or failure of this will depend on the pressure that can be brought to bear on those senators who Mitch McConnell marched out to the firing line,” said one former senior administration official, who asked for anonymity in order to discuss internal White House deliberations.


President Obama nominates Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/1248329_1280x720.jpg

President Obama nominates Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court

President Obama on Wednesday nominated Merrick Garland to serve on the Supreme Court, setting up a protracted political fight with Republicans who have vowed to block any candidate picked by Obama in his final year in office.

Garland, 63, is a longtime Washington lawyer and jurist who is chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Considered a moderate, Garland is widely respected in the D.C. legal community and was also a finalist for the first two Supreme Court vacancies Obama filled.

[LIVE updates on Obama’s pick: Reactions from the GOP and more]

In announcing his choice in the White House Rose Garden, Obama said he followed “a rigorous and comprehensive process” and that he reached out to members of both parties, legal associations and advocacy groups to gauge opinions from “across the spectrum.”

He said Garland “is widely recognized not only as one of America’s sharpest legal minds, but someone who brings to his work a spirit of decency, modesty, integrity, even-handedness and excellence.”

With Garland standing by his side, Obama said choosing a replacement for the late justice Antonin Scalia, who died suddenly last month, is “not a responsibility that I take lightly.”

“I said I would take this process seriously, and I did,” the president said. “I chose a serious man and an exemplary judge.”

“To find someone with such a long career in public service, marked by complex and sensitive issues, to find someone who just about everyone not only respects but genuinely likes, that is rare,” Obama said. “And it speaks to who Merrick Garland is, not just as lawyer but as a man.”

Despite “a political season that is even noisier and more volatile than usual,” Obama urged the Senate to take up the nomination, saying that lawmakers should treat the process “with the seriousness and care it deserves.”

After Obama introduced him, Garland promptly became emotional as he thanked the president. “This is the greatest honor of my life,” Garland said, “other than Lynn agreeing to marry me 28 years ago.”

He added that “a life of public service is as much a gift to the person who serves as it is to those he is serving. And for me, there can be no higher public service than serving as a member of the United States Supreme Court.”

Seven sitting Republican senators voted to confirm Garland in 1997: Dan Coats (Ind.), Thad Cochran (Miss.), Susan Collins (Maine), Orrin Hatch (Utah), James M. Inhofe (Okla.), John McCain (Ariz.), and Pat Roberts (Kan.).

GOP lawmakers, though, have said since Scalia’s death that Obama should leave the choice of a new justice to his successor and that they have no intention of holding a hearing or a vote on the president’s pick.

Speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon, Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said “the next Supreme Court justice could dramatically change the direction of the court” and Americans deserved to “weigh in” before that happens.

Garland is a Chicago native who graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. After becoming a partner at the law firm Arnold & Porter, he joined the Justice Department, where he handled the drug investigation of then-D.C. Mayor Marion Barry as an assistant U.S. attorney in the District.

Ascending the ranks, Garland became principal associate deputy attorney general, where he supervised the massive investigations that led to the prosecutions of the Unabomber and the bombers of the federal building in Oklahoma City.

Garland was appointed to the D.C. federal appeals court by President Bill Clinton in April 1997 and confirmed on a 76-to-23 vote. In February 2013, Garland became chief judge of the D.C. federal appeals court.

[Meet Merrick Garland: Here’s his story]

Jamie Gorelick, a former deputy attorney general who worked with Garland at the Justice Department in the Clinton administration, considers her former colleague “supremely qualified” for the high court.

Gorelick praised Garland’s role at the Justice Department in supervising the Unabomber and Oklahoma City investigations.

“We had a lot of very seasoned prosecutors, but when you have a matter that is both substantively difficult and cuts across the department, a really talented person such as Merrick will lead those,” said Gorelick. She added that Garland is a “brilliant lawyer and judge” who is known to be highly collegial even with colleagues across the ideological spectrum.

Initial reaction from interest groups supportive of the president was mixed. National Organization for Women President Terry O’Neill praised Garland for “ a rigorous intellect, impeccable credentials, and a record of excellence.”

But she also said his record on women’s rights was “more or less a blank slate. Equally unfortunate is that we have to continue to wait for the first African American woman to be named. For this nomination, the so-called political experts ruled that the best choice for the highest court in the nation was a cipher — a real nowhere man.”

[The Fix: Republicans won’t confirm Garland]

A four-page document circulated Tuesday afternoon among a small group of the administration’s allies, with the heading, “Read What Republicans Had to Say About President Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee, Merrick Garland, Before He Was President Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee,” highlighted the support he has enjoyed from lawmakers in the past.

“Garland has had a distinguished legal career, and prior to the GOP’s historically unprecedented obstruction, was a favorite of Senate Republicans alongside progressives,” the briefing material says. “When earlier Supreme Court vacancies occurred in the seats now filled by Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch said he would be ‘very well supported by all sides’ as a SCOTUS nominee.”

The document notes that when Obama was filling the first Supreme Court vacancy of his tenure, Hatch was quoted at the time as saying that Garland would be a “consensus nominee” who “would be very well supported by all sides.” The briefing material includes previous descriptions of Garland by leading news organizations as a potential nominee who would attract support of Democrats and Republicans alike.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Garland’s colleague on the D.C. Circuit, once said that “anytime Judge Garland disagrees, you know you’re in a difficult area.”

Democrats are also preparing to make the Republicans’ opposition to filling the vacancy an issue in the fall election. Speaking in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday night, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton said in her victory speech that one of the reasons the presidential race matters so much is because the Supreme Court appointment has such enormous policy implications.

“Together, we have to defend all of our rights — civil rights and voting rights, worker’s rights and women’s rights, LGBT rights and rights for people with disabilities — and that starts by standing with President Obama when he nominates a justice to the Supreme Court,” she said, prompting large cheers from the crowd.

[Brace yourself for a long battle about the future of the court]

While the question of who sits on the nation’s highest court is not traditionally a top-tier election issue, Democrats are hoping to use it as part of a broader narrative about Republican resistance to the president’s policies.

David Greenberg, a professor of history and journalism and media studies at Rutgers University, noted that Richard Nixon first elevated the Supreme Court as an electoral issue in 1968, when he attacked then-Chief Justice Earl Warren and his fellow justices.

“It was putting a liberal-dominated court at the center of the liberal establishment he was attacking,” Greenberg said, for “bringing about all these cultural changes” in the country.

At the moment, more Americans appear to be sympathetic to the White House’s argument. Sixty-three percent of Americans said the Senate should hold hearings on Obama’s nominee to replace Scalia, while 32 percent said it should not hold hearings and leave it to the next president, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released last week. Majorities of Democrats and independents supported holding hearings, while Republicans were more evenly split (46-49) and over half of conservative Republicans said hearings should not be held (54 percent).

Administration officials are hopeful that the GOP senators who are most vulnerable this November — Sens. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Mark Kirk (Ill.) and Pat Toomey (Penn.) — may lobby their leaders for a vote if they come under fire back home for blocking the nominee.

“The success or failure of this will depend on the pressure that can be brought to bear on those senators who Mitch McConnell marched out to the firing line,” said one former senior administration official, who asked for anonymity in order to discuss internal White House deliberations.




News, nominates Merrick Garland, President Obama, President Obama nominates Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, to the Supreme Court, World, world news

US election 2016: Obama warns against campaign anger

US President Barack Obama has warned White House contenders to avoid raising tensions, a day after a rally by Donald Trump was called off amid clashes.

Mr Obama said candidates should not resort to “insults” and “certainly not violence against other Americans”.

Mr Trump, who leads the race for the Republican nomination, cancelled his Chicago rally after fighting broke out between his supporters and protesters.

His rivals and others have accused him of using inflammatory rhetoric.

What Trump says about protesters at his rallies

Why are Americans so angry?

How extreme is Donald Trump?

Could Trump’s vulgarity cost him the nomination?

Later on Saturday, Mr Trump suffered heavy defeats in Republican caucuses in Washington DC and Wyoming.

Mr Obama, who will be standing down next January following November’s presidential election, was speaking at a Democratic Party fundraiser in Dallas on Saturday.

He said: “What the folks who are running for office should be focused on is how we can make it even better – not insults and schoolyard taunts and manufacturing facts, not divisiveness along the lines of race and faith.”

Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.

Media captionDonald Trump was surrounded by security agents during an incident in Dayton, Ohio

The clashes at Mr Trump’s Chicago rally on Friday began more than an hour before the event was due to start, and continued after it was cancelled.

‘Tremendous anger’

On Saturday Mr Trump campaigned in Ohio, one of several key states – also including Florida and Ohio – holding primaries on Tuesday.

Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.

Media captionJedidiah Brown: “I was told to go back to Africa”

In Dayton, Ohio, he was briefly surrounded by Secret Service agents on stage after a man tried to breach the security cordon.

Mr Trump has taken a strong anti-immigrant stance, promising to build a “great wall” at the border with Mexico.

Commenting on relations between Muslims and America earlier this week, he said: “Islam hates us.”

Speaking to Fox News after Friday’s events in Chicago, Mr Trump denied fostering division.

“I represent a large group of people that have a lot of anger,” he said. “There is tremendous anger out there on both sides.”

Mr Trump’s rivals for the Republican nomination, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, have both called the incident “sad”.

Texas Senator Cruz accused Mr Trump of creating “an environment that only encourages this sort of nasty discourse”.

Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.

Media captionTrump supporter Ryan James Girdusky says he is sad to see what happened in Chicago

Mr Rubio and another Republican challenger, John Kasich, suggested they might not rally behind Mr Trump if he wins the nomination.

Mr Rubio said it was “getting harder every day” to keep his promise to unite behind the eventual Republican nominee.

Mr Kasich said Mr Trump’s rhetoric “makes it very difficult” to support him.

On Saturday, Mr Cruz won a convincing victory in the Wyoming caucus, while Mr Rubio narrowly defeated Mr Kasich in Washington DC. Mr Trump came a distant third in both contests.

Mr Cruz also won on the island territory of Guam.

In the Democratic race. Vermont senator Bernie Sanders is continuing his challenge against frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

Mrs Clinton won the first ever Democrats’ vote in the Northern Mariana Islands.


US election 2016: Obama warns against campaign anger

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/88744983_031945321-1.jpg

US election 2016: Obama warns against campaign anger

US President Barack Obama has warned White House contenders to avoid raising tensions, a day after a rally by Donald Trump was called off amid clashes.

Mr Obama said candidates should not resort to “insults” and “certainly not violence against other Americans”.

Mr Trump, who leads the race for the Republican nomination, cancelled his Chicago rally after fighting broke out between his supporters and protesters.

His rivals and others have accused him of using inflammatory rhetoric.

What Trump says about protesters at his rallies

Why are Americans so angry?

How extreme is Donald Trump?

Could Trump’s vulgarity cost him the nomination?

Later on Saturday, Mr Trump suffered heavy defeats in Republican caucuses in Washington DC and Wyoming.

Mr Obama, who will be standing down next January following November’s presidential election, was speaking at a Democratic Party fundraiser in Dallas on Saturday.

He said: “What the folks who are running for office should be focused on is how we can make it even better – not insults and schoolyard taunts and manufacturing facts, not divisiveness along the lines of race and faith.”

Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.

Media captionDonald Trump was surrounded by security agents during an incident in Dayton, Ohio

The clashes at Mr Trump’s Chicago rally on Friday began more than an hour before the event was due to start, and continued after it was cancelled.

‘Tremendous anger’

On Saturday Mr Trump campaigned in Ohio, one of several key states – also including Florida and Ohio – holding primaries on Tuesday.

Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.

Media captionJedidiah Brown: “I was told to go back to Africa”

In Dayton, Ohio, he was briefly surrounded by Secret Service agents on stage after a man tried to breach the security cordon.

Mr Trump has taken a strong anti-immigrant stance, promising to build a “great wall” at the border with Mexico.

Commenting on relations between Muslims and America earlier this week, he said: “Islam hates us.”

Speaking to Fox News after Friday’s events in Chicago, Mr Trump denied fostering division.

“I represent a large group of people that have a lot of anger,” he said. “There is tremendous anger out there on both sides.”

Mr Trump’s rivals for the Republican nomination, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, have both called the incident “sad”.

Texas Senator Cruz accused Mr Trump of creating “an environment that only encourages this sort of nasty discourse”.

Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.

Media captionTrump supporter Ryan James Girdusky says he is sad to see what happened in Chicago

Mr Rubio and another Republican challenger, John Kasich, suggested they might not rally behind Mr Trump if he wins the nomination.

Mr Rubio said it was “getting harder every day” to keep his promise to unite behind the eventual Republican nominee.

Mr Kasich said Mr Trump’s rhetoric “makes it very difficult” to support him.

On Saturday, Mr Cruz won a convincing victory in the Wyoming caucus, while Mr Rubio narrowly defeated Mr Kasich in Washington DC. Mr Trump came a distant third in both contests.

Mr Cruz also won on the island territory of Guam.

In the Democratic race. Vermont senator Bernie Sanders is continuing his challenge against frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

Mrs Clinton won the first ever Democrats’ vote in the Northern Mariana Islands.




against campaign, anger, News, obama, Obama warns, US election 2016, US election 2016: Obama warns against campaign anger, World, world news

Russia warns North Korea over threats of nuclear strike

One of Pyongyang’s few remaining allies says country is in danger of creating legal grounds for international military intervention. NK News reports

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered nuclear weapons to be readied.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered nuclear weapons to be readied. Photograph: Rodong Sinmun/EPA

Chad O’Carroll for NK News, part of the North Korea network

Russia has warned North Korea that threats to deliver “preventive nuclear strikes” could create a legal basis for the use of military force against the country, suggesting that even Pyongyang’s few remaining friends are growing concerned about its increasingly confrontational stance.

The Russian foreign ministry statement, which follows a North Korean threat to “annihilate” the US and South Korea, also criticises Washington and Seoul for launching the largest joint military drills yet to be held on the peninsula.

North Korea threatens to reduce US and South Korea to ‘flames and ash’

Read more

“We consider it to be absolutely impermissible to make public statements containing threats to deliver some ‘preventive nuclear strikes’ against opponents,” the Russian foreign ministry said in response to North Korea’s threats.

“Pyongyang should be aware of the fact that in this way the DPRK will become fully opposed to the international community and will create international legal grounds for using military force against itself in accordance with the right of a state to self-defense enshrined in the United Nations Charter,” continued the statement, translated by Itar Tass news agency.

Washington and Seoul launched their annual joint military exercises on the peninsula on Monday, stepping up the manoeuvres in response to North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in January and rocket launch in February.

North Korea and Russia forge ‘year of friendship’ pariah alliance

Read more

But while the statement said Moscow was opposed to the tone of North Korea’s response, it also said the scale of the American-South Korean joint exercise put “unprecedented … military and political pressure on Pyongyang”.

“Naturally, as a state, which is directly named as an object of this kind of military activities, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) cannot but feel reasonably concerned for its security,” the statement said.

Pyongyang had said the drills, which are set to run to the end of April, are rehearsals for invading.

Russia has historically had close relations with North Korea, making its warning that the country may be laying itself open to military action particularly notable.

But one observer said Moscow’s response could be expected, given the tone of North Korea’s recent public statements.

Advertisement

“Pyongyang should be learning that the types of threats they continue to make will have consequences,” said Daniel Pinkston, a Seoul-based North Korea researcher at Troy University.

“The security dilemma dynamics that the behaviour and rhetoric set in motion are making Son’gun Korea less secure, not more secure,” he said. “This is the flaw in their national security strategy, and it will continue to be exposed in the future.”

Another North Korea watcher said the statement might be better viewed as a warning to Pyongyang of what others might do, rather than Russian actions in particular.

“Russia is pointing out to North Korea that its inflammatory rhetoric risks giving its opponents – primarily South Korea and the US – just cause to pursue military action against it,” said regional expert Christopher Green.

Inter-Korean relations have worsened significantly in recent weeks, with Pyongyang showing particular sensitivity to the UN sanctions agreed last week.

A version of this article first appeared on NK News – North Korean news


Russia warns North Korea over threats of nuclear strike

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/2048.jpg

Russia warns North Korea over threats of nuclear strike

One of Pyongyang’s few remaining allies says country is in danger of creating legal grounds for international military intervention. NK News reports

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered nuclear weapons to be readied.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered nuclear weapons to be readied. Photograph: Rodong Sinmun/EPA

Chad O’Carroll for NK News, part of the North Korea network

Russia has warned North Korea that threats to deliver “preventive nuclear strikes” could create a legal basis for the use of military force against the country, suggesting that even Pyongyang’s few remaining friends are growing concerned about its increasingly confrontational stance.

The Russian foreign ministry statement, which follows a North Korean threat to “annihilate” the US and South Korea, also criticises Washington and Seoul for launching the largest joint military drills yet to be held on the peninsula.

North Korea threatens to reduce US and South Korea to ‘flames and ash’

Read more

“We consider it to be absolutely impermissible to make public statements containing threats to deliver some ‘preventive nuclear strikes’ against opponents,” the Russian foreign ministry said in response to North Korea’s threats.

“Pyongyang should be aware of the fact that in this way the DPRK will become fully opposed to the international community and will create international legal grounds for using military force against itself in accordance with the right of a state to self-defense enshrined in the United Nations Charter,” continued the statement, translated by Itar Tass news agency.

Washington and Seoul launched their annual joint military exercises on the peninsula on Monday, stepping up the manoeuvres in response to North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in January and rocket launch in February.

North Korea and Russia forge ‘year of friendship’ pariah alliance

Read more

But while the statement said Moscow was opposed to the tone of North Korea’s response, it also said the scale of the American-South Korean joint exercise put “unprecedented … military and political pressure on Pyongyang”.

“Naturally, as a state, which is directly named as an object of this kind of military activities, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) cannot but feel reasonably concerned for its security,” the statement said.

Pyongyang had said the drills, which are set to run to the end of April, are rehearsals for invading.

Russia has historically had close relations with North Korea, making its warning that the country may be laying itself open to military action particularly notable.

But one observer said Moscow’s response could be expected, given the tone of North Korea’s recent public statements.

Advertisement

“Pyongyang should be learning that the types of threats they continue to make will have consequences,” said Daniel Pinkston, a Seoul-based North Korea researcher at Troy University.

“The security dilemma dynamics that the behaviour and rhetoric set in motion are making Son’gun Korea less secure, not more secure,” he said. “This is the flaw in their national security strategy, and it will continue to be exposed in the future.”

Another North Korea watcher said the statement might be better viewed as a warning to Pyongyang of what others might do, rather than Russian actions in particular.

“Russia is pointing out to North Korea that its inflammatory rhetoric risks giving its opponents – primarily South Korea and the US – just cause to pursue military action against it,” said regional expert Christopher Green.

Inter-Korean relations have worsened significantly in recent weeks, with Pyongyang showing particular sensitivity to the UN sanctions agreed last week.

A version of this article first appeared on NK News – North Korean news




#Europe, #North Korea, #Nuclear, #Russia, #Russia warns North Korea over threats of nuclear strike, #South Korea #Asia Pacific, #weapons

Team Canada’s sweet 16 named for World Cup

An injury has kept Carey Price sidelined since November.

But Team Canada’s management team had no doubt the Montreal Canadiens star goaltender should be named to the initial 16-man roster for the World Cup of Hockey.

Price, 28, Chicago’s Corey Crawford, 31, and Washington’s Braden Holtby, 26, were named Wednesday as Canada’s three goalies when the eight nations named their preliminary list of 16 World Cup players.

The 23-man roster will be filled out in early June for the best-on-best tournament that kicks off in Toronto Sept. 17.

Team Canada GM Doug Armstrong said he talked to Price at the beginning of February about whether he wanted to be named; Price said yes.

“When healthy, he’s the No. 1 goalie on the planet,” Armstrong said. “We wanted to make sure he was comfortable with the decision.”

Armstrong added Price’s condition will be evaluated as the NHL season goes on.

“I don’t want to get the cart in front of the horse,” Armstrong said. “There is a lot of time left in the season.”

The goaltending is strong, with Crawford having won two Stanley Cups and Holtby closing in on 50 wins this season.

Heading Canada’s roster are two superstars who have struggled at various points this season: Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Chicago’s Jonathan Toews. The pair nonetheless were locks because of their proven track record of international success.

The rest of the names were no-brainers, too.

The selection of Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos had the element of redemption after an injury resulted in him being left off the 2014 gold-medal winning Olympic team in Sochi.

And the defence has the look of that Sochi lineup, and that was by design.

“We looked at that Sochi group and that might have best defensive group for an international competition,” Team Canada’s GM said. “They played as a group.”

No Subban? Reaction on Twitter

When picking the initial 16 players, Armstrong knew what Canada head coach Mike Babcock likes when it comes to short international competitions.

“Mike likes predictability,” Armstrong said. “He wants it so he can play a player in any situation. You can’t hide anyone and there are no good matchups when you are playing the Russians.”

Crosby had a slow start to his season but he’s caught fire lately. “I never really had a question that he would find his game,” Armstrong said.

He added that former Montreal star Bob Gainey, who had a long career, once told him every player, regardless of who it is, will have bad stretches.

“Don’t let one small portion overlook the rest,” Armstrong said. “Sidney is a great player. He’s not only going to be on the team, he’s going to be a huge part of the team.”

The experienced backline consists of San Jose’s Marc-Edouard Vlasic, 28, Los Angeles Kings’ Drew Doughty, 26, Chicago’s Duncan Keith, 32, and Nashville’s Shea Weber, 30.

Team Canada went for balance on the back end with two right-handed shots in Doughty and Weber; the others all are left-handed shots.

The forwards include Crosby, 28, Toews, 27, Stamkos, 26, Dallas Stars’ Jamie Benn, 26, and Tyler Seguin, 24, the New York Islanders’ John Tavares, 25, Boston’s Patrice Bergeron, 30, L.A.’s Jeff Carter, 31, and Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf, 30.

Armstrong was questioned why Anaheim star Corey Perry was left off the preliminary list. He said this list was finalized about a week ago, just before Perry got hot again.

“We couldn’t change the fine print,” Armstrong said with a laugh.

The decision on Carter was based on his play on a nightly basis, Armstrong said.

“It was based on his skating . . . based on Sochi,” he said.

The World Cup of Hockey is different from the Olympics in two important areas: the NHL-sized rink at the Air Canada Centre is smaller than the international ice surface, and players in the World Cup will have more prep time than was permitted in the compressed schedule of the Olympics.


Team Canada’s sweet 16 named for World Cup

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/kbworldcup003jpg.jpg.size_.xxlarge.letterbox.jpg

Team Canada’s sweet 16 named for World Cup

An injury has kept Carey Price sidelined since November.

But Team Canada’s management team had no doubt the Montreal Canadiens star goaltender should be named to the initial 16-man roster for the World Cup of Hockey.

Price, 28, Chicago’s Corey Crawford, 31, and Washington’s Braden Holtby, 26, were named Wednesday as Canada’s three goalies when the eight nations named their preliminary list of 16 World Cup players.

The 23-man roster will be filled out in early June for the best-on-best tournament that kicks off in Toronto Sept. 17.

Team Canada GM Doug Armstrong said he talked to Price at the beginning of February about whether he wanted to be named; Price said yes.

“When healthy, he’s the No. 1 goalie on the planet,” Armstrong said. “We wanted to make sure he was comfortable with the decision.”

Armstrong added Price’s condition will be evaluated as the NHL season goes on.

“I don’t want to get the cart in front of the horse,” Armstrong said. “There is a lot of time left in the season.”

The goaltending is strong, with Crawford having won two Stanley Cups and Holtby closing in on 50 wins this season.

Heading Canada’s roster are two superstars who have struggled at various points this season: Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Chicago’s Jonathan Toews. The pair nonetheless were locks because of their proven track record of international success.

The rest of the names were no-brainers, too.

The selection of Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos had the element of redemption after an injury resulted in him being left off the 2014 gold-medal winning Olympic team in Sochi.

And the defence has the look of that Sochi lineup, and that was by design.

“We looked at that Sochi group and that might have best defensive group for an international competition,” Team Canada’s GM said. “They played as a group.”

No Subban? Reaction on Twitter

When picking the initial 16 players, Armstrong knew what Canada head coach Mike Babcock likes when it comes to short international competitions.

“Mike likes predictability,” Armstrong said. “He wants it so he can play a player in any situation. You can’t hide anyone and there are no good matchups when you are playing the Russians.”

Crosby had a slow start to his season but he’s caught fire lately. “I never really had a question that he would find his game,” Armstrong said.

He added that former Montreal star Bob Gainey, who had a long career, once told him every player, regardless of who it is, will have bad stretches.

“Don’t let one small portion overlook the rest,” Armstrong said. “Sidney is a great player. He’s not only going to be on the team, he’s going to be a huge part of the team.”

The experienced backline consists of San Jose’s Marc-Edouard Vlasic, 28, Los Angeles Kings’ Drew Doughty, 26, Chicago’s Duncan Keith, 32, and Nashville’s Shea Weber, 30.

Team Canada went for balance on the back end with two right-handed shots in Doughty and Weber; the others all are left-handed shots.

The forwards include Crosby, 28, Toews, 27, Stamkos, 26, Dallas Stars’ Jamie Benn, 26, and Tyler Seguin, 24, the New York Islanders’ John Tavares, 25, Boston’s Patrice Bergeron, 30, L.A.’s Jeff Carter, 31, and Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf, 30.

Armstrong was questioned why Anaheim star Corey Perry was left off the preliminary list. He said this list was finalized about a week ago, just before Perry got hot again.

“We couldn’t change the fine print,” Armstrong said with a laugh.

The decision on Carter was based on his play on a nightly basis, Armstrong said.

“It was based on his skating . . . based on Sochi,” he said.

The World Cup of Hockey is different from the Olympics in two important areas: the NHL-sized rink at the Air Canada Centre is smaller than the international ice surface, and players in the World Cup will have more prep time than was permitted in the compressed schedule of the Olympics.




Canada's sweet names, News, Sweet 16 named, Team Canada’s sweet 16 named for World Cup, World Cup, World cup 2016, world news

Watch Xiaomi launch its new flagship phone live at Mobile World Congress

Buzzy Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi is making its first major appearance at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year. The company is set to unveil the Mi 5, its latest flagship smartphone, in what it calls a “Global Launch Event.” Could that naming, along with the event’s location, hint that Xiaomi might be looking to expand its borders further beyond Asia? It’d be a long shot, but you can tune into the live stream above to find out.

XIAOMI ANNOUNCES THE MI 5, ITS LATEST FLAGSHIP PHONE

Xiaomi rose to prominence a few years ago as one of the first companies to sell competent smartphones at extremely low prices, gathering a large user base with the intention of hooking people on a broader ecosystem. Hype around the company peaked in late 2014, when it was valued at a staggering $46 billion.

THE PRESSURE IS ON

Amid an overall slowdown in China, however, Xiaomi has recently missed sales targets in China and failed to prove the viability of its service-based business model, casting doubt over how much further the company can grow and how long its users will stick around. It faces significant logistical difficulties launching phones abroad, and telecoms giant Huawei in particular has proven a major threat at home, using scale to outmuscle Xiaomi at the high end and introducing its similarly nimble, inexpensive Honor brand at the low.

The pressure is on, then, for Xiaomi’s biggest event of 2016. The presentation itself begins at 3AM ET / 9AM CET, 55 minutes after the company starts broadcasting its live stream.


Watch Xiaomi launch its new flagship phone live at Mobile World Congress

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/xiaomi-mi-note-1847.0.0.jpg

Watch Xiaomi launch its new flagship phone live at Mobile World Congress

Buzzy Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi is making its first major appearance at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year. The company is set to unveil the Mi 5, its latest flagship smartphone, in what it calls a “Global Launch Event.” Could that naming, along with the event’s location, hint that Xiaomi might be looking to expand its borders further beyond Asia? It’d be a long shot, but you can tune into the live stream above to find out.

XIAOMI ANNOUNCES THE MI 5, ITS LATEST FLAGSHIP PHONE

Xiaomi rose to prominence a few years ago as one of the first companies to sell competent smartphones at extremely low prices, gathering a large user base with the intention of hooking people on a broader ecosystem. Hype around the company peaked in late 2014, when it was valued at a staggering $46 billion.

THE PRESSURE IS ON

Amid an overall slowdown in China, however, Xiaomi has recently missed sales targets in China and failed to prove the viability of its service-based business model, casting doubt over how much further the company can grow and how long its users will stick around. It faces significant logistical difficulties launching phones abroad, and telecoms giant Huawei in particular has proven a major threat at home, using scale to outmuscle Xiaomi at the high end and introducing its similarly nimble, inexpensive Honor brand at the low.

The pressure is on, then, for Xiaomi’s biggest event of 2016. The presentation itself begins at 3AM ET / 9AM CET, 55 minutes after the company starts broadcasting its live stream.

‘ The Walking Dead ’ Recap: Season 6, Episode 10, ‘The New World’

There’s a new power couple in Alexandria.

“The New World,” this week’s episode of “The Walking Dead,” was so different tonally from its predecessor, “No Way Out,” you could be forgiven if you thought you were watching a completely different zombie show. While last week was a grim, dark, epic fight for survival, “The New World” is almost a post-apocalyptic version of “Leave It to Beaver.” Not that it was worse because of that. Just, different. Like, very different.

More In The Walking Dead

‘Walking Dead’ Star Danai Gurira Dissects Michonne and Rick’s Relationship

‘Walking Dead’ Star Chandler Riggs on This Week’s Brutal Episode and Carl’s Future

‘The Walking Dead’ Recap: Season 6, Episode 9, ‘No Way Out’

Prep For ‘The Walking Dead’ Return With Zombie Valentines

‘The Walking Dead’ Trailer Teases Its February Midseason Premiere

“Carl, don’t bounce that ball in the house.”

“Doctor says its for PT.”

“Oh, yes, because you had your eye blown out during the zombie rampage by the son of the guy I killed whose wife and brother got eaten alive in front of him.” Just like Ward and the Beaver used to do it, right?

It’s a jolt, no doubt. The cold open portrays domestic bliss in the Alexandria Safe Zone. Rick is smiling. Smiling, a happy guy notching a new hole in his belt (what, is he losing more weight?) while a radio somewhere plays the old Boston classic “More Than a Feeling.” Michonne’s just out of the shower and asking for toothpaste. Carl’s playing with a ball. Judith is being a baby. This is, apparently, the new world, the one that Rick promised Carl. It seems like a dream, like Rick is going to wake up in the middle of a dark, wracked countryside surrounded by the undead, or something similarly desperate. But no. The scene never dissolves. It’s real.

Of course, that’s nothing compared to the surprise at the close, but let’s hold off on that for now. There’s only so much the system can absorb at one time.

Weeks have passed since the great Battle of Alexandria, and the town has regained a modicum of normalcy. This is, indeed, the new world, and it might be as stable as Alexandria has been since even before the Grimes clan arrived. The corpses of the undead have been cleared away, the fire put out, the streets cleaned. The wall has been repaired, and expanded (the Bible-Glock church is now inside the walls). It almost seems like an entirely different town in an entirely different show.

Related: Star Danai Gurira Dissects Michonne and Rick’s Relationship

Part of that is the time element. The first nine episodes this season covered a period of only a few days. During some stretches, in fact, the whole thing seemed to occurring in real time. It resulted in the kind of engrossing, intense story that pulled the viewer out of their seat. “The New World” is a complete departure, and whether or not this is just to lull the viewer into a false sense of security until the next ultra-violent baddie appears, it’s here now. The apocalypse is just another day at the office.

Curiously, this leap forward glosses over the reunion of Glenn and Maggie. After making that such a large part of the story, it’s odd to not see Glaggie reunited. We haven’t, in fact, seem them together at all. Is that part of the new world, too?

For Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon, a day at the office means taking a pretty well maintained Chrysler out into the deserted countryside for a supply run. They’re mainly looking for medical supplies and food. Eugene advises them to seek out the “criminally underrated grain” sorghum. Denise wants some pop for Tara, who talks about it in her sleep. They haven’t seen anybody in weeks; Daryl thinks maybe they won’t see anybody.

(The song Rick loves and Daryl hates is an old rockabilly tune, “Action Packed,” the Ronnie Dee Dawson version. “When I take a ride in my car, I let ‘er roll; hear me, I said I let ‘er roll.”)

Right there, in fact, would be a good time to tell Rick about Negan. Does Rick know about the incident in the road with the goons? In all the excitement, did Abraham, Sasha, and Daryl forget about that one? You’d think it’d be a notable detail, given this group’s history with psychotic killers, that some guy named Negan has his bikers staking out the roads outside Alexandria, robbing and shooting people. But the topic is not mentioned once.

Now, in fact, is not a bad time to take stock of what’s really out there, and we’re not talking about untouched sorghum supplies. First off, there is of course the half of that herd of walkers that wasn’t drawn off by the Wolves’ horn. Then, of course, there are the Wolves themselves. Did they all die? Didn’t a few get away? Are there others? Lastly, there is some guy named Negan, stationing his creepy but engaging little goons on the road like Medieval highway robbers.

Oh, and there’s some guy who calls himself Jesus.

Rick and Daryl find a sorghum farm, and a truck absolutely filled with supplies. It’s a good get. “The law of averages,” Rick says. They leave the car and take the truck. They stop at a gas station, and find a knocked-over vending machine. Now, Daryl’s got “pop” on his list from Denise, so they spend way too much time trying to flip the machine. Which is when Rick finds Jesus. Or rather, Jesus finds Rick.

As they’re standing over it, somebody runs right into Rick. He’s a pretty able-looking guy, who says his name is Paul Rovia, though his friends used to call him Jesus (everything I could find lists this character as Paul Monroe, his name in the comics; but the actor playing him, Tom Payne, clearly says something that sounds like Rovia). He’s a odd looking savior, that’s for sure, in his long black leather overcoat and knit hat. Must be the hair and the beard. He tells them he’s just running from walkers, and he seems pretty on the level. Rick even starts to ask the three questions before the guy takes off.

They hear a noise behind the building, and go investigate. Turns out to be just firecrackers in a barrel. Which means… “He swiped your keys, didn’t he?” Yes, he did. Jesus picked Rick’s pocket, and took the truck. Through the remainder of this episode, one thing will become clear: Jesus has myriad survivor skills.

They follow him, on foot, and manage to catch up to him (tire blew out on the truck). There’s a fight, and Jesus is a surprisingly capable combatant. They tie him up and take off (Jesus can change a flat tire, too). When they go off road onto a farm, they hear a rattling on the roof. Jesus somehow managed to get up there. Rick stops short, he goes tumbling off, and there’s a long chase and fight in the field. Jesus is knocked cold, the truck is sent tumbling to the bottom of the lake, and they commandeer another car to get back to Alexandria. Jesus is brought to the holding cell.

Austin Nichols as Spencer Monroe on ‘The Walking Dead.’ AMC

The “B” story involves Spencer Monroe, the last living member of his family, who for some mysterious reason has taken to wandering the woods, with a shovel, outside the wall. Michonne notices this, and follows him. Meanwhile, Carl and Enid are also taking long walks in the woods. They have a little hideout of sorts where they sit around, read comics, and eat candy (the comic Carl is reading, “Invincible,” is another of Robert Kirkman’s titles.) A walker stumbles upon them, and though we don’t see it, Carl clearly recognizes the roamer, and refused to kill it. This turns out to be Deanna Monroe, in what it quite possibly the oddest cameo of all time. Still, even under that zombie goo, it’s welcome to see Tovah Feldshuh one last time.

How she made from the bedroom to the woods isn’t exactly clear, but Spencer saw her, and wants to put her to rest. A noble endeavor, surely. But the whole story really is just a set-up for the scene that follows with Carl and Michonne. She’s chastising young master Grimes for not putting unDeanna down, for allowing a dangerous biter to keep walking. Emotionally, he explains that he couldn’t. That it should be done by family. “I’d do it for you,” he says to her.

It’s been clear for some time now that Michonne has become something of a mother to Carl, ever since he broke into that restaurant in their hometown to retrieve the family picture on the wall (season three’s excellent “Clear”). It’s been plainly obvious for a long time that she’s had a special connection with the Grimes family. Rick and Michonne (or should we just go ahead and start calling them Richonne, or is it Michick?) plop down on the couch at the end of the day, watching Judith on a baby monitor, and the tone of the conversation is every bit as mundane and domestic as anything the Cleavers ever exchanged, even if the subject matter isn’t. It’s endearing, and there is a high level of intimacy between them, even before Rick puts that pack of spearmint mints in her hands. We’ve been shipping for Richonne for a while. Fan service or not, it makes sense, these two.

This may seem like a new Michonne, but she’s been heading this way for a long time. The first time she appeared, she was something out of a dream, or nightmare, standing in the woods, under that hood with the katana and those armless walkers. Then there was that scene in the prison when Beth hands Michonne Judith, when you realize that Michonne had — and lost — her own child, that she’s not something out of a dream, but simply a mother who’s somehow survived this plague on humanity. It’s an incredibly powerful scene, and it perfectly illustrates what this show is at its best, a tale about completely ordinary people undergoing an unimaginable catastrophe. Now, in a way, she’s back where she was before all this started.

Rick and Michonne lie tangled in bed, naked, their weapons at their sides. “Rick, wake up,” somebody says. This isn’t a dream, either. The two warrior-lovers both jump out of bed. He grabs his Colt Python, she grabs her katana. Jesus stands at the foot of the bed; the holding cell was no match for him.

“We should talk,” he says.


‘ The Walking Dead ’ Recap: Season 6, Episode 10, ‘The New World’

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/BN-MS156_twd022_G_20160221204207.jpg

‘ The Walking Dead ’ Recap: Season 6, Episode 10, ‘The New World’

There’s a new power couple in Alexandria.

“The New World,” this week’s episode of “The Walking Dead,” was so different tonally from its predecessor, “No Way Out,” you could be forgiven if you thought you were watching a completely different zombie show. While last week was a grim, dark, epic fight for survival, “The New World” is almost a post-apocalyptic version of “Leave It to Beaver.” Not that it was worse because of that. Just, different. Like, very different.

More In The Walking Dead

‘Walking Dead’ Star Danai Gurira Dissects Michonne and Rick’s Relationship

‘Walking Dead’ Star Chandler Riggs on This Week’s Brutal Episode and Carl’s Future

‘The Walking Dead’ Recap: Season 6, Episode 9, ‘No Way Out’

Prep For ‘The Walking Dead’ Return With Zombie Valentines

‘The Walking Dead’ Trailer Teases Its February Midseason Premiere

“Carl, don’t bounce that ball in the house.”

“Doctor says its for PT.”

“Oh, yes, because you had your eye blown out during the zombie rampage by the son of the guy I killed whose wife and brother got eaten alive in front of him.” Just like Ward and the Beaver used to do it, right?

It’s a jolt, no doubt. The cold open portrays domestic bliss in the Alexandria Safe Zone. Rick is smiling. Smiling, a happy guy notching a new hole in his belt (what, is he losing more weight?) while a radio somewhere plays the old Boston classic “More Than a Feeling.” Michonne’s just out of the shower and asking for toothpaste. Carl’s playing with a ball. Judith is being a baby. This is, apparently, the new world, the one that Rick promised Carl. It seems like a dream, like Rick is going to wake up in the middle of a dark, wracked countryside surrounded by the undead, or something similarly desperate. But no. The scene never dissolves. It’s real.

Of course, that’s nothing compared to the surprise at the close, but let’s hold off on that for now. There’s only so much the system can absorb at one time.

Weeks have passed since the great Battle of Alexandria, and the town has regained a modicum of normalcy. This is, indeed, the new world, and it might be as stable as Alexandria has been since even before the Grimes clan arrived. The corpses of the undead have been cleared away, the fire put out, the streets cleaned. The wall has been repaired, and expanded (the Bible-Glock church is now inside the walls). It almost seems like an entirely different town in an entirely different show.

Related: Star Danai Gurira Dissects Michonne and Rick’s Relationship

Part of that is the time element. The first nine episodes this season covered a period of only a few days. During some stretches, in fact, the whole thing seemed to occurring in real time. It resulted in the kind of engrossing, intense story that pulled the viewer out of their seat. “The New World” is a complete departure, and whether or not this is just to lull the viewer into a false sense of security until the next ultra-violent baddie appears, it’s here now. The apocalypse is just another day at the office.

Curiously, this leap forward glosses over the reunion of Glenn and Maggie. After making that such a large part of the story, it’s odd to not see Glaggie reunited. We haven’t, in fact, seem them together at all. Is that part of the new world, too?

For Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon, a day at the office means taking a pretty well maintained Chrysler out into the deserted countryside for a supply run. They’re mainly looking for medical supplies and food. Eugene advises them to seek out the “criminally underrated grain” sorghum. Denise wants some pop for Tara, who talks about it in her sleep. They haven’t seen anybody in weeks; Daryl thinks maybe they won’t see anybody.

(The song Rick loves and Daryl hates is an old rockabilly tune, “Action Packed,” the Ronnie Dee Dawson version. “When I take a ride in my car, I let ‘er roll; hear me, I said I let ‘er roll.”)

Right there, in fact, would be a good time to tell Rick about Negan. Does Rick know about the incident in the road with the goons? In all the excitement, did Abraham, Sasha, and Daryl forget about that one? You’d think it’d be a notable detail, given this group’s history with psychotic killers, that some guy named Negan has his bikers staking out the roads outside Alexandria, robbing and shooting people. But the topic is not mentioned once.

Now, in fact, is not a bad time to take stock of what’s really out there, and we’re not talking about untouched sorghum supplies. First off, there is of course the half of that herd of walkers that wasn’t drawn off by the Wolves’ horn. Then, of course, there are the Wolves themselves. Did they all die? Didn’t a few get away? Are there others? Lastly, there is some guy named Negan, stationing his creepy but engaging little goons on the road like Medieval highway robbers.

Oh, and there’s some guy who calls himself Jesus.

Rick and Daryl find a sorghum farm, and a truck absolutely filled with supplies. It’s a good get. “The law of averages,” Rick says. They leave the car and take the truck. They stop at a gas station, and find a knocked-over vending machine. Now, Daryl’s got “pop” on his list from Denise, so they spend way too much time trying to flip the machine. Which is when Rick finds Jesus. Or rather, Jesus finds Rick.

As they’re standing over it, somebody runs right into Rick. He’s a pretty able-looking guy, who says his name is Paul Rovia, though his friends used to call him Jesus (everything I could find lists this character as Paul Monroe, his name in the comics; but the actor playing him, Tom Payne, clearly says something that sounds like Rovia). He’s a odd looking savior, that’s for sure, in his long black leather overcoat and knit hat. Must be the hair and the beard. He tells them he’s just running from walkers, and he seems pretty on the level. Rick even starts to ask the three questions before the guy takes off.

They hear a noise behind the building, and go investigate. Turns out to be just firecrackers in a barrel. Which means… “He swiped your keys, didn’t he?” Yes, he did. Jesus picked Rick’s pocket, and took the truck. Through the remainder of this episode, one thing will become clear: Jesus has myriad survivor skills.

They follow him, on foot, and manage to catch up to him (tire blew out on the truck). There’s a fight, and Jesus is a surprisingly capable combatant. They tie him up and take off (Jesus can change a flat tire, too). When they go off road onto a farm, they hear a rattling on the roof. Jesus somehow managed to get up there. Rick stops short, he goes tumbling off, and there’s a long chase and fight in the field. Jesus is knocked cold, the truck is sent tumbling to the bottom of the lake, and they commandeer another car to get back to Alexandria. Jesus is brought to the holding cell.

Austin Nichols as Spencer Monroe on ‘The Walking Dead.’ AMC

The “B” story involves Spencer Monroe, the last living member of his family, who for some mysterious reason has taken to wandering the woods, with a shovel, outside the wall. Michonne notices this, and follows him. Meanwhile, Carl and Enid are also taking long walks in the woods. They have a little hideout of sorts where they sit around, read comics, and eat candy (the comic Carl is reading, “Invincible,” is another of Robert Kirkman’s titles.) A walker stumbles upon them, and though we don’t see it, Carl clearly recognizes the roamer, and refused to kill it. This turns out to be Deanna Monroe, in what it quite possibly the oddest cameo of all time. Still, even under that zombie goo, it’s welcome to see Tovah Feldshuh one last time.

How she made from the bedroom to the woods isn’t exactly clear, but Spencer saw her, and wants to put her to rest. A noble endeavor, surely. But the whole story really is just a set-up for the scene that follows with Carl and Michonne. She’s chastising young master Grimes for not putting unDeanna down, for allowing a dangerous biter to keep walking. Emotionally, he explains that he couldn’t. That it should be done by family. “I’d do it for you,” he says to her.

It’s been clear for some time now that Michonne has become something of a mother to Carl, ever since he broke into that restaurant in their hometown to retrieve the family picture on the wall (season three’s excellent “Clear”). It’s been plainly obvious for a long time that she’s had a special connection with the Grimes family. Rick and Michonne (or should we just go ahead and start calling them Richonne, or is it Michick?) plop down on the couch at the end of the day, watching Judith on a baby monitor, and the tone of the conversation is every bit as mundane and domestic as anything the Cleavers ever exchanged, even if the subject matter isn’t. It’s endearing, and there is a high level of intimacy between them, even before Rick puts that pack of spearmint mints in her hands. We’ve been shipping for Richonne for a while. Fan service or not, it makes sense, these two.

This may seem like a new Michonne, but she’s been heading this way for a long time. The first time she appeared, she was something out of a dream, or nightmare, standing in the woods, under that hood with the katana and those armless walkers. Then there was that scene in the prison when Beth hands Michonne Judith, when you realize that Michonne had — and lost — her own child, that she’s not something out of a dream, but simply a mother who’s somehow survived this plague on humanity. It’s an incredibly powerful scene, and it perfectly illustrates what this show is at its best, a tale about completely ordinary people undergoing an unimaginable catastrophe. Now, in a way, she’s back where she was before all this started.

Rick and Michonne lie tangled in bed, naked, their weapons at their sides. “Rick, wake up,” somebody says. This isn’t a dream, either. The two warrior-lovers both jump out of bed. He grabs his Colt Python, she grabs her katana. Jesus stands at the foot of the bed; the holding cell was no match for him.

“We should talk,” he says.




Episode 10, News, Season 6, world news, ‘The New World’, ‘The Walking Dead’ Recap, ‘The Walking Dead’ Recap: Season 6

An executive summary of what every fan should know about the 2016 ATP World Tour season

Strong Fields in Dubai, Acapulco & Sao Paulo – The busiest month of the season comes to a close this week with 500 level tournaments in Dubai and Acapulco and the final Latin American clay court stop in Sao Paulo. Five of the Top 10 players in the Emirates ATP Rankings are in action, with top-ranked Novak Djokovic, No. 4 Stan Wawrinka and No. 8 Tomas Berdych competing in Dubai. No. 6 David Ferrer and No. 7 Kei Nishikori, last year’s finalists, lead the way in Acapulco. In Sao Paulo, Frenchman Benoit Paire is the top seed for the second time (’12 Los Angeles) in his career in an ATP World Tour tournament.

DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS (Dubai) –  The 24^th edition of the prestigious ATP World Tour 500 level tournament is highlighted by World No. 1 and four-time champ Novak Djokovic​, who is playing his first tournament since capturing a record-tying sixth Australian Open title last month. The other seeds are: No. 2 Stan Wawrinka, No. 3 Tomas Berdych, No. 4 Roberto Bautista Agut, No. 5 Viktor Troicki, No. 6 Feliciano Lopez, No. 7 Martin Klizan and No. 8 Philipp Kohlschreiber. Since 2009, Djokovic or Federer have won the title. Federer, who withdrew due to a knee injury, owns the tournament record with seven titles.

Novak Eyes No. 700 – World No. 1 Novak Djokovic returns to the ATP World Tour for the first time since Jan. 31, when he defeated Andy Murray to claim a record-tying sixth Australian Open crown. The Serb, who is playing in Dubai for the 10^th year in a row (34-5 record), is bidding to become the 12th player in the Open Era to win 700 career singles matches. He won Dubai titles in 2009-11 and 2013. He enters Dubai with 698 career wins at the ATP World Tour level. He is also trying to become the third active player to accomplish the feat, joining Roger Federer (1,067) and Rafael Nadal (775). Coach Boris Becker is also a member of the 700 wins club (713).

17 & Counting – Djokovic enters Dubai having reached 17 consecutive finals going back to last year’s Australian Open. During the streak, Djokovic has won 13 of 17 finals, including the last seven going back to the US Open in September. Djokovic has tied Federer’s mark of 17 finals in a row (2005-06) and is one final away from tying Ivan Lendl’s record of 18 straight in 1981-82.

400 Wins Milestone – While Djokovic is closing in on 700 career wins, Feliciano Lopez is one win away from 400 in his career. The 34-year-old Spaniard takes on countryman Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the first round.

Stan is Back – No. 2 seed Stan Wawrinka returns to Dubai for the first time since 2008 (1R, l. to Hernych). He made his debut 10 years ago, losing to Federer in the first round.

Berdych Makes 10^th Appearance – No. 3 seed Tomas Berdych ​is making his 10^th appearance in Dubai. The two-time finalist (2013-14), who has reached the semi-finals or better in four of the last five years, owns a 20-9 career record in Dubai.

Kyrgios Debut – Nick Kyrgios makes his Dubai debut against No. 7 Martin Klizan in the first round. The 20-year-old Aussie comes in after winning in Marseille (vs. Cilic) after posting back-to-back Top 10 wins over No. 10 Richard Gasquet (QF) and No. 8 Tomas Berdych (SF). He is the first first-time winner and youngest title winner on the ATP World Tour this season.



ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL (Acapulco) – One of the favourite destinations on the ATP World Tour is the Acapulco Princess Mundo Imperial, site of the ATP World Tour 500 level Abierto Mexicano Telcel. The tournament made the switch from red clay to blue hard courts in 2014 and this year’s field features attracted five Top 20 players, led by World No. 6 and reigning champion David Ferrer. The others include: No. 7 Kei Nishikori, No. 12 Marin Cilic, No. 19 Dominic Thiem and No. 20 Bernard Tomic. Rounding out the seeds are: Ivo Karlovic, Jeremy Chardy and Steve Johnson. Ferrer is eyeing a fifth Acapulco title after earning a three-peat from 2010-’12. The other former winner in the field is Grigor Dimitrov (2014).

Reigning Champ – Ferrer is making his 10^th tournament appearance (29-5) and he is a four-time champion (2010-11-12, ’15). The 33-year-old Spaniard has won three or more titles at four tournaments in his career, including Acapulco three straight years from 2010-12.

Kei On A Roll – No. 2 seed Kei Nishikori comes into Acapulco after winning his fourth straight title in Memphis last Sunday (d. Fritz). The 26-year-old Japanese star is making his third appearance in Acapulco, having reached the second round in his 2012 debut and final last year (l. to Ferrer). Nishikori has a 9-2 match record on the season and last month he reached the quarter-finals in Brisbane (l. to Tomic) and at the Australian Open (l. to Djokovic).

Finalists Coming to Acapulco – Three players who reached ATP World Tour finals on Sunday are coming to Acapulco. Delray Beach finalists Sam Querrey and Rajeev Ram, both playing in their first final of the season, along with Marseille finalist Marin Cilic, are making the trip to Acapulco.

Ivo Eyes 300 – No. 6 seed Ivo Karlovic, who is the oldest player in the singles draw at 36 (turns 37 next Sunday), is one win away from 300 in his career. Karlovic has reached the quarter-finals here the last two years. The big-serving Croat has been slowed by a right knee injury and he’s looking for his first match win (0-3) of the season.

Late Bloomer – The oldest winner on the ATP World Tour this season is 35-year-old Victor Estrella Burgos, who repeated his title in Quito (d. Bellucci) two weeks ago. The Dominican Republic native is making his second appearance in Acapulco after a first-round exit last season.

Thiem Makes Debut – No. 4 seed Dominic Thiem, who captured his fourth career ATP World Tour title in Buenos Aires last Sunday (d. Almagro) and followed with a semi-final in Rio (l. to Pella), is making his debut in Acapulco. The 22-year-old Austrian has defeated the top two Spaniards, Rafael Nadal (Buenos Aires SF) and David Ferrer (Rio QF) the last two weeks.

BRASIL OPEN (Sao Paulo) – Sao Paulo is the site of one of two Brazilian tournaments on the ATP World Tour (Rio de Janeiro). There are six players in the Top 50 Emirates ATP Rankings in the field, led by top-seeded French wild card Benoit Paire, who is coming off a semi-final showing in Marseille (l. to Cilic). The other seeds are No. 2 Thomaz Bellucci, No. 3 Pablo Cuevas, No. 4 Federico Delbonis, No. 5 Albert Ramos-Vinolas, No. 6 Paolo Lorenzi, No. 7 Nicolas Almagro and No. 8 Pablo Andujar. There are three former winners in the field: defending champion Cuevas, 2014 title holder Delbonis and three-time champ (2008, ’11-12) Almagro.

Cuevas Defending Champ – The reigning champion is Pablo Cuevas, who defeated Italian qualifier Luca Vanni in a third set tie-break in last year’s final. He also was runner-up in Istanbul (l. to Federer).

Paire Top Seed – Wild card Benoit Paire returns to Sao Paulo for the first time since 2012 when he lost to David Nalbandian in the first round. This is the second time in Paire’s career he is the top seed in an ATP World Tour tournament. In 2012 in Los Angles, he lost in the second round (after bye, l. to Russell). He is coming off his second semi-final of the season in Marseille (d. No. 4 Wawrinka, l. to Cilic).

Spanish Success – Two years ago, Delbonis became the first Argentine tournament winner since Guillermo Canas won in Costa do Sauipe in 2007. Last year Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas won the title. Prior to 2014, Spaniards had won six straight titles in Sao Paulo from 2008-13, with Almagro winning three times

Almagro On the Rise – No. 7 seed Nicolas Almagro, who is a three-time Sao Paulo winner (2008, 2011-12), is nearing a return to the Top 50 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. The 30-year-old Spaniard was runner-up in Buenos Aires last week (l. to Thiem) and he lost to Nadal in the second round in Rio. He has jumped from 73 at the end of last year to 53. The last time he appeared in the Top 50 was Oct. 20, 2014 at No. 43.

Brazilian Title Hopes – There are three Brazilians in the main draw, led by No. 32  Thomaz Bellucci, No. 173 Guillerme Clezar and No. 338 Thiago Monteiro, who is coming off his first career ATP World Tour main draw match win Rio where he beat No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the first round (l. to Cuevas). Bellucci, who reached the final in 2009 (l. to Robredo), is making his ninth straight tournament appearance (13-8 record). Clezar is looking for his first career main draw match win (0-4) in Sao Paulo while Monteiro is making his tournament debut.

RANKINGS MOVERS (22 February, 2016)

Kei Nishikori 6 (+1 spot)

Tomas Berdych 7 (+1 spot)
Dominic Thiem 15 (+4 spots) – career high

Pablo Cuevas 27 (+18 spots)

Nick Kyrgios 33 (+8 spots)
Guido Pella 42 (+29 spots) – career high

Sam Querrey 43 (+18 spots)
Rajeev Ram 60 (+29 spots) – career high

Daniel Gimeno Traver 99 (+19 spots)

POTENTIAL MILESTONES

Dubai – Singles

Novak Djokovic – 698 wins

Feliciano Lopez – 399 wins

Sergiy Stakhovsky – 149 wins

Dubai – Doubles

Radek Stepanek – 299 wins

Ivan Dodig – 147 wins

Acapulco – Singles

Ivo Karlovic – 299 wins

Jeremy Chardy – 197 wins

Robin Haase – 149 wins

Acapulco – Doubles

Juan Sebastian Cabal – 148 wins

Rajeev Ram – 147 wins

Sao Paulo – Doubles

David Marrero – 197 wins

BIRTHDAYS

22 February – Andrey Kuznetsov (25)

24 February – Lleyton Hewitt (35)

27 February – Filip Krajinovic (24), Facundo Bagnis (26)

28 February – Ivo Karlovic (37)




Scouting Report: Djokovic Makes A Splash In Dubai

http://isthattrue.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/sunset-acapulco-2016.jpg

An executive summary of what every fan should know about the 2016 ATP World Tour season

Strong Fields in Dubai, Acapulco & Sao Paulo – The busiest month of the season comes to a close this week with 500 level tournaments in Dubai and Acapulco and the final Latin American clay court stop in Sao Paulo. Five of the Top 10 players in the Emirates ATP Rankings are in action, with top-ranked Novak Djokovic, No. 4 Stan Wawrinka and No. 8 Tomas Berdych competing in Dubai. No. 6 David Ferrer and No. 7 Kei Nishikori, last year’s finalists, lead the way in Acapulco. In Sao Paulo, Frenchman Benoit Paire is the top seed for the second time (’12 Los Angeles) in his career in an ATP World Tour tournament.

DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS (Dubai) –  The 24^th edition of the prestigious ATP World Tour 500 level tournament is highlighted by World No. 1 and four-time champ Novak Djokovic​, who is playing his first tournament since capturing a record-tying sixth Australian Open title last month. The other seeds are: No. 2 Stan Wawrinka, No. 3 Tomas Berdych, No. 4 Roberto Bautista Agut, No. 5 Viktor Troicki, No. 6 Feliciano Lopez, No. 7 Martin Klizan and No. 8 Philipp Kohlschreiber. Since 2009, Djokovic or Federer have won the title. Federer, who withdrew due to a knee injury, owns the tournament record with seven titles.

Novak Eyes No. 700 – World No. 1 Novak Djokovic returns to the ATP World Tour for the first time since Jan. 31, when he defeated Andy Murray to claim a record-tying sixth Australian Open crown. The Serb, who is playing in Dubai for the 10^th year in a row (34-5 record), is bidding to become the 12th player in the Open Era to win 700 career singles matches. He won Dubai titles in 2009-11 and 2013. He enters Dubai with 698 career wins at the ATP World Tour level. He is also trying to become the third active player to accomplish the feat, joining Roger Federer (1,067) and Rafael Nadal (775). Coach Boris Becker is also a member of the 700 wins club (713).

17 & Counting – Djokovic enters Dubai having reached 17 consecutive finals going back to last year’s Australian Open. During the streak, Djokovic has won 13 of 17 finals, including the last seven going back to the US Open in September. Djokovic has tied Federer’s mark of 17 finals in a row (2005-06) and is one final away from tying Ivan Lendl’s record of 18 straight in 1981-82.

400 Wins Milestone – While Djokovic is closing in on 700 career wins, Feliciano Lopez is one win away from 400 in his career. The 34-year-old Spaniard takes on countryman Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the first round.

Stan is Back – No. 2 seed Stan Wawrinka returns to Dubai for the first time since 2008 (1R, l. to Hernych). He made his debut 10 years ago, losing to Federer in the first round.

Berdych Makes 10^th Appearance – No. 3 seed Tomas Berdych ​is making his 10^th appearance in Dubai. The two-time finalist (2013-14), who has reached the semi-finals or better in four of the last five years, owns a 20-9 career record in Dubai.

Kyrgios Debut – Nick Kyrgios makes his Dubai debut against No. 7 Martin Klizan in the first round. The 20-year-old Aussie comes in after winning in Marseille (vs. Cilic) after posting back-to-back Top 10 wins over No. 10 Richard Gasquet (QF) and No. 8 Tomas Berdych (SF). He is the first first-time winner and youngest title winner on the ATP World Tour this season.



ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL (Acapulco) – One of the favourite destinations on the ATP World Tour is the Acapulco Princess Mundo Imperial, site of the ATP World Tour 500 level Abierto Mexicano Telcel. The tournament made the switch from red clay to blue hard courts in 2014 and this year’s field features attracted five Top 20 players, led by World No. 6 and reigning champion David Ferrer. The others include: No. 7 Kei Nishikori, No. 12 Marin Cilic, No. 19 Dominic Thiem and No. 20 Bernard Tomic. Rounding out the seeds are: Ivo Karlovic, Jeremy Chardy and Steve Johnson. Ferrer is eyeing a fifth Acapulco title after earning a three-peat from 2010-’12. The other former winner in the field is Grigor Dimitrov (2014).

Reigning Champ – Ferrer is making his 10^th tournament appearance (29-5) and he is a four-time champion (2010-11-12, ’15). The 33-year-old Spaniard has won three or more titles at four tournaments in his career, including Acapulco three straight years from 2010-12.

Kei On A Roll – No. 2 seed Kei Nishikori comes into Acapulco after winning his fourth straight title in Memphis last Sunday (d. Fritz). The 26-year-old Japanese star is making his third appearance in Acapulco, having reached the second round in his 2012 debut and final last year (l. to Ferrer). Nishikori has a 9-2 match record on the season and last month he reached the quarter-finals in Brisbane (l. to Tomic) and at the Australian Open (l. to Djokovic).

Finalists Coming to Acapulco – Three players who reached ATP World Tour finals on Sunday are coming to Acapulco. Delray Beach finalists Sam Querrey and Rajeev Ram, both playing in their first final of the season, along with Marseille finalist Marin Cilic, are making the trip to Acapulco.

Ivo Eyes 300 – No. 6 seed Ivo Karlovic, who is the oldest player in the singles draw at 36 (turns 37 next Sunday), is one win away from 300 in his career. Karlovic has reached the quarter-finals here the last two years. The big-serving Croat has been slowed by a right knee injury and he’s looking for his first match win (0-3) of the season.

Late Bloomer – The oldest winner on the ATP World Tour this season is 35-year-old Victor Estrella Burgos, who repeated his title in Quito (d. Bellucci) two weeks ago. The Dominican Republic native is making his second appearance in Acapulco after a first-round exit last season.

Thiem Makes Debut – No. 4 seed Dominic Thiem, who captured his fourth career ATP World Tour title in Buenos Aires last Sunday (d. Almagro) and followed with a semi-final in Rio (l. to Pella), is making his debut in Acapulco. The 22-year-old Austrian has defeated the top two Spaniards, Rafael Nadal (Buenos Aires SF) and David Ferrer (Rio QF) the last two weeks.

BRASIL OPEN (Sao Paulo) – Sao Paulo is the site of one of two Brazilian tournaments on the ATP World Tour (Rio de Janeiro). There are six players in the Top 50 Emirates ATP Rankings in the field, led by top-seeded French wild card Benoit Paire, who is coming off a semi-final showing in Marseille (l. to Cilic). The other seeds are No. 2 Thomaz Bellucci, No. 3 Pablo Cuevas, No. 4 Federico Delbonis, No. 5 Albert Ramos-Vinolas, No. 6 Paolo Lorenzi, No. 7 Nicolas Almagro and No. 8 Pablo Andujar. There are three former winners in the field: defending champion Cuevas, 2014 title holder Delbonis and three-time champ (2008, ’11-12) Almagro.

Cuevas Defending Champ – The reigning champion is Pablo Cuevas, who defeated Italian qualifier Luca Vanni in a third set tie-break in last year’s final. He also was runner-up in Istanbul (l. to Federer).

Paire Top Seed – Wild card Benoit Paire returns to Sao Paulo for the first time since 2012 when he lost to David Nalbandian in the first round. This is the second time in Paire’s career he is the top seed in an ATP World Tour tournament. In 2012 in Los Angles, he lost in the second round (after bye, l. to Russell). He is coming off his second semi-final of the season in Marseille (d. No. 4 Wawrinka, l. to Cilic).

Spanish Success – Two years ago, Delbonis became the first Argentine tournament winner since Guillermo Canas won in Costa do Sauipe in 2007. Last year Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas won the title. Prior to 2014, Spaniards had won six straight titles in Sao Paulo from 2008-13, with Almagro winning three times

Almagro On the Rise – No. 7 seed Nicolas Almagro, who is a three-time Sao Paulo winner (2008, 2011-12), is nearing a return to the Top 50 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. The 30-year-old Spaniard was runner-up in Buenos Aires last week (l. to Thiem) and he lost to Nadal in the second round in Rio. He has jumped from 73 at the end of last year to 53. The last time he appeared in the Top 50 was Oct. 20, 2014 at No. 43.

Brazilian Title Hopes – There are three Brazilians in the main draw, led by No. 32  Thomaz Bellucci, No. 173 Guillerme Clezar and No. 338 Thiago Monteiro, who is coming off his first career ATP World Tour main draw match win Rio where he beat No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the first round (l. to Cuevas). Bellucci, who reached the final in 2009 (l. to Robredo), is making his ninth straight tournament appearance (13-8 record). Clezar is looking for his first career main draw match win (0-4) in Sao Paulo while Monteiro is making his tournament debut.

RANKINGS MOVERS (22 February, 2016)

Kei Nishikori 6 (+1 spot)

Tomas Berdych 7 (+1 spot)
Dominic Thiem 15 (+4 spots) – career high

Pablo Cuevas 27 (+18 spots)

Nick Kyrgios 33 (+8 spots)
Guido Pella 42 (+29 spots) – career high

Sam Querrey 43 (+18 spots)
Rajeev Ram 60 (+29 spots) – career high

Daniel Gimeno Traver 99 (+19 spots)

POTENTIAL MILESTONES

Dubai – Singles

Novak Djokovic – 698 wins

Feliciano Lopez – 399 wins

Sergiy Stakhovsky – 149 wins

Dubai – Doubles

Radek Stepanek – 299 wins

Ivan Dodig – 147 wins

Acapulco – Singles

Ivo Karlovic – 299 wins

Jeremy Chardy – 197 wins

Robin Haase – 149 wins

Acapulco – Doubles

Juan Sebastian Cabal – 148 wins

Rajeev Ram – 147 wins

Sao Paulo – Doubles

David Marrero – 197 wins

BIRTHDAYS

22 February – Andrey Kuznetsov (25)

24 February – Lleyton Hewitt (35)

27 February – Filip Krajinovic (24), Facundo Bagnis (26)

28 February – Ivo Karlovic (37)






A Splash In Dubai, Djokovic Makes, News, Scouting Report, Scouting Report: Djokovic Makes A Splash In Dubai, World, world news