The artist behind a controversial and widely criticized cartoon of Serena Williams defended his depiction of Williams’ meltdown at the US Open and said it had nothing to do with race.

Mark Knight, a cartoonist for “The Herald Sun” in Australia, said in an interview Monday evening that his portrayal of Williams stomping on her racket as the chair umpire asked Naomi Osaka to let Williams win was an accurate representation of their final match.  

“There’s nothing inaccurate in the cartoon, but I’m sorry it’s being taken by social media and distorted so much,” he said.

“The cartoon is about Serena, it was about her poor behavior. It had nothing to do with race.”

Author J.K. Rowling blasted the image as did numerous US media outlets.

“People said I’m a racist because I drew Serena as an African American woman,” Knight explained. “I drew her as this powerful figure, which she is, she’s strongly built. They say I’m racist because I drew Naomi Osaka in the background with blonde hair. Well, she does have her hair dyed blonde.”

Knight said that his phone “melted down” as criticism of his portrait roiled social media all day. He also said his wife and children were subjected to threats on their Instagram pages as a result of the cartoon.

“This is how crazy it gets. It gets picked up by social media and it’s like a rolling thunder, a storm gathering intensity until it just turns into a tornado of false accusations and crazy things that aren’t even there.”

Knight defended his work and said there are previous examples of him portraying Williams in a more favorable light.

“I think these days, I don’t think you can, it’s called punching down,” he said. “You can’t punch down these days. And what that means is you can’t criticize minority groups for poor behavior. You just can’t go there. But I’m a cartoonist and I comment on all topics.”

 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline launched on January 1, 2005, and in its first year of operation answered a little over 46,000 calls. In 2017, it answered over 2 million.

The Lifeline has significantly increased its call volume, but it says there are still people in crisis it doesn’t reach. Some people having suicidal thoughts are afraid to call, worried doing so may compromise their privacy or their autonomy. 

USA TODAY spoke with the Lifeline’s director John Draper and communications director Frances Gonzalez about what happens when a person calls 800-273-TALK (8255).

Who calls the Lifeline?

Gonzalez: “Twenty-five to 30 percent of callers have a suicide-related issue. Others call because they are in emotional distress or looking for resources and information.”

What kind of personal information will I be expected to give?

Gonzalez: “Calls are confidential. People can be anonymous if they choose — they can share as much or as little personal information during the call as they like.”

Who’ll pick up?

Draper: “People who are trained to deal with this conversation. They don’t panic. They’re ready to listen and to assess the nature and severity of the problem and help de-escalate.”

What will the conversation be like?

Draper: “Our staff members across the country are trained to listen to what the caller’s reasons for dying are, as well as the reasons for living. If a person says that they are suicidal we want to know how suicidal. We want to know how imminent the risk is. Are they just thinking about it? Are they really wanting to do it? We know at the most basic level people want their pain to go away. They don’t want their life to go away. We’re willing to listen to those things that are causing them pain so they’re no longer going through it alone. And once they’re not going through it alone then they can collaborate with us. We ask, what are some of the things that have kept you alive until now? We begin to build a safety plan by learning who is important to them and who they might be able to call and talk to in their lives to keep them safe. What we’re doing is building a bridge of support from that crisis moment to the life afterwards.”

Will the Lifeline follow up?

Gonzalez: “The Lifeline is made up of a network of crisis centers across the country. Not every crisis center is able to offer follow-up services, but some do. Follow-ups, when offered to a caller, are optional.”

If I call the Lifeline, is it possible someone will be sent to my home?

Draper: “It’s rare that we ever have to do anything that a person doesn’t want us to do. Of those people … at highest risk, about 75 percent of the time we are actively able to collaborate with them and help them reduce their own risk. We would only do active rescue in those rare circumstances where people call us, say they are going to kill themselves and are not going to collaborate with us in any way. They’re unwilling or unable to save themselves or to work with us to keep them safe yet they call us and we believe that based on what they’re saying that if we don’t do anything they’re going to die.”

Why should I call the Lifeline?

Draper: “Research has shown that by the end of the call the majority of callers feel less emotional distress and less suicidal.”

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time of day or night or chat online.

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England’s Justin Rose has become world number one for the first time after finishing in second place at the BMW Championship in Philadelphia.

The 38-year-old climbs from fourth and replaces Dustin Johnson after losing a play-off to American Keegan Bradley.

Rose, reigning Olympic champion and 2013 US Open winner, could have sealed victory with a par putt at the last regulation hole but missed narrowly.

“It’s boyhood dream stuff, something I am incredibly proud of,” Rose said.

“It’s been a good stretch of golf. I’ve played solidly over the past year. I’m delighted to get to the top,” he told Sky Sports.

On his putt at the last to win, he said: “I thought it was as good a putt as I’ve hit to win a tournament. To see it spin out was really unfortunate. I’d always envisaged getting to number one by winning tournaments.

“Last week’s second was a good-feeling second and this one is a stinging-feeling second, but I know there is a bit of good news.”

Rose, who last week finished two shots back as Bryson DeChambeau won the Dell Technologies Championship, is just the fourth Englishman to top the world rankings, after Sir Nick Faldo, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald.

He and Bradley finished on 20 under par after a rain-delayed final round and the 2011 US PGA champion required just one extra hole to seal victory.

Rose bogeyed the par-four 18th to hand the 32-year-old American his fourth PGA Tour win.

The final round had been scheduled for Sunday but was postponed until Monday after persistent rain made the Aronimink course unplayable.

Bradley began the day three shots behind Rose but moved up the leaderboard with a six-under-par 64 as Rose shot a 67.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who trailed then-leader Rose by one shot after round three, finished fifth following a 68.

American 14-time major winner Tiger Woods closed with a 65, moving up to a share of sixth, one shot behind McIlroy.

England’s Tommy Fleetwood only managed a 69 as he fell down the leaderboard to eighth from joint third.

Greenland’s government has struck a deal with Denmark over funding for upgrades to three airports on the Arctic island, a project of strategic interest to a number of international players including China and the United States.

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen on Monday confirmed the agreement reached with Kim Kielsen, Greenland’s premier, during an impromptu visit to the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk.

A self-governing Danish territory and the world’s largest island, Greenland has control over areas including mineral resources and social policy, while Denmark maintains responsibility for foreign policy and security.

“With the agreement, we promise to take advantage of the fact that the Commonwealth offers many opportunities,” Rasmussen said in a statement on Twitter. 

The deal will see Denmark contribute to an estimated 3.6bn kroner ($559m) revamp of airports in Nuuk, Qaqortoq in the south, and Ilulissat, the island’s main tourism spot, which is aimed at helping Greenland capitalise on Arctic tourism and cater for flights between Europe and North America.

It comes one day after Kielsen’s government lost its parliamentary majority following the pro-independence Partii Naleraq’s exit from the ruling four-party coalition over the prospect of Danish funding.

Copenhagen has argued that the airport project falls under its remit, but Partii Naleraq said mainland funding – which was backed by Kielsen’s Siumut party and the other two members of the coalition – amounted to interference in Greenlandic politics.

Vi skal sikre, at Grønland kan udvikle sig. Derfor er jeg glad for, at vi i dag har lavet en aftale om dansk engagement i Grønlands lufthavnsprojekt. Med aftalen løfter vi i flok og udnytter, at rigsfællesskabet rummer mange muligheder. #dkpol pic.twitter.com/C0TZdOgwFh

— Lars Løkke Rasmussen (@larsloekke) September 10, 2018

Translation: We need to ensure that Greenland can develop, which is why I am pleased that we have made an agreement today on Danish involvement in Greenland’s airport project. With the agreement, we promise to take advantage of the fact that the Commonwealth offers many opportunities.

“We do not want to be part of that,” Partii Naleraq said in a letter quoted by local broadcaster KNR.

Its departure leaves the island’s ruling coalition, which was formed in May after elections the previous month, with only 12 out of 31 seats in parliament. 

“It’s not a surprise that the coalition has just imploded,” said Mikaa Mered, a professor of Arctic and Antarctic geopolitics at the Paris-based Free Institute of International Relations Studies (ILERI). 

“[Being pro-independence] is the only common denominator of these four parties – they could not agree on anything else other than the independence question. It’s not a surprise,” he told Al Jazeera.

The opposition Demokraatit (The Democrats) party has opened the door for talks, which Kielsen has so far refused. 

“I will talk to other parties about whether there is foundation for a new coalition,” he told KNR on Sunday, adding in comments to Sermitsiaq newspaper that he hoped to avoid calling a snap election.

‘Polar Silk Road’

The airport project has attracted the interest from both the East and West.

Greenland, which houses a large US airbase, is strategically important for the US military and its ballistic missile early warning system. 

“For the US and for NATO partners, keeping Greenlanders and the Greenland government – whether it’s independent or not – inside the transatlantic Alliance is absolutely critical,” said Mered.

“On the other hand you have countries like China who see that there is a huge opportunity here to gain some land or real estate in Greenland or to set up Greenland, when it becomes independent, as a kind of client state,” he told Al Jazeera.

In recent years, Beijing has shown increasing interest in the Arctic, announcing plans to build a “Polar Silk Road” of shipping lanes opened up by global warming, which would encourage enterprises to build infrastructure in the Arctic.

Chinese funding for the airport project has been on the table since Kielsen visited Beijing in October 2017.

According to Greenland’s Kalaallit Airports, a state-owned company set up in 2016 to handle the airport upgrades, a Chinese construction company has appeared on a list of six firms that have shown interest in the project.

“Both the Danes and the Americans have long been trying to limit Chinese involvement in Greenland’s development, especially when it comes to projects that may have a national security impact, either for Greenland itself, or for the US and NATO partners,” said Mered.

In May, US Defence Secretary James Mattis invited his Danish counterpart to Washington to discuss potential security risks around the “Chinese investment in Greenland issue”.

Economic independence

For its part, Greenland is keen to secure foreign investment in order to become independent from Denmark.

Following a referendum in 2009, the island has had the power to declare independence at any time, but it continues to face financial obstacles.

“The Greenlandic economy is so small that Greenlanders are just not able to finance their independence,” said Mered.

Despite its size, Greenland is home to just over 56,000 people, according to the World Bank, and almost half of the island’s budget comes in the form of a block grant from Denmark.

“This grant is huge, it’s about $620m … so it’s going to be really hard for Greenlanders to become independent because, just in terms of state revenues, they need to find more than $600m a year to make their independence viable,” Mered said.

Additional reporting by Charlotte Mitchell: 

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been two long years since Daredevil Season 2 premiered. And by the looks of the teaser for Season 3, he’s coming back with a vengeance. 

Sure, we got glimpses of the masked hero in The Defenders, Jessica Jones, and even Iron Fist. But we’re ready for Matt Murdoch’s tortured Catholic soul to take center stage again.

Returning to the confessional where he’s often sorted out his conflicted feelings in the series, though, it looks like Murdoch won’t be returning unscathed. He’s finally being honest with himself about which life he’d choose if he had to decide between being a blind lawyer, or the horned vigilante.

No word yet on a release date, but Netflix has promised a 2018 premiere.

More hotel companies have pledged to equip their employees with personal safety devices they can use to get help if they feel they are in danger.

G6 Hospitality, parent company of Motel 6 and Studio 6, has promised to provide the devices to all its employees at its corporate-owned and managed hotels by the end of March 2019.  The company will begin distributing the devices this fall.

The devices will emit a dual-siren alarm when activated. Employees can use them if they or any guests they encounter feel they are being sexually harassed or assaulted in any way.

G6 is the first company in the economy lodging sector to sign on to a pledge by the American Hotel and Lodging Association to enhance policies, training and resources to improve safety, including preventing sexual harassment and assault. The lobbying group for the industry last week announced its 5-Star Promise, which also includes providing hotel employees across the USA with employee safety devices by 2020.

Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International, and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts also signed onto the pledge.

“People are the heart of this business and the single greatest asset to G6 Hospitality. That is why we are committed to the well-being, peace of mind and safety of our team members and guests, and we continue to take steps to improve that experience,” Rob Palleschi, CEO of G6 Hospitality says.

Hotel companies in several cities such as New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Seattle already provide such devices to employees.

The hotel industry is responding to the current climate that is recognizing sexual harassment as a larger issue in the wake of the #MeToo movement. The industry is also acknowledging other human rights issues such as human trafficking.

G6 Hospitality has also introduced anti-human trafficking training to all its employees.

 

 

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WASHINGTON – Former Army Ranger Kris Paronto said he wanted to reach through the screen and “choke” former President Barack Obama after the one-time commander in chief referred to “wild conspiracy theories” surrounding the 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, that left four Americans dead.

Paronto, a then-CIA contractor who was part of the response to the attack, made the comment during a Fox News interview Sunday. 

“It’s disgusting,” Paronto told Fox News host Pete Hegseth, adding that he thought it showed Obama to be a “narcissist” and “elitist.”

“It just raises the bile inside of me. I had a hard time just watching the speech itself,” he said.

“I just wanted to see what he had to say. And when that came across, I just wanted to reach through the screen and just grab him — grab him and choke him and say, ‘Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me that you’d have the gall to disgrace the memory of my teammates and what we did there that night by calling it conspiracy?’” 

Paronto, who has vocally criticized what he says was a State Department order to “stand down” after his team first received word of the attack, accused Obama and others on the left of “rewriting history” when it comes to Beghazi because it “didn’t fit their narrative.” 

Paronto also went after Obama on Twitter, suggesting the “cowardly” former president attempt to live through an event like the attack on the Benghazi compound. 

Paronto said his account was suspended for his response to one Twitter user on the topic of Benghazi. 

A special congressional investigation into the Benghazi attack severely criticized the military, CIA and Obama administration officials for their responses and subsequent explanations to the American people. 

More: Read the transcript of Obama’s speech o Trump

More: Leader of deadly Benghazi raid sentenced to 22 years in prison

 

 

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England take complete control of the fifth Test against India on a remarkable fourth day at The Oval in which Alastair Cook signs off with a century and James Anderson equals the record for Test wickets as a pace bowler.

REPORT: Cook & Anderson put hosts in control of Test

WATCH MORE: India are queuing up to say well done’ – Cook dismissed for 147

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