We’re not here to tell you that the world isn’t a dark, scary place. 

But, this video will remind you that it’s not all bad, and that people still have great capacity for compassion.

The morning traffic in Auckland, New Zealand was disrupted as a duck mum decided to cross a highway with her ducklings a little before 8 a.m. NZST.  

What could have been a tragedy ended up being the cutest thing ever caught on a highway traffic camera. 

As the mum makes her way onto the carriageway, the cars stop one after one to let her and ducklings pass. 

People were really happy to see that the ducks had crossed safely.

The New Zealand police later escorted the duck family all the way to safety, according to The New Zealand Herald.  

Think of this the next time you lose all hope for the world.

By Grant Suneson August 21, 2018 4:52 pm EDT

The Wall Street bull market may be the longest in history, but there are signs of weakness starting to appear.

After going 3,454 days without a drop of 20 percent or more, there’s bound to be cracks in the foundation of the graying bull. And Oliver Jones, a markets economist at Capital Economics, a London-based firm, raised a yellow flag in a report Thursday.

Jones’ beef with the bull is that so-called “cyclical” stocks (those that have benefited most from the health of the U.S. economy and have led the stock market advance since the financial crisis and most of 2018) have started to post smaller returns than so-called “defensive” stocks. Tech stocks and shares of companies that sell discretionary goods to consumers have been losing ground since early June to more defensive parts of the market, such as utilities, health care and companies that sell consumer staples such as toilet tissue and dish detergent. 

“Defensive sectors have picked up the baton, and we think this could be a sign of trouble ahead,” Jones wrote.

One theory as to why less high-octane stocks have started to do better is that they may be less vulnerable to concerns about trade, Jones noted.

What worries him, though, is that the economically sensitive stocks also did worse than more defensive stocks in the run-up to the internet stock crash in 2000 and the financial crisis in 2008. “(That’s) not exactly encouraging,” Jones wrote. 

“The U.S. stock market’s strength masks a sign of weakness,” he warned.

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The weakness in the former hard-charging cyclical stocks is likely to continue, Jones says, as he expects U.S. economic growth to “slow sharply” next year due to the headwind from Federal Reserve interest rate hikes and the fading benefits from tax cuts. 

Stocks overall could suffer as a result.

“We forecast that the S&P 500 will fall about 20 percent between now and the end of the year,” Jones wrote.

That’s a bear market.

 

 

 

 

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Premier League news conferences: Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City – Live – BBC Sport

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What’s more adorable than dogs doing cute tricks? The answer is nothing.

This is probably why dog owners have taken to the #snootchallenge, the objective of which is to get your dog to run to you and put its snoot straight into a small circle. 

Simple concept, delightful results. 

This Golden Retriever nailed it. 

This puppy, not so much. But it’s still pretty darn cute.

Gunner knows his stuff!

You don’t need a snout to ace the challenge, honestly.

This is a good boy!

Just look at this little kissing buddy.

Doughnuts were actually made for the snoot challenge.

This Husky didn’t really get it, but it’s still the sweetest thing ever. 

Other species were also up to the task.

More content featuring tiny wet dog noses, please!

Deutsche Welle

Published 6:41 a.m. ET Aug. 24, 2018

More than 300 firefighters scrambled to fight a violent blaze outside of Berlin on Friday, forcing the complete evacuation of the villages of Frohnsdorf, Klausdorf and Tiefenbrunnen. 

Loudspeaker announcements told residents to leave their homes and take only their most important possessions, such as identification papers and medicines.

Most of the 540 villagers stayed with relatives, officials said, although several had to spend the night at a town hall in the nearby village of Treuenbrietzen.

“We’ve had forest fires before but never of this magnitude,” said Treuenbrietzen Mayor Michael Knappe. 

Isolated showers were predicted for parts of Berlin and Brandenburg, but meteorologists could not predict whether the rain would fall on burning areas.

The fire has already begun to affect regional train traffic between Wannsee and Jüterbog, as well as some trains heading from the area throughout eastern Germany. The blaze has not, however, affected air travel into and out of Berlin airports. 

Later on Friday, Brandenburg Interior Minister Karl-Heinz Schröter told the press that the fire had been “dampened,” but that a decision as to whether residents would be allowed to return to the evacuated villages would not come before midday.

Christian Stein, a local official for the district of Potsdam-Mittelmark, told reporters that Thursday’s fires broke out in several places and had expanded to cover a total area of around 300 hectares, an area about the size of 400 football fields. Rising plumes of smoke were reportedly visible from as far as 10 kilometers (around 6 miles) away.

“Our main goal is still to protect the evacuated areas from the flames,” Stein said. “The fire still has not been pushed back, but it also hasn’t taken a building with it.”

Raimund Engel, the Brandenburg commissioner overseeing forest fires, however, said he was expecting major damage. The blaze had developed into a “full fire” that was no longer just burning the ground but had also spread into the treetops, he added.

Authorities also warned that strong winds could fan ash and smoke from the villages all the way to the southern districts of Berlin.

Brandenburg has endured a particularly hot summer this year, and rainfall has been scarce for several months. Vast areas have dried up as a result, increasing the risk of fires.

Engel also warned emergency services could face even greater risks the longer that fires continued to rage. The blaze is located in an area laden with munitions, located between the districts of Potsdam-Mittelmark and Teltow-Fläming. A regional control center for Brandenburg said there had already been multiple explosions. Undetonated World War II bombs are frequently unearthed in Germany. 

“There are places we cannot get to,” an emergency service spokesman said, adding that firefighters were forced to stay on cleared roads in some areas. 

This article originally appeared on DW.com. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY.

 

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Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time in first practice at the Belgian Grand Prix as the Formula 1 season restarted after its summer break.

The Ferrari driver headed Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and championship leader Lewis Hamilton, whose Mercedes was 0.318 seconds off Vettel’s pace.

Hamilton leads Vettel by 24 points, with nine races left.

Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who was fifth, will start from the back because of engine penalties.

Both Mercedes drivers have new, upgraded engines for this weekend and that has taken the Finn over the permitted number of some parts for the season.

Mercedes will expect him to be able to fight through the field into a strong points position on a track on which it is relatively easy to overtake.

Ferrari also have their final, upgraded new-spec engine in both cars this weekend.

It was a relatively uneventful session, although Verstappen ran wide through the ultra-fast double-left Pouhon corner towards the end of the session, without causing any damage.

Behind Hamilton, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, the early pace-setter in the session on a track where he always goes well, was fourth, ahead of Bottas and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, who managed only one flying lap at the end of the session as a result of engine injector problems.

Further back, Lando Norris made an apparently accomplished race weekend debut for McLaren, driving Fernando Alonso’s car for this first session.

The 18-year-old Briton had an incident-free session on his way to 18th fastest time on the slowest medium tyre, just under 0.1secs quicker than team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne on the faster soft.

However, McLaren’s hopes of forming an impression of their relative pace as they assess who to employ as their second driver following the signing of Carlos Sainz to replace Alonso next season were dashed because Vandoorne had a session troubled by technical problems.

Esteban Ocon, driving for the Force India team which is under new ownership after being rescued from administration earlier this month, was best of the rest in seventh.

Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg, the second Force India of Sergio Perez and Sainz completed the top 10.

Yelibuya Island, Sierra Leone – Yelibuya, a small town in northwest Sierra Leone, is precariously perched on a sandy, waterlogged stretch of land that juts out where one of the country’s largest rivers, the Great Scarcies – also called the Kolente, yawns into the Atlantic Ocean.

Little more than a few straggly mangroves grows here.

Fresh food and water are imported, and everything from the town’s singular motorcycle to children’s clothes are covered in sticky sand.

But Yelibuya is bustling. 

It sits between the coastal cities of Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital, and Conakry, the capital of Guinea, making it an important last stop on a long and historic trade route.

As you can see, there is no method for protection. And it gets worse every year. We only seek God’s protection.

Abdulai Bangura, elderly Yelibuya resident

A majority of the country’s fish and rice is harvested along the river.

With poor road networks, traders brave choppy waters on small canoes to buy Yelibuya’s fish in exchange for cassava leaf, groundnut, clothes, and building materials.

But life in the town is increasingly impossible; the island is going underwater.

Mangrove deforestation, coastal degradation and rising sea levels have led to dozens of homes being flooded each year. Residents make new ones, often on stilts, to lift them above the slush. 

While there’s no official government data on how much the water is rising, elders in the community estimate that the ocean has encroached inland at least 300 metres over the last 30 years. 

 

According to some estimates, Yelibuya will be completely submerged within two decades.

“As you can see, there is no method for protection,” says Abdulai Bangura, one of the town’s elders. “And it gets worse every year. We only seek God’s protection.”

Mohammed Salie Sesay has lived in Yelibuya for 20 years. He’s lost his home twice, most recently in July. Each time a home is demolished, he builds a new one on drier land with money he makes from daily fishing.

“I would leave, but my business is here, my wife is here, my kids are here. We’re fully dependent on the island,” he says.

Others have one foot in, the other out. 

Alpha Kamara moved to Yelibuya after the 11-year-long civil war and started a family. 

He considers the town his home but has moved to Freetown because of the flooding. Still, he spends half his time in Yelibuya, bringing with him fresh provisions from the mainland and returning with an abundance of cheap, desirable fish to sell in the capital. 

Yelibuya’s relies on imports.

Mohammed Lamin Kamara, a young man who sells fresh water from a neighbouring town at Yelibuya’s market, says: “I’ve built houses out of this business. It’s the main way I’ve made money. I’ve married because of this.”  

Because of climate change, Sierra Leone is expected to witness increased flooding and landslides, such as the Freetown disaster in 2017 that killed more than 1,000 people.

According to the United Nations Development Agency, West Africa is highly vulnerable to climate change, second only to some Pacific Island countries such as the Maldives.

The agency notes that Sierra Leone, despite only contributing .02 percent of global carbon emissions annually, will “severely bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change”.

The country has already experienced a nearly 1 degree Celsius temperature rise since the 1960s and is expected to experience another 1 to 2.5 degree increase by 2060.

Yelibuya’s residents are trying to adapt.

Two of the town’s most important structures, the clinic and the chief’s house, used to sit on the ocean’s edge. They’ve been moved further inland, towards the small mangrove forest. 

Despite being built on heavy cinderblocks however, the clinic is regularly flooded and the chief’s house looks out onto a sandy bank that is perpetually filled with water with the encroaching tide. 

The mangrove patch offers the only barrier between the town and the rising water. 

But because of wood harvesting, the patch is getting smaller. 

In a place with no electricity, no alternative natural fuel, and a constant need for rebuilding, mangrove wood is being used for current problems, rather than protecting against future challenges. 

Yet life goes on, with some recognising the economic opportunity of life on the island.

A bag of rice sells for Le110,000 ($14) in Sierra Leone, and Le325,000 ($40) in Conakry, so Sierra Leonean traders are choosing to live where they can trade upwards rather than settling in a less precarious, but less lucrative, location in the country’s relatively dry interior.

“This is a very important economic area, a very important military area,” explains Kelly Marah, the deputy in command for a navy outpost on the island.

He oversees a small fleet that chases illegal foreign fishing boats, a significant threat to Sierra Leone’s fishing industry.

Kandeh Yumkella, an MP who represents communities along the Scarcies, is trying to give Yelibuya a political voice.

A former UN under-secretary-general and presidential hopeful in the March 2018 elections, he proposes climate justice and private sector solutions. 

“We who pollute the least and make the least greenhouse gases will be most vulnerable,” Yumkella says.

Sierra Leone is a “carbon sink”, meaning the country absorbs more carbon than it emits, he says, adding that Yelibuya would benefit from global funding initiatives aimed at supporting climate-change victims.

“We have a real case where we need a systematic relocation of people who are vulnerable to climate change. Where we get money, and how we do that, can demonstrate to the global community how to do this.”

Climate funds could be used to build schools and a clinic in nearby Mahayla to encourage people to leave the sinking town, he suggests.

But he also wants climate funds to spur development. 

“Aid must bring capacity, global knowledge systems, and build infrastructure and institutions, so that people can reach their entrepreneurial potential,” he says. “This is about creating markets and competitive infrastructure. This is about making money.” 

He has plans for new jetties and fish manufacturing plants that he says will help Great Scarcies communities package and ultimately export their commodities. 

When Al Jazeera visited Yelibuya in July, Yumkella was on the island with a Sierra Leonean-American businessman interested in commercial fishing. 

“We’re not asking for handouts,”Yumkella says. “This place has potential,”.

For now, though, Yelibuya exists in in a liminal state.

It is fully dependent on water, and is being overtaken by it.

There are some things that you either get straight away, or you don’t get at all.

The viral video below, in which Twitter user @kay_dera demonstrates a slightly mind-boggling hand swap trick, is the perfect example of this.

Pay close attention:

Did you get it?

Well, some people had it instantly.

Others, meanwhile, were less sure.

For anyone still wondering what the heck is going on, here’s a handy slow-mo.

Yep: all you have to do is straighten the hand at the back, and clench the one at the front into a fist.

Now go forth and impress the world.

Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United will attempt to get back on track after defeat by Brighton, but have a tough task at home to Tottenham, who have won two from two so far, on Monday evening.

BBC Sport football expert Mark Lawrenson says it is exactly the sort of game the Portuguese will relish.

“He may be under pressure from some fans to play a bolder, more adventurous style, but that is just not in Jose’s DNA. He is never going to change that,” he said.

“He is fully justified in some ways. In these big games his teams more often than not get a really positive result.”

Lawro is making predictions for all 380 top-flight matches this season, against a variety of guests.

This week’s guests are actors Idris Elba and Aml Ameen, who worked together on Elba’s directorial debut film Yardie.

Arsenal fan Elba says that Match of the Day pundit Ian Wright is his favourite former Gunner.

“He was just a class player, a beautiful guy, a lovely personality – he was one of the first players to make me realise that footballers were human,” the Luther actor told BBC Sport.

Ameen, who watched England’s games in a pub in Santa Monica near where he lives, says that this summer’s World Cup sparked a deeper appreciation of the game in him.

Both Elba and Ameen made predictions but, as the bigger football fan, it is Elba’s guesses that go up against Lawro’s.

A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.

LAWRO’S PREDICTIONS

All kick-offs 15:00 BST unless stated.

SATURDAY

Wolves v Man City (12:30 BST)

It is an early diagnosis, but so far this season Wolves look really good going forward and less secure at the back.

They created lots of chances in their defeat by Leicester without scoring. They are a footballing team who are a little bit open. They will have to tighten up a bit.

But against Manchester City – who have looked devastating in their first two games – most of the rest of the league is really up against it.

I am going for a comprehensive City win but it is not games like this that are going to decide whether Wolves’ season is a success. These fixtures are part of the learning process.

There is not too much to be concerned about so far.

Lawro’s prediction: 0-3

Idris’ prediction: 1-2

Aml’s prediction: 1-4

Arsenal v West Ham

I am almost thinking that for this season – as new manager Unai Emery gets his feet under the table and imposes his style – Arsenal should not put pressure on themselves to finish in the top four.

They need to develop and, after more than 20 years with the same manager, it is always going to be difficult.

They are trying to play out a little more from the back and all it needs is for one player not to be comfortable doing so for it to be a problem.

If Emery wants to play that way he will have to suffer one or two defeats along the way, but I think ultimately he will get there, partly because he will get the personnel in who can fit that style.

West Ham seriously worry me. They were hopeless defensively in defeat by both Liverpool and Bournemouth. You can sign as many players as you want, but ultimately if you can’t defend in the Premier League, you are going to be in trouble.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-0

Idris’ prediction: 6-0 “That’s an easy one.”

Aml’s prediction: 6-0

Bournemouth v Everton

Bournemouth have always been a footballing team and Everton, under Marco Silva, will play more that way as well.

I reckon that the Cherries, coming off the back of wins over Cardiff and West Ham, can nick this one though.

If they do, and move to three top-flight wins from three, that will be up there with their best ever starts to a season.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-1

Idris’ prediction: 1-0

Aml’s prediction: 1-0

Huddersfield v Cardiff

Huddersfield did extremely well to stay up last season, but this season will be all about dodging that bullet for a second time.

This has got relegation ramifications written all over it. Two years ago this was a Championships game and both teams are going to be in for a massive struggle to stay out of the second tier.

A draw won’t suit either really because both will want to take points at the expense of a rival, but that is how I see it going.

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

Idris’ prediction: 1-2

Aml’s prediction: 1-2

Southampton v Leicester City

After his red card in the win over Wolves there is no Jamie Vardy for Leicester. Is there anyone who Claude Puel can bring in, who gives them the same goals?

With Islam Slimani, Leonardo Ulloa and Ahmed Musa all departing this summer, the Foxes are short in that area.

Up against his old side, I think Puel could come unstuck.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-1

Idris’ prediction: 0-1

Aml’s prediction: 0-1

Liverpool v Brighton (17:30 BST)

Brighton are going to be all right this season. They have a great ability to put bad displays behind them.

They turned in a bit of non-performance against Watford on the opening day, failing to manage a shot on target. They were able to put that behind them though and tear into Manchester United at the Amex in a superb winning performance.

But Liverpool are flying. Not just in terms of the results that they have got, but also in terms of their pace of play. It is very difficult to cope with.

Lawro’s prediction: 3-0

Idris’ prediction: 3-2

Aml’s prediction: 1-2

SUNDAY

Watford v Crystal Palace (13:30 BST)

Watford have started very well with wins over Brighton and Burnley and have the makings of a very promising partnership up front.

Andre Gray and, especially, Troy Deeney look sharp in attack and both managed to get on the scoresheet at Turf Moor.

Palace were on the wrong end of 2-0 defeat last time out but I thought they were very competitive against Liverpool.

Lawro’s prediction: 1-0

Idris’ prediction: 2-3

Aml’s prediction: 2-1

Fulham v Burnley (16:00 BST)

Burnley created lots of chances against Southampton on the opening day and should have won that game.

The Clarets are on a Thursday-Sunday schedule because of their Europa League campaign and have to travel back from Athens at the end of this week after their play-off first leg against Olympiakos.

Fulham are another open, engaging team but, having scored just once in their opening two games, I am not sure they have that cutting edge up front.

They also will have to cope with the physicality that Burnley test you with.

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

Idris’ prediction: 2-0

Aml’s prediction: 2-1

Newcastle v Chelsea (16:00 BST)

Newcastle have been unlucky this season. They got nothing from a good performance against Tottenham and should have beaten Cardiff when down to 10 men, with Kenedy missing an injury-time penalty.

Rafael Benitez is very successful at setting his team up to be difficult to beat at home to the Premier League superpowers.

Chelsea look more bright and adventurous than they did under Antonio Conte, but they do have some defensive blips.

Maurizio Sarri has them playing a pressing game and when that breaks down is when the opposition have the space to create chances.

Lawro’s prediction: 1-1

Idris’ prediction: 0-2

Aml’s prediction: 0-2

MONDAY

Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur (20:00 BST)

Tottenham do not have a very good record at Old Trafford – they have lost their past five trips to Old Trafford, scoring just once.

Manchester United will be hurting after being rolled over by Brighton. There seem to be some tensions there and there will be people with points to prove.

Mourinho will be very intent on, once again, stopping Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen in the Spurs attack.

Lawro’s prediction: 2-1

Idris’ prediction: 0-2

Aml’s prediction: 1-2

Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport’s Mike Henson.

How did Lawro do last week?

On the second weekend of the new Premier League season, Lawro got six correct results, none with a perfect score however, from 10 matches, for a total of 60 points.

He edged out singer Tom Grennan, who got four correct results, and no perfect scores, for a total of 40 points.

GUEST LEADERBOARD 2018-19