US downloads of WeChat, Signal apps spike after Trump threatens ban
“Not only are alternatives like WhatsApp and Telegram officially blocked in China, but Signal has an inherent advantage in that it’s well known for being strongly encrypted,” Stephanie Chan, Mobile Insights Strategist at Sensor Tower told Reuters. Signal did not immediately respond to request for comment.WeChat users have also turned to another Tencent-owned chat app, QQ, as the ban did not specifically cover this product. Its downloads in the United States have tripled in the past week, Sensor Tower data showed.Some Chinese immigrants and expats worry losing access to the popular WeChat could cut off contact with family and friends in China, where most popular US instant messaging apps including Facebook, Whatsapp and Telegram have been blocked by the Chinese government’s Great Firewall.It was unclear how the administration could implement the ban on WeChat in mid-September. It could order Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google to remove WeChat from their app store, or order the apps to stop offering access or updates to US users.Some users said they planned to access WeChat in the United States using a virtual private network (VPN), a common tool people in China use to hide IP address to evade government restrictions. More users in the United States downloaded chat app WeChat and its encrypted alternative Signal, after President Donald Trump threatened to ban WeChat, owned by Chinese company Tencent, according to Sensor Tower data shared with Reuters on Thursday.WeChat users in the United States rushed to install the app before it could disappear from the app stores. Others, especially in China, sought alternatives like the encrypted Signal, owned by non-profit Signal Foundation.WeChat app downloads in the United States rose 41% in a six-day average from the week prior to the US ban announced last Thursday, according to Sensor Tower. Signal app downloads in US and China app stores separately jumped by 30% and 90%. Topics :
Man City approach Lyon over transfer of Arsenal target Houssem Aouar Aouar is ready for a fresh challenge (Picture: Getty)Aouar has three years left on his current deal, leaving Lyon in a strong position to name their price for the coveted Frenchman.Aged just 22, Aouar is ready for a fresh challenge and is also attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.The playmaker will take his time to make a decision and the transfer window will stay open until 5 October.MORE: Lyon set new price for Houssem Aouar after receiving Arsenal’s swap deal proposal involving Matteo GuendouziMORE: Lyon chief provides transfer update on Arsenal and Manchester United targets Moussa Dembele & Houssem AouarFollow Metro Sport across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Advertisement Coral BarryFriday 21 Aug 2020 1:08 pmShare this article via facebookShare this article via twitterShare this article via messengerShare this with Share this article via emailShare this article via flipboardCopy link1.6kShares Comment Advertisement Aouar is a wanted man this summer (Picture: Getty)Manchester City have approached Lyon about signing Houssem Aouar days after the midfielder helped knock Pep Guardiola’s side out of the Champions League.Aouar bossed the midfield in a stunning 3-1 victory and appears to have convinced City they have to move for his signature.Guardiola has been tracking Aouar for the last year and ESPN claim City have now made contact with Lyon over the signing.City are the second Premier League club to contact Lyon to land Aouar after Arsenal opened talks.ADVERTISEMENTTechnical director Edu called his counterpart and Lyon sporting director Juninho to discuss the deal and suggested Matteo Guendouzi could be used as a makeweight in the transfer.AdvertisementAdvertisementLyon value Aouar at around £54million and further talks are planned with Arsenal.The Ligue 1 side, who were eliminated from the Champions League by Bayern Munich this week, are prepared to sell Aouar and have told the player he is free to leave if a club meets their asking price.
The property at Noosaville.WHISPERS that Sydney identities Anthony Bell and Kelly Landry have bought a Noosa waterfront home have been confirmed.But the story behind the big purchase on Hideaway Island suggests the two are seeking to turn the page on their tumultuous marital breakdown.SIGN UP FOR THE LATEST NEWS HERE“Belly and Kelly”, as they were affectionately known, were the mystery $10.3 million buyers on Noosa Sound, paying a then-record price in the hotspot Queensland town late last year.“Kelly and I have purchased the house in Noosa as she and the kids have moved up there,” Bell told me.Kelly Landry and Anthony Bell. Picture: Christian Gilles“I travel up there on the weekends and I can happily report Kelly and I are working as a team to co-parent our beautiful children, who love the area and are enrolled in a local school.”The couple have two daughters six and under.“Anthony and I are in the happy position of being co-parents and focusing our energies on our children to ensure they can enjoy a happy upbringing in this beautiful part of Australia,” Landry said.More from newsNew apartments released at idyllic retirement community Samford Grove Presented by Parks and wildlife the new lust-haves post coronavirus20 hours agoWhat a home.Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayNext playlist itemMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 1:28Loaded: 0%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -1:28 Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedQuality Levels720p720pHD432p432p270p270p180p180pAutoA, selectedAudio Tracken (Main), selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.PlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -0:00 Playback Rate1xFullscreenAndrew Winter: Location, location, location01:29The recently built house on two parcels was rated HIA Queensland home of the year when built with concrete, steel, timber, stone and glass to a design by Paul Clout.Spanning more than 800sqm of living space, the home has six bedrooms, six bathrooms and a self-contained caretaker wing.There are internal courtyards integrating indoor and outdoor living.A 25m solar-heated infinity pool and outdoor kitchen overlooks a 45m water frontage, which features a private sandy beach, two jetties and a boat ramp.RELATED NEWS: ANTHONY BELL BUYS LARRY EMDUR’S $11.5M HOMEThe waterfront sale was secured by Tom Offermann Real Estate agent John Dover, who had an $11.9 million price guide.Last weekend The Sunday Telegraph’s Annette Sharp reported the couple’s efforts to make peace, citing Instagram images of the family enjoying boat trips on Noosa Sound.Their former home at Watsons Bay has been sold for about $18 million to the Calligeros hotelier family.Bell lives as a bachelor in a clifftop Dover Heights home he bought from Channel 7 personality Larry Emdur for $11.5 million.
A resort-style pool overlooks the water.The estate is being marketed by Amir Mian, principal of Amir Prestige, who described entering the property as being like a scene from a Hollywood movie.More from news02:37International architect Desmond Brooks selling luxury beach villa8 hours ago02:37Gold Coast property: Sovereign Islands mega mansion hits market with $16m price tag1 day ago“All of a sudden the gates open to this long driveway with the house in the background… even I said ‘wow’ when I was going in,” he said.The property has changed hands twice over the past decade – in September 2014 for $10.425 million and to current owner Sheng Li for $11 million in August 2016. Water all around at 2585 Gracemere Circuit North, Hope Island. Next level Gold Coast glamour on Gracemere Circuit North.Gold Coast glamour oozes from every fitting and fixture inside the royal residence which looms large on a 5371sq m block with 176m water frontage.Gold swan taps adorn the hand basins in the master ensuite while Swarovski crystal chandeliers are the crowning glory in the palatial dining room. MORE NEWS: Gold Coast’s Top 3 relocation hot spots The lavish mega-mansion 2585 Gracemere Circuit North, Hope Island.A Versace-inspired Gold Coast mansion featuring marble lion sentinels and gold swan taps has hit the market with an asking price of $16.88 million.There are seven bedrooms, ten bathrooms and a lift to reach all three levels inside the mega-mansion at 2585 Gracemere Circuit North, Hope Island. Sovereign Islands estate fit for sporting royalty Swarovski crystal chandeliers adorn the dining room. Lion sentinels guard the entry.Mr Mian said the sheer size of the property, as well as the peninsula position with water on three sides, made it a rare find. “When you see the property from the air it’s quite mind-boggling just how big the land area is,” he said.“To find something like this in suburbia is quite unique.”
News.com.au 22 January 2019Family First Comment: Based on the justification for choosing your gender, why not choose your race as well. #equalityA model who was born a white woman, but now identifies as black after tanning injections changed her skin colour shared bizarre claims about her future children.A white glamour model who claims to have “changed” race after having a series of tanning injections has left people stunned with her latest revelation.German model Martina Big, 30, who has been taking melanin injections for two years and now “identifies as a black woman”, appeared on British TV yesterday with her new husband Michael where she claimed the pair would be able to conceive a black child together.Speaking about her “transformation”, she said a doctor has told her she’ll be able to birth black children, though no medical explanation was given.“My children will be black. We are not having plans, but I am discussing with my doctor to see if my body is okay, will I be able to breastfeed, what the baby will look like,” she told the two shocked hosts.When quizzed on how that would be “genetically possible”, she claimed any future baby she has would be a mix of her and her white husband.READ MORE: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/wtf/woman-who-changed-race-claims-her-babies-will-be-born-black/news-story/7fa959901ce448aa992971cd1d5ce9d6
Somali national Army and African Union forces have liberated new towns in southern Somalia – Dinsoor among them. Now after eight years residents in that town saw officials from the federal government – among them the head of state
Those three points made this Southampton’s best-ever start to a top-flight season and forward Rodriguez believes they have yet to reach their peak. “It was really good,” he said of the performance at St Mary’s on Saturday. “We were very controlling of the game and we created so many chances and the reward is all down to how hard we’ve worked and to the belief which we’ve had from day one. “It is no shock really. We know the performances that we’re capable of and to improve upon for the next game. “It’s a great place to be at the moment, and everyone in the camp is enjoying it and loving it. “It’s great competition throughout the team from the back and up front it’s all a challenge, but it’s a good one and a healthy one because everyone wants each other to do well. “It’s the same throughout the team, and there’s a really good atmosphere for us to be involved in.” Rodriguez played a key role in the defeat of Fulham, first flicking a James Ward-Prowse corner onto Rickie Lambert to open the scoring after 20 minutes. Press Association Despite splashing the cash during the summer, few took seriously talk around the south coast of a push for a European finish. Mauricio Pochettino’s side, though, are doing their best to prove the doubters wrong and moved up to third with Saturday’s impressive 2-0 win against Fulham. Southampton’s rise has surprised many this season and Jay Rodriguez suggests the best is still to come. The England international returned the favour late in the first half, heading across a fine ball from Adam Lallana for Rodriguez to nod home at the far post. That proved the end of the scoring but, in truth, Fulham were fortunate to have left St Mary’s on the back of just a 2-0 defeat. Martin Jol’s men were left chasing shadows from the outset and were unable to cope with Saints’ pressing game as the hosts picked up a sixth clean sheet of the term. “It’s always pleasing to score a goal and to play like we did I think was unbelievable, so we’re all very chuffed with it,” Rodriguez said. “We pressed really high and it came off for us. “We worked really hard by winning the ball in good places and creating a lot of chances as you can see from the stats so it was a really enjoyable game. “It’s enjoyable because the hunger is there which comes from the pressing and working hard. “We all enjoy the pressing when we’re creating chances, but the main thing for us is keeping clean sheets.” Fulham failed to test Southampton goalkeeper Artur Boruc once at St Mary’s and boss Jol admitted the only positive for his side was that they avoided a “hammering”. The half-time introduction of Aaron Hughes in place of Sascha Riether helped frustrate Saints, but the Whites never looked like clawing their way back into the match. “They put us under a lot of pressure, pressed us very high up the pitch,” Hughes said. “Sometimes it was hard to get out and when you come up against a side like that you just have to take a chance now and again and try. “Unfortunately, it just wasn’t happening for us at all and when you’re 2-0 down and chasing the game, you’re leaving gaps here and there, pushing forward and leaving yourself a little exposed so it is always an uphill task after that.” 
Mike MandellMike Mandell is the sports editor at The Ellsworth American and Mount Desert Islander. He began working for The American in August 2016. You can reach him via email at mmandell@ellsworthamerican.com. ELLSWORTH — Marathon runners often traverse entire cities, counties and even states to reach their final destinations. One race this weekend took it even further.Local runners were among the many who traveled to the Downeast stretch of the U.S.-Canada border for Sunday’s Bay of Fundy International Marathon. The event featured a full marathon, half-marathon, ultra marathon and 10K and took runners between Lubec and Campobello, N.B.“I love the Bay of Fundy races,” said Franklin runner Lisa Kearns, one of 592 runners competing in the four-race event. “[It’s] one of my favorite places to race and visit the towns in that area.”In the marathon portion of the event, Jamie Anderson of Amherst was the top local finisher with a time of 3 hours, 22 minutes, 39 seconds. Andrew Tiemann of Ellsworth placed 17th with a time of 3:44:57, and Harlan Brown of Bar Harbor placed 70th with a time of 4:55:51 to give the race three Hancock County finishers.This is placeholder textThis is placeholder textIn the half-marathon, two Dedham runners earned top-10 finishes with Karl Zukauskas placing fifth with a time of 1:32:26 and Lilian Calderwood crossing the finish line as the top female finisher with a time of 1:35:44 and place of eighth. Other local finishers included Sara Hunt of Dedham (14th), Daphne Lang of Orland (26th), Laura Anderson of Bar Harbor (63rd) and Christa Brey of Ellsworth (80th).“I wanted just to get out there and see how I could do,” said Brey, who placed in the top third of the 285-runner half-marathon field. “There’s always a lot of people, but everybody’s always able to spread out pretty quickly.”In the 10K race, Nick Brown and Jada Wensman of Ellsworth placed fifth and sixth with times of 44:54 and 45:00, respectively. Tom Murphy of Ellsworth (14th), Kearns (28th), Lloyd Harmon of Ellsworth (56th), Michael Buss (69th), Robin Emery (108th) and Ryan Connolly (120th) of Lamoine, Ken Huitt (127th) and Lydia Madrid (128th) of Orland and Cheryl Murphy of Ellsworth (140th) rounded out the local finishers.At the end of the day, the event’s bravest runners crossed the finish line to conclude the 31-mile ultra marathon. In that race, Bar Harbor’s Emily Rusiecki finished with a time of 5:56:02 to place 10th of 18 competitors.The 438 runners crossing the U.S.-Canada border were required to check in a day or two before the event and display their passports prior to the race. Registration sites were present on both the American and Canadian sides with runners being bused across the border to the proper starting locations if necessary.“They’ve made it so they can keep track of everybody while also making sure there’s nothing disrupting the race,” Brey said. “There’s no stopping once you get to the border.”With nearly 600 people competing in races of different lengths and difficulty levels, runners finished at all hours of the morning and afternoon. Yet regardless of the races in which they were competing, the mood at the finish line was a festive one.“When you get to the finish line, the streets of Lubec are lined with runners greeting each other and cheering you on,” Brey said. “It’s a great experience.” Hospice volunteers help families navigate grief and find hope – September 12, 2020 Latest Posts Bio
Ellsworth runners compete in virtual Boston Marathon – September 16, 2020 MPA approves golf, XC, field hockey, soccer; football, volleyball moved to spring – September 10, 2020 Latest posts by Mike Mandell (see all)
Body found on LA beach identified as WWE pro Shad GaspardLOS ANGELES (AP) — The body of former World Wrestling Entertainment pro Shad Gaspard was found early Wednesday on Los Angeles’ Venice Beach, where he was caught in a rip current last weekend.A Police Department statement says patrol officers were flagged down around by a person reporting that a body had washed ashore. The department says the body was identified and next-of-kin notified.Gaspard was last seen about 50 yards offshore after he was caught in a rip current. Gaspard’s 10-year-old son was rescued and several other swimmers made it out of the water.Gaspard gained prominence in the WWE as one half of the tag-team group Cryme Time, along with his partner, JTG. After retiring from the WWE in 2010, Gaspard has had small roles on TV and in movies, including the 2015 Kevin Hart comedy “Get Hard.”,Tampa Bay Lightning advance to face Dallas Stars in Stanley Cup finals, beating New York Islanders 2-1 in OT in Game 6 May 20, 2020 The Toyota 500 will be NASCAR’s first Wednesday race in 36 years. In that last race, Richard Petty won his 200th Cup Series race at Daytona on July 4, 1984.NASCAR added a couple of weeknights into its schedule as it tries to make up the eight races it missed because of the pandemic.Like Sunday’s race, won by Kevin Harvick, Wednesday’s race will be without fans and with only essential personnel inside.In other developments related to the coronavirus pandemic:— Japan’s beloved high school baseball tournament has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The tournament is a huge annual event in Japan and is followed much the way Americans follow the college basketball tournament. The Japanese High School Baseball Federation says the cancellation was the first since World War II. The high school tournament has showcased some of the biggest stars in Japanese professional baseball. They include major leaguers like Ichiro Suzuki, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Matsui. Update on the latest sports — The head of the organizing committee for the 2022 World Cup says a global recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic could affect the ability of fans to afford to travel to Qatar (KUH’-tur). The World Bank is forecasting a deep recession caused by the shutdown of economic activity around the world. Organizing committee secretary general Hassan Al Thawadi says he is hopeful the tournament will be an opportunity for the world to come together again in November 2022. But he says there are “concerns about the global economy and the ability of fans to be able to afford traveling and afford coming and participating and celebrating the World Cup.”— Watford defender Adrian Mariappa says he is one of the six people to test positive from the first round of coronavirus checks in the Premier League and is surprised that he contracted the disease. Mariappa says he has been “scratching my head to try to work out how I might have got coronavirus” because he hasn’t “really left the house apart from some exercise and the odd walk with the kids.” The 33-year-old Mariappa says he hasn’t had any symptoms and has felt “as fit as ever.” Two members of Watford’s staff also tested positive for COVID-19. Burnley said assistant manager Ian Woan has also contracted the virus.— The Portuguese soccer federation says six of the 15 stadiums seeking to host matches when the league resumes next month amid the coronavirus pandemic have failed health inspections. All stadiums must comply with a series health measures established by local authorities to be able to host matches. The federation says the stadiums for league leader Porto and second-place Benfica were among the nine stadiums that passed the inspections conducted by local health authorities. The stadiums that failed belong to smaller clubs. They will be allowed to make changes to their venues before another inspection is conducted.HOCKEY-2021 WORLDSUS, Canada drawn in same group at 2021 men’s hockey worlds ZURICH (AP) — The United States and Canada have been drawn into same group for the 2021 men’s hockey world championships.The North American rivals are in the eight-team group to be played in Riga (REE’-guh), Latvia. Defending champion Finland and Germany are also in that group. Russia, Sweden and the Czech Republic will be in the other group alongside co-host Belarus in Minsk.The 15,000-seat Minsk Arena will host the medal games and semifinals. The International Ice Hockey Federation says the 2021 tournament schedule will be published at a later date. Finland won the 2019 title. The 2020 tournament in Switzerland was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.BOBSLED-VALDES RETURNSUS Olympic bobsledder Carlo Valdes announces his return Share This StoryFacebookTwitteremailPrintLinkedinRedditVIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTSNASCAR set for first Wednesday start since 1984UNDATED (AP) — NASCAR’s comeback from the coronavirus continues at Darlington Raceway Wednesday night, three days after resuming its season at the South Carolina track. LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — Carlo Valdes, a member of the 2018 U.S. Olympic team in bobsled, has announced he is returning to the sport with hopes of making the team for the 2022 Beijing Games.Valdes was a push athlete on the team that finished 20th at the Pyeongchang Olympics in a four-man sled driven by Justin Olsen. Valdes hasn’t competed at the World Cup level since, taking the last two seasons off to focus on business interests.The 30-year-old Valdes has won eight World Cup medals in his career as a push athlete, including a gold medal in two-man with the late Steven Holcomb in 2016 at the Americans’ home track in Lake Placid, New York.If this sliding season happens as planned — an uncertain proposition because of the coronavirus pandemic — USA Bobsled and Skeleton will host the 2021 world championships at Lake Placid in February.OCEAN SEARCH-MISSING WRESTLER Associated Press 
Share this:FacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditComment on this Story “This means a lot to our community,” said head coach Dan Salisbury. “It was a great game and they (Marcellus) played us tough, but our kids hung in there.”Maybe it only figured that, after all the seasons spent in relative purgatory, Solvay, in order to win this battle between two undefeated (4-0) teams atop the Class B West division, would have to endure a long and stressful battle with Marcellus that stretched more than three hours and included a rash of penalties on both sides.The state Class B no. 15-ranked Bearcats temporarily silenced the state no. 10-ranked Mustangs and its large Homecoming crowd by scoring twice in the first three minutes to grab a 14-0 lead. It is difficult to easily measure the amount of catharsis felt by Solvay football players, coaches and fans as the clock ran out Friday night and the Bearcats had defeated Marcellus 42-35.Gone was a playoff drought that had stretched for more than a decade. Also gone was a streak of 12 consecutive defeats to the Mustangs that dated back to 2008, the Tom Anthony Silver Cup finally back in Solvay’s hands.“It’s crazy, it’s mayhem, but we deserved it,” said quarterback Brock Bagozzi, whose four touchdown passes helped the Bearcats withstand numerous Marcellus comebacks. A 60-yard pass from Bagozzi to Russ Tarbell setting up a two-yard scoring run by Jaimen Bliss, followed by a Marcellus punt that Elijah Wright blocked and Tyriq Block picked up and took to the end zone.Marcellus absorbed this and, with its own vaunted ground game, put together two scoring drives of its own to tie it, 14-14, by the middle of the second quarter, and would pull back even again at 21-21 late in the half after Blaine Franklin’s two-yard scoring dash got the Bearcats back in front.Perhaps the game’s most important play came after that third Mustangs touchdown, scored by Sean Tierney on a three-yard run with less than a minute left in the half.On the very next play from scrimmage, Bagozzi, from his own 45, threw deep down the right sideline and found a streaking Cullen Scott, the 55-yard TD putting Solvay in front for good.The Bearcats’ 28-21 halftime edge didn’t feel secure, given the way that Marcellus was moving the ball on the ground and the fact that Solvay would not have Bliss for the rest of the game due to injury.Bagozzi was still out there, though, and midway through the third quarter he again burned the Mustangs deep, this time with a 48-yard TD pass to Scott over the middle, doubling Solvay’s margin to 35-21.Tierney’s seven-yard scoring pass to Jared Sammon on fourth-and-goal brought the Mustangs back within seven, but early in the fourth quarter Bagozzi again threw deep over the middle, finding Tarbell for a TD that covered 54 yards early in the fourth quarter.Trailing 42-28, the Mustangs kept itself alive when Nick Kermes intercepted Bagozzi, setting up a short five that Kermes finished off from one yard out with 7:30 to play.After a defensive stop, Marcellus got the ball at its own 20 and, again churning up yards on the ground, drove to Solvay’s 25. But after an incomplete pass to the end zone, the Mustangs halted and, on fourth-and-11, Kermes caught a Tierney pass near the goal line, but was out of bounds.Able to run out the clock, the Bearcats claimed its fifth consecutive win, and all it needs now is to defeat Westhill next Friday at Al Merola Field to lock up the B West regular-season title. Tags: footballMarcellusSolvay