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There have been nine drone strikes reported in Yemen in the past two weeks – an uptick apparently connected to the Al Qaeda threat that shut down U.S. embassies across the Middle East and Africa. As many as six civilian deaths have also been reported.
President Obama has promised increased transparency around drones, but when asked about the strikes on Friday, Obama wouldn’t even confirm U.S. involvement.
“I will not have a discussion about operational issues,” he said.
The military is also following that line, refusing to release details about what happens when civilians are harmed in these strikes, including if and how families of innocent victims are compensated.
In response to a Freedom of Information Act request, U.S. Central Command told ProPublica it has 33 pages somehow related to condolence payments in Yemen – but it won’t release any of them, or detail what they are.
The military’s letter rejecting our FOIA cites a series of reasons, including classified national security information. (Here’s the letter.)
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There’s no way to know what the military is withholding. A Pentagon spokesman told us they haven’t actually made condolence payments in Yemen. But CIA director John Brennan said during his confirmation process in February that the U.S. does offer condolence payments to the families of civilians killed in U.S. strikes. (Both the military and CIA fly drones over Yemen.)
In May, the White House released new guidelines for targeted killing, saying that there must be a “near certainty that non-combatants will not be injured or killed.” But the administration has said little about how civilian deaths are assessed or handled when they do occur. It has refused to address the U.S. role in almost any particular death – including that of a 10-year-old boy, killed a few weeks after Obama’s promise of increased transparency.
Outside reporting on drone strike deaths is spotty and often conflicted. On Sunday, a Yemeni activist and journalist named three civilians who had been injured, “just hanging arnd n thir neighborhood.” Another recent strike killed up to five “militants,” according to Reuters and other news agencies. But Yemenis reported on Twitter that a child was also killed. (The White House declined to comment to ProPublica on the recent strikes or on condolence payments.)
In Afghanistan, the U.S. has long given out condolence payments, which military leaders have come to see as a key part of the battle for hearts and minds. What might seem like a callous exercise – assigning a dollar amount to a human life – is also embraced by many humanitarian groups. The Center for Civilians in Conflict, for example, sees it as a way to help families financially and as “a gesture of respect.” In fiscal year 2012, condolence payments in Afghanistan totaled nearly a million dollars.
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It’s likely harder to do that in the drone war. Military and intelligence leaders have expressed concern about “blowback” from local populations resentful of the strikes. But the U.S. has no visible troops on the ground in countries like Yemen or Pakistan, and almost never acknowledges specific strikes.
Despite the recent surge, overall there have been far fewer drone strikes and civilian deaths alleged in 2013 than in previous years.
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The Professional Triathletes Organisation has launched the PTO Hub, a central location for content generated by PTO members to support, encourage and inspire in these uncertain times. The PTO Hub showcases the world’s top professional triathletes reaching out through a combination of video, podcasts, live chats and interactive virtual exhibitions, and is designed to be a source of support, encouragement and inspiration.
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Charles Adamo, PTO Chairman said: “The PTO and its professionals appreciate that in this current environment people are rightfully focused on the immediate health and economic concerns that the COVID-19 situation has raised. This is not a time to compete, but to band together to support one another. The fear and anxiety surrounding COVID-19 is real and understandable, and of course, we do not purport to have many answers. Like other self-employed people in the economy, professional triathletes have found themselves unemployed and dealing with financial uncertainty. As previously announced, the PTO was able to provide some assistance in these circumstances by paying out $2,500,000 to 200 professional triathletes. In response to the PTO’s action in helping athletes, the professionals wanted to find a way to use their talents and expertise to help others. To add a triathlon spin to an old saying, ‘When life gives you aid, make an aid station.’ ”
Tim O’Donnell, Co-President of the PTO said: “Sport has a unique power to unite and inspire people, as professionals we have traditionally done this through our racing. However, with the season on hold, we have realised that we can do more. Through the PTO Hub we have come together to volunteer our expertise and experience in an effort to unite and inspire in a new and unique way. The athletes are grateful for the PTO’s support and can’t wait to pay in forward by supporting the triathlon community with the PTO Hub.”
Two-time Olympic gold medal winner and PTO Board Member Alistair Brownlee, said: “Exercise is a vital element of both physical and mental health, and it is especially important at this time. We hope that the PTO Hub will encourage and inspire people to be active in a responsible way.”
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Athletes from around the globe, like Jan Frodeno, Alistair Brownlee, Lionel Sanders, Lucy Charles-Barclay, Daniela Ryf, Sebastian Kienle, Sarah Crowley, Anne Haug, Tim O’Donnell, Holly Lawrence and all of their PTO colleagues, will be joined by well-known multisport media pundits Bob Babbitt, Till Shenck, Stef Hanson, Greg Bennett and others, and the occasional celebrity contributor, and will look to provide the triathlon community with a home to support one another.
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Cyclists, runners and triathletes are all invited to join in the fun from May 4th to May 30th. To kick things off, Zwift will be making a donation of $125,000 to MSF. Once 250,000 people from Zwift’s global community have completed at least one Tour for All event, Zwift will match its initial donation with an additional $125,000 for a total of $250,000, one dollar for every participant. Zwifters taking part who would like to make further donations in support of MSF will be able to do so via a Zwift x MSF donations page that will be live ahead of the Tour beginning in May.
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“Over recent months, the world has been turned upside down and I think we are all adjusting to a new normal,” says Eric Min, Zwift CEO and Co-Founder. “We’re in a unique position to bring together a global community and unite behind one cause, raising money for those who are helping to keep us safe. MSF is responding to the COVID-19 emergency in multiple ways – caring for patients, offering health education and mental health support, and providing training for vital infection control measures in health facilities around the world. I invite our global community to join us in supporting these lifesaving efforts. Of course, let’s have some fun along the way!”
Zwift’s Tour for All will be a five-stage event running from May 4th to 30th. Stages will be held across all time zones globally, and in keeping with the name, there will be events for all interests.
Zwifters will be challenged to complete all five stages but can do so in a variety of ways. There will be group rides and runs with both long and short distance formats. Those with a competitive streak will be able to take part in races during each stage, and there will also be women-only events as well.
For more information on Zwift’s Tour for All head to:
Ride – zwift.com/tfaride
Run – zwift.com/tfarun
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For more information on Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) head to www.msf.org
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Cyclists, runners and triathletes are all invited to join in the fun from May 4th to May 30th. To kick things off, Zwift will be making a donation of $125,000 to MSF. Once 250,000 people from Zwift’s global community have completed at least one Tour for All event, Zwift will match its initial donation with an additional $125,000 for a total of $250,000, one dollar for every participant. Zwifters taking part who would like to make further donations in support of MSF will be able to do so via a Zwift x MSF donations page that will be live ahead of the Tour beginning in May.
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“Over recent months, the world has been turned upside down and I think we are all adjusting to a new normal,” says Eric Min, Zwift CEO and Co-Founder. “We’re in a unique position to bring together a global community and unite behind one cause, raising money for those who are helping to keep us safe. MSF is responding to the COVID-19 emergency in multiple ways – caring for patients, offering health education and mental health support, and providing training for vital infection control measures in health facilities around the world. I invite our global community to join us in supporting these lifesaving efforts. Of course, let’s have some fun along the way!”
Zwift’s Tour for All will be a five-stage event running from May 4th to 30th. Stages will be held across all time zones globally, and in keeping with the name, there will be events for all interests.
Zwifters will be challenged to complete all five stages but can do so in a variety of ways. There will be group rides and runs with both long and short distance formats. Those with a competitive streak will be able to take part in races during each stage, and there will also be women-only events as well.
For more information on Zwift’s Tour for All head to:
Ride – zwift.com/tfaride
Run – zwift.com/tfarun
Advertisement
For more information on Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) head to www.msf.org
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The Q&A will take place at midday on multisport retailer, Wiggle’s Facebook page the live Q&A is the first in a series of events which will be hosted every week.
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It will be the first time in over a year the Brownlees have been available for an open Q&A, giving fans the rare chance to quiz the duo.
Prior to lockdown the brothers were almost stranded in New Mexico whilst altitude training. Alistair Brownlee has also confirmed he has put his Ironman dreams are on hold whilst he continues to focus on the Tokyo Olympics which has been postponed until next year.
The Wiggle Lunchtime Live sessions will take place every Friday at 12pm and see athletes and well-known sports enthusiasts join with Wiggle team to answer the publics questions.
Future guests include Olympic triathlete and double World Champion, Helen Jenkins and multiple Ironman winner, Joe Skipper.
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The public can watch and take part in the Wiggle Lunchtime Live sessions via Wiggle’s Facebook page at 12pm every Friday.
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The Q&A will take place at midday on multisport retailer, Wiggle’s Facebook page the live Q&A is the first in a series of events which will be hosted every week.
Click Here: liverpool mens jersey
Advertisement
It will be the first time in over a year the Brownlees have been available for an open Q&A, giving fans the rare chance to quiz the duo.
Prior to lockdown the brothers were almost stranded in New Mexico whilst altitude training. Alistair Brownlee has also confirmed he has put his Ironman dreams are on hold whilst he continues to focus on the Tokyo Olympics which has been postponed until next year.
The Wiggle Lunchtime Live sessions will take place every Friday at 12pm and see athletes and well-known sports enthusiasts join with Wiggle team to answer the publics questions.
Future guests include Olympic triathlete and double World Champion, Helen Jenkins and multiple Ironman winner, Joe Skipper.
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The public can watch and take part in the Wiggle Lunchtime Live sessions via Wiggle’s Facebook page at 12pm every Friday.
Here at 220, we hope that you are keeping safe and well during this tremendously difficult time. If you have a spare few minutes, we would really appreciate your help in completing a short survey we are working on with the wider triathlon industry.
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We are helping the endurance sport industry plan for an uncertain future and would like to find out a little about how Covid-19 has affected your training and your race plans. The survey is about you and your experiences as an endurance sport athlete and consumer. All responses will be anonymised and it should only take you around 5 minutes to complete.
Please find the link here:
https://www.research.net/r/endurance_sport_motivations_survey_Apr_2020jk
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Thank you very much in advance for any input that you can give and if you can, please share the link to other triathletes in your social channels.
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Here at 220, we hope that you are keeping safe and well during this tremendously difficult time. If you have a spare few minutes, we would really appreciate your help in completing a short survey we are working on with the wider triathlon industry.
Click Here: liverpool mens jersey
Advertisement
We are helping the endurance sport industry plan for an uncertain future and would like to find out a little about how Covid-19 has affected your training and your race plans. The survey is about you and your experiences as an endurance sport athlete and consumer. All responses will be anonymised and it should only take you around 5 minutes to complete.
Please find the link here:
https://www.research.net/r/endurance_sport_motivations_survey_Apr_2020jk
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Thank you very much in advance for any input that you can give and if you can, please share the link to other triathletes in your social channels.
When people sign up for the Big Colour Challenge, they will receive a bespoke chart to print at home and a weekly email with new challenges that are tailored to their ability level.
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British Triathlon is encouraging people to track their progress in the challenge through the time they’re active. The bespoke chart is broken down into segments, with participants colouring in a segment for each five minutes of activity they complete and creating a wave of colour across the chart.
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The Big Colour Challenge will support the 2.6 Challenge, which aims to raise vital funds for British charities that are finding themselves in a funding shortfall due the COVID-19 crisis. Participants can either donate to the overall total or fundraise for a charity of their choice.
The first weeks’ worth of activity in The Big Colour Challenge will be tailored around the 2.6 challenge which will include completing a 26 min turbo time trial, finish 26 shuttle runs in your garden, and complete a homemade obstacle course.
Andy Salmon, British Triathlon Chief Executive, said: “We are very aware that the world has changed for everyone right now, and not having the release valve of organised sport during this difficult time has affected triathletes of all levels.
“We’re launching the Big Colour Challenge to help give structure to regular exercisers, but also small steps to help families and people who are, or want to be, casually active at home and within their once-a-day period of outdoor exercise.
“The Big Colour Challenge is accessible to everyone, and I hope as many people as possible sign up to not only use triathlon to improve their physical and mental wellbeing, but to also raise vital funds for this country’s charities.”
t www.thebigcolourchallenge.co.uk
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Gemma Field on 07587 038061 or [email protected]
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Please visit http://www.britishtriathlon.org/media for British athlete profiles, free images* and general information about triathlon. *Please refer to image use restrictions in the gallery section of the site (http://www.britishtriathlonmedia.org/media/licence)
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When people sign up for the Big Colour Challenge, they will receive a bespoke chart to print at home and a weekly email with new challenges that are tailored to their ability level.
Advertisement
British Triathlon is encouraging people to track their progress in the challenge through the time they’re active. The bespoke chart is broken down into segments, with participants colouring in a segment for each five minutes of activity they complete and creating a wave of colour across the chart.
The Big Colour Challenge will support the 2.6 Challenge, which aims to raise vital funds for British charities that are finding themselves in a funding shortfall due the COVID-19 crisis. Participants can either donate to the overall total or fundraise for a charity of their choice.
The first weeks’ worth of activity in The Big Colour Challenge will be tailored around the 2.6 challenge which will include completing a 26 min turbo time trial, finish 26 shuttle runs in your garden, and complete a homemade obstacle course.
Andy Salmon, British Triathlon Chief Executive, said: “We are very aware that the world has changed for everyone right now, and not having the release valve of organised sport during this difficult time has affected triathletes of all levels.
“We’re launching the Big Colour Challenge to help give structure to regular exercisers, but also small steps to help families and people who are, or want to be, casually active at home and within their once-a-day period of outdoor exercise.
“The Big Colour Challenge is accessible to everyone, and I hope as many people as possible sign up to not only use triathlon to improve their physical and mental wellbeing, but to also raise vital funds for this country’s charities.”
t www.thebigcolourchallenge.co.uk
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Gemma Field on 07587 038061 or [email protected]
Click Here: liverpool mens jersey
Advertisement
Please visit http://www.britishtriathlon.org/media for British athlete profiles, free images* and general information about triathlon. *Please refer to image use restrictions in the gallery section of the site (http://www.britishtriathlonmedia.org/media/licence)