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Ukraines cabinet has won plaudits for overhauling the energy and banking industries, even as a three-year conflict with Russian-backed insurgents persists.

Ukrainemust build on a period ofrelativepolitical calm in which its succeeded in reforming parts of its ex-Soviet economy and returning it to growth, according to the World Bank.

To win further aid, the government must push ahead with revamps of land sales, the pension system and health care, said Satu Kahkonen, the lenders director forUkraine, Belarus and Moldova.The bank,which has invested more than $10 billion inthe country, stands ready to help implement Ukraines plans, she said.

Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroismans team arrived in a 2016reshuffle following the resignation of several reformist officials angry that graft wasnt beingtackled. Since then, the cabinet has won plaudits for overhauling the energy and banking industries, even as a three-year conflict with Russian-backed insurgents persists. But the ruling coalition only has a slim majority in parliament and a $17.5 billion bailout loan has suffered repeated delays.

We are very pleased with the progress that the government has made in the past year -- they have taken a lot of very important reforms and moved the country forward, Kahkonen said. We hope that political stability would continue so further reforms can be taken and the position of Ukraine can be solidified.

The latest setback to Ukraines loan from the International Monetary Fund was confirmed last week. Hroisman said in an interview that the fifth tranche of the program, amounting to $1.9 billion, wont arrive until at least autumn, rather than the summer as originally planned.

One lesson that we have learned from our prior engagement is that it is important to be flexible,Kahkonen said. If those big policy reforms move, we would step in to support their implementation with investments.

Overhauls of the retirement system and the sale of agricultural land are currently a focus of the government. Parliament may vote on Thursday on a proposal to raise the qualifying period of employment for state-pension eligibility by 10 years. While the reform wouldnt change existing retirement ages of 58 for women and 60 for men, legislation passed in 2011 would bring the two into line.

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The present system, whose deficit stands at $5.5 billion, is a major fiscal risk, a risk for social sustainability and social peace at the moment, given that 70 percent of pensioners require minimum subsistence support,Kahkonen said. She also urged the government to lift a moratorium on agricultural land sales in January, a step thats aimed at boosting farming, saying the World Bank may consider some financing projects such as irrigation.

That could jumpstart a flagging economic, which has lost steam because of a trade embargo with the rebel-held east. While gross domestic product resumed its expansion last year, growth remains very modest and will probably slow to 2 percent in 2017, about half the economys potential, Kahkonen said.

Original post:
Political Calm Key to World Bank as Ukraine Pushes Reforms ... - Bloomberg

Former Wake Forest star John Collins scored 25 points and pulled down nine rebounds in a losing effort for the Atlanta Hawks' summer league team Wednesday

The New Orleans Pelicans went winless during the three-game pool play portion of the NBAs Las Vegas Summer League this week.

Thanks to Quinn Cook, though, the Pelicans are advancing into the second round of the tournaments knockout round.

The former Duke star went 11 of 16 from the floor, made both his 3-pointers and led both teams with 26 points Wednesday to lead New Orleans to a 105-95 win against the Atlanta Hawks. He also added seven assists and five rebounds in helping his team advance to a second-round matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

Cook, the captain of the Blue Devils 2015 national championship team, has scored 20 or more points in each of his last three games in Vegas.

Wake Forests John Collins also had an impressive performance in the game, scoring 25 points and pulling down nine rebounds in a losing effort for the Hawks. The recent first round draft choice completed a successful week, in which he averaged a double-double while showing NBA-ready skills on both ends of the court.

Veteran Ryan Kelly of Duke, auditioning to earn a spot on a team for the regular season, had 11 points and four rebounds for Atlanta.

Also Wednesday the Minnesota Timberwolves and their four North Carolina college players were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors 77-69. The result was a reversal of their pool play meeting one night earlier, when NC States C.J. Williams hit the winning basket in double overtime.

Williams had another big game in the rematch, scoring 19 points and pulling down four rebounds, but it wasnt enough for the win this time. UNCs Marcus Paige had eight points and six assists for the Timberwolves, while Davidsons Jack Gibbs scored 12 points and Dukes Amile Jefferson chipped in with three points and four rebounds.

Campbells Eric Griffin left a positive final impression in his effort to earn a spot on an NBA roster by recording 18 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and four blocked shots for the Utah Jazz in its 97-81 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

First round pick Tony Bradley of UNC, however, struggled in his final two games after posting two strong performances to start the Vegas event. He was held to just four points Wednesday, although he did grab eight rebounds and block a shot.

In the only other first round knockout game involving a player with state college ties Wednesday, the Sacramento Kings advanced to a second-round matchup against Dallas with a 69-65 win against the Milwaukee Bucks despite a 2-14 (0-5) shooting performance from UNCs Justin Jackson.

Last years ACC Player of the Year scored eight points in the game to go along with five rebounds and five assists.

Here are the cumulative stats for all state players participating in Las Vegas:

Brandon Ingram, Duke (Lakers): 1 game, 26.0 ppg, 9-17 FG, 1-4 3PT, 7-8 FT, 3.0 apg, 3.0 spg

Quinn Cook, Duke (Pelicans): 4 G, 21.8 ppg, 37-61 FG, 6-12 3PT, 7-8 FT, 4.0 rpg, 4.3 apg

Dennis Smith, NC State (Mavs) 3 G, 18.3 ppg, 17-36 FG, 5-14 3PT, 16-22 FT, 6.0 rpg, 5.0 apg

Jayson Tatum, Duke (Celtics): 3 G, 17.7 ppg, 19-45 FG, 2-3 3PT, 13-15 FT, 8.0 rpg

John Collins, Wake Forest (Hawks): 4 G, 17.5 ppg, 29-45 FG, 1-1 3PT, 12-16 FT, 10.3 rpg

Marcus Paige, UNC (T-wolves): 3 G, 14.3 ppg, 15-39 FG, 8-20 3PT, 5-5 FT, 2.3 rpg, 4.7 apg

Brice Johnson, UNC (Clippers): 3 G, 14.0 ppg, 16-28 FG, 10-13 FT, 5.0 rpg, 1.7 bpg

Kennedy Meeks, UNC (Raptors): 2 G, 13.5 ppg, 12-20 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-4 FT, 6.5 rpg

Justin Jackson, UNC (Kings): 4 G, 11.5 ppg, 18-54 FG, 4-22 3PT, 6-7 FT, 4.0 rpg, 1.8 apg

C.J. Williams, NC State (T-wolves): 4 G, 11.3 ppg, 15-38 FG, 4-18 3PT, 11-14 FT, 3.3 rpg

Ryan Kelly Duke (Hawks): 3 G, 10.7 ppg, 9-28 FG, 3-12 3PT, 11-13 FT, 4.0 rpg

Eric Griffin, Campbell (Jazz): 3 G, 10.7 ppg, 11-25 FG, 1-3 3PT, 5-9 FT, 7.0 rpg, 4.0 bpg

Jack Gibbs, Davidson (T-wolves): 4 G, 9.8 ppg, 15-40 FG, 7-20 3PT, 2-4 FT, 2.3 apg

Tony Bradley, UNC (Jazz): 4 G, 8.5 ppg, 17-38 FG, 6.3 rpg, 1.0 bpg

Matt Jones, Duke (Rockets): 1 G, 7.0 ppg, 1-4 FG, 1-3 3PT, 4-5 FT, 2.0 rpg

Isaiah Hicks, UNC (Clippers): 3 G, 6.3 ppg, 7-11 FG, 5-8 FT, 2.0 rpg, 1.7 bpg

Kendall Marshall, UNC (Clippers): 2 G, 5.5 ppg, 2-5 FG, 1-1 3PT, 6-7 FT, 1.5 rpg, 8.0 apg

Amile Jefferson, Duke (T-wolves): 3 G, 2.8 ppg, 4-10 FG, 3-6 FT, 3.8 rpg, 1.0 spg

J.P. Tokoto, UNC (Jazz): 2 G, 2.5 ppg, 2-9 FG, 1-6 3PT, 2.0 rpg

Nate Britt, UNC (Hawks): 2 G, 1.5 ppg, 1-4 FG, 0-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, 1.5 apg

Scott Wood, NC State (Celtics): 2 G, 0.0 ppg, 0-1 FG, 0-1 3PT

See the original post here:
Former Duke star 'Cook-ing' in Las Vegas NBA Summer League - North State Journal (subscription)

Queenstown Rovers are looking to make history this weekend in the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup.

The Jamie Whitmarsh-coached side will host Nelson Suburbs on Saturday at the Queenstown Events Centre as they look to make the quarterfinals for the first time in New Zealand Footballs premier knockout cup competition.

Nelson Suburbs have decided to drive to Christchurch and then fly from there to Queenstown. The match which will be played in bitterly cold conditions a high of 2 degrees Celsius and a low -2 is forecast for Saturday in Queenstown and is expected to be an evenly fought contest.

Whitmarsh said playing at home would be a big factor as they look to go one step further than last year when they were edged by Southern Premier League champions Caversham in the fourth round.

There is a history and tradition associated with the Chatham Cup and like any cup competition there is that added sense of excitement that comes with playing a one of knockout game, said Whitmarsh. For our club this is only the second time we have reached this stage so the excitement levels are that bit higher.

Whitmarsh said it has been great to get his team back into full training after they lost their facilities for a few days when the British and Irish Lions rugby team were training in town.

Queenstown Rovers made their way into the fourth round thanks to a first half hat-trick from Carlos Herrmann which helped them defeat Dunedin Technical 3-2 away from home.

Meanwhile, Nelson Suburbs progressed to the fourth round courtesy of Ross McPhies goal in the 39th minute to overcome Coastal Spirit 1-0.

Whitmarsh is expecting a tough challenge from Suburbs who have also never won the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup.

I get a sense that they will be similar to us in the way they play. Any team that gets to this stage cant be taken lightly and needs to be respected.

Whitmarsh described his Queenstown squad as a global team. Historically Rovers have had players from all over the world and this season is no different with players from Brazil, Uruguay, Spain, Germany, England, Scotland, New Zealand and Japan to name a few.

He said it would mean a huge amount to his squad to book their place in the quarterfinals and be one step closer to ISPS Handa Chatham Cup glory.

We all still remember the buzz around town when we played Caversham at the same stage last year for a developing club like ours it would be massive. We have hopes and aspirations to one day become a household name in New Zealand football circles and this is another opportunity to show the people of the country that continue to do good things in football.

Meanwhile, Dunedin club side Caversham face a tough away clash with Mainland Premier League heavyweights Cashmere Technical in the other match featuring South Island teams.

Defending champions Birkenhead United, who made history with their first win of the title last year, are away to Three Kings United.

Miramar Rangers, four-time champions of the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup, are again drawn away from home and will have a tough challenge on their hands when they come against Wairarapa United who have former Wellington Phoenix star Paul Ifill in their squad.

Six-time champions North Shore United, who have not lifted the trophy since 1986, will look to upset another five-time champions in Central United at Kiwitea Street.

There are also other great matches in store when Onehunga Sports hosts Melville United and Western Springs are at home to meet Bay Olympic.

The final match of the round is Stop Out Sports Club hosting Western Suburbs in the Capital / Central region.

The ISPS Handa Chatham Cup is an open knockout competition from throughout New Zealand which is one of the oldest sporting trophies in the country dating back to 1923.

The most successful teams in the history of the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup are Mount Wellington (seven wins, two of them since amalgamation with Auckland University), Christchurch United and North Shore United (six wins each).

Posted on Thursday, July 13th, 2017

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Queenstown look to make history - New Zealand Football

An Alaska mother is cherishing cellphone photos she snapped of her wide-eyed 6-month-old baby in the arms of former President Barack Obama.

Jolene Jackinsky was at Anchorage International Airport on Monday looking for an airline when she ended up in a waiting area for private flights where a man she thought looked like Obama was sitting.

"As I got closer, I thought: Oh my God, it is Obama," she recalled Friday from Newhalen, a small Alaska village where she's vacationing.

Obama then walked up to her and asked "Who is this pretty girl?"

They chatted about how fast children grow while Obama carried baby Giselle. Jackinsky took a few photos of a smiling Obama carrying Giselle, who was wearing a straw hat with a white ribbon.

Obama told them he was headed home from a vacation, Jackinsky said.

Airport officials were not immediately available Friday evening after work hours to confirm that Obama had stopped there.

When Giselle's father approached, Obama joked, "I'm taking your baby," Jackinsky said.

Giselle was calm and content during the brief encounter, Jackinsky said. "It was only five minutes but it was a moment that will last forever," she said.

She posted the photos on Facebook.

"I think it's unreal and pretty exciting that I get to have a picture with him and my baby," she said. "Not a lot of people get to meet him."

__

Associated Press writer Rachel D'Oro in Anchorage, Alaska, contributed to this report.

Originally posted here:
'Oh my God, it is Obama': Alaska mom, baby meet ex-president ...

Barack Obama is expected to make his return to the campaign trail in the fall, on behalf of Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam. | AP Photo

Barack Obama will make the first official political move of his post-presidency on Thursday, headlining a private fundraiser for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee at a private home in Washington.

The event, which will also be attended by NDRC chair Eric Holder and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, is to support the group hes helping back to coordinate Democratic efforts in state races and lawsuits to push back on Republican success in gerrymandering over many cycles. In many statehouses and Congress, thats left Democrats at a baked-in disadvantage.

Story Continued Below

Obama oversaw massive losses for his party in state legislatures and in the House during his presidency, but has said tackling redistricting is a major political priority after leaving the White House. So far since he walked out of the Oval Office in January, hes been circumspect in his political involvementand aside from releasing several statements in defense of Obamacare, hes kept his political activity to making calls to Democratic National Committee members in support of Tom Perezs chair bid and throwing a steady stream of subtle digs at President Donald Trump in paid and public speeches.

Holder has kept in touch with him about the NDRC plans, and briefed him formally at a meeting in the spring.

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"The National Democratic Redistricting Committee is proud to have the support of President Obama as we work to undo gerrymandering and create fairer representation in our democracy, Holder said.

Obama is expected to make his return to the campaign trail in the fall, on behalf of Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam.

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Obama returns to politics with redistricting group fundraiser ...