US report: Building in Mosul airstrike contained explosives

By Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon Correspondent

                     Cmdr: Fair chance US airstrike hit civilians 01:57

(CNN)The results of a US military investigation have found that many of the more than 100 Iraqi civilians killed in west Mosul in a US airstrike in March died because the building in which they were held had explosives inside that detonated after a US bomb hit the building.

That's one of the central findings of the probe, which was made public Thursday, according to a defense official. The finding came after US military personnel were able to visit the sites, gather samples and analyze the blast patterns.

The US had dropped a bomb on the building after Iraqi forces called in an airstrike because they were under fire from ISIS. The US military has consistently said it did not know civilians were in the building. The report finds there is no proof civilians were herded or forced into the building, but the belief is they were likely there based on what was happening in the neighborhood.

At the actual time of the strike, when the Iraqi forces were under fire, there was not full line of sight to the building.

An initial theory was that a vehicle bomb nearby had exploded. But US military investigators had also said the type of bomb they used on the building should not have made it collapse as it did.

The building was known to have steel-reinforced concrete, with walls being up to two feet thick in some places. It is because such a strong building collapsed that the US in part came to the conclusion ISIS had hidden explosives inside, which investigators believe were stored in the rear of the building.

The incident in Mosul gained global attention because it came at a time of heavy bombings and several other allegations against the US military for causing civilian casualties in Iraq, and Syria bombing attacks against terrorist targets.

The current US strategy of isolating ISIS inside cities such as Mosul and Raqqa can place civilians at additional risk.

SOURCE: edition.cnn.com

Neil Armstrong's Bag of Moon Dust Is Going Up for Auction

 DREW SCHWARTZ

                                      Photo courtesy of Sotheby's

After being stolen, lost, and snapped up by a private citizen, the historic space artifact is now expected to sell for at least $2 million.

On the spectrum of weird shit people sell at auctions—from Truman Capote's ashes to Patrick Swayze's G-string—the bag Neil Armstrong used to collect lunar samples in 1969 is probably the most historically iconic. After trekking to the moon and back, getting lost, and then spending a wild stint in the nation's courts, the artifact is finally hitting the auction house, the Washington Post reports.

Sotheby's will turn over the bag to the highest bidder at a sale in New York on July 20—the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing—where it's expected to fetch anywhere from $2 million to $4 million. Almost all the other relics from the mission are housed in the Smithsonian, and according to Sotheby's, this is the only remaining item from the landing in private hands.

Armstrong used the bag to collect the first ever samples from the surface of the moon, and brought it back to Earth at the end of his mission in 1969. The government then tested the specimens and declared the bag a national treasure—before losing it. The bag didn't turn up again until 2003, when the feds found it hidden in the garage of a man who ran a space museum in Kansas. Once it was back in the government's hands, it was mislabeled and then auctioned off as a different bag from a less-impressive mission

Nancy Carlson, a lawyer from Chicago, snapped it up in 2015 for just $995 in that auction. After sending it to NASA for testing, Carlson learned it had been used by Armstrong just after his "giant leap for mankind"—and that the government wanted it back.

After a contentious legal battle, a judge ruled that Carlson could keep the bag, but after learning of its true value, she decided she would place it up for auction again. Carlson plans donate a portion of the proceeds to a few charities, as well as start a scholarship at Northern Michigan University, her alma mater.

                                Photo courtesy of Sotheby's

Still, NASA is hoping the bag doesn't wind up in private hands.

"This artifact, we believe, belongs to the American people and should be on display for the public, which is where it was before all of these unfortunate events occurred," the agency said in a statement.

It's not a tough sentiment to sympathize with, but considering the government's history of handling it, the moon bag may be better off with someone who can accurately identify it.

SOURCE: vice.com

Manchester attack: City reacts with resilience and support

Messages of condolence and support have been sent by Manchester's public figures following the terror attack that killed 22 people and injured 59.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the city would "pull together", adding: "That's what we are. That's what we do. They won't win."

The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev David Walker said we must "commit ourselves to defeat this terrorism".

"Hatred won't win", Salford comedian Jason Manford said on Facebook.

Mr Manford said: "My heart is broken for those poor children and for all those families with an empty house tonight. Just can't believe it. Can't stop crying."

Inviting people to a vigil to be held at Albert Square at 18:00 BST, Mr Burnham tweeted: "We are grieving today but we are strong".

Books of condolence are open at Manchester Town Hall and on the council's website.

Rt Rev David Walker said people must not allow terrorists "to dictate the way we live".

Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester metro mayor, called the atrocity "an evil act"

"Manchester's a wonderfully diverse city, that's one of the things I really love about it and we can pull together.

"We've pulled together in the past, we had a terrorist bomb 21 years ago so we're not unused to these events.

"But it is a time for all of us to pray for the wounded, for the dead, for their families, but to commit ourselves to defeat this terrorism as we've defeated terrorism in the past," he said.

• Manchester attack: Latest updates
• Special report on the bombing
• What we know so far
• Teenagers among the missing

Coronation Street stars also paid tribute with Brooke Vincent, who plays Sophie Webster in the soap, tweeting it was "absolutely heartbreaking".

Tina O'Brien, who plays Sarah Platt, tweeted: "I love my home city, stay strong Manchester".

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said he knows "the people of Manchester will pull together as one"

Labour Manchester Central candidate Lucy Powell praised the solidarity and support of the city's people.

"The people have come together to try and support families, children that have been separated from their parents, and that is the spirit of our city and that spirit will never be killed, will never die", she said.

Manchester United's players held a minute's silence in memory of the victims and footballers connected with the city have been using social media to express their sadness and support.

The club tweeted condolences from boss Jose Mourinho, who said: "I know, even during my short time here, that the people of Manchester will pull together as one."

Former Manchester United and England captain, Bryan Robson, tweeted that it was "such sad news".

Footballers expressed their support for the victims and solidarity with the city

Phil Neville posted a picture of the city on Twitter, with the words "we will not be defeated, we will stand strong" and said: "saying my prayers for the families affected and for my city - utter despicable act".

Using the hashtag #StandTogether, Rio Ferdinand tweeted that his "thoughts & prayers are with all the families & friends affected" by the attack.

People have left floral tributes outside churches across the city following the attack

Simple Minds confirmed their show at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester will go ahead later, saying their "thoughts and prayers" were with those affected.

But Take That have postponed their show in Liverpool "out of respect to all of the people and their families that were affected by the horrific incident".

SOURCE: bbc.com

New York Attractions

                     Museum Of Modern Art

Nearly 60 million tourists travel to New York City each year. NYC is one of the top travel destinations in the world. People visit New York for many different reasons. While some tourists on their trip want to see the amazing attractions of the city on a New York sightseeing tour, others come here to do a New York shopping holiday.

Many people are interested in cultural life and visit the best New York museums. Some likes to watch popular shows on Broadway in Manhattan. Others just want to hang out in New York visiting the city's great public parks like the famous Central Park in Manhattan. Some people want to study in one of the prominent New York universities.

Finding a good hotel in New York is a crucial part of your visit. Room prices and hotel destination need to be soundly considered.

There is lot to see here. Check what other people are most curious about New York City.

Pvt. Chelsea Manning is expected to leave prison Wednesday on special status with the Army

                              Pvt. Chelsea Manning. (U.S. Army)

by Alexandra Zavis

Pvt Chelsea Manning is expected to walk free Wednesday from the military prison at Ft. Leavenworth in Kansas after serving seven years of a 35-year sentence for disclosing a trove of classified government documents to WikiLeaks.

Military officials and Manning’s legal team provided few details about the soldier’s plans ahead of her release. The Army said only that she would remain on active duty, although in an unpaid status known as “excess leave,” while her court-martial conviction is under appellate review

Under this status, she will be eligible for care at military medical facilities and other military privileges.

Manning, a transgender woman formerly known as Pfc. Bradley Manning, began her transition while in prison. She is being released after President Obama in January decided to commute her sentence for one of the largest breaches of U.S. classified documents.

At the time, Republican lawmakers condemned the decision, one of Obama’s final acts as president, saying it would encourage others to leak sensitive information. But administration officials said Obama believed the sentence — the longest ever imposed in the United States for a leak conviction — was excessive.

The administration officials contrasted her case to that of Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who sought refuge in Russia after leaking what were regarded as far more sensitive documents about U.S. surveillance programs to news outlets in 2013. Manning, the officials noted, did not try to avoid facing justice for her crimes.

Manning was a 22-year-old junior intelligence analyst at a base outside Baghdad in early 2010 when she began to illegally copy U.S. military field reports from Iraq and Afghanistan, battlefield videos and diplomatic cables from classified computer accounts.

She later acknowledged leaking more than 700,000 documents and other materials to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, saying that she wanted to expose what she considered to be untruthful claims about the way the U.S. was conducting the wars.

They included a now-infamous 2007 video of an Apache combat helicopter firing on civilians in Iraq and killing 12 people, including two employees of the Reuters news agency. The military said the helicopter crew mistook a camera lens for a weapon.

Manning said she shared information that she believed wouldn’t harm the U.S. But critics said documents posted on the Internet by WikiLeaks identified informants who had helped the military, potentially putting their lives at risk. The leaks also revealed disparaging comments by U.S. diplomats about America's foreign allies, causing embarrassment to the Obama administration.

Manning was convicted in 2013 of 20 charges, including six Espionage Act violations. But a military court acquitted her of the most serious charge, aiding the enemy, which could have sent her to prison for life. Her sentence included a demotion.

In a statement released by her legal team last week, Manning thanked Obama for granting her clemency and the many supporters whose letters she said had lifted her spirits in “dark times.”

“For the first time, I can see a future for myself as Chelsea,” Manning said in the statement. “I can imagine surviving and living as the person who I am and can finally be in the outside world. Freedom used to be something that I dreamed of but never allowed myself to fully imagine.”

Manning twice tried to commit suicide last year, said her lawyers, who accused the military of mistreating their client by confining her to an all-male prison where she was subject to violence.

“Chelsea has already served the longest sentence of any whistle-blower in the history of this country,” Nancy Hollander and Vincent Ward, Manning's clemency and appellate lawyers, said in the statement. “President Obama's act of commutation was the first time the military took care of this soldier who risked so much to disclose information that served the public interest. We are delighted that Chelsea can finally begin to enjoy the freedom she deserves.”

SOURCE: latimes.com

Chelsea: How Antonio Conte can sustain success at Stamford Bridge

By Chris Bevan BBC Sport

Antonio Conte is enjoying a spectacular first season as Chelsea manager, but can he follow it up by bringing sustained success to Stamford Bridge?

The 47-year-old Italian has the Premier League title in the bag, could soon get his hands on the FA Cup as well - and his side will compete in next season's Champions League.

He says this is only the start for his Blues team, but where do they go from here and how will he do it?

Former Chelsea players Ruud Gullit, Pat Nevin, Chris Sutton, Graeme le Saux and Mark Schwarzer tell BBC Sport what they think could happen next.

Will Conte stay? 'I would be stunned if he left now'

Reports in Italy suggest Chinese-backed Serie A club Inter Milan are prepared to offer Conte £250,000 a week if he leaves Stamford Bridge one season into a three-year deal. Conte's wife and nine-year-old daughter stayed in Turin when he moved to London last year

Ruud Gullit (former Chelsea player and manager 1995-98): "From a football point of view, of course he will stay. His next challenge is to win the Champions League and he can do that with Chelsea.

"If he feels he has a team that can win it, why would he leave in order to start all over again somewhere else?

"It is different if it is a decision about his family. His personal life is important as well.

"If his family are not in London, it is a little bit odd because I think it is the best city in the world, so why are they not coming?

"It is understandable if people are very attached to their own customs, however. And, if his family want to be in Italy, then it is an easy choice for him to make."

Pat Nevin (played more than 250 games for Chelsea 1983-88): "After spending a couple of hours talking to Antonio a few weeks ago, I would be stunned if he left.

"It would have to be an unbelievably spectacular offer to take him away from Chelsea and the only thing that usually means managers move on from positions like that is that they don't have the level of control they want.

"I don't think his own finances are a big deal for the guy and he told me he is enjoying London now.

"The other thing to consider is that when you stand at Stamford Bridge and you hear the fans singing 'Antonio, Antonio' then you realise the adoration he has got from everyone. That is hard to walk away from."

Chris Sutton (broke Chelsea's transfer record when he joined for £10m in 1999): "The only way I see Conte leaving is if he does not get the players in he wants this summer.

"I don't think he will prioritise the Champions League because he will want to win everything, but I expect him to go really hard at it."

Premier League favourites and Champions League contenders?

Conte won three successive Serie A titles with Juventus between 2012 and 2014 but his Champions League record is less impressive - Juve lost 4-0 on aggregate to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals in 2012-13 and failed to get out of the group stage the following season.

Graeme le Saux (made more than 300 appearances for Chelsea in two spells 1987-1993 and 1997-2003): "Any success going forward depends on the personnel and if they can retain the quality players they have got.

"Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante are both 26, and they are young enough to make Chelsea a force going forwards.

"Diego Costa has been linked with a move to China, but it is important for Chelsea they keep this group of players together.

"If they do that, I think they will go into the next season as favourites to win the Premier League again."

Mark Schwarzer (part of the Chelsea squad that won the Premier League in 2014-15): "The potential is there for back-to-back titles, and Chelsea can win the Champions League too.

"There are players in that squad who have played in a number of Champions League games and been successful in that competition.

"Conte is very good at winning domestic competitions. Clubs like Chelsea, their number one priority is to win the Premier League and then look beyond that to try and win the big one, the Champions League.

"With the right additions, and a little bit of time, Chelsea can really challenge for that title but next season it is going to be a huge burden on them.

"We don't know how they will deal with the physical and mental side of having more games to play and less time to recover."

Pat Nevin: "Conte has over-achieved domestically this season but, even so, the Champions League is a big jump - look at the lack of success by English teams in recent years.

"If he got Chelsea out of the group stage and into the latter stages that would be a success in his first season with the club in the Champions League.

"But that is predicated by one very important thing - who is he going to get in, and who will leave in the summer?"

Lukaku in? 'Conte needs four or five really quality signings'

This Chelsea team started 11 out of 22 Premier League matches from 1 October to the end of March after Antonio Conte switched from a 4-1-4-1 formation to start a league game with a 3-4-3 formation for the first time. Only two other players have started league games for the club in that period - Willian (eight starts) and Cesc Fabregas (six). Over the course of the whole season, Conte has made only 38 changes to his starting line-ups over the course of the Premier League season - fewer than any other top-flight team.

Pat Nevin: "With the current group, he cannot do next year what he has done this season. There is just not enough numbers there."

Chris Sutton: "Conte is clearly not big on rotation but he still had to change the make-up of his team around at times this season.

"He is fortunate he has got a lot of intelligent footballers who can play in numerous positions, but next season he will need more strength in depth and that means four or five really quality signings.

"Wing-backs would one of the areas where Conte will think he needs more cover and, whether Costa stays or goes, there is lots of talk about Everton striker Romelu Lukaku coming back to the club.

"Does Lukaku fit the Chelsea style? Absolutely.

"He likes to play between the two centre-halves and is not going to come deep to get the ball but, if he joins, I can see him being very successful playing that Costa role."

'Maybe Drogba can tell me' - Koeman on Lukaku's future

Ruud Gullit: John Terry is definitely leaving so they need someone in defence who can take David Luiz's position if something happens to him.

"But in every area they do not want a situation where they are depending too much on one player.

"Even when you have success, you need to change little things to keep people on their toes - look at what happened to Jose Mourinho after winning the title in 2015 - all of a sudden they went from champions to nothing."

Pat Nevin: "Conte will want a bit more strength and power in midfield - but if he can keep Hazard, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro and Willian then he does not need any more creativity.

"The biggest question is at centre-forward. I watched Michy Batshuayi when he was playing in France and he is a real player, a goalscorer - someone who will do very well. I don't know if it will be at Chelsea though.

"Considering I believe that Conte wants to play two up front, he might want to go for a different type of centre-forward.

"As well as Lukaku, Alvaro Morata has been talked about. What has impressed me most about Conte, though, is he does things you do not expect - those are the names we are thinking about, but he might know about someone completely different."

Can the successful youth team play a part?

The Blues won the FA Youth Cup for a record fourth successive year but no players from any of those teams started a league game for them this season. Nathan Ake and Ruben Loftus-Cheek featured from the bench, however, and striker Tammy Abraham could follow them into the first team after his successful loan at Bristol City.

Chris Sutton: "Conte is not going to take his foot off the gas, if anything he will put his foot down harder. If any youth players get a game, it will not be down to him doing them a favour.

"Tammy Abraham has got something about him, and it will be interesting to see if he gets a chance. Ultimately, though, things have not changed since my day so it will be down to him - he will have to show what he can do in pre-season and hope it is enough."

Pat Nevin: "Chelsea fans will tell you we have got these good young kids and they will come in and make it.

"Really? Hopefully they will, and it would be the perfect situation if they did but people make the mistake of thinking the jump from the under-21s to Chelsea's first team is one step - it's not, it is about 47 steps.

"Abraham is going to be a great player, and he is coming back to the club for next season but I would be shocked if all Chelsea did was stick with what they have got, and drafted more youth players in."

Costa out? 'If he wants to leave, then let him'

Costa's goals have earned more points than any other Premier League player this season

Graeme Le Saux: "When you look at the balance and blend that Chelsea have you think it would be a shame to lose any of those players as they are all playing so well and understand their role perfectly."

Mark Schwarzer: "You could argue all of them would be hard to replace but Kante and Hazard probably stand out.

"Leicester tried to replace Kante and failed miserably. Yes, Chelsea are on a different level to Leicester but it would still be a huge void to fill.

"As for Hazard, he is an incredible talent. You just don't know what you are going to get from him - his ability to score goals and assist is quite remarkable."

Ruud Gullit: "Even when Costa has not been scoring goals, he still does an important job for the team. He is an example of someone they have depended on too much - he is up there with Hazard as one of their most influential players.

"But if Costa feels he wants to leave because he want a different challenge, then let him go. If that's his state of mind, it is better to sell him."

Chris Sutton: "Cesc Fabregas only has a year left on his contract and has not played as much as many of their players, but he will get more games next year.

"Arguably the biggest challenge for Conte was keeping him happy this season, but he has had that kind of harmony with his entire squad."

'Conte is adaptable, pragmatic - and not frightened to change'

Nevin: Fabregas sums up Conte's success

Conte began the season using a 4-1-4-1 formation but switched to a 3-4-3 formation during their 3-0 defeat by Arsenal on 24 September. They started a game playing that way for the first time in their win against Hull on 1 October and went on to win 13 straight league matches.

Pat Nevin: "I suspect Conte will be using different systems, systems that will suit Fabregas a bit better.

"You think of the way Conte's Juventus team played with Andrea Pirlo, and that would suit Fabregas absolutely.

"People said he was a 3-4-3 man when he arrived at Chelsea but that was never the case. If you look back, he often played with four at the back and very frequently with two up front.

"He has already started to show he can change things around, when he left Costa and Hazard on the bench for the FA Cup semi-final. So the sort of thing he will need to do next season is already happening now.

Conte will continue to 'raise the bar' in Premier League

Chris Sutton: "He changed things once, at the start of last season after some bad results.

"He seems an adaptable, pragmatic manager and I don't think he is frightened to change. You would not rule out him returning to four at the back if he sees fit.

"I don't think he is going to slacken off, though. Yes, he works the players hard in training but when you are successful it makes that treatment easier to accept."

'I don't think we have seen 50% of his capabilities yet'

Conte interrupts news conference to eat journalist's cake

The last time Chelsea were champions was 2014-15, and they finished 10th the following season. No team has defended their Premier League title since Manchester United won it in 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Graeme le Saux: "It bodes well for Chelsea that they now have a culture of achieving and setting very high standards for themselves and each other. The players clearly love playing for Conte and giving him everything as well.

"You would like to think all those values he is building at the club would hold the team in good stead going forward. I hope their success this year means there is some continuity there."

Pat Nevin: "Financially, Chelsea are in a great position. Obviously they are already very wealthy but it is almost forgotten they got £60m for Oscar in January and they have not spent that.

"So Conte will have an enormous amount to spend in the summer and the other thing he has got in his favour is that he is young for a manager - he turns 48 in July. So the passion, the hunger that he has, it is natural - and he is still on the upward curve.

"I don't think we have seen 50% of his capabilities yet and I am dead keen to see him up against Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, who will both be stronger next year."

Ruud Gullit: "Even if Conte does lose some of his players, the structure of his team is already there and he can build from the back.

"There are five teams challenging for the title in England but Conte does not have to start from scratch this time.

"It is just a question now of what he can add for next season and, after his first year in England, he will also have learned a lot."

SOURCE: bbc.com