Lag B'Omer festival: What is it about? - BBC News

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The disaster in which dozens of people were killed in a crush at a holy site in Israel happened as they marked the Jewish festival of Lag B'Omer.

While the tens of thousands who were at the event were predominantly ultra-Orthodox, Lag B'Omer is a festival which is celebrated by all manner of Jewish communities around the world.

The festival itself commemorates two historical events according to Jewish tradition: the passing of revered Second Century sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who ordained that the anniversary of his death be a time of rejoicing at his life; and the end of a plague which killed some 24,000 students of another great rabbi, Akiva Ben Yosef (who lived around the same time as Bar Yochai).

The deadly crush took place at the tomb of Bar Yochai in Meron, northern Israel, considered one of the holiest Jewish sites in the country. It is a place of pilgrimage especially on Lag B'Omer, where tens of thousands of Jews from Israel and around the world gather to say prayers and celebrate through the night.

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The day of celebration and special customs follows a 33-day period of semi-mourning for the deaths of the Akiva's students and, according to some beliefs, the negative traits which may have brought about their suffering. During these weeks, observant Jews refrain from pleasurable or joyous activities including weddings, haircuts or listening to music.

On the 34th day - Lag B'Omer - the restrictions end and the day becomes one of the most festive in the Jewish calendar. Weddings are held, as Lag B'Omer is considered an auspicious day to get married; in observant communities three-year-old boys have their first haircut (known as an upsherin); and people come together to sing, dance and hold parties (and in some places street parades, including a huge one in New York).

Lag B'Omer celebrations are particularly associated with bonfires, said to have a mystical significance. A big one is lit at the tomb of Shimon Bar Yochai. So many take place across Israel that councils have taken to issuing restrictions and the fire service has one of its busiest nights of the year.

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Russia bars eight EU citizens in sanctions retaliation - Reuters

The European Union flags flutter ahead of the gas talks between the EU, Russia and Ukraine at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium September 19, 2019. REUTERS/Yves Herman

Russia on Friday barred eight officials from European Union countries from entering the country in retaliation for sanctions imposed on Russian citizens by the EU.

Russia's foreign ministry said those banned included Vera Jourova, vice president for values and transparency at the executive European Commission, David Sassoli, the president of the European parliament, and Jacques Maire, a member of the French delegation at the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly.

"The European Union continues to pursue its policy of illegitimate, unilateral restrictive measures against Russian citizens and organisations," the ministry said in a statement.

It accused the EU of "openly and deliberately" undermining the independence of Russia's domestic and foreign policy.

Sassoli, Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council chief Charles Michel said in a joint statement they condemned Russia's "unacceptable" action in "the strongest possible terms" and said it showed Moscow had chosen a path of confrontation with the bloc.

"The EU reserves the right to take appropriate measures in response to the Russian authorities’ decision," they said

Sassoli said in a tweet that no sanctions or intimidation would stop the parliament or him defending human rights, freedom and democracy.

"Threats will not silence us. As Tolstoy wrote, there is no greatness where there is no truth," his tweet read.

Russia banned three officials from the Baltic states: Ivars Abolins, chairman of Latvia's National Electronic Media Council, Maris Baltins, director of the Latvian State Language Center, and Ilmar Tomusk, head of Estonia's Language Inspectorate.

It also banned Jorg Raupach, Berlin's public prosecutor, and Asa Scott of the Swedish Defence Research Agency.

Scott was among officials who said Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny had been poisoned in Russia with a Soviet-era nerve agent.

Navalny recovered from the poisoning in Germany and was detained upon his return to Russia in January, and sentenced in February to 2-1/2 years in prison for parole violations on an earlier embezzlement conviction that he says was politically motivated.

The EU imposed sanctions in March on two Russians accused of persecuting gay and lesbian people in the southern Russian region of Chechnya. The EU also imposed sanctions on four senior Russian officials close to President Vladimir Putin in March.

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British Actor Noel Clarke Accused of Sexual Misconduct; Michaela Coel Supports 20 'Brave Women' Who Came Forwa - The Root

Noel Clarke attends the BAFTA Film Gala, ahead of the EE British Academy Film Awards on February 08, 2019.

Photo: Tristan Fewings (Getty Images)

Content Warning: The following article contains details of alleged sexual misconduct, including unauthorized sharing of explicit photos, groping, harassment and bullying.

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British actor Noel Clarke (Doctor Who) has been accused of sexual misconduct by 20 women, according to an investigative report published by The Guardian on Thursday. The women allege that the acclaimed actor is “a serial abuser of women, using his power in the industry to prey on and harass female colleagues, and sometimes bully those who fall out of favor.”

More details from The Guardian:

The Guardian has spoken to 20 women, all of whom knew Clarke in a professional capacity. They variously accuse him of sexual harassment, unwanted touching or groping, sexually inappropriate behavior and comments on set, professional misconduct, taking and sharing sexually explicit pictures and videos without consent, and bullying between 2004 and 2019.

“In a 20-year career, I have put inclusivity and diversity at the forefront of my work and never had a complaint made against me,” Clarke said in a statement. “If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologize. I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against these false allegations.”

The Guardian further reported that the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) honored Clarke with Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema prize in early April and that the organization had previously “received anonymous emails and reports of allegations via intermediaries, but said it was provided with no evidence that would allow it to investigate.”

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“We are grateful that The Guardian was able to provide a platform where the victims were able to identify themselves, and to come forward and tell their stories,” BAFTA wrote in a lengthy statement to Deadline, noting they were not aware of allegations against Clarke prior to the announcement of the OBCC award. “As soon as The Guardian published firsthand accounts yesterday we immediately suspended the award and Noel Clarke’s membership of BAFTA  until further notice.” 

British actress, screenwriter, director and producer Michaela Coel posted a statement of support for the women who came forward on her official Twitter page on Friday.

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“I am here to offer great support for the 20 brave women who have come forward; those who have shared their identities with us, but also those who have preferred to use an alias; the mental hurdles a Black woman must overcome to do such a thing as reveal their identity within a narrative of rape abuse or bullying at the hands of someone [within] our own community can sometimes be too much,” Coel tweeted.

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In addition to speaking out about her own experience of being sexually assaulted, Coel sparked further conversations around consent with her critically acclaimed HBO series I May Destroy You.

“Speaking out about these incidents takes a lot of strength because some call them ‘gray areas.’ They are, however, far from gray,” Coel added. “These behaviors are unprofessional, violent and can destroy a person’s perception of themselves, their place in the world and their career irreparably.”

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2021 NFL Draft grades for every Round 2 and 3 pick - The Athletic

Welcome to our pick-by-pick Day 2 grades of the 2021 NFL Draft. We saw Trevor Lawrence, Kyle Pitts, DeVonta Smith and others go off the board in the first round. Now we’ll see what surprises are in store for rounds two and three.

For those of you who think we should wait a few years before grading the picks, we disagree. NFL teams have to make decisions under uncertainty. So we should evaluate them based on what we know at the time of the pick. The grades below will reflect not only the quality of the prospects but also the process — in other words, whether it’s a wise use of resources given the state of the franchise.

Having said that, feel free to report me to 

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NFL Draft Results 2021: The Chicago Bears trade up to No. 39 overall, draft Teven Jenkins - Windy City Gridiron

The Chicago Bears select Oklahoma State’s Teven Jenkins after trading up to No. 39 overall with the Carolina Panthers.

The Bears gave up this year’s 52 (2nd round), 83 (3rd round), and 204 (6th round) for Carolina’s 39 (for Jenkins) and 151 this year (seventh pick in the 5th round). Josh broke down the details of the trade here.

Jenkins has been a popular player on mock drafts for the Bears — in the first round — however some of his medicals that the teams received may have pushed him down the board. He played through minor stuff during his college career, and he opted out of the remainder of the 2020 season in November to get ready for the draft, so presumably the time away helped him get better.

There was never anything too serious or he would have slipped even further, and what ever ailed him didn’t stop him from participating in the Senior Bowl or working out at his pro day.

The Bears are getting a nasty and physical player that should be able to start at right tackle as soon as he’s up to speed with the playbook. His presence will help stabilize Chicago’s o-line, a unit that has some talent but needs time to gel.

Jenkins is nearly 6’6”, he’s 317 pounds, he’s one of the strongest players in the draft and a mauler in the run game, but he’s capable in pass protection as well, and he shows a high football IQ when blocking.

Then there’s the attitude. “[I’m a] tough, physical, nasty motherfucker,” he said at his pro day, “a dude who does not shy away from hits, a dude’s who is going to bust his ass.”

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Keep track of everything the Bears do in the draft in our tracker right here.

Do you want even more about Teven Jenkins? Then check out Robert Schmitz on his Bear With Me podcast for some instant reaction, and he’s joined by our Draftnik Trifecta of Jacob Infante, EJ Snyder, and Danny Meehan.

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Aaron Rodgers retiring 'is a serious consideration,' NFL insider says - Fox News

The Green Bay Packers do not appear to have any intentions of trading Aaron Rodgers, which would leave the star quarterback with one other option: retirement.

Rodgers has told some people within the organization he does not want to return to the Packers, ESPN reported Thursday night. The rumors that Rodgers wanted out created a buzz hours before the draft, but nothing ever came of it. Green Bay General Manager Brian Gutekunst went as far as to say Thursday night that there was no scenario in which the organization would trade the 2020 NFL MVP.

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The ball appears to be in Rodgers’ court.

According to the NFL Network on Friday, Rodgers would owe the Packers millions from his signing bonus if he does decide to call it quits. The quarterback would reportedly have to repay $11.5 million this year if he retires and another $11.5 million next year if he chose to stay retired. 

Additionally, the NFL Network reported, "unless the situation is repaired to his liking, this is a serious consideration."

National Insider for NFL Network Ian Rapoport also reported that Rodgers’ agent, Dave Dunn, also helped orchestrate Carston Palmer’s abrupt retirement from the NFL and the Cincinnati Bengals only for him to join the Arizona Cardinals.

Rodgers has not made any public statement specifically stating whether he wants out of Green Bay.

AARON RODGERS NOT GETTING TRADED AMID REPORTS OF QUARTERBACK BEING 'DISGRUNTLED,' GM SAYS

He told ESPN on April 2 that the future is as hazy as ever as he enters the 2021 season.

"So far, it’s definitely been my team. I said last year I didn’t know if that was actually possible to be able to finish there. I still feel that’s kind of where we’re at. I don’t know that a lot of that is in my hands. I guess we’ll just kind of see as we go," Rodgers said.

When ESPN anchor Kenny Mayne asked Rodgers to just come out and say he wanted to be a Packer for life, Rodgers replied: "Ken, you and I both know that’s not how it works."

The Packers paid out Rodgers’ $6.8 million roster bonus last month instead of restructuring it to make more cap space as Green Bay moved into the offseason.

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Rodgers won the 2020 NFL MVP award. He had a league-leading 48 touchdown passes with 4,299 passing yards and only five interceptions. He hasn’t thrown more than eight picks in a season since 2010.

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Mac Jones reacts to joining the Patriots, competing with Cam Newton - Pats Pulpit

After a week filled with speculation, the New England Patriots and the entire NFL got some clarity at 10:40 pm on Thursday night: Mac Jones would become the team’s quarterback of the future after the Patriots selected him in the first round of the draft.

Jones, who was speculated to potentially come off the board as high as No. 3 to San Francisco, had to spend almost half of the first round in the green room. At No. 15, however, New England stopped his fall by making him the first quarterback drafted in Round 1 by the organization since Drew Bledsoe back in 1993.

Bledsoe eventually became what the Patriots certainly hope Jones will be as well: a bona fide starting quarterback and viable face of the franchise.

For now, however, the 22-year-old is living in the moment. HIs first media conference call shortly after getting drafted reflected this: Jones was on the proverbial Cloud 9, and he summed up his experience with one short sentence.

“It’s a great football team and to be a part of it now is awesome,” he said.

In general, “awesome” seemed to be the word of the day for Jones — unsurprisingly, considering that he had just been drafted. Waiting until the middle of the first round for that to happen did also not seem to change his experience as he pointed out.

“It was awesome and that’s just a great experience to be with my family and to get invited here and to see all the other guys go before me with their families and the celebrations and stuff,” Jones said. “It’s all good, but now you just got to kind of look at it and just enjoy the experience, but it’s time to go to work. And going up there with Goodell was awesome. It’s like video game-type stuff.”

Before taking the stage, however, Jones went through a meticulous pre-draft process that saw him and the Patriots get to know each other quite a bit. Not only did head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels visit his Pro Day at Alabama, Jones and the organization also were in frequent virtual meetings.

How did all that contact with the Patriots go? Apparently, awesome.

“We have been on Zoom a few times and stuff and they did come to my Pro Day and that was awesome,” Jones said. “I know Coach Belichick and Coach Saban have a really good relationship, so they were just kind of talking behind and I just said hello to Coach Belichick and Coach Josh. They were just watching and kind of just looking at everybody. So, it was good for them to be there and hopefully I got to show the type of quarterback I was at that Pro Day and I’m just glad that they took me. It’s going to be awesome.”

Jones’ selection makes it clear what the team’s expectations in him are, but there is no guarantee that he will become the Day 1 starter for the Patriots. The team, after all, has a veteran starter under contract in Cam Newton as well as a former fourth-round draft pick entering his third season in the system in Jarrett Stidham.

The newest member of the group knows that he will have to compete against them, and work his way up the depth chart. Having Newton and Stidham to look up to, however, should help him do just that.

“I’m actually joining a really great quarterback room with Cam Newton, who has played in the NFL for a really long time. He’s earned the respect of his teammates, going into New England, being a captain,” Jones said. “And then you got Jarrett, who I really loved watching at Auburn and kind of use as a role model. Both those guys are role models to me right now and I’m just going to go behind them and learn how they did it.”

The two quarterbacks will not be the only mentors for Jones, though. Another close ally of his will be offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who had served as New England’s quarterbacks coach as well for most of his tenure with the organization.

The veteran coach and the rookie quarterback have gotten to know each other during the pre-draft cycle as well, and Jones is looking forward to working with him.

“What I love to do is just talk football, so to get a chance to do it with Coach McDaniels is just awesome,” Jones said. “He’s a great football mind and hopefully we can just continue to build a relationship that we started kind of through the Zoom process.”

While time will tell whether or not that feeling of awesomeness will turn into actual on-field success, both the Patriots and Jones can be happy about where they are.

Is it going to be awesome? Who knows! For the time being, however, it very much is.

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