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DC5m United States science in english 100 articles, created at 2016-12-08 16:09 articles set mostly positive rate 1.6

1 2.9 Aroldis Chapman headed back to New York Yankees on 5-year, $86 million deal (10.99/11) The Yankees have reunited with closer Aroldis Chapman on a five-year, $86 million deal, the four-time All-Star told ESPN's Marly Rivera on Wednesday night. 2016-12-08 00:43 5KB www.espn.com

2 2.1 As Trump Picks Beijing Envoy, China Prepares a Farm As Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad—Donald Trump’s choice for the U. S. ambassador to China—prepares to take up the post next year, authorities in Hebei province are (7.97/11) planning to construct a model farm patterned after one Chinese President Xi Jinping visited in Iowa in 2012. ... 2016-12-08 08:23 876Bytes article.wn.com

3 12.5 Pakistan opens probe into deadly plane crash The plane belonged to Pakistan International Airlines. 2016-12-08 07:41 4KB rssfeeds.usatoday.com

(5.99/11)

4 2.8 S. Korea's parliament sets up presidential impeachment vote S. Korea's parliament sets up presidential impeachment vote Associated Press - 8 (5.99/11) December 2016 02:38-05:00 News Topics: General news, Political corruption, Political scandals, Political resignations, Government and politics, Impeachments, Legislature, Political issues People, Places and... 2016-12-08 04:56 1KB article.wn.com

5 2.3 Toll in Indonesia quake tops 100 MEUREUDU, Indonesia -- Rescue workers, soldiers and police combed through the rubble of a devastated town in Indonesia's Aceh province today, resuming a search for (4.53/11) earthquake survivors that was halted at night by rain and blackouts. More than 100 people died in the... 2016-12-08 06:00 826Bytes article.wn.com

6 2.9 Trump picks climate sceptic Pruitt for environment chief (4.32/11) Donald Trump picks an outspoken critic of Obama's climate policies to head the environment body. 2016-12-08 13:48 3KB www.bbc.co.uk

7 7.7 Review: 'Hairspray' has plenty of luster as NBC's best live musical

1960s-set musical brims with great songs and a strong cast. 2016-12-08 00:27 4KB (4.22/11) rssfeeds.usatoday.com 8 3.9 Indonesian towns reel from earthquake devastation PIDIE JAYA, Indonesia (AP) -- Damage from the earthquake that shook Indonesia's Aceh province on Wednesday is extensive in towns near the epicenter. A mark (3.31/11) 2016-12-08 03:01 1KB mynorthwest.com

9 0.4 Giraffes in Danger of Becoming Extinct in the Wild: Study (3.24/11) The world's tallest land mammal is now in danger of becoming extinct in the wild, a global authority on endangered species announced on Thursday. The International Union for Conservation of Nature released its updated annual Red List of Threatened Species, which now labels the iconic giraffe as... 2016-12-08 07:36 2KB abcnews.go.com

10 0.0 E-cigarettes vital concern, says US Image copyright PA The chief public health 2016-12-08 00:00 1KB headlinenewstoday.net

(3.20/11)

11 1.4 'New generation of addicts' – US health chief's warning on vaping (3.10/11) Surgeon general acknowledges more research is needed on e-cigarettes but says: ‘Your kids are not an experiment’ 2016-12-08 04:53 2KB www.theguardian.com

12 3.8 Leonardo DiCaprio meets Donald Trump to discuss climate change jobs (2.33/11) Leonardo DiCaprio has met Donald Trump to discuss how jobs centred on preserving the environment could boost the US economy. 2016-12-08 02:29 2KB www.independent.ie

13 15.3 Earthquake rocks Indonesia's Aceh province; at least 102 dead

(2.30/11) Earthquake rocks Indonesia's Aceh province; at least 102 dead 2016-12-08 01:57 2KB abc7news.com

14 0.8 Manila says will not help US on patrols in South China Sea MANILA: Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana says it is highly unlikely his (2.20/11) country will allow the US military to use the country as a springboard for its freedom of navigation patrols in the disputed South China Sea to avoid 2016-12-08 05:11 872Bytes article.wn.com

15 0.0 Duterte: No Palace plot to unseat Robredo from VP President Rodrigo Roa Duterte assured Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday that Malacañang had no plot to unseat her from public office. 2016-12-08 00:00 1KB (2.08/11) newsinfo.inquirer.net 16 1.4 Indonesia quake stirs grim memories for tsunami survivors (2.07/11) MEUREUDU, Indonesia (AP) — Now, thousands of people in Indonesia's Aceh province have two horrifying stories to tell. Living through the Dec. 26, 2004, earth... 2016-12-08 07:31 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk

17 1.1 Turkey conducting intense talks with Russia for Aleppo ceasefire, Erdogan spokesman says

(2.07/11) ANKARA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Turkey is conducting intense talks with Russia for a ceasefire in Syria's Aleppo and to allow humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged... 2016-12-08 07:08 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

18 1.1 Obama and I have a really good chemistry together, says Trump (2.06/11) US President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump a re trading phone calls and pleasantries, just months after regularly flinging insults back and forth. 2016-12-08 07:16 4KB www.independent.ie

19 0.0 Giannis Antetokounmpo's triple-double powers Milwaukee Bucks

(2.06/11) MILWAUKEE -- Giannis Antetokounmpo filled up the stat sheet again Wednesday night. 2016-12-08 03:08 4KB www.upi.com

20 0.8 Trump settles on Oklahoma's attorney general to lead EPA President-elect Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday that he will nominate Oklahoma (1.06/11) Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a global warming skeptic, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, which he has repeatedly sued and derided for pursuing an "activist agenda. " "My administration strongly believes... 2016-12-08 08:34 1KB article.wn.com

21 1.8 Police Urge No Rush to Judgment in Shooting of Reno Student (1.06/11) Social media postings about a school district police officer shooting a Nevada high school student waving a knife toward classmates drew an immediate plea from authorities not to rush to conclusions about the on-campus incident. The 14-year-old boy was reported in critical condition with a... 2016-12-08 04:43 4KB abcnews.go.com

22 2.4 Iran's FM: It's in US interest to stay committed to nuclear pact Mohammad Zarif's strong statement makes waves as US President-elect Donald (1.05/11) Trump continues to vocally oppose the nuclear agreement. 2016-12-08 06:12 2KB www.jpost.com 23 0.4 Jennifer Hudson leaves cast in tears with racial equality anthem I Know Where I've Been on Hairspray Live! (1.04/11) The 35-year-old singer appeared to leave some of her cast mates in tears with a stunning performance on Wednesday during NBC's spectacular Hairspray Live!. 2016-12-08 02:18 8KB www.dailymail.co.uk

24 0.5 ECB under pressure to extend stimulus amid uncertainties FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank is expected to extend its (1.02/11) main stimulus program in an effort to secure economic growth and inflation in a region beset by political uncertainties. ... 2016-12-08 08:27 716Bytes article.wn.com

25 0.2 Immigration inquiry MPs to tour UK and gather views at public meetings (1.02/11) An influential Commons committee is to tour the country as part of a new inquiry on immigration. MPs will hold public meetings in every region of the UK to h... 2016-12-08 07:32 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

(1.02/11) 26 2.2 Intelligence agency: Russia trying to destabilize Germany Germany's domestic intelligence agency says Russia is trying to destabilize German society and the state with propaganda campaigns and cyberattacks. 2016-12-08 07:12 1KB www.cbs46.com

27 1.9 Political Divide on Campuses Hardens After Trump’s Victory (1.02/11) Republican students feel estranged from colleges where the institutional bias leans left, and university officials fear tensions will increase after the inauguration. 2016-12-08 06:00 10KB www.nytimes.com

28 3.7 Coming soon! Naked and Afraid in South Africa! 12 courageous survivalists will attempt to survive for 40 days in the South African (1.02/11) bush. Naked. 2016-12-08 05:10 1KB www.channel24.co.za

29 2.4 Comment: How Trump can save American democracy Trump and Brexit are testimony to the fact that we are living in a world of unexpected (1.02/11) change; the outcome depends on the American people and the foresight of its leaders. 2016-12-08 04:05 9KB www.jpost.com 30 2.7 75 years since Japan took the city High up on a hillside in the south of Hong Kong, shaded beneath dense green foliage, are the pockmarked remnants of World War II pillboxes, a reminder of the city's failed attempt to fend off a Japanese invasion. 2016-12-08 03:20 3KB www.digitaljournal.com (1.02/11)

31 0.0 Australian students reveal the highs and lows during their last year of high school (1.02/11) As teenagers across Australia await their results from their final year in high school, one Year 12 student Shianna, 17, reveals the stress she went through working towards her ATAR. 2016-12-08 02:16 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

32 3.1 National Grid agrees UK gas network sale, to return cash to investors

(0.02/11) LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Britain's National Grid has agreed to sell a 61 percent equity interest in its UK gas distribution business to a group of investors... 2016-12-08 05:30 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

33 2.0 OSCE Among Very Few Platforms for Direct Dialogue With Russia - German Official The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is continuing to be (0.01/11) one of very few platforms, where the direct dialogue between the West and Moscow is possible, the German government's special representative for the OSCE Chairmanship, Gernot Erler, said Thursday. ... 2016-12-08 07:05 934Bytes article.wn.com

34 3.1 TUI Group forecasts profit growth of 10 pct a year until 2019

(0.01/11) By Sarah Young LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - TUI Group, Europe's largest travel company, announced an extended profit forecast on Thursday in a show of confidenc... 2016-12-08 05:42 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

35 0.9 Emily Ratajkowski showcasesl figure in bustier paired with jeans and shaggy fur (0.01/11) The 25-year-old Gone Girl beauty delighted her 9.6million Instagram followers with the new shots in which she slipped into a raunchy bustier with high-waisted jeans and a shaggy fur coat 2016-12-08 05:06 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

36 0.5 Futurist Mike Walsh says Facebook fake news problem shows need to balance humans, automation (0.01/11) The current furor over "fake news" could reveal valuable insights into the changing media industry, according to Mike Walsh. 2016-12-08 04:24 4KB www.cnbc.com 37 0.0 PRESS DIGEST - Bulgaria - Dec 8 SOFIA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - These are some of the main stories in Bulgarian newspapers on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch (0.01/11) fo... 2016-12-08 03:52 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk

38 1.0 San Francisco residents frustrated with homeless tents (0.01/11) ABC7 news is again joining forces with more than 70 other local news agencies for the San Francisco Homeless Project. It is a plea for San Francisco city leaders to do something about homelessness in the Bay Area's most densely populated city. 2016-12-08 03:48 5KB abc7news.com

39 1.8 France allows Holocaust museums to digitize WWII archives France has signed an accord to allow Holocaust museums in Paris and in Washington, D. C., to digitize the vast French World War II archives — so that the museums can ... 2016-12-08 08:37 673Bytes article.wn.com

40 1.3 Go on, we dare you to ignore these tips December is a time for beige and putty-coloured offices to somehow become even more depressing with the appliance of tinsel. Most disturbingly, it's a time for the unavoidable office Christmas party - a time of damage limitation and bizarre human behaviour. 2016-12-08 08:13 4KB www.timeslive.co.za

41 0.3 DA report card puts Zuma‚ Zwane‚ Van Rooyen at the bottom of the class President Jacob Zuma‚ Minister of Mineral Resources Mosebenzi Zwane and Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Des Van Rooyen emerged as the biggest class dunces in cabinet‚ according to the DA’s 2016 cabinet report card. 2016-12-08 07:33 3KB www.timeslive.co.za

42 0.0 No Bregrets: Sunderland after the vote to leave the European Union – video Nissan has announced that it is staying in its Sunderland plant. Helen Pidd speaks to voters and asks how they feel now about leaving the European Union 2016-12-08 07:33 1KB www.theguardian.com

43 2.4 Jon Landau’s ‘Avatar’ Promise Closes CineAsia on a High “Jim (Cameron) has only ever done two sequels. And each time the ambition was to make them better than the original,” said producer Jon Landau. “Well, we are producing not one, not two, but four ‘A… 2016-12-08 07:32 3KB variety.com 44 1.0 TRAFFIC: Mount Washington crash closes Sweetbriar this morning An overnight crash has closed Sweetbriar Street in the Mount Washington/Duquesne Heights area of Pittsburgh this morning. The incident occurred at Grandview Avenue and downed several power lines. Also this morning, Nadine Road in Penn Hills has reopened after bridge replacement work. The street had... 2016-12-08 07:31 6KB www.post-gazette.com

45 0.5 Britain's financial watchdog sends warning letter to debt firms LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Firms that help people manage debt repayments are failing to make regular checks on customers and could be fined, Britain's financi... 2016-12-08 07:21 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

46 3.1 Giant snowballs in Siberia might be connected to a frosty U. S. winter This frosty phenomenon is connected to ongoing weather events that could bring heavier snowfall in parts of North America and Western Europe this winter. 2016-12-08 07:21 3KB www.aol.com

47 1.8 Investors face nervous wait for ECB's final salvo of 2016 By John Geddie LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Euro zone government bond yields crept higher as investors waited to see whether the European Central Bank would mee... 2016-12-08 07:20 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

48 1.1 Chevron outlines cut in exploration and production spending Chevron said its spending plans next year for exploration and production should be about 15 percent lower as market pressures endure for the company. 2016-12-08 07:12 2KB www.upi.com

49 0.6 Moscow slams Mogherini for saying EU alone in providing aid to Syria — RT News Moscow has blasted as “outrageous twisting of the facts” a statement by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who said the EU was the only party providing aid to Syria. 2016-12-08 07:12 3KB www.rt.com

50 1.5 Carrie Bickmore reveals nickname son Ollie gave daughter Evie on The Project The Project's Carrie Bickmore, 36, revealed on Thursday night's episode, the rather unfortunate yet hilarious nickname given to one-year-old daughter Evie, by nine-year- old son Ollie. 2016-12-08 07:11 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk 51 2.4 Adorable baby who can't stop kissing himself in the mirror becomes sensation One-year-old Dean Ochs, from Ohio, was filmed at his grandmother's house planting multiple kisses on his mirror reflection. His mother Lindsay said he was 'in the mirror for about 30 minutes'. 2016-12-08 07:07 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

52 0.9 World Bank Cancels $100 Million Loan For Pakistan Gas Project The World Bank has cancelled a $100 million loan to Pakistan for a natural gas efficiency project due to no progress in achieving the development objectives and a lack of interest on the part of the... 2016-12-08 07:06 727Bytes article.wn.com

53 1.1 Scott says he will focus on state's transportation needs Republican Gov.-Elect Phil Scott says he wants to improve Vermont’s transportation infrastructure without increasing the state’s debt or raising taxes and fees. 2016-12-08 07:03 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

54 0.0 Wall Street Journal ranks Kettering first in midwest for career preparation Students ranked Kettering University highest among Midwest colleges in terms of career preparation. 2016-12-08 07:00 1KB www.mlive.com

55 0.0 Lake-effect snow falling along lakes Michigan, Superior Lake-effect snow is falling in western and northern Michigan and forecasters say roughly a foot of new snow could be on the ground by the weekend. 2016-12-08 06:57 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

56 4.0 SA has highest 'digital literacy' in Africa - study South Africa has been rated as the country with the highest digital literacy in Africa, according to a recent study. 2016-12-08 06:57 2KB www.fin24.com

57 2.6 Interior Secretary Jewell visits Acoma Pueblo U. S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell plans to visit Acoma Pueblo on Thursday to begin a tour aimed at highlighting federal initiatives over the past eight years for public land, wildlife management and government relationships with Native American tribes. 2016-12-08 06:56 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

58 1.1 Fingerprint Cards cuts revenue forecast due to inventory build-up By Olof Swahnberg LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Biometric technology firm Fingerprint Cards (FPC) has slashed its revenue forecast for this year after overestima... 2016-12-08 06:54 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk 59 3.4 Mexican wolves new residents of Saginaw Children's Zoo Izzy and Rachel, 1-year-old sister Mexican wolves from the grey wolf subspecies, arrived in Saginaw from the Endangered Wolf Center in Missouri. 2016-12-08 06:52 1KB www.mlive.com

60 2.1 Russia more attractive to foreign tourists for winter holidays — RT Business Inquiries by foreign tourists for holiday season tours to Russia are up a third over last year according to the travel search engine Momondo. 2016-12-08 06:52 2KB www.rt.com

61 1.0 As solar power expands the work day, incomes rise in eastern Kenya By Kagondu Njagi EMBU, Kenya, Dec 8 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Violet Karimi spends her days as she always has, attending to household chores and working... 2016-12-08 06:47 5KB www.dailymail.co.uk

62 5.0 Poaching crackdown: Kruger launches new wide- area surveillance system The Kruger National Park now has a state-of-the-art surveillance system in place to prevent poaching. 2016-12-08 06:45 2KB traveller24.news24.com

63 5.7 One dead, five injured in explosion at fast-food restaurant in central Athens One woman died and five other people were lightly injured in an explosion and a subsequent fire at a fast-food restaurant in central Athens on Thursday, Greek Fire Brigade announced. ... 2016-12-08 06:43 720Bytes article.wn.com

64 0.8 Same cash, different fates as Leipzig face Ingolstadt By Karolos Grohmann Dec 8 (Reuters) - The similarities between Ingolstadt and Bundesliga leaders RB Leipzig, are striking but the current fates of the cash-r... 2016-12-08 06:41 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

65 2.2 Man suffering head trauma found dead in Greensboro roadway GREENSBORO, N. C. – A man suffering head trauma was found dead in a Greensboro roadway early Thursday morning. Officers responded to the 200 block of Wiley Street at about 2:40 a.m. in reference to a report of a subject down in the... 2016-12-08 06:39 1KB myfox8.com 66 2.6 Russian missile test goes wrong when rocket destroys launcher The s-300 missile is fired into the sky in Ashuluk, Russia, but it becomes immediately clear there is not enough power behind it and footage captures it hurtling back to Earth with devastating results. 2016-12-08 06:35 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

67 0.9 Earth could be DESTROYED in fiery inferno as sun swells to 100 times its size Researchers from the KU Leuven Institute of Astronomy, Belgium, studied a star called L2 Puppis, which, 5 billion years ago, was an almost identical twin of our sun today. 2016-12-08 06:34 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

68 0.0 The world's longest airline routes Long-haul flights are about to get longer as aircraft become more fuel-efficient and passengers more demanding. 2016-12-08 06:33 7KB edition.cnn.com

69 2.6 Sienna Miller stays cosy in long tawny coat and red checkered blouse as she arrives at LAX following Live By Night photocall

She's been busy promoting her new film Live By Night. 2016-12-08 06:27 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

70 0.0 Visible branding, black tights and wearing a belt with a suit: Etiquette expert reveals the fashion mistakes that are making YOU look common Much can be discovered about a person by their clothes. William Hanson reveals the sartorial signposts and wardrobe tell-tales that say a lot about who you are and your social position. 2016-12-08 06:26 6KB www.dailymail.co.uk

71 1.0 Oor Nicola! Sturgeon undergoes the cartoon treatment to appear alongside Oor Wullie on her 2016 Christmas card The almost colourless scene featuring one of Scotland’s best-loved comic creations is a far cry from what might have been expected. 2016-12-08 06:16 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

72 0.0 ICUN: Giraffes make 'red list' debut as numbers dramatically fall Africa's wild giraffe population has plunged dramatically and the world's tallest animals are in the process of a "silent extinction," a conservation group has reported. 2016-12-08 06:16 3KB rss.cnn.com 73 1.3 How to spot a lazy corner-cutting colleague: Experts reveal the warning signs of a 'secret slacker' Peter O'Connor, Senior Lecturer, from Queensland University of Technology and Peter Karl Jonason, from Western Sydney University explain the traits that make a corner- cutter easy to spot (stock image) 2016-12-08 06:09 6KB www.dailymail.co.uk

74 0.0 More flights into Cape Town adds up to a lot of moolah

Direct 2016-12-08 06:04 2KB www.timeslive.co.za

75 2.6 Earth may soon have 25 hours a day, scientists say With so much to do and little time to do it, most people wish of an extra hour each day to accomplish numerous tasks that they have to get done. 2016-12-08 00:00 2KB technology.inquirer.net

76 1.3 The Human Spirit: Mending the world two persons at a time The program, eventually called the Jewish Connection, created opportunities for bringing together groups that were suspicious of, and antagonistic to, each other. 2016-12-08 06:03 6KB www.jpost.com

77 2.7 Best Bites: Cranberry and goat cheese walnut log Move over yule log, there's a new and better tasting log this Christmas. It's time to up your holiday party with this delicious creation! 2016-12-08 06:00 1KB www.aol.com

78 1.4 How HR Can Learn From Past Hiring Mistakes HR analytics enables HR to take the bias out of decision-making and instead apply sound principles that benefit the entire organization. 2016-12-08 06:00 4KB www.forbes.com

79 1.0 Iraqi notes troop losses 'heavy' in Mosul fighting MOSUL, Iraq -- Islamic State counterattacks in southeastern Mosul inflicted heavy losses on Iraqi forces overnight after a new push deeper into the city this week, according to an Iraqi army officer. Despite the counterattacks, the fresh Iraqi push appears to have relieved pressure... 2016-12-08 06:00 831Bytes article.wn.com

80 2.2 Project Neon: Buckle up for months of roadwork, lane closures With a significant bulk of Project Neon construction expected in 2017, officials on Wednesday night hosted a renderings-oriented meeting to inform the public about... 2016-12-08 06:00 4KB lasvegassun.com 81 2.9 Bring solar back to Nevada and help vets, too In the aftermath of the presidential election, much has been said about the need to bridge divides, build a new American economy and get the country back to work... 2016-12-08 06:00 4KB lasvegassun.com

82 0.7 High off the hog: NLV housing development planned for former pig farm A 150-acre housing development called Sedona Ranch will be built on the site of R. C. Farms, the departing North Las Vegas pig farm... 2016-12-08 06:00 2KB lasvegassun.com

83 0.0 Police superbikes: The new breed of driverless vehicles Driverless police motorcycles with 3D cameras, complex monitoring systems, and the ability to issue tickets while patrolling streets 24/7 might be coming soon. 2016-12-08 05:43 3KB rss.cnn.com

84 0.9 What does Christmas mean To Dogs? On Christmass, the entire family – from kids to grandparents – gather around at a place and celebrates. It becomes a huge celebration and sometimes, our beloved pets get overlooked amongst the entire hustle bustle. This neglect can have some serious consequences regarding mental health... 2016-12-08 05:36 3KB article.wn.com

85 1.1 Solar Impulse founder sees electric passenger plane in 10 years GENEVA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - The co-founder of a project that saw a solar-powered aircraft complete the first fuel-free flight around the world this year expect... 2016-12-08 05:30 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

86 2.5 Chris Ostwald branded 'racist' after opening shop called Really British in London Chris Ostwald was shocked when his store became the centre of a racism storm after it opened in Muswell Hill in London, with shoppers accusing him of making a political statement. 2016-12-08 05:28 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk

87 1.1 Taylor Hill 'messed up' Victoria's Secret Angel audition after swearing through it Taylor Hill, 20, was worried she had 'messed up' her chances on becoming an Angel after nervously swearing her way though the Victoria's Secret audition back in 2014. 2016-12-08 05:26 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

88 2.9 Clark County school closes after possible norovirus outbreak A Clark County elementary/middle school will close after more than 100 students and some faculty members were out sick following a suspected norovirus outbreak. 2016-12-08 05:22 1KB www.washingtontimes.com 89 1.8 Zuma is above the ANC He has in the past managed to survive a number of motions of no confidence levelled against him. The big question is: how long is Zuma going to keep on surviving the call for him to step down as president? 2016-12-08 05:18 4KB www.news24.com

90 1.0 Officials in Linden seek to establish 'virtual block watch' Police and city officials in Linden are asking residents and business owners to register any video surveillance cameras they may have for the creation of a “virtual block watch.” 2016-12-08 05:16 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

91 0.0 Labour's failure to grasp need for migration controls is putting people at risk, says Burnham - Politics live

Rolling coverage of all the day’s political developments as they happen 2016-12-08 05:13 22KB www.theguardian.com

92 4.0 Good dog!: Vet school to hold 'Puppy University' graduation The first dogs to complete a Virginia veterinary school’s “Puppy University” are ready to don their caps and gowns. 2016-12-08 05:06 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

93 1.1 Search widens for U. S. Marine Corps pilot missing in Japan The search for a Marine Corps pilot who ejected from an F/A-18 jet in southern Japan was expanded to a wider area after daybreak Thursday... 2016-12-08 05:06 1KB lasvegassun.com

94 1.2 Researchers find LED retail lighting improves taste of milk Virginia Tech researchers have found that the type of lighting used in retail display cases can affect the taste of milk. 2016-12-08 05:02 1KB www.washingtontimes.com

95 0.0 Indiana University Southeast offers advice during exam week This week, Erika Santoro said her stress level is probably at about an 8 out of 10. On top of two exams this week, she’s got a final paper to write and worst of all, she said, a presentation to give. 2016-12-08 05:01 4KB www.washingtontimes.com

96 0.4 Helplessness and heartache, thousands of miles from home Helsinki in December is cold. I know that sounds like an obvious statement, but statements are just words that try and describe reality. The reality of Helsinki is that it … Helsinki in December is cold. I know that sounds like an obvious statement, but... 2016-12-08 05:00 4KB www.sfexaminer.com 97 2.7 Federal contracts and patents Federal contracts and patents recently awarded in Maine: PATENTS: PROCK MARINE CO.: The Rockland company won a $542,970 contract set aside for small business from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers for maintenance dredging at Sagamore Creek. The work will... 2016-12-08 05:00 5KB www.pressherald.com

98 1.6 Candid Conversations: Technology and society People of all ages sit down for a candid conversation about technology’s impact on society and the future as a whole. 2016-12-08 05:00 1KB www.aol.com

99 5.6 House to clear stopgap spending, water projects measures WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is advancing hard-fought legislation to help Flint, Michigan, fix 2016-12-08 05:00 651Bytes article.wn.com

100 0.0 Commuter Dude: Widening planned for section of I- 85 GWINNETT CO, Ga – The Georgia Department of Transportation says one of their top priorities is to widen a 17 mile section of I-85 that is often clogged beyond capacity. 2016-12-08 04:53 2KB rssfeeds.11alive.com Articles

DC5m United States science in english 100 articles, created at 2016-12-08 16:09

1 /100 2.9 Aroldis Chapman headed back to New York Yankees on 5-year, $86 million deal (10.99/11) NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - - The New York Yankees have reunited with left- handed closer Aroldis Chapman on a five-year, $86 million deal, the four- time All-Star told ESPN's Marly Rivera. It is the highest contract ever for a reliever.

"I love the organization, they welcomed me with open arms, and that's why I decided to go back," Chapman told Rivera on Wednesday night. "I was hoping I had a chance to go back, and it happened.

"Every player dreams of being a Yankee, and if they don't, it's because they never got the chance. "

Editor's Picks Yankees will regret Aroldis Chapman's contract -- someday

Bringing Aroldis Chapman back to the Bronx might have some short-term benefits for the Yankees, but it's something they'll likely regret down the road. Reasons to regret Chapman deal? 86 million -- and one

Aroldis Chapman will be hard-pressed to justify his five-year Yankees deal on the field, assuming he can handle life-changing money away from it.

1 Related

Bringing Aroldis Chapman back to the Bronx might have some short-term benefits for the Yankees, but it's something they'll likely regret down the road.

Aroldis Chapman will be hard-pressed to justify his five-year Yankees deal on the field, assuming he can handle life-changing money away from it.

Chapman, 28, cannot be dealt to some West Coast teams and cannot be dealt at all in the first three years of the contract.

"I just don't want to go that far," he said. "I did have the opportunity to stay here near my house [with the Miami Marlins ] but no, I leaned more towards New York. I like the Bronx more. "

The Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers were the other finalists in the Chapman sweepstakes. While the Marlins were in it until the very end, the Dodgers dropped their pursuit earlier.

Chapman will slot behind Dellin Betances to work the ninth inning, as the Yankees will try to shorten games behind what could be a shaky starting rotation.

Nearly a year ago, the Yankees traded for Chapman, who was in the Cincinnati Reds ' discount bin because of a domestic violence incident being investigated by police. While Chapman was never charged, he accepted a 30-day suspension for violating the domestic violence policy.

For the Yankees, Chapman stayed out of trouble and pitched well. The Yankees restored his trade value and dealt him to the Chicago Cubs at the deadline. While Chapman helped the Cubs win the World Series, the Yankees received four prospects, headlined by 19-year-old Gleyber Torres. Torres just won the Arizona Fall League MVP.

"They are full of talented young players who want to prove themselves," Chapman said of the Yankees, who finished 84-78 last season. "Last year, in a short time, they proved they can be a great team. "

Chapman told Rivera earlier this week that he wanted a six-year contract.

"I wanted six years but could not get it," he said Wednesday night. "I'm happy with my five years. "

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman made it clear that Chapman was the Yankees' No. 1 target.

"Every player dreams of being a Yankee, and if they don't, it's because they never got the chance. "

Aroldis Chapman

Many believe Chapman increased his value in the World Series, proving he can be relied on for multiple innings, though even he tired after being used hard in Games 5, 6 and 7. Still, his ability to come into a game before the ninth inning was in question heading into the final round of the postseason, and he proved he has that capability -- if not ridden too hard. His fastball actually was hittable at times, but when he mixed in some sliders and the occasional changeup, he became a much more effective pitcher.

Chapman was always going to be used as a rental by the Cubs, as they did their heavy spending last offseason, when they signed Jason Heyward , John Lackey and Ben Zobrist to free-agent deals.

Considering the injuries and inconsistencies of mainstays such as Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop , Chapman was invaluable to the Cubs in the postseason. Cubs manager Joe Maddon relied on Chapman heavily, and the pitcher mostly came through, despite rarely being given a clean ninth inning to secure. In his 15⅔ innings pitched in the playoffs, he struck out 21, giving up six runs and allowing several more inherited runners to score.

The bottom line is the Cubs asked Chapman to do everything, and he came through more times than not.

ESPN Cubs reporter Jesse Rogers contributed to this report. Why Aroldis Chapman Yankees sign closer Aroldis Aroldis Chapman Acquired Chapman, Yankees reach signing is an acceptable risk Chapman to 5-year, $86M by Yankees in Five-Year, deal for $86M, 5 years for Yankees deal $86 Million Deal dailymail.co.uk nypost.com nypost.com nytimes.com

MLB off-season tracker: Aroldis Chapman, Yankees New York Yankees sign Aroldis Chapman signs five- Aroldis Chapman, Yankees agree to five-year, $86 Aroldis Chapman for five year deal to return to reach megadeal million record deal years, $86M Yankees rssfeeds.freep.com rssfeeds.usatoday.com upi.com chicago.suntimes.com

2016-12-08 00:43 Andrew Marchand www.espn.com

2 /100 2.1 As Trump Picks Beijing Envoy, China Prepares a Farm

(7.97/11) As Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad—Donald Trump’s choice for the U. S. ambassador to China—prepares to take up the post next year, authorities in Hebei province are planning to construct a model farm patterned after one Chinese President Xi Jinping visited in Iowa in 2012. ...

A 30-year-old photo shows the long history Trump's incoming ambassador to China has with Xi Jinping aol.com

Trump's Beijing Ambassador As Donald Trump Picks Trump's choice of China China should build more Pick Is Close to China's Iowa Governor as Beijing envoy a positive sign for nuclear arms to prepare for President Too Envoy, China Prepares a ties, Xinhua says Trump: media article.wn.com Farm dailymail.co.uk dailymail.co.uk wsj.com Trump's choice for top Donald Trump picks 'old China should build more China diplomat has long ties friend' of President Xi nuclear arms to prepare for to Xi Jinping as US envoy to Trump cbs46.com China digitaljournal.com article.wn.com

2016-12-08 08:23 system article.wn.com

3 /100 (5.99/11) 12.5 Pakistan opens probe into deadly plane crash GUG, Pakistan — Pakistani military helicopters on Thursday ferried remains of plane crash victims to the capital, Islamabad, as aviation authorities said they opened a probe into the crash that killed 47 passengers and crew the day before in the country’s northwest.

The small twin-propeller aircraft was travelling from the scenic mountain resort city of Chitral to Islamabad on Wednesday when one of its engines failed shortly after takeoff and crashed in the hillside village of Gug in the district of Abbottabad, according to Pervez George of the Civil Aviation Authority.

The plane belonged to the Pakistani national carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines, and had 42 passengers and five crew members on board, PIA spokesman Daniyal Gilani said.

Witnesses said they saw the plane suddenly tilting and going down, then bursting into flames upon crashing in Gug. The village is located next to another, Saddha Batolni, from where residents also joined the rescue work.

“The plane was swaying … then I saw it hitting the hill with a loud bang,” said Chaudhry Rustam, a villager who rushed to the crash site. Then, thick black smoke was seen billowing from the debris, he added.

Dozens of villagers helped retrieve the remains.

Zainab Nazakat said she was preparing dinner when she saw the plane coming down, hitting several trees and a water supply tank on an elevated ground.

“When we lifted one of its wings, there was a heap of body remains under it,” said social worker Jabir bin Khayan.

Reporters at the site on Thursday saw the plane’s wreckage strewn over a 2 kilometer- (1.2 mile-) radius, with clothes, shoes and passenger bags scattered about. Among those killed in the crash was Junaid Jamshed, a popular pop-singer-turned-Islamic- preacher who went to Chitral along with his wife, his family said. The couple’s remains were to be taken to the port city of Karachi after identification.

Earlier, Junaid Sarwar, a hospital spokesman in the northwestern city of Abbottabad, said only five bodies had been identified so far. The remains of others were burnt so badly that the National Database and Registration Authority could not identify them at the hospital.

“We are sending body parts of all the passengers to Islamabad for DNA tests,” Sarwar said.

Gug is about 90 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Islamabad. PIA says the plane lost contact with the control tower just before the crash. Azam Sehgal, the PIA chairman, told a news conference at the Islamabad airport on Wednesday that the plane’s black box recorder had been found.

Sehgal said the pilot had told the control tower an engine developed a technical fault. Moments later he made a “mayday call,” shortly before the plane disappeared from radar.

In Islamabad, senior government and PIA officials were on hand at a sports complex on Thursday to receive the remains, which were brought by military helicopters from Abbottabad.

The remains are to be held in forensic labs at hospitals in Islamabad and in the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi until DNA tests are completed — a process that may take up to six days, according to a Cabinet Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.

Pakistan’s air industry has had a mixed record recently. About 150 people were killed in a crash near Islamabad in 2010, and last year, a military helicopter carrying several diplomats also crashed in the country’s north, killing eight people.

In 2012, a Bhoja Air passenger plane crashed near Islamabad due to bad weather, killing all 127 people on board.

Ahmed reported from Islamabad. Associated Press writer Aqeel Ahmed in Mansehra, Pakistan, contributed to this report.

Probe Launched Into Pak Raw: Plane crash wreckage Pakistan opens investigation Plane carrying Brazilian Plane Crash; Airlines in northwest Pakistan into deadly plane crash that football team crashes in Blames Engine Failure rssfeeds.usatoday.com killed 47 Colombia, 76 dead article.wn.com article.wn.com article.wn.com

Passenger plane with 47 Pakistani plane crashes in Pakistan officials open probe Pakistan plane issued people aboard crashes in village; all 47 aboard die into plane crash Mayday call before deadly Pakistan article.wn.com article.wn.com crash article.wn.com digitaljournal.com 2016-12-08 07:41 Asif Shahzad rssfeeds.usatoday.com

4 /100 2.8 S. Korea's parliament sets up presidential impeachment vote (5.99/11) S. Korea's parliament sets up presidential impeachment vote Associated Press - 8 December 2016 02:38-05:00 News Topics: General news, Political corruption, Political scandals, Political resignations, Government and politics, Impeachments, Legislature, Political issues People, Places and Companies: Park Geun-hye, Choi Soon-sil, Roh Moo-hyun, South Korea Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

South Korea parliament South Korea sets What to expect from the South Korean parliament introduces bill to impeach presidential impeachment South Korean impeachment schedules impeachment Park; vote due Friday vote vote vote for Friday article.wn.com article.wn.com article.wn.com upi.com

South Korea Impeachment South Korea’s parliament South Korea's Parliament S. Korea's Parliament Sets Vote Set in Motion sets up presidential Formally Introduces up Presidential article.wn.com impeachment vote Impeachment Motion on Impeachment Vote newsinfo.inquirer.net President Park Geun-Hye; article.wn.com Vote Likely Friday article.wn.com

2016-12-08 04:56 system article.wn.com

5 /100 (4.53/11) 2.3 Toll in Indonesia quake tops 100 MEUREUDU, Indonesia -- Rescue workers , soldiers and police combed through the rubble of a devastated town in Indonesia's Aceh province today, resuming a search for earthquake survivors that was halted at night by rain and blackouts. Rescuers comb Indonesia earthquake rubble for second day article.wn.com

Indonesia's Aceh Quake Death Toll Climbs Past 100 article.wn.com

Aid groups descend on Indonesia’s Aceh Quake Death toll in Indonesia The Latest: Indonesia Indonesia quake zone Death Toll Climbs Past 100 earthquake passes 100 earthquake death toll rises article.wn.com wsj.com upi.com to 102 article.wn.com

Search resumes after Thousands take refuge in Indonesian quake as death mosques after deadly toll passes 100 Indonesia quake dailymail.co.uk article.wn.com

2016-12-08 06:00 system article.wn.com

6 /100 2.9 Trump picks climate sceptic Pruitt for environment chief (4.32/11) US President-elect Donald Trump will name an outspoken critic of President Obama's climate change policies to head the Environmental Protection Agency.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, 48, is seen as an ally of the fossil fuel industry.

He has been a key player in legal challenges against EPA regulations on greenhouse gas emissions.

Democrats and environmentalists in the US have expressed dismay, calling Mr Pruitt a climate change denier. Mr Pruitt's appointment has not yet been formally announced, but Mr Trump's senior adviser Kellyanne Conway appeared to confirm it on Wednesday evening.

"Attorney General Pruitt has great qualifications and a good record... We look forward to the confirmation hearings,'' she said.

Mr Pruitt has sued the EPA on several occasions, most recently over Mr Obama's Clean Power Plan , which aims to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.

He called the move "an unlawful attempt to expand federal bureaucrats' authority over states' energy economies in order to shutter coal-fired power plants".

And, writing in the National Review in May , Mr Pruitt said of climate change: "That debate is far from settled.

"Scientists continue to disagree about the degree and extent of global warming and its connection to the actions of mankind. "

There is consensus among the majority of scientists in the field that carbon emissions from human activities are a key driver of rising temperatures and that the impact of climate change will be severe.

Mr Trump, in a speech on energy on the campaign trail in May , castigated the Obama administration's environmental initiatives. He promised to scrap "any regulation that is outdated, unnecessary, bad for workers, or contrary to the national interest".

He also pledged to "cancel" the Paris climate deal, which came into force in November.

The landmark agreement commits governments to moving their economies away from fossil fuels and reducing carbon emissions to try and contain global temperature rise.

But last month, in an apparent softening, he acknowledged in a meeting with the New York Times that there was "some connectivity" between human activity and climate change.

The news of his selection for EPA head comes as a blow to Democrats and environmentalists.

"Attorney General Pruitt's reluctance to accept the facts or science on climate change couldn't make him any more out of touch with the American people, and with reality,'' said Chuck Schumer, the incoming leader of the Senate Democrats.

"President-elect Trump promised to break the special interests' grip on Washington, but his nomination of Mr Pruitt - who has a troubling history of advocating on behalf of big oil at the expense of public health - only tightens it. " Democrat Senator Bernie Sanders called the move "sad and dangerous".

Meanwhile, Fred Krupp, of the Environmental Defense Fund, called Mr Pruitt "a deeply troubling choice to head the agency that protects the clean air all Americans breathe and the clean water we drink".

But Jim Inhofe, a Republican senator from Oklahoma who called global warming a "hoax", said Mr Pruitt had "fought back against unconstitutional and overzealous environmental regulations... he has proven that being a good steward of the environment does not mean burdening tax payers and businesses with red tape".

Trump to nominate Pruitt to Trump to nominate Pruitt to Trump Picks Twitter Fight Trump picks climate sceptic lead U.S. environmental lead US environmental With Union Local Chief in Pruitt environment chief agency -statement agency: statement Indiana article.wn.com dailymail.co.uk article.wn.com nytimes.com

Trump to tap champion of Enviros decry Trump EPA fossil fuels as environmental pick amid mpg fight chief rssfeeds.detroitnews.com article.wn.com

2016-12-08 13:48 www.bbc.co.uk

7 /100 7.7 Review: 'Hairspray' has plenty of luster as NBC's best live musical (4.22/11) Set in the '60s, written for the big screen by John Waters in the '80s, turned into a Tony- winning Broadway musical in 2002 and a hit movie musical in 2007, Hairspray returned as a live TV event Wednesday (*** 1/2 stars out of four) in all its toe- tapping, hand-clapping, cross-dressing, beehived glory. Brimming with great songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, opened up and spread out by directors Alex Rudzinski and Kenny Leon, this latest live NBC musical from Craig Zadan and Neil Meron was their best, most entertaining work yet.

But Zadan and Meron's latest effort was more than just exuberant fun. With a message about accepting ourselves and each other while celebrating and embracing our diversity, this Hairspray felt more relevant — and maybe even important — than ever.

In an evening filled with things to celebrate, let's start with two. For those who love star-is-born stories, there was the joy in watching newcomer Maddie Baillio, who won the role in an open audition, light up the night as Tracy Turnblad. Well, when the directors remembered to keep the lights on her.

And for traditionalists, there was the intense pleasure of seeing Harvey Fierstein (who also rewrote the book) recreate his brilliant, iconic Broadway performance as Tracy’s mother, Edna. This is not drag or female impersonation; it’s acting of the highest order — a moving, amusing, beautifully wrought transformation that submerges the man in the role. If there was no other reason to do this Hairspray , preserving Fierstein’s performance on film would be reason enough.

Those were just two standouts in what may be the strongest cast a TV musical has gathered. Veterans like Kristin Chenoweth, Jennifer Hudson, Derek Hough and Martin Short blended perfectly with Ariana Grande, Dove Cameron, Garrett Clayton and Ephraim Sykes — with each having a moment to shine.

Taking a cue from Fox’s Grease Live! , which Rudzinski directed, NBC spread this production around the Universal backlot, throwing an audience into the mix. Unfortunately, that mix also included Darren Criss’s overly enthusiastic, momentum-stopping interruptions, Hairspray's one inexplicably bad decision.

The cleverly told story that goes dancing by centers on Tracy, whose first goal is to star on The Corny Collins Show and win Link Larkin (Clayton) away from Amber (Cameron). But that goal morphs into something bigger when she and her friend Penny (Grande) meet Seaweed and his mother, Motormouth Maybelle (Sykes and Hudson). Now morally awake, Tracy becomes determined to integrate the show, though she’ll have to get around Amber’s mother Velma (Chenoweth) to do so.

What keeps the story moving is a series of great numbers (some added from the movie), all energetically choreographed. It's a Broadway hit parade, from Welcome to the ‘60s — brightened by cameos from the two original Tracys, Ricki Lake and Marissa Jaret Winokur — through an expanded Run and Tell That, which became a star-making turn for Sykes, and on to Hudson tearing her way through the civil rights anthem I Know Where I’ve Been. And it all climaxes with one of Broadway's — and now TV's — biggest and best finales, You Can’t Stop the Beat.

As with all of these TV musicals, there were recurrent technical glitches: sound dropping in and out, lights going on and off, voices sometimes seeming to detach themselves from the performers. But those may be the inevitable by-product of an effort to do a live show this complex.

And when it comes to live musicals, this one may be hard to beat. Review: ‘Hairspray Live!’ 'Hairspray Live!' has Review: 'Hairspray Live!' TV Review: NBC’s Had Power Voices but Still infectious beat on NBC pushes the boundaries and ‘Hairspray Live!’ Lacked Power rss.cnn.com wins big variety.com nytimes.com article.wn.com

‘Hairspray Live’: Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande Draw Raves in NBC’s Musical variety.com

2016-12-08 00:27 Robert Bianco rssfeeds.usatoday.com

8 /100 3.9 Indonesian towns reel from earthquake devastation

(3.31/11) PIDIE JAYA, Indonesia (AP) — Damage from the earthquake that shook Indonesia’s Aceh province on Wednesday is extensive in towns near the epicenter. A market was leveled, and other buildings reduced to chunks of cement and twisted rebar.

Crowds form around excavators as rescuers hope to find a miraculous survival story in a landscape of tragedy. The official death toll stood at about 100 on Thursday morning, with a great deal of debris left to sort through and assessment teams just making their way to outlying areas.

The magnitude 6.5 quake damaged mosques and left thousands of people homeless. People affected by the destruction are beginning to receive aid, including water, blankets and tarpaulins, and humanitarian agencies are assessing how much more they will need. Just measuring the extent of the crisis is expected to take about three days.

Here is a selection of photos from Associated Press photographers in the areas hardest hit by the earthquake.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Photographs show AP PHOTOS: Indonesian Over 100 people killed in Indonesian Towns Reel devastation of Indonesia's towns reel from earthquake Indonesian earthquake From Earthquake Aceh earthquake devastation article.wn.com Devastation dailymail.co.uk article.wn.com abcnews.go.com

PICTURED: Indonesian towns reel from earthquake devastation dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-08 03:01 By Associated mynorthwest.com

9 /100 0.4 Giraffes in Danger of Becoming Extinct in the Wild: Study (3.24/11) The world's tallest land mammal is now in danger of becoming extinct in the wild, a global authority on endangered species announced on Thursday.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature released its updated annual Red List of Threatened Species, which now labels the iconic giraffe as "vulnerable," after its global population was decimated by as much as 40 percent over the past three decades.

"These majestic animals are undergoing a silent extinction," said Julian Fennessy, co-chair of the IUCN SSC Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group.

Overall, giraffe numbers dipped to 97,562 in 2015 from between 151,000 and 163,000 in 1985.

The giraffe, the only mammal whose status changed in this year's list, is under "severe pressure" in some of its core ranges across East, Central and West Africa, the IUCN said.

"Illegal hunting, habitat loss and changes through expanding agriculture and mining, increasing human-wildlife conflict, and civil unrest are all pushing the species towards extinction," the group warned Across the natural world, some 860 plant and animal species have already gone extinct. Another 68 are no longer found in the wild.

The IUCN lists nearly 13,000 species as endangered or critically endangered. Many more species, including giraffes, are labeled as vulnerable, considered to be facing a "high risk of extinction in the wild," the group says.

“Many species are slipping away before we can even describe them,” IUCN Director General Inger Andersen said. “This IUCN Red List update shows that the scale of the global extinction crisis may be even greater than we thought. "

Giraffes 'threatened with Giraffes face 'silent Giraffe facing extinction Giraffes put on extinction extinction' extinction' as population after devastating decline, watch list article.wn.com shrinks nearly 40 percent experts warn rssfeeds.usatoday.com rssfeeds.usatoday.com theguardian.com

Giraffes in process of 'silent extinction,' wildlife group says article.wn.com

2016-12-08 07:36 By abcnews.go.com

10 /100 (3.20/11) 0.0 E-cigarettes vital concern, says US The arch open health officer of a US, a Surgeon General, has called a use of e-cigarettes by children “a vital open health concern”.

In a news due to be expelled on Thursday, Vivek Murthy recommends some-more law and taxation.

His news agrees that e-cigarettes are reduction damaging than tangible ones, though his regard is that a inclination display children to a risks of nicotine.

E-cigarettes are inclination that spin nicotine glass into a vapour.

Because they do not indeed bake any element though leave users merely inhaling nicotine in steam, they are seen by some health experts as preferable to smoking cigarettes and, by some, as a approach to give adult cigarette smoking.

Dr Murthy’s news says there is not adequate justification that infer e-cigarettes work in this way.

For immature people, he says, e-cigarette use is strongly related with a use of other tobacco products.

Dr Murthy says nicotine use by immature people risks mood disorders, courtesy deficits and obsession to nicotine that could lead to a use of normal cigarettes.

Many tobacco companies are pinning their destiny on e-cigarettes and other alternatives as people continue to pierce divided from regulating normal nicotine products.

Last month, Marlboro builder Philip Morris launched a new product in a UK, Iqos, that it pronounced could meant crude sales of the required tobacco products.

US surgeon general raises Use of E-Cigarettes by Surgeon General calls youth E-cigarettes major concern, concerns over e-cigarette Young People Is Major vaping a public health threat says US use Concern, Surgeon General article.wn.com bbc.co.uk article.wn.com Declares nytimes.com

2016-12-08 00:00 admin headlinenewstoday.net

11 /100 1.4 'New generation of addicts' – US health chief's warning on vaping (3.10/11) The US surgeon general has said e-cigarettes pose an emerging health threat to young people.

In a report released on Thursday, Vivek Murthy acknowledged a need for more research into the health effects of vaping, but said e-cigarettes were not harmless and too many teenagers were using them.

“My concern is e-cigarettes have the potential to create a whole new generation of kids who are addicted to nicotine,” he said. “If that leads to the use of other tobacco-related products, then we are going to be moving backward instead of forward.”

Battery-powered e-cigarettes turn liquid nicotine into an inhalable vapour without the harmful tar generated by regular cigarettes. Vaping was first promoted as a safer option for current smokers. There is no scientific consensus on the risks or advantages of vaping, including how it affects the likelihood of someone either picking up regular tobacco products or kicking the habit.

Murthy said nicotine was bad for a developing brain no matter how it was consumed. “Your kids are not an experiment,” he said in a public service announcement being released with the report, which says e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco-related product among young people in the US

The US Food and Drug Administration this year issued new rules that, for the first time, require makers of nicotine-emitting devices to begin submitting their ingredients for regulators to review. The vaping industry argues that the regulations will wipe out small companies in favour of more harmful products, and are likely to lobby the incoming Trump administration to undo the rules.

US surgeon general raises Surgeon General Calls Youth Use of E-Cigarettes by concerns over e-cigarette Vaping a Public Health Young People Is Major use Threat Concern, Surgeon General article.wn.com abcnews.go.com Declares nytimes.com

2016-12-08 04:53 Associated Press www.theguardian.com

12 /100 3.8 Leonardo DiCaprio meets Donald Trump to discuss climate change jobs (2.33/11) Leonardo DiCaprio has met Donald Trump to discuss how jobs centred on preserving the environment could boost the US economy.

Terry Tamminen, chief executive of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, confirmed the meeting at Trump Tower in New York City.

He said the pair gave a presentation to Mr Trump, his daughter Ivanka and other members of the president-elect's team on how focusing on renewable, clean energy could create millions of jobs.

"Today, we presented the president-elect and his advisers with a framework - which LDF developed in consultation with leading voices in the fields of economics and environmentalism - that details how to unleash a major economic revival across the United States that is centred on investments in sustainable infrastructure," Mr Tamminen said.

"Our conversation focused on how to create millions of secure American jobs in the construction and operation of commercial and residential clean, renewable energy generation. "

The Oscar-winning actor has been a strong advocate for fighting climate change and preserving wildlife, and his recent documentary, Before the Flood, addresses the peril the world faces because of climate change.

DiCaprio had previously met Ivanka Trump and presented her with a copy of the film.

The meeting with Mr Trump's team lasted about 90 minutes. The actor also gave the president- elect a copy of the documentary, and Mr Trump reportedly promised to watch it.

Mr Tamminen, who was secretary of California's Environmental Protection Agency under former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, said Mr Trump was receptive and suggested they meet again next month.

"We look forward to continuing the conversation with the incoming administration as we work to stop the dangerous march of climate change, while putting millions of people to work at the same time," said Mr Tamminen.

The meeting came after word got out that Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt, a climate- change denier whose policies have helped fossil fuel companies, is expected to be announced as Mr Trump's pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.

DiCaprio meets with Trump Leonardo DiCaprio talks on green jobs to boost environment and jobs with economy Donald Trump article.wn.com theguardian.com

2016-12-08 02:29 Press Association www.independent.ie

13 /100 15.3 Earthquake rocks Indonesia's Aceh province; at least 102 dead (2.30/11) A strong undersea earthquake rocked Indonesia's Aceh province early on Wednesday, killing at least 102 people and causing dozens of buildings to collapse. A frantic rescue effort involving dozens of villagers, soldiers and police was underway in Meureudu, a severely affected town in Pidie Jaya district. Three excavators were trying to remove debris from shop houses where three people were believed buried, said Suyatno, who heads Aceh's search and rescue agency. District chief Aiyub Abbas said hundreds of people in the district have been injured and more than 40 buildings including mosques, stores and homes were flattened. The district is located 18 kilometers (11 miles) southwest of the epicenter. Abbas said 25 people have been killed in that district alone. A local health office said eight were young children. The U. S. Geological Survey said the shallow 6.4- magnitude earthquake that struck at 5:03 a.m. (2203 GMT Tuesday) was centered about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of Reuleut, a town in northern Aceh, at a depth of 17 kilometers (11 miles). There was no risk of a tsunami. Abbas said there is an urgent need for excavation equipment to move heavy debris and emergency supplies. TV footage showed rescue personnel taking bodies in black bags away from the rubble. In the nearby district of Bireuen, a teacher at an Islamic building school died after being hit by falling debris, said health worker Achmad Taufiq. About 20 people were being treated at a health center and one person was moved to a hospital because of broken bones and a head injury, said Taufiq. Residents of the nearby town of Lhokseumawe ran out of their houses in panic during the quake and many people fled to higher ground. The world's largest archipelago, Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive earthquake off Sumatra island triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries. More than 160,000 people died in Indonesia alone, and most of those deaths occurred in Aceh.

The Latest: Indonesia Photographs show earthquake death toll rises devastation of Indonesia's to 102 Aceh earthquake article.wn.com dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-08 01:57 (Copyright abc7news.com

14 /100 0.8 Manila says will not help US on patrols in South China Sea (2.20/11) MANILA: Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana says it is highly unlikely his country will allow the US military to use the country as a springboard for its freedom of navigation patrols in the disputed South China Sea to avoid

Risking Beijing's ire, Vietnam begins dredging on South China Sea reef article.wn.com Philippines says it won’t help Philippines says it won't help Manila says will not help US Manila Says Will Not Help US patrols in South China US patrols in South China on patrols in South China US on Patrols in South Sea Sea Seas China Seas article.wn.com article.wn.com dailymail.co.uk abcnews.go.com

2016-12-08 05:11 system article.wn.com

15 /100 0.0 Duterte: No Palace plot to unseat Robredo from VP

(2.08/11) DARAGA, Albay — President Rodrigo Roa Duterte assured Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday that Malacañang had no plot to unseat her.

“I assure VP Robredo and the rest of Bicol that you will have her until the end of her term,” Duterte said.

Mr. Duterte was in Albay to lead the groundbreaking ceremony of the landside facilities of the Bicol International Airport in Daraga town.

“There is no such thing as removing the Vice President,” he added.

In her previous statement, Robredo said that the “events of recent days indicate” a plot to steal the vice presidency from her.

Former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. lost by 200,000 votes to Robredo in the May elections. He has filed an electoral protest seeking a ballot re-count and alleged that the Commission on Elections’ automated election servers were rigged to ensure her victory.

Robredo has said she won fair and square and that Marcos has no basis for his protest. The case is now with the Supreme Court’s Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

Meanwhile, in Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Meet Inquirer Multimedia Forum, Robredo thanked the President for his assurance.

“Salamat. Sana hindi lang sa Bicol niya sabihin. Sana sa buong bansa (Thanks. I wish he would say the same to the entire country not only in Bicol),” she said. SFM/rga Philippines' Duterte Says No Philippines' Duterte says no Robredo thanks Duterte for Duterte assures Robredo Plot to Unseat Vice plot to unseat vice president vow she will be VP until will be VP ‘until last day of President dailymail.co.uk term ends her term’ article.wn.com newsinfo.inquirer.net newsinfo.inquirer.net

2016-12-08 00:00 Rey Anthony newsinfo.inquirer.net

16 /100 1.4 Indonesia quake stirs grim memories for tsunami survivors (2.07/11) MEUREUDU, Indonesia (AP) — Now, thousands of people in Indonesia's Aceh province have two horrifying stories to tell. Living through the Dec. 26, 2004, earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 100,000 in Aceh made Wednesday's magnitude 6.5 quake all the more terrifying. There was no tsunami this time but more than 100 deaths, hundreds of buildings destroyed and thousands of people made homeless. Here are stories from people who survived both natural disasters: ___ Mukhtar Raniri, 31, said he has lived through several deadly earthquakes in Aceh, including 2004's magnitude 9.1 quake and tsunami. "I was a university student in Banda Aceh when the tsunami washed away our house in 2004," he said, recalling how the fearsome waters scattered members of his family. "I tried to hold my 9-year-old brother tightly, but debris in the water struck us, we were drowning and then he was gone. " Raniri said the quake on Wednesday jolted his house badly. He and his wife and son took cover under the dining table as belongings crashed down around them and a wall cracked. "We ran out and found the roads full of panicked people, many shouting, 'Water is coming! Water is coming! " like what happened in 2004, others chanting the verses of the Quran, asking God's protection, and women and children crying," he said. "We ran and ran like the waters were behind us. " Raniri said he and his family are now sheltering along with about 800 other people at a mosque two kilometers from the hard-hit town of Meureudu. ___ Darma Yanti, 28, ran a garment-making business with her husband at a now- flattened market in Meureudu town. She believes it's a miracle she survived both Wednesday's earthquake and the 2004 tsunami. Yanti and her husband, who have a 10-month-old baby, were awakened by a strong jolt that was quickly followed by a surround-sound boom as their building swayed. Only later did she realize the explosion-like sound was an adjacent row of 20 shop houses collapsing. "My husband picked up our baby and with a flashlight from a mobile phone we got downstairs," she said. "I heard people shouting from the debris: Men, women, children," Yanti said, sobbing. "Oh my God, I know some of them well. They are my friends, my neighbors, but I can't do anything to help them. My husband dragged me away. " They ran barefoot without stopping even as debris cut into the soles of their feet, she said. "I asked God to protect us. It was like 2004, when me and my whole family ran like that, when waters came to our village. I survived with all my family members when a wall of water rushed after us. And God, once again, saved me and my family. " They're now staying with her husband's parents. ___ Siti Rukiah was 39 when the 2004 tsunami struck her seaside village on Aceh's eastern coast. The tsunami hit the west coast of Sumatra first and then high waves swept past the island's northern tip and along the east to Lhokseumawe. "I cannot forget how the tsunami took away my brother and neighbors to the sea," said Rukiah, a mother of four who with 100 others from her village, Pante Raja, sought shelter Wednesday at a nearby mosque on higher ground. The quake was so powerful she had to grab onto a table to keep from falling. She felt sure a tsunami would come. "I'm really scared about a tsunami," said Rukiah. She said she didn't want to return home "not only because my house is damaged, but I am still afraid an aftershock could cause a tsunami. " Another villager, Ahmad Salman, said he fled to the same mosque where his family took shelter in 2004. "Even after 12 years, it feels like yesterday the tsunami washed away my house," he said. ___ Karmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.

Indonesia Quake Stirs Grim Aftershocks rattle survivors Memories for Tsunami amid appeal for supplies Survivors after Indonesia quake abcnews.go.com theguardian.com

2016-12-08 07:31 Associated Press www.dailymail.co.uk

17 /100 1.1 Turkey conducting intense talks with Russia for Aleppo ceasefire, Erdogan spokesman says (2.07/11) ANKARA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Turkey is conducting intense talks with Russia for a ceasefire in Syria's Aleppo and to allow humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged city, President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said on Thursday. Ibrahim Kalin also told a news conference in Ankara that Syrian government forces were carrying out crimes against humanity and war crimes in the city. (Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz and Humeyra Pamuk; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Daren Butler)

Russia says close to Russia and US 'close to reaching understanding on deal on Aleppo ceasefire' Aleppo with USA -Ifax independent.ie dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-08 07:08 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

18 /100 18 /100 1.1 Obama and I have a really good chemistry together, says Trump (2.06/11) US President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump a re trading phone calls and pleasantries, just months after regularly flinging insults back and forth.

Membership in one of the world's most exclusive clubs, the club of US presidents, appears to have a way of changing things, with Mr Trump talking about letting bygones be bygones.

"I've now gotten to know President Obama. I really like him," he said on NBC's Today programme after Time magazine announced him as its Person of the Year.

"We have, I think I can say, at least for myself, I can't speak for him, but we have a really good chemistry together. We talk. "

Mr Trump continued: "He loves the country. He wants to do right by the country and for the country, and I will tell you, we obviously very much disagree on certain policies and certain things but, you know, I really like him as a president. "

Mr Obama has not been quite as effusive in his comments about Mr Trump since the November 8 election.

But he has repeatedly urged the public and world leaders concerned about a Trump presidency to adopt a "wait-and-see" approach.

His argument is that campaigning is different to governing, and that the reality of holding office will lead Mr Trump to alter his thinking in some cases.

"That's just the way this office works," Mr Obama said.

It is unclear how genuine a friendship may develop between two men who have little in common beyond the presidency, or whether it is just Mr Obama exercising a little presidential decorum, leaving the past behind and showing his commitment to a smooth hand-off to the next administration.

It is not the tone many expected just a few months ago.

Mr Obama spent much of the campaign almost gleefully denouncing the showy New York businessman as "temperamentally unfit" and "uniquely unqualified" to lead the world's most powerful nation.

Mr Trump was not shy about responding, tweeting at one point that Mr Obama "will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States! "

Mr Trump also spent years fomenting the "birther" issue and trying to undermine Mr Obama with false claims that he was not a US citizen, and therefore an illegitimate president.

For that, Mr Obama publicly humiliated Mr Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in 2011, ridiculing his turn as host of a reality TV show and spreader of the birther theories.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest has acknowledged that Mr Obama and Mr Trump have had "at least a handful" of telephone conversations since their 90-minute Oval Office meeting on November 10.

But Mr Earnest declined to say what they talk about or characterise the relationship between them.

He did say Mr Trump initiated at least one of the calls.

Mr Trump had said at the White House that he would probably be calling on Mr Obama for his "counsel", which turns out not to have been just bluster.

Paul Light, a New York University professor who studies government, said Mr Obama could simply show Mr Trump two photos, one each from Mr Obama's first and final State of the Union addresses, to illustrate the "ageing process" that is the 24-hour, seven-day-a-week presidency.

"What Obama can do for him is kind of help bring him up to date or help him understand what he's gotten himself into," Mr Light said of Mr Trump, who is 70.

"Trump may be up to the task, but he doesn't know what the task is. "

Ross Baker, a Rutgers University politics professor, said Mr Trump may be sending a "message of reassurance that he is aware of his own limitations" by publicising his outreach to Mr Obama.

"There's no kind of handbook on how to be president," Mr Baker said.

AP

Obama and Trump hurled Michelle Obama went to bed insults, now trade before Trump won election pleasantries cbsnews.com wral.com

2016-12-08 07:16 Press Association www.independent.ie

19 /100 0.0 Giannis Antetokounmpo's triple-double powers Milwaukee Bucks (2.06/11) MILWAUKEE -- Giannis Antetokounmpo filled up the stat sheet again Wednesday night, recording his second triple-double of the season, but it was Jabari Parker who led the way for the Milwaukee Bucks , scoring 27 points to rally Milwaukee past the Portland Trail Blazers in the second half for a 117- 105 victory.

Parker scored 10 of his points in the third quarter, hitting 4 of 8 shots as the Bucks connected at a 61.1 percent clip and erased a seven- point halftime deficit with a barrage of 3-pointers. The Bucks went 3 of 11 from beyond the arc in the first half but hit six in the third -- with two each from Tony Snell and Matthew Dellavedova -- and took a 72-70 lead with 4:22 left in the quarter.

Antetokounmpo only scored one point in the quarter, but grabbed three rebounds and dished out four assists. He finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.

"Some would say it wasn't a pretty game for him," Kidd said. "But he's a winner and he helped his team find a way to win tonight by getting other guys involved. Being able to get a triple- double for us, I think his record is pretty good when he does that. He sets the tone for us, and again he set the tone for us today. Some would say his game, it wasn't pretty. But a win is a win. That is the maturity of a 22-year-old, that you can see a leader is growing right in front of us. "

Milwaukee's bench played a big role, too, contributing 40 points, including 15 from Greg Monroe , 13 from Malcolm Brogdon and 12 from Michael Beasley , whose 3-pointer with 8:55 to play made it a 10-point game.

"It felt good to contribute but it felt even better to get the win," Beasley said.

Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 30 points, while CJ McCollum added 23. Allen Crabbe had 14 off the bench for Portland and hit a 3-pointer with a minute to play that cut the deficit to four.

However, a reverse hook by Dellavedova put the Bucks back up six, and Antetokounmpo and John Henson sank a pair of free throws each to close it out.

"The difference in the game was the third quarter," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "They shot the ball while we struggled on offense. They did a good job defensively disrupting us and converted some of our poor offense into offense for them. They made six 3s in the third quarter. That was the difference. We had a chance when we cut it to four but Dellavedova made some nice plays to kind of pull away at the end. "

The Bucks finished 10 of 24 on 3-point attempts and shot 51.9 percent overall. They dominated Portland inside, outscoring the Blazers 54-30 in the paint.

"They're a long, athletic team," Stotts said. "They trap pick-and-rolls, they have a lot of length on the weak side, they deflected some passes and played the passing lanes well. Certainly, we could have handled it better but you have to credit their defense as well. " The Bucks, whose four-game winning streak was snapped Monday night against San Antonio, have won six of their last eight to improve to 11-9.

"We are rolling right now," Antetokounmpo said.

Portland shot 43.5 percent and made 17 of 40 3-pointers but gave up 21 points on 16 turnovers.

"I thought we had a good chance," Crabbe said. "We should have got the shot when Dellavedova hit that floater. It's frustrating, but we have to move on from it. "

NOTES: Former NBA star Kevin Garnett attended Bucks practices Tuesday and Wednesday. He spent time working one-on-one with F Giannis Antetokounmpo. "He was the MVP of the league so for one year he was the best player," Antetokounmpo said. "For him coming and spending some time with us, it's a great feeling. "... Milwaukee's defense leads the league in opponents field goal percentage (42.7 percent) and 3-point percentage (31.1 percent) this season. ... Blazers F Al-Farouq Aminu reported no issues with his left calf after playing 17 minutes Monday against the Bulls and was available Wednesday, though his minutes were monitored, coach Terry Stotts said. Aminu missed the previous 13 games because of the injury. ... Stotts was an assistant for the Bucks under George Karl from 1998 to 2002 and the head coach from 2005 to 2007. ... The two teams split their season series a year ago.

Antetokounmpo triple-double Antetokounmpo gets triple- fuels Bucks double, Bucks beat Blazers dailymail.co.uk 115-107 charlotteobserver.com

2016-12-08 03:08 www.upi.com

20 /100 0.8 Trump settles on Oklahoma's attorney general to lead EPA (1.06/11) President-elect Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday that he will nominate Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt , a global warming skeptic, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency , which he has repeatedly sued and derided for pursuing an Trump to nominate Pruitt to Trump's Expected EPA Pick lead U.S. environmental Faces Opposition agency -statement article.wn.com dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-08 08:34 system article.wn.com

21 /100 1.8 Police Urge No Rush to Judgment in Shooting of Reno Student (1.06/11) Social media postings about a school district police officer shooting a Nevada high school student waving a knife toward classmates drew an immediate plea from authorities not to rush to conclusions about the on- campus incident.

The 14-year-old boy was reported in critical condition with a gunshot wound at a Reno hospital, Police Chief Jason Soto said Wednesday night.

The teen had been "armed with at least one knife and threatening other students" during a fight at the high school in a working class neighborhood on the city's north side, Soto said at a news conference.

The armed student failed to comply with the school police officer's verbal commands to drop the knife, and the officer ultimately fired his service weapon, "striking the student and ... stopping the threat," the chief said.

"Once the threat was stopped, the officer immediately began to provide medical aid to the student until emergency medical assistance arrived," Soto said. He refused to take any questions.

Hug High School was placed under lockdown and the 14-year-old was taken to Renown Regional Medical Center. The lockdown was lifted by midafternoon and students were released to their parents.

Reno police Officer Tim Broadway acknowledged in the hours after the shooting that many of the more than 40 students who witnessed the incident at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday also shot cellphone video, but said at the time the question of whether the teen was armed remained under investigation. Video posted online appears to show a male teenager wearing a blue shirt and white pants pacing and wielding a large kitchen knife in a circle of onlookers in an outdoor quad.

"There's some very disturbing video out there," Broadway told reporters Wednesday afternoon. "But there are other events that led up to this incident, so please don't react to those. "

Broadway urged witnesses to turn video over to police before making it public. He said initial reports that another student had been stabbed before the shooting weren't true.

The Reno Gazette-Journal reported (http://on.rgj.com/2gbvO5O ) that it reviewed a Facebook video that hadn't been made public showing a student wielding a knife before being wounded.

A student, Robert Barragan, told the Gazette-Journal that two male students were fighting outside the school library before a police officer shot the knife-wielding student in the shoulder.

A regional officer-involved shooting team led by Reno police interviewed the campus officer, who was placed on routine paid administrative leave, Broadway said.

School district officials said classes would resume as scheduled on Thursday.

"Counselors will be available for any student or staff member who needs assistance," Washoe County School Superintendent Traci Davis said in a statement.

Nevada Department of Public Safety Director James Wright said earlier Wednesday the student was 16 years old. Soto corrected the age but did not release his name.

Hug High opened in 1968 and is named for Proctor Ralph Hug Jr., a former teacher, athletic coach and Washoe County School superintendent who served as a state senator and a federal judge.

———

Associated Press writer Ken Ritter in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

Police urge no rush to Reno Student Critical After judgment in shooting of Police Shooting Reno student article.wn.com article.wn.com

2016-12-08 04:43 By abcnews.go.com

22 /100 2.4 Iran's FM: It's in US interest to stay committed to nuclear pact (1.05/11) Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said during a seminar in Tokyo on Thursday, when filming was not allowed, that it was in the interest of the United States to remain committed to a multilateral nuclear treaty. The US Senate voted last week to extend the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) for 10 years, and Iran vowed to retaliate, saying it violated last year's agreement with six major powers to curb its nuclear program in return for the lifting of international financial sanctions.

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A diplomatic thaw between the United States and Iran over the past two years appears in jeopardy with US President- elect Donald Trump taking office next month. Trump said during his election campaign he would scrap the nuclear agreement, calling the pact "a disaster" and saying it could lead to a "nuclear holocaust". Zarif, in Japan as part of an Asian tour that included India and China, told the seminar that while the agreement was multilateral and endorsed by the UN Security Council, this did not mean it might not be violated by the United States, which he said had a "less than respectable" history in respecting international laws.

US officials said the ISA renewal would not infringe on the nuclear agreement. US lawmakers have also said the ISA extension would make it easier for sanctions to be quickly reimposed if Iran contravened the nuclear deal.

But Iran 's nuclear energy chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, who played a central role in reaching the nuclear deal, described the extension as a "clear violation", if implemented.

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Iran minister says in US Iran minister says in US interest to stay committed interest to stay committed to nuclear pact to nuclear treaty dailymail.co.uk dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-08 06:12 www.jpost.com

23 /100 0.4 Jennifer Hudson leaves cast in tears with racial equality anthem I Know Where I've Been on Hairspray Live! (1.04/11) Jennifer Hudson appeared to leave some of her cast mates in tears with a stunning performance on Wednesday during NBC's spectacular Hairspray Live!. The 35-year-old performer was one of the most eagerly- awaited star in the three-hour show appearing as 1960's singer Motormouth Maybelle. The live production — which went off with only minor technical glitches — was the leading trending topic on Twitter during its live broadcast and West Coast replay. The Dreamgirls star's show- stopping performance of I Know Where I've Been in the final hour prompted a rush of tearful memes on social media. The powerful rendition left Maddie Baillio, the 20-year-old newcomer playing lead role Tracy Turnblad, with visible tears rolling down her cheek as she stood beside her. 'Did anyone else notice the (what I can only assume to be real) tear on Maddie's cheek at the end of that song?' wrote Kaitlyn Lane, one of many Twitter users to spot the emotional moment, with another writing: '”I Know Where I've Been" is so impactful because even the actors were crying. We need this song more than ever.' Jennifer - who wore a blonde 60's-style wig as well as a gold jumpsuit at the end of the show - sent social media on fire with the performance, with one fan, Hallie Quinn, writing: 'I am not ok. Jen messed me UP. One of the best live performances I have ever witnessed. Wow.' 'Awestruck, emotional, floored,' another fan wrote, while another, Daniel Burko, said: 'OMG Jennifer Hudson is giving me chills. Get this woman a fire extinguisher. I mean seriously that was unbelievable!' Dana Ernest, meanwhile, joked: 'Guys remember when a**hat Simon Cowell told Jennifer Hudson she wasn't good enough? Hahahahahahahaha.' The song carried extra power as it summed up the play's message of fighting for racial equality - a message that did not fail to touch a nerve with viewers feeling the same message is just as important as ever five decades later. Alex Goldschmidt pointed out that 'integration issues in the 60s is way too relevant in 2016,' while a Twitter user named Nicole added: 'I hope people are carefully paying attention to the very relevant lyrics of most of the songs in this musical.' 'Honestly, the messages of #HairsprayLive are SO relevant right now. It's fun to watch but also so important,' @yankeeclassic46 added. Others, meanwhile, made more direct references to president-elect Donald Trump - especially because his biggest celebrity nemesis, Rosie O'Donnell, was one of the star's to make a guest appearance, playing the tough Gym Teacher. 'I wonder if Trump will make it through today without tweeting about #HairsprayLive,' Brittany Ramsey tweeted, adding: 'Has two things he loves to hate: civil rights and Rosie.' A user called Danielle made a similar point, writing: 'This show has everything Trump hates. Singing, dancing, joy, black people, and Rosie O'Donnell.' Along with Jennifer and Rosie, other stars included Dancing With The Stars fan-favorite Derek Hough - who sang as well as danced - Kristin Chenoweth, Will & Grace star Sean Hayes and even a quick cameo by the actresses best known for previously playing the lead role of Tracy, Ricki Lake and Nikki Blonksy. The original Dynamites also came back to sing Welcome To The 60's, and Hamilton star Ephraim Sykes played a key role, with some fans picking up on a Hamilton line added in. Chart- topper Ariana Grande also had a key role as Penny Pingleton and got to close out the night with a special duet with Jennifer. But while her brother Frankie James Grande gushed that she was 'SLAYING,' the singer got a lot harsher judgment from most viewers who took to social media. 'Arianna Grande is out of her league. She's got a good voice but not for show tunes. She can't compete,' Frank Tierney wrote on Twitter. Ben Habegger felt the same, writing: 'Ariana Grande has a good voice, but she just doesn't have the comedic timing for Penny. Glossing over so many great lines.' Sophia Ash was even harsher, insisting: 'My goodness.... Ariana. Well my parents taught me if you can't say anything nice don't say it all. I'm trying.' Kristin Chenoweth as Velma Von Tussle had a far better response, with Randi Wallace writing: 'Miss Baltimore Crabs herself, @KChenoweth, is about to give me a heart attack with that INCOMPARABLE voice!' 'Kristen Chenoweth is the greatest thing in this entire live production/world/universe,' Mollie Goldstein insisted, albeit before Jennifer Hudson's appearance. The production took a risk getting a newcomer to take the lead role, and Maddie initially appeared to let her nerves get to her a little, struggling to hold back giggles in her opening number. But she soon settled and was widely praised for her role - including by two of the most important people who count. Early in the night, someone had asked Ricki Lake - who played Tracy in the 1988 John Waters film - what she thought of Maddie, and the actress gushed on Twitter: 'I love her!!!!' along with a heart emoji. She then made a quick cameo along with Nikki Blonsky, who played her in the 2007 remake, with the two women briefly pausing either side of Maddie onscreen. They were then shown backstage during a break from the production, with Ricki saying proudly: 'I think it's safe to say from one Tracy to another to another - Maddie you're killing it!' 'You're killing it, you're wonderful,' Nikki agreed with a huge smile. The sight of the actresses together was a thrill for fans, too, including Bravo host Andy Cohen who wrote: 'Seeing @RickiLake and @MarissaJWinokur is giving me a big HeartBoner.' Cohen had tweeted excitedly throughout the show, gushing early on: 'This is so freaking good. What a cast! What a score!! What a show!' Later, he added: 'PURE JOY! Thank you #HairsprayLive! We needed that'. Maddie also had another glowing review - from a former teacher at a special viewing party at her old school, Falls High School in Houston, saying during one of the breaks: 'We couldn't be more proud - we always knew she was gonna be amazing.' The show had an extra layer where fans watching it being filmed live also then became a part of the show, with the actors running past host Darren Criss while still pretending to be in character as he gave commentary about the production itself. The audience also ended up being the audience on the show at the end of the musical, with the audience watching the Corny Collins Show ending up being in Hairspray Live! itself, cheering as the actors took a final curtain call and bowing for the cameras. The ad breaks were even part of the live experience, too, with many of them being acted out before going to regular ads, something not all viewers appreciated while others called it a 'very clever $$ scheme.' While the show mostly went smoothly, a few glitches happened with mics going quiet for a second, and a crew member heard giving a 30-second call warning during a quiet moment. Ariane Rinehart also asked online: 'Is the steady cam guy also step touching?' Other viewers were less than impressed when, during the final musical number, a hand kept on showing right in front of the camera, with Chris Hill writing: 'Nice choreographer in the front showing them the moves... RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA. It's like a 2nd grade dance recital.' Others, meanwhile, poked fun at Jennifer Hudson singing a song about being overweight - despite showing off her slim figure. 'It's a little ironic for Jennifer Hudson to be singing "Big Blond and Beautiful" when she's SO TINY,' Elizabeth Maxman wrote, while another user said: 'Jhud.. you not big no more tho'. But overall the show seemed to have thrilled viewers, such as Theresa J. Reed who gushed: 'AMAZING, INCREDIBLE, BREATHTAKING, IRRESITIBLE! Not enough words to describe #HairsprayLive.' Kyler G, meanwhile, asked: 'Is it too early to state that #HairsprayLive is the best live musical NBC has done since re-inventing the live TV musical?' ‘Hairspray Live’: Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande Draw Raves in NBC’s Musical variety.com

2016-12-08 02:18 Dailymail.com www.dailymail.co.uk

24 /100 0.5 ECB under pressure to extend stimulus amid uncertainties (1.02/11) FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank is expected to extend its main stimulus program in an effort to secure economic growth and inflation in a region beset by political uncertainties. ...

ECB to extend money printing, consider signal about its end dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-08 08:27 system article.wn.com

25 /100 0.2 Immigration inquiry MPs to tour UK and gather views at public meetings (1.02/11) An influential Commons committee is to tour the country as part of a new inquiry on immigration. MPs will hold public meetings in every region of the UK to hear views on the subject and how it should be approached in the wake of the Brexit vote. Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chair of the Home Affairs Committee, unveiled the inquiry on Thursday. She said: "Immigration is one of the most important issues facing our country and will be central to the Brexit deal. "Britain voted for change, especially on free movement, but there has been very little debate about what kind of reforms or immigration control that should now mean or how we get the best deal for the country. "Successive governments have failed on immigration and public concern has grown. "Yet too often the polarised nature of the debate makes it hard to get consensus over what should be done instead. If there is no consensus behind the most important parts of the Brexit deal in the end it will unravel. " The "different kind of inquiry" will look "outward at the country, not inward at the Government", Ms Cooper pledged. "Instead of just taking evidence in Westminster, we will be travelling round every region and nation, holding public meetings, bringing local people together for debates and discussions, citizens' juries, and online consultations," she said. "We want to hear people's views both about immigration and about how they believe that common ground can be found to stop this issue dividing the country. " Immigration was seen as one of the central issues in the lead-up to the EU referendum in June. Figures released earlier this month showed the number of people coming to the UK has reached a record level, as the inflow of EU citizens hit a historic high. Immigration from around the world was running at around 650,000 in the year to the end of June - the highest number recorded. The number coming to the country included a record 284,000 EU citizens. Net migration - the overall difference between the numbers arriving and leaving the country - was also at a close to peak level of 335,000, well above the Government's target of less than 100,000.

MPs launch inquiry seeking public views on immigration theguardian.com

2016-12-08 07:32 Press Association www.dailymail.co.uk

26 /100 2.2 Intelligence agency: Russia trying to destabilize Germany (1.02/11) BERLIN (AP) - Germany's domestic intelligence agency says Russia is trying to destabilize German society and the state with propaganda campaigns and cyberattacks. The blunt warning from Germany's BfV agency comes less than a year before the country is expected to hold a general election. Agency chief Hans-Georg Maassen said in a statement Thursday that "there is growing evidence for attempts to influence the federal election next year. " His agency has seen an increase in "aggressive cyber-espionage" targeting German politicians. Russia has been blamed for the hacking and release of Democratic National Committee emails before the U. S. presidential election. Maassen says "automated opinion forming" with so-called bots could be used to spread fake news on social media. Russia has in previously strongly denied its involvement in orchestrating cyberattacks on foreign soil. Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Russia trying to destabilise Germany, says intelligence agency independent.ie

2016-12-08 07:12 www.cbs46.com

27 /100 1.9 Political Divide on Campuses Hardens After Trump’s Victory (1.02/11) ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Amanda Delekta, a sophomore at the University of Michigan and political director of the College Republicans, was ecstatic when her candidate, Donald J. Trump , won the presidential election.

But her mood of celebration quickly faded when students held an evening vigil on campus — to mourn the results — and her biology teacher suspended class on the assumption, Ms. Delekta said, that students would be too upset to focus. She was outraged. “Nobody has died,” Ms. Delekta said. “The United States has not died. Democracy is more alive than ever. Simply put, the American people voted and Trump won.”

She circulated an online petition and accused the university president of catering to the liberal majority by suggesting that “their ideology was superior to the ideology of their peers,” as she put it, when he sent out an email publicizing the vigil and listing counseling resources for students upset by the election. Three days later, she was invited to meet with the president in his office.

“I was completely shocked that he even read the letter,” she said. “That was definitely a new thing. It was very exciting.”

Conservatives and liberals on campuses across the country have been clashing throughout the campaign — and throughout this year of protest. But the conflict has gained new intensity since the election, and students, faculty and administrators say they expect tension to get worse once the presidential baton is passed on Inauguration Day in January.

Conservative students who voted for Mr. Trump say that even though their candidate won, their views are not respected. Some are adopting the language of the left, saying they need a “safe space” to express their opinions — a twist resented by left-leaning protesters. Administrators are struggling to maintain a balance between political factions. But some college presidents have entered the fray with statements that seem more sympathetic to the left, in some cases provoking a backlash.

To Todd Gitlin, a professor of journalism and sociology at Columbia University , and a veteran of student protests in the 1960s, it all seems familiar — and a possible harbinger of conflict to come.

Dr. Gitlin said the ’60s, about which he wrote an influential book, were often seen as a radical decade, but it was more accurate to call it a polarized time. Conservatives were strong on campus, particularly in the early part of the decade, he said, and it was only later that the academic culture came to be viewed as majority liberal.

“I was at Michigan for two years in ’63 to ’65, so I can tell you there was a very widespread right- wing movement,” Dr. Gitlin said.

For conservative students like Ms. Deletka, the messages from university officials, seemingly assuming that everyone on campus was upset about the election result, were particularly offensive.

At Columbia, the provost, John H. Coatsworth, sent out an email on Nov. 21 that began, “The presidential election has prompted intense concern for the values we hold dear and for members of our community who are apprehensive about what the future holds.”

The day after the election, Biddy Martin, president of Amherst College in Massachusetts, called for tolerance and acknowledged that some people might be rejoicing. But she also said in a speech on campus: “In the mirror we see virulent forms of racism, misogyny, homophobia and other ills; and we see them celebrated by some as though the expression of our worst impulses were the definition of human freedom.”

Amherst also saw a bit of a controversy surrounding a professor who was singled out for his views.

The professor, Hadley Arkes, an emeritus professor of political science, pulled out a bottle of champagne in his political science class to celebrate Mr. Trump’s election. An editorial in The Amherst Student newspaper criticized him for bringing alcohol to class, and suggested that college officials hold him “accountable” for supporting a candidate the paper’s editorial board thought was bigoted, homophobic and misogynist.

“There are students on this campus whose lives and civil liberties will be compromised in the next four years,” the editorial said . “Not only does Amherst’s nonpartisan stance invalidate their struggles, but brash and insensitive political partisanship creates irreparable scars.”

Dr. Arkes said that he had offered students in his class a spectrum of ways to express their feelings postelection.

For students who were grieving, he recited the Kaddish, the Jewish mourner’s prayer. For those who were celebrating, he quoted Churchill about not gloating: “In victory, magnanimity.”

Finally, in what he said was intended as a comic gesture, he pulled out the champagne. But mindful that he might be accused of offering an alcoholic beverage to underage students, he did not uncork it. Now it seemed, he said, that some people just could not take a joke.

“There is no urbanity or humor — or the wit to deal with challenge, grave or light,” he wrote in an email. “They can respond only in ‘boilerplate,’ quite predictable reflexes — so predictable that I did predict it easily.”

The mood is muted at more conservative campuses, students and professors said. Erika Meitner, a creative writing professor at Virginia Tech , said that there was a strange quietness on her campus, and that she was not sure whether to think of it as détente or the calm before the storm.

Ms. Meitner said that as a leader of small poetry seminars, she knew a lot about her students’ private lives. So she has been struck by how they have kept their reactions to the election to themselves. “It’s really weird, because I know all of their breakups,” she said. “I know when their cat died, because they write poems about this.”

Tim Sands, president of Virginia Tech, was one of the rare college presidents who explicitly suggested in his postelection message that students might have a range of emotions about the outcome, or as he put it, be experiencing feelings “from vindication to shock, from outright fear to enthusiasm.”

Michigan students say that before the election, attitudes were less intense.

“It was more like friendly banter, little side comments, but it wasn’t really serious,” said Anna Giacomini, an elected representative to the student government for the liberal arts college at the university.

Now tensions are heightened.

Bias incidents on both sides have been reported. A student walking near campus was threatened with being lit on fire because she wore a hijab. Other students were accused of being racist for supporting Mr. Trump, according to a campuswide message from Mark Schlissel, the university’s president.

A few days ago, Ms. Delekta and two fellow Republican students sat down at a local restaurant, Sava’s, to talk about the campus mood with several students with left-leaning views.

The conversation soon grew tense as the students were unable to agree on almost anything.

Ms. Delekta described how she had been offended when a classmate wondered why as a “white female,” she had not voted for Hillary Clinton. She resented what she saw as identity politics on campus.

“My identity is so much more than my race and my gender,” Ms. Delekta said. “We’re all so much more similar than we think.”

She was able to separate Mr. Trump’s policies from his personal attitudes toward women, she said later. “I’m not electing a grandpa or a babysitter,” Ms. Delekta said.

Ibtihal Makki, a self-confident senior in a pink hijab who is studying biopsychology and neuroscience and is chairwoman of a student government diversity committee, objected to conservatives on campus saying they needed safe spaces to express their views. “To turn around and say that they need safe spaces after their candidate won I think is ironic and hypocritical,” Ms. Makki said.

In the past, she added, conservatives did not understand the need for safe spaces, “because they never needed it, because they don’t have any of the identities that made them feel that way.”

White conservatives like Ms. Delekta, Ms. Makki said, are not as vulnerable as someone with dark skin or who is wearing a hijab, because she cannot be identified as a conservative by any outward signs.

Another student, Maryam Ahmed, said she had been one of about 1,000 students who marched in the campus vigil the day after the election. She said the marchers were positive but feared for their safety. Her friends were passing on text messages — which turned out to be false — warning that white militias were going to invade the streets of Ann Arbor.

“There was definitely a divisiveness that came on campus postelection,” she said. “The election was like a needle poking into a bubble.” She said she was hopeful the climate would improve, but added: “I could be wrong. It could get worse.”

When Ms. Delekta met with Michigan’s president, Dr. Schlissel, she brought Enrique Zalamea, president of the College Republicans, along with her. They proposed a kind of unity campaign for campus, in which students would march with signs saying, “I am a Wolverine,” to stress their similarities.

And they suggested some TED-type sessions on inclusivity and diversity.

Dr. Schlissel told them that it was too early for such activities, and that they should allow a cooling-off period first, Ms. Delekta said. She was deeply disappointed. “That’s not my personality,” she said. Dr. Schlissel declined to comment on the mood on campus, but a spokeswoman, Kim Broekhuizen, said Ms. Delekta’s account of the meeting was accurate.

Still Ms. Delekta was heartened by the meeting, seeing it as a sign that conservatives might be invited into the fold. She is hoping to score tickets to the inauguration, the beginning of a new era, she believes, for better.

But she will not be surprised, she said, if tensions flare anew. “It’s going to be right back in the media,” she said. “I think people are going to start to get worked up again, whether it be in excitement or frustration and fear.”

Russians flock to U.S. real estate after Trump victory rss.cnn.com

2016-12-08 06:00 ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS www.nytimes.com

28 /100 28 /100 3.7 Coming soon! Naked and Afraid in South Africa!

(1.02/11) Cape Town – Naked and Afraid XL season 2 is set to premiere on Discovery Channel (DStv 121) on the 13 December.

This second season brings more adventure from 12 courageous survivalists who will attempt to survive for 40 days in the South African bush whilst being completely naked.

Pushed to the very limits of human endurance and stranded in the remote, hostile badlands of South Africa, the survivalists must all work for the same limited food, water and shelter, while avoiding violent predators such as lions, leopards, and hyenas.

They must withstand starvation, punishing heat and… each other. Will they band together or fracture into smaller groups to survive?

In a challenge this big – will they be mentally and physically strong enough to master the environment and make it out alive?

Even the crew had their fair share of close calls undergoing numerous cases of tick-bite fever, spitting cobras, and close encounters with territorial wild lions.

Catch Naked and Afraid XL ’s premiere on Tuesday, 13 December at 21:00 only on Discovery Channel (DStv 121), to see if they can in fact survive the African bush.

WATCH THE TRAILER:

Citroen South Africa says 'au revoir' to local market wheels24.co.za

2016-12-08 05:10 www.channel24.co.za

29 /100 2.4 Comment: How Trump can save American democracy

(1.02/11) Donald Trump's victory, much like Britain's Brexit, marks the desire of citizens of the world's leading Western Liberal democracies to take things back into their own hands. Their cry of anger against a failed system that was leaving them behind may result in what many fear would be a disintegration of Western values and a retreat from the Anglo-American post World War II vision of a free world, but it may also push America and then the rest of the world to take breakthrough steps that will give birth to a positive new future. Over the past decades a great disillusionment with liberal democracies has been taking place. Those democracies that promised to be the protectors of freedom and equality, by ignoring the nature of human egoism, created a reality where very few have most of the wealth while the majority of the public struggles for crumbs. The hopes of climbing the social ladder through hard work have been extinguished. The neoliberalism principle of prosperity "trickling down" from above has proven itself as false. The workers of rural Middle America and its Rust Belt cities, concerned for their families and futures, will have it no longer, so it is no surprise that Trump was elected president and the elites and the old establishment were ordered to go home. Our so called "democracies" have become mirages of freedom, dictatorships in disguise and may now be in a serious risk of world-wide decline.

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The question is, where do we go now? Despite the fear of old strains of nationalism rising in the world, is fighting to hold on to neoliberal democracy as we know it wise? The elite, which prospers from the inequalities of the so called "government of the people" with its ghastly uneven distribution of wealth and power, undoubtedly thinks we should. They may even go as far as inciting the masses into violent protests and chaos as we have already began to witness. But that would not treat the problem from the root. If we wish to steer clear of the fascist nightmares of the past, but also not forego the dream of living in societies that truly are free and that truly belong to the people, we must find another way. The Future of Work America’s ability to find a new and better course and to evade the rebound to the far right, depends upon its ability to address the unattended needs of those citizens suffering unemployment and bleak future outlooks, who felt that they were disregarded by the previous leadership. Therefore, the prime challenge for governments right now is to deal with social upheaval, for an electorate of unsatisfied people who feel they have no way to advance in life and no future for their children is truly dangerous. Without proper treatment of their angst, in their sense of helplessness, they will go to extremes to change things around. Expressing frustration through democratic elections is one thing, but left unsatisfied, these feelings will find their outlet in more dangerous means that could lead to violence and further disintegration of American society. Though Trump has already been working to make good on his promises to Middle America voters and does intend to bring back industry and create more jobs, this will be very difficult for him to do. The industry has long opted for cheaper workers outside the US which will be very expensive to reverse. Creating jobs by rebuilding infrastructure is a temporary solution that will also greatly increase the national debt. Moreover, many experts now understand that we are stepping into a future in which worldwide unemployment will skyrocket as information technology and automation continue to devastate the jobs of blue collar, retail, and wholesale employees. As economist and best- selling author, Jeremy Rifkin, put it : "More output with fewer workers — that’s how factories operate nowadays. That is incontrovertible; it is no longer a debate. " The New Industrial Revolution To face the challenge of elevating the large Middle American electorate that has been languishing behind, suffering not only economic problems, but social, cultural and public health issues , Trump must find a new and creative way to create employment and life satisfaction that suit the new world we are entering. Though supercomputers may be making medical diagnoses and even producing sports journalism, they cannot replace real human connection and social interaction which are so necessary in a dangerously fragmented society where loneliness has become the greatest epidemic of our time. Economists already understand that in the new economy, social skills count more than work skills and the "products" that will be of highest demand in tomorrow's world are cooperation and social cohesion. After all, employment is a way for people to create value , and today it must happen in new ways, unrecognized by the failing growth-based market economy In 1995, Jeremy Rifkin predicted the growth of a third sector: community based service organizations that would create new jobs with government support, redirecting funds to provide "social wage" in lieu of welfare payments. More recently, Stephen Hawking asserted that "with not only jobs but entire industries disappearing, we must help people to retrain for a new world and support them financially while they do so". What Trump needs to do in order to direct America towards greatness once more is heed these relevant voices that see a few steps ahead. Instead of wasting time and money trying to bring back an industry that is long lost to the third world and to machinery, he needs to create employment programs that will train people to become the social leaders of tomorrow's society. Currently unemployed people need to enter organized training programs while receiving scholarships and later be paid to work as the educators and agents of this change towards healthier, more cohesive societies. As part of their training they need to be given broad knowledge of our world today and its trends, especially the process that has been making it an interconnected global village, alongside practical connection tools that will allow them to become small "model societies" that will set an example to the rest of America and the whole world. This will not only cost less, saving a substantial amount of tax-payer’s money that is now being invested in welfare and the huge funds that creating new jobs out of thin air would require, but will begin a social transformation that will have long standing positive impact on every aspect of American life- healing loneliness, depression, violence, drug and alcohol abuse and strengthening families and communities while providing an occupation of great value and future demand.

Making Use of Ancient Wisdom in Our Times Such attempts at teaching individuals to create "model societal relations" have already been proven to succeed in situations where nothing else could, in ongoing discussion circles that have been held in Israel between people of greatly differing backgrounds and beliefs. The method used is based on the authentic wisdom of Kabbalah which has proven itself successful in numerous circumstances in Israel and throughout the world. With this method, known as "Connection Circles", participants experience not only increased social cohesion, trust and harmony but also much greater happiness, fulfillment and freedom from the anxieties that plague our modern lives. This is the kind of work that needs to begin in our global era, and there's no better place to start to innovate and create a better future than with the people who have been most neglected by the previous governments. Moving Forward At this critical point in human evolution in which we become aware that we have exhausted our ideas for making our societies work, as well as our planet's resources, we must begin to treat the root cause of our failures. Until now, despite higher ideals, it has always been man's ego that was driving him to succeed, to conquer, to establish and grow. But now we see that the ego has reached its limits, our times are calling for shared action and complex solutions that go beyond the past patterns of our individualistic mindsets. Our times are calling humanity to step into a new way of working together to heal our world. Only by addressing man's egoistic nature can we take the great ideals of equality, justice and peace that liberal democracies had aimed to achieve, and turn them into reality.

This is the great opening that is now available to America. If America takes these steps into uncharted territory, it will help humanity move forward rather than backwards, into a great social transformation, or as Rifkin put it "a rebirth of the human spirit". This is the true war, the fight for connection; and winning it, will make America a great leading power once more, leading the world to safety and correcting the disharmonies of the past.

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Latin American authors bewildered by Donald Trump: 'I just can't believe it' theguardian.com

2016-12-08 04:05 MICHAEL LAITMAN www.jpost.com

30 /100 (1.02/11) 2.7 75 years since Japan took the city High up on a hillside in the south of Hong Kong, shaded beneath dense green foliage, are the pockmarked remnants of World War II pillboxes, a reminder of the city's failed attempt to fend off a Japanese invasion.

It is 75 years since Hong Kong fell -- less than three weeks after the Japanese first attacked what was then a British colony.

Hours after swooping on Pearl Harbor, bringing a reluctant United States into the war, Hong Kong was an early target in what would become a full- blown Asian campaign for imperial Japan.

Although extra troops had been brought in to bolster its defences, the outpost of the British Empire was crushed under heavy bombardment in the 18-day Battle of Hong Kong.

The brutal confrontation, much less reported upon than other clashes in the Pacific theatre, saw around 1,500 allied troops die trying to defend the territory.

Keen to limit potential losses, the British government had initially been reluctant to send reinforcements in to what they saw as an indefensible position, despite Japan's advance into southern China in the late 1930s as part of the ongoing Sino-Japanese conflict.

But in September 1941, Canadian troops were drafted in to boost defences, joining local, British and Indian soldiers.

It was still a token force -- the 15,000 allied troops were vastly outnumbered by more than 50,000 Japanese who carried out a devastating aerial attack that wiped out RAF planes at Hong Kong's Kai Tak airport on December 8, the first day of the offensive.

The British were relying on Gin Drinkers' Line, an 11-mile (18 kilometre) military defensive cordon that ran across the hills of Hong Kong's northern New Territories, not far from the border with southern mainland China.

A combination of bunkers, trenches and machine-gun posts, it was designed to combat any southward invasion from the Japanese.

But a small group of Japanese forces soon breached a weak point in the line and troops joined them in an all-out assault, forcing the allies to retreat south across the harbour to Hong Kong Island in a matter of days.

As the Japanese pursued them, fierce fighting broke out around the North Point power station on the island's northern shore.

Japanese troops then marched south, battling counter attacks in the connecting hills and valleys.

Hours before they eventually surrendered, the allies tried to defend the island's southern peninsula of Stanley.

Injured troops and medical staff there were attacked at St Stephen's College, which was being used as a military field hospital.

Horrific testimony from eye witnesses tells how nurses were raped and killed, wounded soldiers attacked and mutilated.

In the wake of the massacre, the British governor of Hong Kong officially surrendered to the Japanese on December 25.

Japan occupied Hong Kong until August 30 1945, setting up internment camps across the city.

General Takashi Sakai, who led the invasion and became governor of Hong Kong during the occupation, was executed by firing squad in Nanking, China, in 1946 for war crimes.

The Fall of Hong Kong: 75 years since Japan took the city dailymail.co.uk 2016-12-08 03:20 www.digitaljournal.com

31 /100 0.0 Australian students reveal the highs and lows during their last year of high school (1.02/11) As teenagers across Australia await their results from their final year in high school, fourteen students reveal the highs and lows of the journey they took to get there. Sitting down in front of a webcam Year 12 student Shianna, 17, said 'you can shove your f***ing school up your arse' as the pressure of her final year in high school became too much to deal with. She appears in ABC's My Year 12 Life, a video blogging series that follows a group of students as they commit a year of their lives working towards their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) results. Venting during one of her blog entries earlier this year, Shianna expressed her frustration in a tearful video diary confession. 'I'm feeling so much pressure and I'm feeling so much stress, and expectations to do the best I can,' she cries. 'And I can't. I can't, I can't, I'm not superman. 'I'm at the point where I'm ready to turn around and rebel against it all and say look you can shove your f***ing school up your arse because I don't want to do any of it. 'I'm not going to let four letters and a number on a piece of paper at the end of it all tell me what I can and can't be.' The four letters and number on the piece of paper Shianna speaks of is the ATAR. It's how the performance of school-leavers is assessed and will determine their entry into University. Shianna was one of fourteen students who filmed themselves for the year-long project by Princess Pictures. Each teenager talks about the issues they're facing on top of the pressure of the ATAR, stress over parents and school, as well as body image issues, anxiety and their expectations for their future. The new series comes as more than 2,000 Victorian students received their ATARs overnight – five days before they are officially released on Monday. Hordes of students and parents took to social media on Wednesday night to say ATAR results had been sent early. 'My daughter got her ATAR results via text tonight, it's not supposed to come out til the 12th,' one woman tweeted. 'What's going on? I'm too scared to see my results,' one student posted. In a brief statement late on Wednesday the Minister for Education James Merlino said: 'Clearly a significant error has been made and a full investigation will be carried out to get to the bottom of this.' It was later confirmed that the results the students received via the SMS bungle were accurate. My Year 12 Life is a Princess Pictures production for ABC Television, screening on ABC, ABC ME and ABC iView in early 2017, with further clips available on ABC ME’s digital platforms, ABC iView, Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram. Ann Marie's All Stars: Ms. Susan Porter is a social worker who is always on her student's side wxyz.com

2016-12-08 02:16 Sinead Maclaughlin www.dailymail.co.uk

32 /100 3.1 National Grid agrees UK gas network sale, to return cash to investors (0.02/11) LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Britain's National Grid has agreed to sell a 61 percent equity interest in its UK gas distribution business to a group of investors, including China's CIC Capital, in a deal valuing the unit at around 13.8 billion pounds ($17.5 billion), it said on Thursday. National Grid, which first announced plans to sell a stake in the unit last year, said it wanted to return some of the value it had created in the networks to its shareholders. As part of the deal, 4 billion pounds will be returned through a combination of share buybacks and a special dividend. The deal with the consortium comes at a time when overseas investment in British infrastructre is under scrutiny. Earlier this year Prime Minister Theresa May signalled the government would take a cautious approach over foreign investment in significant infrastructure projects. The gas distribution networks cover about 11 million people in the east of England, north London, the North West and West Midlands. The regulated revenues from Britain's gas and electricity network infrastructure has proved attractive for investors. Britain's second-biggest energy supplier, SSE (SSE. L), in October, agreed to sell a third of its 50 percent stake in regional gas distribution business SGN to Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) 621 million pounds. On completion of Thursday's deal National Grid will receive a payment of 3.6 billion pounds in cash from the consortium and will own a 39 percent minority equity interest in a new holding company. "National Grid's portfolio will be rebalanced towards higher growth assets, whilst maintaining a strong balance sheet and supporting our sustainable dividend policy," National Grid Chief executive John Pettigrew said in a statement. The deal, which National Grid said implies an enterprise value for the unit of around 13.8 billion pounds, is expected to close by the end of the first quarter next year, it said. Shares in National Grid were up 6.1 percent at 0923 GMT, outperforming the FTSE 100 index which was almost flat. The consortium, called Quad Gas Group, comprises Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, Allianz Capital Partners, Hermes Investment Management, CIC Capital Corporation, Qatar Investment Authority, Dalmore Capital and Amber Infrastructure Limited/International Public Partnerships. ($1 = 0.7908 pounds) (Reporting by Susanna Twidale; editing by Sarah Young and Susan Thomas) Control of National Grid gas National Grid agrees UK pipe network sold to distribution sale, to return overseas consortium cash to investors dailymail.co.uk dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-08 05:30 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

33 /100 2.0 OSCE Among Very Few Platforms for Direct Dialogue With Russia - German Official (0.01/11) The Organization for Security and Co- operation in Europe (OSCE) is continuing to be one of very few platforms, where the direct dialogue between the West and Moscow is possible, the German government's special representative for the OSCE Chairmanship, Gernot Erler, said Thursday. ...

German Firms Place New Bets on Russia article.wn.com

2016-12-08 07:05 system article.wn.com

34 /100 3.1 TUI Group forecasts profit growth of 10 pct a year until 2019 (0.01/11) By Sarah Young LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - TUI Group, Europe's largest travel company, announced an extended profit forecast on Thursday in a show of confidence after posting 12.5 percent annual core earnings growth despite disruption as holidaymakers avoided destinations such as Turkey. TUI said it was extending its guidance for profit to rise by at least 10 percent a year to its 2018/19 financial year from the 2017/18 period, citing its strong outlook, and future investment in hotels and cruises. "The transformation of the business from a trading company into a integrated company with hotels and cruises at the core of the business will deliver the results," Chief Executive Fritz Joussen told reporters. Barclays analysts called TUI's profit guidance "robust in a challenging environment". Looking to its new financial year, TUI said winter bookings were up 5 percent, while for the summer season, when it makes the bulk of its profit, bookings from the UK market were up 9 percent, TUI said, driven by demand for holidays to long-haul destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and United States. That growing appetite for holidays further afield helped TUI post core earnings growth of 12.5 percent in its 2015/2016 financial year, despite a difficult geopolitical backdrop. Holidaymakers turned their backs on formerly popular Turkey in 2016 after a series of bombings and a failed coup, forcing travel companies to shift customers to Spanish and Portuguese destinations in the western Mediterranean. TUI was less impacted by the Turkish issue than its smaller rival Thomas Cook, the market leader in that country. Both companies, however, also had to contend with Britain's vote in June to leave the European Union, which sent the value of the pound plunging, and led to worries that Britons would have less money to spend on holidays. But to date, British holidaymakers have not been affected. "If you think about Brexit, I would say I don't see a negative impact," Joussen said. "The early bookings are indicating that it will be a good summer also next year despite Brexit. " TUI said that at constant currency rates, core underlying profit (EBITA) came in at 1.030 billion euros ($1.11 billion) in the 12 months ended Sept. 30, up 12.5 percent compared to the year before, and in line with its forecast for growth of between 12 and 13 percent. Shares in TUI, which also said a plan to sell its Travelopia arm was on track, traded up 0.6 percent to 1,072.5 pence at 0920 GMT. ($1 = 0.9291 euros) (Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Kate Holton and David Evans)

TUI Group on track for growth after FY earnings rise 12.5 pct dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-08 05:42 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

35 /100 0.9 Emily Ratajkowski showcasesl figure in bustier paired with jeans and shaggy fur (0.01/11) I don't think my career would have happened if it wasn't for the way I look'. And as ever Emily Ratajkowski was keen to show off her stunning good looks and sensational figure - this time in yet another sexy lingerie-clad snap. The 25- year-old Gone Girl beauty delighted her 9.6million Instagram followers with the new shots in which she slipped into a raunchy bustier with high-waisted jeans and a shaggy fur coat. Scroll down for video Emily shot to fame after stripping off for Robin Thicke's controversial Blurred Lines video in 2013 - in which she stole the show with her incredible figure. In her latest sexy assault on social media, the London-born beauty snapped two shots in another incredibly racy ensemble. Wearing a lace body, she boosted her ample bust with a scallop hemmed bra attached the to the sheer base, which flashed her taut abs through sheer fabric. Never one to shy away from overexposure, Emily peeled her pink shaggy fur coat off her shoulders to help show off her cleavage and lingerie to full effect. The stunner draped her hands in the pockets of her tattered light wash jeans, which perfectly sat on her tiny waist. Emily's flawless complexion was only lightly dabbed with foundation and highlighter - to help maximise her dewy skin to the max. Her brunette tresses were styled into flawless loose waves falling over her shoulder and cascading from a centre parting. Pulling her very best pout, she showed off her model prowess before dropping the expression and bursting into a fit of giggles. Just last week, Emily was feeling less playful when she blasted photographer Jonathan Leder for publishing previously unseen naked photos of her. The brunette beauty began and tweeted her anger, stating: 'This book and the images within them are a violation.' The explicit photo shoot was done in May 2012 and some of the pictures have been widely reproduced by media outlets and magazines. News of the photos broke and Emily explained: 'I’ve been resisting speaking publicly on the recently released photos by Jonathan Leder to avoid giving him publicity. But I’ve had enough.' She explained that the Polaroids were taken for an artful magazine spread and she never intended for the unused ones to be published. 'These photos being used w/out my permission is an example of exactly the opposite of what I stand for: women choosing when and how they want to share their sexuality and bodies,' she tweeted. The genetically-gifted stunner continued her rhetoric on Thursday and wrote: 'To be clear: I signed no release & was not paid.' 'That said, the legal side of this is private,' she added. 'And I would appreciate it if people waited to base their opinions on facts rather than speculation or assumptions.'

Sizzling Emily Ratajkowski shows off some serious underboob for LOVE dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-08 05:06 Ciara Farmer www.dailymail.co.uk

36 /100 0.5 Futurist Mike Walsh says Facebook fake news problem shows need to balance humans, automation (0.01/11) The current furor over "fake news," while worrying in itself, could reveal valuable insights into the changing media industry, according to acclaimed futurist Mike Walsh.

"From the fake news issue, we potentially see the future of news, which is algorithms and human beings working together, where the job of humans is designing the parameters and boundary conditions that drive algorithms," Walsh told CNBC on the sidelines of the inaugural Global Entrepreneurship Community conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Walsh, a consultant who specializes in advising corporate leaders on dealing with disruptive technology, is a leading voice on designing businesses for the 21st century, with two books - "The Dictionary Of Dangerous Ideas" and "Futuretainment" - under his belt.

News outlets needed to strike a balance between delegating jobs to automation and to humans, Walsh said, using Facebook as an example.

In August, Facebook laid off employees that curated popular news on the network's "trending topics" section, amid accusations that the workers' selections were biased against conservative U. S. news outlets. In their place, Facebook automated trending topics, leaving algorithms to select what stories appeared.

But that approach wasn't enough, Walsh warned. "Unless you have humans monitoring them, algorithms can lead to distorted results," he cautioned.

This was what happened to Facebook shortly after the decision to remove human curation of the "trending" list, as fake news stories, including one notable report that claimed Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly had been fired by the network, began surfacing on the section.

During the height of the U. S. presidential election campaign, inaccurate or entirely fabricated reports were widely circulated on digital platforms and promoted on Google through the search engine's algorithm. Many believe the phenomenon influenced the U. S. election result, placing pressure on outlets such Facebook and Twitter — among the most popular networks for media consumption — to combat the issue.

Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg , who declines to identify Facebook as a media company, has denied this was the case , insisting that "this really isn't a problem," while Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey said the issue was "complicated. "

"We have a role and responsibility to make sure that people are seeing what they need to see and they can have easy conversations and really get to the truth, and that's complicated," Dorsey said.

The issue was brought into sharp focus this week when an American man called Edgar Welsh opened fire in a Washington pizzeria after reading online content that claimed the restaurant was at the center of a child trafficking ring operated by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her campaign chief John Podesta.

The 28-year old said he was conducting a "self-investigation" and wanted to rescue the child sex slaves he believed might be held in the restaurant.

"The future of news may not be humans collecting news, it may be an algorithm that determines truths from post-truths," Walsh said, adding, "Google's probably trying to figure out that problem now. "

Just hours after Walsh spoke to CNBC, the Verge reported that this month the U. S. Trademark and Patent Office published Facebook's application for Patent 0350675: "systems and methods to identify objectionable content. " Facebook is patenting a tool that could help automate removal of fake news cnbc.com

2016-12-08 04:24 Nyshka Chandran www.cnbc.com

37 /100 (0.01/11) 0.0 PRESS DIGEST - Bulgaria - Dec 8 SOFIA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - These are some of the main stories in Bulgarian newspapers on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. -- The Bulgarian Socialist Party returned the mandate to form a government. The president will hand a mandate to the Reformist bloc on Monday in his last attempt to have a government within the current parliament. If the third attempt fails, the president will have to appoint an interim government. (Trud, 24 Chasa, Capital Daily, Monitor, Sega, Standart, Duma) - - Three companies have expressed interest to build Bulgaria's nuclear power project Belene, deputy prime minister Tomislav Donchev said. The outgoing government wants to privatise the project without offering long-term power purchase agreements. If that option fails, Bulgaria may see the sell the nuclear equipment it will pay to Russia's Rosatom by the end of the week, he said. (Trud, Duma, Monitor, Sega, Standart, 24 Chasa) -- Joining the euro zone will be among the priorities in the work of the central bank in the next years, Central Bank Governor Dimitar Radev said. (24 Chasa, Capital Daily, Standart, Trud) 24 CHASA - Some 29,470 Bulgarians have left the country to seek better living conditions mainly in Germany, United Kingdom and Spain in 2015, a social ministry report showed.

PRESS DIGEST - RUSSIA - Dec 8 dailymail.co.uk

2016-12-08 03:52 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

38 /100 1.0 San Francisco residents frustrated with homeless tents (0.01/11) ABC7 news is again joining forces with more than 70 other local news agencies for the San Francisco Homeless Project. It is a plea for San Francisco city leaders to do something about homelessness in the Bay Area's most densely populated city. What would you do if you walked out of your house and found a homeless encampment? That's the dilemma many people in San Francisco are grappling with. For most of us, home life says a lot about the other life we lead outside. We feel safe. Secure, most of us, anyway. But if you live in San Francisco's Mission District and South of Market neighborhoods, they never take safe for granted. It's impossible for people with homelessness on their doorsteps. "It's part of life around here right now," said Greg Shuler. He showed ABC7 News that for him and for neighbors, a simple stroll through the neighborhood is always a reminder of the difference between those who have, and those who do not. Fellow neighbor Katherine Kodama complained about the smell of urine as she walked past an encampment. "I know that they have no other alternatives, she said. The lack of affordable housing has left the most venerable with few options, but to pitch tents on sidewalks. Thin pieces of fabric separate humanity from hope here. "I don't think they want to live there on the street, in tents," said another neighbor, Rebecca Steinberger. "I don't think that's what they are reaching out for and what their goals are, I think they are desperate and they have nowhere to go. "We asked Schuler, if he thought they were good neighbors. He took a long pause, and told us "No. "If you hear compassion, anger, frustration, resignation in these voices, you aren't mistaken. This is San Francisco after all, we want to have heart, but at what price? "We are in a progressive city and we want there to be help and solutions for people, but at the same time we don't want people camping right outside of our house," said Schuler. Like many of his neighbors, Schuler has voiced his concerns about the encampments using 311, the city's clearinghouse for complaints, but gave up for a lack of results. An analysis of the city's own data found more than 3000 calls about homeless encampments in just the last month. Case in point: This encampment in Garfield Square. An ABC7 news producer and his neighbors spent four months complaining about it, and there were more than 50 complaints in all. To read the 311 website, the city describes this case as closed or resolved, and yet we found the camp still there today. This is not an isolated incident. ABC7 news followed up on other recent complaints. Again, the city described them as closed or resolved, a direct contrast to what we found. The department of public works responds to most of 311 complaints. Spokesperson Rachel Gordon told ABC7 News: "We don't clear the homeless encampments unless we are directed too. "DPW says its first priority us to keep encampments clear of human waste and debris. The department hauls away out as many as 2-tons of trash every day, and claims to respond to 5-percent of all complaints within 48 hours. "A lot of times what we try to do is minimize them, so we take away the rotting garbage, we take away the broken furniture, we take away the miscellaneous garbage that comes there," said Gordon. So why, then, have so many frustrated residents like Greg Schuler given up on 311? "We understand people's frustrations," said Gordon. Now, the department is acting on them. After we started asking, the city has enlisted the power of words. DPW will now mark completed projects as cleaned instead of resolved or closed. Even if residents don't see the results, the department still wants them to keep calling. "It also helps us know where we can focus our resources, I mean, it's not a secret where some of the encampments are in the city, but we do track them," said Gordon. If anyone knows their whereabouts, Randy Quezada does. He is with the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. "We can't compel people to move," said Quezada. The department is making some progress in getting people off the streets. "We work to build relationships with the people in camps to figure out what their needs are what types of housing options are going to work for them and stick. "But it's neither easy nor quick. San Francisco can wash away the stench, and for residents that may make their streets more passable, but for those living next to this, it is not the same as the problem going away. "This idea that you can put up a tent just anywhere, at least anywhere in this part of the neighborhood and there's no consequences, whereas, certainly if I was to put a tent in front of a mansion in Pac(ific) Heights, that would not last for an hour. "In his case, it has been years.

San Francisco residents struggle with homeless encampments abc7news.com

2016-12-08 03:48 (Copyright abc7news.com

39 /100 1.8 France allows Holocaust museums to digitize WWII archives France has signed an accord to allow Holocaust museums in Paris and in Washington, D. C., to digitize the vast French World War II archives — so that the museums can ...

2016-12-08 08:37 system article.wn.com

40 /100 1.3 Go on, we dare you to ignore these tips You drown in a sea of banter, watch your colleagues performing mating rituals to Lady Gaga disco mixes, see management types beating their chests like primates, and observe grown-ups snog like it's happy hour in the monkey enclosure.

Yes, Christmas for the human "employee" can be an endurance challenge up there with the Olympic decathlon or Homer's Odyssey (just reading it).

To help you make it through this most treacherous of festive journeys with your reputation intact, follow these strict guidelines for having a good time - but not too much of a good time. Remember this is your job, you need to keep hold of it. Know which rung of the ladder you're on and stick to your kind - there's a time and a place for discussing your role in the company with the big cheeses, and three bottles of wine down with a bit of meatball between your teeth isn't it.

This one's an exact science - you don't want to be the boring colleague who went home first, but far worse is to be the lone ranger at the end going around pleading "where to now guys? " like you're secretly homeless. Basically, wait until everyone's thoroughly sloshed and at least five other people have left, then just stroll off into the night without so much as a handshake.

Don't overdo it if it's fancy dress

Nothing is more depressing than seeing The Little Mermaid self-consciously shuffling around by themselves, or looking on while Batman throws up in a bin. It's almost as if fancy dress was solely designed to compound your feelings of dissatisfaction, hence only minimal effort is required here. Get some of those glasses with a fake nose and moustache, that should do it.

The moment you arrive at your destination marks the start of a countdown to someone saying "shots? ", to which the correct answer is always "no, absolutely not, thanks". Unfortunately, in these kinds of cretinous situations, saying no to shots can draw unnecessary attention and paint a very grey picture of you, so the trick is to heartily agree like it's the best idea of all time, then basically not drink them.

Remember - the vast majority of heinous work party crimes can all be traced back to Sambuca.

Keep all of your clothes on

Nakedness is obviously a no-no, but even down at the other end of the spectrum you'll find an array of frequent crimes that must be outlawed. Chiefly, wearing a tie around your head and pretending to be Rambo. Please don't.

Don't take the opportunity to air your grievances

This is the office Christmas do, it's not the universe providing you with a serendipitous moment when you can finally unburden yourself of your woes; the universe doesn't do things like that - and even if it did, it probably wouldn't be at 11.13pm on a Tuesday with you basically crying in a pub toilet while everyone else fights the urge to start laughing. Like all negative feelings, you should keep these to yourself, and let them gently gnaw away at your soul forever.

Only dance if you really have to

Don't let the most vivid memory of the night become your unfitting tribute to John Travolta, where you fell over during an elaborate spin taking three people down with you.

Every year at every single office Christmas party, an unlikely pair will spring from nowhere - both probably married to other people - to brazenly French kiss each other in full view of absolutely everyone. This will always happen, but should never ever be you.

2016-12-08 08:13 JOSHUA BURT www.timeslive.co.za

41 /100 41 /100 0.3 DA report card puts Zuma‚ Zwane‚ Van Rooyen at the bottom of the class The official opposition briefed reporters on their 2016 “report card” for Zuma‚ deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa and 37 government ministers in Parliament on Thursday.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane said Zuma’s performance got worse since last year. While the majority (23) of members in the executive scored an E symbol or worse‚ the worst symbol possible (F-) was reserved for Zuma and the ministers of mineral resources as well as cooperative governance and traditional affairs.

Maimane said Zuma started the year off on a rocky note when he removed former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene and replaced him with Van Rooyen for less than a weekend‚ before replacing him with Pravin Gordhan.

Maimane said what would follow that faux pas was a year in which loyal Zuma ministers would tie themselves closer to him and a year in which the Constitutional Court told Zuma that he violated his oath of office.

“Not only has President Jacob Zuma violated his oath of office this year as found by the Constitutional Court‚ it is also clear that he was compelled to pay back the money. Even last year he appointed a finance minister who stayed on for the weekend‚” said Maimane.

Maimane said Ramaphosa received a D symbol given a lack of progress in programmes under his responsibility such as the turnaround of state owned enterprises and mediation between party leaders in his role as leader of government business. DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said Zwane emerged as one of the poorest performers due to his ties to the influential Gupta family‚ detailed in the last report of former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.

Steenhuisen said Van Rooyen’s ardent defence of Zuma and the Guptas and his attempt at interdicting the State Capture report meant that he was “ineffectual” as a minister. Ministers who received the F symbol included Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane‚ Police Minister Nathi Nhleko‚ Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown and State Security Minister David Mahlobo.

While no members of the executive received an A‚ the DA were kinder to Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor‚ who each received a B symbol. Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom‚ Public Service and Administration Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi‚ Arts and Culture minister Nathi Mthethwa and Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Partel each received a C symbol.

A further 18 ministers including Minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande and Defence Minister Nosiviwe Masipa Nqakula scored a D symbol. 2016-12-08 07:33 Khulekani Magubane www.timeslive.co.za

42 /100 0.0 No Bregrets: Sunderland after the vote to leave the European Union – video Sunderland’s surprise vote for Brexit was seen by remain supporters as turkeys voting for Christmas. But now that Nissan, the car maker that employs 7,000 people directly and a further 40,000 in the supply chain, has announced that it is staying in its Sunderland plant, Helen Pidd speaks to north-east voters and asks how they feel now about leaving the European Union

2016-12-08 07:33 Helen Pidd www.theguardian.com

43 /100 2.4 Jon Landau’s ‘Avatar’ Promise Closes CineAsia on a High “Jim (Cameron) has only ever done two sequels. And each time the ambition was to make them better than the original,” said producer Jon Landau. “Well, we are producing not one, not two, but four ‘ Avatar ’ sequels.”

Those stirring word had Asian exhibitors on their feet and cheering at the CineAsia convention’s closing lunch in Hong Kong on Thursday. Landau collected an award for being a visionary, but kept quiet about the sequels’ release dates.

The meeting of distributors and exhibitors from the Asia-Pacific region is an annual affair that changes little in its format. But it seems to work. As several speakers chose to remind themselves, Asia remains a growth region for the theatrical film business, even in a year when China’s growth spurt has plateaued.

That robustness was reflected in an attendance that was up 20% over last year and by the growing number of executives from less developed territories, including Mongolia and Myanmar. Strong delegate numbers from both India and China were tribute to those industries growing modernity and to the continued suitability of Hong Kong as a central meeting point. Organizers committed to returning the event next year, Dec. 12-14, 2017.

Landau was not the only celebrity in town for CineAsia. Milla Jovovich and Paul W. S. Anderson presented awards and pumped “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.” France’s Luc Besson turned up in person to give a 20 minute presentation on the weird and wonderful creatures populating his upcoming “Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets.” His EuropaCorp CEO Marc Schmuger was on hand to unwrap the company’s multiplex-friendly 2017 lineup.

Other awards earning substantial applause went to Dr. Chong Man-nang, founder of cinema servers and management systems company GDC Technology, to Mei Lee Koh, CEO of Malaysia’s GSC cinema chain, and to Disney after a record-breaking year at the box office.

Technology Innovator of the Year: GDC Technology (Dr. Chong Man-namg

DLP Cinema Marketing Achievement Award: VieShow Cinemas (Dennis Wu)

ComScore Asia-Pacific Box Office Award: “The Mermaid”

Motion Picture Association Asia Copyright Educator Award: Rajkumar Akella, MD Theatrical India, comScore

Exhibitor of the Year: Koh Mei Lee, Golden Screen Cinemas

Distributor of the Year: Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture International (David kornblum)

CineAsia Visionary Award: Jon Landau

2016-12-08 07:32 Patrick Frater variety.com

44 /100 1.0 TRAFFIC: Mount Washington crash closes Sweetbriar this morning An overnight crash has closed Sweetbriar Street in the Mount Washington/Duquesne Heights area of Pittsburgh this morning. The incident occurred at Grandview Avenue and downed several power lines.

Also this morning, Nadine Road in Penn Hills has reopened after bridge replacement work. The street had been closed for several months.

Liberty Bridge/Tunnel — Single-lane restrictions for survey work and platform installation through Dec. 30 on the Liberty Bridge, Liberty Tunnel and Second Avenue. The work will be coordinated with events at the PPG Paints Arena. Restrictions will occur according to the following schedule:

▪ Liberty Bridge — From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays

▪ Liberty Tunnel — Inbound (northbound) tunnel as needed weeknights from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

▪ Second Avenue — In each direction between Municipal Court Drive and Ross Street weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Single-lane restrictions on the ramp to and from the Boulevard of the Allies and the sidewalk closure for the bridge will remain in place. The entire $80 million reconstruction project will finish in 2018.

West Carson Street — Work to remove the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Bridge that runs over and parallel to West Carson near the West End Circle will shift traffic from the northbound Route 837 ramp to West Carson into the center lane, through Dec. 23. Traffic will be shifted back into the normal configuration north of the railroad bridge.

Also, the ramp from northbound Route 837 to West Carson will be closed through mid- December.

Route 28 — Lane restrictions in each direction at the East Ohio Street interchange from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 10. All ramps will remain open.

Freeport Road, O’Hara — Single-lane closures in the area of the Highland Park Bridge interchange through Dec. 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Crews from Duquesne Light will be relocating light poles.

Birmingham Bridge — Lane closures through mid-December while engineers inspect the span. The closures are in effect weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Dec. 16 in each direction of the bridge and associated ramps. All ramps will remain open. Crews from SAI Consulting Engineers are conducting the inspection work.

10th Street Bypass — Lane restrictions begin at 6 p.m. Friday (Dec. 9) through 6 a.m. Monday in both directions as part of the $25.4 million Andy Warhol (7th Street) Bridge rehabilitation project. The lane restrictions will allow the painting crew to prep and prime the structure steel above the bypass.

Glenwood Bridge interchange — The next phase of the Glenwood Bridge interchange rehabilitation project has begun in the Hays/Homestead and Hazelwood areas of Pittsburgh. Detours will be posted.

▪ Southbound Route 837 traffic from Route 885 will be shifted into the northbound lanes. Single- lane traffic in each direction will be maintained in the northbound lanes.

▪ The traffic signal at the temporary intersection of Route 837 and Route 885 will be eliminated.

▪ The northbound Route 837 ramp to northbound Route 885 (Glenwood Bridge) will remain closed.

▪ The ramp from northbound Route 885 to southbound Route 837 (Homestead) will remain closed.

▪ Traffic from northbound Route 885 will be able to access southbound Route 837 at the temporary intersection. Traffic from southbound Route 885 to southbound Route 837 will return to the normal configuration.

Andy Warhol Bridge — Closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic through November 2017 as part of $25.4 million rehabilitation project. The Rachel Carson Bridge (9th Street) will be used as a detour. The detour also will reroute about 350 Port Authority buses a day to Carson, according to the Port Authority. The detoured routes will be routes 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17 and the O5. The Carson Bridge is expected to be rehabbed in 2018 and the Clemente Bridge in 2020.

Library Road/Route 88, Bethel Park — Single-lane alternating traffic between Logan Road and Kings School Road weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Dec. 23. Crews will excavate utility test holes.

Ohio River Boulevard/Route 65 — Single-lane restrictions will occur as needed on southbound Route 65 in various locations from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Dec. 31 to allow crews to install signage. After a winter hiatus, more extensive improvement work will occur in the northbound direction in 2017.

Single-lane restrictions as needed between Memorial Drive and Maple Avenue from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., today for sanitary sewer work.

Baum Boulevard Bridge — Single-lane restrictions today and Wednesday (Dec. 7) in each direction over the East Busway ramp and the CSX rail road between Enfield Street and Melwood Avenue, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

Wabash Tunnel — The HOV temporary waiver has been extended through December to allow vehicles with fewer than two occupants to use the tunnel during peak hours, alleviating possible congestion on other roads caused by the Liberty Bridge rehabilitation project. The Wabash Tunnel, which opened as a commuter tunnel in December 2004, provides a shortcut for motorists from Route 51 to the South Side and Downtown Pittsburgh.

East Pennview Street, Shaler — Closed for bridge replacement. Pine Creek Bridge No. 11, about a quarter mile west of the intersection of Pennview and Route 8, through spring 2017.

2016-12-08 07:31 Pittsburgh Post www.post-gazette.com

45 /100 0.5 Britain's financial watchdog sends warning letter to debt firms LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Firms that help people manage debt repayments are failing to make regular checks on customers and could be fined, Britain's financial watchdog said on Thursday. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it has sent a "Dear CEO" letter to the heads of debt management firms in the UK that help people struggling with several debts to consolidate repayment under a single plan. Dear CEO letters have often been a final warning before the watchdog takes action, such as making rules stricter or fining firms. The FCA said in the letter published on its website that it had found examples of non-compliance with its requirements for administering debt plans. "We take the failure to comply with any of these requirements seriously and non-compliance will lead us to take appropriate action," the letter from the FCA's director of retail supervision, Jonathan Davidson, said. Such firms, usually small private companies, take the customer's repayment and distribute it among those owed money. The firms must review a debt plan at least once a year and keep in touch with customers to ensure they are getting the best advice for their circumstances. The watchdog has found that some firms have allowed the plans to run for years without a proper review, meaning a customer's circumstances may have changed significantly. Last week the Bank of England said in its twice- yearly financial stability report that household indebtedness in Britain remains high by historical standards. (Reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Susan Fenton)

2016-12-08 07:21 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

46 /100 3.1 Giant snowballs in Siberia might be connected to a frosty U. S. winter This Siberian snowball fight requires some serious upper body strength, and a helmet.

Giant frozen orbs recently appeared along an 11-mile stretch of Siberian coastline. The largest of the naturally formed snowballs measured nearly 3 feet across, according to Russian news reports.

SEE ALSO: You're probably not going to like the forecast for this winter

This frosty phenomenon is connected to ongoing weather events that could bring heavier snowfall in parts of North America and Western Europe this winter.

See more of the strange snowballs below:

News of the icy beach balls first emerged after residents in the village of Nyda, which sits on the Yamal Peninsula above the Arctic Circle, posted images to social media.

A village administrator told The Siberian Times that the snowballs formed in late October after water in the Gulf of Ob rose up onto land and covered the beach in ice. As the water retreated, chunks of the ice rolled over in the wet sand, forming orbs the size of tennis balls, bowling balls and basketballs.

Siberia is near record cold for this time of year, and snow cover is at around the highest level for this time of year since at least 1998.

These developments might lead to a snowy winter in parts of the U. S., particularly the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, as well as in Western Europe. Some U. S. meteorologists use Siberian snow cover levels in October to forecast how key weather patterns will likely evolve downstream.

Siberia's abundant snow cover last month, and the faster advance of that snow cover, might be linked to a weaker winter polar vortex, which could cause more frequent incursions of cold air into North America and Western Europe.

Perhaps that will bring more giant snowballs to the U. S. Great Lakes.

Icy boulders have similarly appeared in Lake Michigan in recent winters after ice sheets on the lake broke off into chunks and rolled onto shore.

At Good Harbor Bay, Michigan, officials said a 2013 event brought ice balls weighing more than 50 pounds.

Mashable science editor Andrew Freedman contributed reporting.

More from Mashable : Polar vortex about to blast U. S. with coldest air of the season Polar vortex-type cold wave could freeze parts of U. S. next week Pokémon theme songs for Japan, Korea and the U. S. are totally different

2016-12-08 07:21 AOL Staff www.aol.com

47 /100 1.8 Investors face nervous wait for ECB's final salvo of 2016 By John Geddie LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Euro zone government bond yields crept higher as investors waited to see whether the European Central Bank would meet their high expectations for fresh stimulus at its final meeting of the year on Thursday. The ECB is broadly expected to extend its asset purchase programme for at least another six months, and make tweaks to keep the 1.4 trillion euros ($1.5 trillion) scheme running smoothly. But it remains to be seen whether the central bank will maintain its current 80-billion- euro monthly purchase rate, or send a token signal about the eventual end of quantitative easing (QE) in a concession to more conservative policymakers. A recent surge in long-term inflation expectations to a 12-month high, closing in on the ECB's near 2-percent target, and data showing business activity growing at its fastest pace in years, could influence the final decision. This uncertainty has rekindled memories of the ECB's final meeting of 2015 which jolted markets after President Mario Draghi failed to live up to easing hopes, sending the euro on its biggest daily surge for nearly seven years. "There is a long list of arguments for the ECB to reduce the pace of QE, and the market is not ready at all for that," Eric Oynoyan, European rates strategist at BNP Paribas, said. "I think we could get the same kind of disappointment that we saw in 2015. " German 10-year government bond yields sneaked up 2 basis point (bps) to 0.37 percent, having briefly touched a near 11-month high of 0.40 percent in the early hours of Wednesday, according to Tradeweb data. Most other euro zone yields were 2-3 bps higher on the day, and the euro hit a three-week high against the dollar. WALK THE TALK If the ECB extends purchases, as predicted by economists polled by Reuters, it will likely need to change some of the limits that currently restrain the programme. The first of those is the possible removal of the lower yield limit for purchases - currently set at the ECB's deposit rate of minus 0.40 percent - which has at various points over the last year raised concerns that the central bank may run out of German bonds to buy, where the most purchases are centred. It could also change or signal deviation from the model used to dictate how purchases are divided between countries, known as the capital key. However, data shows this model has not been rigorously applied anyway due to restrictions in certain countries, so an increase to the volume of a country's debt and individual bonds may be more likely. Calculations by Cantor Fitzgerald showed this week that without such changes, the ECB would run out of Irish bonds to buy in January. In a sign of how politically sensitive this could be, the Irish Times on Wednesday ran the story headed: "Ireland faces ECB bond-buying guillotine if Draghi doesn't budge. " Finally, the ECB has signalled it is looking for ways to lend out more of its bonds to avert a squeeze in short-term funding markets known as repo markets, suggesting more attractive terms to its securities lending programme will be unveiled. "The ECB will have to walk the talk this time and take decisive action on QE," Commerzbank analyst Michael Leister said. ($1 = 0.9268 euros) (Editing by Ralph Boulton and Mark Potter)

2016-12-08 07:20 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

48 /100 1.1 Chevron outlines cut in exploration and production spending SAN RAMON, Calif., Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Chevron said its spending plans next year for exploration and production should be about 15 percent lower as market pressures endure for the company.

Chevron said it pegged its exploration and production budget for next year at $19.8 billion, 15 percent lower than this year and 42 percent below 2015 levels.

"This is the fourth consecutive year of spending reductions," Chairman and CEO John Watson said in a statement.

The company reported third quarter net income of $2.65 billion, against $4.24 billion during the same period last year. Production was down 3 percent to 3.8 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.

The third quarter marked the fourth consecutive quarter for a downturn for the world's largest publicly traded oil company. First quarter earnings of $1.8 billion were the weakest in more than a decade.

Chevron said about 10 percent of its spending plans for next year target the Permian shale basin in the United States, one of the more resilient reserves in the country. About 35 percent of the spending will be geared toward liquefied natural gas assets in Australia and around 15 percent is designated for operations in oil-rich Kazakhstan.

"Global exploration funding accounts for approximately $1 billion of the total upstream budget, and the remainder is primarily related to early stage projects supporting potential, future development opportunities," the company said.

Crude oil prices are holding steady near the $50 per barrel mark on expectations that some level of balance between supply and demand is returning to the market. Weatherford International, one of the larger companies servicing the exploration and production side of the energy sector, said its results for the third quarter were indicative of a market that turned the corner as crude oil prices start to even out.

Chevron's CEO said some of the company's major projects were near completion and that should help the bottom line.

"This combination of lower spending and growth in production revenues supports our overall objective of becoming cash balanced in 2017," he said.

2016-12-08 07:12 Daniel J www.upi.com

49 /100 0.6 Moscow slams Mogherini for saying EU alone in providing aid to Syria — RT News “It's outrageous twisting of facts which ignores what Russia has been doing for a long time,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also officially responded to Mogherini’s statement “with surprise,” and said that Russia, “unlike other international players, is actively supplying thousands of tons of humanitarian aid to various regions in Syria, including the liberated areas in eastern Aleppo, at the risk of Russian military lives.”

“If the high representative [Mogherini] means providing assistance to terrorists and extremists, then we don’t participate in this, indeed,” the statement added.

The Russian official's statement comes after the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said in Berlin on Wednesday, that the EU “are the ones – the ones, not among the ones – that are providing humanitarian aid, in Syria and around. I don't see many others doing as much as we are.”

Mogherini's words aren't the first aimed against the Russian humanitarian effort in Syria: last week, British Prime Minister Theresa May's office said that “the Syrian regime and their influencers [be it Russia, or others] are preventing aid” from reaching Aleppo.

In response, Russian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Major General Igor Konashenkov said that “the UK government has lost an objective view of what is happening in Syria, including Aleppo, due to Russophobia,” adding that the UK has not sent “a single gram of flour, any medicine or blankets to help” civilians in Aleppo during the whole Syrian conflict.

“If the UK government really wants to send humanitarian aid to residents in the eastern neighborhoods [of Aleppo], it has all conditions for doing this, just tell us where it [the aid] has been held up. "

Also last week, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that the UN halted its aid deliveries to Aleppo, after over 40 percent of the territory previously controlled by militants was recaptured by Syrian government forces.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov also slammed the UN aid effort in Syria.

“While the UN humanitarian plan is something that exists on paper, experts on international relations and humanitarian specialists in Geneva inexplicably missed dozens of opportunities to join the humanitarian work to ease the plight of Aleppo, its outskirts, and other regions in Syria," he said, as cited by TASS.

At the end of November, Konashenkov said that “only through the Russian Syrian Reconciliation Center was thousands of tons of humanitarian aid delivered to Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Latakia, Palmyra, Deir ez-Zor, and other cities.”

2016-12-08 07:12 www.rt.com

50 /100 1.5 Carrie Bickmore reveals nickname son Ollie gave daughter Evie on The Project She's not shy of sharing details to do with family life on Channel Ten's The Project. But on Thursday night's episode, Carrie Bickmore revealed a rather unfortunate, yet hilarious nickname given to her one-year-old daughter Evie, by nine-year-old son Ollie. 'My son's nickname for our daughter [Evie] is beaver,' Carrie shared while laughing on-air after a segment about the animals took a cheeky turn. Scroll down for video 'Every time he [Ollie] calls out, I giggle,' the 36-year-old admitted on on-air. The revelation came shortly after the Channel Ten personality discussed the topic of helicopter parenting with her co-hosts during the nightly show. 'This is how much of a helicopter parent I am not,' the mother-of-two prefaced the story before revealing she let her son walk to school on his own for the very first time. 'At lunch time my friend said, "And he got there OK? " And I said, "I don't know, I think! ",' she shared. Carrie went on to share that it was only after her friend mentioned this to her later in the day, she thought to check in with the school to make sure he arrived. The media personality shares son Ollie with late husband Greg Lange and daughter Evie with new partner Chris Walker. Greg lost his battle with brain cancer in 2010, leaving behind Carrie and their son Ollie. 'He [Greg] was a great father and great husband. He wore lots of hats to hide his scars and I would tell him "don't be embarrassed,'" Carrie said while accepting the Gold Logie Award in 2015. Carrie found love again with Chris Walker, with the couple welcoming daughter Evie into the world in March last year. She previously told Woman's Day magazine that she and Chris 'connected' and bonded over both having lost loved ones. 'He lost his brother in a car accident,' she previously told the publication. 'I think that's why I connected with him - he had an understanding of what I'd experienced through his own experience.'

2016-12-08 07:11 Kristy Johnson www.dailymail.co.uk

51 /100 2.4 Adorable baby who can't stop kissing himself in the mirror becomes sensation This fascinated baby was so mesmerised by his own reflection that he couldn't stop kissing himself in the mirror for half an hour. One-year-old Dean Ochs spotted his face while tottering around his grandma's home in Lakemore, Ohio, and couldn't tear himself away. The spellbound youngster can be seen touching the mirror before leaning in to plant a smooch on the glass, in a viral video sweeping the internet. Grinning wildly, Dean can't stop planting soggy kisses on his reflection while his mother Lindsay and his grandma can be heard giggling in the background. Lindsay, from Lakemore, said: 'This is the first-time Dean has been close enough to a mirror that he could kiss his own reflection. 'Usually after bath time I set him on the counter and he laughs at himself and points. 'He was in the mirror for about 30 minutes playing peek a boo and kissing his reflection. 'I think he thought it was another baby but we just couldn't stop laughing. 'Dean is a funny little guy. He is always happy and laughing and is very curious about anything new.' Lindsay's video, entitled 'Dean in the mirror giving his reflection kisses,' was posted on Facebook on December 1 and has already been liked and shared hundreds of times. Facebooker A. I. Hurst commented: 'O my it's so cute I'm gonna die from cuteness overload.' While Laurel Elaine Mahon wrote: 'Pfft if i was that cute i would kiss myself too!'

2016-12-08 07:07 Unity Blott www.dailymail.co.uk

52 /100 0.9 World Bank Cancels $100 Million Loan For Pakistan Gas Project The World Bank has cancelled a $100 million loan to Pakistan for a natural gas efficiency project due to no progress in achieving the development objectives and a lack of interest on the part of the... 2016-12-08 07:06 system article.wn.com

53 /100 1.1 Scott says he will focus on state's transportation needs MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Republican Gov.-Elect Phil Scott says he wants to improve Vermont’s transportation infrastructure without increasing the state’s debt or raising taxes and fees.

Scott said Wednesday at a meeting with members of the Vermont Petroleum Association that his administration would focus on the state’s transportation needs while spending within its means.

According to Scott, the state is borrowing about $75 million a year to pay for infrastructure and transportation projects.

Scott says he will “advocate for federal dollars and federal reforms” and work with other governors to encourage Congress to address the nation’s transportation challenges on a national level.

He says he’s hopeful that Republican President-elect Donald Trump will follow through on his campaign pledge to support a $1 trillion package to repair the country’s transportation system.

2016-12-08 07:03 By www.washingtontimes.com

54 /100 0.0 Wall Street Journal ranks Kettering first in midwest for career preparation FLINT, MI -- Students ranked Kettering University highest among Midwest colleges in terms of career preparation for a Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education study.

In the study, students were asked to rate their university on a scale of zero to 10 on several topics. Kettering earned the top spot in the Midwest for career preparation with an average score of 9.63.

"We are honored to be recognized nationally by The Wall Street Journal for how we prepare students for career success," said Dr. Robert K. McMahan, Kettering University President. "We believe that Kettering University's unique and innovative experiential approach to education that combines academic rigor with applied, meaningful professional experiences is an ideal model to prepare students to meet current and evolving industry demands resulting from rapid technological change. "

Kettering students are required to take part in a co-op program where they alternate terms on campus and in professional work roles, the WSJ article says.

Ten years after graduation, students earn an average salary of $76,100, which is more than any other Michigan university or college, according to the school's news release.

However, Kettering ranked 206 overall. Overall rankings place a heavy weight on salaries graduates earn and debt they take on, while the career preparation score is not considered.

To see the whole story or more statistics, click here .

2016-12-08 07:00 Molly Young www.mlive.com

55 /100 0.0 Lake-effect snow falling along lakes Michigan, Superior TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - Lake-effect snow is falling in western and northern Michigan and forecasters say roughly a foot of new snow could be on the ground by the weekend.

The National Weather Service says the heaviest snowfalls in the state are expected off of Lake Michigan in the northwestern Lower Peninsula and along Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula. Lower totals are expected in southwestern Michigan and northern Indiana along Lake Michigan.

Forecasters say cold air that’s moved into the region is boosting conditions for lake-effect snow Thursday. Mid-Michigan is expected to get a few inches and southeastern Michigan, including the Detroit area, could get an inch or less depending on the location.

Forecasters say central Indiana, including the Indianapolis area, likely will see 2 to 3 inches on Saturday night into Sunday.

2016-12-08 06:57 By www.washingtontimes.com

56 /100 4.0 SA has highest 'digital literacy' in Africa - study A Dell expert trains a Shawco ShiftIT learner.

Johannesburg - South Africa has been rated as the country with the highest digital literacy in Africa, according to a report released on Thursday by Siemens and Deloitte.

The 'African Digitalisation Maturity Report 2017' included research conducted across South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia.

The skills and digital literacy segment of the study took into account the extent and quality of a country’s human resources and current use of digital technology and platforms.

In the digital maturity assessment, SA scored higher than all other countries across all segments of the survey.

READ: SA's ICT spend to top the Mideast, Africa in 2017

“South Africa scores above the four-country average in all areas except for digital training (internet access in schools),” a statement about SA in the research said.

“South Africa’s score is very close to the international benchmark in the area of access and use. This is largely because of very good mobile network access. The South African population has 100% mobile network coverage and 93% have 3G coverage,” it went further to read.

The data for the individual indicators were sourced from surveys and publications produced by international organisations and firms such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Economic Outlook, October 2016, World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Information Technology Report and Facebook penetration rate.

READ: 5 factors holding back SA's FinTech success

The research also assessed the readiness of the four countries to capitalise on digitaliation rating economic maturity focusing on a country’s size, growth and sophistication of the economy. The study further took into account the extent to which the business, legal and regulatory environments was conducive to digitalisation, as well as infrastructure.

According recent insights by the International Data Corporation (IDC), SA was forecast to have the highest information, technology and communications (ICT) spend across the Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META) regions in 2017.

South Africa is expected to lead the way among the regions with a $10.5bn spend in 2017 as technologies such as cloud, big data, social, and mobility become investment imperatives and dominate the ICT decision-making agenda.

Read Fin24's top stories trending on Twitter:

Fin24’s top stories

2016-12-08 06:57 58 minutes www.fin24.com

57 /100 2.6 Interior Secretary Jewell visits Acoma Pueblo PUEBLO OF ACOMA, N. M. (AP) - U. S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell plans to visit Acoma Pueblo on Thursday to begin a tour aimed at highlighting federal initiatives over the past eight years for public land, wildlife management and government relationships with Native American tribes. Jewell is expected to tour Acoma Pueblo, west of Albuquerque, where the Obama administration placed 59,000 acres of land into trust for the tribe - a move that was part of one of the president’s policy priorities for Indian Country. In the past eight years, more than 500,000 acres of land were placed into trust for tribes.

Jewell also will visit Sky City School, a federally run school that she says is transferring to the control of the tribe.

The Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Edcuation has aimed in recent years to give tribes more oversight of the schools in their area.

2016-12-08 06:56 By www.washingtontimes.com

58 /100 1.1 Fingerprint Cards cuts revenue forecast due to inventory build-up By Olof Swahnberg LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Biometric technology firm Fingerprint Cards (FPC) has slashed its revenue forecast for this year after overestimating demand for its touch sensors in smartphones, sending its share price down by over 10 percent. The 20-year-old Swedish firm had its big break-through in 2015 as demand for fingerprint sensors in smartphones and tablets soared after other manufacturers followed the lead of Apple, which bought its own sensor maker, AuthenTec, in 2012. But FPC, whose customers are mainly Chinese smartphone makers such as Huawei and Oppo, said on Thursday it now expected 2016 revenues of 6.6-6.8 billion Swedish crowns ($730-752 million) instead of a previous forecast of 7.2-7.5 billion crowns. Its shares were down 12 percent at 65.90 crowns by 1035 GMT, a fall of over 40 percent this year due to worries about growing competition. "We will have to get better into understanding what is the full inventory across the whole (supply) chain," Chief Executive Christian Fredrikson said. "There are many players in this chain and we are kind of at the start of it, so I think that is a reason why we just missed this one. " FPC, which competes with the likes of China's Goodix and Silicon Valley-based Synaptics, got a headstart on newer rivals with a twelve-fold rise in revenues last year, to 2.9 billion crowns, and its shares soared more than 1,700 percent. But the company started to see problems in October this year with inventory build-up for smartphone components such as fingerprint sensors, and in November the situation got much worse, Mattias Eriksson, head of FPC investor relations, told Reuters. Lower smartphone volumes, due to shortages of some components, and stiffening competition also weighed on 2016 sales, the company said, adding that it expected these factors to also affect revenues in the first quarter of 2017. The company also reduced its market share expectations for 2016, to "clearly above 50 percent" from around 60 percent previously. Fredrikson said the company also expected "some" further market share losses in 2017. Redeye analyst Joel Westerstrom said the revised revenue forecast had hit market confidence in the company but he thought it was a temporary weakness and that the company should be able to increase revenues to around 9 billion crowns in 2017. FPC said it expected revenues next year of between 7.5 and 9.5 billion crowns, which compared with the average of analysts' forecasts of 8.6 billion crowns, according to Thomson Reuters SmartEstimate. The company also predicted an operating margin of at least 35 percent in 2017, lower than its unchanged forecast of about 40 percent for 2016. Analysts had forecast a margin of 37.7 percent according to a Reuters poll. ($1 = 9.0411 Swedish crowns) (Editing by Greg Mahlich)

2016-12-08 06:54 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

59 /100 3.4 Mexican wolves new residents of Saginaw Children's Zoo SAGINAW, MI -- Two endangered wolves are new additions to the Saginaw Children's Zoo at Celebration Square, thanks to support from the community and the Great Lakes Bay Region, said Executive Director Nancy Parker.

Izzy and Rachel, 1-year-old sister Mexican wolves from the grey wolf subspecies, arrived in Saginaw from the Endangered Wolf Center in Missouri.

Zoo officials describe them both as "a little shy, spending much of their time hiding behind trees of their exhibit," but said they seem to be getting more comfortable each day.

Parker thanks those who helped raise funds for the cost of transporting the wolves.

"I want to express my appreciation to everyone in our community who helped us bring these majestic wolves to our zoo," Parker said.

Hundreds of people donated to help and zoo visitors will be able to see these beautiful animals for many years to come, Parker said.

The zoo opens to the general public on April 22, but members will get to see Izzy and Rachel from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during MembersFest, Saturday, April 15.

Learn more about Children's Zoo memberships at www.saginawzoo.com .

Stay up-to-date on Izzy and Rachel on the Zoo's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/childrenszoo .

2016-12-08 06:52 Bob Johnson www.mlive.com

60 /100 2.1 Russia more attractive to foreign tourists for winter holidays — RT Business The number of search requests for flight tickets to Russia rose by 33 percent to 25,700 compared to the same period a year ago. The company said that it had measured the requests for round-trip tickets covering December 21 through January 8 during the last six months. Requests from Germany were up 37 percent, making the country the number one among travelers eager to spend their winter holidays in Russia. Momondo suggests it's due to relatively cheap flights with Russian airlines from Cologne and Munich.

Tourists from Israel were ranked second, followed by Italians and Britons. Search requests from Denmark, the US and Sweden, which took the next three places, decreased against the same period compared to a year ago, the research said.

France and Armenia ended up in the eighth and the ninth in the rating, with Ukraine last on the list.

The number of requests from Ukrainian travelers dropped 35 percent, according to Momondo. However, the research only talks about airline travel, most Ukrainians travel to Russia by train.

The most significant decline in demand for winter holidays in Russia was among Chinese visitors, the study said.

Analysts say that the drop was caused by a growing share of organized tours that increase the number of Chinese tourists that can travel without a visa.

READ MORE: Tourists from China biggest spenders overseas in 2015

Separate studies conducted by UK-based Skyscanner and Russian Kayak.ru also reflect an upsurge in foreign travelers searching for tickets to Russia for winter holidays.

2016-12-08 06:52 www.rt.com

61 /100 1.0 As solar power expands the work day, incomes rise in eastern Kenya By Kagondu Njagi EMBU, Kenya, Dec 8 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Violet Karimi spends her days as she always has, attending to household chores and working on her farm. But when the sun goes down, she now has a second job, thanks to the arrival of solar lights in this town in eastern Kenya. Each evening the widow leaves her three children studying at home by the light of a solar lantern and takes fruit and vegetables harvested on her farm to sell in Embu's open air market. "I collect my stock and head to the market where I trade until late in the evening," said the 36-year-old. "This is possible because the solar lights in the market and the rest of Embu town are switched on the whole night. " On a good day, she said, she can bring home as much as $30 - at least three times as much as she could sell in a shorter evening, before the lights made longer trading hours possible. "Customers want to shop in the evening because that is when they leave work," she said. "The solar lighting has encouraged them to stay and buy as long as they like. " Solar energy - for lighting and to power businesses - is gaining a foothold across rural Kenya. In towns like Embu it is opening the way for new businesses, or new business hours, and giving families a chance to boost their incomes. SAFER, RICHER Karimi says the solar lights that shine over the Embu market each evening have other benefits as well. Even after working late into the evening at the market, she feels comfortable hiring a motorbike taxi to take her home. "The streets are well lit with solar energy and so I am not afraid of traveling at night because there is security," she said. Others in Embu County have seen benefits for their businesses from the installation of the small solar grids, which collect solar energy, store some of it in batteries for use at night, and distribute it to customers. Joe Njiru pays $10 a month to the Embu County solar micro grid, but makes five times as much from his bar business, he said. The bar's eight light bulbs and satellite TV help keep customers chatting, debating local politics, and buying his beer past midnight. Two years ago, few customers would stay past 8 pm, he said. The bar had a power connection to the national grid, but was often beset by power outages. "Every day there were blackouts in the evening because that is when people with illegal connections would interfere with electricity as they tried to switch on," said Njiru. "Customers could not stay long because they feared to be mugged on their way home. " Energy company officials also sometimes visited to disconnect his power, saying he had not paid his monthly bill, Njiru said. Now he uses a mobile phone banking system, M-Pesa, to top up his monthly credit. "For us, investing in the solar project is a double win," said Embu County Governor Martin Wambora. "Solar energy is cheaper to maintain in the long term and puts us in solidarity with the world's push for a global green economy. " HIGH COSTS FOR POWER HUNGRY That's not to say solar energy is working for everyone. Susan Muthoni, for instance, would like to invest in a laundry business. But to power a washing machine and a refrigerator for serving soft drinks to customers she would have to pay as much as $150 every month in energy costs to the Embu County micro grid because of the large amount of energy the items consume. A typical solar energy customer, who uses the power to light up their home and run a welding business, pays about $10 a month, said Francis Muchiri, the communication and knowledge management officer with Advocacy for Gender and Energy in Kenya. "This is where development partners should come in and support solar micro grids with finances so that they can be able to expand their generation and storage capacity," said Lois Gicheru, the chief executive officer of Solafrique Ltd., an enterprise that works with African communities to help them access renewable energy. Solar advocates say that with solar lighting established, Kenya's counties should now focus on generating enough power to run businesses. Mendi Njonjo, the regional director at Hivos East Africa, which works on sustainable energy issues, said Kenya's counties are diversifying into manufacturing, and will need to cut their energy costs by investing in cheaper sources of power. (Reporting by Kagondu Njagi; editing by Laurie Goering :; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, women's rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate)

2016-12-08 06:47 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

62 /100 5.0 Poaching crackdown: Kruger launches new wide-area surveillance system Cape Town - A wide area surveillance system, known as the Postcode Meerkat, was launched in Kruger National Park (KNP) on 7 December 2016. South African National Parks (SANParks), Peace Parks Foundation and South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research ( CSIR ) have partnered to research, develop and manufacture this innovative system.

The Postcode Meerkat comprises a suite of radar and electro-optic sensors that will detect, classify, monitor and track humans moving in the park over a wide area. In addition, the system has been designed to be mobile so that it can be rapidly deployed to prevent poaching crisis zones from developing.

SEE: The plight of SA's rhinos: Icon of hope dies!

This is the first time that this kind of technology is being applied in a counter poaching role in a bushveld environment, which makes the system unique. Smart thinking in its development allows it to differentiate between humans and animals, while its application will guarantee early warning and rapid response capabilities.

This will augment ranger reaction times, allow for better preparation and support the proactive apprehension of poachers, which could save the lives of both humans and animals. It also has the future potential to be used in a conservation role, for example to better understand animal behaviour.

SEE: Elephant ambassador 'Charlie' felled by poachers' gun

The Postcode Meerkat will significantly increase KNP’s ability to protect rhino and other vulnerable species. It will enhance the capacity to combat wildlife crime, along with the many other systems already put in place, such as improved ranger skills and support, increased aerial and ground mobility, gate access control and zones with increased wildlife protection.

Apart from developing and manufacturing the system, the CSIR will also provide on-going technical and administrative support to KNP.

Funding for the development and deployment of the Postcode Meerkat was secured by Peace Parks Foundation from the People’s Postcode Lottery of the UK, made possible thanks to the lottery players. Funding the Postcode Meerkat is the People’s Postcode Lottery’s first-ever support of a project in KNP and to be commended.

What to read next on Traveller24:

- Kruger clamps down in tough week against rhino poachers

- Anti-poaching lessons from Tanzania

- Yay or Nay: SANParks opens survey on guided game drives

2016-12-08 06:45 traveller24.news24.com

63 /100 63 /100 5.7 One dead, five injured in explosion at fast-food restaurant in central Athens One woman died and five other people were lightly injured in an explosion and a subsequent fire at a fast-food restaurant in central Athens on Thursday, Greek Fire Brigade announced. ...

2016-12-08 06:43 system article.wn.com

64 /100 0.8 Same cash, different fates as Leipzig face Ingolstadt By Karolos Grohmann Dec 8 (Reuters) - The similarities between Ingolstadt and Bundesliga leaders RB Leipzig, are striking but the current fates of the cash-rich clubs could hardly be more different as they prepare to face each other on Saturday. Promoted Leipzig have taken the league by storm, racing to the top with a 13-game run, the last eight of which have been won. Owner Red Bull, the energy drink maker, has pumped millions into the amateur club it bought in 2009, overseeing the team's rise through the professional ranks into Germany's top flight. Leipzig's rapid ascent angered scores of Bundesliga clubs and fans who claim the team is no more than a mere promotional tool for the Red Bull product, with no history or sporting tradition. Fans have vented their anger in every game, which have been marked by anti-Red Bull banners and chants, while the team bus has also been attacked with paint. Ingolstadt's 2015 promotion to the Bundesliga under then coach Ralph Hasenhuettl was also unwelcome for some because local car maker and investor Audi had been equally generous in its support of the team. The Austrian coach left this summer to take over at Leipzig, who were also promoted, overseeing their sensational run as his former team languish in last place. Hasenhuettl accepts he may get a hostile reception when his team travel to Ingolstadt. "I am sure there will be a few people who still do not understand why I left Ingolstadt," he said. "But if someone is developing faster than the club then you sit down and find a solution. " "That is the case both for players and coaches. I had my own goals that I wanted to follow and the decision, as you can see, was not that wrong. " His team's attractive attacking game has seen them score 29 goals, as many as champions Bayern Munich, while their defensive record is the second best in the league. By contrast Ingolstadt have the worst attack in the Bundesliga with just 10 goals in 13 matches. But Ingolstadt coach Maik Walpurgis believes his goal-shy team could still conjure a surprise result on Saturday. "Even if we are the underdogs it can happen. But for it to happen everything must work perfectly on Saturday," said Bundesliga newcomer Walpurgis, who took over a month ago. Bayern, in second place on 30 points, three behind Leipzig, host struggling VfL Wolfsburg while fellow title rivals Borussia Dortmund, in sixth place on 24, travel to Cologne. (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann)

2016-12-08 06:41 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

65 /100 65 /100 2.2 Man suffering head trauma found dead in Greensboro roadway GREENSBORO, N. C. – A man suffering head trauma was found dead in a Greensboro roadway early Thursday morning.

Officers responded to the 200 block of Wiley Street at about 2:40 a.m. in reference to a report of a subject down in the roadway.

Arriving officers found the unresponsive victim suffering from head trauma. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The identity of the victim has not been released. Dispatch confirmed that he had been shot.

Preliminary information indicates that the manner of death is homicide, Greensboro police said in a press release. The investigation is ongoing.

In another incident, Greensboro police are also investigating after a woman was found dead at an apartment complex Wednesday night.

Ashley Renee Cozart, 26, of Greensboro, was pronounced dead after officers responded to 900 Lowdermilk St., Apartment J, shortly before 10:30 p.m.

Cozart was pronounced dead at the scene. Another unidentified victim was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and is currently in critical condition.

Police believe the incident at the apartment was not a random act.

2016-12-08 06:39 Web Staff myfox8.com

66 /100 2.6 Russian missile test goes wrong when rocket destroys launcher A Russian missile test has been captured going spectacularly wrong as a rocket destroys its launcher on film. The s-300 missile is fired into the sky in Ashuluk, Russia, but it becomes immediately clear there is not enough power behind it. Footage captures the rocket as it slowly stops rising, and begins to fall back to Earth towards where it was launched from with devastating consequences. The person recording the clip understandably takes cover, and by the time the camera is panned back to the scene of the incident, the launcher has been destroyed. Huge flames, deafening bangs can be seen and heard coming from the base and enormous plumes of smoke rise from the ruin. The mishap comes amid reports Russia has given up on launching strikes from Vladimir Putin's sole aircraft carrier the Admiral Kuztnetsov. Satellite images obtained by IHS Jane's show the Su-33s and MiG-29KR jets previously aboard the warship are now in Syrian air base Hmeymim, according to the Business Insider. The Kuztnetsov has been plagued by malfunctions in a calamitous voyage from Russia to the Mediterranean in an attempt to oust Syria's President Bashar Assad.

2016-12-08 06:35 Gareth Davies www.dailymail.co.uk

67 /100 0.9 Earth could be DESTROYED in fiery inferno as sun swells to 100 times its size Life on Earth will be burnt to a crisp in five billion years' time. By then, the sun will grow to a hundred times bigger than it is today, swallowing up Mercury and Venus, before it dies as a white dwarf star two billion years later, according to a new study. This sneak preview into the future of our solar system was provided by a neighbouring star 208 light years away from Earth. International astronomers used the most powerful radio telescope in the world to look at the star L2 Puppis. Five billion years ago, the star was very similar to the sun as it is today. But now it is a red giant star, a dying star in the last stages of stellar evolution. The team from Leuven, Belgium, presented the new findings in a paper published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. Professor Leen Decin, from the KU Leuven Institute of Astronomy, said: 'Five billion years from now, the sun will have grown into a red giant star, more than a hundred times larger than its current size. 'It will also experience an intense mass loss through a very strong stellar wind. 'The end product of its evolution, seven billion years from now, will be a tiny white dwarf star. 'This will be about the size of the Earth, but much heavier: one tea spoon of white dwarf material weighs about five tons.' While this metamorphosis into the giant star will change the solar system, scientists are unsure what will happen to the third rock from the sun. 'But the fate of the Earth is still uncertain,' Professor Decin added. 'We already know that our sun will be bigger and brighter, so that it will probably destroy any form of life on our planet. 'But will the Earth's rocky core survive the red giant phase and continue orbiting the white dwarf?' To find a possible clue they observed L2 Puppis, a star 208 light years away from Earth which in astronomy terms means nearby. This was done by using the ALMA radio telescope, which consists of 66 individual radio antennas that together form a giant virtual telescope with a 10-mile (16 km) diameter. 'We discovered that L2 Puppis is about 10 billion years old,' PhD student in Astrophysics Ward Homan said. 'Five billion years ago, the star was an almost perfect twin of our sun as it is today, with the same mass. 'One third of this mass was lost during the evolution of the star. The same will happen with our sun in the very distant future.' Researchers detected an object orbiting the giant star, 186 million miles (300 million kilometres) from L2 Puppis, or twice the distance between the sun and the Earth,. In all likelihood, this is a planet that offers a unique preview of our Earth five billion years from now. Further research about L2 Puppis and its planet will shed light on the final evolution of the sun and its impact on the planets in our solar system.

2016-12-08 06:34 Abigail Beall www.dailymail.co.uk

68 /100 0.0 The world's longest airline routes With aircraft design becoming more fuel- efficient -- and time-starved passengers more demanding -- the race is on to create commercial long- haul flights that span ever greater distances.

Already Qantas is believed to be plotting a London to Perth leg when it receives its first Boeing 787 -- also known as the Dreamliner -- in 2017. That's a distance of 14,470 kilometers (8991 miles).

In the meantime, other airlines are jostling for position to offer flights that cover the greatest distance in the shortest possible time.

But even at full stretch, the world's longest routes are nudging 17 hours, making the world's great "red-eye" flights even more fatiguing.

Following on from our feature on the world's shortest airline routes , CNN is reaching for the melatonin, pulling down the eyeshades and dragging on the compression socks to bring you the world's longest air routes.

READ: Flying from New York to London in 11 minutes

World's longest air route

There is strong competition for this spot. The Gulf carriers Emirates and Qatar Airways are locked in a struggle for their Dubai-Auckland and Doha-Auckland ultra-long-haul flights.

In March, Emirates claimed the title of the world's longest commercial flight, completing the 14,200 kilometers (8,824 miles) to the New Zealand city.

Qatar Airways announced plans to launch flights from Doha to Auckland later this year or early in 2017. This leg will just pip Emirates at 14,539 kilometers (9,034 miles).

READ: Emirates completes world's longest nonstop flight

Longest regular nonstop route by time

Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Auckland (New Zealand)

Airline: Emirates. (DXB-AKL). Distance: 8,824 miles (14,200 kilometers)

In terms of time alone, Emirates takes pole position with its Auckland flights.

Flown daily by a Boeing 777-200LR configured for 266 passengers, it takes 16 hours on the outbound leg (it completed its maiden voyage in 16 hours and 24 minutes) and 17 hours and 15 minutes on the return flight.

As of October 31, the airline began plying the route with the Airbus A380, the longest route yet to be served by the giant airliner.

Longest route in terms of distance

Delhi (India) to San Francisco (United States)

Airline: Air India. (DEL-SFO). Distance: 9,408 miles (15,140 kilometers)

Air India now flies to San Francisco via the Pacific rather than via the usual polar route -- a move that saves valuable fuel.

The new route for the Boeing 777-200LR means Air India can take advantage of the high- altitude jet stream, giving it speed-boosting tailwinds all the way to San Francisco.

The return leg then takes advantage of the polar route.

While the long-haul flight clocks up 1,000 more miles, it takes two hours off the journey at just over 15 hours.

Longest international flight in near future

Doha (Qatar) to Auckland (New Zealand)

Airline: Qatar Airways. (DOH-AKL). Distance: 9,032 miles (14,535 kilometers). Starts on February 5, 2017

As Doha is slightly west of Dubai, the moment Qatar Airways launches its own nonstop flight to Auckland it will be able to claim first place in the ranking (also in terms of time). This flight, which is expected to begin operation in February 2017, will also be plied by the reliable Boeing 777-200LR.

Longest nonstop domestic flight

Paris to La Réunion (France)

Airlines: Air Austral, XL Airways. (CDG-RUN). Distance: 5,809 miles (9,348 kilometers)

Airlines: Air France, Corsair, French Blue (planned). (ORY-RUN). Distance: 5,802 miles (9,337 kilometers)

Believe it or not, it is neither Russia, nor Canada, nor the US, but France that can lay claim to the longest nonstop domestic flight.

This trick of geography and history, which means French overseas territories (or département d'outre-mer ) have the same status as their metropolitian equivalents in mainland France, makes the long-haul flight from Paris to the island of La Réunion, in the Southern Indian Ocean, the world's longest domestic flight.

There are no shortage of airlines linking Roland Garros airport (named after the WWI aviator and native of the island who also gives his name to the French Open tennis grand slam) to both Paris international airports, Charles de Gaulle and Orly.

Longest domestic flight over continuous territory

Moscow Vnukovo to Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky (Russia)

Airline: Rossiya Airlines. (VKO-PKC). Distance: 4,227 miles (6,803 kilometers)

Moscow Sheremetyevo to Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky (Russia)

Airline: Aeroflot. (SVO-PKC). Distance: 4,203 miles (6,764 kilometers)

Russia is such a large land mass that its domestic flights can put a New York to London transatlantic hop in the shade.

Aeroflot and its subsidiary, Rossiya, operate regular flights between Moscow and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the gateway to a mountainous peninsula on Russia's Pacific coast.

Once famous as a submarine base, Kamchatka is now best known for its volcanoes.

Longest domestic flight with a stop

Paris CDG to Papeete (France), via Los Angeles (United States)

Airline: Air France. (CDG-LAX-PPT). Distance: 5,669 + 4,095 = 9,765 miles (15,715 kilometers)

Once again, France's overseas territories do the trick.

Although French Polynesia is out of range for any Paris-based airliner, a convenient refueling stop at Los Angeles International airport makes it possible for Air France's Boeing 777s to reach Tahiti from Europe in less than 24 hours. Trans-Pacific island-hopper

Honolulu (United States) to Majuro (Marshall Islands) to Kwajalein (Marshall Islands) to Pohnpei (Micronesia) to Chuuk (Micronesia) to Guam (United States)

Airline: United Airlines. It takes more than 14 hours.

Although not strictly a non-stop flight, United Airlines Flight 154 and its return counterpart, UA 155, deserve a mention here.

This flight links Honolulu to Guam, but what makes it special is that, rather than doing so directly, it hops from atoll to atoll across the immensity of the Pacific Ocean, making stops at Majuro, Kwajalein (both in the Marshall Islands), Pohnpei and Chuuk (in the Federated States of Micronesia).

It takes more than 14 hours to complete the itinerary and the aircraft, a narrow-bodied Boeing 737-800, carries an extra crew on-board.

In this way, UA154 preserves the legacy of what was one of the legendary air routes of the pre- war period, when Pan Am's flying boats, the famous China Clipper among them, flew between Alameda (California) and Manila by way of Honolulu, Midway Island, Wake Island and Guam.

READ: The world's shortest airline routes

2016-12-08 06:33 Miquel Ros edition.cnn.com

69 /100 2.6 Sienna Miller stays cosy in long tawny coat and red checkered blouse as she arrives at LAX following Live By Night photocall Emma Gould, the mistress of a powerful mobster in the movie, showed off her unique flare for fashion in the ensemble which made the most of her petite physique. As ever, the natural beauty was cutting edge in her look, as she wowed in the striped gown complete with red and blue animal print alongside black stripes. The top was styled into a crossover at the bust before nipping into a skirt at the base which featured a jagged asymmetric hem. The mother-of-one, who shares daughter Marlowe Ottoline Layng with her ex-fiancé Tom Sturridge, looked phenomenal in the flirty getup. Sienna's bouncy blonde tresses were worn in loose waves which were perfectly layered to add volume. Her make-up was flawlessly applied, with fluttering false eyelashes accentuating her wide eyes while a dab of pink gloss plumped her pout. Zoe meanwhile looked sensational in her knitted dress which boasted flimsy straps in a mustard colour with a navy body. while her slender hips were surrounded with a thick frill. She kept her beauty look totally natural as she wore her hair in loose waves while pulling tendrils off her face to make the most of her glowing complexion. The stunning pair were joined by their co-star and director Ben Affleck, 44, who looked dashing in a crew-neck red jumper. His famously handsome good looks were enhanced by his salt and pepper coloured beard and hair - proving he is ageing with grace. Ben plays a 1920s gangster in upcoming crime drama in where he used a Boston for the prohibition-era flick. In a teaser trailer released on last month, he is seen playing Joe Coughlin, the son of the Boston police superintendent, who chooses to live the life of an outlaw, turning his back on his strict upbringing. Chris Cooper, Brendan Gleeson and Chris Messina also star in movie based on the book by Dennis Lehane. Ben directs and also adapted the screenplay for the movie which is slated for release January 13 2017. He also produced the flick along with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran. In a promotional interview, Zoe explained her choice to star in the film: 'I would never have considered gangster movies.' But as she told Los Angeles Confidential, which she's covered for its Awards Season Special issue, she wound up asking herself: '"Why not do that? "' Per her description, 'I just told myself: "Why not just work with Ben Affleck? Why not just play an Afro-Cuban that sells molasses to make rum in the 1920s in Florida? "' She had nothing but kind words for Ben, who's also written, starred in and co- produced the adaptation of Dennis Lehane's eponymous 2012 novel. 'He just has a great deal of empathy for what we go through as actors,' she effused, 'so his dynamic on a set is much friendlier, much more relaxed, more levelled.' As she reminisced, 'Every day, every scene, every conversation I would have with Ben, I just felt really hooked. Like: "Okay, whatever input I’m adding, he’s really considering it. "'

2016-12-08 06:27 Matthew Wright www.dailymail.co.uk

70 /100 0.0 Visible branding, black tights and wearing a belt with a suit: Etiquette expert reveals the fashion mistakes that are making YOU look common Much can be discovered about a person by their clothes. But as ever, there are sartorial signposts and wardrobe tell- tales that reveal much about a person’s hopes, dreams, aspirations and social position. Follow my new guide on key social fashion faux pas to avoid to ensure you stay ‘en trende’. Popping your polo shirt collar A polo shirt is a versatile garment, ideal for casual weekends lazing about at home during warmer months. Some even opt to wear these out of the house but elect to ‘pop’ the collar (wear it folded upwards) to give a perceived ‘preppy’ look. But be aware that this does not achieve what many think it does as those who choose to ‘pop’ are generally those who have not attended a private school (even a minor suburban one). Those who did attend such a school wear the collars down as they don’t feel the need to flaunt it. Ditch the tie clip Nothing shrieks ‘spiv’ more than a tie-clip. Fine to wear them if you wish to look like a try-hard candidate from The Apprentice but they are now de trop and a superfluous accessory that should be avoided, please. Branding Are Armani paying you to advertise their clothes? How much is Polo Ralph Lauren sponsoring you, chappie? If any clothing manufacturer or designer logo is bigger than the size of a thumbnail then you really need to reconsider your outfit. You are not supposed to be a human billboard for the brand and you’re making yourself look gauche. Less is more… or preferably none at all. Buckles on suits are a no-go Is that a fallen satellite I see, blinding all who catch sight of it? Oh no, mea culpa, it’s just your belt buckle. What does that huge, king-size monstrosity do that a smaller, subtler equivalent can’t? Perhaps it’s compensating for something? Side note – belts should not be worn with suits. Instead, braces should be worn (button fastened ones, never clip-on braces). Top pocket hankies must be worn correctly A top pocket handkerchief (a pochette, if you want to impress) is an optional accessory for a man when wearing a suit, but to remain safely in the realms of the English PLU it must never be a straight across fold (yes, I know the Duke of Edinburgh does this but it is technically wrong) or show the edges of the handkerchief, even if they are decorated. You want to have it arranged into a plume, and nothing else. Wedding banned Men of the aristocracy do not wear jewellery. This used to include wearing a watch, but modern life has meant that watches are now excluded from this rule. But when it comes to a wedding band the rule has not changed. Prince William upheld the tradition when it was announced on his wedding day in 2011 that he wouldn’t be wearing a ring. (Women – if you now shriek the roof down that this means the man is going to cheat then you need to take a better look at your relationship, which is clearly not as secure as it should be.) Gentlemen do not undress for dinner One of the (many) signs of a true gentleman is that he never, under any circumstances, removes his dinner jacket. This also applies for the bow tie, which is hand-tied, of course. So many events (often seen in advert-riddled regional magazines featuring ‘society’ pages) see men arrive dressed more-or-less smarty and then whip their jackets off before heading to the bar for a pre-dinner drink. Why bother getting dressed at all? The ‘James Bond’ look of the bowtie hanging down the shirt at the end of the evening may be consciously shunned, too. Let’s put it this way, the Bond in the original books never did this. The Bond in the (American-produced) films does. You can leave your hat on… … well, you can’t, actually. Not if you are male. On pain of death, a man must remove any hat (fedora, bowler, trilby, flat cap, baseball cap, beanie) when entering a building. The exceptions are lifts and hotel lobbies, where it may remain atop the head if the overcoat isn’t removed. Women, on the other hand, may keep theirs on as their hats are part of the whole outfit, not accessories. BUT – there is a time to take them off – 6pm, to be precise. Then it’s tiara time. Hair today For a man to be even considered socially solid the direction of their hair must be backward: brushed backward, and with little visible product. Hair that is brushed forward, towards the face is a sign of a lower-class haircut. Younger, male members of the sprauncy set have recently adopted an ‘upwards’ style, where the hair is moulded pointing towards the sky. This is fine if under the age of thirty-five. For women of the candlelight supper class, hair must never be ‘long’ after the age of forty, or thereabouts. Black tights The more modern trend for young women to wear black tights is popular but not acceptable. Thinner, more opaque tights are correct. A little less mascara What a relief it was to have the now Duchess of Cambridge come along many years ago to give impressionable girls a positive role model for their appearance. The Kate Middleton look is always going to trump the Katie Price one of wearing half the Debenhams make-up concession on the face. Any sign of underwear is a BIG faux pas I don’t want to see the elastic on a man’s underpants, and neither do I want to see a woman’s bra straps. Thankfully, now we are in December, this is a rarity but in the summer it’s bra straps ahoy everywhere you turn. Showing one’s underwear is a sure way to seal your sartorial social segregation.

2016-12-08 06:26 William Hanson www.dailymail.co.uk

71 /100 1.0 Oor Nicola! Sturgeon undergoes the cartoon treatment to appear alongside Oor Wullie on her 2016 Christmas card With no traditional festive setting it might seem like a strange choice for the First Minister’s official Christmas card. The almost colourless scene featuring one of Scotland’s best-loved comic creations is a far cry from what might have been expected. But on Oor Wullie’s 80th anniversary, Nicola Sturgeon felt he was perfect to grace her 2016 card – along with herself, of course. She underwent the cartoon treatment to star with the loveable troublemaker and can be seen peeking out from behind Wullie’s shed after leaving him a gift. The First Minister became the latest big political name to unveil her 2016 Christmas card, two days after Chancellor Philip Hammond revealed a festive image of his Welsh terrier, Rex, and dachshund named Oscar on the steps of No 11 Downing Street. It is the first year Ms Sturgeon's face has been shown on her Christmas card. In last year’s version, featuring children’s book character Katie Morag, she could be seen but her face was hidden. This year’s design, unveiled yesterday, was created by Peter Davidson, who illustrates the Broons and Oor Wullie for the Sunday Post. The text was added by former series editor Morris Heggie. The original artwork will be auctioned for charity next year. Though the card has no message on the front, inside it says ‘Season’s Greetings’, with the Gaelic translation ‘Beannachdan aig am na Nollaige’. A message from Miss Sturgeon will say: ‘Wishing you bucket loads o’cheer for Christmas… and a guid New Year!’ She said Oor Wullie as a ‘much- loved national treasure’, adding: ‘I am delighted on Wullie’s 80th anniversary, Peter and Morris have created a unique illustration’. Mr Davidson said he was ‘very honoured’ to have been asked to design it. Relations between Mr Hammond's pooches and Larry got off to a bad start last month after their arrival in Downing Street. Mr Hammond confessed to friends that Rex and Oscar had not been allowed out of his flat at Number 10 because Larry patrols his domain downstairs at Number 10. Some have interpreted the frosty relationship between Mr Hammond's dogs and No. 10's Larry as symbolic of the relationship between the Chancellor and the Prime Minister. A friend of the Mr Hammond told the Telegraph : 'The dogs are not free to roam around the house. The cat is all over the place. 'Larry fights, he is pretty feisty. The dachshund is pretty small and I am not at all sure if it really came to a punch up who would come off best.' Tory MP Nigel Evans has already sent out his cards and one has emerged on Twitter. The front features an image of the Ribble Valley MP on the Commons terrace clutching a mug - which on close examination is a picture of him with Donald Trump. Recipients will not miss the image inside the card however, where it is reproduced in full with the message: 'Wishing you a Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year - I hope it ''trumps'' 2016!'

2016-12-08 06:16 Rachel Watson www.dailymail.co.uk

72 /100 72 /100 0.0 ICUN: Giraffes make 'red list' debut as numbers dramatically fall Giraffe populations have fallen by up to 40% over the last 30 years, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says in the latest edition of its "Red List" of endangered species.

The gentle giants' numbers have dipped from as many as 163,000 in 1985 to just over 97,000 last year, according to the report.

The steep decline was one of the headline statistics from the report, and is driven by "habitat loss, civil unrest and illegal hunting," it states. Elsewhere, of the 742 newly recognized bird species in the list, 11% are considered threatened -- and 13 already listed as "extinct. "

"Many species are slipping away before we can even describe them," IUCN Director General Inger Andersen said in response to the report's publication. "This IUCN Red List update shows that the scale of the global extinction crisis may be even greater than we thought. "

Among bird species under threat is the African grey parrot, a popular pet, which is now classed as "Endangered" on the list because of "unsustainable trapping and habitat loss. "

Across animals, birds, insects, aquatic life and plants, the list now includes 85,604 species, of which 24,307 -- over a third -- are threatened with extinction.

Rare white giraffe may be happy, but its life is in danger

'Silent extinction'

The plunge in the number of wild giraffe prompted the group to move the animals from the "least concern" rating to "vulnerable," in the report.

"Whilst giraffes are commonly seen on safari, in the media and in zoos, people -- including conservationists -- are unaware that these majestic animals are undergoing a silent extinction," IUCN co-Chairman Julian Fennessy, was quoted as saying.

"With a decline of almost 40% in the last three decades alone, the world's tallest animal is under severe pressure in some of its core ranges across East, Central and West Africa. As one of the world's most iconic animals, it is timely that we stick our neck out for the giraffe before it is too late. "

Of nine subspecies of giraffe, five are declining in numbers, while three have increasing populations and one is stable.

Lost lion population discovered in remote Ethiopia park Lake Victoria species threatened

Lake Victoria is under special scrutiny in this report. All freshwater molluscs and fish, as well as crabs and dragonflies, native to Africa's largest freshwater body are included on the red list.

"Key threats to Lake Victoria -- known as Darwin's dream pond due to its high biodiversity -- include invasive species such as the Nile perch ... overharvesting, sedimentation due to logging and agriculture, as well as water pollution from pesticides and herbicides," the report states.

At-risk flora is included, with 233 wild relatives of crops, including barley, oats and sunflowers added to the list. The often overlooked category is key for continued diversity and resistance, the report adds.

"Crop wild relatives are a source of genetic material for new and existing crop species, allowing for increased disease and drought resistance, fertility, nutritional value and other desirable traits. "

Four mango species have been listed as "endangered," and one, the Kalimantan mango, moved to the "extinct in the wild" category.

Only 4 northern white rhinos left on earth

2016-12-08 06:16 Euan McKirdy rss.cnn.com

73 /100 1.3 How to spot a lazy corner-cutting colleague: Experts reveal the warning signs of a 'secret slacker' Everyone has worked with a least one employee who doesn't pull their weight, causing us to wonder how the every got the job in the first place. New research claims that as many as one in four colleagues are 'secret slackers' who regularly skip tasks that are part of their job. The study has even pinpointed the traits that may make lazy workers easier to spot. Peter O'Connor, Senior Lecturer, Business and Management, Queensland University of Technology and Peter Karl Jonason, Senior Lecturer in Personality or Individual Differences, Western Sydney University explain in an article for The Conversation. In a newly published study, we found that employees who 'cut corners' tend to be morally compromised, low in conscientiousness, self-focused and impulsive. This in addition to the potential for corner-cutting to increase risks. Surveying more than 1,000 Australians and Americans, we found approximately one in four employees regularly cut corners. Men are slightly more likely to cut corners than women. Cutting corners is a workplace behaviour characterised by skipping or avoiding steps important to a task, in order to complete the task sooner. Corner-cutting is generally considered an undesirable behaviour, with research linking it to a range of negative outcomes such as low job performance, safety violations and serious injuries. Although corner-cutting comes with a set of risks, it also comes with a clear possible benefit – cutting corners can possibly lead to greater productivity. Consistent with this, studies have shown that corner-cutting is more likely in jobs characterised by high demands and few resources. It is also more likely in organisations that prioritise efficiency over risks. However, even in such organisations, corner-cutting is openly discouraged. Mistakes caused by employees cutting corners are typically met with harsh consequences. To investigate whether corner-cutters can be identified, we surveyed employees from a range of industries including health care, education, hospitality, retail and construction. We looked at several demographic variables and personality traits to determine who is more or less likely to cut corners at work. We focused on both common personality traits (e.g., extraversion, conscientiousness) as well as 'darker' personality traits (e.g., Machiavellianism, narcissism). We didn't just stop at a questionnaire. We also exposed employees to a hypothetical scenario where they could choose to cut corners or not. We conducted two variations of the study across Australia and the US. Across both studies, we found that both common and darker personality traits were associated with corner-cutting. Most significantly, corner-cutters were likely to be low in conscientiousness, low in honesty and high in psychopathy (i.e., impulsive, callous social attitudes). Corner-cutters also scored high in Machiavellianism (i.e., manipulation, self-interest) and narcissism (i.e., grandiosity, pride). Age and gender were also factors in corner-cutting, such that employees who cut corners at work tended to be younger and male. But there are also various contexts that play into the decision to cut corners. While a third of employees cut corners when it would likely save them time, they were less likely to do so if they could be reprimanded (only one in six employees cut corners in this situation), or if there was the potential for a poor-quality outcome (only one in four cut corners then). These results paint a seemingly negative picture of workplace corner-cutters as individuals who are generally self-interested and low in conscientiousness. However, it is plausible that employees sometimes cut corners with noble intentions. For example, the related concept of 'workarounds' refers to the more accepted behaviour of 'clever methods for getting done what the system does not let you do easily'. To explore this possibility, we investigated whether corner-cutters were more proactive than those who tend not to cut corners. Our results strongly suggested that this was generally not the case. Proactive employees were not more likely to achieve their goals by cutting corners at work, even when their goal was to save time. In fact, we found that proactive individuals were slightly less likely to cut corners at work than non-proactive individuals. We also found little relation between corner-cutting and career success. There was no relationship between corner-cutting and income. However, it was associated with higher income for those who scored high in psychopathy. This indicates that while corner-cutting generally does not relate to career success, it can result in career benefits for impulsive, self-focused individuals. These individuals are likely to cut corners as a strategy to be more productive, despite possible costs to the organisation or co-workers. Overall, we found that corner-cutting is not a desirable workplace behaviour. Those most likely to cut corners are likely to be poor performers aiming to meet minimimal standards in contrast to good performers looking to excel. The possible exception is individuals high in psychopathy looking for short-cuts to get ahead. Clearly, it makes sense to minimise the number of employees with corner-cutting tendencies. This is particularly true for jobs in which mistakes caused by cutting corners can lead to serious injury (e.g., jobs in mining, construction). At the very least, we suggest employers take into account certain characteristics of applicants (e.g., conscientiousness, psychopathy) when selecting for such positions.

2016-12-08 06:09 Peter O www.dailymail.co.uk

74 /100 74 /100 0.0 More flights into Cape Town adds up to a lot of moolah Alan Winde‚ Minister of Economic Opportunities‚ said there had been a significant increase in international arrivals at Cape Town International Airport since the launch of the Cape Town Air Access initiative.

Cape Town Air Access is a partnership between the Western Cape Government‚ the City of Cape Town‚ Airports Company of South Africa and Cape Town Tourism.

Tourism employs 204‚000 people in the Western Cape. Under the Project Khulisa growth strategy‚ the Western Cape Government is seeking to add up to a further 100‚000 jobs to the sector.

Winde said Project Khulisa identified making it easier for people to travel to the region as one of the drivers to grow tourism.

“We have secured six new routes and eight route expansions‚ resulting in over half a million more two-way seats coming into Cape Town. Since July last year‚ this additional capacity generated R3 billion in tourism spend for the Western Cape. Between September and October 2016‚ 147‚622 international arrivals were recorded at Cape Town International Airport‚ up from 119‚451 passengers last year. International air arrivals into Cape Town are increasing by 22% year-on-year.”

Winde said increased air access made a significant impact on jobs and growth.

“Three thousand jobs are supported by each regularly scheduled long haul flight‚ and for every 10% increase in passenger numbers the regional economy grows by 2%. These figures illustrate the value of increased air access.”

Winde added that forward bookings from the airlines showed increases from several countries.

“British Airways this summer added three Boeing 777-200 flights from Gatwick to Cape Town to meet the increasing demand on that route. Across airlines‚ bookings from the United Kingdom for the summer season are up by 15%. Last week‚ Lufthansa Airlines launched its all-year non- stop flight between Frankfurt and Cape Town. Germany is our second largest tourism source market and we welcome 170 000 German tourists each year. There’s a 17% increase in bookings from Germany for our summer season this year.”

Winde said the Western Cape was set to welcome large numbers of international and local tourists during the 2016/17 summer season. “We are set for a bumper peak period.”

2016-12-08 06:04 TMG Digital www.timeslive.co.za

75 /100 75 /100 2.6 Earth may soon have 25 hours a day, scientists say With so little time and so much to do, most people wish an extra hour each day to get things done.

That idea may turn into reality, as researchers at Durham University and the UK’s Nautical Almanac Office predict there will be 25 hours in a day in the near future.

Due to the slowing orbit over the past 27 centuries, the average day has lengthened at a rate of almost two milliseconds (ms) per 100 years, according to Sky News .

After gathering evidence from historical accounts of eclipses and celestial events that date back all the way from 720 BC, the researchers concluded that this phenomena may not be too far off.

“It’s a very slow process,” retired astronomer and study lead co-author Leslie Morrison said in the report.

Earlier studies indicated that it takes about 5.2 million years to add one minute to every day.

However, Morrison insists that their data showed that Earth’s orbit is not slowing as rapidly as first anticipated.

“These estimates are approximate, because the geophysical forces operating on the Earth’s rotation will not necessarily be constant over such a long period of time,” he explained.

Apart from looking back at previous celestial observations, the team also referred to the gravitational theories about the movement of Earth around the Sun, as well as the Moon around Earth, in order to clarify the timing of future eclipses.

Upon collation, the group compared previous observations recorded by ancient Babylonians, Chinese, Greeks, Arabs and medieval Europeans.

“For example, the Babylonian tablets, which are written in cuneiform script, are stored at the British Museum and have been decoded by experts there and elsewhere,” Morrison said.

The team has yet to determine an exact timeline of the possible shift, but Morrison said it could still be influenced by several factors, including Earth’s altering shape due to shrinking polar ice cap, electro-magnetic interactions between the mantle and core, and changes in the sea level. Khristian Ibarrola

2016-12-08 00:00 Khristian Ibarrola technology.inquirer.net

76 /100 76 /100 1.3 The Human Spirit: Mending the world two persons at a time The Long Island Orthodox synagogue has reputedly invited only three women to speak from the podium. The first was Avital Sharansky, who fought a successful campaign that freed her husband Anatoly/Natan from Russian prison in 1986. The second woman speaker was Rachelle Sprecher Fraenkel, an acclaimed Torah educator and advocate for Jewish unity, whose son Naftali was kidnapped and murdered together with Gil-Ad Shaer and Eyal Yifrah by terrorists on June 12, 2014. And just recently, there was a third woman: Tzili Schneider.

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Less well-known, Schneider is the founder of the Jewish Connection (Kesher Yehudi), an organization that links some 8,000 nonobservant Jews with 8,000 extremely religious study partners. Sixteen thousand, as she wryly points out, is almost enough votes for a Knesset seat. I point out that the number is approaching that of the students of Rabbi Akiva (c.40-137), whose death by plague is remembered in the mourning period after Passover. Twelve thousand pairs of study partners died for not treating each other with respect. I suggest that she is providing the corrective correlative. Mutual respect is the core of Schneider’s program. I first met Schneider in 2007 when she was already two years into making study-partner matches under the aegis of an outreach organization. Headquarters was an apartment in a religious neighborhood of Jerusalem, where a cluster of modestly dressed women toiled in front of computer screens, making matches between observant and nonobservant women who would study Torah together. The program, which would become the Jewish Connection, would later expand to do the same for men and to create other opportunities for bringing together groups that were suspicious of, and antagonistic to, each other. Schneider grew up in a hassidic family in Mea She’arim and continues to live a strictly observant lifestyle. She found an outlet for her inborn creativity and outgoingness within her community by becoming both a filmmaker and social activist. The Jewish Connection was born in a hospital maternity ward. An instant sorority is created among the women in the emotional days after childbirth. Talk goes quickly from shared tips for diaper rash to deeper conversations. Schneider was interested in the dreams and aspirations of her roommates, who were equally curious about hers. They didn’t only want to know about exotic elements of religious life, but to know more about Torah. Schneider, who has 11 children and works full-time, believes that even the busiest person can find half an hour every week to have a Torah-based study session by phone with a partner – hevruta – who has a different life perspective. Meaningful friendships frequently evolve, and phone study partners often decide to meet. Her first religious participants came from among her own relatives and friends. A requirement was to understand the reciprocity of the connection. No preaching. Each partner would learn from the other. “Torah is superglue,” Schneider says. “Nothing else can hold like it. Sometimes nonobservant Jews will suggest we spend half the time on Bialik and Shakespeare and half on Torah. But my point is exactly the opposite: the Torah we share belongs equally to all of us. If a king has two sons, and one is studious and loyal and the other interested in travel and adventures, don’t they both inherit from the king when he passes away? Of course they do!” The Jewish Connection won the 2016 Jerusalem Unity Prize, created in memory of the aforementioned kidnapped youngsters whose plight brought together the hopes, prayers and efforts of the nation for the 18 days until they were found brutally murdered. It’s awarded in the presence of the president to those who not only practice and encompass unity in their own lives but who “drive inclusive imitative forward, in influencing the lives of others.” Although the phone study program is the Jewish Connection’s flagship, a relatively new initiative was recognized for the Unity Prize. Schneider was recruited to link young men studying in nonreligious pre-military academies – where they prepare for service in the IDF – with yeshiva study partners, in person, not by phone. The connection seemed unlikely: the idealistic soon-to-be front-line soldiers and officers studying with those who have opted out of military service. But it worked. In Operation Protective Edge, the 2014 war in Gaza, Schneider’s cellphone rang with an unfamiliar number. A soldier would be getting a few hours off not far from the action. In addition to seeing his parents, he wanted to study with his hevruta, but he wasn’t able to get in touch. Schneider found the study partner in his yeshiva. “I wish I could say that the student immediately agreed to race down to strengthen his study partner,” she said. “Truth be told, he didn’t want to go. So I called the head of the yeshiva. He personally called a taxi and ordered the student to get into it.” Schneider’s connection to the New York synagogue? Her schism-mending program has reached the shores of America, where nonobservant former Israelis are studying in pairs with religious American Jews. She’s confident that even those suffering from family breaches and high levels of animosity after the last election could reconcile over mutual Torah study. “It can never be that our only connection is through conflict. No matter how bitter the disagreement, superglue will help.” Mending the world two persons at a time.

The author is a Jerusalem writer who focuses on the stories of modern Israel. She serves as the Israel director of public relations for Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. The views in her columns are her own.

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2016-12-08 06:03 BARBARA SOFER www.jpost.com

77 /100 2.7 Best Bites: Cranberry and goat cheese walnut log Welcome to Best Bites, a twice-weekly video series that aims to satisfy your never-ending craving for food content through quick, beautiful videos for the at-home foodie. Check back on Tuesdays and Thursdays for new episodes!

Move over yule log, there's a new and better tasting log this Christmas. It's time to up your holiday party with this delicious creation! Made with creamy goat cheese, cranberries and walnuts, this yummy appetizer will wow your guests!

See the full recipe below!

More Best Bites episodes: Best Bites: Warm winter breakfast bowl Best Bites: Ramen latkes Best Bites: Snowflake Christmas cookies 2016-12-08 06:00 AOL Staff www.aol.com

78 /100 1.4 How HR Can Learn From Past Hiring Mistakes By Joachim Skura

We all make educated guesses. If we make a wrong assumption in our private lives, the consequences are usually harmless. For instance, if I need someone to repaint my house I would assume whichever contractor has been around the longest would do the best job. I’m no expert in the area, but sometimes you just need to make a decision based on a gut feeling or a quick comparison of your options. Worst case, my walls would be missing a coat of paint.

The educated guesses we make at work can have much more serious repercussions. In my experience, these generally fall into two brackets: Assumptions based on unfounded correlations: For instance, there is a widespread belief that Gen Y workers switch jobs more often than their older colleagues. Decisions based on short-term rationale: A prime example of this is the tendency for companies to make HR decisions based only on their current bottom line instead of their long-term goals. I recently covered this topic in greater detail.

Thankfully, a new generation of powerful analytics capabilities enables businesses and HR leaders to make more informed decisions while removing the above biases from the equation.

Source: Oracle

HR assumptions companies make can be quite damaging. For instance, we tend to assume candidates from good schools will better serve the company—but how many organizations actually track this in the long term? Unfortunately, most HR leaders do not take full advantage of HR analytics to make better decisions about employees, largely because they perceive factors like engagement and wellness to be matters of instinct rather than hard numbers.

This simply isn’t true. In fact, a more objective approach to people management helps HR take the bias out of decision-making and instead apply sound principles that benefit the entire organization over time. In the words of the American historian Daniel J. Boorstin, “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.” I’m currently working with a pharmaceuticals company on a sort of “intellectual playground” to look at how analytics can make HR more strategic. On the issue of a potential hire’s previous schooling, one of our projects involves tracking long-term employee performance to see how strong or weak the link is between factors that affected a hiring decision and employee performance over multiple years. The results may yet prove traditional assumptions wrong. Just think of what that would mean for hiring strategies. Related: Oracle HCM Talent Management

The point here is not that one analysis will reveal once and for all which schools companies should target for recruiting efforts. Rather, the argument is that analytics can debunk received wisdom, help us address biases we might not recognize, and provide insights we would never get otherwise.

The challenge with HR analytics is to combine hard data on things like hiring channel tracking, a candidate’s educational background, a worker’s measurable output with soft data on employee engagement, workers’ perceptions of HR, and results from performance reviews. This is the only way to gain a complete picture of how all the relevant factors interact to drive employee success, or stand in its way. It would not be a stretch to say integrated data is the linchpin of intelligent, unbiased HR decision-making.

This analytical approach also helps companies test HR programs more accurately. For example, they can analyze a new intake program on a more frequent basis to see how effective it is and quickly make any changes in light of the patterns revealed in the data. Similarly, the company can pinpoint the combinations of factors that drive certain employees to resign or work for a competitor, and address those issues more proactively.

It’s essential that the right people have convenient access to this data. HR teams and line managers are ultimately in the best position to effect change among employees and must therefore be empowered to do so. So, while the analytics process may be complex, the user controls and outputs must be easy and clear enough for the right people to understand and act on them.

Read the entire post on Oracle.com in the UK.

Joachim Skura is an HCM sales developer at Oracle.

2016-12-08 06:00 Oracle www.forbes.com

79 /100 1.0 Iraqi notes troop losses 'heavy' in Mosul fighting MOSUL, Iraq -- Islamic State counterattacks in southeastern Mosul inflicted heavy losses on Iraqi forces overnight after a new push deeper into the city this week, according to an Iraqi army officer.

2016-12-08 06:00 Despite article.wn.com

80 /100 80 /100 2.2 Project Neon: Buckle up for months of roadwork, lane closures Ricardo Torres-Cortez

A woman looks through Project Neon renderings during a Nevada Department of Transportation public meeting at the Historic Fifth Street School Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016.

By Ricardo Torres-Cortez ( contact )

Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016 | 2 a.m.

With a significant bulk of Project Neon construction expected in 2017, officials on Wednesday night hosted a renderings- oriented meeting to inform the public about the state of the project and upcoming road restrictions.

On the eve of the 389th day since the project was conceived, about a sixth of construction had been completed and just over $100 million spent, which is on track with previous expectations, said Nevada Department of Transportation Project Manager Dale Keller.

There are 950 contract days and $461 million in funding remaining, according to NDOT. The project design is 82 percent completed.

The project is the state’s largest and most expensive ever. Its limits are Interstate 15 between Sahara Avenue and the Spaghetti Bowl, Martin Luther King Boulevard to the west, and Industrial Road to the east.

Starting in December and for two months, there will be 24-hour lane restrictions on U. S. 95 from the Spaghetti Bowl toward Las Vegas Boulevard.

Beginning in January and for three months, there will be 24-hour lane restrictions on U. S. 95 from the Spaghetti Bowl to Valley View Boulevard.

From February to June, all U. S. 95 traffic from the Spaghetti Bowl to Rancho Road will be shifted to southbound lanes. Two lanes will be open in each direction. The same restrictions will continue through December, only traffic will shift to northbound lanes in June.

During the same time frame, access from northbound U. S. 95 to Rancho Road will be closed.

From February to December, there will be periodic closures of Martin Luther King Boulevard for bridge demolition and construction.

The ramp from southbound Interstate 15 to northbound U. S. 95 will shut down for five weeks in the spring.

The southbound U. S. 95 to northbound I-15 ramp will close from June to December.

Beginning in early 2017 and for three months, commuters should expect 24-hour lane restrictions from the Spaghetti Bowl through Washington Avenue.

For three months in the spring, I-15 commuters will encounter similar restrictions from the areas of Desert Inn to Flamingo roads.

Periodic night closures, including ramps, should be expected at those two portions during that time period.

The restrictions will in part be due to the installation of 12 Active Traffic Management systems.

According to NDOT, the systems are full-color and high-resolution notification signs, which will alert motorists of alternate routes, incidents and traffic restrictions. They will be installed on U. S. 95 and I-15 near the Spaghetti Bowl, as far south as Sahara Avenue.

NDOT also announced restrictions to surface streets. For more information, visit, ndotprojectneon.com.

About 50 attendees made their way downtown for the meeting at the Historic Fifth Street School. Large renderings of the project were displayed in the reception and hall areas. Attendees had the opportunity to take a virtual commute — with a steering wheel, gas and brake pedals and a screen — through the completed project.

Several residents of an apartment complex near Alta Drive and Martin Luther King showed up to express their frustration with construction noise. They said they're some of the few remaining in the neighborhood.

"There's no sleep, 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, there's no sleep at all," said Andre Richardson, 56, adding that the work could be heard and felt indoors.

"Construction has deterred our way of life," said another of the residents named Apropos. She said she was also worried about the complex's foundation, since work is being done so close to the building.

During the public comment section, resident Steve Current expounded on the group's concerns and thanked project representatives who he said were addressing their problems.

2016-12-08 06:00 By Ricardo lasvegassun.com

81 /100 2.9 Bring solar back to Nevada and help vets, too By Steven Seroka

Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016 | 2 a.m. In the aftermath of the presidential election, much has been said about the need to bridge divides, build a new American economy and get the country back to work.

As a retired colonel of the United States Air Force, I’ve been thinking about the men and women I served with for 30 years, and those currently in uniform. I find myself asking how I can best serve my country now — and, perhaps improbably, how that desire connects to the clean-energy industry.

It’s no secret that many service members, once they return home, struggle to find jobs that enable them to use their unique technical and leadership skills and that help them continue to serve (and secure) their communities. Despite the debt our country owes them for their many sacrifices, we are failing to provide veterans with meaningful post- service careers in growing fields.

As a Nevadan, I believe we have a special opportunity to develop good-paying, local solar jobs for our state’s heroes.

As the host of several military bases and facilities, including two in Southern Nevada, our state is home to more than 225,000 veterans, who constitute 7 percent of our population. We have a large network of veterans and soon-to-be-discharged members looking for well-paying, skilled jobs. We also have an abundance of sunny, cloudless days, ideal for developing renewable power and attracting businesses investing in solar energy. And the solar industry, booming throughout the country and once growing rapidly throughout the Silver State, helped answer that call.

Just one year ago, nearly 9,000 Nevadans were employed by solar companies, with 9 percent of those jobs going to veterans. The solar industry was booming: jobs grew by 48.5 percent just in 2015, and Nevada was No. 1 in the nation for number of solar jobs per capita. Veterans worked in wide-ranging positions, from warehouse managers to system installers and inspection leads.

Our service members were able to take advantage of a new economic potential and find meaningful work. Beyond providing a steady income for their families, these jobs helped veterans continue their service to our country by reducing our dependence on oil, which puts all our service members — past and present, at home or abroad — at risk.

But that opportunity was put on hold by regulatory decisions that made rooftop solar less attractive to Nevada homeowners, thereby reducing the jobs that came with the solar industry.

If we want to talk about how to create jobs and how to help our men and women in uniform, let’s start by tackling one thing we can all agree on: We need more jobs that put veterans to work.

Gov. Brian Sandoval has begun to address this problem by reconvening the New Energy Industry Task Force, which a couple months ago released a set of recommendations it hopes will be passed by the Nevada Legislature during its 2017 session. Included in those recommendations are policy proposals that could help bring good jobs and a much-needed industry to the state. It is imperative that the governor and members of the Legislature do everything they can to return the well-paying, skilled solar jobs — and create other respectable energy industry jobs, too — that veterans can excel in and that our nation needs. If we want to grow the new economy and create jobs, why not start locally? Let’s show our gratitude to former and active-duty military by committing to provide them a more prosperous, more secure future in sunny Nevada.

Steven Seroka is a retired colonel with a 30-year career in the United States Air Force, a former chief of staff for the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and supporter of Operation Free.

2016-12-08 06:00 By Steven lasvegassun.com

82 /100 0.7 High off the hog: NLV housing development planned for former pig farm L. E. Baskow

Pigs root about their pens at R. C. Farms, Inc., on Wednesday, August 13, 2014.

By Adam Candee ( contact )

Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016 | 2 a.m.

L. E. Baskow

Bob Combs of R. C. Farms Inc. holds one of his many piglets on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014.

Call it porcine intervention in North Las Vegas.

A 150-acre housing development called Sedona Ranch will be built on the site of R. C. Farms, the departing North Las Vegas pig farm owned by Robert and Janet Combs since 1963. R. C. Farms plans to relocate to a site near the Apex landfill northeast of the city center.

The announcement by former North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon came as a welcome surprise to real estate agents assembled Wednesday morning for a presentation at City Hall. Montandon, a broker with Providence Commercial, handled the listing and sale of R. C. Farms, which went on the market in March at an asking price of more than $30 million.

“You guys need to be the ambassadors and the holders of this knowledge,” Montandon said.

Guy Inzalaco, principal and executive vice president of Olympia Companies, purchased the property through a separate venture, Sedona Ranch Investment Partners LLC, for $23 million in November.

Montandon said the last pigs will leave the farm by Jan. 1 and work then will begin on scraping the land, which should ameliorate the noxious odor long associated with the property at North Fifth Street and Ann Road. Real estate agents and city officials expect a boost in home prices in the surrounding neighborhoods as a result of the farm’s departure.

“The closer you get to the pig farm, the lower the prices,” said Susan Rasmussen, a residential broker with Realty One.

Three homebuilders are under consideration for primary work on the project, Montandon said. The mix of builders for the site should be in place by the third quarter of 2017, with a goal of the first homes appearing by the end of the year, he said. Three phases of development are planned. Montandon also said a major grocery store will anchor a retail center on North Fifth Street.

2016-12-08 06:00 By Adam lasvegassun.com

83 /100 0.0 Police superbikes: The new breed of driverless vehicles The design for these futuristic police drones already exists. It's called Interceptor and could soon become a reality.

"It's only the natural evolution of technology," Canadian mechanical engineer Charles Bombardier told CNN.

Bombardier's company, Imaginactive , is a nonprofit organization that inspires the next generation to dream up the vehicles of tomorrow.

Bombardier comes up with his ideas by looking at existing everyday products.

"Traffic cameras have been around for years. But with the advancement of pilotless technology we now have new solutions to the basic needs in our public works systems, including in the area of public safety," he said.

While patrolling, the motorcycle would seamlessly scan license plates and record offenders using real-time video. If a violation is recorded, the drone could automatically issue citations via e-mail, text message or even traditional post.

Existing technology for safer cities

The technology behind these cars already exists. In November, a driverless electric racer completed a successful track test in Marrakech, Morocco.

The battery-powered prototype was tested for a proposed race series where driverless cars will eventually compete on temporary city circuits. Bombardier said that technology can also be put to use to create safer cities.

Imaginactive's police drone means human patrol officers can be reallocated to more urgent police business, instead of wasting time issuing traffic tickets.

According to Bombardier, one police officer could supervise five Interceptor units.

"But these police drones would require a big investment. You would need around $5 million, so they would need to be financed by a government organization," Bombardier told CNN.

His next step is to get the attention of a large public organization, and Bombardier often revamps his ideas to keep his concepts relevant.

Another vision

Brazilian designer Eduardo Arndt is working with Bombardier to develop a new vision called the Brigade. The Brigade, Ardnt says, is inspired by the geometric simplicity of racing motorbikes from the 1980s.

"To counter the vintage look I was going for, I added more modern details like LED headlights and security cameras across the bicycle," Arndt explains.

An ecological future

But both models do more than look cool. Powered by zero emission fuels like hydrogen, the superbikes are also part of a more ecological future.

"The cities of the future that Imaginactive works for will be less polluted. There will also be less road accidents, as driverless automated vehicles can be equipped with technology that detects technical failures such as oil leaks," said Bombardier.

"I assume most people will like seeing them patrol streets night and day, but this is just simple guess," he told CNN.

2016-12-08 05:43 Karla Pequenino rss.cnn.com

84 /100 0.9 What does Christmas mean To Dogs? We all know that the summer months call for plenty of water to avoid your dog over-heating. Just the same, in winter time you need to ensure that they are warm, happy and...

(Source: MBIE - Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment of New Zeland ) Online spending could replace physical shopping at Christmas time for some consumers, but ...

(Credit: Petco) Time for Joy Brown Reindeer Dog Hoodie available at ; $17.49 (Credit: Petco) Time for Joy Santa Illusion Costume available at ; $13.99 (Credit: Petsmart) ...

If you'll be moving the crate around a good deal, or when you reside in a very small space, you might want to have a dog crate that is just big enough. The dog crate...

The Trump family, as far as is publicly known, does not own any animals. Unless something changes, that means that when Donald Trump moves into the White House, he'll be... This article is related to basic information and advice on selecting the Healthiest dog food for your best friend. We genuinely hope the following will be a great help for you to choose the right dog food for your dog. As a dog owner, you should always be on alert mode and seeking the best availed information, and advice on how to understand what is the best and healthiest diet...

Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs 2 has been critically hailed on console as one of the best titles of the holiday season. And for good reason: Watch Dogs 2 blends the hacking elements we craved but were left wanting in the original Watch Dogs, as well as gives players a vibrant game world to explore using multiple tools and skills to do so. It finally breaks the “Ubisoft formula” and...

Jonathan Jones With his song It’s You, Turner-winning artist Martin Creed has made the perfect antidote to the commercialised positivity of Christmas is a time for thinking about the fundamental isolation of being human, if you are Martin Creed. The artist who made the lights go on and off...

How can you solve dog's behavior problems to change their aggression? When you talk about having a pet socially like the dog many owners wants to train them on their own. Because the moment you adopt them in their very young age they will obey and follow you no matter what. Dogs have so many breeds but the most common kind that shows some signs of having behavioral issues is...

BUS drivers have hit out after claiming they have been "banned” from wearing Christmas jumpers behind the wheel. Previous years have seen Lothian Buses drivers spreading a little festive cheer by jazzing up their uniforms with Santa hats and jumpers from December 1. However, staff who arrived in their winter woollies last week were apparently told to take them off because of a...

2016-12-08 05:36 hafis article.wn.com

85 /100 1.1 Solar Impulse founder sees electric passenger plane in 10 years GENEVA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - The co-founder of a project that saw a solar- powered aircraft complete the first fuel-free flight around the world this year expects electric passenger planes to operate in just under 10 years. Bertrand Piccard, who along with fellow pilot Andre Borschberg founded Solar Impulse, also shrugged off concerns that U. S. President-elect Donald Trump's appointment of a fossil fuel industry defender as his top environmental official could hamper global clean technology efforts. Since completing their historic fuel-free flight in July, Piccard and Borschberg have been working on projects to show how the technologies used in their plane can be used in other applications. Borschberg said they were especially interested in how the technology could be used to develop small electric planes with a flying time of about 1.5 hours. The two plan to announce their next project early next year, Borschberg said. "In 9 years and 8 months, you'll have 50 people travelling short-haul on electric planes," Piccard, founder and chairman of Solar Impulse told an IATA airlines association briefing in Geneva. "Why 9 years and eight months? Because since four months, I've been saying it will be '10 years'. It will happen," he added. Piccard said that it didn't matter what people thought about climate change because clean technology was getting cheaper and would help to drive growth. He cited examples of insulation making homes cheaper to live in, of LED lights reducing lighting costs. "Five years ago everything that was clean tech was more expensive - that is not the case today. If the aim is to be profitable and create jobs, then coal is out of business," he said. (Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

2016-12-08 05:30 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

86 /100 2.5 Chris Ostwald branded 'racist' after opening shop called Really British in London A shopkeeper has been branded 'racist' after opening a store that celebrates being British. Chris Ostwald, 54, was shocked when his 'Really British' shop became the centre of a racism storm after it opened in Muswell Hill, north London. Mr Ostwald wants to back our businesses and sells nostalgic British goods - but instead of creating national pride, he caused a furore. Locals were furious with the businessman's patriotic message and he has suffered such an onslaught of criticism that he was forced to take down his Union flags. Mr Ostwald also said that one of his female assistants, a Spanish national, walked out after just one day after being subject to a barrage of abuse. Many of his critics, in the largely pro-Remain borough of Haringey, have accused him of being insensitive during a period of heightened cultural tension. Mr Ostwald said: 'The shop is in no way meant to be 'political' or 'pro Brexit', but we have had a lot of complaints saying it is or we are 'racist'! 'A guy came in the other day and said, 'what's this, a charity shop?' 'We said, 'no, not at all', and he said, 'well it's racist', and stormed out.' He added: 'People have been coming in and just tut tutting and walking out again.' Mr Ostwald has set up his shop selling British-themed gifts, homeware and kitsch in a bid to promote and publicise the best the United Kingdom has to offer. His eclectic range of products include condiments, such as brown sauce, London underground tea towels and 'Muswell Hillbillies' mugs, hailing iconic local band the Kinks album. He also sells suffragette aprons as well as stocking fillers like old-fashioned compasses. But his bold decision to call his store 'Really British' has triggered fury on social media. One man wrote on public Facebook group Muswell Hill and Friends: 'Chris, while I applaud you setting up a business in Muswell Hill and employing local people I'm curious as to why you decided to call your shop 'Really British' (besides the obvious point that you will sell British-made goods)? 'Like many people I live in London because of its international nature, and for me personally having a big sign on the Broadway saying 'Really British' makes me feel you're implying that other local businesses in the area are therefore somehow 'not really British'. 'Some will no doubt say I'm over-sensitive. 'But I can't help thinking that given the recent divisive referendum and the current political climate you might have chosen a more inclusive name in 2016.' Another person on the group asked: 'Do you have to be really British to work in the shop?' Mr Ostwald insisted he's simply backing Britain rather than making controversial political statements. He said: 'When the idea came to me, it was kind of around Brexit time. 'I just thought well now is the time when importing things from Europe is going to cost more money. 'Let's look to our own resources a bit and buy more things from England, promoting our own products,' 'When you go to Sainsbury's, it's all about eat Indian, eat Chinese, eat Italian. 'You have to find the roast dinners somewhere at the back at the bottom shelf. 'They've been pushing continental things for so many years that I feel like we've lost our identity and need to get it back.' Mr Ostwald has also received critical online reviews, including one querying if his goods are Chinese imports rather than British- made. But he retorted: 'We intended the shop to be a celebration of 'Englishness' and want to sell things that are quintessentially British. 'A lot of English designers have things made abroad due to the cost of manufacture here in the UK. 'So we think it's OK to sell them as we are promoting the British way of life, if you like, rather than just strictly 'made in the UK' items.' Haringey is an 'exceptionally diverse and fast-changing borough', according to the hardline Labour-ruled council's website. It boasts about 270,000 people. Almost two-thirds of the population, and over 70% of young people, are from ethnic minority backgrounds. More than 100 languages are spoken in the borough. Haringey's population is the fifth most ethnically diverse in the UK.

2016-12-08 05:28 Alex Matthews www.dailymail.co.uk

87 /100 1.1 Taylor Hill 'messed up' Victoria's Secret Angel audition after swearing through it With her endless limbs and jaw-dropping features, you'd be forgiven for thinking that model Taylor Hill nailed her Victoria's Secret audition back in 2014. But the Illinois born beauty, 20, confessed that it wasn't all smooth sailing after she found herself swearing her way through the casting process two years ago. 'I was just winging it. I didn’t train or do any prep, because you’re always being told, "Don’t get your hopes up, VS is a tricky client"', she recalled to ES Magazine. Scroll down for video Fearing she had missed out on her chances on becoming an Angel, the striking brunette relayed her shock when her agent called up to tell her the good news. 'I thought they were going to say I’d messed up and said the F-word too much. Sometimes when I’m nervous it just comes out!' Taylor explained. The 5 ft 10 in beauty, who walked an impressive ten runways for the Spring 2017 season this year, was discovered at the tender age of 14. The in-demand model, who bagged a Topshop campaign this year, confessed she was stunned when she was approached by a photographer during her early teen years. 'This guy who said he’s a photographer came over and asked if we were models. We were like, "What the f***? No! " (He then said to her mother): "Oh my God, your daughter should be a model".' The former gymnast also credits her mum on becoming her support system during her early casting days - giving her crucial advice on navigating her way through airports, hotels and tubes. The advice paid off as Taylor has now fronted high-profile campaigns for the likes of Miu Miu, Anna Sui and Marc Jacobs. And last week Taylor proved the VS bosses had made a good decision in taking a chance on her as she strutted down the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at Grand Palais in Paris for the second year running. The Parisian show marks the Victoria's Secret catwalk's 21st year, having first launched in New York in 1995, with the show growing in size every year and scoring higher profile names with it.

2016-12-08 05:26 Jabeen Waheed www.dailymail.co.uk

88 /100 2.9 Clark County school closes after possible norovirus outbreak SOUTH VIENNA, Ohio (AP) - A Clark County elementary/middle school will close after more than 100 students and some faculty members were out sick following a suspected norovirus outbreak.

Northeastern Local Schools Superintendent John Kronour announced that the South Vienna School will be closed on Thursday as health officials examine what caused Wednesday’s absences.

Clark County Combined Health District officials will conduct testing to determine whether the illnesses are linked to norovirus, a gastrointestinal virus that typically lasts 24 to 48 hours.

Kronour says additional custodians have been called to disinfect the building.

Clark County Health Commissioner Charles Patterson has urged parents to keep their sick children at home for at least one day because the virus can spread even after symptoms have ended.

Symptoms of norovirus include vomiting, diarrhea and potentially a low-grade fever.

2016-12-08 05:22 By www.washingtontimes.com

89 /100 1.8 Zuma is above the ANC President Jacob Zuma has once more survived another attempt to remove him as the president.

He has in the past managed to survive a number of motions of no confidence levelled against him. The big question is: how long is Zuma going to keep on surviving the call for him to step down as president?

It was an easy task which happened without hesitation in 2008 when the ANC removed Thabo Mbeki as the president. I guess the ANC’s NEC of that time deemed it fit to do so for the sake of the country. I see a great disparity when I compare the factors that might have led to Mbeki’s recall to those that surrounds Zuma’s call to step down.

Regardless of whatever wrong that Mbeki did for him to be removed as the president; it appears to me that the ANC’s NEC of that time put the country first. Today, the situation is different in the current ANC. As Zuma once said that the ANC comes first, not the country.

I had to google Destiny.connect.com and I have seen the title: “ANC worried Zuma’s removal will hurt the party.” It is worrying, if indeed, the removal of Zuma will hurt the party. It is simply implying that the country can be harmed and suffer as long as the ANC is fine when Zuma is in the office.

People like Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom, have shown some brevity for expressing their feelings about what they see as good for the ANC and for the country. There are those who are saying that ministers like Hanekom are likely to be punished during the Cabinet reshuffling for tabling a motion of no confidence in Zuma.

It is good that Hanekom brought the motion at the right time and at the right place. He did not go to the media.

He brought the motion in his capacity as the NEC member and he was free to do so. It will be questionable and amazing, if he can be punished as the minister because they were not in the Cabinet meeting when he brought the motion of no confidence in Zuma. If he really deserves punishment for bringing the motion of no confidence in Zuma, let him be punished by the ANC’s NEC and I am afraid this will be an injury to freedom of expression.

The country is still waiting for the truth about how did the Gupta family landed in Waterkloof AirForce Base for their family wedding celebration; something that is a threat to the security of the country. The country is still waiting to know the steps taken against the Cabinet Minister who played a role in illegal smuggling of a Burundi girl from DRC in South Africa. All these things happened under Zuma’s leadership and yet he is still within the spectrum of defence from some of the ANC’s NEC members.

I do not believe that all the people who are calling for Zuma to step down have a problem with him as a person. I guess the primary issue is the negativity surrounding his leadership. I also believe that the ANC stalwarts can clearly see that the ANC of today, under Zuma’s leadership, is completely different to the ANC of both Mandela and Mbeki.

It is therefore not surprising that most of the stalwarts, who are so concerned about the crisis in the ANC, were members of the ANC’s NEC and some were working with both Mandela and Mbeki in government hence it is unmistakably possible for them to detect the disparity between the ANC of their time and the one of today.

If the removal of Zuma as the president will in deed hurt the ANC, or if Zuma is regarded as the crowd-puller for the ANC and his loyalists believe that to remove him will cut a piece of the ANC, as it happened when Mbeki was removed as the president and that led to the formation of COPE, then Zuma is above the ANC.

2016-12-08 05:18 www.news24.com

90 /100 90 /100 1.0 Officials in Linden seek to establish 'virtual block watch' LINDEN, N. J. (AP) - Police and city officials in Linden are asking residents and business owners to register any video surveillance cameras they may have for the creation of a “virtual block watch.”

NJ.com reports (http://bit.ly/2ge0KCA ) the formal registration, however, does not mean that camera owners automatically give consent for police to freely take their recordings.

Instead, city officials say the program was designed so police would know about any existing video surveillance systems that could potentially assist in investigations focused on specific areas.

Police would still be required to obtain permission from cooperating camera owners to view their footage.

Chief Jonathan Parham says the virtual block watch will help the department better protect and serve residents and businesses.

The city will provide cameras to qualified senior citizens on a first-come, first-serve basis.

___

Information from: NJ.com, http://www.nj.com

2016-12-08 05:16 By www.washingtontimes.com

91 /100 0.0 Labour's failure to grasp need for migration controls is putting people at risk, says Burnham - Politics live And here is the list of the 23 Labour MPs who defied the whip and voted against the Labour and Conservative whips in the first vote, the one approving the amendment for article 50 to be triggered by the end of March.

Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Bow); Graham Allen (Nottingham North); Ben Bradshaw (Exeter); Ann Coffey (Stockport); Neil Coyle (Bermondsey and Old Southwark); Stella Creasy (Walthamstow); Geraint Davies (Swansea West); Jim Dowd (Lewisham West and Penge); Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside); Chris Evans (Islwyn); Paul Farrelly (Newcastle- under-Lyme); Mike Gapes (Ilford South); Helen Hayes (Dulwich and West Norwood); Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch); Peter Kyle (Hove); David Lammy (Tottenham); Chris Leslie (Nottingham East); Ian Murray (Edinburgh South); Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield); Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn); Angela Smith (Penistone and Stocksbridge); Catherine West (Hornsey and Wood Green) and Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge).

The full voting figures for last night are available on Hansard. But MPs are not listed by party.

There were two votes, both of which was passed by majorities of more than 300. The first was on the government amendment, saying article 50 should be triggered by the end of March, and the second was on the Labour motion calling for the publication of a Brexit plan, including the article 50 amendment.

Here, from the Press Association, is a full list of MPs who voted for the motion, as amended (ie, in the second vote) by party.

Conservative MPs voting in favour

The 289 Conservatives who voted in favour were: Nigel Adams (Selby & Ainsty), Adam Afriyie (Windsor), Peter Aldous (Waveney), Heidi Allen (Cambridgeshire South), Sir David Amess (Southend West), Stuart Andrew (Pudsey), Caroline Ansell (Eastbourne), Edward Argar (Charnwood), Victoria Atkins (Louth & Horncastle), Richard Bacon (Norfolk South), Steven Baker (Wycombe), Harriett Baldwin (Worcestershire West), Stephen Barclay (Cambridgeshire North East), John Baron (Basildon & Billericay), Guto Bebb (Aberconwy), Henry Bellingham (Norfolk North West), Richard Benyon (Newbury), Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley), Jake Berry (Rossendale & Darwen), Andrew Bingham (High Peak), Bob Blackman (Harrow East), Nicola Blackwood (Oxford West & Abingdon), Crispin Blunt (Reigate), Peter Bone (Wellingborough), Victoria Borwick (Kensington), Peter Bottomley (Worthing West), Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West), Julian Brazier (Canterbury), Andrew Bridgen (Leicestershire North West), Steve Brine (Winchester), James Brokenshire (Old Bexley & Sidcup), Fiona Bruce (Congleton), Robert Buckland (Swindon South), Conor Burns (Bournemouth West), Simon Burns (Chelmsford), David Burrowes (Enfield Southgate), Alistair Burt (Bedfordshire North East), Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan), Neil Carmichael (Stroud), James Cartlidge (Suffolk South), Bill Cash (Stone), Maria Caulfield (Lewes), Alex Chalk (Cheltenham), Christopher Chope (Christchurch), Jo Churchill (Bury St Edmunds), Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells), James Cleverly (Braintree), Geoffrey Clifton- Brown (Cotswolds, The), Therese Coffey (Suffolk Coastal), Damian Collins (Folkestone & Hythe), Oliver Colvile (Plymouth Sutton & Devonport), Alberto Costa (Leicestershire South), Robert Courts (Witney) Geoffrey Cox (Devon West & Torridge), Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire), Tracey Crouch (Chatham & Aylesford), Byron Davies (Gower), Chris Davies (Brecon & Radnorshire), David Davies (Monmouth), Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire), James Davies (Vale of Clwyd), Mims Davies (Eastleigh), Philip Davies (Shipley), David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden), Caroline Dinenage (Gosport), Michelle Donelan (Chippenham), Nadine Dorries (Bedfordshire Mid), Stephen Double (St Austell & Newquay), Oliver Dowden (Hertsmere), Jackie Doyle-Price (Thurrock), Richard Drax (Dorset South), Flick Drummond (Portsmouth South), James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East), Alan Duncan (Rutland & Melton), Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford & Woodford Green), Philip Dunne (Ludlow), Michael Ellis (Northampton North), Jane Ellison (Battersea), Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East), Charlie Elphicke (Dover), George Eustice (Camborne & Redruth), Graham Evans (Weaver Vale), Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley), David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford), Michael Fabricant (Lichfield), Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks), Suella Fernandes (Fareham), Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster), Kevin Foster (Torbay), Mark Francois (Rayleigh & Wickford), Lucy Frazer (Cambridgeshire South East), George Freeman (Norfolk Mid), Mike Freer (Finchley & Golders Green), Richard Fuller (Bedford), Marcus Fysh (Yeovil), Roger Gale (Thanet North), Edward Garnier (Harborough), Mark Garnier (Wyre Forest), David Gauke (Hertfordshire South West), Nus Ghani (Wealden), Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton), John Glen (Salisbury), Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby), Michael Gove (Surrey Heath), Richard Graham (Gloucester), Helen Grant (Maidstone & The Weald), James Gray (Wiltshire North), Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell), Chris Green (Bolton West), Damian Green (Ashford), Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield), Andrew Griffiths (Burton), Ben Gummer (Ipswich), Sam Gyimah (Surrey East), Robert Halfon (Harlow), Luke Hall (Thornbury & Yate), Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon), Matthew Hancock (Suffolk West), Greg Hands (Chelsea & Fulham), Mark Harper (Forest of Dean), Richard Harrington (Watford), Rebecca Harris (Castle Point), Simon Hart (Carmarthen West & Pembrokeshire South), Sir Alan Haselhurst (Saffron Walden), John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings), Sir Oliver Heald (Hertfordshire North East), James Heappey (Wells), Chris Heaton- Harris (Daventry), Peter Heaton-Jones (Devon North), Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne & Sheppey), Simon Hoare (Dorset North), George Hollingbery (Meon Valley), Kevin Hollinrake (Thirsk & Malton), Philip Hollobone (Kettering), Kris Hopkins (Keighley), Gerald Howarth (Aldershot), John Howell (Henley), Nigel Huddleston (Worcestershire Mid), Nick Hurd (Ruislip, Northwood & Pinner), Stewart Jackson (Peterborough), Margot James (Stourbridge), Sajid Javid (Bromsgrove), Ranil Jayawardena (Hampshire North East), Bernard Jenkin (Harwich & Essex North), Andrea Jenkyns (Morley & Outwood), Robert Jenrick (Newark), Boris Johnson (Uxbridge & Ruislip South), Joseph Johnson (Orpington), Andrew Jones (Harrogate & Knaresborough), David Jones (Clwyd West), Marcus Jones (Nuneaton), Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham), Seema Kennedy (South Ribble), Simon Kirby (Brighton Kemptown), Greg Knight (Yorkshire East), Julian Knight (Solihull), Kwasi Kwarteng (Spelthorne), Mark Lancaster (Milton Keynes North), Pauline Latham (Derbyshire Mid), Andrea Leadsom (Northamptonshire South), Phillip Lee (Bracknell), Sir Edward Leigh (Gainsborough), Oliver Letwin (Dorset West), Brandon Lewis (Great Yarmouth), Julian Lewis (New Forest East), Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater & Somerset West), David Lidington (Aylesbury), Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden), Jack Lopresti (Filton & Bradley Stoke), Jonathan Lord (Woking), Karen Lumley (Redditch), Jason McCartney (Colne Valley), Karl McCartney (Lincoln), Craig Mackinlay (Thanet South), David Mackintosh (Northampton South), Patrick McLoughlin (Derbyshire Dales), Stephen McPartland (Stevenage), Alan Mak (Havant), Kit Malthouse (Hampshire North West), Scott Mann (Cornwall North), Tania Mathias (Twickenham), Paul Maynard (Blackpool North & Cleveleys), Mark Menzies (Fylde), Johnny Mercer (Plymouth Moor View), Huw Merriman (Bexhill & Battle), Stephen Metcalfe (Basildon South & Thurrock East), Maria Miller (Basingstoke), Amanda Milling (Cannock Chase), Nigel Mills (Amber Valley), Anne Milton (Guildford), Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield), Penny Mordaunt (Portsmouth North), Nicky Morgan (Loughborough), David Morris (Morecambe & Lunesdale), James Morris (Halesowen & Rowley Regis), Wendy Morton (Aldridge- Brownhills), David Mowat (Warrington South), David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale), Sheryll Murray (Cornwall South East), Dr Andrew Murrison (Wiltshire South West), Bob Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst), Sarah Newton (Truro & Falmouth), Caroline Nokes (Romsey & Southampton North), Jesse Norman (Hereford & Herefordshire South), David Nuttall (Bury North), Matthew Offord (Hendon), Guy Opperman (Hexham), George Osborne (Tatton), Priti Patel (Witham), Owen Paterson (Shropshire North), Mark Pawsey (Rugby), Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead), John Penrose (Weston-Super-Mare), Andrew Percy (Brigg & Goole), Claire Perry (Devizes), Chris Philp (Croydon South), Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar), Christopher Pincher (Tamworth), Daniel Poulter (Suffolk Central & Ipswich North), Rebecca Pow (Taunton Deane), Victoria Prentis (Banbury), Mark Pritchard (Wrekin, The), Tom Pursglove (Corby), Jeremy Quin (Horsham), Dominic Raab (Esher & Walton), John Redwood (Wokingham), Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury), Mary Robinson (Cheadle), Andrew Rosindell (Romford), Amber Rudd (Hastings & Rye), David Rutley (Macclesfield), Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury), Paul Scully (Sutton & Cheam), Andrew Selous (Bedfordshire South West), Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield), Alec Shelbrooke (Elmet & Rothwell), Keith Simpson (Broadland), Chris Skidmore (Kingswood), Henry Smith (Crawley), Julian Smith (Skipton & Ripon), Royston Smith (Southampton Itchen), Nicholas Soames (Sussex Mid), Amanda Solloway (Derby North), Anna Soubry (Broxtowe), Mark Spencer (Sherwood), Andrew Stephenson (Pendle), Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South), Rory Stewart (Penrith & The Border), Mel Stride (Devon Central), Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness), Julian Sturdy (York Outer), Rishi Sunak (Richmond (Yorks), Desmond Swayne (New Forest West), Hugo Swire (Devon East), Robert Syms (Poole), Derek Thomas (St Ives), Maggie Throup (Erewash), Edward Timpson (Crewe & Nantwich), Kelly Tolhurst (Rochester & Strood), Justin Tomlinson (Swindon North), Michael Tomlinson (Dorset Mid & Poole North), Craig Tracey (Warwickshire North), Anne-Marie Trevelyan (Berwick-upon- Tweed), Elizabeth Truss (Norfolk South West), Thomas Tugendhat (Tonbridge & Malling), Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight), Ed Vaizey (Wantage), Shailesh Vara (Cambridgeshire North West), Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes), Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet), Charles Walker (Broxbourne), Robin Walker (Worcester), Ben Wallace (Wyre & Preston North), David Warburton (Somerton & Frome), Matt Warman (Boston & Skegness), James Wharton (Stockton South), Helen Whately (Faversham & Kent Mid), Heather Wheeler (Derbyshire South), Chris White (Warwick & Leamington), Craig Whittaker (Calder Valley), John Whittingdale (Maldon), Craig Williams (Cardiff North), Gavin Williamson (Staffordshire South), Rob Wilson (Reading East), Dr Sarah Wollaston (Totnes), Mike Wood (Dudley South), William Wragg (Hazel Grove), Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth & Southam), Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon).

Labour MPs voting in favour

The 149 Labour MPs who backed the motion were: Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington), Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East & Saddleworth), Graham Allen (Nottingham North), David Anderson (Blaydon), Jon Ashworth (Leicester South), Ian Austin (Dudley North), Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West), Kevin Barron (Rother Valley), Margaret Beckett (Derby South), Hilary Benn (Leeds Central), Clive Betts (Sheffield South East), Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central), Tracy Brabin (Batley and Spen), Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West), Nick Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East), Chris Bryant (Rhondda), Richard Burgon (Leeds East), Andy Burnham (Leigh), Dawn Butler (Brent Central), Alan Campbell (Tynemouth), Sarah Champion (Rotherham), Jenny Chapman (Darlington), Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley), Julie Cooper (Burnley), Rosie Cooper (Lancashire West), Yvette Cooper (Normanton, Pontefract & Castleford), Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North), David Crausby (Bolton North East), Jon Cruddas (Dagenham & Rainham), John Cryer (Leyton & Wanstead), Judith Cummins (Bradford South), Jim Cunningham (Coventry South), Wayne David (Caerphilly), Gloria De Piero (Ashfield), Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West), Peter Dowd (Bootle), Jack Dromey (Birmingham Erdington), Michael Dugher (Barnsley East), Angela Eagle (Wallasey), Maria Eagle (Garston & Halewood), Clive Efford (Eltham), Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central), Chris Elmore (Ogmore), Bill Esterson (Sefton Central), Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar & Limehouse), Rob Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South), Colleen Fletcher (Coventry North East), Caroline Flint (Don Valley), Paul Flynn (Newport West), Yvonne Fovargue (Makerfield), Gill Furniss (Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough), Barry Gardiner (Brent North), Mary Glindon (Tyneside North), Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland), Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South), Margaret Greenwood (Wirral West), Nia Griffith (Llanelli), Louise Haigh (Sheffield Heeley), Fabian Hamilton (Leeds North East), David Hanson (Delyn), Harriet Harman (Camberwell & Peckham), Carolyn Harris (Swansea East), Sue Hayman (Workington), John Healey (Wentworth & Dearne), Mark Hendrick (Preston), Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow), Sharon Hodgson (Washington & Sunderland West), Kate Hollern (Blackburn), Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North), George Howarth (Knowsley), Rupa Huq (Ealing Central & Acton), Imran Hussain (Bradford East), Dan Jarvis (Barnsley Central), Alan Johnson (Hull West & Hessle), Gerald Jones (Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney), Kevan Jones (Durham North), Barbara Keeley (Worsley & Eccles South), Stephen Kinnock (Aberavon), Ian Lavery (Wansbeck), Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields), Clive Lewis (Norwich South), Ivan Lewis (Bury South), Rebecca Long-Bailey (Salford & Eccles), Ian Lucas (Wrexham), Steve McCabe (Birmingham Selly Oak), Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East), John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington), Conor McGinn (St Helens North), Liz McInnes (Heywood & Middleton), Jim McMahon (Oldham West & Royton), Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port & Neston), Khalid Mahmood (Birmingham Perry Barr), Seema Malhotra (Feltham & Heston), John Mann (Bassetlaw), Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West), Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South), Rachael Maskell (York Central), Chris Matheson (Chester, City of), Alan Meale (Mansfield), Ian Mearns (Gateshead), Ed Miliband (Doncaster North), Jessica Morden (Newport East), Ian Murray (Edinburgh South), Lisa Nandy (Wigan), Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central), Kate Osamor (Edmonton), Albert Owen (Ynys Mon), Teresa Pearce (Erith & Thamesmead), Matthew Pennycook (Greenwich & Woolwich), Toby Perkins (Chesterfield), Jess Phillips (Birmingham Yardley), Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South East), Angela Rayner (Ashton Under Lyne), Jamie Reed (Copeland), Steve Reed (Croydon North), Christina Rees (Neath), Geoffrey Robinson (Coventry North West), Steve Rotheram (Liverpool Walton), Joan Ryan (Enfield North), Naseem Shah (Bradford West), Virendra Sharma (Ealing Southall), Paula Sherriff (Dewsbury), Gavin Shuker (Luton South), Dennis Skinner (Bolsover), Ruth Smeeth (Stoke-on-Trent North), Andrew Smith (Oxford East), Cat Smith (Lancaster & Fleetwood), Karin Smyth (Bristol South), Keir Starmer (Holborn & St Pancras), Jo Stevens (Cardiff Central), Graham Stringer (Blackley & Broughton), Gisela Stuart (Birmingham Edgbaston), Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside), Gareth Thomas (Harrow West), Nick Thomas- Symonds (Torfaen), Emily Thornberry (Islington South & Finsbury), Jon Trickett (Hemsworth), Anna Turley (Redcar), Karl Turner (Hull East), Derek Twigg (Halton), Stephen Twigg (Liverpool West Derby), Chuka Umunna (Streatham), Keith Vaz (Leicester East), Valerie Vaz (Walsall South), Tom Watson (West Bromwich East), Alan Whitehead (Southampton Test), David Winnick (Walsall North), Rosie Winterton (Doncaster Central), Iain Wright (Hartlepool).

Other MPs voting in favour

There seven Democratic Unionist Party MPs who backed the motion. They were: Gregory Campbell (Londonderry East), Nigel Dodds (Belfast North), Jeffrey Donaldson (Lagan Valley), Ian Paisley (Antrim North), Jim Shannon (Strangford), David Simpson (Upper Bann), Sammy Wilson (Antrim East).

UK Independence Party MP Douglas Carswell (Clacton), the Ulster Unionist Party’s Danny Kinahan (Antrim South) and Independent Simon Danczuk (Rochdale) also backed the motion.

And the two tellers for the motion (who backed it, but did not vote because they were tellers) were Labour MPs Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent) and Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe).

MPs voting against

One Conservative MP, Ken Clarke (Rushcliffe), voted against the motion.

The nine Labour MPs who voted against the motion were: Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green & Bow), Ben Bradshaw (Exeter), Jim Dowd (Lewisham West & Penge), Paul Farrelly (Newcastle- under-Lyme), Mike Gapes (Ilford South), David Lammy (Tottenham), Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead & Kilburn), Catherine West (Hornsey & Wood Green), Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge).

The five Liberal Democrats who opposed it were: Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland), Nick Clegg (Sheffield Hallam), Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale), Sarah Olney (Richmond Park), Mark Williams (Ceredigion). The three Plaid Cymru MPs who voted against it were: Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr), Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd), Hywel Williams (Arfon).

There were 51 SNP MPs who voted against the motion. They were: Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh (Ochil & Perthshire South), Hannah Bardell (Livingston), Mhairi Black (Paisley & Renfrewshire South), Ian Blackford (Ross, Skye and Lochaber), Kirsty Blackman (Aberdeen North), Phil Boswell (Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill), Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North & Leith), Alan Brown (Kilmarnock & Loudoun), Dr Lisa Cameron (East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow), Douglas Chapman (Dunfermline and Fife West), Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West), Ronnie Cowan (Inverclyde), Angela Crawley (Lanark & Hamilton East), Martyn Day (Linlithgow & Falkirk East), Martin Docherty (Dunbartonshire West), Stuart Donaldson (Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine), Margaret Ferrier (Rutherglen & Hamilton West), Stephen Gethins (Fife North East), Patricia Gibson (Ayrshire North & Arran), Patrick Grady (Glasgow North), Peter Grant (Glenrothes), Neil Gray (Airdrie & Shotts), Drew Hendry (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey), Stewart Hosie (Dundee East), George Kerevan (East Lothian), Calum Kerr (Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk), Chris Law (Dundee West), Callum McCaig (Aberdeen South), Stuart McDonald (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East), Anne McLaughlin (Glasgow North East), John McNally (Falkirk), Angus MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar), Carol Monaghan (Glasgow North West), Dr Paul Monaghan (Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross), Roger Mullin (Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath), Gavin Newlands (Paisley & Renfrewshire North), John Nicolson (Dunbartonshire East), Brendan O’Hara (Argyll and Bute), Kirsten Oswald (Renfrewshire East), Steven Paterson (Stirling), Angus Robertson (Moray), Alex Salmond (Gordon), Tommy Sheppard (Edinburgh East), Christopher Stephens (Glasgow South West), Alison Thewliss (Glasgow Central), Owen Thompson (Midlothian), Mike Weir (Angus), Dr Eilidh Whiteford (Banff and Buchan), Dr Philippa Whitford (Ayrshire Central), Corri Wilson (Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock), Pete Wishart (Perth & Perthshire North).

Independent MPs Natalie McGarry (Glasgow East) and Michelle Thomson (Edinburgh West) also opposed the motion along with Green Party MP Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion) and three from the Social Democratic and Labour Party - Mark Durkan (Foyle), Dr Alasdair McDonnell (Belfast South) and Margaret Ritchie (Down South).

And the two tellers for the noes were SNP MP Marion Fellows (Motherwell and Wishaw) and Liberal Democrat Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington).

Yesterday’s vote in the House of Commons was a landmark moment in the Brexit process and all the coverage in today’s papers reflects that. But it meant that some of the speeches got overlooked, in particular an important one from Andy Burnham.

Burnham, who was shadow home secretary before leaving the shadow cabinet to become Labour’s candidate for mayor of Greater Manchester, has in the past expressed doubts about the impact of allowing EU migrants unlimited access to the UK. But in the debate he went further, saying that the EU referendum result showed that the status quo was unsustainable and that the left had failed to accept the need for migration reform.

Burnham even claimed that the Labour party’s failure to grasp the need for migration controls was putting people at risk. He told MPs:

His comments are particularly topical because this morning the Commons home affairs committee is launching an inquiry intended to trigger a national debate about migration. Yvette Cooper , the committee’s chair, said in a statement released this morning: I will be covering more from her press conference later.

Here is the agenda for the day.

9.30am: Jeremy Wright, the attorney general, takes questions in the Commons.

9.30am: NHS England publishes its monthly hospital waiting time figures.

9.30am: The Office for National Statistics publishes domestic abuse figures.

10am: Yvette Cooper , the chair of the Commons home affairs committee, holds a press conference to announce details of her committee’s new immigration inquiry.

And in Sleaford and North Hykeham people are voting in the byelection. The Conservatives are expected to hold the seat easily.

As usual, I will also be covering the breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web. I plan to post a summary at lunchtime and another in the afternoon.

If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow.

I try to monitor the comments BTL but normally I find it impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer direct questions, although sometimes I miss them or don’t have time. Alternatively you could post a question to me on Twitter.

2016-12-08 05:13 Andrew Sparrow www.theguardian.com

92 /100 4.0 Good dog!: Vet school to hold 'Puppy University' graduation BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) - The first dogs to complete a Virginia veterinary school’s “Puppy University” are ready to don their caps and gowns.

The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine is holding a graduation ceremony Thursday at the Blacksburg campus for the first three puppies to go through its service dog training program.

The school partnered with a Roanoke-based nonprofit Saint Francis Service Dogs for the program. The puppies learned skills they will need as service dogs, such as walking on a leash and traveling on a bus.

The three graduating puppies are two Labrador retrievers and one golden retriever.

2016-12-08 05:06 By www.washingtontimes.com

93 /100 93 /100 1.1 Search widens for U. S. Marine Corps pilot missing in Japan Associated Press

Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016 | 1:06 a.m.

TOKYO — The search for a Marine Corps pilot who ejected from an F/A- 18 jet in southern Japan was expanded to a wider area after daybreak Thursday, the U. S. military said.

The aircraft was on a regular training mission Wednesday when the incident occurred about 120 miles (190 kilometers) southeast of Iwakuni, the Marine Corps said.

Joint search efforts with Japanese military ships and aircraft were carried out through the night.

The identity of the pilot has not been released.

Japan's Defense Ministry said the F/A-18 had been flying with another Marine Corps jet.

The Marine Corps said the aircraft was assigned to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Okinawa, Japan.

It said the cause of the incident was under investigation.

2016-12-08 05:06 Associated Press lasvegassun.com

94 /100 1.2 Researchers find LED retail lighting improves taste of milk BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) - Virginia Tech researchers have found that the type of lighting used in retail display cases can affect the taste of milk.

Susan Duncan is a professor of food science and technology in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She conducted tests that showed consumers preferred milk stored under LED lights over milk that’s has been exposed to fluorescent lighting.

The university said in a statement that riboflavin, a nutrient in milk, oxidizes when exposed to fluorescent lights, which changes the taste and reduces the nutritional content.

Duncan’s tests show that when milk is stored in the traditional translucent plastic jugs, those reactions can take place in as little as two hours.

Consumers described the taste of fluorescent-exposed milk as “cardboard,” ”stale” and “painty.”

2016-12-08 05:02 By www.washingtontimes.com

95 /100 95 /100 0.0 Indiana University Southeast offers advice during exam week NEW ALBANY, Ind. (AP) - This week, Erika Santoro said her stress level is probably at about an 8 out of 10. On top of two exams this week, she’s got a final paper to write and worst of all, she said, a presentation to give.

The college student said for her, finals week isn’t about finding her zen, it’s about getting everything done. After that, she already knows how she’s going to unwind.

“I told my dad he has to take me out to eat,” Santoro said.

The criminal justice junior is in the same boat as the entire student body at Indiana University Southeast. Finals week is here and the campus de-stressing events wrapped up last week. Students are busy with their last preparations for exams, but there’s still opportunity and good reason to relax before going to class one last time.

Seuth Chaleunphonh, dean of student life at IU Southeast, said students have a lot of resources available on campus, from counseling for test anxiety to a fitness center to help blow off some steam. But he said a good starting point is to take a breath and relax.

“Don’t obsess on the stuff you can’t control, just the things you can,” Chaleunphonh said. “There’s a difference between being a perfectionist and just doing your best. If students can accept whatever level of achievement they make this week, it might provide a better mindset rather than putting too much pressure on one’s self.”

He said hopefully, students have spent more time preparing for final exams and assignments before this week, but if last-minute cramming is the last resort, he said it’s a good plan to prioritize how much time to spend on any particular subject. While it’s tempting to go in order of what exam comes first, he said it makes more sense to dedicate more time to whichever exam or final is the most intimidating, or the one for which students are least prepared.

He also said eating healthy is important during pre-exam preparation. Monday night, faculty and staff helped serve a Moonlight Breakfast to students, starting at 9 p.m. in the IUS Library. Students pulling all-nighters in the library’s study rooms got a little refueling before heading home or back to dorms.

Will Jackson, a music student at IU Southeast, was hanging out in the game room on campus, playing a video game on Monday. He said he’s got two exams coming up this week, one in music theory and another in German cultural history. Jackson said he was trying to unwind and not worry so much about the exams, but there’s a little voice in the back of his head that just won’t shut up.

“What if I forget every kind of major 7th chord there is?” he said. “Honestly, I’m not terribly nervous. There’s a couple of areas of specificity that I’m worried about, but on the whole, I think I’m good.”

Jackson has a plan ahead of his finals later in the week. He said Monday was for relaxation, as well as Tuesday. By Wednesday, he said he’ll be ready to focus on class material. He said he’s paid attention all semester, so he’s confident in what’s ahead. “I think it’s important to think about those feel-good hobbies and get those going, so you can stay in a state of remote happiness,” Jackson said.

Chaleunphonh said unwinding after the fact is also important. Whether students are pleased with their performance or not, he said it’s important for them to let go, celebrate the victories and take the opportunity to learn how they might do better in the future.

But it also helps, he said, to just let it all out when finals are over.

“Personally, it’s always great to have fun and go somewhere where it’s socially appropriate to scream,” Chaleunphonh said. “We don’t recommend the abuse of drugs, or alcohol or anything like that, but just find a healthy way to let go of that stress.”

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Source: News and Tribune, http://bit.ly/2g6PAzz

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Information from: News and Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind., http://www.newsandtribune.com

2016-12-08 05:01 By JEROD www.washingtontimes.com

96 /100 0.4 Helplessness and heartache, thousands of miles from home Helsinki in December is cold. I know that sounds like an obvious statement, but statements are just words that try and describe reality. The reality of Helsinki is that it was below freezing the entire week I was there. Helsinki is so cold that I even found a statue that was wearing a scarf.

I was invited to Helsinki to cover Slush, one of the fastest-growing tech conferences in the world. With wildly successful companies like Nokia, Supercell and Rovio, Finland has established itself as one the more important centers for tech in all of Europe. Part of the reason I went is that I’ve got a pretty firm policy of not saying no to free international trips. Work-wise, though, I was curious to see what the tech industry looks like when it’s not at the center of a housing crisis and a culture war.

The short answer is that it’s quite awesome. Because Finland is governed as a social democracy, the government does a lot to provide seed funding to help get startups off the ground. Also, since Helsinki has room to grow — and, yes, it’s growing — nobody’s grandmother is being evicted to make way for a 25-year-old tech worker making $150K. (Not that it would happen anyway, because of the whole social democracy thing.) Tech is not at the center of every conversation in Helsinki, unless you’re part of it, and the arts are so well- respected that museums and galleries seem to be just about everywhere. I had been thinking about this as I returned to my hotel after visiting the absolutely brilliant Yayoi Kusama retrospective at the Helsinki Art Museum. Sitting down to start writing about it, news started trickling, then flooding, in: A disaster had happened in Oakland. An unverifiable number of people had died or gone missing in a horrific warehouse fire.

My heart sank.

I felt sick to my stomach. There were hundreds of people I knew who might’ve been there. I sat glued to the computer screen trying to find out if any of my loved ones were missing; if anyone I’d spent late-night hours with, in underground spaces just like this one, was no longer alive. Feeling helpless, I wept hard and loud in my Helsinki hotel room. I was thousands of miles from home, and the community of artists and thinkers and weirdos and tinkerers that I’d grown into adulthood with was suddenly hit with something far harder than any of us could ever have imagined. Loss, anguish and sadness just weren’t big enough words.

I’m in New York now, a few days later. Still not home yet, but now around people whose worlds were rocked just as hard as mine, folks who also grew to be the people they are because of the freedom they experienced in warehouses in Brooklyn, Oakland, San Francisco and beyond.

At this point, there have been a lot of words written about the beautiful and brilliant people who died that night in Oakland. While I didn’t know any personally, I have mutual friends with every single one of them. That’s the thing about communities: You don’t have to know everyone in it to be part of one. It’s the fact that you’re all part of something that makes it special. And there are very few communities in the world as special at the Bay Area’s artistic community.

Right now, I can’t be bothered with all the finger-pointing and blaming. All I can do is hold you all in my heart until I can make it home, so then I can hold you in my arms.

2016-12-08 05:00 By www.sfexaminer.com

97 /100 2.7 Federal contracts and patents Federal contracts and patents recently awarded in Maine:

PATENTS:

PROCK MARINE CO.: The Rockland company won a $542,970 contract set aside for small business from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers for maintenance dredging at Sagamore Creek. The work will occur in Portsmouth and Rye, New Hampshire.

COMPOTECH INC.: The Brewer company won a $208,060 contract set aside for small business from the U. S. Army for the design, fabrication and testing of modular shelters.

WARDWELL PIPING INC.: The Windham company won a $62,250 contract set aside for service- disabled veteran-owned small business from the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the replacement of boiler tubes. The work will occur in the Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta.

MCGEE CONSTRUCTION: The Gardiner company won a $319,025 contract set aside for small business from the U. S. General Services Administration’s Public Buildings Service for snow removal services at the E. S. Muskie Federal Building in Augusta. SOMATEX INC.: The Detroit company won a $36,620 contract set aside for small business from the U. S. Air Force Material Command for rails and hoists.

COLBY CO.: The Portland company won a contract valued at up to $500,000 from the U. S. Postal Service for architectural and engineering services for repair and alteration projects, building expansions and new construction of lease and owned facilities in Maine.

MEGA INDUSTRIES LLC: The Gorham company won a $39,815 contract from the Defense Logistics Agency for waveguide adapters.

DOWNEAST LOGISTICS LLC: The Scarborough company won a $33,233 contract set aside for service-disabled veteran-owned small business from the Defense Logistics Agency for specimen bags.

HOWELL LABORATORIES INC.: The Bridgton company won a $25,500 contract from the Defense Logistics Agency for centrifugal pump units.

ENGINEERED CONSTRUCTION SERVICES INC.: The Raymond company won a $1,070,311 contract set aside for small business from the U. S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid- Atlantic for the replacement of compressed air dryers.

N. H. BRAGG & SONS: The Bangor company won a $49,940 contract set aside for service- disabled veteran-owned small business from the Defense Logistics Agency for storage batteries.

CONTRACTS:

PROCK MARINE CO.: The Rockland company won a $542,970 contract set aside for small business from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers for maintenance dredging at Sagamore Creek. The work will occur in Portsmouth and Rye, New Hampshire.

COMPOTECH INC.: The Brewer company won a $208,060 contract set aside for small business from the U. S. Army for the design, fabrication and testing of modular shelters.

WARDWELL PIPING INC.: The Windham company won a $62,250 contract set aside for service- disabled veteran-owned small business from the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the replacement of boiler tubes. The work will occur in the Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta.

MCGEE CONSTRUCTION: The Gardiner company won a $319,025 contract set aside for small business from the U. S. General Services Administration’s Public Buildings Service for snow removal services at the E. S. Muskie Federal Building in Augusta.

SOMATEX INC.: The Detroit company won a $36,620 contract set aside for small business from the U. S. Air Force Material Command for rails and hoists.

COLBY CO.: The Portland company won a contract valued at up to $500,000 from the U. S. Postal Service for architectural and engineering services for repair and alteration projects, building expansions and new construction of lease and owned facilities in Maine.

MEGA INDUSTRIES LLC: The Gorham company won a $39,815 contract from the Defense Logistics Agency for waveguide adapters. DOWNEAST LOGISTICS LLC: The Scarborough company won a $33,233 contract set aside for service-disabled veteran-owned small business from the Defense Logistics Agency for specimen bags.

HOWELL LABORATORIES INC.: The Bridgton company won a $25,500 contract from the Defense Logistics Agency for centrifugal pump units.

ENGINEERED CONSTRUCTION SERVICES INC.: The Raymond company won a $1,070,311 contract set aside for small business from the U. S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid- Atlantic for the replacement of compressed air dryers.

N. H. BRAGG & SONS: The Bangor company won a $49,940 contract set aside for service- disabled veteran-owned small business from the Defense Logistics Agency for storage batteries.

Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form

Send questions/comments to the editors.

2016-12-08 05:00 www.pressherald.com

98 /100 1.6 Candid Conversations: Technology and society People of all ages sit down for a candid conversation about technology's impact on society and the future as a whole.

The newest episode from the AOL.com series "Candid Conversations" takes the hot topic head-on. One group came together to talk about their personal views and experiences.

The new AOL.com video series is setting out to discover exactly what people are thinking. The different episodes discuss topics everyone has vented about to today's hot topics.

These days opinions are stronger than ever on everything from politics to racism, and all that comes in-between. " Candid Conversations " gives everyday people a chance to discuss all of the issues facing our society today -- whether you agree with them or not.

Related: Best wireless Bluetooth speakers

More from AOL.com : Candid Conversations: Gender identity Candid Conversations: Legalization of marijuana SeaWorld announces hundreds of layoffs cross all associated parks

2016-12-08 05:00 AOL Staff www.aol.com

99 /100 5.6 House to clear stopgap spending, water projects measures WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is advancing hard-fought legislation to help Flint, Michigan , fix its lead-tainted water system and speed next year's confirmation for retired Gen. James Mattis as President- elect Donald Trump's

2016-12-08 05:00 system article.wn.com

100 /100 0.0 Commuter Dude: Widening planned for section of I-85 GWINNETT CO, Ga – The Georgia Department of Transportation says one of their top priorities is to widen a 17 mile section of I-85 that is often clogged beyond capacity.

At Town and County Insurance on Hamilton Mill Road, employees remember when the drive here from Jackson County was a breeze.

“Commute used to take 22-minutes from my house, and I've been stuck out there for twice that long,” says Jeremiah Lee.

GDOT is currently holding public hearings so the public can have their say on plans to widen I85 from Hamilton Mill Road to Highway 211. A second phase of the project to add a lane in each direction will widen I-85 all the way to Highway 129 in Jackson County.

The transportation act passed by the Georgia legislature last year will give the state GOT a billion dollars a year for critical improvements. GDOT created a top 10 list of priority projects. Widening I-85 from two lanes in each direction, to three is on that list.

GDOT will add the lanes where there is now a grass median. It means there's no need to buy land from someone else. “It makes it more cost effective, makes it a cheaper project to do when you're not having to buy right of way, and faster cause we're widening on our own land,” says GDOT’s Natalie Dale. GDOT estimates the first phase of the project will reduce congestion 56%. At Town and Country Insurance, Jeremiah Lee and others wonder why it didn’t happen a long time ago. Thursday afternoon’s public hearing will be 4 to 7 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Braselton Community Room, 5040 Highway 53 in Braselton.

Plans can be found on the DOT’s website here .

2016-12-08 04:53 Jerry Carnes rssfeeds.11alive.com

Total 100 articles.

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Created at 2016-12-08 16:09