Saturday

Ferrari chief happy to consider possibility of Hamilton move


ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The prospect of six-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton driving for Ferrari in the future may not be as far-fetched as it once seemed.

Hamilton is one of several F1 drivers whose contracts expire at the end of next year, and Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto did not dismiss the tantalizing idea of poaching the Mercedes star when asked on Friday if he would be interested in signing him.


“Lewis is certainly an outstanding driver, a fantastic driver,” Binotto said at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “Knowing that he’s available in 2021 can make us only happy, but honestly it’s too early for any decision.”

Four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel and his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc are also out of contract at the end of 2020.

So is Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, Valtteri Bottas, and Red Bull’s eight-time race winner, Max Verstappen, thus increasing the prospect of a merry-go-round for the 2021 campaign with experienced drivers potentially changing seats.

“We are happy with the drivers we’ve got at the moment,” Binotto said, referring to Vettel and the highly promising Leclerc. “Certainly at one stage next season we will start discussing and understanding what to do.”

Although Hamilton has previously expressed his admiration for Ferrari as a marquee name in F1, the British driver has made no mention of wanting to leave an all-conquering Mercedes team which has won a record six straight drivers’ and constructors’ championships under the inspired leadership of team principal Toto Wolff.

Wolff and Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013 — with Hamilton replacing seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher following his retirement — and they have formed a very tight bond based on the highest mutual respect.

Flatteringly, Hamilton even recently suggested his own future at Mercedes is linked to Wolff’s future with the German manufacturer.

“Lewis and I have grown close over the last seven years … and I think we have built up a lot of trust. For him to say that is nice,” Wolff said on Friday. “I’d also like to know where he goes or if he stays in the future. Can I shed more light? No, for me it was important to finish the season in Abu Dhabi. There are many things to be decided on and we will see over the winter.”

Bottas, too, is keeping his options for 2021 open after winning a career-best four races this season and beating Hamilton in pole positions.



“I can’t remember a time when so many drivers’ contracts are expiring. If I had to decide on my future for 2021 (right now) it would be a no-brainer to continue with this team,” Bottas said. “There are many elements that have to come together, at the same time I have to keep my eyes open and be open-minded about the future.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

‘Black Friday’ becoming a shadow of its former self in US


The U.S. holiday shopping season officially opened with a deluge of “Black Friday” promotions but the frenzied crowds of the past have thinned out with the rise of e-commerce.

Companies in the retail, entertainment and tourism industries once again tried to entice shoppers after Thanksgiving with a bevy of offers on a day synonymous with American consumer culture and notorious “doorbuster” sales that start at the crack of dawn.


But U.S. consumers aren’t buying Black Friday the way they once did.

Only 36% of U.S. consumers plan to shop this year on Black Friday, down one percent from last year and a decline of 23% from 2015, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey.

“Just a few years ago, Black Friday had the aura of a FOMO (fear of missing out) event,” PWC said. “Now it seems more symbolic than significant in the pantheon of retail holidays.”

Black Friday will be followed in three days by “Cyber Monday,” a second highpoint of spending early in the season.

Friday’s sales have prompted copycat versions throughout Europe, an effort that has generated no small amount of friction.

This year’s events prompted protest in parts of France, Germany and the Netherlands that included environmentalist rallies outside Amazon distribution centers and human chains blocking malls.

There has been little sign of that sort of subversiveness in the United States. Rather, the bigger emerging challenge for Black Friday has been shifting consumer patterns.

The PWC survey said that for the first time in 2019 more consumers (54%) said they’ll do more of their shopping online than in stores.


Higher sales expected

Economists and retail industry insiders are broadly confident about the outlook for the 2019 season, owing to a strong labor market.

Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of US economic growth and has stayed strong throughout 2019 even as manufacturing has stagnated and business investment has been lackluster.

“Consumers are in good financial shape and willing to spend a little more on gifts for the special people in their lives this holiday season,” said Matthew Shay, Chief Executive of the National Retail Federation.

The NRF has projected that US consumers will spend an average of $1,048 this year, up about 4% they said they would spend last year.

But increasingly more of those sales are migrating online.

This trend includes Amazon of course, but also traditional brick-and-mortar chains like Walmart and Macy’s that have evolved into “multichannel” retailers, as well as companies and organizations hawking everything from pet food to hotel stays to political merchandise.

President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” merchandise was being once again discounted on the U.S. president’s political website at 35% off.

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was offering 25% off merchandise orders of $75 or more.

Due to the lateness of Thanksgiving, this year’s holiday shopping season is about six days shorter than last year, prompting more retailers to push up promotions even earlier in the season than usual, according to analysts.

Online consumer spending on Thanksgiving day came in this year at $4.2 billion, up 14.5% from a year ago and the first time above $4 billion, according to Adobe Analytics.


Jason Woosley, a vice president with Adobe, said preliminary data showed Black Friday was also on track to top its performance from last year by almost 19%, with promotions for sporting goods and appliances especially popular.

The data suggested the Thanksgiving day shopping spree hasn’t “stolen any traffic from Black Friday,” he said, adding that about 20% of the overall online sales for the season are expected between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. NVG

source: business.inquirer.net

Friday

Belgium retains year-end No. 1 spot in FIFA rankings


ZURICH— Belgium will end the year as FIFA’s top-ranked team after winning all 10 of its games in 2019.

Retaining its year-end No. 1 spot, Belgium extended its lead over World Cup champion France going into a four-month break for the top national teams.


Brazil, England and Uruguay are unchanged as Nos. 3-5. World Cup runner-up Croatia is No. 6, trading places with European champion Portugal at No. 7.

Spain, Argentina and Colombia complete the top 10.

Mexico, at No. 11, is the best-ranked CONCACAF team. The United States is No. 22.

Senegal is Africa’s top team at No. 20. No. 28 Japan replaces Iran as Asia’s highest ranked team.

World Cup host Qatar moved up two spots to No. 55 after winning its latest qualifying game for the 2023 Asian Cup.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Thursday

Trump strips away truth with hunky topless photo tweet


WASHINGTON–Days after causing alarm with an unscheduled trip to the hospital, President Donald Trump tweeted a photo-shopped image of himself Wednesday as a rippling, bare-chested boxer.

The president is furious over media speculation following his sudden trip to a government hospital outside Washington last Saturday and the startling tweet was his latest attempt to put talk of ill health to rest.


In the picture, Trump’s head is superimposed on the hulking body of a boxer — an image taken from the publicity poster for the Sylvester Stallone movie “Rocky III.”

The montage, in which a distinctly airbrushed version of the 73-year-old president’s face is used, comes without comment.

Not that the Republican real estate tycoon is shy on the subject. He rarely misses a chance to talk up his own physical prowess and often makes unscripted comments — flattering or derogatory — about the physique of other men, often to their face during official events.

On Tuesday, while giving a reelection campaign speech in Florida, Trump fumed at length in a bizarre rant about his recent hospital visit.

He claimed, wrongly, that major media outlets were reporting he’d had a “massive” heart attack when he was taken, without prior notice, to the Walter Reed military hospital.

In fact, most media questioned the unusual circumstances of the visit, which would usually have been flagged in advance. The White House said afterward that Trump had simply decided to do part of his annual physical exam early, in order to save time later.



According to his last medical exam, in February, Trump is technically obese but in good health. He rarely exercises, other than playing golf — as he did at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Wednesday.

‘Take off your shirt, sir’

At the campaign rally, Trump told supporters that false media reports of a heart attack sparked worry among staff back in the White House.

But in the hospital, he claimed, doctors had only had one overriding concern — to witness his spectacular physique.

“The first thing they do is say, ‘Take off your shirt, sir, and show us that gorgeous chest. We’ve never seen a chest quite like it,'” he said.

Aside from praising his own chest, Trump launched into a description of the muscles of Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis — a man Trump explained he previously thought had been fat.

“One day I am with him and I pat him on the shoulder and I go, whoa! That’s strong,” Trump recalled to the crowd of thousands.

“That’s a lot of muscle there. My hand didn’t sink in like it does with a lot of people. And then I see him without a shirt one day, and this guy is strong. He’s not fat. That’s all power. That’s all muscle. I want to tell you that.”

Trump has previously on frequent occasions expressed scorn for opponents’ small hands or admiration for the big hands of visitors to the White House and others.

He has also attacked female antagonists with lurid physical insults, including “horse face,” while Adam Schiff, one of the top Democrats in the Trump impeachment probe, is branded “pencil neck.”

The tweeted photo of a hunky Trump drew instant and sustained mockery online, as well as retweets from the president’s admirers, who enjoy the way he has brought showmanship into the White House.


“Now we know what they did to him at that mysterious doctor’s visit?” quipped NBC News anchor Andrea Mitchell over the faked Trump boxer.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Twitter to start deleting inactive accounts on December 11


On Tuesday, Twitter began alerting users who have not logged into their account for over six months that it would be deleted.

Twitter users who are not active on the social media began receiving emails on Tuesday stating that, unless they log in by Dec. 11, their accounts would be deleted.


Specifically, users who have not signed in for over six months will permanently lose their Twitter account and username, as outlined in the platform’s inactive account policy.

According to the company, an account only has to sign in once in a while to be considered “active” — no tweeting, retweeting, or liking necessary.

Twitter has been sending out alerts about possible account deletion at the end of the year for over six months now.

Once an account is deleted, these usernames will be available for new accounts to take; Twitter has not stated how long it will take after removal for the names to become accessible. IB/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Wednesday

Jokic, Grant lead Nuggets to win over Wizards


DENVER — Gary Harris isn’t putting up big scoring numbers. It’s the guard’s defense that has spearheaded the Denver Nuggets’ rise to the top of the Western Conference.

After another shutdown night, Harris’ teammates are campaigning for him to be on the NBA’s all-defensive team.


“We’re not joking around with first team,” Jamal Murray said. “He’s been showing it. Not just one game, not just two games, but all season long.”

Harris held Washington guard Bradley Beal to a season-low 14 points, Nikola Jokic had a season-high 20 rebounds and Jerami Grant added a season-best 20 points to lead the Nuggets to a 117-104 win over the Wizards on Tuesday night.

Jokic finished one rebound shy of his career best and scored eight points in Denver’s sixth straight win.


Will Barton had 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, Murray added 16 points and Mason Plumlee scored 15 for the Nuggets, who are 10-1 in November and ended a three-game home losing streak against Washington.

Beal, the Wizards’ leading scorer averaging 29.6 points, failed to score 20 points for the first time this season and was held to 6-for-15 shooting. He was 2 of 10 from behind the 3-point line.

“Anytime you can manage the best player on the other team, you start with that,” Plumlee said. “Brad Beal’s a heck of a player and he didn’t get 20, 30 points.”

It is a familiar theme when the Nuggets face an elite guard. Houston’s James Harden scored just 27 points, 10 below his season average, and Devin Booker had just 12 when Phoenix was in Denver on Sunday night.

“That’s all Gary,” Grant said. “He’s locking everybody up this year. He’s shutting everyone down.”

Denver held one of the NBA’s prolific offenses to its second-fewest point total of the season. Washington entered the game averaging 119.1 points and had failed to score at least 100 points just once in 15 games. It needed 35 in the fourth to reach 100 this time.


Jordan McRae had 21 points and Moritz Wagner and Davis Bertans each finished with 14.

The Nuggets grabbed control in the second quarter, opening a 17-point lead after Washington led 27-26 early in the period. Grant had 15 points in the second and 16 in the half as Denver took a 64-47 lead into the break.


“They did a good job all night just trying to get downhill,” McRae said. “I think we have to do a better job of helping each other going up in the paint, just knowing everybody has everybody’s back.”

The Nuggets pushed the lead to 20 points in the third quarter and after Washington closed within 14 midway through the fourth quarter, Barton converted a rare 4-point play to make it 107-89.

Those were the only four points of the fourth for Barton, who was the only Denver starter to play in the quarter.

Denver shot 52.2 percent and had 70 points in the paint.

“We gave them no resistance. There was no physicality,” Wizards coach Scotty Brooks said. “When you don’t give any resistance to a great team, they’re going to get 70 points in the paint.”

TIP-INS

Wizards: Guard Isaiah Thomas received warm applause from the crowd when he was announced as a starter. He played 12 games with the Nuggets last season. … Washington was 1 of 16 from the 3-point line in the first half and finished 10 of 40 from behind the arc.

Nuggets: Their last home win against the Wizards was March 12, 2016. Denver outscored Washington by 24 in the fourth quarter to win by 16. … The Nuggets weren’t called for a foul in the first quarter. They picked up six in the first 2:46 of the second quarter. … Malik Beasley scored 11 points off the bench on his 23rd birthday.


UP NEXT

Wizards: At Phoenix on Wednesday night.

Nuggets: At Sacramento on Saturday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Tuesday

In Virginia, Bloomberg blasts Trump for Navy leader’s ouster

NORFOLK, Va. -New presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg traveled to the city that hosts the world’s largest Navy base on Monday and blasted President Donald Trump over the recent ouster of the nation’s Navy secretary.


For the first stop of his Democratic campaign, Bloomberg went to Norfolk, where he criticized Trump over the firing of Richard Spencer. The civilian leader of the Navy said he could not in good conscience follow an order by the president to allow a Navy SEAL accused of war crimes to retire without losing his SEAL status.

“The fact remains: We have a president, a commander in chief, who has no respect for the rule of law, and no concern whatsoever for ethics or honor, or for the values that truly make America great,” Bloomberg told a group of reporters at a downtown hotel.

Virginia is a critical Super Tuesday state that is key to Bloomberg’s campaign strategy of bypassing early states to focus on the crush of states that vote later in the cycle. And the locale offered the billionaire and former mayor of New York City more than just the latest controversy in Washington to promote his platform.

The neighboring city of Virginia Beach suffered a mass shooting on May 31 that killed 12 people at a municipal complex. Bloomberg, 77, said that such shootings have become “almost routine” and that “we have to put an end to this madness.”

Gun control is a hallmark of Bloomberg’s political identity. His group, Everytown for Gun Safety, has pumped more than $6 million into Virginia campaigns alone in recent years to support like-minded Democrats, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

Democrats retook both chambers in Virginia’s Legislature earlier this month. Bloomberg said it was proof that “with the right candidate, we can turn areas from red to blue.”

Bloomberg, a centrist who became a Democrat last year, joined the presidential race Sunday, just 10 weeks before primary voting begins. His Democratic rivals have already pounced on his plans to rely on his personal fortunes to fund his campaign, accusing him of trying to buy an election.

Bloomberg said Trump was a “threat to our country, to our values and our national security.” But he also cast doubt on the crowded field of Democrats whose performance, he insinuated, forced him into the race.

“I think that there is a greater risk of having Donald Trump reelected than there was before,” Bloomberg told reporters. “And in the end, I looked in the mirror and said that I just cannot let this happen.”

The former Republican touted a platform that also focused on combating sea-level rise, economic inequality and health care.
He said he’s already beaten Trump in other arenas, at least symbolically, devoting tens of millions of dollars to pursue policy priorities that are in sharp contrast to the president’s.


For instance, Bloomberg has helped shutter 282 coal plants in the United States and organized a coalition of American cities on track to cut 75 million metric tons of carbon emissions by 2025.

“I know what it takes to beat Trump because we already have, and I will do it again,” Bloomberg said.

Bloomberg also chatted with people at a diner in downtown Norfolk that was mobbed with reporters and at least some people who were eager to support him.

Among them was Craig Schranz, 43, an emergency medicine physician who said he’s fiscally conservative and socially liberal like Bloomberg is. He praised Bloomberg for not “vilifying” capitalism and for supporting a health care plan that doesn’t eliminate private-payer health insurance.

“I think he’s someone who knows how to govern,” said Schranz, who said he had supported former Vice President Joe Biden before Bloomberg joined the race. “I think he’s going to implement sound policy that we need.”

Bloomberg plans to go to Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday.

GSG
source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Patriots hold Cowboys’ No. 1 offense without TD in 13-9 win


FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Few teams have had success scoring touchdowns against the Patriots this season.

Add the NFL’s top-ranked offense to that list.

The Patriots held the Cowboys without a TD for the first time this season, Tom Brady threw a touchdown pass and New England beat Dallas 13-9 on Sunday.

It was New England’s 18th straight regular-season victory at home. The Patriots (10-1) have won 10 games in 17 consecutive seasons dating back to 2003 and surpassed the San Francisco 49ers (16 seasons from 1983-98) for the most consecutive years with at least 10 wins.

Dallas (6-5) had a chance to take the lead late. But facing fourth-and-11 on its own 25 with 1:50 left, Dak Prescott’s 20-yard completion to Amari Cooper was nullified after an official review.

The Patriots, who struggled offensively in their win over Philadelphia last week, played without two key receivers after Mohamed Sanu and Phillip Dorsett were ruled out with injuries. Brady made the most of what he had, tossing a first-quarter touchdown pass to rookie N’Keal Harry and completing a 32-yard pass to rookie Jakobi Meyers.

Brady finished 17 of 37 for 190 yards. Julian Edelman caught eight passes for 93 yards. Sony Michel rushed 20 times for 85 yards.

Brady has been critical of the offense’s output in recent weeks. Coming away with wins is enough for him right now.


“I think every team develops at different times,” Brady said. “I think we take the challenges as they come and try to do the best we can. … I’m happy we came away with more points than them.”

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said the wet and windy conditions on the field, which included temperatures that dipped into the 30s, played a factor.

“Obviously no excuses. But the weather had an impact on both offenses,” he said. “A lot of balls on the ground, a lot of balls going off receivers’ hands. I thought our guys handled it better and better as the game went on.”


But not well enough.

Dallas struggled to move the ball for most of the game. Ezekiel Elliott rushed 21 times or 86 yards, but the Cowboys were just 2 of 13 on third down.

Prescott finished 19 of 33 for 212 yards and an interception. Cooper was held without a catch for the first time as a member of the Cowboys.

Dallas entered the game averaging 444.6 yards per game on offense and had the league’s best passing attack, averaging 312.7 yards.

But the Cowboys looked pedestrian for most of the first half opposite New England’s top-ranked defense, which came in allowing just 152.6 passing yards.

The Patriots focused on taking away two of Prescott’s favorite targets in Cooper and tight end Jason Witten. Prescott threw in their direction just twice in the opening half, while mostly checking down to short passes.

Elliott helped the Cowboys keep the ball moving, but his long gains were limited as New England stacked the box on first and second down.

“It was frustrating,” Elliott said. “Just gotta find a way to score.”

Dallas finally found some traction trailing 13-6 in the fourth quarter when Prescott connected with Randall Cobb for a 59-yard gain to get the Cowboys to the New England 25.

The drive stalled on the Patriots 11 and the Cowboys settled for a 29-yard field goal by Brett Maher.


New England got help from a special teams play to set up Harry’s TD.

Matt Slater blocked Chris Jones’ punt on the Dallas 30, and Nate Ebner recovered on the 12. Two plays later, Brady hit Harry in the front of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown — the first of Harry’s NFL career.

“I’m definitely not satisfied yet,” Harry said. “Anybody who knows me knows I’m about to turn it up a notch. To set the bar higher. I’m ready to get back to work.”

Prescott was intercepted by Stephon Gilmore on Dallas’ ensuring drive. The Patriots took over on the Dallas 29, but quickly went three-and-out. They settled for a 44-yard field goal by Nick Folk that made it 10-0.

RECORD WATCH

Harry became the 75th player to catch a touchdown pass from Brady, extending an NFL record. Vinny Testaverde was second, with 70 different TD targets.

A first-round draft choice from Arizona State, Harry made his debut last week after spending time on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

It was the 15th touchdown pass of the season for Brady. That’s a record for a player after his 42nd birthday.

JONES VENTS

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he was frustrated the team didn’t perform better on a day it had a chance to gain some distance in the NFC East.


“Make no mistake: This was a bigger game for us than it is for the Patriots,” he told reporters in a lengthy session in an equipment closet off the visitors’ locker room. “We had a chance to establish something. I’m just frustrated. I thought we could put together a better effort.”

Jones said he got what he expected out of the defense and seemed willing to give the offense a bit of a pass because of the foul weather. But the special teams came under scrutiny for allowing a blocked punt, missing a field goal and blowing 20 yards of field position with a penalty on another punt.

“Special teams is 100 percent coaching,” he said.

INJURIES

Dallas: S Jeff Heath was checked out on the sideline after delivering a hit on Meyers in the third quarter.

UP NEXT

Cowboys: Host the Bills on Thanksgiving.

Patriots: Visit the Texans next Sunday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Sunday

Harvard-Yale game delayed by student protest; 20-30 arrested


NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Protesters wearing the colors of both Harvard and Yale staged a sit-in at midfield of Yale Bowl during halftime of the 136th edition of the annual football rivalry known as The Game. Most walked off after about an hour with a police escort; about 20-30 who remained were arrested.

A few dozen protesters initially trickled onto the field as the Yale band finished performing its halftime routine, some holding a banner asking the schools’ presidents to divest from the fossil fuel industry. Other signs referred to Puerto Rican debt and the treatment of the Uighurs.


Yale officials said in a statement handed to reporters in the press box during the fourth quarter that the school “stands firmly for the right to free expression.”

“It is regrettable,” a statement attributed to the Ivy League said, “that the orchestrated protest came during a time when fellow students were participating in a collegiate career-defining contest and an annual tradition when thousands gather from around the world to enjoy and celebrate the storied traditions of both football programs and universities.”

Between 20 and 30 people were arrested, released and given a court date, protest organizers said. Rachel Sadoff, a junior at Harvard, said about 150 students from the two universities planned to participate and about 100 more who had been sitting in the stands joined in.

“Our goal was to spread the word,” Sadoff said. “If more people speak up, our colleges will have to listen.”

Largely of college age but with a few older protesters mixed in, the group chanted: “Hey Hey! Ho Ho! Fossil fuels have got to go!” One banner read “This is an emergency.” Mostly they sat or milled around near midfield, with some taking selfies; a vape pen and a crushed can of beer were left behind.

Police in yellow vests lined up alongside the sit-in but did not intervene. When the 15-minute halftime expired and the protest continued, hundreds more fans streamed onto the field to join in. Fans remaining in the stands began to boo, but only briefly.

The public address announcer implored the group to leave, repeating, “As a courtesy to both teams, the game must resume.” Protesters responded by chanting, “OK, boomer.”

Players tried to remain warm on the sideline in mid-40 temperatures, but then returned to their locker rooms. Harvard coach Tim Murphy was given an update from the game officials and public safety officers as the protest continued.

Yale Police Chief Ronnell Higgins spoke to the protesters over a megaphone, trying to convince them that they had made their point, but it would be lost if the situation escalated.


After about an hour, police formed a line and moved forward, from the Yale sideline toward the Harvard sideline. A protest leader encouraged all “internationals” to leave. An agreement was reached to escort the remainders off, with one police officer to every two protesters.

Those who did not leave then were informed by Higgins that they would be arrested. Asked how many people were taken into custody, Higgins referred questions to the police public information officer. Messages left with Yale and New Haven police were not immediately returned.

Yale coach Tony Reno said the team reverted to its plans for when a game is interrupted by lightning. The Bulldogs rallied from a 17-point, fourth-quarter deficit, winning 50-43 in double overtime in darkness in the unlit, century-old Yale Bowl to clinch the Ivy League championship and conclude one of the strangest editions in the rivalry’s 144-year history.

“It’s what makes Yale Yale,” Reno said. “Our group, I’m sure if you asked them and the Harvard guys what makes it special, it’s not only the game of football. It’s the passions.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Friday

Parents of late US hostage chasing North Korean assets


SEOUL — The parents of a former U.S. hostage who died after being released from North Korea in a coma in 2017 have said they are committed to finding and shutting down illicit North Korean business assets around the world in efforts to hold its government accountable for widespread human rights abuses.

In a news conference in Seoul on Friday, Fred and Cindy Warmbier called for the Trump administration to raise North Korea’s human rights problems as it engages in negotiations to defuse the country’s nuclear threat.

“My mission would be to hold North Korea responsible, to recover and discover their assets around the world,” said Fred Warmbier, who was invited to a forum hosted by a Seoul-based group representing the families of South Koreans abducted by the North during the 1950-53 Korean War.

“We feel that if you force North Korea to engage the world from a legal standpoint, then they will have to ultimately have a dialogue. They are not going to come and have a dialogue with us any other way,” he said.

The Warmbiers have claimed that their college student son, Otto, was tortured by North Korea after being convicted in 2016 of trying to steal a propaganda poster and imprisoned for months.

The 22-year-old suffered severe brain damage and died shortly after being returned to the United States in a vegetative state in June 2017.

The North denied that it tortured or cruelly treated the University of Virginia student and accused Washington and Seoul of a smear campaign.

In December last year, a U.S. federal judge ordered North Korea to pay more than $500 million in a wrongful death suit filed by the Warmbiers over their son, although they are unlikely to collect on the judgment.

The Warmbiers are also pushing legal action seeking the closure of a hostel operated on the grounds of the North Korean embassy in Berlin and plan to go after other hostels the North operates in Europe.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Thursday

A Guide to Real Estate Mortgages


Many people struggle with the decision to buy or lease a home. It’s important to know if you want to own a home before getting yourself entrenched in the process of a real estate mortgage.

But once you determine that you’re ready for homeownership, the next step is to choose a home you can afford. With each mortgage payment, you will be building equity in your own place. It’s essential to consult a mortgage professional to help you determine how much mortgage you can carry comfortably. This will help you evaluate your financial position and set achievable goals concerning the repayment timeline.

Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or you want to ensure that you’re ready for your next property purchase, here’s a simple guide for the real estate mortgage process:

How much debt can you afford?

A mortgage has four components that affect the affordability of a property and the mortgage, namely: principal, interest, taxes, and insurance. The principal is the total worth of the property for which you hope to be financed. This is usually about 80% of the property’s value. The interest refers to the amount of money you pay the lender for financing your mortgage loan. Property taxes are paid in perpetuity, depending on the location of your home. Insurance is also a lifetime cost that depends on the value of your property.

Lending institutions and mortgage insurers use a formula to determine whether you can afford a mortgage. It can be assessed based on your gross debt service (GDS), which includes your total homeownership costs discussed above, including mortgage payments, property taxes, and other fees. The second measure is your total debt service (TDS), which includes the GDS and debt payments (credit cards, loans, lines of credit), relative to your income. In order to qualify for mortgage insurance, the maximum permitted GDS ratio is 39%, and the maximum allowed TDS is 44%.

How soon can you get the down payment?

For many Canadians, your home is the biggest single purchase you’ll ever make. Getting a mortgage allows you to stretch the payments out over a few years, so you don’t have to save the full $500,000 (national average home price) before moving into your own home. The minimum down payment required for a home is 5%, which translates to about $25,000.

Get Your Mortgage Pre-Approved

You must get a mortgage pre-approval before you can start looking for your new house. A pre-approved mortgage implies that the lending institution has already vetted you for a specific mortgage amount after investigating your financials, including credit rating and income. You will know how much you can spend, your interest rate, and even your monthly payments.

Mortgage pre-approval is the first step in your mortgage approval process and will allow you to move fast and place an offer, which is crucial in a competitive housing market. This, however, doesn’t mean that your mortgage is guaranteed. But if you make an offer on a home you’re interested in, the lender will assess its value to ensure it’s reasonably priced, update your application with specific figures from the property, and re-verify your financials before giving their final approval.

If you can’t put up at least 20% of the down payment, then you must get mortgage insurance. The final mortgage will then be signed off with the approval of the mortgage insurer.

Final Note

The mortgage pre-approval locks in the lender’s mortgage rate for a specific period of 60, 90, or 120 days while you look for a house. So, rising interest rates won’t affect the agreed rates during the period. Also, keep in mind that federal mortgage rules require all borrowers to pass a financial stress test of 200 basis points above the contracted rate (the 5-year Bank of Canada Benchmark) to qualify for a mortgage.

For more information on real estate mortgages, call Northwood Mortgages at 866-307-0747 or contact us here.

source: northwoodmortgage.com

Steelers’ Rudolph: ‘No acceptable excuse’ for role in brawl


PITTSBURGH—Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph wanted to get away from Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.

The way Rudolph went about it—a process that contributed to a brawl that culminated with Rudolph getting smacked in the head with his own helmet and led to Garrett getting suspended by the NFL indefinitely—is one of the first-year starter’s regrets.

Saying “there is no acceptable excuse,” Rudolph said his behavior in the final moments of last Thursday’s 21-7 loss to the Browns fell short of the standard set by the league and the Steelers.

“The bottom line is I should have done a better job keeping my composure in that situation,” Rudolph said Wednesday while reading from a prepared statement before briefly taking questions from reporters.

Garrett and Rudolph became entangled on the next-to-last Steelers snap of Cleveland’s lopsided 21-7 victory. Rudolph flipped a short pass to running back Jaylen Samuels just before getting hit by Garrett, who twisted Rudolph to the ground as play continued downfield.

Rudolph took exception to Garrett wrapping him up, calling it “late.” Rudolph said he was trying to separate himself from Garrett—who was not flagged on the play—when he briefly grabbed the back of the 6-foot-4, 272-pound Garrett’s helmet.

“It was the last play of the game and I was just trying to get him from off on top of me,” Rudolph said.

Garrett responded by tugging at Rudolph’s facemask, eventually ripping it off and holding it high while Steelers guard David DeCastro attempted to separate them. Rudolph scrambled to his feet and gave chase in an apparent attempt to retrieve his helmet. Garrett then swung the helmet at Rudolph, connecting on the right side of Rudolph’s head. The chaos that followed included Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey punching and kicking Garrett and Rudolph getting knocked to the ground by a blind-side hit from Cleveland defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi.

In addition to handing out a record suspension to Garrett, the NFL banned Pouncey for three games and ordered Ogunjobi to sit out on Sunday when the Browns host Miami. All three players are appealing. Rudolph said he has not been notified of any fine for his actions but will accept whatever punishment the league metes out.

“I have no ill will toward Myles Garrett, great respect for his ability as a player,” Rudolph said. “And I know if Myles could go back he would handle the situation differently.”

Rudolph said he “definitely didn’t say anything” to escalate the situation with Garrett, calling the ordeal “an unfortunate situation for both teams involved.” Rudolph lamented that his actions led directly to Pouncey’s retaliation against Garrett that resulted in Pittsburgh (5-5) potentially losing the seven-time Pro Bowler during a critical stretch that will go a long way to determining whether they stay in the playoff picture.


“Probably one of the best teammates I’ve ever had.,” Rudolph said of Pouncey. “A guy that you want on your team. He has your back. He has everybody’s back on this team. … I put him in a bad spot and we’re looking to get him back as soon as possible whenever that is.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Wednesday

Vivo S1 Pro empowers youth to define their unique style

Vivo, the leading technology company, has again wowed the world by merging Vivo’s signature photography technologies with its powerful software, to deliver the S1 Pro. The smartphone is more than just cutting-edge technology alone, it is a remarkable smartphone concept that raises the bar for trendsetting design which empowers youth to define their unique style.   

The diamond design for the S1 Pro is inspired by images of jewelry and royal palaces which conjure a refreshing look that adds a unique and dynamic feel to this latest smartphone. For instance, the 48 MP AI Quad Camera is cleverly arranged to form a diamond shape which is a unique design that urges fans to explore their unique self.

“S1 Pro combines industry-leading features that highlights our dedication to deliver high-quality yet stunning smartphone designs for consumers, especially the youth,” said Charisma Buan, Vivo PR Team Lead. “S1 Pro is a true example of how we design industry-leading smartphone experiences to fit the needs of our young consumers in the Philippines.”


Safely unlock with the in-display fingerprint scanning

With just a single touch on the S1 Pro display, the screen can be instantly unlocked, thanks to its in-display fingerprint scanning technology. It also comes with a variety of animation effects to make phone unlocking easy and fun.

S1 Pro comes with the 6.38-inch Super AMOLED Display with a 90% screen-to-body ratio , the smartphone compliments the younger generation’s love of enjoying borderless full views that immerses them in the ultimate mobile experience.

Professional-grade photography features

Vivo understands intricately the consumers’ needs in their pursuit to capture clear and beautiful selfies. The 32MP front camera aims to showcase each individual’s beautiful and flawless self. It is also equipped with AI Face Beauty that allows users to enhance their facial features, bringing more joy and fun to photography.

With the 48MP AI Quad Camera, shooting like a pro has never been this fun and enjoyable. Its main camera is supported by wide-angle, macro and bokeh lenses. With AI algorithms embedded, it brings a new photography experience by capturing even better photo clarity.

The S1 Pro expands users’ viewing angle to 120⁰ with the 8MP Super Wide-Angle Camera which helps to broaden photography horizons. To polish the look, S1 Pro also comes with stunning features, such as Pose Master that can adjust users’ angle and guide the subject to pose for better pictures.


Such stunning camera features are aimed at ensuring users are constantly being inspired to explore and capture their best selves.

Powerful and built to last

S1 Pro comes with its signature Multi-Turbo that increases the smartphone’s performing speed level to ensure users can enjoy a more exhilarating game performance. It is also equipped with Game Center which allows users to quickly check phone performance to ensure an immersive gaming experience. The smartphone also comes with “Voice Changer” which can bring more fun into game time with a variety of voices while protecting user’s privacy.

S1 Pro’s powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 octa-core processor is supported by 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM to ensure fast and smooth performance for user’s multitasking and gaming needs. It also houses a 4500mAh battery with Dual-Engine Fast Charging Technology that brings higher durability and faster charging to further enhance mobile experience.

S1 Pro comes in Knight Black and Fancy Sky trendsetting color options to match the lifestyles of today’s youth.

Availability

The S1 Pro will be available in the Philippines starting November 30 for P15,999.



About Vivo

Vivo is a leading global technology company committed to creating trendsetting smart mobile products and services. Vivo is devoted to forming a vibrant mobile internet ecosystem, and currently owns and operates an extensive network of research operations, with R&D centers in San Diego, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou and Taipei. These centers focus on the development of cutting-edge consumer technologies including 5G, AI, mobile photography and next-generation smartphone design. Vivo has also set up 5 production bases around the world across China, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Vivo has over two hundred million users enjoying its mobile products and services around the world. Vivo features offline retail stores in over 1,000 cities worldwide.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Tuesday

Capitals’ Hathaway ejected for spitting on Ducks’ Gudbranson


WASHINGTON — Washington Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway has been ejected from a game for spitting on a player from the Anaheim Ducks.

Hathaway spit on defenseman Erik Gudbranson during a brawl late in the second period Monday night with referee Peter MacDougall standing a few feet away. Officials reviewed video before confirming the five-minute match penalty that triggers a game misconduct.


Tempers flared during the first 40 minutes between Washington and Anaheim and boiled over with 33.4 seconds remaining in the second. Capitals forward Brendan Leipsic bulldozed the Ducks’ Derek Grant behind the net, sparking several fights between the teams’ fourth lines.

Hathaway was involved with Grant, Gudbranson and Nick Ritchie during the scrum before being thrown out.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Monday

Harry Kane scores again as England beats Kosovo 4-0


PRISTINA, Kosovo — Harry Kane scored again as England beat Kosovo 4-0 Sunday to easily win its European Championship qualifying group and head to next year’s tournament among the top seeded teams.

Harry Winks’ first-half goal put England in front but the visitors had to wait until the final 12 minutes to finish off Kosovo, with Kane, Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount adding late goals.


Kane made sure he scored in all eight qualifiers, tucking away a chance as Raheem Sterling picked out his captain.

England, which had already qualified for Euro 2020, won Group A with 21 points and 37 goals scored. It finished six points ahead of second-place Czech Republic. Kosovo ended third on 11 points and can still advance through the playoff process.

“I think it was a tight game. It was a good test for us really. Difficult pitch, in particular, lots of people slipping and a few passes went astray,” said England coach Gareth Southgate, whose side was already assured of top spot.

“We had to withstand spells of pressure, gave them a few half-chances that on another night could be more of a problem, but in the end our counter-attacking was absolutely ruthless.”


Sterling was recalled to the England starting lineup after being dropped for Thursday’s 7-0 win over Montenegro following an incident involving Joe Gomez at St. George’s Park.

Southgate felt the return of Manchester City forward Sterling at the Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri drew a line under last week’s incident.

“I think that you have to work through any difficulties you have and the whole group have done that really well,” Southgate said. “I think we come out of this stronger than we started it, frankly.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Scarier than fiction: Climate worry driving ‘cli-fi’ boom


Imagine a world where storms inundate coastal megacities, entire species become extinct in the blink of an eye and conflicts are fought over dwindling natural resources.

Not so difficult in 2019, perhaps.

After a year of devastating extreme weather and worldwide unrest over the emergency posed by climate change, topics that used to belong to the realm of science fiction are finding their way into mainstream storytelling.

Back in 2004, Roland Emmerich’s disaster flick “The Day After Tomorrow” depicted a global weather catastrophe, with coastal areas devoured by the sea amid general meteorological mayhem.

Just 15 years on, scenes from the movie resemble images taken from real-life weather events today.

And as climate change makes superstorms, flooding, wildfires and droughts more likely, a new genre is gaining fatalistic fans the world over: “cli-fi.”

“It’s catching on like wildfire,” said United States writer and cli-fi aficionado Dan Bloom.

He credited U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he will withdraw from the Paris climate deal, with helping promote the genre.

“There’s a lot of people who say that climate change is not real,” said Bloom. “These people are making the rest of us very angry and as a result cli-fi is getting more and more power.”

Andrew Milner, a professor of comparative literature at Melbourne’s Monash University, said that cli-fi was yet to break out from sci-fi’s yoke — most people get into the new genre because they like the old one.

“Both its texts and practitioners — writers, readers, publishers, film directors, fans — relate primarily to the science-fiction tradition,” he said.


“(But) it is very clear that the sub-genre has grown very rapidly in recent years.”

Global appeal

Global protest movements such as the Youth Strike for Climate and Extinction Rebellion have heightened public awareness of the issue.

For J.R. Burgmann, co-author of “Science Fiction and Climate Change: A Sociological Approach”, cli-fi films and novels are a logical expression of an increasingly knowledgeable and concerned society.

“This rise is a response to real-world concerns,” he said. “And though I would argue that literature has been rather slow to respond to manmade climate change, it certainly appears to be making up for lost time.”

And, because climate change is a truly global problem, cli-fi has become a worldwide, multi-lingual phenomenon.

In France, two major television series focussing on dystopian but conceivable futures have received popular and critical acclaim.

“The Last Wave” tells the story of 10 surfers who go missing in bad weather. When they return they can’t remember what happened but some have strange new powers.

And “The Collapse”, set in a post-apocalyptic world where fuel is scarce, nuclear sites are threatened and medicines are rationed, debuted this week.

Recent cli-fi works from around the world include “Blackout Island” by Icelandic author Sigridur Hagalin Bjornsdottir, a Canadian adaptation of Jean Hegland’s “Into the Forest” and “Water Knife”, by U.S. author Paolo Bacigalupi.


In “The History of Bees”, Norwegian author Maja Lunde’s 2017 bestseller, humanity is forced to pollinate their crops by hand after pesticides have wiped insects off the face of the Earth.

“People are more and more worried about climate change and authors write about what scares them,” Lunde told Agence France-Presse last year.

‘Hard to ignore’

Novels and films about climate change are nothing new, of course.

J.G. Ballard’s “The Burning World” (1964) and John Brunner’s “The Sheep Look Up” (1972) depicted a world ravaged by environmental damage decades before scientists fully understood manmade climate change.

Even John Steinbeck’s generational “The Grapes of Wrath” (1939) is essentially a tale of the harrowing ordeal undergone by climate migrants from the Oklahoma dust bowl.

But, as leading cli-fi author Jean-Marc Ligny explained, greater public awareness and a seemingly unending string of drought, wildfires and heatwaves have made climate a topic that’s “hard to ignore.”

“Climate change needs stories, and readers need them to be told,” he said. “There are figures, statistics, but these don’t really say anything. Cli-fi makes people more aware of the situation.” CL/JB

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Sunday

Baby gets free lifetime entry in nightclub after being born on its dance floor


A 19-year-old woman’s night out ended up changing her life in a most interesting way, when she gave birth on a club’s dance floor last Monday, Nov. 11, in Toulouse, France.

The teenager (unnamed in report) welcomed her child at around 5:30 a.m. at the O’Club, as per French newspaper La Depeche via Newsweek on Tuesday, Nov. 12.


Marie-Helene, a manager at the club, explained that the woman was already into her late pregnancy at the time. The teenager went to the club at the urging of a friend to help “get her mind off some personal problems.”

“I know she didn’t drink,” the manager was quoted as saying.

After a short time at the club, the young woman had become incapacitated as she suddenly came into labor.

“She was one of the last people to leave, because she couldn’t walk,” Marie-Helene pointed out, unaware that the woman was about to give birth.

Marie-Helene found out about the situation when one of the employees approached her, saying something was “urgent.”

“I could see that the woman was about to give birth,” the manager was quoted as saying. “We had to act very quickly.”

Since there was not enough time to bring the teenager to a hospital, as per report, Marie-Helene and her staff took the responsibility of delivering the baby into their own hands.

“A staff member called the urgent medical aid service, who talked us through what we had to do,” she said. “The young woman wasn’t panicked, but she was worried. Then the baby came out.”

Moments after the child’s birth, emergency medical staff arrived at the club to assist the young woman and her newborn.

“It’s one of the more bizarre closings we’ve had. My team worked together,” Marie-Helene said in the report. “We all cried. The positive thing to come out of all of this is that none of us panicked and we weren’t scared. Anyway, we got it done.”

Marie-Helene also noted that the staff is eager to know about what happens to the teenager and her child, adding that she hopes the mother would update them about the baby.

Following the child’s birth, as per report, the club has decided to give the newborn “free admission for life” at their establishment. Ryan Arcadio/JB

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Friday

EU bank to stop funding fossil fuel projects in 2 years


BERLIN – The European Investment Bank said Thursday that it will stop financing fossil fuel energy projects from the end of 2021 as part of an effort to fight climate change.

The decision, which ends fossil fuel funding a year later than initially proposed, follows lengthy negotiations among European Union member states, the bank’s shareholders.

“We will stop financing fossil fuels and we will launch the most ambitious climate investment strategy of any public financial institution anywhere,” the EIB’s president, Werner Hoyer, said in a statement.

Calling climate “the top issue on the political agenda of our time,” Hoyer noted scientists’ warnings that the planet is heading for a 3-4 degrees Celsius (5.4-7.2 Fahrenheit) increase in global average temperature by the end of the century.

“If that happens, large portions of our planet will become uninhabitable, with disastrous consequences for people around the world,” he said.

The 2015 Paris climate accord aims to cap global warming at no more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) by 2100 compared with pre-industrial times.

The policy change —which will also see the EIB prioritize lending for energy efficiency, low carbon technology and grid improvements — comes as the EU tries to ratchet up its climate efforts.

Earlier Thursday, Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told diplomats and scientists in Berlin that “Europe must lead, because only then other countries such as China or India will stay the course too.”

He backed a proposal by the incoming European Commission for the 28-nation bloc to agree a Green New Deal that would see economic programs linked with efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

German Environment Minister Svenja Schulze said the EU should aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 55% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels, in line with Germany’s national target. The current EU goal is for a 40% cut.

Despite its tough talk, Germany was one of the countries which had resisted a complete end to fossil fuel funding by the EIB. Conservatives in the German government wanted an exemption for natural gas infrastructure on the grounds that it can help wean countries off more polluting coal.


Environmental groups cautiously welcomed the EIB decision but warned that it contains some loopholes for some gas projects.

The EIB, which is one of world’s biggest public lenders, loaned 55.6 billion euros ($61.93 billion) in 2018.

Separately, Sweden’s central bank said Wednesday that it has ditched bonds issued by the Canadian province of Albert and the Australian states of Queensland and Western Australia because authorities there are not doing enough to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

On Thursday, the European Commission announced that vehicle tires will have to come with clearer energy labels from 2021, to help consumers choose those that are most efficient.

The EU executive estimates that high rolling friction can increase fuel consumption by up to 30%, and more efficient tires could have the same effect as 4 million fewer cars on the roads. /gsg

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Thursday

Impeachment hearings go live on TV with first witnesses


WASHINGTON — The closed doors of the Trump impeachment investigation are swinging wide open.

When the gavel strikes at the start of the House hearing Wednesday morning, America and the rest of the world will have the chance to see and hear for themselves for the first time about President Donald Trump’s actions toward Ukraine and consider whether they are, in fact, impeachable offenses.

It’s a remarkable moment, even for a White House full of them.

All on TV, committee leaders will set the stage, then comes the main feature: Two seasoned diplomats, William Taylor, the graying former infantry officer now charge d’affaires in Ukraine, and George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary in Washington, telling the striking, if sometimes complicated story of a president allegedly using foreign policy for personal and political gain ahead of the 2020 election.


So far, the narrative is splitting Americans, mostly along the same lines as Trump’s unusual presidency. The Constitution sets a dramatic, but vague, bar for impeachment, and there’s no consensus yet that Trump’s actions at the heart of the inquiry meet the threshold of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Whether Wednesday’s proceedings begin to end a presidency or help secure Trump’s position, it’s certain that his chaotic term has finally arrived at a place he cannot control and a force, the constitutional system of checks and balances, that he cannot ignore.

The country has been here just three times before, and never against the backdrop of social media and real-time commentary, including from the president himself.


“These hearings will address subjects of profound consequence for the Nation and the functioning of our government under the Constitution,” said Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee leading the inquiry, in a memo to lawmakers.

Schiff called it a “solemn undertaking,” and counseled colleagues to “approach these proceedings with the seriousness of purpose and love of country that they demand.”

“Total impeachment scam,” tweeted the president, as he does virtually every day.

Impeachments are rare, historians say, because they amount to nothing short of the nullification of an election. Starting down this road poses risks for both Democrats and Republicans as proceedings push into the 2020 campaign.

Unlike the Watergate hearings and Richard Nixon, there is not yet a “cancer on the presidency” moment galvanizing public opinion. Nor is there the national shrug, as happened when Bill Clinton’s impeachment ultimately didn’t result in his removal from office. It’s perhaps most like the partisanship-infused impeachment of Andrew Johnson after the Civil War.

Trump calls the whole thing a “witch hunt,” a retort that echoes Nixon’s own defense. Republicans say Democrats have been trying to get rid of this president since he first took office, starting with former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference to help Trump in the 2016 election.

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was initially reluctant to launch a formal impeachment inquiry. As Democrats took control of the House in January, Pelosi said impeachment would be “too divisive” for the country. Trump, she said, was simply “not worth it.”

After Mueller’s appearance on Capitol Hill in July for the end of the Russia probe, the door to impeachment proceedings seemed closed.

But the next day Trump got on the phone.

For the past month, witness after witness has testified under oath about his July 25 phone call with Ukraine’s newly elected president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and the alarms it set off in U.S. diplomatic and national security circles.

In a secure room in the Capitol basement, current and former officials have been telling lawmakers what they know. They’ve said an earlier Trump call in April congratulating Zelenskiy on his election victory seemed fine. The former U.S. reality TV host and the young Ukrainian comedian hit it off.

But in the July call, things turned.

An anonymous whistleblower first alerted officials to the phone call. “I have received information from multiple U.S. Government officials that the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 election,” the person wrote in August to the House and Senate Intelligence committees. Democrats fought for the letter to be released to them as required.

“I am deeply concerned,” the whistleblower wrote.

Trump insisted the call was “perfect.” The White House released a rough transcript. Pelosi, given the nod from her most centrist freshman lawmakers, opened the inquiry.

“The president has his opportunity to prove his innocence,” she told Noticias Telemundo on Tuesday.

Defying White House orders not to appear, witnesses have testified that Trump’s acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, was withholding U.S. military aid to the budding democracy until the new Ukraine government conducted investigations Trump wanted into Democrats in the 2016 election and his potential 2020 rival, Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter.

It was all part of what Taylor, the long-serving top diplomat in Ukraine, called the “irregular” foreign policy being led by Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, outside of traditional channels.

Taylor said it was “crazy” that the Trump administration was withholding U.S. military assistance to the East European ally over the political investigations, with Russian forces on Ukraine’s border on watch for a moment of weakness.

Kent, the bowtie-wearing State Department official, told investigators there were three things Trump wanted of Ukraine: “Investigations, Biden, Clinton.”

On Friday, the public is scheduled to hear from Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, who told investigators she was warned to “watch my back” as Trump undercut and then recalled her.

Eight more witnesses will testify in public hearings next week.

“What this affords is the opportunity for the cream of our diplomatic corps to tell the American people a clear and consistent story of what the president did,” said Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., a member of the Intelligence panel.

“It takes a lot of courage to do what they are doing,” he said, “and they are probably just going to be abused for it.”


Republicans, led on the panel by Rep. Devin Nunes, a longtime Trump ally from California, will argue that none of those witnesses has first-hand knowledge of the president’s actions. They will say Ukraine never felt pressured and the aid money eventually flowed, in September.

Yet Republicans are struggling to form a unified defense of Trump. Instead they often fall back on criticism of the process.

Some Republicans align with Trump’s view, which is outside of mainstream intelligence findings, that Ukraine was involved in 2016 U.S. election interference. They want to hear from Hunter Biden, who served on the board of a gas company in Ukraine, Burisma, while his father was the vice president. And they are trying to bring forward the still-anonymous whistleblower, whose identity Democrats have vowed to protect.

The framers of the Constitution provided few details about how the impeachment proceedings should be run, leaving much for Congress to decide. Democrats say the White House’s refusal to provide witnesses or produce documents is obstruction and itself impeachable.

Hearings are expected to continue and will shift, likely by Thanksgiving, to the Judiciary Committee to consider actual articles of impeachment.

The House, which is controlled by Democrats, is expected to vote by Christmas.

That would launch a trial in the Senate, where Republicans have the majority, in the new year.

/atm

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Wednesday

Ubisoft to include more K-pop songs in ‘Just Dance 2020’


Video game company Ubisoft will be including more K-pop tracks in its official roster of songs for “Just Dance 2020.”

Ubisoft Asia managing director Steve Miller revealed the decision to inject more K-pop songs in the dancing game at the Rainbow Six Pro League Finals in Tokoname, Japan, over the weekend, as per Ungeek yesterday, Nov. 11.

“K-Pop is huge, not only in our region, but also popular/trendy in the west as well,” Miller told the gaming blog.

He added that having more K-pop songs would “help make the game popular around the world.” Miller also pointed out that he was a “big fan” of the music genre himself.


The current official tracklist of “Just Dance 2020” includes other K-pop songs such as Blackpink’s “Kill This Love” and 2NE1’s “I Am The Best.”

However, other fans were not pleased with how the choreographies of the already-included K-pop tracks in the latest “Just Dance” game were adapted, as per report. One of the songs that did not feature the exact same choreography performed by its original singers was “Fancy” by Twice.


Addressing the inaccurate match of the dance moves in the game and the steps in the original music videos, Miller said: “Probably the biggest reason for that has to do with restrictions on the content that we are allowed to reproduce. [Specifically] the content that our rights allow us to reproduce,” he said in the report.


“For instance, some artists, we were not allowed to completely copy what they do in the video.”

He pointed out that Ubisoft had tried to use the iconic dance moves in the original music videos but were “not always allowed to replicate the whole choreography.”  Ryan Arcadio /ra

source: technology.inquirer.net

Sunday

Lionel Messi’s dead-ball hat-trick puts Barca back on top


Lionel Messi delivered an incredible dead-ball hat-trick on Saturday to steer Barcelona to a 4-1 victory over Celta Vigo and ease the pressure on his coach Ernesto Valverde.

Messi scored with a penalty and then a pair of sumptuous free-kicks either side of half-time after Lucas Olaza had briefly pulled Celta level with a free-kick of his own at Camp Nou. Sergio Busquets drove home to make sure of the win late on.


A 34th treble in La Liga puts Messi equal with Cristiano Ronaldo, while a much-needed win sends Barca above Real Madrid on goal difference and back to the top of the table at the end of a testing week.

“It is impossible not to depend on Messi, he illuminates everything,” said Valverde. “We depend on him like any team would depend on him. He unlocked the game.”

Madrid had briefly claimed first place after continuing their own goal-surge by hammering Eibar 4-0, a game in which Karim Benzema scored twice and Eden Hazard exploded into life.

But while Madrid appear to be hitting their stride, Barcelona’s momentum had stalled. After losing to Levante and failing to break down Slavia Prague in the Champions League, scrutiny had again turned on Valverde and his future as Barcelona coach.


Barcelona’s disgruntled fans had whistled their team against Slavia in midweek and when Olaza equalised for Celta, that tension and restlessness threatened to return.

Instead, Messi took command, this hat-trick taking his tally to nine goals in seven games, 612 in total for his club.

“Obviously when it’s tight we have the advantage of having the best player in the world and the best free-kick taker in the world,” said Busquets.

Yet his precision from free-kicks is a skill the 32-year-old has worked on and improved in recent years, his conversion rate currently at four goals from his last seven attempts in the league.

The last time a player scored a hat-trick from set-pieces in La Liga was when Messi himself achieved the same feat in 2012 against Espanyol, albeit with two penalties and one free-kick.

There was good news for Barcelona too in the return of Luis Suarez, who came off the bench after recovering from a calf strain.

Messi scored his penalty in the 23rd minute after Joseph Aidoo had blocked Nelson Semedo’s cross with his hand.



It was Messi that conceded the foul for Olaza’s curling free-kick that was well-hit enough to beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen, even if the goalkeeper might have been disappointed not to be able to get across.

There was little Celta keeper Ruben Blanco could do about Messi’s efforts, the first in stoppage time before the interval and the second three minutes after the restart.

They were almost carbon copies of each other, bending over the wall and nestling in the top right-hand corner.

Celta, under their new coach Oscar Garcia, never looked like mounting a comeback and Busquets put the result beyond doubt with a low shot five minutes from the finish.

Real’s players might have been watching on their way home from Ipurua, where they went three up inside 29 minutes, Sergio Ramos scoring a penalty between two Benzema strikes, the second also a spot-kick after Ramos delegated to his teammate. Fede Valverde added a fourth in the second half.

Benzema’s double takes him to 157 goals for Real Madrid, above Ferenc Puskas into sixth in the club’s all-time list, but his excellent display was trumped by a creative masterclass from Hazard.

“His first half was very impressive,” said coach Zinedine Zidane. “We are happy and he will be a huge player for Madrid, for sure.”

Hazard’s vintage performance


Benzema latched onto Hazard’s pass in the 17th minute and after Valverde and Luka Modric missed, the ball spilled back to the Frenchman, who found the corner from an acute angle.

Three minutes later it was two, Hazard the creator again, his feet too quick for Pablo De Blasis, who caught his opponent’s right leg. Ramos slid the penalty home.

Hazard sparkled, with a brilliant nutmeg, a ‘rabona’ cross and too many glides past defenders to count.

Ramos passed on the second Madrid penalty, awarded for a foul on Lucas Vazquez, to allow Benzema to make it three before Valverde had added a fourth, cracking in Modric’s pass for his first goal in La Liga.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Saturday

The Who’s Pete Townshend launches first novel


After penning best-selling albums such as “Tommy” and soundtracks like “Quadrophenia” with legendary rock band The Who, guitarist Pete Townshend has now written his first novel, which he says draws on his own experiences with drugs.

At the London launch on Thursday of his debut work of fiction, Townshend, 74, said the book — entitled “The Age of Anxiety” — contained “a lot of autobiographical stuff.”


“I observed a lot of things,” he said, evoking his relationship with drugs, as well as his abandonment as a child by his parents.

The novel’s cast of characters include a former rock star turned hermit who paints apocalyptic scenes, and an art dealer with drug-induced demonic visions.

Townshend, The Who’s main songwriter, said he had waited until now to become a novelist because “I don’t think I felt qualified”.

But he already has plans to turn the book into a rock opera, which he hopes to stage in 2021.


“I wrote the book just so that I could write a libretto!” he said.

“My dream as an art student was to combine all these fantastic courses that I had.”

With its four members, Townshend, singer Roger Daltrey, bass player John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon, The Who ran up scores of hits in the late 1960s and 1970s, including “Pinball Wizard” and “My Generation”.

Moon died of a drug overdose in 1978 and Entwistle from a heart attack in 2002.

The band, still fronted by Daltrey and Townshend, will release its first album in 13 years, entitled simply “WHO”, on December 6. NVG

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Thursday

Judge strikes down new Trump rule on religious objections


NEW YORK – A federal judge on Wednesday struck down a new Trump administration rule that could open the way for more health care workers to refuse to participate in abortions or other procedures on moral or religious grounds.

U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said the U.S. Health and Human Services Department overstepped its authority and went beyond existing law in issuing the rule. He also said that the measure could be costly, burdensome and damaging to emergency care and that the whole rationale for the rule was based on a lie.

He said the department’s claim that there was a significant increase in complaints about workers being forced to violate their conscience was “flatly untrue.” The HHS rule, he said, is a classic “solution in search of a problem.”

Nineteen states, the District of Columbia, three local governments, health organizations and others had sued to block the rule from taking effect Nov. 22, arguing that it would be discriminatory and would interfere with people’s access to health care.

“Today, the Trump administration has been blocked from providing legal cover for discrimination,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president of Planned Parenthood. “As the federal district court made clear, the administration acted outside its authority and made false claims to try to justify this rule.”

Rosie Phillips Davis, president of the American Psychological Association, said the HHS rule “could have jeopardized the health of some of our most vulnerable populations, including women, LGBT people and people with HIV or AIDS.”

But Sen. Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican, called the ruling “absurd mush” and urged the Trump administration to appeal.

Health care institutions have long relied on federal Conscience Provisions first created in 1973 and amended since then that protected health care professionals from carrying out services that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs.

The new HHS rule broadens the list of health care personnel who can refuse to participate, expanding it to those who counsel, refer, train or make arrangements for a medical procedure.

It also restricts the ability of employers to inquire about employees’ objections and broadens the definition of health care entities to include pharmacists and medical laboratories.

Thus, the judge warned, a hospital or clinic receptionist who schedules appointments, an elevator operator or an ambulance driver could refuse on moral or religious grounds to do their jobs.


He said the rule could force some health care employers to double or triple staff, particularly during emergencies.

“These limits have clear potential to inhibit the employer’s ability to organize workplace arrangements to avoid inefficiencies and dislocations,” Engelmayer said.

Engelmayer, who was appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama, said HHS lacked authority to create major portions of the rule, including a provision that said a health care institution’s federal funding can be cut off for violating the measure.

He said it should be left to Congress to decide whether to change the laws regarding employers’ duty to accommodate religious objections. /gsg

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

NEX 3: The next status symbol of power and luxurious technology


Like designer bags, Swiss watches, and bespoke suits, smartphones have become not just a necessity, but a symbol of sophistication, especially among individuals who have a discerning taste for luxurious items.

And the NEX 3, the latest flagship model in Vivo’s high-end NEX series, may perhaps be the next status symbol not only of elegance but of premium technology, owing to its next-generation innovations and trendsetting design that gives a preview of the “device of the future”.


Built for those who demand the best smartphone experience, the NEX 3 harnesses the power of the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 855+ and 8GB RAM/128GB ROM to deliver faster cutting-edge performance and smoother multitasking capabilities.

Compared to other handsets in its price range, the Vivo NEX 3 might exude simplicity but it looks totally sophisticated and elegant with its Glowing Night-colored aluminum alloy unibody design that is rendered seamless with a notch-less and bezel-less architecture.

The NEX 3 also cleverly hid physical power and volume buttons from sight by using an X-axis Haptic Vibration motor and Touch Sense technology, whereby the unit uses haptic feedback to simulate sense of touch. In-Display Fingerprint Scanning also allows users to step into their mobile world both instantly and safely.

Matching the impressive style of its users, the NEX 3 also makes a remarkable statement with the world’s first AMOLED Waterfall FullView™ Display, stretching and curving the smartphone screen along its sides to offer its discriminating users broader, borderless views.

For a breathtaking visual experience, the NEX 3 also has 6.89-inch display with an incredible 99.6% screen-to-body ratio. At the back, a Corning® Gorilla® Glass 6, protects the NEX 3 from multiple drops, even at greater heights.

For those who not only go for amazing aesthetics but also top-notch performance, the NEX 3 sports an array of optics bannered by a 64-megapixel main camera, 13MP wide-angle camera and a 13MP telescopic camera that makes for premier photo-shooting experience as it makes “super HD clarity” as the norm for all photos. At the front, a 16MP Elevating Front Camera also paves the way for NEX 3’s perfect FullView™ Display.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Wednesday

More Sex Misconduct Allegations Against Cuba Gooding Jr.


Cuba Gooding Jr. faces a new accuser and new charges in his New York City sexual misconduct case, his lawyer said.

The actor is due in court Thursday for an arraignment on an updated misdemeanor indictment, lawyer Mark Heller said.

The charges relate to a third accuser in a case that has grown quickly in recent weeks from alone allegation to a reexamination of Gooding’s behavior with the woman throughout his career.

The 51-year-old, who won an Oscar for his role in “Jerry Maguire,” was arrested in June after a 29-year-old woman said he squeezed her breast without consent at Manhattan nightspot.

An indictment unsealed Oct. 15 included charges Gooding alleging also pinched a woman’s buttocks at a Manhattan nightclub in October 2018.

Gooding pleaded not guilty and has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

He is free on his own recognizance.

In addition, prosecutors have said they intend to have up to a dozen other women not associated with the criminal charges testify that Gooding behaved like that with them in similar settings — bars, hotels, and restaurants — as far back as 2001.

The judge, Curtis Farber, said he’ll rule in December on whether any of those women can take the witness stand.

Heller has argued the case against Gooding is an example of the #MeToo movement run amok and that overzealous prosecutors are looking to turn “commonplace gestures” into crimes.

source: usa.inquirer.net