November is best-known as the month when one of the biggest holidays of the year – Thanksgiving – takes place.
However, November is also host to some other well-known national holidays, such as Veterans Day, and some less well-known ones, like National Deviled Eggs Day.
“Deviled” refers to the spices used to make the eggs. The dish has its origins in Europe – ancient Rome – but is pretty popular in the southern US.
Deviled eggs dish has its origins in ancient Rome, but is pretty popular in the southern US
Another name for deviled eggs is eggs mimosa.
This dish is a traditional favorite in both American and French cultures. Deviled eggs are made with hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, and seasoning, and can be served as a side dish, appetizer, or main course.
While deviled eggs originated in ancient Rome, the term “deviled” didn’t appear until the 18th century when it was used to describe highly seasoned, fried, or boiled dishes. By the 19th century, the word “deviled” was used to describe hot seasonings in general. Today, not all deviled egg recipes are spicy, but a little cayenne pepper or hot mustard can always give them an extra kick.
Horn of Africa pirates netted more than $400 million in ransom money between 2005 and 2012, a new World Bank and UN report says.
Pirate Trails report says the financiers behind the piracy, and not the pirates themselves, collect most of the cash.
The money is then used to fund other criminal operations, including arms and human trafficking.
The report calls for a financial task force to root out the money laundering networks.
Its key findings suggest that financial kingpins collect 30%-50% of the total ransom, with what it calls the “foot soldiers” only getting a standard fee.
This amounts to $30,000 to $75,000 per ship, or just 0.01% to 0.025% of an average ransom payment.
Horn of Africa pirates netted more than $400 million in ransom money between 2005 and 2012
The report says the local community in Somalia “provides goods and services to pirates, including food, repair services and khat”.
Khat is a legal stimulant in Somalia.
The report says the financiers invest in both criminal activities and legitimate business interests.
It says: “The proceeds are typically moved by cross-border cash smuggling, trade-based money laundering, bank-wire transfer and the abuse of the Money of Value Transfer Services.”
The report’s co-author, Stuart Yikona, said: “Unchallenged piracy is not only a menace to stability and security, but it also has the power to corrupt the regional and international economy.”
The report recommends increased monitoring of the financial flows from piracy, improved cross-border controls and better regional co-operation.
Stuart Yikona said: “The international community has mobilized a naval force to deal with the pirates. A similarly managed multinational effort is needed to disrupt and halt the flow of illicit money that circulates in the wake of their activities.”
The haul in ransom cash between 2005 and 2012 was put at between $339 million and $413 million.
Up to 10 EU naval ships now patrol the waters off the Horn of Africa, which are some of the world’s busiest shipping and humanitarian aid routes.
The anti-piracy force’s mandate, which first started in 2008, was expanded earlier this year and it is now allowed to carry out attacks on the Somali coast against suspected pirates.
Brazil and Germany have asked the UN General Assembly to adopt a draft resolution calling for the right to privacy in the digital age.
The draft calls for an end to excessive electronic surveillance, noting that the illegal collection of personal data “constitutes a highly intrusive act”.
Brazil and Germany have both been angered by allegations of large-scale US surveillance.
The allegations stem from revelations by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The draft resolution, which does not name individual countries, will be debated by a General Assembly committee focusing on human rights.
The draft calls on the 193-member assembly to declare that it is “deeply concerned at human rights violations and abuses that may result from the conduct of any surveillance of communications”.
This includes “extraterritorial surveillance of communications, their interception, as well as the collection of personal data, in particular massive surveillance, interception and data collection”.
The resolution, which will be voted on later this month, calls on all countries to protect the right to privacy guaranteed under international law.
The UN draft resolution follows allegations that the US has been eavesdropping on foreign leaders, including Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and German Chancellor Angela Merkel
While General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they can carry significant moral and political weight if they win enough support.
The draft follows allegations that the US has been eavesdropping on foreign leaders, including Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, angering US allies in Europe and Asia.
Disclosures about the extent of US spying activity came from documents leaked to media organizations by Edward Snowden.
Angela Merkel’s anxiety about US spying overshadowed last week’s EU summit, when she remarked with irritation that spying on friends is “really not on”.
Dilma Rousseff was angered by revelations that the NSA had hacked the computer network of Brazil’s state-run oil company Petrobras to collect data on emails and telephone calls.
Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef’s television show has been suspended just minutes before it was due to go on air.
The private CBC channel said Bassem Youssef had not followed editorial policies and wanted more money.
The move comes a week after his al-Bernameg (Programme) show poked fun at Egypt’s powerful military, triggering complaints.
The decision will heighten concerns about freedom of speech restrictions.
The CBC channel announced its decision in a statement on Friday evening.
Bassem Youssef’s television show has been suspended just minutes before it was due to go on air
It said Bernameg‘s latest taped episode showed that the presenter and his producers “insisted on violating the editorial policy”.
It did not provide details on how the policy had been violated, but added that the political satire show would remain suspended until the problems were solved.
Last week, Bassem Youssef’s show took aim at the army and its chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The controversial presenter joked about chocolate bars being made in the image of the general.
That show triggered several complaints from viewers, and Egypt’s public prosecutor later ordered an investigation.
In March, Bassem Youssef was released on bail after questioning by prosecutors over allegations he insulted Islam and the then-President Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted by the military in July.
In April, a court rejected a lawsuit calling for a ban on his programme.
Bassem Youssef is a doctor who shot to fame after winning a large number of followers with his witty lampooning of public figures in amateur videos posted on the internet following the uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak’s rule in February 2011.
Bassem Youssef became a household name when his satirical show – likened to Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show in the US – began to be broadcast.
Ghastly webs with giant black spiders adorned an orange-hued White House on Thursday, slithering down from the Truman Balcony along the South Portico, where haystacks and nearly 200 pumpkins dotted the lawn for the annual White House Halloween event.
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, clad in orange and black, emerged in the evening to greet the zombies, wizards and superheroes waiting diligently to hear the president’s response to an eerie query: Trick or treat?
It was treats – thousands of packages of jelly beans, dried fruit and White House Sweet Dough Butter Cookies – that Barack and Michelle Obama handed children as they walked across the South Lawn, past stilt-walkers, jugglers and a giant, transparent bubble housing Glinda the Good Witch, who brandished her magic wand in true Wizard-of-Oz fashion.
Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, clad in orange and black, emerged in the evening to greet the zombies, wizards and superheroes
Fog billowed across the lawn, obscuring the Washington Monument in the distance as children and their parents mingled with White House staffers dressed as football players, vampires and princesses. A brass band of white-faced skeletons set the mood with creepy Halloween tunes, dancing as they played alongside a family of ghosts camped out near the area where the president’s helicopter normally lifts off.
Even Barack Obama’s dogs donned costumes — no, not the real Sunny and Bo, but topiaries carved from ribbons and pipe cleaners and dressed up, Bo as a pirate and Sunny as a sunflower.
The festivities marked the return of a favorite annual tradition at the White House that had to be scrapped last year. After three straight years of passing out goodies, rain or shine, Obama and the first lady canceled the event last year because of Superstorm Sandy, which had walloped the East Coast earlier in the week.
More than 5,000 people took part in this year’s Halloween event, the White House said.
Paul Anthony Ciancia, the man who allegedly killed a TSA worker and wounded three others at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday had anti-government literature in his possession outlining an alleged conspiracy to create a single global government.
Law enforcement sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told NBC News the material recovered from Paul Anthony Ciancia, 23, after the shootout at LAX appeared to have been prepared by a group called “New World Order”.
One source said it also expressed animus toward racial minorities.
There is no record of a radical group by that name and the term “New World Order” is often used by conspiracy-minded groups and individuals to describe an alleged secret plot to establish an autonomous world government that would replace sovereign nations and put an end to international power struggles.
According to ConspiracyWiki, a website devoted to conspiracy theories, the doctrine was primarily limited to militant anti–government and radical fundamentalist Christian groups until the early 1990s, but has since been embraced by some left-wing groups.
Very little was known about Paul Anthony Cianci, who had lived in the Philadelphia area before moving to California.
LAX suspect Paul Anthony Ciancia had anti-government literature in his possession outlining an alleged conspiracy to create a single global government
His brother told police in New Jersey he had received a text message from the suspect Friday morning saying he was thinking about taking his life.
Pennsville, New Jersey, Police Chief Allen J. Cummings then contacted the Los Angeles Police Department to do a well-being check on Paul Anthony Ciancia at his apartment in California. He wasn’t there when LAPD officers contacted his roommates about 10 a.m. local time, but they said everything was fine.
Paul Anthony Ciancia’s father, also named Paul, told NBC station KNBC that he last spoke to his son a week ago, when the son said the economy was depressed. The senior Ciancia said he didn’t know if his son had a job or if he owned any weapons, but confirmed that he was in California.
Paul Anthony Ciancia was shot by law enforcement and taken into custody after he allegedly began shooting at Transportation Security Administration workers with an assault rifle at about 9:20 a.m. local time.
Federal officials said it was unclear whether the gunman was targeting TSA workers or was trying to shoot his way through to gain greater access to the airport. But one witness said the shooter, while walking through the terminal with his weapon, approached him with a one-word question.
“All he said was, <<TSA?>> Just like that,” Leon Saryan told MSNBC.
The shooting started in Terminal 3, which serves Virgin America and other airlines. Paul Anthony Ciancia allegedly took a 223-caliber AR-15 style, semiautomatic rifle out of a duffle bag and fired on TSA officers at a screening checkpoint, authorities said. He then went farther into the terminal, where he exchanged fire with law enforcement and was shot multiple times in the chest, they said.
He was hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.
Police said quick action by airport officers averted a worse tragedy.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a news conference later Friday that Paul Anthony Ciancia had with him at least 100 more rounds of ammunition that “literally would have killed everyone in that terminal.”
One person has been killed and seven people were wounded, one critically, during Los Angeles International Airport shooting, officials say.
The Transportation Security Administration said a number of its employees were injured, one fatally.
A lone suspect – whom law enforcement officials named to US media as 23-year-old Paul Ciancia – was wounded by police and detained.
Flights in and out of the busy airport were temporarily halted.
LA Airport police chief Patrick Gannon told reporters a “lone shooter” came into Terminal 3 at 9:20 local time.
The suspect “pulled an assault rifle out of a bag and began to open fire in the terminal”, he said.
One person has been killed and seven people were wounded during Los Angeles International Airport shooting
Paul Ciancia then proceeded to a security screening area and continued shooting.
Witness Brian Keech told the Associated Press news agency he had heard “about a dozen gunshots” from inside the security gate at Terminal 3.
Authorities actively engaged the shooter, during which time the suspect was wounded and later arrested, Patrick Gannon added.
The Transportation Security Administration later issued a statement reporting “multiple Transportation Security Officers were shot, one fatally”.
A local hospital official told reporters one of the injured was listed in critical condition, while two other victims were listed in fair condition.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) barred all flights landing at the airport during the incident, and outbound flights were delayed.
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti said those inside the airport were now safe and outbound flights would resume in areas other than Terminal 3.
Inbound flights were currently arriving at half the normal rate, officials said.
President Barack Obama expressed concern about the shooting, but said he would leave law enforcement to talk about it.
Witness Brian Adamick told the Los Angeles Times he and several other passengers went through a Terminal 3 emergency exit and on to the tarmac during the incident.
“While I was on the tarmac, I heard two gunshots from the same area where the people had been running and screaming,” Brian Adamick told the newspaper.
Pakistan Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud has been killed in a drone strike.
The strike targeted a vehicle used by Hakimullah Mehsud with four missiles in the north-western region of North Waziristan.
Four other people were killed in the strike, including two of Hakimullah Mehsud’s bodyguards, intelligence sources say.
Several previous claims of his death, made by US and Pakistani intelligence sources, have proven untrue.
Pakistan’s government has issued a statement strongly condemning the drone attack, saying such strikes were a “violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Friday’s strike targeted Hakimullah Mehsud’s vehicle in the Dande Darpakhel, some 3 miles north of the region’s main town, Miranshah.
A senior US intelligence official told the Associated Press that the US received positive confirmation on Friday morning that he had been killed.
Hakimullah Mehsud had a $5 million FBI bounty on his head and was thought to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of people
Hakimullah Mehsud had come to prominence in 2007 as a commander under the militant group’s founder Baitullah Mehsud, with the capture of 300 Pakistani soldiers adding to his prestige among the militants.
In January 2010 Hakimullah Mehsud gained further notoriety when he appeared in a video alongside a Jordanian who is said to have blown himself up, killing seven CIA agents in Afghanistan to avenge Baitullah Mehsud’s death.
Hakimullah Mehsud had a $5 million FBI bounty on his head and was thought to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of people.
He became leader of the Pakistani Taliban in 2009, aged 30, after his predecessor Baitullah Mehsud died in a US drone strike at his father-in-law’s residence in South Waziristan.
The strike against Baitullah Mehsud reportedly came after repeated complaints by Pakistani officials that the Americans were not hitting militant groups who attacked targets in Pakistan.
Waliur Rehman, his second-in-command, died in a drone strike in May.
The attack targeting him comes on the same day that the Pakistani government announced it was about to send a delegation to North Waziristan to try to get peace negotiations with the Taliban under way.
Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif had pledged to talk with the Taliban to try to end its campaign of violence, which has left thousands dead in bombings and shootings across the country.
Italy’s former PM Silvio Berlusconi has married his fiancée Francesca Pascale last month in a secret wedding at his private chapel in Milan.
Silvio Berlusconi, 77, has always loved to be surrounded by women but since 2009 this tendency might have been increasing, according to his ex-wife Veronica Lario.
Francesca Pascale, born in Naples, district of Fuorigrotta, on July 15, 1985, the daughter of a wedding photographer, was raised up in Posillipo. She is the founder of the Club “Silvio ci manchi” (“Silvio we miss you”).
Francesca Pascale was one of the candidates to be the mysterious girl Silvio Berlusconi has been having a relationship with, since his separation from Veronica Lario in 2009.
Silvio Berlusconi has married his fiancée Francesca Pascale last month in a secret wedding at his private chapel in Milan
Appeared in several videos singing or dancing with other girls along singer Oscar di Maio on local television Telecapri programme, where she started working when she was 14.
Then Francesca Pascale went into politics, becoming a councillor for the Municipality of Naples.
“I adore Berlusconi. Politics and show business? The same thing,” she said once.
At the end of 2012 Francesca Pascale was seen with Silvio Berlusconi more and more often, she was there also on November 25, at San Siro, when AC Milan beat Juventus 1-0.
On December 16, 2012, Silvio Berlusconi declared publicly that he was officially engaged to the Neapolitan girl.
Since her coming out as Silvio Berlusconi’s girlfriend, Francesca Pascale has been trained to become a presentable escort to a former prime minister and billionaire, her tutor being Mariarosaria Rossi. But Francesca Pascale needs more than this to earn a page on Wikipedia: so far (25 January 2013) she is just mentioned once in Silvio Berlusconi Italian wiki page and she is totally absent from the English Wikipedia or even the Neapolitan language pages.
In October 2013, Bulgarian actress (naturalized Italian citizen) Michelle Bonev revealed on her blog that Francesca Pascale is a lesbian, and that she knows it for sure because she had an affair with a young girlfriend of Silvio Berlusconi.
Former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi got married to Francesca Pascale in a “secret” ceremony “at his house,” according to a report.
According to Daily Mail,Silvio Berlusconi, 77, and Francesca Pascale, 28, got married at a church near his home near Milan three weeks ago.
Silvio Berlusconi’s friend, Marythell Polanco, said she was invited to a ceremony.
“It’s not a civil marriage, but Silvio has a chapel in his house. He was able to do it there and no one knows anything about it,” she said.
Silvio Berlusconi got married to Francesca Pascale in a secret ceremony at his house
Marythell Polanco said that she could not attend “because I was in labor with my son. But anyway I sent my congratulations. They got married two or three weeks ago- on 8th or 9th October.”
Several weeks ago, Francesca Pascale said that people were taking advantage of Silvio Berlusconi.
“Many people were taking advantage of him,” Francesca Pascale said, according to Reuters.
“I had to intervene. They were paying 80 euros [$110] a kilo for string beans, can you believe it? Huge crates of fish were being delivered to the house when everyone knows the president doesn’t eat fish, he even hates the smell,” Francesca Pascale said.
Luc Besson has slammed Taiwanese paparazzi for disrupting the shooting of his latest film Lucy by taking photographs of leading actress Scarlett Johansson.
At a press conference in Taipei, Luc Besson said shooting had been “a nightmare” due to constant press intrusion.
“I lost a bit of my concentration,” he admitted.
Luc Besson spent 11 days in Taipei filming Lucy, in which Scarlett Johansson plays a drug mule endowed with superhuman abilities.
Luc Besson spent 11 days in Taipei filming Lucy, in which Scarlett Johansson plays a drug mule endowed with superhuman abilities
It had been reported that Luc Besson’s crew were nearly involved in a car accident last weekend with a vehicle driven by local press.
The alleged incident led Taipei’s mayor to call on the media to exercise restraint.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Luc Besson said it was his right to keep such details as Scarlett Johansson’s hair style and wardrobe out of the public eye until his film was released.
“We don’t want pictures with new dresses of Scarlett,” the director said while denying reports he had wanted to leave Taiwan early in protest.
Photos taken of the 28-year-old actress on set have shown her sporting a blonde bob, a leopard print jacket and a cowboy hat.
No release date has been set for the movie, which will see Scarlett Johansson appear alongside Morgan Freeman and South Korean star Choi Min-sik.
Kanye West has decided to postpone his Yeezus tour after some equipment was damaged.
A statement on Kanye West’s website said a video for the show and a 60ft LED screen were “damaged beyond repair” in an accident on the way to his Vancouver show.
The statement added that it was “impossible” to do the North American shows until the “essential” gear could be rebuilt.
The dates are part of Kanye West’s first solo tour for five years, which started on October 19 in Seattle.
Kanye West has decided to postpone his Yeezus tour after some equipment was damaged
Reviews of the show describe a mountain as part of the set and the rapper being joined on stage by an actor dressed as Jesus.
The statement continued: “This gear is central to the staging of The Yeezus Tour, and central to the creative vision put forth by Kanye West and his design team.
“Kanye West will not compromise on bringing the show, as it was originally envisioned and designed, to his fans.
“The Vancouver, Denver and Minneapolis dates have been postponed. Further details on the affected tour dates will be announced shortly.”
A voicemail message left by Prince Harry was hacked by the News of the World, the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales has heard.
The Old Bailey’s jury was shown a transcript of the hacked message to an aide asking for help with an essay while the prince was at Sandhurst military academy.
The 2005 document was one kept by former News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman, who denies misconduct in public office.
Clive Goodman is one of eight people who deny a series of charges at the trial of former News of the World journalists.
He was jailed for phone hacking in 2007 and subsequently dismissed.
Prosecutor Andrew Edis QC told the court that documents from Clive Goodman’s employment case against News International had recently become available after he waived his legal privilege.
Clive Goodman kept the documents as evidence to show that what he had done had been sanctioned at a high level of the News of the World, Andrew Edis said.
The first document shown to the jury was a transcript of a voicemail message Prince Harry left on the mobile phone of Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, an ex-SAS man serving as his private secretary, asking for information about the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege in London.
The transcript included the words: “Just wondering if you have any info at all on siege on the Iranian embassy because I need to write an essay quite quickly on that. I need some inf. Have most of the stuff but if you have extra.”
A voicemail message left by Prince Harry was hacked by the News of the World
Andrew Edis told the jury that the voicemail came to the attention of Clive Goodman, who was interested in it as a potential allegation of misconduct to do with essay writing against Prince Harry.
The prince was at Sandhurst doing his officer training when the events took place around December 2005.
The message was accessed by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, who was jailed for phone hacking along with Clive Goodman and has admitted further phone-hacking charges.
The court heard there were discussions between Clive Goodman and his boss, then News of the World editor Andy Coulson, in which they decided not to refer to the siege in their newspaper’s story as it would be “too precise to get through unnoticed”.
Andrew Edis said: “It means that if they say that what he was asking about was information about the Iranian Embassy siege, everyone would know that they hacked his voicemail because obviously Harry and Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton both knew that this voicemail was sent and received.”
He suggested to the jury that the reason Clive Goodman had kept the emails was because of his arrest.
Clive Goodman’s prosecution caused Andy Coulson, 45, who denies charges including conspiracy to phone hack, and others at News International to be “extremely worried about what Goodman would do, or say, in the course of defending himself”.
Andrew Edis continued: “We can see that they had every reason to be worried.”
The court heard that concern about keeping Clive Goodman “on-board” was also felt by former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks who was at this time, in May 2007, editor of the Sun.
Andrew Edis told the jury about an email exchange between Rebekah Brooks and Clive Goodman in which she offered him a job on the Sun, shortly after he had been released from prison.
Mick Jagger has denied Katy Perry’s claims that he made a pass at her when she was 18.
Katy Perry made the comments during an interview on Australian radio this week, while promoting new album Prism.
The singer said the incident took place when she sang backing vocals for Mick Jagger’s 2004 song Old Habits Die Hard.
But a statement from the 70-year-old Rolling Stones frontman said he “categorically denies that he has ever made a pass at Katy Perry”.
Mick Jagger has denied Katy Perry’s claims that he made a pass at her when she was 18
The statement continued: “Perhaps she is confusing him with someone else.”
Katy Perry, 29, told her interviewer: “I actually went to dinner with him one time and he hit on me one time when I was like 18.
“But that was a long time ago and since then he’s been very kind and I got to sing Beast Of Burden on his stage on their tour,” she added.
Katy Perry was one of several singers to make a guest appearance on the Rolling Stones’ tour earlier this year.
When Katy Perry was asked during the interview how she turned down an advance from a star such as Mick Jagger, she responded: “Well, you bring a friend and they do them. You sacrifice your friend.”
Germany is keen to hear directly from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden about the US spy agency’s activities.
“If the message is that Mr. Snowden wants to give us information then we’ll gladly accept that,” said German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich.
Edward Snowden’s lawyer said a meeting could occur in Moscow, but not Germany.
Edward Snowden, 30, fled to Russia in June after leaking details of far-reaching US telephone espionage. He has temporary asylum, allowing him to live in Russia until next June.
In a surprise move, a German Green MP, Hans-Christian Stroebele, has met Edward Snowden in Moscow and revealed the former intelligence contractor’s readiness to brief the German government on NSA spying.
Edward Snowden set out his position in a letter, which Hans-Christian Stroebele showed to reporters at a news conference on Friday.
The scale of the alleged US espionage has provoked international concern and calls for tighter supervision.
Asian countries have protested at claims that Australia was involved in a US-led spy network.
China has demanded an explanation of the reports, while Indonesia has summoned the Australian ambassador to Jakarta.
German Green MP Hans-Christian Stroebele has met Edward Snowden in Moscow
Reports that German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone was bugged by US spies for years overshadowed last week’s EU summit and she remarked with irritation that spying on friends is “really not on”.
According to Hans-Christian Stroebele, Edward Snowden is not keen on German investigators going to see him in Moscow, but would be ready to go to Germany if it could be guaranteed that he would not be extradited to the United States.
It is not clear whether Edward Snowden would get legal protection in Germany. The US authorities want to get him extradited to stand trial for revealing official secrets.
But the German government says it would welcome a meeting with the whistleblower.
“We will find a way, if Mr. Snowden is willing to talk,” Hans-Peter Friedrich said.
“Any clarification, any information and facts that we can get, is good.”
Edward Snowden “will not go to Germany”, his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said.
“This is not possible because he has no right to cross Russian borders.
“Within the framework of international agreements Snowden can give testimony in Russia but this should be decided by the German authorities.”
The Bundestag – the lower house of parliament – has the power to decree that someone addressing it has immunity.
Speaking to German ARD television, Hans-Christian Stroebele said that Edward Snowden “is fundamentally ready to help bring things to light”.
“The conditions for that have to be established. We had a long discussion about that.”
The MP said he had suggested that investigators could question Edward Snowden in Moscow about the NSA.
Edward Snowden “made it clear that he knows a very great deal,” he went on.
Hans-Christian Stroebele described the former intelligence contractor as “amazingly talkative – he has a mission, an urge to communicate, he wants things to be put back on a legal basis”.
Edward Snowden is starting work on Friday for a major private website in Russia, his lawyer has said.
Anatoly Kucherena would not disclose which site has employed Edward Snowden, citing security concerns.
Nissan has cut its earnings forecast, saying it is feeling the pinch of tougher market conditions and recent recalls.
The Japanese car-maker now expects to make a net profit of 355 billion yen ($3.6 billion) for the year to March 31, 2014, down from its earlier forecast of a 420 billion yen profit.
The cut comes despite a rise in profit for the April-to-September period.
Nissan said that conditions in Europe remained “sluggish” while demand in emerging markets had been “volatile”.
Nissan expects to make a net profit of 355 bn yen for the year to March 31, 2014, down from its earlier forecast of a 420 bn yen profit
“Nissan’s results reflect improved demand for our new products in Japan and the Americas,” Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Nissan said in a statement.
“This was offset by difficult conditions in Europe, volatile demand in several emerging markets and higher expenses related to recalls.”
Nissan’s net profit for the six months to the end of September rose 6.5% from a year ago to 189.8bn yen.
The company also announced management changes, which it said were “designed to enhance Nissan’s performance and ensure the company will deliver the 8% operating profit margin target set out in the Power 88 mid-term plan”.
Under the changes, Nissan’s Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga will become a vice chairman with responsibility for external affairs, asset management and corporate governance.
The office and functions of the COO will be reorganized among three senior executives, Nissan has said.
Día De Los Muertosis one of Mexico’s traditional holidays reuniting and honoring beloved ancestors, family and friends.
The holiday is celebrated over two days, on November 1 and 2. The roots of this celebration go back 3,000 years to pre-Hispanic cultures like the Aztecs, Mayans and Toltecas. When the Spaniards conquered Mexico, this indigenous custom was rooted so deeply that it survived centuries of European colonization.
For these ancient cultures, death wasn’t something to be feared. It was as much part of life as life itself.
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)reflects this perspective. It is a happy celebration. Death is represented in whimsical, colorful ways. There is no place for weeping for this could be interpreted as offensive by the a dead relatives who are visiting gladly.
People build altars at home and at cemeteries to honor dead relatives and friends. To entice their souls to an earthly visit, they make offerings of their favorite foods and beverages. Photos of happy times and personal memorabilia of the deceased are also placed close by. The celebrations often turn humorous as family members remember funny anecdotes involving the deceased and leave items at the altar meant to remind them of such times.
Día De Los Muertos is one of Mexico’s traditional holidays reuniting and honoring beloved ancestors, family and friends
Calaveras, or sugar skulls, are offered as a gift to both the dead and the alive. The sweet treat can be store-bought or homemade, in which case it becomes a family activity with children and adults decorating the skulls in bright colors.
Toy Coffins. These are made to delight the returning spirits of children, also referred to as ”angelitos‘ (little angels). There are usually enough of these at any given celebration to also be offered as party favors to the children who attend.
Marigolds.Bright and sunny, these yellow flowers are as emblematic of Día de los Muertos as poinsettias are of Christmas. They are used to decorate intricate arches, wreaths and crosses adorning altars, or are simply spinkled all over them. Some people make trails of marigold petals that lead to their houses from the cemetery to help the spirits of loved ones find their way home. These trails are sometimes lit with candles that offer a soft, comforting glow.
Mezcal and Tequila.A nice tequila is smooth like a fine cognac. Living beings aren’t the only ones who enjoy it. During Día de los Muertos, tequila, mezcal and other spirits are placed at the altars. The belief is that, after such a long treck from the other side, the spirits are likely to crave a drink.
Pan de Muertos.This sweet bread is a staple of the celebrations. Children dunk it in hot chocolate and adults in café con leche. In Mexico, street vendors have it readily available during the festivities although many families make it at home following individual family recipes.
Bright colors, but especially yellow, dominate the decor at Día de los Muertos.
Skulls were powerful symbols for the Aztecs. The head was believed to be a source of power and energy. The skull decorations and costumes that abound in the Día de los Muertos celebrations aren’t meant to be spooky. They are a symbol of strength, intelligence and even vitality.
Díade Los Muertos is a time of joyful celebration and remembrance. It is also a time to come to terms with our mortality and the cycle of life and death. Rather than fear death, this ancient celebration teaches to accept our mortality while enjoying life to its fullest.
Secretary of State John Kerry has admitted that in some cases, US spying has gone too far.
John Kerry is the most senior Obama administration official to have commented directly on an issue that has upset America’s European allies.
The US secretary of state said he will work with President Barack Obama to prevent further inappropriate acts by the National Security Agency (NSA).
John Kerry’s comments come as Asian countries have protested at claims that Australia was involved in a US-led spy network.
China has demanded an explanation of the reports, while Indonesia has summoned the Australian ambassador to Jakarta.
Secretary of State John Kerry has admitted that in some cases, US spying has gone too far
In his comments, John Kerry also defended the need for increased surveillance, saying it had thwarted terrorist attacks.
“We have actually prevented airplanes from going down, buildings from being blown up, and people from being assassinated because we’ve been able to learn ahead of time of the plans,” he told a conference in London via video link.
“I assure you, innocent people are not being abused in this process, but there’s an effort to try to gather information. And yes, in some cases, it has reached too far inappropriately.
“And the president, our president, is determined to try to clarify and make clear for people, and is now doing a thorough review in order that nobody will have the sense of abuse… we are going to make sure that does not happen in the future.”
John Kerry, in his remarks to a conference organized by the Open Government Partnership, said that while some surveillance may have been excessive, claims that up to 70 million were being monitored were an “exaggeration”.
Claims about the extent of US surveillance of targets such as European leaders have strained Washington’s diplomatic relations with some of its key allies.
Homer and his family travel to Middle-Earth in search of the Comfy Couch in this Hobbit spoof, the latest couch from the episode Four Regrettings and a Funeral.
Four Springfielders are prompted to try to right past regrets following the funeral of a beloved neighbor. Homer regrets selling his Apple stock to buy a bowling ball, Marge worries she caused Bart’s rebellious streak, Mr. Burns reminisces about a romance he gave up with a beautiful Parisian woman.
The Simpsons travel to Middle-Earth in search of the Comfy Couch
Kent Brockman admits he was too afraid to leave local news and follow his former partner, Rachel Maddow (guest voicing as herself), to cable news in the all-new The Simpson’s Four Regrettings and a Funeral episode airing Sunday, November 3, at 8 PM ET/PT on FOX.
Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band will perform in South Africa for the first time, almost three decades after the group campaigned against apartheid.
Two shows are scheduled for Cape Town on January 28 and 29, 2014, with a third in Johannesburg on February 1st.
“Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity,” said a message on Bruce Springsteen’s website.
Guitarist Steven Van Zandt founded the protest movement Artists United Against Apartheid in 1985.
As part of the campaign, Steven Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis and various other influential musicians recorded the protest song Sun City.
Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band will perform in South Africa for the first time, almost three decades after the group campaigned against apartheid
Its target was the gambling resort in the nominally independent homeland of Bophuthatswana, which attracted less politically minded acts to perform there by paying them large sums of money.
Apartheid ended in 1994 following Nelson Mandela’s election as the country’s first black president.
The three concerts in South Africa are part of Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball tour, which began in 2012.
The tour has seen the veteran rocker play a series of gigs in the US, Europe and Latin America over the past 18 months.
“After 24 years it’s a dream come true to promote Bruce Springsteen in South Africa,” South Africa’s Channel 24 entertainment website quoted Attie Van Wyk, chief executive of promoter Big Concerts, as saying.
“It’s definitely a personal highlight to confirm The Boss.”
Bruce Springsteen last toured in 2009 with his Working on a Dream tour.
E Street Band will move on to Australia and New Zealand after their South African dates.
Israel has carried out a strike near the Syrian coastal city of Latakia, a US official says.
The official said the strike targeted Russian-made missiles intended for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Latakia is a stronghold of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an important port city where the Alawite community to which he belongs is concentrated.
Israel is widely reported to have carried out at least three air strikes in Syria so far this year.
While Israel rarely comments on specific operations, it has repeatedly said it would act if it felt Syrian weapons, conventional or chemical, were being transferred to militant groups in the region, especially Hezbollah.
Reports of the strike came as the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said all Syria’s declared equipment for making chemical weapons had been destroyed, one day before a deadline.
Israel has carried out a strike near the Syrian coastal city of Latakia
Action by the OPCW was agreed following allegations, denied by the Syrian government, that its forces had used chemical weapons in civilian areas – and after the US and France threatened military intervention.
A US official said the Israeli strike took place overnight from Wednesday into Thursday.
Reports circulated on Thursday of explosions near Latakia, but the cause was not clear.
“Several explosions were heard in an air defense base in the Snubar Jableh area,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based activist network.
Neither Israel nor Syria have commented on the reports.
One unnamed US official told the Associated Press that the missiles targeted by Israel were Russian-made SA-125s.
Russia has been a key backer of President Bashar al-Assad’s, continuing to supply his government with weapons during the conflict in Syria.
Bashar al-Assad had promised to respond to any future strikes by Israel.
Australia’s ambassador has been summoned in Indonesia amid reports that Australian embassies have been used as part of a US-led spying network in Asia.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), diplomatic posts in Asia were being used to intercept phone calls and data.
China has also demanded an explanation from the US over the allegations.
The reports were based on an NSA document leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The document, which was originally published by German newspaper Der Spiegel, describes a signals intelligence programme called Stateroom which involves the interception of radio, telecommunications and internet traffic using equipment in US, British, Australian and Canadian diplomatic missions.
Diplomatic posts involved included those in Jakarta, Bangkok, Hanoi, Beijing and Kuala Lumpur, amongst others, SMH reported on Thursday.
Australia’s ambassador has been summoned in Indonesia amid reports that Australian embassies have been used as part of a US-led spying network in Asia
A former Australian intelligence officer, who was not named, told SMH that the Australian embassies in Jakarta and Bali were used to collect signals.
In a statement, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said: “[The government] cannot accept and strongly protests the news of the existence of wiretapping facilities at the US embassy in Jakarta.”
“If confirmed, such action is not only a breach of security, but also a serious breach of diplomatic norms and ethics.”
“The reported activities absolutely do not reflect the spirit of a close and friendly relationship between the two neighbors and are considered unacceptable by the government of Indonesia,” the foreign ministry added in a statement.
Australian ambassador Greg Moriarty was summoned to the foreign ministry on Monday.
He described the talks, which reportedly took less than half an hour, as “a good meeting”.
Australia and Indonesia are key allies and trading partners. Australia requires Indonesia’s co-operation on the asylum issue, as many asylum seekers travel via Indonesia to Australia by boat.
Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Beijing was “extremely concerned” about the report.
“[China] demands that the US offer a clarification and explanation,” she said.
“We demand that foreign embassies in China and their staff respect the Vienna Convention.”
Malaysia’s foreign ministry, in a statement, said it had sought clarification on the issue from the US envoy in Kuala Lumpur, adding that Malaysia’s “security and sovereignty” remained the priority.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade declined to comment on the reports. PM Tony Abbott said: “Every Australian governmental agency, every Australian official… operates in accordance with the law.”
The reports are the latest in a series of documents leaked by Edward Snowden, who has been granted temporary asylum in Russia and is wanted in the US in connection with the unauthorized disclosures.
The US is facing growing anger over reports it spied on its allies abroad.
However, correspondents say that in reality most governments conduct surveillance or espionage operations against other countries whose activities matter to them.
The US Congress has cut food aid benefits for poor from Friday as an extension of the government programme expires, while legislators fight over further cuts.
Benefits to the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) will be lowered by $36 a month for a family of four, officials say.
Some 47 million low income Americans will be affected by the cuts.
Food aid in the US has grown to $80 billion a year due to higher unemployment and rising food costs.
Congress has cut food aid benefits for poor from Friday as an extension of the government programme expires
About one in seven Americans relies on SNAP, also known as food stamps.
The benefits were originally expanded during the recent economic recession to stimulate the economy and help the poorest Americans.
Republicans in Congress are seeking further reductions to the programme and say it should be better targeted at the most needy.
Retailers and grocers around the US are concerned about the possible negative impact the reduction will have on consumer spending.
Google has launched Nexus 5 – the latest incarnation of its flagship Nexus smartphone.
Made by LG, Google’s Nexus 5 is smaller, slimmer and lighter than the Nexus 4 but its 4.96 in touchscreen is bigger.
The Nexus 5 has been developed to show off the capabilities of the new version of the Android operating system.
Called Kitkat, the software has been designed to work well on both high-end smartphones and cheaper feature phones.
The alliance with Google has helped bolster LG’s fortunes even though, according to statistics from Gartner, it is still a long way behind rivals Samsung and Apple.
In the April-to-June quarter, the consultancy indicated 3.8% of all smartphones sold were LG handsets putting the South Korean firm in third place.
Made by LG, Google’s Nexus 5 is smaller, slimmer and lighter than the Nexus 4 but its 4.96 in touchscreen is bigger
By contrast, Apple accounted for 18.8% of all sales and Samsung 29.7%.
The specifications for the new phone were widely leaked before it was announced on the official Google blog.
The Nexus 5 shares some of the hardware from LG’s G2 handset and can record and play back HD video at the full 1080p resolution. Its camera also has a rapid burst system that captures several photographs at the same time so owners can pick the best shot.
The handset is due to go on sale on November 1st in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan and Korea.
Google said a base 16GB version of the device would cost $349 in the US, unlocked and without a contract. The 32GB version should cost $399.
With Android Kitkat, Google said it had made the software use less memory so it could be used on handsets with much lower specifications than top end smartphones.
In addition, Google has begun moving some services off Android’s core software and onto its app store. Many see this as a way for it to maintain more control over the security of the software and its associated applications.
