| Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: How the conflict could destabilise its neighbours Posted: 13 Nov 2020 04:05 PM PST  With accusations of Eritrean involvement and thousands fleeing, the Tigray conflict could have serious repercussions.
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| CDC: Wearing a mask could keep you from catching virus Posted: 13 Nov 2020 02:04 PM PST  U.S. health officials are taking a new tack to encourage Americans to wear masks: They're emphasizing recent research that a mask protects the person who wears it. Previously, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised people to wear masks because of evidence that it stops people who are infected with coronavirus — whether they know it or not — from spreading it to others. It continues to advise Americans to wear masks to stop the virus from spreading.
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| Report: 5 investigations of Wisconsin officer who shot Blake Posted: 13 Nov 2020 01:11 PM PST  The white Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer who shot a Black man in the back, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, had been the the subject of five internal investigations since he joined the department in 2013. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that it has reviewed the personnel file of Officer Rusten Sheskey, who shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back on Aug. 23 while he and two other officers were trying to arrest him during a domestic disturbance. The records show Sheskey, now 31, joined the Kenosha department in 2013 after working as a campus police officer at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
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| UN-led Libya talks set December 2021 date for elections Posted: 13 Nov 2020 01:10 PM PST  Libya's warring sides have agreed to hold nationwide elections in December next year, the top U.N. official for the North African country said Friday in a sign of progress from the U.N.-brokered peace talks underway in Tunisia. The gathering, which started on Monday, was aimed at setting a roadmap out of Libya's yearslong civil war. It is also the latest effort to end the chaos that engulfed the North African country after the 2011 overthrow and killing of dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
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| Libyans to hold national elections in December 2021 Posted: 13 Nov 2020 01:03 PM PST  Libyans at UN-led talks agreed Friday to hold national elections in December next year, the United Nations said, raising hopes for an end to a brutal decade-old conflict.
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| Ethiopia Tigray crisis: UN warns 'war crimes' may have happened Posted: 13 Nov 2020 12:28 PM PST  UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet calls for an inquiry over the killings in the Tigray region.
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| Images Suggest North Korea Might Be Training Dolphins for Military Purposes Posted: 13 Nov 2020 11:57 AM PST  New satellite imagery suggests that North Korea might be training dolphins for a Naval Marine Mammal Program similar to America's own program.
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| Tight spot: Trump loss complicates Pence's political future Posted: 13 Nov 2020 11:41 AM PST  For Mike Pence, a second term for President Donald Trump would have been a 2024 ticket to Republican frontrunner status. The situation is made even more complicated by Trump's refusal to accept defeat and private flirtations with running again himself four years from now.
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| Oregon, New Mexico order lockdowns as other states resist Posted: 13 Nov 2020 11:33 AM PST  The governors of Oregon and New Mexico ordered near-lockdowns Friday in the most aggressive response yet to the latest wave of coronavirus infections shattering records across the U.S., even as many of their counterparts in other states show little appetite for reimposing the hard-line restrictions of last spring. "We are in a life-or-death situation, and if we don't act right now, we cannot preserve the lives, we can't keep saving lives, and we will absolutely crush our current health care system and infrastructure," Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico said in imposing a two-week stay-at-home order. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown ordered a two-week "freeze" starting Wednesday, under which all businesses will be required to close their offices to the public and mandate work-from-home "to the greatest extent possible."
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| Report: Gunmen kill 3 Iranian guards near Turkish border Posted: 13 Nov 2020 11:28 AM PST |
| Democrats keep winning the popular vote. That worries them. Posted: 13 Nov 2020 10:53 AM PST  Democrats won the popular vote in this year's presidential election yet again, marking seven out of eight straight presidential elections that the party has reached that milestone. President-elect Joe Biden has so far won 50.8% of the vote compared to the 47.4% who voted for President Donald Trump, a 5 million vote advantage that is likely to grow as Democratic bastions like California and New York continue to count ballots.
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| The Latest: Trump wraps up event without taking questions Posted: 13 Nov 2020 10:51 AM PST  President Donald Trump has wrapped up his Rose Garden news conference celebrating progress made on bringing a coronavirus vaccine to market without taking a question from reporters. The White House has long boasted that Trump has been perhaps the most press accessible commander-in-chief in the nation's history. Trump has made less than a handful of public appearances in recent days and has not answered White House reporters' questions since before Election Day.
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| Big study supports cheap combo pill to lower heart risks Posted: 13 Nov 2020 10:10 AM PST  A daily pill combining four cholesterol and blood pressure medicines taken with low-dose aspirin cut the risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart-related deaths by nearly one third in a large international study that's expected to lead to wider use of this "polypill" approach. For more than a decade, doctors have been testing whether the cheap, all-in-one combo pills could make it easier to prevent heart disease, the top killer worldwide. "It's for all sensible countries," said Dr. Salim Yusuf of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
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| Brexit trade deal could be done in '10 days' claims senior MEP Posted: 13 Nov 2020 09:35 AM PST  A Brexit deal could be agreed in as little as ten days, a senior MEP said, after Michel Barnier briefed the European Parliament on the UK-EU trade negotiations on Friday. The EU's chief negotiator told MEPs he expected trade talks to continue until the "last possible moment" after negotiations closed in London today. It now appears certain that the unofficial deadline of Thursday's EU summit, where the bloc's 27 leaders were expected to give their political blessing to the deal, will be missed. The European Parliament told Mr Barnier that the absolute latest they could get the negotiated deal was December 10, the first day of the next scheduled EU summit. Sources warned that the deal would have to be agreed before then to allow time for translation into the EU's official languages and for related decisions in the council. After EU leaders approve the deal, MEPs must back it before the end of the year, and the transition period, to prevent a no deal, which will mean the UK and EU trading on less lucrative WTO terms. "Given the information I have I expect the negotiation to last another seven to ten days," said Philippe Lamberts, a senior MEP on the European Parliament's Brexit committee on Friday. Clément Beaune, France's Europe minister, said, "I think a deal is possible. Both parties want one. It will require several days, possibly two to three more weeks, of negotiation". He heaped pressure on Mr Barnier to get the deal done before December 10. "If it happens after the end of November, we will be in trouble," he said. The two sides remain divided over fishing, the level playing field guarantees and the deal's enforcement. The EU and UK have shared new proposals on fishing rights but Downing Street said there were still significant differences over the three major obstacles to a deal. Informal talks could continue through the weekend but formal negotiations will resume in Brussels on Monday. Mr Lamberts, who is leader of the European greens, said that the departure of Dominic Cummings was "probably the sign that Johnson has begun his U-turn and will in the end accept EU conditions". Manfred Weber, the leader of European People's Party, the largest group in the Brussels and Strasbourg parliament, urged Mr Johnson to cave on his red lines after Mr Cummings announced his resignation. The political ally of Angela Merkel told the BBC, "I see what is happening now in Downing St (Cummings). We can also see this as a quite chaotic situation where we don't have an idea what is really the line in Great Britain. "So don't tell us we should be ready for compromise. We need a clear idea from Boris Johnson now. " British sources conceded the negotiations could not go on for "much longer" than the next nine days. Both sides need to ratify the deal but there was more pressure on the EU side's timetable, they said. "We never said Thursday's summit was any sort of deadline," an EU official said, "it'd be nice and tidy but I am not sure it is going to work out like that." MEPs were originally scheduled to vote on the deal on December 16. They could now hold the vote after Christmas but before the end of the year and transition period. An EU diplomat said the onus was on the parliament and the council to be creative in accelerating its procedures to beat the no deal deadline of January 1.
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| Republicans face court setbacks, Trump law firm steps down Posted: 13 Nov 2020 09:25 AM PST  Republicans suffered setbacks to court challenges over the presidential election in three battleground states on Friday while a law firm that came under fire for its work for President Donald Trump's campaign withdrew from a major Pennsylvania case. The legal blows began when a federal appeals court rejected an effort to block about 9,300 mail-in ballots that arrived after Election Day in Pennsylvania. The judges noted the "vast disruption" and "unprecedented challenges" facing the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic as they upheld the three-day extension.
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| The week's big question: What are the consequences of Trump's stolen election claims? Posted: 13 Nov 2020 09:00 AM PST |
| As Ethiopia's conflict rages, ethnic targeting turns deadly Posted: 13 Nov 2020 07:10 AM PST  Ethnic Tigrayans arrested, in hiding or cut off from the world. Ethiopia's deadly conflict is spilling beyond its northern Tigray region and turning identity into a mortal threat. Amnesty International confirmed the killings via images and witnesses, and the United Nations warns of possible war crimes.
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| With Cummings Gone, Johnson Has a Perfect Chance to Do Things Better Posted: 13 Nov 2020 07:05 AM PST  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The U.K. passed the grim number of 50,000 Covid deaths this week, as the country entered its critical final phase of trade talks with the European Union. One might think this is a terrible time for an overhaul of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's senior advisory team. But the status quo was becoming unviable. Dominic Cummings, the awkward disrupter and arch-Brexiter who's been a pivotal figure in recent British history, is stepping down as Johnson's senior aide, following Thursday's resignation of No. 10's communications chief Lee Cain.This will be a painful parting of the ways. It says everything about the prime minister's reliance on Cummings that the adviser wasn't dismissed after he broke Covid lockdown guidelines this spring. Nonetheless, his departure will at least open the way for Johnson to put in place a more effective management team in Downing Street, after the failures and U-turns of 2020's pandemic crisis. Cummings was the driving force behind the Brexit campaign and Britain's subsequent EU negotiating strategy. Johnson's cabinet was selected, under his adviser's guidance, on one main criterion: their loyalty to the project to quit the single market. Cummings brought a unity of purpose and discipline to the Brexit messaging that helped the prime minister clinch last year's EU Withdrawal Agreement and December's general election.The changes in Downing Street will undoubtedly weaken the influence of the group that formed the core of the 2016 Brexit campaign. This must lessen the chances of Britain leaving without an EU trade deal, a good thing for anyone alarmed at the economic consequences.I wouldn't bet, however, on major shifts in Brexit policy. David Frost, a key Vote Leave supporter, still heads up the British negotiating team. Johnson himself will want to ensure his signature policy has a conclusion he can defend to his Brexit-supporting base.The bigger message from the Cummings departure is the acknowledgement that Britain's government has been malfunctioning, especially in its management of the Covid crisis. Communications have been poor at a time when clarity is essential, but the problem is deeper than that. The Vote Leave team that colonized Downing Street, with Cummings as its guiding spirit, were excellent campaigners in referendums and elections. They were less good at running things.Cummings's other big mission was an overhaul of the machinery of government, but his methods alienated and demoralized large parts of the civil service and cost it senior managers at a critical time. Expensive private-sector contracts have proliferated and it's not clear whether the taxpayer is being well served by them.Covid's arrival revealed the managerial shortcomings with brutal clarity. Phillip Lee, a former Tory lawmaker who quit the Conservative Party in 2019 because of its handling of Brexit, and who's now a GP, cites testing and tracing and the over-centralization of government in the list of failures.The question now is whether Johnson has a deep enough bench for the rebuilding task ahead, and whether he can fix the competence problem.Even his party supporters are becoming weary after more than five years of unrelenting trench warfare — led by Cummings — which started with the campaign ahead of the 2016 referendum and has ended with the dual challenge of having to manage a deadly viral outbreak while trying to organize the end of the country's decades-old partnership with Europe. The good news for Johnson is that there are some green shoots for him to seize on, and one can never count out such a gifted politician. There are positive stories to tell, which will be easier for less pugnacious communicators. The promise of a vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE — of which Britain wisely preordered tens of millions of doses — is hugely encouraging, provided Britain can get the distribution right. The country's rollout of rapid diagnostic testing, called lateral-flow tests, carries risks but also offers a way to quickly ascertain the prevalence of infection and aid contact tracing and isolation. That should help avoid future lockdowns.A new Joe Biden administration may be frosty about Brexit, especially if it threatens peace in Northern Ireland, but there will be plenty of common ground for Brits and Americans. Climate change is one area of shared purpose, with Britain hosting next year's UN climate summit in Glasgow. Much depends on how Johnson fills the vacuum left by Cummings. The prime minister is often at his best when he can float above the nitty gritty of policy, make the speeches and deputize the detail work. He had able assistants during his two terms as London mayor. He needs to find some more.This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Therese Raphael is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. She was editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinionSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| With COVID-19 surging, schools suspend in-person education Posted: 13 Nov 2020 06:54 AM PST  With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the state spiking to record levels, bus drivers and teachers in quarantine, students getting sick and the holidays looming, Schools Superintendent Scott Hanback in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, made a tough decision this week. Texas surpassed 1 million cases this week.
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| Explosion kills 2 steam pipe workers at veterans hospital Posted: 13 Nov 2020 06:39 AM PST  Two workers were killed in an explosion Friday while repairing a steam pipe in a maintenance building at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Connecticut, officials said. Alfred Montoya Jr., director of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, said the men were in the basement of the small outer building and had just finished routine maintenance on a leaky pipe. One was a contractor and the other was a VA employee and a Navy veteran, Montoya said.
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| Microsoft says hackers backed by Russia and North Korea targeted COVID-19 vaccine makers Posted: 13 Nov 2020 06:00 AM PST  Microsoft has revealed that hackers backed by Russia and North Korea have targeted pharmaceutical companies involved in the COVID-19 vaccine development efforts. The technology giant said Friday that the attacks targeted seven companies in the U.S., Canada, France, India and South Korea. Microsoft said it had notified the affected companies, but declined to name them.
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| Genocide claims in Nagorno-Karabakh make peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan unlikely, despite cease-fire Posted: 13 Nov 2020 05:43 AM PST  A Russian-brokered cease-fire between Armenia and Azerbaijan this week halted fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory, where long-standing hostilities reerupted on Sept. 27. The deal leaves Azerbaijan, which was given Nagorno-Karabakh by the Soviets in 1923, largely in control of the majority-Armenian territory. Leaders in Nagorno-Karabakh, located in Western Azerbaijan close to Armenia, continue to demand independence. Thousands have died and an estimated 100,000 have been displaced in Nagorno-Karabakh since September. As the cease-fire took effect on Nov. 10, Azerbaijanis danced in the streets. But angry Armenians stormed the Armenian parliament and office of the prime minister. Both sides in the conflict have claimed that fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh isn't just about territorial control – it is a fight to prevent genocide, a fight for their lives. These grave accusations, while yet unproven, may make a lasting resolution to the conflict much harder. Freedom fighting and genocide claimsViolence first broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1980s, when the region's ethnic Armenian leaders sought to gain independence from Azerbaijan. There has been intermittent fighting since then, including a bloody war in the 1990s that ended in another Russia-brokered cease-fire giving Azerbaijan legal control of the region. But Armenian leaders in Nagorno-Karabakh declared themselves an independent republic, and have repeatedly tried to secede. In my research on self-determination, I find that genocide is often invoked by secessionist regions as a last-ditch effort to secure outside intervention in their conflict. The United Nations defines genocide as the destruction or partial destruction of a "national, ethnical, racial or religious group." It is a war crime under international law, and countries are supposed to "prevent and punish" it under a 1948 U.N. agreement.Secessionist leaders often try to rally foreign powers around their cause with arguments based on geopolitical strategy, economic self-interest, religious bonds or shared ideology. Those reasons broadly explain why Iran supports the Iraqi Kurds in their quest for greater autonomy, and why the Arab states back the Palestinians' efforts at statehood. But when all else fails, freedom fighters will highlight their own repression in the starkest of terms to gain international assistance. In war a global campaign for victimhood is the weapon of the weaker side – and genocide claims are the most powerful weapon in this arsenal. According to my research, more than two-thirds of members in the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, a nongovernmental organization composed of autonomy-minded minority groups like the Kurds, have alleged genocide. Genocide makes peace hardGenocide may be, as one scholar puts it, the "embodiment of radical evil," but as a war crime it is incredibly difficult to prove. Under international law, accusers must show perpetrators acted with the "intent to destroy, in whole or in part," specified groups. Demonstrating intent is a tall order. Armenia knows this as well as any nation. The 1915 Armenian genocide by Turkey is recognized by fewer than three dozen countries. In terms of both law and politics, declaring a deadly military campaign to be genocide – versus just the atrocities of a bloody conflict – is tricky indeed.Genocide allegations, on the other hand, are more easily come by. But according to my research they don't bode well for peace. Genocide claims turn "the other side" into an enemy bent on the destruction of an entire people. Once the public sees a conflict in these terms, history shows, leaders understandably balk at the prospect of sitting down at the negotiating table with that enemy. Genocide claims also reduce the likelihood of effective outside mediation by winnowing away the pool of "honest brokers" – that is, objective intermediaries. Opposing parties can and do reject would-be peacekeepers based on their acknowledgment of – or refusal to acknowledge – genocide accusations, my research finds. In archived coverage of the South Ossetian region of Georgia, for example, local leaders in the 2000s insisted various European and American troops could not serve as peacekeepers since they had not defended Ossetians from an alleged 1992 genocide. Nagorno-Karabakh and genocideGenocide claims in the Georgia cases did eventually lead to international intervention and separation from Georgia, but not through peaceful negotiations. Instead, South Ossetia, like another breakaway Georgian state called Abkhazia, gained de facto independence after a brutal Russian military assault on Georgia in 2008. This mirrored what occurred in Kosovo nearly a decade earlier when Serbian atrocities prompted Western intervention. Western powers recognized Kosovo's independence in 2008, but Serbia continues to contest Kosovo's separation.In the case of Nagorno-Karabakh, genocide claims on both sides are nothing new. In archival research I found media reports showing that Armenian leaders have repeatedly reminded foreign powers of the 1915 Armenian genocide when pressing for outside intervention in their conflict with Azerbaijan.Azerbaijanis, for their part, retort it is their citizens who should fear genocide. During a 1992 Armenian military campaign in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenians committed what is now called the Khojaly massacre, when at least 613 civilians were reportedly killed. As newspapers from the era reveal, Azerbaijani leaders declared then that without international intervention, Armenians would finish the job.[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation's newsletter.]It is impossible to determine whether genocide has in fact occurred in Nagorno-Karabakh without in-depth investigations. But the accusations alone may overpower any truce. And as Armenians' angry reaction to the recent cease-fire demonstrates, peace between the two nations is fragile at best.This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Brian Grodsky, University of Maryland, Baltimore County.Read more: * Nagorno-Karabakh: why Iran is trying to remain neutral over the conflict on its doorstep * Nagorno-Karabakh: what do residents of the contested territory want for their future?Brian Grodsky does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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| Preserving cultural and historic treasures in a changing climate may mean transforming them Posted: 13 Nov 2020 05:40 AM PST  With global travel curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are finding comfort in planning future trips. But imagine that you finally arrive in Venice and the "floating city" is flooded. Would you stay anyway, walking through St. Mark's Square on makeshift catwalks or elevated wooden passages – even if you couldn't enter the Basilica or the Doge's Palace? Or would you leave and hope to visit sometime in the future?The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently reported that over the next 30 years flooding in Venice will increase. With the Adriatic Sea rising a few millimeters each year, severe flooding that once happened every 100 years is predicted to happen every six years by 2050, and every five months by 2100.Venice is just one example of the challenges of preserving iconic landmarks that are threatened by the effects of climate change, such as rising seas and recurrent, intensifying droughts, storms and wildfires. In my research as a social scientist, I help heritage managers make tough decisions prioritizing which sites to save when funds, time or both are limited. That includes planning for threatened World Heritage sites designated as cultural or natural treasures by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Many U.S. national parks are also at risk. And as I see it, success will require new thinking about what preservation means. Ways of adaptingAcross the globe, innumerable cultural sites face storm-related flooding, erosion and inundation from rising seas. They include many in the U.S., such as Jamestown Island in Virginia, New York's Statue of Liberty and Charleston, South Carolina's Historic District.Experts in cultural preservation worldwide agree that it is impossible to protect all of these places forever. Many would require constant restoration. Others will need defenses like sea walls and flood gates – but those defenses might not be effective for long.Some sites could be protected in ways that visibly alter them – for example, elevating or moving buildings, or allowing them to be damaged or removed from the landscape. Such steps go beyond restoration, which can conflict with mandates to preserve sites and structures in perpetuity. Saving historic North Carolina buildingsAn early test of this approach occurred in 1999, when relentless erosion of the North Carolina shoreline forced the National Park Service to move the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and Keeper's Quarters about a half-mile inland. Relocating these mid-19th-century structures cost $US11.8 million and sparked debate about how to deal with other imperiled historic buildings.In 2015, managers at North Carolina's Cape Lookout National Seashore realized that buildings in Portsmouth Village and Cape Lookout Village, two maritime historic districts on barrier islands, were endangered by storm-related flooding and rising seas. Portsmouth Village, which dates to 1753, served as a thriving port town during colonial settlement, while Cape Lookout Village provided navigational support with construction of a lighthouse in 1812 that was replaced in 1859. These buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which requires managers to preserve them in perpetuity. But officials were uncertain about which historic buildings to save first. They also had to identify a strategy, such as moving or even removing buildings, that would maximize the significance preserved across the park's landscape. I developed a process to quantify the relative significance of historic buildings to help them. Our team then created a planning tool to help National Park Service managers make cost-effective decisions. Our model compiles data on each building's significance and vulnerability. It evaluates adaptation costs, such as elevating or relocating buildings, given available funding, and charts possible strategies over a 30-year period.When we tested the model on 17 flood-prone Cape Lookout buildings, we found that the best strategies were elevating them in place or moving them to higher ground and then elevating them. However, interviews with local people revealed that changing the location or the look of these buildings upset some former residents and their descendants. Many people we talked to held deep connections to these places that were part of their personal, family and community identities. Surprisingly, some said they would rather lose some of these buildings than alter them. Other stakeholders – including members of partner organizations and park visitors – had different opinions on what should be done.After Hurricane Dorian severely damaged Portsmouth Village in 2019, park managers made the hard decision to dismantle and remove some of the buildings while restoring others. But an important question remains: What should be done at other highly vulnerable locations?[Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.] Climate-challenged World Heritage sitesThese findings inspired me to explore global, people-centered approaches to preservation and the international policies governing them. Climate change threatens many World Heritage sites. Some are archaeological sites, like Peru's Chan Chan, the largest adobe city on Earth, and the ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings in Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park. Entire cities – including Venice – and historic buildings such as Australia's Sydney Opera House are also in harm's way. Current policy recommendations focus on restoration or defenses, and oppose physical change. In fact, the only process that exists is to add sites undergoing physical change to the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger. However, adding a site to the "danger" list is politically undesirable because it can generate bad press, reduce tourism revenue and deter funders from supporting rescue efforts. The need to transformMy research calls for a more proactive approach, including preemptive efforts to prevent damage. I see a need for a new category: "World Heritage Sites in Climatic Transformation." This approach draws on the ecological concept of resilience, which is essentially the ability to survive by changing and adapting. It would allow managers to repair, adapt or even transform vulnerable places. This new classification would place communities at the center of the planning process and create a searchable database of climate impacts and interventions.Transforming heritage sites may be controversial, but the clock is ticking. Researching, designing and constructing defenses takes time. For example, floodgates installed to protect Venice are being tested a decade later than planned. In my view, saving cultural and historic sites from climate change will require a new approach to heritage preservation that includes transformation. Now is the time to think creatively, with input from people whose heritages are represented in these places, to discover new pathways to protecting them.This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Erin Seekamp, North Carolina State University.Read more: * Preservationists race to capture cultural monuments with 3D images * Rising seas threaten hundreds of Native American heritage sites along Florida's Gulf CoastErin Seekamp receives funding from the U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service and the U.S. Department of Interior, Geological Survey.
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| Over 3,000 people apply to be candidates for Nigel Farage's new Reform party in just 11 days Posted: 13 Nov 2020 05:15 AM PST  Nigel Farage's new political party already has more than 3,000 applicants to stand as candidates in May's local elections, in a move which will alarm Conservatives. Reform UK, renamed from the Brexit Party, has been inundated with supporters offering to stand as candidates in the elections to the Welsh and Scottish parliaments, and the English local elections, in the 11 days since it was set up. Mr Farage and Richard Tice, the party's chairman, are also planning to stand candidates for police and crime commissioners in the elections. The anti-lockdown, low tax, pro-growth political party will target the local, regional and mayoral elections on a policy platform that will be presented to voters in a bid to attract disaffected Tory supporters in the same way that the UK Independence Party sapped Conservative support at the polls. One party source said: "We are going to be standing in London Assembly, Scotland, Wales, all of the police and crime commissioners, a big focus on law and order. There are 5,000 local council seats up for grabs, and we are going to be targeting as many of those as possible." The candidates are being asked to pay up to £50 to the party to cover a vetting fee. Mr Farage said that "threats to capital gains tax, the massive increase in the power of the state, government by diktat and a lockdown policy based on a dodgy dossier" could all drive support towards his relaunched party. "For something that is quite embryonic in concept, to see numbers like that coming forward is quite astonishing," he added. "In the past, as Ukip and the Brexit Party, we always took more Labour votes than people realised. But in this current set of circumstances there are millions of Conservative voters who are shaking their heads and saying to themselves: 'This is not a Conservative party.'"
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| "Difficult issues remain": UK, EU will resume trade talks on Monday Posted: 13 Nov 2020 05:04 AM PST |
| Polish bishops defend John Paul II after McCarrick report Posted: 13 Nov 2020 04:53 AM PST  Polish bishops defended St. John Paul II on Friday against evidence that he rejected reports that ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick slept with his seminarians, seeking to salvage a papal legacy that has been badly tarnished by his inaction on clergy sexual abuse. The head of the Polish bishops conference, Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki, said in a statement that John Paul had been "cynically deceived" by McCarrick as well as other U.S. bishops. It was the Polish bishops' first response to the publication this week of the Vatican's two-year investigation into McCarrick, which implicated John Paul and his secretary in covering up McCarrick's sexual abuse.
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| UN chief vows to do utmost to keep Western Sahara cease-fire Posted: 13 Nov 2020 04:51 AM PST  U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ramped up efforts Friday to try to get Morocco and pro-independence supporters in disputed Western Sahara to step back from a renewed flare up of fighting, warning that the clashes could rupture a nearly 30-year cease-fire and have "grave consequences." In recent days, Guterres and other U.N. officials have been working the phones and been involved in "multiple initiatives to avoid an escalation" -- so far unsuccessfully, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
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| Jerry Rawlings: Remembering Ghana's 'man of the people' Posted: 13 Nov 2020 04:44 AM PST  Ghana's longest-serving leader led by example but later fell foul of his own standards, says Akwasi Sarpong.
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| Britain sticks to stance in EU trade talks, PM's spokesman says Posted: 13 Nov 2020 04:28 AM PST |
| AP PHOTOS: Drones light up Seoul sky, urge virus vigilance Posted: 13 Nov 2020 04:12 AM PST  With masked spectators watching from below, hundreds of drones lit up the night sky in South Korea's capital on Friday in a synchronized display to encourage citizens to remain vigilant against the coronavirus. More than 300 drones flew in the performance above Olympic Park in southern Seoul, forming images of people wearing masks and spelling out messages thanking people and medical workers for the country's anti-virus gains. The steady spread of the virus has alarmed government officials, who eased social distancing measures to the lowest level since October to soften the pandemic's shock on the economy.
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| Germany criticizes new Russian sanctions over Navalny case Posted: 13 Nov 2020 04:12 AM PST  The German government on Friday criticized an announcement by Russia's foreign minister that Moscow is imposing sanctions against German and French officials in response to EU measures taken over the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Navalny, a corruption investigator and longtime foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is in Germany recovering from what German authorities — pointing to findings by several specialist labs — say was poisoning in Russia with a nerve agent. Last month, EU foreign ministers imposed sanctions on six Russian officials and a state research institute over the incident.
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| UN warns of war crimes in spiralling Ethiopia conflict Posted: 13 Nov 2020 03:59 AM PST  The United Nations warned Friday of possible war crimes in Ethiopia's Tigray region, as the US condemned the massacre of civilians in fighting which the prime minister claimed had left his enemy "in the final throes of death".
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| Hundreds of Ethiopians 'hacked to death' as civil conflict spirals out of control Posted: 13 Nov 2020 03:58 AM PST  Hundreds of civilians have been killed this week in a gruesome massacre in Ethiopia's Tigray region, according to Amnesty International, in an act that the UN said could amount to war crimes. On Monday evening in the small town of Mai-Kadra, a few kilometers from the Sudanese border, "scores, and likely hundreds" of people were stabbed or hacked to death, Amnesty said, based on verified photos and videos the scene and interviews with witnesses. "We have confirmed the massacre of a very large number of civilians, who appear to have been day labourers in no way involved in the ongoing military offensive," said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International's director for East and Southern Africa. The UN Human Rights chief, Michelle Bachelet has called for an inquiry, expressing concerns that the situation could "spiral totally out of control". "If confirmed as having been deliberately carried out by a party to the current fighting, these killings of civilians would of course amount to war crimes," she said. Amnesty said it had not been able to independently verify who was responsible for the killing, although several witnesses had pointed to forces loyal to the Tigrayan leaders. Tigray's leader Debretsion Gebremichael, who chairs the TPLF, said his troops had not been involved in the massacre. Hundreds were already feared dead amid heavy fighting and fighter jet airstrikes. Nearly 15,000 refugees have fled to Sudan since the fighting started, with the speed of new arrivals "overwhelming the current capacity to provide aid", according to UNHCR. Ethiopia's Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, ordered the army into Tigray last week after an alleged attack on a military base by the ruling Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The TPLF is the ruling party in the semi-autonomous region of five million people which borders Eritrea and Sudan. The Tigrayan minority was the dominant force in government until Mr Abiy came into power in 2018 and has since complained of being persecuted. This week, the TPLF declared a state of emergency in the region against an "invasion by outsiders." The federal government says it is trying to liberate the region from the TPLF, which it has accused of atrocities during the fighting. Concerns are growing that the conflict could turn the country's large array of ethnic groups against one another. On Friday, reports emerged that Ethiopian police had visited an office of the U.N. World Food Programme to request a list of ethnic Tigrayan staff. The local police chief informed them of "the order of identifying ethnic Tigrayans from all government agencies and NGOs," according to an internal UN report seen by Reuters.
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| WRAPUP 3-Refugee exodus to Sudan swells as war crimes feared in Ethiopia's Tigray Posted: 13 Nov 2020 03:55 AM PST |
| Tigray crisis: Why there are fears of civil war in Ethiopia Posted: 13 Nov 2020 03:54 AM PST  Tensions between Tigray and the federal government threaten to boil over into a serous conflict.
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| 10 things you need to know today: November 13, 2020 Posted: 13 Nov 2020 03:45 AM PST |
| Election 2020 Today: Secure election, China salutes Biden Posted: 13 Nov 2020 03:14 AM PST  SECURE ELECTION: A coalition of federal and state officials say they have no evidence that votes were compromised or altered in last week's presidential election, rejecting unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud advanced by President Donald Trump and many of his supporters. The statement from cybersecurity experts, which trumpets the Nov. 3 election as the most secure in American history, amounts to the most direct repudiation to date of Trump's efforts to undermine the integrity of the contest. CHINA CONGRATULATES BIDEN: China has become one of the last major countries to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden, who is expected to make few changes to U.S. policy toward Beijing on trade, technology and other conflicts that have soured relations.
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| EU watchdog seeks to quell worry over cross-border investment funds Posted: 13 Nov 2020 03:09 AM PST |
| Telegraph readers on Dominic Cummings: 'His departure will damage Brexit beyond recognition' Posted: 13 Nov 2020 02:52 AM PST  Following a dramatic week in Downing Street, which saw Lee Cain quit Number 10, Dominic Cummings is now set to leave Downing Street with immediate effect. Boris Johnson will be without the Vote Leave backbone that helped steer him to a stonking majority in 2019. For Dominic Cummings, his exit will be just as divisive and controversial as his time working at the heart of Mr Johnson's Government. But what next for the architect of the Vote Leave campaign? What legacy does Mr Cummings leave behind and how will Number 10 cope without its Machiavellian advisor? Telegraph readers have had their say on all of this below. Share your own opinion in the comments section at the bottom of this article. 'Hopefully there will be a return to grown-up government in 2021' @David Cain "A sad indictment of UK politics when the advisors become the story. Hopefully there will be a return to grown-up adult government in 2021. "The Cabinet needs a huge shakeup and an injection of experience and real talent – so much of it sitting on the backbenches." 'His departure will damage Brexit beyond recognition' @William Beesley "Now the 'hard men' are leaving, watch out for the concessions to the EU by the backsliders and the Remainers. Our only hope is that it might be all too late in the piece but for all that, but this could damage Brexit beyond recognition." 'I'm not sure what this version of the Conservative Party stands for' @The Cruel Sea "Beyond Brexit, and that somewhat hangs in the balance, I'm not even sure what this version of the Conservative Party stands for – and I voted for it. "It seems like one all-encompassing amorphous fog of beige mediocrity." 'Cummings has done nothing useful since Boris became PM' @John Davies "Dominic Cummings has done nothing useful since Boris became PM. He's achieved nothing. "It's time for Boris to put together a strong cabinet, the last thing Michael Gove and Dominic Cummings wanted when they were trying to run the show." 'Cummings is doing a damned good job at shaking up the civil service' @Ivor Stuart "It was reported some time ago that Cumming declared his intention to leave once Brexit was done. A great shame. All this enmity is because he's doing a damned good job shaking up the civil service. "If he goes, Boris Johnson has had it. It was Cummings who guided him through the dark days of 2019 when Brexit was in trouble all round, and who got him is 80-seat majority."
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| Who might figure in Joe Biden's cabinet? Six names tipped for top jobs Posted: 13 Nov 2020 02:30 AM PST  Susan Rice, Michele Flournoy, Doug Jones, Lael Brainard, Vivek Murthy and Heidi Heitkamp are some of the most frequently mentioned in WashingtonCabinet appointment speculation is a time-honored tradition in Washington DC – and despite everything else going on is US politics at the moment, 2020 is no different.Donald Trump is refusing to concede he lost the election to Joe Biden, but that hasn't stopped Biden's team from taking steps to transition into the White House, resulting in the age-old parlor game of who could fill which cabinet slot.The Biden team has kept its cards close to the chest but as is always the case, shortlists keep emerging. Below are some of the most commonly mentioned names for some of the most high-profile positions in the president-elect's cabinet. Susan RiceSecretary of state or other top foreign or defense jobRice is a longtime state department official who went on to serve stints as ambassador to the United Nations and national security adviser to President Barack Obama. More recently, she made it through several rounds of the vetting process to be Biden's running mate before the former vice-president picked Kamala Harris. Rice has been mentioned for multiple high-profile foreign policy and defense jobs. Michele FlournoySecretary of defense or other national security postFlournoy is one of the most commonly mentioned potential picks for a top national security or foreign policy position. If appointed secretary of defense, she would be the first woman in that role. During the Obama administration she served as the under secretary for defense policy. She also co-founded the influential Center for a New American Security thinktank. Doug JonesPossible attorney generalEven before he lost his re-election campaign, the outgoing Alabama senator Doug Jones had been mentioned publicly and privately as a possible attorney general. Jones is a longtime friend of Biden's and a former US attorney who made a name for himself by prosecuting Ku Klux Klansmen involved in the 1963 16th Street Baptist church bombing. He was also involved in Democratic political circles in Alabama, and Birmingham in particular, where he lives. Jones has brushed off questions about serving in a Biden administration but that was largely before he lost re-election. Now, it's unclear what Jones wants to do next. Lael BrainardCandidate for secretary of the treasuryOne of the cabinet positions under the most intense scrutiny is the secretary of the treasury. Progressives hope the Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren or former deputy treasury secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin could take the helm. But competing interests, such as the banking community and the Congressional Black Caucus, have put forth names as well. Brainard is something of a consensus candidate. She isn't unpalatable to too many competing organizations and her credentials as a former treasury department official and member of the Federal Reserve board of governors make her a competitive candidate. Heidi HeitkampContender for secretary of agricultureHeitkamp is the most commonly mentioned candidate for secretary of agriculture, a role that covers far more than farm policy. Heitkamp is the last Democrat to serve as a senator from North Dakota and has been an outspoken advocate on rural issues and trade as it affects the farming community. As a senator she was a more moderate member of the Democratic caucus. Vivek MurthyDepartment of Health and Human Services head?A former surgeon general of the United States and a regular participant in discussion groups and policy advising for the Biden campaign, Dr Murthy was recently appointed as a co-chair of Biden's Covid-19 advisory board, a lofty position for an incoming administration that is prioritizing a new response to Covid-19.
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| Humanitarian group: 20 migrants drown off coast of Libya Posted: 13 Nov 2020 01:56 AM PST |
| United Kingdom (UK) Post Retirement Pensions Market Report 2020: 9/10 Individuals State that their Lifestyle in Retirement is as Expected or Better Posted: 13 Nov 2020 01:18 AM PST  Dublin, Nov. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "United Kingdom (UK) Post - Retirement Pensions Market 2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report explores trends in the way individuals fund their lifestyle in retirement. It examines pension decumulation and provides details on the way pension plans are accessed for the first time, exploring differences by pension pot size. Current and historical data on the size of common retirement income products is provided. The report also discusses to what extent individuals are confident that their lifetime investments will last through retirement. In addition, it explores consumers' attitudes and behaviors with regards to obtaining financial advice on pensions. Typically, retirees supplement the state pension with other sources of income, such as workplace and private pensions. Pension freedoms rules enable over 55s to access their pensions flexibly, but many are inadvertently putting their long-term savings at risk. The majority of adults will access their pension funds as soon as they can. In fact, more than half of all pension pots are withdrawn fully when they are accessed for the first time. Unexpectedly, withdrawals from pension pots fell in the first half of 2020 despite fears that COVID-19 would prompt individuals to take more funds. As economic uncertainty continues, a rise in unemployment among older adults could push some into early retirement. Scope * Nine in 10 individuals state that their lifestyle in retirement is as expected or better. * Income drawdowns totaled 9.3bn pound in new premiums in 2019, almost double the size of the annuities market at 4.3bn pound. * 91.9% of retirees are confident that their pension funds and/or savings will last their entire lifetime. This belief is broadly unchanged by the outbreak of COVID-19.Reasons to Buy * Learn how individuals access their pension plans for the first time. * Understand the size of income drawdowns and the annuities market. * Explore the gender gap in state and private pensions. * Discover to what extent over 55s and retirees use financial advice on pensions. * Understand the impact of COVID-19 on the post-retirement market.Key Topics Covered: 1\. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1. Many individuals are putting their long-term savings at risk 1.2. Key findings 1.3. Critical success factors 2\. RETIRING AND CLAIMING THE STATE PENSION 2.1. Most adults retire once they can access the state pension 2.1.1. The SPA has risen to 66 and there are plans to increase it further 2.1.2. Most wait until they can access the state pension before they retire 2.1.3. COVID-19 could force older individuals into early retirement 2.2. The state pension is insufficient to live comfortably on and there is a gender pay gap 2.2.1. The UK's state pension is not enough to live comfortably on 2.2.2. The gender gap has narrowed but still exists 2.2.3. COVID-19 has brought the state pension's triple-lock mechanism into the limelight 2.2.4. Some individuals saw their pension reduced following the end of the ADI 2.2.5. Single individuals need at least 10,200 per annum at retirement to cover all expenses 2.2.6. On its own, the state pension is at least 2,062.26 pounds per annum too low to enable retirees to pay all their expenses 2.3. Brexit uncertainty and COVID-19 create a dilemma for individuals planning to retire abroad 2.3.1. Individuals are having second thoughts about retiring abroad owing to Brexit and COVID-19 2.3.2. Brexit negotiations will affect UK pension eligibility 3\. FUNDING RETIREMENT AND LIFESTYLE 3.1. Retirement income typically comes from several sources 3.1.1. The state pension is key to funding retirement, but personal pensions are common 3.1.2. More than half of all individuals with retirement incomes in excess of 50,000 per annum live on private/company pensions only 3.1.3. Women have lower incomes in retirement than men 3.2. Retirees have confidence that their funds will last through retirement 3.2.1. Lifestyle in retirement is as expected for the majority of individuals 3.2.2. Most retirees do not review their budget frequently 3.2.3. Individuals are confident that their pensions/savings will last through retirement 3.2.4. Confidence that pensions/savings are enough to last an entire lifetime has been broadly unaffected by COVID-19 4\. TRENDS IN PENSION DECUMULATION 4.1. Retirees typically have DB pensions, but DC schemes are becoming more common 4.1.1. DB schemes are the most common type of workplace pensions among over 40s 4.2. Pension freedoms give DC scheme members flexibility in how funds are accessed 4.2.1. New plans are underway to increase the pension freedoms age to 57 4.2.2. DB to DC transfers have been common as individuals take advantage of pension freedoms 4.3. Most over 55s have sizable pension pots, but the majority will access funds as soon as they can 4.3.1. Most over 55s have sizable pension pots 4.3.2. Only a minority of individuals defer taking their pension so it pays more later, while most access their pots as soon as they can 4.4. Accessing pensions for the first time 4.4.1. Full cash withdrawal is the main way of accessing pension pots for the first time 4.4.2. Full cash withdrawals are linked to small pension pots while drawdowns are linked to larger pots 4.4.3. Most pension withdrawals are invested into savings accounts 4.5. Income drawdowns and annuity sales have stabilized 4.5.1. The impact of pension freedoms has faded 4.5.2. The value withdrawn from pensions fell in the first half of 2020 despite fears that COVID-19 would result in a possible spike 4.5.3. Annuity rates reached a historic low in September 2019 5\. FINANCIAL ADVICE IN THE POST-RETIREMENT MARKET 5.1. Retirement is a common reason for seeking financial advice, yet uptake is mixed 5.1.1. Retirement is one of the main reasons prompting consumers to seek financial advice 5.1.2. Half of all pension plans are accessed without advice 5.1.3. Uptake of the Pensions Advice Allowance is low 5.1.4. Retirees are less likely to seek financial advice on pensions than other adults 5.1.5. Non-retired adults tend to engage with their advisor on pensions more often than retirees as they explore their options 5.1.6. Reputation and an existing relationship with the advisor are key considerations among over 55s seeking financial advice 5.2. Risks behind pension freedoms and lack of advice remain a concern 5.2.1. Enhanced guidance on pension drawdowns and transfers amid COVID-19 5.2.2. Early drawdowns mean pension funds could last less and limit future contributions 5.2.3. PLSA launches call to improve pension freedoms guidance 5.2.4. Previously, the FCA had introduced several remedies to improve retirement outcomes 5.3. The industry is working on improving awareness of pension income at retirement 5.3.1. The Pensions Management Institute launched Retirement Matters to provide financial education on pensions to individuals exploring their retirement options 5.3.2. The Money Advice Service released a beta income drawdown tool 6\. APPENDIX Companies Mentioned * Canada Life * Prudential * Standard Life * LV= * Aviva * Hodge Lifetime * JUST * Legal & General * Scottish Widows * Pension Wise * Wealth at Work * Money Advice ServiceFor more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/93ps2pResearch and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900
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| Reports: UK leader Johnson's top adviser leaves job for good Posted: 13 Nov 2020 01:12 AM PST  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's top adviser has been seen leaving Downing Street carrying a moving box, amid reports that he has left his job following a bruising battle for influence at the heart of the government fueled by tensions over Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic. Amid speculation that he would leave the government at the end of the year, Dominic Cummings was pictured Friday leaving from the front door at 10 Downing Street. The prime minister's office hasn't confirmed Cummings' departure.
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| Tropical Storm Iota forms, could follow Eta's deadly path Posted: 13 Nov 2020 01:03 AM PST  Just as the remnants of Eta finally blew out to sea on Friday, another storm formed that could follow its path of death and destruction into Central America this weekend. Hurricane experts were closely watching the Caribbean, where Tropical Storm Iota formed Friday afternoon. Forecasters warned that Iota could power up quickly, to major hurricane strength, as it approaches Central America late Sunday or Monday, and wreak more havoc in a region where people are still grappling with the aftermath of Eta.
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| French forces kill al-Qaida-linked commander in Mali Posted: 13 Nov 2020 01:00 AM PST  French ground forces and military helicopters killed a jihadi commander linked with al-Qaida in Mali along with four others, the French military said Friday. The operation Tuesday targeted Bah ag Moussa, military chief for the RVIM Islamic extremist group, who had been on a U.N. sanctions list and was believed responsible for multiple attacks on Malian and international forces in the country, French military spokesman Col. Frederic Barbry told reporters Friday. Surveillance drones helped French forces in Mali identify Moussa's truck in the Menaka region of eastern Mali, which was then targeted by the helicopters and 15 French commandos sent to the scene, Barbry said.
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| UK's 'Yorkshire Ripper' serial killer Peter Sutcliffe dies Posted: 13 Nov 2020 12:44 AM PST  The British serial killer known as the "Yorkshire Ripper" died Friday, reviving unsettling memories of a killing spree that bred fear across northern England in the late 1970s. Peter Sutcliffe was serving a life sentence for the killings of 13 women in Yorkshire and northwest England between 1975 and 1980.
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| China congratulates Biden, but few US policy changes seen Posted: 13 Nov 2020 12:17 AM PST  China on Friday became one of the last major countries to congratulate U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, who is expected to make few changes to U.S. policy in conflicts with Beijing over trade, technology and security. China, along with Russia, avoided joining the throng that congratulated Biden last weekend after he and vice presidential running mate Kamala Harris secured enough Electoral College votes to unseat President Donald Trump. "We congratulate Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris."
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| 10 things in tech you need to know today Posted: 13 Nov 2020 12:01 AM PST  Facebook won't ban Steve Bannon, Xi Jinping intervened in Ant IPO, and don't blow vape smoke into your Xbox.
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| AP PHOTOS: Virus ward doctor runs from dawn to dark in Italy Posted: 12 Nov 2020 11:31 PM PST  Dr. Elisabetta Teti recalls the nightmare weeks when the coronavirus first erupted in Italy and girds herself for what her life will be like through the coming winter if tens of thousands of Italians are still getting diagnosed with COVID-19 and hundreds are dying every day. Teti, an infectious disease specialist at a hospital on the outskirts of Rome, already begins and ends her workday in darkness. AP Photographer Alessandra Tarantino followed the 39-year-old doctor one recent Saturday, from her home, through a 12-hour shift caring for patients needing sub-intensive care, and home again, exhausted.
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