| Supreme Court Rejects White House Move To Block Teens' Climate Change Lawsuit Posted: 02 Nov 2018 09:01 PM PDT  The Supreme Court has refused a Trump administration application to halt an
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| In Texas Senate race, both parties are at the door — all 7.4 million of them Posted: 03 Nov 2018 11:17 AM PDT  Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke has mounted one of the most ambitious voter-outreach efforts in the state's history, sending volunteers to knock on doors in every single county. Ted Cruz has outsourced his ground game to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Tuesday will show who had the better strategy.
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| U.S. warns its citizens in Tanzania before anti-gay crackdown Posted: 04 Nov 2018 09:06 AM PST  In an alert on its website late on Saturday, the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania advised Americans to review their social media profiles and internet footprints. "Remove or protect images and language that may run afoul of Tanzanian laws regarding homosexual practices and explicit sexual activity," it said. The alert said any U.S. citizen who was detained or arrested should ensure the Tanzanian authorities informed the embassy.
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| Trump says he is open to new deal with Iran as he imposes fresh sanctions Posted: 03 Nov 2018 06:55 AM PDT  Donald Trump said Saturday he was still open to negotiating "a new, more comprehensive deal with Iran" even as he ordered a severe new round of sanctions to come into force at midnight on Sunday. The US president, who pulled America out of the Iran nuclear agreement, said he would lift sanctions if Iran agreed to a broader deal that restricted not only its nuclear programme but also its policies across the Middle East. "Our objective is to force the regime into a clear choice: either abandon its destructive behavior or continue down the path toward economic disaster," Mr Trump said in a statement. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, voiced defiance of the US president and said "the world opposes every decision made by Trump". "America's goal has been to re-establish the domination it had [before 1979] but it has failed. America has been defeated by the Islamic Republic over the past 40 years," the ayatollah said. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei voiced defiance of the US Credit: AFP/Getty Images Britain, France, Germany and the EU said in a joint statement that they "deeply regret" Mr Trump's decision to reimpose sanctions and remained committed to the nuclear agreement. They said they would try to shield European firms dealing with Iran from the threat of US sanctions. Many Western companies have fled the Iranian market out of fear of being put on an American blacklist but the EU has set up a financial mechanism designed to let them continue doing business. The mechanism is not yet operational and it remains to be seen if many firms will take the risk. Iran announced Saturday that it would begin building its own fighter planes to get around US sanctions on the import of airplane parts. Iran has an ageing air force and many analysts believe the Kowsar fighter jet is an ineffective copy of the American F-5 jet, which was developed in the 1960s. Meanwhile, both sides continued a social media war which began when Mr Trump tweeted "Sanctions Are Coming" in the style of a Game of Thrones poster. Qasem Soleimani, the leader of Iran's elite Quds force, posted an image of himself in the same style with the message "I Will Stand Against You". He also denounced Mr Trump as "a gambler", an insult in Iran where gambling is forbidden. #Iran's General Soleimani responded to "gambler"#US President Donald Trump's announcement: Come! We are waiting, I will stand against you. Quds Force will stand against you. You start this war, but we will finish it," Major-General Soleimani, wrote on Instagram in Farsi on Friday pic.twitter.com/fPkcMRIy4s— Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) November 3, 2018 HBO, the US broadcaster behind Game of Thrones, watched the exchange with bemusement. "How do you say trademark misuse in Dothraki?" it tweeted, referring to a fictional language from the show.
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| The Latest: Mexican townsfolk assist weary migrants Posted: 04 Nov 2018 10:27 AM PST  ISLA, Mexico (AP) — The Latest on the caravans of migrants making their way through Mexico to the United States (all times local):
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| No indication sisters found dead in NY were killed: police Posted: 02 Nov 2018 09:06 PM PDT  New York police on Friday said they had no evidence indicating that two sisters whose bodies were found duct-taped together in Manhattan had been killed. "There is nothing pointing to a crime as of yet," said a New York Police Department spokesman, adding that "it is still very much a live investigation" without providing details of any probable cause of death. The two young women, identified as Rotana Farea, 22, and her sister Tala, 16, were found on the banks of the Hudson River last week with no visible signs of trauma, dressed all in black, with fur-trimmed coat collars, and bound together at the ankles and waist by duct tape.
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| Trump Administration Goes To Trial To Defend Adding A Citizenship Question To Census Posted: 04 Nov 2018 09:00 AM PST  The Trump administration is set to defend its controversial decision to add a
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| Midterms 2018: Signs saying 'it's OK to be white' appear in Texas days before election Posted: 03 Nov 2018 07:35 AM PDT  As the nation prepares for the midterm elections, there is something of a sense of anxiety, following the mail bombing of pipe bombs, the shooting dead of two African Americans in a grocery store and the killing of 11 Jews at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. Critics of Donald Trump have accused the president of intentionally stoking division ahead of the election, with claims that a caravan of Central American migrants is a national security threat to the country. Asked about this on Friday as he left the White House, Mr Trump pointed at the reporter who asked the question and said: "You're creating violence by your question.
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| These Leaf Thanksgiving Cookies Deserve A Spot On Your Holiday Dessert Table Posted: 03 Nov 2018 07:02 PM PDT |
| Obama Draws Excited Crowds Ordering Tacos In Miami While Campaigning In Florida Posted: 03 Nov 2018 04:19 PM PDT  Former President Barack Obama stopped at a restaurant to order tacos while on
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| About 100 gather for 'healing service' outside synagogue Posted: 03 Nov 2018 12:11 PM PDT  PITTSBURGH (AP) — Parents clutched their children, couples leaned on each other and bystanders wept as about 100 people gathered in a steady drizzle outside the desecrated Tree of Life synagogue for what a former rabbi called a healing service one week after the worst attack targeting Jews in U.S. history.
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| Iran seeks European assurances as U.S. oil sanctions loom Posted: 03 Nov 2018 02:35 AM PDT  Iran called on Saturday for European assurances of support in the face of Washington's intent to reimpose sanctions on vital Iranian oil sales to force Tehran to curb its nuclear, missile and regional activities. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke by telephone with the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, and his counterparts from Germany, Sweden and Denmark about European measures to counter the U.S. sanctions, the Iranian state news agency IRNA reported. "Mogherini and the European ministers ... highlighted the importance of the finance ministers' commitment to Europe's financial mechanism to save the Iran nuclear deal and said the mechanism will be operational in the coming days," IRNA said.
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| Khashoggi crisis may tip Middle East power balance towards Turkey Posted: 02 Nov 2018 06:42 PM PDT  The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi could alter the power dynamic in the Middle East by strengthening Turkey's influence at Saudi Arabia's expense as they compete for leadership of the Islamic world, analysts say. This certainly appears to be the goal of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the main regional supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Saudi Arabia and its allies Egypt and the United Arab Emirates consider a terrorist group. The killing inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul by a team sent from Riyadh on October 2 has already severely tarnished Saudi Arabia's global reputation.
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| Teachers' Trump Border Wall Costume Leaves Don Lemon Temporarily Lost For Words Posted: 03 Nov 2018 12:03 AM PDT  CNN's Don Lemon called out the elementary school teachers in Idaho who donned
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| One American Killed, Another Wounded, in Afghanistan After Fifth Insider Attack in Four Months Posted: 03 Nov 2018 10:00 AM PDT  Neither service member has been identified, and details of the attack have yet to be released
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| North Carolina woman turns herself in after racist rant goes viral Posted: 04 Nov 2018 03:26 PM PST  A woman who was seen in a viral video verbally harassing two residents standing outside of their Charlotte apartment complex has turned herself into police.
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| Are E-Gift Cards Secure? Posted: 04 Nov 2018 03:00 AM PST  Physical gift cards for specific merchants and services are widely available at stores, but before buying one, always inspect a card's protective stickers or coating for tampering and check wheth...
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| Nigeria Tweeted Trump Caravan Speech Apparently To Defend Shooting Protesters Posted: 03 Nov 2018 07:41 PM PDT  The Nigerian army posted -- then later deleted -- a video on Twitter of
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| China hopes trade expo will highlight import clout as U.S. dispute rages Posted: 03 Nov 2018 06:18 PM PDT  The Nov. 5-10 China International Import Expo, or CIIE, is an attempt by Beijing to counter mounting criticism of its trade and business practices by bringing thousands of foreign companies together with Chinese buyers to demonstrate the importing potential of the world's no.2 economy. When Chinese President Xi Jinping opens the expo with a speech on Monday morning, few expect him to announce bold new policies of the kind that many foreign governments and businesses have been seeking. Instead, people involved in planning meetings have said they expect state-owned companies to arrive with orders to do deals, possibly even with quotas, so that the expo will end with China something to show the world.
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| The Latest: Caravan splinters as it heads through Mexico Posted: 03 Nov 2018 07:48 PM PDT  ISLA, Mexico (AP) — The Latest on the caravans of migrants making their way through Mexico to the United States (all times local):
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| Tension as New Caledonians in idyllic south Pacific poised to vote on independence from France Posted: 03 Nov 2018 11:12 AM PDT  Escalating tension in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia ahead of an independence referendum on Sunday has prompted the authorities to ban the sale of alcohol and the carrying of firearms this weekend. The vote in the archipelago east of Australia has polarised its nearly 270,000 inhabitants along ethnic lines, pitting indigenous Kanaks who mostly favour independence against white and south-east Asian settlers. The vote was a condition of a 1988 agreement between separatists and the government that ended four years of violent unrest culminating in the killings of 25 people during a hostage crisis. Opinion polls indicate that a majority is likely to vote to remain French. About 40 per cent of the population are indigenous and 27 per cent are ethnic European. The rest is of mostly Polynesian and Indonesian origin. Kanak flags flew everywhere on the predominantly Kanak island of Ouvéa, where separatists killed four gendarmes and took 27 others hostage in 1988. Macky Wea, one of the hostage-takers, called for a boycott of the "fake" and "illegitimate" referendum, who argued that "only the colonised people, the Kanaks, should have the right to vote." A flag from the FLNKS, Front de liberation nationale kanak socialiste (Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front) flutters in a former settler's property of Poindimie Credit: Theo Rouby / AFP Nevertheless, some Kanaks will vote to stay in France. Simon Loueckhote, a former senator, has been touring Ouvéa, personally putting up posters bearing the slogan, "La France est une chance," which roughly translates as "France is our good fortune." Mr Loueckhote, 61, pointed out that the state pumps about £1.15 billion per year into New Caledonia. "The islanders are 100 per cent aided, supported and maintained by the public authorities. So when people talk to me about colonisation, I don't really understand. What would become of Kanak dignity if these funds stopped coming and we had to go begging?" The descendants of European settlers generally enjoy a higher quality of life than the Kanaks, who once suffered from strict segregation policies. More than 1,000 gendarmes have been deployed to maintain order over the weekend and shops are banned from selling liquor. Officially the government is neutral, offering no guidance on how to vote. Some 250 French officials and a dozen UN observers will monitor the poll. President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation on television Sunday after the result is announced. His refusal to join the campaign for New Caledonia to remain part of France was criticised by Laurent Wauquiez, leader of the conservative party, the Republicans, and Marine Le Pen of the far-Right National Rally.
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| There Were Zero Things Better This Week Than That Absurdly Historic Klay Game Posted: 03 Nov 2018 09:19 AM PDT  Welcome to Good Stuff, HuffPost's weekly recommendation series devoted to the
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| Best Black Friday Deals on Ranges Posted: 03 Nov 2018 05:17 AM PDT  If you're thinking about a new range, now is the time to get shopping. In the past few years, Black Friday has stretched into a monthlong sale at major appliance retailers such as Best Buy, Costc...
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| What We Really Believe Posted: 04 Nov 2018 03:30 AM PST ![What We Really Believe]( "What We Really Believe") Not even that haunted houses exist. No, 25 percent of our fellow citizens report that their actual current residence is home to a poltergeist. It's really quite amazing that the nation's social scientists haven't died of despair.
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| Melania Trump Spokeswoman Furious About Report On $95,000 Cairo Hotel Tab Posted: 02 Nov 2018 06:56 PM PDT  First lady Melania Trump racked up an astonishing $95,000 tab at a Cairo hotel
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| India iPhone sales to fall for first time in four years - researcher Posted: 03 Nov 2018 05:49 AM PDT  Apple's iPhone sales are set to dip by around a quarter in India's holiday season fourth quarter, putting them on course for the first full-year fall in four years, industry research firm Counterpoint said on Saturday. The Cupertino, California company's struggle to break through with India's 1.3 billion consumers swung more sharply into focus this week after Apple blamed a disappointing set of sales forecasts on a handful of big emerging markets. Chief Executive Tim Cook said after publishing third quarter results that sales were flat in India in the fourth quarter, which includes a month-long festive season culminating this week in Diwali - a bumper period for electronics sales.
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| Ethnic Tamil party pledges vote against Sri Lankan strongman Posted: 03 Nov 2018 07:56 AM PDT  COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — An ethnic minority Tamil party in Sri Lanka said Saturday that it will support a no-confidence motion to be brought against the country's former strongman whose controversial appointment as prime minister has plunged the country into a political crisis.
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| After years in the dark, Gaza's power woes ease Posted: 04 Nov 2018 03:05 AM PST  The lights are going back on in the Gaza Strip, in a rare piece of positive news from the blockaded Palestinian enclave. In recent days, residents say they have received up to 16 hours of mains electricity a day, compared with as little as four previously. UN humanitarian officials report an average of between nine and 11 hours per day since October 25.
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| Nine warming winter bakes to spice up your life, from plum crostata to saffron layer cake Posted: 03 Nov 2018 11:00 PM PDT  Star anise shortbread stars Credit: Laura Edwards If you are not a fan of the liquorice undertones in star anise, please feel free to substitute it with one and a half teaspoons of ground cinnamon, ginger or, a personal favourite, grated nutmeg. MAKES 25 to 30 biscuits INGREDIENTS 5-7 star anise (if they are large only use 5) 125g unsalted butter 100g light brown sugar 50g golden syrup 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda For the icing 200g icing sugar Milk METHOD Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. In a spice grinder, blitz the star anise to a very fine powder. If you don't have a spice grinder, bash them using a pestle and mortar, but make sure you sift the powder to remove any pieces that remain woody. To make the biscuits, melt the butter, sugar and syrup together in a large saucepan over a low heat – do not allow the mixture to boil. Stir in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground star anise. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to a thickness of 5mm-7mm. Cut out small star shapes using a 5cm star-shaped cookie cutter. Transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for nine to 12 minutes or until golden. Leave the biscuits to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. For the icing, mix the sugar together with a few drops of milk – you are looking for a fairly thick mixture. Transfer one third of the icing to a piping bag fitted with a fine round nozzle. Pipe a border around the edge of each star biscuit. Allow the icing to set for five minutes, then return any excess icing to the bowl. Now add a few more drops of milk to create a slightly runnier icing that will flood the centre of the biscuits – the border will contain the flood icing. Using a teaspoon, spread a little of the runny icing in the middle of a star biscuit. A cocktail stick is a handy tool at this stage to encourage the icing to run right up to the border in the corners. Once the entire star is covered, repeat with the remaining biscuits. (It is important that your outline is properly dried before you start using the flood icing, or you will have a messy finish.) Allow the icing to dry out completely. Store the shortbreads in an airtight container for up to one week. Recipe from Gatherings by Flora Shedden (Mitchell Beazley, £25) Pumpkin and ginger layer cake Credit: Laura Edwards If you like carrot cake then this is for you – damp, spiced and delicious. Yogurt and puréed pumpkin gives this sponge a velvety smooth yet light texture. SERVES 16 INGREDIENTS 4 large eggs 250ml olive oil 1 tsp vanilla extract 100g natural yogurt 250g caster sugar 150g soft light brown sugar 400g pumpkin 475g plain flour 2 heaped tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp mixed spice 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda A pinch of salt A little spiced rum, for brushing For the icing 40g pumpkin seeds 500g icing sugar 250g butter 200g cream cheese 3 balls of stem ginger METHOD To make the pumpkin purée, peel the pumpkin or squash and cut into chunks. Boil until cooked through. Drain and leave to cool, then blitz in a food processor with just enough water to make a purée. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Grease two 20cm springform cake tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, olive oil, vanilla, yogurt, caster and soft light brown sugars and the pumpkin purée until you have a smooth mixture. Into another bowl, sift the flour, ground cinnamon, mixed spice, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt, then fold into the pumpkin batter. Divide evenly between the two tins and bake on the middle shelf of your oven for around 45 minutes, or until cooked through. Check with a skewer – it should come out clean. If the cakes are still raw, bake for five to 10 minutes more. Leave the sponges to cool in the tins for five minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. While the oven is still on, caramelise the pumpkin seeds for the icing. Rinse them in a sieve, then toss them in one heaped tablespoon of the icing sugar until lightly coated. Spread out on a baking sheet and pop into the oven for 10 minutes, until caramelised and crunchy. Remove and leave to one side to cool completely. While the cakes are cooling, make your icing. Cut the butter into cubes and put them into a free-standing mixer with a paddle attachment (or just use a large mixing bowl and hand-held mixer if you don't have one). Beat for three to four minutes, until pale and light. Drain any excess liquid from the cream cheese and beat into the butter, only just enough to mix the two together – too much and it becomes runny. Sift half the remaining icing sugar into the mix, and when fully combined sift and beat in the remaining half. Keep beating for around four minutes, until pale and smooth. Finely chop the stem ginger and add it with a little of the syrup from the jar. Place the bowl of icing in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. When the sponges have cooled, carefully cut them in half horizontally and layer them up on your serving board or cake stand with the cream cheese frosting, brushing the layers with a little spiced rum as you go. You can leave the cake like that, or use the last bit of frosting to give your cake a scant frosting around the sides and top. Decorate with the caramelised seeds, and pop back into the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving – just to give the icing time to firm up again. Recipe from Stirring Slowly by Georgina Hayden (Square Peg, £25) Prune and almond tart Credit: David Loftus A classic French tart, made with brandy-soaked agen prunes and frangipane. If you can't find agen prunes, tinned prunes will do. SERVES Eight INGREDIENTS 10 agen prunes, cut in half 2 tbsp brandy 165g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed 165g caster sugar 165g ground almonds 60g plain flour 3 eggs 30g flaked almonds For the pastry 215g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 60g caster sugar 130g chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes 1 egg, lightly beaten METHOD First make the pastry. Put the flour, sugar and butter into a food processor and blitz until combined. add the egg and pulse until you have a dough; you might not need quite all the egg, so hold a little back at first. The pastry should not be sticky. Shape into a flat round, wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 25cm loose-bottomed tart tin, trimming off the excess. Chill for 30 minutes, then line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake blind for 15 minutes in an oven heated to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Remove the paper and beans and bake for another five minutes, until the base is dry and the edges are lightly coloured. Put the prunes and brandy into a small pan and heat gently, then remove from the heat and let the prunes absorb the brandy. To make the filling, put the butter, sugar, ground almonds and flour into a food processor and blitz until smooth. add the eggs and blitz again. Spread this frangipane mixture in the pastry case and arrange the brandy-soaked prunes on top. Sprinkle with any remaining brandy and the flaked almonds then bake in an oven heated to 170C/150C fan/Gas 3 for about 30 minutes, until risen and golden; a skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. remove from the oven and leave to cool. Serve with crème fraîche. Recipe from Fortnum & Mason: Christmas & Other Feasts by Tom Parker Bowles (4th Estate, £30) Clementine and cardamom upside-down cake Credit: Nassima Rothacker SERVES 10-12 INGREDIENTS For the topping 125g caster sugar 8 clementines For the cake 285g unsalted butter 285g light brown muscovado sugar 5 large eggs, beaten 285g self-raising flour 1 1⁄2 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp fine sea salt For the glaze (optional) 4 tbsp apricot jam 1 tbsp water METHOD Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/Gas 3. Grease a 23cm round loose-bottomed cake tin and line with baking paper. For the topping, heat a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the sugar and allow it to melt and slowly turn to an amber caramel – the sugar touching the base of the pan will turn first, and slowly but surely the sugar on top will soon become liquid, too. Give the pan a little swirl as the sugar starts to melt. Once you have a dark caramel, pour it into the base of the prepared cake tin. Keeping them whole, peel the clementines, then cut them in half horizontally to retain that little hole in the top and bottom. Arrange the clementine halves, hump-side down, on the caramel. For the cake, cream together the butter and sugar until really soft – the butter should become very pale and the sugar will more or less dissolve into it. Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the flour, cardamom and salt and beat in just until incorporated to a smooth batter. I do all of this in my KitchenAid fitted with the paddle attachment, but an electric hand-held mixer will do. Pour the batter over the clementines and gently level it out, being careful not to displace the fruits. Bake for one hour and up to one hour 10 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, apart from the odd crumb of cake made soggy by the oranges beneath. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for five minutes, then invert onto a plate. For the glaze, simply combine the jam and water in a small pan and bring to the boil. Paint the glaze onto the cake with a pastry brush. The cake will keep for a few days in an airtight tin; it'll actually be that bit better on day two. Recipe from Comfort by John Whaite (Kyle Books, £19.99) Plum, almond and orange blossom crostata with sugared thyme Credit: Kirsten Jenkins SERVES 12 INGREDIENTS 435g homemade or shop-bought sweet shortcrtust pastry, rolled to a thickness of 3mm 180g unsalted butter, at room temperature 240g caster sugar Finely grated zest of 2 oranges, plus pared zest of 1 orange 1 tbsp orange blossom water 2 tsp vanilla bean paste 3 eggs, plus 1 egg white 300g ground almonds 2 tbsp cornflour 1kg ripe plums, halved and stones removed 1 tbsp demerara sugar 6 thyme sprigs Icing sugar, to dust METHOD Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and lay the pastry on top. Chill until needed. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and caster sugar until pale, reserving 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Beat in the orange zest, orange blossom water and vanilla, then the whole eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, beat in the ground almonds and cornflour to combine. Spread the frangipane mixture over the pastry, leaving a 1cm border all the way around. Fold in the edges to partially enclose. Top with the plums, and scatter with the demerara sugar and the pared orange zest. Lightly whisk the egg white and dip the thyme sprigs into it, then coat them in the reserves tablespoon of caster sugar. Scatter over the crostata and bake for 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the plums are soft. Once cool, dust with icing sugar, if desired. Recipe from The Pie Project by Phoebe Wood and Kirsten Jenkins (Hardie Grant, £20) Chocolate, hazelnut and cinnamon krantz loaf Credit: Patricia Niven MAKES One cake (1kg loaf tin) INGREDIENTS For the yeast dough 20g fresh yeast (or 2 tsp dry) 330g strong white bread flour 40g caster sugar 1 whole egg 85ml milk 90g unsalted butter, at room temperature For the filling 100g unsalted butter 190g caster sugar 80g dark cocoa powder (70%) 1 tsp ground cinnamon 60g roaster hazelnuts For the base sugar syrup (makes 200ml of syrup – this will keep in a jar or bottle in the fridge for up to two weeks) 100ml water 100g caster sugar 1 tbsp glucose or honey METHOD First, make the yeast dough. Crumble the yeast into the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a mixer bowl with a hook attachment and mix together (if you are using dried yeast, dissolve it in the milk before adding to the flour). Add the egg, milk and butter and combine to form a dough that comes together in a ball. This will take about five to six minutes on a medium speed. Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for at least six hours or overnight. To make the filling, melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat. Remove from the heat, tip the sugar in and stir to dissolve. Add the chocolate, cocoa and cinnamon and mix to combine. Set aside to cool a little at room temperature (don't place it in the fridge, as it will set solid). Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle of about 50cm x 30cm. Spread the filling over the dough, reaching right to the corners, then sprinkle with the hazelnuts. Roll up tightly from one of the longer sides, so you end up with a 50cm log. If the dough has softened too much for you to handle it, place on a tray and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes. Butter the loaf tin and line the base and long sides with baking parchment. Making sure that there is an overhang so that you will be able to lift the baked loaf out easily. Use a pastry cutter or sharp knife to cut the log in half along its length to expose the layers. Place the halves with the cut sides facing upwards. Lift one halved log over the other so that they form a cross at their midpoints, with the filling layers still pointing upwards. Continue to twist the strands over each other until the dough looks like a lovely twisted plait. Place in the lined baking tin and leave to prove in a warm place until the dough is fluffy, soft and doubled in size. This will take about one and a half hours in a warm kitchen, or up to two hours if it is chilly. While the dough is proving, make the sugar syrup. Place all the ingredients in a small pan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam and remove from the heat. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas 7. If you are using egg wash, brush it over the surface. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then turn the tin around for an even bake and leave for another 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 190C/170C fan/Gas 5 and bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately pour the sugar syrup all over the hot cake. Let the cake cool in the tin or it will fall apart. Recipe from Honey & Co: The Baking Book by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich (Saltyard Books, £27) Saffron Layer cake Credit: Peter cassidy Grind your own saffron in a pestle and mortar if you cannot get hold of ground saffron. If you are not a fan of marzipan, you can omit it from the buttercream filling and simply add some apple or pear compote between the layers for extra flavour. SERVES Six to eight INGREDIENTS 50g butter 100ml milk 0.5g/a small pinch of ground saffron 4 eggs 325g caster sugar 300g plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla sugar or extract 1⁄2 tsp salt 50g Greek yogurt or similar Frosted redcurrants, to decorate (optional) For the marzipan buttercream 75g marzipan (at least 50% almonds), grated 300g plus 2 tbsp icing sugar 150g butter, softened A few tbsp of milk (optional) Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional|) METHOD Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Grease and line three 18-cm diameter round cake pans. You can use larger cake pans, but your cake will be wider and not as tall. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the milk and saffron and set aside to infuse. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until thick and fluffy. Mix the dry ingredients together, then sift into the sugar mixture and fold in. Add the yogurt and the saffron milk to the mixture and fold again until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly, and bake in the preheated oven for around 12–14 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Saffron is quite drying, so take care not to over-bake. Every oven varies, so keep an eye on the cakes. Leave the layers to cool in the pans while you make the buttercream. Add a few tablespoons of boiling water to the marzipan and mix it with a fork to melt it slightly (this avoids lumps of marzipan in the buttercream). Using an electric beater, in a bowl mix the sugar and butter on high speed and add the marzipan. You may need to add a bit of milk, too. Beat and allow to fluff up for several minutes on high speed. If you feel it is too sweet, you can add a few drops of lemon juice or similar. Remove the cakes from the pans and peel off the paper. Place the first layer of cake on the serving plate, then add a layer of the buttercream. Repeat until you have used all three layers. You can leave the cake naked and just decorate the top with the remaining buttercream or you can use the buttercream to give a light coating all around the sides, as shown here, for a very frosty-looking cake. I like to decorate it with frosted redcurrants. Recipe from ScandiKitchen Christmas by Bronte Aurell (Ryland Peters & Small, £16) Quince and almond tart Credit: Tara Fisher SERVES Eight INGREDIENTS Juice of 1 lemon 100g caster sugar 4 small quinces 50g unsalted butter 125g clear honey 2 tbsp marsala 1 small cinnamon stick 2 bay leaves 2 strips of orange peel 2 strips of peel from an unwaxed lemon Juice of 1⁄2 orange For the shortbread base 125g plain flour 100g unsalted butter, chilled and diced 40g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting For the cake mixture 4 large eggs, separated 175g caster sugar Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp orange flower water 225g ground almonds You will need a 21cm springform cake tin METHOD Pour 600ml of cold water into a medium saucepan and add the lemon juice and sugar. Peel and quarter the quinces one at a time and immediately drop into the pan – don't worry about removing the cores at this stage. Place over a medium heat and bring slowly to the boil to dissolve the sugar. Cover the fruit with a disc of baking parchment and simmer gently for about 25 minutes until tender. Prepare the shortbread base. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4 and line the base of the tin with baking parchment. Tip the flour, butter, icing sugar and a pinch of salt into a food processor and pulse until the butter has been rubbed into the flour and the mixture starts to clump together. Tip the crumbly dough into the prepared tin and, using your hands, press into an even layer covering the base. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until pale golden. Line a 21cm springform cake tin with baking parchment. Remove the quince quarters from the pan and arrange eight in the prepared tin, core side uppermost. Dot with the butter, spoon over the honey and marsala and tuck in the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and orange and lemon peels. Add the orange juice and two tablespoons of the quince poaching liquid. Cover loosely with another sheet of parchment and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40 minutes or until very soft when tested with the point of a knife. Leave to cool in the tin. Core and slice the remaining poached quinces and scatter over the shortbread base. To make the cake mixture, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick, pale and doubled in volume. Whisk in the lemon zest, cinnamon and orange flower water. Fold in the ground almonds. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold stiff peaks, then carefully fold into the almond mixture until there are no streaks of egg white remaining. Spoon the mixture on top of the quince, spread level and bake on the middle shelf for 40 minutes until golden brown, well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin. Serve the cake in slices, dusted with icing sugar, with the baked quinces. Recipe from Summer Berries & Autumn Fruits by Annie Rigg (Kyle Books, £16.99) Parsnip cake with blood orange buttercream Credit: James Ransom Parsnips make the cake moist and sweet, just like carrots would, and as a bonus they give it a spicy kick. MAKES 12 to 16 squares INGREDIENTS For the cake 3 large eggs 200g sugar 110g neutral oil (such as grapeseed) 125g milk 1 tsp salt 1⁄2 tsp pure vanilla extract 190g plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1⁄4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1⁄4 tsp ground allspice 1⁄4 tsp ground cloves 450g parsnips, peeled and grated 1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger or 1⁄2 tsp ground ginger For the buttercream 120g freshly squeezed blood orange juice (from 5 small blood oranges) 225g unsalted butter, softened 375 to 500g icing sugar METHOD To make the cake, heat the oven to 175C/155C fan/Gas 4. Lightly butter or oil a 23cm x 33cm cake tin and line the bottom with parchment paper. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, milk, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves and whisk together until smooth, about two minutes. Fold the parsnips and ginger into the batter. Pour the batter into the tin – the batter won't rise much, so you can fill the tin to within 1.3cm of the top. Bake until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out with just crumbs clinging, about 24 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a rack and cool completely. To make the buttercream, pour the blood orange juice into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over a high heat. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer until the juice is reduced to a syrup, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Add the blood orange syrup and beat until incorporated (the buttercream won't come together at first, so start on a low speed, and then turn the speed way up by the end). Drape a kitchen towel over the top of the mixer to contain any flying sugar, then add the icing sugar to the mixture 125g at a time, blending well on low speed, until it's a spreadable consistency (and sweetness level) you like. If your buttercream starts to look broken and separated, counter-intuitively, it probably just needs a bit of heat. Keep beating it on high speed while warming the bowl with a hair dryer, or scoop out about a third of the frosting, warm it in the microwave or on the hob, then slowly blend it back in to restore the glossy emulsion. (On the flip side, if the frosting is looking smooth but runny, it probably needs to cool off – whisk the frosting in a bowl set over an ice bath to firm it up.) Slather the frosting on the cake and serve. Store any leftovers airtight at room temperature. Recipe from Food52 Genius Desserts: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Bake by Kristen Miglore (Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House £25)
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| IS attack kills 12 US-backed fighters in east Syria: monitor Posted: 04 Nov 2018 06:43 AM PST  The Islamic State group killed 12 US-backed fighters in a surprise attack Sunday from the jihadists' holdout in eastern Syria on the Iraqi border, a Britain-based monitor said. Twelve fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed and 20 wounded in a suicide car bombing and subsequent clashes in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. An SDF spokesman, however, denied any members of his Kurdish-led alliance had been killed.
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| Warner: Trump may "undermine and get rid" of Mueller probe after midterms Posted: 04 Nov 2018 09:44 AM PST  Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, spoke Sunday with "Face the Nation."
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| Facebook Tamped Down on Hoax Sites, But Polarization Thrives Posted: 04 Nov 2018 01:00 PM PST  YourNewsWire is still publishing. In the case of YourNewsWire, at least, Facebook has delivered on its promises in time for the U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday. "In many ways, they're an ideal test example in at least the limited scope of what Facebook said they wanted to do -- to see blatantly false news debunked, and reduce its reach,'' said Alexios Mantzarlis, who leads the International Fact-Checking Network at the Poynter Institute.
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| Trump Tries To Revive Doubt Over Kavanaugh Claims After Little-Known Accuser Recants Posted: 03 Nov 2018 08:50 AM PDT  President Donald Trump on Saturday attempted to cast renewed doubt on sexual
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| Rebel Wilson is blocking critics on Twitter after her 'first plus size rom-com lead' gaffe Posted: 04 Nov 2018 12:11 PM PST  Rebel Wilson caught some heat on Thursday for declaring herself the first plus-sized woman to be the lead in a romantic comedy. (Her new film Isn't It Romantic comes out next Valentine's Day.) She was wrong: Queen Latifah and Mo'Nique, for example, have taken on such roles in the past. I still can't believe that Rebel Wilson doubled down on the lie that she's the first fat actress to star in a rom-com. Like Mo'Nique didn't snag a handsome doctor in Phat Girlz! Like Queen Latifah didn't get Common AND LL Cool J! — Evette Dionne ����♀️ (@freeblackgirl) November 3, 2018 Instead of admitting her gaffe and moving on, though, it appears that Wilson is blocking people who've pointed out her mistake on Twitter. In particular, numerous critics of color — many of whom brought up Queen Latifah and Mo'Nique in their comments — reported being blocked by Wilson over the weekend. (Mo'Nique herself encouraged Wilson to "take a moment and know the history," but as far as we know, she was not blocked.) SEE ALSO: Dear white women: Here's how to step up for women of color Film and television critic ReBecca Theodore-Vachon even gave it a hashtag: #RebelWilsonBlockedMe. (There are plenty of tweets about this that don't use the hashtag as well.) Ha ha! We serving mimosas at the #RebelWilsonBlockedMe meeting this morning? pic.twitter.com/xgXekYNUVD — ReBecca "Rebel Wilson Blocked Me" Theodore-Vachon (@FilmFatale_NYC) November 4, 2018 ::grin:: #RebelWilsonBlockedMe(I didn't even say anything super harsh)Where's the party? pic.twitter.com/piTogG707E — Geek Ghoul Diva �� (@geekgirldiva) November 4, 2018 Wow @RebelWilson blocked me too �� pic.twitter.com/XATu2uNm87 — Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) November 4, 2018 I shared my honest & respectful thoughts on Rebel Wilson's erasure of iconic plus sized women before her. Her blocking a fellow plus woman in this industry is a reminder that she doesn't want to acknowledge her plus peers but rather ignore them entirely. pic.twitter.com/icUvY9QrCR — Nabela (@Nabela) November 3, 2018 Wilson did tweet in a reply to playwright Claire Willett Saturday that she will address what happened "while promoting [ Isn't it Romantic] in the proper forums." "It was never my intention to erase anyone else's achievements and I adore you and Queen Latifah so so much x," she also tweeted in response to Mo'Nique's criticism. "I support all plus size ladies and everything positive we are doing together." So maybe an apology is forthcoming, but this is still a disturbing sequence of events for a few reasons. First, it is clear from a quick Google search that Wilson's original statement wasn't true — did she do any research at all? Next, Wilson's choice to block people of color for criticizing her also makes her seem not only unwilling to listen, but unwilling to listen to voices different from her own. "We gotta lift each other up," Willett wrote on Twitter, "and that means fairly crediting the women who got there first." WATCH: Black Women Animate is trying to change the media industry for black women
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| Migrants' hopes dashed in Mexico when bus offer reversed Posted: 02 Nov 2018 09:02 PM PDT  DONAJI, Mexico (AP) — After three grueling weeks walking along highways and hitching rides, thousands of Central American migrants traveling in a caravan through southern Mexico were told Friday that they would soon be leapfrogging ahead to the nation's capital in buses only to have their hopes dashed almost immediately when the offer was pulled.
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| Israel raids office of Palestinian Jerusalem governor Posted: 04 Nov 2018 07:51 AM PST  Israeli forces raided the offices of the Palestinian governor of Jerusalem on Sunday, authorities said, after reports of an investigation related to a land sale. Israeli authorities confirmed the raid in Al-Ram, just on the other side of Israel's separation wall from Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, but provided few details. It came after Israel's detention of the Palestinian governor, Adnan Gheith, on October 20.
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| This Old Soviet Wreck Is China's First Aircraft Carrier. What if Beijing Never Purchased It? Posted: 04 Nov 2018 06:43 AM PST  What if China had never acquired Varyag? What would China's blue water navy look like today?
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| Assad, Russia envoy discuss Syria constitutional committee Posted: 04 Nov 2018 09:23 AM PST  Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and an envoy from ally Russia on Sunday discussed "removing the obstacles" to forming a constitutional committee demanded by international powers to help end the seven-year war, the presidency said. The leaders of Russia, rebel backer Turkey, Germany, and France last week in Istanbul called for the committee to be formed by the end of the year to discuss a post-war constitution, "paving the way for free and fair elections" in Syria. On Sunday, Assad held talks with Russian envoy Alexander Lavrentiev on "forming the committee to discuss the current constitution", the presidency said in a statement.
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| Trump touts economy, Georgia sees racist calls as U.S. vote nears Posted: 03 Nov 2018 01:45 PM PDT  In the latest injection of racial tensions into the campaigns, a wave of automated calls using racist and anti-Semitic language went out to voters in Georgia, where a Democratic candidate is vying to become the first black female governor in the United States. Opinion polls and nonpartisan forecasters generally show Democrats with a strong chance of taking the 23 additional seats they would need for a majority in the House of Representatives, which they could use to launch investigations into Trump's administration and block his legislative agenda. Republicans are favored to retain control of the Senate, whose powers include confirming Trump's nominations to lifetime seats on the Supreme Court.
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| Marcador de la undécima jornada de la Premier League Posted: 03 Nov 2018 02:41 PM PDT ![Marcador de la undécima jornada de la Premier League]( "Marcador de la undécima jornada de la Premier League") (actualiza con el Wolverhampton - Tottenham)
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| Vietnam could give tech companies one year to obey cyberlaw Posted: 03 Nov 2018 02:42 AM PDT  Vietnam may give internet companies like Google and Facebook one year to comply with a controversial cybersecurity law, according to a draft decree that outlines how the draconian bill could be implemented. The cybersecurity bill, which observers say mimic China's repressive web control tools, is set to come into effect in January despite drawing sharp criticism from the US, the EU and internet freedom advocates. According to a draft decree on how the law may be implemented, published by the Ministry of Public Security Friday, companies offering internet services in Vietnam may be given 12 months to comply.
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