Month: October 2016

The (usually perky) way the breasts are in the 20’s are different from the way they are in the 30s, the 50s and so on, they undergo natural changes as well from the way they feel, look and general appearance where most times whoever is concerned should be able to tell (it’s good to understand the whole body).
The breast fluctuate a lot in the 20s getting bigger and smaller in between body changes especially around pregnancy and breastfeeding. The breast increase and decrease here at will according to weight gain or loss. Around this time, the nipples get darker as well.
 
Hormonal changes occurs around this time where lumps may become noticeable but not all may be a threat but it’s safe to get them checked. The 30s also see the breasts with stretch marks from the fluctuation of the 20s as well as from pregnancy(ies).
The breast are a little dense in the 40s and it’s because the breast tissue is replaced with fat at the age where there’s a likely onset of menopause.
Around this time, the breast drop/sag as they won’t be as perky as they used to be.
 
 

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s … Deliveryman!
A mystery crime-fighting superhero is striking fear into the hearts of Japan’s criminals after bravely foiling an ‘armed’ hold-up by a pair of yakuza gangsters, local media reported.
When the mobsters waved a replica gun in the face of the 38-year-old courier in an attempt to steal a luxury watch, they got more than they bargained for.
The intrepid deliveryman — whose true identity, in the best superhero tradition, remains unknown — snatched the fake weapon and forcibly took back the package, according to Tokyo police.
Suspects Yusuke Kodama, 32, and Hidekazu Oba, 35, both gang members from the Matsuba-kai crime syndicate, were arrested on suspicion of attempted extortion, the Metropolitan Police Department said.
Oba had ordered an $8,000 Rolex wristwatch but when the beefy deliveryman arrived and handed it over the two mobsters staged a fight to avoid paying up, telling the courier: “You had better get out of here.”
Rather then flee in terror, however, the deliveryman overpowered them before calling the police.
A police spokesperson confirmed that Oba had confessed to the crime, saying: “The deliveryman was too tough, we were no match for him.”
Japan’s yakuza, who are notorious for their strict codes of conduct, are facing increased resistance from not only police but ordinary citizens, who are under pressure to shun the mobs or be named and shamed.
In recent years, laws have been passed to put the squeeze on firms who do business with the yakuza, famous for removing their own pinkies as a sacrifice for offending their bosses.
Tougher anti-gang laws and years of economic stagnation have seen the number of active mobsters drop to around 53,000, from 80,000 in 2009, according to the national police agency.
The yakuza, who are not outlawed but regulated and monitored, depend largely on drug trafficking, loan sharking and protection rackets for their income, although they also run legitimate enterprises.

Lebanese lawmakers ended a two-year political vacuum Monday by electing as president ex-army chief Michel Aoun, who promised to protect the country from spillover from the war in neighbouring Syria.
The deeply divided parliament took four rounds of voting to elect 81-year-old Aoun, whose supporters flooded streets across the country waving his party’s orange flag.
“Lebanon is still treading through a minefield, but it has been spared the fires burning across the region,” Aoun said after taking the presidential oath.
“It remains a priority to prevent any sparks from reaching Lebanon,” the Maronite Christian leader said.
Syria’s five-year war has been a major fault line for Lebanon’s political class, and analysts have warned Aoun’s election will not be a “magic wand” to end divisions.
The next challenge will be forming a government and that is expected to take months of wrangling.
Presidential media office chief Rafik Chlala said consultations to name a prime minister would begin Wednesday morning, with an announcement expected at noon Thursday.
It remains unclear if Lebanon’s perpetually ineffectual political class can solve key problems, including a trash crisis that has seen rubbish pile up in open dumps.
The parliament that elected Aoun has twice extended its own mandate, avoiding elections because of disagreements over a new electoral law.
Aoun had long eyed the presidency, and his candidacy was staunchly backed by Iran-backed Shiite movement Hezbollah, his ally since a surprise rapprochement in 2006.
But the key to clinching the post was the shock support of two of his key rivals: Christian Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Sunni former premier Saad Hariri.
Hariri, expected to be appointed premier, said his endorsement was necessary to “protect Lebanon, protect the (political) system, protect the state and protect the Lebanese people”.
Hariri and Geagea both oppose Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, while Hezbollah supports Damascus and has dispatched fighters to bolster its forces.
That feud left MPs repeatedly unable to reach consensus on the presidency, a post reserved for a Maronite Christian.
After taking the oath, Aoun rode in a convoy of black cars to the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, where his wife and three daughters were waiting to congratulate him.
In Beirut’s majority-Christian neighbourhood of Ashrafiyeh, revellers lit fireworks and fired volleys of celebratory gunfire.
The atmosphere in Jdeideh outside Beirut was one of untrammelled joy, with thousands honking car horns and popping bottles of champagne.
“I’m so happy. After 25 years our dream has come true,” said 33-year-old accountant Giselle Tammam.
Assad congratulated Aoun on being elected, hoping it would contribute to “reinforcing stability” in Lebanon, Syria’s state news agency SANA said.
Syria’s Al-Watan daily, which is close to the government, said the election represents “the triumph of the resistance, of Syria and its allies”.
President Francois Hollande spoke of France’s “determination” to continue supporting Lebanon “to preserve its integrity and security,” his office said.
The United States called for the rapid formation of a government in Beirut.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini both saw in the election a step towards Lebanese politicians closing ranks in the national interest.
Iran “congratulated” the Lebanese people, calling the election “an important step to entrench democracy and ensure Lebanon’s stability”.
President Hassan Rouhani called Aoun to congratulate him, Iran’s official IRNA news agency said.
In addition to pledges of economic growth and security, Aoun said Lebanon must work to ensure Syrian refugees “can return quickly” home.
More than a million Syrian refugees have flooded Lebanon, which is already home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, many in squalid camps.
Lebanon’s 127 lawmakers took nearly two hours to elect Aoun, who failed to secure a two-thirds majority in the first round.
A second round was repeated twice, after 128 ballots — exceeding the number of MPs — were cast.
At times the session threatened to descend into farce, with votes cast for pop star Myriam Klink and “Zorba the Greek”.
MPs, including from speaker Nabih Berri’s bloc, cast blank ballots in protest at the horsetrading that secured Aoun’s candidacy.
“A blank ballot is an objection to the way things were done,” MP Ali Khreis said.
Aoun secured 83 votes, far more than the 50-percent-plus-one majority needed for a second-round victory.
Christian politician Sleiman Franjieh — Assad’s childhood friend and Berri’s favoured candidate — said he “respected the result”.
“We’ll see what is proposed to us for the government,” he tweeted, hinting at a potential ministerial post as a consolation prize.

Opener Kraigg Brathwaite needed five runs for a fighting hundred as he foiled Pakistan on the second day of the third and final Test in Sharjah on Monday.
Brathwaite anchored the West Indian innings with a 206-ball 95 not out after they were struggling at 38-3, putting two solid stands of 83 each with Roston Chase (50) for the fifth wicket and with Shane Dowrich (47) for the sixth.
At close skipper Jason Holder was unbeaten on six as West Indies were 244-6, just 37 runs away from Pakistan’s first innings total of 281.
This gives West Indies a good position for the first time in the series against Pakistan who are targeting a 3-0 clean sweep after winning the first Test by 56 runs in Dubai and the second by 133 runs in Abu Dhabi.
Brathwaite batted solidly as he negotiated Pakistan’s spin-cum-pace attack with full confidence, having so far hit ten boundaries.
“There will be no butterflies,” said the 23-year-old from Barbados.
“For me helping the West Indies to a good lead will be more important and I will do my best to achieve that.”
West Indies lost Jermaine Blackwood for 23 soon after lunch and it looked like they would once again concede a lead but Brathwaite held the innings well with Chase and Dowrich.
Chase hit leg-spinner Yasir Shah for a straight six to bring up his fifty but was caught in the slip off Mohammad Amir in the next over.
His 89-ball stay was spiced with six fours and a six.
Dowrich then complimented Brathwaite as they took West Indies to 234, with Dowrich benefitting from a catch off Wahab Riaz’s no ball on 15 and a let-off by Younis Khan on 21.
Dowrich was finally bowled by Riaz from an inside edge.
West Indies were struggling when they lost the key wicket of Darren Bravo for 11 before lunch.
Bravo miscued a drive off a flighted ball from spinner Zulfiqar Babar and was smartly snapped up by a diving Amir at extra cover, his first catch in 20 Tests.
Amir had no catch in his first 19 Tests — most matches without a catch for a player from the start of his career.
West Indies got off to a disastrous start, with opener Leon Johnson trapped leg-before by Riaz in the fourth over for just one.
Bravo, who made a fighting hundred in the first Test, was left frustrated by short-pitched deliveries from Riaz and Amir before getting out.
Marlon Samuels also did not last long, trapped leg-before by leg-spinner Yasir Shah without scoring to leave West Indies struggling on 38-3.
Earlier, leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo finished with figures of 4-77 while fast bowlers Shannon Gabriel took 3-67 and Alzarri Joseph 2-57 to dismiss Pakistan for 281.
Pakistan added 26 to their overnight score before losing Amir for 20 and Shah for 12, both to Joseph. The pair added 32 for the ninth wicket.

Pauline’s kind gesture saw her being recognized by the National Council of People Living with Disabilities. Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore also had a date with her.
Also Read:
Nairobi Women Representative, Rachel Shebesh, last Saturday October 29 copied what Pauline did and she got trolled terribly.
Shebesh sat down on a pavement while addressing the physically challenged man before she pushed him on his wheelchair.
 
Shebesh captioned photos she posted on Facebook.
Her action was interpreted as a disgusting PR and Kenyans mercilessly trolled her; below are some of the comments posted:
hiyo PR ni Kali…i got to admit it
Try something else without seeking publicity
pwaahahaaaaa
PR nayo
For the cameras and votes.
is this after the safaricom lady pictures went viral ama yako ulichukua before just asking
too little too late….
PR
Now everyone wants to copy the Safaricom Lady, there is nothing that I Will never believe that it is genuine more so when it comes from a politician. A lot of under dealings
Kenyans we getting fooled again,where were this politicians 4years ago now that elections are here you gonna see them even feeding on pigs food nkt
All this in the name of elections.
nonsense
We will see mo of this now that elections are around the corner
How I love your PR…SO YOU KNOW ELECTIONS ARE JUST AROUND THE CORNER…
Kweli uchaguzi imekaribia..
where have you been for four years????
Pure PR. Good deeds speak for themselves
dont do it for the cameras but do it for the heart
copying safaricom lady.. hurudi kamwe.
Copy pasting
Kwan hisi Ziku zote ulikua wapi???
why did she has to remove the guy from his wheelchair?
Hehe! Where were you,all this time?
Bullshit when elections are near they become pretenders but when the have the seat they become thieves …nkt
Rachel shebesh….are you a comedian or something, I mean why would you do that???? Its comedy. That’s cheap publicity…
nilijua after pauline wengine watatafuta kiki
 

Pope Francis and Lutheran leaders expressed deep regret Monday over the conflict between Catholics and Protestants during Christianity’s nearly 500-year-old schism, calling for unity on the pontiff’s landmark visit to Sweden.
The Argentine pope visited the southern cities of Malmo and nearby Lund for an oecumenical service marking the start of a year of celebrations for the Reformation — the dramatic 1517 event that created a Protestant branch of Christianity which rebelled against papal rule.
“We too must look with love and honesty at our past, recognising error and seeking forgiveness,” Francis told a mass held in a church in Lund attended by Catholic and Lutheran leaders.
The event marks 50 years of reconciliatory dialogue between the Catholic Church and Lutheranism — a Protestant branch that has traditionally been among the most fervent opponents to the Vatican’s authority and teachings.
The popes of the 16th century spent huge amounts of time and energy trying to stifle or reverse the reforming wave launched by the German monk Martin Luther when he nailed his demands — the “95 theses” — to the door of a church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517.
“With gratitude we acknowledge that the Reformation helped give greater centrality to sacred Scripture in the Church?s life,” Francis said.
“Nor can we be resigned to the division and distance that our separation has created between us,” the leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics said.
Ahead of the visit, the pope reiterated the importance he attaches to Christian unity at a time when both believers and belief itself are under pressure in many parts of the world.
“We have the opportunity to mend a critical moment of our history by moving beyond the controversies and disagreements that have often prevented us from understanding one another,” Francis said.
In a long sermon, Pastor Martin Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, which organised the commemoration, also found that this “historic moment” was an opportunity for Catholics and Lutherans “to distance themselves from a past tarnished by conflict and division”.
“We acknowledge that there is much more that unites us than that which separates us. We are branches of the same vine,” he said.
But Bishop Munib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan pointed to a persistent doctrinal disagreement related the Eucharist, a rite considered sacred, as Catholics cannot take communion in a Protestant church.
Younan told AFP he would like to see Catholics and Lutherans authorised to take communion together — something currently ruled out by Vatican doctrine.
“Many members of our communities yearn to receive the Eucharist at one table, as the concrete expression of full unity,” Helga Haugland Byfuglien, Bishop of the Church of Norway said.
“This is the goal of our ecumenical endeavours,which we wish to advance,” she added.
“We are praying that one day we may celebrate the holy communion together, this is very important for me,” Younan said, while stressing the importance of accentuating common ground.
“In this time when extremism is devouring all the world globally, we are giving an example to the whole world that this is a common commemoration despite our disagreement in the past, a sign of unity and a sign that religion is no more a problem.”
Monday’s programme also included an event in a stadium in Malmo that was addressed by the bishop of the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo. It ended with a mass prayer for peace in the war-torn country.
Antoine Audo, bishop of the Chaldean Catholic church in besieged Aleppo, warned the Christian community in the Syrian city is on the verge of extinction.
“The majority of hospitals are destroyed and 80 percent of doctors have left Aleppo. In Syria three million children do not attend school,” he said. “Our sadness is seeing a rich and beautiful Christianity about to disappear.”
Francis described Aleppo as “a city brought to its knees by war, a place where even the most fundamental rights are treated with contempt and trampled underfoot.”
“Each day the news tells us about the unspeakable suffering caused by the Syrian conflict, which has now lasted more than five years,” the pope said.
The charity wings of the two churches also sealed a cooperation accord to help migrants around the world.
“I would like to thank all those governments that assist refugees, displaced persons and asylum-seekers,” Francis said in Sweden, which has welcomed the highest amount of refugees per capita in Europe.
“For everything done to help these persons in need of protection is a great gesture of solidarity and a recognition of their dignity,” he said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has said students studying in universities outside Kenya should benefit from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funds.
Speaking to more than 500 Kenyan students in Khartoum during his official visit to Sudan, Uhuru said the policy of the Government is that every Kenyan student in an accredited university qualifies for HELB loans and that is why even those in private universities are offered loans.
Students get between Sh35, 000 and Sh60, 000 for undergraduate students.
The money is meant for tuition, books, stationery, accommodation in campus, and daily subsistence. Graduate students get Sh200, 000 while those pursuing doctorates get Sh450, 000.
Responding to requests by students who asked for government support, Uhuru said the Government will dispatch officials from the ministry of education and HELB to take records of the many Kenyan students studying in Sudan who may need help.
 
The president also urged Kenyan students in foreign universities to take advantage of the policy that allows them to transfer their credits to Kenyan universities during their final year of studies.
The policy allows all students in accredited universities to transfer their credits to a Kenyan university where they can finish their studies if they so wish.
Uhuru last year rejected a Bill that forced the HELB Board to give all government-sponsored students loans.
The president termed the bill expensive and discriminatory by trying to make it mandatory for HELB to cater for “regular students” whereas all university students from poor backgrounds require access to the loans to pay their fees.

The Deputy President has come to the defence of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s relative over the Sh5bn Ministry of Health scandal.
Ruto said every Kenyan from any part of the country regardless of family relations and ties had a right to do business in the country.
“No one should be condemned that because you are somebody’s relative you cannot do legitimate business in Kenya. We shall not accept mob justice,” Ruto said at the St Joseph’s Kabyemit Catholic Church in Eldoret on Sunday.
Cord leader Raila Odinga last week linked President Uhuru Kenyatta’s family to the scandal saying one of the companies that benefitted from the transactions is associated with the President’s extended family members.
The company, Sundales International Limited, owned by Kathleen Kihanya, a cousin of President Uhuru Kenyatta, was awarded a Sh41 million tender to supply emergency nutritional commodities to the Health Ministry.
However, according to the Tender Ineligibility Policy, during the President’s term, his/her family members and their immediate families are not eligible to apply for pre-qualification for any government contracts.
However, Kihanya fought off accusations of any irregular dealings with the Ministry of Health and maintained that all transactions were above board.
 
He blamed Raila for exciting Kenyans regarding the matter for political mileage as the country heads into the general elections barely 10 months away.
Ruto defended the government saying that the government had nothing to hide and that the audit done at the ministry was to ensure no public funds had been stolen.
“We cannot accept the government to be blamed on the basis of a draft audit report. We should tackle corruption on the basis of facts and truth not mere speculation that has not been verified by anyone,” Ruto said.
On Sunday who conducted the audit may have ‘double counted’ certain budgetary expenses, resulting to questionable figures.
He has now called for an independent auditor to be appointed in order to re-look at Sh5bn said to have been misappropriated at Afya House.

The IMB said in its latest quarterly report that 42 instances of piracy on the high seas were recorded in July-September.
“With just 42 attacks worldwide this quarter, maritime piracy is at its lowest since 1996,” it said.
The bureau’s Kuala Lumpur-based Piracy Reporting Centre recorded 141 incidents from January to September, a 25 percent drop from the same period in 2015.
“The IMB is encouraged by the efforts of national and international authorities and the shipping industry to keep piracy down,” it said.
But it cautioned that pirate attacks involving hostage-taking, particularly near Nigeria, remained a problem and advised shipmasters and response agencies to stay vigilant.
World piracy has been on the decline since 2012 after international naval patrols were launched off East Africa in response to a spate of violent assaults by mostly Somali-based pirates.
There have been no attacks off Somalia so far this year, according to the IMB.
As the Somali hotspot went cold, the IMB’s attention shifted to Indonesia, which saw piracy rise sharply in 2015, typically involving low-level strikes on vessels transporting fuel.
But the IMB report said attacks in Indonesian waters had “plummeted” to 33 in the first nine months of this year from 86 in the same period in 2015.
“Patrols by the Indonesian Marine Police appear to be working,” the report said.
The 33 Indonesia attacks in January-September remained the highest number in the world, followed by 31 off Nigeria.

As a woman, worrying how you look is part of your daily life. And finding the best cinchers that can help you out in getting those defined curves you’ve been clamoring for since the beginning is currently at the top of the list. Attaining that hourglass-shaped figure is no small joke.
Waist trainers have been used for centuries from the moment they were invented back in Crete (where having a significantly small waist was a sign of athletic prowess). Throughout history there have been famous waist trainers—often royalty, or, like today, celebrity “royalty” i.e Amber Rose and Kim Kardashian. In the past, having a small waist meant that you were a lady of leisure, or a gentleman with enough free time to look after your figure (men also have waist trainers).
 
With a waist trainer, you can reduce one’s natural waist size over time buy consistent wearing it. Latex waist trainers have been designed to smooth your silhouette into a set of amazing curves. That said however, some bodies take a while before you notice the difference due to muscles. Containing strong spiral steel bones, the trainers can be worn underneath your everyday clothing, creating a stunning figure whilst remaining hidden.
The latex waist trainers though, are being sold at ridiculous expensive prices! But ladies, there’s good news, there is a site that sells 100% latex waist trainers at Ksh 3,000!!!!
 If you’ve tried buying a trainer, you know latex trainers retail at more than Ksh 5,000/=. So getting a place that is half the price, that is a gold mine!
Check this site out
Need to order? Call/ WhatsApp 0722374393

The Philippines and China have reached a “friendly” understanding allowing Filipinos to fish around a disputed shoal seized by Beijing in 2012, a senior aide to President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday.
Duterte negotiated the understanding during his recent meeting in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, said Manila’s national security adviser Hermogenes Esperon.
As a result, he said, in recent days Filipino fishermen have been able to fish unmolested at Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea while Chinese government vessels have patrolled nearby.
“There is no agreement… but our president believes that our fishermen will no longer be harassed because he already brought up this matter” during his visit, Esperon told the media.
“The coastguard of China is there, but their navy is gone. And now, our fishermen are no longer being accosted, no longer being forced out, so we can say things are now friendly,” he added.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying acknowledged some changes.
“The Chinese side has continuously exercised normal jurisdiction over Huangyan Island, and the situation has not changed,” she said in Beijing, referring to the shoal by its Chinese name.
“Relations between China and the Philippines have comprehensively improved, and under such a situation, China has already made some proper arrangements with regards to issues of concern to President Duterte.”
China took control of Scarborough Shoal, 230 kilometres (140 miles) west of the main Philippine island of Luzon, in 2012. It had been driving away Filipino fishermen from the rich fishing ground, sometimes using water cannon.
But last weekend Filipino fishermen were once more able to fish at the shoal with the Chinese ships not interfering.
Esperon stressed that neither country dropped its claim to the shoal, with China insisting on its “historical rights”.
China claims most of the South China Sea despite partial counter-claims by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Esperon said Duterte’s position was that the Philippines also had “historical rights,” and that it was also bolstered by an international tribunal ruling in July that there was no basis for China’s claims to most of the South China Sea.
He said the two leaders decided to sidestep the issue to repair frayed ties.
“There is no talk on territorial rights, there is no talk on assertion of rights, but they respect our traditional rights,” Esperon added.
Duterte’s predecessor Benigno Aquino had brought the case before the international tribunal which resulted in the resounding victory over China.
Aquino’s strong opposition to China’s territorial claims strained ties with Beijing.
However Duterte, who was elected in May, has said he will not press the territorial issue and instead seek more aid and investment from China.
“There is no resolution, so why allow yourselves to be in that confrontational position when you can talk about economic relations, trade relations?” said Esperon.
“It is win-win for both but this is not to say that we have dropped our claim.”

Australia’s five-time Olympic medal winner Alicia Coutts has retired from swimming after competing at her third Olympic Games in Rio, Swimming Australia said on Monday.
Coutts, 29, also an eight-time Commonwealth Games champion, said she was proud of what she had achieved in the sport.
“I am really happy. I did the best I could in Rio,” she said.
“From a little girl who had a dream to be an elite swimmer, to my final race in Rio I wouldn’t change a thing about my career and I am so proud of everything my team and I managed to achieve over the years.”
At her second Olympics in London 2012, Coutts joined greats Shane Gould and Ian Thorpe as one of only three Aussie swimmers to win five medals at a single Games.
That added to eight World Championship, six Pan Pacific and nine Commonwealth Games medals — including eight gold and a silver — for a total of 28 international medals.
Coutts was dubbed the “Delhi-Golden Girl” after winning five gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

In keeping up with last week’s trilogy, we still aren’t done with another installation of the tribal uniqueness series that we’ve been rolling out.
We saw what makes the Kikuyu stand out. And the Luo. And we almost delved into the Kalenjin but we didn’t really wade that deep.
Now, The Nairobi residents are like a community of their own. A tribe on their own. A special class of people on their own.
Nairobians have a culture and tendency that is not quite like any other tribe’s or city’s.
Nairobians can be snooty, snobbish, aloof, pretentious, haughty , arrogant and condescending.
Our village relatives – and friends – find us unbearable and sometimes annoying.
We don’t visit home often. And when we do, we’re a pain in the ass. And also, can be sort of mean and even stingy.
Our parents think we’ve changed. And we get rapped and blasted all the time for our mannerism. And also, why don’t we want to go to Church anymore!??
We’re Nairobians. And faced with all the manner of unending challenges that this city of sin has to offer ; city council, matatu madness, insecurity, maddening traffic gridlocks, spiraling food prices, mean bosses and meagre salaries, you can’t blame us for being the douchebags you always think we are.
We live as we want. We’ve got our own special city culture that’s fast and hasty and impatient . We pick up trends fast and catch on the latest fads quick. We’ve adapted to the city’s fast nature and have aligned ourselves with the cruelties and speed of the town. We move fast. Talk fast and act fast. We don’t trust easily. And don’t warm up to strangers that fast. We’re a little complicated. We’re Nairobians.
 
We speak as we wish. We’ve accommodated all facets of literature and speech in our talks. We’re Sheng buffs and also, we tend to want to always throw in a few English words in our speech. We speak fast. And speak loudly. It’s a noisy city anyway and if you’re not keen, you might now hear what we’re saying.
We drink like Irish sailors. We party hard. All week. Monday to Monday. We fill up clubs like ants in a sugar field. We drink ourselves silly all weekend. We out drink the sloppiest drunk down the alley. Nothing comes better us and the tipple. We’re under a spell. A beer spell. And considering what a rough time this rancorous town can offer, Monday to Monday, drinking seems to be the only viable solace.
 
Don’t be fooled by the smiles we may put up and the cherry selfie we post on the ‘gram. We can be a very snobbish lot. Very aloof and very unwelcoming. This city doesn’t teach us anything better. It’s a cold city. A mean city and a rough one. We can’t be all friendly and easy and chatty with anyone. We tend to want to keep to ourselves alot. And once you’ve been baptized by the waters of this town, you become a sick, snobbish twat too.
We dress like we’re homeless. Or like we’re in the Milan Fashion week. Or like we’re auditioning for a role on Our styles are funky and chic and wild and outrageous. Our girls walk around looking like Grace Jones. And our men will be strutting around dressed like Rupaul. It’s an eclectic mix. We’re fashion stars.
We snap everything and post everything. We take snaps of our food and our beds and our cars and our drinks and our friends and our church interiors. We can’t stop taking photos and selfies and posting them onto the Internet. We’re terrible addicts. We’re always on the ‘net. Always refreshing the timeline and always distributing likes and shares and retweets all day. We’re the Data Bundle gang. We live and swear by the Internet.
 
We eat like chicken. And also eat chicken. We’re not very much into healthy meals. We gobble up anything we can. From any street corner and alley. We pump hundreds of kilos of chicken and sloppy french fries down our bellies every month. We devour all manner of meat and gather up at petty, Makuti By Pass joints to clear away kilos upon kilos of poorly-prepared mbuzi choma. We eat anything as we sit behind our desks in our dreary offices. We’re lucky we ain’t dead yet.
We ain’t the most polite people you’ll ever meet. We swear like ruffians and talk like touts. We can be a little rough on the edges. And we may be a little too eager to start a fight and square off with anyone anytime and anywhere. We ain’t very polite and don’t really have alot of ‘sorry’ and excuse me and that you on our speeches. We didn’t really learn nothing from Mama. Our city is too rough to be kind.
 
We’re go-geters. End of story. We don’t sit around waiting for goodies. We haul ass ad move bread. We want to make it and want it bad. We push hard to get to the to the top and are unwilling to let anything stop us from achieving that success we yearn for. We might  sound a little prudish and unfriendly in our quest for success but we’re just made that way. We kinda want it all and want it bad. Probably thats why we don’t visit the village that often. Were out here tryna make ends meet. Getting at the top is all that matters to us anytime. All the time.
Let’s be frank here ; we sleep around. Alot. And not just sleep around…But sleep with anyone and anything we can lay our hands on. Here, men will easily and very comfortably go to bed with their fellow men. And girls love to kick it under the sheets with their fellow gilrls. in hand. We’re the Homosexual City. Sleeping around happens very easily here. It’s a busy town anyway..And also, a town with so much to offer and so many people to get it from. Between our drugs and our drunkeness and our lust, our sex life can’t be very stable. It just can’t.

The reading for pollutants in the atmosphere breached the 1,000 microgram mark for the first time in one neighbourhood in south Delhi — 10 times the World Health Organization’s recommended level.
It came on the same day that another United Nations body reported how some 300 million children live with outdoor air so polluted it can cause serious physical damage, with the situation most acute in South Asia.
Gufran Beig, chief scientist at India’s state-run System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), said needles on monitors in the RK Puram neighbourhood had flickered briefly past the 1,000 level late on Sunday night at the finale of a frenzy of fireworks.
The levels had subsided through the night but were still running at more than 500 in several districts across the capital by afternoon.
“Almost 60-70 percent of the smoke came from the firecrackers,” said Beig, who said the situation had been widely expected given that Diwali is always one of the worst periods for pollution.
“It was already predicted that the levels would increase several notches,” he told AFP.
In a health advisory on its website, SAFAR said there was a “serious risk” of respiratory problems for people living in Delhi and all outdoor physical activity should be avoided.
People with heart or lung disease, older adults and children should stay indoors and keep activity levels low, it added.
Levels of pollution traditionally surge over Diwali but the situation this year had been worsened by high levels of moisture in the air and the burning of agricultural residue by farmers on the outskirts of the capital or in neighbouring states, Beig added.
New Delhi’s air quality has steadily worsened over the years, a consequence of rapid urbanisation that brings pollution from diesel engines, coal-fired power plants and industrial emissions.
It also suffers from atmospheric dust, burning of crop stubble in farms around the city and pollution from open fires lit by the urban poor to keep warm in winter or to cook food.
Delhi authorities have responded with a series of measures, including driving restrictions earlier this year that took around a million cars off the roads for two weeks and a ban on old trucks from entering the city.
Last week the city government also announced plans to install air purifiers and a mist-making device at major intersections to curb choking pollution.
But expert Anumita Roychowdhury said more needs to be done to tackle Delhi’s post-Diwali air, which is already saturated with the onset of winter as cooler temperatures trap pollutants.
“Diwali’s effect will stay for a while now thanks to all the firecrackers’ chemicals and heavy metals released into the already-aggravated air,” Roychowdhury, from the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, told AFP.
“There’s been a decline in the use of firecrackers and there have been measures to cut (smog) down, but the change is not big enough. We need to do a lot more,” she said, suggesting a strict licensing policy on sales and a gradual phase-out of firecrackers.
A new study by the UN’s children’s fund UNICEF reported Monday that nearly one in seven children around the globe breathes outdoor air at least six times dirtier than international guidelines.
“Pollutants don’t only harm children’s developing lungs. They can actually cross the blood-brain barrier and permanently damage their developing brains and, thus, their futures,” said Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF.
“No society can afford to ignore air pollution.”

Indian police gunned down eight Islamists on Monday after they escaped from a high-security jail by slitting the throat of a prison guard and scaling the walls with knotted bedsheets.
Members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) had staged the breakout from the prison in Bhopal by attacking and murdering the warder with sharpened prison-issue steel kitchen plates in the middle of celebrations to mark the Hindu festival of Diwali.
Police said they were later cornered on the outskirts of the city in the central state of Madhya Pradesh but resisted efforts to take them back into custody and were subsequently shot dead.
“We asked them to surrender but they tried to break the police cordon,” Yogesh Choudhary, Bhopal’s inspector general of police, told AFP.
“They were unarmed but attempted to attack the police with stones. We had to shoot them.”
Choudhary, however, later told reporters that “they had weapons and cross-firing took place”.
TV images showed crude pistols lying next to the bodies, arousing scepticism in some quarters about the police version of events.
“Security forces have the right to use proportionate force to save lives, but it appears in this case that the suspects may not have been armed,” Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director for Human Rights Watch, told AFP, adding the incident should be investigated.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which rules nationally and in Madhya Pradesh state where the prison is, slammed the opposition Congress party, saying it would “meet its own political Waterloo” after a spokesman questioned whether the incident was a staged confrontation.
After using their sheets to climb and descend several walls inside the prison, the inmates made their way on foot to a village 15 kilometres (10 miles) south of the city centre, despite a massive search.
Police said local residents had alerted them about suspicious movements in the village, leading to the raid late morning.
The home ministry had earlier issued a nationwide red alert over the jailbreak, while police had released mugshots of the prisoners.
Police insist there was no breakdown in security at the prison, a supposedly maximum security facility which has a round-the-clock electronic surveillance system.
However four officials, including the prison’s superintendent, have been suspended and an inquiry launched into the escape.
Madhya Pradesh’s Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters the breakout posed a threat to national security and authorities swiftly mobilised all law enforcement arms to track the fugitives.
He said the National Investigation Agency had been asked to open an inquiry into the breakout and anyone found to have acted incompetently would be prosecuted.
Most of the inmates had been awaiting trial for “terror-related activities, sedition and robbery” for more than three years, although two of them had only been detained since February.
The breakout happened on the night of Diwali, a major Hindu festival when revellers traditionally set off fireworks which can shroud the night skies.
Seven SIMI members escaped from a jail in the town of Khandwa in 2013 and were arrested last year after being on the run for over two years, later prompting the government to house all the arrested SIMI members in the high-security facility in Bhopal.
Indian authorities have accused SIMI of carrying out several deadly bombings and of having links with Pakistan-based militant groups.
Police blamed the group for the serial bombing of Mumbai commuter trains in 2006 which killed 187 people, as well as bomb blasts in New Delhi.
The government banned the group in 2001 in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington.
Hundreds of its members have been arrested in the past decade, but the group says it merely propagates an “Islamic way of life” for Indian Muslims.

Last week, RMS decided to trim its workforce by over 100 employees; the reason behind the retrenchment was decreasing revenues which also affected other media houses following digital migration.
 
Kenyans were utterly shocked to learn that Kirigo Ng’arua and Terryanne Chebet were among RMS employees that were laid off.
Terryanne has since spoken about her dismissal from Citizen TV on her Facebook post. She said she was looking forward to better things ahead.
Terryanne Chebet posted.
The former Citizen TV anchor is now concentrating on her skin care company dubbed ‘Keyara Organics’. She also owns a branding and social media agency called ‘Scarlet Digital’.
Also Read:
 

Senior paceman Dale Steyn said on Monday his fellow quick Kagiso Rabada would bring a lot of “heat” to the South African bowling attack in this week’s Test series-opener against Australia in Perth.
Steyn, the veteran of the Proteas’ new-ball attack with 416 wickets in 84 Tests, gave the Australian batsmen a sense of what they will be facing in the first of three Tests starting at the WACA Ground on Thursday.
“A lot of heat,” the 33-year-old told reporters when asked what to expect from Rabada, who is 21.
“He?s really quick and he?s got a great head on his shoulders. He?s always looking to learn and his record (29 wickets at 24.44 from eight Tests) is pretty amazing for such a young guy, especially a bowler.
“Because you only see bowlers tend to come into their stripes at maybe 26 or 27, especially fast bowlers once they?ve learned their trade.”
Only current Test bowler Vernon Philander (30.98) and former all-rounder Mike Procter (36.93) can claim a better strike rate among South African bowlers than Rabada?s current strike of a wicket every 38.93 deliveries.
Steyn also had no hesitation in declaring his likely new-ball partner was much faster than he is.
“It doesn?t feel like he?s been in this team for a long time but it?s actually almost three years now so he?s learned a lot and he?s an incredible talent,” Steyn said.
“I (attribute much of that) to the culture and the environment in this team, I think he?s got about 10 years of experience in three years, which is really great.
“I?m excited to see what he can do because in Adelaide the other night he was bowling really quick and he was landing the ball exactly where he wanted to. The guy?s got a lot of pace.”

For a Chicago Cubs team playing in its first World Series since 1945 and seeking its first title since 1908, overcoming another few unlikely historic baseball feats is no big deal.
Chicago edged Cleveland 3-2 on Sunday at iconic Wrigley Field to pull within 3-2 in Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven final and force a sixth game Tuesday in Cleveland.
The Cubs have America’s record-longest sports title drought, with Cleveland not having taken the trophy since 1948 for baseball’s second-longest championship futility streak.
Only six of 46 teams in World Series history have recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win the title, none since the 1985 Kansas city Royals. Ten teams have tried and failed to make the comeback since.
“Why not us?” asks Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, whose solo home run launched a three-run fourth inning for the Cubs on their way to their first World Series win at Wrigley Field since 1945.
“That’s kind of our (motto). I feel like we play our best with our backs against the wall. We went out and took care of business. Hopefully we can get out there and win game six because you never know what can happen in a game seven.”
The Cubs feature a World Series record six players under age 25. They scoff at the notion of the team being “cursed” and don’t pile past failures onto their shoulders even though the long-suffering and devoted fan base carries the suffering of decades as a badge of honor.
“We’re all about writing our own history,” Bryant said. “This team is a special one. There 17 times this year we lost a game and went on to win three in a row. So why can’t we do that now?”
Cubs shortstop Addison Russell sees it much the same way, taking on the challenge of lifting the Cubs above the naysayers and doom predictors whose mantra has been “Wait until next year.”
“We’re making history. Why stop?” Russell said. “This is entertaining to us. It’s fun and we live for this. We see a lot of challenges ahead of us. We embrace them. It’s what we have been talking about since spring training.”
Game five winning pitcher Jon Lester said he would be ready in manager Joe Maddon calls him for some relief work in game six Tuesday or a possible seventh game Wednesday despite tossing six innings to take the decision on Sunday.
“Whatever we’ve got to do,” Lester said. “This time of year, there are no barriers. There’s no nothing. It’s all hands on deck.
“I love our bullpen. I love what these guys have done. But if there is a matchup in there that Joe likes, I’ll be ready.”
Maddon is hopeful Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta, the 2015 Cy Young Award winner as top pitcher, will pitch well and the Cubs can reach a winner-take-all seventh game.
“I’ve never been looking forward to wanting to play the seventh game of a World Series in my life,” he said.
“I would like to believe we’re going to gain some momentum from this game going back there.”

In the wake of mass street protests in Seoul and other cities to demand Park’s resignation, Choi Soon-Sil — who has denied any criminal wrongdoing — submitted to prosecutors in Seoul a day after flying back from Germany.
Park and Choi have been close friends for 40 years. The precise nature of that friendship lies at the heart of the current scandal which has triggered a media frenzy in South Korea, with lurid reports of religious cults and shamanistic rituals.
The media has portrayed the 60-year-old Choi as a Rasputin-like figure, who wielded an unhealthy influence over Park and interfered in government policy despite holding no official post and having no security clearance.
Suggestions that Choi vetted presidential speeches and was given access to classified documents has exposed Park to public anger and ridicule and, with just over a year left in office, pushed her approval ratings off a cliff.
-‘Deadly sin’-
Televised footage of Choi’s arrival at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office showed a distraught-looking Choi — dressed head to toe in black with her face covered with a hat and scarf — as she stepped out of a black sedan to face hundreds of reporters.
Choi did not say a word as she sobbed and shoved her way into the building past reporters and protesters with placards that read “Arrest Choi Soon-Sil! Impeach Park Geun-Hye!”
“Please forgive me. I have committed a deadly sin,” Choi was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency after stepping inside the building.
A task force, led by the head of the Seoul prosecutors’ office, has been set up to investigate the leak of presidential documents and whether Choi meddled in state affairs.
Choi has also been accused of using her relationship with the president to coerce corporate donations to two non-profit foundations, and then siphoning off funds for her personal use.
“We hope that the various allegations can be thoroughly verified,” presidential spokesman Jung Youn-Kuk told reporters.
Choi is the daughter of a late shadowy religious leader and one-time Park mentor called Choi Tae-Min, who was married six times, had multiple pseudonyms and set up his own cult-like group known as the Church of Eternal Life.
Choi Tae-Min befriended a traumatised Park after the 1974 assassination of her mother, whom he said had appeared to him in a dream, asking him to help her daughter.
He became a long-time mentor to Park, who subsequently formed a close bond with Choi Soon-Sil that endured after Choi Tae-Min’s death in 1994.
Choi Soon-Sil’s ex-husband served as a top aide to Park until her presidential election victory in 2012.
A public apology by Park, in which she acknowledged seeking limited advice from Choi, did little to assuage public outrage and she has struggled to draw a political line under the crisis.
Park carried out a partial reshuffle of her key aides on Sunday and is considering calls from her ruling Saenuri Party to form a neutral multi-party cabinet to restore public trust and national unity.
In a message sent to reporters, one of her senior advisers who stepped down in the reshuffle described Park as “lonely and sad”.
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea has stopped short of demanding the president’s resignation, but is refusing to begin cross-party talks until the investigation into Choi has run its course.
Analysts say the scandal could paralyse Park’s administration, underlining her lame-duck status before presidential elections in December next year.
And all this at a time of slowing economic growth, rising unemployment and elevated military tensions with North Korea.
In his Monday briefing, presidential spokesman Jung stressed that the ongoing political uncertainty would not be allowed to open even the “slightest crack” in the country’s defence readiness.

Cases of people’s birthday suit photos being leaked on WhatsApp have been on the rise; and MCAs, especially from Western Kenya, are the most affected.
Just early March this year, Kimilili MCA, David Barasa, had his birthday suit photos leaked on social media. He claimed a woman he had intimate relationship with was the one who was distributing the photos after she was promised to be paid by his political opponents.
 
Fast forward to October 28, nominated MCA, Rhoda Omufumu, accidentally posted her nude photo on the now dissolved United Democratic Front WhatsApp group.
 
The raunchy photo which was posted on WhatsApp at 9.12 pm on Friday, shows the MCA in her birthday suit with an unidentified man.
“Mtu alichezea simu yake (someone messed around with her phone) … she is a church leader who cannot post such things on social media. She is married and she has grown up children.” The Star quoted a source close to the disgraced MCA.
Hon. Omufumu has reportedly gone ‘missing’ after she accidentally posted her raunchy photo on WhatsApp.
 
 
 

Turkish police on Monday detained the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Cumhuriyet — a thorn in the side of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — as Ankara widens a crackdown on opposition media.
The Cumhuriyet, which had published revelations embarrassing for the government, said at least a dozen journalists and executives were detained in early morning raids.
The detentions came after authorities fired more than 10,000 civil servants at the weekend and closed 15 pro-Kurdish and other media outlets, the latest purge since July’s failed military coup aimed at ousting Erdogan.
Cumhuriyet’s editor Murat Sabuncu was detained and police were hunting for executive board chairman Akin Atalay, the official news agency Anadolu said.
The Istanbul prosecutor said an investigation had been launched into allegations the secular daily’s output was “legitimising” the attempted putsch.
The newspaper said it would “fight until the end for democracy and freedom” in a statement on its website headlined: “We will not surrender”.
“Cumhuriyet is a newspaper and being a journalist is not a crime,” it added. “Believing in its journalism, it continues and will continue its publication.”
Cumhuriyet said an arrest warrant was also issued for former editor-in-chief Can Dundar, who was sentenced to jail in May for allegedly revealing state secrets in a high-profile case that triggered alarm about the state of press freedom in Turkey.
The newspaper had accused the government of seeking to illicitly deliver arms bound for Islamist rebels in Syria. Erdogan had warned Dundar he would “pay a heavy price”.
Dundar is now believed to be in Germany after he was freed earlier this year pending appeal.
He described Monday’s actions as the “storming of the last fortress” on Twitter as Turkish media said his house in Istanbul was also raided.
The International Press Institute said an arrest warrant was issued for one of the rights group’s board members, Kadri Gursel, who also wrote for Cumhuriyet.
.In a move heavily criticised by Western leaders and rights groups, tens of thousands of civil servants, soldiers, police, judges and teachers have been suspended, fired or detained since the attempted coup, blamed on exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen.
The Istanbul prosecutor said in a statement quoted by media that Cumhuriyet and its owner the Cumhuriyet Foundation were being investigated over whether they committed crimes on behalf of Gulen’s movement or the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
But the prosecutor said those investigated were not accused of being members of either group.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside Cumhuriyet’s Istanbul offices to protest the detentions, waving copies of Monday’s paper which bore the headline: “Again, a coup against opposition”.
“A free media cannot be silenced,” they chanted.
Monday’s edition of the paper criticised the government’s weekend announcement of the closure of several media outlets as well as the suspension of university rector elections.
Erdogan is set to pick the winners from a pool of candidates selected by the nation’s education authority.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus insisted the investigation was not targeting journalists but probing the Foundation.
Council of Europe chief Thorbjorn Jagland criticised the raids, saying it was “highly questionable if the raid against Cumhuriyet can be justified as a proportionate measure, even under the state of emergency”.
Reacting to the raids, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert and the French foreign ministry urged the protection of press freedom.
European Parliament president Martin Schulz said the “ongoing massive purge” seemed to be “motivated by political considerations, rather than legal and security rationale”.
Cumhuriyet cartoonist Musa Kart meanwhile described his detention as “ridiculous”.
“Until today, I have drawn hundreds and thousands of caricatures of the (Gulen movement) and PKK… What is happening is ridiculous. You will not scare anyone with this repression.”
While Turkey insists it is acting within the rule of law, organisations defending free speech have accused the government of violating human rights.

With jingling poppy seeds hidden in his pouch, Helmand farmer Nematullah sidled out of Taliban territory to explain how he struck gold ?- two additional opium harvests a year, which could further roil Afghanistan’s conflict.
Afghanistan has all the trappings of a narco-state, with opium production ?- the lifeblood of the Taliban insurgency -? from the traditional spring harvest alone edging towards a record high.
Farmers such as Nematullah are now reaping two more crops ?- in midsummer and autumn -? in parts of the volatile south, with experts citing genetically modified seeds and bold farming experiments as irrigation techniques improve and eradication efforts collapse.
“We used to have one annual poppy harvest ?- we now have three,” said Nematullah, a young farmer from the insurgency-wracked district of Kajaki in northern Helmand.
“Helmand has a lot of war, a lot of land, and very little employment except fighting for the Taliban. Poppies are a blessing -? it now gives us work throughout the year.”
Nematullah snuck out of his village, a Taliban hotbed, to meet AFP in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah, bringing with him a handful of ivory-coloured poppy seeds that he claimed grow well in the two new seasons.
Sourced from local traders, those seeds shorten the growth cycle of the plant to around 70 days compared to the usual five to six months, with largely the same quality of opium resin, multiple farmers told AFP.
“Some parts of Helmand plant twice a year, because of the favourable climate, but three poppy seasons would be thanks to genetically modified seeds,” said Jelena Bjelica, a researcher with the Afghanistan Analysts Network.
“The seeds are believed to originate in China where legal opium cultivation is undertaken for pharmaceutical use,” Bjelica told AFP, adding it was unclear who was behind their distribution in Afghanistan.
Pink-and-white poppy blooms, which in some areas grow within eyeshot of government buildings, help bankroll the Taliban’s nationwide insurgency and present an existential threat to the Afghan state.
The Taliban, widely likened to a drug cartel, earn up to $1.2 billion annually from taxing poppy farmers alone, Western officials say.
The new crops could further swell insurgent coffers, underscoring the stunning failure of the multi-billion-dollar US war on drugs in Afghanistan as it pursued a war on terror there.
It could enhance not just their financial muscle to recruit more fighters but also sway corrupt Afghan forces.
“Imagine if our soldiers get 10,000 Pakistani rupees to defend government checkpoints, our enemy has the capacity to pay 50,000 rupees to abandon the same checkpoints,” a senior Helmand security official told AFP, referring to the new crops.
“It’s a very worrying situation.”
Opium remains an economic linchpin for many farmers, who apparently have a strong preference for cultivation in areas under Taliban control. The UN says the insurgents act “more like ‘godfathers’ than a ‘government in waiting'”.
The new poppy crops are reported in northern Helmand districts known for cooler summers such as Nawzad, Musa Qala, Sangin and Kajaki ?- almost entirely under Taliban control -? as well as some restive areas of neighbouring Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces.
“Diversification and experimentation by farmers includes the move to three opium poppy crops per year,” said David Mansfield, author of “A State Built on Sand: How opium undermined Afghanistan”.
“Cheaper technology is a dominating factor that has allowed these advancements.”
The second and third crops require almost daily irrigation, and farmers were benefiting with improved access to water pumps and even solar-powered tube wells, Mansfield said.
But the yields are limited as the crop matures quickly. Mansfield estimates that cultivation of the second crop is likely to be under 10,000 hectares, while not much is known about the third.
Farmers interviewed by AFP voiced confidence about greater yields over the coming years, with many emboldened to experiment further following a cessation of the government’s costly eradication drive.
Euphoria erupted some months ago in Kandahar’s mountainous Shah Wali Kot district when a farmer practising crop rotation sought to plant onions after the spring poppy harvest.
With irrigation, over time the soil, still rich in residual opium seeds, gave rise to poppy stalks.
“It caused a sensation,” said Mohammad Qasim, an opium farmer from Helmand’s Marjah district.
“People talked about it as if they had unearthed a gold mine: ‘Poppy grows in the off season too’.”
As word spread, farmers made similar experiments in Marjah, but those failed in the swelteringly hot climate. But that only prompted Qasim’s family to lease opium farms in Shah Wali Kot and Kajaki for off-season farming.
As multiple harvests become the new normal, he said, poppy farmers are less inclined to do what was deemed necessary when the eradication risk was high: dedicating a part of their farmlands to less profitable cash crops for the sake of food security.
“Opium is money,” Qasim said. “Why should we waste time growing wheat?”

Georgia’s ruling party has scored a landslide win in disputed parliamentary polls, official results showed on Monday, as the main opposition cried fraud.
“Georgian Dream won in all but two of 50 single-mandate constituencies” where a second round of voting was held on Sunday, central election commission spokeswoman Ketevan Dangadze told AFP.
“Independent candidates have won in two constituencies,” she added.
In the first round, held on October 8, Georgian Dream won just under 49 percent of the vote in a proportional ballot, while the opposition United National Movement (UNM) came second with just over 27 percent.
For the first time in Georgia’s post-Soviet history, the first round also saw a small anti-Western party, the Alliance of Patriots, clearing the five-percent threshold needed to enter parliament.
Georgia’s Western allies are watching closely to see if the strategically located nation — praised as a rare beacon of democracy in the former Soviet region — can cement gains after its first transfer of power at the ballot box four years ago.
According to the results, Georgian Dream will now take 115 seats, UNM 27 seats, and Alliance of Patriots six seats in the 150-seat unicameral legislature.
The super-majority allows Georgian Dream to form a new cabinet and pass constitutional amendments. Not all has been smooth sailing for Georgian Dream, however.
After both the first round ballot and Sunday’s runoffs, opposition parties cried foul, accusing the government of massive vote rigging — a claim flatly rejected by the authorities.
“The elections were held amid all-out falsifications,” Georgia’s exiled former president and UNM’s founder Mikheil Saakashvili was quoted as saying by Georgian television.
But Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili hailed “free, fair, and transparent elections” as “yet another step forward for Georgian democracy.”
“I congratulate everyone on the successful passing of this important democratic test,” he said in a statement.
International observers from the OSCE, the European Parliament, and the Council of Europe said in a joint statement that the vote had been “competitive and administered in a manner that respected the rights of candidates and voters” — while also noting isolated irregularities and flaws in Georgia’s electoral legislation.
Politics in Georgia is dominated by Saakashvili and billionaire ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili who leads Georgian Dream from behind the scenes.
Tensions rose ahead of the vote in the republic — which fought a brief war with Russia in 2008 and is seeking EU and NATO membership — after several violent attacks against candidates.
Earlier this month, a UNM lawmaker’s car exploded in central Tbilisi, injuring four passers-by and prompting the party to accuse the authorities of “creating a climate of hatred in which opposition politicians are being attacked.”
A few days earlier, two men were injured when unknown assailants fired shots during a campaign rally of an independent candidate in the central city of Gori.
The poisonous atmosphere around the polarised vote follows years of what the opposition views as political witch-hunts and retribution against Saakashvili and his team.
Saakashvili, a charismatic reformer who took over in the Rose Revolution of 2003, was forced out of the country in 2013 after prosecutors issued an arrest warrant alleging abuse of power.
He is now a regional governor in pro-Western Ukraine.
The crackdown on his allies has prompted concerns among Georgia’s Western allies that democracy in the country could backslide.

Slim, powerful, and with an unwavering gaze, 19-year-old Razia Banu jabs at the face of her opponent — her own mother, a widow inspired to join her daughter in smashing taboos in Pakistan’s sultry port city Karachi.
Mother and daughter are both dressed in loose athletic gear, with scarfs wrapped around their heads instead of helmets, as they punch one another in an exhibition bout at the Pak Shaheen Boxing Club in Lyari, Karachi’s most restive — and sporty — neighbourhood.
Banu was drawn into the ring last year, after watching the grand funeral of legendary boxer Mohammad Ali.
He was “my favourite personality”, she told AFP after “losing” to her mother, pointing with a smile to a small framed poster hung on a pillar that read Ali’s famous “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”.
She went to her mother to seek permission to join the club, started just last year, the first for women in all of Pakistan.
Haleema Abdul Aziz worried about her daughter’s request. There were financial considerations — her husband had passed away five years back, and she was struggling to afford even school fees for her children.
And then there was Pakistani society. Deeply conservative and Muslim, it has seen women fight for their rights for decades — and, sometimes, in a country where acid attacks and honour killings are still commonplace, their lives.
The violence weighs on Aziz.
“I believe that all the males become beasts when a woman goes out alone from her home,” the 35-year-old single mother says.
“But I did not disappoint her (Banu) because I wanted her to be successful in her life.”
Her husband was a good man who encouraged his daughter to take part in sports, she says. Yet Banu echoes her mother’s wariness when it comes to men and violence.
“Males think that they are strong so they could beat females and force them to be confined to the home,” she says.
“But I think that when you have strength you should provide safety to people instead of beating them.”
Her passion — and penchant for practising at home — soon inspired her mother also, who followed her daughter in joining the club.
Banu leaves home early every morning for her job as a receptionist in a school, before going on to college, where she studies commerce.
She reaches the boxing club in the evenings. There she drills: punching bags and balloons, skipping rope, then practise bouts with some of the other 20 young girls who make up the club.
The club is sparse, its facilities comprising the ring, three punching bags, and a boxing balloon in a corner. Money, says the club’s founder and coach Yunus Qanbarani, is tight: few of the boxers can afford to even pay their fees.
“We don’t even have a proper changing room for the girls to put their kit on. We don’t even have the right rubber mounting on the ring ropes,” he says.
Then there is the social backlash. “At one point, some people plotted to attack the club to force me to close it down. But I am determined to carry on,” he says.
Qanbarani, who has been a boxing coach for 40 years, has sent his own two daughters and other women from his family to be trained at the club.
“I want our daughters to go to the international level and hoist the Pakistani flag in foreign lands,” he vows.
Pakistan’s boxing community agrees, with former boxers who competed internationally visiting the club regularly to offer encouragement.
“We don’t have a dearth of talent in Pakistan,” says Sher Mohammad, who took a bronze medal at the 1993 Asian Games. “We improvise and use alternatives to make up for our lack of resources.”
The support inspires Aziz and Banu to new heights.
Aziz plans to become good enough to coach girls herself one day.
Banu aims even higher.
“I wish to box in the Olympics — and not just participate, but to win the gold,” she says, her eyes sparkling.
“I will keep striving for my goals. The hard work does not go waste.”

With dreams of their first World Series crown since 1908 on the brink of ending, the Chicago Cubs avoided elimination Sunday with a 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
Chicago’s Kris Bryant homered to spark a three-run outburst in the fourth inning and Cuban closing relief ace Aroldis Chapman pitched a career-high 2 2/3 innings to obtain the final outs as the Cubs pulled within 3-2 in Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven championship series.
“It didn’t feel like an elimination game,” Bryant said. “We had a big inning and Chapman coming in for eight outs, that was big.”
The showdown continues Tuesday in Cleveland, where a seventh game would be played Wednesday if needed.
The Cubs, in their first World Series since 1945, are trying to snap America’s longest sports title drought while the Indians own baseball’s second-longest futility streak, last taking the trophy in 1948.
Of 46 teams that trailed 3-1 in the World Series, only six have rallied to win the title, the most recent being the 1985 Kansas City Royals. And the Cubs have never won any playoff series after trailing 3-1.
Chapman, obtained last July in a trade with the New York Yankees, struck out four while allowing only one hit, an infield single.
“Chappy came in and did something he has never done before,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “When you have a guy that can pitch that many significant outs in the latter part of the game, it’s pretty cool.”
The Indians had the tying run in scoring position in the seventh and eighth innings but Chapman ended the threat both times and retired the last three batters in order in the ninth, striking out Jose Ramirez for the final out.
“Joe talked to me this afternoon before the game,” Chapman said. “He asked if I could be ready possibly to come into the seventh inning and I told him, ‘I’m ready. I’m ready to go.’ And whatever he needs me to do or how long he needs me to pitch for, I’m ready for it.”
Indians manager Terry Francona was impressed by what he saw from Chapman, known for his 100-mph fastballs.
“Chapman, that was a big ask and he answered. That was impressive,” Francona said. “Sometimes you’ve got to respect what the other team can do, too. Sometimes they just beat you.”
Chicago’s Jake Arrieta, an 18-game winner, will take the mound against Cleveland’s Josh Tomlin in a matchup of right-handed pitchers on Tuesday.
“He’s a bull out there,” Bryant said of Arrieta, the reigning Cy Young Award winner as top pitcher. “Hopefully he can win out there and then anything can happen in a game seven.”
The Cubs, who led the major leagues with 103 wins this season, saw the white flag with blue W symbolic of victory raised over 102-year-old Wrigley Field for the first time since 1945.
Ramirez smashed a two-out solo homer off Cubs left-hander Jon Lester, a two-time World Series champion who took the victory, for a 1-0 Indians lead in the second inning.
The Cubs, who had gone 25 innings without scoring, equalized in the fourth inning when Bryant, who was batting 1-for-15 in the Series, smacked a solo homer over the rightfield wall off Indians starter and loser Trevor Bauer.
Anthony Rizzo then doubled to right, took third base on Ben Zobrist’s single and scored on Addison Russell’s infield single.
“High anxiety. Every pitch gets bigger and bigger,” Rizzo said. “It gets more intense as the game goes on.”
Javier Baez, who had been 1-for-14 in the Series with runners on base, tapped another infield single down the third-base line to load the bases and David Ross, 0-for-7 with runners on base in the playoffs, followed with a sacrifice fly to score Zobrist.
The Indians pulled within the final margin in the sixth inning when Rajai Davis singled, stole second base, took third on an error and scored on Francisco Lindor’s single.
Davis became, at 36, the oldest player to ever steal three bases in a World Series game. The game’s seven total stolen bases matched a World Series record set in 1907.

Gultan Kisanak and Firat Anli, jointly elected in 2014, were Sunday accused of “belonging to an armed terrorist organisation” and providing “logistical support to an armed terrorist organisation”, according to a statement by the court in Diyarbakir.
Their detention comes five days after they were taken into police custody Tuesday evening, which sparked an outbreak of violence in the southeast.
Ayla Akat Ata, a former lawmaker from the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), which Kisanak and Anli belong to, was also detained Sunday night.
The moves come at a tense time, with multiple arrests and suspensions of local officials accused of links to the PKK and the closure of a dozen pro-Kurdish media ordered by official decree Saturday night.
Three policemen were seriously wounded Sunday night in a bomb attack against the offices of the ruling AKP party in Mardin province, which neighbours Diyarbakir, according to the Dogan news agency, which attributed the attack to the PKK.
Several hundred people held demonstrations Sunday to demand the release of the mayors in Diyarbakir and in Istanbul, where police used tear gas to disperse the protesters, an AFP journalist said.
Speaking to about 500 people gathered near the town hall in Diyarbakir on Sunday, Selahattin Demirtas, co-chairman of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), accused the authorities of holding the mayors “hostage”.
“All those who do not say ‘Erdogan is our sultan’ are declared ‘terrorists’,” said Demirtas, calling on “democratic forces” to mobilise.
“We will not retreat, whatever the cost,” he added.
Erdogan accuses the HDP and BDP of being linked to the PKK, which is listed as a terror group by Ankara, the European Union and the United States.
In September, 24 mayors in the southeast suspected of links to the PKK were suspended and replaced with officials close to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) co-founded by Erdogan, a move that triggered protests in several cities in the region.
In the same month, the government suspended 11,500 teachers suspected of links to the PKK.
Southeast Turkey has seen near daily attacks and clashes between the PKK and security forces since a fragile ceasefire collapsed in July last year.
More than 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK took up arms in 1984 with the aim of creating an independent Kurdish state.
The group has since scaled back its demands to greater autonomy for the Kurdish minority, who make up a fifth of the population and form a majority in the southeast.
A soldier was killed on Sunday by members of the PKK, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

It is a stance that provokes outrage from many Muslims, but Muhsin Hendricks has built up a small, loyal congregation by helping worshippers try to reconcile their sexuality and their religion.
“There is this love-hate relationship from the Muslim community,” Hendricks told AFP.
“Sometimes they feel that I should be thrown from the highest mountain, and sometimes they appreciate that there is one imam who is willing to work with people who they are unwilling to work with.”
Cape Town has an active gay scene, and is often described as the “gay capital” of Africa, with a district of gay-friendly restaurants, bars, guesthouses and clubs near the city centre.
In 1996 Hendricks founded “The Inner Circle”, a support group for Muslims living in Cape Town who felt rejected due to their sexual orientation, which led to him setting up the mosque five years ago.
In contrast to the emotions that surround the explosive topic of Islam and homosexuality, the mosque offers a calm and open place for gay Muslims to worship together.
“I got divorced at the age of 29 after being married (to a woman) for six years,” Henrdicks, 48, said.
“That was the point where I just felt — no more double life. I needed to be authentic with myself, and part of that process was to come out.
“This is who I am and if that means I am going to be killed because of my authenticity, then that is how I choose to meet God.”
Today the mosque, located at the Inner Circle offices, has about 25 regular worshippers, and even offers a marriage blessing to gay couples.
South Africa’s 1996 constitution was the first in the world to protect homosexuals’ rights, and the country is the only one in Africa that allows same sex marriages.
But many South Africans of all religious groups are less tolerant, and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people are often subject to discrimination and violence.
There are about 300,000 Muslims in Cape Town and most mosque leaders in the city take a clear stand against homosexuality, even encouraging home imprisonment and “corrective treatment”.
“Homosexuality is unacceptable and the punishment will be the fire,” Imam Pandy, leader of a mosque in Mowbray, a busy central district of Cape Town, told AFP.
“How can you be homosexual? It is forbidden. And it is your duty as an imam or as a Muslim to go and speak to them and say ?no, it cannot be’.”
The Inner Circle group has worked for 20 years to support gay Muslims, often struggling to survive against overwhelming opposition from orthodox Islamic leaders.
“The messaging that the Muslim community gets about queer issues comes from a clergy that is completely homophobic,” said Abdul Karriem Matthews, programme manager at the Inner Circle.
For worshippers like Zaid Philander, a local art teacher, the mosque provides a welcome refuge, as well as access to counselling after he endured a harrowing “corrective” ritual conducted by a quack “doctor” in Cape Town.
“There are a lot of lives being destroyed based on sexuality and religion, and that needs to change,” he said. “Here they are the pioneers of this change, and this is a good place to start.
“I choose to be in a place where I can have a healthy relationship with God, and the Inner Circle gives me the freedom to be the person I am.”
At one recent Friday prayers attended by AFP a female visitor from the Middle East gave a sermon to about 30 people citing passages from the Koran to promote an accepting version of Islam.
She asked not to be identified or quoted for fear of hostile reprisals in her native country, where open worship by gay Muslims would be unimaginable.
Hendricks, whose father was also an imam, travels worldwide to spread his message to other gay Muslims that the answer is to stay positive.
“I want to… arrive at a point where we can include queer people,” he said. “I don?t see the Muslim community as the enemy.”

Godolphin stayers Hartnell and Oceanographer head a strong international challenge in the two-mile (3,200-metre) Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday, with just one Australian-bred runner in the field.
Australia’s greatest race has been won six times by overseas-trained horses and the numbers and odds point to a seventh success in the Aus$6.2 million (US$4.7 million) event.
Ten international horses will contest the 155-year-old ‘race that stops a nation’ with Caulfield Cup winner Jameka the only Australian-bred runner.
Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed’s global Godolphin empire is looking to end its near 20-year Melbourne Cup heartbreak with five entries, led by Hartnell and Oceanographer, the first and second favourites in pre-post betting.
The Godolphin stable has been coming to the Flemington racecourse since 1998 and the closest it has come to victory are three runner-up placings — Central Park (1999), Give The Slip (2001) and Crime Scene (2009).
Godolphin has made 21 attempts to win the Melbourne Cup and English trainer Charlie Appleby, who has Oceanographer and Qewy in the Cup, is confident Sheikh Mohammed will finally get his reward on Tuesday.
“It’s a race that every owner would love to win. We want to win it, His Highness wants to win it,” Appleby said. “It’d be a huge feather in anyone’s cap.”
The Michael Bell-trained English front-runner Big Orange, fifth last year, is expected to set a solid pace which will suit the genuine stayers.
“There will be pace on all the way this year. If the Europeans are prominent early, they will not take a ‘pull’ and slow the field down. They will keep galloping on,” said Godolphin’s longest-serving trainer Saeed bin Suroor.
The Irish have strong credentials with Coolmore trainer Aidan O?Brien saddling up Bondi Beach and Willie Mullins preparing Irish St Leger winner Wicklow Brave with Frankie Dettori on board for a crack at the Cup.
O’Brien, whose impressive record of more than 250 Group I wins does not include a Melbourne Cup, is hoping to replicate the trailblazing successes of compatriot trainer Dermot Weld with Vintage Crop (1993) and Media Puzzle (2002).
“He’s in very good form. Aidan’s very happy with him … I’d be surprised if he doesn’t run somewhere about the money,” said Australian owner Lloyd Williams, who has won the Melbourne Cup four times.
Mullins, whose galloper Max Dynamite was beaten by the Michelle Payne-ridden Prince of Penzance in last year’s Cup, has a strong chance with Wicklow Brave.
“If he can overcome his draw, and repeat that work, he?s going to give a great account of himself,” Mullins said. “Winning the Grand National, to me, was top of the pops. This would be right up there with it. Having come so close, you want to win it even more.”
Japan, which won with Delta Blues in 2006, will be represented by nine-year-old gelding Curren Mirotic, trained by Osamu Hirata.
The Melbourne Cup has been won six times by internationally trained horses: 2014 (Protectionist, Germany), 2011 (Dunaden, France), 2010 (Americain, France), 2006 (Delta Blues, Japan), 2002 (Media Puzzle, Ireland), and 1993 (Vintage Crop, Ireland).
Pre-post betting – 9/2 Hartnell, 13/2 Oceanographer, 7/1 Jameka, 17/2 Bondi Beach, 13/1 Big Orange, 14/1 Almandin, 15/1 Heartbreak City, Wicklow Brave, 17/1 Exospheric, 18/1 Almoonqith, 22/1 Qewy, 25/1 Curren Mirotic, 30/1 Grey Lion, Who Shot Thebarman, 34/1 Grand Marshal, Secret Number, 40/1 Our Ivanhowe, 50/1 Gallante, 60/1 Excess Knowledge, 70/1 Assign, Beautiful Romance, 80/1 Sir John Hawkwood, 125/1 Pentathlon, Rose Of Virginia.

Novak Djokovic admits that Andy Murray’s dramatic last-gasp assault on his world number one ranking has rejuvenated a season which was limping into mediocrity for the 12-time major winner.
Djokovic has suffered a worrying dip in form since winning his first French Open and completing the career Grand Slam in June.
He had a shock early loss at Wimbledon followed by a first-round exit at the Olympics and a runners-up spot at the US Open.
But as the 29-year-old prepares to defend the Paris Masters title he has won for the past three years, he insists Murray’s charge for the top has provided the fresh impetus he needs.
“It makes me want to go on court and fight for every point because there is something to win at the end,” Djokovic said, adding he felt “rejuvenated and regenerated”.
If Djokovic reaches next Sunday’s final in Paris he will retain the world number one ranking that he has held for 122 weeks straight, no matter what Murray does in the French capital.
But if he fails to make the championship match, then Murray will become the number one as long as the British star wins the title.
The 29-year-old Briton took a step closer to the top spot on Sunday by winning the Vienna ATP title.
“Andy is playing maybe the best tennis he’s ever played. He definitely deserves to be in the position to finish up the year as number one. Whether or not that’s going to happen, it doesn’t depend only on him. It depends on me as well,” said Djokovic.
“I just try to work on my game these days and I know if I’m on the level I desire, I can challenge anybody or beat anybody.”
Djokovic, who has admitted “private issues” contributed to his summer slump — he has not said what those were — believes Paris is the perfect place to revive his fortunes on his return to the French capital.
“Winning Roland Garros this year gave me a lot of joy but it required a lot of energy. I felt a little exhausted after and I was a little less motivated,” said the Serb, who hasn’t played since a semi-final defeat to Roberto Bautista Agut in the Shanghai Masters in mid-October.
“I took a little time to think about all these things, to find a new motivation and a new ambition. It’s in place. I feel good. I’m happy to come back here to Paris. I hope to have a good week.”
Djokovic has a bye in the first round at the Paris Masters before facing either Nicolas Almagro or Gilles Muller.
In Vienna, Murray swept past Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) to earn his seventh title of the year and ramp up the pressure on Djokovic.
The Olympic and Wimbledon champion took his recent run to 15 straight victories, in which he has picked up the China Open and Shanghai Masters titles as well.
He now has 42 career titles and a second in Vienna, after also winning in 2014.
“I think I played my best tennis of the tournament today,” said Murray.
Like Djokovic, Murray too has a first-round bye in Paris and will face either Fernando Verdasco or Robin Haase in his opening match.

From Colin Kaepernick’s boycott of the US national anthem to LeBron James wearing a t-shirt to protest the death of a black man at the hands of police, US athletes are increasingly ready to make their voices heard after years of relative silence.
Three years ago, Kaepernick was starring at quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. But it was not until last month that the 28-year-old found himself afforded the accolade of landing on the cover of Time magazine.
Kaepernick had triggered a passionate nationwide debate after refusing to stand for “The Star Spangled Banner” during the 49ers’ pre-season games, in order to draw attention to social injustice and the treatment of minorities by law enforcement agencies.
The quarterback’s decision to take to one knee during the anthem was met with howls of outrage in many quarters, with accusations that Kaepernick was guilty of treason and disrespecting US military personnel.
Yet Kaepernick’s protest won a solid core of support from many fellow current and former athletes, not least from Tommie Smith, the sprinter who was sent home in disgrace from the 1968 Olympic Games after his podium “black power” salute along with compatriot John Carlos.
“He is being vilified in how he brings the truth out. I support him because he is bringing the truth out, regardless of how done,” Smith told USA Today.
“We must move and deal with these issues, we just can’t sit back (…) there are a lot of battles to fight because it’s a big long war.”
Kaepernick’s anthem protest has continued throughout the season. Other NFL players have chosen to show their support for the 49ers star, notably the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive end Robert Quinn, who raised a clenched fist salute during the anthem before his team’s game against the New York Giants in London on Sunday.
The scattered protests are part of a trend towards activism that has become increasingly visible in recent years.
In 2012, James led his then Miami Heat teammates in a group pose all with tracksuit hoodies drawn up over their heads.
The image was a protest against the killing of black teenager Trayvon Martin earlier that year by a neighborhood watch volunteer. The unarmed Martin, 17, was wearing a hoodie when he was shot.
Two years later, James was among NBA players who wore t-shirts bearing the message “I can’t breathe” — a reference to the final words of New York man Eric Garner who died after being placed in a chokehold during a confrontation with police.
And now, ahead of the November 8 presidential election, James has voiced his clear support for Democrat Hillary Clinton.
“We are seeing a rebirth of the activist athletes. In the 60s and 70s, we saw some very prominent athletes like Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King and John Carlos speaking up about the social issues of the day, about racial injustice,” said Orin Starn, an anthropologist at Duke University.
“And then for the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, we had the rise of the corporate athlete, who was more interested in endorsements, winning, being the best he could be at the sport, his family, making some charitable donations to an uncontroversial cause,” Starn added.
Michael Jordan, a six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls who helped power the global explosion in popularity of basketball during the 1990s, has long-been regarded as the archetypal corporate athlete.
He infamously once declared “Republicans buy sneakers too” to justify his reluctance to campaign for a Democrat in North Carolina. Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar decried Jordan’s position as “commerce over conscience.”
“Michael Jordan was focused on being the best basketball player ever and on his Nike endorsements,” Starn told AFP.
“He sets the model, the template for a whole generation of athletes, for the 1990s and in the 2000s. Tiger Woods followed exactly the Michael Jordan model in avoiding any kind of touchy social issues, focusing on his golf game, and earning a lot of money on his corporate endorsements.”
By demonstrating his willingness to engage in social issues, James has broken from Jordan’s carefully crafted public image.
In July, James took to the stage at the ESPY Awards along with Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade to protest police brutality, urging athletes to take an active role in tackling injustice.
Despite the public pronouncements, Starn however sees limits to the recent rise in athlete activism, noting that James was not the kind of “political animal as Ali was.”
“For LeBron, sports come first; Ali gave up a heavyweight championship. I am not sure LeBron is ready to leave the NBA as a protest on the killings of young black people,” Starn said.
“It’s terrific that LeBron has been outspoken, (but) activism is not yet the core of who he is.
“The new sport activism marks a dramatic change from 10-20 years ago but it is also really limited – it’s fired by the Black Lives Matter movement … it really remains to be seen whether this new activism will go beyond that particular issue.
“Is Colin Kaepernick going to inspire other athletes to speak up about Syria, poverty in America, the danger of a Trump presidency? That remains an open question.”

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama set his sights firmly on winning a major after destroying a world-class field to become the first Asian to win a World Golf Championship at the weekend.
“Winning today, I feel has got me closer to being able to compete a lot better in the major tournaments,” said the 24-year-old sensation after winning the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai in record-breaking style.
Matsuyama finished on 23 under par to win by seven shots — the biggest margin in the history of the event dubbed “Asia’s Major” — from Henrik Stenson and Daniel Berger, with Rory McIlroy and Bill Haas one shot further back.
“My next goal is, of course, to win a major. I’m going to do all that I can to prepare well for that,” added the quietly spoken Matsuyama.
YE Yang is the only Asian man to have won a major — the 2009 US PGA Championship.
Matsuyama, with two wins a second in his last three starts, rose to a career high sixth in the world in the new rankings released Monday.
His victory in Shanghai means he already leads the 2017 US PGA Tour FedEx Cup points standings.
The WGC-HSBC Champions was his 10th victory and his third on the PGA Tour since turning professional in August 2013, equalling Shigeki Maruyama’s record for the most PGA Tour wins in history by a Japanese player.
“Shigeki Maruyama is a good friend of mine, and he always said that I was going to pass his records,” said Matsuyama.
“But at least I’ve tied him now. That was a great honour, because I have great respect for him.”
Matsuyama made it look ridiculously easy at Sheshan International Golf Club against a field that contained all four current major champions, 10 major champions in all, eight of the world’s top 10 and 40 of the world’s top 50.
None could live with the Japanese whose worst round of the week in testing conditions was a four-under par 68 as he racked up 29 birdies, three shy of the all-time PGA Tour record, and his last 45 holes without recording a bogey.
“Hideki played just unbelievable and it was a pleasure to watch,” said Berger. “You can learn a lot from watching him at work.”
British Open champion and Olympic silver medallist Stenson paid tribute.
“He showed everyone how he could keep his foot on the pedal. It was an impressive runaway win,” said the Swede who has moved above Jordan Spieth to world number four.
Matsuyama has collected a staggering $2,376,000 in prize money in an eight-day whirl after second place in Kuala Lumpur and the Shanghai win, but said Sunday all he wanted to do was ring his parents back home in Japan. “I owe it all to them.”
“They have done so much for me and I’m so grateful for them. They are the ones I want to be able to call first and tell them I won.”
Last week he became the first Japanese player to reach the world’s top 10 since Jumbo Ozaki in April 1998 and has moved ahead of major winners such as Adam Scott, Bubba Watson and Danny Willett in the new rankings released Monday.
His rise comes as little surprise, as Matsuyama has been a prolific winner from an early age when he was known in amateur circles as the “boy with the strong heart”.
He qualified for the US Masters twice by winning two Asian Amateur championships in 2010 and 2011.
At 19, he won the silver medal for leading amateur at the 2011 Masters and was also ranked number one world amateur.
He won only his second event as a pro in 2013 and a year later won his first US PGA Tour title at the Memorial Tournament in a play-off against Kevin Na.
He was handed the trophy by tournament host and golf legend Jack Nicklaus. “It was like a dream come true,” Matsuyama recalled.
Nicklaus was impressed with the then 22-year-old. “This young man’s going to win a lot of tournaments,” he said.

The eight justices have been asked to define copyright limits in an usual case that poses the question: Can the design of a cheerleader’s outfit be protected by rights of authorship?
The dispute is more substantive than it appears, pitting Star Athletica against Varsity Brands, both manufacturers of clothing for young athletes — or in this case cheerleaders.
A beloved feature of the US sporting scene, cheerleaders have been exciting fans at American football, baseball and other games for more than 120 years.
Varsity, the market leader, accuses its smaller rival Star Athletica of copying certain of its cheerleader costumes.
According to federal law, a design can be protected by copyright if it can be distinguished as separate from the article’s function.
In this case, Varsity insists that the chevron pattern on the tops and skirts of its cheerleading outfits is a conceptual creation separate from the uniform’s function. Star Athletica maintains the opposite.
The court’s challenge will be to draw the line between the aesthetic and utilitarian, creating a framework for deciding whether a copyright for design is valid.
The decision could have broad repercussions with significant economic consequences.
The dispute is particularly concerning to devotees of “cosplay,” who dress up in costumes that borrow from characters in Japanese manga comics, video games and other spheres.
Cosplayers often appropriate costume elements that could be legally protected: uniforms, military insignias, logos and so on. They fear the Supreme Court may squelch their creative freedom.
Philip Gust, president of the International Costumers Guild, says costumers tap into design elements that are common to all kinds of genre — sci-fi/fantasy, comics, anime and historical garments.
“Suppose that Desilu Studios tried to protect the original Star Trek costumes by copyrighting every conceivable type and arrangement of sleeve braid and geometric insignia shapes on the three solid colors used for the shirts in the series,” he said.
“Every sci-fi space pilot from Buck Rogers to Battle Star Galactica has similar elements,” he said.
“Varsity is trying to treat arrangements of geometrical shapes that just happen to be the ones on cheerleading costumes as separable works of art, but in fact, they’re no more separable than the elements of the Star Trek shirt,” he said. “Mondrian must be rolling in his grave.”
Sudan Scafidi, founder of the Fashion Law Institute at Fordham University’s law school, disagrees.
For her, the real danger is that the Supreme Court will weaken “the little bit of copyright protection that US law offers to fashion.”
She notes that US copyright law protects fabric patterns but not the three dimensional costumes themselves, and then only original creations.
“There is zero possibility that this case — or any proposed change in US copyright law — would affect access to common elements of a fashion genre or to historical costumes, which are already in the public domain,” she said.
“A costume designer who wants to recreate a medieval knight or a 1920s flapper is and will remain free to do so, no matter what the Supreme Court decides.”
Supreme Court cases generally feature two antagonists, each backed up by their “amicis,” from the Latin phrase for “friends of the court,” who submit briefs arguing for or against one side or another.
Among those submitting briefs in this case is The Royal Manticoran Navy (TRMN), a fan club inspired by David Webber’s Honor Harrington science-fiction series.
Members organize themselves in hierarchical fashion, dressing in a variety of nautical uniforms.
“This issue is larger than just cheerleading uniforms, and can have an impact well beyond the main parties in the case,” said the fan club’s president and chairman Martin Lessem.

Venezuela’s embattled government and opposition leaders agreed Monday to hold talks to defuse a growing political crisis, but mistrust lingers after a recall bid against the president was scuttled.
With the mediation of the Vatican and the UNASUR regional group, the two sides agreed after hours-long talks that ended before dawn on an agenda that includes a new meeting next month.
But opponents of socialist President Nicolas Maduro remained wary while the opposition itself is divided over the strategy, with some groups refusing to sit down with the government.
“Whether this dialogue has or doesn’t have continuity will depend on concrete gestures from the government,” said Jesus Torrealba, executive secretary of the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), the opposition group participating in the talks.
“The opening of this dialogue doesn’t mean by a long shot that the struggle will stop,” Torrealba said.
But Torrealba suggested that the opposition could reconsider holding a planned a protest on Thursday in front of the Miraflores presidential palace.
Seated at a museum on the outskirts of Caracas as the talks began late Sunday, Maduro expressed his “total and absolute commitment to dialogue.”
The US government, which has had difficult relations with Venezuela dating back to the late leftist icon Hugo Chavez, announced that senior diplomat Thomas Shannon was headed to Venezuela on Monday to back the political dialogue.
“His visit will underscore our support for the ongoing dialogue process, and our interest in the wellbeing of the Venezuelan people,” the State Department said.
The MUD demands that the government release jailed opposition leaders and revive the recall referendum process or organize early elections. But the government has denied that the jailed opponents are political prisoners and it warns that it will not let itself be toppled.
The two sides will meet again on November 11 in Caracas.
Before that, each will work separately on issues including respect for the rule of law; justice, human rights and reconciliation; the social and economic crisis; and the thorny election issue.
But one of the main opposition parties, the Popular Will, led by its jailed leader Leopoldo Lopez, and 14 other political groups stayed away from the process, saying the conditions for the talks had not been met.
The talks came after electoral authorities earlier in October halted a drive to hold a recall referendum against Maduro.
The Vatican could play a key role in soothing tensions.
“I don’t believe Maduro, not even on good days. They are devils capable of anything. But I do trust Pope Francis,” said former opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles.
Analysts warn that the government may just be trying to buy more time while the opposition risks further internal divisions.
“We have very little time to generate trust in the dialogue. The magnitude of the crisis is far-reaching,” said political scientist and sociologist Francisco Coello.
“The desperation in the street is very high,” he said, referring to the country’s deep economic crisis.
A recent poll found that more than 75 percent of Venezuelans disapprove of their deeply unpopular president, Chavez’s handpicked successor.
But another analyst, Luis Vicente Leon, said that, if the opposition was not sure it could mobilize people massively into the street, its best bet was to negotiate, “putting its hypothetical force on the table before showing it didn’t have it empirically.”
Maduro’s opponents blame him for an economic crisis that has caused food shortages and riots in the oil-rich country.
The opposition has vowed to use their majority in the legislature to declare that the leftist leader has “abandoned his post” and has threatened to subject him to a political trial.
Maduro has responded by threatening to throw his political enemies in jail, accusing the opposition of trying to overthrow the government through “unconstitutional and undemocratic means.”
Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves, but is suffering a deep economic crisis sparked by falling crude prices.
The International Monetary Fund estimates inflation in Venezuela will hit 475 percent this year.
As recently as Friday, Venezuela’s opposition had sought to tighten the screws on Maduro by launching a general strike.
Opponents staged a massive demonstration last week that drew hundreds of thousands of people.
Clashes at anti-government rallies in 2014 — a key flashpoint in the current crisis — left 43 people dead.

Aidan O’Brien prefers to say his success is down to teamwork but should he break the late Bobby Frankel’s 13-year world record of 25 Group One wins in a season it will be all about him.
The modest 47-year-old Irishman — whose remarkable season includes a historic 1-2-3 in Europe’s most prestigious race, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe — heads to the two-day Breeder’s Cup meeting at Santa Anita, California with 21 Group One wins to his credit.
The quietly spoken former jumps trainer, who trains out of Ballydoyle Stables in Tipperary where the late legend but not related Vincent O’Brien sent out the likes of Nijinsky to conquer the cream of European races — has a previous best of 24 wins at the top level in 2001.
As always he brings a flotilla of top-class talent with Arc heroine Found and the runner-up that day at Chantilly, Highland Reel, the headline acts.
O’Brien has not been hesitant in racing his stable stars with Found running in three Group Ones in the past six weeks, while Highland Reel and Seventh Heaven have also raced in top-level competition, with mixed results.
Found, having won the Breeder’s Cup Turf last year, now has her sights fixed on arguably a far tougher prize, the Classic, where she must run on dirt and also take on American legend California Chrome.
O’Brien believes his filly can inflict the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner’s first defeat of this season.
“Obviously it?s an unknown, she hasn’t raced on the dirt before,” said O’Brien.
“Found is an incredible mare. She handles fast ground and soft ground. She seems very versatile, really.
“We would be over the moon, delighted, it?s a very difficult race to win and we?ll do our best, as always.”
Found running in the Classic — a race O’Brien came close to winning with Giant’s Causeway in 2000 — will allow Highland Reel to take his chance in the Turf.
His win in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July at last saw him win a European Group One to add to his top-level successes in Hong Kong and the United States last year.
A journeyman, he is a horse who enjoys globetrotting and picking up lucrative prizes all over the world.
“He is a great horse — tough, consistent and runs at an unbelievably high level all the time,” said O’Brien.
“He handles all kinds of ground — very happy with fast ground — stays a mile and half well and has plenty of tactical speed.”
Seventh Heaven has the Mares and Fillies Turf race on her dance card and this time O’Brien will be praying jockey Ryan Moore does not find the endless trouble he did at Ascot on Champions Day.
It’s not the first time this season Moore has come under the microscope.
Royal Ascot proved a particularly galling week for him and he will hope if the horses don’t win it is down to them not being good enough.
Moore at least warmed up for the Santa Anita extravaganza with a 90th Group One success in Japan on Sunday.
The Breeder’s Cup is on Friday and Saturday.

AFP Sports looks ahead to Tuesday’s Champions League action as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City host Barcelona with a number of sides, including the Spanish champions, looking to seal a place in the next round (all kick-offs 1945 GMT unless stated):
Mesut Ozil scored his first professional hat-trick in Arsenal’s 6-0 whitewash of Ludogorets last time out. With Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez both grabbing braces at the weekend and Theo Walcott on a purple vein of form, the Gunners should have way too much for the Bulgarian champions. Plucky in their 3-1 home defeat to PSG, Ludogorets took a point at Basel and scored 15 goals in qualifying. But even if Arsenal fail to win here, they will qualify for the next round if PSG win in Basel.
Unai Emery’s PSG are starting to understand what the Spaniard wants tactically and they boast up front the red-hot Edinson Cavani, the Uruguayan striker who scored his 10th league goal of the season in a 1-0 win at Lille on Friday, where Angel Di Maria and Lucas showed promising fluidity around the targetman. A victory in Basel assures PSG of qualification, but Basel are unbeaten at home this season.
Turkish champions Besiktas will go top of Group B if they follow up their 3-2 away win over Italians Napoli with a home win over them at their new stadium, where they have won 13 of their past 14 league fixtures. Euro 2016 star Ricardo Quaresma continues to impress for Besiktas and his free-kick and Cameroon striker Vincent Aboubakar’s brace brought their thrilling victory in Italy. For the visitors Spain’s Jose Callejon is the man to watch after he scored a seventh goal of the season in a 2-1 Italian league loss to Juventus on Saturday. Napoli can book a place in the next round if they win and Benfica draw with Dynamo Kyiv.
After a draw with Besiktas and a thumping at Napoli, Benfica got their campaign back on track with a 2-0 win at Dynamo in the last round of matches. The Portuguese champions and league leaders are on astonishing form, especially at their Stadium of Light stronghold. Knocked out narrowly in the quarter-finals by Bayern Munich last season, Benfica know a home win will place them nicely for another second-round spot. Kyiv got a confidence-boosting league win at the weekend but with a single point so far their Champions League survival depends on a result in Portugal for Serhiy Rebrov’s men — which looks a very tall order.
Lionel Messi scored three as Pep Guardiola’s return to Barcelona went belly up with a 4-0 defeat two weeks ago. On the bright side a six-match winless streak was snapped by a 4-0 league win over West Brom on Saturday as star striker Sergio Aguero scored twice. Barcelona only need a point to qualify for the next round but with Luis Suarez, Neymar and Messi about to be unleashed on the blue half of a Manchester side who have not lost at home for 12 games, this is Tuesday’s must-watch game.
Lose here and Celtic are out, but the Scots — led by their passionate Northern Irish coach Brendan Rodgers — will be just as concerned to avoid anything like the 7-0 whipping they took at Barcelona in their last Champions League away game. The Germans beat Celtic 2-0 away and will be hoping Barcelona beat City in the other Group C game to steal a march on the Mancunians. Andre Schubert’s men have gone four league games without a win. In contrast, Celtic are on a 13-game unbeaten run in Scotland and striker Moussa Dembele has nine league goals so far.
With a mean defence and a fearsome attack featuring French duo Antoine Griezmann and Kevin Gameiro, a draw with Russians Rostov could qualify impressive Atletico Madrid for the next round. A win will certainly do it. A solitary Yannick Carrasco goal gave Atletico a narrow win in Russia two weeks ago and Carrasco scored twice on Saturday as his team breezed past Malaga, Gameiro bagging two as well. Diego Simeone’s men are top of the group with three wins including a celebrated Bayern Munich scalp. Visiting Spain for the first time, Rostov have a single point from a 2-2 draw at PSV so far.
PSV’s Champions League future depends on avoiding defeat here while Bayern can qualify with a win should Rostov lose in Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti’s side beat PSV 4-1 two weeks ago. Robert Lewandowski netted twice in a 3-1 win at Augsburg on Saturday while Dutch winger Arjen Robben was outstanding with two assists and a goal. Bayern are second in Group D, three points behind Atletico, who they host on December 6 having already lost 1-0 in Spain. Eindhoven are bottom of the table with one point from their three games.

Antonio Conte insists it is too soon to label Chelsea as Premier League title contenders after his side maintained their impressive run with a 2-0 victory at Southampton.
Conte’s team have reeled off four successive league wins for the first time in 18 months and they sit just one point behind leaders Manchester City following their no-nonsense display at St Mary’s on Sunday.
Eden Hazard opened the scoring with a clinical strike in the sixth minute and Diego Costa’s sublime curler in the second half wrapped up the points for the Blues.
Chelsea have double the number of points they had at the same stage of a miserable campaign last season and the confident nature of their performance against in-form Southampton suggests Conte is beginning to make his presence felt.
The Chelsea boss wouldn’t be drawn into declaring his side potential champions, although he did admit he is feeling increasingly confident that his rebuilding job is taking shape.
“If you ask me a prediction about the championship, it is very difficult. It is important to pass the first part of the season, then after Christmas you see if you can fight for the title,” the Italian said.
“If you ask me if I’m confident? Yeah, because we are working a lot and I’m seeing a lot of positive things.
“In this moment it is not important to look at the table. We are in a good position but the most important thing is to work very hard.
“Sometimes you can win but you don’t see the right way, but now, game by game, I’m seeing a lot of positive things. I have confidence, but we can improve a lot.”
With Conte’s decision to switch to a three-man defence rewarded by four consecutive clean sheets in the league and Hazard and Costa both back to their best, there is a new-found swagger surging through Chelsea’s squad.
Conte was quick to salute the efforts of Hazard and Costa, but it was their ferocious work ethic that impressed him as much as their creative contributions.
“When you see Eden and Diego working so hard, you are happy. They are strikers and usually it’s a bit difficult to work hard for the team,” he said.
After disappointing defeats against Arsenal and Liverpool raised pointed questions about Conte just weeks into his reign, Chelsea’s revival has brought welcome encouragement to the former Italy coach.
“We played against a strong team who are in a good moment. To come here and win wasn’t easy,” he said.
“I pleased with the work rate, with the ball and without the ball. This is the right way to reach great satisfaction in this championship.
“To stay close to first place gives us great confidence.”
Southampton’s first defeat in six league games stalled their impressive run and boss Claude Puel admitted Hazard, who played under the Frenchman at Lille, had been too hot to handle.
“Chelsea were able to play strong at the back and they could have space to counter-attack. With Eden and Costa it is hard to resist,” he said.
“We tried to find a solution but after the second goal it was difficult to come back.
“I spoke with Eden after the game. He came back, perhaps after last season was difficult for him.
“He is at a very good level.”

About 300 million children live with outdoor air so polluted it can cause serious physical damage, including harming their developing brains, the United Nations said in a study released on Monday.
Nearly one child in seven around the globe breathes outdoor air that is at least six times dirtier than international guidelines, according to the study by the UN Children’s Fund, which called air pollution a leading factor in child mortality.
UNICEF published the study a week before the annual UN climate-change talks, with the upcoming round to be hosted by Morocco on November 7-18.
The agency, which promotes the rights and well-being of children, is pushing for world leaders to take urgent action to reduce air pollution in their countries.
“Air pollution is a major contributing factor in the deaths of around 600,000 children under five every year, and it threatens the lives and futures of millions more every day,” said Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF.
“Pollutants don’t only harm children’s developing lungs. They can actually cross the blood-brain barrier and permanently damage their developing brains and, thus, their futures. No society can afford to ignore air pollution,” Lake said.
UNICEF points to satellite imagery which it says confirms that about two billion children live in areas where outdoor air pollution exceeds minimum air-quality guidelines set by the World Health Organization.
The air is poisoned by vehicle emissions, fossil fuels, dust, burning waste and other airborne pollutants, it said.
South Asia has the largest number of children living in such areas at about 620 million, followed by Africa with 520 million and the East Asia and Pacific region with 450 million.
The study also looked at indoor air pollution, typically caused by burning coal and wood for cooking and heating.
Together, outdoor and indoor air pollution are directly linked to pneumonia and other respiratory diseases that account for almost one death in 10 in children under the age of five, making air pollution a leading danger to children’s health, UNICEF said.
The agency noted that children are more susceptible than adults to indoor and outdoor air pollution because their lungs, brains and immune systems are still developing and their respiratory tracts are more permeable.
The most vulnerable to illnesses caused by air pollution are children living in poverty, who tend to have poorer health and little access to health services.
UNICEF is calling for more robust measures to reduce pollution, increase children’s access to healthcare and to monitor and minimize children’s exposure to polluted air.

Giovani dos Santos’s second-half header was enough to give the Los Angeles Galaxy a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids and the edge in their MLS Cup playoff tie.
The Mexican striker on Sunday made good use of a strong individual effort from Jelle Van Damme with a header that deflected off Rapids defender Axel Sjoberg and looped over Colorado keeper Tim Howard.
The Galaxy grabbed a slim lead in their Western Conference semi-final tie, which will conclude November 6 with a return leg in Colorado.
Los Angeles scored despite Colorado’s disciplined defense.
“It was very difficult,” dos Santos said. “They press every single ball, and they’re very compact. Not for nothing are they the best defensive team in MLS.”
And Rapids coach Pablo Mastroeni was confident his team could overcome a one-goal deficit when they host the Galaxy at altitude in suburban Denver.
“We’re in a really good spot,” Mastroeni said. “I like our chances of getting a goal and going into the waning minutes or overtime at altitude, where teams struggle.”
The Eastern Conference semi-finals got underway with two Canadian teams getting the jump on two from New York.
In Montreal, the Impact seizing a 1-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls thanks to Matteo Mancosu’s stunning half-volley.
The Italian import out-raced two Red Bulls defenders and one-timed a blistering shot just inside the box to the left of keeper Luis Robles in the 61st minute.
Marco Donadel fed Mancosu with a well-timed long ball over the top of the Red Bulls midfield.
Mancosu has six goals in 16 appearances since arriving in July on loan from Serie A outfit Bologna, and has filled the void left by Ivorian star Didier Drogba who hasn’t played in a month as he battles a sore back.
“Scoring the goal was an incredible feeling,” Mancosu said. “We needed to find the breakthrough and there were a couple opportunities in the first half, but we didn’t take them. We started the second half well and then came this beautiful pass from Marco and I was able to hit it well toward goal. When you hit it well, there?s nothing the goalie can do.”
The Impact successfully stifled the Red Bulls’ potent attack.
The visitors’ best chance came in second-half stoppage time when Evan Bush parried a close-range shot by Omer Damari into the path of Bradley Wright-Phillips, who fired wide.
Damari was shown a red card seconds later for a late challenge on Calum Mallace, and won’t be available for the return leg.
In Toronto, goals from Jozy Altidore in the 84th and Tosaint Ricketts in injury time lifted the hosts to a 2-0 victory over New York City FC.
City, who were without Italian star Andrea Pirlo who is nursing a calf injury, created little offense and had to rely on newcomer Eirik Johansen in goal to thwart several strong Toronto opportunities in the first hour.
The night’s action closed in Seattle with the Sounders hosting FC Dallas — winners of the Supporters’ Shield awarded to the team that topped the regular-season table.

Gonzalo Higuain still has feelings for Napoli, Empoli ‘keeper Lukasz Skorupski has none for former club Roma and Inter Milan coach Frank De Boer is growing increasingly frustrated.
Here, AFP sports looks at five things we learned from week 11:
Napoli pulls on Higuain heart strings
It was by far the biggest story of the weekend, but even before hitting the winner for Juventus in a 2-1 defeat of Napoli, Gonzalo Higuain showed he still has a special place in his heart for fans of his former club. It was his first game against Napoli since moving to Juve for an Italian transfer record fee of 90m euros in the summer, but Higuain buried the hatchet with Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri with an emotional hug before kick-off. Although he hit the winner for Juve 19 minutes from time, Higuain refused to celebrate — holding his arms out wide as he was mobbed by his teammates. But that was the easy part. Napoli host Juventus on April 2, and Argentine striker Higuain will face a hostile reception from the notoriously volatile Azzurri supporters.
Skorupski makes Roma pay
Roma’s expectations of a win at Empoli were shared by most watchers of Serie A, but the goalkeeper they allowed to walk away from the club three years ago, Lukasz Skorupski, had other ideas. Skorupski, who made five appearances for Roma in 2013, produced heroics at the Carlo Castellani stadium on his way to stopping Edin Dzeko, Mohamed Salah, Radja Nainggolan and Stephan El Shaarawy with a series of fine saves. Empoli’s defence did the rest as the league minnows handed Roma their first scoreless stalemate of the season. “It would be a mistake for any side to come here and think they can simply score by shooting once they get into the area,” said Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi. Roma, whose goalkeeper is Poland number one Wojciech Szczesny, remain second, but are now four points behind leaders Juventus.
Inter ‘mentality’ a problem for De Boer
With four wins in 11 games, the pressure on Inter Milan coach Frank De Boer continues to grow. But although he has “faith” in his players, the Dutchman says their mentality is all wrong. “We have to really work on our mental approach to games because we can’t afford to play two halves in such different fashion,” De Boer lamented after a 1-0 loss at Sampdoria left his team 13 points adrift of Juventus. “Today, some players gave me 70%, but they need to give me 100% all the time. We need to take a long, hard look in the mirror at ourselves and realise that playing for Inter is a source of pride.”
No party for history-makers Crotone
Crotone made history on Sunday by securing their maiden Serie A win with a 2-0 defeat of Chievo, but for coach Davide Nicola, it’s time to get back to work. “Even though we took three points from a quality side, it seems an exaggeration to me to define this as a day of celebration,” said Nicola, whose side up until Sunday morning had taken just two points from their opening 10 games and conceded slightly more than two goals per game on average, 21 in total. “We’re trying to prove our worth quickly in this league, but although we’re starting to score some goals, we still have to stop conceding so many.”
Hart still working on his Italian
England goalkeeper Joe Hart made a positive impression last month when he spoke a few words of Italian at his official presentation with Torino, but is in the early stages of mastering the language of Dante. Pushed by Torino coach Sinisa Mihajlovic to speak Italian on Sunday, Hart, who is on-loan from Manchester City, quickly reverted to English so he could fully get his point across. He notably apologised for a mistake that gave Inter a 2-1 win in midweek: “I take responsibility, it happens to all goalkeepers,” said Hart, who parried a question about his future with the Serie A side, who face Udinese on Monday. “We play Udinese tomorrow, that’s all.”

Another monster game from Tom Brady saw the New England Patriots pound the Bills 41-25 in Buffalo, avenging an embarrassing shutout defeat four weeks ago.
Brady on Sunday improved to 26-3 against the Bills, tying Brett Favre’s NFL record for most wins against a single opponent.
The Bills hadn’t swept AFC East division rivals New England in two regular-season games since 1999, and with Brady back in the saddle — after missing their first clash this season serving his Deflategate suspension — their chances of doing so were dim.
And Brady lived up to expectations, throwing for 315 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the third player in league history to have at least 12 TD passes without an interception in his first four games of a season.
Brady threw scoring passes to Danny Amendola, Chris Hogan, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, who set a New England record with his 69th career TD reception.
With leading rusher LeSean McCoy and receiver Sammy Watkins injured the Bills struggled offensively. Tyrod Taylor completed 19-of-38 passing attempts for 183 yards. He ran for 48 yards and a touchdown.
But the 4-4 Bills have now lost two in a row after a four-game winning streak and trail the 7-1 Pats by three games in the AFC East.
“It’s pretty early, so there’s a long way to go,” Brady said.
“Seven wins is a good place. It’s, I think, decent position. But coach always says seven wins won’t get you anything in this league, and he’s right.
“We’ve got a lot of football ahead. This is when it starts to get really into football season.”
The puzzling Carolina Panthers, who have failed to reproduce the sparkling form that saw them surge to a Super Bowl berth last season, came back strong from a bye week, beating the Arizona Cardinals 30-20 in a rematch of last season’s National Football Conference title game.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera called it a “huge” win for his 2-5 team “because it’s one of those things you can build momentum on.”
The Panthers got off to a quick start with linebacker Thomas Davis’s returning a fumble for a touchdown in the opening minutes.
“It definitely feels good to get to the end zone,” said Davis, who had never scored in a 12-year career. “Maybe it was a momentum swing for our team.”
The Panthers didn’t score a second-half touchdown, with quarterback Cam Newton completing a modest 14-of-27 passes for 212 yards. But running back Jonathan Stewart ran for a pair of touchdowns and the Panthers defense sacked Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer seven times in the first half.
Kansas City kept going in the right direction, backup quarterback Nick Foles coming off the bench when Alex Smith suffered a concussion to lead the Chiefs to a 30-14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
Foles completed 16-of-22 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns as the Chiefs won their third straight and improved to 5-2. The Colts fell to 3-5 and haven’t won back-to-back games all season.
Andrew Luck, who completed 19-of-35 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns, was bitterly disappointed in the defeat.
“It feels like we moved backward this weekend,” he said. “We’re sick of it.”
The Oakland Raiders continued their road heroics, beating the Buccaneers 30-24 in overtime in Tampa Bay to improve to 5-0 in away games.
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr passed for an astonishing 513 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions to help Oakland overcome a league-record 23 penalties that cost them 200 yards.
In the late game in Texas, the Dallas Cowboys outlasted the Philadelphia Eagles with a 29-23 victory in overtime to maintain first place in the NFC East Division with a 6-1 record.
The Cowboys came back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter and won on the first possession of the extra session. A scrambling Dak Prescott hit tight end Jason Witten on a five-yard touchdown pass to cap a 75-yard game-winning drive.
The New York Jets came up with a big road win, rallying from a 13-point half-time deficit to beat the winless Browns 31-28 in Cleveland.

Thousands of Moroccans attended the funeral of a fishmonger whose gruesome death in a rubbish truck crusher has caused outrage across the North African country, with authorities vowing to punish those responsible.
Mouhcine Fikri, 31, was crushed to death on Friday in the truck in the northern city of Al-Hoceima as he reportedly tried to protest against a municipal worker seizing and destroying his wares.
An image of his inert body — head and arm sticking out from under the lorry’s crushing mechanism — went viral on social media, sparking calls for protests nationwide including in the capital Rabat.
Footage online showed thousands of people following the yellow ambulance that carried Fikri’s body through Al-Hoceima in the ethnically Berber Rif region on Sunday.
Interior Minister Mohamed Hassad condemned the incident and vowed that an investigation would be held to “determine the exact circumstances of the tragedy and punish those responsible”.
“No one had the right to treat him like this…. We cannot accept officials acting in haste, anger or in conditions that do not respect people’s rights,” he told AFP.
The funeral procession was led by a dozen drivers in their cars — including taxis — and marchers waving Berber flags.
The ambulance headed to the area of Imzouren some 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of the city, where Fikri was buried in the late afternoon.
The circumstances of his death remained unclear.
But a human rights activist told AFP that the authorities forced the fishmonger to destroy several boxes of swordfish. Catching swordfish using driftnets is illegal.
“The goods were worth a lot of money,” said Fassal Aoussar from the local branch of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH).
“The salesman threw himself in after his fish and was crushed by the machine,” he said.
“The whole of the Rif is in shock and boiling over.”
Long neglected under the father of the current king, the Rif was at the heart of Morocco’s protest movement for change in 2011, dubbed the February 20 movement.
Protests continued in Al-Hoceima late Sunday, an AFP reporter said, with protesters shouting: “Criminals, assassins, terrorists!”
“The people of the Rif won’t be humiliated!”
The crowd eventually dispersed around 2130 GMT without incident.
Thousands of demonstrators — including activists for Berber rights — also gathered in Rabat, chanting “We are all Mouhcine!”.
Smaller protests were held in several other Rif towns and, unusually, in Casablanca and Marrakesh.
In a statement on Sunday, the AMDH condemned the state for “having trampled on the dignity of citizens since the ferocious repression of the February 20 movement and keeping the region in a state of tension”.
It warned of a “possible repeat” of the 2011 protests in the Rif, just a week before Morocco starts hosting international climate talks.
King Mohammed VI has ordered a “thorough and exhaustive investigation” into Fikri’s death and the “prosecution of whoever is found responsible”, an interior ministry statement said.
The king — who was in Zanzibar on a tour of East Africa — sent the interior minister to “present his condolences” to Fikri’s family, it said.
It was the self-immolation of a street vendor in Tunisia in late 2010 in protest at police harassment that sparked Tunisia’s revolution and the Arab Spring uprisings across the rest of the region the next year.
Morocco is due to host the COP22 climate talks in Marrakesh from November 7 to 18.

Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda warned that Dutch teenager Max Verstappen is in danger of wrecking his own career if he continues with the over-aggressive driving, insolence and arrogance that he said he displayed in Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix.
Speaking after a stormy conclusion to a fiery race won by Lewis Hamilton ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, the three-time world champion blamed him for a first lap collision with Rosberg that “could have cost Nico the championship.”
Lauda said the 19-year-old Verstappen’s driving was “not acceptable”.
“Nico was clearly in front,” he said. “And Verstappen then rams him off the track. This could have cost Nico the championship. It is not acceptable.
“It’s Verstappen’s fault. He drives too aggressively. At some point, he has to realise it.”
Lauda added that he also believed Verstappen deserved his five seconds penalty for going off-track at Turn One and gaining an advantage during his battle with Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari later in the race.
“That was a just and right decision,” he said. “A repeat offender like him has to be penalised.
“Helmut Marko (Red Bull’s driver adviser) should talk to him. If he didn’t drive that aggressively, he would develop much better.
“His talent is unbelievable, but then he smashes it all with these stupid actions.
“He doesn’t realise -? he thinks he is doing everything right, but he doesn’t. He has to calm down.”
Asked about his finger-wagging at Vettel during their scrap, Lauda added: “The next insolence -? I don’t know where this arrogance comes from. I don’t understand it.
“This is a lost cause -? the fury of the other drivers just gets bigger and bigger.”
Vettel said he was very angry during the battle in which he gave vent to a furious tirade of swearing and bad language.
“I had reason to be angry,” he said. “All in all, I think it was a very good race. We had a good pace and made it work and we came back at the end to fight for the podium.”
He said he had been to see Race Director Charlie Whiting after directing foul language at him during his radio rant.
“I went to see him immediately so I don’t understand why you (the media) are making a fuss.
“For sure, it is not the right thing to say, but equally emotions were running high.”
Asked how Whiting responded, Vettel said: “It’s none of your business.
“I was fighting very hard and supposed to give him just enough which I think he had.
“(Red Bull driver) Daniel Ricciardo is sometimes optimistic in going for a gap. I knew he would go for it whatever the costs. I tried to defend and in the end we made contact — and that’s not ideal.”
Despite suggestions that Hamilton had gained an advantage by going off at Turn One at the start, articulated in particular by Verstappen, Rosberg said his team-mate had nothing wrong.
He said: “Lewis did a better job (than me) this weekend. At the first corner, he went in first and came out first and that is ok.”

Rookie Cody Gribble lifted his first US PGA Tour title Sunday with a storming finish in the Sanderson Farms Championship.
The 26-year-old Gribble, making his eighth US PGA Tour start and his second as a tour member, fired a bogey-free seven-under par 65 at the Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi to notch a four-stroke victory on 20-under par 268.
England’s Greg Owen and Americans Luke List and Chris Kirk shared second on 272.
Owen fired a 68 while List and Kirk — the highest-ranked player in the field at 76th in the world — both carded 70 after sharing the overnight lead one stroke in front of Gribble, Canadian Graham DeLaet and former US Open champion Lucas Glover.
“There’s no words right now,” said Gribble, who birdied five of his last eight holes.
That included three birdies on the trot at the 15th, 16th and 17th.
Gribble was a teammate of Jordan Spieth on the University of Texas team that won the national collegiate championship in 2012.
Spieth, three years younger, turned pro during his second year at University in 2013 and two years later won the Masters and the US Open on his precocious rise to number one in the world.
Gribble has followed a more meandering path. He missed four straight cuts on the Web.com tour last season before a top five finish saw him secure his US PGA Tour membership.
“It’s an unbelievable experience,” he said.
The week’s tournament was an ideal opportunity for rookies and lesser lights of the tour to shine, with the top players in the world competing at the WGC HSBC Champions in Shanghai won by Hideki Matsuyama.

The future of Inter Milan coach Frank de Boer was plunged into fresh doubt on Sunday after a 1-0 defeat at Sampdoria left his side mired in mid-table in Serie A.
Inter travelled to the Luigi Ferraris stadium looking to build on a 2-1 mid-week win over Torino that saw Argentine striker Mauro Icardi put two goals past England ‘keeper Joe Hart.
But Sampdoria had other ideas, and when Fabio Quagliarella swept a loose ball past Samir Handanovic on the stroke of half-time Inter were left with a mountain to climb.
They resumed in determined fashion after the break, but Icardi squandered arguably their best chance of the half on 67 minutes when he glanced a header wide from Marcelo Brozovic’s cross.
De Boer, who was given the backing of the club’s new Chinese owners last week despite reports he is facing the sack, made a double substitution with 15 minutes remaining.
Eder and Antonio Candreva were replaced on the right and left sides of a three-man attack with Rodrigo Palacio and Ivan Perisic.
Sampdoria came close to doubling their lead, Handanovic coming to the rescue to block Ante Budimir after he was sent through by Bruno Fernandes four minutes from the end.
De Boer’s changes almost paid off in the dying minutes of injury-time as Inter poured forward, but after latching on to Perisic’s delivery, Palacio, who had stumbled to the ground, saw his effort come off the crossbar.
Inter sit in 11th place and are now 13 points behind leaders Juventus, who, after a 2-1 win over Napoli on Saturday, hold a four-point lead on Roma.