97-Year-Old Michigan Woman Finally Gets Her High School Diploma

Emily Rose Bennett—The Grand Rapids Press/AP97-year-old Margaret Thome Bekema looks at her high school letter as Catholic Central High School principal Greg Deja, left, and Director of Advancement Beth Banta fix her cap after her honorary graduation at Stonebridge Manor in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Oct. 29, 2015.

A 97-year-old woman on Thursday finally received her high school diploma, 79 years after she was supposed to graduate.

Margaret Thome Bekema, who would have walked with the Catholic Central High School class of 1936 in Grand Rapids, Mich., had to drop out in her junior year to care for her cancer-afflicted mother. She later did clerical work for the armed forces and served as a preschool teacher.

Over the summer, her family contacted the school and shared her story. Upon receiving the honorary diploma at Yorkshire and Stonebridge Manor senior community, she said, tearing up, “I don’t know how to express my thanks… I’m sorry. I’m just plain chicken.”

Saudi firm secures funding for world's tallest building

The tower, which will feature a hotel, apartments and offices, is slated for completion in 2018 [Mace]

The Saudi corporation behind plans for the world's tallest building says it has secured financing to complete the record-breaking project.

Kingdom Holding, chaired by Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, said on Sunday that its affiliate, Jeddah Economic Company, had reached a more than $2bn financing deal with Saudi Arabia's Alinma Investment to finish the Jeddah Tower in the Red Sea city.

Previously dubbed "Kingdom Tower", the 170-storey building is to rise more than a kilometre, surpassing Dubai's Burj Khalifa as the world's highest building.

Costs for the project had previously been estimated at $1.2bn.

"Alinma Bank will finance the fund, to be managed by Alinma Investment, while Jeddah Economic Company will be the master developer of projects that will draw on the fund's credit lines," the company said in a statement.

Jeddah Economic City

The $2.24bn fund will also be used to develop the first phase of Jeddah Economic City, an urban project surrounding the tower in the Obhur area, north of Jeddah, the statement added.

A year ago, Alwaleed bin Talal said that the tower, which will feature a hotel, apartments and offices, was slated for completion in 2018.

At that time, the four-storey foundations of the building were finished and Alwaleed said "now we are on the verge of building a floor every four days".

That pace would have put the skyscraper at around 90 storeys now, but the statement on Sunday said it is "currently at its 26th floor".

Mounib Hammoud, chief executive officer of Jeddah Economic Company, said he expects the project to be finished on time "now that the agreement has been signed and required funds secured".

Pope Francis brings unity message to Central African Republic

After touring Kenya and Uganda, Pope Francis rounds off his Africa trip in the Central African Republic [Siegfried Modola/Reuters]

Pope Francis has called for unity in the Central African Republic (CAR), a country torn by strife between Christians and Muslims, urging its citizens to "avoid the temptation of fear of others".

The 78-year-old Argentine pontiff arrived on Sunday morning in the capital Bangui, the last leg of a six-day African tour taking him also to Kenya and Uganda. 

Unity "is to be lived and built up on the basis of the marvellous diversity of our environment, avoiding the temptation of fear of others, of the unfamiliar, of what is not part of our ethnic group, our political views or our religious confession," he said in a speech before interim President Catherine Samba-Panza and other dignitaries.

The acting president asked for "forgiveness" from Pope Francis over the sectarian violence that has gripped
the country over the past two years and praised the pope for his visit despite security fears.

"Central Africans have inflicted unspeakable suffering on other Central Africans. And for that, the sons and daughters of this country must recognise  their faults and ask for forgiveness... that your blessing will transform into a catalyst for the reconstruction of this country," she said.

Muslim as well as Catholic representatives came to the airport to welcome Francis. 

"The Holy Father has not come to Central Africa for the Catholics, but for Central Africans. It is a good sign of a reconciliation between Muslims and Central Africans," said El Adji Tchakpabrede, a representative of the country's Islamic community.

'Pilgrim of peace'

Describing himself as a "pilgrim of peace," the pontiff said the local Catholic Church would work for reconciliation. 

Francis was expected to use the Popemobile during his visit, despite concern that the local authorities would not be able to guarantee his safety.

Local security forces are backed up by more than 10,000 United Nations peacekeepers and French troops present in the country.

CAR has suffered sectarian violence since mainly Muslim Seleka rebels overthrew president Francois Bozize, a Christian, in March 2013. Thousands have been killed, and about a quarter of the 4.7m-population has been displaced by the conflict. 

There was concern that either side could use the papal visit to break the tense calm and instigate new violence.

Africa is home to an estimated 180m Catholics, and their numbers are growing faster than anywhere else in the world.

Corbyn: Only I Will Decide On Syria Vote

The PM wants to extend airstrikes from Iraq into Syria

Mr Corbyn also argued the party at Westminster needed to listen to the views of Labour members
whom he has been canvassing in support of his opposition to extending UK military action. And he "seriously questioned" the Prime Minister's claim in making the case for airstrikes that there are 70,000 moderate Syrian fighters to take on Islamic State militants on the ground.

Mr Corbyn's robust stance puts him on collision course with his own frontbench team, many of who are thought to back airstrikes.

Former business secretary Chuka Umunna has told Sky News he would defy the whip if instructed to oppose military action.

He said: "This isn't about the internal politics of the Labour Party. I think on this issue you have to do what is right.

"On this issue I am clear our national security is threatened by ISIL."

Mr Corbyn said no decision had yet been taken on whether Labour MPs would be given a free vote.

He said: "I'm going to find out what MPs think. Obviously there are strong views on both directions."

Mr Corbyn said he had received 70,000 responses to a survey sent out to Labour supporters on Friday seeking their opinions - a move criticised as an attempt to use the party's grassroots membership to "bounce" the shadow cabinet.

"My view about the membership of the Labour Party is that they must have a voice," he said.

"Labour MPs need to listen to that voice, need to try and understand where people are coming from on this. We will come to a decision as a party."

The veteran MP, who was a regular rebel on the backbenches, said: "I understand dissent, I understand disagreement from leadership. I am respectful of differences of opinion within our party."

But he added: "It's the leader who decides. I will make up my mind in due course."

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell argued all party leaders should give their MPs a free vote.

He told Sky News members should be allowed to be guided by their consciences.

Mr Corbyn warned of large numbers of civilian casualties if RAF bombing raids went ahead in Syria and argued it may "actually make the situation worse not better".

But Defence Secretary Michael Fallon dismissed claims airstrikes on IS strongholds would lead to heavy civilian casualties.

He argued precision strikes by the RAF had not claimed a single civilian life during action taken against IS in Iraq.

France had called on the UK to act and failure to do so would leave the country less safe, Mr Fallon insisted.

He has warned the terror attacks in Paris could "easily" happen in London and said the only way to deal with Islamic State extremists was by force.

On the 70,000-strong Syrian force referred to by the PM, Mr Fallon admitted they were not "a new model army", but said: "We do know who they are and this is an independent joint intelligence committee assessment, it's not ministers making this figure, it's their assessment and it's supported by academics."

Black Friday Sales Down

Yana Paskova—Getty ImagesShoppers walk by holiday decor in New York City on Black Friday, on Nov. 27, 2015.

Shoppers this year still wanted to get a head start on their holiday gift list on Black Friday — but overall were less willing to brave the crowds.

Sales on Thanksgiving and Black Friday both fell in stores this year, with a growing amount of people pursuing their discounts online instead.

Brick and mortar sales on Black Friday fell from $11.6 billion in 2014 to $10.4 billion in 2015, according to the retail researcher ShopperTrak.  Sales on Thanksgiving fell from just over $2 billion to $1.8 billion. Both decreases are attributed to the increase in online sales, the Associated Press reports.

Meanwhile, online sales jumped 14 percent on Black Friday from 2014, bringing in $2.72 billion altogether. The increase came during a week of online sales and promotions leading up to Cyber Monday on Nov. 30, forecasted to be the biggest e-commerce sales day of the year.

French police fire teargas to disperse climate protest

Police have fired teargas and used pepper spray to disperse a group of anti-global warming activists who marched in Paris in defiance of a recent ban on public demonstrations, a day before the start of a key UN summit on climate change in France's capital.

Thousands of shoes were placed in the city's sprawling central plaza to represent citizens urging a climate agreement [Reuters]

The tough response by riot police came on Sunday after a group of mostly masked protesters took to the streets to call on world leaders to take action towards curbing man-made emissions.

On Monday, more than 140 heads of state will converge in Paris to broker a deal to limit emissions.

Earlier in the day, in a bid to circumvent security measures implemented after the November 13 attacks claimed by the ISIL that took 130 lives, thousands of shoes were placed in the city's sprawling central plaza to represent citizens urging a climate agreement.

Organisers of the display said that the Vatican donated a pair of shoes bearing the name of Pope Francis.

Hundreds of people also formed human chains in the late morning, interlinking arms and hands along the sidewalks between the central Place de la Republique and the Bataclan concert hall, where nearly 100 people were killed in one of the attacks.

"Together with the hundreds of thousands who will take to the streets around the world this weekend, the pope is sending a powerful signal that leaders arriving for the Paris summit simply must not ignore," organiser Emma Ruby-Sachs said in a statement.

The tough security response came after protesters marched in defiance of ban on demonstrations [Reuters]

Four faith organisations turned over a petition on Saturday bearing 1.8 million signatures calling for leaders to adopt a fair deal that would also help poorer countries adapt to a changing climate.

Environmental organisation Greenpeace also floated a hot air balloon that said, "rise up for renewables".

The Eiffel Tower planned a projection of artist statements for climate solutions.

The coalition of climate organisations said that hundreds of thousands of people would take part in 2,000 events in 150 countries.

"There couldn't be a more important time to work for climate justice, and the peace it can help bring," Haeringer said.

Worldwide protests 

In Australia, more than 45,000 people marched through the streets of Sydney on the eve of the climate summit.

Earlier in the weekend, more than 50,000 had marched and rallied at events in Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and elsewhere.

On a smoggy Sunday morning in India, more than 5,000 residents of New Delhi participated in a meditation session and listened to musicians sing songs dedicated to the earth as part of events to highlight the need for an agreement at the climate summit.

Police in Berlin said they were expecting 15,000 people to take part in the Global Climate March in the German capital, which began at 11:00 GMT.

Back in Paris, French President Francois Hollande was expected to hold a series of meetings on Sunday with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Beginning Monday, representatives of nearly 200 countries will gather in Paris to make the final push for a new climate agreement that will include carbon emission reductions by developing countries for the first time.

The goal of the agreement is to stop the global temperature from rising more than two degrees Centigrade over pre-industrial times, and thereby avoid catastrophic loss of human life from rising sea levels and severe weather.

Earth's temperature is currently on course to rise at least four degrees this century as a result of increasing amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.

Amber Rose Explains How to Make a Million Dollars

When it comes to business and financial advice from women, the likes of Suze Orman or Sheryl Sandberg might come to mind first. But in her new book How to Be a Bad Bitch, model and actress Amber Rose offers money tips that may appeal to a new set of future entrepreneurs.

“I feel like I’m in a position to give advice to women because I’ve made all of these mistakes,” Rose tells TIME. For instance, she says, “one of the biggest financial mistakes that I ever made was making a lot of money—I wanna say I made $1 million in 2011—and I spent all of it. And then after that, I had to pay taxes, and I did not have money for the taxes, and I was like, ‘I cannot believe I did this.’ And I really had to start over … I know a whole lot of people that don’t pay taxes. And it comes back to bite you in the ass. Trust me. So I did pay all my taxes off, and I feel amazing now, but it took a lot of hard work.”

Okay, making $1 million in a year may be something more women aspire to than relate to. But Rose’s humble origins in South Philadelphia and early career as an exotic dancer prove just how big an achievement that 2011 paycheck was. In her eyes, those early years laid the groundwork for her future success. “Being a dancer definitely was like being in business school,” she says, “because I constantly spoke to people. I mean, I literally had to persuade a man to give me money out of his pocket. And I apply that to my daily life. Even getting a book, you have to have an initial meeting—Hi, Simon and Schuster!—with the publisher, and you have to sell yourself.”

So how can young women getting started in their careers start climbing the ladder? Rose says it’s important to think about your specific goals, consider when you want to have a family, and find mentors who you can look up to while still following your own path. “Really, fully research every aspect of the business that you’re trying to get into,” she says. Explain to your friends that you won’t always be able to hit the club with them when you’re trying to save money. “If they’re your friends, they’ll respect it,” she says. “Tell them that you’re trying to save up for whatever it may be, and if they want you to come out with them then it has to be their treat. As women, we’re fortunate enough to use our seductive skills in order to be able to get money from our significant others. I also talk about seduction in the book. A lot of women don’t know how to seduce a man. It is extremely easy once you get to that point, and you can get anything you want out of them. And I know it might sound messed up, but once you get to that point, it’s not using. It’s not using a man, it’s literally getting what you want by any means necessary.”

Rose applies a similar outlook to getting what she wants from her own staffers. “I have employees that work for me personally, and I pride myself on being an amazing boss, because I never want them to feel like they don’t wanna wake up and work for me every single day,” she says. “I want them to go harder for me, and without me even knowing it, you know? Like, really saying, ‘I did all these extra things just for you, just because you’re really cool to work with.'”

As for those who raise an eyebrow at Rose’s claims to expertise on running a successful business, she’s unfazed. “I am a mogul. I have a bunch of businesses, I’m now an actress, I’m an author, I went on an entire world tour and I don’t even sing. So if that doesn’t tell you that I am an entrepreneur, then I don’t know what does.” And as for those who diminish her achievements because of her past, she thinks they’re working on a double standard. “The fact that I was a stripper does not take away the fact that I’m smart, that I am witty, that I am capable of running my own business,” she says. “There’s famous guys that were drug dealers back in the day, and no one ever brings up that fact. But as a woman, they bring up the fact that I was a hustler. And it’s extremely unfair, and I just don’t tolerate it.”

“They belittle me like I’m just some baby mama,” Rose says, still mad about a recent GQ profile that introduced her as “Kanye’s infamous ex [and] Wiz Khalifa’s baby mama” before acknowledging her own accomplishments. “I was married—I still am married, actually. And I do have a beautiful son. I’m not a baby mama. I’m so much more than a baby mama. So, how f—ing dare you? You know what I’m saying? And to see the comments from women, saying like, ‘Well, you are a baby mama,’ it’s just like, ‘Girl, you are so lost. You are not just a baby mama. Let’s help each other.'”