Story of how US soldier saved 200 Jews is finally told

Roddie Edmonds is the first US soldier to receive Israel's Righteous Among the Nations honor, 70 years after he risked his life to save 200 Jews. The native of Knoxville, Tenn., was captured in the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944 and held at German POW camp Staleg IXA, according to Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.

When the Nazis ordered all Jewish-American POWs to step forward on Jan. 27, 1945, Edmonds—the highest-ranking noncommissioned officer at the camp—ordered 1,000 US soldiers to do so, regardless of their religion, per the AP.

"They cannot all be Jews!" a German commander said, per Yad Vashem. "We are all Jews here," Edmonds replied, adding soldiers didn't need to divulge their religion under the Geneva Conventions.

The commander then put a gun to Edmonds' head. He said, "'I'll give you one more chance. Have the Jewish men step forward or I will shoot you on the spot,'" Edmonds' son, the Rev.

Chris Edmonds, tells NPR. "They said my dad paused, and said, 'If you shoot, you'll have to shoot us all.'" The commander yielded. Chris Edmonds believes his dad's move saved 200 lives.

Edmonds died in 1985 and his untold story nearly died with him. How it surfaced is fascinating: Some time after his father's death, Chris Edmonds read an article about Richard Nixon's purchase of a tony Manhattan townhouse from a man named Lester Tanner—who mentioned that Edmonds saved his life.

The son then embarked on a quest to find Tanner. Edmonds was honored on Wednesday as only the fifth American to receive the Israeli honor, the country's highest for non-Jews who undertook heroic acts in WWII.

He is now being considered for a Congressional Medal of Honor. (Read about another WWII hero.)

Farage's Fury Over Oldham By-Election Result

Nigel Farage (R) with UKIP's Oldham West candidate John Bickley

As candidates were told about the outcome behind closed doors, the UKIP leader tweeted: "As a veteran of over thirty by-elections, I have never seen such a perverse result. Serious questions need to be asked."

Mr Farage later claimed he had evidence from an "impeccable source" that postal voting was "bent".

According to Sky's Political Editor Faisal Islam, UKIP supporters were "angry and annoyed" as the votes were counted.

Labour's Jim McMahon saw off the party's challenge with a majority of more than 10,000 and an increased share of the vote.

John Bickley collected 2,405 fewer votes than UKIP's candidate back in May - although the turnout was considerably higher at the General Election.

He claimed the postal voting system was "not fit for democracy right now", while UKIP's deputy leader Paul Nuttall said postal votes had "distorted the result".

Mr Nuttall said: "We should go back to the old system where you had to give a good reason why you can't get off your backside and go down to a polling booth.

"That would make it fair again. That would make polling day actually mean something."

Mr McMahon, the leader of Oldham Council, dismissed Mr Farage's accusations of irregularity.

""There is nothing wrong with people making a democratic decision not to support UKIP," he said.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the result was a "vote of confidence in our party".

"Jim McMahon will make an excellent MP and a worthy successor to Michael Meacher, and I am looking forward to welcoming him to Labour's team at Westminster," he said.

"Jim ran a great campaign, focusing on bringing jobs to Oldham and giving every child the best opportunities.

"By-elections can be difficult for the party holding the seat, and turnouts are often low. But to increase our share of the vote since the general election is a vote of confidence in our party."

Mr McMahon polled 17,209 votes, with Mr Bickley trailing him in second on 6,487, a majority of 10,722.

Yahoo redesigns its Messenger to let you take back messages

Yahoo launched a next-generation messaging platform Thursday in an ambitious bid to steal a march on a crowded field, as rumors swirled that the Internet pioneer is considering selling its core business.

New Yahoo Messenger apps were released in English for smartphones or tablets powered by Apple or Android software, as were versions of the service tailored for use on the Web or on desktop computers.

The updated instant messaging platform is replacing its predecessor in Yahoo's free email service, which boasts 225 million monthly users.

It is the first complete remake of Yahoo Messenger since it was introduced 17 years ago and comes as smartphone lifestyles have led to a booming trend of firing off digital missives or photos at nearly any opportunity.

Yahoo is up against some well-established rivals such as WhatsApp, Snapchat, iMessenger and Facebook Messenger.

'Yahoo decided it was time to build a ground-up rewrite of the platform that was completely modern and prepares Yahoo to ship really disruptive innovative features,' Yahoo Messenger senior director of product management, Austin Shoemaker, said while giving AFP a look at the platform.

The new messaging service integrates features from Yahoo-owned Flickr, Tumblr, and Xobni.

Yahoo Messenger lets people quickly share large batches of high-resolution images, and taps into the library at blogging platform Tumblr to let people add animated GIFs to conversations as easily as inserting emojis.

The ability to 'unsend' comments or images was also added to Yahoo Messenger. 

Posts that are 'unsent' vanish from conversation threads at the service.

'We are glad to be blending ephemeral messaging and persistent messaging in a novel way,' Shoemaker said.

'It's way better than having no control at all.'

New Yahoo Messenger also lets people 'mute' conversations to be spared from being bothered by notifications when they would rather focus their attention elsewhere.

Yahoo is smoothing the transition from the old to the new version of its messenger service, helping import contact lists and making sure people can connect with one another regardless of which they use.

The old version of Yahoo Messenger will be eventually phased out, according to Shoemaker.

He billed the redesigned service as a 'solid foundation' for creatively weaving messaging into other Yahoo online properties, apps or services.

There were no immediate plans to monetize Yahoo Messenger. But, Shoemaker noted, such services are proven to attract and engage users, which should lead to opportunities for generating revenue.

'The messaging space has grown dramatically, yet people ultimately want a fast and easy way to communicate with each other,' said Yahoo senior vice president of engineering Jeff Bonforte.

'The new Yahoo Messenger was designed first and foremost to meet those needs.

The transformed Yahoo Messenger arrived as reports circulated that members of the board at the Silicon Valley firm are mulling whether it should sell its core business instead of its Alibaba stake.

A hedge fund with a stake in Yahoo urged the Internet giant last month to drop its planned spinoff of its stake in China's Alibaba and instead sell the 'core' search business.

The hedge fund was worried about the plan to transfer the Alibaba stake to the new company and distributing stock in what could amount to a taxable gift of $30 billion to shareholders.

£130k Plane Could Be Perfect For Your Commute

An aviation firm says its new cut-price two-seater plane that can take off vertically could be your answer.

Most planes need runways to take off, ruling them out as an option for people with just a garden.

But Joby Aviation's S2 VTOL aircraft is fitted with 16 propellers that allow it to take off and land vertically.

Once it reaches cruising altitude and speed, they fold away into aerodynamic bullet shapes.

It can then reach 200mph using four cruise-optimised props on the backs of the wings.

It can reach 200mph using cruise-optimised props on the backs of the wings

The propellers are electric, meaning they are not as noisy as a helicopter takeoff, so you won't annoy your neighbours.

While private jets cost millions, Joby Aviation says it thinks it can produce the S2 for just $200,000 (£133,000) each.

Because the aircraft is powered by electricity rather than fuel, the firm says its economical to run.

It also needs five times less energy than traditional flight modes, meaning it is more environmentally friendly.

In an interview with ReadWrite, Joby Aviation founder JoeBen Bevrit said: "If we can build an aircraft which is quiet, safe, and efficient, and you get door-to-door at five times the speed of ground transport, it will radically change life.

"It will have a transformative effect.

European brands turn to South Africa, Nigeria for expansion

The South African market is a top priority among European brands planning entrance into Africa, according to a survey by real estate advisor CBRE. 

CBRE asked 115 brands and retailers for their expansion plans over the next five years, with 28 percent saying South Africa is a top-3 priority in that time frame. As Africa’s middle class continues to grow, proper timing will allow brands to capitalize on the new consumer segment.

“Many retailers want to enter but are also keen to mitigate the risk so the requirement for a strong franchise partner is high,” said Andrew Phipps, head of retail research and consulting, CBRE EMEA. “Africa will be as populous as Asia in a decade or so and brands want to ensure they are in front of the consumers; as consumers’ living standards increase they will want more of the brands they recognize via social media, traditional media and from the experience of their friends and peers.”

Looking to Lagos
The recent slowdown in China has helped bring into focus the significance of understanding the global market and reaching out to new consumers. Meanwhile, China’s investments in Africa have led to a growing middle class and an influx of UHNW individuals who have begun to spread a taste for luxury in various African markets.

The two in tandem have led many to see the MINT countries (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey) and Africa in general as the next big market. Nonetheless, questions linger over the infrastructure of the new markets, and timing of entry is uncertain.

After South Africa, Egypt was the most attractive African market with 19 percent, followed by Nigeria (16 percent), Morocco (13 percent) and Kenya (9 percent). Among respondents, 64 percent say that franchise stores are the preferred method, but infrastructure is delaying or turning away 22 percent and 21 percent see other markets as easier to enter.

Across Africa, retail space is expanding. April will see the opening of the 115,000-square-foot Mall of Africa in Midrand, South Africa, about 17 miles away from Johannesburg; Palms Shopping Mall in Lagos, Nigeria is twice that size, the even-larger Lekki Mall and the Circle Mall, about half as large as Palms, are in progress and the recently opened Festival Mall adds another 50,000+ square feet.

Nigeria and South Africa are vastly different markets. Wealth in Nigeria is concentrated in Lagos, where the population now exceeds 17 million, leaving barely 10 square feet of retail space per 200 people. By contrast, Johannesburg has the same retail area per person, and wealth in South Africa is spread more evenly across numerous cities.

“South Africa is likely to remain the number one choice of destination due to the presence of the elements retailers want to see: the infrastructure, number of quality shopping malls and the existing presence of brands being the strong indicators new entrants will look for,” Mr. Phipps said in a statement. “There is certainly appetite for international retailers to enter the market. The challenge is finding the right partner that understands the market as well as the retail brand.”

Lagos, by contrast, is an emerging market in part because high-end consumers have already brought desirable luxury brands to the country after shopping overseas.

“There is a belief in the future of Lagos – the sheer scale of the population and the growth in the affluence of some,” Mr. Phipps said. “The Nigerian consumer is very savvy and those with high levels of income are used to buying branded product from overseas. As this continues, and people see the brands that people bring back from overseas, the desire and interest in owning similar product increases.”

Other markets chosen by respondents include Ghana and Gabon (3 percent each) and Ethiopia and Tanzania (1 percent).

“Ethiopia should have been recognized by more people,” Mr. Phipps said. “There is a view held by many that Ethiopia is the same country it was 20 years ago when in fact it has changed greatly.

“Addis Ababa will be one of the big success stories of Africa as a whole,” he said. “The market will develop and is ranked by the IMF as being in the top five fastest growing economies in the world, [with] decade of continuous expansion with real GDP growth averaging 10.8 percent per annum.”

All-in Africa
Recent CBRE reports have also shown how spurted growth in China is leading to the emergence of new markets.

Lagos, Nigeria and Mumbai, India are poised to become major players in the luxury world, according to a November report by the real estate advisor.

Although nobody should expect another China, the residents of the Nigerian and Indian cities are already beginning to make their presence known to luxury brands. Continuing globalization ensures that the economy will remain a major factor in the luxury market, so brands must be attuned to economic patterns and shifts to stay ahead (see story).

Other research shows that the high-end of luxury consumers will experience rapid growth throughout Africa.

The global ultra-high-net-worth population is larger than ever and will continue to grow, according to a recent new report by Wealth-X and UBS.

While North America and Europe continue to perform well for UHNW individuals, the slowdown in Asia has had an effect at the top of the market. India continues to grow, but Japan and China underperformed compared to expectations, and China’s real estate market is slowing. Meanwhile, the Middle East and Africa were the fastest growing regions, although instability in particular countries or areas raises questions about the sustainability of such growth (see story).

Although many brands expressed a desire to enter the continent within the next five years, that instability may push those projections back a few more years.

“I still feel it is a market whose maturity is still to be reached, the timing of which might be in terms of a decade or more as opposed to in single years,” Mr. Phipps said. “It will require investment, confidence and patience to get the best out of the market.

“It also requires retailers to understand how consumers from these countries shop when they are overseas (a large proportion of spend on luxury in London comes from residents in Nigeria, for example). How do they shop, what do they buy and why?

“One area where they really are looking to expand is in the development of African manufacturing plants (the import duties being high for product made outside Africa). The option to engage with low cost labor and not avoid punitive tax levels is one area of high interest.”

Pam Anderson Bares All For Final Playboy Nude

Anderson has appeared on the Playboy cover 13 times since 1989

Anderson, 48, revealed she had been asked to pose nude for the publication in an interview with celebrity news show Entertainment Tonight.

Playboy has featured many famous names on its cover over the years

Playboy announced in October it was ending a more than 60-year tradition of publishing nude images of women, saying the practice had become "passe" due to the availability of free images online.

Anderson pictured with Playboy founder Hugh Hefner in 2003

No other celebrity has graced the Playboy cover more than Anderson, who was first photographed for the magazine in 1989.

The January/February 2016 issue, due out on 11 December, will be Anderson's 13th time on the cover.

"I got a call from (Hugh Hefner's) attorney who said, 'We don't want anybody else. There's nobody else, could you do the last cover of Playboy'?" she told ET.

Anderson added that she had to ask permission from her two teenage sons before agreeing to pose nude one last time.

She said the boys - now 19 and 17 - "were teased, and made fun of, and had a few fist fights over their mom" when they were growing up.

This time, however, they were very supportive, Anderson said.

"He was so excited," she said of her 19-year-old son, Brandon. "He may have high-fived me!"

Anderson told ET she made the most of the nude photo-shoot, which took place at various locations around the Playboy Mansion property.

She said: "I took off all my clothes, and I rolled down the hill as fast as I can."

Playboy's circulation has dropped from about 5.6 million in 1975 to around 800,000 in recent years.

The American edition, which has featured the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Madonna, now operates at a loss - although global copies still bring in a profit.

San Bernardino shooting and the politics of gun control

With every mass shooting, the political debate intensifies over gun control.

California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer has been one of the biggest proponents of new gun laws. She said Wednesday condolences aren't enough.

"It's heartbreaking to see another mass shooting in this great country," said Boxer of the San Bernardino shooting. "It looks like a war zone and it's not enough to keep lamenting these things. We have to take action."

Mass shootings have become so pervasive that Hillary Clinton was actually talking about guns in Orlando minutes before Wednesday's tragedy unfolded.

It is time for us to say we are going to have comprehensive background checks, we are gonna close the gun show loopholes," Clinton said.