Donald Trump was known for wearing his distinctive red 'Make America Great Again' baseball cap at rallies during his presidential campaign.
But now he has briefly swapped it for a "great looking" navy blue cap with an image of a US aircraft carrier.
Mr Trump sported the new headwear during a "special day" as he spoke on board the $12.9bn (£10.5bn) warship USS Gerald R. Ford, in Newport News, Virginia.
He also wore an olive green military jacket with his name and the words 'commander-in-chief' sewn on one side, and a picture of the carrier on the other.
Friday, March 3, 2017
PC quits over police staffing levels, saying job makes her ill
A police officer has quit her job, posting a letter on social media telling senior officers chronic under-staffing is making her ill.
Laura Beal, who joined the service at 19 and has appeared on posters for Devon and Cornwall Police, is quitting the force after 13 years.
She told Sky News: "The stress of it is too much, there's not enough of us out there to police the area that we're supposed to be policing and what they're asking us to do on a day-to-day basis is physically impossible.
"So many people are at breaking point but due to the fact that the police officers I've worked with are so professional, they keep it going, they keep the wheel on.
"We're human beings first and foremost, we're not numbers, and if you keep putting that pressure on, we're going to pop.
"It's all well and good doing wellness programmes, but when there's not enough of us, you're shutting the door once the horse has bolted. You need more people."
Ms Beal's resignation comes on the day the official police watchdog warned victims are being let down, criminal cases shelved and suspects left untracked due to a "national crisis" in policing, which it claimed was in a "potentially perilous" state.
Lamenting the large number of senior officers who have left the force, Ms Beal said: "You're looking at police officers with two or three years' service as being the most experienced in some sections."
:: How does the police force in your area rate?
Asked what she wanted her superiors to do to remedy the situation, Ms Beal suggested they start to "put people first" and get a proper grasp of the pressure officers face every day.
She urged senior officers to "pop in" rather than setting up organised visits.
"Pop in on a Saturday night when there's just two of us stood outside of a nightclub," she said. "Come and do a whole shift, a whole weekend, and see what it's really like."
Ms Beal posted her resignation letter, addressed to the force's chief constable Shaun Sawyer, on Facebook.
In it she wrote she had to quit before the job "kills me both physically and mentally".
In a statement, Devon commander Chief Superintendent Jim Colwell said he sympathised with Ms Beal's complaints and said the force is recruiting nearly 100 extra officers to help with under-staffing.
Laura Beal, who joined the service at 19 and has appeared on posters for Devon and Cornwall Police, is quitting the force after 13 years.
She told Sky News: "The stress of it is too much, there's not enough of us out there to police the area that we're supposed to be policing and what they're asking us to do on a day-to-day basis is physically impossible.
"So many people are at breaking point but due to the fact that the police officers I've worked with are so professional, they keep it going, they keep the wheel on.
"We're human beings first and foremost, we're not numbers, and if you keep putting that pressure on, we're going to pop.
"It's all well and good doing wellness programmes, but when there's not enough of us, you're shutting the door once the horse has bolted. You need more people."
Ms Beal's resignation comes on the day the official police watchdog warned victims are being let down, criminal cases shelved and suspects left untracked due to a "national crisis" in policing, which it claimed was in a "potentially perilous" state.
Lamenting the large number of senior officers who have left the force, Ms Beal said: "You're looking at police officers with two or three years' service as being the most experienced in some sections."
:: How does the police force in your area rate?
Asked what she wanted her superiors to do to remedy the situation, Ms Beal suggested they start to "put people first" and get a proper grasp of the pressure officers face every day.
She urged senior officers to "pop in" rather than setting up organised visits.
"Pop in on a Saturday night when there's just two of us stood outside of a nightclub," she said. "Come and do a whole shift, a whole weekend, and see what it's really like."
Ms Beal posted her resignation letter, addressed to the force's chief constable Shaun Sawyer, on Facebook.
In it she wrote she had to quit before the job "kills me both physically and mentally".
In a statement, Devon commander Chief Superintendent Jim Colwell said he sympathised with Ms Beal's complaints and said the force is recruiting nearly 100 extra officers to help with under-staffing.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Sweden brings back conscription amid fears of Russian aggression
Sweden is reintroducing conscription next year to restore armed services numbers amid fears of Russian military build-up in the Baltic region.
Four thousand 18-year-old men and women will be called up for training each year in 2018 and 2019 as the country looks to fill gaps that have developed since compulsory military service was abolished in 2010.
About 20,000 people work for the Swedish armed forces, but a recent study found they are struggling to recruit the 4,000 new young people needed annually.
Currently they lack 1,000 active troops and 7,000 reservists, according to government statistics for 2016, despite running large recruitment drives in recent years.
Announcing the move, Sweden's defence minister Peter Hultqvist pointed to a "deteriorating security environment in Europe and around Sweden".
"We have a Russian annexation of Crimea, we have the aggression in Ukraine, we have more exercise activities in our neighbourhood. So we have decided to build a stronger national defence," Mr Hultqvist said.
Whilst the 2014 annexation of Crimea is the most obvious example of Moscow's expansionist plans, there have also been alleged attempts to influence neighbouring Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Reports of Russian spies operating in Sweden as well as airspace violations by Russia's military aircraft in the Baltics and a military buildup in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which sits across the Baltic Sea from Sweden, have heightened anxieties in Stockholm.
As a non-aligned country Sweden cannot count on the protection of NATO, but it has already tried to counter Russian aggression, stationing permanent troops on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland in September.
Since then, Donald Trump has become US President and his closeness to Russia's Vladimir Putin and "America First" anti-globalist stance has caused further uncertainty.
In 2013, Sweden was given a stark reminder of the threat and its own lack of readiness, when Russian warplanes caught its air defences on the hop by staging a mock bombing raid.
With its reintroduction of the draft, Sweden will join Norway to become only the second country in Europe where military service is compulsory for women as well as men.
Norway legally extended conscription to both sexes in 2015, and last year about a third of 10,000 new recruits were female.
Nevertheless, Mr Hultqvist said motivation would be an important factor when selecting recruits.
Teenager Sofia Hultgren, who turns 17 this year and could be drafted in the coming years, said of a prospective military career: "I think many see it as something lame, something your father did, when there are so much other fun things to do."
But she welcomed the premise of the plan, saying: "Conscription strengthens our defence when we see so much ugliness in the world."
Politics has also played a part in the plan, as 2018 is an election year in Sweden.
A recent poll found as many as 72% of Swedes back the return of conscription, while only 16% said they thought it was a bad idea.
Four thousand 18-year-old men and women will be called up for training each year in 2018 and 2019 as the country looks to fill gaps that have developed since compulsory military service was abolished in 2010.
About 20,000 people work for the Swedish armed forces, but a recent study found they are struggling to recruit the 4,000 new young people needed annually.
Currently they lack 1,000 active troops and 7,000 reservists, according to government statistics for 2016, despite running large recruitment drives in recent years.
Announcing the move, Sweden's defence minister Peter Hultqvist pointed to a "deteriorating security environment in Europe and around Sweden".
"We have a Russian annexation of Crimea, we have the aggression in Ukraine, we have more exercise activities in our neighbourhood. So we have decided to build a stronger national defence," Mr Hultqvist said.
Whilst the 2014 annexation of Crimea is the most obvious example of Moscow's expansionist plans, there have also been alleged attempts to influence neighbouring Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Reports of Russian spies operating in Sweden as well as airspace violations by Russia's military aircraft in the Baltics and a military buildup in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which sits across the Baltic Sea from Sweden, have heightened anxieties in Stockholm.
As a non-aligned country Sweden cannot count on the protection of NATO, but it has already tried to counter Russian aggression, stationing permanent troops on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland in September.
Since then, Donald Trump has become US President and his closeness to Russia's Vladimir Putin and "America First" anti-globalist stance has caused further uncertainty.
In 2013, Sweden was given a stark reminder of the threat and its own lack of readiness, when Russian warplanes caught its air defences on the hop by staging a mock bombing raid.
With its reintroduction of the draft, Sweden will join Norway to become only the second country in Europe where military service is compulsory for women as well as men.
Norway legally extended conscription to both sexes in 2015, and last year about a third of 10,000 new recruits were female.
Nevertheless, Mr Hultqvist said motivation would be an important factor when selecting recruits.
Teenager Sofia Hultgren, who turns 17 this year and could be drafted in the coming years, said of a prospective military career: "I think many see it as something lame, something your father did, when there are so much other fun things to do."
But she welcomed the premise of the plan, saying: "Conscription strengthens our defence when we see so much ugliness in the world."
Politics has also played a part in the plan, as 2018 is an election year in Sweden.
A recent poll found as many as 72% of Swedes back the return of conscription, while only 16% said they thought it was a bad idea.
Emma Watson 'topless' photo in Vanity Fair sparks online row
Emma Watson is facing an online backlash after appearing "topless" in a photo shoot for Vanity Fair magazine.
The Harry Potter star posed in a white open top for photographer Tim Walker, partly exposing her chest, prompting some Twitter users to question Watson's feminist stance.
The 26-year-old has been a vocal advocate for women's rights and helped launch the UN Women campaign HeForShe, calling on men to advocate gender equality.
One Twitter user wrote: "Feminist: Page 3 girls? Topless? Ban them! Emma Watson topless? Brave and Stunning! #hypocrisy".
Daily Mail columnist Julia Hartley-Brewer wrote: "Feminism, feminism... gender wage gap... why oh why am I not taken seriously... feminism... oh, and here are my t***."
Others defended the actress, with one tweeter arguing "feminism is about giving women free choice" and another saying "being sexual does not distract from the amazing work that (Watson) does".
In her interview with Vanity Fair, Watson talks about privacy and refuses to reveal details of her private life in order to be "consistent".
"I can't talk about my boyfriend in an interview and then expect people not to take paparazzi pictures of me walking around outside my home. You can't have it both ways," she said.
She added: "I used to be scared of words like 'feminism,' 'patriarchy,' 'imperialist.' But I'm not anymore."
Watson's new film, The Beauty And The Beast, is a live-action remake of the Disney classic with a twist.
"Belle is absolutely a Disney princess," Watson said.
"But she's not a passive character - she's in charge of her own destiny."
The Harry Potter star posed in a white open top for photographer Tim Walker, partly exposing her chest, prompting some Twitter users to question Watson's feminist stance.
The 26-year-old has been a vocal advocate for women's rights and helped launch the UN Women campaign HeForShe, calling on men to advocate gender equality.
One Twitter user wrote: "Feminist: Page 3 girls? Topless? Ban them! Emma Watson topless? Brave and Stunning! #hypocrisy".
Daily Mail columnist Julia Hartley-Brewer wrote: "Feminism, feminism... gender wage gap... why oh why am I not taken seriously... feminism... oh, and here are my t***."
Others defended the actress, with one tweeter arguing "feminism is about giving women free choice" and another saying "being sexual does not distract from the amazing work that (Watson) does".
In her interview with Vanity Fair, Watson talks about privacy and refuses to reveal details of her private life in order to be "consistent".
"I can't talk about my boyfriend in an interview and then expect people not to take paparazzi pictures of me walking around outside my home. You can't have it both ways," she said.
She added: "I used to be scared of words like 'feminism,' 'patriarchy,' 'imperialist.' But I'm not anymore."
Watson's new film, The Beauty And The Beast, is a live-action remake of the Disney classic with a twist.
"Belle is absolutely a Disney princess," Watson said.
"But she's not a passive character - she's in charge of her own destiny."
Snapchat's owner gets £19bn valuation ahead of stock market debut
Snap Inc, the owner of Snapchat, is set to make its debut on the New York Stock Exchange today with a better-than-expected market valuation of $24bn (£19bn).
The company has priced 200 million shares at $17 apiece, with investors demand helping the tech start-up to command considerably more than the $14 to $16 a share it was hoping for.
Snap's flotation has excited Wall Street. An estimated 158 million people use its messaging app every day - sending photos to friends which disappear a few seconds later.
Crucially, Snapchat is beloved by teenagers and 20-somethings who use the app's filters to add special effects to their selfies - with bunny ears, princess tiaras, face swapping and vomiting rainbows among the most popular.
The valuation means Snap is worth $13bn (£10.6bn) more than Twitter, but the fledgling social network is way behind Facebook, which has a value of $395bn (£321bn).
Although many early investors will be popping champagne corks after becoming overnight millionaires - with Snap's 26-year-old co-founder Evan Spiegel landing a 17% stake worth $4bn (£3.26bn) - the company has many hurdles to overcome.
Snap's growth has slowed considerably since the Facebook-owned app Instagram cloned a key feature of Snapchat called "Stories", which allows a user's favourite photos and videos to be played on a loop to their friends for 24 hours.
Whereas Snapchat added 36 million daily active users in the first half of 2016, this slowed to 15 million in the second half of the year.
Then there is the issue of Snap's financial performance. Even though it has enjoyed a seven-fold increase in revenue, net losses soared by 38% last year because of its bigger rivals.
The company's IPO is also unusual because new investors will have no voting power - with its co-founders continuing to maintain tight control over its future.
Snap has brushed off concerns about slowing growth by pointing to how long its users spend on the app, as well as the revenue opportunities that will arise through the trend of young people using video to interact with each other instead of text.
But many of the young people who currently use Snapchat say they are finding it harder to fit in with their everyday life - as keeping up with friends and celebrities is too time-consuming.
One student said: "It got to the point that if I wanted to keep up with everyone's story, I'd have to sit on my phone and watch it for 25 minutes."
The company has priced 200 million shares at $17 apiece, with investors demand helping the tech start-up to command considerably more than the $14 to $16 a share it was hoping for.
Snap's flotation has excited Wall Street. An estimated 158 million people use its messaging app every day - sending photos to friends which disappear a few seconds later.
Crucially, Snapchat is beloved by teenagers and 20-somethings who use the app's filters to add special effects to their selfies - with bunny ears, princess tiaras, face swapping and vomiting rainbows among the most popular.
The valuation means Snap is worth $13bn (£10.6bn) more than Twitter, but the fledgling social network is way behind Facebook, which has a value of $395bn (£321bn).
Although many early investors will be popping champagne corks after becoming overnight millionaires - with Snap's 26-year-old co-founder Evan Spiegel landing a 17% stake worth $4bn (£3.26bn) - the company has many hurdles to overcome.
Snap's growth has slowed considerably since the Facebook-owned app Instagram cloned a key feature of Snapchat called "Stories", which allows a user's favourite photos and videos to be played on a loop to their friends for 24 hours.
Whereas Snapchat added 36 million daily active users in the first half of 2016, this slowed to 15 million in the second half of the year.
Then there is the issue of Snap's financial performance. Even though it has enjoyed a seven-fold increase in revenue, net losses soared by 38% last year because of its bigger rivals.
The company's IPO is also unusual because new investors will have no voting power - with its co-founders continuing to maintain tight control over its future.
Snap has brushed off concerns about slowing growth by pointing to how long its users spend on the app, as well as the revenue opportunities that will arise through the trend of young people using video to interact with each other instead of text.
But many of the young people who currently use Snapchat say they are finding it harder to fit in with their everyday life - as keeping up with friends and celebrities is too time-consuming.
One student said: "It got to the point that if I wanted to keep up with everyone's story, I'd have to sit on my phone and watch it for 25 minutes."
Richard Whiteley's wife denies claims Countdown host worked for MI5
The wife of late broadcaster Richard Whiteley has denied "ridiculous" claims that her husband worked for MI5.
Kathryn Apanowicz said Whiteley's asthma and poor grasp of technology and maths meant there was no chance he could have coped with a secret career in espionage.
It comes after actor and union activist Ricky Tomlinson accused the former Countdown host of conspiring with the Government and orchestrating a plot to have him and a group known as the Shrewsbury 24 jailed.
Tomlinson said a documentary presented by Whiteley, entitled Red Under The Bed, was propaganda designed to influence a jury that went on to convict him for offences linked to the 1972 builders' strike.
The Royle Family star said he has classified documents which show the then prime minister, Sir Edward Heath, and Labour MP Woodrow Wyatt were involved in the conspiracy.
"We found out this week that the film was designed, written, made and paid for by the security services," Tomlinson told the Chester Chronicle.
"Woodrow Wyatt was a member of the security services and, unbelievably, so was Richard Whiteley, who hosted the show."
Apanowicz, who was married to Whiteley for 11 years, branded the claims "ridiculous" and said the family had been in "hysterics".
"Really and truly, Ricky Tomlinson should take a long, hard look at himself and stop casting such stupid aspersions because it's nonsense, he's made himself look a bloody fool," she said.
The actress said Whiteley, who died in 2005 after undergoing heart surgery, "was the most indiscreet person" she knew, and "could not keep a secret for toffee".
"Number one, he had an asthma inhaler so running around and escaping from whoever was chasing after him, he wouldn't be able to do that," she said.
"He couldn't work technology, it's nonsense. In those days, he didn't have an Aston Martin, he had a brown Ford Escort," she added.
"He couldn't do maths - he used to struggle with the Conundrum."
Kathryn Apanowicz said Whiteley's asthma and poor grasp of technology and maths meant there was no chance he could have coped with a secret career in espionage.
It comes after actor and union activist Ricky Tomlinson accused the former Countdown host of conspiring with the Government and orchestrating a plot to have him and a group known as the Shrewsbury 24 jailed.
Tomlinson said a documentary presented by Whiteley, entitled Red Under The Bed, was propaganda designed to influence a jury that went on to convict him for offences linked to the 1972 builders' strike.
The Royle Family star said he has classified documents which show the then prime minister, Sir Edward Heath, and Labour MP Woodrow Wyatt were involved in the conspiracy.
"We found out this week that the film was designed, written, made and paid for by the security services," Tomlinson told the Chester Chronicle.
"Woodrow Wyatt was a member of the security services and, unbelievably, so was Richard Whiteley, who hosted the show."
Apanowicz, who was married to Whiteley for 11 years, branded the claims "ridiculous" and said the family had been in "hysterics".
"Really and truly, Ricky Tomlinson should take a long, hard look at himself and stop casting such stupid aspersions because it's nonsense, he's made himself look a bloody fool," she said.
The actress said Whiteley, who died in 2005 after undergoing heart surgery, "was the most indiscreet person" she knew, and "could not keep a secret for toffee".
"Number one, he had an asthma inhaler so running around and escaping from whoever was chasing after him, he wouldn't be able to do that," she said.
"He couldn't work technology, it's nonsense. In those days, he didn't have an Aston Martin, he had a brown Ford Escort," she added.
"He couldn't do maths - he used to struggle with the Conundrum."
Barack and Michelle Obama Have Signed Highly Anticipated Book Deals
(NEW YORK) — Barack and Michelle Obama have book deals.
The former President and First Lady have signed with Penguin Random House, the publisher announced Tuesday. Financial terms were not disclosed for the books, which several publishers had competed for, although the deals are likely in the tens of millions of dollars.
Both Obamas have published through Crown, a Penguin Random House imprint. But Penguin Random House declined comment on which imprint or imprints the books would be released through.
"We are absolutely thrilled to continue our publishing partnership with President and Mrs. Obama," Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle said in a statement.
"With their words and their leadership, they changed the world, and every day, with the books we publish at Penguin Random House, we strive to do the same. Now, we are very much looking forward to working together with President and Mrs. Obama to make each of their books global publishing events of unprecedented scope and significance."
The Obamas were represented in negotiations by Robert Barnett and Deneen Howell of Williams & Connolly. Barnett has worked on deals with Barack Obama's two immediate predecessors, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and with Michelle Obama's predecessors Hillary Rodham Clinton and Laura Bush.
The Obamas plan to donate a "significant portion" of their author proceeds to charity, including to the Obama Foundation. Barack Obama's book is a strong contender to attract the largest advance for any ex-president; the previous record is believed to be $15 million for Bill Clinton's "My Life."
The unique dual arrangement announced Tuesday is for books that are among the most anticipated in memory from a former president and first lady. Barack Obama is widely regarded as one of the finest prose stylists among modern presidents, and his million-selling "Dreams from My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope" are considered essential to his rise to the White House. Michelle Obama has given few details about her time as first lady: Her only book is about food and gardening, "American Grown," released in 2012. Both Obamas are widely popular with the public in the U.S. and abroad.
Titles and release dates were not immediately available. The books will reflect on the Obamas' White House years, although Penguin Random House declined to give further details. A publishing official with knowledge of the negotiations said that Barack Obama's book will be a straightforward memoir about his presidency, while Michelle Obama plans to write an inspirational work for young people that will draw upon her life story.
The official was not authorized to discuss the negotiations and asked not to be identified.
Presidential memoirs have contributed little to the literary canon, a tradition many believe Barack Obama will change. But recent books have found large audiences: Clinton's "My Life" and George W. Bush's "Decision Points" were million sellers. Books by first ladies, including Hillary Clinton's "Living History," have been dependable best-sellers.
The former President and First Lady have signed with Penguin Random House, the publisher announced Tuesday. Financial terms were not disclosed for the books, which several publishers had competed for, although the deals are likely in the tens of millions of dollars.
Both Obamas have published through Crown, a Penguin Random House imprint. But Penguin Random House declined comment on which imprint or imprints the books would be released through.
"We are absolutely thrilled to continue our publishing partnership with President and Mrs. Obama," Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle said in a statement.
"With their words and their leadership, they changed the world, and every day, with the books we publish at Penguin Random House, we strive to do the same. Now, we are very much looking forward to working together with President and Mrs. Obama to make each of their books global publishing events of unprecedented scope and significance."
The Obamas were represented in negotiations by Robert Barnett and Deneen Howell of Williams & Connolly. Barnett has worked on deals with Barack Obama's two immediate predecessors, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and with Michelle Obama's predecessors Hillary Rodham Clinton and Laura Bush.
The Obamas plan to donate a "significant portion" of their author proceeds to charity, including to the Obama Foundation. Barack Obama's book is a strong contender to attract the largest advance for any ex-president; the previous record is believed to be $15 million for Bill Clinton's "My Life."
The unique dual arrangement announced Tuesday is for books that are among the most anticipated in memory from a former president and first lady. Barack Obama is widely regarded as one of the finest prose stylists among modern presidents, and his million-selling "Dreams from My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope" are considered essential to his rise to the White House. Michelle Obama has given few details about her time as first lady: Her only book is about food and gardening, "American Grown," released in 2012. Both Obamas are widely popular with the public in the U.S. and abroad.
Titles and release dates were not immediately available. The books will reflect on the Obamas' White House years, although Penguin Random House declined to give further details. A publishing official with knowledge of the negotiations said that Barack Obama's book will be a straightforward memoir about his presidency, while Michelle Obama plans to write an inspirational work for young people that will draw upon her life story.
The official was not authorized to discuss the negotiations and asked not to be identified.
Presidential memoirs have contributed little to the literary canon, a tradition many believe Barack Obama will change. But recent books have found large audiences: Clinton's "My Life" and George W. Bush's "Decision Points" were million sellers. Books by first ladies, including Hillary Clinton's "Living History," have been dependable best-sellers.
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