upi--2020-11-09--Chili peppers might extend your life

Chili peppers might extend your life

The spice that adds punch to your favorite Kung Pao chicken , Tex-Mex chili or Indian curry may also help save your life .
Preliminary research shows that eating chili pepper may reduce your risk of death from heart disease , cancer and other causes , building on past studies that have found chili pepper to have health benefits .
`` I think a lot of people are going to find this information quite new and pleasantly surprising , '' said Penny Kris-Etherton , a professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University in College Park , who reviewed the findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio reviewed health and dietary records of more than 570,000 participants in four large studies conducted in the United States , Italy , China and Iran .
The investigators compared health outcomes of people who ate chili pepper to those who rarely or never did .
The upshot : Those who ate chili pepper had a 26 % reduction in death from heart-related causes , a 23 % reduction in cancer death and a 25 % reduction in all-cause mortality during the study period .
Even though dietary and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen in all four countries , said senior author Dr. Bo Xu , a cardiologist .
The findings highlight the impact of diet on overall health , he said .
But what 's the magic in chili peppers ?
The researchers pointed to a chemical component called `` capsaicin '' - which is responsible for the pepper 's spiciness - as a potential explanation for chili 's benefits .
It 's been studied before , Xu noted .
`` People promote it as being something that is anti-inflammatory , anti-cancer and anti-obesity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explains the chili pepper 's apparent health benefits .
But Xu added that further study is needed to confirm it .
Meanwhile , Xu encourages patients in his cardiology practice to eat a Mediterranean diet , which is rich in fruits and vegetables , as well as certain types of nuts , protein , fish and olive oil .
`` Pay attention to your diet because dietary factors can be both positive and negative , '' Xu said .
`` I think it 's really important to pay attention to what you eat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cardiovascular health . ''
Kris-Etherton noted that past studies have shown that capsaicin helps quell growth of cancer cells , which may play a role in reduction of mortality from cancer and all causes .
Chili peppers contain potassium , fiber and vitamins A , B6 and E , she said , noting these can benefit blood pressure .
And adding chili pepper might replace some of the salt a person might otherwise add to food .
Many people - including Americans and people from Asian cultures - eat a very high-salt diet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just cut the salt out , people are looking for seasonings and flavorings , and this may be one that has a double benefit , decreasing the sodium and adding some antioxidants and maybe some bioactive components like capsaicin , '' she said .
But too much of a good thing can also cause problems .
Hot pepper can cause nausea , vomiting , diarrhea and a burning feeling in the gastrointestinal tract , she explained .
If you want to add chili pepper to your diet , Kris-Etherton suggests using it as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them with certain foods .
So , let 's just say they want to make something like guacamole , which is fine , but then pair it with healthy foods , '' Kris-Etherton said .
`` Do n't get your chili peppers by eating a lot of avocado with a ton of chips . ''
The study did n't break down the amount and type of chili pepper that might be needed for health benefits .
Xu also said it 's too early in the research to give dietary guidelines for eating chili @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers are continuing to analyze data and hope to publish the full paper soon .
The preliminary findings are scheduled to be presented at a virtual meeting of the American Heart Association Nov. 13 to 17 .
Learn more about chili peppers and health from the U.S. National Library of Medicine .

Eating chili pepper may reduce your risk of death from heart disease, cancer and other causes, new research found. Photo courtesy of NASA
The spice that adds punch to your favorite Kung Pao chicken, Tex-Mex chili or Indian curry may also help save your life. Preliminary research shows that eating chili pepper may reduce your risk of death from heart disease, cancer and other causes, building on past studies that have found chili pepper to have health benefits. Advertisement
"I think a lot of people are going to find this information quite new and pleasantly surprising," said Penny Kris-Etherton, a professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University in College Park, who reviewed the findings.
For the study, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio reviewed health and dietary records of more than 570,000 participants in four large studies conducted in the United States, Italy, China and Iran. The investigators compared health outcomes of people who ate chili pepper to those who rarely or never did.
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The upshot: Those who ate chili pepper had a 26% reduction in death from heart-related causes, a 23% reduction in cancer death and a 25% reduction in all-cause mortality during the study period.
Even though dietary and cultural practices varied, similar trends were seen in all four countries, said senior author Dr. Bo Xu, a cardiologist. The findings highlight the impact of diet on overall health, he said.
But what's the magic in chili peppers?
The researchers pointed to a chemical component called "capsaicin" - which is responsible for the pepper's spiciness - as a potential explanation for chili's benefits. It's been studied before, Xu noted.
"People promote it as being something that is anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-obesity," he said, speculating that capsaicin explains the chili pepper's apparent health benefits. But Xu added that further study is needed to confirm it.
Meanwhile, Xu encourages patients in his cardiology practice to eat a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits and vegetables, as well as certain types of nuts, protein, fish and olive oil.
"Pay attention to your diet because dietary factors can be both positive and negative," Xu said. "I think it's really important to pay attention to what you eat in terms of promoting your overall and cardiovascular health."
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Kris-Etherton noted that past studies have shown that capsaicin helps quell growth of cancer cells, which may play a role in reduction of mortality from cancer and all causes.
Chili peppers contain potassium, fiber and vitamins A, B6 and E, she said, noting these can benefit blood pressure. And adding chili pepper might replace some of the salt a person might otherwise add to food. Many people - including Americans and people from Asian cultures - eat a very high-salt diet, Kris-Etherton added.
"Rather than just cut the salt out, people are looking for seasonings and flavorings, and this may be one that has a double benefit, decreasing the sodium and adding some antioxidants and maybe some bioactive components like capsaicin," she said.
But too much of a good thing can also cause problems. Hot pepper can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and a burning feeling in the gastrointestinal tract, she explained.
If you want to add chili pepper to your diet, Kris-Etherton suggests using it as a flavoring.
"People could use them with certain foods. So, let's just say they want to make something like guacamole, which is fine, but then pair it with healthy foods," Kris-Etherton said. "Don't get your chili peppers by eating a lot of avocado with a ton of chips."
Advertisement
The study didn't break down the amount and type of chili pepper that might be needed for health benefits. Xu also said it's too early in the research to give dietary guidelines for eating chili peppers to improve health outcomes.
The researchers are continuing to analyze data and hope to publish the full paper soon. The preliminary findings are scheduled to be presented at a virtual meeting of the American Heart Association Nov. 13 to 17.
Learn more about chili peppers and health from the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
SOURCES: Bo Xu, MD, cardiologist, Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio; Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD, professor, nutritional sciences, College of Health and Human Development, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa.; American Heart Association, Scientific Sessions news release, Nov. 9, 2020
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-11-09--Genome editing experiments reveal gene for heat tolerance in corals

Nov. 9 ( UPI ) -- Using the CRISPR-Cas9 technique to precisely alter the genome of Great Barrier Reef coral , scientists identified a gene vital to heat tolerance in the species Acropora millepora .
The discovery , detailed Monday in the journal PNAS , could aid efforts to safeguard coral reef ecosystems from the effects of climate change .
`` We developed an improved CRISPR-Cas9 method that allowed us to test gene function in coral for the first time , '' lead study author Philip Cleves said in a news release .
`` As a proof-of-concept , we used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a key gene that influences the ability of coral to survive heat , '' said Cleves , principle investigator in the department of embryology at the Carnegie Institute for Science .
Coral reefs around the world have been degraded by bleaching events , which have been triggered by longer , more frequent and more intense marine heatwaves .
But not all coral species have suffered equally -- some species have shown a greater resiliency than others .
`` Understanding the genetic traits of heat tolerance of corals holds the key to understanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change naturally but also balancing the benefits , opportunities and risks of novel management tools such as selective breeding and movement of corals among reefs , '' said co-author Line Bay , researcher at the Australian Institute of Marine Science .
Earlier gene-editing technologies were too imprecise to isolate and manipulate individual genes -- and do the kind of experiments that made the latest study possible .
However , the CRISPR-Cas9 system works like surgical scissors , capable of turning off specific genes or swapping them out for alternative snippets of DNA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silenced HSF1 , the Heat Shock Transcription Factor 1 gene , which previous studies have shown plays an important role in the heat tolerance of other organisms .
The modified coral larvae proved healthy when water temperatures in the lab remained stable at 27 degrees Celsius .
When researchers heated the tanks to 34 degrees , however , the coral larvae perished .
`` By removing the gene , and then exposing the coral larvae to heat stress , we demonstrated that the modified coral larvae died whereas the unmodified larvae were unharmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-author Dimitri Perrin .
`` This result shows the key role HSF1 plays in coral coping with rising temperatures , '' said Perrin , a data scientist at the University of Queensland in Australia .
Researchers suggest insights provided by CRISPR-Cas9 -- and even the editing tool itself -- could prove useful to coral reef preservation and restoration efforts .

A colony of Acropora millepora on the Great Barrier Reef. Photo by Australian Institute of Marine Science
Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Using the CRISPR-Cas9 technique to precisely alter the genome of Great Barrier Reef coral, scientists identified a gene vital to heat tolerance in the species Acropora millepora. The discovery, detailed Monday in the journal PNAS, could aid efforts to safeguard coral reef ecosystems from the effects of climate change. Advertisement
"We developed an improved CRISPR-Cas9 method that allowed us to test gene function in coral for the first time," lead study author Philip Cleves said in a news release.
"As a proof-of-concept, we used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to understand the function of a key gene that influences the ability of coral to survive heat," said Cleves, principle investigator in the department of embryology at the Carnegie Institute for Science.
Coral reefs around the world have been degraded by bleaching events, which have been triggered by longer, more frequent and more intense marine heatwaves. But not all coral species have suffered equally -- some species have shown a greater resiliency than others.
"Understanding the genetic traits of heat tolerance of corals holds the key to understanding not only how corals will respond to climate change naturally but also balancing the benefits, opportunities and risks of novel management tools such as selective breeding and movement of corals among reefs," said co-author Line Bay, researcher at the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
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Earlier gene-editing technologies were too imprecise to isolate and manipulate individual genes -- and do the kind of experiments that made the latest study possible.
However, the CRISPR-Cas9 system works like surgical scissors, capable of turning off specific genes or swapping them out for alternative snippets of DNA.
For the new study, scientists silenced HSF1, the Heat Shock Transcription Factor 1 gene, which previous studies have shown plays an important role in the heat tolerance of other organisms.
The modified coral larvae proved healthy when water temperatures in the lab remained stable at 27 degrees Celsius. When researchers heated the tanks to 34 degrees, however, the coral larvae perished.
Conversely, unedited coral larvae persisted, despite the elevated water temperatures.
"By removing the gene, and then exposing the coral larvae to heat stress, we demonstrated that the modified coral larvae died whereas the unmodified larvae were unharmed under the increased temperature," said co-author Dimitri Perrin.
"This result shows the key role HSF1 plays in coral coping with rising temperatures," said Perrin, a data scientist at the University of Queensland in Australia.
Researchers suggest insights provided by CRISPR-Cas9 -- and even the editing tool itself -- could prove useful to coral reef preservation and restoration efforts.


upi--2020-11-09--Azerbaijan admits shooting down Russian helicopter in Armenian airspace

Nov. 9 ( UPI ) -- The Azerbaijan military on Monday admitted its forces had shot down a Russian Mi-24 helicopter in Armenian airspace , killing two crew members , and said it was an accident .
`` The Azerbaijani side apologizes to the Russian side in connection with this tragic incident , which is accidental and was not directed against the Russian side , '' the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement .
The ministry also expressed condolences to the families of the dead crew members and said Azerbaijan `` declares its readiness to pay appropriate compensation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a human-held surface-to-air missile while in Armenian airspace near the Armenian settlement of Yeraskh , near the border with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in Azerbaijan .
The Mi-24 was `` accompanying a vehicle convoy of the 102nd Russian military base , '' the ministry said .
`` The Russian Mi-24 helicopter was downed in the airspace over the territory of the Republic of Armenia outside the combat zone , '' Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov , Russian Defense Ministry spokesman told TASS , the state news agency .
In October , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Azeri clashes spilled into its territory , under a 1997 treaty between the two countries .
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been fighting since Sept. 27 , with Armenia calling for the Nagorno-Karabakh territory to be recognized internationally as an independent state .
Azerbaijan accuses it of wanting to seize more land .
Armenians administer the disputed region , which is located within Azerbaijan 's borders .
Multiple ceasefire agreements have broken down and both sides have accused the other of airstrikes on civilian targets .
Azerbaijan has accepted help from Turkey , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , owned by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan 's son-in-law Selcuk Bayraktar and his family , according to the Financial Times .
Azerbaijan said Monday that the accident happened because the flight took place in the dark , at low altitudes , outside the air defense radar detection zone .
Russian Air Force helicopters have not been seen previously in the area , the Azeri government said .
But Armenia 's government said Azerbaijan was offering `` false and groundless '' attempts to justify the attack and hinted that Russia might be drawn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convinced that the use of force against the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will receive an adequate response , '' the Armenian foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday .

Azerbaijan's foreign ministry apologized Monday for the downing of a Russian Mi-24 helicopter flying near disputed airspace in Armenia which killed two crew members. File Photo by Roman Pilipey/EPA
Nov. 9 (UPI) -- The Azerbaijan military on Monday acknowledged its forces had shot down a Russian Mi-24 helicopter in Armenian airspace, killing two crew members, calling it an accident. "The Azerbaijani side apologizes to the Russian side in connection with this tragic incident, which is accidental and was not directed against the Russian side," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Advertisement
The ministry also expressed condolences to the families of the dead crew members and said Azerbaijan "declares its readiness to pay appropriate compensation."
The helicopter was shot down by a human-held surface-to-air missile in Armenian airspace near the settlement of Yeraskh, near the border with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in Azerbaijan. The Mi-24 was "accompanying a vehicle convoy of the 102nd Russian military base," the ministry said.
"The Russian Mi-24 helicopter was downed in the airspace over the territory of the Republic of Armenia outside the combat zone," Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told TASS, the state news agency.
In October, Russia agreed to aid Armenia if the Azeri clashes spilled into its territory, under a 1997 treaty between the two countries.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been fighting since Sept. 27, with Armenia calling for the Nagorno-Karabakh territory to be recognized internationally as an independent state. Azerbaijan accuses it of wanting to seize more land.
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Armenians administer the disputed region, which is located within Azerbaijan's borders. Multiple cease-fire agreements have broken down and both sides have accused the other of airstrikes on civilian targets.
Azerbaijan has accepted help from Turkey, including buying armed TB2 drones sold by Baykar, owned by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's son-in-law, Selcuk Bayraktar, and his family, according to the Financial Times.
Azerbaijan said Monday the accident happened because the flight took place in the dark, at low altitude, outside the air defense radar detection zone. Russian Air Force helicopters have not been seen previously in the area, the Azeri government said.
But Armenia's government said Azerbaijan was offering "false and groundless" attempts to justify the attack and hinted that Russia might be drawn into the conflict.
"We are convinced that the use of force against the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will receive an adequate response," the Armenian foreign ministry said in a statement Monday.


upi--2020-11-09--Astronauts prepare for most crowded space station in years

ORLANDO , Fla. , Nov. 9 ( UPI ) -- Four astronauts who plan to head to the International Space Station on Saturday from Florida say they anticipate the expansion of science and other activities on the orbiting platform .
Their arrival at the space station would boost the number of astronauts who live there to seven for the first time in years .
Saturday 's launch will be the first time four astronauts fly in a space capsule , and the first routine launch in NASA 's new commercial spaceflight program .
Astronaut Mike Hopkins , spacecraft commander , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already mapped out for the crew 's first week in space on a six-month mission .
`` It 's gon na be exciting to see how much work we 're gon na be able to get done while we 're there , '' Hopkins said Monday at Kennedy Space Center , from which the launch will occur .
`` There 's not a lot of gray space on [ the schedule ] , so I think they 're gon na keep us pretty busy . ''
The new crew will join astronaut Kate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kud-Sverchkov .
The space station only has six sleeping stations , so Hopkins said he plans to sleep in the Crew Dragon capsule , named Resilience .
During the space shuttle era , commanders traditionally slept in the cockpit of that craft , he said .
Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the capsule -- also built by Elon Musk 's SpaceX -- is planned for 7:49 p.m. EST on Saturday to begin the Crew-1 mission , but Tropical Storm Eta 's impact on Florida could delay that launch time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will fly with pilot Victor Glover , 44 , and mission specialists Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi , both 55 .
Noguchi is a Japanese astronaut .
Glover is flying into space for the first time .
He declined to speculate what kind of world he thinks he 'll be returning to given the pending change of leadership in Washington , D.C. '' Unlike the election , you know that 's in the past or at least is receding into the past , whereas this mission is still ahead of me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 'll talk , '' Glover said .
He said the crew was enjoying getting ready .
`` We 're having a lot of good laughs as ... we 're going through a lot of our final preparations , a lot of our final briefings final reviews , '' Hopkins said .
`` I think that ... helps keep the nerves down a little bit , as well . ''
If the crew lifts off on time , it will have a relatively short flight to the space station of about 8 1/2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ground , that could stretch into 24 hours or more .
Since the flight will be the first time four people ride in a Dragon capsule , they will spend some of their time packing and unpacking cargo and personal supplies , Walker said .
The crew will test certain procedures , even if the short flight does n't require them , so future crews know what to expect , she said .
`` It 's the choreography of managing all your stuff , for example when you have to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regular clothes , '' Walker said .
`` Getting everything put away in your spaces ... can be difficult . ''
Walker flew in a Russian Soyuz capsule in 2010 to the space station .
She said Dragon 's crew seating area feels roomier than Soyuz , but the Russian spacecraft can carry a lot of cargo along with people .
SpaceX has said in the past that Dragon could be configured to carry seven astronauts , but Walker said it would seem to her that seven people would n't allow for much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd be room for them but no room for cargo , '' she said .
The previous crewed SpaceX capsule , which returned to Earth on Aug. 2 , was a test flight that carried two astronauts to the space station and spent two months docked to it in orbit .
Besides that mission , astronauts have been launched into space only aboard the Russian Soyuz capsule that carries two or three people from Kazakhstan since the end of the space shuttle program in 2011 .
Hopkins said he did n't think astronauts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous Dragon mission crew members -- would attend the upcoming launch due to pandemic restrictions at the space center .
But he said the two astronauts had offered advice on events and sounds the crew should expect during liftoff and landing .
`` And I will say that my personal favorite [ advice ] was to think about how we were going to pack our food , so we actually rearranged our food to make sure that it was easy to access , '' Hopkins said .

1/3
Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana on Sunday introduces the astronauts planning to lift off at week's end from Florida to the International Space Station: Shannon Walker (L to R), Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi. NASA Photo by Joel Kowsky/UPI | License Photo
ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Four astronauts who plan to head to the International Space Station on Saturday from Florida say they anticipate the expansion of science and other activities on the orbiting platform. Their arrival at the space station would boost the number of astronauts who live there to seven for the first time in years. Saturday's launch will be the first time four astronauts fly in a space capsule, and the first routine launch in NASA's new commercial spaceflight program. Advertisement
Astronaut Mike Hopkins, spacecraft commander, said he's seen a busy schedule already mapped out for the crew's first week in space on a six-month mission.
"It's gonna be exciting to see how much work we're gonna be able to get done while we're there," Hopkins said Monday at Kennedy Space Center, from which the launch will occur. "There's not a lot of gray space on [the schedule], so I think they're gonna keep us pretty busy."
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The new crew will join astronaut Kate Rubins and cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.
The space station only has six sleeping stations, so Hopkins said he plans to sleep in the Crew Dragon capsule, named Resilience. During the space shuttle era, commanders traditionally slept in the cockpit of that craft, he said.
Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the capsule -- also built by Elon Musk's SpaceX -- is planned for 7:49 p.m. EST on Saturday to begin the Crew-1 mission, but Tropical Storm Eta's impact on Florida could delay that launch time, the astronauts said.
Hopkins, 51, will fly with pilot Victor Glover, 44, and mission specialists Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi, both 55. Noguchi is a Japanese astronaut.
Glover is flying into space for the first time. He declined to speculate what kind of world he thinks he'll be returning to given the pending change of leadership in Washington, D.C.
"Unlike the election, you know that's in the past or at least is receding into the past, whereas this mission is still ahead of me, so let's get there and then we'll talk," Glover said.
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He said the crew was enjoying getting ready.
"We're having a lot of good laughs as ... we're going through a lot of our final preparations, a lot of our final briefings final reviews," Hopkins said. "I think that ... helps keep the nerves down a little bit, as well."
If the crew lifts off on time, it will have a relatively short flight to the space station of about 8 1/2 hours. If there is a delay on the ground, that could stretch into 24 hours or more.
Since the flight will be the first time four people ride in a Dragon capsule, they will spend some of their time packing and unpacking cargo and personal supplies, Walker said.
The crew will test certain procedures, even if the short flight doesn't require them, so future crews know what to expect, she said.
"It's the choreography of managing all your stuff, for example when you have to get out of your spacesuit and into your regular clothes," Walker said. "Getting everything put away in your spaces ... can be difficult."
Walker flew in a Russian Soyuz capsule in 2010 to the space station. She said Dragon's crew seating area feels roomier than Soyuz, but the Russian spacecraft can carry a lot of cargo along with people.
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SpaceX has said in the past that Dragon could be configured to carry seven astronauts, but Walker said it would seem to her that seven people wouldn't allow for much space to move around.
"There'd be room for them but no room for cargo," she said.
The previous crewed SpaceX capsule, which returned to Earth on Aug. 2, was a test flight that carried two astronauts to the space station and spent two months docked to it in orbit.
Besides that mission, astronauts have been launched into space only aboard the Russian Soyuz capsule that carries two or three people from Kazakhstan since the end of the space shuttle program in 2011.
Hopkins said he didn't think astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley -- the previous Dragon mission crew members -- would attend the upcoming launch due to pandemic restrictions at the space center.
But he said the two astronauts had offered advice on events and sounds the crew should expect during liftoff and landing.
"And I will say that my personal favorite [advice] was to think about how we were going to pack our food, so we actually rearranged our food to make sure that it was easy to access," Hopkins said.
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20 years aboard the International Space Station
The International Space Station is photographed by Expedition 56 crew members from a Soyuz spacecraft after undocking on October 4, 2018. NASA astronauts Andrew Feustel and Ricky Arnold and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev executed a fly-around of the orbiting laboratory to take pictures of the space station before returning home after spending 197 days in space. Photo courtesy of NASA/Roscosmos


upi--2020-11-09--Man's accidental purchase of identical lottery tickets doubles prize

Nov. 9 ( UPI ) -- An Australian man doubled his lottery prize to more than $ 1.5 million when he accidentally bought two identical tickets for the same drawing .
The Boronia , Victoria , man told The Lott officials he plays the TattsLotto drawing every week on TheLott.com .
`` I did n't realize I had bought the same ticket twice , '' the man told officials .
`` That 's so funny !
I play every week and I usually just press 'play it again . '
I did n't realize I had pressed it twice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the six division one winning tickets for Saturday 's drawing , and ended up with six second-place prizes on his entry , earning him $ 1,537,439.35 .
`` It 's the best mistake ever !
I 'd be happy to make a few more mistakes like this one , '' the man said .
The winner said his numbers were literally hand-picked by his family .
`` We put all of the numbers in the box , and then I asked each of my immediate family members to choose one , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special numbers , but not birthdays or anything , just special because my family helped me choose them . ''

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Nov. 9 (UPI) -- An Australian man doubled his lottery prize to more than $1.5 million when he accidentally bought two identical tickets for the same drawing.
The Boronia, Victoria, man told The Lott officials he plays the TattsLotto drawing every week on TheLott.com.
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"I didn't realize I had bought the same ticket twice," the man told officials. "That's so funny! I play every week and I usually just press 'play it again.' I didn't realize I had pressed it twice."
The man ended up with two of the six division one winning tickets for Saturday's drawing, and ended up with six second-place prizes on his entry, earning him $1,537,439.35.
"It's the best mistake ever! I'd be happy to make a few more mistakes like this one," the man said.
The winner said his numbers were literally hand-picked by his family.
"We put all of the numbers in the box, and then I asked each of my immediate family members to choose one," he said. "So they are special numbers, but not birthdays or anything, just special because my family helped me choose them."


upi--2020-11-09--Study: Hydroxychloroquine no better than placebo for hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Nov. 9 ( UPI ) -- COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine showed no signs of significant improvement in `` clinical status '' compared with those given a placebo , a study published Monday by JAMA found .
Patients given a five-day course of the drug were scored as `` category six '' based on the World Health Organization 's seven-category COVID Ordinal Outcomes Scale , the same as those given a placebo , the researchers said .
Also , 28 days after they started treatment , 10.4 % of those treated with hydroxychloroquine died , just slightly lower than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group .
`` The results show that hydroxychloroquine did not help patients recover from COVID-19 , '' study co-author Dr. Wesley H. Self told UPI .
`` In the study , patients treated with hydroxychloroquine and those treated with a placebo had nearly identical outcomes , [ so ] I do not foresee any role for hydroxychloroquine in acutely ill patients hospitalized with COVID-19 , '' said Self , an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center .
Hydroxychloroquine is an immunosuppressive and anti-parasitic drug that is used to treat malaria .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was touted by President Donald Trump and others as a potential treatment for the virus , despite the lack of any scientific data supporting its use .
Given its effectiveness helping those sickened with malaria -- a mosquito-borne infection -- to recover , `` there was a strong rationale for why hydroxychloroquine may have been beneficial for patients with COVID-19 , '' according to Self .
However , in July , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned against the drug 's use in the treatment of those infected with the new coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effects .
For this study , Self and his colleagues treated 433 COVID-19 patients at 34 hospitals across the United States with either the drug or a placebo for a period of five days .
Patients assigned to the hydroxychloroquine group received 400 milligrams of the drug in pill form twice a day for the first two doses and then 200 mg. in pill form twice a day for the next eight doses , for a total of 10 doses over the five days .
All of the patients were then assessed based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scale , which categorizes those infected according to disease severity .
Most of the patients in both the hydroxycholorquine group and the placebo group were in `` category six , '' meaning they were hospitalized and receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or invasive mechanical ventilation to maintain their breathing , the researchers said .
`` Our results , especially when combined from other studies conducted in the United Kingdom and Brazil , are good evidence that hydroxychloroquine does not provide benefit for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 , '' Self said .

While the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was touted early in the COVID-19 pandemic as a potential treatment, studies have found it has no effect on the infection. Photo by UPI | License Photo
Nov. 9 (UPI) -- COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine showed no signs of significant improvement in "clinical status" compared with those given a placebo, a study published Monday by JAMA found. Patients given a five-day course of the drug were scored as "category six" based on the World Health Organization's seven-category COVID Ordinal Outcomes Scale, the same as those given a placebo, the researchers said. Advertisement
Also, 28 days after they started treatment, 10.4% of those treated with hydroxychloroquine died, just slightly lower than the 10.6% fatality rate in the placebo group.
"The results show that hydroxychloroquine did not help patients recover from COVID-19," study co-author Dr. Wesley H. Self told UPI.
"In the study, patients treated with hydroxychloroquine and those treated with a placebo had nearly identical outcomes, [so] I do not foresee any role for hydroxychloroquine in acutely ill patients hospitalized with COVID-19," said Self, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Hydroxychloroquine is an immunosuppressive and anti-parasitic drug that is used to treat malaria.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, it was touted by President Donald Trump and others as a potential treatment for the virus, despite the lack of any scientific data supporting its use.
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Given its effectiveness helping those sickened with malaria -- a mosquito-borne infection -- to recover, "there was a strong rationale for why hydroxychloroquine may have been beneficial for patients with COVID-19," according to Self.
However, in July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned against the drug's use in the treatment of those infected with the new coronavirus, due to potentially serious heart-related side effects.
For this study, Self and his colleagues treated 433 COVID-19 patients at 34 hospitals across the United States with either the drug or a placebo for a period of five days.
Patients assigned to the hydroxychloroquine group received 400 milligrams of the drug in pill form twice a day for the first two doses and then 200 mg. in pill form twice a day for the next eight doses, for a total of 10 doses over the five days.
All of the patients were then assessed based on the WHO's COVID Ordinal Outcomes Scale, which categorizes those infected according to disease severity.
Most of the patients in both the hydroxycholorquine group and the placebo group were in "category six," meaning they were hospitalized and receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or invasive mechanical ventilation to maintain their breathing, the researchers said.
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"Our results, especially when combined from other studies conducted in the United Kingdom and Brazil, are good evidence that hydroxychloroquine does not provide benefit for patients hospitalized with COVID-19," Self said.


upi--2020-11-09--Watch: World's largest hand-drawn maze covers more than 1,120 square feet

Nov. 9 ( UPI ) -- A Michigan woman said it took her more than three months to finish creating @ @ @ @ @ maze , which measures more than 1,120 square feet .
Michelle Ninley of Detroit said @ @ @ @ @ three months and 10 days of drawing to set the Guinness World Record for the @ @ @ @ @ said her world record attempt raised funds for Living Arts , a Detroit organization that @ @ @ @ @ kids .

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Nov. 9 (UPI) -- A Michigan woman said it took her more than three months to finish creating the world's largest hand-drawn maze, which measures more than 1,120 square feet.
Michelle Ninley of Detroit said it took her a full three months and 10 days of drawing to set the Guinness World Record for the largest hand-drawn maze.
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The finished maze covers a surface area of 1,126.36 square feet.
Nunley said her world record attempt raised funds for Living Arts, a Detroit organization that provides community art programs for kids.


upi--2020-11-09--Hikers find message dropped by carrier pigeon in 1910

Nov. 9 ( UPI ) -- A couple hiking in northeastern France came across an unusual historical artifact -- a carrier pigeon message dating from 110 years earlier .
Jade Halaoui said he was hiking with his partner in the Ingersheim area when they spotted a tiny aluminum cylinder on the ground .
`` I dug it up and I cut it to see what was inside , '' Halaoui recalled to the Les Dernieres Nouvelles d'Alsace newspaper .
Inside was a small piece of paper bearing a message the couple could not make out .
They took it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dominique Jardy enlisted the help of a German-speaking friend to translate the small script .
The message , dated July 16 and believed to have been from the year 1910 , was authored by a Prussian infantry officer and details military drills in the Ingersheim area when Alsace was under German control .
Jardy said the aluminum capsule is believed to have been dropped by the carrier pigeon tasked with delivering it to its intended recipient .
Jardy said the discovery was extremely unusual .
`` It 's really very , very , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's really exceptional . ''
He said the message will now be displayed at the museum .

A message believed to have been dropped by a carrier pigeon in 1910 was found by Jade Halaouiin and his partner while hiking in Ingersheim, northeastern France. Photo by oudba_msi/Pixabay.com
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Nov. 9 (UPI) -- A couple hiking in northeastern France came across an unusual historical artifact -- a carrier pigeon message dating from 110 years earlier. Jade Halaoui said he was hiking with his partner in the Ingersheim area when they spotted a tiny aluminum cylinder on the ground. Advertisement
"I dug it up and I cut it to see what was inside," Halaoui recalled to the Les Dernieres Nouvelles d'Alsace newspaper.
Inside was a small piece of paper bearing a message the couple could not make out. They took it to the Linge Memorial museum, where curator Dominique Jardy enlisted the help of a German-speaking friend to translate the small script.
The message, dated July 16 and believed to have been from the year 1910, was authored by a Prussian infantry officer and details military drills in the Ingersheim area when Alsace was under German control.
Jardy said the aluminum capsule is believed to have been dropped by the carrier pigeon tasked with delivering it to its intended recipient.
Jardy said the discovery was extremely unusual.
"It's really very, very, very rare," he told CNN. "It's really exceptional."
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He said the message will now be displayed at the museum.


upi--2020-11-09--U.S., Poland ratify enhanced defense agreement

Nov. 9 ( UPI ) -- Polish President Andrzej Duda signed an enhanced U.S.-Poland defense cooperation agreement on Monday , saying the union should grow despite political changes .
The agreement calls for establishment of about 5,500 U.S. troops on Polish soil on a revolving basis , and the forward deployment of the U.S. Army 's V Corps in Poznan , Poland .
It reinforces the U.S. military presence in Eastern Europe and provides for expansion of Poland 's defense infrastructure and an increase in joint military exercises , Poland 's Presidential Palace announced on Monday .
Speaking at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the long history of mutual military cooperation , dating to Gen. Thaddeus Kosciusko 's involvement in the American Revolution , through 20th century wars in Europe .
`` I am thinking of the soldiers who died helping Poles in the fight against the Nazi invaders during World War II [ and ] the American airmen who died providing weapons and equipment , for example , to Warsaw insurgents and Polish partisans , '' Duda said .
`` I also think of boys of Polish origin and Polish surnames , who both during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when Poland was behind the Iron Curtain , died in the uniforms of the American army , very often fighting for the freedom of other nations , '' he said .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak agreed to the deal in 2019 .
It came as President Donald Trump , with whom Duda has had a warm relationship , announced a reduction of U.S. troops in Germany .
The agreement was finally negotiated in August 2020 .
`` In American politics , the last days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hot time , as we all know , '' Duda said of the upcoming change of administration in Washington .
`` I would like today 's ratification of the agreement to be a symbol of contemporary Polish-American relations -- calm , independent of all political storms and all political processes , '' Duda said .
`` We act calmly , ratifying this agreement , waiting for the newly elected president of the United States to swear an oath in front of the nation at the right moment and take office , '' he @ @

Polish President Andrzej Duda displays the enhanced defense agreement between the United States and Poland, which signed on Monday in Warsaw. Photo courtesy of Office of the Polish President
Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Polish President Andrzej Duda signed an enhanced U.S.-Poland defense cooperation agreement on Monday, saying the union should grow despite political changes. The agreement calls for establishment of about 5,500 U.S. troops on Polish soil on a revolving basis, and the forward deployment of the U.S. Army's V Corps in Poznan, Poland. Advertisement
It reinforces the U.S. military presence in Eastern Europe and provides for expansion of Poland's defense infrastructure and an increase in joint military exercises, Poland's Presidential Palace announced on Monday.
Speaking at the ratification ceremony in Warsaw, Duda referred to the long history of mutual military cooperation, dating to Gen. Thaddeus Kosciusko's involvement in the American Revolution, through 20th century wars in Europe.
"I am thinking of the soldiers who died helping Poles in the fight against the Nazi invaders during World War II [and] the American airmen who died providing weapons and equipment, for example, to Warsaw insurgents and Polish partisans," Duda said.
"I also think of boys of Polish origin and Polish surnames, who both during World War II, and also later, when Poland was behind the Iron Curtain, died in the uniforms of the American army, very often fighting for the freedom of other nations," he said.
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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak agreed to the deal in 2019.
It came as President Donald Trump, with whom Duda has had a warm relationship, announced a reduction of U.S. troops in Germany. The agreement was finally negotiated in August 2020.
"In American politics, the last days and the last weeks are a very hot time, as we all know," Duda said of the upcoming change of administration in Washington.
"I would like today's ratification of the agreement to be a symbol of contemporary Polish-American relations -- calm, independent of all political storms and all political processes," Duda said. "We act calmly, ratifying this agreement, waiting for the newly elected president of the United States to swear an oath in front of the nation at the right moment and take office," he said.


upi--2020-11-10--Brazil pauses COVID-19 vaccine trial after volunteer dies

Nov. 10 ( UPI ) -- Brazilian officials say they have paused a late-phase trial for a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by China after one of the human test subjects died .
Anvisa , Brazil 's national health surveillance agency , said the `` severe adverse event '' occurred late last month , but did n't specify the circumstances of the volunteer 's death .
Chinese firm Sinovac has been performing the late-stage trial for the potential vaccine , called CoronaVac , in collaboration with the Brazilian Butantan Institute in Sao Paulo .
`` The agency decided to suspend the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far and judge the risk and benefit of continuing the study , '' Sinovac said Monday .
The company said the volunteer 's death was not related to the clinical trial .
`` We learned the head of Butantan Institute believed that this serious adverse event is not related to the vaccine , '' Sinovac said in a statement .
`` We are confident in the safety of the vaccine . ''
`` It 's a death unrelated to the vaccine because there are more than 10,000 volunteers right now , the person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' added Butantan Institute Director Dimas Covas .
`` This never leads to the interruption of a clinical trial .
I ask now that ... these details get clarified . ''
There are dozens of potential coronavirus vaccines presently in development worldwide .
Pfizer said Monday that early data for its final-stage candidate so far indicate that it is about 90 % effective .

Pedestrians wear protective equipment to ward off the coronavirus disease as they walk in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. File Photo by Antonio Lacerda/EPA-EFE
Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Brazilian officials say they have paused a late-phase trial for a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by China after one of the human test subjects died. Anvisa, Brazil's national health surveillance agency, said the "severe adverse event" occurred late last month, but didn't specify the circumstances of the volunteer's death. Advertisement
Chinese firm Sinovac has been performing the late-stage trial for the potential vaccine, called CoronaVac, in collaboration with the Brazilian Butantan Institute in Sao Paulo.
"The agency decided to suspend the study to evaluate the data observed so far and judge the risk and benefit of continuing the study," Sinovac said Monday.
The company said the volunteer's death was not related to the clinical trial.
"We learned the head of Butantan Institute believed that this serious adverse event is not related to the vaccine," Sinovac said in a statement.
"We are confident in the safety of the vaccine."
"It's a death unrelated to the vaccine because there are more than 10,000 volunteers right now, the person can have a traffic accident and die," added Butantan Institute Director Dimas Covas.
"This never leads to the interruption of a clinical trial. I ask now that ... these details get clarified."
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There are dozens of potential coronavirus vaccines presently in development worldwide. Pfizer said Monday that early data for its final-stage candidate so far indicate that it is about 90% effective.


upi--2020-11-10--Animal groups weigh multiple factors before fighting

Nov. 10 ( UPI ) -- Before animals drop their gloves and square off , they assess the situation .
Previous research suggests individuals conduct a kind of crude cost-benefit analysis , taking account of an opponent 's size and strength , recent fight results and the prize 's importance .
In a new paper , published Tuesday in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution , scientists argue research into animal combat has mostly ignored the complexities of group conflict , assuming that larger groups will always prevail .
In reality , rival groups perform complex pre-fight assessments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This includes taking into account the fitness of an opposing group 's members , as well as factors such as group cohesion and teamwork .
`` Any potential fight -- whether between humans or animals -- gets more complex if there are multiple individuals on each side , '' lead study author Patrick Green said in a news release .
`` Groups may assess both the importance of whatever they 're fighting about , and a range of factors about their own group and the opponent , '' said Green , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conservation at the University of Exeter .
Scientists have developed sophisticated analytical frameworks to understand how individual animals assess potential fights .
`` However , studies on group contests among social-living animals have n't generally focused on assessment , '' Green said .
`` Understanding more about this can teach us not only about evolution , but also about conflict in humans . ''
The new study -- a call for researchers to investigate assessment in group conflict -- highlights a variety of phenomena that undermine the assumption that bigger groups of animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but stronger groups of grey wolves with more males , which are bigger than females , often emerge victorious in conflicts with larger groups .
Smaller groups of meerkats with more pups often win fights with larger groups with fewer young , suggesting motivation -- and a responsibility to offspring -- can alter the results of conflict .
According to the new paper , studies have shown turtle ants prioritize the defense of nests with smaller entrances over those with wider , harder-to-defend entrances , suggesting animals consider the odds of victory when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chimpanzee social groups have also shown males are less aggressive within the group when fights with rivals are more likely , suggesting the strength of social bonds plays a role in determining the outcome of fights between rival groups .
`` Researchers have spent years wondering about the extent to which individual fighting animals use 'assessment ' -- effectively , sizing their opponent up , '' said study co-author Mark Briffa , professor of animal behavior at the University of Plymouth .
`` In this paper , we explore the scope for groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
`` This could be a possibility in many examples across the animal kingdom where individuals work collectively , such as battles between rival groups of ants or even warfare between rival groups in humans . ''

Smaller groups of meerkats with more pups can sometimes defeat larger rival groups, apparently motivated by their responsibility to the next generation. Photo by PickPik /CC
Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Before animals drop their gloves and square off, they assess the situation. Previous research suggests individuals conduct a kind of crude cost-benefit analysis, taking account of an opponent's size and strength, recent fight results and the prize's importance. In a new paper, published Tuesday in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, scientists argue research into animal combat has mostly ignored the complexities of group conflict, assuming that larger groups will always prevail. Advertisement
In reality, rival groups perform complex pre-fight assessments, just as individuals do, researchers argue. This includes taking into account the fitness of an opposing group's members, as well as factors such as group cohesion and teamwork.
"Any potential fight -- whether between humans or animals -- gets more complex if there are multiple individuals on each side," lead study author Patrick Green said in a news release.
"Groups may assess both the importance of whatever they're fighting about, and a range of factors about their own group and the opponent," said Green, a researcher with the Center for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter.
Scientists have developed sophisticated analytical frameworks to understand how individual animals assess potential fights.
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"However, studies on group contests among social-living animals haven't generally focused on assessment," Green said. "Understanding more about this can teach us not only about evolution, but also about conflict in humans."
The new study -- a call for researchers to investigate assessment in group conflict -- highlights a variety of phenomena that undermine the assumption that bigger groups of animals necessarily prevail.
For example, smaller but stronger groups of grey wolves with more males, which are bigger than females, often emerge victorious in conflicts with larger groups.
Smaller groups of meerkats with more pups often win fights with larger groups with fewer young, suggesting motivation -- and a responsibility to offspring -- can alter the results of conflict.
According to the new paper, studies have shown turtle ants prioritize the defense of nests with smaller entrances over those with wider, harder-to-defend entrances, suggesting animals consider the odds of victory when faced with group conflict.
Studies of chimpanzee social groups have also shown males are less aggressive within the group when fights with rivals are more likely, suggesting the strength of social bonds plays a role in determining the outcome of fights between rival groups.
"Researchers have spent years wondering about the extent to which individual fighting animals use 'assessment' -- effectively, sizing their opponent up," said study co-author Mark Briffa, professor of animal behavior at the University of Plymouth. "In this paper, we explore the scope for groups of rivals to do a similar thing."
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"This could be a possibility in many examples across the animal kingdom where individuals work collectively, such as battles between rival groups of ants or even warfare between rival groups in humans."


upi--2020-11-10--In Photos: President-elect Joe Biden, VP-elect Kamala Harris deliver victory speeches

`` It 's time to put away the harsh rhetoric , lower the temperature , see each other again , @ @ @ @ @ '' Biden told an audience outside the Chase Center in Wilmington .
Photo by Pat @

"It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other," Biden told an audience outside the Chase Center in Wilmington. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI


upi--2020-11-10--Watch: Luke Combs on 'perfect' wedding to Nicole Hocking

Nov. 10 ( UPI ) -- Luke Combs says his wedding turned out `` perfect '' despite the COVID-19 pandemic .
The 30-year-old country music singer discussed his wedding to Nicole Hocking during Monday 's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live !
.
Combs and Hocking married at an intimate wedding in Florida in August .
The couple were forced to change their wedding plans at the last minute due to the health crisis .
`` We had to change venues a week before the wedding , so that was really interesting , '' Combs said .
`` The city where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the week before our wedding . ''
Combs and Hocking were forced to cut their guest list from 175 to 50 people , but Combs said their friends and family were understanding .
`` It relieved a little bit of pressure , because I think there was a lot of people who felt like they would let us down if they did n't go , '' the star said .
`` It ended up being really great .
Everybody that we wanted -- almost everybody that we wanted to be there -- was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , man .
It 's really about me and her being there , '' he added .
Combs said he and Hocking did not write their own vows because Hocking was concerned Combs would have an advantage as a songwriter .
The couple have not had an official honeymoon but have been enjoying time together at home .
`` I guess , in a way , we 've been hanging out together for the last eight months .
I mean everyday , so that 's been really great , '' Combs said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ got to do a lot over the last four or five years , is spend the amount of quality time that I wanted to do with her .
That 's been fantastic to have . ''
Combs previously said on Instagram that his wedding was `` the best day '' of his life .
`` Yesterday was the best day of my life .
I got to marry my best friend .
I love you @ nicohocking , here 's to forever , '' he wrote .
Combs released his second studio album @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Get , in November 2019 .
He is nominated and will perform at the Country Music Association Awards , which air Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on ABC .

Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Luke Combs says his wedding turned out "perfect" despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 30-year-old country music singer discussed his wedding to Nicole Hocking during Monday's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
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Combs and Hocking married at an intimate wedding in Florida in August. The couple were forced to change their wedding plans at the last minute due to the health crisis.
"We had to change venues a week before the wedding, so that was really interesting," Combs said. "The city where we got married, they imposed regulations the week before our wedding."
Combs and Hocking were forced to cut their guest list from 175 to 50 people, but Combs said their friends and family were understanding.
"It relieved a little bit of pressure, because I think there was a lot of people who felt like they would let us down if they didn't go," the star said. "It ended up being really great. Everybody that we wanted -- almost everybody that we wanted to be there -- was there."
"It was perfect, man. It's really about me and her being there," he added.
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Combs said he and Hocking did not write their own vows because Hocking was concerned Combs would have an advantage as a songwriter. The couple have not had an official honeymoon but have been enjoying time together at home.
"I guess, in a way, we've been hanging out together for the last eight months. I mean everyday, so that's been really great," Combs said. "That's not something that I got to do a lot over the last four or five years, is spend the amount of quality time that I wanted to do with her. That's been fantastic to have."
Combs previously said on Instagram that his wedding was "the best day" of his life.
"Yesterday was the best day of my life. I got to marry my best friend. I love you @nicohocking, here's to forever," he wrote.
Combs released his second studio album, What You See is What You Get, in November 2019. He is nominated and will perform at the Country Music Association Awards, which air Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.


upi--2020-11-10--EU says Amazon 'distorting' competition among third-party sellers

Nov. 10 ( UPI ) -- The European Union on Tuesday charged online retailer Amazon with abusing its dominant position to distort competition , which the bloc said is a violation of antitrust laws .
European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said an investigation found that Amazon takes advantage of its market-leader status and uses non-public business data against independent , third-party sellers that steers business to its own products , or to preferred vendors .
`` We must ensure that dual role platforms with market power , such as Amazon , do not distort competition , '' Vestager said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity of third party sellers should not be used to the benefit of Amazon when it acts as a competitor to these sellers . ''
Competition among Amazon vendors , she said , must be fair .
`` Its rules should not artificially favor Amazon 's own retail offers or advantage the offers of retailers using Amazon 's logistics and delivery services , '' she added .
`` With e-commerce booming , and Amazon being the leading e-commerce platform , a fair and undistorted access to consumers online is important for all sellers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inquiry found that `` very large quantities of non-public seller data '' are available to Amazon , which it unfairly leverages to `` calibrate '' its own private-label offerings at the expense of third-party sellers .
Amazon countered that its presence in the digital consumer marketplace has spurred , not hindered , competition .
`` Amazon represents less than 1 % of the global retail market , and there are larger retailers in every country in which we operate , '' the company said .
`` There are more than 150,000 European businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of billions of euros in revenues annually and have created hundreds of thousands of jobs . ''
The EU also said it 's looking into accusations that Amazon gives preferential treatment to its own retail offerings and those of marketplace sellers who use its logistics and delivery services .

Amazon responded to the charges by saying its presence in the digital consumer marketplace has spurred, not hindered, competition. File Photo by Friedemann Vogel/EPA-EFE
Nov. 10 (UPI) -- The European Union on Tuesday charged online retailer Amazon with abusing its dominant position to distort competition, which the bloc said is a violation of antitrust laws. European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said an investigation found that Amazon takes advantage of its market-leader status and uses non-public business data against independent, third-party sellers that steers business to its own products, or to preferred vendors. Advertisement
"We must ensure that dual role platforms with market power, such as Amazon, do not distort competition," Vestager said in a statement. "Data on the activity of third party sellers should not be used to the benefit of Amazon when it acts as a competitor to these sellers."
Competition among Amazon vendors, she said, must be fair.
"Its rules should not artificially favor Amazon's own retail offers or advantage the offers of retailers using Amazon's logistics and delivery services," she added. "With e-commerce booming, and Amazon being the leading e-commerce platform, a fair and undistorted access to consumers online is important for all sellers."
The 27-member alliance said the inquiry found that "very large quantities of non-public seller data" are available to Amazon, which it unfairly leverages to "calibrate" its own private-label offerings at the expense of third-party sellers.
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Amazon countered that its presence in the digital consumer marketplace has spurred, not hindered, competition.
"Amazon represents less than 1% of the global retail market, and there are larger retailers in every country in which we operate," the company said.
"There are more than 150,000 European businesses selling through our stores that generate tens of billions of euros in revenues annually and have created hundreds of thousands of jobs."
The EU also said it's looking into accusations that Amazon gives preferential treatment to its own retail offerings and those of marketplace sellers who use its logistics and delivery services.


upi--2020-11-10--North Korea maintains silence on U.S. presidential election

Nov. 10 ( UPI ) -- North Korea 's silence on the outcome of the U.S. presidential election is drawing the attention of South Korean authorities , as President-elect Joe Biden begins his transition and President Donald Trump refuses to concede his loss .
A South Korean unification ministry official told local reporters Tuesday the government confirms Pyongyang has `` not shown any official reaction '' to the news of Biden 's victory , Newsis reported .
The ministry also said it is monitoring the reactions of China and Russia , two of North Korea 's closest partners .
Neither @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since Saturday , when Biden became the projected winner .
North Korea has varied in the timing of its response to past U.S. elections .
In 2016 , Pyongyang was relatively quick to report on the defeat of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton .
Korean Workers ' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun claimed on Nov. 10 of that year President Barack Obama 's strategy of `` strategic patience '' toward North Korea had `` failed , '' a day after reporting Trump 's win , or immediately after the election .
North Korea also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her concession speech .
On Tuesday , the unification ministry official said North Korea could be holding back from reporting the U.S. election result possibly because there has been `` no concession speech '' from Trump .
But the official also said that observation is `` not conclusive , '' and that the ministry is monitoring trends in `` neighboring countries , China and Russia . ''
On Monday , as world leaders sent their messages to Biden , North Korea media skipped any mention of the United States , according to Yonhap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absent from the public eye , with his most recent appearance in October , when he paid a silent tribute to Chinese soldiers who fought in the Korean War .
Pyongyang has cut back significantly on overt military provocations in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic .
North Korea continues to report to the World Health Organization there are no cases of COVID-19 in the country .
The regime has tested 12,072 people by Oct. 29 with no positive results , according to Edwin Salvador , the WHO representative to North Korea , Radio @ @ @ @ @

North Korea has stayed quiet following the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, as President Donald Trump (R) has declined to deliver a concession speech. File Photo by Shealah Craighead/White House | License Photo
Nov. 10 (UPI) -- North Korea's silence on the outcome of the U.S. presidential election is drawing the attention of South Korean authorities, as President-elect Joe Biden begins his transition and President Donald Trump refuses to concede his loss. A South Korean unification ministry official told local reporters Tuesday the government confirms Pyongyang has "not shown any official reaction" to the news of Biden's victory, Newsis reported. Advertisement
The ministry also said it is monitoring the reactions of China and Russia, two of North Korea's closest partners. Neither Beijing nor Moscow has congratulated the president-elect since Saturday, when Biden became the projected winner.
North Korea has varied in the timing of its response to past U.S. elections. In 2016, Pyongyang was relatively quick to report on the defeat of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Korean Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun claimed on Nov. 10 of that year President Barack Obama's strategy of "strategic patience" toward North Korea had "failed," a day after reporting Trump's win, or immediately after the election. North Korea also reported the outcome only after Clinton delivered her concession speech.
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On Tuesday, the unification ministry official said North Korea could be holding back from reporting the U.S. election result possibly because there has been "no concession speech" from Trump.
But the official also said that observation is "not conclusive," and that the ministry is monitoring trends in "neighboring countries, China and Russia."
On Monday, as world leaders sent their messages to Biden, North Korea media skipped any mention of the United States, according to Yonhap. Kim Jong Un has also been absent from the public eye, with his most recent appearance in October, when he paid a silent tribute to Chinese soldiers who fought in the Korean War.
Pyongyang has cut back significantly on overt military provocations in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
North Korea continues to report to the World Health Organization there are no cases of COVID-19 in the country. The regime has tested 12,072 people by Oct. 29 with no positive results, according to Edwin Salvador, the WHO representative to North Korea, Radio Free Asia reported Monday.


upi--2020-11-10--'Quiet Place' spin-off in the works with Jeff Nichols at the helm

Nov. 10 ( UPI ) -- Loving , Mud and Midnight Special filmmaker Jeff Nichols has signed on to write @ @ @ @ @ A Quiet Place film franchise .
Variety said the movie will be based on an @ @ @ @ @ , who wrote and directed the first two films about survivors of a contemporary alien @ @ @ @ @ Paramount Pictures project is set for release in 2022 .
No details about the story @ @ @ @ @ casting has been announced yet .
The first film opened in 2018 .
It starred @ @ @ @ @ , actress Emily Blunt , as the parents of three children trapped in an upstate @ @ @ @ @ , sound-sensitive , people-eating creatures .
Blunt and the kids returned for the sequel , @ @ @ @ @ theaters on April 23 .

1/2
Jeff Nichols, seen here with his wife Missy, is set to write and direct a third "A Quiet Place" film for Paramount. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Loving, Mud and Midnight Special filmmaker Jeff Nichols has signed on to write a third installment in the A Quiet Place film franchise. Variety said the movie will be based on an original idea from John Krasinski, who wrote and directed the first two films about survivors of a contemporary alien invasion. Advertisement
Deadline reported the Paramount Pictures project is set for release in 2022.
No details about the story have been released and no casting has been announced yet.
The first film opened in 2018. It starred Krasinski and his real-life wife, actress Emily Blunt, as the parents of three children trapped in an upstate New York farmhouse by enormous, sound-sensitive, people-eating creatures.
Blunt and the kids returned for the sequel, which is due out in theaters on April 23.


upi--2020-11-10--Watch live: Former deputy Andrew McCabe testifies in review of FBI Russia inquiry

Nov. 10 ( UPI ) -- Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe will testify Tuesday before the Senate judiciary committee in the fourth stage of the panel 's investigation into the origins of the bureau 's Russia investigation .
McCabe is the only witness scheduled to testify at the hearing , `` Oversight of the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation , '' which will begin at 11 a.m. EST .
`` Crossfire Hurricane '' was the code name given to the FBI investigation that examined possible links between Trump 's campaign and Moscow and whether there was collusion to defeat Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago .
McCabe , who was fired by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions two days before his scheduled retirement in early 2018 , was originally set to appear before the committee last month but the session was postponed after several Republican senators tested positive for COVID-19 .
Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham and Republican panel members are examining the FBI 's investigation to see if its origins were politically motivated .
In a report last year , Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz found no political bias in the FBI 's maneuvers -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among them , he said , the FBI did not meet its responsibility of `` heightened candor '' when it gave Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants for then-Trump campaign aide Carter Page .
Horowitz looked into the matter after complaints by President Donald Trump that the bureau unlawfully spied on members of his 2016 campaign and were motivated to help Clinton .
His inquiry found no evidence to support those claims .
To date , there have been three hearings before the committee on the matter .
During the most recent , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defended the bureau 's actions under his leadership .
Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates testified before the committee in August and former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appeared in June .
Like Comey , his former boss at the bureau , McCabe defended the investigation in prepared remarks ahead of Tuesday 's hearing .
`` We did n't open a [ bias ] case because we liked one candidate or did n't like the other one , '' he said .
`` We did n't open a case because we intended to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We did n't open a case because we thought it might be interesting or because we wanted to drag the FBI into a heated political contest .
`` We opened a case to find out how the Russians might be undermining our elections . ''
Federal officials have said Russian actors also made efforts to intervene in the 2020 presidential election , in which former Vice President Joe Biden defeated Trump .
He will take office in January .

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Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe testified that officials believed President Donald Trump "might himself pose a danger to national security" as the bureau was investigating his campaign's links to Russia. Pool Photo by Susan Walsh/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe testified Tuesday that the bureau had reason to believe President Donald Trump was a threat to national security as he defended its investigation into the president and his campaign's alleged links to Russia. Appearing before the Senate judiciary committee, McCabe cited Trump's decision to fire then-FBI Director James Comey in May 2017 after he refused to close an investigation into Trump's then-national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Advertisement
"It became pretty clear to us that he did not want us to continue investigating what the Russians had done," McCabe said. "We had many reasons at that point to believe that the president might himself pose a danger to national security and that he might have engaged in obstruction of justice if the firing of the director and those other things were geared towards eliminating or stopping our investigation of Russian activity."
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The FBI investigation examined possible links between Trump's campaign and Moscow and whether there was collusion to defeat Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
McCabe, who was fired by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions two days before his scheduled retirement in early 2018, was originally set to appear before the committee last month but the session was postponed after several Republican senators tested positive for COVID-19.
Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham and Republican panel members are examining the FBI's investigation to see if its origins were politically motivated.
McCabe on Tuesday denied that politics played a role in the investigation.
"We didn't open a case because we liked one candidate or didn't like the other one," he said. "We didn't open a case because we intended to stage a coup or overthrow the government ... we opened a case to find out how the Russians might be undermining our elections. We opened a case because it was our obligation -- our duty -- to do so. We did our job."
In a report last year, Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz found no political bias in the FBI's maneuvers -- but said there were some errors. Among them, he said, the FBI did not meet its responsibility of "heightened candor" when it gave Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants to wiretap then-Trump campaign aide Carter Page.
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McCabe said he would not have approved the surveillance warrant for Page if he was aware of the errors.
"I was shocked and disappointed at the errors and mistakes that the [inspector general] found," he said. "To me, any material misrepresentation or error in a [wiretap] application is unacceptable. Period."
Graham asked McCabe who was "responsible for ruining Carter Page's life" to which McCabe responded, "We are all responsible for the work that went into that [warrant]."
Horowitz looked into the matter after complaints by Trump that the bureau unlawfully spied on members of his 2016 campaign and were motivated to help Clinton. His inquiry found no evidence to support those claims.
To date, there have been three hearings before the committee on the matter. During the most recent, in September, Comey defended the bureau's actions under his leadership.
Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates testified before the committee in August and former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appeared in June.
Federal officials have said Russian actors also made efforts to intervene in the 2020 presidential election, in which former Vice President Joe Biden defeated Trump. He will take office in January, though Trump has yet to concede the election.


upi--2020-11-10--In photos: Notable deaths of 2020

In photos: Notable deaths of 2020

James Redford ( L ) arrives with his father , Robert Redford , at the September 13 , 1999 New @ @ @ @ @ documentary `` The Kindness of Strangers '' in New York City on September 13 , @ @ @ @ @ known for producing documentaries about health and the environment , died of bile duct cancer @ @ @ @ @ age of 58 .
Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI

Dawn Wells
Dawn Wells poses with the original, fully restored S.S. Minnow from "Gilligan's Island" to meet and greet fans and visitors at the Vancouver International Boat Show in Vancouver on January 23, 2014. Best known for her role as Mary Ann from "Gilligan's Island," Wells died of COVID-19 on December 30 at the age of 82. Photo by Heinz Ruckemann/UPI


upi--2020-11-10--Longtime Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat dies of COVID-19 at 65

Nov. 10 ( UPI ) -- Saeb Erekat , one of the most prominent names in Palestinian peace efforts over the past four decades , died of COVID-19 on Tuesday .
He was 65 .
Erekat , who also served as a Palestinian spokesman and peace negotiator , died just weeks after he was first diagnosed with the coronavirus .
He 'd previously had other medical ailments , including a lung transplant in 2017 while he fought a bacteria infection and a weakened immune system .
`` The departure of a brother and a friend , of the great fighter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great loss for Palestine and our people , and we are deeply saddened , '' Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday .
Erekat , who was educated in the United States and Britain , was born in Jerusalem and grew up in the West Bank .
He earned his doctorate degree in conflict resolution and long advocated for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on 1967 borders .
Erekat also served as secretary-general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization 's executive committee , was a member of the Fatah Party Central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called him a `` patriotic leader . ''
`` Dr. Saeb dedicated his life to the service of the Palestinian people and cause , '' executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi said .
`` Erekat will be remembered for his indefatigable and tireless dedication and commitment to achieving peace and freedom for the Palestinian people . ''
Erekat at times clashed with Palestinian leaders over negotiations with Israel .
Some Israeli officials found Erekat uncompromising while some Palestinians criticized him for not delivering a Palestinian state .
`` He was extremely knowledgeable , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiator Gilad Sher said .
`` He was not a simple negotiator [ to deal with ] .
But I always believed that behind that lay the desire to advance the Palestinians ' interest , and , yes , to come to an agreement . ''

1/3
Longtime Palestinian peace negotiator Dr. Saeb Erekay sits in his office in the PLO headquarters in Ramallah, West Bank, September 17, 2018. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Saeb Erekat, one of the most prominent names in Palestinian peace efforts over the past four decades, died of COVID-19 on Tuesday. He was 65. Erekat, who also served as a Palestinian spokesman and peace negotiator, died just weeks after he was first diagnosed with the coronavirus. He'd previously had other medical ailments, including a lung transplant in 2017 while he fought a bacteria infection and a weakened immune system. Advertisement
"The departure of a brother and a friend, of the great fighter, Dr. Saeb Erekat, is a great loss for Palestine and our people, and we are deeply saddened," Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday.
Erekat, who was educated in the United States and Britain, was born in Jerusalem and grew up in the West Bank. He earned his doctorate degree in conflict resolution and long advocated for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on 1967 borders.
Erekat also served as secretary-general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization's executive committee, was a member of the Fatah Party Central Committee and a prominent academic. Abbas called him a "patriotic leader."
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"Dr. Saeb dedicated his life to the service of the Palestinian people and cause," executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi said.
"Erekat will be remembered for his indefatigable and tireless dedication and commitment to achieving peace and freedom for the Palestinian people."
Erekat at times clashed with Palestinian leaders over negotiations with Israel. Some Israeli officials found Erekat uncompromising while some Palestinians criticized him for not delivering a Palestinian state.
"He was extremely knowledgeable, with an incredible memory," Israeli senior negotiator Gilad Sher said.
"He was not a simple negotiator [to deal with]. But I always believed that behind that lay the desire to advance the Palestinians' interest, and, yes, to come to an agreement."
Notable deaths of 2020


upi--2020-11-10--ITV orders 'Manhunt II' with Martin Clunes

Nov. 10 ( UPI ) -- ITV said Tuesday it has ordered Manhunt II : The Night Stalker , a four-part drama starring Martin Clunes , and plans to air it in 2021 .
The miniseries is the followup to 2018 's Manhunt , which featured Clunes as real-life London police detective Colin Sutton .
Clunes will reprise the role in Manhunt II : The Night Stalker , which is based on the true case of a rapist , `` whose 17-year reign of terror left thousands of elderly people in southeast London living in fear , '' a press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Ed Whitmore whose credits include the first season of Manhunt , as well as episodes of Silent Witness , Rillington Place and Strike Back .
`` I 'm delighted that Martin Clunes will play DCI Colin Sutton once again , taking on a case that had gone unsolved for almost two decades , '' Polly Hill , ITV 's head of drama , said in a statement .
`` The team behind the first Manhunt -- Ed Whitmore , Marc Evans , along with Buffalo and Philippa Braithwaite -- will make sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a truly shocking crime that affected so many families . ''
ITV recently announced the upcoming 10th season of Clunes ' other drama , Doc Martin , would be its last .

Martin Clunes is returning for a second season of "Manhunt." Photo courtesy of ITV
Nov. 10 (UPI) -- ITV said Tuesday it has ordered Manhunt II: The Night Stalker, a four-part drama starring Martin Clunes, and plans to air it in 2021. The miniseries is the followup to 2018's Manhunt, which featured Clunes as real-life London police detective Colin Sutton. Advertisement
Clunes will reprise the role in Manhunt II: The Night Stalker, which is based on the true case of a rapist, "whose 17-year reign of terror left thousands of elderly people in southeast London living in fear," a press release said.
The sequel was written by Ed Whitmore whose credits include the first season of Manhunt, as well as episodes of Silent Witness, Rillington Place and Strike Back.
"I'm delighted that Martin Clunes will play DCI Colin Sutton once again, taking on a case that had gone unsolved for almost two decades," Polly Hill, ITV's head of drama, said in a statement.
"The team behind the first Manhunt -- Ed Whitmore, Marc Evans, along with Buffalo and Philippa Braithwaite -- will make sure this is another compelling and respectful dramatization of a truly shocking crime that affected so many families."
ITV recently announced the upcoming 10th season of Clunes' other drama, Doc Martin, would be its last.


upi--2020-11-10--Cruelty is a byword for the Iranian regime

Nov. 10 ( UPI ) -- Last week , a horrific video went viral on social media inside Iran .
It showed the police torturing a young man in public , on a street in the city of Mashhad , the second-most populous city in Iran .
Police had been called to the home of Mehrdad Sepheri following a domestic dispute .
They handcuffed the young man to a pole on the street and continued to beat and taser the helpless man and spray him with pepper spray , in full view of the public .
Men , women and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people filmed this atrocity as it happened .
Sepheri fell to the ground in agony and tried to bury his face in his handcuffed arms , but a policeman forced the pepper spray cannister up against his eyes and blasted him again and again .
You could see the policeman fetch his taser from his police motorbike and continue to inflict repeated jolts on the screaming victim .
Sepheri died on his way to the hospital in a police car .
A doctor confirmed that he had been suffocated by pepper spray .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the morgue and videoed the numerous torture marks on his hands , stomach , chest , neck and head .
The entire video was posted on social media in Iran and caused public outrage .
Sadly , as we all know , the death of Sepheri is symptomatic of a regime for whom human rights is a joke .
Cruelty has become a byword for this fascist dictatorship .
The misogynistic regime holds pole position as the world 's leading executioner .
Under the so-called `` moderate '' presidency of Hassan Rouhani , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including 109 women and many prisoners who were children at the time of their arrest .
Under Rouhani 's instructions , the regime 's security forces shot and killed more than 1,500 protesters during a nationwide uprising in November 2019 .
More than 4,000 were wounded and over 12,000 protesters were arrested .
Many have been tortured into making false confessions and several have been executed .
Hundreds more are on death row .
The mullahs ' fascist dictatorship is in crisis .
They are facing another nationwide uprising , which will likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In their twisted reasoning , their only chance of survival is to increase repression .
But this has forced them into a deadly cycle .
The more they brutalize their own people , the greater the public backlash .
With skyrocketing food prices , the collapse of the rial -- Iran 's currency -- and the economy in freefall , a perfect storm is brewing .
People no longer know if they will have a job next week or next month .
Eighty million Iranians have watched in dismay as the mullahs have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control .
The regime claims that 36,000 have died of COVID-19 , but the true figures carefully compiled daily by the MEK resistance movement , which has units in every town and city in Iran , gives a reading of 147,000 deaths , almost four times greater .
Now the only question confronting the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is how long can the status quo last ?
He is praying that Joe Biden , when he assumes the presidency and enters the White House in January , will quickly restore Barack Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Action , the nuclear deal that was unceremoniously dumped by Donald Trump .
He will also hope that Biden will lift the sanctions , which prevented Iran from selling oil , crippling its economy .
Biden has repeatedly confirmed that this is his top foreign policy priority .
It will be a grave mistake .
President Biden need not think that lifting sanctions will put food back on the table for impoverished Iranians .
In fact , it will enable Khamenei to reinforce his funding of Bashar al-Assad 's bloody civil war in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the brutal Shi'ia militias in Iraq and the terrorist Hezbollah in Lebanon .
It will also enable the mullahs to accelerate their development of a nuclear weapon and ballistic missile delivery systems , which have never ceased .
At a press conference in Washington on Oct. 16 , the National Council of Resistance of Iran issued a report revealing the fact that authorities in charge of nuclear weaponization in Iran have established an entirely new site in the Sorkheh-Hessar region to the east of Tehran .
The report outlined how this top-secret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a military ballistic missile manufacturing complex .
Work began on the complex in 2012 and the project became fully functional in 2017 , dates that clearly overlap the implementation of the JCPOA and therefore debunk the regime 's claims that their nuclear activity has always been exclusively peaceful .
It is worth noting also that the NCRI was the organization that first alerted the international community to the existence of a belligerent nuclear program in Iran , so their reports are renowned for their accuracy .
In a well-publicized press conference in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the NCRI revealed the existence of two secret sites -- a uranium enrichment site in Natanz and a plutonium-producing heavy water facility in Arak -- and details of the regime 's nuclear activities , which had remained secret for 17 years and had not previously been uncovered by Western intelligence agencies .
Information on the Natanz site included the existence of two 25,000 square meters of underground tunnels and halls .
Eventually , worldwide pressure forced the Iranian regime to show the two sites to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was exposed .
The revelation in 2002 and repeated revelations over the past 18 years , thanks to high-risk and detailed intelligence by units of the Iranian resistance and other sources , have demonstrated that the regime has consistently striven toward the production of a nuclear weapon .
Clearly , the JCPOA has been an abject failure from the outset and should never be reintroduced .
As the first anniversary of the November 2019 nationwide uprising looms , Iran has become a bubbling cauldron of dissent and anger .
The rapid spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burning fire of the people 's rage .
Further attempts by the regime to crush protests with brute violence and threats will likely backfire and may ignite the revolution that will finally end the fascist dictatorship and restore peace freedom , justice and democracy to this troubled land .
Struan Stevenson is the coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change .
He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland ( 1999-2014 ) , president of the Parliament 's Delegation for Relations with Iraq ( 2009-14 ) and chairman of the Friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and is also president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association .

A man reads a copy of Iranian daily newspaper Sobhe Nou with a cartoon depicting U.S. President Donald J. Trump in front of a newsstand in Tehran, Iran on Saturday. Photo by Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA-EFE
Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Last week, a horrific video went viral on social media inside Iran. It showed the police torturing a young man in public, on a street in the city of Mashhad, the second-most populous city in Iran. Police had been called to the home of Mehrdad Sepheri following a domestic dispute. They handcuffed the young man to a pole on the street and continued to beat and taser the helpless man and spray him with pepper spray, in full view of the public. Men, women and children looked on in horror. Many people filmed this atrocity as it happened. Sepheri fell to the ground in agony and tried to bury his face in his handcuffed arms, but a policeman forced the pepper spray cannister up against his eyes and blasted him again and again. You could see the policeman fetch his taser from his police motorbike and continue to inflict repeated jolts on the screaming victim. Sepheri died on his way to the hospital in a police car. A doctor confirmed that he had been suffocated by pepper spray. His brother later identified his body in the morgue and videoed the numerous torture marks on his hands, stomach, chest, neck and head. The entire video was posted on social media in Iran and caused public outrage. Advertisement Advertisement
Sadly, as we all know, the death of Sepheri is symptomatic of a regime for whom human rights is a joke. Cruelty has become a byword for this fascist dictatorship. The misogynistic regime holds pole position as the world's leading executioner. Under the so-called "moderate" presidency of Hassan Rouhani, over 4,300 people have been hanged, including 109 women and many prisoners who were children at the time of their arrest.
Under Rouhani's instructions, the regime's security forces shot and killed more than 1,500 protesters during a nationwide uprising in November 2019. More than 4,000 were wounded and over 12,000 protesters were arrested. Many have been tortured into making false confessions and several have been executed. Hundreds more are on death row.
The mullahs' fascist dictatorship is in crisis. They are facing another nationwide uprising, which will likely end their oppressive reign of terror. In their twisted reasoning, their only chance of survival is to increase repression. But this has forced them into a deadly cycle. The more they brutalize their own people, the greater the public backlash. With skyrocketing food prices, the collapse of the rial -- Iran's currency -- and the economy in freefall, a perfect storm is brewing. People no longer know if they will have a job next week or next month.
Advertisement
Eighty million Iranians have watched in dismay as the mullahs have allowed the coronavirus to spiral out of control. The regime claims that 36,000 have died of COVID-19, but the true figures carefully compiled daily by the MEK resistance movement, which has units in every town and city in Iran, gives a reading of 147,000 deaths, almost four times greater.
Now the only question confronting the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is how long can the status quo last? He is praying that Joe Biden, when he assumes the presidency and enters the White House in January, will quickly restore Barack Obama's deeply flawed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear deal that was unceremoniously dumped by Donald Trump.
He will also hope that Biden will lift the sanctions, which prevented Iran from selling oil, crippling its economy. Biden has repeatedly confirmed that this is his top foreign policy priority. It will be a grave mistake. President Biden need not think that lifting sanctions will put food back on the table for impoverished Iranians. In fact, it will enable Khamenei to reinforce his funding of Bashar al-Assad's bloody civil war in Syria, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, the brutal Shi'ia militias in Iraq and the terrorist Hezbollah in Lebanon. It will also enable the mullahs to accelerate their development of a nuclear weapon and ballistic missile delivery systems, which have never ceased.
Advertisement
At a press conference in Washington on Oct. 16, the National Council of Resistance of Iran issued a report revealing the fact that authorities in charge of nuclear weaponization in Iran have established an entirely new site in the Sorkheh-Hessar region to the east of Tehran. The report outlined how this top-secret facility has been constructed in the middle of a military ballistic missile manufacturing complex. Work began on the complex in 2012 and the project became fully functional in 2017, dates that clearly overlap the implementation of the JCPOA and therefore debunk the regime's claims that their nuclear activity has always been exclusively peaceful.
It is worth noting also that the NCRI was the organization that first alerted the international community to the existence of a belligerent nuclear program in Iran, so their reports are renowned for their accuracy. In a well-publicized press conference in Washington, on Aug. 14, 2002, the NCRI revealed the existence of two secret sites -- a uranium enrichment site in Natanz and a plutonium-producing heavy water facility in Arak -- and details of the regime's nuclear activities, which had remained secret for 17 years and had not previously been uncovered by Western intelligence agencies.
Advertisement
Information on the Natanz site included the existence of two 25,000 square meters of underground tunnels and halls. Eventually, worldwide pressure forced the Iranian regime to show the two sites to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the secret of the mullahs' nuclear program was exposed. The revelation in 2002 and repeated revelations over the past 18 years, thanks to high-risk and detailed intelligence by units of the Iranian resistance and other sources, have demonstrated that the regime has consistently striven toward the production of a nuclear weapon. Clearly, the JCPOA has been an abject failure from the outset and should never be reintroduced.
As the first anniversary of the November 2019 nationwide uprising looms, Iran has become a bubbling cauldron of dissent and anger. The rapid spread of the coronavirus has thrown fuel on the burning fire of the people's rage. Further attempts by the regime to crush protests with brute violence and threats will likely backfire and may ignite the revolution that will finally end the fascist dictatorship and restore peace freedom, justice and democracy to this troubled land.
Struan Stevenson is the coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change. He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland (1999-2014), president of the Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009-14) and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (2004-14). He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and is also president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association.