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Fetal inheritance of chromosomally integrated human herpesvirus 6 predisposes the mother to pre-eclampsia




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Food Stamps and the Growing Suburban Safety Net


An important federal program that tends to fly under the radar received some unprecedented real estate this past weekend--an enormous spread on page A1 of Sunday’s New York Times.

Jason DeParle’s article, and some nifty interactive maps on the Times website, portray the recent rapid growth of the food stamp program, now officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or by its rather unfortunate acronym, SNAP. DeParle documents how, in the wake of welfare reform in the mid-1990s, successive administrations--from Clinton to Bush, and now Obama--have worked in a bipartisan fashion to erase the stigma that once haunted the program, and ensure that eligible families receive access to its benefits.

Because welfare reform transformed what was an individual entitlement into a block grant to states, cash welfare caseloads in many states have remained relatively flat despite the worst recession in generations. As a result, food stamps--which remain a federal entitlement--have become an even more important countercyclical tool for fighting poverty, and enrollment has expanded by about one-third since 2007. DeParle charts that rise over the past two years across a broad cross-section of U.S. communities, all of which are feeling the economic pain of rising foreclosures, mounting job losses, and declining family incomes.

Of particular note, the article discusses the significant increases in food stamp receipt occurring in many suburban communities, now that a majority of the nation’s metropolitan poor live outside central cities. Indeed, the counties in which food stamp receipt has doubled, and which have at least 5,000 recipients today, are largely suburbs--around Atlanta, Florida’s Gulf Coast, Austin, and Youngstown. As my colleagues Elizabeth Kneebone and Emily Garr reported earlier this year, however, increases in food stamp enrollment in outer suburban counties have been somewhat lower than might be expected based on the rapid unemployment increases they have suffered. Lack of familiarity, distance to the nearest welfare office, stigma, or real eligibility differences may be to blame for under-enrollment in these farther-out areas.

All of which is to say, as food stamps become the de facto federal support system for millions of families during the next few years of elevated unemployment, plugging participation gaps in suburbia may be an important new frontier for fighting hunger and poverty in America.

Authors

Image Source: © Tami Chappell / Reuters
     
 
 




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Collapsible Candidates from Iowa to New Hampshire

After his first place finish in Iowa, which was supposed to propel him to a New Hampshire victory, “change” is probably a word Barack Obama does not like as much anymore. But, his support did not really change much between these two elections. He won 38 percent of Iowa’s delegates and 36 percent of New Hampshire’s vote. It was Hillary Clinton and John McCain who were the big change candidates.

What happens when a presidential candidate that does well in a primary or caucus state, does not do so well in the next? The dynamic of the presidential election can swiftly and stunningly change, as it did in New Hampshire on Tuesday.

How Barack Obama wishes John Edwards showed up in New Hampshire.

Edwards was awarded 30 percent of Iowa’s delegates, barely denying Clinton a second place finish. He finished a distant third in New Hampshire, receiving only 17 percent of the vote. There are strong indications that a shift among his supporters helped propel Hillary Clinton to her New Hampshire victory.

According to the exit polls, Edwards did 8 percentage points worse in New Hampshire among women, while Clinton did 16 percent better. Obama’s support was virtually identical, dropping a statistically insignificant 1 percentage point.

Obama’s support among young people remained strong, if slightly increasing among 18-24 and 30-39 year olds. Clinton’s support remained strong and slightly increased among those 65 and older. Edwards won Iowa’s middle-aged voters, age 40-64, but it was Clinton who decisively won this coveted age demographic in New Hampshire. And where these people were 38 percent Iowa caucus attendees, they were 54 percent of New Hampshire voters. (To understand why their turnout increased, see my analysis of Iowa’s turnout .)

Moving forward, the generational war is still a strong dynamic in the Democratic race, as evident in the candidates’ speech styles following the election results. In Iowa, Clinton was flanked by the ghosts of the Clinton administration. In New Hampshire, she shared the stage with a sea of young voters. In Iowa, Obama spoke of change, a message that resonates with younger people who are not part of the establishment. In New Hampshire his slogan was a message that echoes the can-do spirit of the greatest generation, “Yes, we can!”

In the days between Iowa and New Hampshire, Edwards spoke about how he wanted the election to become a two-way race. One should be careful with what one wishes for. Edwards and Clinton are vying for the same support base, that when united can defeat Obama, at least in New Hampshire. In the short-term, Obama most needs Edwards to do better so that support can continue to be divided.

Among Republicans, John McCain recreated his magic of eight years ago and bounced back strong from a poor Iowa showing to win New Hampshire.

The Iowa and New Hampshire electorates are so different it is difficult to compare them. In Iowa, Evangelical Christians were 60 percent of the electorate, while in New Hampshire, they were only 23 percent. Mike Huckabee’s move from first in Iowa to third in New Hampshire can be clearly attributed to the shrinking of his base. His collapse paved the way for a new winner to emerge.

It is thus tempting to attribute McCain’s victory solely to the different electorates, but he still had to defeat Mitt Romney to win New Hampshire.

According to the exit polls, the battle between McCain and Romney is a referendum on the Bush administration. Surprisingly, McCain, who has tried to rebuild bridges with the Bush establishment since his defeat in the 2000 presidential election, is still seen as the outsider and agent of change by voters participating in the Republican nomination process.

In both Iowa and New Hampshire, McCain drew his support from those who said they are angry or dissatisfied with the Bush administration. Romney drew his support from those who said they are enthusiastic or satisfied. Not surprisingly, McCain is also drawing more support from self-described Independents and Romney from Republicans.

The candidates seem to understand this dynamic, too, as they gave their speeches following the election results. In a contrived bit of acting, Romney showed up on stage without a podium and shoved a prepared speech back into his pocket (if he had needed a podium, his advance team would have provided it). He appeared relaxed, delivering his speech in a personable style reminiscent of Huckabee, who is competing with Romney for those who support Bush. But he also seemed to be reaching out to Independents with a message of change. In stark contrast, McCain delivered a carefully written, almost sedate speech designed to reassure Republicans of his conservative credentials.

This three-way dynamic between Huckabee, McCain, and Romney should prove fascinating as the Republican nomination process moves forward. Where Evangelicals are strong, Huckabee should do well. Where they are not, the rules governing if Independents can or cannot participate will dictate how McCain and Romney do. And we have yet to see regional candidates like Fred Thompson have their day in the sun. And then there is Rudy Giuliani, who is lying in wait in the larger states where his name recognition should give him a significant boost over the other candidates. All of this points to an extended campaign among Republicans.

Michael P. McDonald is an Associate Professor at George Mason University and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He studies voter turnout and is a consultant to the national exit poll organization.

     
 
 




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US Capitol gets duckling ramps, brouhaha ensues

As baby ducks get a boost at the Capitol Reflecting Pool, at least one politician’s Grinchesque response has duckling defenders up in arms.




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New Hampshire Moves Closer to Renewable Energy Standard

Currently, New Hampshire is the only state in the northeastern United States that has not passed some form of renewable portfolio standards legislation. However, that may change soon. Last week, the New Hampshire House voted decisively in favor of a




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Presidential Campaign Update: Al & Arnold At The New Hampsire Primary

This is wonderful. A bi-partisan political storm is brewing over New Hampshire because Al and Arnold have found a clever way to inject serious climate discussion into the coming US presidential primary season. Timing could not be better, with the IPCC




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University of New Hampshire is First School in US to Run Off Landfill Gas

A few months back we heard about Middlebury College's efforts to green their electricity and heating. Well, over at the University of New Hampshire they're




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Flip Side of Local - New Hampshire Sees Opportunity In Food Self-Sufficiency

University of New Hampshire researchers have analyzed the economic impact of their State's locally-produced food system. The good news: farm market sales - known as 'direct marketing' of food -




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Photo of the Day: An Ice Climber Ascending the Shoestring Gully in New Hampshire

As the temperature drops in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, locals bundle up and get excited. While most wait for the first snow to cover the ski runs, others hold out for those first cold nights to freeze the area's waterfalls.




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Luminous Laser-Cut Lamps Made Out of Kelp

Kelp isn't just for eating; this designer is experimenting with the fast-growing, large algae for lighting.




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Blushing pink 635 sq. ft. micro-home cleverly uses ramps, not stairs

Embedded in a hillside, this eccentric dwelling uses a series of functional ramps that connect all the spaces together.




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Inflatable baby incubator can save lives in refugee camps

The student invention just won the James Dyson Award for its intelligent design.




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Zero Energy Christmas Decoration Lights Up Under Existing Streetlamps

How about using the light from already existing street lamps to spark off the festive season? Here are some off-the-grid parasite lamps so to speak, that look good by day!




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These postage stamps are considered too dangerous for children's eyes

The US postal service is destroying the whole series because of safety concerns.




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Snap: Colorful clamps turn found materials into DIY furniture (Video)

These clever metal clamps can clip onto flat materials of any shape, allowing you to make your own furniture, wherever you go.




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Here's how summer camps are preparing during the Covid-19 crisis

Jay Jacobs, executive director of the Timber Lake Family of Camps, joins "Squawk Alley" to discuss how he is preparing to keep summer campers safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.




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Parents asking if it's safe to open summer camps

Jonathan Gold, CEO of Arbor Group of Day Camps, and Ruben Arquilevich, VP of the Union of Reform Judaism Camps, join "Closing Bell" to discuss their decisions on summer camps.




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the Vamps childhood experience

did yall ever watch hello kitty's furry tale theater??? just me???

also frog and toad... yes

the super mario bros super show was another good one.

what did yall watch?




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Students to be taught to assemble solar lamps on October 2

Over one lakh students from 659 schools will be trained across the country to assemble solar lamps under the `Solar Urja through Localisation for Sustainability' (SoULS) project of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) on October 2.

Workshops will be held for this purpose at various places on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary, said Chetan Singh Solanki of IIT-Bombay who heads the SoULS project. It is part of an initiative of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), he said.

The objective is to "sensitise our future generation" about importance of solar technology, he said. The initiative also reaffirms India's commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement and the MNRE's goal of installation of 100 GW of renewable energy by 2022, he said.

IIT-B will observe October 2 as `International Day of Non-Violence to Environment', Solanki said. The SoULS program has trained several people from rural areas to assemble solar study lamps, he said. The participating students will take home the solar study lamps assembled by them.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever





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Bosco are champs again!


Don Bosco team pose with the Ahmed Sailor Cup at the Cooperage ground yesterday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Dwayne Pereira's goal helped Don Bosco High School (Matunga) defend their title with a 1-0 win against Campion School (Cooperage) in the final of the Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA)-organised Ahmed Sailor boys under-16 football tournament at Cooperage football ground yesterday.

This is the third time the Matunga side have won the knockout title on the trot. Don Bosco were close to scoring in the fifth minute, but Sherwyn D'Souza's header was blocked by goalkeeper Rahul Verma. Five minutes later, midfielder Nihal Dudwadkar's shot from the 30-yard circle landed wide. Mannan Dang was fouled by Hriday Dhakad, but the defending champs were unable to capitalise on the opportunity.

Campion too had their fair share of chances in the game. Aashad Vesuna missed to score from the 18-yard box as the ball went sailing over the goalpost. During the 22nd minute, Campion had another chance of scoring off a free kick, but Aryaan Majumdar's attempt from the right corner was blocked by a sturdy Bosco wall. After the lemon break, Don Bosco continued to search for a goal and were rewarded. Skipper Dwayne Pereira scored the only goal in the 44th minute.

Don Bosco coach Leslie Machado was happy his side were able to display an aggressive show. "Since it is the last year for most of the boys, this win is very special for them," he said. "This win is dedicated to Leslie sir and because of him we were able to bring out our A game," Dwayne added.





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Ananya Panday and The Vamps' guitarist James McVey work towards stopping social media bullying

Ananya Panday and The Vamps' guitarist James McVey are coming together to raise awareness about social media bullying. The live session will be hosted on May 8 on Instagram.

The actor says, "Social media bullying is an evil that people face every day on the numerous platforms that they use in their daily lives. I'm glad that James McVey and I will be fighting this evil together in our own small way."

Ananya further said, "The world is going through a tough time and it is even more important to be kind to everyone and spread positivity." The session is being put together by the actor's initiative, So Positive, which aims to negate the spread of social media bullying.

McVey added, "During this difficult time, we find ourselves using social media more than ever. Regardless of where you live or your background, it's important to remember that you are never alone. Millions of others are going through the same traumatic experience and I believe together we further the conversation and join the fight to end bullying. I'm looking forward to speaking with Ananya on 'So Positive' to learn more about her experiences."

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Ananya Panday and The Vamps' James McVey to get vocal on cyber bullying

In a first of its kind international venture, youth icons Ananya Panday and international songwriter and guitarist from The Vamps band - James McVey - are all set to come together on the former’s ‘So Positive’ platform to raise awareness about social media bullying. The live session will be hosted on 8th May 2020 at 7 pm.

James McVey, the lead guitarist, and songwriter of the internationally renowned British band The Vamps, is known globally for spreading social media positivity. The coming together of the two, Panday and McVey, marks a collaboration that goes beyond the confines of language and geography to attain more awareness on the issue. The statistics are proof of how teenagers and children are the most affected in this digital era. The number of platforms accessible to the population across the world are increasing with every passing day. This collaboration would be extremely insightful in terms of shedding light on this issue and help individuals dealing with social media bullying.

Sharing his experience James McVey said, “During this difficult time we find ourselves using social media more than ever. When I was at the receiving end of bullying I felt isolated and alone. Regardless of where you live or your background, it’s important to remember that you are never alone. Millions of others are going through the same traumatic experience and I believe together we further the conversation and join the fight to end bullying. I’m looking forward to speaking with Ananya on ‘So Positive’ to learn more about her experiences.”

Ananya Panday shares, "Social media bullying is an evil that people face every day on the numerous platforms that they use in their daily lives. I’m glad that James McVey and I will be fighting this evil together in our own small way. The world is going through a difficult time, currently and it is even more important than ever to be kind to everyone around and spread positivity. So Positive has been creating awareness through different ways and our aim continues to be to negate the spread of social media bullying by spreading positivity all across. I’m really looking forward to this insightful exchange with James”.

So Positive is a cause taken up by Ananya which is backed with substantial data, research, and behavioural statistics. The initiative aims at creating and spreading awareness about social media bullying. Its prime focus is to make people aware of the fact that this issue exists and stays very prevalent in society. Also, the steps that can be taken by the recipients of this destructive criticism in order to deal with this.

ALSO READ: Ananya Panday says Vijay Deverakonda is humble and grounded despite being a huge star




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Imran revamps media team amid mounting criticism over COVID-19 crisis handling

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has fired his special aide on I&B and replaced her with a powerful former military spokesman as he revamped his media team for the second time since coming to power amid mounting criticism for failing to address key issues including the COVID-19 outbreak.

Former Army spokesman Lt Gen (retied) Asim Saleem Bajwa, who is also the chairman of the newly created China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority, has replaced Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan as the Special Assistant to the PM for information and broadcasting (I&B).

PM Khan also appointed Senator Shibli Faraz as the new information minister. Minister for Science Fawad Chaudhry announced the new appointments. The changes were made to blunt the perception that the government's media handling was not good and its work was not being properly highlighted amid the health crisis.

"The way these changes have been made will not give a good impression and help the cause of the government," analyst Ayaz Amir told Dunya TV. Pakistan has 14,079 COVID-19 cases so far.

301
No. of COVID-19 deaths in Pakistan

Now, Beijing to shut COVID-19 hospital

Authorities in Beijing are set to close a COVID-19 special hospital, Xiaotangshan Hospital, after clearing all the cases even as China reported six new infections and 40 fresh asymptomatic cases on Tuesday. The move comes days after Wuhan closed 16 temporary hospitals and discharged its last patient on Sunday.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

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News about Uttarakhand Floods: Helping Hands at Uttarakhand Flood Relief Camps

Rains continue to rage as the rivers keep swelling and breaking out in flashfloods leaving a trail of death and destr




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Genetic Signature may Recognize Mothers at Risk for Preeclampsia

New genetic signature combining specific maternal and fetal gene variants are associated with a higher risk of preeclampsia, reports a new study. The




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BJP clamps down on hate-speech, orders removal of Tejasvi Surya's tweet targeting Islam

A media report has it that the Centre recently asked Twitter to take down over a hundred tweets that could be deemed offensive and could hurt religious sentiments.




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OECD clamps down on CRS avoidance through residence and citizenship by investment schemes

As part of its work to preserve the integrity of the CRS, the OECD has published the results of its analysis of over 100 CBI/RBI schemes offered by CRS-committed jurisdictions, identifying those schemes that potentially pose a high-risk to the integrity of CRS.




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Fashion lovers snap up revamps of famous watches

Tweaked timepieces popular with public but some original makers cry foul




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Tesla ramps up solar tile roof installations in US, eyes China and Europe expansion

Tesla appears to be ramping up installations of its solar tile roofs in the San Francisco Bay area and will eventually roll out to Europe and China, according to CEO Elon Musk, who, in a series of tweets, provided the first substantial update since the company launched the third iteration of its product in October. […]




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Great British Boltholes: A review of The Watership Down Inn, Hampshire

Jennifer Cox visited The Watership Down Inn just outside Whitchurch. It's a characterful pub with rooms, close to Watership Down country and the location for Downton Abbey.




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'Interesting date night': Megan Gale enjoys an intergalactic date night with fiance Shaun Hampson 

Australian supermodel Megan Gale enjoyed an 'interesting' date night with her hunky fiance Shaun Hampson on Wednesday night.




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Coronavirus: UK Athletics cancel foreign training camps and tell staff not to travel abroad

While some British athletes are abroad training for the Olympics and will not be compelled to return, the firm advice from the organisation is against further travel out of the country from this point.




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Qatar World Cup officials ask Glastonbury Festival organisers to help design campsites for fans

Qatar World Cup officials have asked Glastonbury Festival organisers to help them plan desert camp sites for fans ahead of the 2022 tournament, according to The Mirror.




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Rand Paul smacks around Hilary Clinton at New Hampshire summit

Paul smacked around Clinton at a campaign stop in New Hampshire on the eve of her first visit to the Granite State as a proclaimed 2016 candidate.




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Rand Paul New Hampshire director licks Democrat campaigner's camera

David Chesley licked the camera of an opposition researcher from the liberal group American Bridge. The tracker was at Paul's event in Londonberry on Monday. Chesley. He had been standing in the way.




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Idaho lawmaker says stay-at-home orders are 'no different' to sending Jews to concentration camps

Heather Scott, left, was speaking after Governor Brad Little, right, extended statewide lockdowns until the end of April. Scott said calling businesses 'non essential' is 'no different than Nazi Germany'




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Megan Gale missed Shaun Hampson so much when he was on Australian Survivor that she saw psychologist

Megan Gale has revealed that she missed her partner Shaun Hampson so much while he was filming the latest season of Survivor Australia, she sought help. 




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Terrifying moment a tiger shark clamps its jaws around a diver's HEAD

The 16-foot tiger shark released its victim after it was jabbed with metal poles. The Malaysian tourist was left with a 3.4-inch long wound on his head after the attack in Beqa Lagoon, Fiji.




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Sonny Bill Williams pledges support for Uyghur Muslims locked up in detention camps in China

Sonny Bill Williams said he doesn't fear backlash for his latest comments supporting the Uyghur Muslim community in China and said his only regret is he hadn't spoken out sooner.




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How Bundesliga teams are preparing for week-long quarantine camps ahead of May 16 season restart 

KIT HOLDEN IN GERMANY: The restart may be good news for football-starved fans across the world, but for the stars of Germany's top flight, it means a sudden return to full-time work.




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Fans react to Manny Pacquiao's call-out of Floyd Mayweather as rematch talk ramps up

Boxing fans were more concerned with any rematch between Floyd Mayweather and Pacquiao and the Filipino wasted no time in calling his American rival out during his post-fight interview.




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Security is tightened at ISIS prison camps in Syria after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi death

Kurdish guards are 'on high alert' today as they prepare for possible riots or attacks on the prison camps where thousands of ISIS supporters are being held (one of the prisons in Syria is seen above).




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More homeless migrants arrive at Park Lane campsite and leave Hyde Park littered with rubbish

A dozen tents housing around 20 rough sleepers have been set up on Park Lane, across the road from the London Hilton hotel and the area is strewn with litter, empty food cartons and drug paraphernalia.




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US election polls show Clinton and Trump in dead heat in battleground New Hampshire

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are neck and neck in the battleground states of New Hampshire, two separate polls showed Thursday. The Republican has sliced into his rival's vote share.




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ISIS recruitment drive sees refugees in German camps targeted for new Paris-style attack

The German government has warned a new wave of ISIS terrorists could be set to join the 523 suspects they are already watching as militants lure lone youngsters with 'money and false promises'.




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Marathon at Tokyo Olympics moved 500 MILES AWAY as organisers fear repeat of World Champs farce 

Tokyo 2020 organisers have been forced to act in the face of serious warnings over the risk to the athletes in summer temperatures that regular exceed 35 degrees and 80 per cent humidity.




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Joe Biden shocks New Hampshire crowd by asked them to imagine 'if Obama had been assassinated'

The stark declaration came as part of a meandering discussion at the closing of a town hall meeting on the campus of Dartmouth College, which also featured mentions of school shootings.




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Madonna ramps up battle with London Palladium as she vows to get 'arrested' in bizarre stage rant

The singer, 61, is currently performing her Madame X show at the theatre and has accused the London Palladium of trying to 'censor' her by pulling the curtain down on her five minutes after curfew.




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Uninvited! MKR champs Alex Clark and Emily O'Kane won't be welcoming critics at their restaurant

Detractors won't be welcome at Alex Clark and Emily O'Kane's planned new restaurant.




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Tommy Fleetwood ramps up mind games ahead of Dubai showdown with Bernd Wiesberger

DEREK LAWRENSON IN DUBAI: Two years ago, the Englishman put in a jittery performance when he was the frontrunner and was almost caught by Justin Rose