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Turkey denies 'ludicrous' Gulen kidnap allegations

Reports that former White House aide Michael Flynn was part of a plot to help forcibly remove a Muslim cleric to Turkey in exchange for millions of dollars are "ludicrous", Turkey says.

The Turkish embassy in Washington said the allegations were "utterly false, ludicrous and groundless".

Ex-CIA director James Woolsey revealed an alleged $15m (£11.5m) plan to remove cleric Fethullah Gulen in March.

Turkey accuses Mr Gulen of being behind the failed July 2016 coup.

In a statement, the embassy said: "The Turkish people expect the immediate extradition of Fethullah Gulen from the United States to Turkey, so that he can stand trial."

They added: "All allegations that Turkey would resort to means external to the rule of law for his extradition are utterly false, ludicrous and groundless."

• Fethullah Gulen: Powerful but reclusive Turkish cleric
• Michael Flynn: Former US national security adviser

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly called for Mr Gulen's extradition from the US, where he lives in Pennsylvania.

President Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, is accused of meeting Turkish officials in September 2016 to discuss the removal of Mr Gulen.

My Flynn's lawyer, Robert Kelner, said the claims were "outrageous".

According to The Wall Street Journal, Mr Flynn – who quit his post after misleading the White House about meeting a Russian envoy before Donald Trump took office – discussed having Mr Gulen transported on a private jet to the Turkish prison island of Imrali.

It also reported that a payment was offered.

The newspaper said the matter had emerged as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the US election.

Meanwhile, NBC said that federal investigators were also looking into whether Mr Flynn had tried to push for the return of Mr Gulen to Turkey during his time as White House national security adviser.

But Mr Kelner vociferously denied all the allegations. He issued a statement saying that, as a rule, he and his client had avoided responding to media rumours and allegations.

"But today's news cycle has brought allegations about General Flynn, ranging from kidnapping to bribery, that are so outrageous and prejudicial that we are making an exception to our usual rule: they are false," he added.

Ex-CIA chief Mr Woolsey, who is also a board member for Mr Flynn's consultancy, Flynn Intel Group, previously told CNN about a meeting involving Turkish officials in September 2016.

"There was at least some strong suggestion by one or more of the Americans present at the meeting that we would be able, the United States would be able, through them, to be able to get hold of Gulen," he said.

A spokesman for the company denied Mr Flynn had discussed any illegal actions with the officials.

Source – bbc.com

In Florida, all eyes on Puerto Rican voters after Maria

WATCH Scale of Hurricane Maria damage in Puerto Rico shown in road-trip video

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Javier Gonzalez has joined a human tide of more than 130,000 U.S. citizens arriving in Florida since Hurricane Maria wrecked Puerto Rico, grateful for a place to start over but resenting how their island has been treated since the disaster.

More than a million Puerto Ricans — about 5 percent of Florida's population — already call the state home, and given the outrage many feel over President Donald Trump's handling of the storm, political observers say this voting bloc could loosen the Republican Party's hold on this battleground state.

Gonzalez, 38, saw the storm destroy the restaurant he opened with his father five years ago. Without power or reliable water, he became violently ill from food poisoning for three weeks. Finally, he packed his bags, determined to make his future in Miami instead.

"There is resentment, and we feel abandoned compared to Texas and Florida," Gonzalez said. "We were desperate for help."

Like any Puerto Rican, Gonzalez can vote in all elections now that he's moved to the mainland. He doesn't plan to register for any party, but he follows the news and understands their platforms. He's aware of Trump's tweets.

"It's not right that we've fought from World War I, to Vietnam and Afghanistan and that the first thing the president says is: 'You have a large debt, big problems and have cost us millions,'" Gonzalez added.

Puerto Ricans are not the gift to the Republican Party that the anti-Castro Cuban diaspora has been historically. They've tended to favor Democrats, given their support for public education and social services. Around 70 percent of Florida's non-Cuban Latinos voted for Hillary Clinton.

Both parties are courting the new arrivals to Florida, which Trump won last year by just 112,000 votes out of 9.6 million cast.

"There is an intent to grab those who are coming," said Rep. Robert Asencio, a Democrat of Puerto Rican descent who represents Miami in the Florida House and leads the Miami-Dade Committee for Hurricane Maria Relief.

"A lot of my colleagues say they are not politicizing this, but there is an effort to bring people either to the Democratic or the Republican side," Asencio said.

Newcomers must register by next July 30 to vote in 2018 for a new governor to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Rick Scott and choose Florida's congressional delegation, now 11 Democrats and 16 Republicans. Democratic U.S. Senator Bill Nelson also defends his seat next year, and Scott, who has been applauded for helping evacuees, is expected to challenge him in what could be a close race.

Scott set up three disaster relief centers to help arrivals with driver's licenses, job searches, and disaster aid applications. Scott also asked education officials to waive public school enrollment rules for evacuated islanders, and to give college-bound evacuees the same tuition breaks state residents get.

Asencio calls Scott's actions "damage control," given the multimillionaire governor's close relationship with Trump, who offended Puerto Ricans by tweeting they wanted "everything to be done for them" rather than taking responsibility for their own recovery. They also resent Trump's rating of his own disaster response as a "10 out of 10," blaming his administration for delays that exposed their families to illness and misery.

The island still faces a lengthy and painful recovery after the storm took down the entire electrical grid, leaving hospitals in the dark and closing schools for several weeks. Initial projections that 95 percent of the people will have power restored by year's end now look optimistic.

Maria's evacuees are following waves of people frustrated by Puerto Rico's unemployment and debt crisis who settled in Central Florida, shifting from New York, the favored destination of previous generations. Of the more than 140,000 islanders estimated to have left since the storm, more than 130,000 went to Florida, where Puerto Ricans may soon displace Cubans as the largest Latino group.

State Rep. Rene Plasencia, a Republican from Orlando, predicts that Scott's warm welcome will leave a bigger impression on the newcomers than any Trump tweets.

"For whatever people think of the president, you have to take into consideration the actions of Governor Scott," said Plasencia, whose mother and wife are from Puerto Rico. "People aren't making decisions out of a sequence of tweets … It makes good news, but it doesn't make political shifts."

Billionaires Charles and David Koch also are involved, funding the Libre Initiative, which welcomed hundreds of evacuees on the first cruise ship to arrive from San Juan.

Cesar Grajales, who lobbies for Libre, says they're helping evacuees learn English and connect with community and business leaders.

Democrats hope Colombian-American Annette Taddeo's recent underdog state Senate victory against a well-funded Republican in South Florida shows her anti-Trump message will keep resonating.

"It is a strong indication that voters are paying attention, and they are angry," said Cristobal Alex, president of the Latino Victory Project. "We wouldn't have the devastation and abandonment of Puerto Rico without Donald Trump. People will look at that."

On the island, Puerto Rico's lack of statehood means they can't vote in general presidential elections, and can only send a non-voting representative to Congress. On the mainland, they'll have more power.

"I know for a fact that we are well educated and we are going to come here to work," Gonzalez said. "And yes, we are going to make a voice. We are going to make a bigger voice than before."

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Source – abcnews.go.com

England set up a World Cup quarter-final against Papua New Guinea next weekend by easing past France despite a mixed performance in Perth.
Source – bbc.com

Carrie Underwood suffers broken wrist after 'hard fall,' rep says

WATCH Carrie Underwood breaks her wrist in a fall outside her Nashville home

Carrie Underwood is recovering after suffering a broken wrist and other injuries, her rep told ABC News.

The accident happened Friday, two days after the country music singer hosted the 51st annual CMA Awards in Nashville.

"On Friday night, Carrie Underwood took a hard fall on some steps outside her home," her rep said in a statement. "While there were no life-threatening injuries, she was taken to the hospital to be treated. She sustained multiple injuries including a broken wrist and some cuts and abrasions from the fall."

Rick Diamond/Getty Images, FILE

Carrie Underwood feels 'blessed' to host CMA Awards for 10th year CMA Awards 2017 complete winners list

Underwood, 34, lives in Nashville with her husband, Mike Fisher.

The singer's rep added that Fisher, 37, "was able to make it back into town that night to be with her and she was released from the hospital."

Taylor Hill/Getty Images, FILE

"Her recovery will take some time and she appreciates all prayers and well wishes," the statement concluded.

After news of her accident broke, Underwood thanked fans for their support.

"Thanks so much for all the well wishes everybody…I'll be alright…might just take some time," she wrote on Facebook Sunday. "Glad I've got the best hubby in the world…"

Due to her injuries, Underwood was forced to cancel her performance at the Country Rising benefit concert tonight in Nashville, according to the Tennessean.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

Dubai Airshow: Boeing wins $15bn order from Emirates

Boeing kicked off the first day of the Dubai Airshow by announcing the first big sales news of the five-day event.

Emirates has ordered 40 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in a deal worth about $15bn (£11.3bn) at list prices.

The Dubai airline's chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum, said the aircraft had been chosen over the Airbus A350.

He had been expected to announce a big order for the Airbus A380 superjumbo at the media briefing.

Airbus desperately needs more orders for the A380, the biggest passenger aircraft in the skies.

The Franco-German company and Emirates were understood to be in intense final negotiations to have an announcement ready for this week's show.

Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, is already the biggest customer for Boeing's 777, with 165 in service and another 164 on order.

Sheikh Ahmed said Sunday's order raises the cost of its purchase of Boeing aircraft to $90bn. Some of the new 787s will be used to replace older planes, while others will be used to expand the airline's network.

Boeing welcomed the deal, which Kevin McAllister, head of its commercial aviation division, said would sustain many jobs in the United States.

Deliveries of the aircraft are scheduled to start in 2022.

Also on Sunday, Azerbaijan Airlines said it was buying five Dreamliners, as well as two Boeing freighters, in a deal worth an estimated $2bn.

Amid the display of military hardware and the latest civil aircraft, it is the traditional rivalry of Boeing and Airbus that grabs the airshow headlines.

So far this year, Boeing has won about 65% of the new orders placed for aircraft globally.

Neither Emirates nor Airbus would comment on the status of the rumoured A380 order, which would help protect jobs at the aircraft manufacturer's plant in north Wales, where the wings are made.

Emirates has been the biggest customer for the A380, having bought 142 of the almost 320 that are in service or on the production line. The last order for the superjumbo came two years ago, when Japan's ANA purchased just three planes.

In July Airbus said it would again cut annual production of the A380 from 12 to eight. Two years ago Airbus was making 28 planes a year.

Source – bbc.com

No one satisfied with new Vermont wind power sound rules

An effort by Vermont utility regulators to settle the long-standing, contentious issue of how much noise neighbors of industrial wind projects should be subject to ended up upsetting both proponents of wind power and those who say the noise poses a health risk to people who live near turbines.

Proponents of using industrial wind projects as part of Vermont's long-term goal of getting 90 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2050 say the new wind rules will make achieving that goal more difficult, if not impossible.

"These rules will certainly have a chilling effect on wind energy in Vermont," said Austin Davis, a spokesman for the renewable energy trade group Renewable Energy Vermont. "However, that doesn't do away with the fact that wind energy currently is the cheapest renewable energy available to New England."

Opponents counter noise levels are still too high and even at a level that is among the lowest in the country would create an unreasonable burden for people who live near the turbines.

"The wind noise rule as… approved is not going to protect Vermonters from the harm that we have already experienced from industrial wind turbines," said Annette Smith, the head of the group Vermonters for a Clean Environment and a long-time critic of industrial wind projects. "It is a step in the right direction."

On Tuesday, Vermont's Public Utilities Commission gave final approval to the rules that set a daytime limit of 42 decibels of sound from turbines near a home and 39 decibels at night. The rules grew out of a 2016 law that directed the commission to set sound standards. The new rules only apply to new projects.

The decibel level measures sound intensity. Experts say 40 decibels is the rough equivalent of a library while a rural area is about 30 decibels.

The noise debate is something that has followed industrial wind power as it has spread throughout, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Although scientific studies have shown no link between wind turbine noise and human health, it can be annoying, especially to people who were accustomed to living in quiet areas.

Lisa Linowes, of Lyman, New Hampshire, executive director of the Windaction Group says people in urban areas might not even notice wind turbine noise.

"If you take that same project and put it in a rural area, the area has been permanently altered, for the wildlife, for the birds, for the people," she said.

The wind power industry says that nationally, developers work hard to ensure projects are sited so the sound doesn't bother neighbors and thousands of people across the country live near wind farms without any issues, said Mike Speerschneider, the senior director of permitting for the American Wind Energy Association.

"Individuals have a wide range of reactions to sound of all kinds, including wind turbine sound," he said.

Chris Recchia, the top utility regulator in the administration of former Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin and now a private consultant, said he felt Vermont's new standards were reasonable, but new technology would have to be developed so turbines could operate at full capacity and meet the new 39 decibel standard before there are any new applications for wind projects in Vermont.

"I don't think this is a veto of wind in Vermont," Recchia said. "I think it's a challenge."

Maine, which has the greatest number of turbines in New England, also has been subject of complaints over noise from industrial wind power projects. Criticism led the state in 2012 to lower the nighttime sound limit for wind power projects from 45 decibels to 42 decibels.

On Maine's Vinalhaven Island, David and Sally Wylie said they were shocked when the three offshore turbines were turned on in 2009 before the new rules were enacted.

"We'd been told the wind and the trees would cancel the noise out. We stood outside as the wind turbines came on, it was just whack, whack, whack! It was so loud," David Wylie said. They built a soundproof bedroom with 12-inch thick walls just so they could sleep.

————

Associated Press reporter David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.

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Frozen treats, other supplies rocketing toward space station

A stash of frozen treats and other supplies rocketed toward the International Space Station on Sunday, this time from Virginia's cold eastern shore.

NASA's commercial shipper, Orbital ATK, launched the cargo ship just after sunrise from Wallops Island, aboard an unmanned Antares rocket.

The Cygnus capsule should reach the orbiting lab Tuesday. It's loaded with 7,400 pounds of cargo, including sweet treats for the six station astronauts. There are frozen fruit bars, ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches and cups of chocolate and vanilla ice cream — about 80 in all, according to NASA.

The crew expects pizza as well. Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli has been craving pizza for months.

"Pizza and ice cream on the way!" NASA astronaut Joe Acaba tweeted following liftoff. "Eagerly awaiting the arrival."

This marked Orbital ATK's first launch from its home turf in more than a year. The last time it made a space station delivery, it used another company's rocket flying from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Crowds gathered at Wallops in freezing temperatures and cheered as the rocket soared toward the southeast. Sunrise made it hard to see the launch farther afield. The field of visibility stretched from New England to the Carolinas.

A launch attempt on Saturday was nixed after a plane strayed into the restricted airspace. Sunday's try was almost foiled by a couple of boats that briefly wandered into the keep-out zone.

Orbital ATK named the capsule after the last man to walk on the moon, Apollo 17's Gene Cernan, who died in January. During the final minutes of the countdown, a launch controller paid tribute to Cernan as well as J.R. Thompson, a high-ranking NASA and Orbital ATK official who died last week.

The capsule will remain at the space station until the beginning of December, when it's cut loose for a test of close proximity flying, a series of mini satellite deployments and, lastly, a fiery re-entry with a load of trash.

SpaceX is NASA's other prime supplier. It's next station delivery is next month.

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The Latest: Trump dogged by Russia questions near trip's end

The Latest on President Donald Trump's visit to Asia (all times local):

12:25 a.m. Monday

President Donald Trump's lengthy Asia trip is winding down as it began, with a visit meant to be centered on trade and North Korea shadowed by questions about Russia.

Trump was in the Philippines on Monday and remains dogged by things he has said, and has not said, about Russia.

On Saturday, he dismissed the former U.S. intelligence officials who said Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential elections as "political hacks."

On Sunday, he tried to have it both ways, saying he believes both the U.S. intelligence agencies when they say Russia meddled and Russian President Vladimir Putin's sincerity in claiming that his country did not.

Former CIA director John Brennan said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that Trump is trying to "delegitimize" the intelligence community's assessment.

———

8:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump is attending a gala in the Philippines celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (doo-TEHR'-tay) greeted Trump and other leaders one by one as they arrived at a convention center in Manila for the glitzy event.

Trump and Duterte shook hands twice and exchanged pleasantries before the leaders posed for a group photo and everyone filed into dinner.

Trump joined his fellow leaders in wearing Philippine formal attire — the Barong Tagalog, or long-sleeved white shirt.

Duterte sat to Trump's left at dinner and they engaged in conversation before the first course was served.

Trump and Duterte will hold more formal talks on Monday

———

5:50 p.m.

President Donald Trump has arrived in the Philippines to attend a pair of international summits and close his five-country tour of Asia.

Trump is slated to meet several times with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (doo-TEHR'-tay). Duterte has come under intense criticism from human rights advocates for overseeing a violent drug crackdown that includes extrajudicial killings. Trump has previously praised Duterte's handling of his nation's drug problems.

Trump was originally scheduled to depart Manila on Monday but he added a day to the visit so he could more fully participate in one of the summits.

He arrived in Manila on Sunday after a brief stop in Vietnam.

Trump also visited Japan, South Korea and China.

———

4:20 p.m.

Questions about Russian meddling in the 2016 election have followed President Donald Trump to Asia.

Trump said during a news conference Sunday in Vietnam that he believes U.S. intelligence agencies, which have concluded Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to help him win.

But Trump also says he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin when Putin claims his country did no such thing.

Trump's comments came shortly before he took off for the Philippines, the final stop of his five-country Asia trip.

Trump is slated to attend a pair of international summits and meet with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte has come under fierce criticism from human rights groups for overseeing a violent drug war complete with extrajudicial killings.

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Spain's Rajoy in Catalonia campaign visit after big protest

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is visiting Catalonia for the first time since he imposed direct rule on the north-eastern region a fortnight ago.

He has called regional elections for December and will address a campaign meeting of his centre-right party.

Barcelona police said 750,000 people protested there on Saturday against the detention of Catalan leaders.

Several figures were held after the Catalan government made a unilateral declaration of independence.

• Reality Check: Would Catalonia be a viable country?

• Basque leaders worry about Catalan chaos

The crisis was sparked by a disputed referendum held in Catalonia in October, which had been barred by the Spanish courts.

Catalan officials said the independence campaign won 92% of the vote, from a turnout of 43%. Many of those who were against independence did not cast votes, refusing to recognise the legitimacy of the referendum.

The Spanish government responded to the referendum by dissolving the Catalan parliament, imposing direct rule, and calling a snap regional election on 21 December.

Since the crackdown by Madrid, Catalonia's sacked President Carles Puigdemont has gone into self-imposed exile in Belgium, and his top allies have been prosecuted.

A lawyer whose firm represents two of his imprisoned former ministers told BBC News that their situation had been made worse by Mr Puigdemont's decision to flee.

'We are a republic!'

Protesters in Barcelona on Saturday shone phone torches in unison at sunset, as calls were made to free eight Catalan ministers and two grassroots campaign leaders.

They marched behind a banner declaring "We are a republic", and carried placards that said the 10 Catalan detainees were political prisoners.

The sacked former ministers are being investigated for alleged rebellion and sedition, while the two activists were arrested over a mass protest before the referendum.

There were performances and speeches to the crowd. Protesters chanted "Puigdemont for president" and a cellist played a traditional Christmas carol, The Song of the Birds, which is associated with Catalans driven into political exile.

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The left-wing ERC party, a key ally of Mr Puigdemont, has announced that some of the prisoners, including party leader Oriol Junqueras, as well as some of the sacked ministers who also went to Belgium, will stand on its electoral list.

However, the ERC has rejected a call from Mr Puigdemont to fight the election as part of a single pro-independence bloc with other parties – as they did in 2015.

A recent opinion poll in Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia suggests that the ERC will win the biggest share of the vote in December.

Prime Minister Rajoy is due to attend a campaign presentation by a candidate for his Popular Party (PP) at a hotel in Barcelona. He is not expected to appear in public. The PP won just 8.5% of the vote in the last regional elections two years ago.

In another development, the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, condemned Catalonia's pro-independence leaders.

Ms Colau, who was elected in 2015 on an anti-capitalist platform and whose party is standing in the regional parliamentary election for the first time, said leaders of the independence movement had "tricked the population for their own interests".

"They've provoked tensions and carried out a unilateral independence declaration which the majority do not want," she told a meeting of her Catalonia in Common party.

However, her party has also voted to break a pact with the Socialist party in Barcelona in protest at its support for the national government's decision to invoke Article 155 of the constitution, imposing direct rule on Catalonia.

Source – bbc.com

Hundreds join pride march in India, where gay sex is illegal

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Hundreds of gay rights activists and supporters, many wearing colorful costumes and holding balloons, marched through India's capital on Sunday in celebration but also defiance in a nation that continues to outlaw homosexual acts.

As people chanted and marched to the beat of drums during New Delhi's 10th annual Queer Pride march, many said they were frustrated with the law but also hoped it would soon change.

Tish Anand wore a wig that he said was inspired by the Disney Channel character Hannah Montana. He said he would sing and dance, as long as he didn't trip over his heels, but was frustrated with authorities.

"I don't understand why they criminalized love," he said. "Duh. They are jerks."

Manak Matiyani, one of the organizers, said his wealth and education allowed him to live as openly gay but it was much harder for those with less privilege.

"We're fighting for the right of everybody in this country to live as an equal citizen, which means that everybody should be able to live their life the way they want to," he said.

Indian law makes gay sex punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Matiyani said the law is often used by the police and community members to threaten people or extort money from them.

In 2009, the New Delhi High Court declared the law unconstitutional. But that was overturned four years later when India's Supreme Court decided it should be a decision for the parliament, not the judiciary. Last year, the top court said it would reconsider its decision.

Over the past decade, homosexuals have gained some degree of acceptance in India, especially in big cities. Many bars have gay nights, and some high-profile Bollywood films have dealt with gay issues.

But being gay is still seen as shameful in most of the country, and many homosexuals remain closeted.

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