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Liberia presidential vote halted by country's Supreme Court

Liberia's Supreme Court has ordered preparations for Tuesday's presidential run-off to be halted amid allegations of fraud in the first round.

Ex-football star George Weah and Vice-President Joseph Boakai are due to go head-to-head in the 7 November vote.

But the Liberty Party's Charles Brumskine, who came third in the first round, has challenged the result.

Last month's election was the country's first independently run vote following the end of civil war in 2003.

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Following the announcement, riot police were deployed to guard the court and electoral commission.

Later, a delegation arrived in the capital, among them the heads of the regional grouping Ecowas, and the Africa Union. They are meeting the heads of all the political parties.

Who does the president support?

Mr Brumskine and the Liberty Party said the first round was "characterised by massive systematic irregularities and fraud", including polling stations opening late and therefore preventing people from voting.

The election is to be postponed until his accusations are properly investigated, the court says.

But even if his case is thrown out, observers say it is likely to delay next week's vote as the commission will have lost valuable preparation time.

The Liberty Party is not alone in its allegations. The accusation of irregularities is backed by two other political parties – including Mr Boakai's Unity Party, which on Sunday alleged that its own president had interfered in the process.

In a statement, it said Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first female elected president and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, had attempted to influence the outcome of the poll.

Relations between Mrs Sirleaf and her deputy are not warm, with some ruling party officials saying the vice-president was not her choice to succeed her, the BBC's Jonathan Paye-Layleh reports from the capital Monrovia.

Mrs Sirleaf, 79, has however said more than twice that she supports Mr Boakai, who won 28.8% of the vote compared to Mr Weah's 38.4% in the first round.

• Who is Liberia's Ellen Johnson Sirleaf?

Mr Weah's Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) responded to the accusations by noting it was "sad for a ruling party that has been in power for 12 years [to] be crying".

International observers, including the European Union, had not raised major concerns about the first round of voting, although some irregularities were observed, AFP news agency reports.

The court has instructed the Liberty Party and the electoral commission to present their cases by Thursday.

However, election commission spokesman Henry Flomo told the BBC it had not yet been officially informed of the Supreme Court's order, made late on Tuesday.

But if there is an injunction, the commission will abide by it as the Supreme Court is the highest court and its decisions are final, Mr Flomo added.

Source – bbc.com

Hilton Hotels fined for credit card data breaches

The company behind Hilton Hotels is paying a $700,000 (£525,000) fine after being accused of mishandling two separate credit card data breaches.

The attacks were in 2014 and 2015.

More than 363,000 accounts were put at risk, although it remains unclear whether the perpetrators managed to extract any details.

US government investigators said the firm had taken too long to warn customers and had lacked adequate security measures.

The penalty will be divided between the states of New York and Vermont. Their attorney generals agreed the settlement with the company, which operates properties under the Waldorf Astoria, Conrad Hotels and DoubleTree brands in addition to Hilton.

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The first of the two cases was discovered in February 2015, when Hilton learned that one of its UK-based systems was communicating with a suspicious computer outside its network.

Checks revealed that credit-card targeting malware had infected its cash register computers, potentially exposing customers' card details between 18 November and 5 December 2014.

In the second incident, an intrusion detection system alerted Hilton to another problem in July 2015. A subsequent probe revealed that payment card data had again been targeted by malware since April of the same year.

Hilton only notified the public about the breaches in November 2015, which was more than nine months after the first discovery and more than three months after the second.

By this point, there had already been media reports that several banks suspected card details had been stolen from payment systems used in Hilton gift shops and restaurants.

Although the Virginia-headquartered firm still maintains it found no proof that any data had been stolen in either case, the attorney generals noted that the intruders had used anti-forensic tools that had made it impossible to determine exactly what had been done.

As part of the settlement, Hilton has promised to disclose future breaches more quickly and to perform regular security tests, among other enhanced safety efforts.

"Hilton is strongly committed to protecting our customers' payment card information and maintaining the integrity of our systems," the company said in a statement.

Source – bbc.com

Putin arrives in Iran for talks with Tehran, Azerbaijan

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday strongly backed Iran and its nuclear deal with world powers, saying Moscow opposed "any unilateral change" to the accord after U.S. President Donald Trump refused to re-certify it.

Putin made the comments on a one-day trip to Tehran for trilateral talks between Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia, a meeting largely focused on improving road and rail links to the neighboring countries on the Caspian Sea.

However, the nuclear deal loomed large as Putin met with both Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who easily won re-election this year after securing the atomic deal, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters.

"We oppose any unilateral change in the multilateral nuclear deal," Putin said while meeting Khamenei, according to a statement from the supreme leader's office. "We oppose linking Iran's nuclear program with other issues including defensive issues."

Moscow has stood by Tehran while Trump has refused to re-certify the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, including Russia. The other parties to the accord — Britain, China, France, Germany and the European Union — have also urged Trump to stay in the deal.

The U.S. Congress now will make a decision regarding the 2015 nuclear deal, in which Iran agreed to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. In recent days, lawmakers have targeted Iran with new sanctions over its ballistic missile program, which wasn't included in the deal but which American officials say violates the spirit of the accord.

Khamenei praised Putin's "strong" character.

"Because of this reason, it is possible to have logical dialogue and cooperation with Russia as a big power about big jobs that require determination and effort," the supreme leader said.

Russia and Iran have a complicated history. Many still remember how Russia, alongside Britain, invaded and occupied Iran during World War II to secure oil fields and Allied supply lines.

But while Britain withdrew, Russia refused to leave, sparking the first international rebuke by the nascent U.N. Security Council in 1946. During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, Iran allowed refugees into the country and backed mujahedeen rebel fighters — as did the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

While Gulf Arab states sought the protection of the U.S. after the 1991 Gulf War, Iran tilted toward Russia. Russia has supplied surface-to-air missiles to Iran, and helped it to build its first nuclear power plant, in the southern port city of Bushehr, which went online in 2011. The two countries are now partnering in the construction of two more nuclear reactors at the site.

Russia and Iran have both provided crucial support to President Bashar Assad's forces in the Syrian civil war, something Rouhani praised during his meeting with Putin.

"Iranian and Russian cooperation has had a great impact in fighting terrorism in the region," Rouhani said, according to a statement from his office. "The joint cooperation and consultations are very important in the final stages too."

Iran allowed Russia access to its air bases last year to bomb targets in Syria. But that struck a nerve in Iran, whose constitution bars foreign militaries from having bases in the country.

Russia has reached out to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, promising weapons systems and other investments to the ultraconservative Sunni kingdom. That too has raised eyebrows in Shiite Iran, which is the kingdom's Mideast rival.

Prior to Putin's arrival on his third trip to Iran, Russia's armed forces chief, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, met with his Iranian counterpart, Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, and discussed defense and security issues, Iranian state television reported on Wednesday, without elaborating.

Tehran-based political analyst Saeed Leilaz said Putin's visit to Tehran could lead to more investment in the oil industry and other infrastructure projects that "may encourage European and Chinese and even American companies to enter the Iranian market."

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Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

Catalonia: Puigdemont 'will not return' to Spain for questioning

Sacked Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont will not return to Spain to answer charges including rebellion, his Belgian lawyer has said.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Paul Bekaert suggested Mr Puigdemont should instead be questioned in Belgium where he has been since Monday.

He has been summoned to court in Madrid on Thursday, alongside 13 deputies.

They face charges including sedition and misuse of public funds over last month's banned independence referendum.

Spanish prosecutors could order their arrest if they fail to appear in court for questioning.

But Mr Bekaert told Dutch and Belgian media that his client would "wait and see" further reaction from the Spanish authorities before returning because of the "high" risk of detention.

He also suggested he would fight any extradition ordered by the Spanish national government.

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Spain has been gripped by a constitutional crisis since a referendum, organised by Mr Puigdemont's separatist government, was held on 1 October in defiance of a constitutional court ruling that had declared it illegal.

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The Catalan government said that of the 43% of potential voters who took part, 90% were in favour of independence.

After the regional parliament declared independence, Spain's took direct control and sacked the government, including Mr Puigdemont.

On Monday, Spain's chief prosecutor said the Catalan leaders were accused of rebellion – which carries a maximum 30 year jail term – as well as sedition and misuse of funds.

The leaders are yet to be formally charged but are due to testify at the Audiencia National (National Court) on Thursday and Friday.

The court summons also gave them three days to pay a deposit of €6.2m ($7.2m) to cover potential liabilities.

Both Mr Puigdemont and his lawyer denied at a news conference on Tuesday that he had travelled to Belgium to seek asylum.

He said he was there "for safety purposes" and wanted to be able to speak freely.

Joaquim Forn and Dolors Bassa, the deposed Catalan interior and labour ministers who travelled with the former Catalan president to Belgium, returned to Barcelona on Tuesday night.

They were greeted by chants of "off to prison" by some crowds that had gathered at Barcelona international airport, according to media reports.

Mr Puigdemont previously said he would return to Spain if he and his colleagues received guarantees of a fair trial from the Spanish government.

Source – bbc.com

GameStop is starting Blockbuster-like service for used game rentals

GameStop will offer a new subscription service for customers just in time for the holidays.

Called PowerPass, it will allow subscribers to rent an unlimited amount of used games from GameStop stores over six months, Joey Mooring, GameStop's director of corporate communications, told ABC News. It will be available starting Nov. 19 and can be purchased as a gift. The cost is $60.

“Guests can choose from any preowned video game in our catalog, from the throwback classics to the latest hits,” Mooring said.

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The subscription includes the choice of one free used game to keep at the end of the period.

PowerPass requires customers to pick up game rentals in a physical store, which is reminiscent of how the once popular Blockbuster's movie rentals worked.

"If a game is not available in that store, we have a web in-store system that allows customers to select the game and then it is shipped to that store for them to pick up," Mooring explained.

Bloomberg via Getty Images

Subscribers must be registered members of GameStop's PowerUp Rewards program, which has a free tier of membership available.

PowerPass will not be a renewable option for members, however. But that could change.

"Anything is possible," Mooring said.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

Amsterdam bans beer bikes amid complaints

Amsterdam has banned beer bikes amid complaints about rowdy tourists being drunk and disorderly.

A court ruling on Tuesday allowed officials to prohibit their use in the centre of the Dutch city, calling the contraptions a "public order problem".

The bicycles are a popular way for tourists celebrating group events, such as stag parties, to travel around Amsterdam.

Critics say they have become an example of the problems caused by mass tourism.

The beer bikes are small carts that have been modified with bicycle seats arranged around a bar table.

Patrons power the bike as they pedal beside the city's famous canals, while drinking beer.

'Nuisance'

The ban came into force on Wednesday. A spokesman for the City Hall said operators were no longer allowed to rent out the bikes.

It comes after the Amsterdam District Court said "the beer bicycle may be banned from the city centre to stop it from being a nuisance".

Last year, about 6,000 locals signed a petition calling on the council to ban the bikes, calling them a "terrible phenomenon".

At the time, one resident told NOS news: "Our city has become a giant attraction park."

Few will miss inebriated foreigners

By Anna Holligan, BBC News

You normally hear them before you see them.

For some tourists these cumbersome contraptions offer the perfect way to see the city. Combining two of its attractions – alcohol and cycling.

They're especially popular with stag dos. Drunken men spilling beer while trying to navigate the narrow streets on wheels have become a familiar sight in the historic heart of the city.

For many residents they've become a symbol of the trouble associated with 'the wrong type of tourism'. The council recently announced plans to increase hotel taxes to try to reduce the number of budget travellers.

The Dutch are famous for their cycling culture but few will miss the inebriated foreigners who commandeer these novelty vehicles, sometimes at the expense of those who use bikes as a practical and sensible way to get on with life.

Amsterdam's late mayor, Eberhard van der Laan – who died last month – agreed with the residents and instituted a ban on the bikes.

This was challenged in court last year by four beer bike operators, who said that the city was "imposing on people's freedom".

Judges struck down the mayor's ban at the time, saying that it was not properly motivated.

In a ruling on Tuesday, however, the judges at the Amsterdam District Court agreed with the ban.

"The combination of traffic disruptions, anti-social behaviour and the busy city centre justifies a ban," they said.

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Have you taken a ride on a beer bike? Or do you live in Amsterdam? E-mail us at [email protected]with your experiences.

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Source – bbc.com

Perry appears on "Popcorn With Peter Travers" to talk about his new movie, "Boo 2: A Madea Halloween."

APNewsBreak: Gov't won't pursue talking car mandate

The Trump administration has quietly set aside plans to require new cars to be able to wirelessly talk to each other, auto industry officials said, jeopardizing one of the most promising technologies for preventing traffic deaths.

The Obama administration proposed last December that all new cars and light trucks come equipped with technology known as vehicle-to-vehicle communications, or V2V. It would enable vehicles to transmit their location, speed, direction and other information 10 times per second. That lets cars detect, for example, when another vehicle is about to run a red light or coming around a blind turn in time to prevent a crash.

The administration has decided not to pursue a final V2V mandate, said two auto industry officials who have spoken with White House and Transportation Department officials and two others whose organizations have spoken to the administration. The industry officials spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to jeopardize their relations with the administration.

The White House declined to comment, but the proposal has been dropped from the White House Office of Management and Budget's list of regulations actively under consideration and instead has been relegated to its long-term agenda.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao's office forwarded a statement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which said the agency is still reviewing more than 460 comments on the proposed mandate before deciding its next step and that no final decision has been made. Industry officials said decisions on the matter are being made at higher levels of the administration.

Administration officials indicated their decision was based on several factors, including general wariness of imposing costly mandates on industry, even though most automakers support requiring V2V, industry officials said. President Donald Trump has made reducing government regulations, which he sees as a drain on the economy, a guiding principle of his administration.

The Transportation Department estimates the technology has the potential to prevent or reduce the severity of up to 80 percent of collisions that don't involve alcohol or drugs. V2V was also expected to provide an extra layer of safety for self-driving cars since it can detect even vehicles hidden by buildings or beyond the range of the sensors and cameras of autonomous vehicles. And it was expected to ease traffic congestion since vehicles could communicate with traffic signals, turning them green to prevent needless waiting, save fuel and reduce emissions.

V2V is one of the "most important tools" for reducing traffic fatalities, but the Trump administration "is locking it in the trunk if they're not going to put out the mandate," said Deborah Hersman, president of the National Safety Council, a congressionally chartered advocacy group. "The only way you're going to get it adopted and deployed in a widespread manner is by having a mandate."

The Obama administration shares some of the blame because it waited years to propose the mandate, she said.

Traffic fatalities have surged over the past two years to 37,461 deaths in 2016, up nearly 5,000 deaths from 2014. It's the largest two-year increase since the early 1960s.

Another reason administration officials are allowing the V2V proposal to languish is strong opposition from the cable and tech industries, auto industry officials said.

The government set aside the 5.9 GHz spectrum band for transportation technologies in 1999. It went unused while the government and automakers spent over a decade and more than $1 billion developing and testing V2V.

Spectrum is finite and in short supply. Cable and tech companies have been seeking permission to use the 5.9 GHz spectrum for additional wireless bandwidth. Automakers say they need the entire 5.9 GHz spectrum for V2V and other safety uses.

The Federal Communications Commission has been conducting tests to see if the spectrum can be shared without interfering with the safety signals. The first test results are expected to be released soon.

Automakers wanted the mandate partly because it would establish V2V protocols to ensure that Fords could talk to Toyotas which could talk to Volkswagens, and so on.

The mandate was also intended to get the technology onto roads faster. It called for half of new vehicles to have V2V within two years after a final rule was issued, and all new vehicles within four years. The more vehicles equipped with V2V, the more collisions that could be avoided. It would still take many years before there were enough vehicles with V2V to reap the technology's full promise. That might be accelerated by after-market devices that would bring V2V to older vehicles.

Automakers can put V2V in vehicles without a mandate. General Motors has put the technology in its Cadillac CTS sedans. Toyota has put V2V in vehicles in Japan and Volkswagen plans to put it in cars in Europe starting in 2019. But it will be more difficult for automakers to protect the 5.9 GHz spectrum and deployment will be far slower without a mandate, industry officials said.

Some European manufacturers say they want V2V, but it might be better to wait super-fast 5G cellular technology to achieve it instead of currently available technology. But 5G is still being developed. Years of testing would be required after it's ready before it could go into cars.

"The longer we wait, the more people die," said Kirk Steudle, director of the Michigan Department of Transportation. "We need to move forward with it."

———

Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/AP—Joan—Lowy

———

This story has been corrected to reflect that General Motors has put the V2V technology in Cadillac CTS sedans, not CT6 sedans.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

Amsterdam to enforce beer bike ban amid complaints

Amsterdam will enforce a ban on beer bikes amid complaints about rowdy tourists being drunk and disorderly.

As from Wednesday "the beer bicycle may be banned from the city centre to stop it from being a nuisance," the Amsterdam District Court said.

The bicycles are a popular way for tourists celebrating group events, such as stag parties, to travel around the Dutch city.

Critics say they have become an example of the problems caused by mass tourism.

The beer bikes are small carts that have been modified with bicycle seats arranged around a bar table.

Patrons power the bike as they pedal beside the city's famous canals, while drinking beer.

Last year, about 6,000 locals signed a petition calling on the council to ban the bikes, calling them a "terrible phenomenon".

At the time, one resident told NOS news: "Our city has become a giant attraction park."

Few will miss inebriated foreigners

By Anna Holligan, BBC News

You normally hear them before you see them.

For some tourists these cumbersome contraptions offer the perfect way to see the city. Combining two of its attractions – alcohol and cycling.

They're especially popular with stag dos. Drunken men spilling beer while trying to navigate the narrow streets on wheels have become a familiar sight in the historic heart of the city.

For many residents they've become a symbol of the trouble associated with 'the wrong type of tourism'. The council recently announced plans to increase hotel taxes to try to reduce the number of budget travellers.

The Dutch are famous for their cycling culture but few will miss the inebriated foreigners who commandeer these novelty vehicles, sometimes at the expense of those who use bikes as a practical and sensible way to get on with life.

Amsterdam's late mayor, Eberhard van der Laan – who died last month – agreed with the residents and instituted a ban on the bikes.

This was challenged in court last year by four beer bike operators, who said that the city was "imposing on people's freedom".

Judges struck down the mayor's ban at the time, saying that it was not properly motivated.

In a ruling on Tuesday, however, the judges at the Amsterdam District Court agreed with the ban.

"The combination of traffic disruptions, anti-social behaviour and the busy city centre justifies a ban," they said.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Have you taken a ride on a beer bike? Or do you live in Amsterdam? E-mail us at [email protected]with your experiences.

You can also contact us in the following ways:

• Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay
• WhatsApp: +44 7525 900971
• Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international)
• Please read our terms & conditions

Or please use the form below:

Source – bbc.com

The former American football player opened up about his new charity project.