Iraq demands Turkish withdrawal
Iraq’s government demands that Turkey immediately withdraw additional military personnel deployed to train Iraqi Kurdish fighters near the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul.
Will participate in debate
At the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia, Trump says he will participate in the CNN debate:
When you’re leading in the polls, I think it’s too big of a risk to not do the debate. I don’t think I have the kind of leverage I’d like to have in a deal, and I don’t want to take the chance of hurting my campaign. So, I’ll do the debate…If I don’t do ’em, the problem will be: ‘Oh, he’s chicken, he’s using that as an excuse.’ Every single person doing the debate would knock the hell out of me and say I’m afraid to be there. The one thing I’m not in life is a chicken.
Marquez hopes Rossi situation will imporve
In an interview with CNN, Marquez, who is hosting a training camp for 20 young riders, says he understands Rossi’s situation:
The relationship with Valentino was really good until Thursday (before) Malaysia. I think there he created so much more of what was not natural, not good for motorcycling…The problem is that too many people start to speak about the situation. (When we arrived) in Valencia, I say ‘Please we need to win the race because if not … he will complain.’ Lorenzo did the fastest lap, the record of the circuit, the record of the total laps … I couldn’t pass him, I couldn’t win; but you know for me the target was to win the race and that was the best way to finish the season.
I already said in Valencia to Valentino, ‘My hand is here,’ and I want the best for motorcycling, and I think the best thing is to be in a good relationship with him. [But] at that moment (in Valencia) he had just lost the championship, and he was really worn. I understand the situation, so I don’t want to think a lot about what he said, but I hope that 2016 will be a new season, a new relationship and (we) try to forget all these things.
Would ‘take out’ terrorists’ families
In an interview with Fox & Friends, Trump says that if he were president he would order the killing of terrorists’ families.
You have to take out their families, when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care about their lives, don’t kid yourself. When they say they don’t care about their lives, you have to take out their families.
Announces climate change strategy
Trudeau announces to global leaders at the United Nations climate change conference, that Canada “is back” on the world stage with a new climate change strategy.
People want to do more, but they want to know that what they do fits into a bigger picture, because there is no point in bending over backwards if your neighbour or your government is not also doing its part to ensure that we all have the maximal impact together
Although there has been no set time for when the strategy will be released, the government says that within 90 days of the conference, Trudeau will meet with all provinces to work out a “pan-Canadian framework” which will include a $20 billion dollar fund for green infrastructure over the next ten years, as well as a $2 billion ‘Low Carbon Economy Trust” that aims to help projects in reducing carbon emissions.
Leads Monza Rally
Rossi ends the second last day of the Monster Energy Monza Rally with a 33.6s lead over the competition at the Italian rally event, which cuts across the Monza national park and the Grand Prix circuit. There are still two final stages remaining on the last day. If Rossi wins, it will be his fourth time to win the event.
Monza is always a great moment and a great way to finish the season because I get great enjoyment from it this year and this year I am in front so I am happy. For a long, long time I’ve returned to this rally because I like this event. You have the thrill of the race but less pressure than in MotoGP so I can enjoy it. I can drive this car which is fantastic. Also in our team we have Brivio and Uccio, so it always good fun.
Crashes twice in testing
On the third and final day of testing at Jerez, Spain, Marquez, crashes twice.
Today I had two crashes. One big high-side, something in Turn 3, on Doohan corner, I go in with some gas, and never happen in MotoGP, but maybe we have to understand well this new electronics. I was with gas consistent, but in one moment I lose really aggressive the rear wheel, and then I fly! But lucky I was well. The second one was we did the comparison with both engines and everything, and Honda asked for us to be on the limit to try to compare well, and the limit on the brake point with the Michelin is dangerous. So we did a good three days, we got a lot of information, but I think that at the moment, this new engine, it has a little bit more potential compared to the old one, but still we are far I think from the best level.
On what needs to be done over the winter:
I think Michelin will work on the front tire especially, Honda must work on the mechanical side, to try to be smoother, to try to gain on the acceleration, and by electronics, we have this so we have to understand it well. But the electronics is the thing that if you don’t ride, you don’t understand, so we must work on the mechanical side, and the Michelin, sure, they will improve.
Releases second Kovaleski statement
In response to Kovaleski’s claim that he interviewed him in the 80s, Trump releases a statement saying he doesn’t remember him.
I have met thousands of reporters over my lifetime. Very few treat me fairly, but those that do I have great respect for. Serge Kovaleski, who said he interviewed me in the 1908s is grasping at straws because he is embarrassed because after 14 years, with no retraction, he tried to change his story.
His meeting with me may have been the highlight of his career, it certainly wasn’t the highlight of mine. While I may have met him, I don’t remember him — he made no impression upon me. I have done many day in the life stories with reporters – the entire day in the life usually lasts for a very short period as far as the actual reporting goes. I leave this message to Serge Kovaleski who I look forward to meeting or meeting again someday. Don’t change a story you wrote 14 years ago — you lose all credibility.
The good part for Serge is that he has gotten more publicity in the last 48 hrs than he has in the past 35 years — and he obviously loves it which is why he keeps pushing this ridiculous story — but that’s fine with me.
Searching for ‘correct engine balance’
Marquez ends the fourth day for Winter testing saying he still has to find the correct balance for Honda’s 2016 engine.
Today I ride all day with the Magneti Marelli. I didn’t try again the Honda software, I just concentrated on Magneti Marelli. I tried both engines, but I really concentrated all day with the new engine. Because I think, already, working on the new electronics is slow, takes a lot of time, and I see that with the 2015 engine, and the 2016 engine, we need a completely different map…It’s different. Last year’s engine was aggressive in the top. Now we have more power in the bottom, but still we don’t understand the way to deliver this torque. It looks like aggressive in the bottom, but then smoother in the top compared with last year, but the thing is that we can reduce, no? So we must work, because if we reduce too much, then we get aggressive in the top, so we must check to find the correct balance.
He also comments of the MIchelin front tires:
[I had] A lot [of near crashes] In the moment that you find the limit. Today it was a little bit better, because we worked with the set up, so it was better, but still a few crashes again today.
Releases Kovaleski rebuttal
Trump releases a statement concerning the claims about him mocking Kovaleski.
In my recent speech before 10,000 people in Myrtle Beach, SC, I merely mimicked what I thought would be a flustered reporter trying to get out of a statement he made long ago. If Mr. Kovaleski is handicapped, I would not know because I do not know what he looks like.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/669957871820480512
Mocks Kovaleski
After Kovaleski says he did “not recall anyone saying there were thousands, or even hundreds, of people celebrating,” Trump mocks him at his rally in Myrtle Beach;
Written by a nice reporter. Now, the poor guy — you ought to see the guy: ‘Uh, I don’t know what I said. I don’t remember. Oh maybe that’s what I said.’ This is 14 years ago. They didn’t do a retraction.
The New York Times claims that Trump is mocking Kovaleski’s disability (the reporter has arthrogryposis), calling his actions “outrageous”.
In F1, Rossi ‘would have been disqualified for sure’
Ecclestone says, if it was F1, that Rossi would have been disqualified.
Rossi would have been disqualified for sure. Or he would have been shown the black flag. [The situation between Rossi and Marquez] is a warning for F1. I’ll give you an example: let’s suppose Ferrari is en route for the title and Mercedes block them with one of their customer teams, what would happen then?
On whether Rossi could have switched to F1 (he tested for Ferrari) from MotoGP.
In bikes he was at the top as far as importance and earnings are concerned, while in F1 he would have had to start from scratch. He did the right thing in not switching.
U.S. issues worldwide travel alert
The U.S. issues a worldwide travel alert for its citizens in response to “increased terrorist threats”. The alert advises US citizens to “exercise vigilance when in public places or using transportation”and to “be aware of immediate surroundings and avoid large crowds or crowded places”. The alert will remain in place until 24 February 2016. State Department:
[There is] currently… no reason to believe that US citizens would be specifically targeted.
Human error caused crash
The theme park says the Smiler Roller coaster crash that seriously injured five people, and resulted in two women having their legs amputated was caused by human error. Staff misunderstood a shutdown message and wrongly restarted the ride. The ride, which has been closed since the crash, will reopen next year with improved safety measures.
‘Trump can shut his big mouth’
UFC’s McGregor criticizes Trump for his negative tweet about Rousey (he had called her “a bad person”).
It’s easy for someone that’s not in there to comment, but it’s different when you’re in there. The emotions are high. It is what it is. You either want to touch gloves or you don’t. That means nothing, so Donald can shut his big, fat mouth. I don’t give a f-ck about Donald Trump.
Tweets WaPo Muslim celebration extract
Trump tweets an extract from The Washington Post confirming his earlier statement that U.S. Muslims were celebrating the 9/11 attacks.
Via @washingtonpost 9/18/01. I want an apology! Many people have tweeted that I am right! https://t.co/CpsMxs54qv pic.twitter.com/wrDEhXJlvR
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2015
Threatens $15 million lawsuit
Mohamed’s lawyers send letters demanding $10 million from the city of Irving and $5 million from the Irving Independent School District. The letters say Mohamed was publicly mistreated, and threaten lawsuits and seek written apologies.
Plans 11 Negev towns
Israel votes on plans to build 11 new cities in the south in hopes of bringing over a half-a-million residents to the Negev Desert Region over the course of the next 20 years. The project aims to increase the percentage of Israel’s population living in the south from 8 percent to 15% by 2035. The construction is projected to be relatively upper class and part of the towns are intended for career IDF officers who would agree to move to the Negev with key army facilities. Planned communities include five suburbs of Arad, four in the Merhavim region of southern Israel, four to six towns, plus an industrial area, along Route 25, and a town called Bnei Gurion, between Kibbutzim Revivim and Retamim.
Announces Riddick sequel, TV spin off
In an Instagram post, Diesel announces the next film in the Riddick franchise will be called Furia, and “DT” (director/screenwriter David Twohy) will start writing the movie sequel next month. He also says a TV show has been commissioned that will follow the bounty hunters and mercenaries in the Riddick universe.
https://instagram.com/p/-UQFRhmPjO/
Says he did not suggest Muslim database
Trump says he did not call for a database of Muslims.
I didn't suggest a database-a reporter did. We must defeat Islamic terrorism & have surveillance, including a watch list, to protect America
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2015