In N.H., Jeb Bush Draws Contrast With Scott Walker

In N.H., Jeb Bush Draws Contrast With Scott Walker, The ex-Florida governor seems to be making a statement by running toward the press and embracing questions., In the driveway of a modest home on a residential street, Jeb Bush stood in the darkness Friday night, illuminated only by a lone TV camera light and surrounded by a few dozen members of the media.

It was his second media availability of the day on his first trip back to the Granite State since he campaigned for his brother George W. Bush’s presidential campaign in 2000. And all day, Bush had been followed, swarmed, and hedged by a pack of reporters who watched his every move. They lobbed questions at him in the hallway of a technology firm as he attempted to tour the company’s headquarters, and in the kitchen of Fergus Cullen, a former state Republican party chairman who hosted Bush for a house party, a tradition in Granite State presidential politics.

Bush seemed to be making a statement throughout the day by running toward the press and embracing questions. In addition to taking questions from reporters at both his events, Bush sat for an hour with business leaders in Hudson and took their questions, and then stood in Cullen’s living room for nearly an hour to field questions from the New Hampshire residents who had come to see him.

“We’re leading with our chin,” said one Bush adviser.

Bush took a wide array of questions from the press, dealing with topics such as: Hillary Clinton’s e-mails, the letter from Republican senators to the Ayatollah in Iran, whether Bush has changed his mind on a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants (he said he hasn’t), whether he will revisit his support for the Renewable Fuel Standard since second generation biofuel producers said this week it’s not working for them (he indicated he might), and whether he’ll release his list of bundlers if he runs (he said he didn’t know).

On some questions, Bush gave vague or noncommittal replies or said he didn’t have an answer yet, as he hasn’t yet declared himself a candidate.

Bush was doing three things with this approach. First-and possibly foremost-he was issuing a challenge to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who was in the state at the same time. Walker is the current darling of many in the Republican party, and is increasingly viewed as the champion of its conservative wing against the more moderate Bush.

But Walker -who at 47 is 15 years Bush’s junior-has far less political experience, especially with the national media. And Walker has already stumbled a few times in his few weeks at the front of the very large 2016 Republican pack.

Bush’s open arms approach in New Hampshire accentuated his comfort discussing a broad range of issues and his ability to stay cool under pressure. It will serve as a contrast with Walker, if the Wisconsin pol does not adapt the same style, or could even encourage the confrontational Winsconsinite to put himself before the roiling cacophony of shouted questions and camera flashes before he is ready and comfortable doing so.

Huge Cyclone Devastates Pacific Islands

Huge Cyclone Devastates Pacific Islands, The UK has pledged £2m in aid to help the Vanuatu islands after they were hit by tropical Cyclone Pam., “, The UK is giving up to £2m in aid to help the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu where a devastating tropical cyclone is feared to have flattened entire communities.

Cyclone Pam is thought to have caused widespread destruction across the 65 inhabited Vanuatu islands, killing at least eight people, aid officials have said.

Unconfirmed reports say dozens more people are feared dead after the storm, which is one of the strongest ever recorded.

Britain’s Department for International Development said “up to £1m” will be made immediately available to UN organisations and international aid agencies already working in the region following a request from the Vanuatu government.

An additional £1m will be made available through the UK’s Rapid Response Facility, which provides emergency support.

The Category Five storm struck the South Pacific archipelago with winds of up to 210mph, threatening more than 267,000 residents .

Comic Relief Breaks £1bn Mark

Comic Relief Breaks £1bn Mark, With more than £78 million raised on this year’s Red Nose Day alone, the charity has collected over one billion pounds., “, Comic Relief has broken the £1 billion barrier with more than £78 million raised on this year’s Red Nose Day alone.

Live coverage featured a host of celebrities perform one-off sketches live in front of the nation on BBC One. By the end of the show the total had reached £78,082,988.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the charity, which had raised £960 million over the course of its history before last night and has become something of a British institution since it began in 1985.

The show ended with the announcement that Comic Relief and Sport Relief combined had raised a total of £1,047,083,706 so far.

Host Claudia Winkelman said of the £78 million: “That’s the highest total we have ever raised at the end of a Red Nose Day. Thank you so much.”

The show kicked off with Radio 2 DJ Dermot O’Leary completing a 24-hour danceathon.

O’Leary finished up 24 hours of dancing outside BBC Broadcasting House, before dancing down Regent Street and ending up in the London Palladium, where the live coverage was being hosted.

Rowan Atkinson and Dawn French also made an appearance, reprising their much-loved roles for Mr Bean and Vicar Of Dibley sketches.

Comedians Johnny Vegas, Patrick Kielty, Vic Reeves, Jack Dee and Mick Helm also took to the stage tonight as No Direction – a spoof version of One Direction.

Que. Woman In Hijab Controversy Rejects Crowdfunding Money

Que. Woman In Hijab Controversy Rejects Crowdfunding Money, Rania El-Alloul, the Montreal woman who was asked by a judge to remove her hijab, says the $52,000 donation could be put to better use., “, A Quebec woman who was refused her day in court because she was wearing a hijab has said no thanks to more than $50,000 raised on her behalf through a crowdfunding campaign.

The money collected on the gofundme website was to be used to help Rania El-Alloul buy a car.

As of midday Friday, the campaign had raised more than $52,000 in donations from 1,000-plus people over 14 days.

The drive was in response to a judge’s refusal on Feb. 24 to hear her case against Quebec’s automobile insurance board, which had seized her vehicle.

El-Alloul said in a letter on the website that while she appreciates the financial support offered by the “generous and warm-hearted campaign,” she can’t accept the gift.

“The awareness raised by this campaign has brought us people from all over, who have offered support to carry this issue forward,” El-Alloul wrote.

“As a result, I believe that these funds can be put to better use helping those whose rights have been forfeited and stories left untold.”

Bride Walks Out On Wedding When Groom Fails Math Question

Bride Walks Out On Wedding When Groom Fails Math Question, Marriage was out of the equation for one Indian woman, whose husband-to-be couldn’t solve some simple arithmetic., “, An Indian bride walked out of her wedding ceremony after the groom failed to solve a simple math problem, police said Friday.

The bride tested the groom on his math skills and when he got the sum wrong, she walked out.

The question she asked: How much is 15 plus six?

His reply: 17.

The incident took place late Wednesday in Rasoolabad village near the industrial town of Kanpur in northern Uttar Pradesh state, local police officer Rakesh Kumar said Friday.

The groom’s family tried persuading the bride to return, but she refused. She said the groom had misled them about his education.

“The groom’s family kept us in the dark about his poor education,” said Mohar Singh, the bride’s father. “Even a first grader can answer this.”

Local police mediated between the families and both sides returned all the gifts and jewelry that had been exchanged before the wedding, Kumar said.

Last month, another bride in Uttar Pradesh married a wedding guest after the original groom had a seizure and collapsed at the wedding venue.

The groom’s family had not revealed that the groom was epileptic. While the groom was rushed to a hospital in Rampur town, the bride asked one of the wedding guests to step in and married him.

Most marriages in India are arranged by the families of the bride and groom. Except for brief meetings, the couple rarely gets to know each other before the nuptials.

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