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2025-01-11   

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguay's leftist opposition candidate, Yamandú Orsi , became the country's new president in a tight runoff Sunday, ousting the conservative governing coalition and making the South American nation the latest to rebuke the incumbent party in a year of landmark elections worldwide. Even as the vote count continued, Álvaro Delgado, the presidential candidate for the center-right ruling coalition, conceded defeat to his challenger while surrounded by sullen-looking family members and colleagues. “The country of liberty, equality and fraternity has triumphed once again,” Orsi said to sprawling crowds of supporters that waved flags and shouted their support. “I will be the president who calls for national dialogue again and again, who builds a more integrated society and country.” As initial exit polls began showing Orsi, 57, a working-class former history teacher and two-time mayor from Uruguay’s Broad Front coalition, holding a lead over Delgado, cheers rang out across Montevideo’s beaches. Delgado told supporters gathered at his own party’s headquarters in the capital of Montevideo that he had lost. The crowd was hushed. “With sadness, but without guilt, we can congratulate the winner,” he told them. "But it's one thing to lose the elections and another to be defeated. We are not defeated," he added, generating a burst of applause. A political heir to former President José “Pepe” Mujica , an ex-Marxist guerilla who became a global icon for transforming Uruguay into one of the most liberal and environmentally sustainable nations in the region, Orsi rode to power on promises of safe change and nostalgia for his left-wing party's redistributive social policies. He struck a conciliatory tone, vowing to unite the nation of 3.4 million people after such a tight vote. “Let’s understand that there is another part of our country who have different feelings today,” he said, as fireworks erupted over his stage overlooking the city's waterfront. “These people will also have to help build a better country. We need them too.” With nearly all the votes counted, electoral officials reported that Orsi won 49.8% of the vote, ahead of Delgado’s 45.9%, a clear call after weeks in which the opponents appeared tied in polls. The rest cast blank votes or abstained in defiance of Uruguay’s enforced compulsory voting. Turnout in the nation with 2.7 million eligible voters reached almost 90%. Analysts say that the candidates' lackluster campaigns failed to entice apathetic young people and generated unusual levels of voter indecision. But with the rivals in broad consensus over key issues, the level-headed election was also emblematic of Uruguay's strong and stable democracy, free of the anti-establishment fury that has vaulted populist outsiders to power elsewhere, like the United States and neighboring Argentina . Orsi's win ushers in a return of the Broad Front that governed for 15 consecutive years until the 2019 election of center-right President Luis Lacalle Pou. “I called Yamandú Orsi to congratulate him as President-elect of our country and to put myself at his service and begin the transition as soon as I deem it appropriate,” Lacalle Pou wrote on social media platform X. The opposition's upset was the latest sign that simmering discontent over post-pandemic economic malaise favors anti-incumbent candidates. In the many elections that took place during 2024, voters frustrated with the status quo have punished ruling parties from the U.S. and Britain to South Korea and Japan . But unlike elsewhere in the world, Orsi is a moderate with no plans for dramatic change. He largely agrees with his opponent on driving down the childhood poverty rate, now at a staggering 25%, and containing an upsurge in organized crime that has shaken the nation long considered among Latin America's safest. Orsi is also likely to scupper a trade agreement with China that Lacalle Pou pursued to the chagrin of Mercosur , an alliance of South American nations promoting regional commerce. Despite Orsi's promise to lead a “new left” in Uruguay, his platform resembles the mix of market-friendly policies and welfare programs initiated under President Mujica and other Broad Front leaders. From 2005-2020, the coalition presided over a period of robust economic growth and pioneering social reforms that won widespread international acclaim, including the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage and sale of marijuana . Mujica, now 89 and recovering from esophageal cancer , turned up at his local polling station before balloting even began on Sunday to praise Orsi’s humility and Uruguay’s proud stability. “This is no small feat,” he said of his nation's “citizenry that respects formal institutions.” Orsi, who for a decade served as mayor of Canelones — a town of beaches and cattle ranches also home to a Google data center and upstart tech scene — proposes tax incentives to lure investment and revitalize the critical agricultural sector. He supports security reforms that would lower the retirement age but fall short of a radical overhaul sought by Uruguay’s unions that failed to pass in the Oct. 27 general election. In that first round of voting — in which neither front-runner secured an outright majority — voters rejected generous pay-outs and the redistribution of privately managed pension funds in a rare gesture of fiscal constraint. “He’s my candidate, not only for my sake but also for my children’s,” said Yeny Varone, a nurse at a polling station who voted for Orsi. “In the future they’ll have better working conditions, health and salaries.” Delgado, 55, a rural veterinarian with a long career in the National Party, served most recently as Secretary of the Presidency for Lacalle Pou and campaigned under the slogan “re-elect a good government.” With inflation easing and the economy expected to expand by over 3% this year, Delgado promised to continue his predecessor’s pro-business policies. Lacalle Pou, who constitutionally cannot run for a second consecutive term, enjoyed high approval ratings, around 50%. Sunday's outcome showed Uruguayans' growing discontent with the government's failure to reverse a decade of sluggish economic growth and contain crime over the past five years. Some also attributed Delgado's loss to his lack of charisma and weak campaign strategy. “Delgado struggled with communication defending the government’s agenda,” said Nicolás Saldías, a Latin America and Caribbean senior analyst for the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit. “He was focused on criticizing the Frente Amplio (Broad Front) rather than giving a positive vision of what his government would do. It was a fear-based campaign that did not satisfy enough voters.” After such a suspense-filled, close race, Orsi said his win gave him a “a strange feeling that I think takes a while to come to terms with.” “Starting tomorrow, I'll have to work very hard,” he told The Associated Press from the glass-walled NH Columbia hotel, thronged exuberant friends and colleagues. “There's a lot to do.” His government will take office on March 1, 2025. ___ Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre in Villa Tunari, Bolivia, contributed to this report.winph 777 。

Jason Whitlock claims Colorado players rented out a strip club TWICE before heavy Alamo Bowl defeat READ MORE: College football star stomped on by Arkansas' Fernando Carmona By ERIC BLUM Published: 22:50 GMT, 29 December 2024 | Updated: 22:50 GMT, 29 December 2024 e-mail View comments Nearly a day after Colorado football was blown out by BYU in the Alamo Bowl, Jason Whitlock believes he has revealed the reason the Buffaloes were shellacked - they rented out a strip club twice before kickoff. Colorado lost 36-14 on Saturday night to BYU, with the Big 12 teams facing in the postseason but not the regular season in a matchup where Deion Sanders' team rarely looked composed. It marked the final collegiate appearance of Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders. 'So I missed all of the Colorado-BYU game yesterday. What are the best takeaways? I've been reliably told that the CU offensive players rented out a strip club 2 nights during their bowl trip,' Whitlock said on social media. Whitlock, who has been synonymous with drumming up controversy and blasting his opinion on social media, no matter how bizarre it made seem to some, has not revealed his 'reliable' source. No one from the Colorado program has responded to Whitlock's claim. Whitlock has claimed that Colorado football players rented out a strip club in San Antonio The Buffaloes looked terrible in their bowl game against BYU, with some looking for excused So I missed all of the Colorado-BYU game yesterday. What are the best takeaways? I've been reliably told that the CU offensive players rented out a strip club 2 nights during their bowl trip. — Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) December 29, 2024 The bowl game took place in San Antonio, with the infamous River Walk, and the accompanying entertainment district, only a mile away from the Alamodome. Read More Referee left bloodied after suffering gruesome cut in wild brawl at college football game Whitlock also has not commented on the situation any further after posting his claim on social media. Texas law states patrons must be 21 or older to enter a strip club, which would eliminate several players on the Buffaloes offense from attending the alleged night on the town. Colorado responding to the claim is unlikely to happen in an official capacity, with Deion Sanders defending his team a possible avenue to retort against Whitlock. However, with Colorado's season ending, it may be until February's national signing day when Sanders holds his next press availability. Colorado Share or comment on this article: Jason Whitlock claims Colorado players rented out a strip club TWICE before heavy Alamo Bowl defeat e-mail Add comment

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Stacy Fernández is a freelance writer, project manager and communications specialist. She’s worked at The Texas Tribune, The Dallas Morning News and run social for The Education Trust New York. Her favorite hobby is finding hidden gems at the thrift store, she loves a good audio book and is a chocolate enthusiast.OpenAI announces a ChatGPT organizing system called ProjectsIPL 2025 auction: Sunrisers Hyderabad clinch Ishan Kishan for Rs 11.25 cr

SADC must crush the plague of opposition agitation

Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology, a private two-year college in Boston, offers an 800-hour certificate program in HVAC and refrigeration. President and CEO Aisha Francis said she’d like to break out segments of the program to create continuing education classes for HVAC technicians seeking to improve their skills — for example, offering a class in heat pump installation. But the school, which attracts primarily Black and Latino men interested in the trades, can’t make it work financially. About half the school’s students receive federal Pell grants to help finance their education, and short-term certificate classes are ineligible for Pell funding. “Most of our students are very low income, so even though they want the skill set, they’re not able to pay for them,” Francis said. Many fields today are facing workforce shortages. At the same time, there are students seeking a quick credential to enter the job market. Short-term certificate programs can help students get an entry-level job or gain new skills. For example, a student interested in medicine can train as a certified nursing assistant or emergency medical technician, then earn money while deciding whether they want to continue climbing the health care career ladder. Yet federal Pell grants — the major source of financial aid for low-income students — aren’t awarded for programs that are shorter than 600 hours or less than 15 weeks. That leaves low-income students, who are often those seeking certificates, scrambling to pay out of pocket and schools searching for alternative funding. Schools may offer fewer courses because interested students can’t afford to pay. Congress has been considering bipartisan bills to expand Pell eligibility for short-term classes. Passing legislation would be a win for Republicans advocating for more workforce-related education and for Democrats seeking to expand educational access for low-income students. More importantly, it would help students gain marketable skills and employers fill open jobs. While legitimate concerns have been raised about ensuring that Pell-eligible credential programs are high-quality, legislation could address those concerns by establishing objective standards programs must meet. For example, programs that train students for a licensing exam could only retain eligibility if a certain percentage of graduates pass the exam within a reasonable time frame after graduation. Other metrics could involve job placement rates, program completion rates, or enhanced earnings. “It’s increasingly clear that most jobs require some degree of postsecondary training, and it’s been hard to develop viable alternative pathways to college for students who are not enrolling in four-year degree programs without financial support,” said Martin West, academic dean at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Expanding Pell, West said, “could create innovation in that space.” Francis said Franklin Cummings Tech would offer more classes in construction-related fields like land surveying or blueprint reading if they were Pell eligible. And she expects that some people who earn short-term certificates would advance to other degrees. “We know these kinds of measures actually push more people into higher education,” Francis said. “It’s just a matter of will. Do we want to help more people get better educated or not?” The biggest proponents of expanding Pell have been community colleges. At North Shore Community College, around 500 students are enrolled in short-term professional programs in areas like health care and information technology. Jennifer James Price, assistant vice president of employer relations for the college, said she works with local hospitals, community health centers, and nursing homes, which are desperate for nursing assistants, phlebotomists, and other program graduates. To pay for these programs, the school has been chasing grants, but those aren’t reliable, and tuition for a health care certification can cost up to $3,000. (The state’s free community college program also doesn’t apply to certificate classes.) “It doesn’t build a steady expectation for students or businesses in the North Shore where (classes are) happening at a low cost all the time,” Price said. There is evidence that paying for workforce training works. In fiscal 2023 and 2024, Massachusetts created a $15 million state fund to pay for workforce training in high-need fields at community colleges. According to a report by the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges, 3,359 students completed these programs, the majority of them in health care, and 2,404 of those graduates (66 percent) found a job or were enrolled in continuing education within 90 days of program completion. Bills introduced in Congress would authorize Pell grants for students enrolled in programs with at least 150 hours, with guardrails to ensure the programs are high-quality and fulfill employer needs. There has been some dispute over whether to include for-profit colleges, which have historically charged students more money than nonprofits with worse outcomes. Guardrails that restrict eligibility to programs that meet objective criteria — like the ability to pass a licensing exam or get a job — would address concerns about quality, regardless of tax status. There would be an estimated $1.7 billion cost to US taxpayers over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. As the House considered advancing the bill earlier this year, Republicans inserted a poison pill, proposing to pay for the expansion by restricting federal loans to students at schools with large endowments. Give the size of the federal budget, experts say there are undoubtedly other, less controversial sources of money that can be tapped to pay to expand Pell, which is already an approximately $25 billion-a-year program. Expanding Pell eligibility to short-term certificate programs would help students, schools, and employers. Congress should resist the temptation to play politics and pass the policy. — Boston GlobeWeekly Money Horoscope ( Dec 29, 2024 - Jan 4, 2025): These Zodiac signs will witness financial growth in the first week of New Year

Namibian Electoral Commission ready for general elections

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NetApp Analysts Raise Their Forecasts After Strong EarningsAustralia’s sharemarket is likely to open lower after a sell-off in the world’s largest technology companies hit US stocks in the final stretch of a stellar year. Futures are pointing to a drop of 0.35 per cent, or 29 points, on Monday morning across the local bourse, to 8228, as traders take stock of a pullback in the US last week. Nasdaq, one of the “Magnificent Seven” companies, bore the brunt of last week’s selling. Credit: Bloomberg In the US, during a session of slim trading volume – which tends to amplify moves – the S&P 500 lost 1.1 per cent and the Nasdaq 100 slipped 1.4 per cent. While every major industry succumbed to Friday’s slide, tech megacaps bore the brunt of the selling. That’s after a torrid surge in which the group of companies dubbed the “Magnificent Seven” accounted for more than half of the US equity benchmark’s gains in 2024. “I think Santa has already come. Have you seen the performance this year?” said Kenny Polcari from financial advising firm SlateStone Wealth. “[This] week is another holiday-shortened week, volumes will be light, moves will be exaggerated. Don’t make any major investing decisions this week.” Steve Sosnick, from Interactive Brokers said while the market was in holiday season, he had fielded more inquiries than expected. “The best I can figure out is that there are large accounts, pension funds and the like, who need to rebalance their holdings before year-end,” he said. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 trimmed last week’s gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.8 per cent on Friday. A gauge of the “Magnificent Seven” sank 2 per cent, led by losses in Tesla and Nvidia. The Russell 2000 index of small caps dropped 1.6 per cent. The yield on 10-year Treasuries rose 4 basis points to 4.62 per cent. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index wavered. Funds tied to several of the major themes that have driven markets and fund flows over the past three years stumbled during the week ending Christmas Day, according to data compiled by EPFR. Redemptions from cryptocurrency funds hit a record high while technology sector funds extended their longest outflow streak since the first week of 2023, the firm said. This year’s rally in US equities has driven the expectations for stocks so high that it may turn out to be the biggest hurdle for further gains in the new year. And the bar is even higher for tech stocks, given their massive surge in 2024. A Bloomberg Intelligence analysis recently found that analysts estimate a nearly 30 per cent earnings growth for the sector next year, but tech’s market-cap share of the S&P 500 index implies closer to 40 per cent growth expectations may be embedded in the stocks. “The market’s largest companies and other related technology darlings are still being awarded significant premiums,” said Jason Pride and Michael Reynolds at Glenmede. “Excessive valuations leave room for downside if earnings fail to meet expectations. Market concentration should reward efforts to regularly diversify portfolios.” Bloomberg The Market Recap newsletter is a wrap of the day’s trading. Get it each weekday afternoon .

Obituary: veteran TV3 news journalist Bob McNeil diesRemembering Jimmy Carter: The president who set the standard for national-disaster response

Election victories for Donald Trump and other candidates whose campaigns demeaned transgender people reinforced a widespread backlash against trans rights. For America’s LGBTQ-rights movement, it adds up to one of the most sustained setbacks in its history. For transgender Americans, it’s personal: There is palpable fear of potential Trump administration steps to further marginalize them. But there is also a spirit of resilience — a determination to persevere in seeking acceptance and understanding. “I just went through an election where I couldn’t watch a sports event on TV without seeing a commercial where trans people were portrayed as monsters,” said Jennifer Finney Boylan, a transgender author who teaches at Barnard College in New York. “This hurts more than any other moment I can remember. We’ve been knocked down before. We’ll be knocked down again. All we can do is fight.” Anti-trans momentum has been growing for several years, with Republican-governed states enacting dozens of laws restricting trans people’s options for medical care, sports participation and public restroom access. Activists fear the movement will grow, with the Trump administration taking power as many Americans question the trans-rights agenda. Overall, 55% of voters — and 85% of Trump backers — said support for transgender rights in government and society has gone too far, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 people who cast ballots nationwide. “There is an urgent need to show the American people the reality of transgender lives — the ordinary people for whom being trans is not the center of their lives,” said Shannon Minter, a transgender civil rights lawyer with the National Center for Lesbian Rights. “This is a frightening moment for transgender people and their families. There is a very real possibility that the new administration may adopt policies that cause them devastating harm.” Trump won the presidential contest over Vice President Kamala Harris after a campaign that included pervasive TV advertising mocking her support for trans rights. “Kamala is for they/them,” an ad that ran over 15,000 times asserted. “President Trump is for you.” Other Democratic candidates also were targeted with anti-trans ads. On an array of issues, Trump — and other Republicans who now hold majorities in both the House and Senate — have threatened to roll back protections and civil liberties for trans people. Education: Trump has pledged to impose wide-ranging restrictions on transgender students. His administration could swiftly move to exclude them from Title IX protections, which affect school policies on students’ use of preferred pronouns, bathrooms and locker rooms. Health care: At least 26 states have adopted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for trans minors. In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton is filing civil lawsuits against doctors he alleges were prescribing such treatments. Trump says any doctor or hospital providing gender-affirming care should be barred from Medicaid and Medicare. Sports: Trump and other Republicans embraced the anti-trans mantra opposing “boys in girls’ sports.” At least 24 states already have laws on the books barring trans women and girls from participating in certain women’s or girls’ sports competitions. In March, 16 college athletes filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing transgender woman Lia Thomas to compete at the 2022 national championships, where she won the 500-yard freestyle. Military: Trans-rights activists worry that Trump may reimpose a ban on trans people serving openly in the military or — as an alternative — bar any future recruiting of trans people and curtail the availability of gender-affirming medical care for service members and veterans. Trans-rights organizations are calling for coalition-building and renewed efforts to increase public understanding. They celebrated some notable victories. Sarah McBride won Delaware’s lone seat in the House of Representatives to become the first openly trans person elected to Congress. In Montana, transgender state Rep. Zooey Zephyr won reelection and will be able to return to the House floor nearly two years after she was silenced and sanctioned by her Republican colleagues. But nationwide, anger and anxiety were dominant emotions among trans activists. “This election season has been brutal,” the leaders of Advocates for Transgender Equality wrote to their supporters. “Trump targeted trans people since his campaign launch. He targeted our existence. He targeted our rights. He promised he would continue to target trans people if he won — and we know he will keep his promise.” Shelby Chestnut, executive director of the Transgender Law Center, said trans people “have become the pawn for political groups that don’t understand our communities.” “It’s a very precarious time,” Chestnut said. “We will get through this, but we have to step up and support each other. ... How do we see the long game, not just the immediate narrow view? Because it is very daunting right now. Where do we want to be in 15 years?” Public opinion on trans rights issues isn’t uniform. According to AP VoteCast, slightly more than half of voters in the 2024 election strongly or somewhat opposed laws that ban gender-affirming medical treatment, such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy, for minors. Slightly less than half of voters somewhat or strongly favored them. And according to a Gallup poll conducted last year, 69% of Americans say transgender athletes should be allowed to compete only on sports teams that conform with their birth gender. Over the past 25 years, arguably the most daunting previous phase of the LGBTQ-rights movement started in 2004, after Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. Between 2004 and 2008, voters in 26 states approved ballot measures defining marriage as between one man and one woman — in effect outlawing same-sex marriage. By 2012, however, public opinion was swinging in favor of same-sex marriage. The Supreme Court legalized it nationwide in 2015, and it has had the support of most Americans ever since. Boylan recalled how that long-bitter debate tilted in favor of legalization when supporters of same-sex marriage popularized the phrase “Love is love.” “That opened doors and opened hearts,” Boylan said. “The challenge for trans people is we don’t have a phrase like that. ... The issues are more complex.” Boylan noted that the anti-trans campaign seemed to make headway with issues that are not among the core concerns of most trans people: “The primary thing we’re fighting for is not the right to play with other women on a soccer team. We’re fighting for dignity, for respect, for the right to be left alone.” Maxwell Kuzma, a transgender man working as a film editor and writer in rural Ohio, said he was “worn out” by the relentless targeting of trans people and blamed Trump for perpetuating it. Looking ahead, he said life as a trans person “has forced me to learn a resiliency that I will lean on as I continue to speak out against prejudice and discrimination.” Christine Zuba, a transgender woman from New Jersey, described a recent surge of Zoom meetings enabling trans people to express their concerns and determine next steps. “One of the best recommendations I have heard throughout this discussion is to not isolate yourself; rather surround yourself with your support group — the people you love and who love you,” she said. “Do not despair. There are a lot of people who will work with you and for you.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Vikings staying on track and in control behind Sam Darnold's composure and confidenceMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves delayed their game against the San Antonio Spurs by one hour on Sunday night due to an issue with the court at Target Center. The Timberwolves announced the decision about three hours before the originally scheduled tipoff time. The Spurs discovered the problem during their morning shootaround, Timberwolves spokesman Patrick Rees said. The team decided to delay the game so arena staff had enough time to install the replacement court that had to be delivered from elsewhere. The Timberwolves have played at Target Center since 1990. AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBACriticising the federal government's 'unilateral decision-making', Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Information Secretary Shazia Atta Marri has warned such actions could have far-reaching consequences, stressing that threats or coercion could not resolve the party's serious issues with the government. Marri condemned the decision to construct six new canals from the Indus River, calling it a blatant violation of the IRSA Act and the 1991 Water Accord. "Whenever the 1991 Accord is misused, the PPP has raised its voice," she asserted. Speaking during a press conference on Sunday, the PPP leader said party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari didn't indulge in 'politics of ambiguity' and remained vocal when Pakistan's people were in distress. She further slammed the federal government for addressing the country's challenges superficially, presenting impressive statistics without tangible benefits for the public. "Bilawal is deeply concerned about the federal government's approach to addressing the country's challenges", she said. Referring to Bilawal's recent statements, Marri said that the Bhutto scion rightly pointed out that the people of Pakistan desired political and economic stability, relief from inflation and poverty, and demanded prosperity. However, she said, while the government presented impressive statistics, they did not translate into tangible benefits for the people. Addressing international criticism, Member of National Assembly (MNA) Shazia Marri remarked that when staunch supporters of Israel in the US spoke against Pakistan's defence assets, their local allies celebrated. She noted that these pro-Israel elements were not only advocating sanctions on Pakistan's missile technology but also supporting an accused in prison. Marri challenged PTI founder Imran Khan to openly condemn such actions if he truly believed these individuals were wrong to target Pakistan's defence assets. However, she noted his silence on the matter and declared that the PPP would not allow anyone to compromise Pakistan's interests. Shazia Atta Marri criticised the federal government for failing to convene a Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting, terming it a constitutional violation. She highlighted that the federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) had allocated only seven projects worth Rs77.2 billion to Sindh, compared to 34 projects worth Rs693.4 billion for Punjab, 21 projects for Balochistan, and 30 for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She also criticised the federal energy minister for his 'arrogant attitude' and 'unserious demeanour' in parliamentary sessions. Marri recalled that the minister admitted in the House to providing incorrect answers initially, only to correct them later. She stressed that the PPP's rejection of politics based on hatred and division should not be mistaken for weakness. Additionally, Marri condemned the federal and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governments for neglecting the people of Parachinar, leaving them without support amidst their struggles. Shazia Atta Marri remarked that the enthusiastic participation from every corner of the country on the 17th martyrdom anniversary of slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had set a new precedent. She expressed confidence that the spirit and determination with which people had gathered in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh was a testament to their commitment to continuing the mission of Benazir Bhutto. She reiterated Bilawal's assertion that if Pakistan's nuclear assets or missile technology were ever under threat, the entire nation must unite to defend them. COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our

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