The secretive private school upending America's most liberal city: 'We don't talk about pronouns here' By JAMES REINL, SOCIAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 22:41 GMT, 8 December 2024 | Updated: 22:44 GMT, 8 December 2024 e-mail 16 View comments In ultra-progressive San Francisco, parents increasingly seek something a little more traditional for their kids. That's the message from the growing enrollments at Donum Dei Classical Academy and other religious schools in the liberal California city. These private Christian schools weave tradition, faith, and conservative values into the curriculum. Some were founded by Republican fans of president-elect Donald Trump and want Christianity to play a major role in American life. For the parents who use them — this means no 'woke' books on library shelves and no talk of gender identity in classrooms. The popularity of the schools, though a worry for some, suggests a backlash against Golden State progressivism. California this year passed a first-in-the-nation law to make it harder for parents to find out when their kids ask to use a different name or pronouns in class. Its public schools are dogged by complaints about teachers encouraging students to change gender without telling their moms or dads, in some cases directing them to sex-change clinics. Enrollments have grown by some 25 students since Donum Dei opened its doors in 2019 Donum Dei co-founder Nate Fischer (second from left) is a right-wing venture capitalist who donated to the campaigns of J.D. Vance, vice president-elect, and other Republicans Read More REVEALED: The affluent California school that connects students to a sex-change clinic Public school enrollments are falling. Yonahandi Vaca, a social worker whose child attends Donum Dei, said she chose the 66-student K-8 school 'because it aligned with our Christian belief.' 'I feel like they have a fresh approach on education,' Vaca told The San Francisco Standard . 'I had never heard of classical, and that was really attractive to me: learning things the old way, with cursive and Latin.' The $20,000-a-year school sits in the residential Bernal Heights neighborhood, where Pride flags decorate many windows. It's expanded by some 25 students since opening in 2019. Anonymous contributions jumped from $45,692 that year to $773,319 in 2023. It 'exists to be a gift of God to the families and churches who call San Francisco home,' says its website. 'We seek to impart a rich classical Christian curriculum full of Scriptural truth and life-giving experiences ... in the hands of our godly, experienced teachers and education partners,' it adds. Meanwhile, Nativity High School opened this fall with 20 students in Inner Richmond. The 25-student Saint John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy in the Richmond opened in 1994, and Stella Maris, in Inner Richmond, has doubled its enrollment to 86 students since its 2021 reboot. They're all located in plush neighborhoods beloved of San Francisco's tech executives and other millionaires, where homes change hands for between $1.3 million and $1.8 million. Many were opened in the past five years. Across the US, the number of religious schools grew by 4.8 percent over that time, says Arcadia Education, a consultancy. Marilyn Bridon, an art teacher and assistant to the head at Stella Maris, a fast-growing classical Christian school, says classes are different to some nearby public schools. Elon Musk famously pulled his Space X and X firms out of California after a state law this year helped children change sex in school without telling their parents Read More EXCLUSIVE: The trans school conspiracy exposed: Midwest teachers trade tips on 'subversively and quietly' transitioning kids without telling their parents, and skirting Republican gender laws, in workshop funded by federal government Students attend Mass on Fridays and are encouraged to get involved in their parish. There's also a 'triage' system to ensure 'woke books' don't appear on library shelves, she said. 'We certainly don't talk about pronouns in our school,' Bridon told The Standard. 'Parents don't want kids exposed to outside influences that are prevalent in our city.' The schools are variously affiliated with Orthodox and Catholic teachings. Donum Dei is not linked to any particular sect of Christianity, but requires students to have at least one parent involved with a Christian church. The schools focus on classical subjects, such as grammar, logic, and rhetoric. They avoid gender ideology, critical race theory, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Helen Sinelnikoff-Nowak, an administrator and teacher at Saint John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy, says parents want something more traditional for their kids. 'A lot of people in our community have said it's important to them that we're not too far out there, too far to the left,' said Sinelnikoff-Nowak. 'I'm not preaching to parents, but I hear them, and that's what they're looking for.' Controversially, some of the schools don't teach evolution. This has raised questions about science teaching in the schools — and whether creationism is presented as fact. When asked about this, Donum Dei Principal Trisha Mammen reportedly said: 'God made earth and man. We did not come from slime.' The school did not answer DailyMail.com's request for comment. Administrators have also blocked a journalist from attending public information sessions about the academy. Other religious schools in San Francisco avoid creationism. Those guided by the Archdiocese of San Francisco 'teach what science can prove,' says Peter Marlow, a district spokesperson. The growing popularity of classical Christian schools comes as San Francisco edges politically to the right. The percentage of city voters who cast ballots for Trump grew from 12.8 percent in 2020 to 16.7 percent in 2024. The Nativity High School opened this fall with 20 students in Inner Richmond The 25-student Saint John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy in the Richmond opened in 1994 Meanwhile, in ballot measures, California voters opted to get tougher on drug and theft crimes and to allow forced labor in prisons. San Francisco was once America's least religious city. This year, it fell behind Seattle, according to a US Census Bureau survey. Local education consultant Vicky Keston says about one-in-ten of her clients are interested in Christian schools and want teachers to 'focus on academics over politics or social justice.' 'In my experience, there are a solid number of parents looking for a school like this,' she said. 'Some parents prefer questions about gender identity to be taught at an older age and for young children not to be actively suggested that they reconsider what their gender is.' Donum Dei was founded in 2019 by right-wing venture capitalist Nate Fischer and his wife, Meghan. They and other co-founders are linked to Calvinism and Dominionism, which promotes a society governed by biblical rules. Fischer's venture capital firm New Founding pours money into tech startups that promote right-wing values, such as gun ownership rights, vaccine skepticism and the gender binary. According to the Federal Election Commission, he donated some $14,000 to Republican candidates in recent election cycles, including J.D. Vance and Ted Cruz. California Share or comment on this article: The secretive private school upending America's most liberal city: 'We don't talk about pronouns here' e-mail Add commentLooking Back At The Environmental Highs - And Lows - Of 2024None
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NoneCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Known across the globe as the stuck astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams hit the six-month mark in space Thursday with two more to go. The pair rocketed into orbit on June 5 , the first to ride Boeing's new Starliner crew capsule on what was supposed to be a weeklong test flight. They arrived at the International Space Station the next day, only after overcoming a cascade of thruster failures and helium leaks . NASA deemed the capsule too risky for a return flight, so it will be February before their long and trying mission comes to a close. While NASA managers bristle at calling them stuck or stranded, the two retired Navy captains shrug off the description of their plight. They insist they're fine and accepting of their fate. Wilmore views it as a detour of sorts: "We're just on a different path." NASA astronauts Suni Williams, left, and Butch Wilmore stand together for a photo June 5 as they head to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for their liftoff on the Boeing Starliner capsule to the International Space Station. "I like everything about being up here," Williams told students Wednesday from an elementary school named for her in Needham, Massachusetts, her hometown. "Just living in space is super fun." Both astronauts lived up there before, so they quickly became full-fledged members of the crew, helping with science experiments and chores like fixing a broken toilet, vacuuming the air vents and watering the plants. Williams took over as station commander in September. "Mindset does go a long way," Wilmore said in response to a question from Nashville first graders in October. He's from Mount Juliet, Tennessee. "I don't look at these situations in life as being downers." Boeing flew its Starliner capsule home empty in September, and NASA moved Wilmore and Williams to a SpaceX flight not due back until late February. Two other astronauts were bumped to make room and to keep to a six-month schedule for crew rotations. Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams pose for a portrait June 13 inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station's Harmony module and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. Like other station crews, Wilmore and Williams trained for spacewalks and any unexpected situations that might arise. "When the crews go up, they know they could be there for up to a year," NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free said. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio found that out the hard way when the Russian Space Agency had to rush up a replacement capsule for him and two cosmonauts in 2023, pushing their six-month mission to just past a year. Boeing said this week that input from Wilmore and Williams was "invaluable" in the ongoing inquiry of what went wrong. The company said it is preparing for Starliner's next flight but declined to comment on when it might launch again. NASA also has high praise for the pair. "Whether it was luck or whether it was selection, they were great folks to have for this mission," NASA's chief health and medical officer, Dr. JD Polk, said during an interview with The Associated Press. NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, both Expedition 71 flight engineers, make pizza Sept. 9 aboard the International Space Station's galley located inside the Unity module. Items are attached to the galley using tape and Velcro to keep them from flying away in the microgravity environment. On top of everything else, Williams, 59, had to deal with "rumors," as she calls them, of serious weight loss. She insists her weight is the same as it was on launch day, which Polk confirms. During Wednesday's student chat, Williams said she didn't have much of an appetite when she first arrived in space. But now she's "super hungry" and eating three meals a day plus snacks, while logging the required two hours of daily exercise. Williams, a distance runner, uses the space station treadmill to support races in her home state. She competed in Cape Cod's 7-mile Falmouth Road Race in August. She ran the 2007 Boston Marathon up there as well. She has a New England Patriots shirt with her for game days, as well as a Red Sox spring training shirt. "Hopefully I'll be home before that happens — but you never know," she said in November. Husband Michael Williams, a retired federal marshal and former Navy aviator, is caring for their dogs back home in Houston. As for Wilmore, 61, he's missing his younger daughter's senior year in high school and his older daughter's theater productions in college. The astronauts in the video seemed to be in good spirits with one stating, “It’s gonna be delicious.” (Scripps News) "We can't deny that being unexpectedly separated, especially during the holidays when the entire family gets together, brings increased yearnings to share the time and events together," his wife, Deanna Wilmore, told the AP in a text this week. Her husband "has it worse than us" since he's confined to the space station and can only connect via video for short periods. "We are certainly looking forward to February!!" she wrote. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, left, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, left, gives a thumbs up as they leave the Operations and Checkout Building on their way to Launch Complex 40 for a mission to the International Space Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla., (AP Photo/John Raoux) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a crew of two lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) The Falcon 9's first stage booster returns to Landing Zone 1 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a crew of two lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, right, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov leave the Operations and Checkout building for a trip to the launch pad 40 Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, right, talks to his family members as Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov looks on after leaving the Operations and Checkout building for a trip to the launch pad 40 Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Two astronauts are beginning a mission to the International Space Station. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) In this image from video provided by NASA, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, left, and astronaut Nick Hague travel inside a SpaceX capsule en route to the International Space Station after launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NASA via AP) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Get local news delivered to your inbox!
The much-anticipated second season of Squid Game is currently streaming on Netflix. The new season picks up three years after Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) leaves the airport with a mission to end the deadly games for good, even as they continue to lure unsuspecting players with promises of a massive cash prize. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for However, before the highly anticipated second season premiered, Netflix had to address a significant issue from the first season—a mistake that nearly turned one woman’s life upside down. The Blunder That Sparked Chaos In the very first episode of Squid Game, protagonist Gi-hun receives a mysterious business card with an eight-digit phone number. While it was intended to enhance the plot’s suspense, it turned out to be a real, active phone number when paired with South Korea’s mobile prefix, 010. This mistake led to a nightmare for Kim Gil-young, a resident of Seongju, South Korea, who had been using the number for over a decade. When the show became a global sensation in 2021—topping charts in 90 countries—curious fans began dialing the number to see if it was real. Gil-young told Money Today thatshe was bombarded with thousands of calls and messages around the clock. 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View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy i.e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By - CA Rahul Gupta, CA with 10+ years of experience and Accounting Educator View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program “Since Squid Game aired, I’ve been receiving texts and calls 24 hours a day, to the point where it’s difficult to live my daily life,” she shared. “This is a number I’ve used for more than 10 years. I’ve had to delete over 4,000 numbers from my phone.” Her phone’s battery would drain within hours due to the constant influx of calls, and she initially had no idea what was happening until friends informed her that her number appeared in the show. Netflix Takes Action Unable to change her number because she used it for business, Gil-young reached out to Netflix and the production company, Siren Pictures , for help. Fortunately, the streaming giant acted quickly, editing out her phone number just weeks after the show’s release. The real digits were replaced with an unusable set: 010-034. Netflix and Siren Pictures also issued statements urging fans to stop making prank calls and sending messages. In Squid Game Season 2, the infamous business card makes a return, but this time, Netflix and the creators have taken extra precautions to avoid a repeat of the mistake. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
BIRD ISLAND — The puzzle pieces are there for the BOLD boys basketball team. It is just a matter of if the Warriors can put them all together. BOLD, which finished 5-9 in the West Central Conference and 14-13 overall in 2023-24, has four starters back in the mix and a new head coach in Dan Gross. He will be assisted by Mike Palm and Alex Smoothers. “We’ll be a very experienced team with a deeper bench,” Gross said. “We hope to use our athleticism and strength to wear teams down.” The Warriors will lean on their biggest puzzle piece, Jack Gross, in pursuit of a strong season. The 6-foot-5 senior guard is coming off a junior year where he averaged 24.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game. His 673 points for the season were the most in BOLD program history. He was an All-Area Second Team pick.Jack is Dan’s son. Will Penkert also will provide experience and physicality in the paint for the Warriors. He is a 6-3 senior forward who averaged 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as a junior. That earned him recognition as an All-WCC Honorable Mention. “We know that Jack and Will are proven players, but we will need others to continue to grow and contribute the way we feel they can,” Dan Gross said. Owen Baumgartner and Hudson Vosika round out BOLD’s returning starters. Baumgartner is a 6-3 junior forward who averaged 7.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Vosika is a 5-9 senior guard who averaged 5.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. The Warriors will also lean on Mathew Jacobs, Dalan Weber, Tyler Ruschen, Owen Flann and John Morse for contributions. “The conference will be tough, as always,” Gross said. “We will need to fight for everything every night. Ultimately, we hope to fight for a run in the section playoffs.”
Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza war, an allegation Israel angrily denied. The London-based human rights group said in a report published on Thursday that it reached the conclusion after months of analysing incidents and statements of Israeli officials. Amnesty said the legal threshold for the crime had been met, in its first such determination during an active armed conflict. The 1948 Genocide Convention, enacted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group". Israel has repeatedly rejected any accusation of genocide, saying it has respected international law and has a right to defend itself after the cross-border Hamas attack from Gaza on October 7, 2023 that precipitated the war. "The deplorable and fanatical organisation Amnesty International has once again produced a fabricated report that is entirely false and based on lies," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein wrote on X. Amnesty's own branch in Israel distanced itself from the findings of its parent group, saying it had played no part in the research and did not believe Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. However, in a long statement, it said the killing and destruction in Gaza had reached "horrifying levels" and called for an investigation into possible crimes against humanity. The United States disagrees with Amnesty International's conclusion that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza war, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters on Thursday, adding that Washington continues to find allegations of genocide in Gaza unfounded. Patel said there are a number of deliberative processes about the situation on the ground in Gaza. Israel launched its air and ground war in Gaza after Hamas-led fighters attacked Israeli communities across the border 14 months ago, killing 1200 people and taking over 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. "The genocidal massacre on October 7, 2023, was carried out by the Hamas terrorist organisation against Israeli citizens," the foreign ministry spokesman said. Gaza's Health Ministry says that Israel's military campaign since then has killed more than 44,500 Palestinians and injured many others. Palestinian and UN officials say there are no safe areas left in Gaza, a tiny, densely populated and heavily built-up coastal territory. Most of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been internally displaced, some as many as 10 times. The Israeli military accuses Hamas of planting militants within populated neighbourhoods for operational cover, which Hamas denies, while accusing Israel of indiscriminate strikes. Amnesty's report came two weeks after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict. They have both denied the allegations. Presenting the report to journalists in The Hague, Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard said the conclusion had not been taken "lightly, politically, or preferentially". She told journalists after the presentation: "There is a genocide being committed. There is no doubt, not one doubt in our mind after six months of in-depth, focused research." Amnesty said it concluded that Israel and the Israeli military committed at least three of the five acts banned by the 1948 Genocide Convention, namely killings, causing serious bodily or mental harm, and deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about a protected group's physical destruction. These acts were done with the intent required by the convention, according to Amnesty, which said it reviewed over 100 statements from Israeli officials. Amnesty urged the ICC prosecutor to investigate alleged genocide. The office of the prosecutor said in a statement that it is continuing investigations into alleged crimes committed in the Palestinian territories and is unable to provide further comment.Living US presidents react to death of former President Jimmy Carter
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Green-fingered gifts: Our guide to the best Christmas presents for the gardener in your life Gardening expert Ciar Byrne has Christmas covered with these great gifts READ MORE: Choose carefully where to put your precious pots for the best results By CIAR BYRNE FOR THE DAILY MAIL Published: 15:30 EST, 8 December 2024 | Updated: 15:33 EST, 8 December 2024 e-mail View comments HEARTY TROWEL Loving thought: A heart-shaped trowel for £9.99 is both functional and beautiful Beautiful and functional, this heartshaped trowel by Wilkinson Sword is good for digging out stones and helps to move soil easily. It’s ideal for planting bulbs of all sizes at different depths (£9.99, wilkinsonsword-tools.co.uk). SEEDS OF CHEER Set of three Christmas Bees Mini Tins, £9, seedball.co.uk This set of three Christmas Bees Mini Tins from Seedball makes a great stocking filler. Each contains five seedballs with 30 wildflower seeds including common toadflax, cornflower, cowslip and meadow cranesbill (£9, seedball.co.uk). GARDEN GLOW Solar-powered ‘Antheia’ garden lights from 4lite are easy to install, with a charging panel to insert into the ground. Drape from a fence and let them absorb energy during the day to light up the nights (from £29.99 for 3m, screwfix.com). PRETTY PRACTICAL Keen gardeners can never have enough kneelers. Choose between a folding and nonfolding version – both Memory Foam and with a charming pattern from Town & Country (from £15.99 at garden centres). SHEAR PERFECT Pruner and holster set, £23.99, burgonandball.com This pruner and holster set comes in a tin bearing a daisy design from the Asteraceae flower family. The pruners have lightweight alloy handles and high carbon steel blade (£23.99, burgonandball.com). SPROUT JOY A monthly subscription to She Grows Veg delivers seeds to your door at the right time to sow them. There are two tiers – one for the advanced grower and another for beginners (from £12.99 per month, shegrowsveg.com). HOG HOME Wildlife fans will love this Dutch Barn hedgehog starter pack from Ark Wildlife. The hut will help encourage hedgehogs into your garden (£69.95, arkwildlife.co.uk). WILDLIFE WELCOME Peckish Woodland Feast bird feeder, from £15, homebase.co.uk Peckish Woodland Feast bird feeders are made with sustainably sourced wood and 100 per cent recycled materials. Options include the suet cake, seed feeder and multi-feeder (from £15, homebase.co.uk). LITTLE HELPERS Children love helping in the garden but if they are reluctant to get their hands dirty, these Kent & Stowe dinosaur gardening gloves may help. Made from soft cotton and with a dinosaur print, the gloves are available in pink and blue and suitable for ages three to six (£4.99, marshallsgarden.com). TOOLS AT HAND Holster, £49, genus.gs Gardeners need pockets. The Genus holster has pouches and straps of varying sizes. Wear it around your waist, clipped to a belt or slung over a shoulder (£49, genus.gs). VINEYARD POT For houseplant fanatics, this Winery Collection pot comes in shades of Bordeaux red and deep purple and is made from recycled plastic ropes used to support grapes in French vineyards. Various sizes available (from £6.49, elho.com). JAPANESE BLADES The Niwaki hori hori pro weeding knife comes in a canvas holster and is hand-made by third generation family craftsmen in Miki, one of the heartlands for horticultural blacksmithing in Japan . With a sustainable beech handle, it is forged from SK-5 carbon steel, making it sharper and tougher than other blades for weeding, digging, planting and cutting (£39, niwaki.com). Share or comment on this article: Green-fingered gifts: Our guide to the best Christmas presents for the gardener in your life e-mail Add commentNoneBRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and the head of NATO have met for talks on global security, the military alliance said Saturday. In a brief statement, NATO said Trump and its secretary general, Mark Rutte, met on Friday in Palm Beach, Florida. “They discussed the range of global security issues facing the Alliance,” the statement said without giving details. It appeared to be Rutte’s first meeting with Trump since his Nov. 5 election. Rutte had previously congratulated Trump and said “his leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance strong” and that he looked forward to working with him. Trump has for years expressed skepticism about the Western alliance and complained about the defense spending of many of its member nations, which he regarded as too low. He depicted NATO allies as leeches on the U.S. military and openly questioned the value of the alliance that has defined American foreign policy for decades. He threatened not to defend NATO members that fail to meet defense-spending goals. Rutte and his team also met Trump’s pick as national security adviser , U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, and other members of the president-elect’s national security team, the NATO statement said. Rutte took over at the helm of NATO in October.
Welcome to IBD Live! will speed your learning curve. The Ready List contains top stocks that meet our that are in or near . However, IBD Live participants should analyze the chart action to determine the exact before buying. QA Summary Ready List Watch List Top Mutual Funds For Stock Research Institutional sponsorship is a key part of IBD's CAN SLIM methodology. Here's a list of top growth-style mutual funds that our team likes to see as holders of individual stocks we're researching.